The sky was orange, indicating the sunrise that was about to happen. A small vessel was floating in the air, drifting through the clouds.
It was part airship, part galleon, with a large gas envelope hovering above, tethered to the deck by thick ropes and reinforced metal frames. The lower hull bore scratches and dented plates, suggesting it had survived more than a few skirmishes.
The rear wings fanned out in patchwork splendor—scraps of metal and canvas fused into a crude, functional elegance. Rust clung to the edges, and blackened bolts hinted at past repairs or battles. Despite their battered look, they moved with mechanical grace, adjusting ever so slightly to every shift in the wind as gears ticked softly in rhythm beneath the hull.
A man wearing a white shirt and black pants walked out of the cabin, his brown hair flowing in the wind as he stepped onto the deck and peered at the clouds below their ship. As he saw the clouds, he shouted toward the deck,"Matthew, lower the amount of hydrogen, we are near Cosford!"
From the same cabin, another man came out, looking around at the orange sky. He was wearing a brown coat made of cheap material, and his red hair was messy. He walked over to the deck and stood beside Arthur, looking down at the sprawling city."This is Cosford, huh? Well… wow, it's huge."
Arthur stretched, arching his hands upwards to loosen his muscles, then sighed and looked at Matthew.
"What are we planning to do now?" Arthur asked.
"I think we should start a business of some sort… like repurposing waste items into something usable and then selling it in the marketplace," Matthew suggested.
"You're so primitive," Arthur mocked. "Cosford isn't like our village. It's grand… it's fancy."
"You've only read the newspapers. What would happen if we got stuck in some shady activities?" Matthew said.
After he said that, a light smack landed on the back of his head."So negative…" Arthur replied.
"Tch… you little—" Matthew threw some light, slow punches at Arthur, but Arthur stepped back and evaded all of them.
As Matthew lowered the amount of hydrogen in the gas envelope, Arthur sat at the helm and looked at the tall, poking-out hill beside the city. It was the city port for airships. Airships were mainly used for heavy transportation; if the size of the gas envelope was increased, the ships could probably carry hundreds of people. However, they were fairly slower than the new tech airplanes, which carried fewer passengers but were faster than airships and didn't need an endermite to operate.
As their airship descended to the large wooden platform supported by pillars going down the hill, Arthur remained in the ship and sent Matthew to the docking building. As he walked toward the counter inside, Matthew approached the clerk sitting at a desk beneath a sign that read:
{Docking and Parking Fees and Time}
Matthew looked at the clerk, arms folded, and smirked."Lightweight ship, for two years."
The clerk looked surprised as he examined Matthew's clothes to gauge his worth, but still maintained a professional tone."Good morning, sir. Uh, it will be 8 notes for one year, so for two years it will be 16 notes."
His smirk crumbled as a little sweat dripped down his temple. He cleared his throat and said,"How about half a year or six months?"
The clerk held back his laughter and replied professionally,"Sir, for one month it is 4 pennies. So it will be 2 notes for 6 months."
Matthew took the notes from his pocket and handed them to the clerk. After examining them, the cashier gave him a receipt and said,"Thank you for enjoying our service. Please park your ship at the 12th platform and give this receipt to the clerk there. If the receipt is damaged or lost, you can return here to reprint it."
Matthew nodded at the explanation and exited the building, looking up at the airship. He boarded again and said to Arthur,"12th platform…"
"Very well," Arthur replied, moving the helm and flipping the switch to release hydrogen and fill the gas envelope.
As they reached the 12th platform, Arthur and Matthew handed the receipt to the clerk, who nodded and took both their fingerprints. He also took their written statements agreeing to the terms and conditions of docking their airship for one month and captured an image of them using his wand.
After all the docking formalities, both Matthew and Arthur descended from the hill into the main Cosford city.