Chapter VI
The Sky Singer
(A few years later)
Do not fear the darkened corner,
for there is nothing there...
Do not fear the quiet passage,
for there is nothing there...
Hear the silence in that place?
There is nothing there...
But wait...did you see that?
There must be something here... -Eclipse Ghost Story
"Father...I do not think we should be here. This place is unnaturally dark...evil forces dwell in this place. I think we should leave." A young male adult Spinner, groping in the dark with only his echolocation to guide him, followed the dimly seen form of his larger father. He was nervous and frightened...though for what reason he couldn't figure out. So far, he had spotted nothing. So far, he had heard nothing. And yet...these underground caverns...had a haunting feeling. Silence...the silence was maddening.
It was too dark to see, but if one could have, the dark hazel eyes of the young adult would have been seen darting around alert for anything, suspecting everything, and yet finding nothing.
"Taren, do not stand as such a coward. There is nothing here." The gruff voice of an older, yet still amazingly massive, Balrok echoed back. Taren winced at the volume. It was too loud for a such a quiet place...
The reason they were here was more frightening than the actual place itself. The few recuits that had followed Balrok's path had been chased away, rebelling against the male. A few of their numbers had previously been attacked by an unknown force, being killed while separated and the answer becoming a mystery. Fearful, the rest ran away with their revolt, but not Balrok. Many suspected a monster, so Balrok planned to find this beast...and kill it. He had lost all his power over some ghost story being spread...it probably was a shark picking them off. Well, he would deal with this nuisance.
Obediently, Taren had followed along. He wanted to leave too any way he could, but didn't have the heart to leave his only parent behind him. Instead, (and probably stupidly, he told himself,) he trailed Balrok into this tunnel heading under the ground.
With their thorough search, they had come up with nothing, except the finding of a tunnel leading underground. Entering it, they found a narrow passage leading to a maze of tunnels and chambers with many openings in each. It was a rock labyrinth that would prove a useful hiding place for any monster that decided to feast upon dolphin flesh...
And if not a shark, what could it be?
An orca, one of those blasted killer whales...or so Balrok claimed. If it was a single one, the beast would feel the wickedness of a maddened fighter when Balrok: Tide's Strength found it!
Taren had his doubts, though. The passages they had explored were too small for any orca big enough to silently take down some of their members to pass through. What could this thing possibly be? Taren shook his head, thinking as he automatically followed the dark form ahead of him.
It killed without a trace...it may not even be a creature. Maybe a disease...some of those have been known to kill silently and attack unexpectedly. Why didn't he think of that before? Perhaps if he did, then he wouldn't be down in these evil reeking tunnels providing no light, no air...and no monster.
Balrok continued his swim, Taren hanging his head limply. He was so absorbed into his thoughts, he didn't see his father suddenly stop. Taren collided with his fluke, trying to ask why, but a simple sharp clack of Balrok's jaws silenced him. Head erect, Balrok was alert...listening. Taren heard a few clicks, recognizing them as his father's. Sonar...what would it reveal?
"Father...what do you see?" Taren whispered with barely a voice. Balrok was quiet, not uttering any sound at all. Taren was so frightened, he remained as quiet as possible too. Suddenly scared, feeling a chill enter his bones, Taren whipped around in the narrow passage, letting loose some soft clicks of his own.
There was the tunnel, suddenly veering up a short distance off. The pressure had grown in here. Though Taren had little idea as to where he was, he knew he could find the way out it he had to. The entire time the two had made a steady trip downward. The heat was building as well. But, other than that, nothing. Not even a lonesome fish.
"I hear water rushing...racing up from below..." Balrok mumbled. Taren listened, and now that he knew what he was listening for...he could hear it too. A soft rumbling sound, like water being forced out of a narrow opening at a fast rate. What could that be?
"Shall we check it out?" Taren asked softly. Without an answer, Balrok continued slowly forward.
The rushing grew louder as they went forward, but they didn't seem to be able to find it. Balrok's head swept back and forth, surveying every inch of the tunnel. Taren followed quietly right behind him, his nose feeling the water movment from his father's tail just inches from Taren's face.
Balrok halted once more.
"What is it?"
"There is a fork in our path...we have two choices it seems."
"Which one do we take?"
"One seems to lead towards the rushing water...the other, I do not know."
"I say we stay away from the rushing water...for now. Perhaps we will still find it." Taren suggested, afraid he would disturb the quiet place in its slumber. Unaffected by the quiet, Balrok grunted, his version of agreement, and took the right pathway.
To Taren's relief, the tunnel began to suddenly widen. With more space to move about, Taren could come alongisde Balrok. A small sigh of relief escaped him. It was much more comfortable and secure feeling when he could turn and see his father's face-
"Stop!" Balrok hissed. Taren had kept going without even knowing. He suddenly braked, biting his lip. "I see something."
Soft, barely audible clicks, came from Balrok's melon. Taren added his own. Lighted up in his vision, a small thing lay on the bottom of the tunnel. It lay in the center of a small chamber, the rebounds of the sonar showing multiple tunnels from above connecting it.
"I see it too...what is that thing?" Taren wondered aloud. Before Balrok could object, Taren swam forward. Balrok came as well, curious himself as to what this thing turned out to be.
A closer look revealed a stunning sight.
It was an animal of some sort. Curled into a tight ball, it looked like a squishy...well, "thing" was the best Taren could come up with. A white coloration, tiny tentacles wrapped around itself like a blanket, the thing seemed to be sleeping. The creature expanded and deflated calmly, obviously breathing.
"What is this...?" Taren wrinkled his nose. It wasn't very cute, although he couldn't help but think it was in a child's stage for...whatever it was.
"It looks like some sort of larva form...but what kind of water creature begins its lifecycle like this? I have never heard of such a creature nor seen one myself..." Balrok mentioned. Taren came up close, and with a gentle touch, nudged the thing. The body was soft and moist, even for under water. The body was very warm, and a sticky substance around it kept it anchored to the floor.
Taren's little movement, though, awakened it. It uncurled, moving about like a helpless worm. The two Spinners watched curiously, when suddenly the creature erupted with screams and wails. The intense silence that was once maddening was abruptly shattered by piercing cries.
Taren and Balrok fell back, shouting in pain as the shrill sound made their ears nearly burst. Taren shook his head violently, the sound making his head thump with pain. If this was the creature that was killing the podmembers...well, it certainly wasn't quiet!
"Damn foul thing!" Balrok cursed loudly, shaking his body violently. "It is rising the dead with that voice! I will end it fine enough!" Balrok made his way towards the writhing larva, baring strong teeth that would crush the soft jelly-like body with ease-
Taren's eyes caught some movement from above. From one of the tunnels connecting with the cavern, he spotted something. A tendril...or so it appeared. A limb of some sort.
Taren found himself staring confused at it, his mind focusing on something much softer than the larva's shrieking, but suddenly the shadow-like form recoiled in. Taren felt himself lunging forward, along with seeing the shadow following his path from above...
"Father! Father, from above!" Taren heard his voice cry out, but he couldn't remember thinking the words, or even forming them. They just spilled out, but Balrok heard it clearly. Halting suddenly, he veered to his side, the shadow colliding with the ground near the squirming thing. The shadow covered the creature protectively, and the larva quieted down.
Taren used his sonar, and found himself staring at the bony plated back of a thing he had never seen. Balrok's own face seemed stunned, for he got a good view from the side.
It was difficult to see, even with sonar, for the thing suddenly whipped its head around. Sickle teeth and long claws adjourned by tendrils like daggers surrounded an out-of-this-world body. Taren couldn't see all of it, but large disc eyes gleamed, pupils as slits, and large gaping jaws that linked together perfectly...
Taren was petrified, and found himself unable to move. The thing seemed to be crouched down, or hovering somewhat, over the now quiet frightened larva.
This thing...is protecting the child! Taren concluded. True, the thing just stood there, the eyes gleaming dangerously in the dark. Hissing rumbled from the creature's chest. Clawed limbs cradled the larva just below it...
Maybe...if we just leave, it will not attack us.
"Foul thing!" Balrok shouted. The monster's head snapped his direction, the jaws opening to let loose a shrill screech that wasn't much better than the larva's.
"Father! Let us leave it! It only wants to protect the child!" Taren begged. He began to back away, feeling his air level decrease uncomfortably, though the slight discomfort was much less than the pain caused by sheer terror from this thing...
"If this thing survives, then so will its kin. No longer will you prey upon my followers!" Balrok snarled viciously, almost as viciously as the creature itself. Coiling his tail and curling his fluke underneath him, Balrok charged, his own eyes glowing faintly in the darkness...their red tint showing like blood.
"No!" Taren cried, but the creature had already lashed out. Balrok was slammed aside, thrown into the wall with a spiked limb. The male Spinner groaned, but shook his head, and got up again. Balrok again charged, but with a different plan. To the side he swam, and then lunged once more.
This time, teeth managed to hit skin, but to his surprise, the hide was too thick. It was hard as bone, and he couldn't penetrate it. In fury, the creature flailed out tenticles and wrapped them around Balrok's body. Squeezing tight, the dolphin discovered he was trapped.
Taren tried to come in, but the creature turned its head, seeing him in time. Taren was slammed down, hitting the floor hard. Disorientated, he managed to lift his head up enough to see the first blow.
Taren was overwhelmed with a spurt of blood, though it was warm and thick and was a taste he knew well enough to be his own kind's. Balrok's scream was deafening, and the thing pulled out a trio of claws from Balrok's flank.
The dolphin was then tossed aside, crying out loud as he felt hard stone run into him. Taren staggered up, but felt tendrils close around his throat. Soon, he was entangled with limbs, getting a good view of the creature's broad plated chest. He felt claws scratch at his belly and knew with horrifying truth that the thing planned to slice him right open-
Balrok managed to stand up amazingly once more. Enraged, he locked on to the creature's own throat from behind. Fortunately, this apparently was a weak point. The thing screamed its high pitched scream, the shrill cry enough to end a weak being's life right then and there. Balrok felt an ooze flow freely across his tongue, some even managing to be swallowed down his throat. What kind of creature was this to have such thick blood! It tasted so foul!
Furios, Balrok was shaken off. Taren was released, and he collapsed onto the floor. Balrok didn't stir after being thrown roughly to the bottom, and Taren watched helplessly as the creature backed off. What appeared to be hands went up to its own throat, the eyes burning hatred upon the dolphins. Whatever had gone wrong, it seemed that the throat was the only weakpoint on this thing...and now it was coming back.
Taren tried to get up, but didn't have the strength. His fear had drained him, and his lunges began to burn. His lips stung when in contact with the foul ooze that was now mixing with the water and dolphin blood belonging to his father...
But Balrok wasn't dead yet. Taren felt the claws resting upon his face, felt the muscle tense as they planned to crush his very skull, until the force of his father's collision threw the monster off. Taren shrieked as a single talon dug deeply into his skin, right below his right eye. It burned fiercely, but he still let loose desperate sonar to see what was going on around him with his eyes closed.
The image came back of Balrok standing strong in front of the monster. Then the second image brought them clashed in battle, but Balrok was tiring. Balrok was growing weak, and already was injured. The creature had too many weapons to block out and soon...the male was caught again.
Balrok was pinned on the floor, belly up, as tendrils tightened. Jaws clacked together hungrily, as talons ran up and down his skin...tormenting him. Torturing him. Taren forced himself to stand...
"Father...father!" He kept his eyes closed, his right eye still burning terribly. His sonar was his only sight now. Amongst the darkness, he heard the pleading cries of his father. Never before had he heard that tune of voice from him...frightened...paralyzed...truthfully scared.
"Taren...Taren! Run! Run...get out of here! Now!" Taren shook his head at nothing.
"I will fight...I cannot leave you..." He shouted weakly. Stumbling forward, he collapsed again to the floor. Hissing roared in his ear...the creature...was it laughing? A sickening laugh it had. Balrok shouted in pain, the tentacles digging deep into his flesh. His chest was being crushed, and he forced words out with great effort.
"Just run, and do not come...back! Taren!"
"No!"
"Go!" The last remark ended in a painful cry, claws now penetrating flesh.
Taren tasted the blood coming on rapidly. Though scared, Taren got a final image of the monster...and of the larva. The thing lay quietly, curled back peacefully into its ball, its guardian doing its job well as it slept without worries...
Whipping around, echolocation to guide him, Taren fled. Back to way he came, he ran into walls and into crevices. His face bled badly as his snout was smashed multiple times. Yet, he was too scared to cry or stop.
Back in the cave, Balrok felt the world closing around him. Though he knew he was already dead, he couldn't believe he had lost. He had never lost before...
The creature continued to torment him, torturing him freely. Running a single claw down to Balrok's gut, it did to Balrok what it had originally intended for Taren's fate...it sliced him open.
Balrok uttered his final shriek, horrified to feel his entire contents suddenly spill out to fall limply at the creature's feet (or what could be called feet), but still Balrok's body refused to die. His entire body was writhing and twitching violently, as if still trying to escape, his head thrown back in agony, but still the creature held him tight. His scream was continous, until suddenly cut short. Jaws closed securely around his throat, and he felt teeth pierce skin. With the monster's own roaring covering his last cry, its jaws snapped shut, ending the fight abruptly.
Hearing his father's death cry was more than enough to force Taren faster. Rushing down endless tunnels, Taren heard himself shouting. Pain, anger, fear, a language he couldn't understand. He was speaking nonsense, but he couldn't stop. Tail pumping irregularly, his own words and sonar signals were defeaned by the roaring he and Balrok had heard before.
Running blindly, the world suddenly opened up. A great rushing from below launched Taren a different way. He was sent hurtling upward out of control.
It all happened really fast. Taren felt bubbles and foam, rushing water and falling rocks scrape his skin. Then the water was broken, his own body sent tumbling through the air. Taking in breath automatically, Taren screamed terribly. Then, he fell, slamming the water hard as the geyser pushed him roughly away.
When the world righted itself, and the water calmed, Taren finally opened his eyes, though not very well. Floating to the surface, he didn't bother to look around as to where he was. Tears took hold of him, as he muttered curses and swears not only on the monster that had taken all he had left, but upon himself for being too weak to do anything about it.
His eye still burned, but the running of tears nullified it. Taren wasn't there very long, resting at the surface, when a voice interrupted him. It was a female, delphine, and sounding like a perfectly tuned flute. Calming...majestic...and caring...
"Oh my...dear fellow singer...what's wrong? You're hurt!" Taren opened his eyes again, letting tears pass to clear his vision. When he could see, though, he screamed pathetically once more. Above him...was a dolphin unlike any he had ever seen. Above him!...It was floating! Right there...in mid air! She was hovering right above the surface!
Elongated fins, dorsal, and flukes fluttered gracefully in the slight wind as the light blue eyes of the female gazed lovingly upon him. Her entire being, though considerably larger than Taren's, still had a grace to it, her structure slendor and attractive. Intelligence radiated from her. Her skin, though grayish like a bottlenose, was lighter and had faint blue swirl-like strips running down from eyes to tail. She was a gorgeous being, seeming to glow softly like a gem...
"My name is Trellia..." she spoke.
The sky was nearly cloudless, but for the few spots where they existed, they were large and thick. Puffy explosions sparkled with clean white as the sun burned bright in the heavens blocked the blue radiating downward every so often. The sky was a bold blue nearly all the way to the horizon, where it lightened only slightly. It was mid-afternoon, the hours of the sun's strongest beams. Now was a time for basking, if anyone so desired to. Trellia felt relaxed, at least.
"It's so wonderful today..." she mumbled mostly to herself. A breeze tickled her belly as she hovered silently a good distance up. In fact, she was way up above the tree tips of even the tallest branches. Below her, was a single lonely cloud, though it was only part of the first layer. With the near cloudless sky, there was no need to go higher, and Trellia let the air currents cradle her in her light slumber. It whistled a tune...just for her.
"Isk-malru banul tang-ural...seetsk," she mumbled happily, a saying in her alternate tongue which meant: "Light bringer stand strong...thanks" in a literal translation. Breathing in deep, the fresh air was warmed slightly. The sky seemed to be caressing the dolphin as she sighed it all out, drooping her head lazily. Her eye lids closed, and she began to doze off, and she would have completely fallen asleep, if not someone had startled her.
"Trellia," the young male approached. "I have a message for you." Only slightly annoyed, Trellia opened one eye, lifting her head, but not bothering to turn her body.
"You are requested to meet with the Alronsutka immediately. He wishes to discuss something with you of great importance." Trellia closed her eye again, ignoring him.
"It can wait on such a day, Piloe," She said simply. The male was obviously growing frustrated with her laziness, a deep frown forming.
"Trellia, he insisted that you come right now. You, of all beings, should know the Alronsutka's reasons are always of great importance. If it involves you...well, you can imagine how urgent it must be." He insisted. She rolled her eye at him.
"Go bother someone else. I'm too relaxed to take a call."
"He says it involves time!" Piloe nearly shouted. Trellia regarded him with a bored look. He was shocked, confused as to why she wasn't frightened or startled.
"So?" She asked rudely. "He can manage 'Time' fine by himself, I think. I have traveled before by his power. He's in control, so if you don't mind, I will relax a little longer." Raising her pectorals above a horizontal position, and dipping her head, she began to descend in a slow nose dive, drifting away from the fuming male.
Piloe bit his lip, opening his mouth as if to say something. Turning sharply, he attempted to glide away himself angrily, but stopped short.
Turning back, he dove after Trellia. Coming in front of her, he blocked her path. She just glared at him, more annoyed.
"Piloe, get out of my way. I told you I'm not-"
"How can you be so inconsiderate?" He demanded lowly. With this sudden change, Trellia hesitated. Piloe glared at her now.
"If it involves Time, you can be sure it also includes...him." Piloe said the word carefully, as if it would spark a great disaster.
"Who?" Trellia cocked her head confused. Piloe snapped his eyes back to a glare.
"You know quite well who!" He snapped. "And if it DOES...if you don't respond...a great disaster is afoot. You know this, Trellia. Don't be a fool!" Piloe stared intensly at her. At first it didn't compute...then suddenly something snapped.
"Wha...! Why didn't you say it involved him!" Piloe got an exasperated look, as if it should have been obvious. Trellia, on the other hand, didn't notice this look and wheeled around to dive downward even more.
"We have to hurry!" Her tone changed as she stared at the ground great lengths beneath her. The one lonsome cloud rushed by, the ground racing up to meet her. "How exciting! I may get to see him again... Her voice was barely heard by Piloe, who was still hovering at his perch.
"Crazy Trellia. She'll be the doom of us all at this rate..." he mumbled to himself.
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Trellia glided quickly to her location. Above her, standing next to the orange sun, a medium isle hovered silently above. Below her, in the earth's surface, stood a small circular lagoon. All around it was soft tan colored sand, creating a ring beach. Beyond the beach grew thick trees, the beginning of a lush forest. A small stretch of thinner trees and a shallow creek was the only connection between the lagoon and the actual ocean. Here, Trellia hovered above, looking down into the lagoon, which was a black-blue, impossible to see through even though the sun made the surface sparkle and glitter.
The island above her drifted into the sun's rays, a great deep shadow covering Trellia and the water below her. The glitter stopped, and the lagoon seemed to open up, a dark mouth waiting patiently for something to come close by. Deep down within it, a small shine could be seen, but what it was couldn't be described. However, Trellia knew what it was, and she sunk to just inches above the surface.
"Alronsutka...I am here..." she sung. Her voice, bright and soft, finally left its sassy tone and turned to a lovely music. "...why have I been summoned?" She expected a soft return, a voice coming up from the water with a lazy speed. But, instead, the lagoon rippled angrily, and a booming hiss erupted from deep within it. When it spoke, Trellia gasped and pulled her head back up in shock, flying up a few feet.
You keep me waiting, Trellia!
Trellia breathed deeply for a few moments, and then lowered her head.
"My...my apologies...I am ashamed I did not come to your call immediately..." Trellia found herself saying, her once strong voice reduced to a frightened and shaking whisper, just like a smal child being scolded by her father.
Time does not have extra to give...remember this, Sky Singer. Trellia bit her lip, and gave a stiff nod.
"Yes, Alronsutka." The ripples diminished, and once more the voice returned as it should have been. Musical, soft, mellow, and majestic. Trellia had been forgiven, but she had never been punished verbally by the Alronsutka before. The reason for his urgency must have been very important for it to be angry. Oh, why hadn't Trellia realized this! She was still acting as a foolish child. She should know better...and she knew it.
Trellia, you must once again hurry forwards to the past. There you must seek out your ancestor, Ecco, once more...
"...but why?" Trellia asked confused. "History tells us that Ecco disappeared into the Tides of Time, chasing after the remaining life of the Vortex Queen...if I go too far back, I may cause a change in the chain of events that led up to that. I...we...cannot risk such a thing..." The voice seemed pleased by her response.
You are right, Sky Singer, but you are also wrong. 500 years later, Ecco returned. He was released, because a new danger was at hand. The Sea of Stars is large enough to house many occupants. Creatures called the Foe arrived to the scene... Trellia gasped. She remembered from her lessons...
"During the end of the Golden Age...Man left the planet to seek out places beyond the Sea of Stars. That was after the attack of the Foe, and our kind soon evolved to what we are today...the one who fought the Foe...he was the Ecco I know?" Trellia asked, lifting her head to look into the pool.
No one knows this now, but you. Trellia shook her head slowly from side to side.
"My ancestor...was the Hero Ecco...the Great Ecco...and the Immortal...I don't believe it!" Trellia smiled, her bright grin causing her eyes to twinkle merrily. "I always thought it was just coincidence, thinking they were different beings." Her smile faded soon after, though, for her thoughts returned to the task at hand.
"Alronsutka... what task do you have for me?"
You will be sent to the time period shortly after the Foe retreated their attack on the world. Find Ecco, and then everything will unfold from there. Something is not right, which may affect the balance of time greatly. With the Defender's passing through multiple realities, they have crossed over one another, becoming extremely unstable. Messing with time continuously may cause disastrous consequences. Find the Ecco of that time period in this reality, and all your questions will be answered... Trellia nodded, feeling her tail twitched and tighten with excitement.
"I will do your wanting, Alronsutka. Please, send me on my way!" The voice seemed to chuckle at her eagerness, once more pleased with the sky singer.
Dive down to the depths, Sky Singer, and your adventure will show itself to you...
With a quick taking of breath, Trellia plummeted down the dark pool. The lagoon stretched out, but all Trellia was looking for was that gleam deep in the depths. A metallic violet crystal, jutting out of the rock at a sharp angle, marked the entrance to a small tunnel. Though Trellia was much more clumsy in the water than in air with her long limbs, she pulled up soon enough and, being careful of her fin placements, surged into the opening.
The tunnel did very little weaving or turning, for Trellia's sake, but sped on downward burrowing deeper and deeper into the earth's crust. Soon, Trellia's keen eyes adjusted enough to the dark that she saw another light up ahead.
The tunnel suddenly veered level once more, and the sky singer took care to slow down in order to make the pass. Just down a short ways, though...was the source of the light.
Slamming her tail downward, Trellia charged foward, determination and excitement propelling her. The yellow and orange light suddenly burst into an fiery flare as the tunnel abruptly gaped open to a gigantic chamber. It was so much to take in, in so little time, that Trellia didn't catch it all.
Though she had seen the marvelous cave before, it was still a miraculous sight every time. Every dolphin wanted to see it, and the chamber was one of the most beautiful places hidden by the frightening dark of the sea...
The crystals, gems, and diamonds that adorned the walls...the warmth and light engulfing everything...the metallic chamber walls reflecting the light, flooding the entire place with color...the swirling water pulling Trellia forward...a vortex of light and shadow...a rhythmic pulsing and thumping sound, much like a heart that filled the senses...globes of every color and light...but it was all gone in a flash. The chamber was gone, sucked away behind her as the angelic dolphin plummeted into black...
Of course, it didn't remain black for very long. That's the neat thing about travelling through time...if, that is, IF you are able to control your body movements, you can take time to look around you. The walls of color race alongside you in a seemingly endless tunnel as you travel, but beyond the barriers images flurished.
Trellia turned her head this way and that, but only caught glimpses. She saw some things she recognized, some she only knew in stories, but many more she didn't know. The longer she flew, the more and more she didn't recognize the scenes.
Ahead, or what she thought was ahead, a clean white light stood out. The bream grew brighter and brighter, and Trellia shrieked when it flared up to engulf everything. Her voice was sucked away by the vortex with everything else, but suddenly her scream erupted in her ears. Her twirling and twisting, which could get anyone sick after a while, suddenly straigthened out to a smooth path. Opening her eyes, she saw blue water rushing up at her.
With a shout, more of shock than actual fear, Trellia pulled up hard, her fluke grazing the surface. She soared upwards until she could get her bearings.
Looking around, Trellia felt like she was on some alien planet. This wasn't home...well, yes it was, but at the same time, it wasn't.
The sun's blaze caught her off guard. The yellow orb burned her eyes looking at it. The sun back at home was still yellow, but it had a faint orange base, which made it seem duller and not as blazing. Trellia's sun was more mature, obviously enough...
The biggest change, though, was the sky. No islands dotted it. No land floated upon the lifting power of helium with the territory of the clouds yet. All of the ground that was destined to float was still anchored into the earth.
It was then that Trellia remembered that, if no islands were afloat, then a hovering dolphin in mid air would really be a surreal sight. For the sake of giving her time to think without being spotted, Trellia sunk quickly straight down, feeling the cool salt ocean air brush swiftly from underneath.
She stopped at the surface, looking down at it with interest. The last time Trellia had been in the earth's past, she hadn't seen much. The end of her portal released her in the dead end of a tunnel filled with seaweed and a couple rocks. Not too much to look at, and she had taken Ecco to her time rather quickly, giving herself no time at all the view what life was like back here.
Now she had the chance. Giving the water a tentative touch with her snout, she found that it felt the same. Water was water here still. That's good.
Trellia felt the urge and wanting to dive in and see. Back at home, the sky singer didn't mind treading into the waters once more, usually to relieve herself of heat in retreating to the cold ocean. Still, she preferred the skies, the main dwelling of dolphins at her present.
The ocean seemed so peaceful, the shallow bay area getting small waves with the protection of the isle beside it. What disturbance had the Alronsutka sensed that had made it uneasy...uneasy enough to send Trellia back here to find Ecco?
Dipping her head, Trellia almost submerged, but a sudden yelp caused her to turn her head back up. It sounded delphine...
She could view the ocean later, Trellia decided. This call for help may be the first scene of her adventure.
Swimming...or...er, 'flying' towards the voice with a quick pace, Trellia saw the surface being disturbed by underwater vents releasing their contents in an angry bubbling. A short distance off, a grey stone bobbed in the sea. Wait, no, that was a dolphin! As Trellia came closer, her keen eyes were quick to spot tears in his skin, and a slight tinge of blood around him. Besides the physical damage to him, his eyes were shut tight as if in a desperate effort to shut out the world. She wondered if he was crying...and quickened her pace to catch up with him.
"Oh my...dear fellow singer...what's wrong? You're hurt!"
His eyes opened suddenly, the dolphin whipping his head to see Trellia for the first time. Though her eyes shone with conern, sympathy, and innocent curiousity, the dolphin's jaw dropped clean open. Fearful, his voice choked, preventing him to speak.
Trellia bit her lip slightly, remembering that she had forgotten to submerge into the water. This male, whoever he was, had never seen a sky singer before...
Well, might as well have a friendly introduction, even though he is freaking out. Clearing her throat, Trellia spoke in the sweetest matter she could.
"My name is Trellia...what is yours?"
From the Author-
And we couldn't avoid it for very long, so I present to you my first gore scene! (Cue in a sarcastic: hooray.) Yeah, I know I still need work. Blood, death, and gore isn't my favorite thing to put into words, nor an easy one mind you. A really good writer can let you see the very movie playing in your eyes. The best books I've read make me shudder with just my imagination taking effect! Oh well, something to work on, right? You only get better if you practice. Fanfiction is my practice.
Oh, yeah, and Trellia is introduced to the story too! In the beginning she was kind of a complicated character for me, so I apologise for the personality switch. A sassy feature for the start, perhaps she is still a teen you would guess, but is capable of sweet speech and respectful manners. She changes depending on the situation, but hopefully the future will work out on a more stable and consistent Trellia.
And, if anyone is curios, the language of the Sky Singers is just jibberish. I just typed letters that looked appealing together, but they have no sense of organization at all. In fact, when this stuff returns later on, I may use a different word for the same word translated into English accidently. Sorry, but I'm not too focused on it. I took logical thought and created the idea that, in the far future, dolphin kind's and the many different tongues of the ocean merge to one fluent voice. Seemed like a cool idea to me, but the sacred delphine (which you read upon the screen) is kept for the love of hearing the music of dolphins. Ha ha, I almost used Spanish for the heck of it, since I am studying Spanish, especially for a character coming later on. But, since this text is officially in English, I found that idea a little stupid and unncessessary. (Not the language, the idea. I enjoy Spanish class...uh, sometimes, that is.) Anyway, if I accidently DO type some word in some far-out tongue I've never heard of, and you somehow understand it and it doesn't makes sense, just don't worry about it. Anything not English in the this fanfic, unless otherwise notified, is just random punches. Hey, let's get punch happy!
"Onward!"
