The group wandered around the ship, exploring its nooks and crannies. Kenji stopped in front of a door and pushed it open.
"Oh, this must be the kitchen," he said, stepping inside. The space was modest, featuring a wooden counter, shelves filled with dusty pots and pans, and a small stove that looked like it hadn't been used in ages.
Olorun crossed his arms and nodded approvingly.
"Hmm, it's nice enough. Could use some cleaning, though."
Eleo's eyes lit up as he spotted a dusty sack of old carrots in the corner.
"Oh-ho! I can already imagine the carrot stew I'm gonna make!" He hugged the bag like it was a treasure chest, grinning ear to ear.
Chiyo raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.
"You really have a one-track mind, don't you?"
"Carrots are life," Eleo replied without hesitation, dusting off the sack.
After checking the kitchen, they moved on, wandering into another room. Chiyo immediately pointed to the bed in the corner.
"I call dibs."
Olorun frowned, tilting his head.
"Dibs? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means this room is mine," Chiyo said confidently, placing a hand on her hip.
Kenji rolled his eyes.
"And why should you get this room? There are multiple of us, and only one of you."
Chiyo smirked, her crimson eyes narrowing.
"Because there are multiple of you guys, which means you'll be loud, messy, and annoying. A girl needs her peace."
Olorun shook his head in disbelief.
"Unbelievable."
They moved on to the bathroom next, where Eleo immediately wrinkled his nose.
"Huh. Only one toilet?" he said, staring at the tiny, cramped space.
"And no toilet paper," Kenji added, opening the cabinet and finding it completely empty.
Chiyo chuckled darkly.
"Looks like you boys will have to figure that out on your own."
Olorun grimaced, poking at the rusted pipes in the sink.
"This place is a wreck. How do we even know the plumbing works?"
Kenji shrugged, already walking to the shower. He opened the creaky door and inspected the tiny stall.
"Well, at least the shower's here. Though, judging by the smell, I wouldn't count on hot water."
Descending further into the ship, they reached the lower deck. The air was stale and musty, with the room mostly empty except for a few hammocks strung up on hooks.
Chiyo wrinkled her nose.
"I guess you guys can sleep down here," she said, gesturing vaguely at the hammocks.
Olorun groaned, waving his hand in front of his nose.
"Ugh, it stinks down here. Smells like something died."
Eleo ignored the comment and pointed at the walls with a grin.
"Look! I can see where the wings pop out. That's so neat!"
Finally, they reached the lowest deck, where the ship's cannons were stored. Kenji ran his hand along one of the cannons, which was covered in cobwebs and rust.
"These could come in handy," he said thoughtfully.
Eleo nodded, his excitement unshaken.
"Yeah, we could totally use these if we run into any trouble. Imagine blasting some sea monsters with these bad boys!"
"Or sky monsters," Olorun corrected, smirking.
After thoroughly exploring the ship, they returned to the main deck, where Tony was waiting for them at the helm.
"So, how's the boat?" Tony asked, glancing at their slightly disheveled appearances.
Kenji shrugged.
"It's decent," he said nonchalantly, though a hint of admiration colored his voice.
"Decent?" Eleo exclaimed. "This ship is awesome! Did you see how the wings work? And there's a kitchen, and cannons, and—"
Tony cut him off with a chuckle.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Glad you're happy with it. Just don't break anything before we even get to Orka City."
Chiyo, who had been silent for most of the walk back, finally spoke up, her tone dry.
"Well, as long as I don't have to share a room with any of you, I guess I can tolerate this floating pile of junk for now."
Kenji sighed, shaking his head.
"You're really full of yourself, you know that?"
Chiyo smirked, her crimson eyes glinting.
"You're just mad because I'm right."
As Eleo stood on the main deck, his eyes drifted upward. He narrowed them as he caught sight of something unusual in the sky.
"Hey, what's that?" he called out, pointing.
The others followed his gaze. There, silhouetted against the morning sun, was a towering structure.
Kenji blinked in disbelief.
"How did we not see that before?"
Chiyo crossed her arms, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Because none of you know how to look up, apparently."
"Well," Olorun said with a grin, cracking his knuckles, "there's only one way to find out what it is."
They all agreed and steered the ship closer, eventually finding a small dock connected to the base of the tower. Dismounting, they made their way to the tower's door. Chiyo pushed it open without hesitation, the creak of the hinges echoing through the tall, narrow hall.
The group began climbing the spiral staircase inside. Each step echoed in the silence, the air growing thinner as they ascended. After what felt like forever, they reached the top and stepped into a spacious, empty room with an open balcony.
"Whoa," Eleo said as he walked out onto the balcony, the wind tousling his hair. "We're really high up."
Olorun joined him, leaning against the railing and looking at the sky.
"Yeah, we're so high, thanks to us flying, we're practically in the clouds."
Kenji glanced around the room, his hand on his chin.
"Hmm… this could be the training room," he said, his mind already running through potential setups.
Olorun's eyes lit up, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Hell yeah! This would be the perfect training room. Plenty of space, and no one will bother us."
Chiyo scoffed, leaning against the wall.
"If you want to make this a training room, you'll need to clean it up first. And don't forget, you can probably buy upgrades for the ship, too."
Eleo turned to her, tilting his head.
"Upgrades? Like what?"
She shrugged.
"Extra rooms, better gear, maybe even weapons. It's all a matter of how much you're willing to spend."
Olorun smirked.
"Sounds expensive. Guess we'll figure that out after we hit Orka City."
After thoroughly exploring the tower, they returned to the ship. Hours passed as they sailed onward. The group eventually lay on the deck under the open sky. Kenji and Olorun were sprawled out, their heads resting on their arms. Chiyo sat cross-legged nearby, her eyes half-closed in thought. Eleo, ever energetic, pointed at the clouds, naming random shapes.
"Look! That one looks like a bunny!" Eleo exclaimed, laughing.
Olorun groaned, covering his face with his arm.
"It's a cloud. It doesn't look like anything."
"Don't ruin the fun," Eleo shot back, sticking his tongue out.
Chiyo rolled her eyes but smirked slightly.
"He's right, though. It does kind of look like a bunny."
Kenji glanced over at her, surprised.
"Didn't think you'd agree with Eleo on anything."
Chiyo shrugged.
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day."
Just then, Tony's voice rang out from the helm.
"Guys! I see an island!"
The group bolted upright, their relaxed demeanor vanishing. Eleo jumped to his feet, excitement returning in full force.
"An island? Finally!" he shouted, rushing to Tony's side.
As the ship dropped through the clouds, Tony slammed the button to deploy the wings back into the hull. The boat plummeted, freefalling toward the water below. The crew braced themselves, clutching onto anything they could grab.
"Hold on!" Tony yelled as the ship hit the water with a massive splash, sending waves crashing out in every direction.
The force of the impact sent everyone tumbling onto the deck. Kenji groaned, sprawled out on his back.
"Is… is everyone okay?"
Olorun rolled over dramatically, clutching his side.
"I think I broke my back! I can't move!"
Tony dusted himself off, glaring at him.
"Good enough! You'll live." He staggered to his feet, wobbling from the rough landing.
"Tony," Chiyo growled, sitting up and rubbing her head. "Do you not know how to land a ship properly?"
Tony shrugged, giving her a sheepish grin.
"I mean, technically, we landed, didn't we?"
Kenji sighed, helping Eleo to his feet.
"Barely."
Once everyone regained their balance, Tony pressed another button on the console. A mechanical whirr echoed as a plank extended from the ship, creating a ramp to the shore.
"Alright," Tony announced, gesturing grandly toward the forest ahead. "Our next stop: Orka City!"
The crew disembarked, stepping into a dense forest. The towering trees loomed overhead, their leaves casting dappled sunlight onto the winding path. As they trudged forward, Eleo scratched his head, looking around.
"Uh, Tony," Eleo began, glancing at the endless trees. "Where's the city at?"
Tony pulled out a map, turning it sideways and squinting.
"Well, uh… it should be this way. Or maybe… that way."
Olorun slapped Tony on the back with a confident grin.
"Don't worry, guys! I've got this. I'm an expert navigator. Follow me!"
Kenji raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
"Oh yeah? And how many forests have you expertly navigated?"
"Plenty!" Olorun shot back, puffing out his chest.
As they followed Olorun deeper into the woods, the minutes dragged on. The path seemed to twist endlessly, with no sign of civilization.
"Olorun," Eleo said, his voice laced with doubt. "Are you sure you know where we're going?"
Olorun didn't miss a beat, nodding enthusiastically.
"Of course, of course! Trust me."
Kenji groaned, muttering under his breath.
"Yeah, right. He probably couldn't find his way out of a paper bag."
Suddenly, Chiyo's ears twitched. She stopped in her tracks, sniffing the air.
"Wait. He's right."
Olorun froze, blinking in surprise.
"I am?"
Chiyo smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Don't let it go to your head, but yeah. I hear people up ahead, and I can smell food."
Olorun coughed, straightening his posture.
"I mean, of course I'm right! You doubted me? Ha! Shame on all of you."
In his mind, he was panicking. *I had no idea where I was going! How did this actually work?*
After a few more steps, the group emerged from the forest to find a massive wooden archway with a large, hand-painted sign that read, "Welcome to Orka City!"
Eleo stared at the sign, squinting.
"Uh… what does that say?"
Chiyo groaned, shaking her head.
"It says 'Welcome to Orka City.' You seriously can't read that?"
Eleo grinned sheepishly.
"I don't read well, okay? But wow, this city is huge!"
The group stepped through the gates, marveling at the sprawling city before them. Orka City was bustling with life—street vendors shouting about fresh produce, blacksmiths hammering away at glowing metal, and musicians playing lively tunes on street corners. Towering buildings lined the cobblestone streets, with colorful banners hanging from windows.
Tony let out a low whistle.
"Alright, team. Let's focus. We need supplies, maps, and some decorations for the ship."
Kenji nodded.
"And I need some workout equipment. Gotta get stronger if I want to stay ahead of Olorun."
Olorun smirked, cracking his knuckles.
"Stay ahead? You're already behind me."
Kenji rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure I am."
As the two began bickering, Chiyo crossed her arms, looking unimpressed.
"You two are like children. Can we focus?"
Tony took a deep breath, ignoring the chaos.
"Alright, everyone. Let's split up, gather what we need, and meet back here in an hour."