Snippet #1554760

Racing through the darkened corridors at top speed, Hizashi ignored the cries of the other passengers as the rocking of the boat awakened everyone on board. He burst out onto the deck, where panic reigned. Crew members were calling out to each other, the captain was trying to maintain discipline and keep the ship under control, while people were running here, there and everywhere searching for their loved ones. Hizashi barely even saw the other passengers, he was so intent on looking for Edge, but at last a sound got through to him and made him look up, and he saw why the passengers were panicking.

Sin. All that could be seen of it was a huge, curving shape, vaster than Besaid Island, rearing up into the sky, a colossal shadow blocking the stars. From its moonlit form, dark shapes came swarming through the air and raining down across the deck. One of them landed close to Hizashi with a loud thump, before unfolding into something leathery and alive.

"Sinspawn!" he shouted, but judging by the screams and yells of the other people on the deck, they were already painfully aware. Hizashi didn't have time for this. He ran on, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Sinspawn lunge after him. He darted aside, drew his sword in one fluid motion and smacked the fiend as far away from him as he could. He didn't have time to kill it; he hoped the other guardians on board would protect the passengers.

At last he saw Edge and was running towards him when the unthinkable happened: the summoner lost his footing and was washed into the sea.

"No!" he shouted. For one shameful moment, Hizashi was paralysed with fear. He stood staring at the place where Edge had disappeared into the waves, knowing he had to do something, but terrified of being in the ocean with Sin. At last he ran towards the rails. He knew he was going to die, but he had to go in there after Edge.

Hizashi plunged into the water and began to swim as fast as he could. It was dark, and Sin was so huge, he couldn't tell where it ended and where the ocean began. Where are you, Edge? he thought desperately. If Sin doesn't kill us, the Sinspawn will...