The night passes uneventfully with Envoy as a guest of Born-In-War's house. She is granted a rather luxurious room by many standards, including a well-padded bowl-bed, numerous blankets, and even her own bathroom off the side of the small suite. Icarus is still being 'required' to sleep in his room, of course (and likely watched over by the twins). But. … so that Envoy didn't feel alone, she was assigned a personal servant; a young male by the name of Silent-Hand. Presumably he is called that because he doesn't speak much in sign. What little he does say is always polite, at least.

Silent-Hand is also too attentive at times, perhaps. He would check if Envoy needed anything at what seemed like every hour at least. When she went to bathe, he offered to help. When she sat down to meditate, he snuck up behind her and massaged her shoulders and wings. It could either be considered cute or annoying but it's likely he's just trying to be as helpful as he can to impress his boss.

The next morning Envoy finds herself brought back to Born-In-War's office. The cat is where he was last time she was here; sitting behind his desk and sorting through what seems like endless paperwork.

"I trust you slept well" Born-In-War signs without looking up. The translator glove makes it audible, and perhaps as a cue to Envoy that she should simply speak so that he can continue paperwork without having to look up.

"Yes," Envoy says. It's not like she needs a lot of sleep, after all. "If you could return the recovered items found with my clothing, I will head back to my base to prepare things for you and Icarus to follow. I just have to make sure it hasn't been attacked while I was gone."

Born-In-War leans over and taps something into a panel on his desk. "It will be brought here in a few minutes," the Silent-One then signs. "We will begin language lessons with him, if that is satisfactory? While he is related, you are ultimately his guardian and have right of first refusal regarding anything about him."

"He needs to learn Sign," Envoy agrees. "I can continue teaching him when he's with me as well, but my dialect may not be modern enough for Abaddon."

"As promised, we will not disable his vocalization ability," Born-In-War replies, "Even though it would accelerate his progress."

Envoy smirks. "While I'm sure it would, it would create problems when he has to communicate with others," she notes. "I also wish to ask if it is allowable for me to prepare some spells before I leave. If it would make you uncomfortable, I can do it outside of the city."

"The disabling of vocalization would only be temporary and while he was within the household," Born-In-War points out, "It would be reversed upon leaving. But no matter, we will respect your wishes." The question about magic causes the Silent-One to put down the paperwork he was reading and look up. "We have no experience with magic," he signs while looking directly at her, "But if you can promise it will cause us no undue headache, you may perform such here."

"I will have to sing, but nobody has told me yet that it causes headaches," Envoy notes. "Other than the sound, it should not disrupt your technology or sensibilities, and I will only need an hour or so."

"Very well. Please inform your aide when you are done with your preparations and ready to leave. I will then arrange your transport," Born-In-War signs. His head dips slightly as if indicating dismissal, then resumes going through the papers on his desk.

Envoy bows and leaves the office, surprised and pleased at the offer of transport, since she thought she'd have to fly back on her own. But the Silent-Ones (or Terrans, for that matter) probably aren't used to dealing with flying guests very often. Or else it's just as dangerous to travel through the air of Abaddon without protective armor as it is to take the roads.

Envoy's aide, Silent-Hand, meets her outside of the office. He bows to her then gives her a questioning look as to where she wishes to go.

"A package is being brought here for me," Envoy explains to her helper. "Once I have it, we can return to my quarters."

Silent-Hand nods a few times. About ten minutes pass as they wait … and that Silent-One keeps staring at her the entire time. The uncomfortable situation is finally interrupted when one of the twins, Rising-Star, comes up and offers Envoy a small suitcase. "Your possessions," she signs with her free hand.

"Thank you," Envoy replies, taking the case. "We can go now," she signs to Silent-Hand. On a whim, she also signs to Rising-Star, "I am going to be working some magic in my room. I will only be preparing spells, however, so it will probably be dull to watch, unless you are very curious."

"Indeed?" Rising-Star signs, "Well, then perhaps I will watch." Silent-Hand actually takes Envoy's case from her and heads down the hallway. Periodically he looks back and makes sure the other two are following. Soon enough he has taken Envoy back to her room and opened the door for the two ladies. Once they are both through, he sets the case inside, then closes the door and remains outside. "I hope that he has not been too … irritating?" Rising-Star actually asks once he is gone.

"He is very quiet and … eager to please," Envoy signs, and opens the case. "Have other guests had problems with him?"

"No. He sometimes tries too hard. He was taken into the household when his family was killed in a skirmish some years back. His father was a friend of our father. Our father promised to take care of him," Rising-Star signs. Inside the case Envoy finds the tattered remains of her almost 'secretary' attire she wore on their day out, complete with what looks like dried stains of her own blood. Amazingly, all her crystals seem to be accounted for, save the Rose that she knows Icarus already has.

The Aeolun is not terribly upset that the clothes were ruined – especially the corset. She removes the crystals and sets them in a circle around her on the floor. "I will be preparing several spells," she signs to the Rising-Star. "One that will make me strong and hard, like your father's suit of armor, two that will let me shape the ground as I need, and one to reverse gravity."

Rising-Star moves to the far wall and crouches down to watch. Even evolved as they are, when they do that, they still look like a predator in the savanna. She sits there, motionless, even when the crystals start chiming to each other in the old Aelfin dialect.

One after another, Envoy prepares her spells, all the while checking on the ambient magic level in case her newly awakened crystal scales try to add or detract from the casting.

Unfortunately Envoy can't quite connect to the crystal scales at the moment. Whatever passages opened during her panic-battle seems to have temporarily closed on her. So whatever they may be doing to help or hinder is unknown. The singing and chiming of the crystals as they float off the floor and reconfigure each other for each of the rituals as Envoy cycles through them compliments her own singing. Rising-star watches this in rapt, predatory, fascination at the movement. Perhaps she's actually considering pouncing them…

When the last ritual is firmly 'held' in her virtual grasp, Envoy closes down the ritual and prepares to scoop the crystals back up. Without pockets in her loaned outfit, she puts them all back into the suitcase with her old clothes instead, with the exception of the tiara which stays on her head.

"That is a silly hat," Rising-Star signs, "And does this … magic require singing? How is it different from entering commands into a control system?"

Envoy thinks about that. "It is not so very different, except that the control system controls local reality," she signs. "Most magic users chant, but singing is more natural and efficient for me, and of course Silent-One magic users dance instead."

"Silent-Ones do not use magic," Rising-Star signs, "Unless you speak of others on another world."

"The ones on Sinai learned how, and ruled a great empire with their skills five-thousand years ago," Envoy replies, closing up the suitcase.

"Ah, so our superiority survived, even on a world cursed without technology," Rising-Star signs and nods, "Very good. I suppose you are now to leave us?"

Envoy nods, deciding now isn't the time to tell the tale of just where the Savanite Empire's hubris led it. "I must return to my lair to make sure all is in proper order for your father's visit and Icarus' return."

"We await your summons, then," Rising-Star says as she rises back up and heads to the door. She raps her hand upon it and the door opens. There's a quick exchange between Silent-Hand and Rising-Star, then she nods as he scampers off. "She will ready transport. Please, follow me. If there is anything further you wish to do here, tell me now," she signs to Envoy.

"I would like to say goodbye to my son," Envoy signs.

"Of course. I am sure my sister has finished bathing him by now," Rising-Star signs. Her ears wiggle a bit, perhaps indicating she is trying to actually tease Envoy. Out the door she goes.

Shaking her head slightly, Envoy follows along, and wonders if she's doomed Icarus to the terrors of sisters.

It actually turns out Setting-Sun is sitting in front of Icarus and trying to teach him proper hand positions when the pair enter his room. She seems calm and relaxed, he seems … frustrated. Every time he gets it wrong, she lightly taps the back of his hand, shakes her head, then repositions his fingers for him. There's no real chiding at all, so why he's so upset is … well: teenager.

"How are your lessons going, Icarus?" Envoy asks, and can't help but smile a little.

Icarus flails his arms wildly at the question. He ends up trying to sign to Envoy and it comes out roughly as: 'I suck'. Setting-Sun, though, looks up and signs, "He is learning reasonably quickly for his age. It is harder for language past the fifth year."

"You are lucky, Icarus," Envoy notes. "My teacher was only a child, but also a princess and a slave at the same time. I learned largely from observation."

"We're going home now, right?" Icarus asks, now speaking up and shaking out his hands.

"Not quite," Envoy explains. "I'm going back first to make sure everything is safe. Then you and Born-In-War will come. I thought you might want to give me a gentle good-luck hug first though."

"I'm staying with them?" Icarus asks as he gets to his feet. "But, I can help you make things safe… " His ears splay and he frowns. "But I guess this is one of those times you're protecting me, isn't it?"

"I also need you to let Morpheus know what has happened," Envoy adds, putting a hand on Icarus' shoulder. "Until I know that a certain enemy is not there, I will feel much better if you are here where it is safe."

Icarus looks down and his hands curl into fists briefly, then seem to relax. "Okay," he says as he manages to gently hug Envoy before stepping back. "Just be careful."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Envoy says, and tries to believe it. "Walter is resourceful, and should have been able to hold off any troublesome visitors."

---

The transport that Born-In-War arranged was some sort of hover-car that used massive fans to skim across the surface roads and then out into the desert towards Envoy's lair. The trip is long and thankfully uneventful, giving her ribs (and head), more time to repair themselves. Throughout the trip, her crystal scales remain obnoxiously inert, as if they don't feel like talking to Envoy right now. There is little time to think on it, however, as a shrill whistle from the control systems signals that they are near their destination.

The pilot of the hover-car settles it down a ways from Envoy's base to allow her to approach on foot and thus be less likely to be seen. He wishes her a good journey in sign and once Envoy is clear, he fires up the propellers and away it goes, back towards the city. It is once again close to evening and the sky has fallen to an ashen-red hue. Up ahead, Envoy can just make out the worn outline of the doors of her base.

Cautiously, Envoy makes her way to the personnel door next to the hangar ones. She listens for any high-pitched sounds she might be able to pick up that could signal Eeee lookouts, and tries to watch the ground as well. I'm not paranoid, she thinks. Her enemies know that this is her home, after all.

The wind and moving dust do nothing to help her hear anything useful in the surrounding territory, alas. The base seems silent enough, outside of a low hum of the old machinery inside that Walter may have gotten running.

Taking a calming breath first, Envoy knocks on the hatch rather than try to open it and startle Walter.

A few minutes pass and then there is a soft click and the door swings open. The inside is disturbingly dark.

Using her own held spells for light, Envoy takes a step inside. "Walter?" she whispers into the darkness.

There's no answer. While the air inside feels cold and still, something about it makes the hair on the back of Envoy's neck prickle. The low hum of machinery continues, but nothing else. No footsteps, nothing.

Someone opened the door, Envoy thinks, and spreads her wings to see if they brush against anything unexpected.

Envoy's wings touch nothing.

Using her wings as a giant pair of whiskers, Envoy goes by memory as she continues, heading for a lighting control panel.

The door behind her suddenly slams closed! "Welcome hoooome," chimes a lilting feminine voice somewhere in the darkness. "We've been waiting for you."

Freezing in place, Envoy casts her Stone Strength spell before saying, "I hope you haven't been waiting too long. I was rather tied up. Is Walter here?"

A light flares up in the center of the hangar, illuminating a pile of pillows, perhaps made from the former cots. Her question about Walter is soon answered as she sees the human splayed out, dressed in a rather ridiculous, almost harem-like, outfit, complete with a collar around his neck. He looks … completely out of it, as if drugged into a stupor. Probably for the best, because a gentleman in a top-hat does not belong in bright-blue billowy pants and no shirt and would not appreciate it.

The collar is connected to a chain which trails up and is held in a pure white and delicate Eeee hand. The rest of the Eeee is also stunningly white with rolling platinum-blond hair and deep blue eyes, impressive curves, and a chest that does not seem right on an Eeee. She rolls her head and flutters her eyelashes at Envoy, and that's when Envoy catches the glint of the sigil of Inala glowing softly on her forehead. "We've been keeping him busy and happy, don't worry," she coos and makes the chain jingle with a soft tug. "It is so nice to see you again," the Eeee says. The smile that follows is beautiful, but has no warmth behind it.

"Inala," Envoy says with a sigh. "You have… truly divine bad timing. But I have a lot of things to deal with right now, so… uh… what brings you all the way to Abaddon? Just making sure I'm not getting into the wrong kind of trouble?" She even tries to smile, a bit stonily though.

"You don't look very happy to see me," Inala chides and even waggles her finger at Envoy. "After all I did for you, I expected a better reception. Why don't you come sit at my feet, mmm? I find it easier to talk to my worshipers that way." She extends one of her long, toned, legs and taps one of the pillows besides Walter with her toes.

Envoy begins to stomp her way over, but stops at the bottom of the pile. "Now now, you know I've never been the worshiping type," she points out. "I mean, I thought I made that very clear when I was your avatar."

"Yes, there was that unfortunate little time between us, wasn't there," Inala says as she taps on her chin as if it was long enough ago that it is hard to remember. "You really shouldn't have rebelled, you know. I could have shown you such pleasures."

"You turned me into a toy," Envoy grumbles. "Pleasure really isn't enough to cover something like that. Now please tell me why you're here, so far from your home? Do you want me to rebuild your temple or something?"

"Oh, no. I came to give you a gift. Didn't you get my note?" Inala asks. She draws up her left and and rolls her wrist just so. Light swirls and coalesces in her cupped fingers and soon she is holding a glass with an amber liquid inside it. She offers it to Envoy. "It is not poison, I promise," she says.

Envoy takes the vial with trepidation nonetheless. "What is it, then, and why do I merit it?" she asks.

"Do I have to have a reason?" Inala asks as she relinquishes the glass. As she leans back, she lifts up one of her legs and scratches Envoy lightly under the chin with her toes. "Drink it and perhaps you will find something you have been searching for."

After rubbing her chin with her free hand where it was scratched, Envoy gives the goddess a suspicious glance. "The gifts of the Seven Sisters are never what one expects, and rarely beneficial to the gifted. Especially when the term 'perhaps' is involved. I imagine it is something that will bring me closer to you?"

Inala smiles a bit impishly. "So distrusting. If it makes you feel better, it will not allow me to possess you again. How close you come to me is entirely voluntary," she claims. "And if you wish to worship at my altar, it is always open to you." The Eeee then spreads her legs to give Envoy a view into Eeee anatomy briefly. Thankfully Envoy is spared much of this as Inala draws her leg back and flutters her eyes again. "But poo, I suppose if I don't reveal something to you, you won't drink it, will you?"

"Mysterious miracles in bottles are not the sort of things I would drink without knowing exactly what the results would be," Envoy admits, feeling torn about it. Part of her insists she throw the thing as far from her as she can, but the other part is curious. Likely the more mortal part of her mind, at that.

"Let's just say I'm trying to one-up my dear sister, Barada, on a certain matter involving you," Inala claims as she lounges. "I don't want you owing her more than you should owe me. I have first claim on you, after all."

Envoy blinks at this. "What makes you think I owe her anything?" she asks the goddess.

Inala gives Envoy a pointed look. "You sought out her secrets for yourself. She gave you a riddle to solve. I know what all my Sisters are up to, as do they know what I am. We are, if nothing else, competitive," the Goddess remarks.

"That riddle had to do with repairing the damage I suffered because of you," Envoy notes. "I don't see how solving it myself puts me into her debt. She clearly wants me to solve it for her own reasons."

"Damage? Dear child, you destroyed your own mind. That was not my doing," Inala points out. "You couldn't control your dragonish tendencies and damaged yourself. Do not lay that blame on me." Inala then clucks her tongue a few times. "Do not repeat such silly mistakes be refusing to allow me to help you now," she says.

"What is it you are trying to help me with then?" Envoy asks, still suspicious. "You must understand that taking over my home and… degrading… my friend are not exactly what most people would place in the 'helpful' column when tallying such things."

"Degrading? I was entertaining him. It is an honor to share my bed. And for a human, he was … not bad," Inala remarks. "What else was I to do since you were not here? I have not harmed him. He will wake up with vague, but pleasant memories, nothing more." She lightly tugs the chain and the moan that comes from Walter is a bit disturbing. "As for how I am helping you, drink and learn. It is that simple," Inala says.

"I can't trust you, Inala," Envoy says. "You've betrayed me before. And you've already admitted that your motivation is to use me as a pawn in your silly sibling rivalry with Barada! If you want me to drink it, you'll have to tell me what the effects of it are."

"Or… I can just ask Barada, I suppose," Envoy adds.

"It will … open certain pathways for you," Inala says and waves her hand vaguely. "Some may not be pleasant, but they are necessary for you to reach what you desire."

"But… what do I desire?" Envoy asks, half to herself and half to Inala. "I'm in a very unbalanced state of… existence… right now, Inala. I'll keep this vial until I'm in a more certain frame of mind."

"That is what you desire," Inala points out, "Balance. And that vial will help you find it. Drink it and find the first part of your balance."

Envoy blinks in actual confusion. "But… what will it change?" she asks with uncertainty. "How I think or feel? Why… All along, I've resisted easy solutions. I needed to work through this on my own to make it… right. Is this potion going to bring balance that I can't achieve on my own?"

"It will only give you an experience you need to meet one part of the challenge of Barada gave you. Just awakening the Leviathan is not going to help you find a certain aspect," Inala says flatly and actually sighs, "For someone who claims to not be a mortal, you certainly act like one. You are almost as bad as my Sister's son and just as frustrating." She then waves her hand and says, "Fine, don't accept my help. Stay in your half-existence forever. I tried, but your mortal stubbornness wins." Her toe-claws curl around the collar around Walter's neck and after a few clicks pulls it away, releasing the human. "I will leave you to your meager existence and path for being my Sister's plaything."

"No… I mean… " Envoy babbles, and then closes her eyes. "If it's something I need, then… thank you," she says, after gathering her thoughts.

Inala is already coiling up her chain. She snap her fingers and it disintegrates into wisps of fading light. "That vial will not bring you pleasure, but it will help your quest. Do with it as you wish, accept or deny the gift, you choice. Since you rejected being my avatar, I cannot force you to do anything," she remarks as the light around her starts to fade. The Eeee herself seems to be fading too.

"Before you go, can you tell me where Walter's clothes are?" Envoy asks. She doesn't know if the harem pants are going to vanish as well, after all.

"Under the pillows," Inala's fading voice says. And then she is gone … and so are the harem pants. Poor Walter is now lying on the pillows quite nude save for his mustache and top hat.

With a sigh, Envoy opens the suitcase with the crystals and places the vial in with them, then very carefully repositions Walter's hat to preserve his modesty should he wake before she finds his clothes. I'm really glad I didn't bring Born-In-War and Icarus with me now, she thinks, still feeling a bit emotionally uncertain from the visit. Also, Stone Strength will make it a bit awkward to clean the place up, but she starts pulling away the old cushions anyway.

"Need talcum powder," Envoy hears Walter mumble from where he lays, still completely out of it. "Chafes… " So now Envoy has many choices to make. Dress the human, clean the place up, or accept the gift. None of them are likely appealing.

First things first, Envoy tells herself as she digs out Walter's clothes. Dress Walter, hopefully without waking him up. If he wakes up during… best not to worry about how to deal with that right now. Clean the place, since Born-In-War and Icarus will be here before I'm ready anyway. The Gift… wait. Too much to deal with right now. And I want to have my friends and loved ones with me before risking it. Once she finds Walter's trousers, Envoy realizes she never paid attention as to how men dressed themselves. Still, how hard could it be? You just have to be careful with the zipper.