Kylla watched Kalem clutch his stomach in agony, unable to get up after the swift punch was dealt. She was still frozen, but her mind was working frantically trying to figure out why it was thus. She wanted to run, fight, and rescue Kalem all at the same time, but her body remained stiff. She thought she heard a voice that was whispered in the desert sky and yet boomed across it at the same time. It was saying, "Let it begin." At first she thought it was her panicked imagination, then she realized the Omnighost was staring up at the sky with his one, red eye. It flickered white for a moment and then it brought its gaze back to earth, and specifically, Kylla.

"So the Spiriter grows hungry." The Omnighost growled, its hands floating eagerly. One of them grabbed Kylla around the left arm and the other nonchalantly floated over and picked up the now unconscious body of Kalem. It threw them both down in a spot directly in front of its cactus. The sky began booming in protest as matter began to split apart once again, as when the Omnighost first appeared. It boomed louder and louder and the earth was shaking, and then it stopped. All that was heard across the desert, across Kovulwa, in the minds of the two about to be offered up as sacrifices was one howling agonized howl.

Unable to glance around, Kylla brought herself up expecting to be punched back down by the eerie fists of the Omnighost. Instead, she saw a giant figure standing with a weapon she couldn't make out resting on his shoulder. She was disoriented and her mind saw this figure as good enough reason to assume safety. And that's about when she passed out.

"I found them in the desert, about to be offered to the Spiriter." She heard a stern voice speaking, but all she saw was black. The voice was deep and masculine, unwavering in its conviction.

"Well, put them back! You know as well as I do that the Spiriter will rain harsh curses upon us if we take what is his!" The second voice sounded aged and ragged, obviously tired from the day's events. Or week's or month's, for that matter. Kylla had no grasp of how long it had been. It spoke in hushed tones, almost afraid something might hear it.

Kylla opened her eyes and immediately shut them. An unpleasant orange light was shining in the room which seemed to burn her eyes. She wasn't able to see any of the voices or her surroundings.

"I think this one might be awake!" A third voice said jovially. The voice was small and obviously coming from a child.

"Really? Are you certain, Byron?" The first voice questioned, it's tone suggesting worry, but mostly relief.

"Byron, hit it with something. That'll give Gorigan enough time to put the damned thing back!" The second voice sputtered. What was conscious in Kylla was indignant and wanted to yell but her body didn't have the strength.

"Thira, she'll never forgive you if she heard you were talking like that." said the first voice playfully.

"Damn right." Kylla's jaws successfully produced the words, and she felt prouder then she should have for it.

"Ah, Desertling, Byron spoke the truth! You are awake!" She could finally observe this first voice. It came from a big man sitting in the middle of the room. He was a bit stooped as the ceiling was obviously too low for him. He wore a casual brown robe which seemed to tie in a variety of different areas, all of which were unconventional. His skin was extremely dark and he had no hair. In one corner of the room she spotted his giant armor set, including: A breast plate which was purple and gilded with gold bearing the picture of two floating hands, a pair of gauntlets which were also purple and gilded, and a helmet whose purple color seemed to sparkle brighter then the others in the dim orange light as the white feather protruding from it stood proudly.

As she looked around the room, she also saw an elderly woman dressed in a puke-green cloak and a bowel-purple shawl. She was the kind of old woman you see and know immediately that attempting to mug her would result in critical bodily harm on the attacker. Kylla sneered, as she assumed this was Thira, the one who wanted to feed her to the Spiriter.

Her eyes also fell on a child who couldn't have been more then 12 years old. His skin was also extremely dark and he wore nothing but brown rags. She could tell by the tiny house lit only by the ugly orange lantern that they were probably a poor family. Finally, she brought herself back to the world that was waiting for her to speak.

"Who are you?" Kylla asked, pretending she hadn't heard them talking earlier.

At once the big man stood up.

"I am Gorigan Zichinua Morrilleus." He said in noble tones. "And I am the one who found you, fair-maiden, about to be offered up by the wretched Omnighost." The scenes from her ordeal flooded back to her and she thought of some other, more pressing questions to ask.

"There was another..." Even as Kylla said it, she looked around, unable to spot anyone else in the dim lantern light.

"Ah, yes, Desert-mouse. He's resting in the bed upstairs." Gorigan said. Confused, Kylla looked around, not seeing any stairs immediately. Then after a few minutes of searching from her stationary point in the bed, she realized that her bed's head was up against the base of the stairs.

"How did you...?" Kylla half-asked unable to fully word the question.

"Save you? With this." Gorigan spoke proudly then reached underneath her bed. He pulled out a brilliantly shining ax. The handle was at least 5 inches thick and it had a length of at least 8 feet. It's head was one made seemingly of pure crystal, it took the grotesque orange light and shone it brilliantly across the room. After a few moments of gawking, he finally stowed it away again.

"The Prism Axe." Kylla mouthed, but didn't say aloud. She hoped no one noticed she knew what it was. If they thought she knew too much, they'd start questioning. And saving a life does no good if they turn around and inadvertently destroy it.