Temple patrols are not to be seen at this hour. At least, not in this part of town. A few bits of debris here and there hint at the presence of the Bazaar. To be sure, one won't find any spare shekels littering the ground. Only a few drunks – destined to be relieved of what possessions they have on their persons – can be seen lining the street … and a solitary wagon parked next to a lantern hanging on a pole.

Hanging on the door to the wagon is a sign written in Rephidim Standard, with some translations in a couple of other common tongues in smaller print: "Do Not Disturb the Dragon".

The sound of a pile of boxes being knocked over herald the arrival of Fenter, who has donned a much cleaner robe and is now backtracking his steps from the day, hoping to locate his misplaced hat.

Fenter thinks, . o O ( Now… I'm sure that I remember having it here… I bopped that fox with it. )

A tiny pair of beady little eyes, reflecting red in the lantern light, peer out from under the wagon at Fenter.

From within the wagon emits a loud, reverberating noise like a Zelak being slowly sawed in half, or something equally unpleasant … or perhaps just a fox snoring.

"Heeeeeeere hathathathathat… " The raccoon croons to the darkness.

Arcadia glares at the fox from within her wagon… She folds her ears down and pokes at the fox, to roll him over and stop that horrid snoring!

Near the wheel of the wagon, something floppy shuffles around on the broken cobbles, looking vaguely purplish-bluish-faded-bug-smeared.

Fenter says, "THERE you are, my eighth favoritest hat, BAD hat! I've been looking for you everywhere… uh… wait a second here."

The hat scoots across the pavement, making a meandering path as it goes.

Fenter scratches his bare head, "Hats aren't normally ambulatory, are they?" He peers at his quickly exiting hat, "I shall have to ask. Here now! You! Come back here!"

The hat scoots a bit more quickly, veering just around the corner of a crumbling building, and into an alleyway shadowed from the light of the lantern.

Fenter says, "Heeeeeeeeeeeere hathathathat! Goooood hat. Now come to Papa and I'll put you in the closet with the mothballs this time… HEY! come back here!"

Arcadia blinks? looking out her window at the sounds outside. "Ey?"

A giggle emits from the shadows, quickly muffled at Arcadia's sudden appearance.

Fenter chases after his eighth favorite hat. "C'mere you!"

The hat is now sitting quite still in the middle of the alley … as are a multitude of little pairs of blinking red lights. Well, not LIGHTS, really.

Arcadia scritches her ear… "What on Kumba's tail is going on out there?" she says more to herself than anything else. She closes the window and ventures to open the door and have a better look.

An "ahem" comes from somewhere behind Fenter … a somewhere currently occupied (from Arcadia's perspective) by a tall shadow, accompanied by a much much shorter one. (though not nearly so short as all the little bitty shadows scurrying around on the street.)

Fenter is of course, quite oblivious to this, being the single-minded little 'coon that he is. And all that's on his mind right now is retrieving his mysteriously sentient hat.

The hat scurries no more, and makes no effort to evade Fenter's re-acquisition of it.

Arcadia frowns… and steps out of the wagon. She pulls out a candle. She spits a wee bit o' flame onto the wick.

"*AHEM*" comes the voice again.

Fenter continues after his headgear. "Heeeerrrrrre nice hathathathat! That's a good little boy, or girl… I've never been very good at gendering hats." Once again he doesn't seem to notice the voice behind him.

Arcadia begins to try and get a better vantage point… and calls out to Fenter… "Ey… youngling… "

"Da boss said AHEM!" a voice chirps out from behind Fenter.

"That's nice." Fenter replies, not really listening. He makes an attempt at pouncing his hat… *LEAP!*.

Arcadia's ears snap up in attention at the 'ahem'. She frowns.

"Thank you, Lackey," rumbles a voice from the darkness. He AHEMS again. And then a couple of more times, a bit more loudly, with an effect that sounds more like he's coughing up a lung. The noise serves to cover the sickening sound as the hat's occupants get flattened.

Arcadia stops and isn't sure to be amused or defensive or worried about the poor chap who's obviously sick.

Fenter says, "GOTCHA! Haahaa! No hat can ever outwit me!" He gingerly picks up his headgear, and after a closer inspection of it he gives it a few good shakes before putting it back on his head. A soft thud can be heard at his feet. "Ahh… now I feel complete again. Phew, what got smelly all of the sudden?"

The shorter shadow screeches, "A-HEMMMMM!"

Arcadia holds up the candle as she approaches Fenter, for she's rather worried about him. She stops at the sound. "Ech?"

Fenter turns around angrily. "Look… I'm very susceptible to germs… so if you don't mind, find someone else to cough on?"

The taller shadow pulls a bottle out from his cloak, and holds it up in the air. He tries a different tactic. He shakes it lightly, letting the contents slosh back and forth – a sound hardly anyone would notice.

Fenter goes *BING*!!

The tall bat rears back his head and bellows, "BWahahahaahHAHAHAHAhahahahAHHAA!" His eyes shine with a reddish glow, and the lantern light glints off of his overly large fangs.

Arcadia dares to go on … and stops at the hideous laugh and the sight of red eyes and white teeth. "Eep!"

One of the raccoon's feet starts to go *thumpthumpthumpthump* at the sound, then abruptly stops. "Here now! Was it you that made my hat turn on me?"

The bat laughs again, then lisps in a deep baritone, "Aha, my ahch nemethith! Thurely you know of my amathing powuhth!"

Arcadia smirks… and almost blows the candle out as she holds in her laugh.

Fenter says, "You know… I'm tired of being an arch nemesis… When am I going to be a full fledged nemesis? I mean, haven't I earned it?"

The bat barks, "You FOOUH! Thath bettuh than being a mewe nemethith!"

Arcadia shakes her head… and approaches. "Ah… Excuse me… ahh… ?"

Fenter scratches his head. "Are you sure? I could have sworn that it was one of the lower ranking thingies. Oh well, we'll talk about this later. Anyroad… *AHEM* Hand over the bottle, Wyckyd! You know your plans to take over the world will never come to pass as long as I have something to say about it!"

Fenter says, "Missus dragon lady… could you do me a small favor?"

The bat looks at Arcadia, then looks to the snake. "A meddwuh. Wemove thuh – " He stops, ignoring he snake's obvious fear at the notion of making a dragon do much of anything, let alone vacate the premises. "What? Aha. Wew, we'w thee about that!"

The bat snaps at the snake beside him, "Lackey!" He seems to have to strain to get that "L". "Wemove de intwooduh!"

Arcadia mms, folding her arms after placing the candle into her long tail. "It depends on what it is, friend… and just who is your darkly friend here?" She warily gazes at the bat and his snake companion.

The garter snake slithers over to the dragon. "Uhm … miss … uh … dragon? Please don't eat me or turn me into a crispy fritter, but could you please go away? We're executing a very complex plan to take over the world, and you might mess it up."

Fenter says, "My dearest lady… I would be forever grateful if you would please spare one small breath of your elegant flame and catch the nice bat's head in fire? You'd be doing the world a great service."

The bat bellows evil laughter. "If you do that, then thith will be dethroyed, and you will nevuh obtain it, you FOOWUH!" He's definitely slipping on the "L" again.

Arcadia gives them all a rather … amused look. "Ah I see… " She looks at the snake. "I have no intention to eat you … unless you give me reason … and that lil'un there is my friend … so I'd suggest you not hurt him." Then she looks at Fenter. "And as for the bat … he's obviously just mad and prolly couldn't do anything anyway."

Fenter says, "Alright alright alright… hmmm. Well, what would you suggest I do? The flame bit does sound a bit messy… "

Arcadia grins. "Ignore him?"

The bat looks offended. (Eeee have good hearing, after all.) "I haff mighty POWUH! BEHOLD!" He puts his fingers to his mouth and makes … well … no noise that anybody present can discern. But the street is filled with the sounds of squeaks and chitters. Vermites!

Fenter says, "Ig- i- IGNORE Wyckyd? We'd all be slaves by now if… AIEEE!"

From all around, tiny pairs of red dots, reflecting in the lantern light, blink from the shadows. The bat guffaws, and bellows, "At my command, they wiw ATTACK! Behowd! My MINIONS!"

Arcadia blinks and then just *freezes* in her tracks. After the first blink, she remains as still as stone … stuck in shock of the evil little beasties!

The snake hisses, " – and his Lackey. No arch villain is anything without at least one good Lackey. And I'm the best."

Fenter AIEEEES! and LEAPS up into Wyckyd's arms (carefully enough to keep the precious bottle from being dropped, of course.)

The bat SQUEAKS loudly (and very not-quite-so-menacingly) and collapses under the weight of the raccoon. (Eeee are not known to be very strong, after all.)

Fenter blinks, and goes scrabbling for the bottle!

Arcadia doesn't move a muscle … eek! spiders … She holds very still … Maybe they won't notice her.

Fenter says, "IGNORE him she says… Now where is that thing… "

Arcadia lets out a bit of a whimper.

As Fenter fumbles about, he finds a lump in the bat's cloak, situated in a pocket up near the shoulder. It feels cylindrical and suspiciously bottle- like.

Arcadia takes a deep breath… she refuses to faint onto a street covered with those … beasties!

Fenter says, "Ah-HAH!" the raccoon starts digging through the bat's cloak. "Gimmegimmegimmegimme!"

The bat starts bellowing, then giggling. "THOP! THAT TICKUWS! BWAHAHHAAHAHAA!" He coughs as the raccoon retrieves the bottle. "THOP! That ith not meant fuw you!"

Arcadia shivers and shakes… eeeeep!

Fenter tumbles backwards. "AH-HAH! Now I will thwart your evil plan, Wyckyd!" He uncorks the bottle and puts it to his lips. "Watch your world domination plans go rolling down my gullet!" He begins to drink the contents.

Arcadia erks… "Uh… I don't think that's such a-a g-good i-idea!!" she manages to babble.

The bat sputters, "You FOOWUH! THOP!"

Fenter abruptly stops… and SPUTTERS! "EEEUCH! That tastes TERRIBLE!" He holds the bottle back out to Wyckyd, "Here… you can have the nasty stuff back… bleaugh! What the heck was I drinking?"

The bat corks the bottle and snorts, "Ode de wa Thewaw."

Arcadia watches with wide eyes … waiting for Fenter to turn into some slimy amphibian.

Arcadia arches an eyebrow.

Fenter says, "Smells like Shelwhal spit."

Fenter sniffs his hands… and his breath.

Wyckyd says, "Thath what I thaid. Thewaw."

The bat clarifies, "Ambewgwith."

Arcadia blinksblinks … still rather overwhelmed by the thought of this many spiders being around…

Fenter says, "Ambergris? Now why on earth would you need a bottle of shelwhal … er … upchuck. Yeeech … never understood the attraction myself. But then … alas, we members of the mage caste must keep such things out of our souls, lest the outside world tarnish us and… oh… sorry… I'm going off again."

Arcadia just watches and curls her tail about her feet. eep.

Wyckyd straightens out his robes. "With thith pungent fwagwanth, I thall win the heaht of de puhfect spethimen of Eeeedom, who thall be a pwime component in my pwanth fuh wuhld dominathion. And I thall thucceed. I dominated the wuhld onthe befowe, you know."

The garter snake, meanwhile, just lurks quietly.

Fenter breathes on one of the vermites with his new perfumed breath.

The vermite skitters away. Aha! Vermite repellant!

Fenter says, "Once… for about fifteen minutes. And nobody else but me believes you."

Arcadia mumbles, "… Can … can you … " She tries to get Fenter's attention. "… get … rid of all the… the… spi- spiders… pwease?"

The bat glowers. "Aha, but that ith why you ah my ahch-nemethith! None otheh hath the inthight to wecognithe me fuh the twoo thweat I pothe! And that ith why I haff come with THITH." He holds up a bottle – a different one – the one he had out the first time.

Fenter goes *BING* again!

The bat looks to Arcadia and sighs. "Oh, vewy wew. But couwd you gwovew a bit fiwst?"

Fenter says, "Now now, Mister Bat… You should be nice to the poor dragon. She's had a hard day after all."

Arcadia growls in her fear, "… I'd rather… b-bite y-yer w-w-wings off… "

Arcadia shudders . o ( Oh, that's good … Made the guy with the spiders mad at you … Brilliant … dumb dumb dumb )

Wyckyd frowns at Arcadia, "Then they wiw thay." To Fenter, he grins wyckydly and thayth … er, says, "I haff found yuh weakneth! Danbuhk'th Thiwvuh Cognac!"

Fenter says, "Gzunteit."

The bat says, in a lower voice, "If you gwoveh, I might even giff it to you."

The bat looks momentarily annoyed, and reaches up and pats himself on the head. This odd action seems to have miraculously put all his head hair back in place.

Fenter tries to look uninterested (He fails miserably), "How do I know that's not just a bottle of water? Or some evil poison to make me your slave or something like that?"

The bat grins and sloshes the bottle around. "Theth onwy one way to find out!"

Arcadia rrrs and steps up on a box to avoid the beasties… it creaks and groans under her weight.

The snake slithers over to Arcadia and whispers, "You really SHOULD consider grovelling. It's not all that bad, really. He really gets a kick out of it. He'd appreciate it greatly, I assure you."

Fenter says, "You could give me a taste? Just a teencey eencey one?"

Fenter batbatbats his eyes at the batbat.

The bat hmms, looking away a bit. "Ith that gwovewing I heah?"

Arcadia glares at the snake. "No. Why should I, when he has you, my humble friend?" She smirks.

The snake flicks out his tongue, then hisses, "Well, that's because I'm a Lackey. And you're a … uh … " He blinks, and then remembers just what it is he's talking to. "Uhm … nevermind." He slithers away.

Fenter says, "Tell you what, if you can say 'Crimmy Cuttle cracked a crock of kyootcumbers,' I'll grovel."

The bat glowers. "Don't twy to make fun of me. I don't haf a thenthe of humuh."

Arcadia blinks… suddenly the box breaks and she falls! Thud! Watch out for that tail! "Eeeeeekkk!"

*squish* *crunch* "SQUEAK!" *skitterskitter*

Fenter says, "Of course you do… EEEK!"

The bat is momentarily distracted by the falling dragoness, then turns back to Fenter and says, "Come with me! Join me in Dahkthide! Togetheh, with owuh combined powuhs, we can wule da WUHD! … and you can have a whole cathe of Danbehk's Thihvuh Cognac."

Fenter stands resolutely, "I'll never join you! You're not my… partner!"

Arcadia acks as she stands up, dusting herself off and removing crushed vermites. "EEekkkuuuuuckkkkkkk!!!!!!" she yowls!

Wyckyd shrugs. "Oh wew. I had to tempt you. Being my ahch-nemethith and all. Ith my duty ath an evil ahch-fff – fff … " He spends several moments trying to spit it out. "VIWWAN!" He sighs. "I hate Wephidim Common."

The bat then turns and walks away. "And now … I fwee, to enact my dahk pwans and take ovuh da WUHLD! And you cannot thtop me!"

Fenter smiles, "I understand… Wanna talk it over a drink at the Three Thieves?"

Wyckyd says, over his shoulder, pushing a wing out of the way, "No. Ith too wate fuh that. And Jakka wouwd thwow me out." Then he marches on again.

Several vermites scurry for cover, fleeing the big Squisher-Of-Vermites (also known as a dragoness).

Arcadia stomps on a few vermin in her attempts to escape them…

Fenter says, "Awww! How about… er… I can think of something! I know a place where they only water the ale down a little bit… and they don't serve vermites!"

Fenter trundles over and tries to peel some of the pancaked vermites off of the dragoness.

Arcadia eeeks, (stomp stomp) "Blasted li'l beasties! ack ack!" She practically does a tap dance in the process!

Fenter eeks and jumps back.

Wyckyd pauses again. "That weally bugth me. Vuhmiteth. Uthed to be, onwy da bumth would eat vuhmiteth. Now they thuhve them in the bahth. How pathetic." He glowers at Arcadia. "THOP THAT!"

Wyckyd's "army" of vermites quickly disperses. Only the dead, wounded and pulverized remain.

Arcadia spins, as her back is to him. Her tail flies again, as she finally turns all the way to face him.

Arcadia says, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppp! Meeep What what where where more of them? ack ack!!"

Fenter gets whacked in the back of the head by a flying tail – He falls face down at Wyckyd's feet.

Wyckyd laughs wyckydly! "BWAHHAHAHAAAA!"

"At wast, my ahch-nemethith gwovews at my feet!" the bat bellows triumphantly.

Arcadia blinks at Wyckyd as she now looks at him … noticing there aren't any more buggies. "Hey!" She glares.

Fenter says, "Yes, Mama… I'll get the vice grips for your ingrown toenail in just a moment… "

Fenter slowly pulls himself up. A bit of newspaper that smells like fish is stuck to his face.

Wyckyd stands there, "bwahaha"-ing imposingly, as the wind causes the tatters of his cloak to twist and flap about. His eyes glow red, as he sets the bottle down onto the pavement next to Fenter. "Theh. You haff thahted on the woad to Dahkthide. Theh ith no tuwning back!" Then, he spins on his heel and trots off (this time a bit more quickly), with Lackey slithering behind him.

Arcadia whews … and goes over to Fenter. She moves the newspaper.

Fenter looks around, then spies the bottle! "OOOH!!! A prezzie!" He scoops it up and kisses it messily. "Danberk's Silver Cognac! This stuff is very hard to ste-… er find."

Arcadia eeks and tries to snatch it. "Hey! What are you – daft? You're not going to seriously try to drink that, are you?"

Fenter hugs the bottle as tightly to his chest as he can. "I am indeed! He stole it from me in the first place, after all!"

Meanwhile, a fox-shaped shadow slinks off, away from the wagon, disappearing around a corner.

Fenter starts to stuff the bottle in an oversized pocket of his robe.

Arcadia snatches at Fenter's hand. "C'mon, boy. Think about it. If you're his arch-nemesis … why would drinking that be good for you?

Arcadia says, "It prolly is poisoned … That, and even if not, I am sure turning into a drunkard isn't going to help matters!"

Fenter batbats at the dragon's hand. "Wyckyd and I have a mutual trust thing. I don't try and poison him … He doesn't try and poison me. You probably don't have an arch-nemesis. You wouldn't understand."

Arcadia smirks. "And you trust a fella named 'Wyckyd'?"

Fenter patpats at the bottle in his pocket. "Oh… Wyckyd and I go waaaaaaaay back. Why … if we weren't arch-nemesisesses, we'd probably be the best of friends."

Arcadia chuckles. "Yer silly, lil'un. He'll make you silly if you drink it. One by one, you'll lose yer wits."

Fenter stands and brushes himself off. "Nah… the Rath'ani are hardy folks. Why … my grandfather has lived to be… er… nevermind. Anyway, if such is my fate, then I can't think of a better way to go insane."

Arcadia scratches her ear. "Um… fate's what you make of it, boy."

Arcadia says, "You decide to drink or you decide not to. But I am most certainly not your mother to make you do this or that. I just think it would be such a shame for a fine young'in like you to throw everything away."

Arcadia shrugs.

Fenter folds his arms behind his back. "And would you please refrain from referring to me as a child? I am all of twenty six years old … Most Raths my age have married and are on their first or second cub by now. I am simply in a special situation."

Arcadia smirks. "Oh… That's so? … and that is?"

Fenter rocks back and forth on his heels. "It is a very convoluted story… but suffice it to say, my family sees it fit for me to attend school much longer than most. And my schooling and oath as a mage keep me from doing anything else. It all was quite dull… Then I met Wyckyd."

Arcadia mmms… "Ah – so it is a game you play with this… Wyckyd?"

Fenter says, "Hardly a game… Wyckyd is quite serious about his plot to take over the world … He actually succeeded once, in fact! For fifteen minutes, he was ruler of the world… just nobody believed him. I seem to be the only person capable of stopping him."

Arcadia nods. "Of course! But what happens if you succumb to his plot? Oh no! My friend – Who would save the world then?!" She looks worried as she tries to play along in sorts … at least to help him out if she can.

Fenter says, "Succumb? Nay… I'm much stronger than he believes. You needn't worry about me, really. I have my grand-… er… my family's strong constitution, and I've been building up an immunity for quite a while. If you fear for my health … never fear. For I am a college student… and my insurance pays for even the most skilled life mage."

Arcadia smirks a bit. "And what became of your grandfather?" she asks.

Fenter says, "He's alive and well… and would like nothing better if I never spoke of him in public. I do hope you understand."

Fenter makes a gesture towards the wagon. "Perhaps we should move to a more comfortable locale. The vermites are beginning to stink."

Arcadia arches an eyebrow. "I see. But of course." Her ears flick back. "I still think you are taking a terrible risk … and … yes … good idea … aum … I never did get your name?"

Arcadia rolls her eyes at the icky buggies.

Fenter folds his hands behind his head as he walks. "Fenter… just Fenter. And you are? I believe I remember that poodle cursing your name… but don't quite remember it… "

Arcadia grins. "Arcadia."

Fenter says, "Arcadia… Reminds me of the place where the young kavi go and play marbles… "

Arcadia arches an eyebrow. "Really – Do tell." She smiles happily.

Fenter perks an ear. "I would love to stay and chat, Missus Arcadia… but really must be going. I'll have to scale the college gates again as it is. Perhaps another time? That is … if I don't fall dead when I drink Wyckyd's bottle."

Fenter winks at that last bit.

Arcadia smirks, shaking her head. "Well, I'll be sure to send flowers then. Take care, Fenter."

Fenter sweeps off his hat and bows. "I would be most grateful. Ta-ta, my lady." And with that, he's off down one of the darkened streets; the night quickly engulfs him.

Arcadia chuckles and heads back to her wagon, candle in tail again as she resigns for the night.