Elise wasn't sure what creeped her out more: the demon's demented face or his words. And she had no idea what Archibell was doing in the netherworld of lost souls either, but she couldn't vocalize the words to find out.

"Would you kindly," the demon inquired with an outstretched hand. "Hand me that scaly sea rat so I won't have to take your life instead?"

Tony the Troutface was blubbering and gasping like a fish struggling on dry land. "C'mon small fry, don't give me over to him. Think how many fun days we had together!"

"It was only one day…" whispered Elise, who was nervously staring at the demon's beckoning hand.

"But think of all the adventures in dat one day," Tony responded. "Please don't gimme to that ghoul!"

"Very true," Elise nodded. "And you're my crew mate, Troutyface. Of course I'm not gonna give you away!"

"Aw kid," Tony sobbed. "This fish appreciate you not tossing him back in dat cold unfeeling ocean."

"But what do we do?" Elise said, sweating nervously and slowly backing away.

"Me gang had an old saying," Tony began, "One I follow devoutly: He who flips and flops away, lives to swim another day!"

"What?" Elise said.

"RUN!" Tony screamed in a high falsetto.

Elise turned around to flee, but as she did, she bumped into the wall eyed crone. The hag snickered and glared at either her or Tony (Because of her eyes, Elise wasn't sure) as a mob of villagers lined up behind her. They all shared the same look of leering evil and dressed in the same shadow black garb. They quickly encircled the young girl and her fish.

"What's wrong?" Elise asked them. "Aren't you people going to help a little girl and her pet fish?"

("Pet?" Tony growled. "I ain't a gold fish, kid!")

The demon gave her a howling laugh from behind. "Ghost blight had long claimed this pitiful island. Now the people of this island are my shadow crew!"

Every single person flipped their cloak, revealing their faces as masks of death. Every visage was a sheet-white demon face with a contorted expression of pain.

"Now dearie," the former crone demanded. "Hand us the fish, lest you become one of us!"

Chants of 'one of us' echoed throughout the room before a loud caw interupted the zombies.

"Peer pressuring a child? Shame on you, lubbers. You're no different than a class bully."

"Archibell!" Elise yelled in relief as her hero stood at the top of the balcony. Looking dashing, he had his cutlass drawn.

The captain took a deep breath. "Hidey ho! Here I go!" He said and leaped off the second story balcony, landing flat on his face.

"What the sea shell?!" Elise gasped, half in concern and half annoyed. "That's your rescue plan?"

"I'm making it up as I go along," Archibell groaned. "I didn't get to the rescue part yet!"

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"At dis point," Tony started. "We're gonna 'ave to rescue you from your own bozo ideas!"

As the three bickered, the demon gave a gleeful laugh. "At last the rat captain drops in...quite literally. Your souls will finally complete my master's collection of lily livered sea dogs who did him wrong…"

Archibell immediately leapt to his feet. "Ah, the ol' shadow captain. The scallywag scoundrel who laid low my crew in the name of that dog of the netherworld."

"And you…" the shadow captain said, pointing his leather-gloved finger at Archibell. "Are the craven clown who abandoned your crew and left them at my mercy. "

The shadow captain lost all traces of levity in his voice. "You, Captain, ain't worth the scum off the bottom of a ship. You're better off a trophy in his collection."

Elise gasped as Archibell stared down the spiraling eyes of the mask. She couldn't believe the good captain abandoned his crew, and left them with this devil…. Even Lyra...his self proclaimed true love. An even deeper sinking feeling filled Elise. Would the captain eventually do the same to her?

Archibell was silent. He did not seem to have a quick retort to draw like a pistol. "This time," the shadow captain said. "You can't lie your way out of this, it is the plain truth."

Archibell simply drew his cutlass. "Do your worst, sea slime. At least I will finally be in her arms again."

"With pleasure," the shadow captain snarled and the death masks converged on them.

Elise watched the captain tentatively. He gripped his cutlass tightly, but his eyes surveyed his foes for potential gaps to run. Elise wished to her whole heart that he wouldn't cut and run. The captain turned his head to Elise, and he looked at her with her hands clasped tightly in prayer. At last, he sighed and his squawking voice rose admist the silence.

"I dunno if a wicked sea demon follows the pirates code. But I invoke it: Duel me, fiend before you plunder our souls."

The demonic shadow captain turned his head--averting eye contact through the swirling slits in his mask "As the captain of the ghost ship, which sails the seas until the end of time, I cannot refuse your demand, but…"

Two miniature scythes with molded skull heads on top materialized in the shadow captain's hands. The scythes ignited in brilliant blue ghost flames. The shadow captain sliced the scythes through the darkness, leaving a spectral trail behind them.

"That move is even more foolhardy, captain," the demon said. "But at least you are meeting your end like a real man rather than fleeing with your sword between your legs!"

The captain leveled his cutlass in his shaking hands. He pointed it right at the demon's laughing head. "I won't let you take my crew like I let you take my last one. You can stuff me in your locker at the bottom of the sea, with your sweaty gym socks, but I will still cry out: Friendship is our booty!"

The demon gave a low, distorted chuckle. "It takes real cannonballs to say something like that, captain. But a pirate who talks is different than a pirate who walks. Thrill me, you cowardly clown!"

The shadow captain swung his scythes forward, causing Archibell to yelp and jump back. His cutlass clattered to the floor. The dark captain let out a guffaw. "I knew you were the same yellow bellied sea snake you always were. Now endure your punishment."

Ghost fire erupted out of the scythe and blasted Archibell's arm. It tangled and swirled around his arm like a hostile python, burning his arm raw. He dropped to the floor, howling in pain.

"Archie!" Elise and Tony both screamed as the captain writhed and winced.

"REARED BY THE SEA, RETURN FROM WENCE YOU CAME!" the shadow captain screamed.

As the shadow captain's menacing shiloette stretched itself over Archibell, Elise stifled a cry. Suddenly, light eminated from the piece of gold around her neck, blinding everyone including herself.

She thought she was dead until she opened her eyes.

The triploon continued to glow golden, causing the shadow captain and his death masks to recoil.

The ghost fire on Archibell's arms dissipated, and though his arm burned raw like a rotisserie liccan, he no longer screamed in pain. "Kid...thank you…" Archibell said, breathing hard.

"You're welcome…" Elise said, rubbing her tears away. "Though I don't know what I did."

"No time for dat," Tony roared. "We gotta make like a fish and ka-bish!"

Elise grabbed Archibell's good hand. As the demon's recoiled, they ran out of the inn. At top speeds, they made a mad dash to the ship. Archibell sliced the rope with his good hand, and the Lyre sailed out into the dark waters

As the Lyre made distance between the shadowy Island, Elise watched in horror as the entire island vanished into the depths of midnight.

It was replaced with a ghostly, silver ship that gave chase to the Lyre.