The desert sun had barely risen when the elevator doors opened into an opulent palace. Gold-adorned columns stretched into the sky, and shimmering mosaics covered the walls. The group marveled at their surroundings, though Mallory mostly eyed the platters of food scattered on low tables.
"I think I could live here," she said, plopping onto a cushioned divan and grabbing a cluster of dates.
"Don't get too comfortable," Greg warned. "Places like this always come with strings attached."
Altair grinned. "Or treasures waiting to be claimed."
A robed figure appeared in the doorway, flanked by guards holding scimitars. It was Zara's father, the chieftain, but his expression was grim.
"Honored guests," he said, his voice heavy. "I must ask for your aid once more. The artifact that sustains our oasis has been stolen."
"Called it," Greg muttered under his breath.
Mallory leaned back on the divan. "You should really invest in better security."
---
The chieftain continued, "The thief was last seen heading toward the Forbidden Sands, a place no one dares to enter. Without the artifact, our water supply will dry up in days."
Zara stepped forward, her voice tinged with desperation. "We cannot survive without it. You must help us."
Greg looked at Mallory expectantly. "Well?"
Mallory rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll get your shiny thing back. But only because I don't want my snacks running out."
As the group prepared to leave, a hushed conversation between the palace guards caught Mallory's attention.
"I heard it was Zara who helped the thief escape," one guard whispered.
"Careful," the other replied. "She's the chieftain's daughter."
Mallory smirked. "Well, this just got interesting."
---
The journey to the Forbidden Sands was fraught with danger and, of course, comedic mishaps.
At one point, Greg tripped over a buried artifact, setting off a chain reaction that launched him into a dune. "I'm fine," he called out, spitting sand.
Altair, always the showman, tried to impress the group by scaling a steep dune. He lost his footing and slid all the way down, landing at Mallory's feet.
"Nice try, Captain Swagger," she teased.
Meanwhile, Mallory floated along on her trusty cushion, sipping a chilled drink from her elevator-provided thermos.
"You're going to burn through all your luck," Alex warned.
Mallory shrugged. "Luck is just competence in disguise."
---
The Forbidden Sands lived up to their name. Strange, twisting winds created illusions, and the ground occasionally shifted beneath their feet. It wasn't long before the group stumbled upon a crumbling temple half-buried in the dunes.
Inside, they found the thief: a wiry man with a mischievous grin and the stolen artifact—a glowing orb—cradled in his hands.
"Stop right there!" Greg shouted, brandishing his sword.
The thief laughed. "You think you can take this from me? I'd like to see you try."
Altair stepped forward, his cutlass gleaming. "You're outnumbered. Hand it over, and we might let you walk out of here."
The thief smirked. "Outnumbered? Not quite."
With a snap of his fingers, the walls of the temple came to life. Sand golems emerged, their hulking forms blocking every exit.
Mallory groaned. "Why is it always golems?"
---
The battle began, with Greg and Alex attacking the golems while Altair faced the thief. Mallory, as usual, stayed back, observing the chaos with a bored expression.
"You guys have fun," she said, leaning against a column.
The thief sneered at her. "You're not even going to try? Pathetic."
Mallory raised an eyebrow. "You want me to try? Fine."
She tapped her staff against the ground, and a wave of energy pulsed through the temple. The golems froze in place, their forms collapsing into harmless piles of sand.
The thief's confidence faltered. "What did you—?"
Before he could finish, Mallory waved her hand, summoning a glowing bubble that enveloped him. He floated helplessly, the artifact slipping from his grasp.
"Done," she said, yawning.
---
Back at the palace, the chieftain received the artifact with immense gratitude.
"You have saved us once again," he said, bowing deeply.
Mallory waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Just make sure the water keeps flowing."
As the chieftain placed the artifact back on its pedestal, Zara approached Mallory.
"I have to admit," Zara said begrudgingly, "you're more capable than I gave you credit for."
Mallory smirked. "Thanks, desert princess. But I'm guessing there's more to this story."
Zara hesitated, then sighed. "The thief… He was my brother."
The room fell silent.
"He believed the artifact should be used to expand our borders, to conquer the sands rather than remain hidden in this oasis," Zara explained. "I didn't agree, but I couldn't bring myself to stop him."
Greg frowned. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
Zara's gaze dropped. "Because I wasn't sure if I could trust you."
Altair stepped forward. "Well, now we know. What matters is that the artifact is safe, and the oasis will thrive."
Mallory stretched, her tone as nonchalant as ever. "Great. Crisis averted. Can we eat now?"
---
Later that evening, Mallory sat by the oasis, staring at the rippling water. Altair joined her, sitting close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
"You know," he said, "for someone who claims to hate adventure, you're pretty good at it."
She chuckled. "It's not the adventure I hate. It's the effort."
Altair grinned. "Fair enough. But you have to admit, this life suits you."
Mallory glanced at him. "You think so?"
"I know so," he replied, his green eyes sparkling.
For once, Mallory didn't have a sarcastic retort. Instead, she leaned back, letting the cool desert breeze wash over her.
---
To Be Continued…