As fate would have it, shortly after Envoy's encounter with Rory, Caroban happened to drift fairly close to Rephidim (which, as it always seems to be, is over the continent of Ai). Since there's still some time until Reckoning Day, and Rephidim was so conveniently nearby, Envoy decided to first make a stop to the sky island city, which she has not visited in quite some time. Rory has been away for quite a long time himself.

"Darrrrrk!" Rorschach says yet again, in Rory-speak for "cool" or "wow", as he stares about him at all the bright sights and breathes in the mingling smells (not all of them unpleasant). It's not as magical as Caroban, true, but far more alive with activity, and even more of a melting-pot of what Sinai has to offer – though in this particular region, most of it has a decidedly Babelite slant to it.

The reason Envoy happens to be accompanying the little unicorn into this part of the city, however, is primarily because – thanks to some tips from some contacts with her former days with the Bards' Guild – she has caught word that an old friend is likely to be performing on a street corner nearby. The distinctive sounds of a Saskanar double-flute and Vykarin drums confirm this tip.

"I can't say that I've nearly forgotten what this place is like," Envoy admits, "but that doesn't make it any easier to navigate. I think Vielanika is over this way, I can hear her flute!"

Rory nods, stumbling after Envoy, keeping in the larger "unicorn's" shadow. He tugs at one of her sleeves. "Mage Envoy," he says, "look! That Savanite girl isn't wearing her collar!"

Sure enough, there's a Savanite girl making her way through the Bazaar, possibly using Little Babel as a shortcut, rather than coming her for, say, bugs or fruit. (By the bundle she has, it seems that cheap fabric is more what she's after.) She certainly is without any identifying slave collar, as Rory has pointed out.

Envoy doesn't look for long, and says, "Slavery is illegal on Rephidim now, Rory. There's a whole nation ruled by a Savanite Queen, even. I'll have to bring you there sometime. They've got a nice fun-park."

Despite Rory's distraction, however, Envoy can make out the familiar form of Vielanika – same taste in clothes and music, same drummer – on a patio just up a short flight of steps from the street.

Rory gives Envoy a dumbfounded look. "Really? You mean, they can take care of themselves? But I'd always been taught… " He lets that thought trail off, biting his lip in thought.

Leading the small Aeonian through the crowd towards the performance, Envoy tells him, "Well, that's because you weren't taught by slaves. Thousands of years ago, it was the Savanites that kept slaves, and ruled a huge empire through might and magic."

Rory has that look in his eye that suggests that he's got dozens of questions wrestling for position to come out first in response to Envoy's explanation, but he's quickly distracted from that line of thought once he gets sight of the tall thin Eeee flute-player … and her Vykarin drummer. "Darrrrk! What … what is that?" Forgetting his manners, he points at the brown-shelled vaguely lupine creature.

"That's just Rawrii," Envoy says, grinning at the drummer. "He's a Vykarin, from the northern territories. He ruvs rums … err … loves drums, and he's one of the first people that I met when I first came to Rephidim. He's really nice, as long as you aren't a vermite."

Rory laughs, not taking his eyes off of the tongue-lolling, happy drummer. "We have the same name! So, he's a person, and not an animal? I used to have a pet vermite, when I was at the College here in Rephidim. I lost it, though."

Envoy grins and nods, saying, "He's a person, but he's also an animal in some ways. I've got a Vykarin necklace that uses their writing, which is based on the shapes and colors of bits of their shells. They come in lots of different colors." She waves a hand to try and catch the shell-wolf's attention.

Rory nods. "You know all sorts of stuff! Is there anything you don't know, Envoy? But then, I guess, if you didn't know it, you might not know that you don't know it. Maybe. Never mind," he rambles.

Envoy thinks about that for a moment. "Actually, there is something I know that I don't know. There was a time after I arrived on this world when I didn't have a mind, so I don't have memories of what happened."

Rawrii, despite his eyes not being visible, sniffs at the air … and then notices Envoy. His drumming ever so imperceptibly picks up pace, as he tongue-lolls at Envoy, and his thick tail slams against the tiles of the porch as it wags. Vielanika, to her credit, adapts to the slight change in pace, but it certainly gets her attention – and she, too, looks Envoy's way. A faint smile is all Envoy gets in recognition – but Envoy can also tell at a glance that the years have not been overly kind to Vielanika. Her eyes are starting to show signs, but also her garments may well be the same clothes she saw last time they met – carefully mended, but still sun-faded and worn now.

Rory furrows his brow at Envoy's statement, but doesn't immediately say anything, just giving a polite nod to show that he's still listening (or at least pretending to). Normally, Rory would have plenty of wild theories to cast out at such a statement, but he's just got too much vying for his limited attention span at the moment.

The Aeolun smiles to her old friends, and click-pops a Vykarin greeting to Rawrii while listening to the music. "Doesn't she play well?" she asks Rory.

The unicorn nods vigorously, evidently enjoying the music. "It's an old song from Babel, I think. I only kind of sort of remember it. It's sort of different, the way she plays it." He absently starts hopping from one hoof to the other, half-forming words to go with the melody, though the bulk of it is along the lines of "Yes, la la la la," and other such space-filler nonsense. His memory, no doubt, is quite inferior to Envoy's.

"It has a nice mathematical purity to it," Envoy comments. "I used to sing along when I was an apprentice bard."

"So the Sun said to Verida, 'That's the price you'll have to pay,'" Rory stammers along, trying to remember the words, "And with a silent nod, she let the demons carry her away. But don't you worry now, for she went not very far. Relena was so pleased, she made her a new bright star."

Vielanika's flute trills out a final warbling note, her typical way of ending a song. Rawrii patters on his drums, and then the song stops. There is some applause, as Vielanika bows, and Rawrii just bark-clicks, expressing his pleasure.

Envoy applauds lightly, and watches to see how the crowd responds. Vielanika's been around so long, she worries that the Bard's talent might be taken for granted now.

Vielanika tosses her hat to the tiles of the porch with a touch of flair, and, at the invitation, a few of the onlookers toss some ceramic coins in. Envoy can tell at a glance, though, that business isn't quite so good as it was in the old days. But then, Envoy's seen some far less clad (and noticeably younger) entertainers along the way that seemed to draw more appreciative crowds.

Smiling, Envoy approaches the Eeee as the crowd moves on. "It's good to see you again, Vielanika, and you too, Rawrii! I feel like I've been gone for half a lifetime. Although, technically … it has been nearly half my lifetime so far."

"Envoy!" Vielanika calls out, leaning over the railing to throw her arms around the Aeolun in a hug. "What brings you back to Rephidim?"

Rawrii clambers up to his hooves, and waddles over to the edge of the railing, tongue lolling, tail wagging violently. "Rero, Ronvoy!" he barks.

Envoy returns the hug, and says, "You, actually! How's your Khattan? Or do you know Zerdan?" She reaches out to pat Rawrii on the snout, and says, "Oh! And this is my friend Rory. Rory, Rawrii! Rawrii, Rory!"

Vielanika says, "Just fine, actually – more so Khattan than Zerdan, thanks to some time hitching rides with caravans. Rory, you say?"

"Rero, Rawrii!" Rawrii barks, poking his nose through the wooden rails on the edge of the slightly raised porch.

Rory laughs, and timidly reaches out to pat Rawrii on the snout, too.

Envoy steps aside to present the chiaroscuro patterned unicorn to Vielanika. "He's also a Mage, just got his Journeyman rating!"

"A Journeyman, you say?" Vielanika gives the little unicorn a dubious look. "I didn't realize they turned them out so small these days."

Rory frowns. He's been getting a lot of this. "Well, I'm a new Journeyman," he says.

"Oh, he's Aeonian … essentially," Envoy explains. "He's like me in that he doesn't really age like others. He's probably older than I am."

Vielanika mouths an "Oh" at this. "I see now. Sort of like an Aelfin, I suppose. I guess I do see some resemblance. Here! Come up onto the porch, and out of the teeming crowds of pickpockets! I paid off the Kavis for this spot, so we might as well exploit it."

Rory's eyes widen at this, and he pats himself down for good measure. A sigh of relief indicates that he must not have been noticed by the teeming crowds of pickpockets just yet. Either that, or they aren't interested in polished stones, half-used candles, colored sand and chalk.

Envoy helps the unicorn onto the porch. "Well, more like Arch-Inquisitor Melchizedek than an Aelfin … just a lot smaller and cuter," she says to her former mentor.

Vielanika grimaces faintly at the mention of the Arch-Inquisitor, though it might not be totally evident whether it's the name that evokes this response, or the title. "Well, it's good to see you're making friends. How's … business? I've been hearing rumors back here, and don't know which of them to put any merit in. You pop up now and then, in the most outrageous contexts."

"Well, you can ignore any rumors about my having died," Envoy says, grinning, "although I have had a few setbacks lately. I'm in the middle of trying to take care of them, which is why I wanted to find you. Are you really busy this season, or can you come to Abu Dhabi for a few months … or years?"

Vielanika makes a weak smile. "Truthfully … I'd love to … but … eh… " She looks over to Rawrii and to the little unicorn busily making friends with him and giggling at getting slobbered on, then glances back to Envoy. "Business hasn't been so good, and I've incurred some debts. What with the ending of slavery here in Rephidim, some Auditor got it into his head that I had Rawrii as a slave, and, well, it was a complete joke, but I had to pay a bunch of fees basically to prove otherwise, and then, when that was done, to pay a bunch of taxes he should have been paying for being in Rephidim for as long as he's been and … " She shakes her head. "Anyway, I had to take a loan from a not-entirely-reputable source to cover all of that, lest I get in trouble with the Audit. If I 'skip town', it could spell … even more trouble."

Envoy blinks, her face turning into a mask of worry. "That's terrible! How much do you owe? I can probably arrange to pay your contract in advance… "

Vielanika's ears blush. "Envoy … Envoy, I can't let you do that. It's almost an entire gold."

Gears turn in the Aeolun's head, as she asks, "But you wouldn't be in this situation if not for the Audit, right?"

"You could say that," Vielanika says, "but it's not all that cut and dried. Envoy … some people in the Temple … have a lot of personal power, and use it in ways that … aren't always quite fair. But as long as they don't push it too far, or against the wrong people, they are left alone. Some people in the Temple really don't care much for Babel – or for Eeee in general – and I know a few people have fingered me as some sort of spy or agent. You'd think that'd encourage them to push me out of Rephidim … but I suppose some minds don't work quite like that." She sighs. "Anyway, that's all a great deal of supposition on my part. It could just be that some fellow whose advances I rebuffed was the great-nephew of the son-in-law of the best friend of the High Arch-Poobah-Inquisitor or something along those lines, and put in a bad word about me."

Envoy sighs, and asks, "I take it that Nimiss isn't in charge of the Audit anymore then?"

"I honestly don't know," Vielanika says. "I hear his name mentioned now and then, so I don't think he's been flushed out in one of those Temple internal feuds … but I really don't know. And, besides, think about what I just said – If there are people who have it in for the Eeee, then wouldn't he be pushing things a bit too far to stick his neck out for a nobody like me, even if he cared? Envoy, maybe you've got some threads to pull, but, really, I'll be fine. I just need to make it clear that I'll make good on my loan. I just have to keep working at it, and keep my expenses down."

Envoy frowns, and glances at the paltry number of coins in the hat. "I can't just leave you like this, Viela. You never walked away when I got into trouble. I was going to visit the Temple anyway, so seeing if I can do anything to help wouldn't even be going out of my way, really."

"Maybe there's a way to get your loan transferred to someone a little less dangerous," the Aeolun adds, thinking that would be innocent enough for the Eeee to accept.

Vielanika rubs at her temple with her free hand. "Maybe… I've just got such a bad feeling about this. You don't happen to know any reputable lenders, do you?"

Envoy blinks. "Has it gotten that bad in Rephidim? Actually, I was thinking of asking the Emirate Embassy about it too. They must know how to handle this sort of transaction."

The bat bard nods. "Well … if you come up with some suggestions, I'll listen … but just be careful. I'm supposing you aren't as naive as you used to be, and all, but … well, just be careful, that's all."

Envoy gives the bat another hug. "Don't worry. Aren't I still The Most Dangerous Exile In The World?"

Vielanika giggles, and says, "Sure enough, if even half what I hear is true. If the other half is, too, well … let's not think about that." She winks.

The Aeolun looks to Rory, and asks him, "Do you want stay here, Rory, or come and see the Temple? I might even be able to introduce to you an adult unicorn!"

"Darrrrrk!" Rory says, looking up from where he's stooping by Envoy. "Hey, Envoy!" He then click-wurfs something, and says, "I learned how to say 'I'm hungry' in Rawrii-ese!"

"Me too!" Rawrii click-barks in his own native tongue, apparently agreeing with Rory's sentiment.

Envoy giggles. "That's really handy, Rory! Vykarins are always hungry! Or is this a way of saying you'd like to stop for lunch first?"

Rory giggles, too. "Aw, that's all right. I want to see the Temple!" He gets up, and shakes Rawrii's stubby hand-paw. "Thanks for teaching me how to speak Rawrii-ese, Rawrii!"

"Rawright, Rawrii!" Rawrii barks back.

After giving the Vykarin a quick hug (letting go before he can start to drool), Envoy waves to the bards and promises, "I'll treat you both to dinner when I get back from the Temple, okay?"

Vielanika grins. "I have to admit, I can't bring myself to politely refuse that offer, Envoy. I'll keep my ears tuned for you."

"Byeeeeeee!" Rory calls out, as he waves to Rawrii and Vielanika.

Envoy takes the little unicorn's hand to help him down off the porch, and leads him towards the gate leading into the city proper. "No matter what else may change about Rephidim, I think the Bazaar will always be the same – constantly changing."