Mombasa is one of the oldest port cities on the coast of East Africa. More than 800 years ago, a large number of merchants from Arab and Persia came here to do business on sailboats.

This is a tender and beautiful tropical city with perfect natural harbor, fine white sand beaches, and interwoven coconut and palm trees.

Before he was seven years old, Yousuf had been living here with his family.

He is the favorite son of Sultan Hassan Mombasa, and his bloodlines of Moorish and Swahili are flowing.

As a young man, Yousuf was a boy full of vitality and curiosity. The mother who was responsible for taking care of him could not bear to see this little trick. When he was six years old, he had already traveled all over the beaches of Mombasa.

He even slipped onto the boat and went out to sea with the fishermen to see them hunting whales using ropes made of fishing forks and coconut fibers.

The fishermen were also happy to bring this lively little prince. Under their teachings, Yousuf learned to dive into the deep water like a pearl picker. Those who saw him swimming flexibly in the sea would think that in front of them was actually a dark little water beast.

If there is still an area in Mombasa that has not been explored by him, it can only be Fort Jesus standing in the southeast corner of the island.

A few years before Yousuf's birth, the Portuguese came here on their three-masted sailboat wrapped in iron, building the fortress with stones.

Although it was built on the land of the Swahili people, no Swahili people were allowed to step in without the Portuguese. It is said that the last rash ghost who was unfortunately caught is still dragging his broken legs and begging for food along the street every day.

Exploring Jesus Castle is the goal that Yousoft has long been thinking about.

Although the mother and her family warned him countless times, this thought was burning secretly and passionately like Mars buried under the ashes.

It was purely unexpected to discover that the entrance to the waterway. Yousuf didn't know where it led, but was attracted by the escaped crabs and walked into the dark cave with the sound of water before he knew it.

The wind blows from a high place, which means there is an outlet above.

Yousuf touched the stone wall, and the smooth touch of bryophytes came from his fingertips. A multi-legged insect crawled quickly over the back of his hand, and he screamed in shock. It seemed that countless little boys were immediately frightened in the cave: "Ahhhhhh--"

After his eyes adapted to the dark environment, he saw a faint light reflected on the water.

He stepped into the waist-deep flowing water, with sharp stones and snail shells at the soles of his feet. Yusuf kicked a bunch of water plants trying to capture his ankles, and felt like he stepped on a flush stone brick.

His other foot followed closely, and with his flexible hands participating in the excavation, the stairs covered by the mud were revealed, rising to the top of his head step by step by step.

At first, he could still walk on his feet. As the stone steps became steeper, he had to go into battle with both hands, and he climbed almost closely against the steps.

It was not until he climbed out of the cave and entered a dazzling light that he realized that he was standing on the cliff with the sea breeze, and the stone steps under his feet were almost vertical.

Surprised seagulls circled around the suddenly appearing boy, and the cliffs on both sides of the stone steps were covered with nests for laying eggs and raising cubs.

Looking up, the thick stone walls of Jesus Castle are above your head.

Yousuf carefully avoided the bird droppings that could fly in the air at any time, slowly climbed to a high place, and entered the castle he had dreamed of through a one-span drain.

Fortunately, no one found him.

There were very few Portuguese garrisons of the castle, and the maximum number was no more than two hundred.

However, even relying solely on the garrison of about a hundred people, the king who was far away from the other end of the world could hold the real power of Mombasa in his hands - Yusuf only understood this many years later, and at this time he was just a little boy who devoted himself to the long-awaited adventure.

What makes Jesus Castle famous is that it is built into a lying human form.

On its "head" facing the sea, dozens of bronze cannons from Germany were set up. In order to prevent the Turkish fleet from attacking, thick fortifications were also built on the city walls, enough to withstand the bombardment of any naval guns and cannons in the world.

Yousuf found that where he was, the arsenal of storing ammunition, looked up from the window and saw the cannon barrel extending directly to the sea.

The faint voice of speech mixed with the sea breeze should be the rotating guard.

Yousuf heard the "shrimp" sound of their tall hard leather boots stepping on the stone bricks, and carefully chose a drainage channel hidden between the vines and the shade of trees, sneaking like a cat.

The buildings inside the fortress are of varying heights. The drainage canal on the top actually leads to the roof of the lower building. The intricate canals, passages and arches connect the houses in the castle into a whole, as if they can really form a huge humanoid life form.

This behemoth is exactly in line with all Yusuf's previous imaginations about it.

He bowed and trotted along the ridge, jumped over fences after fence, jumped out of one window and into another cottage, walking among the red tiled roofs, hay roofs and coconut leaf roofs.

He knew that he was leaving the heavily armed head of the castle and heading towards the towering red tiled tower in his heart.

Yusuf couldn't remember how long he had been running, but he only knew that when he arrived at the tallest tower, his legs and feet were exhausted. He leaned against the wall made of rough sand and earth, and he was breathing while looking down at the fortress under his feet.

Further north is the Sultan Palace where he and his family live, with exquisite white buildings dotted with emerald green coconut trees and small gardens.

At this time, he actually saw his father.
Chapter completed!