Lia looked off into the middle distance as the day began to break. As Sol began to rise, the middle isle came into view for the first time, the first time Lia saw a piece of land that existed outside of the blessings of Penzamen. The isle was nothing compared to the size of her country, but seeing the ruins that looked so foreign to her own architecture held a sense of wonderment in her eyes; it was proof that there really was a world outside of the blessing of life. Lia smiled the the rising sun, feeling blessed to see it rise on a foreign land for the first time. She prayed to herself;
"Thank you for another morn Alhayaa," she said softly. Lia waited and listened patiently to the wind, but received no reply. She sighed, the silence had become typical as of late. She could blame it on many things this morning; the celebration and loud music behind her, the endless chatter that followed it, the crashing of the waves against the bow of the ship, all causing distractions being able to listen intently; but none of these explained any of the other times she had called to her patron and received silence as her reply. Instead she just became content listening to the music and the waves, enjoying the moments of revelry before the meeting that was to follow. She knew little about the other nations: Limgren, Xerxes, Niepe, Fearsh, even her countries neighbor Midoku was a mystery to her; but the many discussions the blessed council had about them led her to believe they were not exactly "good" in a manner of speaking. She did not want to make to many quick judgments about them, as she herself had never been there, but she found it hard to not have prejudice against at least Midoku.
"Lia…" a soft voice said nearby. Lia looked around for a moment at the partiers on the deck. Many different leaders, lords and ladies, from the other 11 blessings were on the ship and they brought their courts with them making the ship quite full. Even this early in the morning, many handmaidens and court guards where partying and enjoying the celebration of being blessed by their patrons with good wind and merry weather; although the celebration had not really ceased since they got on the ship a little more than 2 days ago. But as she investigated her surroundings there was nobody within a close enough proximity to her to speak that softly and he heard. Most of the other awake passengers where still on the main deck laughing, dancing, and seeing friends that lived in other parts of the country, the only people on the stern with Lia were a few who could not contain their seasickness as well as their ale.
"Lia…" the voice said a second time. Lia grew in excitement for a moment, had Alhayaa finally reached out to her?
"My goddess," she said through a smile, "It is good to hear from you again." Lia waited patiently for a reply, instead she saw a shimmer in air next to her and a second later the face of her friend and mage, Fuju, came into view. Fuju carried a sheepish smile, clearly feeling bad for his actions. The invisibility spell wore off starting at his head and finished at his toes. Lia's smile turned to a look of disinterest given directly to him.
Fuju let out an awkward chuckle, "Well if it is any concilation, my intent was not to convince you I was your patron," Fuju said in a small but still confident voice. His white hair and crystalline horns swayed a bit from the wind off the bow. He has deep blue eyes that themselves sparkle like gems, and a very clearly handsome face he enjoys showing off. Fuju tried to use these features to his advantage, but none of them were convincing to Lia at the moment. Lia was impervious to Fuju's "charm".
"Why in all of Alhayaa's grace are you sneaking up on me with an invisibility spell!"Lia yelled raising her hand to smack him. Fuju welped a little bit and teleported a few feet away to avoid the coming hand.
"It was meant as a prank!" He pleaded, deciding to hide behind one of the mast, "how was I supposed to know that you would believe I was your patron! Alhayaa and I sound nothing alike," Fuju hid is head once again. Lia fumed for a moment and then sighed, he was right. For her to believe that Fuju's voice was Alhayaa's was wishful thinking on her part.
"You can come out from behind the mast Fuju," Lia said. After a moment Fuju popped his head out, scouting the area to see if he was truly safe. He narrowed his eyes at Lia before smiling and walking towards her once again.
"I take it this means you still have yet to hear from her?' Fuju asked. Lia shook her head.
"Cheer up Lia. I may not be an expert on the gods but if she is not speaking to you I doubt it has anything to do with your piety, maybe she is indisposed at the moment" Fuju said leaning on the bow with his back to the water.
"Indisposed?" Lia asked also leaning on the bow, "She is a goddess Fuju, I highly doubt she has to worry about errands or being 'busy'" Lia made a gesture of frustration. Fuju laughed.
"Lia Alhayaa is the goddess of the entire blessing…" Fuju began to say.
"And I am her conduit…" Lia interrupted, "if she has time for any person in the blessing why would it not be me." Lia sighed defeated.
"Do you think you might be a little bit hasty?" Fuju asked, he pointed a finger toward the main deck, "you are not Alhayaa's conduit just yet." Lia looked down at the main deck to see her brother Adonis walking around and talking with the other lords and ladies of Penzamen. He has blonde hair, like her, but his is significantly shorter. They are a spitting image of each other. Both have the standard elvish features with their stern faces and sharp features, but these two were able to wear it kinder than most others. They both have green eyes, something that is common for people in the court of sunflowers, but Adonis's eyes glow a little brighter and feel both a little more intimidating and a little more warm at the same time. Adonis was the type of man that people wanted to impress, but also felt like you could tell him anything. It was easy to love him, but just as easy to fear him. Lia looked at her brother with soft, caring eyes. She loved her brother dearly. Growing up it had just been her, Fuju, and Adonis; sure there were caretakers and friends in the blessing of life but those three shared the burden of purpose and responsibility.
"How is he?" Lia asked Fuju.
"As good as he can be. The more I have looked into it the less I know. His condition seems to defy the laws of the arcanum and natural order," Fuju said. Lia could see the sunkenness around her brother's eyes, the way his robes seemed to sway around him a bit more than they used to, the ways his hands shook. He was having a rough day, he was in pain.
"Fuju as much as I appreciate you looking after him you are a mage in a school that has nothing remotely to do with healing. Shouldn't professional clerics being tending to him over you?" Lia asked angrily. Fuju laughed and looked around; investigating to make sure no unwanted ears had been aroused by their conversation. Though they were among friends and fellow countrymen the whole issue with Adonis's health was more so spoken of in whispers. To fully admit his affliction would be to cast doubt on his rule, and for the blessing of life to look weak would be to make Penzamen as a whole come into doubt.
"Do you think I have not tried to convince him?" Fuju said more quietly, "every time he asks me to treat him I question why he looks to me when my expertise is in destruction rather than in healing! Adonis is stubborn. If he will not go to the Cleric himself there is no way of making him…"
"Good morning," A voice interrupted. Lia and Fuju jolted, surprised to see Adonis standing in front of them. He carried his usual smile with him but there was a touch of annoyance as well. "You two seem to be in a heated discussion this morning. What could be troubling you on a gorgeous morning like this? Praise Alhayaa for this blessed morning," Adonis said. Lia and Adonis each put one of their arms over the chest and bowed their heads, giving thanks to Alhayaa. Fuju did not follow suit.
"Brother, it is nothing truly. Sorry if it sounded as if we are heated…" Lia said trying to be discreet.
"You disapprove of my methods for recovery?" Adonis says. He says it loud enough that Fuju and Lia look around in shock, even with the meager amount of people on the ship there were people close enough by to hear what Adonis said.
"Your grace I really wish you would not speak so loudly of such things," Fuju said, "If the other blessings leaders were to hear, there is no telling what the ramifications could be."
"There is no need for worry about that. I told them last night," Adonis said with a sly and defeated smile. Lia's heart sank in her chest.
"Adonis why would you do such a thing?" Lia asked.
"It is simple," Adonis says as he walks up to the bow of the ship, "I am not getting better." Adonis looked out over the sea towards the middle isle, his sunken eyes reflecting the morning sun. Lia and Fuju looked at each other.
"We have been trying magically, medically, herbally, every form of treatment possible for my illness and yet nothing has changed. I am only getting worse and if an archmage cannot help me," Adonis says gesturing to Fuju, "then there is no hope for me to be saved." Adonis sighed, "It was time to let the other blessings know that I would not be around much longer and that my responsibilities will be passed on to Lia, the next conduit of Alhayaa."
"Adonis," Fuju says in a forthright manner, "This will weaken our position. The other blessings are already jealous of us because of our trade connections, this will only work to weaken us. Adonis has all sense…" Adonis glared at Fuju.
"We may have grown up together but I am still the reigning monarch over the blessing of life and you will treat me as such," Adonis said sternly, Fuju grew meeker. "We are all one nation, one people, we are all the people of Penzamen. We may serve different gods and have different creeds but we are fortunate enough to be blessed by the twelve. The rulers of blessings are conduits of their patrons, even if I do not see eye to eye with them; I have trust in the brothers and sisters of Alhayaa."
"Brother, I understand what you are saying but you have not even met with the clerics. Lexa perhaps has more insight than Fuju! Maybe there is something she knows that could help!" Lia tried to plead with Adnois.
"It is futile. I am sorry sister but everything we have learned has showed me that I am incurable…" Adonis said, he turns himself to look at Lia, "I would rather prepare for your rule and make way for the blessing of life under your leadership instead of trying to extend my time." Silence hung in the air between the three of them. Lia had much she wanted to say, she wanted to reassure, convince, anything she could to give her brother some hope, but seeing him resigned to his fate broker her heart. All she could do was accept his words.
"I have not given up hope," Fuju finally said to break the silence. "If we are telling people about your condition then let me go to Midoku. The Midokens have the best enchanters in the world. I know you have given up but maybe the answer is not the gods, maybe it is within the magic of man."
"You want us to admit to the other countries that our ruler is dying?" Lia said, "Midoku may be a land of wizards but have you forgotten our history? I would rather the desert nomads of Xerxes with their sand rituals cure my brother then let a single wizard from Midoku look at him."
"Lia I trained in Midoku to get where I am today. You would let your brother die for your pride?" Fuju shot back. This statement angered Lia but was unsurprising. The difference in opinion on Midoku was nothing new for them but it still was a clear point of contention.
"This meeting at the Middle isle is one of the only times all of the countries can meet together peacefully," Adonis answered, "let Fearsh have their time, if there is an opportunity for us to speak then we will take it." Lia was shocked at this statement.
"Adonis…" Lia said with her mouth agape.
"It is time to bury the hatchet," Adonis said. As he said this a large horn sounded from the top of the mast. With the sound of the horn a strange sensation came over the ship. A shimmering of multicolors, forming an opaque wall, encompassed the ship forming a layer that blurred the outside world for a moment. The passengers of the ship watched as they passed through the wall and felt the multicolor energy absorb into them. Lia looked down at her hands and watched as the magic glittered and glistened for a moment before disappearing. As Lia looked up the view changed. The center isle still remained in is ruinous state but the sky and sea changed drastically. What shown before her is a beautiful mosaic of galaxies and stars that seemed to fill the entire sky. The water beneath glistened and shimmered with starlight. The only word that could describe all of it was: beautiful.
"We are through the barrier," Fuju said, "we must prepare to dock." Fuju touched Lia's shoulder gently to get her attention. "We are in this together and I am always by your side." He said this sincerely, his gazed fixed on Lia, before his mouth grew back into a smile and his whimsical side returned. Adonis turned towards the deck and yelled across the ship.
"Prepare to land!"