Cabin on the Happy Maid
This cramped chamber is barely suitable for sleeping space for two, what with the closely stacked bunks, without any port hole or other feature aside from the door and a flimsy bolt that looks like it would easily break if someone were determined to force a way into the cabin. The bare wooden walls and floor bear many stains, and where planks haven't been replaced, there are hints of wood rot.

Sleep doesn't come easily to Alptraum. He has a dream briefly about conjuring up the spirit of Captain Dash, just like he said, though in his dream, the original Captain Dash kills the impostor outright, and then runs amok, and Alptraum is helpless to put him back where he belongs. But it's only a dream … not one of those dreams. He vaguely is conscious of someone coming to the door and knocking, and Nekara going to answer it, but he's too groggy to make out what exchanges between them … Nekara making some sort of excuse, telling some sort of story, and the crewman leaving, apparently satisfied. At last, morning comes, and the ship puts into port, and Autumn-Storm is the one to wake Alptraum. "We're here," she signs, once his eyes are open to see her hands.

Alptraum sits up and winces, muscles complaining about sleeping on the floor. "Already? Good. I'm ready to get off this nightmare. Sleep okay?" he signs back. After a minute or two of stretching, he's up and gathering his things.

"Like a kitten," Autumn-Storm lies, then opens the door.

Curly is knocking on the captain's door. "Cap'n? We're in port. We need you to meet the portmaster, do all that paperwork stuff. Cap'n? C'mon, wake up!"

Alptraum smirks at hearing Curly, then nods to Autumn-Storm. "Had just funky dreams, but not bad ones," he signs. A minute later, he's done packing, has unloaded the crossbow, and appears ready to go. "Is everyone ready to get off this floating crate?" he asks.

As Alptraum and the others go above deck, he can hear the door opening, and then Curly lets out a wild stream of curses. "Dagh take it, cap'n, cover yourself up! Cap'n?"

Nekara takes no time in striding across the deck to the gangplank. A few of the crew give her some leering looks, and one of the Jupanis even makes a Jupani-whistle, but she pretends to ignore them.

Alptraum looks at Nekara for a moment, then moves toward the gangplank and over it quickly. He glowers at the idea of what they think Nekara is, but says nothing. Once his feet hit the ground again, he lets out a sigh of relief. "We made it this far," he murmurs.

Meanwhile, Alptraum gets his first view of Rephidim. It's a city, all right, and it's like the airship is at port at an island … but it's an island in the SKY. The ground is obscured by a blanket of clouds below, but that makes it none the less surreal. A cool breeze stirs Alptraum's hair, as he looks out across this place. No, this isn't the shining jewel in the sky so many think it is … at least, not here, at the docks. It's huge, yes, and some of the airships docked here are splendid sights to see – far more grand than this flying crate they came in on – but this is a place of mortals, not of "sky gods."

"Let us make haste, and not relax yet," Nekara says, "in case they change their minds."

There's a howl back from the airship. "The captain's DEAD!"

"Lead on, fearless lea… ," Alptraum says, then gasps. "Nekara, what did you do? Never mind. Let's get out of here. Now." With that, he moves forward and into the city, quickly.

Nekara's chin raises. "Not exactly as intended … but he died happy." And with that, she picks up her pace, too. Autumn-Storm, not keeping any bravado, simply does a Savanite sprint into the crowd.

"Nekara," Alptraum says darkly, "if you screw up, admit it sooner." He glares at her, then makes his way into the crowd. He tries to blend in, thankful for his ratty, generic garb. Where to go from here? The Shiny Shoppe – from the dream.

After some searching around and asking for directions, Alptraum is finally able to find his way to the Shiny Shoppe. Nekara has rearranged her priestess robes in such a way that she really doesn't look distinctively like clergy anymore (or a mage or whatever), though she is by no means less modest. Autumn-Storm has to go to no special measures to fit in better, as there are Savanites here and there, and they don't seem to draw any special attention.

And Alptraum, well, he doesn't see any other white-haired, black-furred Eeee, per se, but he's seen more new species than he can count – or apply names to – so it's small wonder that he doesn't draw any stares.

He eventually finds the store … but it's not exactly as he envisioned it. The colors are different. The shape, the mass is exactly the same, and, if he were to close his eyes and sound it out, it would match perfectly, he's sure … but there are little visual details that don't quite seem to match just right. Come to think of it, it's as if, in his dream, most everything was in shades of gray, with only certain things that were in color, oddly enough.

But there's another detail he wasn't expecting, necessarily. There are some Jupani guards (their armor not quite as bright red as in the dream, but recognizable enough) here, their presence very obvious outside the shop.

"Not good," Alptraum whispers to the others. "I think we need to check around back for another way in. We can't be spotted now. It would make this whole nightmarish trip useless."

Autumn-Storm signs, "They would be idiots not to cover a back way in. But I suppose we can check – just in case they are idiots."

"Or a side entrance. Windows, anything. We don't have to have a door," Alptraum snaps. "Come on."

Alptraum looks at Autumn-Storm, then signs, "I hate to ask this, but could you look around the building? You're not an Eeee and they might not think much of you looking around."

Autumn-Storm nods, and signs, "I'll be right back."

Meanwhile, Alptraum cants his ears toward the building, trying to hear if anyone is inside. A stretch, but he tries anyway.

The Savanite quickly melts into the light morning crowd, doing a fine job of looking like she's just another Rephidimite going about some daily chore.

Maybe the breeze shifted just the right way. Maybe any number of things, but his keen ears manage to pick up some clinking of crystals within the shop, and sounds that it's not entirely dead inside. Through a second-floor window, he catches a glimpse of a golden-furred, spotted girl with long black hair, adjusting a display of crystal shard hangings, then pausing to wipe at one eye.

Just then, though, the little girl turns and looks … and her eyes go directly toward Alptraum. Her mouth opens up as if to gasp, and she almost fumbles a crystal she's holding in her hands … but she then closes her mouth again, and hangs the crystal up. It's hard to tell for sure, at this distance, but her posture seems to be one that's embarrassed, as she quickly turns away, and moves from the window.

Inwardly, Alptraum curses. He's been seen. Even if it's not a bad thing she saw him, still… He pulls back some and goes back to listening. "I've been spotted. I think it was that girl from the dream," he mutters to Nekara. "Bibaxt." [Bad luck]

Nekara makes a hissing noise. "We don't know what she'll do. She's only a child. She may have Srinala's good in mind, but she could do something foolish."

Just about then, Autumn-Storm pads back up, casually strolling past Alptraum's position … then just as casually walking over and out of sight of anyone at the building. "Guarded front, back, and sides," she signs, "and I saw a head on the rooftop, too."

"I know," Alptraum says. "I was hoping to try and hear if anyone was inside. I guess I went a bit too close." His head shakes slowly and he snarls, "Well, maybe we'll be lucky and she'll sneak out to us, but." He shrugs, then looks to Autumn-Storm and nods. "Bibaxt," he says again. "We're useless here."

Autumn-Storm shakes her head. "Then what is next?"

Nekara says, "We are not without allies here. We will make contacts. We must go to the place known as the Bazaar … the place known as 'Little Babel'."

Alptraum looks at Nekara, then signs to Autumn-Storm, "I guess we go there. Thanks for scouting, Autumn-Storm."

Despite the horrible luck of being spotted at the Shiny Shoppe, the journey to the Bazaar and the section known as Little Babel seems to be truly blessed, as they are met with no hassles at all on their way there, despite not a one of them being directly familiar with the city. Nekara makes some inquiries in the Bazaar, asking at some booths for some particular type of fabric with exacting requirements for how it is to be cut, and by and large she seems to be frustrated in her efforts to either get the fabric she desires, or make whatever contact she's supposed to make … until one of the merchants offers to show them to the back, to look at their selection of bolts – and this time, it seems that while that particular fabric is not in stock, help is.

The top level of a ruined building has been commandeered as a holding room for a merchant's wares, and a place for musicians to trill out melodies on exotic-looking pipes and flutes. As they go behind a stack of bolts to a further back room, they find that when the door is closed, the sound is effectively blocked out. The bat that led them in, his body dyed in a number of wild patterns that make him (and his fabrics) garish and conspicuous, to say the least, bows low once the door is closed.

"We are graced by your presence, Priestess," the bat says, as he bows to Nekara, for the present offering no such honors to Alptraum. Autumn-Storm was required to stay in the other room, making a show of going through various fabrics.

Alptraum's ears flick. It takes a bit to make it all out, but he's finally grateful for the lessons in Babelite Nekara has been giving. He removes his hat and sticks it into his vest, then goes back to listening.

Nekara says, also using the Babelite tongue, "I come on the business of my Lady."

"I am Left Ear," the multi-colored bat says, "and I listen for the Body of the Sisters to what you require of us, your servants."

Alptraum's eyebrow goes up at this. Since he's nothing, he doesn't speak.

Nekara nods. "A young Eeee woman was abducted from Nicodemus's Shiny Shoppe in the Scholars' Quarter, some five or so days ago. Do you know anything of this?"

"Yes," Left Ear says, "she was taken by the mages who dwell on the old College Esoterica grounds, with the sanction of the Temple. It is not said on the street, but our ears hear more keenly than most, that this girl was not truly alive at all, but an animated body, a body possessed by a spirit, and the mages had need to exorcise her. She was taken to the old College grounds, but where in that place she might be, we have no way of knowing. It is warded, and even our ears cannot listen into that place easily."

"That's a start. For more, we could try and ask the girl," Alptraum finally says, speaking slowly to enunciate the Babelite words as clearly as he can manage.

Nekara nods, frowning momentarily at Alptraum, then looking back to Left Ear. "This is a time of great peril. I act on orders directly from my Lady, and I do not say that lightly. She has commanded that the girl Srinala must be rescued, and returned to Babel. The girl my brother speaks of is known as Pouncer – a spotted girl who looks like a Savanite, yet speaks, who lives in the Shiny Shoppe. Pouncer and her brother Enos, my Lady has commanded, are to be spared from any harm that might befall them. I need to know, therefore, if they are at any risk. We saw guards outside their store."

"Actually, I mean to ask Srinala," Alptraum corrects, glaring at Nekara for the frown.

Left Ear nods, though he gives Alptraum a puzzled look. "Pouncer and Enos Zoltan are adopted children of a hero of Rephidim, who became the Champion of Shadows, one of their most powerful Knights Templar, and who single-handedly destroyed several of the Sabaoth's Plaguebringers during their siege of Rephidim. It is curious to learn that his family has been protecting … Srinala."

Nekara frowns. "I misspeak for my brother, then." She turns to Alptraum. "How do you propose we ask her?"

"Same way we talked to Klaus, Nekara. If the girl gets a chance to sleep, I may be able to summon her to … " He says, pausing to look at Left Ear. "… to the Sea of Souls. She'd likely know where in the compound they took her. More than Pouncer probably would. I would think it would be the safest attempt at location."

Left Ear's eyes just get wider as he listens to this.

Nekara nods. "Quite true. If you can accomplish such a thing, we could learn far more than the mages should allow even our followers in Rephidim to discover." She looks back to Left Ear. "My brother is gifted of my Lady, such that he can dream of the Sea of Souls and summon up spirits there to speak with them. This is why my Lady has sent him here, to assist in this mission, and this may be his part to play. I will require a place for him to rest, to sleep, and to seek to contact Srinala."

"It will be done," Left Ear promises, looking at Alptraum with undisguised awe. "You will lack for nothing you require for your ritual. Ask for it, and we will provide it, even to the shedding of our own blood if need be."

Nekara's nose wrinkles. "That reminds me. I require some live animals for ritual sacrifice. They must be healthy and live, and preferably small. Yiffles, or other creatures of that sort."

Left Ear bows his head. "It is a small thing to ask, and will be done quickly. Right Foot will move quickly to fetch them as soon as I give the word."

Alptraum nudges Nekara and mutters, "Get an extra one, please." He then looks back to Left Ear and says, "I've never needed anything before to do it. It's just something I can do. I'm not always successful, but it's worth attempting."

Nekara holds up a hand. "That is all right, my brother. You do not need to explain your power to him. That is your area of concern." She looks back to Left Ear. "Also, gather up the Body and have them ready to act. Once the Srinala is rescued, she will need to flee Rephidim. We will need to make arrangements for an airship – with a crew that will ask no questions and tell no tales. It is also possible that there may be others in the service of my Lady who may arrive in Rephidim. Please be ready to assist them, for I sense that there may be others coming more important than me, and who deserve a warm welcome."

Left Ear bows again. "It will be done as you say."

Alptraum looks to Nekara, then shrugs. "I think the faster we deal with this, the better. A full scale assault on the place and they might kill her," Alptraum says.

Nekara nods. "Until we know more, it is not clear what means we may use to rescue her. But an escape is inevitable, so the airship preparations should be made. If I am not straining your resources too far already, I would ask that someone keep watch on Pouncer and Enos Zoltan – It may be necessary to rescue them."

"We may wish to ask Autumn-Storm to keep a look out for them. She's less – conspicuous," Alptraum points out.

Left Ear mouths an "Oh," then says, "They have been stirring up some trouble with the mages. They go to the grounds daily to demand of the guards that they let them see their friend, Srinala, and then the Guard is called in to take them away." He casts a glance to the door to the other room. "Your companion? Yes, I must agree to that. We have our allies here, but most of them would stand out in that part of town. But far be it from me to shirk our responsibilities. We will assist as we can."

"Then let it be done," Nekara says. "If you can have us shown to a place where we can rest from our travels, and my brother can begin his ritual, my Lady would be most pleased."

"At once!" Left Ear promises.

"Thank you," Alptraum replies.

True to his word, Left Ear manages to procure a place to stay for Nekara and Alptraum – indeed, it is hinted that should they have need of it, they can relocate to almost any quarter of the city, save that of the Noble Quarter. (Even the Body cannot manage to reach that deep into the city, it seems.) They are staying in the house of an older Eeee couple that once had a very large family, and now has several extra rooms up for boarders – and Alptraum and his present companions are presently those boarders. Caged animals are arranged in the room, with papers beneath them, for use as "sacrifices", and the floor is bare hardwood, presumably all the better for chalking out ritual diagrams – though that is in actuality for Nekara's benefit, not Alptraum's.

The creatures provided for sacrifice are things called "yiffles" – little blue-furred creatures that have a strong similarity to Sylvanian pigs in body shape and face, but which have large brushes that suggest that of a fox, and very large eyes.

Nekara says, "And here is our place for now. These creatures should suffice for whatever 'ritual sacrifices' you require for the time being … and then can be cooked for dinner."

Several changes of clothes have been provided, and Nekara has availed herself of a different set so as to appear more "civilian" and to fit in a little better in Rephidim, while her priestess robes are washed and mended from their adventures so far.

"They're terribly … cute … but they'll do," Alptraum agrees. "Thank you, Nekara. I was getting a bit worried about what I was going to do here. It's been some time since, well, I ate." He looks over the clothing, then selects a suitable change, commenting, "You know, I haven't worn something different than this style in ages. No one will recognize me."

"That is something of the idea," Nekara says, "though I doubt those airshipmen will call too loudly for the Guard. You didn't see all of the prizes Captain Dash kept in his room."

"If I shouldn't speak around others, let me know now, okay? I could tell you weren't pleased with me speaking up in there," Alptraum says.

Nekara shakes her head. "No, no, you may speak. You are not some commoner. It is … a habit. Think nothing of it."

"I sure felt like a commoner in there. Or a child. Sort of the same feeling," comes the reply. Alptraum then shrugs and says, "I'd better eat and change clothes. I know you don't want to see either. I'm going to make an attempt at contact shortly after, since we don't know when they might let her sleep."

Nekara nods. "I will be in the next room, should you need me. I am going to enact a ritual to search for unusual life signs in Rephidim – any indication of an individual that might have some special sort of life force to warrant my Lady's interest … and to prompt the mages to claim that she might be 'possessed'."

"Well, remember you might also pick up me. You did say I was a special birth – and going into the Sea must leave some sort of signature," Alptraum says and heads over to a cage to select "dinner." "I'll call if anything happens or I get any useful information. I now have a name, friends, and a place to associate with her. I think I can do this."

Nekara nods again. "I think I can safely rule out any results that tell me this special life force is in the next room… " Then, she blinks. "Wait. I just thought of something."

"What?" comes the question.

Nekara shakes her head. "No, it's a stupid idea. I was just thinking that if, indeed, you do have a special aura about you – one that may well be close to the one this Srinala has – then perhaps that can be used to our advantage in mounting an escape … to give the mages two targets to pursue … but if such a thing were possible, it would necessarily put you at risk."

"And tricking a beast of blood to chase me wasn't? Tearing into zombies bare handed wasn't? What in my life isn't dangerous. I'd do it," Alptraum says firmly. "I do think you're on to something, though. I think there is some sort of relationship between me and her, but what I do not know. At least in the dream, she had the no-color silver-grey eyes, like me. She felt like a relative. We may be very similar."

Nekara nods absently, staring off toward the window at nothing in particular. "I will pray for guidance in that, then, and seek to examine your aura as well in my ritual. If there is nothing else … then I shall get started. I cannot assume we have any time to spare."

"I agree. You do your part, I'll do mine," Alptraum replies, then blinks. He finds himself standing much like Nekara does, chin up and resolute. He quickly relaxes the posture and says, "I'll eat, then try. Talk again in a few hours?"

"So be it," Nekara says, and turns for the door. As she starts to leave, she pauses in the doorway, one hand on the post for a moment, then says, "Be careful. You may have power in the Sea of Souls … but no one is ever safe there."

"I will be. I'm not nearly as careless as I pretend to be at times. I wouldn't have survived in Sylvania for as long as I did if I was. But, don't let others know that," Alptraum answers, then makes a shooing motion. "Go. I'll be all right."