*so onward the airship flies, toward the Isle of Starlight!*

*to be continued*

“Koal! Embark on your quest with caution! And look after Lucia for me!” *Phoenicious calls*

🔥 Don’t worry! We’ll be back before you know it! *he waves as Tavin unfurls the sails and walks down to the control room*

“Of course, Father! I’ll help him as best I can. Sorry that we have to pal around with Tavin here though.”

“What?! Don’t tell me that I have to haul around this twinkly little sky fluff too?! ….bah, fine then.”

“..still… I’m excited to venture the vast skies and see the world!”

“Are you ready to go, kid?”

🔥 *Koal nods and hops aboard the airship.*

“Don’t think you can just lounge around though. You’ll be in charge of navigation.”

🔥 Fair enough.

“We’re off to the Isle of Starlight then!”

🔥 Ah, so you’re not gonna run off on us again, right?

“Oh I was never going to run off on you, shrimp! I was simply…waiting for you when the old bird came to see me!”

🔥 …..uh huh.

“Lufia. I’d like for you to go with Koal. You’ll be essential to his efforts, I’m sure! And perhaps, by seeing the world beyond Pinnacle, you just might regain your lost memories.”

“That symbol marks the spot of a sky island crafted from debris from the cosmos. It is called the Isle of Starlight. That is where you must go. A seer called Stargaze lives there. And she sees far. Perhaps she will even see where the Phantom Airship might be.

🔥 Then go we shall.

“Isle of Starlight, eh? I always suspected there might be something there! So it’s as simple as sailing there and finding Stargaze? Talk about an easy payday.”

“…. A standard treasure map would show you where to go, correct? Well…you’ll find quickly that this is no standard treasure map. *he holds the map out to Koal is a little flaky.”

🔥 *takes the map and rubs a finger across and all over the map, until he feels a flaky spot* ! Whoa..what the? *he scratches lightly at the flaky part of the map, revealing a symbol marked on a large sky island* Ah!

“Oh! That symbol! It…represents a…. Mountain of some kind?”

🔥 I wonder what it could mean.”

“*Tavin sputters* I-I-I was injured! On a typical day, I blaze through two or more such temples…before breakfast!”

“Hmhmhm. Calm yourself, Tavin. And tell me what you’ve made of the map that Koal and Lufia found.”

“Hmph! I’ve dusted it and inspected it fully. My trained eye finds that it holds no secrets at all! But..wait a moment, old bird. What would you know of this map?”

“Oh hoo hoo hoo hoo! Has the map’s puzzle soared over your head, Tavin? If I may…” *Phoenicious takes the map*

“And to boot, most would lose heart and flee for their lives upon hearing me say it. But evidently, there are valiant youths among us.”

“Heh. Well fluff my tail just a little more, old bird! Yup, I’m quite heroic and impressive alright!”

“Not you, you blithering fool! You’re an absolute shipwreck. You’d be sunk by now if our young friends hadn’t shown up!”

“Oooooh.”

🔥 *shares a snicker with Lufia*

“The bridge has been fixed, so I thought to check up on you. I’m impressed Koal! For someone so young to emerge from that temple alive!”

🔥 *chuckles, rubbing his head* Aw shucks…thanks. I’m kind of experienced in adventure and life risking.

“You sent me into that temple too, you old dullard.”

“Any who enter the temple unprepared will find it a terrifying ordeal. And unfortunately, it is not uncommon for adventurers who delve into the depths to fall prey to a horrid fate.”

🔥 *as Koal and Lufia arrive at the port, they see Phoenicious speaking to Tavin* There’s that jerk…and your dad.

“Father!” *Lufia flits over to Phoenicious* “…..Tavin.”

“Sparkles…. Well hey there Koal! Finally caught up I see!”

🔥 Oh don’t even try to pretend you were waiting on us, swiper. Hasn’t anyone ever told you “no swiping”?

“Oh man, I’m sorry little puppy. I got…just a little carried away is all!”

🔥 …uh huh.

“Any way, elder Phoenicious here decided to grace me with his presence!”

“Did…did he really just do that? He muscles in on the map WE found and then runs off with it?! What a jerk!”

🔥 Standing around here sure won’t do us any good. Come on, Lufia. After that opportunistic vulpine! *Koal runs after Tavin*

“Ah, a map! Let me see.” *he grabs the map and unfurls it* What? A dusty old sky map? …ahh, now I see! This is what we in the adventuring business call a treasure map!”

🔥 Uhh…yeah. I’m kind of in that line of work myself.

“If we can just probe the mysteries of this map, it’s sure to lead up to our ultimate prize. The Phantom Airship!… and by we, I mean me! Farewell, little puppy! I’m off to seek adventure and fame!” *the fox runs off*

🔥 ….! That ungrateful sack of….

*Koal runs out of the temple, with Lufia perched on his shoulder*

“Aha! The lovestruck puppy and his sparkly pal returns! Slow on getting the goods, eh?”

“Slow?! How dare you! You were quick enough to run off, so called injury and all!”

“How insulting! I was merely hurrying back to my airship! Any sky captain worth his cloud puts his ship before his own safety! But enough of that. Tell me, little puppy. What did you find?”

🔥 *digs the map out of his pocket and hands it over*

🔥 Huh, I wonder what’s up with this stone tablet? *he interacts with it, but nothing happens*

“Koal! There’s a rolled up map on the pedestal. Could this be what Tavin was looking for?”

🔥 Maybe. Only one way to find out. *he grabs the map and puts it in his bag* I think we’ve done all we can for now. Let’s book it out of this place.

“Right!”

🔥*back down into the temple Koal goes. He walks to the safe zone where Tavin was trapped. Ahead there is a locked door* I didn’t see any other locked doors earlier, did you?

“No. *Lufia says* Tsk. I still think he’s faking it.”

🔥 I…think you’re right. But I’m not gonna go about trying to disprove some arrogant ship captain. *he sprints to the locked door and opens it, walking in. He walks into a room that lacks a mist. He walks forth, eventually coming across a stone tablet*

“0/Fakeeeer./0” *Lufia says in a sing song voice*

“…ahem…anyway. Take this key with you. I believe I saw a door just beyond the safe zone. Good luck in there!”

🔥*Koal stands up, dizzily accepting the key* 9.6 …. *falls of the ground*

“Go and get that clue about the Phantom Airship! It has to be on a deeper level of the temple somewhere! My poor ankle simply can’t take another sprint!”

“Oh you’re faking it. I think you’re just scared!”

“SCARED? Me?! Never!” *Tavin drops Koal on his fanny* Not a chance! Normally I would be leading the charge down there! But I know how much it means to Koal, so I’m letting him have the glory of saving his beloved wife! Like the gallant knight he is!”

“Liar liar, you’re such a fake faker! You’re standing on your two feet just fine!”

“N-no I’m not! *he lifts his foot, acting as though his ankle is definitely sprained* See how injured my ankle is? Oooohhh it’s in such pain! OooooHhhhoooooo!…. But anyway, *he puts his foot down* We all need information about the Phantom Airship, right? *Tavin picks up Koal and starts shaking him more*

🔥 Wa aaa aaa aaa…! @.@

“Go deeper into the temple without me, kid!”

🔥 *gives Tavin an annoyed look before being shaken again* Wuhh uhhuhhh… 0.9

“Aw I’m just teasing you, kid! If that’s what this is all about, then I’m all for it! I too was looking for information about the Phantom Airship too! *stops shaking Koal, who rocks back and forth in a dizzy manner* I was but a step away from attaining an important item when my ankle was sprained! Otherwise I’d have gotten the item and escaped this cursed place!”

🔥 ….? *looks at Lufia, who just shrugs at him. Then grunts as Tavin grabs his shoulders and shakes him back and forth*

“So you’re trying to get your mitts on the treasure!”

“Treasure? What’re you even talking about?! *Lufia flits next to Tavin, who looks at her* Koal is just trying to save his wife, who was abducted by the Phantom Airship! We came in hopes of you knowing more about it.”

“Oh. Really? Is that so? How very touching! I’m gonna cry, really.”