Entering the cabin, Chloe and Monica found Captain Abacab flipping flapjacks on his gas powered stove. He was humming a merry sea shanty and the way he shook his pirate booty indicated he was feeling a lot better after the event last night. Ramone reclined at the kitchen table, smiling as the two girls entered. "Care to tell me, young queen, what you two were talking about?"

"Well," Chloe said with a proud smile. "I'd like to say Monica was begging to be my date for the next ocean ball in the Mainland...but nah, even better, she officially joined my pirate crew!"

"Si," Monica nodded. "It was a big decision, but I think that you are the rare scoundrels I like."

"Very good," Ramone nodded. "After all, not many sea scoundrels are master seamstresses like myself! Perhaps I can design a new outfit for you when the time comes to dazzle someone with your Loveblade!"

Monica smirked and her eyes glinted. "Well, the beauty scroll did say that appearances are essential to my technique. Improved appearances manipulates the hormones of my foe all the better!"

"You don't even need to do that to manipulate my hormones," Chloe boasted, causing Ramone to roll his eyes.

"Ever since you've left the castle my queen," the satyr remarked, "so has your inner monologue!"

"Ya know what my inner monologue says, mateys?" Captain Abacab asked.

Everyone looked at him as he turned around @ his pink apron reading, "World's Best Cap'm and Cook" and a hearty tray of pancakes. "If yeh don't enjoy me marvelous flapjacks, I'll feed ya to tha sharks!"

Everyone started to laugh, until the irate captain spoke severely as he dealt out his pancakes. "Aye, I'm not jokin' either. This was all me pancake mix!"

"Then we better skedaddle to Central Commerce Island!" Ramone muttered. "Before this sea madman executes us!"

As the crew hungrily devoured their pancakes so the captain wouldn't get mad, Chloe gazed at the shell on the nightstand. It was the night-black demollusk shell that she had taken from Moonshadow. Even from over by the table, she could still hear it emulating the rolling ride of the ocean. Other than my demon eye, Chloe thought, that's the second creepiest artifact own.

Stolen story; please report.

"I heard that," Rosemary said snidely her head. "But even I wouldn't get too close to that thing. It's so cursed even gives a demon like me gets the creeps."

"But what did Fienmond want with it?" Chloe asked. "Did he ever tell you?"

Rosemary didn't answer, for suddenly, a voice echoed through boat. It was bone chillingly eerie and deep and it seemed to be coming from the depths of the shell. "Hey liiiiittle girl," the shell called out to her.

"Uh do you guys here that?" Chloe asked.

"Hear what?" Monica asked.

"Little girl," the deep voice cooed, sounding like some unwitting predator offering her sweets. "Come to me and call unto the mollusk."

Chloe walked slowly as if in a trance towards the shell. "Yeeeeesss," it said, "You do hear me..."

"I do..." Chloe remarked. "Now stop being so creepy and tell me what you are."

"Take me beyond the Serpent's Eye at the Underpass...to Buckingham Blue, then you will learn the mystery of my brethren, the demollusks.

Chloe was silent. Quieter than the sea on a cloudless midnight.

"I can tell you about Fienmond and his plot," the voice added. "For he believes that he can control us."

"Perhaps..." Chloe said, "But how do I know that I can trust you."

"You can't," the creepy voice said. "But it is merely an offer."

"Well," Chloe remarked, turning to her bewildered crew. "I'm going to the Underpass to be the Pirate Queen so I'll consider it."

"Veeeery well," the voice said and it faded into the ether.

Chloe faced her allies. "I don't know if I speak for the rest of us," Monica said, "But what the cha-cha dancing chinchilla was that?!"

"I spoke to the shell..." Chloe responded. "And it seemed to want me to take it to Buckingham Blue. Wherever that is."

"Never 'eard of it," Captain Abacab said, "But I been east, west, north and south to all dem seas. That name does not ring a ding dong bell. Now eat yer flapjacks, patch girl since they're gettin' cold!"

Chloe looked on the table. Everyone had made short work of the pancakes. Captain Abacab strolled over to the door. "If yeh need me, I'll be heading straight to the port of Central Commerce. You can meet some more rapscallion ragamuffins there and more importantly, I can get me some more flapjack mix!"

As the captain waddled outside, Monica and Ramone looked at her like she had seen a ghost. Which she had, the ghost of a Demollusk apparently.

***

An hour passed as the three lounged in the cabin. They were soon jolted by a loud "Land ho!" squawk from the captain, followed by a "What in blue blazes!"

Chloe, Ramone and Monica all scrambled to the deck. There was an unpleasant sight that awaited them on land. Central Commerce Island, a normally busy and verdant hilly hub for all four corners of the sea had seen several of its buildings laid waste. Windows were shattered, cracks and bullet holes were riddled in the buildings and smoldering craters were steaming from the ground.

"What kind of bastarfish did this!" Chloe exclaimed in bewilderment.