Nico had survived long enough to feel confident roaming about more on this own these days.  His two bird companions seemed less concerned as well.  The two certainly still kept an eye on him all the time but they didn’t yell out every time danger, expecting Nico to pay enough attention to what was going on, or able to take care of himself against some dangers.  

Nico had heard about the feast and decided Jack needed to go with him to find something to give towards it.  Nico knew a place that would be great for it but, it was a bit farther than he’d ever roamed with his friend.  Nico had told Jack how he wasn’t going to show up tomorrow probably as he’d be on a dangerous adventure to find something for the feast the magical statues wanted.  That worked.

Nico told Jack all he’d learned of the statues so far.  The coyote had visited one of them, one that had cloaked the lands in mists that had caused the confused Nico to be all turned around for a bit but the way the season seemed to change in this pocket spaces was amazing.  The mist and losing track of his senses had been unnerving admittedly.  He also told Jack all about how the animals had actually talked there.  He had assured the familiars that he and Jack would bring the most amazing decoration to the feast ever.  They hadn’t seemed too impressed but they would be!

Nico leads Jack confidently into the swamp.  Nico’s smaller body moved with confidence in the swamp.  He’d already explored this part of it numerous times.  It was filled with all manner of food any coyote could hope for.  He knew where it was safe or dangerous to step.  The thing he didn’t know is what sort of treasure they could find but surely a place like this would have the most amazing of things.

They went in a short distance and then a bit more and as they got to a part Nico didn’t recognize he finally spotted an answer.  Nico didn’t inform Jack of course he hadn’t been this far, he liked his friend thinking Nico had all this worldly experience.  Not far away was a large alligator, half asleep on a mix of clay, mud, and some pooling water.  Grassy patches sprouted up right around it and a few feet away it turned to larger patches of grass with solid dirt beneath.  Well, the clay had to be pretty strong considering that huge alligator was on it!  Near him there was something sparkling, partly covered in mud and even under the alligator he thought there was a sparkle.  Blood was on the ground near the alligator but since they swallowed their prey in gulps there was no sign of what the blood had once come from.

“There we go Jack.  Next to that big ol’ alligator.  He looks sleepy at least.  Let’s get whatever’s sparkly near him.  I bet we can taunt him into leaving it.  Um, don’t get bit though.”  Nico trusted Jack to have about the same level of caution as he did so the black pup moved forward, head even with his shoulders as he snarled at the alligator.

It uh, ignored him.  Nico got within just twenty feet away from the head before the alligator’s eye seemed to really focus on him.  Damn.  It looked pretty impressively big.  “You’re an ugly thing, ya know.” Nico snarled at it after the comment.
Nico tried to move sideways thinking it’d be better to attack some part of the gator other than the head and it started to twist about to keep facing him.  Welp, Nico had its attention now.

"Niko"

Jack trots after Nico, the promise of adventure far more alluring than his mother’s worry about someone attacking him. Besides, the patchwork pup can always beg her forgiveness after everything is said is done. His friend had told him about the statues appearing and they had made the plan to get some stuff for the feast that is going to be happening. Which is why they are in the swamp, staring at a large alligator that rests in the middle of a blood streaked area.

Their prize glitters near the huge beast, taunting the boys to come and collect it. Cal scoffs at Nico’s words about not getting bit, saying, “I think its more likely to bite you!” but his words are meant to tease and hold no malice. Icy blue eyes sparkle with mirth as he tosses a wink at his friend watching as the coyote pup tries to get the creature’s attention. Calico Jack hangs back, watching, assessing, noticing the way the alligator twists to face his friend.

Finally, with an indigent sigh, Cal springs into action, racing toward the beast and his friend. Short legs churn as he barrels toward the creature’s head and slams his body squarely into one of its eyes. With a vicious puppy snarl, Jack lashes out with tooth and claw but is forced to retreat when the beast snaps around quickly. Nimbly leaping on top of the thing’s back, the pirate pup dances along the scaled hide, laughingly saying, “Ha! You’ll have to be quicker than that!”

It seems to understand the taunt and Cal has to make a few deft leaps to avoid the snapping jaws while also remaining on its back. Concentrating on the creature, Jack shouts, “Nico! Grab the treasure! I’ll keep it distracted!” The alligator bellows in rage at the pups and the cocky pirate can’t help but grin.


"Calico Jack"

Nico’s eyes widened when Jack decided to attack by slamming into its eye.  His friend would get swallowed like that!!  It did do the trick of getting it to not watch Nico however the giant lizard was trying to eat Jack.  Nico jogged farther behind it and attempted to bite its tail to steal its attention.  The scales were thick and solid with hardly any damage done with the bite.  It did cause the gator’s tail to swipe out so that Nico barely dodged getting hit by it.  The back end was almost as dangerous as the front!

Nico was about to go in for another attack when he heard Jack’s suggestion. “Don’t let it swallow you!” It was half joke but half serious.  Jack could end up dead with one wrong step.  Nico hadn’t put much thought into the fact he could end up in the same position.  Nico ran around to the side of the gator that he’d seen the most sparkles about.  

A frustrated snarl came from his throat seeing one of the alligator's legs where a strap of some sort was poking out of the sand, a bit farther off he could see the opening of a sack the sparkling had come from.  No surprise there was blood on the bag.  Someone had chosen the wrong path to take with their sparkly things.  There had been another sparkle farther off but he’d start with this.  Nico had to wait, impatiently until Jack pissed off the gator in another direction.

Nico ran in, grabbing at the strap, trying to pull it free but the bag was locked into the clay.  With a fight between a wolf and alligator right next to Nico he dug with frenzied paws to unearth more of their treasure.   Nico jerked again on the sack and it started to budge.  Just a bit more! Glancing up he noticed Jack wasn’t dead yet.  Good.

"Niko"

Jack dances along the creature’s spine, laughing mockingly at the angry creature. It snaps at him, forcing the patchwork pup to dance around and the sudden shift of its tail as it swipes at Nico almost sends him tumbling off. However, he regains his balance and once again scoffs at Nico while pondering why his friend is so worried about him when Cal is having so much fun!

A rhythm starts to drum out from Calico Jack’s paws as he moves and the bold pup goes so far as to stop and hammer out a couple more beats on the gator’s back. It does the weird growl thing again and the pup growls back at it, leaping up and over its snout as it turns to try and catch him. Landing nimbly, still on the gator’s back, Cal purses his lips and blows a raspberry at the angry creature, taunting it in hopes to give Nico more time.


"Calico Jack"

Nico shakes his head, watching it loosen the sack.  Huffing he has no choice but to dig at the clay more.  One eye is ever constantly on eye on the alligator.  He doesn’t notice when his two bird friends land in the branches.  For once they don’t dare talk.  Nico is already in a horrible situation and they don’t dare distract him. For that matter, the birds see little they can do to help.

Nico grabs the strap again after a moment, yanking and ripping it free of the soil.  Rushing away from the two he dumps its contents on the ground.  Several items are in it but he doesn’t bother to focus on what exactly.  Instead, he rushes back in, the opposite direction and grabs what turns out to be some small glass with green powder in it that had been lying on the ground, along with a necklace.  These are rushed back to where he left the sack.

Looking back to Cal, he calls out, “Ok beat it!”As if to help Nico runs back toward the alligator.  He doesn’t get as close but instead starts digging again but this time it's to kick soil at the alligator's face, hoping to distract it or even make it close its eyes for half a second so Jack can get some distance.  The alligator did pause its attack on Jack to take a step closer to Nico who jumped quickly much farther away than the alligator had come towards him.  

"Niko"

Calico Jack is having way too much fun for someone dancing this close to death. But the young pup doesn’t think about what could happen and the terrible injuries he might suffer if the gator grabbed him. No, the patchwork pup is in the moment, laughing with glee at how angry the creature is getting. It thrashes wildly, trying to unseat the nimble pup as he dances a jig on its spine.

Eyes flick to where Nico works, the coyote pup digging at the bag that lays half buried in the muck and Jack flashes his friend a huge grin. While Nico is frantic and trying to work faster, Cal is calm, cool, and perhaps a little too relaxed. Ah, the gator doesn’t worry him, all he is focused on is the game. Avoid, jump, twisting, land, and repeat. Laughter spills from his lips as he moves.

Nico’s voice calls to him and Jack frowns, not wanting to end the game so soon. With a mighty leap, Cal leaves the gator behind, landing easily in the mud and standing up with a flourish. Tail immediately tucks as he hears the gator moving behind him and he rushes to where Nico waits, a huge grin on his lips as the boys gather their treasures and flee.


"Calico Jack"