Morning sunlight spilled across East Verdan’s harbor like melted gold.
Ships creaked gently against the docks.
Messenger birds flew overhead carrying dozens of shouted messages at once.
And somewhere near the lower market… something exploded.
BOOM.
Dhruv slowly lowered the spoon from his mouth.
“…That’s Deep.”
Another explosion followed immediately.
“Yup. Definitely Deep.”
The old noodle shop owner stared at him from behind the counter.
“You know that disaster child?”
Dhruv shrugged.
“Unfortunately.”
“You should reconsider your life choices.”
“Already tried.”
The old woman sighed deeply and returned to cleaning bowls.
Dhruv finished breakfast quickly before stepping back into the busy harbor streets.
Today’s mission:
prepare for East Cloud.
Which sounded exciting in theory.
In reality?
They currently had:
– no ship
– barely any money
– one unstable mechanic
– and zero actual plan
Dhruv grinned while walking.
Perfect.
Deep’s workshop sat inside an abandoned warehouse near the edge of the harbor.
Calling it a “workshop” was generous.
It looked more like:
– a mechanical warzone
– a scrapyard possessed by ghosts
– or science actively losing a fight
Metal parts covered every surface.
Half-finished gadgets hung from walls.
Something inside a cage barked electrically.
Dhruv cautiously stepped over scattered tools.
“Deep?”
A loud metallic clang echoed deeper inside.
Then Deep suddenly emerged from beneath a worktable covered entirely in grease.
He held up a strange metal boot proudly.
“I made anti-slip gravity shoes!”
Dhruv blinked.
“…Why?”
Deep stared at him like the answer was obvious.
“For dramatic entrances.”
“Reasonable.”
Deep tossed the boot aside carelessly.
It immediately exploded against the wall.
Dhruv flinched.
Deep nodded thoughtfully.
“Still unstable.”
“You think?!”
Deep grinned.
Then suddenly pointed at Dhruv suspiciously.
“You vanished halfway through climbing a rooftop yesterday.”
Dhruv froze.
Deep crossed his arms triumphantly.
“I KNEW I wasn’t hallucinating.”
“…You notice too much.”
“Occupational hazard.”
Dhruv hesitated briefly before activating invisibility for a second.
The air shimmered.
Then he disappeared.
Deep stared with sparkling eyes.
“…That is SO cool.”
Dhruv reappeared awkwardly.
“It’s harder than it looks.”
Deep immediately circled him like an excited scientist.
“How long can you hold it?”
“Depends.”
“Can you hide objects?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you hide explosions?”
Dhruv blinked.
“WHY would you ask that first?”
Deep looked offended.
“Because invisible explosions sound revolutionary.”
Dhruv laughed despite himself.
This idiot was exhausting.
And weirdly fun to be around.
Deep suddenly jumped onto a nearby crate dramatically.
“Okay. Serious discussion.”
Dhruv sat carefully on another crate.
“About East Cloud?”
“About survival.”
Deep pointed at him.
“You know East Cloud’s filled with hunter squads, black markets, corrupt kings, sea monsters, bounty hunters, police raids, smugglers, Ember users, assassins and people who’d stab you for breathing too confidently?”
Dhruv thought for a second.
“…Sounds expensive.”
Deep stared blankly.
Then burst out laughing.
“YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY GOING TO DIE.”
Dhruv grinned.
“Probably.”
The smile faded slightly afterward though.
His fingers unconsciously touched the map hidden beneath his jacket again.
Grandpa really went there.
And whatever he discovered… people were willing to kill for it.
Deep noticed the subtle expression change immediately.
He became quieter.
“Hey.”
Dhruv looked up.
“You don’t have to tell me everything yet.”
Dhruv blinked slightly.
Deep scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“But if people are chasing you…”
His voice became unusually sincere.
“…you probably shouldn’t go alone.”
Silence filled the workshop briefly.
Then Dhruv smiled softly.
“Thanks.”
Deep immediately ruined the emotional moment by slamming both hands onto a table dramatically.
“ANYWAY.”
He pulled out a messy handwritten checklist.
“Preparation time.”
Dhruv sighed.
“There it is.”
The rest of the day became complete chaos.
They visited:
– black market gear shops
– old harbor traders
– weapon stalls
– travel suppliers
Deep somehow argued with almost every merchant.
“Fifty crowns?!”
“That’s standard price!”
“I could build this cheaper!”
“Then BUILD IT.”
“…Fair point.”
Meanwhile Dhruv wandered curiously through crowded hunter markets.
East Verdan truly felt like a crossroads of adventure.
Different species moved through streets naturally:
– monkey-men carrying cargo
– crocodile-men wearing police armor
– bird-like merchants shouting prices from rooftops
The world felt massive.
Alive.
Dangerous.
At one stall, Dhruv noticed an old woman selling ancient books and maps beneath faded purple cloth canopies.
Something about the stall felt strangely calm compared to the chaos around it.
Rows of old texts covered the tables.
History.
Ruins.
Lost civilizations.
Dhruv paused slightly.
The old woman noticed his gaze.
“You have curious eyes.”
Dhruv smiled awkwardly.
“I get that a lot.”
The woman studied him carefully.
Then slowly slid a dusty book across the table.
The cover read:
THE LOST HUNTERS OF EAST LEROS
Dhruv frowned slightly.
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“No.”
The old woman’s gaze sharpened faintly.
“But someone connected to you eventually will.”
A strange silence followed.
Messenger birds screeched overhead.
Dhruv stared at the book.
“Where’d that come from?”
The woman smiled faintly.
“An archaeologist sold it years ago.”
“Who?”
“She never gave her name.”
For a brief moment…
Dhruv strangely felt watched.
Not threatened.
Observed.
Like invisible eyes were quietly studying the direction of his journey.
Then Deep suddenly crashed into the stall carrying three massive backpacks.
“GOOD NEWS.”
Dhruv blinked.
“What happened to you?”
Deep pointed proudly at himself.
“I negotiated.”
The old woman looked at his smoking backpack.
“You detonated something, didn’t you?”
“…Maybe.”
Dhruv sighed deeply.
When he looked back toward book… the old woman was already wrapping books calmly like nothing happened.
Strange.
Very strange.
By evening, the harbor glowed beautifully beneath rows of lantern lights.
Dhruv and Deep sat near the docks surrounded by newly purchased supplies.
Mostly junk.
Possibly useful junk.
Deep held up a tiny metal sphere proudly.
“Mini smoke bomb.”
Dhruv leaned backward immediately.
“No.”
“What?”
“Your inventions scare me.”
“They inspire fear because they’re advanced.”
A nearby fisherman yelled angrily:
“YOUR LAST INVENTION DESTROYED MY NETS!”
Deep yelled back:
“THAT WAS SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS!”
Dhruv laughed while staring out toward the ocean.
East Cloud waited somewhere beyond that endless horizon.
Unknown.
Dangerous.
Exciting.
For the first time in years… life felt like movement again.
Deep suddenly tossed him a small object.
Dhruv caught it.
A compact compass.
Old but polished carefully.
“What’s this?”
Deep shrugged casually.
“You’ll need navigation eventually.”
Dhruv smiled slightly.
“Thanks.”
Deep stretched lazily against a wooden crate.
“So…”
He smirked sideways.
“When exactly were you planning to tell me about the mysterious map hidden inside your jacket?”
Silence.
Dhruv slowly turned toward him.
Deep grinned proudly.
“You touch that pocket every twelve minutes.”
Dhruv stared.
“…You’re terrifying.”
“I’m observant.”
The harbor wind blew softly around them.
Far away beyond the sea… storm clouds gathered slowly over the eastern horizon.
END OF CHAPTER 5