Chapter 160: Just Passing Through
The Apache soared westward over the ridgelines, its rotors thrumming like the heartbeat of a metal beast against the open sky. Inigo sat focused at the controls, eyes scanning the landscape through his heads-up display. The horizon stretched far ahead—rolling forests, winding rivers, and the occasional distant settlement dotting the valleys like forgotten pearls.
Lyra sat behind no longer clutching the seat with wide eyes. She had grown more comfortable with the rumble of the engine, the sway of the helicopter, and even the way the terrain rushed past beneath them. But when Inigo’s gaze narrowed, she noticed.
"What is it?" she asked, leaning slightly forward.
He tapped a button on his side display, zooming in with the camera pod mounted beneath the nose. Through it, he saw movement—erratic, fast, and wrong. Fire licked at the edges of small wooden houses. Smoke curled skyward, staining the horizon.
"A village," he said. "And it’s under attack."
Lyra pressed her hand to the glass, peering down. "Goblins," she muttered, voice filled with disgust. "Look at the way they move—scattered, reckless."
"Small green figures...," Inigo said, toggling infrared. "Yeah. Not friendly."
Without waiting, he shifted the Apache into a sharp tilt. The machine dipped low, slicing through the sky toward the smoke.
As they approached, the full scene unfolded beneath them. Dozens of goblins poured through the village, torches in hand, crude iron weapons glinting in the firelight. Farmers ran, some dragging children behind them. A few guards fought valiantly near the central well, hopelessly outnumbered.
A cry echoed up from below—raw, desperate.
Lyra clenched her fists. "They’ll kill everyone."
"Not today," Inigo muttered.