It has been three days now since the group left Scabies along what remained of the eastern road. Often, they ran into overgrown areas where the path all but disappeared, and slowed things down considerably. On top of this, Lilith's maps didn't show any more towns along the way, and they hadn't come across any convenient rivers or springs, meaning the able flyers (namely Lilith and Alptraum) had to spend time each day searching for fresh water as well as hunting. Ravenia, more than any of them, suffered in silence as the member most used to daily bathing and a less strenuous lifestyle.

That night, the boredom and exhaustion prompt Alptraum to take out the Spirit Dagger while the others sleep.

Alptraum rolls the dagger slowly between his fingers, feeling the faint coldness of the blade. "Well, I suppose I should see what you're up to, hmm? I bet you're having a bunch of males massage your feet and feed you grapes," he remarks, smirking slightly. So, he nestles himself back against the tree and presses the tip against his fingertip, drawing just a drop of blood…

The night and the camp fade away, and Alptraum finds himself standing next to a pair of tall stone pillars, and behind a large gold-colored dragon that sits between them. There's a rock wall behind the Eeee, which stretches up and up until it merges with the hazy blue sky, which would imply that he's in a cavern of mind-boggling size. Around the stones, the ground is soft, colorless sand, which gives way to grass as it stretches into the cavern. Beyond that is a Sylvanian-like forest of giant trees, with hints of large geometric structures within.

At the edge of this forest, a group of armored dragons, elves and stranger creatures is assembled, listening to Kaira. The blue dragoness is armored as when Alptraum first saw her in the Echo of Vorgulremik's death.

The Eeee pauses to inspect himself, just to make sure he looks well, normal, here. "Hmm, I wonder if they're hunting some sort of evil thing in the woods, perhaps," Alptraum muses.

"We're here to hunt an evil thing in the woods," Kaira informs the group before her. "Unfortunately, this was the hunting preserve of an Unseleighe Lord, so it's probably full of evil things. Our trackers are fairly sure that the Nightflyer fled here though, so all we need to do is confirm it. If you find it, do not attempt to engage it! Send up a flare, and retreat to the Gate."

Alptraum's ears flick at this and he starts towards the group. "Figures," he mutters, then lets out a whistle towards Kaira. "This looks like a bad time to visit. I thought you had the evil creatures under control? And oh, hi, by the way."

There is the usual muttering one expects from a crowd of heavily armed individuals, and several of them cast disapproving glances toward the intruding mortal. "This is control," Kaira asserts to the Eeee, then waves to the crowd. "Right, you have your search areas, get on with it. There's only one Gate out of here, and Falameezar will be guarding it." The group breaks up into pairs, and moves off into (and occasionally over) the forest.

"Ah, but there's one on the loose in here somewhere," Alptraum points out and motions towards the forests. "So, how good are your hunters and what exactly are you hunting?"

Kaira squats down on her haunches and crosses her arms across her breastplate as she looks down at Alptraum. "Just full of questions, aren't you? My hunters are… adequate. I only need them to find the thing, not fight it. And as for the thing… the Nightflyer is an entity from one of the Astral Realms that feeds on souls, particularly those of magic users. Looks a bit like you, really."

"I don't know if I should be insulted or not by that," Alptraum remarks and shrugs. "I was asking because I was going to offer to help. I am a hunter after all, have excellent hearing and can hear wing movements of others for quite a ways and so on. And, er, how much like me? That's a bit creepy."

The dragon makes a noncommittal gesture with one hand. "It's black, looks sorta batlike in flight, just without the body, and otherwise like a hooded, cloaked figure. Well, a hooded cloak, actually. No figure inside it."

"So, not much like me at all, really," Alptraum notes after considering the description. He smiles to the dragon and holds his hands out, asking, "So, want me to help out, too? I'm here. I ought to be useful. Of course, I could just stand around here and chat, too."

"I'm not sure your talents would be… " Kaira starts to say, then has to pause while something screams like an old woman in the forest. "… particularly useful here," she continues when the screaming stops, "since the Nightflyer doesn't make any sound, being somewhat immaterial in nature. And did you really just come to visit, or did you need help or advice with something?"

"Yes, but I don't exactly have anything to ask about for advice. I just wanted to check on a friend," Alptraum notes, pausing to glance at the forest. "I just like to feel useful, I suppose. I take it this creature has been causing problems?"

"No, it's just trying to sneak into a populated area," Kaira says. "It's a problem with all of the Designated Leftovers. They don't want to be left-over."

The Eeee snorts at that. "I see," he remarks. Even though she mentioned it makes no sound, he flicks his ears and listens anyway and even thinks a bit on what he feels at the moment, such as being watched. "It's been pretty desolate as of late; nothing but wilderness. No brigands even to fight. I know I haven't been a whole lot of help so far."

"None of your girlfriends in the mood tonight, eh?" the dragon says, giving Alptraum a wink. Something roars and thrashes through the trees somewhere in the forest, and one of the giant geometric objects topples over.

Alptraum raises an eyebrow. "Girlfriends? I do hope that was meant as a joke. I haven't exactly gotten intimate with either of them, I'll have you know," he notes, then just shakes his head.

"Hmmm, you must be atypical for your species, from what I've learned of it," Kaira notes. "Although not for some of the other bat-people I know about."

"Eh. I'm atypical for my species. The average ones are rather, ah, flexible in their leanings and such. Besides, Arkold's the overly touchy-feely one of the group, anyway," Alptraum notes and shrugs. "Plus, it's not exactly been a romantic trip. Lilith is a spy for her county, and Ravenia's not used to living this roughly."

"She'll toughen up, if she's got some human in her," Kaira notes. A ball of fire goes up from near the center of the forest, and explodes loudly in the air. "Ah, that's our cue," the dragon says, and scoops Alptraum up onto her back.

"She does … hey!" Alptraum protests as he's suddenly pulled up onto the dragon's back. He hooks his hand and foot claws into armor joints, and grumbles, "I can fly, you know."

"It's easier to keep track of you this way," Kaira claims. The golden dragon at the stone pillars is up now too, and casting some sort of spell. From over the trees, the shapes of dragons and other flyers can be seen streaking towards them.

"Why do you need to keep track of me? I'm surprised you'd even be worried, really," Alptraum notes. His ears flick, tracking the various noises, and his eyes watch for a nebulous black winged thing.

Several hunters burst out of the forest and run for the pillars. They vanish as they pass between the stones, and some of the local wildlife seems to be trying to follow them as well. The gold dragon guarding the pillars dissuades them with blasts of fire. "If the Nightflyer recognizes you, it'll… oh, there it is now," Kaira says, as a shadowy shape rises up over the trees. It looks like a pair of bat wings, and flies towards them without bothering to flap.

"Eh? Why would it recognize me?" Alptraum asks. His eyes and ears track the creature now with overt curiosity. "And hmph, it looks nothing like me."

"It looks a bit like you," Kaira argues. "For certain values of 'a bit' anyway." Then the dragon is carrying him through the pillars, and the world changes. Well, changes 'a bit', in that they're in a different cavern now, though somewhat smaller than the previous one, and altogether darker.

"Ah, those ornery bits, always up for negotiation," Alptraum remarks, grinning. He glances backwards, looking for the creature again. "Now, what's this about recognizing me? Why would it? You're the only person in here that really knows me. And you don't know me that well."

The hunters are gathered in a stone-paved and torch-lit area near this new set of pillars. Once Kaira and Alptraum join them, a few more appear through the pillars, and then the big gold dragon materializes and knocks the pillars down with his tail. "Everyone recognizes you, Alptraum. You're the only mortal here."

"Again, I have to feel vaguely insulted by that. It makes me sound bad," the Eeee remarks. He winces as the pillars crash down. Good hearing stinks some days.

"AIIEEE!" shrieks a tall, pale elf with black hair spilling down to his waist. The man storms through the group of hunters towards Kaira, and draws a sword that he points at the dragon. Unlike most of the elves Alptraum has seen, this one is covered in crude attire made of animal furs. "That was the only Gate! You didn't say you were going to knock it down!"

"And the yelling," Alptraum grumbles and shakes his head. The Eeee starts climbing off the dragon and remarks, "Well, I presume that was to trap it and isolate it from the populated realms."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to knock it down either," Kaira replies, and pushes the tip of the sword away with a talon. "We'll open up a new, secure one momentarily. Meanwhile, my hunters need to rest, and you agreed to be a good host for this, Lord Baneweed."

The elf-lord gives Alptraum a brief, somewhat dismissive glance, and then sneers, "Very well. You can use my hall, but… but… " The elf just shakes in fury, then turns on his heel and marches off towards a large wooden structure. Flakes of snow begin to fall, sizzling in the torches.

"Pleasant fellow," Alptraum says drolly and shakes his head again. "I have to wonder why I offered to save these people." His muzzle skews up and he looks upward at the falling snow, and can't help but think back to the horrible travel through snow in Sylvania years ago.

"It's fun to tweak the Unseleighe," Kaira says, and starts towards the wooden 'castle' as well, which prompts the rest of the group to follow, save for the big golden dragon that is already starting up another spell at the site of the toppled Gate. "They're technically evil, but not destructively so. At least, not compared to your typical humans."

Alptraum folds his wings around his form. He doesn't move towards the structure quite yet. "Or your typical Eeee," Alptraum mutters to himself, well aware of his own species tendencies towards the darker ways. He considers asking the other dragon his name, then decides he'd probably get a gruff answer; plus it would just be interrupting him.

"Come on into the Hall," Kaira calls as Alptraum lags behind. "It'll be amusing, I'm sure."

"Oh yeah, a real laugh," Alptraum mutters. He heads on towards the hall, his wings still wrapped about him like a cloak.

The inside of the structure is at once familiar and out of place. The ceiling is high overhead and obscured by smoke, mostly from the two outrageously large braziers burning on either side of a gilt throne at the far end of the chamber. The floor is completely covered in woolly hides, and torches burn in sconces attached to stone pillars. Weapons are strapped to the walls. The place is clearly meant to be the hall of a barbarian king, but is so wildly unrealistic that the effect is jarring. Alptraum is sure he's seen something similar painted on the cover of a pulp romance novel.

"Dear lord, I've walked into Dr. Pike's bookshelf," Alptraum remarks and can't help but smirk. He cants his head and eyes the weapons, then remarks, "And yes, someone is definitely overcompensating for something, heh."

"It's common among elves and other immortals," Kaira says, sitting down on a pile of furs and starting to remove her armor. Elsewhere, the other hunters likewise make themselves comfortable. "They lack… well… creativity."

"Flashy and huge is … silly. Understated and elegant works much better," Alptraum comments. He doesn't sit, but goes to walk about the room a bit and get a better look at the various hunters.

Most of the hunters are elves, and out of their elegant armor they wear elegant robes and other attire. They all seem to be of the fair-skinned, blond-haired variety as well. A few of the hunters are odder, including the hulking, leathery-skinned humanoids with small conical horns in their foreheads and a preference for colorful loincloths, and one hunter that looks like an Eeee from the back.

Alptraum tilts his head. He circles around slowly to try and get a look at the Eeee-like one from the front. Well, without looking like he's looking. Boy, that makes you look stupid.

The figure turns towards Alptraum as he approaches. She has a heart-shaped, human face ringed by black curly locks, red skin and long Eeee shaped ears. The wings on her back are also Eeee-like and black. She finishes shedding her armor to show a bare-skinned, heavy-chested torso, while from the waist down her body is covered in curly black fur ending in cloven-hoofed feet. A whip-like, spade-tipped tail waves behind her as she puts her hands on her hips and gives Alptraum a good looking over.

Alptraum shakes his head. "Ah, I should have guessed," he remarks to himself. "Pardon," he remarks to the creature, "You looked like a related species from the back. My mistake."

The woman smiles, showing pointed canines. "Ah, don't like what you see then? Or has Kaira got you trained to just like her already, eh?" Her voice is surprisingly throaty, almost like a Khatta's.

Alptraum waves his hands placatingly. "I didn't' say that, but … I take it from that Kaira is a bit on the stuffy side, which isn't that big of a surprise," he says and laughs. "I'm really just looking around here. And right now, well, wondering what you are."

"Me? I'm just a succubus," the woman says, stepping forward to place a hand on Alptraum's shoulder. Her features seem to change subtly, her face becoming more Eeee-like.

Alptraum can't help but step back, brow going up at the shift. "Ah, okay, a demon of lust. Right. Makes sense," he notes and nods. "And can assume a form similar to those you … er, heh."

The woman grins wider, and says, "So, you've heard of us? Want to go someplace more priv… oh, ah, never mind." The woman lets go of Alptraum's shoulder and steps back, looking over his shoulder and saying, "I was just being friendly."

Alptraum tilts his head to look over his shoulder too. "Yes, I've heard of you. I also know that it wouldn't be wise to go with you. At least according to the legends, as you feed off those you seduce," he remarks.

Standing behind Alptraum, and in humanoid form again, is Kaira giving the succubus a warning look. Suiting the 'theme' of the hall, she's dressed as an improbable barbarian princess – fur bikini, bone necklace and braided hair.

"What?" Alptraum asks Kaira. "We were just talking. I'm not completely clueless."

Kaira blinks, and then smiles innocently to Alptraum as the succubus wanders off towards the ogres. "Hmm? What? I just came over to see if you had any questions again," she claims.

"I don't exactly believe that. I think you're actually worried about me. Or worried someone was moving in on your mortal, perhaps?" Alptraum asks, grinning. "What sort of questions would I have in here, anyway?"

"I don't know… maybe you needed to find the toilet or something," Kaira suggests. More pale, dark-haired elves enter the hall, dressed in furs and leathers and bearing large brass plates of steaming meat and jugs of liquid.

"Oh, so you don't mind if I go flirt with the demon some more?" Alptraum asks, grinning slightly in amusement. He then notices the food and remarks, "Oh look, food I probably can't have! Heh."

"It's none of my business if you want to go indulge in mind-bending sex that will scar your psyche for life," Kaira notes, crossing her arms. She wrinkles her nose at the meat being passed out. "You can have all the badly prepared meat you want as well. I prefer Mongolian beef myself."

"You seem a bit annoyed by that comment. Interesting. Anyway, I can't eat meat," Alptraum notes and shrugs. "Vampire and all. Well, probably could in here, but not sure I want to risk it. Projective vomit isn't pretty."

"I'm sure Lord Baneweed would find it entertaining," Kaira says, and glances to the brooding elf situated on the thrown. An elf-girl approaches him, draws a black obsidian dagger from her bikini, and stabs him in the heart.

Alptraum glances at Kaira, considers something, then just slips his arm around her waist. "You really should relax a bit more. Though, I guess when you have to keep people in line, you have to appear all stiff and gruff," he remarks. He then watches the stabbing and doesn't seem the least bit disturbed by it. Immortal, after all, so what can happen. It's probably some bizarre love ritual or something.

With a pained look, Baneweed removes the dagger and hands it back to the girl. Blood pools around the base of the throne for a while after the girl snatches it back, spits on the elf lord, and marches off to talk to one of the hunter elves.

"Some places have a dunk your lord game, here they have a stab your lord game," Alptraum remarks dryly. "Fun for all ages."

Kaira glances at Alptraum's hand, then asks, "Relax? Why, do I seem tense? And I'm certainly not stiff!" She looks over at the angry elf-girl, then says, "Oh, that's Baneweed's daughter. He sacrificed her to Vorgulremik in an attempt to save himself. She's a bit miffed about it still, so every night she stabs him."

Alptraum taps his claw against Kaira's side lightly. "Yes, you seem tense, a bit stiff, and grumpy I might add," he notes. His muzzle skews, then comments, "My father started a war which killed thousands in the misguided thought he was protecting me. Not sure which is worse, really."

"Well, I doubt Baneweed was trying to protect anyone but himself," Kaira says, and frowns at the comment about her being grumpy. "I think he's worried that the girl will hunt him down and kill him after they're reborn."

"If she remembers, she might do that. But really, it's better to let it go. Otherwise what's the point of living again, anyway?" Alptraum remarks and glances toward Kaira. "And what would it solve? It won't change the past. I doubt she'd feel any better, either."

Kaira shrugs. "She'd do it just to make sure her father was miserable. The Unseleighe are like that. Vengeance is part of who they are. What am I doing that seems grumpy?"

"You frown a lot. And look grumpily at people," Alptraum says and ticks off items on his currently free hand. "Plus, when you cross your arms in front of yourself it makes you look mad and disapproving."

"If I smile, people will think I'm not working hard enough," Kaira says, frowning. "Then they'll start to complain more than they do already."

"You don't have to frown all the time, you know. I know you're a spell and all, but you ought to try and enjoy yourself at least some. Particularly since you're on borrowed time as it is," Alptraum says. He then turns and looks Kaira right in the eyes, adding, "And, I should point out you held Vorg in check for a long time. Plus, made it possible for those in here to have even a chance at living again. I certainly don't think you're not working hard enough."

Kaira sighs, and loosens up slightly. "I know, it's just… so damned hard to get these people to cooperate on anything. It seems their biggest gripes boil down to not being able to kill each other, since they're already dead. It's why Vorgulremik steamrolled them in the first place - they just wouldn't join forces to oppose him. In short, immortals are jerks to work with."

Alptraum laughs. "I've noticed. I've seen how they look at me and consider me trash. But really, mortals aren't much better. Heck, get a group greater than four and it takes forever to decide on where to go, what to eat, much less anything world-shaking," Alptraum says. "People, in general, are just a pain. Most really just look out for themselves. All you can do is try and not let it bother you."

The dragon seems to actually consider this for a bit. "Or, I can eat them," she says, smiling again. "That would shut them up for awhile, I'm sure."

Alptraum laughs and shakes his head. "Spoken like a dragon," he remarks and shakes his head. "I don't know how I befriend the strangest people. I'm not sure I have a normal friend."

"What would you do with a normal friend, besides ask them to help you move your stuff to a new home?" Kaira asks, then tilts her head to one side. "The new Gate is ready. We can finally blow this romanticized barbarian abomination."

"Feel normal for a change? I'm the child of an extremely evil man, and magical incarnation of my world's goddess of death. Not exactly the pedigree for normalcy," Alptraum says and smiles slightly, "Sometimes it feels good to fit in, if even for a moment." He then withdraws his arm from around Kaira and nods, "Right, onward, I guess. Er, to where?"

Kaira thinks for a moment, then asks, "Where would you like to go?"

Alptraum considers that for a moment. "Sure, put me on the spot," he mock-grumbles. "Is there anyplace quiet? Like the moments before a sunrise and the air is still damp with dew? Wilderness, away from chaos and complaining people – someplace comforting. A short time where there isn't a crisis waiting to be averted would be … nice."

Kaira taps her cheek and stares off into the distance. "Hmmm… I think I have it," she finally says, and takes Alptraum's hand. Then everything melts and shifts. There is a sunrise, but the sun is red and fills half of the horizon. Globules of silvery liquid fall slowly through the air, and the ground is a glassy substance. They arrive on a prismatic promontory overlooking an oily, bright green sea. A forest of sorts spreads behind them, full of crystal trees that sprout tiny bells and chimes instead of leaves. "The inhabitants of this world live in the ocean, they won't bother us," Kaira notes.

Alptraum looks around, ears flicking with curiosity. "Beautiful, in a strange sort of way," Alptraum muses, then folds his wings around his body again. "Now that we're not surrounded by everyone else, I was also going to say, I think I understand how you feel. Now, I don't have the same level of organizing that you do but … yeah, when you have to act as a leader, there's an attitude you have to present. Some things you'd want to show and can't in order to keep people following you." He looks skyward for a moment, then just closes his eyes and listens. "It's why I like places like this. A moment to relax. No guards, no images to present. Just a moment to be. To exist."

There isn't any wind or breeze, but the trees provide a soft chiming melody regardless. Kaira sits down next to Alptraum and pops one of the silver bubbles with a claw. "The peace of not being the focus of someone's attention?" she asks.

"Or someone else's expectations," Alptraum replies quietly. "Remember when you made that comment about the others not being in the mood? It's not that I don't think they're attractive, or something. But … in a way I feel like I'm their leader. I have to be somewhat respectable. I have to keep pushing, encouraging. I have to look out for Ravenia while she adapts to a harder life, for example. Tulani can't fly right now, so I have to be the scout. Arkold is just too laid back. Plus, I'm worrying what the necromancer is doing, and if we'll be able to stop him. But, I can't let the others know I'm worrying about that, too. They need to believe we can. If we falter, we will fail. So, I keep pushing onward. And heh, then there's everyone in here, and you, I promised to help. Sometimes, I … just want to stop. If just for a moment."

Kaira crosses her legs into a lotus position, and says, "Perhaps if you had something to focus on that brought you peace? Something you could take a few minutes out of the day to contemplate. You've got that talisman your mother left you, for instance. Does that make you feel peaceful?"

"That makes me feel sad sometimes. It's not directly my fault, but my existence has hurt a lot of people and it's a reminder of that. But, I have music, and that does make me feel better, just because it's not a direct representation of anything," Alptraum notes and finally looks over at Kaira.

The dragon smiles back. "Music is good for soothing emotions. After this, I may start a Zen garden. I understand they can be very soothing."

"Anything after this would feel soothing, I'd imagine," Alptraum remarks and grins. His expression falters for a moment and he asks, "I may be mis-remembering, but I thought that once all were free from the dagger and the unmaking complete, you would cease to exist. Am I remembering wrong?"

"Well, I wouldn't have any reason to exist beyond that point," Kaira says.

"So, would it be your choice to exist, though?" the Eeee asks.

"It would be… complicated," Kaira explains. "I don't know if I can exist on my own, without being attached to something."

"Well, you seemed to be able to attach to me that one time, though I may be mistaken on how attached you were," Alptraum says and pulls his legs up, then hugs them. "I'd be willing to host you until you decided what you wanted. I may regret saying that, but there it is."

"That's sweet of you!" Kaira says, and gives the Eeee a hug, tickling his nose with her fur bikini. "Hopefully, you'll live long enough to finish evacuating this place in the first place, too!"

Alptraum oofs and almost tips over! "Yeah, well, I hope so too," he says muffledly, then shifts his nose a bit out of the way. "Though, I have also been told I'm supposedly effectively a spirit which gets reborn anyway, so heh, eventually I could probably complete it. Hard to say, though. Lots of weird rumors that go around in the world."

"Well, at the very least you can visit my Zen garden next time you visit," Kaira promises. "I think I'm going to add a windmill and some water obstacles to it as well. Maybe a lumberjack too… "

Alptraum's brow furrows. "You are truly strange. What sort of garden has water obstacles? Was the person you were modeled after the same way?" he inquires.

"She always found miniature golf to be relaxing," Kaira explains.

"Miniature wha … oh, never mind. I guess I can find out next time, heh," the Eeee comments and shakes his head. He draws in a breath, then says, "And I should probably be going. I'm sure there's stuff you need to do. And I should get some mental rest before we continue in the morning onto potential doom."

"Yes, get your rest," Kaira says, petting Alptraum's head. "And be sure to have a nice cup of… uh… blood in the morning. Unless you have hot chocolate?"

"I wish. We don't have much of anything, though," Alptraum grouses. "And hunting is bad right now too. Ah well. And don't worry, I won't tell Arkold I saw you in a bikini. Well, not unless I want to really torture him." He grins.

"If you want to torture him, mention the succubus instead," Kaira suggests, grinning like… well, like a dragon.

Alptraum mulls that over. "Hmm, hmm," he mutters. "You know, that probably would drive him crazy. Heh. I'd be half tempted to make up some wild sto… nah. I can't be that cruel. I'll just describe her … virtues in detail." He gets up finally and stretches. "Anyway, back to the outside world I go," he quips, then makes a motion like he's popping a bubble with his claw, playfully. As if he could just pop this world and leave.

The bubble pops, and the world goes away…