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He shook his head. ''Only an undead sandbird.''

"That's too bad," murmured Hassan. "We were hoping to find another pride."

They continued walking for a while before Hassan pointed to a ridge in the near distance. "There's Madeena. It's a bit under sand, but, uh, if you don't mind, do you think you could shift the sand around a little to pile it up out of the middle of the city?"

The Elder lion let loose a loud roar, blowing the sands off of the city. He nearly fell afterwards, shaking badly.

Hassan grinned and then got his camel to kneel down. "C'mere, Sand Lion. That was a grand job you did there. You deserve a ride."

Murat grinned as Madeena opened up before them with cries of startlement and bewilderment. Then there were the hailings that came from those who recognized what had happened and who they were.

"Well, good to know we're home at last."

The elder sand lion limps over and hops onto the camel with ease, being sure his claws stayed within the sleeves. ''The true hero, however, is the one that told you about the existance of the sand birds and the first sand lioness you encountered.'' He wheezed, catching his brrath, torn wings folded.

Cass tensed up, staying near Murat.

Hassan helped the elder sand lion balance and then the camel grunted as it stood up again to continue striding into the city.

"So would that be Murat?" Hassan inquired, glancing back at the injured knight.

Murat rolled his eyes. "That would be our founder, but I doubt she said too much about Sand Birds. Then again, I haven't gone through every document about her."

They entered the city to wild cries that soon took on a cheering quality once people recognized the sand lions.

Hassan grinned. "Let's head to the temple--the healers there are the best."

Cass nodded, looking at the sky. ''Founder? A she?''

Murat nodded. "Yes, it's one of the surprising things about Madeena. Our founder was a woman escorted by a sand lion. They say the first population began when she met a man of the sands out here, and created a thriving community around a nearby oasis. Madeena has changed a little since it's beginning, the sandstorms took care of that. But it remains around the same oasis."

They reached the temple where a statue of a winged lion could be seen. The wings were half-splayed, as though defending against an unseen threat.

"We're here," Hassan called unnecessarily, bringing his camel to a halt as a couple of temple workers gathered at the doors.

''Even the first few sand lions aided lost travelers, and even if they died they turned into a sand statue. But what I know is limited, even in the least.''

"What about your father?" Hassan inquired, getting his camel to kneel so that the Sand Lion could climb off.

Murat called for Jasafar to kneel and he managed to dismount with some help. The healers immediately escorted him and the rest of the travelers inside, where they went to work healing injuries on human and Sand Lion.

When Murat could finally feel his fingers and move them without pain, he rotated his wrist experimentally. "Well, now we can at least get down to the business of locating another Sand Lion pride."

Her father had fallen gravely ill after getting healed, as old as the desert called the 'Sand Lion den'.

''There is a stretch of desert where prides were commmon to see. But as time passed they faded away and skeletons of the killed ones now litter it. It's a rare desert thats called the Sand Lion den. I'm about as old as it is.'' Her dad wheezed.

Murat listened intently. "Do you think you could lead us to this Sand Lion's Den? We might pick up new tracks--you never know."

''The path to it has become lost over the years. No one, not even I, can remember where it rests. I do carry a map that lists where it used to be back in '98.''

Hassan shrugged. "Might as well take a look. Even if it's old, it might better our chances at finding something."

"It can't hurt to look," Murat agreed.

Her father opened the worn map from a bag hidden in his fur. He held it out. It listed the sand lions den, even listing all the cities that used to exist.

Murat hesitated briefly then took it. "Are you...you're not giving this to us, are you? If someone gets hold of this you could be causing a lot of trouble for other sand lions further on down the line."

He smiled lightly. ''The map is out of date. Nothing on there is correct.''

"Well then, that'll be handy." Hassan grumbled. But he looked the map details over for landmarks. "Actually, I think this landmark isn't too far away. Maybe a couple days' journey by camel. We'll just follow the route as best we can."

Murat shook his head. "If it's moved, then probably we can follow a similar path just parallel to it. That would probably make more sense."

He moves his paw under it, and the outline of a sand lion body could be seen where several landmarks connected. ''And there, is where the sand lion den once was at. See how it is between these 5 sand tombs and landmarks?''

Murat brightened. "That looks like something we can find."

"Unless a sandstorm has covered up most of it," retorted Hassan, earning a soft jab from Murat.

"Positive thoughts, Hassan. Your hawk can find the landmarks right?"

Hassan nodded. "True, Natar is good at that. Thanks, Mr. Sand Lion."