The Chronicles of The Great Archipelago

Chapter One

Glory. Riches. Freedom. These were the sorts of things that spurred great heroes of days gone by to go on brave adventures and become the stuff of legend. But not me. My adventure started because I wanted to impress a girl, and she didn’t even like me!

Let me introduce myself. Marcus Kitz is my name, though most people just call me “Boy” or “hey you”. I’m fifteen years of age and I work in an inn on Centropolis Island. Centropolis is at the centre of the Great Archipelago.

The Great Archipelago is a collection of islands closer to each other than anywhere else. We were at least a hundred and fifty leagues away from the mainland. I’m not even sure where the mainland is. We’ve enjoyed many years of peace and prosperity; but every so often I’d hear rumours of bad and troubling things from the Northern islands as I wiped down the tables at the inn. But rumours are just rumours.

All in all, I thought my life was pretty good. I got to meet plenty of interesting people and hear just as many stories. Gene, the innkeeper, gave me decent wages and I had a quite a few friends. Then Relena came to Centropolis.

Relena Marquis was from Alexandria, one of the Southern islands. Her family owned Alexandria and had sent Relena to Centropolis to study at the University. She was as beautiful as Venus, probably more so. Her long blond hair fell down past her shoulders and her bright blue eyes looked out from under her stunning lashes. Her personality, however, was that of a shallow, pompous cow. But still I was smitten over her.

Hierarchy was very important in the Great Archipelago. People from the Southern islands were in the higher class. In our democratic society, they were regarded as the closest thing to royalty. The Central islands were regarded as middle class. Centropolis, for example, had great works of architecture and art but also had places like the inn. People from the Northern islands were mostly regarded as primitive people with simplistic ideas.

Centropolis was the capital of the Great Archipelago. It was here that the Court of Islands could be found. Inside the Court, representatives from all the islands discussed and argued over important matters of the Great Archipelago. But I’m drifting away from the story.

After weeks of gazing in awe from a distance, I plucked up my courage and decided to talk to Relena. She always passed by the inn on her way to the Alexandrian consul after her classes had finished.

“Um, he-he-hello, m-m-ms. R-r-r,” I spluttered incoherently.

“What is it? What do you want?” Relena snapped impatiently, drumming her fingers on her folded arms.

I turned red as I blushed. Like a burst dam, I let it all rush out. “Hello, Ms. Relena Marquis. I was wondering whether you’d like to go out sometime with me!”

Relena stood there, too shocked for speak, letting what I said sink in. Then suddenly, she burst out laughing, her shrill voice echoing off the buildings. It took her several minutes for her to shake off the giggles, while I stood in front of her like a statue.

When Relena had finally calmed down, she gave me a condescending look and said, “Me? Go out with you? Don’t be ridiculous! I am the very best that society has to offer, and you,” she wrinkled her nose in disgust at me as if I were a bad smell, “And you wash tables for a living. We’re just too different.” She walked past me down the cobbled street.

As I begin to slink away back to the inn, Relena stopped and turned around. I felt my heart lift a little.

“Besides, you repulse me,” she said matter-of-factly. My heart sank like a stone in the water of Centropolis Harbour. I slowly walked away.

A few days later, late at night when the inn was at its busiest, I thought of a way to impress Relena.

I was working behind the bar despite some very raucous and very drunk sailors heckling me. The door opened and a woman in a dark cloak stepped inside and took a seat at the bar. She quietly asked me for a drink. That was when the sailors noticed her. I took a step backwards, knowing what was going to happen.

“Hey, good-looking. What’s a place like you doing in a girl like this?” a particularly drunk sailor slurred. The woman murmured something in irritated reply.

“Yeah, come with us, darling. Our ship doesn’t leave for another six hours!” a second sailor garbled. A vein bulged on her forehead.

Quicker than a flash, in one movement, the woman picked up both the (burly) sailors and tossed them across the inn, crashing into a table. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then everyone resumed their conversations as Gene went to find a replacement table.

“Any news, Umbris?” I asked the woman as if nothing had happened. Umbris was a bounty hunter and one of my closest friends, though she’d never admit it (she has a thing about attachments). Most of the news and rumours I picked up working in the bar came from Umbris. As the most skilled bounty hunter in the Great Archipelago, she naturally travelled a lot. She was very secretive about her personal life though.

“Just some spy-work, Kitz. Some of the Court councillors are getting nervous about Lord Siris and what he’s doing on his island, Sirisangul,” replied Umbris.

“What is he doing?” I asked curiously, hungry for more.

“I don’t know! I had almost reached Sirisangul when …”Umbris trailed off and cast her eyes to the floor. It was only now I noticed that Umbris wore a bloodied bandage around her left arm.

Hastily changing the subject, I decided to ask what I should do concerning Relena. I told her everything from when she first set foot on Centropolis to the conversation a few days ago. Umbris listened intently only stopping me to ask for a refill.

“Well, she sounds like a right bitch to me, Kitz,” Umbris remarked flatly, “If you want my advice, give up. A girl like that isn’t worth it”

My head was telling me the same thing, but my heart wouldn’t listen. If it did, I might not have begun the adventure I’m telling now. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), my heart was making the decisions tonight. I would find out what Umbris couldn’t, tell the Court of Islands, become part of high society using the reward and impress Relena. Foolproof plan.

Umbris finished her drink and got up to leave. At the door, she paused.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Kitz, and remember, I wasn’t here.” Umbris remarked, stressing the importance of the last part as she always did.

I wondered when the next time she wouldn’t be here would be.