Ymiden 43, Arc 718
The sky was frowning down upon the citizens of Ne’haer. Fat, rain clouds were rolling across the arch, blocking the sun with determination next to none. It painted the mood well. The solemnity of this celebration was different to the festivals earlier this season. Today was a day to respect the forces of nature. Today, many came to give respects to the forces of the sea and U’frek who reigned over the waters.
U’frek was not Finn’s principal immortal, however the man came nonetheless. He promised his colleague to come along and help if needed. Priests who followed U’frek led a few ceremonies on the shore for families that requested them. Finn was to serve as a reference point. He was to direct people or answer questions if he were to be asked any. Finn was not nervous about the task. Just because Ymiden was the immortal that Finn followed did not mean that he knew nothing of the rest.
The day was to pass slowly with rain taking over majority of the time. At this moment, the ground and those walking upon it were given a break. So Finn walked along the shore where the turbulent sea crashed against the sands. His woolen shirt was sticking to his skin. He welcomed the cool sensation as opposed to the oppressing heat. Above him the metallic grey uttered a few thunderous roars. Soon, fresh raindrops would pummel down from the sky. No one seemed to be bothered by it.
Finn’s own greys looked over the vast body of water where on the horizon he could see a few ships. No doubt those who came from Ne’haer and were on those ships, they have either already done or were about to do the same as the priest. The man withdrew a silver nel from his pocket. It was the smallest change he had but that did not bother him. Rubbing the warm metal between his fingers for a few moments, Finn dedicated his thoughts to U’frek.
Protect them, U’frek. All the man on the seas, here and around Idalos. Don’t let Chrien claim their lives. The priest thought feeling the building up tension in his chest same as each time he earnestly wished for something. On the fluttering tail of that silent prayer, Finn casted his coin as far into the sea as he could. A wave accepted the gift seamlessly like a thankful grasp of a hand. For a moment, he almost understood the Faith’s desire for everyone to follow in the footsteps of religion. It was laden with appreciation for so many aspects of our lives that we otherwise considered mundane. If it weren’t for religion, if it weren’t for the Immortals, would we ever stop to think about the simplicity of it all? Alas, it was the way they went about spreading the philosophy that he did not agree with.
Shaking his head, he sent out a few more short words of praise to the Immortal of waters and those subjugated to his good will. Later on, he would think he to impact some of the ways the Faith worked. But not now.
Making his way back across shore, the sensation of sand beneath his bare feet was enjoyable. Soaked with water, it was much easier to walk on. Another thunder clapped in the distance and this time Finn caught the flash above the eastern side of the city. It was indeed advancing fast. He would have made it all the way to the edge of the beach if it wasn’t for somebody tapping his revealed forearm suddenly. As he looked, he noticed a boy looking up at him with something Finn could guess was probably a question. The priest readied himself for a case of lost offspring whose parents he’d need to find.
“Do you know why people do this?” The child asked instead, accompanying the question with his hand swung to the side to encompass the crowd that gathered all around, streaming in and out of area to cast away money and trinkets. He couldn’t have been older than ten arcs but then Finn was always terrible at guessing age when it came to children.
“They do this to show respect to U’frek and the sea.” Finn replied, looking down at the child. The boy tilted his head to a side.
“Yeah I know. But why?” This curiosity made Finn smile softly. He enjoyed questions and those who asked them with that glint in their eyes, they were Finn’s favourite type of people to talk to. Few hints in the body language were the evidence of wanting to learn or at least understand something on more than just a superficial level.
“Very well then. You see U’frek rules over all the waters in Idalos. So today is really important for sailors who spend all their time on the sea. The sea itself is unpredictable. You never know what it’s going to do. Whether it’s going to be calm, or raging. So to gain U’frek’s favor but also to show appreciation for his protection so far, people dedicate this day to him, giving offerings like they are now.” Finn did his best to explain with the limited knowledge he had.
“So they pay him. Like for a job.” The boy concluded which wasn’t really the desired outcome that Finn was looking for. So he shook his head although he had to admit that he understood why the boy would think so.
“No not really. If they were paying him like for a job they would do this everyday and in total, probably spend all their fortune. Today, whatever they give, they give as a token. A symbol.” Would this help? Finn looked at the boy with his own curiosity now. He wondered if the boy would understand or draw a different conclusion again.
There was silence for a while during which Finn could study the child. The boy did not seem to be the type who would go around daydreaming. He had a firm set of cheekbones that gave him a focused look. Sandy hair was poorly cut and blew into his face, tips brushing the freckled nose. Finn also noticed a bruise and a few scrapes. The boy looked like he enjoyed playing outside. The type that would either climb trees or fight with other boys. Finn was afraid it was the latter. But more than that, the boy’s clothes was terribly dirty and quite tattered as if not taken care of for a long while. The boy also had no shoes if that mattered. Finn’s guess was that he was either severely neglected by his family, or worse yet, had no family at all. After all, the pronounced cheekbones could just be a sign of malnourishment.
“Yeah, but it’s the sailors who make it out if the sea gets angry. It’s not thanks to U’frek.” That was a strong argument from someone that age. Perhaps that was the reason why it caught Finn off guard slightly. The boy noticed and raised his eyebrows. Uncertainty shot through the boy’s gaze but that encouraged him too. He managed to unsettle an adult.
“What? Come on. It’s all over the streets. Illaren does the same. She takes the glory from the people!” Then it clicked a moment later. Yes, the boy was voicing strong beliefs that the city was full off. As far as Finn could tell, the child probably came across one of the pamphlets that Faith has finally addressed few trials ago. These ill meant words have been spreading around the city that for a child that seemed to be on the street often…Hold on, could he even read though?
“Where did you hear that?” Finn asked in return. The boy did the purest eye roll the Idalos was to witness that day.
“On the streets! There is these papers. Everyone is talking about it! Did you not hear any of it?” The boy sounded annoyed and astonished at the same time with a hint of pride that he knew something an adult did not. Moreover, a priest! Unbeknownst to the child, it gave Finn all the confirmation he needed for many thing that he was assuming.
“And you believe it?” Question that on its own, spoken plainly would probably be awarded with a shrug and monosyllabic answer. Finn did not want that. Coming to face the boy properly, raising an eyebrow and bearing his sharp greys into the muddy browns of the child, Finn implicitly requested the truth. He put the boy on the hot seat, knocking a notch of the attitude, but not knocking the boy’s confidence.
Did the boy truly believe the words he spoke? Or was he just parroting what he heard? In this case, the boy’s answer could mean only two things. Either he was not to be a believer, or he still harbored the wonder of childhood that trusted in the higher forces and perhaps even idealized them but under the pressure of his situation, he could not hold on to the beliefs on his own.
Pregnant silence filled the space around them. The boy was looking up at Finn trying to guess whether he was being tested, scolded, or if Finn was downright odd and one of the crazy religious people who would preach at him immediately. To soften the impact of the sudden turn of mood, Finn added a gentle expression to his face, wordlessly suggesting that whatever the boy was to say would be fine. He was not one of the lecturing fanatics.
Then the boy shrugged at last. “I don’t know. It’s what people say.”
“People say a lot of things.” Finn responded, breaking into a subtle smile. “If you heard someone say that Ne’haer had a king. Would you believe it?” Finn continued, trying to tease the child in jest.
“No probably not.” The boy replied, cracking a small smile himself.
“There you go. Just because a lot of people say something does not necessarily make it the truth. Anyway, where’s your parents?” Time to move on with his job, Finn hoped that there would be somewhere to deliver this inquisitive package to and that his earlier judgement of the boy’s situation was wrong.
“There’s no parents…” Finn’s heart sank. Whenever Finn would see a child abandoned by the society on the street, he would feel uneasy, knowing how unforgiving life on the street was, even more so to a child. The fact that the boy was probably even younger than Finn when he lost his parents made the matter slightly worse. In an instant, the priest wanted to save the child from the hardship, but at the same time struggled to come up with the how aside from a few coins in the palm. He couldn’t possible take the boy with himself to his home. He was no father and knew next to nothing about where to start caring for a child. The pressure of the moment and the fact that the boy was already turning to walk away, having had his fill with this conversation, made Finn dip back into his pocket.
“Hey, wait. What’s your name, kid?” Finn asked to keep the boy from leaving for a little longer.
“Enn.”
“Well, here you go Enn. Get yourself some food in the market.” Holding two silver nel coins towards the boy, Finn knew it would be enough for more than just one piece of fruit. Enn did not hesitate. He snatched the coins with the largest smile on his face, revealing teeth that seemed to need some more caring for.
“Thanks!” The boy exclaimed, his whole face alight. Underneath Finn’s own pleased smile, Finn did not feel satisfied, or fulfilled by what he’s done. There had to be something more that he could do. Something to prevent other children falling into the same trap of unfortunate circumstances. There had to be…
Bonus experience approved by Chronicle, to be given to the following character(s) involved in this thread, only upon the completion of the review, where the character(s) demonstrated celebration of the holiday, Commemoration of the Sea, on Ymiden 43rd, Arc 718. The details of this this holiday include: Cities close to the sea offer this day to U'frek. Sailors and Mer in particular pay particular care to this day, where they throw coins and tokens into the sea as an offering to U'frek. It's a solemn day, but important, as they recognize the sea's power - and its treachery.
~~~Bonus Experience Upon Review Completion~~~
Knowledge
Ne'haer Holiday: Commemoration of the Sea
+2 Bonus Skill Points
Free Item: The Mystic Conch Shell -- At the end of the thread the player will find a mysterious conch shell awaiting for them in water. The shell glows a rainbow iridescent hue, somehow more noticeable when submerged, and surprisingly echoes with sounds of the deep depths of the ocean when listened to.
~~~Bonus Experience Upon Review Completion~~~
Knowledge
Ne'haer Holiday: Commemoration of the Sea
+2 Bonus Skill Points
Free Item: The Mystic Conch Shell -- At the end of the thread the player will find a mysterious conch shell awaiting for them in water. The shell glows a rainbow iridescent hue, somehow more noticeable when submerged, and surprisingly echoes with sounds of the deep depths of the ocean when listened to.
