Chapter Nine
Four woman swiftly walked down the beaten trail to where a grand keep stood. They'd easily slipped Vex past the guard posted outside at the mouth of Dayspring Canyon, the three nords distracting him as they convinced him to let them by long enough for her to sneak behind him through the rock. Now, still the nords walked more openly while Vex snuck along through the brush and trees.
She was certain that if a single Dawnguard member saw her, they'd shoot her on sight and then pin her on their wall like the several other pelts and trophy heads inside the fort. Something she'd rather not have happen, as one could imagine. As a precaution, Vex had decided to dawn her Nightingale armor for this particular quest.
Mjoll's plan was simple, and perhaps too simple, but it was all they could come up with. Seeing as Vex was familiar with the fort, she would at least have that working to her advantage. The Lioness had suggested they approach the fort directly, and openly express their concern for knowing the fate of Yosa'Min. While they did that, hopefully convincing whomever was posted outside to fetch Isran and thus draw the attention of more Dawnguard, Vex would find a second way in and search the fort herself for Yosa'Min. Either way, they'd end up knowing if she were alive or not.
As they drew closer, Mjoll started to feel herself grow steadily more nervous. What she was suggesting was rather risky if not borderline suicidal. The Dawnguard could easily attack or capture them due to openly stating their affiliation of Yosa'Min, or, if they didn't know her true identity yet they would be exposing her and who knew what they'd do with that kind of information. The golden haired nord was banking quite heavily on them being the honorable sort, but there was a lot in what someone defined as honorable.
They'd reached the first tower, Vex giving them one last nod from the brush before she vanished before their eyes. The nord warriors were confused, but knew they couldn't afford to let it show on their faces so they turned and and kept on. They could feel eyes upon them as they passed the second tower and started up a sloping hill, moving closer and closer to the fort.
When they were at last at the door, a nord man on guard outside, they stopped. Mjoll's heart was racing, but she swallowed the rising anxiety and addressed the lad before her. "We would like to speak with Isran."
"Why?" He questioned, dressed in the same armor as Vex had described.
Biting her cheek, Mjoll replied, "We have heard news that someone we hold dear crossed your organization, and we'd like to find out what has become of her."
The lad's eyes widened, and he seemed uncertain what to do. "You... Speak of that thief Plim!"
"That is not her true name, but yes, we speak of her," Lydia piped up, as Vex had filled them in on the use of their fake names for the infiltration.
"Do you know who the other thief was then? Hol?"
Iona spoke before any of the others could, both of which seemed hesitant to respond. "We know of her, yes, now may we speak with Isran?"
Nodding his head eagerly, the nord lad quickly opened the door and rushed inside. As they watched him, feet fidgeting nervously, Mjoll could have sworn she saw a shimmer of light follow the boy inside the fort. It was a short while before the redguard man came outside, but when he did they certainly noticed him. Isran held himself in a manner that could only belong to a seasoned warrior, chin high but not in a smug manner. Instead he carried confidence and pride well deserved and each of the nords were swift to pick up on it.
"Who are you? How do you know the thieves?" Isran instantly asked, not crossing over to them but instead standing just a bit away from the entrance to the fort on the steps that led up to it. There were already faces poking their way behind him, Lydia just spotting them, which meant that at least the distraction part of the plan was going well. If they got any information out of the redguard vampire hunter, that would be a whole other story.
"My name is Mjoll the Lioness, this is Lydia and Iona, and we are friends of Plim," Mjoll said, gesturing to the two women flanking her.
"You know the Dragonborn?" Isran cocked a brow suspiciously.
"Aye," Mjoll replied, worried that he would know she was the Dragonborn. "These two women are her housecarls, and I an old friend."
"Did you know she was a thief?"
With a sigh, Mjoll nodded her head. "Unfortunately, yes, we were aware of her occupation though never the details of it."
The redguard frowned at her, "Why would you put yourself in her company then? Thieves have no honor and make poor friends."
"Have you ever tried to stay the tide of a river with your bare hands Isran?" Mjoll replied, making him narrow his eyes at her slightly. "It's impossible, but still you may try. We have each struggled with turning her away from a life of crime, that is why we may still call ourselves friends of Yosa'Min." Mjoll was trying rather hard not to let herself give away that she not longer felt she was Yosa'Min's friend. Anything bit of what she said to sound false would tip Isran off and make him think they were after more if not thieves themselves. Something they couldn't afford happening.
"It would seem you've failed," said Isran.
"Aye, that we have," Mjoll agreed with a nod of her head. She could see another pair of eye watching them from inside, and she hoped desperately that Vex was inside and had found Yosa'Min. "Please Isran, tell us what you've done with her."
He watched her closely, pale blue eyes trying to read every inch of her and see the liar within. After a long bit of silence, he nodded his head. "Fine, I will tell you what has happened to Yosa'Min, but on one condition."
"What would that be?" Asked Lydia.
"You tell me who Hol really is."
"I trust you want me to answer first before you'll share." Mjoll said, a foul taste rising in the back of her mouth.
Isran gave her the slightest of a smile, and tipped his head down for a moment. "Of course."
Sighing once more, the Lioness nodded her head in admission of the demand. "Hol is a member of the Thieves Guild, and goes by the name Vex."
He frowned a bit. "Vex?"
"Aye, Vex."
"That is her real name?" Pushed the redguard man.
"The only name I have ever heard her go by is indeed Vex, is there something bothering you?" Mjoll narrowed her eyes back, lifting her chin a bit as she glared up at him.
"No, it's nothing," he swiftly replied, shaking whatever feeling had been rising up his body. "To answer your plea, Yosa'Min is alive. We sent her on a quest to redeem herself of her crime."
"Where?" Piped up Iona.
"If you intend on chasing after her, I must warn you it could be dangerous," he cautioned.
"Iona and I are sworn to protect our thane at the cost of our own life," swiftly spoke up Lydia, anger in her voice as she tried to restrain her temper. "It matters little to us if it is dangerous, all we care for is the safety of our thane."
Something of the way she spoke made Isran smirk, and he nodded his head. "All right, fine. I sent her to Dimhallow Crypt, one of my men escorted her there. If you would like, I could have it marked on a map if you should have one."
Lydia smiled with relief, and swiftly approached him as she fumbled with a pocket of her armor to pull her aged map out. "Our thanks Isran. We're sorry for what transpired, but it is a relief to meet a man who respects duty and honor such as you," she said as he marked the map on a mountain.
"I bet with the company your thane must keep, it truly is."
Lydia had to stay her tongue at that one, and simply nodded her head in agreement before walking back to where the two other nords were waiting. They nodded their heads once more, and departed.
"There it is," the orc said loudly in Yosa'Min's ear, circling her with a stern expression. Her hands were bound with rope in front of her, stirring up memories of Helgen. The orc had a horse tied nearby to a tree, snow covering the ground everywhere they looked on the mountain they now stood on. He'd had transported her on the back of a horse the entire journey from Fort Dawnguard to the mountain in the eastern portion of Morthal the bordered Dawnstar, high above the swamps. It rose high enough that they had a clear view of Solitude and the Blue Castle in the distance at midday, the sun setting the snow alight.
Durak had seemed to enjoy her being thrown over the back of the horse like some fresh caught doe a bit too much for her liking. As they'd come up the mountain they'd passed the remains of the Vigilante of Stendarr base, and she'd fought hard not to smile at the fact. Now they stood at the foot of a set of stairs that led to a cave entrance, a burning fire in a basin right besides it. There was a torch dropped on the stairs, raising suspicion in them both.
"Go on in," he ordered, cutting her ropes free and glaring at Yosa'Min.
"Fine," she hissed, "Just when I come back you better let me go," she warned as she stepped toward the entrance.
"Isran gave me an order, I obey," replied Durak as she slipped between smooth stones.
"I hope you freeze your ass out here."
"I'm sure you do."
Snorting in reply, Yosa'Min delved inside. There was snow even within, a curving tunnel that opened to a cave with waterfalls and stone pillars. Yosa'Min was armed with a crossbow, one she was certain Durak would take back once she returned, and a small dagger. They'd given her back the leather armor she'd worn when she first showed up at the Fort, so at least she wasn't going in utterly at a loss.
Instantly she heard voices, sneering words that echoed in the room. Crouching low to the ground with practiced caution, Yosa'Min moved to where she could see a pair of vampires, two elves, and some sort of black hound besides a ruin type door.
"What a fool, thinking he could take us on?" The female dunmer laughed.
"He did kill Jeron and Bresoth, though those whelps weren't much of a challenge in the first place," replied the male vampire.
"At least their arrogant chatter is no more," cackled the female vampire.
"Vigilantes, so dumb, perhaps dumb enough to send more?"
"Perhaps, we should stay on guard I suppose. Just wish Lokil would hurry up so Harkon can get what he wants," hissed the female, "I'm tired of being stuck with this fool."
"I ought to tell him of your disloyalty, if you don't shut up."
"You wouldn't dare, now just get back to watch." With that, they split, and started to walk about as if someone would manifest from the shadows themselves. Blue eyes narrowed, Yosa'Min raised the crossbow and took aim at the head of the loudmouthed vampire. A steel bolt sailed through the air with an obnoxiously loud noise, ruining whatever trace of secrecy Yosa'Min had, and pierced right through her skull. There wasn't a sound from the now killed vampire, but the remaining one shrieked with alarm and raised his hands with red magic swirling in them.
The hound raced towards her, snapping teeth from an exposed mouth aimed keenly for her throat. Yosa'Min got to her feet and jumped to the side, dodging the death hound's attack and whirled around to fire at it's showing ribs. A bolt pierced through it's flank, but still it came on with burning red eyes. The redguard gritted her teeth as she tried to dodge a second blow, the sound of magic rising to her left, and kicked it back before loading and firing a second bolt between it's eyes.
As the death hound fell limp, Yosa'Min's back was burning with pain and she whipped around to see tendrils of red light stretching from the elf's hands, a drain on her spirit itself. Shouting, Yosa'Min ran right at him, watching glowing eyes widen with alarm, and bashed him across the face with the crossbow before he had a chance to get away, ending the spell violently. As he stumbled back, the redguard hit him once more with the weapon, and then drew the steel dagger at her hip and plunged it into his chest.
He writhed, hissing with gasping breaths, before falling still on the bloodied snow. As her excitement died down, taking longer breaths to catch it, Yosa'Min looked about her. It didn't take her long to spot the corpse of a bearded nord man, dressed in the same uniform as all other Vigilantes of Stendarr. "Foolish man," she uttered, shaking her head before walking over and closing his opened eyes. "Didn't stand a chance."
With that, Yosa'Min reloaded the crossbow and ventured further within the crypt.
Yosa'Min strode into a new area, having fought through a system of caves past vampires, skeletons, death hounds and the undead nord zombies. She was in a nice looking foyer almost, two gargoyles resting besides an open arch way, a podium before her and a lever to her side. There was moss hanging about everywhere, and it made Yosa think of the strikingly beautiful ruins she'd delved in before.
Just as before, there was the sound of voices echoing in the area open ahead of where she was at, a large circular room best she could tell with water running in it somewhere. The redguard crept towards a railing just past the gargoyles, and listened in, gazing to a round platform raised above a small lake, a hole in the ceiling letting in a flood of snowy light. There were arches all about the platform and strange grooves along the floor, something that Yosa'Min couldn't quite make out in the center. She could see another area past it, a bridge connecting it to her side and the other side of the cavern.
"I'll never tell you anything!" Someone said with pain, drawing Yosa'Min's attention to the mouth of the bridge on this side of the chamber. There was a man in ropes, any scrap of clothing save for his undergarments removed and lashes across his bare back. There were two vampires standing in around him, one questioning him in front while the other held a whip in her hands. The one holding the whip was a breton woman, her glowing orange eyes burning with a sick pleasure. The vampire who was asking the questions, whom Yosa'Min quickly assumed was Lokil, was a bosmer, and he was laughing as the Vigilante tried not to break under the torture.
"Oh I'm sure you won't," purred Lokil, unaware of the onlooker.
"Then what do you want?" Asked the man with gasping breaths.
"The pleasure of hearing you scream isn't enough? Bah, you mortals are so stupid," scoffed Lokil, flicking a wrist and the breton vampire lashed the man once more. The Vigilante cried out in pain. "I hope you truly love your Stendarr, because that's who you're about to meet," said Lokil before he reached out and snapped the Vigilante's neck. He fell to the stone ground limp and broken.
"Mhm, that was fun," remarked Lokil, turning and crossing the bridge without so much as a second thought. "Time to get what we came for," he said, starting to move silver braziers that were along the different grooves of the stone island.
Yosa'Min swiftly took aim at the breton vampire who was following along more slowly, muttering something under her breath that the redguard couldn't make out, and fired. Her head exploded beautifully, crimson splashing across the finely crafted stone as her body collapsed onto the bridge. Lokil whirled around with alarm, raising one hand with magic while drawing a blade with the other, and started towards where Yosa'Min had fired from.
The redguard loaded another bolt, leading where she'd fire ahead of him as he came into range, and fired. The bolt ripped through a leg, Lokil shrieking in pain and hobbling to a side of the bridge, grasping it with gritted teeth. As she loaded another, he shouted something and a nord man that was some sort of thrall, came rushing in front of him, taking the second shot with his body and crumpling dead. Hissing with frustration, Yosa'Min loaded a fourth bolt and aimed for the injured vampire, whom was now certain of where she was.
He moved faster than she had anticipated, running up the steps leading to where she was before she'd so much as drawn a breath, and slapped the crossbow away from her. "Dawnguard eh?" He cackled, standing above her with a fury, burning eyes setting her alight in his mind.
"Not quite," replied Yosa'Min as she drew the dagger and slashed out at him. The bosmer vampire dodged with ease, and then grabbed her wrist and bit down. Shrieking in pain, Yosa'Min could feel a fire burning up her body as he dug in his fangs, blood welling to the surface at the bite. She gritted her teeth, her free hand balling into a fist as magical flame started to form around it, and brought it about in a punch that landed squarely on his face. Lokil released her with a cry, stumbling backwards in pain as his skin burned, and tripped over the railing in a blind fit. Yosa'Min watched him tumble down to the stone below, dying with a sick splat.
Wincing in pain, Yosa'Min inspected the bite and was relieved it didn't look infected only hurt, and cast a spell to close it before she bled everywhere. After that, she made her way down the steps and crossed the bridge to the stone island. Now she stood before a pentagonal cylinder, a stone pulsing button with hints of red upon it. She glanced about herself, checking that no more vampires crept in the shadows and then back to the button. "Something absolutely terrible is about to happen, isn't it?" Muttered Yosa'Min before reaching out warily and pushing down.
"Fuck!" She sharply cried, pain shooting up her entire body as a long spike came racing out of the cylinder and impaled her hand. A violet colored light erupted in the circle around the carved pentagons on the floor, shaking the very earth about her. Tears of pain welled in her eyes as she bowed down before it, trying to get a grip on the horrible suffering as her hand It tore back out, Yosa'Min pulling her hand to her chest and curling on the ground in pain. She eventually rode it to the point she could sit up some, wincing with discomfort and still gasping as she tried not to let it completely overwhelm her but to little avail. She pulled her hand back just long enough to inspect the wound, and was mortified to find that her hand was of little use, a hole the size of her thumb straight through the center.
Muttering profusely under her breath, she rose her other hand shakily and began to mutter the strongest healing spell she knew. She'd spent more time in books recently, and luckily had picked up a few new spells and practiced them, and as the wound began to mend itself slightly, Yosa'Min found herself grateful. Still, while she got her hand working once more and the flesh back to bone, Yosa'Min couldn't quite get the skin to close and the bleeding continued. Hissing with agitation, Yosa'Min swallowed breaths of air between her teeth before she struggled to her feet, holding onto the cylinder for support.
The world was still swimming around her, but her mind was working its way through the haze well enough for her to realize she needed to push the brazier into some sort of position to activate whatever it was trapped down here. With luck, it was something that would heal her. By the time she'd stumbled about to the first and moved it until the purple mixture in it was burning with a magical purple fire, she wanted to pass out. Suddenly though, a light flowed from it to her, and she felt a bit better.
Glancing at the wound, Yosa'Min was shocked to find it had stopped bleeding for now. Rushing with a desperate energy, Yosa'Min pushed all five into place and glanced at her hand which was now closed. Relief flooded her body, but she could still feel hints of pain from her left hand. Suddenly the cavern shook once more and Yosa'Min looked back at where the center was opening up in five part, a pool of purple magic beneath the cylinder. It rose up suddenly, the tiers of the circles and braziers rising as the center sunk inwards and the pool of magic vanished.
Yosa'Min gasped, confused and bewildered, as a monolith rose up before her, about the size of a person. Cautiously, Yosa'Min touched it and a slab moved back, revealing a woman inside. "What the?" Uttered the redguard as she fell forward, dressed in clothing similar to the vampires had been and carrying an Elder Scroll on her back. The woman stumbled from the monolith, gasping in breaths of air as she caught herself on the floor.
Before she could stop herself, Yosa'Min approached thinking she needed help, but swiftly regretted it as a loud hissing sound the vampires made filled the air. "Shit," was all Yosa'Min managed to utter before the dark haired woman rose up and tackled her, knocking the breath from the redguard's lungs as she twisted and slammed her against the stone. Legs trashing against the vastly stronger woman, Yosa'Min grasped at where the vampire had grabbed her neck, pain burning up her body once more as her other hand went for her dagger.
The strange woman pulled her head back and gave a low snarl, opening her mouth and revealing long glinting fangs. Her eyes burned sunset orange, wild and powerful that made it a little bit harder for Yosa'Min to focus. The vampire snaked her head forward to sink her fangs in the dark woman's skin, Yosa'Min jerking in alarm and slashing with the blade across a white face. The vampire woman let go of her, eyes wide with alarm as the Dragonborn moved to cut her once more. She stepped out of the way swiftly, Yosa'Min's panicked attacks sending her past the nord looking vampire who swiftly grabbed her by the back of her neck and slammed her into the stone steps about them.
Yosa'Min struggled to think straight from the stun, face pressing into the ground below blearily. The vampire straddled her back, and bent down towards her neck with a hiss. "Please," moaned Yosa'Min in pain below as the vampire nuzzled against the right of neck before fangs broke her skin. It was a fire that burned on the inside, Yosa'Min's limbs thrashing for a few seconds before everything was seized up in shock. She could feel her mind numbing as the vampire took more and more of her, a sick moaning sound coming from the undead woman above her.
When the fire had dulled, the vampire letting go of her and straightening up, Yosa'Min was nearly drained of any life, a dull moan coming from her lips. The vampire blinked, seemingly snapping from some sort of daze, "What...?" She uttered, a hand going to her head as she got her bearing, burning eyes looking around. As they fell on the limp redguard beneath her, she stiffened. "No, no no! Dammit Serana what have you done?" She started to whisper, sliding off the redguard and turning her over, "I couldn't control myself, I didn't mean to- dammit!" She said as she lifted the redguard's head and rested it on her lap.
"What?" Yosa'Min slurred, blue eyes faded as her body began to shut down with so little blood.
"Look, I'm really sorry but I have to do this," Serana said, raising her right arm and biting her wrist. The redguard's brow furrowed with further confusion, watching the strange spectacle as the vampire sucked some of her own blood from her body and then bent down towards her once more and bit her neck again. The redguard gasped in what little bit of alarm she had left, arms raising to push against her but soon falling to her side limp.
This bite felt different however, Serana sharing the blood between the two of them instead of just stealing hers, a colder fire spreading out from the bite. Yosa'Min moaned as the bite continued, a strange feeling rising in her body that was borderline painful but not quite. The vampire moved a bit, almost as if she were getting more and more into the action. One hand had been supporting Yosa'Min's head while the other had been holding her back up towards her, but the longer her fangs were buried in the redguard, the more she felt something akin to lust rising in her.
Serana moaned as she mixed their blood, raising her bleeding hand and to where Yosa'Min's gasping lips were, and before she could stop herself the redguard grabbed it and pressed it to herself, trying desperately to steal away the stream of red. Serana tensed but it was a more pleasurable manner than anything else, a fire burning in her body as the mortal grew more feral. Something swirled in her chest, clouding her vision and making it hard to go on. A few more moments passed before the vampire pulled back and easily wrenched her arm from Yosa'Min's grasp, who cried out in protest with swinging arms.
Looking down at blue eyes, Serana gave as warm a smile as she could. Slowly the redguard began to grow cold, her world painfully bright around her. "It's going to be fine, just relax," cooed Serana, a sad sparkle in her eyes as the blue belonging to Yosa'Min began to swirl an orange color. Serana forced herself to watch as the change took hold, soon cries of agony came from the redguard who began to thrash in her arms. "It'll be fine, I promise," repeated Serana to the changing woman, holding her tight so she wouldn't hurt herself. "It'll all be over soon."
The only response was a long cry of suffering.
AN: I've been wanting to write that since Two Thieves. Happy New Year!