Author's note:
This update follows the quest "Hitting the Books". I'm not very good at this kind of chapters, as they force me to follow the gameplay and describe fights; moreover, I had some difficulties in matching Agda's personality with the need to toughen her up for the upcoming adventures. As a consequence, any feedback / writing advice is particularly welcome.
A huge thank you goes to all my readers/followers/favoriters and reviewers. A special mention goes to Contrary to Popular Belief 3 and LadyBugLissa11 for their kind opinions on my story, to tyrannsaurustex for their lovely compliments, and to the faithful Elspeth for their support. I'm glad you're excited about the ties to the thieves guild and "Dragonborn"!
This very long chapter has warnings for gore and language and torture and may contain some confusing parts that will be explained during the next instalment. Nonetheless, enjoy!
30th of Last Seed, 4E 202
Grimacing, Agda looked at the crumbling keep in front of her eyes. Not only was she sleepy because of her nightmares - she also felt on the brink of throwing up. At breakfast the young mage had been too hungry to resist Malleus Maccius' freshly baked sweetrolls, therefore she had eaten a lot of them. Sadly enough, she was already regretting that choice.
"We should go back", Agda whispered to Adaeze. "I feel sick".
The Redguard rolled her eyes.
"Agda of Anvil, if you want to throw up, do it here. I told you not to eat so many sweetrolls, yet you..."
"This is not about the sweetrolls - not only, at least. I also feel sleepy and tired, therefore I'm not in the mood to take on a fort full of enemies".
Adaeze rolled her eyes. It was the hundredth time Agda told her that she wasn't ready to venture in Fellglow Keep; as predictable, that whiney attitude was really irritating her.
"Make your choice, Agda of Anvil: if we go back to Whiterun, I'll leave for Winterhold immediately", the Redguard snapped. "Either that, or you'll put up with your stomachache and face those mages with me. Take your decision carefully and remember that you're the one who needs help, not me".
Sighing, Agda tried to tell herself that her stomachache was just a figment of her own imagination. Although that explanation didn't reassure her, the mage eventually decided to venture in Fellglow Keep together with Adaeze. The Redguard was very happy about that choice: unlike Agda, she was thrilled by the upcoming adventure.
Smiling as though she'd just received a wonderful present, Adaeze took an arrow from her quiver and readied her weapons. Agda looked at her in awe: with her tanned skin, her ebony bow and her black hair neatly braided in a plait, the Redguard reminded her of the legendary warriors of old.
When Adaeze was done preparing her bow, she snuck up to a huge rock not far from Fellglow Keep. After the death of her parents, the woman had been raised by a Bosmeri thief; as a consequence, when fighting she mainly relied on a combination of stealth, light armor and archery.
When Agda reached the place where Adaeze was hiding, the Redguard cast a careful glance towards Fellglow Keep. The fort looked empty except for a sentry on the highest tower.
"How many enemies are there in the courtyard?", Adaeze asked Agda.
The mage cast a spell to detect life, then raised her hand and showed Adaeze three fingers. The former thief nodded, then readied her bow.
"Shouldn't we try to get those books in a peaceful way?", Agda nervously whispered. "We could tell those people why we're here and ask Orthorn to return the things he stole from the College".
"Of course we could opt for the peaceful way", Adaeze huffed in exasperation. "Thanks to it, our friends inside the keep will find out what we want and will kill us on sight. Agda, in case you haven't realized it, we're in Skyrim - and in this damned land of yours everything is set on murdering us. Believe me: violence is the only way to get those books back. Apropos, you said that there were three enemies in the courtyard, right?"
Slightly irritated by the sarcasm in her friend's voice, Agda nodded. Grinning, Adaeze narrowed her eyes and took aim with her bow.
"Make that two", she said as she released an arrow. That lethal piece of steel flew right into the heart of the sentry, causing him to fall dead in less than a second.
Agda was shocked by Adaeze's aim, just like she was shocked by the coldness with which her friend had just murdered a man.
"This really makes me uncomfortable", she admitted before the Redguard could abandon their hiding and start walking towards the keep. "Our opponents are people, Adaeze - people with parents, lovers, wishes and..."
"Agda, right now those mages only have one wish - kill us", the Redguard replied. "Also, our enemies aren't common people - they're much more evil and way much dumber. If you don't believe me, just look at that".
In reply to Adaeze's invitation, Agda observed two very alarmed mages reach the sentry who laid dead in the middle of the courtyard. The wizards looked upset by their colleague's death, but after a quick confrontation they shrugged their shoulders and resumed their daily tasks. They had probably decided that their friend had been killed by a random arrow which had just fallen from the sky - and if their behavior meant anything, they were completely fine with that explanation.
"Are those guys crazy?", Agda asked in disbelief. "Their sentry has just been murdered, yet they didn't realize that they're in danger. How is that even possible?"
Adaeze chuckled.
"As I already told you, these guys are much dumber than common people. Luckily for us, that means that they're also easier to kill".
Noticing the outraged look on Agda's face, Adaeze poked her in the ribs.
"Come on, you skeleton slayer: let's have some fun".
And with those words, a very enthusiastic Adaeze made her way towards Fellglow Keep. Behind her, a very reluctant Agda could do nothing but pray for her adventure to be over before long.
While Adaeze was busy slaying the last two sentries of the keep, Agda simply watched her from afar. Only when the courtyard was clear did the young mage reach her friend and take a closer look at the fort.
As Agda walked towards the main door of the building, she came across the body of the dead sentry. The sight of his lifeless and glassy eyes almost made the young healer feel sicker than she actually was; at the same time, it made her question Adaeze's decision to fight their way through the keep rather than striking a deal with their opponents.
Unlike Agda, the former thief was perfectly fine with her blood-spilling strategy. Humming a playful tune, Adaeze soon started relieving the dead sentries from their gold and their jewels.
"When I was child, I was taught not to miss any opportunity to increase my wealth", she recalled while examining the precious emerald necklace sported by one of her victims.
When Agda didn't say anything, Adaeze realized that her friend was still looking at the corpse of the sentry. The mage was slightly greenish and seemed particularly shaken.
"I can't do this, Adaeze", Agda weakly murmured when the Redguard approached her and asked her what was wrong. "I'm fine with slaying draugrs, but killing people really makes me unease. I should have never accepted this job: I'm not ready to become a murderer and I'm feeling sicker and sicker by the minute. Can't we just go back to Whiterun and forget about those damned books?"
Those words caused Adaeze to run out of her already thin patience. Ever since Agda had got up that morning, she had never stopped complaining about her task, so that the Redguard was now fed up with her whining.
"Agda, I've had enough of your rants", Adaeze eventually burst out. "You were the one who accepted this job, therefore you're not going back until you find Orthorn and the books he stole from the College. Do I make myself clear?"
"Adaeze, I'm a healer, not a..."
"I don't care what you are!", the former thief snapped. "Just stop whining like a baby and start behaving like a proper Nord!"
Before Agda could reply, a loud roar suddenly filled the air. Adaeze immediately grabbed her friend by the elbow, then hastily led her to a shadowy corner of the courtyard. Before Agda could voice her surprise at that rough treatment, a huge dragon started flying in circles over the keep. At that point, Adaeze couldn't stifle a grin: with that beast roaming the sky, it was impossible for Agda to go back to Whiterun and avoid her task. Deprived of her planned escape route, the healer could do nothing but sigh in defeat.
"Looks like the Divines don't want me to survive this day", she murmured with a very depressed tone. "Fine. Let's get inside the damned keep. Don't expect me to murder someone, though".
Adaeze's grin got even wider. She'd finally got Agda to renounce her escape plan - and she was sure that, soon enough, she would also get that whiney healer to kill one of their enemies.
The inner rooms of Fellglow Keep were much cozier than the messy courtyard, Agda immediately noticed. Also, they provided shelter from the dragon that was still flying over the fort. The healer could hear its angry roars, a fact that deeply unnerved her. Unlike Agda, the inhabitants of the keep didn't show any sign of worry - given their proximity to Shearpoint, they were used to the frequent visits from their winged and scaly neighbour.
As soon as Agda set foot in the first room of the fort, she immediately forgot about the dragon; she and Adaeze were namely attacked by four astonished mages who immediately began casting spells towards them.
Despite the unexpected appearance of those enemies, Adaeze was quick to unsheath her ebony daggers and slay the first man who had attacked her. Agda, on the other hand, defended herself by summoning a magical ward. The healer was planning to mantain that barrier until her friend dispatched all their enemies: despite that dangerous situation, she wasn't going to kill anyone.
It didn't take long before Adaeze noticed that Agda' strategy was mainly based on self-defense. After killing her second opponent, the Redguard eventually understood that her friend was trying to avoid hurting her two attackers. That realization caused her to mutter a long string of insults towards the healer: with her pacifist ways, Agda was about to get herself killed.
Also the last two-standing enemies noticed that the young Nord wasn't going to attack them. After exchanging a glance, one of them attacked Adaeze with an impressive amount of spells, whereas the other used his dagger to cut his way through Agda's ward. When the man slightly scratched the cheek of her friend, Adaeze lost it: she killed her opponent by dual-wielding her daggers, then she defended Agda with a mixture of strength and grace and speed. When the last enemy fell dead to the floor, the Redguard grabbed her friend by the collar and angrily pinned her to the wall. Although she'd never admit it, she had been scared to death by Agda' suicidal strategy.
"Do you have a death wish or what, Agda of Anvil?", the Redguard hissed in a mixture of panick and anger and disbelief. "Those men wanted to kill you, not invite you to drink a cup of hot cocoa! Hadn't I been here, they would have murdered you without thinking twice! You need to defend yourself, for Talos' sake!"
Agda simply lowered her gaze. The cut on her cheek was slightly bleeding, whereas her complexion was as pale as a ghost's.
"I'm not feeling fine".
"I don't give a fuck if you're not feeling fine!", Adaeze yelled. "Even if you want to become a healer, you need to toughen up and...".
When Agda escaped her grip, Adaeze thought she was about to run back to Whiterun on her own; much to her surprise, the mage hastily reached the corner of the room, grabbed an empty barrel and threw up in it. As her friend started coughing, the Redguard cringed: Agda wasn't making up excuses - she was actually sick because of the sweetrolls she'd eaten.
Shocked by that realization, a part of Adaeze felt the urge to hug the Nord and apologize for her reproach; nonetheless, another part of her wanted to give the girl another rant and finally shake her out of her whiney attitude. Since she was at it, the latter part of Adaeze's mind also wanted to remind Agda that her passion for sweets was rather unhealthy.
Luckily enough, a quick look at the mage set everything into the right perspective: when Adaeze realized that Agda was shivering and that her eyes were full of tears, she namely couldn't help but walk towards her and hug her. The Redguard now felt sorry for her behavior and sincerely apologized to Agda.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you", she admitted without breaking that hug. "I thought you were just making up excuses".
"I often throw up when I'm nervous", Agda murmured. "Can we go back to Whiterun now?"
Confronted with the girl's puppy eyes, Adaeze sighed.
"I'm afraid that we can't, Agda. Right now there's an angry dragon flying over the keep, therefore it is unsafe to leave the building".
Moved by the healer's depressed expression, Adaeze laid a hand on her shoulder. Agda was pale and looked about to throw up again.
"Since we can't leave, we'll follow a special strategy", the Redguard announced. The uneasiness in Agda's eyes made her understand that nope, there was no way that young healer could get out of the keep on her own. "I'll do the hard work and dispatch all our enemies, whereas you'll follow me and relax until you feel better. Is that okay with you?"
When Agda nodded, Adaeze sighed in relief. Her friend was a sweet and wimpy girl who clearly didn't belong in that old keep; as a consequence, she felt bound to get her out of that place alive.
For the following hour everything perfectly followed Adaeze's plan. After drinking a couple of potions, Agda felt slightly better and aided her friend by casting life detecting spells and defending her with magical wards. The girl never got involved in any direct fight, a fact that reassured both her and Adaeze. The Redguard namely felt much better knowing that she didn't have to look out for Agda.
Things abruptly changed when the two girls reached a huge room in the middle of the keep. After dispatching the enemies who dwelled inside that chamber, Adaeze gestured for Agda to walk up to her. As she entered the room, the young Nord immediately noticed the scent of blood filing the air; a second later, she realized that the chamber hosted four prison cells. Each cell was inhabited by a very ragged and battered woman with a very grim appearance. When Agda readied a healing spell and approached the captives, she discovered that all the prisoners were vampires.
Agda had never liked vampires, and she liked them even less after one of them had almost caused her and Steinarius to die. As a consequence, when Adaeze asked her what to do, the Nord entertained the idea of having the prisoners killed. Before the young healer could yield to that temptation, however, a corpse hidden in one of the cells caused her to change her mind. It was a vampire's body, Agda understood when she noticed the sharp fangs of the dead woman. The healer knew that vampires usually crumbled into ash upon dying, but the mages dwelling in Fellglow Keep had probably fed their victim a potion that prevented the usual decomposition process from taking place. As a consequence, Agda could take a good look at the corpse and see the many horrors the poor woman had endured before finally meeting her end. Beside her, Adaeze noticed the same thing.
"If you're not going to free us, give us at least an honorable death".
Startled by that voice full of sorrow and pain and desperation, Agda turned to look at one of the vampires held captive inside the cells. She'd never had the chance to observe any of those creatures from up close, so she was taken aback when she understood that that small woman was not that different from her and Adaeze.
"After our den was attacked by necromancers, my friends and our mates were brought here", the vampire explained. "Ever since then, we've been used for experiments and training".
"What do you mean by training?", Adaeze asked.
The vampire simply gestured towards a young prisoner with a sea of freckles around her nose. Agda abruptly realized that the unlucky girl missed one eye and had vast burnings on her whole body. In that moment, she understood that Adaeze had been right: the mages dwelling in Fellglow Keep weren't only much dumber than common people - they were also much more evil.
To her own surprise, Agda agreed to release the vampires held captive inside the fort. Rather than looking for freedom, the four women immediately set out to seek revenge against their captors, leaving Adaeze and the young healer alone. Sadly enough, the prisoners' escape was very short: less than five minutes later, Agda and her friend namely came across their corpses. Frowning, the two girls couldn't help but curse the vampires' bad luck.
"I'm really sorry for them", Adaeze said. "I do like vampires".
Confronted with Agda's astonished look, the Redguard smiled.
"There is this tiny vampire from the Dark Brotherhood who has become a good friend of mine. And then, also the Hero of Kvatch was a vampire".
Before Agda could express her opinion on that unfounded rumour, Adaeze cast her a very serious glance.
"Do you know what I can't stand? Werewolves. I don't even know if they exist, but the legends about them scare the wits out of me".
Agda didn't comment - had Adaeze found out that Steinarius was a werewolf, she would have probably gone all the way to Solstheim in order to kill him with her own hands.
A few minutes later, when the young healer heard a wolf howl, she felt her heart sink low in her stomach. If the wizards from that fort tortured vampires, perhaps they were mistreating werewolves too - and Agda knew that most of the werewolves of Skyrim were Companions and, as such, former friends of Steinarius. That thought caused the girl to ready a powerful spell and stride confidently into the following room. She was doing much better and was ready to take revenge on those wrecthed wizards who entertained themselves by torturing other living beings.
Before the only mage inside the chamber could even turn to look at her, Agda had already killed him with a very nasty firebolt. As the man fell to the floor, the young healer didn't feel any hint of sympathy: she knew how it felt to be tortured and she was ready to avenge all the people who had been killed in that cursed fort.
Adaeze was suprised by the change in Agda's behavior: after freeing those unlucky vampires, her friend namely did her best to help her slay the enemies who dwelled in Fellglow Keep. Trapped between Adaeze's weapons and Agda' spells, most of their opponents didn't stand a chance.
After what felt like centuries, the two girls came across Orthorn, the man who'd caused all their troubles. Adaeze used some threats to have him reveal what he knew about the books he'd stolen from the College and was slightly upset when Agda decided to free him. When the Redguard confronted her about that choice, the healer surprisingly blushed.
"As you might have noticed, after being freed Orthorn has immediately taken the corridor leading to the courtyard - and as you might remember, right now the courtyard hosts a very angry dragon. The beast will rip him to shreds in a matter of seconds".
As though the dragon wanted to underline Agda's words, in that moment it let out a roar that caused the whole keep to shake.
When she noticed that her friend was embarassed by her own evil plan, Adaeze couldn't hold back a laughter: Agda was a sweet girl who lacked the raw strength of most Nords, but her smarts were equally deadly.
During their exploration of Fellglow Keep, Agda and Adaeze came across many samples of the foul activities that were carried out in that cursed place.
"As soon as I get out of here, I'll talk to Jarl Balgruuf", the Redguard snorted after ending up in another room full of corpses. "Those psychos need to be thrown in a prison cell and left there to rot".
Agda couldn't help but agree with her friend. Fellglow Keep luckily didn't host any werewolf, but it was full of many other horrors: there were young mages practising fire spells on agonizing vampires, dusty bones hidden in the most hidden corners of the rooms, corpses that had been disinterred so that aspiring necromancers could relive them as thralls. Agda felt as though she was visiting a museum of cruelty and evilness and perversity.
Despite their foul activities, most of the mages dwelling in the keep couldn't compete with Agda and Adaeze' skills; as a consequence, the two friends killed them almost effortlessly. The draugrs of Saarthal had proved to be much more resistant and dangerous, Agda realized at some point during her adventure.
By the time the two girls reached the last room of the fort, they were both tired and sweated and sore. Agda didn't feel sick anymore, but she knew her feet to be completely full of blisters. Moreover, she couldn't wait to reach the open, thus escaping the foul air of the keep. Beside her, Adaeze was equally exhausted.
Upon reaching the last chamber of the fort, Agda and her friend exchanged a meaningful glance and readied for the final battle. When they opened the door, they were greeted by an unsettling Altmer and her equally unsettling laughter. That unexpected display of amusement took the girls by surprise.
"Well, well, well", the Altmer chuckled. She was very tall and had a very wrinkled and evil face. "Here are the brave warriors who barged into my home and laid waste to my projects. Nice to meet you".
Agda frowned. That Altmer had lost all her helpers, yet she was happy to meet the people who had slain them. In the Nord's opinion, that didn't make any sense.
"We're here for the books Orthorn stole from the College of Winterhold", Adaeze said while taking a step towards the Altmer and steadying the grip on her bow. "Give them to us and we won't kill you".
Considering her tiredness, Agda didn't feel like wasting time for kindness and politeness. As a consequence, she deeply appreciated Adaeze's clear request.
"You really are a fighter, Redguard", the Altmer smiled. Although she was at the mercy of the women who'd killed everyone of her colleagues, she didn't seem worried in the slightest. "Yet, you should learn to keep your mouth in check"
Adaeze growled in rage.
"Give us the books, otherwise..."
"Wait", Agda suddenly said. "Perhaps we can strike a deal".
The mysterious Altmer smiled, whereas Adaeze deadpanned. A hidden gesture from Agda however suggested the Redguard kept her cool. The young healer didn't want to embark in a direct fight with that mysterious opponent - as a consequence, she had already come up with a plan.
"You really are a clever girl", the High Elf smiled as soon as Agda spoke. "May I have the pleasure to know your name?"
"I'm afraid that right now names do not matter".
The Altmer reacted to those words with an even broader smile.
"I see that we share the same opinion, Nord - after all, great minds think alike. By the way, you may refer to me as the Caller. Now, what deal would you like to strike?"
"Let us leave with the books and we won't send anyone else lurking here", Agda announced.
Those words caused Adaeze to pull an outraged face. Yet, her worries were calmed once again by a quick gesture on Agda's part.
Ignoring the healer's real intentions, the Caller pondered her offer for a few seconds. That pale Nord had made it to the last room of her keep, therefore she was probably much deadlier than she looked. By pretending to strike a deal with her, the Altmer hoped she could take the two girls by surprise and kill them once they lowered their guard.
"Take the books and be gone", the Caller said while seemingly accepting Agda's offer. "Never return here, or else you'll face my full wrath".
Agda nodded in consent, then motioned towards the Caller. When Adaeze made to follow her, the Altmer raised her hands. Of the two girls, the warrior was probably the most dangerous.
"I don't trust you, Redguard", the High Elf told her. "Let me deal with your friend, and with your friend alone".
Adaeze cursed: Agda had just got herself in a very sticky situation. The young healer seemed to get slightly paler at that unexpected request from the Caller, but nonetheless managed to keep calm. She cast Adaeze a long glance, then she walked up to the Altmer. At that point the Caller handed her a potion.
"It will drain your magicka", she explained Agda. "I don't want you to change your mind on our deal and kill me when I don't expect it".
Although that end of the agreement didn't make her comfortable, Agda grabbed the potion and analyzed its content. At that very same moment, the Caller cast a paralyzing spell on Adaeze, who immediately fell to the floor. The Redguard cursed her friend once again: after all their efforts, Agda was getting them killed because of her love for peaceful deals. The usually smart healer had probably been affected by the stupidity of the local mages.
Hiding her distress at the way Adaeze had just been ruled out from a possible fight, Agda kept on studying the potion the Caller had given her. Deeming it harmless, the young healer eventually took a sip of it, then handed it back to the Altmer.
"You should drink it too", she said when the Caller made to put the potion back in one of her pockets. "I don't want you to change your mind on our deal and kill me when I don't expect it".
Confronted with those words, the Caller burst into laughter.
"That was a very good stunt, my girl", she praised Agda. "Sadly enough, I am not going to drink that potion. My keep, my terms".
Ignoring Adaeze's angry growl and the way her plan had seemingly failed, Agda took another couple of steps and stretched a hand out to the Caller.
"To seal our deal we could use a handshake", she said while trying to look as harmless as possible.
When Adaeze saw the evil smirk on the Caller's face, she cursed Agda once again. How could her friend be so stupid to get that close to that Altmer, and all while her magicka was drained?
Just like Adaeze had feared, the Caller took advantage of Agda's proximity to try and attack her. Yet, before the High Elf could cast one of her powerful spells, the room was submerged by a green ray of light. A moment later the Caller fell to the floor, whereas Adaeze was freed from her spell.
"Adaeze, quickly! Help me tie her down!", Agda screamed.
Obliging, the Redguard ran up to the Caller and helped Agda tie her down to a pillar in the middle of the chamber. When the Nord forced her to gulp her own magicka-draining potion, the Altmer could do nothing but drink it.
"How could you paralyze her if she'd just drained your magicka?", Adaeze asked in astonishment. Her worry for Agda had temporarily been replaced by a mixture of surprise and shock and relief.
"Serpent Stone", the Nord said while avoiding her gaze. "I'll explain you more of that later".
As she spoke, Agda grabbed the tomes Orthorn had stolen from the College, then drank a couple of magicka potions and made to leave the chamber. In her eyes there was a light Adaeze had never seen before.
"Keep watch on our friend", the healer said as she walked out of the room. "I'll be back immediately".
Adaeze welcomed that order with a confused look. In her opinion, Agda's behavior was slightly unsettling.
The former thief waited for what felt like a lifetime. Her daggers were pointed at the Caller's throat and were ready to sever her ugly head from the rest of her body. To say it all, Adaeze couldn't figure out why Agda hadn't suggested she used her blades to put an end to the life of that wretched creature. When the doors to the room burst open, however, the Redguard immediately realized her friend's plan.
A very grim-looking Agda was using a telekinesis spell to transport the corpses of the vampires she'd previously freed. As soon as Adaeze realized what her friend had in store for the Caller, she couldn't help but shiver.
Sensing what was about to happen, the Altmer pulled a terrified expression. She tried to break free from her bindings, but the lack of magicka caused by her own potion prevented her from escaping that situation.
Agda ignored the Caller's attempts to break free. Without even looking at her, the healer cast a spell that relived the vampires as thralls. The four women immediately circled the bound Altmer.
"I guess it's time we left our friend alone with her victims", Agda muttered after reaching Adaeze' side. "I don't want to be here when the thralls attack".
Slightly upset by Agda's evil plan, the Redguard nodded and prepared to leave the room. Before the girlsgot out of the chamber, however, they were reached by a shrill scream on the Caller's part.
"Wait!", the Altmer said in a desperate attempt to save her life. "If you free me, I'll do whatever you want. I can grant you power, fame, money..."
"You don't have to beg us for mercy", Agda coldly replied. "You should beg them", she added while pointing at the thralls she'd just relived.
The four vampires were waiting for her signal to launch their attack.
"You know, I like you", the Caller said while trying to get some mercy from the girl who had turned tables on her. "Your Redguard friend is just a common warrior, but you really are a special girl, Nord. Not only are you as bloodthirsty as a wolf - you are also as cunning as a Dwemer. We could make great things together".
Agda welcomed those words with a shrug.
"You know, I wouldn't say that I'm bloodthirsty", she replied. "I'd rather say that I'm a sucker for justice".
And with those words, Agda cast one last spell and left her enemy at the mercy of her own victims.
She perfectly knew how it felt to be tortured and had no mercy for those who indulged in such hateful activies.