Hero was awake when the bandits' camp came into view. In a swirl of dust the eagles landed outside a larger tent pitched among the smaller sets.

                     The larger eagle dusted himself off and approached the tent. "Permission to enter?" He asked.

                     "Who is it?" A voice demanded from inside the tent.

                     "It is I, Thebes." The Eagle said.

                     Hero looked around the camp. The sun was already hot and overwhelmingly bright. The occupants were raggedy and each carried some type of dangerous weapon. His attention was drawn back to the tent when it opened and a honey badger stepped out. He wore a belt decorated with many daggers and a necklace with a large ruby pendant around his thick neck. Hero wondered what poor soul had to die in order for him to acquire such spoil.

                     He approached Hero, hacking and spitting on the ground as he did. Some of his breakfast still clung to his wooly chin as he stood on his hind legs and put his hands on his hips. "This isn't a fox, what happened to my fox?"He he barked at Thebes.

                     "C-Ca Captain, you don't understand." Thebes stammered. "This one is worth more than many nomadic children. He's of the Nagorin race."

                     The honey badger still didn't look impressed. "How did you get him?"

                     "Well Captain, the Nagorins have been sent into exile." Thebes said. "We thought you'd like a change in spoil."

                     "I see." The Captain said. "But why not capture a bunch of small children, why just one larger one?"

                     "Well we caught this one out on his own," Thebes said, "But that's not the best part. He's royalty!"

                     "Is that so?" The Captain said, looking at Hero through the nets. "And how do you know this?"

                     "I thought you would ask that." Thebes said. "Horus." He gestured to his companion who promptly loosened the net and spilled Hero onto the ground. Thebes pulled him up and yanked back his bandanna reveling Hero's Eye of Nagoray necklace. "A relic only worn by Nagorins he said. And look at the boy's eyes, see how they match the necklace? Captain I present to you, Prince Hero of Nagoray!"

                     The captain smirked. "Well, Horus, Thebes, you two have outdone yourselves. Yes." He stroked his chin as he looked at Hero. "Put a heavy ball and chain on this one...he'll fetch triple as much as the others." He started away then stopped. "Oh and be sure to keep that necklace with him." He gave Horus and Thebes a meaningful look before returning to his tent.

                     Hero was chained and escorted to a bucket of water where several children sat chained together. Horus added him to the chain gang then swatted him in the back of the head. "Enjoy your beverage, You Highness!" he said and waddled away cackling madly.

                     Hero made a face at him then looked at the other children who stared back at him. They all looked half starved and abused. He looked into the bucket that they all shared for water. Dead insects floated on the surface and sand accumulated at the bottom. He tried smiling at the other kids but their expressions did not change. The wind blew stiff and hot and Hero shielded his eyes from the burning sand.

All he could think about was Kiva bleeding in the desert and probably dead...his mother probably thought he was dead too and poor Uhua.

                     The camp moved out early the next morning before the sun. If Hero had any hope of rescue and began to fade as further suffering distance was put between him and his family. The bandits who turned out to me from the tent tribe of Keshites sung marching songs as the Captain moved them through the desert.

                     The other children never said a word when Hero tried to strike up conversation of make them smile. They seemed more aware of their fate than he did. He realized that they were heading south which meant they were moving towards Nagoray. Thinking about it and what may have become of it hurt him to the core. Her reached under his bandanna and squeezed his necklace.

                     "Dearest Nagoray...I'm watching you...are you watching me." He felt a shove from behind and stumbled forward.

                     "Keep up!" The bandit barked then looked over his shoulder when he heard a hissing noise.

                     "Hey Abu." A grizzly bandit said to the fox who had shoved Hero.

                     Abu turned around and Hero looked too. The desert seemed to have come to life and rose like a great wall of dust. If it had been in Nagoray it would have surely reached above his windmill.

                     "I feel sorry for whatever poor devils are caught out in that." The bear said dismissively

                     "Better them than us, I always say." Abu said and shoved Hero again.

/

Kiva pulled his hat down over his face for shade. Last night despite the throbbing pain he was in he had decided to go after the people that took Hero. Lahar had been opposed at first but then she relented. After making her promise to look after his mother and sister Kiva gathered his band and set out.

                     Hyxoes, the silver furred baboon was an excellent navigator. Imook was skilled in medicine and had been the one to attend to Kiva's eye. Elim had insisted that he was the bronze and forced his way into coming along. Other's had offered themselves willingly but none of these had the proper training and were forced to stay behind.

                     Now the sun was high on the rise and it was the third day they had started out on their own. Kiva had to get used to having one eye but the heat was hard to suffer and evaporated his water.

                     "We'll die." Elim said. "I know we will. We should have never left the camp we should have never left the palace."

                     "Don't be stupid, Elim." Imook said. "If we had stayed in Nagoray Mounts would have been putting your head on a pike right now."

                     "No!" Elim said. "I'd be lying in the shade right now, free of this torment"

                     "Yeah, lie in the shade." Imook laughed. "That's pretty much all you ever did."

                     Elim glared at him and the two dove into a fit with each other.

                     Kiva stopped and looked over his shoulder with a sigh as Hyxoes approached his blind side. He would have to be his left eye now. "What am I going to do about him?"

                     "He may be a pain in the flesh but his heart is in the right place. If comfort was really what was on his mind he would have stayed with the camp."

                     Kiva nodded. "Hey you two!" He called the wolves. "The bandits have over a day ahead of us stop acting like a little girls."

                     "He started it!" Elim pointed to Imook.

                     "Really, Elim, act your age not your paw size." Hyxoes said. "Now you heard Kiva, get your tails in gear and lets go."

                     Elim gave Imook one more look then fell back in line. The days that followed were much similar. The only difference seemed to be how fatigued they became. On the seventh day the sun was just as hot and Kiva tilted his face to the sky. The rays felt like blades piercing his flesh and murdering him slowly. He opened his eye when he heard the faint sound of drumming.

                     "Hyxoes—"

                     "I hear it too." Hyxoes said at his side. He squinted at the horizon and could make out dark form rippling in the desert heat. "Hey!" He shouted waving his arms in the air. "hey." He said with less strength.

                     "We need to get closer." Kiva said adjusting his pack.

                     Hyxoes turned around and shook his head at Elim taking up the rear far away. "Pick up the pace."

                     Elim grumbled but joined them. As they got closer to what they had seen it became clear it was a camp.

                     When Kiva saw the well he suddenly felt a burst of energy. He threw himself over the side.

                     "Your Highness, you haven't even a bucket." Hyxoes said but Kiva was already spooning the water to his mouth with his paws. After a moment Hyxoes joined him and Elim and Imook wasted no time.

                     Kiva splashed the water on his face and tilted his head back letting the cool drops drain down his neck and into his fur.

                     "Hey!"

                     Kiva opened his eye and smeared away the water. Three young male goats stood with their arms crossed.

                     "What do you think you're doing to our well? You do know you're trespassing on Heshenite territory?"

                     "Heshenites." Hyxoes said.

                     "Good?" Kiva asked him.

                     "Well right now we're trespassing." Hyxoes said.

                     "We come in peace." Kiva spoke for his band. "We were tired and thirsty and had no other choice but to intrude. I offer my apology in exchange for your forgiveness."

                     One of the goats approached him. He looked Kiva over then back into his face. "What happened to your eye?"

                     "Bandits." Kiva said. "They kidnapped my brother and we must catch up to him."

                     The goat nodded. "Come with me." He said and walked into the camp.

                     Kiva looked back at his companions and when none of them offered an alternative he followed the Heshenite into the camp.

                     They were led to a tent, straight inside where an albino lion was leaned over a table talking to a dingo. The goat went up to the lion and whispered something in his ear. The lion then looked at Kiva, Elim, Hyxoes and Imook. Excusing himself from the table he went up to them then went over to a chair in a corner and sat. The goat gestured for Kiva to join him.

                     Kiva wasn't sure if he should sit or stand in the young lion's presence so he waited for the invitation.

                     "So," the lion said. "I hear you trespassed my well." He casually lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. "I also hear you dealt with bandits. Is that how you came by that shocker?"

                     Kiva touched the gauze. "Look...sir...we're sorry for trespassing, we only wanted—"

                     The lion held up his paw. "Stop all this apologizing," he said, "Sit down."

                     Kiva practically collapsed onto a cushion.

                     "Kidnapped your brother you say?" the young lion said once they were all seated. "Who are you and where are you coming from?"

                     "Nagoray." Kiva said. "Crown Prince Kiva of Nagoray."

                     "Crown Prince, hmm." The lion stroked his minor beard. "So the bandits have taken a Prince of the Nagorin royal blood. They really are brazen."

                     To Kiva it seemed as if the Heshenite didn't care. "Excuse me." He said as cigarette smoke swarmed around him.

                     "I'm sorry I didn't offer any." The lion said and held out the carton.

                     "Thought you'd never ask." Elim said helping himself to one which another Heshenite lit for him.

                     "Excuse me." Kiva said again when Elim was out of the way and the lion looked at him impatiently. "But I didn't catch your name."

                     After taking a long drag on his cigarette the lion's red eyes met Kiva's one remaining. "The name is Wessex," he said. "Sorry but I have not fancy titles to attach to my name. I'm just a simple nomad lad trying to make a living on trade."

                     Kiva felt stupid for getting inflated and looked away.

                     "The bandits that took your brother were probably Keshites." Wessex said.

                     "Are they your enemy?" Hyxoes asked.

                     "No." Wessex said. "But these bandits that took your brother owe me money." He put his cigarette in the ashtray. "The captain cheated me out of silver and made off with sixteen pounds of wheat and produce. That may not seem like much to a Prince but values are higher in the desert." He got up from his chair and went back over to the table. "You sons of kingdoms and empires are spoiled."

                     Kiva got up and joined him at the table with Hyxoes following closely.

                     "When you live in the desert, where the sand is constantly changing you have to learn the roads by feel."

                     Hyxoes nodded. "I prefer the more absolute method of star navigation." He said.

                     "That's nice, fancy pants but say there is an overcast or a sandstorm. Your stars won't do much then," Wessex said then tapped the map on the table. "Now our bandits probably went off south towards Nagoray. If he's looking for more gold he'll probably head for Moab's tribe. It's a wealthy tribe that winters in Heaven's Oasis." He tapped the spot on the map.

                     Kiva nodded. "How soon can we get there?"

                     "Well with those dust devils stirring up I'd say three weeks to a month." Wessex said walking to the edge of the tent. "By star." He said looking over his shoulder with a smirk

                     "You can't possibly be suggesting to come with us," Hyxoes said.

                     "Look, you boys are dead out there alone and I, by my good heart, can't let that happen. The bandits owe me money and they have your brother. The way I see it fate has brought us together."

                     "Nagorins don't believe in the fates." Hyxoes said.

                     "A blessing from on high then." Wessex said. "As leader of the Heshenite warriors I offer to take some of my fighters and help get your brother back. The choice is yours to accept or refuse."

                     "We'll need a moment," Kiva said and turned to Hyxoes. "Well?" he whispered.

                     "He seems too keen to help us." Hyxoes said. "How do we know he won't betray us to the bandits?"

                     "We don't." Kiva said, "But we are all out of food and water. We can't help Hero if we die before we find him. This Wessex may be our only hope."

                     Hyxoes sucked his teeth. "Alright but I don't like it."

                     "I don't care too much for the circumstances either." Kiva said. "But it's all we can do."

                     Hyxoes nodded and Kiva patted his back.

                     "Well what will it be, Crown Prince?" Wessex asked.

                     Kiva stood tall. "It will be an honor to accept your company." He said.

                     "Bravo!" Wessex said shaking his paw. "Essy," He said to the goat. "Get your brother to assemble  A through E of my unit." He walked outside as he spoke to Essy , Kiva and his band followed him. "Tell them to assemble in raid formation tomorrow at dawn. Tell them they are under commission of Crown Prince Kiva and will answer to him through me." Wessex smiled as Essy carried out his order. "What do you think Crown Prince...never thought you'd lead warriors did you?"