The port city of Pearlwater lies at the edge of an immense,
endless desert, where the scorching sands meet the deep blue of the sea. Its
towering, whitewashed walls are built to withstand both the harsh desert winds
and the occasional storm surge from the sea. The air is thick with the scent of
saltwater and spices, carried by the breeze from both the ocean and the desert.
The city Is a blend of two worlds: the bustling market
streets are filled with traders from distant lands, selling everything from
shimmering silks to exotic fruits, while the harbor hums with the activity of
ships unloading goods from across the sea. Tall, slender towers rise from the
city's center, built in a unique architectural style, with towers and domes
that glisten under the sun, reflecting the light off the desert's golden dunes.
The city's harbor is a lifeline, with large, sturdy ships
braving the waves to bring in precious supplies like freshwater, grain, and
luxuries from islands dotted along the coasts. Along the docks, crates of
shimmering spices, rare minerals, and textiles are stacked high. At the same
time, caravans of beasts and traders arrive from the desert, bringing rich
metals, rare gemstones, and desert herbs that are highly sought after.
The city's streets wind through various districts—colorful
bazaars, quiet residential areas with small gardens protected by high walls,
and a massive marketplace where merchants loudly haggle over prices. At the
heart of Pearlwater lies the grand Oasis Temple, a majestic structure with
cascading water fountains that offer a cool respite from the sweltering heat
outside. Locals, nomads, and travelers alike gather here for solace and worship
of the Leviathan.
As night falls, the city transforms. The heat of the desert
recedes, and the streets come alive with lanterns, the sounds of music, and the
scent of grilled meats and sweet pastries. The skies above are dotted with
stars, and a warm golden glow from the city illuminates the horizon, casting
long shadows across the desert, creating an enchanting, almost otherworldly
feeling.
Pearlwater, with its fusion of desert mystery and maritime
vitality, stands as a bridge between two realms, its people resilient and
thriving in the heart of both extremes.
"So those are the designated
three?" Captain Slothpaw looked at the girls in front of him. One human
girl and two halflings. All three have brown eyes and brown hair. The nun bowed and left the room.
"What are your names? You girls seem to
be related... Are you daughters of a prostitute?"
The three girls clenched their fists. But
their expression remained neutral. It wasn't the first time someone insulted
their mother. Even though it was true...
"We are sisters, yes. Of the same
mother... My name is Ramla, the eldest. Adea here is the middle one. The
half-elf. And Nea. Our precious youngest sister. A half dwarf." Ramla
introduced herself and her sister to the captain of the ship. The Dalyla.
Ramla is a girl of average height. With a
bust size of F cup. The biggest amongst her sisters. Her body is curvy in all
the right places. Even though she isn't a cultivator. She is naturally
beautiful.
Adea was the tallest. With short brown hair.
She had modest B cup breasts. But her frail constitution and feminine charm
didn't lose out to her big sister.
Nea is the shortest. Not by much since she
has human blood in her. She has long brown hair like her big sister. But her
breasts are A cup on a good day. She's always frowning. But her sisters sees
her cuter like that.
The captain looked at the three girls. Then
his gaze returned to the eldest one. "Was your mother's name Hannah?"
The three girls shook. They looked down. They
were so angry...
"Your mother was a very good whore...
She sucked and fucked like no other... Ahhh... Good times... You think I'm one
of your fathers?" The captain said with a smug smile. Ramla only smiled
faintly.
"I don't think so, no. You weren't here
20 years ago. You only arrived at this city about 10 years ago, no?" Ramla
kept a straight face. She had to be polite and considerate. Lest this man use
her and her sister to his own ends.
"Bahhh! No matter. Do you really want
this job, though? You could make so much more being a prostitute... You
certainly have what it takes... You're even more beautiful than your mother...
May she rest in peace." The captain said as he lecherously gazed at the
poor Ramla.
"Well... I just need to be in the ship
with my two sisters. And the pay is good." Ramla said. She still has that
sad, faint smile. Remembering her poor mother...
"Hahahaha! I guess so, huh? Anyways.
Here. " The captain threw a money pouch at the girls.
"This will keep a roof over your heads
and full bellies till the trip to the Empire of Dawn. One day before the trip,
one of my men will come pick you up. So be prepared. Understood? " The
captain left the girls without looking back.
Adea pocketed the money and gave it to Nea.
She was the one responsible for their finances.
"Cheap bastard... There's only three
gold coins here... " Nea said that as she thought about that despicable
captain.
"Won't that be enough though?" Adea
said as she looked at Nea.
" Barely... It's good for food and
board. Just nothing else... Ughhh, this sucks... " Nea said, and as she
squatted down.
"At least... we'll be able to leave this
godforsaken city... I hate it here... " Ramla said as she looked at the
giant ship. She looked to be contemplating their next move.
"Yeah... I would love to see a forest...
They say forests house a multitude of trees. Flora and fauna as far as the eye
can see... Not like this place... Only desert and the sea..." Adea looked
at the sea. Ever since she was born. She had this longing for the forest. Being
part elf. She doesn't feel at home except with her sisters... But she feels she
can be whole in a forest as well...
"Count yourselves lucky then. If it
weren't for that weird prophecy. We would have stayed in this awful City for
the rest of our lives." Nea said as she started packing her things.
Ramla could only outside at the grand ship and
remembered the story of the leviathan.
In ancient times, when the oceans were
untamed and the skies over the sea were shrouded in mystery, there was a
massive creature known only as the Leviathan of the Black Reef. This great
beast, said to be older than the stars themselves, lurked beneath the deep,
shadowy waters of a dangerous stretch of sea known as the Veil of Sorrow.
The Leviathan was a creature of unimaginable
size—its scales gleamed black as night, and its eyes shone like twin moons. It
was rumored that the creature's roar could split the heavens, and its massive
tentacles could tear the mightiest ships asunder. But what made the Leviathan
truly feared was not its monstrous power, but the peculiar and terrifying
bargain it struck with those who sailed too close to the Black Reef.
Whenever a ship ventured into the dangerous
waters, the Leviathan would rise from the depths, its immense form casting a
shadow over the ship. The crew, trembling, would hear a voice as deep as the
ocean itself rumbling from the abyss.
"Three virgins must be aboard," it would
proclaim, "or none shall pass."
If the ship was not blessed with three
virgins among its crew, the Leviathan would block its path, rising from the sea
and casting a storm of unimaginable fury upon the vessel. The winds would howl,
the waves would rise to impossible heights, and the ship would be torn apart,
leaving only the shattered remnants to sink into the dark depths.
But if the ship obeyed and had three virgins
on board—young women untouched by love or the world's desires—the Leviathan
would grant them safe passage, allowing the ship to sail unharmed through its
domain. The women would never remember how or why the creature spared them, for
the Leviathan was not just a beast of the sea, but a creature of ancient and
unknowable magic.
Over the centuries, sailors and merchants
learned to fear the Black Reef, and whispers of the Leviathan's demands spread
across the seas. Ships would often go to great lengths to ensure they had three
virgins aboard, lest they be doomed to the watery grave that awaited those who
failed to satisfy the creature's strange hunger.
Yet, despite the horror it inspired, some
believed the Leviathan was not a cruel creature, but a guardian of the deep,
watching over the balance of nature. It was said that the Virgin's purity was a
symbol of offering, a way of respecting the ancient ways of the sea and the
creatures that inhabited it. Others, however, thought the Leviathan was merely
a dark force of nature, feeding on the fear and devotion of those who dared
cross its waters.
As time passed, fewer and fewer ships sailed
into the Veil of Sorrow, and the Leviathan was almost forgotten, becoming
little more than a myth told around campfires and in sailor's tales. But still,
the seas remain dangerous, and the Black Reef continues to lie in wait, as dark
and mysterious as ever.