“You’ll come with us,” she said.

“Sure,” Gavin said.

“It wasn’t a request.”

“Yes it was,” Gavin said. “When you don’t have power to compel obedience, by definition you’re making a request.”

Brent Weeks, The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer, #2)

Gavin Guile from Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks, drwan for me by LordMroku on deviantart :)

Long live the Prism!

Can more people read the Lightbringer series so we can scream together?

these books deserve a bigger fandom come on guys

The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer #2) by Brent Weeks Review

Hey Bookies! I finished up The Blinding Knife, the second book in the Lightbringer series yesterday. This marks my 30th book that I've read this year meaning that I've completed my good reads reading goal! Woohooo! I set my reading goal 20 books less than I set it for last year because I knew I'd be super busy, and wanted to at least see my goal achieved. If I can read ten more books this year I'll be even more happy! What are your reading goals for 2017 and have you achieved them? Are you on the right track?

I am going to go into spoilers for this review but the non-spoiler things I will say are.... This book is EPIC!!! I'm hooked at every page and this whole world, these characters, this magic system, is so well thought out. It clearly took years and years to get this book where it is now. If you're a fan of fantasy, what are you waiting for?? Dive into this series!!

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

First and foremost, these characters. GAH! I love them with all my heart. Except for Andross and Grinwoody of course. Also Liv. I thought Liv only went with the Colour Prince (AKA Koios White Oak) in the first book to save her friends? But now she's actually partnering up with him and agreeing with what he says?? Like girl, what about your father?? What about Kip??? Not such a fan of her but am interested in seeing where her arc goes.

KIP!!! I love Kip. He tries so hard, and although he has some aggressive tendencies, say with killing people or taking beatings and all, he has a good heart. All he wants is to make others proud. I hope he finds more confidence in the next books. He really did slay in this one though. Finding out he's a polychrome, becoming a blackguard, and killing the god Atirat! Holy smokes!

GAVIN!!! A new favourite male character of mine. He has some good and some bad... but all these characters do. That's what makes them so real and so relatable. I also love that he and Karris are FINALLY together!! FINALLY!!!!! They have declared their love for one another and are now happily married. Or at least as happy you can be when there's a war going on.

There were so many great moments in this book. From Kip playing Nine Kings with Andross, to him battling other students in blackguard training, to Gavin realizing Dazen escaped the green prison and was in the yellow, searching for a way out, and then him actually killing him!! I can't be the only person who thought that student sneaking into Gavin's room at night was actually Dazen, right?? Because his hair would've been so long being trapped in that person for 16 years and it said that Gavin felt hair brush against his leg! Gah. I can't. Anyone else???

Another great moment was when Gavin and Karris are having one of their first heart to hearts, and he whispers his real name to her, "Dazen." GAH! She knew who he really was but he proved his loyalty and trust by telling her. I can't guys, I can't.

Also Teia!! Loved this new character!!! I'm so happy she's free (except she's kind of not since she's still technically Kip's slave but he wouldn't make her do anything slave-ish so... OMG when she was like down to "do" him and he was considering it!!! But then good ol Kip says no. Good boy Kip, good boy.)

The ending of this book had to be the most epic of all though. We had Liv shine the green light on the tower that Kip, Gavin, Karris, and Atirat were all in. Then we had Ironist commanding they shoot the tower with a cannon to kill Atirat, knowing well that this would also kill his three friends. It was a sacrifice that he had to make and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't holding my breath when he launched that shell at the tower. Atirat wasn't expecting a shell, nor was he expecting Kip, with his momentum and all, to continue flying forward and stab him in the skull. Kip is ruthless when it comes to killing. I read the acknowledgements and Brent Weeks mentions a book that he studied that speaks on writing realistic fight scenes. You can tell he studied the hell out of that book haha.

Ok I was REALLY holding my breath when Gavin sacrificed himself for Kip, thrusting himself into Kip's blade that was plunged into Andross' shoulder. what was with his glowing eyes??? We learned that he was indeed a red wight, but now, since being stabbed by the Blinders Knife (defs want to know more about this and why Kip's mother gave it to him!), he has his natural halos back??? He has his colours back??? He's practically good as new??? This is not acceptable!!!

So now Gavin is captured by those pirates, and that stupid prick, Gunner. He has no power to draft or use his colours. In fact, his eyes are just plain blue now. LIKE WHAT???? He's no longer the prism??? Unacceptable!!! BUUUUT since the note left for Kip from his mother said to stab Gavin (like the real Gavin) and that didn't happen... what does this mean for Gavin-er Dazen!? Is he really going to be without his ability to draft forever? MUST. FIND. OUT.

And poor Kip. He feels terrible. Left alone on a boat with Zymun who- YES HOLD YOUR BREATH PEOPLE- is Karris and Gavin's son???? Is this like, the real Gavin, like the one who was stuck in the prison for 16 years, or the fake Gavin, the one who is actually Dazen???? I think it might be the fake Gavin because... Didn't he and Karris have sex while she was betrothed to the real Gavin? I'm sure it'll be explained in the next book, but I'm just a lil confused right now.

SO YEAH UM I NEED TO KNOW MORE?!!! I might however take a small break from this series in order to read Tower of Dawn by the Queen, Sarah J Maas. I know, it's shocking that I haven't read it yet. I've heard really good things so I'm excited to read it. But I am also on the edge of my seat wanting to learn more about what happens in book 3 of the Lightbringer series. If SJM is the Queen of YA fantasy, then Brent Weeks is the king. But this isn't YA. Just sayin'...

What are your opinions on what I should do regarding what to read next??

5/5 stars!

Thanks for reading!

- T

Book Review: The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks.

Genre: High Fantasy (pre-industrial)

Goodreads rating: ***** (5 stars).

Read: 06/01/2017 – 13/01/2017

Just in case some of you like walking in the danger zone and risk reading reviews that may or may not contain spoilers I won’t spoil the END of this book. That being said, if you haven’t read the first – The Black Prism there will be spoilers for that here. Now you’ve been warned twice and have no excuse.

Review:

Have you been wishing to explore new magical systems in your fantasy reads this year? Put the Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks on your TBR (to be read) list because you will not be disappointed.

The second installment of the Lightbringer series is here! This, like its predecessor (The Black Prism), is an adult fiction book in the high-fantasy genre. It follows its predecessors’ footsteps in packing a punch with its new magical world. This book explores the realms of its magic system even more than the last book (always a blessing when a magic system gets more fleshed out as a series goes on).

Synopsis: The blurb hits us hard with its first line being, ‘Gavin Guile is dying.’ There’s no if’s, but’s or maybes about it. We follow Gavin in his attempt to finish his life’s work in just under a year, the life’s work he had previously allowed himself five years to complete. It’s a mad scramble for him to protect everyone and still keep his secrets from being uncovered. Meanwhile Kip has to learn the true value in intelligence when he’s put into the competitive Black Guard training via Gavin and Ironfist.

The start of the book is like jumping from the pot to the pan. I mean, what could be more entertaining than our Gavin slowly losing his colors (and going color blind) but than having him and his fleet of refugees being attacked by a sea demon.

This sea demon is not the only first time character we see in this book. We are shown the ways of the old gods, not talked about in the previous book unless to call them blasphemous. We are also introduced ‘the bane’, a foreboding title, right? They’re as scary as they sound.

With the introduction of these new supernatural beings we begin a larger exploration of the world in The Blinding Knife (and a newfound use of that gorgeous map).

This is the first time we become somewhat intimate with the goings on of the Chromeria – that which trains and teaches young drafters from all over the seven satrapies. More-over, the Black Guard training. Kip is sent back to the Chromeria with Ironfist (note: without Gavin, his father and the only person who can actually protect him).

At the Chromeria, we are fortunate enough to witness this untameable mouth of Kip’s in wicked action. During one of his first lessons Kip is placed with a teacher who is either not fond of the Guile family or of Tyrea (his hometown and a nation reaping the losses of war). She slags both his mother and home country calling one an ‘illiterate slattern’, and referring to the other as a ‘gutter’. Kip keeps his mouth shut throughout. But once the actual teaching begins Kip realizes that training with Liv Danavis, Gavin Guile (the almighty Prism himself) and fighting with the Black Guards in the first battle of a new war teaches you a hell of lot. Noticing his teach snaps, “Are we boring you?” To which Kip can’t help but reply,

                                                                     ‘“No, my eyes glaze over like this all the time. Comes from having a mother who was always smoking haze.” […] “You called my mother illiterate, and that’s about as true as me calling you a decent human being.” Kip’s heart was welling up, blocking his throat, “My mother sold her soul to haze. She lied and cheated and stole, I think she even whores herself a few times, but she wasn’t illiterate. So, if you’re going to slander my mother to make me look pathetic, there’s plenty of true things you can say. But that it not one of them.” You bitch.’

This newfound sass is the only inherent change in Kip. In the Blackguard Barracks Kip is confronted by a bully looking for a little fun. That swap some back and forth talk, bully noise and the sound of Kip’s growing mouth. Kip tries to dissuade the bully with the power of word but comes to the conclusion that he can ’sidestep all that nonsense.’ Kip gets the bully into an arm lock and begins weighing his options.

                                                                    ‘There was no winning here. He was in a position of power, so he’d look the bad guy if he used it to his advantage. The normal course now was that he would give Elio an ultimatum, like Take it back! […] Elio would refuse, and Kip would be stuck. If Kip let him get up, Elio would come back tomorrow […] If Kip tortured Elio by grinding his arm, it wouldn’t do and permanent damage […] Kip would look like a cruel bastard to everyone in the barracks. Or worse, someone would interfere […] and Kip would look cruel and weak.’

In the end, Kip gives the bully, Elio an ultimatum and decides to go through with punishment if Elio refuses to submit saying, ‘” […] But I want you to remember something after you go to the infirmary: this is me being merciful.”’ Kip proceeds to break the bully’s arm without hesitation.

It’s a common theme through the rest of the book. The battle Kip fought for Garriston one of the most prominent ports in the once prosperous Tyrea, changed Kip. It hinders his ability to sleep yet gives him a better chance on getting into the Blackguard.

Gavin meanwhile, along with Karris White-Oak move the displaced Garriston refugees to Seers Island. During this he asks the lead seer to help him figure out how long he has left and where he can find the bane that’s wrecking having in the blue spectrum.

For reasons obviously pointing to spoilers I can’t really quote anything that happens with Gavin as his story takes up the second (and more important) half of the book. In saying that I can say if you read the first book and you think you know what kind of action and twists to expect – think again. This book in itself was a surprise and took a different, yet still entertaining, route to its predecessor. Focusing more on the long term, setting up Kip in his position within Chromeria and removing the veil of protection around Gavin’s secrets.

Brent Weeks shows us that a situation can go from bad to worse in a couple of pages. His book, the second installment of his five-book series, The Blinding Knife takes us deeper into the system of the Chromeria and deeper into Gavin and Kip as characters. This book is like a teaser to what we should expect from here on in. I loved it, and I have it in good mind that you will too.

The Light Bringer Series might be taking over my life. 😂 Such Good books! So far I’ve read The Black Prism and The Blinding Knife. Ordered a copy of The Broken Eye, now it’s just a matter of waiting for it to arrive!

Gavin Dazen Kelsier Guile

So i decided, why the hell not, and am rereading the ending of the Lightbringer series and sniffling. I love that ending so much!!!!

I mean, Weeks put Dazen through every kind of hell for almost three books and he literally gave up everything he had and then gave some more, while I read as it was being published so I had no idea of what kind of ending it was going to be so it made it even more glorious. Sniffle sniffle.

But the last epilogue made me grin like a mad woman and is even better than the ending proper. Dazen/Gavin will always be a glorious lunatic and I have no words!

Only Dazen would be in high spirits dragging his sometime BFF sometime enemy to the place of his greatest suffering to kill evil overpowered gods. But then he’s the man who was sent as a maimed, magic-removed, will-controlled slave to kill God and instead managed to get his help to save the world instead.

Though I am devoutly glad that neither he nor Karis plan to have any children because with the Guile and White Oak bloodlines of psychos uniting, god knows what monsters they would produce because Dazen and Karis are like freak exceptions to their horrifying bloodlines with arrogance and ability mixed with conscience and heart. I mean, ALL of the White Oaks were psychos and the only non awful Guile other than Dazen is Kip and it must be his mother’s bloodline; and I suppose Sebastian could have been OK (or he could have turned into Gavin) - how Andross, who I will hate forever, had a 75% success ratio with his sons, I will never know.) I mean Karis’ son with Gavin was a horror. So yeah no kids please.

And now I am gonna reread this series properly, tho I am gonna only skim all the Dazen torture bits, once was enough thank you.

Who/what has been the best villain you’ve ever faced? Do you have any big bad ideas you’ve been wanting to run?

Oh gosh, you’re asking me hard questions!

I’ve got two favorites here, and they’re both from the first campaign I ever played in. First, there’s Robert Stormshield, who was a minor villain by all accounts but so colorful and sadistic and proud that his defeat was an amazing moment. He showed up again in our current campaign, as his soul was trapped in a staff, and fighting him was no less satisfying and difficult the second time.

The other is Dazen Guile, who was an illusionist who literally rewrote reality. He was a fun one to try and figure out as the game went on.

Other awesome ones of note: Maeve, an android who turned to destruction after some catastrophic and sad life events, the Old Ones, 3 chaos beings of ultimate destruction, and my personal favorite, Talis, the sage of Dominion.

As far as big bads I wanna run, I’ve got a bunch of ideas but they’re all very abstract right now! I’m a huge fan of aboleth gods and vampires as baddies. And I like a good old fashioned supervillain story! Would love to run a villain who hides in plain sight, pulling the strings, and the party doesn’t realize he’s the villain til the end.

Thanks for asking!

Must Reads Special #1

Welcome to the first special edition of Must Reads. 

Instead of going over my favorite books I’ve researched lately from my list, we are visiting some of my favorite books/series.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

--I was going to mention five but I didn’t expect the first one to become so long so I shortened it to three--

Stacks Favorites --The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce Four orphaned misfits who come together to learn how to use their magic. Sandry who is gifted in magic related to silk and weaving. Daja who was banished from her people is gifted in magic related to metalwork. The former thief Briar whose magic is in plants. And Tris, gifted in magic related to the weather. 

I really love this series. It is actually made up of three quartets. The Circle of Magic quartet is mainly about the four learning how to control their magic. Simple enough at first but at the end of the first book (Sandry’s Book) the four find themselves trapped in a cave when a massive earthquake hits. The only way they can think to save themselves is for Sandry to weave these pieces of string they were ordered to carry around by their teachers in order to make the pieces glow. (Which she can do since her magic deals in all matters of weaving, cloth, clothes). While weaving the strings together, all four poured some of their power into the cloth. With the light they have a better idea of how they could use their individual types of magic to made the now caved in cave stable until they can be rescued. As a consequence of this, it turns out Sandry also weaved their magics together. Now each can do a little of each others magic. In the second book (Tris’s Book) they help defend their city from a pirate attack. In the third (Daja’s Book) they help stop a massive wildfire. In the fourth book (Briar’s Book) a mysterious illness spreads rapidly throughout the city; more of a plague, and the four help find the cure.

The Circle Opens is the second quartet of these books. This time around Briar, Daja, and Tris have left to travel with their teachers for a year or so. Sandry has stayed behind with her teacher in order to look after her uncle after his heart attack. Each finds themselves in some kind of trouble and each end up becoming teachers to new mages they meet while they travel. Book one (Magic Steps) follows Sandry as she meets a young boy who uses a dance to attract fish to a net. To her dismay she learns that whatever mage finds a new, untrained mage must become their teacher until they can find a teacher more suited to the new ones magic. If none are found, the discovering mage must teach them. She finds him a willing dance instructor but must teach him control over his magic since no dance mage lives in the city. But while she is trying to teach her student there is a murder running around killing members of a specific merchant family. An invisible murderer gifted with a magic that is nothingness. Sandry must work together with her student to stop the murderer.

Book two (Street Magic) follows Briar when he finds a girl street rat who can perform magic with stones. There are several mages specializing in stones in the city but Briar’s student likes none of them. There is even someone who wants to adopt his student but only wants to use her in order to join a gang controlled by the rich lady and to hunt for stones for her. This actually the first book I read of these. I checked it out at my schools library and didn’t know it was part of a series at the time. Book three (Cold Fire) follows Daja who discovers that the twin daughters of the family they are staying with can do magic. One in all things related to cooking and the other in woodcraft. While there are also house fires almost every night. Daja helps stop several and discovers that the fires are intentionally set and tries to find the arsonist. Who terms out to be this older gentleman that Daja became friends with and she might have had a bit of a thing for him, so that was heart wrenching. Book four (Shatterglass) follows Tris whose student is an older gentleman able to perform magic with glass. What’s different here is that her student knew he had a small seed of magic already. One evening he was struck by lightening and wasn’t able to make glass pieces as well as he was able to before. Turns out that lightening altered his magic a bit and gave him a bit of glass and lightening magic. And together they hunt down a killer who is specifically going after the city’s entertainers; tumblers, dancers, singers, and late night companions.

The Circle Reforged is the third quartet. In The Will of the Empress, the four are back together again and are heading to Sandry’s family estate in a neighboring kingdom. But her aunt; the empress, is power hungry and wants to add Sandry and her friends to her collection. She will do anything to have them stay in her country. From bribes like for Briar she would give him access to her private greenhouses that few have access to and to be the official royal gardener overseer guy. To making Tris fall down a long flight of stairs to prevent them leaving. Melting Stones follows Briar’s student and his teacher as they inspect rumors of strange happenings. Turns out it’s cause the volcano is about to explode and Briar’s student makes friends with the volcano spirits and tries to distract them from escaping the volcano cause that would make it explode. 

And Battle Magic is the third of this quartet. I was very excited when it came out because in The Will of the Empress it was revealed that on Briars return home he, his teacher, and his student were involved in a war. Briar never revealed what happened to them but he was affected more by that war than the pirate invasion he helped defend against in Tris’s Book. (Which a war is something way different than an invasion but I think that was the first time he ever killed someone was during the invasion). He would have nightmares unless he slept next to someone and he couldn’t sleep if he heard temple bells. And finally, there is a yet untitled fourth book. This will have a focus on Tris and will take place sometime after The Will of the Empress. Tris attends a different school for magic so that she can learn a magic that she could make a living off of and without people being afraid of her.

I love this series. It is really good, was darker (at the time) than other books I had read up till then, and the characters are great. For a few years I would read it once every year. The only reason I haven’t lately is because I’m trying to get through my backlog as much as possible. 

--The Kingkiller Chronicle series by Patrick Rothfuss. “My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princess back from sleeping barrow kinds. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that would make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me. So begins a tale of unequaled in fantasy literature - the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.”

Words cannot begin to describe how much I love The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man’s Fear, and A Slow Regard of Silent Things. When I found it in the store I was captivated by the description and was sold by time I read the first three pages. By time the people I was with at the bookstore were ready to leave, I was fifty pages in. It is absolutely amazing. Some of my friends who have or are currently reading it found the beginning a little boring but usually started to enjoy it once Kvothe reached the University. I loved it from the very start. 

--The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks The Prism is the most powerful person in the world. High priest and emperor. But Prism’s never last very long. Seven years at best and occasionally fourteen. Gavin Guile knows exactly how much longer he has left. Five years to complete five impossible goals. When Gavin finds out he has a son born after the war with his brother Dazen Guile, he must decide how much he’s willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear the world apart as it heads toward the start of another war. Gavin Guile isn’t really Gavin Guile. 

The magic in this series is really unique. It is called drafting where certain people can draft a color or three of the spectrum. Only the Prism can draft every color. Each color has different properties. Like yellow dissipates easily but is a really good light source. Super violet is invisible. Red makes fire. What color you can draft also impacts your personality a bit. Blues tend to like things to be ordered and like rules. Red’s have a shorter temper. Green drafters are more wild and reckless. But if/when you draft too much of your color(s) you can break the halo. Colors leaks to all of you eye instead of in just part of it. Once you break the halo, they kill you.

And yeah. Gavin is really Dazen. Dazen knocked out his brother during the final battle of the war and has been impersonating Gavin ever since. The real Gavin is actually in a secret prison underneath the tower that fake Gavin lives in. But more on that later. The first book (The Black Prism) is mainly about fake Gavin trying to prevent a war that he might have accidentally helped start when he went to find real Gavin’s son, named Kip. Kip is kind of annoying in the first book. He whines a lot and does some stupid things here and there. But seriously Kip. What made you think you could go and sneak into the enemy’s camp and rescue Kariss? As he grows into his drafting powers and experiences more, then he starts to get a lot better. At the end; as they are rescuing as many people as possible from the city that was attacked, fake Gavin gets stabbed by a strange knife and can no longer draft the color blue.

Then we also have Ironfist who is the head of the Black Guard, top soldiers who protect Gavin and other leaders on the Spectrum, mainly the White who helps the Prism run the kingdom. A blue drafter of few words but he is an amazing fighter and one of my favorite characters. There’s Kariss, Gavin’s love interest, a red and green biochrome. Also an amazing fighter. And all of Kip’s friends that appear in the second book. Then there’s Andross Guile. Gavin’s father who is evil. Or at least I thought so until the end of book three. 

It’s a really good series. Four books so far. Eagerly awaiting book five. Book four destroyed most of my theories but created several more. 

When you don’t know what to do, do what’s right and do what’s in front of you. But not necessarily what's right in front of you.

Dazen Guile; The Black Prism

Dazen Guile is the greyest of characters and I'm living for it

Some secrets sink their claws so deep that the shock of their revelation tears those claws out of flesh and leaves scars forever.

Dazen Guile in The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks, page 563, chapter 73

So, is anyone reading Brent Weeks’ The Blinding White?

Because if so, I wanna talk!

Also now that I am reading the last book in the series, it’s official - Gavin/Dazen is in my top 3 favorite fantasy characters of all time and yeah, Karris x Dazen is my one ship for the series.

Also, I am rather amused that all of the world-changing stuff could have been avoided - the Prisms’ War, the White King and that crazy rebellion, the mission to kill God and the whole remaking of the basic societal rules - if back when the White Oak family was OK with their sister Karris marrying Dazen, the supposed lesser Guile brother, instead of trying to murder him. It’s not even a ship centric series so that makes it extra amusing.

Also, it took me five books but I finally like Kip!

Gunner: DazenMultiplePeople (Blinding Knife, Brent Weeks)

Anon asked for Lightbringer smut and I have been craving violent porn for a while now. Heavily, heavily non-consensual rape via Gunner's crew (including but not limited to bondage, double penetration and humiliation)

There was something to be said about pirates. What was to be said remained out of Dazen’s reach, perched on the precipice of reality as he fell further and further into a haze (wine, the wine, the wine was drugged?), arms aching at the shoulders, from rowing, from hauling himself up the mast, from being pulled taught above his head, secured at the wrists. He felt his head fall forward, heard a laugh scratch along the course of his inner ear, smelled…smelled pirates. Nasty. That was one of many words. Another laugh, a gruff voice suddenly in his face, fouling the air directly in front of Dazen’s nose. “Nasty huhm? Come now Prism, look at how nicely we’ve tied you up. How thoughtful we were to keep your head on your shoulders. Hm? Surely nasty isn’t the only thing you can think to say.”  Dazen’s eyes squinted open, saw nothing, closed again. Despicable. Useless and cut throat and… “And?” Silence, laughter, hands on his shoulders, slipping him to his knees, stretching his arms behind him, wood splintering into the flesh of his forearms. Gunner. Dazen’s head jerked up and still his eyes saw nothing but de-saturated fog and formless shapes. Gunner, Gunner had done this, had caught him, had- “Shh, shh Prism. You’re right. This is Gunner’s ship and Gunner is in charge. Ain’t that right boys?” A chorus of agreement, a nudge at Dazen’s knee. “And Gunner don’t like you Prism. But Gunner doesn’t wanna throw ya to the sea. Nah, she’s too good for you.” A hand lifted Dazen’s chin, craned it back until his throat was exposed and the burn of cold metal made itself known. Dazen swallowed, felt the skin break, felt the blood ooze slowly. “But you’re useless, aren’t ya Prism? Too hard headed, don’t follow orders, not Gunner’s nor that she devil of an ocean. Well…We’ve got a remedy to that, don’t we boys?” Less enthusiastic murmurs, agreeing and nervous. Dazen’s eyelids fluttered and the fog ebbed, forms became bodies became Gunner in his face, surrounded by his band of merry men. All of them were pale, all of them were colorless and all of them looked hungry.

Disgusting. A synonym to the word pirate, a direct translation of the word. Dazen’s thighs were spread, arms still stretched and sore behind his head, ropes crisscrossed around his body, pinching and chafing and burning. His ankles were tied (fucking pirates and their knots) to his elbows, back arched to an impossible angle. His extremities tingled, crying out for the lack of blood and he was helpless (what a word) as an infant. The wine, the drugs, his powers, his fucking powers, Orholam had left him on this ship to rot. Dazen spit and was rewarded with applause. “Nearly made it, that one.” A sailor settled between Dazen’s thighs, missing teeth and rotten patches of skin buried under a scraggly beard. Dazen shook. Anger? …Fear? There was pressure between his legs, blunt and hot and yes, that was fear, dusty and haggard from misuse and shambling to the foreground to sit prettily between Disgust and Loathing. Gunner’s voice again. “C’mon Prism, give us a show hm?”

Pain. He was breaking, skewered on a spit and hung out to dry in the ocean. His body failed him, allowed a grunt of discomfort to dribble down his chin. Fuck them, he would not let them enjoy themselves. The pressure intensified, the split widened until it stretched along his entire back, setting his bones on fire, tightening his muscles until another (patheticpatheticpathetic) noise leaked out. The sailor grunted. Disgust welled in Dazen’s throat, burned at his eyes (I’m a warrior Dazen please keep your mouth shut please we’ve been through worse) and still the pain did not ebb. The sailor moved once, twice, pushed at Dazen’s legs, pulled at his ropes until he was contorted, misshapen, on the verge of wailing. His head knocked against his post, stars bouncing behind his eyelids as the sailor bent over him, broken nails gouging at the skin of his hips, pulling and tugging and rutting like a fucking dog until he stiffened, raked bloody rifts down the front of Dazen’s chest and pulled back, spilled heat across Dazen’s stomach, soiledsoiledsoiled and was immediately replaced by two more, both fighting for space, bending the ropes like Dazen wasn’t even there, forcing themselves in, one, two. Dazen growled (screamed and screamed until his voice broke), blacked out, woke up, still stuffed and bleeding and aching, the semen of the seaman (yes Dazen joke, you’re going to be fine) cooling on his stomach. A body below, a body above and he was breaking, snapping forward and up and down and back. One sailor moaned (disgusting the sound was disgusting) and he was filled with lava, thick and intrusive as the other sailor continued his rutting. Dazen’s eyes clouded over, shifted to Gunner who  stood nearby, arms folded and grin splitting his face (not like I’d split your face you sick fu-) and sailor two was pulling out, bucking against the cleft of Dazen’s ass, soiling the back of his thighs and roaring with laughter.

Three more sailors (thank Orholam for Gunner’s small crew, fuck Orholam for leaving him, abandoning him) took positions near Dazen’s head, pulled dirty cocks from dirty breeches and jerked themselves to release, ruining Dazen’s senses, filling his nose with muck, drowning him, blinding him (first my colors and now my sight Orholam kill me ki-)

A sharp crack against his cheek had him writhing, legs flailing, lungs sucking in air that wasn’t dirtyfilthyawful. Gunner grinned down at him, hands in the air, eyes dancing. “You’ll sleep out here tonight, Galley slave # 6. No one likes sharing quarters with dirty whores.” And he was gone and Dazen was alone, strung up to a pole on the deck of a ship run by pirates in an ocean where everyone thought he was dead. He wished dearly (Orholamplease) that he was.

"I saw what I wanted to see, just like I always do. And my self-delusion cost me the real thing."

Gavin Guile; The Blinding Knife - Brent Weeks