Chapter Five
A little off the shores of Neverland, a hefty vessel floated calmly on the Neversea as the sun set, painting the sky in hues of yellow, coral, and purple. The silhouette of the ship could easily be mistaken for that of the Captain Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger, but up close, it told a different story. The Delta was constructed from light brown wood, with vibrant red, green, and yellow striped sails. Its name was painted proudly on the side, and at the end of the word, their signature symbol, a golden fleur-de-lis that looked more like a fancy letter "T", gleamed in the fading light.
A tall young man, no older than nineteen, looked over the railing at their newly scrubbed ship. He had reddish-blonde hair, a signature swoop of it just above his forehead, fair skin, and bright blue eyes. Unlike his brothers, his physique was well-built and strong, a testament to his rigorous training and proper nourishment. He wore a crimson red vest with no shirt underneath, displaying his strong midsection, a gold bandana around his forehead, black pants, and thick, knee-high black boots. This was Jack, the oldest Talstein brother and future captain of the Delta.
He finally turned around to see his two younger brothers standing on the deck side by side. Both lanky, one tall, and dressed in green and black, the other shorter and clad in yellow and white.
"So you two morons actually got those little pirates to clean the ship up, eh?" Jack asked, condescending as ever.
Patrick, glared at his older brother.
"Yeah, Jack, and we managed it without flexing in the mirror for hours. Impressive, right?" he sneered.
"Ooooh! Yipe! Would you like a moist towelette for that one Jack?" the blonde in yellow asked, teasingly.
"Oh shut up Maverick!" both the ginger and the brunette brother snapped.
Jack ran his hair through his strawberry tinted locks.
"Why did it take so long for you to get things under control around here while I was away? If it were me left behind, I would've already slit the throat of any pirate kid who dared come near the ship."
Patrick rolled his eyes.
"Well Jackson, if I was the obvious favorite, I'd probably have the luxury of acting like a tyrant too."
They were about to get into it when a feminine voice cut through the air.
"There is no such thing as favorites aboard this ship." The three of them turned to see a woman stepping out of the forecastle.
Her wavy hair flowed in the slight breeze and her eyes were a bright blue in the light of the sunset. Her fair skin looked like white vanilla ice cream beneath the strawberry syrup of her dark red hair. She was tall for a lass, though she only towered over Maverick and was just a bit shorter than Patrick, with Jack towering over her. Her figure was slim and curved in all the right places. She wore a black corset over a white, puffy-sleeved shirt, a knee-length frilly black skirt, a red sash around her waist, black fishnet stockings, and slender knee-high black boots with high heels.
Despite her stature, the Talstein brothers showed her immense respect, immediately shutting up. A sly smile played on her lips, and she knew exactly what she was doing.
"Well, boys? What are you waiting for? Aren't you gonna bow for your Captain's first mate?" she asked, and all three of the lads bowed. Jack's bow was the most courteous, Patrick trying to one up him as usual, and Maverick just trying to get to a full 90 degrees. The Talstein brothers stood up straight.
"Milady." Jack addressed, charmingly.
"Show off." Patrick scoffed.
Amber nodded slightly, acknowledging the respect.
She turned to the middle brother, a curious look in her bright blue eyes.
"So, Patrick, did things go smoothly while Jack and I were away?"
The pirate in green opened his mouth to respond, but Jack cut in, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, you know, just the usual—Pat here let the ship get graffitied by two three feet tall pirate kids."
The green pirate's face flushed with anger.
"Least I had the integrity to stay behind and watch the ship while you went trotting off with her and the captain to go on a wild goose chase for some treasure that probably doesn't even exist!"
"The Treasure of the Talstein's does exist, Patrick my boy," the redheaded lady said. "I'm sure of it." she muttered, a sly smile on her face as she clasped her lily white hands together.
"How can you be so?"
"Because our Captain was the very one who buried it, and we are on a mission to find it!" the woman shot back.
"Well we've got tons of other treasures here, why risk our lives searching all of the Neverworld for this one?" Maverick asked.
"It's not just a chest of necklaces and golden coins, fraidy cat!" Jack said, pounding on his little brother's blonde head with his fist.
"That's right Jack. It's something more valuable to the Captain than anything in the universe," Amber said. She turned to the youngest of the three, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Still got the key?"
"Uh yes ma'am!" Maverick fumbled with his yellow vest, his tongue sticking out as he rummaged through the pockets. Both Jack and Patrick rolled their eyes in unison, exchanging a knowing glance.
"I can't believe you actually let him keep the key safe!" Jack scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
Amber shrugged with a sly smile, her voice dripping with teasing intent.
"Maybe I did it just to see the two of you squirm."
Maverick finally pulled a golden key from his vest, dangling it triumphantly by a ribbon. The key was small and could easily fit into a closed fist. It was elegantly crafted to resemble the letter "T," but it still had the notches and teeth of a regular key. The ribbon it was attached to was striped red, yellow, and green, mirroring the sails of their ship.
Amber took the key from Maverick, her eyes widening in awe as she admired it.
"Here's your proof, Patrick," she murmured, her voice filled with wonder. "There really is a treasure," She turned the key over in her hands, the setting sun casting a warm glow on its polished surface. "This key was the Captain's gift to me. We promised each other that one day we'd find its lost treasure chest together. But we couldn't do it without journeying to the Neverworlds and we certainly couldn't do it without this key."
Patrick snorted, leaning casually against the ship's railing.
"And apparently, you also can't do it without leaving Maverick and me behind to watch the ship, either."
"Patrick, had I not been ordered to go, I would've stayed behind with you. Of course I also wouldn't have let our ship become some kids' coloring book!"
Amber stepped between them, her presence commanding.
"Enough, both of you!" Her voice was calm but firm, immediately silencing the brothers. They stepped back, giving each other one last glare. "Who were these kids?" the woman asked.
"Just two little annoying wannabe excuses for pirates." the sixteen year old pirate in yellow answered.
Patrick, hands on his hips, stared at Maverick.
"Unlike anyone we know." he muttered, looking at his younger brother.
Amber's eyes flicked to Patrick, silencing him with a look.
"Maverick, continue." she spoke.
Maverick puffed out his chest slightly.
"Ya see, there's this little girl with pixie dust and a bad attitude, and this little boy with a map who jumps at a pin drop, and they also had a parrot but that doesn't really matter but anyway, they came and spray painted 'The Smell-Ta' all over our ship. They even tried to make off with our treasure. But we stopped them and got them to scrub the ship clean."
Jack waved a dismissive hand.
"Never mind about those kids. Did you actually see Peter Pan today?"
Maverick nodded.
"Yeah, we did. And it wasn't just him. He had this feisty kid with him. Jake, I think his name was. Seemed to be some kind of second-hand man to Pan and the leader of the little shrimps who painted our ship." Patrick added.
Amber's expression darkened, her mind racing with thoughts of the past.
"Jake, huh? Interesting."
"He's pretty brave given he's only what? Twelve?" the blonde asks with a shrug.
Amber's eyes narrowed as she considered this.
"Enough about this random kid, Maverick. It's Pan I'm worried about."
"Well, you shouldn't be. When we saw him, he was weak, tired, and could barely fly." Patrick says with a smirk, leaning against the railing.
Amber's expression brightened at this news.
"Is that so?" she asks. The green eyed pirate nods. "Perfect. That means the plan is in motion now," she murmured. She turned sharply to the youngest brother. "Maverick, get the second dinghy ready. I'm going to pay a visit to the Captain and while I'm gone, you are in charge."
Maverick's face lit up with excitement while both Jack and Patrick exchanged shocked expressions.
"Oh aye, aye!" The youngest brother then scurried off to prepare the small boat, his eagerness palpable.
"What!?" Patrick exclaimed.
"With all due respect, you're letting him watch this ship?" Jack asked, disbelief in his voice.
"Of all three of us!" the middle brother added, his tone laced with jealousy. "You're choosing Maverick?"
Amber walked up to them, her demeanor serious and commanding.
"Yes I am, because you two have a much bigger, much more important job on your hands. Now listen up, because this is what you're gonna do."
Jack and Patrick straightened, instinctively.
"Yes, Mother." the two said in unison.
The next morning, Bucky struggled through the Neversea, the barnacle problem making it nearly impossible for Jake to steer. The journey was bumpy, but they finally made it to Crimson Isle. As they docked, Jake sighed with relief.
"I've never been happier to be on sturdy land." he said, stretching his arms.
"Now you know what we had to deal with!" Cubby giggled.
"This case of barnacles is even worse than the last time," Jake replied, shaking his head. "We really need to find Red Jessica and see if she can help us get another one of those roses somehow."
As they walked, Jake led the way with Izzy in the middle and Cubby bringing up the rear. They started chatting about their next steps.
"Jake, did you see any islands beyond the Neverseas that were full of roses?" Cubby asks.
"Yeah," Skully adds. "Then maybe you could go and get a zebra rose out there, matey." the bird suggested.
Jake thought for a moment.
"I don't think there were any that I remember. And even if there were, I wouldn't leave you guys behind again."
They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't see they were about to bump into someone. Jake crashed into a pair of legs, Izzy crashed into his back, and Cubby ran into her, sandwiching her in the middle. They backed up one by one, shaking their heads to make the stars go away.
Jake looked up and saw that he had just collided with another pirate he had never seen before. This pirate had similar facial features to Patrick and Maverick from yesterday but was very tall, muscular, with ginger hair, blue eyes, and fine pirate clothing. The little pirate leader moved his head a little to see an annoyed-looking Patrick standing behind the lad. Wow. He thought Patrick was tall yesterday, given that he towered over Peter, but now he looked tiny compared to the pirate next to him.
"Uh, sorry about that." Jake began, but before he could continue, the pirate in the red vest interrupted.
"Ahoy there, lad. By any mere chance are you the leader of the Neverland Pirates?" the tall pirate asked.
"Yeah, I am. Who are you?" Jake responded cautiously.
The pirate grinned.
"I'm Jack. And this here is my brother, Patrick."
"Yeah, we've met." the younger brother mutters.
"So….uh…Jack, are you the captain of the Delta?" Jake asked, curious.
Patrick scoffed.
"Of course, he isn't—ow!" the lad in green and black spat before Jack elbowed him in the ribs.
"What Mr. Patrick here meant to say was, not yet," the taller brother corrected. He then noticed Izzy, Cubby, and Skully. He pointed at Izzy. "So, you're the one who thought it was a bright idea to play artists all over our ship?"
Izzy put her hands on her hips.
"Yep, but next time, we're playing circus and we're using fireworks. And this time, we'll be sure to swipe the treasure too!"
Jake could not believe what he was hearing. He saw that Cubby also had a feisty glare but decided to let Izzy do the talking. The leader in the navy blue vest quickly moved to intervene, but Jack laughed in response.
"Some crew you got here lad. Nothing but a bird, a pigtailed peanut gallery and a chubby moron with a coconut fetish!"
Jake's mateys snapped.
"Crackers! Lemme at 'em!" Skully exclaimed.
"Oh those are fighting words!" Izzy shouted as she and Skully were about to charge, Cubby contemplating on whether to join them or not. Jake quickly held both of them back, grabbing the girl's shirt and the bird's tail feathers. Izzy tried to push away, but he kept a firm grip, shocked by her recent attitude.
What exactly happened when he left her in charge while this trio of Pirate brothers came around?
Finally, Izzy gave up, remembering that she was not in charge anymore now that Jake was back. She sighed and stepped back, crossing her arms and glaring at the brothers.
"Alright, let's all calm down. We're just here to see Red Jessica, not to get into a fight." Jake said calmly.
Patrick scoffed.
"Yeah, I'm sure she loves a bunch of goody-goody 'pirates' like you."
"Why don't you just mind your own business!?" Izzy sneered, only for her leader to give her a warning look. "Sorry."
"Oh, it is our business," Jack chuckled. "You see, we've got our own interests in Crimson Isle."
"And those interests don't involve you." Patrick added.
"And as a matter of fact, we were just leaving."
Jack and Patrick made their way off, they couldn't resist taking one last jab.
"It's a good thing you're here now, boy," Jack said to the leader of the small trio. "It's good to know that this 'crew' has a real leader like you instead of a barking chihuahua that shall remain unnamed." Patrick snickers as Izzy's face flushed with anger.
"Oh, that's it!" Izzy shouted, trying to dart after them, Skully flapping alongside her in support. But Jake was quick, grabbing Izzy by the back of her shirt just in time. Izzy struggled, her eyes blazing while Jack and Patrick only laughed louder as they disappeared over a hill.
Once they were out of sight, Jake let go of Izzy and sighed, crossing his arms.
"What's the matter with you? Are you crazy or something? You've been acting all fired up since I got back." he asked.
"It hasn't just been since you got back." she murmured under her breath, glaring at the ground.
"What?"
The lass shook her head and took a deep breath to calm herself.
"I'm sorry. Really I am. I just—I just don't like how they treat us."
Jake softened, understanding but still firm.
"I get it, Iz, but we're here for a reason. Let's stick to the plan, alright?"
Izzy nodded, her fiery spirit simmering down as they continued towards Red Jessica's castle.
The palace of Red Jessica stood proudly before them, an imposing structure built from a million shades of red, from deep crimson to soft scarlet. It was a sight to behold, but the crew had little time to admire it. Jake led the way to the grand door and knocked confidently.
They waited a moment. No response.
Jake knocked again, louder this time.
"Red Jessica? It's us, the Neverland Pirates!"
Still, silence greeted them.
"Maybe she's out sailing on the Neversea." Cubby suggested, looking hopeful.
Izzy shook her head, pointing to the docked ship.
"She can't be. Look, her ship's right there."
Jake frowned, glancing at his friends.
"We should look inside."
"But how are we gonna get the door open?" Cubby asked, puzzled.
"I don't know," Jake replied, giving the door a tentative push. "We'll have to—." To their surprise, it swung open easily.
"Uh oh, she forgot to lock the door." Izzy observed, a hint of concern in her voice.
The group exchanged uneasy glances before Jake led the way inside, calling out for Red Jessica as they navigated the halls of the vibrant palace. Each room was more exquisite than the last, yet each one echoed with emptiness.
"She's really not here." Cubby said quietly, as they came to a stop in the grand foyer.
Izzy's brow furrowed in worry.
"Where could she have gone?" she asked.
Jake's eyes darted around, a mixture of worry and determination on his face.
"I…I dunno. It's like she disappeared."
To Be Continued….