The Gnash-King's Own Mark

The Gnash-King's boast, redrawn wherever he holds court: one big goblin standing over the ring of lamps, fist raised — he feeds the dark because he CHOOSES to. But he only paints it in the upper floors.

In the king's court the daubings change. Here a single figure stands over the ring of lamps instead of stopping short of it — one big goblin, teeth bared, one fist raised, painted bigger than the flames and bigger than the black. This is the Gnash-King's own mark, and he has it redone wherever he sits: the warren fears the deep, his mark says, but the KING masters it; the king feeds the dark by his own choice, on his own terms; the king is bigger than the thing at the bottom. It is a good boast. It holds the warren's cowardice together, and it is the only reason a warren of runners does not simply run. But walk the floors with it in mind and you notice: the king's mark is only ever in the upper court. It is never painted near the throat. No boast of his gets close to the lamps.