Title: Medieval
Summary: None applicable.
Genres: General/Friendship
Rating: K
Author Note: I'm gonna go with Syria, since Alibaba would come from around that region? Yeah, whatever.
This was a really fun drabble I might actually continue it

I dig my toenails into the ground, humming pleasantly as the hot sand shifted between my toes. I knew better than to walk around without my sandals in this heat, but I couldn't help it, not when I loved the feeling of fire on my skin and this was closest I would ever get to it.

"Oi, Alibaba!"

Abu Kassim calls out to me, and I turn around and immediately run back. When I reach our small camp, he whacks me on the head with his sandal. "If you keep slacking off, then I'll send you back home to your mother and find a better boy to look after my camels!"

I huff, and stomp off to look after Sultan. I would complain, but I need this job. Badly.

I sigh as I avoid the fat drops of dung surrounding the camel and move to pat his head. He'd need to be rubbed down and groomed and fitted with the embroidered saddle before that merchant took him for the evening. I give the animal a weak smile. Today would be a long day.

The merchant is fat, laughing man decked in bedazzling stones and silks that shone in the dying sunlight. The man (child, he was younger than me, I knew that for a fact) who stood beside him was of shorter build, in more modest clothing, from his own land. I follow them quietly, dressed in the fanciest tunic I owned (which wasn't very fancy at all), tugging at Sultan's leash as he reluctantly dragged around the gifts to be presented to this foreign man.

The two men spoke on and on about the endless trade opportunities, and I tuned it out after a minute of trying to follow what they were saying. These conversations bored me, and now I longed for warm sand under my feet and the comfort of the heavy sun above my head.

What seems like hours pass by, and the sky is dotted with stars when the merchant decides that it is time to return for the evening meal. And while he says meal, it is would be more grand of a feast than I could even dream to take part in.

And so our small party heads back to the hotel, and my stomach almost caves in on itself when I catch smell of food. It occurs to me that I haven't had anything to eat since midday and I sulk in my own misery. It would be a long night.

Change of POV

It seemed like everything in this country was made of heat. The sand was like fire beneath my feet when I took of my shoes. the sun seemed to be right above my head constantly, and I found myself wiping at my forehead far too many times.
Even now, during the night, the ground radiated with warmth. The food was hot and I'd burnt my tongue on the tea offered to me. The atmosphere was loud, and the noise was making my head pound with a deep ache. It seemed that everything in this land was full of heat.

I mumble out an excuse to leave, but I don't think he heard me. The merchant was too busy focusing on the food and drink and women in his lap whose laughs were too forced.

I step outside, on to a street that radiated warm from every nook and cranny. I take a deep breathe, and smell of heated sand was nauseating, making my stomach churn unpleasantly.

I lick my lips and walk around the building in an attempt to help calm my nerves. I was too young for this - I shouldn't be the one trying to build trade ties. He should have sent Hakuei or Koumei, not me.

I come across a small stable and peek inside, squinting to see in the dark lantern light.

I see a boy, not much older than myself, tending to a camel. He was whispering something to the animal as he brushed down its fur. The soft glow of the lantern light made his eyes twinkle, and his hair had a soft shine to it.

The animal brayed and I jumped in surprise. The boy turns his head to see me, and he forces a smile. "Ah, I apologize for not noticing before."

I cant help but wish he wouldn't force himself like that. It didn't suit him, not at all. I straighten myself and clear my throat. "Ah, there's nothing to apologize for, really."

He nods his head and gives me a small bow, before returning to the animal. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what must have been a sweet, and fed it to the camel. I took a hesitant step forward, and rested my hand on the head of the camel. It was strange to see one so tame, after being told how wild they could be. I turned to the boy beside me, who was rubbing the camel's ear's affectionately.

"What is it's name?"

"Sultan - He was named after a ruler." He smiles to himself, like he was having a joke that no one else quite understood.

I rub the animal between its eyes, watching as it shut them and nudged my hand lazily. "He's a beautiful animal. I wasn't expecting him to be quite so tame, though."

The boy laughs softly. "He is. He's spoiled silly, since he's not a camel meant to be ridden."

A silence settles upon the three of us. It wasn't an awkward silence, where it settled upon our shoulders, too strange to be touched upon, nor was it a sad silence, where the heart was heavy and a knot sat in my throat.

It was the peaceful silence of friends that didn't mind not having anything to say.

I am tempted to wonder how it even came to place, but I let it rest.

Alibaba passes me a sweet, and I feed to the animal, smiling.