"Well, Yorrick, that's a complex question. The short answer is 'ja' and the long one is 'it depends.' It's about how often and how consistently I feed. If I regularly feed once every day or two then yes, most certainly. All those legends about shapeshifting and stuff are bullshit but greater vampires who do feed like that are superhuman enough to give rise to such stories."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
He tapped his neck. "What if you sucked my blood metaphorically dry, right now and up to the point where you physically couldn't drink anymore?" He gestured at the entrance to Kratzer's cell. "Would you be strong enough to bend those bars far enough apart that you could get out and do the same to our cells?"
The truthful answer was 'no' but if Skull was even considering letting him feed, Kratzer wasn't going to pass it up or ruin it by telling the truth on a whim. "Most certainly," he informed Skull. "I've managed more difficult feats."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Skull got to his feet and walked right over to where Kratzer was. Pulling down his collar just a little - he didn't want the vampire to not have enough space to feed - he was surprisingly patient as he waited for Kratzer to bite into his neck. "Go on, then," he said. "I've got places to be. I can't spend the rest of my youthful years rotting in this cell."
Carter turned his head idly to watch the sad display of desperation but did genuinely hope that their plan would come to some benefit. He highly doubted it, what with Kratzer clearly lying through his teeth, but he had little else in way of a plan. Despite his clever mind, he had no feats of strength to show for himself that would allow him to make a way out. And even if he did, he would've expected this Boomslang - were she really as evil as Kratzer made her out to be - to make the cells unbreakable in that regard.
It would be unwise to underestimate this Boomslang character, so he decided to remain quiet, and observe.
A feral smile danced across his lips as Skull pulled down his collar and stepped towards him. His canines lengthened and his eyes flashed metallic, a window into the demonic essence that ran in his lifeblood - a look of pure instinct, of hunger. Reaching through the bars and grabbing Skull, he sunk his fangs into the immortal man's neck, the warm blood rushing over his tongue, his lips, his throat. The one thing that could satiate the primal obsession that haunted him.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Getting blood sucked out of him had to be one of the weirder experiences of his life, and he had been through many bizarre situations over the years. He would lose blood only for it to be replaced in a matter of seconds, and then Kratzer would lead to the cycle being repeated over and over again. It was uncomfortable as all hell and painful, too, but Skull remained where he was. He closed his eyes and tried to think of Jess and Percy. Just a little bit more, and he'd be out of here. Just a little bit more, and he'd get back to the right world. Just a little bit more, and he'd finally track them down.
After what probably seemed like an eternity to Skull but was, in truth, only a few minutes, Kratzer released him and stepped back, licking the remaining blood off his chin and his lips.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
He leaned against the wall farthest from Skull as he answered. "You know, Yorrick, for someone who claims to be as experienced as you, you sure are terrible at telling when someone's bullshitting you to get what they want."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
His eyes widened in horror and anger, and it took all of his conscious thought not to suddenly lunge at Kratzer. He should have seen it coming. He should have known that Kratzer only had his eye on his blood and not on an escape, and should have realized that the vampire wasn't to be trusted. What had he been thinking? This was a prison, and this one specifically was the sort of place only the most horrible of people ended up in.
He balled his hands into fists, took a deep breath, and hide his anger behind an eerie smile as he let his hands unfurl. "I should have expected that," he said. "Nice one, Engel. I'll remember that when I finally get out of this cell and pay back the favor."
"If you get out of this cell," he corrected. "Even if you do, feel free. You can't kill me anyways and it's probably well deserved."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Carter couldn't help but smile as he watched the inevitable betrayal of Kratzer to Skull. It was amusing, that Skull, in his naivety had believed Kratzer could break them out.
Anyone attentive would've been able to call the bluff of a desperate man.
"If Kratzer can't get us out of here," Carter began, "Then maybe you can. If you can heal as fast as you say, then couldn't you just break your bones and fit through a gap in the bars? Don't get me wrong. I'm sure it'll hurt like hell, but is it not a possibility?"
"I will get out," he replied almost with a snarl, then turned his attention back to Carter. "You don't think I've tried that before? It's why they've taken all of the sharp things out of my cell. It's hard to get limbs to break without some sort of stimulus."
He glanced down at his arm, and then at the front of his cell.
"But, you know what?" he said, anger still seething within him. "I think I've finally gotten just the right one." All he had to do was think about what Kratzer had just done, and he felt angry enough to add more force than was the minimum.
