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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time
Book 1: The Beginning
Chapter 7 - Confluence
Part 7.12 - The Birth of Magic
The ghostly lights danced in the great stone hall where Bismark, the Esper Genju, and the others waited. There was no wind here to move them, but of course these lights had no earthly origin, so they did not care whether there was wind or not. But they surely felt something in the still air, because they wavered violently, as if a great power were trying to snuff them out.
Genju glanced at the nearest lights from where he sat on the cold ground, and whispered something unintelligible. They instantly calmed and brightened. Bismark was visibly surprised, and a few gasps came from some of the others. Apparently, Genju was the source of these flames.
"It is almost time," Genju said, gathering himself up from the ground. "The three Vessels are approaching the Ultima Gate, and we shall see if your friend was able to withstand Chemosh or not." Genju sighed, as if the answer was already a foregone conclusion.
Bismark growled at the old man's lack of faith. "Dune will be fine, I can promise you that. And if he isn't, well then I'll just have to smack some sense into him with this wooden leg of mine! Gahahah!"
Bismark laughed, but inside he was as anxious as the others. He knew Dune could take as much as anyone, and if he was anything like his father, he could take more than Bismark himself. But this was something entirely different, and despite his outward confidence, he had no idea if it was possible for a mere mortal to stand against a god. If that's what these "fallen masters" really were. Bismark had his doubts that anything so malicious could truly be a god.
Genju stood up and slowly unfurled his wings, ignoring Bismark's comment. He had originally sat with his back to the gate, but now he turned straight around and looked straight up into the giant face of Altimus carved across the gate. As he gazed at the doors, he grew in size to his full height, but was still only a fraction of the size of the figure of Altimus on the doors. Without turning around, he spoke in a voice that filled the entire room.
"Stand back, all of you. They come."
Bismark, Alex and Indie instantly tensed, ready to fight whatever came from behind the gate tooth and nail. Dehr and Cruz simply moved as far back and away from the gate as they could, hoping not to be noticed when the fighting started, for there would surely be a fight here when Sade returned, one way or another. The final ghostly figure, who had once been Agent Phantom, remained standing in his rags where he had been the entire time, saying nothing, doing nothing.
The cavern was absolutely silent for a minute that dragged for an eternity, then a deafening crack like a clap of thunder resounded through the air and a thin ray of pure white light escaped from between the great gates like a laser, heralding the return of the Vessels. The mountain shook and groaned as the Ultima Gate slowly opened, filling the room with fierce holy light. A great wind poured out with the light, blowing Genju's magic lights out as if they were ordinary candles.
Genju stood firm before the opened gates, the blinding light surrounding him until he was no more than a dim shadow to the others behind him. Bismark couldn't help but shield his eye from the light, so he couldn't see who or what was coming from the strange world beyond the gate. If it were an enemy, he would be completely helpless, and suddenly he felt very old, very foolish, and very afraid. Would he be blasted into bits without ever even seeing his opponent?
Genju must have been able to still see, for he flew up on his great wings and rushed backwards from the gate. He landed right in front of Bismark, Alex and Indie, and positioned himself like a shield, his back to the three men.
"What are you doing?" Bismark yelled over the howling wind coming from the gate.
"I may be a coward, as you say, but I am still the guardian of this place, and of mankind." Genju said over his shoulder, a faint smile spreading from beneath his beard. "It may not do any good, but I will try to protect you from the forces that are coming as best I can. Do not move."
A new sound was coming from the gates now. It sounded like the roar of many great beasts all at once, and the men knew something fearsome was finally approaching. Would it be Dune, Sade, or Levi?
The roar grew and transformed, changing pitch and frequency like some otherworldly instrument gone mad. Gradually it settled into a single identifiable sound as it grew closer and louder. There was no mistaking that roar now - it was laughter. The laughter of some ungodly beast. Even in its grotesquely amplified state, it was instantly recognizable.
Jonah Levi.
The being that rushed outwards from the gate like a runaway train was no longer Levi, however. Faster than Bismark could register, an immensely long figure slithered out from the gate and coiled around the hall's great heights, floating above them as easily as a fish swims through water. It was no fish, but a giant serpent, capable of circling the entire cavern with its blue, scale-covered body. The only comparison Bismark could make was to the great Queen of the Sea, Latimeria. But that fearsome beast was dead, killed in their struggle in the Mordic.
No, if Latimeria was the Queen of the Sea, then this Levi-thing must be the King of the Sea. It had a great flowing mane of grey that looked like an exaggerated version of Levi's scraggly black beard and hair, and several yellow tendrils protruding from its face around the grey hair of the mane. A single narrow row of translucent, spiny fins lined its back all the way from head to the tail, where more grey hair grew, like the tail of a lion. Instead of flippers or limbs, it had two great wing-like fins where its arms might have been, but only one wing-fin on the right where its legs should have been. Apparently, even as an Esper Levi retained his missing limb.
And like Levi's former self, this creature was also missing its left eye, and instead had a massive black orb shining from the socket. If this was the same orb as before, it had grown in size to match the mighty form of its owner and was now the height of an entire person. Deep neon streaks of electricity danced across the eye, sending out sparks every once and a while to land on the floor below like bolts of lightning.
The most frightening part of Levi's new body was the demonically grinning mouth, though. Great glistening shark's teeth filled the gaping maw like a thousand daggers, and his scarlet tongue flicked the air like a snake's. All the time he was grinning with unsuppressed glee, and laughing in the inhuman roar that had trumpeted his arrival.
No one in the hall could move, so petrified were they by Levi's monstrous presence above them. Genju stretched his wings out to the fullest, covering Bismark, Alex, and Indie in a dome of white feathers. The others simply cowered where they stood, exposed to Levi's fury.
Levi circled the great hall several times in rapid succession, feeling out his wondrous new body. Slowly, he wound himself down and then halted all movement and noise, hovering above the others with silent malevolence, the white light of the open gates casting his enormous shadow across the cavern. The shark's grin on his distinctively serpent-like face snapped shut with an audible clack of teeth as he cut off his laughter. Then he spoke.
"Greetings from the Goddess, my friends!" Levi's voice echoed out merrily from the monster's lipless jaws, now far deeper and uglier than his human voice. It had a strange muddiness to it, like his voice was rising through the depths of the ocean to reach them. But that same mania shone clearly through the beastly voice, letting anyone who had ever heard Levi's voice know it was still the same madman who spoke.
"I have returned from hell," Levi continued, "And Jonah Levi is no more. There is only the Lord of the Seas, Leviathan!"
As if to prove his claim of Lord of the Seas, Levi, now Leviathan, flicked his lion's tail savagely upwards, straight through the ceiling of the cavern. A great gout of water rained down from one of the hidden rivers above, narrowly missing the humans huddled below. The column of water twisted and turned as if alive, then turned towards the exit and snaked upwards and back up the path to the outside, like a horizontal water spout.
Leviathan laughed at his feat, reveling in his new power. "Yes, this will do nicely. I think it's time to claim my throne in the name of the Goddess Astarte." Leviathan rolled his great yellow fish-eye, the real one, downwards and fixed it straight at Bismark. "My dear Mobius, I hope you can still swim with that one leg of yours. This cavern will soon fill up like a fishbowl, and you, my little goldfish, will meet the watery end you should have gotten thirty years ago."
Bismark, frightened as he was at the overwhelming presence of Leviathan, was still enraged enough to respond to his threats.
"You're still a bastard, Levi. We'll survive, and when Dune comes out of that gate, he'll make sure you're sent back to the bottom of the ocean where you should have stayed!"
Leviathan only grinned at Bismark's empty words. "Be careful what you wish for, Mobius. You just might get it." He roared with renewed laughter, shaking the walls of the mountain hall, now slowly filling with water from above. "Catch me if you can!"
With a sound like a whip cracking, Leviathan's long body straightened and he shot towards the exit like an arrow. In his path stood his companion-slave, Phantom. The half-dead man made no attempt to get out of Leviathan's way. Leviathan's jaws widened and his mouth hung open like a great tunnel as he rushed forwards, laughing. Whether he saw Phantom standing there in a daze or not was unknown, but in an instant Phantom was swallowed whole into the abyss of Leviathan's gullet. Leviathan continued past where Phantom had stood, seemingly not even aware of what he had just done. Beside his twisting vortex of water he rose out of the cave and flew down the side of the mountain.
Outside, Leviathan snaked away from the waterfall he had created as he fell through the air, and veered back around the cliffs to the other side of the island. It only took him a few minutes to glide across the forested plains and reach the shoreline where Bismark's and the Committee's ships were anchored.
"Can't make it too easy for you, Sade!" he said gleefully, and plunged himself head-first straight through the Narsillian ship and into the waters below. Before anyone on board knew what had happened, the ship was split in two and explosions rocked the wreckage as it was sucked under the waves by Leviathan's passage. Leviathan paid no attention to the destruction he had caused and swam straight out to sea fast as a missile, his long row of dorsal fins slicing through the ocean like a hundred-foot shark as he disappeared over the horizon.
This was the only glimpse of the great Lord of the Seas that the spectators on the Maiden of the Sea managed to catch as they rushed onto the deck to see what had happened. Some of the sailors thought it was Latimeria returning to seek revenge, others swore they could hear a terrifyingly familiar laugh as the creature vanished over the waves. Draco and Kite were two of the people on the deck watching Leviathan as he swam away, and Kite knew at once who it was that had destroyed the other ship. She said nothing, but merely held Draco's hand tightly, waiting for that nightmarish laugh to leave her mind.
Draco saw as much of the carnage as anyone, and knew that whatever that creature had been, it had come from above and to the west, where Dune and the others had gone. He had heard strange sounds echoing across the island a while back, and knew something must be happening out there.
"Kite, stay here." Draco said quietly as he took her hand from his. "I have to go help our friends now."
"Alright...be care-" Kite started to speak, but was cut off as another explosion rang out across the island. Draco and Kite looked into the distance where the noise had come from and saw a great eruption of flame light up the sky over the mountain range in the distance. In a moment the shockwave from the explosion reached the ship and nearly capsized her.
Without a word, Draco quickly grabbed Kite's hand again and ran back into the ship. Whatever was happening, there was no way he could reach the mountain in its current state. As much as it pained him to make the decision, Dune and the others were on their own now, and Draco had to make sure this ship left before the calamity that was rocking the other side of the island reached them. Connor met them halfway across the deck and agreed, they had to get ready to leave as soon as possible. They all hoped Dune's group returned safe, but after the events they had just seen, despair was slowly creeping over them. The crew would wait for their captain until the last possible second, and perhaps even past that point, but they could not wait forever.
Back in the cavern, a new nightmare was upon the group as they struggled to stay above the rising waters. Despite the Ultima Gate remaining open and water steadily pouring out of the cavern, the stream continued to fill the room as if it had a mind of its own, and was intent on drowning everyone inside.
Genju had lifted Bismark, Alex, and Indie into the air with his four strong arms and now hovered above the rising water as best he could, the ceiling inching closer every minute. The exit to the cavern was blocked by the fierce vortex of water, and any attempt to leave would drown them all for sure.
Still struggling in the water below were Dehr and Cruz, helpless. They had no guardian angel like Genju, and it was all they could do to keep their heads above water.
"Please!" Dehr shouted out as she gasped for air. "Help us! Don't let us die like this!"
Genju looked at the pitiful woman and the fat man beside her, then looked at Bismark. "Should I help them, as well? Are they not your enemies, agents of the son of Moloch?"
"Aye," Bismark grumbled from under Genju's arm. "But they're still human beings like us. I know they'd let us rot, but we've got to help them if we can. Can you manage two more?"
"I can, but it will make it that much harder to stay above the water. Are you sure?"
Indie spoke up from the other side of Genju. "We've gotta do it. We aren't monsters like Levi, or whatever he's calling himself now."
Alex agreed. "If we all die in here, we'll die as humans. I don't want the last thing I ever do in this life to be murder, do you?"
"Do it." Bismark said.
Genju nodded wordlessly and circled over to where Dehr and Cruz struggled. With a single deft movement, he swooped down and grabbed both Committee members with his one free hand, letting them both hang on the powerful arm like monkeys on a branch. It was a ridiculous sight to see the five humans hanging onto the giant figure of Genju, but no one was complaining now that they were temporarily dry.
"Now is the time to prepare ourselves for Altimus's embrace, my sons and daughter," Genju said solemnly, and began to pray for safe passage to the afterlife.
"Look!" Indie shouted, pointing to the open gate.
The group turned, expecting some new horror to beset them. Another figure was materializing in front of the light shining through the gate. It was not like the monstrous form of Leviathan this time. The figure was definitely shaped like a human. A large human, but still within the possible. As the figure approached the now water-filled room, its features became clear.
It certainly was the size and shape of a very large human, but that's where the similarities ended. It had the appearance of a half-man, half-beast, with two fearsome horns rising from its forehead. It's dark-skinned body was heavily muscled and deeply scarred, with deadly sets of spikes on both its shoulders to complement the horns on its head. Sharp talons tipped its hands and feet, completing the picture of a devil straight from hell. The shockingly grey-white hair that covered its head flowed behind the creature in single great lock, like a pony-tail, but reaching halfway down its back.
It wore what looked like the tattered remains of clothing, the scraps covering its lower body like a loincloth. A few shreds of cloth still hung from the jagged edges of the spikes and horns. The one part of the figure before them that Bismark, Indie and Alex immediately noticed, to their intense dismay, was the old, wide-brimmed hat that rested ridiculously on the creatures head. There was no mistaking that hat. It was Dune's, passed down from his father, and now resting precariously between the horns of this...thing.
"Dune...?" Bismark said almost in a whisper, fearing what kind of voice would respond.
"I am...Dune." the creature answered, its voice a deep growl, but still understandable. And still human? Bismark prayed that note of familiarity he heard was really the Dune he knew and loved almost as a son. But what had he become?
Genju backed away from the creature that claimed to be Dune, now hovering slightly above the water in front of the gate.
"Demon of Chemosh, be you friend or foe?" he said warily.
"I am myself, I think," it said slowly, as if trying very hard to remember who "myself" was.
"I knew it!" Bismark yelled. "I told you he would win!"
"Yes...I managed to keep myself after all. It was so hard...but...I am still here." Dune said with effort.
"What happened?" Indie chimed in. "You say you're you, but look at yourself, Dune! You're an...Esper."
"An Esper...yes, that's what I am now. I could not hold on completely, I suppose, and Doom got this far," Dune swept one of his clawed hands over the ravaged body he now wore. "But I wouldn't let him win, I couldn't give up entirely, and now..."
"Now you're more powerful than all of us!" Bismark said almost cheerfully. "Never mind that you look like you got chewed up and spit out by that place, you're an Esper! And if Genju and Levi are any indication, you should be bursting with power, right?"
"Levi? So, he's already returned?" Dune said, still struggling with his words.
"Yeah, he turned into some kind of giant sea serpent and flew out of here. And he was the one who filled this place with water. Speaking of which, can't you do something to get us out of here?" Bismark was visibly happy, confident that Dune would save them all.
"I don't know, but I can try. Gotta save my friends, right?" Dune tried to make a friendly smile, but the sharp teeth only made him look like a wolf, ready to devour its prey.
Dune tensed his new body, about to use whatever unknown powers were now inside him, but stopped abruptly and turned around to face the blinding world he had just come from.
"Sade's coming. Now!" He shouted, his gravelly voice showing real emotion for the first time.
"Sade? Damn!" Bismark cursed. "I doubt he'll be willing to help us."
"No, he definitely-" Dune's words were cut off by a blast of red-hot energy that shot over his shoulder and towards Genju.
Genju saw it coming and dove downwards just in time to feel the fire singe the tips of his wings. He looked to see where the blast had come from, but could only see a mass of black smoke steadily flowing out of the open gate. Dune focused his energy and managed to push himself to where Genju hovered as the smoke cloud exited the gate around him.
"That's definitely Sade," Dehr spoke up quietly, not sounding at all like her normally confident self. "I'd know that feeling of dread anywhere."
The smoke continued to flow from the other world, shaping itself as it did. A deep crimson light glowed from within the cloud, and soon everyone could feel the heat Dehr had recognized. This was Sade, but what had Sade become?
The cloud froze in place after a moment, ceasing to seep out from the gate. Instantly, the gate grinded shut behind the cloud, shutting with the same crack that had signaled its opening. The smoke cloud now carried a definite shape, and towered over the others in the room like some giant djinn. Only Genju could compare to the size of the cloud, but even he was several meters shorter than the black form now coalescing and hardening around them.
As the black smoke solidified it glowed a bright red - the same bloody red that had marked Sade's armor. Soon, there was nothing but the glowing molten mass, forming, cooling and swirling into metal. As it cooled, molten globs of material dripped off it like blood, hissing as they vanished into the water below in puffs of steam. It was a hideous site, but all the eyes in the room were glued to the form as it shaped itself into something resembling human.
A huge collection of metal now recognizable as a suit of armor began to assert itself among the red plates of unholy metal, but nowhere could even the smallest fragment of flesh be seen. The bloody armor itself was the monster's body, and it flowed together in one continuous sheet like skin, some plates shaping and curving into what looked like muscles, but still clearly metallic and segmented.
Now the form of Sade could clearly be seen, and his new body resembled the carapace of some infernal insect, shaped into something vaguely humanoid. As the armor cooled, the red glow was replaced by a golden sheen, and the armor took on a coppery hue. It still dripped that molten blood from the narrow spaces and joints where the armor plates met and folded into each other, giving the armored hulk the appearance that is was bleeding from all over its red-gold body. It was a revolting site, but still no one could look away from the spectacle of Sade's transformation.
The last part to form was the head, or helmet if that was what it could be called. The helmet showed no human features at all and completely covered the head, with only one great slit where the eyes would be. Instead of eyes, there was just that same hellish light that had glowed from inside the cloud of smoke. The red molten metal oozed from this orifice like elsewhere, making it appear to be crying blood.
Sade's human body had been completely consumed by his fiery Master, and now only this metal shell remained.
"I...am...Sade..." the armored fiend spoke in a voice so deep it shook the walls and sent ripples through the water around it.
"My god..." Dehr said in shock. "Is this what we were trying to accomplish? Could this have been me? Sade...you're a monster!"
The Sade-thing showed no emotion on its face, in fact showed nothing at all for it had no human features to speak of, but the voice that echoed out from the glowing hole was definitely tinged with Sade's dark charisma.
"Eva, why do you tremble like a child? Isn't this the power you hungered for so badly? This is the power of an Esper, and it may still be yours if you join with me. Join with Moloch..." He finished in such a soothing tone that for a moment Dehr almost reached out for him. She wanted to touch that power, join with it like Sade commanded.
"You idiot!" Cruz shouted from beside her. "Don't let go of that arm or you'll fall into the water!"
Dehr turned away from Sade's form in shame, trying her best to resist his influence. Sade laughed and turned his gruesome visage onto Cruz next.
"Adam, I know this is what you want as well. With you and Eva beside me, we could usher in a glorious new world order, just the three of us. I know how badly you want to be at the top, Adam. This is your only chance to ever be somebody with real power. Join me in purifying this world!"
Cruz felt the irresistible pull of Sade's words just as Dehr had, and for a moment he thought what it would be like to not be stuck in the weak ugly body he had been given. Even if it meant looking like Sade did now...
"Enough! You two are fools to listen to him. He'll just fry you to a crisp along with the rest of the world!" Bismark shouted at them, but also shouted just to break the strange sense of heaviness that was filling the room the more Sade spoke. It was unbearably hot now, and it was becoming hard to concentrate. Bismark knew this was part of Sade's power, and he had to fight it. He had to get Dune to fight it, now that Dune was the only one that could.
"Dune! Now's the time to put that Esper body to good use. Fight Sade and put an end to him right here, before he can get out into the world! Only you can do it," Bismark was pleading by the time he finished, his strength fading. Even Genju was slowly descending closer to the now boiling water beneath them, his formidable strength reaching its limits. Anyone who fell into that seething maelstrom would be cooked alive in moments.
Dune strained himself and ascended to where Sade was keeping himself aloft with waves of heat. He was only a quarter the size of the giant brute, but he stood his ground without fear.
"Sade! This world will not end in flames as you desire! I will never let you leave this cavern."
Sade laughed, a grinding metallic laugh that sounded even less human than Levi's before him. "You jest, Doomed of Chemosh. I can and will leave this cavern, and there is nothing anyone, least of all you, can do to impede my progress. Watch as I reveal the power of an Esper of Moloch!"
Dune raised his hands to defend against whatever attack Sade was about to perform, but he knew immediately that any defense was futile. Sade was not going to attack Dune, or anyone else. He was curling himself into a ball, reddish light bursting from every bloody seam in his armor. He looked like a bomb ready to explode, and Dune knew instinctively that this was exactly what Sade was planning to do.
"Genju! We have to get out of here. NOW!" Dune yelled.
Genju saw the same thing Dune saw, but there wasn't anywhere to go. "Dune, we're trapped! Even if we tried to swim out now, we'd be killed by the boiling water!"
Dune watched helplessly as Sade's curled up body pulsed and glowed. The armor was impenetrable, and there was no way to stop Sade from completing his attack. Dune tore his gaze from Sade and let himself fall back down to Genju so fast it looked like he had lost control. Just as he reached the surface of the water he stopped himself and looked at Genju.
"Genju. Sade is going to destroy this entire mountain with a single blast. I can't stop him with my strength alone. But if we combine our strength, could we form a barrier that can survive the blast?"
Genju pondered the idea quickly, and nodded. "My powers are exactly that. I am an Esper of protection, and although I doubt even my power could push back Sade's evil energies, together we may be able to survive, at least for a few moments."
Dune tried to smile again, his wolf's fangs glinting in the red aura filling the cavern. "We'll only need a few moments. I'm not too sure of my powers yet, but if they're anything like before, I'm pretty sure I can cool the water around me enough so that you can get through it while your barrier is up. We may be able to get far enough away to survive the blast."
"Then what the hell are you waiting for, Dune!" Bismark interrupted. "Get us out of here!"
Dune looked at Bismark, and they both laughed.
"Right. Let's do it." Dune said. He shot himself towards the exit and motioned for Genju to follow him. As he moved, a cold blue aura shone around him, and as he hit the wall of water blocking the exit, steam exploded around him. As he said, the cold energy he was pushing out was cooling the water noticeably. It was still hot, but not boiling, and Genju might be able to shield himself and the others against it long enough to get out.
Sade apparently noticed them trying to escape. He kept himself in place as his body vibrated violently, and yelled out to the fleeing group.
"Fools! There is no escape from my power! It will reach every corner of this world and turn everything to ash!"
Sade's body stopped vibrating, and the red light surrounding him turned golden, then pure white. Dune was furiously fighting against the current but making progress. Genju was right behind him, focusing every ounce of his strength into keeping his barrier up. The sphere of light glowed a faint white and was barely visible, but it did its job and both Genju and his passengers were soaked, but not drowning, or boiled.
"I will purify you!" Sade's voice echoed behind them.
The blast was sudden and, at first, silent. A great white light plowed through the water and rock, enveloping Dune and Genju as they fled. Then the blast wave came with a deafening rush of sound. Dune and Genju had gone as far upwards through the tunnel as they were ever going to get, and both immediately turned to face the oncoming wave of destruction.
Genju held the five fragile humans tight in his grip and braced himself, feeling the cold aura of Dune flow into him and give him strength. It was an incredible power, and he knew that combined with his own energies, it would be the most powerful barrier he had ever made. But the energy he felt from Dune was not only powerful - it was dark, bottomless. He felt something familiar in that energy. Something he had felt once long, long ago. Genju cast a single cautious glance at Dune, but kept channeling his energy into the barrier. He must not let anything distract him.
The destructive force of Sade's power as it ravaged the surrounding area was nothing short of cataclysmic. The blast first evaporated all the water that was in the cavern in an instant, then began eating away at the rock walls. The white-hot light chewed through everything in its path, vaporizing rock as easily as water. Whether the immortal Ultima Gate survived the blast would never be known, but in a few seconds the entire cavern had been engulfed in the growing sphere of devastation, and nothing was left of the hallowed halls.
Dune and Genju kept their barrier up even as the cavern was destroyed from the inside. They saw the water around them turn to steam and vanish, and then the white light reached them, flowing around the barrier and dissolving the walls of the tunnel. Genju could feel the strain on the barrier, but it was holding. There was nothing to be seen but the all-consuming white light, battering their tiny bubble with every ounce of energy Sade could put out. Nothing could be heard but the roar of the light as it consumed everything it came into contact with. If it went on much longer, the barrier would fail, and none of them would even have time to realize they were dead.
But fate smiled on the group, and the white light soon began to turn back to gold, then dull red, and then it was gone. As sight and sound returned to the world, the group looked at what Sade had wrought. No one said anything as they took in the full extent of the blast's power. There were no words for the scene below them.
Great clouds of slowly falling debris filled much of their vision, but what they could see was not the rock walls of the mountain, but the clear blue sky outside. They had survived, but the mountain had not. The entire upper portion of the lofty peak had been blown to dust, and below them now seethed a molten pit of exposed magma over a mile across. The lake of fire was churning violently, forced to life by Sade's rash actions. Lava was seeping over the sides of the crater and into the surrounding area. The island itself might survive, but all life on it was doomed to be covered in wave after wave of red hot lava. Sade had wounded the planet deeply, and now its blood would boil over everything, purifying the land just as Sade had promised.
Sade himself was nowhere to be seen. Whether he had destroyed himself in the explosion or had escaped out of sight was unknown. No one believed he was really gone, though. When the time came he would show himself again, and next time they might not be so lucky. As they looked on in awe, they all knew one sobering truth - Sade really could destroy the world with this kind of power.
"I never knew..." Dehr said humbly. "This power...it's too much, too much..."
"And you fools helped bring it about." Bismark said savagely. He turned to where Dune hovered with visible effort. Flying did not seem to be as easy for him as it was for Genju or Leviathan. "Well, Dune. What do we do now?"
Genju responded to Bismark's question before Dune could answer. "We need to get away from here. I cannot fly forever, and Dune does not look like he can sustain flight for much longer. The island is no longer safe to land on, so I suggest we return to whatever vessels brought you here and plan our next move."
They all agreed, and Bismark led the group to the shore where an unexpected site greeted them.
"Where's our ship!" Cruz cried out in dismay.
As Genju circled closer towards the bay, they could see the smoldering remains of the Narsillian ship still poking out from the water. There were no survivors to be seen.
"Hmm, it would seem we weren't the only one's waging war on this island." Alex said softly. "Could Bismark's crew have attacked the other ship?"
"That's an act of war!" Cruz said angrily, but everyone else just looked at him to be silent. He grumbled something under his breath, but said nothing more.
"My crew wouldn't destroy another ship unless they were provoked, and even then not without my orders." Bismark stated with confidence. "Besides, my Maiden doesn't pack that kind of firepower. That ship looks like it was hit by a meteor. My little cannons couldn't split a boat in two."
"Let's just wait until we get on board and ask Connor himself," Indie said, hoping to avoid unnecessary argument between the two groups in Genju's arms.
The two Espers and their cargo were greeted with looks of amazement and fear as they descended onto the deck of the Maiden. Bismark got to his feet as soon as Genju touched down, and went straight to where Connor and Draco were standing, dumbstruck. He learned about Leviathan's rampage, and satisfied that it wasn't his crew that had destroyed the other ship, he issued the order to raise anchor.
"We don't have time to explain what's going on. This island's about to get very uncomfortable, and we need to leave. Now."
"Yes, sir!" Connor said automatically, and despite his curious looks at Genju and Dune, he dutifully dashed away to prepare to leave. In moments the ship was moving steadily away from island, which was now covered in a thick haze of smoke and ash as the lava carved its away across the plains, burning everything it touched.
Draco remained where he was and looked first at Genju, then at Dune. He saw the grey-white hair, then the strangely out of place hat that had become stuck on one of his horns, and he knew in an instant who this being was.
"Dune? Is that really you?"
"Yes," Dune said tiredly. "It's a long story, but it's still me. We'll fill you in on the way back. Right now, I'm about ready to pass out, and I need to rest."
"But where are we going now?" Draco asked. The others were curious, as well.
"I'm not sure, but I think Doom wanted me to go back to Narsille before I shook his power off. I think that's where Sade and Levi are headed now as well." Dune finished and sat himself down, exhausted.
"But what can we do about them?" Indie said with a hopelessness that was unusual for him. "Together, they're unstoppable. What point would there be in going back and hunting them down? They'd just flick us away like insects."
"And why would they both return to Narsille anyways? They have the whole world at their fingertips now." Alex added.
"Hm..."
It was Genju, and he looked like he was thinking very hard about something. After a moment of reflection he spoke, and all eyes were on him. If anyone knew what the mind of an Esper was like, he would.
"As powerful as they are, they are still only the pawns of the Fallen Masters. Their will is the will of the dark gods Moloch and Astarte. I do not know what it portends, but it seems the Vessels are still in control of their bodies, which means the Fallen Masters are not completely free. They must need more power to manifest themselves in this world."
"More power?" Cruz said in disbelief. "Did you not see what Sade did to that mountain? How much more power could they possibly need?"
Genju glanced at Dune before continuing. He still was worried about that unfathomable well of dark energy he had felt when he had joined his powers with Dune's. Was it possible...? He shook his doubt away and kept talking.
"The Vessels of the Fallen Masters are nothing more than tools. Powerful tools, but not fit to house the full glory of a god. Now that they are Espers, I feel that the Fallen Masters will use their Vessel's immense magical powers to bring themselves fully into this world. If the full power of the Masters of Fire, Ice and Lightning were to rage across the planet unchecked, it would bring about an unbalancing that would rip apart the very fabric of reality. There would be nothing left, and not even the true gods could reform our world after such a cataclysm."
"But why? Why would gods try to do something like this?" Indie asked.
"I truly do not know, nor do I know how they could manifest themselves in the mortal world if entering the Nexus wasn't enough. But that must be what they plan, and once they are here, they will vie for control, and as they war with each other for supremacy, the world will be destroyed. That much I have gleaned from the Crystalline Prophecy."
"That again?" Bismark remarked with disdain. "Who came up with that anyways? No one, not even a god, can know the future with absolute certainty."
"You would do well to be silent on forces that are far beyond your understanding." Genju said with equal disdain. "The Prophecy was handed down to me personally from the Holy Master Altimus. Through him all the forces of this world flow, and if his words cannot be trusted, then there is no point believing in anything. Have faith, young one."
"I'm not young, and I won't believe in anyone that thinks they know what my fate is better than me." Bismark snapped.
"Enough." Indie said loudly. He knew Bismark's opinions well enough, and he could see the pious Genju was his polar opposite. "Bismark, we don't know what's going on right now. For the moment let's forget about prophecies and elder gods and just focus on what we can do here, now."
"So what can we do, Indie?" Bismark said hotly.
Indie looked at Dune, half-unconscious with fatigue, then at Genju, who still seemed to be brimming with holy power. "Genju, is there anything at all we can do? You can't really expect us to just give up and wait for the end of the world now that we have two Espers of our own to fight Sade and Levi?"
Genju glanced at Dune, then spoke as honestly as he could about their situation. "I am not an Esper of war, and Dune does not seem to have total control over his powers yet. Besides..." Genju glanced at Dune again, but shook his head and returned his gaze to the others. "No, we do not have the force necessary to simply beat the others into submission." Genju remained silent for a moment, thinking.
"However, it might be possible to drive the influence of the Fallen Masters from Sade and Leviathan, rendering them powerless...or at least not quite as powerful. Alas, we would need the one holy relic who's whereabouts is unknown to accomplish this feat."
"And that would be...?" Indie said curiously. Bismark stopped looking sullen and watched Genju carefully, a strange glint in his eyes.
"The Nacre," Genju said sadly. "It has the power to bring the light of hope into even the darkest times. If I still had it, I could channel the power of Altimus that flows within me through it, and through His divine power I might be able to exorcise the foul demons and send them back into their prisons of crystal."
"So where did it go?" Indie continued. He remembered the Nacre. Jehad had been the last person he had seen with it, although Silas seemed to have had it during their final desperate struggle thirty years ago. What had happened after that? Indie's memory was a blur.
"I truly do not know," Genju said. "I sense it still exists in this world, but its location is lost to me."
Bismark had heard enough. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and spoke. "I know where it is."
"What?" Indie said with surprise and consternation.
"I know where the damned thing is. It's at the bottom of the ocean. I threw it there just a couple months ago when we were back on the Mordic."
"What are you saying?" Indie said again, even more confused than before.
"I...made a promise to Silas before he died. He wanted me to return the thing to the ocean, but he said I had to do it at the right time. When we returned to the Mordic thirty years later, it just felt right. So I tossed it over. Silas seemed to think it was important, so I did what he asked and kept it with me for all those years."
Genju laughed, a sweet musical laugh that rang across the boat. This was the first time any of them had seen him actually happy, and it came as quite a shock how beautiful his laugh was.
"My friends, then all hope is indeed not lost, and the gods smile on us yet!"
You'll have to explain that one to us, Esper," Bismark said.
"Surely this is all part of the great plan of Altimus." Genju continued happily. "The Nacre was formed from the bosom of the Maiden of Water, Elia. Just as the Master of Earth, Gaeus, forged the gravity crystals, and Altimus himself formed the Pearl of Order, Elia created the Nacre for mankind. It is her gift to bestow when she sees fit, and now it has been returned to her in good faith. I have no doubt that when the time is right, she will deliver it back to us. Until then, she guards it beyond the reach of those who might abuse it."
"That's a lot of high talk, old man." Bismark said. "But the fact is, we don't have it now. So what do we do?"
"We return to Narsille. That is where the battle will be waged, and that is were we must make our stand, somehow." Genju said solemnly. "I have faith that the Nacre will appear when we need it most, shining its ray of hope in the darkness. As long as we stay on the path the gods have set before us, we will not fail." Genju laughed again. "It's strange. I feel hopeful for once. I have spent a long time in the darkness of exile, but I now feel like my day of absolution is upon me. Altimus works in strange ways to bring me here among mortals once again, and under such strange circumstances."
"Well I'm glad somebody seems happy," Bismark said, but with a smile on his face. "So. What about you two? Will you help us?" He glanced at the miserable-looking Dehr and Cruz, completely out of place on the ship of their enemy.
"We have our own goals, but our first priority is the protection of Narsille." Dehr said with some of the air of president returning to her. "You may think we're monsters like Sade, but I can assure you that I have never meant any harm to Narsille. All I wanted was for my great city to throw off its isolationist ideals and expand to the rest of the world. I thought Sade could do that for me, but now I see his idea of power and mine are a bit different."
"Yeah, Sade wants to destroy the world, and you want to rule it." Bismark said evenly. "You sound a little like Levi now, and I don't know if I like that any better."
"We're nothing like that madman!" Cruz said angrily. "We'll do what we can to save our city. If we can get there in time, we can at least attempt to mobilize the city's forces and put up some kind of defense. Maybe get the citizens to start evacuating if it comes to that."
"I think that sounds like a pretty good idea, which is surprising coming from you, Cruz," Bismark said light-heartedly. Things were looking more hopeful by the minute.
"I agree," Dehr said. "It's time we put our differences aside for the moment and focus on the protection of Narsille. I'm sure the other heads of the city will agree to help us, assuming we can make it back in time. I fear we have spent far too much time talking, and if we don't hurry, there won't be a city left to save."
"Yah, I think we've gabbed enough," Bismark said cheerfully. "I'll give the order to return to Narsille as fast as possible, and then we'll see what the gods have in store for us."
"You're entirely too happy about the current state of affairs, Mobius," Alex said, feeling the infectious wave of optimism as well.
"Well then, if everything is settled, can someone please fill me in on what is going on?" Draco said good-naturedly, having patiently listened to the others talk about things he didn't even pretend to understand. "I have the feeling this story will take us the rest of the voyage back."
The feeling that everything was going to turn out for the best had filled the entire crew with a new sense of hope, even as they left the flaming wreckage of Crescent Island behind them. Lives had been lost here, and no one forgot that for a moment, but now a great many more lives were at stake, and they couldn't help but feel like they were heroes out of legend, destined to save the world.
Genju knew this was all a lie, and that dark times were coming despite his newfound hope. But he had faith in his master, and hoped that his unspoken fears turned out to be false. He felt the world would be saved if Altimus deemed it worth saving, but how many of the people around him would lose their lives for the great plan of his master? Would he, too, be asked to lay down his life at last in the service of the Order?
He looked at Dune, now asleep right on the deck, utterly spent. He noticed in one of his hands he still clutched the gravity crystal, its cold face empty and black. He prayed to Altimus with all his heart that his suspicions were wrong, for if they weren't, they may not have any chance at saving the world after all, and a great era of darkness would reign before the world saw even the faintest glimmer of hope.