The Shadow of the Accursed Executioner

Chapter 2: The Black Door

And as whilst to have passed above, like an upward plummeting through the walls of the stones in silence, and as swift, like a passing body... like to a singular beating of a black heart... was to the shaded figment, of a winged shadow...

For up each step, each struggle, throughout hoping no single stone were to suddenly break or to collapse all together, the high wall steepened. Whilst as shards and to clusters of stone, by had continually to have spitted from above. Like if, to the beginnings of an early rain. From upon over the unseeable tips of this island. Skimming down against these high walls then, then, to have scattered upon the sands. By which, for that had forced I to have flinched throughout and, and to henceforth with then, in a constantness of shutting eye through up my ascent.
        Whilst with, to no intention—but with a quick glancing below now... for it plausible that I now, to could simply fallen to my death here. ...If, I was to give yield upon here, upon now. As I had impaled, with Floria's dagger, into the slits between the stones of these walls now, for to rest and to regained my strength.
        Then, to pulled higher, whilst entirely whole Time, as I am spanned against this wall, like an outstretched frog. Tiptoeing.
        Until, to have sighted above and to have realised, however...that, for the remainder of this wall to had hung like a fang. And, of below of this fang were of a seeming gap(?). Like a mouth through this wall, or, like at a base within. ...Or, like on a flatness of ground, merged from these stones within.
        ...
        Of an entrance into the wall, I, to deciphered now, from my sight. As I would raised a little higher and, to had upped closer, here... Once more.

With, embracing up the walls, until... with only needing, of only few more gropes against the stones now. ...That as now as I would upped for until... that I could see, inside this gap. As is how, I were to entered into this wall now, with under the laying of my arm with my un-cursed limb beneath. As under inches, of to thrusting, then to gradually shuffling. At away from the edge.
        To now have stood and to have witnessed within... of a hidden recess between the rest of this wall above, and below. Its edge of the ceiling, curving back out as its seamless merging, as its rest of the remainder, of these grey and high walls. That had resumed as its residing, as the rest of this island's outer stones, as its naturing fortress of the exteriors, once more. However, but relieved now by, when I had end to my unnerved of a climbed whilst exhaling out now through in a faintness of sighing. As I begin, to start exploring, by into this recess through the sky.
        Until witnessing at toward, till the very ends of its grey and dark-shade recess through the wall... were of a pure and dark... invoking till an eye-sore embedment through the wall... were of an unsettling, black door within the recess' mouth. Of a purely...rectangular, simplistic black door. Filled within the wall that were devoid of all features but of its rec' shape. That had displayed so as blank, and so as vaguely plain... where if, to the unknown. And too, for the door beyond resonating, by through a faint and a low patterning in thumps. Continuously it, thumping, like to the hiddenly beatings, from within a heavy and a gargantuan... throbbingly... unseeing, heart.
        But at, however, where before the black-leering door of its rhythmic thumping had reside next along, were, of a large casket. (And to this casket, sized larger than any man would to needed. Seeming like ten men of all large can be laid within.) The casket so residing, to next against one side of these walls of along these grey stones. And of it drenched over by a coating, that of a pure, black pigment to would seemed I examined. Of this pigment, drenched over its hard-wood exteriors, of a once-colours that, of its varying, warm browns beneath.
        For then I thinking, upon this blackness pigment...it, but were as dark along, such, as to this door exactly I had thought. And, but as the casket's lid, however, to noticed... the lid, it, were off slightly unsealed, but as an opening gap within airs enough only... but, for something, so to breathe and to coursed throughout... perhaps, within.
        Whilst I wondering, upon this casket's strange, strange placement. Sitting, in this recess through the walls, above. High, off the grounds below. Odd...beyond cryptic. However, as I would glanced back over the door, then to had stared back within through in a puzzlement of expression over this casket, eyeing. But already, had the gap of this casket... to now had festered I now into a deepness of temptation... in an allure of wonder... As in thus then now as I were to make...(now made), for toward my next decision...
        So decided...to confront before the casket's gap. The casket, as a little higher than I own to compare; who I, as a slight taller, than of men whom be considered ones of tall already somewhat. As I had reached up until, then, and to have curled my metal fingers, at above, upon the gap.
        To peak over the edge, now...
        Eyeing, into the casket...
        And, to see now...
        ...
        "Another.... Your I lay sight..." To breathed out of a voice—of suddenly, up through, this casket's gap. Of a golden light out—to had shone, from in the bottom of this casket's base. As its voice thumped deep and yet spiritedly echoing, like to a distantly of storms, or to thunders... was to have spoken, was to the head——of a beast.
        Menacingly, yet... and, but had sounded to be tamed, by no other, any forms of life I had thought. Ever. ...Alone. But, be it only, by through the taming...by, to the causal of Time...
        As all whilst I would backed away in...—in disbelief (...!), when its voice to have echoed through up the gap, that had dampened to my bones throughout, in a heightening of a newly creep. Raising so then to the hilt of my pointless blade, I had, due therefore, to have witnessed to before my very eye... were been a skull. Of a skull, that were a slight larger, than of half a man's back, to comparing. So of eyes, glowing like as brightly two suns, of eyes... pure, white orbs and, as its jaws, clenching anciently narrowly, yet broadly defining, from within layerings of teeth. Of teeth that had looked like to the sets of carved stones, where they had looked at the tips like disturbed yet evolved blades, like roots of miniature rows of faded golden. But, to what to this beast—to only seemed like to the remains of an ancient creature, yet—is spoke of life. With two horns, swept back. Which, that had arched as two points, until as vertical perfections both. And along, with two more horns, bones smaller, off behind its wicked jaws.
        "Another..." It had called, once more. The thumped soul within its echo to had repeated through its noise, like an early and distantly thunder, again. Once more. "Another... Silent one... Be... not..." Digressing. Opposing. "Perhaps, your... to the one, I had lay sight...is wills attempting, to destruct upon I own, immortal remains...!" The beast, despising. "...Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..." Thought wickedly intrigued however, (and sounded to be grinning through the casket). "FOR THIS, WILLS ONLY, OF UNAVAILING, AND OF VAIN...! THUS THIS, BECOMING FUTILE...! As only, for yours shadow, then, is wills to perish before my light..."
        "..."
        "..."
        "..."
        "..."
        "..."
        "This.......... Silence....." Intrigued, it had say now. "Must I, diverts notion... ...Perhaps, do then shadow...? Departed...." It says, now. Blindly wondering.
        Then to scraped along the end of my pointless blade upon the ground, to have rested it upon my shoulder.
        "—CEASE!! Your! By to taunt I—while among this deprive...! Only, to jeering, wills to lead you within destruction before I! Panamex! Dragon and Kin of the Sun..."
        Had decreed the beast. Whilst its light within the casket were to flicker and to flashed up through the gap, continually along, within its thundered agitation, like a locked away being yet were carriages away heard in its distance, as one. Why, continuing, to speaks to oneself in lost riddles, and in helpless uncertainty. And along, but as I, too... I, had known nothing. Relating, to with this beast's, in its helpless uncertainty. ...To knowing nothing of this place. ...Of its own existence. Until now, in its sight. And to knowing nothing of this Curse, regardless... I then decide now, to have lowered down the rope from where I brought across the seas of the Side East, and to attempt to fish up this beast now from inside the casket.
        By all whilst still, had the bodiless beast, continued to gravelled mindlessly along, due over to the rustling of my equipment. And all whilst, still, within its seeming obligation; to want destroy the "shadows", it would say. Now, as I would twirled around the rope, with around my metal fingers... as then Time after Time... been numerously been attempts, for to fished for the head, or to catch either horns or to scooped rounds below... as I would attempt and to have reached now, where its whole upper jaw, is besetting...
        ...Till eventually.
        ...Till I could tightened at the noose. Till now, for I can pulled up the rope, like a reel.
        "...Why, do I sense...? Become of quaint...?" For it had said. Intrigued. "How...? ...For, of this, a partaking... despite wingless among flight.. I, Panamex. Once more..."
        Till then as I had laid for to the bodiless beast onto the smooth greys of the ground upon the base of its lower jaw. However, but as its soul-white eyes... they, like, as two glossily pales, had begun to have shrivelled into mere dots, into as small as pins. When all whilst, I, to have turned around its head now and is therefore to have faced me, the bodiless beast, now looking like a choiceless and old stone of patched lights and to horns by from the ground of its place.
        "I be... ...Unsealed... ...Un-darks by the alight, to the arise of by your..." For further intrigued, it had said. "...Seeeee... Do a shadow, to have unclose I? ...—Despite...!" Sceptic, to digress. "Despite, to the longly, the longly, that I proceed, to perceive upon your... YOU, are but one...but to seems among the shadows, as not..."
        But now as I would to hovered my cursed hand for toward this beast's eyes of an exhibit. To then have reached into its jaws, whilst, hoping, that I am able, but to feel through, into the beast's marrow...
        But, alas, with to my black phantom limb... but to have phased into the skull of its lifeless (yet) existence, only.
        "I don't know what I am anymore..." I had spoken. Confessing to the head. Empty and hoarse and wearily filled I to sounded.
        The dotted souls within its eyes, expanding. "For yours, are a beyond... peculiar... Unwonted." For it said.
        "...This, all you have to speak?" I gravelled. Unimpressed.
        "For I, for of naught, to perceives such form as your... For I, do not conscious of this new form... ...Despite? ...Or, perhaps, do you be, an Unkin? ..."
        "...Is there something you are not speaking? Because the casket is right here."
        "I—DESIRES NOT...returns depths, to the eternal darkness...! For I, Panamex, Dragon and Kin of the Sun...have perceives within confinement, since Timed passings upon in eighteen-thousand years!"
        "Then do you wish for another eighteen-thousand years!"
        "Desires, I, foreseeing, not! But you, are be... peculiar... Deeply... As I, do conceive your eye, as loss. And one appendage, traits shadow..." It says. "Despite... What, do be upon is? ...Seeeeeeee..." Would think, within intrigue more, "of a seal...beyond your..."
        "The black door you're speaking." I replied, lifting my weary etching of a voice, for moments for, toward this door.
        "Defy is...'d-o-o-r'." It says. "But halt, first must, proposition, upon your... To conscious of within one's dub. For your, are be...? Or, are your form not originates by the duals of kin..." Says, in an echoing wonder. As the distantly thunder within its skull, to abruptly ends once more.
        "...Ghen." By I had answered. Simply.
        As then I were to faced away now and to approached toward this door in a more woken expression. Though, in a still yet being wearily demeanour. That now as I would gazed, into my cursed limb... it, as faintly transparent like an own spirit. Where until now, as I would aligned with my black phantom limb, to against this fixed, black door.
        "'G-h-e-n'." The bodiless beast...so to calls my name. "Must I, to propose of a guidance... For perhaps, yours limb of shadow... is be a condition, what proceeds this 'door'..."
        Acknowledging what speaks says, by the bodiless beast. To now as I would plant my phantom limb against this door, unyielding. By the door weighed thick, perpetually heavy. Like to the built of many anvils, until in infinite of many anvils now, as I would pressed to against its imbed face here, presently.
        ...Till, eventually, however... had now this door would begin to react.
        "Prepare, you must, Ghen! ...For does, I be sensing!" For he calls, the bodiless beast—
        As thick, black stems to have spurted out through from in the centre of this door, spewing out over of the sameness pigment, (the casket), charging out now as they were to fired out through from an agape of a spiralling mouth then till a leaking, climaxing... ...where until, they had latched around to the forearm, of my phantom limb.
        But all, however, upon, but to have seemed with to my phantom limb, but, to have absorbed, or to had broken into this door's, its imbedment seal. As the seemingly limitless force of its weight then within breaks away now, through in a singular-like burst. For that, then furthermore, this... but to have caused to all the stems, now, they... and, to have retracted all away, now... into a rapidly... of a flaccidly ebbing...
        ...Then after...had a silence, to have stricken. With exception, over, to the faintly clashes of the waves, below, and upon in, of the twine and hollow winds. And as the winds throughout noised like in a constant of yawned, yawned ghosts from afar, outer, the walls of this island.
        And as moved now the door... the black door... to unveils out of a slit of dark, by an anonymous, unfurling before me. And in this black door, beyond looking so as dark, like if... were it to the sleeping of skulls' minds, within...
        Regardless, now as a peeking through the walls, I, to discovered within.
        And so. For at last. As I am able, but to confront before this door, now. Here to placed my metal fingers upon, instead, and where to pulled from the stile. As seems like the seal of this door is confirmed, dissipated, I had thought. But to went, now, however, inside, were of a banging. A hit, hit, hit—from opposed beyond this door, as three low thumps inside suddenly. But now, however... as I were to heard within...of to whispers— Then, in audial closer, now, to be gaining and to gaining now from beyond this door...
        Until, had then a whole and blank face of pure dark, like a shade, if yet were solidly-looking, to what appears now through from within the face of this door. Continuing, then passing—(phasing)—through this door, I to thoughts. Unfounded, by toward this shadow. It seeming originating to with this sameness form within ability as to my phantom limb, I to gathering. Of an exactness being the same, as to its purely, and shadowed texture. Of a texture, that were as blank... like to the darks or of blacks between... like to the origins... of existence... For due to my senses of the many... made shuddered upon its sight.
        All whilst, had I had jolted back away into a scatter, as then the head to have sunken back through within the door, however. Goes, the shadow, to had returned back through within the door, I had witnessed like an orb, which was sucked back through then, like into a Time-stopped portal of black.
        But then outed to have returned now, whom jostling along then, were to three shadows— Now, to have entered out through, from within the face of this door. The door, now if, were it like a portal out hosting, under a subliminal of orders for these shadows in an aimlessness of approaching confrontations.
        But now, however... What now...to have shone...
        (?!)
        By the bodiless beast to have spanned... revealing out over, through over a cone of light, from beyond in its jaws, between, in its sets—of an ancient of teeth-blades. By, of a spanning out cone of light. That of a light, an all-shining... like a second sun. Of a greatly incandescent, white-gold light—
        (RHUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMH...!)
        To alighted all through these shadows along, and, as that would caused they all and to have squealed throughout into screeches of divine-pitch screams, their bodies rippling through the airs, uplifted through the light, depicting, like to tatters of ravaged pieces of shades. As stunned to their places. And along, but blinded within the light myself... I regardless, then to have raised my pointless blade against a shadow, now, then, and to have confronted before one—with a downward strike.
        "...?!"
        But alas, with to my pointless blade... but, to have passed down through into its ominous body——only(???). Where until I had end to my strike now... by, with a dulled clanging, against the ground.
        And along in consumed by——in an overwhelm of the unknown. ...As I were to dropped my pointless blade and, within my mind now caught—...into a midst of cold fear. Positioned, into no choice now, but to attempt and... for to repel off against these three shadows.
        For which then as I would manoeuvred upon in for my next decision. Of a decision... That will, I, be able, to contact into these shadows with my limb of the Curse? — My black phantom limb. This, I to theorised, this, as wickedly truly.
        So charging toward one of these shadows with my black fist, raising it so as high as to aimed with my phantom limb. Now, to have pierced each through their bodies. !!! —My cursed limb, to have splatted each through of the shadows, whilst still they were stunned and still adrift through, within of the beast's light. And, as each then of the shadows, however, but... for, to have vanished each away now from upon in their places, until lastly then to become, like of leaving fades, of transparent...nothingness... As if, they were absorbed, into the airs of whole existences to would seemed, I examined, with relief of learnt over these shadows... now, as vanquished. ...When all whilst the light from inside of the bodiless beast now... but to have closed off away in... like a setting sun. Its jaws, a mouth of light (until a glint now...) now longed... to have shutted...
        !
        But, as the fear to remained—I to shuddered.
        Then, to felled to my knees.
        Shaken, by the fear—uncontrollable to bear, this encounter—I thought dreadingly, this occurrence. Unable, to comprehend, what have truly to attest been happened...
        For I, to comprehending—upon nothing. Still.
        "Not...!" By for the bodiless beast to have gasped and within twist by to its inner and distant of storms. While its eyes, shrivelling into as dots once more. "How...?! Cannot it—to still being...! ...For must this perceives—as remnants..." It thoughts. Rumbling of the distance, in its voice.
        But now, as I were to leered into the beast's eyes...—a hidden realisation, perhaps it, to have held... which, that had elicited a sudden courage now, now to have lowed my fear and rejuvenate my body, that I had sprung from my knees up swiftly and then to snatched over to one, of its dominant horns, until to shake its skull madly now, convulsing it violently, and, then, like it would be to blow...!
        "THE SHADOWMEN...!!!" But had said out, the bodiless beast, within a remembrance like that out of an announcing realisation (or of a recounting). For its dotted eyes, they rebounding up and down, like as bouncing stars throughout, by over my shakily interrogation.
        "The Host of the Curse!" So exchanged, I would yelled. Demanding, for all answers. "Tell me where it is!! Tell me, what you know!!" —Juddering, still, to its skull, unendingly. Intolerably.
        "Exhort, for to heed I, Ghen...! For to conscious of this, as not!" It had reply, admitting. "To perceives of this, as not...! ...Inciting of this... as not...! Despite, if one, but to un-seize I, instead... Then wills this proceed I, as a foreseeing upon yours purpose—see!"
        For it said.
        ...That eventually that this compels I, by the bodiless beast, and... for so to released to its horn. As now I were to swiped my pointless blade from the ground then to sighted back toward for this door, now cleansed of the shadows within to would seemed I had thought, all whilst this thought of certainty to had delved, the more and more from where the closer I am returning, back toward, before this door. Thus, resumed, pulling back the door, grinding against the greys through under a rumble of heft and coarse, until. That I am now seeing into an unforeseeable...darkness.
        As a passage through in.
        "H-o-s-t o-f'... 'T-h-e C-u-r-s-e'..." For had wondered, it had said, of the bodiless beast. "Verity, upon such dub, be not... But, as postulation be a dub...? Conjuration...by your..." For it had thought, the beast. Speculation, dominating in its voice of storms and theory.
        While to hid the blind side of my eye of the Curse, like a faceless expression of stone to before this door. From, what it said, by what the bodiless beast to have replied, just before. Until eventually...that I would uttered of the name, the name... of the bodiless beast. Looming, before the entrance of this door. Agaze, into its hole, and pitch-dark ruin.
        "...Panamex." I said. "That, was your name, you had said."
        "See...! For I, be Panamex..."

Panamex, Dragon of the Sun (Chosen Being of Light): A felled dragon of light, from within a long-forgotten age...

        "...For when longed Time passed ago, the seas, I had form being... when a completeness being embodiment..." For it had said.
        "...Thought, they breathed fire."
        "Kin...! Brethren...! Alters...! Flights...! —All, be of blustering upon the flames, within a Timed called... when the Age of the Seas... See..."
        "I'd need a source." I admit, while roping around for its dominant horns. "It's dark inside."
        "...For does, I be sensing? ...A foreseeing...? Yours, to journeying I...among this new world... ...Despite... —SEE! But being, this be! How! ...As a new age...by your..."
        "...Told you. Need light." Mumbling, whilst biting, at Floria's dagger. Knotting, and slicing.
        "I, Panamex, am be with content...!" As its eyes, pulsates into dots, like as stars, then as two expansion orbs once more. "For to being a bounds not, a Timed longer, from within the depths—to the stays of dark...!"
        "How did you..." As I would express, with bore and plainness, however, I would paused. Waking, "but, to had ended up inside a casket..." I had thought now, to digress. With, growing wonder.
        "Be a tale..." For it would say, all-knowingly. By the bodiless, diminished dragon, Panamex. "For must you perceives now, heed... of to a tale... Recollections, of to the Shadowmen, and in I. Despite, must I query, Ghen... For shall, wills you believes of this tell of the night, see? ...Of a night. A proclamation... That be, of to the final night... Of, to the dragons, and... ...and...for the Age of the Seas..."

Chapter 2: The Black Door