1. What's the problem?

"We'll soon be over the Lankom Islands, sir."

"Thank you," I replied. "I'll be right there."

I hurriedly got dressed and headed below, where the bridge from which the Gloria is steered is located.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Captain."

Entering the bridge, I could hear the voice of Litzer, the ship's 'detector'. She was the operator of the ship's "MagiTek radar". Her job as 'detector' entailed using the radar to spot objects in the vicinity of the ship and then reporting on them.

"Oh, has that thing found something?"

Looking ahead, I could see them with my naked eye. At this height, the small islands in the middle of the vast sea were the size of grains of rice.

"We've arrived, sir."

"Sure was a long journey. Three years and five months since we first set out for this place. Did I do a good job keeping us on course, or what?"

"Oh, come off it! It was I who kept us in the air all this time!"

These last two were Hyman, the pilot, and Abdul, the engineer.

Without them along, we never would have been able to get to these remote islands off the edge of the continent.

"Congratulations, sir!"

Cannon, the gunner, came in noisily.

He's been calling me 'sir' ever since I saved him from some drunks back when we stopped in Batik village to refuel.

The gunner position was open, so I hired him, and he's been with us ever since. You don't mess with this guy, I'll tell you that much.

"Not so fast, Cannon. 'Congratulations' is a word you only say at the very end."

"...? Our journey isn't over yet?"

"Ah, that's right. I haven't told you yet, have I?"

The note my father left me before he passed away claimed that the legendary City of Gold, Caimsunhama, is hidden somewhere in the Lankom Islands.

'Caimsunhama' means 'golden man' in an ancient language. According to some old books, this Caimsunhama person was once the king of the Lankom Islands. There was gold in one of the mountains here and he was the first to dig it out. He then, as the story goes, used his riches to build a nation.

The people of the islands, awash in gold, used it to make everything from jewelry to household goods. But with this glittering nation escaping the eyes of no one, it fell to the powerful kingdom of Lonka in the middle ages.

...This much appears in the Tale of Damun, which surely every child has read at some point, but that's not all that appears in my father's notes.

'One day, near the end of my journeys, we stopped to replenish supplies at a small fishing village, and in a pub there I met a man who claimed to be the last of the Caimsunhamans. At first I listened to his tale only half in earnest. To be sure, this man was well-known as the village's biggest yarn-spinner. But then his story took a fascinating turn.

'Just before the Kingdom of Lonka took over the islands, all the treasures were sealed away behind a sturdy door of rock... This was conducted by four royal soldiers who were called the "Black Nobles". In order to break the seal, one would have to assemble all the "sealing stones", one of which was in the possession of each member of the Black Nobles.

'One would have to place these stones into the keys, called "kashibu", to open the door which was somewhere in the Lankom Islands.

'I told the old man about the key I'd found in the "Tower of the Dead" earlier on that same adventure, and, with tears in his eyes, he said:

' "Lala bebe..."

'Surely he wasn't even conscious of having said it; "lala bebe" is a word used when praying to the god that the Caimsunhamans worshiped. Upon hearing it, I could hardly remain still.

'His story was true! Somewhere in Lankom, the treasure of Caimsunhama remains hidden away! A huge treasure, no doubt!'

'But I wasn't interested. Who knows how many treasure-hunters have gone after it and given up?

'Then again, maybe I could solve the puzzle...!

'Nah, too far away. I'll leave that to my own descendants, who'll have better ships than mine.'

So he said, but... the discovery of the airship has put this adventure within the reach of me, his son.

"So that's how it got started?"

I knew that we could reach the Lankom Islands! Abdul seemed to get a second wind, as Cannon, hearing the story for the first time, was taken aback.

"So we're all in this dream together! Right, Abdul? Litzer?"

"Yeah!" they answered.

"Sir! My mind is made up!" said Cannon. "Show me the..."

And at that moment, something shook the Gloria. Alarms blared all over the ship.

"A bomb!?"

"All hands, to your stations!" I cried. "Litzer, find out what that was!"

"Yes, sir!"

"It couldn't possible be them, could it?" Another explosion-like sound shook the ship.

"Something's approaching from the left, sir! From the size of it, it looks like a battle airship fleet! Four, five... six of them!"

"It's the Paramekians! What should we do, sir?"

The Empire of Paramekia... a military power controlling more land than any other country.

They've been after me ever since I made a bet with them...

"We're not about to let those guys beat us! Hyman, head for the clouds in front of us! We'll sneak into the mountainous area on the west side of Nashlam."

"Aye aye, sir!"

We floated upward and then into the cloud.

Since the discovery of airships, many clever techniques have been developed for fighting in the air. One of the most difficult is the 'cloud maneuver'.

Radar technology isn't refined enough yet to track an airship in a cloud, and the cloud itself acts as a smokescreen, limiting your field of vision. Of course, a strategy like this requires heavy clouds, but...

"Captain, we'll be over Nashlam shortly."

"Okay, speed down. We'll land in those mountains."

2. "What!?"

"Captain! We've spotted what looks like an enemy ship 500 sectors behind us!"

"The Paramekians...

We can't handle them now... full speed ahead! Let's find the City of Gold!"

"Roger!"

Nashlam Island

The easternmost of the Lankom Islands.

Nashlam is also the largest of the islands. There's a prosperous agricultural city in the mountains in the west, and in the east, surrounded by mountain ranges, an equally-prosperous fishing city.

We eluded the Paramekian attack and landed in the mountains in the west. Looking around, we seemed to have escaped the Paramekians, so...

In the city in the west -- named Calune -- we gathered information and replaced food and fuel.

"Think it's true, Hyman?"

"I think so, but it looks pretty dangerous..."

As for what adventure Hyman was talking about...

"OK, everyone's back on board? Hyman, explain to them."

"Yes, sir. Everyone, look at this.

This is where we are now: the western mountains on Nashlam Island. And this is where we want to go: the islands where we think the City of Gold might be. We know that there are eight islands here, but they're all too small to land an airship on."

"That means that the Gloria will have to hover in the air while we investigate. Which brings up the problem of fuel," interjected Abdul.

"It looks to be about 280,000 sectors from our current position to the islands. Not too far, but we can't afford to go back and forth too much."

"So we've got only one shot at getting out there before we'll have to refuel!?"

"Looks like it."

Let's review the situation:

The islands in this area are extremely small, and we can't land the airship on any of them. This means that we'll have to keep the airship hovering in the air while we go down to investigate. Hovering; that is, keeping the weight of the airship suspended in the air, in fact consumes more fuel than regular forward movement does.

And it's about 280,000 sectors from Nashlam to the islands where we think Caimsunhama, the City of Gold, is hidden. Not an easy distance to traverse back and forth.

So we'll top up the fuel tank, fly out to the islands, search around as efficiently as possible, and find the city! And then we've got to get back here to Nashlam.

The Gloria holds 16,000 units of fuel. The information we've got now assumes that it'll take 500 units to get out to the islands and another 500 to get back. Factoring that in, we've only got 15,000 units to spend while there.

1. Movement

2. Hovering

3. Damage to the ship

4. Repairing the ship

And we can't assume that there will be any places where we can pick up more fuel.

If we run out, our adventure is over.

There are eight islands in the area.

Four are the islands of the four "Black Nobles".

One of the other four contains the treasures of the City of Gold.

We have to manage our fuel efficiently, and find the four keys that the Black Nobles held. This will enable us to open the seal of Caimsunhama.

"OK, everybody, listen up. This little sojourn of ours is going to be a bit dangerous. We've got some unexplored islands, the race against time with fuel, plus the Paramekians on our tails. Lots of uncertainties. Dangerous, indeed. Still with me?"

"Captain, what are you talking about? Of course we're with you!"

"Of course, Captain! I'm excited!"

"Givin' up now would put those three years an' five months for naught!"

"Let's find the City of Gold!"

"Thanks, everybody. Let's do it."

[screenshot here]

"Captain, we can reach any of the islands from here, for the same amount of fuel. Please choose a destination."

North

"Captain, from here we can reach Marzhen and Abulonia in the northeast, or Kirlo and the Island of Joy in the northwest. Where shall we go?"

Northeast

"We'll head northeast. Which island?"

Northwest

"We'll head northwest. Which island?"

South

"Captain, from here we can reach Ieyr and Poseidon in the southeast, or Balnibabin and Lastlog in the southwest. Where shall we go?"

Southeast

"We'll head southeast. Which island?"

"We'll head southwest. Which island?"

* Movement: -100

* Movement between areas: -300

* Firing main cannon: -50

* Firing sub cannon: -20

* Searching island: -500

* Damage to the ship: -10 to -900

* Repairing ship: -50 to -500

Please be careful when consuming HP.

(Click "back" to return to where you last were.)

"Captain, we're over Marzhen. What should we do?"

1. Investigate the island

Marzhen

Captain's Log, Marzhen

In search of the City of Gold, we landed on Marzhen. Supposedly this island was once home to a race of tiny people called Lilliputians.

Supposedly, they were happy and peaceful... until the nation of Caimsunhama was built.

Looking around, the island still had the beauty of its former days. We found a shrine with a huge door which was painted deep red, but since we had no way of opening it, we left it alone.

Marzhen

Captain's Log, Marzhen investigation

In search of the City of Gold, we landed on Marzhen. Supposedly this island was once home to a race of tiny people called Lilliputians.

Supposedly, they were happy and peaceful... until the nation of Caimsunhama was built.

After looking all around the island, we spotted a small shrine on our way back to the Gloria. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. There we found a huge, deep-red-colored door. Upon using the 'kashibu', it quietly began to open.

We walked through a long, narrow tunnel to find an old, weather-beaten airship that seemed to date from the earliest days of flying. An original adventure ship! There was a distinct odor in the air, and we set about investigating it. As it turned out, still remaining in the ship after all this time was some "ectorasm", or solid fuel!

Unfortunately, we were unable to find anything indicating that any of the Black Nobles had once lived here. But thanks to the ectorasm, the ship gained a few HP.

"Sir, we've sighted some Paramekian ships. It looks like they're following us. Are they investigating the islands too?"

"This is dangerous," I replied. "Let's leave this area and return to the center point."

"Roger!"

"Captain, the nearest island is Abulonia. Also, we can get to the Island of Joy, which is a short distance away."

"Captain, we're over Abulonia. What should we do?"

1. Investigate the island

Abulonia

Captain's Log, Abulonia investigation

We arrived at Abulonia in search of the City of Gold. In the past, when people still believed in the myths of the "over-gods", they would search for a land called Abulonia, where the "forbidden fruit" supposedly was hidden.

We searched the island, and just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine inside a small rock cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge blue door, but with no key to open it, we couldn't do anything.

Abulonia

Captain's Log, Abulonia investigation

We arrived at Abulonia in search of the City of Gold. In the past, when people still believed in the myths of the "over-gods", they would search for a land called Abulonia, where the "forbidden fruit" supposedly was hidden.

We searched the island, and just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine inside a small rock cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge blue door, and when the "kashibu" reacted, it began to open.

Waiting for us at the end of a long, thin tunnel was an altar that had been created at the bottom of a lake. Sitting on the altar was a dully-shining blue jewel.

--Mesa Ricksen had found the Blue Jewel, which had belonged to one of the Black Nobles!--

"Sir, we've sighted some Paramekian ships. It looks like they're following us. Are they investigating the islands too?"

"This is dangerous," I replied. "Let's leave this area and return to the center point."

"Roger!"

"Captain, the nearest island is Marzhen. Also, we can get to Ieyr, which is a short distance away."

"Captain, we're over Ieyr. What should we do?"

1. Investigate the island

Ieyr

Captain's Log, Ieyr investigation

In search of the City of Gold, we landed on Ieyr. According to legend, this is the land where woman was first born. But that legend is from the old days of the "over-god" myths. In this era of "magi-ence", old legends like that one are like dreams.

Just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine built into the side of a sheer rock wall. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge blue door, but with no key to open it, we couldn't do anything.

Ieyr

Captain's Log, Ieyr investigation

In search of the City of Gold, we landed on Ieyr. According to legend, this is the land where woman was first born. But that legend is from the old days of the "over-god" myths. In this era of "magi-ence", old legends like that one are like dreams.

Just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine built into the side of a sheer rock wall. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge blue door. Upon using the 'kashibu', it quietly began to open.

We walked through a long, narrow tunnel to find an old, weather-beaten airship that seemed to date from the earliest days of flying. An original adventure ship! There was a distinct odor in the air, and we set about investigating it. As it turned out, still remaining in the ship after all this time was some "ectorasm", or solid fuel! (The airship gained a few HP.)

"Sir, we've sighted some Paramekian ships. It looks like they're following us. Are they investigating the islands too?"

"This is dangerous," I replied. "Let's leave this area and return to the center point."

"Roger!"

"Captain, the nearest island is Poseidon. Also, we can get to Abulonia, which is a short distance away."

"Captain, we're over Poseidon. What should we do?"

1. Investigate the island

Poseidon

Captain's Log, Poseidon

Still searching for the City of Gold, we arrived on Poseidon. They say this island was named for the god of the sea, but perhaps the sea-god himself was named for the ancient magical nation of Poseidoom.

Just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine built into the side of a small cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge black door, but with no key to open it, we couldn't do anything.

Poseidon

Captain's Log, Poseidon

Still searching for the City of Gold, we arrived on Poseidon. They say this island was named for the god of the sea, but perhaps the sea-god himself was named for the ancient magical nation of Poseidoom.

We searched the island, and just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine inside a small rock cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found an imposing black door, and when the "kashibu" reacted, it began to open.

"What's this!?" Inside the doorway was a long tunnel. Sensing danger, I returned to the airship and brought the main crew members with me. After preparing for any trouble that might happen, we set off into the underground tunnel.

"Is this... the shrine's back entrance!?" After walking through the tunnel, we came through an exit and were outdoors again. It seemed that the shrine extended all the way to the back end of the island.

"Captai, how about climbing up that hill?" suggested Hyman. "Maybe there's something over there."

We ascended the hill.

"What the--?" On the edge of the map given to me by my father, there was a mysterious-looking crest. And looking down from this hill, that's what I saw! Cut into the forests were areas of grass, unnaturally connected together to form the crest.

I opened up the notes and looked at that page. The crest was indeed written there! We headed down the hill, towards the middle of the symbol. There we found a fist-sized stone lying on its side, and, picking it up, we noticed a raised area on it that looked like it might fit in a hole.

"Is this some kind of key?"

We tried fitting the "kashibu" on to the mysterious rock, and lo and behold, it fit!

We then slowly turned it around.

And then! The "kashibu" and rock shattered, leaving a light-green stone below.

"What could--," we thought... ah, but the miracles were only just beginning.

This green stone pulled in the sunlight from above, and refracted it to another point on the hill. We hurried to that spot, drawn by the single ray of light. The light beam was pointing the way.

"What could be over there?" we thought as we arrived at the area. We touched the flat rock there, and it slid aside, revealing a cave!

"This is the legendary stone door! This is where the treasure of Caimsunhama, the Lost City of Gold, is hidden!!"

"Let's go, Captain!"

"We did it!"

"Come on, Captain, let's enter the cave!"

"Hurry up, sir!"

With visions of huge piles of silver and gold dancing through our heads, we entered the cave and found ourselves in a vast hall. There was but a single treasure box in the middle.

With bated breath, we opened the box. Inside was... nothing but.. a piece of paper.

"Boys, you sure have come far. Sure, there's no treasure, but that's nothing to get depressed about. All the adventures you had in getting here... all the friends you made... those are the real treasures.

I tell you, it sure was a chore to prepare this huge story. Spreading tales of four jewels, a city called Caimsunhama... I made it all up! But it took on a life of its own and spread all through the world. Did I do a good job, or what?

One more thing: thanks for sticking with me through the greatest practical joke I ever pulled!"

                Satella Ricksen

Satella Ricksen!? That was my grandfather's name!

Which means that both I and my father had fallen for his ridiculous joke!

I felt more tired than angry. Litzer held my body up as I felt myself beginning to collapse.

"I'm sorry, everybody. How many times have I put your lives at risk -- for almost four years! All for a practical joke! I'm so sorry... I don't know what to say."

"Come on, Captain." Litzer tried to console me. "It is too bad that the City of Gold isn't real... but I don't regret our adventures in getting here one bit."

"Let's head back to the Gloria," said Hyman. "We'll go off on another adventure!"

"Guess I'm gonna be even busier!" said Abdul.

Cannon added, "I'm coming too, sir!"

"Thanks, everybody. But could you keep this a secret from the rest of the crew? They'll never forgive me if they find out. Now let's get going."

"Roger, sir!"

"Captain, the nearest island is Ieyr. Also, we can get to Balnibabin, which is a short distance away."

"Sir, we're over Balnibabin. What should we do?"

1. Investigate the island

Balnibabin

Captain's Log, Balnibabin

In our search for the City of Gold, we arrived at Balnibabin. As it turns out, Balnibabin's official name is Balnibabinimuskresulia.

'The one thing humans can never experience entirely is life.'

This was written on the wall of a cave by the chief of a tribe bent on destruction, long, long ago.

On our way back to the Gloria after searching the island, we found a small shrine in between some rocks. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge blue door, but with no key to open it, we couldn't do anything.

Balnibabin

Captain's Log, Balnibabin

In our search for the City of Gold, we arrived at Balnibabin. As it turns out, Balnibabin's official name is Balnibabinimuskresulia.

'The one thing humans can never experience entirely is life.'

This was written on the wall of a cave by the chief of a tribe bent on destruction, long, long ago.

On our way back to the Gloria after searching the island, we found a small shrine in between some rocks.

We searched the island, and just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine inside a small rock cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge blue door, and when the "kashibu" reacted, it began to open.

Waiting for us at the end of a long, thin tunnel was an altar that had been created at the bottom of a lake. Sitting on the altar was a dully-shining white jewel.

--Mesa Ricksen had found the White Jewel, which had belonged to one of the Black Nobles!--

"Sir, we've sighted some Paramekian ships. It looks like they're following us. Are they investigating the islands too?"

"This is dangerous," I replied. "Let's leave this area and return to the center point."

"Roger!"

"Captain, the nearest island is Lastlog. Also, we can get to Poseidon, which is a short distance away."

"Sir, we're over Lastlog. What should we do?"

1. Investigate the island

Lastlog

Captain's Log, Lastlog

We arrived at Lastlog in search of the lost City of Gold. From what I've heard, this is the island where the "ancient humans" gathered to await their demise. "Ancient humans?" Does that mean that we modern human beings will someday vanish from the earth as well?

On our way back to the Gloria after searching the island, we found a small shrine in between some rocks. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge white door, but with no key to open it, we couldn't do anything.

Lastlog

Captain's Log, Lastlog

We arrived at Lastlog in search of the lost City of Gold. From what I've heard, this is the island where the "ancient humans" gathered to await their demise. "Ancient humans?" Does that mean that we modern human beings will someday vanish from the earth as well?

We searched the island, and just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine inside a small rock cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge white door, and when the "kashibu" reacted, it began to open.

We walked through a long, narrow tunnel to find an old, weather-beaten airship that seemed to date from the earliest days of flying. An original adventure ship! There was a distinct odor in the air, and we set about investigating it. As it turned out, still remaining in the ship after all this time was some "ectorasm", or solid fuel!

But we couldn't find any evidence that any of the Black Nobles had indeed lives on Lastlog. (Thanks to the ectorasm, the airship gained a few HP.)

1. Investigate the island

"Sir, we've sighted some Paramekian ships. It looks like they're following us. Are they investigating the islands too?"

"This is dangerous," I replied. "Let's leave this area and return to the center point."

"Roger!"

"Captain, we're over Kirlo. What should we do?

Kirlo

Captain's Log, Kirlo

Searching for the City of Gold, we arrived on the island of Kirlo. Supposedly this was the only island to remain completely unaffected by the meltdown of the Paramekian empire.

We searched the island, and just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine inside a small rock cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge door, which began to open.

Waiting for us at the end of a long, thin tunnel was an altar that had been created at the bottom of a lake. Sitting on the altar was a dully-shining red jewel.

--Mesa Ricksen had found the Red Jewel, which had belonged to one of the Black Nobles!--

"Sir, we've sighted some Paramekian ships. It looks like they're following us. Are they investigating the islands too?"

"This is dangerous," I replied. "Let's leave this area and return to the center point."

"Roger!"

"Captain, the nearest island is the Island of Joy. Also, we can get to Lastlog, which is a short distance away."

"Captain, we're over the Island of Joy. What should we do?

1. Investigate the island

Island of Joy

Captain's Log, Island of Joy

In our search for the City of Gold, we arrived at the Island of Joy. This was supposedly a prefect land watched over by the goddess Berlea. But since the nation of Caimsunhama was founded, it had fallen to ruin.

On our way back to the Gloria after searching the island, we found a small shrine in between some rocks. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge white door, but with no key to open it, we couldn't do anything.

Island of Joy

Captain's Log, Island of Joy

In our search for the City of Gold, we arrived at the Island of Joy. This was supposedly a prefect land watched over by the goddess Berlea. But since the nation of Caimsunhama was founded, it had fallen to ruin.

We searched the island, and just when we were about to return to the Gloria, we found a shrine inside a small rock cave. While it looked dilapidated on the outside, it still had beautiful items from the old days inside. Deep inside, we found a huge white door, and when the "kashibu" reacted, it began to open.

Waiting for us at the end of a long, thin tunnel was an altar that had been created at the bottom of a lake. Sitting on the altar was a dully-shining black jewel.

--Mesa Ricksen had found the Black Jewel, which had belonged to one of the Black Nobles!--

"That's the fourth jewel! We've got all of them! Now we just have to find the sealed door!" I saw smiles return to the tired faces of my crew.

And we set off in the Gloria again.

"Captain, the nearest island is Kirlo. Also, we can get to Marzhen, which is a short distance away."

"Something's moving towards our ship, sir! We've identified it as a Paramekian warship!"

"All hands, prepare for battle!"

"Roger!"

"A Ludick! Watch out for those things; they can fly in circles!"

"Sir, the enemy is a Galleon-class warship from the Paramekian empire!"

"A Galleon? Those things are huge! Brace yourselves!"

"Roger!"

"The enemy is a Deathsize-class warship from the Paramekian empire!"

"A Deathsize? They've finished building those?"

"Let's attack!"

"Roger!"

A wave of tension enveloped the Gloria.

"Prepare the artillery!"

"Everyone, brace for impact! Main cannon, FIRE!"

"Ready the cannon! Don't miss!"

"Roger!"

"Fire auxiliary cannon!"

The attack hits!

"A direct hit, sir! They're looking confused!"

"OK, let's use this moment to get away. Retreat!"

"Roger!"

"It's a miss, sir!"

"Artillery, what are you doing!? Set it up again!"

A shock rumbled through the Gloria!

"Stay confident!"

"Enemy attack incoming!"

A shock rumbled through the Gloria!

"Stay confident!"?I

"Sir, we can't get away!"

The main propeller is damaged!

To repair the ship, we'll need to consume 200 HP.

"Incoming attack!"

"Brace for impact!"

The enemy missiles hit us dead on!

"Direct hit!"

The fuel tank is damaged!

To repair the ship, we'll need to consume 500 HP.

"Get our cannons ready!"

A shock rumbled through the Gloria!

"Stay confident!"?I

"Sir, we can't get away!"

The residential area is damaged!

To repair the ship, we'll need to consume 50 HP.

A shock rumbled through the Gloria!

"Stay confident!"?I

"Sir, we can't get away!"

The sub-propeller is damaged!

To repair the ship, we'll need to consume 100 HP.

We couldn't see anything that looked like an airship, and the radar wasn't picking anything up either.

"OK then, full speed ahead!"

"Roger!"

"We'll return to the center point to get away from the enemy ships."

"Roger!"

"Litzer, keep an eye out."

"Yes sir!"

We couldn't see anything that looked like an airship, and the radar wasn't picking anything up either.

"Abdul, how does the ship look?"

"The damage is as follows, sir."

The cannons are damaged!

To repair the ship, we'll need to consume 300 HP.

"But we can still fly, sir."

"OK then, make the repairs. Hyman, full speed ahead!"

"Roger!"

"We'll return to the center point to get away from the enemy ships."

"Roger."

"Litzer, keep an eye out."

"Yes sir!"

Our journey was nearly at an end! We just had to find the "sealed door". And if we could manage that -- no certainty, I'll admit -- then we would find the lost City of Gold, which so many adventurers, my father included, never could find.

Suddenly, a terrible shock wracked the body of the Gloria! Alarms and klaxons screeched all the louder.

"Another explosion!? To your stations! Litzer, find out what it was!"

"Aye aye, sir!"

We were shaken again. And then we heard a voice over the radio.

"Attention! This is Kimbress, Squadron Captain No. 3 of the Paramekian Empire. Mesa Ricksen, Captain No. 8, we have a warrant for your arrest for treason. You will hand over the airship immediately, or we will open fire. This your final warning!"

"Kimbress Corlies... the most cold-hearted of all the Paramekian warship captains..."

"What should we do, sir? There are fifteen ships, and they're all Galleons! We can't beat them!"

"Litzer, get the MagiTek Cannon ready."

"Roger...!"

Perhaps I should describe Magitek waves for you. They consist of MagiTek energy focused through a lens using a special technique, creating unusually-high-frequency waves. Many uses have been found for this development in recent years, one being wireless audio transmissions.

"I, Mesa Ricksen, former Captain No. 8, do hereby surrender."

"Captain!?"

Suddenly I was surrounded by my crew and their anger, sadness, and emotion.

I then neared the communication pipe and said, quietly so that only those on the Gloria could hear it, "This is Captain Ricksen. We're going to try a fake surrender. Cruise into the center of their squadron at 10 knots, and then when I give the signal, quickly increase our speed to 500 knots. We're going to attack the enemy leader directly. Artillery, to your stations. Engineers, be ready."

"But, Captain!"

"Hyman, as soon as the battle starts, look for an opening to escape. We just can't take on 15 warships."

"Roger!"

"Litzer, there might still be enemies lurking around. Keep the radar on maximum range and find them."

"Roger!"

"Abdul, get that thing we were talking about."

"Gotcha!"

"Here we go, Cannon!"

"Let's do it, sir!"

Kimbress came through on the radio. "Surrendering without a fight? Protecting your crew is all well and good, but you're not tough enough to be a Paramekian squadron leader. Perhaps it was that incident in your past which made you this way...?"

"Sir," said one of Kimbress' crew, "we're ready to attack."

"Excellent. Don't let them notice. Weaklings like them don't deserve to survive in this world. To realize the Emperor's dream, we must dispose of them."

"Captain," said Cannon, "the enemy is within range."

"Not yet. Let's get as close as we can. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Now! Forward at full speed!"

On the enemy ship: "Oh no! The Gloria's coming right at us!"

"What!? Ricksen, why you...! Open fire! Open fire!"

Back on our ship: "Sir, the enemy is a Galleon-class warship from the Paramekian empire!"

"It's the Paramekian leader!"

"Brace yourselves!"

I then neared the communication pipe and said, quietly so that only those on the Gloria could hear it, "This is Captain Ricksen. We're going to attack the Paramekian forces. Cannoniers, to your stations!"

I then said, "This is Captain Ricksen. We're going to attack the enemy leader directly. Artillery, to your stations. Cannon, can you hear me?"

"Yes sir!"

"I give you permission to use the MagiTek beam. Aim it where the enemy ships are concentrated."

"A... aye-aye, sir!"

"Hyman, when the battle begins, look for an opening and sneak through it. We can't defeat a whole squadron with just our little ship."

"Roger!"

"Litzer, there might be other enemy squadrons around. Use the radar at its highest range and look for them."

"Roger!"

"Abdul, let's get going!"

"Gotcha!"

"Oho," said Kimbress Corlies from his Galleon. "Former Squadron Captain, you do indeed have guts. But you're still too soft. Haven't you noticed that that was your undoing?"

"Sir, we're ready for attack."

"Excellent. Don't let them notice. Weaklings like them don't deserve to survive in this world. To realize the Emperor's dream, we must dispose of them."

"Sir, they're in cannon range."

"Good. Commence attack."

Back on the Gloria: "The enemy is a Galleon-class warship from the Paramekian empire!"

"It's the Paramekian leader!"

"Brace yourselves!"

"Roger!"?I

To get the cannon powered, we're turning off the Mako energy in the ship.

"Energy at 80%...

"Energy at 90%...

"All hands, prepare for brightness and shock!"

"Energy at 100%!"

"Fire the cannon!!"

Paramekian engineer: "Huh? What's that light!?"

"Its energy is tremendous!"

Kimbress: "They don't have a... MagiTek cannon!? That thing can't be complete yet...!"

"Direct hit on the leader! We did it!"

"Abdul, is our ship all right?" I asked.

"I don't see anything wrong!"

"Okay, let's get away from the front line before they try something!"

...

"Hey, Abdul?"

"Cannon? What's the trouble?"

"What was that enemy pilot saying about how our captain used to be with the Paramekian fleet...?"

"Oh, he's right about that. I myself used to be an engineer with the Empire. Litzer and Hyman, too... more than half the crew used to be on their side, I'd estimate."

"So why are they chasing us!? Aren't they our allies?"

"Well, we've had our... differences... with Paramekia."

Crew Member: "Abdul, sir, the inspection is complete!"

Abdul: "Okay, I'll be right with you. See ya, Cannon."

Cannon: "But, Abdul..."

A terrible shock wracked the body of the Gloria. Alarms and klaxons screeched all the louder.

"Hyman, what's going on!?"

The Gloria was already falling. It was only a matter of time before the ship crashed.

"The engine's not responding!"

Hyman yanked frantically at the rudder, only to see the Gloria descend even faster.

"It's no use, Captain! We can't stay aloft!"

"And we've come so far! Shit!"

Fingers of flame licked at the edges of the bridge. Surrounded by flames and smoke, we could see nothing but darkness. Was my adventure at an end?

As my consciousness dimmed, I shouted...

1. "I'm sorry, everyone. It's all over."

2. "Look for the City of Gold!"

3. "Sorry for being such an unworthy captain!"

4. "Everybody gets a salary raise!"

The City of Gold... so many adventurers have searched for this paradise, only to give up hope. Their stories came to an end with dreams left unrealized. But brave travelers will continue to search for the City. They...

"Captain! Wait! Sorry to interrupt you at a time like this, but look! The letter has something on the back!"

"What!?"

'--P. S.: Take the treasure box that you found this letter in, and turn it around. You stuck with me even through the greatest practical joke I ever pulled, so let me give you a little something I've managed to collect on my travels.

With best wishes from Caimsunhama,

            Satella Ricksen'

"Turn it around?" I did as the letter said.

And as I did this, one wall of the cave started to crumble. Sand filled the room, and I couldn't keep my eyes open!

Then a moment passed, and I blinked. All the cavern walls... had turned to gold!

And the legend lives on!

A terrible shock wracked the body of the Gloria. Alarms and klaxons screeched all the louder.

"Hyman, what's going on!?"

The Gloria was already falling. It was only a matter of time before the ship crashed.

"The engine's not responding!"

Hyman yanked frantically at the rudder, only to see the Gloria descend even faster.

"It's no use, Captain! We can't stay aloft!"

"And we've come so far! Shit!"

The City of Gold... so many adventurers have searched for this paradise, only to give up hope. Its location... still unknown.

faNtasy maGi-enCe stOry