Bodies.

Human bodies.

Some still bearing flesh on their skeletons.

Others picked clean by maggots.

Surrounding me on all sides.

At least twenty, perhaps more.

Silences closes in around me.

Except for the distant shouts of those above.

I've seen a lot of things in my time.

But this is too much.

Too much death.

Too much horror.

And too much evil.

I need to get out of here.

But I also need to stay.

Breathing through my lifted shirt, I move into the chamber.

Amongst the mangled limbs.

Amongst the broken bones.

Nobody here died peacefully in this place.

These people were not murdered.

They were savaged.

And curiously, none of them left a even single drop of blood behind.

Moving further into the chamber, one of the bodies catches the attention of my watering eyes.

The body bears a filthy set of Imperial steel amour.

This was one of the Empire's soldiers.

Kneeling down before the body, I tilt the remains of its face to mine.

My head hangs low.

It is Solea Nuccusius.

I release the head.

It swivels limply back into its original position.

That's when I see Solea's neck.

And that's when I see the marks.

And that's when I know that we have made a horrible, horrible mistake.

Springing upright, I run to the exit.

Footfalls can be heard on the ladder above, as well as my companions' worried cries.

The light spell fades.

The chamber succumbs to the darkness.

A disturbance in the pinprick of light above lets me know that Sellus and Ellory are well on their way down.

"Get back up there, Gravius!" I yell. "And do not let Ellory take another step down here!"

I leap onto the ladder and begin my swift ascent.

Relief hits me the moment I begin to leave the chamber behind.

Soon, Sellus Gravius blocks my way. "Hurry up, Sellus, you fool! We need to get topside. Now."

"What's going on?" he asks, quickening his pace.

"It's a vampire, Sellus," I explain. "It's a gods damned vampire."

"Okay, it's a vampire. What's the rush?"

"Vampire aren't alive," I continue. "Detect Life potions don't work on them. We must return to Seyda Neen post-haste!"

Eventually, we surface from the tunnel and out into the chamber.

Ellory's eyes are filled with concern, but I haven't time to think about that right now.

"Let's go."

We dash back through the dark passageway, through the first chamber and then back up the entrance tunnel. Slashing my sword through the rope, we jump on the skiff and Sellus and I begin to row.

So hurried are our efforts and so focused our thoughts that, when we notice the ship silently moving toward us in the darkness, I yelp in surprise.

Sellus and I dig our oars into the water to put the brakes on, just averting collision.

The darkened ship crosses our path soundlessly, moving quickly out into the moonlit ocean.

"Friends of your's?" Sellus asks.

"I don..." I begin to answer, but the sound of a distant scream cuts me off.

All heads jerk toward the sound, and then, before our eyes, an enormous streak of white light shoots out from Seyda Neen and into the sky.

"Signal flare," Ellory says.

"Without question," I confirm. "Push on!"

Our relentless assault of the water beside the boat begins again.

Under the white light from two subsequent flares, we race across the bay.

Finally, we hit land.

The boat lodges against the soil of the shore near the footbridge and all three of us shoot out toward the square.

The village is crawling with soldiers, all heading in different directions. Their arbitrary movements make my stomach sink.

"Albecius!" I call out. I catch one of Sellus' men by the arm as he runs past. "Where is the battlemage?"

He points down toward the lighthouse.

Sellus, Ellory and I sprint off in its direction.

The shape of Albecius Colollius grows increasingly distinct as we near the lighthouse. The battlemage merely stands beside the tower, bathed in yellow light, staring out into the open ocean.

"What's going on here?" I demand of the solider, more than a little annoyed that he's not doing more than just loitering around. Sellus and I desperately gulp in air, trying to catch our breaths.

"Socucius Ergalla was taken," the solider says absently, his eyes still fixed on the moonlit sea. "Not sure when. Not sure how. Didn't see it coming. Only found out when we heard his pleas for help in the distance."

My teeth clench, the battlemage's dreamy words and lack of action almost make me want to deck the guy where he stands. "And didn't you chase after him?"

"I sent a team out in the direction of his screams," the man replies. "But I doubt they will find him."

Gravius and I exchange a nervous glance.

"Why is that, Albecius?" Sellus demands.

He extends an index finger in the direction of the ocean. "Look."

In the distance, sitting between the line of sea and sky, is a ship. It's distinctive silhouette is unmistakable; it is the same ship that passed us on our way across the bay.

"Nallea saw that ship pass out of the waters near Seyda Neen only minutes ago," the battlemage explains. "You wanted to know where this man is coming from? I'd say that's it."

I shake my head. "We found his hideout, Albecius."

His looks at me, surprised.

"His lair is out there in Sarys. Not on that ship. He is a vampire," I say. "That's why our Detect Life potions never worked."

Albecius is about to respond but Ellory cuts in. "Are you sure about that, Ithaca?"

I do not hesitate to answer. "The evidence was clear."

"Is it?" she continues. "Why would a vampire want to steal parts from someone's body?"

For a moment, I find myself lost for words.

"And it isn't out of the question that this man possesses a ship," Sellus weighs-in, wiping several beads of sweat from his brow. "As we know, Sarys is not a mere swim away. It is almost certain that he knows his position has been made. He knows he will not be able to return to that place again."

I process my companions' words; they both make good points. I cast my eyes back out to the sea. There, the boat still sits silently, well out of our reach.

"Then the solution is obvious," I announce finally. "We're going to need a ship."

I turn on my heels to head back to the village.

When I do, to my surprise, I find that were are being watched.

What looks to be like every citizen in Seyda Neen has assembled themselves up in the town. They stare down upon us wordlessly, lanterns in their hands and anger in their eyes.

One of them steps forward from the lines. It is the Altmer, Arille. His golden skin shines brightly in the light from the Grand Pharos above.

"Knight Errant Caecilia." He practically spits my name.

I approach cautiously and tip my head. "Arille. What's going on here?"

"We are here to ask you the same thing," he says in his crisp, intelligent accent. "We have a right to know what is going on in our town and we have come to exercise it."

"Okay," I respond carefully, elongating the word. "But this is not the time or place. Come to my office tomorrow, and I will give you the answers you seek."

The man's mouth contorts into a rather unattractive smile, and commotion breaks out across the crowd. "No, Miss Caecilia," he says. "We want to know what is happening — right now."

The chatter quiets, and the crowd waits to see how I will respond to Arille's words.

"I do not take too kindly to ultimatums, Arille. I am doing everything in my power to protect this town. I understand that you are scared. I understand that you are angry. But information about our plans and defences cannot be disseminated so freely. You must have faith that everything that can be done is being done, and that this threat will soon be eliminated."

He scoffs, and the murmuring returns. "Have faith? In you, Caecilia? You have been investigating these attacks for weeks, and the frequency of them has only increased. What have you done that inspires the faith you believe we should place in you?" The group's spokesperson begins to pace. "How many more of us will need to suffer at the hands of this madman before something is done? How many of us will have to be taken before we get justice?"

He stops his wanderings across the dark soil and looks me in the eyes. "Adraria Vandacia was right. You are useless, Caecilia. Socucius' abduction tonight, as well your bringing of this buffoon, Gravius, back here, proves that you are truly incapable of delivering us from this evil."

Sellus visibly flinches at the man's words.

"You have let this go on far too long," Arille continues, "and we have all suffered tremendously as a result. Well, we refuse to spend another sleepless night in our beds, whispering words of calm to our children that we we ourselves do not believe. Something has to be done."

I take a step forward. While I sympathise with the villagers' plight, I have had enough of this. "And so what are you going to do, Arille? We've conducted an investigation. We've set traps. We've canvassed the area. And tonight we believe that we've found the enemy's hideout. What exactly is there that you can do that we are not?"

The tradehouse owner's eyes narrow. "That will be the first thing I ask your replacement when he arrives."

His words hit me like an axe to the skull. "My what?"

"Your replacement," the guy repeats. "Tonight, a group led by myself will leave this place via a Silt Strider bound for Ebonheart. There, we intend to petition Varus Vantinius for your immediate removal as commander of the Legion's Seyda Neen garrison, and the institution of someone more equipped to deal with the cursed menace which haunts our town."

Sellus moves forward now, coming to a stop beside me. I feel Ellory arrive at my side shortly after, doing the same.

"See reason, Arille," Sellus warns. "Even if by some miracle Vantinius grants you an audience and removes Knight Errant Caecilia from office, you would be doing yourself a disservice. As a former Knight Protector and someone more than familiar with Legion procedures, I can tell you that there is no-one among our ranks that would have carried out this investigation any differently, or, for that matter, any better. That investigation has brought us close to apprehending the person responsible for these attacks. Having Miss Caecilia relieved from her duties now will put you all back to square-one."

Wow. Didn't expect a speech like that from Gravius. Neither did Arille, apparently, for his resolve has visibly wavered. His hard face has fallen slightly, and he appears far less assured. It does not take the man long, however, to gather himself.

"Thank you for your input, Mr Gravius," Arille says acerbically. "But the decision has been made."

The man turns to the crowd, holding his lantern high. "The Silt Strider departs in one hour. Anyone who wishes to accompany us to Ebonheart should meet us on the platform then. Come."

Arms spread wide, Arille shepherds the crowd away, and soon the streets of Seyda Neen are empty once more.

The moonlight wanes as the red and white orbs above disappear beneath a thick cloud.

Ellory's hand finds mine in the darkness, giving it a supportive squeeze.

"Thanks for that, Sellus," I say, genuinely grateful for him coming to my defence.

"No worries at all," the Imperial responds with a small smile. "What are you going to do now?"

I watch the light from the tradehouse disappear behind the closing wooden door. "The courier that sent the requisition to Vantinius' office confirmed that he took receipt of it. And yet, we are still waiting to receive the requested potions, as well as the requested men."

I shake my head. "The Legion doesn't care about Seyda Neen. And they're not going to divert resources from their precious land-grab up in Red Mountain, which, let's face it, is the only reason those bastards are there. Arille and his men haven't the slightest chance in Oblivion of getting someone else posted here. I am unconcerned."

Turning back to face the ocean, I bring a worried-looking Ellory to me, placing the woman inside the crook of my arm. "The only thing I am concerned about right now," I say, looking out over the woman and toward the black spot on the horizon, "is that thing out there."

"Attagirl," Sellus says, patting my back. "What's your plan?"

"Well, we could requisition an Imperial patrol ship from the naval offices in Ebonheart," I say. "Or, we could do something useful with our time. To that end..." I turn to face the former commander of Seyda Neen. "Do any of your buddies happen to own a ship?"

Sellus' eyes twinkle mischievously.

"They just might."


A/N: Sorry this one took so long. Needed to regroup for a while to see how well I'm following my outline. It's important that I stick to the script on this one, because I'm writing toward one hell of an ending. I also want to make sure I tie up all the loose ends. Thanks a billion for leaving a review, person who I only know as 'Guest'. Updates should continue to be prompt — if you don't see a new chapter one day, expect one the next :-)