Alptraum wakes up with a sudden urge to sneeze, probably because Lilith is sitting on the edge of his bed and tickling his nose with a feather. "Wakey wakey, sleepyhead," the Eee chants.

"Mrgleplgh," Alptraum complains as he swats at the feather limply. Slowly, he sits up, then winces and holds the side of his head. "Now I remember why I don't drink often. Ow," he complains.

"Is that your excuse then?" Lilith asks, grinning. The bed is a mess, with the sheets and blankets all bunched up – and several long white feathers strewn about. There's no other sign of anyone having been there, but the bat's clothes are tossed onto a chair in the corner.

"Uh, yeah, that's my excuse," Alptraum says rather dumbly as he looks at the chaos in his room. He shakes his head … then immediately wishes he didn't. "You do realize they must have staged this to mess with me," he insists as he slips the rest of the way out of bed. Never mind he's currently completely naked, to boot. "What time is it?"

"Nearly noon," Lilith says cheerfully. "I arrived a few hours ago. I suppose I should get you to eat something. Or would you rather have some really strong mateh?"

"Noon? Dagh. How much did I drink?" Alptraum wonders as he somewhat clumsily starts getting dressed. "Mateh would be good," he admits, then pauses to glare at his right hand when the spines start getting stuck in parts of his clothing. "And why are you in such a good mood this morning?"

"I got a lot done," Lilith says, smirking. "Plus, it's just amusing to see you like this before you go to see Rosalind. I'll go get you some mateh and vegetable juice for your head." The white-furred Eeee hops up and heads for the door.

"Why is it funny to see me like this before I go see the Countess?" Alptraum has to ask as he finally manages to get his pants up and cinch them closed.

Heading out the door, Lilith turns her head to say, "Because last time you were nervous!" Then she's gone, out into the common room of the suite.

"I'll be more nervous when I'm awake," Alptraum grumbles after the cheerful Eeee! While Lilith is gone, the Eeee goes about getting dressed the rest of the way and brushing out his long hair, removing the mess of tangles that developed in the night. He then sits down on the edge of the bed and lets out a long breath. Idly, he turns over his right hand and traces a claw tip over the still bare skin, thinking to himself about any number of things the Countess might say.

Lilith returns during Alptraum's meditation, carrying a steaming mug in one hand and a tall glass of red liquid in the other. "Here you go!" she says too cheerfully, sitting next to Alptraum and handing him the drinks. "How's your hand?" she asks.

"Seems okay. Hasn't really changed any for a couple days. No scaling, turning into a zombie, or forming any new bits … so I'm guessing its down with altering itself," Alptraum notes when he looks up and takes the mug. He offers his hand to her to examine while he takes a long drink from the mug.

"Yeah, looks the same," Lilith agrees, after checking it over. "I keep expecting to find a mouth or sucker growing out of the palm though," she admits.

"So do I," Alptraum admits with a small shrug. "Who knows? Give it time, eh?" He elbows the white Eeee lightly then takes another drink. "So … has the Countess said much to you about me? Or asked much?"

"Oooo, that would be telling," Lilith notes. "But she was very interested in my report on what happened, and is eager to see you again."

"And there's some code that states you can't tell me?" Alptraum says and sticks out his tongue. The Eeee then pauses to finish drinking the contents of his mug in one, long, drought. A hiccuping burp later, and he says, "But I suppose that does at least mean she doesn't intent to lock me in a cell, or exile me."

"Well, that depends on the other interview, I suppose," Lilith says, tapping her chin with a finger. "Drink your juice too. It's got some blood mixed with veggies and fruit. Lots of good vitamins and stuff."

"Other interview?" Alptraum inquires as he takes the other glass and starts a long, slow, drink from it. His ears flick towards Lilith as if to say he's listening.

"Yeah, with our dragon of course," Lilith says, standing back up and smoothing down her skirt. "You didn't think it would want to find out about the other Shadow Dragon you picked up?"

"Well, there isn't much left of the other Shadow Dragon, and what it had is part of me now," Alptraum notes after he finishes his juice and sets the glass on the floor. "I wasn't sure it could even be considered a Shadow Dragon anymore."

"Well, that's up to the dragon I suppose," Lilith notes. "I mean, they must have all known one another."

"True enough. Hopefully they didn't hate each other," Alptraum notes and frowns. "I think you're trying to make me nervous."

"I'm just telling you what's going to happen, sort of," Lilith notes. "If you weren't nervous I'd think something was wrong!"

"So, when is my audience with her, and it? I assume its an it. I can't tell if the Shadow Dragons have gender," Alptraum comments with a shrug as he gets off the bed. He heads to the mirror to do some checking on his appearance, again.

"As soon as you're ready," Lilith says, still grinning.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready," Alptraum comments as he fiddles with his hair again. Then his shirt. Then how his pants hang on his hips. When he starts checking his claws … he just grumbles. "Okay, okay, I should go before the day is completely gone. I just need to remember to breathe."

"Come along then," Lilith says, leading the way out. "What's the worst that could happen, anyway?"

"She could have me killed," Alptraum says in all seriousness. "Or the Shadow Dragon of hers could fiddle with my already damaged body. I am more vulnerable to magic now." And with a shrug, Alptraum follows after Lilith. His ears flick a bit nervously.

As before, the route winds deep into the castle. This time however, a different path is followed, one that slopes down considerably. Eventually the stone of the castle gives way to a rough-hewn tunnel through the rock of the mountain, lit only sporadically with lamps hung from pegs in the wall.

"Uh … why are we going into a mountain?" Alptraum has to asks nervously. "This seems an odd place for an interview… "

"Well, because this is where the dragon lairs," Lilith notes quietly. "I don't think it ever comes out."

"It still has a full body?" Alptraum asks nervously and his ears fold back. "No one told me that."

"Well, what did you think it had?" Lilith asks curiously.

"Well, the one I met was a nebulous blob of blackness," Alptraum admits, "Not really much of a body."

"Just to be safe, you probably shouldn't say 'blob' when you're down there," Lilith advises, and then stops when the tunnel opens up in to a larger cavern. The only source of light is a glowing ring set into the ground some ways in. "You go on alone from here, I'm afraid."

Alptraum stops here as well. He looks at the ring, then over to Lilith. The Eee swallows lightly himself, then reaches over and actually hugs her. When he lets go, he says, "That's for … well, if anything bad happens." He still doesn't go yet, but rubs the back of his neck absently. He actually tries to feel the remnants of the shadow inside him, to see if it is reacting at all. He also checks his right hand … just in case.

In the darkness, there doesn't appear to be any reaction… yet.

Alptraum draws in a deep breath … then starts walking on, alone.

It takes about thirty paces to reach the area lit by the ring, which flares brighter as Alptraum gets closer. It's about a foot across, made of some sort of crystal, and apparently embedded into the floor of the cave. It also becomes apparent that the Countess is there as well, wearing a black shift. She only becomes visible when her glowing irises turn towards Alptraum. She holds out a hand to him, and a flash of her teeth when she smiles gives her face some actual dimension.

Alptraum has to stop himself from lamely waving and saying hello. He manages it somehow, though, and walks towards her.  The Eeee actively tries not to look too nervous, but the pounding of his heart is probably audible to her. He reaches out wit his left hand and places it lightly into her outstretched one. His only question 'asked' is when his brows go up a bit as if to ask what he should do next.

"Relax, Alptraum," the Countess says. Unlike last night and previously, her voice sounds normal, without the slight echoing effect. "It's good to see you again, even if I really couldn't express that at dinner."

"Well, I understand, I think. There is a presence to maintain," Alptraum says rather quietly, then draws in a long breath. He releases it in an attempt to calm himself. "It's good to see you too. Things didn't go quite as originally planned and I hope I haven't done something wrong … but I had little time to act once we had opened the Shadow's chamber. It cost me a bit." It's then that he holds up his right hand so the Countess can see it.

As the Countess reaches out to brush her fingers across the chitinous armor, something very odd happens: Alptraum can feel her touch. And then a new voice interrupts, asking, "So this is the man who collects dragons?"

"The way that is phrased … is not good," Alptraum thinks to himself. Since the question wasn't directed to him, he doesn't answer, but leaves it to the Countess. He does steal a glance to his hand, to see how he possibly felt that…

"This is the Barsunala, Alptraum bar Reisender," Rosalind says, introducing Alptraum to the speaker and facing the ring of light when she does so. There's a brief, liquid shimmer of light in that direction, and then Alptraum can see the Shadow Dragon – sort of. There is a pool of deeper darkness that towers above them as it leans in closer. The shimmer came from a bulbous 'head' extended on a long neck of sorts, which vanishes back into the greater darkness.

"Yeah, that looks just like what I saw before. It scared me then too… " Alptraum thinks to himself. He turns to face towards the darkness, then bows his head respectfully to the creature. "Greetings," he says formally and quickly. He figures for now, unless posed a direct question, he shouldn't just, well, babble.

The head dips down to 'examine' Alptraum more closely, and whisker filaments of darkness extend from its sides to brush across him. "He is touched by Shadow," the dragon says, as the tendrils probe and slither across his armored hand. A few more find the spirit dagger. "Shadow and Blood. Tell me of the Shadow you found. Did it give you its name?"

"No. It never did. It said its name was meaningless since its soul had been destroyed by iron that caged it for centuries," Alptraum answers as he tries to hold still as he is probed. Tall order from the strangeness of the contact. He can't help but twitch now and then. When he gets a chance, he reaches into the pouch at his side and draws out both the darkened crystal as well as the torc from the tomb. "The crystal is all I could recover from its former prison. I had hoped to find it glowing … but all I found was this. The torc bear the name it once had and I have been unable to translate it. I wish I could offer you good news about the Shadow I found … but its former contract holder had broken it; mentally and physically." He offers the two items to the Shadow before him, both resting in the palm of his left hand since it seems to be examining his right currently.

The darkness actually recoils at first from the crystal, but then the tendrils brush over it and lift it up out of Alptraum's hand. The torc is also picked up and rotated about. "Muriavan," the voice of the dragon says next. "A friend from long ago."

"I offered to try and use the Light of Nala to repair its heart," Alptraum offers the Shadow quietly, "But the Shadow … Muriavan, said it was too late; its soul was destroyed and there was nothing that could be done. I'm … sorry. I told him? about you and the Countess and it decided it would give me what it had left as its legacy to help you and the Countess; to try and help preserve your line and union."

"Murray was never popular with the ladies," the dragon says, as if that explained everything. "Tell me of the other dragons you carry, Little Death."

"Vorgulremik and the few remaining of his kind. He is a steel dragon from a world called Molryekar, if I am pronouncing it correctly. One who destroyed countless worlds. The other is a spell crafted by a dragon that is an echo of its creator. she acts as his prison and keeper. Her … I could probably summon her if you wish to speak with her," Alptraum explains. For some reason, he doesn't look thrilled at the prospect of bringing Kaira, she of little tact, out in this meeting.

"Summon her? I would like to see how this is done," the Shadow says, and the Countess looks interested as well – even though she's already met Kaira, she never saw how Alptraum manifested her.

"Well, this has granted me at least an easy way to speak with her," Alptraum says and lifts his damaged hand. With his left hand he slips the spirit dagger from its sheath and prepares to slot it into the gauntlet. "Before this, it required my blood to summon her. Now it can be done this way." And with that, he slots the dagger into the 'gauntlet'.

The glowing blue head of Kaira appears over the 'eye' of the gauntlet, as usual. Then the Shadow dragon's 'nose' moves in, nearly touching that of the floating head. "Lapdog mercenary of the Seelee Court!" it hisses. "The Great Destroyer! Kainudy." Kaira blinks once, then grins and says, "Oh, is that you Melusine? Mother of the Dark Brood, Queen of Blood? You must have screwed up really bad to end up being exiled to guard a bunch of unicorns!"

Alptraum winces. A lot. Repeatedly. Then hangs his head. He looks over weakly to the Countess, saying, "It was nice to have met you. I … well, sorry."

"They… know each other?" Draco asks in disbelief.

"Unfortunately," Alptraum mumbles.

The Shadow… Melusine… draws back her head, and then chuckles darkly. "How ironic. As a member of the Unseelee Court, I am obligated to hate you… however, if not for your drawing off the Veriden to fight and die in your ridiculous crusade, our own victory may not have happened."

"Well, at least you'll get to learn some about your dragon's history before it smites me from existence," Alptraum whispers to the Countess. He somehow manages an amused, yet sad, grin.

"Well, if it's gratitude you want to express, give it to my friend Alptraum," Kaira says. "After all, I'm just a copy of your hero."

Alptraum … well, cringe isn't the right word. He's not sure gratitude from Melusine is exactly a good thing.

"Your attitude is the same," Melusine notes, her glowing heart crystal bobbing to the surface for a moment. "But it does speak well of the mortal that he hasn't chucked you down a well yet."

"I've learned to tolerate a lot," Alptraum notes to Melusine. He looks at Kaira, then emphasizes, "A lot."

"He's a good boy," Kaira claims. "Very giving and caring, and hardly corrupted at all yet."

Melusine has no eyes, or face to speak of, but if she did it would probably be narrowed with suspicion. "You want me to train him to use the Shadow spirit, is that it? What do you offer me in return, spirit?"

"I'm sure we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement," Kaira says… and smiles.

"Do I get any say in this?" Alptraum asks and raises his left hand a bit.

"Of course Alptraum," Kaira says, looking hurt. "I'll tell you what to say later on, once it's all worked out."

"Do all women boss you around like this?" Draco whispers to Alptraum with concern.

"Depends on how much of my life they control at the moment," Alptraum notes to the Countess. He looks to Melusine, then flat asks, "What would you want from me? Or from her? Is there anything I can offer?"

"You may have something to offer," Melusine admits. "It is too early to say. But the possibility is enough to make it worthwhile for me." The dark head dips back to Kaira again, and says, "But only because I'm bored."

"Of course, of course," Kaira says, bobbing her head in sympathy (or faking it very well).

"You may take him away now, Rosalind," Melusine says, haughtily. "He meets with my approval."

"How dangerous is it to me to learn to use the Shadow Spirit?" Alptraum has to ask next as he looks between the two rather large ego'ed dragons. "My hand is already … damaged."

"Not as dangerous as not learning to use it," Melusine notes.

"Before I go … is this the extent I've been physically affected?" Alptraum asks and holds out his chitinous hand to Melusine.

"Of course it isn't," Melusine notes. "Your hand is only changed in order to support certain necessary functions. The rest is below the surface, as it were, and in the background. Just like your Barsunala side."

"If I may ask, what functions are those?" Alptraum inquires as his fingers curl a bit, the spines protruding. "And … will there be any further changes I should watch for?"

"Does he always talk so much?" Melusine asks Kaira.

"Oh yeah, he asks questions all of the time, and expects concrete answers no less! With explanations!" Kaira explains.

The Shadow Dragon nearly bumps noses with Alptraum then, and says, "Necessary functions, such as the collection of energy. And there is nothing further that you should watch for."

As scared as Alptraum is right now, he holds his ground. "But that doesn't mean there won't be more, then," he reasons out. "Understood. When do you wish to start teaching me?"

"When I am good and ready," Melusine says. "I cannot see the future, much as you seem to think all dragons should. Do as you will until then, but really, do not indulge so much in drink next time, Little Death. It is unbecoming of a dracul."

"No, but you know yourself and your schedule," Alptraum points out, "So it was a fair question. Until next time, then. I look forward to spending time with you again." He steps back and bows slightly to the nebulous form. "Be well, Melusine," he adds with the worst of possible things … he smiles genuinely.

Melusine doesn't reply, and simply fades back into the darkness of the cavern. Draco takes Alptraum's left hand again, and starts leading him out. "Amazing. That went much better than the last few times she interviewed potential suitors," the Countess says, the echo beginning to reassert itself in her voice as they leave the cavern.

"What happened to the last ones?" Alptraum has to ask as they walk out of the cavern. "To be honest, I figured I was dead."

"Oh, she isn't one to kill lightly," Draco says reassuringly. "She even let the failed candidates go… after removing their… ah… potential."

"So, she turned them into Eunuchs," Alptraum comments and glances to the other Eeee. "And you didn't warn me of this before because… ?"

"Because I had great confidence in you, Alptraum," Draco says as they rejoin Lilith. Kaira chuckles a bit at the answer, still hovering as a disembodied head over Alptraum's right hand.

Alptraum pauses and pulls the dagger from the gauntlet. Kaira doesn't need to comment now. "So … how many potentials did you introduce to her?" he asks.

"Only two others, before I gave up," Draco notes. Lilith smiles and bows to the Countess, then asks Alptraum, "Everything intact?"

"One hundred percent intact," Alptraum tells Lilith, brow arched a bit at the question. "So, you knew too that I was walking into something potentially deadly."

"Well, not deadly," Lilith says. "Besides, I figured your own dragon would protect you from the flesh-altering power of the other. I'm sure Rosalind is immune from yours as well."

"So I have been led to believe," Draco notes, as she leads the way back through the tunnel towards the castle.

"I'm not so sure of that," Alptraum notes with a shrug. "The Countess' is quite a bit more powerful than mine is. And given what she said, well … I don't think my hand can be restored, either; it appears necessary. But … well, it worked out well in the end, really. Loss of my right hand, figuratively speaking, isn't too bad of a cost."

"I'm sure it is only temporary," Draco says, brushing the altered hand (and again Alptraum can feel her doing it as if it were just skin). "Once you've learned to control things, you can change it back I imagine."

"Possibly. Even if not … well, some costs are worth certain gains," Alptraum says again with a brief smile to the Countess. "If it means you have a future, well … I would have accepted much worse."

Rosalind gives Alptraum's hand a squeeze, and says, "Well, we'll have to work on that too in time… "

"Yes. There's plenty of time for that," Alptraum agrees as the trio walks down the hall. "I know you have been debriefed on everything that happened … but let me tell you all of the details. And in truth, how frightening it all was. Everything started to fall apart when my hand started rotting after we had extracted the Shadow… "