Sarina woke up feeling a little better, still very burnt, but more rested than the night before. The sun was shining on her and Caspar's back, and she could tell it was still early in the morning. The sand looked reddish-gold and the air was still cool, not yet scorched by the heat of the desert.
Sarina blinked again and yawned, before turning slightly,
'Good morning' she said in a sleepy voice.
Caspar nodded his head, looking weary. Sarina realized that he probably hadn't slept all night. She remembered that he had been bitten by the sand shark. Glancing at his shoulder, Sarina saw the material of his black tunic was torn. The skin that showed was red and irritated looking, with many puncture wounds from the fishes teeth. The bleeding had stopped at least so it didn't look life-threatening, but she imagined it was still painful. She drew back slightly to get a fuller look at him. His face was still as striking as the first time she had seen it. He had a covering on his head to protect him from the sun so she couldn't see what the hair on his head was like. The black tunic clung to his well-defined chest and his shoulders were broad. He had black pants that ballooned slightly, comfortable for a long ride through the desert. After taking him in she decided to try to see if she could help him.
'You look horribly tired' she started,
'Well thank you so much' he answered sarcastically.
'I'm sorry! I didn't mean that way. You are a handsome man, I just meant that you looked tired and I wanted to help' she replied, flustered because she didn't want him to feel insulted. Then she realized she had told him he was handsome just now and immediately became embarrassed. She couldn't say another word, letting the silence settle around them awkwardly.
Caspar slightly raised one eyebrow at her and then softly chuckled.
'I will be fine,' he said 'try looking into the distance ahead, and you will see that we don't have much farther to go.'
Sarina did as she was told and stared straight ahead. She did notice a disturbance in the sand but she couldn't understand what she was seeing. She continued to look as the camel brought them closer and after a while she let out a small gasp.
What her eyes couldn't comprehend when she was farther was now clear. An oasis. Palm trees could now be seen, their branches waving in the soft breeze. They covered the entire perimeter of what looked to be a city, but it was like no city she had ever seen. Every step that brought her closer filled her eyes and mind with wonder. The buildings behind the palms were taller than she had ever seen, but the most shocking part is they seemed to be made entirely of mirror-like glass. The shapes of the buildings ranged from domes to spires, the panels of glass cut to match the shapes so it flowed effortlessly. The glass reflected the sun's rays in an enchanting way, giving off a rainbow-like hue everywhere you went.
Sarina's eyes bugged out and she tried to breathe evenly, but this was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. Her best imagination couldn't have come up with something so beautiful.
Caspar was gauging her reaction,
'I felt the same way when I first saw it as well. Welcome to Azzaran.'
'I have never seen anything so beautiful' said Sarina barely above a whisper.
'It can be overwhelming. I will take you to my home, where you can settle and rest and I will call a healer to assist you with your burns.' He paused before saying 'there is much more to Azzaran's people that meet the eye, and I will explain once we are rested and recovered from the journey.' Caspar said no more after confusing her with his words.
'Okay' Sarina replied, pushing down her questions, agreeing to wait until he was more rested. They had now come to the edge of the city and through the trees she could spot smaller buildings, made of beautiful red brick and people that were bustling about their daily business. They entered the city through a main road and Sarina tried to take in as much as she could. The air immediately felt cooler and smelled of delicious spices. Sarina could see grass on either sides of the road, a rarity especially in the middle of the desert. The streets were filled with people, going here and there, but Sarina noticed they were all extremely beautiful people. Strangely beautiful. Maybe the food was better here she wondered.
As they drew near to the heart of the city, again saw the beautiful glass buildings she had seen when still outside of the place. They were just as breathtaking as before she thought. A channel of water traveled through the buildings, looking and clean and refreshing. The camel they were riding crossed over a wooden arched bridge, and they continued through the city.
After a while they passed the beautiful glass buildings, going more towards the back of the city that was quieter and filled with people's homes. Caspar turned Cammy down one of the side roads and all she could see were grass and palm trees ahead until after a while you could see a large home. It had a pond on either side of the door and the house's exterior was a beautiful mixture of glass and wood.
Sarina just shook her head in wonder. She couldn't believe this place existed. His home was like a magical paradise.
'You don't like it?' Caspar asked, confused.
'Quite the opposite actually. It looks like paradise' she said with a faraway voice.
'I designed it myself' he answered sounding proud.
Sarina was impressed. They got down from their camel and a man servant appeared from around the side of the house. Caspar handed the reigns to him without a word, grabbing just one bag and made his way towards the entrance. Another man servant answered the door and stood aside, making room for both of them to enter.
Sarina wondering when she would stop being shocked at all of the beauty she was witnessed. She was officially overwhelmed as she was led through the house to one of the many guest bedrooms.
'You can stay here for as long as you would like. I know you had mentioned your parents and I hope you can help them, but for now you should rest. Lunch will be served in the garden downstairs in a while' Caspar told her. He then left her to herself and she walked to the bed, too many thoughts in her mind.