Forgotten Sea: Chapter 9
That day very quickly arrives.
After many millenia, this city that has been silent and still for too long is once again holding a Sea God Festival.
Because of that, before dawn, the entirety of Whalefall City has become lively—everyone is looking forward to celebrating their Sea God’s official coming of age, when he will possess the power to protect the entire ocean.
Algie: Konche you useless fish, you said you’d save us the best spots, but now we can’t even spot a .
Konche: Algie, sis, act a little more civilized, your class teacher’s right in front of us…
Algie: MC, what are you doing hiding back there? Our Lord Sea God won’t even be able to see you!
MC: Why should he have to see me, besides, there are so many people, he might not be able to see…
Konche: Stop talking, he’s here!
The crowd bursts into cheers. I lift my head. A gigantic shadow is gliding across the space above Whalefall City.
That is a beautiful and sacred sea creature, like a whale, but with a pair of outstretched wings like a bird.
The young Sea God rides on its back and passes by his devout people, finally coming to a rest before the gates of Whalefall City.
The Sea God passes through the crowd and walks to stand before me. He lifts the veil covering my head, and takes my hand.
On his body are painted beautiful totems. His gaze also holds a warm smile, as if he has waited for this moment for a very long time.
I inadvertently hold my breath.
The crowd parts to allow us a path directly to the temple, our destination. Every young child gives us their blessings in Lemurian.
They throw beautiful coral branches behind us, and watch us as we walk to the entrance of the temple.
The great doors to the temple slowly close, the sound of prayers outside the door gradually merging into chants.
Within the grand hall where rays of light rise and fall, the flame within the niche is uneasily writhing within the shadows, about to die out.
The Sea God grabs my hand, ten fingers intertwining, and places it on his chest above his heart.
I subconsciously close my eyes, reciting his name silently in my heart—
I’m willing to offer my heart for him.
I’m willing to offer all of my faith for him.
I’m willing for his mark of ownership to be carved on my soul, to sing his praises and prayers every day and night that passes.
The sea god's flame lightly touches my palm like silk thread.
That thin slender thread enters my palm, forms a new palm line, and becomes part of my life and my soul.
Rafayel—the young Sea God gazes at me, his voice like a soft breeze, extinguishing the sole flame in the darkness.
Rafayel: This is my promise to you.
Rafayel: This is Lemuria’s eternal covenant.
No one knows what happened in the temple on the day of the festival.
Lemuria was suddenly plunged into darkness, and the Sacred Flame’s light did not glow for a very long time.
The entire ocean was steeped in an air of unease—rising tides, roiling waves breaking apart rocky cliffs, rocks falling nonstop into the ocean, and even the shrine that was being rebuilt also fell down.
After a long time, their sea god finally walked out of the temple alone, and light subsequently returned to Lemuria.
When he walked out of the doors of the temple, the follower beside him was nowhere to be seen, and the niche that held the old sacred flame had collapsed.
Amidst the dust and ashes and sparks, everyone saw his palm was holding a tiny flame pulsing like a newborn.
Some said this flame was born from the purest faith, and others said the sea god sacrificed his follower, exchanging it for Lemuria's continued existence...
All sorts of tales of unknown veracity spread, until people gradually forgot the ceremony that took place on that day.
Later Lemurians never again saw the follower who was always beside the Sea God in the beginning. The little fish beside him had also disappeared, and no one knew where they had gone.
And after a very, very long time, many years after the god had fallen into slumber and the dazzling kingdom sunk to the bottom of the sea, in quiet Lemuria again arose a legend—for the sake of the person he loved, the sea god deceived the entire ocean.
<<Lemuria - The Days After>>
Today is the day.
After thousands of years, Whalefall City holds the Sea God’s Ceremony again.
Before the sun rises, the City is already in a festive mood. Everyone looks forward to the Ceremony, to celebrate the Sea God becoming an adult and gaining the power to protect the Ocean.
Algie: Konche, you dumb sea cucumber! I told you to save a spot for us. We can’t see anything here!
Konche: Sister, don’t be so mean. Your teacher is right in…
Algie: MC, why are you hiding there? The Sea God won’t be able to see you!
MC: Does it matter? There are so many people, He might not…
Konche: Quiet! Here He is!
The crowd erupts into cheers. I look up and spot a huge shadow sweeping over Whalefall City.
‘Tis a beautiful, sacred creature of the Ocean. It appears to be a whale yet has bird’s wings.
The Sea God sits on its back, passing by His loyal subjects before stopping at the gates to Whalefall City.
He walks through the crowd until He stands before me. He lifts the veil on my head, then takes my hand.
Beautiful, intricate patterns are painted on His body. His eyes are almost smiling, as if He’s been waiting for this moment.
Inadvertently, I hold my breath.
Everyone moves aside, creating a path for us. As we make our way down, every child says their blessings in Lemurian.
Gorgeous coral branches are thrown behind us as we approach the Temple’s doors.
The doors slowly close behind us, songs from outside melding with the prayers inside the Temple.
In the dimly lit hall, the Fire twists in the darkness, about to go out.
The Sea God intertwines our fingers, pressing our hands against His chest.
I close my eyes, calling out His name silently.
I am willing to give Him my heart.
I am willing to give Him my sincerest form of worship.
I am willing to have His very being etched, engraved onto my soul as I praise and pray to Him for the rest of my life.
Soft like silken thread, the Sea God’s fire touches my hand.
The fiery thread embeds itself into my palm, becoming a line, a part of my very soul.
Rafayel, the young God of the Sea, looks at me. His voice is like the wind, blowing out the only light in the darkness.
Rafayel: This is my promise to you.
Rafayel: For ‘tis Lemuria’s vow, a bond everlasting.
No one knows what happened that day.
Lemuria is plunged into endless darkness.
Panic seeps into every part of the Ocean. The Deep Sea is angry. In its wrath, waves slam against the cliffs and rocks fall into the waters. Even that under-built temple is turned into rubble.
‘Tis a long time before the Sea God walks out of the Temple alone, bringing light back to Lemuria.
As he leaves the Temple, the alcove that once held the flame collapses. The Sea God’s follower is gone.
Bathed in sparks and cinders, he holds a small, pulsing flame. It writhes like a newborn. Some said that the Flame was born from the purest faith.
Some said that the Sea God sacrificed His follower to save Lemuria…
Different stories, some true, some not, circulated until people gradually forgot about the ceremony.
No Lemurians have ever seen the Sea God’s follower and the little fish that swims around him—they are gone, whereabouts unknown.
Only many, many years later than the God of the Sea has perished, when the kingdom has sunk to the depths of the Ocean, a rumor begins to circulate Lemuria. The God of the Sea had lied to the Deep Sea. For His beloved.
<<Lemuria - The Days After>>
那一天很快就到来了。
时隔许多个千年，这片沉寂已久的海域再次举办了海神祭典。
因此在日出之前，整个鲸落城就已经变得热闹起来——每个人都翘首以盼，庆祝他们的海神正式成年，拥有了守护整片海的力量。
阿藻: 阿螺你这条不争气的鱼，都说了要帮我们占最好的位置，可现在连鱼屁股都看不到。
阿螺: 阿藻姐姐，你文明一点，你这个学年的导师就在前面……
阿藻: （玩家姓名），你躲那么后面干什么?海神大人都要看不见你了!
玩家: 让他看见我做什么，何况这么多人，他未必看得见……
阿螺: 别说话了，他来了!
人群中爆发出欢呼，我抬起头，巨大的阴影正滑过鲸落城上空。
那是一只美丽神圣的海兽，像是鲸，却又拥有如鸟般舒展的双翼。
年轻的海神坐在它的背脊上经过他虔诚的子民，最终停留在鲸落城的城门前。
海神穿过人群走到我面前，掀开盖在我头上的薄纱，牵起我的手。
他的身上绘着漂亮的图腾，目光也噙着温柔笑意，仿佛等这一刻等了很久。
我不由自主地屏住了呼吸。
人群为我们让开一条直通往神殿的路，所行之处，每个稚嫩的孩子都为我们用古利莫里亚语送上祝福。
他们将漂亮的珊瑚枝掷在我们身后，目送我们走到神殿门口。
神殿的大门慢慢合上，祷告声在门外渐渐汇成吟唱。
光线浮沉的大厅里，壁龛中的那束火焰不安地蜷缩在阴影中，就快要熄灭。
海神抓住我的手，十指交叠放在心口。
我下意识闭上了眼睛，心中默念他的名字——
我愿意为他献上我的心。
我愿意为他献上我全部的信仰。
我愿意让灵魂刻下属于他的印记，在逝去的每个日夜，都为他歌唱与祷告。
海神的火焰像丝线一样在我的掌心轻轻触探着。
那道细细的线嵌入我的掌心，织成一道新的掌纹，成为我生命和灵魂的一部分。
祁煜——年轻的海神注视着我，声音犹如一缕风，将黑暗中唯一的那束火焰吹灭。
祁煜: 这是我对你的承诺。
祁煜: 这是利莫里亚永生永世的契约。
谁也不知道祭典那天，神殿里到底发生了什么。
利莫里亚忽然陷入了黑暗，火种的光芒很久不曾亮起。
整片海洋都弥漫着焦躁不安的气息——海水涨潮，翻滚的巨浪击碎悬崖，不断有落石滚入海中，就连那座正在重建的神庙也倾倒崩塌。
过了许久，他们的海神才一个人走出了神殿，光明随之重回利莫里亚。
他从神殿大门中走出来时，身边的那位信徒却不知去向，存放着旧日“火种”的壁龛也已经坍塌。
一片灰烬和火星中，众人看见他掌中拢着一簇小小的、如初生儿脉搏般跳动的火焰。
有人说这火焰诞生自最纯洁无瑕的信仰，也有人说海神牺牲了他的信徒，才换取了利莫里亚的延续……
各种真假不一的故事流传开，直到人们渐渐忘却那天的祭典。
只是后来的利莫里亚人，再也没见过当初陪伴在海神身边的那位信徒，他身边那只小鱼也不见了，谁也不知道他们去了哪里。
又过了很久很久，在那位海神沉眠以后的许多年，辉煌的国度沉入海底，沉寂的利莫里亚再次流传起一个传说——海神为了心爱的人，曾经欺骗了整个海洋。
《利莫里亚·后日谈》
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