Though the storm hasn't had time to intensify since Lilac's revelation, it's still blustery enough to have the army in the basin below scurrying to make ready for it. In the cliffs above, occasional droplets of rain patter at the threshold of the cave that Lilac has chosen as her hideout under Beshret's nose.

Physically and emotionally drained, the creature-form of Lilac lays sprawled out in the drizzle in a state of misery. The blood in her mouth is a constant reminder of her sin, a sin she struggles to cope with, to evade, or to place elsewhere. And yet, she cannot place the blame elsewhere: deep inside, she knows the blame is hers. She knows that she has become a murderer, for whatever reason, and now the question remains: what to do?

Lilac runs the scenario over and over in her mind. The temple, the shadows, Dragonfly, the skulls, Dragonfly's book, her escape, her revelation, the reading. She tries to find an answer in the mistake, something sh can hold on to, that might make it right. Some direction to go. It comes to her like a flash from the sky – the book! Hopping to her feet, Lilac races back and paws through the journal until she finds the page she wants. Ears shooting up and eyes wide, she glances at the cave entrance …

And then she's off. There's no time, none at all. She must return to the temple, she must fine Dragonfly. She must, or she'll never rest in peace. This may be the last thing I can ever do for anyone, she realizes as she races right back in to the storm and to danger. But, I must! I must … I can't stand the guilt. Oh Dragonfly, I'm coming!

Leaping out of the cave, Lilac is greeted by the edges of the storm, buffeting her but seeming only to toy at the moment, letting her more or less keep her course. As before, the roof of the strange Temple of Being is the safest place to land, but the archeologist's 'base camp' is hurriedly being dismantled and moved piece by piece to the more permanent buildings. Sandbag berms have begun to rise around the Temple's entrance, a stream of laborers hastily building them up layer by layer.

Lilac paces impatiently on the roof top, trying to find some means to get in without being spotted. Surely she could flee to safety if found out now, but her plan would be ruined, and Dragonfly … I'm not leaving. It's decided. There's no retreat now. She looks and looks.

As before, there seems to be only one way in, but the arch of the entrance is high, and Lilac's newfound skill with her wing allows a neat glide in close to the ceiling. Inside, it looks like many of the crates and things are still inside, sheltered by the roof of the Temple and now protected (or so the workers hope) by the sandbagging going on in a ring around the entrance. Shouts from the workers outside echo through the cave-like opening.

Landing behind some crates, Lilac retraces her steps by memory. She's headed for the room of skulls, or, as she can't help but think of it: the room of death, for both the sin she committed there and the part she thinks it plays in the temple's structure. Like a winged shadow she descends in to the dark, hoping most of the sentries have departed in wake of the storm.

Surprisingly, the sentries are gone. Many of the soldiers seemed to be busy in the entrance area, so while slipping past them got a little complicated, the hallway that eventually leads to the macabre room is unguarded, not that any of the guards seemed enthusiastic about protecting it in the first place. As before, the rows of skulls stretching away into the dark simultaneously turn with quiet scraping noises, empty sockets facing Lilac.

I know, and you're right,// Lilac thinks to the skulls. I'm here to make amends. Even the though sounds hollow and desperate to Lilac – can she really bring someone back from the dead? She doesn't know, she knows it's the most unlikely of chances, but she must try. Sniffing in the dark, Lilac tries to use the woman's blood as a scent marker so she can find her corpse.

The body lies just where Lilac left it, the tang of blood still sharp in the air, though it's stopped flowing. In Lilac's haste to return, Dragonfly's body hasn't stiffened yet, but there's a pallor in her ears, and the veins and arteries of her wings have reddened slightly. Her head has rolled awkwardly to one side, the gash of her throat wide and ragged, and her brown eyes are still open, glazed and blank, lifeless.

Lilac sucks in a breath at the sight of the dead woman, the woman she killed. Oh gods, she gasps as she stares at the horror she had wrought. Oh gods, what have I done? Oh Dragonfly, I … I'm … To Lilac, sorry just seems like such a hollow thing to offer when you've ended someone's life. Sorry is for spilled drinks, or a mud stain on a blouse – not murder.

Laying her ears back, Lilac resists the urge to whine from what she feels. Instead, she tries to keep focused on why she came: there may be a chance yet. Dipping her head low, Lilac tries to wriggle under the woman and get her corpse on to her back, so she can carry it.

The eeee is light, as all eeee are, but getting the limp body onto her back proves an exercise in frustration… without hands, it's difficult to manipulate easily. Getting onto her belly and wriggling under the small of the back seems to eventually work, but the load is unbalanced, head and feet hanging over Lilac's sides. It'll be very slow walking like this without Dragonfly slipping off.

Frustrated, Lilac lays Dragonfly's body down. She steps back, takes a deep breath, and tries to release her beast form. I'll carry her with my own hands, she decides, wondering what someone would think if they saw her now.

It takes a few minutes to calm down enough to focus on the transformation, to let go of the bestial thoughts and visualize herself as the bardess she began as, but eventually the process begins and gains momentum. The darkness seems to spit her up, pale skin seeming almost luminous to Lilac's sensitive night-eyes.

I'm so obvious, but … Lilac kneels down beside the fallen eeee, … It can't be helped. No turning back now. She scoops the body up in her arms, turning to carry Dragonfly towards the exit. She can hear the skulls turn and watch her, and must bite her lip to avoid bursting in to tears. Her eyes sting, but she keeps on.

Naked and covered in blood, carrying the body of a dead eeee, Lilac manages to navigate to the room of the strange fetus-statues undetected. Timing, well chosen hiding spots, and perhaps even a bit of luck aid her as she makes her way to the room. The chamber of children … The chamber of birth. Of renewal. Dragonfly's only hope, and mine … She shakes her head, gather her courage, and proceeds inside.

As before, the chamber that this hall opens out into is very large, but also very populated. If anything, there are more researchers in here than before, bustling and rustling around the otherworldly foliage that grows thick along the chamber's dark, loamy floor. Much of the light is provided by the plants themselves, glowing bulbs of fruit, or phosphorescent fungus casting pale luminescence in shades of blue and green, and reflecting from the pools that dot the chamber. The strange trunk like growth to the back of the room is still being studied intently, one of the tables near it apparently having been upset by one of its spasms. Still Lilac remains undiscovered, despite her awkward burden, the eeee's wings dangling. Crouching in one of the clumps of vegetation provides enough cover to hide the bardess.

Lilac had been hoping her luck would continue, but seeing the sheer amount of researchers in the room has made her heart sink in her chest. And, what's worse, she isn't even sure what to do now that she's finally here. Think, think! The drawings on the table showed healing, remarkable healing, but how! Is it these plants, she glances at the odd flora. Or, maybe the red wigglies? Or something else?! Oh, gods, why didn't I take Kinny's offer to learn Imperial! She looks around maddly, trying to spot something that inspires her.

The large chamber, which is somewhat circular, though rather irregular, has carved stone monoliths spaced all around the edges. The stretch of wall Lilac is closest to has a series of carvings apparently depicting a feast. Nagai and Jingai swallow small… things, apparently seeming perfectly merry about it. Something else is depicted in the feast as well… it's a tall 'mound' like thing with circles at the bottom. Plants grow around the circles, it seems, along with unsophisticated mushroom shapes, and little squiggles dot the insides of the circles. Also within one of the circles appears to be a body, distinctly humanoid, possibly Jingai.

Lilac stares at the crude pictograms, trying to figure out what the ancients knew. The feasts … they're eating something. The plants? Do Naga eat plants? They always ate animals, at least the ones not from Jadai. She squints, all the while feeling the weight of the woman in her arms. Dragonfly may be light, but her corpse feels like an impossible burden in the bardess's arms – one that grows with every second. And these mounts … she peeks out to look, spotting the pools, … are water pools! And there's the squiggles! And … and … a body! Maybe that's it, the body is submerged and the squiggles heal them! She recalls her pouch, which the squiggle had been attempted to merge with. But I have to be sure, it's just … She glances down briefly. I haven't any time at all.// Quickly, she tries to spot the continuation of the story shown on the wall, if any.

Another monolith stands further down the wall from Lilac's position. It's awkward to make out due to its distance and angle, but enough time spent squinting does get a complete mental image. The feast does seem to be depicted on it as well, but it must be at its conclusion. All the festers are shown with bulges in their midsections, apparently sated. The 'mound' thing has apparently finished as well, the mysterious Jingai missing from both the pools and the crowd in this carving.

Oh, that's not good! Lilac blinks at the monolith, unsure what to make of it exactly, other than that vanishing bodies aren't at all what she was hoping for. Dragonfly's journal said they cam e back at the end of the feast, to dance, despite their serious wounds. Oh Dragonfly, I wish you could help me help you. She grimaces down at the body, reeling for a moment at the sight of it. No matter how many times she sees it, every glance is like a dagger in her heart and a new stain on her soul. I must be sure this time, she thinks, forcing her gaze away. She lays the corpse down gently, then tries to sneak forward and examine a further monolith.

Dragonfly lays quietly amongst the plants, as if in repose. Her eyes have mercifully since eased shut, her body having become somewhat cool to the touch, though it's a bit humid and warm in this particular chamber. Staying low, it's not difficult for Lilac to stalk to another monolith, the plants growing high around them. This one seems to have a different scene altogether. A gravid Naga lays a clutch of eggs, another gives birth to live young. The mound again figures here, though this time the Nagai are simply among the pools.

Oh, this isn't helpful at all. Lilac shakes her head in dismay, feeling the seconds tick by keenly. Touching, but not helpful. No time! She hurries along to the next monolith.

The bardess has traveled about 45 degrees around the chamber now. The next monolith that has anything recognizeable looks more promising, if one can see blood sacrifice as promising. Once more, the 'faithful' are gathered around the pools. Two subjects are richly ornamented, and seem as happy as the rest, though other figures surround them with what look like large knives.

Not wanting to think about the 'sacrifice' part of the ritual, even if it is promising, Lilac notes the pictogram down mentally and quickly heads on to the next monolith. At least this seems like the right direction, even if those knives … She shudders, pushing her tongue away from her teeth.

Skulking to the next stone down, the scene continues. The cheerful duo are promptly slain by equally cheerful devotees, apparently cut open from neck to belly, according to a slit line on the figures. Both figures are apparently dumped into the pools.

Compared to what the image shows, Lilac finds her own wounding relatively tame. Only, mine was real and not deliberate. Not … a wash of guilt makes her ears lay back, … Not really.// The insistence doesn't make her feel any less damned, or any more free with time. Dragonfly is counting on me. One more to go. She quickly scurries off to the enxt image.

Lilac has gone past the opposite side of the chamber by now. Fortunately, most of the activity seems to be in the center, and the bardess, though she must be careful, does not find her way hindered. It's a good thing too… maybe this monolith is out of order, but it seems to have nothing to do with the last one. It actually looks like the Naga from the birthing depiction, both diving into the pools.

The next monolith in line seems to return to the theme of the one before last. In the pools, one of the ornamented figures is hip deep, evidently unwounded and with arms raised over his head in jubilation, surrounded by his fellows, this time without knives. The other ornamented figure is nowhere to be seen.

Lilac stares at the image, finding it to be about as much answer as she expects to find. Still, she continues on, thinking. Will the pool heal only one, or was the other devoured? Or … She blinks at this next thought, … did the other turn in to red squiggles herself? Reviving Dragonfly only to doom her to a life as a writhing mass of flesh makes Lilac's hackles rise, but she tries to think positive. The squiggle in my cave was growing, though. Maybe it's being reborn right now? Or … Oh, gods, this is complicated. She tries to find more visual help, not expecting much and knowing she's running out of chamber. I may have no choice but to guess.

Another tablet, another conundrum. Once again, the two Naga females are depicted, this time emerging from the pools. They look much thicker than before they dove in, and symbols are drawn on their bellies… eggs for the one, and curled miniature Naga for the other. Lilac is nearly back to her original position where Dragonfly quietly waits.

Ears going askew in confusion, Lilac shakes her head at the pictogram. Did they … get pregnant by the … the pools, she wonders. The very idea hurts her head, evoking all sorts of disturbing questions she doesn't have time for. I'm almost back. I think I have to try the pools, but … which one? And will it work alone with only one person … They're always in pairs. Lilac bites her lip at what 'two people' suggests, but she steels herself. I'll do what I have to do.

Scurrying along, Lilac finds her way back to Dragonfly, though she has to move a bit more hastily than she might otherwise like. It doesn't afford much time to sightsee as she goes, as she's nearly discovered a few times, but practice has sharpened Lilac's skills since she signed on with Kin, and she makes it across the room where the eeee patiently waits.

Kneeling beside the fallen eeee, Lilac can feel her heart pound even as she feels the lifeless flesh of the dead woman. She takes Dragonfly's hand, and squeezes it. I'm sorry. I am sorry, even if the words are … are worthless. But, I'm going to try something. I don't know, if it will work, but … it's all I have left to offer. She scoops up the woman, now, and cradles her a moment before looking on to a nearby pool. Here we go.

The hand squeezed is cool under its thin fur, and the eeee's head nods onto her chest awkwardly as she's gathered up, streaks of blood dried over her blouse. Her wings dangle down, the strange geometrical 'cell' tattoos stark against the whitened membranes.

Lilac surveys the area for a relatively safe pool in which to attempt her last resort. Once she spots one that's as good as it's going to get, she hurries forward to slip in to the pool with the woman in hand. And should I die, at least I can rest in peace, knowing I tried, Lilac thinks she movies. Again she must bite her lip, she doesn't want to die, but she doesn't want to live on knowing she killed this woman and was so selfish as to not try and save her when the slim chance was offered. At least I have a friend on the other side, maybe I can run with the Korv again …

The pool quickly swallows Lilac up, the water, if that's what it is, disturbingly warm, and it clouds slightly when Dragonfly's torn throat dips below the surface. There's nothing beneath the bardess to step on, and she quickly finds herself submerged, her hair floating up to the surface. Slick, wiggling things slip past her bare legs, and rebound off her wings.

Lilac reaches up to feel the woman's throat, hoping beyond hope for any signs of life. As she does, she finds the water isn't as frightening as she had expected. It's certainly warmer than she expected, reminding her of the pictograms of birth. It's like a being born again, she thinks. Her hair drifts lazily in the currents, and she kicks to avoid sinking too far, having no idea how deep the pool runs. Water breathing, after all, isn't one of the 'gifts' of her curse.

The bardess' hand finds ragged flesh where she touches, filling with fluid. Dragonfly's body drifts in her arms, buoyed by the water, ringlets of her hair spreading away from her face. The researchers sound muffled and faraway now, the rumble of water filling Lilac's pointed ears. Her kicking keeps her close to the surface, and her toes have definitely not felt anything beneath. Those strange wriggling things continue to wiggle past… it's difficult to tell in the dark of the pool, but they seem to congregate around both bodies, gathering on the eeee, and slipping along Lilac's back and sides now. The dim light from above, filtering down into the water, seems to be gradually receding despite the woman treading water.

Lilac decides she'd best not hold the woman too close, otherwise she may impede whatever may happen. She shifts to simply holding the woman's hands, letting her drift as if they were dancing beneath the current. Looking around, she notes the movement of the critters and the dimming of the light. Now, Lilac starts to feel fear growing in her heart. What do I do now? Am I supposed to stay? I can't hold my breath that much longer, and the light above is getting dim. All the talk of sacrifice and dying seems much more real now that sacrificing and dying is staring her in the face.

The eeee floats free of Lilac, limbs slowly drifting as they will, Dragonfly's hair forming a curly cloud around her head, mouth hanging open, a few bubbles that were caught there drifting up from it. The light above continues to shrink… it seems very much like both women are sinking. Still, nothing touches Lilac's feet except for the occasional squirmy piece of meat.

Lilac frowns in the water, not knowing why she's sinking. She isn't about to lose Dragonfly to currents after all this! She begins to kick more rapidly, trying to keep herself and the woman near the surface. If we get out of this alive, I am going to learn Imperial,// she swears, a panicked thought in the face of drowning.

The spur of fear gives Lilac's legs enough energy to get her face to break the surface, but something is definitely drawing them down, Dragonfly only coming up as far as her arm will rise, her hand clasped in Lilac's hand.

This is it, isn't it … Is this what the stories call … a moment of faith? Having the chance, Lilac takes a gulp of air while she ponders what to do. The pictograms always show people vanishing within the pool, always in pairs. Two came out in one, her hackles raise at what that image suggested, … and, um, one wounded in the other. I'm not wounded, but I'm also not a Naga female … so what do I do?// She looks down at the woman who dangles in her grip, weighing their mutual fates. The pictures didn't show what happened under the water, Dragonfly! Could an injured person really survive this pull? I can barely keep up and I'm not hurt. And pregnant people, and … Lilac bites her lip. If I try and get out, I'll be captured now … I'm sure of it.

What do I do? Lilac, however, knows what the images suggest: she feels they must go along with this current, that they are carried away and whatever happens, happens at its end. A wounded person couldn't survive this pull, and none of the pictures showed struggling of any kind. But, she's afraid. Very afraid, her heart beats wildly in her chest. Success and Dragonfly may live again, failure and … … I die in a watery grave. I'll never see my friends again. I'll never return home. A little part reminds her she's likely to be slain getting out too, which doesn't help at all. Meanwhile, she watches the worms swim, wishing she knew what they did about this place.

Lilac thinks about her life, where its gone and what lead her to be here. She looks down at the woman, Dragonfly, whom she killed thinking she was a soulless enemy. Are there really souless enemies, Dragonfly? Does anyone really deserve to die? She blinks in the water, tears mingling with the fluid that may or may not be water. Kinny was right, I did think it all a story, and here I am. Here I am. She looks surfacewards, thinking of the researchers, and the air above, of Hakuu, her friends, and life. It's time to go, Dragonfly. She takes one more breath of air, then looks down. I always wanted an adventure, right? I bet you always wanted to see great mysteries. Let'sgo, and see what there is to see. She smiles, if bittersweetly. Her legs stop kicking as she thinks of her friends, wishing them well. I'm sorry I can't help you all anymore, she whispers to them. Slowly, she lets the current take her.

The light from above again shrinks away as the current drags both women down, dimming and eventually fading from view.