For the rest of the drive, the 3 friends continued their normal banter. The scene out their windows progressively had less man made structures changing to more trees, shrubs, and nature that had been all but untouched. The roads were not level and were mostly reduced to dirt roads with occasional grass patches. Naya's old car was moving through at a slower pace since leaving the city, slightly rocking side to side with the occasional bumps and bigger rocks in the road.
The car had no air conditioning, which only really bothered Naya. "Hey are you guys not hot? I mean I know its almost fall, but sheesh...I can barely stand it!" Wren rolled her eyes while Michael stayed silent. "Of course it's a bit warm Naya, I just make a habit to try and ignore it so I can focus on things that are important. If you would train more with your nature energy you can better influence the temperature around you. I've seen your test results. You have an affinity for controlling nature energy, and aren't you training for the Water Unit?"
Naya smacked her forehead with her palm, "Wow...yeah you make a good point Wren. I completely forgot that was a possibility. That's super embarrassing." Michael laughed a bit at his friend before turning to look outside again. "Miss Naya, how did you manage to keep a car all this time?" Wren looked to Michael confused, then she remembered that he never really left their territory unless she had snuck out and he was sent to find her. "Its one of Mav's old cars. He managed to convert something or other so I wouldn't have to use the old fuel. Everyone knows Wren was harmed, so he loaned it to me."
*Before the storm, the Kalina Clan had a thriving business dealing with new technology for items both big and small. Their business is what continued to help the island prosper as a whole. While the Kalina Clan developed new technology the other clans who lived on the island also worked at these factories and had developed different methods of sustaining their lives on such a large island. Using natural resources and alternative forms of anything they had at their disposal to make their lives thrive.
Many of the smaller clans would focus less on technology and more on sustainability, which created a peaceful balance between the clans. One of the clan priestess' from the north had high control of her spiritual and her nature energy. When she was young she used her abilities to help the clans progress and became a priestess at a slightly early age. However, there was a terrible lightening storm one night and it caused destruction across the island. The priestess, Akira of the North, was struck by the lightening but didn't die.
Instead, many believe her mind was corrupted and she became more powerful in regards to the nature energy around the island. The clan member are not sure what exactly led to the terrible events, but all that is said, is that she lost her mind. She began causing minor spiritual storms which eventually led up to the one that destroyed their technology and communication systems. Shortly after this storm is when the war started.*
"Sir Maverick used to be the head of the technology division in the eastern territory correct?" Michael looked towards Wren waiting for her reply, "Yes. He was working on different forms of fuel and energy to keep the island prospering." "Yeah and he is also super hot and he likes when-" "Naya that's enough. Be mindful of your surroundings will you?" Naya stuck her tongue out at Wren for interrupting her discussion bout Maverick. Michael tried not to pay her any mind.
"Hey perfect timing, we are just getting to the Kalina Clan's first check point. Wren, you can reach the keypad right?" Naya slowed her car to almost a stopping speed as she approached a large fallen tree with red markings deep in its bark. "Just stop here Naya, it's not so easy anymore. It will take a couple minutes if we are lucky. We have to use a more crude and old method to pass within the checkpoints now." Wren waited until Naya stopped the car then opened the door to step out.
"Lady Wre-" "Michael, you know as well as anyone that I am the only one who can do this and I'm perfectly safe within this initial barrier. In fact, the only reason you were able to get so close is because of me, well my blood. Just hang out in the car with Naya please. I'll be fine" Wren slammed the door shut before waiting for his reply. Michael obediently sat in the back of Naya's car with his arms crossed over his chest and Naya giggled as she rested her hands on the steering wheel.
Wren approached the fallen tree slowly. She really did not enjoy these checkpoints. 'They are so invasive now,' she thought to herself. She grabbed the small dagger she keeps on the back of her belt and made a thin cut along her palm. This wasn't painful to her anymore, just a hassle more than anything. She placed her now bleeding palm on the bark of the tree where the Kalina clans mark had deeply been carved into the tree. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and braced herself for what was to come.
She began to see a pale blue light within her mind and gasped as it suddenly changed into a bright white light. Even though her eyes were closed she closed them tighter in efforts to shield her eyes from the light. "Good day Madame Priestess. Are you requesting safe passage for you alone or do you have guests?" A faint whisper of a mans voice could be heard, "Sir Michael and Miss Naya are accompanying me through this and the remaining 3 checkpoints until we are safe within our Kalina territory Your Grace." Wren said and managed a bow towards the direction of his voice.
"Hey Michael are you- YAWN- are you getting s-sleepy?" Naya began slowly bobbing her head trying to keep herself awake, "Just stay c-calm Miss Naya. This-this is just-" without finishing his sentence, both Naya and Michael fell fast asleep in the car. "We have granted your passage into the territory. Please proceed through the next 3 checkpoints by writing out symbol in your blood, on the checkpoint locations as usual. Sir Michael and Miss Naya will awaken after reaching the second checkpoint. Do try and hurry through, for their bodies are not quite as used to this as yours. Come into my chambers once you arrive Madame Priestess."
With those last words the light was gone and Wren opened her eyes, COUGH COUGH! Wren began coughing as if she had just breached the surface of the water after being submerged for a long period of time. "Gosh-COUGH! I hate the awakening-COUGH! Ugh- COUGH COUGH! Forget it." Wren collected herself and finally removed her hand from the tree. She walked back to the car, put her palm to the slightly rusted roof, and began chanting. After a short time Michael and Naya began to stir from their sleep.
"H-hey when did I fall asleep? H-how did we end up here?" Naya's face showed confusion as well as Michael's. "Lady Wren, why did I fall asleep? T-that wasn't a normal checkpoint st-stop was it?" Wren simply continued to look forward. "Both of you just breath okay? We have 2 more checkpoints but it will go by like a flash. I'll be getting out of the car each time but don't worry. We just passed a checkpoint-" Wren made a move to open the door and step back out of the car but shook her head as if to clear her mind then suddenly passed out, falling back into Michael's arms.