It's morning now, when the inn is hardly bustling with activity. Still, it DOES serve meals. Jakka's cooking is not famous, but it's acceptable … and, being a Vartan herself, she accommodates for the tastes of a wide range of Sinai races, with at least a few token exotic cultural dishes – or fair attempts at them.

Jakka, a gruff-looking hippogryph, is in her usual pose, polishing away at one of the glasses behind the counter.

Across the main room, a foppish-looking fox in rumpled clothes strums away quietly at a lute. By the condition of his clothes, he probably has been in this room all night, and snuck a nap in at some point.

A cheetah comes down the stairs, and walks up to the counter, presenting a written note to the Vartan.

Jakka pauses in her polishing, then sets down the glass, to look at the note. She furrows her brow. She scrawks, "Not on menu," and shakes her head, giving the Savanite slave an annoyed look. She returns to polishing the glass.

The cheetah looks at the note again, then at the Vartan, sighs, and walks back up the stairs.

A distant frustrated hissing is heard, "Unavailable? Unacceptable! What do they expect me to eat? Vermites?"

Jakka's beak turns toward the steps briefly. She snorts, then returns to gazing at the glass she's polishing.

Bassai slides down the stairs, adjusting his clothing, "The nuisance of having to handle it personally, at a respectable establisshment like this."

Bassai stops at the base of the stairs. His tongue flicks out, and he surveys the room.

Aside from Jakka, the room is mostly empty, save for the fox sitting by the fireplace, and a very small black Naga (a garter) who is up on a tall barstool, getting a liquid breakfast.

Bassai says, "Obviously my judgement was somewhat impaired by my experience in the sewers."

Jakka scrawks, "What? You crawl out of sewer?"

Bassai says, "No, into one, after a noble."

Jakka snorts, "Poodle fall in sewer?"

Bassai slides over to the bar; he flicks out his tongue in greeting at the small Naga.

The garter looks up from his mug, and regards Bassai with glittering onyx eyes. He flicks his tongue, then bobs his head.

Bassai says, "Not that noble, more of a well dressed canine."

Jakka scrawks, "Nobles should stay out of sewers. Stupid Flush Fox game." She polishes at the glass vigorously. It's probably the same one she was polishing last night.

Bassai looks at the smaller Naga, and his meal, hissing, "Would you recommend that for breakfast, or was it the best you could acquire?"

The fox across the room gulps and resumes strumming his lute.

The garter looks back to Bassai. "I recommend the Thoussand-Year Egg, and the musshroomss that grow under the light of Abaddon and Asshtar."

Jakka looks as if she's about to scrawk a protest, then points to a sign on the wall. "Menu," she squawks.

Bassai flicks out his tongue, and looks at the Menu.

There's a Thousand-Year Egg listed, with a hefty price attached. No listing for Mushrooms Grown Under the Light of Abaddon and Ashtar, however.

Bassai says, "I see you have an expert taste, I prefer the rings around the sun noodles and the eyedrop soup."

The garter bobs his head. "Very good indeed. Interessting tasstes."

Bassai o O { I should make an impression by buying the egg, but I don't think I can afford it. }

Bassai says, "Yess, thank you."

Bassai looks around, flicks out his tongue, "Curious as I am, I fear it may perhaps be a two thousand year egg at that price. I think I will have to choose something more mundane."

The hippogryph looks to Bassai. "You want breakfast or no?"

Bassai says, "Yes yes, of course, I'm in front of you aren't I? Busy yourself getting something for my slave while I decide. Let him pick something he feels is palatable."

Jakka snorts, then says, "If you like moving food, I have two yiffles in back room." She then looks at the slave, looks him up and down … and apparently measures him up as a candidate for a bowl of gruel. She heads back toward the kitchen.

The Savanite looks resigned to whatever slop the Vartan brings out for him. It's not like he can really complain.

Bassai says, "Ah, yes, that would be satisfactory, bring me one of those."

The Vartan pauses and nods, on her way into the kitchen. She turns around a corner and is for the moment gone from sight.

Bassai examines what is brought for Tekki, when it arrives

Jakka comes back with a bow of gruel. It's a sort of light-grey-tan, lumpy concoction. It's probably edible. "Free for slaves of guest," Jakka scrawks. "You want one yiffle or two?"

Bassai says, "I'll take two, yess"

Bassai looks at the bowl of gruel, and at Tekki's reaction to it.

Jakka nods, and heads back into the kitchen. While yiffles don't generally require cooking, there's still the matter of "proper presentation", so they don't go scampering off one's plate.

Tekki sighs, and digs in with a wooden spoon. He doesn't gag. It's probably pretty much tasteless.

The garter beside Bassai, his body still in place, leans his neck and head over sideways, whispering, "Sso … you wissh to travel?"

Bassai calls after the Vartan, "Bring two small sausages as well, I have a busy day ahead and I don't want my slave dropping from malnutrition."

Bassai turns to the smaller Naga, "Yess, I wish to travel extensively, to explore, and expand the mind."

The Vartan scrawks an affirmative from somewhere within the kitchen, and there are several pounding and clattering noises, intermixed with some panicked squeals.

The garter hiss-giggles. "Beware expanding the mind. Ssome placess can bend it! … You hear of Kame Ikata, yess?"

Bassai nods, "Yess, I see the danger, but I suspect he wasn't well prepared for his task."

The garter nods. "Of coursse. Ssavanitess have ssuch weak mindss. No more than beasstss. Not like the keen intellect of the Nagai." He flicks his tongue about, then glances around, before continuing, "Lord Tituss haut Mikide, it iss ssaid, wass going to return to that Firsst One ssite. But he iss no longer."

Bassai o O { Must remember to avoid leaving Tekki alone in any ruins for an extended period of time. }

The garter grins, explaining further, even though he should know that this is all common knowledge to Bassai. "Tituss haut Mikide. World renowned explorer. And bassket casse!" He flicks his tongue in amusement. "Thesse weak-minded poodless. Ssuch a ssubjective view of reality, ssince they sshelter themsselvess from it sso well!"

Bassai says, "Yes, yes, well that is to be expected; they are barely above the Savanites, and less inclined to lissten to our wisdom."

The garter Naga flicks his tongue. "He sstays in hiss manssion, and payss explorerss for their experiencess. It would not be possssible except for the wissdom of the Nagai – for the Mind Mage who tendss to him, and transsplantss the memoriess is a Naga, yess?" the garter nods his head proudly at this fact.

Bassai nods, "I see, I see. How can his broken mind hold all the experiences of greater ones?"

The garter hisses, "Maybe the Ssavanite wass not the only one touched by the Firsst Oness, hmm?" The snake then takes this opportunity to take a greater interest in his drink.

Bassai says, "Perhaps he would enjoy the experiences of my slave, working under my great direction and tutelage."

The Vartan pokes her head out of the kitchen door, her head-feathers ruffled a bit. "Is just takes a minute," she scrawks, then returns to the kitchen. Several crashing and clattering and squeaking and scrawking noises follow.

Bassai hisses quietly, "I anticipate the meal is worth the wait." He then looks to see how Tekki is eating.

The garter bobs his head mirthfully. "Ha. Give the poodle a sslave'ss experiencess!"

Tekki should probably be well done by now, but it would probably not be polite to finish one's meal before one's master.

Bassai says, "I'm sure he would benefit from my supervision as much as Tekki has."

"Or a Vykarin'ss experiencess … and, yess, benefit from your ssupervission, I'm ssure he would!" the garter hisses, and takes another drink from (for his proportions) an oversized mug. Then, he looks back. "That iss where the ssite iss, you ssee. The Vykarin Wasstess." The snake shudders, as the name conjures up images of vast expanses of almost featureless tundra … and cold weather unfriendly to Nagas.

Bassai's coils pull up against him as he imagines the cold, till he's almost wrapped around the barstool beside him. He relaxes, but just barely, "Yes … I see, perhaps I can convince one to return with me… "

Bassai says, "So, how would I discuss my proposal with his Lordsship?"

The garter bobs his head in amusement. "Lord Tituss iss out of the loop, you ssee. Thiss iss but rumor, but he hass fallen out of favor with the Temple. He hass harbored … " The snake suddenly stops, as if he has just now noticed Tekki. His eyes narrow. "Pleasse. Your sslave sshould be done with hiss food by now. Perhapss he sshould guard your belongingss?"

Jakka comes out of the kitchen, looking like she's seen combat. She has on a plate a fairly large yiffle – a pathetic looking, fat and fuzzy creature that looks part rodent, part pig, with a braincase that surely can't accommodate any more intelligence than a sunflower seed. The creature is bound with strings of dried meat on a plate set with garnishes and assorted nuts. "One more coming up," she scrawks, as she sets the plate down.

Bassai flicks out his tongue, leaning closer to the smaller Naga, "Yess, he should be, but the service hasn't brought the rest of the food I ordered for him. You understand, in my line of work, how important it is to have an alert, healthy, trusstworthy slave."

Bassai says, "Barmaid, please, refill my slave's bowl and give him two sausages. Tekki, finish your meal in the room and watch my other possessions."

Jakka gasps for breath, then nods to the Naga. She heads into the kitchen, and comes back rather quickly with a pot of slop to refill the bowl, and a couple of sausages.

Tekki bows his head in thanks, bows to his master, and heads for the stairs, his spotted tail swaying behind him.

The garter waits until Jakka has returned to the kitchen, then says, "Conssider it only rumor, but it iss ssaid that Tituss had a Marked sslave." He says the word "marked" definitely with a capital "M".

Bassai says, "Last thing I need is him dropping a piece of precious Nagai history because he's underfed. Ah yesss … that would be unusual."

The garter adds, "A witch. A Ssavanite who workss with sspiritss. They are too sstupid to usse magic, you ssee."

Bassai says, "Yes, they are barely able to contain their own drool without proper training and supervission."

Bassai says, "Still … interessting, I wonder where he found it."

"By law, Tituss sshould be relieved of hiss head. But he iss a noble – and a poodle – and Rephidim hass not the resspect for law that the Nagai Empire doess." The garter nods his head solemnly. "In recompensse, Tituss hass pulled back hiss expeditionss … and devoted hiss ressourcess to hunt down the witch and her accomplicess."

The garter looks around, then says back to Bassai, "In the region of the City of Handss, wass this witch found, though it hass been desstroyed by the Temple. An affront to the Nagai Empire, but we are forgiving and patient, yess?"

Bassai says, "Yes, forgiving, patient, and an example to others, we are like parents, and they children."

"Now," continues the garter, "the Lord Tituss ssendss out mercenariess after this witch and the Eeee traitorss who helped her esscape." He bobs his head. "Yess. It iss for certain. Sshe esscaped on a sship owned by none other than the sson of the Ssabaoth … who hass now declared war on Rephidim!" The garter looks almost gleeful at this last news. The bats, after all, are more rivals to the glory of the Nagai Empire. If the Naga's rivals squabble amongst each other, surely it is to their benefit. That is, so long as conflicts stay within particular boundaries. But the garter's glee indicates that he does not think about such dangers.

The garter adds, "Sso, the ssite is left abandoned in hasste. Even the recordss were losst, and Tituss ssold off many valuable sslavess who worked at the ssite."

Bassai says, "I wonder where one would get some of these slaves, in case they had some memory of the location."

The garter's head positively vibrates. "I heard of lasst night. You ssaw the Champion of Rossess, yess? It is sshe who bought Tituss' mosst valuable sslave from that ssite. He iss a mosst remarkable one … for a Ssavanite. He iss almost ssapient."

Bassai wraps up the yiffle in its accompanying nuts, and, holding it tightly, brings it up to his mouth. He swallows it whole.

The frightened foxish-piggish-rodentish creature struggles vainly against its bonds as it goes down.

Bassai swallows.

The garter gives the departing yiffle just a briefly hungry look … or perhaps he's just looking for Bassai's reaction to these scattered tidbits of information.

Bassai strangely enough, still looks hungry, though perhaps it's for information.

More loud scrawking noises and crashes emit from the kitchen, along with several frightened squeaks. *WHAM!*

Bassai says, "Yes … yes… I see. I recall that Champion last night; I may have to speak with her."

The garter bobs his head. "The sslave'ss name iss Ibiss."

Bassai says, "A valuable slave, almost sapient. I wonder if it's for sale. I could use another one almost as smart as the one you saw."

Bassai says, "Ibiss … I'll make a note of that."

The garter looks around, then hisses, "Perhapss. I know not the Champion'ss purpossess. But it iss alsso ssaid that this witch I sspoke of – Jezebel – sstole away another sslave … the mate of this Ibiss. An elderly sslave, worth very little. It iss sstrange, yess?"

Bassai says, "Ah … yess, so one could almost be doing a service, towards finding the witch, by examining this slave's knowledge closely."

The garter leans over. "Are you interessted? Thesse thingss … sso many connect. There iss sso much more to tell, but many are rumorss. You are known to be very ssmart. The Emperor would be pleassed for ssomeone as ssmart as you, finding thiss Firsst Oness ssite."

Bassai says, "Yess, very interested, and I am flattered the Emperor has such high essteem for my work. I have been wanting an uninterrupted time at a good site… "

The Vartan stumbles out of the kitchen. She looks as if she desperately needs a break. The stunned yiffle roughly bound to the plate looks rather dazed itself. "Here," scrawks Jakka, setting down the plate. "Yiffle." She then stumbles back into the kitchen and starts picking up the mess.

Bassai says, "Thank you, miss, excellently prepared."

Bassai says, "The wastes … I dislike the cold, but so do my rivals, and perhaps they are not so eager to go as far afield as I will."

Bassai says, "How interested is the empire, in a good analysis of this site?"

The garter nods. "Very interessted are they! I have a propossal for you. He who can be trussted in ssmall thingss can be trussted in greater thingss." The snake looks about, then digs into his vest, and pulls out a … gold coin. He holds it in front of Bassai. "Here iss a ressource. A tesst."

Bassai says, "Yess?"

The garter says, "Take thiss sshekel. Find what you can of thiss ssite. Document how thiss sshekel is sspent, and what you find. You will be ssought out, to make your report. If it iss pleassing … " the garter flicks out his tongue. "More ssubsstantial allowancess will be made."

"But do not leave Rephidim jusst yet," the garter adds. "Be eassy to be found!"

Bassai takes the coin, carefully, "Yess, I will not leave, I will be easily found."

Bassai says, "… perhaps not here, but I will be easy to find."

The garter nods, and places payment for his "meal" on the counter. "Yess. You will be found." With that, he drops off the stool, and quickly darts to the door, slipping out to the street.

Bassai slips the coin into his secure pouch, then picks up the yiffle, and with as much care, slips that into his throat.

Bassai hisses happily to himself, "Yess … a very satissfactory morning."