After several days at sea, Alan's raft was spotted by a merchant vessel. The sailors pulled him aboard and gave him food, water and dry clothes. They were travelling towards a distant desert kingdom, and Alan persuaded them to take him with them.
The journey was difficult. The ship crossed unfamiliar waters before finally reaching a busy port surrounded by golden sands. Merchants traded spices, fabrics and precious stones in its crowded markets. Yet beyond the city walls stretched a vast desert that few travellers dared to enter.
Alan needed a guide.
He asked several merchants, but each refused. Some claimed that the desert was cursed; others simply shook their heads and walked away.
Eventually, an elderly woman approached him.
"You are looking for someone to take you beyond the city, aren't you?"
"Yes," Alan replied. "I need to cross the desert."
The woman studied his face.
"Then you should first hear a story."
She told him about a family who had long wished for a daughter. The parents already had five sons, but they dreamed of having a little girl. They had prepared an empty bedroom with floral wallpaper, butterflies hanging from the ceiling and a toy gazelle standing beside the bed.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the mother became desperate. She travelled to a distant settlement and searched for a witch who lived near an oasis, hidden among a grove of palm trees. The witch wore a long black cloak and a golden veil. Without asking many questions, she gave the woman a potion.
The mother drank it and fell asleep.
When she awoke, she was back in her own home. Nine months later, she gave birth to a daughter.
At first, the family believed their prayers had been answered. But strange things soon began to happen. Food disappeared from their cupboards. Rice, dates, sugar, salt and spices vanished overnight. The parents assumed that someone was stealing from them until they discovered that the little girl was responsible.
She ate raw meat, fruit and anything else she could find. No matter how much she consumed, her hunger never disappeared. The family tried taking turns staying awake to watch her, but every night they fell into an unnatural sleep.
Eventually, the girl grew into something no longer human.
She swallowed her family, then began hunting the neighbours. Soon the entire settlement was abandoned.
"She is a Jinn," the woman whispered. "A creature born from dark magic. She now waits in the desert for anyone foolish enough to travel alone."
Alan listened carefully.
"Can you guide me to the place?"
The woman looked frightened.
"You do not understand. People who go there do not return."
"I have faced creatures that seemed impossible to defeat. I will not promise that I can save everyone, but I will not leave you to live in fear."
The woman finally agreed.
They left the city before sunset and travelled towards the dunes. The heat was exhausting, and the sand made every step difficult. Alan had no horse, so they walked for hours. When darkness fell, they stopped near a cluster of rocks and prepared a small camp.
The woman sat close to the fire.
"Do not wander away," she warned. "She comes at night."
Alan checked his weapons. He still possessed the enchanted arrow given to him by the blacksmith in O'Neill, but he did not know how powerful it truly was.
A sudden gust swept through the camp.
The fire bent sideways.
The woman began trembling.
"She is here."
Alan stood and drew his bow.
At first, he saw nothing. Then a red light appeared between the dunes. It moved like a flame, rising and falling above the sand. A woman's voice emerged from the darkness.
"Come closer."
The woman beside Alan screamed.
A figure rushed from the darkness. It looked like a young girl, but its limbs stretched unnaturally, and its eyes burned like embers. Its mouth opened far wider than a human mouth should.
Alan released the enchanted arrow.
It struck the creature in the chest.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the arrow erupted in a tremendous burst of fire. Flames spread across the creature's body, illuminating the dunes. The Jinn shrieked and twisted, trying to escape, but the fire consumed it until nothing remained but blackened sand.
The desert fell silent.
Alan stared at the place where the creature had stood. He had never witnessed such destructive magic.
The woman was shaken but unharmed.
"You have freed us," she said.
She guided him through the remaining stretch of desert until they reached the main road. From there, Alan travelled to another port and found a ship heading towards the realm of fairies.
Before boarding, he noticed a familiar face among the passengers.
It was the princess he had rescued from the Banshees.
"Hannah?"
She turned, surprised.
"Alan! I thought you had already left this part of the world."
They greeted each other warmly. Hannah explained that she had persuaded her father to allow her to travel with a group of royal escorts. She wanted to see the world beyond her kingdom and learn more about the dangers threatening it. But after the ship encountered trouble, she had become separated from her guards.
Alan was relieved to see her alive.
"You should return home," he said. "The road ahead is dangerous."
Hannah looked at him.
"You have spent your journey saving people you barely know. Why should I be any different? Besides, I am not helpless."
Alan had no answer.
They boarded the ship together. During the voyage, Hannah asked about his adventures, his training and the reason he had left his kingdom.
For the first time, Alan spoke about Avonland.
He told her about his mother, the ogress and the night his father died. He had not spoken of those memories for years. Hannah listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she gently placed a hand over his.
"You do not have to carry everything alone."
Alan looked away, uncertain how to respond.
He had spent years learning to fight monsters. He was only beginning to understand how difficult it was to speak about the wounds they left behind.