The Ninth Star
Summary: An evil enigmatic being known as The Ninth Star was once in a group known as the Nefarious Nine, all of whom were destroyed. The sole survivor of the attack, The Ninth Star takes up residence in a new host, and has now been tracked down to Valestrai, where there are nine powerful magic wielders under investigation. Sofia and company are called in to help question the suspects, but nothing could have prepared them for the outcome when the mystery begins to unravel. *Takes place two years after The Tainted Ten*
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First. The following characters belong to me: Jastin Butterford, Muscles, Malango the Magnanimous (mentioned), Corban, Charlie, Serena, Angel, Shikoba, Alo, the Ninth Star (and other Stars), and several others not mentioned in the other lists. MarionetteJ2X owns Nana, Tanya, and Terra. Mr. Shortman92 owns Christopher Crowley and Amaya. NerdsinaTree owns Captain Nereus. Royal Detective owns Gabriel Sebastian. Allyrwhitney owns Feya. Jettmanas owns Davidius. Creepy-Pasta owns Neoma. Pinkscarlet08 owns Amerie. Theblackraven2.0 owns Malcom "Mac" Woodruff. Also, the "Nefarious Nine" title belongs to NerdsinaTree, as the title was originally supposed to be used in "The Tainted Ten" until we added a tenth character.
Chapter 13: Captain Nereus
Captain Nereus was a tall 55-year-old man with medium length grayish-brown hair that brushed past his collar, though the hair on the top of his head was beginning to thin into baldness, so he hid that with both a bandanna and a hat. Having been on the sea much of his life, his skin was an even light brown, and his eyes were as blue as the water he so loved. Though he was broad-shouldered and even a bit burly, he'd acquired a bit of a gut in his older age, especially as he wasn't as active as he once was in his earlier years. There were some scars that resembled healed burns on the right side of his face, and for unknown reasons, he did not possess full articulation of his right arm or hand.
His clothing style was certainly a bit darker and more muted than other styles. He wore an old sailor's jacket from his days in the navy, a lighter-colored loose shirt under the jacket, dark pants, and black shoes. Around his neck was a pendant of a silver boat.
"Your accent is so unique," Shikoba began calmly. "Where are you from, Captain?"
"Ay, from a port city in Corinthia, miss," he told her lightly. "But my family is originally from the eastern areas, and we have a mix of different cultures and such. And being in the navy and on the sea a lot of my life, I've picked up a little bit of everyone's accent, it seems." He chuckled.
"Can you tell us a bit about your background?" Vega asked.
"Oh, yes. I once served in the Corinthian Royal Navy, but I was later discharged due to a few circumstances."
Sofia tapped her chin, pondering whether she should pursue the man's unspoken explanation, but feeling Cedric place his hand on her arm, she opted to leave it alone. For now.
"Long story," the captain explained briefly before shrugging. "Anyway, I was just sitting around in my humble home for a while, and I was unable to focus. I needed to do something. So, I decided to start this little hobby: sailing around the Seventeen Seas in search of treasure."
"So, you were like a pirate?" Greylock queried.
"Not quite, mate," the man corrected. "Pirates steal and sometimes murder, depending upon their goals, expectations, and even personalities. No, I was more of an adventurer. I would collect rare magical artifacts… And then I'd sell them to the highest bidder."
Cedric frowned. "What were some of the artifacts you found?"
"Oh, an old mirror with a siren trapped inside, a haunted jar of sand with crystals buried in it, platinum coins with magical properties, you name it… Granted, taking some of those artifacts did lead to a few setbacks, like a curse or two, but once I sold off the things, that was someone else's problem."
"So, you also sold curses, essentially," Vega confirmed.
Captain Nereus smiled disarmingly, scratching his neck. "I'm not a monster, miss. I assure you. I was just trying to make a living."
Sofia leaned forward. "Did you ever keep any items instead of selling them?"
"Oh, of course! A magical rapier of sorts, which I learned how to use… Oh, and a compass and pocket watch, both of which were good use on the open waters." He lifted the pendant around his neck. "This one too. It's the Palisian Pendant, which was found in a shipwreck a few miles off the coast where I used to live."
"Wow," the princess breathed in awe. "That's neat."
He cleared his throat, settling a little better into his chair, propping his right leg on his left knee. "I kept anything I could get use of, or that seemed a little too priceless to sell. Anything else was fair game, and I admit that I'm blessed with a silver tongue." He grinned mischievously. "I can recant my adventures to unsuspecting buyers, and before long, I've enticed them into a sale at a very suitable price for my liking. I'll also use the 'old man' façade if it helps." He laughed. "A lot of people, especially the young ladies, will try to appease an old man, whether feeling sorry for him or just wanting to get out of a conversation. Either way, it works in my favor."
"You've just got it all figured out, hmm?" Greylock asked cheekily, grinning, earning a smile from Captain Nereus. "I understand. Making a living and all that."
"A rather dishonest one," Shikoba pointed out, though she didn't wear any outward expressions that echoed her clear disdain for the older man's choice of work.
"Dishonesty can actually help you in life, miss," the captain informed her. "Sometimes, telling the truth isn't worth the breath you have to waste saying it."
Cedric hummed thoughtfully but sighed. He could see where Captain Nereus was coming from with that, but he wasn't quite sure he agreed with his reasoning.
"Anything else you'd like to add?" Orion asked one final time. Seeing the older man shake his head, he led him to the wall. "All right, one moment please while I do this magic test." He held his hand to the man's forehead and conducted his magic review, pausing several moments later. He lowered his hand, nodding. "Thank you so much, Captain Nereus. You're excused to the holding room, and we will join you all soon."
"Thank you, sir." With nothing left to say, he exited to the other room.
"I think it's time we reviewed your magic testing, Orion," Shikoba told him. "We need to enter with a plan and a direction. Tensions are high right now, and I would rather not have any missteps."
He nodded. "I agree. Let's start with the first suspect and make our way to the last."
Several minutes after discussing their interactions with the suspects, notes, and Orion's test, the group of investigators entered the holding room. It was obvious that everyone was on edge. Every eye twitch, nervous chewing of a fingernail, deep set frown, or other defining factors made that perfectly clear.
"I would like to thank everyone for their compliance," Shikoba finally told them, getting their attention. "It is clear most of you are here under false accusation or due to improbable cause. All of you are quite powerful. Do not worry. It will not be long before this concludes, and we will then disperse."
"Are you sure about that?"
Everyone turned and looked at Davidius, whose voice sounded far less like his own and more like…a woman? His deep blue eyes had morphed into almost serpentine black, and his usual melancholy features were now a bit more…assertive. A slow smile spread on Davidius's lips as the female voice taunted lightly, "Tick-tock, tick-tock… You're so close and still so far…"
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Star Light
