Another world, Celeste

Chapter Nineteen

After leaving the nursery, we resume moving onto the next place; from tearing through thick leave branches and roots while minding to not step any passing snakes slithering on the ground, climbing up and down the ravine and eventually and trudging into the swampy mangrove forest where we got ourselves covered in mud all over our bodies. The monkey species living in the mangrove forest are shy creatures, therefore, Bane is staying on the ground while Amber and I climb the trees to the top and observe not too far away from where the monkeys currently group themselves. All the while, listening to the sound of nature and soaking up with some sunlight after being deprived of one for an entire afternoon.

Ah, this is tranquillity.

Amber whistles then a bird flies down and hovers in front of us. Brown feathers on its wing and upper body with a white lower body.

"Hello, how are you feeling today?" Amber asks the bird.

The bird twirls in response.

"You look all better now. Let me check your wings for one last time."

The bird lands on Amber's open right palm.

In order to avoid scaring Amber's little patient, I watch their interaction from where I'm at. It's not like there's any other footing for me to stand on other than falling to the ground. The bird happily chirps whenever Amber talks to it, like a little boy hearing praises from a doctor complimenting on his good behaviour.

Silent mode. Click!

I can't help myself. I see a good moment to take a shot and I did.

Once we barely manage to ourselves out of the water and wash the dirt and mud off with magic, we decide to take a short break.

Amber goes through her checklist and the map simultaneously then announces, "After this, the desert plains is a straight path from here. If there are no more stops we have to take along the way, it's going to be our last."

"What's over the desert?"

"Nothing much, just sands everywhere."

After hearing from Amber that we are only going to briefly correspond with the keepers stationed over there about the monsters' behaviours, we set out once more.

"Nothing out of the ordinary here. It's the usual incidents; monsters sometimes falling into the sinkholes the Sand Bears dug up and the Sand Bears ignoring their keepers and goes ahead digging tunnels beneath the sand," replies the keeper while shrugging his shoulder.

His attitude is more laidback than most of the elves I know. Maybe it got something to do with the atmosphere around here. It's all sands everywhere and the heat is slightly bearable under the shade of the tent, with the occasional passing of the cool breeze. It's really quiet. Then, I glance at Bane and his glossy fur. It's like wearing a fur coat during a heatwave.

"Hey Bane, are you doing alright under this scorching hot weather?" I ask in concern.

In response, a small wind blows at my face and cooling the sweats trickling down my neck. That's refreshing. Guess the answer is he's doing fine.

"Take this more seriously!"

Amber raises her voice in exasperation.

"What more can I say? There's nothing out of the ordinary here," says the keeper, shrugging nonchalantly.

An elf swayed by the idleness of the warm climate. I chuckle after witnessing this unexpected spectacle. If he puts on a Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned with khaki shorts and a pair of sandals, then add an oasis and a couple of palm trees, the ultimate vacation look is complete.

Before Amber's face gets any redder from the heat, I intervene their talk.

"Cool down, Amber. Here, drink this."

I bring out a flask from my bag and give it to her. Amber takes a sip then her eyes turn wide and she suddenly gulps down the flask.

"It's cold and deliciously sweet," says Amber, wiping her mouth.

Of course, it's cold. I store it inside my storage. I figured it's better to have drinks ready in a bottle rather than taking out a pitcher of ready-made drinks out of a bag and the closest thing to a bottle here is a flask.

"It's called ice lemon tea. I can tell you how to make it later."

We finally return to where the entrance is located. Since Amber still has work to do and reports to finish, we part ways. While wondering what I should do now, should I find Lord Sol and tell him that I completed my task or wait around here until someone calls for me. As soon as I thought about it, someone calls my name.

It's Lorelai.

"I passed by the keeper who left with you earlier. Are you done with your task?" asks Lorelai.

"Yup. We just finished." I reply enthusiastically.

"Good. Let us return to the village."

"What about Lord Sol?"

"He wants me to relay the message that you can go home once you are done."

I frown. Really? After sending me away on an abrupt field trip, he's not going to listen to how I was faring?

"The lord is preoccupied in handling things around here after sending the director away for the day," says Lorelai after seeing the frown on my face.

"The director? Why would he do that when it's hectic around here as it is?" I ask, confused.

"Iris, didn't you know that Luna is the director of the sanctuary?"

My mouth opens, but no words come out.

This revelation is the most shocking news I have ever heard. Luna as the director is different from the image of the constantly exhausted figure of an all-nighter workaholic researcher that I'm used to seeing. From the couple of interactions we had with each other, Luna is hard-working and charismatic towards her colleagues. though sometimes I get this feeling that whenever she looks at me, there is the look of sadness in her eyes, or maybe sympathy. I don't know. Maybe I'm just reading it wrong. Luna is the director in charge of running this sanctuary. She's just exhausted. It all makes sense now.

Lorelai closes my mouth and lightly push me out of the sanctuary with Bane following us. It's a pleasant walk to end a hectic day. I watch the blue sky gradually fading into the vibrant crimson shade of the lowering sun.