Minga was one of  the oldest settlements on Arishamal. Unlike Thoth, Gleneden, or  Wiccinas, it never maintained itself as a city of any note. This was not due to any reason of location or commerce, but rather to its dark and  cruel history. Located on the Cold Narrows, directly across from Xenoth  and adjacent to Grenel Bay, it was ideally situated to be a center of  trade, but that was never to be.

Founded originally by four clans of  mink who intermarried and united into what would become known as the  Minge, it was little more than a conglomeration of villages surrounded  by a fort-like wall of timber.

Leadership of the Minge was established by a contest of martial skills. After countless grueling and bloody duels, a leader emerged, Meris-sha-Meris, known now as Meris the Cruel, first king of the Minge.

He was only a young beast when he assumed power and his ambition was a bottomless well. With an iron fist, he united all the mink clans until they were the preeminent power in Morgaard. He was both builder and destroyer, re-inventing Minga as his Capitol, building it to a level of glory through the toil of slaves conquered in  his campaigns. Brick, granite, and marble replaced the timber, and a mighty palace rose at the town's center. Over his lifetime, the city grew until it was the largest on Arishamal.

His success would  have satisfied most creatures, but not Meris. He yearned to conquer the entire continent. He had no sense of loyalty, only destiny.

As he grew older, he became increasingly paranoid, suspecting plots and coups from  everyone. Executions became commonplace, even his wife, Shala, and brother, Serith, were not immune to his madness, they were burned alive for crimes that only Meris seemed to see. He had two sons, Shana and Minga, who seemed impervious to his paranoia, they were to be his legacy.

His other great ally was the son of his murdered brother Serith. This was Prince Vasheron, as cruel and ambitious as his uncle, but apparently devoted to the king. Meris appointed him the head of the Royal Guard. 

When the king finally set in motion his vision of conquest, he used the Black Arts as weapon of destruction. With the help of the toad-wizard Darus, he created the Deev from his royal guard to wreak havoc and annihilation everywhere they were sent.

It was the king's own madness which doomed him. He betrayed Darus, who in vengeance turned the Deev back on the king, back on the Minge, and ultimately back on Minga itself. They killed every Minge aristocrat and vassal, turning the  budding empire back into a loose group of tribes. Of the entire ruling class, only Meris' sons survived. Ironically, they showed what might have been, with Shana founding Thoth, as well as uniting the Lokian wolves.

The city of Minga began its long decline from  greatness. Considered cursed, most inhabitants left, leaving only the old, the infirm, the criminals, and the outcasts. Mortar decayed,  buildings collapsed and the vegetation of the forest and field began to encroach its streets.

The town became a haven for brigands and pirates, a place to be avoided by any decent beast. There was no law, no order, only chaos and brutality. It remained thus for centuries until the advent of Khalis. For all her countless faults and cruelties, she  managed to change the tone of Minga, not out of goodness or benevolent design, but because she needed the port to further her own ambition.

She set up a governing council and imposed harsh justice. Merchants returned and while it would be exaggeration to say that Minga thrived, it would be correct to say that Minga's decline had halted. It became a  functional town. Pirates and brigands still flourished, but now they served Khalis and served her well, swelling her treasury with tribute. 

After the Ice-Queen's overthrow, Minga was largely ignored. The town became effectively split in two, with the decent hard-working beasts living on the eastern side, near the forest, and the disreputable beasts living along the waterfront.

During the period of  reconstruction after the Khalisian Wars, Governor Chumley Bilgespike saw  to the establishment of a police force to ensure that the criminal element was held in check, providing the opportunity for the town to redeem itself and become a useful part of Morgaard.

As Gladiverserac approached the harbor of Minga, she veered slightly out to sea and began  a clockwise downward spiral. Chumley, who had come to enjoy the flight, realized immediately that they were about to land and gripped tightly on his handles. This action was wise, but unnecessary, since the centrifugal force of her spiral kept Chumley firmly pressed against the albatross' back.

When she was about forty feet above the water, she straightened and leveled out, decreasing the angle of her descent. Gladiverserac spread her mighty wings and tilted them slightly upward to slow her forward speed. Her breast rose, forcing Chumley to tighten his grip once more. She stretched her feet in front of her as she touched  down lightly and glided to a gentle stop about one hundred feet from the central pier of the waterfront. Chumley quickly squirmed out of his  harness and sat up on the saddle, giving Gladiverserac a firm pat on the  back.

"Well done, Gladis! Ah thought you said you were 'orrible at landin', that was perfect, weren't it?" he asked cheerfully.

The albatross giggled.
"On water my landings are good, Sir Chumley. On stone and dirt they are like avalanches I have been told."

"Well in that case, luv, the landin' at Seth-e-Raman's gonna be in the bay, ain't it?'

"If that is thy wish."

Chumley smiled.
"It will be when the time comes, won't it? As for now, Gladis, me gel, ah would suggest you paddle to yon pier and we go about trackin'  down me old ball and chain."

"Ball and chain?"

"That  would be a term of affection for mah darlin' wife Belinda. She's visitin' at Town Center. We need to travel through the waterfront to get there, don't we? It's a hard part of town, filled with rough beasts and evil desires, so don't be listenin' to no one but me and...," Chumley  realized that among the criminals and outcasts of Minga, it would be  unwise to reveal that he had been governor, "don't be adressin' me by name."

"You are unbeknownst to me Sir Stranger and I am but a mute bird." Gladis smiled as she pulled into the pier.

"Quite a talkative mute bird, ain't yah?"

"The rarest of all mute birds."

"Indeed it is me gel." He climbed up on the pier and waited for the albatross to join him, "No more jokin' about, serious business now,  let's hurry on through."

"Yes, Sir Chu...., yes," she said quietly.

The dangerous area of Minga encompassed the entire waterfront and extended into the city  proper to a depth of about six blocks, ending  at a wide canal used for  transporting trade goods on barges.

Three wide bridges spanned the  canal, connecting the waterfront to the rest of Minga. The bridges were patrolled by regular police and vigilantes to ensure that the unsavory  elements remained on their side of the waterway.

Chumley marched quickly into town with Gladis close behind. They were almost to the bridge when a voice called out.

"Hey, I knows you, wait! Wait!"

Chumley pretended not to hear, but the voice persisted, increasing  in volume. Rather than continue to ignore the shouts and draw additional attention to himself, Chumley turned to face the determined acquaintance. A ragged stoat with a missing ear ran up and gave the rat a snaggle-toothed grin.

"Yah near wore me out, mate," the stoat said breathing heavily.

"Yah, sorry about that, didn't 'spect any chums. You sure yah knows me? No offense mate, but you don't seem familiar."

The stoat cackled.
"None taken, people tends to ferget ole Shimmy. Ole Shimmy been here a long time and I knows I seen yahs before."

Chumley smiled.
" 'Tis possible, Shimmy. Many the year ago ah sailed with Orange Willum, yah coulda seen me then."

"I knew it," Shimmy did a little jig, "ole Shimmy never fergets a face. Orange Willum, yah say, a fine cut of a pirate, that one. Not like  these little snots we got now."

"Aye, broke the mold when they made him, sure enough," Chumley said.

"Threw it into the deep, more'n likely. You here for the call to arms?" the stoat asked.

"What call to arms?"

"Money, lots of it. If'n you be a tough of any kind, this mink  prince is payin' top dollar. You'd be an officer fer sure," Shimmy said  earnestly.

The mention of the mink prince roused Chumley's curiosity.
"Ta do what? What's 'e payin' for."

"Poor Shimmy don't know, but everyone's a meetin' at midnight tonight in the old fish market, ya should go."

"Ah just might do that Shimmy, here...," he handed the stoat a silver coin, "thanks for the info. Buy yerself a couple grogs on me."

The stoat was overjoyed. He took the coin and was about to leave when he asked.
"Ole Shimmy don't know yer name."

Chumley thought, then answered.
"It's Ashy, mate, plain ole Ashy, ain't it."

"Yah, now I remembers, well good luck to yah Ashy. Ole Shimmy's a  gonna have a couple grogs now." The stoat sauntered off happily.

Gladiverserac walked up to Chumley when the old beast had left and cocked her head.
"A friend of thine was he?"

"Yeah, seems so, don't it? Let's get out of 'ere afore more of mah 'friends' show up, shall we?"

"As thou wish."

The two beasts walked to the central bridge and began to cross into the main section of  town when they were challenged by two local vigilantes on patrol, a  mink and a squirrel.

"You can't come in here!" the mink said holding up his paw, "this side is for decent beasts only!"

Chumley smiled.
"Ah can't vouch for mah decency, but mah wife is on your side there, mate, and you wouldn't want to get her mad."

"You can't cross," the mink insisted, "this side is not for the likes of you."

Chumley was becoming a bit peeved at the arrogant guard. He walked up to within inches of the mink, who nervously fingered his sword.
"Ah can only speak for mahself. Mah friend here...," he pointed to the massive albatross, "is expectin' to get fed, ain't she? Ah think you'd best tell her that you don't want her to eat."

Gladiverserac walked up to the increasingly nervous mink and glared down at him.
"I am quite peckish and will eat soon. At my friends home I would  prefer to dine, but this bridge will do if need be. Hast thou or thine  friend washed today?"

The squirrel, silent till now, approached the mink and asked him shakily.
"Why's the big bird askin' if we washed?"

"Don't know," the mink turned from his friend back to the albatross and looked up, "Why you askin' that?"

Gladiverserac smiled grimly.
"I like my meals to be clean."

The mink gulped and looked first to the squirrel, who was visibly shaking and then back to Chumley who was trying with limited success to stifle a laugh.

"I think we were mistaken, you and your friend  are obviously good beasts." He said carefully, "pass into Minga and have a fine day." He stepped aside. Chumley and Gladis passed by, but not before the albatross looked down at the guard longingly and licked her beak. Both guards shuddered noticeably. When they were well past the mink and squirrel, Chumley finally broke down in a loud laugh and  slapped Gladiverserac on the back.
"Yah got the devil in yah, don't yah? Scared that poor beast into next week, yah did."

Gladis chuckled.
"A poor meal that beast would be, Sir Chumley," she made a scary face at the rat, "you would taste far better, I am sure."

"And don't you forget it luv," Chumley chuckled, "we'll be at Dema's soon and ah'll get ya well fed, so no eatin' of the citizenry is  required."

"Very well, Sir Chumley, I shall await a more flavorful meal."