A gray Skreek lazily walks arm-in-arm with a black Khatta down one of the less busy streets of Safar. "I suppose as far as vacations go, this isn't so bad," she squeaks. "Although the work is a bit tiring. I really hope that what I'm doing here is worth it." She pats the Khatta's arm. "So what kind of word on the street have you been hearing from our happy little band?"

"It's been terribly quiet, really," remarks Sebazhan. "Despite your firebrand sermons from the rooftops, it would seem that the Priest-Queen isn't sending all her men to crush you … quite unlike the talk I keep hearing about how this so-called 'Star' plans to deal with 'heretics'." He forces a smile and pats Willow on the arm. "You must have intimidated them!"

"Or they figure I'll burn myself out… or they just plan to let their 'Star' deal with me itself… or they just don't give a flip about what a rat has to say about them. But that's not what I mean by my question." Willow kicks a dried clump of dirt with her boot. "I was wondering what people think of us? Are we just look at as a bunch of loons howling about the end of the world or are we actually making any kind of impact on the believers in Safar?"

"Oh, you're making an impact, all right," says Sebazhan. "Some thing you're a loon, of course, which is what some people will think of anyone who spends so much time shouting from the rooftops rather than just falling in line and going through the motions of daily life like everyone else. But there are others who are listening – the 'Star' that Jade-Eyes is heralding isn't the Star that many of these people have grown up to know and love. She's even managed to alienate some of the most devout Star-followers amongst the Abaddonians … 'devout', that is, keeping in mind their various … ah … inconsistencies." He pauses by a flower booth, and, in an exchange so quick that Willow hardly has to break step, purchases a long-stemmed blue river-flower from the vendor, and holds it to Willow. "I think this would look rather nice in your hair, don't you think? These grow by the rivers up in the canyon, I'm told."

The Skreek sighs and leans her head against the crook of Sebazhan's shoulder – a slightly awkward position to hold while casually walking, but the contact is more important to her than comfort. "Thank you." She sniffs at the flower and then gently tucks it slightly above her ear. "It's her blind faith that bothers me. I used to blindly deny it all and it got me into all sorts of trouble… I think blindly believing in anything that claims to be a god is just as bad." The Skreek wiggles her nose a little. "I could never do something a little bit or dabble in one thing. I'm always hurling myself headfirst in whatever I get obsessed with. For now, and as long as it takes, it's this. I hope you understand."

Sebazhan nods and smiles, bracing Willow's other shoulder with a supporting hand. "Of course. It would be uncharacteristic for you to be any other way."

"Thanks. Things might get messy soon, I'm afraid. I don't know if any of the Twelve live in Safar, but if they do I'm going to try and find them and talk to them next. I'm sure they're fully aware that this whole thing is a lie, especially considering all of the sneaks they pulled with Third-Vision. Maybe if Jade-Eyes won't listen to me, one of them will… or at least I can learn more about what I'm up against." She sticks her tongue out. "The downside of this is that you know what magic does to me. Hopefully none of them will get sick of the annoying little rat and decide to whammy her into acting like a Gooshurm for a week."

Sebazhan looks as if he's contemplating something, then shakes it out of his head. "You conjure up the most … startling imagery when you wish to make a point, dear. On any road … is there any way in which I might possibly be of assistance in your crusade? I must confess to a certain feeling of … helplessness in this whole affair."

Willow hugs the Khatta. "Oh Sebazhan, you're doing more for me by just being here and raising up my spirits than anything." The Skreek rubs her nose. "I may need your help to sneak me into the City of Hands or to help make a meeting private. I get the feeling that if any of the Twelve are sympathetic to us, they're sure as fires not going to mention it out loud. It probably won't be too good if I'm seen knocking at one of their doors either. But I'll have to see if that one mind mage fellow comes back or if any more of them pop up at the meetings." She pokes the Khatta's ribs. "I think I remember a diner near the center of town. Do you want to grab a bite? Maybe we'll see something interesting."

Sebazhan smirks. "You never know. Lead the way!"

The Skreek adjusts the flower in her hair. "I suppose things could have been worse. I could have decided to take up this crusade in a place like Sylvania or Titania." She chuckles. "I think the place is called the Gilded Truffle. It's a stupid name, but it sounds fancy and nobody bothers to think about the nonsense of it too much. On the way there, you can fill me in on the gossip back in Kroz. I'd like to know if Misty's managed to make me an aunt or not yet."

Sebazhan smacks his lips. "Mmm, mmm. Nothing quite like gold-plated food to tempt the palate. Oh … Misty? No, I'm afraid not. I suppose any day now, we might be hearing something, but it seems that the family physician has advised them to wait a while yet. The Lady Diamante did marry fairly young, after all."

"I'm just anxious for Nene to have a playmate before she gets too old, I think. Plus, I think Mother Diamante would be thrilled to see her grandchild before she passes on." Willow's smile fades a little and she decides to rapidly change the subject. "Any other news? What does Kiri think of this whole mess?"

Sebazhan lets out a sigh. "He thinks you have lost your senses, and begged me to persuade you to come back home and leave Xenea to its own designs. I refused to make any such promise to him."

"Kiri thinks half of the things I do are because I've lost my senses." The Skreek rolls her eyes. "What about Rezhinald?"

Sebazhan says, "He has had little to offer on this. These mages serving the Priest-Queen seem to be quite aware of the various ways in which to foil scrying, and it can only be supposed that they are interfering with any attempts by outside seers to gain any special 'prophesies' of their own regarding this event."

Willow readjusts the flower behind her ear. "Yet another reason to be suspicious. You know, I really wonder whether or not the Twelve have put some kind of whammy on Jade-Eyes to make her so blind to all this string pulling going on behind her back. I'd have thought that the time she spent in the Temple and any history she might have heard about the Twelve would have made her a bit wary of any moves they make that seem generous."

Sebazhan frowns. "Or perhaps it's because, right now, they're all the family she has now… "

"Maybe. But she didn't seem to think too highly of her real family. She practically accused Third-Vision of being a heretic and a coward, not to mention the fact that she didn't seem too inclined to listen to Moon-Brow." The Skreek flattens her ears and then shoots a hand up to her hair to catch the flower before it slides out, rustled out of place by the ear movement. "I suppose that if anyone should know, I should, that there's more ways than one to put the whammy on someone… but blind trust isn't a very good quality for a leader that rules in a den of snakes. I just wish she would listen to me, just a little bit."

Sebazhan sighs. "So do I." He smirks. "It would mean getting you home sooner, for starters."

Willow's step slows a little. "Don't say that, not even by joking. When I came here, I didn't plan on moving in for several months, if not longer. Every day I think about you and Nene and X and Kiri and everyone else back in Kroz. Whenever I see someone roll their eyes at me and walk away, I ask myself if it wouldn't be better if I just threw up my arms, let the scruddy star come and toast everyone, and go back to taking care of my herb garden at the castle." She shakes her head. "It's seeing that garden devoted to Third-Vision that holds me up. She'd probably cry if she knew that the things she died for are being twisted and abused, and that her people might very well become slaves all over again by the very person she trusted to take her place. Sometimes I go there and cry for her when it gets to be too much to hold inside."

Sebazhan frowns. "I am sorry. I do hope you can do something about this. I had Dagh. And Jade-Eyes has something possibly worse. I might have destroyed my kingdom, and my neighbors … but there are so many more people that may be hurt on account of this. I certainly do not wish to belittle the seriousness of this. Not in the least."

"Do you want to see the garden? It's a really beautiful spot that's nice and quiet. You have to elbow through the crowds at Safarland to get to it, but most folks there come to ride the Chiga Chase instead of going to see the garden." She coughs. "I'm suddenly not feeling all that hungry anymore, and I don't think you've seen the garden yet."

"No," Sebazhan says, "I have not. I would be most interested in seeing it." He smirks. "And I can even cover the admission." He winks.

Willow leans her head against the Khatta's shoulder again. "My gallant hero, ever to his lady's aid." She smiles, half-closing her eyes. "In case I haven't said it enough times today, I'm happy that you're here."

Sebazhan smiles. "This may sound like I am contradicting myself … but I am happy that you are here, too. Would that I could, with my magic, fold the earth in twain so that I could draw Kroz closer to Xenea. But let us be off to this garden." He curls his arm around Willow's.

After a romantic stroll through Safar, the royal couple gets into the somewhat less romantic bustle of Safarland. Still, the crowds thin out quickly once one reaches the fairly calm replica of the City of Hands, devoid of any exciting thrill rides or other major attractions.

Willow pulls on Sebazhan's hand, pointing towards a replica of the Priest-King's palace. "Testament-Blaze told me about this. You're probably familiar with the story… the Priest-King wanted to become a god and even though I'm a bit fuzzy on the hows, he turned himself into that thing. The Twelve-times-Twelve turned themselves into stone hands to contain him and they all stayed that way until some explorers vanquished the old Priest-King and Jezebel woke the Twelve up from the stone sleep."

Sebazhan nods, contemplating. "Quite the sacrifice they made. I do not honestly know if I would have the backbone to attempt such a thing, given the choice."

"Well, they were probably somewhat responsible for it happening in the first place. I'm sure it takes more than one person to work up magic to that magnitude." She slides her hand on the railing. "Or maybe they just felt that they had nothing to lose. Even after reading that whole lump of history on the wall, I don't understand them in the slightest. They're supposed to serve the Priest-King, but they seem to hold their own agenda as well. Maybe there's just a few of them that are restless."

Sebazhan says, "The 'Twelve' died with the last Priest-King, correct? Perhaps they were in no position to be in the business of selecting a successor."

"As far as I know, the Twelve-times-Twelve were reanimated by Jezebel and were alive and kicking. Some of them have croaked of old age, but there's a few of the originals walking around still. I don't think there's actually 'twelve times twelve' of them anymore, but they're genuine enough." Willow scratches the back of her head, tousling the spot where the few streaks of white sprout through from her crown. "I think the fellow who spoke to me was one of the originals; it's what Envoy said, if I remember correctly."

"That fellow in the brown robes?" asks Sebazhan.

The Skreek nods. "He had the deepest eyes I've ever seen. It felt like if I looked into them for too long, I'd never be able to pull away."

Sebazhan hmms. "Brown robes. Mesmerizing eyes. A mind mage, I am thinking."

"If I see him again, I'm going to trust him. He didn't have to tell me who he was, and he didn't have to tell me that the Twelve lied to Jezebel when they set up their wards." Willow chews on her lip and walks farther down the path towards the replica of the rebuilt City of Hands. "It still doesn't make me worried that he might have dug out all the monsters in my head. But… well… he didn't act like he had any kind of agenda. He was fairly honest with me really."

Sebazhan frowns and nods. "There were times when I was fairly honest with you … yet I still posed a danger to you. Listen to him, yes, but please do not drop your guard."

"Point taken," Willow agrees. "Besides, he probably doesn't completely trust me either. For all he knows, I'm just an opportunistic rat trying to get a scheme in on the things out here." She snuffs a bit of sand from her nostrils. "I'll see what he does. I won't get him to trust me more by hammering him for information on Jade-eyes… and considering he's part of this whole mess, I need to be wary. Besides, all the Star cares about is who his soul is loyal to."

Sebazhan nods. "I'm just worried. Mind mages can do … frightening things … especially to people who are … well … susceptible." He frowns, giving Willow a worried look. "Please, be careful. That's all I ask."

"If he wants to zap me, there's not much I can do about it. He knows exactly where to find me." The Skreek sighs. "Believe me, Sebazhan, I think about the things they might do to me every day… but there's not much I can do about it, and I refuse to let them think I'm afraid or intimidated by them." She tugs on the Khatta's arm again. "The garden's just up ahead."

Sebazhan takes a deep breath and nods, looking ahead to the garden. "Would it be that I could have your bravery, my dear." He smiles faintly, proudly at her.

Willow puts an arm around the Prince and points to the statue of Third-Vision at the entrance to the garden. "It's not just my bravery. She stood up to them as well… In all honesty, a lot of the times when I get the kitters I pretend I'm her. I know it sounds silly and childish, but it helps."

Sebazhan smiles. "Not childish at all."

The Skreek stops her walk and pulls the flower out of her hair, placing it at the feet of the statue. "I never would have been brave enough to ask you to marry me either, if it wasn't for her." She coughs. "But let me show you the inside. We'll have to keep our voices down but the hedges pad things fairly well. It's the most beautiful garden I've ever seen."

Sebazhan nods, and holds a finger to his mouth, smiling conspiratorially … but he quickly follows with a question, in quiet tones. "Would you like me to stay a while longer here? I could perhaps make arrangements at home. Surely the kingdom can await my return … but I shall have to head back eventually. Nene is in good hands, but it would not do for me to be away from her for too long… "

"If you could stay for another couple of weeks, I would be very grateful. You know more about magic than I do and might be able to pick out if one of the Twelve tries something. I also might need you to do a shadow magic spell for me, but I'd rather not talk about the details in public." Willow's tail idly sweeps a few fallen leaves from the garden path.

Sebazhan nods. "As you wish," he whispers, and squeezes Willow's hand gently.

The Skreek quietly drags the Khatta to an unoccupied bench and points to the glyphs on the wall. "I don't know how well your handsign has been progressing, but I can translate that for you if you need some help. The only problem is that in writing the language sounds so dry. Like a story with no punctuation, since you can't see all the ear wiggles and subtle movements that a person usually makes when they sign things."

Sebazhan smirks. "I can … work my way through it … but I can't say that I'm fluent."

Willow squints at the wall and scans through the writing. "Call me vain, but I wonder if there's anything here written about me?"

Sebazhan squints. "Well … there's this part toward the end. I think that might be a Skreek. I think they went a little overboard in their attempt to stylize these inscriptions to look 'old and authentic'."

"I don't see any mention of your name, I'm afraid," he adds, after a moment more of perusal. "And I assure you, I would recognize that!"

"My name isn't all that big of a deal, really. Who knows, it might change again in another few years." She leans against the Khatta. "I like it here. Just sitting here and watching the people come in and out makes me happy. It reminds me that I can make a difference, because this is where I saw Son-Of-Thunder again and where Testament-Blaze told me all about the history of the Savanite Empire."

Sebazhan hmms. "Once upon a time, I would have never imagined it even had a history. Quite a lot has happened in these past few years."

"Too much." Her voice lowers to a soft whisper. "I don't believe for a minute that a Kavi was able to kill the Emperor Potentate. Maybe three hundred or so could do it, but not one."

Sebazhan nods. "I think that the ability of Kavi cultists to kill snakes with effortless ease … is something highly blown out of proportion. I knew little of the Emperor-Potentate, but even if he were caught in his sleep, no tooth or claw would fell him."

Willow leans her head against the Prince's shoulder again. This time, though, it's to put his ear in a closer range so she can continue to whisper. "I wouldn't put it past the Twelve to have had a hand in it. Cleaning house so they wouldn't have to worry about him blasting this star when it came… or maybe even cutting a deal with the Emir, considering all of the land he's swallowed up. I've not brought this up because I figure it's best to tackle one issue at a time, but it seems like I'm looking at an onion sometimes. More and more layers under what I see with my eyes on the outside."

Sebazhan sighs. "Well … we'll just have to deal with it, one layer at a time."

"But I want you to know that whatever I do, you're in my thoughts. As soon as I know I can come home to you, I will. I don't want to miss too much of Nene growing up, and I don't want to miss too much of you either." She gently kisses the Khatta's ear and then giggles softly. "I almost wish the star would scruddy hurry up and get here so I can go back home already."

Sebazhan gulps theatrically at this. "Careful what you wish for, dear."

Willow makes a quiet raspberry noise, not wanting to spray the entire side of her husband's face with spittle. "I'm half serious. I think that if I'm here for more than three or four months, I might see what I can do to get the machine going on its own without me, and try to set up some way so that the people here can send me regular bits of news on how things go, and messages in case I'm needed. But I'm not giving up my family for this. It would sort of defeat the whole purpose of why I'm launching this crusade to begin with."

Sebazhan shakes his head. "Something will work out. I'm confident of that. I don't believe that the Star is in the business of punishing us for doing the right thing." He raises an eyebrow. "Though it may sometimes seem like it."

The Skreek hugs the Khatta again. "I worry that you and Nene are suffering more than I am. Nene is growing up so fast, and I've already probably missed a few things." She chuckles. "By the way, she doesn't like Creens."

Sebazhan laughs. "I know!"

"She let you know, did she?" Willow pulls her head from Sebazhan's shoulder and tries to straighten her rumpled hair back. "Well, she's very polite about it at least. I think being raised around stories of Snicjers and Gorts and suchlike have affected her opinion of cute animals. I bet that if she ever saw a Sylvanian bunny she'd scream bloody murder, but wouldn't bat an eye at a Squibbit."

Sebazhan hmms. "Maybe I should take her on more trips about Nordika … expose her to the rest of the area. The safe parts, that is. Well … by our measure of it, that is."

"As long as you don't take her to Olympia, I'm perfectly fine. I think she'd adore Chronotopia, and the both of you would fit right in." Willow gives Sebazhan's cheek a pinch. "I think we're done here. I'd like to stop by the River-Minstrel's place to see if anyone's left any messages for me. I've let word leak out that I'd like to talk with the Priest-Queen or one of the Twelve again. I'm hoping that one of them drops a note by. Plus I should get the elder's tea ready. It was really nice for them to take me in but I don't want to mooch too much."

Sebazhan rolls his eyes at the pinch, then nods. "Well, no need to tarry, then." He gives the rat a peck on the cheek. "Chronotopia it is, then. I wonder what she'll think of the toy stores there? And I wonder if I'll be dragging her out … or chasing her out?"

The Skreek starts to lead Sebazhan out of the small garden, her arm linked with his. "Gears are an oddity enough for her, I think she'll like them. I've noticed that clockwork contraptions look a lot like bugs."