The airship left that stadium to continue the journey to the coastline. Salty winds welcomed them as the airship pierced through the last cloud separating them from the wasteland. Greeting them was the view of a floating city anchored to a horn-like peak.
Below the airship they found green clear waters. Endless sea that stretches for miles. There are floating cottages made of metal plates floating gently on the surface of the water. Around the beach was a steel and concrete wall that separated the coastline from the gray muck of wasteland.
Jak saw the coastline. His eyes sparked in wonder as he took a leap from the airship down to the wall of the coast with a flare on hand. Falling like a meteor before boosting himself to soften the impact. Jak landed on top of their wall with the flare in his hand glowing with sharp light. Soldiers that manned the walls approached him warily. The soldiers wore thin metal sheets resembling medieval sets of armor, but with signs of steel bars supporting the weight of the armor.
An officer with uniform and trench coat outfit approached Jak. "Are you the ones from, Aured?"
"The flare was the signal."
"Got to make sure," the officer gestured on the soldiers. Around the side of his vision, Jak saw flares in a circle formation lit up on the far side of the city. Most of the houses are separated by strips of water. The area was big enough to land the airship vessel. Acknowledging the sign of the flares lighting up the landing zone. The airship slowly descended until the landing legs touched the area. Upon landing, the flares were extinguished with buckets of water. Walking to the Airship, Jak saw Yuki dismount the airship with her coat tied like a sash around her waist. Her eyes wandered all over the place. She closed her eyes and took a whiff of the fresh salty air coming from the sea.
"Strange air," Yuki said. "Achieves said that there is a great mass of water on the edges of the land, but this is just strange. So strange to see such thing in this world. Then again, I can freeze the wind and we live in knee-high lands filled with water."
The ramp was set down and from the airship comes the soldiers of Aured in exosuits, and heavy loaders carrying goods from Aured City. On the side of the landing zone was a group of curious onlookers. In their eyes were curiosity and hope that they finally weren't the only ones alive. The world lived on and now it was being connected once again.
From the crowd comes a middle-aged man accompanied by his guards. The man strutted to Jak with a sincere smile on his face. Not the smile you'd find usually. Rubbing his hands, approaching Jak, he reached out his hand. Jak stayed still. He didn't move. He didn't move an inch. "Sir, I am only part of the guard. The Captain will be out in the second."
"Oh, my mistake, it has been a worry of mine that ya folks won't be speaking the language."
"I assure you, Sir. That we can speak the lingua franca."
The man breathed a sigh of relief. Hand pressing on his chest. It took some time until the Captain got out of the airship to welcome the officer. As the Captain and that officer talked through official business. Jak waited alongside Yuki, watching this glassy green sea waving. The sun was starting to set. The afternoon light bathed the water as Jak saw the sea glowed green and blue. Though Jak became amazed at the sight of this sea. He didn't let his guard down, his vibrant blade next to his hand.
On the side of the part where block houses are stacked together in a neat order. Kids ran to the side and took a leap in the water. Small boats were untied on the side and fishermen started rowing to where the glow was the brightest.
After some time, the fishermen returned carrying nets filled with fishes. Theses fishes have transparent scales and Jak could see the internal organs of the fishes. One of the boats that returned carried larger fishes with transparent scales.
"Ain't that something?" Yuki tapped a cup on top of his head. He took the cup from Yuki. He placed both of his palms around the cup. Jak took a sip of the liquid inside of the cup. Feeling the bitter taste of the cup, Jak parted his lips from the mouth of the cup.
"Hmm, is the Captain done, yet?"
"Not at all," said Yuki. "He's been talking nonstop to the head-in-charge. From what I hear they have a hive system below this village. Most of the time they stay topside where most of the glowfishes are. Over fifty thousand alone lives on this place. There are more in the hive below this area."
"What do they want from us?"
"Same thing they hire us for. Rid the beluas that are lurking around the planned route. Our route was great, but it doesn't mean shit if we cannot make a land route. Not to mention that thirty miles away from this location there are nests."
Yuki passed an old fashioned thumb drive. Jak plucked the cover of the drive, and scanned the drive with his suit. When the data was recovered, Jak saw the local version of the map that was much more detailed than the satellite map. What the satellite map lacked was the landmarks and the new structures built around perimeter.
"Do we have backup?"
"Do you need one?" Yuki asked. "As far as I am concerned, unless there is a beluaman hiding in the seventh layer. I don't think we'll lose. I'll watch your back. Their local hunters are going to keep the lines in check, so no need for strays coming to the walls. Besides, most of our troops are going to reinforce the outskirts as well. The rest are going to guard the airship and our Captain."
Jak placed the cup on the ground. He took the vibrant blade from his suit. "Then let's get started, I want to see more of this place, and I can't do that unless we have free time."
Jak affirmed himself. No need for more talk.