Prologue

The Adventure Begins

All was quiet in the all-but-deserted city of Port of Entry. At one time this near ghost town was a bustling, seaside community, which thrived and depended heavily on a long since dried up fishing industry. The Great Sea stretched far beyond the visible horizon, but the current residents had long forgotten about the things that lay on the opposite shore. Age had ravaged their wind worn catamarans and they served little purpose now except to remind the Port of Entry citizens of days passed, as they lie on the beaches of The Great Sea, bleached and rotting in the sun.

A lighthouse, Alexandria's Lighthouse, towered far above even the highest residency in the city. No one went there anymore; no one had the key to its door... and most lacked the heart to search. Its beacon had not shone in ages, and many doubted that it ever would again. Until, one day, a very strange and otherworldly man visited their dying city.

Three friends had recently come from the mainland. Kit, the oldest, was eighteen from Los Angeles. Elektra, a warrior assassin, came from New York City. Anna hailed from Vaseria, a village in far-off Transylvania. A visitor to Port of Entry was rare, and rarer yet was a strange man in the gates. Stirring their curiosity, the three adventurers, Kit, Elektra, and Anna raced down the wooden staircase of the restaurant and exited the people within. They planned to meet the man at the city's gate. To their shock and amazement, the man was standing right outside the restaurant the moment the three came out the front door! Impossible.

The three stood there, astonished. Before any of them could utter a word, the old man spoke:

"Hello," he said calmly, "do not let your hearts grow fearful. I bring no harm, but a gift. A gift you all have yearned for for many years now." The old man's voice had an almost bewitching effect on the three, and they listened spell bound. "Follow me, this way..." whispered the man. He led them across the plaza and all the way to the lighthouse. At the lighthouse's door, the man stopped. Without saying a word, he pulled from his pocket a small silver key. With this key, he unlocked the lighthouse's door and entered with the three. Once inside, they all climbed the winding stair all the way to the summit of the Alexandria's Lighthouse and looked out.

"Oh, it's beautiful..." exclaimed Elektra upon seeing the vast Lake reflect the golden sunlight off of it's surface. "We will wait here until nightfall." whispered the man, and he sat down near the extinguished lighthouse beacon and waited.

Night came, and the three travelers were still in the Lighthouse with the strange man, still seemingly under his spell. The man stood up, and in his hand he held a smooth, white stone. Without warning or word, the man hurled the stone from the lighthouse and it skipped across the surface of Great Sea until it eventually sank. The puzzled adventurers watched in amazement as the water started emitting a soft white glow, and where the stone sank, it bubbled.

Suddenly, what appeared to be a shooting star changed its course and started coming straight down to earth, towards the lighthouse... and those inside the lighthouse! The travelers' bolted for the staircase, not wanting to be run down by a meteor, but the man stood still and watched. The star landed inside the lighthouse at full-speed and right into the beacon, but no damage was done! The Lighthouse beacon absorbed the star and instantly, intense white light issued forth from the lighthouse and far across the inland sea, shining its warning to ships once again! The travelers were aghast, but were nowhere near ready for what was about to happen.

A meteor shower! Another star fell, this one with tremendous force, onto the surface of Great Sea. Out of the water rose a huge landmass, teaming with life. Buildings and skyscrapers like none had seen before rose high above the waves and settled in the formation of a vast metropolis- populated with its very own beings. Some flew about, some lifted heavy objects right into the air, some looked like ordinary people, running around the city in their own busy lives and there was even one who would climb the walls! The most fearful of these was a rather large and green fellow who almost seemed to dominate the entire island. His roar could be heard above all else.

As if in response to the light from the Lighthouse, a happy little ship skipped the waves of Great Sea and anchored itself right beside a bit of land that had broken off of that first marvelous island. At the ships helm was a sprightly ol' sailor with forearms like you wouldn't BELIEVE. He hopped down from the prow and onto the landmass. With the corncob pipe clenched between his teeth, he "tooted" twice and in response, mountains rose from the sea, and from these mountains cascaded waterfalls, and behind the mountains, the buzzing sounds of Ripsaws could be heard. Everything that came from this new island was cheerful and full of color- and also a little damp. In next to no time, a sprawling comedic community was formed in the soggy little lagoon, and all there smiled.

A roar shattered the air like a brick to glass. The adventurers covered their ears and watched, mouths agape, as a lush, green jungle rose from the waves. Shrieks, rumbles and out of this world roars filled the air and the trio grew afraid. From the trees emerged beast like none had ever seen. Huge lizard-like animals with sharp teeth and, seemingly, no stomach for nuts and berries tore through the landscape. Kit remembered seeing the bones of such animals hanging from the ceilings in the museums of his childhood. The largest of these animals seemed quite timid by contrast and almost looked as if they were ignoring the small, ferocious ones. Their roars were horrible, but one in particular was the most terrifying. Kit instantly recognized these creatures as dinosaurs.

A mist had formed after the first island came crashing down. Slowly, out of this thick fog another island appeared. Monuments to Gods long forgotten dotted the landscape of the island. An old castle towered above an old, gnarled and stunted wood, which engulfed the area. A twisted, ancient oak tree, which almost seemed to bear a face, watched the castle with mysterious concern. Annas attention turned again toward the west- for she thought he saw something flying toward the new, misty island... it was red, and lizard like with wings... and it let out a horrible shriek. Then in answer, a blue creature of the same species appeared from the east. The two animals disappeared behind the trees, but not before snapping at each other's necks before diving towards the castle.

The smell of candy permeated the evening sky, and something like a million pink and green fireflies swarmed into a mass far to the east of The Port. After a minute, the soft glowing balls of light faded to uncover the strangest thing any of the travelers had ever seen. Countless fictitious animals walked around, some wearing clothes, and almost all of them walking upright. They danced and sang and made all sorts of merriment. Their leader, which the travelers had to assume was some sort of cat... wearing a HAT, climbed atop a large, colorful menagerie and tipped his hat in the direction of the travelers and he then bowed respectfully.

And now, the sixth landmass erupted from the water. Rolling gardens and hills adorned the new island... And one large building, colored a beautiful pinkish brown. People of all sizes began to file through the weaving garden paths amidst fountains and large flowers and, ultimately, into the large building with enormous, neon letters reading, "The Hollywood Towers Hotel."

The city of Port of Entry itself indeed began to glow. The light faded and the walls revealed a fresh paint job, the residents found that they were dressed in shiny, sparkling new clothes, the smells of curry and cider exhaled from the open air houses on the rooftops and boats once again dotted the shores of Great Sea, all waiting to ferry passengers to these new adventures. The outermost gate of Port of Entry now bore an engraved slogan: The Adventure Begins.

The water separating the islands began to glow as well, as suddenly; wide, wooden bridges connected the islands, allowing safe passage to endless adventures.

The man turned to the explorers. The man smiled. "This new worlds is now yours to discover... you have only to share it with others. There lies now before you, a single question before you depart for parts unknown. That question is:

"Are you ready?"

Authors Note: Thanks goes out to for the story of the formation of the islands. The sixth island is not from their story, I added it.