Chapter 1

There was much rejoicing in the port city of Cormalen, the proud capital of Pyril, when it was announced that the dreaded undead pirate Tacito Sebastian was finally captured by the Confederal Navy. For more than a century the undying abomination that was Captain Sebastian terrorized the waters of Thessonia and has been the bane of many clerics, merchants and political figures. Now, through the brave actions of a privateer crew, the lich pirate had finally been taken captive and can now be destroyed through the use of white magic.

All throughout the streets of Cormalen, bright and colorful pinions were put up to celebrate the coming of the Confederal Navy fleet that now held the lich pirate in their custody. Entertainers, bards and clowns gathered near taverns and the roads in anticipation of the celebration that would highlight the destruction of a being that has threatened the safety of the Confederate Islands for almost three hundred years. Within homes and churches, people offered thanks and praise to the Radiant Lamb for peace would finally descend upon the world now that the greatest enemy of the Known World would be no more.

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Vicente “Vic” Dubois, a young mouse, couldn’t believe what he was seeing all around him in the city of Cormalen. Never had he seen so many people of so many different species gathered in one place. He had been to the market of Epimos but never with this many people.

He walked with his sister Pia, along with their monoceratops Beth who pulled behind her a cart full of produce from the Dubois farm. They came to a full stop in front of a market stall where an old ox stood, her hair kept neat in a tight braid. She smiled at the two siblings and eyed the goods in the cart behind them.

“Here to sell goods, eh?” said the ox. “You’ve never come at a better time!”

“What’s going on?” asked Pia, taking in all the people, majority of whom were probably foreigners. “Why are there so many people?”

“Haven’t you heard, young lady?” asked the ox. “Captain, or should I say Admiral, Tacito Sebastian has already been captured by the Confederal Navy. He will be brought in today or perhaps tonight depending on the weather. By tomorrow, after a cardinal and several archbishops from Ephelron City arrive, they can destroy the lich for good.”

“Captain Sebastian?” Vic’s eyes widened. “The undead pirate?”

“The very one,” the ox nodded. “And hopefully tomorrow, he will be no more. The execution will be held at the center of the town plaza so you can bet the place will be packed with people tomorrow. If you want to watch, I’d advise the both of you to come early so you can sit up front.”

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Edgar the rhinoceros, the tavern owner of the Intoxicated Whaler, watched as his tavern steadily filled with people. On one side he was happy, as more people meant more business. On the other, he knew that too many people in the same establishment with very different opinions could mean trouble. Already, he could see two groups forming among the patrons and they showed a clear suspicion if not hostility towards one another. One was a large group of mice who wore black coats with round hats and spoke very little except to order for food and non-alcoholic drink. The other was a boisterous lot of mixed species who were quite jolly and were already quite drunk despite the fact that it was only five minutes before two o’clock according to the grandfather clock in the corner.

It was also right around then that Edgar’s wife, Kathleen the hippopotamus, arrived from the market with goods to be cooked. Following right behind her was the young tigress Zenaida Ivanov, a strong and athletic woman whom they had taken in as an all-around helper who now carried two sacks full of vegetables. The Intoxicated Whaler had other staff like tavern wenches and a barkeep but Zenaida had the look, and possibly the experience, of a warrior and the establishment had never had a bouncer as effective or as attractive as the tigress.

“Oi!” cried a raven from the more boisterous group of patrons. “More rum!”

Brianna, a mouse tavern wench immediately went to fetch more rum for the squawking raven.

Edgar studied both groups carefully, noting that there was something off about both them. The mice, for one, acted very strange as if they were trying to hide something. Truth be told, Edgar knew it really wasn’t any of his business but the way they nervously eyed everything around them put the old rhino on edge. It reminded him of his days when he’d had the misfortune to meet a thief who disguised himself as a layman of the church all those years ago. Always nervous, as if expecting to be caught at any moment. The other group was the direct opposite. They acted as if they had nothing to fear even though they appeared to be common men and women of another city. Edgar couldn’t be sure but, looking at one of them, he almost saw a tell-tale tattoo under a long sleeve. A pirate’s tattoo at that, though Edgar didn’t dare to accuse them of anything without sufficient evidence.

After Brianna served the raven his rum, the feathered and uncouth man stumbled out of his seat and wobbled towards the quiet mice.

“Who’re you supposed to be?” he asked them, his words still managing to be coherent despite his inebriation. “Some sort of country choir?”

“It’s none of your concern stranger,” said one of the mice. “Our business is our own.”

It was then that the raven brought out a cudgel which he slammed loudly, startling Edgar and all the other patrons, on the mice’s table. One of the larger mice stood up and rolled up the long sleeves of his coat. Edgar was afraid that things would come to this so he quickly gabbed a club he kept beneath the counter of the bar, raised it and shouted words of warning.

“Hey!” Edgar shouted as other people in the tavern either left or simply stared at the raven and the mouse who were sizing up one another. “I want no trouble in here, you hear?”

The raven and the large mouse paid Edgar’s rumbling voice no mind and prepared to take each other on.

Edgar moved as fast as he could, preparing to subdue the raven whom he now knew to be trouble.

But the large mouse threw the first punch, hitting the raven on the side of the beak, knocking over the blackbird like it was nothing. Two of the raven’s companions, a dog and a pig stood up to help their friend but then the other mice also rose to fight. Edgar raised his club and was also about to raise his voice when one of the mice kicked him in the gut, causing him to fall to the floor and drop his own club.

That was when the two groups threw down and started fighting in the tavern, punching, kicking, clawing and headbutting one another. They swung bottles, dishes and chairs at one another and a window was broken as someone, perhaps one of the mice, was thrown through it. There were cries of pain and fear as the two groups kept fighting and those who had nothing to do with them could barely stay out of the way. Edgar struggled to rise but someone, it was the pig who was a companion of the raven, stepped on his groin, causing him to curl up into a fetal position in sheer agony.

It was right around then that Edgar saw something, or someone, move at a rapid pace towards the rioting rabble. There were now additional cries of pain and fear but these were accompanied by shouts of surprise as well. There were fearful yells as assailants were thrown against one another.

Edgar tried to rise and saw that the two groups found themselves fighting a third party who seemed to be mowing them down with ease. One of the raven’s buddies, a particularly large wolf tried to take the new fighter on but to no avail as he was struck in the belly, then the face and then casually thrown against a wall. The newcomer walked menacingly towards one of the mice now cowering under a table.

“No!” shouted the mouse. “I don’t want to fight! We’ll leave now! We’ll go!”

“Good,” said a woman’s voice who also spoke to the boisterous raven and his companions. “You too, get out.”

“You heard the lady!” said the raven, now nursing the side of his beak whom the large mouse had struck earlier. “Let’s get outta here!”

The young woman, the sole victor of the brawl, went to help Edgar to his feet.

“Thank you Zenaida,” the old rhinoceros said as the tigress got him to his feet. “You’re a Godsend is what you are.”

“Oh dear,” Kathleen exclaimed, her hands to her face as she stared at all the mess the brawlers had done, including the broken window. “This is going to cost us.”

“Yeah, but we can get that fixed soon enough,” Edgar smiled at her. “Besides, there’s more people coming, what with Captain Sebastian’s execution being the talk of the town.”

Zenaida looked at the scattered broken glass and splintered wood with a sense of foreboding.