Morning at Castle Sturmandrang finds Alptraum feeling a bit sore. Igorina didn't let him get much sleep, and even without the physical activity it might be hard to sleep in such a room; cobwebs hung like decorative lace from every beam, including the bed posts. There was a collection of shrunken heads on a fancy display shelf, along with the ubiquitous dribbly candles. The bed itself was clean and dust free, and comfortable enough if you didn't look too closely at the leering gargoyles carved into the posts, or indeed any of the other furniture. The wardrobe in particular looked hungry.

Alptraum realizes that one of his ankles is still chained to a bedpost, and that the sleeping Igorina has a very strong grip as she clutches him to her. The room has no windows, so there's no way of knowing what time it might be. There's a clock on a mantel over the room's fireplace, but it's frankly too hideous to look at long enough to figure out what time it shows, if it's even accurate.

Alptraum's tired eyes blink a few times as he looks towards the ceiling (one of the safer places in this creepy place). Before he tries to extract himself from the Skreek, he tugs lightly on his chained foot to test just how securely he's being held.

There's a rattle – apparently there's actually a little padlock holding it on!

Alptraum can't help but grin a bit at the thought he was so attractive that she chained him to hold onto him. "Rina," he now whispers to the clutching Skreek and starts petting lightly over her side with his right hand (which is still furless and pink), "It's time to wake up… "

The Skreek girl growls a bit, but eventually opens her violet eyes and yawns. "Oh… is it morning?" she asks.

"Yes," Alptraum answers. He waggles his chained foot to make it jingle, then asks teasingly, "Is there a reason you chained me to the bed, hmm?"

"Oh, that's just so you don't escape," Rina notes casually, and then seems to fish around in her cheeks with her tongue before finally sticking it out with a small key on the tip. Still straddling the bat, she leans backwards (wow, she's really flexible) to unlock the ankle-cuff.

"Escape? I'm a prisoner?" Alptraum asks as he stretches a bit underneath her. He yawns again and reaches up to run both of his hands lightly over her stomach as she stretches backward and is occupied with the lock. "Well, if that's the case, I have a suggestion… "

"No tickling!" Rina squeaks. "And you aren't a prisoner! I'm just kinky!"

"Oh, well, I was going to suggest you fit me with an old Savanite slave or prisoner collar while I'm here," Alptraum offers as he lightly scratches her stomach instead. "And I promise to be your pet monster as long as I'm here and wearing that… " Apparently last night put the bat in an odd mood…

Click "Well, that's tempting," Rina notes, pulling herself back into an upright sitting position. "But there's never been slavery in Sylvania, so I don't have any collars… "

Alptraum rests his hands lightly on either side of her hips. "Well, that's disappointing," the bat notes. "Do you have any suggestions then? I'm sure I'll be here for a couple days and I'm a sucker for entertaining my hosts."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find a way to keep you tired out," Rina notes with a toothy grin. "But for now… I should start getting breakfast ready for Dr. Twig. Do you like blood sausage, or are you still full from last night?"

Alptraum grins toothily right back, as he teases, "You don't have to leave just yet, though I wouldn't mind some breakfast. I think blood sausage will be fine. Now … do you have any earrings? … Nose rings? I'm in a weird mood and have this urge to be play the part of your prisoner somehow." He even waggles his ears.

"You are a strange one," Rina notes, tilting her head. "Most monsters want to be the master after all!" she adds with a grin. "And sure, I have some jewelry! But I'll have to get off to get it… "

Alptraum lifts his right hand and holds it in front of Rina. While he grins, he curls his chitinous finger in a come-hither way, trying to lure the Skreek into leaning down…

Whiskers twitching, the Skreek woman leans forward. Her fur pattern makes it look like she's wearing an executioner's hood.

Alptraum's right hand slides gently over Rina's cheek and even though he only feels the pressure of the touch, he well remembers how much she seemed to enjoy being touched by the monstrous appendage. When he can, his fingers curl lightly behind her head and he draws her down into a slow kiss. "That's better. Now you can get off, get dressed, and find me something," he whispers in her ear when it ends. The bat then nips her ear playfully for good measure!

"Some slave you are!" Igorina notes with a cackle, and slides off of the bed, where she goes about lighting some of the dribbly candles before going to her dressing table. "You should probably get dressed too," she points out. Alptraum's clothes are piled on the trunk at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep you interested in me," Alptraum claims with a laugh and finally sits up and stretches. He slips out of the bed and heads to his clothes. After pulling on his shirt he notes, "And don't worry, I'll take them off again when we're alone in here!"

"I do have to spend some time with Dr. Twig too, you know," Rina notes, returning with what looks like a charm bracelet. The charms are all teeth though… and one suspiciously tiny human skull.

"I know, I'm teasing," Alptraum says as he's cinching up his pants and then tying up the slits in his shirt to make it easier to put on over wings. The bat then extends his left hand to Rina. "Are those real? he asks of the teeth and skull.

"Of course they are," Rina notes. "They're all mine. Well, I carved the skull from a molar, but it's still one of my own teeth… "

"What? How is it that you still have teeth, then?" Alptraum asks as he leans in closer to try to peer at her teeth.

"Oh, I'm also a dentist," Rina claims, smiling to show off her shiny white teeth.

"Are they fake?" Alptraum asks and even tries to tap on one of her teeth.

Rina nips at the approaching finger. "Of course not! Why would I use fake teeth?" she asks, sounding a bit offended.

"I don't know anything about dentistry," Alptraum admits, "I wouldn't know what you would use." He offers his left wrist for the bracelet. "I figure I need the right free for whatever Doctor Twig will want to do with it," he explains.

Rina attaches the bracelet, having to adjust it a bit to fit Alptraum's thicker wrist. But when she's finished the bat has a jingly piece of jewelry that would make it difficult to sneak around with, due to the jingling.

"I'm a belled bat," Alptraum notes and jingles his wrist. "I suppose you need to get dressed now?"

"Yup," the Skreek says, going over to the scary wardrobe and prying open the door with a truly ominous creak. There are any number of outfits packed into it, and she selects out a black-and-white combination not usually seen in Sylvania: a classic Gallisian maid uniform.

Alptraum checks that all his cinches are secure and that his dagger is safely at his side. He glances up and notes, "I can't believe I'm saying this … but I think you'll look very good in that."

"The key is having a good butt," Rina claims. "The corset would give a Kiriga cleavage, but a short skirt doesn't hide much!"

"And you do have a good butt. I was able to admire it a lot last night," Alptraum says with a fangy grin. "Oh, mind if I ask you something? How many black hearts and victims of them have you seen?"

"Umm, well, none," Rina admits, as she laces up. "They are rare, after all. And you can't study the black heart by itself – it dissolves as soon as you remove it, and tries to take you over before it does."

"And you really think there are still fragments of one in my hand?" Alptraum asks and waggles the fingers of said hand. "And do you need help lacing up?"

Looking back over her shoulder, the Skreek nods and says, "Sure, just don't do go too tight or I'll be popping out whenever I bend over. And as for your hand… well, really, we won't know without a full examination."

Alptraum walks over to Rina and takes a hold of the laces. "Let me know when it is tight enough," he says and then slowly starts tightening the corset pulls.

"It was terrifying you know," Alptraum says as small talk as he tightens, "My hand first went numb … then the fur went gray and fell out. After that the skin went all leathery and sunken and my palm started swelling and throbbing… "

There is a squeak from the rat, which probably means Alptraum has hit the right amount of tightness. Her tail coils about like a serpent around one of the bat's legs.

Nodding, Alptraum finishes the lacing and ties off the corset at that point. His left hand jingles the entire time.

"I'm amazed you survived," Igorina notes. "Did you kill the previous host and it just latched on to you?"

"Actually, I stuck my hand and forearm in the Shadow of Amena and captured it," Alptraum says, "That's when the shadow infected me."

"Hmm, Dr. Twig will want to hear about that, I'm sure," Igorina notes, as she makes a few final adjustments to her skirt. "I'll show you to the dining room."

"Like I said earlier, I'm special. I have certain … immunities," Alptraum remarks vaguely as he slides his arm around Rina's. "Lead the way, o' Skreek of darkness… "

The dining hall of the castle is long… very long. It has two fireplaces and an oak table that's nearly twenty feet long, with claw-feet and high, narrow-backed chairs to accommodate wings. Igorina gets the fires going, and pulls out a chair at the right hand of the table head for Alptraum.

Alptraum dips his head to Rina, saying, "Thank you." He slides into the chair and curls his wings back around the edges of the narrow backed chair. "Do you use this room much? It is just you and Doctor Twig who lives here, right? It seems a bit large for just one person… "

"We use it all the time," Rina notes, going to the sideboard to get some cloth napkins and place settings (even though vampires don't have any real use for forks and knives). "He should be down soon. Do you like tea or Mateh?"

"Normally I would say tea, but given how groggy I feel, I think Mateh is better this morning," Alptraum admits and stifles a yawn. "Have you worked for him long?"

"Oh… maybe twelve years now," the Skreek notes. "For as long as he's been here at the castle, really."

"Wow, I feel young," Alptraum admits. "Have you ever met any of his old friends such as Rose Draco or Bunny Pike?"

"Can't say that I've met the women in the group," Igorina admits. "They don't visit here – Twig usually travels to see them when they get together at some symposium or other."

"I've only met those two," Alptraum notes, "Bunny is … jumpy and a bit silly. Rose has far too much to worry about."

"I don't know if Dr. Twig keeps in touch with the Countess anymore," the Skreek notes, setting a third place opposite Alptraum to the left of the head of the table, and brushing her hands on her apron. "She isn't really part of the group now, since she's busy all the time. Which of them sent you here, Bunny or Rose?"

"Azrael the Reaper, actually. I live in Draco County now and help the Countess with whatever my abilities allow, but she wasn't the one who sent me" Alptraum answers.

Igorina freezes for a moment at the mention of Azrael. "That's… interesting," she finally comments. "What sort of abilities do you have? Wait… we should wait for the doctor. No sense in repeating yourself, after all!"

"Azrael wants his Reliquary of St. Gorm back. I'm supposed to collect it while I'm here," Alptraum notes. He pauses for a second, then asks as his head tilts, "I take it you do not care for Azrael?"

"I didn't say that!" Igorina says quickly. "I have great respect for Azrael! Be sure to tell him that."

"I don't care for him," Alptraum notes. "But I will tell him what you said."

"Now now, it is impolite to say such things about owa wevewed eldaws," Dr. Twig says, as he glides into the room. He's dressed in full formal wear again, complete with a cummerbund. Without the rubber protective gear, it's more apparent just how tall and lean he is, and his overly-long fangs sparkle from having just been polished. He takes his seat at the head of the table and steeples his fingers over his plate. "I twust you had a wefweshing west, Mistah Weisendah," he says to Alptraum.

"Good Morning to you, Doctor Twig," Alptraum says with a slight bow of his head, "I had a delightful evening and night, thank you. Rina took very good care of me." He turns slightly sideways so he can better face the Doctor. "And I should also thank you for your hospitality and allowing me to stay. I also hope that my request of you won't be too difficult or time consuming."

"Ah yes! I'd nearly fowgotten that you didn't come hewe just to be poked and pwodded by us," Twig notes with a grin. "You have a pwoblem that only we can solve, yes?"

"I'll go get things started," Igorina says, bowing to the two vampires before heading out through a nearby door (presumably to the kitchen).

Alptraum digs in his side pouch with his left hand and draws out the blackened heart from the Shadow of Amena. He sets it on the table before Doctor Twig. He can't help but watch Rina's retreating backside a bit before saying, "I am hoping you can extract all the iron contaminating this crystal."

Twig picks up the crystal and examines it from all angles, tapping at the cracks with his claws and holding it to the light to see just how cloudy it is. "Hmmm, no signs of oxidation," he murmurs. "What kind of cwystal is this, exactly? It is not quawtz oh glass," he asks Alptraum.

"It is the former heart of a Shadow Dragon. That one came from the undead remains of the Shadow of Amena," Alptraum explains. The Eeee watches his host carefully now to see just how the doctor reacts to what the artifact is he's holding.

"A dwagon?" the other Eeee asks in surprise, nearly dropping the crystal before setting it down on his plate. "It is not a minewal then?"

"No, it isn't," Alptraum says. The Eeee then sets his right hand near the doctor's plate. "The carapace of my right hand is made of the blood of the dragon that also fostered the creation of those crystal hearts. In fact, the damage to my hand occurred when I was capturing the Shadow. It is what infected me with a black heart."

"I wish you had told me that befowe I picked it up," Twig notes with a slight twitch. He leans down as close to the heart as he dares, such that the red light from his eyes diffuses through the crystal. "Twicky. I will stawt with the electwophowetic bath to see if some of the pawticles can be dislodged befowe bwinging out the magnet… "

"That heart cannot infect you. The shadow's mind is long gone and its power is contained," Alptraum explains. "I made sure of that."

Tap-tap-tap. Poking the heart with a fork doesn't cause a reaction, apparently. "I wondah if it is a pwotein cwystal. I will have to be vewwy vewwy caweful not to damage it."

"Please. I need it intact and repaired. It is important to the Countess Draco that it is restored," Alptraum notes.

"I'll need to biopsy yowa hand too, I think," the doctor adds, just as Igorina returns with an elaborate tea service (with a bat motif) and a heavier mug that has the distinctive aroma of Mateh. "Do you take anything in your Mateh, Alptraum?" Rina asks. "Cream, butter, chocolate?"

"Chocolate," Alptraum answers. To the Doctor, he asks, "What does, ah, biopsying my hand entail, exactly? And why do you need to?"

"Well, if thewe is some similawity between yowa cawapace and the cwystal, we can test things on a sample fwom you to avoid wisk to the heawt," Twig explains, while Igorina prepares the tea and Mateh.

"He just wants to cut a bit of it off, is what he means," Igorina notes.

"How large of a sample do you need?" Alptraum asks, "While I don't feel much, I will feel pain if it's a significant cut… "

"Oh, not a lot," Dr. Twig promises. "Just little shavings, weally. You'll hawdly notice. And of couwse I'll pwefowm an optodepthoscopticon examination to stawt."

"A what?" Alptraum asks as a hint of worry creeps into his voice now.

"It's an artifact," Rina says, sounding reassuring. "First Ones or Exile… we aren't sure. But it's pretty neat."

"Perhaps I should explain about about what I am to help you plan what you will need to do?" Alptraum offers with a nervous smile.

The doctor takes four lumps of sugar in his tea, apparently, and likes to stir it himself. Igorina hands the chocolate-spiced Mateh to Alptraum, and heads back into the kitchen. "Oh, cewtainly, Mistah Weisendah. You have my cuwiosity going."

"Do you know what a Srinala is, Doctor?" Alptraum asks before taking a small sip from the mug. His ears then flick a bit when the chocolate and mateh hits him. He lets out a contented sigh.

"Oh, yes! Fascinating cweatuwes. Impossible to examine though, and thewe awe none outside of Ur," the other Eeee enthuses.

"My mother was a Srinala," Alptraum says, "My father … a very dangerous man and his name is best left unknown. Anyway, she was kept alive through the arts of the Yodhsunala and they also cared for me in the early days of my life."

Twig takes a loud sip of his tea, and his hand shakes a little as he sets the cup down. "A child of a Swinala… " he whispers. "Do go on."

"Due to the … circumstances of my birth, I was sent to Sylvania to grow up safely. Certain … powers in Babel had too much interest in me. I would not have been safe there," Alptraum continues. "That birth left me with certain … gifts, you could say. A natural resistance to spiritual infections … as well as the powers of the Barsunala spirit for moving, capturing, and dispersing spirits. It was those abilities that allowed me to capture the Shadow of Amena as well as survive its attempt to infect me with a black heart."

"So… can you tell me mowa about the natuah of the Shadow?" Twig asks, a bit nervously. "You said it was a Shadow Dwagon, but… I did not know they could contwol zombies."

"Well, he was undead. Enslaved by the demon of Aztepa," Alptraum explains, "It only gained that ability after she imprisoned and cursed it. But it is not a far stretch to understand how it could have those abilities, Shadow Dragons can reshape flesh like clay."

"Weally?" Twig asks, looking surprised, since his eyes glow just a little brighter for a moment. "And you have this ability yowaself now?"

"I fused with the Shadow's remains, so … well … yes," Alptraum admits. "But it takes a lot of life essence to do it and, well, I would have to absorb many creatures to affect changes… "

"Absowb? Can you show me this?" Twig asks, just as Igorina returns with several dishes. She serves both Twig and Alptraum giant, black sausages that look barely cooked – just warmed up, really. The other plate, full of fried eggs, fried potatoes and fried sausage goes before her own seat. "Have I missed anything?" she asks.

"Er, do you have anything living you don't mind me killing? Well, two animals, actually, since there is two ways to do it," Alptraum offers nervously.

"I have my expewimental ones," Twig notes, rubbing his chin. "I will want to obsewve this closely… after bweakfast!" he then claims, tucking his napkin into his collar and picking up his oversized sausage – which he promptly sinks his fangs into and starts sucking. He does this from the middle of the sausage, thankfully, otherwise it might seem awkward.

"One way actually lets me learn how something is 'made'," Alptraum explains as he unfolds his napkin and also tucks it into his collar. "For example I could learn what Rina is … and even make someone else look like her. The effort, though would be tremendous. And it is dangerous." It's now his turn to pick up his huge sausage. After a bit of inspection, he just copies what Doctor Twig did and bites it in the middle.

"You could eat me and then copy me?" Rina asks, fork full of eggs and meat (and grease) poised over her plate.

"I can do it without eating you. But yes, I could eat you. I won't though," Alptraum notes briefly, then resumes sucking on that sausage.

"Impwessive! But you say this ability to 'wead' only applies to living beings?" Twig pauses in his sucking to ask. The sausage is… unusual. The blood has a very meaty flavor to it – akin to the difference between tea and Mateh, if fresh blood were tea.

"Only living, yes. I've not tried to see what would happen if I applied it to something dead," Alptraum murmurs. He pauses again to look oddly at the sausage. He shrugs, then resumes eating.

"Hmm, it sounds like thewe must be a spiwitual component to this feeding then," Twig ponders, before returning his attention to his own sausage.

"Is everything to your liking, Alptraum?" Igorina asks.

"I could try to do something to a dead creature, I suppose. I'm not sure what would happen," Alptraum muses. He blinks and his attention shifts back to Rina. "It's fine. It's just different from what I'm used to, is all," he says and smiles.

"What other abilities do you have?" Igorina asks, with her mouth full.

"Well, I told the doctor about the ability to move and disperse spirits. I also have a shadow cloak," Alptraum notes. He sets down the sausage and goes to drink from his mug. Of course, the impish Eeee would also take this time to extrude his shadow cloak while he drinks … and attempt to replicate in shiny black the outfit Doctor Twig is wearing…

This gets both of his hosts' attention. "Is that an illusion, or a physical manifestation?" Twig asks quietly.

Alptraum reaches over and places his hand on Doctor Twig's. "Relax," he says … and then some of the shadow cloak crawls up along the Doctor's arm, though it doesn't go beyond mid-forearm. "What is your verdict?" he asks.

Twig seems to freeze, but eventually pokes at the clinging darkness with his fork (so really, vampires DO have uses for them it seems). It's at this point when Alptraum realizes the fork has iron in it, because it irritates the shadow. It's the first time he's really felt anything from a shadow extension.

"Ow, ow, hey," Alptraum complains, "Does that thing have iron in it? I can feel you poking on it and it hurts!" The bat pauses and blinks at that. "Hey, I can feel that. That's the first time I've felt anything through the shadow."

"Why yes, I suppose the utensils might have some in them," Twig admits. "If it bothaws you… do not touch the battewies. And that skin felt physical enough to me."

As Alptraum withdraws the shadow, it leaves behind a Khatta-stripped pattern of brown and white in Twig's hand-fur. Alptraum waggles his brow playfully before noting, "And that's a 'parlor trick'. Changing hair color is easy and temporary."

The doctor marvels at the change, and shakes his arm a few times to make sure it isn't just some powder or anything. "Fascinating! I can't wait to get a good look at yowa awm now. But I will stawt on the cwystal fahst, natuwally. Wight aftah bweakfast!"

"Well, don't you want to get samples from my hand to experiment on before touching the crystal?" Alptraum reminds the Doctor.

"Oh, good point!" Twig says. "Wina, make suwa to stewilize all of the scalpels!"

"Scalpels … that word is scary," Alptraum mutters to himself. He takes another long drink from his mug, then says, "After breakfast. Right now the condemned wants to just ejoy his last few moments of living… " He flashes a nervous grin … then proceeds to use the remaining meal time to take out his nervousness on the poor defenseless sausage!