Epos
The city of Sofia had evolved into a bustling metropolis filled with tall, intricately designed buildings made of bright red bricks. The streets were lined with vendors selling trinkets and exotic goods from far-off lands and worlds, and the air was filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter. The shipyard, where the ship was being built, was located on the city's outskirts and was a hive of activity as people eagerly awaited the unveiling of the great vessel.
People anxiously waited for the revealing of the great vessel that was being built for their king. In a few months, the ship's crafting was nearing completion.
Preparations were done and the ship was ready to be unveiled to the public and Rufus. People gathered for the display of the gravity ship that Yosef had built.
Rufus and all those who would join the adventure were present, from Queen Satifa to Gadaric. Yosef was given the honor of removing the veil from the top of the gravity ship.
The ship was in the style of a dromon, a type of galley, but without the rows of oars. The ship was built from the best trees from the Saxon forest. The sail was dyed red, and on top of the mast was a flag with the emblem of the Fairfax flower with wings.
"It cost many fortunes to custom make the sails. Firefly cotton doesn't grow on Aesis, and the traders charged us like crazy. Hopefully, it's good enough," Yosef explained.
"It is magnificent, Yosef," Rufus said as he looked at the magnificent sails.
As the ship was finally revealed, everyone couldn't wait to inspect it. "Let's take a look inside," Rufus suggested, and they all boarded the ship to review it.
On the ship, they saw the outstanding craftsmanship that went into building the vessel. Attention to detail was superb, and only perfection was allowed. They went under the hull to inspect the sleeping quarters, and Hammocks were hanging in two rooms.
"Why the need for two rooms?" Edward pondered.
"Doreen, Joan, Amala, Liana, and Satifa insisted on another room for sleeping quarters," Yosef explained.
"Why...I don't mind," Edward wondered.
"WE MIND!" All of the girls yelled.
There were no cannons nor ballista as weapons, but a Heian flamethrower, originally bought from the dokkaebi, was placed at the front. It could shoot flames up to fifty meters, which could quickly devastate enemy vessels.
"This is the most important part of the ship," Yosef said, taking them even lower.
He showed them the gravity stone that was placed inside a machine. The rock shone more brightly than the one the red fox ship used.
"Where did you get the machine?" Doreen asked.
"Oh, I built it," Yosef said with confidence.
With a slight fear in their eyes, they stared at Yosef.
"No worries, guys. It works. Thanks for the vote of confidence," Yosef said.
"Why does the gravity stone shine so brightly compared to the one inside the red fox?" Edward asked.
"We mined the highest quality of gravity stone, and I would say the quality is of the top ten percent you can find in the entire universe. We got to pick and choose the best quality stone for our ship, making it move even faster," Yosef explained the mechanics.
They came from under the hull back to the deck.
"This ship is perfect. What is its name?" Rufus asked.
"Well, we thought you would like to name it," Doreen explained.
Rufus noticed that Yosef looked a bit discouraged.
"Yosef. You built this. What would you like to name it?" he asked.
Yosef's spirit felt rekindled.
"The Golden Hind," Yosef called the new ship.
"So, like a golden back foot?" Joan said, only partially sold on the name.
"It means more. A golden foot as we are walking forward toward an unknown place," Yosef tried to explain.
"A name for an explorer. I am sure Haley would have liked that as she had often wondered and wanted to go on a journey like this. I like the name," Rufus said, smiling.
~~
"When are we ready to set sail?" Doreen asked.
"Whenever you want," Yosef noted a hint of pride in his voice.
Rufus smiled and explained to them all, "Let's get ready then. I want to be the first ship in the air today."
As they stood on the deck, admiring their new vessel, a small ship flew past high in the sky. On board, they could see a person playing an instrument, controlling the ship by instructing the divine winds.
"YOU OLD FROG! YOU SENILE AND DEMENTED OWL! YOU FORGOT TO TAKE MEEEEEEE!" Suomi shouted as she ran through the streets, her voice filled with anger and frustration.
"King Rufus! I would like to entrust my apprentice to you! She will be an invaluable asset on your journey as she is a sorcerer," Väinämöinen called out from the deck of his ship.
"DON'T GO DECIDING THAT FOR YOURSELF!" Suomi retorted, her voice growing louder with each word.
"I am too old for adventures now, but I know you will find what you seek with Rufus. Help him, Suomi, and he will help you," Väinämöinen said with a sense of finality before sailing away with the power of sorcery like a shooting star.
Väinämöinen mumbled to himself, "Go Rufus and Suomi. Fulfill the destiny the universe has set for you."
~~
Suomi pushed through the crowd and climbed aboard the Golden Hind. Her expression was one of anger and determination as she approached Rufus.
"You need a ride?" Rufus sneered.
"Take this ship and follow that old man so I can beat him up," Suomi ordered, her tone filled with a mix of anger and resentment.
"I'm afraid this ship can't keep up with his speed. He's already flown past the green solo moon world," Yosef explained.
"....FUCK!" Suomi exclaimed, her frustration palpable.
"So this girl will be joining us?" Amala asked, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Just because my master said I would doesn't mean I will," Suomi replied, her tone filled with defiance.
"So you'll stay on Aesis?" Rufus asked, already knowing the answer.
~~
Satifa, Gadaric, and the others got onboard the ship. The locust witches and many clan leaders of the Saracens were present to say goodbye to the queen. The locust witches were given full leadership and more power than before to keep the clan wars to a minimum. The queen's palace in Kairouan would be turned into the palace of the witches, a place where future members would be trained and given divinity by the witches.
"I can't believe you are really leaving," A witch said, her voice trembling with emotion.
"I have a duty to all witches, from you to the ones I failed. I plan on amending that failure," Satifa reassured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Joan and Edward ordered the knights of the black sun to stay in the Plangent castle and battle the monsters in the Saxon forest. They would cut their ties with the Fairfax kingdom as they were too powerful. The knights were to become an independent order. They could independently choose what war they would endorse and whose side they would fight on.
"We will keep the order alive. You have our promise. We will be the sword of this world, as you are the sword of this voyage," one of the knights grumbled.
The Ghersengs were the hardest to persuade not to join the journey. They had always been with Rufus, even to the solo moon world. Now Rufus persuaded them to stay and guard Aesis's world against any demons or children of Pandora.
"I don't like the idea of being left behind either," one of the Ghersengs complained.
"You're the best fighters we have," Rufus reminded them. "We need you to protect Aesis while we're gone. You are the only ones who have fought against the demons, so I believe and trust you. I promise to return as long as you promise to defend this world."
Rufus also instructed to guard the crystal that imprisoned Haley. It would be placed in Lehasa, the city of the grey skin in a secret location that would be guarded by at least ten Ghersengs all the time.
As the ship began to lift off, Rufus's hand shook.
"You nervous?" Amala asked him, her voice filled with concern.
"Not sure. Maybe I am just scared," Rufus admitted.
"Good. Cause it means I am not alone," Amala said and held onto his hand of Rufus, giving him a reassuring squeeze.
As the ship soared, the crowd below cheered and waved goodbye. The characters' emotions were mixed as they embarked on their journey, some were excited, some were scared, and some felt a mix of both. They were leaving behind everything they knew for an unknown adventure, and the weight of that was heavy on their hearts.
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"Epos does not only change the ones on it, but it can change entire worlds and create new nations, cultures, religions and finally create an entirely new heaven."