Chelsea Raines glanced up at the vicious sun, and the glare was so intense she had to squeeze her eyes shut. She sighed, "Three hours... This heat is going to kill me."
A tall, lean man in a felt hat and traditional ethnic clothing approached them. He was coming from the direction of the watermelon patch and looked like he'd been working there for quite some time.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Nigati. Welcome to Xylia." His Mandarin wasn't perfect, but he wore a constant, beaming smile.
Two more men and a woman, also in traditional clothing and looking to be in their twenties or thirties, walked over. They greeted the group first in a local dialect, then again in Mandarin.
Nigati introduced them. "This is my son, and this is my daughter."
The guests all shook their hands and said hello.
Nigati's young daughter ran off and returned carrying a large watermelon. Her cheeks were a healthy, rosy color, and her smile revealed perfectly straight, white teeth.
