Deep Sea Embers

The restless sea breeze blew through the mirror-calm sea, fluttering and fluttering the flags on the ship. The escort formation composed of many large warships sailed in the night, and inside the escort formation, a huge phantom was gradually coming from floating in the air.

A majestic church with a towering spire stands majestically on the ark's base like a small city-state. The lights between the multiple spiers illuminate the nearby sea. Towers and corridors guard the main body of the church, like a giant standing on the edge of the ark. Guard - This is the patrol ark of the Church of the Deep Sea. After staying in the southern sea for many days, it finally returned to the middle of the Infinite Sea.

Helena stood on the terrace at the top of the Storm Cathedral tower, looking at the calm sea in the distance in the night. A middle-aged priest stood quietly aside, with his head slightly lowered.

"The goddess' condition seems to be deteriorating," Helena said suddenly. "No one can hear a clear voice within the boundless sea."

"Similar news has also come from the Church of Death," the middle-aged priest nodded and said, "And it is said that in many city-states that have been plunged into darkness for a long time, unrest incidents of the dead have occurred - not only the city-states sheltered by the Death Church, but also other city-states that have been in darkness for a long time. The same goes for city-states."

Helena listened quietly, and let out a soft sigh for a long time. She traced the emblem of the Storm Goddess on her chest - an undulating pattern that had a mysterious meaning, but there was no corresponding explanation or record in the "Original Code of Storms": "Death and Death" The order of the storm is receding from the entire world."

The middle-aged priest did not speak, but stood quietly.

Helena looked back at him: "Are there many people who are wavering?"

"There have been more people going to confessionals and missions to receive bows recently, but overall, the situation of the Ark and the Ark fleet is good. The priests still have firm faith. From the beginning, we knew that the world would There is a time of decline, and preparation for the decline of the goddess is a test that we must face sooner or later."

The middle-aged priest paused here, and then added hesitantly: "But in some more remote city-states, an atmosphere of uneasiness is spreading. The priests in charge may still maintain their faith, but they are unable to resist the increasing waverings. believers and clergy.”

Maintain order and cooperate with the management and emergency measures of the city-state authorities. Even if the prayers are ineffective, the power of steam and grease still exists, and we still have fire and steel that will not betray," Helena said slowly, "To Prove to the believers that no matter what happens to the goddess, the Deep Sea Church will still firmly perform its duties - the most important thing is to divert everyone's attention from prayer to other places. "

The middle-aged priest lowered his head deeply: "Yes."

Helena said "hmm", but still looked at the sea in the distance, and spoke softly to herself: "These days, I always feel that the sea looks a bit strange, but when I come back to my senses, it seems like that It's all an illusion."

The middle-aged priest raised his head with confusion on his face: "Is there anything wrong with the sea?" "

Helena frowned, and after being quiet for a few seconds, she waved her hand: "No, it's nothing, just some irrelevant thoughts. Step back first, I have other things to do."

The priest took the order and left. Helena blew the sea breeze on the terrace for a while, then turned and returned to the church tower. She passed through a spiral staircase and a short corridor and entered the main building of the cathedral. He returned to his private prayer room where he usually spends most of his time.

The light in the prayer room is bright, the oil lamp in the alcove and the candlestick in front of the altar are burning quietly, and the brazier in front of the statue of the goddess is jumping with an unquenchable flame. The illusory flame body is like an almost transparent ghost with a hint of light. Unreal texture.

Helena came to the brazier and sprinkled spices and essential oils into the almost transparent flame. As the smoke rose, layers of words and murmurs suddenly appeared in her mind.

She was in a trance for a moment in the "noise" that seemed to pollute her soul, but then she regained consciousness, and then spoke to the flame: "Frame, I want to talk to you."

The flames jumped a few times, and then the voice of the fire bearer, Pope Frame, came: "Is it about the 'Archives'?"

Helena hummed: "I know you have an archive plan. Your ark is sailing north to the permanently frozen sea, right?"

"The permanently frozen ice sheet is the place that is most likely to remain as 'fragments' after the end of the world." Frame's voice seemed a little distorted in the flames. "Over the years, the fire bearers have been in Infinity. The 'focus' of our world is measured at sea to find the most stable part of the flow of history and time, and this focus ultimately points to the north."

Helena hesitated: "Has the location been determined?"

'No, it can only be determined to be in the north,' Frame's voice was calm, 'but we don't have much time to continue to make accurate measurements. The survival rate of priests who enter the measuring world between the cracks in history is getting lower and lower. I can't continue. The only way for them to take risks now is to let the Ark sail north, and I will personally determine the final location of the focus. "

Helena nodded slightly, she thought, and after a moment she broke the silence: "I will send a team to find you, and they will meet you before the Fire Carrier Ark enters the cold sea - those ships carry the Deep Sea Church. The most valuable and important documentation collected over the years."

The flames in the brazier danced, and it took a long time for Frame's voice to come: "Okay, I've left a place for them all."

Helena took a deep breath and exhaled: "Thank you."

This is the job of the fire bearer. "The voice in the brazier said slowly.

In the background of a uniform gray-white passage, the Lost Home and the Brilliant Star are floating as if they are sailing in endless nothingness. The unidentifiable gray and white texture in all directions makes it impossible to judge whether the two ships are heading towards the other. Moving forward and staring outside for a long time, Duncan would even have a strange idea that the ship had stopped and that the Lost Home was permanently trapped in a stagnant space and time. But he knew clearly that the ship was still sailing, sailing. In the twisted and chaotic space-time structure outside the border, the fragmented shadow of the New Hope loomed over the Lost Home and the Brilliant Star. The occasional flicker of the shadow was evidence that the "leap" was still in progress.

Alice stood on the bridge at the stern of the ship, her eyes looking forward without focus. She still held the steering wheel tightly, but her expression was not as agile as usual, but like a real puppet with a strange expression. Empty and cold.

Her consciousness is no longer in this body, but integrated into the Lost Home and New Hope, maintaining the stability of the jump channel.

Duncan went to the bridge to confirm Alice's status, and then returned to the cabin where the crew gathered - in the restaurant, Shirley was sitting at the table with a sad face, stirring the bowl with a spoon. The color and texture were a bit subtle. of soup.

After stirring for an unknown number of times, she finally raised her head with a look of embarrassment on her face and looked at Morris sitting opposite: "Why don't I be responsible for cooking next time?"

"No, you are the youngest on this ship, and no one can take your turn." Morris waved his hand, and then his eyes were slightly curious, "My cooking is not delicious?"

Shirley suddenly shrank her neck and twitched the corners of her mouth unnaturally: "Actually, it's not bad."

Morris frowned when he saw this, and tasted the soup he had just made, his eyes a little blank. "I remember that this is how Heidi made vegetable and mushroom soup when she taught me to make it." The old scholar muttered with blank eyes, " What step went wrong?"

"It's hard to explain your steps, but I'm sure that the vegetable and mushroom soup made by Heidi is definitely not like this." Fanna, who was sitting on the other side of the table, looked at the soup bowl in front of her with an expression on her face. "Forget it, I'll do it next time." Let’s cook. It may not taste that good, but at least—

Well, it's not that weird. "

"I kind of miss Alice's scones and fish soup," Nina muttered. "At least the soup itself tastes normal after taking the head out.

Duncan walked into the restaurant at this time. He heard the resentment of the crew, and the expression on his face was a little subtle: "Usually when Alice cooks, you don't think so highly of you, but now she is taking charge of you." It’s a reaction.”

When Fanna and others saw the captain appearing, they quickly stood up to say hello. Nina stood up to say hello and stuck out her tongue: "I'll cook next time. I think I might be the one with the best skills here - at any rate, I was in Pu I was in charge of cooking at Rand's house."

Duncan laughed, sat down in his seat, and then looked at the food in front of him with the others. Looks of anticipation came from all directions. After a moment, he sighed and winced under the expectant gazes of the others. Snap your fingers.

An illusory flame rose across the dining table and condensed into a dark mirror. In the mirror where the flame flowed, Lucretia's figure gradually became clear.

The Miss Witch was sitting on her own ship, with sumptuous meals laid out in front of her in the dining room of the Brilliant Star.

"Good afternoon, daddy," Lucretia smiled at this side, "and everyone, good afternoon." "

Duncan thought for a while, stretched his head and glanced at the cups and plates in front of Lucretia: "Are you getting ready for lunch?

"Yes," Lucretia nodded with a smile, "Lu Ni made baked apple pie, fried steak, cream corn soup and vegetable pancakes today - this salad was made by Ni Lu, although she only had Luni is a third taller but has started to learn to do things for me."

A small head popped out from the edge of the screen. Nelu, the little doll who had recently become an official crew member of the Brilliant Star, stuck her head out of the table and greeted the mirror.

Shirley stretched her neck and looked at it for a long time, hesitating: "Is it delicious?"

"It tastes very good," Lucretia looked at Shirley with a half-smile, "Luni's craftsmanship has been recognized by famous chefs."

Shirley licked her lips: "That"

Lucretia continued to smile: "Huh?"

Duncan finally couldn't help but sigh, spread his hands and looked at "Miss Witch" in the mirror: "There's no one cooking on the boat anymore. Alice is at the helm."

Lucretia finally burst out laughing, then quickly adjusted her sitting posture in a reserved and ladylike manner, smiled helplessly and sighed: "Come on, I've prepared a lot, I knew this would happen."

As soon as Miss Witch finished speaking, Duncan heard the sound of chairs moving. He looked up and saw that almost all the crew members around him had stood up. Then, a series of eyes fell on him. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Di spread his hands and said, "Just go and see what I do. Ai Yi will send you to the Brilliant Star."

"Aren't you going together?" Nina asked curiously.

"I have to stay here," Duncan waved his hand, "Alice is still at the helm. I don't worry about leaving the ship. Let's go. The food over there will be cold in a while. Just bring me some when you come back." "

Shirley and Nina immediately cheered, and Lucretia's voice came from the mirror: "Bring your own utensils! I didn't prepare that much here. Shirley, put down that basin!"