The vast desert between Arubania and Yaqui has always been an unavoidable problem.

There was nothing but the scorching sun, the hot winds, and the endless sand. Yaqui and Arubania had never had any dispute over the region, for no army wanted to pass through it, and they only squandered their blood and their lives on the shores of the Dickel Sea. The desert became a buffer zone between the two countries and a secret passage for speculators.

Since the two countries have been at war for many years, it is impossible to try to enter each other's territory from the shores of Dichel, and if water transport is excluded, it will only be through this terrible desert. However, the huge profits of trade spurred a small number of adventurers to explore this secret trade route - after all, it was dozens of times closer than taking the sea route from the East.

There were a few oases in the desert, and the only way to get water from them was the caravan's life. But the landscape of the desert can change at any time, and if you go in the wrong direction, it means death. So on this path, an experienced guide is more precious than gold, and that is the protector of the whole team.

And now, the group of people who appeared here looked especially strange, they were not many in number, only eight, but clearly not merchants, because they had no goods at all, nothing but camels and supplies under their feet. Even more strange was that it was not the guide who was at the head of the group, but a tightly wrapped woman, who, judging by her attire, was not an Arubaneian. It's the Paz people. Walking into the desert without a guide like this is tantamount to killing themselves.

A retinue-like man urged the camel under his crotch to hurry a few steps to the woman's side. His face had been blown away by the wind, and his chapped lips were hoarse from a dry throat: "Lord." We are already without water, can we still find an oasis? ”

"The wavering of will is the first step towards the bottomless abyss." The woman's voice was deep and magnetic, a tone that could seductively seduce people, but it sounded quite old.

"Yes, the Lord is right, and I will reflect deeply." There was a hint of horror on the man's counten, but the fear in his heart was far greater than the change in his expression, only because his skin was too tight to twist it any further.

The wordless march continues. Gradually, someone fell from the camel into the sand.

"Lord, if Buhar is no more, can we kill a camel and use its blood to save people?"

"One life to save another?" The woman replied coldly, but she stopped.

"No, don't dare." The person who spoke immediately shrank up, he knew that he had committed a great taboo, in the eyes of the Lord. All life is equal.

The woman came to the man named Buhar and reached out her hand to stroke his forehead: "Buhar, Buhar, I will not give up on you. You're not going to let me down, are you? ”

Buhar, who had already entered a semi-coma, suddenly opened his eyes and replied softly: "Your Excellency! I suddenly felt empowered. ”

"Very well, then move on." The woman withdrew her hand. Hop back on the camel.

That Bukhar suddenly became the most energetic of the group, and climbed on the back of the camel in the envious eyes of the others. The team set off again. Buhar's words began to increase, and in fact he was the only one who had the energy to continue talking. Others listened listlessly to his chatter.

"Look! See! This magical power, my whole body felt as if I had just been soaked in the river! This is the divine power of the Lord! He really deserves to be the national teacher of Paz! ”

"Buhar."

"Ah, yes, my lord."

"I help you only because you are my most devout follower, but my strength is not endless, I hope you don't waste your physical strength, there is still a long way to go, there will be a loss of one among us, I hope that person will not be you."

"Yes, I'm sorry for bothering you." Bukhar apologized again and again, and then closed his mouth. The remaining six people looked at each other, they all heard what the Lord had said just now, and one of the people in this group would be lost, but the Lord did not say who it would be. There was a glint of fear on each of their faces, and their lord, the national teacher of Path, Nisinis, had never failed in her predictions. Everyone who doubted her was knocked to the ground by the facts.

Years ago, when she predicted that Yaki would defeat the Arubanian Army and that the two countries would no longer engage in large-scale military operations, everyone did not believe her; But by the time she had succeeded in predicting that the Great Khan of Tukhi would die in the territory of Bataana of Paz, no one doubted her prediction anymore. King Paz treated her as if she were a god and courteous, so that she attracted more criticism than before; The princes and nobles also asked her about their future all day long; As for the common people, they even gambled and swore to become her disciples. However, none of this stopped her, and when she suddenly proposed to King Paz to go to Yaqui, all the princes and nobles, including the king himself, were stunned.

In the face of these puppet-like aristocrats, she just quietly dropped a sentence, "This is the guidance of the light." Then he resolutely set out on the road to the west.

By the time she left the capital, there were four or five thousand believers behind her, moving slowly behind their worshippers like ants. By the time she left the borders of Paz, there were fewer than a hundred, and by the time she crossed Arubania into the desert, there were only seven of the most determined believers left.

"Look! Oasis! Buhar cried out. The others also raised their heads weakly when they heard this shout.

Sure enough, there is a small oasis on the skyline, and it is simply the most beautiful sight in the world.

Buhar, who was the most energetic, drove the camel and ran with all his might, and soon he rushed to the front of the procession: "Lord! See! Oasis! Oasis! ”

Before the others could react, Buhar's figure suddenly became shorter, and when everyone looked closely, Buhar's camel had already fallen into the sand, and Buhar immediately fell into the sand, and as soon as he landed, the whole person fell halfway in!

"It's quicksand! Quicksand! Lord! Save me! Buhar cried out in horror. But he had rushed too fast, too far away from the group, and now he would not be able to reach him unless they jumped into the quicksand together.

"Buhar, that's just a mirage. Sure enough, my strength still can't change my fate. It's a pity, Buhar, you didn't have to be in such a hurry to get to the oasis. Tranquility of mind is also a necessary condition for a practitioner. Nisinis sighed, then flicked the reins around the quicksand.

"Lord! Lord! Please forgive me! Please help me! "Buhar kept pleading, and even though he knew that it was useless, the others hoped that the Lord would have the power to return to heaven.

The other six men silently watched as he struggled in the sand and sank deeper and deeper, looking at him with sympathy and relief - Buhar's death confirmed the prediction of His Holiness and declared that the six of them were safe and that they would be able to get out of the desert!

Seven camels carried seven men all the way south, leaving only the lonely Buhar to disappear into the sand. (To be continued......)