*WHUMP!*

The black Khatta falls on his rump for the who-knows-who-many-umpteenth time, but at least it's padded by the big mat spread out on top of the wide marble banquet table that serves as his fighting ring.

"Feli! How many times have I told you? Don't ASSUME. You were focusing too much on guarding the same side I'd attacked last time, and not being ready for a surprise sweep to your feet… " Grandmother Martinette chides Jynx and gives him yet another lecture on his fighting technique, as his hind end throbs to remind him of his failure. Still … she has given him several compliments as well. Well, a few, anyway.

Ears set back, Jynx painfully rubs the base of his aching tail. "But I thought you were gonna attack high," protests the Khatta as he painfully gets back to his feet, "how can I tell where you're going to attack from?"

"One way to tell is to watch how your opponent broadcasts his – or her – moves. Watch for muscle flexes. Watch for shifting of balance. You can't always tell for certain what they will do … they might feint … but there are some stances that rule out an effective attack in a certain manner … " Martinette launches into a lengthy demonstration and another lecture, this time focusing on showing how an arm looks when the muscles are clenched, in preparation for an attack, and stances that are properly balanced for certain attacks, and so on and so forth… There's no way Jynx can be expected to memorize it all, of course, but it's certain to be repeated again. So much of teaching, after all, is repetition. The multiple impacts on Jynx's feline behind would be a demonstration of that fact.

"Well … that's enough for today, dearie. You can wash yourself up for supper now!" And suddenly it's Grandmother Martinette on the stage once more, as she steps down and begins to head for the kitchen.

Still rubbing his sore tail and hind end, the Khatta blinks. "Done already? But it seems like we've just started!" He tries to look out the window as he slides off the table, only to be reminded of the castle's underwater status. "How long were we at it?"

Martinette heads to the washbasin just inside the kitchen, but leans out as she washes her paws. "Oh, just an hour or two, really!"

As Jynx looks out the window, he can see a shadow sliding through the murk. Well … across the murk, really. It's hard to tell, exactly, but it might be cast by something moving either through the water, or maybe there'

s enough of the Procession out tonight to cause a shadow to be cast by something going across or over the water. Whatever it was, it was a fleeting shape, and can be seen no more.

Jynx does a double take at the form, staring at it to make sure it was real. He rubs his eyes, "Must be tired… " he mutters to himself. The Khatta walks off to one of the back rooms, searching for a wash basin to clean off his steamed fur.

Little Neko's room has been claimed by young Master Feli, and has been considerably redecorated since then. For one thing, the crib has been moved elsewhere in the estate, and the decoration is far more befitting the chambers of a young cat … rather than a really young kitten. Martinette might put just a little too much frill here and there, and a grandmotherly touch insofar as styles go … but she's without a doubt a great housekeeper (especially with her small army of thugs to help with the housework).

Jynx isn't the type to gripe about someone else bringing the luxuries of home to his little corner of the world, however. The feline strips off his dander and sweat covered shirt, tossing it onto the bed, and walks over to the nightstand and washbasin. Dipping his paws into the water, he splashes the refreshing coolness up onto his face. "Ahh, cold!"

After a little bit, there is a loud rapping on the door. "Supper's ready," whinnies Rockford, a Rhian lackey. "And there's a native to see you. The Mistress invited him to dinner." And then the horse's hoof-beats can be heard as he tromps away to tend to other chores.

Drying off his face, the black Khatta blinks. "Native?" Shrugging, he goes to the closet and pulls out a fresh shirt, a casual one, and quickly slips into it. Bolting out the door, he hurries down the stairs into the Garden Hall opening, pausing to get a look at whoever this 'local' is.

It looks like the schoolmaster, Horace Bookman, a Korv who runs a one-room school that's the only center of education in these parts. The banquet table of the Garden Hall has already undergone a transformation from battle arena to dinner table, as the pad has been removed, the table has been cleaned and polished, and it has been set out with places for Jynx, the foppish fox, Grandmother Martinette, and their guest, Mister Bookman. Ysnor and the lackeys eat in the servants' area. The foppish fox, of course, has already materialized at the table, even though it's hard to find him any other time of day – unless he's playing music, or there's food to be eaten.

Jynx makes his way down the stairs and over to the large table, visibly puzzled as to why the Korv has chosen to pay his abode a visit. He politely nods to the bird as he takes his seat at the table, then turning and looking in silent askance at his Grandmother.

Grandmother Martinette comes to the table, holding a pot in oversized mittens. She sets it down, then puts the mittens aside. She nods to the schoolmaster. "So nice of you to drop by, sir! We so rarely get visitors out here. I'm sure Feli will be delighted to hear about – Oh! Why, here he comes now!"

The looks of puzzlement deepens as Jynx sits down. "Good evening everyone." He eyes the pot only briefly, eyes full of hunger, but quickly snaps himself back to the matter at paw. "Hear about what?" His glance goes between the Korv and the lioness.

The foppish fox, needing no further encouragement, starts digging into the food. Martinette has had considerable influence on him, and it shows … for he actually uses utensils instead of his bare paws. He could still do with some improvement in manners, though.

The Korv doesn't bother getting any food just yet, though, and instead turns his attention to Jynx. "

"I have done some research, young Kurai, which I think may be of interest to you. I heard of your troubles with Count Vlad … and I have discovered the whereabouts of his abode!" the schoolmaster relates.

The young Khatta arches a brow, cocking his ears forward to the crow. "You did? Where?!" Food forgotten, Jynx's total attention is on the schoomaster.

The schoolmaster adjusts the spectacles perched on his beak and says, "I did some research in the library. That is, the school library, comprised mostly of books we get from time to time from travellers, and a few donated by the Kurai family long ago. Quite an odd mix, but the best we can hope for in these secluded parts."

The Korv shudders. "In any case, I can assure you that the journey will not be easy … nor facing this … this … MONSTER that dares go by the title of 'Count'!" He clacks his beak. "The shame of it!"

"Monster?" The black Khatta looks puzzled at the Korv. "What do you mean?" The feline scratches at a whisker, "Is he not even of noble blood?"

The foppish fox, meanwhile, has cleared his plate, and reaches over Jynx's (standing up in his chair) to reach a bowl of mashed potatoes. (Potatoes seem to be quite a staple in these parts.)

The Korv shudders again. "Oh … maybe in LIFE, the person who once deserved the name of Count Vlad Tempest … could have been called of noble blood. But over the years, I assure you, the blood that runs through those veins is not his own!"

Without looking, Jynx swats the vulpine's paw. He blinks at the schoomaster. "What do you mean, 'in life'? What did he do, steal other people's blood?" The cat grins.

The crow digs through a satchel, and pulls out a rolled-up scroll. "That is precisely it, young Lord Kurai!" He blinks as the fox yelps. "He is none other than … a vampire!"

"That sounds a bit hard to swallow."

The parchment is laid out on the table, showing a map of a portion of Sylvania … including a fairly small area that has Blackshire Village in its center … and, far away to the west, the County of Tempest. The roads leading there look to be fairly winding … and there's no telling what condition they're in nowadays, as some of the features shown on the map didn't seem to be there during Jynx's journey to this place.

"How else, young Kurai, could he possess such … such … well, inhuman strength?" the crow caws. "I tell you, his strength is great only because it is robbed from others!"

Jynx's grin quickly fades into a frown as he peruses the map. "A vampire? You're serious?" The feline studies the county's layout a bit more. "How- … How did he do this? Is he some kind of wizard?"

"Who can know?" caws the crow. "He must have made a pact with one of the Necromancer Kings, and been given 'eternal life' … of the infernal sort. Only if his head is cleft from his shoulders … or if a stake of wood is driven through his heart … will his reign of terror finally cease."

The foppish fox nibbles on a morsel of meat that looks a lot like one that was on Jynx's plate just a moment ago. He points at the map, leaving a greasy smudge-mark on the edge that he tries to wipe off … but only makes the smear worse. "Uhm … that looks like quite a journey, you know. Could take weeks to get there. And more to get back. Do you think a trip like this would be safe?"

"Of course not!" caws the crow. "Only a true hero would undertake such a quest."

The cat stifles a gulp, this crazy bout of revenge just took on a whole new demension. "All I wanted was to teach him a lesson! I didn't realize I'd end up having to fight some undead freak!" He sighs, and slumps in his chair, "How do I get myself into these things?" He props his elbows onto the tabletop, resting his chin in his paws. "What else do you know about this guy?"

Grandmother Martinette frowns at the whole story, and daintily nibbles at her own plateful of food, so far keeping her thoughts to herself about this 'vampire' business.

The Korv hunches over, and starts talking in a near-whisper … as if one might be concerned about the count himself somehow listening in! "His castle is set high atop a mountain formed from the hardened remnant of a long-dead volcano's core, standing unnaturally tall and narrow, only accessible by a winding, treacherous path. Storms gather around the evil lord's tower every night … and it is said that he commands the elements to do his bidding! The wild beasts in the forests surrounding his domain are his spies, warning him of any who might come to challenge him. All due caution must be taken, to challenge such a foe!"

Grandmother Martinette says, "Dear Schoolmaster … you haven't put a thing on your plate. Is there anything I could possibly get you? I'd hate to see you go away hungry."

The schoolmaster caws, "Oh, dear me, no, but thank you so kindly. I just ate, sad to say. Couldn't eat another crumb!"

Jynx grimaces, "Why don't these jokers ever live in happy sun filled valleys or something like that?" His tail trashes as he slumps in his chair again. "Well, vampire or no, I'm going afer him." The cat crosses his arms defiantly, "I've still got a score to settle!"

"Hear, hear!" caws the crow. "Oh, this is certainly heartening. You are a true hero, young Kurai! Now then … I'm terribly sorry I can't stay, but I have my chores to be doing… " He gets up. "It's been such a pleasure meeting you, Madame," he says, as he bows to Martinette. She returns the bow with a polite nod. The crow then heads for the stairs. "A pity the 'flyer's landing' is submerged … but using the stairs will be good exercise, I suppose. A good evening to you all!"

"Hold on a second," says Jynx, "'Flyer's Landing'? What's that?"

The foppish fox looks over the map, which the schoolmaster has evidently left for Jynx to use. "Hmm. You know … I think we could have saved some time on our journey here, if we took a shortcut through this spot labelled … uh … 'Drowned Khatta Bridge'."

The crow is already out of earshot, but Lady Martinette says, "I do believe, Feli, that he must be referring to that balcony up there… " She points up at a balcony built into the Garden Hall dome, which has been sealed up long ago.

"I suppose it would have been convenient for flying guests … but not so convenient now, thanks to the threat of flooding," Martinette comments.

The black Khatta looks daggers at the fox, and pushes him out of the way to get a better look at the map. "We'll have to see about draining that swamp… " he idly muses as he peruses the document.

The foppish fox says, "I think going to take care of this count is a grand idea. Better one count, than dealing with a whole forest full of monsters!"

The fox hmms. "I wonder if that Scarlet mage could have helped? Perhaps she could have used her wand … Ah … 'Float'? No, the castle might bob around a bit, and we'd all get seasick. Perhaps 'Flush'? No, that could get terribly scary. 'Flood', of course, would be of no use whatsoever." He pokes his nose rudely over Jynx's shoulder, trying to squeeze in for a better look.

"I suppose she's off on her own now." The cat looks at the fox's nose with a grimace. "I've got to go after this guy, even if he is some kind of undead monster." He spreads the map out on the table better, and looks up to Martinette, "And that means we need to train harder."

"Really, Feli?" Lady Martinette muses. "Do you really want to train harder? And, while I'm thinking about it, I should pose the question … Just why is this count such a pressing problem? Didn't I catch something about some quest you and the little sorceress were going on to do something about … oh… " She waves her hand dismissively. "… you know. The monsters terrorizing the peasants, and all that?"

Jynx blinks at his grandmother, "Well… there was that… " He scratches the back of his head, "But that Count made me look like a fool! And besides, the monsters will still be here when we get back!" His tail trashes, "Like the fox said, that Count is probably a bigger monster anyways!"

The fox gulps. "Well … I didn't exactly say it like that… " He ponders. "But I won't argue!"

"The same could be said for the Count, Feli," Martinette says, ladling a bit more gravy onto her potatoes. "He will still be around, presumably, once you've trained up enough to face him properly. Who knows? Perhaps you could send him a letter, be nice, and get a proper invitation. Always nicer than having his guard-groks waiting for you when you show up at the door uninvited."

The younger Khatta flattens his ears, and stirs his food around his plate like a spoiled kitten. "And invitation? Like what? 'Dear mister Undead Horror, we humbly request your presence so we can steak you'?" The cat frowns, "Besides, he said he was done with challenging me, so I have to seek him out!"

Martinette shrugs. "Forgive me, Feli, but I presumed that Mister Undead Horror must be something other than a mindless beast … or your little duel with him surely would have ended far more severely for one or the other. Not to say that I think him entirely civilized, either." She sips at a cup of tea.

Jynx opens his mouth to give a retort, but stops silent. He crosses his arms, staring at his plate. "But… but he said he was on some 'tournament' thing, he could be gone months… years!"

Martinette makes a very sad expression … or is she being patronizing?

The foppish fox says, "So … when are we off? I should compose some new travelling music."

The black Khatta nibbles a bit at his potatoes, "Well, what would you have me do?" He sighs, ignoring the fox. "Just sit here and wait?"

Martinette sips at her tea again, then says, "Far from it. I would never suggest to a young lord to simply … sit and wait." She looks sideways to Jynx over her teacup, not lowering it as she says, "But be mindful, young Feli. Choose your enemies wisely. If you think this battle is most important to you, so be it – I will do my best to train you for the encounter, so hopefully you'll survive it. But if you should decide to focus on matters closer to your new home, you might endear yourself more to your new neighbors."

Jynx frowns, "You mean the monster thing?" He leans back in his chair again, twiddling his fork.

"Yes … the 'monster thing'," Lady Martinette repeats. "And the 'somebody stole something from your castle' thing. And the 'who is going to be watching your castle while you're off questing' thing as well, while I'm at it."

The Khatta sets his ears back, recognizing that he is being scolded. "But we have no idea what happened to that shard, or if someone took it or not!" He shrugs, "It could be anywhere, I don't even know where to begin!"

Lady Martinette idly picks up a long-handled serving spoon, and slaps at a fox's paw as he tries to reach over her plate to grab a morsel of meat.

"You're absolutely correct," says Lady Martinette. "Asking around might help. Sheriff Darken would no doubt be handy to make sure nobody tries to sell the thing … but do you honestly believe that some peasant villager would suddenly decide to steal this crystal, after all these years that this castle has been left alone, to risk the wrath of a new young lord?"

"Sometimes, you don't have convenient clues to show themselves," Martinette suggests, pausing to blow at a fresh cup of tea. "It might help to try to hypothesize what value this thing might have to someone. Then hypothesize how they might have gotten it … and what sort of clues they might inadvertently leave behind while doing it. Then you might know what to look for. After all … the scene of the crime is right here."

Jynx taps at his plate with his fork, "Well, I don't see who would stand to profit with the monsters staying around, except for the monsters themselves. And if one of the villagers didn't take it, then who did? All that's left is the local wildlife and the monsters." Hunger setting in, the cat finally bites into his cold food. "I guess we can go look after we're done here." He sighs again, frustrated.

Lady Martinette nods. "Very well then. And … Feli … you should hold your fork like so… " She demonstrates, and then falls into critiquing his other table manners as well.

Acting the part of the kitten again, Jynx flattens his ears, emulating the instructions of his grandmother…