40 Citlai, The Crown of The Stars

Magnificent crystal pillars formed a gorgeous archway that lead to the great hall inside the Joyous Divinity. A shining path made of the purest gold and silver, adorned with an elaborate engraving marked the way. An illustrious throne made of a jagged boulder of dark rock lay in front of him.

Reed knew he'd gotten himself into something out of his league. No doubt about it. The moment he laid his eyes on the enormous fleet, he'd already resigned himself to his fate. He didn't even bother resisting and went along with the flow. Nothing else he could do, anyway...

'But man, this is one hell of a welcoming committee...'

An innumerable of souls knelt and bowed silently as Reed and Itotia waited for, "the shipmasters of the fleet," as she had put it. The soldiers remained motionless akin to statues as they bowed in a formation. Reed crossed his arms and played it cool as he waited.

Suffice it to say that it was not a pleasant experience; a strained, tense atmosphere loomed over the hall as they waited.

"Are your people always this serious when they welcome foreigners? It's a bit much, don't you think?" said Reed. He'd heard of some cultures being overly serious with their customs, but none such as this. He wondered if he had not experienced enough, despite having lived in a foreign world for a year already...

"No. Noble One, they are acting like this because of..." The sound of heavy footsteps caught their attention and Itotia swallowed her words.

A large golden door opened and a brilliant light flooded from it, washing the massive hall in its splendor. Three massive figures walked out of the light and beamingly grinned as soon as they laid their eyes on the boy and the girl.

They were titans in the truest sense of the word, for they stood several heads taller than anyone Reed had ever met. The tallest one, the one in the middle was at least eight feet tall, give or take. All three wore sublime armor made of shining gold and pure quartz adorned with intricate imagery of stars, suns, and all manner of mighty beasts.

These golden giants looked akin to living masterpieces that a master sculptor might have created during his prime. They were certainly a sight to behold, thought Reed as he inspected them.

The tallest one roared with laughter as he walked towards and said, "Well, well, well. Look which rapscallion turned up tonight?" He grabbed the girl and tossed her in the air like one would a child, to her embarrassment. She struggled fiercely but couldn't escape the jolly giant's affectionate teasing.

Eventually, he had his fill and released the girl from his embrace, content with his handiwork. He turned around and the other two giants moved towards Reed and circled him as they inspected him from head to toe.

"Hmm... what do you think? It's been only been a few years, right?" said the golden titan on the left.

"Yes, you're right. Even so, he's grown splendidly, wouldn't you say? If I didn't know before, I would have thought the boy a reflection of 'him'..." said the towering figure on the right.

"No... look closely, you old farts. Look at those beautiful golden eyes of his... those are eyes are 'hers' and not 'his'," said the tallest of the three as he craned over to look at Reed.

He lurched over and put his massive hand on one of Reed's shoulders and said, "We've all missed you greatly, little sun. Especially Xitllali and Itotai, though they might not admit it to you in person."

Itotia kicked the golden titan and harrumphed coldly when she heard that. Her eyes narrowed in disdain and said, "These old farts are the shipmasters I spoke of, Noble One. Think nothing of these impolite tricksters."

She pointed at the golden giant one the right that bore the sigil of a hawk on his armor and said, "This old coot is the shipmaster of the Royal Armada — Koyovo, The Pure Moon. He's sweet-talker that'll get you in trouble before you know it. Don't let his title fool you." The old man kept a grin on his face and softly chuckled when he heard his introduction.

"The one on the right is the shipmaster of the Silent Fleet — Morate, The Hidden Star. Trust nothing he tells you, Noble One. He's the biggest trickster of the lot." Morate shrugged his shoulders solemnly in disapproval but quickly grinned and winked at Reed once Itotia looked away for a second. There was mischief hidden within his eyes.

"And this one is my grandfather, the shipmaster of the Joyous Divinity and Grand Protector himself — Ulbo, Father of Stars. Don't stand on ceremony for him, Noble One, or he'll take advantage of you..." He acted as if hadn't heard his granddaughter's disparaging introduction at all as he focused on Reed's eyes.

Ulbo gently pulled Reed into his arms and held him close as he ruffled his hair softly.

"Look at how much you've grown, little sun. You've become a proper young man in the blink of an eye. It seems that the plan worked like a charm, despite the misgivings I had about it..."

Reed didn't understand at all why the titan was acting so familiar with him, given he'd never met before in his life. It felt extremely awkward being treated so affectionately by a stranger during their first meeting.

"U-Um, sir... I don't think we've met before or at least, I don't remember such an occasion. Might you have mistaken me for someone else? I'm just a nobo-"

"No." The golden figure interjected firmly. "Boy, I held you in my arms when you were no bigger than a loaf of bread. I still remember clearly the day you were born into this world."

His words left Reed speechless and for a second and he blanked out of shock.

'He was present for my birth? How was that even possible? I'm... nothing more than a street rat from the slums.'

Reed doubted the man's words but kept his tongue check, nevertheless. He wasn't about to start an argument with the giant; He immediately noticed how powerful these three shipmasters were once they within arm's reach and tossed out any stupid fantasies he had about diplomacy.

The surrounding Anima was stifling and imperious, as if they'd completely bent it to their will. He'd never felt such an overpowering aura of control, even among his instructors. Reed had some suspicions but was confident that these three were easily leagues above the likes of common conquerors.

If they acted... well, he knew that it would not be a pleasant ending. That was for sure.

"I'm sure you have many questions, little sun. I'm... not at liberty to answer them, to my great displeasure. I wish I could tell you everything myself, but that right fall unto Xitllali. You can ask her about everything once we get back home."

Ulbo shouted something in a strange tongue and it set the soldiers in the hall into motion. They hurriedly rose up and disappeared, but not before saluting Ulbo once more. Only a single breath later, a deep tremor shook the ship. It felt like a miniature earthquake had passed by suddenly.

"No need to worry, childe. That was only the solar engine's ignition — it's not of any concern. Come, let us head to the bridge so you can see the city up close once we fly over it."

He gestured towards a beautiful circular mural in the center of the hall that was built on to the floor. It shone with a soft glow reminiscent of the altars back home, although much more brilliant. Motes of condensed Anima floated around the perimeter in harmonious order, almost as if they were dancing on a wave. There was a certain rhythm to it...

Reed guessed that all altars at some point looked like this one, but fell into disrepair after their original owners abandoned them. The ones back home had foreign machinery installed onto them to make them operable with some difficulty. He already knew how much of a pain it was booting up one of those ancient altars was...

He discovered that even the transition back into real-space was smoother than the ones back home; for once, he didn't feel the nauseous wave of disgust he usually experienced.

Their destination was an enormous place made of glass, motes of light, and water. The entire ship's floor was transparent and allowed one to see everything below the ship's hull with stunning clarity. When Reed focused on a distant object or location, a stream of water and light would pool beneath the glass and magnify the view for him instantly.

Itotia perked up as soon as she saw the city and pulled Reed along the room, pointing out the different points of interest and famous landmarks with great enthusiasm. The city looked nothing like he'd ever seen before — they had constructed it out of floating stone, gleaming quartz, and an endless amount of seamless glass. Deep azure water shimmered all around the city as it flowed in nearly every place imaginable.

In the middle of the city lay an enormous lake that twinkled even in the night's dark with a gorgeous azure-neon hue. They were tiny stars reflected deep within the waters that moved back and forth energetically.

Rivers of radiant water formed many a thing in the city; advertisements flashed vibrantly, catching his eye. There were even roaming statues — real titans standing dozens of meters tall that carried entire buildings on their shoulders — it even served as a transportation mechanism for people down below. Reed noticed people gliding atop the currents of flowing water as it carried them across the city. It was a fantastical sight to behold.

It was a city without a single stain, formed of the purest materials men could find. The city possessed a natural, earthly beauty that was only complemented by the golden and silver spires that pierced the clouds. Someone about the city felt complete as if it were the perfect union between man and nature. The aesthetic beauty of this paradise was undeniable, and even the harshest critic would have to concede that it was a magnificent work of brilliance...

"What do you think, Noble One? Is it not a wonder for the eyes to behold? Although it is only a fragment of what it once was, Citlai is still without compare in the world," said Itotia. She smugly grinned as she observed Reed's astonished reaction with immense delight.

"It's quite stunning, for sure. I've never seen a city like this...well, ever."

Ulbo heartily chuckled and said, "Then you're in for a bigger surprise, little sun. Our destination is not the city itself... but beneath it — that is where the royal palace is located. It serves as the foundation for the island and the city above itself. We will be heading to Citlai's Heart."

The ship suddenly stopped over a massive lake located in the middle of the city that barely looked large enough to accommodate the Joyous Divinity, but surprisingly, it fit right inside without a hitch as it descended into the clear, azure waters of the enormous lake.

Moments later, the water disappeared and with a loud thrum, real-space slightly shook. Reed knew that spatial vibration. They'd been shifted somewhere else amid their descent, meaning that the ship had passed through... an altar. That, or something large enough to send the flying mountain across space-time.

'What the hell have I gotten myself into this time?! This is way too ridiculous...'

Once the ship cleared the spatial passage and stabilized itself, the blurry surroundings outside slowly fixed themselves. The hazy shapes and colors became more defined as the ship settled back into real-space and Ulbo said, "Behold the Heart of Citali, childe. The dominion of the Gods... and your birthplace."

Reed silently stood on the bridge as he gazed at the sight of his so-called birthplace.

Despite his concerned, serious face, he really only had a single thought running through his mind as he gazed at the view.

'Hey, why does that towering, silver statue look so familiar...?'

'I-Isn't... that- no, there's no way... I must be seeing things...'

He hurriedly rubbed his eyes and looked again with greater focus; Nothing had changed. He had not been imagining what he had seen.

Reed let out the longest sigh he could muster and started walking back to the room's altar.

"...Noble One? Where are you going? Is there something wrong?" said Itotia. She barely noticed the disgusted face Reed had made the second he caught glimpse of the palace.

When Reed heard Itotia's question, he cackled maniacally as if he'd lost his marbles. The poorly masked hostility in his laughter even unnerved the old shipmasters, albeit for a brief moment.

Reed turned around and coldly said, "Everything's wrong and I want answers NOW."