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The next day was bright and sunny and Edgar and Kathleen Montague helped Vic and Zenaida pack up their things on the journey they intended to travel. The lemming and the tiger were even surprised that they both wanted to join Prince Gaius’ crew. The rhinoceros and the hippopotamus even thought to give the two a ride on their wagon pulled by their trusty monoceratops Meryl.

Both Vic and Zenaida were very quiet during the journey, thinking over everything that had happened that led them on this decision. Zenaida wanted to prove what she had to herself, having trained her body and mind for combat for many years. Vic just wanted his sister back and prove to his family, once and for all, that he wasn’t as useless as they thought he was.

They arrived at the docks, at the place that Prince Gaius spoke of last night where a small crowd of volunteers had now gathered.

“Looks like you two are in for a grand adventure,” Edgar the rhinoceros said as helped unload the two’s luggage from his wagon. “You’ll probably end up in places and doing things I’ve only dreamed of!”

“From what I know,” Kathleen the hippopotamus said as she helped Zenaida with her sheathed sword. “You wanted to be a sailor so you could go womanizing in some other part of the world.”

“Why would I go womanizing?” Edgar laughed. “I have everything I could ever want right here!”

And the couple laughed, lending them an almost magical mirth. Like a bright aura that lifted the soul. It was a strong contrast to the dark and depressing aura the burnt-out city presented. Zenaida remembered her parents when they would walk her around all those years ago. Vic was reminded of his own parents when his mother would tell hilarious jokes that would make their entire family roar with laughter.

“Thanks again,” Vic said. “Mr. and Mrs. Montague.”

“You don’t need to thank us,” Kathleen said. “I’m just doing an old friend of mine a favor. Also, we’ll bring your monoceratops and the letter you wrote to your family in Vermil when we arrive there tomorrow. We’re going to pay Brianna a visit there too, you see, and leave her a letter of our own.”

“Now you two be careful out there,” Edgar said. “An old sailor once told me that there’s never any telling where the wind and waves will take you.”

Vic then took a small pouch from his pack which he handed to the old rhinoceros.

“Here Mr. Montague,” Vic smiled. “This is the money Pia and I made selling our goods.”

“Oh, I can’t take that!” Edgar raised his hands.

“You should keep that for yourself, dear.” Kathleen smiled.

“But,” Vic said. “What about your business?”

“We’ll start a new business in Vermil,” Edgar said. “Besides, you should know that out there, in the great expanse, a little silver can get you a long way.”

“Thank you for everything Mr. Montague,” Zenaida said. “When I return, I will bring you a share of my rewards.”

Kathleen moved to the tigress and hugged her with her great arms.

“Do not worry over such things,” said the hippopotamus woman. “What matters is that you return to us and do try to send us a message every now and again.”

This time it was the tigress’ turn to hug the hippopotamus.

+++

“So how many men do we have now?” Gaius asked. “Captain Meralco’s crew, or what’s left of it anyway, is around a hundred and fifty, correct?”

“Well Your Highness,” said Quan the toad, the accountant of the Chenodia. “That brings us up to about four hundred men. We’re going to need more to keep the Chenodia maintained. We need to be at least seven hundred men strong.”

“What seems to be the problem?” Beryl asked, joining the prince and his accountant. “How many more men do we need?”

“About three hundred,” Quan the toad hesitated. “Lady Captain.”

“It’s just captain,” Beryl smiled. “But thank you for your courteousness, Mr. Quan.”

+++

Dr. Josef the centipede and Gabriel Sanchez the dog, the former first mate of the Golden Bride, Sienna the owl wizard and Zane the cobra alchemist were charged with the screening of recruits for crewmembers aboard the Chenodia. So far they had screened more than three dozen people. Only ten of those were accepted. The remaining twenty-six were sent back, deemed unfit to be of much use aboard the ship on their long voyage.

“Name?” Sanchez asked as a tall bear came forward, wearing only a quilt, leather armlets, a pair of heavy boots and a two-handed warhammer strapped to his back.

“I am Thomson,” replied the bear. “Of the clan Mackenzie.”

“From?” asked the dog as he wrote that down on a clipboard.

“I grew up in Tolmaren,” said the bear. “But I moved here to Pyril after I got married.”

“What is your reason for joining this voyage?” Sanchez asked, writing some more on his clipboard.

“To pay for my child’s schooling,” the bear almost laughed. “Wouldn’t want my little Tommy to grow up illiterate like his father.”

“Okay,” Sanchez said, smiling amiably at the bear. “Go to the centipede back there, he’ll give you a full medical.”

“Next!” Sanchez said and a gecko, all dressed in black came forward.

“Name?”

“Nobuo Sawada.”

“From?”

“The Forests of Zeppon.”

“Reasons for joining the voyage?”

“To make money.”

“Okay,” Sanchez pointed to Dr. Josef. “Get your medical exam with him.”

Next, a middle-aged panda came forward.

“Name?”

“Ting.”

“From?”

“Yuan-Ti, Kithiya.”

“Reasons for joining the voyage?”

“Wanted to see the world, sir. Plus, I’m a barber. I’m sure you could use some of my skills out there.”

“You’re right,” Sanchez said. “Okay, just get a medical examination there and Dr. Josef will decide if you can come with us.”

Then, a hedgehog woman came forward carrying two full bags.

“Name?”

“Fatima.”

“From?”

“Arklo, Zengo.”

“Reasons for joining the voyage?”

“Travel Felominar. I’m also a midwife and capable nanny. I think I can help your doctor over there.”

“Hmm,” Sanchez looked over his shoulder at the centipede. “I suppose he could. Go there and let him examine you. If you’re okay to go, you can ask if you can be his assistant.”

A hyena then moved forward, smiling arrogantly.

“And you are?”

“Steno.”

“From?”

“Joldiro, Calhorn.”

“Reasons for joining the voyage?”

“Money, what else?”

The dog regarded the hyena closely, flaring his nostrils and focusing on the man’s face.

“Sorry amigo, can’t take you aboard.”

“Feh!” the hyena snarled and walked away. “Didn’t want to be stuck with losers like you anyway!”

“Why didn’t you let him get his medical exam?” Sienna the owl asked.

“He looked and seemed quite capable.” Zane the cobra said.

“I don’t think that man is who he says he is,” Sanchez said. “You can’t trust men like that.”

Next came a clearly aged anaconda.

“Name?” Sanchez asked.

“Huh?” the anaconda leaned closer. “What’d you say?”

“Name, sir?” Sanchez repeated.

“What do you mean ‘shame’?”

“Your name sir,” Sanchez said as clearly as possible. “What are you called?”

“Oh, my name!” said the anaconda. “I’m Tom Slender.”

“From?”

“Huh?”

Sienna the owl, who was standing and facing away from them, rolled her eyes.

“Where are you from, sir?”

“Where did I eat crumbs?” the anaconda knotted his brow.

“Where are you from,” Sanchez clarified, raising his voice a little. “Where do you live?”

“Oh, where do I come from,” the anaconda said, finally understanding. “Let’s see, I was born in Torgo, Elmarina. Then, when I got married, I moved to Tylis, Ulrondo. Then, after my last child got married, my wife and I moved here to Cormalen.”

“Okay,” Sanchez said, writing all that down on his clipboard. “So what’s your reason for joining us?”

“What’s in my jimmies?” the anaconda leaned in closer.

“Why are you joining us?” Sanchez repeated. “Why are you coming with us?”

“Oh,” the anaconda said. “See the rest of the world before I die, I guess.”

“Go to the doctor there for your medical exam,” Sanchez pointed to Dr. Josef then asked Zane the cobra to come over. “Help him, will you?”

+++

Zenaida and Vic were a bit when they saw an old anaconda pass them by on the opposite direction, his serpentine head down and his rheumy eyes on the verge of tears. He probably didn’t pass the medical exam considering his advanced age, the lemming and tiger thought in different variations. After all, just like ships, people pass the age of being seaworthy.

“Next,” said the dog and Zenaida came forward, her battle gear in a duffel bag and her sword clasped to her back.

“Name?”

“Zenaida Ivanov.”

“From?”

“Thorbul, Valmoren.”

The dog raised a curious eyebrow at that.

“Reason for joining?”

“To avenge the death of my family and kill undead.”

“That’s the spirit!” the dog smiled and jerked his head towards a centipede carrying out medical examinations. “Go to the centipede back there for your medical exam.”

That was when Zenaida moved on and Vic took her place.

“Your name?”

“Vicente Dubois, but you can call me ‘Vic’.”

“Okay ‘Vic’, where’re you from?”

“Vermil, Pyril. It’s a town not far from here. It’s up near the fishing village Epimos.”

“Uh-huh,” the dog wrote on his clipboard. “So why do you want to go with us and what can you do for us?”

“Admiral Sebastian took my sister,” Vic answered. “I’m gonna get her back. Plus, I can read. Not a lot, mind you. But I can understand most books.”

Sienna the owl and Zane the cobra looked at the lemming, then at each other and then back at Vic.

“Okay, those’re good qualifications,” the dog said after taking it down on his clipboard. “Head on to the centipede behind me for your medical exam.”

+++

Around five minutes later, after his medical exam, Vic joined Zenaida as well as a suspicious-looking hyena and the old anaconda earlier on a bench overlooking the dock.

“They wouldn’t take you either, huh?” Zenaida said as the lemming joined them. “Guess we don’t qualify or something.”

“Why wouldn’t they take you?” Vic asked. “I mean, you’re pretty strong.”

“They said that being able to read was a requirement,” the tigress shook her head. “Said they already had too many illiterate people aboard the ship.”

“Well I can read,” Vic said. “They thought that I just didn’t seem strong and healthy enough to be ‘seaworthy’ according to the doctor.”

+++

“These are only five-hundred and fifty people,” Prince Gaius looked over a written list, Beryl right behind him. “We need more crewmen.”

“Sadly, Your Highness,” Quan the toad said. “Not all of them have reached the minimum requirements. Many are strong and healthy but are illiterate. Others may be literate but they do not pass the health requirements.”

“We need more men for this voyage,” Prince Gaius said. “And we need to be underway as soon as possible.”

“Should I lower the standards on the crew then?” Quan asked. “Your Highness?”

“Listen here, Mr. Quan,” Beryl said. “It’s not just their negative qualities that we should focus on. If anything, we should focus on their respective strengths and not their weaknesses. A man might be illiterate but he might be strong, loyal and an experienced warrior or seaman. A woman might not be very strong but she might be smart, literate and an exceptional scholar or wizard. Don’t right them off because they don’t fit your standards. Just write in those you think will be able to work well together.”

The toad thought about that for a moment and then looked at Prince Gaius to defer to his judgement.

“You heard the lady,” Gaius shrugged. “Write in those you think are best.”

+++

Zenaida was surprised when the dog who interviewed them earlier came towards the bench they sat on.

“You,” he called out. “Prince Gaius has spoken. You may come aboard. You’ve been hired as privateers.”

They all stood up, regarded one another and then the dog.

“Prince’s orders,” the dog motioned for them to come to the ship although he did throw the hyena a suspicious look. “Let’s go, we need to sail out by sundown.”

“Looks like we’re going after all,” Vic said and looked at Zenaida. “Zenaida, is it?”

“You can call me ‘Zenny’ if you like,” the tigress smiled at the lemming. “And I can call you ‘Vic’, how’s that?”

The two walked with the others towards the ship and then decided to help the old anaconda slither along before he fell over.

+++

Edgar and Kathleen watched as the Chenodia sailed out of port.

“There go them youngsters,” the rhinoceros laughed as they drove their wagon on. “Sailing off into the sunset. Almost reminds me of the adventure stories my dear old dad used to tell me. Those young’uns look like they’re going to be part of a good adventure story.”

“Maybe,” the hippopotamus said as she watched the great man-o’ war sail further and further towards the sun. “Or a good romance story.”

“You think those two...” Edgar looked from his wife to the disappearing ship in the distance. “The lemming and the tiger?”

“What?” Kathleen laughed. “When were around their age we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into either.”