Through His Eyes

Chapter 2 Family ties

 The teal sun shined bleakley across the greying sky, clouds a blackened grey loom and drift over the sun blocking out the sky. Only shops kept their doors open for those rushing to get away from the coming storm and the possible time to chat or get a customer, not even traders thought of setting up stands. Down towards the stone walls and docks of the east Domnaes closed all doors of ranges of colors and windows stained and clear, many walked down the grey cobble roads down to the black stone and metal docks. Shadow walked down old, moss grown, white, cobble stairs, each step was worned down to the skeleton of the stone with footprints that were untouched for years. Walking down these stairs after years of unuse made Shadow's heart sink, these stairs were used for newcomers to sailing life and those who had a life beyond the docks, he remembered when he was a kid of six or seven, long before he had a brother and sister. He remembered when he would sit on these steps with his mother, staring out to the light blue sea just waiting for someone he never knew. His mother looked so hopeful back then, her soft orange red eyes glittering with the sunlight hitting against the slow waves, a gentle daydreamer's smile on her face. Every morning before sunrise she would sit there with Shadow half asleep in her arms, he never knew why she would wake up at such annoying hour. His mind drew blank as his memory faded beyond that, his heart sank again as he was brought back to reality, here he was walking down these steps and heading to the most deadly ship known to sail seas, soon to leave for months or even years before seeing these black docks again, before seeing his mother, brother, and sister again. It wasn't the week to leave yet but Shadow knew he had to start living on the ship in order to grow accustomed to the new life. His feet hit the black stone floor of the docks. The stones shined with silver and dark blue streaks as the sun reflected off the glossy yet rough surface. Every few stones were changed with a metal plate holding a small bright light, that was use for night, in the middle, the dark metal looked as if it melted in the sun years ago as it seemed to seep in the cracks of the stones around it. Shadow looked out to the long rows of white poles and pale metal walkways that traveled across the blue bay like vines. Metal ships, all tall and secretly armed to the teeth, all the way to their captains, loomed in between the walkways. Their shadows blocked out all light except for the small lights that lit across the dock. All sorts of Domnaes were walking around the dock, most of them wore colored pants and frilled shirts showing the captains the sailors were under, everyone was holding crates and bags full of rations and shipments, even extra scraps of objects matching the material of the ship it was heading to, to be used as repairs. Across the edges of docks and the streets to the town and shops had creets full of rums and whines freshly brought out from one of the sister islands, brown and tan barrels had all sorts of colored tops, some didn't have any, showing fishes with scales black and silver slithering around the very small space.Looking out to the walkways one metal ship was different than the others, its large mast loomed above two smaller metal masts like skeletons as there was only sails on the main mast. The unique sail was bleach white, with a black S shaped symbol that had swirled at the ends, two waving, gold lines crossed through the S's center as four glittering, silver dots stood near the edges. The old symbol of Howltie's old flag. The grey silver ship held a roaring dragon's head at its sharply pointed bow, its scales were worn from a long life at sea and the silver was rubbing off leaving only the black, tough metal. In the dragon's roaring mouth was a thick crystal sphere, two thin metal poles connected together in the middle of the sphere and dangling from a immovable chain was a smaller sphere that looked like the light in Shadow's room. It was fascinating how such a small, rather worthless light, used as nightlights for young children was being used as a fog light for a naval ship older than any still sailing. Along the outside of the hull were sailors with rope fastened securely around their waists to keep them from falling in the sea, they held flat metal blades in shapes of rectangles and flattened ovals or leaves that they used to scrape off some circular shelled creature that held onto the ship like leeches, Shadow couldn't tell what they were but he knew he'd have to do the same job soon. The sailors were oddly fun to watch though, as they swayed side to side slowly in an arc and jumping over fellow sailors ropes, they looked like dancers in a slow, perfectly timed dance. The low voices of the older men rang out in a slow, deep tune to help keep pace, they weren't in ear range but the odd acapella piece still seemed to echo along the docks like mist, a few random sailors hummed the tune as they walked past. Shadow walked down to the ship with his hands in his pockets, the side of the ship could be seen more clearly, near the stern was the name melted in gold with silver in the middle spelling, Sal Breach.