章 229: Chapter XXXIII: Molag Flips the Table
(General POV)
A trio of guards armored in Markarth steel and wearing the city's livery huddled near each other as they grit their teeth at the chill of the autumn night, the metal they wore did not help with the hold and what little mead they were allowed to imbibe was not enough to stave off the onslaught of uncomfortable shivers.
"Three stinkin' days and still nothin'!" One of them grumbles while nursing a bottle of diluted mead. "What are we even doin' here?" He asks his frowning superior.
"That Court Wizard Calcelmo says the King's Court Mage wants the area quarantined." The leader, a veteran Lieutenant of some repute, answers simply "And you should feel lucky nothing has happened yet, assignments where mages get involved are never safe."
"Quara-what now?" The inquisitive guard who must have been sneaking in a fair bit more of the mead than permitted slurs out.
This time the officer gives him a pointed stare, wordlessly reprimanding him for already forgetting his task and promising punishment for later "No one is to enter or leave this place, especially not the house."
"Come on Hjolvi, stop being such a wuss." The third guard cuts in "If the bloody Royal Court Mage says something needs guarding then it bloody well needs guarding."
"Bah!" The now named Hjolvi scoffs "If he wants the damn place guarded he should guard it himself, what even is inside, some evil temple or somethin'?" He asks intending it as a joke.
The now deeply pointed stare his superior gives him quickly wipes the smirk off his face as both he and his other colleague mumble out an "Oh..."
They return to their silent vigil, only internally cursing their lot in life instead of aloud this time, for a while longer. Nothing seems to happen for hours to come, leaving the guards overly relaxed and all around uncaring about their job.
That is until one of them hears shuffling movement in a nearby alley.
"You hear that?" The third guard whispers to his comrade while grabbing his gleaming dwarf metal axe.
"Hear wot?" Hjolvi gets up from a pair of crates he'd stacked up in the meantime.
"Someone is doing something in that yonder alley." His comrade points, and then shifts his gaze to his commander who was currently having a conversation with Court Wizard Calcelmo who had joined them sometime in the past hour to kill some time as even the old mage was annoyed with the posting "Oi, bossman! Come here for a moment."
Calcelmo raises an eyebrow toward the veteran who immediately rounds on his subordinates and gives them his signature harsh glare for their unprofessional behavior, still he does jog up to the duo and they quickly explain the situation to him.
Instead of reacting in any way he simply explains "It could be pickpockets or someone curious trying to sneak into the quarantine zone, do not leave your posts. Worst case possible it is some kind of trap."
Just as he finishes speaking a muffled scream comes out of the alleyway and he fails to notice his two subordinates suddenly looking a lot less focused and their eyes becoming completely blank.
"We've gotta see what's going on in there boss." Hjolvi implores him while the other nods robotically. Even the veteran feels a slight need to go with them but his years of experience taught him to not always trust his guts but it was already too late for by the time he had regained his focus his two men had already run off toward the alleyway.
Unknown to them at that moment was the fact that this sealed their fates to something much worse than death.
"Master Calcelmo." The veteran makes a split second decision and returns to the Court Wizard "We have a problem."
It takes him moments to explain the situation to the mage but by the time he did he already felt something was very, very wrong all around them. The distant whimpering coming from the accursed alley and the sudden shifting in the shadows followed by silent but numerous footsteps did not help his mood.
"I would harden your heart Lieutenant." Calcelmo says and pulls out a gnarled staff from somewhere "We are guarding a shrine to Molag Bal, and there is a certain creature under his yoke that can cast compulsions like those that took your men and are also known for attacking at night."
"Vampires." The guardsman spat and immediately downed a strength potion those of his rank were provided for such situation.
"Indeed, my good man." Calcelmo nods gravely "I'd gather the rest of your comrades who are still of a sound mind and make way to guard the door, the vampires must not get what lays within that accursed house."
"Yes sir." The guardsman salutes and runs off to gather whoever was left alive.
"Fucking Dagoth." Calcelmo curses and starts summoning his Dremora.
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(Reyvin's POV)
My nose itches slightly as I ride up to the city with my escorts, odd considering my resilience but after a quick scan of my body nothing was wrong so I just shrugged and continued on my way.
The knights wanted to visit the Jarl and personally deliver the news of their newest victory to him which I did not mind at all. The squires we had to leave at the camp however, no reason to flood the city in the middle of the night and all that.
Fuck do I love double standards when they are in my favor.
The tensions between us had lessened somewhat the closer we got to the city as while their pride was a bit hurt by the reprimand I gave them their reputation was quite safe so they were content to just forget it all ever happened.
At least I didn't feel like they were about to 'accident' the two girls to death when I wasn't looking and would get them to their destination without incident.
As we approached the great bronze gates the guards eagerly opened them for us without even deigning to question our approach. The knights were seen around the city and already had a pretty good reputation and any guard who did not recognize me after my first visit would have no doubt been punished for sheer incompetence.
The moment we crossed the threshold of Markarth I felt a sudden shift in the air and immediately gave a closer look at what was going on. The source of the uncomfortable feeling made itself evident rather quickly as I realized that my earlier taunting of Molag Bal had produced some rather... interesting results.
Namely, the rapist fuck summoned up a bunch of vampires who were currently slaughtering the guards I had stationed there.
'Who would have thought the bastard would forget his pride for even a moment.'
Only half a dozen vampires were currently fighting but their strength and speed put them squarely on the full vampire spot on the vampiric age line and it showed as they cleaved through the dwarven metal armor of the guards with contemptuous ease.
I had to move now or all of them would die within the minute.
The house being completely shrouded from my sight also did not give me a good feeling, remembering what happened the last time a Daedra did something like that was not fun and I felt an even greater urge to get there as quickly as possible as a smaller distance would probably permit me to pierce the veil that hid it.
Without a word I stood atop my horse in one swift jerking movement and jumped into the air, a nearby shadow seemingly grabbing me as I catapulted myself north east. Just before doing so, however, I sent a taunting smirk toward Serana and mouthed "Follow if you are feeling brave."
(Serana's POV)
I suppress a sigh of frustration as the weight of the situation falls atop my shoulders, my thoughts spiral into an ever descending cascade of self doubt and fury that I probably seem almost paralyzed to the others.
Thankfully Ser Reynauld is loud enough to snap me out of it "Lady Serana! Are you well?"
It takes a moment but I calm myself enough to answer "Yes, I am fine."
He nods and asks me his real question "Why did the Court Mage run off so suddenly? He even left his horse!"
Indecision strikes once again as I am now forced to decide between cowering and leaving the elf who was slowly becoming something of a friend to die, or going on and no doubt facing the presence of the bastard defiler once again.
'Feeling brave yet?'
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, the next time I open them I am filled with determination. I look up to Ser Reynauld and say "Vampires have invaded a part of the city, Reyvin is hunting them right as we speak."
The proud knight pales for a moment before seemingly remembering that his reputation in front of a lady was at stake and grabbing his sword in the same instant "Well then, what are we waiting for? Come men, let us hunt some beasts!"
'Why could someone more sane not have found me?' I lament internally as I ride after the overly excitable knights.
'Because they would have probably killed you, you foolish girl.'
Ignoring that sudden and truthful spark of wisdom I focus on the battle ahead and nudge my horse into a gallop.
The ever silent priest Reyvin had rescued followed after me, his eyes gleaming with excitement and an almost deranged lust for something ephemeral that only he could see.
His look reminded me too much of my father, I hope Reyvin knew what he was doing with him.
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(General POV)
Blood and bones littered the area around the cursed house. A sextet of vampires surrounded two heavily bound prisoners, a Breton and an Altmer, both of them heavily battered but otherwise still very much lucid.
"Tell me about the wards, worm." The apparent leader of the vampires, a seemingly enchanting young Nord woman, grabbed Calcelmo's hair and forced him to stare up at her terrifying fanged maw.
The vampire looked almost manic in the old elf's eyes but Calcelmo would never permit himself to be called a coward, especially after spending so long living with the Nords "I already told you you stupid woman, I don't know a thing about the wards. You will just have to wait for Lord Da- Ugh!" He did not manage to finish his tirade as the vampire used its considerable strength to kick him in the stomach, though just lightly enough not to force his guts through his nose.
"You will tell me what you know or I will slit this one's throat!" The vampire points her clawed hand at the bound guardsman, it the officer from earlier, the only one the vampires even considered worth capturing.
The two prisoners shared a grave look before Calcelmo sighed a tired sigh "It has been an honor serving with you Emryn."
Scoffing disdainfully at the exchange the vampire prepares to slash open the Breton's throat but at that same moment all of her subordinates jump away from her. She attempts to do so as well as her instincts scream at her to move but something was seemingly stopping her from moving at all.
The last thing she saw before golden light took her entire world were tendrils of shadow twisting around the entirety of her body.
"Well, well, well." The sound of slow clapping came from behind the now fertilizer-rated vampire "I did not know ole' Molly was pathetic enough to ask for help."
The other five vampires who had managed to get their bearings by now all take combat stances, completely ignoring the duo of prisoners, and as one charge at their new assailant.
(Reyvin's POV)
I must have pissed them off something fierce because these crazy motherfuckers were throwing themselves at me like rabid beasts. They were far stronger and faster than their equipment and skillset would imply and I was thus forced onto the defensive, only delivering glancing blows and the like with my sun magic as I did not want to hurt Calcelmo and his friend with anything more destructive.
'Something is empowering them then?'
The answer came to me readily as I suddenly summoned my sword and stabbed it through the neck of an overenthusiastic, and probably young, vampire and set off a minor magical explosion due to my own power connecting with an uncontrolled blob of Daedric energies.
It would seem Molag was not content to simply play ball tonight.
Which is why, the moment I managed to get myself some breathing room by casting a cloak of solar power and sending Scorch to heal and release the prisoners I did a rapid scan of the house and its basement, and immediately found out what was happening.
The little group out here wasn't even the main force! They were a delaying tactic while the rest attempted to unbind the damned mace!
We can't be having that, now can we?
I send out a omnidirectional telekinetic blast followed by an enlarged solar cloak, taking the opportunity to dash toward the brass doorway.
One of the vampires seemingly realized what I was doing and pointed at me "Stop him now!"
I simply shake my head, mutter an "Arise." and turn to the heavily trapped and fortified door. In truth I was not so worried that the vampires would succeed in unbinding the mace, nor would they get all that much use from it if they did, but giving Molag Bal a single tiny victory was not acceptable so I fully resolved myself on fully defeating all of his slaves as quickly as possible.
I take a moment to appreciate the ingenious trap array that whichever vampiric tinker had managed to set up in the short time they had since the start of the attack, then I take a deep, long breath.
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