Beta'd by Mega Lorandto

darknachouva: What? Can you misspell your words a little more? I almost understood what you were trying to say.

Anyway, love you guys.

The contents of my dream were...perplexing to say the least. It all seemed a bit to real to simply be some sort of odd lucid dream. It held some sort of deeper meaning, but what could it be? Perhaps some sort of subconscious fear?

What did I fear?

The topic of one's fears was something a bit difficult to answer on the spot like this. The knee-jerk reaction was to proclaim I was fearless, but that would be a senseless lie. All sentient beings had fear. It was a survival mechanism.

That said, I didn't have a clue as to what fear the dream could be representing.

With my musings yielding no results, I shifted them to my current goal: taking down this sex trafficking business.

Namely, taking the biggest name in the ledger I saw: Jarl Korir. Along with him, much of his nobility would have to go as well. After that, I'd be able to go after the smaller players until it all fell apart.

However, nothing prevented another scumbag from taking over once I wiped him and his cronies out. Nature abhors a vacuum after all.

Though, I could put someone specifically in-charge. But who could possibly fill the roll? They'd need to be strong no doubt, a good leader, and liked by the people. When in doubt, earning the favor of the people was the expressway ticket to positions of power.

I glanced around...my...throne room. It still felt weird to realize that this fort was mine, but my eyes roamed around, lingering on the people bustling around, getting their daily duties done. The people I led.

That was just it, they considered me a leader, did they not? Or at least an object of worship?

Surely that was proof enough. While being some type of king didn't appeal much to me, having the power of a jarl at my disposal would be invaluable in my most immediate goals and beyond. It would give me the power-base I needed to unite Skyrim and fight back against the Aldmeri Dominion once it came to that. Not to mention that it'd protect me from other Jarls as well. It wouldn't go well for their reputations with the other jarls if one declared war on me, regardless of my race or vampiric affliction.

That was sure to be a roadblock in my plans though. Realistically, very few people would knowingly choose a vampire as their jarl, angel wings be damned. I'd need to find some way around that.

Perhaps becoming so loved that the reveal simply wouldn't matter? If I helped out the common man until all whispered my name, then even if I did reveal myself to them, it'd be meaningless as I would be a hero.

Yeah, that could work!

Now the issue became how to earn the favor of potentially thousands, if not tens of thousands of people, maybe even one hundred thousand or more?

As I mulled over the issue, a thought occurred to me, 'Who said I needed them all?'

What if I simply assisted the most destitute? The poorest and most down on their luck humanly possible? I didn't need to become some hero to every single individual in the city, but the lowest class: the working man. The construction worker. The street sweeper. The window washer. The farmer. Society was built upon their backs. So long as I become their hero, I could very easily ascend rapidly up the chain to the top. From there, it was only a matter of expanding my power to the neighboring holds until I took over the province of Skyrim.

A quiet scoff escaped my lips. FAR easier said than done. If it were that easy, then it would have been done ages before. Though, I had what no other soul in this entire universe had: meta-knowledge.

I knew the quests related to every person in the land. I could easily cozy up to many by simply doing favors for them. Retrieving Amren's family sword, a mammoth tusk for Ysolda, clearing out Moss Mother Cavern for Valdr, though, that one might not happen at all given how I plan to change the timeline, but my point remains. Once I make a move for power, they'll choose me over some random asshole noble whose been taxing them to death.

However, I'd need to accrue power to even be considered as a potential candidate first. That came from the silver monopoly. Once I drive out all other businesses and make the city dependent on me, I can begin buying out other processes. Namely, food imports. Winterhold is a barren wasteland for the most part with little possibility of farming. If I can gain control over food imports, then I gain control over the city.

It was a plan of action.

Now, how to continue? With control over that mine, I have a starting point to jump from.

I suppose cutting deals with the different businesses in town would be the logical next move but it would take time for the workers to verify the vein wasn't simply an isolated pocket and could actually be mined.

And without that card, none of my power-plays would have any credence.

I could go about advancing other desires in the meantime though.

My quest screen opened with a simple thought. I scrolled down to two particular quests.

[Blood Payments]

" To exact revenge for yourself or your friends is not
only a right, it's an absolute duty. "

You lost your family in two lives. But you can actually do
something about this one. Dark thoughts swirl in your head
as you dream of what you will do in revenge of your family.

Objectives:

-Slay the leader of the vampire coven who has slain your family
-(Optional) Force him through the same pain you experienced

Rewards:

-Satisfaction
-New Title: (Hidden)
-500,000 EXP
-1 Perk Point

[The Tyranny of the Sun]

" Among the night's children,
a dread lord will rise.
In an age of strife,
when dragons return to the realm of men,
darkness will mingle with light and the night and day will be as one. "

A prophecy written by Arch-Curate Vyrthur sometime
in the late Merethic Era. It is the driving force behind
Harkon's madness.

Objectives:

-Slay Lord Harkon OR Fulfill the prophecy

Rewards:

-The sun may or may not be blotted out depending
on your choices
-New Title: (Hidden)
-250,000 EXP
-1 Perk Points

The Dragonborn's quest would be mostly left to sit for the next few years. But Harkon's and the revenge quest? I could get an early jump on those. Namely, Harkon's. Serana would be the key to starting it and she wasn't exactly going anywhere any time soon. Plus, in theory, I could obtain Vampire Lord status from her once its all over, granting me an avenue to even greater power.

Not to mention gaining access to invaluable artifacts such as the Ring of the Erudite and Ring of the Beast. The boost in magicka would be an excellent boon alongside the effects of the Ring of the Beast. In-game it boosts health and melee damage, but that could manifest differently in this universe. I would guess a flat strength boost alongside something like more durable skin.

Auriel's Bow would nice as well. No doubt Inigo could make use of it.

My map flashed open with a mental command, allowing me to look over to where I knew the cave was. It wasn't marked on my map, but I've played the game enough to have every location memorized, even with the changes to the world.

First things first; I'd need a cloak to shield me from the sun during my trip or some other method of protection. I doubted I'd be able to cross two hundred and fifty or so miles in a single night. Not to mention that I'd need to continue the journey up to Castle Volkihar which is roughly another three hundred and fifty. All in all, I had my work cut out for me.

...I'd have to walk my ass back too...

Or catch a ferry? Did they do that sort of thing? Hopefully I could just hop on a trading ship heading for Winterhold. That'd be absolutely golden.

Meh, that'd be something to sort out later.

"So let me get this straight," Itarus began from his horse. I could hear and smell him just fine, but couldn't see thanks to the thick veil over my body. My hands were in black leather gloves to allow me to still use the reins of my horse. Use was generous though. Mine was tied to Inigo's. I could hear him sniffing the air once in awhile, as if testing for something.

"We're going to a cave filled with gargoyles, giant spiders, and possibly a few vampires,"

I grunted in affirmation. I hated not being able to see. It was basically like being blind with this veil. Going from eagle vision to null was quite frustrating.

"Solve a puzzle to a tomb meant to contain a vampire substantially stronger than even you," Itarus continued, sounding more incredulous by the minute, "who, according to you at least, is still ALIVE,"

Fair point, yeah.

"All to get her out in order deliver her to her insane vampire father who wants to blot out the sun and kill us all." I couldn't see, but I could practically feel the deadpan expression on his face alongside the mild distaste on Inigo's.

I tilted my head, running over his words, "Yeah, sounds just about right. Why?"

A slapping sound indicated he had likely thrown his hands in the air, "Its insane. But even so, its probably not even the worst thing we'll have to go through by your side." He then scoffed, muttering to himself, "Next thing you'll tell me is that dragons are real..."

I suppressed the urge to snort.

"Well, her father intends to fulfill that prophecy, one way or another. As such, I'm willing to gamble that she'll side with us rather than him." I explained, gesturing vaguely, "Plus, putting him down would earn us her good favor. I have it on good authority that their relationship is...complicated to put it simply. Regardless, having someone of her caliber would be vital to my future plans."

The doubt wafting off of my companions was palpable.

"And you know these things...how?" Inigo inquired with a hum.

A beat of silence.

"Cocaine."

A further beat of silence.

"What the hell is cocaine?" Itarus questioned critically, beyond confused.

"Visions."

I heard him shift to look at Inigo, "Is cocaine another word for skooma?"

"What are you asking me for? I don't know!" He proclaimed indignantly. He was quiet for a moment before giving in, "Alright, fine! No, not one I've heard."

I struggled valiantly to hold in my snickers. That would no doubt bother them for at least a little bit.

"Consider it a...risky investment of sorts." I said bemusedly, listening to them shifting on their horses as they figured out how to interpret that, "And I'm a gambling man."

"That sounds an awful lot like what skooma addicts say." Inigo chuckled lightly.

A good point.

"I'll concede, you have a point."

We fell into a comfortable silence as our horses carried us on. My own horse seemed a bit uneasy with being in such close proximity to me. She could probably smell my condition. Reasonable.

I'd much rather be in the skies above, soaring through the air. Despite having the transformation of the man I used to take over the mine hiding them away, I could feel the itch of my wings wanting to be free. It was a distinct sense of longing. Like I was just missing something. Hell, I couldn't even look at the sky right now. It was almost like sensory deprivation if not for my hearing and smell.

All I can really do is await nightfall.

"M'lord! I have a missive!" A shrill voice cried out. That was accompanied by the clatter of dishware and shouts of indignation from other servants.

Jarl Korir's half-lidded eyes perked up at his messenger's cries. Given that he had him beaten for simply whispering too loudly once, this must be important. It'd be unwise to ignore it. It did bother him a bit. The light level was perfect in his study, alongside the warmth of the air from the hearth with a nice silence.

The same silence that brat broke.

He groaned as he got up, his jarl's robes being a bit ruffled from his slouching posture in his personal study's chair. Hurriedly, he smoothed out his clothes as to not appear like one of the poors he governed and stepped out. The nord boy who carried his messages around town was leaning on the wall while panting like he had run from here clear to Morrowind and back!

The boy quickly extended his arm for the letter. It was a notice from...Kalth? He couldn't see the name, but the wax seal on the envelope was his. Korir grumbled, giving a stink eye to the boy for disturbing him in such a manner. It was abundantly clear that he'd be thoroughly punished if this turned out to be unimportant drivel. Though, he already knew it was deathly important. He simply enjoyed the boy's discomfort. In fact, that brought his thoughts back to the girls waiting in his quarters...

'No, I can't be distracted.' He corrected, steeling himself. Whatever Kalth wanted was more pressing than his baser desires at the moment. If he lost the man's favor, then that meant no more toys.

Korir dropped the envelope carelessly and unfolded the paper. It contained a single sentence. In fact, the page wasn't even signed.

"Your processing facility has been shut down."

Korir's breathing sped up exponentially. In fact, he was hyper-ventilating! This was bad...like...bad bad.

Kalth was sure to deliver some punishment, if not out him for his activities within his bed chambers. That facility was vital for northern operations for the Trade. As it was in his territory, it was his responsibility to restart the place.

'Calm yourself damnit!' He chided himself, taking a deep breath. He then looked to the boy who looked just about ready to piss himself and run at the same time.

Korir seized him by the shoulders, getting in his face to convey the importance of the matter.

"Go to the guard captain and order a response force to the processing facility. He will know what that means. You speak of this to anyone and I shall cut out your tongue personally. Do you understand, boy?" Korir instructed, his voice firm but filled with enough anxiety to drown someone. With a delay in his response, he shook him violently, screaming with spittle flying out of his mouth, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

The boy fell back as he let go, looking up at him fearfully. Instead of mustering a verbal reply, he nodded rapidly before scrambling away like a wounded dog.

Fucking shit-fuck!

Korir closed his eyes, taking yet another deep breath to center himself. Losing his head would do him no good. Instead, he needed to relax. Yes, some relaxation. That sounded nice.

Relaxation the girls in his bed chambers can provide.

With a lecherous smirk barely concealed, he stalked off towards his bedroom, unconcerned for his other duties. His housecarl can take care of the rest.

Grimmolf grimaced from atop the walls, watching a group of roughly twenty men in guard uniforms trekked through the snow. This was...less than ideal. The mere fact that they wore the actual uniform rather than simple leather padding or chain mail meant the jarl personally ordered this trip. Word had reached him that this facility had been shut down then.

He held no doubts that they could kill them all. It was a rather lopsided engagement if it did come to blows. However, the jarl would no doubt send more and more until they were simply overwhelmed or tired out.

The mountain of a man looked to either side of him. The men Thaion had persuaded (read: scared shit-less) were standing at the crenels of the wall resolutely, bows in hand. Women filled in the gaps irregularly, at least the ones with armor did. The ones without were down below, going about their regular duties.

They simply collectively waited for the men to approach.

"You there! Giant! By order of Jarl Korir, come down and speak with us at once!" One of the guards demanded once they were in speaking range. They were still wading through the snow from last night.

Grimmolf rested his hands on the pommel of his warhammer which was head-down on the ground. It was comforting.

"There is no reason you cannot deliver your lord's words to me up here. Speak." He denied the man's demand flatly.

The men on the ground looked amongst themselves. Clearly they weren't used to being told 'no.'

One of them cleared his throat before removing his helm to expose his face. At least he had some amount of respect. He appeared a bit young, just barely growing a stubble.

"I am Guard-Captain Kimlar. By the authority of Jarl Korir, you must vacate this structure immediately." He said, pointing up at Grimmolf before wilting under the gaze of the many men atop the wall. His voice became weak towards the end.

Grimmolf stood like an iron wall, the man's weak demands washing over him like a light mist.

"This fort is under the protection and ownership of the Great Angel. I will not cede his property to anyone." He refuted easily, posture tall and strong. The captain below seemed to fold in on himself as the men around him shuffled anxiously.

"But-"

Grimmolf's arm rose up with a flat palm, "BOWS!"

He would not argue about this. This wasn't a risk he could take either.

Those with bows, about thirty individuals total, notched arrows. The guards down on the ground scrambled back. Some tried to raise shields but realized they weren't there. For some reason they only had swords on them.

His arm dropped just as the men began attempting to flee. If word reached back immediately, they'd have much bigger problems.

"FIRE!"

The bowstrings all snapped forwards, sending arrows forth faster than Grimmolf could even blink. Most hit their marks, peppering the fleeing guards. He saw easily six drop to the ground right away, multiple arrows sticking out of their backs. Some managed to keep running. Though, they left behind the wounded. Grimmolf saw one man limping away with an arrow in the back of his knee.

Grimmolf turned around, hand in the air in a claw shape, "HUNTERS, MOUNT."

The women below had halted their duties in response to the archers letting a volley loose. Though at his call, the hunters made a run for the horses they'd taken in when the other men were..."recruited."

It took a few moments for them to organize but fourteen women on horses with bows were gathered at the gate, ready to go forth. They were wrapped in furs to keep warm in the bitter cold of Northern Skyrim. They were mostly Bosmer too, so he had faith they'd find and eliminate all the stragglers.

"Hunt them down. We cannot let word spread to the jarl about our residency here." Grimmolf commanded, signalling for the gate to open. The moment there was enough room, the hunters spilled out, racing ahead on their horses. They split up into teams of two and followed different sets of footprints. The gate slammed shut after them. He waited for them all to disappear into the frozen tundra before turning attention away.

Hopefully, that'd be enough to secure more time here. For now he'd have to ensure everything will continue to run properly.

With that, Grimmolf made his way down from the wall and into the rest of the fort.

Kimlar wasn't having a great day. First he was shook awake by the jarl's message slave then told to walk for miles through the freezing cold to the man's "toy processing facility."

Oh, he could have gone a lifetime without knowing what that sick fuck gets up to, but here he was.

Speaking of "here", where was he even? He didn't recognize this stretch of snow banks. In fact, he was most certainly lost. He couldn't even see the mountain he had run from. Too many trees.

Fuck, he really should have refused the jarl's offer for promotion.

"More money he said! More perks he said! More free time he said! Buncha' bullshit..." Kimlar grumbled, nursing his shoulder wound. One of those armored men had hit him right in the left upper arm with an arrow. Thankfully it had gone through and through so he could break off the end and keep running. Hurt like hell though.

The silence of the wilderness was broken by the aggressive sound of hooves.

'DID HE SEND FUCKING CAVALRY AFTER US?!' Kimlar screamed in his head, diving into a rather thick patch of snowberry bushes. This was absurd!

The sound of hooves quieted down to nothing. But the sound of birds and whatnot was noticeably absent. Kimlar's breath came out in short puffs of mist in front of his face. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to focus on his hearing. He seemed to pick up the sound of a crunch to his left. That would be the direction of the start of the woods.

Yet there was another to his right..?

Wait...

Swords swished from both of the aforementioned directions. White-hot bolts of panic shot through his core. He had to keep his urge to flee in check though. No doubt they'd cut him down in a heartbeat. He swallowed thickly as he slowly looked to his left.

A...bosmer woman? She had war paint on her face, a red stripe going across her eyes alongside what looked like tear drops on either cheekbone. Long brown hair was tied in a tight bun to keep it out of the way. She had the typical elf features consisting of high cheekbones, resting bitch face, critical eyes, and an overall regal look.

"You're coming with us." She ordered. There was no room for argument. Kimlar tried to look at the person on his right but the first pushed the blade against his neck. Only his coif saved his throat.

"I didn't stutter."

Fuck.

Grimmolf tilted his head as the hunters came back in pairs. It took a few hours but they eventually all returned, one pair even toting a captured guard. Seems all has gone well.

"Commander! We have captured their captain." One of the bosmer women said, pulling the man along. His wrists were bound by rope that was tied to the woman's horse.

He nodded, approaching the man.

"We'll need to think up a way to ensure the jarl does not send more men to investigate. At least until the Great Angel returns which is some time away." Grimmolf hummed, arms crossed with a hand on his helmet's chin in a thinking pose.

The woman sat atop her horse, sword in hand to ensure the man didn't attempt to do anything funny. "We know of his activities, yes? Simply behead this creature and send him it with a note proclaiming such."

Grimmolf glanced at the woman before looking to the man. He shook his head rapidly, mouth opening to speak.

"Silence, cur!" The women snapped, slapping the man right in the teeth with the flat of her iron sword. His head reared back with a groan, hands shakily covering his more than likely broken teeth. Blood tricked steadily down his chin and onto the dirt they stood on.

Grimmolf was unphased by the poor treatment of the man. He was the enemy at the moment.

"You have a point. Carry out that plan. Ensure it is a courier who delivers the package rather than one of our number. The more secrecy the better." He approved, waving his hand to indicate as such.

The captain's face fell into that of abject horror before going slack. From behind another bosmer woman had cleaved his head clean off his shoulders with nary a thought. It fell forwards, plopping down in the dirt, body falling back. There was a small spurt of blood, the life liquid pouring out of both freshly separated parts. A shame to lose someone so young but sacrifices must be made.

"Do whatever else you feel is necessary and get it to Korir." Grimmolf said, turning on his heel.

He heard some hushed conversation as the man's head was collected.

Well, it wasn't his issue any longer. For now, he can return his attention to the training happening in the courtyard.

The people of the fort were in pairs performing the very basics of single-sword combat. Regardless of what their true role was, they needed to be able to defend themselves. They wouldn't be exceptional soldiers, but they should be good enough to hold their own at least. Especially since the jarl has made a move against them.

Thaion stilled upon his horse, straining his ears. Further up the path he could hear voices. They were...familiarly snobby and irritating.

Were the Thalmor already in Skyrim at this point? They were six years early for that. It wasn't until Ulfric killed Torygg that they began arriving en masse.

"Keep it moving, trash." A female voice spat, presumably at a prisoner.

"Oh, why bother, Siltene? We could just kill this Talos-worshipping garbage and be done with it." A male voice replied lazily. This was followed by the scrape of a short blade in a sheathe judging by the duration of the sound.

A third voice cut in though, this one a more refined female one, "Shut up, both of you. This one is going to interrogation and that's finale."

Seems they're dicks even to each other.

Going by the sound of their steps, they were walking towards us. Why that could be was unknown to me. The Embassy was all the way by Solitude. Though, if it hasn't been established yet, then maybe they have a more...clandestine operation around? It sounds about right for them. They had a bad habit of fucking up everything good.

I coughed to get the attention of my companions, "Thalmor ahead. Seems they have a prisoner. Someone worshiping Talos."

Inigo scoffed, "I do not like those guys. They're too arrogant. And too smelly, like wine."

"Gonna do anything about it?" Itarus asked, his voice oddly neutral.

That was a good question. It was a three on three, but I couldn't do too much otherwise I'd be fried in the sunlight. Of course, I could open with a spell to debilitate one so Inigo and Itarus have an easier time.

Or they could trail the Thalmor to where ever they intend to take their prisoner.

Whoever that may be.

I would have to wait until night to travel again, but that would let me go far faster than I otherwise could. Hell, if conditions were favorable I could get there within two nights rather than the ten days and nights I was guesstimating.

"Take a sharp right into the trees here. Set the horses free and then trail the Thalmor. I'm willing to bet they have some sort of secret facility around here. I will wait to travel under the cover of night." I informed, mentally preparing myself to essentially sit on my ass for hours. Well, alone moreso than the sitting part. I had no issue with sitting.

I heard the two shift on their horses, diverting them into the underbrush.

"Then we are parting ways here?" Itarus guessed. The sound of his feet landing on the snow meant we had fully stopped.

I nodded, "Yes. I can travel much faster at night anyway."

"Do you want us to free the prisoner?" Inigo inquired, unstrapping his saddle from his horse. It fell to the ground with a thick thump, crushing the brambles underneath it.

While if it were night, I would have ripped them apart and freed the man, but unfortunately it was a bit after noon. Far too risky to do so. I'd rather not become crispy changeling.

"If you can, but it isn't the priority. If we can locate their little facility, I can go in personally." I said, feeling one of them grasp my hands and help me off my horse before unsaddling her.

"Got some redecorating to do, huh?" Inigo quipped. I could practically hear the smirk on his face.

I returned smirked under my veil, "Something like that."

Well well well, here we are again! Writing this felt like an acid trip and at certain points I think this chapter reflects that. Oh well.

Felt this one should be capped off MUCH earlier than I typically do for chapters of this story. Sorry, but next chapter is going to have some action!

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