-1Prologue

The night was still and calm, unusual for midsummer. No crickets chirped, no creatures roamed, no fireflies danced about. Our bare feet padded silently on the damp ground as we made our way through the trees, taking extra care not to alert anything or anyone to our presence.

A light broke the darkness just ahead. We slowed our pace and crept to the edge of the trees. Below us, down the hill, lay our destination. The Village Hidden in the Sand. Our mission, our future, our lives rested within its walls.