A/N: Beforehand, I apologize for this crappy chapter. I've been seriously bogged down with homework and I've had no time to write except during the weekend.
AIDragi: Their relationship is now sort of strained. I did also think it was developing too fast, and this came out of it. Also, the exploding cauldron will be explained later... I hope.
Plzplzplz review! You don't even have to make it a review, just gimme ideas to work with. I am running dry in my ideas well, so I need help! Anything will help greatly!
Disclaimer: blah blah blah do not own blah blah oblivion blah blah blah Bethesda softworks.
Enjoy!
P.S. Ven is based on the werewolf from the game Daggerfall. Hopefully it matches with the actual thing, as I have never played the game before.
Reaching into my hair, I located my ring and ripped it loose of the circle of hair I'd bound it with to keep it in place. Quickly, I slid it over my finger, chanted the incantation, and shifted.
My body grew and very nearly ripped my clothes to shreds. Fur sprouted all over, and my head grew longer, more feral looking. My hands grew long, black claws and my jaw extended and grew huge long teeth. My tail burst out of the top of my pants and my ears became triangular.
Moving with inhuman speed, I sprinted over and caught Claire. Looking down, I saw her looking up at me, horror etched across her face.
I set her down gently, then I burst into action. I jumped and bounced off the wall in the direction of the last assassins.
I jumped behind the one attacking Glenroy. Before he could turn, I stabbed my arm through his chest. I wrenched it loose and was on the move even before he began to fall.
The last one, I pounced upon, driving her to the floor. I bent down, and ripped her throat out. Mouth dripping with blood, I recited the incantation while twisting the ring.
I shrank and reverted to my human form to see Glenroy's sword moving at a high speed towards my neck. Without thinking, I reacted. I drew Renault's katana and with one twist, disarmed Glenroy. His sword slid out of reach.
Realizing what I'd done, I dropped Renault's katana, kicked it away, and backed away, hands held up. "I'm not your enemy," I rasped. "They are." I pointed at the red-robed bodies.
"How do we know you're not lying? You could be working with them!" Baurus accused, his sword out and ready."
"Really," I said coldly. "Then explain that, that, and this." I pointed to the assassin I'd killed with my daggers, then to the two I'd just killed.
Baurus' eyes widened as he saw the assassin that had come so close to taking the Emperor's life.
"He must help us."
Everyone turned to the Emperor, startled. He was moving towards Claire.
"I do not know about this young man. He is of uncertain heritage, and his unusual, well, ability may not make him trustworthy." He turned to Claire. "But if this young woman trusts him, then we can trust him with our lives."
Claire spoke up. "He saved my life. Don't attack him. But," she said, her voice lowering, "I'm not sure if I trust him anymore."
A cage of ice slammed down around my heart, but not before a barb of pain slipped in. She was just like the rest. Hating me for what I am.
A werewolf.
The Emperor motioned for Baurus to sheath his blade, and he did so. Glenroy retrieved his and sheathed it, shooting a dark look at me.
The Emperor started talking to Claire, as she was the one of the prophecy or something. I didn't care anymore.
Baurus shoved a torch into my hands, and we continued on.
"The door is locked from the other side! A trap!" Glenroy yelled. He yanked out his sword. Baurus did the same and suggested, "Maybe that side passage over there!"
They charged over there with the Emperor and Claire in tow. I lagged behind, making sure there weren't any killers behind us. Man, I was getting paranoid.
"Damn, it's a dead end!" Suddenly, footsteps could be heard outside.
"More assassins!" As Glenroy ran out, Baurus said to Claire, "Guard the Emperor with your life!" They ran out. I followed them, leaving Claire to guard the Emperor. After all, they were in a dead end, and no one would get past me.
That was a big mistake.
I ran out and was retrieving my dagger from an assassin's corpse when I heard a scream. Reacting fast, I sprinted back to the room where I stopped in horror.
I saw two bodies slumped against the wall. One wore exquisite robes and had his throat slashed. The Emperor. The second wore red robes, with a broken neck. The assassin. So where was Claire?
Suddenly, harsh, labored breathing came from behind me. I turned to see Claire leaning against the doorway that I had just come in from.
"Claire!" I said in relief, despite her mistrust in me.
"V-Ven," she rasped, and collapsed. A dagger stuck out of her side up to the hilt, with a deep slice trailing after it.
"Shit!" I gasped, crouching down and examining the wound. The dagger had gone in under her ribs, and would be fatal in a couple of minutes.
Okay, I had two choices. I could take my chances with my repertoire of healing spells. Or I could invoke one of my Greater Powers, which could take too long.
Or I could do both.
I quickly calculated how much magicka it would take to cast my Greater Power, and what was left. Soon, I cast a minor healing spell on Claire, then quickly invoked my Greater Power. In a flash of red light, we vanished.
We collapsed in the middle of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. Ocheeva sat at a nearby table, mouth open.
I snarled, "Ocheeva, get me Vicente, now!"
With a quick nod of understanding, she dropped her book and dashed off.
I could feel an emptiness inside me. I'd used nearly every single drop of magicka I'd had to use both spells.
Vicente ran up, his vampiric abilities speeding him up.
"What, stray dog?" he asked snidely, although there wasn't much insult in it. He was wise enough to understand.
"Look at this wound," I said, pointing at Claire's side. "This is something I can't heal, since I'm not a healer. Do you know anyone that could heal this?"
"No, but I have picked up some magic on my travels. I will do what I can." He crouched next to her and swooped her up. He swiftly carried her to his bed, basically a stone slab, and set her down gently."
We worked through the night, with me chugging potions like an skooma addict, and Vicente resting, occasionally summoning one of the Killers to give him a small drink.
At three in the morning, we sat back, completely and utterly drained.
"There's just too much damage," Vicente gasped. "But she will hold for maybe three and a half days.
I breathed hard. "Shit."
Vicente looked at me. "Only a team of master healers can save her now, but they couldn't get here before she died." His voice lowered. "There's only one choice now. One of us must infect her."
I gasped, this time in shock instead of exhaustion. "We can't! I mean…,"
Vicente said harshly, "If she is to live, then we must. But she should choose for herself."
I nodded slowly. "Of course."
Using the very last bits of magicka in reserve, I used a weak wakening spell on her.
I watched anxiously, waiting to see if the spell would take.
It did. Claire's eyes fluttered, and she groaned. Vicente and I leaned over her, waiting for her to completely come to.
"Wha…," she groaned, then immediately whimpered in pain. She tried to move, but Vicente restrained her with his body.
"Don't move," he said sternly, "Don't make your wound worse."
I spoke, "Claire, do you want to live?"
Confusion colored her voice. "Of course I do, but…,"
I cut her off. "How badly do you want to live? This is life or death, Claire. Do you want to see your family again?"
Vicente spoke up. "Young lady, it is one or the other. A two choice question."
Claire's eyes unfocused, as if she was remembering something. Vicente and I waited tensely for her decision.
"Yes," she said finally, "I really want to live. I want to see my family again." A tear slipped down her cheek. "Although, even if I live, I may never see them again."
"Okay, then," I said, "next question. Do you want to be a werewolf or a vampire?"
"What!" she practically yelled, then gritted her teeth in pain.
"Claire," I said coldly, "this is the cold, harsh truth. You are dying. That assassin wounded you beyond magickal healing. You will die in three days. Only either disease will save you, ironic as it sounds. You have two hours to choose. Porphyric Hemophilia, or Lycanthropy."
Claire blanched. "You mean, I'm dying?"
Vicente nodded. She seemed to notice him for the first time, despite him restraining her.
"Vicente?" she asked, then gasped and shut her mouth. I looked curiously over at Vicente.
"Do you know her?" I asked.
Vicente frowned. "That's the thing. Never in my three centuries have I ever seen or met someone who looks like her."
I swiveled to look at Claire, whose mouth was firmly shut. "Then how does she know your name?"
A clunk secured my attention. I turned around to see Ocheeva picking up the red amulet we had found on Claire's hand.
"It does not stay on," she said. "This is a very strange talisman indeed."
At which point Claire came to life and said, "Give me the amulet. It's really important."
Ocheeva shrugged and tossed it to Vicente, who caught it, moved off of Claire's hands, and pressed it into her hand.
"What is it, exactly?" I asked. "We found it in your hand."
"Well, uh," she began, then shrugged. "It's the Amulet of Kings."
Vicente and I gasped. "What! Like, THE Amulet of Kings?" Vicente choked out.
"Well," I said, thinking, "we were traveling with the Emperor himself. It's plausible."
Vicente whirled on me. "You were traveling with the Emperor? Last I saw you, you were in that damned Imperial prison."
My eyes widened. "Wait, you were there? And you didn't help me? Why?"
Vicente shrugged. "Racial prejudice."
I facepalmed. "Don't make me hurt you," I growled.
Vicente grinned. "What, think you can best me?"
"I know I can," I said confidently. "I can smell the blood on you, you've fed recently. Also, I'm older, wiser, and have seen battle more recently than you have. I've killed too."
Vicente's eyes widened. "You killed someone? In the Imperial prison?"
I rolled my eyes. "No, while I was feeling up a sexy Wood Elf. Of course I was in the prison. Sheesh. You'd think a vampire would be smarter," I said to Claire. Her mouth turned slightly upwards.
"Have you made your decision yet?" Ocheeva asked. She shifted from side to side and sniffed.
"Uh, can you tell me just which choice is what?" Claire asked hesitantly.
"You can be a vampire or a werewolf. Simple as that," Vicente said. I whacked the back of his head with my werewolf strength. He hit the ground so fast, he was a blur. I laughed.
"Not that. Here, I'll explain. Vicente here is an Cyrodiil vampire. Cyrodiil vampires are odd because drinking blood hides and seals their powers, not the other way around. If he doesn't drink blood for twenty-four hours, his skin blisters in the sun, but his speed and power greatly increases. Over the next 72 hours, his sun damage increases, but he gains his vampire powers over the time period." I looked down at Vicente. "Did I get everything?"
"Pretty much," he said, and pulled himself out of the ground. He groaned when he saw the dent in the floor. "Damn it, Ven, you dented my floor."
"Quit whining. Now, for me. I am a Vvardenfell werewolf. Different from a Morrowind werewolf. Morrowind werewolves shift every night and have to kill every night. If they don't kill, then they are severely weakened. Thank the gods I'm not one. Vvardenfell werewolves can choose to transform once a day, but don't have to. But you are forced transform at the full moon. Also, you must kill an innocent person every fifteen days. This is an important distinction. Townspeople and guards are considered innocent, while bandits and creatures do not. Overall, Vvardenfell werewolves are faster, stronger, and have to feed less often. In short, we are superior."
"Did you use that ring to transform?" Claire asked. She pointed, and I stared at it.
"Yes I did, but don't expect to use it. It took me the better part of a decade to get it. This is Hircine's Ring," I explained. "With it, I can transform whenever I want, choose not to transform at the full moon, and not have to kill anyone. Though I do, since I'm in the Dark Brotherhood. This is one of the only places where people like Vicente and me are accepted, and even valued for our... differences, shall we say."
Claire opened her mouth to say something, but started coughing deep, racking coughs.
"Dammit!" I said. "Her condition is worsening. Claire, you need to make a decision, now, or else even the disease won't save you."
Claire gasped, "V-vampire...," then her head lolled and she fell unconscious.
