(Before the story)
Wow, my longest chapter yet! Enjoy!
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*The primrose*
"Clara?"
The captain of the Primrose turned to see the chemist addressing her. "Ilchymis? What is it?"
"I know that we have to save the five that got captured, but we don't have any idea of where we should look."
Marco, who had been sitting in a corner of the bridge, spoke up. "It obviously has to be a pretty big place in order to hide that ship. And aren't you supposed to be tending to Gilder? He isn't fully healed yet."
"He's been asleep for a few hours, but you're right. I should go back and see how he's doing."
Urala came onto the bridge, and Marco couldn't help teasing her. "What's the matter, got tired of making out with your boyfr-"
Urala had thrown the screwdriver that she was holding at Marco, and it hit him handle-first. "You need to stop taking teasing lessons from Gilder."
"You and Hans would make a cute couple if you'd just tell each other how you feel." Marco dashed out the door before Urala could hurt him for that comment. The shy cook shook her head, and picked up the screwdriver, returning it to its chest near the wheel.
Clara turned and looked at Urala quizzically before asking, "Where did you find that?"
"Oh, the screwdriver? Hans asked me to return it. He was working on your engine in order to increase the maximum speed of this ship."
"Be sure to thank him for me, okay?"
"I will." Urala smiled and left the bridge, leaving Clara some time to herself. Or so she thought.
"Heh. And people call MY ship ugly."
Clara whirled, prepared to cream the person who has insulted her ship, and saw Domingo leaning casually in the doorframe.
"Exactly what would the 'best' treasure hunter in Arcadia be doing on the Primrose?"
Domingo's face became serious for a change, and he said, "I happen to know where the phoenix's base is, and who captains it."
"What are you waiting for? Tell me!"
"Only if I don't have to come with you."
"I wouldn't have made you anyways."
"Well, that's a relief." The lookout shifted slightly, and continued, "The base is located in the Maw of Tartas, and the ship is captained by Kangan and Muraji."
Urala appeared in the hallway behind Domingo just in time to hear him say that, and she frowned at his words. "I know that Muraji was always after Moegi, so it makes sense that they captured her and all other people present. But Kangan... that just doesn't make sense. I mean, he's Muraji's father and all, but why would the two of them want to destroy Valua?"
Domingo shrugged. "Don't ask me. I have to get going."
Urala and Clara watched the lookout's receding back, then turned to each other. Clara spoke first, "How are we supposed to pull this off? The Primrose is a good ship, but she doesn't have nearly enough armor or firepower to do this."
"Which is why we need the Delphinus."
The two girls jumped, but relaxed when they saw Hans coming towards them, cleaning his hands on a rag. Confused, Urala said, "But the Delphinus was in Valua. Wouldn't it have been destroyed?"
The engineer shook his head and replied, "The Delphinus is Valua, but in a near-impenetrable chamber. The only ways in are the harbor door near mirage island and the door that lead to the basement of Enrique's palace. Both doors have tons of armor on them, are well concealed, and use combination locks that are nearly impossible to crack. When you think about it, it's highly unlikely that Kangan and Muraji were able to destroy or take the ship."
Clara sighed. "Exactly how are we supposed to get to it if there are those locks?"
Hans smiled and said, "I helped build the place, so I know the combinations. We'll have to go to Valua in order to reach the area. It won't take very long; I just finished increasing the speed of the Primrose."
Clara walked over to the talking tube and said, "Everyone hear that? Set course for Valua!"
*Valua*
"I'm still not very familiar with the layout of this city, so Ilchymis and Marco will have to lead us to the palace ruins."
The two nodded, and they arrived at the rubble that had once been Enrique's palace an hour later. Hans took over, and had soon found a door that looked exactly like the stone all around it, except for a very small, easy-to-miss carving of the imperial crest in the upper right corner. The engineer pushed on the carving and the door swung open, revealing a long, dark passageway.
After walking for another hour, with Gilder complaining once or twice, and Marco the whole way, they arrived at another door. This one was steel, with a pad of numbers next to it. Hans punched the buttons to form an eighteen-number combination, and the door opened slowly, revealing the sizeable harbor that the Delphinus was kept in. Hans entered a different, longer code onto a pad on one side of the bridge, and the harbor door creaked open.
"All right, who wants to steer-"
"Ooh, me, me! Pick me!"
"The ship, and won't make a huge mistake while doing so?" asked Hans, shooting a glare at Belle when she interrupted him. Nobody spoke up, so eventually Gilder volunteered.
"I haven't actually flown the Delphinus before, but I should be able to figure out the finer points in a matter on minutes."
"All right then. To the Maw of Tartas!"
The Delphinus dipped beneath the clouds and sped towards its destination.
Wow, my longest chapter yet! Enjoy!
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*The primrose*
"Clara?"
The captain of the Primrose turned to see the chemist addressing her. "Ilchymis? What is it?"
"I know that we have to save the five that got captured, but we don't have any idea of where we should look."
Marco, who had been sitting in a corner of the bridge, spoke up. "It obviously has to be a pretty big place in order to hide that ship. And aren't you supposed to be tending to Gilder? He isn't fully healed yet."
"He's been asleep for a few hours, but you're right. I should go back and see how he's doing."
Urala came onto the bridge, and Marco couldn't help teasing her. "What's the matter, got tired of making out with your boyfr-"
Urala had thrown the screwdriver that she was holding at Marco, and it hit him handle-first. "You need to stop taking teasing lessons from Gilder."
"You and Hans would make a cute couple if you'd just tell each other how you feel." Marco dashed out the door before Urala could hurt him for that comment. The shy cook shook her head, and picked up the screwdriver, returning it to its chest near the wheel.
Clara turned and looked at Urala quizzically before asking, "Where did you find that?"
"Oh, the screwdriver? Hans asked me to return it. He was working on your engine in order to increase the maximum speed of this ship."
"Be sure to thank him for me, okay?"
"I will." Urala smiled and left the bridge, leaving Clara some time to herself. Or so she thought.
"Heh. And people call MY ship ugly."
Clara whirled, prepared to cream the person who has insulted her ship, and saw Domingo leaning casually in the doorframe.
"Exactly what would the 'best' treasure hunter in Arcadia be doing on the Primrose?"
Domingo's face became serious for a change, and he said, "I happen to know where the phoenix's base is, and who captains it."
"What are you waiting for? Tell me!"
"Only if I don't have to come with you."
"I wouldn't have made you anyways."
"Well, that's a relief." The lookout shifted slightly, and continued, "The base is located in the Maw of Tartas, and the ship is captained by Kangan and Muraji."
Urala appeared in the hallway behind Domingo just in time to hear him say that, and she frowned at his words. "I know that Muraji was always after Moegi, so it makes sense that they captured her and all other people present. But Kangan... that just doesn't make sense. I mean, he's Muraji's father and all, but why would the two of them want to destroy Valua?"
Domingo shrugged. "Don't ask me. I have to get going."
Urala and Clara watched the lookout's receding back, then turned to each other. Clara spoke first, "How are we supposed to pull this off? The Primrose is a good ship, but she doesn't have nearly enough armor or firepower to do this."
"Which is why we need the Delphinus."
The two girls jumped, but relaxed when they saw Hans coming towards them, cleaning his hands on a rag. Confused, Urala said, "But the Delphinus was in Valua. Wouldn't it have been destroyed?"
The engineer shook his head and replied, "The Delphinus is Valua, but in a near-impenetrable chamber. The only ways in are the harbor door near mirage island and the door that lead to the basement of Enrique's palace. Both doors have tons of armor on them, are well concealed, and use combination locks that are nearly impossible to crack. When you think about it, it's highly unlikely that Kangan and Muraji were able to destroy or take the ship."
Clara sighed. "Exactly how are we supposed to get to it if there are those locks?"
Hans smiled and said, "I helped build the place, so I know the combinations. We'll have to go to Valua in order to reach the area. It won't take very long; I just finished increasing the speed of the Primrose."
Clara walked over to the talking tube and said, "Everyone hear that? Set course for Valua!"
*Valua*
"I'm still not very familiar with the layout of this city, so Ilchymis and Marco will have to lead us to the palace ruins."
The two nodded, and they arrived at the rubble that had once been Enrique's palace an hour later. Hans took over, and had soon found a door that looked exactly like the stone all around it, except for a very small, easy-to-miss carving of the imperial crest in the upper right corner. The engineer pushed on the carving and the door swung open, revealing a long, dark passageway.
After walking for another hour, with Gilder complaining once or twice, and Marco the whole way, they arrived at another door. This one was steel, with a pad of numbers next to it. Hans punched the buttons to form an eighteen-number combination, and the door opened slowly, revealing the sizeable harbor that the Delphinus was kept in. Hans entered a different, longer code onto a pad on one side of the bridge, and the harbor door creaked open.
"All right, who wants to steer-"
"Ooh, me, me! Pick me!"
"The ship, and won't make a huge mistake while doing so?" asked Hans, shooting a glare at Belle when she interrupted him. Nobody spoke up, so eventually Gilder volunteered.
"I haven't actually flown the Delphinus before, but I should be able to figure out the finer points in a matter on minutes."
"All right then. To the Maw of Tartas!"
The Delphinus dipped beneath the clouds and sped towards its destination.