"Aren't we getting pretty close to the border of the Enkh Empire?" Nazmi asked. She wasn't exactly sure of their exact coordinates, but based on the distance she had already traveled from Servan it seemed like they'd be nearing it by now.
The Enkh Empire was the land under vampire control. It was primarily desert, with only a few lakes and rivers scattered throughout. The number of forests and other natural habitats could be counted with two hands. It was essentially uninhabitable by mortals.
Fortunately for vampires, they didn't need anything like that for survival. It was also lucky that they were mostly content in the sandlands, so they hardly ever tried to conquer human land… they just enjoyed the thrill and the bloodshed of war. That's what Nazmi had read in books and heard from her father, anyway.
The human kingdom of Areca was quite a bit larger, and also had much more water and resources for people to thrive and survive on. It was jarring exactly how different each of the places were from one another, but their leaderships were both rotting from within.
Nazmi wasn't quite sure how either of the lands functioned properly with both governments as corrupt as they were. She had never been a fan of monarchy in any of its shapes or forms – the depths of mortal and immortal greed were far beyond anyone's control when there was nothing to truly keep them in check.
The citizens were too caught up in the species war that they didn't notice the real monsters were already among them, leading them into these fruitless battles.
"Yeah, the Mirage is only 40ish miles from the border," Shea replied indifferently.
Nazmi frowned. "How could the city have possibly remained standing when so close to the dunes of death?"
Along the entirety of the Enkh Empire's border were dunes that were incredibly difficult to traverse by human means. No one believed the dunes of death to be a natural phenomenon, so the commonly accepted rumor was that a powerful vampire sorcerer was constantly controlling them to discourage anyone from entering.
"It's nowhere near any settlements on either side of the border, so none of the human or vampire patrols and troops even pass by," Aero explained. "And if by chance they did, they'd likely still be unable to find the location of the Mirage. It is constantly shifting its outer camouflage and changing the barrier to remain hidden from prying eyes."
"Besides, no one really thinks to go searching in a place that is, for all they know, a wasteland unsuitable for humans," Shea added thoughtfully.
Nazmi frowned. With a quiet 'ahh' of acknowledgment to show she had heard what they said, she fell deep into thought.
Why was it that the nymphs and dryads were left to their own devices? Their sole purpose was to defend the natural law of the earth, to make life thrive and prosper. They were pacifistic to a fault, and treated every creature as an important one.
Yet the magic users abandoned them in their time of need? They escaped and created a haven just for themselves to live peacefully?
Many wizards and witches drew mana from nature as well, so they had every reason to try and preserve nymphs… but didn't. Her blood began to boil once more.
'You're distressed,' Abu observed. 'What's wrong, little one?'
'It's… nothing of importance. I just miss my family,' she replied.
Petra exhaled next to them. 'Are you feeling lonely? We are able to recognize nymphs by instinct, but we've never actually met one before.'
Nazmi smiled bitterly. 'I'm one of the last ones left. Most of them were massacred several decades ago.'
'I'm sorry…' Petra said, her regret evident by the tone of voice she used.
Abu gave a cheerful whinny. 'It's alright, when there is no family by blood you can always make family with love.'
'You're awfully wise for a horse,' Nazmi said, biting back a chuckle.
'For a horse?! What's that supposed to mean!' Abu lamented.
"We're nearly there," Aero said suddenly, interrupting the dialogue she had been having with the horses. "Stay close, the thick barrier is difficult to traverse. It's easy to get lost and spit out. Then you'll find you were sent in an entirely different direction."
"Really?" Nazmi cocked a brow. "This magical protection seems more and more impressive each time you talk about it. How can someone maintain something as strong as this?"
Shea and Aero both seemed reluctant to answer. "It's a difficult question, one that even we don't really know."
Nazmi's eyes were narrowed and facing forward. She hated when people hid things from her. It felt that her whole life consisted of people inoculating important information for their benefit.
Even her father. She had never pressed him, but there always seemed to be things he never fully explained or shared. Nazmi had always known it was for her safety, but it didn't mean she was happy about being kept in the dark.
There was a sandstorm brewing in front of them. Small, spinning cylindrical tornadoes were dancing in the strong winds. It was painful marching onward through the storm, the sting of sand burning her cheeks and legs – so everywhere that wasn't covered by clothing.
It soon became difficult to see. The heat of the sun made things no easier for Nazmi. Her sensitive body was attempting to adjust to the hot and dry climate, which caused her fatigue and muscle aches. She shifted uncomfortably atop Abu's back, and tilted her sunhat downward to protect her face more from the sun.
"Are you alright?" Aero asked with a concerned frown.
"I'm fine, just not used to this kind of weather." She replied.
Before she knew it, Aero had unclamped the cape from around his neck. He reached out and handed her his cloak that she had refused earlier. "Please wear it, your skin looks too soft to be damaged by a storm like this."
Nazmi sighed and took the article of clothing and wrapped it securely around her shoulders. The relief of being protected by the sand even a little more made her sigh.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Of course. Hang in there, Nazmi."