"JURIE!!!!" Jurie heard Rami bellow as she slid down the rope, to the ground.

She watched as Rami clambered to peer over the edge of the platform to see her safely on the ground. His eyes widened and Jurie smirked up at him.

"Like I said Fool. Think with your brain and not with your mouth." Jurie called up to him.

Rami then proceeded to swing his legs over the side of the platform, holding tightly onto the rope, with his shield and sword strapped to his back and his clothes hung over his left shoulder. Sliding down the rope, Rami hopped off, his eyes roaming over Jurie, checking for any injuries.

"Smart." He muttered, gesturing to the rope.

Jurie shook her head sighing and unsheathed her katana before slicing the rope, letting it fall to the ground. Grabbing the remainder of the fallen rope she hauled the commander's body after her, slipping back into the forest.

"Wait." Rami shouted before he too melted into the dark shadows of the forest.

The two trekked through the forest, and each five minutes Rami would offer to carry the commander for Jurie and every single time Jurie simply shook her head and pressed onwards. The man was heavy but he was worth the burden. It wasn't long before they found themselves deep in the forest, its canopy blocking out any chance of sunshine.

Rami stopped, and leant against a tree. "Should we rest?" He asked, thinking that Jurie needed a break from carrying the man.

"No." Jurie answered him firmly. "Resting would mean spending more time in here and keep your body moving! You don't want to get eaten by mosquitoes."

Sighing Rami, continued. She's such a stubborn woman.

Lazy ass. Jurie thought to herself as she continued dragging the commander.

The sky darkened, behind the trees and night fell. However, the two walked on, never taking a break. Beads of sweat slid down their faces, as the humid air engulfed them. Suddenly the incessant chirping of birds stopped and the croaking of frogs faded out.

The Shadow Princess and the Arabian Knight froze in their tracks. It wasn't long before they glimpsed a bright light, hurtling towards them. The heat increased, so much that it felt like it was burning their skin. The bright light hit the ground and the trees, bushes and ferns surrounding it erupted into flames.

"Fireballs." They both said, Rami a second behind Jurie. "Let's get out of here!"

Yet even as they ran, burdened with the heavy commander, fireballs flew their way, hitting the ground mere millimetres from them. It was like they were running through an arc of scorching flames, leaving behind them a trail of all-consuming fire.

"Hurry!" Rami cried, looking behind him to Jurie. He watched in horror as Jurie's knees buckled from the weight of the commander, her forehead sheened with sweat and hit the ground, where the fire was steadily spreading to. "JURIE!!" He bellowed, diving towards her.

Jurie lifted her head up and managed a weak smile, before a sharp pain, wretched it from her face. The commander had fallen onto her, his dead weight pinning her down onto the ground. Shuffling her legs, Jurie felt another jolt of searing pain and cried out, giving up. She felt the flames start to lick at her boots and squealed. Trying to move her legs again, Jurie bit down on her lips, to muffle the scream threatening to overwhelm her. Blackness flashed in her eyes and she fell back, in a heap of tangled limbs and silky cloth. It seemed as if she had broken her ankle. And with the weight of the commander on her, it was unlikely she would be able to move at all. The fire had already reached them and was starting to eat at the commander's clothes.

He will go first. Then it will be I. Jurie thought sombrely.

~~~~~

At first he panicked. The flames seemed to spread more quickly. He saw the look in Jurie's usually fiery honey amber eyes. The same look he saw on his former comrades. The same comrades who realised that their life was over.

I won't let that happen. Vowed Rami.

So he breathed. He calmed himself down. He took out his dagger and quickly undid the ropes around the commander. After all extra weight would make him lose more energy. Especially in the blistering heat of fire. The commander's clothes were on fire, but that didn't dissuade Rami from hoisting him on his shoulders.

"Run!" He bellowed to Jurie who was already on her feet once the weight had lifted off her back. She ran. Rami with his feet pounding the ground ran after her.

"Go downhill! Find water!" He roared dodging out of the way of the flaming rocks that thundered and pounded at them in a ceaseless firestorm.

Rami could already feel the flames licking through his clothes. Searing through the skin on his back arms and chest.

He was on fire.

He wanted to scream. But he survived sixteen bullets. He will survive this.

The flames. He never realised how lethal fire was. Every element had its heaven and hell but fire was the most unpredictable.

"Water is just down there! Come on Rami you can make it!" It was her voice. It was the best motivation he could hope for.

So he ran. The flames were searing through his skin more strongly. He realised why. He was running fast. The speed and wind was fanning the flames. This made it even more detrimental that he run faster to water as the fireballs whipped this way and that.

Finally he saw it. Clear and blue.

He had no time to admire the river's beauty because that was when he leapt into its cool depths.

Heaven.

The word was the first thing his mind registered. The cool water quenched the flames easing his burning muscles and cooled down his body. But the pain was still there. He forgot about needing air until he saw black spots cloud his vision. He emerged from the water coughing and spluttering. Realising he still had the commander with him, he pulled the commander up to the sandy bank. Checked the large man's pulse before looking up at Jurie. Her hair which had come loose during the firestorm and was slightly singed. The edges of her clothes where burned and her boots were in such a horrible mess that she had thrown them back when she was running away from the flames.

She was looking at him, grateful. Her lips mouthed the words thank you.

Rami nodded. He ran his fingers through his hair. For some reason it felt strange. It was only when he actually looked at his hand that he realised. In his hands was the charred wet mess that once used to be his tight ebony curls. He grimaced. He liked his hair like that bouncing about his neck. But his mother had told him many times he was in desperate need of a hair cut. He ran his hand through the rest of choppy charred mess of uneven hair. He probably needed to shave his head once he got back.

Malek would tease him mercilessly but right now that didn't matter. He looked at his reflection in the water. There was a burn on his left cheek bone and his neck. His face was covered in grime. His hair was choppy uneven and burned. The white suit he sported was pretty much black, through the charred mess of his clothes he saw his burns. They weren't pretty.

He scowled. Jurie was pretty much unscathed. Why did he always get the brunt of the injuries?

That's because you're trying to protect her. Said a voice in his head. Sadly he realized it was true.

"What's the plan Angel?" He asked smiling in his boyish fashion.

"I half expected you to cry. Seeing how marred your beautiful face is."

"So you agree its beautiful."

"I didn't say that!"

"You implied it."

"Using my own words against me Fool."

"I learnt from the best."

"First I think we should bathe." She said gesturing to the river. "Then we should change. I'll heal you up and then we'll rest for the night."

"How do we know the fire won't come back."

"Didn't you see how the fireballs came at us? My guess is they were some sort of artificial trap. And every trap has it's own territory."

"Of course you would know. Your house is pretty much a huge death trap!"

"At least it's successful in killing our enemies."

"All except one." Said Rami smiling.

"That's only because I helped." She huffed before moving towards the other side so she could bathe.

Rami noticed that she was limping. Maybe he didn't get the brunt of the injuries after all.

"You're limping." He said.

"I wonder how you knew..." said Jurie, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"It's broken isn't it?" Jurie nodded. "I should have carried him." Growled Rami. His green eyes dangerously close to wild anger. "I should have wrestled him from you. I'm so stupid."

"Ever heard of the past is in the past? It doesn't matter. You can't change the past. So if you don't mind can you please turn around while I bathe myself."

"Right," with that he turned around and started stripping down. He hadn't realised the extent of his burns until his clothes were off. He felt sick to his stomach seeing them. Once he had washed away the charred blackened skin, the pus, the dry blood thy didn't seem too bad. At least the flames hadn't reached the bones.

Clean but sore he emerged from the water and changed. He smiled. His usual clothes had managed to survive the fire. He tried not to let his eyes drift towards Jurie who was probably still bathing, but he failed once he heard her singing. It was an unearthly, almost heavenly sound. High and clear but with certain deep undertones. He couldn't understand the language in which she sung. But he could swear every bird in the area had fallen silent.

He was entranced by her physically as well as musically. Her pale yet slightly tan body was turned to him. Her long hair was swept to one side as she cleaned herself. Her back was small, strong and slim. The muscles perfectly toned and beautiful. Rami had the sudden urge to reach out and touch it. But stopped himself and tore his eyes away. But the notes in her beautiful voice remained in the air even after she stopped singing.

He busied himself trying to make a fire. That was when Jurie appeared beside him with a smile on her face. His breath hitched but none the less he continued with the fire.

"You sing well." He remarked.

"You heard." She asked blushing.

"Any louder the King of England would have heard."

He got up and dragged the commander to the fireplace.

"How long will he stay paralysed?" He asked.

"Three days."

"How many more locations?"

Jurie thought for a while before saying, "two more."

"Only?"

"Yes only two. You weren't exactly paying attention were you back with Montero."

Rami's mind drifted to that moment. Then he remembered the wave of emotions that had hit him. Making him an uncontrollable beast of sorrow.

"I'm taking first watch." Announced Rami. He needed time alone. To think about it. Jurie seemed to realise this.

"Alright. But first we need to heal up. Any idea on how to treat a broken ankle."

That was when Rami remembered the three small vials of Altheda ointment that he brought with him from the Amaarwa tribe. The fabled plant that could cure any disease.

He felt around his pockets. Finally three small vials fell into his grasp.

"I think this will help us." He said smiling as he handed her the vials.

Hello GUYSSSSSS!!!! This is the 22nd Chapter already OMG!!! I can't believe it! So for those of us in Australia school has just started hope you guys have a good year and for those of us who haven't yet started school good luck and best wishes!!!! Needless to say we had a very interesting start to the year!

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So the pic above or to the side is the Montague symbol, family symbol, drawn by our one and only Sargun it looks awesome right?! Yes? Yes? Yes. Okay. So if you guys don't know what to comment just drop a comment down in the comments box below about how amazing Sargon's drawing is!