"Sir Torbin, why do you keep Sir Richard out for so long? He has much more to do here and just because he fought something, he cannot get out of it." Erica's voice made Richard sigh. He missed it for the couple of days he had limited talking time with the young girl. Erica turned from her current duty of keeping the books in the building organized and on the shelves.

"I apologize, Miss Erica. Sir Richard just has a lot to balance right now, so you should give him some time before getting on his back." Erica scoffed, putting her hands on her hips.

"I cannot do that, Sir Torbin. He needs good instructors and I am not going to give him more slack than he already has." Erica wanted to sound commanding, but Richard and Torbin could both see through the act. She was not good at giving orders to friends.

"Like how you have your own training on your time off, Miss Erica?" Erica shuddered, her hands immediately being removed from her hips to instead be put together. She opened her mouth several times to speak before doing so. She was nervous about something.

"I can balance my training and other things, unlike you two. Jeez, you boys are such a menace." Erica huffed, turning to continue with her books before being interrupted. Richard couldn't connect what was being said right away, only remembering what she did in the fight when it was mentioned.

"Where did you learn your magic, Erica?" Erica sighed in defeat, Torbin giving away her only chance of getting out of being questioned by the person who didn't want to know about her outside activities. It was not a concern he had to bother with on top of everything else.

"Miss Alvechi has been showing me the art of magic for a while. Even before you arrived, I was being shown smaller things. Sir Richard, you do not know a lot about me personally, but I think I want to tell you a few things that are very personal. Sir Torbin, you can stay-" Torbin cut Erica off quickly when his name was mentioned, already assuming what the girl was about to say.

"I will not stay, Miss Erica. I appreciate the gesture, but I have things I have to do. We can talk another time." Erica was going to argue, but Torbin took his chance to leave quickly. The two were alone, making Richard feel a little nervous, if only because this was going to be a lot of personal information on Erica. The two got settled on Erica's newly furnished bed, Richard staying completely silent. He didn't know what to say, if it was even best to say anything.

"You remembered when we first met, right? It was awkward to say the least." Richard did remember a little of how they met, only the larger parts sticking out in his mind.

"It wasn't that bad. You were a little friendlier at the start than I would have expected." Erica giggled at the response.

"No, before that, silly. It has been a while, but we first met on that day I talked to you on the street." Richard had a confused look, remembering an event of a man talking to him on the street. Erica knew right away that Richard remembered just about nothing. "I was that 'man' who spoke to you under the hood. I hid my face and used a little bit of illusion magic taught by Miss Alvechi to mask my voice. It took a lot and took a while to utilize effectively, but that was the first time I had used magic around you. Did you not find it odd that when I revealed myself, I was a woman instead of a man?"

"It has been so long since then. I had forgotten, but you are right. It was unusual." There wasn't a lot Richard could say other than what he could remember at that moment. It will still fuzzy but coming back slowly. "How do you learn it so quickly?"

"That is because I am an Altmer. Rather, half Altmer, or less. I never did figure out how much I was." Richard was wearing a confused face yet again. He never did notice Erica's skin color until now, donning a washed-out yellow color that was a far cry from the Altmer's vibrant natural skin.

"You are only part Altmer? That means one of your parents were not of the same race." Erica nodded, standing up. Richard made the motion to as well, but Erica stopped him from doing so. He was ready to go out of surprise with her next action. She dropped her robe in front of him, revealing herself underneath the fabrics.

"Yes, I am unsure of the other part I come from, but I have my suspicions." Erica seemed unfazed at being down to her panties and bra in the presence of Richard, who was the exact opposite of her. Richard was nervously looking her up and down but glancing towards her door as well. If anybody were to enter and see the scene, there was no telling what could happen. The only guarantee was Richard would be kicked out of what he could consider his home after the time it has been.

"Erica, shouldn't you put that back on? I see what you mean, but this doesn't look good." Erica walked closer to Richard, looking genuinely worried and, for once, sad.

"Sir Richard, am I odd looking to you? I have been told many times that I am not normal, a freak for having two parents from different places…" Richard jumped off the bed at the question. His hands gripped both of Erica's arms. A lot of the wounds she sustained on her body had caused scars, even the shallow ones. She might have had sensitive or thin skin, physically speaking. She didn't mentally or emotionally if what she was saying was true.

"Of course not! Erica, Bretons are no different from you. I might now remember my personal heritage, but I know about the Breton's. We come from a mix of races as well. You are absolutely beautiful in my eyes, more beautiful than anyone else I have met before. This only makes you and I more similar." Erica lit up like a beacon at the compliment, tears forming in her eyes. She embraced Richard, hugging his neck tightly and keeping her body close to his.

"Thank you, Sir Richard. I know you might just be saying this to make me feel better but thank you so much." Richard embraced the young girl back, his hands brushing against the wound on her back. It made a noticeable scar, just from the feeling of it, and caused Erica to shudder against him.

"I mean it. You are the first person I have come to want the presence of and since then, it seems I met people who I can actually call friends. You are wonderful in every way." Erica looked at Richard, the eyes of the two meeting. Erica leaned in and began kissing Richard directly. He didn't think about what to do, rather letting his emotions take over this once. The two then engaged in a deep kiss, lasting for a long time. Erica shuffled a bit in his arms, and Richard took it as a sign to let her move a little more freely. With the less inhibited movement, Erica's hands began to move about Richard's back.

"I don't want to intrude and genuinely hope I am not disturbing anything, but I need to see Sir Richard immediately." A quick couple of knocks and the voice of Torbin came through the door. It was a shock, freezing Richard and Erica in the act. Erica quickly and clumsily fumbled her robe back on, not trying to make it look good again. Her only concern was to cover herself up, with Richard going to the door to make sure Torbin didn't open it. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have any intention to enter the room.

"One moment, Sir Torbin!" Erica was able to re-cloth herself, although the door was still firmly closed.

"I don't need to enter, just send Sir Richard out, please." Torbin didn't hide his haste in the voice of his request. The Nord didn't stay, either, being heard clearly to have moved away somewhere else.

"Well…that could have been worse." Richard turned to see a bright red Erica, still clearly nervous and embarrassed. Still, she controlled her actions without reacting without thinking in this situation.

"I-I think you should go see what Sir Torbin wanted. He would not have been so quick to speak without being answered." Richard nodded, giving Erica a quick hug before leaving.

Richard didn't know where Torbin had gone, although he didn't make it hard to find him. The impatient man gestured for Richard to follow, with Richard not defying the sign. Richard emerged from the familiar back doors leading to where the fighters trained on an almost daily basis. It was empty entirely of people except for Torbin and an angry Redguard man. Torbin was not standing beside the man, rather in front of him. It was no stretch of the imagination to assume that the person standing with his arms behind his back was a trainer, if not higher in rank. Even with Torbin's muscular build and natural height advantage over a large portion of the races, except for possibly some of the Altmer, he was not wearing a very confident look. When Richard arrived beside Torbin, he tried to confidently, although it was clear there was hesitation, turn to look at the Redguard.

"I will get straight to the point. I have caught wind that you, Richard, was getting outside training by Torbin. This is not allowed by the rules laid out, and both of you have very clearly failed to end the meetings before it was too late. For that, you are against the edge of being pushed out of this haven for followers of Akatosh. You have also shown a massive amount of disrespect for some of the other warriors. One specifically is Vius, who has-" Richard interrupted the Redguard, who was probably the Grandmaster of the fighters, judging by his professionalism. His speech also eluded to a very clear association with the ones that had a major part in the building's operations and rules.

"He has disrespected my and others that have been around me! He should b-" Unfortunately, Richard didn't get everything out that he could before a voice bellowed well over his own.

"YOU WILL NOT INTERRUPT ME AND WILL NOT SHOW DISRESPECT TO ME!" It was clear and concise. The man had things to say, and he wasn't going to let Richard stop him. Torbin stayed silent, head dropping a little at the volume of the voice. He wasn't screaming, rather just letting his voice project and sound louder. Richard was completely silenced by the commanding presence. "One specifically is Vius, who has voiced his problems with your actions of late. NOW you may try to defend yourself, Torbin." Torbin stepped forward, leveling his eyes to meet the Redguard's.

"I have done what I felt was right, Grandmaster Behldun. I am completely committed to the other members and warriors, but I must do what I feel is right in some cases. I ask for a chance at redemption." The Redguard was apparently named Behldun and was indeed the leader of the initiate fighters. His gaze went away from Torbin, who promptly stepped back immediately after losing eye contact, and landed on Richard. Richard was quiet, but he was still heated for sure. His attitude directly clashed with most authoritative figures, this man was no exception.

"You have a chance to speak BUT keep it respectful. Despite what your feelings are towards who you are speaking of, do not show any disrespect towards the other followers. Everybody that are under the Divines should be respectful except in very specific and special situations." Richard tried to really think about what that meant but could not think of how to phrase his words in a reverent manner.

"Vius, like most of the ones that walk around high and mighty around this place, has no respect for me. I did nothing, but he still does what he can ridicule me. I will treat him as he treats me, simple as that." Behldun and Richard locked eyes, neither giving up showing who was the dominant man. Eventually, the silence was the deciding factor. Richard sneered at the persistence, looking to see Torbin looking at him with wide eyes. "What?" The one-word question came out as much more aggressive than what should have been.

"That conviction is impressive, although I will not allow you to act your own way because you feel it is right. Neither of you are correct in my eyes and would be reprimanded harshly for your actions." Behldun answered, fueling Richard's growing rebellious actions. He wasn't speaking to the Redguard, but he took the chance to insert himself.

"So, kick me out!" A retaliation didn't even take a moment to come out of Richard.

"You act like you speak for Torbin as well. What do you feel is adequate punishment for what you did, Torbin?" Richard's expression only got more hostile, although he did keep himself restrained for Torbin's sake.

"I…I also feel like expulsion is punishment enough, Grandmaster Behldun."

"I see. Then there is nothing else that can be done. Torbin and Richard, you will each be given special instructions starting tomorrow. I will expect you to arrive on time and with proper equipment. Torbin, you are to bring Richard with you and more will be told then. Understood?" Torbin and Richard expected the worst, although their confused expressions replaced the worry with misunderstanding. "Understood?!" Behldun spoke louder, prompting an answer more forcefully.

"Uh, yes, Grandmaster." Torbin answered first, a clear hint of hesitation in the Nord's voice. Behldun's eyes jumped from Torbin to Richard.

"Sure." It was the only thing Richard said. Behldun cringed but took the responses and left the two men standing with each other in complete confusion.

"I…would recommend going to sleep right away. I'll grab you early." Torbin didn't move but gave a simple set of suggestions. Richard shrugged, moving first.

"That's probably best. I'll have to tell Erica when I get the chance."

"Sir Richard, come on! You can't blow this off already!" Torbin was pushing the groggy Richard around the bed. It was very early, much earlier than Richard would have gotten up normally, and the frustration of the scenario was clear. Despite everything that happened with the Redguard Grandmaster, Richard didn't let the situation affect him at all. It could be considered a blessing and a curse at the same time. The Cumberland lineage has always been a line of ruler's worthy of many things, which made the question get raised with Richard's behavior: Was it true or just some kind of joke by the Aedra?

"Leave already…I will get there eventually…" An expected answer from the person who was only showing that he was an active lay about.

"No, Sir Richard. It's yours and my ass on the line, and I am not going to let this start off this way. Get up!" Torbin grabbed Richard by the shirt and yanked the young man directly onto the floor. He wasn't playing around anymore. A loud thud accompanied the action, making it clear that there was no way Richard could still try to act asleep.

"Fine, I'm awake! I swear on the name of Akatosh Erica showed you how to push my buttons!" Richard growled. Torbin, on the other hand, had a large grin on his face.

"That is a possibility. You do have to remember she isn't around you every minute of the day, Sir Richard. I will expect you to be at the grounds within a few minutes." With that, the Nord finally left the disgruntled sleeper to himself. Unfortunately, Richard knew he couldn't get back to sleep at this point. Not only that, Torbin got insight on how else he could terrorize Richard from the only other person who could get under his skin so easily.

"I'll get her to lay off eventually…I think." Like Torbin wanted, Richard was in his practice suit he was used to wearing, standing at the front of the doors leading to the training grounds for warriors. With a push, the light entered the doorway, illuminating him.

"Sir Richard, it's about time! Come, Grandmaster Behldun needs to see us immediately." Torbin was characteristically waiting close to the doorway. It took but seconds after Richard's name was heard for everybody to look to his way. As expected, the whispering started immediately after the gazes met Richard's figure. It was no mystery what was being said but Richard felt perfectly fine walking by the groups. While walking, his eyes glazed over the ever-increasing groups. In particular, he noticed Vius' expression shifting between confusion and anger. It was almost satisfying. Richard wasn't sure if Vius was around when the vampire came, as his only priority was Erica.

Behldun was in a building not that long of a distance away from the main building, the architecture and shape not much different than the main building. High Rock was a province that didn't feature a large diversity of styles, the populous not thinking too much about decoration first. The housing for the Aedra were no different. The short walk ended inside the building, making it perfectly clear what the space was used for. Behldun didn't live in the outside building by any amount, rather it housed a large number of weapons and armor. Richard was legitimately surprised at how much the warriors had to work with.

"Your timing is horrible. I expect better from you from now on. Torbin, I have questions for you. I demand only your answer to be heard." If anything was to be remembered about the previous conversation, Behldun was not one to be taken lightly when he gave orders. Behldun was inspecting the inventory, only taking small glimpses at the two.

"Of course, Grandmaster Behldun." Richard was one to protest everything, but even he was wise enough by now to know who he could do it to.

"You have been teaching Richard outside the limits of the city, correct?" Behldun was making it clear what this was about.

"Yes, Grandmaster Behldun."

"You have also taken some of the armaments to supply the lessons, correct?" Behldun was asking questions that either had obvious answers or were most likely already snitched about. Vius had seen the two before this, which is probably why they were getting asked before. That still didn't answer why they were given a second chance. Torbin hesitated for a moment before answering this time.

"Yes, Grandmaster Behldun."

"I see. Richard, you will now answer. I have one question for you, and it is imperative you give me any details you can recall. What was that weapon or ability you used on the vampire?" Behldun turned to stare directly at Richard, giving him his undivided attention. The details themselves were already not entirely known by Richard himself, but he could remember a few things. Unfortunately, the tension from being asked and pressured all the sudden made it hard for Richard to put it into words.

"I…It was not really a weapon. I mean, all I had was a regular sword. Akatosh said that I just had to have…purpose or something behind my actions. She was incredibly vague about it, so I don't know exactly what it was she said. It kind of blurred after that until the vampire was in a dust pile and-"

"Yes, then Miss Alvechi saved young Erica. I don't care about that part. I assume it was some divine intervention, although unexplained. Step out to the training area. I will be out momentarily. Do NOT make trouble and be ready." Behldun turned his attention to the armaments once again, leaving the two to think about what they were ordered to do. The looks of confusion continued, with the two young men to leave the detached building.

The groups outside split up, a few still speaking amongst themselves, with the larger amount continuing their sparring. When Richard and Torbin came out, the two got some short gazes from some of the fighters. The whispering groups almost seemed to be glaring at the apparent outcasts at this point. To no surprise, one of the groups included Vius. He looked like the most frustrated of all, no doubt seeing who he labeled as a nobody directed to be around them.

"What is Behldun's plan? You've been here longer than I have." Richard and Torbin were side by side, Richard breaking the murmured silence with his own question. Torbin was incredibly tense compared to the apparent prodigy.

"I have a very good idea what may happen. There is a test that is given to new recruits, and I have no doubt that you will be put through the same introduction." The information clearly perked Richard's interest, causing Richard to pick up the pace to nowhere in particular in the area.

"Then this will be no problem. I bet he's expecting me to be really bad. Oh well, this is going to be a bad decision for him." Torbin sighed, keeping himself silent. Richard was getting more and more anxious, although he didn't have to wait long for Behldun to emerge from the Armory building with a weapon of his own. In fact, he wielded two weapons originating from his own place of origin. Scimitars polished to a shine as well as adorned with colors close to the Dragon Aedra of Time, Akatosh. As well as that detail, Behldun also wore different equipment that was far from the consistent heavy, metal armor represented by the lower ranked warriors. Rather than it being a difference in experience, it was most likely the fact Behldun was a Redguard in origin. It was very surprising that he wore the colors of the Tamrielic Gods rather than keeping with his own pantheon. Richard was barely able to think about the reasons or backgrounds before Behldun pointed a sword at Richard, the other at his side at the ready, as he walked closer.

"There it is. Get your weapon ready, Sir Richard. You are on your own, so remember what I taught you. Grandmaster Behldun will not give you a warning on when he will start." Torbin quickly stepped back a fair distance and other members got a lot closer to where Torbin stopped. Vius' expression lit up instantly, pushing slower other members out of his way. Richard pulled his weapon out, his free hand on his own side, waiting to move. Behldun was tens of feet away from Richard, eyes locked on each other. There was a clear focus in the Grandmaster's vision, it was much more limited in Richard himself. He wasn't shaky, as much as he was too proud right now.

"I will be on my feet for the end of this." Instead of waiting for Behldun to approach, Richard took the offensive himself. When he was working with Torbin, he got into the mindset of attacking first rather than defending. Richard swiped diagonally like he normally would first, not making it a mystery how the battle is starting. Expectedly, Behldun moved to parry the attack with his own scimitar.

'Too simple. He can't be the Grandmaster if it's this easy.' Richard moved his stance to follow-up quickly, not planning to let Behldun have a second to strike himself. The next move was not something he encountered with Torbin, especially since Torbin used a two-handed claymore. This was a different situation, but Richard didn't think he needed to change his strategy. He was about to learn why a simple different set of moves is almost necessary for every individual fight. The warrior's weapons connected, although Behldun didn't recoil. Instead, the Redguard unexpectedly pushed Richard back instead of letting the edges run against each other. Richard was a bit unbalanced, giving Behldun the chance he needed to follow with his other scimitar. It was an abrupt movement, the curved blade moving straight for Richard's throat. He wasn't too dazed as not to be able to move. Natural movements kicked Richard to the side opposite the attacking scimitar was being held. A sloppy stumbling kept him safe at least, Behldun finishing his stab only into air, the two disconnected once again. Unfortunately, the air was almost immediately changed. A carefree attitude was discarded for a tense atmosphere. Behldun wasn't going to calm, moving to knock his opponent out quickly. If Richard was to show off like he wanted, he would have to think outside the box or at least not specifically act like he would against Torbin.

'Two weapons. Keep both busy or stay on one side.' It was all he could think of tactically in the second of breath he had available. He constituted himself once again, vision jumping from his opponents' eyes to the side he was going to be going to keep himself on. Instead of a slash like before, Richard opted for a thrust directly at Behldun's side. As with every fighting style, there were many disadvantages and advantages to every move. This move was no different, and Richard was hoping his natural fighting style would get him something. Behldun had no problems using his weapon to block again. The face of the scimitar was naturally bigger than any weapon made normally in most provinces, although it wasn't the end like before. Richard wasn't going to wait for Behldun to get a hit on him, lowering his stance and pushing his body directly forward to not get pushed back again. A scimitar was a handy weapon in most cases, but it couldn't stab effectively. The range Richard was at helped himself more than his opponent and he capitalized on his position. Without a second weapon, Richard did have a free hand. Alone, it couldn't do much, although it was possible to lower the stamina of a person to a point. Richard planted a fist hard into Behldun's stomach, not causing the any knockback, but he heard the wind knocked out of the Redguard. His ego came back a bit, but he wasn't about to push his luck. The fighters pushed each other away, putting another distance between them.

Richard had a grin, thinking he might have gotten some sort of upper hand. Unfortunately, he once again was not thinking about the skills Behldun would bring to the battle. In a curious turn of events, Behldun ran both blade edges against each other. It seemingly did nothing, but the Redguard came back in a similar was as he did the first time. Richard knew how to counter the dual-wielding master warrior now, planning to take one side again. If he could continue to wear the Grandmaster down, he could show how much he deserved the spot under him.

Behldun curiously stabbed forward with his weapon, barely in the area of where Richard was. He didn't even consider his movement a dodge. He felt an odd tingling near his shoulder, although he brushed it off as wind movement or his own clothes. It suddenly jumped to causing pain when Richard went in for the attack against Behldun's open body. Instead of Richard being able to reach the odd-moving Redguard, he was stopped short as a paralyzing shock ran through his entire body. He initially had no idea where the damage came from, as he had not had to handle offensive magic with Torbin. Even more, he had never felt any traditional magic being used in a harming way against him. A second, much more focused jolt felt like it was times worse than the one before, giving him the feeling of it being shot directly through his stomach. His body shut down as he fell to the ground. He wasn't necessarily hurt, but the feeling of actual harming damage coming to him was intense right now.

Behldun stood over the shaking body of Richard, the leftover sparks jumping around him and only lasting a little while longer. Torbin moved to help Richard, which Behldun didn't stop. The effects of the magic didn't jump to Torbin, being all but dissipated at this point.

"Sir Richard, are you alright?" Richard was jerking every couple minutes on his feet, his system extremely alien to the feeling that came with any sort of magic.

"I'm fine. What did you do to me?" Richard was angry again, feeling like he was cheated out of a victory. He wasn't told that cheap tactics like magic weapons would be used, especially since all Richard had at his disposal was the typical equipment for warriors in training. Behldun, on the other hand, had both scimitars sheathed and his stance returned to the typical look of a Grandmaster.

"You always expect opponents to fight with the typical rules in place? I did as you did with the vampire: Fought using abilities that were possessed, whether they are by chance or practiced. You expected to win but did not. No one has beaten me in the first test, although I will admit there are a couple that gave me a good fight." It was a long explanation that only infuriated Richard more. He was taking as being told he was nothing compared to the other combatants. His need to be noticed or get some a compliment made the lesson fly completely over his head.

"Fine, then I will leave. It's not like I expected you to be any different than the other idiots here." Richard tried to push Torbin away, but he resisted for once. A fatigued body would never escape the grasp of a Nord. Hell, no body could get away from a Nord grasp without a long fight. "Let me go!"

"No, you will stay and stop being so difficult! Stop moping and listen without acting like an immature child!" Torbin was genuinely angry at the childish friend held by the arm. Richard stopped resisting and the uncharacteristic outburst. "Grandmaster Behldun is not saying this to put you down. He is getting you to grow up, which you badly need to in this era. I don't want to be the one to see it or know first, Sir Richard, but you will be dead well before you do anything that might come with your lineage. You should know enough about the Cumberland line to know what you should be working towards and you are quickly moving the opposite way." Another long explanation was told to Richard, but his undivided attention was on his rough friend. It was a couple moments after he finished that Richard knew he could speak without talking over anybody.

"That is a lot to throw at me. I'm not going to change that much that I am a completely different person or anything like Emeric." Torbin's grip relaxed, Richard sliding out of it to turn to face the softening Nord.

"I'm not expecting you to. You will always be rather impulsive and might need a kick, but that's what makes you Sir Richard. There is always room to improve, though." The tension was gone thanks to Torbin's calming words, which were rarely heard anymore with training happening all the time.

"In regard to your fight, I commend you on your adaptability. You were at a disadvantage at being against someone with decades more experience and a much more natural fighting style. Despite that, you thought up a quick way to turn it into a much smaller factor. You have potential, but you are extremely far away from being able to fully utilize your abilities. You have ten minutes to recuperate and I then expect you to return. Torbin, you are to stay and continue your own training. Understood, Torbin?" Behldun was not one to continue the softening mood, cutting into it to explain what he wanted from both men. This time, Richard was able to keep his composure without any problems. He even stood to face Behldun, not in an aggressive way.

"Understood, Grandmaster." As expected, the Nord answered immediately. This time, there was not hesitation in the response.

"Good. Understood, Richard?" Behldun locked eyes on the proud and recovering Breton. Fortunately, there was no malice in Richard's stare. There was avarice, but not negative feelings towards the master trainer.

"Understood."

"Good. I will expect you to change your act while you are a warrior under my command." Behldun looked over the gathered crowd, stepping back. "You should all be sparring, not staring! Get moving, NOW!" The crowd immediately dispersed to do exactly that, not wanting to test the limits of Behldun's patience. If his tone was any indication, he could be heard loud and clear with no one, both inside the buildings area or outside, wanting to test the Redguard for how long his patience would last. Torbin left as well, a glance back to Richard but ultimately leaving to find a partner of his own.

Richard sighed and did the opposite of the group, leaving the area to regain his stamina. The effects of the magic were still keeping him a little fatigued, no doubt a side-effect of the ability. As expected, the warrior didn't have the knowledge of the properties of magic in any regard. Richard rested on one of the few benches that dotted the outside landscape.

"How did things go, Sir Richard?" Richard jumped at the sudden voice, not expecting anyone to be around other than the trainees. Erica had approached at some point, unsurprisingly silent. She was a very quiet person when she did just about anything.

"It went okay, I guess." Erica came out from the back exit of the main building, taking the seat beside Richard. "How are you doing today?" Richard glanced over, only to see her dressed differently than usual. She had a hood largely over her head.

"It's a bit hotter and brighter than normal." Richard changed his expression, not noticing any real difference in either. Maybe she had more sensitive skin compared to other races or something.

"A bit, sure. Are you completely healed?"

"A-Absolutely. No problems after what happened. This is what you will be doing from now on, then? Will I not be able to see you from now on?" Erica's voice trembled a bit during the statement, signifying clear worry that a certain answer would be given.

"I think. We'll be seeing each other, though. It just won't be as much, probably." Richard was largely recovered; the effects being vanished now. He would be officially starting his first training session soon.

"That makes sense. I do not see any other way to do it." Erica got back to her feet unexpectedly. Richard hastily turned to look at her.

"Going already?" Erica smiled and nodded.

"I have a few things I have to do before the end of the day. I cannot waste much time. Let's meet tonight, I would love to get what time I can with you!" Erica leapt up from her seat, barely sitting for two minutes. Richard watched her go, his eyes wandering. In a small way, he seen the half-Altmer in a bit of a new light after their recent discussion that was not typical for the two.

"Richard, stop staring and get back here. You cannot waste time from now on, understood?" Behldun's voice traveled over the length of the training area clear, proving that he had the voice to lead and the skill shown to support the fact. As Richard was completely healed from the shock, he got to his own feet and went to join the group that he was now a part of.

Two weeks passed since Richard started his official training as a warrior of Akatosh. Other than Richard having to quickly adjust with the new and much stricter schedule than before, with the much-needed help of Torbin, it was not hugely different than his own regime with the skilled Nord. Richard was getting small amounts of experience with different styles of fighting and weapon types. Claymore's were skipped due to the extensive training he had with Torbin, as he had only used said weapon type. The focused Breton was, as expected, still treated like an outcast by a large fraction of the warriors. Torbin was still his friend and Behldun treated him no differently than any other fighter, which made Richard feel a little more comfortable. A few other members also treated him differently than the majority, giving him a couple other people that treated him as a fellow warrior, not a mutt picked up off the street and forced to be part of the subsection of the faction.

"Where are you heading to after this? I heard that the shops were getting some special imports!" A loud-mouthed Breton, the same race as Richard himself, loudly exclaimed to the group. Despite the four being close, the black-haired and surprisingly soft-faced didn't control his sound level of speech. The haircut of a short ponytail didn't help make him seem like a typical fighter, as well.

"You said that before and they didn't have any then." A tanned skinned Imperial that clearly had much more control over his voice spoke directly to the Breton from before. The Imperial had a much more defined and masculine look to his face, giving him a much more obvious look of a soldier. Imperials normally had that look to them, though, along with Nords and Redguards.

"I talked to the guy who owns the shop, Gainroy. I know he will have things this time." The Imperial, Gainroy, shot an annoyed glance towards the excited Breton. He looked back to the other remaining two members of the circle, Richard and Torbin.

"You two don't believe Barus, do you?" Richard only shrugged, with Torbin physically replying.

"Sir Richard doesn't, probably. If I remember correctly, the only thing the shop had for 'imports' were things from Skyrim. Sir Barus, is there anything else this time? Maybe from Elsewyr or maybe Valenwood?" Torbin, unsurprisingly, sat higher than the rest of the group. Even compared to the tall Imperials, the Nord stood a head over just about everybody around him. Surprisingly, it was only his natural height and not his age. The oldest of the four was Torbin, if only by a year at most.

"I swear it is not the same things as usual! If it is, I will get everybody something myself." It was a bold claim by Barus, especially with the small number of available products with the entirety of Tamriel in turmoil. Goods that traveled between the provinces were either severely limited in quality or selection, or downright illegal in some cases. That didn't bring the problem of the major rise of bandits spreading over Nirn.

"I can't go anywhere today. Erica said she had something very important to talk about and really gave me no choice." Gainroy snickered at the answer given by Richard, who gave him a puzzled look.

"You and she are always seeing each other. You have to either share her or let yourself go sometimes. She has you in the palm of her hand, pal." Richard felt himself get a little warmer at the remarks to him, looking away from the three entirely.

"I know, you practically spend nights together. We all know what you two get up to, even Torbin, whether he says it or not." Richard looked over to Torbin with only his eyes, head unmoving. Torbin was smiling, making the embarrassment worse. The rumors of Richard and Erica being together were not spread around like an epidemic, as the idea was put out well before now, but it was still something that his real friends believed. Richard denies it every time, but they don't believe him.

"Try and meet us after. If not, I'll make sure you get something if there's anything good." Richard huffed, not acknowledging the statements. It wasn't more than fifteen minutes before the four split into going where they needed to. The three indeed headed to the shop like they planned, with Richard going to meet Erica like he said.

Young Erica was seen less and less over the last couple of weeks. Richard seen her much more than anybody else, but even he has not been seeing her a day or so in between the visits. She has been oddly missing sometimes or locked herself in her room. When she did leave the safety of her personal space, she kept a lot of her body covered. It was more apparent when she went outside, covering herself up as much as possible from the sunlight. Despite the uncharacteristic behavior, she has not shown any differences in her personality or speaking manner. It was only her actions that were showing some oddities. There were already rumors floating around, ranging from she was covering up evidence of nights of passion to she was having a small effect to the sun all the sudden. Although the latter wasn't much of a rumor, there were a lot of individual ideas, both normal and outlandish.

"Erica? Are you in here?" Richard knocked on the acolyte's door. There was a quick shuffling before Erica opened the door entirely, a familiar smile on her face.

"Hello, Sir Richard. I was not expecting you so soon, but I am glad you are here already." Erica pulled Richard inside, who was not entirely pulled against his will. Erica liked to do the same thing every time she saw Richard, no matter where they were. Some habits don't change, but other things did more. The first image of the young Altmer showed her a little more pale than normal, which was harder to see unless someone was around her a lot. From first glance of someone new, Erica barely had any trace of her partial Altmer heritage in immediate physical features.

Erica's room was not too different from it normally was, although it seemed a little emptier for some reason. The typical decorations that were largely based on Akatosh or some things relating to her origin province were more barren than usual. It was an odd sight for Richard, especially since Erica was acting cheery while a big change was happening in her own room.

"Where is all of your stuff? You didn't put it away, did you?" Richard investigated the areas, seeing that there were a few marks around some of the larger or heavier items. The traditionally neat and careful Erica was indeed acting weird.

"Sir Richard, I need to tell you something that I cannot tell anyone but you. I cannot trust anybody else with this and you must promise me on your life that you will not let this information out when you leave this room. As much as I cherish Sir Torbin's friendship as well, I cannot bring myself to tell him, especially with how vocal he is." The sudden onslaught of Erica's obviously serious requests made Richard stop moving in shock. In the time Richard has known his closest Altmer friend, she rarely got serious. Even then, it was usually about a topic that was a trivial matter that Erica only got stuck on because it was momentary annoyance.

"Sure, I can do that." Erica shot up straighter in pose and basically glared at Richard. It wasn't an intimidating glare, as much as she was holding back from breaking down.

"That will not do! Promise me, Sir Richard!" Richard swallowed, having to think of what she might be wanting from him. She could get more aggressive about her request at any moment.

"Okay! Erica, I promise I will not let what you are going to tell me out of this room." Erica relaxed at this response, it appearing to meet what she wanted from him.

"Good. Please, come sit." Erica sat herself down on the edge of the bed, much like she usually does when the two meet in the room. Despite what most people assume, the two keep things strictly friendly and far from intimate. Richard could almost sense something different about this night, though. Richard wordlessly sat beside his friend, not sure what he would say and hope she would continue what the unusually severe topic mentioned before was. Erica indeed continued, if only briefly.

"I cannot hear Akatosh anymore, Sir Richard." Erica could not get the words out before she instantly broke down in tears. Richard naturally moved to embrace the harshly sobbing girl, who naturally moved towards him. The two were instantaneously in a position they rarely found themselves in, especially since Erica very rarely let these feelings break through. Erica had developed a strong barrier to negative emotions continuously, only growing the more positive emotions she experienced. Richard himself only saw her do this one time before, but even then was not as impactful to her at once as this was.

Richard still did not know what to do. The first time was oddly whenever she was spending time with Richard on a normal day. Erica had come back from her almost daily errand run to pick up some ingredients when she basically pulled Richard into the room when they had returned. As if they were attached to the hip, Erica had pulled Richard along with her for just about everything. It was more unusual to see Erica alone. On this particular day, Erica had encountered a particularly nasty pair of Altmer, which were obviously not a welcomed sight to the partial-Altmer girl. At least, it normally would not be. Unfortunately, this encounter would break the composure of the young acolyte.

To most, it seemed quite harmless to most other people. Even Richard, who was put into the insult, felt nothing from it. Regrettably, the two women were probably vain Altmer who got in Wayrest due to privilege. The city was not closed to other races, even ones who had previously wronged them, but they were looked on with disdain. The haughty elves did exactly that to others, despite being far from their original province.

"Look at that! I knew the mongrels inhabited this excuse for a society, but it looks like they are corrupting our lines." One of the women snickered, the other responding quickly to get her jab in.

"That thing isn't one of us anymore. It belongs with these pathetic mixed races now, probably already had a night with that disgusting vermin beside it." The second woman spoke in pronouns, but Richard knew what they were implying and their attempts at insults made them feel foul. Richard looked at them, but they were already pointing to the next group they intended to act higher than.

"Whatever. It's people like that who make me sick." Richard brushed the remark off easily, but Erica had slowed until she was standing in place. Her head was facing to the ground, hair covering her features. "Are you alright?" Erica was momentarily silenced.

"Sir Richard…I am okay. I am just not too fond of being talked about."

It flew over Richard's head at that point, but he did eventually figure out what made her uncomfortable. Erica was and still is incredibly embarrassed by her race, even if it got a slight bit easier with Richard as a friend. She did cry whenever the two returned, but Richard was still clueless at that time. This time, it wasn't about Erica's race, so he was presented with something different again. It wasn't weird to not hear Akatosh speak on a constant basis for Richard, as he only heard the Aedra a few times in total.

"What does that mean? Do you hear her all the time?" Erica was still buried in Richard's chest, but she got out a nod of her head. "I see. Then why is it odd to not hear her for a day or so?" Erica tipped her head upwards, enough to glance at Richard.

"It has not been a day. I have not heard his voice for two weeks…"

"His? Right, the gods are technically sexless. What happened two weeks…Erica, what happened two weeks ago?" Richard went from a second of confusion to a partial realization. He wasn't given a lot of information, but he knew the big event that passed just that amount of time ago: The Vampire attack that affected the whole of the area of the housing of followers. If anything, something must have happened to Erica along with being taken prisoner and hurt.

Instead of sobbing, Erica had stopped with only little signs of continuing. Instead, she replaced it with wiggles of embarrassment and buried her head again. Richard had to put his foot down and pushed Erica away, leaving her with naturally putting her hands over her face as best she could.

"Erica, tell me what is wrong." It only happened a couple times before as well, but Richard had to treat Erica as she was the childish one. She mentioned the event for a reason, and he had to get it out of her the easiest way he knew. A few moments of peeking out of her hands, and she finally pulled them to her chest. She wasn't going to say anything, instead pulling at her robes. She wasn't getting naked again, rather revealing a nasty cut that the people who were paying attention or saw her would recognize. The injury came from when the Vampire threw Erica to the ground by the neck. It wasn't clear at first, but it was noticeable after the battle died down and the undead itself was dead.

"Sir Richard…" She spoke low and kept trying to let go of her robes but kept them down while talking. "I am a…vampire…" Richard reached to touch the wound, Erica leaning away at first.

"Why didn't you tell anyone? It could have been cured before it got this far." Although Richard would be normally utterly confused and concerned, something else stronger naturally kept him from losing it.

"I did tell someone…Miss Alvechi knew, but…she told me it was already too late…" The tearing up from Erica started again as she spoke in sections. This explained a lot of both her actions and what is happening now. She kept her hood up and more covered up because the sunlight would have a reaction to her new affliction as well as not wanting to show her wound.

"When did you see her? How long have you been dealing with this? I also have to know; how long have you been dealing with having no…blood to drink?" As expected, Richard didn't have much communication with this certain race of undead, and his line of questions were many and unsurprisingly detailed.

"Please do not think of my any different than before, I do not want to live like this…" Richard shuffled close to Erica again. She reacted a little differently, leaning herself against Richard's figure.

"I don't know why you kept it from some people for so long."

"It only really came up a week back in a bad way. I was getting more sensitive to light everyday, until a little ago. I opened the window like normal, but it physically hurt when I did. The sun hurt. Miss Alvechi was giving me…blood every couple days. I assume it was hers, but I do not want to believe that." Erica averted her eyes while speaking, still not wanting to admit her new life habits or wanting to even acknowledge it.

"I'm not surprised she is the only person who knows. Why does it look like you are leaving?" The big question came to light, causing Erica to shudder on Richard's shoulder. The question was not going to be avoided for the whole time they were talking during the night.

"I am not going anywhere tonight, I just felt bad about the situation I am in. Sir Richard…do I look very different than before? Miss Alvechi commented on it and I am very scared it is making me too obvious…" The subject change was unexpected, causing Richard to look down at the now Vampire Altmer. She was also looking back, and there were a few things that Richard noted now that things were calmed down and the only bright light came from the many hanging candles. The eyes that looked at him were showing Erica as her now Vampire self. Her hair seemed to be growing a little darker at the roots and her skin was indeed going paler, no doubt showing very little Altmer in her.

"Of course, but I doubt you thought you would look the same. It's hard to know for sure, since you definitely don't show yourself anymore that much."

"That makes sense. Then let me show you everything." Erica stood up, a sense of déjà vu coming back to Richard. The scene that came to mind before played out from before happened again. When Erica was standing straight, she dropped her robe again. Richard didn't react the same as before, trying to leave the room, but he naturally did look away again. The two have been together a long time, but it was expected the two kept things friendly and nothing more between them. "Please, Sir Richard. I need to know if I am any different." Erica sounded desperate, her tone shaky when speaking.

"Are you completely sure?" Richard was not answered by a word, rather a hand on his shoulder. Erica had approached him quietly, causing him to heat up. When he finally looked over to Erica, he didn't notice that Erica was oddly wearing nothing underneath, unlike before when she was still covered. In an instant, his eyes could not be averted away from the woman in front of him. She was beautiful, as expected, although something about her was much different than a traditional Altmer. Erica noticed and squirmed in the gaze of Richard.

"Something is wrong, I know it. I am not worthy of being here anymore…" Erica stepped back, turning to move away. Whether she was planning on dressing again or not, Richard reacted without thinking. He reached far enough to grab Erica's hand before she was too far away.

"Do you really put that much faith in something that isn't physically here?" Without using his head before thinking, the phrase got Erica to flinch. The stillness of the girl gave Richard a welcoming sight to her curves and nearly flawless body. No matter what her other parent's origin was, she still had a portion of Altmer in her. It is possible her developing Vampire addition is helping with the shape of her body, as well as a percentage of her problems.

"I will not get annoyed at you for saying such, Sir Richard, but I do not have anything else to hold on to. I am hoping you remember what I have told you over our time together." Erica still did not turn to look at Richard, although she kept her hand in his own.

"Of course I do. You don't remember your parents as well as very little about your early life. At least that is basically what you said." Erica exhaled deeply, accepting Richard's response. It wasn't exactly what the Altmer girl was hoping for, but she easily excused his simplification.

"I guess that will work as an explanation. In any case, this is a huge problem with my current situation…" Erica turned after speaking, showing her front again to wandering eyes of the Breton. With the calmness of the scene, Erica was shown in full sight. The moonlight glided over Erica's curves in every way, her lighter skin glowing in the room.

Erica's face was gentle as always, although the color of her eyes was progressively changing to a darker color. Down her body led to her breasts, that were unsurprisingly full for her age. As she was a race of Mer, her body aged to a point and seemingly stopped for an unknown amount of time. Just with Erica's chest, she had gotten to the age of maturity and she grew into it incredibly well. Erica's stomach was flat, but not fit. Erica worked her body, but not to the extent of the more physical members of the followers. In line with her chest, her race gifted the girl with massive positives regarding her assets. Her butt was envious of other girls to have and guys to get a chance with. Her front was just as desirable, clean and not showing much use personally.

As Richard stared more, Erica wiggled her body in embarrassment. She didn't cover up, just wanting to get Richard distracted a little bit from her physical looks. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. To finally get Richard to pay attention to her, Erica put her hands on his cheeks and pulled his face upwards.

"Please, Sir Richard." Richard blinked and came back to thinking again.

"Right, I'm sorry. It's just not normal for this to happen."

"Sir Richard…please forgive me, I just need this happiness for once." Richard had no seconds to ask before being pushed onto the bed with Erica's body on top of him and their lips connected into a kiss.

Richard was stunned under her, not knowing what was going on entirely. He knew that the relationship between himself and Erica was much deeper than was shown to others, but he never prepared himself for when this kind of thing would happen. He didn't fight Erica above him, although he didn't goad her further, either. He let himself naturally move, to an extent. His mind and body were rarely in agreement on what to do, and the two were always trying to get more control than the other. He felt his body wanting to do more to the naked Altmer on top of him, but his mind wanted to ask questions before doing anything else. After a couple moments of internal struggle, his body won and his arms wrapped around his friend, resting on her back as they continued their intimate embrace. Erica took the lead, leaning up and breaking the kiss to look down at her lover. Seeing her in the dying light of the day showed how many tiny details were altered due to the Vampirism, as well as her elven beauty showing in its glory.

"I will make sure we enjoy this together, Sir Richard. I apologize for the forward nature and I ask for your forgiveness after this night ends." Richard was still speechless, having things he could say in his mind, but they were stuck in his throat. Erica started the nights real activities by working at Richard's shirt. He had not long ago finished his training with the others and had changed into a much lighter layer of clothing, giving his lover easy access to his body. Despite her way of speaking that eluded to wanting to rush, she carefully removed his shirt first to reveal what he was hiding underneath.

The rough life Richard had to endure for a decade or more had almost sculpted his body into a fit figure before, the life he had currently only hardening that image. He had a muscular body with a surprising layer of kempt and light chest hair that matched in color to his groomed head hair.

"I never thought I would see you like this. Do I look good as well, Sir Richard?" Whether it was the mood or Erica's unusual personality change, the air in the room was the exact opposite as before. Instead of a tense feeling, Richard felt unbelievably free. It was an odd feeling, as he always tempered himself and continued to, but around Erica was entirely different. He didn't have to hold back or worry about embarrassing himself. He was truly free around one of his closest friends.

"You look amazing. I could never imagine I would be around someone like you, Erica." Richard moved on his own, finally, to his patient lover. While she did start the night, she was displaying herself for him to do as he pleased to her. His normally hidden natural movements were showing themselves as his hands cupped her breasts. They continued as he groped them gently, although Erica quickly spoke up to Richard's surprise.

"Do not be gentle, Sir Richard. I do not want to waste this night, so be rough with me if you want." Although Richard wasn't entirely sure what she meant, he would let his body move without thinking about it really meant right now. He was already feeling like he was not entirely in control over his actions.

A nod was his gesture of acknowledging Erica's statement and his hands continued their pleasurable movements with renewed vigor. He barely thought about his actions, letting the natural side take over the most. It took barely seconds for Richard to pull Erica onto himself, with a gasp from her. His hands grasped her butt and the two connected by lips again. Erica moved to get her hand on Richard's hardening cock, trying to get her needs free of their restraints. With the two still kissing deeply, Erica moved off Richard to strip him down more as well. In a minute and an unfortunate need for the two to disconnect, both Richard and Erica were naked. Neither was nervous anymore, passion rising to a higher level by the second. Erica was wiggling in front of Richard, who was proudly posed in confidence. Richard was a very well-developed guy, a well-groomed body matched from head to toe. The biggest eye-catcher to Erica, as expected, was his impressively hung self. She wasted very little time and flung herself into Richard's waiting self. The two continued their sensual embrace skin to skin, Richard finally getting as loose as Erica was with her feelings and motions.

"What do you plan on doing with me, Sir Richard?" Erica had her arms draped over Richard's shoulders, rubbing herself against his increasingly arousing body.

"How far can I go?" Richard was answered by a hand wrapping around his largely hardened cock. He replied with a hand squeezing Erica's butt.

"I know you are worried, but I am trusting you to know how far you can go. I want this to be a good for the both of us, so do what feels right." It was a long explanation, but Erica started pumping Richard's cock at the same time. Richard was moaning increasingly louder, taking it as consent to let him start with what he wanted. Richard started by using both hands to lift Erica against him. Her hands wrapped around his neck and she was guided until her back was against the wall that the headboard of the bed was also against. His cock was rubbing against the outer lips of Erica's slick sex, causing the Altmer to moan with every step.

"I am going to get you addicted to me." Richard whispered in Erica's ear, causing her to moan louder. The two were more than ready to get busy, but Richard was teasing Erica more. He nibbled her neck and moved his hips to rub his hardened cock against her more. She was sandwiched between the wall and Richard's thrusting body, giving him complete control over her body. She was in ecstasy already, although she kept trying to get her partners sex into her.

"Sir Richard, I am going to go crazy. Please, for the sake of Akatosh, use me!" Her voice was slowly rising, her mind only on the pleasure between the two. A loud yelp came from her as she was bitten hard, nails digging into Richard's back.

"Stay quiet or else!" It sounded like a surprising growl, causing Erica to catch her breath and follow the orders given. After a couple more moments of teasing and quieter moans of his submissive partners, Richard gifted the girl with finally penetrating her deep as he could in one thrust. Erica's eyes widened as she was officially deflowered, but it felt amazing. Whether it was the mood or some third-party help, she let out a louder yelp and a growing smile on her face.

"Akatosh, forgive me! I want more!" Erica moved a little while being impaled, giving Richard the deepest access into her. Every sound coming from both were fits of passion, Richard using the Altmer's body like she wanted.

"You will be getting more than you can handle. Take it all!" Richard pulled Erica down while pushing his cock into her hard, pushing himself and Erica over the edge. Erica abruptly leaned down, biting Richard's shoulder as they both reached their climax. Richard emptied himself deep into Erica, Erica mixing herself in as well. Richard slowly was losing his strength, needing a minute to recuperate. A heave and what muscle he could muster for the few seconds needed, he put Erica onto the bed, sitting beside her with a deep inhale of air.

"Sir Richard, that was better than I imagined it would be." She wasn't as exhausted, leaning against Richard's muscular form. Her young breasts rubbed against Richard's body, his cock coming back to attention quickly despite him just emptying himself into his partner. "Ohh, someone needs more attention already. I will attend to you quickly, lover." Richard had no time to attest to her actions before her head was dropped to meet his rejuvenated erection. She eagerly took it in her mouth, the normally quiet and shy girl taking the sexual acts like she was active in it herself. Richard instinctively put a hand on her head, gripping her hair to no denial by his lover.

"Erica, how do you know all of this?" She was bobbing up and down on his member, surprisingly feeling her vampire teeth lightly rub the sensitive parts when they touched them. She wasn't biting or causing him pain, but the teeth felt amazing against him. He was already forcing her deeper and even though she took it without complaining, she tapped her hand against his leg. It was not instant, but he eventually pulled her head off his cock. She coughed a bit and took in a big breath of air.

"I know you are eager, but I can only take so much, Sir Richard. I cannot handle all of you for that long." She began pumping him again, the two making eye contact as she then answered his question. She was constantly giving him pleasure, despite her not getting the same but not throwing out any objections to it. "I…Miss Alvechi and I are close and…" Her shyness came back as she continued to please, despite her face growing redder as she seemed to force herself to speak more. "She knows about the things I wanted to do with you and…helped me. It is not something I can explain, but Miss Alvechi helped…" She trailed off and the first thought that popped into Richard's mind was what he said.

"Did you do things before this with someone else?" It sounded like jealousy in a way, a bit of an accusatory question. Erica got a brighter red and fervently shook her head.

"No, by the Divines, no! I promise you are my first! I do not want you to think bad of her, but she used other means to show me. I promise, you are my first and will always by my special lover, Sir Richard!" Maybe to try and push her point more, she basically threw herself at Richard once again. The two embraced and shared a long kiss while rubbing against each other once again.

From there, the two repeated their previous acts, this time on the bed. Richard took control a couple times by putting the willing girl on her hands and knees as well as her back, marking her as his by both her womb and strangling her in pleasure with a hand mark. As expected, Erica didn't object and enjoyed it more and more as he continued to take control of her body. Richard indeed took her body as his own, emptying himself time and time again into her womb. Sometime close to the end of their sexual romp that lasted longer than they probably expected, Richard and Erica were being much more sensual in their acts. Richard gave a fair amount of attention to Erica's chest, getting the girl to try and weakly push him off due to her sensitivity. As expected, Richard was concrete in his sexual torture of his lover, keeping her writing in light pain and immense pleasure. By the end of their constant moaning and pleasure, the two ended with Richard catching his breath deeply and Erica lying on him as she did the same. It was getting early in the morning and the mood dissipated as the two were not as interested in sex anymore, rather just being close.

Erica was marked up a little, Richard's dominance showing with red marks on her neck and tender breasts. She had a big smile, hands connected around Richard to make sure he didn't go anywhere without her. Richard had a little more noticeable marks, bites in multiple parts of him and nails marks that dug surprisingly deep into his skin. If one were to judge, it would look more like Richard was under Erica's control, rather than the other way around.

"I am sorry for forcing you into this Sir Richard, I really am. I should have controlled myself…"

"You are fine. You didn't do anything wrong, I just wasn't expecting you to start it all the sudden."

"You are far too nice to me. I know I am taking advantage of you."

"You are fine. I just want to know what got into you all the sudden." From the beginning to actual end, neither Richard nor Erica brought up any reasons why. Even before, Erica only mentioned wanting some kind of happiness.

"I do not actually know. I just wanted to experience it, at least once. I do not know what I will be doing after tonight…" Richard moved to stare at Erica.

"What do you mean what you will be doing after tonight? Erica, what are you thinking about doing?" Erica didn't answer right away, in fact she squirmed underneath that was a dead giveaway that she was nervous or anxious. It was very rarely a good sign and Richard noticed when it was a good or bad sign.

"I do not know. This is all too much right away." Richard tried to hold back his signs of sleep, but he couldn't keep the yawn down. Erica giggled in a cute way.

"Just think about it, alright? I am trying my best to stay awake, but I don't want you to do anything without thinking." Surprisingly, Erica didn't show any gestures of drowsiness. Richard himself was losing his focus quickly.

"I will, Sir Richard. Sleep, I will make sure you are taken care of tomorrow." Richard followed up on Erica's remark, letting sleep take him until he had to leave in the morning. It barely took a minute for Richard to let the comfortable position and company lure him to sleep.

Richard had a series of disconnected images over the night, including multiple beings over however long he slept. A couple of vivid ones included a decorated Nord, a robed older man, but most terrifying of all, a huge black drake that was seconds from devouring him. Instead of getting up over time slowly, Richard jerked into a sitting position out of nowhere. His breaths were a quickened and his vision was focusing as soon as possible. For a couple minutes, Richard did his best to recall what he seen. Dragons, red sun, and tentacles in slime pools were what came to mind immediately including the fading images he thought of just before waking.

"Erica, I think it's time to g-" Richard moved his hand that was in Erica's. The problem was that he didn't have another hand in his own. He jerked to where Erica was, or where she was. For some reason, Richard's mind was lost on what the situation was. When he caught up, Richard jumped off the bed quickly and jerked his head around the room to find Erica. For some reason, he thought she was around the room, but she couldn't go far cause the sun was up as well as she would have to wake Richard up as well.

Once again, his mind and actions had to catch up still. Realistically, he was up for no more than ten minutes and both functions were fighting against each other over which was going to work first. He would have to make get his body in agreement before trying to figure out anything.

"Okay, so she is gone and I have to figure this out. Uh…" The activity the two did the night before was more prominent than what was around the room at the time. Richard did remember the room was emptier than normal, and it seemed Erica left with more somehow. The girl could not have moved her stuff easily, unless she used magic to assist her. It is possible she summoned help or simply asked someone at some point. Any person she could have gotten assistance from would most likely be a stranger, since Erica pointed out she didn't trust Torbin with any of these important matters.

"You said you wouldn't do this." Richard's eyes scanned the rest of the room, mostly the places that should be barren or just out of place things. It took a single look to find something that definitely wasn't in the room before. A slightly off-colored red potion sat on a table beside the bed, underneath a note lay.

'I am sorry for lying to you, Sir Richard. I promise you that I everything else that I said and did were true. It was hard to leave, but I cannot bring myself to take up space in a place like this as I am. I know you will find me eventually, if you have the need, but I cannot stress this enough. I do not want you to leave what you have just for me. I am not leaving to do anything dangerous, rather I just need to figure things out away from a place that I care about as much as this. I will not be looking for trouble or a way to end my life and will do what I can to avoid such situations.

This potion is for curing disease. I could not help myself and bit you. I specifically made a strong dosage that could work against Vampirism before it gets to the point of no return. I hope with all my heart you will use this, whether you believe you have it or not. I could not live with myself if I had been at fault for putting you in even any situation close to mine.

I will wait for us to meet again. Until then, keep yourself safe and I will keep my love for you close.'

Richard had to read the note over again, if only to make sense of what was said. It wasn't difficult, but his mind was thinking too fast. When he read the part about being bit, he immediately felt around his neck. He didn't feel anything until he went farther down into his shoulder. The holes from Erica's teeth were clearly defined and went deep, which could lead to the Vampirism spreading easily.

The potion in his hand seemed correct, although he was curious how strongly made it was. Erica was apparently naturally good at anything magic and the art of alchemy was no doubt also a strength of hers. To satisfy Erica's wants, he swallowed the contents in a single drink. It wasn't a lot, but it was thicker than a typical potion. Nonetheless, he wouldn't know for sure if it worked until a few days from now. When the time passed and he was still his normal Breton self, that meant Erica's concoction worked if he did contract Vampirism.

He didn't have any feeling like he would lose his connection to the divines, nor did he entirely believe Erica did, but he didn't like the idea of being made into something he despised. No ill will was towards Erica herself, as she was forcibly given the curse, but others were an entirely different story. No other Vampire would have a valid excuse if the choice was made willingly.

Even after figuring out what happened to Erica, or rather what Erica happened to do, Richard still had to reflect on what this would mean and what he would do. He still had no problems about leaving Wayrest to find the runaway girl, even if she specifically didn't want it. Anyone who knew Richard even a little knew that the man was far from thinking about the consequences of his actions before he acted on them. Still, leaving was a big decision. If he did, then he would be alone again but with no safety like in the city. Richard knew he had luck and some skills, but far from any seasoned adventurer. Erica left in the night and the fact she needed no sleep means she could easily have gotten extremely far. Richard's quest would take months at the earliest and decades at the latest. There was no way he would live through that, even as a possible descendent of the legendary Emeric of Cumberland.

"I guess I have to just bear having this always in the back of my mind." After a long time of ruminating, Richard decided on continuing his training. He would be constantly bothered by the absence of Erica and keeping the secret, hopefully the busy nature of his current life could make it more bearable. Eventually, he might be able to tell Torbin of what happened. It would take but a day for the questions to start coming.

As Richard came down to go to his session, it didn't even last a day before he was being bombarded with things that made him already regret not leaving right away.

"Ohh, so he did stay up there all night. Aren't guys not supposed to be up there?" Barus was the first to bring up the obvious, although it meant something entirely different to Richard. He didn't respond, only turn away from his group of friends. Torbin and Gainroy were also waiting but didn't get a chance to say anything directly to Richard.

"Nice going, idiot. You really should keep quiet most of the time, but that is a pipe dream." Barus huffed at Gainroy's response, glancing to Torbin. He held an expression of worry.

"We won't know what is wrong with Sir Richard for a while. Something is definitely eating at him, though, probably regarding Miss Erica." Torbin was the closest to Richard, obviously knowing him the longest and being as right as he always was when it came to the Breton's actions.

Everyday seemed to blend into the other with no change in Richard's state of mind. Since that day of Erica leaving, the thought of following her has always been whispering to him to leave immediately. Richard didn't know exactly why, but he never acted on the urge. For two years after that day, Richard has kept himself at the place he has been able to call home. His friends were still with him, thankfully, but they were not all on the same level of knowing what happened. For first couple of months, Richard kept the news of Erica to himself. Torbin especially has been on his back about where Erica had gone, but Richard was tight lipped about the events of the night and leading to the reveal in the morning. As expected, Torbin had eventually been told about what happened. Richard didn't go into detail except for the most important parts. Unexpectedly, even Torbin brought up the idea for them to leave, possibly bring Barus and Gainroy along for the help. Torbin was talked down to inform anybody else about the way Erica went missing. It was inevitable that everybody had found out, although none of them had concrete proof except the two men.

"Richard, I feel like it is time. I know you are hesitant to leave, but it is not so bad." Torbin and Richard were locked in a skirmish, claymore pushing against a shield respectively. Instead of just a one-handed blade, Richard had extended his arsenal to a couple other similar style of weapons and also incorporated a durable shield into his fighting style. He still trained without it, having skilled proficiency in both styles. Torbin had been using heavier and deadlier weapons. He concentrated on his original blade but had expanded to using a deadly battle ax and had also trained his fists to be powerful weapons. With or without a weapon, Torbin had trained his body to always have an option.

"I have been thinking it over, but now is not the time to think about it or talk." Richard heaved forward, pushing his Nord opponent away to make a distance. Richard had also trained his body to be nothing like it was before, not looking like he had before when he was begging.

"Then we meet tonight and make the final decision. I have made up my mind." With that, the two warriors finished the day out like normal. They barely break a sweat with the fighting anymore, wanting more of a challenge than their fellow allies. Nothing much had happened and the events from years ago had largely been forgotten and repaired. It was peaceful, but peace in Tamriel never lasted long.

"I am leaving tomorrow. I cannot walk during the night, but I am packing up to leave in the morning." Torbin spoke clearly, showing he was being completely serious. He had been talking about leaving for a while, always bringing up that things seemed to have changed over the years. Whether it was Erica leaving or his previous life as a traveling pilgrim coming back to haunt him, he was getting much more restless.

"I'm surprised you waited this long. Then we leave together, but Barus and Gainroy stay here. They don't need to be involved in this."

"That was a quick decision, Sir Richard. When did you have your mind made up?"

"The morning she left, of course. What about you?"

"Seeing as you didn't tell me until later, not long after that. I enjoyed my time here, but I've never been one to like all this peace and such. Probably cause of my nature." Richard knew enough about the races to know Nord's tendencies. Their nature and past outfitted the race to be nomads.

"I'm not surprised. Then…should we plan ahead before we go?"

"I know I don't and that doesn't seem your kind of thing, Sir Richard. No, just where we will go."

"At this point, Erica can be anywhere…if we even have any kind of path."

"Then I have a suggestion. Skyrim." Richard thought about the suggestion. If he wanted anywhere else, it wouldn't make a difference in finding the missing girl. He had absolutely no idea where to start and realistically, they had to start somewhere that bordered the corner province.

"Why there specifically?" It wasn't any sort of accusation, rather curiosity on knowing why he was quick to bring out that place.

"I have a feeling. I've always had feelings on a lot of things I do, and I have always followed them."

"Sounds okay to me. We'll start in Skyrim, then." With that, the two went their different ways to prepare for the morning ahead. Richard couldn't sleep much that night, although he did get some rest. Unlike Torbin, Richard would have next to nothing to bring with him. During his time at his newest home as well as his life before, he had nothing that was worth material and was very shrewd with the coin he did gain. Torbin could be credited with the same, as he was a pilgrim before coming to the same place. It would be interesting to see what the two could accomplish together.

The next morning was both a welcomed sight and a drain from the start for Richard. He had prepared himself for the fact he would, once again, be leaving a home he had to go to places he had no clue about.

Richard came to the front of the building in his most travel worn outfit, carefully patched up by Erica, that he had worn on his first day as a beggar from the streets. For some reason, Erica had insisted she could repair them when Richard was happy to get rid of them. Nonetheless and to no one's surprise, Richard caved in and let Erica do what she wanted. They were repaired not long after and looking much better than Richard could have made them look himself. The rest he had on him when he reached the front doors was a leather sack on him of saved septims and a traveler's bag of things given to him by others. It seemed Torbin was either late or already left, both incredibly out of character as well as unlikely.

"On time today? This must be a really special occasion, Sir Richard." Torbin appeared towards the back of the building, leading to the training grounds with his own supplies. He had barely more on him, although the look of the items were not memorabilia. The bumps that came with the items made it look like it was possibly books or boxes that shared the size. Despite both men coming with absolutely nothing on them except for scraps of coin, Torbin was much better with preparations of this sort.

"I don't want to waste any time. What made you so late, if I may pry?" Torbin let out a long sigh. That could mean he did something that was unproductive, or he was relieved. As Richard would learn, it was the former, in a sense.

"I know you had no one to say farewells to, but I did have a couple. I didn't tell them why, but…"

"So, it was true. My recruits are deciding to leave without prior arrangements being made, at least one of you." The loud accusation came from Behldun, the Redguard who has been training the warriors over the last couple of years. With him were two other fighters, namely Vius and two familiar friends.

"You couldn't help but tell people about our plans, could you? Jeez, Erica was almost right about you having such a big mouth." Torbin shrugged, unable to think of a comeback. He was right, in a way.

"You should have said something sooner, Richard. This decision would not have been made by anyone here but you two, although that doesn't change the fact there are people here that care." Richard huffed with the response to his statement by Behldun. Still, Behldun's expression was unchanging.

"I know, man. We wouldn't have gone with you, of course, but you should have said something to us. You're lucky Torbin here is with you, or else you would have made a huge mistake." Barus, expectedly, spoke behind Behldun. Richard noticed just now that two weapons were in possession of the group, being hidden by bodies and unable to be entirely discerned, but still able to be seen.

"Ever since you used those abilities, it was hard to see you staying in a place like this. Call it warriors' intuition, but I am also not a fool about these things. You two are very much meant to do things not centered in Wayrest, although I am surprised you stayed as long as you did. Nonetheless, as a gift to keep you safe on your adventures, I present you with these weapons." Richard was expecting Barus and Gainroy to walk up to him, but it was actually Vius who approached with his armament. He was surprisingly silent until now, the glare he was directing at Richard probably giving the idea that he had nothing to say on the encouraging side. He simply thrusted the covered weapon forward, a motion that could mistakenly be taken as aggression with the amount of force he used if he weren't a good distance away.

"This is some kind of trick, isn't it? Why would you be here GIVING me anything other than your attitude and pathetic words?" The animosity between the two have not dissipated even a little, growing over the years, rather. It came with negatives, as the two could never work together and their fights were rarely sportsmanlike, although positives were also present. The two worked harder than any other to go higher, showing constant improvement in skill and vigor while together or apart in skirmishes.

"I am not GIVING you anything. I only came here to make sure you do leave. This is not from me in any way." The hostility was obvious and could not be interpreted as anything else.

"No worries on that. I won't be back unless I am dying, although that would give you too much satisfaction, so don't plan on seeing me again." Richard grabbed the top of the weapon, Vius held more towards the center, but the aggressive Imperial would not let go.

"I will see you again and make sure you don't get up after I am done with you. Don't think you can die without me being there to cause it." The words were worse than poison, especially between the two who were largely much tamer until now. They got into arguments, but the limits were taken away in this instance.

"That is enough. Vius, you cannot waste more time when you have yet to reach a point of completely over-powering Richard. You two are barely past novices." Behldun spoke loudly, snapping the boys out of their final spiteful encounter. Vius released the weapon, causing Richard to jerk forward at the sudden extra weight, with a smug grunt before completely leaving the building out the back again with a haste.

"That was brutal. I think it's good you two are getting some time apart, you are ready to rip out throats. Werewolves are friendlier than you two." Torbin, Barus, and Gainroy were silently watching the exchange, kept quiet partially out of confusion and Behldun keeping them from interrupting. Torbin was carrying his weapon, although it clearly outclassed Richards in a few aspects.

"Just don't let any of this get to you. It would be nice if you could try and be a little civil sometimes. I don't like having to babysit you sometimes around him." For once, Gainroy spoke to Richard like he was a scolded child. It was unusual for the middle-ground Imperial to take a side, especially if it involved being negative towards his friend.

"You two also have other matters to attend to. Get to your training." A sigh from Barus but an acknowledging nod from Gainroy is how the two left. "I would ask that you keep the gifts as they are until you have left the building. It is not for any specific reason, it is a suggestion." With that simple request, Behldun also left, leaving Torbin and Richard at the entrance with their unexpected baggage.

"Torbin, how do you really feel about leaving? You make it seem like you are okay, but are you really?" Richard and Torbin were walking out of the city of Wayrest, equipment and bags carried on their backs.

"I am. It will be odd to get used to after having a comfortable home and lots of company, but I will get by fine. How are you handling yourself, Sir Richard?" Richard rolled his eyes, not answering the question but throwing back his own.

"Are you going to continue to call me that?"

"Sir Richard, you mean? Of course I will. It is customary for me. I know a way to Skyrim, if you will let me take the lead." The subject was changed quickly, probably to avoid Richard making a fuss about how Torbin spoke. Richard figured it would get on his nerves quickly enough that he will have to almost force the traditional Nord to drop the mannerisms.

"I don't have a clue where we are going, so I would like nothing more than that." The two were on foot, meaning it would take weeks to trek to one of the entrances to Skyrim. The Wrothgarian and Jerall Mountains largely limited the ways to enter the snowy province of Skyrim. The Wrothgarian Mountains were also home to the Orcs. They were not completely hostile, but highly disliked company. In the end, the duo ended up being led on a way that took them to the northern of Cyrodil to take a pass from Bruma. It wasn't easy to get there, taking months to get through at least two provinces before reaching the border, and Torbin was the one that used a lot of his funds to supply their nights at Inns. They had enough to get by, with the help of traders and other wanderers. There were not a huge number of events the duo encountered, as politics were not being fought with steel as much as with words. Richard didn't know much of the outside provinces, only getting bits of information from eavesdropping.

"We are at the border. It's been a long time, Sir Richard."

"That is very true. We haven't heard anything about a traveling girl, much less even talk of vampires." Richard was disappointed in the news, especially since that was the main reason the quest started. Torbin didn't seem to be as invested in finding Erica as Richard, not that he was avoiding trying.

"Tamriel is huge. You know it is realistically impossible to find her unless you get some message again somehow. Sir Richard, I have a question you need to answer before we get far into Skyrim." Right now, Richard and Torbin were alone after leaving a group of traders traveling to sell wares. Nothing was asked of them, traveling bands being known to bring more people when possible to dissuade robbers along the way.

"What is it?"

"I would like to split up before getting far into Skyrim. Call it a personal matter." Richard was not listening too much, until he heard the suggestion of splitting. He was stopped in his tracks, turning to see Torbin was completely serious in his eyes. Torbin looked to have stopped earlier on the border.

"Um…why did you wait until we got this close to ask?"

"I wanted to make sure you were safe and really liked the company, of course." The conversation was surprisingly calm, especially with the question being thrown out close to the end of their first quest.

"How would we be meeting up, then? Skyrim isn't small."

"I won't be leaving Skyrim and I doubt it will be hard to find someone like you. You are not really a normal kind of person." Richard was exhausted and felt like he was a little different than when he left Wayrest months back.

"I guess. Maybe it would be easier if we split up."

"I will send a letter to you somehow if I find anything, I promise. Good luck, Sir Richard." It must have been important, since Torbin didn't stay for the pleasantries or a long good-bye, before leaving to go into Cyrodil again. There were a few ways to get into Skyrim, although the mountains made it far from possible to get in freely, so Torbin's personal matter might have been closer to another place. When Torbin was out of sight, Richard readjusted his baggage to make his first forays into the icy province of Nords.