Chapter 19. Shadows
A/n: So, the answer to the mystery of Nels' death will NEVER be revealed, but all in due time friends, all in due time… Anyways, here go nineteen.
Vvardenfell's head was swimming with questions, as she looked tearfully at the ring that Nels had given her. Tears dropped off of her face, some landing on Skooma who would look up at her abruptly as she would have to explain that it was only the moisture in the tunnel.
Larka stopped suddenly and moved her hand back as to bar Vvardenfell's passage.
"Larka, what are you doing?" Asked Vvardenfell, shoving Larka's arm out of the way.
"There's something in here." Said Larka, making no protest as to ardenfell's passage.
"How do you know?" Asked Vvardenfell, hiding the fact that she trusted Larka's instinct.
"I smell it." Said Larka, a hint of humour in her voice.
Vvardenfell looked back at Larka, trying to tell from her facial expressions what she meant by this.
Larka's eyes grew wide as she began to babble, pointing behind Vvardenfell. Vvardenfell turned to see a person that looked like a Dunmer, only uneven fangs jutted out of it's mouth, an it's eyes the deepest hue of blood red.
"Oh Azura." Vvardenfell said, her face once more turning pale.
"Run Nord!" Cried Larka, unsheathing her Tanto and intercepting the Vampire's first blow. Vvardenfell fell back from shock, Skooma shrieking from fright. She brought out a rising force potion, and, seeing a safe ledge, crammed it down Skooma's throat and pointed towards it. Skooma, understanding what this meant, flew up to the ledge and hovered, waiting for the potions effect to wear off.
Vvardenfell had cast her dagger, with the blue magic that trailed from her hands distracting the vampire so that Larka could ring her Tanto down onto it's forearm, cutting deep into the nerve and disabling the hand.
Vvardenfell ran up to the vampire, jutting her enchanted weapon into its heart, while it emitted a terrible scream that echoed throughout the corridors and ceilings of the open area.
"Oh, god." Said Larka, sheathing her weapon and turning quickly.
"What?" asked Vvardenfell, looking back at Larka's strange behavior as Skooma leapt into Vvardenfell's open arms.
"If THAT was a vampire, and it killed that s'wit back there, then…" Larka trailed off, knowing that Vvardenfell understood.
Vvardenfell stopped, and picked up the dai-katana laying by the vampire and sheathing it, hoping she would not catch Larka's eye. The two hurriedly re-traced their steps, passing by the spot where Nels had been, Skooma huddling into Vvardenfell's coat, and before they could remember where they were they found themselves staring into the bright light of day, resealing the Daedric ruin with large stones that they found. Before Vvardenfell could place the last stone she saw a hand jut through, and heard an inhuman growl as it grabbed the cuff of her shirt.
"Larka!" She screamed. The Dunmer bolted out of the forest and dumped the wood that she had been carrying, unsheathing her sword but unable to time it correctly for fear of hitting Vvardenfell. The vampire was hitting Vvardenfell's head against the stonewall simultaneously, making a strange gargling noise in its throat for victory.
Larka decided to jab her sword into the hole, and when she did, the vampire lost its grip and Larka placed the final stone in place.
Vvardenfell had a large gash on her face that was bleeding terribly, and she was knocked out from the force of her head colliding with the stones.
A/n: Nothing to say but Please Review!