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THE BLUE SKY
(BASED ON "FINAL FANTASY")
BY
SOPHIE GREEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
Gaian and Bevern ran as fast as they could towards the source of the explosion. Once they got there they saw Sianna trying to move a large pile of rocks.
“Sianna!” Gaian called out. “Thank God you’re alright!”
“Help me,” she responded, “Just after I cast the spell I saw Tyght – I didn’t know he was there when I did otherwise I wouldn’t have.”
Gaian started to help Sianna, but Bevern stood back and said, “Why should we bother helping him? He’s the one who got us all trapped down here!”
“We’ve got to help him!” shrieked Sianna, “Yes, he may have got us trapped down here, but he’s still human, we can’t just leave him to die. Plus Lisa said that all of us – all four of us – were ‘Warriors of Light’. He may have got us trapped here, but if we don’t save him we might never get out, or find any of the other Crystals.”
Gaian then spoke to Bevern in a softer voice, “Bevern, please...”
Bevern sighed, but then said, “Oh, very well.”
The three of them worked together, and they had Tyght out in very little time. He was unconscious, and shaking him wasn’t bringing him around.
“I’m feeling weak after that earlier spell,” said Sianna, “But there’s nothing else for it. I might need one of you guys to help me walk afterwards.” Before Gaian and Bevern could protest she placed both of her hands on Tyght and said, “CURE!!!”
Tyght immediately woke up, and, simultaneously, Sianna collapsed, but she remained conscious. Gaian quickly went to her aid, but Bevern let Tyght try and stand up on his own.
“What happened?” asked Tyght.
Sianna spoke in a weak whisper, “I saw all of the crabs merging together to form a giant beast – I never knew they developed like that. It was blocking my path, there was nowhere else for me to go, and so I had to risk the spell. But, Tyght, I swear I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s alright, I didn’t see you either.”
Gaian said, “Well, now that we’re all together and relatively safe, where shall we go now? Sianna, you said you had nowhere else to go, I take it that this is a dead end?” Sianna nodded. “Bevern and I were in the same tunnel – directly opposite this one – and that was a dead end too. There were two other paths leading off from the cavern back there. Tyght, where did you come from?”
“The path to that would be to the left as you exit this one – it too was a dead end. But I have an idea, I think I know how we can get to the Crystal.” He got up to start to lead the party back to the cavern, but he had barely taken a few steps before he had collapsed to the round.
“Bevern,” said Gaian, “Help him.” Bevern gave Gaian a look of utter disgust, making no attempt to hide the fact that he still mistrusted Tyght. “Just do it!” Grudgingly, Bevern went to assist Tyght, whilst Gaian helped Sianna to her feet.
The party slowly made their way back to the cavern. “Help me up onto those rocks in the centre,” said Tyght.
“Why?” said Bevern, “There’s nothing there.”
“Please, just help me.”
Bevern looked at Gaian, who just shrugged his shoulders. And so Bevern helped Tyght up onto the rocks.
Tyght was just about able to stand up. He lifted up his staff, and hit the rock with all of his might, but nothing happened.
“Why won’t you let me in?! We’re all here!”
Bevern asked, “Tyght, are you alright?” But Tyght just ignored him, and looked at the rock in dismay. Bevern then turned to Gaian and Sianna and said, “I think that bump on the head has done Tyght more harm than it first appears.”
Gaian helped Sianna down to the ground, and then said, “Tyght and Sianna clearly need some rest. I say we all rest here for a while, and then once we’ve got our strength back we go down the last tunnel, which we have to hope will lead us out of here.”
Bevern then said, “Can’t you and I go and have a quick look, just so we can see if it is a way out?”
“No, what if those crabs come into this cavern? Tyght and Sianna won’t be able to defend themselves. We’ll have to stay her and look after them.”
“Yes, of course, you’re right...” Bevern appeared downhearted.
“Hey!” said Gaian, “Don’t worry, we got in here, so we’re bound to find a way out. We’re altogether and we’re safe, that’s what matters for now. Remember, one thing at a time.”
“I’ll go and stand watch at our tunnel, see if any of those crabs have followed us.” And with that Bevern walked off. Gaian felt that he was acting a little oddly, but he put it down to the strain of their predicament weighing down on him.
Gaian sat down next to Sianna, whilst keeping an eye open on the tunnel that they had just emerged from. “Don’t you know better than to cause explosions in undersea tunnels?” He spoke with a smile on his face, and a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Sianna returned the smile, “I also know better than to go gallivanting all over the world to try and save it after it’s ended, but what can you do?”
Gaian put his arm around her and held her close. “Well, don’t do anything foolish like that again, we’ve still got that date to go on, remember?”
“After we’ve saved the world, of course.”
“Of course. Although I think that Lisa had her eye on me.”
“What?”
“Well, you know, I am irresistible!”
“Oh yeah, you reckon!”
“Of course! And if she decides to make a move on me I might just let her, she is hot after all!”
Sianna playfully hit him, “That’s it, I’m not going to use any Cure spells on you!”
“What makes you think I’ll ever be in need of them?”
“You’ll probably be needing quite a few after I cast a Bolt spell or two on you...”
Her voice started to fade, and she fell asleep. Gaian continued to hold her in his arms, watching her breath, feeling her warmth against him. There was still something good left in this shattered world.
Several hours passed by. Bevern kept watch throughout, despite Gaian’s offer to take over. Thankfully, they were not disturbed by any more crabs, and so once they were sufficiently rested they started down the one remaining tunnel.
There was a faint blue light in the tunnel, but no indication as to where it was emanating from. As they walked along it they noticed that it was going deeper into the ground, and it started veering sharply to the left. Gaian quickly realised that it was spiralling down.
After a few hundred metres it levelled out, and they could see a large tunnel stretching out in front of them. They started to walk along it, and at the end they could see a large set of doors, with two large blue flames either side of it. The flames looked decidedly odd. Whilst they had the appearance of burning something, they looked more like water dancing in the air.
As they reached the door they could see four sets of hands imprinted into it. Above these imprints they could see an inscription, “Warriors of Light, if your quest be noble, and your hearts be true, place your hands below and you shall be admitted. But be there evil in your hearts, then leave this place, or face your doom.”
“Well,” said Gaian, “Evil or not, there’s nowhere else to go.” He walked up to the first set of imprints and placed his hands inside them – they fitted perfectly. As he did so the flames flared brighter for a moment, and they could hear a chime that seemed to emanate from the doors. “It seems safe enough. Bevern, you come up next.”
Bevern did so, and placed his hands into the next set of imprints. This second set were a perfect fit for Bevern’s hands. Again, the flames flared up for a second, and another chime could be heard from the doors.
Without prompting Sianna walked up to the next set of imprints and placed her hands into them, and, again, they were a perfect fit. The flames flared up once more, and a third chime sounded out.
Tyght hesitated. Gaian turned around, with his hands still in the imprints, and said, “Come on, it’s perfectly alright. Obviously we need to do this to open the door.” Tyght nervously walked up to the last set of imprints. He could see that they were a perfect fit for his hands. He slowly placed his hands in them. But, as soon as he did so, rather than the flames flaring up and a chime sounding out, he was repelled backwards by some strong invisible force.
A low pitched horn sounded out, and Gaian, Bevern, and Sianna were also forced back from the door, although not as violently as Tyght had been. About ten feet away from the door the floor started to part in the middle. Then, from the resulting hole, they could hear something slowly making its way up.
The cave started shaking, and a few rocks started to fall down around them. The horn sounded again, louder and deeper, sending fear deep within their souls. They then heard a growl from the hole.
A large hand, almost two feet wide, gripped the top of the hole, and this was quickly followed by a second hand. Then a head emerged, and slowly a troll began to climb out of the hole. He possessed a giant club and roared at the party. He then held his club up high, and charged at them.
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