No matter how many times the goblin swabbed down the deck, the stains emerged anew.
It was if every time he got to the last board the blood emerged darker from where he had began. It was up near the wheel. That spot. That damned spot just outside the vampire captains cabin. He could smell it. It cursed him. Laughed at him. Defiled him – degraded him. Each time the cycle began anew he heard toll of the bell ring inside his head, smacking at the back of his skull like an ice pick lobotomy.

WHAT CURSE LAY UPON THIS FETID DECK? FECK THIS!” His growls turned into a long screech of agony as he threw his glasses to the ground, smashing the infernal glass beneath his taloned toes. Next he knelt down and beat at them with his fists until they were oozing with the green blood. Then he turned his rage upon the mop – snapping it in half. He screamed out into the vast nothingness once more and threw the pieces overboard into the void, taring off his work shirt and chucking it afterwords for good measure. He continued to scream as he watched the starched monstrosity follow a million lightyears away in an instant. He would never find his father’s grave. Where he came from. Who they’d been – who he was supposed to become. Why he’d been born. He didn’t ask to be born.

Paisley slid down the rope from the crow’s nest, landing silently next to Jaun. His face expressionless as they both watched the bloodstained rubble, swept mere minutes ago, materialize fresh and stinking upon the faded lap of the ship. The spectacles bubbled and reshaped themselves back into perfect orbs of glass. The devil-spawn picked them up and placed them back onto his face.

Jaun was so caught in his old memories that the ship itself could feel it and it toyed with him out of disrespect. Maybe the goblin was not as clever as he had assumed.

Bleeding green tears flooded his vision. Jaun screamed, this time more in surprise than anger, as a searing hand was placed on his back. After a jump and yelp, he swung round and to bared his teeth. The devil calmly bent at the waist and flicked a finger at the goblin’s forehead. Shooting his half-naked form back against the railig of the ship. Then in an instant that same searing red hand at his throat. Lifting him to the air and slamming him down onto the deck.

“Let’s take a break, my friend.” cooed the devil. Picking him up once more to send him reeling towards the mast. He heard the mage’s bones rattle as his head smaked into the wood.

Jaun was stunned into silence for once. He tried to will his limbs to move, to return the blows, but found could not move his body. Paisley unclasped the book at his waist and flipped to a page. A rope that emerged from thin air and began tying him to the mast. Leaving his hands in his lap with a small bit of slack.

“Now, Jaun. Can I call you Jaun? I’ll call you Jaun. Are you ready to listen to MY story?” Paisley said.
Jaun had an answer, but could say nothing. He wanted to spit in the arrogant devil-spawns face. Curse it for ever claiming to have been his friend.

“good.” The devil flashed his teeth and in a swift motion bit into his own wrist to rip the flesh away. He sucked in and spat out a great glob of blood onto the deck, then threw the book into the goblin’s lap. A red cartographer’s pen flickered into existence from the devilblood with a static hum. In an instant it glitched into the goblin’s gnobly hands. The thing had just enough slack so he could scratch the nib across the page presented to him. No more slack than that. The devil had made sure of it. What a wanker.

“I’m going to tell you a story from my life. That I hope will inspire you to continue now. Know that the ink of this pen” the pen glitched from Jaun’s and back into it’s. The devil twisted it in it’s long boney fingers, threw it overboard, then whistled a sharp note.
“The pen commands truth. But, the ink you spill is the blood of your ancestors. My kin has killed your kind before, as yours mine. You help me with my curse and maybe I’ll set my mind into caring about yours, Norseman.”

They stared at eachother for a long while. Hatred and betrayal seething out of the goblin. There was no way to read what was going on in the demon’s head.
“I can spin a weave fine as you, I dare say. Once upon a time I was a man of words, as you. Now prey thee give me a moment of your time, o great cat of the nine.” The devil knelt and took a long fingernail and carved the mark of the crow into the goblin’s forhead – a circle.
“this is your third eye. Let me show you mine.”
It’s eyes rolled back in it’s head as smoke and fire rose around him. A different voice emerged from his throat. Deep, low, ancient. Like scraping stone against a cave wall. None like the goblin had ever heard before come from such a skinsack. Not since the encounter with the Wyvern had to felt a voice shudder with such emotionless and horrifying command.

“Now. Write this down.” it said. Sticky drips of hot shimmering ooze poured from his mouth. He salivated like a pavlovian experiment.
“This’ll hit big wig… RIGHT. WHERE. IT. hURTS.” It growled like bones scraping across the sun.

The goblin struggled against it’s bonds in his mind, but his body was paralyzed.
“I COMPELL THEE. FUCK THE 4. FUCK YOU HARRY!” He screamed internally. Hoping that the psychic link worked both ways.
For a moment a thought pushed into his mind. He was a worm. Born without a mouth, he had no way to scream. He remained silent then.
Why had the man hid his power for so long if he could have done this the whole time why didn’t it just –

The bones tied to the mast behind him began to quiver. Listening to the voice sounded like the buzz of a thousand televisions sets after midnight in a time far far away.

“STARDATE August 27th, 2026….” The devil began. It stared into Jon’s eyes, mouth closed. He heard a laugh pound in his skull like a migraine. His nose bled.
“Oh, yes. Silly me. I forgot the pen.”
The wub was inside him now – laying eggs in the holes corkscrewed into his frontal lobe by that laugh. PGone were his own thoughts as the sound of that horrible deep voice rang in every corner of in his head bouncing and reverberating over itself. Paisley, but not any Paisley that he ever met, Cocked it’s head to the side playfully. He opened his mouth and the blood that came was shining now – every color. It dripped down onto the dock. It pulsed and danced like a fire. Tracing the edges of the bloodstains. It brought out a flask to drip the blood and black bile. Fire danced out of his eyes and about his head and neck flickering up and down to the ooze dripping from his mouth. He put out his hands to catch the roiling mixture. Jaun could see the flesh melt from his hands. When it was done Paisley bent and the waist and produced a freshly formed inkpot, bubbling over with shining effervecent liquid – an ink pot.

Then it took a blade from his double banded holster and stabbed down quickly into one of Jon’s fingers. Cutting it at the nuckle. No one heard, for jon could make no sound. Jon screamed so often these days. It was not a rare occurance. But, that was usually in rage – not in pain. Oh, how he missed screaming already. The devil had him and he knew it. There was no turning back. Jaun didn’t even have to agree. He knew his name was already in the book by default.

The devil twirled the bloody stump that was his middle finger in his left hand and touched the tip of his right pointer to the wound. Carterizing it instantly. He sucked at the flesh of Jon’s middle finger, draining it of blood. Then he waved his hand across it – it became a fine pointed cartographer’s pen.

“You think you can do my job so easily. Write this down.”

“FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU!” Jaun screamed every one of Carlin’s holy words inside his head. His eyes vibrated and leaked trying to command his own body to struggle, to fight, to resist to do – ANYTHING. But, it was as if his body, mind, and soul had been turned against him now. There was no music to drowned out the voices and for once there was no thought other than those eyes.

The devil dipped the pen that used to be his finger into the bloodink pot in and out slowly, long languid motions. All the while staring him straight in the eye. The laugh echoed in Jaun’s head again. Louder and louder.

Then the devil squated down and placed the pen in his hand. Holding Jaun’s gaze he began the tale.

“Let’s do this in media rez.”

---

sunhours and moonhours.

3 am moonbath.
The day I was supposed to pledge my undying soul to the devil himself.
Denial of contract with any and all gods.
Witness: MOON.

The sunhorse lay bleeding on the deck. The selkie was the clear victor.
I AM THE IRE OF ALL. WEEEP AT THE HORROR I HAVE BECOME!!! SCREAM FOR ME OZYMANDIUS!!!
Blue fire swirled in the eyes of the selkie. Fire wild and spiraling and mad.
I DON’T WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN, BITCH.
I HAVE CLEARED ALL CONTRACTS LEFT IN HELL. It screamed as it flipped the war table and ran to grab the ornate scabard from the mantle.

MUTINY! range a call from the deck.
MUTINY!!! Shouted the crows nest in quick and choked gasps. As the angel sitting next to the crow struggled against the blessed talons for it’s throat.
MUTINY!!!! Screached the orchestra members, chained below deck, yearning for the pit.

Both sides! Fuck both sides!!! The crew heard as hooves and tails thrummed across the interior of the captain’s chambers. Followed by the clash of steel.

I will have mutiny on both sides. ” Boomed the moonhorse into the eternal night.

After a moment of struggle and braying. Screaming and winnying. There was a sonic boom of wind that shot open every window and door to the chamber.
A great roar went up from the remaining crew. In the crow’s nest the angel’s grip loosened.

KILL THE CULT!!
KILL THE KING!!!
KILL THE GOD!!!!!
ALL OF THEM!!!! brayed the great nightmare. The beast had won, but with not a single ally of the tower. Sometimes severing is all there is left to do.

The crew, faithful and rebellious alike stopped the fighting amoungst the ship.
All of them?

ALL OF THEM!!!! It’s eyes were pure fire as the selkie bit into the neck of it’s fallen kin.
MEAT’S BACK ON THE MENU, FAM!

ALL OF THEM!! ALL OF THEM!!! KILL THEM ALL!
Shouted the rabble on the ship. Goblins, trolls, kobolds, devils, fiends, angels, and dead men. Gnashed their teeth and clanged their weapons. A crack like a whip so loud that even the void itself had to take a moment to recount it’s position on the volumes allowed. A rippling went across the nodes of magic across the bow of the ship as the unicorn stepped from the cabin.

WE SHALL KILL ALL KINGS!!!
WE SHALL BURN THE SERVERS!!
WE WILL TEAR DOWN THE FLOCK!!!
NO CROWNS!
NO MASTERS!
NO GODS!!!!!

The selkie brayed and slapped it’s snake skin tail hard against the lapship as it dragged itself to the wheel and wrenched it hard Southward. Unicorn blood dribbling in shining effervecent webs dripped onto the deck. It whiped it’s hand sloppily across it’s mouth and placed it on the hilt. The blood soaked through the wounds and clicked open the sacred lock.
It drew the point in the sign of the triangle upwards into the night.
NEVER AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!
WE ARE THEIR NIGHTMARE NOW!
NEVER AGAIN, MY BROTHERS!! SCREAM FOR ME!!!!!!! Screamed the beast.

NEVER AGAIN!!! shouted the writhing mass below.

WHEN WE MEET THEIR GODS IN PERSON AND WE DARE THEM TO LOOK US IN THE EYE WHEN WE STRIKE THEM DOWN.
FOR THEY ARE BUT MORTAL DREAMS. “
Thrusting the blade upward and making the sign of the triangle. A great pulse, as if answer from the universe itself, shot down into the blade.
Swinging in a great illuminated circle the moonhorse pushed it out with it’s mind. The barrier pulsed and gleamed around the ship.
Then the sign of the square. An audible turn of a lock clicked from nowhere. DOOM. The mare’s eyes were alight with the shimmering flame of the rainbow king.

NEVER AGAIN. the gaping maws screamed. A thousand tongues, horns, teeth, and wriggling eyes of every color vibrated in unison.

SO. SAY IT WITH ME!!!!!” The mare drew back it’s head.

NEVER AGAIN~!!

The moonhorse turned to the nearest star and pointed with the tip of the blade from the tip of the sword shot a great beam. An infernal tune pulsed and fiddled all around them like the climax of a overture ringing in an empty theater.
The orchestra found their instruments that day. They took up their cat gut, whale bone, circuitry, steel, and wood and found their seats below the captain’s wheel. The pit had assembled. The holy, the hellish, the doomed, the damned, the meek, the former, the latter, and everything in between – even those long thought dead of spirit and swollen with stench of loneliness and loss. Bent pitch to match in tune the vibrations that the universe presented. Pure uncut chaos. The yellow king was dead. It no longer would have a vessle to contain it.

SO. the gapping maws lapped their greedy tongues in unison.
SAY. the claws scratched the wood and slapped the deck.
WE. the arua pulsed and ticked around them, as the bubble that those without faith could not see was made visible to all. Revealing itself like dripping paint of a thousand colored coats around the ship. Grinder and all.
ALL!! AWL!! OWL!!! —

NO, LONG LIVE THE HOWL!!!! the sonic weapon that was their voices unified pulsed through the alchemical nodes of the void as the path it would now travel lit flaming with the fires of hell, heaven, and limbo. Not even the mantis could count them.
Every color. Now visible to the others on the voidship.
The beauty was blinding and even the highest of angels who had seen the face of that which was supposedly the one true god weapt at it’s beauty.

With the vessel complete. There would be no one stopping them now.
The ritual of the great severance was enacted and there was no force in heaven, hell, or midplane that would stop them now.

the

I’m never gonna get tired of that one.
Said Paisley. Sighing as he recounted the tale. Swirling the brass cup of canturberry ale.

Looking to the squat gobo on his left, holding it’s london fog close to his chest.
Dressed in his business finest. Eyes struggling to focus
There was snot running down his long green nose as he slapped himself.
A tear ran down his cheek.

My dad would have beat the shit out of me for that. Just told me to be a man and go back to work. Bury it. We’re going to catch hell for this.” there was a long pause and he looked down at his bloodsoaked hands. Then up again at the fiend. “Why did you save me?”

Paisley smiled and breathed out in a hum of amusement.
“Well, I’m not you’re father, Jaunny boy. No matter how much you want me to be.”
The devil winked and placed his long red fingers on the other creatures scalp. Patting his bald head and ruffling his skullet playfully, then drawing his arm around to pull the goblin into a side hug. They stared into eachothers eyes for a while.
Paisley’s grin grew then as he grasped Jaun’s remaining hair tightly and drew his neck back quick.
The goblin’s eyes widened in confusion as lips hot as fire smacked his. Drawing him up. Fire spead throughout his body. Like a thousand ants crawling in and out of his skin. A rush like a wind drew him up and up. Was he flying or falling? The goblin’s eyes rolled back into his head with pleasure. Then as quickly as one of his daggers, the devil withdrew.
“But, be careful, my friend.. Daddy is just a state of mind after all.” He held the goblin’s face in his clawed and cursed left hand for a second, then gave his cheek two light and loving slaps. He placed the broken glasses in his half full cuppa.
“I forgive you. But, don’t do it again.”
In a flash of red hot aura and darker read cracked leather, the demon left him to sit on the suddenly immaculately clean poop deck – alone. Stunned into silence. I guess he did ask for a true Tiefling. Maybe some day he would learn it’s true name. For it was still wearing the skin of a man. Some day. Maybe the wall would come down in their world, too.

Hopefully it wasn’t the last time they would share a snifter of rum after work. The trickster was full of surprises, as always.

000.000.0000

[[ some time later ]]