The wind. That was the first thing Sheba sensed about Suhalla. There were strange sounds on the wind, strange, unearthly sounds. She addressed her concerns to the guards, the men who had been appointed to protect her and guide her back to her hometown of Laliviero. Sheba stood on the edge of one of the roof of the inn. Her love of high, precarious places was driving her guards absolutely insane.

"P-please Miss Sheba, come DOWN!" her current guard, a young man named Tarel begged her. She happened to know that Tarel had a terrible fear of heights.

"Can't you hear it?" Sheba asked him, looking out towards the desert. "It doesn't sound right, the wind is carrying some strange voice..."

Tarel stopped his whimpering for a moment to look out, following her gaze, "All I hear is the wind, the constant howling wind. How can people actually live here!?"

"That was my thought exactly, but... why can't you hear it!? Why? What is it that I hear? Why can't I put it into words!?" Sheba cried in frustration.

"Miss... Miss Sheba? Can we please go down now?" Tarel whimpered again to her.

Sheba sighed, looking out at the desert again, "What am I going to do? It's going to be torture going through that desert... last time I was unconscious... but now..."

"Miss-"

"YES! I'M COMING!" Sheba screamed at the man. She shoved past him and stormed down the ladder.

Tarel scampered after her, clearly worried about having upset her, but clearly relieved to be off the roof.

"Look... how old ARE you?" Sheba asked him, looking him up and down.

"S-seventeen..." Tarel told her.

"Seventeen? So you're a brand new guard aren't you?" Sheba asked him.

"Yes... I won sixth place in-" he began.

"PLEASE don't get me started on that RIDICULOUS tournament of Babi's." Sheba snapped at him. Her eyes softened, feeling sympathy for him, "That's very good though. You must be a very good fighter."

"W-well..." he blushed deeply.

Sheba looked at him again, this time with calm eyes and not angered eyes. 'He really is quite handsome' she thought to herself. He had sandy gold hair and soft brown eyes. His armor was more leather than metal, signifying his youth and low status as a soldier. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and his smile, while hesitant, was actually quite nice.

"Tell me, do you have a girl waiting for you in Tolbi?" Sheba asked. She mentally kicked herself for so forward a question.

"Yes. Melinda is her name. We're going to be married when I get back to Tolbi." he told her. He showed her a lock of hair he carried always in his chest pocket.

'Next to his heart... my my aren't we a romantic...' Sheba smiled and said instead, putting her hand on his arm, "I'm sure you'll be very happy together..."

Sheba stiffened suddenly, her eyes clouding over, "I see an empty house, and a young lady waiting alone inside. But I see the door opening. A man walks into the door and three young children, two boys and one girl, come bounding down the stairs to greet him. The mother has blue eyes and black hair, the children look mostly like their father, though their father bears a limp he did not carry when he was younger. You are their father, and I feel you shall be happy with them until the end of your days."

Sheba staggered and collapsed into his arms. She felt something drip on her face and looked up to see Tarel was crying, "Thank you Miss Sheba, thank you for prophesying for me. I've been so worried about this mission... I... I was afraid I wouldn't make it back..."

"You will. The future is usually clouded, and I usually see only things that MIGHT be. But this is one thing I'm sure about. Sometimes I do have a solid prophesy, this was one of those times." Sheba told him kindly. "Now, I think I need to talk a walk, clear my head a bit." Sheba stood carefully and brushed herself off.

"I'll come with you, Miss Sheba." Tarel told her.

"No, no, it's okay. I won't leave the village. I'll just go down by the Item Vender and come strait back." Sheba smiled and started walking. "I'm a teenage girl, and I need my space." she joked.

"Alright, alright. You win. Just be careful, okay? This whole place sets my nerves on edge." he muttered.

"Alright! Don't worry." Sheba headed off. 'You and me both... what do I feel here?' she wondered.

Sheba was deep in thought as she rounded the corner, not looking where she was going, she crashed into a man walking by.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I-" she looked up into deep fire-red eyes.

Sheba staggered back, locked into those eyes, fear surging through her heart. The blue-haired man looked surprised, not by her crashing into him, or her reaction, but by something he felt deep within her.

"I-I have to go!" she said. Shuddering from fear she turned and literally ran all the way back to the inn.

Sheba looked around until she saw Tarel, "Tarel!!!!" she cried. She ran over to him, running into his arms and sobbing against his chest.

"What is it Miss Sheba, what happened!?" he asked her, stunned by her sudden show of emotion.

"Oh... oh Tarel, I was so scared! There was this person... and he... and he..." she continued to sob, unable to continue.

"What did he do? Where is he!?" Tarel drew his sword.

Sheba managed to get some semblance of control over herself and rubbed the tears from her eyes, "He... did nothing. There was just something... terrifying about him. I don't know why, but I've never felt so frightened of anyone as I felt of that man... It's alright. I'm okay now."

"Are you sure Miss Sheba? Should we try to find this man?" Tarel asked her.

"No! No! Whatever happened you must NOT contest him!" Sheba shouted. "Nor any with this man. He is a very... very dangerous person! I don't know how I know this, but whatever happens do NOT fight him, nor let any of the other soldiers fight him."

"If the others try to fight him, I must join them, and I cannot stop them." he shook his head.

"Please... you MUST promise me you will not fight him! PLEASE!" Sheba shouted.

"Alright! Fine, I give you my word that I won't fight him or any with him, alright?" Tarel swore.

"That is... acceptable." Sheba nodded. She brushed herself off again and headed for her room in the inn.

The night grew dark over Suhalla. Many people would testify that nights in Suhalla were darker than any others. And truly, as Sheba thought as she snuck through the town, it did feel as if the stars were veiled, and the lack of moon was no help. To make things worse the strange sound of the desert continued to haunt her.

Now Sheba was determined. Before she could think of nothing to do but flee the mysterious man, but now she was determined to find him, and to find out who he was. She slipped through the streets like a shadow, unseen and unheard by any.

She knew the strange man was not at the inn, because all three rooms were filled by her and her seven guards. She'd searched in the area near the inn, and near the shop, but the strange man was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't find him in area of the town, until she saw the light.

The light was a small dot of light on a hill in the distance. The light was quite small, and could be little but a small campfire. The night seemed even darker, and Sheba realized that the hill was closer to the desert. But she knew that the only way for her to find this mystery man was to reach this fire.

Sheba approached silently, drifting between the slim foliage close to the camp. She could just see several figures near the fire. Three were right by the fire, two were sitting together, leaning against a tree, and one was by himself, running his hand in the small clear pool of water, produced by a spring. The spring was clearly what made the oasis possible.

Sheba got close enough where she could hide behind a bush and listen to them talk. What she heard stunned her.

"I found something interesting today." one man, who she recognized as the man who scared her so, said.

"Oh? What could ANYONE find in this sad little town, Saturos?" the woman sitting by him asked.

"I believe I found a Jupiter Adept." he smiled.

The man, though Sheba guessed he was about eighteen, across the fire from them, sitting in a way that said, 'Leave me alone' sat up strait, "A Wind Adept!? Here!? What would a Jupiter Adept be doing HERE of all places? So close to the Lighthouse?"

"That's what I was wondering. What would she be doing here? I couldn't see her face clearly but I'm sure I felt it when she touched me." the man called Saturos smiled leaning back.

"We can use her." the man by the water said. He stood slowly and walked towards them. Sheba could tell he was very handsome, and was clearly from a place other than any of the others. "We need a Jupiter Adept to enter Jupiter Lighthouse. She will be a useful tool, especially if she's powerful."

"Why must you speak of everyone like they're all your pawns, Alex?" the old man, sitting by the younger girl against the tree glared at them.

"My dear Kraden, you hurt me. When have I ever treated a person like a thing?" Alex smiled back smoothly.

"Try every day of your life!" the younger girl snapped.

"That's enough! I would shut that sweet little mouth of your's if I were you, or I'll shut it for you!" the woman snapped.

"Menardi! That's enough." Saturos told her.

Menardi growled and glared but settled back down.

"The POINT here is, is when should we capture her?" the quiet boy said.

"Quite simple, Felix. The girl is clearly going to Laliviero, I LISTEN, while the rest of you rush about without thought. The girl is Sheba, captured by Babi in his quest to build Babi Lighthouse. It's quite simple. They will not be able to make it through the desert, and when the soldiers are gone, we take the girl. Though, I cannot be sure it's her, I would have to touch her or look deeply into her eyes to make sure. Let's not do anything about it until we're sure it is her." Alex told him calmly.

But Sheba heard none of this. She had fled the moment Alex said "We can use her." She would not know this until it was too late. Sheba's next mistake was heading straight to bed without telling anyone what had happened. When she woke up the next morning she had a painful headache, and considered the whole thing to be a dream.

"Good morning, Miss Sheba!" Tarel told her eagerly when she came out of her room. "Are you ready to get started after breakfast?"

"Started?" Sheba asked, momentarily confused.

"Yes, started on the way through the Suhalla desert." he told her.

"I thought you were going to find a guide first!" she stared at him.

"We have already! This morning we were approached by a man who offered to guide us, since he and his group are going through anyway. All we have to do is bring many barrels of water." Tarel explained to her.

"Water?" Sheba asked him, furrowing her brow.

"Yes, for drinking and because our guide said we would need it for something else. He wouldn't explain what though." Tarel smiled.

"Tarel! Sheba? Are you up? It's time for us to be going, we've got a mule, since the horses can't make it through this sand well, and we have the barrels of water." the captain called, coming in the inn.

"We're ready." Sheba told him.

Sheba and Tarel followed him out, the wind was rather strong so Sheba did her best to stay behind Tarel. She didn't want to try controlling the winds, her knowledge of her power was too limited, and her head was throbbing again.

Sheba and Tarel rounded the corner, and Sheba thought for sure her heart had stopped. There standing, talking to the captain was the blue-haired blue-eyed man from the night before.

"No need captain, my group and I shall be going through Suhalla Desert as it is, and we would be happy to guide you for free." Alex smiled.

"Well... if you're sure. You have Tolbi's thanks." the captain shook his hand.

"Sheba? What's wrong? You look so pale." Tarel asked her, his face total concern.

"It's... nothing. It's alright." Sheba shook her head, telling herself it was just a dream and that the man and his group could do nothing against all seven soldiers even if it wasn't.

So the group head out. Alex, Saturos, Menardi, Felix, Jenna, and Kraden walked in front of Sheba and the soldiers. Jenna and Kraden were in front of the others with Menardi, so Sheba found herself unable to talk with them. Both of them had been instructed to remain silent.

The unhappy group, except for Alex who seemed to find something terribly funny, the way he kept grinning and chuckling to himself, trudged on towards the desert. Sheba was starting to feel unusually cold, despite the fact they were entering a desert and the increasingly annoying howling sound was driving her to distraction.

"I can see you can hear it too." Alex said, falling back to walk beside her.

"Y-yes. What is it?" she asked him, curiosity overriding fear.

Something within Sheba told her not to let him get too close, and her eyes were half closed against the wind and sand. This highly annoyed Alex, but he didn't show it.

"I can't say. Perhaps it is the desert itself. Like the Lama Desert some sort of evil has taken residence here. Needless to say the monsters are flourishing." Alex explained calmly.

"We're almost to the desert, Alex, we'll need you to go first." Saturos called.

"Of course, Saturos. I'm coming." Alex nodded and headed in front to lead the group.

The powerful winds grew to a blazing sandstorm, making progress miserable. Sheba could barely see Alex in front of the group. Unlike the others he wasn't even covering his eyes, but simply striding ahead as if nothing could possibly be wrong with the world.

"Stand back." Alex called back, his voice barely carrying over the wind.

Sheba's eyes grew wide as a whirlwind burst up in front of Alex. She saw Saturos and Menardi stagger backwards, mildly stunned by the wind. Alex advanced forward towards the cyclone, standing boldly before it.

"Douse!" she heard him shout.

Water appeared out of the air in front of Alex and dumped upon the whirlwind. The effect was instantaneous. The whirlwind spun to a stop, and a strange looking beast appeared in it's place. The beast looked like some sort of a giant lizard with a frill, standing on two legs.

The creature roared at Alex, who instantly stepped back, moving behind Saturos and Menardi. Saturos and Menardi darted forward quickly, Saturos' blade flashing out in an instant, along with Menardi's scythe. Saturos attacked it first, Menardi following up his slash with a slice of her own. The monster flashed and turned to ash.

Saturos, Menardi, Alex, Felix, Kraden, and Jenna darted forward through the gap in the rock, the last two barely making it through before another whirlwind popped up in the other's place. The others moved on, seeming to forget Sheba and her guards.

Sheba's guards, figuring out what to do, rushed forward with a barrel of water, throwing it all on the whirlwind. Sheba stood back, with Tarel who was her personal guard and was instructed to stay close to her at all times, and watched her guards slay the beast, before rushing through with them.

The winds grew fiercer and fiercer and the group went deeper and deeper into the desert. Sheba was totally unable to sleep that night, the wind and mysterious howling keeping her constantly awake. None of the others seemed able to sleep, but sat, ready to defend themselves. The only ones able to sleep were Alex and Kraden. Alex, because nothing seemed to ruffle his feathers, Kraden, because he was getting to be rather elderly and needed his sleep(or so he said).

As soon as the sun was up, the groups were ready to move forward through the desert. The constant wear and tear of fighting monsters, the wind, the whirlwinds, and the monsters contained within was starting to wear on the groups. Even Alex didn't look as pristine as usual.

Sheba tried to converse with Felix, but for the most part he ignored her. Until she asked him where he came from. He told her all about his hometown, about the waterfall by where his house was, and about the beautiful plaza at the exit. Sheba told him much about Laliviero, about how she was so happy to be returning home, about her family, about her troubles of being so different than the others, and about her imprisonment in Tolbi.

"And so now I'm finally going home." she finished.

"I'm... sorry. I know what it's like to be taken far from my home, and to be unable to return." Felix nodded. But when Sheba tried to press further he wouldn't explain.

Sheba finally sighed, "Alright, alright. I understand, you don't want to talk about it."

"Thank you..." Felix smiled at her, a rare sight.

"For?"

"For understanding... not many people can understand how I feel about anything." Felix said, sadly.

Sheba found herself starting to smile herself, "I know how that feels, I've always felt so separate from the other children of Laliviero. I've been very lonely..."

Sheba looked up into Felix's eyes and smiled. Her smile faded when, though he disguised it, deep in his eyes there was a soft look of regret and pity. Something about that frightened her and she broke eye contact.

"I-I'm going to go to the back of the group, I want to make sure we aren't being followed by anything." Felix said suddenly and dropped back behind the rest.

The group continued on through the ceaseless wind and sand. Sheba felt glad that Felix had gone to the back of the group, had he gone to speak with Saturos and Menardi she would have instantly had her guards take her away from them. She saw Felix come back, but he went on to the front of the group, and she could tell he didn't speak to the others.

The wind grew harsher and harsher, pushing most of them back, until Sheba found herself walking almost side-by-side with Saturos and Menardi, though she was sure to stay a distance from them. The two glanced at her occasionally, but apparently didn't see what they were looking for in her.

"Ware! Monsters!" Felix shouted suddenly.

Sheba looked up, and found herself suddenly being pulled to the ground by Tarel as a flying monster, a Harpie slashed with it's claws right where she'd been standing. Orc Soldiers came darting down around them, at least twenty!

Tarel drew his sword, guarding Sheba's back, while Felix took up a position to defend her from the front. The monsters charged them, roaring as they went. Joining the other beasts were two of the Storm Lizards, blasting the group with their Wind Psynergies.

Menardi and Saturos danced between the monsters easily, slashing as they went. Alex stood back with Jenna and Kraden, a sword in each hand, protecting the two. Saturos and Menardi far outclassed any of the monsters that attacked them, but were starting to slow.

Sheba's guards were having far more trouble. Even with their swords, shields, and spears, the monsters were driving them back. Felix fought fiercely but was clearly no match for the Wind Psynergy the Storm Lizards wielded. Tarel was quickly weakening, despite his heavy uses of Vials.

Just when it seemed the monsters were about to overpower the group, despite Saturos and Menardi, the monsters suddenly seemed to panic, fleeing from the group with impressive speed. The monsters all looked terrified.

"What's going on?" Sheba called.

Alex paled suddenly, looking behind the groups. The wind was intensifying by the minute. He was able to see through the wind enough to make out a dark shape, far in the distance, but nearing rapidly.

"RUN!" Alex shouted, finally it seemed that something scared him.

Saturos and Menardi shared glances and darted after him. Jenna and Kraden, looked terrified. The monsters' reaction and Saturos and Menardi's reaction scared them more than anything they'd experienced.

Sheba's guards and herself ran as fast as they could. A tremendous roar sounded from behind them, and the wind went from a general roar to a massive roaring and rushing sound. The strange sound that it seemed only Sheba and Alex could hear intensified to a howl.

Sheba spared a glance behind her and instantly regretted it. Behind them was a massive whirlwind, more incredible than any of the Storm Lizard's they had seen. It tore up into the sky, like a pillar of wind. A smaller, faster one spun around at the base of it, clearly joining it in it's attack.

Sheba shuddered suddenly, dropping to the ground, crashing and spraying sand all over her companions. A bolt of electricity had darted out of the larger whirlwind, stunning her with pain.

"Miss Sheba!" Tarel cried.

Her soldiers rushed to her, all seven kneeling down around her with concern as the captain gave her an Elixir to restore her and remove the paralysis. She finally felt the feeling returning to her and she looked up at them to thank them. Instead her eyes widened in fear.

"LOOK OUT!" she shrieked.

Her soldiers turned with professional trained speed, but they were too slow. The smaller whirlwind, still far bigger than any Storm Lizard's whirlwind, slammed into them, sucking the soldiers into itself.

Sheba lunged out, grabbing a stunted tree with one hand and Tarel's hand with the other, holding as tight as she could. The whirlwind almost seemed to intensify, pulling on them harder. Rocks and sand spun through it, striking the two repeatedly.

"Miss Sheba! Let go!" Tarel shouted at her, as loud as he could she could still barely hear him.

"No!" she exclaimed.

"If you don't you'll be sucked in too! I swore my life to protect you! You must let go!" he called desperately.

"No! I won't!" she cried back.

For a moment Tarel's face showed worry, fear, and concern. But then it got cold and hard. He pulled out his dagger and slashed the back of her hand, the only thing he could think to do.

Sheba screamed, and with reflex, let go.

"NO!" she screamed as he was pulled into the whirlwind.

The wind twisted harshly, throwing all seven soldiers so they would smash into one of the rocky walls in the desert canyon.

Sheba screamed in concern for them and used all the power she could muster to create a new burst of wind, which tore the men from their fatal course. The larger whirlwind shot forward suddenly, grabbing the seven suddenly, sucking them in. Sheba sensed that they were hurt, as the wind threw them away, but that they all survived.

The hair on the back of Sheba's neck stood up as she got the sudden impression of the larger whirlwind focusing it's attention on her. It moved forward, the smaller one shifting out of it's way as it spun towards her. She screamed in terror as it was close to reaching her. She knew her little handhold wouldn't be able to save her from being sucked into the massive wind.

Suddenly in front of her a wall of solid rock shot out of the ground, coming between her and the wind. Strong arms wrapped around her, not gently either, and pulled her away from the tree. She began to struggle when she realized it was Saturos that grabbed her.

"Did you see that Saturos!? What power she holds! She truly is a Wind Adept!" Menardi exclaimed, throwing fire behind her as she ran.

"Yes! Now we have what we need at last!" Saturos grinned.

"Let go of me!" Sheba kicked at him.

"Do you truly want him to do that?" Alex asked curiously, running calmly beside them. "If Saturos were to leave you here the whirlwinds would easily kill you, if the other monsters don't get you first. In fact, we're SAVING you."

"I don't care, let go of me!" she snarled, throwing her staff at his head.

Alex caught it easily, "I'm afraid we can't do that my dear girl. We need you to light the Jupiter Lighthouse Beacon."

Sheba's face paled, "L-Light the Beacon!? But you need-"

"The Jupiter Star? We have it. And we have the Venus Star. That is where we're going now, Venus Lighthouse. All we need is the Mars Star, and we shall get that when the group that follows us reaches us." Menardi laughed.

"But if you light the Beacons then Alchemy will be released! With that power, mankind might destroy the entire world!" Sheba exclaimed.

"Fool! You know nothing!" Menardi snarled.

"Menardi! Focus on running!" Felix called to her. "My wall and your flames won't hold those whirlwinds back long!"

Menardi growled but nodded, turning back to running.

Sheba didn't even notice when Saturos set her down, the roaring was getting close. Clearly the winds were coming. She ran with the others in fear, not knowing the fate of the brave guards which had saved her life.

"The creatures cannot go beyond the boundaries of the desert!" Alex called over his shoulder.

The whirlwinds roared and sped up. Alex clearly wasn't going to wait for the others, his sense of self preservation far greater than his sense of loyalty to his companions. He glowed bright blue and warped, vanishing.

"ALEX! CURSE YOU!" Menardi roared.

"Don't begrudge him! Any of us would do the same!" Saturos shouted to her.

"You're right again, but it may not matter! Hurry!" she cried, watching the winds approach over her shoulder.

Saturos and Menardi nodded to eachother and turned suddenly. Saturos cast his strongest spell. Pyroclasm! Menardi also cast her powerful Super Nova spell. The whirlwinds roared, in pain it seemed, and retreated. The whole area of desert was scorched badly.

Sheba stood in shock, stunned by the incredible power held by Saturos and Menardi.

Felix shook her, "Come on! They didn't destroy the beasts within the whirlwinds, they'll return! We must be out of the desert by the time they do!"

Sheba nodded to him, taking one last look over her shoulder, before hurrying on with the others.

'The moment we're out of the desert. The very moment, I'll flee them. I'm far faster than any of them. I can do it.' Sheba thought.

The group hurried on through the last remaining bits of the desert, breaking out of the desert, back onto fertile ground. Sheba thought she could see the two whirlwinds in the distance, back in the desert, but she could never be sure.

Saturos and Menardi sat down heavily, leaning against a tree. The amount of power they'd put into those two spells had clearly drained them more than it seemed, along with fighting all the previous monsters and the sleepless night.

Jenna collapsed, crying with relief and Kraden and Felix went by her side to comfort her. Sheba could instantly tell that Felix really was a good person, he didn't want anyone to get hurt in this matter, and the thought of kidnapping anyone clearly disturbed him deeply, she would almost regret leaving him without saying goodbye.

'Now's my chance!' she thought.

She turned suddenly and ran in the direction of River. She knew if she could just reach the river then she would be able to swim to the other side and Saturos and Menardi would have trouble crossing. Sheba could hide somewhere in the ruins then, the two would never be able to find her.

"Saturos! She's escaping!" Menardi shrieked.

The two lept up and chased her, but swiftly were falling behind her. She cheered, she was going to make it!

Alex kicked her suddenly and painfully in the stomach, making her crash to the ground.

Menardi and Saturos came up quickly.

"Alex! You'd better not've hurt her too badly!" Saturos snarled.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine, I just winded her." Alex told him calmly, still sparkling from his warp.

Alex kneeled down by Sheba's head and whispered into her ear, "This time it was just a kick, you'll be fine. Next time we won't be so gentle. We just need your Psynergy, we don't need you to be in perfect condition for it." he threatened.

"I-I will... not resist..." Sheba finally said, still gasping for air.

Alex stood up, "Perfect. Come along, Saturos, Menardi, everyone, Sheba. We have a beacon to light. I suppose proper introductions are in order now. Sheba, this is Jenna, Felix's sister, who is also our prisoner, as to bring the group with the Mars Star to follow us. The leader of the group has a bit of a crush on her, I do believe. This is Kraden, a scholar of Alchemy. He works in Babi's employ to research it, but we have need of his knowledge. He also makes good bait, like Jenna."

"So that's why they wouldn't talk, they are prisoners too..." Sheba said coldly.

"I'm sorry my dear, I did wish to warn you away so much..." Kraden said sadly, tears forming in his blue eyes.

Sheba walked up and put her arm around the old man's shoulders, "It's alright, there was nothing you could've done."

"I guess we're free to talk now." Jenna said.

"Go ahead, we don't care." Menardi shrugged and began walking again.

Felix looked at her sadly before following the other three and said, "I'm so sorry... for all of this..."

Sheba looked at him compassionately, "I don't blame you. In fact, I'm sorry for you."

Felix sighed, "Don't be, anything that happens... I've brought upon myself."