The fall air was crisp, with a gentle breeze rolling in off of the ocean waves. Beneath his feet, King Hakerion felt the slight rise and fall of the waves beneath the ground. It was made out of thick leaves, woven tightly together again and again until it was thick enough to serve as a platform. The entire city was made out of similar platforms, with an assortment of different buildings made out of the same woven leaves. These platforms formed the great city of Guaer, the oldest recorded city of the Ocean-Dwellers. It would be the site of one of the greatest events in Velarion history.
It was a momentous day. It would never be forgotten, and stories would be told to the children of witnesses, and those children would tell those stories to their children. It was the day that the Velarions would venture through the greatest ocean of Maiul. Hakerion had mixed feelings about this endeavor. As many Forest-Dwellers, he believed that they had enjoyed millennia of peace here on Velarion. Why risk that with going to the stars. Yet on the other hand, he could understand the ideals of the Order of Maiul. What was space, but for the greatest ocean Maiul would ever be able to create. With the clamoring of his people, Hakerion had no choice but to approve of this great attempt. Not to mention the amount of coaxing he received from his queen, Maiuk.
The graceful woman stood beside him, her jaw clenched and determined. She was the very essence of beauty, according to Hakerion. Her hair was a golden blond, and fell down to the small of her back. Her skin was fair, slightly tanned from the days spent enjoying the ocean above surface. Her eyes were a sea-blue. While their marriage had been arranged by the people of Velarion, the two had grown to love one another.
“The day has finally come!” Maiuk spoke with a booming voice, one that no one would expect from such a petite body. She spoke to the hundreds of Velarions who had assembled to attend this great event. “For five millennia, we have lived in peace, Forest-Dwellers and Ocean-Dwellers as one. We have contented ourselves to live within our beloved trees and waters. We have followed the Teachings of Velarion and Maiul. Never have we realized the scope of their power. Maiul’s oceans are not confined to those here on Velarion, or on any other planet that dominate the night sky. No, Maiul herself, the greatest ocean there is, lies there.” She fully extends her arm above her, pointing to the sky above.
“For the past three dozen years, the scientists have endeavored to unlock the secrets of biological technology.” Hakerion stepped in for a less religious speech. “Now, they believe that they have stumbled across the greatest secret available. Using bio-tech, our scientists have been able to unlock space travel. The beasts that live beneath Mauil’s oceans have been adapted so that they can travel through space as if they were traveling through water. Now, we embark on the greatest journey of all. We will bring Velarion’s and Mauil’s Lessons to the other worlds, spreading the love of nature with us. Through this, we hope to create a unified galaxy under the watchful eye of Velarion and Mauil.
“Our expedition is large, comprised completely of volunteers. Yet we shall still leave the majority of our forces here on Velarion. In total, 2,000 of our Green Wardens and 3,000 of our new-found naval ships shall go forth. I regret to say, that both Maiuk and myself shall be joining those that shall make this journey. To rule in our stead is the Lord Urik, Chief Advisor of the King and Queen. I trust he will rule fairly and justly. We shall return, though, and we will bring many great tales with us.”
With that, Hakerion turned and approached the beast the patiently waited for him in the waters. It resembled a shark from Earth, though it was twice as large and had four side fins and no dorsal fins. On its back was a capsule of sorts. Hakerion sat down in it, Maiuk following likewise in a similar capsule. There was enough room for Hakerion to almost completely lay down, with his head elevated upwards slightly, so he was looking forward rather than up. Multiple consoles and buttons laid on the sides of the capsule. Hakerion donned a helmet thr would connect his consciousness with the beasts. The Velarion King turned to his people who stood silently on those woven platforms.
“Now, to the stars!” Hakerion shouted, pumping his fist into the air. He was met with a chorus of cheers and screams. His companion, whom Hakerion learnt was named Jh’ak’il, turned from the platform, while the capsule slid shot, providing Hakerion with oxygen. Jh’ak’il darted forward, darting through the waves. Maiuk and her vessel swam beside him. Suddenly, the two beasts and their riders began to curve upward, sailing through the air. They were flying! Below them, the surface of the water suddenly erupted into a series of plumes of water. Hundreds of different bio-tech vehicles soared from beneath the water’s surface. There were beasts that were similar to Jh’ak’il, bearing solo riders. Then there were larger ones, maybe four times the size of Hakerion’s mount. These were manned by four Velarions. Greatest of them all were the massive carriers. These were the size of a whale, multiplied by a hundred. The waves they created splashed over the edges of the platforms. These were the carriers of men, where the Green Wardens resided. There were also room aboard them for the smaller vehicles to board and dock. There were other assortments of beasts, manned and unmanned. It was quite an impressive sight, as hundreds of bio-engineered beasts soared up into the sky and atmosphere. Upwards they went, up, up, up. And suddenly, they were in space.
