-Bangkorai-
A fire burns and flickers as Viperish Night and Zirasha sit in front of it, discarded bones from dinner littering the ground. "Did not expect you to spare the brat." Zirasha remarks
"You spared the other one." Viperish Night says.
Zirasha lies back, looking up at the stars. "He's like us a little. He despises his race. Just does not have the backbone to start slaughtering them."
Viperish Night stares into the fire. "Years ago his sister tried to help me. She was destined to fail..." Viperish Night stares into the flames, memories nibbling at his tail. Seriana... she had been kind to him and even tried to help him, despite the fact he was a necromancer. Back then he had no idea the depths his former mentor would go to keep Viperish Night's abilities a secret. "I spared him for Seriana" he finally utters. "But if he continues to hunt us, he will die." the boy's face floats through Viperish Night's thoughts. He was so young, but then again Viperish Night had not been much older when he was banished and set out into the world.
Zirasha laughs. "If kids are all they can send against us, Nirn is yours Viperish Night." she laughs again and closes her eyes and soon seems to be asleep.
Viperish Night stares into the fire a while longer. It had been a long day, he had found answers to his questions, but they just seemed to spawn more questions. Shadowscales was taken at birth and trained as assassins. Trained to be loyal to the Dark Brotherhood. What would cause one of them to not only turn traitor but go about experimenting with eggs and time portals? It made no sense. Viperish Night's eyes fill with a familiar hatred. Did he even have egg-parents, or was that a lie too? But the eggs had to come from somewhere. Did Stalks-In-Darkness steal them? Pay Argonian's to give him eggs? Make them himself? What were lies and what was truth? His parents had been culpable? What did that even MEAN? Viperish Night snarls at the night and gets up, pacing angrily for a few minutes before his anger calms and he settles back down, reaching for the mystic relic book, skimming it with his claws tracing the woods in the firelight. Viperish Night's eyes widen sometime later, his heart seems to pause. This...could this relic exist? "The band of T'zlich" Viperish Night says quietly as he reads.
[There is enough evidence that The band of T'zlich existed, though the actual relic has been lost to time. It is a relic of death that predates necromancy from ancient times. An ancient scroll had been found ten years ago by an Imperial researcher in Craglorn that had the following tale engraved upon it {Translated from the ancient text} - A kingdom under siege with no hope for victory or survival, in desperation the King pleaded to the heavens for salvation. In response a light engulfed the King's mage, giving him the knowledge to create The band of T'zlich, which would give unlimited control of the dead to the wearer. The King used this power to raise and control the dead and he was able to destroy the army that threatened his kingdom. The mage then told the King that the band had a terrible cost. The cost was the souls of those killed by the dead. The King was horrified and made plans to destroy The band of T'zlich, for the cost was too great and in wielding it he had found that its power was truly unlimited, one could potentially control all the dead of Nirn with it. But his son coveted the power and murdered both his father and the mage for the band, and raised an army of dead and set upon his quest for ultimate power, to conquer all of Nirn. But a hero rose up and waged a war against him and in the end struck him down and claimed the band of T'zlich. The hero set to destroy it but every attempt failed and it was determined it must be an eternal object, one that can never be destroyed. The hero knew if he hid it in Nirn or realms beyond, someone would eventually find it and use it again so he took it to a mage of great power. Since it could not be destroyed the mage attempted to place a curse upon it making it impossible for anyone to wield. It failed and nearly killed him, and it was determined there had to be a condition for the curse to be placed successfully. And so the mage placed a curse that would destroy anyone attempting to wield it, save the one who met specific circumstances. ]
{It should be noted the bottom part of the scroll was damaged, and only a few words were able to be read and translated. Argonian. Life and Death. Magic.}
Viperish Night stills as he finishes reading it. His eyes move from the book to Zirasha. Is she really sleeping? His eyes narrow. He ran into her and she just happened to have stolen THIS book? The memories from the Hist swirl in his mind. This relic could only be wielded by an Argonian with life and death magic. There was more to it than that, but he had no doubt he was the one to wield it. That in fact he was created to do so. Viperish Night's hand clutches the book tighter, his claws rending their imprint into it. Why did Stalks-in-Darkness want him to find this kind of power and what did he want from it? By all rights, Viperish Night should throw this book into the fire. Should refuse to chase after this relic. But the power it could give him...he blinks rapidly then shoves the book in his backpack and curls up by the fire. His head is swirling and he needs to rest before he decides what to do. Skeleton foxes rise and move by the fire, keeping their blue eyes on Zirasha. She had not found him by chance. More manipulation. Viperish Night hisses and closes his eyes. Running from the confusion in his mind.
In the glade, moonlight shimmers through the bowels of the trees painting the forest floor in cold silver. It's so very quiet here. Viperish Night places a hand against one of the trees, it breaths, and lives under his palm. Even now, as deep in the river of death he swims, he can still just feel the small spark of life magic within him. He hisses and withdraws his palm as if burned. A flicker of movement has Viperish Night turning, his eyes drawn to a face he has not seen in many years. A face he has not even thought off for a long time before yesterday. He had no idea she had left a brother behind. One who now seemed to hunt him. One he, against all logic, had spared.
Seriana looks at him without speaking, her eyes filled with sadness. Is this her, or just a memory? Viperish Night narrows his eyes and turns away from her. Just a memory. Just the past. Another flicker, another memory. Denros leans against a tree arms crossed, a confused look across his face as if he knows this is his friend, but no longer fully recognizes him. Viperish Night hisses at the memory and again turns away. Once more another memory appears and this time his heart seems to stop. Rishima...Viperish Night swallows. So long since he last saw her, even in his dreams she has not appeared for a long time. Rishima's eyes are filled with despair but also something else that makes Viperish Night turn his back on her as well. These are just memories. The real Rishima, if she knew what he had become love would not remain in her eyes. "Let me wake from this dream." Viperish Night hisses softly and he slams his claws into the nearest tree. Blue necromantic veins stream through the tree and it starts to wither and die. Viperish Night suddenly spins around as more flickers streak through the forest. His claws fall from the tree even as the corruption spreads through the glade, his eyes darting to the memories that have appeared before him. Titumus, his eyes accusing and confused. He fades only to be replaced by Zan'tabe, Kigum-dar, Qa'Dar, Fernthorn, Rayrl, and Israean. Viperish Night steps back then snarls. "You are JUST memories. Nothing more." Nothing more... nothing more because of him. He knows this. His river bade him to kill everything, and so he did. It set him free. Their eyes drill into him. Bewilderment, confusion. They tried to save them, most of them anyway. He repaid it with their death. He knows this, he does not need some dream to tell him this. His eyes narrow and the corruption spreads as the glade dies. The dream slowly fades into dusk.
Viperish Night's eyes open and he sits up his eyes moving to the fire now just dying embers. Memories haunt him everywhere he goes. The ghost of Seriana in her brother, Rishima's in the moonlight, and more besides. Viperish Night quietly rises and gazes across the moon soaked land of Bangkorai. It's so very quiet this night. This is what he intends for this world, the peace of death. He has seen the madness of this world, tried to swim against the current. But it swept him under, he was cursed from the moment his egg came into being. He knows his life would have been different, perhaps even peaceful if not for Stalks-In-Darkness's and his former mentor's machinations. But they are not the only monsters Viperish Night has found in this world. Around every turn, they lurk. Hurting him, hurting others. The madness of it all...Those who swam upriver suffered and died, why the monsters celebrated and went hunting for more victims, more power. Viperish Night holds up his claws. He knew he had let himself become a monster. Just like them. And that he was causing suffering. Just like them. And he...betrayed his friends. He let loose the river, the power. Embraced it, swam in it. Even as they suffered and died all around him. A shiver crosses Viperish Night's spine. He knows why he does this. To finally end this utter madness, the living... his eyes fill with hate. But...is that the only reason he has embraced the icy river? It was power, more than he has ever known. And he no longer fears it...even perhaps craves it. And in truth he seeks even more power, if the relic is out there...he would have more power then any necromancer ever has. Power to silence the living, all the living. The dead far outnumbered them. And if he had control over all the dead in Nirn... Viperish Night slowly smiles. He would drown the world as the world drowned him. Silence all the monsters and save all those who would suffer if they lived. It would bring him peace, it had too. And if the power drove the ghosts from his mind, what was the harm in wanting it? As for his former mentor and Stalks-In-Darkness, yes this was their plan. But he would end them as well.
Viperish Night gathers his bag and looks at Zirasha. She slept so lightly, but now she seems deep into dreams, as he had been. He could kill her. He should kill her, she seems apart from Stalks-In-Darkness's plans somehow. But... he tilts his head. She is curious. Viperish Night raises his staff and the skeleton foxes bare their fangs ready to surge forth on his orders, but something stays his hand and he turns his back on her to look to the north, where more answers await. And so the foxes sink back into the ground and he sets out, leaving Zirasha.
Zirasha is far from home and somehow she has reached all the way to Cyrodiil. Of course, the funds to get her this far from Summerset was not legitimately earned. She had taken to thieving and found she was quite good at it in Valenwood. But she knew she had to move on, and quickly. Being in Dominion territory was risky, it was highly likely she would eventually run into an Altmer that recognizes her, and if that happened they would send her home for her own good. Her parents would of most certainly put the word out of their wayward daughter. If only to return order to their perfect lives, having a runaway was a stain upon their line, after all. So knowing this, she went Northwest into Cyrodiil and continued her thieving in the small towns along her path. Zirasha was halfway to the Imperial City when she decided she should head out of Cyrodiil. It was getting...unsettling. The Imperial Legion patrols were far more frequent and Daedra seemed to be in every shadow and around every corner. Zirasha had a bad feeling she had made a mistake coming here. Her fear was confirmed when she was caught red-handed by a squad of Imperials. They locked her in a dimly light prison cell in the nearest town.
Zirasha's hands curl around the bars as she rests her head upon them. Despite running away and stealing, she's never once been in trouble. She does not even know what they will do to her, throw her in an Imperial prison? Or turn her over to the Dominion for Altmer justice? If everything was normal, that would be her guess. But these were hardly normal times. Caught up in her teenage rebellion she never did follow news of the outside world much. She knows the Dominion was formed because of cultists taking over the Imperial City but did not pay much attention to that when she decided to cross the border. Perhaps if she tried to use the official crossing, they would have stopped her. So many things she failed to take into account. Zirasha sighs and her mind focuses on the rumors she's started to hear as things have grown more chaotic. Most of the Imperial army joining the cultists. Civilians being dragged to the capital, never to be seen again. She should have turned back sooner, or better yet never came here. All Zirasha can do is curl up on the hard bed and hope against hope everything will be alright.
The screams start in the middle of the night bolting Zirasha out of uneasy sleep. She leaps up and stands on the bed, hands curled on the small barred window, trying to see what is going on. Zirasha gasps and nearly falls off the bed backing away from the window. There are Daedra outside engulfing the town. The townsfolk have little chance against them...for the Imperial Legion are helping them round up the townsfolk, killing anyone who resists. Zirasha curls up in a ball by the door shaking. She never should have come here.
The screaming finally stops an hour later. The night falls quiet as the Daedra finish taking the civilians away. All that is out there now is the dead. Zirasha raises her head as the door to the jail opens and heavy footsteps march down. The Imperial Captain that captured her approaches the door looking down at her. "Pretty little Altmer, we forgot you were down here. Would have given you to the Daedra too," he says. "Fortunately for us, we forgot all about you." More of his squad come down as he opens the cell door.
After...after they did not even bother locking the cell door. They thought her broken, they thought she would die. So they just left her.
Zirasha bolts awake the darkness pressing in. She scrambles before finally remembering she's outside and far from Cyrodiil. Just memories. just cursed memories. Zirasha throws sticks onto the fire, the orange glow flaming up to chase away the shadows. "Damn it. she swears, shaking. She would do anything to rid herself of this fear. Anything. Zirasha finally figures out she's alone. Viperish Night is gone, along with his bag. Chills course down her body as she realizes how deep she slept. He could have killed her a dozen different ways. But somehow, he did not. Zirasha's eyes fill with puzzlement, over this and the fact she misses him. She's used to being on her own, cannot tolerate being with anyone else. And yet she enjoyed traveling with Viperish Night. Dropping bodies and causing mayhem. His hurt was different than hers, but both their pain ran straight down to their cores. She envied him... he had taken that pain and became a monster. A screwed up one, but one that seemed to have no fear, and was strong enough never to get caught. Zirasha rises, looking around. "Viperish Night what direction did you go?" Zirasha says.
"Getting attached?"
Zirasha jumps and spins around, her heart beating wildly. Her knife is in her hands as her eyes narrow and she growls at Stalks-in-Darkness, who stands in the shadows nearby. "I did what you asked." Zirasha snaps. "He has the book, he read it. He knows about the relic."
Stalks-in-Darkness holds out his hand. "Come then, Zirasha. I will give you what I promised," he says. "No one will ever be able to catch you again."
Zirasha moves toward Stalks-in-Darkness, toward that hand that offers salvation from the fear she has never been able to shed, even after years and the countless bodies she's dropped to prove she can be strong enough not to get caught, even if that was just a lie she told herself to keep from screaming. Zirasha's hand reaches for Stalks-in-Darkness's hand and he grabs it pulling her close to him.
"Such abject fear," Stalks-in-Darkness whispers to her. "Soon you will never feel fear again."
"How?" Zirasha breaths. "You never told me that part."
Stalks-in-Darkness smiles, fangs glimmering. "If I told you how, you would have refused. But trust me, you'll thank me in the end." he hisses.
Zirasha's eyes widen in panic and she tries to pull out of Stalks-in-Darkness's grip but he holds her hand far too tightly. Zirasha snarls and her other hand comes up with the knife glimmering in it. "Let me go!" she snarls as she stabs Stalks-in-Darkness but he just grabs her wrist with his free hand and squeezes till she drops the knife. "So much fear..." Stalks-In-Darkness says again. A portal opens behind Zirasha and Stalks-in-Darkness throws Zirasha through it. Zirasha falls through the portal and moments later her bloodcurdling screams shatter the night. Stalks-in-Darkness throws his head back and laughs as the portal slams shut.
-Bangkorai - the next day-
Crows fly over Viperish Night's head. Their eyes glow with blue necromantic light and bones and decayed tissue show through the dull matted feathers. Viperish Night had started feeling as if he was being stalked and so he summoned them to scout around him. And so, he had time to pick his spot and prepare. Skeleton foxes hide behind rocks and skeleton skeevers lurk in the bushes. And underneath Viperish Night's feet? Unconsecrated dead. This spot of land must have been a long-forgotten burial site or something similar. There were so very many of them.
The Evermore guard marches toward Viperish Night's location and quickly surround him. Viperish Night stands still and slowly starts to smile. Most of them are Redguards and they are afraid, their eyes moving between him and the undead crows above his head. Viperish Night tilts his head. He remembered the Redguard, as well as their superstitions about the dead. They still came to try and stop him, risking the curse they believed would happen if they struck down what they considered the honored dead. Perhaps they thought he only had creatures to send against them? Or that he would summon Daedra as he did in Wayrest? Most of the dead were concentrated in this land after all, and Viperish Night is not sure he could raise such. Perhaps he could, but that was a question for another day, for he had been lucky enough to find lost undead. Viperish Night's smile widens. And that was something these Redguard did not know yet.
The Captain warily approaches him, curved sword out. "Yes, yes," Viperish Night says. "You want me to surrender, correct? I am surrounded." he slowly tilts his head regarding the Captain.
The Captain's eyes fill with anger. "For crimes of murder and unnatural magic, yes." The captain says. "Surrender peacefully or we will have your head, blasphemer."
Always such hatred toward necromancers. Even when Viperish Night meant no harm he will still meet with hatred and fear. It used to confuse him, sadden him. Now? Now he likes to be feared. Viperish Night slowly lies his staff and bag down and holds his hands up. "There are just too many of you," he remarks.
The captain's face shows surprise and then triumphant. He snaps a pair of restraints out and approaches Viperish Night. "Hands out, Necromancer," he says.
Viperish Night holds his hands out and the moment the captain tries to bind them, Viperish Night surges forward and snaps his jaws around the captain's neck, blood spraying over his face and onto the ground. The guards react in horror and then anger as they surge toward Viperish Night. Too late for the blood is soaking into the ground and blue glowing cracks race across the battlefield. The ground erupts and a multitude of the forgotten dead rise around Viperish Night. Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs as he watches the Redguard's anger transform to horror. The power of death and blood is then enough to chase last night's ghosts and confusion away.
The Redguard hesitates to strike at the dead and so it's little more than a massacre. Crows drop from the sky dive-bombing the soldiers. The skeleton foxes race across the ground sinking claws and fangs into armor to pull the guards down so the skeever skeletons can surge over them, ripping them to shreds, and the forgotten dead attack with swords, axes, maces. The unarmed ones scoop up any weapons dropped and join their brethren in the slaughter.
The sounds of the living fade at last and the dead fall to dust. Viperish Night picks up his staff and steps through the battlefield, the ground soaked in blood. He kneels by the Captain and runs his claws across his face. Viperish Night tilts his head. "I should not do this," he says quietly as he rakes his gaze across the dead guards. When these fail to return, they will send more, they will interfere with what Viperish Night needs to do in Bangkorai. But doing what he was thinking of doing... he should not do it. But why did he want to do it then? Viperish Night's eyes slowly narrow as the answer comes to him. Because they attacked him. His target was the Wyrd, not them. And why was he worried about crossing yet another line? Viperish Night shudders softly and rises, his eyes fill with icy darkness. Why not?
Viperish Night grips his staff and necromantic power once more covers the battleground and the Redguard rises as undead creatures, Ra-Netu as the Redguards call them. Viperish Night runs his claws across the dead captain's throat. "Go," he whispers. "March on Evermore and kill anything that gets in your way." Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs as the Ra-Netu turn north and head for the city. This will keep any further pursuers from him, so he can deal with the Wyrd.
A dart of movement catches Viperish Night's eyes and he turns and looks across the battlefield at a small hill to see a figure running away. A woman dressed in fur and bones. One of the Wyress, she must not be allowed to warn the others that he is coming for them. Viperish Night surges after her. He will catch her. So intent on his chase, Viperish Night forgets his bag and it lies in the middle of the battlefield, forgotten.
