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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 1: The Beginning

Chapter 5 - Maidens of the Sea

Part 5.6 - Rising Darkness

Bismark, Indie, and Alex watched Dune slip beneath the surface of the water and out of their sight. He would never have admitted it, but despite his quiet farewell, Bismark was the most worried of all of them. Only he knew just how cruel the sea could be, and how alone Dune really was down there. He said nothing, only stared with his one good eye at the slender cord that was the only connection he had to his friend.

No one topside saw Levi slink into the waters from his ship. All eyes were on Dune, just as Levi knew they would be. He would have plenty of opportunity to find Dune, and whatever else waited for him down there.

After what felt like hours of silence, Dune's voice sounded through the intercom in Alex's shaking hands.

"Testing...one, two...testing...do you read me Alex?"

He nearly dropped the device at the sound of Dune's voice, calm and assured.

"Yes Dune, we hear you. Have you found anything yet? What do you see?"

All ears were on the com now. He made it down to the bottom without incident, and none too soon. The sturdy cord had been measured for just such this excursion, but no one had guessed that the depth of Dune's dive would be almost a full mile. There was only another few hundred yards left on the wheel. Dune's mysterious instincts had better be accurate.

"...Nothing. There was nothing on the way down, and there's nothing here except sand. Almost reminds me of being back in the desert. It's certainly hot enough in this suit!"

"Keep us posted, then. If you see anything at all let us know."

"I will."

Everyone was still looking at Alex. He knew more about the mechanics of the suit and what it could stand than anyone else on board. They had been off on just how deep this dive was, though, and the pressure at such a depth would be extreme. He cleared his throat and tried his best to sound reassuring.

"There's nothing to worry about. That suit can withstand pressure much greater than anything at the bottom of the ocean, even here. Dune could be twice as deep and still feel like he was on the surface. Even if he is depressurized somehow, the suit will protect him long enough for us to haul him back up to the surface. He's fine."

Alex wasn't a fool, and neither were his friends. Dune was anything but fine as long as he was down there in an unknown world that no human had ever seen. The suit wasn't a tank, and Dune was anything but invincible.

The group continued their vigil, lengthening the cord according to the pull from Dune's movements. No one said anything after Alex's speech. After another eternity of silence, Dune's voice once more sounded over the com.

"Wait a minute...Alex, I think I see something up ahead. It looks almost like a mountain, but there's something...off about it. It's hard to describe from this distance. Give me a bit more slack so I can check it out."

Alex motioned to the two crewmen working the wheel. They grunted with effort as the large machine turned, spitting out yard after yard of cord. They knew it was a good thing Dune had found something before the cord ran out, but at the same time their anxiety was renewed as Dune got closer to the enigmatic goal of the mission.

The crew of Bismark's ship had not asked him any questions about the journey out of implicit trust of their Captain, but that didn't mean they were lacking any in curiosity. Throughout the voyage many crew members had come up to Connor, who everyone knew was Bismark's favorite, asking him what was going on, and he had very little to tell them.

"The Captain doesn't tell me anything he wouldn't tell you. Just trust him and his friends the same way they trust us." Connor was getting tired of repeating that same statement over and over. He trusted his Captain like he was his own father, but the secrecy around this mission was getting to him. Connor had kept his worries to himself during the Thanas mission, even after the disastrous ending, and he would carry out his role in much the same way this time. He trusted Captain Bismark, and that was all there was to it. He knew the others did, or they wouldn't still be here.

Connor looked from one crewman to the next, and then to Bismark and his friends. Everyone seemed so tense, and no one moreso than the Captain, as hard as he tried to hide it.

Out of the silence, Kumiro shrieked and ran to Indie's side, hugging his leg as if he had been attacked. At the same moment a quick flash of lightning lit up the sky, and a short but angry burst of thunder sounded over their heads soon afterwards. There were still no clouds in the sky.

"What was that?" Alex asked, turning to Indie.

"I don't know. I've been looking at my ATLAS non-stop, waiting for something, anything, to report, and there's been nothing." Indie said, comforting his stricken little friend.

"Dammit, that wasn't nothing Indie!" Alex almost shouted, pointing up at the cloudless sky.

"I can't explain what's going on any more than you can, so there's no use getting angry, Alex. Calm down and wait. That might have just been an isolated strike. Lightning has been known to appear without the presence of storms, you know." Indie tried his best to explain away the sudden hint of weather, but even he didn't believe it was just an isolated phenomenon. Dune's alarmed voice from the com put an end to any doubts on the subject.

"W-What was that?"

"Is everything alright, Dune? What happened?" Alex responded. This was no coincidence, whatever Indie thought.

"I...I think I just received a warning shot from whatever is out here. It felt like someone sent a missile right into my mind. There were no words, but I could sense what the intent was - Stay away."

"You aren't going to turn back now are you?"

"Of course not."

And that smug answer, the only answer a real scientist could give, was the end of the conversation. Alex lowered the com and looked at the others, now visibly scared. Kumiro was still clinging to Indie, even more frightened now that he was a moment ago.

"Well, still think that was just an isolated incident?" Alex said.

Indie didn't have time to think of a witty retort. The ship lurched to its side as a violent gust of wind struck it.

"Look at that!" was all Indie could say, pointing in the direction the wind had come from.

A large gathering of black clouds had appeared on the horizon, spiraling and billowing as it grew from nothing. Long tendrils of darkness reached out from the swirling center, lightning licking at the edges of the mass like static electricity. The storm moved towards the ship with an intelligent quickness, hungry to release its growing energies on them. Everyone gaped at the latent destruction force that they could feel sweep over them with each rush of wind.

"Just like the Thanas," was the only stunned reply Bismark would make at first, then, "Quick! Get Dune back up here. NOW!"

Just as he said this, Dune made one last cryptic remark.

""Wait - there. I see something...unusual. It must be what I was looking for. Hold on, I'm going to get closer..."

"Dune, wait a minute. Don't go any further, there's something going on up here. Dune! We're going to pull you back up right now! Do you hear me Dune? Dune get back up here now! Dune!..."

Alex kept yelling into the com, but he could get no answer from Dune. Bismark gave a frustrated yell and spun around on his wooden leg to face the rest of the crew. He charged towards the machine that connected Dune to the ship, his face contorted into a rage of worry and impatience.

"What're you lot waiting for? Get your asses in gear and haul him back up, whether he likes it or not!"

That was more than enough to snap his crew into action. They strained their muscles pulling at the wheel in an effort to get Dune back up. When the frayed end of the cord spluttered back aboard the ship's deck without Dune attached to it, Bismark let out a moan and reared back towards the edge of the ship.

"DUNE!" Bismark wailed at the taunting calmness of the waters as his large chest collided with the railing of the ship. He was seething with anger and sadness now, and was only inches away from falling into the water himself. The waves below were becoming increasingly agitated, as if eager for another foolish morsel to get caught in their trap.

Both Alex and Indie grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him back to the center of the ship. He fought with them every step, and they were barely able to keep him from diving into the sea after Dune.

"Calm down, Mobius!" Alex said.

"Yes, there's nothing we can do for him now." Indie continued, his voice beginning to falter.

"NO! We'll get him back, damn you! Get me another suit, anything. Just hurry up and DO something!" Bismark bellowed at his friends, not seeing them or anything else except the ominous black mass only minutes from their position.

There was nothing to be done, and everyone knew it. There was only one suit, and no way to get down to him and back up in time even if there was a second. Bismark kept struggling against his friends but his efforts were dying down as the harsh truth crept up on him. Dune was gone. He couldn't go running out into the desert to save him this time. Tears welled up in his one eye and he shut it tight to fight back his emotion. He beat his fists against his friends, and they did nothing to stop him.

"I'm sorry, Mobius," was all Alex could say as he stared at the cord's end.

"That damn fool of a scientist! Damn him! He should've known...we should have known better. What good are old men like us if we can't foresee these kinds of things?" Bismark yelled, still trying to come to grips with what happened. Alex and Indie just nodded in sad agreement.

There was little time for remorse as the waves churned and bubbled, growing now into dangerous walls of water. The storm was just about on them, and it seemed to be holding back its full force until they were right underneath it. Even in his grief Bismark knew the power this storm was sure to have, just as he measured the storm in the Thanas. No...this was the storm from the Thanas. He had seen a great many storms in his lifetime and knew their make and measure as surely as an old lover. There was no mistaking this monstrous shape. It had come back to finish the job it had started. Bismark would fight it this time, not run back inside like a coward. He would meet this storm and show it who was the true master of the seas. For Dune.

"I'm ready for you this time. Come on, you bastard."

Bismark stopped struggling to let his friends know he had come to his senses. As soon as they let go, he leaped up and raced to the main mast. Alex and Indie looked at each other, and then at Bismark, bewildered.

"I'll show you who is the captain of this ship!" he cried as he climbed up to the top of the mast with surprising grace. He perched himself in the bird's nest and laughed like a madman.

"C'mon! I'm here for you, Master of Storms. Show me your power and let me teach you what it means to be a man of the sea. Hah!" Bismark yelled out at the encroaching black mass, ignorant of the frantic pleas to come back from below. He was in pure ecstasy as he became one with his element.

"He's mad!" Alex and Indie both cried.

"We have to do something, or the Captain will get ripped apart by the storm!" Connor pleaded with Bismark's friends. He had seen the Captain react to storms with a passionate glee before, but never like this. He was afraid the loss of his friend and the almost mocking nature of the storm had finally pushed him over that fine line of sanity that he always seemed to enjoy walking.

The storm responded to Bismark's calls and swept over the ship with no remorse. Within moments the decks were covered in buckets of water and deadly chunks of hail soon began assaulting the helpless crew as they scrambled for cover. The entire sky was filled with the blackness of the storm as it let out its anger. Only the relentless lashes of lightning lit up the terrified faces of the men caught in the storm. Bismark just laughed and stood his ground.

Lightning flew around the ship like wild blinding banshees, echoes of thunder shaking the ship in a never-ending rumble. The ship lurched drunkenly in all directions as the storm batted at it like a cat with a terrified mouse. This time, the storm would destroy the ship, and Bismark. There would be no steel sanctuary like before. Those who chose to defy the gods twice were fools indeed, and a fools fate they received. And this king of fools perched on his throne would be the first.

Levi's ship was caught in a similar predicament. Their captain had abandoned them for the treasure below, and now they were clamped between the jaws of the storm along with the Maiden of the Sea. There was more than enough rage here for both ships, and the storm did not spare the Golden Goddess a single drop of rain.

The crew members of Levi's ship ran back and forth, vainly attempting to regain control of the ship. Levi's ship was the heavier one, and seemed to be holding its own despite the storm's barrage. The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief as things appeared to be under a semblance of control.

A mind-bending howl from below the surface sent everyone on both ships to their knees even as they struggled with the storm. Not even the constant thunder could match the primordial fury of this new sound. The howl did not fade, but continued to rise and rise from the ocean in a crescendoing spiral. A large group of waves attacked both ships from a concentrated point just beyond them as a massive whirlpool formed and began slowly pulling the two ships around it. At the center of the chasm of water was Levi's cord, barely visible and still connected to the Golden Goddess. Something was going on below the waves, and it looked like it was as fierce a struggle as what was going on above.

The howl increased to a fever pitch, causing many crew members to put their hands to their ears. It shot up another octave and then cut out with one last broken scream. Even the storm stopped for a brief moment in anticipation, wondering what had happened to its last and most deadly surprise, and then the sea spilled forth and both ships were nearly lost in the overflow of water. As the Maiden of the Sea was pushed back, Levi's ship sprang to life and was pulled forward, through the army of waves, helpless to steer away from the yawning mouth before it. As it careened towards the center, it lifted up out of the water as the cord connecting it to Levi went taut and then broke with a loud snap!, then went whipping away into the chaos that was the center of the whirlpool. The ship hit the water with an ugly crashing sound, but remained afloat. Eager not to be outdone, the storm renewed its attack with even more force than before.

Levi's cord trailed through the water like a living snake, and soon found its master. The great beast that had slept at the bottom of the Mordic for untold ages erupted right into the middle of the storm, and Levi was right there with it, refusing to let go of his deadly prize. He hung onto one of the thick strands of greenish skin that dangled from the creature's long narrow mouth like misshapen jowls, laughing even as the creature wrenched its mammoth head back and forth, high above the waves. More and more of the beast's sleek serpentine body rose and fell from the waters as a continuous stream of arches, spines, and fins undulated upwards from the depths in an eerie rhythmic pattern.

The monstrous tail of the beast flew out of the water as it lashed back and forth in anger. A sudden shriek of pain erupted from it as Levi mounted its great glowing eye and stabbed it with his knife. The eye gushed huge torrents of yellowish jelly and went dark. Levi scrambled onto the creature's head and began assaulting it as best he could with so feeble a weapon. He continued laughing even as his knife clinked ineffectually against the thick hide.

Far below, Levi's crew stared in slack-jawed wonder at their captain. No one even thought of trying to rescue him. They were too concerned with getting the hell away from this nightmare as fast as humanly possible, their captain be damned.

The creature lowered its head in pain to the point where Levi was now very close to his own ship, and even more to the surprise of the Golden Goddess's crew, he was actually yelling out commands to them. Even now, when he was as sure a dead man as any they had ever seen, he still felt he could order them around like slaves! But the fear he had instilled in them was formidable, and seeing him riding this impossible beast of legend that must be from some watery pit of hell beyond their worst visions, none dared to go against him. Through pure fear, they were his.

"Attack! Attack you ingrates! Give this demon everything my Goddess has! Hear my words! I am Captain and you will follow my orders to your death. ATTACK!"

The monster seemed to understand Levi's insane words just as well as his crew, and let out a sharp roar of intense indignation. It turned its injured eye away from the ship and narrowed what was left of its yellow, heartless stare on the poor crew members of the Golden Goddess, already scrambling with panicked haste to obey their Captain's orders as best they could despite the raging storm.

From the Maiden of the Sea, Alex and Indie huddled beneath the main mast of the ship wordless and dumbfounded. They had never seen anything like what was going on before them. Bismark had something to say, however, and yelled with unbridled glee towards both at the creature and into the storm. Lightning flashed in front of his face, highlighting a haunting look of victory and defiance. Blood trickled down his forehead where he had been struck by hailstones, but he didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered except the storm and the creature now. He was caught in its embrace and would dominate it.

"By the Gods, it seems all the old tales of the sea are coming to life before my very eyes today!" Bismark screamed from his throne, his voice heard by all on the deck. "Man the harpoons! Shift course towards that monster. She's a legend and a half right there. This storm won't stop me from witnessing the great Queen of the Sea destroy the great traitor of the sea! And then I'll take her myself for slaying my friend. Hah! Dune if only you could see this! I'll make sure your death becomes one of the greatest tales the sea has ever spawned! Forward! Let the great Latimeria know we're here! ATTACK!"

Bismark's crew listened to their surely insane captain, even though they knew they were heading straight towards their death. They were afraid, but it was not the fear of their captain that drove them forward. They still trusted him, and knew this day had gone beyond any of their abilities to understand. Whatever orders he gave now they would follow, because he was their Captain.