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Her father yowls as he landed in the water, flailing endlessly until darting out and soaked, sandy colored.

Cass just laughed, the bird eventually dieing and water scattering.

Hassan released the lion and cut the cord attaching it to the camel. "Well, I guess we'll find out if the lion is untainted now. Either way, I don't think we'll have to worry about it for a while."

Hassan took his time though looking at the Sand Bird, studying it intently. "Very interesting."

Murat shook his head, also laughing at Cass' father. He turned back to Hassan. "Very deadly too. At least it's dead now. Although I guess we need to keep some around or we'll run out of desert."

Her dad shook off.

A lion with smaller wings that were still missing feathers, and a mane that was overgrown, covered in sand. His ears were pointed, while a wound was on his foreleg from a gunshot. His tail ended in a tuft of darker fur, with light stripes and reddened bruises from fights. His head was bruised too, cut a bit.

Hassan stayed back several paces, watching as the lion dried itself. "Just so you know, that was all for your benefit," Hassan said

Murat glanced at Cassandra. "Is he untainted now?"

Her father snarled, and lunges at him. ''I hate water!'' He hissed, a rope still around his neck.

Hassan didn't move in time. He yelped as Cass' father tackled him to the ground. "It's just water--you'll dry out soon enough. Please don't eat me. I don't want my spirit wandering the desert like a sand bird..."

Her father growled deeply, ears pinned back. ''Sand birds were once common peaceful creatures that have turned against the sand travellers because a phantom child haunts this very land!'' He snapped, dark brown eyes narrowed, wings spread. ''You knights are supposed to guard the desert, yet this phantom lives without threat!''

"What phantom child?" Hassan asked, though he did so politely. Being within jaw distance of a sand lion forced grudging respect. "We can protect the desert only from threats we can see--so until we see this phantom threat, we're not able to protect the desert from it."

Murat sighed and scratched at his burnoose. "Do you know the origin of the phantom? Where it began or where it stays? Because we can track it down--after we get to Madeena so Cassandra and I can heal up."

''The child died one night several eons ago after they wondered away from a knight like you two. They became a phantom, and appear to corrupt those who do good.''

Murat nodded. "We'll do our best to find it, him, her, then." He shrugged and looked at Hassan.

"Um, do you mind letting me up now?" Hassan asked carefully. "I won't attack you or douse you in water anymore. Well, unless you get tainted again. The phantom isn't going to try to hunt you down, is it?"

Her father growls and backs down carefully. ''They will do whatever it takes to corrupt a sand cat Elder. Elders control the sands.''

Hassan arched an eyebrow. "Can you control the sands now?"

Murat and Hassan exchanged a look. If he could, their travel just got easier.

The elder sand lion summoned a pillar of sand to rise underneath the two, high enough for them to ee the whole desert from a birds eye view.

Hassan laughed in pure delight. "Oh great Sand Lion, I am so glad we found you. See, um, our city was just hit by a recent sandstorm. So your presence would be a great boon to us. If you could even just direct the storms away, that would be enough."

Murat peered around them, and then pointed in the distance. "That is Madeena right?" It looked just like a heap of sand, but for the wink of a beam of light that reflected off a giant crystal that had been fixed in the highest portion of the temple of their founder.

Hassan nodded. "That it is. Kinda buried under sand. But we should get there by today." He looked for a way down.

The pillar of sand slowly retreated back down until it was ground-level. Tbe old sand lion wheezed a bit to catchh his breathe. ''A limited power that takes longer to recover the older I get...Some day Cass will possess it.''

Murat whistled and the camels came over readily enough as Hassan dropped back to normal sand-level and went to break camp.

Before long they were on the path again, heading home.

"How long before Cassandra inherits this power?" Murat inquired.

''The exact time is clouded in mystery. It would seem she would inherit it when it was needed, as I got mine after the pride seperated. It is a power that can summon up rocks to stab at flying foes.''

Murat looked at Cassandra. "Well? How about it? You anxious to learn about your new powers--whenever you get them?"

''I d..d..dunno. It sounds great, but the power to shift the sand is like controlling the deserts balance.'' Cass replied, hesitantly.

"So is guarding the desert. We cannot simply destroy all predators, for where then would the circle of life take place?" Murat conceded. "But I think now would be an excellent time to learn all you can from your father, while he's with us."

Hassan nodded. "Murat has a point. By the way, Cass' father, do you recall ever running into another pride of sand lions during your ventures?"