The sun dipped below the dunes, casting a crimson glow across the vast desert. Terra charged forward on all fours, kicking up golden dust as she carried the group across the unforgiving terrain. For nearly four hours, she hadn't slowed, but darkness was quickly approaching.
"We'll reach Edom in about three days at this pace," Solomon said, steadying himself on her back. "Let's stop by the city of Persia for food and supplies."
Ishmael immediately snapped. "You damn fool! You forget both Terra and I would be considered monsters. The guards would throw us out—or worse!"
Rose tilted her head, correcting him gently. "Actually, demi-humans aren't looked down on anymore. There's even a whole city for them now."
Terra perked up, intrigued. "A city for my people? Now that's a surprise. Tell me more."
"It was established after King Igneous fought the human nations to a stalemate. The war couldn't be won without devastating losses on both sides, so they made peace. Demi-humans were granted rights and land to build their own kingdom," Rose explained with a warm smile.
"Hah. I bet the nobles were frothing at the mouth when they heard my kind had rights," Terra replied, her voice laced with bitter sarcasm.
"For a while, they were," Rose admitted. "But after a few years, people began to accept demi-humans. Now they're just seen as another race—like commons, Amazonians, or elves."
Terra felt something strange stir in her chest. A warmth she hadn't felt in years. Peace.
"Igneous… Igneous…" Ishmael rubbed his chin. "Didn't you mention that name before, Terra?"
"He's Magmas' father," she said casually.
Rose gasped. "Wait! You know Magmas and Igneous? The king and prince of the demi-humans?! Were they your friends or something?"
Terra chuckled. "You could say that."
"She's being modest," Ishmael cut in with a sneer. "Magmas is her son, and Igneous was her ex-lover. All before we got dragged to that cursed temple."
"Ishmael!" Terra snapped, her voice trembling with anger and regret. "Shut it! I didn't want them to know about that!"
"Oh, now you want to keep secrets?" he scoffed. "Not like there's much to tell anyway."
Solomon clenched his fists. "What's your problem, Ishmael? You claim to care about her, yet you spill her past without a second thought. I thought you were better than this."
Ishmael stood, eyes narrowing as he glared down at Solomon. "My problem is with you. Your people made me what I am. I was once human. An orphan, picked off the streets by a man named Sol. I thought he saved me. I thought I had a family. But no… He sold me to that old bastard. Turned me into a Ginn. A weapon. A slave. When I lost value as a soldier, he chained Terra up too, just to keep me obedient."
Solomon lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry for what happened to you… but you can't hold me accountable for another man's sins."
"He looks like Sol," Terra said softly. "That's why Ishmael hates you. You look just like the man who sold him."
Ishmael barked, "And now you wanna spill my secrets?!"
"Can we all just stop fighting?" Rose's voice cracked as she stepped between them, her eyes pleading. "Please… we need to decide if we're going into town or not."
The group fell into a heavy silence. No one met anyone's gaze. Solomon and Terra turned their backs on Ishmael, while the Ginn fumed quietly, his pride keeping him from apologizing.
"So… are we stopping at the city?" Rose asked again, more cautiously.
"I think we should," Solomon said.
"I agree," Terra nodded.
Ishmael gritted his teeth, staying silent.
"Majority vote, then," Rose said with a soft smile. "Please don't be mad at us, Ishmael."
He turned away, offering no answer. Solomon and Terra rolled their eyes, while Rose continued trying to soothe him as Terra dashed toward the city, reaching it just as the last light dipped below the horizon.
At the gates, Terra shifted back into her humanoid form, still completely unclothed. Solomon, thinking quickly, conjured a flowing black cloak from the shadows, wrapping it around her.
"Aww, thank you, dear," she grinned, patting him on the head. "This'll do nicely."
As they approached the city gate, the guard stepped forward, voice stern. "Halt! State your names and purpose."
"We're just here to rest and resupply," Solomon answered.
"That all?"
"Yes. We'll be gone in two days, max."
The guard nodded and stepped aside. The group entered, sticking together as they searched for an inn. Eventually, they found one nestled near the market. Solomon booked two rooms—Terra and Ishmael in one, himself and Rose in the other.
Terra and Ishmael said nothing to each other. As soon as the door closed, they both collapsed onto their beds and drifted off, still fuming.
In the other room, Rose sat on the edge of her bed, chatting with Solomon.
"You think the others are okay?" she asked. "Last time we saw them, they looked pretty beat up."
"They're tough," Solomon smiled. "I sent them a letter. Hopefully Markus isn't losing his mind trying to find us."
"Don't joke!" Rose scolded. "You know the boss has horrible blood pressure."
"True," Solomon laughed. "But they'll be glad to hear we're safe."
Rose's eyes sparkled. "So, got any plans for tomorrow?"
"Shopping with Terra for clothes. Then I'll stock up on food and medicine," he replied.
"You're so boring," Rose pouted, puffing her cheeks. "We're in a new city! Don't you wanna do something fun?"
He paused. "What did you have in mind?"
"Entertainment District!" she beamed. "I heard the bards here are incredible!"
Solomon chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Then it's a date. After I help Terra."
"Awesome!" she cheered. "This is gonna be fun."
As she climbed under the blankets, Solomon checked his belongings. He created a shadow sphere and carefully stored the artifact inside. The sphere shrank to the size of a coin and attached itself to his hip.
"These shadow powers are more useful than I thought," he whispered, before turning off the lights.
---
The Next Morning
At the first crack of dawn, Solomon quietly rose from bed. Not wanting to wake Rose, he slipped out without a sound and headed for the market—his mind already on the supplies they'd need for the journey ahead.