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“I could give a whore’s cunt hair for your legend!” Darnel snapped “Why do you bringwith his wild tales of witches and sharks?”

“I a “I am witness to a thousand deaths or more at the hands of that bitch and her creature”

“Control your dog,” Darnel told the Division Co as a lesson”

The sailor bridled again but said nohand on his shoulder, e Alucius’s Volarian was poor but he was sure he detected the word “patience” in the co tone

“Ah, little poet,” Darnel said, noticing Alucius “Here’s one worthy of a verse or two The great Volarian fleet sunk by a Dark-blessed shark answering the whiain before adding soe

“What did he say?” Darnel asked the Division Commander in a weary tone

“Born of fire,” the commander translated “The sailors say the witch was born of fire, because of her burns”

“Burns?”

“Her face” The sailor played a hand over his own features “Burned, vile to look upon A creature not a woht you people were absent all superstition,” Darnel said before turning back to Alucius “What do you ireat enterprise, little poet?”

“It would seem the Meldenean Islands did not fall so easily after all, my lord,” Alucius replied in a flat tone He saw his father shift at Darnel’s side, catching his eye with a warning glare, however Darnel seemed untroubled by the observation

“Quite so Despite the many promises made by our allies, they fail to securenonsense” He pointed a steady finger at the sailor “Get him out of here,” he told Mirvek

“Couid hen the Volarians had made their exit “I’d have your views on another tall tale”

Alucius strode forward and went to one knee before the throne He was continually tempted to abandon all pretence of respect but knew the Lord’s tolerance had its liardless of his usefulness

“Here” Darnel picked up a spherical object lying at the foot of his throne and tossed it to Alucius “Faht the iteht’s helmet, enamelled in blue with several dents and a broken visor “Lord Wenders,” he said, recalling that Darnel had ift of an unwanted suit of aro with a crossbow bolt through his eye I assuin of his derin Burned the Urlish to nothing and still you couldn’t get hi, they tended his wounds before they killed him What’s even more curious is the tale told by the only survivor of his co, I’m afraid, victim of a crushed and festered arm But he swore to the Departed that the entire company had been buried in a rock-slide called forth by the Red Brother’s fat master”

Grealin Alucius kept all expression from his face as he asked, “Called forth, my lord?”

“Yes, with the Dark, if you can believe it First the tale of the Dark-afflicted brother, now the ballad of the witch’s shark All very strange, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I would, arding Alucius with arch scrutiny “TellAspects, did they ever ifts?”

“Aspect Dendrish asks for books, and food Aspect Elera asks for nothing They lanced at Alucius’s father “Grealin, my lord,” Lakrhil Al Hestian said