One of the few benefits of being a teenaged gypsy is that you're too young to drove when the tribe is on the move. This means that Alptraum and Hexen can relax on top of a wagon and look up at the sky. The extra treat this time is that the sky is actually clear, so that the early evening stars are visible, and even the arch of the Procession to the south. Before long the caravan will stop for the night though, and then there'll be physical labor again. For Hexen, it was enough of a workout just climbing up onto the top of his family wagon.
"I wish something would happen," Hexen says as he stares upwards past the tree canopy. The path the gypsies take is always a bit overgrown, but it's safer than using the main roads (when they exist). "But we're in the arse-end of nowhere, according to me mum."
"Dis whole country is the arse-end of the entire world. An' don' wish for something to happen as nothing ever good happens here," Alptraum points out from where he's currently flopped in an unceremonious lump of ragged clothing, wings, and hair.
It probably isn't a bad omen, but as soon as Alptraum finishes his statement, a large winged shadow passes overhead.. and then comes back for a second pass.
"An dere is the doom fer the day," Alptraum remarks and looks skyward for the source of that shadow, along with ears swivelling for any sound.
There are some telltale ultrasonic pings, and then the shadow comes in for a landing. It's Kizzy, from the other Eeee family in the troupe. Being of the Saskanarian breed, her arms are also her wings, and she has a leaf-shaped nose. "Ah! I been lookin' fer you boys!" she squeaks. She's dressed in what is essentially an apron sewn to a skirt.
"Ahhh!" Hexen blurts.
"I was right, doom," Alptraum remarks and sits up slowly. "If you wanna know who has been peepin' on you again, it be dat one," he adds and points at Hexen.
"Really?" Kizzy asks, looking both shy and excited at the prospect.
"No! Never!" Hexen claims. "You got nothing worth lookin' at, Kiz. I still you're a boy that just had a bad accident!"
"Oh you, always jokin'," Kizzy responds, and bats Hexen with one of her wings. "Are you two gonna be busy setting up camp? 'Cuz I need some help with a leeeetle errand."
"Prolly, they always get everyone to help out," Alptraum comments. "Whazza errand?"
"I gotta go to the nearby town and trade for some jars, on account my dad is sick and we run out of glass to melt back down for more jars," Kizzy explains. Her mother makes some very tasty preserves, so long as you don't think about where the fruit might have come from.
"Why do you need to melt down jars for more jars? Why not just use dem as jars?" Alptraum has to ask.
"Wut? No, we don't melt down jars, we melt down broken glass," Kizzy points out. "But we don't have any, and dad is too sick to blow any jars anyway, so I gotta go find some. I've got honeycomb to trade, but I don't trust no gorgio and I can't carry a lot back, so dat's why I thought: Hey, why not bring some big strong guys along! But dey were all busy, so I figured dark sneaky maybe scary guys would work too."
"There's a town?" Hexen asks. "Why aren't we settin' up for a town then?"
"Ey, I'm strong, thank vou," Alptraum grouses and looks for something to throw at Kizzy for a few seconds before giving up. "But eh, I'll go. Mebbe get gots a house o' ladies to visit too."
"I dun' know about townie-girls, but.. I could maybe offer you one of the jars?" Kizzy says. "It's just a little place though, like.. an outpost or somethin'. But they have a trading post. So.. it may just be the tradin' post."
"Blah, nothin' to look at an no one t' swindle. Dat no fun," Alptraum remarks and flops back onto his back. "Still, it be better den camp crap, and no one kin argue we weren't behin' useful."
"Is it far?" Hexen asks. Since he has to walk. "But.. a trading post. Could be somethin' there that'd impress a Radovah. Perfume or somethin'. So I'm in!"
"I dunno, it's.. west," Kizzy claims, and scratches at her chin with one of her feet.
"Bah, nothin' imporess dem, I tried everything. Dey just throw pots," Alptraum claims and blows a raspberry. "I kin go, I guess."
"Right! I go get the honey, and meet you back here," the smaller bat says. "You tell yer folks!"
Alptraum pushes Hexen with a foot. "You kin stay or go," I gonna go deal with the folks before we camp," he add sand takes off to glide down and over to his family wagon.
"Dad'll be glad I'm not unner-hoof for camp," Hexen claims, and tries to slide off the top of the moving wagon and land gracefully. He manages the first part. "I'm not hurt!" he calls.
"Ya got nothin' yo heard, on yer neck or in yer pats!" Alptraum calls back.
Alptraum's parents are both on the wagon's bench, and his father keeps nudging their nearly-blind Drommy to keep it on track. "You boys act more like rivals than best friends," his mother claims as she mends a costume.
"We be both, tis de way of t'ings. Kizzy needs us t' run over to de near outpost fer some stuff. Since we're not helpin' much right now, figgered we'd go handle dat. No problem, righ?" Alptraum inquires from his perch atop the wagon.
"Kizzy Fledermaus is a nice girl," Mrs. Reisender notes. "It's good for you to spend time with her. So be very helpful and respectful."
"She no my type, tho. So don' get ideas, eh?" Alptraum points out and stands. "Back soon as I can!" he adds, and takes off.
This spares Alptraum from a discourse on his 'type' and why he should avoid that sort of girl. The caravan doesn't get very far before Hexen arrives, carrying an empty sack and a waterskin. "A town! Or trading post! Either is a rare treat, eh?" he says, and tries to elbow Alptraum.
"Eh, depends. Dey might have torches and pitchforks. Dat not so much fun," Alptraum points out as he ties his hair back to keep it out of the way. "Could also be a town of old, toothless, needy wimmen. Dat be awful too."
"We check for a stable," Hexen says. "Stables mean pitchforks.."
"Dey alsm mean Rhugrhats you can practice seducing," Alptraum jokes. "We should get going."
"Hey, you guys ready?" Kizzy says as she flaps in for a landing. She's got a basket, and for whatever reason has a pink bow around her neck. "Can you carry de basket, 'Traum?" she asks.
"Does it haf to hav de pink bit?" Alptraum asks as he eyes it warily.
"My mom made me wear it, so people know I'm a girl," Kizzy claims, and rolls her eyes. "But if you want it, I can part wi' it."
"Oh heck no, I carry de basket fine," Alptraum says quickly and grabs the basket. "Lets git going before it gits dark."
So they head off to the west! Kizzy keeps to the air, since she's even less suited to long periods of walking than Alptraum is. The stars actually provide some light due to the unusually clear sky, and after about an hour they see lights and reach what passes for a road.
"Vhy can't you jus get attacked by a monster, mutate, an grow some vings. Walking sucks," Alptraum grouses at Hexen.
"Monsters don't give you wings, they bite off the limbs you got!" Hexen claims and Kizzy lands next to them.
"That mus' be it! I saw a sign from up in de air, but couldn't read it," she claims, and starts for the lights.
"Find de right monster. Quit bein' such a baby," Alptraum jokes. He flicks his ears in the direction he saw some lights and tries to hear the town, and guess its' size.
It's only sundown, but the place seems quiet, other than some sounds of people where the lights are.
"My time to shine!" Hexen declares, and starts running! He does trip and fall on his face, but gets up and cackles and runs again.
"Don' hear much. Not dat big a town," Alptraum says. And to Kizzy he adds, "And if dey got pitchforks, he'll find out first an his screams vill varn us, eh?"
"Ooooo, such a floofy taaail," Kizzy whispers squeakily, and starts after the fox. "I can nurse 'im back to health then!"
Alptraum rolls his eyes and saunters after them. Don' ever appear too eager; makes you look lame .. if you asked him that is.
They do catch up Hexen, who has stopped at the sign. It's using some sort of phosphorescent paint to make it easier to read at night. It reads, "Welcome to Phlegm, home of magic cheese. Beware the Garglewhomper"
"Think the girls would go for magic cheese?" Hexen asks Alptraum.
"Depends on de cheese," Alptraum comments. "Some goes wit vine, some smells like feet. We jus' here fer glass, don' do somethin' dumb, eh?"
"If they only gots cheese, I bet honey worth a lot!" Kizzy says, but doesn't head for the trading post yet. "So.. who go first?"
"You're the least weird, Traum, except for your clothes," Hexen claims.
"I'll go first," Alptraum says and shrugs. "Best lookin' an most charmin'," he adds as he heads under the sign and into the town. "'Ello all! Famous' adventurers on a grans quest for some glass ya don' want!"
The trading post is lit up, and the door opens at the sound of Alptraum's call. "Shhh!" a shadowy figure warns. "Hurry inside!"
"Vhat? Vhy?" Alptraum asks. "I gots two others vith me."
"Bring 'em, quick!" the figure urges. "'Fore the Garglewomper hunts."
"Don' be silly, nothin' like dat exists," Alptraum says as he rolls his eyes. "Ey, come on guys, dey be invitin' us in," he calls back to the others.
"Sight unseen?" Hexen calls. "Woo!" He then hurries over to Alptraum, and Kizzy follows with her wings wrapped around herself.
Grabbing both by an ear, Alptraum leads them towards the opened door and the shadowy figure.
There is much complaining before they get in and the door is closed and bolted behind them. The trading post is like a general store with some tables and stools thrown in. There are a lot of well sealed jars on the shelves, and also a large wooden statue in the corner that looks like a heavy, reptilian Eeee.
"Ith zat all o' you?" the cloaked figure asks, checking through a slit window.
Alptraum heads over and stares at the statue. "Dis not very accurate for an Eeee," he comments, adding his very valuable artistic advice. "Yah, dat be all of us; everyone else is a ways off still. We llookin to trade for some jars or broek glass. Well, she is, ve just carrying stuff. Who're you?"
The figure turns and pulls down the hood of its frock, revealing.. a very ugly Skreek. He(?) looks like if was rolled down a rock ravine a few times and the bruises just froze in place. "I the postmathter, Ysnor," the man says. "And that ith no Eeee, it ith the Garglewhomper. Phlegm'th curthe and bleththing both."
The statue's face has oversized nostrils and empty eye-sockets as well. "You got extra jars?" Kizzy finally pipes up, while Hexen heads for the shelves. "Is dis the magic cheese?" he asks.
"But if it's in here, den why did ve need to come in?" Alptraum points out.
"Yeth," Ysnor replies.
"Vasn' a ves or no question," Alptraum comments.
"I have jarth, and that ith magic cheethe on the shelveth," Ysnor clarifies.
"But no vhy ve had to come in, iffin you already have de monster stuffed," Alptraum points out.
"Dat ith a wooden carving," Ysnor points out to Alptraum. "De real one turnth to thtone during the day, and roamth at night theeking a victim."
"Yeah yeah. A victim fer vhat? Snortin'?" Alptraum asks.
"Fer galglewhomping, o'courthe, ithn't that obviouth?" Ysnor claims, then turns on Hexen and yells, "Don' try to open that jar!"
"Looks like it be a town of crazy people," Alptraum remarks to Kizzy. "Oy."
"They got jars, though," Kizzy says hopefully.
"I wanna try the cheese," Hexen claims. "What makes it magic?"
"It wardth off de Garglewhomper and other creatureth," Ysnor claims.
"Feet cheese," Alptraum says and nods.
"Magic cheethe," Ysnor counters. "Made from the garglegoo. Only made here. Verrrrry valuable."
"Feet cheese," Alptraum insists and puts his hand on his hips.
"Not made from feet," Ysnor claims. "That cometh from Gallith. Hehn hehn hehn." His laugh is weird.
"So, you guys like honey here?" Kizzy asks, clearly not interested in cheese.
"Prolly smells like feet!" Alptraum points out, "If it scares off things."
"It doeth not thmell like feet, it thmellth like blindnethth," Ysnor claims, and turns to Kizzy, since apparently he can't just turn his neck. "Nobody here can tathte thweet thingth anymore, but can uthe it for medithine. How much do you have?"
"One whole comb," Kizzy claims, and points to the basket Alptraum carries.
"Vhy can't you taste sweet stuff?" Alptraum has to ask and peers at the rat. He also holds up the basket and shakes it a little.
"If you get garglewhomped too many timeth, you loothe your thenthe of tathte," Ysnor claims. "But we full up on cheethe, tho nobody hath to get whomped. Garglewhomper gotta find thomeone elthe. Hey.. where did you all come from?"
"Jus' travelers. Way outsidea town," Alptraum says and shrugs. "Why?"
"Ah, Garglewhomper got a territory, don' know how big," Ysnor claims.
"What exactly does it do?" Hexen asks. "What's garglewhomping?"
"De creature'th revenge," Ysnor claims, trying to make it sound ominous.
"So.. how many jars can we have?" Kizzy asks.
"Vhich is ...?" Alptraum prompts.
Alptraum walks over to Hexen and leans in to whisper, "Yah do realize dis creature is prolly made up, yah? Dey use its story t' sell stinky cheese."
Ysnor makes a gimme motion for the basket, and explains, "It turnth to thtone during the day. Tho it turnth itth victimth to thtone at night, and coverth them in de garglegoo. Gotta get de goo off before thtoning wearth off."
Alptraum then has to step away from Hexen and bring the basket over for Ysnor.
Skreek looks inside, and dips a claw into the waxy comb before licking it. His tongue is.. very bumpy. Like he'd been licking bees. "Wild honey, good for woundth," he says. "Five jarth, no wax or lidth though."
"I guess that's enough," Kizzy says, biting her lower lip. She probably wanted more.
"Six jars since no lids," Alptraum suggestsuggests. "Five seems low."
"Thix ith a lot," Ysnor notes, rubbing his.. chins? Or it might be a goiter. "Bethideth, I have to put you up here until morning. Not thafe to leave now."
"Ve can't stay until mornin' ve git in trouble. So, ya can afford six," Alptraum counters.
"You can't go out now!" Ysnor insists. "One of you will get garglewhomped!"
"And 'ow do you know?" Alptraum counters, eyes narrowed. "I t'ink yer just trying t' use it as a reason t'not give us six."
"Becauthe the thun hath thet, tho the Garglewhomper be on de prowl," Ysnor says. "Everyone hiding indoorth, tho anyone outthide ith gonna get whomped."
"But the cheese repels the Garglewhomper," Hexen points out. "We just need some cheese."
"Prove it, go outside and get whomped, and ve will take four jars instead," Alptraum offers.
"It no like me," Ysnor claims. "Not warm enough."
"We can boil you in a vat fer a vhile first," Alptraum offers and crosses his arms.
"Five jarth," Ysnor claims. "If you thtay. Four if you leave."
Four jars, an a jar of de cheese if we leave," Alptraum counters. "Dat is, unless ya two vant to stay?"
"Stay overnight with two boys and a.. a.. stranger?" Kizzy asks but looks indecisive.
"Eh, ve all strange," Alptraum points out. "And I sure Hexen let ya snuggle up vit 'im."
"You can't afford cheethe, it worth more than a honeycomb," Ysnor claims.
"What?" Hexen barks. "No no! We gotta go!"
"Vhy? Yer mom an dad jus' gonna be going at it an you haf t' sleep on top of de wagon. Dey do dat every time ve make a new camp," Alptraum points out.
"But.." Hexen says, and then turns his body so only Alptraum can see him make a disgusted face and point across his belly to Kizzy.
"'Ey, I see vhat ya did with a rhugrhat once vhen ya swiped some booze, ya can't go bleh like dat!" Alptraum hisses back at him.
"But.. that rughrat is gone, and Kizzy will cling to me," Hexen whispers. "She'll block my game with the ladies."
"Vhat game?" Alptraum has to point out. "Neither of us gots any, even you gots to admit dat."
"But we do okay together," Hexen claims. "Remember that naked girl who helped us get the wine? She took my shirt! That gotta count for somethin'"
"Hmm, ey' iffin Kizzy here cuddles ya all night, kin we get six?" Alptraum asks the skreek. He gestures to Kizzy to indicate who he means.
"I not into boys," Ysnor claims.
"Kizzy's a girl," Alptraum says, "See de bow?"
"I'm a GIRL!" Kizzy shrieks. Some of the jars rattle from it.
"I got a thack of potatoeth I thleep with," Ysnor claims. "You like fried potatoeth?"
"I don't," Alptraum says quickly.
"Whole fried potatoes or sliced?" Hexen asks.
"Thlithed of coureth, who frieth whole potatoeth?" Ysnor asks.
He does," Alptraum comments.
"Sometimes they explode," Hexen says proudly. "Hexed potatoes, we call those."
"You're so talented Hexen," Kizzy claims, clasping her thumbs together and smiling.
"Damn it, she's got me there," Hexen grumbles.
Alptraum elbows Hexen. "So, syain' and you cuddlin' 'er?" he teases toothily.
A horrible noise comes from outside. It sounds like something large being strangled.
"Um.. before I answer, what the hell was dat sound?" Hexen asks, tail poofing out.
Alptraum's ears shoot up. "What de Dagh is dat?" he asks, then goes to the window to try and peer out.
The slits don't show much, but there might be a shadow moving just outside the range of the starlight.
"Oh, dat nothing," Ysnor claims. Another, even worse cry follows though, along with a thump on the roof. "Now dat ith the Garglewhomper."
Alptraum tries to open the window to see better. He stops partway when there's the thump, though. "Mebbe we should throw de rat otu de window and see what happens?" he suggests to Hexen and Kizzy.
"It no like me," Ysnor insists. "But if one o' you go out, I promithe to get the garglegoo off ya before you de-thtone, tho it doethn't rot your fur."
"IT may not like you, but we'd get to see it before it figures out who you are," Alptraum points out, and grins toothily!
"You don't wanna thee it, that how it thtoneth you," Ysnor claims. "It grabth your head and thcreamth into your face, and it'th hollow eyeth thtare into yourth and petrify you. Then it barfth the garglegoo all over you."
"So, like a drunk townie?" Hexen asks.
"Sounds like your last girlfriend, Hexen!" Alptraum comments as he closes the window again.
"What.. I had a girlfriend that I don't know about?" Hexen asks, getting an odd look. Since he had to be rescued from his last monster girlfriend, it's better that he doesn't remember.
"Yeah ... you did. Good thing you don't remember," Alptraum admits and shrugs. "All right, so, we stayin' or goin?"" he asks Kizzy and HExen. "If we stayin, Imma gonna get some sleep."
"I don't wanna get stoned and gooped," Kizzy says. "Hexen will protect me!" And then in a whisper that only Alptraum could hear, she adds, "And maybe you could too."
Alptraum shrugs and grins at Kizzy. "Absolutely. I can throw the fox at any monster," he jokes and grins.
"De outhouthe ith outthide, tho you gotta uthe the communal bucket until morning," Ysnor claims. "No blanketth, tho.. I thuppothe you want the thtove lit."
"Kin you be any grosser?" Alptruam asks Isnor. "A communal bucket? Ew!"
"It'th behind a thcreen," Ysnor claims. "I'll get the fire going. Do you all like tea?"
"Does it come with a side of 'A'?" Hexen says, waggling his eyebrows.
"Not with a line like that," Ysnor replies.
"I don't think the rat had either," Alptraum notes to HExen. "And Kissy doesn't have any either."
"I wish I'd brought some jam," Kizzy says. "Can't even nibble the honeycomb." This complaint is followed by another blood-curdling scream right outside one of the windows, which also rattles. Then Alptraum finds a fox in his arms, and another bat around his legs.
"Vou know, I expect dinner if vou vant to cuddle," Alptraum remarks dryly to Hexen. As for his legs, he sighs. "Vou all are no very brave, eh?"
"The beatht ith worked up becauthe it thmellth new people," Ysnor explains, as he sets a kettle on the ceramic stove. "You heavy thleeperth?"
"Reasonably, vhy?" Alptraum asks as he tries to untangle himself.
There's another scream, and scratching sounds now. "Dat why," Ysnor says. "Hehn hehn hehn."
Hexen looks inflated the way his fur is poofed out. "Ah.. aha.." he says once Alptraum sheds him. "I have good reflexes, was trying to uh.. protect you.."
Alptraum thumps the butt of his fist against the shutters. "Oh go suck on Dagh's ass-nipple ya mangy toad-sniffer," he yells back at the scream.
"You can protect me, Hexen," Kizzy claims, and tries to hug the fox - but there's a snap of static electricity when she tries.
This seems to quiet things down, but then Alptraum hears a gravelly from the other side of the shutters say, "Asssss nipple.."
"Yeah, dat righ'! Now go suck on it!" Alptraum growls right back at the shutters.
There's a gargly chuckle, and then silence.
"You thhoudln't talk to it," Ysnor says.
"Why not?" Alptraum asks Ysnor. "It speaks better than you do."
There are loud noises on the roof again, and then the stovepipe begins to rattle and shake. Ysnor moves away from the stove. "It get angry."
Alptraum just rubs his forehead. "Gimme yer undervear," he demands of Hexen. "Ve can burn it in de stove and stink it away.
"I didn't wear it today," Hexen claims. Kizzy bites her lip.
Alptraum looks expectantly at Kizzy.
"Grab de kettle," Ysnor suggests.
"Alrigh', gimme de communal pot!" Alptraum tells Ysnor as he moves for the kettle.
"I don't have them," Kizzy squeaks.
"Ah, it doeth have a thenthitive nothe," Ysnor says before waddling off to retrieve the bucket.
Alptraum moves the kettle, then tries to open the door to the stove without burning himself.
Before the Skreek can get back, the stove's belly door swings open as Alptraum is reaching for it and coals spill out as a scaly, taloned hand tries to force its way out.
Alptraum jumps back, then takes the hot kettle and tries to pour it on the hand! "Dagh!" he squeaks.
This puts out the coals, and eventually the hand retreats. "Wet coalth," Ysnor notes and clucks when he returns with the bucket. Kizzy and Hexen aren't quite cuddling as the cling to eachother in the corner, and the fox is probably wishing he had that underwear.
"Git de coals relit," Alptraum says as he paces. "Ater ya stick dat pot in de stove wit' em. The smell of dat burning ought to deal with it."
"I gotta get dry oneth then," Ysnor says. "Who gonna fill the bucket?"
Alptraum points at the two hugging each other.
The Skreek hands the bucket to Alptraum, since he's closer. "I leave dem to you." Then he's shuffling off towards the back of the store again.
Alptraum carries the can over and drops it in front of the pair. "So, you two get to filling dat up, eh? Might need t' scrape yer pants in it, I dunno," he says and shrugs a little. "Dagh, I should have known better den a simple fetch woul' be simple."
"No way! You just want it get my scent so it will come after me!" Hexen whines.
"Either do it or I throw you out the window," Alptraum remarks and growls.
"I went before we left," Kizzy claims. "Hexen, be a hero for once!"
"Not in front of everyone," Hexen says. "I'm shy!"
"Vou are not," Alptraum remarks, "I shoul' know."
"I can shield you with my wings," Kizzy offers. "I won't peek.. I don't wanna think of your butt that way."
"Mebbe you should peek then," Hexen says, until there's more pounding on the roof. Then he grabs the bucket.
"I kin describe 'is butt ot ya, Kizzy," Alptraum offers.
"Don't tell me you and he..?" Kizzy asks, looking crestfallen. "Wait," she then says. "If dat de case he should be more into me."
"Where's de screen!" Hexen calls as he runs towards the back of the store.
"No, we haven't done dat, jeez!" Alptraum says and rolls his eyes. "I'm no into guys."
"So why have you seen his butt?" Kizzy asks. "Is there a special trick to get him to take off his pants?"
"Jus happens sometimes," Alptraum says and shrugs. "During 'is schemes."
"Sooo, he loses his pants regularly then?" Kizzy asks, getting a glint in her eye. "I just gotta follow him around?"
"Kinda? Sometimes it happens. If yer expectin' him t' be like 'is dad, he not," Alptraum tells Kizzy. "Why ya gots such a t'ing for im anyway?"
"He's fluffy," Kizzy says. "And he insults me, so must be secretly in love with me. And nobody wants him, so I may as well get him."
"No one van me either," Alptraum points out and flicks her nose.
Kizzy rubs her nose, and says, "But you're an Eeee. I no want to get preggo. And you're prettier than me."
spoof Alptraum rolls his eyes. "Hah, even the desperate of my kin' vant nothin' to do wit me. Figures," he remarks and moves away from Kizzy, then back to that stove. "Hey, you ugly sack oh dung, why don' you come in here and I kick de crap outa ya, eh?" he actually yells into the stove.
The reply is a horrific scream from the back of the store. Part of it sounds like Hexen.
"Oh for God's sake," Alptraum growls, turns, and runs towards the back of the store!
Kizzy follows, and Alptraum nearly runs into Ysnor and his bucket of coal. "Eh?" the Skreek goes. "Who scream?"
"Hexen, I have to find him!" Alptraum says as he tries to get around Ysnor.
Ysnor steps aside. The back of the store is a clutter of shelves and vats and jars. There's also a makeshift privacy screen set up in a dark corner.
Alptraum darts for the screen and after grabbing it, throwing it ot the side!
Hexen is there, sitting on the bucket and staring out through an open window, the shutters thrown wide. He isn't moving, and is covered in the foulest smelling stuff Alptraum has ever encountered.
"Ysnor!" Alptraum screams, "Vour damn town monster barfed on de fox! Come fix 'em now!"
"Oooo, he got a good dothing," Ysnor says, holding his nose. "I get the thpecial wathing fluid.. you better go back to front, before you eyeth thtart bleeding."
Alptraum just rubs his face and mutters all sorts of curses under his breath as he heads back to the front.
"Ve should have just left. Between de two of us we coulda carried 'is shaggy ass," Alptraum growls. "IF he be dead, I kill 'em."
"Nooo, he can't be dead!" Kizzy says, holding her nose and keeping her distance.
"He be fine by morning," Ysnor says. "Will thtill need a thorough thcrubbing though. Mebbe get thhaved."
"Kizzy can do both of those," Alptraum says and thumps against the wall, then slides down.
Kizzy is crying by the time she gets back to the safe part of the store. It might be from the fumes, or emotion.
"'ell be fine, Kizzy. He be tougher den he acts. Try no' to worry too much, eh?" Alptraum says, sounding half-hearted about it.
So the girlbat clings to Alptraum, and says, "He is so stinky. What if it comes back for the rest of us?"
"Y' kin hit me if you vant, I made 'em go back dere," Alptraum says and sighs.
"Nah, if he wasn't so shy.. because o' me," Kizzy claims with a sniffle.
"I doubt it'll come back. Iffin it does, I ript its throat out," Alptraum promises.
"There was so much goo," Kizzy says. "It.. couldn't make more, right?" She eyes the stove suspiciously.
"Eh, it probably could," Alptraum notes and shrugs.
"You protect me though right?" Kizzy asks, making big eyes at Alptraum. And Eeee can have some pretty big eyes, even if they have a big nose too.
"Yeah, dis is my fault mostly," Alptraum says and sighs.
When nothing tries to come down the flue or rattle the windows for a few minutes, Kizzy then asks, "So, if he frozen, can we move him and put stuff on him?"
"Probably. Depends on what froze, you could probably do dirty things to 'im," Alptraum points out.
"Dirty things?" Kizzy asks. "He was popping a squat.. what if.. y'know.. something else got froze?"
"The poo? Well, that would be kinda funny," Alptraum admits. Iffin he's frozen open, you could hide stuff innim."
"Dat something to consider.." Kizzy claims, her gypsy prankishness overwhelming her affection.. or whatever it was she felt.. for Hexen. A rubber-aproned Ysnor is still moving around in the back. "You wouldn't have extra clotheth for your friend, would you?" he calls. "Gotta dethtroy what he hath on now."
"Nope, don't," Alptraum admits. "See? He ends up naked a lot," he adds to Kizzy, then shakes his head. "He coul' just stay here naked until I kin go get him some clothing. Wan' me to go now?"
"What? Why get him clothes?" Kizzy asks in alarm. "That monster is still out there! Would your clothes fit him?"
"No, I don' have a tail," Alptraum points out.
"You can come get him in a few more minuteth," Ysnor claims. There is a waft of something very floral from the rear of the store.
Alptraum gets up. "I kin out fly anything," he points out. "So I kin go get 'im clothes."
"But not right away," Kizzy says. "We should go get him. And I don't want anyone thinking I tore his clothes off."
"Vhy? It might excite him," Alptraum notes then starts towards the back.
"Because, I don't want to look desperate and aggressive," Kizzy says. "And I want to see him naked."
"But vou are desperate," Alptraum points out.
"But not aggressively desperate," Kizzy says. "If it had been Nadya who go froze and had to have her clothes removed and fur cleaned out, would you do any different?"
"Dat not fair," Alptraum points out. "Atleast vou haf a chance with de fox. I don't have a chance wit' anyone, an vou know it. The other in de tribe remotely near my age all think I freaky."
"All girls think boys are freaky at our age," Kizzy claims. "You seen 'em hanging out with any of de guys in our troupe? Anyone not scared of their mom is crazy."
"It be different wit me an' vou know it," Alptraum points out and jabs a finger at Kissy. "I vas thrown out wit de trash and picked up outa pity. I'm no even a real member of de family."
"What's real about family?" Kizzy asks. "Hexen think's his dad is a Rhian. And his dad think Hexen is his son. So.. that doesn't make them father and son?"
"Real mom, tho," Alptraum reminds, "And is at least vanted. I vasn't. Just some garbage birth tossed away. At least you don' wan to get pregnant, pity my own parents didn't t'ink dat way before they had, den tossed, me."
"Your real parents are making camp, and dey chose you," Kizzy says. "To them, you were special, because they couldn't have children otherwise. So you are treasure to them. Better than parents that left you."
Alptraum spreads one of his wings and gestures to the bump in one of the bones. "Yeah, but others of the tribe 'ate me. Doncha remember the rath'ani couple ... de one who's daughter I was a friend wit, and 'er father broke me ving? For trying to make der daughter 'appy? Dunno if this will ever heal without this dagh bump in de bone now."
"Some parents are overprotective, or superstitious," Kizzy says. "But de girl liked you, didn't she? I like you! It's old folks that are weird because you were.. found? I dunno how your folks got you, t'be honest. Never thought of it. You a Reisender is all, unless I remind myself."
"An a vampire, don' forget dat part," Alptraum reminds, walks over, and punches one of the closed window shutters. "We gotta go git de fox," he reminds, and heads back through the store.
Hexen has been.. cleaned? His fur is combed and shiny looking, if a bit slick. There's an odd under-scent that the flowery perfume or whatever is trying to cover up, but combines to make something that smells more sickly-sweet than anything. And his face is frozen in a grimace of terror. Even his tail is stiff.
Alptraum slips his arms under Hexen's. "Get 'is feet if you can," he tells Kizzy, and if she does, he'll lift and slowly cart him back to the front. If she can't help, well, Alptraum will drag him to the front.
It's tricky for Kizzy. She can't lift with her arms, so has to actually get her shoulders up under Hexen's frozen knees. It makes for a bizarre position to be carrying him in.
Alptraum at least goes slowly to make it a little easier. "Y'ok?" he asks at one point through the carry.
"I thought this view would be more interesting," Kizzy admits. "But I kind of like that he can't move. It gives me ideas.."
"Like vhat?" Alptraum asks.
"I not sure yet, I gotta test some things," Kizzy says. "But maybe I could set traps for him."
"Don' be veird," Alptraum comments as they reach the main room. The stiff fox is carted to one wall and there Alptraum sets him down. He also removes his own shirt and ties it around Hexen's waist so he has some privacy.
"I already ugly and weird, so being a little weirder shouldn't matter," Kizzy insists, and has a mixed expression at Alptraum's gesture. Hexen is covered.. but now Alptraum's chest is bared.
Alptraum sits down against the wall and closes his eyes. Soon he's running his forehead as if he has a headache.
"Are you hot?" Kizzy asks. "Maybe you should take your pants off," she suggests.
"No, just frustrated," Alptraum comments, missing the point of the suggestion.
"Oh, I know how that goes!" Kizzy claims, and sits down next to Hexen, and then drapes a wing around him. "Sorry for dragging you into this."
"Eh, no your fault. Stupid towns wit their stupid monsters an no gettin' rid of em," Alptraum comments. "Just move de dagh-taken town or something, don't just syay, jeez."
"Garglewhomper provideth key ingredient for magic cheethe though," Ysnor claims as he returns to try lighting the stove again. "He ith a great thtatue during the day too in the town thquare."
"Both are stupid. Cheese is stupid, and yer all crazy," Alptraum growls, complete with bared fangs.
"Thometimeth you need to be thtupid to get through life," Ysnor claims. "Like your fluffy friend."
"So vou make yerselves personal barf-buckets fer some crazy monster and sell stuff made from it? That', gah," Alptraum waves his hand. "Or you create dis vhole mess so y' kin sell that stupid cheese t' morons."
"Garglewhomper thoudn't return now that it'th blown itth goo," Ysnor claims. "Monthterth are territorial. Having one you can live with ith better than one you can't. Garglewhomper ith our monthter. It a town thing, I thuppothe."
"Townies are all brain-damaged," Alptraum whispers to Kizzy.
"Eh, don't we got our own monsters?" Kizzy whispers back. "Hexen's pa, Borg, is.. big. And Nineve Radovah is some kinda witch or one of those man-seducing demons."
"Dey not really monsters tho. None of them go barfing on others or eatin' people. I be the cloest t'ing to any real monster in the tribe," Alptraum points out.
"You don't steal my mom's pies," Kizzy says, as if that was proof of non-monsterhood. Once the stove is going she leans back against the wall and yawns. "And you aren't ugly."
"Eh, ugly is in the looker. I sure I ugly to some," Alptraum notes, and yawns.
"So do you think I'm pretty?" Kizzy fishes. She smiles too. Her teeth are not straight, but look very sharp.
"I t'ink you look fine, like your kind is supposed to," Alptraum says. "Mebbe a little odd, but not scary or ugly."
"I guess dat's good enough for me for tonight," Kizzy says, and then flaps up to hang from one of the rafters and wraps herself in her wings. "Sleep well," she says.
"Y' okay?" Alptraum asks, ears splayed out. "I wasn' sayin' yer ugly or anyt'ing. Yer nice."
"I'm fine!" Kizzy says. "But I get to peep on you now that I've seen Hexen."
"Eh, y' be disappointed," Alptraum comments and curls his wings about himself to get some sleep. "G'night. If anyone yells about us bein' late, jus blame me. People expect me t' be a problem. Less to explain."
"Nobody'll notice we're late," Kizzy says before falling asleep.
"Hah, dere is some optimism fer ya," Alptraum comments, shakes his head, and catches a little sleep.
Dawn is heralded by a screaming fox. "AAAOOOOARRGH!" Hexen erupts, as if he'd been building up pressure for several hours. This is followed by a deep intake of breath before letting loose with another scream, although slightly less intense, before he just sits and shakes as if being subjected to freezing temperatures.
"Dagh, be quieter, some of us are tryin' t' sleep. Yer alive," Alptraum mutters from within his wings. "He peers out, adding, "Iffin you keep yellin' I'll go find it t' freeze ya again."
"My ears.." Kizzy sobs. "Your voice is soooo low.." Well, Hexen screams like a girl, but by Eeee standards that still probably counts as low.
"Wh.. wh' was 'at?" Hexen blubbers. "So pretty.. and then.. unnggh.."
"Y'got barfed on. The rat bathed ya. Prolly folndled ya too, I bets," Alptraum remarks as he unfurls his wings slowly. He then rubs at his face and yawns widely. "Only you get jumped while on de pot."
"B-but.. but.. she was the most beautiful woman ever, Traum," Hexen claims. "And then it was all horror and goo and being paralyzed! I couldn't even sleep! Or breath! And I still gotta crap!"
"Pot's still inna back. and dere was no woman ya dork, only a monster. Musta been its lure," Alptraum comments. "If it was a woman, what species, hmm?"
"She was.. uh.. uh.. damn, I don't remember what she looked like now!" Hexen wails. "She had big.. and curves.. and.. uh.. EYES! Two of them.."
"Did she have wings and hands for feet?" Kizzy asks.
"I.. don't remember. But she was glowing a lovely.. light.. of some color or other.." Hexen peters off, then holds a hand out to Alptraum, pleading, "You gotta come with me!"
A shuffling sound from the back of the store hints that Ysnor is awake.. or at least moving now.
"Dagh, vhy would I haf ta do dat? I no helping ya poo, vou pervert," Alptraum says while his face contorts into a blech.
"I'm wearing your shirt as a kilt," Hexen notes. "You don't want anyt'ing to happen to that at least?"
"Just leave the shirt," Kizzy urges. "If'n yer cold I can wrap you up all snug in my wings."
"Bah, dat be blackmail! Why can't Kizzy go vit ya?" Alptraum asks.
"I can't do it in front of a girl!" Hexen claims. "Even if it's Kizzy. She still sorta counts, I mean."
"I've seen you poop before," Kizzy claims, but doesn't sound very convincing.
"Gha, fine, but I no vatchin'. Dat gross," Alptraum grumbles as he gets to his feet.
Ysnor finally shuffles into view, wearing something that might have be a nightshirt that is now paying for horrible sins committed when it was a sheet. "Hold on there," the Skreek says, holding up a leather mug. "He gotta drink thith firtht."
"Why?" Hexen demands. "What is it?"
"Magic Tea," the rat claims.
"Prolly poop juice," Alptraum mutters.
"It clear out remaining toxinth that might have gotten through your thkin or in your orifithes," Ysnor claims. "Don't want thtuff to thtart falling off.."
Hexen gahs and grabs the mug, guzzling it down. It was hot tea too, so he has steam coming out of his mouth and nostrils as he suddenly looks ill. "Blergh! It had salt in it!"
"Dat hideth the other flavorth," Ysnor notes. "Your thenth of tathte will come back eventually."
"What vrong vit salt?" Alptraum asks, one ear going sideways. When you live off blood, salty taste is probably normal.
Hexen tries to wipe off his tongue with his hands, only for it to just go limp. "Wath thith?" he tries to say.
"Yeah, it do that for a bit," Ysnor notes. "Everyt'ing be limp now."
The fox's tail droops next, then his ears.
"Ey, look at it dis vay, Kizzy can't jump yer bones right now, eh?" Alptraum cackles, points, then just laughs.
"Boneth won't go limp, uthually," Ysnor says cheerfully. "Never had thith happen to a fox before though."
"Oh gods.. I'm going to die or melt!" Hexen cries.
"Juth take him to the outhouthe, we're thafe during the day," Ysnor tells Alptraum. "Then bring him back, gotta thtick thome Magic Eggth into his holeth."
"Vou be fine, c'mon, go poop already so ve kin gbet outa here," Alptraum says as he heads over and grabs Hexen's limp tail to pull to the back room.
The fox does not do well trying to walk backwards, but isn't about just be dragged by his tail. "Can't you just hold my arm?" he beseeches.
"You'll want to get that thhirt offa him before the thkunk thweatth thtart," Ysnor calls after them.
"Bah, yer such a girl," Alptraum complains. He releases the tail and grabs his arm instead. "Sooner ya go, sunner ve leave."
Finally they reach the screen, and the bucket facing the back door. "We gotta get ripped after this, so I forget," Hexen says as he squats.
And Alptraum turns away, and walks away. He doesn't need to see this. "Kizzy win forget, so no point in dat," he points out while facing away.
"We can get her drunk too!" Hexen suggests, before the sounds start. Sounds that should not emit from a mortal butt.
Alptraum pulls his ears down. "Gah, yer loud that way too. Geez, kin nothin' of ya be quiet?!" he complains.
The sound do stop eventually, and Ysnor waddles to Alptraum with a bowl of what appear to be pickled eggs. "Gotta plug him up now, and make thure he'th thucking on one too."
"Oh 'ell no. You do dat," Alptraum says and backs away from the rat. My hands no go dere, t'anks."
"Dey nithe and rubbery though," Ysnor claims.
"I no puttin on in me, either!" Alptraum blurts and glares at the rat.
"Gah, gimme," Kizzy says, and grabs an egg with one foot. "Jess hold his tail up after he been washed up."
Alptraum waits for Hexen to come out, then will grab his tail and yank it up.
"My ears are ringing, is dat normal?" the now droop-eared fox claims. At least there were sounds of washing up.
"Ey, why you all standing around?" Hexen then asks suspiciously.
Alptraum moves behind Hexen, grabs his tail, and yanks it up high! Hopefully up on his toes so he can't run!
He does let out a surprised bark! And then Kizzy moves in. Having long legs gives her a lot of reach, and it looks like Hexen's eyes are gonna pop out. "Go in ath deep ath you can manage," Ysnor instructs, and Kizzy has a slightly deranged look of glee as she follows the suggestion.
"It's fer yer own good?" Alptraum offers, and winces. He feels kinda bad for Hexen now.
"Magic Eggth have remarkable rejevunative powerth," Ysnor claims, while Alptraum is trying to hold Hexen still by his tail. "Loth of energy! Why.. you'll be hopping and running and not onthe think about thitting down."
"It doesn't hurt, right?" Alptraum asks Heven, feeling even more guilty. His ears droop.
"Hehehehehehe," the fox blubbers.
"Wha?" Alptraum says, looking even more concerned.
"I can only two knuckles in," Kizzy says, sounding defeating. "He's clenching up!"
Alptraum tries grabbing Hexen's nose to see if it gets him to relax the other end.
"Grababrrabrbll," the lolling-tongued fox replies, his eyes spinning around. It certainly focuses his attention at least. Enough for Kizzy to get that extra distance.
"He'll need to thuck on one too," Ysnor reminds. "Very important to get the magic going from both endth."
Alptraum lets go of his nose and grabs one. Then he's trying to shove it in the fox's mouth.
It gets stuck in Hexen's teeth, but apparently it also keeps him from opening his mouth wider. And his tongue still lolls out of the gap that's left. "He vill thtart to calm down now," Ysnor says, and hands a clean cloth to Kizzy to clean her toe with.
Alptraum finally lets go. "Man, now I feel bad fer 'im," he admits. "An oddly jealous."
"Do you vant a Magic Egg too?" Ysnor asks. "You mutht'nt thwallow them however. You could choke."
Kizzy now grins toothily at Alptraum, and flexes her foot-fingers.
"I unno. Never 'ad a woman grope me like dat, tho," Alptraum admits. "He seemed t' like it?"
"What, like did?" Kizzy asks, and grabs Alptraum's butt with one foot. As for whether Hexen likes it, he's not entirely limp, but still shaking and drooling a bit before falling to all fours.
Alptraum squeaks and jumps! "Yah, like dat," the bad squeaks and peers down at poor Hexen. "I t'ink you broke 'im."
"Nah, he patht the bad part now," Ysnor claims. "Not likely to explode, unlethth he'th thtill thhaking onthe the thkunk-thweatth thtart. He'th gotta be outta here before that."
Alptraum picks up one of the eggs and stares at it, then squeezes it. "What are dese?" he asks.
"Magic Eggth," Ysnor claims. They are green, and smell of pickling, and look like regular shikhan eggs, but feel like they might bounce before breaking.
Alptraum tosses it towards Kizzy. "He be pissed iffen any of us kin use dis to blackmail de other," he remarks to Kizzy. "Iffin you agree to also take an egg, I vill too, an dat way ve all be in de same weird boat, eh?"
"Vat, suck on it?" Kizzy asks hopefully and nervously.
"Nope, same vay Hexen hassit iina end," Alptraum comments.
"Eeeee, I can take up the hoohoo though," Kizzy insists, squirming a bit with her legs crossed.
"One of dose, den," Alptraum comments. "Deal? Day vay none of us kin hold it over de other."
"I ain't gonna do it too," Ysnor says, and then does his 'hehn hehn hehn' wheezy laugh. "Dith between you three. I got two eggth left."
"Sooooo.. who first?" Kizzy asks.
"Eh, I go first," Alptraum says and shrugs. He pulls the ties on his pants and drops them, then turns around and bends over. "An no t'inking yer backing out," he threatens.
"You gotta.. spread 'em for me," Kizzy claims.
Alptraum siiiiighs, and reaches back to do as asked. "Dis is stupid," he growls.
There's some.. poking? It feels like the egg. "Dis is trickier," Kizzy claims, and Alptraum actually feels a few sounding pings. "Ah, got it! Easier with my eyes closed!" the other Eeee claims, and then there's a sudden, painful push! Despite the squishibility of the egg, it takes a bit of force to get past the entrance.
That makes Alptraum squeak out loudly! And clench! It takes some serious active effort to actually try to relax while Kizzy /pushes/. "/Okay, dis vas stupid ana a half," he thinks. Dagh take feelin' guilty about laughin'a t his friend!
The girl has to use just one toe for the rest, and once it gets past a certain point, Alptraum also a rather involuntary.. reaction. But Kizzy can't see that from this angle at least. "Oooo, that a weird sound," she notes. "Keep goin' deeper?"
Alptraum squeaks again! "Er, uhm, mebbe a little deeper," he stammers out, feeling weird from the reaction he just had.
So Kizzy pushes more.. but not quickly. It isn't clear if she's being careful or just a bit sadistic. The girl has always been pretty much at the bottom of the female hierarchy, so maybe have a little power over someone else is a big thrill for her.
Alptraum ends up making some really odd sound. It's not quite pain, or pleasure; it's just weird. He's also not asking Kizzy to stop, so ... maybe it doesn't hurt that bad?
She may take that as encouragement, since she's trying to manipulate the egg more with her toe claw. "Oooo, got get more of dese.." she mutters. Is she trying to make it go sideways?
Alptraum has to put one hand on the wall to balance himself! "Okay, okay, day prolly enough, Kiz," Alptraum nanages to squeak out, and twitches some.
Of course, now it's stuck there. Ysnor never said anything about how to get them out.
Alptraum figures you just poop them out later. "Y' kin pull out now, Kiz. It be yer turn," Alptraum says a little more forcefully now.
"Already?" she asks. Hexen is still just burbling and shaking where he is.
Alptraum stands up. Man, he feels weird. Not unpleasant, just ... weird. "An yah, it be yer turn now," he adds.
"You're gonna use your finger, right?" Kizzy asks.. while staring at Alptraum's groin.
"'Course. Don' make dis any weirder," Alptraum grumbles as he grabs the last egg. He twirls his finger and notes, "Bend and spread em."
It's a bit harder for Kizzy, since she can't really use her hands for that. It'd be different if she could use her feet, but that would be even weirder. "You got an extra hand," she notes, but has her face behind a wing as if she's suddenly all shy.
Alptraum rolls his eyes and does indeed use his hand to spread things. He's seen the pack animals give birth after all, so he has some idea about female 'biology', for the most part. "One, two," he starts to say and then pushes the egg and his entire hand into Kizzy! She went deep, so he will too! Grr!
Kizzy sings, and then blurts, "Marry me!"
"Nope!" Alptraum says as he wiggles and works his hand in deep, trying to make sure she gets stuck with an egg too! He even twists his arm in a circle. "Quit wigglin!"
"Never!" she squeaks. "Wait.. to the left. My left. No.. we're facing the same direction.. uh.. Your Left. Our left! Nudge it over that waaaaayyy."
Alptraum rolls his eyes. "Good grief, yer bossy!" he chides ... while following her instructions. "Anyone ver tell ya, yer weird as dagh?" he asks the other Eeee.
"I need another egg for the right side," Kizzy squeaks, suddenly embarrassed.
"Dey thhould erode a bit after a day or tho," Ysnor calls from the far end of the store. "Enough to fall out on their own."
Alptraum pushes it a bit deeper, then pulls his arm out with a wet pop. "Ew, gah, yer slimy in dere," he complains, then wipes his hand off on her back.
"Nooo, don't get the stink on me! My mother will smell it," Kizzy frets. "She can probably smell it already! She'll tie me up!"
"It be yer own stink!" Alptraum chides, "Sides, just jump inna river before going home. Gah, ve need t' get outa dis weird town."
"Yeah, before the gorgio come in to buy their eggs," Kizzy says, pulling her pants up. "We gotta get Hexen out too, before the.. 'thomething thomething' starts?"
Alptraum pulls his pants up too. He's then tugging on one of Hexen's ears. "C'mon, git up," he tells the fox. "We gotta git."
"Arglebargle," Hexen slobbers. His tongue might be working, but his jaws are still stuck closed. He could probably pry them open, but he's always been afraid of losing his teeth, and the egg has them firmly embedded.
"Oy, up," Alptruam demands again and hauls Hexen to his feet. "Lets git outa dis nuthouse, eh?" he says as he half-drags the fox towards the door.
"Tell your friendth about our fine magic productth," Ysnor says, pushing the box of jars to Alptraum once Hexen is on his feet and.. waddling a bit.
Alptraum grabs the boxes. "Yer torture instruments, you mean," he growls at the rat. "C'mon, lets git before it gets weirder," he adds, and waddles his own way out the door and as fast towards the town gate as he can.
Once they're back off the main road and find the track the wagons took, they're a little better at walking. "I don't remember passing any rivers," Kizzy notes, "We're gonna.." Before she can say 'stink', Hexen begins emitting a foul musk. Even stronger than his usual fox stress-musk. It seems to be rolling off of him.
"Oh bleh, gah!" Alptraum squawks and actually takes to the air so he can fan the fox smell away. "Righ' dat be nasty, you kin walk on yer oen. Nothin' touch ya stinkin' like dat."
Hexen makes various noises and gestures up a Alptraum. The gestures tend to involve the shirt he's got tied around his waist, and pointing down the way to where camp presumably is, and then gesturing back at Alptraum.
"Keep it. It stink by now. Gah, you smell worse den Kizzy's mum's pickled cabbage, ugh," Alptraum complains and stays airborn.
"Mmmrarrar!" Hexen pleads, falling to his knees and making beseeching gestures to the bats.
"We gotta find a river or sumthin," Kizzy says. "Maybe if we soak w' just his nose above water, the stink will wash away?"
"Wha? Go get vou some clothing?" Alptraum has to ask. "You ruin it wit dat smell!"
"I could get him one of my dresses," Kizzy offers.
Hexen shakes his head violently. "Nnn gnnn!" he garbles.
"Den wha?" Alptraum asks, "Jus some of yer clothes?"
"Well, a dress is better than having his butt free to the wind," Kizzy claims. "But first we gotta deal with that stank!"
"We shoulda asked for Magic Soap.. or Magic Perfume," the bat-girl laments.
"'Ow? Shave him and throw him inna pond?" Alptraum asks. "Ans gah, stay upwind ya jerk!"
"Maybe we could roll him in mud, or something stinkier and claim he fell into it?" Kizzy suggests. "He falls into stuff a lot, doesn't he?"
"Well, yah. T'ink vinegar would kill it?" Alptraum asks.
"It kill a lot of things," Kizzy considers. "Could say he fell into a big barrel of.. pickled eggs. And got one stuck in his mouth."
"Yah, dat voul' fit. Still gots to soak him in some, tho. One of us needs ta fly back to camp and get it," Alptraum tells Kizzy then has to move again. "Gah, upwind, upwind!" he squawks at HExen.
While the fox gesticulates rudely, Kizzy glides back around and asks, "Where we gonna get that much vinegar? If we take it all, someone gonna notice. Who has some? My mom doesn't do pickles."
"Radovah? Big family, gotta have lots of stinky stuff," Alptraum suggests, "GO ask em, yer a girl, dey talk to you." He makes his own rude gestures back to Hexen with one foot.
"They're the top girls though!" Kizzy squeaks. "They gonna want something! Gah!" she complains, but flaps off towards where the camp should be.
"Yeah, but you still haf better luck den me!" Alptraum calls after her. He circles a bit, then lands on a branch high up in a tree and swings down to hang. "Vhy do vou always git us in trouble?" he asks towards Hexen. "You just had t' git barfed on."
"Mmm! Aarrs!" Hexen grouses, and kicks the box with the jars in it, then has to hop around because he hurt his toes. "Rld hts meh!"
"Hah! At least da vorld vanted vou," Alptraum barks back. "Ya gots a girl dat adores you. Sure, she weird as dagh and homely, but at least she truly likes ya, yannow! Y'gots more den I will ever haf."
Hexen tugs at his ears, and makes other gestures that might about how he's short.. or something? He eventually wears himself out, and just flops onto his back and.. stinks. But Alptraum can her wings flapping towards them now. The skies are still miraculously clear, so it's actually a pleasant day. The forest monsters are probably hiding from the sun.
Alptraum is trying to keep the stink away now and then. "Am an outcast amoung the outcats, yannow?" he comments. "I envy you, Hex. You know where vou shoul' be. You gots lovin' parents, an ya always know how t' haf fun. Heck, most of de tribe likes ya. Yer pretty rich from vere I hang."
"Rank too, tho, ugh," Alptraum mutters, and waves his wings again.
"What dis?" Kizzy says when she wings back into range. She has an old wine bottle clenched in one foot. "Got's some vinegar!"
"Not too soon, gah, he stinkin' more!" Alptraum claims and makes grabby motions towards Kizzy. "Gimme!"
She passes over the wine bottle - the same one he and Hexen recovered from a buried wine cellar in what seems more like a dream than a memory. It isn't quite vinegar, but it certainly isn't wine anymore. "Nadya just gave it to me for nuthin!" Kizzy claims.
"Oh, yah, dis ztuff vent bad. Velll, gots a use for it now I guess. He flicks his wings and departs from the tree. Circling, and taking a deep breath ... he then dares risk a landing next to Hexen. A few vigorous shakes and the Eeee aims the bottle right at Hexen and pops the cork!
Splush! Glug! Hexen is probably nose-blind by now, but he rolls around and acts as if he's been doused in acid or something. "Stink is less horrible," Kizzy says. "Think it'll turn his fur white?"
"Ifffin it does, vell, ... at least he won't stink?" Alptraum says, shrugs, and finishes dousing the fox in the old wine. Quickly he tosses the bottle into the crate (somehow managing not to break the jars), then quickly goes airborn to get away from the smell. It's like old feet in winter.
"Vell, he stink different at least," Kizzy says. "Familiar. So.. we say his clothes got ruined? Or pig ate them?"
Hexen clearly has an opinion on that, which he not communicating well.. until he starts miming holding someone and bucking his hips. The old fantasy about being caught in bed with a townie's daughter and having to make a mad naked escape.
"Hadda burn em cuz of the smell. Which is basically true," Alptraum comments and holds his nose. "Y'allright, fox?" he ashs Hexen/
"Is he telling us to claim he was humpin' de pickle barrel?" Kizzy asks Alptraum.
"Mebbe? I t'ink? Or mebbe a town hog?" Alptraum suggests and scratches at his cheek. Heck, mebbe we just claim he humped a wheel of magic cheese?"
This makes Hexen stamp around and make rude gestures again. But as the stink lessens he seems to calm down a bit.
"Oh no!" Kizzy says, realizing something. She makes big sad bat eyes at Alptraum, and asks, "Does this mean his folks won't let him go with me on errands again?"
"Nah, they glad t' git him out of the house so dey can play hide da salami," Alptraum comments. "'E come home worse dan dis before."
"Oh, so dat where he gets his randy-randy from?" Kizzy asks. "It just him, not de girls teasing 'im and stuff?"
Down below, Hexen picks up the box of jars and starts along the track. At least he isn't getting lost this time.
Alptraum comes back down and lands. "Ey, y'allright?" he asks the bedraggled fox "Seriously. Y'allright? Y'arn't gonna go after de monster are ya?"
That suggestion makes the fox's tail friz - but at least it's not just hanging limply anymore. "Ffffff," he tries to say, but it just causes some spittle to spray, and his hands are full with the box.
"Y'mad at me?" Alptraum asks next.
Hexen rolls his eyes, and shakes his head, then winks at Alptraum. It really isn't all that different from other times he's gotten into trouble.
"We gonna try to pry his mouth open before we get home?" Kizzy asks. "The egg in his mouth sells the story, but.. he's got an egg stuck in his mouth."
"Better'n listening to him whine? And 'ey, you kin ask him out on a date and pretend he says yes, no matter what sound he makes," Alptraum suggests, feeling a little better.
"Oooo, or I could kiss him!" Kizzy says.
"Dat too," Alptraum agrees.
Hexen raises the box up, as if holding it hostage against unwanted smooches.
And Alptraum deftly reaches over and takes the box away! "All yours," he says.
"So how we gonna do it? Just grab and pull and hope he doesn't bite us?" Kizzy asks, getting up close in front of Hexen. She's not much taller than him.
"Y'could tongue-wrestle it outa his maw," Alptraum suggests.
Kizzy shows off her tongue at that suggestion, which actually causes Hexen to stop fidgeting for a moment. Then he grabs his upper and lower muzzle himself and tries to slowly pry them apart.
"Aw, come on, doncha want her to stick that tongue all the way down your throat and lick yer toes from the inside?" Alptraum whispers into Hexen's left ear.
That last suggestion spurs the fox to 'pop' the egg out of his mouth. "Owowow.. I'm tired of having things frozen!" he then complains.
"But t'ink of all the attention it gets vou?" Alptraum points out. "Vou vere violated by a girl!"
"Don't.. say it like that!" Hexen says. "I was.. vulnerable and.. it was so I wouldn't explode! So, life or death. Wait.. did the rat explain why I would explode without the egg up there?"
"Nope! But ya seemed to like it," Alptraum points out and grins. "And hah, ya finally admitted Kizzy issa girl."
"She took an egg up her.. proof," Hexen points out, and his ears droop. "How long do I have to keep it in? Nothing happened when I took the other one out of my mouth just now." Once he says that however, his eyes go wide with fear.
"How de heck should I know?" Alptraum asks and shrugs some. "Maybe yer head will explode inna hour."
"Why didn't you ask the rat before we left?" Hexen whines, pulling his tail up between his legs and hugging it.
"Well, if you kin walk like dat, won't need clothes," Kizzy points out.
"Vhy didn' vou? It be yer head, no mine. Anyway, ya prolly fone. Ya feel fine, right?" Alptraum asks.
"I feel like I got an egg up my chute and it is rubbin' 'gainst something when I walk," the fox laments. "There gotta be someplace I can wash off before using de vinegar."
"Mebbe? I don remember seein' a river nearby or anything, an most ponds smell vorse," Alptraum points out. "And it no like you smell vorse now den you usually do!"
"Dere gotta be one close to the camp," Kizzy points out. "We also camp close t' one if'n we can."
"Geez, do you vant 'im bathin' in our drinkin' source?" Alptraum points out. "He smell like a dead skreek."
"I can't use a rain-barrel, dat's for drinkin' and cookin' and washin'," Hexen says. Then he perks up and suggests, "Oi! Think the Radovah girls would wanna scrub me with their fancy soaps?"
"Rivers got up and down parts, so just wash in the down part," Kizzy notes. "Don't you guys bathe?"
"Dagh no, they no waste soaps on vou," Alptraum says, "And sure ve do, jus not dat often."
"I could rub the vinegar in," Kizzy offers to Hexen, squeaking in what she imagines to be a seductive voice.
"Aaagh, don't use that voice!" Hexen cries, covering his ears. "I'd rather have 'Traum do it! But I can do it meself!"
"Nope, not gonna. Kizzy gonna do it," Alptraum says. "I no yer girlfriend. I no even a girl!"
"She'd be using her feet though!" Hexen points out.
"So?" Alptraum asks, "Y' comment on how nice da Radovah feets are."
"Tongue would be better," Kizzy notes. "Stink doesn't make taste bad, does it?"
"Because I imagine them doing udder things to me with der feet," Hexen claims, then suddenly stands up straight.
"I got hands for feet, so would be better at watever dat was," Kizzy claims.
Alptraum smirks. "So, ya gots no good argument, do ya?" he pokes at the fox. "Spread em for de girl!"
Hexen says very slowly, "I can't. Not right now. The egg moved. Something is happening."
Alptraum scoots away from Hexen in cause he explodes or something. "Moved how?" he asks
"It stuck against sumthin' in dere," Hexen whispers, even though both Eeee can hear him clearly. "It making me.. uh.. or maybe thinkin' of the Radovah girls.. I don't think it gonna go down until egg moves."
"Why no go into de bushes and relieve yerself?" Alptraum asks. "Or ask Kizzy 'ere you pull it out?"
"You're bein' cruel 'Traum," Hexen pouts. "What if it make me a'splode?"
"Den it be out, would' it?" Alptraum points out.
"But I'd think of Kizzy den," Hexen hisses. "You know she be peeking."
"An? I don see de problem 'ere," Alptraum points out.
"Would you wanna be thinkin' of her during private time?" Hexen challenges.
"If it be important t' get done, it vould' matter," Alptraum lies. "And she be right 'ere. Yer bein' mean."
"How bad kin it be?" Kizzy asks. "Lemme see.." she then says, tugging at Hexen's tail with a thumb.
Hexen starts running (well, waddling quickly) down the path towards camp. "Leave me alone!" he yelps.
Alptraum runs (sorta) after him! "Come back 'ere. She jus tryin' t help!" he calls after Hexen.
"I never be able to live dis down, and.." the fox whines, then stops running. "Oh.. it moved again. Not making thin's as weird now, gimme a mo' to calm down."
Kizzy flaps over. "Don't tink about the dancing girls all naked and givin' each odder tongue baths," she advices Hexen.
"Aaarrgh!" the fox replies.
Alptraum rubs his face. "Dere are so many t'ings you can't live down. Why dis matter now?" he points out and rolls his eyes.
"You did dat on purpose," Alptraum comments to Kizzy.
"I got him hot 'n bothered," Kizzy says proudly. "Still counts!"
"T'ink about Kizzy's long tongue," Alptraum suggests to Hexen.
"Wha? Why.. oh.. dammit!" Hexen says and falls to his knees.
"Tongues are sexy?" Kizzy asks Alptraum.
"Vhat? Dat should have helped?" Alptraum says and looks confused.
"How you tryin' to help me anyway?" Hexen asks. "Kizzy Kizzy Kizzy," he repeats to himself.
"Now yer chance, he callin' yer name," Alptraum whispers to Hexen.
"What do I do?" Kizzy asks, suddenly hesitant. "Will he go berserk?"
"Jus jump on em!" Alptraum urges.
This advice ends with Kizzy perched on Hexen's shoulder, flapping to keep from falling off.
Alptraum falls over laughing. "Yeh, jus like dat!" he wheezes as he rolls around on the ground. "Gah, no wunner none of ya ever have dates."
"Aaaagh!" Hexen screams, and starts running around. At least it seems to be relaxing him by the moment since his tail isn't hiding himself now. Kizzy screeches as well.
"DIs be a great new act for de next festival!" Alptraum wheezes, "Everyone be starin', an d we kin lift coin purses!"
"Nooo, don't let her get my coin purse!" Hexen yelps, coming to senses just long enough to cover his crotch with his hands. "Eeeeeeno!" Kizzy wails. "I shoulda pinged it 'stead of holdin' out for a looook!"
"Y'could ping it now," Alptraum points out. "Might cause a reaction."
"It no diff'rent den when he was froze now!" Kizzy complains.
"Radovah bathes!" Alptraum barks at Hexen. "Lick lick lick!"
"GET OFF ME!" Hexen yells trying dislodge the bat by pinching her toes. "Your claws are way too sharp!"
"Aaaaah!" Kizzy yells and lets go of Hexen. "I oughta break your jars!" the fox grouses, and rubs his shoulders.
"Oh come on you two, you made fer each udder. You both crazy as all get out," Alptraum says as he finally stops laughing.
"Laugh it up, bat-boy!" Hexen says, pointing a finger at Alptraum. "Someday you gonna be the one naked an' stinky!"
"Hah, I have better luck den you do. Not gunna happen," Alptraum says and sticks out his tongue.
In an effort to endear herself to Hexen (possibly), Kizzy grabs onto Alptraum's pants from behind and tries to upend him. "I get your pants, then I have best luck!" the Eeee-girl claims.
The problem with that is Alptraum is also an Eeee, and a strong flier. So he tries to launch straight upward! "Dagh no ya don'!" he grows.
Alptraum growls.
"Hah!" Kizzy says, and then lets herself drop without letting go in an effort to have Alptraum actually fly out of his pants.
Alptraum curls his legs up and just tries to take Kizzy up with him!
"How strong are your pants?" Kizzy asks, and tries flapping downwards to counter Alptraum's upward force.
Alptraum's feet are free, but he can't use them yet ... so he changes directions and tries to get both of them spinning! He's an aerial acrobat after all!
"Aaaa, Kizzy dizzy!" the she-bat squeals and has to leg go.. at just the right point to that she'll be flung into Hexen! "Catch me'!" she squeaks!
"Victory is mine!" Alptraum declares ... right before he hits a low-hanging branch and goes tumbling downward into a heap! "Ow," he whines, upside-down.
Hexen is not much better on the uptake, but does at least cushion Kizzy's fall. "Aaaagh!"
"Hehehe.. ew.. ewwwww..." Kizzy goes from laughing to disgust very quickly. "Now I got de stink toooo!"
"Y'ever realize how much of idiots ve are?" Alptraum comments, "But hey, now vou to kin bathe each other!"
"Dere ain't enough vinegar!" Hexen claims. "Nobody notice if Kizzy stink!"
"Ey, ladies aren't supposed to stink. You are such a barbarian," Alptraum comments and throws some of the leaves he knocked off the tree in HExen's direction.
"We gotta share the vino!" Kizzy tells Hexen, who is still tangled up beneath her.
"We gotta get Alptraum!" Hexen counters.
"Yeh! You do! You kin each rub each other all over, all sensual-like," Alptraum giggles and makes grabby motions with his hands and feet.
"An no ya don't!" Alptraum adds as he scrambles ot his feet and takes off!
It takes more time for Kizzy and Hexen to disentangle, but the other bat is soon coming after Alptraum. "I jes' wanna give you a huuuuug!" she screeches at him.
Alptraum hahs! he dives down into the tree canopy and starts darting in and out between the tree trunks and branches. "Dagh no ya won'" he calls back!
The pings that Alptraum hears indicate that Kizzy is staying above the trees and tracking him.
Alptraum stays beneath them and is pinging out some place to hide. Old ruins, a hollow, heck, a waterfall would be great right now! Water can miss with echoing.
What presents itself is.. a big basket? It looks like a giant ball-shaped basket woven onto a tree and made of sticks. But it's got a hole in it.
Alptraum heads right for that, because ... well it's all that's around! Hopefully the owner isn't home.
It requires some wiggling to get in, and is cramped inside, but he fits. It smells a bit musky, but doesn't appear to be occupied at the moment.
Alptraum looks about and tries to figure out what sorta think owns this ball.
There's a lot of fur in the bottom, forming a bed of sorts, but there's no smell of urine at least. It's not necessarily soft though, as there are rocks or something in the fur from the feel of it.
Alptraum moves the fur a little to try and get a look. If those are eggs, he's outa here!
There's something partially round, but it turns out to be a skull. A skull that feels like it's been eroded.
Alptraum tries to get a better look at it. "Dis ... is worrying," he admits to himself, ears wilting some.
It's not a small scull, either. And it has very large buck teeth. So it could have been a Lapi, but the fur does not seem to match. It looks like it was mean, whatever it was.
"Merp." Alptraum comments ... and looks for more clues in the fur. He knows he should leave, but he wants to know what sort of nest this is, too.
There are still pings outside as Kizzy seems to be circling around searching for him. More rummaging reveals the remains of a long tail. So now it might be a short-faced Skreek, if such a thing existed. There's also.. an egg. A rubbery feeling egg. A magic pickled egg, in fact.
"Errrrr, dis not so good. Is dis de home of dat monster?" Alptraum asks as his ears wilt even more. "What is dis place?!" One ear swivels to the opening so he can hear if anything is coming.
Something is rustling out there, but there's also an acrid odor. It could be Kizzy. Or Hexen. The Garglewhomper only comes out at night, supposedly.
Alptraum frowns. So he causes a decoy by throwing the skull out of the hole!
"Hey!" Kizzy calls out, as she dives in towards the skull.
Alptraum knows better! Aha! He stays put and lets her go after the head.
"Eeeee!" Kizzy screams shortly after. "Alptraum got eaten! And.. this is a Kadie skull. Eeeee! Kadies!"
Alptraum hehehhes. That should get her outa here! Then he can fleeeeeee!
"Hexen! I found a skull! I bet it's what would happen if we didn't get the monster barf offa you in time!" Kizzy calls. She doesn't seem to be moving on though. "It's got holes and stuff!"
Alptraum tries to peek out and see if he could carefully climb out without her noticing.
"Is that your friend out there?" a voice whispers just behind Alptraum. Kizzy is still in sight, waiting for Hexen to find her. She's got one foot on the skull. "Why did you throw my skull away? I might need that."
Alptraum's hair stands up! "Uuuugh," he squeaks quietly and slowly turns his head. "It be a dead head..."
There a faintly ghostly critter behind him. It doesn't look like anything he's seen before. It looks mean, even if it doesn't sound angry, and there's a tail flicking around behind it that's even bigger and floofier than Hexen's. "It be MY dead head though, not yours," the ghost points out. "I want it back."
"Den you coul' go git it. Dey be right scared of vou," Alptraum whimpers, "An how kin I even see you?"
"You're the first person here since I died," the ghost notes. "In horrifying agony." It leans forward towards the bat, and notes, "I'm a ghost, I can't pick up things. Go bring my skull back."
"Why did you die in horrifying agony?" Alptraum has to ask.
"A monster vomited on and paralyzed me. When I could move, the vomit was already eating through my flesh. I just made it back to my nest to die." It doesn't help that as the ghost explains it, Alptraum can see it happening to the specter.
Alptraum winces. "I kin see dat. I mean, ugh. Why ya have an egg, tho? Supposed to cure it, isn't it?" he asks.
"The monster left that," the squirelly ghost claims. "It reached in and dropped it. It's been.. a long time.. I think. It isn't going to hatch. The monster has very long arms."
"That is horrific and neat," Hexen can be heard telling Kizzy. "I bet it'd distract people. We could throw into a wagon.."
"Those cure de condition. Mebbe it was trying to help vou," Alptraum says, "An is dere anything else in 'ere I kin throw at dem? I need t' scare em off to get dat head."
"You can throw the egg," the rapidly decomposing visage suggests.
So ... Alptraum tries to throw the egg and hit Hexen in the head with it.
"Ow!" the fox yelps. "Alptraum's near, he threw his butt-egg at me!"
"Dat no work," Alptraum grumbles and digs more through the fur, trying to find something else.
Aside from the bones there's a crude stone knife, complete with carved handle (all from the same stone), but mostly it's bones and fur. "That's my fur," the ghost points out. "From before I melted though. I already lost all of my fur by the time I got back inside."
"Come out Alptraum! Say sumthin' so we know this wasn't pulled out by a monster!" Hexen calls.
Alptraum considers thing for a moment and then flicks his ears around trying to find out how resonant this ball is ... and its echo center. If he shrieks at just the right location it should magnify and sound like a monster...
Of course, that would put Alptraum inside the megaphone if he tried.
"Why aren't you answering them?" the ghost asks. "Are you waiting to die? Is that why you threw out my skull, so you could take over my grave?"
Alptraum wets his fingers and moves to a specific spot in the 'ball'. He sticks fingers in his ears and then folds them down. A deep breath, then Alptraum shrieks like some poor animal being eviscerated! He may regret this, but ... he can't be caught by them!
A lot of debris falls onto Alptraum's head from this. But he can't hear if it had the desired effect without taking his fingers out of his ears.
Alptraum slowly takes his fingers out.
"He's being eaten alive!" Kizzy is screaming, and apparently flapping around in a panic. "Run!" Hexen yells.. followed by the sound of a fox running into a tree.
"If you damage my nest, I will haunt you," the ghost threatens.
Alptraum tries to peek out. "Yeh yeh, I'm haunted already, git in line," he growls.
Hexen is laid out on the ground, and appears to have tripped over the skull before bonking his head. Kizzy is nowhere to be seen.
Alptraum tries to squeeze out. "I get de skull now," the bat claims, planning to fly-dive and grab it with his feet!
Hexen is starting to stir and moan.
Alptraum dives! Gotta get the skull before the fox wakes!
The fox is still getting his wits back by the time Alptraum reaches the skull. But he sees the shadow, and screams out. "It's coming to get me!"
Alptraum grabs the skull with his feet and tries to bop Hexen on the head with it as he tries to then climb! If it all works, he can toss it back in the hole with his feet and get out of here! Ghosts! It's always Ghosts. Or Fairy Princess Queens or whatever.
This isn't likely to catch on as a sport, but he does manage to get it into the basket.
Alptraum then wings upward, but not out of the tree canopy. He's not going to get caught and stinky, thanks! Hexen should be fine. Probably.
He can hear distant high-pitched cries, even without leaving the canopy.
Alptraum starts getting worried, so he doubles back to make sure the two are okay. "Dagh, dey better not be actually 'urt," he gumbles.
There's no sign of Kizzy, but Hexen is trying to hide under some fallen leaves. This isn't very effective because he just has his head buried, and is loudly chanting, "Don't steal my head, don't steal my head.." over and over.
"Oh shut up ya dork. Git up and head towards home," Alptraum calls down to Hexen. "Kizz, ya better head home too. Still got those bottles to take back."
"Alptraum, is that really you?" Hexen asks, still with his head buried. "And not some monster puppetin' yer bitten-off head to fool me?"
"Ya got an egg in yer butt, and you've hidden pickles in yer pants at times," Alptraum comments as he circles slowly.
"But.. do you still have an egg in yer butt?" the frightened fox challenges.
"Unfortunately," Alptraum growls. "C'mon, move. Dere's a ghost in de trees and it be grumpy."
"Is it a cute ghost?" Hexen asks, finally sitting up and brushing the leaves out of his hair.
"It's a thing called a kadie that was melted by the barf that you barely escaped from," Alptraum explains. "I sweat, quit thinkin' between yer legs!"
"What's a Kadie anyway?" Hexen asks as he gets to his feet. "How'd you know about the ghost? Where'd that other egg come from? Where did the skull go?! It was right here!"
"The ghost took it back, it wuz 'is head!" Alptraum says, "And de egg came from its old nest. I gotta go find Kizz before something bad happens." He wings upward.
Up above the trees, the sound of Eeee is clearer, and it's coming from the direction (presumably) of the camp!
Alptraum rubs his face. He'd best get back to camp before something bad happens. So ... off in that direction he goes!
Kizzy is finally heard, then seen, heading back towards Alptraum. She's being followed by four more Eeee however. Both her and Alptraum's parents.
"Oh good lord, Kizz. Vhy ... " Alptraum growls and sighs. This will be ... he shakes his head. He whistles towards them before they get too far ... or too freaked out.
This get them coming towards him all the faster. And Kizzy doesn't look like she's going to slow down either. "Aaaalptraaaaaum!" she keens as she seems intent on flying right into him.
Alptraum folds in his wings and drops. He's not gonna get plowed, or hugged! No way. Now how! He should be able to recover wing in time ... he hopes.
The canopy isn't too crowded at least. But the sky is actually clear, so the transition from bright to gloomy should help a little if he wants to try and hide again. But Hexen is also calling out for him now as well.
"No hugging," Alptraum yells out and arches back up. "I'm fine ya nutjobs!"
Kizzy is circling above, crying out, "He's here, he's here! He couldn't stay in the air! He must be hurt!"
"He's not hurt at all, ya nut!" Alptraum yells. He stays low and just heads for the camp now! HE can hide in his wagon. Ugh!
"Alptraum!" This time it's unmistakably the voice of Sabine Reisender. His mom! "Are you hurt dear? Is there a monster?"
"Dere was a ghost. I'm no 'urt. De monster only comes out at night," Alptraum calls back. "I just don' want those loonies 'uggin' me!"
A few leaves fall as the Reisenders dive into the trees, homing in on Alptraum. "What monster?" Dimitris asks. He's carrying a crossbow - even if it's the small sharp-shooting one he sometimes uses as part of the performance. His mother is right after him, holding a pot hook.
Alptraum hooks on a tree to just wait. "De town has one. Some slobberin' barf-monster that attacks peoples at night. Dat why we had to wait to come home during de day. It got HExen last night, tho, dat why he smell awful," he explains.
"And Kizzy too?" Sabine asks, landing and hanging from the same branch as she checks over Alptraum for injuries. "You know Hexen attracts trouble!" she chides. "You have to look out for him better. And Kizzy is hardly one to handle danger."
"Where is de monster?" Demitris asks, staying upright for now and scanning with his ears. "I can just hear Hexen, and he doesn't sound like he's being eaten. Not any more den usual."
"It turn into a statue or something during the day. Dey call it the Garble .... something or other. Dat town is fulla loonies," Alptraum comments and sighs. "Everythin' is fine now. Oy."
"Den why is Kizzy in a tizzy?" Sabine asks, "She come crying that a monster was eatin' you alive, she heard you screaming, and there was a skull!"
"Cuz dere was a ghost of somethin' called a kadie! It gots a nest up in de tree and de skull fell from dat," Alptraum explains while pulling at his ears. "It was mad dat its skull got away is all."
"And where were you and why were you screaming?" Sabine asks, looking Alptraum straight in the eyes. She only does that when she thinks he's hiding something or lying.
"De ghost scared me!" Alptraum claims.
"I was hidin' in its old nest, and it scared me!" he quickly adds.
"Hiding from what?" his father asks. "Something still out there?"
"From dose two stinky people; both Kizzy and Hexen smell awful and dey were trying to make me stink too," Alptraum explains.
"She thought you were being killed," Sabine chides. "Dey are your friends! Go apologize!"
"Oh no! Not until dey bathe!" Alptraum asserts and crosses his arms.
"Den you wash their backs," his mother insists. "We set out the wash-barrel."
"It no my fault dey smell awful! I did nothin' buy help em. Why am I gettin' blamed fer dis?" Alptraum counters in a huff. "Oh I know, cuz I be the camp freak, righ? Gotta be my fault."
Sabine pokes him in the ribs for that. "No! Because you are their friend, and friends help each other!" she insists. "It is not punishment!"
"Haf you smelled em? Do dat and den tell me it no punishment," Alptraum retorts as he rubs his side.
"Kizzy is all alone, because people think she ugly," Sabine points out. "Hexen is cursed with bad luck, so people avoid him. But only you have it bad, eh? Is that it? You gonna snub them too?"
"It haz nothin' to do with dat. None o dem get attacked by tribe members, not like I haf," Alptraum counters and growls. "An I also get to dea wit' all de spooks too. Do any of vou deal wit ghosts face ta face like I seem ta? No! Or git to listen t' people sayin' how ya should haf left me on de road t' die. Dagh screw dis!" he retorts and takes to wing, climbing straight up and fast as he can.
For the time being, nobody is following Alptraum, though he can still hear the high-pitched screeching of the other Eeee family. It's weird to have such a clear, blue sky. With actual sunlight! It feels surprisingly warm as he climbs.
"Yer an ass, ya know dat?" Alptraum comments to himself. "A right ol' jerk. Biggest in de world. Dey cared enough to try an git help," he adds and shakes his head, sighing. He folds his wings in and drops again, but this time he'll angle a glide back to Kizzy and 'er family. He should go help them; dey are his friends, even if stinky.
"Alptraum, are you really alright?" Kizzy calls once Alptraum is in range. "Is Hexen alright?" She does sound worried.
"Yah, I fine, Hexen wuz too. I told 'im to go back to de camp. I go look for 'em and meet ya back dere, all righ?" Alptraum calls out. He knows that foxes noises better than anyone to be able to find him again, hopefully.
"Alright.. I hope we can find the jars again," Kizzy frets as she flaps. "Is the monster gone then?"
"It wuz a ghost," Alptraum calls back, "An I find da jars too. You jus git home, okay? Try and calm down."
"I calm down when you both back safe!" Kizzy claims, and flaps back to her parents.
"Biggest ass alive. Real parents proly jerks too," Alptruam mutters as he wings off back in the direction Hexen was, and he hopes where the jars might still be.
Finding Hexen is easy, since his parents have already found him. The fox is even wearing Dimitris' shirt, which is long enough to cover up everything on the short fox. The jars aren't far from there, back on the road. "It was horrible!" Hexen tells the Reisenders. "I couldn't move, or sleep, or blink and Kizzy was oggling me and the nasty rat was talking about how I was gonna melt if he didn't git all the barf offa me!"
Alptraum collects the jars, then makes his way back to HExen. "'Ey," he says, sounding deflated a bit. "He no lyin', dat did happen."
"Well, we won't be putting on a show in.. uh.. Phlegm was it?" Sabine asks. "Hopefully that creature doesn't venture far from the town at night. But we'll make sure everyone stays in the wagons tonight."
"No idea 'ow far it gets, but it kin kill. De ghost I met wuz on of its victims. It looked all melty. So, yah, stay in at night. Prolly should set up some wards and a torch circle too," Alptraum adds. "An I help both of ya git cleaned up when we git back to camp."
"Thanks Traum, because I lost the bottle of vinegar somewhere," Hexen says as they start back along the road. "Err.. you don't mean all of us together though do you?" he asks. "I don't know if I can handle taking a bath with Kizzy. She might take advantage of me or sumthin."
"One tub, so yah, yer sharin'. No more arguin', dis day has been enough," Alptraum mutters.
"Mebbe we could wear blindfolds den," Hexen suggests, either forgetting that Kizzy won't really be hindered by one, or else just wanting one himself.
There's a glimmer in one of the trees above, as Alptraum spots a ghostly giant squirrel watching them leave the area.
"De ghost is still watchin' us," Alptraum mutters and thumps towards the spectre. "In case y'all t'ink I'm lyin. At least yer harassed by de living, Hex. Enjoy it once and a while, already. And ya don' need a blindfold, either. Yeesh, stoppit, she not day ugly."
"It ain't like wi' Scabitha," Hexen grumbles quietly. "She hadda killer bod, and was nice, to make up fer her face. Kizzy is crazy, got no proper hands, bod like a board and a face like you'd carve inta yer door to ward off monsters. But mainly de crazy part. She scare me, nearly as much as mamma Radovah."
"She no more crazy den I am," Alptraum points out, "And I flat too, and you hang out wit' me. And she no dat bad-looking. Much worse out dere den 'er. And you know ya have no chance with de Radovahs or anyone else anyway."
"But if I settle for Kizzy, then dat be admittin' defeat," Hexen whines. "I can't go tryin' t' peek at 'em no more or nuthin. No soft fur, no slinky hips, no boobs.. no purring. Kizzy got.. none of it. Not even a tail. I admit it, Traum.. I want someone I can at least get me arms around, but her wings make even dat hard. I can't just.. you know.. w' her and not be her beau."
"Not like dere are many options in de tribe, yannow. And I doubt ya gonna get a townie, bir eh, I won' argue it," Alptraum comments and shrugs some.
"I.. hopin' for another fox," Hexen says. "Not a townie. A real person, from another tribe. We always meet up with one or another eventually, only so many safe camp spots in Sylvania. But if Kizzy hangin' on me, can't approach no one." The fox really does sound dejected after admitting to wanting a fox girl. Foxes are rare enough, but especially rare in Sylvania. Then again, his mother had to have met one at some point, despite Borg and Hexen's claim to be genuine father and son.
"Eh, you do know de odds of dat are low, righ'? Yer kind is less common den gold coin," Alptraum points out, "Sorry t' be blunt on dat, but iffin yer holdin' out fer dat, yer likely to be alone yer entire life."
"I young, I got time," Hexen says, puffing himself back up a bit.. which somehow makes his odor stronger too. "I wanna make sure I got no other choices. 'Sides, I wouldn't wanna ruin your chances with Kizzy! I a good friend like that."
"Yeah, righ'. I don't have a chance wit' anyone in de tribe since I not really born into it an all dat," Alptraum points out. "Plus, she has no interest in me at all. She jus' want you."
"You're nice to her, that'll win 'er over I bet," Hexen says. "I know wha' it like to have only one or two people be nice to ya."
"Doub' it. I still de tribe freak. Yer just de one wit bad luck," Alptraum points out, "But again, don' wanna argue de point."
"Whatcha boys talkin' bout?" Kizzy asks as she drops down next to them, deciding to walk the rest of the way (but they're probably close to the camp by now, since Alptraum's parents have flown off ahead already).
"Nothin," Alptraum comments and sticks his hands in his pockets. "You doin' okay dere, Kizz? Y' kinda freaked out."
"Skulls scare me," Kizzy says. "Bones in gen'ral. And you vanishin' into thin air. Thought it mighta been your skull what bonked Hexen." She then dares to reach out with her wing-wrist-and-thumb to muss up the fur atop Hexen's head.
This causes the fox's tail to poof out.
"My skull look nothin' like dat skull. I don' have buck teeth," Alptraum points out, looking annoyed at even being compared to such a thing.
"I din't look at de teeth," Kizzy points out. "It was a skull! Sometin' throwin' skulls around is more 'portant than the teeth!"
"Skulls aren't alive an can't hurt ya anymore. Nothing to be afraid of," Alptraum claims. "Sheesh, y'all act like ya ain't never seen real monsters before iffin imaginary ones spook ya."
"I ain't brave," Kizzy claims. "Dat why I asked you guys to come wit' me for protection."
"So you didn't know I'd get barfed on by a monster ahead o' time?" Hexen asks in a slightly accusing tone.
"O' course not!" Kizzy claims. Despite Hexen always stepping in it on these little outings.
"Didn' know dere be any monsters. Just day when dere are, you someow always seem to be on dere abuse end," Alptraum points out. "Hardly our fault at all, and we helped ya."
"I wuz really embarrassed," Hexen claims. "Kizzy coulda was enjoying my being frozen too much!"
"She t'inks ya sexy," Alptraum points out, "An wanted t' play wit ya. At least someone does!"
"I prefer you to be at least wigglin'," Kizzy says. "So.. what s'posed to happen back at camp?"
"Y'both gettin a bath, together," Alptraum explains. "Dats vhat."
"Without a friendly squishy Skreek girl," Hexen laments. "And I bet I gotta do alla the scrubbin, since Kiz can't do me back."
"I kin scrub!" Kizzy claims. "I use my teeth!"
"I'm supposed to wash bother yer backs," Alptraum grumbles.
"T'ank goodness!" Hexen says, sounding relieved.
"Just means she's free to rub other parts of ya," Alptraum points out.
"I don't tink I got stink on my back," Kizzy claims, twisting her head around to try and sniff her own shoulder.
"Well, you kin scrub 'er frontside," Hexen offers Alptraum.
"I be busy wit' yer back, so you gotta do dat," Alptraum points out.
"Better have a nice thick sponge den!" Hexen declares. Alptraum can hear the sounds of the camp beyond the next bend now. Including the sound of sloshing water.
"Just use yer hands., Give 'er a thrill," Alptraum chides the fox and lightly baps the back of his head.
"At least a sponge gimme something to squeeze," Hexen complains. "You got any soap?" he then asks Alptraum.
"Prolly in de wagon, yes. I'll got git it," Alptraum says, then pulls away from the pair and heads towards his own wagon to fetch soap.
By the time Alptraum gets into the camp, he can see that his parents are setting up the wash tub. And apparently they got the grape-stomping tub from the Radovahs. They don't make wine or anything, but they do perform a dance where they stomp grapes. The audience is expected to provide the grapes though, so it only comes out when they visit towns with vineyards. Sabine waves to Alptraum when she spots him.
Alptraum waves, but continues towards the wagon. He doesn't want to deal with his parents right now; just get the soap and get done with this; then get out of this group forever.
It's not hard to find the soap in the wagon. Outside, Sabine asks, "Do you need your clothes washed as well?"
"M'clothes are fine," Alptraum calls back as he grabs the soap, then heads back out of the wagon. He doesn't stop, but instead makes a beeline for where the tub is being set up.
It's been half-filled with water (there must be a stream nearby), but the bucket is missing so his father is probably filling it up again. There's a folding stool set out with some blankets for towels as well.. and on top is even a hairbrush.
Alptraum sticks his hand in it to check the temperature. If it's cold, well, there will be whining but at least he can prepare for it. He sets the siooap down next to the brush and waits there for the two to show up.
It's certainly cool water. It isn't like there was time to warm it up (or an easy means, outside of a cook-pot). Kizzy is more likely to be affected than Hexen is, since she has shorter, coarser fur.
"Vell, no horrible I guess," Alptraum comments on the water temperature. Maybe it means it'll at least be a quick bath.
He can hear Hexen already. "Someone gonna be there to point an' laugh at me, I jes' know it," he can be heard to whine. "Prolly Nadya, she got it in fer me."
"Only cuz you pester her all de time!" Alptraum calls out and rolls his eyes.
That shout gives Hexen something to home in on, and makes his way over by dashing from bush to tree to bush so that nobody sees him. Kizzy just follows after him though.
"Oh for de love of ... everyone in de tribe already seen yas naked," Alptraum points out, "Jus' git over here and lets get dis done, eh?"
"No way, not everyone!" Hexen cries.
"I seen ya a couple times already," Kizzy notes, in an attempt to make the fox feel more.. relaxed?
"Why do ya care, anyway?" Alptraum calls back. "Afraid all yer comments of bein' like yer dad get found out t' not be true?"
"I still got my butt!" Hexen claims, and the rushes over to sit in the tub. "Eeeeee.. it's col'!"
"Aaan, dere is de whinin'," Alptraum mutters. "Dip in all de way so ya gets wet and can be soaped," the Eeee says as he grabs up the lard-and-pye soap commonly used in the camp.
Since the rinse bucket is still missing, Hexen has to dunk. All his fluff is matted down afterwards, making him look skinnier than he already does. "Bleh!" he goes, and visibly resists the urge to shake himself dry.
"Does the water get skinky?" Kizzy asks, not having joined in yet. For whatever reason she seems suddenly shy.
Alptraum then starts sudzing Hexen up like mad; starting with his back and tail first of course in rough movements. "Nah, not wit' soap," Alptraum claims, without really knowing one way or another. He doesn't want to have to wait for a refill, after all.
Eventually Kizzy steps in, but has her wings wrapped around her. Which is fine for getting her back and legs anyway. She keeps shuffling her feet though. She must not like getting them wet.
Alptraum hands a bar over Hexen's shoulder. "Start on Kizzy," he comments, "An no arguin'."
Kizzy turns her back to Hexen and squats down, rearranging her wings a bit.
"Eh, back is okay, but I not doing her wings," Hexen argues anyway, and starts soaping up the bat's back. "I don' know how to wash wings, if they even get stink on 'em or not if'n there's no fur."
"Ya wash dem like anything else. Jeez," Alptraum comments, "Wipe wit' soap, rinse off. Fur or no fur don' matter. Just less scrubbing and suds."
"So they aren't really sensitive or weak or anythin'?" Hexen asks, just to make sure. He's all over Kizzy's back, almost scrubbing blindly. He might have his eyes closed.
Alptraum swats one of Hexen's ears. "Open yer eyes. And no, not dat weak; dey have to support our weight after all. Just mind yer claws," he says and sighs. "Y've known me for how long and ya never worried about mine."
"I never had to scrub yours," Hexen points out. "And you're diff'rent from Kizzy. I don' wanna hurt her."
"Ya wanna hurt me, is dat it?" Alptraum accuses.
"I jess said I never hadda scrub your wings," Hexen counters. "On account you got hands to do it yerself. I don't know how Kizzy washes 'herself."
"You could ask me," Kizzy offers. She's been uncharacteristically quiet.
"Yeah, you coul' ask 'er!" Alptraum echoes. "She an Eeee like me, jus' a little different."
"Oh.. uh.. how do you wash your wings den, Kizzy?" Hexen asks.
The girl bat squirms a bit, then says, "My mom uses a soft cloth an' spit usually. Usually just brush out de fur."
"Start lickin'" Alptraum suggests.
"I.. ain't spittin' on ya!" Hexen blurts. Then tries to use his tail. If it wasn't soaking wet it might be soft. He gives Alptraum a horrified look.
"Well, yer tongue is warm, right?" Alptraum points out.
"I ain't got that much spit," Hexen points out. "She gots more wing than I got skin."
"How ya ever expect to win a Radovah if you gots an unskilled tongue," Alptraum cruelly points out.
"Dey lick demselves!" Hexen claims.
"I usually like myself too," Kizzy notes. "I gotta rilly long tongue."
"All Eeee do," Alptraum points out and demonstrates by sticking his all the way out.
The fox shudders, then focuses on washing Kizzy's hair. "Tongues and feets," he mutters.
"And I kin grab wit' my feet too," Alptraum points out as he balances on one foot and grab's Hexen's tail. "Y' gonna call me names too and make fun of me?"
"I ain't makin' fun," Hexen says defensively, "If I had hands on me feet and a tongues like dat I wouldn't need a girlfrien' anyway!"
"You tink dat, but you'd still want one anyways," Kizzy claims.
"Yah, take it from two people dat haf em. It ain't all dat great, or life-changin'," Alptraum points out and rolls his eyes. She hands some soap over to Kizzy and asks her, "Rub 'is front."
It takes a moment for Kizzy to reposition herself. It means she has to actually sit down all the way in the water and scootch around to face Hexen. She's still got her wings wrapped around her, but now has one foot freed to take the soap. She bites her lip as she tries to soap up Hexen's chest without scratching him, and he isn't making it easier but squirming and yipping.
Alptraum grabs one of Hexen's ears, and points out, "Hold still or ya git hurt. Yer doin' her front next anyway."
Both of them squeak at that command. "Fine, I stay still.. it jus' really cold and I got.. sensitive spots there."
"Good. Yeesh, yer worse than the buggers that pull de wagons," Alptraum says as he finishes up Hexen's back and goes to check on Kizzy's to make sure he got it all.
Her fur is sticking up in random directions, but it doesn't smell of anything but the soap. Her wings are only partly washed, since she had them tightly wrapped around herself.
So Alptraum smooths out her fur some, and then goes about dealing with her wings (also so that her front is exposed to Hexen). "Relax, I know how t' handle wings," he comments. "Y' be fine."
"I thought dis would be more playful," Kizzy admits, but does unwrap for Hexen, who.. doesn't comment. But it does take awhile for him to start in with the soap.
"Well, I kin go and leave you two t' play," Alptraum points out. "Y'don't need a third wheel."
"Don' go!" Hexen squeaks. "You gotta.. uh.." Demitris returns then with two fresh buckets of water. "You gotta rinse us off."
Alptraum takes one of the buckets and dumps it over Hexen's head.
After sputtering a bit, the fox wheezes, "T'anks." Kizzy giggles a bit, but her chest is pretty well lathered up still.
Alptraum sets one bucket down, then takes the other. This one he dumps over Kizzy's head!
The screech from the bat is a lot more grating than Hexen's ever could be, if a bit less girly. It does cause the bat to wrap her wings around herself again though. "That made my teeth hurt," Hexen notes. "Are we less stinky now? My nose stopped workin' a while back."
Alptraum's ears are ringing. "Ugh, yes, yer both fine. Y'kin dry off and I'll leave ya both to it, eh?" he says.
Hexen is out of the tub in a flash, and then shaking his fur out. At least he doesn't splatter everything around him too much. Kizzy just stands up and steps out of the tub.. but does shake her feet off several times and waits for Hexen to take one of the blankets.
"You two are alrigh' now, righ?" Alptraum asks, brow arched up some. "No gonna freak out anymore? Mebbe you two should cuddle t' warm up."
Hexen is busy wringing out his tail, and says, "Ya ya, fine but prolly gonna have nightmares fer awhile and.. uh.. I still need some o' my clothes."
"Oh.. I shouldn't but mine back on either, should I?" Kizzy notes after wrapping a blanket around herself. "Gotta wash 'em good."
"Why nightmares?" Alptraum has to ask. "Ya didn' get 'urt in aqny major way."
"I was frozen!" Hexen replies, a tinge of panic to his voice. "I couldn't do nuthin! I don't think I could even breathe. But I was awake and stuff.. it was awful! Like.. being dead but having to live through it."
"So like a zombie?" Kizzy asks.
"But yer not dead, and ya got to be closer t' Kizzy, so it all turned out fine, righ?" Alptraum points out.
"It was not fine," Hexen says, and sniffles. "It felt like it was gonna last forever. It was the most horrible thing ever. I ain't never going out after dark again!"
"Yeh you are, don' be so dramatic," Alptraum says and pokes the fox. "IF ya don' how ya gonna meet girls dat let you strap dem down and strip dem in ruins?"
"I not sure she wasn't a monster," Hexen notes. "An' I'm the one that got stripped.. she wasn't wearing clothes to being wi'. An you're gonna suggest I just go out naked all de time, aren't you, so dat I can't lend my clothes to naked girls."
"Well.." Kizzy starts to say, then thinks about it and doesn't finish.
"Oh dis is ridiculous. Yer home, yer alive. It all be good," Alptraum points out.
"Dat could cover a lot o' horrible events though," Hexen says, and tries burrow into the blanket as he wraps it around himself. "Really Traum, it was awhile. Really, really awful. I am already afraid it might just.. happen again. Outta nowhere, because I didn't do the egg right or something. Gah, I gotta keep it up dere until it fall out, right?"
"Yeah, I t'ink so," Alptraum says. "Dunno for sure, but best t' be safe about it. "I sorry it was awful, but none of us intended it ta happen, an we took care of ya afterward. But you be fine, you've been through lots and survived, no reason dis too. Y' should prolly just go 'ome and get some rest."
"Yeah.. rest.. or soup. I forgot I haven't eaten since yesterday," the fox says, looking a bit dazed. "T'anks for not letting me.. uh. whatever happens if a frozen person isn't de-barfed. But I'm never gonna touch a jar again. Or cheese."
"Ya don' wanna know what happens, so don' even t'ink about it," Alptraum says and pats Hexen's shoulder. "It all be good, jars got back, yer alive. Everyone safe. No point in dwellin' on it."
"Yeah.. yeah," Hexen says, trying to convince himself. "Gonna eat something. Thanks Traum, see ya later.." And then the foxes is wandering off, until he think to look for his family wagon and head towards it.
"You tink he really gonna forget about all dis?" Kizzy asks Alptraum. "Or he always gonna think of being monster-olested when he see me now?"
Alptraum pats Kizzy's shoulder too. "You go git some rest too," he tells her. "An don' get upset over Hexen, he jus stubborn. He like dat. He don' really blame you at all. Give 'im a couple days an he'll be back to his usual self, and being chased by the cats."
"Stupid cats," Kizzy gripes. "Can't even fly." She sighs, and says, "Thanks for not hiding forever, sorry I got all panicky when I couldn't find you."
"Eh, I shouldn't have scared ya like dat anyway," Alptraum admits. "Ya take care, all right. An look after Hexen too. He be kinda foolish, but he a good guy."
"I always keep an eye on him," Kizzy claims, and winks. Then she heads towards her wagon, still occasionally shaking off one of her feet along the way.
"Yeh, you two need to look after each other. No like I gonna be around forever," Alptraum mutters to himself. He collects the remains of the soap and carries it back to his wagon to return it. Also, to fetch what few possessions he has there. Time to go.
His parents are out, probably at the camp meeting that happens whenever they stop, to talk about.. whatever it is they talk about. Probably where to go, who remembers the lay of the land the best, and who needs extra help.
Alptraum dips inside to drop the soap and gathers, well, the few changes of clothing he has, his knife, and a couple other trinkets. It's not like he's ever had much, nor really cared to. Those are all placed in a flight back, which is secured to his right leg and then he's back out the door. "Y'all better off without me anyway, disaster seems t' follow me an anyone near me. Prolly why I was dumped in de first place," he comments while looking back towards the camp. He shakes his head, then goes airborn. He doesn't even know where he's going, just ... away. So picks a random direction and goes that way, ears forward to listen for signs of civilization, while also looking for ruins he could use as a place to camp if need be.
Well, he does know which way Phlegm is.. so that leaves all the other directions. He spots the river. It's a bit farther from the camp than usual, but buildings, towns and so forth tend to stick close to them, so there's probably something along it.
Alptraum, for now, sticks to just following the river. Not very fast, not very slow; flying for distance by keeping speed consistent and allowing for regular glides.
It's barely noon, and the sky is still ominously clear. He can even see his shadow on the trees below. And then something appears that looks suspiciously not-like-a-tree but is gone in a flash as he flies over the gap in the canopy.
Alptraum goes a little higher after that; hopefully out of arrow range, and crossbow range. No desire to be shot down by some half-blind hunter thinking he was food, after all.
Further along, the river forks, and the fork has the remains of a stone building. The walls are mostly there, but the roof is long gone. Even so, it's hard to tell if it's full of debris or not yet, since Alptraum spots the structure before he's flying over it this time.
Alptraum dives down to check the old building out. It may be a good place to 'set camp' if it's easy to defend and safe. "Not very far yet, but dunno what's ahead, so good to have places marked out if needed," he comments to himself. He also starts echo-pinging the area to develop a 'sound map' of it in case he needs to find it later.
There is a lot of debris to one side of it. A circle-around shows broken wooden forms. There might have been a waterwheel at some point, before it was stripped. It's a bit far out to be a mill, but Sylvania often swallows up whole abandoned communities without a trace. Ruins may be a lot older they seem at first.
Alptraum circles down and lands on the top of one of the walls. Since the roof is gone, he pings about its interior to map it out (as well as look for a cellar or the like which might make for a good 'camp'.
The floor inside is largely covered in leaf-litter that's deep enough to probably be turning into soil by now. But it's dug up in places, probably by animals looking for bugs. There is a raised stone section on one of the corners though that's actually pretty clear, and that still has an ironwood trapdoor on it.
"Could be useful, could be dangerous," Alptraum comments as he gets out his knife and holds it reverse-hand in his left. A hop-glide down to that door ... and then he tries to lift it open with his free right hand.
The wooden hinges aren't rusty, but they've swollen a bit over the years due to the damp. So it's an effort, but at least it's telling that the hatch hasn't been opened up in some time. No foul vapors of ghostly wails emit from the opening, so it's probably safe to open fully.
Alptraum pulls it the rest of the way open, then flicks his ears forward to listen down into the hole, as well as ping in it to sound it out.
The only sound is from the ping, which indicates a room with sharp corners - so probably with walls. A dirt cellar wouldn't have survived next to a river. Not all of the reflections are hard though.
Alptraum checks for stairs to see if he can go down a ways and continue to map the place out a bit, as well as escape if need be.
There are stone stairs, and a stone floor and walls. Also brick framed soil beds, and some signs that shelves used to be attached to the walls. So it might have started out as a granary, then been repurposed for other uses later. The soil beds might have been someone's attempt to cultivate mushrooms.
Alptraum goes down a little further to let his eyes adjust to the dim light from the doorway and to continue mapping; looking to see if this is the only room, or if there are others. Also, listening for any movement within.
There is a narrow archway leading to another room.. which seems more or less identical to the first one, just with more junk in it like broken shovels and a stringless lute of all things. Nothing remotely useful, unless he needs kindling. This room is closer to the center of the building, and much less damp than the first chamber. But nothing moves. Especially not the desiccated vermite corpses littering the place.
Kindling might be needed if he decides to camp here, so ... helpful. He continues on slowly to the next room, dagger ready just in case. He continues mapping the place by sound, seeing it through his ears more than anything else. "So far this actually looks ... useful. A good place to rest and be mostly safe," he mutters to himself between pinging.
"Yeah, this a was a decent stopover," a ghostly (but familiar) voice says behind him.
"Dagh take you all," Alptraum calls out and spins around, winging his knife in a wide arc! How could someone sneak up on him without him hearing it?!"
The blade passes right through the head of the spectral figure. "Ooo, you a fighter?" the Kadie ghost asks. It's eyes are pretty much black pits so they can hardly sparkle, but her voice suggests it. In the dark, the ghost is a lot more visible, and is clearly a female, if a rather short and oddly shaped one. The ghostly tail is even bigger and poofier than Hexen's though.
"Dagh, you again? Why are ya followin' me? I gave you yer stupid head back," Alptraum barks, annoyed, complete with ears splayed out to the sides.
"You looked interesting," the ghost claims. "Been following you. Running away, eh? I did that! Nobody was gonna decide Pamela the Punisher's fate for her!" She then smacks her fist silently against her fluffy chest.. but for a moment her ribcage is visible when it happens.
"Can't run away from a not-home," Alptraum points out and shakes his head. "Jus' one of the many trash-kids no one wanted and dumped. Just goin in a direction till I find civilization, den will find a job or sumthin'."
"Pttthpt!" Pamela raspberries. "Civilization?" she asks. "Why? It's horrible! Rules and laws about everything, and if you aren't at the top you're just someone's slave, and glad for the chance so you can pay some other poor slob for food you coulda just gone out and got yourself anyway!"
"I don't pay for food, doesn't really work for me," Alptraum remarks a bit dryly. "An why, it's about survival. Easier to survive in groups den on your own .. when ytou get barfed on and die in a hole in a tree." That last bit comes with a bit of a glare from Alptraum.
"Oh, you think that's a dig at me then?" the squirrel asks, and pokes Alptraum in the chest. It leaves a cold spot. "I chose my direction! They wanted to keep me a tree farmer, marry me off to some fat old man because he had a ground house with glass windows and everything. So very civilized. The only thing he was good for was teaching me to read. Boy, was that a mistake. I learned about things they never wanted my folk to find out about! History. What are you running to, vampire? What's civilization ever done for your kind?"
"Don't poke me," Alptraum comments, ears still flat. "As for what's it done; no idea. Haven't been around it much. Gotta be better den where I was an livin' off scraps and hated fer bein' weird. Like right now. It no be normal to sit an talk wit de dead. I rather doubt you kin do dis wit just anyone, or ya would have by now. No, y' found out I could see ya, so now yer buggin' me."
"I ain't buggin', I'm sharing my wisdom!" Pamela does not look very old, but since Alptraum doesn't know anything about Kadies it's hard to tell. "I been out here for.. uh.. I dunno, longer than you've been alive I reckon. And I haven't met any vampires before, so how do I know you can't all talk to the dead? But I been through a lot of towns in this country, and back then they didn't like having vampires around. Didn't like Kadies either, which is what I was hoping for anyway."
"Contrary to stories, we don go around bitin' people. Peoples is dirty, no desire to bite one. Unless I had to an dey were okay wit it. But anyway., bleh. Talkin and food should not mix," Alptraum comments and shrugs. "An if you been aaround dat long, t'ings may have changed. Vho knows. Will find out once I find a town, anyway."
"Towns are were adventure and ambition go to die," Pamela says, with an angry tone and waving of arms and twitching of tail. "Civilization is a trap. One I barely escaped! I found out about a group that left Tursdi on a real adventure, and kicked ass all over the place! I set out to find them. It was great! I got into fights all the time! I even had guys fight over me in bars! I wrestled a hog! A baby one. But it was still mean! And what did me in? Being too close to a town."
"I bet you were trying to rob de town," Alptraum remarks as he arches his left brow. "At night, and the barfer barfed you. Anyway, no sure if yer tryin to talk me out of whatever, but I gotta find some place. Not really built t' survive alone for long as it is."
"So, you ever been to a town then?" the Kadie asks, one eye wider than the other as she uses it to stare at Alptraum.
"Yesh, small ones. People I wit did shows innem, and we robbed dem while dey were busy," Alptraum answers. "But havin' walls dat don't move, a regular bed, and such really temptin' from vhat I have right now." HE shakes his head a bit and resumes exploring the cellar since this one isn't going away it looks like.
"So, why didn't you just stay in any of 'em?" Pamela asks, as she follows along. "I bet they really into letting strangers move in."
"Not the ones I were with, no," Alptraum remarks as he rolls his eyes in the dark. "If pitchforks weren't brought out before we left, it was a rare visit."
"They're all like that, you know, except for the city or little farms," Pamela claims. "Farm vampires are friendly enough. But they keep to themselves and in the end.. it's a farm. City was full of noise and too many people. They let anyone in because they just eat people up so need a fresh supply. I mean, figuratively. They ain't cannibals, but.. the city can make you feel low, really low and helpless and powerless. Can you see the door here?"
"I can hear the door," Alptraum remarks, sounding annoyed. "Look, I haf no reason t' go back to where I came from. I gotta move on and forward. If one place doesn' want me, I move to de next, den de next. Eventually, I find place or die, righ? Basically all vou did."
"A place?" the Kadie asks. "A place isn't anything. Don't say place when you mean people. This is a place," she says, gesturing around her. "And I mean that door," she says, pointing to an apparently blank wall.
Alptraum looks at that wall, and pings it. "Shove yer sematics," he growls. "I'm going t' go, where I end up, I end up."
"But what're you looking for?" Pamela asks, and goes to the wall. It's stone, and Alptraum doesn't hear anything hidden. Then the ghost grabs an invisible handle and opens the door, flooding the room with light.. that isn't really light. It's silvery, like the ghost herself.
"Ey, don't be weirder," Alptraum remarks and shields his eyes from the ... light? "I'm lookin'' for peace and not bein' always looked at like a freak," he says, "And yes, I knew yer gonna argue I gonna always git dat. So, don' bother."
"Hell no," Pamela says. "You'll only get that if try for civilization. Anyway, this leads to the nearest town where nobody will probably care who you are too much, since they're all dead I think. Not sure about the Mother of Bones. If she's not dead then you can probably come through without leaving yer body behind."
"Er, no way am I walkin' through a door for de dead an dyin' t'hanks," Alptraum remarks as he eyes the door now opened.
"You think this is any dif'rent from walking into a strange town and hopin' they don't set you on fire?" Pamela asks. "If you're too afraid to try this, then you're too afraid. You want civilization in Sylvania, this is it. I think you'll be fine if you don't.. uh.. eat anything? Or was it something else.. gah, rules. I never pay attention to those. Hold on and I'll go find out." And the steps through the doorway. Which doesn't even vanish after her.
Alptraum goes over and, well, tries to close the door behind her! Mebbe she'll leave him alone if the door is closed and she can't find her way back. "Sod off, you dead jerk," he mutters.
The door is icy cold, but also feels just like.. air. Aside from the cold it may as well not be there at all.
"Bugger all," Alptraum growls. "Can't even be rid o' 'er." He sighs, then tries to see if there's a nearby next room he could go into and hope she gives up.
It's just the two cellar rooms down here, and whatever is on the other side of the door. But it isn't long before Pamela returns, finds him and says, "Alright, I have to give you a little test to see if it's safe for you to visit."
"Vell, dis ought to be a laugh. What kind of test?" Alptraum asks and crosses his arms
The Kadie holds out her hands. "Just gotta hold onto my hands for a bit and see what happens," she explains.
Alptraum holds out his hands and tries to hold hers, expecting it to not work at all.
At first it's like holding onto the door: cold air. But gradually they begin to feel warmer and more solid. After a few minutes, Pamela seems.. alive. Her eyes are there (brown) and she's more noticeably naked and one of her ears has a big notch in it. "Anything happening?" she asks.
"You seem far too real and alive, it be creepy," Alptraum says as his ears splay out again. "Yer naked, and something ate yer ear"
"Lapi bite hard sometimes," Pamela says. "Who care about clothes when you're a ghost anyway. But.. that was the sign, Mom o' Bones told me about. Means you can safely come through and back and such for some reason. She doesn't explain things to me anymore, since I don't really listen."
Alptraum looks around to see if he died, because ... she shouldn't seem real.
He doesn't see his own body on the floor, and doesn't feel dead. Heart and lungs are still doing their thing and all.
"Vhy do ya want me to come through dat place? Buncha zombies on the other end feelin peckish?" Alptraum asks suspiciously. "You dere lure?"
"Zombies aren't welcome in the haven," Pamela says. The doorway also looks real now, with stairs leading down instead of just a door-shaped light. "You can come because there's no difference twixt the living and dead for you or something. Mom o'Bones tends to ramble about crap. I suppose she could be a god or something too."
"Yeh, I make it a point not to listen t' anyone claimin' t' be a god. Hadda crazy guy wit de troupe dat used to act like dat. Eventually fed himself to a homicidal tree," Alptraum remarks and cants one ear. "But fine, since ya bein' so insistent on dis, I go. Make no difference in de end."
"That's the spirit!" Pamela says, "You kin let go of my hands now."
Alptraum lets go. "I may grab yer boobs, though," he warns, "Since ya naked."
She doesn't seem to fade any after letting go. She then looks down and.. fluffs up her chest a bit. "Ah, right. I forget about stuff like that," she admits, then turns and flicks her tail under Alptraum's chin as she heads for the door.
Alptraum does grab onto that tail, though, and follows. "If I die in 'ere I gonna kill you again," he warns as he follows after her. "And dis time, I no givin' yer 'ead back..."