The morning sun had barely risen when Xiaojin's alarmed chirp broke the peaceful silence. Xiao Yan opened his eyes, his meditation interrupted for the third time that day. The phoenix was perched at the highest point of their small boat, its golden feathers bristling as it stared intently at something in the distance.
"What is it this time?" Xiao Yan asked mildly. "Another sea king? Or perhaps you've spotted another cloud that looks vaguely offensive?"
Xiaojin shot him an indignant look before pointing its beak insistently toward the horizon. There, barely visible against the morning haze, a black flag fluttered in the wind.
"Ah," Xiao Yan said, rising smoothly to his feet. "Company."
Xiaolong, who had been dozing in loops around the boat's edge, lifted his head with interest. Small sparks danced between his whiskers as he tasted the air. Xiao Gui, meanwhile, continued its determined attempt to eat through the boat's supply of dried food, completely uninterested in potential threats.
The distant ship grew larger as it approached, its black flag now clearly visible – a skull with red markings.
"Pirates, I assume," Xiao Yan mused, remembering the logbook's mentions of such crews. "Though they seem rather direct about advertising their profession."
Xiaojin puffed up its chest, small flames flickering around its beak. The phoenix was clearly eager for some excitement after days of peaceful drifting.
"Now, now," Xiao Yan cautioned, "let's not be hasty. They might simply want directions."
Both Xiaojin and Xiaolong turned to stare at him with expressions that clearly questioned his optimism.
As the pirate ship drew closer, shouts could be heard across the water. Most of them involved variations of "Look at that tiny boat!" and "Easy pickings!"
"How rude," Xiao Yan remarked, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve. "One should never underestimate unknown vessels, no matter their size."
The pirates, apparently not versed in such wisdom, began preparing to board. Ropes with hooks flew through the air, latching onto their small boat's edge.
Xiaolong watched the hooks with obvious interest, his tail twitching like an excited cat's. Before Xiao Yan could stop him, the dragon snapped one rope between his teeth, sending several pirates tumbling into the sea.
"Well," Xiao Yan sighed, "I suppose diplomacy is no longer an option."
Xiaojin took this as permission to launch into action. The phoenix soared upward, releasing a shower of golden sparks that set several of the pirates' ropes ablaze.
"My companions seem to have strong opinions about pirates," Xiao Yan explained to the increasingly confused raiders. "I apologize for their enthusiasm."
A burly man with an impressive beard leaned over the larger ship's railing. "What kind of freakish pets are those?" he demanded, pointing at Xiaolong who was now cheerfully electrocuting anyone who came too close to the water.
"Pets?" Xiaojin's indignant screech could probably be heard for miles. The phoenix dive-bombed the man's beard, setting it spectacularly on fire.
"They prefer the term 'companions,'" Xiao Yan clarified helpfully, as the man ran around the deck trying to extinguish his facial hair. "Though I sometimes wonder if 'natural disasters' might be more accurate."
More pirates emerged, now wielding actual weapons. One particularly ambitious fellow tried swinging across on a rope, sword raised high.
"Pardon me," Xiao Yan said politely, catching the man mid-swing with one hand. "But I should mention that my dragon is quite territorial about water space."
As if to demonstrate, Xiaolong breached the surface like a scaly dolphin, casually spitting a lightning bolt that turned another rope to ash.
The pirate in Xiao Yan's grip looked down at the long drop to the sparking water, then at the dragon's smug expression, and made a sound that suggested he was seriously reconsidering his career choices.
"Would you like a moment to discuss this with your colleagues?" Xiao Yan offered.
Meanwhile, Xiao Gui had finally noticed the commotion. The turtle assessed the situation, paddled over to the pirate ship's hull, and began methodically eating a hole through it.
"Ah," Xiao Yan noted, watching the pirates' expressions shift from confusion to alarm as their ship started listing to one side. "It seems Xiao Gui has joined the discussion."
"What ARE you people?" the beardless captain demanded, frantically ordering his men to check the hull.
"Just travelers," Xiao Yan replied pleasantly. "Though I'd suggest finding less flammable hobbies in the future. My phoenix does tend to take things personally."
Xiaojin, as if to emphasize this point, set the pirate flag ablaze with a well-aimed fireball.
The pirates, displaying more wisdom than their initial approach suggested, decided that perhaps this small boat wasn't such easy pickings after all. They retreated with impressive speed, though their dignity suffered somewhat from the hole in their hull and their captain's distinct lack of facial hair.
"Well," Xiao Yan said as the pirate ship limped away, "that was invigorating."
Xiaojin landed on his shoulder, looking extremely pleased with itself. Xiaolong emerged from the water, sparks still crackling around his whiskers, while Xiao Gui continued nibbling contentedly at their food supplies.
"Though next time," he added, watching the pirates' distant attempts to extinguish various fires, "perhaps we could try talking first?"
His companions' expressions suggested this was highly unlikely.