<Mike_Holmes> As Kerem travels on along the alley of many doors, he sees ahead the wall of the great city loom ahead. Before he can get there, at an intersection ahead, he sees a peddler there, selling wares from a cart with an awning over it. As he approaches, the man asks, "Do you need anything?"
<Mike_Holmes> He has a wry smirk on his face.
<Kerem> "Sure, but I'm not sure you've got it."
Kerem glances over the cart.
<Mike_Holmes> "Perhaps this might help he says," holding up a pair of shoes. "Move without a sound with these."
<Mike_Holmes> The shoes seem to be made of something shimmery, almost transparent.
<Kerem> "Huh."
<Kerem> "What else you got?"
Kerem examines the shoes speculatively.
<Mike_Holmes> "A shrewd buyer, I can see," he says. "What about this?"
Robostrife has joined #indie_nar
<Mike_Holmes> He holds up a small flute.
<Mike_Holmes> "Play it, and it will make people dance," he says.
<Kerem> "Mmm."
<Kerem> "Is that it? For some reason, I suspect you've got something else to show me."
<Mike_Holmes> The imperial figure that's been following Kerem turns about, and changes into a wolf as it does so. It sniffs the wagon, and barks, apparently at a strange looking hat.
Kerem cocks an eyebrow at the proprietor and reaches out to pick up the hat and examine it.
<Mike_Holmes> The wolf watches Kerem... he and the Emperor have been watching him as he goes along... waiting...
<Kerem> "Down, boy," he whispers, under his breath.
<Mike_Holmes> As with both of it's incarnations, the spirit of the coin doesn't seem to listen to Kerem, being implacably on it's own road.
<Kerem> "What's this do?"
<Mike_Holmes> The peddler of the lane of many doors replies, "Ah, that... that's very special... It'll cost you. But handy in a pinch. That's the lord's hat. If you wear it, it will put you in noble finery."
Kerem sighs.
<Kerem> "How much for all three of these things?"
<Mike_Holmes> What can you pay?
Kerem idly fingers something in his pocket, detaching the bag of gold Alquas gave him from his belt and jingling it at the merchant.
<Kerem> "Everything in here."
<Mike_Holmes> The man looks at the bag, considering. Kerem knows that he can tell the contents at a glance.
<Mike_Holmes> There's only one coin that you have that I want...
Kerem eyes him steadily.
<Kerem> "Flip you for it."
<Mike_Holmes> The Peddler looks at him askance, and at the wolf now changing back into the Emperor.
<Mike_Holmes> He rolls up his sleeves as if to get down to business.
<Mike_Holmes> "Call it."
Kerem pulls the coin from his pocket, gives the Peddler one last look, and tosses the coin skyward.
<Kerem> "Emperor," he breathes...
<Mike_Holmes> The Peddler lowers his head in defeat, as the wolf and emperor stop exchanging, and it settles on the Emperor.
Kerem smiles, and sags, and bends to pick up the coin.
<Mike_Holmes> "I have tried to tempt you, but you have the better of me, good sir," so I will show you how it is that I take the money of passersby without giving them anything in return.
<Mike_Holmes> And for an age, he does so.
<Kerem> "Thanks."
<Kerem> "Lend me your cart?"
Kerem makes a few quick gestures with his hands. ::Since we're brothers, and all.::
<Mike_Holmes> The Peddler smiles as Kerem moves on.
<Mike_Holmes>
<Mike_Holmes>
<Mike_Holmes> As he approaches the titanic gates of the city, the guards, two cyclopses, watch those who pass, looking for miscreants. They seem to have been told to watch for somebody...
Kerem bends his head over his cart, walking with an unaccustomed clumsiness, the step of a man who's been standing over his wares his whole life, and straggles his way towards the door.
<Mike_Holmes> One cyclops notes him there, and stops his cart, "What are your wares?"
Kerem smiles.
<Kerem> "Why, I'm delighted you asked."
<Kerem> "This here, these shoes? They're made from the skin of an infinite chameleon. Silent as a ghost, hard as rock, and light as a feather. Not to mention that they go with anything."
<Kerem> "This flute? This is the very instrument that Strea used to play the seas into existence. If you can play, you too can turn any plains into a sea, any ditch into a river, any town into a lake. If you can't play, you can at least make it rain."
<Kerem> "But this hat? Ahhhhh, now..."
<Kerem> "I can't tell you what this hat does. I can't talk about it. I can't hint at it. I can't even write it down."
<Kerem> "But I can tell you that this is the most valuable item I have."
<Kerem> "I've come all this way, a thousand miles and more, looking for the one this hat is destined for. I know he lives somewhere in this city. I'm gonna set up in the market square, and I'm going to wait, and when I see him I'll know right away that..." he stops short, and slowly turns to squint inquisitively at the cyclops.
<Kerem> "Huh."
<Kerem> "Of course. I should've known it all along."
<Mike_Holmes> "Know what?"
<Kerem> "You're the one."
<Kerem> "You're the rightful owner of this hat.{"
<Kerem> "Here. Take this. Please. No, no, no money necessary."
<Kerem> "I'm glad I could help you out."
<Kerem> "Don't take it off."
<Kerem> "Oh."
<Kerem> "Also, don't get it wet after midnight."
<Kerem> "Just...just trust me."
<Kerem> "Nice to meet you. Beautiful city you have here."
<Mike_Holmes> The cyclops' eye widens in surprise.
Kerem beams, waves, and trundles through the gate.
<Mike_Holmes> Behind him the cyclops shows off it's new hat to it's comrade in arms.

<Mike_Holmes> Kerem approaches the plaza where the great brazier burns. According to the myth, it's somehow tipped, and a conflagration started which causes a distraction of some of the guards. But how to tip a thirty foot pan of metal hanging on high.
<Mike_Holmes> ?
<Kerem> "Stupid myths," he mutters.
Kerem contemplates the brazier with irritation, then casts his eyes around for some human slaves.
<Mike_Holmes> There are several doing tasks for their mighty masters at some stalls not far off
Kerem wanders idly over to the stalls, picking up and pretending to examine item after items, before replacing them in disdain.
<Kerem> He carefully makes eye contact with the slave, flicking a finger in pretended gesture at some item. ::My brother. It's me. A'taal. I've come back, to free you.::
<Kerem> ::But I need your help.::
<Kerem> ::How many others here have kept the faith?::
<Kerem> The slave's eyes burn into Kerem's, and a tear courses down one cheek as he haltingly signals back, ::We all have, brother. We all have.::
Kerem blinks.
<Kerem> A half hour later, the arrangements in place, Kerem watches the sun carefully from his place near the plaza, waiting for the stroke of noon.
<Kerem> As the sun reaches its zenith, down the vast Road of Tears, there is a clatter, and then a rumble, and then a deafening roar...as all humanity charges down the main thoroughfare towards the palace, marching for their freedom.
<Kerem> As the slave army collides with the surprised cyclopses, their pounding charge tips the brazier, then collapses it into the guard tower, throwing great gouts of flame into the air. The guards, their attention divided between the unexpected rebellion and the unexpected fire, have no time to notice a single small human figure scurry towards the tower, fingering something in its pocket...

<Mike_Holmes> Alquas looks out the window, and notes that the sky has gone all wrong. A coruscating cavalcade of changing colors scintillate across the heavens in waves that in some moments are thrilling, and at other times nauseating from the motion sickness that they cause.
<Mike_Holmes> Alquas recalls hearing about this phenomenon. He's actually felt very minor versions of such essence manifestations, usually around nodes of powerful magic. But this event would have to be a full-blown flowstorm.
<Mike_Holmes> An essence event where the flows of essence are out of whack, and likely to cause almost any sort of manifestation. Highly dangerous.
<Alquas> Alquas steps back from his window, disturbed. He has not slept.
<Alquas> In the adjoining rooms, Kani and the lady Salya sleep soundly, he hopes.
<Alquas> He thinks of the Praelector, and Agnes and Tez, and he wonders.
<Mike_Holmes> Then Alquas notes something very strange. Just where Chimrea had run out previously, he notes her running away again. Then a few moments later, he sees her reappear, and start running from the same spot.
<Mike_Holmes> This seems to repeat itself every 10 seconds or so.
<Alquas> Alquas watches this happen for a good few minutes, blinking.
<Mike_Holmes> For her part, as Chimrea runs along, each time she does so, she gets a slightly stronger feeling of deja vu.
<Alquas> He takes out his pouch and looks at it accusingly.
<Alquas> Then he tosses it aside. His drugs aren't usually hallucinogenic...
<Chimrea> After several repeats, as her feeling of wrongness grows, Chimrea pauses and looks back at the inn doubtingly.
<Alquas> "Flowstorm.." Alquas mutters, to himself. He wishes he had his textbooks.
<Alquas> "Chimrea?" he tries, weakly.
<Chimrea> Hearing him from the window, Chimrea looks that way, still frowning. "Alquas? Something's funny."
<Mike_Holmes> Looking back, Chimrea sees the undulating sky doing it's odd dance.
<Alquas> "It's an essence flowstorm. This is presumably some sort of iterated limited temporal phenomenon."
<Alquas> He waves his hands expansivley.
<Chimrea> Narrowing her eyes, Chimrea says, "Any chance this is Kerem's fault?"
<Mike_Holmes> As Chimrea disappears this time, Alquas notes that she is running into an essence wall cascading down from the mad flow above.
<Mike_Holmes> She appears again at another wall of such energy.
<Alquas> "You'd do well to stop moving, my dear." Chimrea stops where she is. "What's going on?" Alquas idly considers lighting up another roll-up.
<Mike_Holmes> As she stops, Alquas can see that the wall that she was running towards is advancing somewhat. If she stays there too long, she'll get enveloped again. Not far from that, an arc of magical energy comes down, strikes a tree, and the tree begins to grow... not tremendously fast, other than the fact that the growth is visible.
<Alquas> "What's going on? Everything, Chimrea. All at once, by the look of it."
<Alquas> "The natural flow of essence has been disturbed. Some cataclysm or other in another plane, no doubt."
<Alquas> "I think you're trapped, Chimrea."
<Alquas> "I should come down."
<Chimrea> "I'm what? I have to go look for Kerem."
<Alquas> "Essence walls. Wait." Alquas leaves his room, considers waking Kani or Salya but thinks the better of it, and tries to get to where Chimrea is.
<Alquas> He keeps his eyes open for phenomena inside the inn.
Chimrea frowns but waits, looking up at the wild sky and folding the scrap of paper from Kerem's note in between her fingers.
<Alquas> Once outside, Alquas searches for something to throw at the essence walls.
<Alquas> "You may want to back away, my dear. The wall is advancing on you."
<Alquas> Finding a small stone, Alquas aims a throw at the advancing essence wall, by way of experimentation.
<Chimrea> "What wall?" Chimrea steps back a bit from the direction he indicates, but looks unconvinced.
<Mike_Holmes> The thrown stone reappears behind Alquas several yards back.
<Mike_Holmes> Not expecting it, Chimrea only hears it land.
<Alquas> "Hmm."
<Chimrea> Trying to hold on to her patience, Chimrea waits several seconds, then says, "Hmm? Is that perhaps Vajaari for 'I'm about to explain'?"
<Alquas> "Perhaps you'd better come back to the inn? The phenomena appear benign, but we have no guarantee they will remain so."
<Alquas> "Did you say this was Kerem's fault?"
Chimrea grits her teeth. "Kerem has apparently decided to challenge you for position of 'most infurating ass in Green Lake,' a position I would have thought undisputably yours after tonight. I guess he's feeling competitive."
Alquas pauses.
<Mike_Holmes> Alquas notes that the walls are shifting.
<Chimrea> "He left a note about going off to free the slaves of Klahador, to help somehow. I don't know what it means, but I need to find out."
<Alquas> "Come inside, Chimrea. Now, please."
<Alquas> He watches the walls with growing alarm.
<Mike_Holmes> To maneuver Chimrea out of her predicament now, he notes, will take him giving her careful instructions.
<Mike_Holmes> Which she'll have to follow exactly.
<Alquas> "Actually, wait..."
<Alquas> "Look, they're closing around you. You'll have to..."
Chimrea is about to explode and demand to know what's closing around her, but reminds herself that Alquas has powers she doesn't understand. "Tell me what to do," she says.
Alquas grumpily considers setting fire to the walls to make them visible, but then reflects he has no idea what might occur if he tried.
<Alquas> "Face me. Two paces to your left, then five forward."
<Chimrea> Gritting her teeth in frustration at the delay, Chimrea complies.
<Alquas> By way of conversation, A Lquas? opines: "i've never heard of Khalador. Three to your left, then you'll have to sort of jump.."
Chimrea takes the requisite three steps, then pauses before trying the jump. "It's just that he can be so sweet, and then he runs off on his own leaving this cryptic note. I mean, honestly."
<Chimrea> Furrowing her brow, she tries to jump as he indicates.
<Alquas> "No, not that kind of a jump, you'll have to... oh, can't you see it?"
<Mike_Holmes> Chimrea grazes a wall, and disappears again. Alquas looses sight of her, she does not reappear where she did last. Chimrea has a falling sensation, and then hits straw. Looking about, she notes that she is now atop the inn, in a somewhat precarious position.
<Chimrea> Clutching thick fistfuls of roof, Chimrea leans forward just a bit, trying to see over the edge. "Alquas?" Alquas whirls around.
<Alquas> "Oh, fantastic. Well, I suppose you might have been disintegrated..."
<Chimrea> "Hold on, it's fine. I used to climb apple trees all the time." She slithers closer to the edge.
<Mike_Holmes> Alquas gets up to where she's climbing down, and helps her. She manages to use his support to drop down. But he collapses under her, and she ends up with her posterior uncomfortably close to Alquas' face. Chimrea rolls off quickly, brushing herself off and rubbing a scraped knee. "Thanks," she says, blushing. Alquas blinks and clambers up himself. "Don't mention it." he says, grinning hugely. Chimrea shoots him a glare, stands up, and stalks into the inn. Alquas follows.
<Alquas> He comandeers a table, and then hunts around for some chalk.
<Alquas> "Something to use as a crucible...". He looks around for any bar staff
<Chimrea> "Like this?" Chimrea offers, pulling from her pouch a bowl etched with swirling designs and marked by smoke in a few places.
<Alquas> "Perfect!" he says, still grinning. He crackles with a kind of manic energy as the storm rages outside.
<Chimrea> "Don't break it or anything, please. It took me forever to make." Chimrea looks somewhat suspicious, possibly still annoyed at him for the tumble from the roof. Alquas is busily chalking a circle around the bowl, and then inscribing it with a few symbols.
<Mike_Holmes> Outside, the tree has now grown high enough to be seen from this angle. And it continues to grow.
<Chimrea> "What are you doing, anyway?" Curiosity starts to overcome her annoyance.
<Alquas> "What was that name again? Of Kerem's?"
<Alquas> He looks distracted as he pours out some powder into the bowl.
<Chimrea> "Klahador."
<Alquas> "Kalhadoor, Kalhadoor... the mage of Ai-Qarimi?"
<Alquas> "And you thing he went to free his slaves? And that this storm was his fault?"
<Chimrea> "Uh, the storm thing was rank speculation," she admits, "on account of me being angry at him. But his note said he went to free the slaves."
Alquas nods.
<Alquas> "If I can open a pinhole, perhaps, see the nature..."
<Alquas> "You may wish to stand back."
<Alquas> He touches a finger to the powder.
<Chimrea> "Wait, what are you doing to my--"
<Mike_Holmes> "Kablam!" there is an enormous explosion, accompanied by a shower of magical sparks that fly everywhere. Alquas flies back and lands on his back. Fortunately there was nothing really hard to land on, and he is only momentarily stunned.
<Mike_Holmes> The nature of the blast and the reaction of the flow of essence before him all speak to something monstrous. This storm is part of some worldwide disturbance within all essence patterns. Something is very wrong... on a global scale.
<Alquas> "Impossible.."
<Alquas> "If Kerem is responsible for this, I would worry for him."
<Alquas> "Chimrea? Something is very wrong here."
<Chimrea> "Look, I don't really think he is," Chimrea says. "Tez and Agnes, on the other hand... they've been gone for hours."
Alquas thumps a hand to his forehead.
<Chimrea> "What? What's going on, dammit?"
<Alquas> "Of course! The Praelector....
<Alquas> "I should have gone with them. Who knows what damage they have done?"
<Chimrea> "Alquas, I swear I'm going to murder you if you don't finish a sentence that explains something." Alquas whirls around suddenly.
<Alquas> "Frankly, my dear, I haven't the slightest idea. Are you happy now?"
<Alquas> "I don't have an explanation for everything, much as I'd like to pretend I have. Somethign is very wrong, that much is apparent, but it is apparent to any fool who looks out his window!"
<Chimrea> "Am I...? Ooh!" Chimrea glares at him, then it fades as she sighs. "You sounded like you knew, and I'm worried, is all."
<Alquas> "Sounding like I know, Chimrea, is my stock in trade."
<Alquas> "But it is a poor substitute for expertise."
<Alquas> He looks injured. Chimrea smiles at him, patting him on the arm at his admission. "Don't worry, I won't tell. If the Praelector really is involved, maybe we should check the place where they left."
<Mike_Holmes> It suddenly strikes Alquas that this essence effect, locally speaking, must be linked at least in some part to some sort of massive fissure in worlds. Likely a gate or something.
<Alquas> "So much power to be located here..." he mutters.
<Alquas> "And why? Why is Green Lake special? This place is a backwater.."
<Alquas> He kicks over a chair.
<Alquas> He casts an accusing glance at the scorched and burning hole left by his experiment.
<Alquas> "Chimrea, is there anything near here that is magical? It would have to be big..."
<Mike_Holmes> It occurs to Alquas that the temple spirits that he's heard his father curse, are hugely powerful magic.
<Chimrea> "Big?" Chimrea follows his eyes to the table, her annoyance reignited by the ruins of her bowl. "You do know you're in Green Lake, right? The island in the lake wasn't there twenty years ago. Neither was the Gate. They didn't grow on trees, either."
<Alquas> Alquas suddenly puts things together all in a rush.
<Alquas> "I should pay more attention." he mutters.
<Alquas> "A trip to the temple, then?" Chimrea blinks. "You mean I can leave, now?"
<Alquas> "I mean, if you care about what's causing all this. Z'tarr knows I'd rather sleep through it all."
<Alquas> He looks thoroughly annoyed at the universe conspiring to not let him sleep.
<Chimrea> "Sometimes, I can't tell if you're *trying* to make me hit you," Chimrea says as she gets up and heads for the door.
Alquas storms off after her, irked at the world.

<Mike_Holmes> The Praelector, having tried for what seems to be forever in this dark pit to open a way back to Green Lake, turns to them, "I cannot do it. Sometimes... sometimes it just does not work!"
Agnes narrows her eyes at the enemy.
<Agnes> "OK, we're going to try it the only way I know how. But you'll need to cooperate. I'm going to get inside your head and focuse

  your thoughts on this one task.  Let me in and I won't have to break anything trying.  OK?"

<Agnes> Tentatively, Agnes reaches out with both hands and caresses the back of the praelector's head while Tez stays alert.
<Mike_Holmes> The Praelector recoils from her touch,. "I'd rather die!" he says with bravado that he probably can't back up.
Agnes smiles. "Are you sure? You know, don't you, that if you die here, with Tez, you won't go where you want to...you'll be hers."
<Mike_Holmes> The Praelector turns, and begins his ritual again, with renewed, if forced, vigor. He pulls of the bandage that he'd put on after his first blood sacrifice, and makes more pour out on the small shrine he's erected there. He seems to pour his very soul into this, and, for a moment, there's a break in the infinite wall of basalt before them.
<Mike_Holmes> But then, suddenly, he cries out, and there's a flash of light about him.
<Mike_Holmes> He falls back writhing in pain, near to unconsciousness. The wall is as solid as ever.
Agnes looks disgusted.
<Agnes> "Your pet is worthless, Tez. Let's go." Agnes starts skipping down the steps.
<Mike_Holmes>

<Mike_Holmes> A while later, and a number of dead demons worth of gore, Agnes and Tez arrive at the bottom of this well of despair.
Agnes looks around.
<Mike_Holmes> From this cavern there are several tunnels leading out any number of directions. In the dead center, there is an obelisk-ish looking stone standing very high, very black.
<Mike_Holmes> Tez notes an extremely large red looking man issue from one of the tunnels, obviously bearing down on them.
Agnes examines the obelisk. Looking to Tez, "check this out."
Tez glances at the obelisk, "Someone's coming." she notes, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the red man
<Agnes> "Oh." Agnes turns to see the visitor.
<Mike_Holmes> Agnes can see that this large red man cannot be just a demon of this world... he still has some vestige of a mind.
<Agnes> "Halt! Who attends to us?"
<Mike_Holmes> The giant red man wears only a skirt, from which hangs a bag. He pulls a large book from the bag, and opens it.
Tez inspects her sword and shield while Agnes talks, taking a sharpening stone to the edge, as the red man approaches. She looks up,

  methodically running the stone down the sword without needing to look. "A book?"

Agnes approaches the big guy and stand up on tip-toe trying to get a peek at the book.
Tez looks back at the Praelector, "Do you know him?"
<Mike_Holmes> The Red Man nods at the question, "Yes, him... he's on the manifest.'
<Mike_Holmes> He looks up at Agnes, peering at the book, "You, on the other hand, I don't see."
<Agnes> "Wow. What a sexy voice. What's the manifest?"
<Mike_Holmes> "It is my sacred duty to monitor those who come and go from the realm of Z'taar," he replies. "The manifest lists those

  who are members of the army. Would you like to enlist?"

<Agnes> "Where's the line for Akalatan's army?" Agnes gestures with her head at Tez.
<Agnes> "Barring that, we'd like you to open a portal to Green Lake."
Darthanini is now known as Lxndr
Tez grins, and flashes the sign of Akalatan, then goes back to sharpening her sword.
<Mike_Holmes> The Red Man looks to see if they're being serious, "The way to Akalatan's lair is over there."
<Mike_Holmes> He points up another stair that goes counter to the one they came down, and ends up at a cave that goes into the wall.
<Mike_Holmes> "Are you seeking oblivion?" he asks.
<Mike_Holmes> "We can provide that..."
<Agnes> "Not so much."
<Agnes> "Tez! Akalatan or visit Z'taar?"
<Tez> "Not yet. We might come back later." She appraises the staircase, "Since we're here, we might as well go visit Akalatan. I already know the first lesson."
<Mike_Holmes> "Blasphemy will result in the loss of your soul," the Red Man says dispassionately.
<Mike_Holmes> "Perhaps best if you head on to the White One," he shrugs.
Agnes flips a coin onto the big guy's book. "See you next time" And she starts heading up the stairs.
Tez nods and follows Agnes up the stairs, the Praelector tagging along behind
<Mike_Holmes> "Wait," says the Red Man. "You really are new here, aren't you?"
<Mike_Holmes> Seeing that it's true he continues, "You have to pay the toll."
<Mike_Holmes> "If you aren't here to enter, or to join up, you have to pay," he insists.
<Tez> "We're here to enter. We're going to Akalatan's realm."
<Mike_Holmes> "Then you should have entered through his hall," the Red Man shakes his head.
<Mike_Holmes> "Here you have to pay the toll," he says. "It's the compact of the Lords of Charun."
Tez sighs, and bites her lip, and her hand twitches on the hilt of her sword. "How much is the toll?"
<Mike_Holmes> "Ten drams," the Red Man replies.
Agnes looks to Tez. "How much is that?"
Tez prods the Praelector. "Pay up."
<Mike_Holmes> The already drained Praelector looks at her incredulously.
<Mike_Holmes> He then looks at the Red Man pleadingly.
<Agnes> Pointing at the Red Man, "He's big. I bet he has lots."
<Mike_Holmes> "Oh, no," says the Red Man. "You've dishonored yourself before the gates of Z'taar's marshalling place. You'll receive no

  help here."

<Agnes> Exasperated, Agnes slaps her index finger down at a point on the open page of the Red Man's book. "There. And there. That's

  us.  We're cleared for passage and we don't owe you.  So stop messing around."

<Agnes> The Red Man, unaccustomed to making mistakes, is flustered to note that Agnes is actually correct. He stammers a bit,

  "Um...you're cleared for passage and you don't owe us.  I'm terribly sorry.  Is there anything else with which I can help you?"

<Tez> "Can you tell us where the door to Green Lake is?"
<Mike_Holmes> "I don't know Green Lake... but there's a secret way back to the mortal world under the obelisk for those with the will to

  make it work," he replies. 

Tez nods. "That will do."
Agnes raises her eyebrows. "The will? What's required?"
<Mike_Holmes> "As with any crossing," the huge man replies.
<Tez> "To who is it paid?"
Agnes grunts and continues up the steps.
Tez follows Agnes up the stairs, "You know, I don't even /like/ Green Lake."
<Agnes> "Why not?"
Tez snorts, "The only reason I was there in the first place was that I was kidnapped. Then, everything got so confusing. You're the only

  one who came with me."

<Tez> "Destiny or not, I don't see why I should save the place." she kicks something over the edge. "They don't even want me to."
<Agnes> "Down here you mean? I mean, I know you like Kerem, but he's awfully weak to pin much in the way of hope on."
<Agnes> "And Alquas? Would you _want_ him along?"
<Agnes> "Hey, what do you mean about saving the place?"
<Mike_Holmes> At the top of the stairs, the corridor opens before them. At this end it's rock, but at the far end, it looks like some sort of

  red marble. 

<Agnes> "Oooh, pretty."
<Tez> "You're right. I don't need them." She laughs, a hard edge to her voice. "Didn't you know? I could save them, if I fulfill my destiny

  and become the True Chosen One.  If I bring them to Akalatan.  They fear Him, and they should.  They fear me.  And they should."  she 
  laughs again.

<Agnes> "Save them from what?"
<Mike_Holmes> As they travel down the corridor, it comes to an intersection after a long while. One branch is of White Marble, and the

  other appears to be a snake hole. 

<Agnes> "He suggested the white, right?" Agnes turns left toward the white corridor.
<Tez> "From whatever it is they fear. From the Goblin King. Another meteor, or a plague. Themselves."
<Agnes> "That's silly. They don't need you to save them. People just tend to fear when they haven't been raised properly."
<Agnes> "You can exploit that, of course, but when you're friends with them, you have to remember that it colors their thoughts."
<Tez> "What is proper? I've been raised in too many different ways."
<Agnes> "Well, are you afraid all the time..?"
<Tez> "Only when I think about my future."
<Agnes> "I...uh...I don't really know, I guess. But I think my exposure to lots of ideas helped me to accept my transient place in the world.

   Does that sound reasonable?"

Tez laughs, "You're asking /me/ what's reasonable."
<Mike_Holmes> As the pair progress, the corridor seems to go on for miles. The serenity of the place plays on them, and soon somebody yawns.
<Agnes> "What are you afraid of? Maybe I can help you face it. You know, grow beyond that."
<Tez> "Finding out who I am."
<Agnes> "Wow, we've been walking for a long time. Tez, I told you before, you can
decide
who you are. It isn't some crap-shoot."
<Agnes> "By the way, is Akalatan the god of blood and long hallways?"
Tez giggles, and the distant look in her eyes returns, "But I can't decide. I don't know what I want." she yawns, "I guess. Maybe it's a snake."
<Agnes> "Tez, you know what you want. You want to be special and loved. You just don't trust that that's possible and you're willing to do

  Very Bad Things in order to shield yourself from the risk of rejection and pain."  Agnes stops and sits, leaning against the wall.

<Agnes> "Long snake."
Tez grunts. "If you say so."
Agnes yawns. "You think I'm wrong?"
<Tez> "Don't stop, we're not there yet." she pauses, a yard or two past Agnes. "Come on."
<Mike_Holmes> Even as she says this, her eyelids become to heavy to support, and, slumping down, Tez falls into a deep slumber.
<Agnes> Seeing this, and having rested, Agnes is able to stand once again. Agnes looks to see what the praelector is doing.
<Mike_Holmes> He, too, has fallen into a deep sleep
Agnes considers her options...