In a newly built golden cathedral located on a cliff south of the central square in Sweet Scylla.
It was a structure that vastly stood amongst everything around it. Not only because of its golden color, but more by its sheer size and beauty. It must have stood at 30 meters tall, and 50 meters wide, with stunning architecture decorating it from top to bottom.
The stained glass windows depicted a myriad of different images, all seeming to focus on the main theme of the primordial goddess of the light and sun.
THUD!
A man with broad shoulders, big arms and bronze-colored skin stumbled and fell, before picking himself up and rushing toward the cathedral, forgetting all manners and etiquette.
His disheveled black hair was somehow covering his wide forehead and reaching down to his thick eyebrows.
This was the captain of the now sunken Galleon Ship Aliarda.
“Hah… hah…” he panted as he pushed the door open.
“?!” A tall man who’s shoulders and arms made the captain’s look skinny in comparison, turned around to face the newcomer, his orange mohawk and long beard swaying to the side with him, “Baahir? What the hell are you doing here? Didn’t you set sail back to base this morning?”
The man’s voice was commanding and deep enough to fool anyone into thinking he was the leader, especially with his tall stature, but he was in fact just a simple guard. He donned a sleeveless black and yellow leather vest with light brown fur on it that matched perfectly with the arm guards on the back of his hands. The rest of his outfit was simple with a red guard around his stomach that looked like it was made of dragon scales, coupled with a yellow cloth around his waist to hide his double edge sword.
“Erik… Where is… Where is Zoran?!” The captain, apparently named Baahir, managed to ask for his leader through heavy breathing.
The tall man with the orange mohawk narrowed his yellow eyes and quickly noticed how dire the situation was, “Go in, he’s praying at the end of the hall as always.”
Just as Baahir pushed himself forward toward the long hall, a young man with dark blue hair and purple eyes stumbled into the cathedral entrance too.
“?” Erik glanced over to see their newest recruit, but upon the rookie’s collapse to the ground face first, the tall man simply scoffed and turned his head back forward as if he hadn’t seen a thing, “Weak.”
**👑**
“Zoran! Are you there?!”
After a while, Baahir made it through the long empty hall. Instead of a typical altar, there was a golden sphere hovering in midair, emitting a bright light in all directions. Although it looked like a natural miracle that gave off the feeling of the divine, he knew that both its hovering and glowing were caused by mere runestones that one of the Golden Garden Guild members made sure to check on every day.
Behind the glowing sphere that acted as a miniature sun, the stained glass depicted more images of the primordial goddess of the light and sun. In the middle stood the biggest mural in the cathedral which depicted the goddess in all its holiness.
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Her features were never completely clear, but in this one, she was depicted as the most beautiful woman in existence, with fair long hair and an alluring figure.
In whichever image she was in, she was always holding out a sun in her hands, as if offering it to her poor subjects.
“Oh, goddess of light! Oh, goddess of the sun! I, your humblest servant, call upon your grace from this forsaken land! It pains me to be away from your light!” A man kneeling on all fours as if he was part of the ground itself, completely ignored Baahir’s arrival behind him and kept on praying, “Oh, goddess of light! Oh, goddess of the sun! Send us your blessings so that we may show these heathens the true way to salvation! The way to your light, to your embrace!”
“...” Baahir stood in place, not daring to call out again. He hadn’t seen the man at first, nor heard him, but even if he had, he knew his leader wouldn’t forgive anyone who interrupted his praying time, or his deep connection with the goddess as he would put it.
“I call upon you, oh, goddess, watch over me and bless me with your light so that I may continue doing your bidding. In the name of our lady Aurora Eversun, primordial goddess of light and sun, we pray!”
Having finished the last of his prayer, the man called Zoran stayed still a few moments longer, then, as if in rehearsed movements, slowly sat up on his knees, dusted them off, and stood up in place with his back still turned to the person waiting for him.
“What is it?”
“... Zoran, we were attacked by a siren! She killed the entire crew except for me and our new recruit-”
“Why are you alive?”
“...” Baahir stood in place, his mouth agape. He wasn't sure how to respond to that question. Why was his leader asking him that in the midst of an important report? The captain couldn't know, but after staring at the back of his leader who didn't even bother to turn around, Baahir felt a sudden unease rise within him and he blurted out, “I had to flee the ship to come report to you as soon as possible-”
The world as he saw it suddenly flashed, and before he knew it, the great captain was sprawled on the floor facing the ceiling.
“?!” It took him but another moment before he felt the intense heat melting his stomach, “ARGHHH!!!”
This crazy bastard… He really has gone nuts now! He toned it down to not pierce my stomach, but he still used his Sign to attack me! Baahir bit his lip and kept his outburst to himself as he clutched his burnt stomach and forced his body to sit back up.
“You failed your mission, abandoned your ship, and now cry to me like I am your parent…” Zoran mechanically moved his head to the side so he could glare at the captain over his shoulder. “I ask you again, why are you still alive?”
His short but styled blond hair, coupled with glowing ember eyes, perfectly complimented his yellow and light red priest robes that dripped over his shoulders, all the way to his feet, leaving only his chest open. However, none of this fit the ominous aura he was currently exuding.
“T-to serve!” Baahir quickly thought of an answer that could save his life and blurted it out while lowering his head to the ground, “I am alive to wholeheartedly serve as you and the goddess see fit!”
Even though Baahir didn't believe in any gods or Undying Elders, he was willing to start if it meant this psycho in front of him would let him live for now.
“Good, now get out of my sight. I have already sent for the girl again.” Zoran looked forward once more, his focus only on the floating sun in front of him.
He knew already? How? The captain thought before quickly realizing, It must have been that siren named Arya… she converted to worship the goddess and does whatever that guy tells her… She must have noticed that the girl she gave us was back on the island and reported it to him!
“You can support Nast, or stay out of the way.” Zoran added as he knelt back down to pray again, signaling the end of this audience.
“Y-yes, sir! Praise the goddess!” After a moment of deliberation, Baahir bowed his head once more, then got up and slowly walked out while holding onto his stomach.
There was only one thing on his mind now.
I'm coming for you, you siren bitch! You killed my crew, stole my ship and ruined my life! I'll drag you through this entire island before selling you to the highest bidder! I told you your entire clan will suffer for what you did, and there isn’t anyone strong enough to stand up to our powerhouses! Just you wait!
**👑**
Loud noises and cheers quickly overtook the streets of the residential area in the west district of Sweet Scylla.
“?!”
Riana opened her eyes in a panic, but before she could find out what woke her up, her pupils constricted when she didn’t find her niece in her arms or anywhere on the hung up net.
“Sana! Where are-?!” In a fluid and quick motion, she jumped out of the net and landed on the ground, quickly darting her head around to see a small figure standing at the open window.
Sana’s light blue hair glistened and swayed behind her, but the girl looked completely unbothered, her eyes looking in the far distance as if her daze was set past the sea itself. From Riana’s perspective, her niece almost looked like a doll, standing in place without any facial reactions or body movements.
“Sana-”
“Auntie.”
Just as Riana took a step closer to check on the little girl, Sana turned her head towards her aunt and stared at her with wide glowing turquoise eyes. And without even blinking, she pointed towards the calm waves hitting gently on the shore. The sea hadn’t been this tranquil for days now.
The sight of the little girl, coupled with the next words she was about to utter, sent cold shivers across Riana’s entire body.
“We have to hurry, auntie. I see a big tide coming.”
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image [https://i.imgur.com/KQmIY8F.png]