The city of Sadina may not exactly be the biggest, especially by the capital standards, but it was more beautiful than any other city in Ydaz. The orange glow of twilight only gave it a more mystical tinge.
From her elevated position in a sizeable dune, Aloe could peer into the skyline of the city. Most rooftops were flat and lackluster, yet they compensated for that with beautifully sculptured details. Other buildings possessing more riches, like banks, sites of adoration, or schools had their ceilings marked with gold or other polished metals. The light bounced off them in a spectacle not normally visible from the streets. Though most of the actual color came from the myriad silks of the stall’s canopies at the bazaar.
Red, blue, green, yellow... They were all there.
Aloe slowly descended from the dune, not wanting now to break her neck because she was hasty. It took her almost a quarter of an hour to arrive at the city walls, which only remarked the magnitude and vastness of the desert.
The city gate was manned by two male guards who wore light clothing, white desert garbs, and handled scimitars in their hips. As she tried to cross the gates, Aloe was interrupted by one of the guards.
“Is it the little plant, I see?” One of the guards approached her with a smile on his face.
“Uncle Jafar!” Once she recognized him, the guard who went by the name of Jafar, enclosed Aloe in a hug. Aloe herself patted the man on the back, mainly as a friendly gesture, but partially signaling him to stop as the man was too strong for the little woman.
“It’s been a while since I last saw you. Karaim was still kicking around then.” Jafar added with a wry smile. “So where have you been, little plant?”
Jafar was a close friend of the family, a long acquaintance of Aloe’s father and grandfather. Even if both were now dead, his grin was as friendly as ever, only if a bit darker. The man was well-built and donned a perfectly trimmed beard. Jafar was well over forty, but he didn’t look beyond thirty. His powerfully tanned skin, strong ebony short hair, and his well-built muscles only made him even younger.
“How many times have I told you to not call me that way?” Aloe added with a fake scowl. She was honestly thankful that the first human interaction after three grueling days was Uncle Jafar. The man knew how to warm people’s hearts better than the sands.
“But you are little. And a plant.” Aloe pouted and he laughed loudly. “Hey, Sirhan. Does it bother you if I leave early?”
Sirhan, the other guard, looked at the sky where the sun was hiding. “Sure, no problem. Our rotation is soon over. I’ll sweet talk our relief to forgive you but owe me a drink.”
“But of course, brother. Next round's on me.” Jafar slapped Sirhan's shoulder and both exchanged a grin. “Let’s go then. Shan’t we, little plant?”
Aloe groaned but followed Jafar into the city.
“Can I offer myself to carry your bag?” The guard offered a hand.
“Oh, yes please!” The girl threw the backpack off her shoulders without even minimal hesitation.
Jafar grabbed it without problem, weighing the bag in his hand. It was heavy and Aloe knew it, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he put the backpack that was colossal for her over his shoulder, just locking like a bandolier to him.
“I haven’t failed to notice that you haven’t told me where you have been. Skipping town is not a great thing to do to your mother when your grandfather just died.” Jafar said over Aloe’s shoulder, a hint of sadness in his voice.
He didn’t mean the gesture in a bad manner, Aloe knew it. Jafar was far closer to her grandfather than she had ever been, and honestly, it wasn’t difficult looking over her shoulder when she was a meter and a half tall, and Jafar was pushing it close to the two meters. If he weren’t covered in half-armor and muscles, the man would have looked like a noodle.
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“It was actually Mother’s idea.” Aloe sighed. “I went to see the greenhouse my grandfather was always so occupied with.”
“I see.” An indescribable shadow passed through Jafar’s normally bright eyes. Aloe didn’t dwell on it. “Well, what are your thoughts then? I’ll admit I didn’t visit the place much; Karaim was secretive about it. And I also couldn’t be bothered to do the day-long trek whenever I wanted to visit him.”
“I’ll say that I’m more impressed with the greenhouse than I would originally have imagined.” The petite woman revealed. “It is clear that Karaim dedicated a lot of time to it, and he was certainly knowledgeable, but something still bothers me. How is it that he got enough money to build it? Glass is cheap, but metal is certainly not. And even more so considering the distance between the oasis and Sadina. He would have needed to build it himself to keep the prices reasonable.”
“Ah, is it that the banker’s insight that I behold?” The guard laughed. “Karaim did indeed build the greenhouse himself, but as for the funds...” Jafar became silent for an instant, then renewed his words, “...your father did provide some capital. But if I recall correctly, Karaim had some coin well before all of this. I don’t know how much Amid contributed to the funds, but I fear the only ones who knew the answer are no longer among us.”
The placid and familial air vanished as both of them sulked. Not even the normally loud bazaar could distract them as most stores and posts had closed for the day.
“Anyways,” Uncle Jafar tried to re-establish their dialogue. “What does your little banker mind tell you about the greenhouse? Is it profitable?”
Aloe stopped, her expression shifting into one of frigid seriousness as she crunched numbers. Being used to her antics, Jafar stood still before her with a comforting smile.
“The greenhouse is mostly self-sustainable if we factor in the oasis. There would be no need for water or food, maybe some slight restorations... Overall, the inversion is minimal. The greenhouse is already built and partially seeded. The main problem is if it produces significant income.” Aloe snapped out of her tranced. “That reminds me that I have brought a lot of seeds and leaves, but I don’t exactly know where to sell them or what their actual prices may be. If it's considerable... then this may be a financially viable enterprise.”
The man laughed at the last line.
“Something wrong, Uncle Jafar?” Aloe added with a totally-not-subtle sarcasm and a shadow of a pout.
“No, not at all.” Though as he said that he covered his mouth with his hand. “It’s just that you reminded me of your late father, he just thought in profits and ventures, but beyond the numbers and the money he was a good man.”
Aloe opened her mouth but soon closed it, unsure of how to respond.
“But I think I can help you with the seed business and that,” Jafar said. “I would like to direct you to an apothecary, but now it should be closed. If you visit me tomorrow morning before my shift, I guess I could take you there. Aya will be also happy to see you.”
“Oh, right.” Socializing, I forgot about that. “Is Aya alright?”
“Perfectly fine, the girl’s a prodigy. She will surely become a renowned scribe or scientist.” Jafar’s eyes gained a powerful spark as he talked about his daughter. “You could bring Shahrazad to my home for supper. Mirah won’t have a problem making a feast.”
“Hmm, my mother is still on her mourning leave, so it will be alright. I’ll convince her to do so.”
“Perfect!” Then his expression became troubled. “But let’s leave that for tomorrow, if I bring you two today, I will only get an earful.”
“Yeah, Aunty Mirah will surely want to have some early notice. You don’t make banquets in a matter of hours.” Aloe looked at the almost darkened sky. “Or minutes.”
“Yeah...” Jafar laughed, scratching the backside of his head. “Let me escort you home quickly, I wouldn’t like to arrive home late. Mirah will think I have gone drinking with the boys.”
Navigating the night streets was dangerous. Not exactly because of the crime, Sadina was one of the more orderly cities of Ydaz, and Aloe counted on her own personal guard as her escort, but because you literally couldn’t see anything. And tripping in the dark was a recipe for disaster.
Richer districts like the university or the noble houses did have lampposts set around, but unless you were in the red-light district, the only light you would get on the fairer parts of the city was that of houses or the weak moonlight.
“We must be thankful for this bright moon today.” Jafar looked up at the blue moon in the dark sky.
“Yes, it’s surprisingly big today,” Aloe commented.
“Maybe it’s an omen?” He added between laughs.
“An omen for what?” She looked at the guard pungently.
“Who knows? The skies work strangely.” Jafar shrugged. “Anyways, we are here.” He stopped at the entrance of Aloe’s house and handed her the backpack. He carried the child-sized bag easily in one hand. “Salute your mother for me, will you?”
“Of course.” Aloe half-nodded half-bowed. “See you tomorrow morning.”
Jafar walked onto the dark streets, his silhouette vanishing fast in the darkness. As for Aloe, she relaxed her shoulders after three days and unlocked the door.