The early morning finds Kaela and Haji, the two Savanites who managed to survive, under great scrutiny by the captain of the airship, a black peglegged Jupani named Lahn Zhan Zelvir, and the Naga mage, both wearing frowns – well, the Naga's frown must be left more to the imagination, but there is no doubt from the sharp words he spits that if his words could be envenomed, they would be. "You losst Ti – Eusstace?! Only *you* ssurvived? Not even Raysse?" The Naga mind-mage observes their hands flickering, though there is no sign that he understands Savanite sign language. It's only feeble defense to him. "Unforgivable!"

The captain rubs his chin. "Ve'll hef to zend some volks into der ruins, locate der body. I'll hefta send back to der ship fur somewhat who wits der handspeak." Lahn straightens as some other of the expedition, even in this early morning, peeks out curiously at the Savanites who alone came back from the expedition.

"Take dem away," he commands a Solu guard. "Tie dem to der rocks by der ruins until ve getten der linzhuist."

"Wait – " the Naga mage holds up a spindly hand. "There iss one who callss hersself a linguisst," he says.

"Ach! Who?" The captain reaches up to scratch behind one of his ears, eyeing the two Savanite prisoners being guarded by soldiers.

Kaela edges a bit closer to Haji's side, whiskers twitching.

Haji holds the young one close, hoping he doesn't end up executed . . .or worse yet being sent back into the ruins.

The Naga mage glances back toward the tents. "With your permissssion, Captain, I will have the one who callss hersself Envoy of Lothrhyn, find the true sstory." He spits venom-laced saliva onto the sandy grounds. "They will not dare to lie to a Mind-Mage."

Lahn nods. "Zo. Ve haf der plan. Go und maken dem squeal like widdle Bromthenlings, Isstan. Titus vill not be pleased iffen ve do not haf at least der spvoiled nephew's body." The Jupani grumps, and motions for the soldiers to take the two to Envoy's tent.

Kaela knots her fingers into Haji's fur, swallowing nervously. Her tail flicks from side to side as she watches the others.

Solus guards march the Savanites, and none too gently for all that one is nearly a kitten in appearance. One snarls, "Bunch of lying whiners… They'll probably lie to this Envoy anyway. And who can trust what she says?" The other sniffs daintily.

Envoy is outside of the tent she shares with Vielanika, sitting crosslegged on a simple grass mat and sorting through a collection of dead bugs.

Zoltan lies sleepily behind Envoy, almost acting like a backrest as he regards her collection with a half open eye.

Kaela stubles along as the guards press her. Her legs still ache painfully from the many tumbles and bruises she suffered last night, and several times she almost trips as she's pressed faster than her legs are comfortable to move.

The Naga mage hisses to Envoy, "We have need of your sskillss, Envoy."

Remuel, a Jupani soldier, stands nearby, keeping an eye on Envoy and Zoltan, while going about his regular patrol duties.

Envoy looks up and smiles, recognizing Kaela. "What can I do for you?"

Zoltan jerks up to full awakeness, he frowns a bit at the snakes. ( She's just a child… poor Savanite. )

"Thesse two," Isstan hisses. "They alone ssurvive Eusstace's trip into the City of Handss. They musst have consspired ssomehow to kill him. Or they might have sseen ssomething." His glare at Kaela brooks no admittance that the child's age protects her in any way. "You will quesstion them. Find out what happened."

Kaela ducks her head slightly, seeming to draw into herself under the glare of Hrassa.

Envoy nods and smiles to the two captives. "Please, tell me what happened to you?"

Haji tries to step between his superiors and Kaela a little. His burns still bother him as they itch incessantly.

The Naga mage coils near a tree and watches the hand-signs suspiciously, not understanding them.

Remuel perks his ears at the conversation, but otherwise, maintains the 'bored soldier on guard' look.

Kaela looks up at Haji, then to Envoy, clasping her hands tightly for a moment.

"Ansswer the quesstion, child," Isstan hisses. "Or I will give you ssuch a fanging… "

Envoy looks to Haji's narration, but keeps an eye on Kaela's reactions.

Zoltan pulls himself up into a sitting position. "You probably get better answers without threats, snake." He scrawks.

Kaela shivers a bit and moves her hands in a rapid, jerky series of handsigns. Savanite stuttering.

The Naga draws himself up offendedly. "They alone ssurvived, when their better, Eusstace, perished! Did they placsse their ssafety ahead of their masster's ssurvival?" His eyes glitter. "If sso, they musst be punisshed."

Zoltan scowls. He's had enough dealings with poodles to determine who the better would be.

Haji flicks his tail at the Naga in slight irritation. Masters these days, always impatient.

Envoy interrupts now and then to ask for clarification.

The Naga watches with ill-concealed distaste for the hand-flutterings of slaves.

The Vartan regards Haji with deep violet eyes. He nudges Envoy, "Ask how he gets hurt? Surely poodle could no burn him like that."

Kaela becomes more and more agitated as she continues with the hand-gestures, shivering and pressing close against Haji's side.

Without taking her eyes off of Kaela's narration, Envoy asks Zoltan, "Do you still one of the red stones you found yesterday, Zoltan?"

Kaela finally just clasps her hands tightly and presses her forehead into Haji's side, squeezing her eyes shut.

Zoltan digs into his beltpouch and pulls out one of the three rubies he collected at the site. He gingerly offers it to Envoy.

Envoy looks at the ruby, and then shows it to Isstan. "This killed Eustace."

Isstan raises an eyebrow. "A little gem?"

Haji backs away a step and shields Kaela as he sees the gem.

Zoltan blinkblinkblinks?!?!?!

Remuel blinks suddenly at the ruby. He must tell Esther of this…

"Wasst it poissonouss?" the Naga asks with a hint of disbelief.

Envoy says, "The inner walls of the ruin were covered in tubes containing these. Eustace broke the tubes to get the stones out, and the building woke up and ate him."

"Impossible," Isstan hisses. "Buildingss do not eat people!"

Envoy blinks, "You are quite wrong. Living buildings can eat people. At least one of the ruin structures is alive. This ruby was recovered from the outside of it, near a broken artery."

Zoltan holds in a wry chuckle. Ah… greed. Taking more than you can possibly ever braid into your tail or hide under your bed. no wonder rich folks usually don't sleep well.

"So… building really is alive?" Zoltan asks, looking back and forth between Envoy and the two Savanites.

Envoy says, "Eustace ran ahead of the others in his eagerness for treasure. The snake Raysse was destroyed by a manifestation calling itself the Priest-King, and Haji was burned by the same entity."

Envoy says, "Clearly, it is the source of the legends about talking, living buildings."

Isstan draws himself up haughtily. "They musst be lying to cover up murder. Or perhapss, they killed Eusstace and hope to keep all of thesse gemss for themsselvess," the Naga accuses. His hands flutter as Envoy continues with the preposterous story. "It iss a ghosst sstory, nothing more!"

Envoy says, "Then why would they have returned to camp?"

Remuel's lip curls a bit, in agreement with the snake's sentiment.

Isstan looks intently at the Savanites. "Tell them to look into my eyess," he hisses at Envoy.

Envoy says, "What are you going to do to them?"

"Tell them, or I will have them killed," Isstan hisses, louder. His tailtip twitches.

Zoltan's ears plaster against his head. He draws himself up to his feet.

Envoy says, "No. You should investigate the ruin yourself to determine the truth."

Kaela looks up towards Envoy, swallowing hard.

Haji quickly forces Kaela on her knees before Envoy and joins her. He signs, "Return gem. Before The Master wants it back. His blood burns at weakly Savanite for our insolence, we are not worthy to return."

His tail and hands shake noticably.

Envoy hmms at Haji's signing. "We need to return this ruby anyway. Haji and Kaela will not reenter the ruin."

The Naga turns back to Envoy and hisses, "If they look at me with lie in their eyess, they die. If they do not look, they die. It iss one to me." He reaches into his pouch, searching through it by feel.

"Envoy… is not think snake kidding." Zoltan whispers into the Aeolun's ear. "Tell them to look at snake."

Envoy sighs, and asks the Savanites to look into the mage's eyes, or else he will kill them.

Envoy glances at Zoltan. "Ruins kill stupid people. We should keep the nobles out of them."

Zoltan squawks, "What if Savanite story is true?" He frowns. "You kill them then?"

Zoltan pats Envoy on the head… she's starting to finally learn.

Haji signs, "Kaela, we must look at the Naga. It is better than facing . . .HIM again." He motions for her to look at Isstan.

Isstan slithers closer to the Savanites, black eyes beginning to swirl with light that diffuses through the treetop. "If iss true, maybe they will live. Foolisshnessss iss only to be exsspected from sslavess."

The Vartan points to the gem in Envoy's hand. "What you think shiny is? You say it come from 'Art-er-ry'?"

Kaela gets to her feet and turns to look up at Isstan, swallowing fearfully. Her whiskertips quiver, and she begins to wring her handpaws at her waist.

Envoy says, "Blood, or the equivalent."

Zoltan blinks in surprise. "You know if it real ruby or nots?"

Isstan begins to move slowly around the two Savanites, his hand withdrawn to let a red powder that reeks of something dead for a long time fall to the ground in a wavery circle. As he continues to hold their eyes, he begins to hiss atrange syllables that weave back and forth, first low, then rising, then rasping, then smooth as oil…

Remuel watches, all the while making a mental log of what to tell his boss.

( If the snake kills them… he'll wake tomorow morning to find a crop of thornvines growing in his tent. Bullies… all of the slavemasters. ) O o . The Vartan thinks to himself.

The Mind-Mage's spell proceeds for an uneasy fifteen minutes, the sun breaking through the treetops to blast heat down upon the Savanites' heads. The red circle is joined by a yellow one, a blue one… A white one forming the last. Each has its own stink to wrinkle the nose and cause the mind to drift.

Envoy says, "It could be a real ruby… "

"Do you tell the truth!" the snake suddenly shouts, jarring the Savanites out of their frightened trance. "Did the building come alive and 'eat' Eusstace?!"

Zoltan snarls quietly, sticking close to Envoy's side like a mother grizzly. Magic. Filthy horrible stuff.

Envoy watches in fascination.

Haji signs, "It didn't eat him. It . . .absorbed him. He absorbed him."

As Zoltan clutches the ruby close, a faint glow escapes the black of his hands.

Kaela flinches, and her hands clench tighter together.

Envoy says, "Haji says the building absorbed Eustace."

Isstan turns to Kaela. "Do you tell the truth! Did Eusstace attack the building for the treassure?"

The glow of the ruby in Zoltan's hands wavers to the beat of the words…

Haji signs, "Master-of-the-Ruins-That-Live was angry. Eustace wanted the Master's blood, he stabbed Him. The Master gave him what he wanted."

Kaela nods silently, pressing in closer to Haji's side.

Zoltan looks down at his hands and catches sight of the glow. He quickly drops the ruby to the ground, acting as if the thing had burned him.

Envoy simplifies to, "Yes, Eustace attacked the ruin to get the blood rubies."

Isstan hisses to himself. Then gestures dismissively… The circles abruptly lose all compelling power, becoming only markings on the ground. "They have no lie in their mindss," he says contemptuously. "They barely have witss enough to ansswer."

The ruby stops glowing.

Envoy glances at the dropped ruby. "Will you be going into the ruin to investigate, Isstan?"

Zoltan squawks, "See if you have all you wits about you if you gots people threghtning to kill you all the times."

Haji signs, "If Isstan goes into the ruins . . .The Master will kill him. Is the Naga going?"

"I? You jesst," Isstan says to Envoy contemptuously. "I will sspeak to the Captain about thiss. We will decsside what needss be done. Guardss! Attend me."

The two Solus go to join Isstan, leaving the Savanites alone with Envoy and Zoltan… And Remuel.

Envoy signs back to Haji, "If the mage thinks he is the master, let them talk as equals."

Zoltan makes a face at the general direction that the Naga dissapeared off to. NYAAAAHHH!!

Envoy says, "We have to return the blood ruby, Zoltan."

Haji holds his side in mock attention to his burns, trying to hide a very dark smile.

Zoltan squawks, "Fine by me. It glow when snake cast spell… I not want anything to do with magic."

Kaela relaxes a little bit as that Naga leaves. She turns to look back towards Envoy and Zoltan, signing, "How to return it?"

Zoltan digs out the other two rubies.

The Vartan pauses for a moment and dissapears into the tent behind him. He returns a few moments later with a pala fruit cut in half and a waterskin, he offers it to the two Savanites. they've probably not been allowed to eat or drink throughout this ordeal.

Remuel smirks a bit at the face Zoltan makes, then resumes 'bored soldier look'.

Envoy says, "We'll take care of the ruby, don't worry Kaela."

Envoy says, "The Master In The Ruins won't recognize me as belonging to a former servitor race, so it should be safe for me to place the gems back in the ward circle."

Haji leans over and holds the kit close to him. She looks ill from the Naga's work. . o O ( Poor Kaela. She shouldn't be here. )

Kaela casts a hesitant smile towards Envoy. About as large a smile as she ever exhibits. She's certainly glad at the prospects of not having to go near those ruins again.

Remuel looks at Envoy. .o( If Esther wants me to follow her in those ruins… )

Envoy examines the rubies again while Zoltan gets food for Haji and Kaela.

Zoltan looks upwards in an 'I'm probably going to regret this' look and joins Envoy's side. "Zoltan go with you. Took gems to begin with. Would not forgive myself if you got hurt because of shiny collection."

Envoy thinks, o O { These do not function as ansibles or energy sources or datastores that I can detect. Could they simply be decorative, or part of some magical animation process? }

Kaela tentatively reaches for the waterskin and takes a small sip of the unpleasant-tasting water.

Envoy says, "The ruins didn't react until Eustace was deep inside, Zoltan. I won't be going inside."

Haji wiggles his ears at Kaela, at least she's strong enough to eat.

"We gots ale in tent too." The hippogryph scrawks. "But I not think it good idea for kit to drink something so strong.

Envoy looks up at Zoltan, "We can fly there quickly, and be back before anyone notices."

Kaela gives Haji a soft smile as he earwaggles comically. She lays her head against his side, drawing some measure of strength and reassurance from his presence.

Zoltan nods to Envoy and scoops up the gemstones. He seems a bit odd in the way that he holds them now… as if they were infected with some horrid plague or somesuch.

Envoy smiles to the Savanites, "We'll be back soon, don't worry."

Envoy heads with Zoltan to the edge of the camp.

At the edge of the camp, an Eeee guard waves to Envoy and Zoltan. "Hey! No flying out to the ruins, the Keptin says! It's dangerous! You could set off another storm like the last one!"

Zoltan follows quickly on envoy's heels. "Careful of lightning. It still not safe to fly too high."

Remuel pauses a moment. He supposes the slaves will not run off, and he has been ordered to trail Envoy… so he does, sneaking behind them, sometimes moving through the forest alongside to avoid detection.

Envoy nods, and drops over the side of the canyon to fly alongside the path.

The Eeee gestures back to the camp and the tents where some of the injured and hurt are being tended. "You want to end up like them? Hey! I'm talking to you!" He gives chase, shouting at Envoy.

Zoltan lands behind Envoy.

Remuel keeps tracking Envoy, trying his best to keep out of sight.

Envoy calls back to the guard, "We'll be right back, we have to keep the Priest-King from getting mad."

The guard turns back well clear of the markers that surround the ruins, the twisted waving hands, after screeching one last time at Envoy, "You'll be sorry – what priest-king? Only king around here's Isstan, or HE thinks he's one!… " The Eeee flaps back to camp.

Zoltan groans!

The hands look different from the last time Envoy saw them. They form the Savanite signs for 'Beware!' and 'Go away!' and 'Pain!'…

Envoy lands outside the circle, and hmms. "The gestures have changed."

Zoltan looks around nervously. He doesn't understand Savanite… but does notice the new hand positions. "Can you read what they say now?"

Envoy says, "Oh, just warnings again… "

Envoy says, "Can you show me the spot you found the rubies?"

Zoltan looks nervously around, then back to Envoy. "We can't just leave shinies here near spot? Is have to be same place?"

Zoltan thinks that spot over there where there aren't any stone hands looks pretty nice.

Envoy says, "It should be the same place, just in case."

Remuel watches the Vartan and Aeolun carefully.

Beyond the hands, the ruins seem much the same around the edges… The areas within, however, look a little different, culminating in a large domed area near the center which has been sculpted with five miniature towers with tiny curved minarets atop, as if a hand were pushing out of it… Perhaps there's more than Savanite fear to account for their story. The spill-area where the rubies glitter has healed to a flat glossy stone, and the rubies beneath it remain the same.

Envoy tries to pull down one of the vines that curtain the archway in the meantime.

The Vartan's shoulders droop a bit. "They were in circle. I put them back my-AWK?!?"

Zoltan stares at the new structres.

Envoy ties one end of the vine around her waist, and carries the other end to Zoltan. "Did you notice that the structure has changed? Where did you find the rubies?"

Nothing appears to move within the heart of the ruins, beyond the walls of rock that shield this place. The hands beyond are as still as graven stone… Which is indeed what they appear to be.

Zoltan nervously walks towards the circle. "Found in there. But hole in rock is gone now."

Envoy hmms. "Maybe we could try putting them in the hands then?"

Zoltan nods and pulls out one of the three rubies. His hands tremble as he holds it.

Envoy stands next to the nearest stone hand, "Try pressing it into the palm?"

( Magic… magic everywhere. I can feel it draining the life from all around me. Just like father said it does. Some fool wizard must have cast a spell and perverted this place. Perhaps it was the wizard's spell that muted the Savanites… ) O o . Zoltan thinks to himself as he slowly reaches out to place the ruby in the palm of one of the outermost hands.

Envoy smiles reassuringly to Zoltan.

*chink!*

The ruby… scorches as Zoltan presses it against the hand! A distant scream echoes from within the ruins, and the hand twists around again into a familiar gesture, upward cupped hand meaning 'Beware'. Intense heat burns against Zoltan's gauntlet as the red gem blazes into fire, turning into a red ash that blows away on the sand.

If it were not for the twisting, grotesque shift of the hand's shape, the dull gray stone would appear as colorless as ever.

Envoy hmms.

Envoy says, "I think we need to try someplace else to return the rubies."

Zoltan's breathing becomes much more frantic.

Envoy says, "Did you get burned?"

Zoltan glances down at his arms. He touches the singed leather straps that obscure his wristbands. "Hrr… n… no. Had enough covering on."

Envoy holds out a hand, "Better let me try returning the next one."

Envoy says, "I think the hands really do form a ward that keeps the structure from expanding beyond them."

"I thinks we should leave here. Drop gems on ground and go back to camp. If stone wants gems… it takes them itself.

Envoy says, "That wouldn't be very apologetic."

Zoltan looks down at the gems, then back at the hands. "We could throw gems in circle." He frowns at Envoy's words. "Burned Savanite probably tried to apologize… it not help him."

Envoy says, "I used to be part of a living building. They don't like it when you act afraid of them."

Envoy says, "Besides, Kaela described half-formed Savanite shapes in the walls. It is probably trying to grow remotes."

Zoltan sighs… the aeolun is talking strange again.

Envoy says, "Just give me a ruby and hold onto the vine, Zoltan. Trust me"

"Or it eat them." Zoltan scrawks. "Here… I gots two rubies left. We throw one in and see what happens. If it safe then we place third in by hand."

Envoy nods, "That sounds reasonable."

Remuel approaches just a bit closer, trying to stay out of sight…

Zoltan pulls out the second ruby, aims, and gently tosses it into the circle.

Envoy watches the ruby as it lands.

As the gem passes through the invisible wall the hands form, it crackles with a brief flicker of energy…

The gem lands on the other side.

Envoy hmms, and tosses the untied end of her vine just across the barrier.

Zoltan continues watching the stone, as if expecting it to jump up and dance.

The hand that formerly read 'Go away' begins to shift to a less emphatic form, a gentle upward-swept hand… 'Beware' The change is slower this time, but the stone can still be visibly seen to mold and flow like a slow liquid.

Envoy says, "I think that calmed it down a little."

Nothing whatsoever happens when the vine crosses the barrier.

Envoy says, "Do you think it's safe to replace the other ruby by hand now?"

Remuel watches the hand shift in awe…

The last hand reads, 'Pain!' and continues to signal this stark gesture into the wilderness…

Zoltan gently hands Envoy the third ruby, and clutches at the vine with a deathgrip. "If there any problems… I pull you back."

Envoy nods, and steps across the barrier.

Zoltan stares intently at Envoy…

As Envoy crosses the barrier, it tugs at her like a curtain of air, as if she were going from a lower to higher pressure area. The gem sparks and the last hand shifts to a new gesture… *Endure*

Envoy walks slowly towards the structure, and presses the final ruby up against it.

Vines weave down the stonework, crawling through cracks in the walls and welling up like water through holes in the close-set floor. The white marble wall against which Envoy presses the ruby… shows no change whatsoever. It's just as if she were pressing a cold, hard gem against a flat surface.

Envoy lets the ruby fall against the base of the wall. "This is unexpected." She turns back towards Zoltan and shrugs.

Envoy starts to walk back.

Zoltan anxiously starts tugging in the slack on the vine.

A slow wind gusts around the ruins, tugging at Envoy's mane lightly.

Envoy pauses, trying to judge the direction of the wind. "Anybody there?"

No answer. The wind comes from the left, inward to but not directly toward the heart of the ruins. It is slightly wet, carrying a smell not unlike that of a swamp.

Envoy continues on her way to Zoltan.

No vines erupt to seize Envoy, no stony floors twist up to engulf her… But she does catch sight of someone who might have been watching from in the jungle… Just a flicker.

Envoy hmms as she steps back across the ward.

The last and only changed hand remaining of the more than a hundred hands that ring the city continues to flash the enigmatic sign… 'Endure.'

Zoltan joyously hugs Envoy as she comes through the ward. "You no gets zapped!"

Envoy rrfs, and whispers, "I think someone is watching us from the jungle."

Envoy says, "It should be safe to enter the ruins as long as nothing is removed."

Envoy says, "Although having Savanites appear to be the leaders wouldn't hurt either… "

Remuel slips a little further away from Envoy and Zoltan, silently, and trying to stay hidden. Esther should be told about what has happened…

A butterfly-winged Creen skitters past Remuel as he disturbs the brush. It flaps out of the jungle and trills, before coating up and back into the green depths.

Zoltan's ears suddenly perk at Envoy's words. He idly begins to examine the stone hands, making a point to study the trees and bushes as well with his keen eyes.

"Only Savanites I know probably not want to come back here." The Vartan scrawks.

Remuel freezes for on moment, ears swiveling to see if Zoltan and Envoy notices the disturbance.

The Creen perches on a high branch and looks down distrustfully at Envoy and Zoltan.

Envoy trills back to the Creen. Then to Zoltan, "Perhaps others would enjoy the opportunity to play the masters though?"

The Creen tilts its head, then flutters down to circle about Envoy once… Then perches on her hair, between her ears.

Envoy asks the Creen, "What do you think? Would we make believable slaves?"

The Creen chirrups.

Remuel starts moving back to Esther, to make his report. He might stay and eavesdrop further, but this turn of events now should be made known…

Zoltan squawks, "What Creen say?"

Envoy chirrups to Zoltan.

The Creen warbles and pecks at Envoy's ear, before determining that this hair is too well attached to make good nesting material. It begins to flutter off again.

Envoy says, "We should go back. Is this another secret?"

The wolf guard quickly disappears into the jungle…

Zoltan sneezes at the Creen.

*waashu!*