Chapter 16

The Chenodia arrived in Karlaca more than a few hours later. It was around mid-afternoon when they finally docked at Karlaca and the crew were quick to disembark and see the new island for themselves. Prince Gaius and his staff immediately headed for the city’s town hall to speak with the mayor regarding the whereabouts of Count Belford on the island. Captain Meralco and some of her faithful crewmen went to the market to buy supplies that they would need in the time ahead. Meanwhile, there were those like Sanchez the dog, the current first mate of the Chenodia, decided to visit the nearest tavern to sample some of the local food and maybe get a little tidbit on just what kind of place Karlaca was. Vic the lemming and Zenny the tiger along with a few other crewmen and passengers of the Chenodia accompanied Sanchez to the Beached Whale, a nearby tavern that seemed to steadily gain more patrons as the streets got darker.

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Beryl the Mink, Camia the parrot and Earl the beaver searched for things that they could be of use to the Chenodia. The market stalls of Karlaca had much in the way of foodstuff but very little in the way of ship parts and tools. Still, they did manage to find a few things that were useful here and there. Marx the seal and Walt the otter was right behind them, carrying the stuff they had bought. While they scowled and grumbled at just how much they were made to carry, Beryl knew them well enough to know that they probably just griped to make fun of the old beaver.

They decided to stop in front of a market stall that sold bananas and coconuts to rest and catch their breath. The captain bought each of them a coconut pierced with a reed straw they could drink out of. She also bought a bunch of bananas which she shared with her companions.

“Oh Lord!” Marx the seal sighed after sipping from his coconut. “That hit the spot.”

“Thanks a lot captain,” Walt the otter said to Beryl as he at one banana while sitting on a crate he was previously carrying. “If I may ask though, where’d you get the money to pay for all this?”

“Oh, that well...” Beryl smiled. “The good prince gave me money as ‘advance’ for our services.”

“Alright, we got most of what we need for the ship,” Earl the beaver said, eyeing the contents of the leather bag he carried with him, paying little to his coconut and share of bananas. “We got ourselves ten new hacksaws, twenty jars of nails and at least five clamps. We also have fifteen hammers and we’re giving five of those to the blacksmith. We also have some new pipes we can install in the ship’s restroom come tomorrow. The ship has its own supply of this stuff, I know, but those pirates broke a lot of stuff in the prince’s ship. I reckon we’re going to use up a lot of her supplies before the Chenodia’s at full capacity. Good work to whoever her last engineer was. The Chenodia’s been doing fine even after all the things those pirates did to her. She’s made of some really strong stuff.”

“So what else do we need?” asked Camia. “I hope it’s something more than just shaving cream and toilet paper for the crew.”

“Actually, I was thinking of buying additional tampons for the female members of the crew,” Earl said and both Beryl and Camia gave him murderous glares though he didn’t seem to notice. “There’s also the matter of bullets, blades and bandages we might need when we finally start getting into fights. Throw in some daggers, arrows and bolts too. Apparently, the folks at the Chenodia used up a lot of the stuff when they had to fight off the pirates.”

“Hmm, so many weapons?” said the old water buffalo woman at the stall that sold them coconuts and bananas. “What would good sailors like you need them for?”

“Fighting off pirates ma’am,” Beryl answered respectfully. “We’re privateers, you see. We hunt pirates. For a living.”

“Aha, that you are!” the water buffalo smiled. “So what brings you all here to Karlaca?”

“Well, you see, it’s a long story but...” Beryl tried to think the details over. “We’re here to see Count Belford.”

“Count Belford!” gasped a parrot nearby, who seemed to be just another shopper.

“BELFORD!” cried a hippopotamus shopkeeper and started closing his shop.

Soon all those shopping began to flee quickly, looking back over their shoulders to regard Beryl, and the shopkeepers closed up their shops. Soon enough, there was hardly a soul where Beryl and her companions were sitting at. They all turned to the water buffalo woman who now regarded them fearfully.

Then she too hurriedly closed her shop, swinging the window to her stall closed.

“Well,” Camia said, looking at all the closed shops. “That’s not strange, is it?”

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“Welcome!” said Mayor Laurio the lemming, mayor of Karlaca, said to Prince Gaius who was accompanied by Zobel the rat, McGrath the scorpion, Cindy the skunk and Kiana the spider. “What brings a great prince of Delmaron here to our fine town of Karlaca?”

The local town hall was mostly empty and the prince figured that the town rarely got visitors.

“Actually, I came to inquire about some of the local residents here,” Gaius said. “I’d like to ask about Count Belford of Mortula, I heard he was a resident here in Karlaca.”

“Count Belford?” the Mayor Laurio’s eyes widened.

“Yes,” Prince Gaius said.

“Then...” The mayor looked seriously disturbed. “Then I’m afraid I cannot help you.”

“What?” Gaius was caught unprepared for the lemming mayor’s strange reaction. “Why?”

“I just can’t, I’m sorry,” Mayor Laurio then pointed to the exit of the town hall. “And I’m afraid that you need to leave.”

“Hey,” Gaius said, as the mayor turned away and left. “Wait.”

“I’m sorry but no,” the mayor said, not even looking over his shoulder. “Please go.”

Gaius merely looked at his companions in disbelief.

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The tavern called the Beached Whale was a bit more than Vic and Zenny expected. Of course, both of them had seen the Intoxicated Whaler, but this seemed different. The Beached Whale tavern was huge and the sides were decorated with what can only be behemoth or leviathan ribs. As Vic the lemming and Zenny the tiger looked around in awe, Gustaf the tortoise and Karl the rabbit sat around a table and Sanchez went to look for the barkeep or the tavern owner.

The walls were decorated with the heads of various dinosaurs and magnificent paintings of different landscapes. The tables and chairs were made of fine wood and were carved by expert hands. Every piece of furniture seemed like a work of art, from the counter at the bar to the barrels of liquor behind it.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,” said an old man’s voice. “Haven’t had any good customers from beyond the island in a long time.”

Sanchez the dog, Vic the lemming and Zenny the tiger turned to see an old monkey descending from the stairs to the second floor. His fur was graying in a lot of places and there was the look of many long years in his eyes. He walked with a cane and it was obvious that he probably wouldn’t be able to walk well without it. Following at his heels was a young monkey of probably twelve or less.

“Good after noon sir,” Sanchez said. “We were hoping we could get a meal and maybe a little ale, beer or whatever kind of liquor you have.”

“And that we have, good sir,” the monkey smiled. “You can call me Reuben.”

The old monkey then put a hand on the younger monkey’s shoulder who seemed to want to hide from the newcomers.

“And this is Laban,” the monkey urged the boy forward. “Go on now Laban, introduce yourself.”

“Hi,” the monkey boy simply said and hid back behind the older monkey’s legs.

“You’ll have to pardon the boy,” Reuben laughed. “But he’s a bit shy.”

The old monkey quickly got to work and in about two hours, he had food that was ready for them. Bread and butter with a side dish of dried fish. He also served them some fresh and frothy rum which Gustaf and Karl greatly appreciated.

They spent and hour or more there are as it got darker outside. The old monkey then lit some candles and lamps throughout the tavern, keeping the shadows at bay. Laban, whom the others learned was his grandson, helped too. However, when there was a lamp he couldn’t reach because of his small stature, Zenny was more than willing to help.

“So, tell me travelers,” Reuben said from behind the counter of his bar. “What brings you strangers to Karlaca?”

“We’re privateers good sir,” Sanchez answered. “We’re currently hunting Admiral Sebastian of the Grim Sails.”

“The lich pirate?” Reuben asked. “Didn’t he get away.”

“We were the ones that captured him the first time,” Sanchez said. “But then stuff happened in Cormalen.”

“Yes, I heard,” the old monkey nodded. “Terrible that was.”

The monkey thought things over for a while.

“But then, tell me,” Reuben said. “What does the dreaded undead pirate have to do with Karlaca? Is he here now? If so, I think the likes of him would be right at home here.”

“We are here to see Count Belford,” Sanchez said. “We heard he lives around these parts.”

The moment that Sanchez said the name “Belford”, the fire burning at the stove suddenly flared brighter.

“Well, that’s certainly a surprise,” Reuben said, trying to sound unperturbed. “Not many would want to visit the count of his own accord.”

“Why?” Zenny asked.

“The count has always been a mystery to us,” Reuben said and looked out the windows of his establishment. “Him inside his castle and the things that he does inside it.”

A strong wind blew in from the windows, sending chills down Vic’s spine.

“So much has happened because him,” Reuben went on. “So much sadness and unhappiness all because of one man and his foolishness.”

Then, the wind suddenly blew stronger and all the candles and lamps flared brightly before going out in puffs of smoke.

“I’ve said too much,” Reuben covered his mouth. “Oh Lord I’ve said too much!”

“Huh?” Zenny looked puzzled. “What’s going on?”

“You must leave now,” Reuben said, shooing them. “All of you!”

“But why?” Sanchez said. “What did we do?”

“No more questions!” Reuben said, got from behind his bar and escorted them outside the Beached Whale. “I’m sorry but all of you must go now!”

Vic, Zenny, Sanchez, Karl and Gustaf stood outside gawking at one another and then back at the tavern as the bright full moon shone over them.