The Visitor

A few hours journey from the Vinolian capital laid an estate of reasonable size. Said estate belonged to a widow, a lady of the reptilian races, by the name of Maja. She lived there with her son, Felix, his tutor and a few servants.

Maja had inherited the estate from her husband Manfred, whom she had met during a visit to one of the capital's bookshops.While there, she had spotted a title she did not recognized by one of her favorite authors. Just as she reached out to grab it, another hand did the same. Maja had turned her head and her eyes had met those of a handsome male of the same species. The Two of them had stuttered a few excuses and had presented at each other. Shortly thereafter, they had left the bookshop together, promising to see each other again. Some months later, their wedding was held and a year afterwards, Felix was born.

Now, it happened that because his parents had died when he was but a child, Manfred had been raised by an uncle, his father's brother. Said uncle was an official at court and he had taken his nephew on as an assistant, an position which Manfred did not relinquish even after he had come of age and even had a family of his own. As a result of this, the young husband and father spent a not inconsiderable amount of time in the capital, away from his home and family.

Did Manfred have any so-called "adventures" while away? Of this, we can only speculate and at any rate, Maja herself did not. She, who had once been a favorite among the capital's ladies, found that she was happy in the country. Her husband left the management of the estate, as well as the raising of their son entirely up to her and whenever he came home, he showered them both with affection.

There were no dark clouds on Maja's sky and the young woman was not about to bring any into existence.

Then, one day, on the sixth year of their marriage, Maja recieved a letter from her other half. It read as followed:

My Darling. I bring you the most interesting news. 

You will remember that last time I was at home, I told you that His Majesty has entrusted his daughter with an important diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Guanaca and that my uncle had been chosen to be a part of the Princess's entourage on this mission. 
Unfortunately, uncle met with an accident and, as a consequence, is unable to embark on the voyage. Now, this is where the interesting part comes in: A messenger from the palace arrived at uncle's home and told me that I was being summoned to the palace. I quickly changed into my best outfit and headed there. Upon arriving at the palace, I was escorted to a room, whose chief furniture was a desk and two chairs. 

It was not long before the door opened and the Princess herself appeared. She thanked me for coming and bade me sit down. She herself took up her position behind the desk. When she were both seated, the Princess asked after my uncle, how he fared after his accident and so-on. I answered her that he was doing fine under the circumstances. Her Highness then changed the topic of the conversation to be about me. 
It was evident, she told me, that I was a very capable man and that my uncle put a lot of trust in me. Its silly, but receiving such praise from such an exalted person made me blush like a schoolboy.

The Princess then asked me if I would like to take my uncle's place. I must confess that I was on the verge of answering "Yes" immediately. I realized that this would help my career, not to mention that you know that I love to travel. Then, I thought about you and about Felix - the two people I love the most in this world. Its true that my work keeps me away from you, but the capital is not far away and 

I come home whenever I'm able. Guanaca is quite far away though and I don't know when I'll be back. It doesn't feel fair to you if I just head off on some voyage overseas and so, I told the Princess that I was flattered, but that I would like to discuss things with my wife first. Her Highness said she understood and graciously gave me a day off, in order for me to accomplish this purpose.

"However" she told me, "I shall need your answer before the end of the week." 

I thanked her and promised that she would have it. It was at that moment that I recalled hearing that before we began seeing each other, you and the Princess had been friends. With that in mind, I decided to mention your name. Upon hearing it, the Princess frowned, as though she was trying to remember some long-forgotten acquaintance and I thought that perhaps I had been mistaken, but then she nodded to herself.

"Yes" she said, staring into the distance. "I do remember someone with that name."

I was not sure what to say and shortly thereafter, the audience came to an end. I kissed the hand the Princess extended to me and assured her that she would have my answer when I returned to the capital and that regardless of what that answer might be, I was deeply honored to even be considered for such an important job.
I shall see  you both tomorrow. I count the hours until then.

Your Husband, Manfred.

******

The Next day, Manfred returned home as he had promised. He was greeted in the door by Felix, who threw himself into his father's outstretched arms.

"Have you been a good boy?" Manfred asked and Felix nodded.

"Do you have any presents for me?" He asked and a look of disappointment passed briefly over his face when Manfred shook his head.

"Oh, well" the boy said and shrugged his shoulders.

Manfred then put Felix down and embraced his wife, kissing on her the cheek. A tug on his sleeve caused him to look down.

"Dad, will you play with me?" Felix asked.

"In a moment, son" Manfred replied. "I have to talk to your mother first."

Felix accepted this and went out to play by himself in the garden. His parents,for their part, went into the living room and sat down in two armchairs. Almost immediately, the maid; one of two servants living in the house, appeared and Maja told her to serve them some coffee.

The Coffee arrived shortly thereafter, along with a few biscuits that had been found in a cupboard. As they sampled the coffee and the biscuits, the young couple talked about various things: Manfred asked his wife how things had been at home during his absence and he, in his turn, told her the latest news from the capital. Eventually, the conversation arrived at Manfred's letter.

"Its up to you" he said, as he put his cup down on its saucer. "If you don't want me to go, then I'll stay."

Maja closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, it was with a serious look on her face.

"To be honest" she said. "When I first read your letter, there was a part of me that really wanted to say no and I'm glad that you gave me the opportunity to do so, but I do not intend to exercise it."

Maja paused, taking in the sheer look of earnest relief that washed over her spouse's features. Then, she continued:

"I realize that this is a great opportunity for you and as your wife, I made a vow to support you. I just want you to promise me one thing."

"Whatever you want."

Maja leaned over the low glass table, lowering her eyelids seductively.

"Promise that you won't let any of the Guanacan women seduce you. I bet men as handsome as you are in short supply over there."

"I promise, there's no girl who can compete with you any way."

They both leaned forward and soon, their lips touched each other.

"We should tell Felix about this" Maja said, after they were finished. "I just hope he takes it well."

Felix did not take it well.

"Why do you have to leave?" The Boy asked his father, the corner of his lower lip quivering as he posed the question. "I don't want you to leave!" He shouted angrily, stomping his tiny foot and clutching his little fists. Then, he got an idea:

"Take me with you" Felix demanded, his face lit up by the sheer genius of this notion. "Please, father" he begged, getting down on his knees, "I promise I won't cause any trouble."

"Out of the question" Maja said in a firm tone.

Felix looked at his mother with reproach, then turned to his other parent for support.

"Your mother is right, Felix" Manfred agreed, nodding sagely. "You're far too young to undertake such a long journey".

 Seeing that his son looked as if he was about to throw a tantrum, Manfred got down on one knee and caught Felix in a bear hug.

"Listen, son" he said. "If you promise to be good, I'll bring back something for you from Guanaca and when I get home, I'll take a long vacation. I'll spend so much time with you that you'll be sick at the sight of me. Do we have a deal?"

Felix nodded.  He still would have liked to come with his father. After all, he was five years old and not a little kid anymore. He realized however that this was the best offer he would get and that pushing it further might lead to his mother grounding him. Last time, he had been confined to his room for three days and had almost died of boredom. Felix had no desire to go through that again and so, he decided to back down.

The Rest of the day went by in an idyllic fashion: Manfred spent it playing with his son, enjoying dinner in the company of his family and finally, fell into a deep sleep having made love to Maja.
The Next morning, after having breakfast, he embraced the two people he cherished the most and stepped into the carriage which would take him to the capital. Maja and Felix stood on the veranda, watching the carriage and with it, the head of the family, disappear in a cloud of dust.

*****

Days went by, then turned to weeks and before mother and son knew it, two months passed. Two months without them hearing anything from Manfred. Maja was beginning to fear that something had happened to him- She kept her concerns to herself though, not wishing to cause her son any worry.

Then, one day, while Maja was enjoying a book in the library, Felix burst in.

"Mom! Mom!" He called out to her, his face flushed with excitement. "Look what came in the mail coach today!"

With trembling hands, he produced a thick envelope which he handed over to his mother. As she gazed at the envelope, Maja recognized her husband's handwriting and, breathing a sigh of relief, touched the envelope with her lips.

"Open it mom!" Felix insisted. "Hurry! I want to know what dad writes!"

Seeing her son's eagerness, Maja smiled fondly at him. She sat down and Felix took his place on her lap. Once they were both seated comfortably, Maja opened the envelope and took out a letter, which consisted of several pages. She unfolded the first page and began to read:

My Beloved Family.

It is my fervent hope that when this letter reaches you, it finds you both in good health. I am writing this from my room in the palace of King Suluf of Guanaca. My room overlooks a square with a fountain filled with blue water. As I write this letter, servant-girls of all species are busy washing linen in it, the sounds of the cicada's providing the background music....

Maja's reading was abruptly interrupted by Felix yawning loudly.

"This is boring" the boy complained. "Who cares about linen or cicadas? Doesn't the letter say anything interesting?"

"Well, if you just remain quiet and listen, I'm sure we'll arrive at something you'll find interesting, eventually" Maja replied, annoyed at the interruption. "Or perhaps you'd rather go outside and play while I read your father's letter alone."

Felix hurriedly shook his head and promised to be quiet. Satisfied, Maja cleared her throat and resumed her reading:

...Enough about that though, I better write something about our journey to get here. We first left Vinoli in a ship, flying diplomatic colors. This first stage on our journey was quite tedious, the most dramatic thing that happened to me was that I got sea-sick. Thankfully, after only a day's rest I was back on my feet. After four days on the sea, we reached land. Here, we were greeted by a delegation from Suluf, who were to escort us all the way to the gates to his kingdom. 

Thus, we set off; travelling through an arid desert landscape, a hostile sun glaring down at us. We had been provided with clothes that shielded us from the sun and our escorts knew where the oases were located, so we did not lack for water. Nonetheless, the heat was perfectly unbearable! There were times when I thought it would fry my brain like an egg

I was not alone in being bothered by the heat though. In fact, among us, only Her Highness seemed not troubled by it in the slightest. My guess is that her being a dragon might have something to do with it. After all, it seems logical that a race who can breathe fire would be very tolerant towards higher temperatures.

After three days of this, we came to the end journey. My dears, if my writing skills were better I could describe more aptly the sheer joy we felt at staring up at the high white walls surrounding King Suluf's capital. Upon entering the city, we were immediately escorted to the palace and soon found ourselves standing in the large, open throne room. 

As is the custom, we approached the throne with our eyes downcast. Once we had taken twenty steps, we knelt down and pressed our foreheads to the floor. While in that position, I could hear the King and our Princess exchanged greetings. King Shuluf then gave us leave to rise and so, I got my first glimpse of Guanaca's sovereign. 

He is a panther, tall and athletically built. His fur is mostly black, with the occasional streaks of silver here and there and his eyes are green. Seated next to the King, on a smaller and lower throne was his Queen, a fennec whose fur is the color of the sun. I must admit that, I found her fairly attractive. Though, naturally, she can't compare to you.

The Princess then presented the King and Queen with the gifts we had brought with us. After the royal couple had expressed their gratitude. Shortly thereafter, the audience came to an end and we were shown to our quarters. I was grateful for an opportunity to rest after the long journey and to change out of my travelling clothes. Once I had done that, I decided to sit down and compose this letter. 

All that's left for me now is to find someone who is heading for Vinoli and is willing to take it with them. This letter, the first I write from Guanaca, will also be the last one. My further experiences in this country, I shall recount to you both in person.

With all my love, Manfred.

*****

Maja stood in her study, gazing out the window. Outside the rain poured down in torrents, hammering on the roof and windows, like an invading force trying to break in.
What a depressing sight, Maja thought. Oh, well, it won't last forever.

Sighing resignedly, she sat down behind the desk and from its drawer took out a black book, which she opened. It was in this book that Maja noted down everything that needed to be done in the house for the coming month, along with eventual expenses.

A gentle, but audible knock on the door, Maja look up from her writing.

"Enter" she said.

"Excuse me, ma'm" Joanna the maid said, as she stood in the doorway, "but there's a person here to see you."

"To see me?" Maja asked, surprised. "It must be important if they came to see me in this beastly weather. Where are they now?"

Joanna informed her mistress that the visitor was waiting in the kitchen. Maja went there and stood for a moment in the kitchen door, looking at the scene before her: Standing by the fire was an ermine, dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and a travelling cloak. Aside from him, the only other person in the kitchen was the muskrat cook, who was enjoying his siesta; dead to the world around him.
Maja entered the kitchen and upon hearing her footsteps, the visitor turned around.

"Lady Maja" he said, bowing to her, while clutching the brim of his hat. "Thank you for seeing me."

"It is nothing"  Maja replied. "And please, Maja will do just fine. I do not have a title."

The Ermine seemed to ponder this for a second, then shrugged.

"As you wish" he said. "Though in confidence I can say that I've met actual ladies who were less ladylike than you, madame."

"You have traveled far" Maja observed, noticing the mud-stains on the visitor's boots and the dust from the road that clung to his white fur.

"Farther than you know, madame" the visitor replied. "I have traveled across the sea to give you this."

Reaching into the fold of his cloak, the visitor produced an envelope, which he handed to his host.

"You said you traveled across the sea" Maja began and despite her best efforts to remain calm, her voice quivered nervously. "Can I assume than, that you were part of the diplomatic mission to Guanaca"

"You assume correct, madame."

Despite the warmth from the fire, Maja felt a chill run down her spine.

"Tell me" she said, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. "Has something happened to my husband?"

"Its all in the letter I gave you" the ermine replied, pointing at the envelope in Maja's hand. "The Princess herself wrote it."

For the first time, Maja took a closer look at the envelope and doing so, she noticed that it bore the seal of the Royal family. Her hands trembled.

"I know it must be done, but I dread opening this letter and reading the words. May I ask you to do it in my stead?"

The Ermine nodded and Maja handed him the envelope. With his claws, he broke the seal, took out the letter and began to read out-loud...

****

Upstairs in his room,  Felix was busy amusing himself playing with his toys, when a loud shriek pierced his ears. He immediately recognized his mother's voice and, being the dutiful son that he was, put his toys down and rushed to her aid. Upon arriving at the kitchen, he found his mother lying in a pile on the floor, with the cook, the maid and a third person he did not recognize, knelt beside her.

"Mom!" Felix exclaimed. "What's happened? Who are you?" He added, looking suspiciously at the stranger.

"Do not fret, lad" said the ermine, holding his paws up in the universal gesture for peace. "I am merely a messenger."

"Felix is that you?" Maja asked, her voice faint.

"Yes, mom" Felix replied. "Its me. Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself somewhere?"
Maja lifted her head and looked at her son with tears streaming down her face. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Mom, what is it?" Felix asked, as he was pressed against his mother's breast. "Did something happen?" He asked the question with fear in his voice.

Maja relaxed her grip and put one hand on Felix's shoulder, while its twin caressed his cheek.

"Felix" she began. "It's your father. He...." She paused, mentally gathering the strength required to say what she had to. "He is dead" she finished and on that final word, her voice broke into a sob.

Dead. It was the first time in his life that Felix heard that word and yet, just from the sound of it and the heavy silence that reigned in the kitchen, that it signified something important. Important and awful.

"Does this mean that dad is not coming home?" He asked and his mother nodded.

Felix could not believe it. It seemed unreal to him that his father was gone and would never come back. Suddenly, he felt a curious pain in his chest, such as he had never felt before and tears welled up in his eyes.

*****

A month after the news of Manfred's demise had reached his family, the diplomatic expedition returned home. Their mission had been a success and a friendly relationship had been established between the two kingdoms. As for Manfred, they had not been able to bring his body back with them and so, he was buried there; far from home. Nonetheless, a funeral was held by his widow, so that those who had been close to Manfred could say their good-byes.

The Funeral was attended by a fairly large group of people, including the servants and a few people from court. They had been part of the mission and had come to offer their deceased colleague's widow their condolences. Later on, a few of them would try to replace Manfred in Maja's heart, but to no avail.

From the crown, Maja received a widow's pension, which together with her income from the estate, allowed for her and Felix to live a comfortable life, free of any economic struggles and when the harvest went wrong one year and it looked like the tenants would not be able to pay the rent, Maja gave them a reprieve until times were better and handed out grain that had been stored, so that they and their families wouldn't starve when winter came.

Two years later, on a warm summer's day, Felix was playing in the garden and Maja, having nothing do to, decided to relax by sunbathing on the veranda. Reclining in a sun-chair, she closed her eyes and was just about to drift off to sleep, when a voice whispered in her ear:

"Guess who?"

Maja fell out of her chair in surprise. Picking herself up, her heart doing somersaults in her chest, she stared with saucer-eyes at the person before her, not knowing what to say or do. Just then, Felix came running up to the veranda, his face flush with excitement.

"Mom, mom! Look who's here!" He said, practically bouncing up and down. "Its the Crown Princess!" He added helpfully, in case his mother was not aware of this.

So I see, Maja thought.

She picked herself up off of the ground and turned to the surprise-visitor.

"Your Highness" she said, curtsying. "This is certainly a surprise. Forgive my attire, but I was not expecting company. Especially such exalted company as this."

"Your son wanted to go ahead and announce my arrival, but I convinced him that this would be much more amusing" the Princess replied, while casually twirling the umbrella she used to shield herself from the sun. "And I was right, wasn't I?" She said, turning to Felix.

Felix nodded eagerly, his tiny hands covering his mouth.

"You should have seen your face, mom!" He hollered. "It looked like this!"

He proceeded to contort his face into a series of comically exaggerated expressions.

"Oh, bravo!" The Princess exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Your son really has a gift for mimicry, dear Maja."

Very amusing, Maja thought sarcastically.

She wondered what sort of expression her son would make if she was to announce to him that he was grounded for the next two weeks. Not that she would do that to him. Not for such a petty reason any way, but the mental image cheered her up a bit.

"Your Highness, permit me to go inside and change into a more appropriate attire."

"Well, you can hardly slip into something more comfortable" the Princess replied with a wry grin.
"Go ahead, I'll have young Felix entertain me until you come back. You don't mind do you, Felix?"

Felix shook his head eagerly, flattered by the attention.

Once she was back inside, Maja leaned against the door and took a few deep breaths, in order to calm her nerves. She passed her hand over her face and as she did, the same question as before, kept repeating in her head:

What was Argath doing here? They hadn't spoken to each other in years, not since before she was married.

Maja's mind drifted back to the last time the two of them had talked to each other. Said conversation had taken place in Argath's bedroom, with Maja sitting on the side of the bed, sensing the Princess' gaze on her bare back.

"There is something I need to tell you" she said, as she reached down for her clothes.

"You intend to marry that fellow you've been seing" Argath had replied in a dispassionate voice. "Manuel, something?"

Maja turned around and looked at her lover with eyes that had grown slightly in size.

"It's Manfred and how did you know?"

Argath let out a deep chuckle. She smiled, showing her teeth.

"It is not much that goes on in this city that I do not know about" she said.

Maja felt herself relax.

"To be honest, I am glad that you already knew; I wasn't sure how to tell you."

"Why? Were you perhaps worried that I would be opposed to you tying the knot."

After a moment's hesitation, Maja gave a small, timid nod.

"Silly girl" Argath said.

She edged closer to Maja and wrapped her arms around her, resting her head on the younger woman's bare shoulders.

"You are not my slave, not that we have slaves here in Vinoli. You are free to do as you wish. Besides, there is no reason why our relationship should change, is there?"

Once again, Maja felt her entire being tense up. Something told her that Argath would not take what she was about to hear next as well as she had taken news of the upcoming marriage. And yet, it had to be told. She took a deep breath...

"Argath, you know that I care about you."

"You've never given me cause to doubt that. At least, not until now."

"I will always consider you a friend and treasure these moments we've had together" Maja went on. The Words came slowly out of her mouth, as if she had to force herself to say them. For the first time, she wished that Argath's hands would not touch her, but for some reason, she dared not tell the female dragon to remove them.

"However, once Manfred I are wed, I intend to honor my vows to him. All of this, it will be a thing of the past."

There, she thought. Now it has been said, all I can do now is wait for her reaction.

"A commendable stance" Argath replied. Her voice remained calm, almost aloof. "Still, I ask you to reconsider. Talk it over with your husband; tell him that such an arrangement would benefit him as well, for he would have my eternal gratitude and that, my pet, is worth more than gold."

A part of Maja had to admit that she was tempted by Argath's proposition and yet she knew that she could not agree to it. Even if Manfred did, Maja knew that she would still feel as though she was betraying him and her feelings of guilt would cast a shadow both over her relationship with both him and the Princess.

"I am sorry, Argath", she said and was surprised by the firmness in her voice. "But my decision is made."
Barely had she uttered these words, before a sharp pain in her shoulders caused her to cry out:

"Argath, you are hurting me!" She protested.

"Am I? You must forgive me, I had not noticed."

Argath released her grip and  Maja quickly rose from the bed. She glanced at her shoulders, tiny marks had been made in her skin. In the past, she had heard rumors that the Princess had a cruel streak that sometimes revealed itself. However, Maja had never seen any proof of this. On the contrary, she had always known Argath to be the kindest and most attentive of lovers, which was one reason why she had put off telling her about the marriage. As such, Maja had never put any stock in this rumor, until now.

"I should leave" she said, dressing herself as quickly as she could.

"Yes" Argath said, in a voice that cut like a knife. "You should."

Putting on her shoes, Maja opened the door to the bedchamber and stepped out. She walked through the rooms in which she had spent many an enjoyable moment and realized that she would probably never see these rooms again. The Thought filled her with sadness. Sadness, but also anger.

She could not understand why the Princess had reacted this way. After all, Argath had been alive for almost a century. She had had plenty of lovers before Maja and doubtlessly, some of them had ended up marrying, whether it was men or other women. Besides, there were the servant-girls that made up Argath's personal staff. It was common knowledge that the Princess treated them as her harem and did so, even when she happened to be in a relationship.

So, why did she become so upset when I told her that in the future we could only be friends? Maja wondered. It couldn't be that she...

Her musings were suddenly interrupted by a faint sound emerging from the inner parts of the apartment. It sounded like a wail or a sob. For a moment, Maja felt a twinge of regret and then, she steeled herself and walked out the front door.

She and Argath had not talked to each other since that day. Despite this, Maja had sent a wedding invitation to the Princess. It had been returned, unopened.
Taking this into account, it was no wonder that her husband's letter in which he told her that he had been chosen by Argath to accompany her to Guanaca, had taken Maja by surprise. It had also given her cause to hope that some reconciliation would be possible between them.

Then the tragic news of Manfred's demise had come and just from the reading the letter, Maja could tell that she had been too optimistic. True, the letter was written by Argath, but its contents were strict and formal, offering the customary condolences, but nothing more.

While she had been recalling all this, Maja had headed upstairs to the master bedroom. There, she opened her closet and took out her finest blue dress, she then sat down in front of her mirror and began applying her make-up. When this was done, she headed back downstairs.
Upon coming out on the veranda, Maja was surprised to find that her guest was alone there.

"Your son's tutor came and took him away" Argath said, answering Maja's question before she had had time to say it. She smiled, showing a row of sharp teeth.
"I'm afraid that seeing me talking to his pupil gave the fellow quite a start."

I can imagine, Miranda thought. "Would Your Highness like to come in?" She asked out-loud.

Her Highness did and with a bow, Maja opened the door, allowing Argath to step into the hallway.

****

Maja took the Princess on the same tour that she gave all her guests: Showing her the rooms on the manor's ground-floor; the library with its rich selection of literature, the sitting room and so-on. As they passed through each room, Argath would pause to compliment the decor, or admire a piece of art, which she knew her hostess had picked out personally.
Maja could not help but feel flattered by all this praise, she had forgotten how charming Argath could be when she wanted to. What really made her happy though, was the Princess' remark about her son:

"Felix is a bright young boy. You've done an excellent job raising him"

"Thank you" Maja replied, her heart swelling with satisfaction. "He is my pride and joy."

It then occurred to Maja that her guest might be thirsty and so, she asked if the Princess would like something to drink.

"Well, I am rather parched" Argath replied, massaging her throat for emphasis. "A glass of water would be appreciated. Although..."

This time it was Maja who anticipated what her guest was about to say:

"We do have a wine-cellar" she said with a smile."If Your Highness would go back to the salon and wait there a moment?"

Having spent her life in the corridors of the Royal Palace, Argath had no problem finding her way in the comparatively smaller manor. She had soon reached the salon and made herself comfortable on a red sofa. Soon, Maja returned carrying with her a bottle and two glasses.

"This used to be Your Highness' favorite" she said, showing the label to Argath. "I just remembered that we had a bottle left."

She uncorked the bottle and filled the glasses.

"Here's to our reunion" Maja said as she raised her glass. The Princess did the same, the shadow of a smile on her features.

"To our reunion" she echoed, as their glasses clinked together.

The Wine was excellent,and the two women commented approvingly on its rich taste. Before Maja knew it she had finished her glass and almost immediately, Argath re-filled it for her.

"Your Highness is my guest" Maja protested. "I should be the one serving you."

"I still have some left" Argath said, taking another sip of wine. "By the way, ever since I came here, you've been calling me 'Your Highness'. We used to be on first-name basis, remember?"

Maja nodded.

"Considering our last meeting, I didn't think that we still were."

Argath smiled, her fingers brushed against Maja's knuckles.

"I want us to be. Say my name, like you used to."

Maja smiled back.

"Your wish is my command...Argath."

As the content of the wine bottle dwindled, the atmosphere between Maja and her guest became less and less formal and soon, Manfred's widow found herself stretched out on the couch, resting her head in her former lover's lap. A silence filled the room, then the female dragon spoke:

"Maja?"

"Yes, Argath?"

"Manfred's death, do you blame me for it?"

"I did, at first, I'm sorry to say. Then, I realized that I was being unfair: What happened to Manfred was no-one's fault. It was a tragic accident, nothing more. "I wish you had come to the funeral though, it would have meant a lot."

"I know I should have come and offered you my support, but I wasn't able to. I am sorry, Maja. Truly, I am."

Sitting up, Maja moved herself closer to her guest.

"Its fine" she said. "I forgive you."

"Do you, really?"

Maja nodded.

"If you do, then kiss me."

After a moment's hesitation, Maja reached out and gave Argath a peck on the cheek. The Princess shook her head.

"Come now, Maja" she said. "You know that is not what I meant. Here, let me show you."

With those words, Argath wrapped her arms around Maja and kissed her on the lips. It was deep kiss, of the kind that the two had shared in the pas and it took a few seconds for Maja's brain to register what was happening. As soon as it did, though, she put her hands on Argath's chest and pushed her away.


"W-we shouldn't" she muttered, a hue of red coloring her cheeks.

"Oh? Argath asked, an expression of wry amusement on her face. "And why is that?"

"Argath!" Maja gasped, shocked. "My son is in the house!"

"He is busy with his lessons. I know you want this, don't try do deny it."

"It's just...." Maja began, looking down at her feet. "What if Manfred is watching over me from the afterlife?"

Argath rolled her eyes surreptitiously. Somehow, it had slipped her mind that Maja believed in that sort of thing.

"I'm sure he does" she said in a reassuring voice "and do you know what I believe that he's thinking?"

Maja shook her head.

"I bet that in this moment, Manfred is thinking to himself: How fortunate that my beloved Maja has found someone who will be there for her now that I am no longer able to. Someone who treasures her as much as I do. Someone who will serve her every needs and be there for her and Felix."

"You really think so?"

"I do. After all, you are no more than thirty years old. I doubt your husband wanted you to be alone for the rest of your life."

Maja closed her eyes. A vision appeared in her mind. In it, she stood at a crossroads with both her paths blocked by a naked figure. Standing on the path leading west was Manfred,  smiling at her, his cock standing at full attention. On the eastern path, Argath spread her legs and with a crooked finger, beckoned Maja to join her. Between the two of them, they caused Maja's heart to beat faster. How could she choose between them?

Maja then realized that she had been at this crossroads before. That time, she had chosen Manfred. She had never regretted that choice, but Manfred was gone and although Maja hoped that she would eventually see him again in the after-life, she was not in any hurry to leave this world behind and until that day came, why should she not renew her relationship with the other person she had loved. She opened her eyes and looked at Argath.

"I'm not going to marry you" she said. "I promised myself that after Manfred, I wouldn't remarry."

The Princess' eyes widened in surprise.

"Who said anything about marriage?" She said with an amused look on her face. "No, my dear; as much as I would love to take you to the altar, I am well aware that as heir to the throne, I shall one day have to wed some male in order to produce an heir of my own."

"Well, you could always adopt a child."

"Oh, did you have any in mind? Your own son, perhaps? I'm sorry Maja, for all his undoubted qualities, I'm afraid Felix lacks the most essential requirement for becoming King over Vinoli."

"By essential requirement, you mean being a dragon, am I correct?"

"That is so." The Tone in Argath's voice was almost apologetic. "There must always be a dragon on Vinoli's throne. Of course, I'm sure that Felix will have a seat on the Council when he gets older, but enough talk about the future. Why don't you show me the rest of the house? I know that there's at least one room that I have not seen yet."

Maja rose from her seat and offered Argath her hand.

"My bedroom is upstairs" she said, a warm sensation welling up in her, as she could feel the Princess' hand in her own.

Changes In Taste

When it comes to entertainment, no person's taste is completely set in stone and Yours Truly is no exception to this rule. Certainly, there are plenty  works of fiction whose plots, characters, themes, etc will always resonate deeply with me and which I revisit regularly without finding that the love and admiration I felt for them when I first encountered them, has in any way faded. That said, there are also plenty of works of which is not the case. These are the works that I used to be really into at various points in my life, but that do not resonate as strongly as they used to back in the day. "The Day" in question can refer to any time in my life, from childhood and adolescence to just a few years ago.

TV-shows, whether animated or live-action are particularly prone to falling victim to this, especially long-running ones, which is why the majority of my favorite shows tend to be comparatively short, either by design or due to cancellation. Now, there are of course long-running shows that avoid this, Mad Men being the first example to come to mind. I actually thought that that show got more interesting in its later seasons, but again, its an exception.

Then there are shows like The Simpsons, South Park, Archer, Adventure Time and Steven Universe, among others. All of them clear-cut examples of this. Out of these, Steven Universe is the only one that I'm caught up with and even there, I can't say that I'm as invested in the show as I used to be.

Moving away from television, there is the Star Wars franchise. Now, I'm too young to have seen the original trilogy when it came out, but it  was nonetheless a part of my childhood. As time went on though, my interest in Star Wars as a whole, became more and more casual. These days, I've come to the realization that I find the setting in which Star Wars takes place more interesting than any of the actual movies or shows. This also applies to the Harry Potter books, by the way.

Let me provide one final example, this time from the 9th artform. Jacques Tardi's Adele Blanc-Sec comics was a favorite of mine when I was in my teens, but upon revisiting some of the albums recently, I found that it didn't quite hold up to me. Still entertaining, but not in the same class as some of Tardi's other work.

There are other examples I could mention, but I'll stop here. I should point out though, that I do not dislike any of the works I listed here. No, at worst, I'm simply indifferent towards them and even when that's the case, there are parts of them that I will always be fond of, but none of them are works that I consider to be indispensable to me, even though, at some point, they might have been.

Chapter 42

Risha pinched herself hard in the arm. The Pain she felt was real enough; meaning that she was awake and not having a very lucid dream. Though in this case, nightmare might have been the more apt description.

She stared at the bed in front of her: The Traces of drool on the pillow and the creases in the mattress was proof that her brother had slept in it and yet, the bed was completely devoid of Leorin.
With this established, the question then became as follows: If Leo wasn't in her bed, where could he be? He could not have left the room during the night. After all, the door had been locked and the window was shut. Besides, even if her brother could be a bit of a daredevil, Risha did not think that he would climb out a window and go on a stroll in the middle of the night, in a foreign city.

Taking all of this into account, logic dictated that Leorin must be somewhere in the room. Knowing him, he had probably woken up early and, being in a mischievous mood, had hid himself in order to play a prank on his sister. Once she had reached this conclusion, Risha could not help but feel a bit annoyed with her brother: Of all the childish....She had a good mind to twist his ear.

"Leo!" She called out. "We know you are here! You can stop hiding!"

There was no answer.

Meanwhile, Merees had pulled the curtains aside, to see if Leo might be hiding on the window-sill. No such luck though. She decided to try a different approach to lure the young rascal out:

"Leorin! If you come out right now, I will buy you a treat, but if you don't your sister and I are going to go eat breakfast without you!"

"Yes!" Risha said, addressing the wardrobe in which, no doubt, Leorin was hiding.
"A-and I am going to get the treat that was meant for you and I will take it back to the hotel and eat it in front of you and you can't have any! You'll have to eat broccoli! You hear me? Broccoli!"

She crossed her arms, as the corner of her mouth curved upwards into a confident smirk. There, she thought, that should do the trick.

Or not. Despite the threat of having to eat the vegetable he despised the most, Leorin persisted in his silence.

Risha could feel a tiny hole begin to grow in her stomach. She turned to Merees in the hope that she might be able to offer some support.

"Perhaps he fell asleep while hiding" the Princess suggested.

"Of course! That must be it!"

Her heart beating faster with excitement, Risha approached the wardrobe and flung the doors open.

The Next moment, the triumphant cry the lynx-girl had been ready to deliver into the world, died on her lips: The Wardrobe contained all the things you would expect to find in a wardrobe; clothes and three pair of shoes, but no Leorin.

Risha could feel her legs give way underneath her. She was about to hit the floor, when Merees caught her.

"He's not here" she muttered silently, all the color drained from her face.
"He's not here!" She repeated, louder this time; her voice shrill with fear. She pointed at the empty space where her brother was supposed to have been.

"I know, Risha, I know. Calm down."

"Calm down?!" Risha spun around and stared at her girlfriend with eyes like saucers."My brother has disappeared! Disappeared from a locked room, might I add and I'm supposed to calm down?!"

In her excitement, Risha  had took hold off Merees' collar. Upon realizing this, she immediately let go.

"I-I'm sorry" she stuttered. "I'm just..." She looked down at the carpet, unable to finish the sentence as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"I understand", Merees said. "I'm worried about Leorin too."

She wrapped her arms around Risha, holding the lynx-girl close and kissing her on the forehead. Caught in that loving embrace, Risha began to calm down; her breathing regained its usual rythm and Merees could feel her body, which had been taut as a bowstring, relax.

"Feeling better?" Merees asked.

Risha nodded.

"A little, thank you." She looked up at Merees and smiled, then the smile vanished and was replaced with a look of grim determination.

"We need to find out what happened to my brother. Obviously, someone took him from this room while he was sleeping. I don't know how they did it, but perhaps we can find some clue that will lead us to the culprit."

"Good idea."

They immediately began to search the room, fin-combing every inch of it, sometimes checking the same area twice, just to be on the safe side. Alas, after an hour of searching, the two girls were forced to face that their efforts had yielded no results.

"I just don't understand it" Merees said, as they walked down the stairs to the hotel lobby. "Why would someone kidnap Leorin?"

"Yes" Risha agreed, furrowing her brow. "It is a mystery."

And then, just as she uttered that last word, realization struck Risha like a sledgehammer between the eyes. She was so unprepared for this that she staggered and had to grab onto the stairs' railing for support.

"What is it?" Merees asked.

"I know who the kidnapper is" Risha replied. "Damn it!" She added a second later, causing a pair of richly dressed ostriches who walked past to give her a couple of disapproving looks. "This is my fault!"

"Your fault?" Merees stared at Risha in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Risha sighed and sat down on the steps, Merees did the same.

"When we first came here and you were at the bank, Leorin thought he saw someone he recognized...a tiger."

"A tiger? You don't mean..."

"At first, I didn't think so. I figured that Leorin was simply mistaken. After all, he had only caught a brief glimpse of them and there must be plenty of tigers living in this city. What if Leorin had seen correctly, though and Cerewan really is here, in Tiraliros?"

"If he is" Merees said, while rubbing her chin. "He would be the most likely suspect."

"'You see? This is all my fault" Risha wailed, burying her face in her knees. "I didn't take my brother seriously and now, look what happened. Poor Leo, he must be so frightened. I am the worst sister ever."

"Risha, look at me."

Risha lifted her head, surprised at the tone in Merees' voice. Just as she did, she received a slap across the face.

"What was that for?" She asked, more taken aback by the fact that Merees had slapped her than the actual slap itself.

"I'm sorry, Risha, but you need to stop talking such utter nonsense. You are not the worst sister ever. Trust me, that position has been filled...permanently."

Her features softening, the dragon leaned closer to the lynx and kissed her on the cheek.

"I guess I can't argue with that" Risha replied. In spite of everything, her lips began to pull upwards, forming a smile.

"Exactly. Now, we are going to get Leorin back, I promise. We'll go downstairs and see if the kidnappers, whoever they are, have left us a message. Then, we will discreetly inform the local police and perhaps Eramus and his troupe as well."

She stood up and as she did, her stomach let out a rumbling noise. Immediately afterwads, Risha's did the same.

"But before we do anything else, we'd best eat some breakfast."

******

Upon coming down to the lobby, Risha and Merees were greeted by the owner of the hotel, who was standing behind the desk.

"Good morning, ladies. I hope you had a good night's sleep?"

They returned the greeting and assured him that they had slept well. Leaning forward, the stag gazed at a spot behind Risha, as though he had expected to find someone standing there.

"The Young lad who arrived with you, I assume he is still asleep?"

Risha and Merees exchanged looks.

"Yes" Merees replied. "It got pretty late yesterday, so we figured we'd let him sleep in."

"By the way, a letter arrived at you earlier this morning."

The Owner vanished behind the desk and then popped up like a dignified jack-in-the-box, holding a letter.

"You wouldn't happen to know who delivered this?" Risha asked. She tried to keep voice calm, even though her heart was pounding against her ribs.

"I do, the letter was delivered by an otter. I must admit that his looks did not exactly inspire confidence, but once he opened his mouth, I could find no fault in his manners."

Again, Risha and Merees' eyes met. One name was on both of their lips:

Samuel.

With that, the last traces of doubt as to the identity of Leorin's kidnapper vanished. Struggling to keep her paws steady, Risha opened the letter and read it. As she did, a look of utter despair was sketched across her features.

"We can't go to the police" she whispered, grabbing Merees' arm. "Read this."

She handed the letter to Merees. Its contents read as follows:

Greetings, ladies.

I can imagine your surprise upon reading this letter. I must confess that I, too, was surprised, finding you alive and well. Me and my crew all thought that you had perished at sea, but evidently not. I suppose that that traitor Luke was less fortunate. Or perhaps, he was; I can assure you that the fate I had in store for him was much worse than mere death by drowning, or being eaten by a shark or whatever fate befell him. 

Anyway, let's get down to business: Risha's adorable little brother is currently in my custody. Do not tax your feeble minds trying to figure out how I pulled it off; the important thing is that I did, with a bit of help from my crew and a couple of newfound allies. 

Here's what you will do: This evening, you will come to the harbor. Unarmed and, I must stress this, alone. I strongly advise you against contacting the police, or anyone else. I will find out and the consequences will be very detreminal to poor Leorin's health.

I am looking forward to seeing you again. 

Best wishes, Captain Cerewan.

*****

Not feeling like going out, the couple spent the day at their chamber, counting the hours until it was time for their rendez-vous, leaving it only to eat dinner at the hotel's restaurant.  The Food served at the hotel was first-rate, but to the two young women, it might as well have been prison slop. What a dark turn their sojourn at Tiraliros had taken!

Finally, the time had come. With their hearts heavy, Risha and Merees left the hotel and set off to the harbor. A thick fog had swept in from the sea, making navigation quite difficult, but they soon reached their destination. Risha and Merees had barely stepped into the harbor area, when a rough voice cried out to them:

"Stay right where you are! Remove your clothing!"

The Lynx and the dragon could feel their faces heat up with both embarrassment and anger upon receiving this humiliating order. Reluctantly, they obeyed and stood there, shivering in their underwear, gazing anxiously in the direction the voice had come from.
Then, two figures stepped out of the fog. Risha and Merees recognized them immediately: The First one was a member of Captain Cerewan's crew. The Second  was none other than...

"Isso!" Risha exclaimed, staring at the ocelot. "You traitor!"

The Ocelot met the lynx-girl's basilisk glare with one of his own.

"As far as I am concerned, Eramus and the others betrayed me when they agreed to let that vile creature aboard our ship."

Risso turned his head and spat in Merees' direction, a glob of his saliva struck the dragon-princess on the cheek. Enraged, Risha took a step forward, but Merees shook her head.

"Don't" she said. "Remember what's at stake."

Risha stepped back, though in her head she made a vow, that come what may, one day she'd make Isso pay.

"To think that I almost felt sorry for striking you that time" she said, shaking her head. "Now, my only regret is that I did not strike harder."

Isso's lips curled up in a twisted grin.

"That's right, I do owe you one punch..."

He stepped forward, his paw balled into a fist.

Just then, Isso's associate put a heavy paw on his shoulder.

"Wait!" He exclaimed. "Remember, the captain's orders: They are not to be hurt."

"I know that!" Isso growled, slapping away the crewman's paw. "I wasn't going to hit her in the face. Besides, your captain is not my boss: He and I are associates, remember that."

He then ordered the crewman to search Risha and Merees for any concealed weapons. Grinning lecherously, the crewman went about his task, starting with the Princess. Risha could only watch in revulsion as those coarse paws defiled her beloved. She knew that she was next, but somehow, seeing it happened to Mer was even worse than enduring it herself.
 Once the body-search was done, Isso opened his coat and took out a syringe, which he proceeded to fill with an amber-colored liquid from a vial.

"What are you doing?!" Risha screamed as the ocelot plunged the needle into Merees' arm, causing her to wince in pain.

"Just a little mixture I've put together in my spare time" the ocelot replied. "Don't worry, its not lethal. I just wanted to see what its effects are on dragons. "

Cold sweat running down her spine, Risha looked at Merees, wondering what the effects of the drug that had been injected in her system would be. She got her answer almost immediately, as the dragon called out in a voice, so frightened and confused that the lynx-girl could feel her heart break:

"Risha, where are you? Everything turned dark all of a sudden. I...I can't see."

"Monster!" Risha yelled, horrified. "What have you done?!"

"Just a small preview of what's due to her and all other dragons" Isso replied, his face like stone. "She'll get her sight back, or maybe not."

Risha looked as though she wanted to turn Isso's Adam's apple into applesauce. Then, she walked over to Merees.

"I am here, Mer" she said. "Lean on me, I'll be your eyes."

With the blind Merees leaning on her shoulder and Isso walking behind her, Risha followed the sailor until they arrived outside one of the harbor's warehouses.

"Get in" Isso said, giving Risha a shove which caused her to stagger a few steps before regaining her footing. Her pulse quickening, Risha obeyed.

The First thing that greeted her upon stepping inside was the sight of Captain Cerewan lounging on an upturned crate, surrounded by several members of his crew. However, it was the person standing slightly behind the captain who caused the lynx-girl to let out a gasp of surprise.

"You!" She shouted, hardly believing her own eyes.

"I told you, we would meet each other again" said the jackal. "Sooner than you think."

"I recognize that voice" said Merees, her own voice trembling. "Who is that? Risha, where are we?"
Risha told her.

"So all  our enemies are here?" Merees asked.

"Except for one.

Rolling her veiled eyes, the dragon let out a snort.

"Almost makes me glad I can't see anything. Must be a veritable horror-show in here."

Upon hearing this, the captain let out a loud, jovial laugh.

"True, most of these ruffians are not much look at. You two ladies on the other hand are looking positively radiant, given the circumstances. Evidently, the air of Tiraliros agrees with you."

"Where is my brother?" Risha said, having no patience for the hollow pleasantries of their host. "I want to see him."

"As you wish."

Cerewan snapped his fingers and two crewmen stepped forward with Leorin between them. The Siblings looked at each other.

"Leo" Risha said. "Are you alright? You are not hurt?"

Leorin shook his head.

"I'm fine" he replied. "Risha, what's going to happen to us?"

Upon hearing that her brother was unharmed, Risha felt a wave of relief wash over her. Tears made her vision blurry, she blinked them away.

"What is it you want, Captain?" Merees asked, addressing a stack of crates. "Is it money? Let the boy go and I'll give you all the money I have."

Crossing his arms, the tiger let out a low, sinister chuckle.

"Oh, I already have what I want, Princess. I have you three...right where I want you."

He made a gesture and his lackeys  closed in around Risha and Merees.

"This time" Cerewan continued. "You are going to the slave-market in Kaluba, as originally planned.

I expect to get a good prize for all of you, especially Her Highness. After all, one does not often see dragons standing on the auctioneer's podium."

"What!?"

Isso stared at the captain, his mouth hanging open.

"The Dragon is mine, to do with as I wish. That was our deal" He protested, voice shaking with anger.

The Tiger shot the ocelot a contemptuous look.

"I am altering deal" he announced, a touch of frost in his voice. "Pray I do not alter it further."

Isso's eyes looked as though they were about to pop out of their sockets.

You treacherous son of a bitch" he hissed. "In that case, I will kill it here and now instead!"

A shot rang out, the smell of gunpowder filled the air. Isso stared down. A crimson flower had appeared on his chest and was rapidly expanding. The Knife, which he had intended to plunge into the defenseless Merees, dropped out of the ocelot's hands and onto the cold floor. Isso fell backwards, his eyes staring into eternity.

Cerewan blew the smoke from his gun and put it back in his belt.

"Do not insult my mother" he muttered quietly. "What a sad little man" he said out-loud, nudging the corpse with the tip of his boot. "So full of anger and hate. Honestly, how can a person live like that?"

He shook his head in puzzlement and then turned to his other associate.

"I trust you have no problems with this arrangement?" He asked.

The Jackal shook his head.

"Not at all. The Way I see it, being able to profit off of your enemies' suffering is a most satisfying revenge."

Cerewan showed his teeth in a wide grin.

"Ah, you're a fellow after my own heart"

Risha, who had positioned herself in front of Merees, stared at what once had been Isso. From the moment they had first met, she had despised the ocelot and his demise brought her no sorrow. Despite this, she found herself sickened by the cold-blooded way in which XXc had murdered him.
The Smell of blood assaulted the lynx-girl's nostrils, causing her to feel dizzy.

This can't be it, she thought. I have to find a way to get us out of here. Or at least get Leorin out. He's my responsibility. I'm his older sister, I have to protect him.

Risha swallowed, forcing the bile back down her throat. She taxed her mind, searching for a solution, but to no avail. What could she do? Their situation was truly a dire one. Here they were, unarmed and surrounded by foes. Not to mention one of them being temporarily blinded. Risha could feel herself sink into a bog of despair, never before had she felt so completely powerless.

In that moment, a short, sharp cry pierced the air. Her heart beating faster, Risha looked in the direction the cry had come from, as did all the others. Standing there, clutching his bleeding fingers, was one of the two sailors who had guarded Leorin, but off Leorion there was no trace!

"You buffoon" Cerewan growled, shooting daggers at his crewman from his eyes. "Can't you even guard one measly kitten?"

"The little beast bit me, Captain" the crewman wailed. "Its bleeding, I think I need a doctor."

If the sailor had counted on the sympathy of his employer, he was obviously barking up the wrong tree.

"You'll definitely need a doctor if you don't catch that brat, you mutt" Cerewan retorted sharply, delivering a blow to the back of his crewman's head.

 Whining, the sailor wrapped his handkerchief around his bleeding fingers, while the captain barked out orders to the others. Soon, everyone was busy chasing Leorin, including the sailor who had kept watch over the two other captives.

Risha observed what was going on with the feeling of a drowning man who had just spotted a buoy within arms-length. With a growing sense of excitement, she let her gaze sweep around the vast room, searching for her brother. It did not take long until she spotted him:
there he was, running zig-zag across the warehouse floor.
The Sailors tried to catch him, but their efforts were in vain; just when they thought they had managed to get ahold of their prey, Leorin slipped out of their grasp. What's more he showed no sign of fatigue either.

"Leorin has gotten loose" Merees observed.

"You can see again!" Risha exclaimed, the sheer joy in her voice was such that it pained Merees to have to disappoint her.

"Unfortunately not" she replied, shaking her head. "Isso's drug did not do anything to my ears though, I can hear everything that's going on. Where is Leorin now?"

During her conversation with Merees, Risha had briefly lost track of her brother. It didn't take long for her to find him again though.

"He's heading for the exit, that means he'll be coming toward us. No!"

Risha's shout was due to the fact that Samuel had just positioned himself in Leorin's path. With a triumphant grin on his lips, the otter stretched out his arms, ready to catch the troublesome kid.

He never got the chance; something slammed into his side hard, causing him to loose his footing and hit the floor. Before he could get up he found himself staring up at the face of a dragon, who was sitting on his chest.

"Get off me, you bitch!" Samuel spat, his face contorted by impotent rage.

"You know" Merees smirked. "I remember you being a lot more polite when we first met."

While Merees held Samuel pinned down, Risha crouched beside him and confiscated the knife he wore in his belt. Standing up, she turned to her brother.

"What are you standing there for?" She asked, her voice sharper than she had meant it to be. "Go!"

Leorin looked as if he was about to say something, than he turned around and vanished into the fog. Cerewan took a step forward, only to find Risha blocking his way.

"Not another step, Captain" Risha warned, her grip tightening around the knife's hilt. "Tell your men to stand down. If you don't, there won't be a vacant position in your crew."
Lifting his head slightly, Samuel looked up at his captain with pleading eyes.

"Cap, please" he begged pathetically, as a dark spot appeared on his groin. Merees wrinkled her nose in disgust, but did not move herself from the otter's chest.

Ignoring his crewman's pleas, Cerewan grit his teeth in frustration. He considered pulling out his gun and simply shooting Samuel, thus depriving Risha and Merees off their only bargaining chip. He knew though, that such an action would have a most adverse effect on his men's loyalty and besides, Samuel had been useful in the past. With rage in his heart, he ordered his crew to stand down.
Risha helped Merees to her feet and she in her turn, pulled Samuel up and forced his arms behind his back.

"You'll get your right-paw back when we are out of the harbor" the lynx-girl said, relief and triumph mingling in her voice. "Now, if you'll excu..."

A blow on the back of her head interrupted Risha mid-sentence. There was an explosion of light and colors. She could hear Merees cry out her name and then, everything was dark.

*****

Two members of the night-watch were marching down the fog-enveloped streets. They had their halberds slung over their shoulders and the taller of the pair was whistling a joyful tune.

"The Streets are quite tonight" his shorter colleague observed. "You'd think that all the riff-raff in this city would take advantage of the weather."

"Maybe they decided to take it easy" said the tall one. "At any rate, I'm glad if we can finish our round without any incident, for once."

"I hear ya...Hey! There's someone there!"

Through the fog, a figure came walking towards  the two guards. Immediately, they lowered their halberds and pointed them at the  approaching form.

"Who goes there?" The Short one cried out.

The Figure took another step forward, stepping out of the fog. The Two guards breathed a sigh of relief: Standing before them, his paws on his knees, was a small black cat.

"What are you doing out at this hour?" The Taller guard asked, pointing his hilebard at the sky.
Leorin looked up at the two men before him.

"Please" he gasped. "My sister and a friend...They are being held captive. A Red warehouse, in the harbor..."

In that moment, the physical and emotional exhaustion that Leorin had managed to ignore, finally took their toll, the two guards barely had time to catch him before his face made contact with the cobblestones.

******

Slowly, Leorin opened his eyes. To his surprise, he found himself lying in a bed.

How did I end up here? He wondered.

Leorin flung away the covers and put his bare feet down on the floor. Just then, the door opened and Griselda stepped in, carrying a bowl filled with water and some towels. She was followed by none other than Sara.

"Leo, you are awake!" The Porcupine squealed in delight and pounced on Leorin.

"Ow!" He exclaimed, for Sara had accidentally pricked him with one of her quills. "Watch it!"

"Sorry" Sara apologized. "I'm just so happy to see you up, you've been out for two days."

"Two days?!" Leorin could hardly believe his ears.

"It seems that you contracted fever" Griselda said as she put the bowl on the towels down on a chair.
"This one" she continued, indicating Sara, "has been watching over you ever since. With a bit of help from me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine" Leorin said, still trying to wrap his head around things. Then, another thought came into his head:

"My sister and Merees, what happened to them? They are fine, right? Where are they? Why won't they come in and say hello? Sis! Sis!" He begun calling out, then he stopped as he saw the look on Sara's and Griselda's faces.

"Leorin" Sara said and held his paws in hers. "We are sorry, but..."

She was unable to finish the sentence, so Griselda did it for her:

"The Guards stormed the warehouse" the female pig said, staring down at the floor. "But there was no-one there. Not a soul."

End of Book I

Chapter 41

As they came out on stage, following their performance of the comedy Gobalgus' Folly, the members of Eramus' troupe were greeted with thunderous and enthusiastic applause. Bowing deeply, the actors allowed the well-deserved praise to wash over them, alongside the flowers and the coins which were thrown at their feet.
As expected, Risha, Merees and Leorin were in the audience and were among those who applauded the loudest.

"That was  awesome" Leorin exclaimed afterwards, his face sporting an excited grin.

They all decided to go and congratulate the troupe on a successful show. However, they found their path backstage blocked by a large, broad-shouldered gorilla wearing a livery.

"The Audience isn't allowed backstage" said the gorilla, holding out a hand the size of a manhole cover. "I have to ask you to turn back."

He uttered these words in a tone which made it clear that if those he addressed failed to comply, he would have to be physical.

"That's alright" Merees said, calmly meeting the gorilla's piercing stare and flashing her most winning smile. "We are friends of the actors."

"Is that so?" Replied the gorilla, crooking his left eyebrow. "Then I suppose you have some proof of your acquaintance?"

The Trio exchanged glances. Then, as one person, they shook their heads. A dismissive snort escaped the gorilla's nostrils.

"Just as I thought. Look, we have fans coming here claiming to be friends of the actors all the time and its my job to keep them away. Now, why don't you three take a hike? You'll find the exit over there" he finished, pointing at it with a thick index finger.

"I assure you, we really are friends of the actors" Merees insisted, she was still smiling, though her smile had become somewhat frayed around the edges. "If you would just go and get one of them, you would see that we are telling the truth."

The Gorilla crossed his arms, the corner of his upper lip curled up menacingly, revealing a long, yellow tooth.

"That's not going to happen. Now, I will count down to five and if you haven't left this building by the time I'm finished, I will lift you up by the scruff of my neck and throw you out. Normally, I wouldn't treat ladies in such a rough fashion, but frankly I don't see any ladies present."

If looks could kill then Merees would have been guilty of murder.

"Of all the rude, impudent louts" she hissed through clenched teeth. "I warn you, ape - you may be bigger than me, but in strength I'd say we're equally matched and if one of your sausage fingers so much as touches any of us, I promise upon my father's crown, that I will snap it like a dry twig."

She took a step forward. At that point, Merees bore a closer resemblance to her half-sister the Queen than she ever had. A lesser man, faced with the anger that seemed to envelope her like a cloak would have fearfully backed away.
Credit where credit is due: Though a few nervous beads of sweat had appeared on his brow, the gorilla was not cowed. Instead, he too, took a step forward, cracking his knuckles menacingly.
Risha had anxiously watched the scene with her brother and was just about to step between the two antagonists before anyone got hurt. Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind the gorilla:

"What's going on?"

All activity seized. Turning around, the gorilla found himself looking at none other than Sara. She had left the reception that was being held backstage for the actors to answer nature's call and was heading back when the sight of the gorilla evidently involved in a quarrel with someone had caught her attention.

"Its nothing, Miss" the gorilla said, his manner towards the porcupine-girl standing in bright contrast to the dismissive way in which he had addressed the trio. "Just a bunch of intrusive fans. I'll soon have them out of here, don't you worry."

"Well" Sara said, feeling generous. "If its autographs they want, I think I can be of help. Please, let me pass."

Reluctantly, the gorilla did as he was told. He would have preferred it if Sara had simply headed back to the reception and left him to deal with this problem. However, there was nothing he could do. After all, his employer had given him and the rest of the theater's staff, to obey any request or command from the visiting acting troupe as though they were his own.

As soon as the gorilla moved out of the way, Sara found herself face to face with none other than Leorin. For a moment, the cat and the porcupine stood there, unable to meet each other's gaze, their cheeks colored a light shade of red. Looking for support, Leorin turned to sister. Risha gave him a look that seemed to say: You can do this. I've got your back.
Feeling reassured, Leorin turned back to Sara, forcing himself to look at her directly.

"Hello" he said, after having cleared his throat.

"Hello" Sara replied, looking visibly revealed that Leorin had taken the lead.

"You look good" Leorin said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Sara was wearing the tutu covered in glitter that she had appeared in on stage.

"Thank you" she said, her blush becoming more pronounced. Leorin's heart skipped a beat.

At this point, the gorilla, having observed the dialogue that took place between the two children could not help but step in.

"Miss" he asked. "Do you know these people?"

"Of course" Sara replied. "They are friends of ours. That reminds me" she continued, clasping her paws together. "You must come and meet the others, I'm sure they'd be delighted to see you again so soon."

Her proposal was accepted gladly. As the trio followed Sara backstage, Merees turned back and saw the gorilla standing there, looking quite ill at ease. No doubt he feared that she would complain to his employer. Good, she thought, turning her nose up. Let him squirm. How dare he doubt the word of a Vinolian princess?

*****

Backstage, a spread of various delectable-looking fruits and cheeses had been laid out for the members of the troupe to enjoy. Each of them had also been handed a glass filled with a sparkling, almost transparent liquid. Everyone was in high spirits, thanks to the success of the performance and so they toasted both themselves and the theater and its director.
Eramus was soon engaged in a conversation with an aardvark sporting an embroidered purple vest and a monocle in his right eye. Upon seeing that Sara had returned, accompanied by the trio, a delighted smile appeared on his face and he waved for them to come over.

"How wonderful to see you again so soon, my friends" the old faun beamed at them. "Tell me, honestly, what did you think of the play?"

"It was very funny" Leorin piped up. "Right, guys?" He said, turning to Risha and Merees .
 Both of them nodded in assent.

"Yes" said Risha, "I can't remember the last time I laughed so much and, judging from the audience, I wasn't the only one."

"I am pleased that me and my comrades have brought so much joy to our friends" said Eramus, while twinning his beard. "Of course, any actor would have been inspired to deliver the performance of their lives when performing at a theater such as this one."

"The Maestro is too kind" said the aardvark with a pleased expression. "It is an honor for my theater to once again house a theater troupe as renowned as his."

"I take it then that you are the owner of this establishment?" Merees asked.

"Where are my manners?" Eramus said, shaking his head with a  comically self-reproaching look on his face. "Allow me to make the introductions: My friends, the gentleman you see before you is the Marquis Gianni, the backbone of this fine city's cultural life. Marquis, the two flowers of womanhood lighting up this room with their presence are Princess Merees and her friend Risha. The Fine lad our Sara has taken such a shine to, is Risha's brother Leorin. They all arrived on the same ship as us and were instrumental in helping us defeat the pirates I told you about before."

Upon hearing this, Marquis Gianni looked suitably impressed.

"Indeed" he said, almost dropping his monocle. "It is always a pleasure to meet other friends of Eramus, especially" he added, bowing deeply to the two women before him, "ones as lovely as you two."

"Aside from being a patron of the arts, Gianni is also a notorious ladies man" said Eramus. "Usually, he's quite successful." He turned to the Marquis. "However, I'm afraid that these two fishes won't bite."

"I understand" the Marquis answered, giving Merees and Risha a meaningful look. "In that case" he continued, "let me congratulate the two of you. I hope you realize that you are both very lucky."

Risha and Merees gazed  at each other, their fingers intertwined.

"We know" they replied in chorus.

With introductions out of the way, Marquis Ginnai called for a waiter to bring three glasses with the same liquid that the troupe had enjoyed.

"Don't worry" Eramus said to Risha, when Leorin was handed a glass. "Its quite safe for children to drink."

Risha raised her glass to her mouth and took a sip of the liquid. It tasted the way she had imagined it would: Fruity and refreshing. She could not help smacking her lips appreciatively.

"Help yourselves to the spread" the Marquis offered. "I do believe there are some left."

Since they hadn't eaten in a while, this generous offer was gladly accepted. While the trio was enjoying the delicacies, Marquis Gianni turned to Merees.

"I couldn't help but notice by your accent that you hail from Vinoli, Princess. I take it then that you are one of Sharan's children?"

Inside Merees felt a twinge of pain upon hearing her father's name. She could only nod, knowing that her sorrow was written on her face. Then, she felt Risha squeeze her hand and smiled.

Realizing that he had made his new acquaintance feel uncomfortable, the Marquis decided to switch topic.

"I am hosting a little party at my villa in two days" he said. "It would be my pleasure if you ladies and your brother, of course, would attend." He handed them each a small card with an address printed on it.

While this conversation took place, the two youngest people had gone off on their own. Now, the two of them were seated on a large trunk standing in a far corner of the room. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss from before.

"Do you want some?" Leorin asked, offering Sara a melon cube from his plate.

"Thank you, I'm good" the porcupine-girl replied. Leorin shrugged and popped the cube into his own mouth.

"I really enjoyed your performance" He said earnestly, after he had swallowed.

"Thank you, I'm glad you did."

"By the way, where is Isso? I didn't notice him when we came in."

Indeed, the ocelot was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, he quit" replied Sara, while kicking her feet.

"Really?" Leorin said, surprised at hearing this.

"Yes, he took his belongings and his share of our earnings and left. Rufus was not happy about that, because Isso was the creator of most of the special effects we use."

"Well, I'm glad that he quit" Leorin said, crossing his arms. "I didn't like him, he was a jerk."

Recalling the times that Isso had been genuinely kind to her, Sara felt the need to come to the ocelot's defense.

"You didn't really know him" she said, looking down at her shoes.

Leorin could not argue with that and so, he decided not to push the subject further. Besides, he did not want to get into an argument with Sara over someone he didn't like.
Shortly afterwards, Leorin's sister called out to him that it was time to leave.

"Wait a second!" He shouted. He then turned to Sara and returned the kiss she had given him. "See you" he said, as he jumped off the trunk and rushed to the exit.

*****

Two days later.

It was quite late when Marquis Gianni's party finally came to an end. There were only a few guests left and so, their hosts thanked them all most profusely for having attended. They in turn thanked him and with good reason, for they had enjoyed themselves immensely: The food and drink had been of the highest quality and once they had finished eating, the guests were treated to the sight of fireworks lighting up the lagoon, while the melodious tunes provided by a hired orchestra filled the air, inviting those who felt inclined to turn the Marquis' garden into a ballroom.

The Trio had been among the last guests to leave. At one point during the party, Leorin had disappeared and Risha and Merees had spent some time searching for him, calling his name. They had finally found him sleeping under a table, curled up in a ball. Risha had woken her brother up, but it soon became clear that he was too tired to make the walk back to the hotel, so Merees carried the small cat on her back.

"Do you want me take him?" Risha asked, as the two of them walked the streets of Tiraliros.

"No, its fine" Merees replied. "He hardly weighs anything. "By the way, I have to say I'm impressed: I didn't know you were such a good dancer."

"Well" Risha said, feeling very pleased. "I was top of my class in dancing at my boarding school."

"I believe it. Which school was it?"

"St. Alma's."

Merees nodded, as if she had expected that answer.

At this point, it may be wise to inform the reader about the workings of the Vinolain educational system. Basically, it works like this: Public school lasts from the age of seven to twelve and is paid for with taxes. Many upper-class families opt to not put their children in public school, choosing insted to hire private tutors.  Risha's and Leorin's parents had not done that, however. Although, Nasari had taught her children to read and write before their seventh birthday, she and Jeraddin had believed that it would be good for them to attend the village-school and make some friends.

After public school is over and done with, most Vinolian children enter into an apprenticeship, often under their parents, but sometimes under a relative or a friend of the family. Those children whose parents can afford it, however, are usually sent to one of the boarding schools found across the country. There, they continue their education until their turn eighteen.
Among these boarding schools, the most prestigious one for girls was St. Alma's.

"Did you enjoy going there?" Merees asked.

Risha shrugged.

"I guess."

The Truth is that Risha had never wanted to attend a traditional girl's school. Her dream had been to follow in her father's footsteps by attending the same officer's school that he had in his youth. Nasari wouldn't have any of it though and this led to some heated debates between mother and daughter.

"There are women in the army" Risha, age ten shouted, stamping her small foot angrily. "Not many, but there are! I don't want to go to some crummy girl's school, I'm going to become a general and protect our country, like dad!"

"Young Lady" Nasari replied, her voice sharp. "You are going to St. Alma's and that's final."

"No, I won't!" Risha shrieked. "I hate St. Alma's and I hate you..you bitch!"

And with those parting words, she rushed from the room which had served as the scene for this latest argument, but not before she had spitefully reached out and shattered  which stood on a pedestal.

Later, as Risha lay on her bed, staining her pillow with tears of self-pity, her father entered her room.

"Your mother is very upset" Jeraddin said. "You really hurt her feelings."

Risha lifted her head from the pillow, glaring at her father with red eyes.

"Good" she replied hotly before lying down again.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jeraddin sat  down on the bed.

"Risha, your mother loves you" he said, touching his daughter's back. "You know that, right?"

Once again, Risha lifted her head up.

"Then why won't she let me do this?" She sniffled, staring at her father with red-rimmed eyes. "It's because I'm a girl, isn't it?" She asked, bitterly.

Smiling, Jeraddin shook his head.

"No, sweetie, that's not it. I doubt that your mother would allow your brother to join my old school when he's of age.  Your mother just does not want either of her children to end up in a situation where they risk being killed, or would have to kill others. And to be honest, neither do I."

Risha had not considered this. It dawned on her that she had behaved unfairly towards her mother.  She began to feel ashamed and as usual when that happened, the inside of her ears became warm.

"How long am I grounded for this time?" She asked in a small voice.

"You aren't grounded" came Jeraddin's reply.

Risha stared at her father in surprise.

"You don't mean..." Her voice trailed off.

"Yes" Jeraddin said sternly. "Your mother and I talked it over and we decided that the time has come for you to receive your first spanking."

In Vinoli it was forbidden for parents and guardians to administer corporal punishment to any child below the age of ten. As such, the most common way to discipline unruly children was to confine them to their chambers for as long a time as their parent saw fit. As such, being spanked was not merely a punishment, but also served as a rite of passage; the first real step on the journey to adulthood. Some families even went so far as to throw special parties on this occasion; inviting friends and family. This was not a wide-spread practice however and both Nasari and Jeraddin found it to be in incredibly poor taste.

Upon entering the living room, Risha found her mother seated on the couch. Next to Nasari lied an instrument which the lynx-girl had never seen before, though one glance at it was enough for her to deduce its purpose. Said instrument was a small, wooden paddle with a bow tied around its handle. The Paddle had originally belonged to Nasari's mother, who had used it to discipline her daughter. When Nasari had been a mother for the first time, the new grand-mother had gifted her the paddle and had told her that it had been in their family since the time of her own grand-parent's time. Nasari had put the paddle away in a closet and there it had remained, until now.

"Well, Risha" Nasari said, looking at her eldest. "Do you have anything to say?"

Risha swallowed, her eyes traveled towards the paddle. In her mind she could already feel it dancing on her bottom.

"I apologize for my behavior earlier" she said, looking her mother in the eye. "I behaved unacceptably and I am sorry for it."


"You believe me, right mom?" Risha asked, her voice a nervous quiver. "That I am sorry?"

"Of course I believe you" Nasari replied. "However, that does not mean that you are off the hook. You understand that, don't you?"

Risha nodded.

"Good. Now, take off your belt and lie down here" Nasari said, patting her lap.

At the time Risha was dressed the same way as all Vinolian children are during the warmer months of the year; in a short-sleeved tunic that ended above the knees and was tied together with a belt. Having removed the belt, Risha lied down across her mother's lap. Once her daughter was in position, Nasari hiked up the now loose-hanging tunic and pulled down the panties underneath. Digging her tiny claws into one of the sofa cushions, Risha shut her eyes tightly and steeled herself, waiting for the punishment to begin.

She did not have to wait long; Nasari raised the paddle and brought it down with an audible smack on the left side of her daughter's butt, causing Risha to inhale sharply, tears running down her cheeks. Moments later, the right side got the same treatment.

The Punishment continued in this fashion for some time, with Nasari altering between striking one side of her target at the time, or hitting it square in the middle. With every kiss they received from the paddle, Risha's buttocks, which by now had assumed the color of a ripe tomato, would give a slight jiggle, followed by a gasp from its owner.

Finally, Nasari decided that Risha had been properly disciplined and put the paddle aside. She then helped Risha up to a sitting position on her knee.

"There, there, sweetie" Nasari cooed, stroking the fur on Risha's head, while the lynx-girl cried softly into her chest. "Its all over now and I must say I'm proud of you."

"You are?" Risha sniffled, looking up at her mother.

"I am" Nasari said, planting a tender kiss on her first-born's forehead. "You took your medicine without complaint, which is more than I can say for my first time."

"I did?" Despite the heat emanating from her throbbing tush, the lynx-girl could not help but feel her heart swell with pride upon hearing this. "Still" she added, "I am not in a hurry to go through this again."

"And I am not in a hurry to inflict a punishment like this on you again" Nasari replied. "However, the worst part is over with, for now. Now, I want you to lie down on your back again, your father should return any moment."

Risha lied down, wondering what would happen next. Just then, the door opened and Jeraddin entered the room, carrying a small jar. He was followed by Leorin, who eagerly ran up to the sofa.

"Risha, play with me!" Leorin demanded, shaking his sister's shoulder.

"Leorin, leave your sister alone" Nasari admonished her son. "She needs to rest."

His ears lying flat on his head, Leorin looked at his mother with disappointment in his eyes.

"I'll play with you later" Risha assured her brother. "Why don't you draw something in the meantime?"

"Good idea" Leorin said and went away to find pen and paper. Meanwhile, Jeraddin knelt down by the couch.

"How are you doing, sweetie?" He asked, gently stroking one of Risha's ear-tufts..

"To be honest, my butt feels as if you could fry an egg on it.

Jeraddin glanced at the referred part of his daughter's anatomy and nodded.

"Yes, I know that feeling" he said, smiling compassionately. "Don't worry though, I've got the remedy for that right here."

He showed Risha the jar he was holding and undid the lid and dipped his paw in it. He then held the jar out to Nasari, who did likewise.

"Its cold" Risha whined, squirming slightly as her parents began applying the healing ointment, working it into her red hot rear end.

****

The Next year, Risha begun her first semester at St. Alma's. To the lynx-girl's surprise she did not end up hating the place: She made a few friends, as well as a few rivals and she did well in most of her classes. During the holidays, when she returned home, she would regale her parents with some of her more memorable exploits.

This lasted until Risha reached puberty. As usual when that happens, strange and new feelings begin to take hold off a young persons mind. Boys, usually start to really notice girls for the first time and that's what Risha did too.

Once that happened, life at St.Alma's became an ordeal for the young lynx-girl. Suddenly, the simple act of showering together with her classmates, or sleeping in the same room as them became a trial that seemed insurmountable. She was afraid that anything would cause one of her classmates to realize what she was and the thought made a shiver run down her spine.

Now, the reader may wonder why Risha was so anxious about concealing her sexuality? After all, homosexuality had been legal in Vinoli since forever. To that, we must point out that just because something is legal or allowed does not mean that everyone accepts it.
 None of Risha's classmates were gay. At least not openly. Indeed, several of them had managed to acquire  boyfriends and their interests mostly revolved around boys. At St. Alma's the only person who was openly lesbian was one of the teachers, a badger. She was in a relationship with one of the custodians and although the students respected her authority in the classroom, behind her back they would gossip and make cruel jokes about her.

Thus, Risha's fear of being outed. She was not a teacher and therefore, there was no stopping her classmates from shunning her to her face. The Thought of that happening was more than she could bear. And so, she would join in her classmates' secret jeering of their teacher, though inwardly she admired the badger and cursed her own cowardice.

Even Jeraddin and Nasari were unaware of their daughter's orientation. Risha had heard about a young man who had come out to his parents and they, who had previously loved him, had disowned him and cast him out of their home. Visions of her mother in tears, wondering what they had done wrong and the father she idolized turning away from her in disgust, haunted Risha's dreams and made her sob uncontrollably, until one of her classmates threw a pillow at her and told her to be quiet.

It's been said that the coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave man only once. Eventually, Risha decided that she had had enough of hiding. Once she returned to St. Alma's she would step out of the closet and if her classmates ended up ostracizing her as a result? Well, this would be her last year at school. All she had to do was toughen it out and then St. Alma's would be a finished chapter in the novel of her life. Once that was done, she would tell her parents.

Of course, Risha could not know at the time that none of that would happen. She would never return to St. Alma's or have the chance to come out to her parents. Instead, the murder of a king would force her and her brother to flee their home, leaving their old lives behind forever.

*****

Having arrived at the hotel they were staying at and picking up their keys from the dingo who served as the night-porter, Risha and Merees first put Leorin to bed and then went to their own room, located next to his.

"I hope you aren't tired, yet" Merees said. "It would be a shame if you were."

"Me, tired?" Risha replied, raising an eyebrow. "Perish the thought!"

The Couple began to undress, scattering their clothes on the floor. Soon, they were both in their birthday suit, Merees standing behind Risha. The Lynx could feel the dragon's hot breath on the back of her neck.

As she began nibbling carefully on Risha's neck and shoulders, Merees' left hand started to knead one of her girlfriend's breasts like a piece of dough, while her right hand reached down between her legs.

Risha could feel her mind drifting away and all she could do was moan as her lover's touch sent ripples of pleasure throughout her being.

Then, abruptly, the currents stopped.

"D-don't" Risha said weakly, looking almost pleadingly at Merees.

The Princess said nothing, instead letting the tip of her long tongue sweep over Risha's lips. Then, she swept her partner off her feet and carried her, like a groom would carry his bride and laid her down on top of their bed, which was soon shaking with the force of their love. In the next room, another guest, knocked on the wall to make them quiet down, but neither Risha nor Merees noticed.

*****

Next morning, after they had washed, for this was a modern hotel with indoor plumbing, Risha and Merees went to wake up Leorin so that they could eat breakfast.

"Do you think he noticed any of the noise we made?" Risha asked, as she produced the key to Leorin's room.

Merees shook her head.

"I bet he slept like a log." She lowered her voice. "By the way, you could have warned me before putting your tongue there."

"I thought you liked it?" Risha whispered back. "I didn't exactly hear you protest."

"Sure, but a heads-up would have been nice."

Suddenly, Merees got an idea.

"Next time" She whispered, with an impish look on her face. "Why don't I sit on your face?"

 Picking up the key she had dropped, Risha unlocked the door and the two women entered.

"Up and at'em, little brother!" Risha called out. "Its beautiful day outside."

She walked up to the bed and let out a sharp, high scream.

"What is it?" Merees asked, rushing to her side.

Risha did not need to answer, the dragon could see what had provoked this reaction from her:

Leorin's bed was empty.

Comics That Should Be Translated: Dr. Merling

Previously in this irregular series of posts, I've focused on comics from the Southern part of Europe. This time, however, things will be a bit different. Today, we're going to move up north (though its still to the south from where I'm sitting) to Scandinavia or, more precisely, to Denmark, to talk about what I'm sure is the most obscure comic I've yet mentioned on this blog: Dr. Merling.
Dr. Merling is a Danish comic strip created by Knud V. Larsen which ran from 1970-1980 in Berlingske Tidene. At one point during its run, the comic's title was changed to Dr. Merlind for legal reasons (apparently, there was actually a family named Merling). For the purpose of this post though, I'm going to keep using its original title.

A bit of personal history, before we start (don't worry, this won't take long): My first encounter with Dr. Merling came thanks to my father's old childhood copies of Seriepressen; a Swedish comics anthology magazine which existed in the 1970's and featured quite a wide array of comics. In a poll which the magazine ran, Dr. Merling came out the winner. Quite impressive, considering that in the pages of Seriepressen one could also find such works as Herriman's Krazy Kat and Lee's & Romita Jr's Spider-Man. Clearly, the Swedish readers of the time had taken Larsen's opus to their hearts and, reading the comic several decades later, I could definitely understand why.

Sadly, Seriepressen only had the chance to publish the first two story-arcs of Dr. Merling before the magazine went under. Obviously, the comic continued for longer than that in its homeland, but unavailable to the Swedish reader, especially those of us who became acquainted with it several years after the fact.
Fortunately, works of quality have a tendency to resurface: In the 2010's the entire run of Dr. Merling was collected in three volumes by the Danish publisher Forlaens.

So, what is Dr. Merling all about? Well, in the 1870's, the family Merling; consisting of our main character Albert, the titular doctor, his wife Anita, their daughters Alice and Bettina travels the countryside of Transyldavia (no, that's not me screwing up the spelling, that's what its called in the comic. Actually, its called Transyldavien, I just translated it) with their magic show. Accompanying the family is also their assistant and coachman, Boris.
Between performances, the Merling Family find themselves involved in various adventures, often with some kind of supernatural tinge. Sometimes, there's a human hand behind the events that occur, but other times the supernatural turns out to be quite real.

In the first story-arc, titled Mesmer, Dr. Merling himself is almost a supporting character and, with the exception of Anita who has a cameo at the beginning of the arc, the rest of the core cast does not appear at all. Instead, the main focus is upon the arc's villain, Dr. Scyk; who with the help of his creation Mesmer, a reanimated corpse intends to wreak bloody vengeance upon the teachers at the universty in Uldz, who mocked his theories (classic mad scientist stuff in order words). The Faculty is eventually forced to beg Dr. Merling for help in dealing with Scyk and his creation, despite the fact that they had previously dismissed him as a charlatan.

The Stories told by Larsen vary in tone: Some of them are fun and lighthearted, while others, such as the one mentioned above, are considerably darker. However, Regardless of what kind of story Larsen tells, he never fails at making it entertaining. Of course, since the stories were originally published in a newspaper and intended to be read one strip at a time, it occasionally leads to some repetition when the characters have to summarize what has happened for the benefit of readers who come in late, but that's par of the course for serialized newspaper comics and one simply has to accept it.

Of course, a huge part of what makes this comic successful is its characters, particularly the main cast. I really like the dynamic between the Merlings; they ocasionally quarrel and tease each other, but nonetheless, have a genuine love for one another, which always shines through in their interactions.  Aside from his core cast, Larsen also presents the reader with several memorable side characters, ranging from likable kooks like the two rival alchemists Fixo & Faxo to pitiable villains like the albino Count Cherzek.

During its run, Dr. Merling was cancelled twice. The First time it happened was in 1975, but it was soon brought back after the readers protested. Next time was in 1980 and this time, no amount of backlash could prevent it. Larsen never managed to get his comic picked up by another newspaper and as such, the final story-arc of Dr. Merling ends on a cliffhanger which has never been resolved. Larsen himself passed away in 2002.

Regardless of this, Dr. Merling remains, as far as I'm concerned, one of the best comics to come out of Denmark. As well as one of the most underrated comics, period. It definitely deserves to be more well-known.

Gallery:

Chapter 40

Those who travel to Tiraliros by sea will know when they have reached its territory by a particular landmark: A turqouoise rock, sticking up out of the ocean depths. Its said that in the past, mermaids would come up to the surface and sit on this very rock, combing their hair and singing to the seagulls and the ships that passed by on the way to Tiraliros itself.

However, its been a long time since any mermaid last sung upon this rock. After a few bad experiences with land-dwellers, the Ocean King had forbidden his daughters from having anything to do with the surface any more and he and all his court had retreated into their underwater Kingdom, never to be seen again.
The Absence of mermaids did not make the sight of the rock any less exciting to the members of the Troupe as their ship passed it by and Tiraliros' skyline came into view.
Standing in the ship's bow, Risha and Leorin gazed at the city that they were about to enter:

Stretching out before their eyes were buildings, the tallest of which seemed to impale the highest clouds upon their spires and there, standing on its pedestal in the harbor, ready to welcome far-away travelers from any corner of the world, was the two-hundred meter tall statue, depicting those who had given the city its name: The Griffon twins, Tira and her brother Liros. Said statue also served as a lighthouse.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Merees said. She was standing next to Risha, one of her arms wrapped around the lynx's waist.

"I've seen paintings of it" Risha said, shaking her head in awe, "but its something else to see it with your own eyes."

The Ship had reached its destination one day later than originally planned. This late arrival owed its existence to the crew having to deal with the aftermath of the encounter with the pirates. Eramus, who had picked up some medical knowledge during his voyages had dressed the wounds of the wounded on both sides, assisted by Griselda. The Ship's deck had been scrubbed free from blood and finally, a funeral ceremony had been held for the fallen with the ship of the defeated pirates serving as their pyre.
Now, though, that was all over with; the members of the troupe had dried their tears and although the memory of those they had lost would linger in their hearts, it was time to move on and focus on the here and now.

"Look!" Leorin hollered excitedly, pointing at two long rowboats approaching the ship. "I wonder what they want with us?"

"They're custom officials" Rufus explained. "They've come to check if our papers are in order and that we don't try to bring anything illegal into Tiraliros."

The Officials in the first boat climbed aboard. They were all dressed in navy-blue uniforms and wore round caps on their heads. At their head was a stoat and a calico. The Stoat, who had a feather in his cap, demanded to see the appropriate papers, in an authoritarian tone.

Eramus handed the documents over and the stoat leafed through them carefully.

"Your papers are in order" he said, handing them back. "However, we must still check your hold."

"Be my guest. By the way, there's a hidden compartment down there. Rufus, will you be so kind as to show the officials where it is?"

"Of course" the fox said.

The Stoat turned to the calico.

"You go with him" he said. "Take someone with you."

Saluting, the calico turned to a heavyset bulldog standing behind her.

"You come with me" she said.

The Hatch was opened and the two officials followed Rufus down the stairs and into the hold. They had barely set foot in it, before the calico let out a surprised gasp.

"What is it?" The Stoat called out to his subordinate.

"Sir" the calico replied, turning her head in the direction of her boss. "There...there are people down here."

The Stoat whirled around, glaring at Eramus.

"What's the meaning of this?" He asked, as his fingers gripped the hilt of the saber hanging from his belt.

Eramus was not intimidated.

"We had an encounter with pirates" he explained, stroking his beard. "We defeated them and took the survivors captive, so as to bring them to justice."

The Stoat looked at the older man with something like newfound respect in his eyes. He turned to the calico:

"Bring those rascals up. I wish to take a good look at them."

The Order was carried out and soon the surviving pirates were all standing on deck, trying to shield their eyes from the sun. Among them was a gecko, a scrawny-looking fellow whose eyes darted nervously back and forth. He looked so pathetic that some of the more soft-hearted officials could not help but feel a twinge of pity for him. The Members of the troupe, remembering all too well that the gecko had wounded two of their own in battle, were not moved by such sentiments.

The Stoat circled the pirates, his hands behind his back.

"Ah, yes" he said, as he stopped and observed each one of them. "They do look like quite a nasty group of villains." He stopped in front of the jackal. "This one in particular; something about him gives me the chills."

"I protest at being treated this way" the jackal replied and both his words and the way he carried himself made him seem the very picture of offended dignity. "I am of noble blood and demand to be treated as befits my rank."

"Is that so?" The Stoat's smile could make magma feel cold. "You just look like another flea-bitten pirate to me."

The Jackal thrust his head forward like a snake, baring his fangs menacingly. Instinctively, the stoat took a step back, his fingers closing around the handle of his sword.

"Get them to the boats!" He commanded in a shrill voice, angry that he had let himself be intimidated by an unarmed man.

Eramus turned to the calico.

"You'll find the loot from the pirate ship in the hold as well" he told her. "I recognize the seals of a few of your city's more prominent merchant houses on some of the chests."

"We'll see that it gets returned to the rightful owners" she assured him.

As the pirates were lined up, the jackal turned his head slightly and spat. The Spittle landed close to Risha's foot. Shooting lightning from her eyes, the lynx-girl took a step forward, only to be stopped by Merees gently squeezing her shoulder.

"Forget about him" the dragon said. "You won't be seeing him again."

Risha watched as the jackal climbed into one of the rowboats.

"I hope you're right" she sighed, turning to Merees. "I really hope you are"

*****

As usual, Tiraliros' harbor was bustling with activity; ships from all over the world were unloading the cargo, which was then either stored in one of the many warehouses found in the harbor, or, as was the case with some of the troupe's props, loaded onto carts for transportation into the city itself.

"I suppose this is where we part ways, at least for now" Eramus said, as he shook hands with the trio.
"We're going to head to the theater that booked us and begin preparing for tonight's performance. Of course,  we would all be honored if you came to watch."

The Rest of the troupe all nodded in agreement and Risha, Merees and Leorin assured them that they would gladly do so, as soon as they had found a place to stay.

"I know just the establishment" said Eramus and gave them the name of a hotel. "The Owner is an old friend of mine" the faun continued. "Just mention my name and he'll give you his finest room."

They thanked him for the tip and proceeded to say goodbye to the rest of the troupe.
When they came to Sara, the porcupine shook paws with Risha and Merees, but when it was Leorin's turn, she did something different and unexpected:
Taking Leorin's paw in her own, the youngest member of the troupe instead pulled the small cat closer and gave him a kiss.

Having performed such an act of spontaneity and boldness,  its only natural that Sara was overcome by a case of severe shyness. She hid her face in her paws and proceeded to run off in the opposite direction.
 Leorin watched her, completely stunned. Mechanically, he raised his paw and touched the spot that had been touched by Sara's lips.

"Aww"

The Sound of his sister's voice brought Leorin back to his senses. It did not, however, do anything to alleviate the embarrassment he felt. Quite the opposite actually.

****

"So, when I was risking my life fighting pirates, you got yourself a girlfriend?"

Leorin face became even more like a tomato than it had been before.

"Its not like that" he protested, turning to Risha, his voice shrill. "She's not my girlfriend!"

The Siblings were standing outside one of Tiraliros' banks: A huge, imposing stone building whose entrance was guarded by a pair of sphinxes; their faces showing no trace of emotion, as their eyes scanned everyone approaching the bank.
Merees had gone inside in order to exchange her Vinolian coins for the local currency. She had asked Risha and Leorin if they wanted to come with her, but they had both declined: Leo because he did not want to stand in line in a dusty old bank for who knows how long and Risha because she saw an opportunity to tease her brother about what had occurred earlier.

"Very well" she said. "I believe you, she's not your girlfriend."

"That's what I've been saying" Leorin replied, crossing his arms over his chest and letting out an annoyed snort.

"You want her to be though" Risha said, the right corner of her mouth turning upwards in a mischievous grin.

The Cat's first instinct was to deny what his sister just said, but as he was about to do this, he realized that she had hit the bulls-eye.

"I mean, she is nice and...and cute" he began, fidgeting with his thumbs. "Its just.. we barely know each other."

Risha shrugged.

"So, get to know her. She obviously wants to get to know you."

Alas, Leorin's reply to this statement must remain a mystery. He was just about to say something, when the words that was about to form in his throat were turned into a surprised gasp and he immediately dashed off.
For a second, Risha only stood there, as if frozen by surprise. Then, she shook off her temporary paralysis and dashed after her brother, pushing her way through the crowd.
It didn't take long for her to caught up with him; he was standing in the road turning his head left to right rapidly.

Angrily, Risha marched up to Leorin and gave one of his ears a twist.

"Owowowow!" Leorin whined. "Sis, what are you doing?

The Lynx-girl did not answer. She was acutely aware that they were observed by a small group of onlookers, some of them looking quite amused by the situation and that only served to fuel her anger. Without a word, she grabbed Leorin by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back to the bank's doorstep.

"What was that for?" Leorin complained, wiping a single tear from the corner of his eye.

Risha stomped the ground in frustration.

"What do you mean by running off like that?!" She growled angrily. "Do you realize what could have happened? You could have been run over by a cart, or worse, someone could have kidnapped you!"

Leorin was just about to give what he imagined to be a clever reply, but when he looked up and saw the look of concern on his sister's face, he found himself unable to do so.

"I'm sorry, sis" he said abashed, ears flat against his head. "Its just that...I thought I saw someone I recognized in the crowd and...well, it was as if my body moved on its own."

Risha looked at her brother, her anger beginning to subside.

"Just promise you won't do anything like that again" she sighed.

"I promise."

"Besides, the person you saw was probably someone from the troupe. After all, who else do we know in Tiraliros?"

"No-one, you're probably right, sis. I must have been imagining things. After all, a city of this size must be home to hundreds of tigers, right?"

That last remark caused Risha's ears to perk up: Tigers? For a moment, the lynx-girl felt a shiver run down her spine.

Calm yourself, she thought, biting her lip. Like Leo just said, there must be hundreds of tigers living here. Still, what if he saw correctly? I should probably tell Mer about this.

"Hi love, did you miss me?"

The Sound of Merees' voice brought Risha back to reality.

"Of course, I counted the seconds you were gone."

"That's my girl. So, what do you two want to do now?"

Just then, as though he had been summoned by Merees' question, an armadillo walked by. On his stomach, he carried a large box with a lid and in one of his hands he held a bell which he rung, while calling out:

"Ice cream! Get your ice cream! Cold and fresh! Perfect for staving off the heat!"

Leorin gasped excitedly.

"Princess, I want ice cream" he said, while tugging on Merees' sleeve. "Please" he added, upon noticing the disapproving look Risha gave him.

If Merees had any issue with the way Leorin had initially phrased his request, she did not show it.

"Of course" she said, smiling at him. "Let's both have one, I suddenly have a craving for ice-cream as well."

"What about me?" Risha asked.

"Well" Merees said, assuming a contemplative pose. "I guess I can let you have a taste of mine."

"Really?" Risha's voice was lightly sprinkled with sarcasm. "You're too kind."

"I know" Merees replied.

She waved at the ice-cream vendor, who came over to them. He explained that he only had one taste available: Mango. Merees' paid for three cones and handed one to each of the siblings. The Three of them then took their ice cream and sat down on a bench, watching people go by.
As she sat there, enjoying her treat with her brother on her left side and her girlfriend on her right and the sun warming her fur, Risha felt perfectly content. At that moment, any thought of tigers, were gone from her mind.

The Beginning of the End

As you may or may not be aware the final season of the Horse Show begun airing a couple of weeks ago. Now, I'm way behind on it, but I have seen the season premiere; appropriately titled The Beginning of the End and so, I thought I'd write something about it.
This was an interesting premiere. While The Cutie Map remains my favorite MLP season premiere, this one was definitely enjoyable and it gives me hope that the show's last season will be a good one. It really deserves it.

Discord was in top-form these episodes, being far portrayed in them than he has been in quite a while. Because I do feel that Discord's character has gotten a bit stale in later seasons. With the exception of Discordant Harmony, most episodes featuring him have tended to follow the same formula: Discord throws a fit because he's not at the center of attention, learns not to be such a spoiled brat and apologizes (except that one time when Starlight apologized to him, for some reason). Lather, rinse repeat. My point is, it's gotten quite old and predictable and predictable is not a word that should be associated with the Lord of Chaos.

So, its with great pleasure that I can say that I loved Discord here. This is exactly the kind of reformed Discord I want to see, someone who is snarky and self-absorbed, but nonetheless has his heart in the right place and genuinely has his friends' best interest at heart. Bravo to the writers and, as usual, a bravo to Mr. DeLancie for a great performance.

That said, my favorite part of these episodes were definitely the scenes spent with the villains. I just love villain team-ups like this and I really do hope that we get to see more of Grogar's Guild of Calamitous Intent as the season unfolds and that this isn't kept on the back-burner until the series finale. Basically, I want there to be at least a scene every other episodes showing the bad guys just hanging out, plotting their evil schemes. Or, even an entire episode centered entirely around the villains, with the heroes only being mentioned or, at the most, having a cameo.

Finally, I loved Twilight's hair-flip when she deflected Sombra's magic. Great little moment that.