Haven sailed on undisturbed by the frantic storm that harried the ocean around her. Her crew kept watch for anything lurking in the shadows beyond. Bry manned the crow, his enchanted bow and quiver across his back. Frick and Ollie flanked Tuggy at the helm, their tawny eyes gleaming with Farsight. Gabb walked the decks checking in with each man in his watch, and resisted the urge to go bang on the Captain’s door.
Behind the closed door, Kraken sat dumb struck. His mouth hung slack. He eyes were unfocused. His head tilted to the side with his lengthening hair falling part way over his face. The silence at the table didn’t acknowledge the storm outside.
Deep Serpent Shadows filled Cousin’s eyes, the shifting layers to dark to distinguish one from the other. She let the knowledge settle inside her. Kor the teacher, pirate, warrior, rouge was the same as Kor the prince, Kor the King. She felt toward the Ether, to the all and nothing, to help her understand. Both. Same. Neither. Kor.
Kor reached for the glass in the darkened room. The glass caught and reflected the lightning outside the ship. He waited, praying the silence lasted. The longer it lasted, the longer he could put off telling the story.
The lamps lit. Cousin’s eyes held a satin sheen in the golden light. The brown whiskey remains glowed amber. Kraken clicked his jaw shut, cleared his throat and leaned back.
Kor sat the glass on the table and sat up straight. He took a shuttering breath and stood. “I am Kor’Les, first son of Ka’Les and Pha’Tel, brother of Ke’Les, former General Prime, former Trainer of Arms, former Royal Strategist, former Master of Inquisition, former slave of the Le’An Imperial Navy. I am Kor, Quarter Master of Haven and Kraken Pirate.”
Kor stood waiting for someone to say something. His past flashed through his mind in quick bursts of painful brightness.
“Don’t care,” Cousin said.
Kor started, and blinked into eyes of no color. “Huh?”
“Don’t care,” Kraken said.
Kor sagged and fell back into his chair. “But?”
“No buts,” Kraken said. “We don’t care where you came from, or what other’s think you should be or do. All we care about is, are you our Kor? You say you are. Good enough.”
Cousin nodded. “I know what the titles other’s would force on you can do. How it can make them act and think. And what it means to choose for yourself.”
“We all have a before,” Kraken said. “None of us have told our full story. We only know Cousin’s because we lived it. Tell as much as you want, keep the rest.”
Kor looked between them. He breathed in and his shoulders squared. “When we were first on Slaughter Fish, the Little Miss had just heard Des’Tras for the first time, Vermit and I were standing guard at the door, the whole damned ship was listening to us, he said he knew me, said he was also from Le’An, said he warned Butcher, and that he didn’t listen. Vermit said he knew what I had done for Ke’Les, and what I refused to do.” Kor paused, and blinked. “I didn’t think it mattered.”
“Does it?” Cousin asked.
Kor’s gray eyes matched to stormy view through the windows behind him. “I don’t know.”
Kraken leaned forward. “Do you want to help?”
“No,” Kor said. “I have nothing left in Le’An. I want nothing from them. The people there are no different than any other port.”
“And,” Kraken said.
“I haven’t been able to shake it off,” Kor said.
Haven alerted Cousin moments before the banging at the door.
“Come.” Kraken’s growl shivered over the wood.
Gabb leaned in. “Bry reports a ship trailing. Frick and Ollie agree.”
“What do you see?” Kraken asked Cousin.
She shifted her perception. “It’s an Al’Ri vessel. Undermanned.”
“Shit,” Kraken and Kor said together.
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