There \/\/\/\/as no horizon. Not a pr0per'un. Just that soft, pink-blue n0thin' stretchin' 0n f0re\/\/er. It's like a bl0ated carcass \/\/\/\/hat that forg0t to rot. Th'called'em Dream Bubbles. A coddler's name. Like it ain't a gra\/\/eyard d0used in perfume. Ship's dead, longer than I'd'\/\/e cared t'measure. Hull \/\/\/\/as split in three places, mast snapped clean in t\/\/\/\/ain. It creaks, an' groans as I \/\/\/\/alked her halls. Like sh'remembers \/\/\/\/hat sh'used t'be. Like I remember ho\/\/\/\/ sh'sh0uld be. No cre\/\/\/\/. No 0rders. No Empire breathin' do\/\/\/\/n m'neck. N0 heiresses, no maids, no \/\/\/\/itches, no dramatic flair. Just m'self. Just her. Just a ne\/\/\/\/ form 0' Hell. Y'e\/\/er \/\/\/\/ake up an' feel like somethin's 0ff b'f0re yer lids e'en open. Like th'\/\/\/\/ater's \/\/\/\/r0ng. Like e\/\/erythin' is h0ldin' it's breath fer ye. I kne\/\/\/\/ it before I e'en rolled 0'er. Hand reached fer Ahab's. \/\/\/\/asn't there. N0thin' e\/\/er stays. S'I sit up. Sl0\/\/\/\/, real, real sl0\/\/\/\/ like. There it is. Laid 0ut neat as you please 0n th'pillo\/\/\/\/ beside m'. M'head. Naut a trick o'th'light, n0r some shad0\/\/\/\/ play. Fr0m m'tusks t'm'hair, t'm'\/\/\/\/hole miserable face. Eyes \/\/\/\/ere open, afraid. Mouth slack like h'ain't e\/\/er barked an 0rder in his life, only screamed. Yet it seemed m0re peaceful. That's th'part that is trickin' m'up. He \/\/\/\/as peaceful. I reach out, an' t0uch it. He's c0ld, naut right, like t0uchin' it \/\/\/\/as an omen. I laughed fer a m0ment. O'c0urse. \/\/\/\/hat else is there t'do \/\/\/\/hen yer 0\/\/\/\/n bloody face is starin' at ye? Dead? Lackin' his sh0ulders do\/\/\/\/n?! S' I laughed. Course I did. "Cap'n" I say, as th0ugh addressin' m'superior. "R0ugh night?" I laughed again. He dunnae ans\/\/\/\/er. Didn't expect one. But I s\/\/\/\/ear t'\/\/\/\/hate'er rotten gods run am0k here. Fer a second, a t\/\/\/\/inge, a small itty bitty moment. H't\/\/\/\/itched. His lips mo\/\/ed t'say s0methin'. Like h'kne\/\/\/\/ somethin' I didn't. And that ain't a joke. M'. Dualscar, th'Orphaner, Terror o' Lusii and th' Empress's Finest Blunt Instrument. Out here talkin t'm'o\/\/\/\/n head in a ship \/\/\/\/it' n0 cre\/\/\/\/. Floatin' in a sky \/\/\/\/it' no sun. I ain't afraid. Dunnae get it t\/\/\/\/isted. Boat I ain't a fo0l. Th'bubbles sho\/\/\/\/ y'things. Things that y'\/\/\/\/ere, coulda been, 0ughta been. Things that 0ught t'bdead but ain't got the decency to stay their course. S'\/\/\/\/hat \/\/\/\/as this? A memory? A \/\/\/\/arnin'? Certainly th'latter. I o\/\/\/\/e it t'a \/\/isit. I kne\/\/\/\/ it t'be true. Th0ught m'self unable t'be f0und. Trusted her \/\/\/\/0rd. Th0ught I'd b'untouchable. So, I pick m'self up. Hea\/\/ier than I ought t'be. \/\/\/\/eighin' proper hea\/\/y like a bad decision. "Tell me," I says. "\/\/\/\/hich one 0' us is th'real 0rphaner?" He dunnae ans\/\/\/\/er. I see it in his eyes. He \/\/\/\/as still a pr0ud t00l 0' the Empress. Sometimes I \/\/\/\/ish I \/\/\/\/ere t00. S0, I set m'self back d0\/\/\/\/n, all gentle. Dunnae ask \/\/\/\/hy. Habit, I supp0se, t'pr0tect m'self. Maybe respect unearned. Maybe I just ain't ready t'see \/\/\/\/hat's on th'inside. I sat there for a long \/\/\/\/hile. I listened to her creak 0nce m0re. \/\/\/\/atched under that endless sly churnin' sky outside th'hull. Then I just laid back do\/\/\/\/n. Right next t'it. I had no \/\/\/\/here else to be. #gore
((Thank you.)) ((My Dualscar still fancies himself a Bard akin to Cronus. Sometimes, anyway))