Envoy has been the honored guest of the Priest-Queen Jade-Eyes for about a week now, and she has been given tours of the various locations … pretty much all of them in ruin, sad to say. Today is much like any other day, and Envoy has a certain degree of freedom in where she gets to poke around … though there are, of course, areas that she has been advised to stay away from – construction hazards, sensitive excavation, and that sort of thing.

While Envoy is wandering around on the cliffs overlooking the canyon, she comes across a brown-robed cheetah mage – Twilight-Wing – sitting amidst the grasses, hands pressed together and legs crossed, his eyes shut tightly, in a pose relaxed yet ordered, with a look about him as of meditation. There are no signs of any candles or other magical paraphernalia lying in the grass about him, nor does the grass look as if it has been recently mashed down from dancing – nor does Envoy's ability to sense magic pick up anything paranormal going on.

Not wanting to disturb the Mage outright, the Aeolun sits down in front of him, taking a similar lotus position in the grass. Once seated, she simply waits for the cheetah to notice her presence.

Several breezes stir the grasses before the cheetah acknowledges Envoy's presence. But at last, he slowly cracks open his eyes and turns to regard the winged Exile beside him. He says (or, that is, signs) nothing, but only cants his head toward his visitor in acknowledgment.

Envoy smiles to the Mind Mage, and signs, "I hope I am not intruding, but I needed to see you about a matter of magic and politics."

Twilight-Wing nods slightly, and flicks his hand in a "proceed" gesture.

"Both the Nagai and Babelites wish to send representatives to the Earth Tower in the Himaat, since it is owned by a neutral power and has already been visited by a ranger of the Rephidim Temple," Envoy signs. "I thought that a Xenean mage might also wish to visit, if one were interested."

Twilight-Wing nods. "A fascinating prospect."

"An Earth or Life mage could learn much there," Envoy adds. "Including some interesting new architectural techniques. Useful when rebuilding cities, I would imagine."

Twilight-Wing nods. "Quite so. Your recommendation is duly noted. Perhaps one of my fellows would be interested in visiting this site."

Smiling, Envoy signs, "I leave it to you to inform your colleagues then. I was also wondering if you could elaborate on some comments you made when we met in Safar?"

Twilight-Wing signs, "Such as?"

Envoy signs, "You mentioned the wards that Queen Third-Vision had ordered be placed about the tabernacle. Specifically, that they were not set up exactly as she had requested. I was curious if that was because it was beyond the abilities of the Twelve to meet her requirements, or if it was due to some Mages perhaps having a separate agenda from that of the Priest-Queen."

Twilight-Wing meets Envoy with an even expression, and signs, "The latter."

The Aeolun frowns slightly. "Has Jade-Eyes been manipulated into following this hidden agenda?" she signs carefully.

Twilight-Wing only nods once.

"Does she know?" Envoy asks, looking thoughtful.

Twilight-Wing shakes his head. "She does not wish to see."

The Exile closes her eyes and thinks silently for a moment. Finally she reopens them and signs, "The Twelve and the Twelve-Times-Twelve serve as the Hand of the Priest-King, do they not?"

Twilight-Wing nods, looking off the cliff. "Yes. And there are those who believe that the true Priest-King is not the one sitting here on a broken throne … but the one coming down from the stars."

"Because that one fills the role of a living deity?" Envoy signs. "What then would become of the Priest-Queen?"

Twilight-Wing signs, "That I do not know."

After a few moments more, Envoy signs, "And what do you wish? A return to the old ways, or adapting to the ways of the current age?"

Twilight-Wing signs, "What I wish is immaterial. I serve the reigning Priest-King to the best of my ability, within the strictures of the demands placed on me by that Priest-King, and the dangers presented by my 'comrades'. There are many fewer of the original Twelve-times-Twelve serving Jade-Eyes than Third-Vision before her. The ranks have been filled with men and women of this world of a like mind to those who seek to usher in this new Star. Those like Ice-Light are far from here, far removed from the maneuverings of Xenea."

Envoy sighs, and looks out over the ruins of the City. Turning back to the cheetah, she signs, "I cannot interfere with Jade-Eyes' beliefs. If she will not take up the task of plotting the course for her nation, then I will do my best to encourage her to at least take on the role of being its heart. I do not want to see her become merely a puppet."

Twilight-Wing nods. "I fear that perhaps it would have been better had Third-Vision never freed us. That which we have rebuilt, I fear that we shall destroy."

"The Twelve have released forces they could not control in the past, when they tried to make the Priest-King into a true living god," Envoy signs. "Perhaps you and some of the other originals of the Twelve-Times-Twelve should remind the younger ones of that, so that they will at least be better prepared if they have made the same mistake again."

Twilight-Wing nods. "Perhaps I should."

Envoy stands up, and signs, "Thank you for your time and honesty, Twilight-Wing. Please let me know if you find any candidates to accompany me back to the Earth Tower."

Twilight-Wing nods. "I shall ask about. When do you plan to leave?"

"Within another day or two," the Exile replies, "assuming that I am successful in advising Jade-Eyes without upsetting her. I would not want to be exiled from the City a second time."

Twilight-Wing smiles mirthlessly. "I wish you luck. Jade-Eyes does not take criticism well."

"Few queens do," Envoy signs back, grinning. The Exile then starts back along the cliff path towards Jade-Eyes' camp.

Nothing opposes Envoy's return, save for a playful breeze that tousles her mane and plays with her wing-feathers.

Once she has a clear line of sight to her destination, Envoy spreads her wings and steps off the edge of the cliff, gliding the whole way in.

Jade-Eyes, standing at a table open to the air, looking over maps with her architects, turns away from the map when she catches sight of the shadow of the gliding Exile. She looks up and smiles, waving.

Envoy lands nearby, and walks over to join the Queen, peeking at the map to see what renovations are being planned.

It looks like the map is of the palace itself. Given that the palace was built upon what used to be a hollowed-out crater, it might be an ideal candidate for reconstruction, since there would be far less in the way of history to risk losing, and the symbolic value of a new palace no doubt would do much for the morale of the Xenean people.

The Exile grins, and wonders to herself if she'll get to see the completed structure this time around. "Good day, Priest-Queen Jade-Eyes!" she signs. "I have met with Twilight-Wing, who has agreed to query the other Mages about sending a representative to visit the Earth Tower of the Himaat."

Jade-Eyes signs, "That's splendid! What was it like there?" Jade Eyes' chief architect, seeing that she has a guest, quietly rolls up a blueprint, rather than trying to vie for her attention.

"Quite amazing, compared to the usual sorts of building one encounters," the Aeolun signs. "A giant tree formed the bulk of the tower, and merged into stone and metal sections as well. It was exotic enough that I actually felt quite at home there." This last comment is accompanied by a wink from the Exile.

Jade-Eyes smiles. "If I had the time to spare, I should like to see it myself!"

"Does the renovation work demand so much of your time then?" Envoy signs. "Or is it the various other duties demanded of you? You must spend much of your time in Safar, with the public. While I understand the underlying principles of leadership, I am a bit ignorant of the actual details still."

Jade-Eyes signs, "I spend most of my time here, but I do at times visit the people in Safar. I must hear the complaints of the people, and make decisions on how we relate to other nations. In short, matters of difference which the people are unwilling to or unable to settle on their own are brought to me … and I must make decisions on matters of law and trade and diplomatic relations. But I am also expected to have a hand in the reconstruction of the City."

Nodding, Envoy signs, "And surely you are needed to nurture the public arts and provide spiritual guidance as well?"

Jade-Eyes smiles. "Must make appearances."

"Perhaps you can help me to understand something then," the Exile signs. "Both of my… mothers… were rulers at one time or another, but they had different views of whether it was more important to be respected by the populace or loved by it. What is your feeling?"

Jade-Eyes ponders this. "A very curious question. I do not think that I can give you an easy answer. For the sake of the people, it is more important, I believe, to be respected. But for the sake of my personal measure of how well I perform as a ruler, I should hope to be loved. I would think that, if I were purely detached and rational, I should desire respect, so that my decrees will be followed. But I am fallible, and the love of my people would be as good a measure as I could discern for a measure to tell me that I am on the right path."

Envoy smiles and nods, signing, "My dragon mother would say you favor the role of the Heart then, over that of the Will or Hand."

Jade-Eyes signs, "That is, to desire love foremost? But when I say that I desire love, I speak of my personal feelings. But that does not mean that all my actions need be in pursuit of personal love."

"It is not so much desire, as a role. To be looked upon as one would look upon their mother, and to perform the role of mother on a large scale." Envoy explains. "It is the most difficult of the three roles. The Will need only set the course, and define the goals of society. The Hand does what is necessary to achieve those ends. But the Heart must explain the goals in a way that the public can understand. It must forgive the Hand for the actions it performs out of necessity, and show compassion and sympathy for the hardships the public may endure for those goals."

"And which of these roles do you favor, Envoy?" asks Jade-Eyes.

"I am unsuited for any of them, due to my artificial nature. How can I decide which course is best for a nation of people that are alien to me?" Envoy signs. "I will never have children or grow old. I cannot sympathize then with normal people, so I cannot be the Heart. I am bound by moral directives which prevent me from fulfilling the role of Hand as well, since there are some things which may be required that I could not bring myself to do. Where I in your position, however, I would seek to be the best Heart that I could be. You have your Hand in the Twelve and the Twelve-Times-Twelve. Your Will can come from the people themselves, or from your Star."

Jade-Eyes smiles. "When the Star comes, I shall no longer have to worry about whether I am performing in the best interests of the People. The Star will show the way."

"Until then, you must still have direction," Envoy signs. "I would suggest finding wise people to advise you. Both young and old, rich and poor, so long as they are those who came to create better lives for themselves and their families."

Jade-Eyes ponders this, nodding. "Now, I must ask … how do you determine whether someone is wise or not?"

The Exile grins, and signs, "Everyone is wise, in some way. The trick is to choose a large number of people, perhaps at random. Listen to all that they have to say, and then make your decisions from the opinions that seem to make the most sense. It is easier than waiting until you have all of the experience you need yourself."

Jade-Eyes smiles. "A theory based on a very positive perception of the average person. I like that."

"It is one my creators would not favor, I must admit," Envoy signs. "It is the conceit of immortals to treat normal people as children. As a Queen, I think it fair for you to want for your people what you would want for your own children, however, and to use that analogy when it helps you make your choices."

Jade-Eyes ponders this. "You consorted with immortals, then? May I assume that they had no doubts about their own wisdom, and thus felt no need to seek it out amongst their people?"

"In some cases. But it is something that afflicts mortals as well. Take to heart the lesson of the old Priest-King," Envoy advises. "Even the Star's wisdom may not apply equally to all people and situations. The ability to change one's opinion is also a sign of wisdom."

Jade-Eyes frowns. "Or a sign of indecision."

"Indecision is the fear of making the wrong decision," Envoy says. "The wise person knows that not every decision can be the best one, or the correct one, and will able to accept the consequences and admit to the error."

Jade-Eyes smiles at this. "Well put."

Envoy takes a little bow. "Thank you. Humility is as important as confidence in a leader. You will make mistakes, but humility is what lets you learn from them. As a former slave, I think you understand humility. Do not associate it with weakness though."

Jade-Eyes inclines her head to Envoy.

The Exile moves in a bit closer, so that her signs might not be seen easily by others. "There are those that do not understand this. They see this as weakness, and will not accept leadership from one that exhibits humility or mercy. Be cautious, for they will follow their own will while pretending to support yours. Do not depend entirely on the Twelve or Twelve-Times-Twelve, Jade-Eyes. Be sure to have the support of your citizens, and ensure that they can defend themselves if needed."

Jade-Eyes frowns at these new signs. "Something worries you," she signs, matter-of-factly. "What is it?"

"Some among the mages seek a stronger hand, and perhaps resented Third-Vision's decision to not be deified," Envoy signs, with a serious emphasis to the gestures. "They will tell you what you want to hear, so long as it serves their purposes. I urge you to always consider what advice you get, and to look at it objectively. That includes the advice I give you now. Do not let yourself become beholden to the Hand."

Jade-Eyes, smiling for most of the exchange, does not smile now … for a moment, and then she hides her serious expression with a polite smile, one that looks like it is put on for the benefit of anyone who might be watching. "Your wisdom is appreciated, friend Envoy. I suspect that our beliefs do not coincide in all ways, but I know your heart to be good. I appreciate your friendship."

"I cannot comment upon or question your faith, Jade-Eyes," Envoy signs back, also smiling. "I don't want others to use it to manipulate you, though. It is your judgement that matters though, and I feel both respect and love for you. I will always try to help you, and will come if you call me."

Jade-Eyes smiles more genuinely at this. "I appreciate that. We should keep in contact. I should like to know how to reach you, and I suspect you travel much, as a mage is prone to do."

"For the immediate future, I will be reachable through the court of the Khattan Emir," the Aeolun replies. "And if that changes, I hope to be able to send word back to you via a Xenean mage that comes to the Earth Tower. If that fails, I can probably be reached via magic, or tracked down by Inquisitor Melchizedek. I'll also try to keep in touch as well, since I don't imagine you'll be moving around too much for awhile."

Jade-Eyes smiles and nods. "I should be easy to find. And I will let it be well known that I wish to receive any messages from you with all expedience."

Envoy smiles and looks around. "You should get back to planning the new palace I imagine, before people read too much into our meeting. If you like, we can go to the site and I can describe what it was like when Emerald-Eyes and I went to face the old Priest-King. It was quite beautiful, in a potentially morbid way."

Jade-Eyes nods, her mouth quirking a bit. "Perhaps. Perhaps I can meet you there, when I am finished here?"

"Of course, Priest-Queen," Envoy signs, smiling. "I can use the time to catalog any other changes in the landscape that have taken place, and check for residual soil contamination."