Young, wide-eyed, and innocent eyes looked towards her, the eyes of a child that had no idea where they had ended up. The yellow aura of the living was quickly being replaced by the blue hue that marked death. This little one had ended up in the Isles far before what Saoirse could even begin to deem fair. Their life had barely even begun, little memories of their short time spent in Sceania reflecting in the water that danced by their feet.

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She beckoned the little one forward with a smile as she always did, offering a friendly smile and a welcoming hand in this very strange place as she tried to ease their fears. Surely they aren't even old enough to fully understand what was happening? The most she could do is make their transition as comforting as possible, playing games and pointing out constellations among the stars as she guided them on the path towards Skier Pral…but strangely her heart wasn’t fully invested in this journey. Instead it sunk low into the deepest pits of her stomach, guilty eyes carefully looking back onto the young soul behind them only to quickly snap back to the glowing waves before her. She couldn’t get distracted, not now. The dark waters that surrounded them were always ready to approach suddenly and swallow them up, ready to prey upon any slight feeling of uncertainty, of questioning. 

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With a shaky breath to calm her thoughts Saoirse continued sailing, tormented by taunting visions of what potential life the young soul could’ve had in the reflections of the waters that surrounded them. For once she was grateful that the usual travelling soul couldn’t see such a thing. In no way would she want them to. The journey to death was supposed to be a reassuring one, one that proved that it was ok to pass on into the next one without any regrets….but this young one had barely experienced anything to regret. Smiles, memories, laughter, all gone in a blink of an eye before the young one could even experience any of it. Sure they would reunite with passed family members in Skier Pral…but most of the time you only got one life. It was never guaranteed that you’d be chosen to reincarnate to return to Sceania. Even if you were, it would not be the same life that this young one would’ve missed…it simply wasn't fair.

 

With her boat washing upon the shores of Skier Pral, it was a bittersweet moment of the young soul’s family lining the shores, shouts of welcomes and laughter guiding them onwards to join them. The young soul leapt from the boat without a hitch, filled with laughter and doubtlessly knowing of the life they had missed. A successful trip right? She should've been glad, relieved and yet she felt so hollow inside.

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As she readied her sails for home, onwards came another elder soul with a decree that they were chosen to have another chance at life, to return to Sceania. It wasn't a strange request, but this soul had a dark, ominous cloud hanging over them, a malevolent aura that put her on edge…but it wasn't her place to deny such a request. It wasnt her duty to deem who was worthy of returning to the land of the living. She was simply a sailor with a duty to do. With the soul now boarded she set off again, now following the golden trails leading to Sceania.

 

Much like the travels before, the seas showed the souls' past. Her heart began to race, ice shooting through her veins as there was nothing but visions of turmoil and chaos. This soul was responsible for the suffering, the torment of so many in their previous lifetime and yet this is who they had chosen to return? Sure they’d be reborn anew but the chaotic nature of the soul would still remain. It simply didn't make sense. The boat began to gently sway, feeding off of her uncertainty and veering slightly off the golden water’s path and more towards the darkened seas.

 

“Hey, What are you doing?! Can’t you even drive this thing straight? I thought you guys were supposed to be good at doing this at least?” The malevolent soul was quick to criticize her, berate her in true fashion of their detestable nature. 

 

The rockings only increased further and further, the waves beginning to roar and close in, swirling around them. This snapped Saoirse out of her thoughts, quick to attempt to clear her mind and turn them around to avoid the onslaught of blackened waters that was rapidly approaching. In just that short amount of unfocused time, her vessel had steered from its path and drifted into dangerous waters. She fought with her sails, willing them to turn as the roaring winds threatened to rip into them. Harsh waves crashed into the boat, the vessel creaking and cracking from the pressure all while she struggled to not get washed over. It was terrifying, the idea of falling into the dark abyss below prodding her to work faster and faster, do all she can just to avoid such a gruesome fate ..for she knew that once consumed, no one ever surfaced from the monstrous seas.

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After much effort, her ship had just barely touched the golden calmed waters, ripping itself from the black sea’s grasps. Saoirse was shaken, trembling even and knew that she couldn't continue this journey with such an unsound mind.

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Her tattered ship washed upon the shores of Skier Pral once more, its residents originally happy to see her soon turned with confused faces. She had not brought a new arrival, but instead brought back the same chaotic soul that she was tasked with delivering to Sceania? Not only that but it was visible that her ship had faced some sort of battle, barely even being observable as it dissolved out from under them once they were safely upon shore.

 

Murmurs of speculation went around, rumors of what might have happened. To see someone as successful as Saoirse zoned out, trembling on the shores of Skier Pral, it could only be assumed what had happened.

 

“He doesn’t deserve it…I wont take them.”

 

The words came out as a whisper from her lips. Slowly standing to her feet as she looked upon the crowd.

 “The seas showed me his past, every awful thing that this soul has done and yet he was chosen to return?!”   She  questioned loudly, passionately even as she looked upon the shore of souls, many of which she had taken there herself. They were all lovely, all of which she knew for sure deserved a second chance compared to the one that it was actually given to. Saoirse began on a public tirade, questioning how many times this had happened.If that awful soul was given a chance she pitched that a 1000 more lawfully aligned ones should be given that shame chance, hell 10,000 more! In general she couldn't even remember the last time she was chosen to send a reincarnated soul back to Sceania. For every one she probably sent hundreds more to Skier Pral in return.

 

Her words were beginning to light a fire in the hearts of those residing in the land of the dead. They had never stopped to consider it all but she was right. This cycle of life and death was distasteful, it was unfair. Just how had she been blinded to it all and made to believe that she was doing a good thing by helping this so-called cycle. It was rarely a cycle, rather a dead end for most. They were all beginning to realise it as such. Yes, reuniting with loved ones in Skier Pral was nice, but how nice would it be for them all to join the living again instead? To feel the sun and wind on their skin?

 

 She was quickly gathering their favor, her words inspiring them to reach for change, for a better chance. Rumors of her taking a stand, her disobedience quickly spread from soul to soul, sailor to sailor until it reached the shores of Sceania as well. More and more were agreeing, voicing their own opinion. It was becoming common talk, Skier Pral residents verbally vouching to be taken back to the land of the living when a sailor arrived for their reincarnation travel. Those of Sceania were yelling for no more senseless deaths, to take those who were deemed dangerous in favor of those who were simply just there enjoying life. Saoirse was happy to see that the people were asking for a change...happy that perhaps this is one thing she could do for the betterment of all Antara.

 

With the proposed change there was conflict. A danger to the carefully established balance that preceded them all…a danger that the gods did not take kindly.

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“The Starsailor known as Saoirse will be relinquished of her status, power, and exiled from Skier Pral and Sceania. ” - 

 

Her face paled, shock evident on her features hearing the announcement come from above and echo to every corner of the worlds

 

“This wicked, traitorous starsailor has tricked you all, lost their way and implanted this idea to lure more of you to those very same seas. We are sorry to say that she has deceived you. We are devastated just as you are. Such a shame…-”

 

What? What were they talking about? Saoirse took a step back as her fellow people began to eye her as the announcement continued. Words of her intentionally losing souls in the dark waters were broadcasted, supposedly her attempting to play ‘god’ in her quest of restoring fairness in the cycle. How could they lie about her? Why would they do that when she’s done nothing but served them ever since she could lift her first sails? The gods knew that no matter how mighty they were, all their citizens against them could prove troublesome. They had no intention to change any part of what they deemed was the perfect cycle of life and death….and so they had to change the people’s perspective.

They had to all have a common enemy to get the people back on their side and eventually back on the path of just peacefully accepting things as they were. 

 

The best enemy of them all was surely the one that had started all of this.

 

And they were quick to believe this for the gods had fabricated images, reels that played all throughout the skies of Saoirse performing such horrendous acts. Her peers all gasped, their eyes glued to the skies as this most certainly couldn’t be true. Those closest to her weren’t as foolish, quickly taking her and running off to the furthest corners of the isles to hide while they tried to figure it all out before it all came crashing down. They knew it had to have been because she decided to go against the natural order of things. It had to be. They pleaded and begged for her to reconsider, to go to the gods themselves and ask for forgiveness as it might not be too late to change their decision on her fate.

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“No…I know what's right. What they're doing is wrong and I have to stand by that.” Saoirse just couldn’t escape the image of that young kid that she took to Skier Pral. They deserved better, they all did. “We have to help them. We have the power to do so, they can't do this without us!” She spoke fast of plans on how they could potentially rise up against the gods since this is the path they wanted to take…only to be met with silence. It was to be expected with her punishment being so horrid. They had their whole lives in front of them..and she couldn’t expect them to give it all up on her whim of wanting to play the hero.

 

She truly didn’t want the other starsailers to go down with her, she just couldn’t bear the thought of her closest friends being dragged to the same fate. Once again she was terrified, her eyes casted out beyond the safe waters and to the black abyss that awaited her, the only place where she knew she could hide. That is if it didn’t consume her…But a thought went through her that perhaps something was amiss about that as well. The gods had lied to everyone about her…who knew how far their lies went. 

 

As if the veil had been fully pulled from over her eyes, the unknown seas didn’t seem so horrid now. It was calling out to her. The same light that she tried to shield from the traveling souls was now drawing her in.

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With the hands of the heavens coming down for her ‘capture’, there wasn’t much time to think about it. She had to take a leap into the unknown and didn’t look back. There wasn’t anything to go back to. Saoirse was determined to follow her heart and defy her fate, for even if she was going blindly into this alone, she would be truly happy with the fact that she acted in the interest of the people she served. 

 

She took a step, the waters lapping at her hooves. One step after another till her ship magically formed under her and rapidly set sail away from any path she's been on before. She gave a brief look back to her friends, to her home, a sad smile gracing her features. This was for them, for all of them. 

 

The people of Antara are the only witnesses, the last ones to see their beloved Saoirse.

 

Saoirse and her ship the second it left the golden paths was immediately attacked by the monstrous waters. She stood tall, proud even in the face of what seemed like defeat. Let their last image of her be one of defiance, that she dared to go against the natural order of life and death. 

 

Let it perhaps linger deep in their hearts, her final downfall as the dark waves quickly towered over her ship and carried it deep underwater….never to be seen again.

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To be continued.....?​

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