"Pain is when you mistook a temporal breeze for air."
-Vertha Marbles, Professor of Umbramancy
©
"Have you seen a red haired lad with green eyes?"
"I'm afraid not, but I have a green scaled fish with red eyes instead. Half the price for yer."
"Pardon me, have you seen a red haired lad about this tall and th-"
"Oh is he the good looking foreigner? Indeed, he was at the plaza this morning. He made my undegarments drop and drip! Aw don't frown Sailor, you did too!"
"Have you seen a red haired boy around here this morning?"
"Aye, touched his skin with these fingers! We thought it was Adastrielle descending to save the ugliness of Dirge then he disappeared in thin air!"
"Excuse me, have you seen a red-haired-"
"I said nay! You already asked me twice lad, Scurry off!"
"Pardon me Lady, have you seen a red haired lad with lithe skin and green eyes?"
"No, but my husband said that he saw a beautiful man with hair like flames in the plaza earlier. Oh don't give me that look- I didn't hit my husband, who says I'm a jealous wife?"
"Excuse me have you seen-"
"Sorry, nay."
"Sire, have you see-"
"Sorry."
"Have you-"
"No..."
"Excuse me, have-"
"No..."
"No."
"..."
Head emptied only of a single name, the Sailor encapsulated enough darkness from his eyes to battle the afternoon light, collecting glances from the local fishermen like a murder of crows. He bit down his anger before he might utter waves of other-worldly curses that may consider the profane docksmen virginal in cursing.
His shoulders felt disconnected, tired, sleepless eyes wincing from the light reflected from snow. Anguish seems an understatement for this, the vultures could circle above him for all he care, he'll even let the birds feast on his flesh if they'll only promise to fly and send Sion back to him- even if all they'll do is quarrel again.
The once shining Sailor looked back to the other men in the harbor, all their long faces worried on the prodigy but they avoided his gaze, these grown men felt something fearful.
"Ahoy Hyden!" A man from a table of sailors called.
Ian'drah peered towards them, they seem to be enjoying their lunch under the direct sun. Salted fish and clams straight from their nets eaten raw and fresh the way only Dirgeans would as they seat on barrels in a circle.
"You look fresh from the grave ey?" A skinny man with chipped teeth asked.
"Aye he does! Paler than salt! Aren't-cha ill boy?"
"Ill? Impossible, his little friend gots all sorts of dried leaves and salves for you to live until your grandsons' grandsons!" Big Brock added, a massive man with a small head, Small Brock's brother.
"Don't mind much, it was last night's party." Ian excused, his feet wanting to leave.
"Was it the Silver Lady, ey lad?" The skinny sailor sticked his tongue out and licks his ringed lip.
"Nay, I could ram her all night and not get tired, Skom."
The group chuckled, hooting at the dead-serious sailor, all except for one.
"Aren't you gon' to join us Ian? You could really use the food." an aged man offers a clam to the sailor while the others were still laughing, his weathered uniform and dirtied badges giving a glimpse of his former glory.
"I appreciate but no, Captain Sunker." Ian answered. His eyes matching the grimy ones of the Sea Veteran, as if he himself had also seen and caused the death of the Captain's countless enemies and companions. Ian turned on his feet to run towards the Pier Roads again.
"No rest for the wicked ey?" Captain Sunker said before sucking from his pipe. He blew a smoke through the cold air only to cough his brittle lungs to pleasure, a common vice for retired admirals who softly decays in the Dirgean Harbors.
"I've seen that friend of yers boy." He raised his pipe as he anounced, making Ian stop on his tracks.
"You know, ye can't claim a sea's riches for your own once it's unfolded to the world, even if you're the first to discover it." He puffs another smoke to the bitter winds then spits down the floorboards.
"You should drive away or sink all other ships in it first." He said, closing his wrinkled eyes in.
"Check the Ice Bridge east of the Plaza, I know you'll see him soon enough." Upon hearing that, the Sailor was gone as an arrow.
"What's wrong with him ey?" Skom asked.
"A fight with the Silver Lady am guessin'." Big Brock whispered through his fat hand.
"Ouch! Wa's that for Capt'n?" Both men shouted.
"You keep your noses down yer' own businesses ye goat-worth chaps!" Captain Sunker had hit them on their heads with his pipe.
The maidens of the city fogged their windows with their breaths as they watch the Sailor. He had been running around the city like a beggar desperate for alms since sunrise, now the sun burns directly above them.
"Matilda!" Ian'drah called out when he saw the tall baker crossing the Ice Bridge.
"Oh! Ian'drah fair noon to you..." She hurriedly fixed her hair before nestling her basket on the curve of her waist
"May I ask where you have been since this morning?" with every muscle wanting to break he still managed a fake smile.
Matilda's breathing hitched from the question, her heart drumming fast as she holds her chest. Only jealous husbands asks such question to their precious bethroted, at least that's what she thinks.
"Oh go-gods why? I just ordered a shipment from the east gates and now I'm heading back to the bakery. Wh-why? What's on your mind?" she twirled her wheat-colored hair that it's pins fell.
"Then have you seen a foreign lad with hair like fire and skin like pearls when you crossed this area? He's got green eyes."
"Oh, it was unbelievable..." The spectacle under the bridge earlier is still lasting on her mind. She tried to hide her blush by picking up her pin but her nervous tremble just pushed it off the bridge.
"It was such a sight! as if a winged deity carried a divine being in his arms to fly them back to paradise!" Matilda dramatised, but upon the flight of her words-
So did her body, following the pin.
"Ian?" Matilda held her chest as she's falling head first down the river. Unable to comprehend any reasoning, any wrongdoings.
"Maq'gan..." the Sailor whispered down the gushing river, looking through the distance if anyone had seen his crime.
(Feast...)
As soon as those words left his lips, schools of harmless fish grew sets of human teeth ready to gnaw and gnash, their spine, cold and sharpening as they encircle Matilda's plum legs.
"Matilda... You foolish little girl." that's all she thought of as the fishes tear her cheeks and arms, no time to scream as they consume her flesh and bones upon a drop of a hat.
The river blushed purple- the only residual as the fishes regain their innocent nature. With that, Ian'drah ran towards the Kazer's Hall, ready to cut Laguna's tattood limbs along the future of Soven-Ocmen peace, permanently.