The bears in the pond don't seem to react to the crowd of Kavis as they carry Peli Kartoum to an uncertain fate, the Lynxess struggling ineffectually and possibly bound and gagged – it's too far for Umeko and Xander to tell for sure. The mob is definitely taking the woman to the waterfall though, and chanting something over and over in their native tongue.

"So… " Xander whispers from inside the entry tunnel, and still safely behind the curtain of vines, "should we rescue her or anything?"

"Of course we have to rescue her. Don't be so silly," Umeko remarks as she continues to peer through the vines, trying to see if there is a path up high she could take to reach the waterfall. "We just need to deal with those present. There are possible options… "

"Well, I mean… should we try to just communicate with them?" Xander asks. "Or presume they will be hostile? And… why are they here? Couldn't they have just walked back home?"

"Do you speak Kavi?" Umeko asks, "And one possible option is to smoke out the cave. Surely you could set something into a smoldering pile… "

"I speak Skeek," Xander notes. "Which… uh… is completely unrelated to Kavi, actually. So, you want me to provide a distraction then?"

"Mm, perhaps," Umeko mutters and peers back through the vines, looking for the various walkways and routes through the cavern. "There is also the option of letting them capture me. I am female too, and if you are right on their declarations, then they may take me to her."

"But they may not realize… " Xander starts to say, then covers his mouth before it gets him into further trouble.

"That I'm female?" Umeko finishes the remark. "You did."

"Well, you were in the ladies bath… " Xander starts to say, and then recovers with, "But I'm a Lapi buck. We can sense these things!"

"So, you are saying that I look male?" Umeko asks next, her tow-claws start tapping on the rough floor.

"Oh no! You're too graceful and the way you move, it… " the buck babbles. "You're the first naked Kiriga I'd ever seen, of course. It's harder to tell with Nagas, and I've… well, let's not go there. It's just that these savages have probably never seen anyone like you before, Umeko."

"You have engaged in relations with a Naga?" Umeko actually asks. The Kiriga sighs and just shakes her head. Her attention returns to the indention ahead and she tries to see if there are any structures far away from the way they took the Lynx that would act as a reasonable distraction if set aflame.

"What? No, just… gotten mixed signals once," Xander mutters. The mob is already at the waterfall now, and have set Peli standing up on a flat area and given her some room. She's definitely got her hands tied behind her back at the very least. Since the waterfall is nearly opposite the entry tunnel, the closest wooden structure is a very ramshackle lean-to not far from the mouth of the tunnel.

"Hmmmm," Umeko murmurs and looks upward to see if there are any vines to swing from that might reach Peli.

"Question," the Kirgia then notes, "Can you surround a person in an aura of flame? And is she close enough to enact such?"

The space above the ruins is wide open sky, with only a few small trees growing up from the walls. Xander looks out as well, and says, "I'd have to get a lot closer, and the daylight will work against the effect, but the Resist Elements spell surrounds a person in flames. It takes a while to cast though… "

There's some commotion across the pond, as the Kavi crowd parts for a figure coming out from behind the waterfall. Even the bears turn their attention towards it. Features are difficult to make out from a distance. It might be a Kavi… or a Lapi… or something else. It has long ears and a long, thick tail though, and seems shiny. It approaches Peli and places a hand on the Khatta's cheek.

"Some days you are not very helpful," Umeko remarks, though her tone is actually more humorous than serious. The arrival of the new creature causes Umeko's brow-ridge to arch up. "What is that?" she asks and she looks to see if it is armed. "We may not have much time, You may need to go back and alert the others while I fight my way to her… "

"It could be some sort of Shiga," Xander offers. The figure is heading back behind the waterfall now, with Peli following along behind. The mob seems to be breaking up now that the excitement is over.

"I must get to them. Xander, see if you can set that building on fire as a distraction so that we can dash to the waterfall," Umeko says.

"Okay!" Xander says, then salutes and slips through the curtain of vines to crouch-walk towards the jumble of branches and twigs.

"And be careful!" Umeko hisses after him. The Kiriga then crouches down and prepares to dash towards the falls once the path is clear and hopefully no one will be watching.

So far, almost all of the Kavi mob is on the left side of the pond, with the right being mostly garden space – but the plants occasionally move in ways that don't match the breeze, suggesting unseen gardeners. Xander takes some time to clear any dry underbrush from around the woodpile, not wanting any fire to spread, and then applies his Eye of Flame to get it burning a little and smoking a lot.

"Good job, Xander," Umeko mutters as she starts to slink through the vines. Her attention flicks about as she watches the kavi and others present, waiting for their attention to fully move to the flames before she runs for the waterfall.

A few calls go up once the smoke is spotted, and several Kavi start rushing towards the fire while others look on or just go about whatever they were doing in the first place.

Umeko grumbles. "It cannot be helped," she decides. She keeps her body as low to the ground as she can and bolts towards the waterfall!

It only takes a moment for the Kiriga to reach the stands of cultivated plants. The wheat stalks reach higher than her head, and the rows and paths between them are narrow. She passes by several Kavi in her flight, but they're busy pulling weeds or looking in another direction. When she reaches the far end, she can see the waterfall and the dark tunnel behind it just a dozen yards away. An exhausted looking Kavi staggers out of it towards her, before collapsing on a soft patch of grass. The snores start almost immediately.

"These are poor guards," Umeko remarks as she vaults herself over the collapsed kavi. She pauses at the dark entrance and looks back towards where she left Xander. She tries to wave to him before dipping her head and heading into the tunnel…

A group of Kavis are beating out the fire, but a brown hand pokes through the vine curtain and waves back.

"Be safe, Xander," Umeko whispers, not knowing if he can hear her or not. The Kiriga then vanishes into the dark tunnel in pursuit of the captured Khatta.

The tunnel is lit by a few torches, and the air is rich in the smell of smoke, fish and something Umeko isn't familiar with, but is probably cooking related. It goes on for twenty feet or so before branching to the left and right.

Umeko draws to a stop at the split passage. She looks down each, looking for wet footprints to tell which way they may have gone…

The floor is stomped flat and covered in rushes, which makes it difficult to see any sorts of impressions. To the left, there is steam and noise of activity, while to the right the tunnel is quiet except for another snoring Kavi curled up against a nook in the wall.

Umeko licks her finger and holds it up to see if she can judge airflow and follow the scent of cooking back to its source. "I wonder if they plan to eat her," she mutters.

The airflow is coming in from the waterfall, probably drawn by the heat of the cooking fires and exhausted somewhere else. The air to the right is much calmer and cooler.

Umeko heads left, keeping low and quiet and she seeks out the noise and its source. Her hand finally moves down to her swords, preparing for the possible fight that may come.

The tunnel goes on straight for a short distance, before opening into a large room. The air is steamy, and most of the chamber is filled with huge wooden casks and pipes made of hardened clay, wood and glass which are constantly hissing and dripping. Kavi work in the distance, stirring cauldrons over beds of glowing coals. And along the nearest wall are racks of drying fish, which just a single Kavi moving among them and filling a shallow woven basket with choice selections.

Umeko stops in the shadows of the doorway and peers about, looking for the missing Lynx and her captor. "Was she taken for a harem?" the Kiriga wonders, "Like those Xander has told me of?"

The Kavi working in the 'kitchen' don't seem to be distracted by any sudden female presences, so there's no sign of Peli. The loincloth-clad fish-picker seems to be satisfied with his selection, and heads for the tunnel Umeko is hiding in the shadows of.

Umeko turns and darts quietly back down the way she came. "The lair must be to the right," she decides as she goes. "If her captor has defiled her sanctity, he will pay," she mutters darkly.

Getting past the passed-out Kavi in the hall is easy, and the fish-bearer doesn't notice the Kiriga dashing off ahead of him either. The hall ends in a set of rather expensive-looking heavy curtains, made of gold-trimmed purple velvet.

Umeko draws herself up to full height, proud and strong! She then … tries to peek around the curtain to see what waits beyond.

The lighting beyond the curtains is somehow soft, as if filtered through gauze or oil. The peek reveals the curve of what could be a huge circular bed, with dangling lace curtains, while the floor is covered in brocaded rugs and colorful pillows and cushions. There's even a whiff of incense… and beer.

"This is ridiculous," Umeko decides. She checks her appearance quickly to make she she is presentable and hopefully suitably imposing. The Kiriga then pushes back the thick curtain and marches into the room beyond. She says nothing … yet.

The whole bed is in view now. Lying on her belly and hugging a large cushion, Peli purrs happily as a beefy-looking Kavi gives her a backrub. Just off to the side, half hidden by a lace curtain is a creature that is unknown to Umeko. It has the head and fur markings of a Kavi, set on a long neck, but the ears and body of a Lapi – far more curvy and long-limbed than a Kavi. The tail is thick and long, also like a Kavi's but exaggeratedly so, and her feet and hands are covered in golden scales but do not appear avian or reptilian. The eyes which lock onto Umeko, however, are cat-slit and golden-green, and when the creature blinks there's a quick flash of an inner eyelid. It's smoking on a hookah, and snorts a puff of smoke in surprise at the Kiriga's entrance.

There are also a half-dozen passed out Kavi sprawled on the floor cushions around Umeko's feet.

Umeko marches forward. "I am Lady Umeko Tsuguri of Jadai," she announces proudly, head held high and jaw set. "You will release Lady Peli Kartoum into my care and allow us to leave unharmed. You will also explain your actions in this place and what exactly you are." Her tone and posture implies that she could very-well have an entire army behind her. In other words; a typical demanding noble.

The odd creature tilts its head and smiles at Umeko, then uses a free hand to raise up a bowl carved from wood, full of beer. "Sit with me, Lady Umeko Tsuguri of Jadai?" it asks in a sultry voice somewhere between a hiss and a purr.

Umeko watches the creature warily with her own slit-eyes as he tries to judge what this creature could be. Seeing no immediate threat, the Kiriga seems to decide that perhaps being a bit more social may be prudent. So, the Kiriga saunters to the bed, her left hand still upon the hilt of her weapon. Her tail snaps around gracefully to smooth a spot on the bed in which she half-slides her rump and thighs on as she settles down onto the bed. "Who am I addressing?" she now asks, letting some of the harsh tone of her voice fall away.

"You can call me Rakshasi," the creature coos, offering both the bowl and pipe to Umeko. The curtains part and the fish-carrying Kavi arrives. He blinks at Umeko, but remains silent as he sets the basket of fish down at the edge of the bed. Without opening an eye, Peli reaches out to grab one and begins nibbling on it. Rakshasi says something in Kavi to the servant, who bows and then smiles to Umeko. He points at her tail and makes massaging motions with his six-fingered hands.

Umeko watches this with curiosity, unsure of exactly what is going on. She does end up accepting the pipe out of politeness, though, and even draws a breath from it, wondering just what it is this creature wants. As smoke curls out from her mouth in a decidedly dragonish fashion, she asks, "What are you, Rakshasi, and what do you wish of Lady Kartoum?"

Umeko then finally nods to the kavi, giving him permission to touch her.

The smoke isn't bad – not as good as some of the stuff her own father uses – and doesn't go to Umeko's head. "I am the lover of lost souls, you might say," Rakshasi says, with a wry grin. "These poor men, with no place and no future in their own society – they are given a feast, and drink the holy beer until their troubles fade away. And when they awake, they are here in my bed, and I am their lover. This is their paradise, and I am its keeper." As the Kavi figures out where Umeko's tail muscles are, he starts to work on them with gentle pressure. "Peli here… such a lovely creature, is she not? She was going to tell me how she found her way to us, but seems to have become distracted. May I ask how you came to be here, Lady Umeko, instead of the new husband I was expecting?"

"The ship that was passing was fascinated by the stone structures on the shore and stopped to investigate. I went along with my mage, Lightfoot. We traced the origins of the statue and even fought off a bear as we believed it was going to kill a young kavi. From there I pursued the creature with Lady Kartoum and Mage Lightfoot. That is how we found this place," Umeko answers simply before drawing another breath from the pipe and letting the smoke curl out of her nostrils. "I do not take well to the young being sacrificed. I have seen enough death up close to know the cost and its effects. It brings some peace to my soul to know that they were not killed and have a reasonable, if simple, life." Her tail, for the moment, is limp as the kavi works upon it. "I give them what they could not have in their old lives," Rakshasi says, and sips from the bowl of beer. "And they give me what I require and crave. Although soon we will not be able to support many more; there are only so many fish to go around. I would appreciate it if you explained to the Elder that a sacrifice each solstice would be adequate, and I shall restrain Darshik from his raiding."

"What is it that you require and crave?" Umeko inquires, "As for your request, such is a simple matter and I will endeavor to see that the message is passed on."

"I am a vampire of sorts," the odd creature explains. "But I do not draw strength from blood. The men are happy to give me what I need – eager even. They do not live long lives, but the lives they live are intense as a consequence."

"You feed off their amorous output, then?" Umeko asks. "You are female, then, I assume."

Given the creature's curves and mammalian assets, the answer is surprising: "When I need to be. And surrounded by men, being female is best – although a few of them have other preferences, so I change when necessary. I was going to seduce your friend, even. It has been a long time since I've had a female to play with."

"Is that so?" Umeko asks, brow arches and her expression briefly amused. "Is that not dangerous for her life, by your own admission?"

"She seems young and robust," Rakshasi notes, reaching over to pat the lazing feline on the rump. "Khatta have long lives, compared to Kavi. Reshakeerkaziti here is the oldest Kavi in paradise at nearly twelve, but I think he will remain active for at least another six years before he feels his age."

The Kavi giving Peli her coma-inducing backrub looks over and smiles at the mention of his name.

"So, not too much of a risk, then," Umeko says and nods. "Now I must wonder if I should feel offended you have not to tried to seduce me," the Kiriga notes. Her lips even curl briefly in an amused smile. "Well, since Peli has clearly found her sun-patch to laze in," Rakshasi says, and leans in to nearly bump snouts with Umeko, "let me see what would please you most… "

Umeko draws another breath from the pipe and then sets it aside. A light ripple rolls through body as she relaxes further, so much so that her robe begins to slide away from her shoulders. "Perhaps I should see how dangerous you truly are," she claims as she looks through half-lidded eyes. "Or perhaps you will teach me what would please me most, hmm? But on one condition… " She reaches up to tap the strange creature's snout softly, "My friend and ally, Mage Lightfoot, should join us."

"Umeko?" Xander asks, sticking his head through the curtains. He takes in the scene, including Rakshasi midway between changing between Kavi markings and colors to spotted Savanite ones. "Umm. Are you okay?" he finally asks.

Umeko extends her hand and motions for Xander to approach. "I am well and safe," she says, and you should meet the one caring for the kavi. Rakshasi is its name. A creature that takes its sustenance from … the activities you enjoy most."

The mage sort of shuffles into the room, stepping around the passed out Kavi on the floor. "Oh… is she a shape-changing demon from Bosch then?" he asks with forced calm.

"I have not asked its origin. It seems to care for these people as best it can in a mutually beneficial relationship, so I do not believe it is our enemy," Umeko explains, "And it tells me it has been a long time since it shared its bed with a female. I must admit I am curious what dangers it may yet pose and was willing to learn through experience, but I could never do such a thing without you. So, would like to join… ?"

"Oh, your friend is a Mage," Rakshasi purrs, and even licks her lips. "And I'm afraid he's correct about my origins. That doesn't matter to you, though, does it Umeko?" she asks, licking the Kiriga's cheek.

"Not if you are not dangerous to us," Umeko notes as her head tilts slightly. Her brow raises questioningly to Xander to see if he can comment on if it is a threat or not.

"Never exchange fluids with a demon from Bosch," Xander recites. "It gives them control over your spirit. And sometimes they eat you, I've heard."

"Only if we've been all alone for a long, long time and are really hungry," Rakshasi says in her defense.

Umeko's head tilts and she looks back to the demon in question. "Is that true?" the Kiriga asks."Would you control our spirits? Would you eat us?"

"I'd only ask for a few favors," the demon purrs, stroking the underside of Umeko's jaw with her now-spotted tail. "Set a few fires, kill a few members of the local royal family. Maybe perform some dark rituals or lead an army of slaves. Nothing too onerous."

"Ah. Then I must decline," Umeko notes politely and reaches up to gently brush away the spotted tail. "I am the master of my own destiny. I did not face trial and torment and endure the wracking pain of being changed to a monster and back, to end up a slave of another." Umeko still smiles, flashing her fangs to the demon as she adds, "And I know Xander speaks the truth, for I am aware one of his desires is to see two women in embrace. Something I am quite certain he has dreamed of me doing and to hear him now speak against it tells me he believes you are dangerous to us."

"Well… only if I'm between them when they embrace," Xander mutters. Then he reaches over for the beer bowl, and pours it on Peli's head. "And that is certainly not going to happen now," he notes as the Khatta sputters and snarls and sits up, throwing her masseuse off and demanding, "What the hell!?" with quite a bit of indignity. Then she thinks to cover her chest, since she's bare to the waist.

"Ah… so, am I going to have to kill you so that you don't reveal my presence to… who are you with again?" Rakshasi asks, already reverting to her original Kavi fur pattern.

"We will be leaving," Umeko says politely yet firmly, "And I will still convey your message the Elder regarding your request for less sacrifices. I will not betray your presence so long as you cause no harm to this island's people and you do not try to leave it. And as for killing me you would find that difficult. I have faced warlords and demons from the abyss, to the void itself and survived them all. You would be wise to not test my abilities."

"Not even a little?" Rakshasi asks in a mock-cute voice. Xander is now bare-chested, having given his jacket to a still angry looking Peli. "No," he answers, and starts dragging the Khatta towards the curtain. "And don't send the bears after us either."

"I will put it this way, do you wish to die?" Umeko asks the creature as she slides from the bed and stands. "You may continue to live as you have been and I will not interfere. In fact, I will help you by way of your message. But beyond that, I cannot offer you more. Tempting as it may be, I will be no one's slave. The last who tried died on my fangs." Her head tilts a bit and Umeko adds, "I do not hate you, Rakshasi. You have helped people here, though it was for your own gain. Please do not step beyond that and make us enemies."

"Oh, don't worry, I just have to say things like that, you know," the demon says. "All part of being a Sin of Bosch. Do you want to take any fish or beer with you?"

"No, thank you," Umeko says. The Kiriga then does something surprising, she leans down and lightly kisses Rakshasi's cheek, though she is careful to not leave any dampness behind. "Take care of them," she repeats as she draws away. Umeko then finally turns away and follows after Xander.

Once they're outside and heading for the tunnel, and Peli has calmed down a bit, Xander whispers to Umeko, "Were you serious about you and me and another girl back there?"

Umeko tilts her head and gives Xander a curious look. "It would not have been enjoyable if you were not there," she tells him and shrugs as she actually looks a bit sad. "It was a chance to give you one of your dreams. But I guess that is why they are called dreams, they are impossible to ever really have."

The Lapi sighs, and then smiles at Peli, saying, "Unless a certain Khatta wants to express gratitude at being saved from the clutches of a dem… AGH! NOT THE CLAWS!!"