He watched her leave and allowed his shoulders to sag once the door closed. He heaved a sigh and sat down on the bed.
Valios was, he would admit in his less-humble moments, an imposing figure. He had seen the intensity of his gaze in the mirror, directed at himself, and had seen fear reflected back at him when he faced some of his worst adversaries - vampires among them. The Blade of the Gold Coast, they'd called him - hells, the Fighter's Guild had put him on their posters, briefly. He'd left before his fame got too much, never wanted the attention, but… he's no stranger to using his presence to his benefit.
So why did the fear in Serana's eyes make him feel ashamed?
She must have known that he was constantly breaking a promise to even accompany her - and then she calls the citizens of Morthal chicken, as though they're just food, and nothing else. The rage it incited was immediate, if tightly controlled. She had wilted under his gaze and stuttered out a goodnight.
He heaved a sigh, undoing his bun and allowing his hair to cascade about his face.
"That heart of yours will get you into trouble, boy." Councilman Stenos said gruffly, the Dark Elf peering down at him despite sitting while Valios was standing. His gaze was knowing, not condescending, but Valios still couldn't help but feel slighted.
"What's the alternative? Apathy? I can't just not care." He argued. The elder sighed.
"The Order is not kind to those who do." He stated, and Valios' face contorted in confusion.
"What? Caring is what makes us who we are - we're compassionate for our brethren, support each other, face the evils of the world together, and help the innocent." He continued, but Stenos merely shook his head.
"It is not your fellows that you have to fear, boy. It is the evil you fight against. Heart is powerful. It gives - you would call it 'humanity'." He sighs again. "But humanity is fragile. No, boy, it is not caring that you have to be afraid of. It is who you care for."
Unbidden, the memory of a snippet of conversation with one of the oldest members of the Council of Stendarr came to mind. Stenos was only a High Priest of Stendarr, having declined the position of Bishop, but his wisdom was valued in all matters. Even the High Paladin and the Bishop himself looked to him for guidance, and Stenos was more than willing to offer it, centuries-old as he was.
Stenos had taken him under his wing when he'd first become a Paladin, fresh with the grief of the Varondo Incident, and given him desperately needed guidance and allowed him to heal. He owed the man much - in many ways, he had almost filled the void his father had left when he'd died.
He groaned, trying to shy away the morbid thoughts.
Serana was, unquestionably, one of the evils he fights against. She was a vampire - a higher vampire, an elder vampire, even. Perhaps even one of the first, after Lamae Bal. By all rights, Valios should've slain her the moment he woke up, or the moment he learned of her age, or…
He kept telling himself that. But vampires weren't supposed to tease him without some malicious undertone, weren't supposed to think so loudly about things that weren't world domination or death of the mortal races, weren't supposed to banter with him or trade barbs whilst traveling together. Weren't supposed to agree to hunt an animal in place of a person, even if somewhat coerced.
Vampires weren't supposed to have hurt in their eyes unless they were dying.
She was too human.
"There you go again, Paladin Evicus," he muttered aloud to himself, "caring too much. You'd make friends with a mudcrab if you could." He imagined it was what Stenos would say.
He shook his head. Sleep was what he needed before anything else, and then a meal in the morning. Maybe he'd even be able to relax before they set off again.
He should've known he wouldn't be so lucky. He awoke to knocking at his door, almost fervent. He groaned aloud. The knocking continued.
"Hold on!" he called, stumbling out of bed. The knocking stopped. Unfortunately, he awoke quickly, as he'd trained himself to do. He was used to sleeping in the wilds most nights, with only the occasional inn; waking up quickly was a necessity when danger was always a possibility.
He'd taken his armor off before he slept because he wanted at least a few hours of sleep without something digging into his shoulders, and he was left in his smallclothes - pants and a shirt, because it was too cold for anything less.
He opened the door and was met with Serana, predictably, who took a moment to take in his relative state of undress, eyes flickering up and down before she shook her head and met his eyes.
"Yes?" He said evenly, ignoring any thoughts her look might have provoked.
"Can I come in? Something's happened." And then, without a response from him, she swept into the room, leaving him rather confused.
"Normally, one waits for acquiescence before entering," he grumbled, closing the door.
"Acquiescence? What are you, an old man?" She snarked. It seems they were both content to forget his small outburst the night previous and go back to their back-and-forth of contentious banter, which was fine with him. Less awkward.
"Did you feed?" He asked, ignoring her remark.
"What? Yes, I found a deer, which was not as easy as you made it sound, by the way. They're not just fast, they jump." He couldn't help a small smirk at her annoyance. She glared and continued, "No, I found something else while I was out." He raised a brow.
"...go on?" He beckoned when she didn't immediately elaborate. She blinked, stumbling out of her thoughts.
"There's a burned house across town. Recently, I guessed, but I didn't have anyone to ask." Avoiding the guards. Probably smart. "I looked inside and there was a ghost. Of a child." He tilted his head, frowning.
"A ghost? Someone died in the fire?" A child, as well? Such an event would certainly be a catalyst for a child's spirit remaining in the material world. Serana confirmed his thoughts with a nod.
"She said she tried to hide, but everything was warm, and then… very cold." Minutely, her posture sagged at this, and she looked away. He didn't allow himself to empathise, because much as he may not want to be outright hostile, considering a vampire with humanity was still… difficult. "She wanted me to play hide-and-seek so that she'd reveal more." He crossed his arms over his chest, listening intently.
"I found - her, just outside of town. Where she'd been buried. Her coffin had been dug up."
"That would explain why her spirit was wandering. If her resting place was disturbed, she might not've been allowed to properly pass on. Did you discover what did it?" At this, Serana nodded, and looked noticeably more tentative. He narrowed his eyes.
"There was… a vampire. She attacked me." His posture tensed.
"What did you do?" He asked. She looked back at him, almost surprised.
"I killed her. She was enraged, wouldn't let me get a word out. Afterwards, her husband arrived, I think, searching for her." His arms fell to his sides, alarmed. Had she -? "No, I didn't kill him." She said, correctly interpreting his response and sounding offended. "He saw that she was a vampire within moments. Apparently, she'd been gone for over a week, gone off to join the war. He had no idea she was a vampire."
"He did not blame you for her death?"
"No - my eyes look normal in the right light, and he assumed I was defending myself. Which I was."
"Hm. What else?" It was by far not the end of the story.
"Thonnir - that's his name - claimed that she'd been spending a lot of time with a woman named Alva, which was strange because they'd never liked each other until recently. When I suggested that Alva might be at fault, he didn't believe it. I left him to his… wife, and spoke to the spirit of Helgi, the child." She took a break.
"The vampire, Laelette, was the one who set fire to the house. Killed the girl and her mother, but tried to turn Helgi before she died. She failed, though." She fell quiet. Valios went back to his bed and sat in it, ignoring Serana's expectant gaze. He took several moments to consider.
"There was a motive. Laelette is likely recently turned, or otherwise just a servant. If she'd wanted Helgi from the beginning, she would've planned it differently, and probably not inside a burning house, so it was likely spontaneous. The change in behavior - Alva probably turned Laelette, then they came up with an excuse to cover her absence." He frowned, then looked to Serana, "Did anyone else survive the fire? A mother and a daughter - was there a father?"
"Yes. Hroggar. According to Thonnir, he now lives with Alva." He barked out a short laugh.
"Sometimes things solve themselves, don't they?" He remarked. It wasn't an incredibly convoluted scheme, which was fortunate for his freshly-awoken mind.
"That's not all." He swiveled to look at her, brow raised. "I snuck into Alva's house." His eyebrows shot towards his hairline.
"You mean you broke in? To a person's home?" He correct.
"To a vampire's home. Vampire aren't people, right?" If that was a dig at him, it struck home, and he was not fond of the burst of shame it elicited in his chest. She continued before he could respond. "She is absolutely a vampire - neither she nor Hroggar was in, so I went to the cellar. She had a coffin to sleep in, and a journal." He raised a brow.
"What was that you said about coffins yesterday?" He quipped.
"Shush. The journal confirmed that she'd turned Laelette and made Hroggar into a thrall. But she wasn't the mastermind. She was turned into a vampire by someone named Movarth, who leads a larger coven." He frowns. The name sounds like one he should know, but he couldn't place it. "Their plan was to gradually have Alva seduce the guards, then descend upon the town to take it over."
He strokes his beard, thinking. "You have the journal?"
"Yes." She pats a satchel around her waist. He continued to muse.
Movarth. Movarth, Movarth… he didn't know. He had to have heard it before, and considering he was a master vampire with a coven behind him, it was probably not in relation to anything pleasant. It was an ambitious plan, to take over an entire town. Intelligent, too, because they were going after the guards first - that might be an indicator of their numbers, because much as Morthal was one of the main Holds, it was not exceptionally large, and didn't have near as many guards as, say, Riften. In a surprise attack, the advantage would be with vampires. Perhaps they were simply being cautious, but he hoped it instead indicated that they were not at strength. Only one vampire in the village, too… hum.
"You're thinking too loud," Serana spoke to his left, and he shot her a Look. She just smiled innocently. "What do we do?" She continued.
"...We go to the Jarl. Idgrod Ravencrone is reportedly a smart woman, if strange. With the evidence of Alva's journal and my testimony as a Paladin of Stendarr, we should gain support. Our odds of victory against an entire coven, singlehandedly, is low. Not improbable, but low." He was confident in his skills, but overconfidence would only get him dead. Much better to be cautious, especially with vampires.
"Alright. I'll… meet you there, then?" She queried, and he nodded. She stood to leave, and before she opened the door, he added -
"Serana." She turned. "Well done. And… thank you, for bringing this to me." He knew of several alternatives she could've taken - chief among them, to have said nothing. They might have left before he would have heard anything about it.
She stared at him, almost searching - no, taking measure of him. He raised a brow. "What?"
"You do need a haircut." She said, and then left without another word. He silently spluttered into the empty air.
He grumbled. "Entirely unfair. Using my own words against me…" Truth be told, he didn't actually have any comeback. That irked him. He stood to put his armor on, and tie his hair into a bun where she couldn't comment on it. The beard… needed some work. He wasn't about to take a dagger to it, though - a problem for somewhen else.
Idgrod Ravencrone had a fitting name, he thought inwardly. Bluntly, it sounded like an old person's name, and the Jarl of Morthal was certainly old - wizened, he would say, but she wore her age neutrally, neither a burden nor pride; it simply was. When learning about Skyrim before his visit, he'd glanced across reports about her. Apparently, she claimed to receive visions from the Divines. Ordinarily, this would be cause for concern, but it appeared the people of Morthal respected her, and she had never exhibited dangerous behaviour. Even so, he was wary as he walked into the hall.
He stepped around the hearth in the center of the entryway and approached the throne. Idgrod sat, and near her stood a burly Nord in scaled armor - likely her Housecarl. Despite not announcing himself, Idgrod found his gaze easily, almost surprising him with its intensity.
"So, life has brought you to Morthal, and to me. What purpose this serves, we will no doubt see. Welcome." She states, voice strong and steady. He blinks.
"A colorful greeting, my Jarl. Were you expecting me?" He inclines his head respectfully, but does not bow. He got the sense she wasn't the type for it.
"Expecting you? No, not you specifically. Someone like you, maybe. Regardless, you have the look of someone with burdens on their shoulders. What burden have you chosen to share with me?" Ah, there it was. 'Uncannily perceptive', the Vigilant who made the report had written. He tried not to let it unsettle him.
"My Jarl, there is trouble in Morthal," he began steadily.
"Do you speak of the wizard, Falion? If you've come to question the wisdom of my judgement, you may save it." He almost frowned, canting his head. He filed the name away for later and pressed on, to more urgent issues. Behind him, he could almost feel Serana shift.
"No, Jarl. Nothing of the sort. This is more pressing, and, I daresay, alarming." She raised her chin in response, then gestured with one hand for him to continue. "My name is Valios Evicus. I am a Paladin of Stendarr, come from Cyrodiil - not with the intention of investigating your Hold. Rather… simply an unintended consequence. I have reason and evidence to believe that Morthal is threatened by a vampire coven." At this, Idgrod shifted, leaning a bit closer.
"A weighted claim to make, but not one someone of your Order would make lightly, I suspect. You claimed evidence? Present it - Aslfur!" She calls, and a man comes from one of the side rooms. He is younger than Idgrod (most were) but he still carried the weight of age, silver hairs intermixed with brown on his head. Steward, perhaps.
"My companion is responsible for gathering this evidence." He turned and, on cue, Serana handed him the journal. She seemed content to remain silent.
"Another Paladin? I thought you traveled alone." Idgrod mused as Valios handed the journal to Aslfur.
"No, Jarl. Just - a friend." He felt rather than saw Serana stiffen, likely in surprise. He couldn't blame her; he was a bit surprised, too. "The journal belongs to one of your citizens, Alva. According to that journal, she is a vampire, responsible for the turning of Laelette and, through her, the deaths of the mother and child in the burned house."
Flipping through the journal and reading quickly, Aslfur frowned. "This journal mentions Movarth." This seemed to intrigue and alarm the Jarl in equal measure, and she leaned forward. Unspoken, Aslfur handed it over.
"Troubling. Movarth was a master vampire, thought to have been killed a hundred years ago." Valios could've smacked himself in the head. Of course! Idgrod noticed his reaction. "You are familiar?"
"I am now, Jarl. I thought I recognised the name. One of the members of the Council of Stendarr faced him when he was still a Knight. Master Teluik. A wood elf," he added, explaining the fact that he was still alive. "He related details of the story once, many years ago." Details Valios was struggling to bring to bear. "I suspect he won't be pleased that Movarth survived."
"Mhn," Idgrod hummed, handing the journal back to Aslfur. "And Alva, that traitorous bitch," she spat, surprising him, "I didn't think she had it in her. I should've known." She sighed. "Very well, Paladin. Am I correct in assuming you would like to deal with the coven?"
"It is that or let them overrun Morthal, my Jarl - and that is something I cannot allow." He spoke, straightening.
"We are of the same mind, then. As our resident expert, how would you proceed?" She surprised him again in immediately turning to him for guidance - most Jarls would have taken some time to capitulate due to their pride. He'd experienced it many times in Cyrodiil. He didn't waste the opportunity.
"We cannot waste time. It would be best to attack just after morning begins, when they're most likely to start going to sleep. Given that it's morning now, however, we may not have that luxury. How many of your guards can you spare?"
At that, she looked to Aslfur. They made eye-contact, communicating silently. It was Aslfur who spoke.
"Just over half a dozen. Any more and the town will be weakened." He said simply.
"We would not want to give the vampires chance for reprisal." Idgrod agreed. He pursed his lips. Less than he might have hoped, but certainly more than he could have expected ordinarily.
"They will all need shields. Am I correct in assuming you don't have silver weapons?" He glanced between them.
"Eh. Some, relics of the last conflict, but we have not the time to get them into proper shape." Idgrod supplies.
"I will Bless them then, I suppose," he muses to himself. "We need to gather quickly. Commotion is likely to be noticed. Someone should be sent to subdue Hroggar - he is still a thrall. Once Alva is taken care of, the spell he is under will be lifted." He hesitates, "I doubt he will be in good shape, once that happens." Losing loved ones, especially discovering you'd been manipulated into not caring, hit hard. Idgrod nods.
"Aslfur. Go to the barracks and gather the men you think most suited."
"Those skilled in close-combat, preferably. A mage wouldn't hurt, if you have any on hand," he adds, though he doubted they did. Mages were rare enough, and usually weren't a part of city guard when they did come around.
"What do you and your companion need, Paladin?" Idgrod turned her gaze on him and Serana.
His mouth twitched. "A helmet or a haircut. Preferably both. The former, since we're strapped for time. Might I request the latter once we're finished?" Her mouth quirked upward, and she heard Serana quietly titter next to him.
"Certainly, Paladin. It will be done. Go prepare. We will do the same." Idgrod replied.
He nods. "Of course, Jarl. Thank you for taking my advice so quickly - I had expected to have to argue."
She scoffs. "I may be old, but my hearing is not so far gone as to ignore sound counsel, nor my eyes to see what is right in front of me. I will not fail Morthal for pride." He smiled at that, a genuine smile. He so loved sensible people.
"By your leave, Jarl." He bowed his head and turned to head for the door. Aslfur had disappeared to speak to the guard. Perhaps a secret entrance.
"That went well," Serana said quietly as they opened the door - only to be met with a crowd of people, all in ordinary clothing, some holding torches (which didn't make any sense, because it was day out). A mob.
"You had to say it," he muttered. "I think I preferred it when you weren't speaking," he said, with no real heat behind it. She hit him in the arm anyway.
A blond Nord stood in the center of the group. He was perhaps in his twenties.
"You - you're the one who discovered Laelette." He was looking and speaking to Serana, then shifted to Valios, both of them standing on the steps outside of the Jarl's hall. "Are you with her?" He could guess where this was headed.
"I am, yes." His attention remained rooted to him thereafter, and his mouth almost twitched. Some of that old-fashioned sexism, he mused - assuming the male was in charge. Granted, he was, but it was really very traditional.
"You're going after the vampires," he deduced. Valios just quirked a brow. "We - all of us, we've come to help. We want justice - I want justice, for my wife." The crowd, perhaps ten strong, all murmured their agreement. This was Thonnir, then.
He swept his gaze across the group, expression neutral. All of them common folk, yet all of them had weapons. Only one or two had a sword, most of them had axes - one even had a farming scythe. They were all clearly charged, ready for a fight, and he resisted the urge to sigh.
"Absolutely not," he stated evenly, and was met first with confusion, before confusion turned to outrage.
"You - you have no right to refuse us! We deserve a chance to exact vengeance!" Thonnir argued. "Just because you have fancier armor doesn't make you worthier than us." The mob all shifted, clearly in agreeance and content to let Thonnir speak for them.
"I have every right. I am a Paladin of Stendarr, Thonnir. I have killed more vampires in one day than you will ever meet." He injected iron into his voice, and was gratified when the crowd collectively took a step back. "You have weapons, you have will, but you have no training, no equipment. You will rush into their lair and you will be cut down - or turned in the middle of battle, manipulated by their magic to kill your own neighbors. By my oath to Stendarr, I will not allow you to be used as fodder." He let the words simmer, then softened.
"I understand your rage. Believe me, I do. Don't let it overwhelm you. Your loved ones would not wish you to die on a fool's errand believing you were avenging them. I give you my word, they will be avenged - but not at the cost of your own lives." He could see the fire in their movement fade as his words took effect. Some of them sagged, in resignation, or relief.
"Go to your homes. Rest, mourn. Before the day is over, the deed will be done. Of that, there is no doubt." He meant it; he had faced overwhelming odds before, but Stendarr's will had, and would continue to see him through.
"There… is wisdom in your words, my friend," Thonnir conceded, lowering his torch. Valios moved down the steps to stand in front of him. He recognised that look all too well; when passion and fury faded and left only grief. Valios spoke, and tried to put as much conviction into his words as possible.
"Your loss will not go unpunished. Stendarr Himself will guide my hand." Fortunately, Thonnir seemed to take solace in his words, though the wilt in his posture did not fully abate. Around him, the crowd dissipated, heeding his words and heading to their homes.
"Thank you, kinsman." Thonnir said quietly, taking him for a Nord. Valios did not correct him, merely nodded, and then he too turned to leave. Valios allowed himself a small sigh once he was gone.
"Where did you learn to talk like that?" Serana spoke from behind him. He almost started; he'd forgotten she was there.
"This isn't the first time a village mob has tried to take matters into their own hands. You learn to say the right things, push the right buttons, so they don't kill themselves. Vampires, werewolves, or errant spirits; they're never prepared." She looked skeptical, but he didn't know why. It was the truth. He just had experience.
"That was impressive," she said, wearing an expression he couldn't place. He shifted, uncomfortable with the compliment.
"We've got work to do." He brushed past her words immediately, not wishing to acknowledge them.
"Serana," he said quietly, beckoning her closer. They were standing outside the Morthal barracks, waiting for the assigned guards to exit once they were prepared. Surprised, she moved closer so that she could hear him and speak quietly.
"Yes?" She inquired, crossing her arms and peering out from beneath her hood.
"Are you going to come with us, into the lair?" She frowned.
"Of course. What kind of question is that?"
"I thought I would ask. You are comfortable with the responsibility, then? Many of your kin may die at your hand," he warned. She tilted her chin upward, and solid amber eyes met sapphire.
"I told you," she said, voice soft as silk but reinforced with steel, "just because we are similar does not make them my kin. Despite what you might think, my nature is not to kill any mortals in sight. Innocents have died, and the Movarth and his coven have made it clear that they shouldn't continue to exist." Her utter resolution surprised him, and she held his gaze for several more moments. He allowed a small smile to cross his face, a small weight he hadn't known he'd been burdened with lifting off his shoulders.
"Good." He said, hesitating before adding, "Thank you." She blinked, but dipped her chin. "Come along, I believe we'll be going soon." Sure enough, the door to the barracks opened, and the guards chosen for vampire-killing duty began to pour out.
He was wrong about her.
"It is who you care for." Stenos' words.
That kind of conviction couldn't be faked. She wasn't human.
But then, maybe one didn't need to have that much blood to have a heart.
AN: ta-da
i fear i'm giving people the wrong idea, saying in the first chapter that my updating schedule is sporadic at best, and then i pump out like four chapters in less than a week. really, this is entirely irregular, doesn't normally happen. i'm just having a lot of fun writing this, and it's all coming really easily.
this chapter came about entirely between last night and today, because i knew they were going to morthal, and while playing the actual game i came across this quest, which i had previously forgotten about. naturally, a paladin of stendarr wouldn't let something like this go.
we're seeing some secondhand development with serana, showing that she's actually capable on her own (even if we don't see it). we're gonna see more in the next chapter, too, wherein Valios and the Gang™ bring the fight to Movarth's Lair.
we also see some of Valios' internal struggle. i liken his position to that of the Witcher (which was part of the inspiration for the duties of a Paladin). some monsters are clearly sentient, just trying to live their lives and do their thing. what do you do when the monster you're sworn to destroy is a better person than you are? have a mental crisis, clearly. the breakdown will come later. really, valios is just lucky i decided not to write out any nightmares. this time.
as always, leave a review as you like, and follow/favorite/whateva if you want to keep up-to-date. there's no promise that i won't spontaneously fall off the radar for three months, i've done it before lmao so don't lose track of me
cheers!
~ylri