"Jordan I'm not laughing if this a joke", Sonja said holding a knife between her black as night nails.

"Do I look like I'm kidding". I tried not to get flustered. I wanted the Mianites to take my team seriously. "Sonja I'm scared to. I'm a citizen of Mianite by now as well".

She stuck her head up looking up at the ceiling. "Gah, fine. I'll get Tucker".

She shut the door when I think she meant to slam it. Then some quiet shuffling as she walked down to the training room where I can guess they both were before I knocked on the door.

"What's going on?"

I jumped hearing hopes little voice behind me.

"Oh, kid", I sighed. "What are you doing out here".

"Following you", she crossed her arms like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You didn't give me the house key. It was either this, I broke in, or starved".

"Right", I got the key off my watch. "Here".

Even after I gave her the key she continued to stand there.

"Kid, what?"

"You think I'm not comin' along".

I sighed, "I was hoping".

"That wasn't funny Jordan".

"I didn't mean-", I stopped talking noting that it was useless, "I thought you wanted to go home and eat".

"Well I did, but then this started to sound interesting", she started to get excited. "I just thought we were starting to do a thing where we were importing goods. I've heard stories of other people".

"Other people?"

She nodded her head, "In the priest old library".

"You weren't supposed to see the books in that library were you".

Hope looked down at the ground,"I forget".

Something made me think she didn't forget.

"Well, Hope I can't just let you throw yourself into certain death everyday"

"Please", she tugged on my sleeve. "Jordaannnn"

"No, go home and nap or color", I took her hand off my coat. "This is to dangerous".

She looked pretty disappointed. "But I'm a good fighter. I'm a better fighter then you".

"Your nine"

"And still a good fighter",she paused thinking up of some way for me to say yes. "But if I go home the eyepatch guy might come and use me as a hostage or worse pun me to death!"

"Pun you to death?" I wasn't getting her joke.

"Yeah, because you called him cheesy"

"You called him cheesy Hope, but you do have a point". I groaned, "Ugh, fine going to hate myself for this, but", I paused not wanted to say it. If she gets hurt Sonja is going to kill me. "Fine you can come".

"Yay!"

"But your by me all times. No loopholes. If I loose sight of you your in big trouble"

"Okay, no loopholes got it".

"Let's go kid".

What a great time to call me, being all sweaty and tired after training.

Of course if Sparkles was talking to people it had to be of good reason. He is still pretty solitary.

We all decided to go to the ship first because the Ianites hadn't seen where they docked the row boat or where they were heading.

Of course I am no Mianite patron. I haven't been here as far long as Tucker or Tom has, but this place is my home and we have never been informed of people off this island. I can only expect that it was for good reason which is what scared me about the mission.

Mianite had my doubts because it was pretty obvious to see that I don't get as much attention from him as Tucker does. I don't usually try to be selfish, but when your fighting for a god, your god, and he glances right past you it takes the team spirit out of you.

So I sucked in my complaining and stood by Tucker and his opinion that, that we believe that Mianite has a good reason for not telling us there are people in Mianite. It is his land after all, is it not?

Hope still didn't know how to ride a horse so Sparkles took her along after they agreed that Hope was to be nowhere out of his sight.

I didn't believe for a second that team Ianite would keep that promise to each other.

"This can not be royal", I said looking the boat up in down. "Or friendly".

"We don't know what royal is here Sonj", Tucker stated disagreeing with me. "This could be-I don't know- as best they can do".

"Not like we would know. We haven't tried to build a boat", I said.

"Why haven't you tried to build a boat", Jordan asked.

Hope sighed before Tucker could think up of anything and said. "Because Mianite never said they had to".

"Ah", Jordan nodded. "I see".

'Because Mianite never said to' seemed to mean something different then the both of them. I wasn't in the mood to figure it out.

"What I was really saying", I continued on, changing the subject,"is that it looks dangerous. Reinforced so to say. Like it's ready for war".

"Yeah", Sparkles said. I was hoping he would support me with some logic. "See look at the bow and the bowsprit. Made out of metal and sharped inward at the end". He turned around staring at Tucker. "Don't tell me that wasn't made for ramming through other ships".

Tucker rolled his eyes. "God, and you guys say I'm the paranoid one. I agree that we should be careful though. Sparkles what time did you see those crew members and the captain leave".

"Well", Sparkles sighed slowly turning the horse to face the boat. "When they left the boat wasn't docked. Now that it is they must be on the island or something".

"Is that something hiding", Tom chimed into the watch finally coming into the conversation.

"Ugh, yeah". Sparkles didn't look ready for fighting. "Yeah, it kinda did".

"Well", Hope struggled to get off the horse,"Were not going to know till we get in".

Sparkles jumped off the horse grabbing Hope. "Maybe you should stay out here".

There you go!

"But you said I wasn't aloud to leave your side"

"But that was my decision"

See, discipline it's easy.

"But you said the Pirates were out here, and they could kill me!"

Annnnd he's gone.

Sparkles looked like he was just about ready to scream into his hands. Of course no one was Hopes legal guardian. That was to much for one person. We all kinda took cafe of Hope together in a sense, but it always seemed like Hope took care of herself more.

"Fine Hope", he held his head in his hands. "Why do I even try"

The boat was quiet which is good. Hope may not get hurt now, and Sonja has made it very imperative if Hope gets hurt, I die.

"What's going on", Tom asked. Tucker had forced him to guard the houses. "Wish this thing had video"

"Mind not bringing up the things from the modern world I forgot?", Tucker asked.

"Right", Tom paused. "Sorry man"

It stayed awkwardly silent for awhile.

"Guys hate to be that person", Tucker sighed. "I think we should split up".

"Yeah know we have these movies back at home and your the guy who gets everyone killed-"

"You are at home", Tucker interrupted me.

Everyone stopped and stared at him.

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry. Just thought back at home sounded cooler then modern world"

He didn't answer to my apology.

Sonja noticed the awkwardness and dragged Tucker away saving everyone from almost fighting.

I waited until we were out of earshot and asked Tom, "Hey can you make sure to tell us if they get in trouble".

"Uh hu", he gave out, his voice sounding muddled. Was he.......eating.

"Hey Tom"

He swallowed.

"That isn't from my house is it".

He didn't answer.

"Tom-"

"Kid owed me, alright. Beat her at cards"

"I DO NOT OWE YOU CRAP", Hope yelled scaring a few birds away.

We went down stairs to the captains quarters.

The room was an alright size for a ship. A knitted rug laid on the floor, with a pinkish red, white, and a faded purple sewed into it.

A single bed that didn't look to comfortable, the sheets were laying in the floor and three pillows were stacked on each other crevices between the end of the bed and the wall.

A wood desk that was very well made, but plane had a bunch of nik-nacs sitting on it. Papers, yellow like parchment were everywhere with a quick and ink o can only guess that were spilt on impact, covering whatever writing was there.

The most interesting thing was a music box that Hope was eyeing. The top was off of it and it showed the wheel and the strings that made the music play. There was a hole in the back that made it whined up by turning a key. I can only guess the owner had the key.

"Hey Tom"

He answered the same muddled yes.

I sighed. "Stop eating".

He slowly stopped chewing and then swallowed. "And"

"And next time we do something like this, I get to stay home"

"Deal"

"Yeah", Hope said. "Tom'll let me fight crime"

"Or you'll plan the crime". I was very confident my statement was true.

I could basically hear Tom shrug,"Either way works for me".

"Hope I've honestly given up-"

I stopped talking hearing some boxes layering the back wall be shaken.

Everyone grew silent, even Tom.

Something bolted in between me and Hope. Someone.

It couldn't be. I had to be. The captain that was making me rethink my whole life!

"Well that happened quickly", Hope was standing completely still just like me, "Didn't take long at all".

I finally snapped out of it and started running.

Even through the clatter of me trying to get outside and after the captain I could hear Tom yelling 'Hot on the pursuit'.