Shinal stares into the distance from his palace window. The day hadn't been going well at all. The treaty between the ruling kingdoms had almost been dissolved, or so his father said, when his older brother refused to marry the eldest princess of the Induin's. Fortunately for the discussions King Lithta reasonably agreed that it wasn't necessary, seeing as his messenger told him that his daughter said she'd rather burn in hell than be forced to marry his brother, a bit before his father got there and broke the bad news.

It's not surprising that the general wants to practice today. The field is dry and rocky, less than ideal battleground. Now, he's teaching speedy combat. Often enough ground like this does more damage than the actual fight, if the fight lasts too long. The protective wrap wears away and the flat of your tail gets scraped or callused and nobody wants that. A callused tail can't sense as many details and makes for lousy sliding and climbing and takes forever to get back to normal.

Shinal glides down the hallway and looks out the side, then smiles. His brother is half hanging down from a nearby tree. He reaches out and tugs his tail above the spikes, pulling him down. Lanth slowly picks himself up and brushes off, glaring at Shinal.

'Going to meet your sweetheart, again?' He asks. Lanth nods.

'But if anyone asks, I'm just out for a slide, got it?' He starts to go off.

'Wait. Has she told you anything about herself yet?' Shinal leans out the window.

'Nope and I haven't said anything either. A promise is a promise. I'll see you later, Shin.' He springs onto the wall and drops over.

Shinal makes a face. His brother must be crazy. He's making no sense at all. Every night and day he sneaks out to meet this Induin girl who made him promise not to ask her about her lineage or tell her his until the little feud between the Induin and Sparlith halves are over. She's the reason he wouldn't marry the Induin princess.

'Shinal I thought I sent for you.' The general frowns impatiently drumming the tip of his tail on the floor as he slides up behind Shinal.

'You did sir, I just dallied' he sends and straightens up. 'What'll we practice today?'

'Not what, where,' he smiles and points to the bare field to the west. 'Come on. You need to get a wrap.' Shinal sighs and slowly follows him. The general looks at him curiously. 'You usually like to practice, Shinal. You're not afraid of the field are you?'

'No. I just don't feel like doing much today.' He shrugs and takes a wrap from the wall. With a quick rippling of his tail he slides it up to his waist. 'Must be the weather.'

'Shinal guess what!' Lanth exclaims flying in the room. Shinal looks up at his brother a bit listlessly. Lanth doesn't seem to notice, but continues, shutting the door. He's obviously very excited because he almost shuts the door on his tail. 'I'm going to propose to her tonight.'

'Good luck.' Shinal sighs and lies down on his bed. 'Tell me how it goes.'

'You're enthusiasm is overwhelming.' his brother sends dryly and crosses his arms. 'Can I count on your support if she says yes?'

'Of course you can, Lan. What a question! I should think you'd know by now. How do you think Mom and Dad will react when you tell them about her?'

'It won't matter. They won't be able to do anything. We'll already be bonded.' He smiles spreading his arms out in an all embracing manner, then coils his tail until he's in a sitting position. 'So how did your practice go?'

'Not well. I messed up three times. The general accused me of not practicing.' He sighs and traces the carvings on the wall with the tip of his tail.

'You never practice.' He sends and watches Shinal. 'Show off.'

'Oh, sorry.' Shinal coils his tail around the bedpost, getting slightly greener around his cheeks. Most Hoglims can't use their tails so well. Lanth can barely coil his even as tightly as he is.

'Well, I'll see you around. Wish me luck.'

'I already did but good luck again. You'll need it if mom and Dad find out before you bond.' Lanth gives him a salute and leaves.

Shinal goes out of the palace walls to the edge of the forest and looks up at the climber's challenge. It's the largest tree in the forest with the widest distances between branches. They get closer up near the top, but so far no one's been able to climb it. Usually Shinal would spend hours leaping up and trying to climb to that first branch, almost making it, but not quite. Today he doesn't even feel like trying.

Lanth comes up quietly behind him and taps him on the shoulder. Shinal turns around in surprise, automatically spiking his tail. He relaxes when he sees who it is.

'You're really slipping.' Lanth sends, 'You usually sense me coming a mile away.'

'I've just been really slow at these things today. I lost at practice today. I didn't' respond as fast as I usually do. I really tried, too. But wasn't much of a problem until the rods, though. I had to really struggle with him before and today I did horribly. And I was so off on the bow and arrows. I barely even came close to the center of the main targets and on the ones when I had to hit the edges I missed half of them entirely!'

'Even on your off days your better than me' he gives a slightly envious smile. 'But you were perfect before. Are you feeling alright?'

'Fine. Just a little tired. You forgot to tell me what she said.' Shinal sends rather accusingly, in an attempt to change the subject.

'I was busy making the preparations all yesterday and some of this morning. She said yes. We're going to go get bonded tonight at the quarry house near the border.' He sends and fidgets a bit nervously. 'I want you to be my family witness, Shinal.'

'All right. What time should I be there?' Shinal smiles and shivers a bit at a sudden wave of cold.

'Are you sure you're alright?'

'Dad says that I'm just a little tired from over exertion.' He shivers a little more at a slightly cool wind. Lanth hands him a sweater that he was carrying and he slips it on. It's much too big for him and goes down to almost half his length and the sleeves far past his hands.

'You haven't done anything in three days.' Lanth sends skeptically.

'Says you. Mr. has-a-planned-future.' Shinal looks back towards the castle. 'I'll see you tonight.' he turns to go but doesn't.

'What's wrong?' Lanth asks as Shinal sends and straightens up a little.

'Just a little lightheaded that's all." He sends and straightens up. 'You know I never get sick.'

'There's a first time for everything; you lost today isn't you?' he smiles and little and puts his arm around Shinal's back. 'C'mon. The doctor's here already for Dad's usual complaints.'

'No. I'm fine. Now don't get me al worried. You don't want another hypochondriac in the family.' He goes down on his loosely coiled tail.

'A what?'

'Hypochondriac. I read the Terran dictionary I was given. They name just about everything.' He hugs his arms closer to him. 'It's kind of creepy though, Terrans, Kenekites and us sharing the same language.'

'Great minds think alike. What's a hypo...connie... whatever?' Lanth looks towards the village.

'Hypochondriac. Someone who thinks they're sick all the time. Dad.' He sends and almost shakily straightens up. 'I'll be fine.'

Shinal slowly goes into the quarry house. Lanth is talking to a light blue skinned woman. With big green eyes. It's Mawni, the eldest daughter of King Lithta. He smiles broadly, almost laughing. This is the princess that Lanth refused to bond so he could be free to date the mystery woman. Nisha, Mawni's cousin, comes in. She sees Shinal and walks over to him.

'Isn't that your brother, Lanth?' Shinal nods. 'Mawni refused to bond him so she could bond him.' She giggles a little. 'This is so priceless. They're going to be so surprised when they find out. See ya.' She slides over to, Mawni, passing Lanth.

'You know her?' he asks. Shinal nods with a smile

'I've met her.'

'Oh. How do you feel?'

'Fine.' He lies. 'I was just tired before.'

'All right. Go and wait by the side.' He rubs Shinal's arm. 'We'll be over in a second.' Shinal nods and goes down by the knife and ribbons. Nisha goes to the other side and smiles at him. In the corner Mawni and Lanth laugh and come up to the bonding altar.

'Are you ready?' he asks. All of them nod. 'I, Lanth, son of Sagoln, wish to take this woman as my wife forever and always.'

'And I, Mawni, daughter of Lithta, wish to take this man as my husband, forever and always.'

'The witnesses have no objections.' Shinal and Nisha both send at once. Nisha hands them the knife and Shinal picks up the long ribbon. Lanth takes Mawni's right arm and makes a slight crosscut on her wrist. Then she takes his arm and does the same. Shinal slowly and carefully binds their wrists together, slice over slice in a crossed shape until you can't see any skin on the wrist.

After ten minutes or so they undo it and cut the ribbon in half. Then they carefully bandage each other's wrist. They hold hands and leave it to tell their parent's about the arrangement. Shinal gives a weary smile and holds onto the table almost for support.

'Shinal are you alright?' Nisha looks at him almost worriedly and starts to go towards him. Shinal just collapses almost tipping the tabletop. Lanth and Mawni look back as Nisha goes down by Shinal.

'What happened?!' Lanth sends worriedly and quickly darts back.

'Nisha go get a doctor.' Mawni orders as Lanth picks up Shinal.

'There's one in the village near our castle. Tell him to meet us at Shinal's room. Go on!' Nisha nods and darts out the door as quickly as she can.

Nisha breathlessly slides into the doctor's house. The doctor looks up from his books as she comes in.

'Is.... Is this the village doctor?' she looks at him anxiously. He looks a little surprised at seeing an Induin girl on this side of the border during negotiations. It's practically treason on her part.

'Yes, it is. What do you want?' he looks at her semi suspiciously and gets up rather slowly, putting his book down.

'Lanth ... I mean Prince Lanth and Princess Mawni sent me to get you. It's Shinal. He just collapsed at the quarry house. They're taking him back to the castle. And they said they want you to meet them at his room.' The doctor takes his bag and a medical book down from the shelf.

'Follow me.' He sends and glides quickly to the castle. The guards let them pass, thinking that the king is in one of his sicker moods again.

They turn into Shinal's room just as Lanth is putting him down on his bed. His tail hangs limply off the end, the bed not having been replaced since he was seven and being a good two feet small for him. Usually he just coiled the end around the bedpost in an old habit used to keep him self from falling out of bed when he was younger.

'Your majesties,' he nods a quick bow and coils down next to Shinal. He's a slightly lighter color than usual and is shivering a little. His body temperature is high and he has an irregular pulse. 'Has he complained of anything in the past couple of days?'

'Well, he's been tired and not very active. He said he wasn't reacting as quickly as usual and had slight dizzy spells and chills this afternoon, I think.' Lanth frowns as he thinks back. The doctor looks in his book for a moment then sadly closes it.

'He has Naritazen.' He sends slowly. 'There's no cure for it and it's fatal.' King Sagoln comes down the hallway.

'Lanth.' He calls and comes in.' I just heard that the doctor was here. Who called him?' He looks over towards the window at Shinal. 'What's wrong with him?'

'He.... He has Naritazen, dad.' Lanth sends, deciding that now is not the time to discuss his bonding.

'Well, there's a cure isn't there? It's been around eight years; there should be. Come with me, Lanth. I have some things to discuss with you.' He shrugs it off and leaves. Nisha looks at him extremely shocked. He's just been told his son had a fatal disease and he has something to discuss? Mawni just gives him a cold glare and follows Lanth out after him.

'Any change?' Lanth asks and comes inside. Nisha shakes her head.

'Not much. He's stopped shivering, but I don't' know if that's good or bad. What did king Sagoln want?' she frowns

'He wanted to inform me on how he saved the planet from civil war and to give me examples of good diplomacy. Then had me tell him everything about my bonding to Mawni.' Lanth frowns and crosses his arms.

'He doesn't seem to care too much about Shinal. And I haven't seen your mother once.' she gets up. 'Why don't' they even seem concerned about him? He's their son!'

'I asked my father that, and do you know what he said?' Lanth coils his tail in anger until it hurts. He looks at Shinal and motions her out into the hall. 'He said, "Don't worry about him. We only had him so you could learn about fair play and all that rot. Every great king's had brothers. But as you've turned out fine he's not important anymore." '

'He didn't!' She gasps a bit horrified. 'Oh, how horrible! No wonder Uncle Lithta wanted to sever ties! I know I wouldn't want to be allies with that cold and black hearted bastard! I'll even bet that the only reason he's decent to the people is so they don't kill him.' Lanth doesn't even make a pretense at correcting her opinion.

'That's treasonous talk, miss.' A guard chides her as he comes up, also not bothering to correct her.

'It isn't. he's not my king.' She frowns and thinks for a minute. 'Guard would you say that Shinal is useless? Not important?'

'No sir!' he half draws back, appalled at the notion. 'He'll be the best fighter in the galaxy! If he lives to be tested.'

'Has King Sagoln ever seen him fight? Has he been to any practices?'

'Not that I know of. Though a fair crowd comes to see him practice. There was quite a stir the day he lost the match. I might have known it was something like Naritazen.' That last thought almost fades out and looks around. 'Where's the king? Some Kenikites would like to speak with him.'

'We don't hire out mercenaries anymore.' He shakes his head. 'Father stopped that after the Terran assignment.'

'They don't want to speak about that. They're here for Shinal. They think he's one of the Appointed.'

'Have them sent to me. My father wouldn't know anything about Shinal, and he wouldn't care.' Lanth sends him back and then turns to Nisha.

'What's the appointed?' Nisha asks

'It's a team of a fighter and a sorceress who were born to guard the galaxy. Some old Kenikite legend, really.

'I'll go and tell Princess Mawni.' She sends and goes down the hallway. The guard slowly brings two Kenikites down the hallway. The woman has blonde hair and wears a black topped dress with a long white skirt that almost makes her two 'legs' look a bit more normal, like a small tail. But the man has pants on accenting the abnormality of his species. He has sandy hair and a brown suit with green crescent moons on the collar and sleeves.

"Are you King Sagoln?" She asks him vocally. It gives an unusual tone to her words but isn't as unpleasant as the ones who came for mercenaries. This one sounds light and softer.

'No,' he sends, 'I'm Prince Lanth.'

"Prince? Who's the lucky Princess?" She smiles. For such small mouths, Kenikites can have broad smiles.

'Mawni of the Induin.' He seems surprised at her knowledge of titles. 'You wish to discuss my brother, Shinal.'

"Yes, sir. We're looking for the best fighter on Hoglia and have heard many good reports of him."

"Volumes." The sandy haired one adds with a smile.

'He's only twelve passes. Fourteen years. He won't be ready for another four by law.'

"But he is ready now. Do you think we could see him?" Lanth shakes his head.

'This is not a good time. He's very sick with Naritazen.' The Kenikite man looks at the woman.

"We might be able to help. If we could take him back to our ship..."The man starts to speak.

'Your medical knowledge is no better than ours.' He cuts him off. 'I don't' want to risk his life.'

"We have Terran supplies and medical knowledge now. They have cures for everything. Even the common cold, as they call it." The man says vocally with a bit of annoyance. With a little impatience and indignance he has a very clear thought. 'We do not take unnecessary chances.' Lanth seems a little surprised at this. He's heard of Kenikite sending out their thoughts when they're bothers, but why would this one feel offended when he said that he could be risking Shinal's life? Why would he care? The other o 'It concerns Shinal. You're hardly an expert on him, father.' He send coldly.

'He's of no concern to you, Lanth. I'm perfectly capable of directing his welfare. Go to your lessons. You're long pas overdue.' Lanth coils his tail even tighter then glides angrily down the hallway.

"King Sagoln, we wish to take Shinal back to our ship. We might be able to help him." Sagoln gives a bored nod.

'Do what you like. I have much more important things to attend to.' He waves them aside and goes down the hall to the exit.

"I'd have felt better dealing with Prince Lanth. At least he seemed to care what happened." The man glances scornfully at the leaving king. Princess Mawni and Nisha come out the entrance to Shinal's room.

'You're right Lanth cares very much.'

"You must be Princess Mawni." The woman smiles. "My name is Thara and this is Cres.

'This is Nisha, my cousin,' she motions to her. I want to apologize for Lanth and also King Sagoln. Any help would be welcome. Shinal has nothing to lose and everything to gain.'

Star looks over the empty room this is the only one on the ship without a visible purpose. It's completely bare.

"That's this for? Storage?" She asks Arlin. He shakes his head and open sup a panel on the wall.

"It's an entertainment room or practice room. You just tell it what you want and it'll make it appear."

"Oh. Like in the gym." She says. "What does it have on it?" Arlin presses a number code in and a ballet studio appears.

"Evon installed all of your favorite ones before we left your station. The codes are the same but have an' S' in the front of them." His wrist computer beeps. "I was wondering when they'd use that. Arlin here." He says pressing a button.

"Ar, you need to look up the cure for naritazen. It's a new disease, started, seven-eight years ago. It might be under a different name." They hear Rase.

"Tilliani fever." Star says. "There was an outbreak on the station that my parents were killed on before it was attacked. It could be the same."

"Thanks." He smiles and leaves. "I'll be back soon have fun." Star goes over to the panel and makes it into a bare gym area. Eric comes in and looks around.

"What's this?"

"The entertainment room." She says looking at him.

"It looks like a raided ship in here. Very entertaining indeed." he grins. "Just imagine the possible activities."

"I'm going to do some gymnastics." She says and brings up a balance beams.

"In a skirt? This should be interesting and entertaining." She smiles and leans up against the wall. The long denim blue dress is hardly good gym wear.

"No, silly. I'm going to change." She smiles.

"Here?" He straightens up.

"Uh-huh." She straightens her headband. It, her wristband and belt are dark grainy denim blue with black stars.

"Um, I'll leave if you absolutely insist on it." He moves back to the door.

"You don't have to. It's not that kind of changing." She smiles

"Haw many ways of changing your clothes are there?" he asks and looks down. "Anyway, my breaks almost over. I'll see you around the ship, m'love." He gives her a bow of good bye and goes out the door. "Hullo, Miss Iva."

"Hello. Is Star in there?" Iva comes in. "Hi, mind if I join you?" she brushed back her braid. Her hair is braided together into one long braid but each section looks like it was made of smaller and smaller braids.

"Cool braids. How'd you get it for me. She hates me, but she loves to do my hair. Don't ask me why." She shrugs, "Give me your arm." Star holds out the one with the wristband on it, and Iva takes the band off.

"Hey!" Star exclaims as Iva tosses it behind her.

"You don't need it. Now transform and don't say anything either." Star closes her mouth as quickly as she had begun to open it and luckily for her Arlin comes in the room.

"There's some bad news. The cure isn't adaptable to Hoglim systems. In this case we might need to use your magic, Star."

"What do you mean? I can't heal people can I?" Star looks over at Iva who nods. "I've never done it before."

"Don't worry. I'll tell you how. It's as simple as the other spells, you just identify different things."

"I can't go down there." She looks down uncomfortably at the floor. "I don't know enough about... about these things."

"Yes, you do, Star." Arlin says almost confidently. "You have to go down and help." He puts his hadn reassuringly on her shoulder. Star bites her lip as Iva stands in quiet thought for a minute. "C'mon."

"I can't. I just can't!" She moves away and runs out the door. Arlin starts to go after her, but Iva grabs his arm, yanking him to a stop almost.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he says angrily.

"Keeping you from making a mistake" She snaps at him. "She shouldn't be made to go down to Hoglia. You can't make her either. I'll.... I'll kill you before I let you."

"That sounds a little rash." He says as she lets go of his arm. "Why shouldn't she?"

"Star's parents were killed by Hoglim mercinaries, and she nearly died herself. She's having conflicting feelings."

"I don't understand." He protests. "Personal feelings have nothing to do with what I'm asking. She had to do it."

"Listen, you insensitive clod.would you take someone afraid of heights and push them out of a plane? She's afraid, Arlin. It's not just to be taken lightly. You'll have to find some other way. I won't allow this one." Iva storms out of the room to find Star.

Arlin just stands there trying to sort out what she said. She spoke so fast, he could hardly understand her. Star doesn't have a reason to be afraid of anything. The Hoglims have forbidden the hiring out of mercinaries after they were hired out to attack the Terran Out post.

"But Star doesn't know that." He mutters leaning against the wall. "For all she knew I was demanding that she walk into a den of rattle snakes, just so she could help save one. Even his sister Rase would hesitate to do that, and she's walk into a dragon's den.

"Lost?" Arlin says as he sees Star wandering in the hallways. She looks up at him, surprised.

"I-I was looking for Rase." She says looking down at the floor.

"Her room is down the hall." he points behind him. "You'll know it when you come to it."

"Thanks."

"Star." he says looking very troubled. "I'm really sorry. I didn't realize..."

"That's alright." She smiles. They don't really understand, but it's more reasonable than what she's really afraid of. And Arlin did mean well. He was just very panicked and had a very unusual reaction to it. He gives a relieved smile and continues down the hallway to find Iva. Star goes forward to Rase's room with the feeling that she's expected.

"Come in. Come in, Miss Skylighter." Rase, a black haired woman with sparkling eyes like Arlin's, opens the door. Star looks at her for a minute, realizing how much she looks like Arlin.

Her smile is the same even though she has thinner lips, while his are big and boyish. Their eyes are exactly the same with the same slight, extending at the corners and long lashes. Those, however, are the only similarities, physical similarities anyway. There are probably many other ways they're alike as well.

"Hi." Star smiles and goes in. 'nice room." She says looking around at the fluid mosaic of colors moving around on the walls.

"What would you like to talk to me about?" Rase sits down and looks at her attentively.

"Well, I'm afraid to go down on Hoglia." She admits sounding a little ashamed.

"You've done research." she nods noting her use of their unusual vocal and mental pronunciation. "So you do know about the dissolvement of mercinaries and also of the sentient treaty." Star nods."what are you afraid of?"

"I haven't healed anyone before and I don't want to mess up. Shinal sounds like a wonderful person." She looks up. "From the reports and all."

"You don't need to worry about making a mistake. You're amulet will help you concentrate."

"But what if I do mess up. On purpose, I mean. I don't know if I can trust myself."

"Why not?" Rase asks gently.

"I don't know," She says almost stubbornly.

` "Yes, you do. I do and don't think you the worse for it." Rase stand's up again and puts her hand on Star's shoulder. Star smiles, another obvious similarity. "you nee dot say it. To let it go."

"I hate them. I hate them so much it hurts! I know it's not fair, but I just... I just can't forgive what they did to me and my parents."

"Well, that you realize this isn't all bad, but let me ask you if you can think of reasons why you shouldn't hate them. If you can, you won't have to worry."

"I suppose I could if I tried." Star sits down on a chair and thinks. After a minute she starts to speak. "Because of the attack, Evon decided to become a guarder. And we learned of a new form of sentient species, kind of. And I suppose we aren't so different from them."

"Really? How so?" Rase asks curiously. She hadn't had time to learn and compare Terran and other sentient history.

"Yes. Some Terran countries used to rent out Mercinaries. And there were hit men and hired out assassins. Actually I'm not sure there aren't any now. "

"Oh." Rase frowns. "I'll have to look up Terran history. Now get going."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Your highness?" Thara starts to say as she walks up to Prince Lanth. He's standing almost pensively by the window, overlooking the garden. His tail is half coiled in anxiety. Shinal hasn't been doing much better. "Prince Lanth." He gives a slight red to show he heard. " I have some good news and some bad news, regarding Shinal."

'Bad news first.' He sends sensing her relaxed manner and turns to face her.

"We can't adept the cure would be more harmful then the virus." Prince Lanth frowns at this.

'What's the good news.'

"The second half of the Appointed can help him and will." Prince Lanth visibly relaxes and smiles.

'Where is he?' he asks and looks around.

"Her guardian is bringing her down. She should be coming this way soon." Thara looks back an odd laughing smile and his tail gives a slight twitch at the end. "What's so funny?"

'Shinal means fighter in the old language. Don't' you find it the least bit amusing that the Appointed are named Star and Fighter and are taken care of by the Starfighters?' Thara gives him an odd look. Prince Lanth just shrugs it off. Kenikites have no sense of humor.

He looks down the hall as a sands haired girl with an odd moppy hairstyle comes in. her rich, caramel colored skin defines her as a full blooded Terran. She looks around the structures and up at a window. She can barely see the edges. She can't possibly be any more than six or seven passes, and the man beside her can't be more than thirteen passes. They're barely long enough for that even.

"Prince Lanth, this is Star Skylighter, and her guardian Arlin Mansed. Star's about twelve passes and Arlin is about twenty four passes." Thara introduces the two. Star doesn't seem to hear and goes up on her toes to see out the window, then looks at the wall down by her feet. There are a few cracks in it, barely large enough for bugs to hide in. Prince Lanth looks on with a little amazement as Star climbs up the wall to see out the window. Even Arlin looks a little surprised.

'Wow!' Prince Lanth hears her mentally exclaim. 'What a great climbing tree!'

' The climber's challenge?' No one's been able to climb it yet.' He looks up and out the window.

Star turns around in surprise at hearing the telepathic projection but drops off the side and less than gracefully keeps herself from falling flat on her face by stumbling forwards a little. Prince Lanth smiles at her dispite the nagging doubt in her abilities. How can someone seemingly so uncoordinated hope to control magic? Much less command the powers to heal a deadly illness.

"Um, hello." She gives a slight smile. But she's obviouslyu terrified of him.

'You don't need to be afraid of me or anyone here, Star.' He sends softly and privately to her and touches her arm. She gives a slightly relaxed smile and almost blushes with a nod.

'I know' she kind of sends with her nod.

"I'll show you to Shinal." Prince Lanth vocalizes. It's an odd sound, smooth and very pleasant, flowing almost. Vocalizing is surprisingly easier than addressing each mind separately and sending loud enough to echo. If they could only do this with other hoglims then maybe they'd be able to address larger groups of people. The downside to telepathy is the need to project for more than two people and for more than ten is almost impossible.

Star and Iva slowly follow Lanth down to Shinal's room. He hasn't moved at all yet and is barely breathing. Star looks at him almost curiously. He looks... He looks adorable, in a sort of animal, alien kind of way, almost handsome. Prince Lanth smiles at this. His brother could be a heartbreaker in both sentient species it seems.

"Okay, Star. Remember what I told you." Iva says and gives her a large rock made of many different pieces of stone. Star nods and places the rock in the center of Shinal's chest, where his collar bone is. Star covers it with both her hands and closes her eyes.

She concentrates as best she can and thinks a few odd words. Lanth looks at them as there's a noted coolness in the room. A medallion with an orange crystal in the center around Star's neck glows a little then brightens, enveloping the entire room with light. After a minute it fades back into the medallion. Shinal looks his normal grass green color and unconciously wraps the end of his tail around the bedpost. Star moves back, a little drained and gives the rock back to Iva.

"Why don't you go outside and wait for me." Iva whispers to Star who nods rather sleepily and walks slowly out.