Tomcat clambered back aboard Alessandrina’s Glory and shook himself semi-dry.

“Welcome home Cap, you’ve got visitors. Nice ring by the way.”

Tomcat looked at his first mate, sighed, and replied. “Very well, lead me to them George.”

George grinned and headed towards the captain’s cabin. Tomcat regarded his wagging tail with disfavour. His stateroom was remarkably crowded as Velgor was accompanied by numerous members of his family. A subdued but visibly pregnant Clarrina was flanked by unsmiling parents and backed by several siblings.

Tomcat regarded the disapproving crowd and Clarrina’s all too visible pregnancy and cringed internally. He bowed to the assembled company and tried to think of something to say.

“I trust you will do right by my young cousin Thomas Felix,” said the richly dressed diminutive grey haired old woman who was somehow the focal point of the assembled company. “I have been assured,” at this she settled a disapproving eye on an unrepentant Velgor, “that you have the favour of your matriarch and besides being the captain of this peculiar ship you are the representative of your mother’s shipping company.”

Tomcat stiffened his spine, “yes I have Mother’s favour. And I am willing to the right thing by Clarrina. What do you want Clarrina?”

“What Clarrina wants is irrelevant youngster,” stated the Matriarch of the family. “You will marry her, I’ll have no bastards in the family. Beyond that you have two options. Either you join our family and clan or you pay Clarrina’s quit claim and she joins your family and clan.”

Tomcat felt the need for a drink to moisten his dry mouth. “How much is the quit claim madam? Would two Royals suffice?”

The matriarch narrowed her eyes while Clarrina gasped and then nodded jerkily while her mother swayed.

“Three,” snapped the old woman.

Tomcat’s tail tip flicked from side to side. He heard a chuckle in the back of his mind and a sense of approval. « Take ‘em to the temple of Occidon, Drina will be there to perform her first weddin’ she’ll have the Royals. »

“Very well, three it is. If you will accompany me to the temple of Ocidon the—” Tomcat drew in a deep breath, “—High Priestess of the Consort will perform the ceremony.”

The marriage ran without a hitch, the presence of the consort grinning openly from her throne silenced any potential objections to the age of the gleeful High Priestess.

The family Matriarch received the three royals with an unsmiling face and then passed two to the bride’s mother.

Tomcat installed his new wife in his cabin and made haste to cast off before any other complications could show up. Drina for her part found herself railroaded into holding a major ceremony for more people than she had ever seen before using the newly established gate with the temple in Maalea to return home.

* * *

‘How am I goin’ to contact Penguintopia? Usin’ the standard messagin’ system can be less than secure. Got nothin’ for the Arctic. Brrr... too cold! Orca would likely panic a penguin based dungeon. Maybe I should go with Walrus. Could use one of those new Earth based were templates as a base but without the bonding idiocy? Um, lesse, yeah but where am I gonna get a Walrus...’

« Victoria my dear, will you please get someone to place a quest in the Adventurers guild for a healthy pair of Walruses. Offer a couple of Royals and when they turn up get them to me ASAP. »

« Yes Mother. »

« ‘Nother thing Victoria. Got new enchantment, does the reverse of your growth enchantment. Suspect you’ll need it when members of Bordianna the harvest maid’s clergy show up to check out that underground dwarf grain you’re growin’. Tomcat’s fetchin’ you a few I had Drina pass him after his weddin’. »

« Wedding? » Victoria laughed happily, « so another of his girls caught him, good for her. »

* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *

“Hey Ron, look at that,” said Charles Morgan to his partner.

Ron risked a quick look, swore and brought their patrol car to a halt. Two teens in letter jackets were fleeing from four skeletons. After calling the incident in, the two cops got out of their car and drew their guns. “How the hell do we stop skeletons?” asked Ron.

“Maybe if we can destroy the skulls?” hazarded Charles.

“Don’t think I could hit a moving skull,” stated Ron as he opened fire.

Snake raced past them still closely followed by his friend. Three of the skeletons ignored the cops but the one who was trailing behind reoriented on the cops and charged them.

After a flurry of shooting the trailing skeleton collapsed as its skull shattered under the impact of a bullet. The two cops turned just in time to see the slower of the boys fall under the three remaining skeletons. Drawing their batons they ran to render help.

Charles knelt by the teen and gave the injured boy what help he could whilst his partner radioed for help and kept watch.

“Oh fuck! Zombies,” exclaimed Ron and fumbled to load his pistol as he watched the three decaying animated corpses shuffling up the road towards them. Almost sobbing Ron started shooting again. This time he was luckier or possibly the situation concentrated his awareness. He managed to destroy the heads of two of the zombies but that still left one shovel wielding monster closing in on him when his pistol once again ran dry.

The zombie swung the shovel and Ron raised an arm to protect his head. His arm broke and he was thrown to the ground. The zombie ignored the fallen cop and focused on Charles.

Charles had risen to his feet and prepared himself. He was surprised at how easy it proved to take down the remaining zombie with his baton. The thing had strength and it was almost impervious to damage, but it was slow!

By the time their backup and an ambulance had arrived Gator, Snake’s crony had spilled the whole story, and officer Morgan had arranged for a visit to St Anthony’s.

* * *

When the first patrol car arrived at St Anthony’s all was quiet. The two patrolmen moved in quietly alert for ambushes. They still had difficulty believing in the reports of ambulatory homicidal skeletons and zombies. Their discovery of the two bodies near the Bateman mausoleum upped the stakes.

After the usual crime scene officers and paraphernalia had shown up they discovered Logan collapsed in the church.

* * * INTERLUDE 2 * * *

“Ting.”

Sandra blinked lazily and sipped at her coffee, she grimaced, yuck cold. Pushing it away she stretched and returned her attention to her monitor. Then almost surreptitiously she dug out her Smartphone and checked her latest text message.

‘Barbi tomorrow. Tuna. 1700. Mary.’

Sandra licked her lips involuntarily. And quickly keyed an acceptance before returning her attention to the current status of the islands more prominent persons of interest.

* * *

When Sandra arrived there were already a few cars parked in the road outside the house and the delightful smell of the barbecue led her straight to the backyard. She greeted her hostess and gratefully accepted a plate with a veritable tuna steak. She wandered off into a secluded corner, her cat nature having taken over from her human nature.

Mary watched her guests; all their neighbours were already present, including Meadows and his bunch. But she was feeling uneasy. Something was wrong.

The garden lights came on when dusk fell, then she caught it, the presence that had been lurking outside her domain had finally edged its, no his way in. Obviously determined to keep watch on one or more of her guests.

Ogres were bad news and unfortunately quite at home in the dark.

« Tessa, Lissa we have an intruder and he’s hostile. An ogre. Where’s that idiot sniper. »

« He’s upwind of us Mother. Do you want one of us to take him out? »

« I’ve a better idea, if he shoots at one of us he’s going to hit one of the navy guys. Let’s see what Gallows does then. »

Just then Joanne wandered up to refill her plate. Mary obliged. “Joanne, warn your colleagues that there’s a hostile looking Ogre watching us, he’s lurking behind the rosebushes over there.”

Joanne smiled, “Thanks Mary.” Then she meandered round and told Meadows and Tod. Then she headed towards lieutenant Partlow.

* * *

Hutchinson crouched behind the rosebushes watching the catgirl that had been part of the reason for his downfall. She had left the far corner of the garden again and was headed towards the freak that was doing the cooking. He roared in rage and triumph and charged them.

Mary narrowed her eyes at the charging behemoth, she grabbed Sandra by the arm and pulled her behind her. Anna Partlow drew her pistol and fell with a shattered leg.

Mary jerked, ‘beep! That idiot sniper had been aiming at her, my spell didn’t even need to do anything. Gotta have a serious word with Gallows and that murderous little beep.’

Mary concentrated and raised a thin wall of earth at the edge of her domain to conceal her guests from the idiot sniper.

« Tessa, Lissa take that thing’s knees out then if need be its elbows too. Wanna know who set this idiocy up. »

« Damon I need you now. Got a woman that could die or lose a leg without your help. »

« Coming Mother. »

Hutchinson screamed in wordless rage as two more mutants appeared and destroyed his knees with their assault rifles.

* * *

Meadows watched as his second’s leg healed under the ministration of the badger man Mary had introduced as Damon. He hadn’t realized until this moment how powerful healing magic could be.