Destination

Gods representing the elements. It was completely new to me. My gaze moved towards Amelia, but she simply shook her head, signaling that she, too, was unfamiliar with the concept. The question – what exactly are these elemental gods? – engaged my mind continuously as we rode in the carriage.

In addition, another unclarified query arose, causing Reo to audibly sigh before adjusting a modest drapery that obscured our view of the exterior.

Upon glancing outside and spotting clouds, I was taken aback with immediate alarm. It dawned on me that we were not grounded but floating in mid-air. However, the question of how we were able to breathe puzzled me, prompting me to draw back the curtain that obscured the sight of an individual and an unusual creature. I proceeded to unlatch the window to inquire about the surprising situation.

David turned his attention towards me, mirroring my perplexity with his own question, "What are you suggesting? Why are we airborne?" He then responded, his face etched with a crafty smirk and explained, "This is a Drax lizard, famed for its unique transportation method. The lizard first applies its saliva both on itself and the carriage, which enables the floating motion in any direction they opt for."

Fascinating, isn't it? I subsequently inquired about our ability to breathe, to which he responded by referencing his unique ability. This ability enables him to form a shield that creates a separation between us and all elements, except for oxygen. He emphasized that he can maintain this shield as long as his strength allows him to. He further instructed me to return to my seat. My subsequent action was to take a seat opposite Amelia and retrieve the silver pocket watch given to me by John.

Upon careful examination, it was evident that the watch was malfunctioning. Although the intention could have been to illustrate the significance of the watch by way of humor, I was inclined to accept the statement that during emergencies this watch reliably provides the accurate time.

In the transition to nighttime, feelings of hunger commenced and after a search of our belongings, we discovered a box-shaped container filled with rice, peas, and chicken. Acknowledging the quantity, I drew the curtain back and extended an offer to David to share the meal. However, he politely declined, then extracted an apple from his pocket before settling down on a vacant piece of land.

He made it clear that if we required an emergency restroom stop, this would be our only opportunity as he flung toilet paper out through the window. He then retreated to rest, citing the notable energy expended on maintaining the barrier. In the meantime, we all started settling in for the night.

Upon waking up, the sunlight filtering through the curtains caught my attention. I observed Amelia, still fast asleep on the seat. Deciding to assess our progress, I cranked open the small window behind David, greeted him and inquired about the remainder of our journey. His calm and polite response indicated we had about six hours left in our journey. Following this exchange, my attention was drawn to a beautiful cloud formation outside. As I gazed at the clouds, my thoughts wandered to the diary. Seemingly, time was flying faster than one could perceive.

Upon drawing back the curtains, the sunlight steadily streamed in. I woke up, finding Amelia still in slumber on the seat. Subsequently, I unlatched the compact window behind David, exchanged morning pleasantries, and inquired about our remaining journey.

David, with a composed and courteous demeanor, reciprocated the greeting and informed me, "There are about six hours remaining." Following the brief exchange, I allowed my gaze to wander through various windows, admiring the floating clouds whilst musing over the diary; time seemed to hasten unexpectedly.

In pursuit of understanding the myriad of thoughts buzzing in my head, I extracted a broken pocket watch from my coat. Surprised, I found it displaying 6:35 PM. Confused by the discrepancy, I asked David for the time. Replying after rolling up his suit sleeves that were concealing a beautiful gold watch, he stated it was 4:30 PM. Regardless of the pocket watch's time correction, it was incorrect. As I pondered over the diary and future plans once we've reached our destination, drowsiness overcame me, and I slipped into the abyss of sleep.

Upon seeing Amelia awake and seemingly quite bored, I pulled the curtain aside, only to behold an extremely massive structure, the largest I have encountered up to this point. Apparently, it was our dormitory. Curious about the time, I asked David, who informed me that it was currently 6:36 pm, a minute ahead of the time shown earlier on my faulty pocket watch. Alighting from the carriage, I became aware of the celestial view above, with clouds drifting lazily across the approaching sunset. We promptly began securing our belongings onto a cart with four wheels, making sure to express our gratitude to David for his invaluable assistance, before finally proceeding into the building.