The garden remains just as Lakshmi left it, although the small pond in the center has a very contented looking carp swimming around inside of it.

Lakshmi slithers off the stairs into the garden, then looks around with a sigh of relief – and a grin at the carp. Now to try bringing the little squirrel bug thing to life. She mentally crosses her fingers that it's an herbivore, and heads for the little golden statue.

Lapis wakes up and stretches against the Naga's arm. It spies a berry bush and starts to squirm off.

Lakshmi hmms… maybe they should try the serendip too – she knows they're somewhat amphibious, and would doubtless eat a lot more than the relatively tiny squirrel-bug. She smiles down at Lapis, "Well hello there, small stuff! Finally woken up, eh? Here, why don't you have a nice meal of berries while I try to awaken a friend for you, hm?"

Lakshmi picks a few berries for Lapis, then settles the freen down on thebeasthound statue's back – where the little furry Creen is easy to see.She then returns to the business of picking up the squirrel-bug statue.

The statue feels slightly heavy in Lakshmi's hands. It's vermite size, and doesn't appear to have any claws. Even if it is carnivorous, it shouldn't be too hard to subdue if it decides to try eating another one of the creatures in the room.

Lakshmi examines it curiously, running a finger lightly down its forehead. "You're certainly an interesting looking one. I wonder what you eat? Let's see what I have for you." She searches her pockets, making sure she has a variety of possible treats to hand out, before she carefully holds the little statue up to the sunlight.

The freen happily perches on the golden beasthound as it munches on the berries. The statue's barbed tail poised over the little furry creature is a little disconcerting though.

Lakshmi grins at the little freen. "I think we'll wake your beasthound friend up last of all, Lapis… and we'll be sure we have a nice sturdy collar and a good healthy meal for him, too!" She turns to watch the squirrel creature glitter in the sunlight, with a hopeful expression.

The fuzzy vermite starts to warm up in the sunbeam and then begins to move. The gold gives way to bright white fur and ruby red eyes. An albino perhaps?

Lakshmi looks pleased and excited, and carefully offers some of the treats.

The little squirrel-creature yawns, showing off some chisel-like teeth. It sniffs down at the snake and then sniffs more intently at the proffered treats. It springs to the treat-bearing hand and begins stuffing its cheeks with as many as it can grab. Looks like it has pouches in there.

Lakshmi laughs with quiet delight, and with her free hand gently rubs the soft forehead and ears, letting it have all the treats it wants.

The little white creature has fur almost as soft as a whispa's. It whistles to the Naga, sounding almost like a twittering bird.

From its perch on the beasthound, Lapis twitters back.

Lakshmi breathes softly. "Ooooh… aren't you a lovely one… " She tries a soft, cautious whistle herself, just for fun.

Impressively, both the freen and albino vermite-squirrel (squirmite?) whistle back. It sounds like they're trying to imitate Lakshmi's calls.

The squirmite looks at Lakshmi with eyes that seem to beg for a treat after responding to her whistle. Apparently it seems to think it did something to merit one.

Lakshmi blinks – then beams! "Oh my… aren't you both clever? Let's see if I can sound as nice as you two… " Carefully she tries a soft, twittering whistle again… and there just happen to be a few more treats on her hand as she does so. This may be the only time an animal can successfully beg from Lakshmi… but during that "first impression/making friends" moment, she's always been a softie!

The freen flutters across the ground and climbs up Lakshmi's coils to get to the treat-bearing hand. Although it has wings, it can't seem to fly all that well.

Both the squirmite and freen gorge themselves while the Naga serenades them.

Lakshmi curls up quietly in a heap of coils, crooning happily to her two new friends, rubbing their soft fur gently, and feeding them treats – but not so many as to make the poor things ill. For all she'd know, a hurricane could go by behind her – she's entranced!

After filling their bellies, the two creatures begin grooming one another, occasionally giving the Naga's hand a lick or two as well just for good measure.

Lakshmi watches with quiet happiness, doing her own little bit of ear rubbing when they seem to want it. "So what are we going to call you, hmm? Lapis… We need a pretty stone for you too, don't you think? No no, that nut's too big to stuff in your mouth that way… There, that's it, turn it sideways… There you go. Hm… Opal? Diamond seems too hard… Crystal, maybe?"

"Chreep?" squeaks the squirmite, pausing to scratch at ear with its hind leg.

Lakshmi giggles softly, and scritchies the ear gently. "You two are just amazing! Where did you come from, I wonder? How did you come to be?"

The squirmite scratches at Lakshmi's finger for a couple of seconds before it realizes that someone else is doing the work for it. Meanwhile Lapis is once again anchoring itself to the Naga's arm.

Lakshmi giggles softly, shifting her arm so Lapis can curl neatly up, and gently rubs the little squirmite's ears and tummy until it too looks sleepy. She whispers softly, "I think opal is a beautiful stone… let's call you that, hm? Do you like 'Opal' for a name, small one?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Oh!" She brightens. "No, I know an even better name! How about 'Pearl', hm?"

"Chree!" The Squirmite paws at its cheek and deposits a slobbery nut in Lakshmi's hand, replacing it with one of the few remaining treats.

Lakshmi laughs delightedly, then hisses solemnly (although with a sparkle in her eyes), "I take it I should keep this safe for later then, hmm?"

Pearl bounds up the Naga's arm until it's perched on her shoulder. It tugs at a bit of loose string from her cloak with its paws.

Lakshmi grins. "So, you're a nester, eh? Hm… What do I have for you… Would you like some of the wool from inside the cloak?" She offers a small tuft between her fingers to Pearl.

The Squirmite takes the wool and deposits a treat on the Naga's shoulder in exchange.

Lakshmi chuckles. "I can see you're going to take some getting used to. You seem to be quite the little trader! Let me see… I wonder if you'd like snuggling down in the cloak hood? That should be warm and cozy and safe for you… and since I don't need to use the hood in here, I won't be flipping you and all your treats over my head accidentally!" She holds the hood open with one hand behind her head, and drops the treat in it. "There you go!"

Pearl stares blankly at Lakshmi in that manner that animals have of trying to pay attention to someone but having absolutely no idea what's being said. Still, the language of free food is universal, and the moment the treat is dropped, a flash of white fur is zipping in right after it.

Lakshmi giggles softly, and lets the hood go, so Pearl can nest if it wants. She looks happily around the garden. "Hm… Let's just take a moment to examine the Gooshurm, shall we?" She slithers over, careful not to jostle anyone, and studies the odd golden statue carefully.

The Gooshurm statue is much larger: about three and a half feet high. Its slobbery tongues hang out of its mouth, frozen in gold. It looks almost like a novelty statue.

Lakshmi hms, studying the Gooshurm, then carefully runs her hands over it, checking to see if there's anything else odd about the statue… extra limbs, perhaps, or its tail being buried in the ground, and thus being longer than she can see?

Lakshmi also peers curiously into the mouth, never having seen one quite up so close.

The Gooshurm seems more compactly built, perhaps a bit more wide than most. Its mouth opens up into four (rather than the typical three) segments and it has four (again, rather than the normal three) long tentacle-like tongues – usually used for slurping burrow-bits into giving up their meals… or hapless foxes. There are some fragments of silken-looking material in the open mouth, mostly jammed up in the tiny nooks and crannies.

Lakshmi murmurs, "Well what do you know – the zolk didn't change to gold!" She retrieves a small bit between her fingers, staring at it curiously. "Fascinating… So… none of you will come back with any collars or anything on you – because only you turned to gold!"

The zolk feels extremely soft to the touch, yet the tiny strands don't rip apart or wear as the Naga examines them.

Lakshmi looks curiously at the statue… then blinks and looks again, more carefully. "You know… as gold you would be worth a lot of shekels… and your carved brethren upstairs also… " She sighs softly, looking faintly worried. "I… can't in good conscience not wake you all. Let's just cross our fingers that the Temple doesn't come nosing around 'til we're done getting you all back up on your tails again." She gently wipes her fingers off on the edge of her hood, so Pearl has something nice to use in her nesting if she wants, and absently adds, "And… let's be sure we wake you all carefully, eh, so no one eats anyone else that they shouldn't?"

Just then, Skye quietly pads down the stairs, rubbing his muzzle.

Lakshmi wraps her arms carefully around the statue, and leans slightly, testing to see if it's too heavy for her or not.

Lochinvar follows closely on the heels of Skye into the room.

Lakshmi doesn't immediately notice the entrance of the others. She has a lump tucked into the dropped hood of her cloak, though.

The Naga is strong… but not strong enough to lift a three-and-a-half-foot solid gold statue from the ground. It wobbles a bit and scoots forward but that's about it.

Lakshmi huffs slightly and releases carefully, then settles back, hands on her hips. "Well… you're not going to make it easy for me, are you?"

Skye dryly chitters, "Yi really want to bring t'at to life?"

Lakshmi's head darts around suddenly, with a startled expression – then she smiles. "Hi there! How did you do? … No, I was testing to see how moveable it was."

An annoyed-sounding squeak comes from Lakshmi's hood as it whips around along with her head.

Lakshmi hisses softly, "I was thinking of pulling up a patch of weeds next to it – oh, sorry, Pearl, there there!"

Skye dryly chitters, "Wake up t'e Gooshurm. We don't 'ave a fox for it to slurp."

Lakshmi pauses to reach behind her head into her hood and scritch gently on something there, then beams at Skye. "I think I now have a – a squirmite, I'll call it! – riding in my hood! She's simply a charmer, Skye!"

Skye laughs quietly, and then he sits down at the end of the stairs. "T'at, 'e certainly is, boss. But I'm sorry. I can't seem to find a new pat' for yi."

The Hekoye wanders over and looks at the statue, and taps at it. "Solid gold," he notes. "Not your easiest thing to carry."

Lakshmi nods to Lochinvar, smiling. "So I noticed… I was thinking of pulling up a patch of weeds next to it, so there's a bare patch of earth available for it to burrow into if it wants." She looks back at Skye, still smiling, "Skye… it's all right. Don't feel bad, please. For all we know, you can only open one door a day, or you have to empty one room at a time. That's not your fault."

Lakshmi looks around happily. "And besides… there's plenty still to do here, and with the aquarium room!"

Lochinvar looks over at the Naga. "I'm not sure there is another combination for that room. It could just be that simple," he offers.

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Hm? How do you mean, Lochinvar?"

"Well," the coyote answers, "only one door appears to open, and that's when the column containing the red stone is the only one that's pushed down."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Hm… well, we've been focusing on the colors. Perhaps it's not the colors, but what the stones are that's important? Coral for water? Or perhaps it's the pattern or layout of the pedestals that's relevant?"

Lochinvar says, "Or perhaps there's nowhere else from there to go."

Lakshmi starts pulling up a patch of weeds next to the Gooshurm as she speaks.

Lakshmi pauses, a weed dangling from one hand. "Well… let's say that room signifies water, the stairwell is air, here is earth… we're still missing fire, yes? Wouldn't it have to be around somewhere?"

Skye nods quietly, still straightening out his whiskers. "Well if we can figure out 'ow to keep that corridor from squooshing us, t'ere's certainly places to go."

Lakshmi grins at Skye. "Not being squooshed is high on my list of priorities, yes!"

Lakshmi pulls on her gloves, then continues pulling weeds.

Most of the plants are wild, and although they have some annoyingly long root systems, the Naga is making progress clearing out a patch of dirt.

Lakshmi keeps clearing weeds until she has a nice patch of bareearth next to the Gooshurm that's about the creature's diameter, soit can burrow easily. She smiles, dusting her hands off, when she's done. "There we go! Now there's not only a burrowing place for our new creature if it wants. There's also a nice pile of roots available to nibble on!" She tucks her gloves neatly back into her belt, then looks around. "But… we only want to wake it currently… so we'll need to cover the others securely, I think."

It looks like all that remains besides the Gooshurm is an eight legged beasthound with a barbed tail. At least it's the most obvious statue, and probably the most unpleasant one. Another glance reveals a scaly fuff'nar, though, so that would make two, though it's not nearly so big and threatening as a beasthound.

Lakshmi tilts her head, considering the scaly fuff'nar and the beasthound, then nods. "Definitely cover them… I think they're both predators."

Skye crosses his arms. "But I like fuff'nars." But he works with Lakshmi to cover the other statues.

Lakshmi grins mischievously at Skye. "Then you can care for it, how's that?"

Skye nods quietly. "Of course I can. Cause yi'd never let me do it wrong."

"Fuff'nars are fine, as long as you're not on their receiving end," Lochinvar notes.

Lakshmi smiles warmly at Skye, then looks around with excited pleasure. "All right! Are we all ready? Lochinvar, why don't you step to the side there, so there's a direct line of sunlight to the Gooshurm… Skye, can you get the bushes aside?" She slithers over next to the Gooshurm… then grins. "Moment… " and sticks her hand in its mouth, wiping her fingers across the gold and swiping up all the zolk left, then gently wiping it on the edge of her hood for Pearl. She straightens, looks around… makes sure everyone's lined up, plants and bare patch neatly in front of the Gooshurm… Finally she happily says, "All right, now we're ready! Skye – the light, please!"

Lakshmi crosses her fingers, looking like a kid on Guy Fox day.

Lochinvar steps over to the side, as instructed, and waits.

Wrestling his way through the bushes, Skye pushes them aside, hoping to wake a Gooshurm … and nothing else.

As the light hits the statue, the Gooshurm's skin starts to change from gold to bright green. Its tongues begin to twitch, and it sinks down to the ground.

Lakshmi oooohs softly, watching in fascination.

The Gooshurm appears disoriented for a moment… and then starts to slither towards the pond.

The Hekoye crouches ever so slightly, just in case he needs to make a quick move against the Gooshurm.

Lakshmi blinks, looking surprised… but just gently lets a hand trail down the Gooshurm's back as it heads for the pool, and doesn't get in its way.

The Gooshurm pauses at the lip of the pond and then plunges its head into the waters. Its body twitches as it starts to drink down several gallons.

On the other side of the pond an annoyed-looking carp flits around in circles.

Lakshmi calls softly to Skye, "Close off the sunlight, please, Skye… We don't want to accidentally wake anyone else." She grins at the carp. "Sorry… it should be done in a bit?"

Skye closes the leaves, turning off the sunlight. "At least it 'asn't tried to eat the carp. And no, yi can't take this one 'ome in yi saddlebags, Laks'mi."

The Gooshurm pulls its head out and… well it sounds almost like it just sighed in relief! Its tongues appear to be much more slimy now and it slithers rapidly back to the open patch of dirt, hammers its face in the middle of it and starts gobbling away at the loam.

Lakshmi giggles at Skye! then grins and lightly pats the Gooshurm's back again as it starts to burrow. "No… Agni would probably be quite displeased with us if we even approached him with this one… "

Lochinvar keeps a close eye on the Gooshurm still. "I didn't know Gooshurm even ate carp," he says, relaxing slightly at the Gooshurm's current action.

Lakshmi looks up at Lochinvar and smiles. "Not to my knowledge. Roots and fungus, really."

Oddly, the Gooshurm doesn't appear to be burrowing. It's just eating bits of dirt and then spitting it back out again.

Lakshmi watches with interest, leaning absently on the critter. "Look at that… It's not burrowing, I think?"

Skye dryly chitters, "Is it supposed to be doing that?

The purple tongues grab some of the roots and pull them into its mouth. It doesn't chew, exactly, but who knows what goes on inside that tubular body? As it spits out another wad of earth, some flecks of zolk can be seen in the mud.

"I wouldn't think so, " says the coyote. "Maybe it's a side affect of being frozen so long?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "I guess so. Perhaps what it's doing is getting the nutrients it needs from the dirt, and putting the rest back? Hm… it would certainly be an excellent way to keep the garden well plowed, so to speak?" She looks up, her eyes sparkling. "Lochinvar, could you possibly carry up Skye to reach any of the crystal birds?"

"I could," replies Lochinvar, "though I'll have to be careful not to get my wings tangled in them."

Lakshmi leans to carefully pick up a small wad of zolk-flecked dirt, to examine it curiously – she looks up at Lochinvar and nods gravely. "It would be a disaster were any of the crystal birds damaged – Please be as careful as you can! Although… ," she pauses, looking thoughtful, "I wonder what wakes the birds? They're already in air… ?"

Lochinvar nods, and looks to Skye. "Ready?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Wait, please… let's not gather them 'til we have an idea of how to wake them?"

Skye stretches, quiet, looking up, to examine where the crystal creatures actually are – to see what element might be missing. "Maybe t'ey must just be set upon t'e ground?"

Lakshmi nods thoughtfully. "That might do it… or perhaps breathing on one."She then grins cheerfully, "All right, let's try it! Can you both retrieve one of the lower ones perhaps?"

"You want us to try breathing on one first, and then get one if that doesn't work?" Lochinvar asks the Naga.

Lakshmi hisses softly, "No, might be better to retrieve it first. We don't want it waking up, panicking because it's tied up with a thread, and entangling itself in the other cords and getting the still-crystal birds all shattered." She shudders slightly at that image, adding, "That would also be bad."

Skye blinks, "So now I fly?"

Lakshmi grins at Skye, "Yep! If Lochinvar's willing!""

Lakshmi holds up the clod of dirt curiously. "Look… quite a lot of zolk… I think our big friend here is a bit of money-maker for our departed mage friend. To be honest… this Gooshurm must be almost all stomach!"

The winged coyote nods. "Ready when you are, Skye."

The Gooshurm spits out another mudball, pegging Skye square in the chest with a fist sized clod.

Lakshmi covers a small grin. "Er… maybe we should leave it in peace?"

Knocked off his feet, Skye shakes the shock off, and just gives the Gooshurm a look.

Lacking eyes (visible ones, at least) the Gooshurm's head just drops again to resume munching away at the sod.

Lakshmi picks the clod off Skye and offers him a hand up, smiling.

Brushing the muddy projectile off, Skye walks towards Lochinvar, looking back over his shoulder with every step. "How do we do t'is, yi'honor?"

The mud is flecked with more pieces of zolk.

Lakshmi breaks the clod up curiously, wondering if there's anything in it, like a pearl in an oyster.

Nope, just more zolk strands. Although there's probably more zolk in that one mudball than a Gooshurm would normally produce in several hours.

Lakshmi looks up at Skye. "Well, it's my guess that they're tied up there, like in the aquarium… so if Lochinvar can get you up there, maybe you could try either cutting one down, or untying it?"

Lochinvar stands just behind the Skreek, and puts his arms around Skye. "Now, don't fidget," he says.

Lakshmi pats the Gooshurm happily on the back and heads out, following the others so she can watch them above her… and, although she's crossing her fingers that it's not needed, so there's someone to try a catch if necessary.

Skye blinks and freezes, stock still. "Thats I do well."

Lakshmi wipes mud and zolk off her fingers and watches intently.

Looking over his shoulder to make sure Lakshmi's out of the way, Lochinvar unfurls his wings and hops into the air, rising, careful not to get tangled up in the threads above.

Lakshmi prudently shifts her cloak slightly so it's available if necessary for catching someone – or something.

Skye blinks as he is raised from the ground. "I don't suppose you can flap and stay in one place?"

"Sure," says the flying Hekoye. "Though make what you're going to do quick."

Translucent crystal birds line the top of the stairs. The smallest is the size of a large bug, and the largest is as big as a baby rakhtor. They sway slightly as the Hekoye's wings stir up the stale air, but they seem to have been arranged in a manner that keeps them from crashing into each other should a breeze hit the stairwell. After all, flying was what originally got Lochinvar past the puzzle.

Pointing to a small – but not the smallest – crystal, remembering the weight of the carp, Skye quickly wraps a zolk strand around his fist, and then slices the strand.

Skye has managed to cut down a thread holding a delicate looking lizard. A pair of bat-like wings rest across its back, and it doesn't seem to have any hind legs. Oddly, its wings seem too small to allow the larger body to fly, really.

The winged Hekoye and the Skreek descend back to the vegetatedfloor, bringing back their prize.

Lakshmi beams at the safe return of her companions, complete with crystal creature. "Wonderful! Thank you, Lochinvar! Hm, it looks almost like a flickertail, but not quite… so, Skye, bring it to the garden, untie it, and let's see if our ideas work!"

Skye walks forward, carefully balancing the critterling. Setting it down upon the earth, he slowly unties the zolk, and sees if anything happens.

Nothing happens, although it glitters prettily in the light.

Lakshmi leans down to watch with intent interest. Gently she breathes air across the tiny statuette of crystal, murmuring, "Come on, pretty thing… come alive for us!"

As the serpent breathes on the tiny lizard, color starts to seep back into its body. Golden scales fade in, as though someone had just poured the little lizard full of color.

The winged lizard peers up at the trio and flicks its tongue out a couple of times.

Lakshmi ooohs happily. "It worked! Look, Skye, Lochinvar – isn't it beautiful?!"

Skye dryly chitters, "Evening, li'l one."

Nodding, Lochinvar says, "Impressive, yes. So, breathing on it did work then."

Skye smiles quietly. "Yi always were t'e smart one."

Lakshmi beams at Skye. "And you the practical one, don't forget!" She hastily produces some treats. "Let's see now… What do you like eating, mm?"

The lizard's tiny wings begin to beat impossibly fast – too fast to see, but they do produce the oddest buzzing sound. The lizard flits up into the air and freezes at about five feet off the ground, hovering in place.

Lakshmi looks faintly startled – then smiles. "High energy, got it." She pulls out some special treats that are partly meat.

An instant later and the lizard darts forward, straight toward some deep blue flowers growing on some overgrown vines. Its tiny forepaws grip a flower as it buries its head inside, while its tail curls around the stem for an extra grip.

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Well look at that!" Lakshmi beams. "Now we don't have to worry about the flowers continuing to grow here!"

Skye laughs quietly. "'Ungry. I'm glad we didn't bring down t'e big one… "

The lizard pokes its head out and flicks its tongue in and out before moving on to another flower.

Lakshmi gently strokes a finger down the tiny creature's tail, careful not to disturb it, or get in the way of the furiously beating wings, and smiles at Skye. "We'll get to it… when we're ready."

Skye smiles quietly. "But Laks'mi, that' critter's bigger t'an me!"