Side story: Gravel Scale (thanks to I Have Two Precious Cats)

Thank you to the patron who has two beloved cats for the generous donation!

This post is partly to thank the new alliance leader and partly to acknowledge the fulfillment of this month's monthly ticket obligations.

There are currently about 3,900 monthly passes. The number usually increases in the last two days of the month, and it's possible it could exceed 5,000.

18,000 words, that's quite a lot of sincerity.

If a patron donates again, a 5000-word free bonus chapter will be published as a token of gratitude. If the monthly votes exceed 5000, a bonus chapter of the corresponding word count will also be released.

In addition to the main story episodes, these will be released as "monthly pass episodes," requiring viewers to vote with monthly passes on the external page to read them.

Note: Although this story is presented as a side story, it actually covers the same plot points that need to be addressed in the main storyline.

--

In the year 257 of the Stars Calendar (fifteen years ago), at the southernmost tip of the Western Continent, in the Gravel Scale Desert.

Golden sand dunes stretch endlessly, the wind carving delicate, water-like patterns on their surface, resembling frozen waves. Life here is simplified to its extreme.

Occasionally, a clump of tenacious, grayish-green Artemisia will suddenly pierce the view.

The two travelers trudged through the sand with great difficulty. They wrapped their heads, necks, and even mouths and noses with thick, earth-yellow cloths, leaving only their eyes exposed, to protect themselves from the all-pervasive sand and the scorching sun. Sweat had already soaked through the cloths, only to be quickly evaporated by the hot wind, leaving behind itchy salt stains.

They wore long, light-colored linen robes that covered their entire bodies. The seemingly bulky attire billowed and billowed freely in the desert wind, cleverly forming a flowing layer of air.

Several leather water pouches hung from the waist of his long robe, emitting a monotonous yet reassuring gurgling sound as he took each step.

Even so, the endless desert made the two of them feel a little impatient and uneasy.

"Damn it, where is the meeting point?!" one of the travelers complained.

They struggled to the top of a slightly higher sand dune and looked around again.

As far as the eye could see, all that remained was yellow sand. The undulating curves stretched to the horizon, blurred by the sweltering heat. Near the horizon, a crooked saxaul tree stood stubbornly, half its trunk buried by shifting sands, leaving only a struggling patch of gray-green at its top.

"This godforsaken place, at least have a decent landmark!" another traveler couldn't help but agree.

"Among the hills, a solitary peak stands alone, isn't that a landmark?" An old yet exceptionally clear voice suddenly rang out from close by, startling them into jumping.

The two tensed instantly, took a step back, and looked closely—right beside them sat an elderly lizardman.

The lizardman's body is tall and wiry, covered with dense scales that are perfectly interwoven with sandy yellow and light brown, which gleam with a dry, matte sheen under the scorching sun. Thicker, harder bone plates and sharp spines grow on its spine and other vital parts such as the joints of its limbs.

His head had the typical outline of a lizard, with a slightly long snout, a hard jawline, and a slightly raised, fan-shaped bony crown at the back of his skull, clearly an adaptation to the intense heat. His eyes were a pair of vertical, snake-like slit pupils, which were now reduced to thin lines under the blinding sunlight to minimize the intake of strong light.

The old lizardman's presence was almost seamlessly integrated with the boundless sea of sand behind him; if he hadn't spoken, there would have been no way of knowing that he was a living being.

"Finally, we've met you, Master Shadu!" One of the travelers, clearly a woman, let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders instantly relaxing.

Shadu rose, gently placing a scaly forepaw against his chest, and nodded slightly. "Welcome to the Land of Pervasive Sand, Indigo Kite."

The female traveler, known as Stacy, lifted the heavy headscarf tightly covering her mouth and nose, revealing a face beaded with fine sweat. Her voice rang with the joy of reunion, "Master Shadu, it's been a long time!"

Shadu then turned to another traveler. The other man also removed his mask, revealing a young face. Shadu's gaze lingered on his face for a moment; he clearly did not recognize him.

"This young man is my bodyguard, Ruixiuli," Stacy introduced. "Although he's very young, he's quite skilled. One has to be careful when traveling to the desert."

Shadu nodded in agreement. In this sparsely populated land, any living being could be a potential enemy; caution was the ironclad rule for survival.

Ruixiuli bowed to Shadu. He pointed to the vast sea of sand ahead, his tone full of confusion. "Master Shadu, there are 'hills' everywhere here, where exactly is the ' Lone Peak Rock ' you mentioned?"

"Lone Peak Rock is quite far from here, fifty kilometers away," Shadu explained. "From the moment you stepped into the desert, you were going in the wrong direction."

"Fifty kilometers?!" they both exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with frustration.

Although it was their first time entering the Gravel Scale Desert, Mingming had consulted several experienced desert travelers and done a lot of research beforehand, believing he was well-prepared.

But to my utter surprise, the deviation in judging direction alone was so great!

"Master Shadu, are your perception abilities really that amazing?" The young Ruixiuli still found it somewhat unbelievable and couldn't help but ask, "How could you find us so accurately when we were so far away?"

"Not at all." Shadu slowly shook his head, a faint smile flickering across his scaly face. "I followed your scent to find you. Otherwise, why would you—" his piercing pupils shifted to Stacy's waist—"why did I include a bottle of special skincare oil in the letter I sent seeking help?"

Stacy glanced down instinctively; they had already used up almost half of the skincare oil during their trip. Indeed, the oil had provided excellent protection against the intense sunlight and sand.

She never expected that its main purpose would be to make it easier for Shadu to find her!

****

Shadu crouched on all fours, lowering his tall frame to indicate that the two should ride on his broad, sturdy back. As a lizardman who was a full three meters long, carrying the weight of two adult humans was not a difficult task.

Once the two were safely seated, a yellowish-brown aura of Magic Power began to emanate from Shadu's body. Instantly, the sand beneath him seemed to come alive. A cloud of dust rose, and his body shot forward like an arrow, moving swiftly and fluidly across the soft sand.

A strong wind immediately rushed towards us, and the huge, undulating sand dunes on both sides rushed past us at high speed.

"This speed... it's practically like flying!" Ruixiuli exclaimed in admiration.

"Moreover, its endurance and range are far superior to flying!" Stacy added, gripping a protruding bone plate on Shadu's back tightly.

Just as Stacy had predicted, Shadu maintained an astonishing speed, running for a full four hours straight. His heavy breathing carried the scent of sand and dust, yet his rhythm was steady, indicating an abundant reserve of Magic Power.

The surrounding scenery subtly changed. The sand dunes still maintained their graceful, streamlined curves, but the boundless gold was gradually being cut off and occupied by patches of tenacious green and the dappled, swaying shadows they cast. The greenery was no longer a scattered embellishment, but spread out in patches and clusters.

The main features of this green land are the forests of Calligonum mongolicum and Haloxylon ammodendron. They grow densely, and their tough branches rub against each other in the wind, making a hard "rustling" sound.

With their arrival, the air remained scorching, but began to be filled with complex scents: the unique fragrance of the saxaul wood, the slightly spicy and pungent herbal aroma of wormwood, and the scent of soil particles rising from the relentless heat of the sun.

When Shadu finally slowed down and stopped, the three of them found themselves in a poplar forest. Sparsely scattered throughout the forest were many low huts made of adobe and branches.

The monotonous sound of the wind was no longer in my ears; instead, I could hear the short, clear chirping of sand sparrows from time to time.

The wooden doors of some small houses creaked open, and several human residents dressed in coarse cloth jackets came out. Many children peeked out from the low windows with curious little heads, looking at these uninvited guests.

This place is actually a small village inhabited by humans!

"Shouldn't we... go to the Gravel Scale Tribe's settlement?" Stacy asked, puzzled.

The Gravel Scale Tribe is what the desert lizardmen call themselves, and they are also the main inhabitants of this desert.

Ten days ago, Stacy received a letter from Shadu stating that, starting about five years ago, many reptilians had been experiencing severe menstrual cycle disorders.

The lizardman shamans tried every known method of treatment, but to no avail. Upon hearing of this while traveling, Shadu invited Stacy to come to the desert and personally escorted them.

Shadu explained in a deep, steady voice, "The sun is still high, and the sunlight is scorching. Nighttime is when we Gravel Scale Tribe are most active." He raised a paw and pointed to the village, "You can rest here for a while and have something to eat."

****

Stacy and Ruixiuli naturally followed Shadu's arrangements.

The two stayed overnight in a simple but tidy hut in the village and bought some food and fresh water from the villagers. The food consisted of a small bag of dark brown, wrinkled dates and a few pieces of freshly picked, thorny cactus stems.

The latter is free; these tender stems are easily found in the nearby sandy soil.

Curious, Ruixiuli picked up a small piece of cactus stem, removed the thorns, and put it in his mouth to taste. Apart from the slightly slippery texture and the viscous juice unique to plants, the taste was surprisingly refreshing and slightly sour, and the chewing experience was not much different from that of ordinary vegetables.

Many village children peeked around their huts, their eyes sparkling with curiosity, yet also with timidity towards strangers, never daring to approach.

Seeing this, Stacy smiled and took a piece of lightly toasted bread from her bag. She broke the bread into many small pieces, put them in a clean earthenware plate, and then carried the plate over to the children.

The children here had clearly never seen this kind of foreign pasta before. At Stacy's gentle greeting and the allure of the food, they all gathered around. Soon, Stacy was one of them.

Upon hearing that visitors had arrived in the village, the village's old priest also came, leaning on his cane. He first solemnly performed a blessing of light with the two of them. During their conversation, after learning that Stacy was a healer, his eyes immediately lit up, and he couldn't wait to ask her for advice on several ways to treat diseases that he had encountered in the desert.

Stacy had never actually seen some of these symptoms before, but with her solid medical knowledge and rich experience, she analyzed the causes and symptoms. After discussion, they decided to go to the vicinity of the village to look for herbs.

Although desert vegetation is relatively simple, some useful species can still be found. For example, there is ephedra, which can be used to induce sweating and dispel cold, and sage with small purple flowers, which can relieve oral pain.

Ruixiuli naturally accompanied them, and the group of children who had just become acquainted with them also joined in the fun. Ruixiuli had sharp eyes and moved as swiftly as the wind, quickly moving between the sand dunes and bushes, and soon collected quite a few herbs.

"Sister, you're so amazing!" A little girl of about seven years old with brown hair and two braids said to Ruixiuli in a clear, admiring voice.

Stacy, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh when she heard this nickname.

"It's my brother!" Ruixiuli corrected helplessly. He wasn't wearing a mask now, revealing his soft-featured face, which even carried a hint of youthful fragility.

The little girl named Lulu leaned closer again, standing on tiptoe to carefully examine Ruixiuli's face. In her eyes, this face exuded a delicate and refined charm.

"You're lying!" she concluded angrily.

"Lulu! How dare you be rude!" the old priest quickly reprimanded, "You must respect your guest!"

The little girl looked a bit aggrieved. Her eyes darted around, and suddenly, without warning, she reached out and grabbed at Ruixiuli.

Ruixiuli could have easily dodged the attack, but worried that a sudden movement might hurt the child, he subconsciously slowed down. Just then, Stacy's hand, glowing with a faint Magic Power aura, "perfectly" pressed down on his shoulder, interrupting his movements.

And so, Ruixiuli was precisely caught by Lulu's little hand.

Lulu gave it a few squeezes without any hesitation before reluctantly admitting, "Hmm... it really is my brother."

Ruixiuli froze on the spot, watching incredulously Lulu let go of his hand and skipped away as if nothing had happened, continuing her search for herbs.

He slowly turned his head, staring at Stacy, who was trying hard to suppress her laughter, with an extremely unfriendly expression. "Hey!"

"Ha, sorry, sorry!" Stacy immediately put on an extremely innocent expression and spread her hands. "I just saw your shoulders were stiff and wanted to massage them for you." She suppressed a laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly.

Ruixiuli rolled up his sleeves, pressing his knuckles and making a soft "crack" sound. "Oh? I can 'properly' massage you too."

Upon hearing this, Stacy turned to Ruixiuli with remarkable generosity, opening her arms wide to the sides, "Please feel free, I can massage anywhere!"

Faced with this shameless older sister, Ruixiuli had no temper and could only admit defeat.