The next day we were all ready and packed up, Dragan and I would start this new journey, but not before having one final meeting with Kamika. She had prepared some items for us to take on our journey.
Dragan was so handy as well he had constructed a sort of pouch that I could fly into and rest as he carried me alongside his body. It was sort of like a cylinder fanny pack he would strap on like a messenger bag. The tube inside was made of clear plastic, so I could see what was going on the outside, but because of what had happened last time we weren't taking any chances.
At the East entrance of Tarragon village, we met up with Kamika, almost like an accident, but she was there ready to give us some items.
First, she gave us a tent, It had to be set up manually, but once set up, it could camouflage to its environment, like we weren't even there. It also included a heat vaporizer, a sort of machine that would hang from the middle of the tent and keep us cool during the day, or warm at night. The tent was big enough for two people.
Then she gave us a map, Veldoran was quite a ways off, around 9 spots wide between Tarragon and Veldoran. In the middle, there was a small patch of land that read only, Norse. It was barely visible, but we would have to pass through there if were to make our way to Veldoran.
Dragan says they're fairly new, and just got their dome set up, so they're officially declared a nation by the government of Edorough and Veldoran in a unanimous decision. The only nation that voted against was Asasa, but they hold so little vote in the chancellor desk's they don't even matter.
Norse didn't hurt anyone, and the people there live peaceful lives.
It seemed like we had everything, I looked outside, the wasteland just steps away. Dragan prompted me to get into the carrying case he had designed for me, and so I did, turning just the right size to fit into it. He then sealed it tight and a clock clicked, as air purified out, it was airtight, I could breathe thanks to the tiny filters Dragan had installed. He then put on a face mask, biting down on a small semi-circular tube that wrapped around his lips, It then expanded rapidly to cover the lower part of his face. Like a transparent mask.
He put on some goggles that were polarized, now it was time to say our goodbyes.
"All set Kami,"
"It's your time boy," she said with zero hint of regret, or like this was a bad decision. This is apparently what Dragan had been dreaming all of his life, not only the Bishop thing but also a purpose, something he could latch on to and call his own.
He had dabbled in plant magic and curative spells, but nothing major had come out of it, so now, he was ready to take any risk. To get to his dream. And I respected that because even though I was just along for the ride, it didn't mean I wasn't going to enjoy it. I wanted to be with him, but right now, this journey, was his moment to prove to himself and others that he has the necessary grit to live in this world. Or something like that.
Dragan took a step forward, and then another, finally one more and he pushed against the gate, he pushed even more to go through, and be on the other side.
It was like passing through a force field but there were several layers to it - I could sworn that Dragan moved slower inside of it, but with his massive strength, he just pushed through it like it was nothing. He let out a sharp sigh after passing through.
Just like that, we were out in the wasteland, Dragan breathing through filters and masks, becoming increasingly worried about getting stranded.
The mask worked by converting air from the outside into breathable air, the outside air could be taken in by the lungs, but because of the extremes, without proper filtration, sand and dust would accumulate in the lungs until you could no longer breathe.
Dragan needed the mask, and the filter needed to be changed every so often, or cleaned at least. I on the other hand could survive by just being inside the capsule adjusted to Dragan chest. It was airtight so no air or sand could get in, any leaks and I would suffocate in a matter of minutes.
My body had become just water, and I was happily floating inside the tube.
It was a snug fit.
Now we were out in the wasteland, no one around us, completely desolate. The wall behind us glimmered with the sun. A soft gentle breeze of a summer's spring, the somewhat strong but cold sun shining on our skin. Not a soul to see for miles.
Dunes and crevices formed the wasteland, it was an uneven path everywhere to see.
It felt weird not hearing nature sounds. I guess that was only reserved for inside the domes. A first step to our grand adventure.