A single figure sits huddled against the stone wall, his wings arched around him like a tent. He is just out of the spray from the waterfall. He shuffles his feet, adjusting his perch, and keeps his arms wrapped close for warmth. Every now and then he looks at the tower stretching up above him.

High above, Brishen perches on a narrow windowsill, shivering faintly as gusts of wind cut through the zolk and delicate linens of her hastily assembled outfit. She looks like something of a Abu Dhabian princess, albeit one who's slightly mismatched.

Brishen looks over her shoulder, then drops off the sill with a rustle of coal-hued wings. With luck, it'll be some time before her attendants notice she's gone.

Brishen is not, unfortunately, attired in a stealthy fashion, a colorful patchwork muted only slightly by darkness. She smiles as she spies a familiar garden, and spirals down towards a ledge just a little farther down from it.

The other Eee on the ledge far below is either drowsy, or not looking up at the moment. His head can be seen bobbing between the canopy of his wings.

Brishen appears suddenly, arcing up from below the ledge. She can't help but grin as she floats for a moment, caught in the arms of a subtle updraft, before landing just in front of the drowsy Eee. "Hi."

"Bree!" Reico's head snaps up, and his wings flap open. Strong enough to nearly knock Brishen off the ledge. He grins meekly, "Oops, sorry there."

Brishen squeaks, giggling as she windmills her arms, taking a few inadvertent steps back. "Caught you sleeping."

"No, noo. I was sharp! I was having breakfast." Reico holds out a bowl. It's filled with sections of dried fruit; some other darker objects move around – presumably bugs, as much eating as trying to escape. "Frisky Fritters, want some?"

Brishen takes a few careful steps forward, furling her wings. "They smell interesting." She grins, standing close to Reico as she reaches for one of the wiggly things. "I don't think I've eaten them before."

He holds the bowl out to her, letting her pick and choose. "They're turbulent. I found them when I was hanging around the kitchen. It's like five or six kinds of dried fruit, and a mix of beetles, grubs and other things. I guess if you leave the box too long you just end up with bugs, but they're pretty sweet anyhow."

"The box had a hole a couple days ago, and they got in my clothes. Tickled like anything." Reico grins, his eyes reflecting some of the procession's light. "I missed you, you been okay?"

Brishen smiles, letting a wing brush Reico as she sighs. "It took forever to get away." An impish grin flashes across her muzzle, "But I'm here. What do you think of my sails?" She reaches for a crunchy-looking beetle, "Yup. I just wish it was easier to see you."

"Oh wow, did you get the colours to match, or is there just not enough light to tell? You're really swooshy like that, like a night seductress." His enthusiasm shows through in his words, even though the darkness hides his grin. A horned beetle makes a break from the bowl, rushing up his arm, and Reico is so captivated by Brishen he doesn't even notice. "They've been keeping you pinned to the ceiling huh?"

"It looks like they match." She bites her lower lip as she looks down at herself. "It's hard to tell, though." A scattered handful of squeaks bounce along the nearby wall as she shrugs. "They aren't mine," Bree finally admits.

Brishen blinks as the horned beetle appears on Reico's shoulder. "It's really hard to do anything without an attendant being around. I don't even comb my own hair anymore."

"Oh they should be, those clothes rip. Hmm… so they're always watching you? That'd drag." Reico brushes at his shoulder, and gives a start of surprise as his fingers snag on the beetle. He happily pops it into his mouth with a crunch. "What's going on? Everyone's dragging their wings down where I am, and there's like a permanent high pressure front coming in."

Brishen giggles, then grows quiet. "There's a lot going on, Reico. I'm really worried."

The other Eee grows silent, leaning forward, "Real bad?"

Brishen turns and walks along the ledge, her steps oddly measured for one in such flowing attire. Her voice is quiet as she answers, "Yeah. The war's getting worse." She turns again to look at Reico. "I'm really worried about Rephidim."

"Oh wires," Reico breathes quietly. "Is there anything you can do? The Opera guy was saying the Sabaoth likes you. Have you tried asking him to stop it? Oh that sounds really dumb, he's not like he's a route super or something."

"I… " Brishen looks at her feet.

"What is it Bree?" Reico lets his bowl drop away so he can hug the other Eee around her shoulders.

Brishen looks up at Reico, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I did it. I made the war worse. And I don't know how to stop… it." Her voice fades to a barely-audible whisper.

"No, no, you couldn't have. You wouldn't do that, you didn't give any orders." Reico says, as he brushes Brishen's hair up out of her face. "It's not your fault. There's got to be some way to stop it, right? Like that's what they have advisors and diplomats for right? Can't they do something?"

Brishen shakes her head as tears trail down her face. "The Sabaoth wanted to know what it was like in Rephidim – so I told him. It – It wasn't a good idea."

Brishen shudders, hugging Reico tightly. "And Thath – It was his idea – Everything that happened between him and the Sabaoth was planned. I was there."

"Thath, yeh, he's a real light pole." Reico mutters, holding her just as tight, "So they're both in on this together? Have you heard anything else, you know eddy currents, people not happy with the airflow?"

Brishen nods. "A few. There was one who told everyone to fly into a window… I don't know where he is." She shakes her head, "He might be dead."

Brishen takes a deep, shuddering breath. "A noble. I wish I could remember his name. He was the only one who spoke out against the Sabaoth."

"Well, I could ask around, they're real tight on answer to things. They don't even like questions… " Reico's voice trails off quietly, "Is there anything you think I should do Bree?"

Brishen presses a hand against her forehead, trying to hold her thoughts together as she looks down over the ledge, at the palace below. "The war's going to get worse. A lot worse. When I met the Sabaoth, the first thing he asked me was if Rephidim was in ashes. I can't help but think that's what he wants."

Reico blinks, his large eyes staring back at Brishen's, "but like, wouldn't that ground all the ransom and good stuff he could get from them? What started the war in the first place?"

Brishen shrugs weakly. "I don't even know. It seems like it's been going on for so long now that all the Sabaoth can think of is death. If there was a real reason for starting the war, it's gone now."

"Oh… this is making my head hurt. Seems like a real no fly plan." The other Eee rubs his forehead, "Like, any idea what would take to stop it? Reparations, a formal apology, trade deals or bugs?"

Brishen crouches, her wings spreading slightly as she looks at the city below. An errant breeze catches a colorful scarf, tugging it out into a pennant behind her. "Fire. Fire'll stop it. Ashdod isn't really like Rephidim – There are lots of different groups of people, all fighting with one another as much as they are with Rephidim. Maybe there's a way to get some of them to fight the Sabaoth."

"You want to burn Ashdod?!" Reico blurts out loudly, then hunches over nervously. "Oops," he crouches down beside Brishen and whispers, "Is that what you mean? Set Ashdod on fire?"

Brishen blinks, then reaches out to cover Reico's mouth. "N-no! Not like that!" She takes a deep breath, then continues, "Not all of the nobles support the Sabaoth. There're probably a lot of regular people that don't either. I just need to find out who they are, and how to help them."

Brishen looks around nervously, her ears straining to catch the slightest sound.

Reico crouches lower, his wings hunched above him like a shield. "Sorry. How are you going to do that? Can the Opera singer help you?"

Brishen smiles faintly, "I doubt it. There's something about him I don't trust – But since he doesn't exist, maybe he could help us find other people who don't exist as well."

"Well, that's because he's dead. Dead people tend to be creepy y'know?" He grins back at her.

Brishen smirks, leaning against Reico. "Yeah, dead people are creepy. But there's something else too… " She shakes her head, "Something about his eyes. I didn't like the way he looked at me."

"Do you think he's a Mage? They look funny at you. I remember Wynona, She's Scary!" Reico admits.

"Wynona?" Brishen blinks, giggling quietly. "She didn't seem scary to me."

Brishen hms, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. "Unless we're thinking of two different people. Was she an air mage, and an Eeee?"

Reico nods, "I met her at the College, I had to deliver a package. She started doing magic things at me."

Brishen raises a brow, then covers her mouth with a hand as she tries to stifle a giggle. "I don't think she would have done anything to you." She shakes her head, grinning, then looks down at the city again. "You live down there, Reico. Have you seen anything strange going on?"

Reico shakes his head, "No, well… aside from how everyone is acting. Really worried, really careful about what they say. Not even flying just for fun. It's like they expect to be hauled off and executed for smiling… and I think some have been. If they smiled at the wrong time I mean."

Brishen nods, trying not to sneeze as she brushes a lock of hair away from her muzzle. Then, her eyes begin to glitter faintly, "Before Thath left, he said I could visit his estate if I wanted to. It may give me a chance to see what things are like outside of the city."

"Yeh, I think you should do that. Might be other things there, y'know?" He nods, looking down at Ashdod for a while, before noticing the reflections on Brishen's eyes, "Hey, you going to be okay?"

Brishen shakes her head faintly, "Not until we're back home again. We're not safe here – I don't think anyone is."

Brishen cants her head slightly, looking over at Reico. "Please be careful… Keep your eyes and ears open, and tell me about anything you see, and DON'T trust anyone. I don't know who's a friend here, and who isn't. Maybe we're all we have."

"I will, I know how to take care of myself. I used to fly Darkside too, remember?" The other courier grins back at her, brushing his hand through her hair, and down to her shoulders. "I mean it, I'll be okay."

Brishen smiles, drawing close so she can hug Reico tightly. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She sticks the tip of her tongue out, grinning.

Reico grins, hugging her tightly and winking. His wings flutter behind him, one slapping against the side of the tower.

Brishen squeaks, looking over Reico's shoulder at his wings. "Uh… "

He looks back, "what?"

The sound of wings can be heard in the distance.

Brishen looks up, her eyes growing wide. "Hsh – I hear something. You'd better go!" She gives Reico another tight hug, kissing his muzzle, and stands up.

"You too, they're used to seeing me here. Go, I'll distract them." He pats her arm as he pulls back, then runs along the ledge. Reico leaps out into the air, angling for the waterfall. He drops down out of sight.

Brishen nods quickly, then leaps into the air, looping about to gain momentum before putting as much distance between herself and the ledge as possible.

Behind her, the courier can hear the guards turning after Reico.

Brishen risks a look over her shoulders, her eyes watering as her wings spread wide, then she turns, and with a few hard beats of her wings works her way up towards a distant tower, and her room.

Circling above the courier is another pair of guards, who seem to be intently searching for something very specific.

Brishen squeaks to herself, panting a little as she cups her wings, catching an upwelling of air between two stout spires that throws her high into the air, and inadvertently almost into the arms of the guards. "Eep!"

"You!" The darker furred of the two calls out, "You're supposed to be in your room. You should know better than to leave without telling anyone. You'll come back with us now."

Brishen smiles sheepishly, kicking her legs a little as she tries to get her wings under control. "The night was beautiful – B-but the wind here not so easy to predict." She squeaks as she wobbles, and dips towards a guard.

"If you say so. I think you'll find it's safer to stay where you're expected to be, where you can't be attacked by the Sabaoth's enemies… or considered one." The two guards fly the courier back to her room.

Brishen weighs both sides of the guard's words in her mind as the lights of her quarters draw closer. Soon, she can even see a handful of worried faces. Her attendants. "Oh, wires… "