(OOC) Sun Mar 8 1998 03:51 PM by "Malachi" at "Holodeck 1" (OOC) -->

Snow-Fur is back in the City of Hands, intact, and awarded a warrior's heroic welcome, along with the rest. Part of this return welcome involved eating lots of food.

After the feast is over and the Khatta has had his fill (which was a rather large fill), he wanders around the city, learning the nooks and crannies, looking for some possible games to play, and if the chance presents itself, maybe find some answers to some questions. Why did Third-Eye want him on the dagger, not to mention why she wanted him on the raiding trip at all? Was she trying to get rid of him? Snow-Fur sighs.

A spotted girl sprints through the sparse foot traffic, warning Snow-Fur of her presence by the loud pitterpat of her feet – and a few unseemly barks of alarm from those caught off guard by the improper dashing. (A Savanite, after all, cannot shout, "WATCH OUT!" It just doesn't quite convey the same effect in hand sign.)

Snow-Fur comes out of his ponderings at the sound, an turns around to look at the noisy cheetah. He recognizes her as First-Dawn, one of the sisters he met by the water. What could be the matter? "Hello First-Dawn."

Snow-Fur sees double! Two young girl cheetahs dash up to him, grinning like they know something he doesn't. It looks like First-Dawn's sister, Setting-Sun, is present as well. They skid to a stop before Snow-Fur.

The Khatta jumps a bit at the fast stop of the sisters, he's still getting used to how fast the Savanites move around here. "Hello to you too Setting-Sun", he signs, "Is something wrong?"

One advantage of being a Savanite is that you don't have to catch your breath to start 'talking' to someone. "There's going to be a ceremony!" "You're invited!" the girls simultaneously sign.

Snow-Fur looks at the two puzzledly. "Ceremony? What for? Didn't we just have one this morning?" Not that this is a bad thing, as the Khatta fondly remembers the warriors feast that took place earlier.

"This is different!" "Not like that!" the sisters sign, First-Dawn and Setting-Sun from left to right. "Third-Eye wants you there." "You must be really important!"

"A ceremony of… Third-Eye's?" The Khatta's ears droop and his stomach cleverly ties itself into a knot. He had hoped to avoid Third-Eye while he was here, since she wasn't exactly a big fan of his. "Why does she need me?"

"Not just Third-Eye! The whole Twelve-times-Twelve!" First-Dawn signs. "No, the whole Twelve-times-Twelve!" Setting-Sun echoes. The two sisters exchange annoyed looks with each other. They aren't twins, but they're close enough in age that it's hard to tell who is the elder.

As if taking a cue from his stomach, Snow-Fur's heart hikes up a path into his throat. "T-twelve… times… Twelve too?" If he were trying to conceal his nervousness, the Khatta isn't doing too well.

First-Dawn claps him on the shoulder. "Don't worry!" she signs. Setting-Sun contributes, "If they were going to kill you, it wouldn't be an invitation, would it?" Her ears wiggle.

( Gee, that sure makes me feel better… ) The Khatta tries to force an ear wiggle and cracks a sheepish grins, "Yeah, I guess so. Do you have any idea what the ceremony is for?"

The girls just giggle and start dragging Snow-Fur off toward the "Old Palace Ruins".

Despite his nervousness, the Khatta can't help but feel somewhat comical at the dragging, "Okay okay, I'm coming, no need to get forceful!" He walks along and wiggles his ears, yet another habit he's seemed to pick up.

Through a stone archway, the interior of which is covered with glyphs and images depicting scenes of the "Great Savanite Empire", the two girls lead Snow-Fur to the ruins of the old palace. The scenes are very stylized, scale of the figures apparently depicting the importance or station of the figures, rather than their actual comparative sizes. One scene Snow-Fur catches in passing shows a very large Savanite in regal robes, making a commanding gesture, as Nagai and other species look to be pleading for their lives, but are being executed by Savanite warriors with obsidian blades.

Snow-Fur gulps at this scene, hoping that that's not what they have in store for him!

Past the archway, there is a large, open, round area, surrounded by stone walls, many of them crumbling, though there are signs of repairs being made even now. Tiles are scattered here and there, though the earth shows through. Here, not vegetation grows, except for a few select spots where decorative foliage has been planted, near benches. Where once before there was a crater in the center of this 'park', it has been filled in by moving a considerable amount of earth, and there are foundations set for a new structure of considerable size.

The robed members of the Twelve-times-Twelve are surely all present – or it looks like they would be, if Snow-Fur were allowed the time to try counting them all. There are many other Savanites as well – most of them foremen, managers, shamans, tribal leaders, and others of note, or family members.

Among them, there's that green-eyed female that Snow-Fur 'spoke' to earlier. She is certainly dressed up in an outfit that looks exotic, yet decidedly formal and conservative at the same time. She glances in Snow-Fur's direction, but then turns her attention to the center of the 'park', where part of the uncompleted construction appears to be serving as a stage.

The Khatta gets that alienated feeling he experienced when he first returned to the city, feeling small surrounded by so many unlike himself. He shivers a bit as the green-eyed Savanite looks his way, then turns his attention to the stage. What is going on here anyway?

The Savanites present are grouped into clusters. A cluster over that way that looks as if the spottycats were all born and raised in the jungle includes a couple of little cheetah cubs – twins, and probably boys, by their attire, only differentiated by one wearing a decorative red collar, and the other wearing a collar of green. They peek curiously at Snow-Fur's arrival, then hide behind a tall warrior whose fur is dyed in zig-zag patterns.

A few more Savanites mill into the 'arena', as it were. For the most part, it looks like standing room only, if one wishes to see what's going on 'on stage'. The Twelve-Times-Twelve are busy at work, involved in their strange rituals of dance, adorned in colorful costumes, accompanied by bands of musicians. The sound resonates within the arena with a clarity that suggests the influence of magic … or just unusually good acoustics for an open-air theatre.

Snow-Fur looks to the cluster with cubs, could this be some sort of rite of passage ritual? He then turns his gaze to the dancers, if it is such a thing, then it's the most weird he's ever seen! The Khatta turns to see the girls reactions, they should know what's going on better than him.

The girls apparently are quite caught up in the whole presentation, pointing out some of the costumed dancers to each other, and generally looking like they were simply enjoying a concert.

On 'stage', two great braziers burn with violet flame. Between them, a female Savanite dressed like a jungle princess strides forth, her head adorned in a crown that is fashioned to resemble a Creen with wings outspread, cradling her head with its serpentine form. Within a nook of its curving neck, a point of light can be seen in the forehead of this Savanite … a point of light in the middle of her forehead. It's Third-Eye.

Well, Dominic use to drag Snow-Fur off to concerts now and then, and they were nothing like this. (They were usually Khattan operas, which Jynx thought were boring. Dom said something about 'heritage', but chances are the young cat wasn't paying attention.) "Hey," he nudges First-Dawn, "What's goi-" The Khatta stops abruptly as he sees Third-Eye take the stage, and watches.

Clouds close in from all directions, causing the sky above the 'theatre' to be visible only through a shrinking circle, until a dark cloud covers the sky entirely, shadowing the whole proceeding, save for the fires and candlelights near the dancers, and the braziers on the stage … and Third-Eye's forehead. There is a puff of purple smoke from the braziers … and then the smoke coalesces into two great, ethereal hands, large enough to be seen clear across the courtyard, even by those who have chosen to sit on the ground at the outer wall.

Snow-Fur shakes his head, not sure if he's really seeing this. Then again, with all he's seen here so far, he shouldn't be all surprised. Nevertheless, the Khatta stares at the hands and dancers wide-eyed.

The hands start signing, while Third-Eye stands calmly between the braziers. The signs are wholly in Formal, and use many sign-combinations that Snow-Fur has not had time to learn the proper context of. However, he can piece together a few bits. By the context, it would seem that there was some sort of 'contest' meant to take a year, and it's almost then, and due to recent developments, it is time to render decision before that time. Or something like that.

Snow-Fur struggles with reading the sign. He turns to the girls, "What contest are the hands signing about? For who? And why a year?" The cat is really tired of going through life confused.

First-Dawn catches Snow-Fur's hand signs, and signs to him, "About a year ago, Emerald-Eyes – the Seventh of Seven Daughters, and the Dream Prophet – returned to the City of Hands, and defeated the monster that the Priest-King had become. Third-Eye, her eldest sister, came as well, and freed the Twelve-Times-Twelve, who had been frozen in stone, binding the monster to the center of this very ruin!" She gestures about the walled courtyard in which they are presently standing.

The cat watches the signing intently, was that what all this was about when he was here last?

First-Dawn cracks her knuckles, then continues signing, "Okay, so Emerald-Eyes and Third-Eye, you see, are descendants of the last Priest-King. Third-Eye is the eldest, so she has the best claim of succession – since she has no brothers – but Emerald-Eye is special, too. Creensong, their mother, refused to give either daughter her blessing before the Twelve-Times-Twelve. So, they decided to have a period of testing of them as 'candidates', each assigned one of the Twelve-Times-Twelve as a mentor and observer."

Setting-Sun cringes when her sister cracks her knuckles, and her ears flatten back. She always hates it when her sister does that…

Snow-Fur just follows along, looking as is his kitty mind is working hard on the subject. "What did they have to do?"

First-Dawn signs, "I'm not really sure. I guess prove that they were capable of leading. In any case, it looks like it's a moot point. Both of them were none too happy at the delay, but Emerald-Eyes gave up early on. So that just leaves Third-Eye … though she has a lot of sisters that keep popping up!"

The Khatta grimaces at this bit of information, the world's a dangerous place if there are more like Third-Eye running around. "So what is this all for? Are they making Third-Eye leader?"

First-Dawn pauses, and Setting-Sun finally cuts in, first elbowing Snow-Fur to get his attention and then signing, "It looks like so! And did you know? She sold her whole family into slavery! Everyone knows that. But so many people follow her because she's powerful." She pauses, then adds, "Even our parents."

"Sold them into slavery?!" Snow-Fur flares his nostrils and looks at the girls in amazement, that hardly sounds like a good leader to him. "How do you know she won't do that again?"

Setting-Sun snorts, and signs, "Well, the going price isn't as good now."

First-Dawn jabs her sister in the ribs with an elbow, then signs, "Well, she was still a KITTEN at the time. Maybe she's changed."

"Sounds even worse if she was just a kitten when she did it… " Snow-Fur turns his attention back to the stage, his spirits not exactly raised at that conversation.

It looks as if much of the 'speak' has continued, and some robed officials are sprinkling water at Third-Eye. But then, a cheetah stalks up stone steps to the 'stage', her form limned in purple by the braziers. She is dressed like a shamaness, but has strange spot markings – one arm's spots have fused together, making patterns that look like crackling lightning.

She is accompanied by that green-eyed cheetah that Snow-Fur saw earlier. Some Savanite warriors part way despite how it looks like they're disrupting things.

Snow-Fur notices the green-eyed Savanite again, then nudges First-Dawn, "What are they doing now? And who is that green eye?"

First-Dawn signs, "Oh! That's Storm-Hand and Jade-Eyes. Storm-Hand is another one of the Seven Sisters. Jade-Eyes used to be really big in the 'Underground' in Rephidim, until she had to flee."

Storm-Hand stands where the brazier-light illuminates her more thoroughly. Behind her, Snow-Fur can recognize a robed official who has been standing motionless through the whole ceremony, holding what looks like a rainbow-colored egg in one hand. It's Tears-of-Blood, the healer who is to thank for his current 'disguise'.

Underground? Things just keep on getting stranger. The Khatta watches the two ascend the stage.

Storm-Hand turns to face those gathered, and flashes her hands in sign. The ethereal hands sign, "Storm-Hand has to sign… " and then proceeds with an amplified echo of her hand-movements…

"Are you mad? This is the one who sold her own family into slavery! You of the city, who think I am a savage – is that act not the true savagery?" are the signs of Storm-Hand.

Jade-Eyes, meanwhile, stands quietly to one side, visually distancing herself from Storm-Hand.

Snow-Fur tilts his head curiously, it seems that not everyone is too keen on letting Third-Eye rule. He continues to watch.

A Creen flutters into the courtyard, making a sound almost like a purr as it alights upon Snow-Fur's head, right between his ears, and nestles into his head-hair.

"Mew!" Snow-Fur forgets himself as he makes the vocal sound. He then bats at the little pest, staggering clumsily.

The Creen stubbornly holds onto Snow-Fur's head, trilling … and earning Snow-Fur a few annoyed glares from Savanites nearby. Looks like he's missing Storm-Hand's 'speech', though he might be able to gather the gist from her opening line.

Snow-Fur grabs on to the Creen and pulls! He makes a few annoyed and pained hisses as it feels like his hair is being yanked right out of his head. He stumbles about some more while he pulls.

The Creen lets out an alarmed shriek and is pulled free, thrashing about in Snow-Fur's grip. The distraction temporarily neutralized, he manages to pick up, "… and what of the nations? What of our revenge? She is the puppet of a black winged-warrior of Rephidim! You think she is tough and powerful, but she exercises her power only to serve the outsiders! Under her, they will enslave us again!"

The crowd is silent, displaying no signed murmurs. But the scant light plays upon many surreptitiously moving hands – the Savanite equivalent of whispers amongst the audience.

"Cree!" the Creen protests, its serpentine body and colorful feathers whipping about in Snow-Fur's grasp.

Snow-Fur gives a triumphant look at his winged captive, then turns back to the signing, ( Revenge? But… I thought Third-Eye was the one who wanted revenge… ) The Khatta turns to the girls to ask something, but then remembers the Creen and his inability to sign due to it.

The Khatta holds on to the struggling Creen, trying to hush it up.

Clamping the mouth closed seems to shut up the winged lizard for now, though it still flaps its wings, beating with futility against Snow-Fur's arms. This, of course, occupies BOTH his hands, though.

Snow-Fur sighs. He has a ton of questions now, but is afraid to let the Creen go in case it tries a repeat performance of its earlier shenanigans.

Just then, the ethereal hands are interrupted by a puff of smoke and a flash from each brazier. Third-Eye steps forward, and raises her hands. When the hands reform, it looks as if they are 'speaking' for her this time. "I will strike against any who show themselves to be our enemies, and will not rest until all our kin are freed. But I have learned much from this winged-warrior you distrust – and from others as well." She pauses, then signs, "Snow-Fur, come forth."

The Khatta freezes, and his grip loosens on the Creen as his heart begins to race faster than Eve on a sugar rush. For a moment, he just stands stock still, feeling all eyes on himself, then he timidly, and nervously walks towards the stage, feeling nauseous.

The Creen shrieks, shooting up into the air, drawing even more attention to Snow-Fur. The warriors standing at the base of the steps let him pass, and Storm-Hand has to be walked around, as she stands her ground, a look of disgust on her face.

Third-Eye smiles at Snow-Fur's approach. Tears-of-Blood steps up, still holding the egg, to stand beside her.

Snow-Fur gives Storm-Hand a wide berth, and comes to stand by Third-Eye and Tears-of-Blood. He looks out at the crowd nervously, having no idea what is going on or why he is up here. The feast from earlier today feels like it really would like to leave his stomach now, back the way it came…

The cat tries to find First-Dawn and Setting-Sun's faces, since they are the only familiar ones he can think to search for. Hopefully, that'll make him less nervous.

The purple ethereal hands are a bit tougher to read from 'behind', but they sign nonetheless, "There is hope for the outsiders. I have no intention of wiping them out or enslaving them. While I desire the glories of the past, I will follow all of the old ways. As for savagery, Storm-Hand's tribe tried to burn me at the stake, along with an innocent. He was rescued along with me. And he has shown himself to be accepting of our ways and worthy of our respect … even though he is not one of us."

First-Dawn and Setting-Sun can be seen in the crowd. The Creen seems to have decided that it now wants to be Setting-Sun's new hat. She's too distracted to discourage it.

Snow-Fur doesn't do a thing, he just stands still in fright, his mind remembering the fire incident.

There is an audible crack from somewhere to Snow-Fur's side … from the egg held by Tears-of-Blood. He crushes it in his hand, and multicolored gases seep out, disappearing into the air. At that same moment, a mist starts rising … from Snow-Fur's fur!

"Rowr!" The Khatta visibly jumps in a startled fashion as the magic starts to work around him. A tingling feeling comes from his throat, as though something were lodged it in, and he begins to cough loudly.

First-Dawn's and Setting-Sun's eyes go wide as Snow-Fur begins to transform before their very eyes … into … a black Khatta!

The coughing continues, and the pain in the cat's throat begins to subside, but it is still scratchy, "Ow! What's going on?!" he says out loud. Wait… out loud?

Many Savanite ears poof out, and ears flatten back. Storm-Hand is obviously taken aback.

"Tell them," the ethereal hands sign, "in your own words, of what happened to you in the village." And then the purple hands look as if they are resting.

Tears-of-Blood's egg, nothing but a hollow shell, has lost its colors entirely. The fragments fall from his hand, landing on the stone at his feet. He shakes his hands, then signs to 'Snow-Fur', "Don't forget to introduce yourself."

Snow-Fur, or should we say Jynx, looks down at his hands, his black hands. He's back to normal! "And I can talk again too!" He thinks of celebrating, but then remembers his current situation. His ears set back nervously, and then he looks to Third-Eye and Tears-of-Blood puzzledly, "Sh-should I sign?"

The ethereal hands sign, "And I can talk again, too!" and then "Should I sign?" Tears-of-Blood smiles and signs, "It makes no difference either way."

Jynx does a double take at the hands, then a deep breath. "My name is… " he stops, since he doesn't know how o say his name in sign. "Feli Kurai," he says aloud, "I was here a year ago when I, er, fell out of an airship. But the winged black warrior – Zoltan – saved me and took me to Storm-Hand's village. When I got there, they grabbed me and tied me to a pole, and they were going to burn me alive! I didn't do anything to them, but they were going to anyway!" He pauses to catch his breath.

The hands mimic Jynx's words, though they seem to be having trouble when he speaks of names like "Feli Kurai" – They seem to be translated as 'Bad-Luck', roughly – and Zoltan – which gets replaced with 'Redeemer-of-Shadows'.

"They also tied Third-Eye up," Jynx continues, "and another black Khatta as well, which was who they were after. Even when they knew that I wasn't who they were looking for, they were still going to kill me! But Zoltan saved us, and took us to the city where the villagers couldn't find us." He then looks with embarrassment at Jezebel, "and as for Third-Eye, she and I didn't, er, start things off on the right foot, and I expected her to get rid of me when she found out who I was, but she didn't"

Third-Eye just nods quietly at Jynx, aka 'Bad-Luck' aka 'Snow-Fur' aka 'Meow' aka 'Feli Kurai'.

First-Dawn's ears droop, and she looks as if she's disappointed over something. Setting-Sun looks nearly heartbroken.

Jynx timidly goes on. "Now I've lived with you, and I enjoyed it. I know what it means for you to be free. I don't want to be a slave, and I don't want anybody else to be a slave either." He looks around nervously, a loss at what to say next. "A-and that's all I have to s-say," he finishes clumsily.

The ethereal hands finish translating Jynx's speech, taking longer than it does for him to say the words himself. And then they relax again. Tears-of-Blood puts a hand on Jynx's shoulder, then, with the other hand, signs in Formal, "Well signed. You are free to stay or go. None will dare harm you."

Jynx gulps, then whispers into Tears-of-Blood's ear, "Do you mean on stage, or in the village?" He hopes he means stage, since he has nowhere to go outside the village.

Tears-of-Blood's ears wiggle, and he signs, "Just stay here for now. But you can sit down." He gestures to a bench off to the side.

The Khatta just nods, and shakily takes the offered seat, hunkering down low and hoping he'll go unnoticed.

Storm-Hand descends the steps, the audience parting way for her. She makes her way back to the group with the zig-zag-dyed warrior, and the red-and-green-collared cubs. She faces away, so it's impossible to see her expression, though her tail hints at agitation.

It's not over, though. Jade-Eyes steps up, and signs, "I do not agree with Storm-Hand on the outsiders. But I do believe that the succession should not be rushed."

Third-Eye signs, "I am the eldest daughter of Creensong. I released the Twelve-times-Twelve from the stone. I am the only candidate. Why delay?"

Jynx watches the signing and look out at the crowd almost simultaneously. His ears droop as he notices First-Dawn and Setting-Sun, and then perk back up atthe discussion on-stage.

Jade-Eyes signs, "That is not entirely true. You once had an elder sister. I have learned of this from Tears-of-Blood." Both Third-Eye and Jade-Eyes glance at Tears-of-Blood. He does not look as mirthful as he did just a moment ago, and does not meet Third-Eye's gaze.

The black Khatta blinks, an older sister? Now he's even more confused. (… if that's possible)

"That is no secret," Third-Eye replies in sign, "but she died an infant. I never knew her."

"That is not so, Third-Eye," Jade-Eyes signs. "I do not know what happened to your infant sister or why, but I know who raised her, and where she is now."

Jynx shakes his head, remembering what he said about Third-Eye's sisters running all over the place. He must have been right! He continues to watch the scene, trying to keep up.

Third-Eye's eyes narrow at this. All three of them. "Out with it. I don't like riddles," she signs.

"Tears-of-Blood is my witness," Jade-Eyes signs. "He can reenact the ritual as you require. But your elder sister lives, and stands before you."

Third-Eye's expression reminds Jynx of Lylia when she's really, really mad about something, which can't be good. ( Jade-Eyes is one of the sisters too? Why don't we just throw Eve in for good measure! )

Twilight-Wing steps forward, Ice-Light standing beside him. The brown-robed Mind mage – the same eerie one who 'spoke' to Jynx with his signs on the airship – signs, "Tears-of-Blood, how dare you pull such a stunt! The time to declare Jade-Eyes' candidacy is long past. How many more sisters will step forward at the last moment? This is an outrage!"

Others step forward, hands flashing in sign. There's just no way that poor Jynx can follow it all.

Jynx's head spins with all the signing, and he wonders if now would be a good time to exit the stage…

Looks like there's as good a chance as any to slip out…

As quietly and stealthily as he can, Jynx tries to slip off stage. He thinks of going back to meet First-Dawn and Setting-Sun, but decides that after the reaction he received from them, that it might not be such a good idea. Instead, the Khatta makes his way to the nearest exit, feeling lost and alone.