PC: Alphinaud

[voltadomar]

Comments

[voltadomar]

Good. Let me know if you need anything else.

[He'll step away to give him some room now.]

... There is something I wanted to discuss with you, though. If you don't mind.

[arcsplainist]

[ ... ? ]

Of course, certainly. What would that be?

[voltadomar]

The creatures you encountered... Could you describe them?

The shape of their bodies, their behaviour... And you said they spoke?

[arcsplainist]

[ A beat, then a nod. ]

Their only words, however, were desires for death. They wanted naught but a means to die.

[ It was terrible! ]

They—hm... had the physique of people, with rotted flesh, yet they reminded me of the Sahagin in a fashion with their fish-like features. It was horribly grotesque.

[voltadomar]

[Kim's fidgeting with his fingers. He stuffs them into his jacket pocket.]

Their skin... was it bluish? Did they react to light?

[arcsplainist]

[ ... ! ]

Y- yes—yes to both.

[voltadomar]

[He lets out a breath...]

Fuck...

[From his pocket, he produces a matchbox. He takes a match and a cigarette from it, and lights one up.]

[arcsplainist]

[ Okay, that's a reaction. ]

Wh—what is the matter?

[voltadomar]

I think I know what those were.

[He takes a long drag, and exhales.]

I think they were humans.

[arcsplainist]

[ Alphinaud falls silent for a long, long moment, eyes lowered; he's focused on his thoughts, until he finally says: ]

I believe you may be right.

[voltadomar]

[The lieutenant falls silent for a few seconds...]

There was a document recovered in town. It described people suffering from bizarre symptoms of some unknown ailment...

And it sounded a lot like what you encountered.

[arcsplainist]

... I see.

I know not how else to describe what we went through—they were... moments of this city's past. Surely, encountering those– [ People? ] –things in the cave was yet another memory...

[voltadomar]

A memory? But one of them made it out, didn't it?

Part of it...

[arcsplainist]

I have made it out with a piece of that past, as well. Though it was but a memory—or... I can only assume so—it was as though we were living those days for true.

[voltadomar]

A piece of the past? What was it?

[arcsplainist]

[ There's a crease of his brow, mouth pursed into a thin line. But after a beat, he answers. ]

'Tis a doll that belonged to a little girl.

[voltadomar]

A doll...?

[He frowns at that.]

[arcsplainist]

Yes; she had given it to me, and it stayed with me since. Even now, it remains in my possession.

[voltadomar]

Did she say anything...?

[arcsplainist]

She—

[ He stops short, briefly. ]

No, I owe you a more thorough explanation. Where to begin, I am not certain, but... When we vanished here, the four of us came to upon a ship. Or shall I say—the selfsame ship you and I had ventured into earlier this week.

[voltadomar]

The galleon...

[... He nods, bringing the cigarette to his lips.]

[arcsplainist]

[ he nods. ]

And... You do recall the thought that a massive beast struck the ship, yes?

[voltadomar]

... Yes. A "sea monster."

[He may have been dismissive of that hypothesis the first time it was posited. But this time, Alphinaud's got his full attention.]

[arcsplainist]

Precisely. There was a violent, terrible storm as the sea monster gave chase to the ship hurrying toward the nearby town.

The town being what was Krankaz, ere it sank into the sea.

[voltadomar]

You witnessed this?

What... was the monster like?