At the port of Bellefonte, a massive pirate ship arrived in the middle of the night, seemingly unnoticed. With a sign that read ‘The Revenge’ prominently displayed on its bow and a worn-out-looking black flag with crisscrossed daggers hanging from its mast, the townspeople would soon know the notorious Captain McSly had arrived.
Stealing valuables and persuading children to join their team of vagabonds were McSly’s pirate crew’s daily chores. Of course, they did it all for their overly suspicious leader, Captain Corbin ‘Peg-leg’ McSly. Wealthy yet paranoid, McSly was forever accusing his crew of stealing from him, yet they probably were. Nonetheless, his troublemaking hoodlums had to be careful because their Captain had a pirate fairy as an assistant.
Captain McSly was sitting at the head of the long, splintered table in the ship's dimly lit war room. His eyes darted back and forth between the faces of his crew while his wooden leg tapped impatiently against the floor.
“Which one of yah scoundrels stole my ruby compass?" he growled, his voice as sharp as a dagger.
The crew exchanged nervous glances, no one daring to meet McSly’s gaze. Vivienne was by his side like a devious pet. She smirked and waved her hand, causing the candles to flare brighter. “Should I start zappin' 'em one by one, Cap'n?" she asked sweetly, her voice like mischief.
Vivienne Dazzledust Dior, like all fairies, possessed minimal but effective magic, which made her powerful enough to torment the crew in the blink of an eye, by the Captain’s orders, of course.
"Not yet, my Vivi," McSly said, leaning forward. "But mark my words, the thief is in this room. And when I find ‘em, they’ll wish they’d been marooned on an island instead!”
Outside on the docks, stray cats were weaving between crates, guards were patrolling the ships, and some children were roaming the streets when a pirate from McSly’s ship exited a ramp and posted a sign next to the Revenge.
It read: Want to be a Pirate? Free room and board, fame, fortune, and a cool nickname guaranteed! Join us on The Revenge tonight!
Some boys saw the pirate posting the sign and walked over to investigate. As they read the details of the enticing offer, they heard someone shout, “You can eat candy all day if you join up!” Bubba ‘The Bull,’ a sizable pirate with a big tricorn hat and pistols strapped across his chest, had posted the signup sheet. As Bubba tried to persuade some boys to join, a crowd of townsfolk had gathered, whispering and pointing at the tattered black flag with daggers on it.
“Pirates,” muttered the blacksmith, his hands tightening into fists. “First, they steal our goods. Now they’re trying to take our children!”
Near the docks, Bubba was still shouting promises of candy and fame, oblivious to the brewing anger. However, as he bantered back and forth with his pirate recruits about what it would be like to live on a pirate ship with a piece of red licorice dangling from his mouth, Baxter and Tex arrived from magical creature hunting. After freeing their horses, Baxter and Tex quietly hid behind some barrels and waited for the perfect moment to sneak back on board the Revenge. Thanks to blabbering Bubba, the two criminals crept back into an entrance on the other side with their new golden starling prize, unnoticed. After they descended below deck, Baxter and Tex entered a room where they and eight other pirate mates slept. The crew’s den was supposed to be big enough for ten men to sleep in. Filled with hammocks lined up within inches of each other, it regularly smelled like mildew and stinky underwear.
“Where should we put it?” Tex asked, nervously scanning the room in a panic. “We are as good as dead if anyone sees us—”
“Put it under your blanket next to your stuff,” Baxter ordered, pointing confidently toward Tex’s hammock.
“Just till we figure out a plan.”
“Right… of course,” Tex said, setting the cage down next to his hammock and covering it with his blanket. As they looked around curiously to ensure no one was watching, Baxter whispered,
“Let’s go on deck… act normal…then go to The Salty Parrot and see when the next auction is.”
“Sounds good,” Tex whispered.
The golden starling chirped softly within its makeshift cage, its feathers glowing faintly in the dim light.
“Are you sure this bird is worth a lot?” Tex whispered, glancing nervously at the blanket hiding the cage.
“It’s not just a bird, you idiot,” Baxter hissed. “I heard it’s the key to unlocking treasures—like an old sea king’s treasure chest hidden under the sea. Big things are going to happen for us, buddy.”
“I sure hope the Cap doesn't find out—”
Baxter interrupted, grinning slyly. “Not if we sell it at the dark market first. That's the plan —buddy boy. Then we’ll be rich. We’ll have enough gold to buy our freedom.”
But neither pirate noticed the faint shimmer of magic that trailed from the starling’s feathers.
“Right..it's magical…got it,” Tex whispered back, “I’m in!”
“Let’s go, Tex!”
The two pirates grinned confidently at each other before disappearing out the door with their plan.
That same morning, inside the Captain’s Quarters, wearing a black silk robe adorned with a large M on the front pocket, was Captain McSly. He quietly ate a bowl of his favorite breakfast, Krusty Puffs. It consisted of the most scrum-dilly-iscous sugary-flavored letters. And it was the most popular cereal around. McSly and his crew could not live without them. Because of this obsession, he and his pirate scoundrels stopped in Bellefonte to fill up on a month’s supply, among other things.
McSly was happily eating his bowl of Krusty Puffs when a particular letter, which he despised greatly, caught his eye. Yelling obscenities in a rage, the Captain banged his fist against the table and threw his bowl of cereal across the room like a spoiled baby, smashing the bowl into pieces against the wall.
“Is there something wrong, Captain?” asked a tall young pirate with curly blonde hair.
Langford ‘Loose-Lips’ was Captain McSly’s personal servant. This meant that if the Captain wanted something, Lang was expected to get it—no matter what. Lang’s specialty was talking too much, which the Captain disliked but put up with. The Captain held a small letter between his fingers. “You half-wit! There’s an ‘n’ in my Krustys! How could this be?”
Lang stood at attention, with his dirty blonde hair covering half his face. The letter McSly was holding was an upside-down letter, ‘u.’
“It reminds me of that nymph beast! Nymph begins with an ‘n’. Lang, I DESPISE that nymph beast!”
Krusty Puffs cereal was made out of the letters that spelled Krusty Puffs, go figure.
“Yes, Sir...Sorry, sir, I must have missed one— it won’t happen again!” Lang mumbled just before the Captain grabbed Lang's throat. The babbling pirate knew not to accuse the Captain of ‘being wrong.’ He learned to accept the blame for everything, or he’d be ‘done in.’
“Do you not hear that sound, you idiot? The thump of my wooden leg? Every day, it reminds me of the nymph beast who devoured my foot like a hors d’oeuvre! Get this ‘n’ out of my sight,” the Captain growled, then threw the puff across the room.
There was a tinkling sound of the lone Krusty Puff bouncing off the wooden floor when the Captain’s front door banged open. McSly’s pet monkey, Smokey, entered wearing a blanket wrapped around his head inscribed with “Property of Two-fingered Tex.”
“What the—” The Captain was startled. The tiny monkey pirate also had Baxter’s oversized eyepatch strapped across his little eye. Behind him, he was dragging the pirate’s dilapidated cage like a two-year-old who had just found some toys to play with. The Captain could see the gleaming golden starling inside. It was evident that McSly’s two devious crewmen had captured a magical creature without the Captain's knowledge. McSly exploded. “Get me Baxter and Tex! Now!”
Little Smokey, McSly’s notorious pet monkey, was a small little devil with a mischievous glint in his golden eyes. He was usually adorned with a miniature skull and crossbones bandana, his trademark cigar hanging from his lips, and wearing a frayed jacket with pockets stuffed with stolen trinkets.
After Lang rushed out the door to get the guilty culprits, Smokey sat on the floor and played with his newfound toys. The irritated Captain picked up the cage, slammed it on his desk, and exited the room with his devious monkey pet. Moments later, the Captain and Smokey re-entered, both dressed in matching pirate hats with feathery plumes and gold-trimmed jackets. As McSly admired himself in a mirror in the far corner of the room, Smokey played with his cigar, acting like an elegant man.
“Can I cheer you up with a charm to make your smile brighter?” Sitting on a chair in the corner of the room was Vivienne, twirling her dark raven hair around her finger. Her hypnotic blue eyes and tiny sparkling wings accented her shimmering dress. Vivienne noticed the Captain’s brown, smoke-stained teeth as he smiled at himself in the mirror.
“Of course— Vivie,” McSly answered, “of course!”
Vivienne winked twice, casting a charm, and magically changed the color of his teeth from brown to pearly white.
“Thank you, my little Vivie—you are so talented,” Captain McSly said, blowing a kiss to her from across the room. She smiled back at him and winked, delighted to have made her Captain so happy.
Vivienne enjoyed helping McSly with her fairy charms. A fairy turning to the dark side, such as pirating, was not unusual. If a fairy wasn't writing for the newspaper, they were considered mischievous and not to be trusted. Nevertheless, whether good or bad, fairies on the isle had magic, minimal but useful. The Captain was admiring himself in the mirror when the cabin door opened, and Lang escorted the two guilty pirates in. With stringy black hair hidden under a charcoal headscarf, Baxter’s shifty dark eyes scanned the room. He yelped quietly to himself when he saw the cage, elbowing Tex, who looked just as shocked with eyes like saucers. The golden prize was sleeping in its cage on the Captain's desk. Next to it was Tex’s blanket and Baxter’s eyepatch.
“Captain,” Lang announced, “Baxter and Tex are here. Delivered as requested.”
The Captain turned and acknowledged them as they stood in front of his desk, looking petrified.
“I see you two have been busy,” McSly growled with one eyebrow lifted.
“Yes, Captain, we stole some horses and went hunting this morning, Captain Sir. We ended up catch’n this golden beaut for ya too,” Baxter said, trying to sound sincere instead of a liar. “I see you found it! We hoped to present it to ya after ya finished your breakfast, Cap.”
McSly pulled a dagger from his boot with a glint in his eye and a greasy smile. His black, tangled hair frizzed as his temper grew. Looking more like a madman now, he walked closer to the two scallywags as he pretended to admire the daggers' craftsmanship to stifle his rage. “Yes…But I believe you and Two-fingered Tex were going to KEEP this magical creature for yourselves, weren’t you?”
“No, Cap, we were gonna surprise ya. We covered the birdie so none of our mates would steal it, of course.” Baxter’s face was perfectly placed in his lie. He smiled at Tex and nodded. Tex nodded back in agreement but was shaking, fearing for his life. The Captain looked at the dagger in his hand like he had an uncontrollable urge to strike someone with it.
“I know you're lying —you idiots!” McSly grumbled. “You two are going to be shark bait!”
Chewing on a cigar butt like his master, Smokey jumped up and down, making squeaky monkey sounds like he was excited to see what was going to happen next. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Lang walked over to the small window on the heavy wooden door and slid it open with a creak. Bubba leaned in, his voice barely a whisper as he exchanged secretive words with Lang. With a sharp crack, Lang slid the window shut, his expression unreadable as he turned and crossed the room. Lang leaned in close to the Captain, his voice low and clear.
“The Devil’s Dagger and The Angel of Doom just docked.”
McSly’s lip curled into a snarl, his face darkening. “Ah, so Wolfgang and Razor Face Cutter have graced us with their presence. The question is... why?” He raised an eyebrow, his piercing gaze locking onto nothing in particular. “Not for the blasted Spring Fair?”
Lang shook his head emphatically ‘no’ towards the Captain, confirming his suspicion.“Of course not,” McSly muttered scornfully. “No, it’s something far more precious.” He stroked his chin, his scarred fingers dragged over his stubbly chin, as his eyes narrowed in thought. Baxter stepped forward hesitantly, sweat beads on his brow. His voice was trembling, but desperation pushed him to speak.
“Captain, I… I have some information you might find useful.” McSly’s gaze snapped to Baxter like a striking snake.
“Well? Out with it!” McSly barked, his tone razor-sharp. “Unless you’d rather take a stroll off the plank.”
“While Tex and I were capturing this golden starling for ya — we saw the phantom nymph!”
“WHAT?” McSly threw the dagger he was holding at the wall. With a loud thump, the blade sank into the wood like butter. The Captain had a stunned yet excited look on his face, but with a slight sneer. Baxter and Tex both gulped, fearing for their lives. McSly’s mind had switched gears and was now focused on the nymph. “You idiots saw where that white-haired ugly nymph lives?” McSly snarled, looking outraged by the mention of the nymph’s existence. Storming up to Tex, he put his face so close. They touched noses.
The two pirates jumped, “Because if you don’t know where she lives, you’ll be in the water with the sharks!”
Feeling doomed if they didn’t, they agreed to lie.
“We know! We know…I mean, we know where the ugly white nymph lives!” Tex lied, “We swear!”
“We do, Cap,” Black-eyed Baxter confirmed the lie, elbowing Tex.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Lang slid the small window open again. A rolled-up paper came through the opening and fell to the floor. It read:
“The Fairy Tale Times. Special report: The Phantom Nymph is real!”
“This is incredible!” Captain McSly shouted with delight. Picking it up in a hurry, he shook the paper and read the front page:
“Fairy reporter Thicket Moonmist writes A Special Report: The Phantom Nymph is real. It's not a myth anymore! Having spotted the platinum-haired creature, Mr. Moonmist reports, “I was just minding my own business, playing cards with my friends Cirrus and Flax, when we all heard a crash. We jumped up to see the commotion and saw this beautiful lady on the ground!” Thicket reports, “She had twigs, leaves, and tree remnants in her hair.” Flax reports, “I saw her pretty snake eyes…and tongue…metallic little symbols over each eyebrow…like little buttons, but they didn’t stick out like buttons. She was as tall as the trees with a tail, too.” For two hundred years, the nymph was considered just a myth. Now, the citizens of Lumiere know— she’s real!” Cirrus reports, “I can say this… we only saw her for a few minutes, but that nymph is a powerful beauty because she disappeared— just like that!” Continued on page 3.
McSly crumpled the newspaper in his fists like he was
strangling an enemy. With a snarl, he slammed it onto the desk."I want her first!" he barked, jabbing a finger at Baxter and Tex.“Everyone will read this—Wilhelm, Machado, everyone! They're coming for her, that ugly, white-haired BEAST! That’s why those ships are here! She’ll regret the day she crossed me. That beast will pay!” His face twisted with rage as he leaned closer, eyes blazing. "Go, you imbeciles! GO NOW! Make me a map—or you’re shark bait!”
“Don’t worry, cap,” Baxter lied, “we’ll be right back with a map!”
Baxter and Tex bolted from the room, bumping into each other on the way out.
Smokey jumped on top of the cage with the golden starling and beat his chest like he had conquered something.
“Yes— Smokey,” McSly said, “the golden starling will be our good luck charm for finding the wretched beast!”
“Sir,” Lang noted, “a nymph is a powerful being. She is the daughter of Poseidon, the God of the Sea. She’s one of the most powerful, God-like creatures on this island. Why don’t we embrace that power, not kill it?”
McSly turned on Lang, his teeth clenched and his eyes full of venom. “I don’t care who her father is. I want to rip her to shreds for what she’s done to me!” He turned abruptly, his gaze falling on Vivienne, who lounged in the corner, filing her nails and twirling a strand of hair as if none of it concerned her.
“Vivie? What do you think? Kill or capture?”
The fairy pirate smirked, pretending to mull it over. Finally, she spoke, her tone sharp with envy. “As a magical being myself, I’m jealous of the nymph’s power. I say, with a golden starling in our possession, we have luck on our side. Let’s capture her — and rule the world with her power!”
McSly’s expression shifted, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Fair point," he said, his voice with sinister glee.
Smokey took the golden bird out of the cage and held it up like a trophy, cigar clenched between his teeth, earning a laugh from McSly.
“Give me one of those,” McSly barked, snapping his fingers.
Smokey ran and grabbed a cigar for his master.
“Wolfgang and Razor-Face must have read the news too—why else would they be in town?” Lang said, his voice sharp. “Why don’t we sharpen our knives, gather our guns, and hunt down that ugly nymph beast at dawn? We’ll beat them to it—capture her before she even wakes up!”
McSly leaned back in his chair, puffing thoughtfully on his cigar. “Hmmmm… I like it. Let’s move fast and take what’s ours!”
On deck, the crew gathered when Lang called. Their chanting thundered through the ship, fists raised high:
“Sly! Sly! Sly!”
The Captain burst from his quarters, a manic grin stretched across his face. “My scoundrels and hoodlums! I have great news!” he bellowed, the crew falling silent. “We know where the nymph beast lives!”
A cheer erupted like cannon fire.
“HURRAY!!”
McSly raised a hand to quiet them down, his voice carrying over the uproar. “Today, we sharpen our blades and gather our guns. Tomorrow, at dawn, we capture that wretched nymph beast—and make her regret the day she crossed Captain McSly!”
The crew roared their approval, stomping and chanting louder than ever, “Sly! Sly! Sly!”
Meanwhile, Baxter and Tex, still without a map, lurked in the shadows at the edge of the deck. They flinched as Lang stormed over, his eyes narrowing.
“Ya boyz better have something for the Captain,” Lang hissed. “The whole island’s buzzing about the nymph beast now. Tick-tock!”
Baxter, trembling, forced a nervous smile. “We were just on our way to the loo. Don’t worry, we’ll be right back…with a map. Of course.”
Lang added, “Make it quick. I wouldn’t want to be in your boots if you come back empty-handed.” He stormed off, leaving the two of them huddled in a corner.
“What now?” Tex muttered, his voice low and desperate.
Baxter’s face lit up with sudden inspiration. “Let’s ask Vivienne!” he blurted out.
“Vivienne?!” Tex stared at him like he’d lost his mind.
“She helped Gilly Mudpie that one time and shredded the Captain's laundry!” Baxter said, his voice climbing with desperation. “Remember? He tried to blow the dirt off with gunpowder! Nearly took the whole ship with him!”
Before Tex could argue, a sudden swirl of dust and glittering light filled the air. Out of the shimmer stepped Vivienne, in a silver jacket and dress, her dagger strapped elegantly across her chest. Her dark hair draped down her back like a waterfall of night, and her iridescent wings shimmered in the faint light.
Startled by her sudden appearance, both pirates jumped back, nearly tripping over each other.
“You called?” she asked, her lips curling into a sly smirk.
“Vivie, we need your help!” Baxter said, his voice trembling with panic.
She raised an arched brow, folding her arms. “This better be good.”
“Of course,” she smiled, as she knew already, then added, “for a fee.”
Baxter had a look of desperation on his face. “How much?”
Vivie played with her hair, then checked her nails obnoxiously as if thinking of a price for her services. “Four gold doubloons will do— I suppose.”
After whining momentarily about the amount, Tex and Baxter agreed.
“So, now what?” Baxter grumbled.
“Now, here’s the plan. I have to investigate first. Meet me at the tiger lilies along the Brandywine River in thirty minutes. And bring the gold! Or no deal! Got it?” Vivie snarled, looking at Tex and Baxter like they were idiots, which they were.
Tex gulped under her glare and nodded. “Got it. That’s on the other side of the isle—where we saw the phantom nymph.”
Vivie raised a brow, unimpressed. “Then you’d better hurry, hadn’t you?”
Tex grabbed Baxter’s arm. “Let’s go, Bax! Vivie’s our only shot at not getting turned into ‘shishkebobs’ by the Cap!”
The two scoundrels bolted, muttering plans to find horses as they disappeared into the shadows.
Vivie watched them go with mild amusement, then gave a small, satisfied sigh. In another swirl of dust and light, she vanished as suddenly as she had appeared.