"This creature has the taint of necromancy," Srinala tells Alptraum as they stand above the child-like yet still fetal body. "I'm not sure if it was born this way, or had its spirit stripped out.. or even quite what its parentage was," the girl notes. "Please, tell me the circumstances you found it under?"
"It was at the core of this great mass of ... chaos," Alptraum tries to explain, then describes the creature as best he can physically. "It was a beast out of the forbidden zone, of that I'm sure. Mutated by wild magic. It was ... brought there to drive others insane to swell their ranks."
"A creature of the Mists?" Srinala asks, her blind eyes nonetheless going wide in surprise. "Then.. this.. was.. done so that it could survive?"
"Possibly, since once that was ripped free it dissolved," Alptraum agrees.
Srinala goes to sit down on her saddle-shaped throne. "Symbiosis, perhaps. But to what purpose? Was it a test?"
"No. I think its purpose was mainly to drive those near it mad; a mob for Diphath to control. Easier and less obvious to amass an army here than in the Mists," Alptraum says, along with a slight shrug. "Of course a darker meaning could have been a test; perhaps of a way to use you for her purposes should she take this Mountain."
Srinala frowns. "The seed for some god of chaos," she says. "The General is.. clearly dangerous. We'll have to start preparing to defend the mountain. This chaos being, was it difficult to dispatch? The srinala at its heart is its weakness?"
"The heart is its weakness ... but no, it was not easy to vanquish. It attacks the mind and the senses. It was only through the aid of your Sister, Gorphat, I was able to see through the chaos to find the heart of madness and tear it free. It fortunately worked as a disease of the mind, and under some of her jurisdiction," Alptraum explains, crouching to give his legs a rest. "I fear if those things attacked, it would be difficult to repel. Fortunately, they didn't appear very mobile."
"That means that somebody had to have carried it," Srinala guesses. "I have heard rumors that Abednego walks the bath of undeath. Were you able to confirm or put these rumors to rest?"
"Oh ... he walks that path, yes. Disgustingly so," Alptraum says and makes a face. There's a memory he could do without.
"Would something undead be immune to that creature's mental assault, do you think?" Srinala asks next, running her hands over her knees as if to warm them up.
"I .... don't know. It's quite possible; depending on how it affects the senses," Alptraum admits. He scoots over to the Srinala ... then proceeds to warm her hands with his own. "Given what we know, it is probably a safe assumption that they are. Something has to take people to the creature and back out without losing themselves; and he was definitely there now and then."
The Srinala seems.. tense. Is she trembling? She seems reassured to have her hands held, at least. "It.. frightens me, Alptraum," she admits. "To be doing such things in my city. Diphath insults me, accuses me of being weak, but her minion hides where I cannot retaliate."
"But you did retaliate in a sense. I acted and went where you could not, even though it was rather ... horrible and trying," Alptraum offers and squeezes her hands lightly. "I am connected to you. You've been there for me when I needed you and I will always be there for you. As for her Minions; they're in an old temple in the Mists. A place I intend to find and destroy when I get the chance."
"Alone?" Srinala asks. "I worry about you. I wish you could just stay here at the Temple."
"I don't know if I will be alone or not. My friend, Tulani, may insist on going," Alptraum explains. "You should meet her some day. And, well, I worry about me too." He grins a bit at that, adding, "But one thing I learned well growing up was how to survive. A lot of bad can be said about Sylvania, but one thing it does, is make you stronger."
"You are stronger since you left," Srinala says. "If you become the Sabaoth, you can fight for the Sisters out in the open."
"And that is something else I still have to complete," Alptraum admits, "But I continue to worry about time. Will the loss of the latest coven make the General accelerate her plans, or slow them down?"
"I don't know that she could accelerate things," Srinala says, sounding hopeful. "There's no reason for her to taking things slow and easy, after all. Whatever role the Yodhdiphath were to play, she'll have to compensate."
"And that may be difficult once more rumors hit the streets on what happens to those who follow her. I wouldn't be surprised if her next move is to try and court me directly," Alptraum adds after some thought. "So, there is probably time to complete the other task if need be. And then go after her in the Mists."
"Or draw her out," Srinala notes. "I admit, if she is to be defeated - I would rather it be something that all of Babel can witness."
"That may be tricker. She would either have to have no other choice, or believe she could achieve absolute victory and not fear the risk," Alptraum notes. "I'm not sure else would tempt her out."
"If she is building an army, that implies she intends conquest," Srinala notes. "We don't know if that's what she is doing, though. I suppose it is necessary to depend on Barada's methods.."
"Well, Tulani knows one of Her Daughters, and Barada tolerates me. I suppose I could ask her to keep me informed," Alptraum says. "And what I expect she is trying to do is rot the city from the inside out. Slow takeover, then move here once nothing more can resist her."
"That has been her plan for a thousand years," Srinala agrees. "And it almost worked. The Seven Sisters are all but fallen, corruption still tries to take hold of the new rulers. I cannot see the future."
"And then I had to come along and be the proverbial annoying worm rooting through her corpse," Alptraum says with a smirk. "Someone possibly too dumb or idealistic to be swayed as easily."
"And someone strong enough to stand against her too," Srinala points out. "You have access to.. allies.. beyond the Sisters. That makes you unpredictable."
"And a sense of humor. That can be important," Alptraum adds. "Also, warm hands. Most of the time." That comes with a squeeze of the smaller Eeee's hands again.
"Your left hand is always warmer," Srinala notes, with a slight smirk. "Be careful. If we lose you, then who will save us?"
"More than you might think. The lives I've touched might step in my place. The only thing I've ever asked from others is to return the help I once gave them to another," Alptraum explains. "I hope I got to a young Eeee in time. Her name is Chiyuta. She was my friend while I resided in the Abbas compound, though she does not know it; and should never know it. All she really wanted was to be happy for once; and I've given her a path to find that finally."
"Outside of Babel I assume?" Srinala asks, but then seems to lose some of her humor. "I will need to make plans for evacuating Daughter-of-Shadows. If the mountain does get attacked, she can't be here."
"They will have to go through me before they get to her," Alptraum says firmly. "And as for evacuating her; you should talk to Tulani for that. She could evacuate her; and she carries the Light."
"I wonder about the Light," Srinala says. "I feel.. I know it is going to play an important part in things. I do feel some connection to it. The Yodh have had more success in healing since you returned, in fact."
"I barely know her, and yet I consider Daughter of Shadows my family too," Alptraum admits. "And would you like to speak with Tulani? I can bring her to you?"
"Another time, perhaps," Srinala says. "I'm.. not in the best frame of mind right now. And.. she's a dragon. I'm still wondering how to deal with the fact that a lot of people have seen her here now."
"She's an imp; and a lot like me," Alptraum claims. "Would you rather I ask her to not come here?"
"No.. she brought a lot of people here who need our help," Srinala notes, and claps her hands together. "If the people start to think that I am served by dragons, so be it!"
"Hah, I suppose so," Alptraum admits. "I should be here when you meet her; to make sure she doesn't say any terrible lies about me."
"I'm sure she will only tell nice lies about you," Srinala says with a grin. "And this way you will have time to coach her in them."
"I actually trust her completely, but I can't tell her that," Alptraum says. "Now, I have to decide exactly where to go from here. And maybe get drunk. There are some memories from the Abbas coven I could do without."
"Rest and recover then," Srinala says, and stands up to give Alptraum a hug.
Alptraum gives her a hug; then actually picks her up while doing it. "Promise me something?" he asks.
"A promise from Death is no small thing," Srinala notes, albeit a bit playfully. "What is it?"
"That some day you will let me take you for a walk in a garden, or along a street. You know Death, are Death. I want to also show you life, and people when they aren't coming to the inevitable," Alptraum says, "And bring you closer to the people. Everything has been too far apart in this city for too long."
"There are still gardens?" Srinala asks. "I admit that I don't know what's been going on much in the city, since I only hear the bad things from people that are hurt or sick."
"There are all sorts of places. Sometimes I find them myself when I need to get away from what surrounds me; if only for a moment, to find all the reasons I still fight that is," Alptraum says.
"Just keep in mind that I cannot fly," Srinala reminds him.
"I can, and I can carry," Alptraum counter-reminds. "And tickle, but I'm not brave enough to do that to you yet."
"You can't expect to me be.. normal.. in public you know," Srinala chides, wagging a finger. "I'm a goddess after all. And not just of Death anymore."
"I'm probably one of the few people who can expect things of you somewhat safely," Alptraum counters, again. "And you would be going in disguise so that you can see and feel without others being afraid or worried and changing how they act."
"Oh dear," Srinala says. "Daughter-of-Shadows has been trying to make me do that for.. some time. I think she already has a disguise planned. Her's is built-in.. she just has to keep quiet."
"Oh, then I should just conspire with her," Alptraum says, smirking now. "And the fact you haven't struck either of us down for suggesting it tells me part of you wants to."
"I'm not that sort of goddess anymore," Srinala notes, maybe with just a tinge of regret. "And yes, you probably should conspire with her. She needs a friend who doesn't worship me or want to kill me."
"All I want of you is to see you smile," Alptraum remarks. "I'm strange that way. I get more out of making others happy than anything material."
"And not smile like how your Sister Inala makes people smile. That is creepy," he adds.
"I think my smile would be scary," Srinala notes. "It would make people think that.. I was thinking about their deaths. Do you have a nice smile?"
"I ... I don't really know. No one has ever commented on it before," Alptraum admits. "I know I can make a scary smile, but my natural one ... who knows."
"I don't know if I could see it," Srinala admits. "I don't really see things the way others do. It's all shades of black and silver."
"Yes, you can. If you see a different way," Alptraum offers. He takes her hands again and this time places them on his face. The Eeee then smiles, gently, and lets her 'see' him through her fingers.
"My, what sharp teeth you have, Alptraum," the Incarnation of Death notes. "I don't know if that's scary or not. Nobody else would smile if I was touching their face, I'm sure."
Alptraum actually laughs. "I know you, they do not. That is a big difference," he points out.
"Well, and I couldn't accidentally kill you anyway," Srinala claims. "Not that I ever do things on accident. I'm very careful and wise after all."
And for that Alptraum playfully 'bites' her finger. "I should probably be going soon," he admits. "Before Tulani worries. She always worries if I am too long; and she is mad at me for being away a lot lately."
"She's a dragon, they are 'legendary' for being temperamental," Srinala points out.
"I know, I should beat her regularly to keep her in line," Alptraum jokes, tone evident that it is a joke at that.
"Or something like that," Srinala agrees, then pushes on Alptraum's chest. "Go. Practice making someone grouchy smile."
"And find something bright and cheerful for you to wear," Alptraum adds as he's quickly heading for the door.
"No shorts!" Srinala calls out before Alptraum escapes. A few of the Yodh cast worried glances at him.
"I'll take that under advisement," Alptraum counters. Then in a fit of insanity, he smiles to the other Yodh. "What?"
The women recoil a bit at the smile. "Nothing.. Sir," one of them mutters before they all scatter. There's probably plenty of work they could be doing, afterall.
"I'm not that scary," Alptraum mutters as he makes his shadow-cloaked way back through the halls and out to find Tulani.
It takes a bit of searching, before he hears a familiar feline 'hssst!' from a shadowed alcove in one of the courtyards.
"You better not be visiting the sandbox over there," Alptraum hisses and heads towards the noise.
Inside the archway is a rather wet and naked Tulani. "This is your fault," she complains. "I used up all my dragon-power or something, and I don't want to use the Light here where people are sure to sense it.."
"So, I need to find you some clothing, now? You're always so wet and bothered around me," Alptraum quips as he leans on the archway, grinning.
"Just wrap your cloak around me," the Sphynx notes. "So I can dry off! Then I will get back at you for making me worried and staying a dragon for so long.."
Alptraum rolls his eyes and puts his arms on her shoulders. Shadow flows out over them, then over and around her. "Tickle tickle," he says ... then just uses the shadow to help dry her. He thankfully does not tickle.
"Soooo long, Alptraum," Tulani notes, pressing up against him. "You know how that makes me feel.." she growls.
"And this is not quite the right place for that," Alptraum points out to the Sphynx. "Inala's temple is more appropriate..."
"That's a long flight though," Tulani notes, even though really it's only a few minutes..
"It's not that long. You really can't wait?" Alptraum asks.
"Okay.. we can go back first.." Tulani says. "But I'm not sharing you with Mave! You know how she gets!"
"You could share with Gorphat if you want something ... different," Alptraum offers and grins.
"No silly suggestions," Tulani declares. "How often are you.. you.. after all? When I'm me at the same time?"
"I'm me a lot, just not around you, just to drive you crazy," Alptraum says, winks ... then suddenly withdraws the shadow and launches into the sky!
"Hey!" Tulani roars and flies after him... or at least high enough that her natural dark color obscures everything but her wings in the night.
Alptraum isn't a faster flier, but he's more agile! And he so uses that to play 'cat and bat' all the way back towards Inala's temple!
"Ahhh, if I were a dragon right now you'd be in so much trouble," Tulani threatens, and flies on ahead instead to wait in ambush!
"Yeah yeah, you and an army maybe! I can outflank you anytime!" Alptraum calls out, smug in his confidence he could hear her in plenty of time!
"You always liked my flanks though!" Tulani declares, before vanishing into the Temple.
"And now that she's gone, I should go get a drink," Alptraum calls out, annoyingly.
"You like to drink me too!" Tulani taunts.
"But you're not intoxicating right now!" Alptraum claims. He's making no move to leave, but he sure seems to want to milk this for a bit.
"I have booze," Tulani admits. "It's hidden in the Nest. I'm the only one who knows where!"
"Suure it is! I bet Mave has already found it and drank it!" Alptraum calls out. This time, though, he actually goes into the temple. Very, very, slooowly.
The path to the secret door is the most likely place for an ambush.. but then it's also got debris on the floor, so wouldn't be a very comfortable place.. assuming Tulani even cares about that at this point, with dragon-libido-hangover or whatever it is going on.
"You would think the cold bath would fix this," Alptraum mutters to himself. Onward he coes, ears perked and alert. At least he has no jewelry to worry about; save that he can't actually remove.
There a sound.. behind him! A rattle.. or else it could be a distraction. Tulani was trained as a spy after all. She should be able to sneak around quietly..
And of course Alptraum lets out a chirp to trace out everything, even the shadows! "Sneaking up on a bat, bad idea," he thinks.
No echoes return that indicated something moving.. or soft.
So ... onward he goes! "I'm surprised she doesn't want her nosering'ed kitty," Alptraum thinks.
Another rattle of stone! From a different direction. Maybe she's just trying to confuse his echo sense? The secret door is up ahead now, in the ruined mosaic wall.
"Blah blah," Alptraum thinks. Onward he goes, not about to fall for lures.
Nobody is lurking near the hidden door that Alptraum can tell. Is Tulani in a completely different part of the Temple?
And so Alptraum opens the temple and saunters in. "Wow, I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed for a day or two," he remarks, and even yawns.
Tulani is there at the bottom of the stairs, leaning seductively against the archway.. and waggling a bottle of Vartan Ale suggestively in one hand. "I can take care of your tiredness.." she purrs.
"Oh? And just what will that cost, hmm?" Alptraum teases, playing hard to get. "Nothing is ever free, as my spotted side well knows; what with all yout tailoring you have had the nagas do."
"Well, I could help you put all your jewelry back in," Tulani offers. "After you've relaxed me a bit. You do remember how, don't you? And this ale is too strong for you to have more than a few sips.."
"Maybe I'll let you, maybe I won't," Alptraum counters, and saunters over to Tulani. While making a grab for that bottle, he remarks, "And I bet I can take more than a few..."
Tulani yanks the bottle out of the way! "Hah, you are a lightweight, Alptraum! No way you can handle this stuff without a bit of.. dilution."
"I'll be the judge of that!" Alptraum counters and makes a grab for it again, and presses in close.
"Here here, I'll let you have a taste then," Tulani says, dancing backwards. There's smoke in the air, so Mave must be awake.. and watching from somewhere. Tulani pulls the cork with her teeth.. and splashes some of the booze onto her neck.
"You are so hopeless. A dirty air pirate, with terribly loose morals," Alptraum claims as he moves in quickly, grabbing the sphynx. It's a mere second later and he's bitten down on her neck!
Tulani purrs.. and takes a deep swig from the bottle. I guess this is what she meant by 'dilution' of the booze.
And even on the outside, it adds a bit of a buzz. The fumes alone make Alptraum's eyes start to water!
This doesn't prevent Alptraum from drinking. He's been on an all fruit diet! That part of being a lapi is very dull. All the other parts ... well, Lapis know how to have fun.
At some point, they end up in the nest of pillows and such, if only because Tulani can't stand up too steadily anymore. "Gotta leave me some.. she slurs a bit." Alptraum has never really seen Tulani drunk, just a bit 'wild' from drinking. This must be really strong stuff!
"Oh I know. I'll just have to 'eat' you in other ways," Alptraum says rather, well, suggestively. And he follows through on it, too. He learned a few more things while at the coven, apparently.
Even with the loss of blood and the booze.. well, it's still Tulani. She has a strong constitution! "You don't have to be go anywhere for a while right?" she purrs during a part where the bat could actually answer.
"Not at the moment. Why?" Alptraum asks in between nibbling on her tummy, of all things.
"Well, maybe we could just... do this for a few days, before easing back into horror and such," Tulani notes. "I'd like that. Just.. lay around and be warm and cuddly!"
"As me ... or as your spotty cuddle-toy?" Alptraum inquires, brow arched a bit.
"As you for a change," Tulani says. "I'd go nuts hearing just myself.."
"I'm here too you know," Mave calls out from somewhere.
"That would be a first," Alptraum teases.
"Okay, as me is fine. I won't even make you cuddle with Nicora. And I know how much you like the furless bat," he adds, grinning.
Tulani narrows her eyes. "Besides.. I suspect you need to revisit the rat before the cat," she points out.
"Er, why?" Alptraum asks.
"As much as I don't want to talk about 'business' right now.. we don't know how this shake-up of the Abbas Coven will effect Soldano and Orca. Aren't they supposed to be going into the Valley of Mists at some point?"
"Yes, they are. But you know how I'm like as the rat. I'm a walking ball of perversion," Alptraum complains. "I'll sleep with anything."
"Well, you only have to sleep with Orca," Tulani notes. "And how is that any different than Pierce?" she then teases.
"Pierce has some standards. The rat has like, none," Alptraum admits. "The rat likes looking nasty."
"The point is that you'll be occupied though," Tulani points out. "I'll work on Soldano. You have the easy part with Orca. He'll tell you anything if you wiggle your butt.. or your ears for that matter. He's still trying to get Nicky pregnant isn't he?"
"Oh yeah, he's still trying, and trying. He can't, though," Alptraum agrees, then nibbles a bit more on Tulani. "So, fine, I'll turn into that ... wanton whore in a few days."
"Oh, like you don't enjoy it?" Tulani purrs, and ruffles up Alptraum's hair. "You like Orca, don't you?"
"I never claimed I didn't. It's just embarrassing to be that rat! She would carry his child if she could," Alptraum complains. "It's weird and complicated."
"So.. how was being pregnant, even it was for a bunch of little monsters?" Tulani asks, and.. doesn't sound sarcastic or joking about it.
"Honestly? Hard, awkward, and uncomfortable. Yet ... I found I ended up enjoying it," Alptraum admits rather sheepishly. "It's not an experience I would regret going through again."
"Wow.. okay, that helps a lot," Tulani notes.
"What? What helps a lot?" Alptraum asks.
"Oh.. just stuff I think about every so often," the Sphynx notes, grinning a bit. "You know, being a 'mule' and all."
"It sounded like more than that, though," Alptraum points out. He shrugs a bit, then adds, "It feels food, and you feel good about caring for a life. Best way I can explain it. Even through it was a bunch of monsters, I'm glad I had them within me."
"You haven't told Orca that he can't get you pregnant," Tulani points out. "Don't want to disappoint him?"
"Well no, but I also can't really give him a child either," Alptraum remarks, "And it would be cruel to trick him."
"Why do I get the feeling there's a plan to get me pregnant again?" Alptraum asks, brow arched.
After a few moments of silence, Tulani asks, "Does he think he's going to die when they go have their meeting in the Valley?"
"He seemed to think so, yes," Alptraum admits.
"And there is risk of that," he admits too.
"We'll have to make sure that doesn't happen, right?" Tulani asks. "I just don't know how yet."
"Right. I intend to keep him safe somehow," Alptraum agrees. He then eyes Tulani suspiciously, "And there is no plan to get me pregnant again?"
"Other than Orca's, you don't have anything to worry about from me," Tulani claims.
"I am curious about something though.." she adds.
"And Orca can't, right?" Alptraum asks. He's very suspicious now. "What are you curious about?"
"Did you ever ken him?" the Sphynx asks. "I mean, did you ever have the chance?"
"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?" Alptraum asks.
"It might be worth doing, if you can arrange it," the Sphynx says. "I had a thought that you could impersonate him, but.. would the General know it's you anyway?"
"Probably. It might sense my right hand," Alptraum admits, shrugging. "But maybe not. Hard to say at this point. I know the General detected me in a dream."
"The other reason is.. isn't that how Melusine kept the Countess from aging?" Tulani asks. "I mean, by.. resetting her? Can you do that, if you've kenned someone? Sort of transform them back to that image if you had to?"
"Probably? But I can't make it as permanent as she can," Alptraum answers. "Again, why do you ask?"
"Just wondering. If they go in and get changed or implanted or whatever, then maybe we'd have a way of turning them back to normal," Tulani suggests. "My mind is just jumping at things. It means I haven't drunk enough booze."
"Oh, well, that kind of change I can probably undo. Hers are 'temporary' too for the most part, and my shadow is more powerful," Alptraum claims.
"Her's really is just a copy then? A fake?" Tulani asks.
"Yes. I can tell that much by the feel," Alptraum says.
"So.. is she afraid of you?" the Sphynx asks next.
"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. I haven't spoken to her much," Alptraum admits.
"You know, I bet you're causing her some.. well, you don't have siblings right?" Tulani asks.
"Not really," Alptraum agrees.
"There's rivalry, especially when a younger sibling has to follow after an older one who was really successful," Tulani notes. "And the Shadow of Amena was what let her cause the Necromancer Wars. It's responsible for a Forbidden Zone even. And whatever is left of that power is yours now. And bound to you while you're still alive, to boot, because you took it. She was given her power, and it's a just a copy of the original. She'll have a chip on her shoulder, because more than carrying out Amena or Diphath or whomever's plan, she needs to beat you."
"Well, only Hortense and Mordecai is allowed to beat me," Alptraum remarks with a wide grin!
"Heh! The point is we can use that," Tulani says. "Make her angry, or careless. Force her to act before she's ready. After we sober up." With that she grabs the bottle of ale again. "I want to get smashed, and I've lost enough blood to make that possible now! You can even have a small bit if you want."
"I was thinking about taking a nap," Alptraum says with an exaggerated yawn. "And you're sure you don't have plans to get me knocked up again?"
"Do you think there are any more big covens out there?" Tulani asks with a grin.
"Probably not," Alptraum says.
"And I doubt Mave would want to get me pregnant again too, right?" Alptraum says louder.
"I'll think about it," Mave notes.
Alptraum laughs.
"Well, here's to naps and horny rats and dead cannibals," Tulani toasts, and glugs down more of the Vartan Ale. "I don't die, I'd like bacon for breakfast," she gasps out when she can talk again.
"And to making you squeal, scream ... and be drunk enough to put you in chains and have my way with you," Alptraum adds, cackles, and liiiicks Tulani. "And we have several days to do it, too..."