The Harabi Islands

Prologue,

Death Of Old Sam…

"47 year-old Samuel Jenkins, captain of the Stormbreaker, has died leaving everything in his possession to his only child, 17 year-old Susan. The Stormbreaker will now be sailed under Susan’s command. Please respect Sam’s final wish and sail with her as your captain." James Hollinger called out the last wishes of the captain over the crew on the deck, which was the duty of the first mate.

Leo Stronghold and seven others were the only crewmembers left on the deck. The 15 others had gone off onto the dock, grumbling about how it was bad luck to have a woman onboard any ship. They walked into Venizer then dispersed going their separate ways.

"Well, this is a little more than I had dared hoped for," James sighed, "We had better go tell Miss Jenkins that her father has perished and left everything to her." After they got off the ship, they walked up the dock into Venizer.

Venizer is a huge docking city. It is also the main government city in the Harabi Islands, a group of islands at the base of the Jeragani mainland. Venizer is surrounded by a layer of stone walls with three gates; one on the north side facing the rest of the island, one looking west coast, and one facing the ocean. Inside the walls the houses were built gradually getting higher till they got to the castle where Susan was a maid in Lord Saul Martini’s wing of the castle. Susan had her own apartment in the castle as well.

James Leo and the rest of the crewmembers stopped at The Black Squirrel Inn, where they rented rooms. Then James and Leo left leaving the others with some money for supper. James and Leo went to the castle and were welcomed in for they had been there many times. They went straight to Susan’s apartment and knocked on the door.

Susan came to the door. She was a strong built woman with brown hair and eyes like a forest leaf. "What is it?" she asked a query in her eyes "I wasn’t expecting you for another week."

James sighed accepting the inevitable and replied saying, "I wish it wasn’t our lot to tell you, but your father has died," Susan gasped, "He died giving you all his possessions."



"He’s…dead?" Susan asked incredulously.

Leo paused before saying, "I know this is a lot to deal with at one time but will you sail with us your crew?"

Susan looked over them, hesitated then said in a low voice, "Yes I will sail with you as my crew.

Chapter One,

Midnight…

After James and Leo had left Susan had lain down on her single bed mattress and wept. She could not stop herself until around midnight when her eyes hurt so badly she couldn’t keep crying. I’ve got to get ready, she thought to herself, My crew will be here at dawn.

Susan got up and walked to her oak desk. As she sat down she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Just as she was about to write out a list of things to be done, something fell and broke in her dining room.

Susan jumped at the sound. She walked slowly through her bedroom hand tightening on her ever-present dagger. She looked into the dining room to find her black cat Midnight licking her bleeding paw. Susan looked at the broken violet vase she had cherished from her now deceased mother and said "Midnight, why did you do that? You know you’re not supposed to play in the dining room."

Then three things happened, Susan stiffened as a vast and alien mind touched her own, the walls that surrounded her mind keeping her thoughts to herself disappeared, and Midnight jumped on the dining table all the while watching Susan with unblinking eyes.

Then when the cat was at the edge of the table the vast mind spoke, I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, Susan so listen carefully, we are being connected by a magic far deeper than you can imagine. My elders have chosen you out of all the people in the Harabi Islands to be our guide I don’t yet understand why they chose you but all things will be explained in time.

"D-did you say that Midnight?" Susan was not supprised to hear her voice quaver.

The answer was an unmistakable nod from the cat. Then Midnight said, "sleep." And Susan fainted.

Chapter Two,

Setting Off…

Susan was roused from her sleep by loud knocking. It took her a moment until she realized she was on the floor of the dining room with Midnight in her arms. Then everything came rushing back to her, the night before and how and why she fainted.

Then Susan heard the pounding on the door. She got up and ran to the door. James, Leo, and five other pirates stood in the hall. Susan ushered them in.

Inside Midnight was lying in the middle of the floor watching them. Leo looked at the cat and said, "I love cats."

Susan knowing Midnight’s history with people said, "Yeah well Midnight is very picky when it comes to whom she likes."

Then Midnight touched her mind and said, "There is a lot about me you don’t know."

Then Midnight leisurely got up and prowled over to Leo and rubbed against his legs purring.

"Well," Susan said in an awed voice, "You’ve made it into the few she likes. So I have to get most of my things on board The Stormbreaker. Will you help me?"

"Of course," Leo replied midnight still raped around his legs, "but your cat needs to let go of me." Then Midnight let go and stalked to Susan and sat next to her eyes watching Leo. "Wow," he said in astonishment. They spent the next hour getting Susan’s things onboard. Midnight stayed in a corner so the heavy boots the Pirates wore wouldn’t trample her. But three-quarters of the way through Midnight left.

When James had left to wake the younger crewmembers there was a lull that Susan took to grope with her mind trying to find Midnight’s mind, when she found it she said with her mind, Are you coming with us?

Yes,

was her sly reply.

Where are you? Susan asked still with her mind.

On the Stormbreaker.

I am on my way,

then Susan said aloud, "Can we head back to the ship?"

"Of course," Leo replied.

It was around nine o’clock when everyone was on the Stormbreaker, and everyone was asking the same question, what is their heading.

Susan thought about it and said, "Loi de Moi."

Loi de Moi is the largest pirate city outside the government’s control. Captains go there to get a crew because pirates gather there and wait, drinking rum, until a captain is willing to hire them.