| In the course of a single week, La Isla de Malagua had been transformed
from a pirate encampment into the Pack's new home. If for a little while
anyway. There were enough supplies there to keep them well fed for over
a year. Fred had become curious when they first learned how well stocked
the place was, but after discovering the pirate leader's quarters and reading
through his logs it had become obvious why this was. The pirates had been
planning a major attack against the silver ships of Hespan. But if they
were as successful as they hoped, there would have been too much booty
to get rid of quickly. They would have had to store it on the island, and
that meant protecting it from other pirates. They had been preparing for
a siege. The plague had struck the pirates down just days before the raid
was to have happened. And now the great store of food and weapons was in
the hands of the Pack. That first night the werefolk had drunk a hearty
toast to those dead pirates.
After that there had been much discussion among the Pack as to what to do next. But no consensus. Some simply wished to stay on Malagua; it reminded them of Moreau's Island and they were happy to rebuild what they once had. Others wanted to take one of the cities of the mainland. Still others wanted to go back home. Even if their families were dead of the plague and their countries no more than empty cities and dusty flags, they needed to go back to land they had been born in. It had been their one burning desire from the day the Dragon had stolen their lives and warped their bodies. And there were some that wanted to hunt down and kill Minestus. For them, vengeance was all that filled their hearts. Fred now had to take the lead before the Pack simply disintegrated. He knew that sooner or later he would leave the Pack and return home to the Kingdom. His honor demanded it. But for now, his obligation was to the people that had chosen him as their leader. Perhaps Malagua was the best place to begin anew. Or maybe what was left of Nom Malbra would give them the home they deserved. It was really a question of which was less dangerous. If they stayed on the island they would be sitting ducks if Minestus came hunting for them. But it was the perfect home to defend from other, more conventional threats. Like humans. And that was the question of the mainland. Certainly the plague had worked its terrible magic on Mankind, but there were survivors. Survivors of an apocalypse. Who was to say what they would be like? And there were still the Golem and the unknown reptilian Enemy to think about. With the backing of the Council, Fred called together his people and
told them of the decision he had made. He would take one of the small yachts
the pirates had conveniently left them and, taking a small crew, would
travel to the nearest coastal port. There, they would search for any humans
still left alive and explore the cities that had been left lifeless. When
they returned, the Pack would decide where to found their new colony.
|
