A large Queen size bed filled a small bed chamber. A wardrobe, a cupboard and a wash basin filled the remainder of the space in the room. Vorstag lay between the sheets of the bed. His armour and sword lay in a crumpled heap on the floor next to him. He awoke slowly. His beady eyes scanned the room rapidly. He sat up, looking around the room. At that moment, the door opened. Ruby entered, she was minus her armour. Instead she had donned a white evening dress. Vorstag looked at her.
"How did I get here?" he asked.
"You fell over and banged your head while you were fighting," she lied. "I defeated them and then brought you here."
Vorstag looked confused. He rubbed the back of his head.
"I trust I fought well," he said.
"Like a true warrior," she said beaming at him.
She placed a small mug on the table next to him.
"Drink this," she said. "It will help. A healer will come in to see you momentarily."
He watched her leave. She stood in the doorway.
"Drink," she commanded.
He picked up the cup and looked inside. It was red, like the colour or wine. He took a sip. It was also sweet, just like the wine he was accustomed to. He drank more before draining the liquid. He set it back down on the table just as another figure walked in. This newcomer wore long, white robes with a hood covering her face.
"Did you drink the potion?" she asked as she entered.
"All of it," replied Vorstag.
"Excellent," she said. "We can begin."
Seconds later a band of several other robed figures entered the room. Vorstag looked at them, he counted a further three bringing the total up to four. The last member closed the door and joined the others around the bed.
The leader stood over Vorstag. She placed her hand on his forehead. He closed his eyes instantly and fell into stupor. She then drew a Daedric dagger. It glowed a sinister blue colour.
"Nos quatuor sorores," she began. "Da nobis haec anima. Fac nos homines. Da nobis pulchritudo. Da nobis virtus."
She raised the dagger and plunged it deep into Vorstag's chest. Blue light issued from the wound created. It spread across the foursome, entering their bodies through the eyes. Vorstag made a noise of discomfort as his soul was sucked from his body. The foursome glowed blue. There was a rushing sound. Then, silence.
Vorstag lay in the sheets, his corpse lifeless and soulless. The foursome lowered their hoods to reveal heads of long blonde hair. They looked at each other and took off their robes. They stood around the bed naked, looking at each others bodies. They all had lily white skin and were petite in stature. However, two were brown eyed, one was blue eyed and the other was green eyed. They were all almost identical and could have been mistaken for a set of sisters. They smiled and laughed as they looked at each other.
The door opened. Ruby entered to see her comrades. She looked down at Vorstag and then at her comrades again. She opened the wardrobe and pulled out some clothes. She threw them to each one of them in turn.
"Put some clothes on," she requested.
They did as requested and there was a moment of silence that was broken with the rustle of clothing being put on.
"We need more human souls if we are going to live longer," said one of them. "We won't live long on sharing a soul."
"You're right sister," said another. "But we should move to a place with more mortals. It will look suspicious if we keep bringing mortals here. People will get suspicious."
They were silent for a moment.
"So where do you suggest we move to?" asked another.
"A city," said another.
"Markarth," said Ruby.
They all looked at her.
"Markarth?" asked one.
"Yes," she replied. "There is an abandoned house there. We can live there and people won't notice us."
They looked at each other. They then turned to Ruby and nodded.
"Markarth," they said together. "Let's go."
Castle Volkihar materialised in front of her as Lilith approached it. The little boat bobbed up and down on the calm waters surrounding the castle. It bumped and scraped against the rocks as it landed on the island. Lilith climbed out of the boat. She slipped on the wet rocks as she made her way inland. In front of her was the stone walkway towards the castle. Gargoyles flanked her as she approached.
The foremost Gargoyle looked at her. Its eyes glowed red and looked at her. Lilith froze. After a few seconds the eyes disappeared. She sighed and continued her journey up to the castle. She reached the door of the keep. She lifted a ring and pushed it open. The door creaked open and she stepped into the keep. The doors closed behind her as she looked over the great hall.
"Anyone here?" asked Lilith.
Her voice echoed around the Great Hall. There was no answer. She descended the stone steps, looking around the Great Hall.
"Stefan," she called. "Serana?"
She stood at the foot of the table and looked around the room. She peered into the alchemy lab. It was empty. She then peered into the smithy. It too was also empty. She walked up the stairs towards the courtyard. She pulled open the door and was greeted by a familiar bounding towards her.
In a moment of instinct she raised a ward. The spectral wolf bounded at the ward and fizzled into nothing.
"Lilith," said Serana in surprise. "What brings you here?"
"I did call around the Great Hall," said Lilith. "You didn't hear me?"
"I wondered what that noise was," said Stefan. "Mystery solved."
"What brings you here?" asked Serana. "You're supposed to be in Falkreath watching the girls."
"Lucinda sent me Serana," said Lilith at once.
"She did?" asked Stefan urgently. "What's occurred?"
"My Lord," began Lilith. "Some minions of Molag Bol visited the manor."
Serana gasped and raised her hand in surprise.
"Are the girls okay?" asked Stefan.
"Yes," replied Lilith. "We took care of them."
"This is not good," said Serana. "Molag Bol is expecting them to join him. It's not a good idea to refuse him."
"What happens if you refuse him?" asked Stefan.
"No one knows," said Serana. "No one has ever refused Molag Bol before."
"You don't think he's going to...the girls do you?" asked Stefan.
"It's how me and mother were granted our Vampire powers," replied Serana.
"But they were born Vampires," said Stefan. "Surely that's not...necessary is it?"
"Molag Bol is a Daedric Lord," replied Lilith. "He doesn't care about what is necessary or what is not. He will do it because he can."
"Well what can we do?" asked Stefan.
"Valeria has this crazy idea that we go to Oblivion and fight him," said Lilith. "She's determined not to join him."
Stefan smiled at the determination in his daughter. She had inherited his stubbornness and her mothers fire.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Serana. "I'm sure that's not necessary."
"What else do you suggest?" asked Stefan.
"There must be another way," said Serana. "We don't need to go to war with a God. It'll be worse than the Oblivion Crisis."
Stefan looked at her.
"How did you know..?" he asked.
"I read it in a book once," she replied.
They were silent for a moment.
"There must be a way," said Serana.
She turned on her heel and walked towards the Great Hall.
"Where are you going?" asked Stefan.
"The Library," said Serana.
He watched her leave. He then turned to Lilith.
"Are the girls alright?" asked Stefan.
"Yes my Lord," replied Lilith.
"Lilith," said Stefan. "You must return to Falkreath at once. The girls, they need you more than we do. Please look after them."
"At once my Lord," said Lilith.
She bowed and made her way to the Great Hall. She pulled open the doors and disappeared. Stefan stood on the spot for a moment before he too entered the Great Hall. His intention was to aid Serana in her research.
The sky was a deep blue. A blue mist shroud the landscape. The landscape itself was a deep blue. A bitter wind billowed around the scene. A creature, standing eight feet tall and wielding a truly enormous two handed Ebony sword stood at the doors of a great castle. In front of him stood a tiny snow elf. Despite her petite stature, she was considered to be tiny compared to this monstrosity of a creature.
"What do you want little Elf?" asked the creature.
"I want to see your master," she said simply. Her voice was high pitched but with a sultry quality.
"Master does not permit visitors little Elf," said the creature fighting back a laugh.
"Is that so?" she asked. "So he posts an oaf like you telling little Elves like me to go away?"
The creature looked down at her.
"Did you call me an oaf little Elf?" he asked in his booming voice.
He looked closely to see her once dark Elven eyes were glowing red, just like a Vampire.
"You are a Vampire little Elf," said the creature.
He laughed.
"Why would the Vampires turn a pathetic little creature like you?" he asked. "You look like a child's doll."
He reached down and tried to pick her up. She darted aside as his fist scraped the ground.
She looked up at him with her arms folded.
"Your master..." began the Elf.
"...doesn't have time for your kind little Elf, " said the guard. "Go bother someone else."
He drew his large sword and looked at her.
"My name is Eleonora," she said.
She raised her hands. In one moment a spectral Dragon Priest had been conjured. It then conjured a Storm Atronach which glowed menacingly. Eleonora fired lightning at the large creature. The Dragon Priest conjured a ward. It began firing large ice spikes at the creature. The Atronach fired lightning. Eleonora switched to ice spikes. Instead of being small, these were gigantic. Almost a foot long. They penetrated the creatures thick hide. He swung his sword. It cleaved through the air. It struck the Atronach. The Atronach was carved in two and disappeared instantly.
Eleonora back peddled, firing never-ending ice spikes. They struck the creature over and over again. He screamed in agony. He ambled forwards. The Dragon Priest shot a line of fire at the creature. He screamed in agony as the flames licked his skin. He swung his sword once more, blindly. It caught the Dragon Priest. The sword carried the Priest through the air, spraying fire all around.
A gout of fire caught Eleonora on the sleeve. It burned her skin. She recoiled. She doused the flames with Frostbite. The fire was extinguished. She looked up to the creature standing over her. He looked down at her.
"Come with me little Eleonora," he said. "Let's go and meet the master."
He picked her up by the scruff of her Vampire robes. She then hit her across the head knocking her unconscious.