The morning sun was high, bathing Talrakia in bright golden light. Most of the palace was busy with its morning routine, but Nashr and Entya had other plans. Nashr led her out of the bright hallways. Entya, now wearing a simple cloak with a hood covering her charcoal hair, felt a surge of excitement. She followed him through a secret door in the back wall of the palace, which was a shortcut known to only a few.

The warm air outside smelled of spices and dry earth. Outside the palace gates, the city looked different than she had imagined. It wasn't just a place of towering stone walls, but a busy and living city. Nashr turned to Entya with a small smile. "Ready, little nomad? Our adventure is just getting started."

Entya nodded as her curiosity took over. Nashr no longer radiated the dominant aura of a king. Instead, he was acting more like a friendly guide. He let Entya lead the way occasionally, letting her find her own path while never straying far from his reach.

They walked through narrow alleys with stone houses built directly into the red cliffs. Some had beautiful carvings, while others had colorful fabrics hanging from the balconies. Entya could hear people laughing and smell food cooking behind the window shutters.

"This is the merchant district," Nashr whispered, pointing to a bustling square. Merchants had set up their stalls to sell spices, shiny silks, and jewelry under the hot sun. Entya was mesmerized. It was so much bigger than the nomadic markets she grew up with. She watched the merchants negotiate with lively hand gestures as they argued over prices in a foreign language.

Nashr took her to a small food stall. "This is one of my favorite places." He bought some warm flatbread filled with spiced lamb. Entya took a bite and her eyes widened. "This is amazing!" she said. The meat was tender, and the spices left a warm feeling on her tongue.

Next, he offered her a pale green, chewy sweet topped with nuts. "Try this date candy. It's a Talrakian specialty." Entya tried a piece but winced at the taste. "Too sweet," she said, shaking her head. Nashr laughed. "The desert can be surprisingly sweet sometimes."

They moved on to a quieter area where Nashr led her into a large cave hidden behind some houses. Inside, the air was cool and damp. Torches lit up an incredible sight. An underground farm. Green plants grew in the soil within stone terraces, watered by an ancient irrigation system. Entya saw vegetables and flowers blooming in the dark. She was impressed by how hard the people worked to grow food in such a tough climate.

"This city... it's alive," Entya whispered, her gaze sweeping across every corner of the cave and every detail of the city they had passed. "It's not just stone. It breathes."

Nashr smiled, looking proud. "This is my home, Entya. And now, it is yours, too." He looked at her, his amethyst eyes reflecting a spark of gold. "What do you see, little nomad? Is this a city worth saving?"

Entya did not answer with words. She simply nodded, her gaze full of admiration. This city, with its uniqueness and its stubborn life in the heart of the desert, had managed to capture her attention. She was starting to feel a different connection to this place. It was no longer a feeling of hatred, but genuine curiosity.

At dawn the next day, the sky filled with a gradient of blue and yellow. Nashr was waiting outside the city gates on a large brown horse. He looked surprised when Entya showed up on her own jet-black horse. It was the one Yul had rescued for her. The horse looked healthy and energetic, unaffected by the long journey and new surroundings. Nashr smiled as he watched her jump into the saddle without any help.

"You're riding your own horse?" Nashr asked, clearly impressed.

"Of course," Entya said proudly, stroking her horse’s neck. "He is a part of me."

Nashr nodded with respect. Despite her small stature, Entya rode with grace, her charcoal hair fluttering softly in the morning breeze. Her skill and the way she moved as one with her mount were a rare sight in the desert.

They rode out together, leaving the city sounds behind. Gradually, the landscape changed. The land, which had previously shown traces of desert life, became increasingly barren. The air grew heavy and started to smell foul, carrying the scent of dead earth. A grey mist appeared ahead of them.

"There it is," Nashr said in a heavy voice. "The Dead Lands."

Up close, it was a nightmare. The ground was cracked and lifeless. The trees were just black stumps or dry skeletons reaching up at the sky. The grey-purple fog wasn't just steam. It was a miasma, a dark energy that made it hard to breathe. Entya could feel a wave of pure despair coming from the ground.

"The people of Talrakia have been fighting this for years," Nashr began, his voice full of sorrow. "This isn't just a normal drought, Entya. This is a disease that devours the land, poisons the water, and kills everything it touches." He pointed at the thickening mist. "It’s coming from an evil power over there."

Nashr sighed, his eyes fixed on the void ahead. "Until now, the barrier of my power has protected the city from the spread of this dead lands." He reached out his hand, and faintly, a thin golden light could be seen vibrating in the distance, forming an invisible shield around the city. "But it only holds it back. It doesn't fix it. Even with this defense, the dead lands is still spreading, though much slower than it would without any protection."

"I have traveled everywhere seeking clues and checking the conditions of the small towns and villages in Talrakian territory that have been affected. I was hoping to find a solution, or at least hope." Nashr turned toward Entya, his amethyst eyes meeting her larimar eyes. "And then, I found you."

Entya looked at him, then turned back to the dead lands. She saw the miasma and could feel the earth dying. Without hesitation, she dismounted. Nashr watched in silence. Entya closed her eyes and focused, trying to summon her power. A faint blue-green light started to glow in her hands, shining and vibrating. She tried to push the energy into the cracked ground to bring it back to life, but the dark mist felt heavy. It sucked the energy right out of her. Her light flickered and went out.

Entya opened her eyes, breathing hard. She felt frustrated because her power felt so close, yet she couldn't make it work.

Nashr approached and placed a hand on Entya’s shoulder. It was a touch that sent a vibration through the very cells of her body. His warm golden aura slightly neutralized the coldness of the miasma. "It seems we need a lot of practice, little nomad," he said. "A whole lot."