Whizz.
A young gaunt man cast his fishing rod out into the quaint waters of the Etrean luminant. A chill breeze blew down the slopes behind him, tossing particles of sand into the air. Luckily, the man was facing towards the ocean, so no particles made their way into his eyes.
As the chilling breeze died down, a searing heat replaced it. The young man felt like the skin on the back of his neck was about to burn up. As the heat continued accumulating, he shielded his neck with his free hand, the coarse texture of his palm contrasting the gentle caress of the passing wind. The beach that he was fishing at wasn't much of a beach. It felt like an awkward man-made outcropping that was made with the sole purpose of giving ships and shipwrights a better place to anchor and deboard at. Even in terms of manmade structures in this world, it was definitely down there. Then again, it wouldn't be fair to compare a haphazardly formed beach to towering walls that separated regions that also seemed to descend infinitely deep. In fact, he could see one of these towering walls from his relatively low vantage point.
Turning around, he observed the marvelous stretch of manmade barrier. There were two… three ways one could get around such a structure, if it ever had an end to it. Two ways were death sentences, which were finding a path over the wall or around the wall.
'Or just go through the conveniently placed gate that comes with a complementary ship highway! Sounds much better than being attacked by monsters or breaking every bone in your body from a fall.'
He glanced around looking for something that could entertain him, but to no avail. His stomach grumbled.
'I suppose… I could go another day without food.'
As the wind picked up again, he removed his hand from his neck and switched the hand he was holding his fishing rod in. Well… whatever trinket that he created that resembled a fishing rod. It was a sturdy stick that he gathered from beneath a thick tree, and made twine out of the smaller sticks. When put together, it made a fishing rod that was sturdy enough for his use case. It wasn't like he was going to be catching colossal beings anytime soon. Even if he did, he would probably faint from just looking at it.
'Speaking of colossal beings…'
The young man watched as the ocean waves licked the ivory beach he sat on. Where he resided, there were no tides. Well, the definition of tides that refer to the change in sea level throughout different times of day. The other form of tides… was something that he only had rudimentary knowledge about. When the already young man was much younger, he had heard stories from his parents about the tide. It usually went along the lines of this:
"Once upon a time, a prosperous city stood high above the waves. Tall stone walls protected the city from anything that could pose a threat. Powerful people stood at its gates, protecting the city from its only visible points of weakness. A tall tower stood at the center, another tall ring of stone surrounding it.
The city was divided into a multitude of districts, all with their own specialization. Out of all of these districts, one district stood out. The District of Commerce cemented the reputation of the city throughout the luminants. The streets were lively, the shops were packed with covetous buyers flush with money, the restaurants were heavy with gossip and chatter. From the outside, the impregnable city looked flawless.
From the outside…
Recently, the ruler of the city had mysteriously disappeared and was replaced with a new ruler. The people didn't mind him at first, since all of his actions seemed to be in favor of the wellbeing of the city's people. Decades passed after he usurped the throne, with nothing major threatening the livelihood of the people and the city. At least, that was what it seemed like. In truth, their new lord was slowly corrupting the minds of the oblivious citizens, placing a mental veil to protect him from any retaliation.
Not that he could kill them with a single thought.
Eventually, the people of the city had gone under full control of the lord, albeit over the span of a few centuries. Finally, on one fateful day, a colossal sea monster arose from the depths of the tides. Its colossal form casting a shadow that engulfed the seemingly impregnable city. The abomination left as quickly as it came, dragging the flawless city into the unforgiving depths of the tides."
The young man's face showed a hint of melancholy. He remembered this story from back when he was a child, probably because his parents told it to him several dozen times to the point where it was ingrained into his mind like ghastly runes carved on a wall. But he had no time for wistful thinking right now…
'I've got something!'
Something tugged on the man's makeshift fishing rod. He was lucky today. There were often stretches of time where the young man would go without food, since nothing ever bit his bait. He pulled with all of his slender might. The rod strained more than usual, which meant whatever he caught would feed him for days, no… weeks!
His catch was fighting against his pull, causing splashes of whitewater to be thrown into the air. He couldn't make out the shape of it just yet, though. In the middle of all of his straining, the force that he was fighting against suddenly ceased to exist. He toppled backwards and landed hard on the slope of sand behind him, his fishing line flinging wildly in the air.
'What the-'
But before he could conclude what happened to his catch, an earth shattering roar shook the world around him. A piercing headache followed, leaving the man sprawled on the ground, dazed. As he regained a semblance of stability, he focused his gaze on the tranquil waters in front of him.
Only now, it was not so tranquil…