Whizz.
A young gaunt man cast his fishing rod out into tranquil waters.
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. A searing heat replaced it the moment the wind died down.
The young man felt like the skin on the back of his neck was about to burn up and char. It built and built, until he eventually shielded his neck with his free hand, the coarse texture of his palm contrasting the gentle caress of the passing wind.
"No way summer's this long. This heat is unbearable."
Rod in the other, his hand landed on the soft plains of sand beneath him. Most of the time, fishing was… a rather boring activity. It reminded him of better times, sure, but fishing is fishing.
He began to observe his surroundings, familiar as always. He sat, not at the front of the beach, but rather, to the side.
Well, the beach he was at… it wasn't really a beach, per se. 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.
His thoughts about the beach began to grow stale. Looking around, he looked for something else which could catch his attention.
He usually repeated this process several times.
"Hey, whatever keeps me occupied!" He said aloud, knowing nobody else was there to hear him.
Turning around, he observed the marvelous stretch of manmade barrier. A towering stone arch—a gateway for ships traveling from region to region, town to town. Today, interestingly, he couldn't see any ships sailing—not even a small dinghy. The fog was clear, too.
He glanced around once more, looking for something that could entertain him. His stomach grumbled as he, unfortunately, found nothing.
'Gooosh! So boring…'
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… he called it a fishing rod. To others it would look like… not a fishing rod.
It was a sturdy stick that he gathered from beneath what seemed like a thick tree, and made twine out of the smaller fragments of wood. 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.
'Speaking of colossal beings…'
ocean waves licked the ivory beach he sat on as the young man reminisced. It wasn't always like this—living on an island and barely surviving. He actually used to live in one of the nearby towns—Etris.
It laid behind that great arch behind him. It wasn't that far away, either. In fact, he would say it's easy enough for a kid a few years younger than him to sail from Etris to here, Erisia.
"I can attest to that fact."
He had run away from Etris. He ran, because otherwise, he would have died.
It was a long story. He wouldn't, and also couldn't, remember the details.
"How about another story, one my mother had told me… did she say it was a story?"
The young man pondered as his fishing rod swayed from side to side. Unlike his story, he remembered this one clearly. It was practically engrained into the folds and crevices of his mind.
It was told like so:
"Once upon a time, a prosperous city stood high above the waves. Tall stone walls protected it from anything that could pose a threat, and near its gates, powerful men stood steadfast.
It was split into districts by towering walls of stone, too, and a tall tower stood at the intersection of them. It was shielded by a shell of stone as well.
Each and every district was unique, all with their own specialization. However, one of them truly shined above the others, one which the city was best known for.
The District of Commerce cemented the reputation of the city throughout the luminants, or regions. The streets were lively, the shops were packed with covetous buyers flush with money, the restaurants were heavy with gossip and chatter.
The city looked perfect. Utterly flawless and untouchable.
But then, its great ruler disappeared.
Another man had taken his place, and the people… they didn't mind him at all. his actions seemed to be in favor of the wellbeing of the city's people, after all.
Eventually, decades had passed after he usurped the throne. He seemed to be a great and fitting leader, with no major occurrences or events happening under his rule.
At least, that was what it seemed like.
They couldn't have known better, they really couldn't. In reality, the lord had been poisoning their minds—placing the whole population of the city under a nearly impenetrable mental hex. With every passing year, his power grew greater.
And then, his power was absolute.
the people of the city had gone under full control of the lord, albeit over the span of a few centuries.
And under his rule, a once great city fell below the tides of the sea.
On one fateful day, a colossal sea monster arose from the depths of the tides. Its colossal form casted a shadow that engulfed the coveted city.
The abomination left as quickly as it came.
The city was no more."
The young man's face showed a hint of melancholy. He remembered this story from back when he was a child, despite its morbid aspects. Yet, for some reason, it held a sentimental place in his hea-
'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.
Then, it was gone.
The force straining against his pull had disappeared completely. 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…