Mas ordered Dref to go to the departure chamber and get ready for the descent. He also gave him a final briefing on making sure he blended into the surroundings and to formalize when necessary, which would help him do just that.
The warning lights signalling imminent departure started flashing, and seconds later Dref was momentarily plunged into darkness. When he opened his eyes, he was laying on his back in dense undergrowth which was very damp and the air was extremely humid. He laid still for a few moments and just listened.
He could hear multiple bird sounds, not unlike he used to hear in early mornings on Mondern before they all disappeared. Dref felt that this was a good start. He continued to lay still for a few more minutes and quietly moved his head from side to side to check out his immediate surroundings. He could see some very tall trees close to where he was laying and a ball of fire high up in the sky which was giving off a lot of heat and causing Dref to start perspiring. ‘Time to move’, he thought.
He carefully sat up, trying not to make a sound. Once again, he looked around before he finally stood up. It was all clear and he couldn’t see any strange creatures that would pose a threat. All he could see as he looked up through the treetops was multiple colours from the birds who had now spotted him and were obviously letting it be known that there was a stranger in their midst. Dref thought it would be a good idea to climb the tall tree that he was standing next to, which would give him a good vantage point from which he could have a good look around.