Kaida was sleeping on Long's back while Mamushi and Nana were riding next to her. Nana looked at her and said
"I don't understand how she can stay asleep, we are going at such a fast pace"
Mamushi laughed
"she's used to it and Long's back is so wide that she wouldn't fall off easily. Plus this is a road she has traveled more than 1000 times, nothing to worry about. "
When Mamushi and San stopped, Nana looked surprised. There was no tree to be seen, only sand. Even in the distance Nana just kept seeing sand. While they stopped, Long kept on going and flew over the sand with Kaida.
"This is the desert border from the east to the south. The South is different from the east, it is warm there all year round and they have rainy season. With every mile we are closer to the south, the sand will also become hotter. I propose that You put ice on Jia's feet and keep refilling them every time "
Nana nodded
"that's fine, this is the first time I have seen a desert. Are you and San fine with the heat of the sand?"
Mamushi laughed
"that's the reason I went as envoy, my family only has sand snakes. I grew up in the desert. "
Nana looked surprised at Mamushi and again at the desert.
"But I only see sand? willl we meet your family, And does every border has a desert? "
"No, not every border has a desert. The water boundary is from the east to the west, which is guarded by the water snakes and the tree boundary from the west to the north is guarded by the tree snakes "
Nana thought
"who will guard the desert border?"
Mamushi looked at her with a doubtful look and said
"my father"
Nana was surprised
"your father? But why do the snakes tribe guard the borders and not another tribe? "
Mamushi sighed it was clear that Nana had traveled little and had more knowledge about the north than other tribes
"that is the debt that the snake tribe has to pay off after the war. As you know, it were the snakes that first crossed all borders. Although it was Salmus's brother who revolted, he still feels responsible for it"
Nana was silent, it was true that agreements had been made between the four tribes after the war, but she had no interest in knowing that at all. Because at first she was sure that she would not be visiting the other tribes.
Mamushi slipped through the sand together with san
"let's go, I think Long is already in the south, remember to keep refilling the ice. The warmth of the sun is no joke. And let us pray to the gods that we will not come across the border guard "
Nana did what Mamushi told her to do and followed her. She looked ahead and wondered why Mamushi did not want to see the border guard.
Occasionally she saw Mamushi and San disappear in the sand and then come up again. It was clear that the two belonged here.
They had already been on the road for half an hour and it became much hotter. Jia started to run slower and it was clear that she and Nana were having a hard time.
Nana was happy that she had wore her training uniform because if she had worn a dress she would not have survived.
"We are almost to the south, when we are in the forest it gets a little cooler"
She looked at Mamushi and could not understand how she could effortlessly disappear into the sand without burning herself. She was admiring them so much that she did not realize that the sand in front of her was starting to sink.
She looked ahead and saw something in the distance, it was small, but she could see the forest. She urged Jia to go faster.
But just as she wanted to continue their way, the way was blocked and a large snake with two heads emerged from the san.
Jia's front legs went up in the air, Nana was surprised by this and lost her grip and fell of Jia's back. Just when Nana was about to hit the sand, Mamushi and San came out of the sand. Nana recovered and landed on San's back with both feet.
"Father and Lin it is been a while"
Nana looked up and saw a man standing on one of the two heads. He was a muscular man of at least 1.90 cm. He had dark purple hair that touched his shoulders. His eyes were light purple and they looked surreptitiously at Nana and Mamushi.
The snake on which he stood was lilac on the underside and became increasingly darker purple towards the two heads. The man raised his eyebrow
"father? As far as I know I only have four children and all four are now in their parental home "
Mamushi swallowed
" Lord Manchu, the Queen of the Snake Tribe greets you. I am accompanied by the fox tribe's envoy. Princess Nana and the second general of the king's army. We would like to cross the border to visit the king of the dragon tribe "
The man crossed his arms and ran his hand over his goatee
"mmm why should I let you through?
Nana looked from Mamushi to Manchu and back. She grabbed Mamushi's arm and whispered in her ear
"what's wrong, isn't this your dad"
Mamushi looked at Nana and smiled bitterly
"that is indeed my father, but he has cast me away since I decided to leave the desert. I am the first of my sand-snake tribe to ever leave the tribe, and they blame Salmus for that. But he is the king so they can't do much to him "
Nana turned to Manchu
"My lord we are on our way to present the wedding gifts to the other tribes for the wedding of the second princess of the dragon tribe and the crown prince of the wolf tribe. It would not further delay us if we were allowed to cross the border "
Manchu took his arms apart and laughed
"what do I have to do with that? I am only concerned about whether you are worthy to cross the border. It is clear that one of you knows how to leave the desert. You know what? if you two can hold out to me in this heat until the sun is slightly lower, you may pass "
Nana and Mamushi looked at each other. The sun had been at its highest for a while now, but it would certainly take another hour before it would set a little lower.
It was not a difficult task for Mamushi if it was only about to be able to hold out in the sun. But she knew her father's strength, and Nana and Jia were exhausted by the heat and it was important to take them to a cooler area.
"Fath .. my lord Manchu, Princess Nana is not used to this heat it is better if .."
Mamushi was interrupted by the sand that flew through the air, because her father's snake slammed its tail in the sand
"it is that or nothing"
Before the two could react, he was swamped under the sand and he was nowhere to be seen. Nana seized the opportunity to quickly refill the ice on Jia's feet and went back on Jia's back. She wiped the drops of sweat from her forehead and looked around alertly.
Mamushi was also alert and looked around. If her father was above the sand they still had a chance, but once he was in the sand nobody knew what his next step would be.
Suddenly the sand sinks under Mamushi and Nana. San avoided the hole by diving in the sand and Jia quickly jumped aside. But it was as if they were trapped, because the sand sank everywhere.
In the meantime, there was no trace of Manchu and they were looking for a place where the sand would not collapse.
Nana and Mamushi had been avoiding the holes for ten minutes and it was visible that the heat was getting too much for Nana and Jia. They became slower and slower and needed more and more effort to be able to avoid the holes.
Just as Nana and Jia wanted to avoid a hole, a snake's head came out of the sand and grabbed a tail from Jia. The snake pulled Jia into the sand by its tail, while Jia struggled to keep standing.
Mamushi hurried to Nana, but because she was less alert she did not see that the second snake's head had also come out of the sand. When San's tail was within reach, the snake's head grabbed it and pulled it into the sand.
The two were dragged further and further into the sand and could not defend themselves. They were almost completely drawn into the sand until they suddenly saw two fireballs flying towards them. The fireballs hit the two snake heads in the sand, causing them to release Jia and San.
Jia and Nana quickly jumped up out of the sand and San and Mamushi slipped effortlessly up. When they looked up, they saw sparks of fire shooting past them. But before the sparks could hit the ground, a wall made of sand blocked them.
When the sand fell, they saw that Manchu reappeared and looked up as he stood on his snake
"Kaida"
Nana and Mamushi looked up and saw Kaida standing on Long's back. She was now wearing the dragon tribe's clothes
"Lord Manchu can you explain to me why I had to travel all the way back from my tribe to the border to pick up my two traveling companions? Maybe I should visit the elders and say that you are not doing your job well? "
Manchu narrowed his eyes. Those annoying elders had been high on her since Kaida freed them during the war. And everyone knew that the elders listened to her.
It is well known that the elders did not want two strong wairrors to marry. Yet the two strongest married seven months ago.
He just looked at Kaida and saw that she was no longer the little girl who hung on his legs because she liked his two-headed snake.
He liked kaida and he was happy that he could have kept his daughter with him a little longer, so he did not want to delay the any further.
"Your highness that is not necessary I was just playing with them, they are free to continue their way"
Kaida looked suspiciously at him but let it go.
"I wish you a good day, lord Manchu."
She turned to Nana and Mamushi
"let's go, they're already expecting us"
Nana nodded and quickly ran away on Jia. Mamushi looked back at her father and then slipped away with San.
Manchu looked at them and the surly look disappeared. With a sad look he looked at Mamushi's back.
Shortly after they were gone, a snake rose next to Manchu. A slender woman of 1.75 cm stood on the snake. She had curly light green hair and green eyes.
"My dear, why was that necessary? Were you not happy to see your oldest daughter"
Manchu looked sadly at the woman.
"Nuo I just wanted our daughter to stay a little longer, she is now so far from us"
Nuo jumped on the other snake's head and took his hand.
"I know you're not good with your words, but try. Nobody knew that the boy we saved was the lost prince, it's not their fault that they fell in love. And what do you mean far? Do you think I don't know that you regularly visit our grandchildren! "
Manchu laughed
"let's go"