The book of John Doe

As you think out loud, you notice a lone Bedouin riding nearby. He isn’t approaching, but from the look of things, he’s been traveling alongside you for a while now. Something in your gut tells you to approach him—you might be able to get some useful information.
Ahead of you stretches mile after mile of flat land, until finally, you see a chain of sand dunes rising on the horizon, stretching endlessly in both directions.
The rider—just a kid, really—doesn’t seem to notice you. It’s as if the world itself is indifferent to him. But you break the spell by calling out a greeting.
“Good day, young man. Do you know how I can reach the city of Dahranjia?”
He remains impassive for a few seconds. He finally breaks his silence to tell you that the city of Dahranjia lies beyond those golden mounds. Furthermore, he doesn’t seem to mind the fact that you both are going in the same direction. Despite looking no older than his early twenties, there’s something ancient in his gaze—he seems too old for his age. What does a life in the desert look like? How different can two lives be?

After mulling it over carefully, you break again the silence that’s settled between you two. You address him:

— My uncle is the Prince of Zalenia, and I am second in line to the Duchy of Moravia. If you take me to him, you’ll be richly rewarded by my uncle. He’s expecting me at the palace. The future of his realm depends, in no small part, on the decisions my father will soon have to make.

— I don’t know if I’ll still have any wealth by the end of this journey—I’ve been betrayed by those I trusted most. But right now, I may be the only one who can help Prince Stanislav defend the city of Zalenica against the Empire. I can offer you no guarantees, no riches—only the honor of having served a noble cause, should you choose to guide me safely to Zalenica.