Series Book I: The Origins of Simon and The Vow of the Mad Captain

[Captain Tammo]

If you look back to the beginning of the tale (chapter 1, paragraph 3), I briefly mention that some crew speak entirely different languages, suggesting it is not just Miss Luna. We still have half a story to go and the crew of the Seaspark is an odd bunch. I won't say much other than keep an eye out for this character

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 9

Running, jumping and leaping around, onto and over everything in his way, Dassiter De Fformelo Tussock raced across the island one last time towards Xoer's camp. He had been out searching for Leonardo all night and had lost track of time. Although he was unsatisfied with the results of his search, he was eager to get off of the island and see Xoer's contraption work. It was assumed that the former captain was dead. Dassiter knew the crew would be upset to hear the news of his search, some less than others, but they had agreed that if it came to it they would have put the captain out of his misery anyway. Thankfully, the ocean must have done it for them; nobeast truly wanted to kill him.

Coming up onto a hill, he stretched up onto his paw tips and looked towards camp. A large white bulge appeared above the clearing. Whooping with delight, the hare raced forward to the clearing, arriving just in time to see a sight never before seen.

There the ship stood, or rather flew! It had been hung from a massive balloon being constantly filled with steam and hot air. The ship's hull was a bit smaller than the Seaspark's but shaped to a slope on the sides and a completely flat bottom, this was to allow a landing on both water and flat land. It also had no hatches like the Seaspark had. The balloon was longer than the ship itself and made completely out of a light sailcloth and supported on the inside by a thin wooden frame to prevent a gust of wind from blowing the canvas in on itself.

To push the ship forward, there was a propeller attached to the stern of the ship. This was directly linked to a wheel on the interior where two creatures would be stationed and turn the wheel, thus spinning the propeller. There was no galley onboard, just a quickly assembled kitchen; the ship was designed to get off an island, not be luxurious. It was to be steered by placing a rudder behind the propeller that would turn to and fro, just like any other rudder. This would force more air against one side of the rudder and turn the ship in that direction. On the lower deck there were no compartments, just one wide room. Here, all of the stockpiles of food and water were next to the kitchen corner. Also, a series of reed mats were on the floor, these would serve as beds for the time being. Finally, there was an extensive amount of arms for the coming battle with The Cry of Amun (it had been decided that they would pursue Deamal before returning to Mossflower).

"Ahoy Dassiter, hurry up, we're waitin' on ye! Untie the anchor while you're down there!" Shouted Maximus from the ship. Dassiter raced forward feeling like he was still a small scout in the Long Patrol. He cut the rope away from the anchor and held on to it. He was alarmed at how quickly the ship ascended and was soon hanging several meters off the ground. Holding on with great intensity, the hare looked down in amazement. He was flying!

"So this is what the birds see. They must be the happiest creatures in the world!" He said.

"Hey, long-ears, quit swingin' around afore ye kill yerself!" Said Xoer, leaning dangerously over the edge of the ship. Soon Dassiter was on board and joined the many others looking around.

"I don't believe it, we're actually flying!" Said Bellus.

"It feels like I'm dreaming," said Ronar Silverthorn.

"How 'bout I throw ye overboard and we'll see if ye wake up!" Jested his brother.

"The island looks so small from up here doesn't it?" Said Ellyvin.

"Hurr, oi think I'm a gonna be sick!" Said a mole by the name of Tarsl Grudd. "Ee watur be's fine, but *Blargh* Oi don't loike ee flyin', no zurr!

"Say, Xoer, where about are we headed?" Said Gorm.

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to all of ye about. C'mon, everybeast gather 'round!" Once all (except for the unfortunate airsick mole, who was sitting with his back to the railing and a bucket firmly in his clutch) had been gathered, Xoer proceeded. "By show of paws, does anybeast have an idea as to where The Menace is headed?"

"There was quite a storm the day we saw 'im. I recall seeing the ship escape into it whilst we had our paws full. I bet they'll be stopping someplace for supplies and repairs. Does anybeast have a sea chart?"

"They all sank with the ship," said Dassiter.

"I have one!" Said Maximus, unfolding the large map from around his spear, "It's not complete, but it has a pretty fair amount of range on it." He laid it out on the deck for all to see.

Marius spoke up in his grand bass voice, "It's a great map, Maximus. But the problem is we're around here." He pointed a massive paw at an unfinished portion of the map.

"Hm, somebeast give me some charcoal, I can fill that in." Said Bellus. Immediately, she set to work drawing in as much as she could. "This may take a bit, workin' from mem'ry, ye see. Jus' keep west fer now."

~~~~~

The Cry of Amun had endured the storm, but it had also taken monumental damage. The wind had ripped the sails, the waves washed supplies overboard, the foremast had been struck by lightning and was blown to pieces, and just about everybeast onboard was injured to some extent.

Deamal sat on a barrel and conversed with Vladd, the ship's navigator rat, as he got his wounds redressed by a stoat named Samarias. "What progress have you made, Vladd?"

"Sir, I have calculated that if we sail straight east from this point, we will arrive at a land mass within a few days."

"You are being vague, Mr. Vladd."

"Well captain, we lost some of our equipment in the storm and it's still overcast. It will be some time before I can determine our location. However, there is always land to the East!"

The slender pine marten sighed, "Very well, I understand that we are limited in our current predicament. However, as soon as you've the slightest bit of information, you are to let me know, is that understood?"

Vladd stood tall and clicked his boot heels together in salute, "Yes cap'n!"

"Good!" Said Deamal, taking a deep breath of the salty ocean air. "Set all sails to full and set course for east!"

"Er, captain?" Said Vladd timidly.

"We've no sailcloth left, do we Mr. Vladd?" The voice of the pine marten was tired and dreary as he massaged the corners of his black eyes.

"No, captain, there is not a stitch left in the hold or on the masts."

Standing up, he dismissed Samarias and looked about at his crewbeasts. "I am going to my chamber, I need rest. As for the sails, use whatever you can find."

"But captain," said Vladd, "we've nothing to use as sailcloth that'd be sufficient enough to get us moving!"

Stopping in the doorway of his quarters, Deamal turned about to face Vladd on the deck. "That's a nice tunic you have there, mate. There's many other beasts onboard who have similar ones, yes? I bet those would make nice sails if they were stitched together. Mr. Vladd, let me make myself clear. I don't care what you have to do to get my ship to shore but do it and do it quick before I use your pelt for a sail!" Shutting the door behind him, the pine martin slumped behind his desk. Grabbing a bottle of grog, he ripped the cork out with his teeth and filled one of his many jeweled chalices. But when he went to take a sip from it, no drink touched his lips. Upon examining the chalice, he found that there was a crack in its side and his drink had spilled out all over himself. He threw it aside and grabbed another chalice, this one even more jeweled than the last, but found it was also cracked and no drink would hold. Again a third jeweled chalice, a third crack. Finally, he grabbed a dirty wooden cup and filled it. "Huh," he said aloud, "Now why is it that the nicer chalices can't hold their drink, but as soon as I put it in this cruddy bucket, it holds? Maybe I just need t' stop throwin' everything...

"Agh, this reminds me, I need a new ship! This schooner has served me well, but it's old and starting to be a bother. What I need is a new ship, a faster and more efficient one. Perhaps I should get a big trireme and get me some slaves like ole Daskar did. Huh. Din't get 'im far, though... Maybe I should build a temple for meself an' have a fleet at my disposal like Ublaz, now he was a good ruler! Anything that isn't in Mossflower— that coast is locked up tight by Salamandastron. Huh, idiot of a father Dakunda couldn't figure that out. I saw 'is downfall comin' from a season in advance! Dragged my poor sister down with 'im..." He took a big gulp of grog, "I wonder where she would've been today. Ah, probably dead still, never was clever that one, always taking stupid risks like her father...

"Maybe I'll get a caravel with some nice, triangle sails. It'd be nice to be able to sail into the wind instead o' tacking all the time. Yeah, that would be nice... we'll see." The Menace set the chalice down and dozed off for a few moments.

Suddenly he came about with a jolt and sat upright. He had been dreaming again. Dreaming bad dreams, always bad dreams. Always the same bad dreams lately. He wiped a small bead of sweat off of his brow and reflected on what occurred in his nightmare. A tall, wide-eyed mouse stood in front of him, armed with a long cutlass. Every time, he would overpower the mouse until he was about to kill him when an unbearable pain would emerge from his lower back like a thousand knives being thrust through it. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his cup and took a sip. The cup had left a ring on a sea-chart covering his desk. The shape circled a small dot. Upon closer inspection of the map, Deamal found that this dot was Amijowi, a tiny, almost tear-shaped island towards the center of the map. It was such a minuscule thing in the middle of the vast ocean; he thought it to be nothing but a smudge at first.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud from the side of the ship. This was followed by screams and splashing. Deamal grabbed his Khopesh sword and darted out onto the main deck to see what all of the commotion was about. He saw Talom pull two of his own creatures, a rat and a stoat, back onboard. The rat clumsily fell onto the deck. "What is the meaning of this?" Said Deamal sternly. The rat looked up at the captain and tipped his hat to him,

"Sorry cap'n, caught a crab while rowin' ye see!" Every sailor on board, with the exception of Deamal, of course, was nearly naked. By the main mast of the ship, Vladd sat busily sewing the pieces of the new 'sail' together.

All of the onlookers chuckled at the sight of the rat and stoat. Deamal stood shaking with rage. He was not about to have such nonsense on his ship in these conditions! "Silence!" He ordered. Looking at the dripping rat, he put on a mock smile, "Ye caught a crab?"

"Er, Yessir." The stoat next to the rat chuckled,

"Tell me where the oar is."

"Um, back there, captain." Said the stoat, "We 'ave to turn the ship around so we can go back an' get it."

"Turn my ship around?" Deamal's face showed he was dumbfounded at the very thought. "You want me to order my ship, currently being held together by nothin' but spit an' wax at this point, to turn around and waste what precious time we have to find land so we can get your lost oar? Do you take me for a fool, or do you not give a damn about the fact that we have zero supplies and no time to waste?"

The stoat looked worried, "No, no, cap'n I completely understand our time is limited!" Deamal allowed the stoat's words to hang in the air while the rest of the crew looked on in a now stunned silence. Deamal took one step forward, then another, then another until he was a hairsbreadth away from the stoat's face. His midnight eyes stared right through the trembling creature, and then to the crew around them.

"I have no time for nonsense like this. Neither does the rest of the crew who, if I'm not mistaken, would like to get to shore, right?" He said. The crew answered in unison,

"Yes, captain!"

Deamal turned back to the petrified stoat and gave a small snort and smile.

Another splash followed shortly. The crew rushed to the ship's rail, mouths open in sheer amazement at the distance Deamal threw the stoat. He had launched him almost the entire distance to the oar!

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So that's Xoer's contraption. It may be kind of odd, but I like it! Though it does stray from Redwall's medieval technology quite a considerable bit. What are your thoughts about it?

Don't forget to leave a comment on how you think the story is playing out and check back tomorrow night for chapter 10 of The Origins of Simon!

~C.T.

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 10

The sky wore a warm hue of blue and a golden sunlight medallion that sparkled off the turquoise waters of the great Western Sea. A flock of seagulls lazily floating in the morning water quickly startled and flew away in fear as a large ship tied to a balloon flew overhead. Almost everybeast onboard seemed to be in high spirits at a glance. Maximus had made great friends with the squirrel twins, Kiril and Ronar Silverthorn, Bellus made great progress on Maximus' map, even Tarsl Grudd, the airsick mole was feeling better! However, they all hid great guilt and sadness. The former crew of the Seaspark missed their late friends Leonardo and Runty (for it was assumed that the former captain was dead. Some, however, especially Bellus and Dassiter, refused to believe it). Xoer mourned for his lost friend Nol and Maximus for Raoul. Anonymous whimpers could be heard in the night from those onboard if you listened closely. Everybeast listened to them, feeling like they could cry, too. However, during the day, they pushed their sadness aside and would enjoy themselves until night came again.

"Hey Xoer, c'mere!" Called Dassiter as he climbed aboard the ship. "I was jus' carving in the name o' the ship, tell me what ye think! I added something that all of us have in common" Xoer looked over the railing at the front side of the ship. Tears filled his eyes as he smiled at the names: Nol and Runty

"Thank ye, matey, you've no idea how much this means to me." Said the mongoose. Dassiter put a paw about his shoulder,

"They'd be happy to see us all safe and still adventurin'."

"There we go! It's not perfect, but it'll certainly make do with what we've got." Said Bellus. She had worked through the night, digging deep into the corners of her mind and projecting the findings onto Maximus' map in front of her. "Come take a look!" Creatures gathered around the parchment to see Bellus' work.

"Whoa! Get a load o' this!"

"Aye, mizz Bellus, ye'd make qoite a foine cartographer!"

"No doubt about that, mate. Very professional! How'd ye remember it all?"

The mousemaid blushed at the praise for her work. "Well, you see, when ye spend as many seasons as I have at sea, you remember these things. I used to always be in Leonardo's quarters helpin' him out with his maps, it was always quite a lot of fun!"

"I had no idea!" Exclaimed Dassiter, "Huh, sure explains a lot though; Leo was a terrible drawer! I'd always ask him how he managed to do cartography with expert precision, yet could hardly draw a stick-mouse figure. He would just smile and say a little bird would come to his aid when he needed help. I never would've guessed that you were his 'little bird', though." Bellus smiled and looked down.

"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to pinpoint where on this map we are. I trust one of you beasts could figure it out!" She said.

"Do not worry miss Bellus, I will be in charge of that!" Said Gorm. "Now, would somebeast kindly teach me how to read a map!" The deck erupted with laughter as the ship flew on over the horizon.

~~~~~

It had now been ten full days since the Seaspark sank beneath the waves of the storm. The keel of the Cry of Amun scraped the soft sand of an unknown island in the Western Sea. Tunics, trousers, socks, and bandannas hung sewn together from the main mast in an awkwardly shaped sail. The ship was hardly staying together. Various boards stuck out at odd angles and allowed water to seep into the cargo hold. The once beautiful railing surrounding the ship had been ripped out so that the dowels could be tied together and used as oars. Barnacles smothered the bottom of the hull in a thick layer from stern to bow. Even empty barrels and boxes were dumped overboard to reduce drag. Once the ship landed, Deamal watched his crew flop onto the shore, half dead from their long journey without food and water. "Spread out and search for supplies. First one back with something useful gets a double ration!" He ordered. It was all that he could do to not collapse on the spot himself. But a captain's image of power is everything. If they do not look every bit capable of commanding a vessel, it opens up an opportunity for mutiny to grow. Deamal lived by this guide; it had gotten him far and brought him much success. However, he did not know this island at first glance, so he decided to stay by the ship with two others on watch. The island was small, tropical and lush with a small mountain jutting up to the South. This is good, Deamal thought, this is very good!

Meanwhile, deep in the island's jungle, the rat and stoat that had been launched overboard a few days earlier walked about aimlessly together. They wore almost no clothes on their backs and were infested with fleas and lice. Their ribs showed clearly and their stomachs growled in pain. "Find anythin' mate?" Said the rat.

"Not a scrap... ooh hey now, lookit this!" Said the stoat in reply. He pulled out a knife from his belt and hacked at a tree root until it came free. "We can eat these!" He said, smiling and showing off his scurvy-infected gums and crooked teeth.

"Yuck! Let's find some real food instead. Put that crud down and you look that way while I look this way. Shout if ye find anything." The rat watched the stoat stumble off in one direction, and he feigned going in the other until the stoat was out of sight. Immediately the rat fell upon the roots his friend dug up, not bothering to wipe the dirt and mud off.

"Look, Simon, we have a guest!" The rat wheeled about and saw a hideous sight: it resembled a mouse, tall and lean. It had a shredded red coatee, a single boot that was equally as torn, fur that stuck out every which way and a few patches of bald skin. It carried a hatchet and a chipped short sword. The real terror was in its face however. Its whiskers were at uneven lengths, its ears were bleeding, as if it was scratching at them, and its eyes. Its eyes! They were the bloodshot eyes of a mad monster. Its stare completely froze the rat in place, he was unable to move!

"W-w-what are you?!" Cried the unfortunate rat.

"What am I?" Said the creature, creeping towards the frozen rat. Its voice was that of darkness, "I am... vengeance!"

The rat's screams caused the stoat's ears to perk up, "Oh good, food!" He said to himself, "Hold on mate, I'm comin'!" The stoat made his way to where the noise came from, charging through the brush without any thought. Finally, some food! He thought to himself. Just then, he tripped on something and tumbled to the ground. Looking to see what he had caught his leg on, he saw his friend, the rat, dead. "Gah! Smeezy, matey, what's 'appened to ye?!"

"Vengeance. I am vengeance. I am. I am vengeance..."

The stoat turned and looked straight into the eyes of the creature, immediately becoming unable to move as if the creature's stare was holding him in place. "Please, don't do it! We was just looking fer food 's all!"

The beast chanted rhythmically as he creeped closer to the stoat he had pinned with his gaze,
"You who are of The Menace, come here and meet your fate. You who are of The Menace, I will send you to hell's gate!"

~~~~~

Deamal sat in the shade of his ship on the beach with his two guards on either side of him. It had been quite a while since he had been on dry land, he was starting to like the feel of it. While the others were out foraging, he had discovered that the small island he was on was Amijowi, the one he saw on his sea-chart a few days earlier. It certainly was a very habitable place and many sailors had little knowledge of its existence because of its small size. Most would come across it by accident, but true sailors know about the value of small islands and the benefits they can have. Deamal was starting to doze off when Talom and a few others came crashing through the brush with sacs stuffed with food and flasks full of water.

"Captain, we've found food and water!" Talom shouted.

Deamal called back smiling, "Good work my friends, double rations for all of ye!" He watched as they let out a cheer and started dividing up the contents and taking swigs of water. They all ate to their content, filling up on all sorts of berries and exotic fruits they've never tasted before. "Where did ye find it, Talom?"

Before the weasel could answer him, another small party came crashing through the brush. However, this party had expressions of terror stuck to their faces.

"Captain, we need to get off this island, it's not safe here!" One shouted.

Deamal stood up in alarm and drew his khopesh sword. "Thogg, what's the matter, where are all the others, I only see four o' ye?!" Thogg collapsed at Deamal's footpaws. The others kept running until they were knee-deep in the seawater.

"My lord, we were attacked by somebeast– no, something! Whatever it was, it got Smeezy and Loundert! We tried calling out for poor Loundert, but he couldn't stop staring into the beast's eyes. Captain, the beast's gaze was freezing 'im in place— he wouldn't move! But the real terror was in what he was chanting. Captain, he knows who you are! It called itself 'Vengeance'."

Keeping his cool, The Menace replied flatly, "Worry not, Talom. Do not forget who I am, after all. As the morning and evening star, I am not surprised that he knows who I am. Every creature on this sea should have it branded on their hearts! Listen closely, Talom. Our ship is crippled, so we must stay on the island until repairs can be made. Next time you go out foraging, take weapons and stick together! There is one of him and a score of us, we will prevail. It is tragic to hear what has become of Smeezy and Loundert. Make sure you have learned your lesson, don't let their deaths go without reason." Talom let go of Deamal's paw and thanked him gratefully.

"Yes captain... Thank you, captain."

Little did the crew of the Cry of Amun know of a foreboding set of eyes that watched the scene on the beach. Leonardo Velox Williams squatted on the ground, cupping his bleeding ears so he could hear the conversations on the shore. He repeated Talom's words to himself as he listened further, "Yes captain, thank you captain yeeheehee! Come to me, spawn of Deamal, Vengeance waits for you!"

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This is where i think it really starts getting good! I added that explanation about the chalices in there to help clarify its symbolism. You see, Deamal's three jeweled chalices represent three ships in the story: The Seaspark, The Fenero, and The Nol and Runty. Each of these vessels look grand, special, and extraordinary upon first viewing them, like a jeweled chalice. However, the ships were all broken in some fassion: The Seaspark had its mutinous crew and mad captain, the Fenero had the drunken and corrupt mercenaries that allowed the ship to be taken over so easily, and the Nol and Runty is full of sorrow, shame, and guilt. This represents the cracks in the chalice that won't allow it to hold its drink, or allow the ships to reach their potential.

However note the wooden cup. This represents the Cry of Amun because it was exactly how Deamal worded it, "A cruddy bucket" of vermin, yet they hold their drink and a strong crew.

So which is better, a wooden cup that holds its drink, or three jeweled chalices that are broken?

[Captain Tammo]

This next chapter is one of my favorites , hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 11

It was now two full weeks since the sinking of the Seaspark. Deamal's crew was down four creatures due to the work of the 'Madbeast's Ghost', as he was called amongst them. The crew lived in absolute terror of running into the creature, developing superstitious ways of life to protect themselves. One rat walked around camp with a veil over his head, claiming it would prevent the ghost from freezing him with its stare. Another donned a belt of seaweed to give off odors that warded off spirits. And another had painted a big eye on his chest to divert the ghost's sight away from his face. Captain Deamal was outraged to see such behavior and ordered that any caught practicing strange rituals to protect themselves from the ghost was to be either immediately flogged or sent into the jungle for supplies. Alone.

As one creature was flogged, the pine marten addressed the rest of the crew, "This is what happens to you when you lose faith in your captain. You are all fortunate that I need each and every one of you alive if we are to make it off this rock. I have never tolerated such ridiculous behavior before and never will just because there are different conditions." He walked back and forth in front of the stiff ranks of kneeling crewbeasts. At first, they had served the captain out of loyalty, but now they served out of fear. Not fear of Deamal, however, but fear of the island and its ghost. "You listen to your captain! I don't care if there is a creature out there in the jungle, and I don't care if it wants to kill all of us! We outnumber it a score to one and yet we are still losing numbers. At noon today, I want everybeast armed and ready to march into the jungle." Deamal proceeded, speaking louder and waving his sword in the air, "I will drag this so called 'ghost' by its neck onto the beach and slay it before all of you. Now rise and tell me, who is your captain?"
"Lord Deamal the Menace." Answered the crew in unison

"Who has kept you alive thus far?" He said louder this time.

"Lord Deamal the Menace!"

Now yelling, "And who will keep you alive forever if you continue to serve me?!"

The voices of the corsairs rang out loud and clear around the island, "Lord Deamal the Menace!"

"Then who dare stand against you?!"

~~~~~

The Nol and Runty soared through the air gracefully. From sea level, it would appear like something out of a sailor's dream.

Xoer's raspy voice called all paws on deck. Once everybeast had been gathered, he gave out assignments. "Jacques an' Brian, yer on propeller duty! Ronar, you an' Kiril have black paws today." 'Black paws' was the term used to describe the task of keeping the balloon inflated. To do so, a caldron of seawater was heated in a boiler fueled by colza oil. The 'black paws' came from spilling oil on the paws while refueling the boiler's oil supply. Xoer continued, "Bellus, you'll be navigator. Maximus, I need you to take stock o' all onboard supplies. The rest of you, find something to do. Dismissed!"

"Hold on a second, mate. You never assigned a chef!" Called out Dassiter.

"Oh, yer right!" Exclaimed the mongoose. "I forgot to remember that! Umm... Gorm, you'll be the cook. Dismissed!"

A very audible groan came up from the crewbeasts at this last comment.

"Sorry I asked..." Said Dassiter.

"Gorm? A cook?! Bahahahaha yeah, great idea, Xoer! Gorm's the worst cook that's ever lived!" Said Kiril

"Aye, my brother's right! Gorm would burn a salad then go an' kill a score o' dirty searats with the leftovers!"

"We should have let the little beast cook for the Saberfin! Would've saved us a ship, eh?" Added Marius.

Gorm looked about and scowled, "Well I 'ave never been so offended! Herk, to sink zat I was going to cook a fish surprise for you lot!"

"Ooh, that sounds rather nice actually." Said Xoer.

"Nnnoooooooo!" The whole crew looked to the source of the yell. It was the airsick mole, Tarsl Grudd. He sat against the ship's rail with his bucket and looked horrified. "Not again zurr." He whispered, "Not ee fish suproise! Oi'll throw moiself off'n this ship afore oi see that terror again!"
Dassiter pointed at Tarsl Grudd and looked at the mongoose with a slightly serious expression. "See? This is what Gorm's fish surprise does to a beast."

Xoer put his paws up, "Alright, alright, I get it... He just won't make fish surprise!" Another groan came up from the crew.

Later that day at around noon, Kiril called Xoer over to the boiler. The young squirrel looked concerned as he addressed him. "Bad news, cap'n. We're nearly out of oil up here an' Maximus said there's no more barrels below deck. At the rate we're going, we'll be completely dry by midnight!"

But Xoer did not share the concern the squirrels had. "I think that'll make do lads. I've just been informed by Miss Bellus that we'll be coming upon Amijowi Island by early to late afternoon! Just keep yer eyes peeled for it and we'll do just fine!"

The two twins were delighted to hear such news. Standing at a quick attention, they puffed out their chests, threw their oily paws to a stiff salute and said in unison, "Aye-aye, captain!"

Word quickly spread around the airship that they would be making a landfall that night. The Nol and Runty traveled on into the day ahead of it. A little tear-drop of an island waited for them.

~~~~~

Deamal and his crew gathered on the beach armed to the teeth and ready to capture 'The Madbeast's Ghost.' The captain walked by his crew towards the front ranks, carrying no weapon other than the khopesh sword in his paw. Rats, ferrets, stoats and weasels alike silently mumbled their superstitious practices under their breath as they marched into the island's jungle. It quickly became too thick to walk as ranks, "Spread out!" Ordered Deamal, still at the front and center of the group. They spread out into a single column of brandished cutlasses and half drawn bows. Slowly they proceeded, staying cautious and being sure to comb the whole area thoroughly. More than once one would startle at the snap of a twig or a bird starting from its nest and yelp with fright. The agonizing process continued for some time.

Then, suddenly, Talom's cries were heard. The presence of the creature was confirmed by the shouts of several other crewbeasts who rushed towards the sounds. Leonardo stood above Talom's limp body, ready to strike him when he saw the others coming. However, despite the fact that he was ruined with madness, Leonardo was still a brave and witty mouse. He used his image to his advantage to halt the oncoming corsairs. They formed a semicircle around him but would immediately cower away and shield their eyes whenever he looked at them. With his back against a thick tree, he would have to go through the crowd if he was to escape them. He took a step forward, the corsairs took a step back. He took another forward and they stepped back again. Hiss at them! You're a disgusting madbeast, use it to your advantage. Ordered Simon. The mouse hissed and feigned an attack; this worked with the desired effect. Slowly the line thinned and he made his way forward. He reached for his hatchet but found it was missing. Forget about it! Just keep moving. Said Simon.

"But I need it!" Replied Leonardo out loud. The corsairs looked on in petrified silence at the creature; none were brave enough to attack.

Suddenly, an excruciating pain erupted in Leonardo's back and he collapsed to the ground. Never had he felt such a pain in his life. He cried out in agony and he buried his face in the dirt. A powerful set of paws grabbed his by the scruff of his neck and started pulling him. After managing to get himself upright, he stumbled on for a few paces.

This was when the realization hit him. Even though Leonardo stumbled until he dragged his footpaws behind him, screaming and yelping like a wild animal, he paused in it all and gave a chilling cackle. Somehow, despite his grave situation, Leonardo lifted his head and said through the mad laughter, "Hahaheeheehoowah, stabbing me in the back with my own weapon, eh? Now where 'ave I seen that one, Simon? Ah yes, hahaha, it's all clear now–" Before he could finish, he was knocked unconscious by a hard blow to the back of the head.

They reached the beach quickly and Deamal threw the creature into the sand. "Get Talom onto the ship and fixed up, double time!" He said to the crew, "And wake this oaf up! No need to tie him, he's not going anywhere." He added, pointing at the unconscious Leonardo.

Within minutes, the mouse was brought around and was forced to kneel down as Deamal jumped off the ship and approached him. The rest of the crew gathered behind the pine marten. "My friends, you have been deceived by this beast for far too long! You think that he holds a deadly power in his gaze, but behold!" He said, raising a closed bag he had found on Leonardo's belt. Deamal faced his crew and spilled the contents of the bag onto the sand. "They're called moonseed berries, a highly toxic fruit that causes paralysis. This little gataan has been using these to make poison darts; they're the secret to his icy stare." Turning back to Leonardo, he leaned in close to his face and took his head in his paw. "You, my friend, have caused me an immense amount of trouble. Smeezy, Loundert, Throgg, Samarias. Those names don't mean a thing to you, do they?" He slowed his speech to let every word sink into the mouse's bleeding ears. "I am going to kill you very slowly for the things you did to my crew. By the time I am done with you, death will be a wonderful treat... Agh!" Deamal recoiled and wiped spit out of his black eyes. "You will rot for that!" Picking up a paw full of moonseed berries, he ordered, "Open his mouth! I don't want him causing any more trouble for us!" Two rats carried out the orders and Deamal approached Leonardo with the berries. "This'll keep ye occupied for a bit, eh?"

~~~~~

Former Captain Williams lay flat on his stomach baking in the sunlight as the afternoon approached. His immobility allowed his back wound to scab effectively. A bucket of fresh water was placed just a few paces in front of his face by Deamal, along with a plate of fresh grapes. The moonseed had rendered him completely immobile. He had been stuck for four full hours now and he was dehydrated and feeling very faint. 'Simon' had tried talking to him multiple times, but Leonardo just ignored him, Leonardo wanted to reflect on his life. I was the Badger Lord's son, I was the Captain of the most powerful vessel on the ocean, and I was so close to ridding the seas of a menace. He thought to himself, Now, here I lie. I have been exiled from my home, mutinied by my crew, and defeated by my own weapon.

Will they remember me as a hero, a friend, a son? Or will I not be remembered at all? Faded into the sands of time and become nothing but a pile of sun-bleached bones on a tear-dropped island lost in a sea?...

This hot sand is singeing my fur, thank the seasons I can't feel it. I don't think the effects will wear off anytime soon. Death will come before that. I... I... His trail of thoughts became hazy. He was losing his consciousness and struggled to stay awake. However, his efforts were in vain and he soon drifted into the realm of darkness.

~~~~~

The Nol and Runty descended slowly as it neared the island of Amijowi. Xoer took over 'black paw' duty for the landing. He opened and closed the steam valve of the boiler rhythmically and allowed a minimal amount of hot air into the balloon. This gave the airship a slow and gradual descent. Being the creature Xoer trusted the most with his airship, Maximus was steersbeast for the operation. Kiril and Ronar Silverthorn were switched to propellor duty. Most of the others (with the exception of the airsick mole, who stayed on his mat below deck) peered over the railing at the approaching island. This seemed to be a favorite activity for all onboard when they had the free time. The experience of flight was still something that they had not quite gotten used to, but they loved it nonetheless. Now that land was in sight, great happiness and relief was brought to them.

"A half degree to the West, Maximus!" Called out Dassiter from the bowsprit.

"Aye-aye, Dassiter, half degree to the West!" He said in return.

However, before the ship turned that half degree, the sharp eye of Marius caught something below, "Hold that first position, Maximus! I think I see a ship down on the beach behind the mountain!" This was then confirmed by Bellus, Ellyvin, and Gorm.

"Let us land there, on the beach by the boat. Mayhaps they could aid us wiz supplies?" Said Gorm in his thick voice.

"No, that's too big of a risk I'm willing to take." Said Maximus sternly, keeping his eyes forward. "I've learned that most all honest ships stick to the coastline of Mossflower. With a vessel this far out at sea, my gut tells me it's not gonna be a friendly ship."

"I agree with Maximus." Said Xoer, allowing the ship to sink further in altitude. "In fact, I think we better move out of their line o' sight afore they sees us. I'll go an' see if the ship is friendly or not later tonight, once we've landed safely."

"I'll come with you," Maximus said, "it's dangerous to go alone."

"Then it's settled!" Xoer stamped his footpaw on the deck and shouted below deck, "Ahoy, Ronar an' Kiril, why are we slowin' down? I need ye to pick up our speed double time!"

The squirrel twins turned the propellor's crankshaft as quickly as their slippery, oily paws would let them. The airship quickly fell in altitude and hid itself from view of the ship on the beach. Lower and lower it sank to the horizon as its destination neared.

"Xoer, we should land on the mountain's top. I know of a nice flat area behind the cover of some trees that'll help conceal the ship once we've landed, there's a load of colza flowers nearby that we can make into more oil, too." Said Dassiter.

"Sounds good to me, mate! You heard the bunny, Maximus! Take us over to the mountaintop!"
Dassiter stood bolt upright upon hearing the mongoose's remark. His ear tips showed bright red as he addressed him. A mouse that was standing next to Maximus at the wheel elbowed him in the ribs to get his attention,

"Heehee, watch this! Whenever Dassiter gets real mad like this, he forgets his normal speech an' starts talking like a staff sergeant from Salamandastron. It's the greatest thing in the world t' watch, see?"

"I say good sah! How dare ye call me a 'bunny'! As it is clear to everybeast else on this bloody ship, ah'm a hare, wot!" An audible amount of chuckles and guffaws came from the creatures listening nearby. This did not improve Dassiter's mood by the least bit. He then shifted his attention to the crew, "Cut that laughter out this instant! Why, if we were back at Salamandastron, I'd have yer hides fer such behavior, wot! Come on now, back straight, shoulders back, eyes front, paws together, chest out— an' suck in yer stomach, Gorm, great seasons!" Everybeast watching the spectacle struggled immensely to keep their laughter in with such a scene unfolding in front of them. "Never 'ave I seen such unorganized behavior! An' look at this ship! I'll not be arriving at any island in such a pigsty, wot wot! Clean the deck, scrub the dishes, dust the mats an' polish the arms on the double!" This proved to be too much for the crew of the Nol and Runty. Laughter rang out loud and clear in the air as Dassiter stamped his foot and shouted above the noise, "Agh, you're all a hopeless lot, y'know that?! Ah don't have to take such behavior from lower ranks! Mayhaps Ill go talk with our airsick mole, I betcha he'll show some respect for a superior h'offica!" With this, the lanky hare marched off to the lower deck amid great laughter among the crew. Creatures all around rolled about and laughed until tears came from their eyes at what they had witnessed.

"Woohahahaha! How long 'as he done that for?!" Said Maximus to the mouse.

"Bahahahaha! As long as I've been a part o' the crew. Heeheehee! I've only seen it a pawful o' times. But hey, when ye do see it, it's quite a sight, eh?"

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I love this chapter especially! It had some funny moments, some intense ones and some revisited moments (The moonseed berries, which actually exist!). But I wrote the thing, so of course I will speak highly of it!

Let me know how you think this chapter in particular compares to the others. Which chapter is your favorite so far? I'd love to see what you have to say!

Stay tuned for chapter 12 tomorrow at the same time (About 12:00AM East Coast Time), and I'll see you then!

~C.T.

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 12

Night took its time in coming. The Nol and Runty made its landing atop the small mountain that dominated the landscape of Amijowi. Most everybeast went to bed upon landing. Dassiter took the watch with Ellyvin. They sat on the stairs leading up to the stern deck and ate from a small bag of fruits that they had quickly gathered.

"I don't like this island anymore." Said Ellyvin. "It brings back too many bad memories. Too many tears have been shed over the events that happened here."

"I was thinking the same. One could venture to say that this place was the root of poor Leo's madness. I shoulda just kept my mouth shut that night; would've saved us Runty an' a captain... and a ship." Replied the hare.

"Don't be hard on yourself, Dassiter. We were all going mad the moment we set out on this chase. It was starting to drive us all wild and just got to Leo first." She paused, "I think after spending so many seasons hunting, we became tired of waiting and wanted to give up. We wanted to move on with our lives but had no lives to go back to because most of us were the only survivors from our homes. So we all stuck with the ship as madness started closing in on all of us. Sooner or later one of us was going to snap, unfortunately that creature was our captain."

Dassiter wiped a tear from his eye and sniffled, "I... I have never done anything else other than hunt for this ship; it has consumed me entirely. I mean look at me, Ellyvin, I'm goin' on twenty seasons of hunting! I haven't seen my home in twenty seasons! What'll become o' me? I promised Leo that I'd return to Salamandastorn with him but I... I don't even know if he's alive or dead.

"What will happen to all of us, Ellyvin? Even if we do find The Cry of Amun and defeat its whole crew, what will we have to go back to? We'll be destroying the one thing that has kept all of us going for so long and we'll be without a purpose again! We lose either way."

There was a short pause where the two were silent. They could hear Maximus and Xoer getting ready to set out down the mountain to explore the ship on the beach. They made their way to the side of the vessel and threw a rope overboard, "We'll be back 'afore sunrise an' let ye know what we find." Said Maximus as Xoer climbed down the rope.

"Good luck," said Ellyvin.

Dassiter nodded to him, "Stay safe."

Soon the pair was gone into the night and Dassiter and Ellyvin were in silence again.

"You forget something, Dassiter," she said, "we will have each other to live and look out for. We've become a family. Once we catch the ship—"

"If we catch the ship." He interrupted.

The otter maid looked down, "If we catch the ship, perhaps we'll stay together and roam the land, or find a place for all of us to settle. I know of a great place that'll accept a group of travelers like us.

"Ridding the seas of a menace won't take away our will to live, it will give us a new one."

"What'll that be?" Said Dassiter, wiping another tear in his eye.
Ellyvin wise eyes shone bright, "Peace."

Dassiter leaned back and sniffed. "Yeah, peace... I could use some o' that about now."

~~~~~

Xoer and Maximus looked at the ship on the beach from the jungle's border. There was a dwindling fire with a couple of shadowy creatures sleeping around it.

Xoer whispered, "Hey, d' ye remember how you couldn't find me when we first met on Hsif-Drows?"

Maximus smiled and looked at him, "Camouflage!"

"Right ye are, me mate, but there's another trick to it. It's time that I teach you the practice o' slitherin' an' slidin'. It's what we snake-hunters use to sneak around unnoticed. I think I heard the bunny-rabbit talking 'bout somethin' similar... called 'bobbing an' weaving'. We won't need camouflage since it's so blinkin' dark out. So just follow behind me and do as I do, nothing more. Understand?"

Maximus nodded, "Lead the way, mate, I won't be far behind!"

Xoer Valderez the snake-slayer slithered through the camp just as a snake might. He slid over the soft sand, leaving not a single trace that he had been there. As Maximus mimicked his friend's movements to his best, he swore he heard the mongoose hiss like an adder as he twisted and turned around sleeping forms, finally stopping at one by the fire.

"Maximusssss, come here. I want you to ssssee thissssssss." Maximus nearly leaped out of his skin with fright at the sound of Xoer's voice. He had never heard him do that before. He creeped up further in the exact path that he watched Xoer take until he was next to him. There was a creature sleeping on the ground who was covered in a dark cloak. Firelight cast eerie shadows that danced on the face of the mongoose. Xoer looked different in this element; Maximus watched his face closely.

Suddenly, with lightning speed, Xoer pulled the cloak off of the creature. It was a searat and it was awake. It tried to sit upright with a shout, but it was stopped halfway. The rat's eyes were fixed in place and its body went stiff with horror before it could produce a sound. Looking at Xoer, Maximus found the reason why. The mongoose had his paw on the rat's chest, pushing it down. His eyes were wide and intense, "Be sssssstill, rat."

Great seasons! Maximus nearly screamed with terror upon realizing what Xoer was doing. He was hypnotizing the rat with his stare! He watched as a forked tongue slipped in and out of his mouth with every word that left his scaly lips. The snakeskin tunic he wore became his true skin and the snake-fang necklace became his mouth. Xoer Valderez nearly transformed into a snake right before Maximus' eyes. Had the young otter not know that it was still his friend, Xoer, he would have sworn that he was looking at an adder.

Slowly the rat shut its eyes and fell back asleep. Xoer stayed low to the ground and hissed, "Sssssearatsssss, corssssairs, piratessssss. Thatsss what thisss bunch isssss."

"Xoer, were... What was tha–"

"Sssilence! Ye do not wish to ssstir the whole camp, do you? I sssay we keep looking around to ssssee who else issss here."

Maximus could hardly believe the words he was hearing. To watch what he had just witnessed again on other creatures, surely it was madness! But Xoer persisted and they continued through the camp. No other creatures in the camp had their faces covered, though. Maximus breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing this. But they were vermin, every one of them. However, on the way out of the camp, Maximus noticed something odd. "Xoer, wait. What about that one over there, it's a good twenty paces  from everybeast else. Perhaps we should check it out?"

"Asssss you wish." He hissed.

As the pair made their way closer, it appeared to be just another rat, but upon further examination... "Xoer, wait! This one's a mouse!" Whispered Maximus. His voice was full of intensity. "He looks pretty hurt, what did they do to 'im?"

"A prissssoner!" Said Xoer, "Quickly there'ssss no time to lossssse. We need to get it to ssssafety." Without further delay, Xoer flipped the mouse onto his back and began slithering into the woods. It looked like a mouse was riding piggy-back on a deadly adder! Once they were in the jungle a good ways, Xoer stood up and traveled as a normal creature. The snake illusion melted away and Xoer was back to being a mongoose again. Maximus could not help but to ask,

"Xoer, how did you do it: slither around on your stomach like a snake and hypnotize that rat? You were even talking like one!"

"There's quite a few things ye can learn from sssserpent– Ahem!.. Serpents. They are the masters of stealth an' manipulation. Once you understand them, you can become them." He said, picking up his pace a bit.

"But that doesn't explain how you managed to hypnotize that rat." Exclaimed Maximus.

"It's a skill I have taught myself through observation. Most of it is the mentality. There have been other creatures who have had the power t' hypnotize, it's not just serpents an' adders. The most powerful I can think of was a pine marten named Emperor Ublaz. Now he had a set of eyes to behold."

"How do you know that? Did you know him?"

"Well, in a way I suppose. But I won't talk about that further. Hurry up! We need to get back to camp, this un's gettin' heavy!"

~~~~~

Ellyvin and Dassiter had just switched sentry duties when Maximus and Xoer returned to the airship. Tarsl Grudd the mole and Siri Luna the ottermaid had been informed that they would be returning and helped them aboard.

"Welcum back, zurrs!"

"Thanks Tarsl, could ye give me a paw with this un?"

"Shanna qwae! De farrn ik ook wald searat?!" Said Siri.

"Er, Mizz Luna be's roight, zurr. Why 'ave ye a corsair with ye? Phew! Ee smells rank!" He said with great disgust.

"It's not a rat, it's a mouse, an' a pretty hurt un too! We need ye to wake Ellyvin an' have her see what she can do to fix 'im. I'll fill ye in on the events soon!"

Ellyvin was soon on the upper deck with a box of medicines, "I take it that was a searat vessel on the beach?"

"Yes marm, corsairs, the whole lot of 'em." Said Maximus.

"Then they'll be looking for him. Get him below deck, I need to be able to use candles without being seen out here."

Ellyvin had the mouse brought below deck and set him near the kitchen corner. While she hung reed mats from the ceiling to form a curtain that she could work behind, Maximus lit several small candles for lighting. She made sure to keep the patient on his stomach so she could operate on his back.

"Could you stay, Maximus? I could use an assistant." She said.

The young otter sat down by the creatures head.

"We'll have to clean him off before I can start applying any medicines. Grab me a cloth and salt some water to dip it in, quickly now! He doesn't have much time left."

Ellyvin dabbed the cloth on the creature's back; no sound escaped his lips. It took almost a half an hour just to clean the wound and get the sand and dirt out of the mouse's back. "Start cleaning the rest of him. Carefully, though. You don't want to disturb any other injuries he may have. Start with his head, make sure there are no major wounds there that need more attention than this un. Then work your way down.

The young otter worked quickly and carefully to clean the patient's face of dirt, grime and dried blood. It was easy to see why he was thought to be a searat at first. "Hey Ellyvin, it looks like he's been beaten pretty badly, see this big bump on his forehead?"

The ottermaid looked at where Maximus was pointing, but could not help but notice the mouse's handsome face. He looked like an actual mouse again! "Move your paw, Maximus." Said Ellyvin, "I want to see his whole face." Maximus did so wordlessly. Ellyvin clasped a paw to her mouth and let out a sob. Tears immediately started pooling in the corners of her eyes. Maximus had no idea what was going on,

"Miss Ellyvin? Ellyvin are you alright? Is something wrong?"

But the ottermaid could only cry. Finally getting herself together she said in a shaky voice, "Maximus, this is our captain, Leonardo Williams!"

Maximus was shocked to hear this, "But I was told he was dead! How is this possible?"

"I don't know, but you need to go wake Dassiter." she cried, "Go wake the Dassiter right now!"

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Hope you guys are enjoying the story! Next chapter will be up in 24 hours!

~C.T.

[Captain Tammo]

So we know who Simon is, but don't really know him. I added a little bit at the end of this next chapter so we could really learn about what goes on in Leonardo's head. Enjoy!

Chapter 13

That night Ellyvin worked harder than she had ever done in her life. She worked straight on until morning stitching, wrapping, bandaging, anointing, cleaning and splinting. Dassiter De Fformelo Tussock watched the entire time. He doubted that it was the captain at first, but upon closer inspection, he could not deny the fact that it was Leonardo! Soon the whole crew was awake and wanting to see him. However, it started to become a distraction for Ellyvin and she asked that they waited above deck.

Xoer and Maximus had no idea that it was the captain they had rescued from the vermin. Everybeast wanted to know the full story. Maximus retold it as best he could, omitting the part where Xoer hypnotized the rat and appeared as a snake. Everybeast asked questions,

"How many were there?"

"Could you tell why they were here?"

"Hurr they'll be a noticin' his absence come dawn, they'll be a looking for 'im. What shudd we do?"

"Mi happa-ætar kom sokkabab sala sala?"

Maximus and Xoer answered all of them to the best of their knowledge but were soon overwhelmed. "Hold on, hold on! Now ah won't be able to hear yer questions an' you won't be able to hear my answers if yer all blabbing your mouths at once! One at a time now." Said Xoer sternly.

"How did you find him? Was he bound up?" Said Kiril Silverthorn.

"No, which is rather odd considering he was a fair distance away from the entire camp, just laying there in the sand unconscious. They must've thought he was dead." Said Maximus.

"Is he gonna pull through?" Said Marius.

"He wasn't looking good when Ellyvin saw him." Said Xoer. The crew looked very crestfallen at this comment. Maximus jumped in to try to save their spirits,

"But if there's anybeast who can save him, it's Ellyvin. I talked with her a bit during our voyage. She really knows her stuff when it comes to healing!" This had the desired effect.

"Listen, I think the best thing we can do right now is rest up and be available to Ellyvin's every request, since she's doin' the operation." Said Dassiter.

Gorm's heavy voice came through clearly, "And after that, we will teach those filthy scum a lesson about messing wiz zis bunch of seafarers!" A cheer of agreement came up from the crew.

"Quiet, quiet! Settle down, you'll wake the dead with that kind o' noise. We can't give away our position. Right now, those corsairs haven't the slightest clue Leo is missing. We need to keep it that way for as long as we can because we all know searats and they'll come looking for him. So let's stay on our toes and keep our eyes peeled in the meantime.

~~~~~

A stoat by the name of Sorak sat on the beach at dawn cooking some gull eggs on a rock over a fire. His crewmate, Daekel, sat down opposite him and eyed the eggs hungrily.

"Oh no, not a chance! You go find yer own eggs ye greedy oaf, I got up an hour afore dawn to snatch these." Said Sorak.

"Hah, an hour afore dawn, my tail! I saw ye go into the jungle well after the sun came up!" Replied Deakel, "This island is plenny lush, I'm sure you could find more just as quick, so fork 'em over mate, I'm famished!"

Sorak leaned in over the fire towards Daekel and spoke quietly, "Alright shut yer trap! I'll give ye some– ah, ah, ah! Not so quick, ye gotta lemme finish. I'll give ye some if ye tell me what's goin' on with Deaker. He's actin' like he's seen a ghost!"

"Oh, Deaker? He's sayin' that an adder tried to eat 'im last night, pretty bizarre eh? He says he woke up, even got hypnotized, almost eaten, then jus' fell back asleep like nothin'. Makes no sense to me... Now gimme!" Daekel scooped one of the eggs off the stone plate and ate it sloppily. Meanwhile, his stoat compadre was shaking in his skin at the thought.

"An ad-d-der? Here?!"

"Aye, somebeast said they saw snake tracks in the sand, I think it's all a joke. But it ain't so funny, couldn't imagine what'd 'appen if Deamal heard about it."

"Heard about what, Daekel?" A cold shiver ran up Sorak and Daekel's spines at the sound of the icy voice. They turned around to look at the speaker, it was The Menace himself. Daekel struggled to find the right words to say. His paw strayed to the wounds on his back he received from being flogged during the 'Madbeast's Ghost' incident. Sorak cut in for him,

"Er... Food poisonin'! Deaker's got it bad ye see an'—"

Deamal's khopesh sword flashed like lightning, stopping a hairsbreadth away from Sorak the stoat's wet nose. "Don't lie to me, Sorak. Lying will not be tolerated amongst my crew." The pine marten's black eyes did not give any way to read how serious he was being.

Sorak looked at the blade, then into Deamal's empty eyes and let a brief second pass before saying, "An adder." The sword backed away slightly from Sorak's nose and he continued. He was not yet in the clear, "Some o' the crew believes there's a poison-tooth on the loose. Deaker claims to 've seen et last night, an' somebeast said they saw snake tracks early this mornin'."

"No bite marks or injuries?" Deamal said, sheathing his sword.

"No, my lord," said Daekel. "We counted our heads an' are all here, er, my lord."

"And my prisoner? Who has him?" He put a delicate paw on both of their shoulders. "Because I know for certain that my crew wouldn't take their eyes off of my prisoner. Right?" Sorak and Daekel winced with pain as Deamal drove his claws into their skin. They both said in unison,

"Yes, cap'n!"

"Then tell me why he isn't where I left him?"

Just then, Talom, who was now fully recovered, shouted aloud from across the beach as he hurried towards him, "Captain, captain, the prisoner has gone! There are tracks going into the jungle!"

Sorak and Daekel nearly screamed in pain as Deamal pushed his claws deeper into their skin with rage. His eyes nearly turned red with lividity and he roared with anger, "Find him! I want every single one of you wretched beasts in that jungle. Find him and bring him to me! How does a paralytic prisoner escape from under your noses?!"

A rat's voice called out, "Over here, captain. Looks like a riverdog picked 'im up. I guess there's more than jus' the mouse on this isle!" In an instant, The Menace was at the rat's side and examined the tracks carefully; his empty black eyes missed nothing.

"They left at about midnight by the looks of it. It's a young otter, male, but he was not alone... Looks like a snake was around here too, must be pursuing them as well... Well, what're ye standing there for all wide-eyed?! Drag yer filthy tail over to the ship an' get armed. We won't stop searchin' until I got that damn mouse's head hanging from the ship's spar!" The thunder of a storm rumbled in the distance and followed the same course as a score of deadly corsairs as they made their way through the thick jungles of Amijowi.

~~~~~

Dassiter De Fformelo Tussock and Leonardo Velox Williams sat together in the same room for the first time since long before the Seaspark sank. Dassiter was the first creature he was willing to talk to upon waking up. The pair sat alone below the deck of the Nol and Runty and conversed. Dassiter explained his half of the story in great detail and did his best to reach out to his friend and comfort him as he heard what Leonardo had to say.

"He whispers horrible things to me, Dassiter. Horrible, horrible things! Just the other night while I sat by my fire he... he told me to jump into it. He yelled and cursed at me and called me horrible names. Whenever he was silent, noises of battle and storms at sea flew around in my head. I scratched and clawed at my ears to get it out, but it would not! 'Do it, you dirty rat!' He would scream. The fire was only just in front of me. I was so close, I was certain my fur would singe from the heat. I thought, 'would it stop with this, or will I be jumping off of a cliff next, or hanging from a tree tomorrow?' But the noise, the yelling it was becoming too much for me to hold! I felt like if I didn't do what Simon was telling me, he'd fill my head with so much chaos that my head would explode!"

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Leo. I wish there was something I could have done. Believe me, if it were within my power, I would make you well again but I don't know what to do."

"The only times I have slept are when I collapse from exhaustion. The only times I can ignore it all is when I am about to die. I can only eat for a few hours every few days when the nausea subsides and my stomach unfurls from its crimped knots... I claw my ears, yell and scream, bang my head on rocks, but I cannot kill the madness. Simon has consumed me whole and I'm trapped inside of him until I die."

Ellyvin had listened closely to the conversation happening below deck. She sat on the staircase to the lower deck with perked ears. The rest of the crew stood behind her waiting to hear what she could relay. They whispered amongst themselves and shuffled awkwardly in place with an uncomfortable eagerness. The ottermaid backed up the stairs quietly and turned to the others. She said with a sigh, "Poor Leo, he's not the same; he's completely mad and knows it. He claims to hear a voice in his head named 'Simon' as well as several other noises. I'm afraid he'll never be the same unless a miracle happens." With this news, she went back to listening by the staircase.

"Do you have any idea as to what the origins of Simon are? Maybe if we can figure that out, we can help you." Said Dassiter. He sat on the ground with his legs criss-cross style and leaned into what Leonardo had to say.

"Part of me thinks he's always been there, and just woke up after half a lifetime of events. It doesn't matter where he came from, I want him gone! Aye, pal, madness is something you should never wish upon anybeast ever."

"Could you tell me what else has happened since we separated, besides Simon? How did ye get captured?"

Leonardo was quiet for a moment before answering. "It was Deamal, Dassiter. I took out as many of his as I could, but I was stabbed in the back with my own weapon. They're on the island, and they're looking for me now." Dassiter's eyes went wide with amazement.

"Deamal? That was Deamal's ship– Deamal is... Here?!"

"Can you hear them coming, Dassiter? I've heard the whole crew coming for some time now. I can hear every one of their footsteps getting louder and louder." Thunder rumbled from nearby and immediately Dassiter could hear yelling from the outside of the ship. Leonardo lowered his head, "Oh, that'd be them now..."

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The end of our tale is now in sight and the final battle is coming! What do you think will be the result?

We also really get to see what Simon has been up to all this time. He isn't the helpful voice we saw in previous chapters where he helped Leo find water and tried to help him escape Deamal's crew. Now we know why Leo had bleeding ears and a broken appearance. What do you think will become of our pal, is there anybody who can help him? Let me know below!

If you were paying attention, you would've found the exact spot where i took the title of the story from. It's a fun task picking out the title of a story once it's finished. I wanted something that would have great meaning and symbolism (at least to me), yet be so simple that you would miss it if you simply read the words on the screen. If you could rename this fanfic, what would you call it?

~C.T.

[Captain Tammo]

This is it, the final chapter before i post the epilogue! I'll save any final comments i have until then, but I do hope that you have thoroughly enjoyed our tale thus far and will continue to enjoy it until it comes to an end.

Chapter 14

Dassiter rushed to the upper deck to find the crew scrambling to grab their arms. Dark thunderheads blotted out the sunlight like a curtain of lead and left the island in almost complete darkness. The wind whipped raindrops into the faces and eyes of the Nol and Runty's crew. Yells and hollers from Deamal's corsair crew were echoed by the heavy sounding thunder. Soon, everybeast stood ready to defend the ship with their weapons of choice. Gorm wielded a large, double-bladed battle ax; Bellus and Ellyvin notched arrows to their bows; Dassiter brandished his cutlass; the squirrel twins Kiril and Ronar Silverthorn loaded their slings and waited with much apprehension; Maximus gripped his patina covered spear; Xoer stood beside him with his teeth and claws barred; Tarsl Grudd, Brian, and Jacques all had swords drawn and at the ready; Siri Luna whirled a flail and chanted tribal rituals; Marius the otter towered over the others and carried a club big enough to down a badger; and the rest of the crew stood with similar arms arrangements, numbering just about a score in all.

The enemy's battle cries grew in volume as Dassiter strode across the deck, standing tall against the rain and wind as he addressed the crew, "This is it chaps, the moment we've been waiting our lives for! This crew belongs to a ship called The Cry of Amun. In just a few moments, The Menace himself is gonna come out o' that jungle with a full bunch o' corsairs with 'im. We have done our waiting, fought to the gates o' hell and back and now our time has arrived! Strike with a ferocity that would put an army o' blinkin' bloodwrathed badgers to shame! Today is the day we avenge our families and friends who have fallen to this beast. Strike hard, an' strike true!"

"Strike hard, strike true!" The crew echoed back to him in the same voice as the thunder around them.

The wind howled and lightning illuminated the island like flashes of sunlight. Everybeast felt the thunder in their chest as it tumbled through the sky with the billowing clouds. Large raindrops moved together in the wind like schools of fish in the ocean dodging predators. The yells and screams from the corsairs grew to a deafening volume.

Lighting tore the sky in two and the first of the corsairs emerged from the jungle. It was Deamal, and he was quickly followed by his full crew behind him. They crashed into the clearing, arrows whizzed over their heads at the crew of the Nol and Runty. Bellus released her arrow at the pine marten. Deamal leaped high into the air, spun around and chopped the arrow down with his great khopesh sword. Upon landing, he rushed the ship with an even greater speed, his vermin crew close behind him. They leaped onto the ship and clashed with the defending crew.

The battle had begun!

The scene quickly became chaotic. The Nol and Runty's defenders fought with incredible ferocity and were met with a force that was equal to their own. Heavy casualties occurred left and right for both crews, but the battle raged on. Gorm slashed and swung with his battle-ax at the weasel who had slain his family. The weasel blocked and dodged around his blows easily, returning them with hard hits from his mace. Kiril and Ronar Silverthorn fought in front of the archers and swung their slings around like clubs at any who came near. However, despite their efforts, they began losing ground. They fought on courageously but could not keep the corsairs at bay. The vermin broke through their defense and charged the unsuspecting archers. Talom the ferret swung a scimitar towards Bellus. She fell horribly wounded. But before he could move onto his next victim, Talom heard a mighty roar to his side. It was Marius the colossus! Marius swung his giant club once and sent Talom sailing through the air. He hit the ground and did not get back up again.

"Ellyvin, we need you to help out with the wounded. Bellus won't make it if you don't work quickly!" He said, picking Bellus up like a babe in one arm and swinging his club with the other. Ellyvin narrowly dodged an arrow and returned fire,

"I'm sorry, Marius, but this isn't a normal corsair crew. These uns are the best o' the best and we need every paw that can fight up here or we're all goners! Put her below deck."

Meanwhile, Xoer the mongoose slithered through the ranks with grace. He lashed out with his razor claws and bit with his strong jaws with unmatched speed and power. "Come to me corssssairs, look into the eyessss of your doom! Yeeheehee!" He hissed. An arrow hit him in the shoulder and knocked him back a pace, then another found its place in his thigh. Hissing loudly with pain, Xoer snapped the arrows off and charged the archers on all fours.

Maximus fought surprisingly well. He held his own with a bulky weasel, who was also armed with a spear. They swung them around like bo-staffs and exchanged hard hits. The young otter fought for his family and his holt, Vydra. He fought for Raoul and for Xoer. He fought for his life and for those around him. He swung his spear around until it was a blur and met his opponent's staff with a shower of sparks, which were quickly ousted by the falling rain.

Tarsl Grudd, Brian, and Jacques fought against each others' backs and moved in circles. They swung their swords high and low and to great effect. But the corsairs pressed on and soon the group was fighting on the defensive.

"Keep a-goin', zurrs! We c'n do 't! Jus' un more final push t' end et all!"

Just when it seemed the trio was going to go under, Siri Luna jumped into the fray! She swung her flail about with a stunning effect.

"Kiki swalla noka ta! Strike a' hard! Strike a' true!"

"Strike hard, strike true!" They chanted back. They chanted loud and clear so everybeast around them could hear. A surge of strength went through the crew of the Nol and Runty and helped push the battle in their favor.

Dassiter de Fformelo Tussock swung his cutlass around and downed a stoat that was sneaking up on him. He fought with the skill of a Long Patrol hare from Salamandastron. Wiping the sweat from his eyes, he found his target in the crowd: Deamal! The pine-marten was making quick work of all those around him. The khopesh sword sliced through the wind and rain and felled all who stood before it. None could match his skill for too long!

"Eulaliaaaa! S'death on the wind!" The time-honored war cry of Salamandastron sounded from Dassiter as he leaped high over the battle and swung his cutlass at the pine marten's head. Steel clashed against steel midair and the hare landed in front of his opponent. Both creatures battle fiercely in the center of the ship. To and fro they exchanged jabs, sweeps, and lunges. The deadly blades moved around each other in a dance of death. Dassiter soon found himself with the upper paw in the fight. Pushing Deamal into the railing with his strong hind legs, he went in for a lunge at his foe. The pine marten dodged by hardly an inch and knocked the cutlass out of his paw with one strong swoop of his sword. He then followed with a stab at the hare's center, who fell without a sound.

"Hah, I almost thought you to be worthy of facing me. But you forget one thing, my friend, I am Deamal the Menace!" Spitting on the fallen hare, Deamal rejoined the brawl.

Leonardo could move now. He struggled to get up at first, but soon got the hang of it. The battle outside sounded fearsome and his adrenaline rush made him eager to join the fray. Teetering back and forth, he moved his limbs until he could feel them again. First he walked, then he ran, then he jumped and leaped. His tail flopped around behind him and threw his balance off, so he picked it up and tied it around his waist so it would not get in his way. "Feel like Cluny , doing this." He murmured to himself. Going to the now greatly depleted stack of arms in the corner of the lower deck, he searched through the tiny pile for something that he could use. He cursed aloud as there was nothing he saw fit to wield other than a small boot-knife. It would have to do. Turning about, he saw a creature coming down the narrow stairs. Sticking to the shadows, Leonardo watched. It was Marius and he was carrying something on his back. He watched as he laid it down on a mat gently, and quickly jumped up the stairs back to the battle. Leonardo emerged from the shadows and approached the figure. It was Bellus; she was hurt! Stumbling to her side, Leonardo looked at the gruesome wound on her side. He ripped his sleeves off and covered it up to the best of his ability but he knew that it was all in vain. His beloved Bellus was gone. Tears filled Leonardo's eyes as he cradled her head. A sob protruded from his heaving chest, "Oh, why does it have to be everything that I love!" The tears of sadness Leonardo shed quickly turned red with rage at the sounds of the battle aboce. He set Bellus down carefully and ran up the stairs and onto the main deck.

The mad captain fought with an unprecedented power. He kicked and punched and bit his way through those in front of him. Picking up a cutlass from a fallen beast, he pounced on his foes like a tiger. No amount of noises or commands Simon filled his head with could keep Leonardo from obtaining his goal of putting an end to Deamal. Hacking his way through the ranks, Leonardo echoed the chanting of those around him, "Strike hard! Strike true!" The battle was dead even, almost identical casualties were on each side of the opponents' crews. "Deamal, I am coming for you! There's nowhere to run to where I won't find you. There is no refuge for you to take in the farthest corners of the world where you won't be discovered. I have said this promise a thousand times and I will say it again, I will find you and I will kill you if it means even my own destruction as well! This is the vow of the mad captain! Strike hard, strike true!"

Soon, Leonardo found his prey and came at him with full force. Lightning ripped the sky in two as their blades clashed for the first time. The roars that came from the mouse's mouth pushed him forward against Deamal and drove him back. Deamal kept cool, however, knowing that no creature could keep up such a fury of attacks without tiring. Sure enough, Leonardo tired and the pine marten gained the upper paw of the fight. Very shortly thereafter, Leonardo was overwhelmed and it was clear that Deamal would win. He easily disarmed the mouse and knocked him to the ground. Stepping on his chest so that he would not move, Deamal leaned in close.

"Never before has a creature caused me so much grief. Never before has a single beast managed to cause so much trouble among my crew. I will squash you like the bug you are!" Still pinning Leonardo down, Deamal raised his khopesh sword high in the air. "You were no match for The Menace, you never stood a— gaah!"

The tip of a bronze spear protruded from Deamal's chest. He tumbled forward with the momentum and fell to the deck. Leonardo stood up feebly and wiped blood off of his chin. He made his way to the pine marten and stood over him, boot-knife in paw. Deamal now laid on the deck in front of him with a spear through his center. He laughed and coughed a bit of blood, "You... you can't defeat me, I'm The Menace!" He coughed some more. "Never has one creature brought me so much... hatred!"

"Never has one beast brought so many so much pain." Said Leonardo. "You have lived your life as a coward, Deamal. Ye never were brave enough to face a beast, always attacking from behind and stabbing 'em in the back. Now today you will die as the coward you have lived. Look around at where your mighty crew lay slain, now locked behind hell's gates. Those who you and your lot have killed will rest easy knowing you're rotting down there with 'em."

Deamal looked about himself to find it true, he was the only one of his crew left. "How... No— no this is not possible! I am Deamal— I am The Menace!" He said with an absolute stunned disbelief. The rain washed away the dirt and grime that covered Leonardo's body and exposed him as a sight familiar to Deamal, "No, it's you! You're the one from my dreams! Go away, I'm not asleep." He made a weak attempt to crawl away from Leonardo, but it was not good enough. He tried kicking at him from the ground, "Get back. Get away from me! Who are you?!" He exclaimed.

Stepping further towards Deamal with the knife in his paw, Leonardo chanted, "Vengeance, we are vengeance, we are vengeance..."

~~~~~

Birds chirruped in the warm morning air. The tear-shaped island of Amijowi was a scene of mourning. While disposing of the vermin crew into the ocean and before burning down the Cry of Amun, many found old treasures that had belonged to their families or friends. Xoer found his friend Nol's clock in rough shape, but still ticking! Several others found paw-rings, necklaces, silks and even scrolls that had been taken from their loved ones. However, it was Maximus that found the unexpected: his father's champion spear fishing medallion inside of the former captain's quarters. Deamal had been to his holt! The realization hit him with great force. "It must've happened just after he sunk the Fenero." He said, "What if I'm the only one left of holt Vydra? I need to go back, what if there's survivors and they need me?" The young otter was immediately supported by the rest of the crew, who surrounded him and promised to accompany him on a journey to his holt once matters were sorted out.

After everybeast had their possessions returned, the ship was burned and the corsair bodies were disposed of, the bodies of their fallen comrades were laid across the clearing at the top of the small mountain. It was beautiful. One would not be able to tell that a battle had occurred there just the day before. The sky opened up wonderfully and sunlight spilled in from the heavens, bouncing off of the wet grass and great sea. It was like having thousands of tiny crystals scattered over the land. Small graves were dug and stones and crosses set above them. Lastly, a large boulder was placed in front of all of them and a message was engraved on it which still remains there today. It reads:

Here our beloved friends lie,
Slain in a battle to save the seas from a menace.
You will always have a place in our hearts.
In memory of:
Runty Simon L'amour
Bellus Krásny
Brutus Holmen
Raoul Heavytail
Tenzin Abhaya
Barry Mole
Siri Luna
Nel Muller
Mary Rosen
Gordon Yalt
Wendell Lightpaws
And all of the others slain in the fight for peace.
May the sun always shine upon you,
My friends brave and bold,
Until we meet again,
On the great seas of gold.

Soon the airship was restocked and the burial ceremonies completed. Hot air once again filled the great balloon above the Nol and Runty and everybeast was onboard. Well, except for one.
Leonardo Williams still stood over the grave of Bellus Krásny with a single forget-me-not flower clutched to his chest. He wiped a tear from his eye with his arm and placed the flower on her grave. "Please forgive me." He took some time to reflect upon the time he had spent in her company. From the moment she agreed to join the search for the Menace and come aboard ten seasons earlier, to the day he professed love for her and she for him, to the many times when she teased him about his horrid mapmaking techniques. All of the arguments, struggles, surprises and laughter. Nobody on the Seaspark ever knew about their relationship, it was always kept a tight secret. They had even planned to marry after the whole ordeal was over, but it was written in their fates never to happen. He wished with all of his being that he could see her one last time, even if just for a moment. Just enough time to tell her how sorry he was for what he had done to the crew, or hear her beautiful laugh again. "You will always have a place in my heart. And don't you fret because someday I'll join you and we can be happy once more, and I will be better, too. Our mission is complete and they will hurt no one ever again. So rest peacefully, my dear, I'll see you soon." With this, he boarded the ship, but did not stop looking back.

The vessel rose from the ground with a groan, and the group was once more sailing through the sky. The atmosphere aboard the Nol and Runty was very mixed. The crew had so much to take in, they had finally completed their task of destroying the corsairs, but they had lost so many close friends that they did not know whether to be happy or sad. So each of them absorbed the information differently than others. Some discussed plans of what they would do once they landed, some cried for the lost, and some sat blankly and did not know what to do.

A clean looking Leonardo made his way to the bow of the airship with the aid of only a bamboo cane. He stopped and talked to creatures along the way, all of whom, surprisingly, greeted him with open arms. He stopped and talked to Maximus in particular, who was leaning on the guardrail and looking at his father's spear fishing medallion. He had learned that it was him who had thrown the spear and had saved his life. "That was quite the shot, pal. What you did back there, I'd be slain if it weren't for you... Er, what I should be sayin' is... thank you. Thank you very much for doing what you did, you're a real hero and a brave warrior."

The young otter chuckled and shook Leonardo's paw warmly, "I guess now I can say Raoul didn't die in vain, and he can rest in peace with the others now. But I ain't no warrior, was never meant for me. Perhaps just a simple fisher who got lucky with his throw is all."

"Well, regardless of what ye are, you have my eternal gratitude." Replied Leonardo and he walked away. He soon found his way to Dassiter's side, who shifted his weight onto a crutch he had been forced to use due to his wounds. "I believe this is yours." He said and handed the hare his cutlass. "It's all done mate." Said Leonardo.

Dassiter chuckled and accepted his cutlass, "So that's where it went, eh? Glad you found some use in it... You realize what all o' this means, right? We can return to Salamandastron like the heroes we've always wanted to be. Lord Barbourn will accept you unconditionally. Leo, after almost twenty season of hunting we can go home and be at peace, actual peace!"

"Aye, I just wish I could have done things differently. Redo the whole thing and make it better. Poor Runty... I killed him, Dassiter. There's nothing I can do about it. It's this damn Simon, he won't get outta my head. I left Salamandastron an outcast and return a madbeast, is that truly any better?"

Dassiter put a reassuring paw on his friend's shoulder, "Look, Leo, no matter who ye are, everybeast wishes they could've done something differently. But you can never change the past, that's just how it is and how it will always be. Time moves on whether we're ready for it or not. As for Simon, I know of a place, which we're headed to right now, that'll be able to help you keep him under a tight lead."

Leonardo's head perked up upon hearing this, "You really mean it, Dassiter, they'll actually be able to help me? Where is it?"

The hare returned Leonardo's large smile, "Aye mate! Ellyvin told me the name of it this morning. It's just the place for an oddball group like us that's full of a lovely bunch o' kind creatures, wonderful food an' the greatest hospitality and infirmary in the land. It's a nice little place we call Redwall Abbey."

The great airship's propeller spun with much force and pushed it farther East. Behind them, they left no wake, but a tiny island. A single tear lost in the vast expanses of the sea.

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Stay tuned for the final installment of The Origins of Simon.

~C.T.

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 15

(Epilogue)

   The following is an extract from the writings of Kiril Silverthorn, Redwall Abbey's co-recorder in training, who has rewritten the stories of the Nol and Runty's crew in full for the abbey's records with co-recorder in training, Ronar Silverthorn.

It has now been hardly a full season since the airship landed inside the abbey's walls, and how far we've come! There have been many happy moments, as well as our fair share of sad ones. But, of course, I will be focusing on the good. My brother and I have decided to live here at the abbey along with a few others of the 'ole crew and pursue a life of peace. The dibbuns, elders and everybeast in between have heard our stories and are very understanding. Although, I do get approached very often by the young ones who will ask me what being a warrior at sea was like and why anybeast would want to hang up their weapon after such adventures. I simply tell them that some of the others, as well as myself, have had a share of fighting and adventuring to last us ten lifetimes, and that now we need to catch up on peacetime activities. Of course, we still tell stories of our adventures down in cavern hole on stormy nights. Tales of sailing the open waters and skies, fighting vermin and sea monsters, braving storms and overcoming hunger. However, we try to avoid the details of Leo's madness as not to bring shame upon him. Everything is written honestly in these books, but as far as the abbey dwellers know, Runty L'amour was killed by the Saberfin, not Leonardo's blade.

Having mentioned Leonardo, I suppose we will start with him first. After our ship landed, our friend was accepted into the infirmary and stayed much longer than any of us did and is in there even now. The nurses are working with him on a daily basis but unfortunately, this is the first time that they have seen a case such as this one and much of the treatment is experimental. Leo is making great progress, however and is becoming more and more lucid in his thinking. Dassiter is also helping wherever he can. As soon as Leo's better, the two of them plan on returning to Salamandastron with heads held high and a thousand stories to be told.

About a month after we came to the abbey, my brother Ronar and I accompanied Maximus on a little trip up the path. He said we were going to the home of his late friend Raoul, who lived by the ford. We met the family, who were very kind and insisted we stay for lunch. It took a while for Maximus to speak up about why we were there, but he did. The family was distraught, especially Raoul's mother. Maximus explained how they had been great friends and how Raoul had saved him the night the Fenero sank. He told them about the great journey he had taken and how we had tracked down the vermin crew and avenged Raoul's death. He told them every detail to the best of his ability from the moment he met Raoul to the moment the airship landed at the abbey. Hearing such news brought great sadness with it, but hearing about how Maximus kept his friendship with Raoul even after his death also brought them closure. Since then, Maximus has become wildly popular at the abbey as its champion fisher. He always takes parties down to the River Moss where they fish all day and bring their catches back to the abbey. Although, with the size of the fish Maximus has been catching, I am surprised he hasn't landed himself a river pike yet! I'm glad to see him doing so well. We are still best buds, too. There is not a doubt in my mind that he will become skipper one day.

Right now, the whole gang is in the midst of preparing for our trip to the North coast to visit Maximus' holt. I don't know what we'll find there, but Maximus has been anxious about it for some time. Unfortunately, we will not be able to take the River Moss down to the sea and work our way up the coast. A rather serious drought has hit the land of Mossflower and the river has dropped dramatically (though I assure you, Redwall is still prosperous as ever). A group of shrews called the Gousim have told us that they think somebeast has also dammed up the river farther to the east. I'm curious to hear about what they find. As a result of the area's current dilemma, we'll be making our journey to Vydra by foot. Whatever it is that we find, we'll all be there to support Maximus.

Xoer is doing well. As soon as we landed at the abbey, he was recognized by many as the one who had left in search for his friend's medicine. He was considerably upset about returning without the medicine his friend needed after being gone for so long. Thankfully, Xoer's shame was very short-lived. The moment he stepped foot off of the airship, one soul creature rushed from the center of the crowd and embraced him. It was none other than Nol the mole, he had beaten the sickness! To this day I have never seen a beast so happy, the look on that mongoose's face was so many emotions rolled into one, I was sure he would burst! They really are an odd couple of pals. One of them is a fierce and ruthless snake-slayer (Dassiter told me about how he "transformed" into an adder, the thought of it brings me the creeps!), and the other is a simple craftsbeast and foremole of Redwall!

Gorm has found himself in a happy spot, too. He is now working as a cellar hog of the abbey and loves every waking moment of it. He is always mixing up new drinks to try and makes the best cheeses to complement them.

As for Ellyvin and Marius, they have become infirmary aids. It's still hard to believe it: Marius, the badger-sized otter: an infirmary keeper?! But that gentle giant is and is also a big hit with the little ones. They often flee to him when Ellyvin tries to give them their medicine, it's really quite the sight! But regardless, the pair of them are learning quickly from the senior infirmary keepers and will run the place with expert precision soon enough!

One of the biggest pieces of news came to us just last winter from a traveling mole who stopped by. It turns out that my airsick compadre, Tarsl Grudd (who had left the abbey soon after our arrival, along with Brian and Jacques) has founded a colony! Molguvar is located deep underground in Mossflower woods and from what I am told, it is flourishing and expanding. I guess he was so sick of the sky that he moved underground so he didn't have to look at it anymore!

I wouldn't be able to end this tale without mentioning what has become of the memories of those who had died alongside us. The abbey dwellers were most gracious and understanding of what we had been through. So it has been decided that every year, on the anniversary of our arrival at the abbey, we hold a grand feast to celebrate life. Those of past, present, and future are all celebrated. As well as the memories that are tied to them. My brother and I are looking forward to partaking in the festivities for the first celebration. I wonder how different all of us will be by then...

I must go now, it's getting late and I need to pack for our journey. But there you have it, the story of an odd bunch of creatures from different islands and regions around this world and the odd series of events that brought them all together. If you're in the area one day, please stop by, there's some great creatures in here that I'm sure would love to meet you!

Until next time,
Kiril Silverthorn,
Co-Recorder (in training) of Redwall Abbey

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Well, there you have it. You've now seen the Redwall world through my eyes. I hope you can say that you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave a comment down below about what you thought of the experience overall, I would love to hear what you have to say.

I remember writing the first word of this story. Now three years later I am writing these words on my computer. It has been an amazing journey from which i feel i have grown quite a bit. I can say that I'm happy with it and that i hope you're happy, too!

So thank you again for reading The Origins of Simon! Until next time,

~Captain Tammo

What Happens Next?! On to Part II: The Life of Simon!

[Captain Tammo]

List of Characters by order of appearance:
Name of Character (species)- Character's role.

Leonardo Velox Williams (mouse)- Captain of the Seaspark.
Dassiter De Ffromello Tussock (hare)- First mate of the Seaspark. From Salamandastron.
Wearul (rat)- Crewbeast of the Redworm. Taken captive by the crew of the Seaspark.
Scoffgut (rat)- The massively fat captain of the Redworm.
Scrupp (rat)- Crewbeast of the Redworm
Siri Luna (ottermaid)- Crewbeast of the Seaspark who speaks in her native tribal language.
Gorm (hedgehog)- crewbeast of the Seaspark and sometimes cook of the ship. Is notorious for his horrible cooking.
Bellus Krásny (mousemaid)- Crewbeast of the Seaspark who commanded the rams operation in the beginning of the story.
Marius (otter)- Crewbeast of the Seaspark. Is said to be more badger than otter due to his giant stature. Retrieved Wearul from the Redworm.
Maximus Mossly (otter)- Young otter who ventured from his Northern holt in search of warmer climate. Good friend of Raoul Heavytail.
Raoul Heavytail (squirrel)- Crewbeast of the Fenero. Good friend of Maximus Mossly. Helps Maximus fight when the Fenero is attacked
Drable (mouse)- infirmary keeper on the Fenero.
Talom (ferret)- Lookout of the Cry of Amun.
Deamal The Menace (pine-marten)- Captain of the Cry of Amun. Main antagonist of the story.
Kiril and Ronar Silverthron (squirrel twins)- Crewbeasts of the Seaspark.
Ellyvin (ottermaid)- The crew of the Seaspark's healer.
Drath (Rat)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun. Saved Deamal on the Fenero.
Runty Simon L'amour (mouse)- Crewbeast of the Seaspark. Is incredibly tiny.
Xoer Valderez the Snakeslayer (mongoose)- Found on the island of Hisf-Drows by Maximus. Made the plans of the Nol and Runty.
Simon (N/A)- Read to find out
Vladd (rat)- Navigator of the Cry of Amun.
Samarias (rat)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun.
Smeezy (rat)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun. Killed by Leonardo.
Loundert (stoat)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun. Killed by Leonardo.
Throgg (N/A)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun.
Sorak (stoat)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun. Friends with Daekel.
Daekel (N/A)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun. Friends with Sorak. Was flogged during 'The Madbeast's Ghost' incident.
Deaker (rat)- Crewbeast of the Cry of Amun. Was the rat Xoer hypnotized.
Abbess Hannah (N/A)- Abbess of Redwall.

[Tam and Martin]

Wow....That is great!

[Captain Tammo]

Im happy to see you like it! what part are you at?

[Tam and Martin]

I read the first chapter and I might read the second today!

[Captain Tammo]

That's great! Let me know what you think!

[Kitsune]

Is this your work?

[Captain Tammo]

Yes it is