The woman who prayed, and the sea that listened
Upon entering the Covenant of Eldara, the trio were greeted by scores of familiar and unfamiliar scents. Among the familiar ones, the earthy fragrance of wood and damp ground dominated. Whereas among the unfamiliar ones, the aroma of bakery and salty water lingered in the air.
Ravina guided them through the lanes of the Covenant. It was a well-planned place with adequate spacing for movement. Most of the residential buildings were rather modest in size.
A few edifices towered above the rest—unmistakably similar to Bleakmoor Hearth's, only more complete, less ruined, and without slaves hanging from them. Elsyn and Corvus noticed this.
"Miss Ravina, how did you know when we were coming?"
"Look at you Elsyn, my new sister, paying attention to details. Well, I knew approximately how long it would take you guys to reach here, give or take."
"So you kept watch like an owl for the last few days, give or take," Corvus retorted.
"Actually, no, Ashford," Ravina answered with a smile on her face. "Ever since a certain asshole messed up my organs, I've been put on mandatory bedrest for ten hours a day for seven months. And that's not even the worst part; the worst part is—I'm only being paid half my salary..."
Ravina took a breath to compose herself, then continued, "But of course, all that can change once you and my sweet, lovely sister vindicate me of all the obviously wrong suspicions. Do you have any more questions for your big sister Ravina, dear?"
"Then how did you keep track of the entrance all the time?" Corvus asked.
"Oh, I gave a guard a little... incentive to inform me if anyone new arrives. You just got lucky that I was there, otherwise a thorough inspection is a must for any newcomer, especially for an unhinged Mundukar."
"Sorry, did you say something, Ravina? Because I'm suddenly remembering a lot of things from that day," Corvus casually spoke.
"Only praises I'm sure, Mister Ashford."
Ravina cracked her knuckles.
"Miss Ravina, how are my friends you brought here?"
"They... most of them are stable and fine. That one girl, Livia, however is still in recovery. We are hopeful that she'll be better in a few weeks. Her leg though... And, I'm only speaking of her physical injuries. Her mental scars are another matter; they may take years to heal, if they ever do. I'm sorry for your friend."
Elsyn understood the implication; her heart grew heavy with guilt and pain.
"Sis..." Lea grabbed her sister's hands.
Elsyn looked at Lea and patted her reassuringly. Thanks, pipsqueak. But you don't have to be an adult just yet.
"Why is there barely anyone in your empire?" Elsyn asked.
"Everyone's at the Vargun port; today's the Day of Blessing."
Elsyn's eyes narrowed in confusion. "You have a port in the middle of Umberfall?"
"Of course we have a port. The Covenant of Eldara is the most prominent naval power of the continent. We have several ports, in fact. Didn't Mr. Electric Man tell you anything?"
Elsyn looked at Corvus, but seeing him avert his gaze, she understood, I don't think he knew either. She sighed.
"Also, we're not in the middle of Umberfall—we are at the side of it, connected with the ocean. The groves themselves run far beyond here. Some reports have even claimed that they span deep into the glaciers of the far-north Glaswold."
"We are not at the end of Glaswold?" Lea questioned.
"No, sweetie, far from it. We are not even halfway inside Glaswold yet. It's not the largest biome of the continent for nothing. Though it's uninhabitable in most reaches beyond the Covenant, so you likely won't find any life or settlements there."
"What's this Day of Blessing you spoke of, Brineheart?" Corvus curtly asked.
"You'll find out soon enough, Ashford," Ravina curtly replied.
Elsyn watched their childish exchange in utter disbelief and exasperation, Are all warriors like these two?
They slowly walked toward the Vargun port.
Snowflakes had etched vivid patterns across the windows of houses and shops, turning the streets into a gallery of frost. The trio slowed their pace, their warped reflections—fat, small, sometimes entirely alien—sliding across the frozen walls beside them.
Lea picked a snowflake and pressed it against her cheek. "So cold." Her body shivered.
She then rubbed the hare on her face. "So warm." A wave of relaxation and warmth hit her.
Ravina watched the scene and squinted her eyes, Is she all there?
After a few minutes, they observed several piers ahead of them. Dozens of boats were anchored all across each pier. Beyond them, a gargantuan body of water sprawled in all directions. The body seemed endless, and its depth unfathomable.
"Ocean," Elsyn muttered.
"It's a sea, but sure call it an ocean, sister," Ravina said.
The sea glistened under the clear, bright sky. Its surface gleamed emerald, with freckles of white sparkling on it. It was as if stars were twinkling upon a jade night, only the sky was fluid, and on the ground.
"Can we go there?" Lea asked.
"Sure, if you know swimming," Ravina replied.
"I don't know swimming. Who's she?"
Ravina looked at the child with pity, Poor thing... she's mentally ill—no; she's special.
"Of course, you don't have to know Mrs. Swimming, sweetie. Just never approach that big blue water without someone. Alright?"
After a pause, Ravina continued, "What is that in your arms? A hare?"
"Hary. She's my child, and I'm her mother."
What a tragedy for someone so young and beautiful, Ravina thought.
"Miss Ravina, what is that gathering over there?" Elsyn pointed ahead.
On a pier, a large but orderly crowd was gathered. They wore neat clothes, with many of them holding hands together, as though in a prayer.
The pier itself was decorated with lilac and lavender flowers.
Observing the scene, the trio noticed two things: first, all of them without exception were gazing toward the sea; and second, they were all quiet.
They had seen their share of silence born of dread and horror. However, the lull surrounding the gathering seemed different—almost solemn and reverent.
"That's the Day of Blessing; let's go," Ravina spoke.
They approached the crowd. The air was suffused with a soothing, flowery fragrance. Nobody noticed or cared for the three unknown persons walking amidst them; their gaze stayed fixed ahead.
As the trio and Ravina wove through the crowd, the view became clear. Immediately, their eyes widened and heartbeats grew louder.
A few meters from the pier, a luminous being dozens of meters tall rose from the sea. A cloud-like dome, softly glowing teal, crowned its head. Devoid of a rigid bone structure, its graceful torso resembled that of a mermaid, only it shone with a pinkish-red hue, swaying gently in the sea breeze.
Ravina glanced at their hanging jaws, amusement flickering in her eyes. "She's the Water Numina, Oshalin. Twice a year she brings the Blessed Drift to the Covenant, guiding our ships and trade through the turbulent seas. Arriving on a day like this, it's a good omen for you guys."
Dozens of long, luminescent tentacles extended from Oshalin's body, each moving with a rhythm that was both graceful and deliberate. She turned her head toward the crowd, revealing a human-like visage—skin the shade of living coral, eyes glittering pure white like pearls.
None among the trio were scholars of the divine, yet a certainty washed over all: they were beholding the most beautiful being in the world. Pure, mighty, magnificent.
She was not as colossal as Sylvarion, the Air Numina, yet she felt far deeper, and more profound, like the ocean itself had taken form.
"The ocean-lady... has a human face?" Lea questioned.
"She belongs to a race of sea creatures called jellyfish. Over ages, she changed and evolved until her form began to mirror ours. Perhaps that's why, among all the Numinas, she feels the closest to humankind," Ravina explained.
She paused, then added, "People call her the Medusa, a beauty so captivating it leaves all who gaze upon her petrified."
It was true; for a moment, the trio had even forgotten to breathe. When they finally did, their hearts skipped a beat—
"Why's the fish-lady looking at us, sis?" Lea whispered.
Elsyn, too, noticed the Water Numina's gaze fixed on them, or more precisely, on one of them.
"Corvus, she's staring at you. What did you do this time?" Elsyn accused.
"What—"
Corvus's words died in his throat as he saw the Numina float toward them. Within moments, the radiant figure of the Medusa loomed before them.
Their bodies grew heavy, as though weighed down by judgment itself beneath Oshalin's pearl-like eyes.
The crowd noticed too. They stepped back, leaving them alone before the being of sea and depth.
Then one of Oshalin's luminous tentacles swayed overhead, and with a sudden sweep, scattered a spray of seawater over them—drenching all three, though Corvus most of all.
Oshalin lingered for a heartbeat, before drifting back.
"Did she think you smelled, Corvus?" Elsyn asked.
"No, it must've been Lea's child."
"Don't accuse my child. I wash him daily."
"Idiots, look at his hands," Ravina said.
"Who are you calling an idiot, idiot. And what's with my hands—"
Corvus and the siblings froze. His hands... were healing.
The Unity had mended much of his injuries during the journey. Yet the wounds themselves remained; one wrong strike and they would have reopened.
But now, under the Numina's touch, the gashes closed before their eyes. Within the blink of an eye they had vanished entirely, like never there in the first place.
Oshalin's miraculous powers left them stunned and utterly baffled. However, their awe was far from over just yet.
"There's someone else there..." Elsyn muttered.
Beside Oshalin stood another figure upon the sea; a woman in a simple, verdant tunic. Yet the mortal appeared as sacred as the breathtaking being beside her.
The woman stood upon the water, and though her bare feet touched the sea, the water did not ripple—accepting her as one of its own. Droplets of water rose and danced around her as she stood serenely, eyes closed, and hands cupped in silent communion.
"She's one of Eldara's Animarions—Lunara Airlith, Lady of the Deep Blue," Ravina said.
The Medusa rose higher from the sea, circling Lunara once. Her glowing tentacles gently caressed Lunara's cheeks while she watched over her with a mother-like tender gaze.
Lunara did not move an inch. She stood still with eyes closed and hands cupped, as if offering a prayer, a plea—or perhaps simply a quiet act of love toward the being that watched over her. Her guardian angel.
Corvus, Elsyn, and Lea watched in silence. The sight of the Water Numina, Oshalin, side by side with the Animarion, Lunara Airlith, stirred a question in their hearts:
Which was more majestic—the contemplative human, or the imposing beast?
End of Arc V: Heavy Steps
End of Volume I: Warrior-Survivor