"Get yer hands offa me, I say!" Emerald yelled as she was dragged into the dark prison of The Maelstrom. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't get free. "Or I'll kick yer arses so hard you'll kiss the moon!"
"Ah, shut up wench," said a short, peg-legged, pig-looking guy.
"What didja just call me?" Emerald yelled as she was thrown into the cell. "Come back 'ere, coward! How 'bout I shove that wooden stick up your arse?" A distant door slammed signaling that she was being ignored. Emerald let out a frustrated grunt and proceeded to punch and kick at the door.
A gentle thud caught Emerald's attention over the racket she was making. She spun around in defensive stance ready to clobber whoever was about to attack her.
"Whoa! Hold on! I'm a prisoner too!"
Emerald glared. "And I'm supposed t' believe anyone from this place???" She was losing it. This was just way too much at once for her to handle.
"I'm a friend, honest," the voice said.
Emerald's vision managed to clear up in the dim light. She saw a boy with white blond hair and amazing blue eyes set at an angle. Though she couldn't tell much from lack of light, she sensed he was friendly. He didn't look like the lot that brought her down to this hellhole.
"What were ya doing hidin' like that?" She demanded. "Sneakin' up on me like that can be dangerous to yer health."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't want Konk to know that there was someone in here already. I'm Ren."
"Emerald, She replied, still not letting down on her defense. "Tell me, where am I and what the bloody 'ell is goin' on?"
Ren looked puzzled for a second, both at her speech and the subject. "You seem to have encountered Bloth and he didn't take a liking to you," he suggested. "But for where we are, I can't tell. The window doesn't show much and we've been done here for a few days."
Emerald threw her hands up in the air. Another obvious answer. Were these people dimwits?? "Can ya tell me what planet I'm on? Am I on Mars?"
Ren looked even more puzzled. "Mars? No.... This is Mer."
Emerald was ready to bang her head against the door. Mer?? Where in the seven hells was that? Not in the Milky Way, that's for sure. She was about to ask another question when a woman's voice from three cells down called out.
"One of you two better hide," She warned. "Mantus is coming back down."
Ren looked at Emerald. "Mantus has the keys to the cells. If you can get him in here, we can steal the keys and get out of here."
"Leave it to me," Emerald said, knowing that being obnoxious was one of her better traits. Besides, she really wanted to get out of the cell. She watched as Ren clung to the ceiling again then turned to face the door. Emerald heard comments made to the other prisoners and the prisoners' replies. Finally he stopped at her cell.
"Oi!" Emerald said. "Lemme outta 'ere ya ugly brute!"
Mantus looked at Emerald. He could have sworn this was the cell that the son of Primus was in. He knew he should have brought a torch down with him. "Shut your trap, wench."
"Wench???" Emerald growled. "Did anyone ever tell ya you actually look like a bug? Is that why yer mother named ya after an insect?"
Mantus gave her a dangerous look. He didn't know what she was talking about, but she was about to get the beating of her life for her insolence. "Watch you're mouth, woman, or you'll wish you were never born."
"Big talk fer a lil' man," Emerald snapped back. "Got any spine ta back it up?"
Mantus drew his sword. Orders or no, no one called him a coward and lived to tell the tale. He unlocked the door and walked in, enjoying the fear he thought he saw on the girl's face as she backed into a wall.
Ren, still trying to stifle laughter, jumped down behind Mantus and took his keys. "Thanks, Mantus. I owe you one."
Mantus turned around, startled and angry that he had been tricked. Emerald took this moment to give him a good hard punch in the head. Mantus slumped to the floor. Ren raced out and started unlocking his companions' doors.
"Noijitut, Ren," Ioz grumbled as he came out. "Why is it that we always seem to attract annoying-"
"Ioz, be quiet," Tula said, helping untie Niddlar's beak. "She helped us out, and she's coming with us. Get used to it."
Niddlar let out an annoyed noise as his beak was untied, but before he could put in his two cents, Ren took charge again. "Come on, this way you guys."
Emerald, having no idea what she was doing or where she was going, followed anyway. She had no choice. It was either stay in the cell and wait for that Mantus guy to wake up, or follow Ren. They ran in silence with the exception of splashing puddles and the occasional grumble from Ioz. Finally, Emerald thought she saw a light coming out of a tunnel and a smaller looking ship at the head.
Now this ain't right... Things are too quiet. Why haven't we been attacked yet? Surely people gotta come down 'ere and take care of this part of the ship...
Ren came to a sudden halt and Emerald almost tripped over Niddlar. She looked around and Ren drew his sword.
"Be careful, I think they're still searching The Wraith." Ioz and Tula nodded and drew their weapons. "Niddlar, stay back with Emerald."
"Oi! I can take care of me self!" Emerald exclaimed, offended.
"Shh!" Niddlar said. "I really don't want attention drawn up over here."
Emerald grunted her annoyance and watched as Ren, Tula, and Ioz took out some baddies. Then Ren told Emerald and Niddlar that is was all right and they hurried aboard The Wraith. Emerald was still thinking that this escape was too easy.
She was right; as they came out of the maw of the ship, she heard a loud roar.
"Ren! Dagrons!" Niddlar yelled.
"Full sail ahead, Tula! Ioz, take the helm! Nid-"
Ren was cut off as the peg legged man jumped off a Dagron and threw Ren down as he landed on him.
"Konk will get Treasures for Bloth!" He yelled.
"Oh bloody 'ell!" Emerald growled. "I've had enough!" She strode over and picked Konk up by his shirt. As she threw him overboard, more of Bloth's men jumped onto The Wraith. Three pirates surrounded Emerald with swords drawn. Emerald ducked as two went for her. They injured themselves on their weapons and fell back. The third one received a good sidekick in the wrist to get the sword out of the way. He started backing off as Emerald advance and jumped overboard to avoid her. She saw Ren get up to join in the battle.
A sudden wind came and The Wraith speeded away from The Maelstrom. The Dagrons and invading pirates disappeared. Emerald almost fell over seeing Tula glowing. As she took her hands from her temples the wind died down. Tula sat on one of the lower steps to the helm holding her head.
"Thanks Tula," Ren said gratefully.
"Noijitut!" Ioz exclaimed. Ren turned to see what Ioz was sounding surprised about. Ioz was looking from Tula to Emerald.
"Whatcha looking at me that why fer?" Emerald growled. She was in a very bad mood.
Tula looked up, ready to scold Ioz, when she got her first good look at Emerald. She stood and walked over to her. "This is amazing..."
Emerald was looking at the lot as if they had gone stark raving mad.
"Tula, you don't have a twin do you?" Niddlar asked, equally stunned.
"Twin?" Emerald asked. "I ain't got a sister! What are you lot talkin' about?"
"You and Tula look almost exactly alike!" Ren told her.
Emerald walked over to a barrel that was holding some water and looked at her reflection, then looked at Tula. True enough, she looked almost like Tula. With the difference of the hair color and eye shape, she could easily pass as her. Frowning, Emerald washed her elbows from the dried blood and turned around.
What the ruddy 'ell is going on? She thought. How is this possible? I'm from Earth fer cryin' out loud! "I think it's time you lot tell me what is goin' on and how I got 'ere."
"First off, where are you from?" Ioz asked suspiciously. "Your accent doesn't sound familiar to me."
"I'm from another ruddy planet," Emerald answered, sounding tired. "I was mindin' me own business when I got sucked onto that mammoth ship. And the chap that brought me 'ere was thrown into a pit." I'm never gonna get home again, She thought, the seriousness of the situation setting in.
Tula, sensing that Emerald was troubled, put her hand on Emerald's shoulder. "Perhaps you should rest a little."
Emerald nodded and followed Tula inside.