From the moment the first men looked up to the skies and beheld Heaven, they knew perfection… and were forever taken with a need to reach toward it.

* The Holy Scriptures, Chapter of Slaves.

“Look upon the Soul of Man, by the Grace of the One God, his most valuable possession.”

Those words were spoken of with a calm, soothing timbre that echoed with an immensely pleasant tone to the ear… evoking gooseflesh from all who heard it. The speaker, a diminutive man wearing an elaborate robe of gold and white, had his hands to the sky, to which he had directed his gaze with an expression of utmost gratitude.

“The world may be a raging ocean overflowing with an endless tide of Spiritual Energy, but within the haven that is his body, his Soul is like a well that belongs to him and him alone. The very tool with which such energy can be harnessed, and be put to use without their fragile existence being swept away by the tide.”

An audience of just above a dozen people had gathered in front of the man, all of them sat in wooden pews. Compared to the imposing cathedral that they were in, with its towering ceiling and grandiose stained glass murals, it was a tiny gathering, but considering the nature of the event that brought them together… one could say it was for the best.

“It is what grants him the power to reshape reality as he desires, with its strength growing and fading alongside his to make it possible. Furthermore, it is what makes him capable of defending himself from those who would wield that same power against him. His Soul, a never ending fountain of Spiritual Energy that belongs to him and him alone, is what separates him from being but an object.”

“Such is the benevolence of the One God, that man, whether he is grateful for it or not, is spared such indignity.”

Those words were followed by an elongated pause, drawing a small smattering of applause and murmurs of approval from those in the audience who had been a bit too overawed by the display… It was no small feat to hold such an audience captive with a sermon after all, almost unheard of.

But of course, even a group as small as this was not spared an outlier, as at the head of the group, occupying a seat that was deliberately separated from the pews, sat a boy. Black-haired and brown-eyed, somewhat short for his age, and looking thoroughly uncomfortable in the elaborate blue and gold robes he was wearing.

That I was wearing, as I leant more toward the captive part of being a captive audience.

Not that I wasn’t interested in what the Sermon had to say of course! I was just a bit too preoccupied with thinking what all of this meant, is all. And again, not the Sermon, but… the fact that it was happening at all. Because as you could probably tell from my ‘privileged’ position in the center, this event had the dubious honor of revolving around me.

Because---

“Thank you all for your kind compliments,” spoke the Priest, making me blink and sit straighter almost immediately. “They warm this Humble Priest’s heart.” It was the signal I needed to immediately reacquaint my attention to the ongoing proceedings, it would not do at all to be found wanting at this hour. “But let us turn our attention to the reason we are all gathered here today…”

“The celebration of a new chapter in Young Marcus’ life, and… if the One God deems it worthy, in the history of Elysium.”

Right, that… Don’t be fooled by the way that the kind priest had worded it, my birthday was very much playing second fiddle to the second part of that address.

A bang was heard, startling damn near everyone with how it cut through the holy mood. “Hear hear!” A boisterous voice called, belonging to a tall man covered from the neck down in shining armor, wrapped up in an elaborate toga. “Speak of that future some more, Your Reverence!” Scandalized gasps and admonishments were soon to follow.

How I wish I could join those voices… But no, that would be all too awkward.

“Would that I could, Honorable Lord Captain.” The Priest however, came to my rescue. “But I shan’t hold you all from observing His Tenets just to listen to my lowly jabbering… as is the purpose of your visit.” Several excited gasps followed, including myself. “Please rise, and I shall guide your footsteps as surely as I try to guide your Souls.”

Eager clamoring followed as our gathering of people all left their seats with speed some might have called undignified… the Priest however, only regarded everyone with a kind smile. It was a relief, seeing as even I was only somewhat better off as I joined the crowd scurrying after the priest.

Despite all of the thoughts that had been weighing me down, I was still very excited. It wasn’t often that one got to behold what we were about to see after all… Something so important that it had gotten all of these prissy nobles to get over the indignity of allowing someone like me to take the seat of honor, but I wasn’t to mention that out loud today, was I? I shook my head with a grumble as I pushed that thought down.

“Finally, an expected reaction out of you.” A familiar voice whispered to my side, making me blink as I looked aside to meet their gaze, coming face to face with none other than my oldest friend. “Here was me thinking that you’d be a lot more petulant about all of this.”

The Priest must be right about this being a new age.” I murmured back, shooting an incredulous look to the girl beside me, a severe girl who was allowed to dress in a duelist’s garb instead of the depravity I was forced to deal with, the clothes doing very much to emphasize her tall and lithe stature, with midnight-black hair given a practical cut showing which side of the ‘polite society’ that she leaned toward when it came to her specialization. But that was neither here nor there. “Especially if you’re finally surprised about something, Claudia.”

Dear friend though she was, the second child of the Speranza Family and the girl that I was technically a retainer for had a habit of being a know-it-all when it came to dealing with poor-old me.

Something she was not at all fond of having pointed out! “I was saying---” My reward for that show of incredulity was to receive a jab to my side, with her pausing to give me a smug huff at my almost violent reaction. “---that I’m surprised you’re not angry at having your day of birth overshadowed for all of this.”

I thought about it for a moment, casting a gaze over the excited congregation of people that had been invited to this affair, who were either busy praying or chatting merrily among themselves as the Priest took us down the length of the Cathedral, before directing us down a large stone stairwell, pointed down.

Most of these people I didn’t really know except by reputation, with the sole exception of the one person I was actually allowed to invite, who I quickly turned my gaze to, even as the sounds of the sea began to reach my ears and make my heart rate pick up significantly.

How I felt about this…

“I’ll decide how I feel later.” ‘When we weren’t surrounded by all of these people’ was left unsaid. “I’m much more focused on the Monument.” Claudia, having followed my gaze, couldn’t keep up her glare for long, even as she took a deep breath to enjoy that amazing smell.

“It will be worth the wait.” She reassured me, reminding me that she’d been here before.

…I ruthlessly quashed the familiar pang of jealousy as we finally descended the last of the stairs, and emerged out into what could only be described as a cove.

A naturally occurring location, it had obviously been massively expanded and decorated by those who had built this Cathedral above it. Elaborate marble tiles decorated the walls in shining whites and blues, with murals which depicted beautiful reefs hanging from the ceilings. And the ground which we walked on carrying a giant stylized depiction of the Lunar Eden in stunning detail.

“Honored Guests,” The Priest spoke kindly, all chatter ceasing. “I welcome you to the Monument of Saint Evangelista.”

In any place that was not called Elysium, a Monument would mean something a lot more literal… And while there was indeed a monument to the aforementioned woman herself, shining with an almost blinding light underneath the light of the Solar Dis, it was not that which held everyone’s undivided attention.

No, it was the sheer weight of the atmosphere within the room.

Despite the beautiful sky with its clear clouds and pleasantly chilly weather… it gave one the feeling of being stuck in the middle of a raging storm, one that had a personal grudge against you. It gave off a sense of urgency and desperation, not for one’s life, but for those of others. And it inspired all of these feelings just by existing within its vicinity, without the need for any prayer.

The sign of a particularly potent Monument.

“The Fourth and so-far the Last, Saint of Vilon, the Lesser Liberator.” The Priest spoke after having let everyone soak up the feeling. “So great was her love for the city that she didn’t allow herself to be caged, not even by Thalassea, the Mighty Irrigator…” The Priest regarded all with a smile. “The Serenity and its Lord Patrician has graciously allowed you to partake in her gift to the Flock of the Martyred Son.”

Everyone scurried forward, but I hung back, so busy trying to contain my awe that I’d forgotten to move… until the Priest held up a hand before pointing straight at me.

“Young Marcus, as our guest of honor, you deserve to pray beneath the Saint’s gaze.” It was a testament to the atmosphere that surrounded the Monument that no immediate objections were raised to such a controversial statement.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

…This was definitely vindication I was feeling, wasn’t it?

Ah well, it wasn’t like they were perfect Faithful either… and unlike my day of birth getting overshadowed by whatever this was, I was a lot less willing to ignore my feelings about prissy nobles stealing opportunities that should be mine.

So I quickly took a step forward, and allowed the Priest to lay a hand on my shoulder and guide me to the place of honor right before the statue of the Lady Evangelista. I didn’t need any prompting to carefully kneel in front of her, looking up as if to commit the sight of her to memory, like it would be the last time I’d ever see her.

Which was likely true, but I wasn’t going to dwell on that.

Especially since I beheld something that was surely an anomaly. A statue of a famous Saint of Vilon that was very much different from her depictions within the city itself. Still heroic and noble, but instead of the prideful woman with her trident standing triumphantly, it was a woman that looked deathly tired, and almost broken with the relief of finally reaching shore.

I swallowed my awe, before bringing my hands up to shield my gaze from the rays of the Solar Dis.

Saintly Lady, Paragon of His example, Blessed due to His teachings, Acolyte of His ways, and Aspirer to Heaven… guide this Acolyte that has long Aspired down the same path as you, so that he may be able to behold a fraction of the same Miracles that you wielded.

Even as I recited those words within my mind, I was reaching deep within my very Soul… Enthusiastically, the Spirit Energy that had welled within jumped to answer my call. Mixing together with this euphoric feeling in my heart I had long known to call Faith, I let my mind be overtaken by this beautiful environment.

And immediately, I had to hold back a whimper as my mind was invaded by thoughts that did not belong to me.

The smell of the sea intensified in my nose, and I felt my body be flung through the sea as surely as I’d felt it kneeling within the marble tiles moments before. I felt desperation and anger intensify, but joined by helpless frustration and hate toward a person whose name I could not recall.

I felt the loss of hope grow and grow, choking the will to fight from my body. I felt thousands of half-remembered prayers run through my mind even as the sea which had once been deemed the lifeblood of Elysium resisted all attempts to be bent to my will and let me through. The faceless opponent which restrained me too strong, his hold over the sea insurmountable.

I felt the pain of broken bones, of hands sore and bleeding from clutching valuable items, of limbs burning from exhaustion and weighed down like stone.

And then, as desperation breached through the shackles of sanity, an idea dawned.

“Though she was tired and hurt from betrayal, she still endured. For within her arms were clutched the Sacred Relics that she deemed to be the salvation of Those Who Keep the Faith. So she prayed for a Miracle and gave herself to her Faith, and then she could be restrained by the Sea no longer.“

I gasped, as my eyes shot open, my head shooting up to meet the gaze of the Saint once more as I heard those words resonate within my body… several others had done the very same behind me, some crying, some shivering… I didn’t pay attention to them, not until Claudia stepped forward and placed a hand over my shoulder.

She and I exchanged glances with mirroring eager expressions.

“So records Yosef, Faithful Pilgrim of the Chosen Emissary, who had borne witness and recorded this Miracle according to the traditions of his people.” The Priest spoke, gathering everyone’s journey… something rather welcomed by everyone after such a harrowing experience. “May you receive the blessing of the One God, for following the last of his Tenets.”

As the Priest rose from his position, so did everyone else along with him. Excited mutterings soon began as everyone began to talk about what they had seen… though it didn’t last long, as the Priest launched into the finale of his Sermon.

“...He who made Elysium His Garden, and tasked us with tending to it. He who built us from nothing, and freed us from the yoke of Demons when we couldn’t do so ourselves. Through our Faith in Him and our fellow man who follow Him, we are granted the Miracles with which we can repay this Eternal Debt.”

“For it is the burden of the Faithless, the Beastly, the Demonic, to bow and scrape for any scrap of any Spiritual Energy that they can get their hands on, whereas our Faith in Him allows us to match any of their works at but a fraction of the cost. For we are a part of something greater.”

“Our World is called Anámesa, the Between. For upon the Endless Night, it is the only thing that stands between the Heavenly Eden, the Throne of the One God, and the Demonic Dis that once held us in subjugation… Upon this world, a million ways are practiced by millions of peoples, yet the Lands of Elysium and its Faithkeepers are placed above all others.”

Every single one of the fifteen-person congregation began to clap their hands sore as the sermon crescendoed to a beautiful end… but out of everyone, two people in particular could not help but be somewhat distracted…

———————————————

Marvels of the World

———————————————

To actually complete that half-finished definition of Monuments…

Those Who Keep the Faith in Elysium, or much more simply The ‘Elysian Faithkeepers’, are those who wield Miracles in worship of the One God. Through mixing Faith and Spiritual Energy, we are able to enact deeds that would take any Unbeliever decades to accomplish.

Monuments then, would be the places where those powers originate from… themselves created by Monumental Miracles, Miracles strong enough that the Spiritual Energy within that area is forever marked by the deed that took place there. The Original Monuments came by the hand of the One God Himself, but in the thousands of years that followed, His Angels, His Martyred Son, and finally His Saints were able to create Miracles of their own.

And now it was thanks to one of those Saints that I was able to move through the labyrinthine water channels of Vilon like a bird would move through the sky. Cutting through the waters, in between gondolas and other swimmers with a laugh that was lost within the sea itself.

Not even sharks would enjoy the speed and maneuverability that I enjoyed, as seen by the incredibly sharp turn I made around the corner, which I was pretty sure ruined the day of an unlucky sod whose small gondola tipped over and deposited him onto the waters, whatever curse he may have uttered at me lost beneath the waters as I quickly left him behind..

It was nowhere near the speed with which Evangelista would be able to move through them, considering the very reason her Monument had been on the shores of Vilon instead of a patch of water in the middle of nowhere was because the world itself had been unable to register her presence until she’d finally stopped… but I didn’t need that kind of speed anyway.

Yet.

I just needed it to be able to beat Claudia, which I was handily doing… considering that she still hadn’t been able to make me pay for tackling her into the canals with me, the moment we’d been left alone by the rest of the congregation. I’d lost her but a few miles back, and wasn’t that a ringing endorsement for this Miracle?

It was an absolutely liberating feeling, a weightless thing that flooded your veins with adrenaline and brought joy to your heart… as if every chain that had been dragging me down had shattered and mixed into the sea, and should I wish it, I could simply leave it all behind and live any life that I could want.

Yet with a sharp twist of my body, that dream came to an end… In a great gout that drew plenty of shocked exclamations from the unfortunate bystanders, I was sent flying into the air. I had but a moment to enjoy that state of weightlessness, but the world was very quick to reassert itself.

I landed on the stone tiles at the edge of the canal with no further ceremony, and was dry in but a few moments thanks to a quick prayer that took less than two seconds… Once more, I sighed as I quickly spun around on my heel and made to await the arrival of the girl for which I was a companion---

Just then, a hand rushed out of the water just as I did that, and clamped down on my foot, and I yelped as I was almost pulled into the waters once more.

“You damn sea-snake!” Luckily (or unluckily depending on your point of view) Claudia had no intention to pull me into the water, instead using me as leverage to pull herself off and dry herself off with the same Miracle as I. “Do you know how many times I was almost caught?! They would have blamed me for the mess you were causing!”

Had she really almost gotten caught..?

“W-well.” I said, barely hiding how hilarious that I found that whole thing. “Maybe you should have not neglected your Thalassean Traditions.” And she called herself a True Vilonese, seriously?

All that earned me was a sharp glare, as she quickly adjusted her hair back to what it had been before the water had utterly ruined it. “I will remind you that I’ve known this Miracle for several years longer than you have, yet in your first hour of knowing it, you’ve scaled a tenth of the City’s canals! My abilities are not in question here!”

“So you wish to call me a prodigy?” I say, grinning widely at the praise I’ve wormed out of her own mouth.

That earned me a scathing glare. “Pride is frowned upon by the Clergy, Paulus.”

My smile slipped away… no matter how much I tried to resist.

Claudia caught it of course, “Ah, damn it. I didn’t mean it like that!” Her frustrated admonishments had given way to something that was a whole lot more awkward. Something that looked very out of place on the face of the girl who usually tried to act as serious and assured as she could in life.

Thankfully, it had happened enough times that I was used to it at this point. “It’s fine, really.” As much as I disliked having a name that reminded me of my position in life as one of the Leasts of society… I was still better off than most. After all, I was but a humble Merchant’s son, raised to be the retainer of a noble, what more could I ask for?

…Apparently a lot.

But then again, that was evidently a familial trait.

“Do you… finally want to talk about what’s happening?”

“Sure.”

It was the sixth thousandth and three-hundredth year since the One God had awakened and led the Faithkeepers to salvation, and I, Marcus Paulus, was seventeen years old. My father, a ‘humble’ Merchant Captain, had spent the day plying me with gifts that a person in my position could only dream about. Getting to be the guest of honor for one of the most valuable Monuments within the urban heart of Vilon was just the start. For there would soon be festivities all across the city where my day of birth was going to be celebrated.

For it really was an auspicious day… My father had returned to our home of Vilon for the first time in a century to proclaim the Expedition to the East. A grand expedition of over a thousand people journeying up the Silver Path into the Land of Han, where exotic practices and untold riches awaited us.

Something that had never been done to this extent, an expedition that was as diplomatic as it was mercantile. It was one of the highest privileges that could ever be granted to anyone, let alone to a commoner like my father. Yet it was one that The Shepherd of our Flock of the Martyred Son, the highest authority within the Holy State, had granted him all the same.

My father, Niketas Paulus… A man I’d never met before.

…

This week had been a whirlwind, being acknowledged by a man I only knew as a distant provider of wealth.

So… how did I feel about it?

…

“I… can’t wait to leave, honestly.” I murmured, an unbidden smile suddenly coming over my face. “Forget about my day of birth being overshadowed, I finally get to leave the city and go on an adventure, and who knows what I’ll find on the way there?” A small laugh left me. “It sure won’t be boring, I can tell you that!”

“And… your father?”

“He will have to wait for my gratitude until I see just what he plans for this adventure he foisted upon all of us.” I said with a pointed look at the girl who I knew would be joining me on this journey, knowing that I would be meeting him tomorrow for the first time. “But in the end, I suppose I am happy.”

Claudia tentatively smiled at the same time as I.

I looked away from her, and into the distance, where fair Vilon stretched as far as the eye could see and far far beyond…

“And I will be even happier yet.”

There was much work to do.