Have you ever pulled off an epic prank against someone only to find yourself on the receiving end of an even larger prank as a result? Well, this story tells the tale of what happened after the events of the Jolly Prankster story and sometimes, just sometimes, revenge is best served in a chest.
An Elf with tanned skin walked out of a small cabin and looked up at the sky with a sigh and a contented smile. He drew in a deep breath and took in the wonderful sight as the eternal storm surrounding the island gave way to a clear circular area about a massive sailing vessel. Wind coming down out of the storm swirled down and into the sails, causing them to billow out as waves raced past the ship on either side.
“Whew! That’s a big one!” exclaimed an old man with a large unkempt white beard, mustache, and hair that was only held in check by a an old wide-brimmed hat. “You reckon that’s one of those new trade ships?”
The Elf looked down at the old man who was rocking a large rowboat on the grass back and forth with the heel of his boot. “Well, it’s certainly not Seth’s flagship, Greer.” He squinted his eyes as he scanned the ship for any markings or insignia. “I think that’s Big Fat’s ship.”
“Guess’n it would have to be huge to carry that wide load, that he is!” exclaimed Greer as he tossed a satchel into the rowboat. Greer suddenly looked alarmed. “Think he heard that?!” He cupped his right hand around his ear and listened for noise coming from Big Fat’s ship. “No, noth’en,” he said after a few moments. “Don’t hear the sound of a cannon ball be’en fired! Guess I’m safe!”
Joshua laughed. “I don’t think he’s the fire-a-cannonball type. He’s more the hop-out-and-smash-you-flat-as-a-pancake type.” Joshua sniffed at the air toward Greer. “A smelly one.”
Greer crossed his arms and huffed. “I do not smell!” he declared. “I took my semi-regular bath not that long ago!”
Joshua sniffed at the air again and gave Greer a puzzled look. “Then you need to get some different soap.”
Greer returned the puzzled look and stared for a few moments. “Soap?”
Joshua put on an expression of mock horror as he grabbed his canteen that was hanging on a shoulder strap and quickly opened it. He poured some water into his right hand and threw it towards Greer. “Ugh! Put some holy water on that!”
“Was I supposed to feel that through this here grime?”
“Oh, look! I think it’s smoking!”
Greer laughed. “Alright. That’s enough of that now. It hadn’t been that long since I had a bath an’ I use soap. If I didn’t Bailey wouldn’t let me anywhere near her, an’ Zap’d probably drop me in the middle of a lake somewhere, with her instigation, of course. But noth’en like that’d be a problem right now, would it?”
Joshua laughed. “You’re not enjoying the fact that Zap is away at the stables for a week with a full schedule of activities, are you?”
“What? Me excited that my little one is off where he can’t cause no trouble … not that it would be any of my immediate concern if he did, for a whole week? Naw.”
Joshua laughed again and walked over to the rowboat. “Let’s get this in the water and start our fishing trip!” He grabbed a rope hanging off the bow of the boat as Greer cast a levitation spell on the boat, causing it to rise up off of the small lawn that stood between the cabin and the beach. Almost as soon as he did, the sound of thunder filled the air. He looked up as a black cloud, spun inward from the storm about the island, raced overhead while dropping a torrent of water.
Greer held up the front brim of his hat as he looked up at a tendril of cloud that snaked across the sky after the rogue cloud. “The weather here by the shore can be a mite unpredictable, can’t it?”
Joshua wiped his brown hair out of his face and blew sharply to get water off of his lips. “I guess we’ll have to delay our fishing for a bit and get the boat under cover before it fills up.”
“Yeah, I’m guess’en so,” replied Greer mournfully. “Had my hopes set on gett’en an early start, too.”
Joshua dropped the tow rope on the rowboat and turned around to grip the bow with both hands so he could guide it back across the lawn and under a cover located next to the shack. As he finished putting it under cover, the rain suddenly ceased.
Greer lifted the front brim of his now soaked hat and stared up at the sky. “Looky there, the cloud ’s move’en off!”
“Well, I we’ll go fishing after all,” said Joshua in a musing tone while looking up at the sky. He shrugged, grabbed the pull rope, and started toward the beach again.
“I reckon so,” muttered Greer as he took off his hat and shook the rain off of it. His expression brightened. “Boy howdy! Just imagine how worked up the fish’ll be after a rain like that! Bet we’ll be catch’en some real good ones now!”
Joshua laughed. “I imagine so.”
Greer glanced up at the sky occasionally and felt satisfied as they trudged across the beach to the water. Joshua released the pull rope and hopped into the boat as Greer pushed it until it was hovering mostly over the water. “Now the fish’en trip officially begins!” declared Greer as he leaped into the boat and grabbed an oar to push them the rest of the way over the water. When they were hovering completely over the water and the waves were lapping at the bottom of the boat, he released the levitation spell on the boat. It dropped into the water with a satisfying sploosh.
Joshua took both oars, affixed them to the boat, and rowed them out into the large bay. Greer eagerly took his fishing pole and tackle box out of his magic bag and began debating over which lures to use. “I think I know jus’ which one I’m gonna …” A loud clap of thunder overhead interrupted Greer which was followed immediately by an intense deluge as another snaking cloud reached out overhead.
“I’m beginn’in to think that this is a might inconvenient for the weather of this island!” shouted Greer as he shut his tackle box and struggled to hold up the front brim of his hat enough to see Joshua.
Joshua grinned despite the torrential downpour. “I think this is someone’s revenge for the last prank that I pulled!”
“I was hope’en that by wait’en two weeks before ask’en to go on another fish’en trip that I would escape gett’en caught up in the retribution of that there act of grand prankeriety!”
Joshua laughed. “Well, you may want to stop worrying about that and start bailing out the boat before we sink!”
Greer looked down at the amount of water that was fast collecting in the bottom of their large rowboat and grinned. He used his free hand to conjure and cast an arcane wind spell that swept down to the bottom of the boat, into the water, and shot it up in a jet.
“Auck!” uttered Joshua in a sputtering yell as the jet of water shot directly into his face. He leaned to the side, wiped his eyes and gave Greer an unamused look.
“Sorry! I think my aim must’a been off!”
“No!” yelled Joshua over the continuing torrent of rain. “I think you were pretty accurate!” He cracked a grin as Greer directed the jet of water over the side of the boat.
“I think once I get this spell set up, we can still get some fish’en in!” yelled Greer as he reached for his tackle box. As soon as his hand touched the box, the rain stopped. “Ha-oo-ooo!” laughed Greer. “I thought that would get it! Now let’s get some fish!”
Joshua laughed as he got his own tackle box and fishing pole ready. Soon, both men had their fishing lines in the water. Greer was lounging on the bottom of the boat after drying both the interior of the boat and its occupants with a careful use of arcane wind and a fire trinket. “Ain’t this the life?” he asked as he cast a spell on the rod that would inform him if he got a bite.
“It sure is,” replied Joshua who was laying down on a bench with is pole inserted into a holder near his feet. He glanced out at the bell tied onto the end of his fishing pole and smiled. “So,” he said casually as he shut his eyes, “when do you plan on asking?”
“That would be after this fish’en trip! I got the right ring purchased and stashed back at my cabin.”
“So, you think she’ll say yes?”
“Well, if that aren’t the darndest question. As if I would bother gett’en a ring if I wasn’t sure there was a good chance it would end up on that pretty finger of hers.”
“What?” asked Joshua with a smirk. “Is ‘that’ finger of hers the only one that’s pretty?”
“Now, don’t twist my words around!” snapped Greer as he sat up to look at his companion. “All of her is pretty, an’ you know it!”
Joshua laughed. “I won’t argue it. It just made it sound like that’s all you were looking at.”
“Oh, ha ha. That’s funny now. Why don’t we catch some fish?”
“Alright,” said Joshua with a chuckle as he sat up to look down into the water at his bait.
“An I don’ mean just any fish. I was want’en to catch some good ones that a fine meal could be made out of. It would make it that much more special when ask’en her if I caught the meal we’re eaten myself.”
Joshua looked at Greer with a smile. “Well, you have got a romantic side.”
“I wouldn’ta gotten this far if I hadn’t.”
“I’ll give it my best go then and pull out the special bait.”
“I’d be much obliged to ya.”
Joshua reeled in his bait and sifted through his tackle box. “I know just the one to make sure that we get a good catch.”
“Oh? And what’s that?” asked Greer as he looked into the box intently. His concentration was immediately broken at the sound of a fish leaping out of the water. He glanced up in time to see a large fish land in the bottom of the boat. “Well, if that don’ beat all!” he exclaimed.
Joshua blinked and then laughed. “That makes my job easier! I hadn’t even got it in the water yet!”
“Maybe I should get out my special bait as well!”
Another fish jumped into the boat.
Greer looked at the two flopping fish with a confused expression. “Or maybe all I had to do was mention it? Now, what’s go’en on here?”
“I don’t know,” mumbled Joshua before another leaping fish hit him on the face with it’s tail as it flew by.
“That one had it in for ya!” laughed Greer. “Here, I’ll get it. That looks like a keeper.” He leaned over and was about to grab the fish when another landed on his back.
Joshua had only a moment to laugh as another leaped into the boat.
Greer bolted upright and watched in disbelief as fish after fish leaped into the boat. “They’re leap’en in like they forgot how to breath water!” he exclaimed as he blocked a fish leaping toward his face.
Joshua watched the scene unfold with a stunned look of amazement as he started considering which fish were worth keeping. His look of amazement faded to concern as he realized the water seemed to be getting closer and his eyes widened. “Start throwing them over before we sink!” he yelled as he grabbed for the nearest fish.
“Oo-wha?” uttered Greer as he took in the situation. He felt a sudden sense of alarm as he joined his friend in frantically throwing fish out of their boat and back into the bay. “We’re take’en on water!” yelled Greer after a few minutes of effort.
“I’m almost done!” yelled Joshua as he put the finishing touches on a spell.
“We don’t got time for just an ‘almost!’ We need the fish to stop –”
Greer and Joshua both froze and looked about the boat in the realization that no more fish were trying to leap into it but were instead trying to leap desperately out of it. Greer cheered, “Woohoo! I done think that they figured we had enough! Now let’s snag the best of ‘em! Fair is fair so long as we didn’t use magic to catch ‘em ourselves!”
Joshua laughed and joined Greer in diving after the choicest fish to throw into their cooler before they had the chance to leap overboard. Before too long, they both sat on their benches in the boat slightly winded after the excitement. One last fish called itself to Greer’s attention as it leaped and flopped about under his bench.
“What now?” asked Greer as he traced down the source of the noise. “We got one left,” he mumbled as he grabbed it firmly by the tail. He grabbed its body with is other hand and stilled the fish. “Relax, you don’t seem to be worth much yet. Back in ya go,” he told it soothingly while he slowly lowered it into the water and released it. Greer smiled as he watched the fish swim off into the deep when something else caught his eyes.
Joshua was busying himself with sorting out his tackle box and fishing pole after they were upset by the deluge of fish. He continued working contentedly at his task and was still doing so when a tentacle snaked its way up the side of the boat. Greer’s eyes widened when he saw the tip of it rise above the side of the boat. His eyes widened further as another tentacle appeared and reached over the edge of the boat.
Greer leaned to the side for a better look at the creature that was crawling its way into the boat and his jaw dropped. Before he could react any further, the octopus pulled itself over the side of the row boat and leaped onto Joshua.
Joshua leaped up and howled out into surprise as the determined octopus tried to lock him in a loving, and unwanted, embrace. The octopus, which was about as large as a medium sized dog, was relentless and reattached its suckers to Joshua just as fast as they could be pulled away. After a short struggle, Joshua grabbed for his magic bag and reached into it.
After fishing around for what he sought, he grabbed magically shrunken item and pulled it out of its magic slot within the bag. Joshua pointed the bag toward the open part of the boat as a chest materialized outside of the opening, landing on the floor of the boat with a thud. Greer watched as Joshua placed a magical marker onto the octopus, kicked the lid of the chest open, and teleported the overly friendly creature into the air above the chest. With the flick of his right hand and a quick cast, Joshua activated the marker on the octopus and the tentacled terror was sucked into the chest. The lid slammed shut once the new occupant was fully inside and Joshua gave a sigh of relief.
Greer looked on at his friend in awed silence and tried to take in just how many suction marks were left all of his body. “You okay there?” he finally asked.
Joshua shuttered. “Yes. Let’s get back to the shore, and then there’s something I have to do.”
= = = = = = = = = = = =
A man in a nice blue coat and white undershirt looked up from his work at the sound of a knock on his door. “Come in!”
The door opened and the black haired man sat straight up in his chair with a look over utter astonishment at the site the greeted him. Joshua stood in the doorway, still covered in suction marks, holding a writhing chest.
“I have something of yours, Seth,” said Joshua with a smile as he walked up to Seth’s large oaken desk. “I understand the fish and the storms, but the octopus? That was a bit too far.”
Seth forced himself to blink and shook his head a bit to bring himself back to the present. “The storms, yes, but it’s one thing to lure fish to leap into a bait with a magical bait spell … But luring in an octopus? I’m not a beast tamer.”
The smile on Joshua’s face widened as his jaw dropped slightly. He walked around to the side of the desk and handed the still writhing chest to Seth. “Here. Take this.” Joshua glanced back at the doorway as Greer peeked in. “I have to go kill a former best friend.”
Greer laughed, “Hee-hoo-hoo!” and bolted down the hall with Joshua in hot pursuit.
Seth looked at the box in puzzlement. “I guess I’ll have the chef do something with this.”
If you enjoyed this story, be sure to read the others in The Writer's Corner! As always, these tales are raw and unedited, but if you want to read many of these stories with a bit more polish, be sure to check https://tddracken.wixsite.com/blog/books for how you can purchase an edited compilation!