This desert land is The Wasteland. Demons and warlocks who have been killed are banished here to the Beast of the Wasteland; a giant snakelike creature which devours their very souls, unless they can escape.

[It's Jasmine's soul and stuff... she's thrown into this limbo, from where she might just not return.]

::Jasmine, eyes wide, wonders how the heck she got here.::

(I didn't die, did I?)

::She swallows when she sees that she's not alone. There are others. They all look terrified. And because they also look terrifying, she probably has good reason to be scared.::

"..."

(Azura? Azura!)

(Jasmine...? Jasmine, where are y- What on earth were you doing performing such a dangerous ritual? Especially when you consider just how powerful that mask is, you are lucky you are not dead! Yet!)

::Jasmine moves to hide on the underside of a massive rock that has an overhang she can fit beneath.::

(Are you telling me off while I'm in god knows what plane of existence? Azza!)

(Yes! And when we get you back you will hear more of it. Can you describe where you are at least?)

::Not far from Jasmine, a huge worm suddenly bursts from the sand and pounces on a demon, devouring it whole as it burrows back underground.::

::Jasmine screams and crawls further beneath the overhang until she can't squeeze herself any deeper into the gap. Rather than replying, she sends Azura a message of what just happened.::

(Stay hidden, we will get you back.)

"Easy for you to say."

::Jasmine grits her teeth, her forehead slick with sweat. It's really hot in here and she's really, really anxious.::

(It must've been that ritual I did. Wow. I need to stop offering my life. But...)

::She frowns and sends a response to Azura, in a deadly serious tone.::

(... a deal's a deal.)

(One you should not have made.)

::The worm surfaces again. Really close.::

::Tears spike Jasmine's eyes from the fear, but she can't go back. She sacrificed herself and this is what she has to deal with.::

(Leave it, Azza. Just get the mask!)

[Golden orbs swirl around and Prue and Azura appear. Don't get eaten cos you'll die!]

:: Afraid and amazed, Azura takes hold of Prue's hand without a thought. This place is... desolate. How horrible! She wants to find Jasmine and leave as quickly as possible. But where to start? Can she contact Jasmine here.::

(Jasmine?)

"Woah... so this is where I sent all those demons..."

(Az, just leave me! I made this choice, I have to deal with it.)

"Yeah. It is."

::There's three of those demons right now!::

"Looks like at least we'll have some entertainment before our impending doom."

::They start to advance. Oh, demons.::

"Huh..."

::Prue, clinging on to Azura tightly now, starts to back off.::

"My power works..."

:: Azura keeps a tight hold of Prue as they move, careful of her footing. She speaks to her cousin too.::

(Too late.)

"Looks like someone isn't the big bad Source anymore."

"And the new one had the sense to do take care of you in an appropriate way."

"Actually? We came here to pick something up. And I? Still have my powers."

::Which Prue demonstrates by sending the demons flying.::

"Azura? Finding your damn cousin sometime soon sure would be handy."

:: Right! Azura quickly seeks out Jasmine, once she gets the direction she is in she points.::

"That way."

:: They're going to have to cross this place?::

::The snake bursts from the ground a short distance away with a huge roar and eats the demons Prue threw.::

::Prue's eyes widen and suddenly she and Azura are running like there's no tomorrow.::

"Okay hurry hurry hurry!"

:: Azura can't help but glance behind herself as she runs next to Prue. Jasmine seems a long way off with that thing right behind them!::

::The worm burrows back underground. The ground beneath Prue and Azura's feet seems to tremble... and it gets steadily worse.::

:: As trembling worsens, Azura finds it harder to keep her footing. She even stumbles and would have fallen if she weren't holding onto Prue for dear life.::

"Prue..."

:: Need higher ground!::

::The sand suddenly rises in a wave above them as the worm bursts from the ground, heading them off. It roars, gleaming teeth dripping saliva in the light. Teeth that are now heading straight for you.::

::Prue squeals and pushes Azura to the right while she dives to the left.::

::Both women are missed by the worm, which hits the area they were just standing in and keeps going, tunnelling deep into the earth. It'll be back soon.::

:: Azura scrabbles on hands and knees in the sand until she can stumble to her feet. When she does she heads for the nearest rock and hauls herself onto it with difficulty, terrified. Have fun getting her down, Prue.::

::Prue gets up and soon joins Azura on the rock.::

"What's this achieving??"

::Hearing the noises, Jasmine squeezes her eyes shut and listens to the sound of her quickened breathing, trying to focus on it to forget the horrible thing she saw.::

(Really didn't think this was how I was gonna go.)

:: Azura whimpers but now she is starting to feel silly. That thing can still get them up here.::

"I thought this would be safer."

::Prue looks urgent and looks Azura right in the eye, wanting to bring her back to the matter at hand. This is not the most dangerous thing Prue has ever done.::

"Azura. Where's Jasmine?"

"Oh..."

:: The direct eye contact shocks Azura back into reality and she quickly locates her cousin.::

"Over... there."

:: Her heart sinks when she sees the expanse of open ground between them and the overhang her cousin is hiding under.::

::Prue looks too.::

"We sure appeared in a lame place."

::So what does Prue do? Why, she uses her power to lift up the rock they're standing on. Though she doesn't say anything, the look on her face says it all: this is one hell of a strain.::

"... hold on..."

::Flying rock, heading that way!::

(Tell me when to stop.)

:: Azura squeals in fright and clings onto the rock. Oh dear this is going to end badly. This is not the sort of place she wants to die in!::

"It is that overhang there."

:: She is managing to keep her eyes open for this when all she wants to do is shut them tight.::

::Prue lets out a grunt, losing her strength rapidly. This is a lot harder than it looks. They suddenly drop in height, then the rock hits the ground and gets stuck in it, throwing both women off and rolling over the sand.::