It had not occurred to Alptraum how he was supposed to request to see Melusine – he'd never asked on the occasions where she'd summoned him. He did remember the page, Aya, who brought him the summons last time however, and a bit of searching turned her up near the armory. The kitten agreed to take his request to wherever it was meant to be taken (pages must be able to go up to anyone and ask anything they need to in order to fulfill their duty, apparently). And so within half an hour of sending the request, Aya returned to fetch the bat to see the Shadow Dragon.

The Lair of Melusine
Deep in the base of a mountain, this dark cavern is of unknowable size. The only light comes from a circle of crystal embedded in the cavern floor, and the silence is oppressive – even echoes are somehow muted out.

Alptraum peeks around the doorway leading into her lair. His ears flick nervously, as he's never asked to visit before … he's not quite sure how she would take the request. She obviously accepted it … but that doesn't mean she might not be mad anyway. "Lady Melusine?" he calls out politely, "Thank you for taking the time to accept my request. I hope it is not an inconvenience for you?"

"I was not busy," is the reply from the darkness beyond the ring of light. "What did you wish to see me about, Alptraum? I hadn't realized you were my apprentice, until this request was made."

"Well, you are tutoring me in the usage of the shadow. It seemed appropriate," Alptraum answers as he walks into the darkened room. "As for why, well, it is because you know how I am made at a very, ah, intimate level. What I was hoping to ask you was if you would be willing to examine me and make sure that nothing seems amiss from when you first examined me. I spent some time with a friend of mine … a Yodhgorphat, in fact, and she exposed me to some of her magics. I wanted to be sure I had no, ah, lingering effects from it. I had not expected the complexity of what she did."

"Do you feel ill?" Melusine asks, as her pseudopod 'head' extends out over Alptraum.

"No, not at all," Alptraum comments as he looks upward at the moving darkness. "But, well … I guess I've grown a little paranoid with everything I've been through. Some things can linger and only awaken days later, from what I've seen."

"Very well then," Melusine says, and the head comes closer. "Try not to move."

Alptraum closes his eyes. It's best to not see himself being devoured by the darkness. It's just disturbing when something has a mouth bigger than you are.

The kenning takes a little longer than the first time, presumably because Melusine is checking and comparing things. It makes it difficult to breath, and Alptraum is beginning to feel dizzy by the time it concludes. But that's nothing compared to the feeling of… absence he experiences below the belt.

"Geh … what is she doing? Alptraum thinks as his mind starts to swim. When it ends and things feel … off, his eyes open. "Uh, what happened?" he asks with a rather worried tone in his voice. He reaches down and peers into his pants.

"Your body does not show signs of infection," Melusine reports, the shadowy head withdrawing. "However there was some minor trauma to your genitals. I have isolated them for now in order to examine the cause more closely. Did you need them back anytime soon?"

"You did … what?" Alptraum says, jaw dropping open. "Wait, what sort of trauma? How long? How did you isolate them? Er … where are they?"

"In my 'mouth' still," the shadow dragon replies, and then the 'head' does a disturbing impression of sloshing something from cheek to cheek. "It could be stress trauma from overuse. Did the Yodhgorphat abuse them in any way?"

"Well, er, she used them a lot," Alptraum answers and looks to the floor, rather embarrassed by this turn of events. He can't help but look in his pants again, wondering if anything was left in its place. He does have to use the restroom now and then! "How long do you … need to examine them?"

It's dark in there, naturally, but it feels like bare skin where his rod and tackle used to be. "I am not familiar with these sorts of conditions," Melusine says. "But it is my responsibility to ensure that nothing you have encountered will endanger Rosalind, you understand? Would you prefer I simply destroy the old tissue and shape a new set for you?"

"No! No, no," Alptraum blurts out loudly and waves his arms. "I just … okay, I understand you have to make sure she's safe. It's also part of why I wanted to be examined as Rosalind is very important to me. You couldn't have left me with something temporary? I mean … the lack of … things is a bit disconcerting."

"I could temporarily reroute the tubes into a copy of what Rosalind has," Melusine offers, while the blobby head continues with those disturbing 'chewing' motions.

Alptraum blinks repeatedly. "You could?" he asks, sounding as if he doesn't believe it. "Is that easier because it doesn't require growing new … uh, flesh?"

"I have never tried that sort of change before," the dragon admits. "I also do not taste any foreign matter in your flesh, however my sensitivity may simply be inadequate. You may be better off being treated by the Yodhgorphat herself."

Alptraum nods slowly at that. "I probably would," he agrees as he crouches down and holds the back of his neck. "How long will it take before you feel safe to, uh, return things?"

"I can do so now if you wish," Melusine notes. "But you should refrain from sexual intercourse for a few days to allow yourself time to properly recover, if it is simple mechanical trauma."

"Yes, please," Alptraum says, his ears almost wilting now. He takes a deep breath, then stands back up.

"Are there any changes you would like made first?" Melusine asks.

"To me? To, eh, them?" Alptraum asks.

The blobby head is already pressing against (and into) Alptraum's stomach when the dragon replies, "I suppose not. I understand that men can be very sensitive about such things."

"Nngh," goes Alptraum when the shadow slides into Alptraum's body. "Well, yes. Certain parts of our anatomy are very … important to us," he says as he holds still.

The Eeee gains an appreciation then for just how much plumbing is involved and how complex it is, since reattachment is a bit more drawn out than the removal had been. Once Melusine withdraws, she suggests, "Ice might help."

Alptraum twitches and grits his teeth during the 'procedure'. When she's done, the Eeee can't help but make an inspection of the area to make sure everything looks normal. He also lets out a breath he wasn't even aware he was holding during the reattachment.

"You may also wish to consult with the Yodhinala," Melusine notes. "I understand she is more familiar with reproductive health."

"Yes, well. She's a bit competitive with the Yodhgorphat," Alptraum admits, "I thought you would be more impartial. Which you have been! But … I think you have just scared me more than any other time I have visited you." The Eeee even clutches his chest.

"You find me frightening, Alptraum?" Melusine asks, as the false head bobs forward until it's practically nose to nose with the Eeee.

"At times, yes," Alptraum admits weakly. "You could do literally anything to me. I've often wondered exactly how that would feel. And yet … I also find you interesting to learn from. It's very confusing."

"Interesting?" Melusine comments, the head pulling back. "What do you find interesting about me?"

"Well, please don't take this the wrong way … but from how your kind has been described to me, you're supposed to be horrible. And yet, when I've talked to you, you've always been very helpful and straightforward. I wouldn't be able to describe you as horrible," Alptraum explains after a bit of thought. "And the fact you can shape yourself into anything too, and how you share the bond with the Countess. A bond I can't even fully understand since my bonding was quite different from yours. I'm honestly, well, I'm trying to understand you, if that makes any sense? I like to learn about people and their kind … and you are unique in all the people I've met."

"You see past the surface to my inner beauty, then?" Melusine asks. Her voice has an ominous purring quality to it this time though.

"I … well, I think you could describe it like that. I deal with a lot of really unusual people all the time, so I've learned to try not and judge by appearance, but learn about that person and judge them from what they are," Alptraum says carefully. "And I see you … as fascinating. Not to mention incredibly patient with me. I mean, comparatively speaking, I don't have near the experience and knowledge that you do. And yet you've explained things to me and never really sounded … put upon when doing so."

"And … helped me through some very difficult times," Alptraum adds as he raises his chitinous right hand and taps it with a claw from his left finger. "You helped me accept, and embrace, what I have become."

"Unlike some dragons, my kind prefers honesty in our dealings," Melusine boasts, and seems to coil about Alptraum in the darkness, as if trying to observe him from all angles at once. "And you are becoming… a very interesting person yourself, Alptraum. It is flattering that you are attracted to me not for my power, but for how I treat you. Do others not treat you so equally?"

"The Countess does, of course. And a few others, definitely. But in truth, many are not so honest with me. I have to be careful in my dealings with them to make sure I am not being used … unless I am okay with how they are trying to use me," Alptraum answers as he watches the darkness curl around him.

"So, you do not mind the uses I put you to?" Melusine asks, her voice moving to a point closer to Alptraum and over his right shoulder.

"You haven't done anything, or asked anything, of me that I have objected to, no," Alptraum answers as his head tilts to look over his shoulder. "And, in fact, I have a possible lead on someone who may at least know how to locate someone who can fix the contaminated heart."

The movement of the shadows stops, and Melusine's voice returns to its more businesslike tone again. "Who is that?" she asks, with a slight tinge of demand.

"A passing Reaper spoke of an instructor he once knew that may know how to find a crystal elemental or the like. I didn't explain why I needed one, only that I wished to locate someone who might know something about repairing crystals," Alptraum explains. "And if I bright this person a gift of drink, he may be willing to point me in the right direction."

"Please pursue this lead, Alptraum," Melusine requests. "If the crystal can be repaired, your reward will be greater than you can imagine."

"I fully intend to. Rosalind means the world to me and I would do anything for her. The only reward I'm seeking is making her happy," Alptraum answers. "And, you may wish to know that iron reacts very badly with me now. Holding the crystal without a glove burns beyond belief. I can almost imagine what its former owner experienced for a very long time."

The shadow around Alptraum shudders – enough for him to feel how it vibrates the air. "It is a blessing that this world is so poor in such materials," the dragon comments.

"My skin also welts from it and I'm … only partially shadow. For someone like you the pain must be horrible," Alptraum says, his chitinous hand reaching out to the shadow around him and coming to rest lightly upon it. "I will see what I can do to repair the crystal. I'm fairly stubborn when it comes to pursuing things."

"A good draconic virtue to have," Melusine says, her voice purring again.

"I've never really thought of myself as a dragon," Alptraum admits. "And can I ask you a strange question? How do you see us? Just like how I see things? Or do you see more than that?"

"I do not see like you do," Melusine says. "I do not have the proper referents to describe it, either. Light is something very different to me than it is to you."

"Well, I don't always see with light, either. I see by sound as much as anything. Even if I was blind, I could describe this room, and you, fairly exactly," Alptraum explains, "Hence my interest in how you see things. I cannot fathom being something that only sees by 'eyes'. It seems … limiting? Does that make sense to you? Is there any way you could show me how you see things? I'm curious."

"It would not make sense to you," Melusine claims. "You focus with your eyes and ears, but I 'see' with the whole of my being, both inwards and outwards. To me, you do not have a surface."

Alptraum has to think on that, then nods. "Fair enough," he says and doesn't pursue the matter. "Since you also just examined me … how goes my integration with the shadow? Is my flesh adopting well and accepting it? I have been able to manage things like a full body color shift."

"The changes are yet subtle," Melusine says. "And… I do not know precisely what to look for. Symbiosis is not something that kenning is adept at detecting, nor is parasitism."

"Well, I assume the shadow is not a parasite within me, is it?" Alptraum asks, just to be sure.

"It does not appear to be consuming your flesh or spirit," the dragon notes. "There was some trace of reaction with your arm, but that is likely due to allowing the spirit-energy of the Shadow to run low."

"I did push it too low once," Alptraum admits, "And it started reacting. I know the chitin is a permanent part of my flesh now, but could it, with practice, be drawn back in to conceal it temporarily?"

"Yes, in time," Melusine says. "When you have better mastery over it. That will come when you are ready to ken yourself."

"Ah, good. So in time and practice it could be done. Not that I am ashamed of it; I am honored to carry some of your kind as part of myself," Alptraum claims. "But if some day it be necessary to conceal for protection, it is good to know that it is possible."

"Do you enjoy the kenning, Alptraum?" the dragon asks out of the blue (or the black, in this case). "Do you enjoy it when I ken you?"

Alptraum rubs the back of his ear, looking a bit embarrassed. "Actually, I do," he admits. "It is an amazing sensation. Why do you ask, if I may ask?"

"There are many levels of kenning," Melusine explains. "It is an extension of my kind's method of reproduction. A shared intimacy."

"Oh," Alptraum says, looking even more embarrassed. "Is it because I am part shadow that I find it enjoyable, then? Is that my shadow reacting?"

"I cannot say," Melusine says. "We have only tried one-way kenning so far. You are not ready for tupping."

"Is tupping where both sides ken each other?" Alptraum guesses. "Is it something you hope I will one day be ready for?"

"Do not presume," Melusine says warningly. "I know that you find me alluring, and while I have kenned you, it does not imply that I am willing to engage in sensual pleasures with you. Does your pet dragon do such things? She is a bad influence."

Alptraum holds up his hands. "I am not presuming anything, I am only asking to try and understand what is expected or wanted," he says placatingly. "I would rather ask and be certain, than guess and make a mistake later."

"You are forgiven," Melusine says after a moment. "It is only natural for you to entertain lustful thoughts, after all. With or without the influence of the Shadow you bear."

"You are quite beautiful," Alptraum says with a short nod. "Now, is there anything you would wish of me to pursue on your behalf in addition to the repair of the crystal? I am in your debt for the exam you performed." The Eeee also thinks, "Even if you removed parts without asking!"

"The crystal is all that matters to me," the dragon claims. And then, after a moment, adds, "And the well-being of the House of Draco, of course."

"Of course. Rose is often in my thoughts. Her mood has not been of the best lately and I intend to fix that," Alptraum says with a nod. And remembering something else, Alptraum asks, "Were you still willing to make small changes to my body permanent if I asked you to do so?"

"If they do not complicate your functions, yes," the shadow agrees.

"Complicate my functions?" Alptraum has to ask. He then holds up his right hand to show the shadow dragon the scaling on the underside where the chitin ends. "I have been considering making the scales permanent, as I tend to keep them all the time anyway. Would it be dangerous to do so? Would it be difficult? Are there risks?"

"Skin alteration carries little risk, but may become inconvenient," Melusine notes. "Have the scales been at all distracting or caused discomfort or dulling of sensation?"

"Not significantly so far. I have been just considering it, but have yet to decide if I will," Alptraum says and lowers his hand. "It is good to know it would cause little risk if I decided to do it later. For now, I can refresh it when I choose, though." The Eeee then kneels down and dips his head, saying, "Again, thank you for your time and assistance, Lady Melusine. I hope my visit provided some interest?"

"Your reactions were most amusing, yes," Melusine replies, with what might be a playful lilt in her otherwise hollow voice.

Alptraum actually leans forward and kisses a spot on her shadowy surface, as if trying to kiss the back of a hand, then stands. "If you would like me to stay a bit longer, I can. Otherwise, I should not take up any more of your valuable time," the Eeee offers. "I will, of course, keep you updated on the crystal as well as if my shadow does anything unusual."

"You have things to attend to that are more important than keeping me company," the dragon claims, and her body slides away from around the Eeee.

"Ah, but not always as interesting as keeping you company," Alptraum offers as he starts towards the door. "Good day to you, Lady Melusine. May I always be of service to you." When he reaches the door, he glances back at the shadow dragon, thankful to have escaped that intact, and even more surprised by her reactions to him later. He may need to speak to Kaira about this after all and just what the importance of the crystal is.