Chapter 2_The Cloudreaper and the Cursed Cook

Kairo didn’t sleep much that night.

He was too excited.

He had the map. He had the dream. Now, all he needed was a ship.

The next morning, the skies were clearer. The storm had passed, but pieces of cloud still floated low over the port. Lanterns swung gently in the breeze. Kairo walked through Brasshaven’s shipyard with wide eyes. Dozens of skyships were parked or floating slightly above their docks, tied down with thick chains.

Some were sleek and shiny. Others were massive with armored hulls and loud engines. But Kairo didn’t want a warship. He didn’t want a fancy noble ship either.

He wanted something strange. Something fast. Something free.

Then he saw it.

Tied to the farthest dock was a ship like no other. Its sails were silver and torn. Its body was made of mismatched wood and metal. Strange pipes stuck out of its sides, and the name CLOUDREAPER was painted in faded gold letters on the side.

The ship looked like it had flown through fire, ice, and a dragon’s belly—and survived.

Kairo loved it.

An old dock clerk was dozing in a chair nearby. Kairo nudged him.

“This ship for sale?” Kairo asked.

The man opened one eye. “That old thing? She leaks in the rain. Her engine hums love songs. And she nearly flew upside-down last week.”

Kairo grinned. “Perfect. I’ll take it.”

He dropped a small bag on the table—inside were gears, glowing stones, and old sky coins he had saved for years.

The man laughed. “Crazy boy. Alright. She’s yours.”

Kairo stepped aboard the Cloudreaper. The wooden boards creaked under his feet. The sails swayed gently, and the engine gave a quiet purr like a sleeping animal.

It felt alive.

He walked around the deck, then climbed down a ladder into the lower rooms. There was a tiny kitchen, a few bunks, and lots of wires and levers he didn’t understand yet.

But someone else was already there.

In the kitchen stood a tall man with wild red hair and black gloves. He wore a cooking apron with burn marks on it. He was cooking sausages over a small, bubbling lava pit.

Kairo blinked. “Um… who are you?”

The man turned slowly. He had sharp eyes but a calm smile.

“You the new captain?”

“Yes?”

“Good. I’m Cinder Flint. I used to cook for a king until I accidentally fed the prince a meal that made him cry for three hours.”

“What kind of food does that?”

“The emotional kind. It’s an art.”

Kairo tilted his head. “You want to join my crew?”

“Only if I get to cook.”

Kairo smiled. “Deal.”

They shook hands.

Later, as the sun began to set, Kairo stood on the deck of the Cloudreaper.