The Gathering

[Black Shadow]

Black Shadow stared into the horizon. The deep blue sky seamlessly transitioned into the cool blue ocean, not a cloud in sight. The view captivated Black Shadow’s eyes. The sound of waves always calmed Black Shadow. As a child his older brother would take him sailing, teaching him how to navigate the ocean. Shadow’s brother was more a father to him than his own dad. His father blamed him for his brother’s death, and his own father ordered his execution.. Black Shadow spent his days searching for relief from this pain, but it never would dissipate from his mind. The memories burned their way into his mind, never to be forgotten, always to resurface when he least expected.

“Excuse me sir.” A voice called out, catching Black Shadow’s attention. “Are you the one traveling with the vampire? Vir Fortis has asked for his attention.”

Black Shadow turned his head to see a man walking towards him. The man was tall, about 6 feet 6 inches tall and at least two hundred fifty pounds. The man clearly kept himself in shape, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. A scimitar gleamed at his hip, polished and well taken care of, but clearly used many times. He wore a white shirt, long brown parts, and black boots.

Black Shadow was unsure about where Gavner was, but the vampire often took refuge below deck out of the sun. The sun scorched Gavner’s skin, leaving massive burns on the vampire, and too much sun would kill him. Black Shadow simply pointed towards the stairway below deck and turned back towards the ocean, his way of telling people to leave him alone. Most men rarely left Black Shadow alone after his silent gestures, but to Shadow’s surprise the man disappeared as quickly as he showed up.

Hopefully this Vir guy doesn’t have an issue with Gavner. Black Shadow thought to himself. I don’t want to have to save him again. Black Shadow paused a few moments, taking another deep breath, smelling the unforgettable scent of the ocean. Salt water and seaweed comforted Black Shadow in an odd way. He's a vampire, he can take care of himself. He thought as he continued to stare into the unknowns of the open sea.

The ocean waves roared against the hull of the ship, drowning out the busy sounds of the crew around Black Shadow. When he returned from this mission perhaps he would purchase a boat of his own, and teach his daughter how to sail. Espoir loved adventuring, seeing the world, and learning about new people. She possessed a natural ability to remember and recreate experiences, excelling at anything she sets her mind to.

Oh Espoir, I can’t wait until i return home. Black Shadow thought to himself, his mind drifting off into another daydream.