Blackshire Keep, Late Evening.
The once dreary and dank castle finds itself dark once again, but this time it's not thanks to magic – instead, simply the fact that it's the middle of the night and all the lights are out. During the day, one would find people going to and fro, making their way through to castle to talk business with Count Kurai, or simply to stop in for a chat. Things are informal around here; what can one expect when the ruler is only eighteen years old?

Now, however, all the keep is quiet and dark. All, except for the kitchen, that is. Breaking the late-night darkness is the shine from a single hand lamp, held by a black furred paw. Attached to that paw is a black cat, who currently has his head stuck in the pantry.

"Mmm, some of Grandma's leftover cookies… " With that said, the quiet is also broken, and Count Feli Kurai emerges from the storage closet, cookie jar in paw, and sits down at the kitchen table for a late night snack.

At the other end of the table, just on the edge of the lamplight, sits a figure cloaked in gray. The face in the cowl is hidden by a long, smooth wooden mask, lacquered black, and a pair of leather-gloved paws are folded in front of him.

Jynx munches on a few of the cookies, at first not noticing the figure. He looks up a bit groggily, having just woken up a few minutes earlier (as evidenced by his wearing only pajama bottoms), and stares. "Huh? When did Eve send me this weird statue?" He stares harder at the mask.

The mask stares back, and something moves behind the eyeholes. As the scrutiny becomes apparent, the figure stands, and bows deeply at the waist. "Your Excellency," hisses a familiar, though uncharacteristically formal voice.

"Hey, it talks… it talks?!" The black Khatta gags on a cookie, pushing back from the table and coughing until the offending treat is launched from his throat. "Who… who are you?" he asks through wheezes, fur on end. The feline's brow creases as he gives the figure another look-over. "Wait … you sound familiar."

The figure jumps a little as a hunk of cookie bounces across the table, and he rises just a bit from his bow, though not all the way. "I … ah … it's me, Your Excellency. The Wooden Shekel."

"Forgive my impertinence," hisses the cowled reptile.

Jynx's brow furrows even more, then recedes as recognition dawns, replaced by a grimace. "Oh, you again." With a sigh, the feline walks over to the sink, takes a cup, and fills it full of water with the pump. "You almost scared me out of my fur." He turns to the reptile, and after taking a drink, asks, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The Shiga stands back upright, folding his cape back over his front. "A thousand apologies, Count Kurai," hisses the Wooden Shekel, walking more into the lamplight. His usual "mirth" mask has been stained darker, and there are some symbolic-looking carvings under the upturned eyes. "I wouldn't have come to bother you, ordinarily, but … uh … and I'd have been more considerate than this, but I've been … out of sorts." He steps forward a little farther, then hesitates. "Have you heard? About… about the City?"

The dark Khatta freezes, tensing up for a moment, then relaxes with a sigh, slumping into his chair. "Yes. I've heard." His expression of annoyance melts, replaced by an eerie blankness. Wordlessly, he stares into the distance, via the cookie jar.

The Wooden Shekel's shoulders slump a little, and he stands quietly for a moment. When he speaks again, it's in little more than a whisper, made hollow by the mask over his face. "And Third-Vision?"

A pained look crosses Jynx's face, and the only response he gives is a small, weak nod, followed by a long, deafening silences. Finally, the Khatta makes a sound. "Have a seat," he says, gesturing for the Shiga to take a chair.

The burglar sidles into the chair, and settles himself into it, a dun bundle huddled in the middle of it like a bent and rolled up rug. The end if his mask protrudes from his hanging hood.

Another period of silence, and the Khatta clears his throat. "So," he begins awkwardly, "is … is that what brought you here? The destruction of the City?" He shifts his tail to a more comfortable position, "I know you were close to the People… "

"Yes," answers the Wooden Shekel. He shakes his head, then reaches up to his cowl to remove his mask, laying it on the table in front of him. When he looks up, his face looks weathered, and his eyes are bloodshot and puffy. "Some of my tribe's among the refugees from the City, and I thought it was appropriate I should see you on their behalf. Weeping-Blue, their shaman, stayed in the City to help with his water magic." He looks back down. His voices cracks a little as he mutters, "I … guess he's gone now."

Jynx frowns at the Shiga, his face creasing into a look of worry and sadness. "I'm … I'm terribly sorry." Silence reigns for a few minutes more, then the Khatta gets up again from his chair. He goes over to the stove, twists a small lever, and strikes at a gas burner with a flint, setting it aflame. Grabbing a kettle, he begins to fill it. "How many of your tribe were … among the casualties?"

"Any able-bodied warriors who could help stayed in the City," hisses the reptile. "As far as I know, nobody got out alive. There were some men who stayed with the expectant women and children to help evacuate them; that's it. There weren't a lot of us … of them in the first place." He leans forward, placing his hands back on the table to study them.

The Khatta takes the kettle and sets it on the burner, then walks to the pantry and rummages through it, his face obscured. "S-so … where did the ones that got evacuated go? There aren't too many places… "

The Wooden Shekel starts to glance at Jynx sidelong, but doesn't let himself raise his head. "Their home was the Savan before all this happened, Your Excellency. It's a wide open place, and the Dusty Tear knew it long before they knew anything else. They should be able to hide there as well as they were able to hide from slavers before." He hunkers down even more. "That was with those who were able enough to hunt and such, still, in the old ways. Some families no longer have such providers, so I brought them here." At this, he raises his face again, holding his paws open. "I know you have a lot of refugees to deal with, and I'm sorry to have to bring this to you … "

The kettle on the burner whistles, signifying that its contents are now boiling. At this, Jynx returns from the cupboard, carrying a glass jar with some sort of brown powder in it, and two mugs. Removing the kettle from the fire, he spoons a generous amount of the powder into the mugs, then fills them with the hot water, stirring the mix together, He walks over to the table, places one of the mugs in front of the Shiga, then retakes his seat. "They can move in immediately." The feline takes a sip from his mug. "And stop with that 'Excellency' nonsense."

"Thank you. Bless you, Your Ex – I mean … Count … " The reptile looks down again, then leans forward, propping his elbows on the table, and cradling his head in his hands, letting the steam from his mug rise up into his hood. "Dagh, Feli … I don't even know which way is up anymore. I can't believe this happened, but I don't know why I should be so surprised. Everything we tried so hard for … it's all falling apart."

Jynx leans back in his chair, nodding with a sigh. "I'm not sure I do either. Used to be, life was simple. I knew where I was and how I stood… " He shakes his head. "… but now, it seems like the world's gone mad." He takes another sip of his drink. "So much has changed so fast."

The lizard sniffs at his mug, then lifts it up, blowing steam away from the top, and taking a tentative sip. "How have things been holding up here? I heard there were problems even before the refugees started to arrive. My contacts in Nagai have kept sending me news on occasion, and I heard about the land dispute."

The Khatta's expression sours slightly, and he rubs his thumb across the rim of the mug. "Things have been crazy. The Gallisians keep insisting that our land is just a lawless anarchy, and have kept trying to take over. We've managed to keep them out of Blackshire for the time being, but I don't know how long we can keep them at bay. No one will support us, not Rephidim, or even Gallis' enemies. Having the Savanites around gives us more numbers, but it also puts us on the bad side of Nagai." He takes another sip. "Not to mention that many of the People are already battle-weary as it is."

The Wooden Shekel nods glumly. "I know. It looks precarious. It looks like you've held out for yourself well, though." He smiles a little, takes another sip of his xocholatl, then laughs a bit. "I remember when I met you. You were just a scruffy fellow back on Rephidim, a mark. Who'd have thought now … ?" He gestures to his side, a hand waving to take in the halls of the darkened castle.

Jynx smirks lightly, readjusting his tail. "I owe it all to my ancestors, I guess." He smiles. "I miss the old days though, and it's been a long while since I've been back home to Rephidim." The smile fades. "If I can even call it home anymore. Rephidim has turned its back on us, and now the City is gone, so this is pretty much all I have left." He gestures to the castle. "I'd give it all away to undo what's been done."

"Well … you've got me too, by the Great Serpent," hisses the Shiga, leaning back and slapping the table lightly. "Since you've taken my tribe in, you're stuck with me as well. I'll bet you thought I was just a plain old thief, too."

The Khatta grins. "I guess so. Well, we'll find a place for you; we always need the help." He takes another deep sip of the xocholatl, and wipes his mouth. "We've both changed a lot. I think this is the most serious I've ever seen you."

The Wooden Shekel nods thoughtfully. "Lots of things have happened since those carefree days of picking your dad's pocket. (I really thought he was going to hit me, too.) I've heard of some of your exploits, and I've had some of my own that have forced me to consider things that maybe I didn't want to. It all seemed to happen so fast."

"I've seen a lot too, enough to make me want to retire," he chuckles, "and I'm only eighteen! Besides, it's not going to happen anytime soon, with all the chaos around here." He sighs, then brightens slightly. "You're welcome to stay here with your tribe, and I can even start the building of their houses right away near Kurai Town." He takes another drink, finishing off the xocholatl. "I'm trying to start a business to go along with my sister's 'railroad' thing. It's supposed to make moving things a lot faster over long distances, and I figure we can get some good exploring going. Maybe change the Temple's mind about us."

Bambridge leans forward, warming his paws around his mug. "Really? How's it work? I have a variety of business contacts myself, though you'll probably want any associating with them to be … uh … unofficial."

Jynx shrugs. "I'm not sure. Some huge machine rolls along these tracks, and pulls all these carts behind it. Supposedly, they use them all the time on Abaddon." He gets up and pours himself another cup. "Do you have anywhere to stay for the night?" He eyes the lizard, "I don't mean to sound rude, but it might not be the best thing for you to go to Kurai Town just yet, not until your tribe's moved in. They aren't exactly welcoming of your kind just yet."

The reptile scratches his nose. "If you think it's for the best. They knew me around the City, so that shouldn't be a problem. I don't think I'll be here for long after the Dusty Tear settle in anyway. … I have something to attend to."

The black Khatta nods. "Be that as it may, it might not be totally safe for you. It might be best for you to stay here." He perks an ear. "More to attend to?"

The Wooden Shekel's face hardens, and he reaches across the table for his mask, nodding. Fastening it over his face, he lets his cowl hang around it again. "I'm going to help bring Third-Vision back."

Jynx blinks, his face blank for a few seconds. "You … you're going to do what now?"

"The Nagai have her body. I'm going to get it back."

The Khatta's eyes go wide, obviously taken aback. "H-how do you intend to get it?" He leans forward. "And then what?"

The Shiga shakes his head, his cloak rustling softly. "Then … I guess we bury her. She deserves at least that much. The new leaders of the People will decide it, I guess. Maybe Long-Lope will grow up."

Once again, the feline is silent for a long while, then nods. "I wish you and your compatriots luck then, and hope you bring her back safely." He frowns, and returns to his seat with his drink. "If you need a place to bring her, you are welcome to do it here. She was a friend of mine, and… " He cuts himself short, looking down at the table.

The reptile sighs heavily. "We'll see what we can do. If we managed to steal her sister alive out from under the Emperor's nose, curse him to the pits of Necropolis, then maybe we can take his 'trophy' away from him too."

Jynx sighs, and curls his tail around his feet, the cold night air starting to get to him thanks to his current lack of attire. "What's your rush? Sit down for a little bit. I'm sure they can wait." He waits for the reptile to retake his seat, then takes another sip of his drink, silent for a moment, a musing look on his face. Slowly, a smile cracks through on his features. "Say, remember that time we had a run-in with Captain Dash?"

The reptile laughs, nodding. "That was quite something. Did you stay in touch with that artist? Why, I remember… "

A moment stretches out into an hour, then two as the conversation continues, as a pair of old adversaries find more in common than first met the eye. The fire dwindles, and the horizon warms and brightens, heralding a new day made warmer still by old memories wrapped around new hope.