Prelude to the Third Crusade of the Holy Cheese Part 2

Across the sea he sailed, upon an English merchant. Through the heaving seas of the Atlantis, and through the storms of season, he braved the swells and the thunder, as he journeyed to save his land. At a stop in the ports of the Carib Sea, he befriended the locals and freed the slaves, and fought off a wicked cat, and fell in love as well. She was a merchant mouse daughter, petite and lovely to his eyes, but headstrong and willful too. He knew where he was going was dangerous, and believed she would not survive the dangers of the West. And so in the dark of night he left her, his lovely maid, and sailed north on a British Man of war. He left behind his love, while duty drove him on.

In the distant Fortress of the Order, deep in the tunnels of England, Lord Captain Commander Edward spoke. He had heard of Ratdoms final desperate bid for law and order, and was intent and preventing that. So, he ordered Sandar-he of the adventurous spirit-to the fore, to stop this young rat Guard Captain from living. So Sandar gathered his troops and spread them across the British ships, and he tapped into his contacts in the America's, and finally he struck gold.

With his Order troops, he landed on the Isle of Carib, and there he heard of the Guard Captain's exploits, which filled with eagerness to meet him in person. He whiffed out the trail, and began to sail north. On a merchants ship he sailed, and thus fell victim to a pirate attack. As his ship was swarmed by sea rats, and his life hung on the balance, he let out a whoop and rallied his troops to a charge that broke the enemy.

He fought one on one against the pirate sea rat captain, in a battle that would live in legends. They danced in a flurry of steel, a deadly dance that swept from deck to deck. The Order mice and searats, they dared not interfere, and so they left a space around the sword masters, as they fought their desperate battle. Back and forth the battle raged, till finally the searats withdrew. They boarded their ship in a scramble, while the searat captain led the rearguard action. Sensing his immediate victory, Sandar danced and wove, in a flurry of steel he struck. Back the searat captain dance as well, his steel blade always keeping Sandar back. As soon as all of his searats had safely escaped, the searat captain thus feinted left, and leaped to the safety of his ship.

And so Sandar's emerged victorious, while his foe escaped with tails tucked between their feet. Some of his troops had perished, but they had given more than they had got. So imagining the exploits of Sinbad, Sandar thus prayed for a great bird or sea serpent to come on his merry way.

At the Port of Boston Niles arrived, and began his journey inland. He misses his love, and misses his land, but he knows the journey will end. He gathers supplies and hitches a ride, but is ever so vigilant. He meets the natives, with feathers on their ears, with faces painted like savages. He was captured by a tribe of the Injuns but was later adopted as the Chiefs son. He hears a tale of a certain aristocratic family, who had hidden in the Mountains of Mists. They came from land across the Atlantis, and had made their home in the wilds, so now they live by trade with Injuns and traders.

Speaker they surnames be called. Excitement filled him, and Niles knew that this was it, the answer to his lands salvation.

With the blessing of his father he journeyed onwards, six braves went with him on his quest, to aid and advice in the lands beyond. Thus Niles reached the feet of the mountains, and continued his search for the Speaker. They searched for days and days, till finally the heavens smiled upon him, and he came to hidden valley. The Valley of Nymph it was called and its villages were on ground and tree alike, with a great clearing as the center of their domain, and their gathering place.

Thus the colony of Nymph was rediscovered by the Kingdom of the Holy Cheese, and all of Ratdom.

Before the Nymph Council of Elders he approached, and beseeched them for aid. Only the Speaker could save the land. They listened with grave attention to his words, but knew that their motherland would soon be loss. So the truth came out, that the Council and the rest of Nymph were descendants of the Speaker. And so, to all of the hidden valleys, a muster was called, and all of the fighting mice were rallied. Rangers they were called, and to guard against chaos was their motto.

At the port of Boston, a battle raged as mice of the Order fought against the troops of Nymph. Lord Captain Sandar led the Order while Guard Captain Niles rallied the Rangers and his Injun Allies. The battle raged on the city docks, and then it spilled into the harbor, and then out at open sea.

They fought aboard ships, from deck to rigging and crow's nest too, from starboard to port, then back again. From ship to ship the fighting went, with never an end in sight. Over the horizon, a dreaded color unfurled. Thus the pirate searats entered the fray, with no honor or glory, but plunder and loot to fill their holds.

Order mice and Ranger and Injun rat, the twain both fought against chaos, and at this moment in time, they found themselves allies. In the heat of battle a truce was called, and a deal struck between Sandar and Niles. Mouse and rat fought back to back, as the pirate searats came like an everlasting wave.

The pirate searat captain made his appearance, and in a flurry of steel pushed both rat and mouse captain to defense. He pushed them back one step at a time, and then finally, he struck a mortal wound upon Sandar. With a final blow Niles struck, and the pirate fell back in a flash of crimson. The pirates retreated, and with them went their captain, and away they sailed, back to the Ivory Coast's from whence they came.

Upon the waves of the Atlantis, amidst the smoking hulls of countless ships, upon the deck of a ruined flagship, Niles sat with Sandar's still form. He looked all about him, and saw the Order mice and Ranger and Injun rats, and he knew that the price for peace would be high. He did not look at the still forms of the cooling bodies; instead he looked at the living, and knew that the price would be worth paying.

Beneath the waves of the Atlantis, Sandar and the fallen were laid to rest, to await the day when the sea would give up the souls of those she claimed.