Chapter 1: The Scaffold Dancer's Peril
Astraea sits in her throne, followed by a few lesser goddesses who sit near her. She motions to one in particular, who closes her eyes, then opens one to project a vision on a canvas sheet hanging on the wall adjacent to them.
The vision was blurry at first, but they soon saw the reason fir that was because they were seeing directly out of a young man’s eyes, and he had just wiped some sweat from his eyes.
His arms are completely covered, wearing a long sleeve shirt that is blindingly yellow with reflective stripes on various parts of it. His hands are clad in colorful gloves, which have what looks like lizard style scales made if rubber on the most important parts, such as the knuckles.
The gloves are stained with grease and dirt, but the rubber scales are still bright.
The young man, whose eyes they are seeing through, is standing on a narrow scaffold, high above a vast industrial floor. Below him, the refinery hums with the rhythmic clatter of machinery, the hiss of steam, and the distant shouts of workers. The air smells of metal and oil, a scent so thick it could almost be tasted.
The young man turns his head slightly, looking down at the platform below. A few other workers are gathered there, their faces streaked with grime, their postures weary but determined. One of them, a burly man with a thick beard, looks up and waves.
The young man waves back, keeping a close eye on the wooden beam he was holding up. The beam stood at least give feet taller than him, and most of the goddesses.