Chapter 10

At the moment Risha, Merees and Leorin set foot in the harbor, they found the area bustling with activity: Ships, which had returned after months, perhaps even a year, at sea, were unloading their cargo, storing them in warehouses, under the scrutinizing eye of the officials. The fishmongers had set up their wares and in loud voices, extolled the freshness and quality of their goods, the smell of which lingered in the breeze. Here and there, street-urchins, clothes dirty and in tatters ran around, picked pockets, got into fights with another, or begged,  an action which was often ignored and sometimes rewarded with either a coin, or the threat of getting smacked on the head if they didn't get out of the way.

In short, it was a typical day in the capital's harbor.

"Let's find a ship", Merees said. Despite the warm weather, she had kept the hood of her cloak up.

A rumbling noise escaped Risha's stomach, alerting her to the fact that she hadn't had anything to eat since the cake which had been served at the banquet. She was just about to put forth the suggestion that perhaps they could have some breakfast, when her brother piped up:

"I'm hungry", he announced in a tone of voice which made it clear that someone had better do something about this problem and fast.

Merees looked at the two siblings. She had promised their parents that she would care for them and that, surely, must include keeping them fed. Besides, she was beginning to feel a bit peckish herself.

"You're right", she said. "We should eat something first."

With Risha and Leorin in tow, Merees made her way towards one of the restaurants that lined the area. A gorilla, wearing an apron, devoid of any stains, stood by its entrance. When he saw three potential customers approaching, he put out the cigarette he had been smoking in a nearby flowerpot and flashed the trio a smile, showing two rows of teeth whose whiteness matched that of his apron.

"Welcome honored guests", he said, executing a flawless bow. "Please come in and make yourselves comfortable."

"Is there a table for three available?" Merees asked, casually.

The Gorilla nodded.

"You're in luck", he said. "Follow me."

Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing the group noticed was the fact that it was almost completely devoid of people. In fact, the only other customer was a grey-furred otter, who was busy noisily slurping soup, tiny drops of his meal were stuck at the tip of his whiskers. The restaurant itself was decorated with a fisherman-theme; nets hung from the ceiling and the jawbone of a shark had been put up on the wall.

"You may pick whichever table you like", the gorilla said, addressing Merees, whom he had sized up as the spokesperson of the trio.

The Princess picked out a table in the corner and once everyone was seated, the gorilla asked if they would like to look at the menu.

"No", said Merees. "Just give us today's special". Assuming that this place has a special, she thought to herself, while glancing at a stain of indeterminable origin on the table.

"As you wish", the gorilla said. He whipped out a small notebook and scribbled something in it. With that, he thanked them and headed for the kitchen.

Once they were alone, Risha turned to Merees.

"Princess", she said. "There's something I've noticed."

"What's that? Oh, and I think it would be best if we disposed with the titles. Just call me by my first-name from now on."

"Well, I just can't help but notice that no-one seems to realize who you are."

"You're right", Leorin said. "Why is that?"

From the depths of her hood, Merees let out a small chuckle.

"Its because of this cloak", she explained. "Its no ordinary piece of clothing. You see, as long as you wear the hood up, the person who's looking at you sees not the real you, but rather someone else."

Risha let out an impressed whistle.

"That's really convenient. So, where did you get it from?"

"It belonged to my father, a leftover from his adventuring days. He told me once that, at the beginning of his rule, he'd on occasion put it on and go out in the capital  incognito; mingling with his subjects and discovering if anyone was discontent or if there was any corruption going on. I remembered that he still had it, so I snuck into his chambers and took it. I thought it would come in handy, simple as that. Besides, she thought, while fingering the cloak's pin, I wanted to have at least some memento of him.

"Hold on!" Leorin protested. "If that cloak hides your true appearance from whoever's looking at you, how come you don't look different to me?"

"Simple, you and your sister already know its me underneath the hood."

At that moment, the gorilla returned with their food; three bowls of soup and all conversation came to halt.

The soup was hot and rich and everyone ate with good appetite. Even Merees, used as she was to the food served in the palace, had to admit that it was better than she thought it would be. Once they had finished, the Princess signaled to the gorilla that they were ready to pay.

"I hope the meal was satisfactory", the gorilla said, as he pocketed the coins Merees had put on the table.

"Very much so, thank you. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know a captain that would be willing to rent out their ship for a longer journey at sea?"

"Well", the gorilla said, pointing at the otter. "There's always old Samuel over there, the ship he works on have been known to take passengers, from time to time. Hold on a second..."

Without another word, the gorilla went over to the otter's table and began talking to him. Shortly thereafter, he returned, accompanied by the otter.

"So", the latter said, wiping his mouth with the back of his paw. "I'm told that you folks are looking to charter a ship."

"That's right", Merees said. "Would your Captain be willing to have us?"

Samuel smiled, revealing a row of yellowing teeth.

"Oh, the captain will take anyone providing that they can pay for the journey and from the looks of your purse, that shouldn't be a problem."

"It won't be. Take us to your captain and we'll sort out the details with him."

Samuel's eyes narrowed slightly, whoever the person in the hood was, she couldn't be just anyone. Judging by the tone that had crept into her voice when she had talked to him, it was clear that she was someone who was quite used to giving orders and it was obvious that she did not lack for funds either. Yes, the otter thought to himself, the captain will surely be pleased with this latest catch.

Habibi by Craig Thompson

Before reading Habibi, the only work of Craig Thompson's that I was familiar with was Goodbye Chunky Rice, his debut comic, which I read when I was in fifth grade (or maybe sixth, my memory is a bit vague). As for Thompson's later comics, such as Blankets, at the time they came out, they didn't seem like the sort of thing I'd be into, so I never paid much attention to them. Habibi, on the other hand was a comic that had me intrigued from the moment I became aware of it and recently, I finally got around to read it and without giving too much away, I only wished I had read it sooner.

Originally published in 2011, Habibi is set in a fictional Middle-Eastern land. It is here that we meet our main characters; Dodola and Zam, refugee child-slaves, who have made a home for themselves in a ship, stranded in the desert. Dodola, the older of the two by nine years, takes it upon herself to act as a surrogate-parent to Zam, nurturing him and teaching him to read and write. Life is harsh, however and eventually, Dodola sees no other option but to prostitute herself to the passing caravans in exchange for food and other things she and Zam need to survive. One day, Dodola vanishes and Zam, having learned what his caretaker had to go through and feeling wracked with guilt, sets out to find her.

Stretching across six-hundred pages, the story of Habibi is truly epic in scope, allowing Thompson to show what a truly gifted storyteller he is. The story does not unfold in a linear fashion, but jumps back and forth in time and as it does, the reader is treated to new revelations about the characters and the world they inhabit. Dodola and Zam are both very engaging protagonists, particularly the former, who ranks among my favorite female leads in any work of fiction. The author does a great job making us root for these two and hoping that they and the love they share will prevail, allowing them to overcome the many horrible things they have to endure during the course of the story and find happiness.
Religion plays an important part in Habibi. When they were children, Dodola would tell Zam stories from the Quran. These stories are woven into the main plot, much like the stories-within-stories, seen in such works as Potocki's The Manuscript Found in Saragossa and, of course, The One-Thousand and One Nights. While not a religious person myself, I did find the way Thompson would compare and contrast the stories found in the Quran with their counterparts from the Old Testament (such as Abraham's sacrifice of his son) to be interesting.

The richness of Habibi's plot is matched by its art, which is some of the best black-and-white artwork I've ever seen. Apparently, it took Thompson six years to complete and I can definitely see why. Inspired by Islamic art and calligraphy, there are panels and pages here so intricate, that a reader can find themselves lost in them.

Habibi is well deserving of the praise that it has received over the years since it was first published. Craig Thompson has crafted an astonishing masterpiece, one which belongs on any list of great comics.

Chapter 9

With Merees leading the way, the trio began making their way down the stairs and through the hallways of the palace. On occasion, they almost bumped into servants hurrying to their duties and guards on patrol. At first, Risha and Leorin had both been nervous when they ran into a guard, or more, but since they were never stopped or asked what they were doing, walking around the corridors, their anxiety soon faded away. Eventually, they came to the kitchen, which was curiously empty.

"Its just around the corner", Merees said.

At that moment, a terrible noise filled the air, drowning out all other sounds. It conjured up images of both thunderstorms and of something worse, something old and hungry and it almost caused the trio to jump out of their skins.

"W-what is that?" Leorin asked, instinctively drawing closer to his sister.

"I-I'm going to check it out", Merees said. She steeled herself and, mustering all her courage, peeked around the corner.

"Well, Princess?" Risha asked. "What is it? What's making that awful sound?"

Merees let out a sigh of relief, causing a tiny cloud of smoke to escape her throat.

"Its just a sleeping guard", she said. "Unfortunately, he's blocking our only exit."

"How do we get him to leave?" Leorin wondered.

The three of them pondered this problem for a moment, brows wrinkled in deep thought. Eventually, Risha snapped her fingers, in a eureka-moment.

"I've got it!" She said excitedly and somewhat louder than she had meant. Nervously, she covered her mouth, in case the guard had heard something, but the snoring continued, uninterrupted. She motioned for the others to come closer.

"What do you think?" She said, having explained her idea.

"Its worth a shot", Merees said. "At any rate, I'm out of ideas and besides, we don't have much time."

"I can't think of anything either", Leorin admitted.

Earlier, the guard, a rhinoceros, had been ordered to keep watch over the small door next to the kitchen. He had not been told why it needed to be guarded. True, beyond that door laid the dungeon, but the only prisoner in it was locked up tightly in his cell, with no chance of getting out.

 At first, our guard had demonstrated the vigilance and alertness so necessary in his line of work, but alas, eventually, his eyes began to feel heavier and heavier and so, having made sure that no-one else was in sight,  he sat down, leaned against the door and, with his head resting on his chest, set course for the realm of King Morpheus. He had just arrived at a particularly pleasant part of his journey there, when a loud voice reached his ears, abruptly returning him to the real world.

As he opened his eyes, the first thing that the guard saw, was a female dragon who glared at him, while stomping irritably with her foot.

"P-princess Merees", the guard stammered, standing up, while trying his best to look professional, something he did not succeed very well at.

 "How may I be of service, Your Highness? By the way", he continued, babbling nervously. "Allow me to express my condolences regarding the death of your father. He was truly a great..."

He stopped mid-sentence, noticing that the princess had put up her hand in the universal gesture for telling, not asking, someone to be quiet.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Merees asked, in a frosty tone of voice.

The guard shook his head dumbly, while doing his best to avoid the princess' withering look. He was the taller of the two, but at the moment, he felt as if he was the one being made to look up on her.

"I bring a message from my sister", Merees continued. "There is a change of plans. She has decided that guarding this door is no longer necessary, you may leave."

She glared at the guard, but to her dismay (and concern), he did not show any signs of abandoning his post.

"Well? I gave you an order, what are you still doing here?"

The Guard swallowed nervously.

"Forgive me, Your Highness", he began. "Its just that your sister gave me strict orders not to leave this door, unless she, or Lorenzo told me so, in person.

"Really?" Merees said, her voice now dripping with poisoned honey. "In that case, I better go and bring one of them here. Though they both seemed very busy when I last saw them and besides, I don't think they would be very pleased to learn that you've been shirking your duty, don't you?"

She turned around demonstratively and made as if to leave, when the guard called out to her:

"Your Highness! Wait!"

Merees allowed herself to relax. So far, so good. Now, all she had to do was keep up the charade.

"Yeees?" She said, slowly drawing out the consonant, while raising her left eyebrow in a disdainful manner."

"T-there's no need to tell anyone about my little mishap", the guard stammered and the look on his face was so pathetic that for a moment, the Princess almost felt sorry for him.

"If Princess Argath no longer wants me to guard the door, then I shall take your word for it, your highness", he went on. "Where should I go instead? Did she say anything about that?"

"Go to the western gate and relieve whoever's there", Merees replied and dismissed the guard with a gesture.

The guard gave a somewhat shaky salute and went away to his new assignment.

Risha and Leorin had been out of sight during all of this. As soon as the coast was clear, they rushed up to Merees and congratulated her:

"That was great, Princess", Leorin said, admiringly.  "You almost had me fooled for a second."

"Me too", Risha agreed. "You should become an actress."

"Thank you", Merees replied, somewhat overwhelmed by the praise. She turned to Risha. "I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to carry out your plan", she said. "I guess it was fortunate for us that the guard felt guilty about being caught sleeping on the job. Anyway, let's go."

The wooden door which had been previously blocked by the guard, was unlocked. The trio stepped inside and found themselves in a cramped corridor. To the left was a locked iron door, with a hatch at the bottom. A flight of stairs led down into pitch-black darkness.

"That's where we're going", said Merees.

She grabbed a lantern, which hung on a hook nearby, opened it and lit the candle with her breath. "I know that you two can probably see fine in the dark, but I'm afraid that's an ability I'm not blessed with. Let's go."

"Come on Leorin", Risha said.

She stopped and looked at her brother; curiosity had taken hold off Leorin, he was now seated on the floor, peering into the hatch, which he had slid open.

"What are you doing?" His sister asked, a hint of irritation in her voice. "We have to go."

"There's someone in there", her brother replied.

"Who is it?" Risha couldn't help but ask.

"Its a bit hard to tell from here, but I think its that boar we saw at the dinner. What was his name, again?"

"Bureno", said Merees. "He is the head of the kitchen. If he's locked up here, it means that the guards must have found something that implicated him in the assassination of my father and half-brother."

"But we know he's innocent", Risha said. "Can't we do something? Maybe take him with us."

Merees shook her head despondently.

"I'm afraid not. We don't have the keys and it would take too long for my fire to melt through the steel. We simply don't have the time."

All three glanced at the door. Merees remembered the times in the past when she had snuck into the kitchen. Despite how busy he usually was, Bureno had always had time for her, often giving her a foretaste of whatever delicious dish he and his colleagues had prepared. A tear formed in the corner of her eye. She wiped it away, before the others noticed.

"Come", she said in a thick voice. "There's no point in remaining here any longer."

******

It is unnecessary to provide a detail account of the trio's trek through the tunnel, seeing as how it was quite eventful. They walked in silence, contemplating the life and the people they had left behind. Eventually, they reached the end of the tunnel and soon found themselves on the city-streets. During their trek, the sun had risen and bathed the everything with its warm light. It seemed, by all indication, to be  the beginning of a pleasant day, one of those days that can make a person temporarily forget all the evil things which exist in the world.

"We should head for the harbor and charter a ship", Merees said. "Any ideas where we should go?"

"Our mom has relatives in another country", Leorin said. "Dad thought that they would take us in, but I can't remember what the country was called."

"Leporia", his sister said. "Do you know of it, princess?" She asked, turning to Merees.

"The name does ring a bell. I must admit though that geography was never my subject. My brother, Keron would have known a lot more though. Its too bad he chose to stay behind."

"Why would he do that?" Leorin wondered, incredulity stamped all over his tiny face. "That doesn't seem very smart, if you ask me. Ow!"

Leorin turned around.

"Why did you slap me for?" He demanded to know, glaring angrily at his sister.

"Don't be so rude", Risha replied. "If the Princess' brother chose to stay behind, I'm sure he had a good reason for doing so."

"Oh, yeah?" Leorin retorted, while massaging the back of his head. "Why don't you ask her about it, then?"

For a moment, Risha considered this. She had to admit that she too wondered why Prince Keron had stayed behind. Was it because he was unable to walk? She was just about to broach the subject to Merees, when she realized that the princess was no longer with them. Where could she have gone? She looked around, when Merees' voice reached her ears:

"Hey! What are you two standing there for? Hurry!"

The lynx-girl looked in the direction the voice had come from and saw Merees standing at the entrance to the harbor, the hood on her cloak once again pulled up. She grabbed Leorin's left paw and the two of them started running.

Back in the 90's, I was in a very famous TV-show...

Recently, I finished the third season of Netflix's original animated series Bojack Horseman and so, I decided to write a post about it.
Picture, if you will, the typical western cartoon made for an adult audience. These kinds of cartoons tend to have certain things in common: A main character who is basically a dick to everyone he interacts with. Plenty of vulgar humor, wacky hijinks and, finally, heavy drug- and/or alcohol abuse. For its first few episodes, Bojack Horseman comes across as yet another example of this type of cartoon; it certainly contains all of the ingredients mentioned above. However, if that was the case, I would hardly dedicate an entire post to the show. Fortunately, Bojack Horseman is a show that's far more interesting (and better) than the impression it initially gives.

Bojack Horseman takes place in a world that's pretty much our own, with the exception that a sizable part of the population consists of anthropomorphic animals. Its here that we meet the horseman himself; Bojack. Back in the 90's, Bojack was the star of the super-popular sitcom Horsin' Around (basically Full House, with a talking horse), but he hasn't done anything of note since the show ended and now spends his days either throwing parties or attempting to drown himself in drugs and alcohol. That is, until his agent tells him that he needs to finish the memoirs he promised to write years ago, in order to help revive his career. Tired of waiting, the publishing company has issued Bojack a ghost-writer, Diane Nguyen. As Bojack opens up more and more to Diane, it slowly dawns on him what life he has led and what kind of person he has been, or rather still is.

One of the things that sets Bojack Horseman apart from other shows of its type is how heavily serialized it is. Sure, shows like Archer and, especially, The Venture Bros featured continuity and on-going story-arcs, before Bojack existed.  However, those shows still started out being mostly episodic with plenty of self-contained episodes (it is, for example, completely possible for someone who has never seen Archer. to watch, say, the blimp episode from season 1 without any prior familiarity with the characters). This is not the case here; from the very beginning, its crucial that you watch the episodes in order. The lack of a status quo also serves to make Bojack Horseman the most realistic series of its type that I've seen (yes, despite the talking animals). Unlike, say, Homer Simpson, Bojack and the other characters inhabit a world in which their actions and choices have actual consequences (as Bojack's former friend and mentor Herb tells him in one of the show's most memorable moments: "You're going to live with the shitty thing you did, for the rest of your life).

Speaking of characters, while the show features quite a large cast, I'm going to limit myself to presenting only the five members of the main group. Aside from the aforementioned Bojack and Diane, we also have the former's agent and on-again-off-again girlfriend, Princess Carolyn. Todd, a slacker who showed up to one of Bojack's parties and never left and finally, Mr. Peanutbutter; a rival actor whom Bojack resents, mostly due to the fact that Mr. Peanutbutter is much happier and more well-adjusted than he himself is.
All of these characters play off each other really well and their voice actors (Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, etc) does a fine job portraying them. As the show has gone on, new sides of their personalities are revealed with even the characters which at first seem relegated to being just wacky comic-relief, turning out to be more well-rounded than they initially seem.

Seeing as how he's the star of the show, it should come as little surprise that Bojack gets fleshed out the most of all the characters. As Bojack Horseman progresses, Bojack goes from being merely another comedic asshole to, in my opinion, one of the most genuinely tragic characters in western animation. He's not tragic in the same way that the Ice-King from Adventure Time (to name one example) is though. No, Bojack's tragedy stems from the fact that he, from time to time, genuinely tries to become a better person, but his many personal flaws, hangups and neuroses, always seem to trip him up, leading him to fall back into his old habits.

The weakest part of Bojack Horseman, in my opinion, are the visuals. I don't find the art of the show unappealing to look at (if I did, I would've quit watching long ago), but I can't say that it's ever impressed me either, especially when compared to that of several other cartoons. I think its safe to say that in this case, the visuals play second fiddle to the writing. Thankfully, the writing is up to the task.
Bojack Horseman is a show that takes a while before it hits its stride. The early episodes of season one doesn't really do much to help the show stand out from others of its kind and if someone watched the show and decided to bail on it based on those episodes? Well, I can't really say I blame them for it.
That said, if you preserve, you'll find a show that's well worth watching. Bojack Horseman ranks as one of the best animated cartoons for adults to come out in recent years and is a close runner-up for the title of my favorite cartoon starring an anthropomorphic equine.

Chapter 8

"So", said Argath. "You know."

"I do", said Jeraddin.

The General and the Princess stared at one another from opposite side of the desk that dominated the late King Sharan's study. They were like a pair of poker players trying to see what cards the opponent had by studying their facial expressions.
Argath was leaning forward, her scaly fingertips forming a roof. As for Jeraddin, he merely sat upright in his chair, arms crossed. Seated next to him was Risha, whose eyes were focused downwards, on the rich pattern of the carpet that covered the floor. The final person in the room was Lorenzo, who was standing behind his mistress.

"There is one thing I do not understand", Argath said, after a brief moment of silence. "Why stay here? Why didn't you and your family immediately sneak out the palace and escape the country?"

"If I did", Jeraddin said, "I knew that I would have to spend the rest of my life sleeping with one eye open. Not out of fear of my own life, but that of my wive's and children. That's why I'm in this room, Your Highness, to offer you a deal."

"And why should the Princess make a deal with you?" Lorenzo asked, a contemptuous snort coming from his nose. "We could easily take care of you and your family and lay the blame on the doorstep of the kingdom's enemies."

"I'll pluck out your remaining eye first, mongrel", Jeraddin growled menacingly.

"Lorenzo, hold your tongue", Argath said, admonishing the fox in a sharp tone. "Still", she mused, "he makes a good point. What will I gain from allowing all of you to live?"

Jeraddin swallowed, time to put the cards on the table.

"You will gain my unquestioned loyalty. I shall serve you just as diligently as I served your father. That is what I offer you."

Argath rubbed her chin with one hand, while the fingers on its twin tap-danced on the surface of the desk. Finally, after what seemed to both Jeraddin and Risha as an eternity, she spoke:

"Your offer is not without interest and I would be willing to accept it. However, there's one thing that has me concerned."

"What is that, Your Highness?" Jeraddin asked.

"Let us say that I allowed your family to leave the country and live out their days in peace, provided that they never again set foot on Vinolian soil; what guarantee do I have that you would still keep to your end of the bargain?"

"My word of honor, your highness", Jeraddin said stiffly. Though I doubt such a thing means much to you, he thought.

"How chivalrous", Argath said dryly. "Normally, I'd almost be inclined to accept such an explanation. Unfortunately, there's too much at stake here. I'm going to need something else to guarantee your fealty."

"I believe I can guess: You want a hostage, don't you?"

Argath nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, yes, that would be one option. There is another one, though."

Jeraddin's ears perked up.

"What is that?" He asked, leaning forward eagerly.

Argath smiled, showing of a set of gleaming white fangs.

"Why, killing another member of the royal family, of course", she said.

Jeraddin couldn't think of anything to say, he merely stared at the Princess in stunned silence.

"Such a deed would bind you to us", she continued. "Of course, it would have to be carried out in the presence of a reliable witness and involve a written confession. Anyway, whichever of my half-siblings you choose, neither should pose much of a challenge to a seasoned warrior like yourself, even if they're dragons. We're talking about an untrained youth  and a cripple, after all..."

"No!"

Risha had been quiet during the entire conversation between Argath and her father, but now, that one word, escaped her lips and it seemed to envelop the whole room in it.

"Dad, don't do this", she pleaded, touching Jeraddin's arm. "I don't want you to kill anyone!"

"My, what a naive girl", Argath said mockingly. "Do you really think that your father became the war-hero he is today without shedding some blood?"

"T-that was different", the lynx girl protested. "My father would never kill someone that couldn't defend themselves."

As she said those words, she looked pleadingly at Jeraddin, hoping that he would say something that would confirm her opinion, but he did not. Instead, when he spoke, it was to ask Argath a question:

"May I have some time to think about it?"

The Princess nodded assent.

"You may." 

She picked up a silver-bell which sat on the desk and rang it. Immediately, the doors opened and a servant entered.

"Escort the General and his daughter to their room", Argath commanded. "We shall continue this conversation in a bit."

Once they were alone, Argath turned to Lorenzo.

"There are guards posted in the garden, right?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Have a few posted below the General's window, as a precaution."

"It will be done. Princess, may I ask a question?"

"What is it?"
"Why allow the General and his family to live? Surely, we could have found a way to get rid of them without casting suspicions on to us?"

Argath did not answer immediately. Instead, she walked up to the large map of the world, which covered one of the walls. She stood there, her head tilted sideways, as if she was studying some great painting. Eventually, she motioned for Lorenzo to come closer.

"What do you see?" She asked.
"I don't understand, Your Highness" the fox said, puzzled. "Its a map of the world. What about it?"
"Its the reason why I prefer Jeraddin alive and serving me, rather than dead and buried. You see, though he does not know it, he will help me accomplish the second part of my revenge against my father."

"I don't understand; the King is dead, what else is there to do?"

Argath let out a soft chuckle.

"Taking my father's life was only the beginning. Its not only his death that I hungered for for so long, but to surpass him completely."

She  reached out and touched the surface of the map, allowing her fingers to glide over sea and land.

"I shall expand Vinoli's borders, making it a greater nation than it has ever been. When future historians mention the reign of King Sharan, it will be only as a footnote, to that of mine."

*****

As they followed the servant back to their temporary quarters, Risha found that her mind was overflowing with questions. Among other things, she wondered about Argath's remark earlier. Had her father actually killed someone in cold blood before? No, she couldn't imagine him being capable of something like that.

The Princess is just trying to get under my skin, that's all, she thought to herself. It was a comforting thought and she grabbed onto it like a drowning man would a lifeline. She also wondered what had become of Merees; she hadn't seen the younger Princess since that terrible scene in the dining hall. Was she still somewhere in the palace or had she left? Probably the latter, since every second she remained in this place meant that her life was at risk. Still, I would have liked to have seen her one more time, if only to say goodbye.

At last, they reached their destination. The servant excused himself and headed back. As soon as they stepped over the threshold, Risha and Jeraddin noticed that there was something different about the room from when they had left it. Or rather, the room itself was the same as before, but now, in addition to Nasari and Leorin, there was a third person there. Said person was wearing cape with a hood, which obscured their features.

"Who are you?" Jeraddin asked, positioning himself in front of his daughter. Neither Nasari nor Leorin seemed hurt in any way, so the newcomer was most likely not dangerous. Still, he was not about to take any unnecessary risks.
With a quick gesture, the stranger lowered their hood.

"Princess Merees!" Risha exclaimed joyfully.
While the two friends embraced each other, Nasari turned to her husband.

"The princess appeared just after you two had left", she explained.

"I'm sorry I didn't come before", Merees said, "but it took me a little while to find the room you were in. However, when I arrived, you two were gone. I heard from Nasari that you had left with my sister's henchfox." She turned to Jeraddin. "General, please tell me that you didn't make some sort of deal with her?"

"I did, I thought it was the only way to guarantee the safety of my children."

"So, what deal did you make?" His wife asked.

Jeraddin slumped his shoulders and let out a heavy sigh.

"She has agreed not to harm any of you, provided that one of you either stays a hostage...or, I kill one of the two remaining members of the royal family."

Upon hearing these words, Merees instinctively took a few steps back.

"General", she said. "Your children saved my life; without them, I would have joined my father and half-brother. I owe them a debt that I intend to repay, but I have no intention of giving up my life: I mean to live on so that I can one day take down Argath and make her pay for all that she has done. Do you really intend to take my life? Very well, but it will come at a cost."

Having said that she assumed a stance and began circling around the room, wisps of smoke coming out of her nostrils.

"Believe me, Princesss", Jeraddin said. "This is not something I wish to do."

Risha had positioned herself between the two and now she looked at Jeraddin beseechingly.

"Father, you don't have to do this", she pleaded. "I don't want you to kill anyone! If Argath wants a hostage, then she...." An audible gulp escaped Risha's throat. "....She can have me", she finished.

"No, she can't!"

Nasari, who previously had been sitting on the bed, now stood up in her full height, her eyes blazing with determination.

"I'm not leaving any of my children in the hands of...of her", she said, anger making her incapable of even speaking Argath's name. "That's why I will be the hostage she desires."

Upon announcing this, Nasari looked at Merees.

"Your Highness", she said. "You said you owed my children a debt, may I entrust you with their protection?"

"Absolutely" Merees said, solemnly. "You can count on me."

Jeraddin relaxed visibly and gave his wife a look of sincere gratitude. He felt an immense relief that he wouldn't have to take somebody's life, especially that of a person whom his daughter was obviously very fond of. Than, a thought struck him:

"How are you planning on leaving the palace?" He asked. "Our children should be able to leave through the gates once we've wrapped things up with Argath, but what about you, Princess? I doubt your sister is going to let you out of her sight."

"There's a tunnel which leads out past the palace-grounds", Merees explained. "It was made in order to allow any old people, women and children among the courtiers and staff to escape, in case it looked like the palace would fall to an invasion. As far as I know, its never been used, but I used to play in it when I was little."

"Or, we could sneak out through the garden", Leorin suggested, those being the first words he had spoken in a while.

He walked over to the window and peered down into the garden. When he turned back to the others, it was with a crestfallen look on his face.

"Never mind, there are two guards standing right below the window."

"They weren't there before", Jeraddin said. "Argath must have placed them there. I must hand it to her; she seems to think of everything."


"Let us hope she's overlooked the tunnel", Merees said and turned to Risha and Leorin. "I apologize if I sound callous, but I would prefer not to remain here much longer. Why don't you say good-bye and then we'll go."

"We already said good-bye.", Risha said, while glancing at the ring her father had given her.

Leorin nodded, trying his best to seem mature. Then, his true feelings took over and he rushed to his mother, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Good-bye, mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie", Nasari replied as she gently touched the tip of her son's ears. "You and your sister will always be my treasures."

Jeraddin nodded in agreement.

"And mine", he said.

"You won't be separated forever", said Merees. "That's another thing I promise you."

"Wait! Risha asked, looking at her mother. "If we return here and Argath finds out, won't that mean she'll..." She left the final words of the sentence hanging in the air, unable to pronounce them.

"Well", Nasari said with a wry smile on her face. "You'll just have to be careful and make sure she does not find out. Don't worry about me, children, your mother can take care of herself if it comes to that. Believe me, I'm tougher than I look."

"I can testify to that fact", said Jeraddin and planted a quick kiss on his wife's cheek, her whiskers tickling his nose, causing him to sneeze.

Having said farewell for the second time, Risha and Leorin took one last look at their parents and their old life, before following Merees out the door. Now, all they had to do was reach that tunnel and hope that luck was on their side.

Better Call Saul

Breaking Bad is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest TV-shows ever made and with good reason. Debuting in 2008, the show told the story about Walter White, a man who learns that he suffers from terminal cancer and so, begins to use his skills as a chemistry-teacher, to cook meth, in order to make sure his family wouldn't lack for anything when he was gone. During the course of the show's run, we followed Walter as he transformed from a loving husband and father, to a ruthless criminal mastermind, motivated primarily by ambition and pride. Bryan Cranston, who prior to Breaking Bad had been mostly known for his role as Hal, the bumbling father in Malcolm In the Middle, knocked it out the park as Walter, delivering one of the finest lead performances seen in a TV-series.
Breaking Bad wasn't just the story about Walter White's gradual descent into villainy though; like most worthwile works of fiction, it featured a terrific supporting cast as well. Among the most memorable supporting characters of the show was Saul Goodman, the criminal lawyer (as in, he's a lawyer who's also a criminal), whom Walt and his partner-in-crime, Jesse Pinkman, enlisted as their legal adviser. Despite being an unapologetic crook, Saul revealed himself as one of Breaking Bad's few genuinely likable characters and so, its small wonder that in 2015, the show's creator Vince Gilligan, released a spin-off centered around him: Better Call Saul.

Better Call Saul mostly takes place before the events of Breaking Bad (I say mostly, because we also get a few scenes showing us what happened to the protagonist after the end of that show) and focuses on Saul back when he was still Jimmy McGill, a struggling attorney operating out of the back of a nail-saloon, while also looking after his older brother, Chuck. Chuck is a partner in the respected law-firm Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, but at the start of the show, has been confined to his house for a year, due to developing a case of (self-diagnoses) electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
Aside from Jimmy's quest to advance his law-career, the show also chronicles the rise of another character from Breaking Bad; Mike Ehrmantraut. A retired cop with a past he'd rather keep buried, Mike's skills soon makes him a person of interest to some of Albuquerque's less upstanding citizens.
Other important characters include Howard Hamlin, Chuck's partner, whom initially serves as Jimmy's nemesis during the first season. Kim Wexler, a lawyer employed at H.H.M. and Jimmy's possible love-interest. Hector Salamanca and his nephew Tuco, high-ranking members of a drug cartel and Nacho, Tuco's ambitious and cunning right-hand man.

These characters are all extremely well-portrayed by their actors and are, for the most part complex, with new layers to their personalities being revealed during the course of the series. Bob Odenkirk in particular shines as Jimmy, portraying the future Saul Goodman as a lovable huckster; a guy who genuinely loves his friends and family and, for the most part, means well, but who can't seem to help himself from taking the easy way out and who tends to be blind to the consequences of his actions.

One aspect of the show I find particularly well-made is the relationship between Jimmy and Chuck. I won't go into any details, so as not to spoil things for those of my readers who have not yet watched it, but suffice to say that it's one of the most interesting sibling relationships I've seen in any form of media.

Another thing I like about Better Call Saul is how accessible it is to new viewers, viewers who go into it without any previous knowledge of its predecessor. True, already being a fan of Breaking Bad was certainly the big reason for why I decided to watch BCS, but its not a necessity for enjoying the show.

In conclusion: Better Call Saul is an excellent series, more than worthy of the show it spun off from. I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to the third season.

Chapter 7

Six eyes watched Jeraddin as he paced around in a circle, arms on his back. Eventually, he stopped and spoke:

"Who else knows about this?" He asked, the question being directed to his first-born.

"I told Princess Merees", Risha replied. "I thought that maybe she'd be able to prevent the murder from happening. I think she was supposed to tell her brother, as well. The one in the wheelchair, not the one who was killed."

"Why didn't you tell your father or me about this?" Nasari asked.

"I tried to do that", Leorin protested in a frustrated tone, "but neither of you would listen."

Having said that, the small cat crossed his arms and turned his head side-ways, in a huff.

Nasari went over to her son, she sat down next to him and gently touched his shoulder. Then, she turned to her husband.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" She asked.

Jeraddin let out a sigh.

"Argath is going to find out who warned her sister sooner or later. Perhaps, she already has. She can't risk letting the truth come out, so whoever knows it will be in great danger."

At this, Nasari jumped up from the bed, she had been seated on, her tail swishing back and forth.

"If she touches a hair on my children's head", she said heatedly. "I will kill her, I swear it."

"Don't be rash", Jeraddin said. "The chances of you, or any of us, killing a dragon directly are highly unlikely. Besides, even if you were to succeed you'd end up being arrested and executed."

"I don't care", Nasari snapped, stretching herself up to her full height. "I would lay down my life for our children. Wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would", Jeraddin snapped back, he had not appreciated the somewhat accusatory tone in his wife's voice. He took a deep breath in order to calm himself. After all, there was no reason to be upset and besides, it wasn't as if he couldn't understand how Nasari felt.

"It won't come to that though", he continued. "I have another idea."

"What is that?" His wife asked.

"Simple, do you still have contact with those relatives of yours that emigrated to Leporia?"

"I haven't heard from them in awhile, why? You don't mean...." Nasari stopped, leaving the question hanging in the air.

Jeraddin nodded.

"Yes, my dear" he said. "I'm afraid that you and the children will have to leave Vinoli and not come back."

The tone of Jeraddin's voice as he uttered these words betrayed no emotions, but his ears lied flat on his head and there was a profound sadness lurking in his eyes.

Risha had listened to what her father had said with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Was she really being forced to abandon her old life and everything that she knew? It was so terribly unfair that she could scream, but she didn't, realizing that it wouldn't do any good. Instead, she just stared down at the floor and for a brief moment she wished that she and Leorin had remained ignorant about Argath's plan. Then, she realized that if they had, Merees wouldn't have been alive today and immediately regretted it.


"What about you, dad?" She asked. "Aren't you coming with us."

Jeraddin shook his head.

"I'm afraid not", he said. "I shall speak to the Princess and in exchange of my continued services and silence, I hope to persuade her to leave you in peace. However, in case that fails, I need you to be far away from here."

As he looked at his children, Jeraddin suddenly felt himself overcome with emotion. He crouched down and motioned for them to come closer. That was all the invitation Risha and Leorin needed and they both rushed into their fathers arms, where they were soon joined by their mother. For what felt like an eternity, the whole family remained pressed together, eyes shut. Then, with a deep sigh, Jeraddin let go, stood up and looked at his children.

"Children", he began and his voice was thick with emotion. "Whatever happens in the future, know that your father will always love you and that I know you will make me proud."

Having said that, Jeraddin removed the ring from his finger.

"Risha, this ring was given to me by my father. You are my first-born, so its only right that you should have it, as an heirloom."

With those words, Jeraddin gently grabbed his daughter's hand and put the ring on her finger.

"Remember to mind your mother and protect your brother when he needs it."

"I will father", Risha replied, wiping away a tear that glistened in the corner of her eye.

"Its time for you to go now", Jeraddin said.

He went over to the window, opened it and looked out.

"Its not a very high drop. You should be able to make it: Go to our house, take the money in the safe and charter a ship..."

"Wait!" Nasari interrupted.

Jeraddin turned and looked at his wife, her face was a canvas upon which conflicting emotions had been painted.

"What is it, my dear?" He asked, concernedly.

Before answering, Nasari grabbed her husband's collar and looked up at him.

"You've always asked me my opinion in all matters regarding the family", she said in a low voice.

"However, this time you didn't. What if I wish to stay by your side? Did you think of that?"

"You're right", Jeraddin acquiesced "I should have asked your opinion. I merely assumed that you wanted to go with our children, that is all."

Nasari turned and looked at her son and daughter with a tormented look on her face.

"Of course, I do, but I want to stay with you just as much. Oh, if only there was some sort of magic that could make me be in two places at once."

With those words, she buried her face in her husband's chest and sobbed quietly.

Risha and Leorin had looked on this scene with a feeling of unease. Their mother had always been such a calm, comforting presence in their lives and seeing her this distraught, caused their hearts to ache and they wished that they could do something for her. The empathy soon became too much for Leorin to handle and he began to cry his eyes out. Upon hearing this pitiful sound, Nasari's maternal instincts kicked in and she embraced her youngest child, stroking his head and whispering comforting words  to him in a gentle voice. While her brother was being comforted, Risha had been looking at the ring, which she now wore on her finger. As she gazed at it, she knew what she had to do.

"You don't have to come with us, mom", she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"What are you saying, sweetie?" Nasari asked, looking at her daughter with saucer-wide eyes.

"I'm almost an adult. I can look after Leorin until we get to our relatives. So, if you want to stay with dad, that's not a problem."

"Oh, Risha..." Nasari began, looking at her daughter with both pride and remorse.

She didn't have time to say anything else, because at that moment, the doors flew open and Lorenzo stepped inside.

The fox's good eye scanned the room, before resting on the family, then he spoke:

"Excuse me for the disturbance, General" he said, greeting Jeraddin with an insincere tone in his voice.  "However, I'm afraid that Princess Argath wishes to have a word with  to your daughter. It has come to Her Highness's attention, that she may have valid information about our beloved King's murder."

She's only asking for Risha? Jeraddin thought. In order words, she's not aware that Leorin knows as well.

"I understand", Jeraddin replied out-loud.. "We'll be right with you."

"Um...the Princess merely requested for the girl to be present", Lorenzo said, somewhat taken aback.

"Too bad, I have things that I need to discuss with the Princess and believe me, its in her best interest that she listens to what I have to say."

Lorenzo glared at Jeraddin, his eye narrowing to a slit. Then, he shrugged.

"Very well", he said. "Shall we go? All three of us?"

"Its going to be alright", Jeraddin said reassuringly to his wife, before kissing her on the cheek. Then, he, Risha and Lorenzo walked out the door, leaving Nasari and Leorin alone in the room. Alone with their worries.