Chapter 3: The Mongoose and Cobra at Play

A rapping on the cabin door ended the conversation between Violett and Quiffin. By the door was the messenger sent by providence, gasping for breath with his arm outstretched to hand Nalveen a folded up piece of parchment. After quickly scanning the paper, Nalveen's face paled and he slowly turned to Quiffin.

"Your mother requests that you come to the palace right now. The Carrions have landed on Scoriae."

Instantly, the Prince leapt out of his seat and ran out the door. Nalveen and Violett followed their friend out onto the deck and saw across the shipyard, a ship from Inquisit. Sure enough, the strange ship's baroque design was decorated with Gorgossium's ensign and oranate ribbing, which effectively inspired a fear that paralleled the family it served.

Quiffin forcefully shook the dread that took root in his throat. Despite his previous meetings with the Carrions, he could never get used to how their imposing presence always seemed to give him the jitters. He turned back to see his friends with the same look of concern.

"Nalveen, we will have to continue our work at another time," Quiffin said before turning to Violett and nodding his head in dismissal. Then, he ran down the gangplank.

"Hey!" Violett called after him. "This doesn't mean I'm letting you off that easily!"

Quiffin didn't turn back in his mad race through the streets, but waved the two goodbye.

In the throne room, Chiel had felt a sudden urge to wake from her midday daze. Around her, the mood of the palace had changed. The palace became silent so quickly. The chatter of the servants had quieted down and a gloom had replaced the busy yet cheerful ambiance of the people.

Just then, the door open and in slipped a courier.

"Queen Chiel!" he gasped. "Madame Thant Yeyla Carrion has arrived at the Palace along with her grandson, Christopher."

Chiel rose from her seat and ordered that the young man make quick work of alerting the King and send him to the Great Hall. The courier quickly bowed and left the room as she smoothed out her robes. The Carrions had not given her any prior notice before today; clearly such a visit could only mean trouble.

A short time passed before the door opened again and a strange dark thing resembling that of a little person entered the white stoned room.

"Queen Chiel of Scoriae," it said in an uncharacteristically deep and sinister voice. "May I proclaim the arrival of the High Queen of Inquisit, Thant Yeyla and the Prince Christopher Carrion!"

The large door opened up and there stood the two remaining members of the Carrion family in their hauntingly dark regalia. The High Queen wore an expression of disgust as she entered and looked about. In her attire, she looked like a fish out of water. Prince Christopher stepped up closely behind her, his cape gliding after him. When the elder woman's eyes finally settled on Chiel, she finally spoke to acknowledge her presence.

Chiel bowed low before her. "The home of King Claus and all of Day humbly welcome your Highness to Scoriae."

"I have never been one for pleasantries," Thant Yeyla stated coldly. She looked about the room. "I prefer that we get straight to the point."

"Of course," Chiel replied. "What grants us the privilege of your visit today?"

The Hag sighed loudly. "As if you don't know."

When Chiel made no movement in understanding what she meant, the High Queen continued. "The merchants of Gorgossium say that they have discovered something strange during their annual trade route through their passage of Pyon."

Again, the old matriarch looked at the younger queen, as if analyzing her every move. She centered in on the younger woman. "Do you mean to say that you do not know what is going on?"

"I assure you Queen Midnight," Chiel said, puzzled at her accusatory tone. "I haven't a clue."

Chiel's eyes shifted slightly beyond Thant Yeyla's head where she spotted the courier standing by the door. He signaled that he had done as Chiel asked and left quickly before anyone else in the room noticed.

"Please, my husband waiting for us in the Great Hall," Chiel said, directing the two to her right and to the other room. "We can discuss all the details there."

In just as few hallways away, Boa's meeting with the governor of Mycassius was coming to a close. The both of them had stood up and walked to the door.

"It was nice to see you again Governor Sundae," she said smiling widely, as she shook the tall man's hand.

"Likewise, Princess. You father has made a splendid choice in make you liaison between the cities. How is your brother doing these days?"

"Quiffin is quite busy," she said. "Traveling around the islands and discovering old ruins. Going on these types of adventures is his sort of thing."

"I figured as much," Governor Sundae laughed. "He always did have a soft spot for ancient Abaratian history. There's not a lot of people these days who hold such reverence for the past. Pass on my regards to him and your father as well. As for you, I bid you farewell."

And with that he bowed, which Boa politely returned, and left the room. Boa returned to the table and picked up the papers the two had signed and placed them into a case. Just then, a servant opened the door.

"Princess, the Carrion family and the heirs to the Gorgossium throne have arrived."

Boa looked at the servant. "Did they explain their reason for arriving on such short notice?"

"No ma'am," he said. "But, I do know that your mother, father and brother are entertaining them in the Great Hall right now."

"Then I must go there straight away." Boa made to take her papers with her, but the servant held a hand up.

"With all due respect Princess, they have been there for a while now," he said.

"Do you know what they are talking about?" She asked, gripping the door handle. The servant shook his head in response. As usual, her father and her brother were handling things without her help. Boa sighed in resignation, and pulled open the door. With the papers in hand, she headed straight toward the Great Hall.

"You mean to say there is a strange flying apparatus floating above the Abarat?" Quiffin asked the High Queen, solemnly.

"That is correct Prince. News has it that it looks like the underside of a massive ship and has moving pictures that flicker across it's hull."

Chiel looked at Claus. They had never heard of such a thing before. "I assure you, High Queen," King Claus said. "Such a device has never been created by our people."

"Do you think such a thing could be dangerous?" Chiel asked with concern in her eyes.

"The men who reported its sighting told me that it never made any attempts to attack them," Prince Carrion said, stepping up beside his grandmother. "They found the pictures to be fairly enjoyable. At its head was a horn that spoke of a Commexo City, where they have banished darkness and everyone lives in a light brighter than that of the sun."

"Pyon is a Night island, how can such a city exist?" Chiel wondered out loud.

"Quiffin, have you ever been across this Commexo City?" King Claus asked his son.

"No, sir," Quiffin said. Truth be told, he had not been to Pyon in over five years. His sights were always set on what lay beyond the horizon. A lot of things could have happened since then.

"The men say that the flying ship had come from Pyon and was headed toward Babilonium," the Carrion prince continued. Chiel shifted in her stance, uneasy.

"The island of entertainment," Quiffin stated, piecing the information together. He looked as his parents. "News of this city will soon spread all over the Abarat."

"What else have you found about Commexo City?" King Clause asked. The odd behavior had peaked his curiosity. Whoever ruled the city would not escape scrutiny now.

"Nothing else," Prince Carrion said. "That was all the men saw."

"We must do something about these flying pictures," Chiel insisted. "Clearly someone wants everyone to know about Commexo City, and as quickly as possible. Who knows what they are up to! Innocent lives could be at risk."

"Come now, Chiel," Thant Yeyla interceded, chiding her like a young girl. "Let's not jump to conclusions. The people could use this distraction."

"But at what cost?" Quiffin asked, knowing exactly what his mother meant. "We all know Babilonium reigns as the entertainment capital of the Abarat, but their forms of entertainment is not at all pure."

"Do you mean to play Mommy and Daddy to these childish laymen?" Thant Yeyla snorted in derision. "Your time could be well spent attending to other things."

"Slavery is an ongoing issue of the island," King Claus sighed admittedly. "Everyday these new forms of 'entertainment' are shipped in from every isle of the Abarat and thrown out into sea as soon as their use was over."

"You shouldn't worry yourself with these are trivial matters Claus. Your men did the best they could with the power they had. These unfortunate injustices are a part of life. Are you proposing we cry over every child that dies of domestic abuse and disease?"

"We can take precaution now and protect as many people as we can with our power," Claus said in his defense. "It is better we had taken action before something happens, something which cannot be fixed once the damage is done."

Thant Yeyla looked from Claus to Chiel, and then to Quiffin. Their faces spoke their honest conviction; there was no denying their stance on this issue. She loathed how their eyes shined with good intentions. With a sideways glance at Prince Carrion, she relented to their argument.

"Well, Pyon is of no use to us," Thant Yeyla said. "Search the island for Commexo City as much as you'd like."

"We will certainly see to it -" Chiel said with a bright smile. The Hag felt a part of her retch.

"However," the older queen interjected, her heart balancing the optimism in the room with as much darkness and despair she could muster. "Do not ask for aid from Midnight. We would not have our hands dirtied with such trivial matters, even if Pyon is in our territory."

"Queen Carrion," King Claus said, trying to reason with her. "The people of Pyon know how is their leader; they are obedient to you. They respect you and pay the taxes. Why do you refuse to play a role in their lives?"

"The people always complain," Thant Yeyla stated as she readied herself for the tirade. "They are like babies - loud and stupid. When they fail, they ask us for money. When they get sick, they ask us to cure them. The question isn't what I should do for them, but instead what considers them worthy of the world for us to help them?"

"'Worthy of the world?'" Quiffin repeated, catching her words. "Or do you perhaps mean the Carrion family?"

"Insolent child!" Thant Yeyla screeched, raising her hand to slap him across the face.

"That is enough!" King Claus yelled, catching her hand and pushing her away. "I will not have you lay a hand on my son in front of me!"

Thant Yeyla glowered at both the King and Quiffin, father and son. In the moment with a huff, she returned to her stance, regaining her stiff posture.

"King Claus, Sweet Chiel: perhaps it was for the good of the Abarat that your son denounced the throne." She said in a calm voice, addressing Quiffin offhandedly. "We cannot have young kings prone to these bouts of emotion."

Chiel watched in silence as the words incited her son's anger. His hand balled up into a fist. Quiffin remained quiet for a while before speaking.

"There won't be a king on the Day throne," Quiffin began. Thant Yeyla sniffed in response.

"Indeed," the queen said dismissively.

"There won't be a king," Quiffin said again. "But there will be a queen."

The High Queen fell silent, her eyes narrowed in on the change of tone in the ardent young man's speech. Prince Carrion's gaze focused on Quiffin as well.

"My sister has accepted the crown. She will take over after my father."

"And where is this fledgling queen of yours?" The elder woman asked with a laugh, her arms up as to wonder where her presence was in the room. This time, King Claus spoke.

"We have not marked her entrance into the Abaratian Court as of yet. We are planning on celebrating her debut soon." King Claus said to Chiel and Quiffin's surprise. However, King Claus did not notice them and caught a hint of offense in the elder's eyes.

"And we would be most delighted to have you join us."

Thant Yeyla tried to give a convincing smile, which ended up looking like an unpleasant sneer. "Of course, King Claus. We wouldn't miss it for the world."

Chiel clapped her hands, in hopes of relieving the air of the tension building up between the room's inhabitants. She smiled genuinely to the High Queen.

"Well, we do not want to waste any more of your time Queen Carrion. As you've mentioned, you have much more important matters to attend to outside of Pyon. We will send you formal invitations as soon as the date is definite."

The Carrions took their cue to leave, not wanting to spend more time in a palace outside of Gorgossium. Before exiting the room, the Hag took one good look at Quiffin who returned her gaze with equal power. Once they were gone, Quiffin felt pressure on his shoulder and turned to see it was his mother's hand. He hugged her, trying not to reveal how vulnerable he was at that moment.

"I am proud of you, my son," Chiel whispered. "But next time, please show a little more restraint to the Queen."

"Apathetic people like her should not be in power!" He insisted, pulling away from his mother's arms. King Claus sighed.

"The evil and cruel things in the world should not happen," he said, resting his hand on Quiffin's shoulder, empathizing with his son. "But they still exist."

Quiffin looked down, feeling defeated. King Claus continued.

"Remember, my son, the outcome of a man's life is not determined by what happens to him, but by how he responds to what happens him. There is still hope for the Abarat."

With that King Claus and Queen Chiel left their son to meditate on those words. Indeed, there was still hope, Quiffin agreed. Just as long as his family was alive.

At the end of the hallway, outside of the Great Hall, Boa rounded the corner just in time to see her father and mother walk toward the throne room, hand in hand. To her surprise, the heavy doors beside her opened and out walked her brother, silent and drained.

"Well?" Boa asked. Quiffin looked at his sister as if just returning from a trance and was finally registering her meaning.

"You're going to have a party."

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Boa laughed after Quiffin recounted events of the meeting. The two were now standing in the same hallway Boa found her brother and were looking out the tall windows toward the bright lights of the seaport.

"I wish I could have seen the Hag's face!" Boa exclaimed with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"You probably would have pissed yourself if you did," Quiffin said jokingly. Boa nudged him in the side. "Seriously Boa, her eyes were casting curses without the aid of magic words. I thought I would die on the spot."

"Mother must have been furious at you!"

"Oh, she was," Quiffin grinned, but then his face became somber again. "I may have overstepped boundaries."

"Something that was justly deserved!" Boa proclaimed, beaming at her brother. Her smile faded as soon as she saw her brother's mood become dark again. "What's wrong?"

"I am such an idiot!" Quiffin said aloud, though mostly to himself. He turned to Boa. "You mustn't praise such stupidity. I rattled the cage of a very powerful monster, and now I know I must pay the consequences for angering Midnight's Queen. I wouldn't be surprised if she hungers for blood, mine in particular."

Quiffin sighed and rested his face on his hands.

"She could be lashing out her anger on innocent people right now."

Boa fell silent. She didn't know how to comfort her brother. It hurt that she could do nothing to help him. She rested her head on his shoulder and patted his back.

"Would it be too cliche to say, 'things will all be alright'?" She asked, looking over to see if she managed to make him smile. It did and Quiffin hugged her.

"Ah, I'm worrying you more than necessary," He said finally regaining his composure. "And you're the one whose gonna be in the hot seat."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Boa added as she picked up her papers. "If there's anything I want to happen in my life, it would be to dress up as the belle of a ball and be ogled by everyone we know."

Quiffin messed Boa's hair up before leaving. "Remember to talk to mom before dinner tonight!"

Boa gave a groan of exasperation and smiled. "And you stay out of trouble."

"No promises!"

Quiffin walked straight to the kitchens where, last he heard, Finnegan was assigned. The flurry of waiters rushed in and out of the doors as dinner was delivered to everyone in the palace caused the Prince to pause and wait for a break in the steady flow of bodies.

Once through the double doors, he saw the entire kitchen staff busy with the task of feeding the entire palace with hot food. The former Kalukwa pirate crew made up the bulk of the cooks, and at the head of the kitchen, Warreck supervised their work. A team of men and women carried freshly cooked dishes out of the ovens and expertly arranged them on plates. Another placed them on the waiters' trays, which promptly disappeared out of the kitchen doors.

The order and efficiency that these former sailors' work exemplified in the kitchen, was unmatched by any of the former groups of chefs and cooks King Claus had ever hired. Obviously, it was all thanks to Warreck's firm leadership. Quiffin watched from the corner of the room so he couldn't disturb the people's arrangement.

When the last waiter left and the rest of the food was placed into the remaining dishes, Quiffin rose his hand and caught Warreck's eyes.

"Pualu, start prepping for tomorrow's menu. I'll be back," Warreck said to a cook beside him before walking over toward the Prince, wiping his hands on his apron. He bowed to the Prince.

"Prince Quiffin, what brings you here?"

"I am here to congratulate you, Captain," Quiffin said. "Never have I seen the people take to exotic food so quickly."

"There's a reason why Hobarookus is the cooking center of the Abarat!" Warreck said with pride. "You're looking at a former student of its most skilled chefs."

"Bravo sir! You have done a very good job especially on your first day here." Quiffin shook his hand.

"Ah, but I bet I am not the reason for you visit."

"And where can I find my friend?" Warreck looked around and leaned back to peer around a corner.

"Finnegan's sorting out the storage room," he said pointing the way. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to get started on tomorrow's menu."

Once again, Warreck bowed before Quiffin before walking up to Pualu and his cook book. Quiffin headed in the general direction that Warreck pointed to and went down the stairs that led to the chilly storage room.

Amidst the fog of cold air mixing with the warm air of the kitchen was Finnegan scanning the shelves. Finnegan turned slightly to see who it was and did a double take, at first not believing that Quiffin was in the kitchens. They clasped and shook hands, grinning at each other.

"Well played last night, Finnegan," Quiffin said. "How did you know my father was a sentimental one?"

"Not at all!" Finnegan said with a chuckle, remembering how King Claus pardoned their deception and arranged for them a different vocation than pirating. "I was shaking in my boots. I thought it was the end for all of us! But really, Prince Quiffin, thank you so much for saving our lives."

"Please, Finnegan," Quiffin said waving off his use of the title. "No formalities between us. You and I are like brothers now."

Finnegan nodded in understanding, and turned back to the examining the shelves. "So, Brother Quiffin, what kept you?"

"Oh, the usual things - meetings, lessons, weapon training, wreaking havoc on my sister -," Quiffin listed of the top of his head.

"You have a sister?"

"Yup. Her name is Boa. She's kind of an annoying little thing," Quiffin said. "Though I exaggerate; she has her nice moments. I should introduce you to her one day. Anyways, she will be having a ball soon. Here, let me help."

Quiffin took up a box and handed it to Finnegan who was using a step ladder to reach a high shelf.

"Thanks. Is it her birthday?" Finnegan guessed.

"PFFT!" Quiffin said. "My sister would despise something like that."

"Isn't that what young princess do?"

"Not a ball of this magnitude," Quiffin explained. "No, my family has decided to celebrate her debut into the Abaratian Court. She decided to take up the crown a few years ago, but the occasion was never announced."

"Ah, so this is serious," Finnegan stated, a little out of the loop of royal matters.

"You bet it is; She's got to impress everyone. And by everyone, I mean it, so she's under extensive training now. But in the mean time, we can occupy ourselves with a project of our own." Quiffin suggested, turning the conversation onto a different matter.

"Uh oh. Is what you're about to suggest something that involves a ship?" Finnegan asked as he lifted lifted and pushed a box into it's proper place. Quiffin nodded.

"With your navigation experience and my philanthropic skills, we could explore the world beyond the archipelago. Perhaps we could name a couple of new islands ourselves. Not to mention, I've got my own provisions and a nice speedy ship called the Pacha."

"That Pacha?" Finnegan repeated, his tongue trying to get used to the foreign name.

"It was the name of my pet dog. But never mind that. What do you say?"

How could Finnegan say no? He was in Quiffin's debt for saving not only his life, but the lives of the crew.

"I say alright, of course!" Quiffin patted Finnegan on the back.

"Good, I'll give you the grand tour tomorrow." Quiffin turned toward the stairs, excited to have much more experienced navigator on his team. He made a mental note to tell Nalveen he could be assigned to another task. "Meet me in the shipyard tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"Will do!" Finnegan sighed at the rest of the boxes he had to move, and as he worked on completing his tasks, his mind was troubled.

For as long as he could remember, Finnegan was always at sea. He had literally grown up with Warreck and the crew after his mother died. If you asked him about the tides and the currents of the ocean, and you would get the most extensive lesson of the Isabella's waters. He knew all of the secret passages between the islands and their traps that led most ships to an early demise.

Finnegan was a pirate, and he knew very little, if anything, about Palace life. Such dreams were often too lofty to even imagine, and now he worked in Twilight's kitchen, he sorely felt like a fish out of water. Quiffin's talk about balls and princess made Finnegan's mind wrinkle in an attempt to understand his friend's life.

But Finnegan mentally pushed his anxiety aside. He wasn't the only one feeling home sick. It would be unfair to think that the crew upstairs didn't feel the same longing to get back to sea. He wondered how Warreck was assimilating to their new life.

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At the end of dinner and as soon as everyone had finished their meal and cleaned the plates, Warreck, Finnegan, Hans, Pualu and the rest of the men and women of the Kitchin Ragg crew made their way to the servants' quarters. Exhausted with the day's tasks, rest was welcomed by everyone and many slipped into a deep sleep as soon as their head touched the pillow.

It was Finnegan's mind that woke him up in the middle of the night. His dreams were contaminated with his worries and he decided to take a walk in order to clear his head. He tip-toed his way through the snoring sleeper and slipped through the door unnoticed. Outside, the Palace and its surrounding area was quiet and still. The only signs of life now were the guards that kept the night watch, and they nodded at him when he walked pass them, following the cobblestone pathway. Finnegan continued to walk aimlessly until he recognized the smell of the sea and the torch lights of the seaport.

Down by the shipyard, there was very little activity. One of the merchants was shipping off and its crew members were finishing loading up the crates of goods. In the dark, Finnegan turned toward the sound of soft swishing in the long grass and footsteps. A dark figure with a sack slung over its back continued on its way down a trail a few meters away from him.

The peculiar sight puzzled Finnegan. There were pathways perfectly fine for the person's way toward the ships. It was if this person didn't want anyone to know of his or her leaving. Finnegan was able to leave the lone traveler alone until it coughed. The sound was familiar, and he recognized Warreck's voice.

"Warreck!" Finnegan called out. And sure enough the figure paused for a moment. In the dim light, it didn't turn around but suddenly started running toward the town.

"Hey! Stop!" Finnegan called out again, as he ran after Warreck. It wasn't long until he gained upon the older and slower man. At the edge of town, Finnegan grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. In the town's light, Finnegan looked up at Warreck's face; an emotion of guilt was written all over it.

"Warreck, what are you doing here?" Finnegan spotted the sack Warreck tried to hide behind him. "Are you going somewhere?"

Warreck sighed aloud, and raised a hand to rub his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He was caught.

"Yes, Finnegan," Warreck admitted. "The Governor of Gosh is leaving tonight on business, and I hear he has need of a good cook onboard."

"Were planning on telling anyone about this?" Finnegan asked, with anger building up inside of him. "Or did you expect everyone to just be okay with your disappearance in the morning?"

"No, I don't. But I need to leave." Finnegan shook his head in disbelief.

"So, this is it then? You are just going to leave us to fend for ourselves on some unknown shore." Finnegan stated, feeling betrayed and suddenly alone. Here was the only person in his life he looked up and respected as a father, and now he was walking out of his life. "Damnit Warreck, what about the rest of us? Didn't you ever think about us, and whether not we would like to leave along with you?"

"This isn't how I would have liked us to part ways, Finnegan. But when opportunity knocks, I take it." Finnegan couldn't fight him on that. If there was anything Warreck had taught him, it was to do something just as ballsy.

"And who will take charge? You know the men look up to you for guidance in everything."

"Well, good thing we landed on Scoriae," Warreck stated, trying to relieve Finnegan of worry now that he understood his reasons for leaving. "The men can learn to think for themselves now; their lives are their own."

"What kind of life will be had in a palace?" Finnegan shouted at him. How could their captain be so callous to the crew members' need to reunite with their true home? "We were born of the sea and we lived on the sea. Our very veins have the Isabella coursing through them!"

"Finnegan, you know very well that I would not forget those who sailed with us on the Kitchin Ragg. They are my sons and my daughters. But think of their life now; they won't have to fight for their lives at every turn or go hungry when the Isabella's winds still the sails. Under the guidance and protection of King Claus, they will have a future."

The answer surprised Finnegan. He had never acknowledged how lucky they were to have found Quiffin and be invited to live under King Claus. And it was true that the men and women were looking lanky and their clothes, ragged. Even he could not deny how the steady supply of food and the stillness of Scoriae was a calming and peaceful change in their lives.

"Then, how about the kitchens?" Finnegan asked, trying to stall Warreck's imminent departure. "I cannot take up your position; you know I cannot cook!"

"How right you are," Warreck laughed, knowing that Finnegan was slowly accepting the crew's situation. "That's why I've told Pualu everything he needed to know for tomorrow's meals. He will take care of things when I am gone."

This answer stilled Finnegan's questions for a while.

"Take me with you," Finnegan suggested. "I want to leave as well."

Warreck stared at Finnegan in silence, as if debating whether or not he should. But at last, the old man shook his head. "I cannot do that."

"And why is that?" Finnegan felt his anger bubbling up again.

"You too have a future ahead of you, Finnegan. I could never deprive you of that."

"But I am not a palace lackey," Finnegan protested.

"I don't think you will be for long, Finnegan. Ever since you joined our crew and worked your way up the ranks, I knew you were made for greater things," Warreck patted Finnegan on the back. Finnegan could see how the older man's eyes shone with pride when he told him that. "As for me, I am and will forever be, the Pirate King. Nothing I can achieve in the next century could erase the sins of my youth."

Warreck stepped back to look at Finnegan, the corners of his lips twitched with emotion. It looked like he was about to say something important but decided against it and swung the sack over his back again. "Besides, I have a feeling we will cross paths again though, I cannot say when."

And with that Finnegan nodded in understanding, signaling Warreck's cue to leave. As the Pirate King made his way onto the ship, Finnegan had already made it to the top of the hill overlooking the town. At the top of the gangplank, he spotted Warreck turn and wave in his general direction and suddenly Finnegan was hit with a twinge of sadness. Gone was the only father he would ever know.