Epilogue
The great Shu-Tural had spent little time at the site of the battlefield in the aftermath, instead electing to inspect the bizarre happenings in the heavens themselves - most prudently exactly what was falling from the sky. He’d travelled a short way to the nearest one, being shunted out of the way by a handful of fleeing soldiers in the process. After giving their turned and rapidly retreating backs a good old-fashioned fist shaking, Shu turned his attention to the fallen object itself.
It was a substance unlike anything he had ever encountered: liquid and solid, glowing, pulsing, almost alive, and radiating energy to the point where it warmly toasted the air surrounding it (as well as any bugs that unfortunately chose to get too close). It was a shifting mass of color, constantly flowing and mixing and changing, making new colors - colors he didn’t even know existed before. Faced with this unusual turn, Shu did what any half-decent explorer would do, and prodded it enthusiastically with a stick.
The radiant blob, for its part, let the stick sink into its form, and further, and further, Shu finally letting go as the expertly chosen instrument of discovery was set alight with multicolored flame, before disappearing into the depths of the unknown mass. Sufficiently satisfied, Shu made a mental note not to touch these, ever, and continued bravely onwards to the next objective: the strange new mass that seemed to surround the island now.
The trek would’ve taken about a day and a half without stops, but as he was passing through the unmarked (but tried and true) path across the Western Desert, he met up with the caravan of clan Ahri that had been heading out from Le-Kreeft, and decided to spend a few days with them to catch up with some old friends. They spoke of rumors in regards to what had happened in the depths of the Spine itself after the battle, what Friana had said after she’d returned, and the one she had brought with her: the Ice Toa, oddly enough.
Shu could imagine just from what he saw that at least half the island had been slaughtered that day, and nobody even really knew why. Something about a plot to make the stars fall. Even so, things seemed to have been shaken up. Most of the Turaga appeared to have been killed, so no doubt new leaders were already being elected, and there were whisperings of civil unrest in the Northern Drift.
But all too soon, of course, Shu had to continue on his way. He said his farewells, and was off once more.
It was a fair few hours before he reached the coast, though it could hardly be called that anymore: far below, he could see land, stretching out beyond the horizon, like a sea all on its own. He dropped his pack in his shock, his mouth in a wide “O” as he looked out over the glorious expanse: luscious greenery, deep woods, distant mountains capped with ice, and possibly even signs of civilisation.
This was the single most important discovery of his entire career. He trembled with excitement. He took a heavy breath.
“Today, our intrepid explorer shall set out on a brand new expedition, his greatest and most important yet: to explore the new continent!” He announced to anyone who cared to hear it.
The group he spotted skulking down the mountainside apparently didn’t, quickening their pace a little. They didn’t seem like they wanted to be seen.
“Hmm… most odd. Oh well, Shu shall not be fazed by such trivialities, for now is the time of discovery!” And with that, he slung his pack back over his shoulder, and began a jolly whistling stroll down the mountain.