A/N: Okay, today this is going at the top, cause I want to get it over with. Sorry about the delay, I was waiting for more reviewers, then I realized I had plenty, and they are all stupid reasons but w/e.

My Reviewers:

Glitterpoison: yeah, I just hope that Xerxes isn't too funny, cause I want to keep the story mostly serious.

Metaphorical: I'm updating okay, so calm down…hehe

Akwyn: now, lets not jump to conclusions just yet… though it is a thought…

EvenSong: thanks for the tips about the djiin, we will see what happens in this chapter. And I am planning on leaving the Aladdin plot behind in this chapter as well, so well you'll see.

Lumiere's Lover: glad u like it, I like creepy. :-P

cokefizz-and-chocolate: see akwyn's note.

monekys-and-bananas76: thank you, it was just the introduction of the djiin that I think was awkward.

zagato: good, you are supposed to be surprised. : - )

Now on with the show!

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Amira stared at the woman, her mouth slightly open. "What of Damis?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. She still stared at the pendant around the woman's neck, trying to place its familiarity in her mind.

In an instant she knew. She had seen a wolf symbol just like that, on Damis's finger. She looked up at the woman, horrified. The woman smiled knowingly.

"I see you figured it out on your own. I was told you were clever." her voice was smooth and milky as the woman stepped towards the center of the room. Her black hair rippled gently behind her and the wolf followed her like a loyal dog.

Amira backed away, trying to maintain a distance away from the woman. The woman sat down upon the couch that Amira had been on before and looked over at Amira, her eyes glittering. She made a small gesture with her hand and a door appeared in the wall.

Several cloaked figures stood just outside the room, appearing to be holding a struggling figure. The figure was thrown into the room and the door was sealed instantly. Amira looked and realized that the figure was a woman, with long auburn hair like herself.

The woman on the floor got to her knees and looked up. Immediately the woman's face registered in Amira's mind.

"Good night mother." Amira voice was quiet as she lay in bed, a light sheet draped over her body. She pretended to close her eyes and adjusted her position so she could still look at her mother.

Malakeh sat on the edge of Amira's bed, gently stroking Amira's auburn hair. Amira stole glanced up at her mother, admiring her mother's beauty.

The auburn curls framed her mother's heart shaped face perfectly. The light pink mouth that kissed Amira good night every night was soft and supple. Malakeh's blue eyes glowed with an inner light that came only from being content.

Amira opened her eyes and looked up at her mother. "Will I ever be as pretty as you?" she asked quietly. Her mother laughed a gentle tinkling laugh full of warmth and love.

She leaned close to Amira's ear and whispered "Of course you will."

"Mother?"

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Xerxes looked dazed up at Sahar. Sahar and Damis had managed to drag Xerxes to a rock outcropping and Damis had supplied some of his water. Something registered on Xerxes's face and he jumped up, wielding his sword, waving it wildy about.

There was a loud snapping sound and Laheeb appeared out of no where, floating awkwardly in the air. Damis and Sahar just stared at Xerxes, who had moved his attention from them to Laheeb. He started to run at Laheeb, who just vanished before reappearing somewhere else.

Damis stepped forward and grabbed Xerxes's arm. "Just wait!" he cried. Xerxes yanked his arm away and glared at Damis.

"What is a lowly servant like you doing, touching me a prince?" Xerxes demanded. Damis looked over at Sahar, who stepped forward and guided a red faced Xerxes away.

"Now," she began staring hard at Xerxes. "We are here to help you. Do not threaten any of us, until you know what we are doing." Her voice rose somewhat and she leaned close to Xerxes. "Understand?"

Xerxes nodded meekly and walked back to where he stuff was. The saddle bags had been removed from his horse, which was resting in the sand. Silently Xerxes replaced his sword and pulled out some of his rations.

Damis and Sahar returned to their places in the shade, followed by Laheeb. Xerxes looked over at Laheeb, whose appearance had surprised him with a mild interest.

"What are you?" Xerxes asked rather bluntly. Laheeb looked Xerxes in the eye.

"I am Laheeb, a djiin and guardian of a cave." he replied with pride.

Sahar looked over at Laheeb. "Now, Laheeb, guardian of the cave." she said sarcastically. "Why did we end up with this prince, instead of our princess?" she demanded to know.

Laheeb looked sheepish, looked down and played with the sand while he spoke, his fingers etchings swirls in the smooth sand. "Well, I do not have very much experience…" he began. Damis looked at him incredulously.

"Not much experience? Dear lord…" Damis muttered the last part to himself. A rustling and a clanging caused Damis and Sahar to look back over at Xerxes. He had risen and was beginning to repack his bags and load them on his horse.

"Now wait!" Damis protested. "We really are here to help you. I presume you are looking for the Princess Amira."

Xerxes looked over at Amira's name. 'What of the princess? You know where she is?" he asked eagerly.

Damis shook his head. "No, but we too are trying to find her. And we had a djiin on our side…" he gestured to Laheeb, who was still playing with the sand. Xerxes cocked his head slightly and stared hard at Damis.

"Just stay." Damis said helplessly. "We can do this together." His fingers began playing with the wolf ring on his finger. Xerxes nodded and returned to his seat, watching as Laheeb played with the sand. Damis returned to his place and the four sat in silence for a few minutes, until Xerxes looked up at Damis.

"Why are you trying to find the princess?" he asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. Damis swallowed and continued to play with his ring.

"Sahar and I are good friends of Amira's." he replied. Xerxes looked at him, and seemed to sense that was not the whole truth.

"Well, I, as a prince." Xerxes began pointedly. "am looking for the princess because I have been promised to her in marriage." Damis nearly choked on the water he had been drinking and Xerxes smiled at the effect his words had had.

"You?" Damis asked incredulously. Xerxes looked affronted and yet pleased.

"Yes, me." he stated matter-of-factly.

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Later that night Damis lay under a few blankets, staring up at the stone above him. He thought about Xerxes words and glanced over at the prince. Xerxes blonde hair had fallen across his face and his snores echoed slightly against the stone.

Had Xerxes really been promised to Amira? Why hadn't she told him? Annoyed, yet sadden Damis rolled over away from Xerxes and tried to sleep despite his troubled thoughts.

Sahar twitched slightly as her dreams overtook her.

She was walking along in the desert, tired and thirsty. Finally her feet could not take one more step and she sat down on the sand. A shadow passed her face and she looked up to see an old woman with a cloak wrapped about her body. A wizen hadn reached out and helped Sahar to her feet. "Believe in your dreams." she whispered.

Suddenly the picture changed. It was night and the moon was a sliver hanging in the sky. Suddenly a cloud covered all but the very outer tip of the moon, that one beam of light still able to shine. Sahar followed the trail of the moonbeam where it hit the earth. It hit the center of a circular rock in the center of two rock pillars. A growl reverberated and the earth trembled slightly and a great hole opened in the ground. Sahar approached the edge of the hole and looked down. A stone staircase led into the dark of the tunnel. Sahar stepped forward and just before her foot hit the stone…

"Sahar! Sahar!" Sahar opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of Damis offering her a water pouch and a small ration of dried fruit and nuts.

"Thanks." she mumbled sleepily and took the food and drink from Damis's hand and went to join Xerxes and Laheeb, who were sitting at the edge of the shade. Damis followed her and sat besides Xerxes and Laheeb.

"Well, we had better be off." Xerxes announced as he began to stand up.

"Just wait." Damis scolded. "Do you have any idea where you are going?"

Xerxes paused for a moment. "No." he admitted and sat back down. The three men sat with their chins in their hands, looking glum. Sahar smiled as she remembered her dream.

"I know where we have to go." she said confidently. Damis looked up at her in surprise and Xerxes practically leapt forward and hugged her before he thought better of it.

"How do you know?" Xerxes spoke, falsely deepening his voice slightly to sound manlier. Sahar just smiled knowingly.

"A woman's intuition." she replied.

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so yea alittle shorter than the last few chapters, but good all around I suppose. hope you enjoyed it and what ever you think, please review!

:drops to knees with hands together and looks up with pleading eyes like Puss in Boots from Shrek 2: