After breakfast, the two shouldered their luggage and set out.
A vast desert lay between the edge of the rainforest and Mount Damavand.
The leaf Nahida had given them glowed faintly in Ronava's palm, pointing northwest, where a tall sand wall was faintly visible.
Although it looked close, the two still walked for a whole day.
The sun had moved from overhead to the west and was about to set, but the heat had not eased. It seemed to grow hotter the closer they got to the desert, or at least that was what Lin En thought.
He had drunk half his waterskin and eaten two pieces of dry rations. Carrying both sets of luggage, he had grown tired after walking for half a day, though now that he could wield Anemo with ease, things were a little better.
Toward evening, a cluster of low buildings appeared ahead. Several pale blue-white houses with green roofs stood on either side of the road, with a well in the middle and a few camels tethered beside it.
Two wagons stood outside the stone houses, their cargo beds covered with sandproof cloth. This was Caravan Ribat, the last stop on the edge of the desert. Farther west lay the true sea of sand.
"We'll rest here tonight."
Ronava took one of Lin En's bags as she spoke.
Lin En nodded. He could barely lift his legs anymore.
The two entered the settlement and found its only inn. It was small, with a dining hall on the first floor and guest rooms on the second. The owner was a short, stout Sumeru man who was dozing behind the counter.
Lin En paid Mora for a room and ordered two meals.
When the food arrived, Lin En nearly cried. It was normal food.
There was steaming stew and flatbread. The taste was nothing special, but at least it was cooked, it had salt, and there were no eggshells.
Ronava ate slowly, taking only a few bites before she stopped.
"Doesn't it taste good?"
Lin En asked.
"It's a little worse than what you make."
Lin En was taken aback. Someone actually thought his cooking tasted good? He only knew how to make a few basic dishes. Was it really that good?
"Then... I'll cook for you from now on."
"Mm."
After dinner, the two went upstairs. The room was tiny, with only one bed and one window. There was not even enough room to make a bed on the floor.
Lin En put down the luggage and was about to wash up when he heard a clatter of hooves downstairs.
He went to the window and looked down. A party of seven or eight people was approaching from the east, dressed in traditional desert tribal clothing. They rode horses and led a string of camels laden with goods.
Their leader was a tall, thin middle-aged man. His headscarf was wrapped tightly, leaving only a pair of hawklike eyes visible.
Before long, more hoofbeats came from the west. The second party was about the same size, dressed in similar clothing of a different color. Their leader was a short, muscular man with a scimitar at his waist, and they too led camels laden with goods.
The two parties met at the inn's entrance, and the atmosphere immediately turned hostile.
"Abdul, why are you taking this road too?"
The short, muscular man reined in his horse, his tone unfriendly.
"You don't own the road, Hassan. What business is it of yours which way I go?"
The tall, thin man swung down from his horse, rolled his eyes at him, and answered coldly.
The two parties faced off at the inn's entrance. The innkeeper rushed out from behind the counter and scrambled to smooth things over, but neither group paid him any attention. Their argument soon turned into a fight.
Some tied their horses to the posts outside the inn, while others unloaded cargo boxes from the camels and carried them inside. One man shoved another, who immediately punched him back.
Several tables and chairs were knocked over in the inn, and broken dishes littered the floor. The innkeeper stamped his feet in distress, but nobody listened to him.
"This is the only inn around here. We've walked all day. We can't sleep in the sand!"
"We got here first. The rooms should be ours!"
"First come, first served? Look who got on this road first!"
The argument grew fiercer, and some had already drawn their blades. The innkeeper huddled behind the counter, his face deathly pale.
Just as the short, muscular man raised his scimitar to strike, a ray of black light shot down from the second floor, hitting the blade with unerring accuracy.
The scimitar was knocked flying, a hole appearing in its blade as it was driven into the inn's door.
Everyone looked up at once.
Ronava stood at the top of the stairs, her silver hair gleaming coldly in the dim lamplight. Her golden eyes swept over the crowd below, her face expressionless.
Lin En chuckled to himself beside her, holding the sword Ronava had given her. He had not expected to see a real-life clash of clans.
"Enough."
Ronava had not spoken loudly, but the entire inn fell silent at once.
The desert folk looked at the aura around her that did not belong to a mortal, then at the scimitar with a hole through it, and instinctively took a step back.
"Disturb me again, and I'll kill you without mercy."
The innkeeper trembled as he raised his head from behind the counter. Had an expert stepped in?
"Innkeeper, how many rooms are still available?"
The tall, thin man and the short, muscular man exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.
"Three... three rooms, just enough for one caravan."
The short, muscular man picked up the scimitar that had been knocked away, tucked it back into his belt, and muttered,
"A decent man doesn't fight with dogs! We'll stay outside."
The tall, thin man was furious when he heard that, and said,
"We'll stay outside too."
And just like that, the conflict came to an end.
The innkeeper crawled out from behind the counter and thanked Ronava repeatedly. If not for her, his inn would have been torn apart.
Ronava ignored him and turned back to her room. Lin En followed her, and as they passed the desert folk, the people lowered their heads and made way.
Back in the room, Ronava stood by the window, watching the people pitch tents in the backyard below. Fires lit up the yard, the camels carrying goods were tethered by the well, and everything was peaceful again.
"That move just now was really cool."
Lin En leaned against the doorframe.
Ronava turned her head and glanced at him.
"I just didn't want them disturbing our sleep."
"You could have ignored them."
"If it were before, I really wouldn't have bothered. But now that I have you with me, I have to consider you once in a while."
Lin En understood what she meant.
"Are you saying you care about me?"
"I suppose so."
Lin En laughed. Outside the window, the desert night sky was clear, stars covering the whole expanse. The firelight in the backyard flickered gently in the darkness.
"Another day's walk tomorrow, and we'll reach Mount Damavand."
Ronava looked away.
"Get to sleep early."
"Where am I supposed to sleep? There doesn't seem to be enough room to make a bed on the floor. How about we get another room? The innkeeper said..."
Ronava patted the bed beside her. There was still plenty of space.
"Sleep... sleep with you?"
Lin En was a little surprised by her decision. That single gesture alone made him blush.
"Mm. Two rooms would cost too much."
Lin En nodded mechanically, walked over to the bed, and lay down.
That night, he could not sleep at all. He stared at the ceiling for a while, then turned his head to look at Ronava's back. Her silver hair was spread across the pillow, glowing softly in the moonlight.
Suddenly, a hand took his. Ronava turned over, her face toward him.
Lin En's heart beat even faster, making it even harder to sleep.
He stared at the ceiling for a long time. Sometime after midnight, he could no longer resist his drowsiness and fell asleep.
In his sleep, he dreamed of a snake coiling around his entire body, leaving him somewhat short of breath.