The Shadow of the Accursed Executioner

Chapter 25: The Pale at Beyond the Sea

Severed, had parted the skies in a halving of pure and clear, o' middled day blue, and through in a halving of reveal, and glint night. The stars like a span of white and crystal sugars stilled throughout. The sun's orbing of its light to had parted from its perfect balancing of the once-nights and of days by its old and law revolve... throughout within the skies. While along arching out of its orbing glow and had shrunken till it had roughly were of halved within its once-size through its use of the Gift...sprouting within its ingraining were an outing gargantuan horn of light... be now whole with the sun. Its blistering horn of light. Protruding from a one's side of rim. Rooting throughout like thin, and pure hairs of light, or like freezes of golden lightning embedding within its skies from upon in its halve of day.
        ...Worldly, this.
        For to the Second Collaboration of the Skies, enveloping... has begun.
        And glowing between upon the cut skies of the two, a night and day, like a blurring and orange strip through the skies till afar into the horizon...were to the settings of pinks, and of reds. Like a seems forever now of swirling dusk and of dawns... And along down beneath the three skies of the made and old revolve were to the sightings within... of to the rise of black smokes, plotted throughout. Flowing up of crust cinders, and reside down below the lowest were to the flames of fiery homes. Depicting, the cobblestone streets throughout, like glinting fields of mesh.
        The Capital of the Realm... Noising within crowds of shrill and in yelped agonies. The people of the realm through the flames be engulfed within all their bodies. Whereas, they would to rushed all about like in rolling squirms of undead. And all while whom for they were watched by... By, a masked figure... ...With a blood-drenched shortsword streaked down till at the guard on equip. And on knees, to have sat...
        The figure, continuing to have watched into the blacks and in flames, the realm now like a scorching pit of, as like a bottomless ablaze be. ...From upon over a section overseeing atop the walls.
        Until, then to have shaded upon the figure... Appearing... Arraying and if it darkening through the very airs before the three skies. ...Were be, buts to the gliding appearance... Of a dragon.

Onward, Lkuoo Andswall had board the largest ship. Then off short we had depart, then off we would be coasting no longer over the seas, calmly, but clouds been darkly. The island, from viewed long and far stretched from our place upon the ship. The island, like a distantly land of ancient, and collide world that had reflect off like a star's stone and now here earthing through the sea. As beside here Aggru seldom swishes by his tail and while he be resting low, with his muzzle through below the side beams off the ship's deck. Grinning out his long tongue, and slobbering over the sea in signed play... As the Great Sea Ones played back... The Great Sea Ones leaping over the waters up in arcs of spectacular and in fused-like airs, of watering, and in burrowed-like rings. As beside I had leaned over the rails and peered into my hand of the silver chain. For a rat tribe guard, whilst stares from the fronts of the ship's bowsprit. Staring and neutrally in absolutely through his dark-coaled face of shade. (Not, for I were concerned, to the guarding man's presence with shield and of spear, but I aware, perhaps, not to released down my chain into the sea here. For if, in case he were to jump into the sea...then if another rat guard then to returns it into my hand once more...) While Aggru continued in his fuss, like he were phased into a game for ploy. Thrusting, and let battering his tongue by the winds between...through the rails beneath.
        "Do you really must be doing that? Like your life is depending on it..." I say, highly repulsed over his actions beneath the rail.
        While Aggru to shuffled like a giant, pale worm. Knocking, the sides of his muzzle between the supports. (And looking like his neck were been trapped.)
        ("Time, and Time again...we, will hunger! ...I, hunger! And master, will you to hunger, as well!") He says. (These, the Great Sea Ones. ...Are a taunt... Yet, I will wait... As I had once saw... by old, and pale master, had once do of such act. ...I believe... ...he had called it... 'Fishing'!")
        For Aggru, to had said.
        "..."
        (But never I could—and to imagine my own father on his own four limbs and. Like a horse and— With agape his mouth upon the sea...)
        "What is, is you will expect not...from what, these creatures can to do, Aggru. For they are of the True Old." I say. "...One, of the true olds." I say. "Prey of the dragons—hm? So what, could ever incline you to think? One, will just hop up into your gullet like that? Without reel, even."
        But Aggru, remaining, with his tongue slagging through the wind, regardless. And did no respond.
        Now offing my hands from the rails. "Well, if any sea ones, do attempt, to fling themselves into the gullet of your 'capacious' stomach." I say, proposing. Passing Aggru's tail. "Refrain, consuming any." I ask. "Excess supplies. We could do with maintaining it."
        I said. As I move from my place over the ship. Aggru, remaining on the deck, resting and enduring his tongue, through the winds. While, I decide upon to go seeks throughout the rest of the ship. To briefly tour each section throughout over floors that had topped as boards of a light-colouring, and cream-filled textures. The supports, heavy, and as tree-scorch dark. That had give off to a texturing, as like a faintness in bare oils. And along here of barrels atop the deck. Placed in a lane, and reinforced, by rings of steel, and shackles laying in piles, bundled all up, down before, to descending step-boards as stairs. That would lead down into the central areas from reside the ship's deck.
        And whilst, whom to steers the ship from its helm been another...a dark-skinned, rat tribe guard. Who had looked with an expression, upon sailing the ship for the island, being seeming like as a pleasant thing in his eyes. As another rat guard along watches from atop the main, and highest mast. Whilst another rat guard, to have hand to me a cooked rat— Suddenly, it. An orange body on a stick, a black-tinged through along streaks of char. As the rat guard then had salted and too spiced over the rat delicacy, (supposedly now, as a delicacy, with salt and a mysterious, blood-red spice...added by the guard). I...to then accept...to the rat guard's a cooked rat... of a pierced-through-a-queer-like stick—of a rat delicacy. Such a strange delicacy... I had never had seen before in the flesh (only to hear of) I thought. ...Now bit into the rat, (as the guard watched like he were to witness at an impossibly performed-had ritual, through the whites of his huge and brown-black eyes. And made bigger, through in his very darkly, complexion).
        Blegh!
        Revolved by the taste of the rat. Pinched into the charred meat of the skin, in a singular bite that were essentially been a nibble and no else.
        But perhaps, this would now offend he... The rat tribe guard, as... No...(?) For he had begun, but to have smiled, instead.
        Smiling within a wide, and a satisfied, an almost hidden-like grin. That were of admiration, through his dark face.
        "Give it Time." He said. In a practising voice, his speech cutting, as he had spoken, through his deep accent of the Dry South, (and of the Rat Tribe Village).
        Acknowledging he said, the man. And on ahead to have seated were Lkuoo Andswall. Seated to the fronts of the ship down beneath and behind, the bowsprit. Idling, behind his fang and horned mask. Staring toward the ship's front spar, and awaited, like he had thought, if we were not presently upon the ship, or nor even perhaps, we were coasting over the seas in aware. As he had sat on a black chest of rudiment shape. Scratched up within lines as revealed, and peeled whites. With his twinblade, placed over his tassets. Bridge, over his thighs, straight. For gradually, then to confronted toward Lkuoo, and seeming unaware beyond his mask still, as I had approached from the side of the ship's spar with an eyeing, yet reserving...impression. Now standing to before he. As over...I had peered into the sea for a time into the nettings of the shrouds. Expressing, within a lame, and stoic breeze. Continuing, and to focus over the horizon. ...Of over this unsee side... of this world...
        "Are you perhaps... Incurious..." I said. Self-intrigued, within implying, over the Village Header. "We...are the only two... With given, to this pale skin, on this ship." I said. As I eyed now away from the sea. Then to sight back in, for the ship.
        The Village Header, Lkuoo Andswall. ...Remained be silent.
        "...Even our legacy names, are of the same." I scoffed lightly, bemused. Stepping few closer toward Lkuoo. "Does... this not ponder to you at all? ...No even little?" Adding, and now no scoffing, but raw upon knowing, really why he were no curious.
        Whilst the wind, hit vibrate the shrouds of the ship then went passing. The sea longing wide and silent, like a blue, and flat canvas spanning under rippling streaks, as shades through the waters. While still, Lkuoo Andswall, to had reside put... Like as quiet, as stone. With still no even a noticing, thus seeing in my presence.
        "...Aye."
        He replied.
        "Brother..."
        He said.
        To have spoken.
        While remained as stone to his place. As still, he did not turned and to see to my place.
        "You are brother." He said. "Man behind you...is brother." He expressed. "Man. On the crow's nest...is brother. Good eyes, his... Man helming..is—"
        "Yes. I am understanding of your phraseologies quickly." I asserted in a plain composure. Yet expectant upon answers, for he—to give haste.
        "Hmmph." Replying, and impressed. (But overly impressed. Obviously, too impressed... by this? This a mockery—upon I, I had sure thought).
        "Yes. And the women are your sisters from in the village. The mothers, I had saw, well...still are mothers and cooks. The daughters, most seamstresses, and the elders perhaps, mentors... Sisters, all... Perhaps, this makes the shadows, they as your sisters and brothers too? ... It is best that you do not riddle me." I say. Within a grain of tire. Warning, Lkuoo Andswall.
        Now, as he turns his eyes through his mask and to see me.
        "Something daft in you...?" He thought, questioning genuine yet devoid, within any real concern. "...Aye, or a king's realm: 'Yes'. Yes. 'You are,' a brother... But you...speaking to me, if you know me..." The roughness in his voice, stern dominant. "The sea washed me. Tribe, founds me. Old header, makes what I am... what, I was given." He says.
        Of the scales, I had knew he imply...
        ...Of to the hiddenly scales upon his body of the Pale Line. As the imperfect children of the Motherless Line, I had knew. As the Scales, Silverness Legion...of the past. ...Yet, I would not speak of his origin, (to seemed why father, had released one my brothers or sisters as babes within places outside the realm? And including along, with this other named...called... One Wing. For thus, they received, to no Injection of the Darkness along, too.)
        He continued.
        "You're only being shipped because your king is requesting it." He says, with reminder. "And being shipped away from my people is a deal that I will always take for that king. They need no part with him. And especially no prince."
        "I apologise, if you truly feel this way."
        "Don't care."
        "Well..." I say back. "I generated your village toward a higher condition of safety. Slayed the tracker." I supporting. "Meaning as well, you will always have my vow with the Pillagers, also. Remember? No matter how you think about me and the realm. I, will always arrive more sentries, or even myself. To protect your people at first sight. Against, to any Pillagers, or Pyres." I say. In a gradual rise of proud speak.
        As Lkuoo Andswall, now no replies, and in silence. Yet remains...with an unknown stare through his mask to me. Like a statue. Bearing two blue eyes...like specks.
        But goes, as he had released out of a sudden and grunting, short sigh. "...Hear this. Brother..." He had proposed now, sensing upon change in my expression. Of a changed, into a bleaker expression, (reading my expression wells. As a real brother were, be could). "Always, just had expected... another of my own race. To come along one day through my open village." He says. "Is...the only reason why I'm not all scamper about it like you are." He said. "Because... we just seem... Like a capable bunch... Don't we...? ...Now... no glooming on my ship ...You hear this?" Remarking swiftly along. His toned, be vicious.
        "What did you...?" But I to pondered however. A pinning chill—what to have crawl over my body. Shoulder, cross shoulder. That had impulsed I now and to have see upon the brewing of the boundless skies, all encompassing white. Encompassing till at the perceptive limits of the horizon's all sides, of the sea's far lines... "W-What did you just... speak." I repeat, through a stuttering. "What is..."
        "What." He replies, says bluntly.
        "What is...'race'." I dreamt, within baffle— "...L-Lkuoo." Further calling his name, hopeless—and sensed...for I am about to come madden however.
        As I would peeled back along my right sleeve enough and...in a falsely composure... To leaked lacked stoicly in my expression. Lesser, and lesser. For now then to have see into the complexion of my own pale arm. Internalised, within wide and in jitter eyes as I would see...from my place upon the ship.
        Noticing over the sea through the corner of my disturbed eye. To turning side gradually off to the ship's side now...and to see...