The airship rested heavily on the dry, cracked earth of the clearing. With the immediate threat of the Sandmen Vulgus gone, the group finally had a moment to breathe. The sound of metal clanging against metal echoed through the quiet air as Mugen hauled a massive sheet of reinforced plating toward the torn roof.
"Hold it right there, young one!" Aero's grandpa shouted, pointing a welding torch at the frame. "I am going to fuse this section first. I can fix this baby in no time with a bit of help from those muscles of yours!"
Mugen grunted in agreement, lifting the heavy metal as if it were a piece of paper.
While the repairs were underway, Lucidia walked to the edge of the clearing. She shielded her eyes from the sun, looking past the jagged rock formations that surrounded their landing site. Far off in the distance, where the haze of the horizon met the ground, she saw a cluster of small, wooden structures. Thin trails of smoke drifted up into the sky from what looked like cooking fires.
"Aero," Lucidia called out, not taking her eyes off the horizon.
Aero, who was busy trying to look busy near the engine, hurried over to her side. "What is it? Are the bandits back?"
"No," she said, pointing toward the silhouettes of the buildings. "There is a small village over there. It looks quiet."
Aero squinted, his magnifying goggles clicking as he adjusted the lens. "I have never seen that place before. We must have drifted further off course than I thought during the fight."
"A village?" Ash asked, limping over while leaning against a nearby tree. "We should be careful. If the Sandmen Vulgus are as active here as I think they are, that village might be under their thumb."
Acheron, who was sitting on a nearby crate feeding Veno a small scrap of dried meat, looked up. "Or it is the perfect place to gather information. If we want to know when the next fleet is coming, we should ask the locals. Besides, the airship roof is wide open. If it rains or if they spot us from above, we are sitting ducks."
Quinna checked the cylinder of her gun. "Aero does not know it, I do not know it... it is a total mystery. But we need supplies and a real doctor for Ash. Those pills really did a number on him."
Eevee poked her head out from a pile of cargo. "Is there food there? I am starving after all that swinging!"
Lucidia asked, "But is it really safe right now to go there with half of the airship's roof blown out?"
Mugen looked at the jagged metal and the gaping hole in the vessel. "Do not worry, I will make a temporary roof."
Ash frowned, clutching his side. "Are you sure that is safe?"
"This is the only way with the best outcome, so we have to gamble it," Mugen said, his voice deep and certain as he began dragging more scrap metal into place.
Quinna spun the cylinder of her revolver and flashed a sharp, confident grin. "I love gambling when I win."
The group followed the dirt path as it wound through the jagged rocks, eventually reaching the entrance of the small settlement. For being dubbed a village, it was remarkably clean, with brass-trimmed houses and the faint, rhythmic sound of ticking clocks coming from the buildings.
They were met at the gate by a man wearing a crisp, velvet coat and a top hat that looked slightly too large for his head. He bowed low, his silver cane clicking against the cobblestones.
"Welcome, travelers! I am Sir Wellington," the man announced with a theatrical flourish. "Welcome to The Village of Orizzonte. We are the smallest village in the world, but we have one of the best doctors and mechanics."
Quinna's eyes brightened as she holstered her weapon. "Perfect."
Ash, however, narrowed his eyes, his pale face tight with suspicion. He leaned heavily on his staff, looking at the pristine buildings and then back at the Mayor. "This is sketchy. You people have the best doctors and mechanics, and I have never heard of this village as a nob—"
Before he could finish the word, Lucidia's hand flashed out, firmly closing his mouth. She leaned in close, her eyes darting toward Sir Wellington to make sure he had not taken offense.
"You probably should not tell them that you are a noble," Lucidia whispered harshly into his ear.
Sir Wellington chuckled, seemingly oblivious to the muffled protest coming from Ash. "Ah, a skeptical one! We get those often. We prefer to keep our little corner of the world quiet, you see. Keeps the 'unwanted elements' away. But please, bring your injured friend and your broken vessel. We pride ourselves on our hospitality."
Aero stepped forward, his curiosity getting the better of his caution. "If you have such great mechanics, do you have any spare graviton coils? Our roof is a mess, but the stabilizers took a hit too."
"We have everything you need, young pilot," Sir Wellington said, gesturing for them to enter
Sir Wellington's smile didn't falter, but his eyes turned grave as he leaned on his silver cane. "You can pay with gold, of course, but we prefer something to help our village. Perhaps a small favor?"
He lowered his voice, the cheerful atmosphere of the village square suddenly feeling a bit colder. "Our village has a murderer here, and you people look like you can fight. Our top detective haven't caught the murderer yet. Can you people help, perhaps?"
Mugen's hand went instinctively to the hilt of his massive axe, his eyes widening. "THE BLOODSEEKER?"
Sir Wellington shook his head quickly. "No, no. Nothing so legendary, I hope. But just as deadly to our peaceful streets."
Ash, despite his pale face and the hand Lucidia still had hovering near his mouth, straightened his posture. A flicker of genuine excitement crossed his tired features. "I always aspired to be a great detective. I can help with that."
Aero looked at Ash, then at the gaping hole in their airship roof visible in the distance. "You can barely stand, Ash! Are you sure you can play Sherlock Holmes right now?"
"Solving a mystery requires the mind, not just the feet," Ash countered, though he winced as he shifted his weight.
Quinna shrugged, leaning against a brass lamp post. "Hey, if it gets the ship fixed and keeps us off the Sandmen Vulgus's radar for a bit, I am in. Besides, a murderer in a village this small? There are only so many places to hide."
Acheron looked around at the pristine, ticking buildings of Orizzonte. "If your 'top detective' couldn't find them, this killer is either very smart or very well-hidden. Where was the last crime scene, Sir Wellington?"