Once the work on the vehicle began the caravan become much more lively. The huddle of designers and engineers became raucous, filled with arguments as each side contributed their knowledge bases and disagreements with the plans. The T`kata brought the wood, working them into smooth planks with grooves cut into them to interlink and hold together without the need of nails. Meanwhile the Humans explained the intricate workings of the automobile, unlearning much of what they had learned from years of engineering more and more things to accomodate for the modern sensibilities of Human civilization and having to deal with using a combustion engine as their motor. This was expedited by Mya asking what the purpose of something was and shouting at them about how useless it was. And whenever they came up with a plan the T`kata would show their precision craftsmanship, creating the gears and interlocking components completely of wood that operated as smoothly as machined manufactured metal parts oiled to perfection to be used to operate the wagon which they had to change and rework as the session want on. Eventually, all the pieces were ready. The Wagon was built and only one last component was needed; the modified ARMS device.

A full day had passed since they had begun building the first wagon and most were ready to move along, but they were fascinated by what was happening and the thing that the engineers were creating. It’s not like they hadn’t seen a wagon created before, but they had never seen one so meticulously created with so many parts that most of them considered them useless. Of course, those that didn’t care began to grumble again, but Jason was able to step in and suggest to them that with the wagons they’d be able to carry more food and belongings and they would reach their destination faster which opened up an opportunity to hunt to gather up meat, livestock, and seeds for crops or if they had something they were now wanting that they couldn’t carry before it was a great time to run back to Gondaluke to buy supplies they may soon need. This solved most of the issue. Now that some Humans were beginning to feel healthy again they joined in with the others, complaining that they didn’t leave Gondaluke to camp out in the wild. It wasn’t much of a problem. Jason just had to point out that no one was keeping them there and they were free to head on back. At that they quieted down and watched what was happening or joined with the aliens heading out from the camp to either help or leave.

The Thisin were much easier. They had lived their whole lives not having say over what they did or when they did it. Given the opportunity to spread out and talk freely that is exactly what they did. They enjoyed watching the other working while they did nothing and while they were still outsiders to the other species which kept them apart the Thisin started to integrate into Human groups. At first, all they did was listen intently to what the Humans were talking about. As the day went on they got ever more excited about what they were hearing. The Humans took to them, finding that their enthusiasm was charming. There came a point when some of the Thisin felt comfortable enough to start asking questions about the different subjects the different groups were talking of. Once this happened and they were punished more questions poured forth. It was like they were an endless stream of curiosity to the Humans while to the Thisin what the Humans were talking about had triggered an understanding that was slowly dawning upon all of them. The final realization of the truth came when Mya placed the ARMS device into the slot that was designed for it. She hopped into the driver’s seat and activated the motor without a second thought. All eyes were on it sped forward, showing the aliens for the first time in their lives and self-propelled vehicle. They were all astounded. The Humans cheered the accomplishment. The T`kata got back to work. Mya cried out happily. The Tok`phane, Sil`phane, and Nith`phane looked on strangely excited. The Euag`rn banged their fists on the ground. But the most affected were the Thisin. The shocking bit to the others was that they had never heard of the concept of a self-propelled vehicle, but to the Thisin it was different.

“The legends are true!” several of the Thisin shouted out.

The others were to caught up in the excitement to pay attention, but Jason turned towards the shouts. A ponderous look came across his face. The shouts of the Thisin grew in number. Before it became something violent Jason decided that he ought find out what is going on. He hadn’t interacted with them. All he knew was that they were following him for some reason. Perhaps they were only coming along because they had no place else to go or out of debt they felt they owed him for freeing him. Either way he didn’t know if they had a leader or what they were really like. He did see the earlier interactions they were having with humans, but still, he wasn’t sure how they would react to him asking questions about them. Whatever the case was he would just have to take the risk. He decided that talking to one was just as good as talking to another so he looked for the closest of them and went to them as everyone else remained focused on Mya driving the wagon around the encampment.

“Hello?” Jason greeted the first Thisin he was closest to.

“Yes?” The nude Thisin responded.

“Could you tell me what you mean? What legend is true?” Jason asked. Normally Jason would feel uncomfortable speaking to someone he didn’t know that was naked but strangely Jason felt perfectly fine talking to this completely naked male Thisin. It was probably due to most of the media that he had grown up with when they showed a reptilian, especially a male reptilian they showed them naked, as though their scales were their clothes, and the Thisin male very much resembled reptilians from Earth entertainment. The females, on the other hand, he wasn’t so sure he’d have the same reaction to since the reptilian women in media tended not to have the mammalian trait of mammaries, but rather just a silhouetted form as if they had them, but small and under their scale skin suit. Thisin women were not so prudish as Earth media.

The Thisin pointed at the mobile wagon, “Legends tell of a time when we had those, chariots and wagons that moved of their own power.”

“Really? What else do they talk of?” Jason enquired.

“I’m afraid that I do not know the stories well. I took them for fantasies to that the masters told us and lets us have because they enjoyed breaking us of the belief we were once much greater than they,” he spoke with a mild sadness to his voice, but then it perked up, “There is one that knows the stories well among us. I can show you to her.”

Jason began to nod, signalling to the Thisin that would be favorable and before Jason spoke his acquiescence the Thisin started to walk off towards a group of Thisin that had gathered together and were excitedly pointing at the wagon, clamouring things Jason couldn’t make out as he approached, following closely behind his guide who had surprised him with the swiftness of his actions. The Thisin had become adept at reading the subtle movements of others and reacting to them before the desires of their former masters was expressed, sometimes surprising them with fulfilling a desire even before the former masters knew they even had such a want.

When the group noticed Jason coming over to him, they quieted and parted, creating a path through the small crowd, revealing a female Thisin sitting near the center of the group. She didn’t look much different from the other around her, but she gave off a feel of venerableness how she held herself. The look was helped by the single bit of apparel that he had seen on a Thisin yet, a single pair of glasses that looked very familiar to Jason. One of them must have found them, discovered what they could do and given them to this woman out of love or respect. They didn’t fit on her face properly but they did their job well enough for her Jason imagined. He took the invitation of spreading Thisin and cautiously stepped forward, toward the woman. As he came closer the others enclosed him within the circle. Her eyes watched him intently and curiously waiting for him to make whatever his intentions were known to her. Jason stood about a meter away from her. He looked around, noting that he had no way to escape if something went wrong, and then he sat, and smiled at the young looking, old feeling Thisin woman.

“Hello, madam?” he questioningly greeted her, “My name is Jason. I’ve been told that you might be able to help me. I’d like to ask you some questions if I may?”

“You may.” She said in husky voice, giving her an wise and sexy flavor, as her words radiated confident dominance despite her being a slave no more than 50 hours ago, supposedly for her entire life. He was at her discretion and if she wanted him removed he would be.

“Can I hear the legends that your people are talking about?”

“They are not my people, but I understand what you mean. I am willing to tell you the story of our kind, but it may take a long time. Are you willing to listen?” she smiled.

Jason’s felt his eyes creep downward as he listened to her answer, “I am, but time may not allow for everything.” Jason snapped his attention back to her eyes, keeping himself from ogling her body which from what he had seen was quite fit by Human standards. “Before that. I don’t mean to offend. Are you not wearing clothes for cultural reasons or… All the species I’ve met thus far wear some form of clothing.”

The Thisin woman had a wry smile, “It is not our way to walk around exposing our flesh, but we have had little choice in the centuries since our enslavement. We have not had the opportunity to clothes ourselves without theft, are not ashamed of our bodies, and the weather does not make it an imperative so we have arrived here in this situation. Does my flesh offend?” she asked drawing her hand from her sternum over her breasts and down in a movement meant to set herself on display for Jason’s wandering eyes.

Jason’s eyes followed the woman’s gesture, taking in her full form. To his eyes, if wasn’t for the scales and coloration of her skin, her body could pass for a 20 year old that could rival some of the top models of Earth. His instincts beckoned him to continue his gaze, but once his rational mind caught up a brief war raged between his two modes of thought before the rational side won out and he returned his view to her eyes, where she was just winked at him knowingly. “No, I wouldn’t say anything about you offends me,” he smiled back at her.

“That is well. I would not want to offend our benefactor. He has been most kind and charitable to us,” she laid on the platitudes with a large helping of seduction, “I will tell you our story and I will try not to take too much of your time, but I do hope that you will find your time spent with me and our story to be pleasurable,” she said.