Chapter 12

It is now the second day of our sea-voyage. The weather continues to be fine, with the breeze blowing and the sun shining, warming the ship's deck. Were it not for the terrible circumstances which has put us on this vessel, one could almost be tempted to treat this as a pleasant cruise. Our cabin contains a bed, large enough so that two persons can sleep in it, if they squeeze together and a hammock. As soon as we entered the cabin, Leorin immediately pounced upon the hammock, declaring it his sleeping-place, so now, I'm sharing a bed with Merees. Speaking of, last night, I was awakened by her tossing and turning in bed and at one point, she let out a small cry.

Not that my own sleep is much better. No matter how much I try, I can't help but think of my parents. The Princess promised that we would return to Vinoli one day, but the chances of that ever happening seems slim. I'm not going to share my opinion with Leorin, though; he's still a kid and could use all the hope he can get. Besides, as the older sibling, its my responsibility to protect him.

That is not the only reason my sleep is troubled, though. Lying so close to Merees, feeling her breath on my neck is driving me crazy. Since our first meeting I have wanted us to be more than friends. Oh, I can't continue like this, I have to tell her how I feel. Oh, but what if she doesn't feel the same way? Could we still continue to be friends like we are now?

Anyway, in the cabin I happened to find this notebook, perhaps forgotten there by a previous passenger. Curious, I opened it to discover what secrets it might hold. However, I was disappointed to find that notebook contained only a few sketches of the crew on the first few pages, the rest being empty. Well, since the original owner is unlikely to reclaim it, I've decided to make use of this notebook, In order to have something to do during our voyage. Luckily, the previous owner of the notebook have also left behind a pencil. so now I sit here on deck, while trying to put my thoughts on paper.

I haven't had any real contact with the sailors, not wanting to disturb them in their work. My brother, on the other hand, has no such qualms: At one point, I heard him call out my name and looked up to see him waving to me from the rigging. Immediately, my head was filled with terrible visions, images of my brother being swallowed up by the ocean or lying on deck, his body twisted like a pretzel. With my heart pounding in my chest, I was about to tell Leorin to get down from there at once, when I remembered that his inborn agility and sense of balance would prevent any accidents from happening. Realizing that I had no cause for fear, I returned his wave and went back to doing my own thing.

The Captain, whose name I've since learned is Cerewan, invited us to his table last evening. During the dinner, he regaled us with stories of his many voyages on the high-seas. He also told us that we'll be arriving at the island of Kabula the day after tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, it will be nice to have solid ground under my feet again, if only for a short while. 

*****

Here, Risha paused for a moment, to think about what her next sentence should be. As she pondered this, she chewed on the top of the pencil. Having reached a decision, she was just about to start writing again, when she found her concentration being chased away by the sound of a loud, angry voice.

"Apologize, now."

Risha looked up and saw one of the crew, the squirrel involved in an argument with a large alligator.

"But, you're the one who bumped into me", the squirrel protested.

"Are you talking back to me?" The gator growled, grabbing hold of the squirrel's collar. "I'll teach you some manners", he added, raising a leathery hand over his head.

Before the blow could land, however, a voice called out:

"Don't!"

The gator and the squirrel both turned as one and saw an angry lynx glaring at them.

"Stay out of this, girlie", the gator growled, his eyes narrowing menacingly. "This doesn't concern you."

Risha felt her body trembling, but she stood her ground, she would not be intimidated by this bully. Was she not the daughter of one Vinoli's heroes? She knew that her father would never have tolerated a person picking on someone weaker than themselves in his proximity and neither would she.

"Let. Him.Go." She said, clenching her teeth. "Let him go, or else the Captain will hear about this."

The alligator snorted mockingly, but then let the squirrel go and stomped away, muttering angrily.

"Why did you help me?" The squirrel asked, as he stood up and dusted off his tattered pants.

Risha was somewhat taken aback by this question, she had expected a "thank you" or something in a similar vein.

"Well, um, because it was the right thing to do."

The squirrel stared at her in surprise, then he lowered his eyes.

"S-sorry", he stuttered. "I didn't mean to sound ungrateful, its just that no-one's done that before. By the way, my name is Luke."

"I'm Risha. Tell me, Luke, do these sort of things happen to you often?"

"From time to time, I am the smallest and youngest member of the crew and someone has to be at the bottom of the pecking order.

"That's awful!" Risha cried out indignantly. "Why don't you tell the captain about this? I'm sure if he knew, he wouldn't allow the rest of the crew to treat you this way."
The squirrel let out a dismissive sound.

"What makes you think he don't know?" He wondered. "By the way, there's something you should know about old Cerewan."

"What's that?"

Luke looked around, darting his head from left to right like a cornered animal. Suddenly, he froze up, his bushy tail standing on end.

"I can't talk now. Listen, I'm having the first watch this evening, meet me here then and bring your friends. For now, I can only tell you one thing."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"Don't trust the Captain, that's all."

Having said that, the squirrel quickly scampered away, leaving Risha alone. The lynx-girl looked after Luke for awhile, wondering what could have made him so nervous. She got her answer as she turned around and saw that Captain Cerewan was standing on the bridge. The Captain was standing with his arms behind his back while staring at the horizon. He then turned his gaze towards the deck and upon seeing Risha, he raised his right paw in a greeting. With the squirrel's warning fresh in her mind, the lynx-girl first considered ignoring the gesture.
Hold on, she thought to herself. If I treat the Captain coldly, he might be suspicious.
Thus, she waved back, while flashing the Captain the most charming smile she could muster.

*****

Later that evening, as the crescent moon bathed the ship in its pale light, Luke was alone on deck, waiting for Risha and her friends to show up. It was a rather chilly evening and the squirrel couldn't prevent himself from sneezing.

"Bless you", a voice said.

Nervously, Luke turned to the direction the voice had come from. He breathed a sigh of relief, when he realized that it was the three people he had decided to meet.

"At last", he said. "I was starting to get worried."

"Why don't we introduce ourselves", Risha suggested. "You already know my name and these two are my brother, Leorin and Merees. Guys, this is Luke."

"Pleased to meet you", Leorin said cheerfully.

"You had something to tell us", Merees asked, cutting right to the chase. "What is it?"

Before he could answer, Luke let out another sneeze. He noticed that his nose was running and was just about to wipe it on the back of his sleeve, when he saw that Merees was holding out a handkerchief to him. Grateful, he took the object and used it as intended, before stuffing it in his pocket.

"Thanks. Now, before I begin I should tell you that this is only my third voyage aboard this ship. On my first, we had two passengers, a man and a woman who wanted to get out of Vinoli. I think they were lovers and planned to elope before the woman's husband discovered their affair. Or maybe it was the man who was married? Anyway, its not important. What's important is this; just like it will do tomorrow, the ship laid anchor at Kabula and the couple went on shore, accompanied by the Captain and a few sailors. However, by nightfall, the Captain and the sailors returned, alone.

"Maybe the couple stayed behind?" Leorin suggested.

"That's just it! They were supposed to continue their journey, so I thought it was strange that they didn't come back. Also, when he returned, I noticed that the Captain was carrying this purse, which looked pretty heavy. Later, the Captain had a keg of beer carried out on deck and opened up. I remember that part, because we all drank from it, but I couldn't help but wonder what became of our passengers."

"I think I can guess", Risha muttered.

"We need to get off this ship as soon as possible", Merees said. She went over to one of the lifeboats, which hung by the ship's side. "We'll take one of these, but first, we need a compass, not to mention food and water."

"There's a spare compass in the Captain's cabin", said Luke. "He never locks his door because he knows that no-one among the crew would dare steal from him."

"I'll go get it", Leorin said. "I can be very quiet when I need to be."

Risha was just about to protest, stating that as the older sibling, she should take the risk, but before she could say something, Leorin had already disappeared in the direction of the captain's cabin. Merees, Luke and Risha watched as he opened the door slightly and slipped inside.

"I'll go get the other things we need", Luke said and headed for the galley.

As the two girls stood there all by themselves, Merees turned to Risha.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course, what are friends for?"

"I....", the dragon hesitated, as if she was suddenly unsure whether this was something she wanted to share with anyone else. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, she felt something. Opening her eyes, she saw that Risha was holding her hand.

"Its OK", the lynx said in a soothing voice. "Take your time."

Merees smiled.

"You know, I'm the oldest of us and yet, you're the one comforting me."

"Well, I've had experience. When he was much younger Leorin would sometimes come to me when he was feeling sad and our mother wasn't available. Besides, I'm sure there will be times when I'll need someone to take my hand."

"I'll be more than happy to be that someone."

"I know that. So, feeling ready to tell me what was on your mind?"

"Let's just stand like this for awhile. It was nothing important anyway, just a silly nightmare, nothing more."
And so, the two of them stood there, looking out at the ocean which was spread out endlessly in front of them. Deciding that now was the time, Risha turned to Merees.

"Princess" she began. "There is something I wish to tell you."

She didn't get the opportunity though, because the next moment a familiar voice could be heard behind both their backs.

"Hi, I'm back.!

Risha and Merees turned around and saw Leorin standing there, looking up at them.

"Leo, why did you sneak up on us like that?" Risha whispered, annoyed with the interruption.

The small cat looked at his sister, his face the very picture of innocence.

"I've got the compass" he said and reaching down his shirt, he produced a small leather pouch, attached to a cord hanging around his neck.

Neither Risha nor Merees had noticed it at first. Leorin   proceeded to open the pouch and take out the compass.

"Good work", Merees congratulated him. "Was it hard to find?"

Leorin shook his head.

"Not at all, it was lying on top of the Captain's desk. All I had to do was take it."

"Let's hope that Luke had the same luck", Risha said. "He left at the same time as you, but he hasn't returned yet."

Shortly after she had uttered those words, the squirrel showed up, with a bag slung over his shoulder and carrying a rolling-pin in one of his paws.

"What's that for?" Leorin asked, pointing at the blunt object.

Luke held up the rolling-pin and looked at it, as if he hadn't noticed that he was carrying it.

"This? Oh, the cook was about to wake up, so I had to help him back to sleep, that's all. Anyway, I took as much from the pantry as I could, there's food and water in here to last us for days."

"Good", Risha said. "Now, let's leave this place before we're discovered.

They all got into one of the lifeboat and slowly and carefully, lowered it into the water. Merees, being the strongest of the four, took the oars. Soon the ship became smaller and smaller as the distant between it and the lifeboat grew wider.

His Dream of the Skyland

His Dream of the Skyland, written by Anne Opotowsky and Aya Mortin is the first volume in The Walled City Trilogy, a comic I became aware thanks to Andy Shaw's review of it on Grovel (found here). I knew immediately that this was a comic I had to get my hands on, since it seemed like something that would be right up my alley and I was not disappointed.

Set in Hong Kong sometime between the two world wars, His Dream of the Skyland introduces the reader to Lu Song; a young man who has just gotten his first job, at the post-office. There he is tasked with the job of sorting so-called 'dead letters'; letters that, for some reason, could not be delivered. Being a diligent youth and possessing a talent for solving riddles, Song sets out to find the addressees of the letters. His task soon takes him into the no-man's land of Kowloon walled city, where he gradually finds himself becoming more and more involved with the lives of its inhabitants.

Anne Opotowsky is a name that was completely unknown to me before reading His Dream of the Skyland, but she has apparently written for several movies and TV-shows and she definitely shows her talent as a storyteller here, crafting an engaging plot and populating it with a cast of vividly drawn characters. The most prominent character, naturally, is Song. He's a good protagonist; a young man on the cusp of adulthood, Song is something of a romantic and a dreamer. After his father, a petty thief, is sentenced to prison for a year, Song has to take on the role as the primary breadwinner of his family. During the course of the volume, Song becomes more and more aware of the harsh realities of the world and the corruption that festers under Hong Kong's seemingly well-kept surface. His is not the only story found between His Dream of the Skyland's covers, however: A sub-plot focuses on Song's acrobat friend Xi becoming the protege of shady businessman Mr. Furnier. There's also the mystery surrounding the disappearances of children from within the walled city. A mystery which the local authorities have chosen to turn a blind eye to.

Being the first volume, His Dream of the Skyland has the important job of introducing the reader to the characters and the world they inhabit as well as set up story-lines that will, hopefully, get resolved in later volumes. This, Opotowsky succeds admirably at. I've read through His Dream... twice now and never found it to be less than completely engrossing.

Aya Morton is another name that's completely new to me, but her artwork seen in His Dream... is certainly interesting. Her panels are packed with details and often she has multiple actions going on into a single panel. In addition, while there's nothing overtly supernatural to the story, the heavy use of the color blue gives the comic an almost dreamlike feeling. Upon my first read-through, there were times when I found the layout a bit confusing and have to look twice at certain pages to be sure I had grasped what was going on, but since that was not a problem I had upon my re-read, so I'm willing to chalk it up to me not being used to Morton's style.

All in all, His Dream of the Skyland comes highly recommended and I'm looking greatly forward to read the other volumes in The Walled City Trilogy, of which the second has already been out for some time.

Chapter 11

The ship which Samuel led the trio towards, was a clipper with three masts. Following the otter, they boarded the vessel and as they did, they were seen by two members of the crew. The first of these was a bulldog, with a brutish expression stamped over his broad face. He was overseeing the work of a squirrel whose age seemed close to either Risha's or Leorin's. The youth was scrubbing the deck and as he lifted his head to get a look at the newcomers, his face was a picture of unhappiness.

"Ahoy, Samuel!" The Bulldog called out. "Who are they?"

"Paying customers", the otter explained. "I'm taking them to see the Captain. Is he in his cabin?"

"He has not appeared on deck, so I guess so" ,the bulldog replied.  "Unless, he has learned to turn himself invisible", he added snickering.

Samuel rolled his eyes and went over to the door which led to the captain's cabin. After he had knocked on it, a deep, cultivated voice issued from the other side:

"Yes?"

"Its, Samuel, captain. I've brought some people who'd like to meet you."

"Bring them inside", the voice commanded, "and shut the door after you."

Samuel opened the door and he, Risha, Merees and Leorin, stepped inside the cabin. On deck, the bulldog looked after them and as soon as they were out of sight, he turned to the squirrel and kicked him right below the youth's bushy tail.

"Get back to work, you lazy wretch", he growled. "This is not a pleasure cruise". As he uttered these words, he delivered a few more kicks for good measure, causing a yelp to escape from the poor recipient's throat.

When Samuel and the others entered the cabin, they found its owner, a tiger, seated behind a desk; scribbling into a large tome which could only be a logbook. The pen moved rapidly across the paper, occasionally leaving blotches of ink on its surface.

"Thank you, Samuel", the Captain said, without looking up. "You may go."

The otter left without a word. As soon as he was gone, the Captain put the book aside, removed the glasses he had been wearing and looked at the three newcomers.
They, in turn, looked back at the Captain, now seeing his face clearly, for the first time. It could have been a handsome face and, no doubt, had been so at one point, before it had become marred by the scar, which could be seen on the left side of its owner's face.

"Have a seat", he said, indicating with a gesture the chair, which stood on the other side of the desk. After a bit of hesitation, Merees sat down, while Risha and Leorin remained standing.

"You wished to see me". This was phrased not as a question, but a statement of facts. "Well, what is it I can do for you?" Before Merees could answer, the captain held up a paw. "Wait! Let me guess. You wish to charter my ship for some purpose, am I correct?"

Merees nodded.

"That is quite right, Captain. We were told that you, on occasion, take on passengers. I am willing to pay you handsomely, if you can take us to Leporia."


"Leporia", the Captain mused, rubbing his chin. "That's quite a coincidence, we were just headed in that direction. I have some business on the island of Kabula, not far from Leporia. Very well, once that business has been cleared up,  I'll take you to your destination."

"Thank you, Captain", Merees said, with genuine gratitude in her voice. She took out her purse.
"How much do I owe you?"

The Captain named a sum, which caused the princess' eyes to widen beneath the hood. However, it was nothing to do and so, she counted up the demanded sum and put the coins on the desk.

"Much obliged", the Captain chuckled. "For this modest fee, you are entitled to your own cabin, instead of sleeping with the crew, among other privileges.
"We should like to leave immediately", Merees said.
Now it was the Captain's turn to be surprised.

"Really?" He said. "You don't have any belongings you wish to bring with you? Clothes and such?"

The Princess shook her head.

"I'm afraid not", she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "We didn't have time to take any with us. Its vital that we leave Vinoli as soon as possible."

"Trouble with the authorities, perhaps?" The Captain said, with a chuckle "Well, its none of my business, my passengers are entitled to their privacy. Provided, of course, that they pay. "Besides", he continued, with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Between us, you're not the first passengers I've had that did not relish prospect of being guests of His Majesty for an extended period of time."

Having made this revelation, the captain took the coins which laid on the table, stood up and walked over to a safe, which was located in one of the corners of the cabin. He crouched down and after some fiddling with the lock, opened the safe and put the money inside of it. Having done so, he walked toward the cabin door and motioned for his guests to follow him:

"Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Merees wondered.

"Don't fret", the Captain replied, flashing a smile which caused his scar to twist. "I'm just going to introduce you to the crew."

Once they were out in the open air, the Captain inhaled and then let out a powerful roar. As if in the blink of an eye, the members of the crew appeared before him and the trio. Merees, Leorin and Risha looked at the sailors standing before them, aside from the fact that they were all male, the crew-members varied in terms of species and age, with the squirrel being the youngest. Curiously enough, Samuel was not among them.

"Listen up, boys!" The Captain bellowed. "These three have paid handsomely for us to take them to the shores of Leporia. During our journey, I expect you to treat them with the utmost respect. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain!" The crew shouted back in one voice.

Satisfied, the Captain gave order to set sail. The three friends remained on deck for a long time, watching the capital, slowly but surely grow smaller and smaller, until they could no longer see it.