Ghosts of the Empyrean, a Divinity, Sold! Tale

I never thought of myself as the adventurous sort, far too nervous you see, but necessity makes strange bedfellows. With a mother sick from Slicostus' poisonous soil, a father working himself to the bone in the Godyards, and three siblings still trying to finish their schooling, what other choice did I have?
To help keep the family afloat, I found a cargo ship willing to take me on and now found myself standing just before the gangplank, rucksack slung over my shoulder. The imperious form of the freighter cast a shadow on the concrete dock that left me deprived of the already cloud-shrouded sun and shivering in my high-necked sweater and peacoat. The general din of the port around me seemed to pale within the shadow of the steel giant.
"Ahoy there!" A rough yet warm voice called down from the deck. It was the man who recruited me two days before.
"Captain Andeson!" I called back. "Uh... Permission to come about?"
The captain laughed as he approached the opposite end of the gangplank, slapping the metal railing to his side with a large hand. I thought I heard other chuckles and snorts, but it was too muffled by distance to be sure.
"Oh, son, we're going to have to do somethin' 'bout that, lest the crew tear you apart..." I waited for another of his laughs, a smile was still plastered just under his huge mustache after all, but it never came. "You'll need to learn to relax, my boy, otherwise you'll get no rest from the ribbing."
I wasn't sure what to make of that.
"I'll... I'll be sure, to work on that. -sir!" I hastily added though I tried to catch myself at the same time. The captain sighed as he stopped just on the edge of the gangplank in front of me.
"Well, give us time and we'll sand those sharp edges down some. Come, lets get you situated, we're about to cast off."
The captain led me up the gangplank which withdrew on its own when I was clear. The ship was bigger than I had imagined when the captain had described the vessel during his recruitment speech. The deck was large enough to hold a festival on, even with the massive turrets that took up much of the space, and there was muddle of crewmen milling back and forth across it all. Shifting lines, moving crates, and shouting orders. Posted at points along the rail that circled the deck were men armed with rifles, and dressed in something that approached a uniform. Each wore a navy coat with some sort of patch on the shoulder and dark brown pants. The styles were all different, but the colors were the same. Even from across the deck, I could tell that each one was taller than all the other crewmen. My guess, at the time, was a full head and a half taller than the next closest in height.
"Welcome to the Storm Rose, Isaac." Captain Andeson said as we crossed the metal deck, sparing a glance. "I know it will take some time to get you up to speed, but you seem like a smart lad."
"Thank you, s-"
"Harkness!" The captain shouted. "Come here, meet the boy I was telling you about!"
One of the blue coat-wearing sailors responded to the shout and made his way over. Standing next to him, the man that the captain had called Harkness was a giant. His rifle alone would have stood inches taller than me with its stock placed to the deck. The man himself likely didn't even need the rifle, and could have simply reached out and crushed my skull should the desire take him.
He said nothing as he lumbered up to the captain and I, simply cocking an eyebrow and making a sound that implied a question.
"This is my head of security, lad." The captain stated. I looked at him not sure how to comport myself, and he looked at me with little interest. The captain pushed me forward. "Introduce yourself, don't be rude."
"Oh, my apologies, I'm Isaac C. Barton, sir. A pleasure to meet you." I stuck my hand out to the giant. His own bear-paw of a hand engulfed my own. I feared for the bones in my hand.
"Vernon Harkness." He gave a single firm shake and released my hand. I only just kept myself from sighing in relief. He looked at the captain. "He's not been sailing on the Empyrean before." It was a statement, not a question.
"No, he hasn't, but everyone has to start somewhere."
"On the route to Illmaneas?" Something about Harkness' tone struck me as concerned of all things, though his expression towards the captain remained perfectly neutral. I looked to the captain, who still wore the same warm expression.
"Sometimes we don't get the chance to choose where we start, either."
Harkness looked back to me.
"You armed?" He asked, appraising me more closely. I put my rucksack to the ground and pulled my peacoat to the side, showing the weapons holstered at my side.
"I am. The captain said it was part of the job requirement." I said, still confused and concerned about the requirement.
"With what?" Still, he wore no particular expression as he questioned me.
"Uh, my grandfather's old service revolver and this knife that my family gifted to me before I left?"
"Let me see." I wasn't going to argue with the giant and so, somewhat clumsily, drew the pistol and then the knife and offered them. Harkness slung his rifle over his shoulder and took my weapons, one in each hand and both looking like toys to him. He looked down the barrel of the revolver. Worked the action back and forth, smooth and slow. Quickly flicked the door to the cylinder open and spun it. Deftly flipping the gun around, he handed it back to me, grip first. "It is well cared for. Do you know how to shoot?"
"My grandfather used to bring it for the holidays, and I practiced with it a little before I left..." I answered, a little sheepish. I was growing far more concerned about this job. I know being a Gold-Sailor carried risks, but this many? Harkness grunted and examined the knife. He checked the blade was straight and free of chinks or cracks, then walked it across his fingers. He handed it back to me.
"The Sangori make good knives."
The captain barked a laugh at Harkness' statement. I wasn't sure which part was the joke. The captain continued.
"Really, a Blood Elf knife? Talk about irony, lad."
"Blood Elves?" I asked, not liking the sound of a title like that. I knew of elves, of course, and had seen a few at the summer markets but my grandfather (who was the only member of the family to have left Canvas) had always spoken of them in general terms, or as ancient enemies. "how is that ironic?"
"Illmaneas is the home-Throne of the Ichori, son." The captain said, his smile slightly diminished. "Who do you know that are giving out elven knives, hm?"
"It was just my parents. They thought I'd need a work knife and got this for me."
"That's quite the gift. They sound like kind folk."
"They are, sir, and they're why I'm here. We're in a tough place and I signed up to help them."
"You'r' a good lad. Well, I won't lie to you, son, the routes to Illmaneas are perilous at times, but as long as you keep your head on your shoulders it will all be fine." Beneath the captain's words was a solid core, almost pleading with me to take the statement seriously.
"I appreciate that, sir. Can... Can I ask you a question?"
"'Course, lad."
"What exactly do you want me to do? Give me a chance to do something and I'll do it, but you've been fairly restrained in that answer."
"All in due time, lad. First, there's someone I need you to meet, then I'll show you to your cabin."
I was confused, of course, and the implications made about the route earlier had not set my mind at ease either. Thoughts of money, enough to put my family back to normal from just this round trip alone, were enough for me to follow the captain through a hatch and into the interior of the ship. Six months. That's what the captain has said the trip would take. Six months and my family would be saved, and I never had to put into the sea of gold again. I just had to apply myself, and I trusted Captain Andeson enough to see me through, or at least that's what I told myself.
As we descended, Andeson started to point out facilities that I would need to become familiar with quickly. The mess and kitchen, infirmary, and the general berthings were the first we encountered. Then came the armory and the marine's bunks, each simply pointed to down long and winding corridors. The magazine, encased in its steel armor, sat as far away from other facilities as it could in the restricting confines of a ship.
Our destination carried us deeper still, to the heart of the vessel. The sound of pistons grew louder, and the heat of boilers grew more intense as we traveled, all underpinned by a song. To my ear, it sounded like a woman's voice, smooth and soothing, but to my soul, it felt...directed. Like the voice itself was looking towards me with intent. To hear it was to be seen and I wasn't sure I liked the feeling of being seen.
"Uh, captain?" I ventured, my steps faltering. "Something feels... wrong."
The captain did not stop. He simply gestured over his shoulder for me to follow. I hesitated. The song's eyes had not strayed from me since I noticed the feeling. Still, I continued, for I feared being lost in the dark belly of the ship without the captain just as much, and the shadows carried fewer comforts.
We arrived at a massive door, far larger than any we had passed on the way. I doubted both I and the captain could turn its inhumanly large lock-wheel working together, but we didn't have to. Its massive wheel turned on its own, sounding an ear-rending metallic creak as I watched, and the door swung open. The song got louder.
The room was a shrine. Lavishly decorated in gold fixtures and art all jammed into a space the size of a small chapel, like the sort poor couples would get married in before returning to their homes to celebrate in the countryside of Slicostus. A few benches took up the middle space, leading up to a pulpit that had one lone figure standing behind a lecture, leafing through a sizable tome.
"Sister Anya!" the captain called as we entered and traversed the center aisle. "How are ye on this fine day?"
The priestess didn't look up from what she was reading, but she did smile.
"Captain!" She responded, joy clear in her voice. "I am most well! I see you've brought another lamb to me."
I peered around as the two exchanged greetings. The whole room was lovingly cared for, with nary a speck of dirt anywhere to be seen. It was clear that the ship's god was in good hands.
"I did indeed. I was hoping t' make the introductions before we crossed the Firmament and see what our Lady thought o' the lad."
"Oh, this is the candidate you found?" the priestess asked, still not looking up from her book and flipping through pages as if she were still reading. "I'm excited to meet the young man."
"Candidate?" I asked. "Candidate for what?"
Neither of them answered, but the priestess' smile widened. Now she looked at me, but I could tell that she didn't see me. At least not in the traditional sense, as her eyes looked to be colored solid gold, both pupil and sclera. I knew that a god's blessing could take many forms, visible and not, but the starkness of her eyes surprised me in a way that I couldn't quite determine if it unsettled me.
"It takes a lot to run a ship, lamb." She responded, making her way around the pulpit with the confidence of the sighted or someone who knew a space better than most knew their own bodies. She stopped immediately before me, her sightless eyes locked to my face, and placed a hand on either side of my face. "And it takes a very particular kind of soul to handle it all."
"I... I'm not sure I follow." I could feel my cheeks burning as she turned my face side to side, examining me like one examines a horse. I half expected her to force my mouth open and a finger in, to examine my teeth. She made a thoughtful sound.
"Hm. Not a very confident one, Captain."
"Inexperienced, Anya. There's a difference." The captain answered, firmly. I couldn't see him with my head caught in the priestesses' grasp, but that same steel I heard earlier had entered his voice again. "Give 'im time, and he'll make a fine second."
"If you say so, captain." She didn't sound convinced.
"Excuse me?" I attempted to ask., but was ignored. The Captain continued.
"I'm certain that he'll get the assignment, but he needs to see Her, first."
"Her?" I asked again, quickly coming to to accept I wouldn't be getting an answer.
"Did you think he'll make it through Her inspection?" The sister asked, moving on without answering. She started to examine my neck and torso in the same way.
"Don't say it like that, Sister. She's not so cruel as to throw out the useful." The Captain answered in an admonishing manner. "I think if anyone can guess what sh' wants, it's you and I, and I know that she'll see what I see in him, and I know that you see it too. He's just like me when I was his age, I swear it."
"I don't know, he seems to lack a certain... charm."
"Hey-!" I tried to defend myself. "Can you two please tell me what's going on?" The priestess made a thoughtful sound and grabbed my chin once more, pulled my head to the side again, and smiled.
"Well, I suppose our thoughts on the matter are immaterial, dear captain. All he has to do is go talk to our Lady." She gestured to another set of doors behind her pulpit. Finally, while her eyes had not left me even as she bantered with Captain Andeson, she finally seemed to truly look at me even as her eyes seemed sightless. "Are you ready, lamb?"
"I still don't know what I'm doing on this ship, let alone what I'm doing in this room!" I answered with more energy than I had intended, the stress of the situation evaporating the embarrassment of her close examination. "Would you kindly explain why I'm being looked at like a prize sow?"
The priestess' smile didn't move.
"It seems the lamb could use some preparation, Captain." She covered her mouth and let out a tittering laugh as she moved away.
"What does that me-"
"Alright, lad, hold a moment-" The Captain circled around me, coming to stand in front. I didn't feel threatened by either of them but my hand did find its way to the revolver at my side.
"What in the name of Before and After is going on here, Captain... please."
"Woah there, lad, no need t' get antsy. I get that it's all very confusing, but th' gods are rarely any clearer, aye?"
"That... that doesn't help."
"I'm trying to introduce you to the one that allows this whole operation, son" He gestured to widely to the whole troom and ship at large.
"Do members of the shipping company usually accompany the ship in transit?" The Captain seemed to visibly deflate. I just looked on in utter confusion, unsure of what to make of anything that was being said. Andeson continued, asking a question
"Here, do ya 'member what I told ya about the Empyrean?"
"That it's incredibly dangerous, but that's why it pays well?" I ventured.
"Indeed, but what makes it dangerous?"
"I feel like pirates and crime are a fairly big factor?"
"Not untrue, but not wha' I was looking for."
"The Empyrean, then?"
"Thar we go, lad. The Empyrean. A vast sea o' golden liquid that surrounds our home, and all others. It fills the space between the Thrones o' the gods, and provides a barrier between them. A barrier tha' canae be touched without the blessing o' a god. Less ya be wantin' to turn to ash, 'course."
"I've had a little schooling, Captain, I know that much."
"Good. Then what do ya suppose we need to complete our journey without the aforementioned ash-turning?"
"The blessing of a god."
"And where do we get tha'?"
"I assumed the chapel in the port."
"No, that is for the dock workers and lacks the level o' faith needed t' bless a whole ship an' her crew. A ship needs it's own god, lad. One sustained by the crews faith and hope, and fear o' the Empyrean itself."
"What, so there's a god on board this ship?"
"No, on every Gold-Sailing ship, lad."

---

You know, this story got away from me. Certainly isn't a 'short' story, in any case. To get where I wanted to be, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a chapter or three, not just 2.5K~ words. It'll just have to be what it is, boring as it is, for now. A short introduction to the world, of a sorts, conducted from the perspective of an individual somewhat used to the world.
Unfortunately, due to time, I also didn't really have a chance to edit it either.