Rephidim Roofs
Above the Bazaar is almost an entirely different world, one reserved for fliers only. The rooftops of the accommodating businesses and homes have wide flat spaces to land, or perches sticking up that a weary aerial can loiter on. Little Babel has the highest concentration of these establishments and conveniences, though there are others scattered throughout the city, and not as Eee-focused. Also clearly visible, are the courier flagpoles that stick up from the various merchants that frequently require that quick service.

Brishen perches on a rickety platform, high above a bustling clothiers. Customers rush in and out, finishing that all-important last bit of shopping before dusk falls, oblivious to the courier. It can't be said that she's terribly aware of them either, her eyes wandering towards Little Babel as she looks for one shape amongst the many fluttering above the city.

Brishen whispers, squeaking, "Come on, Reico – You're usually around here."

Brishen cups her wings as she drops from the platform, catching an updraft as she floats across a block of buildings, alighting on a broad, flat roof, next to a courier's flag.

A familiar looking shape flies up from the streets, winging over to the flag Brishen presently sits beside. The erratic flight pattern, and wildly flapping courier bag easily identifies this Eee as Reico.

Brishen giggles faintly as she calls out, "Hey, Reico!"

"Hey Bree." He calls as he swoops in and lands beside Brishen, "Sorry I took so long, last customer wanted to talk, so I did. Got a nice tip." He shows her a large long-legged beetle that he crunches happily in half.

Brishen glances down at her satchel, making sure it's safe and tightly-buckled, then brushes a lock of hair from her eyes as she glances at the other Eeee. "Didja get anything for me?"

Reico looks behind himself, then holds out the other half of the bug, "Want this?"

Her hair ruffles a bit in the breeze as Brishen scoots over to Reico, using the bug as an excuse to hug the taller bat. She does crunch on it though, smiling, "I've had the strangest day – Remember that airship that crashed in the Bazaar?"

He returns the hug with a quick nod-nod, "Yep! Swoop! BOOM!" His wings flap out to full extension behind him, as if he was caught in an explosion. "It crash again, and I missed it again?"

Reico rubs at his ears, "I'm sure I would have heard it."

Brishen's wings flutter a little as she smirks, "Not quite. I ran into one of the Zelaks that helped me pull the pilot from the wreck. It – had no legs." She tilts her head a little, "Some Kavi were trying to sell it."

"They can live with no legs, woah." He pauses with a shocked expression, absorbing this concept, then asks. "So you bought it?"

The little bat furrows her brow as she remembers something important, and looks around. "That's not the important thing, though – No, I didn't buy it!" She sticks her tongue out. "It's a Temple bug, I would have gotten into trouble, and I don't know what I'd do with a Zelak anyway."

"Yeh, it's kinda creepy to have a bug that looks like it could eat you around." The other Eee agrees.

Brishen crosses her arms, squeaking, "What's important is that there was a strange Eeee at the Bazaar. He paid one of the Kavi to follow me." She hmfs, "Well, watch me."

"Hey, I do that for free!" Reico grins, then looks a little more serious. "You don't think he's one of the Sabaoth's saboteurs do you? His dragon burned down that shop in Darkside, and there was that airship explosion the other day."

Her satchel's buckles rattle quietly as Brishen fumbles with one of the larger pockets. "It's the second time I've run into someone who paid too much attention to me." She looks around again, "I'm starting to wonder if that letter has something to do – " Bree winces, "Yeah, I remember that."

Brishen giggles belatedly at Reico's comment, then hmms. "He did say he was from Babel, but lots of Eeee are. So're my parents!"

"They are? Shhh! Don't mention parents, mine might hear." He wiggles his ears, then looks down the side of the building at the street – possibly looking for Kavis. "Maybe he's trying to recruit you, but maybe it is that letter."

Brishen spreads her wings, bouncing a little. "Your place isn't too far from here, right? I'm getting kind of nervous about just standing around."

"Yeh, its just a swoop over… its, uh, kind of messy." Reico points, then gets an embarrassed look, one that suggests his room is a little too disorganized even for someone as freewing and loose as he is. "We could go hang at the courier bar."

Brishen shrugs, squeaking quietly. "I tried to leave as soon as I could after the guards arrived, but I think that Eeee might've followed me, or tried to." She puffs her chest out proudly, and smiles. "I flew all over the place before coming here, though." She blinks a few times, then hmms. "I dunno about that, Rei. That bar has pretty good ears."

"Hm," Brishen whispers. "There's a park not far from here with a treehouse. That'll work!"

"Okay, yeh, that sound good. Race ya!" Reico flaps off the rooftop, then circles back almost instantly. "Oh, right, I don't know where it is."

Brishen giggles quietly, crouching a bit before throwing herself into the air. "The key to being a good courier, Reico, is knowing where the city is. Besides, I used to sleep there a lot." She tugs on Reico's hand as she flutters up alongside him, then swoops off towards a dark rectangle studded with gaslight. It's not long before the pair find themselves in a sturdy old treehouse.

"Turbulent!" Reico exclaims once he's inside, "I'd never of found this. I fly too fast. You have to be fast too, zoop."

"Oh, I should be quieter shouldn't I?" He lowers his voice, and crouches up correspondingly, then hangs from the ceiling.

Brishen squeaks, poking Reico before settling down on the floor with a rustle of wings. "I got another steady contract." She looks up at Reico, grinning. "Sometimes if you're fast, you miss things."

Reico grins back, "Well, miss the wall first, that's what I say. New contract?"

Brishen tugs the letter from her satchel, brushing a few leaves aside before spreading it out on the floor. "I've been thinking about this list – I recognize a lot of the names on it." She nods, "Uh-huh. Pays pretty well, too."

"Swooper!" The other courier grins back. "So who are they, maybe there's a connection."

Brishen hmms, sticking the tip of her tongue out. "I don't know if there's a connection at all." She brushes a lock of hair from her eyes. "Look – there's the Temple, the Missing Shekel, a butcher shop – " She squeaks frustratedly, "These are places all over Rephidim, some pretty bad. I don't know why a few of them would donate any money to repairing the Clocktower."

Brishen shakes her head a few times, and looks at the names.

Reico looks curiously at the upside down, (for him) list. "Huh, well, they could right? Maybe they've got some money to get rid of or something." He doesn't look too sure of his suggestion.

"We could just go ask, some of those places aren't bad. Maybe there's a commission if we get donations." He brightens up.

Brishen sniffs quietly, then scrambles up so she can hang upside-down as well, and Reico can get a better look at the list. "I don't know – " She grins, "We could, but I imagine we weren't supposed to see this list."

"We weren't?" Reico looks a little worried. "You sure? It was in the stuff they gave us. Maybe the merchant forgot to tell us about it; He seemed kinda grumpy."

Brishen shrugs, rubbing her nose. "He told us to put up posters, not deliver any letters. And there isn't an address on this envelope." She squeaks quietly, "The Eeee at the auction seemed a lot more interested in me than what was going on – He ended up meeting a very large Khatta, though. And there's still that person I met the day we put up the posters – He was at the crash, too."

"Yeh, thats true. Still, it doesn't look important enough for people to be following you around… Hey! Do you do Darkside deliveries?" He glances at Brishen.

Brishen rubs her forehead. "It's all too weird to be part of the same puzzle, though. Maybe we should check out some of these addresses – The clothing shop isn't far from here."

Brishen looks evasive for a moment, then smiles weakly. "A lot, Reico."

"You do?" His eyebrows shoot up, (well, down in this case). "Wires Bree, I only do them now and then, and my wings are tingling the whole way. It could be just that, if something goes wrong with a Darkside package, they blame the courier. Those guys after you might have nothing to do with the letter."

Her wings flutter as Brishen looks at the letter, "I've never delivered anything to the Missing Shekel – " She glances up, or down, rather, at Reico. "You know I've had a few bad deliveries, though." The look in her eyes suggests that this is a really old thread.

Reico nods, his eyes shifting with concern and the confusion of not knowing what to say. "Hey, it's wind right? It's gone, don't worry about it. You want to see the clothing store? They might still be open."

Brishen nods, tucking the letter into her satchel. Her hands flutter a little as she tests the buckles, making sure everything's tightly shut. "Let's go!"

Fwup-fwup-fwup! Brishen holds her wings close as she loops around the treehouse, then up over the park. She looks around to make sure Reico's close, then flies off towards the clothiers.

Reico follows, a few moments later the two Eees land outside one of the many clothing shops in the Merchant's quarter. As it is an actual shop, and not a mobile stand, it caters to more expensive and upper class clientele. The doors are shut, with a CLOSED sign, but the lights are still on inside.

Brishen furls her wings as she lands, waiting for Reico to do so as well before she whispers. "The lights are on – " She fidgets a little as she looks at the door. "I don't know what to do."

He tries to peer around the blinds in one of the windows. "I think I see someone in there. Um, just knock? We are couriers, maybe you never get the wrong address Bree, but I do alot. I mean, occasionally."

Brishen looks herself over. Nervousness has gotten her dressed in much darker clothes than usual. She hrms, then unbinds her hair, ruffling it out. "Did you see if there was a courier's pole on the roof? I don't think there was."

Brishen giggles faintly as she glances at the roof.

Reico shakes his head, "I didn't see one. Do you have a package in your satchel? We could pretend its for here. Just ask for one of the names on the list."

Brishen hmms, glancing both ways before starting to cross the street. She turns back for a moment. "I'll think of something – Keep an eye out for me, huh?"

The other courier nods, and watches the street.

Brishen coughs a few times, making her voice faintly raspy, then knocks at the door. She stands primly on the steps as she waits.

Muffled by the door, but easily audible to Eee ears is a surprised exclamation. It is followed quickly by a cheery, "We're closed, come back tomorrow."

Brishen calls out, trying to keep her voice a little lower and a little raspier than usual. "I have a package for Jallicou Goode?"

"Oh Good! Get that will you Pins, it might be the zolk I ordered." Is the response. A moment later there is the sound of boltlocks being withdrawn, and the door swings open. A Savanite in a very elaborate, but lopsided dress stands in the entrance. She doesn't look up at Brishen, but just holds out her hands.

"Just give it Pins, thank you dear." A Kujaku waves from behind the dress she is working on. A rather fancy affair with lots of lace, that sits on a dress-block in the middle of the room.

Brishen pauses for a moment, smiling as she rummages about in her satchel – Then gasps, drawing a hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh! I'm terribly, terribly sorry. This package is for Jallia Goode." She giggles raspily, "A friend has recommended your store so frequently that your name was the first to come to mind."

Brishen takes a step back, still smiling. "Again, I'm very sorry for disturbing you." She spreads her wings a little.

Jallicou pops up from behind the dress. Her slave may be called pins, but she seems to have a great number of them stuck in her beak. Actually, in a cloth cover that sits on top. "Oh, well we all make mistakes dear. Don't worry, do shop here if you ever want something fancy."

Brishen smiles as she waves. "I will!" Her smile fades slightly once she's in the air and looking for Reico.

Pins closes the door as Brishen leaves, locking it again.

Reico whistles from a nearby rooftop, "Hey Bree, over here. What did you find out?"

Brishen squeaks as she lands nearby, fussing with her hair. "I'm not sure. The second name on the list was Goode's slave."

Brishen ties her hair back, absently, then coughs. "Umf."

The other Eee ponders this for a while. "Well, sometimes I've got stuff that absolutely has to go to someone, and I end up giving it to their personal slave anyhow. Maybe the names in the second list are people you talk to if you can't talk to the ones in the first column."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Brishen hugs Reico, smiling, then tilts her head. "The slave did answer the door – But – " She looks at her satchel.

"You didn't give her one of your packages did you?" Reico asks suddenly, as if that was the sort of mistake it is easy to make.

Brishen blinks, her eyes getting wide, and giggles. "No! I just told her I had the wrong address."

Reico winks, "Yeh! That works all the time. Hmm… so now what? Most of those other places will be closed by now, and the ones that aren't… " The Missing Shekel's reputation is widely known.

Brishen says, "Yeah, not too many places stay open this late, unless they're in Little Babel." Brishen smiles, "Speaking of which, I think there's a restaurant there with our names on it.""

"Race you there!" The other Eee bolts into the sky; a moment later a questioning voice drifts out of the darkness. "Where was it we were going again?"