Zoltan sips casually at a cup of Mateh as he strolls down a quiet street along the way to the Shoppe. He offers the slave a sticky pastry from a paper-wrapped bundle in his hands. "Here, you probably hungry. How long were you in Underside?"

The tall Savanite slave – though not nearly so tall as Zoltan, of course – reaches timidly for the pastry, but then stops as she is asked a question. She signs, "A year, maybe two? The seasons are so strange in Rephidim; it is hard to tell."

Keeping the food in his hand, the Vartan quietly nods. "Where was you before thats?"

The slightly-disshevelled Savanite bows her head, then looks up to Zoltan, signing, "I harvested yorspice in the Himar region – I do not know exactly where I was. It was not my business to know. I did not partake of any … but it is potent. When I came to the Jade Palace, for a long time I suffered withdrawal agonies." She drops her muzzle again, her face pained in remembrance.

Zoltan presses the pastry into the Savanite's hands and then absently wipes some of the stickyness off on the feathers of his chest. "Here, eats. I afraid that you probably going to lose you appetite soon after I tell you what I needs to say." His tail flicks nervously, causing the bits of junk tied into it to clatter together. "Just nod you head yes or no, I know it difficult to sign while you eatings."

Star gives Zoltan a worried look, but nibbles on the pastry nonetheless.

"Firstly, I needs to know… you addicted to Yorspice or anything like that now?" The Vartan folds his arms behind his back.

Star shakes her head, indicating the negative … and takes larger bites out of the pastry, more of what looks like an effort to get the pastry taken care of quickly and her hands freed than any desperate hunger.

Zoltan casts a few glances around the street, trying to keep an eye open for anyone that shouldn't hear him. "Do you remember ship that took you away from Savan? I know they keep slaves drugged… but I been told that there a particular slaver that supposed to be dead." He frowns, "He looks like me, was named Herbir. You ever see him?"

Star frowns and shakes her head. She hurriedly swallows the last of the pastry, then signs, not having to worry about having her mouth full, "I am sorry, but I remember little of my capture. I remember it was very dark, very frightening, that the slavers yelled a lot, and that it smelled horrible." She shivers.

The Vartan nods his head. "Was just curious. I think he was related to me… he was responsible for death of many many Savanites. I trying to right his wrongs." His ears tilt back, "You been in dome whole time? Never leave?"

Star shakes her head. "I have not been out of the Dome, no."

Zoltan drops back to handsign. "Someone approach Fire-Mane, claiming to be you. She say she was dancer and smelled of death. Gave her 'magic hand' and promised her power… this was no you, then?"

The Savanite blinks several times, then shakes her head. She then sniffs at her hands, and shakes her head again.

And then, she blinks again and signs, "Fire-Mane?!?"

"You ever meet anyone who promise you such things? Had dreams of spotted cat in jewels?" Zoltan smiles wryly, "Yes, Fire-Mane… I guess you might say I friend of you family. I meet Emerald-Eyes on Trip to Savan, met Cloud-Mark in she village. I also know you mother and thinks I know where to find you father. Fire-Mane works for temple along with Long-Lope, but she away on mission with her master right now. I no sure abouts Cloud-Mark yet, and… " He balls his fists up, regretting this one final bit of sign. "I know where Third-Eye is as well."

Star seems to be progressively more and more overwhelmed as Zoltan rattles off yet one long-unheard-of name after another … and then finally the last prompts a reaction from her like a slap in the face. But she signs nothing in return, only dropping her gaze to look at the ground, too many thoughts racing through her head to voice any of them through the movements of her hands.

Zoltan reaches out and puts a hand on the Savanite's shoulder, hoping to steady her. He pulls Star off to the side of the street and sits down on a bench with her. "I sorry… I know it a lots to swallow." he signs. "Before we goes any further, I need to make sure you trust me. Third-Eye is my slave now, but I know that you probably hate her… if what I see from Fire-Mane any hint of you feelings, I know how hard it is. If you rather, I take you someplace else where you no have to see her. Before that, please… I beg you, hear me outs?"

Star gives Zoltan an incredulous look. "Why … I am sorry, Master, but … She is your slave? Why do you care about the feelings of a lowly slave such as me? Why do you know so much about my family?"

Zoltan sighs… where to start? "Tell me, you ever hear stories abouts City of Hands?"

Star nods. "The City of Hands is a place built by the Nagai, during the earliest days of their Empire. It was believed to be filled with great wealth, but also haunted by spirits who inhabited the stone of the buildings, and would swallow up treasure-seekers who managed to find it."

"However," she signs, "I heard that it was found by the Temple, but then destroyed. Titus haut Mikide made off with much of its treasure – before he succumbed to the curse – and much of that wealth then fell into my previous master's hands … That is, Faraon. All wealth makes its way to him somehow eventually."

Zoltan chuckles… he's got his work cut out for him, it seems. "I suppose I should start out from beginning of story… " He begins to sign the tale of his adventure. Discovering the city, meeting Kaela, finding proof of the Savanites… He signs about how the Priest-King was stopped by Emerald-Eyes and the city was evacuated. He signs about learning of Shokar's ship and the Legend of Paradys, and the map-room in the city that could be the key to finding it. He signs of the kidnapping of Abana by Third-Eye and the race to the City, the wounding of Storm-Hand and the raising of the Twelve-times-Twelve. He signs of the villagers' attack on Third-Eye and how they escaped to the City, and the deal he made with her to find Paradys…

He then signs of discovering Paradys and taking on Third-Eye as his slave, how he distrusted her but did what he could to keep true to his word. He signs about Necropolis and the cannibals, and the secret pact Third-Eye made with them… thinking that it would help her gain power – and in the end it left her beaten and scarred. He signs about the battle that took place to defeat Necropolis, how the Savanites, the Eeee, and the Vartan all teamed up into one great force to stop the monster… and how this not only raised his own respect in Savanites, but also raised Third-Eye's respect in non-Savanites. He signs about returning home and meeting Fire-Mane, about the funeral for the Savanite coat, and about the Hand of the Ancient and the imposter Moon-Brow; he also signs about how Necropolis still shows her influence from time to time. Finally he signs about the plans to take the Savanites back to the City of Hands, and the happenings in the Nagai Empire.

Star's eyes are wide at the whole rendition, filled with awe, wonder, fear and a whole range of emotions as she takes in the Vartan's flurry of movements as they weave this long, adventurous tale. Once it's finished, she looks upon the Vartan as if upon a legend having stepped straight out of a fairy-tale. After a long pause, all she can sign is, "This is all true?"

"I know it overwhelming, but it all very true." Zoltan pauses for a moment to rub his hands. "This very sudden, but I let you make decision. Third-Eye is very VERY sorry for what she do to you and family, she understand if you never forgive her or never want to sign to her again. But right now she at my shop, tending to my children… that where we going. If you no want to see her, I try and find other place for you to stay. Decision is yours, but I promise on my life that no harm come to you."

Star is evidently overwhelmed. But in the contest of thoughts racing through her mind, the one that finds its way to her hands is, "I will trust you and obey, Master. I will cause no trouble."

Zoltan looks around the street to see if there's many people out, he then reaches for Star's headband, making a 'may I?' gesture.

Star shivers a bit, but dips her muzzle, nodding faintly.

The hippogryph gently slides his fingers under the fabric of the headband and lifts it up just a little, enough to see for himself without showing everyone else passing by.

Underneath the woven-leather headband is – right where Jezebel would have a third and blind eye – a spot of white fur, perfectly round.

Zoltan quickly snaps the headband back down. "Moon-Brow," he signs, smiling warmly. "If you are ready, we go to the shop now. Please, no be afraid."

Moon-Brow nods, her ears blushing, and weaves her fingers together tightly.

Zoltan puts a comforting hand on the Savanite's shoulder and starts back towards the shop. "One last thing I best warn you abouts when we get there. My kids is hyper sometimes, and one of them likes to squish bugs. Mind you no get you tail pulled too hard by them… "

A journey across the city later, and after a brief moment during which Star surreptitiously checks her tail for good measure, the Vartan and Savanite enter the Shiny Shoppe. Zoltan's warning is not in vain. Immediately, the two are assaulted by a couple of screaming spotted monsters who rush up and cling to their legs. The older one starts babbling something which might be an account of her daily adventures, while the younger one just clings to Star's legs … sniffs at the fur … and his ears fold back with a look of confusion.

Grinning broadly, the hippogryph scoops Pouncer up in his arms and gives her a big hug and a beakruffling through her hair. He reaches down and tries to pick up Enos as well.

Enos reluctantly lets go of Star, and the latter winces as Enos' claws are pulled free from her fur. Enos doesn't even look at Zoltan, but glances at Star, and then back to the curtain … from which emerges Jezebel. Perhaps Enos is seeing double. And, as soon as Jezebel emerges, perhaps so is Zoltan.

Zoltan inhales nervously. "Kids, this is you aunt, Star." He looks between the two Savanites, ( By the Star… they're almost identical! )

"STAR!" squeals Pouncer, and she reaches out for her newly-introduced aunt without a moment's hesitation. Enos, taking his sister's acceptance as a cue, squeals and reaches for Star as well.

Star breaks her gaze from Jezebel, her ears flicking back forward, and her expression softens as she reaches out to tousle the head-hair of the kittens.

Jezebel walks forward, perfectly poised – in a stance that could be taken by any casual onlooker as a sign of regality, or else as a sign of a well-trained slave who wouldn't splash a drop of water from a bucket balanced on her head … but to Zoltan, it is a sign that Jezebel is simply doing her very best not to let one peek of emotion slip through her ironclad mask.

The Vartan gacks as he suddenly finds himself juggling two squirming cubs. He offers Enos to Star to hold. "They… urk… likes you I… ack… thinks."

Zoltan looks nervously between the two. ( Moon-Brow is either too shocked to react, or she's stronger than I thought. I suppose that working for a dragon would make anyone strong. )

Moon-Brow takes Enos and sweeps the little cub into her arms, hugging him close and tightly. While Enos makes noises of weak protest at the overabundance of affection, Moon-Brow buries her muzzle in his fuzzy fur and just rocks him back and forth lightly. Enos soon quiets, save for an audible purr.

Zoltan flashes a sheepish smile to Nicodemus and tries to hustle Moon-Brow and Third-Eye into the back room. He reaches out and scratches Pouncer's ears gently, still cradling her in his own arms.

As Zoltan passes Nicodemus on his way to the back room, he can't help but notice a glint of something shiny on the counter. A Kavi – Loosetongue the Lightfingered, by the name Zoltan recognizes – pours out his latest offerings for Nicodemus' perusal. There are numerous metal buttons, snaps and odd and rare things Zoltan has come to know as 'zippers' (something from Exile worlds), but also some odd little pellets that look just like the ones that came with those metal muskets the Vartan acquired on Paradys. And then, there's a scrimshaw carving that is poured out as well that looks like an oddly-shaped bird.

Zoltan blinks at this, remember the last time he saw an oddly shaped bird. He sets Pouncer down and whispers to her, "Go show Gish to Aunt Star." Then he signs to Third-Eye, "I be right back, 'Star' need some help settling in… she just got jerked from one life and dumped into another. It probably no easy for her. Be gentle, I be right backs."

Jezebel nods formally, then leads Star back. Star seems to be quite absorbed with Enos, not giving Jezebel another look. Enos, for his part, is still purring.

Zoltan folds his hands behind his back and wanders towards the counter, examining the objects a bit closer.

A bit of Loosetongue's jabber can be heard – of course, having mostly nothing to do with what he's showing off. "… and then I hears that pamper-poodle Eustace gots it big time trouble wit Vindicta and Kelsey! Who-ho! Whip or fire, which be it? But more, I hears he aintcha only one cheatin … Ashad got caught, says Hana, cheatin on her, with sleazy Dalah… "

Nicodemus patiently nods at Loosetongue's gossip, sorting through the collection of treasure and garbage.

The Vartan winces, poodles… ugh. He walks around to another part of the table and examines the pellets and the scrimshaw. "Where you find these?" he asks.

The Kavi looks up, glances to Nicodemus, then grins widely at the Vartan. "Eh, no trouble! Old Exile Jupani kicked off in Vermiteville!" There is no such place. It just refers to any generic dirt-trap just shy of Darkside. "He dinna need 'em anymore, so's I savvaged 'em!"

"You know if he had any friends, could you takes me to his house sometime?" Zoltan scrawks. ( Where did he get these things? Exile… hmmm. )

The Kavi grins. "No fre'ns! An 'is house got scrubbed. I gots this fore dey mashed it! He had lotsa books, too. But da squeakers bought those. Cunna read em, but they gots pichers in 'em!"

Zoltan taps at the scrimshaw. "Pictures like this?"

The scrimshaw looks fairly familiar. Very familiar. It looks like a metal rakhtor.

The Kavi nods. "Ya! And I heard da squeakers – One o' dem was real old and sez he reads this. In the book, darsa big black round thing on dis flappy traption and it makes this… " He holds his arms out wide. "BIG BOOM! Assa Titanian would say, yez?"

Zoltan gurgles. "Big… boom… " He looks back to the curtain and sighs. "you think you could take me to these squeakers? Half copper in it for you, maybe?"

The Kavi laughs. "Neh, dey come in outta nowhere. I dunno how dey knew to find me. But deyz gonna meet wit me again. To gimme other half o' da payment. Sez no worry, dey gonna find me."

Zoltan clicks his talons against the countertop. "You thinks you could tell them to come here sometimes?" He points to the scrimshaw, "Tell them that Zoltan told you that he saw one of these for real and been inside it."

The Kavi almost drools. "REALLY? You … you BET I will!"

"Didja see the big black boomers? Inside da flappy? Deyd pay a FORTUNE for those!" says the Kavi, excitedly.

The Vartan digs in his pocket and pulls out the knife. He shows it to the Kavi, flipping out the various tools inside of it. "Tell them I show you this as proof. Hrr… what they plan to do with 'boomers'?"

The Kavi shrugs. "Hey, who wunna want a boomer? I'd drop one offa da side o' da island just for kicks! WEE HOO!" He grins enthusiastically.

Zoltan's ears flatten. ( Great… I almost took one of those lethal things home with me too! Well, dangerous as it may be… this may lead to more answers about Shokar, so I'm not about to turn down the offer. ) "Just tell them what I say and what I show you. I would likes chance to look at these books if I could."

The Kavi nods enthusiastically, then turns back to Nicodemus. "Now, abouts dese trinkets. You sees they worth lots, eh? A copper apiece, that's all I ask. A steal!"

Nicodemus frowns. "Exactly."

Zoltan sighs to himself and walks back behind the curtain to see how Star is fairing. What a day… and it's still only morning.

Not so good. Star is sitting on a bedroll, holding a squirming Enos, crying into his fur. Pouncer, meanwhile, clings to Jezebel's leg, while the elder Savanite just leans against a wall, looking nothing so much as … exhausted. She wearily looks up to Zoltan as he enters.

"What happened?" is all Zoltan can sign. He looks back and forth between the two slaves and the two children.

Jezebel starts to sign something, then shrugs. At last, she tries again, signing, "I cannot undo the past."

Enos lets out an annoyed yowl, prying himself free from Star's grasp, then clambering on all fours across the bedroll, to dive into a pile of tossed-aside blankets, crawling inside, until only his tail pokes out, twitching back and forth.

The Vartan nods his head, he knew this wouldn't be easy. He walks over to sit next to Star, offering her a feather to use as a makeshift hanky. "There anything I can do?" he asks, looking at both of the Savanites.

Star blinks at the proffered feather, as if spending a long moment pondering just WHY she's been given it.

Zoltan, in response, gently dabs at Star's eyes with it and then places it in her lap. "Star… you allowed to be honest here. I not going to punish you for speaking you mind or showing how you feel. Tell me what on you mind right now."

Star blinks at the feather-hankie, then to Zoltan, then … smiles. Her body shakes a bit, and her ears wiggle, as she twirls the feather around in her fingers.

Nervously itching at his shoulder, Zoltan looks back to Jezebel with a confused expression on his face. ( Star seems to run hot and cold… or else she's better at hiding her feelings than even you, Third-Eye. ) He scoots to sit on the floor, occupying the space between the two cheetahs.

Jezebel frowns as well, looking from Zoltan back to Star. But then Star looks up to Jezebel, giving her a sad gaze … and gets up, still holding the feather, walking over to Zoltan. "I'm sorry, Master," she signs. "I told you I'd cause no trouble, but I did anyway. I'm so sorry."

"How do you mean?" Zoltan signs to Moon-Brow.

Moon-Brow takes a deep breath, and her shoulders stop shaking. She then signs, "I believe you. I believe all you've signed to me. It's just so hard to … " She furrows her brow in frustration. "… to really … believe what you believe?" She looks up to Zoltan as if for help.

Zoltan looks at the markings on his arms, and the metal braces on his wrists, his gaze goes back up to Moon-Brow. "To believe you more than what you are? That everything you been taught to believe is wrong? I understand… and I no make you do anything you not want to do." He shrugs. "You going to have to decide what you want to do, though. Maybe not now… you should have time to settle you emotions, but soon."

Moon-Brow just nods … then slides down to the floor, leaning back against the wall, looking just as exhausted as Jezebel. They look so much alike, indeed … just one a bit older (and not really visibly that much so) than the other.

"It been a long day, Star. You welcome to take a nap on cot, and I show you games the cubs like to play later." Zoltan scrawks, folding his arms and comparing the two sisters. "I think we all need a rest right now. Is been a very hard night for us all."

Jezebel snaps into action, fixing up a cot for Star. Star simply watches Jezebel's actions numbly, as if finding it still so hard to believe everything.

Zoltan smiles at Jezebel in a vain attempt to keep her spirits up. ( Looks like I'm going to have to get used to sleeping on the floor again… )