Amacrine Adventures: Search for the Golden Soma Part IV
Ah back at home once more in the belly of the S.S. Amacrina as she rocks ye gently t’ a much needed sleep. Turns out a bit o’ shut eye after such a jolly adventure wasn’t such a bad bit o’ thinkin’ after all.
Later, as ye rouse yerself from the grips of the dream land, ye hear a bit of a goings on up on deck. Ye shuffle up with a groggy limp, still yawning but curious to know what’s being said.
The Captain announces the ship will dock at the Dendritic Docks for supplies. Bit of a pity, ye are supposin’ ye could use a bit more time restin’, havin’ a pint with ye hearties, and peering out over the endless sea ponderin’ on the mysteries of life.
But adventure waits for no buccaneer, so onward ye must travel!
Many of ye hearties are excited to be at another port, and ready themselves for a bit o’ friendly griftin’ for their own supplies.
Ye decide t’ depart on yer own mini holiday as the ship is docked, and head to the nearby Synapse Shore. As a wee child ye had a postcard depictin’ it as a small paradise, and the reality isn’t too far off! Ye settle down in the silky pink sands and watch the waves as they lap gently against yer toes.
Ye settle into a daydream counting up all the bounty yer crew has found during this leg of your journey – 15 Loots and 20 Treasures!
As you’re drifting into another daydream, a rather presumptuous wave leaps out at ye! Ye jump back a bit. Ye are here for the sunbathin’ and have no plans t’ be swept out t’ sea. It retreats nearly as quickly as made its appearance. And in its wake – something glints against the sun!
Another bottle. Ah fortune, here she comes once more. Ye unstop the cork and take a look, but to yer surprise – the bottle be empty!
Ye turn it around and around but – nothin’! Nothin’ t’ speak of at all.
Well now yer curiosity is getting th’ best o’ ye. There be a rather more creative-minded sailor than yerself aboard the S.S. Amacrina, perhaps the bottle will be in better hands there.
Yer fellow hearty turns th’ bottle this way and that, so many times ye think it must all be for naught. Perhaps it wasn’t fortune after all but just a careless rouge tossin’ his refuse to the sea.
“Ah ha!” yer fellow buccaneer exclaims. She points at the bottom of the bottle. When it’s turned just so towards the sun, ye can make out a little flying insect etched into th’ glass.
Time for another wee detour, though yer innards give ye th’ feelin’ that this may be the more direct path than the straight and narrow anyhow. Ye will meet up with yer fellows where the Ganglion Straits meet the sea.
Yer path leads ye t’ a large cave, shaped vaguely like that flying gnat. “Drosophilia Dangerousia” yer companion explains. The cave of the nefarious fly.
Th’ cave be full of misfortunes indeed. Ye must fend off swarm after swarm of blinding bugs, and your fair share of booby traps, not t’ mention the slippery floors, dripping ceilings, and eerie dark.
Finally ye emerge into an opening, where light pours in like a smile from th’ heavens. In the middle of this strange theatre a little pedestal. Yer companion places the bottle carefully on it and turns it just so.
Ye see it! On the wall of the cave an image takes form. The final map fragment, and one last note.
Ye take out a bit o’ parchment and a quill and make a tracing over the projected information.
“A bounty not for the faint of heart, finding ole Grim’s treasure is quite the art. Just one more leg and your journey’s near through, a great reward completes the path true. A Black Spill may try to suck you in, but stay the course and aim to win. Many have tried so proceed with care, the treasure approaches, you’re nearly there!”
Ye cannot believe yer eyes! This be it! The path t’ Captain Grim’s treasure! Can it be real? Or is it all some sort of trap t’ foil the S.S. Amacrina? Well, there be only one way t’ find out!
The South East corner of the map – the final fragment – has been revealed! Let’s take a journey through this last section to see what loots and treasures we can find. Captain Grim’s treasure is near at hand!
Art by Daniela Gamba