Another world, Celeste

Chapter Twenty Nine

Sanctuary - Desert zone

When I leave the village and arrive at the sanctuary, it is still raining. However, the desert zone is unaffected by the real-time grey weather as it is blazingly hot. The long-sleeved shirt I chose to wear now seems too much for an outing in the desert. Alright, time to change my look. Roll up the sleeves then gather the hem of my shirt and tie them together at the front. Doing so exposes my bare skin but it's better than feeling stuffy. Now to complete the look, I choose a bucket hat with a single rose embroidered in the centre amongst the hat selection available in my inventory. Archie stares at the bucket hat curiously.

"Archie, are you doing alright?"

Our youngest red panda is currently sheltering under Bane's shadow to get away from the desert heat. I was going to let Archie stay back at the basecamp by the desert gate where it's slightly cooler but our youngest doesn't want to be left alone. When I'm worrying about Archie's condition, the keeper surveying the surrounding dunes using the prototype binocular speaks up.

"Sand Bears spotted."

Chief throws a question concerning the prototype binocular. "Any problem with visibility?"

"As clear as my elven eyes."

I chuckle at the keeper's analogy. There is a considerable distance between us and the Sand Bears. All I can make out are blurry, moving blobs when I try squinting my eyes to see past the dunes. It is no exaggeration that the elves take pride in their enhanced senses.

Chief ask a second question, "What about the identification tag? Is it working correctly?"

The keeper continues to observe the activity of the Sand Bear through the prototype binocular responds.

"The status on the binocular identified Sand Bear-34, Sand Bear-36 and 37."

Another keeper whom I recognised to be the same laidback keeper when I first came to the desert zone with Amber is checking the map that also functions as a tracker for confirmation.

"Those are correct. The map shows there are two more Sand Bears nearby."

"The identification tag only perceives those three Sand Bears. Changing to wide view," the first keeper responds while steadily operating the binocular. 

"I'm seeing the lower half of a Sand Bear. The two missing Sand Bears must be digging in the sand hence the identification tag did not react."

Chief rub his beardless chin and says to me. "Can you corroborate that, Iris?"

There are only two working prototype binoculars; Chief lend his to the keeper and the second binocular is hanging around my neck. Following the keeper's direction, I look through the binocular and found the two digging Sand Bears but the dune is obstructing my view.

"I need height," I mutter.

I climb on Bane when he lowers his body and steadily stands on his back.