Tetra looked behind her as she and Gonzo crossed the bridge to the other side of the island. Krystal had followed them all the way down the hill and was still walking behind them. "Why are you following us?" she asked after a moment
"My home is on the other side," Krystal replied.
"I guessed that. But for someone who's just going home, you're tagging along pretty close," Tetra remarked. She and Gonzo finished crossing the bridge and she stopped on the sand to turn and look at Krystal, who came to a stop on the rock at this. "You've got something you want to say, don't you? Well, spit it out!" she said.
Krystal stared at her for a moment before gathering her courage and saying, "I want to come with you."
Tetra's eyes widened, "What?!"
Krystal stepped off the rock and said, "You said you're going after that bird, didn't you? We both want to go to the same place, and you have a large ship. Surely you have enough room for me!"
Tetra leaned forward, getting closer to Krystal's face as she spoke, "Do you realize what you're asking, who you're talking to? We're pirates! The terror of the seas! What do we get by bringing someone like you on board? I'll tell you what we get: a headache."
Krystal started, "But…"
Tetra interrupted her, "Look, I know how you must feel, what with your sister being kidnapped and all… But that doesn't really have anything to do with us, now does it?"
As she leaned back, a new voice asked, "And how do you figure that?" Krystal looked to her right and saw the Rito postman she'd seen earlier a short distance away, walking across the sand.
Tetra and Gonzo looked at him too, the latter walking over to him when he stopped and demanding, "Hey, who do you think you are?! What gives you the right to butt in on someone else's conversation?!"
The postman replied to him, "Please! I apologize, but I saw what happened and couldn't help but overhear." He turned to Tetra and said, "All I mean to say is that if you big, bad pirates hadn't chased that bird out to this quiet little island, that poor girl wouldn't have been kidnapped."
Tetra raised an eyebrow, "And how do you figure that?" She had repeated what the postman had said, but her underlying tone indicated she wanted to know what he meant.
"Just be quiet for a moment and I'll tell you!" the postman agitatedly said, causing Tetra, Gonzo, and Krystal to reel back a bit. He continued after a moment, "Now, as my work entails delivering letters, I spend much of my time traveling amongst the many different islands. As a result, I hear many things… Have any of you heard word that young girls have been getting kidnapped lately from all regions of the Great Sea?"
Krystal looked over at Tetra and Gonzo and then back at him. He went on, "No matter. Whether you've heard it or not, it's true. Young girls with pointy ears like yours are being kidnapped, never to be seen again. And unless my eyes fail me, the young girl who was just kidnapped also had pointy ears, much like you do, Miss 'Fearsome Pirate'. My point is that bird saw that poor girl and mistook her for you, and that's why it grabbed her!" Tetra glanced off to the side, unsure what to say to that.
The postman looked over at Krystal and said, "And as I said, I witnessed the whole thing. I know that young Krystal here rushed over here and armed herself with that sword on her back before rushing up to the forest to help you while your crew was busy securing the ship."
Tetra turned to Krystal and asked, "Is that true?"
Krystal blinked, a bit surprised by the postman's willingness to vouch for her, and said, "Yes, it is."
The postman spoke, "Oh, and one more thing. Based on everything I've heard, that bird has made its foul nest to the north, specifically in the Forsaken Fortress."
Tetra looked at him, "The Forsaken Fortress?! But that's where…"
The postman crossed his arms, "So, what are you going to do? Considering the circumstances, I don't think it would be unreasonable for you to give Krystal a little help."
Tetra huffed, "Hmph! You don't need to spell it out for me." She turned to Krystal, "Even if I were to consider it… Look, lately I've heard nothing but terrible rumors about the Forsaken Fortress. You can't possibly mean to go there with just a telescope and that little hand-me-down sword! That's not brave; it's stupid! I mean, come on! Even a small island has to have something you could use to protect yourself with."
Krystal asked, "You mean a shield?"
Tetra replied, "Exactly. Tell you what: I'll give you a little time to look. If you can find something like that before we leave, then we'll let you stow away on our ship. And just so you know, if you do leave with us, don't expect us to make a special trip to drop you and your sister off. You'd better say your goodbyes while you have the chance because we won't be coming back for a while. I don't want you getting weepy eyed and homesick on me!" Krystal nodded to show she understood.
Krystal's grandmother turned when she heard the front door open and saw Krystal step inside and pull it closed. "Krystal, where have you been? You were gone for so long. And where's your sister? Is she still playing with the seagulls?" she asked.
Krystal appeared to be walking towards the elderly woman while she was talking, but she was actually aiming for the ladder up to the loft. She ran her left hand over the top of her head as she tried to act like nothing was wrong. "Well, uh, she's…" she stammered, not sure what to say.
She had clearly given herself away since Grandma asked, "What's wrong, Krystal? Is there something wrong that you can't tell even your grandma?"
Krystal's eyes shifted towards the ladder for a moment before she looked back at Grandma and said, "I-I'll tell you in a moment, Grandma. I just have to… check something." She started up the ladder, but when she reached the top, before she could bring her foot up into the loft, she noticed something that made her freeze: the shield in the wreath was gone. "What?! Where did it go?! It was up here earlier!" she cried internally.
She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her grandmother say, "Krystal." The fox stepped down several rungs on the ladder and looked. The older woman had walked back into the living area and was standing by the long table, her body turned towards the wall.
Krystal got off the ladder and walked over to her. She didn't turn to look at the fox even when she was standing behind her. She seemed to be focused on something. "Grandma?" Krystal wondered.
"...Is this what you're looking for?" Grandma asked, her voice quiet. She turned around; she was holding the family shield in her hands. Krystal looked down at it. Her mouth felt suddenly dry and she had no idea what to say. She looked up at her grandma. The woman gave a small smile after a moment and said, "Take it with you." She held her arms out, her grip on the shield loosening slightly.
Krystal brought her hands forward and placed them on the sides of the shield. She stared down at it for a few moments. "Grandma… I…" she started to say as she tilted her head up again.
She stopped when she saw her grandmother had lowered her head, her shoulders shaking slightly. "I heard… a distant scream earlier… It was Aryll, wasn't it? She was kidnapped…" she said quietly. She began to sob softly, "Oh, Aryll… What sort of monster could take such a sweet, young child…?"
Krystal shifted the shield under her right arm and stepped forward, placing her left hand softly on her grandmother's shoulder. "I don't know, Grandma… But I… I'm going to go find her. And I'm going to bring her home," she said, her resolve rising as she spoke.
A few minutes later, she stepped out of the house, the shield hanging on her back. As she walked down the ramp, she spotted Sue-Belle standing near the split in the path. As she walked towards her, the woman noticed her and said, "Krystal, I thought I heard Aryll's voice cry from far away. Is it… Is it really true?" Krystal bowed her head and gave a slight hum as she continued walking. "Where are you going?" Sue-Belle asked.
Krystal made her way down to the beach by the dock where the pirate ship was anchored. Tetra was standing on the sand talking to Gonzo and another pirate with the Rito postman standing nearby keeping an eye on them. Both Gonzo and the postman looked at Krystal as she approached, prompting Tetra to turn around and look at her. She glanced at the shield of the fox's back and remarked, "Wow. That's a decrepit old shield. Are you sure you can use that properly? You're not going to get splinters and cry, are you?" Krystal gave her an annoyed look, so she said, "Well, whatever. We're ready to leave. You still want to do this?"
Krystal replied, "Yes,I do. I know this is an inconvenience for you and your crew, but I will find a way to repay you for doing this."
Tetra shrugged, "Sure, whatever, fox girl. I've already told Niko you're coming with us; I'll let the rest of the crew know. Come on board and I'll introduce you." She walked past Krystal to go back to the pirate ship. Krystal watched her for a moment before turning back to Gonzo. As she turned back to him, the pirate she guessed was Niko poked out from behind him with his red and white striped shirt and blue bandanna.
"Hiya! You're the new girl who's joining the crew, right?" he asked as he walked over to Krystal.
"I suppose I am," she replied.
"Then that means… I'm no longer the bottom rung on the ladder! Which means no more cleaning dirty pirate underpants!" he cheered. He headed for the ship as well, a spring in his step as he went. "Helloooooooo, new pirate swabbie! Goodbyeeeeeee, dirty pirate underpants!"
Krystal watched him with a perturbed look while Gonzo shook his head. He then turned to her and spoke, "Listen up, shrimp! You might have gotten lucky because of Miss Tetra's impulsive decision making, but while you're on her ship, you're not a passenger! You're a member of this crew, and what Miss Tetra says goes! You do as she says, and you'd better not start crying for us to drop you off somewhere! Like she said, we'll bring you and your sister back when it's convenient for us, not you, understand?" Krystal nodded to show she understood, so he placed his left hand on her back and began to lead her to the dock.
Before they could walk down it, Abe suddenly ran down to the beach with Zill and Joel running behind him. Both Krystal and Gonzo stopped and looked at him as he came to a stop and said, "Krystal! What are you doing?! You're not… really going to get on that ship and go after that bird to rescue Aryll, are you?"
Joel asked, "You're not really going to leave, are you, Krystal?"
Zill sniffed, "No?"
Krystal looked up at Abe and replied, "I have to, Abe. She's all alone out there and I can't even imagine what's going to happen when she gets to that bird's nest."
Abe said, "I understand that, but think about it for a minute! If you get on that boat, there's no telling what's going to happen to you! It's not going to be as easy as you might think; you're probably going to have to go through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears before you can come home. Are you really prepared for that kind of commitment, Krystal?!"
Joel spoke up, "Hey! Aren't you listening to me? Don't go, Krystal!"
Zill added, "Don't go!"
Krystal looked down at them and their faces made her think of Aryll, made her think of what she'd said before they fell asleep last night. Her words about being okay when she was with Krystal echoed in her mind, yet she'd failed to help her or do much of anything when that bird grabbed her. She had let Aryll down when she needed her the most; she had to make up for it. She looked back up at Abe and said, "I am." Abe sputtered at this, but couldn't find any words as she turned to follow Gonzo onto the dock, the pirate shrugging as he walked.
As she walked towards the ramp leading up to the pirate ship, the Rito postman flew alongside her, saying, "I'm sorry, Krystal. This is a terrible situation. I wish I could go in your stead."
Krystal stopped and turned to him. She felt a bit embarrassed that she didn't know his name even after all the time he'd taken out of his schedule to help someone who, to him, should've been one of the many, many people he delivered mail to. "I… I'm very grateful to you. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to do this if you hadn't stood up for me. And yet I…" She trailed off.
He gave a small smile and replied, "My name is Quill. And there's no need to thank me. I'm just doing what I can to help others because that's what good people should try to do." He moved a bit closer, "I know what that pirate said, but if anything comes up, try to come to my home, Dragon Roost Island. I'll do whatever I can to aid you. And don't worry about your home. If anything comes up, I will seek you out."
Krystal gave a slight bow as she said, "I… I don't know what to say, other than thank you."
Quill nodded before saying, "I have to get going. I wish you the best of luck!" He turned and spread his wings out, catching some wind under them and flying away. Krystal waved to him for a moment before facing forward again and running to get on board the pirates' ship.
Krystal found Tetra, Gonzo, and Niko waiting for her on the ship along with four other pirates that were part of the crew. Tetra introduced them to Krystal: Nudge, a tall, muscular man who looked like he could physically match Gonzo, Senza, a darker-skinned man with a beard and chest hair poking out of his purple shirt, Mako, who wore glasses and a striped shirt and was carrying a book under his arm, and Zuko, who remained quiet during their introduction. After the awkward introductions, Tetra announced they were ready to set out and told everyone to get the ship ready.
A few minutes later, the sails were unfurled and Gonzo spun the wheel to set sail. By this time, Abe, Rose, their kids, Sue-Belle, and Mesa had gathered on the beach, Abe having told everyone that Krystal was leaving on the pirate ship. She and Tetra were on the back of the ship, so they all waved to her as the wind began to push the ship away from the small, quiet island.
"Good luck, Krystal!"
"Good luck finding Aryll!"
"Take care of yourself!"
Krystal waved sadly to everyone from the stern as the pirate ship continued to be pushed by the wind. It was getting too far away for her to jump off and swim back, so she knew this was it; she was leaving. As she looked up, she noticed something off to the side and moved to the other side of the stern for a better look and her mouth fell open. It was her grandmother standing on the deck of their house, watching the ship sail away. Questions swirled in her head as she wondered what the older woman was thinking at this moment.
Krystal raised both arms over her head and waved to her grandmother. "I will find Aryll and bring her home safely, Grandma. I promise," she vowed in her head.
"Ugh, how much longer is this going to go on, do you think? Do you have an estimate?" Krystal turned around and saw Tetra standing behind her, a smirk on her face and her arms crossed.
"What?" the fox asked.
"Are you sure you don't want to give this up while you have a chance? Seriously, think about it." Tetra leaned back and put her hands behind her head, "I can tell you're just going to get more sentimental from here on out. There's still time; are you sure you don't want us to turn around and take you back to your little island?"
Krystal looked back at Outset Island, her gaze focused on where her grandmother was. She stared for several moments before turning away and shaking her head no as she walked past Tetra. "I can't do that. I won't give up on Aryll. I'd never be able to stop thinking about her, what could be happening to her," she thought as she stopped next to the helm.
Tetra walked up behind her and gave her a shove from behind while saying, "Fine, but you can't just stand around on the deck. You'll get in everyone's way." The fox turned to look at her, "I've already told Niko to look after you on this trip, so you better report belowdecks and find out what you should be doing."
Krystal looked around the mast towards the bow, where there was a door leading inside the ship. "In there?" she asked while pointing at the door.
"That's right. I'll let you know when we've arrived at the Forsaken Fortress. It's going to be a while, so you'd better keep busy in the meantime," Tetra replied. Krystal turned to walk down to the door.
As she walked across the deck, she passed by Mako, who was looking over the port side of the ship. He turned to look at her and she stopped, noticing that it seemed like he had something to say. "Hmm… That Niko didn't get off too badly, what with you being the new swabbie and all. Swabbies always get stuck doing the worst work, but hey, those are the breaks," he remarked.
"Oh? What's he going to do to me?" Krystal asked.
"Don't worry. I'm sure it won't be anything too difficult, but you won't know until you go below deck and talk to him. And then you just gotta do it. Yup. Just do it," Mako replied.
Krystal walked over to the door and placed her hand on the knob, but before she could open it, Senza appeared overhead and asked, "So, your name's Krystal, right?" The fox looked up and nodded in reply, causing him to chuckle, "Heh heh heh! So, what's with the outfit? That popular on your island, or do you fancy yourself some kind of adventurer?"
Krystal gave him an odd look, "What's wrong with my dress?"
Senza shrugged, "I don't know. You ever thought about wearing green? Might work a little better." Krystal turned her attention back to the door and slipped inside, deciding it would be better to walk away instead of getting upset or trying to find out what he found so entertaining.
On the other side of the door, she walked down a staircase in front of Tetra's quarters and saw Niko standing at the start of a hallway with doorways on both sides. He turned to her as she stepped off the last step and exclaimed, "Oh! Well now! Ahoy there, swabbie!" He cleared his throat and continued, "As of today… I am your superior, Niko! Now, I promise I'll go easy on you, so long as you do what I say!"
Krystal replied, "Yes, Niko, erm, sir. So, what's first? Am I going to be cleaning pirate underpants?"
Niko let out a snicker and said, "That will come later, swabbie. First, you have to take the test that all new pirates have to take. It's a bit of a doozy!" He turned around, "Follow me! I'll be sure to explain it so you can cram it into your no doubt mushy swabbie brain!"
Krystal walked after him, but she wore an unamused expression on her face as she did so. "I thought I was going to be cleaning pirate underpants. Instead, I get the feeling I'm being made fun of," she thought as she followed Niko.
They walked down into the ship's hold, where there were four lanterns hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the room. Krystal looked around for a moment before turning to look at Niko, who looked back at her and asked, "Not sure what you have to do yet? Watch carefully!" He walked over to a tan-colored square switch sticking out of the floor; he then turned back to Krystal and said, "First off, you gotta press this switch. This is the only easy part." He turned and jumped up on it, pressing it down. Krystal heard a metallic shifting sound a moment later and turned to look. There were now five wooden platforms on top of tall screws raised up from the floor, the platforms raised up to the level of the lanterns.
Krystal looked back at Niko when he spoke, "See? When you press the switch, the platforms rise up from the floor! Now, watch this!" He turned and readied himself before making a running leap to the ledge, jumping with a yell to the platform next to it. He landed on it and turned to Krystal a second later, "Okay, so I was able to jump to this one, but the next one is too far to jump to, right?" Krystal nodded in reply, so he said, "That's when you gotta do THIS!" He turned and ran to the edge again, this time grabbing the rope holding up the lantern and swinging back and forth a few times as he said, "Use the rope to swing until you get close enough to the platform and then let go to jump to it!" He demonstrated, letting go of the rope and landing squarely on the next platform. He looked back at her and asked, "So, do you think you get how to do it? You have to swing and jump from platform to platform and try to get to that entrance over there!"
Krystal turned her head slightly to the left and saw the opening he was referring to on the other side of the room, across from her. Niko went on as he continued to jump and swing, "Here's the *hah* problem, though. *Huff*! The platforms only stay raised for a short while, so if you take too long *huff, you have to start over!"
He leapt off the last platform and turned to look over at her, taking a moment to revel in the fact that her expression indicated she was impressed by his demonstration. "It will probably take you at least one year before you're good enough to make it all the way over here. One rough year. One tough year full of bumps and bruises," he cheekily called. Krystal was about to show her irritation when he added, "Of course, if you manage to do it sooner, I'll reward you! Now, give it a try! This ought to be good!"
Krystal raised an eyebrow as she thought to herself, "He just has to throw in a few licks, doesn't he? I guess since he's been at the bottom, he'll take what he can get." She looked over at the first platform, "I can do this. Wonder what the reward is." She ran over to the edge near the platform and jumped towards it after taking a moment to prepare herself. She landed on it and then made a running leap towards the lantern. She grabbed it, but the resulting swing threw her off, a startled gasp escaping her lips, and she lost her grip on the rope, missing the next platform and landing on the floor.
She landed on her feet, but her legs buckled from the hard landing and she carefully straightened up. Niko chuckled at this and then asked, "What happened there, swabbie? You can't just let go of the rope at any time. You have to time it correctly."
Krystal shook each of her legs as she plainly replied, "Right, got it." She ran over to the ladder back up and prepared to try again. This time she was ready when she grabbed the rope, but while she was trying to slow her swing down a little, the platforms suddenly lowered to the floor. "What?!" she asked.
"Whoops! Guess the timer was still going from when I started! Sorry, but you're going to have to start over again! At least you know how long they stay up now, right?" Niko shrugged. Krystal let out an irritated sigh and let go of the lantern, landing on the floor a bit better this time.
The time was unknown to Krystal as she made one attempt after another to get to the other side of the room. She wasn't sure how many attempts she made, but she guessed half a dozen as she took a deep breath before attempting it again. She was starting to feel all the effort she had put into this test so far, literally; she'd made enough landings at this point that she could feel bumps and bruises on her body. Her sensitive ears could hear Niko snickering under his breath on the other side of the room. She knew he wasn't trying to be malicious, but his enjoyment was part of what was egging her on, making her want to get over there and show him she could do it in less than a year.
She made a running leap to the first platform and kept going, jumping for the lantern a moment later. It had only swung forward a little bit when she let go, her timing perfect. She turned and ran to jump to the next lantern, swinging back and forth once to make sure she had a feeling for the swinging before letting go and landing on the next platform. She grabbed the next lantern and let go, landing on the next platform, which was second to the last. This was the farthest she'd gotten; she took a quick breath to calm herself before taking a running jump to the last lantern. She swung a little bit, eyeing the platform for a few moments before letting go as she was swinging towards it. She landed a little off-center, but she was on the platform. She turned to look at Niko, who had his head pointed down towards the hull, and ran to the edge of the platform, jumping and landing in front and just to the left of the pirate.
He looked up after a moment and saw her standing there. "Whaaaat?! You did it already?!" he exclaimed.
Krystal put her hands on her hips, happy to have caught him off-guard. "It would appear so," she replied, wincing a bit as a bruise on the back of her left leg reminded her it was there.
Niko stared at her for several moments before saying, I… I… I'm proud to have you as… as my… as my underling!" He glanced around and then crossed his arms and looked down as he thought, "I-I wonder if it's okay to just give that to her… I don't see why not… I doubt I'll get busted…" He then looked up at her, "All right, swabbie! As promised, you can have the treasure in that chest in the room behind me! It's your reward from the great and generous Niko!" As he stepped aside, he added, "Hurry and take it before someone comes!"
Krystal looked at him for a moment before walking into the room and over to the chest in the back. She opened it and peered inside excitedly. She blinked and reached inside, pulling out a small brown bag. "It's a pouch," she remarked as she turned and looked it over.
She was startled when Niko suddenly spoke up right behind her, "Not just any pouch, swabbie! That's an Adventure Pouch!"
Krystal turned around to look at him. "Adventure Pouch?" she asked, curious.
Niko nodded, "Yep! I'll show you how it works! Open it!" Krystal did as he said, opening the flap on top. Niko then walked around her and reached for the telescope on her hip, "Now I'll just take this for a moment…"
Krystal didn't like him reaching towards her in the first place, and she definitely didn't like him grabbing her sister's telescope. "What are you…" In an unexpectedly swift movement, he swung around and thrust the telescope into the opening of the pouch. To her shock, it became very small before it went in. "Aah! What did you do to it?!" she cried.
"Relax, swabbie! Try pulling it out now," Niko said calmly. Krystal gave him a suspicious look before putting her left hand in the pouch. She blinked; it seemed a lot deeper on the inside. She felt the telescope and closed her hand around it. She pulled it out and, as she did, it expanded to its full size, much to her surprise. "See? It's fine, right?" he asked.
Krystal stared at the telescope with a dumbfounded expression. "This pouch is magical?" she asked, still in disbelief.
"Yep! That's why they're called Adventure Pouches. They can shrink down and store all kinds of things," Niko replied.
Suddenly, they both heard Tetra call from up top, "Hey, Krystal! We're approaching the Forsaken Fortress! Get up here!" Krystal was surprised by this; she had no idea where their destination was in relation to Outset Island, but it seemed to her like it hadn't been that long since they set out on what sounded like a long voyage.
Niko, on the other hand, seemed upset by this announcement. "What?! But there's still so much I wanna teach her! …Aw, this is lame!" He turned to Krystal, "I guess you'd better go, swabbie. Hurry up and finish your errand, and then come back! I'll have your next test ready for you!"
Krystal half-heartedly replied as she slipped the telescope back inside the pouch and walked around him, "Sounds like fun. I'll be looking forward to it." She exited the room and leapt down to the floor of the hull. She clipped the Adventure Pouch onto the side of her belt as she made her way back above deck.
She stepped outside a minute later and looked around. It was nighttime, the moon hanging high in the sky, and there was a large rock on the port side of the ship that they were right next to. Mako was standing on that side and he noticed her when he heard the door close. He walked over to her and asked, "Was Niko's test easy?"
Krystal glanced up for a moment as she thought and then looked back at him as she replied, "It wasn't too bad."
Mako adjusted his glasses, "Really?"
Zuko approached Krystal and said, "The young Miss is waiting for you up top." He turned and gestured towards the crow's nest; he then turned back to her and added, "We've arrived at the Forsaken Fortress." Krystal nodded and made her way around to the crow's nest ladder.
As she finished climbing up the ladder, Tetra turned to her and gave her a suspicious look, noticing the new pouch on her belt. "What were you doing with Niko?" she asked.
Krystal subconsciously moved her left hand close to the pouch as she answered, "He was giving me a test. He said it was the test all new pirates have to take."
Tetra asked, "There wasn't… treasure involved, was there?"
Krystal was starting to get a little nervous, worrying that she was going to get Niko in trouble. "I just did what he told me," she said, trying to stay calm.
Tetra looked at her for a few more moments before saying, "Well, whatever! I told Zuko to send you up here because there's something you need to see!" She gestured her head to the right, "Look. That's the cursed isle known as the Forsaken Fortress." Krystal walked over to the side of the lookout and looked. She saw a pretty big island with a large tower rising up out of the center. Beside the top of the tower was what looked like a wooden ship, and below that was the monster bird that had taken Aryll, resting in its nest. The island had tall walls encircling it and there were searchlights scanning inside as well as the waters outside.
Krystal pulled out her sister's telescope to take a closer look. As she peered through it, she asked, "This place is cursed?"
Tetra answered, "So they say. There are all kinds of strange rumors about this place. What I do know is that long ago, it was used as a hideout by a no-good group of pirates we used to compete with… But they were just small-time. Now, the place looks pretty dangerous."
Krystal continued to look for a few seconds before she noticed something. "Ah! Seagulls!" she exclaimed.
Tetra looked over at her, "What?"
Krystal clarified, "There are seagulls flocking around that window in the center over there!"
Tetra walked over to her, "Let me see." Krystal handed her the telescope and she looked through it. "That is a lot of seagulls in one place… Is someone feeding them?" she wondered.
"Seagulls always loved Aryll. Whenever she was outside back home, it didn't matter where she went; they would always flock around her and play with her," Krystal said wistfully.
Tetra lowered the telescope, "Then that's got to be where she's been locked up!" She handed the telescope to Krystal and took a look around. "…The whole place seems to be under really tight guard." She crossed her arms, "This won't work… They'd spot us before we got anywhere near landing there."
Krystal looked over at her and saw her head lowered, her eyes closed in thought. "So… what now?" she asked after a few moments.
Tetra raised her head and opened her eyes a second later, having apparently thought of something. She winked at Krystal with her right eye as she started, "I think we can get you in. We just have to be a little… creative."
Krystal blinked, "Creative?"
Soon…
Krystal looked up for a moment before lowering her head and looking to her left at Tetra and saying, "You can't be serious."
Tetra turned to her and asked, "What? I told you we're going to have to get creative to get you in there."
Krystal said, "You could've told me this is what you meant back up there! Until this moment, I thought you were thinking of using a smaller boat, but a catapult? I could've had a chance to warm up to the idea."
Tetra retorted, "Did Niko tell you what you were going to do right away?" Krystal remained silent, so Tetra said, "Look, just relax. If you want to get into a dangerous place like that, this is the best way. We pirates do this all the time; we're pros at this."
Krystal looked back up at the catapult. "I, ah…" She trailed off, not sure what to say.
The top of Tetra's curly hair filled her vision and she looked down to see she was now standing slightly in front of her and to her right, the pirate girl pulling her right arm back and putting her hands on her hips. Before Krystal could ask her what that was about, Tetra said, "Don't worry. You don't have to do anything." She walked past her and turned back to her, "Just don't struggle."
All of a sudden, Krystal's world became dark, and a moment later, she felt something bump the back of her knees, causing them to bend as she suddenly felt herself getting flipped over onto her back. The movement stopped a moment later and she recovered enough to look up and see the night sky above, though her view was like looking through her sister's telescope. It took her a moment to realize she was in a barrel. Gonzo's head appeared above the barrel's opening and, for a moment, he looked apologetic before things got chaotic for the fox. On the outside, Gonzo was holding the barrel by its base as he shook it around while Krystal bounced around inside it.
After about ten seconds, he stopped shaking the barrel and looked inside. Krystal was in a sitting position, but she was clearly dazed beyond belief, her head bobbing slightly and her eyes rolling around. Gonzo nodded and carried the barrel over by the door, where he handed it up to Senza, who set it on the catapult while Gonzo climbed up the nearby ladder.
By the time Krystal had her bearings, the pirates had finished readying the catapult. She figured this out when she heard Tetra say, "Is everybody ready?!" She let out a gasp and tried to stand up, struggling a bit due to the confined space but she managed to stick her head out of the barrel after a few moments. She saw Gonzo giving Tetra, who was standing across from him, a salute. As the man turned around to make the shot, the pirate leader noticed Krystal and said, "Never you fear, girl. We're going to launch you good!" Not bothering to wait for her to respond, she turned to look at the Forsaken Fortress and started the countdown.
"Three…"
Krystal let out a small whimper. She wasn't ready for this.
"Two."
She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself, her body going rigid. She had to be ready for this. She had to rescue Aryll from that awful place.
"One!"
She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see this.
She felt a sudden jerk followed by a rush of wind and a feeling of weightlessness, which caused her eyes to open. The rushing air stung her eyes a bit, causing them to tear, but she could tell she had cleared the rock that the pirate ship was behind and was soaring through the air towards the Forsaken Fortress. It really seemed like she was going to make it.
The barrel's trajectory began to drop suddenly before she was over the wall. She had the same wide-eyed look on her face that she'd had for the entire flight, but inside she was panicking, scared that she was no longer going to make it. She did end up making it… in a way. Her barrel hit the top of the wall on its side, the barrel exploding in a shower of wood pieces and the momentum from the flight causing Krystal to get launched out with a cry. She made it over the other side without hitting the top of the wall, only to fall into the water below.
Under the surface of the water, she was disoriented, unable to tell what direction she was facing in relation to the surface. She was able to keep her mouth squeezed shut while she opened her eyes, keeping the salt water out while she attempted to figure out where she was. She was able to figure out which way was up after a few moments thanks to her keen night vision and seeing the beams from the searchlights sweeping up above. She reoriented herself and swam to the surface as fast as she could, feeling like she was going to run out of breath.
She managed to get her head above the surface of the water and took a big gulp of air as water dripped off of her. She shook her head to shake some more off and looked around. The searchlights were still going back and forth like they had been, so she guessed they hadn't spotted her. She noticed a flat spot nearby with a big wooden boat next to it, so she quickly swam over to it and pulled herself up out of the water. She bent forward, her hands on her knees as she breathed and tried to get her bearings.
She straightened up after a few seconds and looked behind her to see the wall she had flown over and the large wooden gate closing off the entrance. "Well… it got me in. That was a close one, though," she murmured to herself. She then began patting herself down, checking for injuries and seeing if anything was missing. "Sword, shield, pouches… and I appear to be in one piece without any injuries. I guess…"
She suddenly heard a voice say, "Shoot! I'm sorry! I was trying to land you a little further up! Guess my aim was a little off."
After the initial shock passed, Krystal realized she recognized the voice, "Tetra…?" she asked, looking around for her.
She heard Tetra chuckle, "Heh heh… Wish I could see the look on your face… I bet it's priceless!"
While she was talking, Krystal realized she was hearing the girl's voice to her right. She didn't see her, but then she glanced down and saw a light blue glow coming from her pouch. She put her right hand in it and felt something solid that was cool to the touch; she closed her hand around it and pulled it out to look at it. It appeared to be a small stone with rope wrapped around it. "What's this?" she asked as she held it in both hands.
Tetra's voice came from the stone, "Heh heh… I slipped this stone into your pouch before we fired you over there. It's no ordinary stone; obviously, you can hear me through it, and I can see what you're doing as well. Since the launch didn't go entirely as planned, I can use this to help you get to your sister. You'd better be grateful; I don't normally give advice away freely like this!"
Krystal looked up at the searchlights still sweeping overhead and said, "Yes, I'm sure any help will be very helpful. This… I'm not sure what I'm looking at here."
Tetra spoke, "All right, then, get moving. And listen! I need this back after you save your sister, so don't lose it, okay?!" Krystal nodded and she clutched the stone in her right hand as she made her way up the stairs.
At the top, she pressed her back against the wall next to her and peered around. Two of the three searchlights were sweeping across the courtyard in front of her. As she pulled back, the stone glowed brighter and Tetra said, "Krystal, be careful! If you're caught by one of those searchlights, the monsters controlling them will probably alert the other monsters in the fortress. You'll be surrounded before you know it!"
Krystal responded, "Got it. What should I do?"
Tetra replied, "Well, no offense, but you seem kind of frail. If you get surrounded, you probably won't last long, so stay out of the light. If you can get up to the searchlights, you can take out the monster manning them and shut them down. You still have your sword, right?" Krystal nodded, so Tetra said, "Well, you should be able to take out one smaller monster, so that's one option. But you're still going to have to find a way to sneak past them to get up there. What will you do?" Krystal slipped the stone back into her pocket and looked out at the searchlights again. She then looked back down the stairs at some barrels halfway down, an idea forming in her head.
A few minutes later, a barrel reached the top of the stairs leading to the upper levels, a pair of blue legs and yellow boots sticking out from the opening. Krystal lifted the barrel off of her and set it down, ducking behind it when it seemed like one of the searchlights was coming towards her. It didn't, thankfully; moving around with the barrel over her had been tricky, but she had managed to keep track of the moving lights and stop moving to avoid detection.
She ran up a nearby path to one of the searchlights and climbed up the ladder. She found a Bokoblin spinning the wheel that made the lights move as she came around the front of the searchlight base. It noticed her as it was preparing to rotate the lights and grabbed the stick next to it, leaving the lights to attack her. She drew her sword and shield and used the latter to block the beast's swing. Before she could retaliate, it swung again and she was able to raise her shield in time, the stick flying out of its hand. It tried to run after, but Krystal ran up behind it and hit it with a jump attack. She was able to defeat it without getting the stick back and it disappeared in a dark cloud, leaving the searchlight unoccupied.
She made her way around the fortress, taking out the Bokoblins manning the other two searchlights. During this, she stuck to the upper level, making use of the skills she picked up from doing Niko's test to swing on lanterns inside of the fortress. She hadn't seen any other monsters or anyone else so far, but as she entered the central tower, she saw something new.
There were a pair of what appeared to be muscular pig men patrolling back and forth on the floor she was on. They were both carrying lanterns and very big spears in their stubby hands, their lower lips shaking as they walked and their noses twitching when they stopped to sniff the air. Krystal moved against the wall next to the door and watched them for a few moments before pulling out Tetra's stone and whispering, "Tetra, are you there? There's some sort of larger monster here."
The stone started glowing a moment later and after a few seconds, Tetra said, "Those are Moblins, kid. Those spears they're carrying will send you flying across the room. Don't try to take them on; just sneak past them and get to those doors back there. You should be able to get up to where your sister's being held." Krystal looked and saw a set of stairs leading up to a large set of doors behind where the Moblins were patrolling.
She put the stone away and snuck over to a nearby wooden column, hiding behind it and peering out to observe the Moblins. It was a tense, agonizing wait, especially when it seemed like the Moblins smelled something unusual, but after a minute, she saw an opening and snuck past them up to the doors. She slipped outside and climbed the stairs outside. She had to sneak by another Moblin when she got to the top, but afterwards, she didn't run into anything else while making her way around the central tower, and with the searchlights off, there was nothing to spot her as she ran across the creaky wooden bridge placed under the window that the seagulls were flocking around.
She reached another large set of doors. As she was about to push one open, she heard a caw behind her and turned to look. She was very close to the bird's nest, but it hadn't noticed her; that came was it yawning as it settled down. Krystal watched it carefully for several moments, watching the slight bobbing of its head before she turned back to the door.
She stepped into the room beyond the doors and looked around. There was a long empty jail cell and a table with chairs to her left and another smaller jail cell to her right, the latter cell built surrounding the window in the tower. And sure enough, there was Aryll in the cell, along with some seagulls she was feeding and two other girls that looked to be about Krystal's age. Aryll looked up and saw her after a moment, catching the other girls' attention, and Krystal started towards the cell to let them all out.
As she finished running down the ramp in front of her, however, she froze and her ears twitched. She listened carefully. "Was that… wings flapping?" she thought. She got an answer a moment later when a shadow fell over her and she looked up to see the bird dropping down from the opening in the top of the tower.
It landed heavily on its talons in front of her and let out a screech before turning its head down towards her. Krystal looked up at it, cautiously taking a step back as she waited to see what it would do. It reared back suddenly and then thrust its beak down at her; she thought it might do this and jumped to the side, only to feel its beak clamp down on her tail before she could hit the ground. She tried to struggle as it straightened up, but it flipped her around while still holding her tail, pointing her away from it so she wouldn't be able to do anything. She could hear Aryll screaming for her as the bird took off.
Once it was outside, the bird flew around to the ship at the top of the tower. It flapped its wings to remain in place and Krystal looked up. There was an opening in the side of the ship's hull, and inside, she could see a dark figure standing there. She wasn't able to get a more thorough look at whoever because after a few moments, the figure motioned its head to the right and the bird responded. Krystal felt herself get jerked to the right and then, briefly, the other way before the bird let go of her tail, sending her flying out over the ocean. Her eyes were squeezed shut due to the stinging of the wind, but she could tell she was spinning around and around as she flew.