the Goddess of the Desert Winds."

The huge golden orb shone from the glowing sky. The sands of the Great Desert of Irrat were red and hot as hell. 

As soon as we entered this world, the heat took my breath away, and the gusty wind showered us with small grains of sand that got under our clothes, cut our skin, and got stuck in our mouths. 

We deliberately entered Irrat in the desert and at noon. First, in the bright sunlight, no one could notice the flash of our appearance. And second, the locals never visited this place unnecessarily. So we had a good chance of going unnoticed. 

It was a good plan, if not for the wind and the sand. 

I took my second shirt from my backpack and wrapped it around my head, covering my nose and mouth, which made it easier to breathe. Alex followed my example and then we looked ridiculous. 

"So where are we going now?" I asked him.

Alex waved his hand, indicating the destination, and we walked on. We walked and walked, took a short break once, and then continued on our way.

Alex planned to cross the Great Desert in three days, then climb the high, rocky ridge called the Sacred Mountain and descend its northern slope. After that, we had to find the Prophetess Otrana and ask her some questions. Finally, the prince planned to arrive at the Dragon's Bald - the highest point of the mountains - in two days and meet the Great Full Moon there. When I asked Alex the reason for this, he explained that there were only a few places in Irrat where Kainos would reveal its secrets in full. And only the Dragon's Bald was available to us under the circumstances.

So we kept moving against the wind, sinking into the sand. Before nightfall, when the sun reached the barchan on the western horizon, the wind died down, and the air became cool, we took another break. We ate a little, drank some water, and washed our faces. 

I closed my eyes and even took a nap when suddenly Alex nudged me, "Look there!"

I turned my head to where he was pointing. Far away to the southeast, almost at the edge of perception, the tornado appeared and rushed towards us.

"What the hell is this?" I muttered and stood up. 

The behavior of the tornado was very unusual. It didn't swirl or duck or loop. It just moved in a straight line, coming right at us. It was approaching, growing, and the swirling spirals of sand were manifesting in its body. 

Alex stood up next to me. 

"Do you have any idea what this is?" I shouted, trying to shout over the growing roar.

"I think I do," he replied as loudly as I did. He didn’t have time to add another word. 

The tornado stopped and fell, leaving the circle in the sand. In its center was a golden chariot drawn by six gold-colored horses with long manes and tails. 

In the chariot stood a gorgeous woman. Alex glanced at her, knelt down, bowed his head, and announced, "Sahara, the Goddess of the Desert Winds."

I had better follow him: a goddess wasn’t something you saw every day. But I couldn't. I stood there looking at the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. 

She seemed to be woven of warm golden colors. Her alluring body was covered with a piece of transparent cloth and was ideal. Her skin was the color of honey, her graceful hands confidently held the prancing horses. Her golden hair covered her shoulders and back, framing her dazzling face, and her eyes were golden yellow with vertical feline pupils. 

I didn't know what it was about the desert winds, but she truly was the goddess of beauty. She stood proudly in the chariot and looked at the two strangers without a smile.

"Who are you?" she asked in a deep, velvety voice. "How dare you disturb the peace of my domain?"

"I didn't see any trespassing signs," I replied defiantly.

Alex immediately kicked my leg. Apparently, that was not a proper way to talk to goddesses.

The feline eyes looked at us sternly and judiciously. 

"Every Irratian knows that the desert is sacred and that trespassing its boundaries is punishable by death!" the goddess said. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

Now it was my turn to push Alex. He had led us here, so he should deal with the situation. I doubted that he had forgotten the taboo.

The prince stood up and said, "Oh, the most beautiful Sahara! Believe me, we came to the desert with no evil intent. For centuries, the royal house of Irrat has honored the sanctity of the treaty. Therefore, I, the last of the Sa-Maste and a son of your sister Leah, would never dare to cross the border of your possession without necessity." Alex stopped speaking and bowed. 

I was numb, trying to digest the information I had just received. So this big guy was a son of... Leah? The son of an airy, ethereal Leah, fragile, delicate and young, like spring itself? I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Speak on!" Sahara demanded. 

"Do you not know, O Most Beautiful, that the enemy called the Faceless Destroyer has taken over my home and my entire family has been murdered? Irrat is suffering under the rule of Haighwerg and his minions, and the forces of Chaos are trying to destroy the Lace. Will you really punish the only people who came to stop the Faceless and put an end to his evil deeds?"

Sahara was silent for a while.

"Who is your companion?" she finally asked. 

"A brave knight, Arthur Corney, who has more than once saved inner worlds from the monsters of the Faceless. In his hands is the legendary Helyswort, the Blade of Honor."

Now Sahara's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Are you the hero who saved my sister Leah from the stone monsters?" she asked. 

"It was me, O Most Beautiful!" I affirmed. 

"The enemies of the Faceless are my friends," said Sahara. "But if your words prove to be a lie, I will find you in any part of the Lace, and then death will seem a mercy to you."

"So be it," Alex agreed and knelt again, bowing his head. 

I followed him in a moment.

***

The Palace of the Golden Sands looked like the setting for a Hollywood movie about the Arabian Nights. Marble walls, luxurious carpets, a pool with goldfish, palm trees, vines, flowers, and jewels. And no one is around. 

"Wait here," Sahara said, and melted into the air. 

I gave Alex a questioning look, but he just shrugged his shoulders. Sahara had asked us to spend the night at her palace and we couldn't refuse. 

"Okay, let's wait," I said and sat down at the edge of the pool. 

Down there, under the layer of blue transparent water, I saw piles of treasures. The whole bottom was covered with precious stones, golden cups and bowls, etc. Some of my acquaintances would not hesitate to sell their souls to possess such wealth. Even though I was indifferent to such things, my eyes sparkled. To resist the temptation, I thrust my hands into my pockets and stepped aside. 

Alex also looked at the pool, shook his head and sighed, "Oh, Sahara..."

"Listen, is Sahara really the goddess?" I asked the question that had been bothering me for a long time. 

Alex nodded and I scratched my head. 

"If she really is, why doesn't she kill the Faceless and his minions?"

The prince's face looked distressed. 

"Well, you have confused divinity and omnipotence," he explained. "Divinity is a given, One is born as a god. As for omnipotence, it is quite different and quite rare. Even the Great Master is not omnipotent, although his abilities are beyond the dreams of anyone alive nowadays. If we're talking about Sahara and others like her, they have the power over a certain element, nothing more. Remember that Leah was completely helpless without her forests, and only regained her strength when you brought her the sprout of the Eternal Tree. Marina never leaves her oceans. Sahara is only powerful here, in the desert, where every grain of sand obeys her will. If Haighwerg is foolish enough to enter the desert, Sahara will kill him in an instant. But he wouldn't. Did I answer your question? "

"Pretty much," I nodded. "And what of you, son of the goddess? Which of the elements do you have power over?"

"None," Alex grumbled. "Divinity is inherited through the female line."

"What a shame!" I said sympathetically. "But why did you hide the fact that Leah is your mother?"

"You know, having a goddess for a mother is not such a blessing," he shrugged. "Goddesses only raise their daughters and give their sons to their fathers. Leah is no exception. My father died before I was born, so she gave me to my grandfather. Leah never pushed me away, but she wasn't interested in me. Actually, I'm not the one hiding our relationship. The Ever-Young Leah does not benefit from having an adult son."

I couldn't find an answer to his unexpected frankness. My acquaintance with Leah could not be called close, but the patroness of life bore little resemblance to the image painted by Alex. On the other hand, I couldn't imagine Ever-Young Leah as anyone's mother. 

All of a sudden, three fabulous houris rose from the pool. They had dark skin, black eyes, long black curls, and perfect forms. They looked like triplets, differing only in the color of their loincloths and jewelry, the only clothes they wore. 

"The Most Beautiful Sahara wishes her guests a good rest," they sang in chorus and bowed. 

"May the clouds never hide the sun over the Great Sands," Alex replied.

The beauties took us by the arms and led us in different directions. 

"Wow! Wow! We are together! Where did you take the prince?" I was worried. 

"His Highness will be fine," an houri replied in a honey voice. "Relax, my knight. Sahara means no harm to you."

So I relaxed and let the girls do whatever they wanted. 

They took me to a luxurious apartment, bathed me in a pool of warm water with all sorts of scented things, then dressed me in gorgeous clothes, fed me, and got me drunk. 

Like any resting hero, I accepted their care with leniency, thinking that the night would be hot and anticipating the interesting game. 

Suddenly the girls took a step back, bowed, and left without a word. I remained all alone, like a fool. For a few minutes I stared at the closed door, then I fell on the pillows and burst out laughing. "What now, great lover?" I said to myself. "Oh, let them go! I do need some sleep."

I closed my eyes and memories danced in my mind. Soon I fell asleep.