Shore of the Lake of Langour
Not far from the docks of Dianus, this stretch of shore is still within shouting distance of the city walls. Tough grasses form tufts in the gravelly beach, and a few bare patches of pristine sand show through here and there. The colorful sails of the Dianus fishing fleet dot the horizon, far out on the vast inland sea, and the water is relatively calm at this time of day, between the morning and evening winds.

The priestesses of Arcadia have finally finished their work, and have declared the Karnors fit for travel. They all possess more energy and strength than they had on the journey down from the mountains, but Aaron has quietly advised Tasha to have them checked by a certified Life Mage on Rephidim just to be safe. The two more scholarly wolves have been taken on a tour of the city (and made to wear concealing hoods) while Tasha has gotten Akkers to accompany her to this rather secluded spot. The Lapi of Dianus do not seem fond of the beaches, it appears.

"'Ow are you feeling," Tasha inquires of the Karnor as she makes her way along the beach. She's taken to discarding the armor loaned her in favor of wearing a simple Amazonian dress, one that already came with ample space for her wings. The long, side-cut length of the dress stirs in the occasional timid wind, as does her hair, which she's chosen to leave loose.

"The food is a bit lacking," Akkers admits with a grin. "But the city and company are beautiful. It's like being sent back in time to one of the great cities of Terra's past. Just… with bunnies."

Tasha grins back, glad to see the man grinning more. She had told him to avoid smiling – the Lapi are distinctly disturbed whenever Jupani, or Jupani-like beings such as herself, show their teeth. "I promise to cook you somethin' with meat in it as soon as we can get some. I'm no' as good as me mum, bu' I know a few soups an' the like. I even 'ave this thought abou' takin' cheese an' meat an' bread in to a … breadcheesemeat shield," she offers. She thinks Amazonia is beautiful, despite all the oddity and the bloodshed. Here, far from the conflicts, she could almost think it was a kind of paradise.

"A sandwich, you mean?" Akkers asks, sitting down on the gravelly beach. He's wearing the standard tunic and shorts that most Lapi bucks wear, and has a canteen at his side. "Soup I can pass on. I've had enough soup this past week to last me another lifetime I think."

"If you wan' a sandwich, I'll make you a sandwich," Tasha replies, grinning a little wider. She never would have expected this a year ago, but she actually really likes looking after other people. She never knew she could care so much, or want to give so much, until people started needing her for more what she used to manipulate them. "An' my idea wasn' a sandwich, I jus' 'ad this urge to eat all tha' on bread shaped like a shield. I think I mus' no' be gettin' enough sleep." She takes a seat next to the man, folding her arms on top of her knees, and resting her head on her arms as she looks at him.

Akkers notices the attention, and turns to face Tasha. "I guess you aren't here to look at the lake, hmm? Will your airship be picking us up here, or are we going out on one of those fishing boats?" he asks.

"The boats," Tasha answers, flicking her gaze out to the water. "Any airship tha' approaches Amazonia would get shot down by the Amazonians. Amazonia's wha' they call … " she waves a hand, trying to think of the word while working it out in Sign, " … insular. Xenophobic, like. The Rake will pick us up in the town beyon'. You'll get to meet Cap'n Eyeshine an' the crew … " The Vartan closes her eyes, taking a deep breath before she admits, "They're goin' to look at you like you're jus' another shiny for me tail. The Cap'n migh' even give you a 'ard time, if he thinks we're together. 'E's like me father."

"Another… " Akkers begins to ask, and then seems to get the idea. "Aren't you a bit young to have a 'collection' of men though?" he asks, a bit cautiously.

Laying her ears back, Tasha shakes her head. "No," she breathes, sounding uncomfortable with having to admit it. She isn't sure why now is so different from other times, and she thinks it must be Akkers himself. A captain from beyond the stars, educated, having had a family of his own already. Tasha knows how young she is compared to him, but more so, she feels so very, very crude when put beside him. "I wasn' always like this. I wasn' very nice, an' I thought tha' … tha' 'avin' shinies for ny tail made me special. Wanted, like. This place, an' Layth too, it taught me there's more to it. Now I'm … I'm regretin' wha' I've made o' meself outside o' 'ere. I'm afraid to go back."

"You didn't really have a father, did you?" Akkers asks. "Your Captain may have been a father figure, I'm sure, but he probably didn't hold you as a child or tuck you in at night, am I right?"

Tasha snorts a laugh at the idea of Captain Eyeshine tucking her in. Despite her worry over what Gabriel might think of her, the mental image caught her off guard and forced it out of her. "Oi, no," she answers, head shaking. "Me father was some Jupani me mother met when she was still workin' airships. She calls me 'er little miracle."

"So it was just you and her?" Akkers asks. "And did she ever marry or have a boyfriend?"

"Aye, jus' us," the woman answers. "Cap'n Eyeshine's always 'ad an' eye for me mum, bu' they never seem to get it goin'. I think the Cap'n's waitin' until 'e retires to make 'is move, or mum's givin' 'im a 'ard time. I can' really ask either 'o 'em – bit awkard, it is."

"Hmmm. So no reason for you to compete with your mother for attention?" Akkers asks. "And about the other night," he says, still not looking away, "was that because I was shiny, or for some other reason?"

Tasha turns her gaze back to Gabriel, then tilts her head. She studies the man's face as she answers, "I wan'ed you to be happy," she answers. Her ears twitch, as if she they weren't sure if they should flatten in embarrassment or perk to match the rest of her body's focus on the man. "I didn' do it for me – no' tha' I didn' wan' to do it – bu' I did it because I feel for you. I've felt somethin' ever since I saw you, for all o' you, bu' 'specially you. Tha' be, I'm afraid I was too fas' abou' it. Might be I 'ad at you to show you were mine, 'cause I was afraid I'd lose you, one way or another. An' maybe because I though' wit'out usin' tricks you … You migh' no' wan' someone like me." Tasha swallows, then looks down and away. "If jus' saw the res' o' me, an' no' the bits men like."

"I do like you, Tasha, and not just because of your bits," Akkers says. "It takes more than that to get past… well, your other features. You seem to be someone who desperately wants to grow up, and is looking for the right adult to help you do it. I've seen the look before."

"So, you think me jus' a kid," Tasha remarks, half questioning, half despairing in tone. Her ears flatten, eyes flicking back to the man's face.

"Kids want to be kids," Akkers explains. "You're a young adult, just looking for some guidance. What do you want out of life, Tasha?"

"I wan' to go to Abaddon, to finish wha' I started. After tha', I wan' to see if this Expedition wan's someone like me. I;d like to join, like you did, an' like Nora. To be someone 'o can be a captain, work those won'erful machines, an' explore the world – worlds," the woman answers. She takes a breath, then exhales again, adding, "I'm jus' no' 'appy to go back to wha' I used to do an' be."

The older wolf's eyebrows arch up, and he asks, "And what if… what if the Expedition isn't what you expect? What will you do then?"

Tasha's frowns at that, but shrugs shortly after. "Then I'll see wha' it really is, an' if tha's wha' I wan', then I'll stick wit' it. If it's no', I'll keep searchin'. Abaddon'll show me the way, if I jus' keep at it," she answers.

"Let's hope so," Akkers says with a smile, and puts an arm around Tasha's shoulders before looking back out at the sea. "Do I get to meet your mother? I've never met a real Vartan before."

When Akkers holds her, Tasha's frown melts, and she shifts to lay her head against the crook of his arm. The gesture is enough to make her think he accepts her, and not wanting to risk the reality, she takes a moment to enjoy what may be. Following his gaze, she gazes out across the water "O'course," she answers. "Mum's like me, jus' more beaky an' wit' feathers. 'Er tail's like a Khattas – she tol' me the kink in it's 'cause I used to hold on to it all the time. I think she dropped some cargo on it, an's jus' givin' me the guilt."

"I don't have to worry about her flirting with me, do I?" Akkers asks. "She's gone for Kar-… for Jupanis before, it seems." His tone suggests he's not really being serious.

Tasha's ears shoot up at the question, and she blinks! The woman hadn't considered that problem. "Oi," she breathes, sounding suddenly worried. "You migh'. O'course if she does, Cap'n Eyeshine'll never take us anywhere again. Looks li' you'll 'ave to settle for me, aye?" She gives the man a hopeful look.

Akkers laughs, and squeezes Tasha's shoulder. "I wouldn't know what to do with a woman who has a beak, so you shouldn't worry," he says.

Tasha laughs too, pressing her head to the Karnor. "I never quite figured out tha' either. You really 'ave to … Well." She coughs another laugh at her slip, then shakes her head. "I'm 'appy jus' to 'ave you aroun', an' I'm thinkin' tha's enough for me."

"Even though I'm an old man from another world?" Akkers asks. "One who's been molested by bunny priestesses to boot. Errr… there aren't hybrid Lapi-Jupani are there?"

"Molested?" Tasha's ears shoot up again, reminiscent of Lapi, and she shoots the city a sudden glare. "I'm special," she quickly explains, wanting to hear about this 'molestation.' "Me mum's no' sure 'ow I 'appened. Tyche's been after me to 'ave bunny-babes t'boot, an' tha's no any more likely than you an' the priestess." If a glare had power, the city might very well burst in to flame about now.

"Oh, good," Akkers says with some relief. "I… wouldn't want to spoil things for Remiel and Eli. Remy's mood has really lifted with their… attentions. And I'm not sure that Eli ever even had relations with the opposite sex before, outside of a lecture hall."

Akker's remark makes Tasha laugh again, which saves the city of Dianus from being glared to death. "Really? Cute guys like them? 'An' doctors t'boot. I don' know abou' your world, bu' in mine, tha' sort o' thing doesn' go unnoticed." She smiles at the older man, letting the expression go since she's far from the city. "I'm glad they're doin' well. I feel responsible for all o' you; I wan' you to lead 'appy lives. I'm no' sure if I said so before, bu' I gave the order to wake you all up. In a way, I'm the captain o' tha' mission."

The Karnor scoops up some gravel and sand with his free hand, and holds it up to let it flow out between his fingers. "I'm glad you did. Being in a dream you can never wake up from, where you never know what's real or imaginary – or how many times you'd done the exact same thing before – it's not really being alive. When I die, I want it to be in a world I can touch, with people I can love."

"It sounds more like a nightmare," Tasha admits, reaching over to catch the sand as it falls from Akker's hand. "Bu' I'm real," she adds, holding the sand so it won't drain away. "An' this is real, odd as it migh' seem to you. I wan' you to live a good, 'appy life. I don' think you deserved wha' 'appened to you – any 'o you – an' I mean to make it as right as I can."

"That's a tall order," Akkers says, and then playfully musses up Tasha's hair. "For a little girl!" he adds with a grin.

"Little!" Tasha squirms, half-heartedly trying to stop her hair from being messed up. "I'll show you lil'!" And with that, she gives Akkers a shove!

"Ack!" Akkers yelps as he falls onto his back, laughing. "We should have brought a picnic lunch. Do you have picnics on this world?"

"Now tha'a wo do 'ave," Tasha answers as she follows Akkers to the ground, having had his arm around her shoulder. "Bu' if we asked these buns, they'd pro'ly look at us like we los' our mind. "Food? In a basket? How strange you are," I can jus' 'ar 'em." She then props her head on Akker's chest, grinning at him.

"Well, I don't suppose they'd have a restaurant then either?" Akkers asks hopefully, while scratching at Tasha's ears.

Tasha stops propping herself up, and just melts under the scratching. "Ahh, wha'? Oh, restaurants? We 'ave those on Rephidim! You can pick one you like when we get there – we 'ave quite a bi' o' money comin' to us, we do." Her tail wags.

"But nothing here?" the man laments. "I'm not exactly an experienced hunter… even if I knew what to hunt here. I'd give another year of my life for a steak right now though."

"You woul', would you?" Tasha tries to sit up, but seems to be too comfortable to actually move far. "I'll see wha' I can do, jus' keep it away from the Lapi. They pale at the sight of steak."

"I promise to only eat it around the white ones then," Akkers says, making some sort of salute with his left hand.

Tasha opens her mouth, pauses, then her brow shoots up. "Oi! Wait, I jus' remembered: when I firs' came 'ere, the cooks, they made me steak an' eggs!" She then grins widely. "I'll jus' ask they make it for you, too! We can 'ave it brought to our room, or 'ave some for dinner when we get back."

"I didn't know that little fortress had cooks," Akkers says in surprise. "Or am I confusing it with someplace else?"

"I keep forgettin' you 'avn't see it all! Oh, do I 'ave sights to show you! I'm goin' to request o' Queen Tyche tha' we 'ave a room, an' tha' the steaks keep comin'," insists Tasha, who's tail has begun to wag in earnest. "Clan Hydron's place comes form ol', ol' Olympia, or so I'm tol'. Marble floors an' servants everywhere. You'll li' it, bu' we may 'ave to share a bed wit' your crew."

"What, all of them?" Akkers asks. "Not just us?"

Tasha rolls her eyes, grinning. "Lapi are like tha'. I don' min' – well didn' at firs' – wha' wit' 'ow cute they all are. Bu', I'm thinkin' I wan' some privacy now, an' one man in my bed." She then leans over, and kisses Akker's lightly, grinning all the more. "They all sleep in piles – an' they pro'ly think we do, too. 'Ell, they think I'm a Lapi still."

"Are the ones on Rephidim like this too?" Akkers has to ask. "I didn't think they'd be so… I mean, all in a pile… " He waves his hands in vague gestures. "They must be pregnant all the time!" he concludes.

Tasha cackles, drumming her fingers on Akker's just in a mock-tickle. "It's jus' the women, or jus' the men. No' tha' they're no' pregnan' a lot, but tha's more complicated. Only Warriors can 'ave Warrior children, an' such. They breed for allegiances an' titles an' such. As for the ones on Rephidim, they're like Aaron. You remember Aaron, righ'?"

"The somewhat nervous fellow who took the good doctors on tour today?" Akkers asks. "I take it he actually sleeps on occasion, then?"

"'E does, an' e's a good man. A bi' on the ogling side, bu' no' worse than some I've met. 'E'll pro'ly keep wit' us – e' knows trade better than mos' of us," Tasha answers. "Bu', 'e's wha' regular Lapi look like. Wan' to know abou' any other species? You're goin' to meet a lot 'o 'em, an' it'd be bes' you didn' point and stare!" She grins.

Akkers lies back again, and asks, "How many more are there? I never mingled much with the aliens, so I'm mostly familiar with Humans. What are some we're likely to run into?"

Tasha's ears go askew at Gabriel's answer. She knows he's from another time and place, but she forgets just how different he really is. Laying here, on him, its hard for her to picture him as alien. "This'll be a bi' o' a list," she admits. Then, taking in a breath and raising her hands, she lists off the sentient species she knows, "Khattas and Khatthas – those're pro'ly like the wanderers you knew; Savanites, which are mute spotty-ca-" The woman then blinks, suddenly realizing something. "Oi, are Silent-Ones Savanites?! I mean, spotty-cats who talk with their 'ands?"

"That's why we call them the Silent-Ones, yes," Akkers notes. "There are Silent-Ones here too?"

"Oi, Spotties are from space? If the worl' only knew tha', it'd be chaos. The Naga Empire woul' bus' a scale," the woman breathes, sounding astounded. She shakes her head in disbelief, needing to take another deep breath. Yes, Tasha thinks, her world is very diffrent now. "Aye, there are," she begisn to explain, " … an' they were all mos'ly slaves until a few years back. People use to think them too dumb to be equal to the other species. Oi."

"Now that is a surprise," Akkers mutters. "The Naga are also from space. They come from a civilization known as the Celestial Empire, but we just call their faction the Imperials."

"Really?" Tasha blinks at the irony. After six thousand years, the Naga end up with the same name. "We call 'em Imperials 'ere, too. The Naga Empire's where mos' o' them are, bu' you find 'em everywhere. The Naga actually 'ad the mos' slaves, bu' were the firs' to stop usin' 'em. Something abou' a decree form the Emperor. Think 'e's dead now, though."

"They're a proud people, even if they did need a little help from us Terrans to fix their gene-pool problems," Akkers notes. "I always avoided them. They gave me the creeps."

"Gene-pool? Wha's a pool full o' genes?" Tasha gives Akkers a bemused look, head shaking at the idea that a space fairing race needs help with their pool. "An' they give me the creeps too," she adds, not having flirted with very many Naga.

"I've seen pictures of what they originally looked like," Akkers whispers and shudders a little. "I'll take snakes over alien dragons, thanks. I suppose if there are Vartans here, the other Confeatherate… err… ConFEDerate races must be here too? Giant bats and big birds? Blue and purple peacocks?"

Tasha can only stare at Akkers at the mention of alien dragons. Dragons with pool problems, it boggles her mind – dragons with pools in space! She's not so boggled as to miss the pun on Confederate, however. She giggles lightly at it, shaking her head. "Those're all Confederates? Aye, we 'ave Korvs an' Kujaku – the giant birds – as well as some other bird people I don' see as often. The bats are Eeee, they 'ave a big city off where the Confederate mothership crashed. I think it migh' even be un'er tha' big tower 'o theirs – or is the tower. I 'eard it didn' vanish when that big attack 'appened," she says.

"Big attack?" Akkers asks, sounding worried. "You've got war here too? I didn't think it would be possible with the limitations on technology."

"We 'ave war," Tasha confirms, soundig sad about it. "It's pro'ly nothin' like your mecha fightin', bu' we 'ave wars. Years back, Rephidim – my 'ome an' where the Expedition mothership landed – an' its allies fought against Babel, the country o' the Confederate ship, an' the Naga Empire – which I think 'as the las' mothership. Somethin' odd was used against Babel, somethin' tha' cut a 'udge chunk out of the groun', like a big scoop, an' made it vanish. Only the tower remained. I saw it when The Rake was in Babel."

"I don't know of any weapon that could do that," Akkers says, and then whistles. "Something that leaves a crater but doesn't level the other buildings?"

"No' so much a crater as a smooth 'ole. When I visited Babel years before the war, tha' part o' the city was jus' like the res'. When we finally came back after everythin' settled an' we weren't worried they'd kill us, I saw a 'uge circular cut, 'cept that the tower wasn' damaged. I 'eard tha' it 'ad smooth before it filled wit' water," Tasha explains. "I never 'eard o' anythin' tha' could do tha', either. Rumor' 'as it tha' it was the same sort o' thing tha' 'appened to New Elemore, in the Himatt. Somethin' brough' a chunk o' Abaddon from their world 'ere, an' vice-versa. Tha' was back when people were first findin' the Tower – which is wehere we'll be goin'."

The Karnor is silent for awhile as he absorbs this. "These must be magic weapons if they can transpose geography between two worlds," he finally says, in a subdued voice.

Tasha nods in agreement. "I though' so too. Wha'ever they are, 'avn't seen any more o' them after Babel, so we can be glaf for tha'. Now, did you wan' to 'ear about other peoples? Oh," the woman lowers her voice now, as well as her head, to whisper, "I also wan'ed to as you abou' the Sifran objects."

"I don't know much about the artifacts," Akkers admits. "But I definitely want to know more about the other races here. At least, from what I gather, they're Terran-derived so I shouldn't run into anything too weird."

"If you 'ave any questions, jus' ask me. Better you ask me than stare or say somethin' unusual – 'specially in Rephidim." Tasha smiles a little, as if to say that it'll be alright, regardless. "Where was I? Naga, Spotties/Silent-Ones, Khatta an' Khattha, Titanians you already met … Oh, 'ow abou' Gallee an' Gallah? The first one's 'purebred' canine folk, no' like us, bu' diffren'. The second's the firs', 'cept they're mutts."

"Dogs?" Akkers asks in surprise.

"Aye, I've 'eard 'em called dogs before," confirms the Vartan.

"That is… disturbing," Akkers admits, looking up at the sky. "What else?"

"Why's tha' disturbin'?" Tasha leans forward, looking Akker's face to face as she leans over him. "An' there's Sphynxes, which are like me bu' instead of Jupani you got Khatta. Rath'ani, Skeeks an' Skreeks are aroun', I'm no sure wha' you'd call 'em. Racoons, mice an' rats are their nicknames. Rhians an' Cervani, also called horses, an' they 'ave 'ooves an' long faces. There's Foxes, which are like Jupani bu' smaller. Kavis are short an' they all steal. Then there's Zelaks, who are the oddest folk I've ever met. All 'ard shell an' no personality. They sell chitin, an' live in the groun'. I've never met anyone who knows much more. Did you 'ave Zelaks?"

"The Confederates had… well, 'bugs' is the most descriptive term," Akkers says. "They used cybernetics with giant insects to create… hybrid machines that were alive."

"That … sounds sort 'o like 'em. Come to think 'o it, they do remind me o' MOTHER. Formal wit' no sense o' humor or emotion," Tasha says. She rubs her chin, and nods. "Tha's pro'ly them, then. Oi, an' no I remember! Babel attacked Rephidim wit' flying bugs – tha' mus' be them, too. I think tha' confirms that Babel is the Confederacy site."

Akkers rubs his forehead a bit, and then asks, "And everyone lives together on Rephidim?"

Tasha nods a little, then settles her head back down on Akker's chest. "Aye, more or less. More less than more, I should think. Gallee, mos'ly poodles, Humans, an' a 'andful o' others are on the top, as nobles or Temple workers. Then there's upper class folk, followed by the dock workers, an' then the Dark an' Underside, which is the poorer area. There's the ol' city too, bu' only the wors' live there. Used to be we 'ad Knights Templar too, bu' they up an' left us shortly after the war."

"I have a lot of history to catch up on," Akkers mutters. "Which section of the city will we be staying in?"

"It'll be the Un'erside or the Docks for us, if we stay on The Rake or at me mum's tavern. O'course, wit' wha' we 'ave from your ship, we'll 'ave the shekels to stay in better if you like. I'm thinkin' we'd bes' avoid' makin' too much o' ourselves, though. If we star' showin' we 'ave rare artifacts an' such, people may start askin' questions," answers the Vartan.

"The artifacts will be a problem then," Akkers notes. "We'll have to keep them hidden as much as possible. There aren't any sort of magical detectors that can sniff them out, are there?"

Tasha frowns at the idea of magical detectors, shaking her head a moment later. "I'm no' sure. Magic's almos' as much a mystery to me as it is to you. Mages don' share, an' me mum always tol' me they'll steal me soul," she answers apoligetically. "I think as long as we keep the artifacts sealed an' 'idden, we'll mos' likely be fine. It's theitems we 'ave to sell for money tha' might get more attention."

"I suppose the authorities don't pay close attention to these Underside docks then," Akkers guesses. And then his stomach rumbles right under Tasha.

"The Underside 'as its own watche- … " the Vartan blinks at the rumble, then pokes Akker's belly. "Time to get you fed, I think. I didn' save you jus' to starve you wit' my words. Up, up," she insists, pulling the man to sitting. "Let'sget a steak in you – then we can talk more. or, whatever you'd like, aye?" She smiles now, offering him her hand.

The Karnor takes Tasha's hand, and wags his tail a bit. "You know the way to a wolf's heart is through his stomach, right?"

"O'course, I 'ave a wolf's 'eart too," Tasha replies, wagging right back.