"Dante! Where are we going? What is happening?" Trela asked him, her voice filled with a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Just row! Trel- Just- Row like our lives depend on it," Dante replied urgently, his eyes darting around the darkened sea.
It had been a couple of months since Dante completed the Trial of Illumination, and he had already turned three years old. But he had been planning something, something that required them to escape during the phase of Harvestwane in the year 1403 N.F.
Trela, now ten years old, couldn't help but persistently ask Dante for answers. She wanted to understand the situation they found themselves in, but Dante remained tight-lipped, his focus solely on their survival.
"Just trust me! Okay? You know I love you, right? I'm going to protect you from them. You're going to be safe," Dante reassured her, his voice tinged with determination and affection.
They were now adrift in the middle of the vast Liberty Sea, their small rowing boat battling the relentless waves. Days had turned into nights, and the exhausting rhythm of rowing had become their constant companion. Through it all, Trela held onto her unwavering trust in Dante, even though she had no idea what was truly happening.
Suppressing her mounting anxiety, Trela had been holding back tears, placing her faith in the hands of her little brother. She knew something was going on, something that Dante had been grappling with for months, but she could only rely on her unwavering belief in him.
"You and me... Trel... They can never separate us... You know... We have the Divine Mindlink... It's going to be alright," Dante mumbled to himself, his voice barely audible amidst the sounds of the crashing waves and their weary efforts.
The night had fallen, casting a dim moonlight upon the clear sky adorned with shimmering stars. A thick mist billowed above the waters, veiling their surroundings in an ethereal haze. Only a few rays of moonlight managed to penetrate the mist, casting an otherworldly glow upon their boat.
Bump!
The sudden collision jolted their boat, shaking Dante out of his drowsiness and igniting a surge of alertness within him.
"Trela? Wha- what is it?" Dante asked, his senses on high alert.
He closed his sleepy eyes again, hoping that it was just a passing obstacle.
Bump!
Another jarring impact snapped Dante back to full wakefulness. His mind conjured images of menacing sea creatures lurking beneath the surface, ready to devour them.
Dante sprung to his feet and urgently shook Trela awake, desperately seeking her assistance.
"Trela! Trela!! Wake up!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.
"What!" Trela grunted, annoyance lacing her voice as she roused from her slumber.
Dante's eyes darted around frantically, a reflection of his exhaustion from weeks of relentless rowing.
Something had become entangled with the rowing boat's left oar, causing their vessel to sway unsteadily.
Dante peered into the darkness, his fear mingling with curiosity. He turned to Trela, hoping for a reassuring answer, but found her just as frightened as him.
"Shi- Dante! You go check it out," Trela whispered, her voice trembling.
Summoning all his courage, Dante found the determination to confront the unknown.
"Oh Blessed Holy System, empower me with your righteous fury. Through Holy Smi-" Dante began his prayer, only to be interrupted as Trela hurled a piece of bread at him.
"Ouch!" Dante exclaimed, clutching his arm where the bread had struck.
"Just check it out!" Trela glared at him, her irritation palpable.
Reluctantly, Dante stretched his neck to catch a glimpse of what had caught on the oar, his heart pounding with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation.
The sight that met his eyes was both eerie and unsettling. A man's lifeless body floated on the side of their boat, his head submerged underwater.
Dante's imagination ran wild, and he turned to Trela, his voice trembling with fear. "It's a- A WATER ZOMBIE!"
Instinctively, Dante lunged for the oars, a desperate attempt to escape the potential danger that lay before them. But his small frame and exhausted state rendered his efforts futile. "Trela! Help! We have to go!"
Trela, undeterred by Dante's panicked words, tossed a piece of fruit at him in frustration.
"Owww!" Dante yelped, nursing the new injury inflicted by the fruit.
Rolling her eyes, Trela took matters into her own hands and approached the lifeless body, determined to assess the situation herself.
"Come here! You scaredy cat! Help me pull it on the boat!" Trela called out to Dante, her voice a mix of exasperation and concern.
Dante reluctantly shuffled towards her, his apprehension clear in his eyes. With their combined efforts, they managed to haul the man's body onto the boat, unsure of what they had stumbled upon.
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The man, about five feet in height, appeared lifeless. His chest no longer rose and fell with breath, nor could they find a pulse. He wore a long linen shirt, now drenched and clinging to his body, and the remnants of chainmail adorned him. Yet, the once formidable armor had been stripped away by the relentless sea, leaving only a solitary boot that seemed as lifeless as the man himself.
Amidst the uncertainty, Dante's attention was drawn to a peculiar detail—an intriguing book chained to the man's arm.
"Hey. Is that what I think it is?" Dante asked, his voice filled with a mix of awe and curiosity.
The book possessed a regal crimson velvet cover adorned with golden embellishments and sacred insignias, instantly capturing their attention.
"That's a Scripture of the Holy System!" Trela exclaimed, her voice brimming with astonishment.
Dante, his curiosity getting the better of him, gingerly picked up the book by its upper cover, inadvertently triggering a blinding flash of light that illuminated the entire sea around them.
"Aaah! It burns!" Dante cried out, shielding his eyes from the intense radiance.
As the light subsided, it spiraled and entered the drowned man's body, prompting him to convulse and cough forcefully, expelling water from his lungs.
The man shivered uncontrollably, his body still frigid from the prolonged exposure to the cold sea. His eyes remained frozen, rendering him temporarily blind as he struggled to regain his senses and warmth.
"What the fuck is that?" Dante exclaimed, his voice a mixture of awe and disbelief.
Despite his weakened state, the man found his voice and began to mumble, calling upon the Holy System for healing.
"O Holy System, source of life and vitality," the man's words trembled through chattering teeth, "Infuse this soul with your healing energy. Through your power, accelerate healing's flow... Revitalize this being, let life's essence glow."
As the man recited the prayer, the scriptures on his arm glowed once more, flooding him with a surge of healing energy.
"He can access the Holy System?" Dante pondered aloud, his mind grappling with the inexplicable events unfolding before him.
"But he was dead. Just now. It would have been impossible for him to survive that long underwater," Dante whispered to himself, his thoughts filled with intrigue and bewilderment.
Trela approached the man, offering him a much-needed drink of fresh water to alleviate his parched throat.
"Are you alright now? Sir Knight," Trela asked, her voice filled with compassion and a hint of admiration.
"A knight?" Dante chimed in, his curiosity piqued.
Trela nodded in response. "He is a Knight. A Holy Knight. Well, a Holy Chaplain Knight to be exact."
With a grateful nod, the man accepted the water, trying his best to adjust to the warmth of the surrounding air. However, his body still struggled to recover from the ordeal, and he soon succumbed to unconsciousness once again. The mystery of the man, his sudden revival, and his connection to the Holy System remained unanswered, leaving Dante and Trela with more questions than ever.
Despite the uncertainties, Dante and Trela devoted themselves to assisting the Chaplain Knight throughout their continued journey. Trela's natural aptitude for sailing proved invaluable as she skillfully navigated the Liberty Sea, though their progress was slow, taking them months to make any significant headway.
The provisions Dante had meticulously prepared prior to their escape sustained them, providing an abundance of food and fresh water. His careful planning ensured they were well-prepared for their voyage, even in the face of the unknown.
Weeks turned into months, and gradually, the man's body began to heal. His emaciated figure regained its strength as his body fat returned to a semblance of normalcy. The once-ragged appearance of his face transformed, revealing an underlying handsomeness obscured by his long red beard, which had continued to grow despite the circumstances of his watery grave.
As exhaustion overtook Dante and Trela, they succumbed to much-needed rest, temporarily seeking solace in sleep. Little did they know that their respite would be interrupted by a spectacular sight.
A vast and vibrant thing was lining up in the horizon, its colors akin to a radiant rainbow, surged past them, causing their boat to tug.
Dante and Trela jolted awake, their eyes heavy from both weariness and the oppressive heat. They peered beyond the horizon, their gaze fixed on what was swiftly approaching them.
"Hey! Trela! It's land! Land!" Dante exclaimed, his voice filled with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
Trela, roused from her slumber, rubbed her eyes in disbelief, the sight before her slowly coming into focus.
"It's a tsunami!" Trela screamed, her voice laden with fear and panic.
With every ounce of their strength, they grasped the oars, desperately attempting to steer their boat away from the colossal tidal wave barreling toward them. However, their feeble efforts were futile against the overpowering force of the current, which relentlessly propelled them toward the impending catastrophe.
In the face of impending doom, Trela clung to Dante, her voice quivering with both sorrow and affection.
"Dante, I want you to know that for the past three years that I've known you, you were the best thing that ever happened to me!"
Dante reciprocated her embrace, holding her tightly, his own voice filled with love, albeit tinged with mischievousness. "I sometimes sniff your socks!"
Trela recoiled in utter disgust, pushing him away. "What! You disgusting little shit!"
Their farewell banter was abruptly cut short as the monumental tidal wave loomed over them, lifting their fragile boat high into the sky, almost mocking their futile attempts to escape its wrath.
With no hope left to cling to, they resigned themselves to their fate. But then, in the face of impending destruction, a voice rose above the chaos—a voice praying for salvation.
"Holy System, enfold this ally in your grace, Surround them with a protective embrace. Grant resilience and resistance to damage's might, Shield them from harm with your divine light."
[Life's Embrace Granted]
The invocation, a plea to the Holy System for protection, enveloped them in a radiant barrier of life force. The Life's Embrace granted them temporary resistance to the impending damage, forming a shield of energy around their boat. And as the colossal tidal wave crashed upon them, their boat was driven to the bottom of the water, only to swiftly rebound.
Within the Life's Embrace barrier, the trapped air created buoyancy, defying the odds and allowing them to survive the onslaught.
Cautiously emerging from their hiding spot at the bottom of the boat, Dante and Trela peered outside, their eyes wide with wonder and disbelief.
As the waters receded, a gentle breeze caressed Dante's cheeks, carrying a sense of calmness and relief. They had been spared from the clutches of the sea's fury. They were no longer adrift in the middle of the sea.
The rowing boat had come to rest upon a pristine white sandy beach, stretching out before them in a breathtaking display. Dante's gaze traversed the expanse, marveling at the sheer magnificence of the towering mountains that loomed in the distance. The mountain ranges seemed to reach the heavens themselves, their majestic peaks hidden among the wisps of clouds that danced across the expansive sky.
Overwhelmed by the grandeur of the sight before him, Dante mumbled to himself, his voice barely above a whisper, "Where are we?"
On the edge of the Burning Cross, their boat had found refuge upon the shores of the Mirror Coast, a name that echoed through their conversation.
The man, now awake and standing beside Dante and Trela, gazed out at the stunning vista with a mix of awe and gratitude. His once-dead eyes now sparkled with life and clarity, his face regaining its color, transforming from a pallid shade of death to a vibrant, rosy complexion.
"Thank you," the man addressed them, his voice filled with sincerity. "Thank you for giving me hope in life. Those final words you said to each other made me smile for the first time in years."