~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 21 years ago ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The priestess looked deep into the scrying bowl of Tumont, the original oracle of Teracleastus. Her eyes began to glow and the white film of her veils moved in a breeze that didn't touch any of the spectators around her. All the priestesses in training were here to watch this, to learn how to scry the future, and to learn the price. Suddenly the priestess bit back a sob and took a giant step away from the large bowl. The crowd around her stared in shock. The priestess had both hands pressed against her mouth and tears leaked from her wide open eyes.

One of the initiates approached her tentatively. "Priestess?" she asked softly. "Are you well?"

"Tell me," said the priestess, "are the leaders still gathered out front?"

"Yes Priestess," said the initiate. "They have not moved since last you spoke to them."

"Good," said the priestess. She clutched her white veil around her face. "I have an answer for them."

In the large crowd outside of the temple were the heads of five clans, three of whom were competing for the crown. The Ti Clan, the Bei Clan, and the Fox Clan all had a stake in this. The time was nearing for the reincarnation, and the common consensus was that if one member of their clan married the reincarnated princess then they would become king.

The crowd instantly fell silent as the large red double doors of the temple creaked open to reveal the priestess. She walked to the edge of the platform and looked out at the people gathere before her.

A glow formed around her as her eyes glowed and her veils blew once more in a wind that no one else could feel. These were all the signs that she was about to impart a true prophecy. "The two faces shall fight for the Princess, and both shall fail as she falls to herself. Only in her hands, she who holds the two faces, shall the crown find its true home to bring our land to peace once more." The glow from the priestess dimmed as the wind around her died. She collapsed to her knees with a sob. "And may all the gods help us," she said the audience, "if we find her!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dina's Time ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"They're the Knights," Annan explained, "we're the Tierloves, and we think that you're the reincarnation of our long-dead princess."

"Fool!" Ariana smacked him upside the head. "What kind of explanation is that?"

"Sorry!" wailed Annan.

"The Knights are a group dedicated to making sure that the Princess doesn't awaken," said Corcoran.

"It is time for you to awaken, my other self." Dina ignored the chill at his choice of words, and the dream echo. "But you don't know that I'm the princess," she said remembering the last part of Annan's explanation.

"No, we only think that you might be," said Corcoran. Dina watched as he changed lanes in the road.

"I know you're the princess," said Trahern.

Dina smiled nervously at him. The guy looked like a puppy with his huge golden eyes wide like that and she didn't want to upset him. "But you--most of you," she amended with a glance at Trahern, "don't know that I'm the princess, why are they trying to kill me?"

"I told you," said Corcoran. "The Knights are dedicated to making sure that the princess doesn't awaken so the prophecy can't come true. That means destroying anyone who might be the princess, without waiting for proof because waiting for proof would be too late." Suddenly there was a bump and a loud noise as the van briefly lost control, then rolled to a sudden stop. The door opened and all of them piled out. "What is this?" asked Corcoran staring at one of the tires.

"Looks like a flat," said Dina. Before anyone could react she was down by the tire. "Hmm. You know," she said standing up and walking towards the back of the van, "I think I saw a spare, a jack, and an iron back here."

Before she could actually touch the door Trahern grabbed her hand. "What are you doing?" he asked in a strangled voice.

"Changing the tire," said Dina. "Unless you want to walk in this heat?" One of the reasons she worked night shift was because days were so hot. This time of year ninety fareignhieght was considered cool weather. Usually it was in the hundreds before the sun came up.

"You can't change the tire," protested Trahern. "You're the princess!"

This is going to get annoying, and fast. "All right," she said turning towards the assembled group and meeting each eye in turn. "Do any of you know how to change a tire?" She nodded at the blank stares. "I didn't think so. As the one who does know, shouldn't I be the one to change it?"

"But you're the princess!" protested Trahern.

"What if you talked us through it?" asked Annan suddenly.

"All right," said Dina. "But we should hurry and get somewhere with air conditioning soon, it's not healthy to be out in this too long."

About an hour later the group had checked into a hotel with two rooms, but they were gathered in one as they--well, Corcoran and Ariana--discussed how best to avoid the Knights. As the two of them reached a heated arguement Dina glanced over and saw that Annan was breathing hard. He was also flushed, not purple as she had first thought, but dark red. She walked over to him and placed the inside of one of her wrists to his head as she pressed the other to hers. He was hotter than she was, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. He wasn't human after all, but he was the same species as Ariana.

Ariana looked up in shock as Dina suddenly placed the inside of her wrist against the elf's forehead. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hmm," said Dina without answering. She walked away as if Ariana hadn't spoken.

"You're right," she said to Corcoran, "I don't think she's the princess." In the background the two of them heard running water, but they ignored it.

Dina meanwhile grabbed Annan's arm and dragged him towards the bathroom. "There," she said pointing to the tub that was half full of water. "Get in."

"What? Why?" Annon tried to focus his thoughts, but parts of the room kept spinning.

"Because I think you're in the first stages of heatstroke and I need to get that fever down," said Dina.