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Midnight poured ink into the sea. The arriving men walked across the dock, their shadows long in the glow of a dozen lanterns. Together, they had explored the canvas of the world since their arms were strong enough to pull sails, but this was the first time silence fell between them. The mass of their combined fear thickened the air; breathing it felt like putting mouth to stone and inhaling grit.
Already memories of the stark world they had left behind were lost—months of solid blue skies, unpleasant heat, and days without a single drop of rain. Here the sky wore the tinge of shadow and the air tasted of ice. It licked comfortably at their sun-kissed skin.
Their walk along the damp boards was toilsome. They carried a heavy load, weighed down further by the emotion dripping d
