Senco Sencotorume

A couple minutes earlier....

"We thank you, Lord Anudikelto, for divining me these words of wisdom upon your people, and we thank you for eternity in the afterlife! And we all say..."

"Hail! LORD ANUDIKELTO!"

Those words rang throughout the church like they were a bell, echoing for what seemed like forever. Accompanying those words, a sound of clothing moving rapidly for all to salute also rang within the confines of my church.

Hearing the people's reply, I answer in kind with my own words "Hail Anudikelto."

With my words echoing throughout the chamber, everyone in attendance stood up in unison. Following up with that unison, the people started to file out through the doors, and so, I turned away from the people's eyes, looking at the statue that had been behind me the entire time.

I leaned back to take in the magnificently carved being now in front of me. A chiseled figure with a height reaching double, or even triple my own, with muscles larger than even my own body. He had a flowing cloth wrapped around his massive body. Having six arms, each holding different weapons with a texture like crystal, the statue had a domineering, yet protective presence, especially with a face halfway covered in long, flowing hair, the one eye uncovered had a look like he could see everything, like he was omnipotent.

Staring at this statue, while facing away from everyone, I let out a long sigh.

'How much longer must this charade of visions go on? Xeta was supposed to be here, so we could speak about the Ark Valus she has created after I was done. If you didn't know about it, Anudikelto, it is a ship that shall take us away from this place that we have all been stranded. And, once we get off of here, I will head to the council and I WILL become an Apostle! I'm not going to lie, Anudikelto, but I want that position for the money and access to information! I do believe you are the one and only God, but I want something more than a few words from you while I still am alive! That being, money! I do hope you'll forgive me when we meet, but I have plenty to do before we do. I plan to atone while I am dead, working for you directly, repenting while in death. You can not control me currently, but you can do whatever you need for me to atone later. I WANT luxury. I WANT fame. I WANT money. I do hope you forgive me for my selfishness.'

I sighed once more, having gone through a rollercoaster of feelings, and looked at the statue. It felt like the statue itself was bringing judgement down upon me, and yet, I had not died from the god of death. Letting out a small chuckle, I thought 'Seems you really can't do anything to the living world. At least, until someone is ready to die, or is about to. Have fun until I get to you.' With my one sided talk with Anudikelto over with, I had one more thought that came to mind.

'Now, where was Xeta during this sermon? I don't think she had any reason to skip out, unless it's regarding the Ark Valus! Or perhaps, did her family finally contact her? I wouldn't have thought they could even find each other, yet, could they have spoken and then stopped coming to my sermons? No, she would not just do that. She may be young, but perhaps it's just a breakthrough with the Valus. I hope when I next meet her, she's almost done with the Ark Valus. Perhaps she was almost done, and wanted to finish it quickly, taking the morning off to finish it? Whatever happened, if she finished the Ark, then her purpose will be over with, and I can finally get out of this place.'

Steeling my expression, I turned around to grab what I have named as the 'Visions From Anudikelto', a book full of stories that I has come up with over the course of aproximately 20 years. It was nearly full of written stories, each one taking up about one page, if not less. I picked it up before glancing toward the doors, which were being held open. The light from outside made it harder to see what was happening, but one of the people came in to inform me what was happening. As he ran towards me, I set the book down, and as he got to me, he spoke "Xeta's here!"

"Good. Send her to me."

"You don't understand! There are others with her!"

"Did.. she make some friends?"

"No! These people are new! I guess they got here recently!"

My eyes widened as soon as I learned about people she was with not being from the island previously.

"Bring them in!" I demanded.

'People from the outside! Are they going to be pirates? Or are they perhaps Marines? What are they?'

Following these questions, four people came into the chamber. Xetalona followed by three people, all young or just small. A clown, a weird girl who looked like she raided a princesses closet as well as her father's, and someone small wearing a cloak, covering all of their features.

"Who are you three?"

•

The four of us entered the building, and we were met with a massive room, pillars flanking a center walkway, with seating on either side of the walkway. The room was mainly lit using natural light, which gave me a full view of the back of the room. A raised platform with a table on it, and at the back, in front of a massive window, was a statue.

This, aproximately 20 foot tall statue was of a being with six arms, it's entire body covered in carvings of muscles. In each of it's hand were weapons, ranging from a sword, a scythe, and even a knife. His face was odd to me, having long hair covering half of it, but the other eye was open, and staring blankly, but it was a statue, so of course it's gaze would be blank.

And then, I looked down, below the statue, finding an extremely pale guy at the table, a man who was also watching us. With a closer look, this old, extremely pale, man in front of us had many wrinkles covering him, and no hair at all. No hair on the top of his head, nor on his face. He didn't even have eyebrows, but you could tell that he had the ability to express himself without them. His eyes were sunken, as if he was a villain, but I hadn't looked at his clothes.

It looked like he wrapped up in a robe made of pirate flags, along with a gray cloak over his shoulders. Holding the cloak and the robe together were gold chains.

'If this guy isn't a bad guy, I'm gonna kill myself and hope to be brought back.'

And then I noticed his hands.

His fingers were long, and looked like they didn't even have muscle to them, while his hand was very small, even with long fingers. The little bit of wrist that was sticking out of his robes were equally as stick-like to his hands, seeming like they had the moisture stolen from them.

We got closer to the raised platform, and we heard the words "Who are you three?"

The voice coming from the man on the platform was not good sounding. With a scratchy voice, he had asked that question, and I felt like he was scratching his nails on a blackboard. Mixed in with that sound was a sound of bass to it, being extremely low. I couldn't pinpoint the actual voice, and yet I could still understand the words he had spoken, while being killed with such a horrid voice.

'If this guy isn't a villain.. seriously.'

"Ahem! Hi? Who are you?"

"I, am Lord Senco Sencotorume, the leader of this island, and a desciple of the Seven Apostles of Anudikelto. Now, can you answer who you are?"

His voice continued to be even worse than smelling fresh garbage, and I grimaced before answering: "I am-"

Xetalona interrupted my own introduction. "These are Buggy, Taki, and Rem! They're-"

"From the outside, I heard."

Those words were spoken deeper than before, as Xetalona had tried to lighten up the mood, assumedly because she wants to for reasons. Those same words echoed through the room, and we're followed by "Xeta, leave. I must have a talk with these... Outsiders." His voice was full of poison when those words left his mouth.

Xetalona froze up from those words, clearly freaked out by them.

"I-I-I can't just.. stand over there and listen?"

"No. Now leave."

"But I-"

"LEAVE. NOW."

He stared her down, and dejectedly, Xetalona slumped out of the building. He nodded the guy who was with him away, and he left the room as well.

"So.. what are you here for?"