Three Eeee in robes and hoods solemnly roll a ball of white fluff into the room. It's no longer dragon-sized … though still larger than Aelfin-sized. It jiggles quite a bit as it moves, making it clear that this isn't just a great ball of fuzz. They move about to the front, applying reverse force to bring the ball to a stop, then rotate it around so that a lumpy-looking face set in the ball can see its surroundings.

A tall black bat in more ornate robes and hood stands in the center of the chamber, and bows at the ball of fluff. "Greetings, Mage Scarlet of Aelfhem," says the Eeee in his high-pitched tongue – which Scarlet is fluent in, of course. "On behalf of the High Prince Boghaz of Babel, I convey my deepest sorrow over the fate that has befallen you and your people. I assure you, we intend to see to it that every last offender is caught and brought to justice."

The face of the Aelfin tries to smile, but her attempt comes off as no more than a twitch. "I deeply appreciate the generosity of the High Prince, and were I in better shape, I would certainly see to giving my thanks in a more respectful manner. Perhaps there will still be time in the future when I have recovered some and feel less … dreadful. Also I must say that I have long wished to view Babel and its halls of magic. I am ashamed that it must occur in this manner. Though I cannot say I regret returning to the living."

The black bat in the white robes bows to Scarlet, then says, "It is a concern of the High Prince that some might think Babel to go lightly upon the pirates. In a gesture to show that we do indeed wish to see justice done, it has been requested… " He turns to one side, at the sound of a high-pitched curse and a squeak from the direction of some barred doors that slide open to one side of the hall.

Two struggling bats, their arms and legs shackled, and their wings pierced and bound, are led into the chamber by strong Savanites, and watched on either flank by guards in skedat armor.

The two bat prisoners are slammed down to a kneeling position before Scarlet. It takes a moment to place their faces … but they are the same two bats who had ambushed Scarlet and her party on the trip up to the Sacred Monastery.

The black bat pulls out a scroll. "The charges against these two criminals – Yuzah Skylight and Inero Darkdawn – are too numerous to list in entirety. However, they are established as pirates acting under the command of Captain Dagon, and have committed numerous atrocities against the Aelfin people. By the will of the High Prince Boghaz, their sentence shall be determined by one of those they have wronged."

"You have captured some of the pirates? And the very same pirates who attacked my party, no less," Scarlet comments as she does her best to peer at the men. Were she not so large one might even catch her blushing at being met by them at a time like this. She pauses to listen to the decree issued by the High Prince before addressing the two pirate Eeee. "Pirates, indeed … failed pirates. What have you to say for yourselves? What have you to say to these fine Eeee, who are no doubt shamed by your actions? Speak now, for as my fellow mage has mentioned, I am your judge."

One of the bats spits on the ball of fluff. "Pah! Judged by a MARSHMALLOW? Dagh take the lot of you all! This is a JO – OOF!" He receives a hard boot in the ribs from a guard, silencing his short tirade.

The other bat doesn't say a word, just glaring balefully at anyone who makes eye contact with him.

The face of the ball scrunches up slightly, no doubt trying to make some sort of disapproving face which simply cannot be determined. After a moment of eyeing the two Eeee this way, the ball speaks. "You must care little for anything besides yourself, for I have yet to see any redeeming qualities in either of you." The face contorts a bit more and the eyes turn to the tall black Eeee. "Tell me, my dear mage, what is the punishment for crimes such as these within Babel?" she asks him.

The mage dryly replies, "It would be traditional for them to be locked into a cell with a horrib, which would then paralyze them and implant them with its eggs. The larvae would then feed upon their still-living bodies, until they burst forth as newly hatched horribs."

"My," Scarlet comments with another shift of her face. After a moment of consideration, she turns her eyes towards the two captured Eeee and again speaks with them. "A horrible and no doubt extremely painful death. And it can be yours, I assure you, should you not give me any reason to spare you. To this point you have shown me that you are nothing but thieves of the worst kind, not even able to reason that their actions have caused so much pain. Were you possessed of some shred of decency or virtue, I might consider another punishment. What have you to say to this?"

The first prisoner bat squeaks, "Yeah! Yeah! Beg the marshmallow for your life! Maybe giving it a coating of powdered sugar will make it spare – OOF!" He gets another swift kick to the ribs.

The second prisoner squeaks, "Down with the High Prince! Down with Rephidim! Down with the syst – OOF!" He, too, gets a boot to the ribs.

A moment passes and the fuzzy ball looks between the two Eeee. A sigh can be heard before she continues. "The first shows me he is of nothing but the most vile sort, unable to stem his hate regardless of what he has done. Very well then. As I deeply respect the customs of the Eeee people, he shall be held for execution until I am done speaking with this other one. If nothing comes of my talks, then allow them both to be dealt with in the traditional manner."

The first prisoner's eyes go wide, as he's dragged away. "A MARSHMALLOW! Nothin' but a freakin' Dagh-lovin' MARSHMALLOW! You're sending me to the horrib chamber for a stinkin'… " The bat's shrieks fade away, as he's taken back out of the chamber by the guards.

The second bat just stares at Scarlet.

The 'marshmallow' just stares back at the bat. "Your eyes do not bother me as they would, pirate. Because of your actions, I attempted to stop the very dragon I created and died in the process. It is quite amazing to me how much one's fear fades when one has died, but I am sure you would not wish to hear about that at the moment. I believe you would much rather listen to what I have to ask. Tell me, did you become a pirate for revenge against the governments of Sinai? Whatever for? Unlike that other, you do seem to possess some sort of reason."

The bat sputters, "REPHIDIM! THAT is why I fight! Babel is for the Eeee … as is all Ashdod … yet we grovel before the petty wingless priests in their Temple, who pretend to be masters of the sky because they live on that floating rock of theirs. They make themselves out to be the peacekeepers of all Sinai, the rulers of everything … and now even the High Prince bows to them! How DARE he take the throne of the Sab – OOF!" He's silenced by another boot to the ribs from a guard.

The guard hisses, "No one speaks of the High Prince that way, scum … and no one speaks of that other name!"

"I see, yes. Well, patriotism is at least a virtue, no matter how misguided the method one uses. You will not be killed, for you have shown me that you are not entirely without reason to spare you. Very well then, I see a fitting punishment as service to your country through slavery for a period of five or more years, depending on how much your work benefits Babel, or your struggling hinders it. Perhaps some day your patriotism can be turned to a better use than piracy, and then may you become a respectable member of this community. Hopefully in time you will come to want the same for yourself." The ball once again shifts her face, before moving her eyes to the guards. "If this is indeed possible, please take him away. He has much to consider."

The bat prisoner is dragged away by the guards. The black Eeee mage walks up to Scarlet and bows his head again. "You are most wise, Mage Scarlet. Justice is served. Now then … there is the matter of the treatment of your … condition." He frowns. "I'm afraid that things look most grave. Your body may … be unusable."

Scarlet's eyes shift to the bat and they widen some. "Unstable? In what manner? I had considered being revived by magic might be problematic. Much as the abominations of Bosch are not capable of surviving without magic. Or do you mean biologically?"

"In more ways than one," replies the bat mage. "Your current state may require treatments from rituals of Life Magic … indefinitely. And we cannot be certain that we can get you back to a form that is more closely approximating your previous appearance. It is a great challenge indeed. However… "

The bat pauses a bit, then says, "There is a possibility that has been brought to my attention. There are many risks involved, and the results may not be … quite what you had in mind … but it could give you an alternative."

"A… problem. Perhaps my existence is simply borrowed time created by uncertain magic. I cannot say it is not an end I would despise… but I had hoped to do more with my life." The ball's eyes drop for a moment until the mention of an alternative is mentioned. She looks up once more and her face shifts a bit. "Yes? An alternative? Seeming to have little choice, I would very much like to hear of it."

"It is a process that is ancient in origin … as ancient as the previous ruler of Babel, in fact," replies the mage. "It involves the transfer of one's life-force to a new body."

The ball is wide-eyed and silent for a long moment. She seems to consider this option very carefully given the time she takes to mull it over. Eventually she addresses the option. "Ancient magic. I have never heard of such a feat before. I … cannot refuse. Nor will I accept without telling you I would be most grateful for such a chance to live again." She pauses for a moment to consider something quickly before continuing. "But as for the new body, what of it?"

The mage turns around, and claps his hands together. "Bring in the vessel!" he shouts.

A barred door grinds open, and, once again, guards in skedat armor come in, flanking a couple of Savanites holding a bound Eeee. This Eeee, having silvery-white fur, is obviously of the female persuasion. She struggles all the while, giving the cheetahs quite a time, but at last they bring her before the ball of fluff and slap her down to the ground in a kneeling position.

"An Eeee… " Scarlet mulls quietly to herself. Memories of her role model Wynona pour through her head as she considerswhat could in fact be a body she must live with for the rest of her life. The ball contorts a little and the Aelfin's eyes turn to the tall mage. "Is this a criminal? I, indeed, do wish to live, however I… could not take the body of an innocent. However, if she is indeed a criminal, I… cannot decline."

The mage says, "She was with the pirates. A consort of Captain Dagon – "

"LIAR!" shrieks the female bat. "Let me GO! I'm NOT a pirate! This is all a MISTAKE!"

She is silenced with another boot to the ribs. "Pathetic harlot," mutters a guard.

"I see. Say no more. I … would rather not hear of too much. And, do be careful with her. If you bruise her, I will certainly feel it," Scarlet tells the mage, trying to smile a little. "I am prepared as I can be. I await your grand magic, my fellow mage. And I must say that should this work I will be greatly in your debt."

The Eeee prisoner screams. "You can't DO this! You … you … MONSTER! You Aelfin MONSTER and your three-headed DEMONS! How DARE you!"

The guard looks like he's about to give the prisoner another swift kick, but he gets a firm head-shake from the mage. He stands back, letting the female Eeee sob and scream.

The black Eeee mage turns to the prisoner. "Screaming will do you no good. Prepare yourself for your fate. You should be grateful. You could have been given over to the horribs. Now, at least, your body can live on."

"Ah! You know my child then. And here you attempted to lie to these fine Eeee and myself as well. You call me a monster, yet you and your fellows spread only misery in your wake. I at least, no matter how unsuccessful, have tried to help who I can. Perhaps… you will understand what it is to have something taken from you now. You took my friend and the safety of my people; now surrender what you have to me," the Aelfin growls in Eeee at the female Eeee. She stares at the woman for a moment before turning back to the mage and speaking with him. "I am ready. I do not wish to be insulted any further."

The black bat bows. "As you wish, Mage Scarlet." He turns to his assistants and claps his hands. "Prepare for the Ritual of Transfer!"

His command is almost drowned out by the wail of the sobbing female Eeee, as she pleads and begs for mercy, invoking the name of every deity she can name, but the cowled and robed bat mages go about their business with clockwork efficiency, setting up braziers and torch-stands about the circle of the room.

A heavy wooden table is rolled out by Savanite slaves into the center of the chamber, then locked in place, as pegs are hammered down into holes set in the stone floor. The struggling Eeee girl is wrenched over to the wooden bed, and her arms and legs are manacled into place.

The female Eeee turns to look at Scarlet, tears running from her eyes. "I beseech you … by whatever gods you believe in … have mercy on me! Do not do this thing!"

"Careful," instructs the black bat arch-mage. "Do not break any of the bones. Those can be healed, but we needn't add to the shock of adjustment to a new body, with new pains… "

The eyes of the Aelfin turn towards the Eeee but, for a moment, are unable to meet her gaze. "I… I am sorry. But, it is because of the actions of the pirates I was killed attempting to calm my dragon. My body will not last, and I will not die while there is still much to do," she replies to the Eeee now lifting her eyes to meet the woman's. "Take heart that in your form I may yet help many… "

The Eeee woman swallows hard, then chokes out, "And you think I might not do any good in my time? Are you so selfish that you would rob me of my life … " Her face takes on a pained expression. "… and then claim to be doing it out of charity?"

Some Savanites roll a wooden cage into the chamber, covered with a cloth. Bestial noises come from within, and occasionally the wooden bars jolt as the creature within tries vainly to escape. The wooden base of the wheeled cage is hammered into place with pegs that fit into holes in the stone floor, in the same way as the cot holding the female Eeee.

The black bat mage walks over to Scarlet. "Mage Scarlet … what do you wish to be done with … your old form, once you are free of its bounds?"

"Perhaps I would be wrong to say that I am doing this for others," Scarlet replies as she watches the mages go about their preparations. Her round face quirks slightly and she glances around, and Scarlet adds her final words to the Eeee woman. "I simply do not wish to die again." With that, she turns to the black bat and considers for a moment. "Because it will expire, I would like my old body to be returned to Aelfhem and burned, as is our custom for the dead."

The black bat nods his head. "As you wish, Mage Scarlet." He moves along, overseeing the rest of the preparations for the ritual.

As Scarlet waits for what will change her life one way or another from this point on, she considers the events that lead up to this very moment. A time ago Wynona came to her village and through her courage and magic forged a peace between the mountain Eeee and her people. From that point on she knew she wanted to be a mage. So, she left her homeland to join the College Esoterica and study with an intense devotion that bordered on an obsession. From there she left for a test and in that time created the very dragon she would fall under only recently. Then Aelfhem was attacked, and everything went wrong. Now here she is about to acquire a new body and a new life. This all seems a great deal for the Aelfin to grasp at once, but she will not step down and die now. No, she has a new life to create.

"Make the final preparations!" commands the black mage, and he nods to some Savanites who begin to roll Scarlet into position. The mages move to their places around the magical circle, each one of them surrounded by a smaller magical circle running along the circumference of the larger one. They begin to chant and gesticulate, the black bat mage being a conductor of sorts, directing them.

Within the center of the circle Scarlet takes a deep breath. Magic has never been so very immense as this before, and the result has life long implications. This is not a mere cantrip, minor spell, or even a ritual. This is, true magic. She can only exhale and listen in awe at the great ritual.

The Savanites affix some cords to pegs set into the floor, and run them across Scarlet, securing her in place. The black mage says, "… so that you don't roll around," as he passes Scarlet.

The Aelfin again attempts to smile at the mage but is only able to make her face pucker some. "Thank you," she tells him quietly.

A servant rings a bell … and the chanting of the mages becomes even louder, as if trying to drown out the sobs and screams of the bound prisoner in the center. Scarlet can feel the tingle of magic rise in the air.

Silently the strange and damaged Aelfin awaits the completion of the great ritual from her position from within the center circle. She consciously tries to be as still and as noiseless as possible so as not to interrupt the ritual.

Scarlet's senses and awareness of her surroundings slowly dim. Her body becomes numb, and the screams and chants die away. She is not falling asleep … but the physical world is becoming more distant.

As the physical world seems to fade, the Aelfin girl tries tocalm herself from considering what is happening, and instead focus on any requests the mages may make of her. Being this is similar to another more terrifying experience, she must will herself against fear as well. But, this is magic. In its grasp she feels the safety of her life pursuit.

Slowly, reality continues to fade away … until only darkness remains.