The heavy winds continued to batter the desert landscape through the night. Moffitt lay awake, feeling like he had run out of prayers to say for Dietrich and Anah's safety. He wished he had gone out there as well. Maybe we could've gotten Dietrich back here before the storm got bad. I'm a bloody coward for not going out to rescue him! Moffitt let out a sigh, trying not to beat himself up over this.

"Are you alright?" Janvier whispered in the darkness.

"No," Moffitt replied. "I should've gone out there. Dietrich would be back here and recovering from his injury, and Anah wouldn't be out there, either."

"I do not blame you for not wanting to go. You were putting the safety of the horses first."

"I know, but there must've been something I could've done."

Janvier was quiet for a moment. "When the storm clears, we will find them."

"I'm worried Dietrich's not going to be alive when we find him."

"If Anah has gone after him, she will not let him die. She cares deeply for you. Both of you."

"This whole trip was for us to help her, not the other way around."

"Traveling in the desert, bad things are bound to happen." Janvier shifted onto his stomach, and rested his arms on his pillow, looking over at where Moffitt had set up his blankets. "Your father was the first person to say that to me. I have kept in mind everything you both taught me during my own time here in the desert."

"That doesn't surprise me. Father is the best teacher anyone could have outside of the Arabs themselves on how to survive in the desert."

"Oui, he is." Janvier smiled. "Being here, in Tunisia, brings back fond memories. Traveling with you and your father. I do miss that."

Moffitt wasn't sure how to respond. He only had Janvier to talk to now—though he could always talk to the horses, even though they couldn't talk back. His worries about Dietrich and Anah had completely overshadowed his conflicting feelings toward his former friend. He sighed again, this one quieter. "I'm starting to wonder if I should've asked Father to come with us."

Janvier glanced down at his arms, then back at Moffitt. "Did you tell him about seeing me again after the incident with the fox's paw?"

"No. Dietrich asked that question shortly before we learned you were the one following us, and I told him that I was afraid of how Father would take learning that you had gone down a bad path."

There was a long silence from Janvier. Moffitt heard him take a deep breath, then heard him say, "To be honest, that… was not something I really thought about all those years ago. There were a lot of things I said while you were being held prisoner by Leitzke, about invading Britain, that were mainly to keep the Germans from suspecting that I harbored sympathy for the Allies. There was even a time when I genuinely believed that the Germans would eventually invade Britain, and it would be a while before I realized that was not something I wanted to see. Why would I want to destroy the people who gave me what I never had before? The damage was done, though. I figured you had told your father and I would never be allowed back in your home at Cambridge."

"When we do get home, I'm still telling him the whole truth. Don't deny what happened." Moffitt shifted to face Janvier. "I do know a place where you can work. You remember the guard I rescued? Aumeier?"

"Yes. What about him?"

"He's opened his own boarding stable just outside of Leicester. I'm sure he'd hire you to help care for the horses."

"You think so?"

"I don't see why not. He won't hold anything against you, as long as you're willing to do the work he wants you to. You can even come visit me and we'll take our horses on a run together."

"Can I say that I am surprised you are offering all this? I thought you… hated me for what I did."

"If you're willing to change, I won't be doing you any favors by continuing to push you away. I do want things to go back to the way they were nearly twenty years ago. I understand I can't change the fact that you went down an awful path, or that we suffered through war, or that I now have combat fatigue, but we can at least keep and maintain the bond we once had. Apart from Zahir, who do you have in your life now?"

Janvier shrugged. "No one."

"You don't have to stay alone. Unless that's what you really, really want."

"To tell you the truth… no, I would rather not be alone."

"Then you won't be anymore."

Janvier reached over from his bed of blankets to take Moffitt's hand. "Merci, Jack."

The last time they ever shook hands was the day Janvier returned to France. Moffitt remembered standing with his father and Janvier at a dock in Dover. When the announcement was given for all passengers to board the waiting ship, Janvier shook Nicholas's hand, thanked him for his hospitality, then turned to the younger Moffitt. Janvier took Moffitt's hand next, and didn't say anything apart from a goodbye. Then he set his suitcases down, and gave Moffitt a quick, tight hug. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead, he picked up his suitcases and headed toward the ship's boarding ramp.

After that, Moffitt had hoped that he would see Janvier again, perhaps as professionals in their fields. The only thing he heard from Janvier since then was a get-well letter not even a year later when he was bedridden with a lengthy illness.

Moffitt hoped that this really was the start of something better for Janvier. He let go of his friend's hand, and tried to get some sleep.

In the morning, Kiri provided Moffitt and Janvier with breakfast. The winds had died down at some point during the night, and Moffitt noted that was one of the shorter sandstorms he had ever witnessed. Regardless, he was glad it had been so short, as that meant he and Janvier could go and rescue Dietrich and Anah as soon as they were finished.

Snowstripe seemed eager to go as Moffitt started putting his tack on. Zahir and Icepatch were far more patient. Janvier occasionally looked over at Moffitt, grinning whenever Moffitt cursed in his efforts of getting Snowstripe to stand still. "How old is Snowstripe, Jack?" Janvier asked.

"He's seventeen, and still full of energy."

Janvier raised both eyebrows. "Sacré bleu! One would never guess he is that old."

Moffitt shook his head. "Even Father is impressed, and he's been around horses all his life, far longer than I have." He went around Snowstripe, checking that every strap and buckle were in place. "Are you ready, Ghislain?"

"Just about."

Moffitt noticed movement in the corner of his eye, and spotted Kiri dashing up to them.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Moffitt replied. "Do you need something?"

"I came to ask if you would be bringing the captain back. I would like to thank him."

"We have our own journey that we must continue, and we are short on time."

Kiri looked down in disappointment.

"We will tell Dietrich that you thank him for helping save you and returning your necklace. I promise. I might return one day, as I am very attached to the desert. It was nice to see you again, Kiri. You have grown up considerably since I last saw you."

There was still a disappointed look on the girl's face, but she managed to look up at Moffitt. Eventually, she smiled at him. "Thank you. I… wish you the best of luck out there."

Moffitt nodded, then climbed into Snowstripe's saddle. He occasionally glanced over his shoulder at Kiri as he and Janvier left the village, Icepatch in tow. There was a part of him that wished he could have stayed longer, but he knew that was probably best left for another time. The baby won't wait. We can't afford to be delayed any longer.

There came a point where Moffitt could no longer see the village when he looked over his shoulder. He figured that was for the best, as he didn't want to be tempted to return. Focus on helping Dietrich and getting to the crystal ball temple.

Dietrich had many uncomfortable sleeps throughout his life. This one was perhaps the worst of all, as he had spent the night against rock. He was sitting on rock, and his back was pressed against rock. He couldn't imagine anything more comfortable, beyond maybe sleeping on a bed made of cacti.

His entire right leg was numb, and he wasn't sure if that was due to his injury or Anah's healing powers. Anah's darkened eyes and lack of a reaction when Dietrich tried shifting told him that she was sleeping, and he started praying that the intense pain wouldn't come back as he continued waking up. It was bad enough everything else hurt from sleeping on literal rock. His throat felt as dry as the desert around him, and a dull ache began gnawing at his stomach when he realized it had been nearly a day since he last had anything to eat. Can I just fall unconscious and wake up at home? That would be nice, Dietrich thought.

Anah's eyes began to brighten back to their usual ultramarine as she began waking up. She lifted her head, and adjusted her coils around Dietrich's leg. "Good morning, dear. How are you feeling?"

"Quite awful, as I slept on rock." Dietrich sighed. "I would very much like to go home." He realized he probably shouldn't have said that to Anah. "Sorry… I am exhausted, and—"

"I do not blame you for wanting to go home. I would not mind going home as well," Anah replied. "This is something we must continue, though we must use caution with your knee." She faced Dietrich. "I sense you need food and water."

Dietrich nodded. "I am so hungry that I would not mind more of that granola."

"Honestly, I should have added raisins to that granola. More variety, and perhaps—"

"Alright," Dietrich pressed his index finger to Anah's mouth, "I would like to not talk about food until Moffitt and Janvier arrive."

Anah glared at him. "Then what should we talk about until then?" she asked when Dietrich took his hand away from her head.

Dietrich thought for a moment. "What are you looking forward to most with helping raise Moffitt's child?"

"Ooh, that is a good question." A smile crossed Anah's face, and she paused to think. "I am not quite sure. There are so many things. I think… just being there, for every single day of their life, is what I am looking forward to."

Dietrich's mind turned back to the dream he had before they headed out on this trip. It had been a long time since he had thought about that dream, and he had been meaning to talk about it with Anah. "I must ask… do you know whether Moffitt will have a boy or a girl?"

"That is something I could easily find out, but I have chosen not to so it will be a surprise for me as well. Besides, if I did know, I would not be able to keep that a secret for very long. Why do you ask, dear?"

"Before we left, I… had a rather strange dream, where a young man who looked very similar to Moffitt was on a tower—picture a castle turret—and fell off. I could not tell if he jumped or simply fell, nor could I tell… if he was dead. There were birds circling around him the whole time, and I could not tell what birds."

Anah became silent, and her smile faded. "Do you believe this young man was Moffitt's son?"

"Something deep inside was telling me he was."

More silence. "For someone who is not a psychic, it is extremely rare for dreams to turn out to be visions."

"Moffitt is not a psychic, and he has had many visions."

"He is connected to the prophecy, and he has a very unique gift. This dream you had… if this man is indeed Moffitt's son, it is not connected to the prophecy."

Dietrich gave her a confused look. "And why is that?"

"When the prophecy comes to pass, you will understand why. Since what you saw did not involve any elements of the prophecy, that lowers the chances that this was a vision. It does not, however, make it impossible."

"So… there is a chance that I witnessed Moffitt's son throwing himself off a tower?"

"Maybe, but would you let that happen?"

"Of course not! I am not even sure of what the entire dream means."

"Neither am I. Many of the details are too vague to make a decent guess. The birds, for instance, must be identified."

"If I have this dream again, you will be the first to know about it."

"Thank you, dear. Believe me, I want to help you get to the bottom of this." A concerned look filled Anah's eyes. "Does Moffitt know?"

"I told him the day after I had that dream, and tried to convince him not to worry about it."

"The last thing we should be doing is making him worry, especially with how close we are to the baby being born."

"We should still tell him if this dreams turns out to be a vision."

"Oh, I agree, but I would keep things quiet until we know more—"

A familiar voice called down into the ravine. "Dietrich! Anah!"

"Moffitt!" Anah called back. She nervously looked at Dietrich. "Will you be—"

"Go. The sooner he gets down here, the better," Dietrich said.

"Alright." Anah uncoiled herself from Dietrich's leg, and slithered out of the cave.

Dietrich could hear her talking with Moffitt, while feeling pain slowly begin returning to his knee. It wasn't nearly as excruciating as he feared, especially since Anah had taken care of the swelling. He still didn't dare touch his knee. The thinness of his legs made their bones more visible. His kneecap definitely wasn't where it was intended to be, and it made him sick looking at it.

Moffitt and Janvier came running into the cave. "It's good to see you, Dietrich," Moffitt said.

"Good to see you, too, Moffitt," Dietrich grunted. "Could I have some water, please?"

"Yes, absolutely."

Dietrich temporarily forgot about politeness and manners when he plucked the canteen from Moffitt's hands and greedily drank from it. He would have drank until the canteen was dry if Moffitt didn't pull it away from him.

"Easy. You'll make yourself sick. Does he have any other injuries, Anah?" Moffitt asked.

"Some bruises from his fall, but his knee took the brunt of it," Anah replied.

Janvier knelt by Dietrich's right side. "May I do a quick examination?" he asked.

"Please, do not touch it," Dietrich said.

"I have to."

Dietrich sighed, and braced himself. "Fine." He held his breath, then clenched his fists and let out a cry of pain when Janvier probed his knee.

"Alright. That is what I was afraid of," Janvier said, nervously.

"What?" Moffitt asked.

"I can feel several places where the kneecap is shattered."

Anah looked like she wanted to hide in Moffitt's shirt. "I noticed, but… did not want to say anything."

"So—" Dietrich winced, "it actually is shattered? It does not just feel shattered?"

"It is most definitely shattered, my friend," Janvier replied.

"We'll have to turn north and head for Tunis, then," Moffitt said, defeat coming over his face. "Dietrich needs a hospital."

"How badly do you want to complete this task?"

"Badly, but not at the expense of Dietrich's health. He could develop a permanent limp if this doesn't heal properly."

"I have potions that should help him start to heal, and hold him over until we return home. I am not a doctor, but it would not surprise me if this will need surgery."

"I would rather not have surgery," Dietrich muttered.

"I don't think you'll have much of a choice if you want normal function of your leg," Moffitt said.

Janvier set his backpack on the ground. He pulled a bottle of a pale-blue liquid out. "Alright. This is a bone-healing potion. Each bottle contains a dose for one day. I have six in total."

"Will that be enough to get us to the temple and to Tunis?" Dietrich asked.

"As long as we don't delay, maybe," Moffitt said.

"We will not be able to find the ingredients to make more out here," Janvier said. "We do have another option, but it carries some risk." He looked at Anah. "Is it possible to make a numbing potion using your venom?"

"The only recipe I can think of for a numbing potion uses ingredients that we will not be able to find here," Anah replied. "We may be able to find aloe, but that is all. I hate to say this, but we cannot afford to spend time looking for it."

"I do have some painkiller potions we could use as a base."

"Using one potion to make another carries extreme risk, dear."

Janvier's face reddened when Anah called him "dear," but continued, despite sounding flustered. "D-Does this mean w-we should not try?"

"No, but in order for a potion containing venom to have any effect, it must be injected, not ingested. Simply adding my venom to a premade potion adds the risk of potentially killing Dietrich."

"It doesn't have to," Moffitt said. "I'm immune to snake venom. You said there's a magical component to that. Perhaps we could use it."

Anah thought for a moment. "It could. Once added to a cauldron, we will not have to worry about compatibility, but the venom itself still poses a problem." She became quiet again. "I have an idea, but I do not like it."

"Do you have any ideas you do like?" Dietrich asked.

"I wish." Anah turned to Moffitt. "Do you remember the emergency antivenom we made for the British major bitten by an ordinary Egyptian cobra?"

"Equal parts blood and venom, yes," Moffitt replied.

"We make the same thing, but add more venom than blood."

"I don't know. I feel like there're too many unknowns with that. Even that antivenom we made was extremely risky, and we're lucky the major not only survived, but made a full recovery. Do we have the tools for that?"

"I have some syringes for injectable potions," Janvier said.

"Alright." Moffitt sighed, then turned back to Anah. "What do you think? Two-thirds venom, one-third blood?"

Anah nodded. "We should prepare a half-and-half antivenom just in case this does not work the way we hope."

Dietrich's gaze kept switching between them. "I am not sure I approve of being your guinea pig."

"If we run out of the bone-healing potion, this could very well be the only thing keeping you from being in constant pain," Moffitt said. He had a sympathetic look on his face. "I'm sorry."

Dietrich sighed. "Alright. Better than nothing I suppose."

"We can prepare those tonight when we rest. I think we should get moving."

"How are we getting Dietrich out of here?" Janvier asked.

"We have rope," Moffitt said. "Anah, could you assist in lifting Dietrich out of the ravine?"

"I can, dear," Anah replied.

Janvier gave the blue potion bottle a good shake. "Your doses start now." He looked at his watch. "It is nine-thirty in the morning. You will need to take your next one at nine-thirty tonight. Have you eaten at all?"

"No. Just water," Dietrich said.

"Do heights make you sick?"

"No."

Janvier nodded, then yanked the cork out of the potion bottle. "Drink the whole thing." He stayed with Dietrich while Moffitt and Anah went to check the rope. "Jack is completely immune to snake venom?" he whispered.

"Yes," Dietrich replied.

"All snake venom?"

"Yes."

Janvier glanced outside the cave. "Je n'en reviens pas! I cannot believe it!" He lowered his voice further. "Why? Is that part of the prophecy?"

"It seems to be an added bonus of sorts." Dietrich looked at Janvier, studying his shocked expression. For a moment, he wondered what the Frenchman was thinking. Given Moffitt's behavior, it seemed like the two had made a peace of sorts while Dietrich was lying at the bottom of the ravine, but there was a part of Dietrich that was still a little skeptical of Janvier's intentions. After finishing the potion, Dietrich handed the empty bottle back to Janvier. He suddenly tensed and leaned forward involuntarily as a surge of cold pulsed through his body and began building in his right knee.

Janvier touched Dietrich's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"It… hurts…"

"The potion or your knee?"

"The… potion." Dietrich grunted and clenched his fists.

"That means it is working. Relax. The cold feeling will subside in a minute."

Moffitt jogged back into the cave. "Okay. Anah's with the horses. I've set the rope up so we can tie it around you, and Anah and I will pull you up."

"Personally, Moffitt, I would like to be out of this cave, and on our way to the temple so we can go home," Dietrich said. "I do not care if you have to throw me. Just get me out of here, please—" he was cut off by a yelp of pain as Janvier began wrapping his knee with bandages.

"Sorry," Janvier said. "I am almost done."

It would certainly take time for Dietrich to get used to the bandages now compressing his knee. He didn't move much as Moffitt helped him stand. Once he was upright, he leaned against Moffitt, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Easy does it, Dietrich," Moffitt said. "Take your time."

Dietrich didn't want to take his time. They were running out of time, and he wanted to get out of this damned ravine. Whatever the purpose of the blackthorn flower being here… was not worth this. This is my own stupid fault.

They stopped where the rope was hanging down one side of the ravine. Moffitt adjusted Dietrich while saying, "Alright. Put your arms around me to keep steady."

Dietrich put his arms loosely around Moffitt's neck, trying to remain as still as possible while Moffitt tied the rope around Dietrich's waist. Up above, Anah called, "Oh, Dietrich, dear, you can give him a better hug than that!"

Moffitt glared up at her, then sighed and rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to her."

Dietrich managed a grin through his discomfort. "You know, it does look like we are about to attempt a rather sloppy ballroom dance."

"I don't think you're going to be doing any kind of dancing for a few months, Dietrich." Moffitt tugged the rope, making sure it was as tight and secure as possible. "Alright. Have you have been lifted by telekinesis before?"

"No."

"It feels a bit strange at first. Just keep in mind that Anah will not drop you, and neither will I." Moffitt double-checked the rope. "Ready?"

"I think so."

"Okay." Moffitt took Dietrich's arms from his shoulders, and helped the skinny German lean against the side of the ravine. He then nimbly climbed the ravine, using the rope and jutting rocks to scale up, and pulled himself out right next to Anah. "Are you ready?"

"Just say the word," Anah said, picking up the rope with her tail. "Dietrich? Hold onto the rope, dear."

Dietrich was starting to feel a bit woozy from the potion. He comprehended Anah's instruction, and gripped the rope above his head. His grip wasn't particularly strong, and the feeling of being lifted by nothing only added to his confusion and nausea.

"You alright, Dietrich?" Moffitt asked, slowly pulling the rope toward himself.

I want to sleep. Is this potion supposed to make me drowsy? Dietrich tried to look anywhere but down. It took forever for his body to respond to anything he wanted it to do. His head and eyelids felt increasingly heavy as he looked across the ravine at the ledge where he took his fall.

The blackthorn flower had returned. He wanted to dismiss it as an exhaustion-induced hallucination. "Anah," he moaned. "The… flower's back."

"We do not need to retrieve it, dear," Anah said. "Just relax. You are almost at the top."

Dietrich was hauled out of the ravine, and found himself unable to move. He wasn't in pain, but this was equally unpleasant. His vision was hazy, and he couldn't understand anything being said to him. The last thing he remembered somewhat clearly was Moffitt kneeling down to untie the rope from his waist.

Moffitt pulled the rope out from under Dietrich, and tossed it back down into the ravine for Janvier. While waiting for Janvier, Moffitt went back to Dietrich. Icepatch stood nearby, providing shade for her fallen rider. With a sigh, Moffitt said, "He won't be able to ride like this."

"I will ride with him," Anah replied. "I have ridden with you enough times to know what to do."

"I'm concerned about Dietrich falling off."

"I will hold him if he does."

"Thanks." Moffitt knelt by Dietrich, guilt crushing his chest. "This whole trip was my idea. This is—"

Anah jabbed his arm with her tail.

"Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?!"

"Stop blaming yourself when something goes wrong, dear. Dietrich is the one who is traumatized by what happened at the well. That is not to say this is his fault, but you are not the one who caused this." Anah gave him a stern look. "Sitting around and blaming yourself will not get Dietrich home and in a hospital any quicker."

Moffitt nodded, sighing heavily. "You're right." He knelt down to lift Dietrich up off the ground. "I've taken potions before. Never had something like this happen."

"Potions like these are generally supposed to be taken with food, to prevent this sort of reaction," Anah explained.

"Oh, so this is going to be like when he was drunk in his apartment all over again."

"Hopefully not. He will be quite loopy, may say a little nonsense, but he will not have a painful hangover from it."

Moffitt turned when Janvier finally made it out of the ravine, then looked back at Anah as she slithered up to his shoulders. "Just a day ago, I would've accused Ghislain of trying to hurt Dietrich, or giving him this potion on an empty stomach deliberately to slow us down," Moffitt whispered.

"He is trying to put effort into changing for the better," Anah said.

"And you called him 'dear,' so I think he's on your good side."

Anah grinned. "He looked quite embarrassed by it, though."

"Oh, he's about as bad as Dietrich when it comes to affection. Every time Mother hugged him or pinched his cheeks, he'd look so ashamed." Moffitt laughed a little. "It was bloody hilarious."

"Don't pinch my cheeks," Dietrich murmured.

Anah looked at Moffitt, an eager look on her face. "May I?"

"Absolutely not," Moffitt said. He adjusted his grip on Dietrich. "I need something to stand on so I can get him in Icepatch's saddle."

"I can get in the saddle," Dietrich slurred. "Let me… Let me up. Knee feels great…"

Janvier climbed into Zahir's saddle, watching Moffitt and Anah manipulate Dietrich in order to get him somewhat properly seated on Icepatch. "Do you need any help, Jack?"

"No. We have him," Moffitt said. "Alright, Anah. Are you sure you can handle this?"

"I can, dear," Anah replied. She climbed down from Moffitt's shoulders to Icepatch's saddle. As she took the reins with her tail, she gave Moffitt a saddened expression, but quickly looked away.

"Everything alright?" Moffitt asked.

Anah didn't respond. "We should get going."

"What's bothering you?"

"I… would much rather be riding with you."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that. This has been a very long journey for all of us. We'll be home soon, I promise." Moffitt gave Anah's head a gentle scratch, then headed over to an eager Snowstripe to climb into his saddle.

The landscape gradually began feeling more and more familiar as the men, horses, and snake traversed the desert. Moffitt told himself such familiarity shouldn't be possible in the desert, and yet here, in this section of southern Tunisia, it was. This was where most of his battles were fought alongside the Rat Patrol.

Burned-out shells of tanks, half-tracks, and other vehicles littered some sections of the stretch of desert they crossed the day after rescuing Dietrich from the ravine. Dietrich, who was no longer disoriented and dizzy from the potion, looked uncomfortable being in one of the many graveyards of his equipment—and soldiers. Over one of the hills, a small area was lined with crosses, perfectly spaced from each other.

There was silence aside from the wind as they stopped their horses. Moffitt looked over at the graves, then at Dietrich.

"I do wonder what they would be doing now, had they survived," Dietrich said to no one in particular.

Anah tightened herself around Dietrich's shoulders. She didn't offer any advice, but instead nuzzled his face.

They kept moving, trying not to linger in any one spot. Within an hour, they came across another long-forgotten battleground. A destroyed jeep was among them, and horror gripped Moffitt when he saw sandy corpses lying around.

"SS," Janvier said, breaking the silence.

"The Sorcery Division camp," Dietrich added. "I… recognize this place. This is where Lieutenant Kautner and I were taken, when Augenstein was trying to learn who the uraeus queen's chosen two were."

"Is this where you fought, disguised as me?" Moffitt asked.

Dietrich nodded. "Yes. That jeep was probably the one struck by a truck that knocked me unconscious. Tully saved my life. It is a miracle neither of us were seriously injured."

"So, if this is the camp, than the temple must be…" Moffitt slowly turned Snowstripe, "north of here."

"Correct," Anah replied.

"Let's go, then."

"We should bury the bodies," Dietrich said.

Moffitt thought for a moment, but nodded in agreement. He and Janvier dismounted from their horses, gathering corpses and laying them down to rest in a large grave not that dissimilar from the one he and Dietrich dug back at the beginning of their journey, in the village that these same SS soldiers had probably tore through. Moffitt found it sickening that Augenstein was heartless enough not to bury his own soldiers, but he tried not to think too much about that while laying each man in the grave.

Dietrich wasn't able to help due to his injury, but said a prayer in German from his place in Icepatch's saddle. Moffitt noticed movement in the corner of his eye, and spotted a pair of ravens perched on the side of the wrecked jeep. The ravens both looked at Anah, who bowed her head in respect for the large birds. Both ravens then bowed their heads toward her, and took off, flying north.

The group eventually left the former campsite, heading north as well. The sun had begun setting as they made their way toward the temple. Moffitt didn't want to stop, not when they were so close. He felt a strange pull, not unlike the pulling he felt the first time he went to that temple. There was no way he would be able to sleep that night, so he was content with continuing.

The pull was different this time. Something about it felt strange. Empty. Weaker. He wondered if it was because Anah wasn't waiting for him in the temple. Two thousand years of waiting. Two millennia. I can't imagine waiting that long for anything, Moffitt thought.

He emerged from his thoughts when he saw Dietrich and Icepatch trotting to catch up to him. Dietrich held out his arm, letting Anah slither over to Moffitt. "She needs you," Dietrich said.

"How will you—"

"I will manage. This is more important."

Moffitt felt Anah burrow into his shirt. He could feel her trembling and breathing heavily. "You're alright," he whispered. "We'll be going back in, but you'll be coming out with us."

The cracked pillars of the temple eventually came into view. The last decade had worn down more of the structure, but it was still recognizable to Moffitt, Anah, and Dietrich. Janvier took up the rear of the group, staring in awe at the ancient temple. He was quiet, though, understanding that this was a place of awful memories for Anah.

"Okay, w-we saw it. We can go home now," Anah stammered.

"There's still more we need to find out. We must go inside," Moffitt said.

"I do not want to go inside!"

"Anah! Listen to me!" Moffitt raised his voice, taking Anah out of his shirt and looking her in the eye. Her breathing was fast and hard, and her shivering had gotten worse. She was in the grips of panic.

Now wasn't the time for her to listen. Moffitt used his reins to tell Snowstripe to stop, then brought the cobra closer, cradling her against his chest, and hugging her as best one could hug a snake. He kept holding her like that, gently stroking her back, and scratching her head and under her chin, until she started to calm down. Her tail was wrapped tightly around his right arm. Eventually, it loosened, and Anah's breathing slowed. She raised her head, and rested it against Moffitt's shoulder.

When Moffitt saw Anah for the first time, he felt the title of queen fit her. She behaved with a regal manner, spoke wisely, treated everyone in her temple fairly, and was a bit intimidating. Years later, Anah seemed significantly less regal. Now that he knew her past, Moffitt could see that her previous title had no bearing on who she really was. It was merely something she adopted while waiting. Waiting for him.

The prophecy had been written long before Anah's existence. Had she been chosen at random to be its vessel, or was she always destined to play a part in it? Did she pick him because of the prophecy? Or was there something else she saw?

She saw the opposite of her previous master.

Moffitt turned his attention to the temple, and kept a firm hold on Anah as he dismounted from Snowstripe. "We'll go in together. You don't have to leave me if you don't want to," he said.

"Okay," Anah replied. She tightened her grip on his arm again as they headed toward the entrance of the temple.

Moffitt held his head high, mustering all his bravery for Anah. When he first came to this place, he looked at it with wonder and curiosity, like he did everything in the desert. Now, he looked around with disdain. Disdain for the fact that this temple had held Anah prisoner for two thousand years. Disdain for the fact that all those years of extreme isolation and loneliness had damaged her emotionally. He squeezed her, gently, looking up at the once-ornate pillars and statues that lined the ruined, sand-filled hall. Carvings had largely been blasted away by thousands of years of sandstorms. Paintings, too, were mostly faded.

He paused at the small door, suddenly realizing something. The first time he came to the temple, it was crawling with cobras. Now, he couldn't sense anything. There were no snakes of any kind, anywhere. He looked around, confused and a little concerned.

"They all left when I did," Anah said.

"Even the ones inside the temple?" Moffitt asked.

"Yes. I commanded them to leave, and never return."

Moffitt nodded, feeling that made sense. He pushed the door open, and stared into the dark, spiral staircase that led down into the various chambers of the temple. After taking a breath, Moffitt looked down at Anah. "Ready?"

"As ready as I will ever be, dear," Anah replied, softly.

"Alright. I won't let anything happen to you." Moffitt glanced around one last time before stepping down into the staircase.