A few hours of sleep was all that Tezaro had allowed himself in the past couple of nights. He began stirring long before the sun broke the dawn with its blistering radiance. The need to find the city of Morid and be out of the desert drove him restless.

He sat at the entrance of the cave looking out into the early dawn. The borders of Armindia were close, and within them laid the answers to his brother's murder.

Tezaro squeezed his eyes tightly shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. It had been almost two years since his murder. The family resemblance had been strong between them, and only became stronger as Larn grew. He had not been happy at who had been chosen to be Larn's mentor, Sir Burldof. He was a formidable knight and his skill was far above many, Tezaro easily conceded that much.

However, many agreed Burldof was an obnoxious man with a temper as quick as his blade. After his defeat in the final tournament for Protector by Tezaro, Burldof was quick to voice his discontent with his new page.

There was no doubt in his mind that Larn would have been a skillful and devoted knight of Armindia. One stupid argument had ended his life. Tezaro's blood boiled in anger.

He hadn't believed his brother's warning, and because of him he was dead. Since then Tezaro's only focus had been to avenge his brother. Two years of hunting and searching for any clues that would lead him to his brother's killer and still nothing.

In moments of solitude like this one, his wandering mind plagued him with a guilt that poisoned his soul. Tezaro's gaze fell on Aurora. Her existence complicated everything. She made him feel and think of possibilities he rather not entertain. He was certain the fates were mocking him. Abruptly, he stood and readied himself for their journey.

When done, he kneeled by Aurora's sleeping figure. Tezaro placed his hand on her shoulder and nudged her awake. "Aurora. Aurora, wake up." With a start, she awoke and skirted away. "Easy, it's okay. Remember? We seem to be repeating this pattern." He half smiled.

"Come on, get up. If we get going now we may reach Morid sometime after noon." He reached out his hands and helped her up.

Standing, Aurora dusted off her clothes, handed him his overcoat and self-consciously began to run her fingers through her hair. In an act that Tezaro thought comical, Aurora repeatedly patted her body, looked down her blouse then searched the ground by her feet.

"Looking for something?"

"What? Ah, no. Nope, nothing at all. I guess I must have dreamt it." She offered him a weak smile.

"I'll give you a moment to ready yourself." Tezaro left the cave and waited patiently until she came out.

The early morning sun greeted them in shimmering streaks of reds as they began their descend. "Come on, let's go." Tezaro took the lead and helped Aurora climb down. After a considerable distance of walking Tezaro asked, "How are you so close to Lily?"

He heard her sigh and saw a visible slump in her shoulders. "When my mother died I was placed with foster parents where I met Lily. She was a foster kid too. Lily lost her father when she was younger."

Aurora shrugged her shoulders. "We just hit it off. Now we share more than an apartment; we share our lives. She's the closest thing I have to a real family." Tezaro nodded in silence.

"Tez," she placed her hand on his arm, "why am I so important?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Tez?" No one addressed him so informally.

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind. But if we're going to be spending time together and you're willing to risk your life for me, the least I can do is feel more comfortable with you. It'll give us a sense of... I don't know, intimaaah, er...friendship. Is that alright?"

His hand covered hers and for a moment he wished they could remain lost in the desert. But that was not to be. Instead he simply nodded.

Her hair was in disarray, sand dusted her face mingled with sweat and she was biting her lip again. Oddly enough she appeared nothing like in his flawless visions, but she was real and stood before him.

"Why are you so important?"  Because you are condemning me to a prophecy I do not wish to fulfill. But that was not what he answered.

"It is no secret that Lord Fennaris plans on invading Armindia soon. He's tried before, but not on a grand scale. It's as if he is testing the boundaries of both armies. Anthonias believes that somehow you are the Key, the solution to everything."

"But how can one person solve it all? It's impossible." She shook her head and kicked the sand.

"I know I don't have any answers; in fact, I'm full of questions. These problems that you talk about are far beyond anything I could fix. I don't know anything about your world, Tez. I wouldn't know where to begin. I think Tony is wrong. What do you think?"

He fought a smirk as she shortened Anthonias' name even further. "What I think does not matter. What matters is what Anthonias will tell you to convince you. Whether or not you believe him, will be up to you." Although for him, he needed no further confirmation that their fates were entwined.

"So how come Armindia has been without a ruler all this time? Aren't there any other royals or someone you could elect?"

This question he welcomed, for it was one that he could answer. "Years passed and difficult as it was three surviving distant cousins were found. The eldest to whom the crown should have gone, flat out rejected the throne."

"Why?" Satisfying her curiosity was a distraction from the burning heat and trickling sweat.

They struggled up a sand dune and Tezaro out stretched his arm to lift her along with him. "He said he already had enough problems running his own lordship, he did not want to welcome the troubles of a broken kingdom."

"So what happened to the other two? Why isn't one of them ruling Armindia?" They were on top of the dune.

"The other two are brothers. The elder, as it turned out, had been an advisor to the queen before they disappeared. He was the most suited for the kingdom."

"But..." She had thought going down the dune would be easier, but as it was she needed just as much focus not to lose her balance and tumble down the hill.

"But having known the royal family for many years and being under their service, taking their throne seemed treasonous."

"How noble."

"That was not the case with the younger brother. He was more than eager for the throne."

"Then why isn't he king?"

"Not all of the kingdom rallied behind him. Many still prefer his older brother, the former advisor."

"The one who would not be king, huh?" It began to make sense to her now.

"Yes. Reluctantly, he agreed to the governorship of Armindia with a sitting council but not the throne. As Steward, he guards the throne until the return of the royal family."

"I see. And that's..."

"Anthonias, the man who sent me to find you."

The wind stirred faster and the dunes began to sing.  They continued to walk for several hours and filled the time with inconsequential talks about the different places of his world. By the time they stopped again, the sun was high in the sky and their water sacs ran close to empty.

"Look," he pointed out in front of them. Aurora searched and saw a faint outline of structures she recognized as buildings. "Here," he ordered as they approached closer and Aurora could see a wall surrounding the large city. Tezaro held out to her his overcoat.

"Put it on. Your clothing will draw attention to us." Aurora did as she was told. "Once inside Morid, stay close to me. I will protect you from any harm."

She nodded then she felt the sand move beneath her feet. Her gaze locked with Tezaro's. "Oh, no! Not this again!"

"Run!" Tezaro grabbed her by the arm and led the way. Unsheathing his sword, he dared a glance behind them.

"Stop!" Aurora commanded. "Stop. I have an idea. Trust me." The sandwyrms began circling in closing ranks around them. "Give me your sword." She held out her hands.

"What?" He continued to pull her to run.

"Make it come on fire and stand behind me." Her eyes pleaded.

Catching the thread of her idea, Tezaro grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him, ready to shield her. "Place your hands along mine."

Tezaro called upon the fire of the sword and knew that Aurora felt the incredible heat on her hands. No one else could withstand the flames but him. He saw her take a deep breath, before she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Tezaro focused on the wyrms, and prepared for another attack if Aurora's plan failed. Suddenly, the sword's flame leapt upward and outward. For once in his life he felt the scorching heat of the blaze along his hands and arms.

He turned to Aurora and saw beads of sweat dotting her face from the heat and concentration. Surprisingly, the heat was gone, but not the flames. A sudden coolness soothed his burning arms and spread through him.

Aurora had projected her shield in a ring around them, stretching it wider. Just as quickly, he was assaulted by a wave of heat, yet it left him unsinged. The shield was on fire, but they were not.

Aurora's powers were beyond what he had seen before. The wall of flame expanded beyond them and consumed the wyrms. Tezaro heard the screeching and saw the wyrms turn to burning carcasses. In a blinding flash, the ring of fire grew in height and pulsed to life. Then it was gone in a glimmering explosion.

Aurora's body fell limp from exhaustion against his. He cased his sword and carried her out of the way from the burning remains. Placing her tenderly on the sands, Tezaro took a water sac from his side, poured water onto Aurora's sweltering face and arms.

Her eyes fluttered for a moment and then closed. Returning the sac to its place, Tezaro rested Aurora against one arm and passed his other arm under her knees to lift her. He entered the city of Morid carrying her in his arms like a gladiator holding his coveted prize.

The city of Morid was the crossroads between the Southern Regions, the elvin kingdoms and the human nations. Travelers from all walks of life sought rest in the multitude of inns and taverns throughout the city. It was a profitable business, and many innkeepers sought to outperform the others with extravagances not typically found in such barren regions.

Although the population of Morid fluctuated with the passing of trading seasons, the native population remained small. Travelers hardly ever made Morid their permanent home.

Past the city gates, he walked the cobbled streets with Aurora in his arms. Tezaro's stony scowl quickly tore down any looks that came their way.

Adobe domed buildings sprung from the sands with painted doorways identifying them as shops, homes, and inns. He entered "The Water Shed," the large, yellow doorway marked it as an inn.

Inside he walked to the innkeeper that stood behind the bar. "We need lodgings." The inn's patrons only briefly turned their attention to them before they returned to their lively discussions and spiced ale.

The portly innkeeper glared at the way he carried Aurora then smiled perversely. "Anxious for the wedding night I see." Tezaro did not like the way the innkeeper leered at Aurora, but he had provided them with a ploy.

Shifting Aurora in his arms, Tezaro withdrew several gold pieces from a hidden pouch at his hip. "Yes, and my bride and I wish to remain undisturbed." At the sight of the gold, the innkeeper's mouth fell open while his hand reached for the gold greedily.

The innkeeper lead them to the back of the Common Room then up a flight of stairs until he stopped in front of a lonely room at the end of the second level. "You will not be disturbed here. I promise you that. " He winked at Tezaro then fetched a key beneath his stained apron and opened the door.

Tezaro motioned for the innkeeper to enter first, in case of an unpleasant surprise, but the room was empty. A large bed dominated the room along with a oval table and two chairs. "If there is anything you require..." the innkeeper did not get to finish.

Stepping inside Tezaro barked his orders, "Leave the key and do not return." With a hurried bow, the pudgy innkeeper left the key on a small table and rushed out the room.

At the sound of the closing door, Tezaro walked to the bed and gently lowered Aurora in the middle. He took the key from the table and placed it in his pocket then walked to the door to lock it from the inside before moving a chair beneath the handle.

He returned and stood at the edge of the bed before he reached into his tunic and pulled out his medallion that carried his family's crest. This would assure her of his return. With a small push the medallion separated in two. One piece remained an outline of the crest; the other held the engraved crest and runes.

He placed the first half of the medallion in her palm and closed it. He scoffed at the irony in which he offered her his crest. But it could not be helped.

Tezaro felt her forehead before he stepped away. Assured that all she needed was rest, he went to the window, opened it, and was quickly out on the ledge. Behind him, he closed it once more, but left a tiny crevice to lift when he returned.