After their visit, Aditya and Riya got ready to leave Huda's house. Huda's parents really wished they could stay longer, but they understood.
As they stepped outside, Riya's excitement was clear. She clung to Aditya's arm, her voice bubbly as she asked, "Where to next?" In her excitement, she didn't notice how close she was to him, but Aditya didn't mind at all. In fact, he was enjoying the softness and firmness of her chest.
Even if she had realized what she was doing, she wouldn't have moved away. Riya held onto his hand tightly, a special thing she did only with Aditya. He was the one she loved more than anyone else, the man she was going to marry.
As they walked down the street, people passing by saw them as a perfect, happy couple. Aditya, with a thoughtful look, said to Riya, "There are still many people who need your help to get rid of the curse. Do you think you can...?" He didn't want to ask too much of her.
Riya answered with a big smile, "Yes, I can do it."
Aditya, seeing her smile, couldn't help himself. He stopped walking, gently held her face in his hands, and kissed her right there on the street. He didn't care who saw them. He just wanted to show her how much he cared and how happy he was with her.
"So, where to next?" Riya asked, holding onto Aditya's hand with a big smile on her face. She felt a bit tired from using a lot of her magic to heal people in the city, but she was happy. She liked being with Aditya and not having anyone else around to interrupt them.
"We're going to buy a Desert Ship!" Aditya said excitedly. They were walking towards the market area.
"What's a Desert Ship?" Riya asked, looking a bit puzzled.
Aditya explained, "A Desert Ship is like a normal ship, but it travels on sand instead of water. They use magic stones to move. There are big commercial Desert Ships that carry many people from one city to another. People who want to travel on these ships have to buy tickets. The cost of the tickets depends on things like how big the ship is and how far it's going. But we're not going to use those big ships. We'll get our own smaller one for our trip."
Riya listened carefully as they walked, interested in learning about these unique ships that could travel over the desert like boats on water.
"Also, those big Desert Ships aren't very safe. Sometimes, desert pirates stop them and ask the passengers for a lot of money to let them go. And these ships aren't always safe for girls," Aditya added, thinking of all the reasons why buying their own Desert Ship was a better choice.
Riya just nodded in agreement, not worrying too much about it.
Aditya really wanted to buy their own Desert Ship because it would give them privacy. On the big ships where lots of people travel together, it's hard to find a quiet place just for themselves. This is especially important for girls, who might want more privacy than boys.
Plus, the big Desert Ships might not go exactly where they wanted to go. Having their own ship would mean they could choose their own path and travel more freely.
As Aditya and Riya walked, some men from the Tigrine clan were following them quietly. But Aditya and Riya, who were both skilled in sensing others, knew they were being followed. They could tell that these men had been behind them for quite a while, but they didn't say anything about it. They pretended to not notice their presence and continued with what they were doing.
Eventually, they arrived at the big market just outside the city. Big Desert Ships couldn't come into the city, so this was the place where they were parked. And the size of the desert ship was so big that it wasn't possible to put it inside the storage ring either. Not everyone had a storage ring with massive spaces in it. After all, not everyone was as rich and powerful as Aditya. This market was also where people came to buy and sell these ships.
Savannahclaw City had one of the largest markets for Desert Ships in the whole Beast Continent. There were so many ships for sale that the prices were lower than usual. This happened because there were more ships than people who wanted to buy them.
As soon as Aditya and Riya entered the market, a lot of sellers started trying to get their attention, hoping they would buy a ship. It was rare for a seller to sell more than five ships in a month. Even making 5 sales per month was considered to be an extremely lucky and profitable business. Since Desert Ships were expensive and cost a lot of gold coins for maintenance, only ultra-rich people could afford them, which meant there weren't many buyers around.
As Aditya and Riya walked through the bustling desert ship market, they were surrounded by the loud calls of eager sellers. Each one tried to grab their attention, hoping to make a sale.
"Hey there, Mister! Looking for top-notch desert ships? Come check out what I've got!" one seller shouted, waving his hand to draw them over.
Another seller, with a big smile, called out in a friendly tone, "Hey, man! Want a desert ship that's the best around? I give a one-year guarantee. I've got all sizes, and I can even make one just how you want it!"
Some sellers were polite and respectful, while others were more casual and chatty. But Aditya and Riya kept walking, paying no mind to the calls and offers.
Aditya whispered to Riya, "Let's not rush. We need to find the right ship, one that's reliable and suits our needs."
Riya nodded, "Yes, we should be careful. It's important to choose the best one, not just the first one we see."
As they moved through the market, they took their time, looking at the various ships but not stopping. They were focused on finding the perfect desert ship for their journey, one that would be safe, comfortable, and just right for them.
About half an hour later, Aditya and Riya found themselves in front of a ship that caught their eyes. It was a beautiful medium-sized vessel, its rich red wood gleaming in the sunlight. This ship wasn't like the others that were just cleaned to look new—it was clearly brand new. It was the perfect size; not too small that it would be cramped, nor too big to handle. The ship boasted several rooms, promising enough space for their group.
The red wood of the ship made it really pop against the sandy dunes around them. The more Aditya and Riya looked at it, the more they felt this was the right choice.
"Who owns this beautiful ship?" Aditya called out, his voice rising over the hustle and bustle of the market as he tried to find the person in charge of the ship.
A few minutes passed before the shop's owner showed up. He was an elderly man.
His long white beard fell down to his chest, and his head was almost bare, with just a few wisps of white hair left. His skin was a deep shade of tan, and he was dressed simply in a brown shirt and shorts that came down to his knees. Around his waist, he had wrapped a long red cloth, and on his feet, he wore plain sandals.
He appeared to be about 60 years old, his face lined with wrinkles, and he had a bit of a stoop as he stood.
"What do you need?" he asked, sounding a bit uninterested and lazy.
Aditya didn't appreciate the man's manner but kept a polite face. "How much for this ship?" he inquired. The old man sized up Aditya and Riya, looking them over with a skeptical eye. He seemed to doubt that this normal-looking pair was actually serious about buying the ship. This ship wasn't just any ship; it was a fancy desert ship, made especially to be very comfortable.
The old shopkeeper seemed to be in no mood for business. His eyes closed slightly as he spoke lazily, "Why bother asking about the price? It's not like you could afford it."
He waved his hand dismissively, clearly wanting them to leave him be. It was his resting time, and he was visibly annoyed by the disruption.
"Just go away," he said, motioning for them to move on.
Aditya's right eye began to twitch, a sign that he was struggling to keep his anger in check. "Please, just tell us the price," he said, his voice still calm. He reminded himself there was no point in getting upset over a grumpy old man who was probably closer to his last days than his first.
His one foot was already in his grave. At most, he had only a few years left to live.
"Five hundred thousand gold coins," the old man said, without even opening his eyes.
The other sellers around them couldn't hide their surprise. The old man had deliberately quoted a price that was five times the usual cost. The actual price should be a hundred thousand gold coins, not a penny more.
The price the old man asked for was way too high for a desert ship that size. There were even huge desert ships, as long as 1000 meters, that didn't cost more than 150,000 gold coins. Everyone around expected Aditya to just say no and maybe even get mad for such an unfair price.
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Aditya's answer was different from what they had expected.
"I will take it." Hearing this even the old man was shocked. The old man turned around and looked at Aditya. He couldn't hide his surprise.
"What did you say?" The old man asked not believing what he heard just now.
"I said I will take it. Or have you changed your mind already?" As Aditya said the last part, the gentle smile on his face disappeared and was replaced with a cold chilling look that deeply frightened the old man.
Really Thank you very much to all those who send support with valuable golden tickets. I hope we can keep it up!!!
If you are curious to know what the Desert ship that Aditya is buying looks like or what Savannahclaw city looks like, then you can check the comment section.
