There is an airship that resembles a fish here, though it is not remotely like the one that appeared in Elijah's nightmare. Still, there is the distinctive tingle of active magic in the air, and anywhere there is magic, there is the very real possibility that things may not be quite what they seem. If there are any illusions, here, they must be of an optical nature, or perhaps invoke elements of mundane but cleverly implemented disguises, for Elijah's ability to resist magic doesn't grant him any glimpses of horror within all the festivity.

It looks as if the whole of the carnival could be conceivably packed up and stowed away in the central airship, the gondola having been transformed into a building that, according to the banner, is the "House of Wonders". Other attractions include standard carnival attractions: the "Waashu Spinner", a thrill ride which spins riders around a central axis in wooden cars; "Titanian Challenge", which gives contestants a hammer and a chance to see how strong they are; "Wheel of Blessings," which gives a chance to win prizes if the wheel stops on the right spot; "Crazy Cottage", a strangely leaning little house full of oddities – such as a room with all the furniture nailed to the ceiling instead of sitting on the floor.

There are performers standing on the deck, twirling batons, eating fire, or just standing there and posing, beckoning carnival-goers to see the wonders inside. People of various species – Fnerf, Eeee, Gigi and Aelfin, mostly – and ages mill about, watching performers, playing games, and taking rides. The bulk of the performers and employees of this carnival are Gigi, and many of them as close to perfect specimens of their species as could be imagined (obviously hired for looks).

At the edge of the field where the carnival has set up shop, there's a slight rustle in the undergrowth, as a brown-furred Vartan makes his way stealthily through the woods … and this far from the action, and with so many loud noises to compete with, it's unlikely he'd be noticed. He has made his way over from Wyrmwood, and this is a field beyond those that housed the doomed Harvest Eve celebrations he'd seen in his nightmare, and it's well before the time for said Harvest Eve celebrations to begin.

Before Elijah has much time to fully survey the view, there's a rustle of leaves, and then a little wisp forms on a tree branch nearby, which quickly pops into an apparition that looks something like a child's drawing projected onto reality … a little two-dimensional figure hovering in space, abstractly resembling a little white kitten with a triangle-shaped smile, triangle-shaped ears, lines for whiskers, no attempt at a nose, and curved lines for closed, "smiling" eyes. Atop her head is a representation of some sort of cap with a slightly military look to it, and a rough approximation of a cogwheel set on it as an insignia. The kitten-figure waves at Elijah, then puts one roughly formed "paw" up in a salute.

Elijah blinks in surprise at the apparition, but quickly settles himself. This must be Ariel, judging by the air of the odd thing. "A pleasure meeting you," he whispers, unsure if it can even hear him. "I sense magic being used here. Can you help me focus on the source?"

The little abstraction forms a big frown, then pulls a little white rectangle out nowhere, and uses it to write on the bark of a tree, like chalk, "It's all over. There must be multiple foci, so close together to make it hard to single any one out. But it's all in that carnival over there." The figure pauses a moment for the Vartan to have time to read it all, then puffs its cheeks and gives an insubstantial "blow" that causes the "writings" to dissipate into nothing.

The Vartan nods. "Then I suppose I shall have to visit the carnival. You specialize in the Sphere of Spirit, do you not? Can you protect me in any way or keep them from seeing me as anything more than a simple traveler?"

The figure chalks out, "If they're 'seeing' through spirit, I can obscure you. But the whole thing smells fishy." The figure looks like it's trying to make an expression, and then it seems to blink in realization, then it takes the piece of ethereal chalk and draws a little circle on its face to make a nose. Satisfied at this correction, the figure then wrinkles its nose distastefully and sticks out a semi-circle tongue.

"How so?" He peers out at the carnival and then glances back at the image.

The figure wipes off the previous words, then writes, "Why are they here, and not in town? Why are they running today, and not tonight or tomorrow?"

"Good point. I just thought that you might mean there might be magic here beyond Spirit." Elijah taps his chin. "Try to obscure me, then. I don't care about being invisible, but I don't want to set off any magical alarms either. Is there a way you can shrink down this apparition so that you can travel with me as a sort of second pair of eyes? It might also prove useful if I need to get a message to Wyrmwood quickly."

The figure nods, wipes off the messages, then writes, "I can obscure you, but if I come along with you, there's the risk that I may draw undue attention, if someone is looking in the right way – that is, using something other than Spirit. It would be a gamble."

"I understand. Try to stay nearby if you can, then. Just a pair of eyes to give advance warning if something happens." He brushes himself off. "I'm all ready; hopefully in this part of the country a sword won't be out of place."

The mini-Ariel nods, then wipes out the last words, and turns into a little mist that drifts along, barely noticeable … except that every once in a while, a couple of little circle eyes pop out and blink at the Vartan, then vanish again.

Elijah whispers a prayer to himself and makes the sign of the Star against his chest before sneaking over to a pathway in the forest that will lead him casually to the carnival so he won't just spontaneously pop out of the forest like some suspicious looking beast.

As the Vartan approaches the tents, he's assaulted by the dizzying sights, sounds and smells of a traveling carnival. Cloth banners on poles flutter in the wind, bearing brightly colored images of special attractions to be seen within the House of Wonder. SEE Garganto, the Bottomless Pit! SEE the Lady of a Thousand Faces! SEE Behemoth, the Mighty Mountain of Muscle! SEE Pyro, the Flaming Kujaku! WONDER at the mystifying feats of acrobats and masters of legerdemain! LAUGH at the gut-busting antics of clowns and midgets! TEST your skill at games such as Wak-a-Waashu, the Archery Gallery, or the Titanian Challenge! Come one, come all!

For now, the House of Wonder looks to be the most suspicious place. Elijah digs a few shekels from his pockets and wanders there, idly scanning the crowd and the other tents for anything that might look or feel wrong.

All around, there is gay laughter. Laughter, laughter, laughter. Everyone seems to be having the time of their lives. People pass each other along the way, and give each other a hearty laugh. One could hardly match such joy. Except, of course, if it's all fake. Many would just be swept along by all the fun, but for the wary, it just sets off all the wrong signals. These people aren't hysterical, but maybe they're just a little too happy.

It's difficult, but the Vartan attempts to parrot the mood. He grins like an idiot and chuckles to himself, nodding to the other patrons as they pass by. As he idly strolls towards the freak show tent, he looks around for anyone who might also be recently arrived to the carnival and not fully caught under the spell yet. If he can pinpoint a source (if there is a source) by following someone, all the better.

It takes quite a bit of looking around to find any possible contenders … but then he sees one golden Khatta cub who, while seeming to be perfectly content licking a candied bug on a stick, also seems to be fairly detached from all the intense gaiety as she skips along from booth to booth.

Trying to look as casual as he can, the Vartan changes his course to follow and observe the cub. He tries to pick out her age as he studies her, wondering if she looks old enough to have come to the carnival on her own or if she might have been abandoned by her parents somewhere along the way.

The cub has the look about her of being perhaps eight years of old. She's dressed in a fairly drab-looking dress, with a few swathes of tattered black lace draped over her shoulders, and a scrap of it turned into a bow for her ponytail. The fabric has the look about it of being neglected, like some discarded scraps picked up along the way, while the dress has a well-worn and well-stained look of a favorite play garment, though it doesn't necessarily look dirty, per se. She skips along in bare feet, and her bouncing is conspicuous enough that for the time being, the Vartan has little trouble following her.

Elijah keeps his eye on the cub as he follows her along without trying to look like he is. He's hesitant to rush up and introduce himself just yet, and for now remains content with following along.

With a staccato "Ha ha ha ha ha!" a Gigi in clown markings crosses the way on impossibly long legs and appropriatelyimpossibly long trousers – a stilt-walker, obviously. Some acrobatic clowns do somersaults and tumbles in his wake … and when they move along, the cub is further ahead, hardly even visible except for the occasional glimpse of golden fur (and there's quite a bit of that here) and a bobbing honey-coated bug on a stick. Off to the right, some cubs of assorted species line up for the chance to whack at a wooden box with nine holes in it, which – when the operator cranks up the machine – produce little rubbery waashu heads that pop up. When a child happens to whack on the head before it goes back down, a little bell rings, and the operator marks up another score for the contestant. As enthusiastic as their whacks are, the kids don't seem to be racking up all that many points, but they seem to be having a ball regardless.

The Vartan narrows his eyes a bit and studies the children, curious if they might happen to be immune to the effects of the carnival overall or if the cub he's following is still a special case of sorts.

There's a Fnerf, two Eeee (who can barely manage the strength to record a strike with these mallets), and a Gigi here, and they seem to be howling and hooting for as good a reason as any little boy would their age, if given a hammer and permission to hit something. They don't seem to register the same feeling of "intensity" of the average carnival-goer, nor do they seem to have the detached yet contented look of the lone Gigi cub.

( So the carnival rides might be meant as distractions for the children while the adults fall under the spell? Hmmm. ) Elijah quickens his pace, trying to catch up with the cub.

As he rushes through the crowd, he bumps into a rather plump-looking Gigi in mismatched, patched-up robes, with clownish fur-paint. At once, the clown's robes pop open, and out fly streams of chirping Creens! The clown flaps his increasingly floppy sleeves around as the Creens vacate his clothes, to the guffaws of those nearby, until at last he's revealed to just be a skinny rod of a feline, repeatedly tripping over his oversized shoes as he keeps pulling up his now baggy trousers, only to have them fall again.

The Vartan chuckles tokenly to try and not raise any suspicions and then goes back to trying to find the little girl cub, looking as though he's dropped a shekel or such.

For a time, it seems as if he's lost the girl entirely, but then, as he's hunting around for a fictitious shekel, he turns around a corner, and comes face to face with a little girl cub, licking on a candied bug on a stick. She looks up at the Vartan with clear eyes, but says nothing, just pausing to nibble a little flake of hard candy clinging to the bug's shell.

Elijah focuses himself momentarily, trying to see if he can feel any magic emanating from the child. "Hello there, have you seen my lucky wooden shekel? I always rub it before I play the carnival games, but I seem to have dropped it."

The Vartan's acute senses don't perceive any magic coming from the cub, but given the assault on his senses from all directions, that does not necessarily rule out the possibility. The girl cub looks up at the Vartan intently, staring at him a long moment … and then she abruptly shakes her head in the negative, her ponytail flopping about behind her as she does so.

He mock-pouts, attempting to look as gay as everyone else in the carnival despite his loss. "That's a shame. Perhaps I shouldn't waste my time with the games then. Have you been to any of the other tents yet? Could you tell me if there's any nice shows here that I should see?"

The girl doesn't answer aloud, but just hunches down a little, looking up at the Vartan through her bangs, and her free hand shoots up to point past him toward the "Hall of Shinies". It's a fairly common inclusion at just about any carnival where it's expected Vartans will show up. Easy money, and all that.

Grinning, Elijah nods and offers a hand to the child. "Do you have any parents here? We could go in together. I came here all by myself and don't have anyone to show me around."

The girl holds back a moment more, as if considering the offer, but at last she reaches out a paw to the reaching talons. She doesn't shake her head in the affirmative or negative in response to his question, however.

Elijah gingerly take the cub's hand, his thumb presses against the underside of her wrist… feeling for a pulse.

The feeling that runs through Elijah's body at the touch could be described as … cold. But cold doesn't quite seem adequate. Cold wind blowing through an abandoned manor, the glass panes having settled in their frames, and rattling noisily, as the wind howls through gaps in the weathered wood, causing strips of tattered cloth from tapestries to flutter about, ghost-like, and a bead curtain to rustle and chime discordantly…

… No, he's not in some strange place like that. He's in a carnival. And he has a quiet little cub holding onto his talons, her hand easily encompassed in his massive grasp. And, yes, her wrist has a pulse.

The Vartan tries to bite down on his feeling, although his grip shifts uncomfortably as he starts to walk along with the child. "Do you talk at all, little girl? Do you have a name?" His eyes fall on the back of the child's neck, looking for signs of a wound.

There is no sign of a wound … but there are a few dark splotches. Spots. The spots fade as they go away from the hem of her dress and the cover of her ponytail, blending into the dusty "gold" of her fur, as if smeared away by grease or dye of the appropriate hue. She stops sucking on the head of the bug long enough to mew, "Mena," and then goes right back to gnawing on its sugar-coated carapace, tagging along with the Vartan.

Elijah walks casually to the shiny room that was pointed out earlier. "I'm Eli," he scrawks. "Do your parents work here at the carnival?"

The tent has been set up with hanging bits of cloth cut to suggest stalactites and stalagmites, as if one were entering a cave full of wonders … or the waiting jaws of some gargantuan monster. Inside, the tell-tale glitter of baubles and crystals can be seen. The cub silently continues with Elijah, as a Gigi barker smiles down at the two from his perch. "Step right up, and right on in! Visit the Hall of Shinies, let the magic begin! There's so much to look at, so much to see! And you can't beat this bargain, because today only, it's free!"

Swallowing, the Vartan manages a grimace of a smile and walks into the hall, nodding to the barker in thanks as he enters. He tries to force his free hand from instantly grasping at his sword like instinct seems to be demanding him to at the moment.

The cub pads along, slurping noisily on some of the goo that oozes from the now headless bug-on-a-stick.

"So, Mena… you never answered my question. Do your parents work here at the carnival?" Elijah scrawks as he leads the cub along with him.

All around, glittering shards of crystal hang on strings, sit on pedestals, or on shelves. Most are just odd shards, but there are also a few knick-knacks … carved pieces of glass … bead necklaces … the requirement is only that it be shiny and be attractive in some respect to look at. At least for a Vartan.

Mena looks up at the Vartan, and slowly shakes her head in the negative. The shell of the bug makes snapping and crunching noises as she breaks off pieces with her teeth.

Elijah releases the cub's hand and slows his pace, trying to look fascinated with the bits of crystal and other baubles. "Isn't it pretty in here? All of these gems… like specks in the Procession."

Mena nods quietly. The hall is just as quiet – for there are no other Vartans at the moment milling about and enjoying the shinies – save for the tinkling of obsidian and crystal chimes swaying in the breeze at the entrance to the tent. Reflections of the Vartan and the cub show in the facets of the crystals, ghostly versions of their larger selves.

Elijah brushes a hand against the crystals, trying yet again to see if he can feel any particularly strong magical emanations, this time from this particular chamber. "It seems rather lonely in here though, doesn't it? Maybe we should leave and come back when there are more Vartans around to share it with."

As Elijah looks in the crystals, he sees fragments of images that don't look … right. He doesn't just see the Vartan and the cub. He sees a multi-tailed Kitsune wearing a mask and a kimono. He sees a tall and gaunt-looking Sylvanian Eeee with burning red eyes, and too slender proportions. He sees a Savanite holding a wand with a claw at the tip. He sees a myriad of images, all of them haunting in some regard, all of them different … all of them somehow looking to be reflections of the same.

The cub nods, and pads back up, holding out a paw for Elijah's hand.

Nervously, Elijah takes the cub's hand and walks out. "Pick where you'd like to go next, Mena. Shall we go see the Lady of a Thousand Faces?" He nervously rubs her paw with his thumb. ( She has spots, and I remember being told about an avatar being groomed for a role before they're ever actually taken. But… this is just a child, and a living one. Oh Star… she reminds me far too much of Pouncer when she was a cub. )

The cub suddenly seems bashful, and buries her face in Elijah's leg. This has the unfortunate side effect of her bug-on-a-stick adhering to the leg of his trousers.

"Ack!" The Vartan picks Mena up and sets her on his shoulder. "Is something wrong, Mena?" He tries to pull the candy free and clean it off.

The cub sniffles, but doesn't say a word. Across the way, a banner shows the Lady of a Thousand Faces … a female, obviously, and evidently feline and spotted, holding a multitude of masks, in fan-like arrays, and floating about the poster. The poster subtly hints that the Lady might not be wearing anything save for the masks, given a proper mindset and imagination in the viewer, but it's still tame compared to Babelite tastes.

"She scares you, doesn't she? Why does she scare you, Mena?" Elijah bounces the cub on his shoulder.

Mena closes her eyes, sniffling again. All around her, the carnival-goers laugh all the more loudly, and several clowns bounce by, bonking each other on the head, slipping and falling on fruit peels, and performing all manner of antics. It seems as if every clown in the carnival has come over here, just to cheer Mena up.

Elijah abruptly whirls around on his hoof and starts to walk out of the carnival, muttering something about having to use the bathroom as he walks along.

The breeze picks up, and the music of the carnival sounds slightly out of tune, out of tempo, raising and lowering in volume and pitch now and then, as the laughter starts to sound drunken … and a few of the shrieks sound more like shrieks. The tents and banners seem to loom over the walkway, and repeatedly, people bump into Elijah, jostling him, then guffawing and stumbling away. Mena shrinks away from the clowns, holding on tightly to Elijah. There's that cold chill again, emanating from the cub, and a sense that whatever there is to be afraid of in this carnival might be riding along on the Vartan's own shoulder.

Elijah's feathers bristle as he tries to find some breathing space. "Mena… listen very carefully to me. I need you to point out to me what you're the most afraid of, or give me some sign of what has you so worried. I know you're different from everyone else here and that doesn't matter to me. But I can't help you unless you help me. Can you do that?"

Mena looks up to Elijah with earnest eyes, and starts to lift a paw … but just then, the crowd in front of Elijah parts, as a lithe spotted feline strides along, adorned in a garish costume made up of cloth "masks", teasingly positioned to seem to hover an inch or more off of her fur, as if to suggest that they're merely floating there. She holds a fan in one hand, fashioned to look like an array of masks held together like a deck of cards, and she holds another mask in front of her face, this one feline and spotted, a stylized version of what would presumably be her own features underneath. "There you are, little one," the Lady purrs. "Come to me."

The Vartan tries to keep his ears from flattening. "Madame, a child should not have to view such a spectacle." He keeps his grip on the cub as though afraid one of the clowns might come and snatch her from his grip. "Besides, do you not have a show about to start?"

The Lady swaggers as she steps forward. "Now, now, perhaps you don't approve of the way traveling entertainers live, but I shall look after my own cubs, and you can look after your own fledglings. I can't very well let her run about unattended – especially since I have a show about to start."

"Odd, according to her she does not have any parents working in this show. Do you know this child's name?" He glances at Mena, trying to read her expression.

With a flick of her wrist, the mask held in the Lady's hand flips, and the reverse side shows a stylized feline skull. "And do you know mine? You are a stranger here, Vartan. I do not think you are enjoying yourself properly."

All around, voices pick up again in loud, desperate-sounding hoots and cackles, and the music picks up again, though horribly out of tune.

Elijah's ears flatten for real, his hand dropping to his sword as another arm curls protectively around the cub. He says one word, a curt sharp bark of a word in a guttural language that teases him in his nightmares. "Yes," he replies… in Aeztepan.

"I don't think you belong here, Vartan," the Lady says. "I think someone hasn't been playing by the rules. But no matter … You are obviously here for a reason. I can see it in your eyes." She flips the mask again, and instead of the first feline visage, now it's an avian face, with amethysts for eyes.

Elijah draws his sword out. "So you know me, and I know you. I also know why you're here, and I won't let you take this girl or kill the villagers." He tries to remember his training, drawing upon his memories of the weak point of an avatar. Pride… vanity… "Perhaps if you hadn't been so obvious about your little plan, or so stupid about your attacks, you would have gotten away with this – but tacticswere never your strong point, were they Amenlichtli? Or are you going by some other name here?"

The Lady laughs, but there's a bitter undertone that betrays her displeasure. "Any will do. Am I not the Lady of a Thousand Faces? But as valiant as you hope to be, there will be no saving of little Amena. It was terribly thoughtful of you to try, but a few millennia too late."

The Vartan leans his head against the cub and whispers a prayer, asking the Star to protect the little girl. "She doesn't want to go with you. Any father knows what a frightened girl looks like." He smirks a little. "So… if you want her… come and get her." He winks, andsuddenly leaps up into the air, aiming the down-blast of his wings as he gains flight directly at the lady, hoping to distract her or knock her off balance. He can't fight properly with a cub in his arms unless he wants to risk her, and there's only one person nearby he can trust to keep her safe at the moment.

"STOP! This is pointless!" the Lady shrieks, stumbling back and falling unceremoniously on her tail, while the carnival-goers gawk as the Vartan shoots upwards. He is immediately hit with several blasts of air, and the noxious odors of decay … as the "fish" airship looming over the carnival is no longer quite so cute and festive. It looks like the gargantuan Stygian corpse, bloated with gases, that he saw in his nightmare. The carnival, likewise, has taken on a nightmarish bent, as the facades melt away.

"Only pointless when I'm dead," Elijah growls under his breath. He shoots above the treetops, trying to pop out of sight and throw any gawkers off track before diving down through the trees where he remembers leaving Ariel's little wisp. "Mena, listen to me very carefully. I know she's done all sorts of things to you, and I know you're scared… but whatever she's promised you or told you will happen is a lie. That woman intends to kill you, and a lot of other people, and I am here to stop her. My friend can show you to safety, if you will trust her and me… please."

The cub nods several times, clutching tightly to the Vartan. Nearby, a little wisp hovers, and a couple of circles peek out of it, blinking at the newcomers.

Elijah hugs the cub, kissing her head. "Ariel, tell them that it's started here. I need to you lead this child to the village and to Kasaris' circle of protection, and keep a strong ward on her to throw off any detection. Now hurry, they're looking for us now. I'll stay here and cause as much of a mess as I can."

With a pop, the wisp turns into a little cartoony version of Ariel, waving up at the cub, who looks down at it over a tear-streaked muzzle, with one paw jammed into her mouth. The little figure smiles widely, and gestures a "come along", as it begins to skip slowly in the direction of the town.

"It's all right, Mena. She can't take you unless you let her. Now go… everything will be all right." He gives the cub a gentle nudge towards the wisp. "And remember to be sneaky." He kisses Mena's paw and gives her a feather hastily plucked from his wing. "This will keep you safe. I'll be back soon."

Mena clutches onto the feather, regarding it as if it were a new toy or a precious treasure given her. Then, she frees her now soggy paw from her mouth, and hugs the Vartan's leg.

Elijah hugs the cub back and then pushes her towards the Ariel wisp. "Please hurry. We've little time. Go on now."

The cub nods, then trundles after the wisp, jamming one paw back into her mouth, and waving the feather in the other paw around as she jogs away. The Ariel wisp bounces and jigs all the way, leading the cub toward the town as fast as can be managed.

Elijah drops down and jogs through the forest a distance, not wanting to give away the location of the pair. After he's a fair distance away, he flies up through the treetops again, shooting towards the Stygian ship, his blade gleaming in his hand.

The Stygian ship is already airborne, manned with a Gigi crew. Below, the tattered tents and wagons of the carnival lie, abandoned, and a number of dazed people can be seen staggering about, or – perhaps more recovered of their senses – bolting for the trees.

The ship, however, is not turning toward the town, or for the Vartan … but rather, it seems to be heading away.

Elijah shoots straight for the envelope, focused on slashingit with his sword and bringing it down. "No… you won't be doing this again."

The Vartan's keenly honed instincts allow him to find a chink in the leathery, scaly "armor" of the giant dead fish's hide, and thus to strike a piercing blow to the foul airship's envelope. One moment, crossbow bolts and arrows are raining past him, narrowly missing him several times. The next, his blade is connecting with the foul hide of this horror. The leathery hide tears, letting out a truly wretched vapor, swelling and expanding at the wound … and then … it explodes.

When Elijah regains consciousness again, it takes some time for him to regain his bearings, especially since his time spent unconscious is tormented by nightmares of being in the carnival, being tested, fighting the horror once more, and replays of his original nightmare…

… but at last he registers that he is lying in a bed … in fact, back in the Wyrmwood Wayside Inn. It's evening now, and there are several others in the room. Inri is tending to him, and there's the smell of herbs, and the restrictions of bandages wrapped around his midsection, arms, head and his legs, too, for good measure. He aches quite a bit … but he's alive.

Just to make certain, though, a voice asks, "Is he still froobly?"

"I've honestly no idea," Ariel's voice can be heard to say in reply.

"I … was wondering the same … thing … about … you," Elijah croaks out, trying to force his eyes open. "The village … safe?"

"Yes," Ariel says, beaming. Behind her, Kasaris can be seen looming in the shadows – still solid, but it seems to hardly matter. Watches-Quietly kneels at the base of Elijah's bed.

Elijah starts taking an account of his wounds. "Mena … where's Mena?"

Inri signs, "You were hit with many spines, you took poison, and you landed roughly. I was able to concoct an antidote."

Ariel frowns, abruptly looking quite sad. "She … she vanished."

Elijah starts pulling himself up out of bed, momentarily blind to his wounds. "What do you mean 'vanished'? We need to go look for her! She might have been hurt in the explosion or one of the cultists might have taken her again."

"No," Ariel says, "she vanished. I couldn't sense so well through my 'scout' … but she wasn't what she seemed. She wasn't really there. Or … I mean … not any more so than me." Ariel drops her gaze. "I'm sorry." She reaches into a pocket, and pulls out a lone feather, and lays it on the bed, next to the Vartan.

Elijah takes the feather and sinks back into the bed. "Amenlichtli said that her name was Amena, and that she'd been taken long ago or something to that effect." He shakes his head. "It makes no sense! I felt a pulse… I felt dark magic in her as well, but she never did anything harmful." He reaches out with a shaky arm and grasps Watches-Quietly's hand. "She reminded me of you, Shinyfur."

Watches-Quietly trembles as Elijah holds her hand.

Ariel shrugs. "I don't know what to tell you, except that from all I know of Amenlichtli … she's mad. She has countless puppets, and sometimes they seem to act in cross purposes to each other. I think sometimes she confuses herself with the masks she wears. Maybe this was just another mask."

"What happened here? And how long have I been out?" He pulls his daughter closer and wraps a comforting arm around his waist. Wincing, he also gives his left eye a pat, testing to see if his patch survived the ordeal, or his eye for that matter.

His eye feels like it's still there, but he's got a swath of bandage going over it. The bandage doesn't seem to be serving any purpose save to cover the seemingly undamaged eye, but perhaps Inri didn't want to jeopardize his "disguise" should anyone not in the know wander in while he was unconscious.

Inri signs, "There was some trouble at the carnival, despite our efforts, but nothing like you reported in your nightmare. We managed to subdue the 'wave of pleasure', and we're certain it came from the priestesses of Inala. There wasn't any 'wave of death', however … and we made certain that Bhuz stayed a gentleman."

Elijah nods. "An odd mask, a frightened little child too scared to say more than her name. I wonder if tonight had some kind of significance in some other manner… if Kasaris and Ariel can take form tonight, maybe some part of her can as well, and maybe there's some ritual where something happens to it." He shudders. "Yet another thing to ask the Champion about once I'm fit enough to go there. And unfortunately Amenlichtli knows about us now … or me at least. I can't change the color of my eyes."

Inri signs, "Given your nightmare, I suspect she knew of our presence here in one way or another, before all this. She may have been tracking me, for all I know."

"What happened to the Inala priestess?" The Vartan scoots up in the bed, trying to get a better look at everyone.

Bhuz stammers, "Uh … All this moshling about Amena and other unfroobly stuff … ah … I am frinking I'll go down and have some grubblies." He meanders over to the door.

"Thank you for your help, Bhuz. We're sorry to have drawn you into all of this." Elijah dips his head to the Gigi.

Bhuz gives Elijah a nervous smile … then disappears out the door.

Kasaris looks after Bhuz's departure, and then back to Elijah. "The priestess and her assistants are in the watchful custody of my attendants. The local constabulary is reluctant to take any action against them."

"The ship was manned by Gigis, which makes me think that there must be cultists here that serve her, unless somehow the ship came from Aeztepa." He sighs. "I would have liked to have brought them down a bit more gently… maybe get more information out of them, but there was so little time. They were retreating, and I could not have allowed them to escape so that they could come here again or to some other place and finish their work. I just feel in the pit of my stomach that in destroying the ship, I also killed that poor little girl."

Ariel shakes her head. "She wasn't even there. You couldn't have done any such thing. Don't be so horrible to yourself!"

Elijah droops. "Sorry." He creakily bows to Kasaris and Ariel. "I owe the two of you a great deal. If there is any boon that I can offer in thanks, you need only ask and I will gladly give it."

Kasaris makes a wicked smirk, but Ariel gives her a kittenish warning look. Kasaris sighs, rolling her eyes, then says, "You don't read enough stories. You should know better than to make a blanket offer like that to deity."

"I only worship one god. The two of you are friends, and I trust my friends." The Vartan manages a more genuine looking smile. "Oh! What about Srinala? Is she all right?"

Watches-Quietly smiles. "She's all right. She's sleeping."

"Ariel, could you perform a ritual on her before you have to go? I'd like to see if you can find out if she's sending images in her head to anyone or if someone is sending them to her … and if there's a way we can block it. You'd done it in my vision, but I hurried things along too fast to see what became of it." The Vartan twirls the small feather in his hands.

Ariel bows her head. "I'll get right on it." She slips out the door.

Elijah itches at his bandages. "Did it look like there were any survivors from the ship or anything interesting to be found in the wreckage?"

Kasaris says, "You may like to know, you actually rescued quite a few people. That flying horror was going under the guise of a traveling carnival, stopping at various villages along the way, putting on a free 'sample' show, and mentally subduing anyone who lingered too long to enjoy the pleasures. They became slaves, I suppose, and traveled along with the ship, under command of this 'Lady', and her followers. Or, at least, that's the best I've been able to piece together."

"I was able to convince the constable to detain all of the adult survivors, to sort out which of them were actually willing servants of the Lady, and which were genuinely duped by her magicks," Kasaris adds.

Elijah winces. "Sounds like a mess. Do you know if she was working alongside the Babelite priestesses? And did the lady herself survive?"

Kasaris shakes her head. "I think that they were somehow part of her plan … but if so, I think they were unwilling participants. They had their own goddess to serve."

Inri shakes her head, and offers for the second question, "We found no trace of this 'Lady of a Thousand Faces', either dead or alive. Ariel tried to search for any concentrations of spirit magic, and I contributed a shadow spy, but she either escaped, was utterly destroyed, or simply vanished."

"I don't like the fact that they could have caused a great deal of damage, but I think it would be best of we just let the Inala priestesses go. Might want to hammer into theirheads how they almost became pawns of Amenlichtli before they go, but it is not my job to be their judge." He lets his breath out. "Kasaris, could you come here for a moment? Close enough so that I may touch you… I've no odd intentions or plans to harm you, I just want to check something."

Kasaris jerks back a little at the odd request, but then shrugs and saunters over. "Very well, then." She holds out a hand in a "you may kiss my ring" pose.

Elijah smirks and gently grasps Kasaris' hand, placing a finger on her wrist and feeling for a pulse, just like he did with Mena.

There's a pulse all right. Kasaris' hand feels perfectly solid, making it very hard to believe that she might actually be capable of becoming insubstantial – or even obliged to be. But he also feels a strange, hollow sensation … a void of darkness, swirling, concealing mists, ancient tomes written in arcane languages, their secrets tightly locked against anyone brushing across their well-worn pages with curious hands. Veils of purple, dancing to and fro, playfully teasing, yet not revealing what might lie beyond. Shapes upon walls, cast by mundane objects, but given fanciful new forms by the invention of the mind. Shadows.

The Vartan shivers. Same … but not quite like the feeling he got by grasping the cub's hand. "Kasaris, I have no intention of actually doing this – but this might help explain where the lady and the child went. What would happen to you if you were physically attacked and had something happen to your body that would kill a person?"

"My form would disperse," Kasaris says, "cheating me out of the rest of that holiday, and possibly a few more to come, depending on the nature of the attack. It hasn't happened often, but it's happened a few times. It's quite annoying, to say the least."

"Why is it that you have a pulse? You look like you breathe as well." The Vartan tilts his head.

Kasaris shrugs. "Before I became a goddess, I was rather fond of breathing. Perhaps I just don't feel the need to stop now."

Elijah chuckles, wincing as his bruised ribs protest this. "Have you ever had any splinter manifestations? Say, some other part of you takes a form of its own for a bit?"

Kasaris frowns. "No, I can't say as I recall any such thing happening. I like to think that, for a goddess, I have my head on pretty straight."

Elijah taps his beak. "But Amenlichtli is quite mad, as Ariel said. Could such a thing happen? I mean… if you can be here and in Kroz at the same time, could you also divide yourself into two people?"

Kasaris shrugs. "Well, yes. I generally don't try to spread myself out too far, however. It can get disorienting at times, and I'm never at my full power when I'm in more than one place at a time."

The Vartan lets his breath out. "I wonder what it means… a little child manifesting along with Amenlichtli. It is some spirit of a child she took, or some shard of her personality? I almost wonder if there was some sort of ritual that was supposed to happen tonight … maybe reenacting some horrible deed where she was taken. I don't know enough about gods and rituals and magic to even make a proper guess."

Kasaris shrugs. "Well, if that's the case, I suppose you stopped it. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Not right now, anyway. You should breathe a sigh of relief when you get the chance."

"That won't be for awhile. Amenlichtli and I go quite a ways back and we've a few more rounds to go before our dance ends. It's partially because of her that I chose to follow the path of knighthood." He settles back into the bed. "But I am grateful that we saved the town – and I'm sure that losing her carnival will cost Amenlichtli another little piece of her power outside of Aeztepa."

Kasaris nods. "I won't shed any tears over it. In any case … since we seem to be a bit delayed on our departure from Wyrmwood, I hope you won't mind if I go out and enjoy a stroll while I have the chance?"

"Of course. Please check on Bhuz if you can and make sure he's all right – and send Ariel here when she's finished checking on Srinala." Elijah smiles. "Thank you again for your help tonight."

Kasaris smirks. "I'll try to be fair when I think up a use for that favor you owe me." She winks, then heads out of the room.

Some time later, Ariel comes back to check on Elijah, who's still resting up. It's fairly late by now, and Watches-Quietly has turned in, keeping an occasional eye on Srinala as well. Ariel stifles a yawn, then mews, "Well … this is kind of complicated, really. I'm not sure if this is what I would have told you in your nightmare, but … "

"I missed that part of the nightmare, and I am listening." He stifles his own yawn.

Ariel says, "Well … Srinala is a living, breathing being. But the mind that's in her … uhm … well … it's hard to explain, really. It's like … Srinala has spent all her existence in this dream realm … which is to say, before the dream realm even existed, she wasn't much fun at parties, real or imagined. I think it's fair to say that her personality developed as part of the dream realm, and somehow whatever happened back there in that cave caused it all to be crammed back in her little body. That is, if all of it ever really was anchored there specifically to begin with."

Ariel fidgets with her fingers, then says, "Her brain is performing the functions. Whatever memories she got, however she got them, they're in her head. This isn't some spirit from afar sending her orders. But when she's asleep, she's reaching out and making a contact … and I think it's back with that dream realm. And in the dream realm, she's not just 'Srinala'. She's … well … she's a whole lot of people. Sort of."

Elijah rubs his head, feeling confused by all of this. "What do you mean 'a whole lot of people'?"

Ariel drums her fingers on her jaw, then says, "In the dream realm, Srinala is kind of an actress, to put it one way. She plays a lot of different roles. It's like … a 'dream realm' has to be populated by characters, and not all of them are fellow dreamers. Srinala is … all those 'extras' from the realm of Sunala. She does a whole lot of acting, you could say. And I guess things are pretty dull there when she's not around."

The Vartan blinks. "Is there a way to break this connection? Or would breaking it harm her at all? I don't like the thought of more chances of the Babelites messing with her head while she sleeps."

Ariel nods. "There are various ways of breaking such connections. But the trouble is that the connection originates from Srinala herself. Various wards and means of subduing or negating magic would suffice. Coming up with a permanent solution would be more tricky." Ariel quirks her mouth. "I'm pretty sure it's possible. This just goes into Dream, which isn't my specialty, although it crosses over a little into Spirit, which is how I found out as much as I did."

"Do you have any ideas for a permanent solution? Maybe something we can teach Srinala?" He frowns. "I really need to come up with a new name for her. A 'Srinala' is a thing and not a person… and I don't think she's a true Srinala anymore."

Ariel smirks. "Well, if all else fails, you could move her to, uhm, Abaddon or Arcadia or Ashtoreth. That'd break the link for sure! Until she came back here, that is."

"It sounds too much like putting her through exile. Would the link weaken on one of the sky islands, or would she have to be cut off entirely from magic?" Elijah taps his beak again.

Ariel nods. "It'd weaken, technically, on the sky islands, but not enough to really have a substantial effect, other than that wards would probably be more effective. For a really permanent solution, I'd need to do some research, and get back to you."

Elijah nods. "That would be fine. I do not expect a rapid solution, and she may reject it if offered. Is there anything more you were able to determine? Do you thinkthere are more girls like her in Ashdod?"

The White Lady ponders this, then says, "Well … not quite like her, no. There are a number of 'Srinalas'. But any like her condition? I really don't get a sense of that. In any case, I've tried to do what I could to help her, and I hope that she might be a little more able to make some sense of her memories. Now, whether she'll make any sense to you or anyone else," Ariel shrugs, " is another matter."

"We have plenty of time to piece things together. Is there a way we can keep her from sleeping so much at least? Although I suspect that will be gained simply by helping her to move around and grow stronger." He smirks to himself.

Ariel drums her fingers on her chin. "Well … I'd say that exercise would be good for her. If her wings were in better condition – and the muscles and bones are just fine – flying would be a great exercise. She really just needs to be more active. I'm no doctor, but I'm certain that the more active she is, the better she'll adjust in due time."

"Ariel, you are quite amazing. I owe you more than I can express for all of your help." The Vartan shifts a bit more as one of his wings starts to protest him laying on it. "I'm a bit curious though, do any other members of the Pantheon worship the Star like you and Kasaris?"

"Nope!" Ariel mews, "Not a one! Kassy is really stubborn, and don't even ask me about Dagh!"

Elijah droops. "You mean, there really is a Dagh?"

Ariel blinks, then puts her hands to her waist. "I just told you… "

The Vartan flops back into bed. "All right… all right. My apologies. But how did the two of you come to worship the Star? I have to confess that two Olympian goddesses would be my last guess about worshippers on Sinai."

"No, only the one of us, really," Ariel says. "Kassy doesn't worship the Star. Or, if she does, she won't admit to it. I'm working on her, though. In any case, it's mostly on account of Lady Dack. She's been busy trying to convert just about everybody. And, well, worshipping myself would be just silly, don't you think?"

"I know plenty of people who worship themselves, and they're not even goddesses." Elijah chuckles to himself. "I wish you luck with your sister. Maybe we'll have an impact upon her during our journey. Should I keep anything in mind while traveling with her? Anything I shouldn't mention or things that annoy her that I should avoid doing?"

Ariel brightens mischievously, then quickly sobers. "Oh … well … don't get overly chummy with her. It's really hard to tell when you've stopped being amusing, and you've started to be annoying. Today was really different, on account of the emergency and all, but when things get back to normal, she'll get kind of abrasive if she thinks she's being given orders or told what to do. You may not think she's a goddess, but she's still something of a leader, I suppose, so she feels due a bit of formality now and then."

"I shall give her my utmost respect. She has very much earned it after today." He ponders a bit more. "Do you know if there's anything else she's wanting to learn on this trek? She seems very prideful, and might be afraid to ask for aid on a problem because of it. If I can offer it to her in a subtle manner or keep my eye open for a particular something, I would be happy to."

Ariel smirks. "Nothing in particular that she's confessed to me. For all I know, she's just looking for a way to get a piece of the action, and get a few more nifty powers for her followers."

"I think that if that were the case she wouldn't have simply warded away the dangers that hit us, and would have taken a more active hand in matters." He shakes his head. "How did you get me back here, anyways? I know I'm not all that light, and I must have been a mess when you found me judging by all of these bandages."

Ariel says, "I persuaded some townspeople to help me. I'm not that strong!" She giggles.

Elijah lets his breath out. "You're a messenger goddess, are you not? Could you deliver a message for me?"

Ariel snaps her fingers. "You bet!"

"Could you get a message to the Champion of Amber? Let him know that everything is fine, but my arrival will be delayed because I am wounded. But if at all possible, I would very much appreciate it if he could gather up any information he may have on Srinalas, the dream realm, and anything about instances in Sinai's history where supposed miracles of the gods seemed to be prevalent and what might have caused it to grow stronger or weaker." The Vartan folds his arms behind his head. "He may not feel he is as insightful as his predecessor, but he has very much earned my respect."

Ariel nods, producing an ethereal "notepad" and "chalk" out of thin air, and scribbling down notes. "I think I can manage that. Anything else?"

"A message to my son in Rephidim if at all possible. He and Moon-Brow are probably worried sick. Just let them knowthat the three of us are all right and safe, and that I miss him dearly. Enos will understand." Elijah smirks as he watches Ariel. "You seem so young, yet I'll wager you're eons older than I am. I had settled myself in believing that those who managed to attain some magical godhood on Sinai were all selfish greedy mages. I fear that you and your sister have forced me to change my point of view somewhat."

Ariel smiles, then says, "Well … don't say that around Kassy. She's kind of funny that way. If she's making too good of an impression, for some reason she has to go and crush it before peoples' expectations of her get too high."

Elijah tilts his head. "Really? Why does she do that? Doesn't she want to have friends?"

Ariel frowns contemplatively. "Maybe she doesn't. She still manages to pick up a few anyway." The White Lady shrugs. "In any case, you should probably get some sleep, if we're heading out tomorrow. I'll be sure and deliver your messages."

Elijah yawns. "You're probably right. Considering that I've been needled and poisoned and blown up, I could probably do with some sleep. Good night, Lady Ariel, and thank you once again. I truly mean that offer for help. Should you ever require it, I shall come wherever you need me."

Ariel brightens. "Pleasant dr – oop! I wouldn't want to jinx you. Uhm … well … I hope you get a restful night's sleep!" She waves, then darts out the door.