We all peeked over the crates to look at the creatures. They saw these bird-like creatures with bird-like claws and feet and no wings on either their backs or arms, but they were definitely birds judging by their beaks and feathery bodies. They also, for some reason, had long reptilian-like tails. Still no stranger than the chimera spirit creatures back home.

They also wore black uniforms with the Storm King's symbol on them. They worked back and forth, moving crates from one place to another. One belched loudly and scratched his butt. Iris felt sick to her stomach and Chi cringed in disgust before closing the door carefully.

"What do you think?" Ursula asked. "Should we just... ask them to take us?"

"I don't know..." Rex said. Then the cargo door opened up and one of the bird creatures, a large green colored bird man with big muscles and wearing a hat towered over them. His right claw was missing, replaced with a single golden band. We all gasped.

"Hey, guys! Come check this out!"

Another bird, wearing a similar hat stepped over beside his companion, kneeling on one knee. His yellow eye, surrounded by red and yellow circles, studied them. His right eye was covered by an eyepatch and red feathers stretched from the back of his hat.

"Looks like a pack of stowaways."

"What are we s'posed to do with 'em?" Another bird asked, clearly female, overweight with pinkish feathered and rubbing her chin with a fork.

Another bird poked his head. The top of his beak was replaced with a metallic version, no doubt due to an accident, and his eyes were unfocused, with one eye having the iris rolling around whenever he moved. Rather than speak, he squawked like an actual parrot. Despite his appearance, he looked just as eager to do harm to the kids as the other birds did.

"I think we tie 'em up!" The muscular one said.

"We clip their wings!" The pink, plump female said, staring at Akari and Iris.

"Nah. We scar 'em…" Said the red-feathered bird, "…emotionally!" Winter growled at them and covered me with her wings.
"Wai-wai-wai-wait. What say the book, Captain Celaeno?"

Another bird creature walked onto the front. A female, but unlike the other one, she was tall and slender, almost like a human woman. Her plumage was of a light creamy color and had beautiful light yellow green plumage on her head and tail. Like the others, she had bird-like feet, but one was missing, replaced by a wooden peg-leg. She wore the same uniform as the others and a black bandanna over her head, which partly hid her lovely feathers. She had a single beauty mark underneath her left eye, and her eyes were a vibrant, rose colored pink.

But, as lovely as she looked, she had a look on her face that was far from friendly. She pulled out a rule book with the Storm King's symbol on the cover. She opened it on one page and read aloud. Her voice was low and ominous.

"Storm King's rule book says… Throw them overboard."

The green, red-feathered bird with an eye patch yanked on a rope and a wooden plank rolled out to the side of the ship. The bird creatures all gathered around, ready to grab us by force but then she noticed the Sentinel dragon. "Wait... Stone?" she asked.

"I see you haven't changed a bit old friend." the Sentinel stated.

Celaeno laughed and the two rubbed against each other, "I haven't seen you for ages." Celaeno said. "Are they with you?"

"Yes Celaeno, these are my friends and the girl with the wings is my personal student. And we need some help." the Sentinel stated.

"Well then let's go and talk." Celaeno added. Soon, we were all politely led o the dinning room where they sat down. The birds handed each of us a silver tin plate and the pink feathered bird dropped a slop of green colored gruel with bird seeds and… what looked like little strands of hair, onto their plates.

The birds munched on their food while the rest of us stared at it. "Reminds me of Helga's stew." Ed stated.

"Only more brown." Zander added.

"Storm King only allows two breaks a day for meals, then it's back to hauling goods." said the muscular green colored bird with only one hand.

"So you're delivery guys?" Gallant asked.

"And gals." Celaeno added, tugging at her hideous shirt. "These uniforms aren't exactly doing us any favors."

"Then can you deliver us to Mount Aris?" I asked with a friendly smile as she levitated the map.

Celaeno sighed, tapping the cover of the rule book with her claws. "Sorry. We do what the Storm King orders or we suffer his wrath." She said. She didn't sound angry or even excited about the whole thing, she just sounded… exhausted.

"How long have you been working for the Storm King, my old friend?" the Sentinel asked. These birds didn't look so dangerous, not anymore. They looked depressed and drained emotionally. Who knows what that monster did to force these creatures into this kind of job. A job they plainly didn't enjoy in the slightest.

"Five years." said the red feathered bird, chewing on his food with disinterest. "Though, we ain't never seen folks like you before."

"We're from pretty far away." I said. "I don't think we properly met. I'm Crystal Diamond and these are my friends, Max, Zoe, Rex, Zander, Ed and the old lady is Ursula."

"Hey, I am not an old lady?!" Ursula exclaimed with a tick mark on her head.

"Anyway... the dragons Winter, Shimmer, Mist, Spark, Skyspike and Toothless. The mouse is Pikachu and the cat is Thunder." I finished.

"Celaeno." The captain said, gesturing to herself. "That's Boyle, Mullet, Lix Spittle, and Squabble." She gestured to the one clawed muscular bird, the red-feathered one, the female pink one and the one with the unfocused eyes.

"Not like it matters." Calaeno said sadly. She munched on her food, her eyes dull and gray.

"If you weren't always delivery birds, then what were you before the Storm King?" I asked, more interested in knowing what happened to these guys.

"Yeah, we used to me much more adventurous." Celaeno said and she pulled back a poster of the Storm King, revealing a black piece of cloth, which was revealed to be an old and worn out flag revealing the bird-skull with crossbones imprinted on the flag.

"Whoa! You used to be… Pirates?! No way!"

"Um, we prefer the term "swashbuckling treasure hunters"." Mullet said.

"So, pirates." said I . Squabble squawked in reply. I was really concerned about this. These guys used to have much more exciting lives but when the Storm King came it broke their spirit. "You birds have a choice to make. You can let some cloven-hoofed Storm King tell you how to live your lives, or…" I swooshed towards the Storm King's poster and ripped it off, revealing the pirate flag again. "…you could be awesome again!"

"Crystal don-" The Sentinel blocked Max with his wing. "Let her do this.. it's what she does best."

Celaeno put on her captain's hat and a electrifying sensation ran across her body. Five years of oppression and fear melted away as she and the rest of her crew tossed aside their hideous uniforms and put on their old pirate gear. Boyle laughed as he stuck his hook back onto his handless band.

Even my friends put on a few pirate accessories. The Alpha Gang wore matching pirate captain hats with crossbones, while the D-Team had an eyepatch and bandanna around his head.

Before long, the once miserable delivery birds had transformed entirely into the swashbuckling pirates they once were. Celaeno swung her sword and she and her crew bursted through the doors, ready to take back their ship.

Mullet took Ursula by the hand, swinging alongside her on a rope, feeling the wind in his feathers. Lix Spittle helped the princesses chart their course for Mount Aris, with Max placing a pirate's hat on Rex's head, who leaned against a stacked pile of cargo, looking uncharacteristically stoic throughout the whole thing. Boyle tossed Celaeno an old trunk of treasures and she pulled out a single diamond and a pearl necklace, which she happily gave to me as a gift.

I made my point by taking the old rule book and throwing it overboard.

Zander and Ed started drumming on a few crates as if they were drums, while the rest of the crew sang. Even Squabble even joined in by drumming… with his head. Though, it didn't seem to hurt him.

"Come on! Let's show these little humans and dragons how it's done!" Celaeno took the wheel, feeling the wind in her feathers once more. The crew pulled on several ropes and the sides of the ship opened. Steam puffed out and the rest of the front port opened up like the petals of a flower blossoming in spring. The rays of the full moon broke through the clouds, radiating like diamonds which were caught on the sails that emerged from the sides of the ship, puffing up into place, traces of dust flew out.

The sails were styled one on top of the other to resemble bird wings, all with the radiant colors of the rainbow! The wind picked up, making them flap beautifully. Even in the nighttime light, the wings carried the sun-like glow of revival that reflected the lost spirits of the bird pirates themselves.

"Awesome!" Max exclaimed.

"I knew you had it in you! And now for the finishing touch!" I exclaimed.

My Element glowed and it created a large glowing dragon that soared around the ship. "Wow!" Celaeno gasped in awe. Celaeno turned the wheel in the other direction. "Next stop, Mount Aris!"

Next Chapter: Mount Aris and the Hidden World Estimated time remaining: 56 Minutes