As we traversed through Phantom's Peak, the name Dragan had informed me of this particular part of the wasteland was named, because the earth was shattered and parts of it were geologically locked to each other, like a big earthquake had shaken them and caused them to be this way. Some were bigger than others, some created high mountains that shadowed us. The sun shined downed on us, and burned on Dragan's skin. There was very little sand to speak off, but the air could still kill you in a couple of seconds. Because in fact there was no air.
No atmosphere to speak of. So UV ray's were especially harsh. But Dragan had brought special oils and creams to mitigate that. A sunscreen so strong it was difficult to apply. And we would take regular breaks under the shade. We had to other choice but to walk this lands during the day. Otherwise a fall into the ravines could be deadly. Sybil had injected a new program and I could cast a tiny force field around him, that would heal him and act as his own atmosphere.
But it consumed my mana rather quickly. I tried to have it on as much as I could but sooner rather than later I would have to stop him and take a break. We stuck to the shade, while my mana regenerated. But still the trek through Phantom's Peak was a long one.
The land suddenly started turning green, and moss and other plants, flowers, and trees started to grow.
"They're plants here," I said as Dragan walked forward, the bubble of Tarragon Village now a small blip in the background.
"Yeah, been like this for a while now," he said. His voice muffled because of the air purifier he wore like a mask. "Nothing edible though, the radiation would kill your insides!" he said firmly, walking and jumping over the land.
"Radiation, from the soil?" I asked.
"That's right, the land might be healing, but it's not safe for us yet," he said, I could hardly understand him through the filter. It deepened his voice and made a gurgle kind of sound. Like a rattle inside the filter every time he talked.
"What happened here exactly, why is the land like this?" I asked, but I might have stroked a cord with this one.
There was a long pause between us.
"You'll see many different versions of the wasteland," he said. "This is just one of them, what happened here…" he jumped up finally into a flat clearing. He took a deep breath.
"What happened here 100 years ago, it's not something anyone should live through."
He paused and took a breather, he has breathing heavy doing all that jumping around the rocks.
I pushed against the glass of my container. Raised an eyebrow and looked intently at him. He chuckled a bit.
"This is how the land deformed after The First Contact," he said bluntly. My eyes widened and suddenly I felt bad for even asking.
Kamika had mentioned this, I remember it clearly. But I also remember it's something people don't really like to talk about.
"Ah - I'm sorry - I didn't mean too..." I said shying away.
"It's okay, I'm a warrior not a mage. We don't really care for taboo subjects like that." Dragan continued as he walked over to a rock with enough shade to cool down. I noticed his skin was red - blisters were already appearing. Without missing a beat.
>Initiating Healing Bubble
>Complete!
A blue bubble surrounded us, just big enough for the two of us.
Dragan noticed and instantly started feeling the effects.
"Thanks little one," he said and
>Mana pool at 87% percent.
>3 minute's remaining until mana pool reaches critical levels.
>Fail Safe Activated
It was 100% only a couple of seconds ago. This was my most mana consuming spell - I guessed it was also a higher level spell. If I could only find a way to level up my skills, maybe my mana pool will become larger and I could cast it for longer. Sybil had explained to never let my mana pool reach 0%. Otherwise my mana wouldn't regenerate on it's own. It was like a car battery, once it runs out, it's really hard to get it going again, unless I jump-start it.
While we rested for a bit, Dragan took a seat in the shade and I decided to keep poking him about 'The First Contact.'
"So you were saying about the land?" I initiated hoping he would tell me more about it.
"Right - " he said as he poured water on his face from a thermos he brought out of his backpack. He could take of the breathing device even if just for a couple of minutes. It would regenerate by itself from the air filtered through my bubble. It only took a couple of seconds before the light flashed green again.
"The ritual of The First Contact is or was an event that happened all around Cronus, there were 10 male spirits Zomearon placed under his care - and they together joined forces in order to open a heavenly portal to The First Sphere."
My shock was audible.
"What?! You know about the First Sphere?" said Dragan a little confused.
"Something like that - an old friend told me about it - you could say it came to me in a dream," I tried mitigating the situation.
"Of course - I shouldn't be surprised, it's you after all, sometimes I forget because of how casual you are with me," A little drop of sweat sprang from my forehead. I laughed awkwardly.
"Anyway -" he continued. "We're in Etryon's realm right now, one of the 10 Z-spirits that caused The First Contact -" he explained. This whole topic seemed a little heavy for him. His face was crooked, and it didn't help he squinted. It made him look angry.
>Mana pool reaching critical levels
>Please take necessary precautions.
"Dragan, the heal bubble is about to expire!" I shouted with haste.
"Thanks," he said and quickly grabbed the breathing mask and placed it on around his lips. It locked in place and made a hissing noise.
>Healing bubble deactivated
The healing bubble retracted in on itself, just in time for Dragan to be able to breath through the mask. I took a sight of relief.
"We should continue, we're almost out his Etryon's domain," he explained.
This route we were taking stayed clear of any highlands, but as we stood now on flat ground, I could see a small patch of forest in the distance.
"Is that an actual forest?!" I exclaimed.
"That's the forest of Phantom's Peak!" exclaimed Dragan. "We'll take our first camp outside of it, and go into it- first thing in the morning," he said and started heading towards the entrance of this massive forest. It was so big, and there was no yellow dome around it, completely natural, yet some of it was completely dark. A dark so black it was almost absorbing the little daylight that was left.
We had traveled the whole day, Dragan jumping and walking through the high and small patches of the land.
We had stayed clear of any high mountains, but when we arrived, it came into view. A mountain towering over the forest, its underbelly full of rocks that seemed spiky and ready to fall at any second.
"That's Phantom's Peak," said Dragan referring to the towering mountain shadowing the forest underneath.
This forest had grown so fast because the underside of the mountains acts as a water retainer, this area was never designed to hold a rain forest, yet here we are," explained Dragan.
Clouds were sweeping from the other side of the mountain, the side that the sun was hiding. They came over like white breath sweeping from the mountain.
It was like the mountain itself was alive.
"That's where we're going, it's a day's travel to the base of the peak, then we'll have to climb to reach the middle part, where we can continue onward towards the first station," said Dragan.
"Tonight we camp here," he said just outside of the towering forest. We were just feet away from being able to enter. The massive shade from the mountain suddenly cooled us down a couple of degrees.
He put his backpack down, and everything else he was wearing.
"We'll need to set up the tent," he said rummaging through the insides of his pack. Finally, he found it, four elongated rods. He pushed down into the ground, a moderate amount from each other, in a horizontal fashion.
"Let's hope this works," he said. I had no idea how this technology worked. So I kept quiet, I wasn't going to be much help. He was still carrying me a tube.
Then the top part of the rode started flashing red, and a wall started extending from each side of the rode, much like the wall that encompassed Tarragon Village. Honey in color, and with hexagonal shapes all around it. All four rods connected, and then a roof was set.
It was creating a mini atmosphere for us to sit in!
Then the light above the rode started flashing yellow.
"Yes!" Shouted Dragan.
"It's making the air breathable now!" he exclaimed.
Then a wind swooshed from the center of the cube, and all of the sand and debris below our feet just started pouring out through a small opening on the top.
We were outside just looking at the mess it was making.
After it was only dirt and not sand anymore, the opening closed in on itself. And the lights on the rods flashed green. Meaning it was safe to enter now, or so I presumed.
Dragan grabbed our stuff, and we passed through. Now that I was looking at it from the inside, it was pretty big, just for the two of us. The wall was see-through like the one in Tarragon Village.
But quickly Dragan took off his mask, and it made a suction sound, it was high-tech in nature. Then he opened my bottle and let me out. I jumped for joy.
Then he went over to a panel that was only visible from the inside. And hit a couple of buttons. The wall suddenly tinted, and no one could see us from the outside, and we couldn't see anyone from the inside. Total privacy.
"I'd rather it be this way," said Dragan.
"Wastelands are kin to attack anyone who lets their camps untainted. We don't have much, but still, I hope you don't mind little one," he said. I floated down to him.
"Of course not, we're out here, in the middle of nature, in the middle of nowhere, and just the two of us," I pushed my body against his cheek. He closed one eye and a smile emerged. I wanted to be alone with him, and even though he had his wooden cabin in Tarragon Village, Kamika seemed pretty prone to interrupting, but out here, we could do anything, and no one would be the wiser.
Then he hit another button and cool air started pouring inside, it was like it's own little AC unit. I couldn't help but melt at the temperature reached a comfortable 21 C° (70 F°)
Dragan started changing into more comfortable clothing. His wasteland clothes covered him from top to bottom, and they reminded me of something like techwear. It must be hot inside those clothes but they had the best chance at keeping his skin from blistering.
He kept descent, but everything else was off, and only red thigh shorts on his legs. As before his body was massive, and he couldn't be more of a boy with good looks, his shoulders had indeed gotten bigger since we first met. And now he was growing a beard and a mustache, it was scruffy, but finally we had some time where I could just look at him.
He was defiantly a fan of being naked around the house or just boxers around his house. He noticed me staring.
"I forget you're a muscle fan," he said then quickly flexing his arm. Instantly he winced in pain.
"Ow - ow - ow," he started.
I started noticing - how red his skin was. Even though Dragan had always had beach sand skin - more like an atomic tangerine honestly, very islander on his part. Someone who spends a lot of time outside. He had red skin all over - it was painful to look at.
I took my human form and reached for his bags. He took a seat and without saying a word I started applying the creams on his body. The soothing sensation was instant. I could see how he sighed in relief.
"Well you'd been doing so much training, I couldn't help but notice," I said a little shy with a smile. Him facing away from me, trying to distract him from the pain.
"I wanted to give my best, for you and to prove myself to Kamika, that I can finally go out of the village." he continued. "Kamika always reminded me of the reason why I would loose a contract - and would forget all my memories." he said a little sad.
I took some mental leaps and figured maybe that's the reason why so many Zomearon spirits contracted with and then choose to leave him. Maybe he never actually stepped up to the plate. I wonder why this time was different.
My brain just said because we were both male. I brushed off the thought for now.
Gay people do get shit done after all. A devilish thought, I snickered at myself as I applied more cream.
He wanted to look back at me. See what was so funny.
"Ah I'm not done!" I said and pushed him to look forward, he slumped. I kept applying the cream, it really was doing magic on his skin. The blisters were quickly going away and his skin was regaining it's somewhat natural color. Was this also because of my magic?
>Notice!
>Healing touch has been activated as a passive skill.
That's good to know.
With that his whole back was covered in a yellowish oily cream and some of his shoulders, and his neck. Weirdly his front side wasn't affected.
"Okay - you feeling a little better?" I asked as I finished applying the cream.
"Yeah - tons! Thanks little one, couldn't have done it without you!" he said looking back at me.
It seems he was feeling better because he stood up and tested his mobility, doing circles with his hip and stretching his arms, some of the old skin was already peeling off as the cream solidified. He was like a snake shedding off it's old skin.
But before anything else could incur between us he walked towards the middle of the tent.
"We'd better get dinner started," he said and placed a backward cap on his head. I've noticed it was also sort of his chef hat. His red hair flopped out of the front opening. I liked him with short hair, but this just made him even hotter.
I pushed aside my tendencies for now. And washed my hands to rinse of the cream.
I've gathered now that every time we - shall we say - commune in carnal flesh. Both our powers grew stronger, but it placed an incredible strain on both of us.
Kamika said once a month.
But my internal needs said otherwise. I was only a monster in this world after all.
I shifted my thoughts at taking care off him as he started a fire with a breath technique. Hopefully the forest provided more shade - at bad times, I'll try to keep a smile on my face. And look at the positive side of things.
I sat next to the fire and helped him cook by chopping veggies.