《Scurvy Dogs》


 Prologue

    ¡°SHIP AHOY!¡± A young beagle pup with brown, floppy ears poking out of the black bandana on his head called down from the crow''s nest of a wooden vessel.


    The call reached the ears of every hound on the ship, their attention turning to the small soul up top. The beagle boy folded the telescope in his hands closed, before hefting himself onto the edge of the nest and jumping to a stray rope. With reflexes no normal child his age could have, the boy slid down from the top of the mast to the bottom deck, landing on his feet with practised grace.


    The beagle boy ran across the deck, pushing past the canine crewmen and up the stairs to the ship¡¯s stern, passing the helmsman until he was at the door to the captain¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°Captain Fetch! Captain Fetch!¡± The young pup banged on the door frantically until it finally opened. A look of pure awe and delight graced the small beagle¡¯s face as he stepped back, allowing his captain to step out into the light.


    The golden retriever¡¯s fur glowed in the sun, his ears poking out of a red bandana over his head. He wore a brown coat over a white shirt, which reached down the back of his beige-coloured slacks to the heels of his black boots.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What¡¯s all the commotion, Yipper?¡± Fetch spoke sleepily, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes with his fingerless gloved hands. ¡°I was just having the most heavenly nap.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a ship, captain! Three-master off the starboard bow!¡± The beagle boy, Yipper, pointed in the direction of the vessel in the distance.


    The retriever reached his hand out to the pup, indicating for him to hand over the telescope, which Yipper was more than delighted to do. The captain lifted the piece to his eye, his gaze landing on the ship sailing innocently across the waves.


    ¡°Good eye, Yipper!¡± The captain patted the beagle boy¡¯s head, the pup¡¯s tail wagging from his hero¡¯s praise.


    Fetch then called out to his first mate. ¡°Checkers! Raise the flag!¡±


    A tall Dalmatian wearing a yellow vest over a red shirt saluted his leader. His white fur was decorated with mixed-matched spots of black, the biggest patch being over his right eye.


    ¡°Aye-aye, sir!¡± Checkers saluted before grabbing a rope as he started to pull.


    A black flag slowly rose to the ship¡¯s main mast, catching the wind and flying free, revealing the symbol of two white bones crossing behind a dog skull.


    ¡°Alright, you filthy mongrels!¡± Captain Fetch cried out with a grin, taking out his cutlass and raising it high. ¡°Let¡¯s go sick ¡®em!¡±


    A rallying cry from his crew followed his words, all of them ready for the fight to come.

 Chapter 1

    A gust of wind blew across the navy vessel, hitting Commodore Foof, a proud poodle officer of the Royal Navy, in his face.


    ¡°Oh, blast this ocean air!¡± Foof bristled with irritation, attempting to brush his clean white fur down so as to keep it from frizzing out. ¡°The sea water is going to fizz my fur!¡±


    Behind the bemoaning commodore, a pit bull officer rolled his eyes at his commander¡¯s complaining, when he caught sight of something concerning out of the corner of his vision. ¡°Um, sir?¡±


    ¡°Oh, why was I the one to be given such a contemptible task?¡± The high-ranking poodle groaned in irritation, looking out across the rolling waves of the Pedigree Ocean.


    ¡°Sir?!¡± The pit bull tried to get the commodore¡¯s attention again, to no avail.


    ¡°Three days to cross this miserable sea and three days back, all for a map! A single map!¡± Foof fumed as he looked to the sky for some explanation to fall unto him.


    However, the only thing that came to him was a high-pitched whistle, growing louder and louder with each second. ¡°What the devil is that noise?¡±


    ¡°SIR!¡± The officer cried out frantically.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Foof thundered when suddenly, an explosion erupted from the sea. Saltwater rained down on the commodore, drenching him and soaking his fur flat.


    The pit bull cleared his throat, finally gaining the poodle¡¯s attention. ¡°Pirates off the starboard bow, sir.¡±


    ¡°Pirates?!¡± The poodle panicked, taking out his telescope and aiming it to where the cannonball came from.


    He spotted a wooden vessel approaching fast, with a jolly roger flying from the top of the main mast. Looking from the flag to the bow, he saw the golden figurehead of a snarling hound, baring its teeth and glaring daggers back at the quivering commodore.


    ¡°Oh, no! The Snarling Stray¡­That can only mean¡­!¡± Foof scoured the oncoming ship, praying he wouldn¡¯t find the last soul any canine would wish to meet on the open water. His fears were proven real when his sights landed on the captain of the pirate vessel, standing on the bow of his ship while surrounded by a pack of hounds eager for a scrap.


    Foof lowered his spyglass, his powdered face growing more pale than ever. ¡°Captain Fetch!¡±


    ¡À


    ¡°Felloe! Bring us about broadside!¡± Fetch turned back and called out to his helmsman.


    ¡°Aye, captain!¡± Felloe, a large Great Dane wearing black sleeveless shirt, turned the giant wooden wheel on the quarterdeck, guiding the ship to run alongside the commodore¡¯s vessel.


    ¡°Ready for boarding!¡± Fetch cried out, followed by his men throwing out numerous lines of hooks on rope, snagging onto whatever they could grab of the navy ship. With strength and camaraderie, the pirate dogs heaved the navy ship closer towards them until they were barely inches apart.


    ¡°All forces! Prepare for battle!¡± Foof cried out, attempting to sound composed but failing to stop the small, fearful tremor carrying in his voice.


    The navy vessel¡¯s crew, made up mostly of prepared pit bulls and burly bulldogs, readied themselves for the coming fight, unsheathing swords and loading flintlocks.


    Fetch mounted the rail of the port side of his ship, brimming with confidence as he held a stray rope dangling from on high. The rest of his crew stood by his side, holding themselves back as they waited for him to give the order.


    The gold-furred captain raised his cutlass high, the sun catching the tip of his blade before he swung it down and pointed it towards their quarry.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°ATTACK!¡±


    He then leapt from the rail and off of his ship, swinging across the gap between the two ships before landing on the navy vessel¡¯s deck, immediately crossing blades with a St Bernard navy man.


    The rest of his crew howled in delight, following their captain as they swung across the gap and joined the Frey. The crew of navy dogs opened fire on the incoming enemy, trying to catch any of them flying over the gap towards them. It didn¡¯t take long before the pirates invaded the navy ship, and the main deck turned into a battlefield.


    Yipper stood atop the rail next, holding a rope in both hands as he prepared to swing across. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the young pup by the back of his shirt, yanking him off his feet and planting him back on the deck floor.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah,! Not so fast there, Yipper.¡± Checkers shook his head at the beagle boy, taking the rope out of his paws like a strict parent.


    ¡°Aww! But, Checkers!¡± Yipper whined.


    ¡°You¡¯re not ready for a fight like this! Just get below deck and stay there until it''s over.¡± The first mare ordered before leaping off the ship and swinging across into the fray.


    The young pup pouted before heading towards the lower deck of the ship. ¡°I never get to do anything fun¡­"


    Back in the battle, Fetch fought off a navy collie, blocking his incoming blade and delivering a swift kick to his stomach, shoving him away with his foot. The Dalmatian dared to crack a small smile, when a low, threatening growl made his ears perk up. Turning around, he saw a large bulldog standing over him, teeth bared and hands up, ready to grab the first mate.


    Fetch lowered his swords, daunted by the sheer size of his new opponent, when a shadow cast itself over the bulldog. The navy dog turned to see who had snuck up on him, only to find himself looking up at a humungous St Bernard towering over him, wearing a black bandana over his head and a red-and-white striped shirt, which did nothing to hid the huge, rotund belly protruding out from over his dark brown shorts.


    With barely any effort, the St Bernard grabbed hold of the bulldog and lifted him high over his head.


    ¡°Leave Cap¡¯n alone!¡± The giant hound bellowed before throwing the bulldog overboard, the navy sailer howling until falling into the water with a splash.


    ¡°Thanks, Benny.¡± Fetch laughed with what breath he had left after the scare.


    Benny, the oversized St Bernard, turned back around and beamed proudly at the first mate. ¡°No problem, Cap¡¯n!¡±


    Across the deck, a navy pitfall crossed blades with another of Fetch¡¯s crew, a lithe Saluki with dark brown fur, wearing a black tricorn hat, white shirt, and a black vest.


    ¡°You picked the wrong ship to plunder, you filthy, mangy¡­!¡± With a swipe of his blade, he knocked the hat off their head, freeing a bundle of long brown hair. Mesmerised by the maplewood locks flowing in the breeze, the sailor shook himself out of it when he came to a shocking realisation about his opponent.


    ¡°¡­Woman?!¡±


    Rosa, the pirate Saluki scowled at the pit bull. ¡°You have a problem with women?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it common knowledge that a lady on board a ship brings bad luck?¡± The sailor scoffed.


    The Saluki¡¯s eyes narrowed before shoving him away. The sailor smacked against the wood of the midden mast, dazing him from the impact. Before the pit bull could get his bearings, a knife came flying towards him, striking the wood of the mast mere inches from his face, causing him to let out a small, high-pitched yelp.


    ¡°I may be filthy, and I may be mangy¡­¡± Rosa stalked towards the frozen sailor, reaching out and taking her knife back while looking the pit bull dead in the eye. ¡°But I¡¯m no lady.¡±


    She then walked away, leaving the petrified pit bull to faint and sink to the wooden floorboards.


    A small group of pirates had been cornered at the base of the navy ship¡¯s quarter deck, all held at gunpoint by a squad of navy-dogs armed with flintlock rifles.


    ¡°Ready¡­¡± One of the pit bull soldiers declared, followed by the clicking of multiple gun hammers.


    ¡°Aim¡­¡± The navy-dogs squared their sights on their target, the pirates shutting their eyes and bracing for the coming hail of lead¡­


    All of a sudden, a pirate fell in-between the pirates and the navy-dogs, landing on his feet with trained grace. He was an Irish wolfhound with greying fur, an eyepatch over his right eye, and an assortment of firearms strapped to his chest.


    ¡°Fire.¡± Eli finished for the soldiers before drawing a pair of flintlock pistols, crossing his arms and firing in different directions. The sound of pings and pangs surrounded the sailors, the wolfhound¡¯s bullet ricocheting off the masts and cannons until they hit their marks, knocking the rifles straight out of the navy dog''s hands.


    The soldiers looked from their guns on the floor to the pirate who disarmed them with miraculous ease, all of them wearing expressions of pure astonishment.


    ¡°Bullseye.¡± Eli grinned before the pirates he had rescued charged the soldiers and took the upper hand of the battle once more.


    Foof watched the chaos erupting on his ship, horrified at the damage these pirates were causing.


    A pair of leather-clad feet landed behind the poodle and his first mate, causing him to jump and let out a yelp of shock when he saw who had appeared.


    ¡°Captain Foof!¡± Fetch greeted the navy captain with a mocking bow. ¡°Just the poodle I was looking for.¡±


    As Foof quivered in terror of the pirate captain, the collie officer took out his sword and went to swipe at the retriever, only for Seth to block him with ease.


    ¡°I heard you picked something up on your little expedition.¡± Fetch smiled casually while keeping the collie at bay. ¡°Something that could earn yourself quite the fortune... or lead you to one.¡±


    The poodle could do nothing but babble gibberish in his petrified state.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s not in the mood to talk.¡± The pirate captain deduced with a small frown. He then turned his attention towards the collie who confronted him, his grin back with vengeance. ¡°Maybe you can give me the answers I¡¯m looking for instead.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t give you anything!¡± Winslow, the collie, snarled at the pirate he was crossing blades with.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give us anything. We¡¯ll just take it! We are pirates after all!¡± Fetch claimed with a laugh, before pushing Winslow back, his blade grinding against the collie¡¯s until they were nearly snout-to-snout.


    ¡°Now. Would you be so kind enough to tell me¡­where is the map to Blacktail¡¯s treasure?¡±

 Chapter 2

    Winslow shoved Fetch away before going on the attack, lunging at the golden retriever with his drawn blade.


    Fetch countered each of the collie¡¯s swipes and slashes with ease, his sword hand doing all the work while he brought his other up to his mouth to cover a mocking yawn.


    The second-in-command snarled in frustration before slashing his sword down, his attack fuelled by anger.


    Fetch leapt out of the way of the blade, letting pass beneath his feet harmlessly, before landing on the stairway rail to the deck, sliding down it with a laugh full of joy.


    Winslow followed after the pirate captain, determined to cut the retriever down.


    Foof reached out to his second-in-command but was too late to stop him. Panic and dread getting the best of him, the pompous poodle quickly scurried towards the starboard stairway, making his way down to the deck, keeping as far out of the fight as possible, before heading the doorway to the captain¡¯s quarters, and locking himself inside.


    Fetch and Winslow continued their duel, striking and blocking at each other with practiced finesse.


    The pirate captain started to gain the advantage, forcing Winslow to defend himself from the retriever¡¯s relentless attack. Suddenly, a pair of pit bulls came to the second-in-command¡¯s aid, joining the collie in his bout and turning the tide against Fetch.


    Though outnumbered, Fetch¡¯s smirk remained on his face as he fought off his adversaries. He backed away from the oncoming cutlasses when his back hit the rope rigging of the main mast. An idea popped into his head at the same time Winslow and his men swung their blades at the pirate dog all at once.


    Fetch blocked all three swords with his own, struggling to keep the razor-sharp edges from cutting into his fur. With a mighty heave, Fetch pushed the three navy dogs away before grabbing one of the rigging ropes and cutting it free.


    The retriever flew high into the air, Winslow and his men watching him shoot upward with bewilderment. As Fetch continued to sail higher, the main sail came crashing down, smothering Winslow and the rest of the navy dogs in the thick, heavy cloth.


    The retriever swung around the entity of the ship, observing the fight from above and watching his crew subdue the navy hounds at a rapid pace. Soon, the pirates had conquered the ship, rounding up the sailors and either binding them in rope or keeping them held and gun and sword point.


    The captain whirled around the main mast, sliding down the rope until his boots landed on the deck. A thankful smile graced his face when he saw Checkers, Rosa, Benny, and Eli coming his way.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Good work, everyone!¡± The retriever stated, proud of his crew for another well-done raid.


    ¡°The ship is ours, Captain.¡± The first mate Dalmatian declared with a salute. ¡°All enemies have been beaten and subdued.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t put up much of a fight,¡± Rosa smirked, sheathing her blade and crossing her arms. ¡°I barely got to use my blade.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! They went down easy after I socked ¡®em one!¡± Benny barked chivalry, flexing his arm to emphasise his strength.


    ¡°Almost feels like they wanted us to take that map of theirs.¡± Eli pointed out, placing his pistol against his shoulder.


    ¡°Well, then. Let''s take it off their hands, shall we?¡± Fetch chuckled, his grin growing to show the pure white canines of his teeth.


    ¡À


    Foof groaned with agonised effort as he pushed his luxury leather settee towards his cabin door.


    The panicking poodle had already propped his cupboard, desk, and other heavy furniture he could use to block off the pirates from getting in. Feeling that he had successfully secured himself, food wiped the sweat from his brow, a smile of relief crossing his face, when a jolly rhythm knocked at his door.


    ¡°Permission to enter your quarters, captain?¡± Fetch spoke to the poodle from the other side of the blockade.


    ¡°N-N-N-Never!¡± Foof floundered on his words with fear, propping himself against the barricade of furniture. ¡°You filthy mongrels won¡¯t set a single foot in here!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll let ourselves in.¡± Foof could hear the smirk in the pirate captain¡¯s voice but couldn¡¯t understand why he sounded so smug.


    Suddenly, a faint hissing noise could be heard on the other side of the blocked. Doors. The poodle lifted his ear to try and get a better idea of whatever the sound was.


    And if the navy captain had to guess, it sounded an awful lot like¡­a burning fuse!


    KABOOM


    The doors burst open from a fiery explosion, sending the poodle and his belongings blocking the entrance were blown across the room. The furniture was turned into raining splinters and burnt fabric, while Foof flew over his desk and landed perfectly safe in his lounge chair. The petrified poodle¡¯s fur was covered in black soot, coughing up plumes of smoke as Fetch and his crew made their way inside.


    The retriever took in the interior of the navy captain¡¯s dwelling, noticing how rich and extravagant it was. Fine silk curtains adorned the windows, a plethora of pillows piled up on his outrageously oversized bed, and of course, a portrait of the pompous poodle himself, looking off into the distance with an air of smug pride. A far cry from the quivering canine huddled in his chair behind his polished oak desk.


    One of Fetch¡¯s crew approached the captain to his side. He was short, skinny chihuahua with brown fur and large sharp pointed ears, wearing a thick belt strapped around his left shoulder, where a plethora of gunpowder bombs, big enough to hold in one¡¯s paw. The chihuahua had a slightly crazed look in his eye, while he had a small flicker of fire at the end of one of his whiskers.


    ¡°Good work, Petardo.¡± Fetch patted the pirate bomber on his shoulder. ¡°Another blast well done.¡±


    ¡°Ey, no problemo, capit¨¢n!¡± Petardo, the explosive chihuahua, chuckled deviously while taking a few bombs off his strap. ¡°You know how much I love to make things go ¡®kaboom¡¯, eh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± Fetch licked the ends of his fingers before pinching the fire on Petardo¡¯s whiskers out. ¡°Let¡¯s put the explosives away for now, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Si, capit¨¢n¡­¡± The chihuahua sulked, putting his bombs way with a slump of his shoulders.


    ¡°Now, then¡­Captain Foof, I presume?¡± Fetch made his way over to the poodle¡¯s desk, where the navy dog captain was still quivering in his chair. ¡°I believe you have something of great interest to me and my crew, here.¡±


    At the sight of the pack of fierce pirate dogs surrounding him, Foof could do nothing but swallow the lump in his throat and give an innocent chuckle.

 Chapter 3

    The navy dogs grunted in frustration, straining against the ropes that held them tight against the mast of their conquered ship. All that Winslow and the rest of his men could do was watch as the pirates raided their cargo hold, hauling their supplies over to their ship while helpless to do nothing.


    The collie spotted the captain of the enemy stride out of the poodle¡¯s quarters, snarling at the retriever. Fetch merely gave him a guilty smile, as if to say he was sorry for attacking them and stealing what was theirs. The rest of his crew followed behind him, with Benny lugging a large treasure chest over his shoulder.


    ¡°So, what will you do with us now?¡± Winslow barked venomously. ¡°Leave us here to drift out to sea without food or water? Or perhaps you¡¯ll sink us once you''re far enough away?¡±


    ¡°Do we look like the kind of dogs who would do such a thing?¡± Fetch countered with mock astonishment. ¡°We¡¯ve left you all plenty for you to make it back to the nearest island, which is¡­¡± Fetch¡¯s smile fell in confusion before he turned to his first mate. ¡°Checkers, where¡¯s the closest island from here?¡±


    ¡°Pedigree Island, captain.¡± The Dalmatian answered. ¡°Due North-East of your location. With the wind on their side, they should reach there by sundown.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Checkers!¡± The retriever praised his trusted friend before turning back to the collie. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve taken up enough of your time¡­along with everything else.¡± A resounding chuckle came from the crew at the captain¡¯s joke. ¡°But, we best be moving along. So, we¡¯ll leave you to it. Safe sailing!¡±


    The retriever made his back onto his ship, the rest of his crew following along while Winslow and the rest of his men could only watch them go, the feeling of defeat smothering them all. The crew of the Snarling Stray then detached itself from their vessel, sailing away with the sound of the pirates howling in victory echoing back to the beaten sailors.


    By the time their ship had sailed away freely, the door to the captain¡¯s quarters creaked open slowly. Foof, dishevelled and shaking, poked his head from out of his hiding place, looking around the deck with wide, panicked eyes. ¡°A-Are they gone?¡±


    Winslow could only snarl at the cowardly canine, his pride greatly wounded by how easily they were handled by a pack of strays.


    ¡À


    ¡°Benny! Drop it there!¡±


    The giant St Bernard did as his captain ordered, dropping the large chest over his shoulder down on the ship''s deck. All of the crew gathered around, surrounding the chest with enticed interest in what could be inside. Fetch stood before the chest, with Checkers and Rosa by his side.


    Yip, after hiding below deck during the fight, squeezed his way through the crowding crew until he managed to break free and get into the clearing. He then spotted his captain, and eagerly scampered over to him. ¡°Captain!¡±


    The retriever turned his head at the familiar voice, and saw the boy, a smile breaking out on his face. ¡°Yip! There you are! Glad to see you¡¯re alright!¡±


    ¡°I was hiding below deck. Checkers wouldn¡¯t let me join in on the fight!¡± The beagle boy complained.


    ¡°I was trying to protect you, Yip. If you had joined in on that fight, you wouldn¡¯t have been coming back on board alive!¡± The Dalmatian reprimanded the pup, earning a slight whimper from the young beagle.


    Fetch placed a comforting paw on the boy¡¯s head, rubbing it gently as he knelt down to Yip¡¯s level. ¡°I have to agree with Checkers on this one, Yip. Pirating isn¡¯t a game. You could get seriously hurt. Can¡¯t risk losing our precious cabin boy, now can we?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Yip bemoaned disappointedly before his ears perked up at the sight of the chest. ¡°Is that the treasure you were after, captain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and no.¡± Fetch corrected, standing once more before making his way back to the chest. ¡°Inside this chest, is what will lead us to a treasure unlike anything the world has seen for generations¡­¡± The retriever knelt down and placed a hand atop the chest, a hopeful glimmer in his eye. ¡°The lost treasure of Black-Tail.¡±


    The mention of Blacktail rendered everyone on board silent, a quiet reverence overcoming the raggedy crew of mutts.


    ¡°Many years have gone since Black-Tail disappeared,¡± Fetch recalled, reaching a gloved hand down onto the chest. ¡°No one knows what happened to him, or where he left the vast wealth he claimed from his time roaming the seas¡­¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The retriever stood tall once more, looking out over his gathered crew. ¡°But now, we have a chance to. This chest contains a map that will lead us to the treasure, the first step towards finding Black-Tail¡¯s long-lost fortune. We will no longer have to survive as strays, but live like kings!¡±


    The band of dogs cheered and howled in unison, invigorated by their golden leader¡¯s words.


    ¡°Or queens, for some of us!¡± Fetch quickly corrected, looking towards Rosa with a sheepish grin.


    The crew laughed while the Saluki merely rolled her eyes.


    Fetch went on to pull out a pair of small, thin metal tools before poking them into the lock, intent on picking the chest open.


    While the captain fiddled with the concealed container, Yip tugged on Checker¡¯s pant leg to get his attention, a question on the young pup¡¯s tongue. ¡°Who¡¯s Black-Tail?¡±


    ¡°Black-Tail was the most scurvy dog ever to roam the seas.¡± The Dalmatian detailed, watching his captain work. ¡°He spent years pillaging towns and raiding noble ships for their riches. He amassed a fortune unlike any dog had ever seen. Even the noble high-breeds could only dream of obtaining so much wealth.¡±


    ¡°Woooowww¡­!¡± Yip awed at the tail of the infamous pirate, his floppy ears perking up in eagerness to hear more. ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°No one knows.¡± Checkers shook his head. ¡°Story goes that Black-Tail sailed to the furthest ends of the ocean to bury his gathered riches, on an island that can¡¯t be found on any map.¡±


    A metallic click came from the chest, drawing Yip and Checkers attention, their ears perking up at the sudden noise.


    Fetch remained still, a shuddering breath escaping him as he placed his lock picks aside and stood back on his feet.


    ¡°At least, that¡¯s what the stories say¡­¡± The Dalmatian spoke with an air of wonder in his voice.


    Yip¡¯s hopes were as high as the seagulls flying above their ship to what was inside the mysterious chest.


    The gold-furred captain steeled himself, placing his gloved hands on either side of the chest¡¯s lid.


    Anticipation was thick among the crew, the band of dogs eager to see what lay inside.


    The captain lifted it open, a bright light striking him in the face, causing him to shut his eyes and look away. Peeking an eye open, Fetch looked back to the open chest, seeing it filled to the brim with treasure. Coins of solid gold glimmering in the sunlight, while jewels of plentiful colour sparkled with refined beauty.


    The crew saw the loot inside, gasping at the riches they had gained. All held their breath as Feth ran his fingers through the wealth.


    The captain dug through the mound of money, throwing out handfuls of treasure for the rest of the crew to grab. As the band of pirates took what they could get their paws on, some breaking out into fights over who saw what first, Fetch reached the bottom of the chest. He lifted his head from the now empty chest, yet instead of a look of elated joy on his face, he wore an expression of complete confusion and utter disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not here¡­¡± Fetch softly spoke.


    Checkers made his way over to his captain, being the only one to hear him over the clammer from the crew. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°The map! It¡¯s not here!¡± The retriever called out frantically, catching the attention of the rest of his crew.


    ¡°What?!¡± Yip looked up in shock, his hopes of seeing a long-lost map dashed in an instant.


    ¡°But, the poodle-man said it was in there!¡± Benny moaned, worried that he brought the wrong chest on board.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He lied to us.¡± Rosa barked with frustration at how they got played. ¡°It¡¯s like my mother always said: never trust a poodle.¡±


    Rosa unscathed her sword with a furious snarl. ¡°I¡¯m going to sheer the fluff off that snivelling coward¡¯s coat the next time I see him!¡±


    ¡°Captain¡­¡± Checkers approached his leader, concerned for what he could be feeling right now.


    Fetch remained in place, looking down at the empty chest before taking a deep breath through his nose. He then turned back, showing his first mate a relaxed smile. ¡°Foof got us good with that one. Pulled the fluff over our eyes, you could say.¡±


    ¡°What are your orders, captain?¡± The Dalmatian inquired, returning to his professional attitude.


    ¡°Nothing has changed.¡± Fetch clarified, walking past Checkers and making his way towards the front of their ship. ¡°We still don¡¯t have the map, but we know that Foof has it for certain.¡± He reached the bow and planted his foot on the railing. He pulled out a spyglass from his coat and opened it up, instantly spotting the speck that was the naval ship they had recently raided.


    The retriever brought the scope back down, a knowing smile crossing his snout. ¡°And we know exactly where they''re headed¡­¡±


    Fetch turned back to his first mate with authority. ¡°Checkers. Set a course for Pedigree Island.¡±


    Aye-aye, captain!¡± The Dalmatian nodded before turning about, ready to bark orders to the crew. ¡°Alright, you lot! Back to it! Benny, raise the midden mast! Felloe, keep our ship on course with the navy¡¯s!¡±


    As the crew scurried across the ship, preparing the vessel for the journey, Fetch kept his eyes focused on the ship in the distance.


    ¡°Soon¡­¡± Fetch whispered while closing his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon enough¡­¡±