The Shadow of the Accursed Executioner

Chapter 24: The Tracker Through the Lands of Outer

The king were to approach with a gaze upon its fountain of high depiction, before its statue of the Knight of the Realm whilst he, were in thought. As he had granted to the order of the First Garrison. His eyes soon bore now, over the sights of the fountain's depiction of a champion that a warrior is, for the Capital of the Realm. As where, his boredly eyes now had lowed and had lowed in an increase of observing analyse...therefore, so then a shrink of cure, made leave his boredness impression. For as, he had looked down now into the base of the fountain's pool.
        Had approached, right before, against the pool, looming down now into its face of the fountain's still, and glassy-clear reflection. But now to had notice beneath the bottom of the pool, were of a silver chain, laid at the bottom of the fountain's, very ivory, base. So did then he to have peel, to one sleeve of his clothe and then had reached into the water as he had begun pass wetting beyond the roll of his sleeve. For then, he to have raise the silver chain in his soaked palm and knowing... noticing within its submerging of the blur, were it be Ayu's... silver, chain.
        Continuing to have gazed, into his pale and dribble hand, the king. Rhentehl, continues to have watch, from within his unfazed yet foreseeing eyes, watching but if, he had known why to the placing of Ayu's chain, were of an act no here from within these walls but had been were of an act done rather, from outside, these walls of the realm...
        Still, to stare into the chain where he had known to its placing within the fountain were of a ritual that had presented upon life, and of freedom. Ayu, to be released into a scene of water. Forwarding the belief for he now be among, with the homes of the Great Sea Ones. Released into an imaginative sea of freedom, that were as silent as to the burials of peace, from downs into the deepest depths of to the sea itself... Endless were to the thoughts of freedom, for if, were he released into the sea itself he had went...
        And all, by from a ritual, which were believed and were performed by they, whom... ...Whom were they...the Pillagers.

("Pale Master-w-why-are we galloping so fast?! You'll wake the infamous tracker, leading it straight to us!")
        Aggru, urging I in a panic through his perceiving mind, within a constantly of startle and jumpy were his spiriting voice, as I had galloped he through the towering trees of the Outer Lands and through sightings of hills to view along and to notice...saw through the trees now from a side, over my shoulder, were to the sighting of a distantly creature, stomping into the earth, with each its two bone arms, climbing its long arms as if, were it attempting tries splashing, through beyond, in the earth of the ground. ...As it, to had bear to the head of a skeletal dog. Of a head that had wagged till side swaying, next to each, its bone hands, and along they of hands, of human hands they was... Of hands they constant, to have slam across the earth through along, in a rapidness of crawl. To form as this one true beast of the revolting rot throughout, through its growths of a mangled human body. ...And all, by through the seeming origins, of a dog's, possessed body...
        ...An afflicted.
        Whiles it, coming closer... Opposite through the trees, from a side from my path, from between in two worlds of forests, of seeming endless trees where I had galloped yet hard and yet swiftly atop Aggru.
        "I am aware to it!" Raising my voice through the wind over his speedy gallop, gusting side my ears, replying. "It is all part of the plan! We are almost there, regardless! ...Aggru." I end say, in a dread of an uncertainty, of chance... I, and Aggru—our lives—before this beast.
        And along additional...for there, were not one head through this beast of rot and of beating, black core of stems beyond its dragging cage of the ribs over the ground...but as well too...were of a lifeless...and gold-dirt husk. Of a gigantic, skeletal babe...protruding out till, its waist, out through the conjoins of the base of the dog's spine... as now, as this demented, human dog-beast... Dragging with all its remains of their human, and dog anatomies behind like a muddy, of mangle excrements, of fur, flesh, and bone, dragging its four legs of the babe and dog's behind through these speedy passings of the high trees throughout.
        As the Tracker now attempting, for to close its way through the trees. Across this land, with the trees beside, and while, I had wrapped down around my hand, to my waist, and to see to my shortsword—wait, has gone amiss, from my scabbard—
        Where...? As I had thought—and hasty, to this...
        For where, did my blade had part?—as I had touch, and to had patted, to around my body more.
        Then, for where I had looked down toward, along Aggru's bag-packed sides, and to notice on ahead till in Aggru's muzzle, were to my black, and silver shortsword, gripped, within Aggru's mouth. To protrude, of its silver hilt...
        "Remind me why I had even given you my sword!" Calling into Aggru's ears through these gusts of winds, evoking through a tone, of attempt, (alas kind) superior. While I had went, and to had grab, to my drooling hilt...
        ("Pale Master... This, was because you had told me. That you, were afraid...")
        He said.
        Then back as I had glanced into the trees once more, the Tracker, now grinding side the shafts along those trees as I to say. "No." To reply. "...You are wrong." Calling, into his ears, within of hopeful abide, adding. "Just afraid, of what... I...am capable of, instead."
        As Aggru, now no responding, but only gallops to had, onward-ly...
        "Hurting others..." Expressing. "Hurting, the innocent." I said. Mentioning, and through a hinge, of enlightenment. "...Or, to hurt you, even... with my own blood. ...With...—with the line, of my own, long blood..."
        I said. And near, in a barely even cry of shame, I atoning... Till, to of pondering...
        Then, for whiles I speeds on through this opposed side, through between these two lanes of the trees toward the Tracker-less side, were to the quickly passings of a tall and wood post. For that would lean out, like a protrusion through the lanes of the trees and by were wrapped, by many skeletal rats. ...Of cleanly, framed rats... Joined, from their tails. Where, they would lead back into another mouths' behind, and of mouths, going back into tails, like loops. Of loops, for that had form they to display, like seeming pendants.
        ...For having had passing, the wood sign, to symbolise...that we be nearing for the Port, of the Rat Tribe Village.
        As the Tracker did not heed, but were mindless, yet of possessed by a scent.
        Of the Shadowmen's...
        Endless, battles.
        "Keep galloping!" I say, as I had turned to around, from on my seating atop Aggru's saddle. To thus, had prepare, when once the trees will soon end into an open field of hills and to a horizon of the sea (and to its fade, bare sight, of the island), the Tracker, now pounding its snout against the outmost layerings of the tall and black-shade trees...
        "Aggru... —The trees..." I swallowed, "they... They will soon end..." Confessing, and in an urging, of pure daunt.
        Daunted, by the chance. Aggru—to must remain, to this exactly speed through this gusting pound of facial... till the trees, were cut away into an open field of greens and of greys.
As Aggru had remain, with a retaining to his speed, as still, he did not speak. Readying for the timing of the trees, when they would pass their ends while I be tempted to squeeze my left hand down below-around... -W-Wanting, for to grip my left hand down under the pommel, of my shortly sword too...
        However. But to current these lands were too growths of unsteadiness, and of unevenness of the trees-and too, while on being atop Aggru...
        Where instead, to now have placed my left hand, in hands concealed within of slender, white gloves. My non-sword hand...to have placed it over the shoulder of my wielding arm, within a lightly squeeze.
        Now... For back ahead upon the gallop, as the trees now before, and, with any sights of eyes could willed be to see, were of stumps, and of trees and of cleared shrub and greens, emerging—
        The Tracker, to now had witness at its stare within, its void eyes, through across these diminishing, reside trees, along.
         —And as, already, they had pass side the trees with the Tracker, (being, what I had hoped, to have planned) were, to the witnessing, of joint, black stems and along, with many more, but of singular stems. Appearing in-between, its grinding cage of the ribs, through within, its blackly core of the stems. For as, they would pass like black winds through the trees in chase. ...Till to catch, then to pierce, and to tear all flesh and being...
        Now, as the miles of the trees here have come to an end... As the stems had flew and had come, like mystical arrows, of multi-pursuers. Racing, all together as they had looked like the textures of firm, black ropes, and along too, they of wetly glisten. And too... that their blackly tones of dark... for had looked like the unearths, of impossibly, unchanging, soils...
        ...Lightless.
        ...Even, through the light of day, had the black stems remained pure.
        Un-law to the give of light, nor cast beneath, sun's, shadow...
        —
        For then to have released from where the placement of my hand had been. Below, from the shoulder of my own wield-arm, as I had heated through along my own arm, till it imbuing my own shortsword, secretly... —And now, in a flash. As I had slashed out—of a wide, and cross-wind strike, against these oncoming stems with a clash.
        Looming then the beast to have leapt from its side—
        It now. —Skying, high.
        !
        For had launched had high, by its two, sprung arms, like two towering pillars of linking tibias—
        The Tracker—then landing, dusting through the greens, appearing now before, afront, my blazed, blue eyes... The beast, continuing ongoing, with its noising, of a belching within, its body. Belching, and had deeper, the closer, it, would come. Where if, it had sounded, at more like a widen portal, of furthermore screams within. For that had faded, when the belching were had faintness been heard, ever since, when I had rode at side the trees, from before this whole time...
        As the beast had slowed within its speed, a slight. Seeming, by due its many, newly (sliced) off tips of the stems.
        However, but had Aggru... began to have slowed as well... Till, by some lesser galloping of a speed also...
        (...Ah?! Arrrggghh!! N-Neeeeeh-hheeeigh!! ...Master! ...Master! Divert one's eyes fastly over to my tail-quickly, now! ...Pleeease!")
        For had Aggru to had whine-and along, in a determination. Till I, then to had saw, to a black, and remaining stem, still coiling, rounds his tail.
        (W-Why...d-did you leave one behind?! ...Master...! ... This... Is no plan... But of plans, I only believe now yours...are all helmed by luck instead! ...It would seem...!)
        Aggru, to had whine, proudly and stoutly. As I, therefore, then. Would will to reply...
        Scolding. "Do not, dare—perceive, my strikes as luck! —Aggru!" I say, as time, would it to then, I had slashed down through the black stem. A one, and last cut, through the girth, of the long and black stem, within locate. To before...Aggru's, silver tail...
        Severed now away that made the beast trampled slower, then of previous been slowed already. Granting back Aggru's galloping speed from beyond the restoring of his own freed tail.
        As was distance ways the beast, yet it following, yet it still, chasing...beyond, chasing.
        I call.
        "Aggru!"
        Expressed, within alarm, and in caution, as I had pivoted back afront upon the saddle, telling. "No matter what is to happen, you, must keep moving. For I will dismount you from here, and in any moment! The port is ahead. So go! Flee past their village! And I will defend to these grounds before their home!"
        ("Master...! But, hadn't you had threatened to the idea, of you risking an innocent other?!")
        "Yes. ...And still, I do." I claim, dutiful. "But this, will be of an act, an orchestrated act, of heroism. Of heroism-to be used as trade."
        (Yoouu...? Would trade your own life, against, such an Un-kin? Against such a...-storied beast?! Master, oh master, oohh, just, what are you to be thinking here, or are you, to no think at all...?")
        He said. Aggru, condemning I, in wonder... But instead... Had now would I... Were to released out then...of a fracturing grin. From my pale features. To then had stroked down along through Aggru's hair now. As my smile grew ruin and then wider, then of gradual become deranged, then of final becometh fear... now letting out a breath of calm, thus it cleansing to the smile of my fear and from the fearing in my eyes.
        Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosssssssssssh!
        For had launched off the saddle then, with a flip into the air, launching back-way up—
        Then, to land, onto the ground.
        As immediate then went I swiftly, to begin, into a charging sprint. Cindering into a blue and pale blur toward a field, that had reside along this path.
        As the beast's belching roars comes groaning nosier and as its tibias strived longer.
        And before already...now I to stance...with my black and silver shortsword, as both hands now—to have wrapped, the hilt. —For eyes flourishing, blazing holy, crystalline menacing—flames had burst, blue and cindering and of orange from up the left, off along my arm. To displayed now see of an outer-layering, that were like an unseeable shell of my own body.
        As the beast now had towered till a halt in its place... It and I, now centring within a lost field, of greens and of greys as the beast had finalled, with two more stomps, through the ground, more.
        As the hollow eyes, of the dog's, enlarged skull...to had stared with an estimate, sight down, from where I am stand in place under its roughly scent. As the beast of dog, and along, with its possessed, bone-babe, conjoin, had paused to its scent, from my appearing, new blaze, of power.
        But had this, were of a power? —Thought-striken, and so sudden. Of a power, that had rekindled...upon even to the scent of I? Of a power who if, I have become...? Like another new man of being?
        ...
        As the beast now had seemed to have complete upon its scent. Down, into this new other I... Now, as it had rose, its one, its tibias, of a human-bone hand, and limb. To now have raised it so as high, that it have shaded over the grounds from where I am stand...