The Vartan adventurer who has been known by many names has been welcomed here as friend and hero by Priest-Queen Jade-Eyes, along with his family: Pouncer and Enos. Shade and Vague have been tending to the final business of taking what can be salvaged of Golgotha, short of demolishing the sanctuaries and claiming the rubble as well.

Tales of young lordlings and ladies picking over Golgotha with dreams of some day becoming knights in pretty pink ribbons have been circulating wildly – According to reports, this has prompted many Temple Guards in their off hours to lend a hand to the efforts of the Knights ex-Templar, however it may irk the upper class.

That is all far removed from here, though, where Savanite spring is what would be considered summertime in Nordika, and most of the people are concerned with their daily lives in what is ultimately an agrarian society built along the fertile banks of the Xenean River. Pouncer and Enos have been relocated here, and it turns out that Priest-Queen Jade-Eyes has another visitor – Envoy of Lothrhyn – though she has discreetly avoided drawing any attention to her other "guests" for the time being.

Subtleties were largely put aside, however, when a Temple airship landed, politely met by a mixture of Savanites and Jingai, and Arch-Inquisitor Melchizedek arrived. While the Arch-Inquisitor was being entertained (distracted and kept occupied) at the palace, word was delivered that Melchizedek is here to meet with a Vartan hero known as the Champion of Shadows.

---

Not all of Safarland is color and noise, candy for all the senses. In particular, there is an area that is a recreation – on a smaller scale – of several of the landmarks of the City of Hands, with displays of historic interest. It has undergone many changes over the years – There was, for example, the awkwardness of an area devoted to the memory of Priest-Queen Third-Vision. The shrine still remains, since few would know to doubt that she is quite as dead as some had supposed.

In a small area off to the side of the main course of the "City of Hands" exhibit, there is a rest area consisting of concentric rings tiered to lower toward the center, and rising toward an outer wall that bounds the outermost ring. All of the walls exposed by the tiers are covered with images and writings that tell a tale, and benches provide seats for the weary wayfarers making their way through the theme park.

An unlikely tourist arrives – an Aeonian with black hide and a red mane, dressed in robes of a matching pattern that mark him as an Inquisitor of the Temple, flanked by two Jupani Guardsmen. He holds up a hand, and they stop at the entrance, bowing to him as they turn away. Once they have left, he steps forward into the area, his hooves clipping on the cobbled ground.

Elijah is seated on one of the benches, gazing at the writings on the walls and remembering the stories they tell. His wardrobe has changed from the thick clothing he wore on Rephidim to many layers and colors of gauzy cloth that make him blend into the colorful lands a bit better. His feathers, once brown, now sport patches of black and peppering of white as well as their usual coloring, another layer added to his disguise. His eyepatch still remains, but the cloth is different, now made from the cloth worn by an Eeee priestess of Sunala. He twitches slightly at the sound of the Inquisitor's footsteps, as though he had to momentarily resist the urge to suddenly jerk himself to attention or salute.

Inquisitor Melchizedek walks along the outer ring, coming to one of the set of stairs that begins to descend toward the center. At the moment, this particular area is devoid of anyone save for the Vartan and the Aeonian, as it is still morning, and such quiet attractions are not the first places for early arrivals to visit. However, just outside, the noise and music of the attractions and the passing sightseers filters in – crowds aplenty to blend into if the need arises.

"I was surprised to get your message, although I suppose it was fairly obvious where I would go, considering where Rephidim was at the time," the Vartan scrawks, not looking away from the wall.

The Aeonian continues strolling, slowly, down the steps, as he answers, "A small thing to risk, sending a letter and finding out that no one would receive it. But let me get to the point. Recent incidents have proven an embarrassment to the Temple, and not all within the Temple have been united in regards to the treatment of the Knights Templar. There is an opportunity for change."

Elijah angles his head downward, peering at the Arch-Inquisitor out of the corner of his uncovered eye. "Recent incidents?"

"The College," the Aeonian explains, while examining a depiction of the Twelve-times-Twelve, "has long been considered an authority in all incidents involving the manifestation of spirits in Rephidim, just as for so long, the Temple has been considered an authority on all matters concerning First Ones artifacts and sites. A potential threat was revealed to the Temple. The Temple was compelled to take action, to secure the individual who was to be this threat, and to hand her over to the College so that she might be freed of possession. There was an incident. I shouldn't have to describe it for you."

"After that trouble, the individual escaped, free of any 'exorcism', and the dire predictions of the College have come to naught. There have been no sudden deaths, no outbreaks of disaster. Only a rash of rumors," the unicorn adds.

Elijah nods his head slightly. "Are positions being reconsidered, then?"

"Yes," the unicorn says. "For some time, certain individuals who shall go unnamed have protested the treatment of the Knights Templar, but fuel was recently added to the fire. The new 'knightly orders' have yet to be formed, let alone the naming of squires or knights to fill them, yet there are certain young lordlings and ladies who have it in their heads that they already know who shall be selected, and what shall be done once this happens."

"There were reports of lordlings and ladies going about Golgotha, using the privileges of their parents' stations to gain access, and picking and choosing what they wished. There was a small altercation when some attendants at Golgotha attempted to stop a young lordling from removing a stained glass window from the Sanctuary of Roses."

"The lordling and his friends beat the attendants soundly for interfering, and then shattered the window while trying to extract it," the unicorn adds. "They then were so brazen as to attempt to bribe several persons to see that no word of this would reach the lordling's father. Needless to say, the attempt did not succeed."

The Vartan twitches again. "I hope the window can be replaced. But will the new order still come to be? I am not expecting the Temple to embrace the Knights again, nor do I expect many of our number to come running to it if the offer was made. But surely you see how Rephidim might be in danger in an invasion equal to the Coalition Wars or the Plaguebringers if its greatest fighting force is an army of nobles who see fighting as some romantic thing with flashing swords and frilly armor."

"But, you see, you only point out one of the reasons this friction has grown in the first place," the unicorn says. "It is not for the Knights to defend the Temple from every danger. For that, we have the Guard, the Air Guard, the Air Fleet. The Knights Templar have always shone brightly in every battle, but they have not been alone on the ground or in the air when Rephidim has fallen under siege. The Knights Templar were always separate from the Guard, and that led to confusion over their respective roles. I cannot say that the new knightly orders will improve that … but it will not be merely the Order of the Pink Ribbon coming to our defense."

"That said," the unicorn says, "minds are changing about what to do about the Knights Templar. Those who wished to wipe them aside are reconsidering the rashness of their positions, in light of the recent shame."

Elijah nods. "I am not so proud as to not grant you that point, although I cannot help but worry that the new order seeks its own glory more than Rephidim's, especially if one of them caused damage to Rose's sanctuary simply because they felt that they had the right to take whatever they wanted and thought little of the people there." He looks back at the wall, a section telling how the City of Hands was being slowly rebuilt from the rubble. "What is being considered for us now? Some of the plans seem a bit too far underway to stop now."

"The leaders of the Knights have been contacted, and proposals have been made," the unicorn says, "but it is crucial to any plans, to know that the Champions will cooperate. The Temple would like to pretend that the whole incident with the possessed individual did not happen at all, and that no member of the Knights Templar was involved. They would also like to pretend that reports of the Knights Templar being disbanded were misrepresentations furthered by over-enthusiastic young nobles. The proposal is that the Knights be granted full autonomy from the Temple, and a new base of operations on the sky island formerly known as Fetiss. I do not know its new appellation, but I believe it to be a derivative of 'Thorn'. Those Knights who wish to retire, or to move to positions within the Temple will not be prohibited from doing so, but those who wish to stay with this newly independent order may do so with full honors."

"If the incident did not happen at all, I take it that I need not worry about being arrested the next time I set foot on Rephidim?" The Vartan drums his fingers against the bench. "What of our holdings? Golgotha is almost stripped clean … but we still have sanctuaries all over Sinai. Whose hands will they fall into?"

"Every effort will be made to see to it that the Knights' holdings on Rephidim be relocated to their new base of operations," the unicorn says, "and, you are quite right, there would be no arrests made, when there are no transgressions to punish. As for the outposts, they will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those outposts clearly run entirely by the Knights that have chosen to remain with the Order will remain in their hands. That would include a sizeable portion of them."

"I find that to be fair." Elijah sighs. "I do not expect this request to be filled, but there is really only one thing I truly want from the Temple, or any of the Knights truly want: a commendation on our work in the war, and an apology for our mistreatment. We were deliberately treated with bias, and deliberately sent to slaughter. If such a thing is simply forgotten then it risks happening again."

"Commendations will be forthcoming, in abundance," the unicorn says, "but any apology will only be in private, embarrassed whispers, I can assure you that much. A public pronouncement would defeat any attempt to quietly sweep all these matters under the carpet."

The Vartan nods. "I am not demanding that the Astromancer proclaim to all of Sinai that the Knights were wronged. I simply want an apology. A discreet and private one would mean just as much to me if it was said in earnest."

The unicorn nods. "Then on behalf of the Temple, I apologize for all that has happened to the Knights Templar. You have served with honor, sacrificing your lives for the good of your nation without question – and without thanks. It is my sincere hope that this will be amended, and that the Temple will not tarry in doing so."

"Thank you." Elijah lets his breath out, as though he's just set down a heavy weight. "I will do what I can to smooth relations between the Knights and the new order in Rephidim. There has been a certain amount of resentment that we were being 'replaced' by poodles, myself included, but if we are going to be working together and potentially side by side in battle, those feelings should be snuffed out as much as possible."

"Truly spoken," the unicorn says, "though I cannot pretend that there will not be some sort of rivalry. There are too many young lordlings who boast that they sre capable of feats more daring than any masked Knight has ever performed. No doubt they will attempt to make good their word. It is my hope that any such rivalry can be on friendly terms."

The Vartan nods. "Do you know if anything is being planned by Caroban towards the Srinala?"

"At last report," the unicorn says, "the 'Srinala' was sighted in Babel. I shall not bore you with the intricate details of the age-old arrangement between the Collegia Esoterica and Babel, but now that she is in Babel, they have no legal cause – by their own laws – to interfere. That may change, should a new leader of Babel arise, and take a position more in keeping with that of the College."

"So long as 'Srinala' remains in Babel, however," Melchizedek adds, "the Temple has no vested interest in the matter."

"I suspect that the new leader of Babel will not take any position to bring the College closer, but that remains to be seen. What of Saraizadze? Is it true that she's dead then?" Elijah shifts his position on the bench a bit.

"Yes," the unicorn says. "Though the circumstances of her death are in question, the truth of her death is certain."

Elijah folds his hands under his beak in thought. "Will the Temple's position towards the Star change at all? I am not expecting to see the First Ones decried as false gods, but what of those that follow the Star? Will Duchess Kurai be able to open her church again or Guardswoman Sapphire be allowed to teach the Temple Scouts again?"

"There are certain points yet to be fully resolved," the unicorn says. "I believe, however, that the prevailing winds are in favor of a more tolerant stance. You might find it encouraging that one of the new priests brought in to hold services, one advocating the more 'tolerant' position, has enjoyed considerable popularity among the laity since his installation."

The Vartan smiles. "I would like to meet this priest sometime, if that is the case. I do not expect all of Sinai to convert, but I felt as though our beliefs were simply being used as a convenient niche to persecute us with, much like I believe that the fact that Srinala did not adhere within the rules of magic made spirit possession a convenient niche for the Collegia to use against her."

The unicorn nods. "Priest Killian Threadar. I am quite certain he would find time to speak with you, should you visit Rephidim again."

"I may not return to Rephidim for a while yet. I have been thinking of visiting Abaddon and seeing how the Knights there are faring, and also looking for some quest to take up … something to help me feel cleansed of the past five years. I may visit Babel if I could go there without having a knife buried in my back." Elijah rubs his eyepatch absently.

The unicorn says, dryly, "There will be a great many knifings of backs for the foreseeable near future in Babel, I think, while they struggle over a new ruler. On any road, I believe my time here is done."

Elijah stands up and bows. "Thank you, sir, for bringing me the news. And if you had any part in what has happened, I thank you for that as well. After running from the guards a week ago, I had almost lost all hope."

The Inquisitor inclines his head, dipping his horn. "May the Star light your way, and that of all the Knights," he says, then turns and takes the steps back up in long strides, making his way back to the exit.

The Vartan sits quietly as the Aeonian departs, waiting for a certain measure of space to be drawn between them before he leaves on his own. After the time passes, he finally rises up from the bench and makes his way out of the rest area, pausing to bow at a statue of a three-eyed cheetah with tangled hair along the way.