Shalltear’s return to Nazarick was unheralded but not unnoticed, she appeared in Neuronist’s workspace and lightly tossed the frogman to the feet of the obese round mouthed monster with her little snake’s tongue. “Ohhh, Lady Shalltear, what have you brought me today?!” Neuronist giggled and clapped her palms together, rubbing them with eagerness as she looked down at the frogman. It stared up at her with blank confusion that was far beyond simple fear or horror.

“A soon to be endangered species. Study it, we need to know how much they can take, whatever is left of them will be serving us soon.” She explained and glanced at the moaning figures on the wall. The surviving Sunlight Scripture members were barely aware of anything, the light of the torches cast shadows against the dim stone, none of them were dressed, their male members exposed to Shalltear’s curious eyes.

“Are they still resisting?” She asked with only half interest.

“No, no I broke them weeks ago, they’ve spilled every secret of their people down to where their own parents live. Anything they haven’t told me, they’ve held back because they don’t know it.” Neuronist promised and reached for a long thin kidney stone remover.

Collective wails went up, and Neuronist put it back down in the little silver tray again. “See? I am a professional after all.”

The frogman began to wiggle and thrash pointlessly in its bonds, but the pair ignored him.

“I never doubted it, but when will they be useful for something?” Shalltear asked and looked the scarred wretches over.

“I don’t know, Lord Demiurge wanted them used for something, but Lady Albedo immediately forbade his intentions, they can’t be killed or used beyond keeping them broken.” Her tongue darted out toward the men several times, “I have no idea why and it isn’t my place to ask… oh well, at least I have this one now.” She said and waddled over to the writhing and desperately croaking frogman, her gray skin jiggling along and the ooze-like substance that coated her flesh dripping away to the stone at her feet until she reached the new subject.

“Alright, have fun, Neuronist.” Shalltear answered and walked out of the room with a little backward wave.

“I will, and thank you again!” Neuronist exclaimed and undid the frogman, “Oh my, you’re partially broken already… well, not to worry we’ll fix you right up…”

Shalltear was well away by the time the frogman was set to screaming.

‘Should I go straight back… no he didn’t say he wanted to leave right away, and he does seem to want to explain himself to the new subjects…’ A certain wariness about this came over Shalltear’s mind, the knowledge of how close she’d come to tasting his supreme blood was a heavy weight of guilt on her mind that she couldn’t lightly expunge.

It was for that reason that she was distracted, and because she was distracted she made her way back to her own quarters without thinking.

The door opened, and three red eyed vampire brides of snow white flesh and silky dark hair were quick to present themselves. Two knelt, but one, the longest haired, and newest, remained on all fours, which was to be expected as she was the only one equipped with a ‘tail’. “Welcome back, Mistress.” They said in unison, and Shalltear dotingly patted each of their heads.

“How do you like the tail, Leinas?” Shalltear asked, as much curious as anything else, as the first new worlder for her to turn, it was a matter of curiosity to see how this one responded to vampiric instincts toward her maker.

“I love it, Mistress!” She exclaimed, her bright crimson eyes shone with glee, “Anything to please you.”

An expected answer, but it led Shalltear to another question for which she walked past them all and took a seat. “Come here, Leinas, I have a question you might be able to answer.”

“My Lady?” Leinas asked and scurried over the floor, the dark leather straps of the tail bounced behind her as she moved, and Shalltear asked her.

“You betrayed your lord for mine, I’m sure that’s why my master had me turn you, because a traitor can’t easily be trusted, unless you have something on them, something like this.” Shalltear rolled up her sleeve and extended her wrist, “Go on, have a bite.” She said magnanimously and held the little indulgent girlish smile as the greedy vampire and former knight grasped the True Vampire’s delicate looking little wrist and sank her fangs in.

The bliss on Leinas Rockbruise’s face revealed how much she loved the rich full flavor of Shalltear’s lifeblood, but the diminutive little monster was not kind without reason. As her subordinate fed, Shalltear addressed her.

“I know you desire me, as well you should, but if you were to almost offend me, or to betray me even by accident, how would you make amends in order to deserve the chance to please me properly again?” Shalltear asked, while the vampire bride twins knelt a distance away and looked with envy at their tail bearing newest addition.

Leinas broke from feeding to gaze up adoringly at Shalltear, “Immediately confess, and then ask to, no, beg to be punished! I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t face some consequences! I know if I’m punished, my unworthy self might be forgiven, but if I’m not…” She lowered her crimson eyes, “That would be the worst punishment of all.”

Shalltear rested her cheek in the palm of her hand and her elbow on her desk, then allowed Leinas to feed with little suckling noises for several more minutes as she thought the answer over.

“Work hard while I’m away, I won’t be gone long, but I may have a use for you soon, a demonstration of your true devotion.” Shalltear said, the suckling noise stopped and Shalltear withdrew her dainty wrist.

“I wait with hungry anticipation.” Leinas vowed with little red stains on the tips of her fangs rendered visible by the broad and toothy smile on her face.

“Good girl, now… give me a wag.” Shalltear gave the order, and the white cloth dress worn by her newest bride rustled when she wiggled her hips to shake the tail Shalltear had ‘plugged’ her with.

“The pleasure that awaits you, the rewards of pleasing me, they will drive you mad if you serve me well.” Shalltear cackled and stood up so that even short as she was, she towered over Leinas. She rolled her sleeve back down while Leinas looked up at her with a quiet but hungry look on her face.

“I live only to serve the Lord of Nazarick, the Great Healer, and my Mistress.” Leinas said with worshipful reverence before Shalltear flicked her wrist to create another gate and left her brides behind her.