Legacy: Beyond the Veil

Planetside commute: Part two

When the Ruvos of old ceased to be, the ancient cosmos perished with them.
The Cosmos had once been like a rich orchard with habitable planets like fruits, ripe for the taking.

The Ruvos had shaped it as such, and they had seen it was good.
The Firstborn spent eons tending to their orchard with diligent love and care. But nothing lasts forever. When their end was prophesied, the Ruvos saw it was unavoidable. All they could do was take measures to try and turn their death into something temporary.

The Ruvos built a Veil and within it hid a seed. A seed which would sprout a new generation, destined to restore order in the endless sea of stars.
While the seed gestated, the prophecy was fulfilled. Demons seeped in through the cracks of reality and feasted on the souls of the Ruvos.

With its caretakers gone, the orchard slowly withered. Chaos took root and drove the various races still living in the dead trees mad.
Yet despite all the madness and all the suffering, the seed sprouted.
The new generation was born, but they were nothing like their ancestors:
They were young and primitive, lacking in wisdom and patience. The Reborn were ill suited for the destiny that had been bestowed upon them.

The Firstborn were aware of this, for they had once been young and primitive, too.
Thus the Ruvos had given their seedlings five great angels. Five Oracles sent to tend to the Reborn as the Ruvos had tended to the cosmos. The Oracles would guide and teach the seedlings until the day they were worthy of the name Ruvos. until then, the Reborn would be known as the Runora.

And now, over five millennia after the death of the Ruvos, Noah stood face-to-face with all five Oracles. They towered over him, regal in their stature and noble in their expressions. The young boy went to his knees and prayed to them all with a smile on his face.

"Thank you, gentle Ishaï, Arch-Saint of Delenis. Thank you for the sustenance and healing you provide."
"Thank you,  mighty Harir, Gilded Champion. Thank you for being our fearless sword."
"Thank you, mysterious Neith, Keeper of the Veil. Thank you for keeping the insidious Demons at bay."
"Thank you, Ingenious Reine, Great Engineer. Thank you for giving us the stars."
"Thank you Regal Catae, Oracle-Mistress. Thank you for guiding us to our holy destiny."
Noah opened his eyes and looked up to the five great Oracles. These were not the real ones, of course. They were but depictions carved in rock. Whoever had created these statues had obviously taken no small degree of artistic freedom. That was fine. It was the symbolism that mattered. The Oracles would hear his prayers, if he only had enough faith.

"Holy angels, please watch over my people in these hard times. Help us remain united in the face of the alien invaders.
"Grant strength to our troops, grant strength to Cai. Watch over him and keep him safe, please." He felt a tear form in the corner of his eye.
"Please, grant strength to my parents too. You know how difficult it has been for them. And, please... watch over me."
He knew of nothing more to ask or to say, so he sat in content silence for a few minutes.
Other believers came and went to say their prayers or to offer tribute to the Oracles, though few stayed as long as him.
Faith, to the Runora, was a simple thing. The Angels they worshiped walked amongst them, so it was hard to not believe to at least some degree. The Oracles never explicitly opposed the faith itself, although they had outlawed organized religion. With no dedicated churches or temples, Idols and statues like these would often act as improvised places of worship.
Noah had never seen these specific statues himself, and that while they were only about two blocks away from his usual route. So far he considered it the only bright side of the detour Rosa had dragged him along.

"Right then. Here you go." Rosa's voice came from behind. She circled around and offered him a hand, using her other arm to carry what looked like two buckets labeled Selem Chef. He reluctantly accepted her outstretched hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet.
"Do you think any of them are gonna come help us?" He asked her.
"Who?" She asked, turning around to follow his eyes. "Ah, them."
That was something else in which Noah and Rosa were polar opposites. He knew he was a little on the pious side, while she was anything but. In that respect she resembled his brother quite a lot.