The Island Hidden by the Fog

by JackoTheDragon

Chapter 3: A New World

The world was fuzzy when Jacko came to his senses, but he was still too tired to move. He felt hardwood under him so he know he was laying on the floor. Just then he heard voices around him, two to be exact.

“Ya know, I think this whole legend is nothing more than just a fairytale,” A gruff voice said unhappily. “When we raided the island I didn't seen no gold, just armed soldiers!”

“Hush your mouth! Ye wouldn't want the boss to hear eh?” another voice whisper, it was more high pitch. “I heard that he can send you to a place far worse than the abyss.”

“Ugh...I don’t think the boss is even natural, have you seen him fight?” The Gruff voice whisper back.

Slowly, Jacko tried to get up from the hard floor, grunting as he did alerted the 2 stallions.

“Hey! That pipsqueak is awake!” The stallion with the high pitch voice was much smaller than the other stallion, but he looked in such a mess that it looked like he was caught in an explosion..

“You must have woken him up, hey kid put your head back down and go to sleep, if you don’t we have to beat you up for info, bosses orders.” The taller stallion grumble, he was way bigger than Jacko or the smaller stallion, and his body look really tough.

“Hey! Why you go tell him that?! It would've been fun watching him squirm for answers!” The small stallion whine at his partner. “And Like you said he’s now awake now we have to beat him for information!”

Then the stallion started unlocking the cage, but before he could open the door, something intervene.

“I thought I told you two that if he wakes up is to call me first before you can interrogate him.” A young voice said behind the small stallion.

At this point Jacko was regaining his senses and look at his surroundings. He was in a steel cage with rusty bars at all sides, The room was dimly lit so he couldn't see the young stallion, his face hidden in the shadow.

“Welcome little one, do you know where you are?” asked the stallion in the shadow. Before Jacko could say anything he already answer. “Your on my ship, already heading out to see and away from the island, Which is also...your home.”

At hearing those words Jacko immediately went to the bars of the cages, even though he was tired he still had fire in him. “What you me away!? Take me back home you jerks!” He yelled in rage at the raiders, angry at what they have done to his home, and grief that he will never know if his mother was okay.

“Now now, don’t work yourself up over nothing, what we did is more a slap of the wrist than a full blown raid. We just didn't expect to be anypony at all on the island and thought that maybe they found it first so...we planned on taking it from you.” The stallion in the shadow explain in a calm but cold tone which left Jacko confuse.

“Found what? What the heck are you talking about?!” When Jacko tried to figure out what there saying the little stallion butted in and hit the cage with a big stick. “What else!? He’s talking about your Treasure! Your gold!” The small stallion then started chuckling like a hyena of some sorts.

Jacko didn't knew what they were talking about, the island never had such treasure before. The Islanders only trade to get what they need, never he heard of gold before. Finally he asked. “Gold? What is gold?”

There was a small silence in the room when he said that, then the stallions, except for the one in the shadows started laughing hard like they heard a great joke. The big gruffy stallion was giving a hearty laugh while the tiny one was laughing like a hyena again.

“Oh boy now that's a good one, we got ourselves here a comedian boss! ‘Gold? Whats is gold?’ Bahahaha! Now that's fun-” Before he said anything else something got caught in his throat, he started gagging and coughing, the bigger one took a couple of steps back in fright as he watches his friend choking. Jacko didn't notice but what was causing the stallion to choke was magic...magic from the stallion in the shadows.

The strange stallion walk up to the cage slowly, his head glowing with magic that showed he had a horn but his face was covered with a hood of a cloak. Once he was at the cage door he release his magic grip on he choking stallion and stared at Jacko with a calm yet cold gaze that made Jacko stop breathing.

“My name is Solar Flare...I’m the captain of this ship and these raiders, I only seek one thing and one thing only...and you gonna help me find it….” Solare said slowly, his every word was cold yet calming, which made Jacko very afraid.

Then in a fast motion, Solar open the cage door with his magic and bark. “Get him out, clean him up and bring him to my quarters when your done.” With a loud pop he vanish with a small flash of light.

The two stallions immediately went in and pick Jacko up from the ground, which he was now heaving heavily for air, the fear inside him vanish as quick it went in him. The larger of the two put Jacko on his back as the little stallion lead the way to the top of the ship.

The bath was cold, really cold. The two stallions Just pour buckets of water every time as Jacko tried his best to clean himself, as the sixth bucket pour on him Jacko heard the big stallion speak.

“My name is Stone, Stone anchor, and this Bobby Fisher.” Stone said with his deep voice as he motioned to his companion. Bobby bark a laugh as he did. “What? You trying to make friends with him now?”

“Well I feel like we should get to know each other...From what I heard the captain is changing course, away from the island.” Stone look at Jacko and sigh. “Sorry kid I think your stuck with us for a while.”

Jacko was saddened and shocked to hear that, he didn't know how to react, should he be mad, cry, or yell? He never left the island before, and he with the ponies that attack them, raided and burned the village, but one of them was showing pity to him? All he could do was look down in shame.

After he was all cleaned up they lead him to a part of the ship that was way more organized than on the deck, while the Raiders have things scattered around everywhere this part of the ship was tidy, many books were on shelves, the floor was clean and spotless and it was decorated with lots of art Jacko found fascinating. In the middle of the room was a long table with what jacko thought were maps or drawings of some sort, he couldt tell just by looking at them. Solar, who was examining the maps, look up at Jacko, even with his hood up Jacko could see a small smile on the strange stallions face, which made Jacko surprisingly relax that it scared him.

“Jacko come sit down, make yourself comfortable.” The hooded stallion said smoothly and motion to a seat near the opposite end of the table. Jacko did as he was told, the two stallions stood at the entrance of the room so he couldt make a run for it, even if he tried he had nowhere to go anyway, he was out in the middle of the sea.

“I have some good news and some bad news for you child…” Solar stared at Jacko as he said those words, each one giving a sense of seriousness. “Good news is I am willing to let you live if your willing to help me find what I'm looking for, and don’t worry I plan on you negotiating the people on the island that we mean no harm.”

Jacko sigh of relief at the thought of that, there won’t be anymore attacks as long as the islanders agreed to get what this stallion wants...whatever it is he wants.

“Bad news is that we have no way of getting back to the island…” Jacko eye’s snap as Solar said that, believing this is a Joke.

“What you mean there is no way back! You literally was just there! How cou-” Jacko yelled but stopped when Solar levited a small, worn out book to him.

“Your island was protected by a spell that made it so it was impossible to get to, but I only found a way by means of dumb luck...but it was only temporary, this book I found in your home, which a mare has wrote some intresting notes about that island…might have a way to get back to the island.” Solar explain, getting up from his seat and started pacing back and forth near the table as he did. “Find out what it means and you might return home ...fail and you will work for me for the rest of your life.”

Jacko stared at the book in silence, when did he gets this and how? Jacko was inside his home when the chaos was happening, so how did this Stallion was able to take this and get out? Also Jacko never seen this book before, his mother never mention keeping it with her. As he flipped through the pages, he seem some familiar drawings that she show him, like a serpent dragon and a blossoming flower, she was an artist when she was younger but some are new, some drawings looks like monsters while others looks like puzzles to him.

“I take your silent as you agree to our term, tomorrow I want you to study and figure out what the meaning of this book.” Solar stop pacing and sat back down, studying over scrolls and books laying on the table, but Jacko stared at him with daggers.

“Why can’t you read it? Anyone can read this, and by looking at you I bet you can solve this better than me!” Jacko said in annoyance, but solar responded with a stare of his own which made Jacko silent again.

“That book has writing that I can’t read or decipher, I thought you could do it for me.” He simply said, returning to his studies.

Jacko sat there silently than got up from his seat and left the room.

Back at the cage, were they gave a small bed and a storage box for his things like his sword and the book, Jacko was reading said book under a lit candle, all the writings were weird and mysterious. He could read it but can’t make heads or tails of it so he quit for the night and try to go to sleep. The rocking of the boat made it easy for i'm to dream but it was nightmares that welcome him in the cold darkness of this ship...