"My legs are so cramped," Casandra said as she tried to adjust her position.

Elmar cocked his head at her. She wasn't one to complain about anything and it was odd to hear her do so but he could understand her discomfort. He felt it as well and with a glance at Ivory he could tell she was feeling it too. They had been in their tiny cave for what felt like hours and the storm was still raging outside. A part of him wanted to try and chance it but he didn't want to endanger the lives of his friends out of impatience. He had lived far longer than any of them and should be able to demonstrate absolute patience.

He should...but he wasn't...

Ivory shifted her position and ended up pushing against Elmar. She quickly moved aside and apologized but in her haste hit her head on a rock protruding from the cave's ceiling. Wincing and cursing, she put a hand to it. She pulled it away moments later and her eyes widened at the great amount of blood covering it. She put her hand on the wound and pressed down on it.

Elmar glanced at Casandra, who was already leaning forward to help Ivy. "Let me close that up for you. It looks like it might be serious."

"I'm fine," Ivory stated. "I don't want you using up any of your energy over me. I will be—" She cut herself off as she winced and whimpered lightly. Blood was now dripping down her hand and arm and was beginning to drip down from her elbow, pooling on the ground.

Casandra reached over and placed a hand on Ivory's blonde head. She gently pushed Ivory's hand away and placed her own over the wound. Closing her eyes, as Ivory winced and looked away, she focused on strengthening her wari. The wound was surprisingly deep and blood was leaking out in great volumes and in turn was weakening Ivory's wari, loosening its grip on her life force and her soul. She offered strength from her own and empowered Ivory's. The wound closed and the bleeding stopped. Ivory thanked her as Casandra ripped off a piece of her skirt and used it to dab at the blood and clean the other woman's head as much as possible.

"Your head and hair could use a wash," Casandra said when she finished dabbing with her rag, "but it'll do for now."

Ivory nodded. "I'm sorry for being so impatient. I'm a woman of action." She then furrowed her brow, confused as to why she was even speaking so openly to them. She had just admitted a weakness and yet felt no shame in it. She glanced at Casandra and Elmar, who were not ridiculing her or mocking her, and felt at ease. Had she acted with such weakness in the armed forces there would have been whispers of her growing soft and confidence in her ability to command would be threatened. She reminded herself that she was not in her world and the people around her were not her superiors expecting absolute discipline and strength or subordinates looking for a chance to replace her. These were, in all truth and honesty, friends.

"Thank you," she said to the both of them.

"You don't need to thank Casandra so much," Elmar said with a gentle smile. "She would do it for anyone and we'd do anything help her too." He gave Casandra a knowing wink and she smiled back at him.

"I was thanking the both of you."

"I really didn't do anything," Elmar said, curious to know what she was thanking him for.

"I just..." Ivory said, struggling to find the words and feeling lost, completely unaccustomed to speaking from her heart. "I was always supposed to be cold and quiet and strong and I'm glad neither of you think less of me for being impatient."

"We'd never think less of you for something like that," Casandra said to her. "You are not a mindless beast, Ivory. We all have strengths and weaknesses and no one is an exemption to that rule. You can be yourself around us."

Ivory nodded again and smiled a genuine smile, something she hadn't done in so very long. It felt good and she breathed a little easier knowing that she could be a little more open with these people she had come to like and grow fond of.

"The storm," Elmar said as he looked through the small crack they had squeezed through, shattering Ivory's thoughts. "It's quieted down considerably. I think we might be able to leave this cave!"

****

Celestia wiped sweat off her brow and took a drink from her leather water pouch. The heat was overpowering but she bore through it. She was grateful she had decided to wear a light summer dress as it allowed her skin to breathe and she didn't feel like she was cooking herself in it. Glancing back at Boog and Graham she saw that the former had removed his shirt and wrapped it around his waist. Graham, on the other hand, was making hand gestures around Boog. The taller man then smiled and gave Graham a pat on the back before hurrying ahead to catch up with Celestia.

"Wait up for Graham," he said to her, a smile on his face. "He'll set you up with a gust of wind that cools you down, kind of how he kept the mushroom spores out of your nose, but only stronger. It really helps."

Celestia returned the smile and nodded. Graham approached her and smiled sheepishly as she set her eyes on him. "Boog tells me you're going to keep us cool?"

Graham nodded, blushing slightly. "Yes, a breeze against the skin makes this desert quite bearable." He waved his fingers at her, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and a light breeze picked up, brushing against Celestia's skin and winding through her hair. He increased its power slightly until he saw her hair wave about and then put his hand down.

Celestia closed her eyes and relished the feeling of the air touching her skin. It was warm but it evaporated her sweat more quickly and in turn cooled her more efficiently. She thanked Graham with a hug and then turned toward the nearest dune. She ran up its side and soon reached the top. She gazed ahead and her body tensed.

Boog and Graham noticed the change in her posture and ran up to meet her.

Not a second passed before Celestia was suddenly struck hard and sent tumbling down the sand dune. Graham stopped her descent and was relieved to see her still quite alive. Boog ran on, his hands into fists and his muscles tight.

Floating atop the sand dune was the young swordswoman, grinning from ear to ear.

****

Aragol walked along the ridge of a series of connected sand dunes, finding it the easiest route to reach his destination. Karmen was at his side, quiet and solemn, and Victoria was behind him, complaining from time to time about the heat, lack of wind, hot sand, her rapidly lightening water pouch and anything else that bothered her.

"Oh god, just look at my hair," she whined, tugging at her dry tresses. "This is going to take forever to brush out..."

Aragol, growing quite exhausted of her constant and incessant chatter, stopped walking and turned toward her, his arms crossed over his chest. She didn't notice at first but stopped herself just a foot from his position. She looked up at him and took a step back, her expression nervous.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked him.

"You need to cease protesting about every little thing that upsets you, Victoria," he said to her, his voice flat and solid. "You are wasting your own energy doing that and it is irritating both Karmen and I. We would like silence, please."

Victoria frowned and opened her mouth to argue her point but the expression Aragol put on changed her mind. She sighed and looked away, still frowning. "Whatever. Can we just keep moving?"

Aragol eyed her for a few more minutes before turning around and continuing on his way. He wiped sweat from his brow and looked up at the blue sky. He saw no clouds and there was no wind. The heat radiating from the sand they trudged on made their walk more grueling than it already was. They had water in their leather pouches but it was disappearing quickly.

The walk was uneventful and mind-numbingly dull. All three had their heads bowed and staring at the ground as they focused on placing one foot in front of the other. The sun, merciless and relentless, shone down on them like a rain of heat that never stopped. Despite the lack of raindrops, their hair and backs were still soaked.

They slid down the side of one dune and began cresting another, their motions mechanical and their minds oblivious to anything around them. Aragol remained as alert as he could but he had never been in a desert before and the heat was wearing him down. He nearly felt like removing his armour but decided not to. He may yet need it as he did not know how the townsfolk would react to him and his two companions entering their village. When debating between safety and comfort, it was always wiser to choose safety.

Karmen found her eyes heavy and difficult to keep open. Her head felt light and the edges of her vision were hazy. She knew what was happening but didn't want to slow down or get stuck in the desert. She wanted to reach the town as quickly as possible and find some shade and shelter. She fought to keep walking but eventually the heat won the battle and she collapsed in the sand.

Aragol and Victoria quickly bent down beside her and flipped her over on her back. Aragol removed his leather gauntlet and put a hand on her head, gasping and widening his eyes at the heat he felt emanating from her skin. "She will die if she does not cool down immediately." Without another thought he replaced his gauntlet and slid his hands under her, lifting Karmen up in his arms and setting off at a rapid walk. Victoria used one of her new weapons to cut a piece of her shirt off and wet it with her water pouch. As Aragol jogged she kept pace with him and placed the wet cloth on Karmen's head, pressing firmly.

"She needs to strip down, Aragol," Victoria said, her voice strong with concern. "I remember when I took First Aid and they said to find shelter and shade and remove any unnecessary clothing. We haven't any shade so we have to do whatever we can or she won't make it to the town."

Aragol nodded in agreement. He stopped and went to his knees to place Karmen on the sand. Acting out of urgency he undid her pants and unceremoniously slid them off, tossing them on one shoulder as Victoria pulled Karmen's shirt off. They left her undergarments on and Aragol lifted her in his arms once more.

He shook his head in worry. "Her entire body feels so warm. We need to hurry." He ran ahead, his boots kicking up sand behind him with every long stride. Victoria followed close behind, awake and alert.

****

Elmar crawled out of the tiny cave as a light wind brushed his face and breathed in deeply, relishing the fresh air and glad to be out of the cramped quarters. He stood straight and stretched, feeling great relief spread throughout his body. Turning around, he helped Ivory and Casandra crawl out.

"It's finally over," he said to them.

Ivory closed her eyes and let the sun beat down on her face. It was intensely hot and she knew she'd hate it within a few minutes but for now it was a most wonderful feeling. She stretched her legs and arms as if preparing for battle, bringing feeling back into her cramped muscles and aching joints.

Casandra gazed around at the massive desert all around her. It was a familiar sight and the hot sun didn't bother her as much as it did her friends. She had grown up in an arid desert environment and though it was not the most pleasant place to live its familiarity was comforting. She watched Elmar walk to the pile of boulders and extend his arm out to one of the large rocks. The centipede on his shoulder crawled along its length and scurried across the rock in search for shade and prey. She felt a strange sensation in her mind, as if something unsettling was approaching. She soon felt the presence of death and snapped her head around.

"Isn't this fortunate?"

Standing about fifteen paces away was the black form of King Durn of the Damned, his dark body a stark contrast to the bright sunlight and golden sand. Standing beside him was a young man taller than Durn with impressive muscles and a wicked-looking spear in one hand. Casandra sensed an evil presence emanating from the young man, as if he was not all that he seemed. On Durn's other side was another young man dressed in a dark, padded vest and clothing carrying weapons she was unfamiliar with. He was unlike the other two in that she did not sense any dark or evil presence within him but judging by whom his companions were, he was no friend of hers.

Without another word Elmar rushed ahead, his staff now in the form of a shield and sword. Ivory was right behind him, armoured in plate and her silver axe in one hand. Casandra set her eyes on the man that did not belong. He raised his weapon at her, the end of its metal tube pointed directly at her face.

****

"It's you again!" Boog yelled at the hovering woman. "How about you come and try to knock me down!"

The woman grinned wickedly, "My name's Athena, you dumb brute, and I sure as hell will!" She suddenly dove through the air with blinding speed, her sword leading the way.

Boog stood straight and let her come. She was acting exactly as he wanted her to and when her sword reached him it simply went into his body without shedding skin or blood. Unable to stop herself in time, she passed right through Boog's unexpectedly incorporeal form. After she went in and out of him, shock and confusion forced her to hesitate and Boog spun around and slammed a brass-enforced fist into her face with immense strength. She was hit so powerfully that she went soaring back hundreds of feet away. She landed somewhere behind some distant dunes, gone from sight. Boog smiled proudly and glanced to the side as Graham helped Celestia up to her feet.

"That should take care of her for a while," he said to them, removing his brass knuckles and placing them in his pants pockets.

Celestia pointed up the dune, her eyes large. "We're not out of trouble yet..."

Standing at the top of the dune Celestia had been knocked over was an incredibly attractive, dark-haired woman in a tight red dress and a young man, fresh into his teens, with a remarkably fit body and a blade that glowed orange, as if it had been heated almost to the point of melting.

"This is it?" the young man asked mockingly. "I thought there were more of them."

The woman appeared disappointed. "I had thought so as well. Nevertheless, they must die."

She began to walk down the dune slowly and steadily while the young man rushed ahead, his blade held before him and his other hand clenched in a fist. He had his eyes on Boog.

The taller man met the challenger head-on, replacing his brass knuckles and placing himself in a fighting pose, legs spread and bent at the knee with one fist up and the other held out to the side.

The young man was twenty paces from Boog when he shot forth his empty hand, fingers spread, and a wave of force shoved Boog back thirty feet. He landed on his back in an explosion of sand and had just enough time to roll aside as the man leapt at him, chopping down with his sword. Boog got up to his feet and launched his body at him, hoping to tackle him to the ground.

Another wave of force had him flying back, rolling down a neighboring dune to crash on top of a flat, rocky area. He got up but the young man leapt from his position and landed directly in front of Boog, clearing a distance of nearly a hundred feet in a single bound. He stabbed forward but Boog twisted his body out of the way and ducked under a following high slash. He jabbed at the young man's chest but he sidestepped out if its way and lunged. Boog rolled aside from the stab and swept an arm wide. The young man jumped back out of its way and then raised his free hand, cupping it upward. Boog felt an invisible hand grip his neck and he clawed at his throat to no avail. He was then thrown aside and skidded on his back for several feet, the rocks below him scraping and grating his skin. He kicked both legs up into the air with great power, using the weight and momentum of his kick to lift the rest of his body up and then flipped himself over, his feet swinging down to the touch the ground to bring up to a standing position. Ignoring the burning sensation on his back, he frowned at the young man with determination.

"Not bad," the young man said with a smirk. "But I, Alvan Lux, will still be the one to kill you."

"Think again," Boog said before going invisible.

Alvan's smirk disappeared and he glanced about in earnest, hoping to catch a sign of his enemy. He cursed himself for bringing the battle on a flat, rocky area. Had he remained on a sandy dune he would have been able to see where his invisible enemy walked. Now, however, there was no disturbed sand to betray his presence.

A force greater than he'd ever known collided with his left jaw and sent him flying back into the side of a dune, burying him beneath several feet of burning sand, his sword tossing about through the air, landing on the rocks with a clatter.

Boog became visible again and eyed the half-buried young man with a prideful smile. He kissed the brass knuckle on his right fist and flexed his fingers. "Another job well done," he said.

"I fear I must disagree," said a voice full sensuality and lust.

Boog glanced to his right to see the woman in the red dress walking toward him. Her piercing blue eyes captivated him, keeping him in place. Her hips moved up and down in a most hypnotic way as she walked and her chest bounced lightly with every step, bringing a rush of warmth throughout Boog's body. He let her reach his side and place a hand on his muscled arm.

"You have done well," she said huskily. "Now, if you would like to please me, kill the shy man and the childish woman. Do this for me and I will be eternally grateful." She brought her plump lips to his ear and whispered, her hot breath moistening Boog's ear, "Help me and I will help you." She slid a hand down his bare chest with the lightest of touches to emphasize her meaning.

Boog found himself wanting to do anything to get more of this woman. Nothing else mattered. He wanted to feel every part of her. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to bask in the heat of her embrace. Feeling a most intense heat emanating from the lower regions of his body he turned toward the sand dune he, Celestia and Graham had stood on.

"My life is yours," he said to her before running off.

Minara watched him go through her half-lidded eyes with a satisfied smile. She beat her long lashes once. "Indeed it is."

Graham watched Boog run up to the dune toward him and wondered what was happening. He saw the expression of determination on his friend and felt a chill crawl up his spine. Something wasn't right; it almost looked as if Boog was coming to fight him.

****

Aragol, Karmen in his arms, jogged for a while longer until he had to stop and rest. He was beginning to overheat and did not want to collapse as the woman in his arms had. Victoria moistened the cloth on her forehead once more and pressed it lightly, some of the cool water dripping down her face. She lifted her water pouch to Karmen's mouth and slowly trickled water down her throat. She then put the back of her hand against the side of her face and shook her head in worry.

"Aragol, she's getting worse," Victoria said to him, her voice tinged with fear. "How far was that town?"

Aragol, breathing heavier than normal, said solemnly, "It was several miles away. I do not know the exact distance we crossed so far but I assume we have a few more miles left to go."

Victoria shook her head again. "We won't make it."

"What else is there for us to do?"

Victoria had no answers.

Aragol continued. "If we remain here we all die from the heat and if we expend energy trying to dig through this sand to make a cave for shelter we die before we ever succeed. There is nowhere to turn back to and the only possible salvation we can find is at the town. It might end up being deserted and abandoned but at the very least we will find shade." He stood up again, grunting as he lifted Karmen up with him. She wasn't very heavy but in his weakened state even Dragon's End, sheathed and hanging on his left side, felt like a great burden to him.

Victoria stood up and put a hand on Aragol, stopping him as he stepped forward. She placed a finger on her lips before he could ask anything and glanced about. She whispered quietly, "I hear voices..."

Aragol soon heard them too and felt his body tense. He gently placed Karmen on the ground and slowly unsheathed his blade. At once, his senses heightened in readiness for battle and he detected the location the voices were coming from. He eyed a large sand dune to his right and Victoria followed his gaze, her fork-like weapons in her trembling hands.

A familiar figure walked out from behind the dune, his head low and his arms hanging at his sides. Behind him walked an older man, though still young, his body in the same position. A third figure appeared, this one of a woman, and she was much more animated than the men. She was the one talking and was making exaggerated and dramatic expressions with her arms and body.

"It's Seth!" Victoria hissed. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Aragol narrowed his eyes, watching the enemy closely. He was about a hundred feet away and did not appear to have noticed them yet. "He was most likely sent here by whatever force commands him. He is here to kill us, no doubt."

Victoria sniffed derisively. "Looks like this heat is going to do that to him soon enough."

They were spotted when the woman in the back spun around for whatever reason and set her eyes on them. She laughed and pointed at them, hopping in place victoriously. Seth and the other man looked up and immediately changed their stances into ones of action and battle.

Aragol stood in front of Karmen's body protectively, Dragon's End held at the ready. "Get behind me, Victoria. Your duty is to keep Karmen alive at all costs. Keep her hydrated and as cool as you can."

"You can't take them all on by yourself!" Victoria argued.

"They are weakened and tired by the heat. They shouldn't prove much of a problem."

Victoria groaned in protest but did as she was told. She went to her knees next to Karmen and dabbed another wet cloth on her forehead. She didn't want to alarm or distract Aragol but her pouch of water was nearly empty and didn't think she'd have enough to wet her cloth again.

Seth launched fireballs as he charged across the sand. Aragol blocked them with his blade with relative ease. A jet of flame soon followed them and he stabbed his sword into it, the fire wrapping around his blade and sinking into it before ever reaching him. When the fire vanished Aragol was surprised to find himself facing a huge predatory cat full of rippling muscles beneath short, black fur. He slashed at it, not wanting to jump out of its way and uncover Karmen and Victoria. It stopped in time and roared at him, revealing its maw of dagger-like teeth. Aragol stood his ground as Seth and the woman approached. He glanced at each of them in turn, sword up, and planned his next action.

Whistling through the air, throwing knives came streaking at him with blinding speed. Aragol ducked under one, deflected a second, blocked a third, and winced as a fourth sliced a shallow cut across his neck.

"Oh come on!" the woman shouted in disbelief. She stomped her feet on the ground and held her arms at her sides stiffly, her blue and green eyes blazing with anger. "How is that even possible?"

The huge cat lowered its body, pinning its ears back, and prepared to pounce as the flames around Seth's hands grew in size. A low growl came from the beast and it narrowed its eyes. Aragol saw its muscles tense and readied to slash at it after it pounced, hoping he could move out of its way fast enough. Its eyes glanced briefly at something behind him and suddenly the cat's expression changed completely. Its eyes widened and its ears snapped up as it fixated its gaze on whatever it found of great interest behind Aragol.

"Auric!" the woman said angrily, giving the cat a smack upside the head. "What are you doing? You're supposed to kill him! And what are you looking at?" She followed the cat's gaze and furrowed her brow in curiosity. "It's just a girl. What's so special about her?"

Aragol took a step back as the cat began to rapidly lose mass and muscle before his eyes. Its fur fell off and its entire body reformed into one of a naked human. Aragol recognized him as the man that had been following Seth. His wide eyes were on Karmen and he appeared almost afraid.

"What is her name?" the man asked. He glanced at Aragol and pointed at Karmen. "That woman...what is her name?"

Aragol exchanged glances with Victoria, who was as bewildered as he was, and then looked at the three figures before him. The woman and Seth appeared equally confused. What was going on? He looked at the naked man kneeling in the sand and said, "Her name is Karmen. What do you—"

The man gasped loudly and put his hands over his mouth, his eyes bulging. "Karmen Ramsey?"

Victoria, kneeling behind Aragol, nodded. "Yeah, how do you know her?"

He shook his head wildly, his dark hair tossing about. "She...she survived! All these years I thought she was dead. One Ramsey still lives... I... I feel so relieved."

"Who are you?" Aragol said through clenched teeth, his grip on Dragon's End tightening.

"Auric Craven," he replied, his eyes still on Karmen. "I...My family were her neighbours when she was a child. I...I...haven't seen her since her folks were murdered."

"Murdered?" Victoria asked in shock. "Why were they murdered?"

"It was an accident..."

"How do you know that?" Aragol asked him as his eyes narrowed.

"She doesn't look too well," the woman said as she looked at Karmen. "Is she dead? If so, can I have her bra? Mine keeps digging into my—"

"No!" Auric cried out. "No! She can't die!" He looked at Aragol, his hands held before him pleadingly. "Let me help her! I owe it to her! What do I need to do to make her better?"

Aragol glanced at Karmen and then at Victoria, who shook her head and shrugged. How could they trust a man who had just tried to kill them? "We can't trust you."

"Yes! Yes you can!" Auric lay flat on the ground, his clenched hands shaking as he begged. The woman eyed at his exposed backside and arched her eyebrows, enjoying the sight. "I know I'm supposed to kill you and all that but not before I tell Karmen how sorry I am. I need to talk to her! Please! After that we can go back to fighting for our lives!"

"You're insane," Victoria said to him. "Do you know how stupid and crazy that all sounds?"

Aragol glanced at Seth, who said nothing, his expression one of confusion and deep thought. "How do we know you will not just kill her?"

Seth frowned at him. "This isn't my idea!"

Auric was inching closer to Karmen and reached a hand for her, brushing his fingers against her arm. He gasped again. "She's so hot! She's going to die if we don't do something! Please let me take her! Tell me where to go. I know you know a place."

Leading his enemies there was not a part of Aragol's plan but Auric was right about Karmen. Every minute they spent debating and deciding brought her closer to death. He could fight these three and perhaps kill them but he would be tired and have even less energy to carry Karmen to the village. If he died in the battle then Victoria and Karmen were as good as dead. For the moment, these enemies standing before him were not posing him a threat. One of them was even offering a sorely needed solution to their problem. He looked at Victoria, who was now standing beside him, gripping his arm in one hand. She was looking at him with large eyes that searched his face for an answer.

"What do we do?" she whispered.

Aragol took a deep breath. "Karmen has little time left to her. We need to save her."

"But...they're our enemies! How can we trust them?"

"We can't, but our only options are to use up all our energy fighting them and have none left to carry Karmen or take a chance that they'll keep their word and let Auric take her."

"I have a bad feeling about this, Aragol."

"I share your feeling, Victoria, but I believe we have to risk it. If there is a chance their help can keep Karmen alive we need to take it." He put a hand on Victoria's shoulder in an attempt to calm her. "Dragon's End will be at my side the whole time. I will be alert and ready for anything and I suggest you do the same." He turned to the other three.

"How can you help us, Auric?" he asked the naked man.

Auric beamed brightly and rose up on all fours. Without warning his body grew in size and his skin changed color and began to grow tiny pin-like hairs. The hairs opened up and elongated into feathers and his head stretched out, as did his neck. His legs became scaly and his toes ended in long talons. A fan-like tail of feathers protruded from his lower back and within moments a huge condor stood before them. Its featherless head turned in Karmen's direction and it blinked its huge eyes, studying her closely.

"Yay!" the woman cried in glee. "I've always wanted to fly!" She climbed up the huge bird's back and sat up against its neck, giving its head a few pats. "Good boy, Aurry Baby."

Seth stared at Aragol, still unsure of what to do. The two adversaries stood motionless, their eyes doing all the talking. Seth no longer had flames on his hands and he relaxed slightly. Aragol acted a few minutes later, slowly sheathing his sword and revealing his open palms to reveal he meant no threat. Seth gave him a nearly imperceptible nod before climbing up behind the woman. Aragol glanced at Victoria, who appeared to be struggling with indecisiveness, and squeezed her shoulder. She looked at him and he nodded to her before bending down to grab Karmen. He walked to the huge condor and it lowered itself as much as it could, allowing him to climb aboard with as little difficulty as possible. The bird's black feathers were already hot from the sun but if it could take them to the village in time to save Karmen then he would endure the heat.

Victoria stood off to the side, still wondering what to do.

Aragol reached a hand for her. "Come, Victoria. Think about Karmen."

She did, and knew that despite their differences and tendencies to fight were she in Karmen's position she would do whatever she could to help her. She took Aragol's hand and climbed up behind him, grabbing his waist and holding on tightly.

The condor squawked loudly and spread its extensive wings. It bent its legs and leapt up into the air as high as it could, flapping down powerfully and slowly rising. Aragol pointed ahead, in the direction they needed to go, and the condor squawked again, rising higher and higher with each great flap. As the sand dunes shrunk beneath them their view of the world around them expanded vastly and before long there was a dark smudge near the horizon.

"The town!" Victoria called over the sound of rushing air caused by the gigantic flapping wings. "Is that the one, Aragol?"

He nodded. "Yes. It's the one I saw in the vision." The condor saw it too and it flew toward it, crossing great distances in mere seconds. The sun was mercilessly hot but with each flap of the condor's wings the town grew larger and Aragol guessed that they would reach it in mere minutes. He looked down at Karmen, whose face was red with heat, and lifted it up to his own. He kissed her forehead, alarmed at how much heat his lips felt, and held her close.

"Hang on, Karmen," he whispered to her. "Salvation is near."