Amor Vincit Omnia

(Love Conquers All)

Part Two: The Fragile Heart

"No one jailed us
Haphazard hearts took no sure stance
Unseen blood made no sudden movements
Our hands guided themselves
No voice was raised
And no song was sung."
- The Castanets
"No Voice was Raised"

Okay, this story is going to earn its M rating a little sooner than I had expected. So you, dear readers, can expect some fireworks in the later part of this chapter. Hope you all enjoy! I would really love some feedback about it, considering that I have never written a love scene before. *.*

Chapter Two: Mirages

It took them a little over two hours to reach the Hidden Camp. The first leg of the journey involved cutting directly through the city from the South Gate, where they had entered, to the East Gate. After that, there was a brief trek through the brushy area at the base of the cliff, across several dry streambeds, and then a grueling uphill climb that left them all sweating and exhausted. When the path finally leveled out, they stared around in disbelief. The dusty ground and jagged rocks bore not a hint of human habitation.

"There's nothing here," Caesar said at last.

"Think again," replied their diminutive guide. She brushed aside a clump of tall grass to reveal a narrow cleft, barely wide enough to fit one person, winding back into the rock. Baal followed after her as she stepped into it, with Saiya on his heels. The others trailed behind, though Kormac had to turn sideways to accommodate his broad shoulders.

"Here we are," said Squirt, after a few minutes. "Told you it was hard to find."

Saiya couldn't believe her eyes. The camp had appeared seemingly out of nowhere: a dozen tents and a few shacks cobbled together from discarded boards, a few horses and camels on picket lines, a campfire pit with a massive cauldron hanging over it, a small, sparse garden and a herd of goats, guarded by a single scruffy hound – everything that a small community needed to thrive. And thrive they had. Men, women, and children of all ages wandered around, some of them with purpose and others aimless. They were mostly Kehjistani, though Saiya spotted a family of pale-skinned Khandurans, and a wizened man who she thought might be umbaru. Despite the diversity, they all had one thing in common; every single one carried a weapon.

A thin, sour-faced woman sharpening a knife glanced up and saw the newcomers. She got to her feet and came towards them at a leisurely pace. Saiya couldn't help but notice that she kept the knife in her hand.

"Bu ableh kimlerdir?" she asked Squirt.

"Mind what you say, I'tidal," said the girl. "They speak arabi."

The woman grunted. Her hooded eyes passed over each member of the group in turn before drifting back to Baal, who was in front. "Who are you?" she said in heavily accented Khanduran. "What do you want here?"

"My name is Alem, xanim," said Baal. "My friends and I seek shelter, and we are willing to pay for it."

Another grunt. Her face, as tight as a sprung trap, gave nothing away. "I'm sure you would. And who would pay to know your whereabouts, I wonder?"

Baal's sharp canines flashed as he grinned at her. "The same people, no doubt, who would pay to know yours. I know a didergin when I see one, my lady."

I'tidal flinched as though he had reached out and slapped her. She fixed a burning gaze on Squirt and muttered, "You should not have brought them here. If our cause fails because of them, I will hold you responsible." She stalked away with the wounded grace of a cat whose tail has been pulled.

Squirt did not seem in the least bit bothered by the woman's hostility. With a cheerful smile, she said, "Come on. I'll show you where you can bed down, and then you can take a look at my wares."

"Your wares?" Saiya asked as the girl led them towards the back of the camp, where a number of bedrolls were laid out on the bare earth beneath an overhang of stone.

Squirt nodded. "I'm a merchant by trade. My prices are high, but worthwhile – if you can afford them."

"And the legitimacy of the goods you sell?" inquired the wizard dryly.

"Well, I wouldn't openly wear the Stone of Jordan in the Imperial Palace, or ask a blacksmith in the city to craft any armor from the plans I sell," she said. "But for the most part it's all stuff that I find lying around, unused."

"By which she means she takes it off dead bodies!" cackled the umbaru man as they passed by his bedroll. Squirt made a hand gesture that no child ought to know, but the man only laughed harder. His wheezing chuckles eventually morphed into an ugly cough, and he bent over, clutching his chest in pain. Squirt kept walking without looking back, her small shoulders stiff and straight.

"Here you go," she said at last, indicating a spot some ways away from the main camp. "No one should bother you here."

She stayed while they staked out their sleeping area (Saiya was both touched and amused to note that Baal positioned his bedroll so that he was between her and the rest of the group) and afterwards when they moved to the bonfire to prepare their food, she hovered around them like a bee around a flower.

It was Saiya's turn to cook, and she boiled rice with smoked fish and sweet potatoes added in for flavor. On the side she sliced up one of the fruits they had purchased at the bazaar, a large, cumbersome thing with a rind like crocodile skin and a mass of spiky leaves on top. The inside was bright gold and juicy, with a hard, fibrous core, and had a tangy flavor. Squirt watched her every move with famished eyes, and by the time the meal was ready to serve, Saiya couldn't take it any more. She filled an extra bowl and handed it to the child.

"Here you go," she said. "Your payment for bringing us all the way up here."

Squirt looked from her to the steaming rice and back again with an expression of joyful disbelief. "You really mean it?" she asked. "I can eat this?"

The young monk nodded. "Better do it now before it gets cold."

She needed no further encouragement. Forgoing any sort of utensil, she scooped up handfuls of rice with her fingers and shoveled them into her mouth until her cheeks looked like a chipmunk's, chewing noisily and blissfully. Saiya's instinctive smile at the sight of someone enjoying her food was tempered by the suspicion that it had been some time since the child had eaten a proper meal.

The sun was setting by the time the dishes had been scoured clean, and the weary adventurers were more than happy to climb into their bedrolls. No one from the camp had spoken to them since their arrival, but the atmosphere was thick with tension, and more than one of the group slept with their weapons close at hand.

Saiya woke well before dawn and meditated for half an hour before visiting one of the latrine tents on the outskirts of the camp to bathe. It took her some time to work out the complex system: a lever brought water from the well pumping through a copper pipe that poured it out at head-height like a miniature waterfall. The runoff was channeled through a stone trench in the floor and collected to serve as 'waste water' for the animals or the garden.

Satisfactorily clean, she dressed and returned to the camp, where Najmah was frying up the remnants of their dinner with some naan bread. He had also made some coffee, which Saiya accepted with enthusiasm, enjoying the bitter burn much more than she had the previous day. Everyone was up except – strangely – Baal, who still slumbered fitfully. Saiya let him rest until breakfast was ready, whereupon she crouched next to him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, murmuring, "Rise and shine."

His reaction was startling. With a speed she hadn't seen in him since their first meeting by the river, he bolted upright and had her pinned to the ground before she could cry out, the razor edge of his hunting knife pressed to her throat. His teeth were bared in a snarl, his eyes wide and completely crimson. Saiya held perfectly still, not daring to speak or even breathe. A quick sideways flicker of her eyes showed her that their companions hadn't noticed her predicament.

Baal blinked several times, exhaled shakily, and stared down at the knife in his hand as though he had never seen it before. Then he glanced at Saiya's frozen features and the look on his face changed to one of horror. He scrambled off of her and sat down hard, hurling the knife away into the bushes.

"I'm so sorry!" he gasped. "Saiya, I didn't mean to - to - I didn't know what I was doing! I'd never-"

She sat up slowly, brushing her thumb along the smooth skin of her neck where his blade had rested. There was not even a scratch, though she could still feel the cold kiss of the metal. Baal was watching her with stricken eyes.

"It's all right," she said.

He lowered his gaze. "No, it's not. I hurt you … you, who means everything to me. Because for one stupid moment, I wasn't in control."

"I'm not hurt. See?" Taking his hand, Saiya guided it to her throat, where his fingers stroked almost involuntarily across her bare flesh.

"But you could have been," he whispered – more to himself than to her, she suspected. His mouth twisted in a pained grimace.

"What caused you to react like that?" asked Saiya. "Was it just being suddenly woken?"

Baal hesitated. "No. I was … dreaming. Remembering." He sighed, looking around with a lost expression. "It's this place. Being here, it makes me think of things I'd rather forget."

Saiya remembered the shocked respect in Squirt's voice: "You? A runner?" She didn't know what a 'runner' might be, but it sounded dangerous and difficult. Briefly, she considered asking him, but decided against it. When he felt the time was right, he would tell her.

Instead, she placed her hand in his and squeezed in wordless support. They stayed like that until Caesar roused them by sarcastically inquiring whether they would like their breakfast in bed.

After eating, they gathered together for one last discussion of strategy before parting ways. Leah and Caesar were still determined to gain access to the Emperor's court, and Leah outlined a route through the city sewer system that would eject them just inside the palace gates.

"And if Hakan is dead, or a prisoner, or will not listen to reason?" Baal asked. "What will you do then?"

"You think he might be dead?" Leah exclaimed.

The Hunter shrugged. "It's a possibility. No one outside the palace has seen him in two months. If I were you, I'd be careful."

"We'll take care of her," said Caesar. The expression on Baal's face made no secret of how inconsequential he deemed the wizard's service, but he said nothing.

Kormac brought out a map that had been loaned to him by one of the men in camp. Spreading it out on the sand with a rock at each corner to pin it down, he traced the road to Alcarnus with his forefinger.

"It's a long ways," he said. "We don't have the time or resources to acquire better transport, so we'll have to hoof it."

"We've traveled further," Saiya remarked.

"Yes," said Caesar, "but not through the high desert. Heatstroke, dehydration, sandstorms, poisonous insects … need I go on? You'll be lucky if you make it to Maghda."

"Couldn't you warp us there?" Kormac asked him.

"I'm afraid not," he replied. "Too far, and I don't know the terrain. I'd be likely to put us in a mountain, or drop us down some godsforsaken hole in the ground."

"You forget that I was born in these parts, mage," said Baal. "I know all the dangers of the desert, and its secrets, too. We'll get there alright. It's fighting the bitch that concerns me." He glanced sideways at Ghor, who was staring into the fire. "Are you sure you won't come with us, sangoma? A magic user like yourself would be quite an asset."

She shook her head, though there was regret on her face. "Caesar and Leah will need my help. There is great evil here."

"Well then." He got to his feet, fastening his cloak and slinging his crossbows over his shoulder. "Let's get moving."

Saiya said her goodbyes, hugging Ghor and Leah and offering an awkward handshake to Caesar. She'd had barely any physical contact with the wizard since she and Baal had agreed to give their relationship a chance to grow. Sometimes, when the Hunter was especially distant, she found herself missing his casual flirtations. Caesar, she was sure, would not be so loath to take her to bed.

Baal wasted no time in setting out, and he walked as quickly as if all the demons of hell were hot on his heels. Saiya and Kormac (along with Najmah, who surprisingly had chosen to join them) were hard-pressed to keep up with him.

They stopped briefly in Caldeum to acquire some necessities for their journey into the desert. Headscarves, to protect their faces from sand and sun, a few extra flasks of water, and a map and compass to help guide their way, though the latter hardly seemed necessary, as the road lay straight and bare as bones under the metallic sky. The sun was barely past the horizon, but already heat waves shimmered on the sand like dancing spirits.

Travelers were plentiful in the first few miles outside the walls, but they were all heading in the same direction – towards the city. Some were merchants and farmers carting their wares to the marketplace, others were Iron Wolves on patrol, easily identified by their red hauberks. Once they passed by a group of refugees, many of whom were wounded.

After several hours, however, the flow of traffic died out. The landscape grew steadily more inhospitable: farmland turning into dunes of sand and homesteads into fire-gutted shells, long abandoned. They stopped in one of these for lunch, and though the damage looked recent, Saiya marveled at the buildup of sand and debris. It was, she thought, as though the desert was consuming any traces of human presence, gobbling it up and spitting out the bones.

Speaking of bones, there were a lot. Whole skeletons, sometimes, lying where they had fallen by the roadside, picked clean by scavengers and bleached by the relentless sun. Most were animal in nature, oxen or camel, and even the odd horse or dog, but there were a few human ones mixed in there as well.

Eventually the road began to slope down, entering a canyon of jagged black stone. Makeshift railings lashed together with rope guarded the worst of the edges, but the way was still perilous enough.

Rounding a corner, Baal came to a sudden halt, holding out his arm. Saiya nearly walked into his back, but he didn't seem to notice.

"There's someone up ahead," he murmured.

She peered past him. A young woman was sitting in the shade of a boulder, reading a book. She was shockingly incongruous in the surroundings: skin as pale as snow, honey-colored hair tied up in a purple ribbon, a scanty outfit that left her midriff, arms, and legs open to the air. Propped up beside her was a curious staff with a large colored glass orb at the end.

"Do you think she's lost?" Saiya whispered.

Baal frowned. "I'm not sure. There's an odd smell about her – old magic, like Leah. We should be careful."

"You don't think she's an agent of Maghda, do you?" asked Kormac, tightening his hand on the grip of his spear.

"Only one way to find out," said Baal. He stepped forward resolutely, calling out, "Greetings, stranger! What brings you out this far from civilization?"

The woman calmly closed her book and rose to her feet, proving that she had already known they were there.

"If you intend to go farther, take heed," she warned. "The Coven guards these desert roads, and they will slay any who venture here."

"That does not concern us," said Baal. "We have fought them before."

Her face lit up. "Ah! Then we have a common enemy. Let me accompany you. I may be of some service."

The four of them exchanged wary glances. Kormac said, "And what, pray, can you do – if I may ask."

"The Coven has disguised their trail with illusions to prevent any from finding their secret hideaways," said the woman. "I can see through those illusions, and banish them. Without me, you will be led astray and killed."

The quiet certainty in her voice was chilling. It was not a threat; Saiya could detect no malice in her tone. But Kormac gritted his teeth and growled, "And how are we to know that you will not lead us astray? Are we to trust you simply because you claim to be a friend?"

"You will either trust me or you won't," she said. "Nothing I say will change that."

"How do you know we are to be trusted?" said Baal. "We could be supplicants of Maghda, on our way to her side."

The woman smiled serenely, reminding Saiya strangely of Ghor. "You faces tell me the truth." She pointed to each of them in turn. "Demon Hunter. Monk. Templar. And you, the most powerful, the most pure of all. You don't remember, but you will."

"Who are you?" breathed Najmah. "To know that …"

"I am Eirena," she said. "Nothing more, nothing less." She stood with feet planted firmly in the sand, staff in one hand and book in the other, the picture of confidence.

"I think we should let her join us," Saiya declared. "If what she says is true, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Alright," said Baal. "Welcome, Eirena. I am Alem-"

The secret smile floated over her lips. "There is no need for deception, Hunter. I will not betray you."

Baal kept his composure, but Saiya could see from his eyes that he was shaken. "Very perceptive. Well then, you can call me Baal. This is Saiya, Kormac, and Najmah."

Eirena dropped into a curtsey. "Pleased to meet you all. Shall we be off? We have a long ways yet to go."

It was quite awkward at first. Kormac walked close behind their new ally with his weapon close at hand, plainly not ready to accept her as one of the group. Baal as well seemed unsettled, and watched the blonde woman from the corner of his eye. Saiya's intuition told her that Eirena meant them no harm, but something about her face bothered the monk. It was open and friendly, yes, the lips eager to smile and the brow free of worry lines, but there was something amiss that Saiya could not put her finger on.

The road curved steeply down now, plunging into the gully. They followed it past the wreckage of an overturned wagon and through a gap in a ruined wall where a gate had once stood. And it was there that the first ambush came.

The only warning they had was Gawahir leaping into flight from Baal's shoulder, shrieking, "Watch out below! Watch out below!" A moment later, the canyon walls exploded with sound and movement as a score of enemies leaped out of hiding. They attacked unhesitatingly, and Saiya found herself back to back with Eirena, fighting desperately to fend off a yowling creature with black fur and a feral, cat-like face. It walked upright on two legs, like a human, and was clad in rudimentary armor, but its hands ended in wicked talons, and a tail lashed angrily at its hindquarters.

Saiya blocked a swipe to her face with her forearm and delivered a swift punch that sent the thing reeling back. She slew it with a vicious kick to the chest and turned to see how Eirena was coping.

Three of the feline assailants were advancing on her, but before Saiya could jump to her aid she spun her staff in the air and slammed the base into the sand. The thick scent of rose petals wafted on the breeze, and the trio of enemies changed course and fell upon their own comrades.

"What-" Saiya gasped.

Eirena smiled at her. "Basic charm spell. Under its influence, they will do my bidding."

"What exactly are they?" Saiya started to ask, but two more sprang at her and she was forced to step back and parry. A crashing blow to the side of the head knocked one of them unconscious, and she got the other in her favorite neck-breaking lock, though not before it managed to score her leg with its claws. Then one of them latched onto her back and bore her to the ground. She landed hard, inhaled a cloud of dust, and began to cough uncontrollably. There was a sharp pain in her shoulder as the creature fastened its teeth into the thick muscle there.

Gathering all her strength, Saiya rolled over, pinning the beast beneath her. With her arms free, she used her elbow to pummel it mercilessly in the ribs until it released her. She scrambled up and turned to finish her adversary off, only to see that the job had already been done. A black-feathered bolt pierced the head, emerging just above one of the pointed ears.

Looking around, Saiya saw that the battle was over: a relatively easy victory. Baal (who had scaled the canyon wall to a ledge about ten feet up) was unscathed, as was Eirena. Saiya's shoulder smarted, but the wound was not deep and required no binding. Najmah's nose was bleeding where a stray blow had caught him unawares; he had a wad of cloth pressed to it.

Kormac was the worst injured – a nasty cut running the length of his unprotected forearm. He was trying unsuccessfully to bandage it with only one hand when Eirena came over, unwinding her silk sash. Without a word she knelt down and bound it tightly around the wound, tying off the ends in a neat bow. The Templar watched her work with a disconcerted look on his face.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely.

Eirena smiled up at him, and he glanced away.

"What are these things?" Saiya asked Baal. The Hunter had jumped down from his sniping spot and was walking between the black-furred corpses, occasionally nudging one with his toe.

"Lacuni," he replied. "They're the goatmen of the desert. Barbaric, aggressive, impossible to reason with – although I have heard rumors that the jungle tribes used to trade with nearby cities. It is unusual for them to be so near to civilization, though. Maghda's doing, I wonder?" He turned to look at Eirena. "You've proved your worth, I suppose. What-"

He was interrupted by a cracking sound from above. An avalanche of boulders had broken loose from the rim of the canyon and was thundering down on them. In an instant, Baal had seized Saiya by the arm and hauled her into a little pocket in the stone. Najmah was also able to take shelter in time, but Kormac and Eirena were stranded in the middle of the path, too far from either wall to reach safety before the rocks rained down around them.

"Kormac!" Saiya screamed, struggling against Baal's arms to rush out and do something, anything, to help her friend. The Hunter restrained her forcibly, throwing his full weight against her to keep her back. His teeth were clenched in a pained grimace, but he would not let her go.

And then it was over, the last pebbles clattering down to land ineffectually on top of the massive pile. The dust settled. There was neither sight nor sound of their buried companions.

Baal stepped back, hands falling limply to his sides as he stared in shock at the ground where, seconds ago, they had all been standing. But Saiya rushed forward, tearing rocks from the mound and throwing them aside in feverish haste. She lost her footing, stumbled, fell to her knees, and staggered upright again.

"Saiya," Baal said. "There's nothing you can do."

He sounded so calm, so unemotional, and a frayed nerve snapped within her chest. She spun and hurled the stone she held in his direction. Her aim was off, impaired by the tears that swam hotly in her vision, and the projectile bounced harmlessly off the sand several feet away.

"Help me, damn you!" she yelled at him. "Kormac's under there and we have to get to him. Help me!" Her voice broke, and she whimpered, "Help me. Please."

Najmah came to her assistance, his huge hands shifting even the heaviest rocks with ease. After a moment Baal joined in as well, working away in silence. Catching a sideways glimpse of his face, she saw that his lips were twisted and his eyes were grim. In the deep recesses of her mind, she felt bad for shouting at him, but she could not bring herself to apologize, not yet.

They had moved less than half the pile when a faint noise came from underneath. It was too muffled and indistinct to be truly heartening, but hope blossomed in Saiya's heart anyway. She put her face close to the stones and said, "Kormac? Eirena? Can you hear us?"

Her tears, this time of relief, started afresh when the Templar's voice reached her ears. "We're here. We can't move."

"Just hang in there!" she cried. "We're trying to get to you!"

Saiya renewed her assault on the heap, digging frantically through the dirt and debris with both hands. The skin on her palms and fingers was being scraped raw by the friction, but she didn't care. All that mattered was reaching the prisoners before their air supply ran out.

She rolled one last chunk out of the way and was suddenly confronted by a shimmering shield of magic. Through it she could see Kormac's back, and Eirena's face looking up at her from underneath the Templar. The shield was hers, and she was obviously expending a lot of effort to maintain it. Sweat beaded on her forehead; her eyes were glassy with concentration. The young monk recognized the look of a mage whose arcane reservoir was waning; she had seen Caesar drive himself into such a state, and she knew that if the shield failed now, the pair really would be crushed under the remainder of the stones.

She gestured urgently to Baal and Najmah, instructing them to help her enlarge the opening she had made. The shield could not be penetrated from the outside, but on her prompting, Kormac began to rise up from the cramped position he was in, stretching his hands up toward the gap. Saiya grabbed hold of them as soon as they were outside the shining bubble, heaving with all her might. She toppled backwards with the Templar on top of her and clung to him, choking on pent-up sobs.

"Hush, Schwesterchen," he murmured, levering himself up on his uninjured arm. "I'm all right."

Meanwhile, Baal and Najmah extracted Eirena from the pile, which collapsed the instant she was free. The petite woman was half-fainting in Baal's arms, but still she managed a weary smile.

"Thank you," she mumbled. "I couldn't have held out for much longer."

"Impressive magic," replied the Hunter. "Where did you learn it?"

"Far from here," was her only answer.

"Well," rumbled Kormac, getting to his feet, "you saved my life, and for that I will be forever grateful." To Baal, he said, "If you are amenable, mein Freund, I would appreciate finding a campsite soon. After that last ordeal, I'm not sure how much further I can go today, and … Eirena should rest as well."

Knowing Baal as she did, Saiya half-expected him to refuse, but he only said, "Let's get out of this blasted canyon, at least. Then we can stop for the day." Steadying Eirena, he stepped forward and slapped Kormac on the shoulder, adding two lighter pats for good measure. "I'm glad you're still with us, brother."

A piercing whistle summoned Gawahir, who was beginning to nibble at the lacuni corpses. Baal gave the raven some instructions in Kehjistani, which he apparently understood, and sent him skyward with a thrust of his hand.

"He'll spy ahead and report back to me on the lay of the land," Baal explained. Saiya was impressed; she knew that he had spent considerable hours training the bird to respond to his commands, but she didn't realize that it was capable of such intelligent behavior.

Wary of more traps or ambushes, they made slow progress, and by the time Gawahir returned several hours later, they had only advanced another mile or two. Baal consulted his forward scout and cheerfully informed them that the end of the canyon was not far away. But when they turned the final corner, it was to find the road blocked by a massive slide of boulders, far greater than the one they had recently escaped from.

"Asheara did warn us," Saiya muttered, staring at the obstruction in dismay.

Baal studied it with a critical eye. "Climbing will be difficult, on account of that overhang. Perhaps if I were to go first and lower a rope …"

"No need," said Eirena. "This is a mirage."

"How can-" Baal began, but before the question could take shape in his mouth Kormac lunged forward and knocked him bodily to the ground. A bolt of magical fire sizzled on the sand where the Hunter's feet had been, leaving behind a splatter of rapidly cooling glass.

"Cultists!" Saiya shouted, spotting the telltale robed figures lining the rim of the canyon. More emerged from a hidden alcove behind them, boxing them in. Some of them had demons crawling at their heels, shackled to their masters by a fiery chain.

"Scheiße," Kormac groaned. "Too many."

Baal took cover behind a boulder and opened fire. Three coven members tumbled down from the cliff tops, and the rest backed away out of range.

"I can clear the path ahead of us," Eirena said, "but I'll need a few minute to cast the spell. Can you cover me?"

Saiya nodded. "Don't worry about it, we've got your back." Shifting her brass knuckles to a more secure grip, she started forward to engage the nearest group of cultists, making sure to target the mages first. She had seen first hand how much devastation their life-draining spells could cause. Kormac charged into the fray beside her, leaving Najmah to defend the enchantress.

As she blocked and kicked, dodged and threw punches, a wild euphoria coursed through her – the kind that she felt only in the heat of battle, when her body and mind became one and moved fluidly and without hindrance. It was like a dance, and her opponent was her partner. She let her feet carry her where they would, trusting her techniques to keep her safe, and it was only when she heard Baal shout her name that she realized she was surrounded.

Saiya was concerned, but only for a moment. Like a lantern flaring to life and scouring the shadows, the knowledge of exactly what she needed to do, and how to do it, flashed through her mind. She drew in a deep breath, inhaling until she thought her lungs would burst – and with it, pulled nearby lifeforms to her as if she was a magnet and they were chunks of metal. The cultists cried out in surprise and panic as they were dragged forward against their will. And at the apex of the breath, when she could surely hold no more, she released it and scattered them like leaves before the wind. Kormac dealt finishing blows to any that had survived.

"Heads up!" squawked Gawahir, fluttering in circles around Baal's head. The Hunter swore inventively.

"There's more coming down the road behind us!" he exclaimed. "Eirena, how's that spell coming along?"

"This is … powerful magic," gasped the enchantress, "unlike anything I have seen before."

"Can you do it or not?" Baal snapped impatiently.

She straightened her shoulders and turned to give him a determined smile. "I can. A few more minutes is all I need."

"I don't think we have a few minutes," Saiya said, eyeing the advancing force. "There's got to be fifty at least, with demons in tow. Things are about to get rough."

"We've taken on more than that with just the two of us," replied Baal.

"Go," said Kormac, suddenly. His voice was strained. "When Eirena dispels the illusion, get the women out of here. I'll cover our retreat."

"No!" Saiya cried. "It's a death trap!"

The look in his eyes made it clear he knew that very well.

"We're not leaving you behind," she growled. "If you stay and fight, so do we all."

There was a sharp cry from Eirena, and the boulders that had blocked their path evaporated like water drying in the sun. Najmah caught the petite woman as she swayed heavily.

"Let us hurry," he urged. "I can see open ground ahead."

"But the cultists!" Kormac persisted. "They will continue to follow us unless something is done to stop them."

Saiya clenched her teeth. She'd thought the Templar dead once already that day; there was no way she was going to lose him for real. Throwing out an arm to hold him in place, she said, "I have a better idea," and reached for the music of the bell.

It was slow to respond to her call – perhaps because it had been so long, perhaps because the situation was not as dire as some she had been in – but when it finally rang, the earth trembled. Great waves of holy power rippled out, smashing through rock and kicking up clouds of sand. Saiya staggered backwards away from the destruction she had wrought, shielding her eyes from the stinging cloud. Baal grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the canyon exit. He was laughing.

"That'll slow them down!" he crowed. "Hah! Maghda wanted a landslide, well, she's got one!"

"I didn't mean to cause an actual landslide," Saiya protested as they stumbled out into the harsh glare of the sun. "Now the road back really is unusable."

"It doesn't matter," he said. "The important thing is, we're through, and the cultists can't follow us. All the same, we should go a bit farther before we camp."

They made it another mile or so before deciding on a spot in a shallow dip, near enough to the roadside that they would have no trouble finding their way back, but far enough that anyone passing by in the night would not be likely to notice them. Baal built up an insubstantial fire from the parched bushes and heated some water, which he used to clean the gash on Kormac's arm, as well as the bite mark on Saiya's shoulder. The latter he left open to the air to facilitate healing.

The Hunter took first watch after dinner, kindly offered his empty bedroll to Eirena. Saiya, who was slated to go next, knew that she should try to get some sleep, but couldn't. The moon that rose over the horizon line was larger than any she had seen before: huge and swollen, it dangled like a luminescent pearl over the desert, turning the sand into a shimmering silver ocean. Its light pierced even through her closed eyelids.

At last, she slipped from under the blanket and padded past her slumbering companions to the rock outcrop a few yards from camp where Baal sat, crossbow close at hand, and stared at the sky. Faithful Gawahir sat beside him, crooning softly and rubbing his feathered head against his masters hand.

"What are you doing up?" Baal asked without turning his head as she settled down beside him. "Your watch doesn't start for another half-hour at least."

"I can't sleep," Saiya admitted. "It's so bright out here. I'm not used to it."

His face looked cold in the pale light, as if he was made of metal. Even his smile was steely, cut thin across his face like a knife wound. "You were very impressive today, in the canyon," he said. "Brilliant timing with the bell, and that other technique you used. That was one I'd never seen before."

"I made it up on the spur of the moment."

"Even more remarkable, then. How's your shoulder feeling?"

She wiggled it up and down. "A bit stiff and sore, but I'll be fine. I've had a lot worse."

His face stilled, and she wondered if he was remembering how the joint had been dislocated during their battle against the Butcher.

"It's a good thing we met Eirena," she said, wanting to change the subject. "Without her, we might all have died."

Baal made a noncommittal noise. "What do you think of her?"

"I like her," said Saiya. "She seems trustworthy and compassionate. Do you think she'll travel far with us?"

"Hard to tell. You didn't notice anything … strange … about her?"

The young monk frowned. "Strange? Well, now that you mention it, there is something. It's hard to pin down, really, but its her eyes, I think. They don't quite match the rest of her face."

"Yes, that's it," he said. "They're too old for her, aren't they. Like those of a woman past her hundredth year."

"But she doesn't look any older than me! Could it be magic, do you think? She did say she was skilled in the art of illusions …"

But Baal shook his head – more out of uncertainty, she thought, than dissent. He said, "Whatever her story is, she's useful in a fight. I suppose we should be grateful for that, and not pry into her affairs."

They were silent for a while, watching a snake wind its sensual way across the sand, leaving ribbons in its wake. Then Saiya said, somewhat hesitantly, "Baal, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do I feel as though I'm about to be scolded?"

"No, no. It's nothing like that. I was just wondering why … I mean … we are a couple, aren't we?"

The solitary eyebrow was joined by its twin, as they struggled to reach his hairline. "That was my understanding. Why do you ask?" With only the slightest hint of a hitch in his voice, he said, "Are you having second thoughts?"

"No," she replied, weighing her words carefully. "But I sometimes wonder if you are. You seem - well, reluctant. To - to -"

"To have sex with you."

Saiya flushed redder than the pomegranate fruits she had seen in the Caldeum bazaar. "Yes. That."

"I thought I made it clear that I was taking it slow," he said. "It's for your benefit, mostly. I don't want to go too fast and upset you."

"Glaciers have been known to move with greater speed," she chuckled, trying to inject some levity into the suddenly tense atmosphere. Baal didn't laugh.

"If you're getting impatient," he began, but Saiya cut him off with a quick gesture.

"No," she said firmly. "I'm not putting pressure on you, or trying to convince you to sleep with me."

His lips twisted in a bitter smile. "Most men wouldn't need convincing. You're perfectly within your rights to be annoyed with me."

"Oh, Baal." She took his hand, playing with it, tracing circles on his palm. "I still love you, as much as ever. Not just romantically, but as a friend, too. And if you're not comfortable doing more, than I accept that. I'm not even going to ask you why. That's your business, not mine."

Baal met her eyes for the first time since she had joined him, and the raw affection she saw there took her breath away. "I don't deserve you, nuur il-'en," he murmured, brushing the backs of his fingers across her cheek in a tender caress. "Gods know, I'm going to hold on to you for as long as I possibly can, but I don't deserve a moment of it."

"Nonsense," Saiya said briskly. "We're two of the most mule-headed people in Sanctuary. Is it any wonder that we ended up together?"

He did laugh then, shoulders shaking, pressing his lips tightly together to keep the sound from leaking out and bounding joyfully across the sands. He regarded Saiya with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"You know," he said, in a sly tone, "there's more than one way that two people can enjoy each other without having intercourse."

It took her a moment or so to realize that he was not speaking theoretically. "You - you want to - what do you want to do?" she stammered.

In one smooth movement, he turned and pressed her down against the flat surface of the rock, his left hand coming up to guard the back of her head. He leaned over her, their chests touching and his right leg straddling hers. Saiya found that she was suddenly unable to breathe, and counted slowly to five in her head before she inhaled as regularly as she could manage. He had been close to her before, but never like this. He always held back, keeping himself on a tight leash even during the most passionate of kisses, but now she could read the naked lust in his eyes, and it lit a reciprocal fire in the pit of her belly.

Baal nipped her nose, smiling when she squeaked in surprise. He moved down to her lips, and that at least she was comfortable enough with to respond. But then his free hand conquered the ties on her shirt and moved toward her breast, and she froze up again.

He stopped kissing her instantly. Saiya swore silently at herself. If only she could get over that embarrassing habit! Now he would ask her, with such concern, if she wanted him to cease what he was doing.

But to her surprise, he murmured, "Just relax, Saiya. You'll like this, I promise." His fingers resumed their work of undoing the bandages that had been serving her as a breastband, since that was the one article of clothing that Kormac had failed to acquire for her.

With her chest unbound, he massaged the soft, rounded flesh, tweaking her nipple playfully to elicit another squeak. It felt amazingly good, and when his mouth followed his hand she couldn't restrain a moan. His stubble tickled her skin, and his tongue was so … warm. He suckled on her nipple as if he was a nursing babe, but there was nothing innocent about this. It sent currents of pleasure and need straight to her core.

Abruptly he pulled his head away, turning it sharply, and a chill ran across her damp skin. She made muffled sound of protest, but Baal was not listening.

"Hey!" he growled. "Get out of here, you little bastard! Go find a sandworm or something."

Saiya glanced to the side, where he was looking, and let out a snort of laughter. Gawahir was standing not two feet away, observing them with keen interest. At the Hunter's harsh words, he gave them a wounded look and beat his wings, scattering them with sand. In the air, he circled a few times, a jet bird against an obsidian sky, and winged southward.

Baal was already getting back to work. "Now, where was I?" he muttered. "Ah, right." He shifted his attentions to her other breast. Saiya was so concentrated on the wonderful new sensations flooding her brain that she didn't mark the progress of his hand until it had already wandered beneath the fabric of her pants.

She gasped, hips jerking involuntarily, as he touched her. Baal hesitated, searching her face for consent, and she nodded rapidly. He continued stroking her, shifting his weight upwards so he could reach more easily. His fingertip danced over the little bud of flesh, tracing secret patterns. He was hard against her hip, and she was conscious of wanting him with a deep, primal desire, wanting him to fill her, to be one with her, to spill the very essence of his being into her. And with that thought, the roar in her ears built to a deafening crescendo and she was lost, stricken blind, deaf and mute, cast adrift in a sea of bliss.

She wasn't sure how long she lay there on the rock, sweating and panting and trembling, but when she came back to herself Baal was watching her with a smile on his face. There was no small amount of pride in that smile, though whether for her or for himself she could not guess.

"Well?" he said.

Saiya stared dumbly at him, trying to gather the thoughts that had been scattered to the four corners of Sanctuary. "That was … wow."

His grin widened. He was definitely pleased with himself.

She sat up, taking stock of her body as she rebound the bandages on her chest and tied her shirt closed. The last echoes of rapture reverberated in her core when she moved, but mostly she felt tired. Exhausted, in fact, as though she could sleep for a year. And – there was no delicate way to put this, even in her own mind – her underclothes needed to be changed. She felt a distinct wetness that was rapidly growing cold.

Suddenly, it occurred to her that their encounter had been entirely one-sided. She frowned, irritated with herself for being so thoughtless.

"What's the matter?" Baal asked.

"You … I didn't … um, do you want me to do that for you? What you did, I mean?"

A quick glance informed her that he was still aroused. But he said, "That's all right, nuur il-'en. I appreciate the thought, but you don't need to."

"I want to," she said. And it was true. Though her own need was sated for the moment, she was curious about his. What would his face look like in the moment of release? Would he shout to the heavens, as she had overheard lovers doing before? Or would he be quiet and controlled even in ecstasy?

Baal opened his mouth, but his reply was cut short by a scream carried on the wind. He sniffed at the air.

"Demons," he said. "It figures." He cast a longing glance at her disheveled form, reaching out for a moment as though he was going to touch her. Then a second scream rang out, and his eyes blazed crimson.

"Wait here," he said hoarsely. Before Saiya could make a sound, he had grabbed his crossbow and vanished into the night.

* I'tidal said: "Who are these fools?"

* Xanim means 'mistress' or 'lady'.

* Didergin is a word that ordinarily means 'wanderer', but Baal is making use of its second meaning, 'societal outcast or exile'.

* Mein Freund: "my friend"