The ancient laboratory serves as some shelter for Chiaroscuro, as it becomes evident that he must not have slept for all that long after all … and that fatigue has hit him rather strongly. It's not the most comfortable of quarters by any means, but at least there is shelter from the chill wind – and from any precipitation.

With the door closed entirely, it's pitch black inside. Only by opening the door to various degrees is there any light to see by, and it requires a rock as a doorstop to keep it from creaking shut again.

Chiaroscuro closes the door carefully behind him, leaving it a crack open so that there is still some dim light to see by. By that light, he begins a thorough exploration of the cabin, first off. He looks under any furniture, inspecting everything carefully in turn.

Chiaroscuro looks most carefully for signs anyone has been here recently. He does not want to intrude on anyone's home, despite his fatigue and need for shelter…

The cabin appears to have only one room, with one major worktable of some sort. Various surfaces have plates affixed, of metal or some other material, with runes engraved into them. There are also some strange artifacts of unknown purpose on the table, most of them corroded to such a point that the moving parts no longer move. However, there is one little device that has a needle that bounces back and forth horizontally at unpredictable angles, its tip bent down as if to scratch at something, but whatever it is has long turned to dust.

Given that the vines had time to grow over the door with no sign of disturbance, and that there is no other visible entrance into this cabin, it would seem that it has been deserted for a very, very long time. There are no signs of habitation, no disturbances in the thick layers of dust other than those made by the mongoose in his exploration.

The "cot" in the corner only consists of a metal frame now, without so much as a scrap of cloth which it must have once held. There are also a number of doors on the face of one wall, with rusty hinges and handles that look as if they must be turned to open. Given the amount of corrosion, that may take some coaxing.

Chiaroscuro hmmms. He starts sweeping some of the dust out of the door with his tail, in an effort to make the place a bit more comfortable.

A few coughs and sneezes later, the cabin is a bit more habitable, if not exactly cheery.

Chiaroscuro yawns widely… deciding to take another short nap. He retrieves the bundle of silk from a pocket, and fluffs it up to serve as a pillow.

If nothing else, the strange ball of silk serves commendably as a pillow. In the darkness of the cabin, and with the shelter from the wind and cold, it is a far more ideal place to rest than the bridge.

The buzzing in Chiaroscuro's head seems to get louder, a constant drone that lulls him to a troubled sleep…

Chiaroscuro closes the door, and falls asleep once more, the strange buzzing in his head making his sleep fitful, his dreams nightmarish.

… Time passes…

Awake again? Or is it still a dream? All is pitch black, and there is still that infernal buzzing, although it has quieted slightly … or maybe it only seems that way.

Chiaroscuro stands up, feeling more rested. He begins his morning prayers, and checks himself over, to see if anything disappeared from his person this time.

This time, nothing has vanished, and the silk pillow is still there.

Chiaroscuro re-folds the pillow, and stumbles towards the door, opening it to see how much time has passed…

It's dark outside. The clouds have fled, leaving a clear night sky, though there's a glow on the horizon that either indicates sunset or sunrise.

There is no moon visible. But there is a thick band of stars that stretches from one horizon to the other, cutting a glittering swath across the sky.

Chiaroscuro hmmms, looking about. He decides to climb atop the roof while he's awake, to inspect that strange stucture he saw earlier.

In the wilderness below, Chiaroscuro can hear the crick of insects, and occasional hoots and other animal noises which indicate that he is not the only one awake. On top of the roof, several rods poke upward, some topped with odd assemblies, some broken, and perhaps having held things of similar complexity long ago.

The rod with the four cups spins at a slow rate in the gentle breeze, accompanied by a staccato clicking sound. The one with the empty hoop wobbles from one side to the other on occasion. There is another rod that bears what looks like a weathervane, though very simple without any pretense of decoration.

Chiaroscuro hmmms… .o(This weathervane I recognize. I do not know this other device… it appears to be driven by the wind. But if no one lives here, why would they care of the wind?)

The chill night wind brings no answers, only the calls of beasts and birds and stranger things of the wilderness.

Chiaroscuro attempts to break off the weathervane. .o(Perhaps this could serve as a sword.)

Despite the corroded state of the metal, it takes a good bit of bending and working, back and forth, before it finally worries free.

Chiaroscuro snaps off protusions from the vane, until he's left with a solid, metal bar, with a slight point on the end. .o(I wish now I had studied a knight's wayys, but past is the past. A runner must go forward.)

In the distance, there is a flash of blue-white light. There is a dark space on the horizon, over the mountains, where stars cannot be seen. There are more flashes of lightning, followed not long after by rumbles and crackles.

Chiaroscuro returns to the cabin. .o(Best avoid this storm… salvage what I can from the cabin. When the storm passes, I'll leave… )

While the stars darken in one direction, the reddish band of light on the other horizon is growing. It must be sunrise, rather than sunset, after all.

Back in the cabin, it is pitch black once more, and the door effectively shuts out any sounds of the approaching storm.

Chiaroscuro waits, passing the time in prayer. His gut growls from hunger, and he checks for when the storm has passed.

Even with all the insulation, the patter of rainrops can be faintly heard on the rooftop, as the storm reaches the mountain, and muffled explosions can be heard to testify to the peals of thunder.

The muffled explosions occur with more frequency. There's something strange about so many lightning strikes in such rapid succession … but there's more than that … there's something in the air, and not just electrical discharge. Magic. Something magical is happening.

Chiaroscuro winces as the magic drives the buzzing stronger and stronger. He huddles into a corner, tail wrapped around himself.

The crackles happen in more and more rapid succession, of such volume that it seems as if the outer walls had been stripped away, leaving the mongoose exposed to the elements. And then –

– the air explodes in a deafening crash! Tiny blue sparks dance along every metal surface, soon bathing the interior of the cabin in a ghostly glow. Every hair on the mongoose's body is standing on end.

Chiaroscuro YIPES!

From behind one of the walls – one with several closed panels – clicking and whirring can be heard, as well as grating scrapes of protesting metal, much like the cries of that creature which tried to charge into the mongoose when he first awakened in this wilderness.

There are several more whines from a box affixed to the table, and a primary drum on it creaks and begins to move. There is a rapid succession of click-clickety-click-clickety-click against the drum, until a few small parts begin to shoot out of the machine and bounce across the room.

A couple of panels in the ceiling begin to glow faintly with a yellowish light of their own – then one darkens with a loud *POP*, followed soon thereafter by the other.

Chiaroscuro .o(This must be magic… I have to leave… but where will I go?)

From a recessed panel over the table emits loud squawking, crackling and screeching noises, intermixed with an imcomprehensible babbling tongue that quickly dissolves into a sound like that of crashing waves or rushing water.

Chiaroscuro opens the door, looking at the storm…

As soon as the mongoose opens the door, he is assaulted by a barrage of chunks of ice, intermixed with freezing rain. The force is such that it takes true effort even to hold the door open – or to keep it from slamming shut in his face, at the least.

His ears are assaulted by regular blasts, and his eyes by blinding flashes of light. It is as if an entire storm is discharging all of its lightning, focused on this very mountain – but that must not be the case, for there are flashes in the distance as well.

Chiaroscuro unghs, closing the door… .o(Can't leave… not in that … Rik'Tik'Tav, protect me… )

The squawking and screeching at last ebbs away, as do the other noises emitting from the panels. Even longer, and the sounds of the storm ebb slightly. But the eerie blue glow within this chamber remains … and the mongoose's hairs still stand on end … and he can still feel that almost tangible presence of magic.

Chiaroscuro pants, looking about, tail twitching nervously.

Chiaroscuro checks the door again… praying earnestly the storm has lessened…

When the door opens, it is evident that, yes, the storm has lessened. There is no hail this time – just a cold, heavy rain. The flashes of lightning are in the distance now, hitting other mountain tops. Even so, however, it would only take a matter of seconds to be fully soaked and chilled to the bone, even in this relatively lessened downpour.

There is a rumbling sound from somewhere in the valley – It's hard to make out … but it seems as if there's a mudslide somewhere down there.

Chiaroscuro debates between staying in this mad, magic-filled place, or climbing down the mountain… but where would he go to? He closes the cabin door, and waits…

Not long after the mongoose closes the door to wait out the storm … the handle begins to rattle.

The blue glow is finally beginning to dissipate, but it's still lingering. What's more, the mongoose can now see, as the blue on the walls fades slightly … that he himself is glowing!

Chiaroscuro gasps… looking around… no place to hide… best face whatever this is bravely.

Chiaroscuro stands up, facing the door, standing in the middle fo the cabin. He readies to fight, to talk, to run…

The handle turns, and the door creaks open. A shadowy, humanoid shape is just outside, with a pair of dark wings. Lit from the interior, the creature appears to have bat-like features – with an especially large pair of ears. He blinks several times, looking into the glowing chamber and the glowing being in the center of it.

Chiaroscuro looks back at the creature, dumbstruck for a few moments.

The creature is likewise dumbstruck. He blinks a few more times, oblivious to the rain that continues assaulting him and the door he's holding. Finally, his eyes go wide – and he emits a bone-chilling shriek at a very high frequency!

The bat thing turns around, letting go of the door, throwing out his arms and charging away from the cabin. He tries to spread his wings to fly, but the downpour is so strong that he only manages to slip in the mud and land on his face.

Chiaroscuro winces at the sound, but does not move, looking back at the creature. He finds his voice, speaking out in Kitellian. "Hello. I yclept Chairoscuro Themyst. I mean no… harm."

The bat-thing seems to take no solace in this proclamation, and scrambles back to his feet, staggering and tripping in a hasty retreat down the stone steps leading away from the cabin. The door remains open, held there by a strong wind, though as soon as this relents, it will surely slam shut once more.

Chiaroscuro rushes out of the cabin, yelling at full voice. "WAIT! WAIT! I shall not harm you!"

Chiaroscuro glances down at himself, realzing he must seem frightful… glowing blue…

The bat continues scrambling down the steps, babbling in a strange tongue, making haste away from the glowing mongoose that pursues him!

From down the steps, suddenly there are several cries of "Eep!" "Eep!" "EEP!" The bat cries out, "EEP!" as well, and dives into some bushes.

Chiaroscuro runs after the bat, leaping down stairs five and six at a time. … .o(This is my only chance… the only other person I have seen… )

Chiaroscuro.o(Oh, NO!)

Chiaroscuro scrambles back madly up the steps… .o(Not again… )

*POW!* *KAPOW!* *POW!* There is a rapid pitter-patter of explosions and more "eeps", as sharp bits of bone fly about, while the feathers are quickly driven to the ground by the downpour. In the darkness, distinct flashes of red can be seen where the birds violently combust.

The mongoose is almost bowled over as the bat comes running after him, and then past him, apparently more afraid at the moment of the exploding birds than this glowing apparition.

Chiaroscuro runs up, trying to rush into the cabin…

The blue lights have vanished entirely inside the cabin, leaving it pitch black inside. That is, until the mongoose enters, but even that light is growing very faint now.

The bat is in the chamber, and spins around with a look of fright as the mongoose enters. He cries out again, then drops to the floor on his knees, repeatedly bowing and waving his hands up and down, babbling incoherently.

Chiaroscuro walks over to the bat, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. He smiles gently, not opening his mouth.

Every hair on the bat's body stands on end. He crosses his eyes … and faints. *THUMP*

The glow finally fades entirely, and the mongoose's fur begins to settle down to its proper place once more.

Chiaroscuro blinks, and checks for breath on the bat, to make sure he is still alive. He rolls him over gently, propping the bat up slighty.

It is also noticeable that the high level of magic that the mongoose could sense earlier has now dropped to what he has come to accept as fairly normal levels – at least for this region. It is quite quiet now, except for the patter of raindrops on the roof – not nearly so strong now.

Yes, the bat is still alive. Unconscious, soaking wet, chilled, and with a few bits of bird goop on him, but alive.

Chiaroscuro searches the bat's clothing for food, or for a letter, or anything that might help him fill his stomach on understand more about this creature.

Chiaroscuro munches on the bird goop covering the bat, as well, at least the more edible portions.

The bat is curiously attired in leathers, cloths, with clasps and bits made from chitin rather than metal. It seems that he has some armor on him … fashioned from the shells of others of the kind of that disagreeable horseshoe-crab-like creature which attacked the mongoose yesterday.

As for the bits of bird goop, the taste is quite disagreeable … but to someone who is starved, it is at least edible.

The bat has an additional "horseshoe" shell affixed at his belt, with the segmented, whip-like tail still attached. A pouch on the other side has a few coin-shaped items in it. They feel hard, but not like metal, possibly made of shell as well.

Unfortunately, the bat doesn't seem to be carrying any provisions.

The pitter-patter on the roof dies away. Some faint whirring sounds from behind the wall with all the small doors on it comes to an abrupt stop with a loud *thunk*.

Chiaroscuro attempts to wake the bat, carefully, by pinching on the ears. He makes sure he is between the bat and the door, first.

The bat exclaims something that might be interpreted as "OW!", and swats at the mongoose's arm. He then sucks in his breath … and whispers something in that strange language again.

Chiaroscuro begins speaking again to the bat. He takes care to keep his voice in a friendly tone. "Can you understand me? Do you speak Kitellian?"

The bat babbles something back. If he speaks Kitellian, he isn't demonstrating it.

Chiaroscuro sighs, and starts with the extreme basics. He points to his chest. "Chiaroscuro. Yclept Chiaroscuro."

In the pitch black darkness, after a pause, the mongoose can hear the bat say, "Eeklept Cheearooskooroo?"

Chiaroscuro nods. "Chiaroscuro." He points to the bat, and pauses, waiting.

"Chiaroscuro" comes the answer, though with a bit of an accent.

Chiaroscuro nods to the bat, and takes one of its hands carefully in his. He touches it to his own chest. "Chiaroscuro." Then he guides it to the bat's chest, and waits.

The bat is silent for a bit, but then says, "Boghaz", thumping himself on the chest.

Chiaroscuro says, "Bog-hass?"

"Boghaz," the bat repeats. "Boghaz bar Sabaoth, hur Babel."

Chiaroscuro says, "Boghaz. Boghaz."

From the sounds, it seems the bat is trying to stand. He begins babbling something again in that unintelligible tongue, but he pauses and says "Boghaz" a couple more times.

Chiaroscuro helps guide Boghaz to his feet, and speaks. "I hope you can help me, Boghaz, though I know you know not what I say."

The bat goes to the door (and seems to have found it rather well, despite the darkness) and opens it, letting in the light – and the sounds of birds singing after the storm. It is morning, and the sky is still cloudy, but the storm has passed on.

Chiaroscuro walks to the door with Boghaz. He makes a sweeping gesture with his arm, as if to encompass the whole land. "Where is this?"

The bat gives Chiaroscuro a confused look, and babbles several things back, but at last he nods, and says, making the same sweeping gesture, "Ashdod."

Chiaroscuro says, "Ashdod. Ashdod. I know this place not. Ashdod."

Now that the sky is relatively clear, the mongoose can see a trail of white across the sky, high above, in the same position as that tight band of stars he saw at night. There are multitudes of spots, the same faint color as the moon would be, just much smaller – and more numerous, by far.

Chiaroscuro gestures to the bat, attempting to indicate eating. He asks, "Food? Chiaroscuro needs food."

The bat looks thoughtful, then begins saying something in a rapid fire of words that includes what sounds like Chiaroscuro's name, plus reoccurrences of "Sabaoth" and "Babel" here and there. He waves his hands about, and flaps his wings a few times, perhaps speaking of flying somewhere.

Chiaroscuro nods to the bat… and using his hands as indicating flying, he says, "Boghaz and Chiaroscuro, Babel, *flapping noise with handgesture *?"

The bat shakes his head, and then, to demonstrate, grabs hold of Chiaroscuro's shoulders, and begins flapping his wings rapidly – neither of them appear to be getting anywhere. While the wingspan is considerable, it doesn't seem this bat is powerful enough to carry passengers.

The bat chatters on even more, then gestures to Chiaroscuro, and makes waving gestures as if ushering him back to the cabin with a "stay there" gesture, then repeatedly pointing to himself and somewhere over the mountain tops.

Chiaroscuro nods to the bat. "In there *points to cabin*. You go to Babel, and come back with Food *eating Gesture*?"

Whether or not the bat understands, he nods several times, and repeats his pantomimes. He makes another reassuring gesture, and then snaps out his wings and leaps into the air.

Chiaroscuro nods, walking to the cabin door. He watches the bat take flight…

The bat circles the peak once, then flies off, heading in a direction that follows the river. Perhaps if Chiaroscuro had found a way to safely travel downstream, he would have been on the right track after all.

After a while, not even a speck that indicates the position of the bat can be seen, and Chiaroscuro is left by himself outside the shed, accompanied only by the sounds of the creatures of the forest. For the time being, there are no "eeps" to be heard.

Chiaroscuro clambers down the steps, until he reaches the level where the eep-birds were.

There are no more (living) eep-birds to be found here for now. Just little bits of icky stuff on the ground and on the stone steps, and on the trees in which they perched.

Something is moving amongst the trees, though, up in the branches. Something fuzzy … and with ten legs? No, two of those legs are some sort of tentacles…

Chiaroscuro scrapes up bits of bird, temporarily assuaging his hunger, though screwing up his face at the taste of it.

Chiaroscuro looks suddenly at the creature, and retreats to what he feels is a safe distance, climbing up the steps.

The light reflects off of something shiny lying on the stone steps further below, amidst a bit of mud where the bat had fallen earlier. The large spider-like creature climbs out to the edge of the branche, and then drops off … slowly descending on a silvery cord that extrudes from its hind-end, its eight legs wiggling toward whatever it is that has caught its eye on the ground, the two tentacles swept back.

As the fuzzy spider thing touches down to the ground, it picks up something shiny in two of its claws, and then drops something else. Suddenly, it shoots right back up into the tree, sucking in the silvery strand as it goes.

Chiaroscuro looks at the curious creature, watching it for a while. He squints his eyes to look at the object…

The object left on the ground … is a silvery, silken orb, just like the one that the mongoose has been using as a pillow.

The big fuzzy spider-thing quickly scrambles along the branch, disappearing amongst the leaves, though some rustling still attests to its presence.

Chiaroscuro walks over, closely, and very carefully. He looks at the ball of silk…

The ball of silk is, indeed, just like the one the mongoose has, with that same platinum sheen.

Chiaroscuro begins following the creature, carefully. .o(Perhaps this spider-thing takes objects for its nest, like the weaverbird.)

The fuzzy spider-thing scrambles down a treetrunk … and then begins hopping along, making appreciable leaps through the forest, bypassing several interposing tangles.

Chiaroscuro glances back at the cabin, then chases after the creature. .o( Boghaz won't return for a while… I hope. And if this thing took my Rikkorrel, I must get it back.)

The cabin is obscured from sight here, what with all the interposing trees and the steep, irregular slope. It's quite a chore to keep up with the creature, but thanks to the mongoose's agility and flexibility, he is able to squeeze through spots that allow for some impromptu shortcuts.

At last, there's an irregular shape ahead. It looks like some sort of a large cylinder, on its side, partially imbedded in the slope of the mountain, entangled with vines, and pocked with rusty holes.

Chiaroscuro looks curiously at the cylinder, and slows his pace. He approaches with caution.

The fuzzy spider-thing crawls up to this, and scrambles inside one of the holes, which is about 2 feet in diameter.

Chiaroscuro walks around the cylinder, gauging its size. he approaches just close enough to be able to look in the holes.

The cylinder is about the same size as the shed that the mongoose has been seeking refuse in. There are multiple holes of varying size … but the largest of them are no bigger than the one the fuzzy spider-thing crawled through earlier.

Partially buried in the dirt are some other bits of rusty debris, including some tangles of frayed metal wire.

Chiaroscuro takes the metal rod he has been carrying, and lowers it slowly into one of the holes, not the one he saw a creature enter. He moves it around to try and feel for objects…

The rod pokes against something hard, making a scraping noise, and then hits something soft – something which quickly MOVES. There are several clicking and chirping noises that echo from within the cylinder, followed by scuffling noises … and fuzzy appendages poking out of every visible hole.

Chiaroscuro moves back quickly, paw keeping ahold of the metal rod.

As the mongoose retrieves the rod, something is snared on one of the protrusions that used to be an extension of the vane. There's little time to take a closer look at it, though, as … there are a whole BUNCH of those big fuzzy spider-things, and they're all coming out right NOW!

Chiaroscuro hesitates about two seconds, then bolts, back for the stair.

The fuzzy spider-things pursue, but they are no match for the sure-footed mongoose. When he reaches the steps, the creatures cannot be seen, though several clicks and chirps can be heard from amidst the trees, indicating that they haven't given up just yet.

Chiaroscuro runs up the stair quickly to the cabin, peering behind him as he reaches the door. He strains against his skullbuzz to listen for the creatures…

There is no sound of the creatures from this point. Not yet, anyway.

Something dangles on a chain from the vane rod that the mongoose still carries.

Chiaroscuro walks around a bit outside the cabin, to the edge of where he has sure footing, to create a false scent trail. He then returns to the cabin…

Chiaroscuro blinks, looking closely at the vane, and what is there…

It must be a miracle from Rik'Tik'Tav himself! There, dangling on a chain from the vane, is Chiaroscuro's very own Rikkorrel!

Chiaroscuro gasps in amazement, hardly believing it! He touches his Rikkorrel, to make sure it is quite real… then moves inside the cabin, closing the door firmly behind him. He prays aloud… "Lord Rik'Tik'Tav, your servant thanks you for this! You truly care for each of your children, no matter where they go."

Chiaroscuro says, "Continue to guide me in this new land, and protect me from the serpent's strike. As I journey, may your energy shine in me, may your life shine in me, and may I run always towards your commands. Amen."

Time passes, with no sign that the fuzzy monsters have continued their pursuit … or that they might barge into the cabin at any moment.

Several tummy-grumbles and head-nods later, there is a rattling at the door handle, and a light rapping, followed shortly thereafter by a loud pounding, and someone shouting outside.

Chiaroscuro stands up, walking to the door. "Boghaz? Is that you, Boghaz?" he does not open it yet.

The mongoose can make out "Chiaroscuro" being repeated a few times through the barrage of words.

Chiaroscuro opens the door, looking at…

Outside is Boghaz, and some other bats who are similarly attired in dark cloths, leathers and bits of shell armor. Further down the steps, on a short landing, can be seen some sort of palanquin, and several more bats, these not wearing armor.

Boghaz stands tall and proud, a triumphant "I told you so" look on his face. He calls out Chiaroscuro's name again, and then gestures toward the palanquin.

Chiaroscuro smiles at Boghaz. "Thank you, Boghaz. I see you brought others."

Chiaroscuro looks at the palanquin…

Chiaroscuro walks to the palanquin, and looks at Boghaz. "On this?", he says and gestures?

Boghaz nods and gestures Chiaroscuro to move underneath the canopy. Meanwhile, the unarmored bats, their demeanor suggesting servants, pick up several cords that run to two supporting poles running the length of the palanquin.

Chiaroscuro moves into the place indicated, looking about.

The servant bats take flight, and with a bit of a jolt, the palanquin is soon airborne as well, bearing the mongoose up into the sky. Thankfully, the palanquin has a solid flooring to it, and some containments that prevent the occupant from spilling out the side on any of the jolts.

Chiaroscuro rests, looking catiously out as he flies. .o(Marvelous… that one as I should fly. I should think these are creatures sent from Rik' himself, to carry me to paradise… )

Boghaz and the other warriors flank the palanquin as it continues high above the valley floor. Below, the mongoose can see a winding river, with several tumbling falls contributing to it. He can also catch a glimpse of that stone bridge he crossed earlier, with a waterfall near the far edge – surely where he had been experimenting with those thrown pebbles.

On occasion, plumes of smoke can be seen rising from some of the mountains, and there are glimpses of settlements nestled in the valleys or on the mountain sides – some of which have been terraced for farming.

There are also many fortifications to be seen, most of them in various states of ruin, though still evidently occupied. Here and there can be seen other signs of ruin – some of it fairly recent, some possibly ancient.

Chiaroscuro keeps looking out, but the distraction of his skullbuzz keeps him from focusing enough to mentally map the area.

The slopes become more gradual, though the peaks drop no lower. Far ahead can be seen what at first appears to be a mountain, partially obscured by clouds, which towers higher than any of the others. But as the palanquin draws closer, it becomes evident that this "mountain" is by no means natural. It's … a collosal tower!

Chiaroscuro watches, amazed…

This great, thick tower is surrounded by a vast city filled with other pyramid structures, though none of them compare to the great tower's grandeur. Countless flyers can be seen flitting between the buildings, and other people can be seen bustling on bridges that stretch out from building to building. Stonework can be seen which must have taken centuries, perhaps even millenia to construct, and by the looks of it, new buildings have simply been constructed on the ruins of the old, growing into great towering structures in time.

Chiaroscuro calls to Boghaz. "Is this Bah-bel?"

There are also other wonders to be seen – Palanquins are borne by other flyers, but there are larger flying craft as well – They look like seafaring ships suspended underneath massive bags, and sprouting colorful sails which radiate out symmetrically.

Even with the rushing wind, Boghaz somehow hears Chiaroscuro. His voice is lost in the wind, but by the expression and his mouthing, it seems he is nodding and saying "Babel".

The palanquin is at last lowering, going toward a sizeable stepped pyramid with what looks like a palace on its top tier. It is nowhere near as large as the great tower, but an impressive estate nonetheless, and not all that far away from that great accomplishment of architecture.

Chiaroscuro keeps looking, amazed… .o(Such wonders… have I left my life, and gone to paradise,. Lord Rik'? Or is this a new place you wish me to bring your teachings to?)

The craft borne by the bat servants touches down much more softly than how it first took off, and the bat warriors land alongside. There are shouts exchanged between the servants and some others of the house, something that sounds like announcements of names, into which is interspersed some occurrences of "Boghaz" and a mention of "Chiaroscuro".

It is now late in the day, drawing toward night, but it appears that the flyers flitting about are becoming more numerous as the sky darkens, rather than the other way around.

Chiaroscuro climbs out of the craft, and stands up, still looking about him in awe at the vast city. .o(Even Emor is not this vast… )

Some servants come up to the craft, and seem to be beckoning the mongoose to disembark. One of them carries some dark robes draped across her arms.

Chiaroscuro follows the guidance of the servants, still looking about, relieved to be among friendly ones…

Boghaz disappears somewhere, as the mongoose is led into the corridors of the palace. He is given a royal treatment there, cleaned and dressed in finery, with attendants at hand (although they can't understand anything he has to ask of them, for the most part).

At last, the mongoose is led out into a dining room, set out for a meal. As far as meals go, its size does not qualify as "feast", and might not be as impressive as the mongoose has been led to expect, in light of the size of everything else here, but there is certainly a great deal of food to be seen, dominated by fruits and … various types of crustaceans and … bugs?

Chiaroscuro is amazed at all the attention given to him. .o(They must treat newcomers with great honor, here… )

There are a few other bats seated at the table in addition to Boghaz. Boghaz is dressed in robes, though he does not sit at the head of the table, and apparently he is not the head of this household. In addition to the bats, though, there is also a canine – a poodle? – dressed in brown and black robes that look to be of much coarser and heavier fabric than the bats wear.

Chiaroscuro sits down, and looks at the food… .o(fruit… some sea- creature, i think… and insects. They eat like West reachers… )

Chiaroscuro looks up at the poodle. .o(A dog… a strange one. He must be the master of this place.)

Formalities must not involve much before the meal, for as soon as the mongoose is seated, and the bat at the head of the table says something, everyone begins helping themselves to food, calling to servants to reach items that are out of reach.

Chiaroscuro begins to eat, partaking of the fruit, and the insects. He avoids the crustaceans, though.

The course of discussion is hard to follow, but many times Boghaz seems to be questioned by the others, and many times he mentions "Chiaroscuro". The poodle seems to be particularly interested in the mongoose, often looking in his direction, and not concealing his stares. Whenever he speaks, the word "Rephidim" often pops up in his speech.

Chiaroscuro listens, trying to focus… but more than anything else, simply eats.

In addition to the bat servants, there are also a few felines as well, with golden, black-spotted fur. These do not speak at all, and they seem to be of lesser status than the bat servants. Later on into the meal, a couple of the cheetahs seat themselves on cushions at the far end of the hall, and begin to play music on a couple of stringed instruments, while a third musician – a younger bat – keeps rhythm with bells.

A steaming hot dish is brought in, some sort of meaty soup in a big black bowl … a big black bowl with a long segmented whip tail. No, it's not a bowl at all. It's an exceptionally large specimen of one of those ornery creatures that charged at Chiaroscuro shortly after his arrival.

Chiaroscuro listens to the music, very different from the simple chants and such he knows. Very strange…

Chiaroscuro looks at the bowl… shudders a bit. .o(Those get that large? Thank Rik' I avoided them… )

As the evening meal progresses, dominated more by around-the-table banter than actual eating, some of those at the table begin to retire, excusing themselves. The sun has gone down now, as evidenced through the glass-less "windows" of this court, and the stars and that glittering band across the sky have come out once more.

Chiaroscuro eats his fill, and tries to pick up and learn words of conversation.

With the rapid patter of words of the conversants, who have no inclination to slow down for a new learner of the language, it is hard to pick up much meaning – just certain words that sound familiar, but still lack certain context.

When it looks as if the mongoose is no longer eating, a cheetah servant comes up and gestures for the mongoose to follow – but in such a way that makes it seem more of a suggestion than a request.

Chiaroscuro stands, glancing at the poodle first, and saying, "Thank you very much for the meal, sir." He bows in his direction, and waits for a response before he will follow the cheetah.

The poodle smirks, and nods back, then glances sideways to the bat who is at the head of the table. The bat looks faintly frustrated over something, but nods as well.

Chiaroscuro follows the cheetah, a slightly confused look on his face.

The mongoose is led down a hallway to a chamber with a warmly glowing firepit to one side, and several large pillows arranged on the floor. There are open windows that provide a view of the cityscape and of the starry night sky above, and which also let in fresh air. Between the cool air of the windows and the warmth of the fire, the chamber manages to stay at a comfortable temperature.

Chiaroscuro looks at the fire, and the pillows. .o(Intriguing… )

The mongoose's possessions are all neatly arranged on one side of the chamber. Even the broken weathervane is there as well, and has been polished so that it shines in the firelight, despite the many pockmarks on its surface.

Chiaroscuro goes over to his belongings, checking them… then setting comfortably on a pillow. .o(It seems I am to bed here for the night… )

It certainly seems that way. For now, there are no storms, no strange little creatures to disturb the mongoose's sleep. He is left only with that infernal buzzing…

Chiaroscuro falls to sleep, his dreams more comforted, in his safe new resting place…