Though Isis could not make sense of whatever her father was planning, he had said south, so south they would go.
Isis turned to Altaïr. "What's south of here?"
Altaïr's gaze rested on the ancient coin in Isis's hand for a couple of seconds. Then he looked away and thought for a moment. "Hmm. This time of year, Val Habar should be somewhere in the northwestern part of the Great Desert. If we head south from here... I remember several large oases, but it's been years, and I'm not sure they're still there. I'll ask the Guildmarm in a moment and make sure."
"Is there anything more interesting than oases?" Isis asked, unable to hide her disappointment.
Val Habar already lay near the outer edge of the Great Desert. Oases of all sizes were hardly rare, and Isis had visited plenty during her time there. They no longer held much novelty for her.
"An interesting place? In the Great Desert? ...Wait, there might actually be one." Altaïr's expression shifted. He pulled out the map, glanced over it, and used his fingers to gauge the distance. "There may be nothing within three hundred kilometers as the crow flies, but if we extend the radius to five hundred, one place does come to mind. If we use an oasis as a waypoint, the journey would total around seven or eight hundred kilometers. That's a little far..."
"Isn't that distance a bit much for a Sandship?" Isis asked, tilting her head.
"It is." Altaïr hesitated. Isis's question reminded him of another problem. Even fitting four people onto a single Sandship would be pushing it. There might be one fewer of them than when they had arrived in Val Habar that morning, but Mr. Gordon alone weighed about as much as Serl, Francesca, and Morgan combined.
Altaïr was a better pilot than Francesca, so they would not have to push the Sandship as often, but there was no telling what would happen if the wind died. He could already picture himself at the helm while Isis and her parents pushed from behind. The thought alone was hellish.
"Let's charter an Airship," Hayata said with a smile. "There's no need to economize. We don't have much time, and enjoying ourselves is what matters."
"Altaïr, what's this interesting place you mentioned?" Gordon asked, joining the conversation.
"Right here, the Gilgamesh Ancient Ruins. Have you heard of them?" Altaïr pointed to a spot on the map. "The site was discovered after an enormous sandstorm about five or six years ago. It's a sprawling ancient city with a complex underground layout, so people call it 'the Labyrinth.' At the time, tourists and archaeological teams flocked there. Almost every experienced desert guide in Loc Lac was booked solid."
"A sprawling ruin with a labyrinth beneath it? Now that sounds interesting." Gordon stroked his chin. "I've explored plenty of ruins, but I've never even heard of this place."
"Why does it have to be ruins again..." After what had happened a few days earlier, Isis had developed something of an aversion to ruins.
Altaïr shrugged. "The only places in the Great Desert that could be considered unusual are its ancient ruins."
"Altaïr, have you ever been to those ancient city ruins yourself?" Hayata asked.
"No." Altaïr looked a little embarrassed as he answered. "I did work as a desert guide once, but I wasn't qualified back then to take people that deep into the desert or anywhere that far away. I've only heard about those ruins. I don't know much about them."
Gordon grinned, baring his teeth. "No problem. It's better if you haven't been there. The fun is in exploring it for yourself. Otherwise, it would just be sightseeing, and where's the thrill in that?"
"That's a good point!" Her father's words stirred Isis's interest despite her earlier unease.
Compared with the optimistic father and daughter, Hayata was clearly more cautious. "Wouldn't it be better to ask around and confirm the current situation first?"
"Of course." Altaïr nodded. "I'll ask the Guildmarm. We also need to confirm the locations of the oases along the route. That's essential on a long journey through the desert."
Altaïr rose as he finished speaking, but his legs buckled and he nearly dropped back into his seat. His muscles were still weak from overtraining, leaving him unsteady on his feet.
"I'll come with you." Hayata stood too and steadied him. "I know the people here, so it'll be easier for me to get answers."
She glanced at her husband and daughter. "You two keep eating. Finish everything you ordered. Don't waste food."
Gordon and Isis exchanged a look, shrugged, and lowered their heads to resume eating.
—--
Hayata led Altaïr past the Quest Counter, where the Guildmarm was stationed, and straight up to the second floor. With practiced ease, she found Guildmarm Sophia's office.
"I'm coming in."
The door was ajar. Hayata knocked lightly, then pushed it open.
Sophia was working through paperwork behind her desk. She looked up at Hayata, set down her quill, and smiled. "I was just thinking I shouldn't intrude on your family time. What brings you up here?"
"Just think of it as me missing you."
The two friends traded a few teasing remarks.
As their junior, Altaïr bowed his head slightly in greeting. "Guildmarm Sophia."
"Mr. Altaïr. It's been several years. You've changed quite a bit." Sophia adjusted her glasses.
She still remembered the young man who had been "in league" with Isis. They had both been minors then, and as an elder, Sophia had been genuinely wary and concerned. She had never expected their relationship to remain so steady after all these years, much less for Altaïr to earn Isis's parents' approval.
"Please, have a seat." Sophia gestured toward the guest sofa, then could not help glancing at Altaïr again. "Why is he limping? Is he hurt?"
"Gordon dragged him to the Training Area..." Hayata answered helplessly.
"...All right. That man hasn't changed." Sophia shook her head in amusement. She asked someone to prepare tea, then sat down on the sofa.
"You've come up to see me out of the blue, so surely this isn't just to say hello? If you'd only wanted to catch up, I thought you'd come see me later tonight."
"We actually wanted to ask about something." Hayata glanced at Altaïr, signaling him to speak.
With every ounce of strength drained from his body, collapsing onto the sofa would have felt wonderful, but maintaining a polite posture was agony. Altaïr forced himself to sit upright.
"Guildmarm Sophia, we'd like to ask about the current situation at the Gilgamesh Ancient Ruins and, if possible, get the coordinates of the oases along the route."
"The Gilgamesh Ruins?" Sophia frowned. "Why are you asking about that place?"
Altaïr's heart skipped a beat. Something about Guildmarm Sophia's reaction felt wrong...
"Sightseeing," Hayata replied with a smile. "Gordon and Isis think the nearby oases are boring, and they've already visited places like Rekusara. They want somewhere more interesting to explore."
Sophia looked exasperated. "So you're planning to march straight into the ruins? The Guild designated the Gilgamesh Ancient Ruins a high-danger zone years ago."
"I truly didn't know that," Altaïr hurriedly explained. "The image I have of that ancient city is still from its early days, back when archaeologists and tourists were crowding in."
"Well... the first year or two were indeed like that, but problems began once the surface ruins had been fully explored and the archaeological and expedition teams pushed into the underground areas.
"Several archaeological teams disappeared. The Guild sent an elite squad of Hunters to investigate and rescue them. Two Hunters were killed, and the other two retreated with severe injuries.
"According to the survivors, they encountered Gilkuza in the deepest part of the underground city."
"Gilkuza?!" Altaïr looked as though he had seen a ghost.
"You know that Monster?" Hayata looked at him curiously.
"Whether I know it isn't the issue. By all rights, that creature shouldn't exist in the real world."
Altaïr pressed a hand to his forehead. "Think of it as a specter or a ghost, the kind of terrifying legend parents in the desert use to frighten their children.
"The name means 'living bones,' or, in other words, 'Ghost Dragon' (see P.S.)."
P.S. The Gilgamesh Ancient Ruins and Gilkuza come from Monster Hunter Orage, the official Monster Hunter manga by Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima.
In the manga, Gilkuza bears the title 'Skeletal Dragon.' Because Monster Hunter Orage predates Nakarkos's debut, the two later ended up with clashing titles.
Gilkuza is a fascinating Monster; I even suspect it may have served as a prototype for Gore Magala. Of course, this story will not follow the manga's plot.