For several weeks I lived in that tavern. The inn keeper didn't mind. Everyone who had been in the inn became a slave, a vampire or a member of my thrall. Shalel taught me. She taught me everything she had learned in her two thousand year life. She taught me to control the elements, to mold them to my every whim. She taught me how to summon the very armies of the dead, to create walls of corpses. She taught me how to steal spells from people, and to siphon their magicka into potions. Nalcarya was a master alchemist and had taught me a lot, but Shalel taught me even more. Shalel taught me to craft poisons, to make solutions to burn people, potions that would summon creatures when thrown at the ground, even to bottle sunlight, a lethal weapon against any vampire. But the best spells were the metamorphoses. Shalel taught me how to morph into animals. Into bears, into bats, into wolfs, into cliff racers, and many more. Stealth was very important, and she even taught me how to turn myself into a mist. I practiced on the residents of Pelagiad, mainly the ones in the inn.
By the end of my training, I had learned dozens of new spells, gained three new vampires, four slaves and three new members of my thrall. All of them returned with me, except for Shalel, one vampire, one thrall and one slave. Shalel vowed to join my cause, and my vampire, slave and thrall stayed to keep an eye on the town. They were ordered to lay low, and make sure no one found out. We didn't want the town living in fear.
Yet.
We returned to Rethan Manor, without too much trouble. The manor was getting too crowded, so I took several of my vampires, thrall and slaves to the Balmora Mages Guild. People saw my wagon, but they assumed I was a noble and did not cross us.
Just before we returned to the Manor, I grabbed the helmet of the Dark Brotherhood assassin and told Milie my plan. Together we entered the shop of Meldor the Armorer.
Milie strode purposefully over to the guard, yanked off his helmet and before he could react, sank her teeth into his neck. Meldor gasped, stepped back and grabbed a sword with shaking hands, but I was too quick. I shot a mind control spell at him, and he immediately relaxed. I dropped the helmet onto the table.
"Can you duplicate this?" I demanded. He looked at it with glazed eyes.
"I can try. It won't be easy."
"Do it."
As I walked out of the shop, I was spotted by an old friend. Well, not really a friend, but we had known each other for several years.
"Ah! Swims-in-Shadows! I haven't seen you in months! How are you?" he called, making a beeline for me. I swore under my breath. He didn't know I was a vampire. I tried to pretend I didn't see him, and made for my wagon, but he stopped me.
"Swims-in-Shadows, is this your mistress?" he asked, gesturing to Milie. "She looks like a good lass- her eyes? Oh god, Shadows, she's a vampire!"
I acted on impulse. A swift backhand slap across the face knocked him to the ground.
"Shadows!" he gasped, through a mouthful of blood, "How could- you're one too! By the Nine, you're a vampire!" he stumbled to his feet and ran away, across the plaza. I nodded to Milie, who drew her bow and readied an arrow. With another nod from me, she let the arrow fly, striking the man in the thigh, crippling him. The next arrow struck him in the head, killing him.
"Leave his body for the dogs, and let's go. This sunlight isn't exactly doing wonders for my skin."