Once upon a time in a faraway land, there sat a kingdom. The kingdom was Altea, its rulers were King Shiro and King Adam. A year after marrying they had a son who they named Keith. Keith looked very much like Shiro, with black hair and pale skin but his eyes were violet.

Adam had mysteriously disappeared when Keith was four and despite his best efforts, Shiro was never able to relocate his husband. Adam's older sister, Princess Allura, left a month after the search was called off and hadn't been seen ever since, whether she was alive or not, no one knew. Shiro was left to raise Keith and rule a kingdom, all on his own.

But enough back story. Let's get to the story.

To begin we follow a travelling merchant named Slav, on his way to Altea.

"Oh, I come from a land, from a faraway place

Where the caravan camels roam

Where it's flat and immense

And the heat is intense

It's barbaric, but hey, it's home

When the wind's from the east and the sun's from the west

And the sand in the glass is right

Come on down stop on by

Hop a carpet and fly

To another Altean night

Altean nights, like Altean days

More often than not

Are hotter than hot

In a lot of good ways

Altean nights, 'neath Altean moons

A fool off his guard

Could fall and fall hard

Out there on the dunes"

Slav was busy setting up his shop that he didn't notice the reader was standing in front of him watching him. He turned around and jumped letting out a shriek as he saw the reader staring at him. After calming down he cleared his throat and spoke, his accent clear in his voice.

"Good evening my friend," the reader stepped forwards, perhaps a little too close but Slav continued on. "Can I interest you in anything you see?"

"Out of the junk you have, probably not," the reader replied with a roll of their eyes. "Would be a waste of time to look."

"Junk? Fine, hang on for a second here," Slav said with a roll of his eyes before turning and digging through his stall for something. "What about this?" he asked turning around.

"A lamp?" the reader asked staring at Slav with a blank face. "It's nothing more than a household decoration."

"You kids these days," Slav said with a sigh. "It's not just a magic lamp, it once belonged to Prince Lance."

"The Prince? Really?" the reader asked with wide eyes.

"It changed his life to what he is now," Slav said with a smile.

"How?" the reader asked.

"You want to hear the story?" Slav asked. The reader shrugged and sat down on the ground, not caring about the sand. Slav nodded and tilted the lamp and out poured glowing purple sand.

"Our story begins on a dark night," he spoke throwing the sand in the air. "Where a cold-hearted man waits with an evil purpose, a hunger for revenge."

In the dark of the night, in a desert, a man sat on a horse waiting. He was dressed in black and on his shoulder sat a black bird with purple eyes. In the distance, another man rides up on a horse dressed. The man had pale skin, black hair, and brown eyes. He was dressed in long billowy black pants, a red long-sleeved shirt, a dark beige belt around his waist, a chestnut sleeveless long vest, and brown sandals. His name was Morvak.

"Late as usual Movak," the other man spoke glaring at the other. "Have I perhaps given you one too many chances?"

"Of course not My Lord," Lotor rolled his eyes. "I apologize for taking so long to meet you here but-"

"Cut to the chase, do you have it or not?" Lotor interrupted, Morvak nodded and reached into his pocket.

"I do, I lost several of my men getting this to you but I have it," he spoke pulling out half of a golden medallion. Lotor reached out to grab it but Morvak pulled his hand back. "Ah, apologies My Lord but our deal?" the bird on Lotor's shoulder squawked and picked the medallion out of Morvak's hand flying back to Lotor and giving him the piece.

"Our deal still stands, don't worry," Lotor pulled out the other half of the medallion and connected the pieces together. The medallion begins to glow and flew out of Lotor's hands. The horse startled and reared up, the medallion flying off towards the dune. "After it!" Lotor snapped as Morvak got on his horse and they rode off following it.

The medallion flew until it reached a large sand dune, separating into two pieces again and plunged into the dune. The dune then began to rise slowly forming a lion's head that glowed a soft white. The medallions serving as its eyes, Lotor smiled.

"After all these years of slaving away, the Cave of Wonders finally sits before us!" Morvak sat on his horse in awe. Lotor turned to Morvak. "As long as you bring me the lamp, anything else you find is yours." Morvak nodded and climbed shakily off his horse. He approached the lions' open mouth which with a glance down was the entrance to the cave. With Morvak far enough away, the bird on Lotor's shoulder, Sendak began to speak.

"Where do find these people? They've all failed so far," Lotor turned to him with a glare. "Your father would be able to-"

"Shut it you," Lotor interrupted with a growl as he turned back to Morvak. Startling all of them the lion begins to speak.

"Who dares to disturb my slumber?" Morvak shivered at the deep echoing female voice of the lion.

"My name is Morvak, I'm a humble servant of my lord," the man responded.

"Only one may enter," the lion responded staring down at the thief. "One who is pure of heart and whose worth shines deep in his soul," Morvak turned to Lotor who glared and motioned forward.

"Don't look at me, you're on your own, go on!" Morvak turned back to the cave, its mouth opening again to allow entrance. He stepped inside and made a move to continue walking. The lion then slammed its mouth shut and slowly returned back to being a sand dune, the medallion falling to the sand again. Lotor glared at the medallion and let out a scream of rage.

"Seek the chosen one out," the lion's voice echoed. "The diamond in the rough."

Sendak glared at the sand dune.

"I told you it wouldn't work! It never does!" Lotor turned and slapped the bird off his shoulder, Sendak flew and picked up the medallion pieces. "I'll probably die before we find this 'diamond in the rough' it speaks of."

"Have some patience will you?" Lotor replied with a roll of his eyes. "Obviously Morvak's soul was not pure enough to enter," Sendak rolled his eyes back on Lotor's shoulder.

"Obviously," Lotor growled and turned to Sendak with a glare.

"Trust me, I hate it as much as you do," Lotor said with a sigh. "We just need to find this 'diamond in the rough' the lion speaks of."