Chapter 67 Nate

My fingers glide across the desert on the map. The parchment feels ancient and brittle. We park in a glade and begin to set up our camp for the coming night. The old lady is kneeling in front us. she’s calm and confident, not like the storyteller before. I sit beside Uncle Bentley. Rae puts down a plate of grapes and sits next to me.

“How do we know we can trust you?” Uncle Bentley speaks up and grabs some grapes.

“You can trust me or not. I don’t have the power to control people’s thoughts,” the old lady answers surprisingly.

Uncle Bentley is amused by her. He cackles and tells the servants to bring a chair for the old lady. “You said you used to be an adventurer? Where did you go?”

“I traveled all over the world, any place with or without a name. But only one place keeps haunting me…” The old lady’s mind seems to drift away.

“Let me guess. Dragon Breath.”

“Yes! That is the place! Dragon Breath.” She’s excited by the mere mention of the place. “Fortunately, I have only seen it once. Before that, I would have said the city only exists in people’s dreams. But it doesn’t! When I saw it with my own eyes, I knew that it was real.”

“What did you see exactly?” I ask.

“A glistening city made of diamonds, glowing under an ocean of stars. I was stunned by the image. No mirage could ever be so real, as I had seen hundreds of them. It was a city above the sky. The closer I walked to it, the clearer it seemed. Just as I reached the bottom of a giant castle, a huge dragon flew by. Its wings shadowed the whole city. Then, the image just vanished from the sky,” she says with a rueful smile, “I never saw it again after that.” As she finishes, she leaves her chair and hastily comes over to me. She points to a red spot on the map, “Luckily, I had a pencil on me. I quickly drew it according to the time and location of the sun. It was right in the middle of the desert, there was nothing but hot sand. This is the exact location of the city. I’ve visited the same spot countless times, but it never appeared again.” She then directly looks at me and Uncle Bentley. “You have money and time! Not like me. I am old, and footsteps away from death. I can’t afford another trip. I have accepted my fate, I could only see it once. It’s enough for me! This time, you try to find it! ”

Uncle Bentley and I exchange a look. We both believe that this old lady is telling the truth. “Thank you for giving the map to us. I promise you that we will take good care of it.” Uncle Bentley then gives a signal to the lead guard. “This is thirty gold coins. It should be enough to buy a comfortable remaining life. The guard will escort you safely home.”

The old lady takes the coins without showing gratefulness. She looks at the map one last time then leaves, without looking back.

According to the map, we are very close to the location of the city; we could arrive there in half a day. Uncle Bentley lets me keep it. I roll it up carefully and wrap it with a mosaic cloth. Finally, we’ve seized a valuable clue. We walk over to the main camp, where the servants have prepared an abundance of food and drinks. I would like a glass of wine and some good food now. I’m feeling energized. I want so much to report to Dad and share this wonderful news with him. But I know it’s still too soon. I’ll wait patiently, until I have the gem in my hands.

I bite off a big chunk of roasted beef. The juicy meat melts on my tongue and the delicious fat fills my mouth. I drink a gulp of wine to wash it all down. Uncle Bentley laughs brightly.

“My quiet nephew finally enjoys meat like a real man!” He looks at me pridefully, “You will do great things, Nathaniel.”

I peek at Rae, who’s sitting next to me. She seems to be in a good mood too. I push a tray of meat in front her. “Eat more. You are too thin.”

Uncle Bentley cackles again, “Look at my nephew now! Already knows how to treat a lady he likes.” He wipes off the oil from his hands and picks up a glass of wine. “May I ask, who is this beautiful girl?”

“Her name is Rae, Uncle.”

“You two can have my big tent tonight.”

“There’s no need, Uncle…” A hot feeling is spreading over my face and ears. I glance at Rae and a hint of a smile is hiding on her lips.

“The decision is made,” he gives me a convincing look, “Your big first night. Enjoy it!” He gulps down the whole glass of wine and leaves us alone.

“I’m sorry about my uncle, he’s always like that. Please don’t mind him.” I turn to Rae.

“No. I wouldn’t dare. How could I have the right to mind your uncle? ” She lowers her eyes down to her plate and plays the fruit.

“Are you alright?”

She raises her head to me and swallows her words.

“What is it?” I ask her. There is clearly something troubling her.

“Am I your woman now? Will you protect me?” She blushes and avoids my eye contact.

“Of course! I will be your protector. I won’t let anyone touch you from now on. Is someone hurting you? The people you’re working for?”

“No, no. It’s not that,” she quickly denies.

Then, she smiles at me warmly. My heart is melting from her smile. How can someone smile so beautifully? There is an untamed pureness behind her dark chocolate eyes. “I just want you to know how happy I am, to be treated so well by you. I don’t deserve it,” she says.

“Don’t say that. I’m willing to give you everything, no matter who you are. You deserve the best. I won’t change my mind. Just wait and see.” I touch her cheek softly. “Don’t worry. You have me now.”

She unexpectedly kisses me, right on my lips, briskly but tenderly. Happiness is bursting in my heart. I take her hand and walk to the big camp.