Gantz woke up with a start as a rabbit hopped onto his chest and scurried away. He looked around and saw a sliver of the moon peeking through the trees.
— What...? My arm!
He grabbed his left arm, searching for the wound beneath the dried blood. Feeling nothing, he rubbed his eyes and stared at the small, furry mound a few meters away.
— It wasn't a dream. But what the hell happened? And where did that freak come from? A wolf wouldn't do what it did... The mass! — Gantz stood up and started to run before skidding to a halt. — I'm filthy and exhausted, my clothes are torn, and my family is expecting supper when I get back.
He ignored the wolf's carcass and moved to the center of the clearing, searching for an animal that was still intact to take with him.
He found one of the boars that had been decapitated by a bite. He drew his knife, gutted the animal, and began the arduous task of carrying it back home.
The journey took even longer due to his exhausted body and the extra weight. Upon arriving, he sat on the edge of the porch to rest for a few minutes before preparing the animal with spices and placing it to roast in a pit oven. Immediately after, he began to get ready, hoping to catch the end of the mass. He put on his best clothes—a blue shirt with black trousers—and tidied his curly hair while looking in the mirror. With his thin, well-trimmed beard and green eyes shining with the reflection of the light, he couldn't exactly be called handsome, but the features inherited from his father gave him a masculine jaw and traits one would expect to see in a noble.
....
Seen from above, the people dressed in blue looked like a wave gathering at the largest building in town: a grand, navy-blue church encrusted with scales and the heads of aquatic animals like whales, sharks, and dolphins. Its doors were so large an elephant could walk through comfortably. Small streams made of stone slabs carried clear water and colorful fish, which children loved to chase through the channels leading to a massive fountain in the middle of the courtyard.
The middle-aged priest stood at the door, greeting everyone who entered. The flow of people dwindled until no one remained outside. The great doors were closed, and the pearls of light were extinguished, replaced by a multitude of candles.
Everyone remained in complete silence as the priest walked slowly toward the podium at the back of the church, never looking to either side. He climbed the stairs slowly and took his position before the congregation.
— Praise be!
— he said, his voice barely a whisper, yet the design of the church made it resonate powerfully.
— PRAISE BE!
— everyone uttered in unison before returning to silence.
The priest stood still in his blue tunic, a bright white smile on his face.
— Today we have a guest; a high-ranking priest has come to grace us with a few words.
The priest stepped aside to make room for the newcomer: a short man with a powerful chest and toned arms, but with the protruding belly of someone who drank heavily. His face was young, but his small, sharp eyes conveyed a sense of malice.
— My dear faithful, it is your honor to have me here on this day! How good is God!
— HOW GOOD IS GOD!
— the people proclaimed with a slight hesitation.
The small man didn't seem to like that hesitation, but he proceeded.
— We were not the first nor the last to be created, but we are surely the favorites among all the Lord's children! Father of the seas from which all life emerged
—without water, no life!
— WITHOUT WATER, NO LIFE! — the chorus of voices rang out once more.
— Our race is not the most intelligent, nor the strongest, but we are certainly the most creative and capable in the art of craftsmanship. This is the gift given to us, just as the gift of locating and excavating ores like no other was given to our dwarven brothers! This church is an example of that. And of this, we must be proud!
The mass continued for hours; it seemed the small man would never stop talking. Finally, appearing weary, he decided to conclude.
— And as a gift, I demonstrate to you the boon that only those close to God can exercise.
He whispered something, and with a wave of his hand, a massive blue whale appeared, floating above everyone. Water dripped onto the villagers' bodies, seemingly curing their ailments and renewing their faith. The creature made a circular motion in the air before vanishing, and everyone stood up enthusiastically, clapping their hands.
The residents flowed out of the church into the courtyard for a small social event with snacks.
Leonardo, dressed in his fine armor and maintaining a noble posture, smiled as several women approached to invite him to spend the night at their homes. Once again, he found himself having to refuse such attractive invitations. While speaking with the beautiful ladies—and occasionally taking advantage of the moment to steal a kiss from those he couldn't resist—he spotted a young man. Curly hair, firm posture, and a trained body just as the holy book described; long legs and a broad chest. He wondered if there was a noble in this village, but something about the lad made him feel uneasy.