Chapter 162: Request Fulfilled
The morning sun spilled through the half-repaired shutters of the village hall, painting stripes of golden light over the wooden floor where Inigo and Lyra sat sharing a simple breakfast with the village elder and two of the more able-bodied hunters. The scent of smoked meat and herbs filled the air, but Inigo barely tasted it—his mind was already on the mission ahead.
"You’re sure they came from the east?" he asked, placing a half-eaten loaf back on his tin plate.
The older man nodded. "Aye. We’ve lost cattle and scouts to that side for over two weeks now. The woods get thicker there, and the old hills rise. There’s a ravine—deep and narrow. That’s where we think the nest is. No one dares go too close."
"No one needs to," Inigo replied. "Just give us the coordinates as close as you remember."
Lyra, sitting beside him, jotted notes with a piece of charcoal onto a rough map sketched by one of the villagers. She marked the river that curved around the base of the hills and the sloping forests thick with underbrush.
The elder looked at them both with concern. "You’ll be going alone?"
"The aircraft only fits two," Inigo said, standing. "And it’s better that way. Fast, clean, and fewer people at risk."
The villagers nodded solemnly. They had seen the might of the helicopter. They knew it didn’t need a platoon to level an army.
"Just... come back alive," the elder said. "You saved us once. I’d hate to see such bravery lost in the wild."
Inigo gave a faint smile. "We don’t plan on dying today."
Within the hour, the Apache was prepped and ready on the open field. Its blades spun slowly at first, then picked up speed, slicing the morning air with mechanical rhythm. Lyra climbed aboard, securing her harness behind the cockpit.
The villagers gathered once more, waving as the aircraft lifted into the sky. Dust kicked up in swirling clouds, grass flattening under the pressure. The children cheered, hands shielding their faces as the steel beast soared upward.