Ceaseless Devotion || Garroth Ro'meave x OC

6: Well, this is awkward...

It felt like such a rare sight for Cecelia to watch over the ocean waves in such peaceful bliss. The moon hung high above her, its gentle glow shining over a sleeping village. From atop the guard tower, she had quite a view. High enough to see a fair amount of the town, but not far away enough to watch the night-time critters scurry below.

Very recently Cecelia was graced with the privilege to take on the nightshift of the beachside tower. Dante would take the first half of the night while Cecelia would take the second, she had just started her shift.

It was a surreal feeling. Having been a part of Phoenix Drop for a month now, she was shocked to be given such a position so soon. While the others no doubt understood that her abilities were more skilled than your average guard, she was taken by surprise at their trust in her – Laurance in particular.

Ever since their "heart-to-heart" a few weeks back, she'd been trying her hardest to prove herself to him. Cecelia was no threat to him nor the village, and she would not stop until he understood that.

And now here she sat, staring up at a sea of stars while a cool breeze blew through the large open windows. There was no glass, nor any doors. It was more so a large opening in the stone walls with a wooden barricade for safety than a window

Living in such a small town was simpler, but noticeably more mundane and repetitive. Not that Cecelia minded, but it was such a large and sudden difference from the bustling city of O'khasis. There was always something to do and another new mission to be sent on. Perhaps that feeling sprouted from her previous affiliation with Jeffory, constantly accompanying him on whatever mission he was sent out on.

Cecelia wasn't very tired, but walking from window to window, surveying the land got old very quickly. There wasn't a whole lot to look out for, but she continued to remind herself of the bigger picture here.

This journey wasn't only to locate Garroth, but to find a place to settle herself outside of O'khasis walls. Now that she had found that place, she needed to prove her loyalty no matter how many boring nights of guarding alone it took.

For her first night alone things were going quite smoothly, with no disturbances or attacks in sight. The stars had begun to fade and the glimmer of sunrise was peeking over the horizon.

And then she noticed something. A dark silhouette of a ship made itself known, possibly unnoticeable if it weren't for the morning light. It approached from the direction of Bright Port and uncomfortably fast. The sheer size of the ship was intimidating, undoubtedly one with a large crew aboard.

The sun rose a little higher, shedding light on an emblem bolted to the side of the ship. It was the symbol of O'khasis.

The symbol alone had set off alarms in Cecelia's head, but the intimidating size of the vessel had her even more panicked. She'd had her fair share of voyages, and if that told her anything it was that this was undoubtedly a Jury of Nine ship.

Without another thought, Cecelia rushed down the spiralled staircase and out the tower entrance. At the speed the ship was sailing, there wouldn't be much time before it would arrive. She burst through the guard station doors, slamming them nearly hard enough to blow off their hinges.

"Garroth! Laurance! Dante!" She called, holding herself against her knees so she could catch her breath. The chilly morning air caught in her throat, making it dry and hard to speak.

Each of the guards came rushing from their designated room, unarmoured and weapons in hand. They rushed to Cecelia, alert but very clearly tired and confused.

"The docks!" She explained, heaving for breath. "An O'khasis ship is coming from Bright Port, It looks like a Jury ship!"

After sharing a glance of complete fear, the three burst into action. They armoured themselves at lightning speed, equipped their weapons, and darted down to the shoreline alongside Cecelia.