Chapter 67

 When Zevedo left his home to go to his rendezvous with the assassin, he stepped into a thick fog, which had appeared as if by magic and was now covering the city. This fog was received warmly by the city's robbers, pick-pockets and thugs, all of whom now lurked in it, lying in wait for unsuspecting victims. None of them bothered Zevedo though, perhaps they sensed in him a kindred spirit of sorts, or else, someone it was best to avoid. 

As he made his way towards his destination, Zevedo amused himself by going over what he would do once his affairs had been settled. Once he had discovered that the body he now inhabited was not only that of any female dragon, but a Princess, Zevedo had begun to dream up a plan. 

Although Zevedo was well-traveled, he had never had the occasion to visit Vinoli. Thanks to the time he had spent peering into Merees' mind, however, he knew that its King had been murdered, as well as the identity of the culprit behind this regicide. 

Next, Zevedo regularly sent out his servant to the harbor to see if any ships from the Western Continent had arrived. If any of them were from Vinoli, the servant would greet them, posing as a guide to the city. Armed with his master's money, he would then lead the Vinolians around the city's taverns, buying them drinks and asking them about the situation back home. Once he had found out what he wanted, he would report back to Zevedo. 

It is no exaggeration to claim that at this point, Zevedo knew more about the conditions in Vinoli, then the person whose body he had stolen. Not to mention Risha and Leorin, who had not set foot within its borders for many years. He knew that not everyone was happy with the direction the country had taken under the rule of its new monarch, but of course, no one dared speak openly about it, at least not while on Vinolian soil. Although there were rumors that secret meetings took place, where the discontent would vent their frustration over how things currently were. 

Suppose that the Queen's long-lost younger sister would return to Vinoli in secret and make contact with to one of these groups; revealing the truth concerning her father's death, as well as providing them with money and weapons? Zevedo had no doubt that, with these tools, he would be able to fan the flames of rebellion in Vinoli and once Argath had been overthrown and had received her just desserts, who would come forward to accept the Vinolian crown but Princess Merees the Liberator?  

At first, Zevedo planned to present himself as a benevolent ruler, promising his subjects to gradually loosening the reins and restore their old rights. Of course, he had no intention of keeping these promises and once his rule was secure, he would continue on the same path as Argath, until he was the head of an Empire, that spanned the World.

Not that Zevedo's ambitions ended there: In another two-three hundred years, when this body had begun to grow frail, he would take possession of one of his descendants and then, posing as them, he would continue to rule. For all eternity.

This was still only a dream though and it would take a lot of hard work and sacrifice to turn that dream into reality. The Sacrifice of others, that is.

By now, Zevedo had reached his destination.Having made sure that he wasn't being watched, he entered the park. Once in it, he began to look around, trying to locate the cherry-trees in the fog. Soon, he caught sight of a small figure in the distance, standing next to a larger shape, which could only be the trunk of a tree.

Satisfied that he had located the assassin so quickly, Zevedo headed towards their meeting place. Upon coming closer, Zevedo noticed that the assassin, who was wearing her cloak with the hood pulled up, was standing with her back turned to him.

"I'm here!" He called out and, reaching into the fold of his cloak, he took out a purse. 

"I've brought the money!" He said, throwing the purse, so that it landed close to the hooded figure.

Zevedo waited for the assassin to turn around and pick it up, but she did not move an inch. Nor did she make any other sign that she had noticed his presence. 

Her behavior was starting to get on Zevedo's nerves; how dare she ignore him? Him, the greatest of dream-walkers and soon to be the most powerful being in existence? Outraged, he walked up to the assassin, grabbed hold of her shoulders and turned her around. 

The Next moment, Zevedo uttered an exclamation of surprise, followed by an expletive that would cause the roughest harbor-thug to gasp in shock. One can not blame Zevedo for this strong reaction, for the face he found himself staring at, was not that of the assassin, or any living creature, but the blank visage of a wooden dummy. 

When Zevedo had entered the park, he had not had any thought that he was walking into a trap. Not because he had some come down with a bad case of naivete, but because he knew how things worked: An assassin who betrayed their clients would soon find themselves without any clients at all, as word of their treachery began to spread. Neither had Zevedo come here with the intention of not fulfilling his end of the bargain. If there was one thing one could say for him, is that he was a man of his word.

This, however, did not change the fact that Zevedo had been tricked and quite shamefully so. He tried to pull back his hands, only to find that it was impossible: The Cloak the dummy wore,had been coated with some sort of sticky, glue-like substance and now Zevedo was helplessly stuck in it. 

A thought came to the dream-walker: Perhaps he could heat up the substance and free himself that way? He was just about to summon a flame from within his new body, when he heard the sound of footsteps, coming closer. Zevedo looked up from his predicament and gazed in the direction the sound was coming from. It did not take long before a figure stepped out of the fog, giving Zevedo his second unpleasant surprise that night.

Standing in front of him, was none other than the accursed lynx, looking very much alive! 

For a brief moment, Zevedo toyed with the possibility that this was actually the lynx's ghost, having come back from the beyond to haunt him. However, he dismissed this thought almost immediately: 

Ghosts, he thought. Not likely, such things do not exist. If they did, I would have already met a few. No, there's no coming back from death and everyone dies sooner or later. Except for me, I am going to live forever. Forever.

Zevedo repeated this word in his mind, as he kept a close eye on the lynx, who stood there, watching him, before taking a step forward. Zevedo's mind began to race; there had to be a way for him to get out of this predicament, but how? He had barely asked himself this question, before he got an idea:

"Risha!" He exclaimed. "It's me, Merees! I'm so glad to see that you are alive and well, my love. I've been possessed by a wicked spirit, but I managed to overcome it. Now, why don't you help me get loose and then we can go to wherever you are staying and we can make up for all the years we have been apart."

As these words flowed from 'his' tongue, Zevedo assumed what he thought was a seductive look. It seemed to work; the harsh look in the lynx's eyes seemed to vanish and her expression softened.

That's it, you dumb bitch, Zevedo thought. Just free me from this stupid trap, then I can reach my flare-bombs and get far away from you and trust me, the next assassin I hire will not botch the job.

"Hurry, Risha!" He pleaded, almost panting with excitement. "I can't wait to feel your body against mine, to run my fingers through your soft fu...."

That, something happened which Zevedo had not expected. An object came flying out of the fog and, with a whistling sound, struck Risha in the side. The Lynx groaned, her face twisting into a mask of pain. 

"Damn it" she muttered, "I guess she got me after all..."

She pressed her paw against her side and staggered up to Zevedo, who could feel someone stirring within him.

Nonononothiscan'tbehappening!!!

By now, Zevedo was frozen in terror and could offer no resistance as Risha, a rivulet of blood streaming from the corner of her mouth, put her paws on the shoulders of his new body and uttered two words:

"Get. Out."

Then, she said nothing more.

*****

Merees blinked a few times, like someone who has just woken from a deep sleep.  She then stood up. Her legs were wobbling, but she managed to keep them steady. She did not recognize the mist-covered place she found herself in, nor could she remember how she had ended up here. Then, she became aware that something lying at her feet. She looked down and saw that it wasn't a 'something', but actually a someone. More importantly, it was someone Merees knew well. 

"Risha."

Merees could hardly believe her eyes. The Last time she had seen Risha, the two of them had been living together, with Leorin. How had they ended up here, wherever here was? More importantly, why was Risha on the ground like that? Was she...? No, she couldn't be. That would be to cruel.

Fearing the worst, the Princess crouched down beside the female lynx, to take a closer look. She did not like what she saw: Risha's eyes were closed and there was a red stain on her chin. Fearing the worst, Merees put her ears to Risha's chest and listened to her heart. 

Good, she thought, breathing a sigh of relief. It's still beating. 

Sending a grateful thought to whatever benevolent deity who had held their protective hand over Risha, Merees set out to dress the wound and take Risha to a hospital, supposing that there was one nearby. With a determined look on her face, she rolled up Risha's shirt, exposing her taut stomach.

"Strange" she muttered, as she leaned in closer, parting the fur. "I can't find the wound."

"That's because there isn't one."

Hearing that voice, Merees let out a gasp of surpise. She raised her head and stared at the voice's owner. Risha was now sitting up and gazed back at Merees, with a radiant smile on her face. 

Then, the lynx pounced, landing on top of the surprised dragon and covering her face in kisses.

"Its you..." she gasped. "You're back. You're really back."

As she uttered these words, tears of joy streamed down Risha's cheeks, making Merees' face wet as well. 

While normally, Merees would be enjoying herself, she couldn't help but feel hopelessly confused. 

"Risha?" She asked, gently pushing the lynx off of her.

"Yes, Mer?"

"Would you mind telling me what's going on? Where are we?"

Risha looked at Merees with surprise.

"You mean you don't remember anything?" She asked.

"Last time I saw you we were...." Merees paused and a frown passed over her face, like a storm-cloud over a blue sky. "...Hold on, last time we saw each other was at that slave-auction, wasn't it?"

Risha said nothing, but only nodded solemnly.

"I was bought by that lemur with six fingers. He gave me some kind of drug and then, my life was...good."

"Good? What do you mean that?"

"I mean that I was living a happy, peaceful life, together with you and Leorin. All that horrible stuff, with the Captain and the slave-market, none of it happened. Except it obviously did, which means that my happy life was a lie, conjured up by the lemur, but why?"

"He...he wanted your body", Risha muttered.

"You mean he...?"

"No, not like that" Risha added hurriedly, seeing the look of pale terror on the dragon's face. "I mean that he literary wanted to take your body for his own."

"You mean like a possession? Is that even possible?"

"Yes, and he managed to do it too. Up until a few moments ago, it was Zevedo who was in control, not you."

"And you saved me. Oh, Risha, I don't know what to say; a simple 'thank  you' seems inadequate."

"You don't have to say anything, I did it for my own sake as much as yours."

Merees smiled, she understood what her lover meant.

"I feel the same way" she said and this time, it was she who gave the lynx her mouth to kiss.

The Two of them remained in that position for a moment, lips locked, fingers clasping each other. Then, Merees remembered something that had been puzzling her.

"You said that there was no wound. So, where does this come from?" She asked, pointing to Risha's chin.

"This? It's fake. Theater-blood; courtesy of our old friends in the Eramus-Troupe. I'll wash it off later."

"The Troupe is here? And your brother, is he with them?"

"He is. He's a full-fledged member of the Troupe now, he and Sara have even written a play together. You remember Sara, don't you?"

"Of course and what about you, Risha? What happened to you after we were separated?"

"Me? Oh, nothing important" Risha replied, with labored nonchalance. "Nothing worth talking about."

Merees could sense Risha tense up and immediately wished she hadn't asked the question. It was clear that something had happened to the lynx during the long years of their separation and though she did not even think about it, it the dragon could very well guess what that something was.

"Oh, Risha" she whispered sadly, hugging her tightly.

Just then, someone tapped Risha on the shoulder. She and Merees both looked up and saw a black cat standing in front of them. 

"Hi, Princess" the black cat said, smiling. "Did you miss me?"

"My goodness" Merees said. "Risha, this handsome youth can't possibly be little Leo, can he? Although, I must admit, there's a certain resemblance." She added, teasingly.

"That's him alright, my little brother the playwright" Risha said, with a hint of pride in her voice. 

"Sorry to interrupt up your reunion, Sis" Leorin said, "but the others are growing impatient."

"What others?" Merees asked. 

"You'll see" Risha said.

She rose from the ground and helped Merees on her feet. Then, she called out:

"Guys!" "You can come out! Sorry for the wait!"

Immediately, figures emerged from the fog. Their movements were accompanied by miscellaneous mutterings of 'about time' and 'damn it, my foot is asleep' and various other utterances of the same sort. Merees immediately recognized Eramus and Sara, but the others were not familiar. Most of them were male and, with the notable exception of a small, white dog, they all looked like people used to violence. Merees' attention was drawn in particular to two of them: A tall male mountain-lion and a female poodle. In one paw, the mountain-lion was carrying a small crossbow and with the other, he held a firm grip on both the poodle's arms.

"Mer" Risha said, gesturing to the mountain-lion. "This is Kyros, he's the leader of a band of adventurers that I'm currently a part of. He's also a good friend, I would trust him with my life."

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Your Highness" Kyros said. He bowed to Merees, which forced to the poodle to do the same.

"Please, Merees will do just fine. Or Princess, if you feel being on first-name basis is too casual. Anyway,  f you are a friend of Risha, than the honor is all mine". Merees replied, returning Kyros' bow, with an elegant curtsy. 

"What about her?" She asked, looking at the poodle. "Something tells me she's not a member of your group."

"She's not, no" Risha said. She turned to Kyros, "What shall we do with her, Boss?"

"You said you'd spare my life if I did what you told me" Vidia. She looked at Risha, with fear in her eyes. "You gave me your word!"

"That's true" the lynx agreed. "I did."

"We can always hand her over to the authorities" said Kyros. "Perhaps there's a reward to be had for her. Anyway, she's your captive, I'll leave the decision to you."

"What about her?" Vidia exclaimed and Merees realized to her astonishment, that the poodle was referring to her. "She's the one who..."

"Shut up!" Risha growled. "One more word out of you and I..."

She took a step towards the poodle, claws and teeth bared. She looked so ferocious that Merees found it best to intervene, stepping in front of Risha. She did not say anything, however, but merely touched the lynx's cheek in a soothing manner. 

The Caress had its indented effect, Risha visibly relaxed. She then turned to Kyros.

"Boss?" She said.

"Yes?"

"I've made up my mind." She looked at Vidia and nodded. "Let her go."

Both Kyros and Vidia stared at Risha; neither of them had expected this.

"Very well" Kyros said. He shrugged his shoulders and let go off Vidia's arm. "Get out of here assassin and take care not to cross our paths again."

Vidia did not need to be told twice, she mouthed a silent word of thanks to Risha, retrieved her cloak from the dummy and vanished into the fog, as fast as her feet could carry her. 

Why, she wondered was I told to shoot the lynx with that dummy crossbow-bolt and why did she and the dragon suddenly become so friendly to each other afterwards? 

These were the questions that filled Vidia's head as she ran out of the park and also our story and although she would later leave her life as a killer-for-hire behind her and settle down, they would remain unanswered, until the day Vidia had an encounter with a former colleague and questions of any sort, seized to matter. 

Shortly afterwards, the others left the park as well, through a different exit. As they stepped out on the sidewalk, Risha and Merees, once again shared a long kiss, not caring that they had an audience.

Chapter 66

 At noon, on the day after the failed attempt at Risha's life, the capybara-doctor came into her room and examined her.

"Your wound is healed" he announced. "How do you feel?"

Risha replied that she felt fine.

"Good" said the doctor. Beneath his large nose, the corners of his mouth moved upward. "In that case, I see no reason for you to remain here. A nurse will bring you your clothes and some papers for you to sign."

The Doctor was just about to leave, when he stopped in the doorway and turned around, facing his soon-to-be former patient:

"Young lady?"

"Yes, doctor?"

"Take care. I hope that you will not have any further need of my services during your stay in our city."

Risha smiled.

"I'll do my best to keep out of trouble."

*****

Some time later, Risha, having changed into her normal clothes, left the hospital. 

Her short-sword hung, securely by her side and tucked under her right arm was the book she had borrowed. A messenger had been sent to where the troupe was currently staying, since Risha wanted Leorin to be the first to know that she was up and about. The Doctor had offered her to wait for him (or whoever else would come to pick her up) inside, but the lynx had politely declined the offer: After days staying cooped-up in a small hospital room, she felt an urgent need for fresh air.  

She began to walk down the street in the direction she was certain her brother would be coming from, having decided to meet him on the way.

She was some distance from the hospital, a solitary rain drop fell from the sky and landed on the lynx's nose, causing her to sneeze loudly. Frowning, she looked up at the sky and saw that its color had abruptly changed from blue to metal-grey. 

This does not look good, she thought. Perhaps if I turn back, I can get to the hospital before the rain comes.

Risha had barely finished this thought, before heaven opened up its floodgates and torrents of rain came spewing down on the streets, drenching the poor sods who were unfortunate enough to be outside. Cursing her bad luck, Risha gritted her teeth and, proceeded on her intended path, taking care not to step in one of the many puddles. She hugged the book tightly to her chest, trying her best to shield it from the elements.

On the other side of the street, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure making his way towards the hospital, while shielded from the rain by a large umbrella. 

"Leo! I'm over here!" Risha called out, as loud as she could, in order to be heard over the rain. 

Upon hearing his sister's voice, Leorin stopped and turned in the direction the sound had come from.

"Stay there!" Risha shouted. "I'm coming over to you!"

"I was just on my way to pick you up" Leorin said, when Risha joined him. "You look good, sis" he added, smiling at her.

"Thank you. So, little brother, are you going to let me join you under that umbrella?"

"Of course".

Leorin held out the umbrella, allowing Risha to come in under it. 

"Good thing you brought this" she commented, approvingly, as the siblings began walking down the street, back in the direction Leorin had come from.

"Actually, it was Eramus who told me to bring an umbrella. "He said that it was going to rain. If anyone else had said that, I wouldn't have believed them. I mean, the sky was blue when I left Fuchul's place, but Eramus is usually right about these things, so I decided to follow his advise."

"A wise decision. Hold on, did you say that you came from Fuchul's place?"

"That's right, the others are there too. Say, do you hear that?"

"Hear what? I don't hear anything."

"Exactly, its stopped raining."

****

Fuchul's home was a large, red building located in one of the city's finer neighborhoods. Leorin's knock on the front-door was immediately answered by the small dog with the droopy expression.

"I'm back!" Leorin announced, quite unnecessarily in his sister's opinion, as he and Risha stepped past Fuchul's servant and into the hall. "Than you for letting me borrow this" he added, handing over the umbrella.

"Not at all" the diminutive canine snuffled. He looked up at Risha. "I'm pleased to see you back on your feet, Miss. No doubt, my employer will be too."

"Is everyone still in the great room?" Leorin asked.

"Quite right. Please, follow me."

In the great room, a few members of Kyros' group, were sitting on the floor, rolling dice. Their leader, meanwhile, was involved in a conversation with Eramus, while Sara was seated in a red sofa, reading a book. As for the house's owner, he passed the time by playing a game of solitaire. 

When Risha entered the room, they all stopped what they were doing and flocked around her, congratulating the lynx on her recovery. Risha thanked them all, as she had Fuchul's servant while in the hallway. Once she had done that, Eramus took the lead:

"Now that you're with us again" the faun said, turning to Risha with a serious look on his face, "it is time that we talk about certain matters. Matters concerning you."

"I am all ears."

"As are we all" said Kyros.

Eramus nodded in acknowledgement. Then, returned to the armchair next to the one occupied by Kyros. Ever courteous, the mountain-lion rose from his seat and offered it to Risha, who, having thanked him, sat down in it.

"Leorin has told me about your theory" Eramus began, "that the Princess is possessed or otherwise controlled by some malovelent entity."

"I realize how absurd this must sound" Risha said, "but I know its the truth. I just know it."

"I believe you. You see, I know exactly what has happened to the Princess. As soon as Leorin told me, I remembered something that I read many years ago, before anyone in this room had been born. Back when I was a young faun, living in the Land of Mists..."

Eramus had uttered this last statement in a casual enough tone of voice. However, the revelation as to the troupe-leader's birthplace, caused everyone to stare at him with newfound interest. The Land of Mists was a place shrouded in legend; said by some to be the place where intelligent life had originated. Where the very air was filled with magic...

"Did you know this about him?" Leorin whispered to Sara.

"I didn't" the porcupine whispered back. "I don't think anyone in the troupe knew."

She returned her attention to Eramus, who proceeded with his story:

"When I reached my tenth birthday" he said, "I was sent away to study at one of the magic schools that exists in my homeland, as is customary. Said education lasts for another ten years. I shall not claim that I was the best student in my class, for that would be a lie, but I wasn't the worst either. Anyway, between classes the students were supposed to help out with various chores around the school. I was selected to help out in the library; dusting the shelves, filing old books and scrolls and so on.

One day, during my sixth year at the school, I was told by the head-librarian to go into the archives where the oldest works were located and fetch a particular scroll. Having received the title and the name of the author, I went in search for it. Despite the information I had, it took me awhile before I noticed the scroll in question. Just as I was about to take it out, I happened to spot another scroll, lying on the floor.

Thinking that it had fallen out of its shelf, I picked up the scroll. For some reason, I became curious to see what it contained and so, I opened it..."

Eramus' eyes, which had been closed as he journeyed down memory lane, now opened and looked at those present in the room.

"Before I continue" the faun said, "I must ask you something: Does anyone here know what a dream-walker is?"

"Someone who can enter people's dreams?" Sara asked. "At least, that's what it sounds like to me."

"Exactly. Dream-walkers are rare, one in a million. Basically, they are magicians who can project themselves into people's subconsciousness when they're asleep."

Eramus paused, allowing the others time to process this new bit information.

"I asked you if you had heard about them" he said, "because the scroll I had picked up, contained instructions for a ritual which would allow a powerful enough dream-walker to take full control over another person's body and all of its functions.

I didn't think much of it back then; according to the scroll, the ritual would take years to prepare and the intended 'donor' so to speak, would have to be unconscious during all that time. I put the scroll back on the shelf and left with the one I had been sent to fetch.

During my last year, a fire broke out in the archives and many scrolls were destroyed. At the time, I was no longer working at the library, my position there had been taken by a younger student. Said student got the blame for the fire. Since he perished in it, there was nothing he could do to protest. At least, I always thought that he had perished, until now that is."

"This student" Fuchul said. "He wouldn't have happened to be a lemur, with six fingers, by any chance?"

The Red panda asked the question like someone who already knows the answer, but who wants his suspicions confirmed. 

"That's correct. He did not call himself Zevedo back then, but since that's the name  you know him by, we may as well continue to use it, it makes no difference either way."

"How exactly did you get involved with Zevedo?" Kyros asked Fuchul. "We have already guessed that he was blackmailing you, but how did it begin?"

Fuchul let out a deep sigh.

"I suppose it doesn't matter now" he said. "First though, I should tell you that I'm not originally from around here. I was born in the Eastern Continent, but in another country, Fuchul is not even my original name. In my youth, I made some mistakes, mistakes which resulted in me having to feign my own death and flee the country. I traveled extensively, before settling here, where I met the woman I fell in love with. Sadly, my wife died in childbirth, a few days later, our son followed his mother into the grave. 

To forget my grief, I buried myself in my work, until I had built up my fortune. One day, fifteen years ago, a person came to my office. That person, as you no doubt have figured out, was Zevedo.

He told me that he had a business proposition to make and I asked him to sit down. He did and then he thanked me, addressing me not as Fuchul, but by the name my parents had given me. A name that I thought was buried forever. 

My blood froze in my veins, I stared at my elderly visitor with newfound horror. He, on the other hand, looked at me with an infuriating smirk on his face.

'Yes, I know who you are' he said, 'and I also know people who would be most interested in learning that you are still alive. Very interested, indeed'.

Thinking that it was money he was after, I offered him a handsome sum to keep his mouth shut, but he only laughed.

'Do you think you can buy me off with such a paltry sum?' He asked, mockingly. 'I want a partnership in your business. Don't worry, the name can remain the same, it doesn't matter to me. In fact, no-one need find out about your having a business-partner, that detail can stay between the two of us.

What could I do? I told him yes and he immediately took out two contracts, which we both signed. Before he left, Zevedo warned me that if anything happen to him, my secret would be revealed to my enemies by one of his associates.

From that day on, I was in Zevedo's thrall. I had to pay him a regular percentage of all the profits the firm made. Not only that, I was also obliged to procure rare plants and herbs that Zevedo was using for, I can only guess what purpose. Many of these had to be smuggled in and, naturally I had to pay all the expenses; bribing the officials and so on.

However, I knew that this could not last forever and so, I had my employees abroad keep me up-to-date whenever one of my old enemies died. I know that its terrible, but every time I got news that one of them had bit the dust, I felt like celebrating. Then, on the same day I met Kyros, I got word that last of my foes had gotten his skull bashed in at a tavern he frequented. I am not ashamed to admit that the news made me almost giddy with relief. At last, I was free! I wrote a message to Zevedo asking him to meet me. Having done this, I went out to celebrate. Anyway, you all know the rest."

During Fuchul's story, Risha had listened with barely concealed impatience. As soon as their host had finished, she turned to Eramus:

"Tell me" she said, in as steady a voice as she could manage. "The People whose bodies are possessed, what happens to them? Do you remember if the scroll said anything about that?"

"Let me think..From what I can remember, the original owner's soul lies dormant while the dreamwalker is in control."

"Which means there must be a way to break said control" Kyros chimed in. "If only we knew how."

"You know, I read a story like this once" Sara said, having decided to join the conversation. "The Hero's beloved was possessed by an evil spirit and began to wreck havoc. The Hero hunted her across the land, until he finally caught up with her, at the edge of a cliff. Instead of attacking the hero, the spirit began to plead for its life, in the voice of his beloved, but the hero only took hold of her and then, he took out the dagger she had given him once and stabbed himself with it. At that moment, the spirit lost its control over the hero's beloved and she regained her senses."

"What happened to the hero?" Leorin asked.

"He died in her arms and she threw herself off the cliff. Later, they were both reunited in the afterlife."

"Hmmm" Risha said thoughtfully. "That gives me an idea."

"Sis, you are not going to kill yourself to get Merees back, are you?"

"Don't worry, Leo, I won't. After all, I'm not the hero of some story. I do have a plan though, but I'm going to need all of your help if its going to succeed."

She looked at the others.

"You are part of my group" said Kyros. "We do not abandon one of our own."

"Needless to say, you have our support as well" said Eramus.

"Mine too" said Fuchul. "Anything to finally get rid of Zevedo for good."

"Thank you, everyone" Risha said, a smile of gratitude lighting up her face. "Now, here's what I had in mind..."

Quick Takes

 Some brief notes on a few of the shows and movies that I've watched lately.

Dune (2021)

Saw this one in the theater, together with my Mom.

Although I'm one of those people who usually prefer to watch film within the comforts of his  own home, this is one movie that I'm glad I saw on the big screen, rather than waiting for it to come out on some streaming service. Dennis Villeneuve has directed a splendid adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel, with the actors really bringing the characters to life (with special mention to Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica). Obviously, some changes have been made to the source-material, such as changing the gender of one character, but nothing that bothered me. I'm looking forward to part two.

The Third Man

Re-watch.

Honestly, what can I say about The Third Man? Its one of the all-time greats. Everything about this movie is top-notch: The Cinematography, the writing, the acting (Welles, of course, but also Cotten and pretty much everyone, right down to the bit-parts) and, of course, the music. See it and if you already have? See it again.

Grand Illusion

My third Renoir-film, set during World War 1 This is an incredibly humanistic war-/prison escape movie, which lets the viewer feel empathy/sympathy for all the characters, including the one that could easily have been depicted as a villain, considering his nationality and when the movie was originally made. Another must-watch.

Odd Taxi

Going into this one, the title and art-style had led me to expect a quirky slice-of-life series. Instead, I got a character-driven, dialogue-heavy crime drama, one that features a truly memorable cast of characters (special mention must go to the yakuza porcupine who speaks entirely in rap) and offers a scathing look at social media and internet celebrities, among other aspects of modern culture. We're only at the beginning of the 2020's, but this is already one of my favorite shows of the decade.

Final Space, Season 3

Apparently, Final Space has been cancelled, which means that the third season is also the last one. That's a shame, not only because it means that the series ends on a massive cliffhanger, but also because I liked Final Space. Sure, it was never one of my favorites, but it was a show that I enjoyed watching. I'll miss it.

As for this season, I personally feel it was the strongest of the three. Sure, the comedy part of this sci-fi dramedy, was (as usual), very hit and miss, but the drama was consistently engaging. This was also the darkest season, to the point where I found myself wanting Gary and co to catch a break.

The Rainbow Orchid

 It's funny, dear reader, I could have sworn that I had actually written about The Rainbow Orchid before, back in the earliest days of this blog, even. However, a quick search only yielded one result and that was this post. Still, better late than never, right?

I first discovered The Rainbow Orchid in the later years of the 00's, when its creator Garen Ewing serialized it, one strip at the time on his web-page. 

Seeing as how was and still am, a fan of classic European comics, such as Tintin and Blake & Mortimer, The Rainbow Orchid did not need much to charm me and I eventually ended up buying the three albums that make up the story directly from Ewing, as they came out. As a result, The Rainbow Orchid is the only comic I own that's signed by its creator.

The Rainbow Orchid begins in England, in the 1920's. It is here that we meet our hero, Julius Chancer, working as an assistant for historical researcher Sir Alfred Cathesby-Grey.They are approached by Lord Lawrence and his movie-star daughter, Lily. Lawrence, as it turns out, is in a bit of a pickle: He has foolishly made a bet with mysterious businessman Urkaz Grope, regarding a flower-competition and now, stands to lose everything. In order to beat Grope's super-rare black orchid, Lawrence needs an even rarer flower, namely the fabled Rainbow Orchid; mentioned by the Greek Philosopher thousands of years ago and last rumored to have been located in India by an acquaintance of Sir Alfred's. In order to save Lord Lawrence from dishonor and ruin, Julius and Lily sets of to find the Rainbow Orchid, accompanied by the latter's American agent, Nathaniel Crumpole. 

Meanwhile, Grope, having discovered their plans, sends a group of thugs, led by the devious Evelyn Crow to make sure that the Rainbow Orchid is never found...

The Rainbow Orchid is a truly first-rate adventure comic, containing everything that one could possibly want out of a comic in the genre: Danger, humor, excitement, lost civilizations, conspiracies, etc. Its cast of characters are engaging and play their roles well, with the heroes being likable and easy to root for (even if one of them have a tendency to fall into the 'bumbling sidekick' role). As far as I'm concerned though, the stand-out character of the comic is Evelyn Crow; resourceful, ruthless and resilient, she's a fantastic villain, definitely one of my favorites.

I must admit that I haven't really kept up with Garen Ewing's work post The Rainbow Orchid. I know that he has made at least one more comic starring Julius Chancer, but I haven't read it. Though this is mainly because its only been published in serialized form in a British children's comic-book. Be that as it may, even if I never read another thing from Ewing's pen (though hopefully, I will), The Rainbow Orchid will always have a place of honor in my library, as one of the finest example of its kind I can think of. 

 

Chapter 65

 "Excuse me. I wonder if you could help me."

The Female alligator who was manning the front-desk at the hospital looked up at the person who had just addressed her. Said person turned out to be a female poodle. The Poodle's fur was black, except for a white circle around her left eye and she was wearing a purple dress.

"Certainly" she said, "How can you be of assistance?"

"Well, you see, I just found out that a friend of mine had been in accident, while in the company of some of her other friends. They took her to a hospital, but they neglected to inform me which hospital it was. I've been visiting three hospitals already and she was not in any of them. Please, oh, please, tell me that this is the right one. If its not, I think I might cry."

To add emphasis to her words, the poodle's nose began to twitch slightly and she instinctively brought one of her paws up to the corner of her eye. She looked so despondent that the nurse c was moved to pity out of her.

"Please, don't cry" she said. "What is your friend's name and what species is she?"

"Her name is Risha, she's a lynx."

"In that case" the receptionist said, smiling, "I have good news for you: We do indeed have a patient who fits that description to a t."

"That's great" the rabbit said, excitedly, clasping her paws together. "Tell me, which room is she in?"

"Room 17. Oh, but I'm afraid visiting day is not until tomorrow. Of course, I can tell her that you stopped by."

"No, no, I'll come back tomorrow and surprise her."

"You do that. Have a good day."

"Thank you and the same to you."

The Poodle left the hospital and, as she stood on the sidewalk, pump her fist in the air. At last, she had found the right place. Now, all she had to do was finish the job and meet up with her client to get the rest of her money. Of course, she had to get inside first, but this should not prove difficult. This hospital must surely have a separate entrance, for the staff to use.

She peeked around the corner of the hospital-building: Bingo! There it was, at the end of a narrow alley. Suddenly, the door opened and a sturdy-looking  brown hare, carrying a sword in his belt appeared. Her heart pounding, the poodle ducked back, cursing the ram's sudden appearance. Had he seen her? 

Slowly, she once again took a peek and was relieved to see that the hare was busy emptying his bladder against the building, whistling loudly as he did, paying no attention to her. 

For a moment, the poodle considered dispatching of the hare. It would be easy to sneak up on him and slit his throat while he wasn't prepared. Than again, she had not paid to take care of him and it was against her principles to kill unless there was money involved. 

With cat-like thread, the poodle quickly snuck past the hare, she than carefully opened the door slightly and squeezed inside.

She came into a room in which various articles of clothing, among them several nurse's uniforms, were hanging on clothesline. Without hesitation, the poodle grabbed one of the uniforms and a few seconds later, she was walking the halls of the hospital, just one more nurse among several.

It did not take long for the poodle to locate room seventeen. She noticed, somewhat surprised, that a chair had been placed by the door. She touched the seat of the chair, it was warm. Whoever had been occupying it could not have gone far.

I had better hurry up, the poodle thought. Who knows when they might come back?

Wasting no time, she pushed the door open.

The First thing the poodle noticed, as she stepped into room 17, was that the curtains surrounding the hospital-bed were closed.Listening, she could hear the sound of someone snoring, coming from behind the curtain. 

Good, she thought. This will make my job even easier.

A chair stood in a corner and the poodle wasted no time in positioning it under the door-handle, blocking access to the room from the outside. Having done this, she took out a long dagger and with that in her paw, she crept up to the hospital-bed, pulled aside the curtains and promptly froze in shock:

There was her intended target, very much awake and seated on the bed, holding a short-sword, whose point the poodle found herself staring down at.

"I suggest you put that tooth-pick down" Risha said. She was smiling as she uttered those words, but the tone of her voice made it clear to the rabbit what would happen if she did not comply.

Realizing that she had no other choice, the rabbit, furious at herself for having been taken by surprise by someone she had thought would be easy prey, opened her paw and let the the dagger fall to the floor. Without taking her eyes of the rabbit, Risha bent down and picked it up.

"Aside from the doctor, I have two nurses attending to me" Risha said, explaining how she had managed to take the poodle by surprise. "I recognize their footsteps, so I knew you were not one of them. Besides, the nurses always announce themselves before entering a patient's room."

"Is that so? I'll be sure to remember that next time my profession takes me to one of these places."

"Bold of you to assume there will be a next time. By the way, one of my colleagues is supposed to be on guard outside, how did you get past him?"

"I did not. There was no-one there."

A frown passed over Risha's features, but did not take up residence and moved on as soon as it had arrived.

"I see" she said, nodding to herself. "Now, take off your clothes."

"What?"

"You heard me: Take them off."

To add emphasis to her words, Risha pricked the rabbit's throat with the tip of her own dagger. A scarlet drop appeared. Raging inwardly, the rabbit obeyed and was soon wearing nothing but a frown. Risha than ordered her to hand over the nurse's uniform, which she proceeded to go through meticulously in search of hidden weapons. In one of the sleeves, she found a garrot-wire, which she put aside, while shaking her head in a mock-disapproving way.

"So tell me" she said, "what's your name?"

The Poodle was so surprised by this question that it took a few seconds before it registered with her. 

"V-Vidia" she stuttered, stumbling on the words. 

"That's a pretty name. I'm Risha, but I have a feeling that you already knew that, am I right?"

"Yes, my client told me your name. Um, could I by any chance have my clothes back? Please?"

"Your clothes? You mean these? But these belong to the hospital and therefore are not your clothes, correct? Besides" she added, toying with the confiscated dagger, "I rather enjoy looking at you."

Vidia's eyes narrowed slightly, so the lynx was one of those people? Perhaps she could pull this job of after all.

"Well" she said, putting her arms behind her neck, so that her small bust stood out. "Perhaps you would like to do something more than look?"

"Sorry" Risha said, pointing the dagger at Vidia. "I'm afraid that I'm neither horny nor stupid enough to let you get closer to me than you already are."

Just then, there were a series of rapid knocks on the door, followed by an unmistakably masculine voice calling out:

"Hey! Why doesn't the door open? Answer me, Risha! What's going on in there?"

"Just a second!" Risha called back. "That would be my so-called body guard" she explained. "Let him in."

"Like this?" Vidia asked aghast, making a sweeping gesture indicating her exposed forms. 

"Like that" Risha said. "Come on, shake that tail" she urged, giving the canine-girl's backside a slap with her short-sword.

Rubbing the spot where the sword had struck, Vidia, muttering curse-words under her breath, went and removed the chair. The Door opened and the hare from the alley became visible. Evidently, he had not expected to be greeted by the sight of a nude woman when coming to check up on his female colleague, but he quickly found his bearings and stepped inside.

"My apologies" he said. "I was not aware you had company. Do you want me to leave so that you can...?"

"She's not a visitor" Risha cut him off. "She was sent her to kill me, but failed and where were you, exactly?"

"I...I had to take a piss. I rushed to the indoor-privies, but all the stalls were occupied, so I went outside into an alley. I rushed back here as quickly as I could, barely gave myself time to give my dick a good shake."

This was not true, after he had finished answering the call of nature, the hare decided to take advantage of being outside by indulging in his tobacco-habit. However, he saw no need to tell Risha that.

"Anyway", he continued, "thing turned out well, didn't they?"

"No thanks to you", the lynx replied acidly. "Take off your shirt and give it to the prisoner."

The Hare removed his shirt and handed it to Vidia, who put it on. It ended just above her knees.

"Now take her out of here."

"You want me to deliver her to the local authorities?"

"No, take her to where Kyros and the others are. Tell Kyros that I want him to keep her under guard. I have plans for her."

"Oh? What plans are those?" As he asked this question, the hare leered at Vidia while stroking his chin.

"Just get her out of here" Risha said, her tone of voice making it clear that she was really not in the mood. "Do you think you can manage that?"

"Yeah, yeah" the hare grumbled. "Uppity bitch" he muttered, sotto voce.

He turned to Vidia.

"Come on, you!" He ordered, giving the failed assassin a light push, which caused her to stumble. "Move it, and no funny business. Remember that I am armed and you are not."

Once she was alone, the calm confidence Risha had displayed until now vanished and her limbs began to tremble. What if, as she had pointed out, Vidia had arrived a bit earlier? If so, her story would probably have ended here. In her imagination, the lynx pictured the shock of the nurse that would have found her corpse, followed by her brother's sorrow when the horrible news was delivered to him. No! She did not want to think of something like that and what was the point in doing so, anyway, when things had turned out well?

Deciding that she needed to take her mind off of things, Risha put the short-sword away and reached for the thin volume that Leorin had given to her during his last visit and opened it.

*****

For many years, whenever Zevedo felt vexed by something, it had been his habit to shut himself in his basement, which served as a laboratory. Usually, playing around with the various mixtures he had on display there and breathing in the weird-smelling fumes, had a relaxing effect on him. However, this day (the day after the events narrated above), the effect was absent, much to Zevedo's frustration.

The Reason for this was, of course, the lack of news from Vidia. Had she finished the job? Or had something gone wrong? Zevedo was not usually one to question his judgement, but he was beginning to wonder if he had done the right thing hiring the poodle.

Just then, there was a knock on the basement-door and the next moment, a squat green-skinned figure appeared at the top of the stairs.

"My apologies for disturbing you, Mis.." the goblin began, in a shreeky voice, then corrected himself: "Master, but a boy just came by with this message. He said that a poodle had paid him to deliver it."

Zevedo's (or more precisely, Merees') heart began to beat faster.

"Give it here" he said eagerly. "Hurry!"

Knowing that keeping his master waiting was never a wise thing to do, the goblin negotiated the steps as quickly as his short legs could manage. Having done this, he held out the envelope to Zevedo who snatched it out of his hand.

Taking no further notice of his servant, Zevedo opened the envelope and took out the letter. It read as follows:

Target has been located and dealt with. Meet me by the cherry-trees in the park, at midnight, with the money. 

- V

PS: As per agreement, I have included, with the letter, proof that the deed has been done. 

Well, well, Zevedo thought. Let us take a look at this proof.

He reached into his envelope and fished out a few strands of hair. Zevedo recognized them immediately: They were hairs from a lynx's ear-tufts. 

At midnight by the cherry-trees, is it? I'll be there.

Zevedo held up the letter and exhaled, turning it into ash.

Chapter 64

 Sara and Leorin exchanged a quick look, before turning their attention back to Risha.

"Sis, are you saying that this person was the Princess' doppleganger?" Leorin asked, hoping that this would turn out to be the case. 

"The Dragon in the park knew Risha's name" Sara pointed out. "Kyros heard her say it."

"So?"

"Think about it, how would a doppleganger know what her name was?"

Leorin had to admit that his girlfriend had a point. 

"I wasn't making myself clear" Risha said. "That was Merees in the park."

"But you just said..." Leorin began to protest, only to be silenced by the look his sister gave him.

"I know what I said. Let me put it to you this way: The Person in the park was Merees. She looked like her and when she spoke, it was with Merees' voice, but at the same time, it wasn't really her, are you following me?"

"What are you saying, Sis? That Merees is possessed or something?" Leorin asked and though he tried to hide it, it was clear that he found this hard to believe

Risha noticed it and was just about to answer, when the doctor appeared in the doorway.

"I'm afraid that this is all the time I can allow you, at least for today" he said. "The Patience is in need of rest."

Leorin nodded to show that he understood.

"We'll come back" he said, giving his sister's paw a light squeeze. "Do you want us to bring you something?"

"Something to read would be nice."

Once she was alone, Risha leaned back against her pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

I suppose I can't blame my brother for being skeptical, she thought. Had I been told this same thing, I would most likely feel the same way. Still, I know that I'm right: Merees, my Merees would never do anything to hurt me. She wouldn't.

She. Wouldn't.

*****

The Clientele gathered in the shady tavern looked up from their tankards and stared at the person who had just stepped inside. 

Their surprise was understandable, this was not the type of establishment frequented by women, except for those belonging to a certain line of work and even then, they were usually accompanied by a man. This woman was alone and, judging from the way she dressed, not a member of the world's oldest profession. Furthermore and this was by far the most notable thing about her, she was a dragon.

The Dragon made her way confidently up to the bar, where the patrons, usually not known for gentlemanly behavior, made room for her. One of them tentatively reached out to touch the area below her tail, but thought better of it and withdrew his paw before it made contact.

"What's yer poison?" Asked the boar behind the bar, he seemed to be the only one unaffected by the stranger's presence.

"Absinthe" came the reply.

The Dragon got her drink and downed it in one gulp. She then put down the required amount of coins next to the empty.

"Anything else?" 

"As a matter of fact, there is. I have a problem that needs to be taken care of. I have heard that this is a place where you can find competent problem-solvers. If you catch my drift."

She put down another coin on the table.

The Bartender was not about to ask were the dragon had heard these things. Instead, he let the coin disappear into his pocket and pointed to a lone table at the other end of the room. Without a word, the dragon headed towards it.

Some time later, Zevedo left the tavern and began his walk back home. As he traversed the steets, he thought back on last night. He had to admit that the appearance of the lynx had taken him by a surprise. Last time he had seen her had been five years ago, at the slave-market where he had purchased the body he was now making use of. 

At the time, he had been completely unaware of the relationship between the lynx and the original owner of his new body. Though the words the lynx had screamed after him when he left the market with his purchase, should have given him a clue. He had never expected to see the lynx again, so he had not taken her threats seriously. As a matter of fact, they had sounded like music to his ears at the time, the impotent menaces of some female who would no doubt end up in a brothel somewhere. So, what circumstances could have lead to her ending up here, on a completely different continent and, judging by appearance, a free woman?

He would have killed her last night and he had almost succeeded, but had been prevented from doing so. From out of the darkness, a group of ruffians appeared, carrying weapons in their paws. No doubt it was Fuchul who had hired them in order to intimidate him.

 On the subject of Fuchul, apparently that well had run dry. Of course, it was bound to happen eventually, but it was a shame, nonetheless. 

Since he was still getting used to his new body, Zevedo had decided not to take the risk of partaking in combat against several foes at once. Fortunately, he had made it a habit to always carry some homemade flare-bombs on his person. By the time Fuchul's hired thugs had regained the use of their eyes, he had already disappeared into the night. 

It was not only outside interference that had saved the lynx's life. At first, Zevedo had rejoiced at the ease with which his new claws had pierced her fur, flesh and bone. However, his joy swiftly gave way to another sensation: One much less pleasant.

Although he was in full control of his new body, Zevedo knew that he was not alone in it. Its former owner was still there. Usually, her presence could barely be felt, but last night, he had sensed it grow stronger. It had only lasted for a brief moment, but it had been enough to cause Zevedo serious concern. 

Doubtlessly, the lynx's comrades had taken her to a hospital. Zevedo knew that he had to take her out, before she had the chance to recuperate from her wounds and go in search for him again. Of course, he could not do it by himself. For one thing, even if he was successful, there was a high possibility that killing the lynx with his own hands would cause  the former owner to awaken and regain control of her body. He could not allow such a catastrophe to happen, especially since he had already disposed of his old form.

A good thing then that he knew at least few waterholes in town where one could find people who was willing to do anything for the right prize. had only taken him a few minutes with the assassin he had met at the tavern to realize that this was the person for the job. He had paid half in advance and would pay the other half upon confirmation that the deed had been done. 

Afterwards, he would leave this town. There was nothing left for him here and besides, there was a whole world out there and now, he had many centuries ahead of him in which to see and eventually own it all.

Cancelled Comics

 When it comes to comics, I can think of few things that bum me out more than when a title that I like ends up being abandoned by its creator(s). I know that there are always reasons for why this happens, but that does not stop it from being disappointing.

For example, take one of the comics I've written about on this blog before: District 14 (original title: Cité 14) , by Pierre Gabus & Romuald Reutimann. Its been years since Season Two (in case you wonder, the volumes of District 14 are called 'seasons') came out and, aside from some artwork, there has not been a word of a Season Three. Yes, I am well aware that The Fantastic Voyage of Lady Rozenbuilt is sometimes listed as the third season, but as far as I'm concerned, it shouldn't be: Lady Rozenbuilt, while perfectly good, was a prequel/spin-off, focusing on the character of Captain Bigoodee and his past. It didn't advance the actual main story in any way. 

That said, although their title languishes in comic-book limbo and its disappointing that we will most likely never get another comic featuring Michael, Hector, Vanita and all the other inhabitants of the District, Gabus and Reutimann did resolve some of their plot-threads, so they did not leave their readers completely hanging.

A better (or worse, depending on how one looks at things) example is another French comic: La Guilde de la Mer (The Guild of the Sea), by Nancy Pena. Set in an archipelagic world of several kingdoms, all populated by various races anthropomorphic animals, the comic focuses on the titular guild whose merchants are the only ones allowed to travel between the various nations.

La Guilde de la Mer is a comic that has a lot going for it, its biggest strength, in my opinion, being its world-building. Pena's fictional world is a fascinating place and its clear that she has put a lot of thought in it. The Characters that populate this world, while not among the greatest I've encountered in comics, are nonetheless engaging enough for me to be invested in them. 

Unfortunately, La Guilde de la Mer was cancelled after only two 48 page volumes (the standard format for European comics), meaning that all the intriguing plot-points Nancy Pena set up, including one about the protagonist's mother becoming the leader of a gang of criminals, will never be resolved. Story-wise, La Guilde de la Mer is all set-up with no payoff and as such, I can not in good conscience recommend it to my readers, much as I would like to.

I honestly don't know why La Guilde de la Mer did not sell well enough. Its not as if the French are strangers to the concept of comics not featuring any human characters, nor was Nancy Pena a newcomer on the scene when she made it. Whatever the reason, it failed to find traction with the public and that is a shame.

Bone

 Way, way back in the 90's, when I was but a child, I remember that during a visit to the local library, I spotted a comic that I did not recognize. Its cover depicted a young girl, standing in a forest, surrounded by hairy red-eyed creatures, while carrying a white, cartoony-looking figure under her arm. Intrigued, I checked the comic out and thus, was introduced to Bone by Jeff Smith, in its Swedish translation.

There were two attempts to launch Bone over here, made by two separate publishers and neither of them seemed to have met with much success, because neither of them got farther than the third volume in the series (as a quick side-note, I should mention that the Swedish translation divided each of the original English-language volumes into two).  Sometime later, when my English skills had grown sufficiently, I bought two of the volumes that were never published over here: The Dragon-Slayer and Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border. Then, I got into other comics and Bone fell to the side.

Until now, that is. For years I had been aware that all nine volumes of Bone (not counting prequels and spin-offs) had been published in one heavy tome, aptly titled Bone: One-Volume Edition and after having it sitting on my list of 'things that I'll get to, eventually' for a long time, I finally procured a copy. Meaning that, after left it on-hold since my teenage years, I have finally finished Bone. Was it worth it? Read on and find out.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bone, the titular characters are the three cousins, Fone Bone (sensible, altruistic, dependable), Smiley Bone (carefree, happy-go-lucky) and Phoncible P. Bone a.k.a. Phoney (selfish and greedy), all of whom looks like they have stepped out of some old-school cartoon or comic-strip. At the beginning of the comic, the cousins find themselves lost in the desert, having been chased out of their hometown Boneville (a place we never get to see, but which I always pictured being similiar to Duckburg), after Phoney's attempt at being elected mayor ended in disaster.  

Soon, the three of them end up in an unknown valley, populated by all sorts of creatures, including humans. It is here that we meet Thorn, a young girl who lives alone with his grand-mother, Rose, a tough-as-nails old lady whose main hobby is to race against cows. There's also the gruff tavern-keeper Lucius, in whose establishment, Phoney and Smiley soon find themselves washing dishes in order to pay off their debt, the unflappable red dragon, Ted the talking bug and many others. 

Characterization (at least early on, more on that a few paragraphs down) is one of Bone's chief strength. Pretty much all the characters the Bones encounter in the valley have distinct personalities and while not all of them are deep, nuanced characters, they are nonetheless very memorable

As for the artwork, it is lovely to look at. Smith has a real knack for visual storytelling and while Bone has a lot of dialogue (most of it really good), he knows when to let the images do the talking. 

I should point out that I read the comic in black & white. I know there's a colorized version of Bone, but I prefer it this way. in my opinion, Smith's art needs color about as much as Hugo Pratt's does.

Story-wise, Bone starts out fairly light-hearted and humorous, with Phoney and Smiley and their get-rich-quick schemes being the primary source for comedy, although far from the only one. 

It soon becomes clear though, that dark forces are at work in the valley and as the comic progresses, Bone takes a more serious turn. Although the comedic elements never disappear completely.

For all it does right, Bone is not without its weaknesses. Personally, I found the second half of the story to be less consistently engaging than what came before it, though it certainly not bad by any means. Smith introduces a whole slew of new characters and while there's nothing wrong with that, none of these newcomers leave much of an impression. I can think of other comics that have handled an expanding cast better.

I also found myself disappointed by the ending. I won't go into the reason why, because that would entail spoilers. I may do a follow-up post where I discuss it in more detail, but for now, I'll just say that I did not care for it.

Bone originally ended in 2004 (although Smith has returned to its world from time to time, most recently in 2016) and its creator has since worked on other comics. However, this is the one he will always be remembered for and for good reasons. While it may not be the unabashed masterpiece it sometimes held up to be (I certainly don't think its one of the ten best graphic novels ever as Time Magazine claimed) Bone is, at its best, a terrific comic; highly recommended and well worth checking out.

Chapter 63

 It was a chilly night, unusually so, considering the time of the year. It was not the kind of night fit for being outside, crouching behind a fountain in a park, with your fingers wrapped around the hilt of your short-sword. And yet, that was exactly what Risha was doing at the moment. 

Not that she was alone; spread out in the park, concealed by shadows or hiding in the trees were Kyros and the rest of her colleagues. Downwards from the lynx's position, on the gravel-path, which at daytime was trampled by hundreds of feet, stood Fuchul, the red panda who was the group's newest client.  

Fuchul was to meet someone here. Someone he, according to what little he had told the group, had had dealings with before, but did not trust completely. That was why they were all out here, lying in wait. Ready to strike at any sign of treachery. 

In the distance, the park-gate could be heard opening. It was followed by another sound, that of footsteps drawing closer. Soon another figure stepped into the moonlight, one whose appearance Fuchul had not expected, something made blatantly clear by the look of surprise on his face.

He was not the only one; from her hiding place, Risha stared at the newcomer as though she could not believe her eyes. 

Can't be, she thought and immediately afterwards: But it is."

"Who are you?" Fuchul asked. "Where's Zevedo?"

"Gone" the newcomer said, in the voice that Risha had heard in some of her more pleasant dreams. "You'll have to deal with me from now on."

"Is that so?" Fuchul replied. "Well,  let me tell you something, whoever you are: Two days ago, I recieved a message. Do you know what it said? 'They are all dead', that's what! So neither you nor anyone else have anything on me anymore."

He gave the newcomer a triumphant look, only to realize that her attention was focused on something, or someone, behind him.

What are they doing? He thought. They were only supposed to come out if I gave the signal. 

He turned around and saw the female member of the group he had hired stand there, fully visible, staring at the newcomer. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but judging from the smile on her face, they were tears of happiness.

"What do you think you are doing?" He asked sharply. Once again, however, he found himself completely ignored, as the  lynx ran past him and into the waiting arms of the newcomer.  Then, he watched, stunned, as the two women; the lynx and the dragon, both embraced. What happened next, however, was even more of a surprise: 

The Lynx's expression suddenly changed, her face became a mask of pain and confusion. Then, the dragon took a step back and the lynx began to fall forward, her paw clutching her chest.

Why? That was all Risha could think, as Merees sank her claws deep into her and pulled them out. 

Through a haze, she saw the love of her life look at her hand, which was stained with her blood and for a moment, she thought there was something strange about it. The Next moment, the pain became too much. She was dimly aware of someone catching her and heard the voice of Kyros, crying out for something to stop the bleeding with. 

Then, everything turned dark.

****

Dawn had at last arrived, when the capybara who had been one of the physicians on duty that night, stepped into the small waiting room. As soon as he did, he had the full attention of those who had been waiting there, for several hours.

Among those present was an adolescent black cat, who looked even more worried than the others. Having been informed that the young feline was the patient's brother, the doctor thought it no small wonder that he would be particularly anxious.

Sitting next to the cat was a female porcupine, about the same age as him, holding his paw in hers. The Others were a diverse group of people, the doctor recognized some of them as belonging to the travelling acting-troupe that was currently performing in one of the city's theaters. 

Well, no use in keeping them in suspense.

The Doctor cleared his throat and turned to Leorin, speaking to him directly:

"I have good news" he said. "Your sister is going to live."

The Feeling of relief that filled the room was almost physical. Sara hugged Leorin who responded in kind and turned to the doctor:

"May I see her?" He asked.

"You may,  but she won't be able to talk to you; she's sleeping."

"I don't care, I want to see her anyway" Leorin said and got off of his chair. 

Sara did the same thing.

"I'll come with you", she said.

"She's in the third room to the left" the doctor informed them. 

Once the two youths were gone, the doctor sat down, cleaned his glasses and, having done this, leaned forward, with his paws clasped together.

"Which one of you brought the patient in?" He asked.

"I did" Kyros replied. "Well, me and my crew."

"You had sprinkled some healing dust on the wound" the doctor said, the tone of his voice making it clear that this was not a question.

"Yes, fortunately, one of us had some available. Not the most potent stuff though, which is why we brought her here."

"Fortunately indeed. Its my professional opinion that, without it, the patient would have succumbed to her injuries before you had reached the hospital."

****

Leorin and Sara stood by the sick-bed and looked down at the sleeping figure in it. Were it not for the faint sound of her breathing and the rise and fall of her bandaged chest, Leorin, in spite of the doctor's assurance, would have thought that his sister had already departed from the land of the living.

"She looks so peaceful" Sara remarked. "Poor Risha" she sighed, shaking her head. "I can't believe this would happen to her."

"Me neither. Why would Merees do something like this? It doesn't make any sense."

He turned away from the bed, his paws shaking. For a moment, Leorin remembered Isso and how he had once claimed that dragons were incapable of truly loving someone. Maybe, just, maybe he had been right? 

The Thought had barely entered Leorin's mind before he felt ashamed at having even entertained such a notion and yet. what other explanation could there be for the Princess' behavior?

"Wasn't her..."

Despite recognizing the voice, it took a few seconds before Leorin's brain had fully registered who it belonged to. Turning around, he saw that Risha had opened her eyes and were looking at him and Sara. 

"It wasn't her" the lynx repeated, somewhat louder this time. "It wasn't Merees."

Some Former Favorites

 Harking back to my old post about changes in taste, here's a list of titles (mostly series) that I used to be really into, that does not hold quite sway over me that they used to. I should point out that I do not dislike any of the titles listed below. There are some I am indifferent towards, but that's not the same as active dislike. However, there was a point in my life when I would have considered them all among favorites within their respective mediums and that is no longer the case.

Adventure Time

The Americans

Archer

Babylon 5

Boardwalk Empire

Breaking Bad

The Curse of Monkey Island

Downton Abbey

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (the comic, not the movie)

Full Throttle

Gravity Falls

Justified

Kaamelott

The Knick

Life on Mars (original)

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

Peaky Blinders

Rectify

Regular Show

Rick & Morty

Rome

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (still my favorite version of Scooby-Doo! though)

The Spectacular Spider-Man

Star vs. the Forces of Evil

Steven Universe

The Third Testament

True Detective

Young Justice

Zootopia

Chapter 62

 One month prior to Risha's and Leorin's reunion, their father was sitting at his desk in the room in Guanaca's palace that served as his office, when there was a knock on the door. Since the reports he was currently reading were not the most gripping lecture, Jeraddin was grateful for the interruption and called for whoever it was to enter. 

The Visitor turned out to be a young ursine, whom Jeraddin recognized as one of his own officers. The Bear walked up to the desk and saluted:

"My apologies for bothering you, General" he said, standing at attention with his arms hanging by his side. "But I need to talk to you about something urgent."

"Have a seat, Lieutenant", Jeraddin said, indicating the chair reserved for visitors. "Now, what is troubling you?" He asked, once the Lieutenant was seated.

"Well, Sir, I was out on a walk, when I saw a patrol of the city-guards come marching by. They had three prisoners with them. Prisoners that I recognized as soldiers from my own squadron."

"I see. Go on."

"Naturally, seeing soldiers of the Vinolian army treated like common criminals, surprised me, Sir. I walked up to the leader of the patrol and demanded to know the reason why he had arrested these men."

"How did he respond?"

"Only that he  did not know the reason, but that he had received orders for their arrest. Orders he claimed came directly from the top. I was about to ask one of the soldiers if they had any idea as to the reason why, when the leader shoved me aside. At that point, I admit that my temper almost got the better of me, but I managed to stay calm."

"That's good, because I really do not need one of my officers getting into fights with the guards."

"I know, Sir."

Rising from his desk, Jeraddin walked up to his subordinate and put a supporting paw on his shoulder.

"You made the right decision coming to me, Lieutenant", he said. "I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise."

"Thank you, Sir. That makes me feel more at ease."

Having thanked his commanding officer, the Lieutenant saluted once more and left. Once he was alone, Jeraddin sat back down, but not to continue pouring over the reports, which were now all but forgotten, but to think about what he had just been told: Orders from the top. Well, as far as Jeraddin was concerned, that could mean only one person. Jeraddin sighed, and this day had actually started out quite well.

****

Immediately after he had taken leave of the Lieutenant, Jeraddin went to the Queen's quarters to request an audience. However, he had to wait for almost two hours before he was allowed to enter. A handmaiden escorted him to a room, here Argath was waiting, her massive body stretched out on a divan. Miranda was also present; fanning the Queen with a palm-leaf. Her eyes briefly met Jeraddin's and the two acknowledged each other with a quick nod.

"Why, this is quite a surprise" said Argath,  baring her teeth in a wide grin. "General Jeraddin coming to Us, begging for an audience. Will wonders ever seize?"

"Your Majesty..." Jeraddin began. He was determined to spend as little time in this company as possible. Before he could finish his sentence though, Argath cut him off.

"You will be going home in a few days, General" she remarked. "You must look forward to that."

Jeraddin did not answer. Not that the Queen seemed to mind getting the silent treatment.

"Too bad that your wife has to stay here", she continued. "Alas, no situation is ever perfect. Don't worry, you'll see each other again. Besides, absence makes the heart grow fonder, or so We've heard."

"Your Majesty" Jeraddin said, having mentally counted to ten. "May I speak?"

"Go ahead" Argath replied, making a gesture with that of her hands that was available. "We are curious to know what brings you here."

Wasting no time, Jeraddin asked the Queen about the three soldiers.

"That's true" Argath said. "We did order the arrest of those men."

"Why?"

"That is for Us to know and for you to find out. The Trial will be held tomorrow, as Commander of our army, you have the right to participate in it. Although, if We were in your shoes We would spend our time doing something more constructive. It's going to be a short trial."

I see, Jeraddin thought. So, you've already made up your mind about their guilt, Argath?

"Thank you for your advice, Your Majesty" he said, coldly. "Still, come tomorrow, you will find me at the trial. Speaking on behalf of my soldiers."

With those words, Jeraddin turned his back on the Queen and marched out the room. Argath watched him leave and sighed exasperatedly. Honestly, some people.

****

 The Trial was to be held, not in the courthouse, but in one of the wings of the palace, away from public eyes. Having finished his breakfast, which he had been forced to eat alone (Nasari had already woken up and was busy elsewhere), Jeraddin headed there, his head filled with troubled thoughts. After his audience with the Queen, the lynx had gone to Guanaca's prison, with the intention of talking to the three prisoners and see if they could shed some light as to their arrest, but the head-jailer, a portly aardvark with a runny snout had refused to let him see them.

"No visitors, those are my orders" he had said, not even glancing the purse Jeraddin had put down on the table in front of him. There had been nothing left for Jeraddin to do, but leave, taking his money and cursing the incorruptibility of certain government officials. For a moment, the lynx had considered threatening the jailer, but he had then decided against it. Reasoning that it would do no good. 

Well,  he thought, as he entered the room where the trial was to take place. At least, I will finally find out what this is all about.

The Room in question had apparently been used as a court-room in the past, for it was furnished as one. True, there were no seats for the public, but everything else was there, as far as Jeraddin could see. Beside himself, the only other people there were the Lieutenant, who was sitting on a bench and a guard, posted by a side-door.

Jeraddin walked up to the Lieutenant, who rose and saluted him. The Two were just about to sit down, when the voice of the guard filled the room:

"The Queen is coming, all present remain seated!"

He opened the side-door and Argath made her entrance, striding up to the golden chair that stood on a daise in the center of the room.

"Bring in the accused" she commanded, having made herself comfortable.

The Order was carried out and the prisoners were brought in. As they passed him by, Jeraddin looked at them for the first time. They were a dog, a cat and a rat, they were dressed in gray prison-clothing and wore manacles around their wrists. Their faces were haggard and made them appear older than they actually were. 

"Poor blokes" the Lieutenant said under his breath, his voice almost choking.  

Jeraddin could only nod in agreement.

The Three were made to kneel in front of Argath, who looked down on them from her elevated position.

"Soldiers" she said. "You are accused of treason, how do you plead?"

Hearing those words, Jeraddin could feel his blood run cold. He turned to his subordinate and saw that his face had turned gray.

"Your Majesty" the dog-soldier said. "We are innocent, we swear!"

"Innocent, eh?" Argath snickered. "We shall see about that. Bring in the witness."

The Witness turned out to be a water-rat, dressed in the uniform of a Vinolian soldier. He bowed to Argath and then took his place in the witness-stand.

"Witness, state your name and rank for the court."

"Salsky, private first class in the Vinolian army, Your Majesty", said the water rat, saluting the Queen.

"You are part of the same squadron as the accused?" Argath asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Although I wish I wasn't, it would have spared me much anguish."

"Tell the court what you told Us."

Salsky cleared his throat.

"As you wish, Your Majesty. The Day, or should I say, evening before yesterday, the accused and I were off duty and, seeing that it was also payment day, we decided to go out and have a bit of fun. We went to one of the local water-holes and sampled their wares. As we drank, we raised our tankards to everything we could think of: Our homes, our families and so-on. Finally, I decided to propose a toast to the Queen. To my surprise, however, my proposal was not met with any sort of enthusiasm. In fact, it was roundly refused.

"Your Majesty" the Lieutenant interrupted, standing up. "Such an act hardly constitutes treason."

"Lieutenant!" Argath said frostily, "you will speak when We give you leave to do so. "Anyway" she added, after the Lieutenant had set himself down with a humbled look on his face. "You are technically correct. It is not an act of treason, yet.  It is, however, cause for suspicion. After all, what right-thinking Vinolian would refuse the opportunity to pay homage, no matter how humble, to his or her Monarch? Anyway, that's not all they did. Proceed witness, tell the court what happened next."

"The Accused began to make all sorts of mocking remarks about Your Majesty."

"Give the court an example of these remarks, if you please."

"Among other things, the accused referred to Your Majesty as 'Queen Crook-Tail' and  'that old, power-hungry dyke."

Well, Jeraddin thought. At least one of those things is not true. By dragon-standards, the Queen was not old.

He looked at the accused and winced inwardly, the look on their faces made it clear that the water-rat was speaking the truth. 

"I told them to stop" Salsky continued his testimony. "I warned them to be careful and that it would be best not to voice such opinion in public."

"How did the accused respond?"

"They only laughed and said that it did not matter, since the only other people in the tavern besides us were Guancans and besides, no soldier would ever tell on his comrades."

Of course, Jeraddin thought, the unspoken agreement that, if a soldier was to say something disparaging about one of his superior officers to his comrades, they would keep it to themselves. It was not just the rank and file that made use of this soldier's code, but officers as well. Why, Jeraddin himself remembered using it in his youth, alongside his fellow cadets. Knowing that there was a safe place to vent your frustration over your superiors without fear of repercussion had made life in the army easier. 

"Apparently, not all soldiers feel the same" he remarked, giving Salsky a look that was laden with contempt.

"Witness, how do you respond to this?" Argath asked.

"Only that if the Lieutenant or even the General had been the target of their mockery, I would have kept silent, but with Your Majesty it is different. I may have been born in Frigonia, but I have always been a deep admirer of Vinoli's culture, even when our countries were enemies. A nation's ruler is not just a person, but the embodiment of said nation. In other words, the accused were not only disparaging their Queen, but Vinoli itself. Knowing this, I had to follow my conviction and denounce my brothers-in-arms, no matter how much it pained me to do so."

"Your loyalty does you credit, witness" Argath said, giving Salsky her friendliest smile. "Rest assured that it shall not go unrewarded. As for you three" she growled, turning her attention back to the poor wretches in front of her. "We see no reason to prolong this trial. Do you have anything to say before We pass judgement.

The Realization that this was to be their last day in life, that some careless words and a supposed comrade's treachery, dawned on the soldiers. It passed through their brains, like an electric jolt and caused their tongues to loosen. The Cat was the first to speak:

"Your Majesty, have mercy" he pleaded. "We have never uttered such words before and we never will."

"Quite right" Argath agreed. She leaned forward, baring her teeth. "You won't."

Since he had been rebuked by the Queen, the Lieutenant had remained silent, watching the trial while wringing his paws. Now, he turned to his superior officer:

"Sir" he whispered. "Isn't there something you can do? Surely, the Queen will listen to her General?"

"You are seriously overestimating my influence over the Queen" Jeraddin whispered back, "but I'll try my best. Pray that it is good enough."

With that, he stood up and asked to have the word. 

"Before sentence is passed I should like to ask the accused a question. " he said, once permission had been granted to him. He then asked the three soldiers if the squadron they belonged to were among those who would be heading back to Vinoli soon, or would remain in Guanaca awhile longer.

"The Latter, Sir" replied the dog. 

"Just as I thought. One more question: Do any of you have families waiting for you?"

All three answered in the affirmative. Jeraddin turned to Argath:

"Your Majesty" he said. These men have served their country well; they have left their loved ones behind to travel to a faraway country, facing many dangers, all for the sake of their Queen. Then, after spending many months in said country, they find out that through a twist of fate, they will remain there even longer, separated from their homes? Is it any wonder than that they were feeling disappointed and that said disappointment, coupled with looking too deep in the bottle caused them to utter words that otherwise would never have passed over their lips? Words that should never have reached Your Majesty's ears? Well, they did and the damage can not be undone. Nevertheless, I implore Your Majesty to look into your heart (for even you must have one) and show clemency. These three will kiss Your Majesty's shoe and leave here, repentant of their errors and grateful for the mercy that has been shown to them."

Here, Jeraddin finished his speech; his well of eloquence having run quite dry. He could sense beads of sweat forming on his brow, but he did not wipe them away, not wishing to reveal any sign of nervousness, as he waited for the Queen's response.

"Your plea on behalf of your men has touched us, General" she said and for a moment, the expression on her face softened, much to the relief of almost everyone present. Than, it regained its former harshness. "However, you must see things from our perspective; if it comes out that someone can insult Us, even covertly, and get away with a slap on the wrist, Our authority would be seriously undermined. In the long run, it might lead to open rebellion against Us. still, We are not made of stone and so, We are willing to make a compromise."

She turned to the guard.

"See if there are any dice to be found in the palace and if so, bring them to Us."

The Guard moved not from his place, but merely reached into his pocket and produced a pair of six-sided dice, which he presented to the Queen.

"Here is what's going to happen now" she said, holding out the dice under the noses of the soldiers. "You will each roll the dice and whoever gets the highest number, will be spared. Not only that, but he will be transferred to another squadron, one of those that will leave earlier. Well, which one of you wishes to try his luck first?"

The Three stared transfixed at the dice, none of them moving. Argath began to grow impatient, this trial had already gone on longer than she had intended.

"Of course" she said, "you can always refuse and die together. That would be following your soldier's code to his logical conclusion, would it not?"

Jeraddin, who had returned his seat, cast a glance at the Lieutenant. The Ursine was staring down at the floor, cradling his head in his paws.

"Come, Lieutenant" Jeraddin whispered. "There is no point in us remaining here."

With that, the lynx took his subordinate by the elbow and gently escorted him out of the court-room. No-one paid attention to them leaving, behind them the sound of dice rolling on the floor could be heard, followed by a cry of anguish.

Theodore Poussin

 I had originally planned on making this a part of my Comics That Should Be Translated - series, until I found out that the first three volumes of Theodore Poussin have actually been translated. So, obviously, that plan is out, but, as you can see, this has not prevented me from writing a short post about it anyway.

Theodore Poussin is a French comic created by Frank Le Gall (b. 1959), which made its debut in Journal de Spirou in 1984. So far, thirteen albums have been published in the series, with the latest having come out in 2018. 

Inspired by Le Gall's own grand-father's journals (though it should be pointed out that the story itself is pure fiction), the comic takes place during the 1920s and tells the tale of Theodore Poussin, a young man working as a clerk at a shipping company in Dunkirk. Theodore longs to get out of the dusty office; he dreams of sailing the seven seas, like his late father, a Captain used to do. So, it should come as no surprise that when the head clerk tells him that there is a position available aboard one of the ships, Theodore jumps at the opportunity.

On the day before he's about to embark, Theodore goes out to have a drink with his friends. In the bar, they're approached by a mysterious man dressed in black. After having quoted from a poem by Charles Baudelaire, the man presents himself as Novembre and tells Theodore that they will meet again. Theodore does not know it, but this meeting will end up changing his life forever.

Theodore Poussin is a deceptive comic. At first glance, the art-style of the first few volumes (especially the first one) and the look of the main character, may give you the impression that you are dealing with a light-hearted  boys' adventure comic. A pale of copy of classics such as Tintin or Spirou & Fantasio. However, that impression would be incorrect. True, there's nothing in Theodore Poussin that could be considered inappropriate for children, but at the same time, Le Gall's writing makes it clear that this is a work intended for an older audience. As a storyteller, I feel that Le Gall has more in common with Hugo Pratt than he does with Hergé or André Franquin.

As is the case with many great comics, one of the chief-strengths of Theodore Poussin lies in its characters, beginning with its protagonist. Despite his looks, Theodore is no Tintin with glasses. Unlike Hergés reporter, he has a past and a family and during the course of the comic, he grows from a somewhat naive young man into an experienced adventurer. This change comes is owed in no small part to the people whose paths he crosses on his journey: Georges Town, the pirate, Sir Laurence Brooke, Martin and, of course, the most mysterious of them all: Monsieur Novembre. Each of them memorable and larger-than-life. It should be pointed out that, by and large, Le Gall avoids manicheaism in the way he portrays his cast. Some of the above-mentioned characters are more sympathetic than others, but none of them are completely black or white.

Theodore Poussin is a terrific comic. Although I have not read all the volumes, the ones I have read have been excellent (particularly the second one). If you want an adventure comic that is intelligent and mature in the truest sense of the word, than it comes highly recommended.

Chapter 61

 The Night was no longer young, when Risha and the others left the restaurant, their appetites fully sated. 

Despite the late hour, the streets were far from empty and it happened that a passerby collided with one of the actors and  either apologized, muttered something under their breath, or told the actor to watch where they were going, all depending on mood and the amount of alcohol in their bloodstream. 

Eventually they came to a building with a sign reading 'Hotel', hanging above its entrance. 

"This is my stop" Risha said. She turned to Eramus. "Thank you, for inviting me, I had a great time and the food was excellent."

"Think nothing of it" the faun replied, bowing elegantly. "It was my pleasure, I assure you."

Risha bid them all good-night and was just about to head inside, when her brother stepped forward:

"Sis, wait!" He called out. "I would like to talk to you, between four eyes."

"Can't it wait?" Risha wondered.

Leorin shook his head.

"Very well", she sighed. "Let's go inside."

"A single person should not walk the streets by night" Rufus observed. "Me and someone else will wait out here for you."

"I'll wait" said Sara. "Just don't take too long, okay?"

Leorin promised and the siblings entered the hotel, stepping into a foyer whose wooden floor had not been cleaned for some time. A cockroach scuttled nervously across it, disappearing into a crevice and above the heads of the siblings, a bluebottle buzzed listlessly. 

"I know" Risha whispered to Leorin. "Its not much, but I have stayed in worse places. Believe it or not."

"So have I" Leorin whispered back.

Risha retrieved her keys from the sleepy-eyed pangolin on duty and she and Leorin headed upstairs. 

The Room which was Risha's current residence was small and sparsely furnished, containing a bed, a chair and a table, with a pitcher of water and a bowl on it. Having offered her brother the chair, Risha sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Well, Leo" She said, while unlacing her boots. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Leorin leaned forward, placing his paws on his knees.

"The Person who made it possible for the Vinolian army to take Guanaca... it was you, right?"

"What makes you think that?" His sister asked.

"To be honest, I'm not sure" Leorin replied, scratching the back of his ear. "Just a hunch, I suppose."

"Our long years of separation almost made me forget how perceptive you can be at times, little brother. Your hunch is correct, I am the one responsible for Guanaca's fall. I guess my place in history is ensured. Unless I'm remembered for something else; such as being the older sister of a famous playwright."

She smiled and although Leorin was flattered by the thought, he did not smile back. Risha was beginning to wonder if he reproached her for what she had done? No, surely not.

"Risha?"

"Yeah?"

"What was it like? Being a slave, I mean."

Risha stared at her brother. She had not been prepared for the question and now she was not sure how to answer it. How could she possibly explain in words the feeling of waking up every morning, knowing that your life was not your own; that you were no longer a person with rights, but property that your owner could do with as he wished and that your only reason for survival was to make sure that whoever held your leash had no reason to be dissatisfied with you?

"Imagine having a knife at your throat, every day" she said. "That's kind of what it's like."

To Risha's own ears, the answer sounded insufficient, but Leorin seemed to accept it.

"That sounds horrible" he said, shaking his head in sympathy and sucking in air through his teeth."I figured it was bad, but I had no idea..."

You still don't, Risha thought. Not really and I hope you never will.

"Anyway" she said. "That's all in the past, let us speak no more about it."

Her eyelids suddenly decided to make their existence known. Before she could stifle it, her mouth had opened wide, letting out a yawn.

Leorin, who could take a hint, got out of the chair.

"Well" he said. "I'll leave you to your beauty sleep. You look like you can use it" he teased, grinning mischievously.

Risha responded by smacking him with her pillow.

"Go away, kid" she said, though there was laughter in her voice. "You're bothering me."

Leorin walked up to the door and opened it. In the doorway, he turned around.

"I'll talk to Eramus about the guy with six fingers" he said. "Sleep well, Sis."

"You too. Oh, and say good-night to Sara from me, will you? 

Once she was alone, Risha went up to the door and locked it. She also placed the chair against door-handle, as an extra precaution. Having undressed and folded her clothes in a neat pile, she slipped into bed, holding her short-sword in its sheath, close to her, as if it were a teddy bear. She closed her eyes and soon was fast asleep, dreaming.

In her dream, Risha was climbing a winding spiral staircase. She knew not how long she had been engaged in this endeavor; the staircase seemed to stretch on forever, but she knew she had to reach the top. As she climbed, shadowy figures fluttered around her, taunting her in the voices of those she hated: Argath, Bashar, Cerewan and the person with six fingers. 

Suddenly, one of the shades lounged at her, causing Risha to lose her footing and with a scream tumble into  the darkness below.

*****

The Moment her body made contact with the hard floor, Risha woke up. 

Uttering an expletive, the lynx picked herself up and began to massage her aching shoulder and backside. As she did this, her face was hit by a ray of light seeping through a gap in the frayed curtains. Was it morning already? 

Pulling aside the curtains revealed that this was indeed the case. Though judging from the sun's position in the sky, it was still quite early. Risha briefly considered climbing back into bed and go back to sleep for another hour. Or, until someone came and wake her up. Perhaps she would have a nice dream this time around?

Then again, she thought. With my luck, it would probably be another nightmare.

Thus, having dressed and washed her face, the lynx left her room and headed out on the streets. Her wanderings soon took her to the town square, where the vendors were already busy setting up their stalls.

One vendor was selling warm pretzels, the aroma from his stall tickled Risha's nostrils and stimulated her appetite. With determined steps she headed for the stall and soon held the desired pastry in her paws. She was just about to sink her teeth into it when a nasally voice, asked for her attention:

"Excuse me, Miss. Your name wouldn't be Risha, would it?"

Surprised, Risha looked down. Standing next to her was a white canine; pudgy and so short that he barely reached to her waist. On his head was a tuft of red hair and he had a disinterested, some might even say gloomy, expression on his face. 

Risha eyed the little fellow cautiously. She did not think he looked dangerous. Then again, appearances can be deceiving.

"Who wants to know?" She asked.

"Yes" the dog said, nodding to himself. "You fit the description I was given."

From his coat-pocket, he produced a piece of paper.

"Here" he said, handing the paper to the lynx. "This will explain everything."

Risha unfolded the paper and read it. This is what it said:

Risha

I send this person to look for you. He is a servant of the person who may be our next employer. He will take you to his master's home, where I am waiting. I'll see you there.

-Kyros.

Risha looked at the message. It was written in Kyros' hand, no doubt about that.

"Very well" she said. "Give me a few seconds to finish my breakfast and I'm all yours."