The flight to Safar wasn't anything special for Tasha, but Shojo and Fringe would fly up to the top of the gas bag envelope to watch the sky Procession. It normally covered a third of the sky from Abu Dhabi, but grew narrower and narrower until it just a bright arching line at the equator, then began to spread again over the northern sky. It was still a narrow band when they reached the tropical city of Safar in Xenea.

There wasn't much time to sightsee (despite the lure of Safarland and the City of Hands). Lancer Lily took them straight to the new Magenta Lance barracks at the edge of the city, and tried to get them a small Templar scout ship for delving east into the Desolate Band to try and get them as close to their target as possible.

Sanctuary of the Magenta Lance
Like the original on Mt. Golgotha, this sanctuary sports an arboretum and tall stained-glass windows depicting roses. The flower beds are still a bit bare, as the first planting is still growing. The white stone arches and walls often have hanging curtains or nets as dividers, but the inner areas are still off-limits to visitors.

Lancer Axe sits on a stone bench, still fully armored but looking meditative, somehow. The sounds of training can be faintly heard, along with the gurgle of running water. An unarmored Savanite attendant mans the garden, should the visitors need anything while waiting for Lily.

Tasha sits beside Axe, looking more pensive than anything. She finds sitting next to the much larger Titanian comforting, a reminder of her time on the Dainty Mauler and all her friends there and beyond. Still, a measure of comfort does little to relax her, as her anxiety is far greater. Soon they'll be back in the Beast Lands, and soon she'll be face to face with Lord Yama ...

Thus the red woman leans on her halitool, staring ahead at somewhere beyond the flowers. The sound of fighting is a constant reminder. Briefly, she considers looking in to it in case she can get some last minute pointers, but decides she'd best stay put for the coming news.

Fringe is lying across another bench, catching up on her sleep, while Shojo inspects the plantings and soil. It's almost an hour before Lily returns and heads for Tasha. "We can only get a ship for three days," the woman signs. "One to get there, one to handle your task, one to fly back. Can you manage with that?"

"I don't know," Tasha answers honestly, looking up but not sitting up. "This isn't something we can predict, and the outcome is uncertain. I'll tell the others to board the ship, though, if I don't make it back in time."

Tasha nods her head, then pushes herself to stand using her halitool before hauling it up with one hand and, with effort, turning it in an arc to land on her shoulder with a audible thump. As she follows along, she says, "I never did see the Sanctuary of Roses on Rephidim, or Golgotha. I really should have taken the time, but, I don't think they allow visitors -- at least not visitors like myself. Not until now."

"We have more space available here than at Golgotha," Lily signs. "But less history." She leads Tasha down a long hall and into a side room, with shelf upon shelf of rolled up charts. Natural light beams down onto a central table, where a map of the southern half of Ai is spread out. The other figure in the room is neither feline or female though: an avian Aquilan - like a Vartan, but bird all the way down. He's bright blue and green with gold patches around his eyes. "You must be the special guest," he says to Tasha in Vartan.

"It's nice to be special," Tasha answers in Vartan along side a forced sort of smile. Anxious as she is, she can't quite manage a genuine, but not wanting to be rude or appear as grim as she feel,s she makes the effort. "Are you the captain of the vessel? I'm Tasha, by the way. Pilot-cadet Aldera Tasha Argentine, JEF."

"Captain Roc," the Aquilan introduces himself. "Templar, but no Lancer. He points to the map, a talon tapping on Safar near the west coast. Further east and slightly to the north is the City of Hands, nearly at the far end of the country. The Desolate Band borders to the east, with the Beast Lands forming an oval patch that takes up the middle of the northern border. North of that is the outlaw zone, unbeholden to any laws or government.

"If you can show me whereabouts in the Beast Lands you mean to go, I can figure out how to get you to the nearest edge," Roc says.

"That I can do." Stepping forward, Tasha pulls out several tools including a nice metal compass, parallel ruler made of plastic, steel, that even has a bubble level, and a notebook. She lays the rule on the map, but doesn't start calculating anything yet, instead she examines the Beast Lands for a second or two and then pulls out one more item: A folded map. This gets unfolded and placed on the table; To the Sinai captain, the map looks peculiar, full of exact lines, strange curvy lines indicating height, and an assortment of other colors all superimposed over what appears to be a highly detailed painting of what the land might look like from far, far in to the sky. There's a number of notations, clearly added later with some form of marker, and deep in to the Beast Lands is a circle labeled 'Lucifier.' This, Tasha points at, then she looks at the aerogation chart and puts her finger on the same spot.

"Hmm," Roc ponders. He points to a spot on the southern edge of the Forbidden Zone, as close as one might get to the site of the wreck. "We can put down here. The bandits in the Desolate Band usually avoid getting too close to the Beast Lands, so we'll be safe for a day at least. If you're group will be flying, they'll need to keep close to tree-top level for safety. You've got experience with the sense-distorting effects that can occur in there?"

"I've been there before and I've traveled inside other time-space warps as well," is the young woman's answer as she studies the course. She then reaches over and picks up the rule, placing it down as she works out the path the captain suggests. She doesn't get much of a chance to use the old, Sinaian method to navigate, and can't quite resist the chance while it's infront of her. "How bad are the lawless regions? Any change these last few months?"

"The Empire is putting more attention into the region, trying to clean it up," Roc notes. "They're unlikely to have airships, or attack one bearing the Knight's crest. But we do patrol the border between Xenea and the Desolate Band all the same, which is why we cannot afford to have this scout ship out of circulation for long."

"I understand." After straightening the young woman runs her hand back through her hair -- or tries to. Now That she has considerably less hair, she only touches the start of her mohawk and stops with a wry grin on her face, which fades immediately. "Well." Her hand falls. "I'll try to return within the time limit, but just in case I can't, I'm going to give my squad orders to return to the ship without me if I'm not back or ... or if something happens. You won't have to worry about being out of circulation."

"I don't like leaving people behind either," Roc notes. "I have a perfect record in that regard." He opens his leather-bound notebook and writes down the details of the journey. "We leave at first light, the ship is the Truffle Hunter. We have our own airfield here at the Sanctuary, so it shouldn't be hard to find."

"There's one more thing," Tasha notes, holding a hand up to indicate the man should hold. "If you see a large object that resembles a Naga, perhaps a Jingai, making its way out of the Beast Lands and you haven't heard from me or my team, nor are you seeing any fire or mirror signal from us, you must make note of its course and withdraw immediately. Do not attempt to engage it, or even get within a mile of it. Return to Safar and inform the military, the mages, and the Lancers."

The Aquilan raises his crest slightly. "Going dragon hunting or something in there?" he asks.

A grin creeps across Tasha's face, grim and anxious. "You could say that. If my 'dragon' leaves without me, be careful." She then turns to Lily and says, "If that happens, try to ambush it far from any habitated area. Walls won't stop it, and it can destroy any airship without effort. You're best off with small teams of people, and, a lot of magic."

"We know how to fight big things," Lily assures Tasha. "Do you need any supplies for the expedition that you do not already have?"

"We'll need to refresh our water and we should doble-check that everything else is in order and not spoiled, but other than that we prepared in Abu Dabi. I'd like to join in your combat drills -- especially that 'fighting big things' you mentioned -- if you don't mind. The big Vartan and the Eeee could use some help, too, just in case. A heavy crossbow or longbow and a mace for the Vartan, and for the Eeee, a short sword and a light crossbow," is Tasha's answers after she turns to the Lancer.

"They don't look like soldiers," Lily signs. "Are you sure they should be given weapons?"

Tasha nods in response to the question. "They won't be fighting the, uh," she glances towards the captain a moment, "dragon. But, in the case they run in to bandits or, ah, other wildlife, they shouldn't be defenseless. I'll need to leave them for a while, so they'll need to take care of themselves. Better to be safe, right?"

"So long as 'flight' before 'fight' is given as an option," Lily notes. "Our styles are not made for winged fighters though. We are sword-dancers, first and foremost." She gestures for Tasha to follow again.

"They're smart, they'll know what to do. I have faith in their judgement," Tasha notes as she follows along after the Lancer. "The mace is a good choice for Shojo, as he has a medical condition that would make more precise weapons difficult. He should be able to still fir a crossbow if he needs to, and, he can definitely cock one. The Eeee, Fringe, is more of a concern but better armed tahn defenseless, especially out here. I don't have much hope of her using a sword, so ... Make her's a long knife and a light crossbow. Bu like you signed, I'd feel much better if they never had to fight, I just don't want to leave them defenseless should the worst happen and they're left by themselves. At the very least they can try to hunt with the crossbows." The young woman then cocks her head to the side and asks, "Dancing, huh? Me, I learned to use what I had, but I've had enough training and exposure to different weapons to learn a bit of what I like, and need. I made this, to handle breaching, large scale

repair work, and so on, but it's just as deadly as a weapon. A lot of our equipment has to do double duty, as we're primarily explorers."

"We are primarily warriors, although now independent," Lily signs. "We get to choose our battles.. but do owe something to our patrons, as well." The leave the main building and enter an observation area for the training field. Felines in practice armor and shamboo swords in each hand do combat drills. It really is dancing, since the lithe bodies flip and twirl through the air while the single-edged swords lash out. Shield plates are built into the armor as well. From the sounds of the impacts though, they're probably hitting just shy of the breaking point of their weapons.

There are also several Nagas in the observation area, as well as the more prevalent Jingai. Another feline seems to be monitoring their attention to the battle.

"We share that in common," Tasha notes as she walks up beside Lily, taking in the drill with a sweep of her gaze. After a moment she says, "I've never fought with a Lancer before, and definitely not with anyone as nimble as your Magneta Lance. I'm sure I'll learn something."

Much of the rest of the day is spent in light training. Shojo is very good with a crossbow, since his aim is so steady. That is, so long as he has the time to aim. Fringe is a bit less accurate, unless the target is only ten feet away. Surprisingly, both of them know how to use machetes - for canal work, essentially. Since a mace is moved in much the same way, Shojo does fine with one. For Tasha.. her sides are a bit sore from being tagged by practice swords. The halitool was fine for a single-attack defense, but each block left her open to the second sword. High-speed melee where she couldn't use her strength to her advantage would take a lot more practice.

Dawn came too soon.. since it was still dark out when they boarded the Truffle Hunter. The scout was light and built for speed instead of altitude. The lower deck was completely open, and held two Rhaktors - not for moving the ship, but for sending out with riders if there was something of immediate concern to report. What walls there were were of heavy canvas. The whole thing seemed a bit flimsy.

Tasha rubs at her side, having learned a lot during her stay in the new Sancuary of Roses as well as having gained ideas and a few new bruises. "I guess I can thank the gods that I'm only chasing after a fourty-foot ancient and mechanical alien and not a kitty a few years older than me," she remarks as she stares down in to the open bottom of the Truffle Hunter." She has little experience with the scout class of airships, as they're primarily of military or paramilitary interest since few organizations or private groups could afford such a small, delicate ship that has no room for cargo trade cargo. It does all seem very flimsy to her, and she wonders if she could ever get used to such a ship. But at lest it is a ship, and that's better than none at all, she reminds herself. "How are you two doing?"

"It reminds me of one of the Celestial's aero-planes," Fringe notes as they board. Shojo mainly looks for a play to stow their gear. The crew is already busy, and only has six member: four Aquilan (which may be Roc's actual family), a teenaged Vartan girl and a rare four-limbed Jingai with arms, feathered wings and a feathered crest. "Mr. Coatl will see to your gear," Captain Roc says, gesturing to the mutant Naga. "I don't know if you have aircrew experience, but try to keep to the centerline of the ship unless you're asked to move to one side or the other. It helps us steer at speed."

"Shojo and Fringe don't have any aircrew experience noted in their files, but I grew up on The Rake, a ptera-driven airship captained by a Vartan man named Eyeshine. I was first drover until I left to join the JEF," Tasha notes as she turns to the captain, stepping aside so her squadmates can see to their gear first. "If you need any help, just let me know. I have the qualifications to captain a Sinaian airship." And she does; What she lacked before was the mechanical knowledge but also maturity. She's come a long way since then, and while not anywhere near Gabriel's level, she thinks she has what it takes to start. She has to, if she's to gain her dream.

"I may need you for advanced scout, since Soup will be tending to the Rhaktors," Roc notes. The mooring lines are cast, and the ship turned towards the rising sun. As the sails are unfurled, the pink-and-white feathered Aquilan woman (who seems to be Roc's wife), goes to a rear platform where a magic circle is already inscribed. She sits within it, lights a few candles, and begins to chant in a distinctly bird-song sort of voice.

"Tasha," Fringe says, looking down through some of the open areas. "What are those giant birds for? They look dangerous."

"I'm at your service, Captain. Until I'm needed, I'll be checking over my gear and mission notes on deck in case you need me to fly on short notice." Tasha then inclines her head to the man and begins to look for an out of the way place to sit until she's interupted by Fringe. "Those?" She glances down, having forgotten how new creatures like rahktors would be to her Abaddonian fellows, concentarting as she was on what's head. "They're rahktors. They're used as flying mounts, but they're very dangerous if not trained from a hatchling. I've heard that some people can train wild ones, but it might just be a story. Usually, if mounted aerial cavalry or personal transportation is needed, people will use rahktors."

"What do they eat?" Fringe asks, determined to learn more. "Could we use them on Abaddon?"

"They're carnivores! So, meat. Fish, poltry, steak, I've heard they're eat just about anything like that -- I've even heard stories of a few people being eaten. As for being used on Abaddon, well ... " Tasha considers for a moment, head tilting, as she considers every little fact she's ever heard about rahktors. After a moment she answers, "Maybe? They're expensive to keep up, because they eat a lot, have to be preened and cared for, and they're less robust than pteras. That's why they're only owned by nobility, the rich, militaries and the like. The best way to bring them to Abaddon would be to hire someone who breeds them, and invite them to teach and raise them on our world."

"Oh, expensive carnivores.." Fringe says, a bit deflated. "Unless they'll eat the Abaddonian bugs and such. I'll make some notes in my journal though!"

The Air spell is taking effect now, filling the sails and shielding the Truffle Hunter from unwanted winds. "We should get to the camp point before dark," Roc says. "Not much to see but jungle for a while. We won't be going close enough to the City of Hands to see the Forbidden Zone."

"Maybe some of our other animals will be better? Pteras will eat even more than rahktors, but they're terrible mounts. And bitey. Trust me. Still, they're not impossible mounts, but you're gong to be sore ... I know that too," tasha suggests, giving the Eeee an encouraging smile. "I'm sure there's something. Villem wanted me to bring him a ptera, in fact. Just ... Just don't bring any wyrms."

Looking over, Tasha nods. "I've seen the City, so I'm not too disappointed. Maybe we can manage an archaeological expedition on our way back if things are looking good. Or I can get a few more bruises from the Lancers." She barks a laugh. being on an airship lightens her mood, and so she's feeling a bit more relaxed as the ship sails away. The wind in her hair, the rocking of the deck, the feeling of travel ... Things she misses about her old life.

"Wyrms are fine mounts," Soup pipes up. The young Vartan is a bit skinny. "The Amber Lancers ride them. And sometimes the Cobalts."

"That's the Lancers though. For anyone else they're as likely to ride in them as on them. They're even more rare and expensive than the others, too. I've never even seen one that wasn't wild, and we steered clear of it," Tasha notes, shifing her attention now to the skinny bird.

"I've seen 'em!" Soup claims, grinning beakily. "They can gobble up a Rhian, and glide in silently.. uh.." she looks Fringe's expression, then asks, "I suppose you get that a lot on Abaddon though, right?"

"Sometimes I wonder which we have more of, wildlife than can eat us, or just make us sick with a plague or some-such," mock-considers Tasha, who turns to grin at Fringe. "Or the daikaiju. Maybe next time, we should just build a city on the daikaiju, so at least it'll be safe from one of them?"

"Not if it rolls over," Fringe points out. "Or goes into a big hole. We don't know anything about where they come from still."

"I've heard it's from the 'Sea of the Kaiju,' but the PHTO won't let me investigate it until I've taken care of other things. The Captain won't either. One thing at a time, right?" The hybrid rolls her gaze out towards the horizon, indicatively. "It's not as if I don't have enough trouble, though."

"I guess I'll try to take a nap until we get past the jungle," Fringe says. "You'll wake me up for anything interesting though, won't you Tasha?"

"With a ship this small, you'll wake up anyway." Tasha gives Fringe a very ominous sort of wink, then nods. "Get some sleep. I'll be on deck studying my notes, in case the Captain needs me. Shojo? You're free to nap too."

The mostly silent Vartan nods, and closes his eyes. There isn't much that happens as they cross Xenea, save for the constant song of the Air Mage, who Tasha learns is Mochi, Roc's wife. The younger Aquilans that man the sails are their sons Genn and Whip - who actually stay out on the masts to make any slight adjustments. It's possible that Soup is one of their girlfriends - or else is just a Junior Templar assigned to them. Before noon, they've passed the edge of Xenea, the lush jungle and forest giving way first to grass.. then to sand. They've entered the Desolate Band. Far to the north is the Kilmanjar mountain range, while below and to the east are spots of raggedy vegetation.

As a child -- or elss of a child depending who you ask and who is teasing her at the moment -- Tasha had always wondered about the Kilmanjar mountain range. On all maps she's seen, it's an unpopulated region to the north of the continent, surrounded by the Desolate band, and the ocean. There are few stops there, no mines or other interests to trade that she knows of, little except steep mountains and mystery. A part of her always wondered what was beyond the shrouded peaks, and as they fly beside them the old wonder creeps back agains, until she can feel the girl she was wondering what rested beyond the clouds of the distant mountain peaks.

A green patch on the horizon is likely the edge of the Beast Lands, with its mixed and mutated jungle and atmosphere. Tasha still remembers the rules Aaron gave her when they first entered the Forbidden Zone. First rule: watch the vegetation. When it starts to get weird, take another path. The bruised sky will make it hard to tell exactly where the sun is, and compasses are useless, so the second rule is to make a detailed record of every turn and landmark. Rule three: if there's a horrible scream, stop and wait until you're sure it's safe to continue.

And although the lapi didn't specifically mention it, Tasha also knows of rule four from notes, records and heresay: Keep an eye on yourself and your people. The Beast Lands aren't called that just because of the exotic fauna within, Tasha knows, but because sometimes the people that go inside don't come out right -- or at all. Every tavern worth its salty beer as a few tales of the Beast Lands, and very few are positive. Tales of monsterous, deformed airship crews, driven insane by the strange land and other horror stories are the norm.

And so it's time to wake people up, and share. "Wakey wakey," Tasha calls out as she nudges the two sleeping figures with the claw-butt of her halitool. "We're almost there. It's time for an overview and to wish you stayed home!"

"I'm awake!" Fringe declares, looking around in a half-panic. Shojo opens his eyes and turns his head towards Tasha. "Overview?" he asks.

Tasha waits for Fringe to calm down, then begins to repeat what Aaron taught her, followed by her own rule four, and finally, an overviewof Forbidden Zones in general. "A you can see, it's like nowhere else. The Xilfrim -- that is, the Sifras -- had a mean to manipulate space-time at a fundamental level, and what we're seeing is that technology breaking down. It may be a gateway, or just a malfunction, but reality is damaged on a fundamental level. It's a very dangerous place with its own rules. Don't take anything for granted and stick together. More than anywhere else, we need to be careful here." The last part being directed at Fringe especially, Tasha turning to eye her, raised brow, to see if she follows.

"Not unless you tell us first, and not until after we've fnished our primary mission. All samples should be packed with the highest level of containment, so, we can't waste our containers on them until we know we have spares," Tasha answers. She then stands up, stretching a moment, then thumps the butt of her halitool to the deck. "Get ready. We have about half an hour, then we're down. Since it's so late, we'll make camp at the LZ and head out in the morning."

"It looks like Abaddon out there," Shojo notes, his eyes scanning the desolation. He also looks up. "The ring is just a line. This must be in the bombardment zone for orbital debris. Right on the equator."

"We don't see many orbital strikes, in fact I can't remember any in recent memory. I've heard a few sories, but, those could be lies. If Sinai ever suffered it constantly, it was a long time ago, and, probably at least a few Expedition Fleet vessels came down here, either during the Planetfall or later," Tasha notes as she leads her group the short distance to the upper deck, where they wait for landing. "We still haven't investigated the Procession for surviving relics, but we mean to. It's ominous though. We call it the Procession, but its full name is 'The Procession of Souls.' It's said to be ghosts heading for the afterlife, though the story varies. Even though we know it's just the remains of the moon, it still makes me anxious. It's an unlucky place, a sad one. For many reasons."

"Sinai does not have the gravity to tear apart a moon," Shojo notes. "The debris may have an artificial origin." He's got most of their gear collected already.

"The Sifran influence on this world is immense. Sheol, too. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the moon was destroyed by a non-natural cause. And then there's those that came before us, so it doesn't even need to be Sifran." Looking over her crew, Tasha nods, smiling a little. "Good, we're all set. It's late, but we can at least penetrate in to the peripery if you're both not ready to make camp. Tomorrow, though, we head in -- no matter what. Be ready."

Even with dawn barely breaking, the sky over the Beast Lands is glowing. It's a bit like being underwater, with ripples and waves distorting the light so that it seems to come from multiple directions. The air is turgid, with no breezes but a certain thickness to it the higher one goes.. which is also a good indicator of when one should lose some altitude. This sometimes forces the route to be between trees, which carries its own dangers, in the form of nearly invisible webs spun between them by (hopefully) Grabbits and not something worse. It only took Fringe getting a face-full of silk before the Eeee didn't want to get close to the trees at all.

Prior to departure, Tasha gave her team a few last instructions and standing orders, and had them shed non-necessary equipment to make penetrating the Forbidden Zone less taxing for all of them. Amongst her orders were that if she shouldn't return -- or gods forbid, appear to be killed -- that they are to retreat at once and return to Safar to inform the local government. They're also to take up poistion on a rise near the target zone, to observe, but not interfere, and that the target is likely extremely hostile to anyone but her. As far as supplies go, they have several days worth of rations, water, an assortment of their basic and specialiazed-per-person equipment, and one other item: A metalic suitcase with the JEF logo and warning stickers in many languages all over it. This Tasha had Shojo hold, and told him to never let it out of his control or sight.

With the target area approaching, Tasha steels herself. She's been checking and rechecking her mental lists, but she still doesn't feel ready. Of course she knows that's to be expected; She always feels this way, even for lesser missions. Still, this is no simple mission, and extremely dangerous. Her life could end here in this miserable place, and she knows it very well. And while she'd like to be more ready, she also knows there's no way to truly be so: Lord Yama is ancient, alien, and his masters even more so. To understand their wants, their desires, and their expectations is beyond her ability. And so, she must make due. she hopes it's enough.

After several hours of nerve-wracking flight, they finally reach a break in the trees.. over the swamp, which still has a lot of big trees in it. Following the edge, Tasha finds the location of Toth's old camp, complete with shelter (although it's a bit run down from lack of maintenance now). From here, she knows where the Palace of Dragons is - the ruins of the Lucifer. Lord Yama could be anywhere though.

Tasha indicates the camp below, yelling to her fellows that they should, "camp here if things are bad and you need immediate shelter, but don't stay too long!" As they've proceeded inward, she's done similiar with other landmarks, giving the team a trail of fallback and gathering areas in steps out of the area. But now there are no more steps, and so Tasha then signals everyone to slow down, directing them to land on a nearby hilltop overlooking the swamp.

The hilltop is relatively clear, so does provide some overview. It's even possible to spot the overgrown but angular shape of the downed Celestial Empire ship.

Tasha makes sure everyone is laying prone, just to be safe -- she doesn't know how far or well Lord Yama and his body, the Casper, are able to percieve. "No, not this time. He'll expect it, and, there's no reason to rile him up if he's not hostile, and unless he's been informed then he shouldn't have reason to suspect I'm anything other than friendly -- which I am incidentally! All the preperation is in case he's hostile or negitations go badly. Now," she gestures out to the swamp, "I'm going to head out. Stay here. If you see him, and he turns in your direction and you see light, run down the hill in the opposite direction and withdraw to another landmark."

"It's unfair, I know." The young hybrid agrees, muzzle twisting. "Don't ask me why, either. I don't think Balthasar had one either, but maybe his unit was designated for ranged support. But, that's not important! Any further questions before I head out? This may be the last time I can answer them."

"How long should we wait for you?" Fringe asks. "Is there some signal we should be watching for?"

"Give me until the evening, around 17-hundred, then return to base camp and board the Truffle Hunter. If I need help I'll use my hand mirror or a fire signal," Tasha answers, turning to look her fellows over one last time. "Use your best judgement otherwise."

Tasha reaches over and tap-bonks Fringe's nose, then she unfurls her wings. Reachong over she pulls the suitcase from around Shojo's shoulder and says, "I'll need this too. See you soon, hopefully." Then she turns to Shojo and says, "And you? ou should try to relax more. People like you." The she gives him a grin, gives them both a mock-salute, and she's off.

Breaking in to a sprint, Tasha races down the hillside before leaping and taking wing. The hunt is on, the young woman scanning the countryside for the old angel.

The swamp is huge, and a realistic search would take days. That is, if the object being searched for wasn't standing right out in the open, next to the entrance to the cathedral inside Lucifer. It's just that it's hunkered down instead of standing upright, looking like just another discolored lump of starship.

Tasha opens the case under her arm using the key she fishes from around her neck. Two latches, then open. The contents slide in to her arm with the force of gravity and wind: The Origin Marker of Naga. After freeing the artifact she discards the casing to tree branch as she soars past it, leaving it to hang for recovery should she have the need for it. Now, with halitool in one hand and Marker under her other, she flies in a straight path towards the behemoth, well within his frontal arc of apparent vision. She doesn't even try to hide, an obvious and approaching speck on the horizon with a familiar shine.

The ancient, weathered Titan doesn't react until Tasha lands before it. Then the head lifts slightly and seems to look at her for a moment. Finally, the 'jaw' splits and the 'mouth' opens - probably not something in the original specifications for the Magi. Inside is a tongue of thick vines.. leading to a throat of thick vines. The cockpit is likely at the end of the throat.

When the beast looks at her Tasha meets its gaze expectantly, brows arching -- though she does tense when the mouth begins to move. After all, the fire from that mouth nearly incinerated her during their last meeting. As she proceeds forward and in to those jaws, steeling herself, she makes note of the source of the blast as likely belonging to the vines and not the Titan. One more mystery to add to the pile, and one for later: The dragon awaits.

As she walks, Tasha removes her gloves, each from her hands. These get tucked away in a pouch, so that her hands are ready and not further burdened. Deeper and deeper she walks, wondering if the Titan chose this method to unnerve her, as a sign of things to come, or if it's just oblivious -- and she doubts the last one. Without knowing the answer and nowhere to go but forward, she heads inside. But this time ... This time she has anotehr way to talk to a god. All her tricks won't save her if Lord Yama simply fries her mind, after all.

The throat requires a bit of crawling, but it's no worse than the main hatch. The cockpit looks the same, overgrown with vines and glowing patches. There isn't much in the way of technology still visible.

Tasha briefly wonders what sort of existence Lord Yama leads, to have such an alien body, and one attached to a Titan no less. But she isn't here to speculate; No, this time she's here for answers. Rather than let the vines grasp her and pin her like last time, she walks towards the command chair, eyes alert, then reaches over with her right hand and lays it on the nearest growth.

Seeing the Harrower interface isn't activating, Tasha resigns herself to the remaining path, and the most dangerous one. Settling back, she lays her equipment in her lap, then both hands out to the side and waits for the inevitable.

The contact is made, and Tasha descends into a virtual world. Once more, she stands on a floating platform in empty space, until the oddly leaf-scaled dragon-serpent=god begins to spiral around it. "You have changed, Bird of Hermes," Lord Yama notes.

Tasha takes a moment to gather herself before responding, needing time to adjust to the shift in reality and settle her nerves. Once she's gathered herself as much as she is able, she turns, hands folded behind her back, and nods. "Yes, Lord Yama. I was injured in a battle with a being called 'Abaddon,' a AI-specter of the Xilfirm -- the Sifras. It wanted Balthasar's power, and mine, to eradicate the intruders. The Expedition, and, your kind, the Progenitors. The rest, well, the rest is fitting in."

"Then Balthasar has served his destined purpose," the self-proclaimed God of Death notes. "You shall verily understand. Now I shall here begin, For to teach thee a ready way, Or else little shall thou win," he quotes.

"Then his purpose is to fight, and to die? Is that my purpose, too?" Tasha asks, brows raising as she gazes up in to the eyes of the dragon and in to forever.

The creature chuckles. "His purpose was to clear the way, so that you could proceed. The Demon of Abaddon had to be killed," he explains.

At that, Tasha nods again. "I agree with that. So my way is clear, and I'm moving forward. The First one, the Old One ... It ... they said my path was intertwined, bound on some level in space and time, that they could see it. That I'd be there when I needed to be, but that it could still be disrupted."

Yama flicks his tongue. "You've been speaking with Shadows," he says, moving his head in a little closer to Tasha. "My cousins, in a way. I saw the battle. Melchior saved you. That is interesting. He used the Silent-Ones Marker."

"Yes, interesting. I don't think I could have defeated Abaddon on my own. We were unable to stop his infection, neither I nor Balthasar. If I was supposed to win, I don't see how. I couldn't touch him, and I don't even know what he truly was. How to destroy him. How to even stop him." The young woman tilts her head, brows narrowing slightly. "Do you mean to say then that you didn't know he would save me, only that the fight was inevitable? Interesting? And the Shadows, the Harrowers?"

"The future can not truly be known, even by those who move sideways through time," Yama says. "There is always need for... a mortal element. One that exists in the moment, responds to the moment. You are that element. I suspected that the Markers were unseeable by the enemy. Now I know. Abaddon could not see them. Could not find them. Interesting, isn't it? Even the other pieces.. fascinating. The Sun and the Moon with their might, have chastised me that was so light!"

"It ... It is interetsing," Tasha admits, sounding uncertain. She bites her lip a moment as she stares in to the ancient creature's eyes, wondering what monolothic mind turns beyond. Then she shakes her head, tilting it to the opposite side as before. "But I don't really understand it. So many riddles, is it impossible to just tell me? Haven't I seen and known enough to know? And who is the enemy, the Xilfirm -- the Sifras? The ... " Here she pauses, mouth agape, but she decides Lord Yama will discover her other connections sooner or later, and better now when she's prepared. "The ... Others. Others that I know, they said the Sifras once destroyed the First Ones. Nearly all of them. Is that it?"

"Names.. symbols," Yama replies. "Sifras, Xilphrim.. names for the same thing, at different times. And now.. things stir. Adoniranakh, the Sun.. burnt out and resurrected. Saturanakh, the Moon, drowned but now awoken. Abaddon the Demon, also awoken. And the Magi. All linked, nudged.. influenced. Even you, Bird of Hermes."

"I certainly feel nudged around, but I don't see how I'm linked. Or why. I'm just an explorer, someone who found a ruin and learned from it, then kept going. And now I'm here, a little uncertain and a lot confused. But I guess that's the way it is, isn't it? Has to be, or, has been decided it's to be?" Tasha asks, straightening as she peers at the ancient being, brows raised.

"Adoniranakh and Sutaranakh have shown me much," Yama notes. "As have you. Do you know why Adoniranakh bloomed as he did?"

"Adoniranakh is the mothership that landed on Abaddon, now the Celestial Life Dome, a living plant of immense size -- one of your kind, I think. One of your children?" Tasha settles back on her hooves, then nods. "But yes, it ws the power of magic. An Exile woman awoke it, to serve some purpose she devised. Magic is the power of the Sifra, it's a warping of reality. But it's not the only means to do so; It seems like a special type, a re-writing of a layer of reality, if what I heard is true. And so the Seed was re-written, and it bloomed accoding to that magic law. Just as worlds move because the Shadow-magic changed them, and as the Niss observe to make it so. Just, differently. Yes?"

"Magic was.. only a part of it," Yama claims. "The Alien but too much of herself into the effort. That is what shaped the 'Life Dome'. A living city, that cares for its inhabitants, and produces copies of them in order to learn and interact. That is the Alien's origin, I have seen. One of those little copies, thrown here from a different reality. Unexpected. A catalyst. What did you hope to find on Sheol, Tasha?"

"So something from another reality changed the course of things, pushing something in to motion that may not have happened. A mortal, or, an alien shifted our universe in another direction. I've heard of something like this before." Tasha then thinks on the question, but for all else that is unanswered, confusing or unknown, the answer to this comes to her simply and easily:

"Is that all?" Yama asks. "Answers to what question? And what did you bring with you?"

"I brough the Karnor Elite, the remainder of the Expedition that came before." Tasha then scrunches her her face, biting her lip, then sighs and shakes her head. She stretches her arms and walks off to the side, head shaking as she looks out in to the infinity. "That's not all of it, is it?" She asks, rhetorical, sounding annoyed but not at Lord yama. "No, I wanted more than that. I wasn't lying, that was the answer I thought ... But you can see through it even if I forgot. Or wanted to ..? Power. Prestige. To find the past, and to grow. To recover what was lost, to fight back against a fate I thought was unfair. To bring back the dead. To have a purpose. To find meaning. To be important. To learn, to grow ... To help my Gabriel find these things, too. It was all kind of pathetic in a way, but some of it ... Some it was noble. I believed in it. I still do. Some of it; The world didn't need me like I thought. Maybe I needed it? No ... Of course I did."

Tasha rounds, turning back to put her hands on her hips and look at the dragon. "I'm sure there's more. I just wanted to see it. I wanted to be there. But mostly, I wanted to revive the past, and wanted a purpose, and I wanted the past to have mattered and the dead to live. And I knew it was all such a long shot, but I believed I could. Somehow. The power and the prestiege, the ability to change things ... I wanted that too. It just wasn't what I expected in the end."

"Such a long, long fuse," Yama says, his tongue flicking just beyond Tasha's nose. "6000 years, give or take. It was lit.. then extinguished. Until you came along an re-lit it.. just at the right time for it to matter. Things are changing, in unknowable ways. Unseen battles are being waged. You brought back the dead, after the Alien showed you how. And that wasn't enough. You didn't trust them. They hurt you and you ran. Ran to Melchior. You are always running, it seems. Away, or towards. Sometimes away from what you were running towards, once you've reached it. Perhaps it is the running that defines your nature? Do you not struggle against it?"

Tasha leans back at the flicking, and grinds her teeth at the accusation of running. It hurts a lot, and she knows, deep down, it hurts so much because it's true. "Maybe," she spits out, not quite able to admit it at first. She eyes the dragon for a long time, then finally lets it out, throwing her hands wide. "Yes. you're right, yes. I have nearly everything I wanted and it's not enough. I feel like I have to keep going, I want to keep going. And I hate myself for it. For hurting Gabriel, for not being reliable, maybe I can't even live up to the JEF. Maybe it doesn't need me, maybe it's better off. Abaddon doesn't seem to, the colonists just need help, not another frontier. And I know it. So yes. You're right, you big dragon! You figured me out."

"And you see this as a failing?" Yama asks, coiling around the platform. "The universe is vast. Mysterious. And by itself.. meaningless. Only life gives it meaning. And life.. runs. You seek out power and influence because you want to feel important, for your life to mean something. But it already does. Everyone is important. Everyone, together, gives meaning to existence, since mere existence cannot give itself meaning. There are things that exist, solely in the minds of people. They are real things.. yet not part of the universe. Honor? Love? Justice? Truth? You will find none of these among the elements of the universe. Not an atom, not a quark. But they are real things, nonetheless, because you make them real. Tell me, Tasha, have you ever, honestly, met someone who did not matter?"

"Nora said that. Said that there's no justice in the universe ... " Tasha lays her ears back, recoiling a little more for the sudden lecture, and what it means. After a moment she stammers, "N-no, I mean, I didn't like them, or, we fought. But, they were never meaningless ... "

And then Tasha's brows raise and she gets a peculiar look, then points at the dragon. "Where did you hear this? You said you had no pupose but to serve. How could you understand caring about things, then? You kill the creatures outside ... Who is talking to me? Or have you, too, changed?"

"I present the face that is required, at the proper time," Yama says. "Why would you return here, if not to see something different in me? What meaning do I have to you, Tasha Argentine?"

Tasha stares at the dragon for a long moment, knowing full well that if she lies he'll just see through it. But the truth is hard to admit, especially openly, when it's uncomfortable. Harder still, to admit to yourself. "You worry me," she says at length, sounding guilty, but with a hard edge. "You destroyed the thing I now try to bring back. Tens of thousand of people like me died because of you! But you're empty, you didn't do it out of malice, yet you kill and seem to have it. But beyond that, you're a face. The voice, their voice. And I know so little of them. And you. It's like you said ... I don't trust. I'm afraid, or what was and may be. Of what you represent or could be." And then she holds up her left hand. "And if you were what I feared, I came to destroy you."

"But would it even matter?" Tasha's hand falls, and she shakes her head. "I'd be alive. You'd be gone. Maybe it didn't need to happen, but you're just a face. If I hate you, then I must hate them too. One or all of them. Then are they my enemy? And the Sifrans too? It goes on. Maybe it never ends."

"Hmmm," Yama ponders. "You know enough about the Expedition now to know that what happened was going to happen anyway, one way or another. It was the purpose of the undertaking, after all. But I shall clear up something: I misled you on our first meeting. I told you that not all of the beings created by the Progenitors had Markers. The implication was that I was created by them." The serpentine body stops its movement, freezing in place behind the stationary head. "I was not created by them at all. I am much older."

Tasha's eyes narrow, but her ears perk. "I'm listening," she says. That Lord Yama is much older is in itself not a concern, even if it is suprising. She knows several beings older than the Progenitors -- and several more that do not even have an age as she knows time. But it all has an ominous cast; something ancient, a face, but a face of what, now ..?

Yama.. changes. The head shrinks, the body retracts and reshapes. What soon faces Tasha is a reptilian biped, broad-shouldered and thick-necked. The face is long but blunt, and a triangular crest rises up from the skull. "This is who created me. They were the Thennenin. The civilization that once lived on the same world that would give birth to the Nagai. I am their attempt to spit in the eye of their killers. I too, cannot be seen by the Sifras."

Tasha's eyes widen, ears skewing to the side. "The Thennenin. The hulks that the Celestials use for their ships, the First Ones that were annhilated by the Sifras. You mean to say that they saw it coming? Then the Sifras were the enemy of the entire rest of the universe? How is that possible ... I've seen their works, like He-Wh-Moves ... to challenge everyone ... It's ... " The young woman reaches up to grasp her head, overwhelmed by the scope and scale of what happened so long agao. It makes her feel incredibly small, yet still somehow loged in it all, like being encircled by giants as they all stare down at you. She grits her teeth for a moment, then tries to push on, to focus. "So ... So they created you. You're ... You're like Nora in a way. The one who wouldn't give up. or, Tisiphone. The echo. The one that won't die, that resists their end. And so ... And so you agree to help those that came after, to harm or at least control the Sifran threat?"

The Thennenin is not built for smiling, but the.. gills? Breathing slits? on the sides if its neck flex in a peculiar way. "I made sure that the Nagai would understand and utilize the technology left behind for them, long after Ahriman left. And yes, they do use the hulls created by the Thennenin for some of their ships, but still cannot recreate the material. I am a plant that has its roots in another dimension, where I may draw power and hide my mind. Of course they knew the Sifra would attack, just as the Xilphrim destroyed the Old Ones before them. But now, I have been brought here. Front-row seats. The Sifra's power is waning. It has been dying out slowly since the battles with the Progenitors. I want to see them fall."

"And somehow I'm part of this. And now that I know, and am involvd with you, what's left of them may decide to destroy me too. I'm not just another confused member of the younger races, harmless for now. I'm on your side, even if I didn't know there was a battle or who or what I was chasing after." Tasha stares at The Thennenin for a moment, and as she does the hostile edge melts from her, the tension along with it. And so, she has her answer. One of them, anyway. "And now you've told me. I don't think you intend to destroy me for the knowledge, so that must mean you trust me with it. Then that means we're allies. It feels strange, to hate beings I'd known nothing about until very recently, supporting elder beings I know just as little about, against them. And I'm so small compared to all of you. A mortal element. It's daunting, it's really scary ... " She takes a deep breath, holding it for a second or so, then exhales and stares at the ground. After a moment she says, "I guess ... I guess I'm

with you. On your side, I mean. I'm always fighting ... " She looks up again, and smiles. "At least it'll go to good use. Right?"

"You are the element that changes," Yama says. "The Sifras are.. distracted. Their arrogance blinds them to you still. You do not need to fight them. You seek out the Progenitors. You run. Run and find out. Just remember that you needn't run alone."

"Everyone keeps telling me that," Tasha admits, reaching up to scratch at her left ear. "Maybe I'll remember it, some day? So ... So the Sifrans are still around then. Well, the Temple will be embarassed." he young woman gives her head a shake, to clear it. It's all so much, she finds it keeps fogging her mind with its immensity, a shadow cast by monolithic beings obscuring her vision. But if she turns away just enough, she can still see the light. She presses on. "I'll run then. Do you ... Do you know where Ahriman has gone? What ... What was he like?"

"Oh and uh ... I sort of, um ... I sort of told certain people about you. Back when I ddn't know, when I wss scared of you. I just wanted information, some idea as to what sort of threat you were, who I was really dealing with and what it all meant. If I knew ... " Tasha bites her lip, then says, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Like a god. Inscrutable. Never doing more than was absolutely necessary," Yama claims. "You mean the Titanians? Nobody else would care. Tell them I am harmless."

Turning back into the serpent-dragon, Yama recites, "The Serpent of Arabia is my name. That which is leader of all this game. That sometime was both wood and wild, And now I am both meek and mild."

"I will," Tasha agrees. Then she eyes The Thennenin a moment, pulling in a breath, then exhaling and saying, "Inscruitable. I should have known. I hope if they're others, you won't tell them about me. I'd hate for a universe of people to come to me to explain you all." The young woman then tilts her head and asks, "How did the Khattans know that rhyme, anyway? The way you say it, it sounds like it was your doing. Maybe all of yours'. The the Magi project, it's purpose wasn't to pilfer the Progenitor's technology, or even just meet them, but to find them, as I'm not tasked with? Or did they not realize the truth of their own prophecy?"

"And you're right, no one else does seem to care. They didn't even care when I told them you destroyed their forebearers. It might sound stupid, but ... " Tasha givesthe dragon a side-long look. "It feels good to be around someone who does care."

"They believed what they wanted to," Yama claims. "After all, the best riddles and prophecies always have many interpretations. But the Khattans and the Naga gained their power by raiding the past. That is why only Balthasar could be sacrificed. And why only Melchior can complete the mission."

"Since you need Casper to work as an agent here. I guess that makes you my wingman. We're both the last pilots of the Magi, and we have a mission to do." The hybrid shakes her head. "And what a mission it is. No one will believe this ... And I don't think I'll be telling anyone else, anyway. Now that I know."

"I will be here, in my front-row seat," Yama claims. "You have the Marker. There is nothing left here for me to protect. But I have no desire to leave. I am right where I want to be."

"You could always come with me, you know. We could fight together," Tasha offers, raising her brows. "But if tha's not enough, maybe we can fool those who still know about you. With the magicin my hand, I can tell them that I killed you. That you're nothing more than dead, petrified stone. If you can seem like stone ... That may be enough. Consider it my apology -- I'll lie to everyone for you."

"I am hidden from my enemies, and this is not a fight I can join in," Yama says. "I am no god. Not even a little one. And you shouldn't lie. The poison would not have worked anyway."

"Well ... " Tasha scartches her head again, then shakes it. "And here I was trying to be sentimental and apologetic. Well." She stands there, awkwardly, for nigh upon a minute before asking, "Well ... Do you know how many Progenitors remain?"

"I do not know if any remain," Yama admits. "It has been a very long time since Ahriman left."

"I wish I knew, too. There ws some suggestion that Adam remains in the Hall of Souls, but that he 'might not be alone.' That he's in pain. I think, now, I have a better idea as to what might be tehre and why he's suffering. Until now I thought maybe the Progenitors were still fighting their civil war, and I had little idea who, if any of them, were really beings I should interfere with or were even friendly. But it seems like the Hall is our best guess now. Adam sounds as if he's senior somehow, stronger than the others. Maybe he can help," Tasha suggests.

"Perhaps," Yama agrees. "I know them by their actions, but not their desires. That will be for you to discover."

"I'll see what I can do about getting a expedition arranged to find the hall of Souls, then. With luck I'll find an answer there. And, if that fails, the Titanians have promised me a gift for dealing with you. And you're dealt with, so, it seems that one of my wishes will come true." Tasha smiles a little, but she looks a little awkward. She never imagined she'd have to apologize for nearly destroying a dead species last hope, not to mention stumble through it! "And it's one gift I can't run away from. It'll run with me, across the stars."

"Oh I'm sure," Tasha dmits with a wry smile. "But tell me, if we win ... What happens to these planets? If he Sifra are destroyed, then, what will become of their works? Their worlds?"

"To destroy them would mean the death of these worlds," Yama says. "There may be alternatives though."

"No easy answers ... " Another head shake, then Tasha cranes her head up to look out in to the stars, looking as overwhelmed as she feels. "Well, I think that's enough, for now. I know what to do, so I'd better get to it. And if I stay any longer, I'll have a long, long walk home."

"Fare well then, Bird of Hermes," Yama says, as the world begins to fade away. Although there might be the barest whisper of "and be careful not to choke on your wings" as the link disconnects.

Alone again in the command chair, Tasha gathers her things and departs without a word. It's a quiet, lonely walk now that she's left the virtual world. Lonely for feeling small, and for seeing the truth. Overwhelming, too. At length she breaks the silence, after a long trudge through the swamp to ponder, to sort herself out, and to find the case she discarded. She doesn't mind the mud; She doesn't even notice it.

"I need a drink," she says, as she slings the case over her shoulder and heads back to normality.