Isle of the Monsters
“We should stop for the night. This is as good a place as any,” Nali said as she reined in her beast.
“It isn’t the Manticore Inn, but I guess it’s better than nothing. It will rain tonight,” Ashure said.
“How do you know?” Asahi asked, looking up at the clear sky.
“All pirates are a living barometer. If Ashure says it will rain, it will to rain,” Nali said with a sigh.
Ashure grinned. “It helps to know the weather when your life depends on it at sea,” he acknowledged.
“In that case, the hut looks very inviting—as long as the roof is still structurally sound,” Asahi replied.
“It will be if the dwarves built it,” Nali said, dismounting when her steed kneeled.
“I’ll take care of the beasts,” Ashure volunteered, dismounting.
“Asahi and I will check out the hut to make sure there are no unwanted visitors inside,” Nali distractedly replied.
Asahi held on to his steed’s thick mane as it lowered itself to the ground. He slid off, quickly untied his duffle bag, and stepped away. Ashure gave him a sympathetic glance when he winced at the sudden discomfort in his thighs and buttocks.
“Ahh, the joys of riding. I suggest asking Nali to give you a massage, otherwise tomorrow morning you may be in worse shape,” Ashure quietly suggested.
Asahi tried to forget the suggestion, but couldn’t completely erase it from his mind, and it tempted him into a full-blown fantasy. He distracted himself by pulling the duffel bag strap over his head and opening one of the zippered side pockets. He ejected his spent clip, placed it in the bag, and grabbed a full one.
Out of habit, he checked to make sure the clip was full. Satisfied that it was, he slid it into the pistol and double-checked the safety. He holstered the gun and pulled the other empty clip from the cargo pocket of his trousers. Later tonight he would take some time to refill them and do an inventory of his supplies.
“Is everything alright?” Nali inquired, noticing the gun in his hand.
He looked up and nodded. “Yes, hopefully we won’t need it,” he said.
She nodded. “Yes, perhaps I should….” she said with a wave of her hand at her form.
He nodded. “Excellent idea,” he agreed.
The rippling effect of the change sweeping over her no longer surprised him. Truly, it highlighted her beauty. He reached out and caressed her hardened cheek.
She covered his hand with hers and pressed her lips against his fingers. Ashure’s humorous monologue with the fire-breathing horses intruded on their intimate bubble, and they both looked over at the Pirate King. He was telling the three beasts about the grand stables that he would build for them and the magnificent fields that would be reserved for their use.
“I better monitor him when this is all over or he’ll have half my monsters eating out of his hand and following him home,” she said with a rueful shake of her head.
“Ah, he is the Pied Piper of Monsters,” he commented.
“Pied Piper?” she asked.
Asahi chuckled. “A children’s tale of a man who played a magic flute to lure all the rodents out of town. When the townspeople refused to pay him as promised, he used the same flute to lure their children away,” he explained as they walked toward the hut.
Nali frowned. “So, what happened to the children?” she asked.
Asahi shrugged. “There are several versions. Some accounts say the children were never seen again. Other versions state they were returned after the town’s people paid the Piper more than the original sum. I’m afraid I don’t remember anything else about the tale’s history,” he said.
“Well, it serves the townspeople right for not paying him his due, but I would have slit this Pied Piper’s throat if he had hurt one of them,” she replied with an indignant sniff.
“I’m sure he would never have dared to cross you, my beautiful Empress of Monsters. Wait,” he said, reaching out and touching her arm before she could push open the door.
She waited for him to pull Mr. Gryphon from his sheath. The winged lion was immediately alert, menacingly circling the hilt of the dagger. The gryphon sniffed the air before he looked up at Asahi.
“What is it this time? Bone-melting slugs? Hostile bees? Monster-eating grasshoppers?” Mr. Gryphon demanded.
Asahi shook his head. “Hopefully, none of those. We are stopping for the night at an abandoned hut. We would appreciate your vigilance as we make sure the hut is safe,” he explained.
“Oh, okay,” Mr. Gryphon replied with an enormous yawn.
“Are you sure? I mean, if you are still tired….” Asahi dryly inquired.
“I could save you with one eye still closed,” the Gryphon retorted with a nonchalant wave of his paw.
Asahi sent a commiserating look toward Nali. “He saves our lives once, and now there will be no living with him,” Asahi teased.
“Once, recently. And it was a truly spectacular save. I outdid myself!” Mr. Gryphon preened.
Nali smothered her laughter with a delicate hand over her mouth. “I’m not stepping into an argument between you and a magical dagger,” she teased.
“Can we please get serious?” Asahi chided.
“Somebody’s in a foul mood. I’ll keep both eyes open,” Mr. Gryphon grumpily acceded. “Do you want me to go in first?”
“How about we do this together?” Nali countered.
Asahi pursed his lips. Sometimes he loved this dagger like a long-lost family member, and sometimes he wished he had left it glued to the tree sap, thrown it in the ravine, or given it to those ill-tempered, creative goblins! The memory of the Daktylois’ horrendous deaths was enough to refocus his mind on the task at hand.
Taking a deep breath, he gripped his newly reloaded pistol in one hand and the dagger in the other. Nali placed her hand against the door and waited for him to give her the go-ahead. He gave a brief, sharp nod and stepped through the door when she pushed it open.
He ducked when several birds, startled by his entrance, swooped toward
