All the world was burning.

Behind him, the caravan was aflame, the screams and shadows chasing him into the forest.

Around him, the village was aflame. Half seen silhouettes, half felt minds, the flames seemed like anger, the shadows sorrow.

Uniformed soldiers bearing torches were superimposed on two perspectives. One beating a feathered form with a club… another piercing his side with a blade. The wound burns like flame as he runs, then staggers, then falls.

Then the coldness, seeping into him, draining his life.

And then… then the warmth. Flowing in, filling him up. Whispering to him

The whispering becomes muttering, the voice changing. The warmth is around him now, coming from arms and legs and fur. Axel is back in the hot spring bath once more, with a Lapi in his lap, her limbs wrapped around him and rocking him gently. Parsley's paws rub the back of his neck, and she mutters wordlessly in a calming rhythm.

The man awakes with a start, eyes snapping open. Disorientation is common when he wakes, the two parts of himself, human and spirit, have difficulty determining the nature of their being. Where they are, who they are, what time it is. It is hazy when they awake, and it is not helped now by horrible dreams. Unable to quite arrange the fabric of here, now, and me, Axel blinks at the woman, croaking in a unsteady voice, "I can't stop the fire, the fire and the lonely shadows!" Then he makes an unintelligible, inhuman cry, frustrated with being unable to express what he means and poorly in control of his emotions.

"It's okay," Parsley says, holding Axel and rocking him. Her pulse is rapid, and wisps of steam and smoke curl up from her fur, especially where the towel she was wearing has been reduced to ash. "Everything is alright now," she says again.

Axel's breathing isn't any better than Parsley's pulse; rapid and panicky. He stares at the woman as if not at all sure what she is, maintaining an unblinking gaze locked on her face as his mind tries to sort itself out.

"Parsley," he whispers testingly, leaning forward, eyes locked with the Lapi's. He squints, still breathing hard, reaching out with word and vision to try and find a solid handhold on the here and now.

The Lapi puts a paw on Axel's forehead, and says, "You're still hot. You need to cool off."

Axel blinks uncomprehendingly before mirroring the Lapi's movement with his own hand. He feels her forehead, stares vacantly, then feels his own. The warmth of his own flesh is significant next to the Lapi's, and the fact makes something click in his head. "I am warm," he tells her.

"Yes," Parsley says, as if talking to a child. "Too warm. It's not good for your body," she explains. "We have to go someplace to cool off. Can you walk?"

Axel looks at his wings, which flutter uselessly. He frowns, then looks at his toes. His toes wiggle animatedly. He shrugs noncommittally.

Parsley stands up, a bit wobbly, and tries to brush off some of the ash, but only manages to smear it into her fur until it looks a mottled gray. "Uh… need to clean up later," she says, and seems on the verge of panting.

Axel works his way up at a much slower pace. He stands half way and nearly falls back over if not for a very violent flutter of his wings. Once up he watches Parsley with an intense curiosity. "You smell nice," he says, it sounding more like a child's remark than an attempt to flirt, his expression not helping it seem any more adult.

"I smell like sweat and ashes," Parsley comments, and grabs Axel's forearm to steady him. "Can you swim?" she asks, and starts leading him towards the changing room.

Axel tries to think about that as he walks. The two beings that make up him are still in a panic over that dream. Merged as they are the disorienting maelstrom of emotion and thought leaves little mental strength left to deal with the external world. "I don't like water," Axel says, somewhat poutily. "It makes me cold."

"Cold is good right now," explains the overheated Lapi, as she staggers out of the changing room, and looks around. Kalvin is already gone… probably back to fetch his flock. The river is close, and downhill, but the current is likely to be too strong. "We have to go to the lake, behind the dam," Parsley says, and starts pulling Axel towards the trees that make up the Wingnut compound that lies between them and the reservoir.

The bird-man follows along as he's guided. Every so often he stares at something as if not at all sure what it is. A tree, a flower, a wild animal – things he has seen before and is now struggling to place. With each one he seems slightly more lucid, as if they were all pieces of a puzzle that were helping him set other pieces in his head.

Once they enter the shade of the giant trees, Parsley has to pause and lean against one of them to catch her breath. "I think… I think this is the right way," she says between pants, then starts moving again after a moment.

Axel pauses when Parsley pauses, then follows when she moves. His silence is met with his almost eerie attentiveness, giving the impression of an animal following someone around. At least such an impression until that strangely non-comprehending face asks, "Did the soldiers hurt you too?"

"What?" Parsley asks, her ears drooping as she tries to keep moving forward. "There aren't any soldiers here."

Or are there? Alas, today is apparently not a good day to try and go through the Kettenrad compound. Of course, what day is? The peaceful walk the two take is suddenly broken by a thrashing in the branches above. The leaves split and a spear comes hurdling down and stabs into the ground a few feet in front of them. Then, a Kadie follows shortly after, landing before them and grabbing the spear. He's painted up in some sort of warpaint, and well, is probably around 14 years old. "Halt, invaders!" he shouts.

"But they were here burning and … " The bird-man's voice trails off as he looks around nervously, perhaps half expecting soldiers to pop out. And then they do! "Ahhhrk," Axel cries in alarm, jumping back and unfurling his wings widely.

Parsley stops abruptly, and nearly falls over. She stares at the Kadie for a moment, her overheated brain temporarily stalled. This irks her a bit, as she quietly prided herself on knowing everyone in the community. "Zahn? No… uh… which one are you?" she asks the boy, who is nearly as big as herself.

The Kadie's eyes narrow. "Zahn, indeed! I'm Gunther," he replies as he paces slowly back and forth before the two. "Now, this is a first, being invaded by naked people."

Axel makes a noise that while distinctly avian, and definitely agitated, does not readily translate into any language. Noises along the lines of "rrrk," and "awrk, rrk," escape his mouth as he cocks his head and stares at the Kadie unblinkingly, wisps of steam streaming off his body as if he were one big hot coal.

"Stand… still," Parsley urges, already dizzy enough without trying to follow the Kadie's pacing. "We need to get to the lake, Gunther," she explains. "Please guide us."

Gunther snorts, and looks confused at the same time. He stops pacing and watches the two warily. "Why?" he asks finally.

"Rrrrk," Axel offers as an explanation. Or maybe he's trying to look big and menacing, or something else besides.

"Because," Parsley says, "I'm going to pass out soon if I don't cool off. Maybe die. Help us."

Gunther considers this for a moment, then tosses his spear into the bushes. "There's a closer place than the lake. It'll be less walking for you," he remarks, then walks over to Parsley. "It's still under construction, but it'll work. Lean on me."

The Lapi leans on Gunther without any argument, and reaches back for Axel's hand again.

Axel's expression and stance suddenly change when Parsley says "die." "Noooo," he wails in Sylvanian. His wings go from intimidating to limp, and he looks around as if searching for something only he can see. When his hand is taken he blinks with a start, then he rubs Parley's hand and whispers, "No dying, no dying, no no no."

"Just a little heat stroke," Parsley mutters. "Thirsty… "

"And don't you dare tell anyone I showed you this," Gunther mutters, then glances at the strange creature. "And you, no doing, well, whatever things you might do, do, er, you know what I mean." And with that, he directs them off into the compound, to one of the larger trees. He reaches out and taps a sequence of worn knots, then pulls a branch. A crack appears in the trunk, then swings open into a dimly lit hollowed chamber.

"I'm hallucinating now," the Lapi says as she watches this.

Axel pulls Parsley's hand to his chest and clutches it like a frightened child. Mist wafts off him still, as if the cool air isn't sufficient to lower his temperature.

Gunther leads them into the base of the tree and closes the hidden door behind them. "No, you're not. I'm taking you to a secret part of the compound," he says, then reaches out with his foot and yanks a lever. There's a creaking sound, then the floor lurches and moves upward, carrying them with it. It's oddly quiet, unlike many of the machines; apparently the pulleys and gearing have been exceptionally insulated to keep the passage hidden.

"Good at keeping secrets," Parsley mutters, sounding half-asleep now that she doesn't have to keep moving. Even Gunther can feel the heat coming off of her, like someone with a high fever.

Axel twitches as the floor starts moving, pulling away from the walls as if they might bite him. Like Parsley, Axel seems to be generating a considerable amount of heat – and arguably a similar amount of delirium.

"They're going to kill me," Gunther mutters to himself. The ceiling appears to be closing in, very, uh, quickly. Then … the ceiling parts, splitting apart and light spilling down. The floor continues up, until it meshes into the new opening. The two now find themselves in, well, a place that seems rather out of place considering the town. All around them carefully crafted spiraling bookcases wrap around the walls, going up a couple stories. The shelves are neatly filled with papers, books, and items what are likely diagrams. The center of the floor are several ornately carved chairs all positioned around a circular table. There are seams in the table, which seem to indicate that panels can swing up into drafting desks as needed. "Welcome to the library," Gunther says, and leads them to a door in one side.

The bird-man shrinks as the ceiling approaches, and when the ride stops he's left huddled on the floor with his wings folded around him and his eyes peering at the vanishing ceiling suspiciously. Of course he snaps out of this once Parsley's hand is lead away, and thus, leads him away too.

"Don't touch anything, Axel," the Lapi cautions.

Axel immediately releases Parsley's hand.

Gunther is opening the door and then stops to look back at the two when Axel lets go. "We don't have time for games, creature," he says, then opens the door. "Follow." And in he goes.

"Anything flammable, I mean," Parsley clarifies as she staggers along after Gunther.

Axel blinks at the warning, but he does retake Parsley's hand and follows along, confused as he might otherwise seem.

And now the group finds themselves in a room that looks like it's still under construction. The walls are carved, but in a much rougher appearance. Spiraling down the walls is what looks like a wooden pipe, with glass window inserts all along it. When it reaches the floor, it extends out and into a depression cutinto the floor, with stairs that lead down into it. Gunther leads the Lapi down into the odd depression and takes her over to what looks like a seat near the large pipe. "Sit here," he instructs.

Parsley sits down, and seems to wilt. She's already soaked through with sweat, and her mouth hangs open as she continues to pant.

Still holding the Lapi's hand Axel follows into the depression too, then hunches down when she sits, wings tucked against his back. He eyes everything around him in a series of rapid head movements.

Gunther heads out of the depression. He walks over to what looks like a control panel and taps his chin, thinking. He adjusts a few knobs, then turns a large wheel. A rushing sound fills the room. Far above, the windows in the carved pipe light up and flicker eerily. The light rapidly flows down the pipe, the windows lighting and showing the progress. When it finally reaches the end of the pipe, a stream of water pours out the end and into the depression, filling it with cool water. The flickering must've just been light reflecting around in the water as it flowed down from some storage chamber above. "This is a prototype for a made 'hot spring' you could say. Though, it's not hot right now. I adjusted it to just dispense cool water, close to the temperature of the lake. It's pumped up through some experime… eh, never mind," he remarks, then just leans against the wall.

As the cool water circulates, Parsley's breathing becomes less labored, and she even scoops some of the water up in her cupped hands to get a drink. "This is good. Thank you, Gunther, you're a good boy." she says.

Axel edges away from the water as it begins to pool around him. He can only edge so far and still hold the Lapi's hand, though, and so soon enough there's no escaping it. With an audible hiss the water touches his feet, and the man himself looks distractedly glum about it.

"Pfft, I am not. I just took you through the library. If anyone finds out, I'll be in serious trouble," Gunther comments, folding his arms in front of himself. His brow goes up at the hiss and he reaches back, flipping another lever. With a soft hiss, the water in the pool starts swirling and bubbling softly as unseen pumps somewhere underneath start circulating the water to keep the temperature consistent and even.

Parsley sinks down into the water as much as she can, even dunking her head a few times. Then she comes up and feels Axel's forehead again, while asking Gunther, "I don't suppose you have towels?

"Not at the moment, but I could get some," Gunther replies.

The bird-man produces steam like some sort of living kettle. Seemingly without rhyme or reason the cool water doesn't stop it, in fact it creates more steam as cooler water impacts the apparently well-heated creature. Despite this is makes him looking increasingly glum, almost depressed.

Parsley can feel that Axel is actually cooling, but not as rapidly as she is, and he's still quite warm. Also, the hand placed on his head gets his attention such that he looks up at the Lapi with that steadily darkening expression. "It's cold," he complains.

"And what is that thing?" Gunther asks. "Should I kill it?"

"Cold water won't hurt you," Parsley promises. "It'll just make you shrink a little." To Gunther, she says, "This is Axel Nadyenka, a visitor. You shouldn't ask such things, Gunther, it isn't polite."

"I protect this compound. I have to ask," Gunther replies, still eyeing Axel warily. "We've had enough problems with those gypsies coming around."

Axel certainly looks smaller, but that's probably because he's huddling from the water. "Axel Nadyenka," he repeats, perhaps to confirm it. Or at least it might seem that way until he repeats it backwards too, head tilting. At the mention of gypsies he makes a goofy grin.

"Oh? What did the gypsies want?" Parsley asks the Kadie, and starts scrubbing some of the ash out of her fur with her fingers.

"Their witch … whom I don't trust … was investigating some sort of vision thing," Gunther remarks. "I guess it was something bad, but they wouldn't tell me."

"Gypsies, gypsies … gypsies?" The bird man blinks, then shakes his feathers out. "Gypsies and Stonebarrow. Stonebarrow and Axel Nadyenka. Soldiers and Stonebarrow?" He bites his lip, then shakes his head. "Where am I?"

"You're safe here, Axel, no soldiers are coming," Parsley reassures the man, patting his shoulder.

"Until Amy comes back, anyway. She's a soldier," Gunther points out. He then shrugs and notes, "Their witch talks funny."

"That is the nature of witches," Parsley says. "I suppose we could use those towels now, unless you have some sort of magical fur-drying machine?"

"Witches talk funny," Axel seems it agree. He tilts his head towards Parsley's patting hand. "I can dry fur."

"Her accent changes, though," Gunther remarks, then goes through another door and rummages around. After a couple minutes, he returns lugging a pile of towels.

"Let's not try your fur-drying trick again," Parsley says to Axel. "I think you need to practice with more supervision. Maybe one of the witches can help you with that," she adds, as she steps up out of the water to take a towel. "And Amy is one of our soldiers, so she's okay."

"Witches say much and tell little." The bird man's wings twitch. "Spirits say little and mean much. Gypsies wear little and show much."

Gunther drops the pile near the edge of the bath. "I see you met that bizarre Eee, Liliana," he remarks dryly.

Axel grins goofily at that.

"I can't argue with that," Parsley tells Axel. She picks up one of the towels, and also gives Gunther a kiss on the forehead. "I owe you a favor now, Gunther. Thank you."

Watching Parsley, Axel reaches over to give Gunther a kiss on the forehead, too. "Thank you," he echoes.

Gunther blinks, then wipes his forehead. "Okay, don't kiss me again, both of you," he grumbles and makes a face. "Yuck."

The Lapi maid actually giggles at Gunther's reaction, and says, "I don't think I'll ever understand your family." After getting most of the water out of her fur, she wraps the towel around herself so she won't have to leave naked. Wouldn't that cause trouble for Gunther if they were seen together.

"What? What's not to understand?" Gunther asks and collects the unused towels.

Axel stares at Gunther a moment, then turns to stare at Parsley instead. He opens his mouth, pauses as his brows narrow, closes it, then opens it a moment later and says, "I'm in Stonebarrow. The soldiers have happened." He blinks. "Happened before. I … mean? I mean: the soldiers, they're something I'm remembering." He frowns, looking somewhat vexed as talking seems to prove difficult.

"It's good that you're starting to remember things, Axel," Parsley says. "But don't try to force it."

The Kadie stuffs the towels into the makeshift closet. "I don't understand you Lapis at all," he mutters as he closes the door. "Don't really understand Zahn anymore, either. He's gone all goofy."

"I don't understand things," Axel offers sympathetically. He stands up in the tub, looking wet, naked and not very happy about being cold. "I don't understand what happened, didn't we … come here? We walked? I was busy. Busy here," he taps his head with a hand, "and wasn't able to focus here," he gestures vaguely around himself.

"We walked here, yes," Parsley tells Axel. "But you don't need to worry about the details," she says, handing him a towel. "And Zahn is just… thinking bigger now, Gunther. You'll understand in another year or so."

Gunther spins a wheel and the bathtub literally burps. The water spins and the level rapidly goes down. "Oh, good, they fixed the drain finally. My cousin got her clothing stuck in it last time." He takes the towel and sniffs it.

"I hope I don't think bigger. Thinking hurts. I miss dreaming, but the dreams aren't happy anymore," Axel comments vaguely. He peers at his hands too, then his feathers. Shaking, he beings shedding water off his wings.

"So is this for washing clothes?" Parsley asks, raising a hand to protect her face from flying drops of water. "How clever."

"Ah, no. It's for bathing, really. It's just not working right yet. Problems with the valves and other things," Gunther notes. "She was trying to fix something, slipped on some soap, and got her butt stuck on the drain while it was draining. It sucked her shorts off." He grins.

Axel steps away from the drain and peers at it curiously. "That's funny," he says, chuckling a little. "And about that: where are we?"

"Nowhere. Nothing to see here," Gunther says quickly.

"Oh." Axel looks around, frowning. "I'm nowhere again. Is this in my head? Sometimes it's hard to tell. Are you supposed to mean something? I don't always tell me in a way I understand." He walks over and prods Gunther testingly.

"We're at the dam, in Stonebarrow," Parsley says to the bird-man, giving Gunther the sort of sharp look he's been getting a lot from Amelia of late. "And we're going back to the bath to get our clothes, then we'll go meet up with Kalvin again."

Gunther swats at Axel's hand. "No poking me," he grumbles, "I don't know you that well."

"Oh," Axel repeats. He stares at Gunther with those oddly red avian eyes of his before saying, "I'm Axel Nadyenka. I'm possessed. Can I poke you now?"

"No," Gunther answers.

Parsley seems about to say something, then closes her mouth. "Why are you wearing make-up, Gunther?" she finally asks, hoping to distract the Kadie from the 'possessed' comment.

"Okay." The bird-man turns towards Parsley and asks, "We're going back to the-" he pauses, turns back around, then eyes Gunther's makeup curiously. "Women wear makeup. Are you a girl? I'm a bird."

Gunther puffs up. "I am not wearing make-up. It's camouflage. Makes me harder to see," he explains, looking annoyed. "I'm no girl!"

"I can see you," Axel points out.

Gunther rolls his eyes. "Harder to see in the forest," he grumbles.

"You're very pretty," the bird-man adds, sounding uncertain about that, and glancing at Parsley as if to confirm that's what he's supposed to say to someone wearing makeup.

Gunther really looks like he wants to slug Axel right about now. "I … am … not … pretty," he hisses through clenched teeth.

"You could try combing your hair more," Parsley suggests. "Zahnrad seemed to clean up well, so I'm sure if you tried you could be quite handsome."

"You're very … ugly," Axel corrects carefully. Again he looks at Parsley for confirmation.

Gunther slowly reaches out as if to strangle Axel. "Why would I want to clean up?" he asks, pausing.

Being about five ten Axel is quite a bit taller than the Kadie, and indeed taller than most everyone else in Stonebarrow. he peers at the boy reaching up for his neck, then reaches out and takes his hands and holds them to his chest affectionately.

Gunther acks and pulls his hands away. "What are you doing, you weirdo?" he shouts and hops backwards. He growls, even.

"Well, I'm sure Phoebe Apple would like to see you cleaned up," Parsley says, tapping her chin. "Oh, Axel… leave him alone. Kadies aren't like Lapis. They're cra- they're more private."

Axel looks rather sad at the reaction of the Kadie, frowning and letting his wings droop. When Parsley explains he listens attentively, then nods, telling Gunther, "I'm sorry. I do not understand you very well."

"Phoebe?" Gunther asks, one brow raised. "Why would she want that?" He then shakes his head and looks back to Axel, remarking, "Just … don't do that. It makes me itch."

"Itch?" The bird-man looks at his hands. "I don't think I can make … itch." His fingers wiggle testingly.

Parsley makes sure Axel's towel is wrapped around his waist properly, then tells Gunther, "Oh, nothing for you to worry about yet. How do we get out of here? I was a bit muzzy when you brought us in."

"Quietly and quickly," Gunther remarks and slinks to the door, peering out. "It's clear, let's go."

"Muzzy. Yes. I was muzzy. I'm lost," Axel agrees as he lets his hands fall. "I shouldn't be here, I may touch something." He follows after Gunther.

"No!" Gunther shouts from the other room.

The Lapi takes one of Axel's hands and follows as well. "Don't shout, Gunther."

Gunther just shakes his head and leads them back to the elevator. He pulls the lever, the floor shudders, and down it goes.

Axel lets his hand be taken freely. The shout seems to startle him though, and he's extra careful to touch as little as possible. He even walks on his toes.

Parsley crowds in close to Gunther, keeping as far from the walls of the shaft as possible.

This time around Axel seems more interested in the walls. He reaches out and pushes a finger against the wall as the elevator goes down. It makes a screeee noise from the friction that makes him wince.

The floor settles down with a thump. Moving to the wall, Gunther taps on it a few times. The door swings open. Light floods in! And the group finds themselves face to face with another Kadie, who is all dressed in oddly knotted ropes. "Oh … " Gunther starts to say, ears flattening. And that's all he can say as the girl Kadie reaches out quickly and grabs Gunther's throat! "What are you doing here," she hisses to the others.

Parsley lays her hand on the woman's arm and says, "Let him go," in quiet, calm voice. "I can explain everything."

"Arwk," is about all Axel can manage beside blinking confoundedly.

The Kadie's hand releases Gunther, who promptly crumples to the floor coughing and rubbing his throat. "Explain," she says.

Axel flaps a little, makes a vague up gesture up and another at the door, then fiddles with his hands nervously.

"He was saving me from heat stroke," Parsley says. "I was trying to reach the lake, but he took me here because it was closer and I was about to black out."

"I was up here," Axel points to his head, "talking to me and not out here," he points to the space around him, "and don't remember very well."

"That does not give him the right to violate the sanctity of the library," the female Kadie remarks. She shakes her head and sighs, "But, that I will deal with in private with him. I have to decide what to do with you."

Then it suddenly seems to sink in for Axel. "You're hurt Parsley! Ahh," he wails, looking incredibly guilty.

"Oh?" Parsley asks, raising her ears up. "So is it normal policy for the Wingnuts to let people drop dead without lifting a finger?"

"I'm okay now, Axel," the Lapi says to the bird-man, to try and calm him down.

"Would a Chalk take someone into the heart of their warren if they were hurt?" the Kadie counters. "As for Wingnuts, well, I have issues with the way some of them behave."

Axel doesn't look entirely convinced, he still frowns and drops guiltily even making a sad crooning noise in the back of his throat. Biting his lip he listens to the conversation until he suddenly speaks up, saying, "Gunther Wingnut is a good boy, he saved Parsley."

"I would," Parsley says. "Gunther did the right thing, and there's no reason to punish him." She then adds, "And… I can make it worth your while to just keep this all to yourself."

"And I would imagine you would suffer severe consequences for doing it, too," the Kadie replies and waves her hand dismissively. "And what do you think you can offer me, hmm?" Meanwhile, Gunther is getting back to his feet, eyes narrowed.

"I can offer things, too. I will pay," offers Axel. His head tilts.

Smiling, Parsley says, "Well, I know you don't care much for Clover. I can offer you a favor towards knocking her down a peg, if that is what you want."

Now, this makes the Kadie smile. "Really, now? Well, that may chang… " she says, then out of the blue, Gunther slugs her and she staggers back and falls right on her butt. "You owe her nothing," Gunther says to Parsley. "This is clan business. I made the choices, you're incidental. She seems to forget that each clan member has equal right, and responsibility, to the archive. We'll have a clan meeting and sort this out when Zahn gets back. I'm trusting both of you to not mention this place. All our records and designs are here, everything, going back generations."

"I don't even remember how we got here," Parsley says, and looks at Axel. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't either."

"Um," begins Axel uncertainly, wings fluttering as he walks towards the fallen female Kadie and reaches for her, "I will swear before your clan meeting. I have already sworn to Stonebarrow, and I am bound to the one of this place." The man says this very solemnly. Whatever it might mean it seems a very serious thing to him.

The female Kadie pushes her self up, then wipes a dribble of blood off her lip. then very abruptly swats away Axel's hand. "You're right, this is clan business," she remarks coldly. "And after the meeting, I expect our clan will have one less member. You know you can be exiled for such actions, Gunther. Finally, we'll be rid of one of you. Now, if we could just get rid of your insane brother … oh, wait, that's right. He's already tagged to die by the spirits. Hah."

"What?" Parsley asks. "What do you mean about Zahnrad?"

The Kadie smiles. "Oh, I guess you wouldn't know. That's why that gypsy witch was here. I know everything that goes on in this compound, and I overheard a few interesting things," she says and starts walking away. Gunther growls after her, "Ignore her. She's just trying to provoke people further. She's got to be making that up."

Axel rubs his hand, looking hurt, then shocked at the female Kadie's venom. His eyes narrow angrily when she finishes, but he can't seem to maintain it. He settles on looking sad. "You would want your own kin to die?" Like his expression his voice sounds sad, but also incredulous.

"I see some attitudes never change," Parsley mutters. "No wonder the Wingnuts are still on probation after all this time."

"Every clan has their problems," Gunther remarks as he shakes his head. "Deirdre has had it out for our sub family for a while. She is right, though, I could be exiled." He just shrugs again and notes, "Very unlikely, though. For the reason you pointed out."

Axel turns towards Gunther and tells him, "If you are banished you will always have a home with me, as much as one I can give." He reaches to pat his shoulder too but stops short, apparently remembering that he causes "itches."

"Well, she probably thinks your family is the one that… ah, it doesn't matter," Parsley says, then looks at Axel. "Aren't you going to be sleeping out in the meadows with Kalvin though?"

"Kalvin walks with me too," Axel tells Parsley by way of explanation. The bird-man turns from the female Lapi and peers off in the darkness of the trees a moment before asking, "Where is Zahnrad?"

"No, it doesn't matter," Gunther agrees and shrugs. He walks out of the trunk and says, "And yeah, I'm keeping you from wherever you're going. Sorry. And sorry for you having to see the 'dirty laundry' of our clan. It's why we're dying out, really. Zahn? Oh, he's off with Amelia and Olivia doing some work for that strange Doctor, I think. Amy insisted, though Zahn wanted to stay and repair the damage the gypsy caused when I … never mind. Look, I should go, and so should you."

"Yes… if you could show us the way back to the hot springs?" Parsley says, still sounding a bit concerned.

Gunther closes the door and nods. "It's not too far from here, come on," he says, then just starts walking off into the compound again.

Axel turns back and frowns at Gunther. "Don't be afraid to come to me if you need help. I am not a monster. I am someone who lives for someones like you," he tells the boy cryptically. Then he turns and begins walking. "I am going to find Zahnrad." He looks down. "After I am dressed."

Following along, Parsley whispers to Axel, "Sorry you had to see that. I know other races aren't as used to violence as Kadies and Lapis. But we can't all be like the Skeeks."

"I don't like violence," Axel whispers back, frowning. "No. I don't like needless suffering. It makes me feel … ," he blinks, "… feel like I've failed someone. I don't want to think about it. I'm sorry. I'm still a little confused and can't express myself correctly. But I must find Zahnrad."