The Caravanserai
- Zoe A. Madison
- Mar 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 7
Part II | Desert Life | 2026 AD
The Caravanserai ~ Ruby and Reign went for a swim in the lake and dried off in the warm afternoon sun. Further off in the distance, to the northeast, they saw a desert inn called the Desert Rose. The Desert Rose was a caravanserai and the children hurried towards it hoping for a good night's sleep and a decent meal. As they approached, Reign could smell grilled meat cooking on someone's fire. Ruby saw a few small groups of horses and camels tied up outside, as merchants tended their wares in the interior. Maybe they would ask about properties for sale nearby.
~
Reign paid the owner of the Desert Rose for a week's stay for both of them. She didn't ask any questions, but Reign gave her his Magick ID anyway.
When the owner of the Desert Rose looked at Reign's ID, his image greeted her and smiled, then explained that he had arrived in the region with his sister Ruby. The owner gave Reign back his ID and took the children back to their room. When the children woke up the next morning, they headed for the merchants below them. Ruby and Reign found everything from silk and spices to tools, weapons and clothing fit for a king. Reign went off to ask about properties and animals for sale. He wanted at least one horse but Ruby seemed to prefer camels.
The two children didn't see each other again until later that afternoon. They'd eaten lunch separately and had been talking to others at the caravanserai about the nearby lakes, fish, birds, and water. Ruby knew there was the Uranium pond nearby, but that would have to wait until they were settled.
Reign walked into their room arms laden with his purchases. He had two small marijuana seedlings and two small hemp seedlings, an archery set, hunting knives, and clothes and shoes for the desert. Ruby was sitting on her bed sorting through a similar pile of goods.
Reign purchased a piece of property nearby from one of the merchants at the caravanserai. The seller assured him the housing was in very good condition and perfectly safe. It had a small stable and room for camels and a Lotus pond, in addition to pasture for the horses he'd wanted.
At the time, Reign's 2026 gold bar was worth almost $6,000. The merchant tried to test it with his teeth, but it didn't do much in response, and the man seemed satisfied. Reign had also expressed an interest in horses and camels, so they would be meeting to ride out together with the idea of leaving the animals on the property. He and Ruby would check on them first thing tomorrow morning.
Ruby stayed at the Desert Rose and enjoyed late afternoon tea in the shade of a merchant's stall. Later, she visited the Map Room and wandered around outside the caravanserai's walls until she saw Reign approaching on horseback in the distance. The next morning, they rode out together on Reign's new horse and started to prepare for their new desert life.
Ruby & Reign spend the next few months training a small camel, horseback riding, hunting birds at the lake (then selling their extras at the caravanserai) and tending their vegetable, hemp and marijuana plants outdoors.
Eventually, the children (and a few adults!) noticed more fish in the lake and in the surrounding streams and rivers. The birds had been eating all the fish! When a merchant bought Ruby's waterfowl from the lake, she asked if the girl had seen any fish.
"There's a few more now than before. We've been hunting game birds that may have been eating the fish population. Check the lake in a few more weeks to see if the fish have returned."
Ruby took dates and alfafa pellets for her camel from the merchant in exchange for her birds from the lake.
Reign brought a sample of hemp and asked around if there was any market for processing hemp since the cotton fields [1] had led to the Aral Sea shrinkage and chemical pollution of the past. He found a few people who expressed interest, including two teenagers like him. They promised to meet up the next day to discuss horses and hemp.
Notes
[1] BBC On This Day
Free! Download the PDF below for Ruby & Reign's Magick IDs, and the 2026 gold & silver bars.
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