80 Days: Under the Waves

by Sharp Spark

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A nearby ship described as a cathedral drew my interest. From the outside, it looked like one more cargo steamer, overgrown with algae and studded with barnacles. But upon entering the vessel, I immediately recognized the iconography on display as religious, as foreign as the sight may have been.

The interior of the ship was one cavernous room, with a single raised dais at the center. Elaborate statuary ringed the dais and hung suspended from the ceiling, formed of spirals and abstract shapes. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the white colors indicated not stone or coral, but rather bone, carved into their elaborate shapes. At the very center, a rounded stone floated in the air, glowing with a telltale aura of magic.

A single figure paced slowly around the circumference of the dais, intoning something in the rough language of the sharkponies. As I stepped forward, she ceased her revolution and turned to me, pulling the hood back from her head. The priestess--if indeed that was what she was--was surprisingly young, and her eyes were bright but guarded.

“Welcome, visitor. What brings you to my sanctum?”

“Can you tell me about your faith?” I inquired...
“What is this stone?” I asked…
“I hadn’t expected to see such a shrine in your city,” I said...