Jynx walks down the street, looking here and there at all the wares and trinkets, and basically minding his own business.

A wagon rolls by, pulled by a sleepy-looking Dromodon, piled high with junk and (non-organic) refuse. The wheel wobbles a bit as it rolls, and a Kavi walks alongside, prodding the Dromodon along.

The wagon catches the black Khatta's eye, and he watches it curiously.

An annoyed-looking Rath'ani looks down from a ladder, where he's painting a sign. "Hey! Watch it down there! Don't you know it's bad luck to walk under a ladder?" Funny. It was pretty easy to miss that ladder for some reason.

*creak* *creak* It looks like that wheel is about to fall off!

Jynx jumps a bit at the yell. "Oh, sorry, sir. Guess I wasn't watching where I was heading." He quickens his step, hoping no one was watching.

*creak* *creak* No … that sound isn't from the wheel. *snap* It's from somewhere above!

Jynx looks up. "What in the name of the First Ones is that noise?"

"Look out below!" a fox yells out a window above. Jynx gets a view of a grand piano. That is, the underside of one. And it's descending rapidly.

Jynx yipes! All he can do is stare at the piano, since his legs seem to enjoy their current position. He crouches down and braces for the blow…

Jynx's legs finally budge, and he dives out of the way right in the nick of time.

Several things happen at once. The piano descends. The wheel falls off the wagon. And, while we're at it, for some reason, that ladder slips. There's probably also some cataclysmic event in the heavens, too, but that's beyond the scope of this particular odd occurrence.

*CRASH* *SPROING!* "Aieeee!" *BONK* (grab!) *RIP* *CLUNK* *RATTLE* "Brayyyyyy!" *CLATTER* (rollrollroll) *SPROING!*

The Khatta stands and brushes himself off, then takes a long wide-eyed glance at all the wreckage. "Uhh … oops?"

When the dust settles, Jynx is standing in the midst of a large heap of what used to be a grand piano, a ladder, a few buckets of paint, and a wagon full of junk. Thank goodness none of the paint got on him.

The Rath'ani painter is dangling from a brightly-colored (and torn) canopy over a storefront. It reads, "Lucky's Gam – " At this point, the "m" (or, to be technical, its Rephidim Standard equivalent) trails off in a long streak.

"See?" the raccoon gasps, as the canopy rips a bit more, and his legs flail about. "What'd I tell ya?"

The frightened Dromodon brays and gallops down the street, its Kavi owner beating a trail in pursuit, waving his arms about madly.

Jynx avoids eye contact with the raccoon, and looks around for somewhere to hide from all the attention.

As Jynx looks around, something shiny catches his eye in the gutter. Could it be that someone dropped a coin?

It's a short jog away, though, to investigate.

While Jynx's back is turned, looking for cover, there's another loud "RIP" and then a "SPROING!" and a dischordant cacophony of notes, shortly followed by a stream of unmentionable curses from the raccoon.

Jynx perks his ears towards the glint, and makes his way over. o O (Remember the bead at that Savan city; better not just grab ahold of it this time… )

Jynx quickens his jog after hearing the irritated Rath'ani…

Indeed, in the gutter, there's not just a coin, but a small pile of shekels. By the grit on them, they must have been here for a little while, somehow escaping notice of passersby.

Jynx blinks in amazement. o O( Money! I wonder whose it is? ) He looks around for an owner.

Several bystanders have come to gawk at the scene of the destruction, but nobody pays any notice to the black Khatta, who is now out of range of the commotion. There doesn't seem to be anybody nearby to claim ownership of the shekels.

( Wow! Look at all that money! ) Jynx ponders, and looks around again, Take it! says one part of him, No one'll ever notice! It's lying there!

An old gypsy crow-like Korv waddles by, cawing quietly to herself. She looks at the disaster. "*KAW! Bad karma… bad karma… " She shakes her head and waddles on past Jynx.

Jynx hmmms. ( But maybe I shouldn't. I mean, what if this is some poodle's money, and he comes looking for it? )

Jynx jumps at the cawing. o O ( Karma? )

The gypsy says no more, and is now crossing the street to get around the disaster area and the small crowd of gawkers.

Jynx gazes at the gypsy for a bit, then shakes it off as his bad and not-so-bad side come to a compromise, Take only a part of it, that way you can't get in trouble for all of it!

Jynx takes one last look, then begins to shovel some of the shekels into his pockets… o O ( I wonder what she meant by karma? )

As Jynx scoops up the shekels, he finds that there are thirteen of them in the gutter.

The small Khatta decides to take six, that way he doesn't have as much evidence on him. ( He's not bad, he's just a teenager. )

Jynx ALSO finds that, as he's scooping the coins up … he hasn't any other coins on him! He must have been hit by a pickpocket! Or maybe he forgot to bring any spending money with him today. In any case, that's six shekels in his pockets, and seven left in the gutter. And the crowd is starting to break up, as it's apparent the raccoon may be cursing up a storm, but no bodily harm of any note has occurred.

Jynx eeks! He needs money for the cost of the inn, and also to pay Chiaroscuro for the dancing lessons. Heaving a sigh, he quickly scoops all the remaining seven shekels into his pockets.

There's a bell that rings behind Jynx, as he's facing the gutter and street.

Jynx leaps up quickly, tail straight out in startlement, and turns to face the originator of the sound. Mentally he tries to think up excuses…

*ding ding* The sound is just of a door. It's the door to the store that belongs to this "Lucky" fellow. Too bad the sign will have to be fixed. A banner hangs across the front, proudly proclaiming in bold script, "Grand Opening! Come in, try the Wheel of Fortune, and win a Prize!"

Jynx whews, and looks at the sign. Wheel of fortune, huh? He may have to check this out…

The door swings slowly shut, making some clicking and clacking noises as it does.

Jynx pads over to the store, ( Guess I'll get to use some of these shekels already. )

Right in the window, Jynx sees quite the sight! It's a board game – with nice shiny cast-resin pieces! On sale for thirteen shekels! Maybe a bit steep, but that's no ordinary board game. "Conquest of the Wild Lands"

Jynx brightens up – a new game! But wait, thirteen shekels? That's all he has! He weighs the options… ( Oh well, it's not like I worked hard for these shekels or anything… ) He walks in, making a beeline for the game.

*DING DING!* … *AWOOOOOOGAH!* *AWOOOOOOOGAH!* A horn blares from above!

*CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!*

Jynx looks around, aghast, ( I knew it! I just knew it!!!! )

Little bits of confetti drop on Jynx's head!

Jynx blinks. ( Wait, the police don't usually throw confetti at you, do they? )

A big plump lepine store keeper hobbles over to Jynx, holding out a hand. "Congratulations!" The reason for his hobbling becomes quickly evident. He's got one wooden peg-leg poking out through the bottom of his trousers. "You're our THIRTEENTH customer in our Grand Opening!"

"Ummm, thanks… I think." Jynx shakes the offered paw.

The rabbit grins widely, and pats Jynx on the back. "Of course, be sure to check out all our outrageously low prices in the store … but as a token prize for being our honored thirteenth customer to walk in here since our Grand Opening … Lucky's Games would like to give you this small token of our appreciation!" He goes behind the counter, and pulls out a small flat paper envelope tied with string. He undoes the string, and presents what looks like a hand-written certificate to Jynx.

Jynx takes the certificate. "What's this?"

The rabbit smiles even more broadly. "Why, just read it!" According to the certificate, it's good for one free meal (and dessert) at the Bronze Cogwheel – an eating establishment not far from here, known for very eccentric decorations. In fact, the decor is so novel that there's a cover charge just to get into the place … but thankfully the certificate appears to waive that as well.

Also, according to the small print, the certificate's offer expires … today! Hmm. Cutting it closely, it seems.

Jynx hmmms, he is hungry, since he hasn't eaten today, and the Vile Phial's food is getting a bit repetitive… "Well… thanks – thanks a lot!"

"And," the rabbit says, "everyone who comes in here today gets to play the Wheel of Fortune for FREE! Just one spin, mind you. Of course, you'd have to be EXTRA lucky to win TWO prizes in one visit … but, hey! Your luck has held up so far, hasn't it?"

Jynx says, "Free spin? Well, I guess I'll go ahead!"

The rabbit gestures over to a standing contraption near the wall. It has a big wooden wheel that is divided into uneven "pie slices". Each one has a message written on it, with an obscure, vague fortune. "You will meet a tall, dark and handsome/beautiful person." That sort of thing. Except that one really thin slice has a "Today's Your Lucky DAY!" on it. It seems one is to pull the wooden lever to one side to send the spinner turning.

Jynx pads over to the wheel, and gives it one long look. "What does the 'Lucky Day' one get you?"

The big white-furred lepine hobbles over to Jynx and says, "Well, son, it lets you get any one item I have in stock. Any one of them! Doesn't matter about the price, either. So, you've got nothing to lose! That is, unless one of those fortunes up there isn't to your liking." He winks.

Jynx shrugs, those sound like good odds to him. Stepping up to the wheel, he takes the spokes in paw, and spins it as hard as he can, giving a slight jump for extra measure.

The rabbit winces a bit at Jynx's not-quite-proper way of turning the wheel, and the ratcheting noises it produces, but he shrugs, as the wheel spins, no harm apparently done.

A quick perusal of the store's wares reveals that it has a wide selection of games to choose from. It would be hard to choose, if Jynx's luck carries out. The wheel keeps spinning…

Jynx watches the wheel go round and round in normal wide-eyed cat fascination.

*clackaclackaclacka – clacka – clacka – clack … clack … * It's on the lucky slice! … *click* Oops.

Just past the "It's Your Lucky Day" slice, the pointer stops at a very very thin slice that is solid black … except for a leering skull. Maybe it's a feline skull. It sure looks like it. How macabre.

The rabbit, standing behind Jynx, makes a "tut tut" sound. "So close! But, sorry, that's the way it goes! Maybe better luck next time."

Jynx gulps. "Uhhh… what does, that slice mean?"

The rabbit shrugs. "I don't know, really. I figure it's something bad. This game is pretty old. Didn't come with instructions."

Jynx stares at the skull, then shakes his head to come back to reality. "Well, uh, th-thanks and all, but I need some fresh air… and I think I'll use this ticket."

A cold chill runs up Jynx's spine. No. It's just a draft of air. The front door has stuck, partially ajar.

Jynx makes his way out, mind now stuck on the skull…

The rabbit grins, saying, "Well, come back when you please! But our sales specials are only good today, so be sure to come back before we close!" The bell rings again as the door closes behind the black Khatta.

The certificate is done in elegant calligraphy, with an emblem of a cogwheel that does indeed look bronze, with little metallic flakes in the ink.

( Yeah, I'll be sure to do that! ) The Khatta makes his way to the restaurant indicated by the certificate, mind still on the skull.

The restaurant is easy to find. The door is right on the corner of the street, rather than on a flat storefront like most establishments. Hanging over the door is the namesake – a big "bronze" cogwheel. However, for its size, it can't possibly be solid. In fact, it's probably just cleverly decorated wood. (If it were real, surely someone would try to steal it, after all.)

Jynx looks at the elaborate decoration, "Well, this must be the place." Taking one last look at the certificate, he heads to the door.

The "greeter" (also known as a guard or bouncer) at the front door sees the certificate in the black Khatta's hand immediately, and reaches out for it. "Aha," the burly wolf remarks, smiling as the feline approaches.

Jynx jolts a bit at the grab. "Hey!"

The wolf gives Jynx a frown, and tugs a little more insistently at the certificate. He gives it a quick perusal, then nods and smiles again, fangily. "Go right on in." He opens the door for the black Khatta with one gloved hand.

Jynx says, "Oh, th-thanks… " He gives one last glance at the lupine, and enters the establishment. Once inside, he takes a long look around."

At first glance, this restaurant could be described as … the most strangely beautiful collection of JUNK the Khatta has ever seen. Arrayed on every wall and hanging from the ceiling are all sorts of gadgets and doohickies – many wooden, some ceramic, some of unidentifiable materials.

Some of them appear to be even functional, with moving parts, and making soft clicking and clacking noises, though with no apparent useful purpose. Many of them have gaudy decorations that certainly would lend nothing to their functionality. It all has a certain air of 'nostalgia', though not pointing to any particular era that anyone here should recognize.

Jynx's eyes go wide with amazment; this place is wonderful! If the food is half as good as the decoration, it must be a popular place. He looks over and begins to toy with a few of the doohickeys.

A little lever on the gadget makes the device make all sorts of odd – but not terribly loud – noises. Rather amusing, really. And then it makes this *sproing* noise. And then something shoots out of part of it! *CLANG!* And another part falls off!

Jynx eeps, and quickly replces the trinket, hiding it behind some other junk for good measure. He takes a seat in the corner so he can look at the other diners at the restaurant.

A calico Khatta comes over to Jynx in the waiting area. "Hello! We have one table open for you. I hope it's not too big, but I think you'll like it! If you'd follow me… " She turns and begins to walk away, her tail bouncing behind her.

Jynx stands and follows the calico, his gaze going from her, to the trinkets, and back to her again. ( This is a nice place! )

The calico leads Jynx over to a big table, the top made out of a broad cogwheel made of some sort of resin. This table could easily seat twelve. (Or, who knows? Thirteen?)

Jynx's gaze follows the calico most of the time, but breaks off for a bit to look about him. ( My, must be the royal treatment or something. ) He gazes at the other customers.

The restaurant is quite full. This is – or was – the only open table, it seems.

Jynx hmmms, and guesses he was right about the food being good. He looks back to the calico.

The calico sets a hand-written menu down in front of the black Khatta. "Take your time! When you're ready, or if you need anything … just yank on the chain here!" She indicates a chain hanging nearby, which is attached to some sort of odd contraption. Following the gaze upward, Jynx is seated under a suspended monstrosity of a machine that has a big hatch in its face that is open, showing all sorts of slowly turning gears and other parts inside.

Jynx watches the machine open-mouthed, it must be better than some of the stuff the Temple has! He then takes one last glance at the calico as she leaves, and opens the menu for perusal.

The menu is full of … decorative names. There's the Cogwheel Special, the Bucket of Bolts, the Dovetail … Fortunately, there are translations in smaller print below.

The prices are … prohibitive. But, that certificate DOES guarantee a free meal. And dessert, even!

The names remind Jynx of some of the places his dad used to take mom on special occasions, and the prices add to that feeling. Intimidating at first, he then remembers the certificate. ( Hey! Why not get the whole she-bang? ) He looks for the most expensive item on the menu.

The most expensive item on the menu is … wouldn't you know? "The Whole She-Bang". Entree number thirteen.

Jynx hmmms. Something in the back of his mind says that a pattern is developing somewhere, but he can't put his paw on it. With a half-minded shrug, he pulls on the chain.

The calico returns shortly. "You've made your decision?" She looks to Jynx's finger on the menu. "Oh my! I'd like to see if you can EAT it all!" She winks.

Jynx chuckles. "Well, I think I can handle it!" he says in his most macho-esque voice. He gives a smile and waits for the order, sipping on his water now and then.

The calico skirts away, and disappears into the kitchen. Meanwhile … Jynx gets the distinct feeling that he's being watched.

Jynx looks about, and twitches his tail nervously…

A flash of magenta catches Jynx's eye. Actually, more than one flash. At a table across the way, four white-armored felines in magenta cloaks – two Khattas and two Katthas – rise from their table. By their attire, it's evident that they're Knight Templars. By the table, it's evident they haven't eaten anything. Not surprising, really, as Templars aren't known to take off their masks in public. But even so, they're not likely to be refused service.

One of the felines pauses and says something to her comrades, who nod and go on without her. The remaining Khatta then turns … and walks straight toward Jynx's table.

Jynx gulps – They must have found out about the shekels! He tries to look small and unassuming, shrinking down and acting nonchalant.

The armored Khatta, her face hidden under a white ceramic facemask, purrs quietly, "Greetings, citizen. Might I join you?"

Jynx attempts a purr, but it cracks, "G-go right a-ahead, m-m-miss… " He gestures to an empty seat.

The armored head nods. The feline sits down. It is not much longer, and the trays are brought. Yes, that's in the plural. It seems Jynx has bought himself a small feast – with all the fixings.

Jynx gulps again, even harder this time. ( Me and my big mouth! ) Taking a gaze at the food, he then looks at the knight, "Uhhh, I like to have a variety you know… "

A laugh echoes from under the facemask. "I don't think I've seen you here before," the knight purrs. She is rather small for a knight, really. She isn't any taller than Jynx. In fact, without those armored boots, she'd probably be shorter.

Jynx takes a small piece of what looks like meat, and puts it on his plate. "Oh, uhh, h-help yourself. Anything for one of our esteemed protectors."

The knight shakes her head slowly. "No, thank you. I have already eaten today."

Jynx nods, trying to hide his case of the jitters. "Well, I go from place to place. You know, variety and all… " He nibbles on the meat thing.

The knight giggles in an unknightly fashion. "You mean, there's nothing special that drew you here today? You don't believe in fate? Or the will of the First Ones?"

"The who? Oh, yeah, the First Ones. I believe in them. Fate? Well, I guess so, but actually," Jynx's stomach rumbles, "I think hunger drew me here."

Jynx shrugs. "Not sure if that's special or not."

The knight chuckles again. "Very well. Eat, eat, then! It wouldn't do for you to go hungry." She turns her head, finding some interesting gadgets on the wall to inspect.

Jynx nods with a slight smile, ( Whew! It wasn't the shekels after all! ) Still smiling, he takes another look at the food. The smile fades: so much food and such a little cat…

Jynx shrugs – oh well, better get started. He shovels some of the food on his plate.

Jynx munches down on some of the food, and takes a look at the knight while her head is turned.

The knight is encased in white ceramic armor. Hard to get a really good notion of the feline inside it.

Jynx hmms, and turns his attention back to the food. He's not sure what it is, exactly, but it's delicious! He finishes his first plate, and puts some more of the various delicacies on his plate. Already he's getting near full, and there are still mounds of the meal left.

The knight returns her attention to Jynx after a while. "So … what are your plans after having dinner here? The circus has come back to Rephidim, you know. Would you like to go? My treat."

Jynx looks up at the knight, mouth full of food. ( Best to do what they say! ) "Ih'd wubv doo!" Translation: I'd love too.

The armored Khatta blinks a few times at this. Or, really, to be fair, it's hard to tell if she's blinking, what with the lighting, and that armored face mask, but the pause is noticeable. Then, she gasps and giggles. "Oh! I'm sorry. You said 'I'd love too'! Silly me!"

Jynx grins stupidly, and swallows the food down. "Yes, I'd love to." He takes another look at the food mountains, and gets a bit sick to his stomach. "A-as much as I hate to waste food, perhaps we should go now? I mean, best to get there early… "

The armored Khatta nods. "Certainly! I mean, you never know which day will be your last, so you've got to live it while you can!"

Jynx nods robotically. ( Sheesh, these Templars are a morbid bunch… ) "My sentiments exactly." Giving one last glance to the food, he stands. "Well, shall we be on our way?"

"At once!" the knight cheerily says, and pushes back her chair, stepping away from the table and waiting for Jynx.

Jynx gives a genuine smile as he joins the knight. ( Hmmm, a bit different from most other knights. Maybe she's not so bad after all. )

Jynx's certificate – and being accompanied by a Knight Templar – gets him out with several smiles and waves, and then it's out to the street. The lady Khatta hails a carriage, and gets them both a ride to the outskirts of the city, where a carnival has been set up just outside the city limits.

Not all of the attractions are open, since it's not nightfall yet, but there are still more than plenty events, side-shows and curiosities.

Jynx walks along with the lady Khatta, taking in a few of the sights since the carnival isn't fully open, and makes an attempts at conversation. "Umm, so, uh, how long you been a knight?"

The lady Khatta giggles, then answers, "A little over a year."

She continues, "Not too much longer, and I figure I'll prove myself to become a Champion. Though they say I talk too much. Bah."

Jynx nods, and chuckles a bit, ( Well, that clears one thing up. ) "Well, is there anything you want to do while we're here?"

The armored Khatta pauses, then says, "Well, really, I suppose that should be up to you. Let's see… " She scans the surroundings. "There's the Hall of Mirrors … Wonders of the World … Mystico the Marvelous … The Tunnel of Love … The House of Horrors… I don't know! Maybe we could just walk around." She reaches out and grabs Jynx's hand and begins to drag him along. She's stronger than her size would indicate!

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but considering how special you are, I figure I ought to learn your name," the armored feline purrs.

Jynx acks, and tumbles along with the lady cat, trying his best to keep up, "M-my name's Feli, Feli Kurai."

"Kurai… ?" the lady cat muses. "That sounds familiar." She looks back at Jynx again. "You … No! It couldn't be! Wasn't there this poor Khatta who fell off an airship and was never heard from again?"

Jynx uh-ohs inwardly, and shudders a bit. "Uh, I think I heard something like that… "

The knight stops, and leans toward Jynx, putting her facemask up to his face. "So? That's YOU, then?"

Jynx leans back and darts his eyes around, looking for a quick escape "Ummm, I recall having a small fall, yes… B-but as you can see, I'm being, uh, heard from." He forces a small laugh, which quickly fades under the masked gaze.

The knight stands up straight again. "Ah! A sign that the First Ones surely are at work! I was fated to find you, after all."

Jynx nods dumbly. "Y-yeah, that's gotta be it. All powerful fate and all… " He forces another fake smile and chuckle. "Uhhh, w-what's your name, by the way?"

"Blossom," the armored Khatta answers. "Though once I become a Champion, that will change. I'm with the Magenta Lance, under command of the Champion of Roses. But she's out on business today."

Jynx nods, not understanding much of that. "Well, I guess it was good that fate had you find, uh, me." He makes another smile. ( Great. Looks like I can't hide from Dad now! )

"I'm glad you see it like that! We all must accept our fate, after all. The will of the First Ones is not to be thwarted by mortal means," the armored Khatta says brightly, towing Jynx along. "Oh! Look!" She points at a bizarre-looking stuffed creature with a sign that purports that it used to be a "hippocampus" … though it's (hopefully) just a stuffed fake.

Jynx blinks, and follows along clumsily behind the knight. "What's that?" He tries hard not to tumble and spill them both.

"A merman!" she says, pointing at the glassed-in box. It's a macabre sight at best … though if one were to believe that this were once a living, real creature, it is not hard to imagine that this could have been a fairly impressive sight in life. Right now, though … it's not exactly easy on the eyes.

Jynx nods. "It's very, uh, impressive!" ( That thing's disgusting! )

Blossom then proceeds to drag Jynx along … to sight after sight. Many of them are, well, not any better than the "merman". Still, some are genuinely amazing. Some are boring. Some are silly. It's the sort of mixed-bag variety one should come to expect, except that the lady Khatta apparently can afford to get into all of the attractions and drag Jynx along.

And then there are the rides. Thank goodness Jynx didn't overstuff himself too much, for a couple of them…

Night falls. But the knight doesn't. She seems to never run out of energy. Some of the rides become welcome chances to sit down and rest one's feet. At last, the knight's attention turns to a gypsy wagon. "Oh! I think I'll have my fortune told!"

Jynx, although actually beginning to enjoy himself, is in nowhere as good a shape as the knight, and tires after a while.

Jynx whews. ( A real chance to rest! She has as much stamina as a young kitten! )

Jynx nods. "That sounds like a good idea." He tries to contain his panting.

The knight hands some coins to a big, dumb-looking horse-man who stands to one side of the wagon, then heads on up some steps and into the door at one end, ducking under a curtain of beads. The interior of the wagon is dark, lit by candles which emit clouds of thick-smelling incense. There are chairs to sit down in – chairs that look as if they have definitely been worn beyond their prime. A table lies before, covered with a tacky-looking tablecloth in deep blue, with a multitude of stylized stars sewn into its surface. There are also some crescent shapes as well, though their meaning isn't evident.

Across the table is … that same gypsy crow! She gazes into a cloudy-looking crystal ball, waving her claw-like appendages over it, quietly caw-chanting to herself.

Jynx plops into a chair, just happy to sit down and not noticing the crow at first. He takes a look around, and finally his gaze simultaneously comes to rest on the crow as his jaw falls open.

In the cramped space of the wagon, all sorts of knick-knacks and talismans and bottles of strange fluids are perched precariously on shelves … with price tags attached.

Jynx blinks, "Uhh, so… where do we start?" He glances to Blossom.

Blossom shushes Jynx, then turns to look at the crystal ball. The gypsy Korv is still chant-murmuring, gazing into the ball, which seems to glow faintly now with a light of its own.

Jynx looks at the ball… ( How in the heck does it do that?! This is getting eerie… )

The Korv caws, "Ah. I zee … " She surreptitiously glances at Jynx and at the knight. "I zee … oh ho! Luf and happiness! Ya, ya! A handzhome younk Khatta… and … " She blinks, squinting into the crystal ball, then making a surprised look. She bops it, causing the light to flicker, then return to a solid glow. "Hmm. Zat ees zhtrange. Bad Karma. *KAW*! Zorry. Uhm. Ya. Happy happy." She eyes the two Khattas suspiciously.

Jynx gulps. He's not sure what 'karma' is, but it can't be all that good if it's 'bad karma', after all. "Umm, love?"

Blossom makes a light "hmph" and crosses her arms.

Jynx hmmms. That can't be a good sign either…

The crow looks to Jynx. "Zo. Zhur fortune next, ya?" She bobs her head, cawing softly.

Jynx glances at Blossom, than back to the gypsy with a shrug. "Sure, why not."

"NO!" Blossom says loudly, making the crow jump and caw in surprise. "The First Ones have already proclaimed his future!"

Jynx jumps as well, then reiterates his statement, "Uhh, I mean NO, no fortune… "

The crow, still startled, tries to smooth down her feathers, as Blossom storms out, roughly pulling Jynx along with her.

Jynx shrugs to the crow as he is dragged from the attraction, giving a apologetic smile.

"Love… " the armored Khatta mutters. "Well then. We can't thwart fate. Let's go for a ride in the Tunnel of Love. Just don't get any ideas."

Jynx nods. "Uh, o-okay. W-whatever you say… " he says as he is led by the lady cat.

They head over to the ride, and climb into a big wooden boat that is fashioned to look like a gigantic white, graceful waterfowl, probably from some farflung land. The boat bobs a bit in the watery track, then begins gliding along, into the tunnel.

"Do you know? It's midnight," comes a voice from beside Jynx, in the darkness.

"Already?" Jynx gulps, not sure what to say. "Well, uhh, isn't that… a… lovely thing… or such… " ( Hooo boy… )

"So," the armored Khatta continues, "have you had a nice day? I hope everything has gone nicely. Is there anything else that would make your day complete?"

Jynx nod-nods. "Oh, its been a very, very… interesting day! It seems complete to me; can't improve on perfection… or something like that."

"Good." There is a long pause after that. "It's been very nice knowing you. You're a very polite young man. I feel very privileged to have been able to know you. The First Ones directed me to find you, you see."

Jynx nods. "Well, they must do that a lot, I guess… That is, they're, umm, y'know, old and all. Must have a lot of practice." He gives a small smile.

The boat bobs a bit, and continues gliding. There's a faint sound from behind, most likely back at the entrance. "Hey! Aw, there it goes again. Without any riders. Sorry, folks, you'll have to wait for the next one."

"Oh, you don't understand. You see, I find my direction in the Most Holy Manual of Chronosynchronizer Maintenance. It's an ancient tome." The armored Khatta continues, "Every day, I seek guidance from the First Ones by randomly selecting passages from the Manual. That's how I found you. Most of the time, I cannot discern the wisdom of the Ancients, but this time, it all made perfect sense!"

"The Chronolomashp… wha?" Jynx scratches his head, then shrugs. "Well, I guess it's not usually wrong… is it?"

There's a light splash. There must be another boat just ahead, too. No voices, though, other than those of the two Khattas in the boat.

"Oh, it's never wrong! I suppose I should explain to you, since this, of course, is your destiny and all. Of course, I don't understand the why or wherefore, but it is not for me to question such things," the armored Khatta says with a sigh. "First, I figured I was off to a bad start, because I picked a section header – not a passage at all. 'Cogwheel Specifications'."

Jynx nods. That makes sense…

Blossom continues, "But I decided I would pick three more passages. Randomly picked, again. Next came, 'Verily, thou shalt inspect under the primary access hatch, and seek the blackened obstruction therein.'"

Blossom giggles. "Then, it suddenly made sense! The Bronze Cogwheel! And then, when I got there, I wasn't sure … but, behold, there's this black Khatta sitting right under an open primary access hatch!"

Jynx blinks… now he's lost. He doesn't let it show, though.

It's hard to tell, with that armor, but apparently the armored Khatta can't see as well in the dark as Jynx can … or else she's just ignoring him. "But then, you know, there WERE two passages left to locate."

"Ummm… What did those say?" Jynx asks quizzically.

Blossom sighs. "Well, as I said, we can't question the will of the First Ones." She pauses, then quotes, "The component shalt be removed and disposed of." She pauses briefly, then quotes again, "Go ye, therefore, and do likewise."

Jynx hmmms. That 'disposed' line doesn't sound too promising. But hey, who is he to question the First Ones, after all…

There's a sound of … metal scraping against something?

Jynx looks around, "What was that?"

Blossom says, "I'm terribly sorry, really. I promise, it'll be quick. You won't feel a thing."

"Now, hold still. You're making the boat rock!" the armored Khatta protests.

Jynx looks to Blossom, and notices that she's drawing a sword! He leaps up and tries to scamper up the boat. "Wha-what??!?!"

Blossom cries out, as the boat begins to rock violently. It continues coasting along, this time reaching an area of very dim light. Romantic violin music can be heard playing from somewhere beyond sight.

Jynx places himself as far away from Blossom as the boat will allow. "H-hey! I-it didn't say to do that, did it?!"

"If you don't hold still, I can't make a clean kill!" the knight protests. "You can't defy the will of the First Ones!"

( Just watch me!!! ) Jynx thinks, as he prepares to dive over the side.

Blossom shrieks as the boat suddenly bobs again, threatening to capsize. She has two swords out now, swinging them about – not in any chance of actually hitting Jynx, but apparently to keep her balance, as she's presently standing. Just up ahead, there's another sloshing noise in the darkness.

Jynx looks ahead and sees another boat, apparently empty. He might fall in the water if he tries a jump, but that's better than a chop to the head! He makes a flying leap towards the other boat.

As the knight's blades swing about … there's a spark as one blade strikes against a ceramic pipe that runs from watery floor to ceiling, just as the boat bobs from Jynx's sudden escape. There is a loud gurgle, and water sprays out of the pipe, spraying the knight. Meanwhile, Jynx lands in the other boat, just ahead of the one the now-wet knight is standing in.

Jynx whews, and glances back at the other vessel. ( What a wacko! )

There are several more burbling noises from the water below, and both boats shake, even though Jynx hasn't moved any more. There's a shriek from somewhere further back in the tunnel. And then … several strong waves gush through the tunnel, sending the boats rushing forward at greater speed! Blossom cries out, and falls into her boat, with a loud thud.

Jynx falls back into his boat as well, then hoists himself up into the seat. He watches ahead, and occasionally glances back at the knight.

The boats careen through the tunnel, which has now become more akin to a water-slide! Several more pipes break and burst, sending wild sprays of water all about. The knight has managed to hack the head off of her bird-boat, and has now clambered up to the prow, peering through the wet darkness for sign of the fleeing Jynx.

Jynx eeks, and hunkers down into his boat, trying to be unnoticable. The motion of the ship starts to take its toll, though, as he becomes a bit dizzy.

The ship veers one way, then the other … Can the ride be possibly THIS long? No … it must be that this boat is just rushing through the circuit! There's another light up ahead … the entrance? Maybe if Jynx jumped in time…

Jynx watches the light get closer. He can either make a break for it, or stay in the boat. Either way, his chances seem dim, so he readies for the jump to shore.

As Jynx shifts his weight … it seems that fate settles the matter for him. The timely shift in the boat's weight, combined with the force of another bursting pipe … sends the whole boat lurching toward the light … clear out of the trough, and crashing onto the ground just outside the ride, and skidding for several feet, to the amazement of several carnival-goers.

Jynx lies in the bottom of the boat, dazed for a bit. He comes to his senses and shakes off the nausea, then looks around out of the boat. No sign of the wacko Khatta, so he leaps out and breaks into a run.

Jynx's run is blocked by an angry-looking Jupani proprietor who looks like his genetics were influenced somehow by a bulldog. "You! STOP!" He reaches out to grab the black Khatta.

There's another crashing sound from behind, and a scream, followed by several clatters and other sounds of catastrophe.

Jynx just keeps on running. "The knight inside said she'd pay for it – her treat!" He tries to dodge the grasping paw.

The Jupani swipes at Jynx, with an angry glint in his eye, but he's no match for the black Khatta's quick reflexes. Also, someone bulldozes into him from behind. "No you don't! Nobody lays a hand on Feli Kurai! It is MY destiny to dispose of him, and no one else!"

Jynx heads for the exit of the carnival. If she doesn't kill him, his nerves will.

The armored Khatta tries to run after Jynx … but the black Khatta proves to be rather swift on his feet, and nimble to weave between the teeming crowds – even though they start parting at the sight of a sword-swinging, yelling Knight Templar, of course. Plus, all that water and armor takes its toll on the warrioress … and, eventually, outside the carnival and back within city limits, Jynx realizes that there's no sign of the knight pursuing him.

Jynx keeps running, then ducks into an alley to rest for a while, panting insanely. ( Well, it seems fate has it out for me, and fate's name is Blossom! ) After he is rested, he begins to make his way to the Vile Phial.

Just now, Jynx notices that … one of his pockets feels lighter! Oh no! The thirteen shekels are gone! But there's a weight in another pocket he didn't notice earlier.

Jynx blinks, and fishes out whatever is in his pocket with a paw.

Aha! So THAT'S where he put his spending money. A few tarnished coppers lie in Jynx's hand. So, he's not copperless after all. What luck!

Jynx whews, and allows himself a smile and a purr. Seems like for once he came out ahead… and with his head at that.