CHAPTER 1.12 FADED SHADOWS
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Maybe I''ve been too brazen here. Got to think of something to save my ass here...
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“torturing him, all over some...some treasure in the jungles of the south.”
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“them we should be cautious about. Everyone in Promise Coast is talking about how''s there a long lost civilization in the mountains nearby. Not to mention monsters and wild animals. You''ll need as many eyes and swords to watch your back as you can get.”
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“away.” Artie said, putting his hands up.
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“them while I was forgotten. Even at the coast it was like that. I''m just going one place to another and never feeling like I belong. Please. I''m just trying to find somewhere where I can be me.”
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“bad manager, a lofty employer, or some snooty master. They mock me, exploit me, insult me. I was not loyal to them.”
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“you don''t earn my trust, then I want to be clear where you stand.”
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“Now.” He barked, before turning to waddle away.
“sir.” He spat.
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“me. I saw you squirmin'' like a worm on that deck when they found you wit'' the fish, an'' if you don''t wanna be squirmin'' like that again, you''ll get scrubbin'', right bloody now.”
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“think about it. You get a break when you earned one.”
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“did try to run away. I was the seventh of eleven. I have six brothers and four sisters.”
“chaotic household.”
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“me, and my youngest is twelve years younger. By the time my eldest brother started working, I think my dad realised he wouldn''t have to work anymore, so long as we were all pitching in. I think that''s when I realised, I was just a cog in the machine into them. I''m surprised they didn''t just brand me ''No.7'', honestly. I didn''t want to be that, just another match in the box. I wanted to prove to them, me, or anyone, that I can do something. Find an adventure worth talking about.”
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Something about Eve girls, man...
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“course they get one of the only women on board to help cook and treat wounds.”
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“dare you. I do plenty around here.”
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“sermons. That way, you can use your religious work as an excuse, just like people from your church probably do.”
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“conventional.”
“accent?”
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“up with him, right?”
“popped out of the sea or something.”
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“Shush, keep your voice down.” Misha whispered. “You know, an inorganic life-form.”
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“were different?” Artie asked.
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“alive too, and should be treated as such.”
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“actual paladins still about. Figured it was like a club or something.”
“Really? Huh, I figured he would never leave Peridios. He''s the most die-hard knight there.”
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“No, X no.” Misha laughed. “Dad told me upfront I didn''t have to join them just because of him, but it was important I''d learn about what they were all about.”
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“quick.”
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“something out there. I heard from my friends they found some weird things. I thought it was just going to be jungles and forests.”
“is ruins from the Old Age. Wild, huh?” Misha said with a grin.
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“Stand to! Stand to!” Ban began shouting, standing up quickly.
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The Hunnigan''s Glory, and quickly.
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“All hands to battle stations!”
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“pirates?” Ban pleaded.
“we are pirates? We should be ready for contact but not seek it.”
“are we?” He said antagonistically.
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The Hunnigan''s, and as they grew closer, the crew could see armoured figures watching them closely. A Mud-goblin in ragged clothes picked up at a banner with a white flag on it, almost taller than he, and waved it gracefully back and forth. He continued to do so until they came within spitting distance, and the captain gave the signal to stop. As the ships slowed, Artie could see there was a golden emblem on the white sails, almost hidden by the rays of the sun, the symbol of a winged horse and two spears crossing below it.
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The Hunnigan''s Glory threw a rope ladder down, landing on the golden ship. The crew of the longboat tied it to their rails, and waited as the ship came closer, then the landing party came. The soldiers came on first, two of them, tall and taller with their plumed helmets, spears held to their sides. Their hair underneath was dark, and their eyes were a deep hazel, flecks of gold, brown and green mingling together. They waited patiently as the veiled woman elegantly climbed the ladder. She stood between her two guards as the ragtag crew murmured amongst themselves. Slowly, she brought her hands up to the veil and lifted it, revealing a beautiful face within. Her eyes were the sea, so blue they almost became purple, and her hair was tied up into black coils. She stood with a distinctive grace, and was half a foot taller than the captain.
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“The Hunnigan''s Glory. How might we serve you?” He said with a refined poise.
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“gold.”
“Demeterios? It can not be.” He said in a low voice.
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“exist.” He said, daring for a second to believe they did.
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A Time Spirit? What in blazing Hel is that?
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“Time-Spirit before.” He said, looking behind him to see if anyone disagreed.
“Demestos before.” One crew member said.
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“is Demert-rios? It sounded like you had heard of them before.”
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Older than Eves? Is that possible?
“fathom that they might really exist.”
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“sure they was lookin'' for me.” A skinny Sea-Eve in a bandana said to his friend, a nervous looking Lupine.
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“me''. Got Ol'' Beauty out by me side, ready, just in case. Thought one of the guardsmen might''ve tipped ''em off.”
Ol'' Beauty might be. It was soon after that, the smell of smoke began to drift itself along the horizon. Artie wrinkled his nose at it, scanning the empty seas for what could possibly amount to a fire out here. The other members of the crew were alerted too, each looking along the endless waves for answers. The sky had grown paler, with hints of orange hues beginning to stain the sky.
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flickering. Almost as if vanishing from existence to not, then from pale skin to white bone. Except it wasn''t bone, nor was it white. It was metal, and in the last glimpses of daylight, Artifae saw them for what they were.
It''s Sylo Teht.