Chapter 17: | God of the Lake
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A being.
That was all the talk throughout the frigid, deep waters.
They spoke of its majestic, translucent white scales, each shimmering with an inner light, rumored to be worth hundreds, no, thousands, of spiritual stones.
Why was such discussion about this mysterious creature whispered among the mortals?
Why did sailors delve deep into its territory, risking everything to dive and hope they could snatch even a single piece of its scales?
Even if it meant risking their lives, even if they faced certain death, why did they sacrifice so much for just one...
One scale?
Was it worth it?
To obtain it?
So that their families across generations wouldn't have to worry about necessities, living abundantly.
Unaware of the true danger that lurked deep in the abyss they'd dared to name the 'Luminescent Trench.'
Where the 'Radiant Leviathan' lay asleep.
To disturb a being so immensely powerful that it could shatter vessels as massive as a village in a flash.
Why did those foolish mortals bother?
That was the question that plagued my mind for years.
Their greed was too dangerously stupid, to covet what wasn't theirs, to covet what 'Lumicor' possessed.
Splash!
Droplets of water, sharp and cold, splashed and rained down even though the sun shone brightly today.
The air, thick with the scent of salt and fear, shimmered.
"Bless the 'Sun God,' for he blesses us with his magnanimous presence, to not shy away from us when we're at our lowest."
"For he is the brilliance that shines forever and ever."
"For he is 'Surya,' the god of fire and the incarnate of the great 'Novus,' the great sun that shone radiantly everyday."
Those were the last words they could speak.
As blinding flashes of light streaked towards the impossibly large vessels, stretching for miles across the horizon.
Creak!
A low, guttural groan of tearing wood echoed as the vessel was cut clean in half, its monstrous halves submerging into the deep abyss.
The sailors, the officers, the generals, all were clueless of how they died, but one thing was for sure.
They saw the graces of their god falling upon them, a fleeting golden warmth, before their vision turned into an abyssal dark.
They were dead before they could think, before they could even know what had happened.
And that was the fate of those who dared to make noise in the domain of Lumicor, a local deity in the 'Radiant Harbor.'
Some prayed to this water deity, or god, as some might call him.
Some called him a monster, a beast disguised as a deity, a god, but this being was neither.
He disdained the weak who relied on the strong, and he didn't care for the paltry offerings of stage 0 flesh these mortals brought.
For he was too divine to enjoy such meager tributes, for he was the 'Radiant Leviathan.'
A being so magnanimously divine that he didn't care for these beings, these insects.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The very air thrummed, rattling teeth and vibrating the decks, as dragon-like cannons spewed a volley of cannonballs.
Their speed was surprisingly fast, breaking the sound barrier with a sharp crack, but it was useless before Lumicor.
For he embodied light, he was the definition of light itself.
Splash!
Gong!
Light exploded with a blinding flash as massive, shimmering shields struck the waters below, generating miniature tsunamis from the impact.
The ocean surface churned and foamed, spraying cold mist into the air.
Crash!
The shield, woven from pure radiance, collided with the runic-engraved cannonball, forged from cereum by the dwarves.
A deafening shatter rent the air.
Gong!
The sound of a gong reverberated across the ocean, a deep, resonant hum that vibrated through their bone, as the clouds above the sky swirled uncontrollably, forming a vortex.
A tip appeared.
No, it wasn't just a tip, but the gleaming, razor-thin tip of an enormous, radiant sword descending from the heavens.
It hummed with contained power, casting a stark, ethereal glow upon the churning waters.
To exact judgment upon the mortals that dared to defy this divine existence.
The sword flickered out of existence, only to reappear in a terrifying speed, it flashed in an instant.
"...."
Crash!
The sword struck the biggest vessel, one that spanned 700 miles.
No, it didn't just strike the vessel, it phased right through it with an eerie, silent ease.
A perfectly straight, shimmering line could be seen etched across the gargantuan vessel, even as the water shook intensely, sending tremors through the remaining ships.
Creak!
Then cries and wails echoed, thin and despairing, as all they could see were bodies of water, massive, as unnatural waterfalls, could be seen falling from the heavens at where the ship once was.
All of them were ignorant, thinking that the sword had simply vanished due to the grace of the sun.
"Huh?"
One of the officers pointed at the ground, a smile of dread creeping onto her face.
"A line... it can't be right... this can't be right!"
Shing!
Splash!
The vessel was utterly cut in half, the sound of the horrifying, drawn-out rending of metal and wood reverberated.
Drip!
Drip!
Drip!
Blood, thick and coppery, splashed from the sinking hull, blooming in the water and coating the ocean in a sickening red.
Their bodies weren't cut, but they... exploded from the sheer pressure of the heavenly sword phasing through the vessel.
Their weak and frail bodies couldn't handle the concussion of the sword, and they died in an instant, reduced to crimson mist.
As Lumicor's iridescent golden eyes glowed with an intense delight, a predatory gleam in their depths, as he smiled.
"Mortals, bow before me!"
Lumicor's voice boomed, rattling the very foundations of the remaining ships, vibrating through the bones of every sailor, officer, and general who led these vessels.
"For I, the Great Radiant Leviathan, shall spare your unworthy life!"
All bowed with dread as Lumicor's intense gaze pressed their heads down onto the clean, shiny woody deck until fresh crimson blood tainted it, in a pool.
His golden eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"Good. You have satisfied me."
"As promised, you may leave."
Whizz!
Streaks of light, blinding and cold, phased into the remaining vessels as the wind shrieked violently around them, a mournful wail.
Shing!
Light exploded with a deafening roar as the vessels erupted into pieces, torn asunder.
Severed bodies and splinters of wood drifted into the ocean, painting the waves with wreckage and ruin.
As Lumicor turned into a streak of pure light and vanished.
These were the consequences of disturbing the mighty gods, to be met with divine punishment.
The life of mortals were nothing more but pitiful, so live to the fullest.