The December chill had brought the first snow to the ground. The lake was covered in a skin of thin frail ice. A storm was rolling in. And with the storm came a red seaplane. The Hockenheim had been modified since it's last visit to the Swan family estate, where the lake was located. It now had a pontoon over each wheel, creating the Hockenheim seaplane. Snow flurries flew in to the pilot's goggles, causing temporary blindness. The lake was coming on quickly.
Julia Swan, Jack Cardin, Jean-Paul Gourmand, and half of the manor staff came out of the mansion to pay witness to the landing. The engine had grown, creating the most god-awful noise anyone had ever heard. Julia's eyes were ablaze with happiness, her smile as large as the Atlantic, I chide you not. She through up both of her arms and waved to the landing plane. The plane came down noisily on the ice, instantly shattering the skin of the lake with the utmost ease. The plane continued forward a bit until it stopped. A long broken trail stretched from behind. From the frost-covered shore, Julia could see the three passengers. The pilot looked to the shore and waved. Julia giggled. She didn't know why, she just did. The seaplane pulled forward until it knocked into the wooden dock ahead. It repelled back a foot or so and bobbed up and down in the ice and water. Galuda, Rouge, and Falcon hopped out onto the dock. The two groups instantly started heading towards each other.
"Julia we're back!" Exclaimed Falcon as he took off his goggled aviators cap.
"I never doubted that you would return." She said with that smile.
"The mission was a success! Captain Kraken's here to aid!" Rouge winked at her host.
"That's wonderful! Well where is he? I have to arrange some kind of formal introduction." Julia looked around the shore.
"Where is Ayame?" Galuda interrupted.
Julia fell silent. The thought returned to her. She glanced at Jack. He had a far away look in his lonely eye. Neither really didn't want to say.
"Well there lass,. Don't keep a couple of chaps and chapesses waitin for too long. Where's the rest of the ol' gang?" Falcon grinned.
"…Other Jack… got Ayame…" Jack whispered.
The three instantly reeled back in shock. Silence fell onto the group beside the lake. The skies had been encased within a gray blanket and tiny white flurries fell towards the Earth. Falcon held his aviators cap to his heart.
"… Monsieur Abondues wants you all arrested and executed as well…" Julia added, her smile completely gone. She stared at the frozen lawn as snow began to build.
"…What of the American? Accel… is he?" Rouge asked.
"I-I… don't know…" Julia sighed.
"He is in the place of many graves deep under the earth, hunting for Other Jack. He has the blood lust within him…" Jack answered.
"Some bloody welcome this is…" Falcon moaned.
Galuda's eyes changed from sorrow to anger. Narrowing his black eyes, he strode forward out of the group and towards the manor house.
"Galuda? Where are you going?!" Rouge shouted.
Now fell into Galuda's long black hair. He turned his face to the rear. "No more killing. We finish this now."
Jack's brain did an instant flashback.
{{Jack tossed the blade in his hand, catching the tip with his fingers and about to throw when Ayame slapped his wrists. "Jack! No killing!}}
Jack leaped foreword on all fours, finally reaching the Western giant. "Jack goes too. Ayame was Jack's friend! I'll lead you there!"
"But if you go out you'll all be captured and killed by the police!" Julia stepped forward.
"If it means stopping Other Jack once and for all, I'll face it. Galuda said.
"Well then, I'm with ye full throttle! And don't worry Julia my sweet. We're power stone adventurers! We're too good to get caught!" Falcon winked as he strode through the flurries.
"But…" Julia tried to come up with an excuse.
"Besides." Rouge walked over to the three. "We didn't go all the way to Norway and battled blood thirsty super pirates for nothing. We avenge Ayame, find Accel, and finish off Other Jack!"
"But you can't! Falcon you'll get killed!" Julia staggered towards the four.
"Lady Julia." Gourmand took hold of Julia's arm slightly. "Let them go. They knew what they were doing when they signed up for it. They need to avenge a close friend… surly you understand…"
Julia bit her lip and looked pleadingly at Falcon. The cocky pilot shook his head and then gave her a thumbs up.
"Don't fret my Lady. We'll be back. I'll be back… for you." Falcon bowed.
"Come on. We need to go." Rouge said with a hand on her hip.
BOOM! A cannon shot rang through the distance. Everyone looked to the north for the sounds source.
"Looks like Krakens arrived." Galuda stated.
"Falcon…" Julia whispered.
Falcon rushed forward and gave Julia a kiss on the cheek. He then smiled at her with his blue eyes. "You know I'm crazy for you Julia. That's for in case I don't come back." Falcon walked back to his friends, who were already retreating. "I shall return!"
Julia, Gourmand, and the staff watched them disappear in the falling snow. Ever falling forever snow…
** *
Ayame was a survivor. She had been trained to survive in cases such as these. Living off the very meager rations she had bought that fateful day a week ago, she watched the tunnel stretch on and on loop after loop. It was on this December day that something caught her attention. The train had slowed down very much over the coarse of the week, allowing her to see and hear the various anomalies that made these depths their home. On this day she heard water. Not just water, but rising and falling water. The sound the ocean makes. Cold air began to flow in to the darkened hall, blowing past Ayame's pale face. She smiled. An exit! However, it wasn't the type she had hoped for. The tunnel began to descend and Ayame soon figured out a nasty thought. This train was about to go under water! She knew the tunnel was ending soon, the ocean noise made that sure. But she would have to go with the train until it came out. Sure enough, the cold water came into view. The train chugged into it like a suicidal wretch. The cold water splashed into the damp air as the wheels pumped through them. The water was getting deeper and the tunnel was getting narrower. In a matter of minutes the entire tunnel would be in the ice-cold seawater. Ayame panicked. What was she to do? She had to think up something quick to keep herself from drowning.
Somehow, in the cold and dark, several water rushes were growing in the tunnel. The train was going slow enough so Ayame could identify them. Cattails, saw grass, waxberry, and others grew by the concrete walls. Ayame's teachings came into effect. The Japanese would often use certain species of water rushes as a type of snorkeling device. Though bamboo wouldn't grow in France, and especially not in a cold dark train tunnel, a cattail stalk would do the job. Holding a shuriken out, she neatly clipped a fine specimen out of the muddy bottom and grabbed it onto the train. She was running short on time. She wrapped the sweater around her tightly and chopped off the top of the cattail. Next she took one of the many leather coal bags lying around and sealed it shut, save for a tiny spot for the cattail to slide through. The ancient Japanese custom didn't go like this exactly, Ayame knew enough on how to improvise. She had made an air pocket for herself. Sticking the free cattail end in her mouth, she sucked air from the bag slowly as the train finally submerged.
Darkness passed. She could feel the icy cold water seeping in through the sweater. It felt as if a thousand tiny knives were all stabbing her. After a couple of minutes of this grueling task, Ayame felt ass if she were going to pass out. But she did not. For light suddenly exploded into the sea. The train was coming to a halt, the icy seawater shutting its engines once and for all. The railway continued on for a bit on the bottom of the sea, but Ayame didn't care. She instantly sprang out of the train car and swam as fast as she could upwards, towards the blinding light. You see, Ayame had been in a dark tunnel for a week, and light was a forgotten gift by her eyes. Her air had run out. She spat out the snorkeling device as she swam as fast as she could. She could feel the claws of fatigue and even hypothermia taking hold. Just a little bit farther…
The first thing Ayame heard when her head broke the surface of the bay was the roar of a cannon. She glanced over the bay. Several ships were docked by the piers, which were not far. But most peculiar was a giant extinct galleon, decked with the Jolly Roger. It was Krakens ship. A rowboat was drifting near, a lone fisherman on it. He was an old man, adorned in a rubber yellow jacket. The snow was falling from a gray sky.
"Hey!" Ayame tried to shout, but found that she needed practice. She hadn't spoke in nearly seven days. She cleared her throat. "HEY!" Ayame screamed.
The fisherman looked up and noticed the bobbing shivering girl. Instantly his boat came towards her. As the boat came by, the old man helped her in, for Ayame's extremities had frozen.
"It looks like you've got the hypothermia, little girl. We have to quickly get you to land." The old man wrapped a large warm blanket around her.
She nodded and then fell asleep.
** *
Kraken came down the gangplank. He had the largest grin any pirate ever had. He had caused quite the ruckus. The police where everywhere at once, trying to fight off the pirates. However, their nightsticks and revolvers were not faring well against the power stone enhanced crew of the King Octopus. Krakens forces had won the pier. The police had retreated to within the city. The pirates all lounged about, waiting for an order by their captain. Kraken had his hands behind his back, supremely satisfied by the day's events. It was still only a quarter after noon, but Kraken didn't mind.
"Ahar! Victory for the King Octopus, yarr!" Kraken laughed. The crowd of pirates cheered in response.
"We have taken the piers Cap'n! Wadda we do now?" King reported.
"Ah, very good! Shiver me timbers and blow me down! It smells like a good day to die! We start a siege, like we did at Fedje, yarr!" Kraken ordered.
"Uh, Cap'n. Remember in your deal with Falcon? You're only supposed to take on Other Jack and anyone else that gets in the way, not the villagers." Octo stated.
"Jus' anyone that hits us boss." Puss said.
Kraken eyed the duo. "…Aye, so it be. A pirate's word is worth his weight in gold, unless there's more gold to be plundered! Aharharharhar! Alright, here's how the ship sails! King, take a fourth of the crew and keep the local law enforcement at bay. Octo, you take another fourth of the crew and search out vittles and drink! The rest of ye lot stay here and protect the ship! Yarr."
"And what will you be doin Cap'n?" Octo asked.
"Yea, what are you doing boss?" Puss repeated.
"Me? You two puddles of bilge rat stew dare to ask your commanding officer what he be doing?! I tells you what I'm doing! I'm seeking out them land lubbers who I made the deal with and then seekin out this so called "Other Jack"! And afterward I'm splitting you two in half and feeding you to the sharks! Stop asking questions and get to work you lousy seadogs! Yarr!" Kraken shouted.
Octo was shaking. "Aye aye captain."
The crew of rutty pirates gave a cheery Aye aye. They loved their captain and they're captain… well he looked out for them to say the least. The forces split up. Octo and Puss brought their men into the city and began pillaging the local shops and homes. King's forces descended into the city as well, fighting off the police. The pirate ship still fired its enormous black cannons into the gray mists. The air was filled with fire and smoke. And that's the way Captain Ebenezer Kraken liked it.
** *
It was a hill to say the least. The street ran upwards at an uncomfortable angle. The buildings by the street looked like a picket fence, as one was higher than the other as they went up. Snow was falling on the street. Cannon shots had resounded throughout the city for a couple of hours. Overturned horseless carriages sat burning on the sidewalks. The fighting had moved to a different street, and no was happier than Galuda when his crew arrived at the top of the empty street. Charlemagne Street it was called, named after the original hero of the Francs, Charlemagne. How ironic it was that his street was burning. Galuda didn't catch onto the irony. He didn't know who Charlemagne was and honestly didn't care. He and his group started racing down the hill, trying to find an entrance to the catacombs before meeting up with Monsieur Abondues or his cronies. Kraken was at the bottom of the hill glancing up.
"Kraken!" Falcon shouted as they rounded an upside down carriage that was missing it's horses and driver.
"That's Captain Kraken to you ye scum bottomed barnacle face! Yarr!" Kraken pointed his antique hand cannon at the aviator.
"Where's your men Captain?" Rouge asked.
Kraken pointed to his temple with the gun. "Don't need them. I can take on any man or beast by my loneself self! Something to prove to the boys, yarr."
Galuda looked to Falcon as if trying to confirm this. Falcon only shrugged his shoulders.
"So where be this horrid seagull brain killer, yarr?" Kraken asked.
"Most likely underground in the place of many graves." Galuda replied.
"Want to try running that past an old seadog, yarr?" Kraken scratched his big red nose.
"The catacombs are where Accel is! Other Jack there too, I'm sure!" Jack said in his unique voice.
Kraken stared at Jack for a moment. "And you say the thing looks like him? It'll be apiece of bisquit. Aharharhar yarr!"
"Well we can't just stand here! Jack, which way now?" Rouge asked.
Jack sniffed the cold snowy air. He coughed as the smoke filtered through his bandages. "The cathedral! There's an entrance there!"
"I don't think the clergy is going to let us waltz right in there." Rouge said.
"I don't know much about Eastern religions, but I think this attack should give us as advantage." Galuda stated.
"Right-O my friend! To the bally flippin church! Kraken, you'd best join up with us!" Falcon snapped his fingers.
"That's Captain to you landlubber! Forget it one more time and you'll be walking around without a head." Kraken snapped.
Falcon, Galuda, Rouge, Jack, and now Kraken raced off down the abandoned street towards the Cathedral of St. Joan in the fire and snow…
** *
The cathedral was huge but also completely empty. The church stood untouched. The five ran in, Jack in the lead.
"Jack, this place is enormous? Where to now?" Rouge asked.
Jack's eye narrowed. "Behind the altar."
The group ran up to the altar, which hung before a large marble statue of Jesus Christ crucified upon the cross. Falcon looked up to it.
"Oh Lord Jesus Christ, don't let us screw up." Falcon prayed.
Galuda lifted a large stone slab from the ground. A stairway ran down into the dark. Surprisingly torches were lit…
** *
