After a few hours, the man opposite Kailen gradually awoke from his slumber. Kailen's eyes opened to meet his, the man was clearly still very groggy but appeared to be ok.
"You should take this time to gather your qi..."
Kailen suggested seeing the light returning to his eyes, the sun had set and darkness had overcome the carriage only a small candle on the floor between them providing light. The man followed his advice and closed his eyes attracting the qi from the surroundings into his body.
Another thirty minutes flew by until the man opened his eyes. Seeing his face looking rejuvenated Kailen didn't hesitate to introduce himself.
"It's nice to meet you... I'm Kailen."
The man didn't reply for a few moments taking in the situation again with his clarity restored.
"Sigmund."
"Nice to make your acquaintance, Sigmund. I apologize for the other's behavior..."
Sigmund didn't respond and just continued to stare at him in silence, Kailen rubbed his head embarrassedly he truly wasn't good in these scenarios.
"So, listen I would like to ask you some questions regarding your group..."
Again Kailen was greeted with silence after a few moments of silence Kailen was contemplating leaving and letting the trio have their way again before he finally opened his mouth.
"Will you really allow me to leave as you said?"
"Hm? Of course... so long as your group follows our agreement of course."
Sigmund continued his dull stare for a few more moments trying to get a read on the man before him. The young man before him truly did intrigue him, he didn't look older than twenty but his martial skill he'd witnessed personally yesterday. From what he could tell, he seemed fairly straightforward and honest... though he'd learned that such assumptions should definitely not be trusted.
"Just go ahead and ask..."
"Okay, but before I ask, just know I have no intention of taking any actions against your group so long as you don't interfere with us anymore. So first up, how come you've gathered such a large force? It is rare to see such a large group of rabble together right?"
From what he'd learned such a large group of bandits was extremely uncommon in these areas, the local garrisoned forces would ensure the problem didn't get out of hand.
"It's all due to the desert... this year the heat has spread wider than before and destroyed a lot of the surrounding wildlife."
The reply caught Kailen off guard, he didn't know much about the infamous Dassar Desert despite his best efforts to find out.
"You're saying there is an abnormality this year with the Desert?"
"Aye, this year the heat in the surrounding areas has increased so much that most life can no longer survive there... Many villages on the outskirts have become unhabitable and hence the influx of homeless, desperate people."
"If that's the case where are the elders and children?"
"Obviously not all turned to banditry, most went to take refuge in the capital. Though one can guess the suffering that would entail and hence why quite a few have followed me."
"What else do you know of the desert? Do the villagers have any tales about it?"
Sigmund paused to think on his question a while before replying.
"Not really, the only thing we are told is to never travel toward the heat."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Well, the tale tells of those who disappear after searching for answers. It's a message passed through generations in the surrounding villages, and hence nobody is stupid enough to question those beliefs."
The sense of foreboding Kailen had been feeling the entire time, seemed to have some basis. This abnormality in the desert couldn't possibly be a good thing for them, he needed to discuss this further with Celia and find out her opinion.
Kailen left Sigmund alone in peace while he headed toward Celia's carriage, he wasn't worried about him escaping with the constant watch of Dean from atop the carriage. It was incredibly dark outside as he left the carriage, only the bright otherworldly glow from the moon and incredible stars lit the outside.
He approached the carriage and knocked softly on the door hoping not to disturb anyone too much inside. Though he was quite relieved when he heard Celia softly answer and invite him inside, though he paused as he saw Celia resting on the couch only wearing a thin lavender nightgown that matched her eyes.
The gown was quite loose but clung to her body provocatively around the right areas, Kailen was at a loss on where to look. While he would normally brazenly appreciate her body, after learning her family background he was slightly hesitant to get further involved.
"Mhm? Is something the matter Kailen?"
Celia's smile deepened as she saw his slightly flustered appearance, it was out of character for her to act so shamelessly in front of a man but she didn't notice her radical change of behavior. She felt at ease in his presence and liked to see his different reactions, she didn't fail to notice his change from the previous time she teased him, however.
"Ah, it's nothing. I was talking to Sigmund and he told me about an abnormality in the Dassar Desert that has forced the local villagers to abandon their homes, something about the increase in temperatures."
Kailen quickly composed himself before answering calmly as he sat opposite her, making sure to keep eye contact and not let his gaze drift. As much as he wanted to. Celia's brows furrowed as she heard his words and quickly became lost in thought.
After appreciating her beauty for a few moments, Kailen asked.
"What's on your mind?"
"It's strange, I've never heard of the temperature increasing suddenly and especially not to the extent that it would affect the nearby villages..."
"So? What should we do?"
"We have to continue on, though I don't like the sound of it we don't have much of a choice."
"Do you have any idea what might be causing it?"
Celia shook her head in response to his question, that sent her luscious, long black hair twirl around her chest.
"I'm afraid not, nobody has any real knowledge on the desert after all... We can just hope it all ends well."
Kailen silently agreed, though that sense of unease he'd felt the entire journey only increased as they neared the desert.