Island of Tebrate chapter 1

"It was just back in your grandfather's day the island of Tebrate was once a grand industrial port. With the aid of 'secret arts' the nobility was able to trade with creatures of other plains and increases the islands technology.  Jewelry, crafts and gourmet goods were moved out and sent across the waters to all major ports.  Many major families sent the youth to learn trades at the guilds and universities they had there."

Jasmine sighed and held back a heave.  She new Gates was just trying to ease her attention from the tainted meal the cook had stupidly fed them.  Like his foul mouth numbing home remedy his stories weren't helping.  It didn't help that once he got started he couldn't give a short version of any tale.  Gates could write an essay on directions to a food stall a block away.

"We all heard the story Gates.  The 'secret arts' turned out to be 'dark arts'.  Monsters broke loose, plague spread and the island is now full of warped creatures and the only people left are deformed or insane."  She closed her eyes and leaned back in hopes it might settle her stomach.

"Jump ahead of a man why don't you?  Yes, that seems to be the case."

"And yet we still plan to take a trade ship in there.  Didn't this turn out bad as well?"

"Which is why they hire us to go with them.  And it ain't so bad.  If you ignore the odd sounds, unfamiliar plants and occasional bold deformed animals.  They have several wagons of goods packed up; we go in with the suppliers with a boat full of goods.  They unload the stuff they bring.  They load the new stuff back up.  We stand there with our dogs and weapons looking mean and making sure what goes on the boat isn't alive."  He chuckled with comically false cunning.  "We then collect three times the wages we would get for chasing down rustlers and marauding feral dogs for a month."

Jasmine began to regret a lifetime of fighting her parents to let her follow her dad's footsteps instead of her mothers.  Making preserves, jams, and other fancy food for the wealthy suddenly beat being a hired guard and bounty hunter.

"Protecting farmers seems more worthwhile than helping a rich merchant guild."

"Don't be like that.  If people want to live on a dangerous island it's there business.  They still need supplies.  They pay us well to make sure no one is afraid to take them there."

"Seems a bit insane to me."

"Relax Jasmine, that’s the stew talking.  Go to the dock in the morning.  They have a small zoo in the fenced field.  Got some of the odd creatures that were smuggled off the island there."  He chuckled in amusement.  "Old Louis keeps them for 'study' reasons.  Just happens to let anyone with a few coins see them.  You'll see they look scarier than most but if you look close they aren't that different than what you'd see going to some exotic land.  While I meet with the Captain go on down.  If Louis is in a good mood he'll spin a tale or two about each creature.  Just remember he likes to pad the stories a bit Helps get tips to 'upkeep' the enclosures."

The idea didn't seem to be too bad.  It actually appealed to her.  

"Okay, I'll do that.  After I sleep off the Inn's famous cabbage and sheep stew."

"I don't think he used his usual supplier.  Didn't quite taste like sheep.  Kind of tasted like. . "

"Please don't finish this story."  Jasmine begged.

Jasmine felt somewhat better by morning.  A night of purging her stomach and collapsing in an inn bed with just enough padding to count as a mattress had helped.  She followed Gates to the docks, a group of ten other members of her Fathers bounty hunting group with them.

"There's the Captain and the Guild head.  Oh, he has his daughter to.  Go say hi to her while I chat with the big wigs."

'What a way to acknowledge I'm an adult now Gates.'

Gates went to the two men.  The girl looked as uncomfortable as she felt and upon seeing her didn't make Jasmine have to approach her.

"My name in Ardine."  She quickly introduced.  "You wouldn't happen to be able to, ah, tell me about all this.  My dad insists I come along this trip and I really fear he is sugar coating things so my Mom won't be afraid."

"This is my first time here.  Gates is the senior."

Ardine smiled, seeming to be relieved.

"It will sound odd, but knowing even the guards are sending new help in is comforting.  I know my dad and uncle take turns on this trip, but it is still scary.  Our ships never have the problems other ports have had but I still wonder 'what if.' "

"I'm Jasmine.  I'm supposed to go see Louis's freak show and see the creatures on the Island aren't all that scary."

"I've been many times.  Supposedly some of the creatures came off of grandfathers boats before they took on decent security,"

Ardine walked with her to the walled field.  She chatted about her fathers business.  She told of how her grandfather had kept the trade with the island open.  Sending a merchant ship over to bring back supplies.  How they dealt with a few entrepreneur individuals who weren't scared away by the 'dark war.'  

"Apparently our family can be traced back to the island."  She said almost hesitantly.  "Dad thinks we need to make sure the herbs, and goods produced on the island are not lost to the world.  He says a lot of good came out of the evil and it would be wrong to lose it through neglect."

"So you are going after medicine?" Jasmine asked.  "Can't you just bring the plants and grow them here?"

"It doesn't work as well as that.  Something is different there.  Bringing back some kind of mineral helps.  But only a handful of the specimen plants work as well as the wild ones.  A hospital nearby treats illness that supposedly came from the island.  They need the supplies."

Jasmine felt a since of pride.  Helping bring medicine back for the sick almost made her look forward to the mission.  

They reached the Zoo, a large man with a cudgel on one hip and a crossbow leaning against the fence let them in.  Jasmine hoped it was just for show.

"Ardine!  Who's your friend?  Here for some more sketches."

"No Mister Louis.  I get to go with Dad today to the Island.  And my friend will be with security there for the first time.  We would just like to see your animals."  Ardine explained.

"Well, have a gander all you like.  As an extra bit of aid to you, I'll even let you in to see some of out bigger boys in the basement."

Thank you mister Louis.

The man walked away to the building, ordering one of the workers to find Kerry.

"Basement?"  Jasmine was uncertain.

"Most of the creatures here are small, or large but tame.  The basement is an underground room where he keeps two dangerous creatures.  Only Kerry seems able to keep them calm."

Jasmine felt her misgivings returning.  As they strolled to the cages she saw what Gates meant.  At first most were odd but recognizable creatures.  A rabbit but with antlers.  A dog that was odd colored.   A hound with a mane like a horse.  Some of the features seemed to fit healthily.  Others it was like a defect.      A horse with vestigial wings that were obviously useless. One with three paws and one hoof.  

They came to a small dog sized furry elephant with white fir all over that seemed delighted to see them.  Then extremely large bugs with ape like faces that seemed to hate them.

As she wondered the many exhibits Ardine mentioned history Louis had told her.  Some were captured by poachers.  Some stowaway on ships.  The elephant was a fairly new addition smuggled on by one of her dad's merchants in hope of keeping it as a pet.  He actually almost made it before the guards caught him.  The deformed pawed horse had been a shock nine months after an explorer came back with his mare from the island and she gave birth.  

When they were finished Ardine took them to the main building.  A woman met them.

"Hello Kerry."

"You wish to see Nap and Snap?'

"Yes please."  Ardine didn't seem quite certain about her answer.

"Don't be afraid.  They are actually behaving.  I promised Nap a cake out in the run tonight if he didn't try to scare you."

Jasmine followed the women to a basement room.

"Remember, best behavior."  Kerry chided as they approached the pen.  

Jasmine didn't know how appetizing cake would be to this creature.  It was a good fifteen feet from snout to finned tail tip.  He was black, copper, and silver.  He looked like some mythical dragon.  His reptilian scales were black, and he had dark copper spikes down his back and horns on his head and smaller horns on his shoulder.  He had spurs on his knee joints like dew claws.  His front feet and a goatee on his chin were white.  Jasmine was taken back by his stomach.  He looked almost as if he had been spliced with some kind of alternating copper and silver armor.  His horns on his head and above his shoulder glowed with lighted rings.  And his hips and shoulders had silver decorative plates.  He sat perfectly still as he watched her.  

He behaved, but the whole time he sat watching her with an almost grin.  His intelligent eyes giving the impression he knew he was scary, and he was telling her he was scary by behaving.  Almost mocking her with his stillness.

'How smart are you?'  Jasmine felt a chill from the stare, and almost asked.  She was afraid too.  The intelligence his eyes radiated made her afraid he would answer, and she wasn't sure how she would react.  It was all she could do to move to the next cage.

The next creature wasn't as intimidating.  Though he showed more predatory behavior.  It was a mammal and obviously carnivorous.  It's body alone was the size of a very large dogs.  The long fluffy tail more than doubled the length.  It seemed canine-like with very tall and pointed ears.  It paced back and forth while lashing it's long tail and panting with a mouth lined with sharp fangs.  It had a red mane and it's body was black with a underside and paws of gray.  Though it didn't lunge or snap it's behavior was anxious as it watched the newcomers.  It's blue eyes had no more intelligence than a smart animal.

Jasmine felt her attention pulled back toward Nap.  He had followed her with his gaze.  And she felt her heart jump and his mouth seemed to move into more of a grin when she turned back.

"I've seen enough."  Jasmine told Ardine, hoping her voice didn't show her fear.

"Yes, we should get going.  They should be ready to depart soon.  We don't want to be late.  They may leave without us and we'll be in trouble."

Jasmine thought of Nap and wasn't sure she agreed.