Chapter 15

Trellia followed the Land Singers from above as they led her to where they last saw Tara and Radero. Along the way they told her what had happened before.

Trellia tried to get all of it straight. "So, they disappeared to look for the last Glyph, which has been hidden beneath the deep sea. Then they swam back after being chased by a whale which cannot sing, but Kitnee was still chased, so Tara went after him, then later Radero tried to find them, and that's were we are now?"

Kii nodded. "That's correct. We are not sure as to what has happened after that. We just tried praying for their safety."

"Have you also tried swimming out to look for them?" Trellia asked.

"Yes. We cannot swim, as you do, no. We can only hope, yes."

Then she saw the group stop at the water's edge, where in the distance she thought she saw a large black dorsal fin rise out of the ocean, but with a second look around she just confirmed she was seeing things because of confusion and sadness.

"There, flying one, can you see towards where the sea meets the sky, and where the sun is setting now?" Kii inquired.

Trellia turned towards that way, but she suddenly remembered their one-day time limit. What is time like back in Ecco's era? What havoc was wrecked further in her own era? How long until it's too late for Earth?

Kii continued. "The two small gray singers and the big demonic black one are out that way. See if you cannot spot them from there. And good luck!"

Trellia only nodded in response as she ascended to search the glistening water.

Radero was at the breaking point. "I'll never find anything just wandering in the dark," he told himself. "I must keep searching, I mustn't give up." Confident of his own bravado, the young Glyph Caller swam on, fearfully aware of the noises in his vicinity. But he was quite caught up within the thousand thoughts in his head; so much so that at one point he misused his sonar and slammed himself into a rock outcropping. His senses were brought back, and for the first time he actually noticed where he was.

Near the canyon's bottom he could actually see the faint glow of the last Glyph. With the fused collection behind him, Radero quickly pumped towards the light, blind to what was behind him. All he envisioned was his goal in front.

He ping-ed the Glyph; it's glowing moving faster and faster as his task was almost complete. It should be easy; all I have to do is get this one Glyph, this one little crystal...

Kitnee lunged at the Basilosaurus's fin again, spilling a larger amount of blood into the water than last time. "NOW!" he shouted. Tara immediately shot clear of the surface, away from the violence. Megalodon charged, and Kitnee escaped in just a mere split second from being trapped in two jaws. He matched Tara's speed as they fled from the scene, and they didn't dare look back again. They could hear the growls of fury and pain resonating through the water, each bite and cry a higher octave than the last.

Blood could be smelled from every direction, a fact known by the smaller Hungry Ones, which flocked to the scene of the battling leviathans. But the two singers were undaunted by the haunting sounds as they fled back to the beaches.

On the way, Kitnee occasionally winced with the pain from the scar, and Tara was so filled with thoughts that one could hear part of it, if the area was silent enough.

Suddenly, a sound like no other caught them in mid-swim. It did not come from any singer known, nor did it come from any other creature. This song was somewhat familiar, yet unknown. As they listened, something strange happened. Both Tara and Kitnee's minds were opened, and visions of a battle were clearly seen. The battle was between an entity made almost completely of colored globes, with a transparent creature entangled in its grasp. This creature's body was rounded, with two bright red eyes towards the front and two appendages to propel it through the water.

"Kitnee...are you seeing this?"

"Yes. It's the Asterite, back in the prehistoric era. He's fighting a huge...larva thing. He's sending a help message to all who could be able to see it."

Tara was confused. "But the Asterite's messages are to singers only. And the only singers in this era live on land. Unless..."

Kitnee finished. "Unless the Asterite knows we are here. I say we help it."

Tara agreed with him on all counts, and together they turned towards the source of the mental cry for help.

Trellia was getting worried. The sky was darkening, as was the ocean, which mirrored the setting sun. If it got dark before she found her friends she'd most likely never find them in time.

Suddenly she spotted a small gray streak moving under the waves. Behind it was a large crystal, glowing brighter than ever. Trellia recognized it as young Radero, moving with the Glyphs, singing the Caller's Song to keep them near.

Trellia descended to where he was, ping-ing the water so as to get his attention. Radero stopped where he was and spyhopped. There was the Flying Singer above him, and he was glad to finally find someone he knew.

"Trellia! What are you doing here? And where's Ecco?"

Trellia laughed. "I see you've mastered your duties, young one." Radero smiled with pride, but Trellia's smile vanished. "Ecco...he disappeared. While we were trying to catch the Glyph Caller's soul. I have the amulet, but...I think Ecco...I think he died."

Radero gasped. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Ecco...but, I thought death and his name didn't belong together."

Trellia hung her head. "The strongest of souls meet their demise sooner or later. Even by force. But we cannot mourn for him now; we must find the others. Where are Kitnee and Tara?"

"I've been trying hard to find them, but I don't know where to look. I don't know if they're eaten, or just lost, or what. And I know it's almost night."

Trellia glanced at the sun, whose remnants passed below the horizon, darkening the skies further. The ocean's glittering surface dulled, now mirroring the few clouds that were left in the sky. The first stars could be seen further east.

"Come Radero. We must search for them."

Nothing more was said as the two singers fled from the scene, ever watchful for their missing friends.

Ecco slowly and cautiously swam through the darkened passages of the lower sector. A part of him still couldn't believe how the fate of his kind could change dramatically in a possible future.

He knew that at all costs, he absolutely had to prevent the Vortex from taking control.

The lower sector, unlike the area he found his way through once before, was made almost completely of water. He had to sonar his way through the passages, gathering detailed maps of where he was going. On the way, he had to hold back the thoughts of his friends: Trellia, Kitnee, Radero, and Tara. Though he had them in the back of his mind and waiting to push his concerns to the front, he had to concentrate hard to find his way through the darkness effectively. With determination in his heart, fearless ebony eyes, and hopes powering him more than his flukes did, the young dolphin pressed onward.

I have to get past this area, to top level. I know I have to, and I know I will. That's all Ecco thought to himself as he mapped, swam, turned, mapped again.

Finally, after an hour and a half of making his way through the lower levels, he could finally sense light ahead of him. He powered onward.

FLASH! His eyes tried to adjust to the sunlight after being almost trapped in darkness for so long. He peered out of a pool, out through a glass dome at a sun that looked as dead as the earth was. It was as if the sun was saying to Earth, "You're finished. Give up. As I am now."

Ecco shook his head, realizing that was his own mind trying to trick him into quitting. Thinking it was worthless to even try.

Ecco shot sonar rays in every direction. He found a smaller pool far below him. With one powerful jump, he shot above the surface, did a front flip, and fell downward through the air, nose diving into the other pool. After he landed under the water, he wondered how much longer before his kind could fly. Ecco felt no discomfort out of water here, as the air was terribly humid. He jumped out of the shallow pool and made his way around to the other side.

Ecco knew this place all to well and shuddered. He had just found where he was the first time he visited the Vortex future. And he also knew all to well his way around. With a few shortcuts, he'd find his way to the top Vortex cities, and finally close this dimension. His stars glowed with an amazing intensity as he thought about it.

"SCREEEE!" The Vortex worm screeched as it waved its spiky body with grace through the viscous waterways, chasing its prey. The small yellow dolphin tried swimming fast, pumping her almost useless tail. With another screech, the worm cornered the dolphin. She cowered before it, her gills flaring, trying to intimidate it. But try as she may, the worm advanced, ignorant of her poor efforts. It's jaw opened...

Ecco's muscles ached. Jump after jump made on metallic surfaces only to land in dirty water was not his idea of a good swim. But he ignored his pains. He landed in another small pool, weaving throughout the cold steel that the Vortex used. Suddenly a horrible sight befell him as he turned a corner.

A giant Vortex worm wove back and forth through the water. It's already bloodied jaws gnashing, hoping for another meal. Ecco immediately charged at it, sonar shredding through its body faster than a shark menacing a wounded whale. Its head sank to the bottom of the tunnel. Ecco shuddered as he swam through an area that, even if he didn't taste it, he knew was completely drenched in dolphin blood.

After awhile, he reached a sub-section of the middle sector. Here he could actually hear living creatures' voices echoing quietly through the tunnels. He stopped swimming and listened. The sounds were mournful.

Singing voices chanted slowly, painfully, sadly. As Ecco advanced, the chanting grew louder, and it was mixed with commanding growling. He moved closer, and he heard mixed with the sounds yet another...a strange voice that almost seemed to sing but mixed it with growling and gnashing.
Ecco made his way through the last tunnel and peeked out from a steel structure at what was going on. What he saw almost made him gasp the water.

Singers, many of them. They numbered in the hundreds. Many were kept in cages and jeered at by the Vortex drones. Others wore harnesses, slaving over work, trying to build up the city. And the rest were being gathered and thrown in another pool of some sort. There he saw faint splashing and heard horrible growls. The taste of carnage was evident among the metal he was encased in.

Ecco's anger rose steadily. With every singer he saw abused, his emotions were triggered. This future should never even be thought of, he thought with ultimate disgust. He urged to charge at the nearest Vortex drone. But he also knew doing that would land him into serious trouble. He waited, then slowly swam to the entrance of the structure. Soon enough he'd run into the outside, where the Vortex were roaming on guard.

The cries of despair were deafening. In rooms adjacent to the one he was in, Ecco could hear as dolphin children were separated from their mothers. He heard the cries of mates being separated. He tried to ignore the cries, but it was impossible.

In another room adjacent to him, he heard Vortex voices. Probably in a meeting, he thought to himself. Soon it will be broken up.

Ecco braced himself. Just outside where he was were two Vortex drones, their issued weapons cocked at the ready. He sensed no other creature in the tunnel, and with a quick movement of his song and his charge he powered out of the crack in the steel and disposed of them before they could call for help. But right behind him was another drone, though far different.

"Ssssssssinger..."

Ecco turned, and met the gaze of something huge. It looked like something Vortex, and some cetacean thrown in as well. Its eyes were black, its heavily muscular body black. The cetacean-like tail was whitened, its legs and arms white as well. Small spots just above the eyes copied the color of the tail and the appendages. Its mouth wasn't Vortex, more like a true jaw. It stood over him, the blades on its long tail base thrashing behind it. It stared down at a surprised Ecco, who knew now what the dolphins below meant when they said, "Killer Beasts".

This creature was a hybrid of orca and Vortex.

"Y...you can sing...what do you want with me?" Ecco asked of it cautiously.

The beast looked down at him. "Sssinger..." it crowed, half singing and half growling in the Vortex tongue, "What arrre you doing herre? Aren't you sssupppossed to be down in the work fields?"

Ecco wondered why the creature wouldn't finish him off, knowing all the destruction he witnessed before. "I'm not here to work," he gulped. "I am here to set the future free. And the dolphins along with it."

The beast roared and knocked Ecco out with its tail as soon as the last word was uttered.