The Firesands was named for it's excruciating heat, and the reddish tint of the sand. The journey was tiring and lonely, but Aerelle, Throne of the Wizards of Fire, continued on. The Scarlet warriors had left her, and she now trudged on through the heat. It assaulted her relentlessly, and her sweat only evaporated. The horizon was always a blur, and roars could be heard in the distance. Aerelle had heard that drakes and dragons resided in the Firesands, but she had never seen one. All alone out in the middle of the desert, Aerelle decided now was not the time to run into one.

The sky was an azure blue, and a very few, thin, white clouds stretched across the huge expanse. She had remained in her trousers and shirt, and she had torn off her sleeves and tied a band around her head to keep sweat out of her eyes. The scar on her face from Kelsan stung because if the dryness of her skin. She was tired, and realized that she had been tired since Kelsan. Would she ever rest? Did she not deserve it? Fate decided otherwise, and she continued on.

The knights had told her only that they could no longer follow her once they reached a small rock cliff. They had told her to walk straight until she reached another Scarlet Knight. Aerelle hoped that she had not gotten too far off course. Climbing down the cliff was difficult enough, but she had to continue walking through the heat, and the desert had no real landmarks to speak of.

Her mana was low, and had been since Kelsan. Her mana had always returned fairly quickly, but this time it had not. She suspected that she had used more than she had had available with the aid of the Equinox, and would take longer to recover. She figured that she was still dangerous if need be, and readied herself for any ambush. She still did not know why these people needed her, but she had gained their allegiance. Hopefully.

She had traveled for about an hour alone when she reached a ridge of brown rock. On a top peak stood a man dressed in red armor, waiting for her. He was huge and fearsome, and his crimson-and-gold armor reflected the heat, as well as the light of the sun. Aerelle saw no horse, but he still had his crystal-hilt sword at his waist. Her ascent up the small rise of rock brought her pain and fatigue, and she could barely manage to stand once she reached him. A wave a dizziness swept over her, and she almost fell.

"I hope your spellcasting talents exceed your physical capabilities," the knight said bluntly through his helmet.

"I have traveled the world . . . fought a devastating battle, trekked through the desert, cremated the body of my sister, and proceeded here. Forgive me if I am somewhat fatigued."

"Yes, I suppose you do have the right to be tired. I will bring us to our destination, but you must not interfere with my spellcasting."

Aerelle tried to steady her breathing, and spoke slowly. "What am I to do?"

"Once we reach our destination, you will have your task explained to you. I may not travel any closer to your destination than to where I bring us. You will have to travel on by yourself again. Do not ask any questions, and do not use your mana unless instructed to." Aerelle knew that she would have no problem. She was too tired to talk, and she hoped that she could stay awake. "Five Scouts of the Scarlet Star have died in locating you. You are instrumental in this ritual, and must do as ordered, or the five Scouts that died in finding you would have died in vain. That would not be appreciated."

Aerelle took all of the information in, but was too unfocused to process it. Why had people died in finding her? She had the feeling that the Scouts were not normal warriors, but some class of Knights of the Scarlet Star. She did not give it much thought, and spoke to the knight standing before her. "Take me where I need to go."

A sphere of fire suddenly surrounded them, and the sand began to rise in bursts. Soon her vision was filled with both fire, sand, and rock. The Knight of the Scarlet Star stood immobile, and his face was hidden behind his helmet, but Aerelle suspected that his eyes and mouth were set and determined. She felt the heat penetrate her skin, and her dizziness overtook her. She fell to her knees, and then passed out from the immense heat.

In her unconscious thoughts, images of herself flinging fire and lightning through the streets of Kelsan leapt through her mind. Flashes of the dead faces of Kelsanite patriots and the shattered bones of the undead forces appeared before her. La'adian troops killed Kelsanite innocents as well as vampiric minions. Blood and fire ran dominated the city, and the screams and cries of the wounded haunted her. Then her thoughts flashed to Montear. Undead coursed through her city's streets, and there she was again, shattering the bones left behind. Her fellow cultists fought for their lives, but, in the end, Aerelle fled into the desert. Chomper's army rushed toward La'adia, and Aerelle once again saw the clash of armies. It was there Ezaziel had been killed, and Aerelle relived the sorrow and pain of that day and the days that followed.

The wind stopped it's howling and the fires disappeared. Aerelle, thrashing violently from her dreams, slowly opened her eyes to the bright sun of the Firesands. The Knight of the Scarlet Star stood above her, and she tried to get up, but was too weak. Aerelle took a few deep breaths of hot, dry air, and then attempted to get up again. The nameless knight helped her up, and she tried to brush off the sand that had stuck to her sweat-drenched clothing. Her tunic and pants were torn from her journey through the Firesands, and she had worn the same clothes since Kelsan.

The area she found herself in was desolate. Nothing but brick-red sand surrounded her, and the land was flat. No dunes. No rocks. No plants. No clouds. No living thing in sight except for the knight. She looked at him, trying to think of a suitable question, but he spoke first.

"You must travel in that direction," he said, pointing, "until you reach the Crater. You will know when you reach it. There will be two other women, and three men. They await you and your talents. I hope your mind has had a chance to relax during your restless sleep. You must travel on alone from here." Aerelle nodded, and turned to leave, but the knight stopped her. "You must leave your clothes here. You are not permitted to bring anything other than yourself that may be tainted by evil magic. You will be at a place of purely red mana, and all other magic is unwanted. The site as been pure for thousands of years, and it must stay that way. The others there will be unclothed, too."

The thought of appearing naked before others shocked Aerelle, and the fact that the five others would be unclothed was not much of a consolation. She knew that she was in their territory, and that she would have to comply to their wishes if she were to gain their support and aid. But her silent assurances to herself didn't stop her cheeks from flashing a deep red to match the sands. Stepping out of her clothes with as much dignity as she could muster, and leaving them in the sand with the knight, she then left him and walked deeper into the desert.

Her feet were sore, and the rest of her body was covered in welts, sores, and scars. Her cheek was the worst, and she feared that she had lost all the beauty that she had once possessed. She hoped that what the knight called the Crater was not far, for she did not think she could last. She pulled mana to her, and found that she could not grasp a hold of as much as she had been able to before. She reasoned that she was still recovering from her massive use of magic in Kelsan, and that all of her mana had been expended before using the Equinox's magic. It would still be a week perhaps until she regained her full potential, at the rate she had been recovering. She would have strengthened herself with what mana she had, but remembered the knight's orders. Deciding it best to follow his wishes, she let go of her mana and pushed forward.

She did not know where her strength came from. She had escaped the destruction of Montear, traveled through the Burning Sands, camped in Mistwood, drove back goblin forces at La'adia, trekked through Balavar, sailed to Kledion, was teleported to Kelsan, razed the City of the Dead, returned to Montear, and was now trudging through the Firesands. Throughout the journey she had lost her friends and had seen more death and killing than was healthy for oneself. She was tired, she was sad, and she just wanted to relax and think for a moment. Others had more plans for her, and she was not sure if she was ready. It didn't matter, of course, because she had no choice. She hadn't had any real choices for months.

The land sloped downward in front of her, and she noticed that at the bottom slope were six red pillars. The land sloped back up from the center where the pillars were, and Aerelle knew that she had reached the Crater. She slowly made her way down the slope, slipping many times on the sand. She caught herself each time before she fell fully on her back, and she strained her eyes as she descended. She could now see five other humans standing beside five of the pillars, and she knew the last one was meant for her. She was sweating again from uncertainty, and the sand unwelcomingly attached itself to her.

She reached the bottom, and walked toward the pillars. She felt the power of the place, and now knew the truth of the knight's words. The three men and two women walked toward her, and she stood as straight as possible. They were all as bare as she, except for the fact that she was covered with red sand, as the knight had said they'd be, but they seemed to ignore it as they stood around. One of the black-bearded men spoke.

"Welcome to the Heart of the Firesands, Throne Aerelle of the Wizards of Fire." Aerelle was taken aback that he knew - and used - her title, but she dared not ask how he knew. Instead, she returned his greeting as best she could.

"I came as I was instructed, Knight."

"We must tell you why you are here, and begin the ritual immediately," one of the women said. She, like all the rest, had dark hair and looked to be almost unaffected by the heat. Perhaps they had enchantments protecting them, but Aerelle suspected that they had grown accustomed to the heat. The people of Montear had adapted to the heat, but used magic and the shade of their houses to protect them from the worst of it. The Firesands were even hotter, and even Aerelle could not imagine living in the horrid flame of the sun. That thought brought on a wave of dizziness.

"We have sought you out for your strong powers, and bring you here to keep this place strong in red mana," the man who had first addressed her explained. He led them toward the pillars. "Between these pillars lays a rock that is very ancient. It fell from the sky thousands of years ago, and, since then, our order of knights have protected it. We cast spells and enchantments on it constantly to keep it's magic strong. Most of it's power comes from the years of spells, but, at its heart, it contains its own reserves. During the ritual you will feel its power. Do not be alarmed. It fell from the stars, and its mana has a different feeling than the mana of Roden, but it is still essentially the same." The men each went to a pillar, and the women told Aerelle to stand next to another one, while they took the remaining two. Once they were situated, the unnamed man continued. "During the Equinox, the moon let off mana that has tainted the Scarlet Star. There is a small trace of black mana in it, but we know that mana can be converted. If left untouched, we fear that it may convert the mana of the Scarlet Star from red to black. If we act now, we can convert the black mana to red."

"What must I do?" Aerelle asked, her mind rushing with thoughts.

"Focus your red mana into the Star. The pillar has been standing there almost as long as the Star has been, and, over the years, it has been instilled with red mana. You may use its magic to aid you. We will sear the black mana and restore the Scarlet Star. As a gift to thank you for your aid, we will allow to you use the Star's mana after you leave. It may not seem like a generous gift now, but once you touch it with your mana, I believe that you will change your mind."

Another of the men spoke. "We have not told you our names, and we will not. We do not conceal ourselves through rudeness, but through secrecy. Our people have lived for ages in the Firesands, and we wish for the world to know no more of us than necessary after today than they did before. Now, we must begin."

There was no preamble to the ritual; no words or no action. The men and women just started to pour their red-hot mana into the black rock before them. The Scarlet Star was not large, perhaps just a bit larger than a human head, but once Aerelle testingly touched it with her mana, she found that it truly did contain mana of thousands of years. She focused her mana into the rock, and added it to that of the other five.

She recalled her life in Montear. She remembered channeling her mana to create flames, and she remembered her lessons. She remembered the sandstorms and heat of the desert. She thought of the vast expanses of sand, and the dry air and the moving dunes. She added the mana of her childhood into the vortex of mana that was created by the other wizards. Aerelle added her recollections of Geldon Rocks and the elemental that had attacked them. Her fire was red-hot and dangerous. As she fed the flames of the Scarlet Star, she felt the ancient, foreign red mana at it's center, past a small spot of black mana.

The black mana was quite noticeable, and Aerelle thought that perhaps it would affect a spell cast using the red mana from the Scarlet Star. It was a sort of evil, as black mana tended to be. She assaulted the invisible blotches of black mana that occupied the Star, and felt it burn, if mana could truly burn. She did not destroy the black mana, she change it rather. Mana could not be destroyed as far as she knew. It was used, changed, and still in the land. It was the mage that wearied after casting spells, not the mana. Still pouring her mana into the rock, she delved deeper into it.

The mana at the center was red, and she could feel it, but it was not of Roden. It was . . . different. Otherworldly. Distant. She knew that it could accomplish the same tasks that Rodenian mana could, but it was just . . . different. Just as one empire had different people who were loyal to their nation, and were no better than the people of another empire, so was the mana of the Scarlet Star to Roden's mana. Aerelle knew that this truly did fall from the sky, and it was then that dread realization hit her with the strength of the combined magic of the five Knights of the Scarlet Star around her. She continued to feed her mana to the Scarlet Star, but her mind wandered.

The Scarlet Star had fallen to the ground ages ago. The Cult of the Fire Moon had worshipped a heavenly body that had dropped from the sky. This mana from the Scarlet Star was not of Roden. Aerelle knew that she could delve deeper into thought, but the Knights' next action returned her attention to the Scarlet Star. Lightning cackled from the fingers of one of the men and one of the women. The lightning leaped around the Scarlet Star, and the ancient rock began to glow red. The other Knights, as well as Aerelle, still charged the rock with their own mana.

Then two other Knights, another man and another woman, assaulted the Scarlet Star with beams of liquid magma. The light was unbearable, and Aerelle clamped her eyes shut. She would have fall to the ground as she tried used more mana than was available to her, but instead placed her hand on the pillar beside her to stay upright. The mana that was instilled in the pillar filled her, and, on instinct, outstretched her arm and directed flames toward the Scarlet Star, along with the other man.

Lightning, lava, and fire consumed the Scarlet Star, and Aerelle's world was as bright as day behind her closed eyelids. She could feel skin peel back from her muscles as the heat caressed her in its barbaric embrace. She no longer felt the black mana, or the foreign red mana. All she felt was the physical heat on her body. She did not know what to do. She was weak, and the heat only made her less willful.

She did not know if the other five wizards were done with their ritual, but Aerelle stopped her flow of mana, and fell to the ground. In a state of semi-unconsciousness, Aerelle's mind sorted through her recent discoveries. Aerelle had believed that the Orb of Brilliance was the Embodiment of the Fire Moon, but she had recently come to believe that the Fire Moon did not exist, but the Scarlet Star could very well have been the fallen Fire Moon. Was that possible? That would mean that the Cult had worshipped a thing that was so close to them, but not know it. Maybe the Fire Moon and Scarlet Star were not one in the same, but Aerelle was inclined to believe otherwise.

Apparently, the others were done, and they congratulated themselves. Aerelle had done what she had to do, and she felt the pulsing of the Scarlet Star near her. She ignored the wizards as they tried to help her up. She looked at them, and she could tell from their faces that she was crying. She had known since the fall of Montear that the Embodiment was really the Orb of Brilliance from the Age of the Planeswalkers. Now she had reason to believe that the Fire Moon had never even existed in the first place. For thousands of years, the Cult of the Fire Moon worshipped an entity that did not exist and believed that an orb, that was not even from the stars, was otherworldly. She was confused, but knew that there was proof of either the existence or nonexistence of the Fire Moon, and that proof, whichever it may be, shattered her world again.

Lieutenant Tesmar hated the goblins. He could not understand why they needed to join them in their journey. Magestor Esquire and his band of goblins were enough, but now they had no less than sixty, and that fact enraged the knight. Stinkfeet took it upon himself to command them all, and he had them split into ranks as neatly as Pale Scale had before. Tesmar had taken Stinkfeet's command as a challenge, and began instructing the Kelsanites on fighting techniques. He was determined to make them fighters, even though some of them didn't want to be. Stinkfeet was oblivious to Tesmar's contest, but Tesmar fought on.

Magestor Esquire, leader of the goblins, had become overly arrogant, constantly boasting of his victory over the orcs, and always ordering the select group of his troops that trailed behind him. He acted like a king, and was treated like one by the other goblins. Everyone else ignored him. Seeing that Tesmar was training his warriors, the Magestor decided that it would be best if his troops practiced. For about an hour each day, the goblins would grunt and scream and swing swords around the sandy streets. Stinkfeet had a guard chosen for himself, made up mostly of goblins that had originally followed Aerelle. One of them was Rugar, who had been in charge of one of the Goblin Flanks since Karthemon. The goblins who had survived Kelsan boasted to the other goblins, and took it upon themselves to train them, regardless of who was actually better. The other goblins did not object because the Magestor had commanded that they be taught the way of the warrior.

The Knight of the Scarlet Star that had stayed in Montear remained no less mysterious to Aerelle's followers than when Aerelle first left. He said very little, and kept to himself. The Knights of the Scarlet Star were hard to trust, and they drove hard bargains. Perhaps it would be best if he stayed alone, lest someone unknowingly make a dangerous deal.

Khen still kept to himself, and spent hours at a time alone in his room that used to be his home, and meditated. He always came out of his house in a serious state of mind, but he rarely spoke. The other fire mages worried for him, and Juli tried to get him out of his shell. She would sit by him and talk to him, put her arm around his shoulders, and would bring him food. The others thought that it would help him, but so far, he showed little improvement. Lea and Keyla spoke constantly, and would even talk about Montear. Aerelle's hopes of them overcoming their past had worked, and Keyla found it easier to talk about Montear if she spoke of it more frequently. Lea and she would walk the empty streets and reminisce of old times that usually brought tears, but they were tears of joy. They knew that neither of them - nor Khen, Juli, or Aerelle - could go back to life as it was. They had all been changed and hardened by Aerelle's crusade.

As she thought of it, Keyla had come to the conclusion that it had been Aerelle's crusade. Not Jaredei's. Not Ezaziel's. Not Roden's. Aerelle's. She lead them on. It was Aerelle, Second Chair Sorceress of the Cult of the Fire Moon, that led them from Montear and struck the deal with Pale Scale. It was Aerelle who the wizards had turned to because she was expected to lead. It was Aerelle who comforted Jewel. It was Aerelle who led them back here to Montear, and it was Aerelle who had now been gone for four days.

Keyla worried for her friend. There was still six days to stay before Aerelle had told them to leave. Keyla knew Aerelle would return. Aerelle had survived Montear and Kelsan, and she would come back out of the desert. Keyla worried about the fact that Aerelle would bring back a guard of Scarlet Knights with her, so long as the desert warriors were true to their promise. There were already La'adians, Kelsanites, Montearans, and goblins. Keyla had already heard whispers from Tesmar's men that they would be called the Order of Roden.

Keyla was no leader, but she knew that the title of the Order of Roden demanded respect and would invoke pride in it's members. She was not sure that such a title would be appropriate, but Tesmar had said nothing of it, and so Keyla made no move to speak against it. Perhaps it was only spoken in jest.

Keyla had held a meeting with Tesmar and Stinkfeet each day, and they discussed their position. Tesmar would rarely speak directly to the goblin, but Stinkfeet didn't seem to notice. He figured that everyone liked and respected him. It had been decided in those meetings that a hunting party consisting of ten men and six goblins would go out and find lizards or birds for food. The goblins would know where to find them, and the men would keep the goblins focused and would be able to shoot at birds using bows and arrows made at Montear.

After each of the meetings, Tesmar would speak to his men, Keyla would report to Lea, Juli, and Khen, and the Magestor would usually keep things to himself. Their group was not split, but it wasn't quite together. Keyla tried to speak with the soldiers or Kelsanites when she could, but they were reluctant to speak to a woman, and the Kelsanites didn't like the idea of her being a wizard. The goblins were not interested in her, only in Stinkfeet's wishes. She was grateful that there were no problems with the goblins, as there had been with Chomper.

The weather and heat had been fairly good to them, and there had been no more sandstorms than when they first arrived. Everyone was ready to leave, however, and some of the La'adian knights were getting anxious. They wanted to rejoin with the other survivors at Karthemon, and wouldn't listen to Keyla, Lea, or Juli when they told them that they probably had not even reached La'adia yet. Keyla saw no reason to rush. They had no plans, and they either had the choice to wait at Montear where there was housing, or go to Karthemon, where barely a building remained. There would be water at Karthemon, but Montear had a well that never ran too dry, and that had sustained them thus far.

On the fifth day, after a good night's rest, Magestor Esquire, along with Rugar and his personal guard, came up to Keyla, and presented to her, a skull. At first Keyla didn't know how to react, but when she took it in her hands, she felt an odd presence. She thanked the Magestor, and he strutted away, proud to make Keyla pleased. Keyla turned the human skull over in her hands, and looked into the empty cavity. Inside was writing that glittered like gold in the sunlight. Keyla knew of no ink that looked like gold. The lettering was rough, and she could not read it. She believed it to be another, long forgotten language. When she asked Stinkfeet where he had found it, he replied simply by saying that it was in one of the streets.

Slowly Keyla and the others had regained their mana, after the drain from all of their spellcasting at Kelsan, and she probed the skull with her mana. The skull contained red mana, but it was in the form of an enchantment. She did not know what it was, and decided it best to save it for when Aerelle returned. She would soon find out that she would not have to wait long.

Early on the sixth day of Aerelle's absence, the goblin sentries cried out that a group of ten riders were coming in. Tesmar, wearing his dented breastplate from Kelsan, led a unit of five La'adian knights, in similar scant armor, and five Kelsanites to the edge of Montear where the riders were heading. The Kelsanites had acquired rough swords and breastplates. Khen had began talking to the soldiers, and had helped them forge weapons and armor from metal in Montear. He now stood with Keyla, Juli, and Lea. The four wizards had only brown robes, scavenged from their city, and Stinkfeet wore nothing more than his loincloth. It was a pathetic-looking welcoming committee, but it was all they had to offer. Keyla stepped forward as the black horses were reined in.

At first glance, Keyla could not see Aerelle in the group of approaching horses. It was when they stopped in front of her when Keyla saw Aerelle. The sorceress was at the head of the warriors, and was dressed in armor.

A red-and-gold breastplate altered to fit her form covered her front, and an impossibly thin chain-mail dress, slit at the right leg lay over a thin red dress. Her armor left her arms bare, and, at her wrists, were golden bands that reached just short of her elbow on the top of her forearm. Her hair spilled down out of her red-and-gold helmet, but, at the sight of Keyla's outstretched arms, the sorceress removed her helmet and held it under her arm. She carefully dismounted from her black stallion, and fastened her helmet to the saddlebags. It was then that she embraced Keyla.

Tesmar and his warriors, and Stinkfeet and his followers, were all stunned. The Knights of the Scarlet Star that arrived with Aerelle remained saddled and made no move. Aerelle pulled away from Keyla and wordlessly embraced Lea, Juli, and Khen. After she had embraced them all, she spoke to her followers.

"I have returned from the Firesands with this guard of Knights of the Scarlet Star. They will accompany us to Karthemon when we leave in a couple of days. Until then, I would like to plan our course and prepare to leave Montear."

She said no more, but walked past Keyla, Stinkfeet, and Tesmar and into the city. The throng of followers pulled back to allow the silent Knights of the Scarlet Star to enter the city. As they rode down a boulevard, Keyla saw the knight that had stayed behind when Aerelle left watching from a side-street. Once the knights that had returned with Aerelle went by, the lone knight made his way toward the edge of the city, and continued to walk. Keyla called after him, but he did not look back. He walked out into the desert, and in a flurry of fire and sand, disappeared.

When Keyla turned back, everyone but the fire mages had reentered Montear. Their faces showed nothing, and Keyla suspected that they were deep in thought as she was. Aerelle had greeted them so simply and formally even after being gone. Aerelle was not like that; not before at least. Keyla wondered what had happened in the Firesands and wondered if her attitude reflected what had happened there. She was worried for her friend, and didn't want to see her hurt.

With the group of wizards, she traced the path that the knights had taken into the city. They reached the square where the building that the wizards had occupied was located, and the streets were filled with La'adian knights, goblins, and Kelsan survivors. All were talking and Keyla heard many asking questions to one another. The Knights of the Scarlet Star stood by themselves, still mounted, and remained silent. The group of humans and goblins stayed away from them, and Keyla did not blame them. It did not feel right to have all of these people in Montear. It had always been a city where everyone knew everyone else, and everyone believed in the Fire Moon. Most of the inhabitants had been wizards, but now there were only five, omitting the Scarlet Knights. She didn't see Aerelle, and assumed that she awaited them inside.

Khen closed the door behind him once they all entered, and Aerelle was seated in circle of chairs. She still wore her armor and red dress covered in a dress of chain-mail, but her helmet was gone, most likely still on her horse. Four more chairs were arranged in the circle, and the four wizards sat. No one said anything for a few moments. What was there to say? Aerelle did not act too pleased to be back, and no one wanted to say something to upset her. Keyla knew that Khen would not speak first. He had barely spoken to her since they had arrived in Montear. Juli would be too nervous to ask, afraid of asking the wrong thing. Lea probably had too many questions and did not know which to ask. Keyla decided it be best to wait until Aerelle was ready to speak.

"I am glad to be back," Aerelle said simply. After a prolonged paused, she said, "I am sorry that I did not express my joy to be back among friends when I first arrived, but my mind has many things to think through, and I think that the Knights expect leadership from me. They will be accompanying us as I have already stated, and will probably stay to themselves. Before I get off track, I must explain them to you. Each of them has a different title, depending on skill, age, or descent. Each of the nine have a different title, reflecting an army. There is the General, Colonel, Captain, Lieutenant, Wizard, Guard, Scout, Soldier, and Advisor. The Scout, as it seems, is very important, and can see other places of the world using his magic. His abilities must be useful, but have a deadly force, and if not used with the utmost concentration, the Scout can be killed. I have been told that five were killed in locating me.

"They will do as I ask, and will protect all of us, not just myself. I would prefer not to tell you the details of my absence, but I helped them in restoring mana to their land. It's similar to storing mana in an amulet, or as some iouns are used for. They needed me because they said that I was powerful enough. That is all I wish to discuss with you on that note." She instantly stopped, and looked at each of them searchingly. Keyla was nervous. Aerelle had always been so open, except when she feel into her state of depression after leaving La'adia. Keyla hoped that this was either a temporary problem, or a good change. Only time would tell.

Aerelle then began to talk about their future plans. "We must leave here soon, because I fear that it will get too hot as the storm season comes to a close. The Scarlet Knights will make sure we are protected from the weather and the random elementals that may arise on our way to Karthemon. We will have to wait in Karthemon for some time before we meet up again with Captain Krick and his men."

"Aerelle, we must talk about Tesmar and Stinkfeet," Lea said.

"Why, what's wrong?" Aerelle asked earnestly, seeming to expect the worst.

"Well, nothing is wrong with Stinkfeet, but Tesmar doesn't like him and his goblins. I don't think he trusts them. He hasn't said anything to Stinkfeet, and the goblin's too arrogant to realize Tesmar's dislike for him," Lea informed.

"So long as they can work together and cause no problems, Tesmar can hate the Magestor all he wants. I'd prefer he didn't dislike Stinkfeet, but so long as he causes no problems, I won't worry. I guess I do need to talk to both Tesmar and Stinkfeet about our current position, however."

"If I may say something, Aerelle?" Khen asked. Aerelle nodded, and Khen continued. "I believe that you must remain in charge of out little army here. I do not know your thoughts on the matter, but I fear that if Tesmar leads, the goblins will be reduced to doing all of the labor." Aerelle nodded in solemn agreement. "Also, Tesmar has been training the Kelsanites. I have aided in making armor and weapons with metal found here." Keyla was shocked to hear Khen speak so much, and inwardly grinned to herself at his progress. Hopefully Kelsan would not forever scar him.

"What else has happened in my absence?" Aerelle asked.

"One of the goblins brought a skull to me," Keyla said.

"Of what?"

"Of who is the question," Keyla replied. "I will go get it." Getting out of her seat, she went up the stairs, into her temporary room, took the skull from a chest, went back down the stone stairs, and handed the engraved skull to Aerelle.

"Umaria," Aerelle said in surprise.

"How do you know?" Juli asked.

"She sealed the Temple of Fire when we left. I know her magic. This is . . . her." That statement chilled Keyla. Aerelle held, in her hands, the skull of her most trusted advisor and friend. "Is there anything else?" Aerelle held the skull, but paid no attention to it. Keyla noticed how focused she was, and that she was determined to get things done.

"No, Aerelle," Keyla assured.

"Then I will go speak with the Magestor and Tesmar. I would like to go alone."

With that, Aerelle left solemnly. She was not sad that Keyla could tell, and she most certainly was not angry. She was not who she had been, and Keyla feared that something had happened to her in the Firesands. There was nothing to do now, and there was no real question to ask Aerelle. They would just have to wait and see.

Sorceress Aerelle walked through the dead streets of Montear. She had walked the avenues countless times, but the streets she had then walked were different than the streets she tread now. She had walked down these streets with a feeling of safety, and of permanence. Now there was not even a sense of insecurity; there was only nothingness.

All that she had believed in was ruined. The Knights of the Scarlet Star had unknowningly showed her the truth of the Cult of the Fire Moon. The Knights of the Scarlet Star had been viewed by the Cult as the Fire Moon as lost warriors, hard to the world. Perhaps they were tricksters after all, and only had Aerelle to come to the Firesands to show her the truth of the Cult. Aerelle now had reasons to believe that planeswalkers had created the cult, and had then used it to protect the Orb of Brilliance. The Orb had not been protected however, and Aerelle had learned of her failure. The fall of the Scarlet Star had been taken as the fall of the Fire Moon, and, in the end, either misconceptions or twisted plots had been completed.

Nothing had gone right for such a long time it seemed. It started with the death of her mother, and continued even now. She held only a glimmer of hope to be able to restore peace and permanence in the lives of her followers. She had taken on a new seriousness. The lives of hundreds were in her hand, and she could not allow another such mistake as the crusade against Kelsan. But what if Trenton had been allowed the power of the artifacts? Either way she would have end up lost. Before, her future was to lead the Cult of the Fire Moon. Now the Cult no longer existed, only a limited number of its former members remained, and the Embodiment was not even that. She knew what she wanted, but she knew not how to reach her goal.

Aerelle wanted peace, but where could she find peace? With a new resolve, reflecting on her new armor, she decided that she would have to make peace. Trenton had been killed, and Kelsan razed. The scab of Roden had been purged. What now? She did not plan to cause any more problems, but she had people to lead. There was no running from that truth. Her travels had opened the world and her mind to her. Previously she had been no farther than the Burning Sands surrounding Montear, but she had just traveled the world, spoke with people from many of the empires, and learned many pieces of information. Those scraps of knowledge bounced around in her head like rocks in a sandstorm, and she sought refuge from them, when she could find time to relax and sort through the mess that was her mind.

She did not pay attention to the streets and buildings. They were of her past, and she did not want to remember her past. She had to look forward, not behind. Biting her teeth together, she crunched on sand. The whole of Montear was gritty, where it was once smooth. Everything and everyone had changed. Her armor had been customarily made by the Scarlet Knights, and she didn't feel the weight or the heat caused by it. The sand did not seem to penetrate it either. The knights had used magic while forging it, and it managed to keep her cool and not burden her with heaviness. With her mind turning over ideas, she almost walked right past the Magestor.

"Mistress Aerelle!" the goblin exclaimed. "I am king of goblins now!"

"I wish to speak with you about that, Magestor," she said. "You must understand that there are other goblins out there, and you are but one. Yes, you are greater than many others, but do not overestimate your abilities." The goblins stared at her, his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What I mean to say is that you should not go around and boast of your excellence because it upsets others. Remember that I am the leader here, and that if you displease me, I will have to have you punished."

Those words had an effect on Stinkfeet, and he burst out in laughter. When Aerelle's face remained calm and serious, his eyes widened in amazement. Aerelle felt a ping of regret for saying what she had and acting as she was, but she knew the goblin would forget her actions sooner or later. He needed to be put in place. However, he had saved her with his ring in Kelsan, and for that, Aerelle could never forget him. "However," she said, before Stinkfeet could reply, "I would like you to make me a guard with a few of your soldiers, yourself included."

That small request brightened the little yellowish-red goblin, and a toothy smile beamed on his face. "Thanks, Mistress Aerelle," he said, comically bowing, but meaning respect nonetheless.

"I have other matters to attend to Magestor, and I must be on my way. We will leave within a few days, so make sure that my guard is chosen and your warriors are ready to move."

"Yes, sor'cress!" he barked.

Aerelle turned away without another word and smiled to herself. Through all the turmoil and death, Stinkfeet had changed the least. He was still fool-hardy, if not more so. She hoped that Stinkfeet wouldn't become too arrogant. The goblin was easy to win over with words, but Aerelle feared that Tesmar would be less easy. She had been weary of him from the start; he was too kind. He was one of the few La'adians that didn't hate the Kelsanite refugees, not that she encouraged the animosity. She saw no reason for Tesmar's good intentions, and all of the other La'adians, if they did not straight-out show their scorn, they stayed away from the Kelsanites. Aerelle would have to find the reason for Tesmar's actions.

The soldiers were camped opposite the goblins in the city, with the mage's temporary housing between them. Aerelle could not afford for them to be split as they were. Her and her sister had been split near the end, and that resulted in Alissa's death. Aerelle would not let herself be responsible for more death if she could prevent it. Death and killing was inevitable. She would not deny fate that. She passed by a few soldiers, who bowed to her. She nodded her head in return, but kept her eyes forward, searching for Lieutenant Tesmar. They were housed in about six of the one-floor clay houses, and men looked out the window as she approached. Wooden makeshift spears and bows and arrows laid against the walls, and when she reach the center of their small quarters, she stopped and looked around. No one came to greet her. In fact, no one was to be seen. The few soldiers there just moments ago were gone.

"Lieutenant Tesmar!" She called sharply. Her voice was crisp, but not enough to make her sound angry. She was disappointed that he was not present to greet her. "I would like to speak with you!"

"Yes, Mistress Aerelle?" Tesmar asked, stepping out of a house. He wore a dented breastplate, and a sword was belted to his hip. A beard was almost fully grown on his face, and his features belied his age. He should have been in La'adia living a normal life with a nice wife. Instead, he was in the middle of a desert and had taken the desert's edge. He bowed his head in respect, and Aerelle bowed hers in return.

"Come with me. I wish to discuss our current situation."

She turned down a few sandy streets, and began talking only once she knew she was far enough away from others so they would not be overheard. "I have heard that you have a dislike towards Magestor Esquire and his goblins," she said directly.

"That is of no concern, Mistress Aerelle. You need not worry."

"I do need to worry, Lieutenant. You are all under my command and I demand to know of any difficulties. I will not let my followers fight amongst themselves. Please tell me what is wrong."

"The goblin is stupid, and yet he thinks he is great. He knows nothing of how to command others. I merely wish to show him he is not as all-powerful as he thinks."

"That has been taken care of, Lieutenant. Do not worry yourself over the matter. On another note, I appreciate you teaching the Kelsanites how to fight."

"It is my honor, Sorceress." Aerelle noticed how he stumbled over her titles. He was not accustomed to a woman in armor. In La'adia, women were priestesses or healers, as well as queens, but not soldiers. Aerelle, sadly, rather enjoyed his uncertainty.

"I plan to leave soon. Make sure you have whatever you need from here. We must go through the desert. Make sure your men are well-rested. The journey will be long and hard." She remembered the long passage with Pale Scale. They had been weak, and Pale Scale had zig-zagged their path to dissuade pursuit. Aerelle wished there was some other way . . .

Then the thought hit her. The Scarlet Knights were able to teleport through the desert. With nine Scarlet Knights, herself, and the other four mages, perhaps it was possible to transport to Karthemon. At the thought of transporting, however, a vision of the mad Zazdor flashed in her mind, and she remembered the death of Petr during the teleportation, as well as a few wounded troops. Could she risk it? Zazdor had been crazy, and she suspected that he cared little for their safety, and the knights were trained. Aerelle would have to give it thought.

She had momentarily forgotten Tesmar, and they walked silently down on between the tan-colored buildings, side by side. "That is all, Lieutenant. Remember, do not worry about the Magestor, just train your men and prepare to leave."

"Yes, Mistress Aerelle." With that, he bowed his head, turned, and headed back to the makeshift barracks.

Aerelle had too many things to do, but not enough time. She now hoped that the Scarlet Knights would be able to bring her to Karthemon, or at least to the edge of the desert before the Lady's Plain. Captain Krick and the La'adian survivors and Kelsanite refugees would take a while to reach her at Karthemon, but they would at least have water at Karthemon. They would be able to rest and perhaps hunt a few deer or other wild game.

The days passed by, and Aerelle did not bother to go to the Temple of Fire. She had faced her past and understood her future. She had been forged by a fire of reality, and she now knew that she must lead. In the Firesands she had learned to accept her destiny, and by seeing her dead sister, she had overcome her sadness. Her mother was finally at rest, as were the dead members of the false Cult of the Fire Moon. The past held nothing for her. The future lay ahead, and she would have to make the best of it.

The preparations for departure were made, and Tesmar's troops and Stinkfeet's goblins packed up their few belongings. Aerelle packed Umaria's skull in her saddlebags, and would keep it with her, along with her mother's ring and Umaria's ruby eyes. Forgetting her past was one thing, but she could not forget friends. The morning that they left was quiet, and no one dared to shatter the silence. Aerelle had mentioned her idea of teleportation to the Scarlet Knights, and the General informed her that they would find out if it was possible once they left Montear. Aerelle left it at that, and decided not to tell Keyla and the others.

Mounting her black stallion, she took the lead. Tesmar's soldiers and the Magestor's goblins formed three units, the humans led by Tesmar, and the two goblin units led by Stinkfeet and Rugar. Khen walked with Tesmar, and the other three wizards walked by themselves. Aerelle wished she had horses for the others to ride. Instead, she and the wizards decided to keep everyone strengthened by magic, and the Scarlet Knights agreed to aid.

Both Tesmar and Stinkfeet were wary of the desert warriors, and they stayed away from them. The Knights of the Scarlet Star did not care if they were accepted or not. Aerelle rarely spoke to them, and had never seen them talk to anyone but themselves. She suspected that they communicated telepathically, but she saw no signs of that. They were a mysterious people, and wished to remain that way. Aerelle would not take their culture from them.

Kicking her horse, Aerelle the Sorceress began a slow, manageable pace away from Montear. The last time she left, she had led her people from a ruined home, promising to avenge it. Now, she led an army away from a city that would soon become forgotten in the hot, desert sands.