All was quiet in the all-but-deserted port city of Maham'bur. 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. Lake Tsakba-yul (which loosely translates to "Great Inland 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 Maham'burians of days passed, as they lie on the beaches of Tsakba-yul, bleached and rotting in the sun.
A lighthouse, the Addyui (AH-joo-ee), towered far above even the highest residency in the city. No one went there anymore; no one had the key to it's door... and most lacked the heart to search. It's beacon had not shone in ages, and many doubted that it ever would again. Until, one day, a very strange and other-worldy child visted their dying city.
He was first spotted along the horizon to the south, around noontime on a Thursday, by a group of ex-adventurers who were taking their tea and pipe in the loft of Maham'bur's only resturaunt, Chikai-Konfisko (The Confisco Grille). These travelers had seen many things in their youth, but upon crossing the Tsakba-yul one stormy evening 30 years earlier they crashed onto the beaches at Maham'bur and quickly settled into the town's depression; eventually abandoning every hope of leaving. Charles, the eldest and most traveled of the three, squinted his crows-footed eyes and peered out across the sands through puffs of his pipe. A visitor to Maham'bur was rare, and rarer yet was a child in the gates. Stirring their curiosity, the three adventurers, Charles, Keiishi and Anne-Marie descended the wooden staircase of the resturaunt and exited the resturaunt the meet the child at the city's gate. To their shock and amazement, the boy was standing right outside the resturaunt the moment the three came out the front door! Impossible.
The three stood their, astonished. Before any of them could utter a word, the child 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 boy's voice had an almost bewitching effect on the three, and they listened spell bound. "Follow me, walk in this way..." whispered the child. He lead them across the plaza and all the way to the lighthouse. At the lighthouse's door, the child 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 Addyui and looked out.
"Oh, it's beautiful..." exclaimed Anne-Marie upon seeing the vast Lake reflect the golden sunlight off of it's surface. "We will wait here until nightfall." whispered the child, and he sat down near the extinguished lighthouse beacon and waited.
Night came, and the three travelers were still in the Addyui with the strange child, still seemingly under his spell. The boy stood up, and in his hand he held a smooth, white stone- shaped like a 5-pointed star. Without warning or word, the boy hurled the stone from the lighthouse and it skipped across the surface of Tsakba-yul 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, the stone SHOT STRAIGHT UP INTO THE SKY, like a rocket, disappearing into the dark-blue vault of the sky. Then, what appeared to be a shooting star changed it's course and started coming straight down to earth, towards the lighthouse... and those inSIDE the lighthouse! The travelers bloted for the staircase, not wanting to be run down by a meteor, but the boy stood still and watched. The star landed inside the lighthouse at full-speed and right into the beacon. The beacon absorbed the star and instantly, intense white light issued forth from the lighthouse and far across the inland sea. The travelers were aghast, but were no where near ready for what was about to happen.
Another star fell, this one with tremendous force, onto the the surface of Tsakba-yul. Out of the water rose a huge land mass, 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 it's very own super-human beings. Some of them could fly, some were extremely strong, some could control elements and there was even one who could 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 Addyui, a happy little ship skipped the waves of Tsakba-yul and anchored itself right beside a bit of land that had broken off of that first "marvel"ous island. At the ships helm was a spritely ol' sailor with forearms like you wouldn't BELIEVE. He hopped down from the prow and onto the land mass. 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 colour- 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. Charles 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 contrased and almost looked as if they were ignoring the small, ferocious ones. Their roars were horrible, but one in particular was the most terrifying. Charles, remember the latin he'd learned in university, bestowed up THAT one the Latin name for king: Rex.
A mist had formed after the first island came crashing down. Slowly, out of this thick fog another island appeared. Momuments 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. Keiishi's attention turned agin toward the west- for he 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 others 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 Tsakbay-ul. After a minute, the soft glowing balls of light faded to uncover the strangest thing any of the travelers had ever seen. Countless ficticious 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, colourful menagerie and tipped his hat in the direction of the travelers and he then bowed respectfully.
The city of Maham'bur itself indeed began to glow. The light faded and the walls revelead 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 Tsakba-yul, all waiting to ferry passangers to these new adventures. The outermost gate of Maham'bur now bore an engraved slogan: Chu-hai'tal gorin manan. Translation: The Adventure Begins.
The boy turned to the explorers who, unbeknownst to them at the time, had had the effects of time reversed on their very own bodies. They were again youthful and full of energy, eager to discover the wonders that now lay before them. The boy 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?"
