"Due to its position as one of the southern gates of the caliphate, and its abundance of fertile lands, the Assadun Emirate had long been the breadbasket of the southern region, and since it doubled as the trade hub of the region, the Emirate had historically been one of the most prosperous countries out of those that made up the Caliphate as a whole." - Sakim Douan, Historian from the Hassid Caliphate.
Four days away from the Oajib Sultanate, Cal saw a border fort belonging to the Emirate, who were screening passing travelers before allowing them in. At the edges of her vision range she could see other similar forts, so apparently the Emirate kept a tight watch on their borders.
The fort itself was small, merely a couple of wooden barracks built with a watchtower in the middle, and surrounded by a spiked fence, manned by no more than a dozen people or so. More an watch outpost, really as she noticed two people at the top of the watchtower, scouring their surroundings with spyglasses.
There wasn't a long line being checked, just two wagons, so Cal just lined up alongside the rest and waited their turn. The man on the wagon currently being checked looked somewhat familiar to her, until she finally remembered him to be the guard captain she saw when she first arrived at Oajib. He had apparently taken his leave promptly.
"Adventurers, right? Got any news to share from Oajib?" asked the guard who inspected their tags when it was their turn. Unlike the guards at Oajib, the Assadun guards were more polite, and disciplined.
"Not much to share, I think. I assume others already told you what the Bounty Hunter did there?" Cal replied as she recollected the group's tags and tossed the rest back to their respective owners. The guard nodded in affirmation at her question. "When we left there were riots starting here and there, and I'm pretty sure some of their guards were part of it."
"Heh. No real surprise there. That place has always been a mess all this while," replied the guard with a chuckle. "Might be their end though, with the Sultan having no heirs. It'll all likely just get scooped up by someone else."
"Sounds like a recipe for a mess," replied Cal. "That sort of shit happens a lot around here?"
"Eh, from time to time. We're pretty used to it," answered the guard. He jotted down some lines Cal couldn't see on a piece of paper affixed to a wooden board held in his hand, before he turned back to her. "All good, you may pass."
Behind the outpost, they entered into the Emirate proper. Despite its proximity to the desert, the land was noticeably more fertile, with small copse of trees visibly growing here and there. They mostly followed the road eastwards towards the city itself.
They saw villages on their way, those located in more arid areas mostly growing potatoes and other hardy crops, whereas more fertile areas grow wheat and a large variety of green vegetables, along with some spices.
In one of the villages where they stayed the night, they also saw a ranch unlike what any of them - excepting Dan - had seen, as being ranched there were not cows or sheep or other commonly found ranch animals, but some sort of large, plump rodents, the larger specimens of which reached the length of one's forearm.
These rodents, called Cùy, were apparently a local delicacy, and their host for that night, upon hearing that his guests had never even seen the animals, insisted that they join him for dinner and have a taste.
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When the critter was served, it was after it spent time in an oven, baked until its skin browned to a crisp, served with potatoes and stuffed with some black, minty herbs. Other than the potatoes, some large peppers were also served, stuffed with a mixture of diced vegetables and cheese, and similarly baked in the oven until soft.
Under the crisp skin that shattered to the bite was tender meat, leaner than most yet quite flavorful, a flavor further enhanced by the herbal stuffing that had lent its taste to the flesh. The potatoes were equally delightful and helped balance the meat, while the peppers were rich in flavor and delightfully spicy, making it a table favorite.
Their host seemed quite pleased with how well received the meal was, the prideful look of a rancher who received approval for his ranched animals, and brought out some local wine for toasts, which the group gleefully joined him on. The girls were all pretty inebriated by the time they went to bed that night, with only Cal, Ying Xiao, and Dan staying sober due to their affinities.
As they went on with their trip the next day, Cal didn't forget to tease her nieces for the hangover they were sporting, at least until Dan removed it with some healing, and they continued on their trip, another day or so until they reached Assadun.
By afternoon the next day, they caught sight of the city. Like the Oajib Sultanate they had departed from, the architecture employed in the caliphate made Cal think of Aqwa architecture from back home, with many domed buildings and curved lines.
They might well be one and the same, for stories had said that supposedly the first Aqwa people were refugees from these lands, whereas the Huan were natives of the archipelago itself.
It was the western gate to the city that they entered from, and from there they immediately noticed the difference from Oajib. The buildings in Assadun were in general of a more practical bent, eschewing ostentatious displays of wealth for beauty in practicality.
Even so, the city radiated a feeling of wealth and well being from its clean streets and neatly arrayed buildings, built with the best materials available. Even the suburbs had houses that were well built, often two stories tall, and next to no sign of poverty was in sight.
Into the city they went, for Kino had previously "arranged" to meet them there.