Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Chapter 87

Dulce turned away to head to the third Demon’s room, knocking on Ruoxi’s door. "I hope I’m not too late." He said as he was let in, "I’m afraid I’ve left you hungry."

Ruoxi had known that Dulce would come seeking him again but somehow, he managed to be surprised whenever the Vampire actually showed up. "You’re not," He said simply, right away going through the motions.

Perhaps the quicker he got his ’eating’ over with, the easier it would be to just think of it as a meal. He rose to his feet after, adjusting the Vampire into a more comfortable position. The warmth and satisfaction were still the same as the first time he had eaten, but his thoughts were muddled.

He went over to the window to sit by it, waiting for the Vampire to recover. Like clockwork, the Vampire got up after hours had gone by, his features pale, his expression calm.

"It might be better to leave for the palace at night," Dulce said after putting on his shoes, "Otherwise, the sun might make it an uncomfortable journey."

Ruoxi just silently listened to the Vampire, it was the third time and he still treated it no differently from bringing him a plate of food.

Dulce kept rambling, "I’ll go down to the station to make enquiries," He said as he headed for the door, "I do hope I can convince them to go on a night journey." He mumbled to himself as he walked out the door.

His prediction was right, the camel handlers advising them to journey at sundown so they could get to their destination in the early hours of the morning.

There was a scattering of oases in the Rahana desert, and it was on one of these oases that Dulce’s desert palace was located. So as the sun went down and the moon rose, a caravan was quietly making its way through the desert.

The sand was endless, wide stretches of flat plains pockmarked by dunes and rocky outcroppings. It was a surprisingly pleasant journey, they were dressed appropriately for the weather and wind, it was easier to protect against the icy wind than the burning sun.

Unsure of what he would return to meet in the deserted palace, Dulce spared no expense in taking as much as they would need with them, which meant that the procession of camels was far longer than it should have been.

By sunrise the next day, they were already riding over grass, their destination in sight. They rode past the large pond supporting the oasis, its surface was jarringly clear and still, every faint ripple made by the reeds around plainly visible.

The palace was the second largest structure in the sizeable oasis, it stood amidst date palms, shimmering under the morning sun. Sandstone walls rose from the greenery, curving into slender towers and stretching into flat roofs that held shaded terraces.

The palace was also completely empty, insects flitted across the flowers blooming on the oasis but save for the flourishing vegetation, gurgling springs, and wildlife, there was no one else to be seen.

Dulce stared cryptically at the palace after they had been dropped off at their destination, it was unclear what his thoughts were. He stepped into the palace first, giving the place a brief look.

Caedos was right behind him, his ears flicking as he looked around curiously. There were trees in the oasis, it had come as a surprise. There was nothing around but endless desert, but there were trees growing next to Dulce’s palace.

Asael didn’t go in, lingering in the overrun garden, firewheels vibrantly standing out in the sea of green, the bright red flowers eye-catching. He stared at the pond, the time had come, his journey had come to its end.

Inside the palace, Dulce was still wandering around, navigating the building with his fragmented memories of it. Nothing was out of place, despite the palace being abandoned for a few hundred years, save for the dust that covered most things.

He easily located the treasury, which was the sole reason they had journeyed this far. The heavy doors opened at the gentlest urging from him, swinging open to reveal a blinding pile of gold.

Ruoxi peered inside with disbelief, walking in. "Weren’t you worried this would get stolen?"

Dulce was relieved to see the treasure mostly intact, "That would have been troublesome." He lightly said, as if it made little difference to him either way.

Ruoxi sucked his teeth, "How pleasant it must be to be so rich," He said with a wistful sigh, looking around.

From what he had seen of the palace, it was even more unlikely for Dulce to live here than his lavish manor in Marlen. The small desert palace was opulence personified, the treasury room filled with piles of gold and chests overflowing with gems very much on the nose.

Kath’tan and Caedos were quiet, for differing reasons. The Fiend was presented with the image of what was being exchanged for his life, and Caedos was shown more reasons why it would be difficult to repay his debt to his savior.

Dulce only took one perfunctory look at it and turned away, "We might be here for a short while, I’ll need to clean some rooms and make arrangements for meals." He muttered as he went out, uncaring that he was about to lose so much wealth.

It was when he stepped out that he noticed Asael’s absence, looking around to find out that the Shadow Demon hadn’t even stepped into the palace. He went directly to find him, before they could settle in, he needed to make sure that the contents of his treasury were sufficient.

He found the Demon standing outside the entrance they had used to go into the palace, standing tall in a garden born in an oasis, his expression solemn.

"My treasury is fortunately intact," Dulce relayed, "Perhaps you could take a look at it to see if it is sufficient?"

Asael went forward when he was beckoned, quietly walking behind Dulce who chattered all the while about the treasury. The Vampire seemed nervous but Asael knew better than to trust it, he was the same way when they had gone to check the Montesserat manor.