Alptraum, Arkold and Tulani notice almost immediately that this isn't the log cabin in the Disenchanted Forest that they fell asleep in. Indeed, the scene outside the windows can't possibly be from their own world! At least the blue dragon lounging in front of the marble fireplace is familiar by now, though, and the fluffy bathrobes they're wearing are comfortable.

"Heeey, wait a mi- … oh 'ey, wine," remarks Arkold as he looks around. With a deft motion he snatches a bottle of wine from its icy bed and rummages around for corkscrew.

"You have a flair for the dramatic, Kaira," Alptraum comments from where he lounges in one of the chairs. He reaches over and takes a bottle of wine. After a sniff, he asks, "I presume you have either new and interesting news, or some prophecy of doom awaiting us?"

"Curious… " Tulani comments softly to herself as she blinks at the odd surrounding scene. Turning, she spots the blue dragon and continues, "Kaira? Oh the dragon… I don't believe we've met face to face." She held out her hand to the dragon in a friendly manner while listening for any, as Alptraum puts it 'prophecies of doom'.

Kaira reaches out a paw to shake Tulani's hand, transforming along the way into a more humanoid form that sports one of the monogrammed bathrobes the others are wearing. "Ah, I admit you had me confused at first, Tulani. I thought the dragon aura was coming from you, not your pendant."

Turning to Alptraum, the dragon says, in a mock-hurt tone, "Really, Alptraum, must you always suspect some ulterior motive to everything I do?"

The black Sphynx smiles as her hand is shook by the dragon, and replies back, "To be honest I had no idea myself, quite an interesting surprise… "

Alptraum grins. "Given your statements and opinions expressed previously, I have to assume you have something of importance to discuss. You didn't exactly seem like someone who's terribly social," he remarks, though not unpleasantly. "But if I was wrong in that assumption, great."

"Heh, I guess you've never seen Tulani eat then," Arkold remarks before sending a cork flying across the room. As he walks over to retrieve it he stops to look out the window. "Hey! Metal rectangles – 'ey are these buildings? This is a posh world. I guess those metal bugs whizzing around live here too."

Tulani sends a small, good humored growl Arkold's way at his comment, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation before leaning her head to look out the window curiously, intrigued by the wolf's comments of the objects outside of it.

"Well, it just so happens that I do have some information for you," Kaira says, moving to the loveseat. "And since you're in a location that is steeped in magic, I thought I'd share it now." After getting comfortable and smoothing down her robe, the dragon says, "You probably already know it though. You need to find the Tomb of the Necromancer King before Unity Day has passed, in… oh… fifteen days or so. Your calendar takes getting used to."

"Why is that?" Alptraum asks, shifting in his seat and sitting up. "And how come you didn't bring in Lilith or Ravenia? They've insisted they're coming with us."

Arkold picks up the nearby cork and looks about to test what happens when someone throws a cork at a "metal bug" when he pauses and turns around. "Fifteen days, eh? Does this have somethin' to do with that necromancer, or is this something older," he asks interestedly.

"Well, I don't really trust them yet," the dragoness says, smiling. "And as for why, it is much the same reason that I can only set up these little meetings in the presence of structured magic – your map only comes 'alive' on Holidays. If you miss Unity Day, you'll have to wait until Midsummer's Day."

"And that would give your sorcerer quite a bit more time to dig his way into Vorgulremik's old lair," Kaira adds.

Ears immediately perking at this new information, Tulani arches an eyebrow. She looks definitely uncomfortable at the thought of being forced to give the necromancer extra time to move towards achieving his ends.

"Wow, I'm flattered. You trust us," Alptraum remarks with a grin, then winks. "I guess, the way you put it, was we had no choice but to find it by then. As for the necromancer, right, there is that. I wish Tulani could fly right now. We'd be able to make faster ground if we could do so airborne."

"Does this mean there's somethin' down there that only responds to holidays then, like you Kai, or the map, eh?" the wolf inquires. He makes his way back to the wineglasses.

Alptraum proceeds to just use one of his claws to work out a cork from the wine bottle.

"Surely, there are riding beasts you could use?" Kaira asks, then smiles to Arkold. "Well… really, I don't know how the Shadow or this Light of Nala respond to holidays. I'm able to make use of less magic to communicate like this, so I'm not particularly bound by the same rules."

Tulani looked even more unhappy at Alptraum's comment about flight. She's already missing being able take to wing. Without thinking she runs her hand through the feathers of her damaged wing, ruffling the black and new white feathers. "But in other words we just have more of a time limit now. The aim is still to find it as soon as possible."

"You know, if you want to talk to us on a regular basis, I could just make it a point to check in with you weekly," Alptraum notes, pausing in his attempt to open the bottle. "As for riding animals, not out this far in the wilderness. We'd have to stop at a town. And well, we aren't exactly rolling in money."

The wolf pours a glass, then offers it to Tulani first. "Eh, s'not what I meant really. What I'm askin' is: why the rush? We reviewed the nature of magic items an' holidays, sure, so I'm thinkin' that's a round-a-bout lesson as to why we need to hurry. So what's down there, or out here, that's runnin' out of time?"

Tulani gratefully takes the glass from the wolf, smiling to him slightly before returning attention to Kaira for her answer.

"Well, your necromancer isn't going to wait," Kaira notes to the wolf. "While he did seem patient in his offer to you, that doesn't mean much. And I can only assume whatever ritual he plans will probably benefit from being performed on a holiday as well."

Pop! Alptraum finally gets the cork free. He licks his clawtip off, then just takes a drink from the bottle. "Yeah, the only thing we know has a time limit is the old cat himself. I'd personally prefer him to have as little time as possible to get into the tomb," he notes.

"Given that he is dealing with Olympian deities, I doubt he will be using the same holidays," the dragon notes, and waves Arkold over. "How about some of that wine, fluffy? And… where was I? Oh, holidays. If Dack needs to perform his ceremony on the Apex of Dagh, specifically, you could have over half a year yet to stop him."

Arkold pours himself his own glass and nods. "So it's jus' a general warnin' then. Right. Well, we were'nt goin' to take our time if we could help it. Still, we don't want to rush the Tomb either. The legendary site of an ancient evil – it's sure to be trapped, warded, infested, an' who knows what else," he says.

"I doubt he'll want to wait that long," Alptraum comments. "I wish we could wait to take him on, on the Apex of Life, personally."

"Well, I remember one such tomb that they built a casino on instead," the dragon muses, then refocuses. "Ah… well, that's what I had to share, aside from making you comfortable for a while. Oh, and to remind you to kill someone with the dagger, Alptraum. You haven't been killing anyone at all it seems."

Taking a drink from her glass, the Sphynx coughs and swallows hastily at the dragon's comment on killing, looking quite surprised and tilting her head as she looks over towards Alptraum inquiringly.

"Well, no kidding. But, I'm hardly a murderer," Alptraum notes and takes another drink from the bottle. "I kind of need something evil, or at least morally bankrupt … not you Arkold … to use it on. If we get attacked, I'll use it."

Kaira taps her wineglass with a claw, and says, "So… you'll do it in self defense then? I'll remember that."

"And don't you start encouraging things to attack me," Alptraum says and waves the bottle at Kaira.

Placing a hand to her chest, Kaira protests, "How could you even think I'd be capable of arranging for something like that? I simply have faith in your own ability to make people want to kill you."

Arkold raises a brow, then another at Alptraum's remark towards him. "I like to think I'm morally invested, an' will provide returns some day." He grins, sips, and adds, "Well she does have a point there Bats. I mean doesn't this necro-guy have somethin' against you?"

Alptraum's eyebrows go up. "Or perhaps I should just drop the dagger into the nearest outhouse I find?" he asks. He then looks over at Arkold and says, "The necromancer does, I suppose, just due to the nature of my being and the fact I'm involved here. But, we aren't exactly near the necromancer at the moment, and I would certainly use it against him if I had the chance."

Tulani just sighs and sits back in her seat, smiling and giving Arkold a little punch on the shoulder. "Don't worry Arkold, your morally invested," she says, grinning humorously. "I'll make sure of that."

The wolf nods to that, saying, "See? Everyone wins in the end. Well, except ol' necro but eh, he likes death right? Right."

Arkold looks a little nervous at Tulani remembering he's "morally invested."

"Now, now, you two. At least wait until you have your own room before you begin exploring each others morals," Alptraum remarks, grinning as he looks between Arkold and Tulani.

"That's the spirit!" Kaira says, raising her glass. At almost the same moment, the door to the suite opens and four elves enter, each carrying a long, rectangular case. They are also dressed in white robes, but of silk that somehow just looks more elegant. Two of the elves are black-skinned, white-haired females, and the others are tall, lean fair-skinned males, one with blonde hair and one with black. They all move like cats, and quietly begin to unfold their cases near the window.

Tulani immediately bursts into laughter at Alptraum's comment, gathering herself as the door opens.

Alptraum watches the elves with interest. "Musicians?" he inquires. "I have to admit, I do appreciate the particular coloration on the women." He grins, then takes another drink from the bottle.

Arkold chuckles too, at least until the elves walk in. These he watches with interest. "I thought this was a humanless meeting. Not that I'm complainin'."

Once the four padded massage tables are set up, with their attendant elves standing next to them, Kaira says, "Oh, yeah, I got some masseuses."

"Even better," Alptraum remarks.

The dragoness gets up, and goes over to the tall blond elf, who helps her out of her robe and onto the table. "Just to show you that I'm willing to go through whatever you are," she says, grinning.

"This gets better an' better," Arkold says. He downs his wine on one last gulp, then heads for a table himself.

Alptraum sets his bottle aside and heads over to one of the female elves. He quirks a grin and looks at Kaira, commenting, "Oh, the torment you must endure… "

The black Sphynx blinks and smiles slightly, but looks unsure of getting up with her damaged wing and other injuries, even though it is a dream… Eventually she stands and heads for the last empty table, "You guys better not be looking this way," she warns Alptraum and Arkold sternly before removing her own robe and climbing up.