Igneeria. A world where people are diverging and blending together. Once a place of reverence and designation, it has since become a place of liberality and free-thinking.
Within this world are fourteen deities, each representing a core part of a being's nature. People once waged war over which of their faith were superior, slaughtering millions on each side over millennia. While no two faiths co-existed peacefully, there were times when they would band together against others. Nowadays, tensions between faiths have quelled, and most don't even follow one.
With that said, there is none who believe in divinity more than one who has witnessed them; Glint Pentagust.
Ever since he awakened into this world, he has been plagued with visions of his creation. A serpent the size of a city gyrates in the dark ocean below as storm clouds above construct his shape. Lightning crackles in the clouds and a humanoid shadow flashes within. The winds compress into a solid form, breathing life into the new being. Voices he can't recall beseech him to awaken, a male and a female. Glint believes these to be the filtered voices of the deities who created him.
"Wake up!"
Glint jolts up. His skin flickers between red, purple, and dark blue, before settling on his light blue hue. He looks around the room to the sight of no one. They must be awake, he thinks. He pulls an amulet from his pocket. The symbol he drew in the sand the previous day is imprinted on it. Once again, the voices present themselves when he rouses from sleep. I've slept enough.
Below deck, Glint locates Jasper and Esmond by following the sound of their voices. They are sitting across from each other at a long table near the berth. At the other end of the table are two women: one in a sorcerer's garb and the other in a warrior's. Sitting alone halfway down is a small, green-haired figure. Everyone is eating cereal.
Jasper notices Glint enter the dining room. He has a mouth full of food. "Good morning!" He shovels more cereal into his mouth. "You have to try this!"
Esmond raises an eyebrow. "I highly doubt both of you have never eaten cereal before." Glint stares at the breakfast. Esmond realises they were wrong. "Just grab a bowl." Jasper stands and shows Glint how to prepare it.
Glint joins them at the table, sitting next to Jasper. "Good morning to you too, Jasper."
"A bit late, but okay," Esmond prods. Jasper acknowledges Glint's belated response with a smile.
Glint scoops a spoonful of cereal and milk into his mouth. His skin changes colour to a light pink. A slight smile forms on his face as he continues to eat. Jasper gives a knowing look. Esmond palms their own face.
Jasper finishes his second bowl. "So, you turn pink when you like something?"
Glint looks at his skin and it turns yellow. "I suppose it does."
"And you just turned yellow when you were curious!" Jasper points out. "It happened yesterday too."
Glint returns to his light blue hue. "I believe it did."
"Wow, so you two really did just meet yesterday?" Esmond moves their finished bowl to the side.
Jasper eats from his third bowl. "You didn't believe me?"
"At first, no," Esmond confesses. "You both seem so detached from this world. Who in their right mind chooses the floor over a comfy bed?"
"You slept on the floor," Glint says between bites.
"Touché." Esmond interlocks their fingers. "I'll be straight with you both. I have travelled around the world and seen most of what it has to offer, but I've never seen arcane flow like either of yours before. I've never seen anyone with natural white hair, either." Their eyes narrow. "What exactly are you two?"
Jasper eats his breakfast, avoiding eye contact.
Glint moves his bowl to Jasper's stack. "I don't know."
"What do you mean you 'don't know'?"
"I mean..." Glint looks down at his hand. He watches the wind under his skin swirl and flow, consistently breathing life into him. "...I literally don't know what I am. I have no memory before awakening in that wasteland. All I remember from my creation is a humanoid figure and a giant sea serpent."
"...what?" Esmond stands up, knocking over their chair. A scream can be heard from above. "We're under attack." They move for the stairs. Glint stands and follows Esmond above deck.
The crew's screams resound. Creatures of stone skulk aboard The Black Diamond. The monsters have sharp teeth and claws with large, folded wings. Two red pupils gleam through moulded eyes: signs of life.
The two female passengers join them upstairs. "Are those the sea monster detectors?" the girl with blue hair points out. "Who animated them?"
Esmond pulls a short sword from under their cloak and jumps in front of a crew member, blocking a claw attack from one of the moving statues.
The small blonde elf loses feeling in her legs, dropping to her knees. "Thank you!"
Esmond picks her up by the hood and throws her into the stern hallway. "Stay out of the way." She scrambles into an open room and slams the door shut.
Glint reels his arm back and hurls his spear at one of the twitching sculptures. It hits the monster's chest but finds no purchase, ricocheting into the ship's deck. He clicks his tongue and runs at the charging beast, sliding under its legs and reclaiming his spear. The monster turns and snarls at him. Glint twirls his spear and holds it behind his back. He taunts the monster to come closer.
Captain Theodore Croaker calls out from the bridge. "I thank thee, warriors! Please protect thy ship from these monstrous gargoyles!"
"Are you serious right now?!" The girl with pink hair screams at the captain. She severs a gargoyle at its forearm, defending a bugbear crew member. "You promised us a safe voyage!"
The girl with blue hair cups her hands and shines a light blue. [Ethiver comselh.] Shiver sphere. The blue light flows to her palms. She separates them and a ball of ice expands. She shoots it at the creature, freezing one of its knee joints solid. "Camergue, we don't have much choice here."
Tears stream down Theodore's face as he grips the helm. He swallows his anxiety. He wishes not to say this, but feels he has no choice. "I shall reward you all handsomely!"
Camergue stomps on the frozen limb, cracking its leg in half. The gargoyle's eyes darken, and it falls to the deck, inanimate once more. "Alright, Rebecca." She brandishes her obsidian black blade at another monster. "Just stay behind me." The crew members evacuate below deck.
Near the stern, Esmond sheathes their blade. They grab their right shoulder and force it back into its socket. "You're resistant to non-magical attacks, aren't you?" They smear the blood dripping from their right arm. [Blôd amma lap allar.] Blood rite of binding. They plant their bloodied hand onto the deck and a swirling, crimson shadow creeps out from underneath. It latches onto the gargoyle, wrapping it in place. "Bingo." Esmond flips over the statue and grabs the blood ropes around its face, using them to pull and snap its head off its body. The stone head crashes onto the deck and its red glare vanishes. "One down."
At the bow of the ship, Glint is evading the attacks of three gargoyles. He is struck twice in a pincer attack as claws rip through his torso and split open his skin. Rather than blood, steam escapes from his wounds. That hurts, but I don't have time to patch it right now. He notices the wall around the entrance to the stern. I'll need to line them up for this to work. The whirling winds under his skin glow green as he channels his innate magic. [Sliáerva zong.] Slick wind. Glint's body weight lightens, allowing him to evade the claws and sharp teeth like a leaf in the wind. He dive rolls side to side to align the monsters.
"Don't worry, Glint," Esmond calls out with a smile. He removes the head of another gargoyle. "I'll come over to help you soon. You just sit pretty."
Glint's skin turns a dark red. Smarmy bastard. "It's unfortunate you're in my path, Esmond." He reels his arm back with his spear in hand. "I can't promise this won't hurt." He throws his golden tipped spear along the path of the gargoyles, narrowly missing each one. It whizzes past Esmond's face, piercing into the wooden wall of the back deck.
"Watch where you throw that thing, you fucking idiot," Esmond yells. "Try to hit at least one of them, yeah?"
Glint's skin turns a bright orange as lightning crackles around his hand. "I did." A current of electricity bursts forth and connects with his spear, striking the lightning rod like a thunderbolt. Bolts of arcane stream through the gargoyles, frying their magical circuits and rendering them immobile. Their eyes turn dark, and they all crash into the deck.
Esmond, who was also in the path of the magic, is struck by lightning. They let out a pained scream through locked teeth. Smoke rises from their hood. "You...dick..." They fall to the deck, unconscious.
At the starboard, Camergue decapitates the last gargoyle on deck. She blows stone mineral off her blade and sheathes it. "Is that all of them?"
The light surrounding Rebecca fades. She leans on her staff and exhales, clearly exhausted. "I think so." She looks to Theodore for confirmation.
Scanning the ship from the helm, Theodore's face turns pale. "I see nine bodies, but...I'm sure I had ten of them."
The final gargoyle flies out of the stairs below deck, grappling a flailing Jasper. The beast attempts to flee starboard with him, knocking into an exhausted Rebecca. She is flung into the railing of the ship and breaks through the reinforced wood.
"Rebecca!" Camergue dives after her, grabbing her before she falls too far. "I got you!" She locks her ankle into the broken railing, stopping both of their descent. She feels warm blood trickle from Rebecca's back. Rebecca's eyes roll to the back of her head. Camergue crunches and pulls both of them back onto deck.
Jasper attempts to pull apart the gargoyle's grip on his torso but it's too strong. I'm definitely going to start training if I get out of this.
Glint sprints to the back end of the ship. Damn it, I need my spear! He leaps over Esmond's body. He stops. While they may annoy him, he realises they might be able to help. He turns quickly and places his index finger under Esmond's nose. Green arcana flows to it. [Snin balye.] Smelling salts.
Esmond rouses and knocks Glint's hand away. "Shock me again and I'll kill you."
"Whatever," Glint says and points at the fleeing gargoyle. It's flown about twenty metres out from the ship but has gained a lot of altitude. "Can you help?"
Esmond rolls their eyes and kicks their leg in a spiral, creating momentum for them to kick up into a standing position. They clap their hands together, smearing the blood between. "I love a moving target." [Blôd bumet lap allar.] Blood arrow of binding. Crimson shadows flow out of their palms, forming the limbs of a bow. Esmond takes an open stance as they draw an arrow of blood. Thin red strings ooze from each end of the bow and merge behind the nock of the arrow. Esmond pulls it taut. "Fly." They release the bowstring and the crimson arrow soars. As it flies, the blood bow loses its shape and forms into a rope connected to the notch of the arrow. It stays true to its target and pierces the back of the flying beast, exploding into a net of darkness. The gargoyle screams in pain. Esmond pulls the red rope taut. In its confinement, the monster loses the ability to use its wings and plummets. It pulls Jasper's head towards its maw, trying to take him with it.
"Oh fuck that!" Jasper pushes against the gargoyle's face. Damn it, I wish I could blast this thing away! An orange glow coats Jasper, siphoning his arcana to his hands. "What's happening?" Flames burst forth from his hands, engulfing the demonic beast. Jasper's eyes open in shock. It reels backwards and its grip loosens. Jasper wiggles out of its grasp. He stands up and feels a wave of nausea. "Okay, now how do I get back?" Glint appears on his flying spear, snatching him by the torso. Jasper lets out an audible "oof".
"Glad I caught you," Glint says. "That was a big ball of fire. Didn't know you could do that."
Jasper vomits into the ocean as he hangs from Glint's arm. He feels incredibly weak. "Neither did I."
Esmond wrenches the gargoyle onto the deck with a big heave. "That Jasper kid just used a lot of magic." They notice the red gleam fade and undo their spell. The shadowy blood disperses.
Before fading completely to black, the eyes of the gargoyle flash bright red. It leaps up and knocks Esmond aside with the back of its forearm. They try to block it with their arms, but the stone pillar breaks through bone and sends them flying backwards. Esmond crashes into the back wall of the deck, immobile. The monster turns its attention back to Jasper and Glint and spreads its wings.
Glint whispers, [Ptiat.] Slow. His spear comes to a slow stop. "It was still alive?" He pats Jasper's back as he feels queasy. How do I fight like this?
A floating rapier dashes up from the mess hall and slices through the gargoyle from bottom to top, as if it were cheese. The beast mumbles something, but Glint cannot hear it from where he is. The dancing sword continues to slice through it until it is shredded to ribbons. The statue falls to pieces, the lights in its eyes finally being snuffed out. The short, green-haired passenger walks up the stairs and flicks their finger towards their belt. The rapier sheathes itself in its hilt. "Thanks for breakfast, Captain Croaker." The young boy's long, voluminous hair spikes backwards. His dark green cloak covers his brown tunic and blue pants. He turns on his brown heel towards Theodore. "This means I get some of that reward too, right?"
The captain sighs with relief. "Ferry, my boy. Thank you for helping."
Camergue carries Rebecca to the middle of the deck. "Is anyone a healer?!"
"I am," Jasper says. Glint returns to the deck and lies Jasper down. "Place her next to me." Camergue lies her down on her side.
Jasper places his hand on Rebecca's back. "Heal." Bright white light emanates from Jasper's palm. The wounds on Rebecca's body close, as if time was sped up. Camergue's eyes widen at the spectacle before her. Jasper coughs and some blood spits onto the deck.
Glint pulls Jasper's hand back. "Stop! You're running low on magic."
"It's alright," Jasper says through bated breath. "I just finished."
With the healing complete, Rebecca's eyes open. "Huh?"
Camergue pulls her into a tight hug. Tears stream down her face. "Thank you...!"
Rebecca smiles and hugs her back. "Hey, relax. I'm here, aren't I?" The two share a moment of calm.
Glint picks Jasper back up. "You can take the soft bed today."
Jasper chuckles. "Oh really? Thanks."
Glint walks to the stern. He stops and acknowledges Esmond buried halfway into the wall. "Do you think this damage will be taken out of your reward?"
Shadow ribbons move over Esmond's limp body, healing them of their wounds. The cracking of bone can be heard as they wrap around their arms. They wince at the reconstruction of their own body. They stare into open space. "Shut the fuck up."
"You sound fine," Glint says. He wanders into their room and tucks Jasper in. He looks like he has a high fever.
Theodore shakes the hands of Camergue, Rebecca and Ferry. "Thank you so very much for your assistance. Follow me to my quarters, I shall procure you your reward with haste!" He turns to see Esmond standing upright, woundless. "Esmond my boy! I was right to not worry about you. Will you come and claim your reward as well?"
Esmond's eyes narrow at the destroyed gargoyles on deck. "I'll come by later. I just want to check something." Theodore bows and beckons the other to follow him.
Once alone, Esmond kneels to the corpse of the last gargoyle. They sift through the rubble. The arcane signature is gone. Esmond is very sensitive to the flow of magic and can usually remember one that they have seen before. This one was new.
Thankfully, their unique heritage allows them to pick up the slightest of sounds, allowing them to catch the monster's last words. Esmond stands up and lifts an eyebrow. "Who the hell is Crimron?"