I approached Cairo, who was engrossed in solving the mystery. He was taking out a belt that appeared to be stuck with the torches on the four middle pillars.
He handed me one of the torches and said, "Here, hold this," before putting the belt around his waist. The three strings were carefully inserted into their respective slots on the belt, but at first, nothing happened.
Cairo thought about the predicament and what to do next. He reached for a coin from our collection and put it in the belt's slot. We watched in awe as the belt started to glow strangely. When the strings were properly attached, the forearm guard on his arm began to glow in unison.
"What? Where?" I said, my voice, "I can't see anything.
Cairo guided me to the steps, and as he did, the forearm guard on my arm began to glow as well. After a moment, I too noticed the strange circle in my vision, as if something had become a part of my sight.
So I thought I'd try it. I fixed my attention on one of the pillars and stared at it. My field of vision gradually shrunk until it was just a tiny dot. A rope suddenly emerged from the forearm guard with amazing speed and clung to the pillar.
Cairo, who was also perplexed, enquired, "What was that?"
I responded, still trying to make sense of it, "I don't know. I just focused on that pillar, and the forearm guard shot out this rope towards it."
I chose to conduct an experiment after becoming intrigued by the forearm guard's four buttons. To my surprise, the final button I pressed caused the guard's rope-shooting mechanism to start rotating. In my vision, the circle appeared once more.
I aimed the circle, now knowing what I now knew, at the pillar opposite the one I had been aiming at. I fired, and the rope erupted and clung to the fresh pillar.
I clicked the button above the previous one because my curiosity had finally gotten the better of me. I was surprised to feel a powerful pull towards the pillar from the forearm guard's mechanism. I struck it after being briefly startled by the sudden movement.
Cairo, who was always worried about me, rushed over to me and asked, "Are you okay?" in a worried voice.
While still on the ground, I quickly realized that my experiment was dangerous, and I turned to face the opposite direction. "Don't focus on me," I yelled, but it was already too late. I narrowly escaped being hit by the rope that Deniz's forearm guard had fired at me, which was headed straight for my head.
Cairo apologized and hid his eyes after realizing the danger he had unintentionally created.
"Take out the coin, deactivate the power!" At my command, Cairo removed the coin, and the rope automatically retracted, vanishing from his forearm guard. His guard's glow dimmed.
I did the same, taking the coin out of my forearm guard. The rope quickly retracted after reaching out towards me, much like a whip. Cairo was able to avoid the rope, which then combined with another rope in my guard and vanished. It was obvious that these guards were extremely powerful and should not be taken lightly.
As we discussed the abilities of the forearm guards, Cairo said, "I can imagine what it might be used for."
"Perhaps for pulling yourself to hard-to-reach places," I replied.
Cairo concurred, "Yes, it seems likely, but it appears to be just a set that's here."Then it occurred to me, "Hey, Cairo, doesn't this resemble the artifacts from the other world you were talking about?"
Cairo's eyes widened with realization. "True, the Eblistan artifacts, hidden in a secret sanctuary beneath an island. Hmm, maybe they exist in Ringsheer too. Could that be why Eblistan attacked the island?""It's possible," I considered, "but I have a feeling that the attack might have been orchestrated by the third person."
Cairo nodded, deep in thought. "That's something to think about. Also, he wanted us to find this thing. Of course, he's not going to trap us here. Look, there's a gate over there," he pointed, "Let's head there and see if it can be opened."
We approached the large metal gate with its intricate carvings and coin slots. Cairo and I inserted the coins into the slots after exchanging intent nods. The gate made loud clang noise, but it eventually started to open gradually, exposing a secret passageway leading outside.
The bright sun's rays welcomed us as soon as we entered the gate. The beach was immaculate, and the view of the vast, sparkling sea was both breathtaking and inviting as the stairs led us up to it.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
As we approached our base on the island, we spotted Deniz and Marco making their way toward us from a distance. I waved my hand to catch their attention, and both Cairo and I ran to meet them.
Deniz and Marco couldn't contain their curiosity and questioned us about our absence. We had to explain everything because they noticed the forearm guards on our hands. We proceeded to explain everything, from the strange signs we had encountered to our interaction with the enigmatic third person.
As he thought about the third person's possible involvement in the demise of his ship, Marco's annoyance was palpable.
Deniz, on the other hand, was unable to contain his surprise and interest. "And you actually are a prince? Why didn't you inform me of it earlier? He flashed a playful grin. "A mansion with a pool is the first thing I need in Eblistan, right? Then you'll send a ship to Ringsheer and bring back everyone else, right?
As we gathered around, I demonstrated the workings of the forearm guard. I aimed it at a nearby coconut tree, and it shot a rope that quickly reeled me up to the top. I gathered coconuts, feeling the strain on my hand as I was pulled upwards, but it was a successful operation.
"So it grapples things huh, so what is the name of this device?" Asked Marco
"Maybe grappling forearm or something?"
"How about grappling hook, this concept has been in inventors mind for a long time, that sounds like and appropriate name"
Later, we caught some crabs and cooked them, enjoying a hearty dinner as night fell.
"Now we have the resources to make a raft. Tomorrow, we'll start building it" Marco declared before we went to sleep
I woke up early and the sun began to paint the sky with shades of orange and pink, announcing the arrival of a new day.
Daybreak - Morning
We began by choosing a strong frame constructed of big, dry planks. Deniz expertly started weaving flexible, strong ropes from the banana stalk into the planks and sticks. While Deniz continued his work on the frame, Marco and I gathered additional vines and palm leaves to be used as lashings."Strong lashings will keep our raft sturdy," Marco said
We worked silently all morning, each of us doing our part. The hands of Deniz skillfully woven the frame together. To make sure the frame was solid and reliable, Marco and I tightly fastened the lashings.
Noon - Afternoon
As the sun reached its zenith, we moved on to the next phase. We decided to use a combination of planks, logs, and palm fronds for the base of the raft. Marco and I split into teams, with him working on securing logs to the frame, while I began to construct a platform using the palm fronds.
Deniz, as always, displayed his keen understanding of the process. he ensured that the logs were securely tied to the frame, and the palm fronds formed a comfortable and stable platform.
Our efforts continued into the afternoon, and by the time the sun began its descent, we were left with a basic raft structure. The three of us exchanged smiles of satisfaction, proud of the progress we had made.
Evening - Nightfall
As the sun dipped below the horizon, we knew we couldn't leave the raft as it was. We needed a mast and a sail to navigate it properly. Under the dim light of a campfire, we gathered our remaining materials: a long, straight bamboo pole for the mast and an old, torn sailcloth that had washed ashore.
Working in the flickering firelight, we attached the mast to the raft, securing it with more vines and lashings. Marco and Deniz took care of crafting a rudimentary sail from the sailcloth while I provided support and assistance.
With the raft nearly complete, we took a moment to admire our creation. It wasn't a grand vessel by any means, but it was functional and well-crafted.
We went to bed after a well-earned dinner because we were exhausted from the day's work. The raft that would take us on new adventures frequently appeared in our dreams.
We woke up the following morning with more vigor and drive. "The four chests from the underground hall should accompany us on our journey", Marco suggested. They may contain priceless materials that can help us on our journey to Eblistan.
We were prepared to leave the island behind with the chests safely fastened to the raft and the mast ready to catch the wind. Without hesitation, Deniz and Marco pushed the raft into the water. I swiftly raised the mast and spread the sail to catch the breeze as it floated on the gentle waves.
We had water pouches and dried skewers stashed in the chests, so we were well-equipped. And hence, we finally departed to Eblistan.