In an unknown location, under an open tent, a group sat on a beast fur mat while drinking from mug cups and listening to the restless desert.
They were three men and two women, each carrying a calmness that did not belong to ordinary wanderers.
For a moment, none of them spoke. They stared at the endless dunes in silence while the howling of the desert wind echoed in their ears.
"Black Water..." one of them said in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the crimson horizon.
At first, no one reacted. Then, slowly, they turned and faced him. Still, they did not speak, as if waiting for him to continue.
The man continued. "What should we do? I believe every one of you must have heard the rumor. Right?"
His gaze moved from one person's face to another, searching for even the slightest change in expression.
"Just as you have said, it is a rumor. I do not believe it," one of the two women said. "How is it possible for anyone to have endless supplies in this barren desert?"
