"I want both of you to listen carefully. We are about to meet with Bela Elzenstein, The Thorn Duke."

"The request to AVOID insulting the vampwelfs is doubly so now." Tacita pointedly snarls at her right hand man.

"Yeah dude. Way to fuck up with the Drakkens. I mean, come on, even I ain't making any comments about the lame decor."

"That's because you lack the fire in your heart that will carry you to the end of days, robot."

"But, point taken."

"We can bring you back from death, Destiny. The Drakkens? They're nothing. Primitive murderers! As long as one of us survives, we'll rise again. But Bela Elzenstein? Do not be fooled by his smile. He knows ways to inflict worse than death upon a man."

"I am sure you heard reports about the last person we sent to the Elzensteins. A cocky guy, but...." Tacita pauses, recalling what she had been told. "He didn't deserve that.......and if he wasn't like you, he would have died a long time before."

"Thankfully, Bela Elzenstein should be a more hospitable person."

"That's the real opportunity of it, to be sure. Give me a thousand cruel souls that can be cajoled into seeing reason before a single pit of misery like Boris."

"Boris was never really going to back down from the Federation and we knew it. Bela? Bela we can work on, if the files were anything to go by."

"And I may give the impression otherwise... but I can hold my tongue in the courts of death when needed."

"Good. Let's keep it that way, and you, robot."

"Artificial intelligence. And god, actually."

"Just keep taking notes." Tacita doesn't humor the second part of his statement.

"Mmmmmmmmrrrgggg......." A creature bound by chains grumbles as the group enters. It looks pointedly at Destiny.

"BAD BAD BAD!!!" It screams.

A thick red slime oozes out of its mouth as it hisses and snaps. "Baaaaaaaaad.... Baaaad!"

An older vampwelf pulls the chains. "Ah, don't worry about this one. It ain't working as good as it used to. Claims everyone who walks through the doors is a "bad one" nowadays."

"IT'S TRUE! ALL ARE BAD! BAD!!!"

"Dear Edward, take your knick-knacks away from here. We have some...exciting-looking guests, and I would rather the cursed beast not disturb them anymore."

"As you say m'lord. Apologizes." Edward bows before dragging the screaming beast away.

"What is that delightful perfume in the air? It smells like what my wife has been wearing recently! Come, come closer! Do not be shy! You quaint aliens are royalty in house Elzenstein!"

"Duke von Elzenstein. Honoured that you could meet with us on such short notice, we're sure."

Tacita curtsy before the Duke. "Yes, thank you for meeting with us. We had attempted contact with House Drakken, but it had gone, poorly."

"Hahahaha!! Poorly? I don't think so my little aliens! You're still alive. That's an accomplishment from people visiting House von Drakken!"

"Boris is a rough man, stuck in his old ways. You can't possibly expect anything good to come out of a meeting with him. Do not fret, space creatures. You are loved and respected here. Might I offer you a bit of blood–Ah, wait, wine. Yes." Bela does not wait for the two to accept his offer, and instead calls for wine to be brought immediately.

"What could you have possibly requested of him......?"

"We are on a mission to retake captives that–"

"HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Bela Elzenstein does not wait for Tacita to finish. His laughter fills the hall, as if he has heard the funnest joke in his life. He wipes a single tear away from his eyes.

"Let us start again. Memories wiped. All is forgiven. I understand that aliens aren't direct like vampwelfs are. It's cute....but not right now, dear."

"What did you request of House von Drakken?"

"Tried to open a negotiation on buying out the old man's special vaults."

"Is that excessively blunt, do you think, Tacita? I hate to leave out the interesting back and forth part where one reveals their cards one at a time, but I have too much respect for the good Duke's time."

"You are in the right for this, Destiny. My apologizes to you, Duke. Know that I acted as I did out of politeness."

"All is well, all is forgiven, and forgotten! You have a good right hand ma–Ah women, I believe?" Bela takes out a physical copy of the Cosmosdex, one printed many years ago. He takes a moment to skim through the entry. "A species of women! How quaint and exciting space is!"

"As for your attempts with Boris, I've also been interested in his artifacts. About fifty years ago, an Elzenstein trader brought the most quaint books from House Volkairn. They spoke of feys and ways to become immortal. My wife quite loved the books, told me all about it."

"I asked the trader who sold him the books. He told me a little girl. I asked him again in the dungeon after that. He promised me head to toe that he wasn't lying. As you know, in House Elzenstein, we don't like liars. Don't know who he was covering for, but I'm not going to believe a little girl sold him such foul books."

(The Legate resists the almost instinctive reflex to talk on the topic of the metima species' gender. Vampwelves were so... lacking in understanding on such things...)

"Have you met such books in your travels? Have they lead you to the Drakken's land?"

"A little girl...? A fascinating coincidence, perhaps... I had heard that a strange young girl who had the knowledge of an ancient sage had recently been invited to the Drakken's fortress."

"Huh. Maybe it is a different little girl. We've obtained these books so long ago, that I doubt she is little anymore. Still....that is of interest. Before I was born, all the sages, wizards, and witches of the vampwelf houses had been systematically killed. I wonder what the Drakkens are doing with one. Has old Boris finally changed his mind? I wouldn't believe so. Other oddity to the collection perhaps?"

"But I see why you have come to me. House Elzenstein holds much power, and we are currently interwoven with the Drakkens, for better or worse. Ever since my wife has fallen ill many years ago, I have gained a bit of a habit of visiting Boris."

"We enjoy a bit of the dancing, the wrestling, chess, checkers, and lately, something most particular!"

Bela holds out a tiny painted figure of a warrior. "Look upon this! Aliens have brought such a joy to my castle!"

"It is a uh....how do I say it? T.T.R.P.G.?"

"I don't know what it means, but you can hold fictional wars instead of real ones. It's been a literal lifesaver for both of our families."

"A clever idea... A great many fewer people would meet a terrible end if it caught on amongst warriors, I'm sure."

"Yes, before the T.T.R.P.G. came into our lives, we used to just pick two knights and have them fight each other to death if we were having a small argument with no winner."

"We still enjoy a good knight fight, mind you, but it's just not as frequent."

"Either way, I think we both want the same thing. We want old Boris to give up his hold on these feyish artifacts he keeps collecting. He keeps saying something about "It is the Drakkens who protects us all from the feys" but, I think this whole fey thing is a lie. Some traditions are based upon nothing. I happen to have my own fey, and I can tell that you two wouldn't mind."

Bela Elzenstein holds out a charm. "Fey of Growth! Come to me! Show these aliens your honest ways!"

There's a scrambling sound from upstairs. Quick tapping as the hooves of the small three foot creature skips down the stairs and to Bela's side. The fey looks apprehensively at the guest, as if they did not trust them.

"This is my dear fey. They've been taking care of my sick wife for years now...."

"Nor I, or her have become "fey-touched" or any of this nonsense the other families say! The fey are just whimsical forest people. Nothing more. I believe Boris and all of his tales are just lies to inflate his importance, and keep us away from the amazing things within the fey forests."

"If you accompany me to the Drakken Household, I'm sure I can talk a bit of sense into him. He would never kill me. His house may be powerful, but he's not stupid. Even my deathly ill wife could command the army of Elzenstein to ruin those of Drakken. We might not win, but in their weaken state, all the other houses will swoop upon them like they're a fatten goat with a broken leg."

"And if he won't allow us access to his artifacts, that is fine. House Drakken is filled with men wronged by Boris. We just need to find which of those men have the keys we need."

"Ah, but I am sure you've noticed something......"

"The Federation can offer an abundance of supplies, food, and blood. Your house wouldn't have to rely on trade with the others."

"Hahahahaha....." Bela laughs at Tacita's reply.

"I didn't know how important these artifacts were, but you've laid it out on the table! You're willing to feed House Elzenstein for years to come!"

"To some, they might just be some of the most important things in the universe. There's everything to play for."

"Well, that's just interesting! Boris always told me the artifacts were knick-knacks. Nothing to be surprised by. He even gave my dear wife one, just to shut her up."

"The Elzenstein are a friendly family. Well mannered and well bred. But there is one thing that drives any Elzenstein to insanity."