The sun had just begun to rise, casting a warm golden glow over the city of Aquanus, as people started to stir from their slumber. The bustling streets were slowly getting populated with a variety of beings, both human and non-human. Some were hurrying to their workplaces while others were leisurely opening their shops, ready to start their day. Two individuals, their faces covered by ropes, were strolling towards the market district, taking in the sights and sounds of the vibrant city.
As both of them observed the city Aquanus was a city like no other, with its unique architecture and diverse population of individuals from different species. The houses were grand and ornate, some even shaped like cocoons, adding to the charm of the already picturesque city. The market district was a hub of activity, with vendors setting up their stalls and buyers haggling over prices.
Ray had been yearning to explore the city for some time now, but his father had denied him permission due to recent events. Just weeks ago, Due to the events of his nearly dying and the appearance of certain monsters (dark rift walker) As a result, there were suspicions by both his father and the entire city that something was amiss in the Ivans estate with his son. Not many survived a plague-like dark taint, and his father had kept the details under wraps. Eventually, the events got some unwanted exposure, and the city council started asking many questions about the incident.
Only Ivan, Ray's father, knew that his son did not get sick due to the dark taint. He had grounded him for one month of observation for any symptoms, but it was still not complete, and nearly four weeks had passed. During this time, Ray found something very interesting. He recalled what Allister had told him about the months.
"A month here has 5 or 6 weeks, depending on the month. The full year has 16 months. This planet might be bigger than Earth, or maybe the seasons have something to do with it. Astronomy was one of my favorite subjects in middle school. So many schools had different curriculums with respect to astronomy."
Ray and Allister continued walking towards the stone pillar, their footsteps echoing against the cobblestone streets. The market district was bustling with activity as vendors shouted out their wares and customers haggled over prices. Ray couldn't help but take in the sights and sounds of the city, from the fancy houses that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, to the strange cocoon-shaped structures that dotted the landscape.
As they approached the stone pillar, Ray couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, with its imposing presence. The strange-looking big stone pillar had diagonal and vertical geometry shape. They were like tall pillars of intricate design. He couldn't help but wonder what purpose it served in the city's architecture.
Allister, on the other hand, seemed more concerned about the potential consequences of their little excursion. He grumbled under his breath, his annoyance palpable even through the robes that covered his face.
Ray had snuck out today and dragged Allister with him because he was not familiar with the city or any routes. They also had to get some gear for training, so it was a win-win situation for Ray. Allister's annoyed expression was clearly read even while covering his face with robes.
"You know I could have just got those dummy weapons. Why did you tag along? Are you aware of how much trouble we could get in? You do know that we are not well-received here, right?" Allister said with a hint of irritation in his voice.
Ray knew what could happen, yet he still wanted to check out this city. Training and studying for weeks were taking a toll on him. Still, as a precaution, Ray planned to just take a very small trip in and out of the city.
"Allister mentioned he wanted to train him with dummy weapons. A good opportunity, I think." Ray thought
"I know, but come on, it's just a one-way short trip. We will be back at the villa before breakfast," Ray said, trying to persuade Allister to join him.
Ray had a realization in the past 2 weeks.
While having their daily running session around the city, both Allister and he were being looked at with animosity. At first, it did not bother Ray, but getting stares like that was making him question something. This was not targeted at him specifically, but more at both of them.
Ray had considered asking Allister a question, but he realized it might make the gullible boy suspicious, even with the lie he had fabricated. Ray was concerned, but he needed to focus on what he could do to get into Rumira. Many future events were somehow linked to his little brother, and he hoped to influence some of them by keeping his twerp of a brother in line. if he just stayed close to him
Allister was very annoyed. He knew that Ray had the potential to get him into trouble. Despite his father's warning to avoid going to the city without supervision, Allister found himself there with Ray.
After spending a few weeks with Ray, Allister had grown increasingly annoyed with him.
"He acts like an idiot, constantly asking about the basics of things and excusing himself by saying he had amnesia after his near-death experience. I understand that he had some problems recalling many things, but forgetting nearly everything was still quite annoying." Allister thought
Allister looked at Ray with a mixture of pity and sadness. It was as if he was mocking him, but Ray clearly did not give a shit He noticed the look from Allister, He saw it a little as both were the same height. So peeking in his face from the ropes was not difficult.
"Don't pity me, you gullible idiot," Ray snapped. "You're making fun of a sick person. Show some decency."
Ray's attitude and remarks had a way of getting under Allister's skin. Allister was a gullible guy who had learned the code of champions in the academy as a child. Ray's remarks always seemed to poke fun at the chivalry code that Allister had adopted.
"Sick my ass. It's been nearly three weeks. How can you not remember anything?" Allister replied, his annoyance evident.
After a moment's pause, Allister wanted an apology for Ray's offensive remark. "Be grateful, you idiot," Allister added.
"I know. It's a work in progress. Now, let's just lead the way. You're wasting time with all this chit-chat," Ray said, a hint of mild annoyance in his tone.
With a mild annoyance, Allister picked up the pace and headed towards the market district, with Ray following close behind. Ray knew that he had to make use of Allister because he knew very little about this world. Most of his memories were of family relations and some history of the kingdom, which he had received from Rayhein. Only very strong memories are present in his mind of rayhein.
"There might be many things that are a little different since it's a completely different world. I still Miss Earth. Having to figure out everything is intriguing, but it's difficult. I've got nothing going for me. Searching for knowledge in books is a hassle. Most contain useless information about politics and kingdom formation. It might be useful later, but right now, I need to learn the basics. I died, and there is no turning back. I wish that stupid stone gave me some working memories, not these broken and jumbled-up versions of both Rayhein's and my own adiens ones. It's a pain to ask Allister every time now," Ray thought to himself.
As they arrived at the store, Ray couldn't help but feel intrigued by the insignia of a strange humanoid-looking rock on the billboard. He slowly read the sign of the shop
"Hard Stone Shop? What is this, Allister?"
Allister had a mischievous smile on his face as he replied,
"You will see."
The door of the shop was pure stone, and the entire shop was a well-carved rock. . It was fancy and looked nice using only rocks to build the structure. Ray felt a sense of wonder as he looked at the intricate carvings that adorned the walls and the ceiling. . A proper shop with tiles, floor, billboard, windows, and everything made of stone. Every detail was expertly crafted, and Ray couldn't help but admire the skill of the stonemason who had created this masterpiece. He noticed that the stone had a unique texture, rough to the touch yet smooth in appearance.
Ray was excited and had a curious smile on his face as he tried to push the door, which was also made of fancy-colored stone. However, the door wouldn't budge. Ray had a confused look while Allister was giggling.
"Huh!!!"
"Maybe there is a button for it?" Ray suggested as he looked around, but he didn't find anything. The door was smooth with no handles.
"Come on, open it," Allister urged, still amused by Ray's struggle.
"Not funny. Just open it. I don't know how to open this door," Ray said, clearly not amused as he gave up trying to open the door with brute strength that was not helping it even budge from the spot.
Allister had a satisfied look on his face as he placed his hand on the stone wall and closed his eyes to concentrate. Focusing his magical energy on a singular point on his middle index finger, a faint purple glow appeared on it. The stone then reacted to it, making lines that looked like a cracked mirror from a singular point on his index finger reaching the end of the door's edges. The door split into many different pieces and started to diverge from the focal point, clearing a path for them to enter while levitating in the air.
As they walked through the doorway, Ray was amazed by the interior of the shop. The entire place was made of stone as well just like the outside, from the tiles on the floor to the windows. The stones were expertly carved and the shop looked fancy and well-crafted. Ray felt a sense of wonder and awe as he explored the shop, taking in every detail.
He noticed that the shelves were lined with various stones of all shapes and sizes, each with a unique texture and color. The air was filled with the earthy scent of the stones, and Ray felt a sense of calm wash over him. There were even luminous stones used as light bulbs.
Amazing..." Ray whispered in awe.
"I know you have questions, but not now. You hear me?" his companion said, cutting off Ray's train of thought.
"Yeah, sure," Ray replied, his mind still reeling from the experience.
As they walked into the shop, Ray was struck by the sparkling stones and illuminating stone wares that filled the space. Suddenly, a slow reverberating voice filled his mind, with a stone-grinding quality to it.
"Welcome, humans. How may I be of service?" the voice intoned.
Ray was stunned. It was like a sound in his head A very tall figure loomed before him, with a broad and wide body that towered over both customers. It stood at roughly 12 feet tall and was made entirely of rock, with hand-like limbs that floated in midair without any visible legs. The body was covered in carving of scars, emitting a strong, dark blue hue from the markings. It was a formidable presence, and Ray couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"It has many scars that looked like they do not belong on that rocky body and something caused it." Ray thought
"We're from the Champion's Academy," Allister said, showing the badge he had acquired. "We need some hard-stone practice dummies weapons. Could you show us some that we can purchase at a reasonable price?"
The floating body turned around to go deeper into the shop, and Ray and his companion followed closely behind. As they walked, Ray couldn't help but notice the intricate details on the rock body. The scars looked like they didn't belong on the body, as if something had caused them.
"Gladly, wait here, humans," the stone giant said before turning to go deeper into the shop.
"Wow. Their bodies are so huge. What's the name of this species?" Ray asked Allister, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Allister didn't respond but instead gave him a series of hand signals, signaling Ray to keep quiet.
"Let's pick our dummy weapons. I'll tell you later, okay?" Allister said in a low voice.
Satisfied with the answer, Ray dropped his question and explored the shop. The place was adorned with various weapons made of stone, some of which had colorful stones engraved into their hilts, making them look particularly intriguing.
"These are the weapons that you might find useful for dummy practice, humans," the shopkeeper's voice echoed throughout the shop.
Ray quickly made his way back to Allister's side, and they examined the weapons together. Allister picked up and examined each one before settling on four to purchase.
"We'll take these four, please," Allister said, holding up the selected weapons.
The shopkeeper rang up the purchase, and Allister handed over five lunar stones to pay for them.
"5 lunar stones humans. No bargains in Tia's shop" The stone giant said
"Fine," Allister said in response to the shopkeeper's no-bargain policy.
Allister took out five pebbles that had the exact shape. They had a somewhat transparency with a hue emitting from the. He had a little stingy face but Allister was at least convinced it was the best quality that he could get for practice weapons. They left the shop, carrying the goods as the friendly shopkeeper waved goodbye.
"Visit again to get more goods, humans," the shopkeeper said with a reverberating voice.
As they walked away from the shop, Ray couldn't help but feel curious about the species of the stone giant and the origins of the shop. He wondered what kind of secrets it held and made a mental note to ask Allister about it later. For now, he was content with the practice dummies they had acquired and couldn't wait to use them at the Champion's Academy.
As they left the shop, the door suddenly creaked open on its own, revealing a strange and unexpected sight. A colossal shadow loomed on the horizon, approaching the city with an impressive height that seemed to stretch up to the skies. Ray was awestruck, recognizing the same shadow he had seen when he first arrived in this world. Concerned, he turned to Allister, who wore a surprised expression.
"What the hell is that?" Ray asked, his voice tinged with worry.
Allister looked at him quizzically. "Huh? Don't you remember the sky festival?"
Ray was confused by Allister's response, feeling no relief at the mention of a festival.
"What does he mean by a festival? Is he insane?" Ray thought, eyeing the absurd giant shadow figure that looked as though it could crush the city with one foot. Cloud-like shapes trailed behind it, or perhaps the opposite. Despite his misgivings, Ray decided to trust Allister, who appeared unperturbed by the looming shadow.
"Yeah, remind me what it was?" he asked.
"Why not ask him? Maybe he won't be pissed and might answer. What's the harm?" Ray thought.
Before Allister could respond, people began pouring out of their homes, wielding spears and weapons of all kinds. Humans and non-humans alike stood uneasily as the colossal figure closed in. Some non-humans and humans were heavily armed to the teeth, while others relied on their massive bodies to defend themselves. The air was thick with tension as everyone waited for the shadow to arrive.
Do you see all these people with weapons?" Allister explained pointing in their direction.
"They're here to catch sky fish - a huge, delicious fish that flies in the sky within a giant cloud storm. These beings have existed for millenniums, roaming the world in search of super-concentrated magical areas. Every region has such areas, where the concentration of magic is so strong that it can warp the environment and make it uninhabitable for all living things. Some believe the sky giants are protectors who help all of us. Sky fish feed on the pure raw magical energy that the sky giants consume from the environment. Since the scale of it is large there is bound to be residue. The fish fly in the storm and descend to rest. I've heard they're very delicious."
"Allister, the sky giant is enormous. How can you say it's no threat?" Ray asked, still feeling uneasy about the whole situation.
"The sky giants are harmless. They can't touch anything, and their presence is like a festival in every area they appear. From what I learned at the academy they dodnt have a physical form. I forgot the detail though"
Adding to the conversation he explained
"It's rare for them to come here, that's why I was surprised. We only have ten occurrences each year in the east, but this year there are a lot more. People are willing to pay serious cash for a delicacy like a sky fish. Do you want to try and catch one? It won't be easy, so let me do the heavy lifting. You haven't even begun combat training, so stay back, okay?" Allister said, offering Ray an apologetic smile.
Allister and Ray stared in awe as they watched the sky fish glide through the air.
"This is amazing, but are you sure it's safe?" Ray asked.
"This is amazing they are like natural super filters. Eating the raw access energy and making the world stable. Sky fish just follow them. Huh. That interesting. Wait didn't he say they existed after that dark era whatever it is? Hmm well, let's just catch one. I'm a bit disappointed that the food is not as good as I thought it would be in this world. Maybe this will be different" ray thought.
Allister drew his sword from its hilt and positioned himself, ready to catch one of the sky fish. The sky giant figure loomed above the city, its massive foot nearly touching the ground. Ray couldn't help feeling uneasy at the sheer size of the creature. Some of the people around them were chanting and screaming, caught up in the excitement of the Sky Festival.
"SKY FESTIVALLLLL" the people shouted
A foot of unimaginable size started falling on the city covering it with a little darkness. .As the foot descended, the city was plunged into mild darkness, and a storm-like wind and thunder filled the air.
"BOOOM, ROAR"
The sky giant's roar was deafening, having the feeling of exploding bombs and many non-human creatures with wings were forced to take shelter on the ground.
Despite the chaos, Ray was amazed at the spectacle before him. The sky was filled with fish, ranging from small to house-sized, floating effortlessly through the air. He couldn't resist the urge to catch one and help Allister.
"Allister, why do they come down?" he was confused as he looked at them descending from the sky.
"Everyone has limits. These fish absorb the magical energy from the sky giant. Since it's an abnormally large pool of pure condensed energy sometimes they tend to get dizzy and fall off from the sky. At least that's what the magic association thinks maybe if we are lucky a fish might fall in our lap's haha" Allister said amused by his own joke
As they watched, Ray noticed that the fish were diving from the epicenter of the storm to the ground. He braced himself against the wind and took off running towards the source, Allister close behind him.
Allister savored the excitement of the moment. Opportunities like these were rare, and he knew he could make a good profit from catching just one medium-sized sky fish. Although he never was allowed to participate. Just one medium-human-sized fish could give him enough money to buy so many upgrades to his armor.
Ray was clearly pumped up by the storm and ready to test his body. He had been working hard on his physical fitness, and it showed in his toned and muscular physique.
"LET'S DO THIS, ALLISTER!" Ray shouted, his enthusiasm was reaching new levels.
The sky fish continued to descend from the storm clouds, and people crowded the streets, eagerly awaiting the start of the Sky Festival. Allister and Ray joined the throngs of people, their eyes fixed on the sky.
As they waited, the wind continued to howl around them, carrying the scent of rain and electricity. The air was charged with energy, and Allister felt a thrill run through him.
Many fish were descending from the sky. Some were waiting for it on the streets. The sky festival had started.