Second chapter, starts in Sam's point of view.

The road stretched forever it seemed , a path of black through the endless desert. The temp for the day had been forecasted to be in the hundreds, and at three in the afternoon, it was fulfilling the daily prophesy wonderfully.

On his way to his sister's bar (Owned by Darci, managed by Darci, and called Darci's), Samuel James Christopher Blackburn traveled with the windows up, the A/C on, and the radio soft. He was bartender there for most the time. He was good at his work, enjoyed it when he gave a shit., pay was decent and the hours flexible (that is, they would be if he ever had a reason to move around his hours, like if he got a date, as Darci keeps [demanding, yelling at, commanding, not-so-subtly-nudging] him) and Darci was as agreeable as an older sibling could be.

But life was… dull. Same faces, same scenery, same orders, same workdays, same… Everything.

He glanced out the window to his left (glancing because it was always the same). A flash of teal, like a piece of the sky. Teal? He looked again, and again he saw that color, the color of the purest sky spun with gossamer-thin clouds and a clear Mediterranean sea, the ones you see on those vacation pamphlets. It was uncertain through the haze of heat, and he slowed the vehicle so as to peer more closely at the spot of color without running the car off the road. He watched as the spot of color, no a person, staggered, stumbled, collapsed to the ground.

The car came to a halt, almost of its own doing. Samuel peered forward once more.

He had to see.

Reaching into the back seat, he grabbed a bottle of water, one of the many he kept incase the engine over heated. He opened the door then, the heat embracing him like an overweight, sweaty friend he hadn't seen in a while ( and really hadn't wanted to). Leaving the engine running and the A/C on, then closed the door and ran towards that flickering spot of fallen sky, no more than a few hundred feet out.

Gradually, the flickering spot grew and steadied, till he could make out the flickering to be long hair whipping in the wind. He kept his eyes fixed to that prone form.

He finally reached the person (man, his mind told him, and young). Their skin was red and near blistered from the sun, a mere tank top and some really short shorts of an odd material were his only clothing, leaving much too much skin revealed to the burning sun and the drying winds of the desert.

The man's feet were bare and torn, dirt clogging the wounds, blood spattering the soil in a broken and erratic line behind him. Blood beaded and trailed from where the spines of a cactus were imbedded into his leg.

Carefully, Samuel rolled the man to his back, revealing his face to the light. Tracks of dirt trailed from the man's almond shaped eyes, where dust had stuck to tears on the man's face. Gently, Samuel placed his hand on the man's chest, grateful to feel a good heartbeat and breathing, albeit too fast and shallow. Glancing At the man's face, he was again stunned by the bizarre coloring of the man's hair, that perfect summer sky shot though with clouds and sea. Though dulled by dust, it was oddly beautiful. Made his breath catch, and his mind visit memories of seagulls and beaches and pretty pink sea shells.

The sun beat upon his back, and Samuel was urged to get this man into the shade and cool of his car.

Maneuvering the man onto his back, He began the trek back to the car.

The trek was dreary and the heat was oppressive, but the man was light (too light) and Samuel returned quickly.

The kiss of air that spilled from the backseat of the car was Heaven sent, and Samuel was grateful to finally escape the clutches of this "old friend". Somehow Samuel managed to maneuver the unconscious man into the back seat of his vehicle without damaging him any further. Samuel was poised over the man, adjusting how the guy's head was turned so maybe he wouldn't wake up so sore, when it happened. Suddenly, the man's brow furrowed, and a groan escaped his dry lips. His hand rose to his forehead, and a pain sound could be heard. Samuel had backed off, so that he wasn't directly above this potentially dangerous, possibly hysterical stranger. The man froze suddenly, tensing as he realized he was not alone.

Korlu froze. He could feel the other being's presence above his own, to the side a bit. He was afraid almost to open his eyes.

He did though. To see his savior at least.

Rich brown hair fell around and framed an angular face with sharp cheekbones, skin darkish, like a pale version of his hair and eyes. He seemed concerned for Korlu, maybe, his eyebrows drawn together in some emotion at least close to concern. Confusion possibly. Worry in any of its forms. Oh well. It didn't really matter, now did it.

His voice, when it emerged, was scratchy and dry. As to be expected. "What is your name."

"What is your name." A statement more than a question, and order for an answer, no request or query in the tone.

Damn, that look in his eyes. The one of a tranquilized cheetah, or lion, some big cat. That warily accepting mistrust. An almost passiveness. And the color, man, like, his hair to the nth degree, that Mediterranean blue streaked with clouds and sky, yet rimmed with darkness. Gave him the chills.

"Um, Samuel Blackburne. I found you in the desert out there." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "May I ask who you are?" The mistrust in that cerulean gaze deepened.

"Korlu."

Samuel frowned. "Just… Korlu? Nothing else?"

Now Korlu frowned, but in sadness, one so deep it hurt for Samuel to see portrayed on that soft face. "No." The answer was spoken softly, but the hurt within the voice could have been heard galaxies away.

The man, Samuel, had left Korlu in the front passenger seat of the vehicle with a bottle of water, while he spoke into a communicator of some kind outside. Korlu's mind reeled at all that had happened, and was a blank when he thought of the future. He was at the mercy of… everything. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, attempting to ignore the constant burn of his skin. Nothing he could really do otherwise.

Samuel closed his phone, vaguely annoyed at what his sister had said. "What is it with you and strays, really! Oh well, bring the puppy over and we'll see if he has a home." Stupid sisters.

He pocketed his cell and entered his car, speaking to Korlu as he put it in gear. "My sister owns the bar I work at, so I'm just going to take you there so she can clean you up while I still work, 'kay?" Korlu just nodded in response, his head resting on the seat. Samuel sighed. Why did he always pick up strays?