~/~ Four months later and Viperish Night's war on Tamriel marches on. Viperish Night and his allies strike from the shadows, setting siege to small towns and villages across the whole of Tamriel and when dawn breaks nothing is left but the splatterings of blood and fallen weapons, for in blasphemy against all life, Viperish Night seizes the bodies of the fallen for his dark desires. The shadowy denizens of the shady corners of Tamriel flock to his side, seeking the blood and utter annihilation of their enemies and perhaps Viperish Night's mercy...though he has made it clear he has none. Once more the three allegiances and the mage and fighters guild bind together in an attempt to save Tamriel. They attempt to locate Viperish Night and protect the citizens, and joining them are the elusive Wyrd and the Imperials. Forces are spread thin however and it is feared that with the Band of T'zlich Viperish Night is creating an army of untold size and number...an army perhaps that once unleashed no force on Tamriel will be able to stop. ~/~


-Elden Root-
Queen Ayrenn sits on the throne, her hand rubbing her head. "My Eye, there must be something more than this."
Razum-dar stands before his Queen. "This one should be able to pierce the darkness that surrounds Viperish Night, but even my eyes cannot find him," Razum-dar says with a troubled look.
Queen Ayrenn closes her eyes. Small towns in the Dominion have been attacked and there are not even any bodies to lay to rest. The pain from such crosses her face. "And the four heroes from the prophecy?"
"Iveryni still lies unwaking," Razum-dar says. "One of the mage's explained to this one that her soul is no longer within it, though her body still lives. As for the other three, there is no word. This one has searched for them, but..." Razum-dar gives a helpless shrug.
"They may be our only hope, Raz," Queen Ayrenn says. "We are failing to track down Viperish Night and his allies. Failing to protect our people. Failing!" Her eyes intensely lock on Razum-dar. "Will she help us?"
Razum-dar's eyes grow clouded. "No, my Queen. Jeziasi will not help us track down Viperish Night or lure him out. She will not even talk to anyone any longer."
"Try once more, Razum-dar," Queen Ayrenn orders. "She must know the harm he is causing, the countless deaths he's taken. Reach her. She strove to save Nirn in the past, and right now we are out of options."
"Yes, my Queen," Razum-dar says and turns to walk out of the throne room, troubled. He has been to see her, to try to plead with her to aid them. But she refuses to meet his eyes much less talk to him. The months imprisoned have torn at her and she has grown more and more withdrawn. He has never seen her like this.


-Deep under Elden Root-
Jeziasi's fingers trail against the bars of her prison. She knows Nirn is at war once more, Razum-dar has been down here to try and get her to help them. To turn her back on her son, who even now is out in the world slaughtering whole towns. She should, she must. But she cannot. And she could not make Razum-dar understand, so she simply stopped talking to him. She cannot bear the look in his eyes. Full of confusion, anger, pity and so much more. She knows what she has done, she does not need to be reminded of it in his eyes. Being in a cage is enough of a reminder. Warded bone bars, manacles on both wrists and her neck, chains attached to both that lock in the back of the cage as if she was nothing more than a wild beast. As if she would turn into a savage werewolf and kill everyone to free herself. She would not do that. She only did it in Craglorn because something inside her panicked, and she found herself trapped with no way out. Jeziasi sighs, leaning her head against the bars. It is not as if they mistreated her, however. All her needs are met. All her needs save the one she needed as much as she needed food, water, air. Freedom. The one thing she had done everything to grasp, taken from her in a moment of panic and anger. Even if she helped them, they would never let her go. Even if the Queen could be made to spare her, she would never grant Jeziasi her freedom. She could not. Everything that was happened, was her fault in part. She had gone with Swims-In-Silence despite knowing something was very wrong with him. She had failed to kill Viperish Night, not once but twice, for reasons she could not even fathom. And she would not help her former allies find him, because they would kill him. He was a monster, guilty of far worse than what she was guilty of. He had gone so far past the point of redemption and forgiveness there was no light at the end of his tunnel. But she still refused. Each and every time, until she gave up speaking. Jeziasi closes her eyes and shudders softly. How could it have all come to this? One small choice, ended up in this nightmare?
Strangled screams from outside the heavy doors to the room that contains her prison have Jeziasi's eyes snapping open and she rises, grasping at the bars in her hands. The scent of blood is heavy in the air, someone has attacked the guards, killed them. The door slowly swings open and a glowing blue mage walks in. Jeziasi's eyes flare with anger and she slowly snarls. Iveryni had told her of this strange glowing mer who was here and not here. Viperish Night's mentor, part of the reason he became as he is. Jeziasi's hands grip the bars tighter staring at the mage, trying to see past the glow, past the hood and face mask. Iveryni had said he knows her. So she must know him.
He stops at the door and gazes at her, his eyes moving to the cage and her bonds before he drops his head and starts to slowly walk toward her. "This seems familiar," Mentor says. Jeziasi goes utterly still, his voice ringing in her ears. So familiar, but so impossible. Her hands slowly fall from the bars as he continues speaking. "Though I recall our places being switched. Tell me, Jeziasi, how does it feel to be chained with no way out and only endless torment awaiting you?" His head comes up and his eyes stare into hers.
The blood drains from Jeziasi's face as she takes a step back from him, her eyes never leaving his. "It cannot be you," she says.
"Oh, Jeziasi. How wrong you are about that. About so many things," Mentor says with a shake of his head. "You left me to eternal torment when you could have set me free. You deemed me a monster and my fate was just. That's right, is it not?"
"You are a monster," Jeziasi snarls. "You deserved it, and worse. How did you get free? I know he would of never let you go, not after what you tried to do to him."
Mentor smiles at Jeziasi. "Of course he would not, Jeziasi," he says. "I still serve him, it is not as if I have much choice at present." The words seem to echo in the room and Jeziasi backs away further until she hits the back of the cage. "I did tell your Dunmer friend not to expect Swims-In-Silence to act as anyone would expect him to. She took my meaning differently than I intended. I thought she was smarter than that." Mentor moves closer to the cage, tracing the bone bars with one hand.
The world spins and Jeziasi falls to the ground, hands clutching at the ground as if trying to will them to become claws. "You cannot mean what I think you mean." Jeziasi snarls. "YOU CANNOT!" Jeziasi manages to sit up and stares wildly at Mentor.
Mentor wraps his hand around the bars of Jeziasi's prison. "Oh Jeziasi, I do," he says.
Jeziasi stares at him horror filling in her eyes before she staggers up and snarls, throwing herself at the bars. "Your lying, you bastard! YOUR LYING."
Mentor's eyes lock onto Jeziasi's. "I serve Swims-In-Silence," he says. "And I have only ever served one master, and that has not changed. Only...certain details."
Jeziasi slams her fists against the bars until her skin cracks and blood drips from them, the world spinning in front of her eyes. Memories flash through her mind faster than she can shove them away overwhelming her. Jeziasi stumbles backward again and stares at Mentor in utter horror for long moments before she throws her head back and howls, a scream of utter despair and anguish before falling backward and collapsing on the ground.
Mentor taps the bars of the cage and frowns when there is no response. "I think I broke her," he says and then laughs as he turns to the door. The sound of pounding footsteps, her scream was more than enough to alert them that something was very wrong. "We will have company soon," Mentor says as he reaches for his staff on his back. He taps it on the bars of the cage and they fall to dust. Mentor moves to remove the manacles from Jeziasi's wrists and then fingers the chain that connects to the one around her neck. "Let's keep this," he says as he unchains it from the wall. "You are going to make me carry you, arent you?" Mentor says before sighing as he throws Jeziasi over his shoulder, wrapping the chain around his arm.
Razum-dar bursts into the room with a contingent of guards and he snarls as he takes in the scene. "Stop!"
Mentor turns slightly to see Razum-dar and a contingent of guards at his back. He dares not speak, it is enough Jeziasi knows who he is, letting the Dominion know would press his luck. A portal snaps open and he walks through, shutting it behind him.
Razum-dar snarls and slams a fist into the wall. Seconds too late, Seconds! Why did he take Jeziasi? And what made her scream like that, what could make her scream like that? Chills run down Razum-dar's fur as he snaps at the guards. "Get one of the mages. See if there is any way to track where he went! And inform the Queen at once!" Two of the guards run back out and Razum-dar turns back to stare at where the portal had been. He knows they will fail to track it. Similar measures have been tried and failed. He kneels, fingering one of the chains on the ground. They had left her in here with no defense. Thinking that there was no way anyone could breach the Dominions defenses. And this...this had been the result. Razum-dar rises and turns to the door. He must speak to the Queen.


-Skyrim Tomb-
A portal snaps open in the middle of the throne room. Skeletons rest on either side their eyes glowing an eerie blue and their eyes follow Mentor as he steps from the portal. Zirasha and Tyranius sit at the table and Viperish Night sits on his throne. Viperish Night's gaze snaps to his former mentor, turning murderous as it always does when he sets gaze upon the mer. Slowly he hisses. "You have been gone for a very long time." Viperish Night says softly.

Mentor walks up to Viperish Night and drops Jeziasi at his feet. "I promised to bring you something to help with your questions. It took a while to get it. The Dominion locked her up far beneath Elden Root and their defenses were extensive. It was not easy to get to her, but as I promised."
Viperish Night's eyes fall on Jeziasi in surprise. She lies so still at his feet, Mentor made no notion that this was what he meant. His eyes narrow as he brings his gaze back up to his former mentor. "What did you do to her?" he asks softly.
Mentor smiles. "I did nothing but show her the truth. The result was..." his gaze falls to Jeziasi. "Unexpected." Mentor turns. "I must return, for now, least I attract suspicion for bringing you this little gift. I'll return when I am able." he vanishes.
Tyranius rises and stalks over, kneeling in front of Jeziasi. "Would not of minded fighting her in her werewolf form," Tyranius remarks. "the Vestige VS the Reaper. That would have been a fight. Lucky thing perhaps she went after you, Viperish Night. The housecat nor the brats would have hesitated."
Confusion crosses Viperish Night's eyes. Still, after all this time he cannot fathom her reasons for what she did. Her people turned on her for it. Word had traveled fast of the Vestiges betrayal and the fact she had been charged with treason, sentence pending till after the crisis had passed. "Is she injured?" Viperish Night asks.
Tyranius wraps the chain around his fist and lifts Jeziasi with it. Jeziasi's eyes slowly flicker open and Tyranius stares into them. "Huh..." Tyranius says and releases her. Jeziasi falls into a sitting position by Viperish Night's feet, her head falling slightly to leave her hair covering her face. "No one seems to be home," Tyranius shrugs.
Zirasha hisses. "She's not injured you brute. I would have smelled it." Viperish Night hisses against perplexed. Zirasha laughs. "Viperish Night does not know what to do with his new pet."
Viperish Night settles back in his throne and his claws reach for the chain and he wraps it around his arm. "At least she comes with a leash," he says. "We were speaking of targeting two or three small towns in Summerset next, what ones Zirasha?"
"Don't ask her, she'll want to go after the big ones," Tyranius says with a laugh.
Zirasha's eyes flare. "I want to drink my parent's blood and show them how gloriously imperfect I am now! Everyone must want to do that, or something like that." She gestures at Viperish Night. "He gets his mother for a pet, I want to play with my parents too!" At the looks of the two, she settles down. "Alinor is the capital and far too big. I know some small settlements far from it."
"Prepare yourselves," Viperish Night says. "I will secure our new pet in one of the rooms." Viperish Night rises and tugs on the chain, Jeziasi stands and follows at his lead out of the throne room.


The small rooms in the tomb have been cleared out and lamps and bedding have been placed in many of them. The tomb has the chill of the Skyrim mountains and the grave within, but hot springs beneath keep it from being dangerously cold. Viperish Night leads Jeziasi to one of the rooms and sets her down. He turns to go but at the last moment he turns back to Jeziasi and crouches by her side, one clawed hand lightly touching the side of Jeziasi's face, yet still, she does not react and her eyes seem empty. Uninjured, yet like this. Viperish Night hisses slightly as his claws move to the collar around her neck running over the runes cast in it. Wards...to prevent her from transforming, much as the collar he once wore warded his magic. Viperish Night's eyes move to her wrists, the scarred markings of one held in bondage. Viperish Night growls softly. His former mentor did not do this, her people did. All because she let him go. Viperish Night's eyes darken. One more example of the cruelty and madness of the living. Viperish Night sighs and his thoughts return to that day.


Viperish Night had lept off the cliff and onto the skeleton dragon he raised from deep beneath the earth. He knows Jeziasi is near, he knows he has his back to her and needs to turn to face the threat she poses. But the Band of T'zlich has opened up his necromantic senses far more then he expected and he's drowning in it, and the dragon he raised fights his control like a wild beast, and its all he can do to stay on his feet, fighting for control of both band and dragon. Distantly he hears her howl in pain, knows the werewolf has left her. He starts to turn his head but the dragon skeleton suddenly thrashes, trying to tear itself from Viperish Night's grasp, and it's all he can do not to fall to his death. The sound of a blade falling on the rock has Viperish Night snapping his head back as he manages to regain control. Jeziasi dropped the knife instead of throwing it and then the dragon takes Viperish Night away, confusion coursing through him.


These past four months the question kept coming back to him. Why? Why had she done that? And now that his Egg-mother was here, he could not even ask her! What did his former mentor tell her to send her into such a state, to break her so utterly. Viperish Night lowers his head. He...would take of her then. Let Zirasha and Tyranius think she was nothing more than his pet. Viperish Night stands and walks out of the room. There was an army to build, this truly changed nothing. He glances once more back at his Egg-mother before leaving her.