"Hey, what is this place?" You cry as Jekkal dives into the black-blue waters of the atoll, just before you get a mouthful of salt water. She arches back up out of the water.

"Sorry about that, but you have no idea just how hot that sun can be."

"Well anyway, what is this place? It looks way too different from the other islands."

"Kai'nev is an atoll. Actually, it's an active black lava volcano. We're floating in it." She replies.

"Isn't lava supposed to be hot? Or at least rock?"

"You're thinking of the type of lava on Bekonoret. Black lava is a cooler, water-based lava." She notices an edge of fear on your face. "Actually, it's not even true lava. This is a large lake within the island, and it has a lot of black precipitant. At least that's what the humans said. I still call it black lava, though." She smiles, thumbing over to a moderately-sized stone building. "Care to visit the Kai'nev Tower?"

You decide it wouldn't be a bad idea, so Jekkal swims over to the tower and jumps out of the water near the entrance. You dismount, and are about to walk over the threshold when a small red lizard-dog jumps in your way. He quickly lies down, snarling at you. It's as if he was daring you to try and get inside again.

"Tavern!" Jekkal hisses. "He's a traveler! Let him in!"

"Hmph!" Tavern grumps. "We got ignored from day one of the adoption agency act! Our eggs were laid and hatched with hardly a human noticing, our human caretakers abandon us for over a year to live on some other island, and now that we're actually worth a few pieces of gold, all of a sudden you expect us to just go along with your little plot?!"

"Tavern... the Star Island Zone didn't work well as an agency hub! The humans left for Lokk after the revolution, and then the whole place suffered! Only the agencies with small amounts available at once managed to adopt out a few."

"I also noticed that the Semites seemed to have done well with adopting out an eight-egg clutch!" Tavern hissed, before he noticed Jekkal's fangs. "What?"

"Some were... abandoned, and died by the hands of their new owners... it's one of the reasons I switched to the marketplace to adopt them out. At least the chances of abandonment are lessened if people actually have to pay for what they get."Jekkal frowned. Tavern backed up. "Now will you let our traveler past you or not?!"

"The visitor... may pass." Tavern capitulated, and you walk past him. He walks right behind you, staying near your heels. You notice that Jekkal decided to wait outside.

"Jekkal may trust you, human... but you'll have to do better than that if you want anything of the sort from me."

"What are you, anyway?" You look at him.

"A paercher. We're lizards� dinosaurs actually, due to our sketetal build and such." Your jaw drops, but you decide to keep quiet. "Oh, don't be so surprised. Therans are left over from the Dinosaur Empire as well, not to mention nearly all dragons are just evolved dinosaurs. Anyway, I was about to say that as paerchers have been around for quite some time, we've developed a great deal of intelligence. Of course, you can see that for yourself." Tavern grins. "Care to follow me?"