An earthy aroma awoke Kip and Jasssper. They were lifted out of their bedrolls by the scent and it carried them to the kitchenette of Mirabelle’s hut. There, Blingo was straining a hot brown liquid into two mugs.

  “What is this?” Kip asked as Mirabelle handed him a cup.

  “It’s coffee!” Said Mirabelle, “Some orc lady stopped into our office once to deliver some. She says she wants to make something called a ‘coffee shop’ and sell it.

  Kip and Jasssper both took a drink. The taste was disgusting. Acrid and bitter, like tea if they left the dirt in with the leaves.

  “Massster,” Jasssper said, “We can not let her sell this putrid bean water in the kingdom. We shall be known far and wide for our inferior beveragesss.”

  “Find her and exile her,” Said Kip, “Tell her we’re sorry, but she’s no longer part of the Dark Lord’s Domain. Use force if you have to.”

  “At oncccce.”

  “Thank you.” Said Kip, “Shall be on our way?”

  Kip, Jasssper, and Blingo watched Julio say goodbye to his mother, and his entire small village. One of the elder warriors held his spear up as he looked down at Julio, he got down on one knee and placed his hand on Julio’s shoulder.

  “You’re not just a mage on one hand and an Anuri on the other. You are both at once. Learn to be both.”

  “Yes, sir.” Said Julio.

  He made his way to his mother who was crying hysterically. Before he could say anything She pulled him in for a hug and smothered him with affection. He could not get a word in between his mother’s huffs and puffs and she told him to write everyday even though Padlily only got mail once a week and she told him she’d send him a baked bug casserole everyday even though it definitely wouldn’t keep. Julio said goodbye to all his brothers.

  They all got on the catamaran, Blingo taking the most convincing.

  “Maybe I can work, I don’t know.”

  “Last ship out won’t be until tomorrow. Won’t you miss your deadline?!”

  “Ugh. My editor would kill me. Here we go.” Said Blingo before getting on. The boat rocked one way and instantly made her queasy. And the feeling of queasyness began in her stomach and leapt into her throat, where it stayed there as the catamaran roped in its anchor.

  “So, do either of you two know magic?” Julio asked.

  “Say, Julio,” Kip said, “Were those other boys your friends?”

  “No, they were my brothers! But they are all like my best friends.”

  “Oh,” Kip said, “That’s so sweet. I wish my brothers and I were that close.”

  “Really? You aren’t close with your brothers?”

  “No. I was always very different from my brothers. All of them loved to fight but… I was more interested in learning. I guess when you’re that different from your brothers maybe.. It causes conflict.”

  “With respect, I’m nothing like my brothers. They were always defending me from other bullies and I couldn’t go out into the deep without protection from them. I hope to honor not just my mother and father, but my brothers as well.”

  “Guess it’s just my brothers then,” Kip said as he looked out at the expansive lake. As he did, he saw the mast of a ship poke over some mangroves.

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  “Oh no.” Said Kip. He pointed at the mast and both Jasssper and Blingo saw it.

  “I can sense a lot of them.” Said Blademan.

  Blingo looked at both of them, “What? What is it?”

  “Shall we get the binoculars?” Kip asked, “Could be some traders.”

  “It’sss as you fear. Iss it only you two with offensive capabilitiesss?”

  “Surely you can help?” Kip asked.

  “No, I’m not really a fighter. Although I did go up to level three on that last challenge. I’m not a fightert…. But if need be I will get stabbed for you again, sire.”

  ‘What?” Blingo asked, “What’s going on?”

  Kip sighed and turned around, “Julio, seems you’re going to be learning things quicker than you thought.”

  “What is it?!” Blingo asked.

  “Piratessss.” Jasssper said.

  “P-p-p-pirates!” Asked Blingo, “We’ve got pirates?”

  “Yesss,” Jasssper said, “They came in through the north. Maybe Revenge River? But their ship seems a mite big to slip through our borders.”

  “Yeah? Does it look about five feet too wide?” Blingo asked.

  Jass and Kip exchanged glances.

  “Julio, stay on the far end of the catamaran. You’re the most adept swimmer. Get some of the lakefolk to help if we go down.”

  “Since this is my first fight… does that mean that I’ll get experience?!”

  “Yes. Depending on how rough it is, maybe you’ll even get to level 3. But please hang back! We do not know how dangerous these people are.”

  “Blademan…” Said Kip, “You ready?”

  “Say, Kippo,” Said Blademan, “What if these aren’t our enemies? What if these humans are our friends and they want to come from a place of good faith and understanding?”

  “Well… then… we will try our best to make peace with them.”

  “No! I mean, can I still kill them even if they are?”

  “We’ll see. But not likely.”

  The riverboat got closer, as it did, it turned on its side. Where a person operating a cannon pointed the barrel toward the catamaran.

  “Doesn’t look like they're friendly.” Said Kip.

  “Goodie!” Said Blademan.

  “Defensive positions! Julio, I need to entrust you to protect Blingo. Blingo, can you swim?” Kip asked.

  “As far as you can throw me.” Said Blingo, “Besides, I’m not leaving! I’m here to take notes. Let’s see you save the day, Mr. Dark Lord.”

  “...Okay! Here we go, I suppose!” Said Kip.

  “What kind of range do we have?” Kip said, “Blademan has range! Any weapons in this boat?”

  Just then a cannon crushed into the wood of the catamaran and lodged itself inside. Chunks of wood were blown out but the implanted shot kept a lot of water from getting in.

  “Cannons! Tell me we have cannons!”

  “Aye!” Yelled the captain, an old octopus with a bristly mustache and a balding head, “Aye! We got hand cannons below!”:

  Kip and Jasssper ran below deck, where they each found a hand cannon for each of them. The problem was that for the sizes of Kip and Jasssper… the hand cannons were more like whole arm cannons.

  “Come on! Grab one end! We’ll take just one.” Kip said.

  Jasssper wrapped his tail around the back of the cannon and Kip grabbed the front, they both hoisted up the stairs. They placed the lip off the end of the railing. He turned to Jasssper, “Did we get any cannon balls?”

  “Here!” Said Julio as he walked up with the ball.

  The Anuri loaded the cannon with the ball, Jasssper used his flexible body to act as the pivot and the end of the railing of the ship was the leverage. Kip aimed. He pointed toward the boat as they loaded another cannon.

  “Julio!” Kip said, “Back away! Hide below deck!”

  “I want to fight!”

  “You will!” Kip said, “Under safe conditions!”

  Kip looked down the sight of the cannon. He saw the other side already setting up a new cannon ball.

  “Okay.” Kip said, then pointed toward the fuse and coughed up a spark. The spark lit and the fuse went down. Considering the wind was moving at about 30 miles to the east, and the boat was at seventy feet and moving at roughly 20 miles an hour, Kip placed the hand cannon roughly up and to the left, constantly tweaking it until the fuse went off. The hand cannon went off, biting the arm off of the person loading the cannon.

  It was a direct hit, the issue was Kip had never fired a cannon before that day. For his first time, it was an impressive feat, but he did not realize just how much recoil would go into it. The cannon slammed him against the chest and drove him to the back of the catamaran, the cannon almost fell off the other side but he managed to grab a hold of it. Jasssper came and helped him back, “Do not lose yourself now, sire! That was an exccccellent shot!”

  “Woah!” Kip said, “We can not let me fall off!”.

  Blademan charged up his arm, he felt the energy coursing through it. The metal of his blade shined purple as he held it, then launched it at the river boat. The slash extended through his arm and across the way, slashing against a person swinging rope. It not only laid a laceration against his shoulder, but cut the rope with the grappling hook as well.

  A mage stepped out, donning azure robes with a pendant around her neck. Young, like Julio, and had short spiky hair. She stuck his hand up and commanded, “Tidal Shift!”

  Waves from the lake generated out of nowhere, slapping against the catamaran, pushing it and rocking it violently.

  “Oh no!” Kip lost his grip on Jasssper and fell off the boat as the battle raged on.

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