Khaled's eyes widened in astonishment, and he asked himself, "How can that city exist next to such a barren desert?"
Until his thought was interrupted by one of the men yelling at him again, "Beware of going to Zikula... don't go!."
Then he continued running with his friend.
Khaled not paying any attention. He continued to gaze at the city from above, wondering, "Where am I in the world? And where is that land of Zikula?"
Until he smiled when he looked far down and found a long paved road leading to the city, winding with many curves and ascending towards the plateau he stood on. He found nothing else to do but hasten to find it, wanting to reach the city as quickly as possible after hunger and thirst had struck him.
Afterwards, he walked through the desert towards that road, initially thinking it was nearby until he discovered otherwise.
The more he advanced, the less he found until he thought it was a mirage. That is, until he verified its existence when he saw a cart pulled by a horse passing close to him. He hurried towards it and found before him the road he had seen from above.
However, the cart driver did not notice Khaled's presence and moved away from him, continuing in the same direction as the cart had gone.
Time passed, and the sun became vertical, its heat increasing, and exhaustion and fatigue overcame Khaled.
The pains of his collision with the tunnel overwhelmed him once again. But he continued his journey despite knowing that this road was very long, and he needed some rest.
He wanted to reach there as soon as possible, feeling that there was some hope waiting for him. Until he heard a sound from behind him, and when he turned, he found another cart driven by a horse approaching.
He signaled to its driver to stop, and the driver indeed stopped the horse.
Khaled looked at him in exhaustion and said, "I want to go to the land of Zikula."
The driver asked him, "And how much will you pay?"
Khaled put his hand in his pocket, took out some paper money, and gestured to the driver to take it.
The driver, angrily, asked, "Paper?!"
Then he threw it in his face and left. Khaled didn't understand anything again and muttered to himself audibly, "This whole country is mad, what else?!" And he continued his movement.
He continued walking, and another cart came, and he experienced the same as with the previous cart.
The driver left him and departed. Khaled smiled a smile tinged with great disappointment, speaking to himself audibly, He continued his movement until he heard another cart again.
He turned and found a large luxurious-looking cart, different from the previous ones in design and elegance.
He decided to save his effort and not signal to it, continuing his journey. As it passed by him, he saw a young man around his age clinging to its rear without the driver noticing him.
When The young man found Khaled, he signaled with his hand for him to jump to the cart, So, he jumped, and when Khaled looked ahead, he found a huge wall with its height reaching nearly five stories, adorned with exquisite engravings. It had a massive gate, which was open, through which carts passed coming and going.
Khaled looked at the young man, saying, "I am very grateful to you."
The young man whispered to him, placing his hand on his mouth, "Be quiet so that no one hears us."
The cart continued on its way to Zikula, and its driver urged the horses to go faster.
Khaled still clung to its back with this young man, looking at him in amazement at his attire.
And he felt his own amazement as well.
Until the cart approached a huge wall. The young man signaled to Khaled to jump with him, leaving the cart behind.
They both jumped, and as soon as Khaled looked ahead, he found a massive wall towering to about five floors high, adorned with intricate and beautiful carvings, with a massive gate wide open where carts passed in and out.
Khaled looked at the young man, saying, " thank you very much."
The young man replied, "Don't thank me, my brother. I'm just like you. The sun almost killed me with its heat."
Khaled asked him, "Are you from Zikula?"
"Yes!" the young man replied.
"And you seem strange."
Khaled smiled, "Yes, I'm from Buhu Ferik, a village near Mansoura."
The young man's face showed surprise, "What?!"
Khaled hurriedly corrected himself, "I mean Egypt. I'm from Egypt."
Khaled, astonished, replied, "Don't you know Egypt, the mother of the world?"
The young man replied, "No, my brother. I don't know it."
Khaled fell silent, pondering, then replied as if reassuring himself about the strangeness of these people he was encountering,"Yes, Egypt is in the north."
Then he asked, "Where are we?"
The young man replied, "Can't you see, my brother? We are in Zikula, the land of intelligence."
Khaled couldn't help but laugh, "The land of intelligence?!" The lack of intelligence is evident in everyone I've met."
Then he asked, "Which country does it belong to? Which continent?"
The young man hurriedly replied, "I don't understand what you mean. It belongs to Zikula only. And now, I must leave you. I've wasted too much time today. I need to make up for it."
Then he extended his hand in farewell to Khaled, who did the same, "My name is Khaled." The young man replied, "And I'm Yaman. Good luck in the land of Zikula." Then he left.