-Skyrim Tomb-
Once more Viperish Night wakes early. He rises from the floor and paces his room before resting his head against the cool stone, his claws pressed against the rends in the stone. All this time he had been trying to drown parts of his past. The parts that had once screamed at him to stop. He did not want to stop, and those screams just sent slivers of agony through him. Over time they had drowned in his river, sunk to the depths of it. But lately, they had been swimming up, since his Egg-mother had arrived. If she had turned from him, it would have been easier. The part of them that longed for what she gave him could, at last, drown, die. But instead, she followed him. Loved him. Threw everything away from him. How could she do all this, for someone like him? He was not who he used to be, and never could be again. That Viperish Night could have still been saved. There were people in this world who had been kind enough to try, and they paid for it with their lives. His Egg-mother would give her life for his, but he did not want her to die. He did not want her to leave him. Viperish Night closes his eyes and trembles, wanting to howl, but daring not to. It was too close to night, too close to the time when unwanted guests tended to show up. He must not show weakness. He must not show that despite the countless lives he had taken, killing those Khajiit had shaken him, and he had not thought that possible. He killed without mercy. Men, women, even what he once thought was unthinkable. No survivors, his very words. The infirm, the elderly, children. They died just as the rest did. Though in truth, it was the dead who took most of the most vulnerable of those they needed to kill. Tyranius never hesitated, but he had seen Zirasha shy away from the youngest, and he had made sure to have his dead outpace his Egg-mother, to spare her that at the very least. Was that...weakness? His Egg-father would think so, he might have even seen it, though he did not speak of it. Perhaps it was enough everyone was dead in the end. It was Viperish Night's actions, it was fully his fault. And when all fell quiet, he knew some sliver of peace, the peace he craved, he needed. It was better this way. Better to have them all die, even if it destroyed them all. Viperish Night lowers his arms and steps away from the wall, his eyes opening with an icy look. He turns and heads toward the throne room.
Mannimarco is waiting in the throne room when Viperish Night walks in. Viperish Night narrows his eyes and hisses, then turns his back on the necromancer to stalk to his throne and sits in it.
"What, no new ways you've concocted to murder me?" Mannimarco says as he walks toward Viperish Night.
"Perhaps he wants you to be surprised," Tyranius says as he comes in and leans against the wall.
Mannimarco gives him a look. "Please tell me you're not encouraging him to."
Tyranius shrugs. "Whatever pup wants. The favor I owe you has been paid." he laughs at Mannimarco's expression. "Yeah, my days made now."
Mannimarco frowns and turns back to Viperish Night. "None of you have any respect at all." he icy says. "Viperish Night, you know where you need more of your army. You've hesitated for her," at Viperish Night's furious look he adds, "You know I am right. You cannot hesitate any longer. You know that." Viperish Night hisses angrily, though he knows Mannimarco is right.
Jeziasi and Zirasha walk in and both pauses seeing Mannimarco speaking with Viperish Night. Jeziasi moves to Viperish Night's side as always, casting a dark look at Mannimarco before settling on the floor by the throne and Zirasha moves to sit at the table. Viperish Night glances at Jeziasi. "Egg-mother..." Viperish Night says and trails off for a long pause before continuing. "I need more undead in Valenwood." Viperish Night finishes before glancing away from her.
Jeziasi swallows slightly, her fists clenching. "He'll be watching again," she softly says.
"I was just warning Viperish Night about that," Mannimarco says. "His eyes will be on you two, and you may not always know it." his eyes narrow as he glares at Viperish Night. "I have a stake in this working. Keep her on your leash, even if you do not think he will visit."
Viperish Night tilts his head, he had forgotten, and Zirasha seems to have forgotten as well. Tyranius just shrugs when Viperish Night's gaze falls on him, and Viperish Night hisses softly claws running over the chain as he glances back at Jeziasi. "Just for a while longer, Egg-mother." Viperish Night says and she slightly lowers her head, allowing him to leash her.
Jeziasi can feel Mannimarco's gaze on her, she speaks before anyone can ask her again, looking up at Viperish Night, at the unspoken question in his eyes, why he turned from her a moment ago. "Do not worry for me, Viperish Night," she says. "You need them, and you will not stop. I will follow you into the Valenwood." she trails off, still not answering the question. Trying to figure out how. How to give him targets against the land she was born in, grew up in, before her path lead her far from the woods.
Viperish Night turns his gaze from Jeziasi once more, the pain in her eyes catches his breath and his claws scour the throne. "Greenshade. Tell me where to strike, Egg-mother." Viperish Night orders.
Jeziasi very nearly startles at his ice-cold words, but then she feels it, Swims-in-Silence's eyes upon them. Viperish Night had sensed or saw him before she did. He stands in the shadows near the entrance, silent and staring. Jeziasi shudders softly and her nails bite into her palms drawing blood as she names their targets.
Viperish Night rises. "Let us go then," he says as he opens a portal. Jeziasi rises and follows him through, followed by the others.
-Greenshade-
A small village born of magic and trees nestled into the woods. At one with nature, peaceful. Unknowing the horror that will soon descend upon them. Jeziasi stares straight ahead, feeling almost detached. As if this is a nightmare Swims-in-Silence is taunting her with. Her footsteps stop, and she finds she cannot move. Tyranius stops near her. "You must," he tells her. "You know this, wolfy."
Jeziasi's hand moves to her bow as she withdraws it. "I know. Be bad, and kill them all."
Zirasha moves closer to them. "If it was me and I was in Summerset...I would be so happy to do what we are going to do here. Just try to think of them as tasty rabbits. You like to eat rabbits, right?" Jeziasi glances at Zirasha, and then her gaze turns to Viperish Night.
The familiar necromantic energy flows from Viperish Night into the ground and the long-buried dead start to rise. Bosmer bears and wolfs and even dead decayed plants answer his call. Jeziasi's eyes move from her son to the trees and she suddenly frowns. Nearly invisible, a Bosmer watches them. Jeziasi raises her bow but Zirasha is faster, following Jeziasi's gaze Zirasha leaps into mist and reforms in the tree, grabbing the Bosmer's throat with her hand. The Bosmer just stares up at her with a grin and crushes his hand. Shards of glimmering crystal hit the ground as Zirasha snaps the Bosmer's neck. Jeziasi starts back, remembering back at Craglorn, Razum-dar had done the very same thing, right before... Jeziasi hisses. "Trap," she says as portals start to snap open. First, a few, then dozens and Thalmor, Dominion Soldiers, and Mage and Fighter's guild members stream out to surround the group.
"Damn," Tyranius remarks. "Might be impressed. We'll keep them busy, pup. Call more of the dead." he tells Viperish Night. Tyranius wades into a group of Fighters from the guild, his scythe clashing against sword and ax alike. Zirasha leaps from the trees onto a mage and savages her, before moving onto the next, and the dead surge in every direction, attacking everything in their path.
Jeziasi puts her bow back and takes out her daggers, staying close to her son. The Thalmor know he is the main threat, and even now a group of them come for him, slamming the undead aside and into pieces in pursuit of the main threat. They want to kill him, and Jeziasi's eyes narrow, it no longer seems as hard to fight her former allies, now that they are a threat to her son and so she sweeps into their mist, blades flashing and blood flying.
Arrows, screams, bolts of destruction magic, the clatter of bones, the sound of steel upon steel. It is utterly chaotic and more dead are surging from the forest every moment. Jeziasi finishes off the last of her prey and moves in front of Viperish Night. It is then she sees a shadow on the ground as someone leaps from the tree at Viperish Night's back. Viperish Night's attention is utterly focused on raising enough dead to save them and has not even seen the danger. Jeziasi leaps from the ground and slams into the foe and they crash to the ground rolling away from Viperish Night. Jeziasi leaps to her feet at the same time as this new prey and launches a furious assault that's met with equal fury, equal skill. Her blades snap on her foe's sword, sending it spinning from his grasp. He snaps back instantly from the loss, his fist slamming into the side of Jeziasi's head and she crashes down, the helm falling to the ground with a crash. Jeziasi snarls and leaps back up, head spinning as she locks eyes with her foe, and Jeziasi freezes. In the dark and chaos, in wanting to protect Viperish Night, she had not known who she was fighting. All she can do now is stare into the dusky green cat eyes that are all too familiar. "Raz...Razum-dar," Jeziasi breaths.
Razum-dar's eyes widen in shock and then narrow as he takes it all in in a moment. Jeziasi in armor and armed. The collar still around her neck. The blood splattered on her from the fight with the Thalmor, the Thalmor she killed. "This one thought you lost," Razum-dar says. "Jeziasi, what are you doing?"
Jeziasi stares at him utterly lost. "Following my son," Jeziasi says.
Razum-dar's eyes fill furious anger. "How could you do that? How could you be aiding him in these massacres?" A growl reverberates low in his throat.
"How could I do anything else?" Jeziasi says. "I cannot kill him, I cannot let someone else kill him, and I will not leave him. What other path is there for me?"
"Damn it, Jeziasi!" Razum-dar snarls. "He is just an abomination that Swims-in-Silence made!"
Jeziasi snarls and screams at Razum-dar. "NEVER say that. He is more than that!" she stares at him, knowing he will never understand, never see what she sees.
"Jeziasi, see reason!" Razum-dar says, moving closer to her. "This is madness! This is not what the Jeziasi I know would do!"
"But I do see reason, Razum-dar," Jeziasi says. "I destroy the threats to Nirn, but I can never save those I care for. Never. I even kill them if I must. I just cannot do it anymore. Viperish Night is my son, no matter how it happened. If I cannot save him I will drown with him."
"Do you mean that?" Razum-dar asks her. "Is he worth everything? Is he worth destroying yourself over, dying over? You must know how this will end!"
"Yes," she says in a whisper. "Monsters made him into what he is, and this world did too. Viperish Night never even had a chance." Jeziasi lowers her arms, her daggers dangling at her sides. "I love him, Razum-dar. He is my son, and worth more then Nirn to me. It matters not what he has done, it matters not that I cannot save him no matter how hard I try, it does not even matter who his father is." her eyes glimmer with the depths of sorrow she feels down to her very soul.
Razum-dar stares at her, confusion in his eyes. "I thought Swims-in-Silence was his father," is all he says, he cannot even find the words to say anything else.
"...Yes, he is," Jeziasi says her eyes looking into Razum-dar's. So he does not know yet. She wondered if perhaps they would have found out somehow. Or perhaps even Swims-in-Silence would make it known. He would want everyone to know, eventually. Just to hurt her further.
Razum-dar shakes his head. "Jeziasi, stop this. You must stop this."
"It's too late, Razum-dar," Jeziasi says. "I know that, you know that," she searches his eyes, searches her soul, before speaking again. "Swims-in-Silence...I think he needed me specifically. Going with him..." Jeziasi trails off her eyes showing Razum-dar such loss. "That can never be forgiven, Razum-dar. Never. There is no forgiveness, there is no redemption for me. And I do not want or deserve it. I just want to be with my son, until the end."
The look in her eyes shakes Razum-dar more than he would have thought. He had tried to harden his heart towards his old friend, for she had betrayed the Dominion. But the pain in her eyes. He holds out his paw to her. "One last chance, old friend," Razum-dar says. "Surrender now, stop this. Or this one will have no choice. You know this."
Jeziasi pauses for a long moment and then sheaths her daggers. She moves toward Razum-dar and then suddenly springs, her fist slamming into his muzzle with ferocious strength sending him crashing unconscious to the ground. Jeziasi stares down at Razum-dar, she cannot bring herself to finish him. "Raz..." she says softly. "I am more sorry than you will ever know." Jeziasi's head suddenly snaps up at the sound of a bow being drawn by a Bosmer in a nearby tree. She snarls at her. "You can help him or kill me, not both." Jeziasi snarls, as the undead start to approach. Jeziasi turns and heads back to Viperish Night.
Viperish Night is surrounded by the undead and constant streams of necromantic energy stream from him shooting off in every direction. His head is thrown back as he expands his and the band's power even further, drawing in even more of the undead. But it is not enough. If he had more armies waiting in Greenshade...but he had not yet extended his reach this far yet. He had hesitated for her. To spare her the pain. That weakness was going to cost them everything, now, for all the dead he has called it is not enough to save him for even more Dominion troops are pouring through the open portals.
Tyranius's scythe decapitates an Orc from the Fighters Guild and he slams another to the side as he mows his way through his foes to reach Zirasha, who's just taken down several mages, though not without minor injuries. Even with her speed, there are far too many enemies surrounding them. "Girl, go through the portals. Kill the mages that are keeping the blasted things open." Tyranius orders her.
Zirasha glances at him, her eyes filled with a furious blood-lust and she nods and mists, streaming through the nearest portal. A few moments later Zirasha streams back through it, a second before it snaps shut. She moves to the next and Tyranius launches a furious assault to keep the Dominion's eyes off of her.
Jeziasi's daggers slice into any who move too close to Viperish Night. Often a look of disbelief crosses her opponent's face before she cuts them down. Without her helm, they recognize her, know her. A shard of pain pierces Jeziasi's heart and each one that falls before her seems to drag her further into the depths. It's harder than she thought to see them fall...but also easier in a sense. They threaten her son, and it gives her the strength to keep doing what is so very wrong. As another falls, Jeziasi nearly stumbles but regains her footing and glances around. The light from the portals has vanished as the last of them snap shut but enough of the Dominion got through that they outnumber the dead as more of Viperish Night's undead fall under the relentless assault. A bolt of fear and sorrow pass through her as she realizes this may be where it ends. All she wants to do is look back at her son, but more of the Dominion are charging and she will not let them kill him. They will have to kill her first.
Viperish Night trembles, the world blurring before his eyes. He is so very powerful, and with the Band of T'zlich, he is even more so. But the sheer number of Dominion troops staggers him. He has used up so much energy keeping the undead flowing into the battle.
Suddenly a shadow breaks from the woods and runs across the battlefield at a nearly impossible speed, swiftly evading all the Dominion forces. Jeziasi spins as the shadow passes by the undead guarding Viperish Night, the undead making no move to attack him. Ebony scales, Swims-in-Silence. So fast, and what is he doing? Never once had he or Mannimarco interfered, just watched. Jeziasi thinks though another Dominion soldier moves in front of her, forcing her to return her attention to the battlefield.
The world spins around Viperish Night as he, at last, reaches his limit and crashes to his knees, breathing hard claws clenching the dirt. Swims-in-Silence steps behind Viperish Night. "You now know what any kind of weakness can cost you," Swims-in-Silence hisses. "You thought to spare her this pain, and so you neglected this part of Tamriel." Swims-in-Silence kneels and leans in close. "Is this how you want it all to end?" Swims-in-Silence asks.
Viperish Night clenches his eyes shut, shaking. Perhaps it should end. He is a monster, he never should have been hatched. His head falls, but a cry has it snapping back up, his eyes opening. A group of Thalmor has cornered Jeziasi and she's fighting them with fierce near impossible strength but she is faltering from the drawn-out battle. If he falls, she will die. Swims-in-Silence and Mannimarco will escape, the world will continue its cry for blood. It will only end for him, his Egg-mother, and Tyranius and Zirasha. Viperish Night's eyes fill with icy fury. "No," Viperish Night hisses. "I refuse this! I refuse death. This world does not deserve such mercy!"
Swims-in-Silence places his clawed hand on Viperish Night's back and Daedric energy courses from his claws into Viperish Night. "Then show them no mercy, my son," Swims-in-Silence says.
Viperish Night throws his head back as the energy courses through him. The howl that erupts from him is a mix of agony and something far darker. The battleground stills at the unearthly cry and Jeziasi spins toward her son, her eyes widen in shock and horror. Blue energy swirls around Viperish Night crackling and pulsing with unnatural energy. Viperish Night staggers up and in a burst of power his form seems to explode and in its wake, something far more terrifying is born as scales and skin seem to melt away leaving only bones wreathed in icy blue light. Easily twice the size of a normal Argonian, eyes that glow white-blue, shimmering with an unholy light.
"Viperish Night," Jeziasi breaths, staring up at what her son has become.
The transformation seems to incite the undead and they turn with renewed fury on the Dominion troops, fighting with a strength far beyond what they had possessed before. The Dominion starts to fall under the relentless renewed assault. Viperish Night roars again and he surges forward, the dead surrounding him parting for their master. Viperish Night bursts into the midst of the enemy, icy energy pulses from him shredding armor and flesh from the Dominion. Viperish Night's claws tear his foes into pieces and his blows hit with force enough to shatter bones. The only thing Jeziasi, Zirasha, and Tyranius can do is step back and watch Viperish Night annihilate everyone and everything in front of him. Soon the Dominion forces are decimated and those few that remain retreat into the forest.
Viperish Night finally pauses and starts to shudder, the unnatural form melts from him, returning him to what he was before. Jeziasi moves to his side to catch him before he falls and Swims-in-Silence looks at her with a triumphant look in his eyes before he turns and opens a portal, allowing all of them to retreat from the battlefield before what remains of the Dominion can regroup.
-Skyrim Tomb-
Upon their return, Viperish Night pushes away from Jeziasi and staggers to his throne, collapsing mere feet from it as his body shakes from the aftermath of the violent transformation. Jeziasi rushes to his side and kneels beside him as Viperish Night struggles in a sitting position, breathing raggedly. "Viperish Night, are you alright?" Jeziasi asks him and Viperish Night just lowers his head, struggling to speak. Clawed footsteps approach them and Jeziasi's head snaps up and her eyes narrow at Swims-in-Silence. "What did you do to him?" she snarls.
"I showed him what his Daedric side could do. It allowed all of you to escape the trap the Dominion sprung." his eyes narrow as he hisses at her. "You caused him to be weak, my mate. If he had not hesitated to strike at the Dominion because of you, this would have never happened."
"I never asked him to do that!" Jeziasi snaps and starts to rise, a growl building within her.
"Down," Viperish Night hisses softly, the tremors at last ceasing. "He is right. I should have had more of my army in place in the Dominion. And...we may have fallen had he not done this."
Jeziasi freezes, her son's words chilling her. She wants to say so much but dares not with Swims-in-Silence watching them. So all she can do is obey Viperish Night, and she settles back down next to her son.
Swims-in-Silence regards Jeziasi. "You know what your weakness was, Viperish Night. Now for hers," he says in a dangerous tone. "You did not kill the cat, Jeziasi."
Jeziasi's blood freezes. She knew Swims-in-Silence had been watching the battle, knew he might have seen her violent confrontation with Razum-dar and how she rendered him unconscious instead of killing him. "I should have," Jeziasi says as she lowers her head. "I know to kill them all. It is what Viperish Night wants. I will next time."
"Weakness," Swims-in-Silence says again. "She is weak in regards to her former allies."
Swims-in-Silence calling her weak, the shock of meeting Razum-dar in such a fashion, watching Viperish Night in such agony as he transformed into that thing, it's enough to snap what little control Jeziasi has left and she springs up. "I killed every other Dominion soldier who crossed my path today. I am covered in their blood. I sprung at the damn cat as soon as he came for my son," Jeziasi snarls.
Swims-in-Silence smiles. "So this is what got you to speak to me more, my mate. Enough..." his eyes move to Viperish Night, "Enough to disobey our son even."
Jeziasi stumbles back a step, realizing her grave error. Viperish Night slowly rises and turns to Jeziasi. "I said heel, pet," Viperish Night hisses softly, dangerously. Jeziasi swallows, trying to reign in her anger. Viperish Night suddenly lunges at her, his claws wrap around her neck as he slams her against the throne. "Why?" Viperish Night hisses. "We kill them all. No survivors, no mercy. Why did you show him that?"
Jeziasi stares into Viperish Night's eyes as a jolt of fear passes through her, she cannot tell if her son is just acting or if what Swims-in-Silence did to him today pushed him further into the depths. "W...weakness," she manages to say. "I will not again."
Viperish Night moves and drops Jeziasi in front of the throne before sitting and leaning back. "You will kill him next time, Egg-mother."
Jeziasi lowers her head. "Yes, Viperish Night," she whispers.
Swims-in-Silence's eyes move between them. "You trust her? She has always been close to that cat."
Viperish Night's angry gaze snaps back to Swims-in-Silence. "Yes, Egg-father. Do not question me." Viperish Night says, his eyes moving to Jeziasi.
Jeziasi can feel both their eyes upon her, her heart beats faster. "He has forsaken me," Jeziasi says. "He will kill us both of us next time he sees us. I will not let him. I forsake him, as well."
Swims-in-Silence stalks towards Jeziasi and kneels by her. Viperish Night watches him with narrowed eyes but this time says nothing as Swims-in-Silence closes in on her. "No biting, pet," is the only thing Viperish Night says.
Jeziasi can only sit there as Swims-in-Silence's claws move to her face, tracing the blood splattered across it. "You may have had a moment of weakness my mate, but you did show such brutality against the rest of your former allies," Swims-in-Silence says. "If only you had shown that with the cat. I would have enjoyed seeing you tear him apart." Jeziasi's fingernails scour the stone as she tries to remain still and quiet under this invasion. "If she was my pet I would punish her for this weakness. But she is yours, my son." Swims-in-Silence says as he turns his baleful gaze back upon Viperish Night.
Viperish Night gazes into those eyes, the eyes that catch every single trace of weakness. "Tyranius." Viperish Night says. Tyranius and Zirasha had been hovering near the entrance knowing better than to intrude unless Viperish Night called for them.
Tyranius walks to the throne and stops. "Yeah, pup?"
Viperish Night's claws trail across the disregarded chain and he tosses it to Tyranius who catches it. "Take my pet and punish her for this." Viperish Night instructs. "I need to rest. It will be more difficult from here on out."
Jeziasi wants to turn to her son. To look into his eyes and make sure she still sees that faint glimmer of light amongst the dark. But she dares not. Not with Swims-in-Silence studying them so close.
Tyranius kneels by Jeziasi and snaps the chain around the collar. "Come, wolfy," Tyranius says as he rises, giving Jeziasi little choice but to follow as he heads her from the throne room deeper into the tomb.
Viperish Night clutches his claws together as Tyranius leads Jeziasi away. Viperish Night tries not to shake, trys not to show anything. His mind slides to the power he felt when he was transformed into that monstrous bone colossus. He felt...invincible when it engulfed him. He had become like his army, but not. No...something more like his Egg-father. Something more...Daedric. It shut out some of his emotions, cast his thoughts into the furthest depths of the river. He could feel that power still, a thread of icy surge running through his blood. He wanted to grasp it again, be that again. The troubling thoughts he sometimes had vanished, but so did something else. The part of him that screamed at letting Swims-in-Silence touch his Egg-mother, that hissed in anger that he let her be punished. Would Tyranius hurt her? Or would he know that Viperish Night just wanted Swims-in-Silence to think he was willing to hurt her for disobeying him?
Zirasha has vanished, but Swims-in-Silence is still in the throne room. His eyes never leaving Viperish Night. "You are silent Viperish Night. Will you fail to speak to me like my mate?"
Viperish Night finally turns his eyes back to him. "Just...thinking," Viperish Night says and he narrows his eyes. "...If I wish what happened today to happen again, will I need..." Viperish Night trails off and hisses angrily.
"It is part of who you are. It always has been. You will be able to access it on your own now. It just takes a great deal of energy. Use it wisely." Swims-in-Silence tells him.
Viperish Night tilts his head. "Very well..." he says, but then his tone turns angry. "This changes nothing between us, Egg-father. I will still see you dead."
Swims-in-Silence laughs. "Threaten me all you like. I can see the truth in your eyes. You will want more than just this, someday. You like this taste of Daedric power. The sheer power and rush of it. Your strength will only grow." At Viperish Night's angry hiss he laughs again. "You will come to accept all of this in the end and walk with me." Swims-in-Silence turns and a portal opens swallowing him up.
Zirasha is pacing in the snow when a portal snaps open behind her. Zirasha spins around as Swims-in-Silence steps forth and stands before her. Zirasha hisses like a feral cat, her vampiric eyes flaring.
"Is that any way to treat the one who made you so strong, so fearless?" Swims-in-Silence says. "If anything, you should be on your knees thanking me."
Zirasha stares at him with her crimson eyes. He, who offered her the promise of freedom...before throwing her to his true self who tore her apart before putting her back together with his Daedric blood. Never before had she felt pain like that, it had eclipsed pain.
"Too much?" Swims-in-Silence says with an evil smile. "Did I drive you into silence as often seems to be the case with my mate?" At Zirasha's continued silence he laughs. "Do you regret it then?" he asks.
There is a dangerous tone in his voice, this monster could end her. In a way, she was his. That part...she did not care for. "Never," Zirasha finally says. "I just don't like you messing with Jeziasi," she folds her arms across her chest.
Swims-in-Silence looks surprised and he tilts his head slightly. "I would not think you capable of this. Your soul is utter darkness, Zirasha. I have seen into its depths."
Zirasha hisses again. She will never regret being turned into a vampire, but how it had been done will leave a deep gash upon her, always. A small price to pay for it, though. "I have my reasons," Zirasha states. Swims-in-Silence starts to circle Zirasha and she follows him, her eyes never leaving him. "What do you want?" Zirasha asks. "My submission? You seem to want that from everyone."
Swims-in-Silence laughs again. "You submitted to me in Coldharbour, already Zirasha, when I had you down upon the ground when I was tearing your flesh, draining your blood. Your screams told me as much."
Zirasha hisses again, the anger flaring in her eyes. She never wanted to submit to anyone. The Altmer tried to make her submit to their way of life. Her parents to their idea of how she should be, the Imperials who thought she was a helpless girl, the fact that she had to submit once more to gain the freedom to never again be forced to submit still made her see red. She tenses and Swims-in-Silence stops.
"Calm, vampire," Swims-in-Silence says. "Your anger threatens to send your blood-lust into a frenzy." he steps closer to her. "You could transform too."
"What?" Zirasha says, startled out of her anger. Viperish Night's screams, the way he transformed into such a monster. It was glorious in a way.
"Yes, Zirasha," Swims-in-Silence continues. "You could transform into a hideously imperfect monster. The world would see your truth, I know you despise being Altmer, despite looking so perfectly... how do you put it? Pretty?"
Zirasha hisses, that word is like a curse. She cannot stand it. She made herself as imperfect as she could. Keeping her hair short and ragged, scaring herself, and endlessly feasting so she stays at the most corrupted form of vampire as she can. Still...she can still see the pretty Altmer looking at her in the mirror. Her eyes shimmer with curiosity and she steps closer to Swims-in-Silence. "How?" she asks. She cannot help it, she must know this.
"Feed to bursting, embrace my gift fully and you will shed your pretty form for a while to become something truly monstrous," Swims-in-Silence says with a twisted smile. "Something powerful, though perhaps not as powerful as my son. Still, I do not think you will be displeased with the result." Swims-in-Silence turns and the portal opens again, he passes through and is gone.
Zirasha stares and then resumes pacing. Damn him, she hates him. Not as much as Viperish Night and Jeziasi, but still. He hurt her friends, still hurts them. The thought suddenly causes Zirasha to stop and she snarls. No not friends! Allies. Monsters with a common goal. Never friends. Monsters such as they do not have friends.
Tyranius takes Jeziasi down to one of the lower rooms that had in the past been used as a dungeon, by whoever had occupied this tomb in previous times. Tyranius unclips the chain and leans against the wall arms crossed. "So we stay down here a while, wolfy," he says. Jeziasi's eyes follow his before moving to the doorway. "Prince won't be any the wiser. Just settle in for a while." Settle? Jeziasi growls softly. How can she settle, how can she leave her son alone with Swims-In-Silence after what had happened today? She stares out the doorway. "Wolfy," Tyranius cautions.
"I know," Jeziasi snaps. "I cannot go to him right now." She sighs and starts to pace the room.
Mannimarco suddenly appears and Jeziasi spins around to growl at him. He ignores her to move to the wall, running his hands against the various torture equipment and whips that hang on the wall gathering dust. "Neither of you can hold your damn tempers," Mannimarco suddenly snaps and turns to Jeziasi and Tyranius, his icy glare showing his anger.
Tyranius shrugs. "Calm down. I know pup did not mean it. Swims-in-Silence won't know the difference."
Mannimarco's gaze grows even icier. "You are excused from being idiotic, but not her," he says.
Jeziasi freezes and Tyranius glances at her. "Hiding a bone, wolfy?" he asks her.
Jeziasi stalks to Mannimarco. "Damn you. You need to destroy that damn thing, steal it, something." she snaps at him.
"Steal his favorite toy?" Mannimarco says with a laugh. "He knows I may yet scheme against him, I will not show my hand to him yet. Deal with it."
Tyranius stalks to Jeziasi. "Speak, wolfy," he orders her.
Jeziasi turns her angry gaze on him. "He has a dream amulet. He tortured Viperish Night with it, now he does the same to me. If I tell my son, you know what may happen."
"Damn it," Tyranius says. "Glad I threw in with Viperish Night over him. Dirty tricks."
Mannimarco barks out a laugh. "I remember some of the things you did during the Planemeld, Tyranius."
Tyranius shrugs. "Everything I did was in the open. I never resorted to such little tricks. I was upfront to the horrors I reaped upon the city." he explains.
"That may be true, but you do see why this is stupid now?" Mannimarco says.
Jeziasi clenches her fists. "He's right, Swims-in-Silence will know. He'll make sure to check." She turns from both of them.
Mannimarco turns back to the wall and takes a whip off of it and inspects it. "Punishing his pet as he was once punished, it will amuse Swims-In-Silence," Mannimarco says as he turns back to Tyranius. "If you don't want to, I have little trouble doing it in your stead, Tyranius."
Jeziasi spins around and stalks to Mannimarco, snapping the whip from his hands, tempted to do so much more than that if she can. "Never, Mannimarco," Jeziasi snarls and stalks right up to him, standing near enough to snap her jaws around his neck if she wants, if she can. Even if she's not the wolf, she's sure she could manage to tear his throat out. The two stare at each other with murderous glares before Jeziasi snarls, "Get out of here, now."
"I cannot stay and watch?" Mannimarco says. "You watched me be tortured, Jeziasi."
Tyranius starts toward Mannimarco. "Go, Mannimarco" Tyranius orders.
"I am tempted to say you can't make me, but that sounds so childish," Mannimarco says with a laugh as he vanishes, leaving the two alone.
"Wolfy..." Tyranius says.
Jeziasi slowly turns to him and hands him the whip. "Make sure Viperish Night cannot see it. Swims-in-Silence...will know regardless." Jeziasi says as she removes her armor, throwing it on the ground. She turns and places her palms against the wall. "Do what you must. I should have killed Raz. I should not have lost my temper."
"Need to stop blaming yourself for all this, wolfy," Tyranius says as he unrolls the whip. "You're an ally, so I'll try not to enjoy this too much."
Later that day Zirasha walks into Jeziasi's room and halts as she sees Jeziasi resting on her side, staring at one of the lanterns trying to will sleep away. Zirasha's nose flares. "Damn it, why did that brute do that? Viperish Night was not serious."
Jeziasi's eyes move to Zirasha. "Tyranius was not going to. But you know why we had to. Viperish Night will not see this. I'll make sure of it."
Zirasha moves to Jeziasi's side. "Then...you should take off your shirt," Zirasha says. When Jeziasi raises her head Zirasha hisses at her. "Hey! I know how to patch things up. I'm not going to lick the blood up." Jeziasi sits up and takes off her shirt before she lies back down on her stomach as Zirasha leaves the room only to return moments later with water, cloth, and a jar of healing salve in her hands. She settles in by Jeziasi. "...I might taste a little," Zirasha admits, and as Jeziasi starts to get up Zirasha hisses at her. "Still," she says as she cleans and dresses the wounds. "These...are not too bad. The brute did hold back a little," Zirasha says as she finishes up. "I'm done now," she adds as she licks her fingers and at Jeziasi's look Zirasha shrugs. "You knew I was going to do it. Curious what werewolf blood tasted like."
Jeziasi sits up and puts her shirt back on and regards Zirasha. "Well?" Jeziasi finally asks.
Zirasha smiles. "Tastes like wild meat with a dash of spices," Zirasha says and then her smile turns to a frown, and her eyes probe Jeziasi's. At Jeziasi's confused look Zirasha looks down. "We are not friends. Monsters do not have friends, I do not want them!" Zirasha bursts out. "So...what are we?"
Jeziasi is quiet for a moment thinking of it. Thinking of her time among her son and his unusual and bloodthirsty allies. They hunt together, even care for each other in what way they can. "Pack," Jeziasi finally says. "We are pack."
"Just that simple?" Zirasha says. "I...I like it. Now we should go to sleep. Even...if we don't want to. If you don't rest..." she trails off.
"Rest does help the werewolf healing," Jeziasi says. "It is slower than it once was until the wolf fully returns...I do need rest to heal." Jeziasi lies back down. "You...will stay as always, right?" Jeziasi softly says.
Zirasha settles in by Jeziasi. "We are pack. Even if I can't come with you into your dreams, I can be here when you wake." Zirasha pauses and hisses. "I am not being nice! I am looking out for you for Viperish Night. And that's not being nice either!"
"You are not nice, I got it," Jeziasi says with a small smile as her eyes close.
"Good," Zirasha hisses as she too closes her eyes. "I heard you smile to. I might bite you later."
All Jeziasi does is laugh slightly as the two fall asleep.
The air is warm and muggy as the dream forms around Jeziasi. Her fists clench, no, he did not bring her here. He... Jeziasi lets out a strangled cry before clenching her jaws shut. She will not give him the satisfaction. She will refuse this, refuse even to open her eyes. She may be on her knees but she will not submit again. She tenses as she hears Swims-in-Silence's moving toward her. "First you will not speak to me, now you will not even look at me?" Swims-in-Silence says softly. He moves closer to her. "Speak or I will change the dream to night, Jeziasi," he threatens.
"I obey Viperish Night, not you," Jeziasi snarls.
"You failed to, tonight," Swims-in-Silence says. "I was not sure you would be properly punished, so I brought you here." Jeziasi softly growls at him. "Were you punished?" Swims-in-Silence asks. "I wonder..." he circles Jeziasi and then steps behind her and kneels. "I see the pain on your face. You hide it nearly completely but I know you so very well," Swims-in-Silence touches her back and Jeziasi cannot help but hiss slightly as he runs his claws down her back. "So you were disciplined. And in such...a way. Would you let me see, I wonder?" Jeziasi's soft snarl grows and Swims-in-Silence laughs. "Too far? But we went much farther than that, once." Swims-in-Silence rises and moves in front of her. "I can wait, Jeziasi." He is silent for a few moments before speaking again, sounding thoughtful. "You will still stay with him, won't you? No matter what he does, no matter how he hurts you." Swims-in-Silence kneels in front of her. "He's more mine than yours now. You must know this." Swims-in-Silence laughs. "The pain on your face. You know I speak truth. You will never save him, so all you can do is follow him around like a pet dog. It...deeply amuses."
Jeziasi snarls again and her eyes bolt open, glaring at Swims-in-Silence angrily. He stands up and laughs, moving out of her line of view. She has done exactly what he wanted her to do. Her heart catches in her chest as Shadowfen is spread out before her. This day...she remembers and it plays out just as it did then. Jeziasi in wolf form and Swims-in-Silence hunting. Afterward, they started to spar and how easily he had thrown her to the ground, even in her wolf form. Her surprise than at his strength, far beyond what it should have ever been. She should have never dismissed it as she had then. So many things had been wrong with Swims-in-Silence, she just ignored them all. Her furious eyes return to Swims-in-Silence's as the dream fades.
