Rein and Garland along with Leuria strolled the street of the metal island, heading to the market place.

Garland sighed “How long we have to stay here. It’s been a day.”

“Without our ship we couldn’t leave this place,” Rein shook his head.

“But boss! we tried everything, nothing works,” said Garland.

“Our last option is the stairways.”

“That tall building?”

“But Ebistu forbid us to go there,” Leuria mentioned.

“We have the device now, we might be able to disable the guards there.”

“Hey Rein!” Someone was calling for them.

It was Kincade, waving at them with his new thin arm, salvaged from the destroyed robot; Garland chuckled seeing it. Kincade took over a food stall and transforming the local “boring,” food into galaxy class masterpiece. It seemed it was a hit, the locals were lining up in front of the stall. They joined the line. When it’s their turn, Kincade gave them a plate of satay made of that serpentine creature, covered with blue sauce.

“Isn’t this Randy’s recipe?” Rein whispered to Kincade.

“Yeah,” he smiled “Try it.”

Leuria took one and ate it, her eyes sparkled “Wow! This is heavenly good!” she took another bite “I didn’t know you could make something like this with it,”

Kincade smirked “Here! have some more,” giving them extra.

“Isn't it cheating to use ingredient from other planet,” murmured Garland.

"A what Gar?" Kincade asked.

Garland snickered. They went to get a seat not far from the stall and enjoyed the food.

“I’ll go get some drinks,” said Garland and he left.

"This is so good," Leuria munching the satay.

In just a few moment, she ate about thirty skewers by herself; Rein watching her with wide eyes. Kincade noticed and gave them another portion. When Garland returned with the drinks, he was speechless to see there were only three skewers left; She giggled.

Rein spotted Fabian and Ebistu not far from them, it seemed they already finished tending the wounded. He called for them and waved.

“How is it?” asked Rein as they both sat down.

“Will they be fine?” Leuria worried.

“Sadly we lost three people,” Fabian sighed “That poor kid..”

“We will lose more if it not for you, Fabian..” said Ebistu “Thank you..”

Kincade also joining them, sitting next to Rein. They heard the owner of the stall being booed by the crowds because he took too long making the sauce.

“How’s the replacement arm?” asked Ebistu.

“Not bad, though.. it will be great if i can use the beam cannon,” Kincade disappointed.

“So.. what are we going to do next?” asked Fabian.

Rein said “The stairways.”

Ebistu stood up “Stairways!? It’s dangerous! The machine there-”

“We have that device from Usife, we might be able to disable them,” Rein stated.

“Is there no other option?” asked Ebistu.

Rein shook his head “Anyway, How many population on this island?” asking Ebistu.

“Hmm.. Maybe about 4000,” he replied “Considering the king left with his guards.. what for?”

“Cade, is it possible to fit all of them inside our ship?”

“Hmm.. if we put some on the upper deck and secured them with ropes, maybe. Why?”

“A ship?” Leuria tilting her head “What is that?”

“Uh.. It’s our- uh.. flying crawler, yeah, flying crawler,” said Garland.

“A flying crawler?” she looks awed “it fly in the skies? Wow..”

“What’s your plan boss?”

“Tomorrow, we go to stairways, call our ship and bring everyone on this island with us, leaving this place,” Rein explained “Ebis, i need you to convince everyone to follow us to the stairways.”

"Rein are you sure about this?" Ebistu seemed reluctant, but finally he agreed and left with Fabian.

 

The next day, Rein and his friends, along with Leuria were at the dock, waiting for Ebistu. Kincade wrapped his replacement arm with layers of metal sheets and added a blade.

"Where's Ebistu?" asked Rein.

"Still convincing them," Fabian replied.

“The citizen.. they are not coming?” Leuria disappointed looking at the island.

Maybe promising to bring them to skies sounds far fetch Rein sighed.

“Look there,” Garland pointed “It’s Ebistu,”

Rein saw him approaching them with only bunch of children. Is that it? no one believes us?

“Ebi!” Leuria waved.

“No more coming?” Rein asked, looking at the children.

“They entrusted us to safeguard their kids,” Ebistu explained “The rest will be following us there with the island crawler.”

“They believe us?” Rein smiled.

He saw part of the island began moving.

“I’m sorry Rein, but i couldn’t convince everyone.. Bratase and his gangs want to took over the island,” said Ebistu “Fortunately they allowed us to take a small section of the island.”

“I see.. how many joining us?” asked Rein.

“About 3000..” Ebistu seems conflicted “But, Rein, are you-”

Rein nodded “I promise, i will bring them to the sky.”

“Ready boss?” Garland asked.

Ebistu and Fabian took the children inside the cabin, while they went to the helm. Kincade took the wheel and they were off to the stairways. The huge island crawler followed behind them.

 

Hours later, they arrived near the stairways, far enough to not alarmed the guards. Rein told Ebistu and Leuria that only he and his friends will be entering the stairways. He told them to informed the island crawler to stay put. However Ebistu and Leuria insisted to joined them. After some back and forth, Rein relented and told Fabian to stay behind and take care the children.

Kincade and Garland detached the small crawler. After Ebistu informed everyone in the island crawler, they rode the small crawler and head to the stairways.

“Ready the device,” Rein told Kincade.

He nodded. As they came closer to the stairways, a group of robots began crawling out from the sand. Kincade quickly pressed the button, all the robots began twitching and stopped moving. They all laughed, it works.

“Onward!” Leuria raised her hand.

They continued heading to the stairways, disabling any robots they encountered, and soon reaching the huge gate. Disembarking from their crawler, they went to examined the gate, but couldn’t find a way to opened it. Kincade tried pressing each button on the device, but nothing works.

“What now, boss?” asked Garland.

Rein remembered the small crevice, he saw earlier and told the others.

“Oh!” Leuria ears wiggling “Let’s go!”

“It should be around here,” Rein murmured, walking to the other side, the others followed behind him.

“Rein! I see it!” Leuria pointing excitedly “But it’s too high,”

“I’ll boost you up,” said Kincade.

“I'll go first,” said Ebistu.

Kincade nodded, helping Ebistu climbed up. Garland was next. Kincade boost Rein up and caught Garland’s hand. Both Rein and Garland pulled Leuria inside before helping Kincade.

“Where’s Ebi?” Leuria looking around.

“He went ahead,” said Garland.

They hopped inside, and found Ebistu checking some kind of vehicle.

“I thought this place going to be pitch dark,” said Garland seeing the place was well lit.

“Ebi, what is that?” Leuria asked.

“I don’t know..”

“Boss, it’s a plane.”

“What is a plane?” she tilted her head.

“It’s a.. a small flying crawler,” Rein explained “Does that thing work?”

“Let’s try it,” said Kincade.

He pushed a button beside the hatch, but nothing happened. He refused to give up and tried prying it with his blade, but it snapped into two. Gritting his teeth and he now pulled the hatch with his hand.

“Cade, just leave it,” said Rein.

Smoke gushing from his arm, then a loud crack. The hatch flew high and landed right on the plane beside them, destroying it.

“What the heck!” Garland yelled.

“Careful!” Rein warned.

“Sorry,” rubbing his head “At least it’s open now,” he jumped into the cockpit and yelled “crap!”

“What is it?” Rein went to see the cockpit.

Garland laughed seeing the instrument panel was destroyed. Kincade sighed loudly before jumping out from the cockpit. He walked to the other plane.

“Where are you going?” asked Rein.

“Trying the other one,”

Rein sighed “We can do that later! Calling our ship is our top priority.”

Kincade looks disappointed. They continued exploring to find the way upstairs. As they went further, aside from more plane, they also found several ground vehicles and giant humanoid controllable robots.

“Cool!” Garland ran to the robots.

“Gar! What are you doing? Let’s go!” Rein shook his head.

Garland grumbled as they entered the other room. It seemed they were at the center of the stairways, there was nothing there except for a huge pillar on the middle. They checked the pillar and found a panel. Kincade pressed the button on the panel and the pillar began to lit up, revealing an elevator inside.

Garland chuckled “I thought it’s going to attack us or something."

“Is it safe?” asked Leuria.

“I think so,” Rein walked inside.

The others followed suit. Rein saw a panel with several buttons on it beside the entrance, the button on the bottom was lit. Rein pressed the button on the top and the entrance closed. They’re started ascending fast.

“Rein!” she clutched his arm.

“Don’t worry,” he calmed her “Didn’t you have elevator back on the island?”

“But, not this fast..”

“Ebi, tell her-”

Rein glanced at Ebistu who was now leaning on the wall looking petrified; Kincade and Garland chuckled seeing him. Few moments later, the top button lit up and the elevator gates slides open. Rein stepped outside, followed by the others; Ebistu and Leuria still shaking.

“Boss, over there,” Garland pointed at a stair at the corner.

They walked to the stairs and climbed up. Arriving at a huge room with countless of monitors showing the scene outside. There’s also a computer on the middle and several advanced looking instrument.

“A command center?” Kincade wondered.

Rein tried to call their ship with his watch but still there’s no reception. He sighed loudly.

“So.. what are we going to do now?” Garland asked.

“How about using those plane?” Kincade looking excited.

“What about activate the stairways?” Leuria suggested.

“Activating the stairways, huh.. yeah.. let’s try it.”

They went to examined the computer. Rein tapped the board in front of it and it glowed.

“Unknown life form,” said a voice, followed by alarm sound.

“Oh shit!” Garland muttered.

Rein looked at Ebistu and told him to tap the board. He looked confused, Leuria tapped the board the instead.

“Children of Targarra detected,” said the voice, the alarm stopped.

They held their breath, waiting. Then at the corner, a pillar dropped from the ceiling and slides open. A humanoid robot walked out from the pillar, Rein recognized it, it’s Usife. Leuria squealed and quickly hid behind him.