Somehow, a little family trip to Safar turned into a major outing. Lady Dack managed to contact Moon-Brow and Testament-Blaze at a time when Rephidim happened to be not all that far away from this particular destination, and thus, not only did Willow manage to arrange to get someone else to come along to help keep an eye on the littlest member of the Dack household … but a couple of spotted kids came along for the trip as well.

Willow fusses with a hat on the Khatta kitten's head, trying to keep the sun from being too much of a nuisance for her black fur. "Thanks for coming along, Nene doesn't get to meet many other people in Kroz." She stands up and stretches. "So where do we go first? Last time I came to Safar it wasn't for leisure."

Testament-Blaze seems at a loss to offer any suggestions, evidently out of his element with all of the flash and dazzle and noise. Moon-Brow signs, "It depends on what you want to pack into the day. It's best to hit the most popular rides in the morning, while it's cool and the crowds haven't come in. If we wait for the main rides, it will be scorching in the noonday, and we'll have to stand in line for hours."

A big Creen costume with a disgustingly friendly-looking expression toddles over toward the group. The Creen begins hopping from foot to foot, flapping its colorful wings, making a trilling sound from a whistle obviously hidden somewhere in the costume that makes a passable imitation of a real Creen.

Nene shrinks back at the imposing figure of the big costumed entertainer, her ears drawing back and her eyes going wide.

The Creen sing-songs, "I'm Cris Creen! I think you're keen! Now let's all join hands and sing!"

"With a yum-yum-diddle-dum, jolly lots o' fun! Your day at Safarland has just begun!"

Pouncer, a pre-teen spot-furred Khatta, rolls her eyes. Enos, her younger brother by a few years, follows his sister's lead and tries to look aloof at the "little kid" antics of the Creen, though he still watches.

The Skreek taps her foot. "Depends on where the kids want to go. I get all the bumping around I want on rickety airships." She curls her tail around the kitten. "It's all right Nene, Cris Creen is just saying hello."

The red-haired kitten looks up at the Skreek. "Say hello?"

"Ohhhh!" says Cris Creen in a muffled voice. "So, your name is Nene is it? What a lovely name! Is this your first time here to Safarland?"

Enos crosses his arms. "He's not a real Creen," he says, with a wise-to-the-world expression on his cubbish face.

"Sure, he won't hurt you. If you're nervous about going up to him, I'm sure that Enos would be happy to go up there with you." She flashes the two jaguar kids a quick wink, figuring that the younger boy could get a closer look and still have an excuse about going up there so he can save his pride. "If he doesn't mind that is?"

Enos puffs up his chest at the offer, and walks up, grabbing Nene's hand. "He's not a real Creen," he repeats, in a lower tone of voice, as if this should get to the core of Nene's reluctance.

Nene chews on her free paw, as Enos leads her up to the costumed character.

The Creen looks to Nene, then to Enos. "Oh, and you're a brave little fellow, aren't you? Is this your little sister?"

Enos for some reason looks proud, perhaps that he's old enough that he could actually be mistaken for an older sibling, but then he shakes his head. "Noooo." Nene just giggles.

The Creen squeals, "I'm so hap-hap-happy to see you both!" And then he hops from foot to foot. "I'm so happy, in fact … I think I'll sing you a song, one I just made up right on the spot!"

Willow chuckles to herself, her tail switching back and forth. "Here I am the only rat in a group of cats. I can see why they might think she was family."

Nene shrinks back at the hopping, her ears flattening, but Enos puts a protective arm around her. "He's not a real Creen," he repeats, whispering loudly in her ear.

"She's never been to a place like this before. I think the closest thing she's seen to a Creen are stone gargoyles back in Kroz," the Skreek whispers loudly to Pouncer.

The Creen twitters on his Creen-whistle, then breaks into song. "I've seen a lot of little cubs; of kittens I've seen plen-y! Some named Rahb, some named Bahb, some named Kyle or Jeni! I love them all, I love them dearly, even though there are so many … " The Creen head suddenly swishes from side to side as if looking to see if anyone is watching, then leans forward toward the kitten. In a loud stage-whisper, he confides, "But just between you and me, I can't think of a nicer one than Nene!"

Nene jerks back at the Creen, and her nose quivers, as she does her best not to start crying right then and there. As soon as the Creen finishes her song, in a loud voice, she announces, "I don't like you!"

Willow throws her hands over her mouth to suppress a loud guffaw. "Well, Mister Creen tried at least." She kneels down. "Come on, Jez, say goodbye and thank him for the song at least."

The Creen staggers back, throwing up his colorful wings, and letting out a loud "gasp" and then an un-creen-like whimper and whine. "Oh me oh my, how can it be? To think that such a lovely kitten could not like me? I tell you, I'm wounded, I'm hurt through and through … Oh is there ever, oh ever, a way to make it up to you?"

Enos raises an eyebrow at the Creen's antics. Pouncer does the same, though her expression is a little more convincing.

Nene crosses her arms. "Goodbye, but I still don't like you." She looks up at Willow. "Don't like the song either. Wouldn't wanna lie."

The Creen gasps again. "Oh horrors, oh horrors! You didn't like the song? Oh how oh how could this horrible day possibly possibly go more wrong?"

The Creen hides his face with his wings, as if unable to even look at Nene … but as soon as she looks his way … one wing moves just a bit, and a big googly eye peeeeeks out … then hurriedly the wing snaps back, hiding the eye again!

"You are definitely my daughter," Willow chuckles as she hands the kitten the tip of her tail.

Nene grabs the tip of the offered tail, but giggles when she catches the Creen's eye. She quickly switches to an aloof demeanor, tail-tip in hand, her own tail and chin held high, showing that she's far too old to fall for such trickery.

Moon-Brow suggests, "I don't know how good of an idea it would be to take the water rides. I hear you get quite soggy on them." She walks over to a kiosk and examines a map of the park.

Enos, emboldened, walks up to the Creen. "I'm not scared of you!"

Pouncer hisses loudly, "Eeeeenos! Don't cause a scene!"

The Skreek takes a sudden interest in dusting her clothing off and checking herself for rumpled hair, giving the Creen ample time to goof around with the kitten. "Why don't we let Pouncer decide the first ride? Just keep in mind that Nene might be a tad too small for some of the things here."

Enos glances back at his older sister, but his attention is snared by a "psssst!" from Cris Creen. Enos leans over, and the Creen whispers something to the jaguar cub. The cub's eyes go wide, and then he starts snickering. The Creen puts a hand in front of his fake costume grin, in a "shush" gesture, and Enos repeats the motion, nodding … then hurries over to catch up with the group again. Cris Creen, meanwhile, gets up, waving merrily after the group. "Have funnnn!" he chirps.

Pouncer grins at the thought of picking the first ride … then peers at the map, furrowing her brow in contemplation.

The Skreek folds her arms and looks around. "So if we get a souvenir, you don't want anything with the Creen on it then? How about Mister Bromthen? Hmmm… I wonder if they have anything that looks like Uncle Kiri's Blynx?"

Enos trots to catch up with Nene, and holds out some sort of a munchie that looks like a cluster of honey-roasted nuts in a stick, with colorful little paper "creen wings" stuck on the back, making the snack look remotely like a Creen.

Nene doesn't take the snack, and instead yanks on Willow's tail. "Mama?"

Pouncer says, "The 'Wheel of Life' is a carousel. Borrrrring. 'Splash Canyon' would get us all wet… "

Willow bends backwards, peering upside-down at the kitten. "Yes?"

Nene points at the Creen-snack held by Enos. "Can I?"

Enos stifles a snicker at the visage of an upside-down Willow-face.

"Sure, just throw the stick and the wings away when you're done. I don't want to find Creen-wings stuck to my tail." The Skreek winks and then rights herself, focusing on Pouncer again.

Pouncer continues rattling through a long list of rides, giving most of them bad reviews. "'Thunder-Lizard Hunt' might be okay. But I hear sometimes the thunder-lizards get loose and eat somebody." She looks up at the others. "Well, I heard… " She goes back to the map. "Oh! 'Chiga Chase'!" She grins. "I hear that one is pretty good!"

Nene yanks the Creen-snack from Enos' hand, and starts munching on it loudly. A few bites into it, and she remembers herself, and, with her mouth full, mews, "Nankyoo."

"I'd rather not be up all night trying to convince Nene that a big lizard isn't chasing after her. What's the latter one?" Willow wipes a bit of sweat from her brow.

Enos grins, and heads off to Pouncer, handing off the snack before it gets too sticky in his paw. Pouncer absently takes the snack. "Oh? Thanks. Uhm … Well, 'Chiga Chase' is a wagon-ride. The story is that you're hunting down an evil spirit terrorizing a nearby village, and there are lots of monsters and stuff. But then at the end, they kind of ruin it all by explaining that chigas aren't really ghosts, but they're just a myth based on all those little biting bugs in the jungle called 'chigas'. It's an educational thing… but the ride's still fun!"

Enos takes a couple of bites off of his snack, and then discovers that holding it in his hand this long has made part of the candy coating a bit sticky. He breaks off a few pieces of the candy … then sticks them back on in different places. He grins at his discovery.

Moon-Brow looks concerned. "Is it scary?" she signs, casting a glance over toward Nene.

"Nene, you up for a ghost ride?" Willow tugs on her tail to get the kitten's attention. "It might be spooky, but if you rather we can break away and ride the carousel while everyone else gets all spooked out."

Enos looks up from the two-headed four-legged two-winged not-quite-creen he's constructing out of his snack-turned-toy, and points at the map. "I wanna see 'Gateway Worlds'!"

Pouncer wrinkles her nose. "Oh, Enos, that is so lame! That doesn't even have anything to do with the Safar! They just threw that in for no good reason!"

Nene squeals, "Ghosts!" She grins widely. "I'm not scared!"

Enos responds to Pouncer's criticism in his usual way, by completely changing the subject. "Look what I made!"

"Tell ya what, we'll do this by age. First Chiga Chase, then Gateway, and then whatever Nene wants to go on. So, let's get our tails in gear before the lines get big." The Skreek shakes her fur out, letting the shake run down the length of her tail to playfully jiggle at the kitten's hand clutching the end of it.

Nene giggles as she makes a show of trying to hang on to Willow's tail, using both hands. Alas, this means she lets go of her nibbled-on Creen snack, and it drops to the ground. "Uh oh… ," she mews, looking down at the dropped snack.

Willow carefully picks up the snack. "My fault. I'll get you another one to replace it. I'm sorry." She puts on a melodramatic droopy face for the kitten.

Pouncer says, "All right – We head off this way!" She starts to skip off, dragging Testament-Blaze by the hand.

Enos looks at his mutated snack, and at the dusty one, and pads over to Willow and Nene. "Here," he says. "I wasn't eating it anyway." He offers the two-headed, four-legged, not-quite-creen-snack to Nene.

Nene looks to the dusty snack, and to Enos' offering. She brightens. "Trade you for it!" she mews.

"So how has your family been weathering through the war?" Willow signs to Moon-Brow as she follows along behind Pouncer. She blushes at Enos, "Um … thank you. Are you sure? And, er… ," her voice drops to a whisper, "weren't you supposed to share a third one with your sis?"

Enos says, "Gehnoh!" and swaps abused candies with Nene. He then looks up to Willow. "Already gave her one."

Moon-Brow watches the exchanges between Enos and Nene and Willow, and waits for a break in the conversation, just walking quietly along in the meantime.

Pouncer drags Testament-Blaze this way and that way, suddenly showing far more interest in the various sights when she actually sees them in person, as opposed to her critical reviews when going over them in the abstract on a map. Still, it looks like she's staying for the most part on course, and her zigzagging makes it easier for the rest of the group (including the cubs with shorter legs) to keep up with her.

Tree houses along the way show how Savanites lived in the jungles in the time when they had to hide from slavers – and how some of the more reclusive tribes still live to this very day, in fact. Off to the side, the sounds of a stunt show can be heard, in which some brave Savanite warrior is supposed to fend off vicious slavers. Puffs of smoke rise above the walled-in area, as these particular slavers seem to be pyromaniacs.

"I see… I'd just forgotten about it. Well, thank you for allowing my daughter to devour your creation. Most artists are hesitant to see their work get treated in such a way." Willow winks to the jaguar boy and then sidles along next to Moon-Brow.

Off in another direction, there's the "Great Selona Rickshaw Race," one of the more lively attractions … though, alas, there's a minimum size requirement, lest little cubs get flung from their rides.

Enos proudly smiles at the praise, and regards his dusty treat. He fiddles with it a bit, turning it into a flimsy circlet that he then tries to use for a bracelet … but it crumbles apart too easily, and at last he gives up on it, breaking up the pieces and scattering them out for some brave Creens that materialize in a flurry of colorful feathers to snap up the candied nuts.

"Here we are!" announces Pouncer, pointing at the entrance to the ride. Big letters verify that this is the "Chiga Chase" in Rephidim Standard, Written Sign, and Imperial, with smaller translations on posts nearby.

The entrance to the area looks like a cluster of thick-trunked trees that have been twisted together … or a facade that suggests such, since it's unlikely that such a tangle could have been grown in, oh, the last four years or so.

"Their pap must have gotten tons of scraps of candy stuck in his feathers. People may think that a Skreek has an ugly tail but thank the Star they're easy to keep clean." Willow glances behind her. "Better finish eating it, Nene. They probably won't let you take food onto the ride."

Thistlebark trees grow nearby … the thistles carefully blunted, that is, so as not to pose a hazard to curious cubs and kits.

Nene nods, and nibbles on the snack some more, but she's not quite yet a voracious eater, and about all she manages is to behead the candied Creen (twice) before she announces, "All done!"

Pouncer drags Testament-Blaze on into the ride, evidently having finished with her own snack on the way over. "Hurrrrry!" she calls out, laughing as she leads the hapless priest into the ride, amidst eerie moaning and muffled cackling.

Willow takes the remainder of the snack and throws it away, grateful that the kitten didn't get too much sugar in her system so early in the day. "Is anything here devoted to the City of Hands?" she squeaks as she jogs behind Pouncer.

Enos marches up to the ride, but a Shiga attendant holds up a hand. "Oop. Sorry, fellow. No pets allowed." He points at the Creen that has landed on Enos' shoulder, and is licking and nibbling at his sticky paw, which the jaguar cub holds upright.

"Free hand-washing, who would have thought." The Skreek laughs and tugs the kitten along.

Pouncer nods. "Lots!" And given the opportunity to elaborate on her extensive knowledge (which she just gained from perusing the map), she says, "First, there's the story of the Priest-King. It's really scary. They blow up the old palace. Then, they have mock-ups of important places in the City you can walk through… and there's this place where they tell the story of the Priest-Queen, but … " Pouncer frowns. "I don't want to go through that."

Enos reluctantly bids farewell to his new Creen friend, and rushes after the others.

A lady Jadai Kiriga in white robes stands at the side of a recessed track, where a wooden car rolls into place. It's early enough in the morning that there's barely a line at all, and after just a bit of waiting, the group gets up to an empty carriage. "Group of six?" the Kiriga asks, echoing her question in hand-sign. At a head-nod from Testament-Blaze and an even more enthusiastic nod from Pouncer, the Kiriga lifts wooden bars on the six-seated carriage – two rows, three seats each.

"I'm sorry … it's just that I don't get too much of an opportunity to learn about her." She clears her throat. "I'll go through while you do the Thunder Lizard thing. I never cared much for big loud lizards anyhow. If I want to see one I can always go peek in my brother's basement."

Pouncer suddenly looks distracted. "You have a thunder lizard in your basement?" she squeaks. Enos takes the moment to scramble past Pouncer. "I sit in front!" he squeals, settling quickly into place before anyone can protest.

The Skreek acks and glances back at the kitten. "You want to be on the side or the middle, Nene?"

Nene takes a moment to ponder, then mews, "Middle."

"Not my basement, my brother's. He's got a mushroom forest and a carousel in there as well." Willow smirks. "Enos, Pouncer, could Nene sit in between you in the front? Us old folks can ride in the back."

Enos says, "Yah! I'll protect her!" Pouncer just rolls her eyes and grins, agreeing, "Sure! Let's hurry, or we'll hold up the line." Pouncer helps Nene into the seat, holding her hand, then sits down, and the Kiriga lowers the protective wooden bar. Testament-Blaze shuffles into a seat in the back. Moon-Brow signs, "You can take middle so you can be right behind Nene."

"Thanks," Willow signs and jams herself in between the two cheetahs. "During the boring educational bits you can fill me in on how things have been going for you."

Moon-Brow gets in last, the wooden bar is lowered … and the Kiriga attendant steps back, waving the wagon on. A couple of big muscle-bound Rokugas come up, and start shoving the cart along, getting it a good running start … and then they let go as the cart starts to roll on its own volition down a shallow incline, following the track. It gets darker, as the cart enters a tunnel lit by flickering light on the walls. A dark voice intones, "Beware, for you now enter the realm of mystery and the supernatural … " The monologue goes on in such a vein, phrased for maximum hype and creepiness. The wagon rolls past a mock-up village built within a tunnel, making it appear that it's a village at night, with all the people locked up inside their huts, hiding from some unknown terror in the forest. "… and you, intrepid heroes, are the village's only hope against the terror of … the CHIGA!" Ominous music plays, and the slope gets a little more steep.

The next part of the ride, truth be told, goes by in a blur. The wagon rocks around the track, leaning one way and then the other on tight curves, at times seeming like it might fly from the tracks, and low-hanging tree branches whisk past. (Maybe that's why riders had to walk under a maximum height line before getting on the ride.) There are mirror-projections of ghostly images and creepy glowing eyes that appear here and there through the nightmare forest. Percussive music booms all about, and jungle noises are distorted to sound more horrific, as a narrative voice is pretty much lost in all the noise.

The Skreek resists the urge to flatten her ears and look nervous. Some of this is a bit too similar to things in Kroz she's been trying to steer clear of for the past four years.

The ride takes quite a few bumps and drops, and at times it seems like a couple more Rokuga workers (costumed as more ghosts) have rushed up to the side to shove the wagon on with more force … the cubs squeal their heads off, Enos and Pouncer holding their hands up high, while Nene bounces up and down in her seat (thank goodness for the restraint) … and after a few seconds of weirdness…

… the wagon rolls into a lighter area. "Congratulations, heroes, you have caught the elusive Chiga! But now that we have gone through this adventure together, let us learn about the truth behind the myth of Chiga spirits… "

Willow holds her head, trying to regain her equilibrium. "So that's how they educate people in the Savan: whip you around and then stuff things in your noggin while the stuff in there is all squishy."

A chain arrangement can be seen clanking along the track now, which rises up an incline. There's a minor jolt as the wagon gets caught by the chain puller, and behind some curtains, one can barely see some more Rokugas cranking on the mechanism that pulls the wagon slowly back uphill. As it goes along, a more pleasant voice rattles off all sorts of factoids about the history of legends about the Chigai, about how the occasional birth of a mutated Naga was seen as proof behind the legends and as an evil omen, and so on and so forth. Nene yawns widely.

Moon-Brow brushes her hair out of her face, then signs, "Sorry if I wasn't too conversational during the ride!" Her ears wiggle.

"Quite all right. I wasn't expecting this to be so bumpy." The Skreek relaxes a little, sinking down in her seat.

Pouncer points at a big mock-up of a chiga bug – its size multiplied several times over – posed behind the faux frame of a giant "magnifying glass". She rattles off assorted bug facts about the chiga, contributing to the educational value of the ride on her own. At last, the wagon rolls to the top of the incline, and then jerks slightly as it pulls off of the lifting chain, then coasts down a gentle incline back to the start. A Savanite assistant reaches out to steady the wagon, guiding it back to a smooth stop at the exit point.

As soon as the wooden restraints are lifted, the cubs almost clamber over each other as they get out, cheering. "AGAIN!" mews Nene. "No, Gateway Worlds next!" Enos insists.

"Mother's stomach can only take being jolted around so often every hour," Willow chitters. "Actually, I was wondering if I could break away from the group a bit? I'm wanting to check out one of the boring exhibits here, but I don't want to take away from your fun."

Moon-Brow signs, "I think we can handle them. We should figure out where to meet up with each other, though."

Nene seems to have gotten into something resembling a conversation with Pouncer, loudly stammering something about "poly-bugs" and "Dabadon".

"Testy … er … I mean, Testament-Blaze, do you want to come along with me? We'll meet back at the carousel at noontime and grab something to eat." The Skreek brushes herself off again.

Testament-Blaze signs, "Are you sure we should leave Moon-Brow alone with the children?"

Moon-Brow signs, "I think I can handle it." She winks. "And the carousel is a good choice. Nice, obvious, central … and rarely a long line, I hear."

"She'll be fine. Nene's a good kitten. Luckily she didn't inherit all of her behavior from me." The Skreek grins.

Moon-Brow nods, then signs, "Off to Gateway Worlds!" Nene may not be totally fluent in Silent Tongue just yet, but Enos and Pouncer evidently are, and Nene picks up quickly enough with their enthusiasm, as they start to head off to the next ride, cheering.

Testament-Blaze watches the children head off, and signs, "What do you have in mind?"

"I wanted to see whatever they had dedicated to the Priest-Queen, and I also didn't want Nene to see me get all sad over it." Willow sighs and puts her hands in her pockets, shuffling off in the direction that Pouncer had indicated the right was in. "I hope that Moon-Brow or the rest of her family weren't offended at the name I'd chosen for my daughter?"

Testament-Blaze signs, "Most assuredly, no member of the family I have met has been offended. And anyone else quite likely has no idea. Why should you fear such a thing?"

The Skreek shrugs. "Because Jezebel isn't a Savanite, and more people can claim rights to her namesake's friendship and such more than I can, because they knew her longer. I met her in person for only a day and I've spent the past four years trying to learn more about her … and each person I meet has a little piece of the pain of losing her in their eyes, so I have to carry that with whatever knowledge I pick up as well."

Ahead, there's a gateway with a sign that clearly reads, "(Highlights of) The City of Hands". The Silent Tongue translation of the name is formed by large plaster hands that run along the side of the path, spelling out the name in Formal. The gateway itself is fashioned to look like two stylized Creens, wings outspread to touch each other and to support the sign. They are not colored, however, instead looking as if they are cut from stone, and they blend into faux rock, as if it is to seem as if they were carved out of a natural rock bridge. Facades of rocky walls rise to line the path, a miniature representation of the Xenea Canyon, as the twosome pass through.

Testament-Blaze signs, "It is a long-standing tradition to name one's children after someone admired, quite often without regard to any familial relations. I can't imagine why anyone would take offense at your honoring of Third-Vision's memory."

"Still… you'll notice that she goes by her middle name most of the time. It turned fewer heads." The Skreek looks out across the stone path. "What all did she do when she went to Abaddon with you? What I've met of most of the priests there, I don't think she was treated very well."

Testament-Blaze signs, "Reactions were mixed. When her back was turned, many signs were exchanged. But to her face, she was treated respectfully. There are many factors that made her less than an ideal representative of the People of Sinai to some of the sects following the Star … but nonetheless, she was still the leader of the 'Lost Tribe'. For that alone, she commanded respect."

Willow nods, continuing to shuffle along the path. "Did she ever talk about me?"

Testament-Blaze nods, taking just a moment to glance at some of the hand-statues and a ziggurat representation of the Map Room, where a few Savanites and reptiles line up for a light-show. "Yes. You made an impact on her. I gathered that she had been suffering through a crisis with her People over the issue of religion for quite some time, and her encounter with you strengthened her resolve."

Testament-Blaze gestures at several representations of stone idols that are broken at the bases. "The People were of many faiths. Some borrowed the faiths of their captors, sometimes modifying it for themselves, or even believing themselves lesser subjects of a harsh deity. Some followed various versions of Star-worship, optionally mixed in with tribal pantheons of gods."

"Third-Vision was not just a governmental leader. As her title implied, she was a religious leader as well. But how could she be a priestess, if she could not determine what deity or deities she represented? Could she be a priestess of all religions? There are some who believe that 'all paths lead to the Star', but if you bother to learn the tenets of most of those faiths, they generally claim, 'This is the truth. Worship no other deities but mine.' You cannot please all at once," the priest signs.

"Heh. The more I hear about her, the more alike I see us as, right down to having royal blood in our veins. The only difference is that my husband is the mage instead of me. In a few years, Jezebel might be on her way to learning shadow magic, although most of Sinai will probably look at her as just another 'hedge wizard'." Willow sticks her tongue out. "What did the queen do about all the different religions?"

The priest signs, "She might have done nothing, except that her own advisors – the Twelve-times-Twelve – forced her hand. They meant well, I am certain, but these men – mages – had somehow been put into suspended animation – that is, a long, long sleep – since an ancient time when the old Priest-King reigned."

"The truth of the matter is, the Priest-King was a priesthood of a religion with himself as the object of worship. The Star had long ago been displaced by the power of magic. And then, that progressed to the worship of the most powerful wielder of that magic," the priest signs.

The Skreek pats a broken idol as she walks along. "I'd heard bits about the Twelve but not much. Folks don't like to talk about cheetahs that can do magic."

The priest signs, "The Twelve-times-Twelve one night erected twelve idols, each one corresponding to a different Sphere of Magic, and their identities carefully chosen to correspond to the most popular of the tribal deities worshipped by the scattered tribes … and with some imagination to correspond to a few other deities known to the scattered People. One of these idols – the one corresponding to Shadow – looked remarkably like Third-Vision herself. The Twelve-times-Twelve then claimed that the idols had appeared overnight, and that the gods had returned."

"There is much more to the story that I know nothing of, but the basic story I gather is that they took several steps to plant into the minds of the people an association between Third-Vision and a deity. Their aim, I can only presume, was to elevate the position of Priest-King back to that of nigh-deity. If Third-Vision was to be most true to the legacy of her ancestors, she would be making herself an idol," the masked cheetah relates.

"Considering how strong her faith seemed to be when we met at Gateway, I can bet that Jezebel was none too pleased with this." Willow managed a smirk.

The cheetah nods. "She was not yet resolved in her faith, but she had been greatly influenced by a great warrior, whose name I no longer sign, out of respect for his current station, except to sign that he is now the Champion of Shadows, and the father of those two children accompanying your daughter today."

The cheetah signs, "I cannot say for certain what motivated her, but she most certainly did not wish to be worshipped as a deity. She did not wish to follow in the footsteps of her ancestor, knowing full well where that led him." He gestures toward a mock-up of a palace … but one that looks fairly macabre, a thing of stone … and yet almost looking as if it were made of flesh, a living, unholy thing. It's definitely one of the creepier attractions in this part of the park.

"It must be tough for two kids to grow up with their pap fighting in the war. They seem to have weathered it all right though and look to be a normal couple of kids." The Skreek peers curiously at the building. "Ugh. What's that thing?"

The priest pauses, regarding the palace. "I have heard that, despite the hype, the story told here is fairly accurate. The old Savanite Empire fell because of the conceit of the Priest-King. He was powerful in magic, and delved into the mysteries of the ancients of this world – the First Ones. He sought immortality, and gained it at the expense of his family and his empire and … his very being."

The priest signs, "He underwent a horrific transformation as the pinnacle of a dark ritual held deep within his palace. His flesh turned to stone and mineral, and he fused with his palace, spreading outward to fill it and transform it into his new body. His wife and his sons and his court were consumed in the madness. The Twelve-times-Twelve – the lesser circle of mages who attended the Twelve – were outside the palace at the time of this disaster. They saw what was happening, and made a sacrifice – They enacted a ritual to bind the transformed Priest-King."

Willow's ears flatten. "Then we have all the more in common. Dagh is Nene's great-great-great something-or-other grandfather, and he's still walking around deep in Sinai doing who knows what."

"As the corruption of the magic spread outward, veins of crystal forming on the stone walls, and the Priest-King consuming the palace to become his new body – and eventually, it was certain, the city as well – the Twelve-times-Twelve sacrificed themselves, turning themselves into stone wards to bind the evil of the Priest-King, and sentinels to make certain he was not released," signs the priest, nodding at the mention of Dagh. "Yes, this is a story repeated many times over in the lore of Sinai, in many forms. Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. But sometimes, even those who do are blinded by their hunger for power and glory."

"So what happened? Obviously the Twelve came out of it and the Priest-King didn't grow out and swallow all of the Savan." Willow swats a bug on her neck.

The priest signs, "It was not until millennia later that a descendant of the Priest-King, the youngest sister of Third-Vision, undid the curse of the Priest-King. Emerald-Eyes faced him and convinced him to renounce his evil, and in his anguish – finally realizing the evil he had done – he destroyed himself and the palace that he had merged with. A pit was left where the palace had once been."

The Skreek's head drops. "I hope Dagh can have a happier ending. Ariel deserves as much."

"This all happened during an expedition to the ruined City of Hands – at the time thought to be a Nagai ruin. The expedition was an utter failure, and Emerald-Eyes – slave of a Rephidim noble – returned to slavery, though her adventures were witnessed by others." The cheetah signs, "Later, her older sister, also a slave of this same master, returned to the City. She enacted a ritual, freeing the Twelve-times-Twelve from their imprisonment, and she sought to become ruler of what she hoped would be a new Savanite Empire. At that time, her heart was full of hatred and a desire for power – and revenge."

Willow gnaws on her lip and nods, saying nothing in response.

The cheetah takes a seat on a bench along the way, as his monologue is getting quite long at this point. "The younger sister, Emerald-Eyes, insisted that she would be more worthy to rule. Their mother refused to tell the Twelve-times-Twelve which of the two was more worthy. The Twelve-times-Twelve therefore sought to test the two candidates – and any others of their sisters who sought to make a claim to the throne. They would each be observed by a representative of the Twelve-times-Twelve, and return a year hence for the group to make its decision."

"The youngest sister, Emerald-Eyes, was furious that she was not chosen, thinking that her elder sister was obviously evil, and herself as obviously good and pure of heart. But the Twelve-times-Twelve had values all their own, and our own concept of 'goodness' – or that of Emerald-Eyes – did not necessarily match their opinion of who would make a strong leader," signs the priest.

The gray rat takes a seat besides the cheetah priest. She's heard bits and pieces of this story before, but never the whole thing.

The priest signs, "So it was that Emerald-Eyes fell out of the contest early on, but the Twelve-times-Twelve would not give the leadership to Third-Vision by default. She would be tested … and if any of her sisters decided to contest her leadership, then they would be tested as well. Third-Vision was greatly opposed by her sisters, for she had done them a great misdeed long ago, selling her family into slavery – save for Storm-Hand, who had escaped into the jungle, and later formed a tribe of her own as its shamaness."

The priest amends, "And save for her eldest sister, Jade-Eyes, of which no one signed, and thought long dead … and for the adopted sister, Cloud-Mark, who was no Savanite at all, and was recognized as free once taken into Rephidim."

The priest continues, "But Third-Vision was convinced of her rightness to rule, and boldly chose a mind mage as her tester, confident that a mentalist could probe her very being, and that she had nothing to hide. Further, she was accompanied by the one who would later become the Champion of Shadows, who had saved her from death by fire at the hands of the tribe of her sister, Storm-Hand, and who now acted in a way as her mentor and conscience, though she did not yet realize it."

"So how did Third-Vision eventually get the crown? And how did folks know that this Jade-Eyes wasn't an impostor?" Willow rests her chin in one hand.

The priest nods. "There were many adventures Third-Vision went through, and I would tire you to tell them all. But suffice it to sign that she found Paradys, and she was almost seduced by promises of power from the Queen of the Dead, Amenlichtli – or, that is, her 'avatar', as they sign here on this world of such magical things – and she was forced to realize just what she would become if she did not change her ways."

The priest signs, "She made many more mistakes, and had much more to learn – but when do we ever stop learning? The Champion of Shadows came to embrace the faith of the Star, held by so many of the Savanites, and Third-Vision respected this, though she did not claim to believe such things herself. She had seen many evils, in others, and in herself. She could not accept what seemed too easy."

The Skreek chuckles wryly, nodding to herself.

"But what seemed so easy was not," the priest signs. "At last, she returned to the Twelve-times-Twelve, the only candidate, but also showing herself much matured during this year of testing. The Twelve-times-Twelve surely could not have conceived what fires she would pass through before returning to them. Or … perhaps they could." The priest shakes his head slightly. "She was named 'Priest-King'," he signs, using the sign for what actually translates better as a gender-neutral title, "and the City of Hands was rebuilt under the shelter of a Forbidden Zone."

The priest signs, "As for Jade-Eyes, she was known as 'Azhtar' by her slave-name, a personal slave of an 'Aeonian' by the name of Melchizedek – an official within the Rephidim Temple. He had raised her from cubhood, and the Twelve-times-Twelve verified her heritage by means I presume magical."

"I know most of what happened after that. It's disappointing that all I'll ever see of what the City looked like will be in reconstructions out here. I'm going to try to visit the site while I'm here and it's safe again to see it, but I'm disappointed that they wouldn't at least rebuild it to spit in the Nagai's face." The Skreek shrugs her shoulders.

The priest signs, "It is at the bequest of the new Priest-Queen. There are a few who go out there to restore parts of the city, but there is a holy place that only she is allowed to enter. I have seen this in signs not meant for my eyes."

Willow's ears flatten even more. "Bah, I had enough of that 'certain people allowed in holy places' scrud while I was on Abaddon."

The priest shakes his head. "This is not the same thing. This is some place where she receives messages directly from the Star. While I applaud her dedication to the Star, I am concerned about this story. I have sought an audience with her, in hopes that my association with Third-Vision might gain me access, but I know full well her opinion of Abaddonian 'impostors'. I am afraid that my misguided brothers, the Keepers of the Flame, may have poisoned her against all of us."

The Skreek sticks her tongue out again. "But what about all that talk of 'equality' and such? Mammal, reptile and all of that living peacefully? Your brothers wouldn't even let me pray in their shrine."

The priest signs, "When you allow only a few to read the Holy Book, and absolute freedom to interpret it, and when you compile these 'interpretations' into holy books of their own … then the original message can be lost."

"My point was that your brothers don't seem all that big on equality." Willow rubs a black translucent ring on her finger. "Do you think Jade-Eyes would see me?"

"My closest brothers – those who actually read the Holy Book we claim to follow – are for equality, I assure you. I am not alone in my beliefs," signs the cheetah. He pauses, then signs, "I do not know what reception you would get."

It seems to have gotten progressively more quiet in this part of the park.

"But the ones that Jade-Eyes is closest to don't seem to be all that big on it. At the very least I'd like to meet her and know if she follows the same Star that her sister did. I'd really hate to find out that she's got a priest signing to her about what the book says without even letting her read it for herself. I met a soldier at Gateway who didn't even know how to pray." The Skreek resumes her sulking pose. "It would kill me if Jade-Eyes is smothering the very thing her sister held dear."

Willow's ears perk as she tries to find the reason why things have gotten so quiet.

There's the faint sound of music that reaches the Skreek's ears, from the area back past the stone archway leading into this part of the park. It must be the morning parade. A lot of the lines have died off at the rides nearby, as people make their way back to the main routes to find the best places to watch the parade. But the side effect is that it makes it nice and quiet over here.

The Skreek gives the priest's arm a tug. "Come on, the scenery is nice but we're not quite to the place that I want to be just yet. I still want to see what they have dedicated to Third-Eye around here."

The priest nods. "I do not understand Jade-Eyes and where her beliefs lie. But I believe her attempts are genuine to establish equality in Xenea. She is open about the fact that she worships the Star. She does not attempt to institute a state religion, but she still makes her decisions based on her beliefs. I cannot fault her for that. I only fear this strangeness… " The priest then nods and gets up, accompanying the Skreek.

It's easier to get through this part of the park, now that there is next to nothing in the way of a crowd to navigate. A scattering of Silent-Ones stand out plainly – pilgrims, perhaps – with their veiled or masked faces and their white, sigil-marked robes. Testament-Blaze occasionally bows as he passes one, receiving similar gestures in return.

"So how exactly does she talk to the Star? I figured it was one of these holy shrines that they wouldn't let me in while I was on Abaddon. There was one time where the 'Hall of Gentiles' that I was directed to pray in turned out to be a lavatory." Her tone quiets as she passes the pilgrims.

Ahead, there is a fountain surrounded by a court of twelve gateways, each bearing glyphs that tell stories of the old Empire … not especially friendly ones, truth be told, reflecting alien values … but there are placards nearby that attempt to put all of this in perspective, and explain why values had changed so drastically over the millennia.

"I would be most grateful to know the answer to that question," signs the priest. "And I cannot express my shame at how you were treated on Abaddon."

Off to one way, there is what looks like a walled garden, with a statue at the entrance of a three-eyed, regal-looking cheetah, a peaceful expression on her face.

The Skreek tugs on the priest's robe to slow him down as she quietly circles the fountain. "It's all right – I'm a rat, remember? Although if one of them mistreats my daughter I'll verbally bite their faces off… " Her voice trails off completely as she sees the statue.

"They are far more polite in their bigotry where children are concerned, I assure you," the priest signs. As usual, his expression is hidden by his mask.

Willow nods and quietly enters the garden, pausing a moment to touch the statue's hand before passing through the entrance.

The priest makes the sign of the Star as he enters behind Willow. Steps lead down to a depressed area surrounded by walls covered by flowered vines. Walkways form concentric rings circuiting around the garden, each one of them having images in relief and writing in Written Sign telling stories. A Savanite girl just inside the entrance attends a small stand where there are brochures holding translations of the story in various common languages – most of the pamphlets focusing on Rephidim Standard and Imperial, of course, given the region.

The Skreek waves off one of the brochures for now, having enough of an understanding of the language to read it herself.

The Savanite girl bows her head. At present, the garden is largely empty, save for a Shiga child that traces the relief images with a sticky-padded hand, a Silent-Ones warrior who sits on a bench next to a pool in the center of the garden, and a cheetah couple that strolls along the outer perimeter.

Willow stands in the garden for a bit, unsure of where to go or what to do, but something about the warrior pulls at her and she finally moves to the bench. "May I sit with you?" she signs. "Just want to look at the garden and read what is on the wall."

The warrior turns his helmet to nod at Willow, then looks away … then turns to look at Willow again.

The Skreek quietly sits down, studying the waters of the pool. "Do I know you?" she signs, "or is it just odd for a Skreek to come into the garden?"

The sigils on the mask of the warrior can be made out to read "Son of Thunder".

The warrior shakes his head. "I am sorry. I thought you were someone else," he signs, and returns to looking at the pool.

"Wait," Willow says softly, leaning over to look more closely at the Warrior's mask. "Were you at Gateway four years ago? Guarding a tabernacle if I recall."

The warrior turns back to Willow. "Yes." He pauses, then signs, "You are the same one, then. Did the Star bring you here?"

"Family vacation." The Skreek manages to smile a little bit. "Why would you think the Star brought me here?"

The warrior shakes his head. "Forgive me. I have been asking the Star for a sign. It has been four years, and I have seen nothing."

Testament-Blaze's hands move for a moment, as if he might sign something … but he relaxes them, apparently content to let Willow deal with this for now.

Willow shakes her hands out slowly. "Maybe the sign wasn't something to be seen? Tell me what it is you've been asking and maybe I can answer your question."

Son-of-Thunder signs, "I have asked for a sign of what I should believe."

"You should read the holy book if you want to know what you should believe. The Star's words are right there," the Skreek signs. "Knowledge is something you must gather on your own, not something that mysteriously appears in your head."

Son-of-Thunder signs, "But I do not understand holy mysteries. I cannot hope to understand."

"Have you tried to understand? What set me so aghast by what I saw at your mission was that the Star supposedly loves everybody, but I was made to pray among your supplies instead of in your Temple, and you didn't even know how to pray, nor did you seem to understand what the Star's love was about. It concerned me; it concerned me so much that I ended up praying for you more than for the Priest-Queen's soul."

"And the Priest-Queen … she signs that we are all impostors," the warrior adds.

Willow shakes her head. "The Priest-Queen is only a person, as prone to sins and mistakes as any of us. She is not the voice of the Star."

The warrior shakes his head. "Then who is the voice of the Star? How can I know if you are right? Or if the Priest-Queen is? Why you or her and not my priests?"

"Why did you want a sign to begin with? Why did you simply pass me off as a gentile and go about your normal life?" the Skreek signs.

The warrior is still for a long moment, and then he signs, "It was easier to pass off someone I would never see again, than to question those I served under. Or so I thought. But I asked about what you had told me. And I was beaten for questioning my superiors. Then … " He pauses again, and makes the sign of the Star across his chest. "… then, one day, I was on cleaning detail. One of the priests left his robes and his holy book out. I knew he would not be soon returning, for he was having an affair with the … " The warrior shakes his head, then signs, "While he was distracted in the next room, I picked up the book. I found the passage you signed of. The priest told me there was no such thing in the Holy Book. But there it was before my eyes."

The Skreek frowns. "You should not have been abused for asking a question and I hope you will forgive me for the pain that you endured. But regardless of that, your priest lied to you and hid the truth. I do not fully understand why the Priest-Queen called you impostors and may not until I get a chance to speak with her, but speak with her I shall. As for you … I can tell you how you might find the truth. The truth will come through your own works and through your own discoveries, so when it comes you will know it to be true. Would you like to seek that truth?" The Skreek puts a hand on the warrior's armored shoulder, as though a frail thing like her could support him somehow.

Son-of-Thunder signs, "I have followed many paths that led me nowhere. But you were the first to show me that the first road I was on was not the true one. It is only just that I consider your counsel. What do I need to do to find truth?"

The Skreek turns around and waves to the Priest behind her, making a quick sign for "book". "What is your situation now? Have you been exiled or are you homeless?"

One of the priest's little copies is tucked into Willow's hand as soon as she has one free. His supply was greatly replenished during his last stop on Abaddon. Mechanical presses are far more efficient than writing copies by hand.

Son-of-Thunder signs, "I have left of my own accord. The priest I mentioned earlier, whom I shall not name as a matter of honor, bought my silence. I have been supplementing what is left with odd jobs on the airships."

Willow holds the book out to the warrior. "Come with me. I will feed you and give you a place to rest until you feel you have learned all you can with me. All I ask in return is that you read this book and ask me whatever questions come to your mind. I am no priest, but I have been trying to teach my daughter the ways of the Star and will do the same for you."

Son-of-Thunder signs, "I do not ask for charity. I will work for my bread." But he nonetheless takes the book in his hand, silencing his signs for the moment as he runs his hand over the cover.

"Then I'll give you work to do. I'm here on business and might very well need someone who can fight. I'm not adopting you like some kitten. I'm doing what I think the Star would want me to do," the rat's hands sign out.

Son-of-Thunder nods, and stands, bowing his head to Willow. "I will not disappoint you," he signs with his free hand.

"Then let me introduce you to my daughter. Just to warn you, she takes after her father more than me… " Willow pulls herself up from the bench and sighs, although it's more of a sigh of relief than one of weariness. She exits the garden and looks at the statue. It seems almost as though it were smiling at her.