1 The Depths

The depths, where all kinds of sea monsters reside was a menacing location no one dared to go. Not until after the Canticlysm, where an era of adventurers were born. Treasures worthy like no other were discovered in the depths, and since then everyone strived to explore it.

One may simply ask; what is the depths? To explain, we may have to go back a few centuries ago.. when the Great Drowning, mostly known as the Canticlysm, occurred. The once prosperous Capital of Celtor was one day mysteriously missing. It, with no trace of anything that betided, scared the rest of the world. Everyone had the same thought 'How could a whole city, thriving with citizens go absent, in just one night?'. Sooner or later, someone spotted the Capital of Celtor deep under the ocean depths through a telescope and it shocked the whole world. No one could figure out how it 'sunk' under the ocean. Many other renown locations have also been affected by the Great Drowning.

A few brave men gathered together to dive and explore the sunken remnants of the city. After trying to reach it for days, they eventually gave up - they could not see the city, however much they kept swimming downhill.

Then one unseeing day, enormous whirlpools started sprouting in all parts of the ocean where the Capital of Celtor once resided. The men who once tried to reach the depths all gathered again and decided to go through a whirlpool, thinking it could be related to the drowning of the city. They were right. As they jumped in, they were quaffed in by the ocean and before they could come back to their senses - they were deep under the ocean depths. Somehow, although they were deep underwater, breathing was normal, as if on land.

Massive coral reefs with assorted colors, blue jellyfishes that seemed to be walking with their tentacles, a crab-like creature with four legs and no eyes, with a hard spiky crustacean shell, they saw many unusual things. In no time, the jellyfish and the crab-like creature started approaching the group of men. Sensing aggressive hostility, the men pulled out their weapons and started striking the beasts and before long, the monsters perished.

They continued trekking the area and tussling against all kinds of creatures; one even looked like a fish and a lion coalesced! Then at some point, they found it. A wide-reaching wall that stretched across a circular city. There was no doubt - it was the Capital of Celtor! A giant gate was spotted as they got near, and saw two guards standing on each end.

"How's your day, sir?" one of the adventurers greeted the guards, following with a salute.

...

The guard didn't even turn to look, as if it was a statue.

"Adolin, I think they're dead.. let's just go in" said another.

They paid no mind to it and went into the city. Peculiarly, the houses weren't wrecked or anything of sort, just a coral or two latching onto them. 'How does a city of this caliber suddenly sink underwater?' they all thought in unison. A cathedral could be seen as they approached the center of the city. It had, yet another large gate with two guards.

"How's your day, sir?" Adolin repeated the same question as before, not expecting any answer.

"..? What? Are you another victim of the drownings?" asked the guard, which surprised the whole party.

"Yes.." Adolin replied. 'Is it common for casualties of the drownings to end up here?' he thought.

"If you pass through here, you'll see the Cathedral of Interstice, and an elevator. Make sure to escape through it, and leave this place, before you succumb to the Voices of the Deep." the guard tilted his head to get a better look at Adolin and gave him instructions.

"Thank you, sir!" Adolin saluted, and the rest did too.

"It is my pleasure, now now, get going.." the guard seemed tired, just from communicating.

Adolin and his party found where the elevator was.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Adolin asked for confirmation.

Everyone nodded and Adolin pulled the trigger which got the elevator moving up. When they reached the top, it was a whole new place. A wide and spacious area with red curtains hung on the walls, and purple chandeliers dangling from the dome-shaped ceiling with white flames burning. They were roaming around in amazement, until..

"What a fetid lump of waste these ones are." a voice startled them.

Looking around, there was no one to be seen.

"Who are you, and where are you?" Adolin screamed with fear in his voice.

"I am the Voice of Odium, one of the five Voices of the Deep. You little beings DISGUST me." the voice answered, with visible hatred.

'Voices of the Deep! The guard clearly warned us to not succumb to them!' Adolin recalled.

Adolin took the lead and told everyone "Stay alert everyone, remember what the guard informed us? We might get attacked.. be careful".

"These ones are fit for crushing... I shall relish in scraping their remains off of the floor." a different voice could be heard.

"Ugh... just be quick about killing them will you? Their stench is already nauseating.." the Voice of Odium stated, with once again, obvious resentment.

Right after the statement, five angels appeared out of thin air. They were white and dull-yellow humanoid creatures with wings, wielding a black spear. Each angel proceeded to attack each member in Adolin's party. They struggled due to having only a mere sword or battleaxe with them, and no other-worldly power.

"Ohh~! My dear little ones, watching you scuffle this much! It makes my heart skip~!" another Voice of the Deep exclaimed.

In a twinkling of an eye, Adolin and his party bit the dust, and their souls rested in the fragments of self.

"Oh.. Voice of Sequestration.. when will you stop calling these ugly creatures your 'dear little ones'?" asked the Voice of Odium.

"Aww~ shut up, will you? These poor little souls.. watching them struggle turns me on~! What's wrong with that?" replied the Voice of Sequestration - angrily.

"When will someone worthy enough arrive? I'm tired of scraping off some weakling's flesh" the Voice of Enmity bellowed and let out a sigh.

High above the skies, in Celestia, home to the Celestials, there remain a few gods who abide justice. Seeing their children suffer to the Voices of the Deep, they exchanged their lives and bestows upon the world with phenomenal energy called 'Murmurs'..