"Captain," Angus calls, walking up to Dustin as he looks down at the Tailwind and the prototype for the Nimbus-class ship. "We have done it," he says excitedly.
Dustin smiles as he can feel the excitement off of him without even looking. "I can tell. When will you be ready for the official takeoff on those things? We still have a deadline to meet," he reminds.
"Not those. We finished the first new sword that passed all the high bars you set for testing," Angus informs, showing him the sword, this one in his size.
Dustin turns and looks at the new weapon. His smile widens broadly and grabs the hilt. "Nice," he says impressed as he taps the blade to hear the metal clink of their featured metal. "Very nice. You have done well," he says, activating the crystal, making the blade be covered in crystal energy. He then hums before throwing it immediately into the wall, making it embed itself to Angus's shock. "Didn't explode either," Dustin says, still impressed as he walks over and pulls the blade out of the clean-cut in the metal. "Get some guys to fix that, would you?" he asks, still looking over the blade as he walks around the room while Angus looks at the hole and notes how clean the cut is and not rough as he would expect.
"Captain," Salv calls, walking up to him as he makes his way to his office inside the Tailwind.
Dustin hums, entranced by the new weapon. "Yes, Salv? Something came up?" he asks, touching the blade while the crystal energy flows across it, running his hand across the blade carefully.
"Can we talk in private?" Salv asks, a deep red blush on her cheeks as she wrings her hands together.
Dustin looks at her for a moment before nodding. "Sure. I was on my way to my office anyway," he mentions, leading the way with the raptor in tow. As they enter the room, Dustin notices the raptor is being very cautious around him. This means she either has bad news or is unsure how to tell him what she has to say. "Is this about your eyes again? I can get my tools you left," he assures, placing the now deactivated sword on his desk. He then walks behind his desk and slides out the top drawer to grab the box of medical tools. However, he stops when Salv places a hand on the box and pushes it back down into the drawer.
"No…it's not about that," Salv corrects, closing the drawer. "And it is not about the ship or any projects going on," she adds, trying not to look him in the eyes while he looks confused at her.
"Oh?" Dustin asks, a bit confused. Inwardly Salv shakes her head. Despite Dustin's intelligence and ability to read and predict people accurately, he can very much be blind to things in front of him much like Suzy or Starling and her feelings.
Salv takes a deep breath as her tail swings nervously behind her. Two actions that Dustin notices and eyes the tail, watching how it moves around. This is something that maybe isn't one that Salv can do all the time and would need help with. But he then becomes surprised when Salv turns and paces back and forth, almost in a thinking pattern. She then stops and looks at him, trying to form words, but stops when she cuts it short before the first sound. Almost like the sight of him makes her rethink everything going on.
Salv sighs, sounding disappointed in herself. Dustin is about to speak up again before Salv rips out the drawer and takes out the medical box, holding it out to him. Dustin blinks surprised as he takes the box before reaching for the crystal box containing her new set of crystal lenses. Though, he freezes when Salv grabs his hand, stopping him as she shuts the drawer. Salv sighs as she sits down in his chair, leaning her head back and looking up at him.
Dustin raises an eyebrow before opening the medical toolbox and grabbing the set of tweezers to grab her lenses. He walks over to the nervous raptor before holding her eye open and starts to reach in, grabbing the still glowing crystal and pulling it out gently. Salv, for one of the many times that he has been doing this since she got on board, hisses sharply and her tail raps against the metal floor. Dustin frowns at the reaction, thinking that maybe having a powered crystal being pulled out is more dangerous than going in. However, he stops that notion of thinking when he remembers that a fresh new one causes her no discomfort.
Once he pulls the crystal out, he pauses as he can almost feel the now blind eye is looking at him. He shakes his head, doing the same to the other eye, placing the glowing shard on a clean cloth on his desk. As Dustin places the piece next to its twin, he stops dead cold as Salv grabs his hand holding her head in place as she picks up her head and 'looks' at him. "Dustin…I may not know how you, Starling, or Suzy court, but for us raptors court by proving ourselves. We make fame and glory paramount as no family and new clutches would be satisfied with a deadbeat and gutless mate," she confesses, sighing as she stands and looks at him with her now blind eyes. A set of eyes that seem vast and empty as he stares down the dark void gazes, but still retains her warmth somehow. "And you would be the most sought-after potential mate of them all. I want to ask you this without me being afraid or held back by your expression or status on this ship at this moment. Dustin, will you become my mate?" she confesses, taking a deep breath at the end as if she didn't breathe the whole time. She even takes the time to let him go and take a step back as well to give him some room to contemplate this. She may be blind, but she knows enough that he would need some time to think this over.
"Man, spring it on a guy. Let me guess. You don't know how courting works for other species?" Dustin asks, putting the tools back on the desk.
Salv's tail flinches when she hears the metallic clink of the medical tool. "I did say that…didn't I?" she asks, almost unsure. She would admit to herself that all of that came out all at once and in one sitting. She almost didn't know what the next word in her mouth would be until he springs it back on her.
"We are not bound to one partner. Given our numbers, the only one I think would be is Cyclonis herself because of royal bloodlines. So if you want this, I won't say no. Just don't let it affect your job too much," Dustin says, grabbing the box out of the drawer and opening it up to grab a fresh pair of lenses. He then grabs the tools again, grabbing a new lens. "And I can teach you how we…date," he adds, leading her to sit back down and slowly put her head back to work on giving the special vision back.
Salv slowly smiles, somehow looking up at him with her still blind and unworked eye. "That would be wonderful," she admits, sighing in relief when he gets the first lens in place to let her see again.
"Now, the only thing is that you have to talk to Suzy and Starling to hash out how this will work between you three," Dustin says as the smile on Salv starts to droop.
"Great…" Salv slowly says, getting the final piece of her sight in to let her see his smirking face. "I should…get to the radio," she says, getting off the chair and backing away from him. Her tail nervously whips around like a happy animal which betrays her current feelings right now.
'Good luck Salv,' Dustin thinks smirking, turning to his new sword while the raptor shuts the door behind her. It is a thin sword with a slight curve along the blade with a handle that is a classic sky knight cross guard. Dustin hums as he looks at it and picks it up again. Despite being thinner than other swords, it has more weight to it because of the material it is made from. The curve also must have been a design choice for the flow of the crystal energy and to compensate for being thinner. The more he looks and moves it around, the more he concludes that the straight grip and guard just don't fit this weapon both in style and in appearance. He would have to redesign it to fit with his red jacket. "Just one more thing to add to my two big projects right now," Dustin says, looking at the table which has a blueprint of a new weapon to replace the harpoon cannons on the bottom and top of the Tailwind. They might be powerful and effective if they hit, but the extra weight and the cost of replacing harpoons they fired is too expensive.
But for now, he has to deal with the fallout from maybe Suzy and Starling contacting him about Salv. But at least Suzy knows he will be safe since Salv will keep him in check from any of his stupidity. Which can be quite a few times he would admit. And now that reminds him. He has to deal with more plans to help out for the high mile trip above the clouds…he needs a better catchphrase name. But one of those plans is training. How the heck would you train or something no one has barely done before besides climbing tall mountains…
"Daria!" Dustin calls into one of the pipes.
"What?!" Daria calls back.
"Find me a high mountain climber. We need their expertise," Dustin orders. "And training us for a while."
"You got it. Also, I and the boys are working on high-altitude suits. We will need to test them in water," Daria informs.
Dustin chuckles. "Don't worry. I'll install a pool in the ship," he jokes and gets some silence on the other end of the line
"Do we have the room and plumbing for that?" he hears.
Dustin laughs before shaking his head. "Kidding. We are going to use a lake for that. On another note, how are removing the harpoon cannons going?" Dustin inquires to his head engineer.
Daria audibly groans. "Brutal as all heck. We are essentially removing giant cannon barrels from our ship that run the entire piece. Not easy."
"Maybe not, but it is necessary. You were the first to bring up the cost we were inquiring about every time we don't retrieve the harpoons we fire," Dustin reminds the female Aquanos.
Daria sighs even louder. "I…know…"
"It might be rough, but we knew the harpoon cannons were never going to be a part of the final product. For now, just do your best. After all, we will be putting something in those places to replace it so you don't need to fill them in," Dustin says.
"Half the work done. Thank you!" Daria cheers, sounding sarcastic as possible.
"Yeah, yeah. I am getting back to the projects. I will see you later for the annual meetings," Dustin informs, rolling his eyes.
Months pass quickly with all the work the Typhoon Ravens have done along with many empty pots of coffee and sleepless nights, but now they are ready. They had completed the first Nimbus class. The prototype has been tested and passed all regulations and, much to the charging of some, the extra scrutiny tests of Dustin. Now is the day of the launching ceremony of this ship.
Many have turned out to witness the launch of the ship. The council has decided to make a big event out of it. Performances, shows, and foods of all kinds as many sky knights and their squadrons are also in attendance. Though the Northern and Southern squadrons mostly gave the other a wide berth when they could, the only exceptions are the ones who went to help the south before the news articles.
Dustin and his crew are not piloting the ship as the Nimbus fires up its engines. The council has insisted that a squadron of their choice would be the ones. In the end, the ones they chose were the Rex Guardians. Dustin takes it as a bit of an insult, but never voices this to anyone. His crew whispers amongst themselves, learning that maybe Dustin wouldn't like all the negative attention of them hating this idea.
What grated Dustin's tolerance most of all is the Rex Guardians' attitudes. So self-entitled and egotistical, Dustin couldn't even stomach it and he decided not to attend the ceremonial launching procedures. Instead, he opts to stay on his ship in the more luxurious observation deck on the Tailwind. As he sits there in the nice comfortable chair, he hears the door slide open.
Dustin sighs, preparing to turn his chair before stopping as someone covers his vision. "Hey there," Suzy speaks up softly. "Have you been doing well?"
"I am right now debating turning the new main guns on that ship to test them out," Dustin says, very much seriously.
Suzy sighs before uncovering his eyes. "I thought we told Salv to keep watch over you," she mentions before walking around and getting in front of him.
"Oh, she did that. That is why I haven't done it yet, especially with the Rex Guardians," Dustin informs.
Suzy shakes her head amused, smiling at him. "You don't change, do you, hoser?" she asks jokingly before walking over and sitting in his lap. Even he finds it somewhat comical at how tall she is compared to him. "So…need a girlfriend to relax now? Maybe until the bigger showcase?" she chuckles.
"There is one thing I changed my opinion on. The Red Eagles. They were completely against this. Seems their leader figured out I don't like the Rex Guardians that much and their antics only serve to antagonize me further," Dustin informs.
Suzy hums, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Sounds like the blasted hosers. They do know when to pick a fight," she mentions, letting her side rest against him.
"Yeah, they do. I best move before I reconsider not firing the new cannons. I have more important things to attend to," Dustin says, showing he wants to get up by leaning up.
Suzy smirks as she leans more into him, pushing him back against his seat. "Relax. I'm here idiot," she chuckles before smiling up at him. "Just enjoy this for a little while. Your other meetings can wait a few minutes."
"At least shut the blinds so no one can watch," Dustin says, giving into her.
Suzy chuckles as she reaches over and flips the switch labeled 'blinds', closing them. "You're a hoser," she hums affectionately while laying her head under his.
"Yeah, yeah," Dustin sighs out, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.
A month later, the news crews of both sides are all over a neutral territory. Weeks leading up to this, the Ravens had let it known that they would be taking a trip to the stratosphere for a tour of the Atmos. They also informed they would be taking on board many passengers for this two-week-long round trip. With this, they also posted pictures of the dining, observation cabins, and bedrooms. All of it looks like they are from some of the fanciest yachts. What they didn't include is the passenger log. Anyone in the know, be they politicians or very wealthy, knew this meant they were offering tickets for this historic event and the true reservations are not that large.
With that, many wealthy individuals start getting in contact with them, looking to 'invest' in the Ravens and their future endeavors. The most noticeable of these is the infamous mega gangster, the Colonel. The 'investments' are then put into storage in high-security neutral terra banks for safekeeping.
The media ended up taking huge numbers of pictures as the guests started to arrive and it is like some previously unknown are suddenly one of the most well-known celebrities of the Atmos. There are even cameras recording as the guests make their way to the Tailwind. This would also be the first recorded time Master Cyclonis has ever been filmed. After that, the Tailwind moves a bit away from the terra before angling itself and launching itself up at such a large incline.
All the news crews left behind to take photos and films at a rapid pace, seeing as they won't see the ship for two weeks on reentry. As for the new passengers, they hang onto anything nearby that is nailed down on their seats. The crew, though, smirks at the reactions and unpreparedness of their passengers after they had enough training from the climbing team to handle many situations for their trip.
Despite the lengthy explanation on safety and warnings before this, Cyclonis herself is struggling with handling this. The G-Forces, as they called it, is incredible and it makes her appreciate the seat she is strapped to. Every second feels like an hour dealing with this and it is only after they feel themselves leveling off that they notice they have climbed for only thirty seconds. The eldest amongst the group had the worst of it because of their age, but the medics are already seeing to them as Cyclonis unbuckles her seat and gets up to move around. Her legs are even still feeling a bit numb from the climb.
"Take it easy, everyone. The first few minutes after a heavy climb like that is enough to put you down for a bit. And that is normal unless you had training," Salv warns as she walks around, checking on every one of their guests.
Cyclonis looks over as she sees raptors taking care of everyone as she leans against the bar. "Heck of a ride," Cyclonis looks to who spoke and it is Domiwick, a very famous archeologist who she had invited on this trip.
Salv smiles at the reaction, reading off of the clipboard on the manifest list. "Yes. If you still feel lightheaded afterward, do alert us. We need to make sure you don't pass out on us," she warns everyone.
"So when can we see the observation deck?" Domiwick inquires impatiently.
Salv rolls her eyes hidden from the group of people as they start to regain their footing. "In time. For now, we do have schedules to keep. So please follow our esteemed ship engineer and she will give you a grand tour," she instructs, pointing to Daria standing off to the side of a hall who waves at them.
The guests slowly made their way to follow only for Cyclonis to hang back a bit with her two bodyguards, Snipe, and Ravess. "I expect your captain to meet with me tonight," Cyclonis says to Salv before she heads off, knowing the medic would relay the message.
Salv raises an eyebrow as she watches the royal entourage follow the rest of the group. "And Dustin has to deal with her now and then…what does he see in her?" she questions herself before walking off to her office.
Almost all the guests look out from the observation deck down on the Atmos and think how small everything is from up there and no signs of anything to distinguish who holds that territory.
"What a sight. Makes you wonder what can be beyond the mountains," Domiwick mentions.
"We have floated the idea of going to seeing one day, but we may run out of fuel or supplies and be unable to return," Daria informs, looking out while taking measurements and readings.
"No supporters? Or not enough cargo room for the trip?" another person asks, trying to see if they can see the hull of the ship up close from the window.
"More like too many unknowns. The captain is a very cautious man and likes to prepare a lot for his projects. Like this one. He brought on several high attitude experts to train the crew for this voyage along with making and testing new gear extensively before this. I guess that is why our team has the lowest injury and mortality rates of any team of the exploration guild," Daria informs.
Another person looks impressed as she hums. "He goes that far for the crew alone. I am wondering what he has planned for the ship by the end of his innovations. And what it might come out to be with all of his ideas."
"The Tailwind is the first in the next generation of ships. The Captain wants to make this all standardized," Daria says silencing and getting them all to look at her in shock, minus Cyclonis, Snipe, and Ravess as they already knew this.
"Standard? As in even existing ships?" a ship maker asks curiously.
"No, existing ships couldn't be upgraded with this. The very foundation is literally put together in a different way than what has been done with ships for the past several centuries. At best, you could make temporary modifications that will hold for a time like boosters you have to discard. Ours has no such parts. The captain hates to use those as he considers them wasteful," Daria answers.
"Wasteful…" one of the other shipbuilders whispers.
"Basically they are one-use parts. That is wasteful to the captain. So we work to minimize it to not go over budget for our endeavors," Daria clarifies, hearing that, before stopping and grabbing one of the nearby cameras on the stand and starts taking pictures outside. Many are confused about this until they saw birds unlike any they had ever seen flying around them.
"Wow…we have missed a lot not being up here," another person mentions, leaving Daria to smirk behind the camera.
"So how was your first day?" Dustin asks taking a seat in Cyclonis's room.
Cyclonis hums as she sits behind a table with some random papers on it. "Things have improved since last we were here. Along with all manner of technology, your crew, and the air of morale as a whole. I would say I can learn a lot if you allow me to view all your crystal improvements. Could help me in my areas of interest."
"Feel free behind the rest of our guests' backs. After all, your work helped make all this possible," Dustin says.
Cyclonis smirks. "I might be away from the entire tour for the rest of the flight if you give that," she chuckles before humming curiously. "That raptor…could she help my endeavors? Maybe see how she sees?"
"Well, that is difficult. Like the way she sees is all she has ever known. So how can she compare it?" Dustin points out.
Cyclonis raises an eyebrow now, intrigued. "She is blind? So it wasn't by choice then?" she concludes, looking away to think what that raptor has gone through.
"Yes, she was born that way. That is why you would probably get more useful information from talking with one of the raptor shamans. We also did some preliminary research into it as well. It turns out it is only possible with the raptor's unique biology. Humans like us could not take the strain," Dustin informs.
Cyclonis brings a finger to the chin, heavily thinking of the implications. "Maybe another way then…not in, but outerwear. We have always put into machines or weapons but never on or in the body at all," she mentions out loud.
"Yeah, so has any of this been putting stuff in perspective?" Dustin asks.
Cyclonis grins almost evilly at Dustin across her table. "That we are outmatched and might never win if you go into war? Yes," she answers humorously.
"No, how small everything seems from up here and how the only real divide there is what we made," Dustin points out.
Cyclonis holds up a finger. "You forget. You can now go up into the stratosphere. So that gives a bigger advantage as even going above the clouds and coming back down elsewhere without us knowing. Even going right on top of us," she adds, also pointing towards the Free Atmos side of the world.
"True, but once again I am sticking to neutrality in the war between you and the Free Atmos. Now, any other conflict, I might be able to be convinced to join your side," Dustin says smirking, knowing she would understand the wording very well.
Cyclonis chuckles, tapping a finger against her desk. "And what do I pay for that?" she asks jokingly.
"No contract can be discussed at the time as we don't know any details for such a possible conflict yet," Dustin jokes back to her.
Cyclonis grins. "Oh, you are a sly one. I wish you were part of my R&D team already."
"Isn't that why you sent so many to learn from me and my people?" Dustin reminds.
Cyclonis wags a finger in the air. "Tut tut. We do not speak of rumors," she playfully scolds and smirks with a glance at him.
Dustin chuckles a bit. "So we have already observed three species on our trip and are trying to identify them as we speak as well," Dustin says.
"The guild you are in will pay bags for your observations and research. Saves them the trouble of doing it themselves and they can easily advertise," Cyclonis adds, thinking what else they might find up this high.
"It is also a reason I haven't put down roots. I like exploring and discovering things," Dustin says. "Now you also wanted to see some of our other advancements, yes?"
Cyclonis nods before raising an eyebrow. "How many more do you have that you will keep from the group?" she asks, wondering what other advancements he has made rather than just the ship.
"This one is not technically kept for them, but we don't talk about it," Dustin says, unsheathing his sword which makes Cyclonis raise an eyebrow as it is a full-length sword, not those you see everywhere. Then Dustin activates it and she can feel how concentrated the crystal energy is. More so than any handheld weapon she has ever encountered.
Cyclonis gingerly reaches out and grabs the held-out weapon, grabbing it by the hilt. She softly gasps as she feels the energy itself before frowning. "This isn't normal. Not like the usual crystal blades. What did you do?" she asks, looking over how the aura moves and appears rather than the choppy and pulsing types.
"I had a revelation. All our weapons form themselves with crystal energy, but all the energy is spread out and a bit inefficient. So I asked myself how to make it more powerful without more power. The answer, concentrate it on a smaller area. So we crafted weapons full length and made them only coat the blade's surface. Of course, the prototype couldn't take the strain and explode. So we need a material that could handle it. So we made that one from the same material our ship's armor is made of now. Which is why it is heavier as well," Dustin explains.
Cyclonis reaches out with a finger and touches her fingernail tip to the side of the blade. At which point, she feels the energy not cut or burn her nail off. Instead, it flows around her nail like a hot water stream. She tilts her head and pulls her finger away, but soon as she pulls away the last inch, she notices that the tip of her nail is sliced and burned away. "So this energy is only dangerous when moving quickly or it acts like water if very slow."
"In that setting, it has a second one that acts as a normal weapon. That one it is on now is more for defensive fighting," Dustin explains. "We also learned something interesting during the tests of pitting against the common crystal weapons."
"Which is?" Cyclonis asks, turning the crystal energy off and looking at the controls.
"We found that prolonged exposure to this form of weapon in a deadlock will cause the normal weapon's crystal to explode from overstressing," Dustin informs shocking her.
"Wait…how…?" she demands, slamming the weapon onto the desk. "How is that even possible and what did you do?"
"Because the energy is so much more concentrated, we found the other weapons focus very hard trying to hold it off, stressing the crystal powering it before it popped. Nine out of the ten tests we did found the crystal doing this damages the crystal insertion point so much that it is inoperable until repaired. Average times we have recorded this is eight seconds," Dustin informs.
Cyclonis frowns as she looks over the blade as a whole again. "You realized what you have made, correct?"
"Yes, the next stage in melee weaponry. The biggest downside is the weight of them as they are about twice as heavy as others and the blunt weapons like hammers are about three to four times," Dustin informs.
"You made hammers?" Cyclonis asks, deadpan.
"It was the first one we made because we determined them to be easier and to collect data. Though, only our wallop crew can use them because of the weight. But the weight is also an advantage. Normal weapons have all the force behind them that comes only from the welder's strength. With our weapons, the weight adds to the force of the impact," Dustin explains further.
Cyclonis sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. "So at this point, if released, you would have made a weapon that would be so disruptive, only one side wins."
"Well, the truth is, it doesn't affect your talons too much as most use the crystal staffs instead of swords. Since the staff does not use crystal energy as the swords do, the same effect does not apply," Dustin reminds. "But, it's another one to the pile. The anti-skimmer turrets and the Tailwind itself are also in the pile," Dustin adds.
"But the turrets are no longer in use by you, correct?" Cyclonis questions, raising an eyebrow. She then leans on the table, giving a deep glare.
"I never said they were removed from the Tailwind," Dustin informs.
Cyclonis hums. "But disabled at least? I doubt you would want a boarding party to use it against you or your crew."
"We have safeties in place for that. We also made it where the area of fire by the turrets can not hit the ship or any other turrets," Dustin assures.
"I hope for your sake, they don't break those safeties," Cyclonis offers.
"If they do, the turret was designed to stop functioning altogether," Dustin informs with a smirk.
"How many safeties do you have on even one object?" Cyclonis asks curiously.
"The turrets specifically? Three," Dustin informs.
Cyclonis then smirks. "Then the engine takes ten safeties I am guessing."
"That I won't reveal. Also, no doubt you have already been informed by Angus or one of the other Cyclonian members, but we have decided that we will be producing our equipment in a secret base we are building. After the last incident, we won't be so careless about our most advanced and private items," Dustin informs.
"Oh, don't get me started. Some still whisper about the mysterious and powerful skimmer that only exists in the minds of the creators," she chuckles and waves a hand around for.
"I trust you will not inquire into the location of the base? That way no one can learn about it," Dustin inquires.
Cyclonis smirks. "You haven't even told me where. I doubt that will be a problem," she points out.
"Just make sure your people don't report it to you either. We never know who amongst your highest-ranking people will betray you," Dustin says as Cyclonis gets what he is referring to now.
Cyclonis nods before leaning back in her seat. "That would be only if we keep minimal contact with those people."
"Also, the model you asked me to design? I have already gotten inquiries about the carrier cruiser from Sky Knights. What do you want us to do?" Dustin asks.
Cyclonis raises an eyebrow curiously. "Let them have it. More profit for you and materials as well."
"Very well. I will have my facilities in the Atmosian territories to start producing them once we have the design and proper tests have been done," Dustin says nodding. "Now, one last thing before we conclude the talks tonight," Dustin says handing over plans for her to look over.
Cyclonis looks over the plans and shifts through them. "Some better regular generators, turbines, piping systems, electrical lines…mostly regular everyday things. Even a freezer," she lists off as she looks at each blueprint.
"Yes, it will take time to mass-produce the ships we are already producing and we are still looking for the right manufacturer in the Atmosian territories to outsource building them to up our productivity. These are to add to our income to fund our continued experimentations, growth, and expeditions," Dustin explains.
Cyclonis smiles as she keeps looking things over. "And you want me to do the same too with my factories?"
"We are business partners already. Also, it would be going behind your back if we went to someone else in your territory," Dustin says returning the smile.
Cyclonis shakes her head amused. "Alright. I will see what I can do, but this does come with a price tag from me. Domiwick, the famous explorer I brought with my entourage, I want you to welcome him into your crew. I know you don't have an archaeologist expert and I would rather send the funding through the exploration guild to one source."
"With that, I will leave you tonight so you can look over everything more thoroughly," Dustin says, taking back his sword before heading out for the door.
"By the way, would you be interested in acquiring the Condor by chance?" Cyclonis asks.
"The Condor? Why do you ask? Also, wasn't that destroyed?" Dustin asks, stopping and turning back to her.
"Snipe reported seeing it recently when some kids offered to hand over a terra they had. I looked into it in case the Storm Hawks had somehow miraculously returned. It seems it's a bunch of children piloting. So if you want it, we could acquire it for you," Cyclonis informs.
"Hmm…" Dustin hums, thinking it over. The Condor would be an interesting thing to study, but it was destroyed so most likely all that original work had been replaced and it was the ship of the sky knights he hated the most. "No. I have no interest in acquiring it, I will see you tomorrow for our meeting with him," Dustin finally answers before leaving the room, leaving Cyclonis to think about many things.