Nobody Expects Leviathan's Attack!

Greetings, Lady Sheila, Levvie, and Aldo! Good to see you're all looking in fine fettle. As you know, the waters have been far from calm as of late. We palace guards have to be on our guard, even more so than usual.

It's a shame you guys haven't been able to take it easy, what with all these incidents. Good to know you're doing what you can about the threat, though.

You'll be at least delighted to know that we're all fine here.

Things'll be even more delightful once your request is all wrapped up! I've got the Fishstress of the Robes on the case.

What was it?

That's a state secret, Aldo. Hmm... (I suppose if we go to the Central Keep now, we can speak to her...)

So...how about we do that? Come on, oxygen's a-wasting.

I don't see why I have to be kept in the dark. You've got me curious now.

Welp, that's enough chit-chat from me. I'll get back to my patrol after some seaweed biscuits and salt-tea. Look after yourselves, you three.

It's a high-pressure situation here at the palace. The guards have even had to cut down on their salt-tea breaks. Not that any of this should prevent us from seeing your request fulfilled, Lady Sheila.

There's no word of ne'er-do-wells attempting to infiltrate at present, so I'd say you're doing a good job.

We don't know if LeA and his synth soldiers are just taking their time before another strike. After all the mayhem last time, I think we've learned we can't take any risks with him around.

That's not our only problem either. The palace has been getting worrying reports recently. They say there's a massive sea-beast lurking around somewhere, though it doesn't seem to have actually eaten anyone yet. It makes you wonder if we didn't completely vanquish Leviathan that time.

We didn't strike a victory pose after that battle for nothing. I'm sure we defeated it.

Usually I'd agree with you, but with a mystical beast like that, can you really guarantee it? You can't be sure it doesn't have the ability to revive, or shapeshift, or something.

......

Enough bubbling around. We have more important things to discuss! *sniffle*

Oh yeah, I was on the verge of forgetting there. Don't be so anxious Levvie, our guys are on it!

We have scouts scouring the seafloor for an item of the finest quality. They shouldn't be long now! Please just have a little more patience.

What's this about an item of the finest quality?

Right, right. You're not in the loop are you? Well, we're after a new, sparkly piece of shellery for Levvie.

Shellery? What's that?

That's jewelry, or an accessory to you land-dwellers, I think. Coral earrings and a shell pendant combo is a timeless look. It's even popular with you guys on the surface!

Shellery gives an exotic appeal, wouldn't you say, Levvie?

It certainly does! Aldo, don't you get that an alluring accessory would enhance my visual appeal considerably?

Oh right, sorry. Accessorizing isn't the kind of thing I ever worry about, so... How about we search for something ourselves? It'd be cool if your accessory was something we found together, right?

You might be onto something.

Aldo, you've got some good ideas tucked away in that fluffy head of yours!

The fluff keeps my good ideas safe, I'll have you know. Anyway, I'm thinking somewhere like Kira Beach or the coast on Last Island would be good.

What do we say to setting off straight away?

Yes, I say! Anchors away!

Kira Beach is closer, so let's head there first.

Happy hunting.

Hey, look. This one's kinda weird. There are carvings that look like letters on the inside.

I'd wager it's a message written in the ancient fishfolk tongue. I've seen similar shells before. It's gibberish to most modern oceanfolk, but Levvie, you can read this, right?

The Heavenly House unleashed a sea beast of hitherto unseen ferocity to annihilate all those deemed enemy. The lands were scorched, the populace decimated. Not a single tear of pity was shed by the all-powerful beast. Its name was Leviathan; a name the voice trembles upon uttering; one irrevocably associated with fear, hatred, and death.

Holy smoke!

Hard to say what its purpose is. Whether it was intended just a record, or as a warning...or as a lamentation. I would wager it was written by someone in one of the ocean states ravaged by Leviathan. They may even have been... one of your compatriots, Levvie. If you wanted to find out more, there are many more shells like this out there.

It's eerie, that a god of destruction's name resembles my own so closely.

Don't worry about stupid stuff like that. There's probably no connection.

I'm not so sure. *sniffle*

Take my word for it! I wonder though, do you think there are some more of those shells on this beach?

It'd be good to fill in the gaps in Leviathan's tale.

Hm... Yeah, doesn't seem there are any more with the same shape and color. Should we move on to Last Island? Lots of stuff ends up on the coast there, all washed up from different eras.

Hey, my hunch was right. Here's another one.

......

Having wreaked doom upon all who opposed them, the royal family found their weapon to be an unwanted burden. They settled to destroy it, but upon finding this to be impossible, a casket of unsurpassed strength was erected to contain the ocean titan. It was cast into the depths, and in its vicinity, a palace was built. Upon the inhabitants and their descendants does peace depend.

That could surely only refer to...

The Dragon Palace and the Jewel Casket. So it was a past royal family who gave your people the task of protecting Pandora's Box... I wonder if there's any more of these lying around? It'd be really interesting to find out the rest of the story.

...Hm? Oh, there's one more here, actually.

Could you read this one for us too?

......

Having attracted the unbridled enmity of all, the beast took to an unending slumber. Encased within its vessel, its mind melting into dream, the beast feels neither serenity nor agitation. The beast must ever slumber, lest a second catastrophe be visited upon our civilization.

Unbridled enmity and an unending slumber, hm... The part about the second catastrophe though, we prevented that, right?

......

Like I said, you've got no reason to worry. Leviathan is definitely dead.

That's what I want to think. It's just, it's hard to imagine what else the unidentified sea-beast in the reports could have been.

Okay, if it'll help you calm down... How about we go ahead and track this thing down ourselves?

If we can, I guess that'd be best...

The Sea Turtle is always swimming to and from the palace, so maybe he'll know something. Let's try talking with him first.

Good day, Mr. Turtle. How have the waves been treating you?

'Ello there, guv. All's well on my end. And you lot are lookin' spritely as ever! Bloomin' shame about them attacks though, innit? Word is that a bloke called "Leviaben" is whodunnit. Not that I worry my shell about these things. Any sea-beast comes after me, and he'll be history, I guarantee ya! Anyhow, you lot'll be back off to the palace, yeah? Get on, get on.

Blooming 'eck, is that who I think it is... Cor blimey, it is as well! That must be that Leviaben bloke. 'E seems pretty set on coming over 'ere, 'opefully just for a chat, eh? You chaps don't mind paddlin' the rest of the way, do ya? Nah, you're all fine swimmers. Cheerio then!

Hey, where do you think you're going!

Don't get stressy wiv me, guv, I don't need none of that. You've still got that bubble magic o'yers, so you'll be all right.

I was more concerned about the "abandoned with a hungry-looking monster after us" part...

Okay, I was wrong...

That's Leviathan all right. But...how?

So this is the beast, Leviathan...

It's exactly as I feared! Taking him down was never going to be plain sailing. But then...how do we explain Levvie's appearance? I assumed when we found her that...

No time for theories! Either we defend ourselves or we'll be sleeping with the fishes!

That's driven it off for now...

See? It really was Leviathan!

Surprising that we were able to stand our ground against a beast that wiped out entire sea-nations.

The one positive is this blows my theory of Levvie and Leviathan being related somehow out of the water. But then, how do we explain why she appeared straight after we defeated him the first time... I'm royally confused now!

Let's think about that later. Right now, we have to take Leviathan down. For good.

Right. We ought to hurry back to the palace, on the double!

So clearly, we can't just bash Leviathan with sharp things and hope he'll die. We have to reseal him, I'm sure of it! For whatever reason, he still hasn't gone into full god-of-destruction mode, but if he does...

Yeah... I suppose you're right.

Well, you know what they say: when in doubt, travel to the past and consult with a wise fish. Let's go and have a chat with the All-knowing Ammonite again.

Okay, she'll be in the Inner Wall area in your era, won't she?

Are you there, All-knowing Ammonite? We've got another conundrum for you. We found some writings on a shell, about Leviathan. It seems the monarchs that originally controlled him... were also the ones that sealed him away. They wanted to destroy him, but couldn't.

Those fools... They musta thought they'd won the ocean jackpot, comin' 'cross a weapon like that. Ain't no sayin' how they were able to control it neither, since the beast weren't one they'd raised 'emselves. There was rumors among fish in the know, that Leviathan wasn't a being out of our ordinary reality.

Then where could it have come from?

Like I said, laddie, those're just rumors and nothin' more. They were never disproven, and now they're myth. Anyhoo, I've got somethin' for ya, Levvie. Catch!

Whatever is it?

Why, it's a gorgeous piece of shellery! How pretty!

Oh! This shall go splendidly with my garments' eclectic color scheme! You have my undying gratitude, most sage of ammonite ladies!

Ho-ho, well, I do like me a good spot of undyin' gratitude.

Can't say I'm much of an undersea fashion guru, but I'd say it suits you!

A most pleased sea creature am I!

Well then, we'll be counting on your all-knowingness the next time we have a problem, Lady Ammonite!

Indeed. I also like me a good spot of sharin' 'round that all-knowingness of mine, so feel free to stop by any time. You as well, Levvie.

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this. Could Leviathan really have come from...

It's as you suspect, Aldo. Leviathan is the product of yet undeveloped technology; the work of scientists who won't be born for at least another 900 years or so.

LeA! Are you going to tell me what you mean by that?

It should be fairly obvious Leviathan is not a purely organic being. It's a battleship, created by the synths to replace the Hydra.

What?!

After you hijacked the Hydra, the militarist faction redoubled their efforts on the R&D front, and successfully produced a new Leviathan. During the final trial flight, the time-vortex module malfunctioned, leaving it stranded many millennia away. It was just recently that they learned of its being operational again. Understandably, the militarists are desperate to get it back. Without Leviathan, they're hardly a force to be reckoned with, whereas with it...

Okay, so if that's all true... That still leaves your role in all of this a mystery.

Well, it won't shock you to learn that I've always been a loner. As for my origins at KMS, well... Actually, no, I'll monologue another time. All you need to know is that my interest in finding Leviathan is a purely personal one.

Well, it won't shock you to learn that I've always been a loner. As for my origins at KMS, well... Actually, no, I'll monologue another time. All you need to know is that my interest in finding Leviathan is a purely personal one.

But why? You don't think there's some kind of connection between Levvie and Leviathan, do you?

That I still don't know. I had expected to figure it out last time. But then my synth "allies" went and fell like dominos, leaving me exposed to Leviathan's wrath. Now, I think I'll be getting back to where I'm most comfortable. Namely the sidelines, to observe.

Well I'll tell you now: you won't be laying one finger on Levvie. Just try it!

You're a feisty one, aren't you? Not that I'd have it any other way.

......