Outer Ring

"I can't believe the time has gone that much. The last time I saw you were still a baby…" Saz sighed and shook his head.

Took a deep swig from his pipe and puffed out the smoke slowly. La Coasta and the witches didn't utter a word.

Though they didn't like the smell of the pipe. They smell worse than this. So they could endure it.

Saz cleared his throat and adjusted his seating position on the old crook chair.

The room was dimly lit and a nauseating smell filled the air. At the left corner of the room was an empty beer bottle.

While the single couch in the room was as old as the wasteland. A small door was at the other end of the room that leads to the bedroom.

"I won't tell you anything for now. Why, because you are too weak." His lazy expression was long gone.

"Do you trust these ladies?" Saz asked, staring at the three witches.

La Coasta didn't reply immediately. He looked at three people sitting beside him and nodded.

Though he didn't trust them completely, something was telling him they wouldn't betray him.

"Alright, this is your decision. You must not regret it in the future." His voice was laced with seriousness.

"Wait for me." Saz stood and staggered backward but he managed to regain his footing.

"Don't worry about me. I'm alright." He said and moved with a trembling leg toward the bedroom.

When Saz entered the bedroom. Annette couldn't contain her curiosity.

"Do you really trust us? We barely know each other for a week" She whispered.

"Indeed." He nodded. "Do I need to know you for decades before I can trust you?"

Annette was speechless and the smile on her face was frozen. Seeing her friend's face. Kelsi chuckled and said.

"Thank you for trusting us. Don't worry, we don't abuse the trust you have in us."

"Since we didn't betray each other we won't betray you," Tania added.

Creak!

Saz entered the room with an old wooden box in his hand. He gave it to La Coasta and slump into his chair.

"Everything you need is inside that box…" He pauses a bit before he continues.

"If you don't understand some of the things inside the box. Your friend will tell you."

"Thank you." La Coasta.

"Boy, you must be prepared and be careful. Your parents' enemies mustn't know that you're alive this early."

"Who are my parents—"

"Don't worry when you're strong enough, they will come looking for you." He said casually.

"Your next destination is the outer ring and you need to join an academy." He clicked his tongue and continued.

"Though you're a late bloomer but you if you're the son of your parents. There should be any problem for you to catch up."

"Now, you should move boy. A cargo is smuggling some people into the outer ring. If you miss it now. That will be next month. Now, Go! Go!" Saz shoos him away.

La Coasta was confused; he wanted to talk but Saz didn't give him any chance and pushed him out of his house.

"I hope he's ready before they find." Saz clicked his tongue.

"The world is about to change…. Ha! I can't wait to see it." He chuckled and took a puff from his pipe.

Outside, La Coasta looked at the three with a bitter smile on his face.

"Do you understand what the old man is saying?" He asked.

"Of course. The old man was too sly. Since he saw us with you. He didn't want to leave his home and do all the stressful things. So he dumped it on us." Annette complained.

Though the radiant smile on her face says another thing.

"Let's get moving," Kelsi said.

Inside the rover, Annette was explaining some things to La Coasta.

"That black card is a platinum card that is issued by the biggest bank in the outer ring. The Zenith bank.

The second thing in the box is the photon bracelet. You can do virtually everything with the bracelet. It is your identity in the outer ring." She gulped free air and shook her head.

"When you get to the city. You will learn the rest. I'm tired."

Kelsi chuckled and parked the rover in front of an abandoned factory.

In front of the factory, two men sat and were playing cards. They didn't bother to raise their heads when they saw the new arrival.

The group walked to them and one of the men raised his head and said,

"Vulture of the night?"

"Never leaves its friend?" Kelsi answered.

A smile appeared on the man's face and the first man stretched out his hand for a handshake.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you witches?" he said with a smile

"Valdez, how are you doing?" Kelsi shook his hand and smiled.

"Good. Good." He raised his head and looked at the other witches and nodded at them.

His eyes lingered on La Coasta for a sec before he averted his gaze.

"Are you returning?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Good. The last batch is moving in half an hour. You can join them."

"Thank you." Kelsi smiled and took out a pouch and gave it to him.

"As always. It is a pleasure doing business with you."

"Yo man, I'm coming," Valdez said to the other man.

Quickly, Valdez led La Coasta and the three witches into the abandoned factory.

There are many destroyed engines in the factory and this got La Coasta wondering how they are going to reach the Outer ring.

Suddenly, Valdez pressed a hidden button and a creak echoed in the factory.

A tunnel appeared on the ground with a staircase leading downward.

The group ventured into the dimly lit tunnel and saw a truck, waiting with some people.

A middle-aged man came out of the truck and had a word with Valdez after that. Valdez waves at the three witches and leaves.

"Enter the truck," the middle-aged man said.

Inside the truck, a few young and old people sat on two long benches facing each other.

La Coasta and the witches didn't utter a word. They sat calmly and waited for the truck to depart.

After what seemed like forever, the truck departed from the hidden tunnel.

La Coasta's heart missed a beat. He turned his head to look outside but he couldn't see a thing.

"I'm leaving the wasteland…" he mused in his heart with a conflicted feeling.

"Outer ring, here I come."

****Author's Note****

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