408Please respect copyright.PENANAoqGkYqG53H
408Please respect copyright.PENANAjerFCSoNji
"Mummy, look!" 408Please respect copyright.PENANAptmTH4k3eq
Tap, tap. 408Please respect copyright.PENANAs8997GSxrV
"Mummy I will make you proud!" 408Please respect copyright.PENANAFxGj6Uun3n
Tap, tap.408Please respect copyright.PENANAt1q7sfGjSx
"Mummy, save me."408Please respect copyright.PENANALX317t3a7W
Tap, tap.408Please respect copyright.PENANAAuh6JxKbF2
"Alright you better shut408Please respect copyright.PENANAGItU3nlGic
it with the falling tapping!" David shouted as he opened his eyes and 408Please respect copyright.PENANARj7xjs1B9O
got up. Waking from his dream, for what else could it have been? 408Please respect copyright.PENANA2oNRRsumtV
David was about to 408Please respect copyright.PENANAkw1gYlWRfU
complain more but then he remembered what happened, how he fell from the408Please respect copyright.PENANApx2XpMXxGe
ship, to his apparent death. But right now he was in the middle a city 408Please respect copyright.PENANADyaBzhOP0g
or at least a shallow imitation of one. With the buildings and the 408Please respect copyright.PENANAVBZZeGqtu5
people just being shadowy reflections of the real world, but still 408Please respect copyright.PENANAsy538NKjGb
eerily lifelike.408Please respect copyright.PENANAYZqYkb0qDf
Then it clicked, the 408Please respect copyright.PENANA3TVKpk8QrR
ramshackle buildings, the crooked streets, dark alleyways guarded only 408Please respect copyright.PENANAu9vwxVqADm
by footpads and thieves. Shadowy humans begging and fighting. Stumbling 408Please respect copyright.PENANArmt7Zz81Xu
around drunk. David was back in the Havenport slums, his home. A home he408Please respect copyright.PENANA39lHkOdVAR
left around 20 years ago when he boarded his first ship. Why was he 408Please respect copyright.PENANAish3I4VcNn
back? Was he dead after all? 408Please respect copyright.PENANAs3ao0vsdSr
All of those thoughts, 408Please respect copyright.PENANAkThbkr2SkG
and more, were racing through Davids mind. As he was trying to gather 408Please respect copyright.PENANAFIFQMbCzYC
his wits, he heard laughter from...not behind exactly but everywhere.408Please respect copyright.PENANAPp1m1tIXrr
"Ah! Perfect you finally awoke!" David tried turning towards the voice but couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from.408Please respect copyright.PENANA9ovixmY4qx
"Ah, apologies. The ether world makes everything quite fuzzy." 408Please respect copyright.PENANA8WWze67CjS
David fell backwards out of fear as a figure appeared out of thin air in front of him. "Spirit! G..ghost! Demon!"408Please respect copyright.PENANAOMLTuDqQA5
"There, there. Get it 408Please respect copyright.PENANAJClJ07oZQW
all out." The being said in an amused voice. Was it even amused? David, 408Please respect copyright.PENANAsXYUphCkab
again, could not pinpoint the exact tone of voice. It sounded as if it 408Please respect copyright.PENANArwrUq40Smt
was echoing both in his mind and in this city. Hitting the walls making 408Please respect copyright.PENANAKzZJOmMjTE
the voice both louder and yet quieter. The voice had both male and 408Please respect copyright.PENANAINviAo76N9
female aspects to it as some parts sounded quite high pitched while 408Please respect copyright.PENANArbht1YmRV0
others sounded low pitched. Both happy and sad, amused and disappointed.408Please respect copyright.PENANAw8GlwYYMoq
It was quite disconcerting. 408Please respect copyright.PENANAhBeE6dC2SQ
"All done now?" The 408Please respect copyright.PENANASgEngH04BU
apparition asked, smiling. Or was it smiling? As David got back up he 408Please respect copyright.PENANAT4jJm8oVou
got a better look at his new friend. Or at least at the parts that he 408Please respect copyright.PENANAMoAZ3ftK1I
could see. Its face was covered in... something that looked like mist. 408Please respect copyright.PENANAQrJlwAzSGh
David was unable to properly distinguish the features. Whether it was 408Please respect copyright.PENANAjFIBcbH6PC
smiling or crying David would never be able to tell.408Please respect copyright.PENANAYWfO3JcXtP
Its clothes were quite 408Please respect copyright.PENANALRDkAxXzgJ
weird as well. Wearing a top hat which seemed both as tall as the person408Please respect copyright.PENANAqrLfOmI6Tr
wearing it and as short as Davids own pinky. Its body was covered in a 408Please respect copyright.PENANAf8Sb8t5oVw
dark shroud going from the shoulders to feet and every time it moved it 408Please respect copyright.PENANAH0dRybpQwe
changed both color and shape.408Please respect copyright.PENANAzFpgCeWvgF
The figure tilted its 408Please respect copyright.PENANA9jLhh5vVh5
head and moved his hands as the tapping noise continued. Concentrating 408Please respect copyright.PENANAKCtTR9tqUR
on the lower part of the body David could see a thin shape of an object 408Please respect copyright.PENANA567zyxrA3O
that looked like a stick. A cane? A walking stick? Who knew?408Please respect copyright.PENANAscyHtJmCoK
"The tapping, was that you?" David said as the tapping noise surrounded them again echoing as if they were in a cave.408Please respect copyright.PENANAm6yDJqWXKC
"Indeed" 408Please respect copyright.PENANAiVcbunzG5y
Tap, tap, tap.408Please respect copyright.PENANAoDavl0Hezz
David flinched at the 408Please respect copyright.PENANAr1A6wwhKdA
sound. He wanted to shout at the ghost to stop the tapping. To answer 408Please respect copyright.PENANAG7luCfEoh3
where he was and what was happening. But there was a power dynamic here,408Please respect copyright.PENANAc0yAB968xV
as in everything else in life. During the years he learned that there 408Please respect copyright.PENANAvUdAlQx198
are three types of people: Leaders, followers and parasites (a handy 408Please respect copyright.PENANA7D2sGmB5z4
word he learned from a scholar, turned pirate, in his earlier forays 408Please respect copyright.PENANAMSGkrpfXlH
into piracy)408Please respect copyright.PENANADmPFoyePQ8
Leaders and followers 408Please respect copyright.PENANAbR6Ek1fdiR
were self-explanatory. David, meanwhile, considered himself a parasite. 408Please respect copyright.PENANAegCQwGNYIP
Parasites attached themselves to either a leader or a follower. Making 408Please respect copyright.PENANADYsuWfImKR
them believe you were on their side, that you were one of them. And then408Please respect copyright.PENANARx3a0vJHu3
when that person gives you everything you need you leave and attach 408Please respect copyright.PENANAgGWbgRucxb
yourself to someone else.408Please respect copyright.PENANAIg8oAfBv9D
This was not so 408Please respect copyright.PENANAdZLz2OdEPd
different, David was the parasite and the person in front of him was the408Please respect copyright.PENANAPWlWLOqZ3j
leader. He was in charge of the situation so David had to attach 408Please respect copyright.PENANANRrk1JCgVU
himself to him or her. Had to make them believe he was on their side or 408Please respect copyright.PENANALCesVo8yTJ
harmless or whatever the situation called for. After all no one is 408Please respect copyright.PENANAQwL7MxYcKl
immune to flattery, be it gods or ghosts.408Please respect copyright.PENANAJKfS0yXzbb
"I'm sure I'd have the pleasure of your acquaintance, if I knew your name?" He ventured slightly bobbing his head.408Please respect copyright.PENANACng36vRLrM
The figure gave a 408Please respect copyright.PENANArVcqrciF3Q
chuckle, which sounded as if glass shattering. "Ah yes, you will suck up408Please respect copyright.PENANA056U9MIq1Q
to me trying to win me over and then hopefully gain an advantage. I've 408Please respect copyright.PENANA95cXQREuBp
been watching you, David Oxtorne, lying and never revealing your true 408Please respect copyright.PENANAavIMJxJK8R
self. Being a friend to some, an arrogant bastard to others whatever 408Please respect copyright.PENANAEusHDUt6n4
would get them to like or accept you." A pause and the figure looked to 408Please respect copyright.PENANA5P9XiEbwz9
the side. "I've no time for your games; otherwise I would've loved for 408Please respect copyright.PENANAMH5k6KWH0b
you to grovel and try to win favor. For now call me...Jester." Jester 408Please respect copyright.PENANA1819ziQfQD
laughed, as if saying a grand joke that David wasn't part of.408Please respect copyright.PENANAaZkVrSw1kB
David looked at him 408Please respect copyright.PENANASYhjbclYhP
puzzled adding his own awkward laugh to Jesters. This...Jester certainly408Please respect copyright.PENANAdsyKxfsJYY
liked to laugh a lot, although David was failing to find any funny 408Please respect copyright.PENANApKS46k7Ceo
jokes. "Nice to meet you Jester." David was about to say more but he was408Please respect copyright.PENANA6kOTEdbcr9
interrupted by a raised hand.408Please respect copyright.PENANAPHURbRcQsv
"Yes, yes you're a slow 408Please respect copyright.PENANAyqJ46bbhZX
learner aren't you? We will need to change that. You want to ask where 408Please respect copyright.PENANAj2FT7gGXdF
you are and whatnot. So let me answer that for you. You're in the ether 408Please respect copyright.PENANAOR7JSR6OJO
world. You're not dead because I saved you. Your body is laying asleep 408Please respect copyright.PENANAlVJuUQQ5C0
so you're here only in your consciousness. Not a lot of giftless can do 408Please respect copyright.PENANAYcdTnJBG0q
that, you should feel dead honored"408Please respect copyright.PENANAYniJIrNXpo
David was having trouble408Please respect copyright.PENANAJ5E2MIQSiK
following jester. But one thing he understood was that you didn't save 408Please respect copyright.PENANAOgkFPGP8Ti
someone's life unless you got something out of it."wha..."408Please respect copyright.PENANAXzzDkJLC7J
But David didn't get to 408Please respect copyright.PENANAmIsApcmZww
finish as jester continued." Not done yet was I? Your next question is, 408Please respect copyright.PENANAe56O9Peqgm
probably: 'what do you want in return for saving my life?' Which 408Please respect copyright.PENANAOL8P4IGCjs
honestly David hurts, just hurts. Don't you think I'm a generous soul?"408Please respect copyright.PENANA9hlWtccCpj
A pause, David was 408Please respect copyright.PENANApIRvxcAYFV
unsure what to do and begun to answer but the figure kept on talking." 408Please respect copyright.PENANAdmU79XnbVU
Of course I'm not. Suffice to say I will need you to find something. 408Please respect copyright.PENANAcQHw0slMWe
Can't tell you what yet but others will be hunting for it too" 408Please respect copyright.PENANANjMFQ1B464
Jester made a clock 408Please respect copyright.PENANAlGbiyZdWfv
appear in front and nodded...probably." Well that's all from me. We'll 408Please respect copyright.PENANAHd5ODa3yvm
meet again once you've met the other chosen ones. I'll explain more 408Please respect copyright.PENANAPDobqaqy8y
then, hopefully you'll be better company by then. Or else I've chosen 408Please respect copyright.PENANAVSzKCYjAnY
quite wrong, quite wrong indeed."408Please respect copyright.PENANAEf6gauUk8m
David was about to ask 408Please respect copyright.PENANAgFKIEs3vA4
more questions but then he heard a whisper. He looked at jester first 408Please respect copyright.PENANAO0DFEKBW3v
but as far as David could tell it wasn't his doing, which didn't 408Please respect copyright.PENANAVI0zTGPkKf
convince David at all.408Please respect copyright.PENANAUXiil0scty
"Hey I...body..." a voice echoed. Sounding human. 408Please respect copyright.PENANAAuDdCrLpmp
And then his world shook, all the shadows dissipating, as if swept away by the wind.408Please respect copyright.PENANA10BhgDohsS
"I am watching, my chosen. Make it interesting for me." Jesters voice resounded within Davids head as darkness fell again.
ns 172.70.131.173da2