It took a while for our first destination to come into sight, sat upon a tiny island with a massive structure that looked as if it were emerging from the waves. It was surrounded by nothing but ocean for miles, a fact that made it very easy to see once it came into view over the horizon.
I sent my intent through the hive mind to our feathered transportation. Polly flapped his wings and dived down. There wasn't enough room for him to land on the island itself, so he let himself collide with the lighthouse. His talons dug into the side of the stone structure while he used his wings to help cling to its surface. The big guy had positioned himself in a way that allowed us to jump down onto the stairway leading to the entrance.
"And we're here," I muttered as my feet connected with the hard stone of the stairs.
"That was a shorter trip than I expected," Sapphire said as she landed next to me.
She then turned and looked up at Polly. "T-thank you for the lift, you were amazing." She bowed slightly, causing the massive parrot to screech arrogantly.
"His head's only going to get even bigger if you keep praising him like that," I chuckled. Not that I really care, but he could really do with getting knocked down a few pegs, I thought with a shake of my head.
"So this is the place? It looks a lot more dreary than I was expecting," Sapphire mused while glancing around somewhat nervously.
"Well, what were you expecting? A creepy, seemingly abandoned lighthouse placed in the middle of the ocean?" I pointed out.
"That is a good point..."
"You damn right it is," I grinned at her.
"Now then, we should probably get moving."
"Yeah... you're probably right." The fish girl responded with a nod as she made her way down to where the stairway met the vast, expanse of water.
"Before that, though..." I hummed before glancing at Polly. "It's time for you to go back, big guy."
He was not pleased, if what I was feeling through the connection was anything to go by. "No, no, don't give me that sass; you're going back, mister."
"Is... is it bad to let him fly around while we go down?" Sapphire asked with a tilt of her head.
"Sorry, but I'm not taking the chance that he could be attacked while I'm unable to send him support because I'm miles underwater," I explained with a sigh.
There was no way I was risking him being killed or hurt by the governments of this world while I was down in Rapture. I wouldn't be as bothered if it was one of my mutants I hadn't named, call it me being emotionally attached or whatever. I mean sure, the technology in this world, which is currently in the year 1968, isn't as advanced as what they had in the Rampage universe, but still I wouldn't want risk it.
It took a minute to get Polly back through the rift and into my sanctuary space, but I eventually succeeded. "And there he goes," I huffed, rolling my head as I felt his annoyance through the hive mind.
"Oh, you have the Sanctuary Gate Gift as well?" I asked as I turned my attention back to Sapphire, who was looking at a glowing portal that had partially opened beneath the waves.
"Y-yes I do. Malice suggested that I get it," she answered.
(I guess that makes sense; after all, it's not like I'm the only one could buy that Gift,) I thought, only to be brought back to reality when Sapphire spoke again.
"They're coming through now," she announced a second later as two massive creatures emerged from the portal.
Oh?
What had come out of the rift were two beings that I could only describe as a fusion of three things: a megalodon, Dunkleosteus, and a viperfish. Their bodies were definitely more reminiscent of a large, bulky yet streamlined species of shark, with one being around twenty-four metres long and the other around twenty-nine metres long. They were jet black in colour with glowing red circular markings running down their bodies and between the gaps in their armoured plates. Yes, they had thick armoured plates that covered most of the front half of their bodies while also acting as shearing, blade-like facial plates; of course, they also had five rows of large, traditional shark-like teeth behind those plates.
Additionally, each of them had extra armour fastened onto their bodies. This added protection was made of a dark-blue metal and was connected to the large saddles on their backs. This metal armour was similar to the kind of stuff you'd see on a medieval war horse, except it was on a giant shark. Notably, however, the larger creature's armour seemed fancier; it had various symbols and runic patterns carved into its dark-blue metal surface. It almost looked like the kind of thing made for a royal mount.
"How have you been, my dear Kurash?" Sapphire asked, a soft smile on her face as she stepped forward, rubbing her hand down the big shark's side.
"So these are the Abyss Tyrants you were talking about?" I asked, and she was quick to respond.
"Y-yeah, yeah, they are."
Nodding to that, I noticed both creatures were covered in old wounds. (Those are a lot of scars,) I thought before noticing that the big one was currently glaring at me.
"I don't think he likes me," I chuckled awkwardly.
Sapphire sighed. "She's a friend, so please be nice," she mused, trying to put her apparently overprotective friend at ease. "This is Kurash, by the way; he's been with me for a long time now."
"You know, this is the first time I've seen you so relaxed," I said, causing her to blush.
"A-as for this one, well, I don't actually know her name. I just borrowed her so she can give you a ride down." She was clearly trying to change the subject, not that I stopped her from doing so.
"Got it. Anything I need to know about riding one of these?" I hummed curiously.
"Not really. You just need to hold on; I'll do the rest."
"Alright then." I nodded in understanding before turning to my "ride," so to speak. "Thanks for the ride friend," I said as I patted the big girl's side before hopping on her back. Her response was a simple rumble that sounded like a low growl of approval or appreciation.
Once I was on, she then in turn got on Kurash. A moment later she turned back to me and asked, "Are you... are you ready?"
"Yep."
"We won't be able to communicate, so try not to slip off, okay? It... it would be a big problem if we somehow got separated on our way down, so..."
"Enough worrying. Let's just go, alright?" I shook my head and sighed at her anxieties, although I did appreciate the concern.
"Very well..." she breathed slowly before letting out a low hum that caused our mount to dive down.
We descended into the depths. It wasn't so bad at first, but the further we went the darker it became until we could barely see each other's outlines. Additionally, there was the pressure to take into account; if a normal human had travelled this far down without any protective gear, they would have died a while ago. Thankfully I was resistant to such pressure, and considering the fact that Sapphire was still alive, it was highly likely she was as well.
Anyway, we saw the glow of the city before it came into view, a faint illumination that broke up the monotony of the surrounding darkness. As we moved deeper and deeper, that illumination grew more prevalent until finally the abyss that had seemed so all-consuming parted.
And there it was, Rapture. It was... beautiful, and yet I could tell at a glance that it was dead and rotting. Large sections of it were clearly in decay, but even still, it was stunning. It was a marvel of lights and architecture surrounded by the darkness of the abyss; it was almost poetic, if you consider the reason behind its construction in the first place.
Still, even though I wasn't an artist; even I could tell that in its prime this city would have been a masterpiece to look upon. We were still some distance away, but even from here the sight of a pod of whales swimming alongside large schools of fish between the towering structures of Rapture was enough to take my breath away.
Some part of me wanted it, to claim it as my own. Unfortunately, it would take far too long for me to actually pull that off. It had taken months of work to fully claim that small island back in the Rampage universe; claiming something of this size would be a task that might take me years to pull off as I am currently. Still, I swore to myself that one day, once I had ranked up enough, I would return and save this place from the rot that was spreading throughout its core. I'd turn it into what it was always meant to be, a marvel beyond words.
(This is going to be one interesting trip...)