Jihnorah

 The heady scent of ocean salt and the ceremonial incense fills your nose and your head is filled with different sounds,

thunder and lightning battle amongst themselves as the water droplets soak your skin, the tide of the water lapping against your bare feet, the twinkling of golden bells around your ankles and wrists, the swish of fabric as you dance your praise, the answering echo of your people following your movements and the banging of the drums that shuddered your ribcage with each beat.

You know you only have one chance, and although there is nervousness and fear it is drowned beneath your conviction and courage, you will connect with the deep, it will hear your song and answer with its own and be blessed as the sea-sworn of Jihnorah.

Open your mouth and sing, listen as the prayer catches against the breeze, carrying it across the darkened waters as you pour your soul into the ocean, willing the song to reach their deity slumbering deep beneath the waves, the same ones that clash against the stone pedestal where you stand above your people, as you dip into a bow for a brief moment, you can see your people dancing beneath you, pouring their own songs into the waves. 

When the beat stops you fall to your knees, cupping your hands and holding them up, head bowed and eyes closed tight as all goes quiet. You open your eyes in question, glancing up and finding the waters calmed, the sky no longer raging as bursts of sunlight spill through and its only then that you notice the waters rippling, a bioluminescent glow fills the depths and you see large hands reaching towards the light from below. 

Wide eyed you stare at the giant rising from the depth, the beautiful creature rising further, looking down at you with large, soulful black eyes and gold irises and thick dark lashes, heavy with water droplets. Their skin is navy with splotches of white and you stare in wonder at the finned ears at either side their head, the protruding frills are tipped in the same gold tone as their eyes and as your gazes trails down their body you can see that it matches all the way down past the flared navy cape like fins but the rest of him is obscured in the depths. The sheer size difference was staggering and your heart thundered in your chest, caught in the tide between awe and fear. 

“Your prayer called me from beneath the vast waves, and I will be with you in this life and the next”