The market hall in Ceil buzzed with its usual morning energy. Saint walked between Sheriff and Shed, the three of them weaving through the crowd after a quiet breakfast at the Rusty Anchor. Sheriff's red eye scanned the stalls. Shed's yellow eyes flicked left and right. Saint kept his hands in his pockets, still getting used to the feeling of being in one place longer than a single night.
Sheriff stopped near a fruit cart. Something feels off kid. I heard three merchants complaining about missing tools this morning. And the innkeeper lost a whole crate of supplies last night.
Shed hissed softly. Yeah. Word is spreading fast. Someone is stealing all over town. Tools. Food. Even glowing herbs from the old woman's stall. If it keeps up people will start blaming outsiders like us. We are still new here. We do not need that kind of trouble.
Saint frowned. We cannot let that happen. We are trying to make Ceil our base for now. Maybe we should help. Turn detective for a bit. Ask around. Find the thief before Mark's crew uses it as an excuse to come after us again.
Sheriff tilted his head, red eye glowing steady. Good idea kid. We know the town well enough now. We interrogate everyone. Stay polite. Listen close. The thief will slip up eventually.
Shed stood taller and wiped his claws on his wraps. I am in. We split up. Cover more ground. Meet back at the Rusty Anchor at sunset with what we learn.
They nodded and separated. Saint headed toward the Rusty Anchor first. Sheriff took the floating market edge. Shed went to the reptile district.
Saint found the innkeeper behind the counter polishing glasses. Hey. We heard about the thefts. Mind if I ask a few questions?
The innkeeper sighed and set down the glass. Sure kid. I lost a whole crate of dried meat and two glowing lanterns last night. Woke up and the back door was jimmied open. No prints. No noise. Whoever it is knows how to move quiet.
Did you see anyone suspicious around the inn? Saint asked.
The innkeeper scratched his scarred cheek. Not really. Just the usual travelers. One young fella with a hood kept his face down. Paid in small coins. Left early. Could be nothing though.
Saint nodded and wrote the details in a small notebook they had bought for the investigation. Thanks. We will find who did it.
Next he talked to the old reptile woman at her herb stall. She eyed him with yellow eyes like Shed's. You three are the new arrivals right. What do you want?
We are trying to catch the thief, Saint said. Anyone steal from you lately?
She hissed softly. Yes. My best glowing herbs. Gone this morning. I saw a shadow near the back of my cart at dawn. Small. Fast. Moved like a scared animal not a professional. Left a footprint in the dirt. Small boot. Kid size maybe.
Saint wrote it down. Kid size. Interesting. Thanks for the help.
Across town Sheriff questioned a merchant selling scrap metal. The man wiped sweat from his brow. My best tools vanished overnight. Hammers. Cutters. Even a small welder. I locked everything. Still gone. I think it is one person. Too clean for a gang.
Sheriff kept his voice steady. Any description?
The merchant shrugged. Saw a figure in the shadows last night. Hood up. Thin. Ran when I yelled. Fast but clumsy. Like he was not used to running from trouble.
Sheriff stored the info in his memory banks. We will handle it.
Shed interrogated a group of guards near the town gate. One guard leaned on his rifle. Yeah we lost patrol rations. Someone took our packs while we were on break. Left nothing but a small hand print on the crate. Not adult size.
Shed flicked his tail. Hand print. Small. You think it is a kid?
The guard nodded. Could be. Times are hard in Ceil. Some kids lose their families to portal accidents or Zach Clan raids. They get desperate.
Shed thanked them and moved on.
By sunset the trio met back at the Rusty Anchor. They spread their notes on the corner table.
Saint started. The innkeeper saw a hooded young fella. Old woman saw a small shadow and a kid size boot print.
Sheriff added. Merchant described a thin figure. Clumsy runner.
Shed hissed. Guards found a small hand print on the crate. Sounds like the same person. Not a pro. Desperate.
Saint looked at his friends. A kid. Struggling. Just like me when I first got here. Running from something bad.
Sheriff stood up. We keep looking. One more round tomorrow. Ask the children in the park. They see everything.
The next morning they split up again. Saint talked to a group of kids playing with a glowing ball near the park. One boy about twelve looked nervous when Saint mentioned the thefts.
You know anything? Saint asked gently.
The boy shuffled his feet. I saw a teenager hiding near the old storage huts. He looked hungry. Dirty clothes. Kept saying he was sorry under his breath. Ran when I got close.
Saint gave the boy a small piece of glowing fruit. Thanks. You helped a lot.
Sheriff questioned a shopkeeper near the storage huts. The man pointed. I saw him last night. Teenager. Maybe fourteen. Thin. He took some bread and tools. Looked scared not mean.
Shed found an old man feeding birds. The old man nodded. Yes. I saw the boy crying behind the huts. Said his family got taken by the Zach Clan. No home. No food. Stealing to survive.
The clues pointed to one place. The old storage huts on the edge of town.
The trio met there at dusk. They moved quiet through the broken buildings. A faint light glowed from a small shack in the back.
Sheriff whispered. Stay behind me. We talk first. No fighting unless he runs.
They approached the shack. Inside a teenager sat on the floor. He was about Saint's age. Fourteen maybe. Thin. Dirty clothes. Messy hair. A small pile of stolen tools and food sat beside him. He looked up, eyes wide with fear.
Please do not hurt me he said voice shaking. I did not mean to. I just needed food. My family. The Zach Clan took them. I have nothing left.
Saint stepped forward slowly. Hey. I am Saint. These are my friends Sheriff and Shed. We are not here to hurt you. We know what it is like. I ran from my mom in Belgrade. She hit me every day. I jumped through a portal with nothing. I was scared too.
The teenager wiped his eyes. My name is Jax. I am fourteen. Portal took my parents last year. I have been hiding in Ceil ever since. Stealing just enough to eat. I am sorry.
Shed crouched down. We get it Jax. I was kicked out of my clan for being weak. Sheriff here had his mind wiped by the Director. We all struggled. But stealing makes it worse. It brings Mark crew down on everyone.
Sheriff knelt so his red eye was level with Jax. Kid we turned detective because of you. The whole town is scared. But you are not a criminal. You are surviving. Like Saint.
Saint sat beside him. Look. We can help you. Give you a job. You help us with whatever work we find. Earn honest money. No more stealing. No more hiding.
Jax looked at them tears in his eyes. You would do that. After I stole from everyone.
Sheriff nodded. We were all the new kid once. We help our own. But you stop the thefts. Return what you can. The town will forgive if you try.
Jax nodded slowly. Okay. I will. Thank you. I thought everyone here would turn me in.
They walked Jax back to the Rusty Anchor. The innkeeper raised an eyebrow but Sheriff paid for an extra room. Saint gave Jax some of their Enzo for new clothes.
That night they sat together in the common room. Saint looked at Jax. You remind me of me when I first got here. Scared. Alone. But you do not have to be alone anymore. We are a team now. Four of us.
Sheriff placed a metal hand on both their shoulders. First adventure. First business. Now first new member. We keep growing kid.
Shed hissed happily. Welcome to the crew Jax. Tomorrow you learn how we survive here. No more stealing.
Jax smiled for the first time. I will work hard. I promise.
The peaceful town of Ceil slept outside. The thefts had stopped. The trio had solved their first real case as detectives. They turned a struggling teenager into one of their own.
Saint lay in bed later thinking. Veyra was full of broken kids like him and Jax. But together they could fix some of it. One friend at a time.
The Director watched from far away. Mark still hunted. The Zach Clan moved in the shadows. But tonight in Ceil four outcasts slept safe. They had each other. And that was stronger than any theft or bounty.
The road ahead still twisted with danger. But the crew had grown. Their first detective case was closed. And Saint knew more adventures waited just beyond the town lights.