Chapter thirteen - Crimson Scars

Middas, First Seed 29, 4E 0 - Dusk

Theranis walked through the woods, following the Green Road that circled around the Imperial City. For the past few days, Theranis had been furious with rage that held a fiery passion for revenge against both the Thieves Guild and some new Assassin Guild that had wounded him.

Theranis had been very weak, close to death if it hadn't been for his anger motivating to keep his body going. Theranis tried to feed off a few local people, but failed as they had escaped him. Theranis had been too weak to be able to run after them.

His wounds remained open, though the blood had stopped running, he has lost a lot of it. Theranis had been tired, exhuasted, from lack of energy. He had laid flat out on the road, stared up at the stars, while both Masser and Secunda stared down at him.

He watched a few falling stars as all the colors of the sunset began to fade, the sky light begin to fall into darkness. He closed his eyes, ready to let his life end, and his soul being taken into Oblivion for all the crimes he's done.

Not even a minute later, Theranis heard from a distance the sound of crunching rocks. 'Someone's coming.' A voice in the back of his head had told him.

He turned his head to see a black figure approach him, he opened his eyes wider, then enabled his night vision to see in the dark.

An Altmer man wearing middle-class clothing had approached him then knelt down beside him. "Sir, are you alright?"

Theranis was very weak, and he tried to speak but couldn't, his mouth had been dried up and his throat had felt like the hot desert sands of Elsweyr.

"What? I cannot hear you." The man said as Theranis was mouthing how thirsy he is, the man put his ear near his mouth.

Theranis used the rest of his strength to grab onto his neck and bring him to his mouth as he opened it and sank his teeth into his vein. The man began yelling and struggling, but Theranis tried with all his strength to hold on as hard as he can.

Theranis sucked his blood, each sip after sip that entered his body and started healing his wounds, strengthening his entire body providing it full of energy. The man stopped struggling, he began slowing down and becoming tired.

After Theranis was sure he was dead, and had sucked out as much blood as possible, Theranis pushed him off. His body flew off him 20 feet into the air and next to a tree.

Theranis got up quick, looked at the man. 'Almost forgot how strong being a vampire is.' He thought.

He felt completely young and healthy again, but even more younger than ever, he looked down at his shirt where a few holes had been due to the pierced arrows, he felt where the wounds were and they were gone.

Theranis had never drank from someone so much as he did tonight, he felt full of energy and he began walking, then afterwards started running, soon after he began sprinting through the road.

He ran tirelessly and passed trees left and right as they had flown past him faster than it would riding a horse. 'Never knew I could run this fast.' He thought as he smiled and continued running.

An hour later...

Theranis had killed a few bears along the road and some bandits that tried to mob him for his money. He never carried any money anyways, he just felt that he'd rather just take what he wanted.

A few bandits came at him with a sword in hand, and an archer stood behind. Theranis felt full of adrenaline and attacked first, he ran at the first bandit, threw a hard fist to the bandits face as he had cracked his jaw and fell to the floor.

The next bandit met with Theranis and swung his sword, he ducked under as low as he can and swung his leg, the bandit had been swept off his feet and fallen to the floor. Theranis got up, and another bandit came with a sword and almost hit Theranis until he dodged out the way just in time.

The bowman fired an arrow, and quickly, as Theranis had dodged the sword from the bandit near him, he grabbed his arm, pulled and threw him to the bowman as the arrow hit the flying bandit and fell on top of the bowman.

The fallen bandit that was swept off his feet got up, began attacking again, Theranis grabbed the man's wrist when he swung and stopped the attack, broke his wrist as he released the sword from his hand.

The sword was falling until Theranis caught it in mid-air quickly and used it to slice at him and cut off his head. The bandit that had the broken jaw got up slowly, Theranis noticed and threw the sword at him, the sword met with the bandit as it pierced straight through his neck inside the front and out the back, then fell to the floor.

The bowman and other bandit was starting to get up, Theranis ran at them at full speed and was before them in a split second from a twenty foot distance. Theranis moved with great speed and agility as the bandit swung at him, Theranis caught his wrist and let it guide the sword while he held it and made it swing too far that it hit the archer and sliced his throat open.

The bandit looked horrified, realizing he cut his partner. As he stood there with his back to Theranis, the vampire shoved his hand straight through the back of the bandit, and grabbed onto something, then out he pulled out his heart.

Theranis stood still after the bandit fell to the floor dead, he dropped the sack of heart to the floor, approached the bowman and started feeding off his bloody neck. Soon after he finished feeding on him, he fed off the other corpses as their blood had been still warm.

Theranis finally became a true slave to his blood lust, as tonight, his morals began to fade away and started changing into a bloodsucking savage.

Turdas, First Seed 30, 4E 0 - Midnight

Theranis had approached a small village, a village that had been at the bridge's end that linked land with the island of the Imperial City. When Theranis came closer, he seen a sign that said the town was called "Weye".

It is the first town you encounter after leaving the city, located at the west end of the main bridge to the city. The village contained only two buildings, Theranis approached one, the sign had said it to be the "Wawnet Inn".

Theranis walked inside and seen that the room had been a main reception area consisting of a bar with a counter and a dining room. Behind the counter stood an Altmer woman, who wore a brown shirt and a green silk garment.

He noticed also a dining room, no one had been in there, and seemed to him that there had been no business at all. He seen also a man, a Breton man, sitting on the stairs. Theranis walked forward to sit down at the counter, maybe get a drink.

"Welcome to the Wawnet Inn. Could I interest you in a room or perhaps a bit of wine?" She offered.

"Yeah, sounds good." He responded.

"Coming right up." She said then turned around to take out a bottle of wine.

Theranis turned his head, seen that the man on the stairs had been staring at him, he wondered what he was staring at him for. 'Maybe because I'm a new customer.' He thought.

The Altmer woman had finished pouring a half tankard full of wine, then placed it in front of him. He stood up, took the tankard, then sat down at a table and started sipping on the wine.

"Psst. Hey, you!" Theranis turned his head, the Breton man on the stairs had been calling him. "Yeah, you! Come here! I got what you need..."

Theranis turned his head away to look at the innkeeper, she had busied herself with cleaning, he got up and walked over to the man. He wore a plaid shirt, light brown linens, a pair of quilted shoes, and he had been armed with a dagger.

"You need something... special? Check out my wares. You won't find this stuff at your local general store, that's for damn sure." He said.

"Don't need anything." Theranis said and turned to start walking away.

"Wait-" He called out and stood up to grab Theranis' wrist. Theranis felt a fire of rage in him that made him want to rip off his entire arm for grabbing him that way.

"That's not what I called you for. Ease your anger, vampire." He said, that last word just seemed to echo off the walls and darken the room just a little bit for Theranis. He turned his head to face him.

"I know who you are. I can see it in your eyes, that unaged look on your face, that curse that has stricken your face features to a torment of immortality." This man had brought Theranis wonder, he didn't know who he was, but for some reason, he knew about him.

"Who are you?" Theranis finally asked.

"My name is Rowley Eardwulf. I used to be a vampire like you are. What is your name?" Rowley asked.

"Theranis."

"Well, Theranis. I've been looking for someone like you. I used to be part of a group called the Crimson Scars, a powerful vampiric organization that existed until our leader had gave up his immortal life to Sithis. We were Dark Brotherhood assassins before, until the Dark Brotherhood ambushed us before we were about to kill off every member in their Guild to serve Sithis. I am the last remaining Scar, and I've been waiting for one day, a vampire like you, would help me reinstate the Crimson Scar's again. You interested?" Rowley asked.

Theranis had to think for a moment, this can be what he's looking for. He needed to get revenge against the Thieves Guild somehow, joining this Assassin Guild, the Crimson Scars, here will help with that too.

"You interested, Theranis?" He asked again after another moments past.

"Yes, I am." Theranis decided.

"Very good" Rowley said darkly and gave a low chuckle.