Not bad, she thought as her bleary vision cleared and she glanced around the room. It was certainly miles above theirlast accommodations, but that wasn’t saying much considering it had been a tent with no walls. But the room reminded her of the hotels and resorts she and her family stayed at when they would go on vacation—plush carpeting, modern furniture, soft bedding.
But then she reminded herself this wasn’t a vacation.
She had about an hour to get ready, so she quickly dug through her carry-on for her toiletries and marched into the bathroom for a quick shower and put on some linen pants and a nice blouse. Since she didn’t know if there was a dress code, she opted for something simple and resort-chic.
By the time she got to the lobby, Elian and Liora were there, speaking to a basilisk, who Zara assumed was their fixer.
“Hello,” she greeted as she approached them.
Elian made the introductions. “Zara, this is our fixer, Pythorus,” he said, gesturing to the basilisk. His ruby-colored scales ended just at his waist, and he wore a white dress shirt that was open at the collar with its sleeves folded up to the elbows to show off his muscular forearms sheathed in sun-tanned bronze scales. “This is our sister, Zara.”
She briefly met her brother’s eyes, catching the meaning in them—do your thing, basically.
Zara held out her hand, waiting for the echoes of emotions from him. It was something they practiced whenever they met strangers and she’d saved them many times before from scammers or worse.
Pythorus took her hand in his and gave it a firm shake. Warm golden eyes met hers, mouth turned up into a smile. She could sense his genuine friendliness, open and readable with nothing to hide. Perseus had chosen well for a guide for them, as there was no hint of him hiding anything.
“Nice to meet you.” It was the signal that said ‘all good’ to her siblings. Elian and Liora visibly relaxed.
“An honor to meet you, too, Zara of the Upperworld.” As he spoke, she spotted a flash of fangs, white against his dark skin.
“Now that we’re all here,” he continued. “I’d like to take you on a quick tour of Solkaris, then perhaps we can have dinner afterward?”
“Sounds great,” Elian said.
“Great.” Pythorus flicked the end of his tail toward the exit. “Just wait by the door and I’ll pull up.”
Once they were comfortably settled inside his sand-cruiser—a massive truck-like vehicle that was built to withstand the extreme weather and glide over the dunes—Pythorus drove out of the parking lot and headed out.
“We’ll stick to the city for today.” He nodded up ahead, toward the spiring skyline. “Just to give you a little taste of Solkaris.”
“I read that the different settlements are connected by tunnel,” Elian stated.
“That’s right. There are parts of the territory where even us basilisk could die from the heat, so it was necessary to build the tunnels so we can travel between the different areas. Some older settlements are actually located underground, but we can go to those later.”
“Good thing none of us are claustrophobic,” Liora joked.
They continued on, with Pythorus telling them more about Solkaris and the basilisks, plus their mission, but she couldn’t bring herself to focus on the discussion. She had, after all, other things on her mind.
Hektor would be here by tomorrow night, and she still didn’t have a plan on how to get them back on track.
She half-listened to Pythorus and her siblings about their strategy and where they were going to search, nodding occasionally or humming in agreement, watching the buildings and the hustle and bustle of the city outside. The temperaturewas comfortable for basilisks as they were outside, going about their business like in any big city.
“If that all sounds good,” Pythorus began. “Then we can start in the sandstone quarter. I’ve spoken with a few people there, and there are a few families that I suspect have the bloodlines you are searching for.”
“Yes, let’s go there first thing in the morning,” Elian agreed.
“How about dinner then?” the basilisk suggested. “We’re not too far from one of my favorite restaurants. They serve a variety of food, both local and from other parts of Vale Crossing.”
“Last place we went to, they were vegetarians and all we had was grass and mushrooms,” Liora said, sticking her tongue out. “Zara? You hungry?”
“Uh, yeah, sure I’m good wherever you want to go.”
“Excellent.” Pythorus shifted gears as he turned into the next street. “They make a greatrhasakkstew. It’s kind of our local specialty and it’s mild enough for even human palates.”
A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot outside a small, non-descript structure, similar to that of the strip malls back in the Upperworld, though made with the red and orange striped stone other buildings in the city were made of. Pythorus led them to a tinted glass door with a sign overhead. In a looping, faux-calligraphy script that had faded from vibrant forest green to a dusty sage, it read, Sands Cafe.
As they entered, a pretty, young female basilisk welcomed them, then led them to their seats and left them with their menus. Pythorus suggested a few dishes, which they all opted to order and share.
