Disclaimer: chapter 1…

Chapter 3: Dwemer and Dracula

How long have I looked at this wall? I stopped looking for a way out ages ago but yet I still stare at the door to my prison. Well I stare when a new sound awakens me from my slumber. Some bandits have taken residence lately; I can hear them through the walls. They should make for far more interesting company then those infernal machines that sealed me in here. Maybe one of them will find my cell, hah! In the endless ages I've waited mighty armies have resided here, great heroes have walked down these halls, powerful wizards have unraveled existence just a few feet away, living gods have strolled these corridors and to think a few bandits will uncover me! I must be getting old and senile.

In Balmora

"Come on party boy, time to sober up" Jadix was dragging Ed to a room they had rented in the eight plates, he and Amulius had found Ed dancing and singing with a Nord and Argonian he called CjayC and LU-Eshi. No one was sure if that was their real names as they were in no condition to give answers. While Jadix dragged an unconcious Ed up the stairs, purposefully banging the alcoholics head on every step, Amulius dug deep into his bag to find the money to pay for the damage Ed had caused, that payment almost bankrupting him. "Tomorrow were sending Ed over to the temple for Alcoholics Anonymous" "agreed" An hour later Ed was passed out on the only bed in the inn room while his 2 companions lay on the floor with pillows Jadix had stolen from some nut who kept crates of them in her house. "Why does Ed get the bed?" "If we leave him on the floor he'll probably die" "What if he wakes up?" "Goldy's standing outside the door if he tries to leave" "Goldy? That golden saint?" "Yep" That summon should have ended hours ago" "I guess were more entertaining then oblivion" "I think she just wants to kill Ed" "We'll see in the morning"

"Ohhhh, my head, feels like a guar was tap dancing on my forehead" Ed looked around and saw his friends, the alcohol must have still been affecting him because he could see a golden saint standing in the doorway "Well you finally woke up" "What happened" "Oh nothing, streaking through Balmora, drinking a barrel or 2 of sujamma, summoning daedra, blowing up a building. You know, a regular night on the town" "Whose that?" "How could you forget about Goldy? You summoned her" "Wish I could remember any of this. Whose pants am I wearing?" "We don't know" "great" Ed was searching his pockets for some kind of identification when a Nord walked in "Hey buddy!" "Yah, hi… whoever you are…" "Wild night, huh?" "Who are you?" "Names Ceej, Sorry about last night, looks like it cost you quite a bit" "Damn right, alchy broke the bar and our wallet" "Well I can fix that, I need some men for my operation over at Arkingthad" "Whatingthad?" "Arkingthad, it's a dwemer ruin, my boss has been looking for some added protection and you would be perfect. I figure after losing all that money a job is the least I can do for you" "Thanks!" "Just take the path north-east of moonmoth and cross the bridge, see you there tonight" "Alright" "Oh and one more thing, can I have my pants back?" "Uh yeah" After Ed had gotten into a new set of clothes and Amulius had gotten their stuff ready for the trip Ed spoke up "And you said my drinking was a bad thing"

"I think my nose is broken!" "By the nine you're a whiner" "Why did you punch me in the face?" "Because your drinking is a bad thing" "It got us this job!" "We wouldn't need this job if you hadn't been drinking!" "If we had this job I wouldn't be drinking!" "That doesn't make any sense!" "Shutup and get to work!" Barked their boss. Amulius and Ed had been down in some cavern for hours guarding against centurians, an easy job since goldy had wandered off earlier and all they heard from her was the occasional clang of metal in the distance as she slaughtered the ruins mechanical inhabitants. When their supervisor had finally left Ed spoke up "Hey whats that?" "What's what?" "That thing up there" "Up where?" "Up there" Ed pointed up to a small dwemer chest sitting ontop a support "Looks like a chest" "A chest in a dwemer ruin, so it must be full of artifacts, incredibly valuable artifacts!" "Go get it!" "I don't know if I can cast levitate with me being an alcoholic and all" "I'll buy you as much beer as you want if you just go get it" "As much as I want?" "No more then a crateful" "Fine swindler" Ed levitated up to the top of the cavern and popped open the chest "Were rich!" "How rich?" "Filthy rich! Its full of dwemer coins, their must be 20k in coins here!" "Bring it down!" "Rich!" "Hurry up!" After Ed had shoved the chest over the two men looked at their pile of of loot "Well Amulius maybe I'll share a little of my treasure with you" "Quit joking and pack up the stuff, don't want those bandits taking it all" "I'm not joking" Ed grabbed an armful of coins and levitated up as fast as he could, whacking his head on the ceiling "Nice one" "man I must have a strong head" "What are you talking about?" "The stone I head butted is moving into the ceiling" "That sounds like a cliché out of a badly written story" "psst, shutup or lobster will kill us off" "Oh yah, um I mean that's a brilliant idea from a great author!" "Well were safe for now but about that stone" "Um, I guess it opens something" "Another cliché" "You do realize theirs a golden saint nearby that the author could kill us with?" While the two wondered about their fates a small slit in the wall slowly and silently widened "Hey Amulius" "What is it Ed?" "Whats that?" Amulius turned around, peered into a dark room that had just opened up and saw something he had feared since he was a child. Unable to speak he silently asked the nine to protect him from this vampire.

Chapter 3, review, please?