Chapter 4

The sky was turning bolder and darker into dusk as Ecco and Trellia made their way through the forlorn and misused sky tube. They were still so high up; the darkness the sun left behind as it set behind the mountains seemed to envelop them as the decent made its way lower. Trellia shuddered, for she was still in doubt.

Ecco, however, seemed to know the tubes as if he were born here. Actively using sonar, he led the way down the endless miles of the sky water. The land was slowly coming back to them, taking its time.

It was about to turn night when Ecco and Trellia found a break in the tube. The tide stopped moving against them, and Trellia was low enough to help Ecco float in midair. The fog was still so thick, sonar was their eye; never blind.

"Have you ever been here before?" Ecco queried. Trellia was grateful for the broken silence in this wasteland.

"No. No singer is allowed around here. Few tubes were created here, as the seas kept their ancient minds. They never awoke, as if something held them back. There is great danger here, we have all heard of it."

Ecco wondered. "Hm. These seas have been untouched for thousands of years. What danger could still live here?"

Trellia was about to answer, but a break in the fog brought about a possible danger. She stared past Ecco, into the clear sky. Trellia replied to Ecco, "We may find out now. Look behind you."

Ecco turned slowly. Not more than twenty feet away and closing fast, were huge black fast-moving creatures, moving in a loping swimming motion. Stars dotted the sky behind them as they came ever closer.
Ecco didn't know what to do. Trellia was shivering with fear. "Trellia, do you know those things?"

The creatures moved closer, moving as one, like a pack. "I'm not sure exactly, but I have a grim idea."

"That's more than I have," replied Ecco, "Tell me."

The creatures flew closer. "I heard stories of singers that evolved as we did, through the sky. They once had great intelligence and reasoning. Now they are killers, who lost the power of song. They were as ruthless as the Hungry Ones, but I thought they died out long ago."

The creatures seemed to lick their muzzles in anticipation for a meal. As they moved closer, Ecco noticed something about them that reminded him of Kitnee, the Orca. They had the exact same markings.

"Flying Orcas?" remarked Ecco.

"Yes. Once they were Orcas. Now they are finely tuned killing machines."

Ecco was not convinced. Orcas were singers, and though they hunted dolphins given the chance, they listened to their prey as it sung its last words. Orcas were merciful, with great hearts. These new Orcas had no hearts, it seemed now.

Realizing they couldn't go up against such creatures, Trellia froze in place and muttered a Delphine prayer.

Ecco, however, didn't see the need to give up.

"What are you doing, you will be killed!" Yelled Trellia. Ecco had floated over to the flying Orca-like creatures and started to sing. "Let me communicate, it is our only chance!" Ecco yelled. The creatures kept moving with liquid grace, as the power of song was truly lost. Ecco kept trying, but it was useless.

Then, to Trellia's great surprise, the leader of the sky Orcas stopped and motioned the others to stop. He was huge, with a great dorsal sail that rose to the sky. Twice as big as Trellia, he was so massive. He was scarred in a few places, which marked him as a veteran. He turned to the dolphins and smiled.

"Sorry we frightened you. You must forgive my pod, the power of song is unbeknownst to them."

Trellia was stunned. "You CAN sing!" she marveled. Ecco was satisfied, and the leader went on.

"Yes, I can sing. The story you know of us pertains only to my pod. I am the only one left with the power of song. The others are, as you say, ruthless to ones not our own. We still stalk singers, but this is a special occasion."

Ecco floated forward. "What do you mean?"

The leader cleared his throat. "My name is Teo. I lead the last pod of Sky Killers in existence. We have lived here for years, feeding off the fish and Hungry Ones. Normally we hunt singers as well, but something about you caught my eye, and I ordered my pod to stop. You see, you bear marks on your forehead that resembles our legend of the Jewel Brows. If you are spared from death, you will take one to your treasure. Now, are you the Jewel Brows of legend?"

Ecco laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, Teo, but we are but singers sent by the Asterite to these waters. If you will calmly let us pass..."

"NO! Friend or foe, Jewel Brow, we were appointed by the Asterite to guard this area above the Cape of Archeo. No one may pass."

Ecco stared. Trellia remained up as to listen, for no one dared anger the Sky Killers.

"Cape of Archeo?" Ecco pressed. "What is that?" Ecco was worried that they were going the wrong way all this time. He had never heard of the Cape of Archeo. Trellia had, but she had only as much information on the place as Ecco: None.

Teo cleared his throat again so as to speak. The others of his pod had descended to feed. "Archeo is an old word that means 'ancient'. This place was known as Atlantis Bay a few thousand years back. It is an old seabed that few singers ever went to, for the destruction and waste upon the land had scared them. My pod was appointed as sentries to this spot, so as too see no harm comes to it. The Asterite's word will never be broken, even with two Jewel Brows, such as yourselves."

Ecco moved forward to speak. Trellia stayed a considerable distance away, but still far enough to hold her hero of a great-eons-grandfather in midair. Ecco was grateful for that; he preferred the water, where one is closer to the ground, instead of the dizzying height that was braved every day here.

"Before we get very far, I must introduce us. My name is Ecco; I come from the past. Trellia is my great-eons-granddaughter, and she brought me here. Something has happened here in her time, and we were also appointed by the Asterite to deal with this problem by coming here. With all due respect, I demand that you let us pass."

Trellia was uneasy. Night was falling fast, and as soon as the last star had made itself known in the sky did she grow more scared. Delphineus was visible now in the indigo and ebony sky more than ever. She thought of her love, Tiderider, and wished that he was by her side again, annoying her and at the same time lifting her spirits. What role he played here she had yet to find out.

Despite Ecco's pleas, Teo's statement remained uncertain and hard. "Perhaps if you prove your countenance with the Asterite, I will let you pass."

"The only proof you need is that he told us to come, that our unlikely guides were to meet us here." Ecco answered.

Teo thought a moment. The great sail on his back was poised longer than any small singer; and so were his extra-long flippers and flukes. He was built just like the Flying Singers, only bigger and more hostile. Orcas haven't lost their greatly misunderstood reputation; it was merely enhanced. Finally, Teo spoke.

"That sounds just like us. Perhaps that is proof, but I'm still not..."

Before Teo could finish, one of his pod members came up at high speed from the feeding. He was growling and vocalizing in a traditional Orca sense of urgency. Teo turned to him and used his own new language to ask what was wrong. The look on his face made Ecco interested: Pure concern. Teo was afraid.

Trellia dropped out of her trance and followed Teo to the outskirts of the tubeway. His entire pod was there, staring at the great entity in the sky. It has returned, thought Trellia. The cloud came rolling faster, stronger, almost covering the sky. Delphineus was covered again, as well as the North Star. The crimson cloud sent chills up Trellia's back. Suddenly it was as if the sky turned cold and heartless; that it could swallow the Earth. The cloud was bolder than ever, and Trellia even could swear it gave the singers a look of malice as it almost ate the sky. Even the great sky Orcas were afraid. Reality was warped and off-kilter.

"There it is again, the trespasser from Beyond. It has tried for days now to claim the sky. We can't hope to defend against it."

Trellia wanted to cry out loud and stay as far away from the mass as possible. But a gentle knowing look from Ecco made her stay. He floated with Trellia next to Teo and the trembling Sky Killers.

"That would be your proof, Teo," Ecco whispered, "The Asterite wanted us to get to the bottom of this, and sent us to your domain."

Now Teo was convinced. He turned to the two singers. "Ecco, forgive me for doubting your claim. I was testing you, for I have heard of you. The Asterite would never send a lowly singer to save the balance, but a Jewel Brow from the past and his descendant. If you are looking for Atlantis Bay, follow me."

Ecco was relieved, and so was Trellia. They both moved with Teo down the skyway, him in the front of the pack and the other sky Orcas forming a circle of defense around the two singers. If danger is in the air, the safest creature on your side is an Orca. Ecco would remember that as they descended down the other half of the forlorn and deserted water tube.

Teo led the dolphins down to the Cape of Archeo, formerly Atlantis. Trellia tried to follow, but her eyes stayed on the great mass. Suddenly, she stopped in midair. She seemed to be in a trance; her eyes normally filled with a happy glow had turned pale and dead. Ecco turned back when he found Trellia was no longer with them.

With Teo and the Sky Killers, he raced back to her. "Trellia! Wake up! Come back to me! Trellia!"

Trellia awoke, but she was not in the world she knew. She floated in a featureless void; nothing but the sound of her own breathing was present. All else took a dark gray glow, not pure white, as if the notions of purity were irrelevant. Adrenaline pumped through her sleek body, heart and mind flooded with fear. "Ecco? Teo? Anybody, HELP!" she cried.

Then, all went silent. Slowly, a great shadow covered the already somber atmosphere.

It spoke, in a language that was hard to understand; one could only understand through becoming one with the atmosphere. Which was hard to do now.
Trellia. Trellia. Trellia. It chanted her name as it moved closer. Trellia was frightened beyond belief. More fright came than an Orca breathing down your neck, poised for the kill.

"What do you want, who are you?" Trellia asked. The shadow stopped.

Don't go Trellia. Leave the Glyphs be. Leave...

The shadow parted, and in its place was a form Trellia knew too well.

"Tiderider!" Her love's form was floating before her, lifeless. He wasn't breathing, or smiling at her. Tears fell from her eyes and she felt and edge of weakness. It was as if the shadow could prod her thoughts, her memories, and her feelings. She was not going to be used.

"Enough! What have you done with him? Let him go!" She pleaded and yelled.

Leave, and the little Glyph Caller will live. Leave...

There was a blinding flash, and Tiderider was taken from her. "NOOO!"

"Trellia?"

Trellia's eyes were back to normal again. She was back to reality, staring into the concerned faces of her friends. She glanced up, and let loose a Delphine shriek that pierced the night.

"I can't go! Leave me alone, you can't make me go!" she yelled.

"Trellia, quiet down!" Ecco hissed. Trellia calmed herself with a few deep breaths. She looked at Ecco, and Teo. The lone star on her head was shining with a bright intensity.

"I'm sorry." She said at last. Whatever it was, the threat somehow invaded her psyche and used her best friend as a shield.

Ecco was greatly concerned. He should have pressed her, but decided to let her be. "Come. You must calm yourself. Tell me on the way down what you saw."

Trellia glared at him with a blazing intensity. What she had experienced, she could never heal from. It can't be spoken! Ecco took the look as anger and backed up. Trellia calmed down and sighed heavily. "Alright. Okay. I'm...I'm okay." Trellia swam slowly towards the sky Orcas and laid her head in silence. Ecco was genuinely worried now.

"Come now, singers, we must depart for the Cape," urged Teo. The Sky Killers turned and swam down. Trellia went back to the circle.

"Trellia, are you sure you are alright? Your scream was terrible."

"Yes." That was all she said. Ecco was still concerned. Trellia was not sure of how she was. Her life was in danger, as well as Tiderider's. She muttered the songs of comfort she sang every night to help her to sleep, in a silent plea to the dolphin god Delphineus:

Help me, help me, help me. The evil one has my love, what am I to do? Someone please guide me. Give me strength.

The singers gave way to the last light of the sun, towards the Cape of Archeo.