The heat of the sun beat down onto the black sands of the desert waist land. Here in the plains of Sachmet, the heat was the worst. The wasteland was created by the anger of Kauket, the dragon priestess that was tainted by the one she was to kill. Here, many gods of the various religions sent the ones that betraied them in one way or another.

Chains made of silver and black steel bound the creature to the very sands. The heat was unbearable, even for the immortal time demon. He was not even granted the protection of his cloak.

Here you will stay until your punishment for altering the time line is decided. the voice of one god rang through his mind over and over.

Chronos closed his eyes and prayed his master was safe from such a punishment and what ever one the others would place upon him.

Lia looked arcoss the scortching wasteland and consulted her map for what felt like the 50th time. I...think I'm lost..... She thought and sighed. Pulling her cloak back up so it covered her from most of the heat, she traveled on. She smiled happily, glad she had brought said cloak as it was spelled to keep the wearer cool.

"Lets see...hey! What's that?" She asked herself as she looked towards the horizon. She took a hesitant step foreward. He could be evvillll A voice rang in her mind. She shook her head, "Well, I just sence he's sad and hot....I think I'll go talk to him..or at least stare at him..." She said to herself as she used her wings, making them bigger of course, and flew the ways there, where she landed lightly on her feet.

She stared at the strange chained up man, Poor guy...he's wearing all black...and leather too... she thought as she stared at him, pity and worry of over-heating in her mind.

Chronos was startled and growled low, his eyes glowing darkly before the chains reacted. They pulled tighter on his body, forcing him to go to his knees and bow his head.

Go away mortal. This is none of your concern. a voice said through the air.

Lia eeped and jumped in the air, her heart racing. "Um...." She said, before she took a deep breath. Curse my big heart.... she thought with a sigh. "He's..well..he looks like he could use company and well...prhaps some shade. It may not be my concern, but I can make it so." She said, blushing. She wasn't use to talking to other...things and it made her slightly un-comfortable.

Without waiting for a reply, she took off her cloak, showing her features. A heart shape face with soft red eyes and pink hair, and put the cloak on Chronos. "There, now you won't be so hot." She she said happily. She had the sudden urge to stick out her tongue at the one speaking, but sence she didn't know who it was, she just remaimed politly smiling.

The cloak vanished from where it was placed on Chronos and appered folded neatly beside Lia. This is his judgement time, silly mortal. He may feel the heat but he will not die from it. You should becareful, this is my plain after all. Sachmet's voice said. And until I am told other wise, he is to be left without shade or any comfort. That means company as well.

"She can do no harm, Sachmet, goddess of the desert." Chronos choked out. "There is no harm in her speaking with me."

Should this be seen as such, your punishment will be worse. Sachmet replied, worry hinted in her voice. She said nothing more though.

Lia looked at the desert around her and blinked, "Creepy..." She murmerd. I just wanted to help this guys, but he's being punished for doing something and when I tried to help him, nothing happend...how crappy is that...She thought with a sigh. She looked worriedly at Chronos.

"I'm Lia...I'm really sorry if I just got you in more trouble for whatever it is that you have done. I can go if you want..." She said, looking at him. Well, she crouched down upon the scortched floor and looked at him. It showed common curtesy.

Chronos's red eyes looked at the demon before him. "They will decide my punishment no matter who I speak with. I do not regret my actions." he said lowering his eyes back to the sands. "But thank you for your kindness even if it was unneeded."

Lia smiled, "No problem. Everyone deserves a helping hand every now and then...even if it was un-needed." She said as she retrieved her cloak and used it as a cushion.

"If you do not mind me asking...what is your name?" She asked, changing what she had originally said, not that you could really tell. She looked towards the sun and smiled. "You don't have to tell me, I would understand." She said, smiling kindly at the him.

Chronos felt the chains lessen a little. "Chronos." he replied not looking at her though. It wasn't that he didnt' want to, his true form allowed him to see more than what he should. Someone's past, their future, their deaths. "Why are you out this far? This place is hard to get to. Even for an immortal."

Lia tilted her head and sighed, "In all honesty....I got lost and stumbled upon here by accident." She said, a soft pink blush crossing her features. "I don't even know what happend. One moment I was walking in a forest, teh next moment...I"m lost and in the middle of nowhere. I don't even think this place is on a map..." She said sighing sadly.

"Oh well. Things happen for a reason." She said shrugging, back to her happy old self.

Chronos huffed a little trying not to laugh. "Only half of this place is on the map. Wastelands of the Sun is what the mortals call it." He said as he kept his head lowered. "You stummbled upon a warp."

"I'm gonna nod my head and pretend I understood what you just said." Said Lia as she reached into her pack for her map. Looking at it, she sighed, "I think I have a case of bad luck....either that....or I had some serious Karma backlash. Although...I wouldn't know why..." She said as she scratched her head. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked towards the horizon. "Why do you keep saying mortals?" She asked pleasently.

Chronos had to chuckle that time as his eyes fell closed. "I'm not mortal by far. And it is mortals, humans, some demons and such anyway, that speak of one place while the gods and immortals know it as another."

Lia remained silent for a time, "I see..." She said softly as she tried despretly not to help, knowing it would do no good. Damn it! What did he do that was so...bad? she asked herself as she stared down at Chronos with sad eyes.

"If I may ask Chronos-san, but what did you do that made the...gods and whatnot belive you deserved this?" She asked hesitently.

"I'm unable to say." Chronos said seriously. "If you truly want to know what I did, find Dusk and ask him. He's an alchemist that resides in the Roman Mountians." He looked at her, his eyes half closed. "I can not say because what I did is forbidden. My master may suffer the same fate as I."

Lia nodded, "O-kay then....forget I ever asked." She said happily. "Honestly, just forget it." She said as she rested on her hands. She idily wondered if she should take off her first dress so she only had the, somewhat thinner, breazier dress on. The longness of this one was getting on her nerves and was attracting the head. But the other skirt is sooo short. And there's no way I'd change in front of a guy. She thought, giggling slightly to herself.

"So...Chronos...um...okay..I just forgot what I was going to say, nevermind!" She said happily as she thought about what she was going to say.

"You are an odd demon." Chronos said with a chuckle. "I dont' meet many ditzy ones." he closed his eyes compleatly lifting his head to the light breeze that came through the plain.

Lia smiled, "I'm not ditzy...just a bit forgetful is all!" She said smiling widly. "Oh! I was wondering if you could keep you eyes closed while I changed? I'm a bit hot and I have a...shorter skirt in my pack, but I don't want to put it on with you looking!" She said, looking as though she solved a multi-million dollar question.

Chronos didn't let the smirk show as he nodded his head. "Of course I will." he said as he turned his head a little away from her.

"Thankies!" She said happily as she pulled off her long-sleeved shirt and tossed it aside. She slid out of her dress and couldn't help but sigh in content. The nice breeze, plus little clothing felt good, not that she was going to stay that way. She rummaged through her pack, before she calm upon an outfit similar to the other one she had on, but with a smaller skirt and shouter, well, no sleeves. She pulled it on, over her head. "You can look now, I'm decent." She said as she picked up her boots, she had taken them off, and set to putting them back on.

Chronos has watched her change but had made it look as if he hadn't. "I can understand how the heat is bothering you. Too bad there isn't an oasis nearby or you could skin...I mean swim in it." he said catching himself from speaking his thoughts compleatly.

Lia didn't notice his slip-up and sighed dreamily, "yeah, I wouldn't mind going for a swim. It does sound nice, but I wouldn't do that in front of you. That would be cruel!" She said, slightly horrified.

"Trust me, it would not bother me. I don't swim unless thrown into a body of water." Chronos said trying to calm her mind. ~Though she has one hell of a body. Wouldn't mind seeing it without clothes compleatly. I wonder just what her preference is....~ He had to shake his head. Those kinds of thoughts were not needed right now.

"Even so..." Said Lia as she sat back down, but not before she patted down her skirt as it had ridden up some. Hmm, I think I need a new skirt. I"ve hout grown this one a bit... She thought as she looked herself over. The skirt stopped mid-theigh, and when she sat down, it showed a good portion of her. She didn't know this and sat back down, making sure it stayed down, her skirt at least. "Do you hate water or something?" She asked pleasently.

"No. It just doesn't like me." Chronos said smiling a little as he kept his eyes on Lia. He was able to see what she was willing (or unwilling) to show. "It burns my skin. Some demons can't be in water for any amount of time. I'm one of them."

"Oh!" Said Lia, her face covered with surprise. "Really? What happens if you get thirsty? Does it still burn?" She asked leaning slightly towards Chronos she said randomly, "Your eyes are cool by the way..."

"only if it touches my outer skin. My innards seem to have no problem with it." Chronos replied with a slight chuckle. "Don't look into them.' he warned. "You can look at them but not in them. Unless you want to see your death."

Lia blinked, "...O...kay..." She said and made sure to look at them, but not in them. She sighed contentenly and streached, making her top shirt go up a bit, showing some more skin. "It's kinda nice out here, once you get past the heat. Really silent and what not. "She said, her now small bat wings fanned a bit in the heat, before they stilled.

"As long as you have free will anyway." Chronos said a little bitter as he looked at his chains. They glowed in warning. "How old are you anyway?"

Lia blinked, "Sorry..." She said, looking at the chains. "I'm 25! I know, I still act like a kid, but I can't help it. I've always been this way and I most likly always will!" She said happily. She scratched the back of her neck and sighed. "I'm gonna get suuunnn burrned." She said in a sing-songy sort of voice.

"Vinegar will take the sting out." Chronos said. "Smells bad but it does work." He had seen Atela place it on her own burns.

Lia looked at Chronos as though he had grown a second head, "I'm good, thank you for the sugestion though. It'll heal fine on its own." She said smiling at him. She looked across the great expanse that was this..desolate desert. "wow..I've never been in such a..a..quiet place." She said.

"Here and the frozen north are the quietest places on the planet." chronos said softly. "Too quite for me."

Lia lookd sadly at Chrono for a second before she sighed, " I like the quite. I've lived in the quite for a long time. I just now decided it would be best to strive out on my own, of course my mother had to embaress me before I go..." She said, laughing slightly at the memory.

"How would she do that?" Chronos asked as he felt the presence of another. He lowered his head in respect though Lia could not see the other.

Lia blinked, and shivered lightly, dispite the heat. "Well.." She said, continuing when she didn't see anyone, "She told me to come back with a lot of kids or a husband. She wants grandchildren apparently. I don't think so...I'm...just not ready for kids." She said, laughing. A light blush was across her cheeks, highlighting her soft complexion, pinkish hair and soft red eyes.

Chronos couldn't help but laugh at that. "Well sounds like she wants to make sure her blood line is continued. Or give you a large headache.' He said smiling a little as he shook his head. He raised his head to the sun. "It's not even noon yet. Soon the desert will become much like the inside of an oven...."

Lia laughed, "Most likely both." She said, as she pushed some hair out of her face. She looked towards the sun, her face sad. "Really? HOw does it get so hot here. I've been to hot places, but none like this." Said Lia softly.

"This was once the center of a thriving country." Chronos said lowering his head again. "At one time, these plains were full of life even with the heat. But that all changed when a cursed dragon destroied the town and most of the desert country she was suppose to protect. This was her doing under a blood taint." he sighed closing his eyes. "The heat always climbs higher and the cold lower here. Mainly it's Sachmet's desiers though.."

"Oh..." Said Lia as she looked around the wasteland. You couldn't even tell that there was once a city here. "That's kinda sad. A place that was once so full of life is now so....desolate." She said, sighing. "Um...whose Sachmet?" She asked pleasently.