The Hero softly stepped out of the tent he and his would be partner took for the night, trying not to wake her from her slumber. He had done the final part of his preparation, making sure his blood would continue on, and now he would venture forth into the waves to search for the Fallen god.
The Hero looked out over the village, the lighting significantly lesser compared when the ceremony was occurring. Having taking down the larger torches that formed a path to the alter, the only torches that brighten the night were those that were next to the people's huts. The Hero pay them no attention, however, focusing on the path that led down to the beach, where the Shaman would be waiting for him to send him off. He walked softly through the grassy path, the blades flattening as his feet crushed them. He focused his attention to the night sky once more, eyes drawn to the constellation of the All Mother. He followed the stars that made her index finger to a point, then looked towards the horizon, seeing nothing but ocean. This journey would surely be a treacherous one.
Just before leaving the village to the beach, he branched towards an open hut, a number of tools and equipment lining the walls. He was focused on a somewhat dull and old stone axe. The was the axe he had used to chop down his first tree, and defend his family when a hostile tribe invaded their island. There were proper weapons he could take on his journey, but the connection he held with this simple axe was more powerful that the weapon's sharpness. He grabbed the axe and slipped it into a loop on his loincloth, heading past the hut and down the path the the beach.
As the surface the Hero walked on slowly changed from soft dirt and grass to coarse sand, he saw the Shaman with the other maiden, the latter pulling a canoe towards the water. The Hero tried to move to help her, but the Shaman stopped him, her hand pressing against the Hero's chest. He stopped, not wanting to break the old woman's arm by passing her. He turned his head to face her, Her face more visible and aged in the moonlight. The wrinkles covered her face, and her cheeks sagged, making it look as if the earth itself was trying to pull on her face.
"Grandchild, We've already said our farewells." She began, her voice struggling to get out of her mouth, "but I just wanted to say one last thing." Once she was certain that the Hero was focusing on her, the nodded, taking a breath and continuing. "My other maiden will be joining you on this quest. I can't fathom the thought of loosing you, my little puaka." Her hand caressed his cheek. He attempted to hold back tears as his grandmother called him a pet name from when he was just a child. He always was as active as the puaka calves the village had. "Please stay alive and return safely. Don't leave your partner here alone." She demanded, getting a nod from the Hero as he recalled that his grandfather never came back. As she pulled her hand away from his face, she looked back to the maiden and the canoe, the sail down and ready to catch the wind. The Shaman stepped aside, allowing the Hero to join his new companion.
He grabbed one end of the canoe and pushed, sending the ship into the water. Quickly the two young heroes jumped on board, steadying themselves to prevent from falling into the waters. The Hero looked back to his island as the canoe slowly floated away, seeing that his grandmother was still standing there, waving her hand. He raised his hand in return, saying goodbye one last time. Once done, he turned around and angled the sail, the wind kicking up and pushing them past the reef and into deeper waters.
The maiden who joined him knelt behind him, holding a wooden oar to the water, altering its position to make certain they remain on coarse. The Hero looked back to her, her expression appearing less than pleased. "Uh, hello?" The Hero tried to begin a conversation, the only pay off for that was her eyebrows becoming more rigid with frustration. He chose to not engage in conversation at the moment and put all his attention on maintaining their heading.
--------------------------------------------------------------
A beautiful woman with dark skin and flowing blue hair looked down upon the world, the orb made up of eighty percent water. This was her world, and the people that developed here were her children. She focused on a small object traveling through her waters, seeing that it was the hero from the first island she made, her prized island. She smiled seeing the hero having a companion on this journey; the last hero who traversed the waves had no companion, and was shortly lost to her after completing his quest.
She then drew her gaze to a small island in the shape of an orb, with a small mound atop it. She pointed towards the island with her right hand.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Phrea." A masculine voice said behind her, drawing her attention only momentarily before she returned her gaze to her planet.
"He has served his sentence. Ten Thousand years has past since his supposed crime, he deserves freedom." Phrea responded, her voice soft and gentle. "Besides, who else will be able to stop Helroar? He intend to destroy all worlds. He already destroyed Frothelm's and consumed his essence. Will we just stand back and watch as this destructive god destroys all?" There was no response from the other god, causing her to grin. "He is the only one who can kill him. Any of us attempt to and we will scare him off to the Darkness once more." A defeated sigh from the other being confirmed that Phrea's plan was the only plan that would work. After all, if the god of Intelligence couldn't think up a better plan, then she had to be right. "Do not worry, Einalast, I will only allow him to kill Helroar and no others."
The other god, Einalast, grumbled and began to fade away. "Let us hope that the king does not attempt to interfere." He added before melding with the stars behind her. She sighed after he mentioned the king, who was the one that was the most adamant on keeping the fallen one locked planet side.
"Let us hope."