I condensed the desert arc out of existence
Dawn had barely broken, and the windblown sand of Aaru Village still carried the lingering chill of the night.
Candace handed over a bag of fresh water and compressed rations, her expression troubled. "All the open routes are sealed. The Fatui have checkpoints everywhere along the main roads. Your only option is the abandoned paths through the ancient ruins. They're rough going, with mechanisms and quicksand, but they're well hidden. Right now, they're the only way out of the desert."
"Got it, Candace. Take care of yourself too." Dehya waved, bidding farewell to Aaru Village.
Not far from the village entrance, several sturdy mercenaries in desert protective gear were already lined up and waiting.
There weren't many of them, but they were all veterans who had spent years crossing the desert with Dehya, facing life and death together. Silent, efficient, and sharp-eyed, they were accustomed to confronting danger in the barren sea of sand.
They asked no questions about Xingsu's background. A nod from Dehya was all it took for them to accept this temporary traveling companion who needed their protection for the entire journey.
Dehya fastened her greatsword to her back and planted one hand on her hip, brisk and confident.
"Listen up." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried considerable authority. "We're taking the ancient ruins' side paths all the way today. No main roads, no checkpoints, and no getting caught up in fights. We clear the way, take out monsters, cover the rear, and get him out of the desert safely."
The mercenaries nodded in unison.
Standing among them, Xingsu looked at this quiet, dependable band of desert mercenaries and felt a measure of reassurance, along with some guilt.
All he could do was say softly, "Sorry for the trouble."
Dehya glanced at him and gave a carefree grin, dispelling the heavy atmosphere. "Don't mention it. In the desert, being alive and able to lend each other a hand is the greatest stroke of fate there is. Besides, sand and trouble are the last things this bunch of mine is afraid of."
The group left Aaru Village behind and set foot in the Great Red Sand.
The desert by day was a scorching inferno.
Endless dunes rose in overlapping layers as far as the eye could see. The blazing sun hung overhead, baking the yellow sand beneath their feet. Hot wind seared their faces, and even breathing brought a burning sensation.
But the mercenaries worked together with consummate professionalism.
Two scouted ahead, following the firmest dune crests while constantly watching for shifts in the quicksand layers and the movement of distant dust clouds; those on either flank kept watch, their eyes fixed on the shadows of ruins and dunes, guarding against lurking desert monsters and concealed sentries; the last person covered the rear, repeatedly checking that no one was following or tracking them.
Dehya moved throughout the group, immediately filling in wherever anything stirred.
They set out in the morning, found shade among the ruins to rest at noon, then resumed their journey in the evening to avoid the sun.
During this time, Xingsu did not simply rely on his escort.
He walked in the middle of the group, keeping pace while examining the inscriptions on broken ancient steles along the way, the traces left on weathered rock layers, and the mechanisms within the ruins.
The longer he studied, the more he understood-
The desert had never been a primitive wasteland.
The ruined walls scattered everywhere, the buried murals of a civilization, and the ingenious mechanical creations were all symbols of an ancient civilization. Most scholars in the rainforest merely sat around engaging in empty talk, never setting foot in these yellow sands or seeing this place in its most original, truest form.
So...
Xingsu gazed at the enormous temple half buried beneath the shifting yellow sand-the Mausoleum of King Deshret, standing at the heart of the desert.
Just what secrets lay buried there?
"Hey, Xingsu, what are you looking at?"
Beside him, Dehya brushed fine sand off her greatsword and followed his gaze toward the enormous ancient structure in the distance. Her expression held only the indifference of someone long accustomed to ruins as she casually recounted the desert's most common rumors.
She shrugged carelessly, her tone easy and frank. "The Mausoleum of King Deshret, huh? All we desert mercenaries know is that it's one nasty place. Traps and mechanisms everywhere, out-of-control ruin machines-nine out of ten people who go in never come back."
"Some elders do say it's King Deshret's tomb, full of countless riches, and there's some place called... Aaru, where you can live forever if you get inside. I don't believe it, anyway. Other than that, there aren't any other stories."
Seeing the unusually grave, searching look in Xingsu's eyes, she grew a little puzzled. "What is it? Don't tell me you want to go study King Deshret's legacy. That's not covered by this commission."
Xingsu shook his head. "No. I just think there are many undiscovered secrets beneath the Mausoleum of King Deshret-secrets that could change all of Sumeru."
Dehya sat on a dirt slope with her greatsword in her arms. Watching Xingsu gaze absently at the Mausoleum of King Deshret, she smiled helplessly, sighed, and teased him offhandedly:
"Honestly, you scholars. You're always convinced there's something here or something there, and you have to study everything wherever you go. Everyone else has their hands full just trying to escape the desert, but you're still staring at that tomb, turning things over in your head."
"Boss! The sun's almost down! This is the perfect time to get moving!" The mercenary scouting ahead returned.
"Got it! Come on, time to move." Dehya held out her hand to Xingsu and pulled him to his feet.
"Mm." Xingsu stood and brushed the sand off his trousers. After one last look at King Deshret's temple, he set off again into the vast sea of sand.
The setting sun washed heaven and earth in soft, warm hues. Beneath their feet were still the golden sandy slopes at the edge of Sumeru's desert, but ahead, the utterly different scenery of Fontaine suddenly unfolded before them.
An unbroken range of sharp, blue-green mountains stood silently beneath the cloudy sky. An entire highland plateau broke off abruptly, and towering waterfalls poured in unison over its level cliff edge, roaring down into the clear blue coastal waters. The spray glittered with flecks of gentle light in the sunset's afterglow.
Clear waters stretched into the distance. On one side lay a vast, parched desert; on the other, a vast, boundless nation of water. A single enormous waterfall divided the starkly different characters of the two nations.
Their journey through yellow sands, with all its dry heat and desolation, had finally come to an end.
Xingsu stood on the slope, gazing at the magnificent view before him, filled with mixed feelings.
Dehya secured the greatsword on her back once more, and the mercenaries behind her put away their weapons, abandoning their defensive formation.
She waved to Xingsu and spoke with an easy, hearty smile:
"All right, Xingsu, this is as far as we take you. Safe travels! I'll be waiting for you to come back and buy me a meal!"
Xingsu carefully put away his thick notebook and waved his thanks to her and the mercenaries who had risked their lives escorting him all this way.
"Oh, Dehya, this is for you."
Xingsu rummaged through his pack and took out a smoothly polished wooden jar. It contained the herbal sunscreen ointment Tighnari had specially prepared and given him before his departure.
"I heard you like cosmetics. This is sunscreen ointment Tighnari made himself. It's my last jar, and I'd like you to have it."
Dehya opened the lid, sniffed the faint herbal fragrance within, and raised her hand with a smile:
"Then I'll gladly take it! It'll come in handy next time I'm traveling under the blazing desert sun."
The evening breeze had lost the desert's scorching heat. Laden with moisture, it brushed across Xingsu's cheeks, gently blending his uncertainty about the road ahead into Fontaine's sweeping scenery.
(Sumeru arc, to be continued)
"Huh, I don't remember telling him I like cosmetics..." Walking back, Dehya kept feeling that something was off.