The Sins of the God King

Chapter 28: Lest

As Lest delved into earth dive, his reflexes urged him to withhold his breath, the fear of inhaling dust or debris looming large in his mind. Little did he realize that both he and Wolder were ensconced within a translucent, glowing gel-like cocoon, a safeguard that permitted them to breathe with ease even within the ground down under. "You can cease that futile breath-holding now," Wolder's voice cut through Lest's apprehensions. "We have a good quarter hour before we arrive."

Lest heeded the advice and drew a cautious breath, though the experience sent ripples of near-panic through him. Tight spaces were never his forte, and the confined quarters of earth dive did little to assuage his unease. The subterranean forces propelled them forward, the very ground around them guiding their passage. "Dont take your hands on me if you don't want to get buried alive," Wolder reminded

The journey proved disorienting, and Lest battled waves of nausea threatening to overcome him. He considered closing his eyes to counter the dizzying effect, but the darkness only intensified his discomfort. Struggling to quell the urge to retch, Lest's plight didn't escape Wolder's observant eye. "I know this is your first time but please don't puke on me," Wolder retorted dryly.

The luminous aura emanating from the protective gel offered glimpses of the subterranean expanse. Amidst the inky darkness, Lest discerned the contours of underground formations: rocky pathways, tunnels carved by burrowing creatures, and pockets of subterranean water, all hidden beneath the earth's surface.

"Do you know how your father amassed those sea creatures for his conjures?" Wolder posed the question to Lest, who strained to recall any whisper of such a story but found none in his repertoire.

"My father has never shared such a tale with anyone. Do you have any knowledge of it?" Lest questioned, his curiosity piqued.

Wolder chuckled, a deep resonance that reverberated through the confines of their surroundings. "Naturally, he'd keep it close to his chest, especially from you and your mother," Wolder's amusement was evident.

"It happened several years after we Navo'rians pledged our allegiance to the King. Among our craglin ranks, a chosen few were dispatched to the islands concealed beneath the south wailing sea. Helias, your father, was among them."

"Whispers reached our ears that these lands are being invaded by the Navo'ri," Wolder continued, "Inhabited by people like to Torrynians, they lacked the knowledge or skill of using sin or alchemy. We all know this is how the Navo'ri will gathers to join their new army. We are going there to stop it before it becames a problem.".

As the tale unfolded, Lest found himself drawn into the saga of bygone days. "We embarked on a voyage that spanned weeks. Soon, our sails finally gracing the shores of an island known as MASHAKIV," Wolder's words transported them to the distant past. "We were met by its locals peacefully and in accommodating manner, even after seeing the Torryn sigil on our sails."

Wolder's tale unfurled with the intrigue of unfolding events. "They welcomed us with open arms.The locals are all half naked with a little animal hide covering their nether regions and intricate tattoos on their faces. They offer us food, beds, and shelter. It struck me as peculiar, an undercurrent of suspicion," Wolder recounted.

"We struggled to understand the locals due to our differing languages, yet they managed to convey their thoughts through gestures and signs," he revealed.

"They seemingly telling us that the Mashakiv locals regarded us as heroes, they reject the Navo'ri cult and us being there gave the locals a sense of security against them.

It resonated with me, this notion that they resisted the call of the God King," Wolder's words carried a sense of a shared defiance.

Wolder's narrative took a darker turn. " Because we all know if Navo'ri holy persuasion fails, they would resort to force," he emphasized, painting a grim picture of the lengths the Navo'ri were willing to go to achieve their goals.