Chapter 66

Cater and Lilia were thrilled to accept Kalim's offer to join him on his trip. They both promised to pick someone to tag along. I thought everything turned out quite nicely. Before I left for class, Jamil pulled me aside and iterated the importance of making sure Grim wasn't late the next day. Then he gave me five alarm clocks. Though he said they were for Grim, I was still offended. Despite my mild annoyance, I made sure that both Grim and I met up with Jamil and Kalim in the school hallway ahead of time.

Jamil gave me a relieved smile when he saw us approaching. "Excellent," he said. "We've met up a little early. I'll take that as a good omen."

"Look!" I said proudly. "We're not late!"

"We're right on time!" said Grim. "I was so excited for the festival, I woke up before my alarm. But then a bunch of alarms went off anyway, just like BEEP BEEP BEEP... It drove me nuts, I tell ya!"

"Ah," said Jamil. "Sorry about that, Ona. I shouldn't have saddled you with unnecessary work."

"Are you going to have more faith in me now?" I asked.

Jamil hesitated before conceding. "A little more."

I smiled, taking that as a win. "Then I forgive you."

"I don't!" said Grim. "And what about my apology, huh?!" Jamil promptly ignored him.

"I totally woke up early too, Grim!" said Kalim. "I was so pumped, I barely got any sleep! You were up pretty late yourself, Jamil. Were you excited too?"

"Of course not," said Jamil. "I was busy preparing for today. While you were sleeping, I checked our luggage, reviewed the schedule, and made some calls to home."

Kalim's eyes widened. "Oh, gosh! I would've helped if you'd said something!"

Jamil sighed. "It's fine. It's my job."

Kalim immediately brightened. "You're always so on top of things, Jamil!"

I gave Jamil a pointed look. "You know, if you're not going to ask for help, they you can't be grumpy when you don't receive any." He shot me a look of annoyance but didn't say anything.

Soon after that, Cater arrived with Trey. Then we just had to wait for Lilia and his guest, who were running late. Eventually, we decided to head to the Mirror Chamber and wait for them there. We headed over there and talked to Crowley, who had everything set up for us. But he was not the only one waiting for us.

"Good morning," Malleus said as he stepped up to us.

"Malleus?!" Jamil cried out in shock.

"You're going to visit the Scalding Sands, yes? I'm pleased to be joining you."

Everyone appeared surprised, but I simply smiled at him. "Hello, Horton."

Malleus gave me a small smile back. "Hello, Ona."

"Lilia invited YOU?!" Jamil exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. "Calm down. Is it really that surprising?"

Jamil gave me a look. "Yes!"

"So that's what he was playing at!" said Cater. "Talk about a curveball."

"As I'm Briar Valley's heir apparent, I don't leave home very often," said Malleus. "I'd hoped to broaden my horizons more... But when I am at home, having to deal with the senate does not make leisure travel easy. So, Lilia invited me on this trip. He said that so long as I'm in school, I should feel free to travel abroad as I please."

"That makes sense," I said with a smile.

"Aw, what a sweetheart!" said Cater.

"Lilia can be pretty thoughtful."

"Where IS Lilia, by the way?" said Kalim.

"Oh, he woke up with terrible stomach pains this morning," said Lilia. "He's in no condition to travel. So it'll be just myself."

"WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed.

"That's unfortunate," I said. "He was fine yesterday."

"Lilia said his meal last night 'missed the mark," said Malleus. "But as he lay doubled over on the floor, he told me not to squander the opportunity, and to go have fun without him. This will be my first trip without an escort, but I plan to make the most of it for Lilia's sake."

I smiled at him. "Sounds great."

"You've never been on a trip without guards before?!" said Jamil.

"Oh, gosh..." Kalim said sadly. "Poor Lilia. It's a huge shame he can't come..." He suddenly brightened and grinned at Malleus. "But I'll make sure you have enough fun for the BOTH of you! You're gonna have a blast!"

"HOLD ON A MINUTE," Jamil said loudly. "Kalim, Malleus is royalty."

Kalim stared at him blankly. "Right, and?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?" I said.

Jamil looked at us in astonishment. "Are you serious right now? What if something happens to him while his chaperone isn't present?! It could set off an international incident well beyond our control!"

"Someone of your magical ability need not worry about me," said Malleus. "I'm hardly fragile."

"Yeah, you're overreacting," I said. "He can take care of himself."

"Well, I see your point," said Jamil, "but still..."

"Then what is the issue, Viper?" said Malleus. "Judging by the look on your face, you seem to think I'm a nuisance."

Jamil's eyes widened. "NO! No, not at all! You honor us with your presence!"

"I was under the impression I had been invited. Was I mistaken? Have I imposed upon your group?"

"Not in the least...!"

"Hey, does anybody else hear thunder?" said Trey.

"Sure do..." said Cater. "And it was so clear a minute ago."

"Hornton's face is gettin' scarier by the second..." said Grim.

"From what Draconia tells me, he's been waiting here for the past three hours," said Crowley.

"Dang!" said Cater. "Malleus was REALLY looking forward to this."

"Come on, Jamil," I said. "Malleus deserves to have fun, too."

"Exactly," said Kalim. "Jamil, I think you're blowing things way out of proportion. I just wanna show my friends around my hometown. That's normal enough, right?"

"Just so," Malleus. "Is there a problem with me coming along as simply your classmate?"

"No, it's not a problem," said Jamil, "it's just..."

"Wow, never thought I'd see Jamil lose a debate..." said Trey, "even one that's stacked against him."

"Malleus and Kalim are so blissfully unaware of the struggles of those around them," said Cater. "They're just little balls of sunshine! And Ona..."

"Not everything is your responsibility, Jamil," I said. "Malleus can do what he wants. And if you're really that worried, I'll keep an eye on him."

Jamil gave me a skeptical look. "You have trouble keeping an eye on Grim."

I shrugged. "You said you would have more faith in me, right?"

Jamil hesitated before conceding. "Okay, fine. I guess we've no choice but to bring Malleus along... without any sort of escort or chaperone."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to say it like it's a hassle. We're going to have fun."

"Aw yeah, this is gonna be awesome," said Cater, "uh, I mean, awkward. You know, because it's such a serious situation and all."

"...You're just thinking about the pictures you'll get out of this!" said Trey. "You're not even a little worried about what we've gotten ourselves into here?"

"Well, have a wonderful trip, everyone!" Crowley said cheerfully. "And if there's any trouble during your vacation, I want absolutely nothing to do with it!"

"I can already tell this year's Fireworks Fest is going to be a doozy..." Jamil muttered.

"Shake a leg, boys!" said Grim. "And Ona. We're off to the Scalding Sands!"

With that, we stepped through the mirror. I was immediately met with a blinding sun and an intense heat. It felt nice. "Ahh, it's so bright out!" said Kalim. "Feels good to be home."

"Yeah, we haven't had much chance to come back before this," said Jamil.

"Wow, a desert city!" I said upon looking around.

"I'm guessing you didn't visit many of those back in your world, huh, Ona?" said Kalim.

I shook my head. "Nope. I never left my tropical island. We have a humid heat there, but this dry heat feels kind of nice, too."

"Whew, talk about sweltering!" said Cater. "Definitely different than the weather on Sage's Island. I'm sweating already! You like this, Ona?"

I shrugged. "Feels like home to me."

"The temperature's hot, but you really need to watch out for the sun," said Jamil. "Its rays are quite strong."

"Yeah, I think I can actually feel the heat from the sunlight reflecting off these stone walkways," said Cater. "Better make sure I got sunblock on at all times!"

"Yeah, I should've worn a hat," said Trey. "Yeesh..."

"The Scalding Sands is home to a vast desert and has a torrid climate," said Jamil. "Most of the land sits on a peninsula facing the sea. You can find many affluent neighborhoods and resorts along the coast. This city is the center of the Scalding Sands. It's quite popular with tourists, both domestically and internationally."

"That would explain the throngs of people carrying around maps," said Malleus.

"Probably guidebooks, yeah," said Cater. "And I gotta say, I'm slightly jelly of their short-sleeved shirts and shorts right now."

"No kidding," said Trey. "We're the only ones wearing stuffy uniforms."

"So, what's this city called?" asked Cater.

"Silk City," said Jamil.

"Jamil and I were born and raised here," Kalim said happily.

"Oh, cool!" said Cater. "I read about this place in a guidebook. Its description was pretty spot on. All these white stone buildings are gorgeous! I gots to get a pic of 'em."

I looked around the city in awe. We all chatted for a little longer before deciding to go to Kalim's house. Kalim got us a limo to ride in, and it was very luxurious. Then we stopped at his family's park, we contained zoo animals! Finally, we reached our destination.

"Look, there's my house now," said Kalim. My eyes widened when I saw the mansion. "I'm so glad I get to have you all over! ...What's wrong, guys? You've gone silent."

"It's..." we all said.

Kalim appeared puzzled. "It's what?"

"IT'S HUGE!"

"Are you seriously telling us this palace is your HOUSE?" said Trey.

"Locals like to refer to it as Asim Palace," said Jamil.

"Man, humongous doesn't even begin to cover it!" said Cater.

"It's like a million times the size of Ramshackle..." said Grim. "And get a load of how shiny it is!"

I smiled. "Yeah, it's pretty cool."

"Ah, what a wonderful example of bilateral symmetry," said Malleus. "I see its axis runs through the park. The architecture is quite beautiful."

"It's such a brilliant shade of white, too!" said Cater. "No sparkle filter needed."

"There's no way your smartphone can get the whole building in one shot," said Trey.

"Kalim's father is a key player in our government and economy," said Jamil. "He conducts much of his business within these walls. While it is a private residence, it's also used for government functions, official visits, ceremonies, and more."

"Okay, that would explain the size."

"So basically, don't think of it like a regular ol' house," said Cater. "Got it. You know, it can't be easy livin' in a place like this."

"Economic growth has led to high-rises being built all over the Scalding Sands," said Jamil. "But Silk City still has a number of traditional buildings, like the Asim estate. And when new buildings go up, people generally prefer them to be in a traditional style as well. The city's a tourist destination after all. It's important we preserve our historic architecture."

"Does this place remind anybody else of Scarabia Dorm?" said Grim.

I nodded. "Yeah, you have a point."

"It should," said Jamil. "Our dorm's based on the Scalding Sands architectural style. It has a number of things in common with the Asim estate, like the domed roofs and symmetrical structure."

"Dad told me he hired an architect from the Scalding Sands to build it," said Kalim.

"When Kalim enrolled, the school renovated the entire dorm. The Asim family paid for it, of course."

"How rich are these guys?!" said Grim.

"I remember how big a deal that was," said Trey. "Everyone was gossiping about it, wondering who the new student could be. But people were happy enough to get a new dorm."

"Whenever I see Scarabia's rooftops, I get a hankerin' for some onions," said Grim.

"Wow," said Jamil. "You actually eat onions, Grim?"

"Mrah? Yeah, what about it?"

"I was told cats couldn't eat them."

Grim glared at him. "Good thing I AIN'T A CAT, THEN!"

Cater laughed. "Ahaha! Leave it to Grimmy the Bottomless Pit to look at a beautiful building and see FOOD."

"I've always thought they looked like turnips, myself," Trey said thoughtfully.

"Really? You thought something similar, Trey?"

"The roofs on Kalim's house look like pumpkins!" Grim said brightly.

"I dunno, they remind me more of unripe tomatoes," said Trey.

"I'm seeing bell peppers," said Malleus.

"Not you too, Malleus!" Cater groaned.

"If the exterior is any indication, I'm sure the interior is splendid. I'm very interested to see it."

"Yeah!" said Grim. "Let's get on inside!"

"Good call," said Trey. "We need to drop off our bags anyway."

"Oh, right!" said Kalim. "You should get changed too!"

We all looked at him in confusion. "We should?"

"Yeah! I got you all some traditional Scalding Sands attire."

"You did?!"

Kalim grinned. "I talked with Jamil yesterday about what we could do to make your trip more memorable."

"I hope you don't consider it presumptuous," said Jamil, "but since you came all this way to visit the Scalding Sands... We prepared these for you so could truly immerse yourself in the history of the area. We hope they will enhance your enjoyment of the Yasamina River Fireworks Fest as well."

"That was thoughtful of you," I said with a smile.

"Indeed," said Malleus.

"This is just too much!" said Cater. "Thanks, Kalim. You too, Jamil."

"I was dreading having to wear my long-sleeved uniform the whole time," said Trey. "Thanks, this is great."

"You should get changed too, Jamil," said Kalim. "Oh, and would you show everyone where to go? Grim and I will wait here."

"Sure thing," said Jamil.

"Hm?" said Grim. "How come I gotta wait too?"

Kalim smiled sheepishly. "Well, you see..."

"I'm afraid we don't have an outfit for you," said Jamil.

Grim's mouth fell open in shock. "What?! Mraaah!"

"What do you want from me? I couldn't just conjure an outfit in your size with only a day's notice."

"EXCUSES! Just admit you forgot about me, why don'tcha? Maaan, I wanted some cool new duds too!" Grim crossed his arms and grumbled to himself.

"Aw, come on, Grim!" said Kalim. "You still get to relax in a nice air-conditioned car. And we've got plenty of drinks and snacks for you!"

Grim immediately brightened. "Snacks, you say? In that case, I'll let you off the hook. Now lay those treats on me!"

"I think that's what Grimmy would've picked anyway, given the choice," said Cater.

"Let's get the rest of you to the fitting room," said Jamil. "Oh, and you can leave your luggage with the staff."

"Coming from a working-class background, it feels pretty weird getting the red-carpet treatment," said Trey.

"I'm gonna go get changed!" I said to Grim.

"Knock yourself out!" said Grim. "I'll be right here eatin'!"

I chuckled softly before following Jamil into the house. I was amazed by the interior. I would have loved to get a tour, but now was not the time. I dropped off my luggage and then followed Jamil to get dressed. I found the clothing quite beautiful, and I was excited to join int he local culture. Finally, I was ready and headed outside. I saw everyone else was already waiting for me.

"Hey guys, I'm all ready," I said.

"Wow, Ona, you look fantastic too!" Kalim said. "That outfit works great on you!"

"Of course it does," said Grim. "That's MY hench-human, after all. But yeah, gold star for you, I guess."

I smiled warmly at them. "Thanks, guys."

We stood around talking about our clothes and the city for awhile. Then Jamil spoke up, "Anyway, we're all dressed now and our luggage is safely stowed. Let's head into town for some sightseeing."

Kalim immediately brightened. "Yeah! Time for some fun!"

Jamil gave him a look. "Kalim, you have rounds to make."

Kalim's smile fell. "Aww! But I wanna go!"

"You can't. Go do your job and let me be the tour guide."

Kalim groaned. "Fiiine. I'll find you guys as soon as I'm done! Later, gators!"

"See you soon!" I said brightly as he left.

"Okay, time for a little tour of Silk City," said Jamil. "Any requests?"

"I'm curious to try some local cuisine we can't get anywhere else," said Trey. "Especially desserts. I want to try as many as I can, so I can learn the recipes and make them at home."

"Desserts sound good," I said.

"Yeah!" Grim agreed. "I wanna eat ALL the street food!"

"I'd like to really take in this country's culture," said Malleus. "I know that sounds vague... But I want to feel like I've truly visited the Scalding Sands, so I can tell Lilia about it later."

"Hmm... Well, I'd like to see stuff you can only find in the Scalding Sands," said Cater. "Like 'cammable buildings or local specialties."

"In that case, we'll stop by the Camel Bazaar first," said Jamil.

"Now you're talkin'!" Grim said excitedly. "It's EATIN' TIME!"

So, we all headed to the market. It was quite a lively places with booths set up everywhere. I looked around at everything with great interest. The sights, sounds, and smells were all highly appealing.

"Here we are," said Jamil, "the Camel Bazaar."

"Whoa, look at all the covered booths!" said Trey. "It's as packed as a farmer's market on a Sunday."

"Quite. There are always a lot of stalls here, but it's busier than usual today. I imagine it's because of the Fireworks Fest."

"Wow!" said Cater. "Now this is the kind of thing I imagine when I think of the Scalding Sands! It really feels like we've traveled abroad now. Time to load up on pics!"

"Do the people of the city typically do their shopping here?" Malleus asked.

"Sure, people'll come here for staples like vegetables and fish..." said Jamil. "But there are plenty of stalls that specialize in gourmet foods for tourists. Especially now, during the high season."

"...Strange."

"What's strange, Malleus?" said Trey.

"I've been keeping an eye out, but I have yet to see a single camel. I would have thought a place called the Camel Bazaar would've at least had a few of them."

"Oh, yeah," said Jamil. "There aren't any camels here these days. Camels were used to transport goods and luggage before we developed the canals and roads. There used to be an oasis here where merchants would bring their camels to rest. They started selling their wares right at the oasis, and eventually it became a market. Now we use trucks and boats for commerce and shipping, but the name stuck around."

"I see. It's fascinating how even a single name can have a story of its own."

"There's usually not much need to change a name once it sticks, unless there's a pressing reason," said Trey.

"Besides, Camel Bazaar sounds so cute and friendly," said Cater. "It's the perfect name for a tourist hotspot!"

"Is that kind of thing important?" said Malleus.

"For sure! Have you ever thought about giving someplace in Briar Valley a cute and friendly name?"

"Like Roaring Drago Market?"

Cater's eyes widened. "...Uh, maybe not THAT."

Malleus smirked. "Heh. I jest."

"I liked it," I said.

"Mrah! Who cares about a buncha stupid names?!" said Grim. "I'm starvin'! I could eat a whole one of these stalls!"

"I'm feeling pretty hungry myself after all that walking around," said Cater. "There are so many food places, too. Let's pick something up!"

"Yeah, something tells me we won't be able to do much sightseeing if we don't feed Grim soon," said Trey.

We all agreed to that. First, we decided to try out some shawarma. Jamil got one for each of us. It smelled really delicious. However, after handing them out, Jamil realized that his was missing. We were all confused until we saw a young girl eating a shawarma.

"Mmm, not bad," she said. "I should try getting mine like this sometime."

"Some rando's eatin' our grub!" Grim exclaimed. "We found the sandwich-swiper!"

"Hey, where'd you come from?" said Trey. "Are you all by yourself? You should know better than to steal a stranger's food."

"Hee hee. But he's not a stranger, is he?" said the girl.

"Huh?"

"What's the matter, Jamil?" said Cater. "You look like a fish gasping for air."

Jamil's eyes were wide as he stared at the girl. "Na... Najma?!"

The girl smiled. "Welcome home, Jamil!"

"So I'm guessing you two know each other?" said Cater. "Who are you?"

"Hey, I'm Najma Viper. Nice to meet you all."

"Viper?" said Malleus.

"Wait a minute..." said Trey.

"I know we don't really look alike, but I'm this dude's sister," said Najma.

I nodded. "Yeah, I figured that."

Jamil frowned at the girl. "Since when do you call me DUDE?! What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Hey, I didn't wanna come, you know," said Najma.

"She's got Jamil's signature stare down pat!" said Cater. "Ahaha, your expressions are exactly the same. That's adorable!"

"They're brother and sister all right," said Trey.

"Dad wanted me to give you a message," said Najma. "I've been looking all over for you. He wants you to know there's been a change to the seating for our visitors. I told him it was fine just texting you, but nooo..."

"Yes, I got your text," said Jamil. "I even sent a reply."

"But he didn't care. I couldn't convince him you had it under control, and he insisted I tell you in person. So I caved. And now here I am."

"Yeah, I guess Dad doesn't really get smartphones. Or computers even."

"So, how about showing some gratitude to your sweet little sis? I did come all this way."

"You have a point... Thanks. There. That's it. We good now? Great, then time for you to get back home. I'm very busy right now."

"Oh! I got a brainwave!" said Cater. "Wanna join us for some sightseeing, Najmie?"

Jamil's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT?!"

"Jamil's probably gonna get home late because he's showing us around all day..." said Cater. "So, why don't you two catch up while we're doing some shopping?"

"Oh yeah, she probably hasn't seen Jamil in ages," said Trey. "That's a great idea."

"NO IT ISN'T!" Jamil shouted.

"Wow," I said. "Someone is testy today."

"I'm down!" said Najma. "Sounds fun."

"I don't have time to entertain you right now!" said Jamil.

Najma gave him a sharp look. "Excuse me? I didn't ask you to entertain me."

"The answer is still no!"

"Wow, mean! And after I came all this way to deliver that message. And by the way, I had plans to hang out with my friend at the festival—plans that this errand TOTALLY screwed up." She sighed. "It's barely noon, and here I am, all by my lonesome until the fireworks show tonight... I mean, talk about boring! And the festival only happens once a year too..."

"Oof... Rrrgh..."

"Why are you so against this, Viper?" said Malleus. "She's your sister."

"Yeah, I love hanging out with my siblings," I said.

"Maybe he's just embarrassed about us seeing how he acts around his family," said Trey. "I've got siblings, so I know ALL about that."

"Is that truly so common?" said Malleus. "Having siblings seems rather complicated."

"It could be the opposite, y'know!" said Cater. "I'd just about die of embarrassment if my sisters saw me while I was hanging out with friends."

"And yet you were the one who invited her to do just that," said Trey. "Savage move, Cater."

"Hey, it's not every day we get to see Jamil all flustered. That's something."

"It is amusing," I said.

"Now you're all ganging up on me!" Jamil said in dismay. "Just go home, Najma!"

"WOW," said Najma. "Is that any way to treat your sister? Are you guys seeing this?"

"C'mon, Jamil, what's the problem if she tags along?" said Trey.

"Yeah, why settle for one guide, when we could have two?" said Cater.

"It's true," said Malleus. "Besides, one should treat their family with respect."

Jamil groaned. "Rgh... Okay... Fine. If you all insist."

Najma brightened. "That's more like it! Now that that's settled, allow me to extend a warm welcome to the Night Raven College crew." She turned to me, and a look of confusion crossed her face. "I thought it was an all boys school. You're a girl, aren't you?"

"Obviously. And Grim isn't a human the two of them are one student."

"Oh, really?"

"It's a long story," I said. "To put it simply, I'm from a world with no magic, and I don't know how to get home. So, I'm staying at Night Raven with Grim, who can use magic."

Najma nodded slowly. "I see. You're pretty brave to be surrounded by boys all the time. You must miss female company."

"Yes, that's true." Suddenly, something occurred to me, and I could not resist taking up the opportunity. "Hey, you know, there is something on my mind that I don't feel comfortable talking about with guys. Maybe you would be willing to hear me out?"

"No," Jamil said firmly. "She's too young for whatever you have in mind."

Najma shot him a look. "I am not! I'm sure I can handle whatever she has to say. It's my choice, anyway." She then looked at me with a warm smile. "I'd love to chat. Let's go somewhere we can have some privacy."

I smiled back at her. "Great!" So, the two of us left, ignoring Jamil's protestations.