Down and down the elevator goes, moving fast yet taking quite a long time. Lito wonders just how deep this underground facility goes. This is the first bit of high technology he's seen since his arrival under the Central Sun. What exactly is the Central Sun, he wonders.

Dorothea smiles to herself as she stands in front of Lito. The Queen's mind is blank, a skill everyone learns in a society of open minds with mind-to-mind communication. She knows what she wants to think, and that is enough for now.

Iníon is different, she has no flowering web of potentialities filling her mind. She is trepidatious yet excited by the ride. She picks up on the incongruity of it all, but she does not pursue the thought. Dorothea senses Iníon is more concerned about who they are about to meet. Dorothea smiles.

The elevator comes to a stop at the bottom of its run, and the doors open to a room filled with technology and devices neither Lito nor Iníon recognize. Dorothea steps out into the room and the other two follow. Dorothea wastes no time, leading Lito and Iníon out into a hallway elsewhere.

After a few minutes of walking nondescript metallic corridors with a dull light emanating from all surfaces, Dorothea leads Lito and Iníon into another room, this one much warmer than the spaces they've passed through so far.

The room itself is painted red, and the furniture is modern and quite clearly from Earth, or at least inspired by Earth design. Lito scans the room and notes everything his eye passes over, and he eventually settles on a figure sitting in a chair facing the other way from the door.

The person sitting has a tablet in their hands, and they are reading. Dorothea steps forward and says, "Sorry for the interruption, but I have brought you and old friend and a new friend too."

The person sitting turns around for a brief moment, and both they and Lito lock eyes. Standing up while abandoning the tablet, the person, who's wearing a powder blue uniform, reveals themselves to Lito.

"You! I thought you died on the surface! No one told me you were alive!"

Lito's eyes grow slightly wider, "Leonie. I'm honestly just as shocked to see you here as anyone or anything else. How did you get here?"

"I was . . ." Leonie pauses for a moment. Dorothea senses the reaching for thoughts into a disconnected void where a thought should be. Leonie continues, ". . . rescued."

"Where is Ailuros?" Lito asks.

"She . . ." Leonie pauses again.

"Who's Leonie?" Iníon interrupts, gently pulling at Lito's arm.

Lito, realizing his lack of manners turns to Iníon and says, "Iníon, forgive me. This is Leonie, we traveled together back in the Library. We've been through quite a lot together even for the short time we've known each other."

Iníon stares intently at Leonie, and Leonie smiles back. Leonie says, "It's good to meet you."

Dorothea can sense the knot of emotions in Iníon's throat and the slight confusion from Leonie, who reads that same knot and is unsure about how to proceed.

Lito also notices Iníon's feelings, saying, "It's good to see you again Leonie," Lito turns to Dorothea and says, "I'd like all of us to get to know each other better. Is there somewhere we can have a drink or something to eat?"

Dorothea says, "What a wonderful idea. Yes, follow me."

The second trip through nondescript halls is shorter than the first, and Dorothea leads the other three into a small dining facility. Food under the Central Sun is more a social artifact than anything, but of the many such artifacts, food is the most persistent and indulged.

All four sit and a meal is soon served, with another person in a powder blue uniform providing the service. Lito starts the conversations, "I must apologize again, I failed to properly introduce myself. My name is Lito."

Leonie's eyes brighten at the name, "You got your True Name back! Congratulations! I assume the Central Sun managed that for you. I certainly didn't help any."

Lito smiles weakly, "Yes, the Central Sun helped me find myself," his smile grows, "I see the Central Sun has done the same for you."

"Yes! I was always depressed, I understand that now. I lived in a body I hated, even with . . ." Leonie pauses, and everyone including Iníon notices. Leonie's mind turns over, "I'm just glad I can live as my true self."

Lito glances once towards Dorothea and feels enough to leave well enough alone. Dorothea says, "Leonie, why don't you show us the mantle?"

Leonie brightens again and says, "You're right! Lito, despite my failure to save you I did manage to save the Magician's mantle."

Without waiting for a response Leonie stands up and casts a spell, the powder blue uniform burning away in a bright light, and the red mantle of the Magician with all the accoutrements in their proper wear and place grow into place with burning flames.

With the double wand, Leonie summons a staff, this one topped with a gleaming blade. Leonie says, "I've been practicing combat. I think I've made a lot of progress, especially since. . ."

Lito feels something dig into his right arm, and sitting next to him Iníon digs her fingers into his skin. Lito says, "I hope we can all spar soon. Training is an excellent way to get to know one another."

Dorothea smiles.