Author's Note: Here comes Chapter 3. Enjoy as usual.

Some time later, the rest of the party arrived at the secret passageway entrance. The two ninjas had returned to stand guard, but they were still having trouble with their pants.

"Ahh! Stay away!" they pleaded.

"What the hell?" Moses exclaimed.

"What happened here?" Chloe asked. "Did Coolidge do this, too?"

"It was Aifread!" the ninja cried. "Aifread the Pirate!"

The party members glanced at each other. "It was Senel," they said in unison.

"Let's get moving," Will said. "It doesn't look like these ninjas are interested in stopping us."

The group used their eres to open the entrance, then entered the passageway.

Jay regained consciousness once again. He found himself lying on his back and tied to some train tracks. Before he could fully regain his senses, he felt a heavy blow to his stomach.

"Argh!" Jay arched in pain. When he fell limp again, he saw Solon standing condescendingly over him.

"Looks like you're finally awake," he said.

"S...Solon..." Jay muttered. "Let me go!"

Solon nonchalantly stomped down on Jay's stomach again, knocking the wind out of him. Solon knelt down beside the boy, caressing his forehead as he waited for him to catch his breath.

"You and I still have unfinished business." Solon stood up again. "I'm still waiting for the information on the Nerifes Cannon. So just tell me how it works, hmm? That's all. It's really not that much to ask, is it? Just give me that little bit of information, and I'll let you go."

"I won't do it..." Jay said softly, fighting tears. He then screamed out, "I won't do it!"

"No?" Solon unsheathed his sword and thrust it into the ground, just a mere inch next to Jay's face.

Jay squirmed in response to the sword. "I...I won't do it..."

Solon slowly knelt down beside him again, wiping the tears from his face with his fingers. "What's this? Tears?" He threw an open-handed slap to Jay's face. "You know I can't stand such a pitiful sight!"

Jay gave him an icy look through his tears. Solon had always beaten him when he was younger, but this was the first time he had been beaten while restrained. However, Jay was stronger now. He would not give in. Right now, his friends were on their way to rescue him. He was sure of it.

Solon stood up once again. "It's all right, Jay. You don't have to tell me right away if you don't want to." He waved his sword slowly over Jay's body. "In that case, I'll just carve the information out of you little by little. Oh, how I'll savor every drop of blood that you shed..."

"So...so you are planning to kill me..."

"Oh, rest assured, I've no intention of killing you. You have no idea what I have in store for you, do you?" Solon raised his sword and examined the shining blade, then held it down to Jay's throat. Slowly he drag the sword across Jay's throat, just lightly enough to avoid cutting. "Such pain...such pleasure. My little apprentice, crying out in pain. I'm getting excited just thinking about it."

Jay squirmed, trying to loosen the ropes that bound him to the train tracks, but he was still tightly restrained. All the while, he never took his eyes off the blade hovered back and forth over him.

"So tell me, Jay," Solon continued. "Where? Where do you want me to cut you?"

"Ahh!" Jay screamed as he jerked against his restraints. "S...stop!"

Solon paused. "So you're ready to tell me about the Nerifes Cannon then?"

"N-no!"

Solon kicked him in the face. "You're beginning to try my patience! Do you know what time it is?"

"It's swashbucklin' time!" a voice yelled from the shadows.

Both Solon and Jay looked in the direction from which the voice came. Out came Senel Coolidge, still wearing his pirate gear.

"S...Senel?" Jay asked.

Solon stepped away from his captive and stood in front of Senel. "Well, if it isn't Senel Coolidge."

Senel shook his head. "You must have me mistaken for someone else, mate. I am the one, the only, Aifread the Pirate!"

Solon raised an eye, but then shook his head. "Well, it matters not. You just had to come here and interrupt my reunion with my apprentice."

Senel drew his sword, putting it to Solon's throat. "Now, release Sparky!"

Jay looked up as much as he could. "Who's Sparky?"

Solon shot him a quick glance. "I think that's you, kid."

"What? What the hell is going on?"

Solon parried Senel's sword with his own blade. Senel quickly rolled over to Jay and sliced through the ropes that bound him to the train tracks. Jay quickly rolled backwards to his feet.

"Stand back, Sparky!" Senel warned. "This is not your battle!"

Jay's eyes widened. "Pl...please don't call me Sparky! That's the kind of name that might stick!"

"Haaa!" Solon yelled as he lunged at Senel.

Jay stepped back as the two of them began crossing blades. What is going on with Senel? Why is he dressed like that? Why is he pretending to be Aifread the Pirate, and why is he calling me Sparky? And where are the others?

Later...

By now, the rest of the party was getting exhausted, and their progress in the secret passageway was being slowed down. It took them quite a while to reach the area with the train tracks. Moses looked around.

"Look, there are footprints all over the place!" he called.

Will stepped forward to examine the footprints. "There was definitely a struggle here."

Norma spotted the severed ropes by the train tracks. "Look, there's some rope here. This must be where JJ was tied up."

"Does that mean that Coolidge has already rescued Jay?" Chloe asked.

Moses stomped his foot. "No way! We were supposed to rescue him together!"

"If that's the case, they must be headed back to town," Will said. "They probably went all the way through to the other exit. Let's follow them."

The expedition through the passageway was uneventful. There was no sign of anyone; no ninja, no monsters, no Senel or Jay. The party reached the surface on the mountain path, and found that the sun had already set for the day.

"Ugh...why did we just go through all of this?" Chloe asked. "There was no sign of the assassins at all."

"I don't care about the assassins," Norma said. "Where are Senny and JJ?"

"Let's call it a day," Will told them. "If they still haven't returned, we'll search for them again in the morning."

The group nodded, then headed down the mountain path back to Werites Beacon. As they were crossing the bridge, they found Curtis and Isabella running up to them.

"Will, good timing!" Isabella said. "Her Excellency wishes to see you all at her house."

Will nodded. "Understood. We were unable to find Senel and Jay, though..."

"Senel and Jay are waiting there as well," Curtis said.

"Senel made it back safely?" Shirley asked. "Thank goodness!"

The party ran all the way to Musette's house. They burst inside to find Musette at the table having tea with Senel and Jay.

"Welcome, everyone," Musette said. "Won't you join us for some tea?"

"At this hour?" Will asked.

"Don't worry, it's decaffeinated."

"It's too bad I didn't find a single drop of rum," Senel said. "Don't you think so, Sparky?"

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Jay snapped.

"Jay!" Moses ran over to him and took him into a tight bear hug. "You're safe!"

"Yes...no thanks to you, you stupid bandit," Jay groaned. "Let go of me..."

Moses released him, and Jay fell to the floor.

"What happened to the assassins?" Chloe asked.

"They retreated. We can expect to see them again," Jay told her. He then clenched his fist. "Solon..."

"Well, I guess all's well that ends well," Moses said. "Good work, Senel!"

He gave Senel a hearty pat on the back, knocking him to the floor. Senel picked himself up, pulling off his hat and eyepatch.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Where am I?"

He stood up to see the rest of the party. "Oh good, you're all here. So, when do we rescue Jay?"

"The next time I'm captured," Jay responded from behind.

Senel looked back at him. "Jay?"

"Well, it looks like someone's finally awake," Chloe pointed out.

Shirley glared at him. "Senel?"

"Shirley?" Senel looked down at the pirate hat and eyepatch, and finally realized what had happened. "Oh no...was I sleepwalking again?"

"Hold on a moment," Jay said. "Do you mean to tell me that Senel rescued me single-handedly...in his sleep?"

"Well, kinda..." Shirley said.

"I see." Jay folded his arms.

Senel turned to face him. "Jay, I...I'm glad you're okay."

Jay narrowed his eyes. "So that's why you kept calling me Sparky."

"Did I do that?"

"Grr!" Jay raised his arm and bonked Senel on the head. He then turned and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

Moses approached Senel next. "You hogged all the action, and we didn't get to do anything!"

He bonked Senel on the head, then left the house, also slamming the door.

Will approached Senel now and bonked him on the head. "We sure went to a lot of trouble for nothing." He followed the others out of the house.

Norma approached Senel. "Senny, you're never awake when we need you!" She bonked Senel on the head and stormed out of the house.

"Ow! I get the message already!" Senel cried.

Chloe went over to Senel next. "Despicable!" She bonked Senel on the head and left the house.

Shirley approached Senel. "Senel, you had us all worried about you! Do you understand that?"

"Shirley, I'm sorry!" Senel whined.

Shirley bonked him on the head, then stormed out of the house.

The only party member left was Grune. She approached Senel with her usual sweet smile.

"Oh my, everyone's taking turns," she gushed. "It must be a really fun game."

How can she possibly think that this is a game? Senel wondered.

"Maybe I should play, too." Grune gave him a bonk on the head as well. "See you in the morning, Senel." She turned and left the house.

Senel rubbed his head. "Ow...Grune, not you, too! Madame Musette..."

"They seem to be very displeased," Musette said. "But don't worry, Senel. I'm sure they'll be in a better mood in the morning."

Senel hung his head. "I hope so..."

Finally, he turned and left the house, quietly closing the door.

Senel received the title of Sleepwalker!

Jay received the title of Sparky!

The End