Twisted Wonderland 2

Just How We Are

"...And that's the skinny on Jamil's friends!"

Najma grins. "Thanks for that! I feel like I know you guys better already."

Jamil tilts his head. "You're good at introducing people, Cater. I'm impressed."

"Makes sense." Trey's chuckles. "He's very observant."

"I never knew you had so many friends, Jamil." Najma nudges him with an elbow. "You never mention anyone when you come home, so I get worried sometimes."

Jamil folds his arms. "They're not actually friends. They're schoolmates. There's a difference."

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say."

"Shall we get back to sightseeing now?" Malleus suggests.

Trey gathers the trash to throw away. "At least Cater's overview gave us time to finish our shawarma. Those were great, by the way."

"It was savory, yet refreshing." Cater grins. "And the lamb was so tender and juicy!"

"Well, I ain't nowhere near full." Grim glances over to the other vendors. "Ooo! Lookit all them fruits and veggies!"

"They're all local and freshly picked, you know!" Najma informs. "Colorful AND flavorful."

"This place used to be a desert, right?" Cater asks. "I'm amazed you're able to grow produce."

"Actually," Jamil says. "from what I understand, the arid climate helps cultivate high-quality crops. Growing food with less water concentrates the flavor and produces a higher sugar content."

Trey nods. "Ah, right. I've heard that's how fruit tomatoes are grown."

"Exactly." Jamil continues. "Back in the old days, water was an extremely valuable resource here. Because of that, people could only use a limited amount of water for irrigation. Some tried to produce crops for years, but they never succeeded and eventually gave up. But our forebears insisted it was possible. They worked hard to cultivate the land and make it more fertile. Their efforts eventually bore fruit, as it were, and now we can grow our own crops in Silk City."

"That does sound like a most fruitful endeavor on your ancestors' part." Malleus looks to the fruit stands.

"Those crops were a hit once they came on the market, because of their freshness and rich flavors." Jamil adds. "Nowadays, Silk City's produce is prized by top chefs all over the world."

Trey walks over to one of the stands. "It's nice to see that something so highly valued still goes for affordable prices in the market."

"Oh, whaaat?" Cater picks up one of the fruits. "Check this out! I've never seen a star-shaped fruit before! Gotta capture this for sure!"

"That's a star fruit." Trey informs. "Their shape is pretty distinctive, so people like putting them in salads and such."

"You really know your stuff, Trey!" Cater shoots him finger guns.

"Tropical fruits like dragon fruit are also popular in the Scalding Sands." Jamil adds.

Malleus perks up at the name. "Dragon fruit, you say? Which one is that?"

Trey points out the fruit. "It's the pink, spiky one. They're refreshing and also very good for you."

Malleus frowns.

"Is something wrong?" You ask.

Malleus shake me his head. "It's not what I was expecting. I thought something named after the noble dragon would belch searing flames or some such."