Svarnor
Shadowcloak of Nocturnal
Chapter One:
The rain poured down, hiding a lone figure walking a path, scarcely more than an animal trail, through the woods south of Falkreath. The figure, drenched and sopping wet, trudged in depression through the night. It had been two and a half days since the disastrous events at the Coven, and after the third day, Arius knew his illness would take control.
The figure reached his destination. Though the trail continued onward, eventually looping back around on itself, the teenage imperial moved off to the right of the path, towards seemingly impassable thorn-bushes. Instead of being impassable, a long branch proved to be the perfect tool for moving the long-dead thorn bushes. That had been piled to cover the entrance of the cave. Arius had found this place several hours after fleeing the Coven, where he had been a slave to the Vampires living in the basement of the shack. The entrance was small, but Arius was able to slip inside and pull the twisted thorns and brambles over the entrance. Down the long tunnel that nature hadv seen fit to carve, the cave widened, ending in a honeycomb of rooms each large enough for a tall man to stand in. These caves now sheltered Arius and were visited by the only friend he had found since escaping the vampires. Not escaping totally unharmed, as it happened. He had known of the weakness in the stone for many weeks, and had, after much work, managed to trigger a cave-in. There were always guards on duty, so the human slaves were not bound or chained in any way, save the unlucky ones. The ones that had displeased the vampire master, Karvia. The ones that the vampires had called 'cattle'. It was no secret that they provided sustenance for the terrible creatures who had captured them.
As Arius and his fellow slaves had reached the exit of the caves, Arius had spotted a robed figure, broken an bloodied, that seemed to have dragged itself, in it's last effort, free of the collapsed ceiling. Though the others had warned against it, Watches-The-Moon, an Argonian slave, pointing out that the vampire could still be alive, Arius had been drawn by a morbid fascination, or perhaps, he thought bitterly, a cruel joke on the part of fate. Realizing that they could not dissuade him, the other escapees had abandoned him, fleeing into the bright sunshine. Arius had kneeled next to the fallen vampire, and saw, to his surprise, that it was Karvia.
"Funny turn of events, isn't it? That would lead me to stand over your body, instead of you over mine?" he had said, speaking to the corpse.
The corpse which had been stiill alive. It whipped around, one pale hand catching Arius by the throat, and tightening so that the boy could hardly breath.
"Funny?" Karvia had asked, her face a wicked smile "I suppose so, but if I am to die. I am taking you with me!"
The vampire had lunged forward, still holding Arius, and her long fangs pierced his throat just above where her hand gripped. After a long moment, in which they both remained perfectly still, Karvia had dropped back to the earth, releasing the poor boy's throat.
"Try having your life as a free man now, Arius." the vampire queen grinned her vicious, savage grin. "But may the thirst follow you always."
That had been two full days ago, in a cave just west of Falkreath. Before the sun rose on the first day, Arius had discovered these caves. What was his suprise when, just about noon, a girl about his age had come crawling down the tunnel. She had a basket hung over her arm, as if planning a picnic, but Arius saw nobody behind her. When the girl spotted him, she had pulled a long dagger from her basket.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. The two prick marks on Arius's neck were no longer bleeding, but we're still visible. He saw the girl's eyes go to them, and then flash back up to his face. She knew what he was.
"I don't want to hurt you." he began "I was bitten a few hours ago, and I'm terribly hungry."
At the look of panic that crossed her face, he added "For real food, not blood, I still have a few days before the thirst affects me. What is your name?"
"Yanya" she said. She was about fifteen, like Arius, and he was glad to see that she did not hold the knife as ready as she had a moment before. "And eat what you want from this basket, it's too much for me, anyway."
Arius nodded, and reached for the basket. Pulling it open, he reached inside, and drew out a loaf of bread, several slices of cheese, and an apple.
"Thank You." he said, beginning to eat with gusto. He had not been fed well at the coven, and what he was fed did not even live yo to this simple quality.
"I can bring you more tomorrow, if you like. The third day too. I'll have to sneak out at night, my parents don't want me coming out here too often, as it's rather dangerous, but I can bring you food,"
Arius had accepted, noticing that she avoided speaking of what she would do after the third day. He understood her trepidation. Despite his wishes now, after the third day his thirst for blood would begin to grow, and if she was the only human he saw, she would, eventually, be a casualty.
That had been two days ago, and Valya had visited him once, bringing a similar meal to the day before. It was near the same time of night now that it had been when she had visited last night, and he hoped to find her in the cave now.l
"
"Yanya?" he called, emerging into the largest room. Sure enough, there she sat, laying out food in the center of the cave floor. She looked up at his call, and answered quickly "I am here."
By her tone, Arius could tell something was wrong. He stepped forward, sitting down next to her, and said "What happened?"
"Bandts" she muttered. "They killed my parents, and my brother, Rejnor. They burned down oIur house."
Arius was surprised "Didn't anyone try to stop them? The guards?"
Yanya shook her head. "We don't... We didn't live close to the town. I was actually visiting Falkreath when the attack happened. By the time I got back the house was torched and looted, my parents were dead, and by brother was dying, still with his axe in hand."
Arius put his arm around her, trying to comfort the nord girl who was so clearly close to tears. "I'm sorry."
He didn't know what else to say. After a moment, Yanya started to cry outright, burying her face in Arius's shoulder. They stayed there for several minutes, before Yanya finally spoke.
"You don't understand," she said. "The bandits killed all of my family. I don't have any relatives left."
"Yes?" asked Arius, slightly confused "I understand that."
"But that means," said the girl "that I don't have anywhere to go."
Now Arius understood. She knew that her staying with him would put her in danger, but couldn't think of any other option. As much as Arius knew that she couldn't stay here, he was loath to point that out, and risk never seeing Yanya again.
"You could goto the town." he commented
Once more, Yanya shook her head. "My family was never on good terms with most of the townspeople. They would not accept me. Arius...you are my only option. As dangerous as it is, I must stay here with you."
"What about food?" the boy asked
"I can hunt. My father taught me to when I was little. I brought my bow, and I can make arrows."
For the first time, Arius noticed a short bow leaned up against the wall, as well as a quiver of arrows. He tried to think of any flaw in her logic, any place she could stay besides her, but his mind came up blank. He gave up, and said:
"You can stay here, but we must be careful. Tomorrow, I will begin to thirst. I must control myself for long enough that... I don't know, that we can find a better solution." he looked her in the eyes, saying once more "You can stay here, but we must be careful."
Chapter Two
Before long, Arius moved to one of the deeper chambers. Despite the rain that poured down outside, he knew that high above, the moon was reaching its zenith. The boy suspected that he knew that only because of his upcoming transformation. The imperial had mere hours until the disease, Vampinare Sanguinaris, took control. He lay down, closing his eyes. Arius knew he had scarcely sixteen hours before becoming a vampire, and he planned to spend his time resting. He would need his energy to resist his thirst.
Arius's mind wandered, and he began thinking of Yanya, sleeping on a bedroll she had brought in one of the other cave rooms. Arius was yet to find the end of the tunnels, which, as he delved deeper, seemed more and more to be ancient Nordic in origin, perhaps even as old as some of the Barrows and Crypts that dotted northern Skyrim. The your boy was not thinking of the ancient notes at the moment, however. Instead, he remembered Yanya, and the conversations they had shared over the past few days. He could not deny that he felt some affection for the girl, but staying here might be as dangerous to her as seeking refuge among the townspeople. How long could he possibly hold out against his thirst? He was loath to see her to, as if she lived in the town it would be nigh impossible for her to sneak out, what with the guards. As Arius's mind drifted off into sleep, his last rest period as a mortal, one thought sank through his mind:
How long can I last?
Laying on her bedroll in her bedchamber, Yanya pondered her future. She had never considered what she would do once she left her home, having only a rough idea of traveling north to Markarth, and seeking work there. Unfortunately, she had planned to be a girl with some form of inheritance seeking a place to settle down, not an orphan with no possessions but a wicker basket, a bow and a quiver of arrows, and her rough hunting shirt, pants, and boots. As it was, she saw no choice but to stay with her newfound friend for a while, perhaps searching for a cure for vampirism at the same time. Yanya could see how much Arius's condition was depressing her new friend, and had been able to ell that he didn't want her put in any danger by being near him, but could also tell that he didnt really want her to leave.
She settled back, closing her eyes. Tommorrow would be a difficult day, and she wanted to be fully rested and ready to deal with Arius's first day as a vampire.
Far to the south, near the southern border of Elsewyr in fact, a group of two score travelers were camped.
The group was a mix of all races, with a larger number of Imperials than the others and a lesser number of Altmer. Upon seeing this group, on might think that they were merely travelers who had banded together, and we're traveling in a colony to protect from bandits. Upon growing closer and seeing their equipment and weaponry, one might assume they were mercenaries, or perhaps bandits themselves. It was not until one spoke to the members of the group that they learned their true purpose.
The group, who called themselves 'The Purifiers', were dedicated to one cause and one cause only:
The removal of all vampires from Nirn, or at very least Tamriel. They were lead by Garno Fexien, an imperial who had lost his wife to vampires many years prior. His lieutenant was a Breton Mage named Gondyn Diel. No one was quite sure how Garno continued to discover the locations of vampire groups, but he did. To tell the truth, not even Garno knew how he continued to discover the covens. Every time they wiped out a group of vampires, thy would camp for a few days, and Garno would awake to find a paper on his table, written in golden, shimmering ink. The message would congratulate him for his recent victory, then point him in the direction of the next group. The band would travel across Tamriel, purchasing supplies at whatever cities they passed through, and wipe out the vampires. Garno had no idea who his mysterious patron was, but he suspected Meridia, the daedric prince of light, who despised undead in any form. Vampires, undead with the capability to convert others, would disgust Meridia all the more. This morning, Garno had awoken to find a new message:
'Go to Falkreath, and head south. Search, and find a cave hidden by thorns. Within, there is a single vampire and a friend of his. Kill them both.'
Garno rubbed his palms together, glad to be back in business. A single vampire would be no problem for he and his men, and he would be glad to be heading north to Skyrim. The vampire hunter had been born on the Cyrodiil side of the Jerall Mountains, and the heat of Elsewyr was getting to him. It would take several months, what with gathering provisions, to get to Skyrim, but he knew it would be worth it.
Anything to kill these could creatures.
The rain poured down, hiding a lone figure walking a path, scarcely more than an animal trail, through the woods south of Falkreath. The figure, drenched and sopping wet, trudged in depression through the night. It had been two and a half days since the disastrous events at the Coven, and after the third day, Arius knew his illness would take control.
The figure reached his destination. Though the trail continued onward, eventually looping back around on itself, the teenage imperial moved off to the right of the path, towards seemingly impassable thorn-bushes. Instead of being impassable, a long branch proved to be the perfect tool for moving the long-dead thorn bushes. That had been piled to cover the entrance of the cave. Arius had found this place several hours after fleeing the Coven, where he had been a slave to the Vampires living in the basement of the shack. The entrance was small, but Arius was able to slip inside and pull the twisted thorns and brambles over the entrance. Down the long tunnel that nature hadv seen fit to carve, the cave widened, ending in a honeycomb of rooms each large enough for a tall man to stand in. These caves now sheltered Arius and were visited by the only friend he had found since escaping the vampires. Not escaping totally unharmed, as it happened. He had known of the weakness in the stone for many weeks, and had, after much work, managed to trigger a cave-in. There were always guards on duty, so the human slaves were not bound or chained in any way, save the unlucky ones. The ones that had displeased the vampire master, Karvia. The ones that the vampires had called 'cattle'. It was no secret that they provided sustenance for the terrible creatures who had captured them.
As Arius and his fellow slaves had reached the exit of the caves, Arius had spotted a robed figure, broken an bloodied, that seemed to have dragged itself, in it's last effort, free of the collapsed ceiling. Though the others had warned against it, Watches-The-Moon, an Argonian slave, pointing out that the vampire could still be alive, Arius had been drawn by a morbid fascination, or perhaps, he thought bitterly, a cruel joke on the part of fate. Realizing that they could not dissuade him, the other escapees had abandoned him, fleeing into the bright sunshine. Arius had kneeled next to the fallen vampire, and saw, to his surprise, that it was Karvia.
"Funny turn of events, isn't it? That would lead me to stand over your body, instead of you over mine?" he had said, speaking to the corpse.
The corpse which had been stiill alive. It whipped around, one pale hand catching Arius by the throat, and tightening so that the boy could hardly breath.
"Funny?" Karvia had asked, her face a wicked smile "I suppose so, but if I am to die. I am taking you with me!"
The vampire had lunged forward, still holding Arius, and her long fangs pierced his throat just above where her hand gripped. After a long moment, in which they both remained perfectly still, Karvia had dropped back to the earth, releasing the poor boy's throat.
"Try having your life as a free man now, Arius." the vampire queen grinned her vicious, savage grin. "But may the thirst follow you always."
That had been two full days ago, in a cave just west of Falkreath. Before the sun rose on the first day, Arius had discovered these caves. What was his suprise when, just about noon, a girl about his age had come crawling down the tunnel. She had a basket hung over her arm, as if planning a picnic, but Arius saw nobody behind her. When the girl spotted him, she had pulled a long dagger from her basket.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. The two prick marks on Arius's neck were no longer bleeding, but we're still visible. He saw the girl's eyes go to them, and then flash back up to his face. She knew what he was.
"I don't want to hurt you." he began "I was bitten a few hours ago, and I'm terribly hungry."
At the look of panic that crossed her face, he added "For real food, not blood, I still have a few days before the thirst affects me. What is your name?"
"Yanya" she said. She was about fifteen, like Arius, and he was glad to see that she did not hold the knife as ready as she had a moment before. "And eat what you want from this basket, it's too much for me, anyway."
Arius nodded, and reached for the basket. Pulling it open, he reached inside, and drew out a loaf of bread, several slices of cheese, and an apple.
"Thank You." he said, beginning to eat with gusto. He had not been fed well at the coven, and what he was fed did not even live yo to this simple quality.
"I can bring you more tomorrow, if you like. The third day too. I'll have to sneak out at night, my parents don't want me coming out here too often, as it's rather dangerous, but I can bring you food,"
Arius had accepted, noticing that she avoided speaking of what she would do after the third day. He understood her trepidation. Despite his wishes now, after the third day his thirst for blood would begin to grow, and if she was the only human he saw, she would, eventually, be a casualty.
That had been two days ago, and Valya had visited him once, bringing a similar meal to the day before. It was near the same time of night now that it had been when she had visited last night, and he hoped to find her in the cave now.l
"
"Yanya?" he called, emerging into the largest room. Sure enough, there she sat, laying out food in the center of the cave floor. She looked up at his call, and answered quickly "I am here."
By her tone, Arius could tell something was wrong. He stepped forward, sitting down next to her, and said "What happened?"
"Bandts" she muttered. "They killed my parents, and my brother, Rejnor. They burned down oIur house."
Arius was surprised "Didn't anyone try to stop them? The guards?"
Yanya shook her head. "We don't... We didn't live close to the town. I was actually visiting Falkreath when the attack happened. By the time I got back the house was torched and looted, my parents were dead, and by brother was dying, still with his axe in hand."
Arius put his arm around her, trying to comfort the nord girl who was so clearly close to tears. "I'm sorry."
He didn't know what else to say. After a moment, Yanya started to cry outright, burying her face in Arius's shoulder. They stayed there for several minutes, before Yanya finally spoke.
"You don't understand," she said. "The bandits killed all of my family. I don't have any relatives left."
"Yes?" asked Arius, slightly confused "I understand that."
"But that means," said the girl "that I don't have anywhere to go."
Now Arius understood. She knew that her staying with him would put her in danger, but couldn't think of any other option. As much as Arius knew that she couldn't stay here, he was loath to point that out, and risk never seeing Yanya again.
"You could goto the town." he commented
Once more, Yanya shook her head. "My family was never on good terms with most of the townspeople. They would not accept me. Arius...you are my only option. As dangerous as it is, I must stay here with you."
"What about food?" the boy asked
"I can hunt. My father taught me to when I was little. I brought my bow, and I can make arrows."
For the first time, Arius noticed a short bow leaned up against the wall, as well as a quiver of arrows. He tried to think of any flaw in her logic, any place she could stay besides her, but his mind came up blank. He gave up, and said:
"You can stay here, but we must be careful. Tomorrow, I will begin to thirst. I must control myself for long enough that... I don't know, that we can find a better solution." he looked her in the eyes, saying once more "You can stay here, but we must be careful."
Chapter Two
Before long, Arius moved to one of the deeper chambers. Despite the rain that poured down outside, he knew that high above, the moon was reaching its zenith. The boy suspected that he knew that only because of his upcoming transformation. The imperial had mere hours until the disease, Vampinare Sanguinaris, took control. He lay down, closing his eyes. Arius knew he had scarcely sixteen hours before becoming a vampire, and he planned to spend his time resting. He would need his energy to resist his thirst.
Arius's mind wandered, and he began thinking of Yanya, sleeping on a bedroll she had brought in one of the other cave rooms. Arius was yet to find the end of the tunnels, which, as he delved deeper, seemed more and more to be ancient Nordic in origin, perhaps even as old as some of the Barrows and Crypts that dotted northern Skyrim. The your boy was not thinking of the ancient notes at the moment, however. Instead, he remembered Yanya, and the conversations they had shared over the past few days. He could not deny that he felt some affection for the girl, but staying here might be as dangerous to her as seeking refuge among the townspeople. How long could he possibly hold out against his thirst? He was loath to see her to, as if she lived in the town it would be nigh impossible for her to sneak out, what with the guards. As Arius's mind drifted off into sleep, his last rest period as a mortal, one thought sank through his mind:
How long can I last?
Laying on her bedroll in her bedchamber, Yanya pondered her future. She had never considered what she would do once she left her home, having only a rough idea of traveling north to Markarth, and seeking work there. Unfortunately, she had planned to be a girl with some form of inheritance seeking a place to settle down, not an orphan with no possessions but a wicker basket, a bow and a quiver of arrows, and her rough hunting shirt, pants, and boots. As it was, she saw no choice but to stay with her newfound friend for a while, perhaps searching for a cure for vampirism at the same time. Yanya could see how much Arius's condition was depressing her new friend, and had been able to ell that he didn't want her put in any danger by being near him, but could also tell that he didnt really want her to leave.
She settled back, closing her eyes. Tommorrow would be a difficult day, and she wanted to be fully rested and ready to deal with Arius's first day as a vampire.
Far to the south, near the southern border of Elsewyr in fact, a group of two score travelers were camped.
The group was a mix of all races, with a larger number of Imperials than the others and a lesser number of Altmer. Upon seeing this group, on might think that they were merely travelers who had banded together, and we're traveling in a colony to protect from bandits. Upon growing closer and seeing their equipment and weaponry, one might assume they were mercenaries, or perhaps bandits themselves. It was not until one spoke to the members of the group that they learned their true purpose.
The group, who called themselves 'The Purifiers', were dedicated to one cause and one cause only:
The removal of all vampires from Nirn, or at very least Tamriel. They were lead by Garno Fexien, an imperial who had lost his wife to vampires many years prior. His lieutenant was a Breton Mage named Gondyn Diel. No one was quite sure how Garno continued to discover the locations of vampire groups, but he did. To tell the truth, not even Garno knew how he continued to discover the covens. Every time they wiped out a group of vampires, thy would camp for a few days, and Garno would awake to find a paper on his table, written in golden, shimmering ink. The message would congratulate him for his recent victory, then point him in the direction of the next group. The band would travel across Tamriel, purchasing supplies at whatever cities they passed through, and wipe out the vampires. Garno had no idea who his mysterious patron was, but he suspected Meridia, the daedric prince of light, who despised undead in any form. Vampires, undead with the capability to convert others, would disgust Meridia all the more. This morning, Garno had awoken to find a new message:
'Go to Falkreath, and head south. Search, and find a cave hidden by thorns. Within, there is a single vampire and a friend of his. Kill them both.'
Garno rubbed his palms together, glad to be back in business. A single vampire would be no problem for he and his men, and he would be glad to be heading north to Skyrim. The vampire hunter had been born on the Cyrodiil side of the Jerall Mountains, and the heat of Elsewyr was getting to him. It would take several months, what with gathering provisions, to get to Skyrim, but he knew it would be worth it.
Anything to kill these could creatures.