Ikrekyuan

Universe: Kalazus

Location: Reaches of Southwest Cyana Galaxy

Time: Year 326, fourth human paron (approximately 40,326 years post-industrialization)

The shuttle neared the bridge—its jets giving a gentle hum as it decelerated. Bountiful acolytes exited into the sealed glass bridge; a lone cloaked scientist followed the group, her dark ginger hair stagnant in the vacuum. Lavishly decorated with glowing golden symbols, the garments of the ongoing votaries dragged along the metal plating below their feet. The conglomerate continued, some kneeling in praise as the woman peered at the glorious starfield around them; the flowering pod in front shifted in miniature metallic movements.

Below the bridge metal roots could be seen emitting clumps of frozen moisture, as the rotund artificial petal above gently waved. She entered the pod, cleansing her suit, and stepped through the airlock before finally emerging into the interior.

Her face puckered from the initial aroma, a sour spice tingled in her sinuses. Tubes winded from the pots of pearlescent plants; exotic creatures migrated to the fumes of their respective home worlds. Zifa recorded her observations on her transparent tablet, her heart grateful to be on this pilgrimage. Dozens of species draped in bundles of white and yellow garb roamed the temple–her translator flourished in the interpretations of the many tongues.

Each respective species grouped, reciting their native hymns beside decorated boxes of black and spindled aurelian flowerings. The woman approached the front-facing window, standing next to a towering gaunt four-armed humanoid. Its yellow-tinged skin glistened against artificial lights; except for the oblong skull and slender digits, it was nearly human. Oracles and priestly prayers echoed across the temple in unison.

Out of the stretching window, Zifa's eyes met a starscape decorated with other blossoming pods both near and distant. Standing out from these was a spherical, transparent azure tinted vivarium. The inside teemed with glistening yellow moths flickering their silent prayers; Zifa admired the distant creatures, drawing a notebook from her pocket and sketchings its smooth edges.

She turned to follow the many gazes of the pilgrims, eyes now fixed on the corpse of their long-dead prophet floating in the center of the pods. Behind the body shone a blazing yellow comet, its bright tail illuminating the festival and its onlookers. Zifa held a finger to her in-ear translator,

“Is this your first time attending?” She addressed the humanoid beside her.

A sharp, dry tongue crackled through the earpiece, “Far from it, although this may be my last,” the translator echoed back.

“If that is the case, may Aula be upon you,” Zifa replied, a slight smile stretched across your face. She seated herself on a nearby bench, pen already weaving squiggles of notes and dots upon her journal pages.

Zifa glanced towards a cosmic flash, rings of jolting amethyst bolts manifested—rippling through spacetime, they carried with them a soaring ship. Antiquated boards plastered its copper-toned hull as it wove through the pods with a swift grace–dragging behind it yellow beams of light; it settled beneath the corpse of the long-dead prophet. A transparent glass bubble dome encapsulated an inhabitant now visible on deck.

Despite being distant, a lanky creature of indeterminate species rose to the bow of the ship. Zifa watched carefully from the recluse of the pod, worshipers amalgamating near the window. A smooth, spiked helmet covered its face, revealing ovular white eyes that shone through its metallic shades. A slew of thick golden rings covered its elongated neck; a plate of bristled aurelian armor carved with sigils hung from its chest. A six-pointed sandstone shield hovered beside it, the top and bottom end elongated like the shape of refracted starlight.

“What is this?” She faced the creature.

“Unnatural,” his gaunt fingers gently pressed against the glass before them. Two beams lowered under the bow of the ship as it slowly spun. The auric light of the comet reflected upon the petal-topped pods, and the vivarium could be seen retreating with roaring engines from the scene.

In an instant they were blinded; upon clearing her vision she saw the debris of a nearby pod as bits of frozen flesh and blood cascaded into view. Screams erupted throughout the chamber as the inhabitants began flailing in panic. Blinding red and white lights flashed frantically as the ancient vessel rotated—laser beams barreled from the boat—pod by pod imploding into the vacuum. Zifa ducked to the floor with a shout, the four-armed humanoid following suit. He placed a glowing palm upon her head–speaking his twisted tongue, “all will be well when the queen is slain, my child,” the translator muffled.

The flashing destruction ceased–a silence engulfed the room. Zifa arose to peer out the window; extravagant annihilation dotted every piece of stretching space, the ship now absent from view.

A piercing shot rang through the chamber—a bloodied corpse slid across the sacred floor. His rings clanked against each other as the captain entered the room. Its sigils glowed in a golden light, projecting themselves into the air around them.

The humanoid began walking towards the ring-bearing patriarch, side-eyeing the scientist. It spoke in an archaic tongue to the captain, melodious and serene as it entered Zifas ears—her translator crackled in an ignorant reprise. The captain neared her, his long slender strides creaking the floor.

“Have no worries,” he rested his gilded hand upon Zifa’s shoulder, “you will be spared.”

A flaming golden light beamed through the windows. Zifa turned to see a nebulaic form with bright white eyes manifesting in fire between the still-floating corpse and the pod. Its expression molded into the blazing yellow cloud.

Eyes locked, brilliant divinity entwined the girl and the goddess.