PROPHET
I didn't get any blood like I should have done. I thought about taking a sip of the Chalice but that would do no good. A few rabbits did the trick on the way to the Castle. My throat wasn't fully sated, but it helped. My companions were quiet. I tried to talk with the driver and use the remaining time for some ice spike target practice. If I kept the world from being silent, Cicero wouldn't hear her.
He gave me a few dirty looks when I got too loud but never mentioned anything until we crossed the channel to the Castle. "Listener is a talker, hm? Maybe she should listen more to Mother."
I smile then pull the oars again, "She's not saying anything right now."
"Enjoy the silence then, Listener. Mother is patient, she's learned she will talk when she wants to." He gives me another simmering stare before the boat lands on the island bank. He leaps from it quickly as if he wants to get as far away from me as possible. The feeling was mutual. I didn't, however, expect him to break into a skip up the Castle steps. "The Chalice has arrived!" He yells.
Gordon is thankfully right at the base of the staircase leading to the dining hall. "I see you have returned. Lord Harkon will be pleased." He purrs.
I think back to our adventure in Redwater Den. Maybe I should tell him about certain casualties… "To let you know, some vamps from the court here tried to kill me and take the Chalice for themselves."
He laughs, "You met Stalf and Salonia, I assume? Lord Harkon and I suspected they might follow you there."
"Well, thanks for the heads up. I had to kill them," I pause, "In self-defense."
He laughs again, "Of course you did. Welcome to the politics of Lord Harkon's court. Vingalmo and Orthjolf both long for our Lord's throne but cannot make avert moves against him. Each sought to gain power by using his underling to kill you and keep the Chalice for himself." Hm, explains their attitudes.
Gordon continues, "By ensuring the Chalice reaches our Lord, you have increased his power over them, and at the same time deprived them of their little pets. You've done Lord Harkon two great services. Take what you've learned to heart and be careful who you trust. Now, I believe Lord Harkon wishes to speak with you." He dismisses me, so I have nothing better to do than drag myself up the stone steps to their leader.
The Chalice is strengthening him.
The psychopathic Vampire Lord upstairs? Probably. But I'll find his weakness.
"Do we attack now?" I whisper to her.
No. She commands. You are outnumbered.
She is patient. Cicero's words ring in my head after her comment. Maybe I am being too bullish, thinking before acting. But it's so hard to contain myself when I see his vile face.
Lord Harkon sits near the fireplace and doesn't look up when I enter. He motions to the chair across from him. "You're here. Good."
"You wanted to talk with me?" I pause at the top of the steps.
"Yes, I did. When I told you that I was grateful for my daughter's safe return, I told you the truth. But I did not tell you everything."
No shit. He's playing a good game though, acting like he doesn't know I'm already suspicious. "I figured. What your secret? Any bodies beneath the floorboards I should know of?"
He doesn't laugh, just stares. "Strong instincts and a cunning mind will serve you as well as a blade, spell or claw. As you know, vampires are powerful, but we have limits. Our great enemy is the sun, and recently it's an enemy we've had no way to fight. For centuries I searched for an answer to this problem. I found an old prophecy written by a Moth Priest, those scholars who read the Elder Scrolls."
Elder Scroll, from what little I've heard of it, it's a mystical document. But the plot against the sun?
He seems to have read my mind, his eyes glow in excitement when he tells me his nefarious plot down to the dotted T's and crossed I's. Or is it the other way around?
"The prophecy tells of a time in which vampires will gain power over the sun and will no longer fear it's tyranny. I believe the secret to unraveling that prophecy is written in Serana's Elder Scroll. I have ordered the court to assemble. I have a new task for us all to carry out, and that includes you. Come and hear my proclamation." He stands without waiting for me to say anything. A man used to people begging to be at his side.
I stand back and watch the way he walks. He's very controlled and very aware. Something that is hard to fight. He's too alert for a surprise attack, based on how easy it is to shift into a Vampire Lord, he'd have me dead in seconds. However, if I were to have a stake, and someone distracting him, that might even the odds.
I smile at this little daydream while I follow him. He takes us to another upper balcony that overlooks the dining room. "Scions of the night! Hear my words!" He booms from the balcony. "The prophesied time is at last upon us. Soon we will claim dominion over the sun itself and forge a new realm of eternal darkness. Now that I have reclaimed one of my Elder Scrolls, we must find a Moth Priest to read it. I have spread false rumors about the discovery of an Elder Scroll in Skyrim to lure a Moth Priest here. Now it is time to see if those efforts have borne fruit. Go forth and search the land for rumors of a Moth Priest within our borders. Look to the cities. Speak to the innkeepers, carriage drivers, anyone who would meet a traveler. Go now and carry out this task. This is my command!" He turns with barely another glance at me.
Serana enters the scene, I saw her hanging in the background while her father preached to the masses. "I see you got more knowledge about what's going on around here. Any idea on how you're going to find a Moth Priest? Skyrim's a pretty big place." Her voice is downcast but her posture shows hunger. Probably to get out of this rat-hole.
"I have a few bartenders I'm good with, so I'm sure they'll tell me without persuasion." I notice some of the other vampires moving about the room, all glaring at me.
"Hm, I guess. If I were looking for a Moth Priest, I'd go looking around the College of Winterhold, they would be a good place to ask for any magic or historical thing. They have all kinds of wizards and a huge library. Actually, now that I think of it…I'll come with you. I've really been wanting to get out and explore a bit!" Her somber expression lights up.
The towers behind Winterhold. I barely remember it from when I was there. "Sure, if you want." Can't guarantee her safety. "But let's keep Winterhold in mind as a last resort, don't really want to get involved with mages unless we have to." Not to mention they'll flay me alive for having uncontrollable spark magic. On second thought…that might deal with some of my problems.
No. Go to the bars. Go to the Bannered Mare.
"So, I can get arrested again?" I question.
It will be the quickest, Solitude is too risky.
She has a point. Serana gives me an odd look. "Ignore me. We should go to the Bannered Mare. I'm sure they would know something." Time to go look for Cicero.
"Need to find my colleague, but tell me about Elder Scrolls, I don't know much about them." I admit.
She laughs as we wander the halls. I have his blood scent but it's faint. Just have to wait until it's so strong it's practically smacking me in the face. "You'd figure a couple hundred years locked away with one would have given me some insight, but no." Serana says, mildly amused. "Turns out you don't learn much from just sleeping with something."
I smirk at that, but right then the blood scent becomes stronger, too strong. Serana pauses, smelling it too. This isn't good…
I turn the corner first, blocking Serana's view on purpose because I'm not sure what I'll find. Good thing I did, Cicero is crouched and covered in blood, almost like a second skin he keeps wearing. Two vamps dead at his feet.
"What did you do?" I snap.
"Oh, Father's not going to be happy about that." Serana crosses her arms, not straying from the doorway. I, on the other hand, walk over and nearly grab the jester by the throat. I restrain myself, just to show our vampire friend we are somewhat civil. My hand grasps the edges of his collar.
"They wanted my heart." He looks up at me, looking like a feral fool. "They won't have it."
I rub my head. "I believe you. We need to get rid of the bodies."
"Mother will." He states the obvious.
They will be gone when you return.
"What is she doing? Forming into a spectral spirit and turning them to ash?" I ask him but he gives no coherent answer. Just talks to himself. "Mother, Cicero is doing his best, you know he does…I would never desert you…" I grab him by the back of the neck and lead him out.
Serana, strangely enough, keeps up with us. Doesn't say anything until we are in the courtyard and the dingy boat is in view. "Someone there will clean them up. Father's servants found the others upstairs behind a dresser. He thinks your friend…shouldn't entice violence but also shouldn't stand aside and let them bully him."
"Really?" I'm not buying it. What would the ulterior motive be? "He gets rid of his political opponents indirectly?"
"Yes." Her answer is flat and undeniable. This vampire court isn't subtle. When we get to the boat, I throw Cicero in, the mad and mumbling mess he is, then pull Serana in to start the journey.
"Tell me. What do you think of your father?" I grab the oars and begin to row. The sea is choppy today, but I'll get us to land even if we have to swim.
"He's…not the best. He hates my mom, you heard him. He said he'd put her head on a spike if he saw her again. I'm closer to her anyways, but father thinks he can keep me under his thumb."
"I know the feeling. What's his end goal with this Scroll?"
Her brows knit. She pulls her cape away from a stray wave that smacks into the boat. Cicero rolls into a ball, clasping his knees and rocking, at my back. I keep one eye on him. "Father's end game? You heard it. He wants to blot out the sun."
"Why?" Stupid question and in payment I get a stupid answer.
"He wants vampires to roam the world when they want. The tyranny of the sun is what he calls it." She shakes her head.
"Or they could, you know, sleep during the day and be fully nocturnal."
"Yes, the night and day are an equal amount of time in Skyrim. But non-vampires can leave their homes whenever, so." She shrugs, as if the logic stands.
Okay, no sun, no problem for the vamps. They get to go terrorize the local towns whenever. What about the plants? The wildlife? The non-vampires?
"Everything else would die or have a rough time, leading to a decrease in the blood-having population."
She sneers, "I guess. Go try to tell father that though. No one really knows the consequences. The sun is either covered with clouds, heavy, heavy clouds, or it doesn't appear anymore."
"He's willing to bet on that?" I ask and pull the oars harder against the current. It's getting more temperamental.
"He's not exactly in the right state of mind." She glances towards the approaching shore. But while we're on the subject…
"Do you know where that Scroll was? The one you have?"
She blinks, "With me, locked away."
"Were there others? One he bartered for? Have you heard anything?"
"I'm not sure, you'd have to ask my mother. Why?"
Do I spill the beans that I think her father executed my parents? Would she defend him, or would this be par for the course?
"Just wondering." I take the easy road. The silence is awkward as the little boat fights the current to shore. We have ten minutes if I can get us through this without capsizing. "Were you always a vampire?" I ask, if only to keep from hearing Cicero's increasingly frenzied chanting.
"I guess… we kind of have to go way back. To the very beginning. Do you know where vampirism came from?"
"Yep, Molag Bal." I pull and get us ahead of another cascading wave.
"Yes! He created the first vampire…but she was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful daedric lord, and his will is made reality." I remember his grinning face as he stared me down after killing Vorstag, the glee and the malice. I shiver.
"For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."
"So, your dad bit you and changed you?"
She laughs, "No, I took part in a ceremony, but it was degrading. Let's not revisit it. We all took part in it. Not really wholesome family activity, but I guess it's something you do when you give yourselves to a daedric lord."
I really take in her face then. She was changed when she was young, maybe my age, but her eyes are ancient. "You were changed by him?"
She nods, "You've met him."
Not a question but a statement. "Yes. Didn't really want to see him again. Actually, I hope I can now." I joke.
"Listener must not talk to the daedra! Listener is bound to Mother!" Screams Cicero. Before I can do anything, he grabs my neck into a chokehold from behind. I buck and try to throw him off. But he just holds on. "Get. Off!" I yell. Power races along my shoulders and up my neck. Not that strong, never that strong against him because he is her favorite child apparently. But it's enough. He screams and falls off the boat. Waves taking him further away.
Serana stands, watching him, "Shouldn't we turn around and get him?"
I look back at his fading form. "He'll be fine. Needs a bath anyways."
I'm surprised by her lack of curiosity until we get to land. The boat finds the shore and we hop off. No carriage in sight. Will have to get one near Solitude. "What did he mean?" Serana crosses her arms while we wait. Cicero was slowly making his way in.
I consider, if I tell her she might be useful. Or just blab to her father. But she didn't seem like the type. The guy will be dead soon anyways. "I only tell you if you don't tell your father."
She laughs, long and loud, full belly laughs. First time I've seen this girl genuinely happy. "Oh, the secrets I keep from my father! No, he'd have to pry out more skeletons from my closet before getting to yours."
"Okay, short story is the Night Mother is the true leader of the Dark Brotherhood. She's been talking to me for years, not really in a good way. I used to see Daedric Princes. I'm an…oracle if you would. Haven't seen them in a while though."
"Huh, so that's how you've met Molag Bal?"
"Yep. Not a huge fan. He tried to kill me a few times."
"I'm not surprised." She murmurs when the jester finds land. "I'm guessing Cicero is your unwilling companion?"
"Other way around, but yes, I try to keep him on the straight path but I'm mildly successful. Basically, we're in deep shit. I think it has to do with your father, so that's what we're investigating."
She tries to hide her smile. "No one is surprised about that. You need to be more secretive. I'll tell you all I know but we you probably won't get the answers you want until we find the Moth Priest."
"I expected as much." I say while I watch the little jester shake his clothing of water before approaching me.
"Listener! That was not nice to do to poor Cicero!" He kicks a small rock then a grouchy looking mudcrab.
I sigh, "Wasn't nice to choke me out either. The almost fights are getting old. Either throw the punch and let's get it over with or back off." I emphasize.
Serana glances between the two of us. The tension is thick. Cicero just shakes his hat out and puts it on. "Let's get moving, I can't leave Mother for long and she'll need to be cleaned soon."
"Cleaned?" Serana whispers to me.
"You don't want to know, trust me. Now let's go get a drink and find this Priest."
Uthgerd the Unbroken was giving me the evil eye from the far side of the Inn. I had the other two in my rag tag group of detectives surrounding the main bar. But she was back at her table. Looks like she hasn't forgotten our last fight, I just hope she doesn't want to have a re-match. She might not make it with the jester.
He's angry, annoyed, and frustrated. Sounds like he's having separation anxiety from the Night Mother. I want to tell him to go home…but he is a good distraction for the rest of the vamps. Maybe he can hold out a few more days, that's all it will take.
Don't worry, I will ease Cicero's mind. He is the only one who can be with you for this contract.
"Gotcha." I say, then down a full mug of ale before slamming it down. "One more please." Bartender comes to retrieve my mug. I asked her about the Moth Priest. She didn't know where he was but would ask the cook when she came in for the night shift.
Serana was the only one not really on edge. Although, she barely touched her mug the whole time. "Don't like the ale here?" I ask.
She wrinkles her little nose. "Not really my thing. Not appealing to me before or after the change."
"Oh, uh, sorry I didn't ask. Want something else to drink?" I eye her mug then slowly slide it towards Cicero. Might help him out.
"Actually, there is." Serana has her golden eyes locked on Uthgerd across the room.
"Good luck, she'll probably smash your head in before you can get your fangs anywhere near her."
"I've been a vampire for a very long time. I know my way around." She stands and with that goes in for the kill.
I peer over my mug at the action. Serana greets Uthgerd, Uthgerd challenges her to a fight, Serana declines, then after some sweettalking they disappear to a back room. Easy as cake.
"There she is! There's the person you want to ask!" Bartender points and I see the Redguard woman just entering the Inn.
"Thanks," I slam ten coins on the counter.
"Hey, sorry but I'm looking for someone have you heard of a Moth Priest rolling into town?" The woman looks flustered at my approach, so I keep my eyes down and fangs hidden.
"Yes, of course, whole town was talking about it." She begins putting on her apron.
Whole town, huh? I look back to Bartender who just has a cheeky smile. Tempting to go after her for lying to us…but she did give us a bunch of drinks and time to relax.
"Where'd he go?"
"Last I heard, he was headed to Dragon Bridge. But that was days ago, he could be there now or some where else." She shrugs.
"You lied?" He sounds offended. I look back to see Cicero glaring daggers at the Bartender. Not good.
"Thanks for the tip." I mumble then intend to make a beeline back to the bar to prevent a stabbing in public. Instead, I trip over a dog. He yelps at first then jumps on me to lick my face. "Oof, hey buddy." I pet him. Man, I missed Oliver.
Only it's not him. Barbas whines then grabs my armor at the wrist. He whines again and pulls. "No. I can't go." I whisper. The words fall on deaf ears. He pulls relentlessly until I'm five feet from the door. Pulling and pulling.
"Cicero has been away from Mother for too long and you dare waste more of my time!" He's on the bar now. Adventurers are glaring at him from the fire. Their hands twitch towards their blades, ready to defend the bartender. I pull again frantically, if he kills her there's no way we're getting out of here to get the Moth Priest.
Barbas doesn't budge, we make it through the door right when Mother decides to intervene. Power pulses down my arm and try as I might, I can't stop it. Barbas howls then drops me, I expect him to tuck tail and run but he looks up defiantly, determination blazing in his eyes. And begins to pull again. "Barbas no! I can't go. I have to stay. I'm close to ending this."
Screams come from inside the Inn. I need to go and help, I can't get any more bounties in this damn city, but the dog is strong. No sooner than ten seconds and the door bursts open. Cicero and Serana come running out. Blood on her pouty mouth and a mask of fury on his face. Yelling ensues along with a chase. Throughout the commotion Barbas loses his grip.
"Listener, come on!" Cicero pushes me. I turn and see Barbas caught in the fray of angry adventurers. With vampire strength I do as I did with Gabriel: I pick Cicero up and run. "Serana! Follow me." We race down the cobblestone paths, through the little storybook village that now had an angry mob chasing us. Soon the guards got into the fray. Was kind of a miracle we could scale the wall without them flinging arrows at us.
The carriage is in sight. "Dragon Bridge." I tell the driver breathlessly. He gives me a puzzled look but doesn't argue. The horse starts moving when the carriage is infiltrated.
The dog barely scrambles on the back. Cicero screams bloody murder and madness. I move to defend Barbas, keep Cicero from making the first cut. It works, his knife hits me in the abs. I groan but Serana has a good choke hold on Cicero now. Barbas just licks my face then drops a note, inconspicuously next to me before leaping off.
It takes a long time to calm him from the screaming. I think he's finally hitting a mental break. The horse swerves, trying to get away from the wretched sounds as much as we want to. "Cicero!" I finally yell, "Mother wants you to calm down now! To sleep. She'll uh, talk to you in your dream."
"Mother said that? She said that wasn't a Prince?" He cries, his tear-stained eyes find mine.
"Yes, she did." I process what he said, "Not a Prince. Now go to sleep."
The silence is bliss. He nods off on Serana's cape. She's as far away from him as she can be on the other bench next to me. "What in Oblivion happened? I was halfway through feeding when I heard."
"I think he's having a tough time with everything." I admit.
"Want to send him home?"
"I thought about it. But I don't think she wants him to leave." I bite my lip at the thought.
Cicero is asleep and dreaming of me.
"Get a better grip on him." I growl at her.
You should know how easy it is to defy me. Her voice is dripping with malice. His mental health is his own doing. I have not part in causing it or helping it.
I take issue with that, but I keep my mouth shut. Instead, I open up the little crumpled note in my hand. The words don't really surprise me. I take them in then fold the note before the Night Mother burns it to ash with my power.
She is hunting something and she is close. Those are the words scrawled on it, very sloppy might I add. I'm guessing it was Barbas's doing somehow.
"Everything alright?" Serana's voice is full of compassion for a moody vampire.
"Yep. This is a daily occurrence with us. Let's just focus on what we need do when we find this Priest."
I kicked the damn carriage straight through with frustration when I saw it. Our driver brought us all this way, all across two holds to have to let us off early because of an "errand" he had to run. We walk for miles. I deal with the whispers and the glares from people in Dragon Bridge, I did kill their pride and joy, captain of the guard, after all. We cross the bridge and right when I get the feeling some weird mojo was about to happen, I ignored it. Now, we're here. In front of the destroyed carriage with two dead and no Moth Priest.
"The Dawnguard." Serana says, "They must have taken him."
I think about their hideout, all the way in Riften… "There?"
"Where?"
"Riften. All the way on the other side of Skyrim…"
"Hm, didn't know they were there. No, it has to be near here." She has the good forethought to look through the dead's pockets to find a note. "Close actually, in a cave over there." She points.
Cicero, now acting like a rabid squirrel on too much skooma, races down the path. Me and Serana actually have to push to keep up. The cave is right ahead, and the scent of mortal blood fills the air.
"Any plan of attack? There has to be at least five of them." I grunt as I leap over one of the large rocks.
"You know the plan Listener! There is no plan, just kill." Cicero yells.
Serana doesn't add anything, so I follow Cicero's advice. Hopefully they ran out of crossbows.
Cicero's Journal Entry
30th of First Seed, 4E 202
It is so hard being away from you. We used to be bound at the hip, always a few feet away. I always showed up when you called, cleaned your wrinkling body, kept you dressed to impress. Took you where you needed to be. I did everything for you. Cicero is enjoying his time in Skyrim with Listener, but she isn't you. She can never compare. She is too hardheaded…intends to hurt poor Cicero! How can he bear it much longer? How can you bring your Children together in harmony? Please! Give her knowledge! Give her a reason! Enlightenment!
Ah, Mother, my mind…Nazir and the vampire child better be doing you justice…