With his wings flapping, Archer soared through the air towards the south, with Sera tightly clinging to him as they took in the sights.
After a few hours of flying, he spotted a caravan in the distance and quickly caught up to it.
He descended to the ground, dismissed his Draconic features, he walked towards the stopped caravan.
A tall man got out of the front carriage and approached Archer with a massive smile.
When the man got closer. Archer instantly recognized him as Yahir.
He stopped in front of Archer and exclaimed.
"You're alive! Bless the goddess that you're alive!"
Archer just looked at the man and replied. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's continue on with our journey to Sunhaven."
They walked back to the caravan, and Yahir invited Archer into his carriage, which he accepted.
When he stepped inside, he saw two women with black hair, black eyes, and tanned skin.
One was wearing a loose blue dress, and the other was wearing a green one.
The two women stared at Archer as he entered before Yahir introduced them.
"These two wonderful ladies are my two wives, the one in blue is Lahifa Beshara, and the one in green is Imaan Beshara," he said.
With a gesture toward the young man standing beside him, he introduced him to the two women.
"This is Archer," he announced.
"He'll be joining us on our journey for a while."
Archer nodded at the two as they smiled. Imaan suddenly asked him a question.
"You have such pretty horns. Are you Dragon-kin?"
Before he could reply, Lahifa spoke.
"Look at his eyes. They're so beautiful. It's a shame we don't have a daughter!"
The two women laughed as Archer stared at a helpless Yahir with a deadpan look.
Yahir smiled as he sat down and started asking Archer questions. "Are you from the land of plenty?"
Archer's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
Yahir smiled while the two women giggled.
"Well, your skin is too white to be from Mediterra. They have darker skin than you, which means you're from further north, which is the land of plenty."
He shook his head after hearing Yahir explain.
"You're right, that's where I'm from."
The man's face lit up with a smug grin, clearly pleased with himself for guessing correctly.
However, before he could attempt to sell anything to Archer, the adventurer cut him off and made it clear that he wasn't interested in any offers.
"Do you have a lady back home? Buy some jewelry for her."
He spread out a colorful array of intricately crafted jewelry adorned with sparkling gems and beads on a table in the carriage.
"Take a look, my friend," Yahir said with a smile.
"These are some of the finest pieces I've ever made."
Archer examined the jewelry closely, admiring the craftsmanship and beauty of each piece.
Picking up a bracelet made of silver and turquoise. Turning it over in his hands.
"This is really nice," Archer said, holding the bracelet up to the light.
"How much are you asking for it?"
"Ten gold per piece," Yahir replied.
Archer nodded thoughtfully and looked back at the table. Spotting a necklace that caught his eye he picked it up to examine it closely.
"I'll take this one too," Archer said, adding it to his pile.
Yahir's eyes widened in surprise as the boy continued to select more and more pieces of jewelry.
By the time he was finished, Archer had bought all of Yahir's collection for 300 gold coins.
"Thank you, my friend," Yahir said, beaming with gratitude.
"You have a good eye for quality," Yahir complimented Archer.
Archer smiled back, feeling pleased with his purchases. "I couldn't resist," he said.
That was when Lahifa spoke with a giggle.
"Who are the lucky ladies?" she asked.
He looked at the good-looking woman as he answered.
"There's only one, for now. Her name is Ella."
Yahir quickly interjected before his wife could speak.
"My friend Archer, I can see you're a man who will have many wives, so let me give you some advice I received from my father," he said.
Leaning down to grab two glasses and fill them up with wine before passing one to Archer.
"Cherish and adore your wives above all else, providing them with ample food and exquisite garments, drenching them in the finest fragrances, and bringing them joy until the end of their days. Women are like fertile fields, but they require proper cultivation."
Archer took a sip of the wine, relishing its fruity taste as he listened to the man's words. Time flew by as they conversed, lost in their discussion.
As the conversation began to wind down, Imaan interjected with a question.
"Archer, where are your parents?" she inquired.
The atmosphere in the carriage grew awkward after she asked, as it was a sore subject for him.
It went quiet until Yahir coughed and spoke up.
"You seem to be doing fine. It seems to me like you don't need them," he said, taking a sip of his wine before continuing.
"Don't hold onto that hate, boy. It won't do you any good."
Archer nodded as he got comfortable and started to think to himself as he drank the wine Yahir gave him.
Hours passed as the carriage traveled through the Haunted Dunes, Archer was looking out the window watching the passing scenery.
He had his Aura Detector activated the whole time and hasn't picked up anything, as he started daydreaming Yahir spoke.
''We're coming up on the Aquarian Fort that's the halfway point in the Dunes.''
Archer looked toward the man and nodded, he pulled out a meat wrap and started eating as Sera woke up and stretched her little limbs before looking around.
She spotted the two women and flew over to them, they looked on in shock as she chirped out a greeting.
Lahifa turned to her husband and spoke.
''Yahir did you know he had Tinnin.''
The man nodded as Sera landed on her lap and sat there watching Archer trying to make him jealous.
As he shifted his gaze to the window, Sera let out an exasperated huff, clearly irritated by his lack of attention. Archer was oblivious to her annoyance, lost in his own thoughts.
After another hour of traveling, the carriage driver let them know the castle was in the distance.
''We are coming up to Apia Castle, the gateway to the Aquarian Kingdom!''
He quickly pulled the window down and looked out.
Archer's eyes widened as he gazed into the distance, where a magnificent castle made of glittering white stones rose up against the blue sky.
The structure was reminiscent of the traditional Samoan architecture he had seen in books, with its steeply pitched roof and intricate carvings.
The castle's walls gleamed in the sunlight, casting a radiant glow over the surrounding landscape.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the sight before him as if he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure in the middle of this sea of sand.
It stood tall and proud, surrounded by a vast desert that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
But amidst the barren landscape, there was a small oasis nearby, with lush greenery and a sparkling pool of water.
A long dirt road led up to the castle's towering gates, winding its way through the desert sands.
Everyone traveling with the caravan could feel the heat of the sun beating down on them, but they pressed on, drawn by the allure of the castle's beauty.
As they approached the gates, they could see the intricate details of the castle's architecture, with its soaring white towers and graceful arches.
A few soldiers in light blue metal armor stopped the carriage and asked for the owner to step out.
Yahir exited the carriage but dragged Archer along with him, Sera saw this and got irked so she flew after him.
Landing on his shoulder she got back to her normal shenanigans of biting his ear, but it was her own way of showing him affection.
Ignoring the biting. Yahir stopped dragging him as the guards got closer, wondering why he was there Archer looked at him.
Yahir just smiled, before speaking to the guard that looked to be in charge.
Now that he was closer he examined them.
Their armor was truly a sight to behold. Crafted from light blue lightweight metal, it was polished and shone brightly in the sunlight, reflecting the colors of the sand around them.
It was adorned with intricate etchings of sea creatures and other aquatic life, lending it a unique and beautiful appearance.
In general, he was fond of the armor, and his long ears perked up as he listened to the ongoing conversation.
The soldier who seemed to be in charge approached Yahir and spoke.
"Where do you hail from?" he asked.
"I come from the Kagia Kingdom, seeking to trade and procure supplies for one of my establishments," Yahir responded.
The guard nodded and asked if they could inspect the carriages.
Yahir nodded with a smile, and the guard motioned for the other guards to join him in inspecting the goods.
20 minutes passed and the guard leading the search told the commander everything was good to go.
The commander turned to Archer with narrow eyes before asking a question.
''You don't happen to be the white-haired boy who's caused havoc in the Kagia Kingdom?''
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