Three Children Esteban, Zia and Tao, each with their own story to tell, are joined by three Spanish gold-hunters in search of the fabled Cities of Gold. It is a story full of great adventure, wonderful imagination and creativity, courage and heroism, but when it comes down to it, it is a story about friendship. How six strangers, thrown together through a mutual aim, develope a friendship which becomes more important to them than their original goal.

The Story

Many thousands of years ago, the Earth was ruled by two giant opposing empires, Atlantis and the Empire of Heva. They had learnt how to harness the sun's energy and developed powerful weapons which destroyed both civilisations. Foreseeing the destruction of his people, the Emperor of Heva had seven cities of gold built around the world, to preserve their legacy.

As Magellan's fleet sails through a storm, the sailors notice a lone ship crashing around on the violent sea. The sole passengers are a man and a baby. Magellan's young navigator, dives into the water and through unbelievable strength he is able to reach the troubled vessel. Unable to save them both, the stranger hands him the baby. Around the baby's neck hangs a medallion of the sun and crescent moon. Intrigued by this, he removes the centre piece - the sun, and keeps it. Aboard the ship, as Magellan held the child in his arms, the clouds cleared and the sun came out "as if in answer to his smile." The child, Esteban grew up under the care of Father Rodriguez, the Dean of Barcelona Cathedral.

After the death of Father Rodriguez, over a decade later, Esteban agrees to join Mendoza (who reveals himself as the one who saved Esteban) on a trip to the 'New World' in search of the "fabulous cities of gold". Mendoza persuades him by indicating that his father may still be alive and living in the New World. Below the ship's deck, Esteban meets Zia, the daughter of an Incan priest, who wears an identical medallion. She was kidnapped as a young child by Pizarro and given as a gift to the Queen of Spain. Believing that she can lead him to the Cities of Gold, Pizarro has ordered that she be brought back to the New World.

After crossing the Magellan Strait, the fleet encounter a storm. The ship is completely destroyed and all abandon except Esteban, Zia, Mendoza and his two bumbling sidekicks, sailors Sancho and Pedro. Their raft washes up on the shores of an island in the Galapagos. There they meet Tao, a descendant of an ancient civilisation - the Empire of Heva. He tells them of a prophecy that a girl with dark eyes (Zia) will lead him to the lands in the east. In a temple, beneath the island, Zia translates a second prophecy: "When thunder rumbles in the depths of the earth, the seals will break and the Solaris of Heva will be born again in the sea." As a earthquake shakes the island, a cliff face crumbles away and a giant sailing ship glides out into the bay.

Aboard the Solaris, the party head for the mainland. On their way, they are spotted by a Spanish galleon. Due to the relative small size of their sail, the Spaniards catch them up. It is then Tao realises he must understand the mysteries of the ship. A large open room stands with a large golden cube in the centre. Esteban notices a lever on the wall of the golden cube, with the galleon preparing to fire, he pulls it. A ray of concentrated sunshine is directed onto the cube and the Solaris springs into action. The sail folds up and slots under the deck, then a sail, covered in solar panels emerges from the deck. With the power of the sun, oars emerge from the sides of the ship which accelerate it far from the Spanish galleon and away from danger. As night falls the solar sail folds away, just as they spy land in the distance.

On arrival in the new world, they are captured by Pizzaro. On escaping, Tao is forced to destroy the Solaris in order to save the people of an Inca village being attacked by the Spaniards. With the loss of their ship, the children travel south in search of Zia's village. After hearing that her father left in search of the City of Gold, Zia and the other two children are taken to the High Peak, the refuge of the Incan people. There they learn of a fabled city to the south. Needing 'the sun' from his medallion, Esteban leaves to find Mendoza.

Travelling south, the children, now accompanied by Mendoza, Sacho and Pedro, reach a statue standing infront of a mountainside. In the bust of the statue are two holes exactly fitting the size of the medallions. As they place the medallions into position the rock face opens up, in the light of the seeting sun, they see an abandoned city which shone like gold. As the light fades, the party realise the golden city was an illusion. Searching the city for gold, they enter a temple. Esteban removes an emblem from the wall, and the room is filled with light. As the light fades, infront of them is left a giant gold 'statue' of a condor.

As they further search the temple, they feel the ground shake. They realise that the city in built on an active volcano. They manage to climb into the Condor statue just in time for the eruption. The blast shoots them high into the air, just to plummet to certain death. Esteban notices a cicular indentaion and into it he places the emblem from the temple. As he does so, they realise the Condor is really a flying machine as their decent slows and the Condor goes into autopilot.

As the sun begins to set the Condor flies over the Nasca Plateau. They land in the middle of a giant picture of a Condor. They realise the Condor is powered by the sun. Fiddling around, they discover the Condor's controls. As they sleep, Pizarro's men surround the Condor. As the sun rises, the Condor powers up, glowing blindingly. The party run towards it, eyes shielded and escape. Flying back to the High Peak, the Condor interrupts an attack by the Spanish army. Esteban flies the Condor, destroying the ropebridge forever cutting off the city from attack.

Continuing north, the Condor flies into a black cloud causing it to shut down and crash into the rainforest below. Unable to take off, the group seek assistance from an all-woman tribe called the Amazons. Tao reveals that the priestess is a fake and uses a Hevan barometer to predict the weather. The party use the Amazon Queen's giant mirror to shine sunlight onto the Condor enabling it to take off and disperse the attack of a neighbouring tribe lead by the priestess.

Further north, unbeknown to them, they reach the land of the Mayas. Flying through a rainbow, the Condor goes into auto-pilot and lands in a sink-hole. A passage opens up into a ruined city - Palenque. Here they find a manuscript whcih along with three others will lead them to the City of Gold. After finding two more ruined cities, the final manuscript tells the party to head for the mountain of the Burning Shield.

The Burning Shield turns out to be the base of the Olmecs - a race, who were mutated during the Heva-Atlantis war and use cell-transplants and suspended animation to prolong their lives. The mountain's glow turns out to be caused by a giant crystal which generates power from the sun. This causes Tao's jar to glow. The party escape from the Olmecs and rescue an enslaved Mayan girl and return to her village.

As the children return for the Condor, the Olmecs attack the Maya. Returning, the Condor frightens off the attack. The village chief turns out to be Zia's father, he is too badly wounded in the battle and shortly dies. The group and the Maya plan an attack on the Olmecs. Just as Mendoza's plans are working, the Olmecs unvail their secret weapon - a huge flying machine which fires huge laser beams, destroying all in their way. Esteban and Tao attempt to rescue Zia - who had been captured by the Olmecs. Esteban frees Zia but Tao is captured. Esteban and Zia jump from the Olmec Flying Machine into the lake below.

Swimming to an island in the middle of the lake. They wake up to see the High Priest of the City of Gold. He shows them the gates to the City. The Olmecs discover the island and demand the Priest open the doors. He explains that the decision is up to Esteban and Zia - only they have the Medallions of the Sun which can open the City. Fearing for Tao's safety, the children agree to open the doors - revealing the shining city beyond.

The Olmecs steal the great treasure in the centre of the city. It is a sun-power unit which will give them limitless power. The Olmecs install the unit in the Burning Shield. However it requires Tao's jar to operate effectively and overheats. The result is an earthquake which shakes the area and destroys the City of Gold. The High Priest rushes off to the Burning Shield, with Tao's jar, to fix the problem. He is able to place the jar into the sun-power unit, preventing a catastrophe, but apparently dieing in the attempt. Back at the Condor the children agree to cross the Pacific Ocean and Search for the six remaining Cities of Gold. As the Condor disappears into the setting sun the, all-too-familiar theme-tune rings out for the final time... or does it?