AMELIA
Fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I stare straight at the silver tipped bolt Vito's directing at me, heart pounding loud in my ears. Breath caught in the back of my throat.
"Put it down. Don't force us to make you." Marcurio flashes a purple lightning spell in his palms.
Inigo also growls, his posture now hunched, sword arm ready to lunge forth and strike at him from behind.
"Any of you make one wrong move and I'll be taking her with me," Vito snaps, not sparing them so much as a glance. His attention unrelentingly fixated on me. "Now answer my question. How did you know about me and my brother? Who are you? You're no vampire hunter." His face scrunches up at the accusation.
I watch Marcurio and Inigo fidget in place, Inigo's tail twitching back and forth in quick whips in the silence. The tension's thick enough where it makes it hard to breathe, to swallow, and with Bishop remaining unseen behind me, it just makes the anxiety of when everything will snap all the worse.
"Everyone stop!" I shout, nerves tingling so hard, the eruption almost feels relieving.
They all look to me, relaxing a tad.
I gulp and focus on Vito. "You're right. I'm not a vampire hunter," I admit. "But I'm not your enemy either . . . How I knew about you, you wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain. However, I do need your help. That's the truth. And you would be able to kill more vampires, with certainty, if you decide to come along. Which would be very much appreciated."
Vito purses his lips. He seems to considers it a moment, gauging my words for any unseen or unspoken signals.
"Let's hear it." He keeps his aim on me.
The coldness in his eyes freezes me to my core. Reminding me of a ferocious, hungry wolf watching its prey.
For a second, time doesn't exist.
I daze out, brain malfunctioning. Caught in the striking snare of his gaze. When I notice, I lick my lips and inhale a shaky, deep breath.
"I'm the dragonborn," I force out. "With that, comes some perks, and plenty of troubles. One of them being privy to information I shouldn't otherwise have, thanks to the god Akatosh."
Vito's nose crinkles with the simultaneous furrow of his brow. The mixture shouting dismissal louder than words.
"I know it sounds crazy, I do," I assure him, before he cuts me off completely. "Trust me. If I were in your shoes, I'd think the same thing. But I can prove it. So, if you could just put the intimidating crossbow down, I can show you! Please." I plead, barreling the last of the words out in a desperate, panicked rush before staring up at the dingy cellar ceiling.
Vito's expression harshens to that of a scowl.
Distrust emanates from its depths, seeping out, for all to witness.
But by some miracle, he doesn't just opt to shoot me. His expression softens, and he lowers his weapon again.
I breathe in a deep sigh of relief.
"Bishop, can you call Kaidan in here? He should be here for this, too." I ask the favor without even looking at him, intent on keeping eye contact with Vito, to convince him still I'm not a threat. That we're not a threat. As suspicious as we may all be. "Bishop, Inigo, Kaidan, and Marcurio are already in the loop for what I'm telling you, and I'm proving the truth to them now, too. So, you're not alone."
Vito raises an eyebrow at the lot of them.
A second later, Bishop's footsteps ascend the ladder behind me. They return not two breaths later, another pair, I presume to be Kaidan's, following afterwards.
To confirm, I glimpse back at them over my shoulder.
Yep. It's Kaidan.
He squints and looks around, adjusting to the significant lack of light, with a concerned and confused frown on his rugged face—his massive, engraved armor glinting in the dim candlelight.
"Marcurio. Now, it's your turn to reveal your note," I break the silence.
I refocus on Vito.
"A few days back, I gave out four notes detailing what would come to pass over the coming weeks. One, we already revealed in Helgen, and that checked out." I nod to Inigo, while Marcurio pulls out his folded note from his pocket. "Now for my note for Falkreath."
I wave for Marcurio to open it.
He does so and skims over the text. When he's finished, he pauses. He stares blankly at the piece of paper. Mind gone, somewhere far off.
"Does it match up fairly well?" I ask.
He blinks up at me, snapping out of it, and nods, passing it on to Inigo, who goes on to read it next.
"Keep in mind I wrote down all of these notes before we even got near Falkreath," I explain, as Inigo finishes, then offers it to Vito. "Before we ever got a lead on you, Lucien, or Auri."
Vito glances at me then snatches the note from Inigo and skims over the text. Once. Twice. Three times I watch his focus shift from side to the other, until he finally stops.
His shoulders droop. "How is this possible?" He looks up at me with widening eyes.
"I told you. Dragonborn." I shrug. "I'm . . . different."
That's one way to put it at least, without getting too overly complicated.
Kaidan and Bishop then take their turn to read over the note. Once they're both finished, they all look to me.
"I don't expect you to believe this right away. That's exactly why I have two more notes for the others, too. I'm leaving it up to you if you want to tag along to see those for yourself. As I mentioned, your help is much needed and would be appreciated. Especially in the days to come."
I stare him down. Waiting. Hoping. But in all honesty, I don't have a true preference for the outcome.
If he comes, great.
If he doesn't, fine.
So long as he doesn't try to kill me again, everything's fantastic. That's all I really care about right now, after this unexpected debacle. I'd really like to not be at the other side of an arrow again, if possible.
Vito frowns. He lowers his chin to glower at the ground. "Hmmm. What say you?" He glimpses at the others. "Do you all believe her?"
"Yes. Without a doubt." Inigo smiles with a swish of his tail. The warmth of his immediate answer lights me up with joy.
"I'm getting there." Marcurio chuckles, crossing his arms and giving me a haughty smirk.
I laugh at that.
Vito looks to Kaidan and Bishop. I catch only a nod from Kaidan when I turn around. If Bishop responds, I don't see it.
"Very well. I will come with, for now," Vito acquiesces.
"Thank you." I sigh, my body just about melting in place.
Seems I'll live for another day. Barely.
I thank any gods that might've aided in that, however, doubtful. If anything, I'm starting to think they're causing all of this for shits and giggles.
Glancing around the room for loot again, though, my muscles go rigid again, noticing the skull and other body parts atop the nearby table. Along with a certain book I recognize.
"What is it?" Vito narrows his gaze at me.
I glimpse back at him and then the book. "Um . . . If you want your brother's journal, it's over there." I gulp, pointing awkwardly at it. "But uh . . . Fair warning: it can be a bit . . . disturbing."
Vito scrunches up his face at me again. I get the feeling he's probably going to be doing that a lot. More than he's comfortable with, maybe.
Still squinting at me, he walks over to the table and picks the journal up. He starts flipping through it. His expression softens. First as if recalling a reverie, then with a sad despondency, ending with regret that's quickly replaced by anger.
"The mill people are also probably vampires, too," I add, looking down, fidgeting with my fingers. "We can show that journal to the Falkreath guards and take action against them, if you want. At another time. Just saying."
Vito purses his lips. "I will . . . consider it." He nods, closing the journal and tucking it beneath his belt.
I inhale a deep breath. "Let's go then. It's late, and I'm wet and tired." I gesture to my soaked leather armor with a bored expression. I hear Bishop huff out a snicker behind me. "Not like that." I shove him and make my way to the ladder.
I climb up the steps with him still chuckling, one rail at a time, being careful with my hold so as not to slip, because that's not the first impression I want our new people to get of me so soon.
At the top, Nadina notices me and helps me up.
"Oh, finally! I was wondering if one of you had gotten eaten down there! I was starting to worry." Lucien beams at me with honest relief.
I grin back at him and nod.
Yeah.
Thankfully no getting eaten or bitten this time.
We'll see if I'm so lucky with the next.
Unease squirms within me at Hunter's Rest.
Night's fully fallen now, darkening the thick, forest landscape, save for the smoking campfire Lucien, Auri, and Nadina tend and chat around outside the cabin. We've chosen to stay here until morning, since it's the closest place we could really think of to get us out of the storm, without camping by potential vampires or in a passed one's bloody lair.
But even though we've put both behind us, with some distance, Bishop, Kaidan, and Marcurio have yet to relax.
Their postures remain tense. They congregate together on the opposite side of the camp, whispering while glaring at Vito, who's sitting on a log under a pine tree, reading his brother's journal again.
I can't say I blame them.
I've yet to take my eyes off him either, really. I've been too nervous to. Too worried he might suddenly turn on me again, that he might change his mind. After all, if he can do it once and go off track from his modded code, to the point of threatening his supposed-to-be friend with violence, who's to say he can't do it again?
The thought unnerves me.
Not because of the violence, but because of its implications. What it could mean for any follower or mod in my wake.
I wring the rag in my hands, one I've been using to wipe myself down after our muddy trek.
Nadina, Auri, and Lucien laugh.
The suddenness of the combination makes me jump, my soul just about levitating out of my body. I look to them.
Compared to the others, they seem so naively at peace.
How I wish I could be more like them.
I sigh, smile, and shake my head.
"Agh!" Inigo's voice yelps to my left.
He's just walked out of the cabin. One hand of his quickly rises to grasp at his head.
"My friend, my mind is being tugged again!" He squeezes his eyes closed in a harsh wince. "It is very strong this time . . . . I see . . . wooden posts upright in the snow, a tower. I recognize the tower!"
I rush up to him, holding onto the sides of his arms in an effort to comfort him, since I can't do much else.
He continues to grimace, his ears turning back and lying flat against his skull. "Eergh! I see the cabin again. The door is locked tight," he continues.
He trembles a bit, the words barely escaping him. But then he sighs. His ears go upright again, and his golden eyes flutter open.
"It is receding," he whispers, sounding relieved. "It is over . . . for now. My head is pounding. Ow."
He lowers his hand and looks straight at me, his cognizance returned. I rub his arm, ruffling up his soft fur. "You recognized the location, right?" I ask. "Could you mark it on our map?"
Inigo nods. "Yes, I think I camped at the tower once long ago."
"Perfect." I sigh.
I glance off to the others. Kaidan's already walking up to me, carrying my pack, and from everyone else's stares, I'd wager they've all been listening also. I nod my thanks to Kaidan and rummage through my pack for my map, ink, and quill. Once I've got them, I pass them over to Inigo, along with a book to write on.
He marks a circle around a mountainous area a short distance south of Dawnstar. Far off from where I was thinking. Good thing I didn't try to force us to go just based on memory. Otherwise, we'd be out searching forever.
Inigo finishes and passes me back the quill.
"We'll head out for there first thing in the morning," I promise, putting it and my ink bottle away. "Let's hope the storm has passed by then."
"Thank you, my friend. My mind and I appreciate it." Inigo smiles.
I beam at him and take my book and map from him.
Behind me, though, I hear a faint scoff.
"Now the cat's having visions?" Vito's near inaudible voice prickles my ears.
I tense and swallow hard.
The sooner we get there to prove this and my third note, the better. Maybe I can be more at peace then?
It's certainly my only shot.
"Egh. Ow! Who is pulling my brain? I wish they would stop it. Urgh." Inigo grumbles down the slope, behind me.
I glimpse back at him, mid-hike, past the light snow flurries flittering down through the trees all around us. "Don't worry. We should be almost there, Inigo. Not much longer and we can give them a talking to."
And hopefully get this over with to sit by a fire.
Vito scoffs and shakes his head. "You sound so certain," he mutters, scowling straight at me, boots crunching atop the snow.
I notice Kaidan, Bishop, and Marcurio also looking somewhat impatient not far away from him. All of whom immediately look at me.
I gulp. "Because I am." I retort, facing forward again.
But I'm definitely a little more rigid in my step now, in my shoulders. For it'd be a lie to say there's not a seedling of doubt.
So many things have been different from what I expected since I got here, inside the game. Who's to say Langley won't have changed as well? And if our interaction does, and my note for this is wrong, what then?
What then?!
I cross my arms and hold myself, the building anxiety trembling like a growing earthquake under my skin. The good being that, if anyone notices, any shaking they'd dismiss for the cold. A small blessing in this frigid, good-for-nothing, spider-invested environment.
We reach a flat area of the slope to find a cave to our right, a pile of bones scattered outside.
"Reminds me of the caves in Stros M'Kai," Nadina remarks, stepping up beside me, her dark curls littered with sticking snowflakes. Her nose scrunches up as she glares at the dark entrance. "Smells like 'em too. Full of trolls that grew toxic mushrooms. Ugh!" She waves a hand in front of her nose, turning away.
"Good thing we're not going in there then." I try not to breathe through my nose to smell to join her as well, and push forward, further up our current slope past it. "Come on."
The others crunching footsteps follow behind me.
A bitter breeze blows through the area, swirling my hair around my head in a blinding torrent and creating freezing points on my cheeks. A body rippling shiver bolts down my spine in response, creeping under my armor.
I gasp and hold myself tighter.
No. No. Think of somewhere warm. A fire. An inn. I'm not cold. I'm not cold. My fingers . . . they're not tingling because they're numb. No, it's because I'm drunk. Enjoying some nice ale with a hot, juicy, celebratory steak, while listening to bard play some music on his lute.
I clutch to the imagery as hard as I can, trying to convince myself. The attempt: somewhat working. But for the most part, only lessening the cold's severity.
More blustery gusts greet us off and on as we near the top of the slope, the snow only increasing in number.
At the third one, when my imagination is just about at it's limit, and my teeth threaten to chatter, I look up and notice the lone tower we've been looking for up ahead.
"Oww!" Inigo yelps, and we all turn to see him grab his head. "We are getting close to the source of my mind problem," he says. He dashes forward, past me, in the direction of the tower. We all follow, and I try my best not to trip and fall face first in the shin level snow.
Inigo stops in front of tower and looks up at it.
"Ok, this is Snowpoint Beacon." He turns to me. "Next we need to find the wooden posts I saw. They must be close."
"Lead the way." I gesture for him to go ahead, more than eager to get this over with. To have my answer.
Inigo sniffs the air. His eyes narrow, but then, his ears perk up. "This way, my friend!" He sprints up the neighboring snowy hill, as I expected. "The source of my mind vibrations is east of here! I am sure of it!"
"You better be. Otherwise, we'll all freeze here to death," Marcurio snarks between audible pants.
We reach the top of the hill, and Inigo stops beside one of many slanted wood posts, trailing off across a nearby bridge. He glances up at it, then pivots back to me.
"The cabin must be nearby. These are the posts from my vision. Come on. Let's follow them."
Inigo takes off again before I can get a word in.
I glance back at the others, heart still racing, and limbs aching from a mixture of our trek and the biting cold. Quite a few of them also huffing, looking beat. Exhausted. Like they're one centimeter away from just collapsing and becoming literal angels in the snow. Mostly Lucien, Marcurio, and Auri, who's wrapped herself firmly in a leather cloak. "Come on. You heard him. We're almost there."
And not a second too soon, I think. For any of us.
I run after Inigo, across the bridge, into a smaller, narrower area with several boulders and trees.
"If this snow gets any thicker, we won't see three feet ahead," Kaidan grumbles, just as another swirling flurry whirls throughout the area.
Inigo stops, and he fixates on something ahead, beyond the trees.
I follow his line of sight and smile. "You can put your worries to bed." I sigh and look away from the cabin, back at Kaidan. "We're here."
Authors Note: Thank you everyone for your patience and support! It means so much! Updates should now resume every two weeks. Playthroughs/tutorials on Youtube are also resuming as well. See you here in 2 weeks! :)