Pinroy wakes me and Oberon up near dawn asking if we will go with him to see if he can find some desert rats because he is having a craving and really really wants rats.  We tell the guards we’ll catch up and let Wave and Scorch know and head on out into the desert. 

Pinroy chases a rat but it turns out to be this snotty Count Vivic’s pet.  Count Vivic is tall and thin and dressed in immaculate velvet clothing – in the DESERT! – and has the palest of skin.  I hate him, and fear him, the moment I see him. His eyes are almost black and I feel myself falling into them.  He seems like a decent guy, but Pinroy says no, he is a bad man.  I have to disagree, he seems quite nice and, well…gorgeous.  I wish he’d ask me out, though not sure where we go since all there is in this cursed desert is sand.  He calls forth these creatures that rise up out the sand, there faces are distorted, their limbs all akimbo…but decent enough fellows. “Snap out of it,” yells Oberon as his fire blade slices into one of the sand creatures.  I tell him to stop, the Count is an upstanding guy, we can trust him, and then the count disappears and I find my distaste for him return, and realize he had me under a spell.  “I’ll get you for this Count Vivian!” I yell, as Oberon, Pinroy and I make short order of the desert zombies. 

We never did find a rat for Pinroy, but he found a nice snake which he bit the head off of, and I got a bit of snake venom (2 vials) for my bolts.