401Please respect copyright.PENANAOa5qPmcIsj
401Please respect copyright.PENANAAFTvr1jsZA
"Mummy, look!" 401Please respect copyright.PENANArJ7xCQn268
Tap, tap. 401Please respect copyright.PENANAVUW8sLcutm
"Mummy I will make you proud!" 401Please respect copyright.PENANA0rHowXypCY
Tap, tap.401Please respect copyright.PENANA9NdVs8ybJ5
"Mummy, save me."401Please respect copyright.PENANAxddhROQDKP
Tap, tap.401Please respect copyright.PENANAysDXdD5Oyg
"Alright you better shut401Please respect copyright.PENANAsqHJqPM2G4
it with the falling tapping!" David shouted as he opened his eyes and 401Please respect copyright.PENANAhiPoGwIxrR
got up. Waking from his dream, for what else could it have been? 401Please respect copyright.PENANA7Z7JUwLttt
David was about to 401Please respect copyright.PENANAHrqEyf88BL
complain more but then he remembered what happened, how he fell from the401Please respect copyright.PENANAYKMuMsE4Ef
ship, to his apparent death. But right now he was in the middle a city 401Please respect copyright.PENANAcqZjwOis5r
or at least a shallow imitation of one. With the buildings and the 401Please respect copyright.PENANA2zqIuv6NEA
people just being shadowy reflections of the real world, but still 401Please respect copyright.PENANAv7CKBRHsTZ
eerily lifelike.401Please respect copyright.PENANAuAeNdW7ipy
Then it clicked, the 401Please respect copyright.PENANAcehzPIIcqi
ramshackle buildings, the crooked streets, dark alleyways guarded only 401Please respect copyright.PENANAjWN2lQ4B2s
by footpads and thieves. Shadowy humans begging and fighting. Stumbling 401Please respect copyright.PENANAzOYNWCCSq1
around drunk. David was back in the Havenport slums, his home. A home he401Please respect copyright.PENANA43806f5XRF
left around 20 years ago when he boarded his first ship. Why was he 401Please respect copyright.PENANAcB1WoZ8yhU
back? Was he dead after all? 401Please respect copyright.PENANA34qXcD2Wen
All of those thoughts, 401Please respect copyright.PENANAw7AMKwIn4l
and more, were racing through Davids mind. As he was trying to gather 401Please respect copyright.PENANAASbarUdAS3
his wits, he heard laughter from...not behind exactly but everywhere.401Please respect copyright.PENANARLhPmuzk5p
"Ah! Perfect you finally awoke!" David tried turning towards the voice but couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from.401Please respect copyright.PENANAdymhRwGrvj
"Ah, apologies. The ether world makes everything quite fuzzy." 401Please respect copyright.PENANAffdS4LvGGe
David fell backwards out of fear as a figure appeared out of thin air in front of him. "Spirit! G..ghost! Demon!"401Please respect copyright.PENANAHrm8xITpRc
"There, there. Get it 401Please respect copyright.PENANAYm1Vvja8Xp
all out." The being said in an amused voice. Was it even amused? David, 401Please respect copyright.PENANARB3eVdFffM
again, could not pinpoint the exact tone of voice. It sounded as if it 401Please respect copyright.PENANA2PkQ9ofnWL
was echoing both in his mind and in this city. Hitting the walls making 401Please respect copyright.PENANAQUwhMCFyNH
the voice both louder and yet quieter. The voice had both male and 401Please respect copyright.PENANA583Y4QLopX
female aspects to it as some parts sounded quite high pitched while 401Please respect copyright.PENANA62wqbdiVpK
others sounded low pitched. Both happy and sad, amused and disappointed.401Please respect copyright.PENANAqPn7fyklGv
It was quite disconcerting. 401Please respect copyright.PENANAiJhVErPwL6
"All done now?" The 401Please respect copyright.PENANAOgpyBAFihv
apparition asked, smiling. Or was it smiling? As David got back up he 401Please respect copyright.PENANA37uUyanWUl
got a better look at his new friend. Or at least at the parts that he 401Please respect copyright.PENANA49hphd1sIq
could see. Its face was covered in... something that looked like mist. 401Please respect copyright.PENANA2vqADwDS1P
David was unable to properly distinguish the features. Whether it was 401Please respect copyright.PENANAxc7nB8fwIE
smiling or crying David would never be able to tell.401Please respect copyright.PENANAtA2w3qQUKQ
Its clothes were quite 401Please respect copyright.PENANAwHasZUVbwy
weird as well. Wearing a top hat which seemed both as tall as the person401Please respect copyright.PENANAT7qSWFMpNn
wearing it and as short as Davids own pinky. Its body was covered in a 401Please respect copyright.PENANAx0ac2qMghY
dark shroud going from the shoulders to feet and every time it moved it 401Please respect copyright.PENANADgnsITa4Sq
changed both color and shape.401Please respect copyright.PENANA7030CVh6CH
The figure tilted its 401Please respect copyright.PENANAgWtSlOqqgf
head and moved his hands as the tapping noise continued. Concentrating 401Please respect copyright.PENANA94b7zTNngK
on the lower part of the body David could see a thin shape of an object 401Please respect copyright.PENANADrYFlEQueS
that looked like a stick. A cane? A walking stick? Who knew?401Please respect copyright.PENANAVMPtpJaC6J
"The tapping, was that you?" David said as the tapping noise surrounded them again echoing as if they were in a cave.401Please respect copyright.PENANAskAKsrASPa
"Indeed" 401Please respect copyright.PENANAtNxvVg9f8M
Tap, tap, tap.401Please respect copyright.PENANAi1I4IjHR9T
David flinched at the 401Please respect copyright.PENANANOqKIsn4Vl
sound. He wanted to shout at the ghost to stop the tapping. To answer 401Please respect copyright.PENANA89zJgFaAsO
where he was and what was happening. But there was a power dynamic here,401Please respect copyright.PENANAXyLZsrGOTm
as in everything else in life. During the years he learned that there 401Please respect copyright.PENANAogczK6mesu
are three types of people: Leaders, followers and parasites (a handy 401Please respect copyright.PENANAld9P14Pmm6
word he learned from a scholar, turned pirate, in his earlier forays 401Please respect copyright.PENANA2aKAq67xQ3
into piracy)401Please respect copyright.PENANAhd2J3icRuj
Leaders and followers 401Please respect copyright.PENANAuBUQ2QkQN7
were self-explanatory. David, meanwhile, considered himself a parasite. 401Please respect copyright.PENANA49PCm1OxCV
Parasites attached themselves to either a leader or a follower. Making 401Please respect copyright.PENANAc2BTXCJE5v
them believe you were on their side, that you were one of them. And then401Please respect copyright.PENANArd81twmWjj
when that person gives you everything you need you leave and attach 401Please respect copyright.PENANADe1YOZneyA
yourself to someone else.401Please respect copyright.PENANAjtMUdl6JgM
This was not so 401Please respect copyright.PENANAOOKnTc9qcs
different, David was the parasite and the person in front of him was the401Please respect copyright.PENANAs16FagstuA
leader. He was in charge of the situation so David had to attach 401Please respect copyright.PENANAah0uEz07jU
himself to him or her. Had to make them believe he was on their side or 401Please respect copyright.PENANAC0D6KUMZp8
harmless or whatever the situation called for. After all no one is 401Please respect copyright.PENANAKkOZYFEOmA
immune to flattery, be it gods or ghosts.401Please respect copyright.PENANA1ugrTTXf2m
"I'm sure I'd have the pleasure of your acquaintance, if I knew your name?" He ventured slightly bobbing his head.401Please respect copyright.PENANAAMnAVnff4Y
The figure gave a 401Please respect copyright.PENANAZgBVJHe9Tj
chuckle, which sounded as if glass shattering. "Ah yes, you will suck up401Please respect copyright.PENANA8QAtKNkWNN
to me trying to win me over and then hopefully gain an advantage. I've 401Please respect copyright.PENANAU1PobZvsBy
been watching you, David Oxtorne, lying and never revealing your true 401Please respect copyright.PENANAzA0i5GMv9A
self. Being a friend to some, an arrogant bastard to others whatever 401Please respect copyright.PENANA0fDCL5Bclp
would get them to like or accept you." A pause and the figure looked to 401Please respect copyright.PENANA0XnGmYTntx
the side. "I've no time for your games; otherwise I would've loved for 401Please respect copyright.PENANAtZoVHsFtUa
you to grovel and try to win favor. For now call me...Jester." Jester 401Please respect copyright.PENANA4fVVgiQ9CE
laughed, as if saying a grand joke that David wasn't part of.401Please respect copyright.PENANA7qLWHrvLCB
David looked at him 401Please respect copyright.PENANALChGbJaZI2
puzzled adding his own awkward laugh to Jesters. This...Jester certainly401Please respect copyright.PENANATOkLKEXoEe
liked to laugh a lot, although David was failing to find any funny 401Please respect copyright.PENANAUCTx8rE3PB
jokes. "Nice to meet you Jester." David was about to say more but he was401Please respect copyright.PENANAmP18IjEE7t
interrupted by a raised hand.401Please respect copyright.PENANA4amNDHdi0W
"Yes, yes you're a slow 401Please respect copyright.PENANAeTEUYVrXNQ
learner aren't you? We will need to change that. You want to ask where 401Please respect copyright.PENANAfa0TxLsQ6N
you are and whatnot. So let me answer that for you. You're in the ether 401Please respect copyright.PENANARXhYRg3H4m
world. You're not dead because I saved you. Your body is laying asleep 401Please respect copyright.PENANAN1exLBt8FU
so you're here only in your consciousness. Not a lot of giftless can do 401Please respect copyright.PENANAlw5bucAdwW
that, you should feel dead honored"401Please respect copyright.PENANAtPqYrCeX2Z
David was having trouble401Please respect copyright.PENANA1WxJwN99No
following jester. But one thing he understood was that you didn't save 401Please respect copyright.PENANALG6WKshZx0
someone's life unless you got something out of it."wha..."401Please respect copyright.PENANAm4a1lrXqp4
But David didn't get to 401Please respect copyright.PENANAGS0pTHVT0Q
finish as jester continued." Not done yet was I? Your next question is, 401Please respect copyright.PENANArLgOxP0bdU
probably: 'what do you want in return for saving my life?' Which 401Please respect copyright.PENANAR9d48kU5c5
honestly David hurts, just hurts. Don't you think I'm a generous soul?"401Please respect copyright.PENANADude6gVSsK
A pause, David was 401Please respect copyright.PENANAplJVUz5g7E
unsure what to do and begun to answer but the figure kept on talking." 401Please respect copyright.PENANAYQUSjXTKcT
Of course I'm not. Suffice to say I will need you to find something. 401Please respect copyright.PENANA38IXHi9T9f
Can't tell you what yet but others will be hunting for it too" 401Please respect copyright.PENANAOpuis4EgzG
Jester made a clock 401Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6X0InXGrn
appear in front and nodded...probably." Well that's all from me. We'll 401Please respect copyright.PENANA3grkFuesgx
meet again once you've met the other chosen ones. I'll explain more 401Please respect copyright.PENANAkxwFbJ3Z36
then, hopefully you'll be better company by then. Or else I've chosen 401Please respect copyright.PENANAEUeYX1ZWVW
quite wrong, quite wrong indeed."401Please respect copyright.PENANAeAdyXuIg8N
David was about to ask 401Please respect copyright.PENANAa4OwIzKgou
more questions but then he heard a whisper. He looked at jester first 401Please respect copyright.PENANArYxUwLMvy9
but as far as David could tell it wasn't his doing, which didn't 401Please respect copyright.PENANAwT5nUQIiuH
convince David at all.401Please respect copyright.PENANAFkqCfUhW7U
"Hey I...body..." a voice echoed. Sounding human. 401Please respect copyright.PENANAjT8q2Uvl8l
And then his world shook, all the shadows dissipating, as if swept away by the wind.401Please respect copyright.PENANABL9pLeYoyS
"I am watching, my chosen. Make it interesting for me." Jesters voice resounded within Davids head as darkness fell again.
ns 172.70.100.80da2