บท 41: 8
8
Auriel's Chapel. Skyrim.
Rather than filling some jug with water and going through a load of Wayshrines while having to deal with Falmer, I'd teleported the three of us directly to the temple. I felt sure that Valerica, Serana and I could handle one vampire even if he had Falmer minions.
"This is a statue of Auriel," Serana said as we looked around "But it's using the older signs of his power. This temple must be ancient. The bow has to be in here".
She still hadn't fully wrapped her head around the idea that this was all old news to me. I felt that this would soon change.
"Arch-Curate Vyrthur is one of the last living Snow Elves, alongside his brother Knight-Paladin Gelebor," I said, "Who we would have met if I hadn't teleported us directly here".
Obtaining the bow would be dangerous enough without having to go through all the foreplay before the big boss fight.
"Not to mention a lot of Falmer" I then added.
Carrying the water would have served a purpose even if it wouldn't have been practical as it was needed to open the door to the temple. Since I had an Alchemy Jug from Sigil, which could provide a number of liquids in different amounts, it wasn't hard to supply the water needed.
As I poured out the contents of the jug it flowed down three channels that had been cut into the stone and then filled the sun symbol which glowed for a few moments. I had been concerned about not using holy water, but it didn't seem to matter.
When we got inside I saw that this place was far from holy and perhaps that had removed a requirement for opening the door. Within the temple beings that had been frozen into statues looked like displays in some sort of museum. Some of the creatures had weapons, and some did not. A crowd of them were around the flame symbol in the centre of the room.
"And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy," Serana muttered.
Rather than reply, I crept through the statues, careful not to touch them in case that set them free to attack us, as for, Valerica, she didn't seem at all bothered by her surroundings.
Beyond the frozen bodies and the shrine were some skeletons, in various positions that suggested they'd been trying to hide, or escape. Although from what I could only guess. Perhaps the Falmer or someone worse.
There was another hallway, which I assumed led to where the Arch-Curate was waiting on a throne made of ice. That did not look at all comfortable and yet I envied him as I didn't have a throne. Not that I ruled anywhere.
"Ready for this?" Serana whispered.
I didn't reply I just led the way into a hallway, which was uncomfortably narrow, and it led to a cavern filled with a dozen or so ice statues, and at the far end was Arch-Curate himself still sitting.
"Have you come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow?" he demanded to know "Or have you come to offer me your rather fetching companions?".
The former rather than the latter.
"Is he talking about me and Mother?" Serana wondered "We're not yours to give".
The less-than-friendly Snow Elf didn't answer the question, but he did speak some more.
"No matter, I have what I want" the mad elf declared.
He did something that involved making a bunch of ice statues come alive. Granted they were put down in short order as I had the Staff of Magnus and could drain the magic right out of the statues in short order. Something that caused them to fall apart, or at least those that weren't blasted by the two powerful vampire mages.
"An impressive display," the Arch-Curate praised, sounding like he meant it "But a wasted effort. You delay nothing but your own deaths!"
Then the Snow Elf did some more magic.
"Watch out!" Serana yelled. "He's pulling down the ceiling!"
The warning was unneeded as I'd known this would happen. I channelled my power through the staff and formed a shield around us with a bit of wand magic that I could channel through the staff since it could be used that way despite it not being a wand.
It was a very powerful tool that could absorb, store, and channel magic. It could even be used to send blasts of raw magical power at someone or something without requiring any sort of spell. Perhaps it was truly the instrument of god?
"Finish them!" Vyrthur commanded while waving a hand.
There was shouting as the frozen Falmer and other creatures came at us. This allowed me to use my limited duelling experience to great effect. I made many of the Falmer slip up on the ice-covered floor. Some were paralysed and I managed to set others on fire using a few simple spells that the staff boosted greatly.
My vampire companions cast deadly spells of their own. Falmer, wolves, and even a couple of white-coloured trolls were impaled by icicles and blasted with bolts of lightning. or had the life drained out of them.
"No!" the Snow Elf shouted "I won't let you ruin centuries of preparations!".
This guy was really living up to the stereotype I had about supervillains. They were always so over the top. They all had some sort of need to make everything seem even more dramatic than it was.
"Surrender and give us the bow!" Serana demanded.
The Arch-Curate's response was to teleport away.
"He's up there on the balcony, let's go" the vamp informed me.
I teleported us up there and by this time the Snow Elf seemed to have run out of tricks. He wasn't running low on Mana it's more that there are limits to how much magical energy before you become exhausted. Even a vampire can only channel so much energy before it takes a toll on the body.
Using a staff or a wand makes things much easier even if it does mean you can be disarmed and rendered almost helpless. That was why I wanted to learn magic that didn't require a tool and it was also why I carried backup wands as well as other weapons.
"Enough Vyrthur," shouted Valerica "Give us the bow!"
I got the impression that he wasn't just going to hand it over. In fact, I didn't even know if he had it on his person. Although it seemed likely that he did, given how much he needed it for his master plan.
"How dare you," he said with a sneer. "I was the Arch-Curate of Auri-El. I had the ears of a god!".
Now I was also getting annoyed. The only reason he was still alive was that we wanted the bow and we weren't sure if he had it hidden. So I to put with his monologue.
"Auri-El himself may have been beyond my reach," the Snow Elf said, "But his influence on our world wasn't. All I needed was the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbor, and his own weapon, Auriel's Bow".
I looked at Serana, who was a Daughter of Coldharbor as if to say 'I told you so'. Either Valerica's or Sernana's blood could be used to block out the sun. The only reason I hadn't gone with the idea of killing them both, other than wanting Serana as a companion, was because Molag Bal could always make another Daughter of Coldharbor. There could also be other Daughters hidden somewhere in Skyrim.
"The blood of a vampire... Auriel's Bow..." Serana stammered before going on to speak more clearly "It was you? Macross was right. You created that prophecy?".
A plot twist worthy of a comic book supervillain.
"Yes, my prophecy. One that lacked a single, final ingredient. The blood of a pure vampire. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbor!" the elf shouted.
He made the mistake of coming within arms reach of Serana as he tried to attack with his knife, she reached out and grabbed his neck, lifting him up into the air. I'd not known that she was that strong.
"You were waiting, all this time for someone with our blood to come along," the younger female vampire said with a growl.
Vyrthur was clearly outmatched by a real vampire
"Let's see if your blood has any power to it!" she then shouted.
Valerica decided to bite the Snow Elf along with her daughter. I'd not known that vampires could feed off each other and it was almost sweet to see mother and daughter sharing. It was also horrible as Vyrthur was being consumed while still alive. Not that he didn't deserve this given that he was trying to end all life in this world.
When they were done they found the bow in a pouch of holding. Since it was a divine tool I didn't touch it in case Auriel became aware of me. That hadn't been a risk with Magnus because he'd fled a long time ago.
"So it was all true," said Serana "What you told me. Father's plan, my blood... our blood".
I decided to wander around a bit while mother and daughter spoke with each other. When they were done chatting I had something that I needed to talk to them about.
"We can store the bow in here," I said.
I took out a sphere which was in fact the gateway to a private space which is unaffected by the world outside. The All-Purpose Pocket Dimension appeared in my hand to be a small glass sphere with a white platform inside of it. When rubbed, the sphere will teleport the user, anything the user is touching and anyone else touching the sphere into itself.
Within the Pocket Dimension, there is a white platform made of marble or something like it. I'd been told that the platform is 20ft by 20ft and the roof is 20ft upward. The platform is surrounded by black, non-transparent, glass-like walls that can be rubbed to make an exit.
I didn't want to use it myself because if the internal space within the sphere counted as another dimension, cut off from this one, then venturing inside might cancel my adaption process and require me to start over or at least delay it.
Overall it was just safer for me to let someone else handle the bow. Besides, this wasn't about me. It was Serana and her mother who were at risk of having their blood used.
"An impressive feat of magic," said Valerica "Well beyond your skill".
Well, she wasn't wrong.
"I purchased it for Serana so that she could take things with her that are too big to carry in a pouch or bag," I said
I fully explained how to use the magical device just to be sure that there were no mistakes. I didn't want to go in after them and teleport them out if something went wrong.
"You don't want it?" Serana asked, "The bow I mean".
My pouches had charms on them to greatly increase their internal space so I was alright for storage space. I could always purchase some local versions of the pouches of holding if I needed them or I could make use of my Instant Fortress.
"No," I said "The prophecy doesn't involve me. I'm just helping you out. This is your responsibility"
There were plenty of other relics that I could claim. My staff allowed me to make use of my potential power far better than anything else I'd tried so far, despite my limited knowledge of spells. Also, the bow had a slow rate of fire when compared to my wands and guns.
"Thank you," said Serana "And I mean for everything".
I got the feeling that I won her over and that soon she'd be saying goodbye to being a vampire. Even when that happened Harkon would still need to be destroyed, but I could leave that to the Dawnguard or come back later with a bomb and destroy his castle.
Instant Fortress. Bleak Falls Barrow.
Due to the need to hide both Serana and Valerica from any vampires sent out by Lord Harkon, Macross the Mage had brought them to an underground cavern that was reasonably secure once the entrance had been sealed and Macross had mentioned something about a lack of a convenient backdoor in real life.
The cavern did have a few cracks in the ceiling, but they were high up the mountains and after that tried exploring those cracks would fall to its death or be too big to fit. The cavern had a stream running through it and some bats who minded their own business.
This had been the resting place of some undead creature, but the according to Macross the Dragonborn had come here some time ago and defeated the monster before looting the place, never to return.
The Word Wall was interesting to look at, only since none of them had any experience with Shouts, nor were they Dragonborn, the markings meant nothing to them. Not that this had stopped Macross from taking rubbings of the markings.
After the fortress had been set up the mage had told the two vampires that they would keep moving around for a while in case Serana's father had some way of tracking his wife and daughter.
Neither mother nor daughter knew if Harkon was capable of this, but he could have learned a spell that allowed for tracking or gained an artefact that would let the vampire lord know their location. After all, he had known to send his minions to Dimhallow to look for Serana or the Elder Scroll she carried.
Once they'd become human it was hoped that Serana and Valerica could make use of new names while in this world, and then spend time in one place without constantly being on alert. Harkon had little interest in humans anything other than food and they were hardly helpless women even without their vampirism.
Macross wished to spend at least a few weeks, most likely much longer, studying at the College of Winterhold, as for Serana and Valerica, they both desired to learn more about what they had missed while cut off from this world, and there was always more to discover about magic.
The fortress was not large as it was designed to be moved around and for defence rather than to be a statement of a lord or king's power, yet it sufficed for their needs. Macross had set up his magical tent nearby for those who wished to be alone or to make use of its facilities.
Within the fortress, the top floor was given over to a sleeping area with the rest acting as room for studying. The lower floor was mostly used as a living space and as a kitchen. The kitchen doubled as an alchemy lab since neither of the vampires needed to eat and Macross carried preserved food on his person.
Up on the second floor, Serana was currently lying on Macross's rather comfortable bed committing an act of incest as her new friend fucked her mother from behind. This wasn't so odd for Serana as vampires had a different view of sex than mortals and certain things being taboo lost a lot of meaning once your father has watched you be brutally fucked by a dark deity.
Serana didn't care for marriage and she lacked faith in the idea of family. Back when they were human her parents had not been kind to each other and she'd always been close to her mother. Things had become more strained once they'd become creatures of the night.
Valercia, for her part, kept her face buried between her daughter's thighs, her head held firmly in place by her daughter's hands as Macross took the older vampire from behind.
This hadn't started smoothly. For most humans sex is linked to procreation, it can be an expression of romantic feelings as well. Aside from being sterile, vampires were not mortals, they'd didn't view sex in the same way and for her family, it always been the power that mattered more than love, more than anything.
Macross had been understandably shocked when he found the two female vampires in bed together, but he'd recovered quickly and it had been easy to tempt him into joining in. Serana knew that she and her mother were very attractive women even with their strange eyes and pale skin.
It hadn't taken nearly as long as Serana had expected to get the mage involved and Serana was glad as she was growing rather fond of Macross. He'd done a lot for her in a very short amount of time and seemed intent on doing more. He had a sense of mystery about him as well due to his strange nature that interested Serana.
She could only imagine her mother's willingness to be fucked by a mere human stemmed from her long isolation. Serana had awoken from her long sleep craving more than blood and she'd slept through the centuries. Her mother had endured them.
No one could have endured spending all that time in Soul Carin without going a bit loopy and perhaps her mother was at least partly willing to go along with all of this due to guilt over sealing her daughter away rather than stand up to her husband.
Serana wondered (when she could put a few thoughts together) if things would change when they became human again. Would having sex with her mother feel wrong as it would have done so long ago?
She was willing to cure herself. Immortality without the need to feed, or avoid the sun, was well worth it in exchange for becoming Macross's lover or whatever else he wanted from her. She just hadn't intended to rush anything.
There was no sense in worrying about that now. She was lying naked on the man's bed. They could talk about the details and come to a formal agreement later on.
"Yes, Macross fuck her!" Serana said as she began to relax and really enjoy herself "Fuck my whore of a mother".
If she'd been asked the younger of the two female vampires in the room would have admitted to being impressed that her elder could so focus so well on making another woman feel so good with her mouth while having her own cunt pounded into. Yet Valerica handled it very well.
"Do try to be a little more refined my dear," said her mother when she took a quick break from pleasuring her offspring "You're not a tavern wench".
As it turns out some things never change no matter how long you spend sleeping underground.
"Yes, Mother," said Serana.
The younger vampire woman leaned back on the bed and let herself relax and enjoy the pleasure, only opening her eyes when she felt Macross get off the bed.
"Swap places dear" her mother instructed.
Serana did as she was told and soon began licking her mother's pussy while fingering herself with a great amount of enthusiasm, knowing that soon Macross's cock would be inside her. Something she was looking forward to experiencing.
Until that happened she did her best to bring her mother to what must be a greatly desired orgasm and she could feel Valerica's nails run through her hair in a display of what could be considered affection. She'd never been very maternal even if Valerica could be somewhat affectionate and attentive towards her only child.
"Good girl" her mother praised.
She could have done with hearing that more back when she was both a lot younger and human, but that didn't mean Serana didn't like hearing such an approving tone in her parent's voice, and it only drove her to work her tongue more,
"That's my sweet, pleasure me" Valerica instructed, "You're doing so well".
Before long keeping her attention on that task became far more of a chore when Macross began to take her from behind. Not that Serana minded this at all as it had been a very long time since she'd gotten fucked and the mage was eager to pound her pussy.
Serana moaned like a wanton slut as she did her best to keep pleasuring her mother, but rather than tell her off for being so unrefined, Valerica just grabbed her daughter's head to ensure she remembered to keep using her tongue.
When Macross began to really fuck her all thoughts simply ceased within Serana's mind. Her mouth kept working on its own as she used like a common whore, and she loved every second of it.
Her vampirism kept her body youthful and appealing to the eye. Macross had clearly been attracted to her from the start. She was firm and had just the right amount of curves, at least as far as he was concerned.
Macross had a hold of her hips and was doing his best to spear her womb with his dick. When he came inside her, she could feel the warmth of his seed and Serana felt fairly certain she would have been impregnated if that was at all possible.
Once she'd recovered they would have to talk about making this official. For now, Serana was going to collapse onto the bed and rest. She might feel like moving again in a few hours from now.
Morthal. Skyrim.
According to my research, Morthal was supposedly named after the great Nord hero known as Morihaus. If this was true or not I had no idea. and if I ever became a famous hero I sure hoped that the places that got named after me would be nicer than this poor excuse for civilization.
What I did know for certain was the fact that this town served as the capital of Hjaalmarch one of the nine Holds of Skyrim, Holds being what they called the lands Skyrim was divided into politically.
Despite being a capital it was a fairly small, and supposedly humble town of little economic or strategic importance to anyone. Which if nothing else meant that the people running the civil war wouldn't have much interest in the place, and that should be keeping it out of the fighting.
As far as I could see the only sights of any significance here were an inn, the Jarl's home, and a small lumber mill. I had no idea what the people living in this town did to support themselves.
Here in the marshes, dry ground can be hard to come by. This is partly why this town hadn't grown, there wasn't much solid dirt to build upon. Its unimportance was also a factor.
Another thing I'd read about in one of the books I'd acquired was that Morthal was often shrouded in a thick fog and that along with the twisted trees that grow from the surrounding marsh will give it a foreboding appearance that put off travellers. Which was another reason why it wasn't often visited by traders.
Many people choose to steer clear of the place altogether, I'd never done more than pass through when playing the game, and if not for the fact that Serana and her mother had come here for a cure for their vampirism, we wouldn't have bothered to visit the town.
When I saw the place I decided that Morthal didn't look very nice. It seemed downright depressing, to be honest. What didn't help was that there happened to be an unruly mob outside the town's largest building.
"What's the Jarl gonna do about it?!" someone yelled.
Hopefully, this was merely a protest and there wouldn't be any lynching. Since I'd never really bothered with this place when playing the game I didn't know what was going on.
"How are we going to feel safe in our own homes?!" another person called out.
There was a person standing in front of the crowds who appeared to be slightly better dressed than everyone else. I watched him as he held his hands up in front of him, trying to stem the tide of harsh comments.
"Please, the Jarl has heard your concerns, and you have nothing to fear from the new visitor" he stated.
My small group stopped some distance from the crowd and I grew concerned. Apparently, the locals had issues with there being strangers in town, and this could be bad for my group. Strangers were often the first target of mobs when social order broke down and while they couldn't kill me my companions were in danger.
Serana and her mother had sat me down recently not long after we'd had our threesome, it had been agreed they were both my companions and that they would aid me in exchange for a few things from me. I had to keep them both sheltered, safe, and rich, and I also had to ensure that they had something to do with their time.
Valerica had pointed out to me that in order for them be proper concubines, her words not mine, I had to prove that I was above them socially and that I could provide for them. Not that difficult to do since I was rich and I had a large home they could both live in. Valerica would enjoy the gardens in my home in Wales.
When I granted them both wealth and immortality that would be enough in the short term. Normally only the gods can gift immortality and should I do that would prove to Valerica that I was far above the likes of her husband and therefore worthy of having both of them in my household.
Should they be attacked by a mob, then that would destroy their faith in me. As vampires, they could be killed far more easily than they would be as true immortals.
"We won't accept wizards in our midst!" I heard a voice shout.
I figured that we were better off staying out of this mess and taking rooms at the inn. Better to pass ourselves as lost travellers than let anyone know that I was a mage and my companions were vampires. Alas, we had to talk to the mage, it was why we'd come here.
There was something rotten in the town of Morthal, and it wasn't the food, although I planned to avoid that. The swamp around this settlement seemed wrong and it was somehow even colder than normal. There was something supernatural about it.
Once the crowd became to break up my group entered the Jarl's longhouse as the two vampires with me needed to seek out the mage. I'd hoped the speak to the mage and learn from him, but given the tensions around here, I didn't think we'd be sticking around for that long.
I noticed that several people were deep in conversation, one of whom was Jarl Idgrod, who was sitting on her throne, another was some Imperial officer, and the other was probably the steward.
According to rumour, the Jarl was known to be inflicted with visions. The life of a real Seer was not an easy one from what I knew of that type of magic. Not only did sleep not provide the rest that humans needed, but the visions also taxed the mind at the time it should be at least active.
This wasn't so harmful that it killed, but it did often leave Seers tired and ill-looking, I was sure that some went totally mad. Others had been known to turn to drink to dull their minds.
"You're strangely dressed" commented the Jarl.
The enchantments meant to make people not pay much attention to my style of clothing would not fool a true Seer.
"You must be an adventure" she realised "Someone who can help us. I have foreseen a great disaster for my people unless someone helps us".
I'd rather avoid getting involved with the locals, however, since we needed to be here for a few days while the cure for vampirism was sorted out I couldn't just sit around on my arse and let everything go to hell.
"I believe that the town will soon be attacked if we don't do something," the Jarl told me.
That might explain the unease I was feeling. I felt cold here in a way that had little to do with Skyrim's weather. The fog was at least partly unnatural and you didn't need to be a Seer to tell that this town was in danger.
"Tell me about this vision" I requested.
The Jarl did so, and to me, it seemed pretty straightforward. Unless something was done everyone here would be killed by vampires.
Harkon's plan to block out the sun was part of a larger world domination scheme. It would lead to the end of all life, and even if the vampires could live without blood they'd have no one to rule over, but Harkon would hardly be the first insane leader that people mindlessly followed.
Destroying this town could be part of his plans. However, it might be that simple since Harkon was not the king of all vampires and even if was he didn't have control over every vampire. Different groups could have different agendas.
This town was remote and help would not reach here in time even if one of the other Jarls was willing to give it. Not likely what with the unsettled political situation Skyrim found itself in.
"Please!" Idgrod pleaded, "just… do something, do whatever you can to find out what's wrong… please! If you don't do this… my people will die".
Rushing into action would be foolish. I could deal with a few vampires on my terms as there was little they could do to harm me, but that was no excuse to go out into the swaps and stark poking around.
If there were vampires involved, then perhaps one of them was already here in town or could have begun converting people, or at the very least have placed an informer here. They could be behind the civil unrest I'd seen earlier this morning, an attempt to weaken this settlement before an attack.
"Jarl" I was now saying "I'll look into the possibility of a vampire attack. I'll need to do a proper investigation before I act. If I do find anything I will come and tell you".
Serana was proof that not all of the walking, talking, leeches were downright evil, and perhaps there were other vamps out there just trying to live some kind of life, so I should move carefully. I didn't want to piss off a nest of vampires who were just minding their own business as that could be what caused them to attack the town in the Jarl's vision.
"Thank you," said the Jarl "Thank you very much".
I gave the leader of this town a bow of respect, not because she was a powerful leader, but because she clearly cared for the people she governed, even if she was a bit batty.
"You're welcome, Jarl," I said.
With that, I turned and headed into the town my companions had their own business to attend to and I had mine. If I was going to investigate what was wrong with Morthal, the tavern would probably be a good place to start.
Morthal. Skyrim.
"Tell me about that house fire," I requested of the woman called Jonna.
Already I had discovered thanks to the liberal application of the social lubricant known as money, that Jonna was the sister of Falion (the mage who could apparently cure vampirism) and she was the owner of the Moorside Inn.
She'd also told me that business is slow in Morthal, and not just because of how remote the town is or because of the civil war that was still going on. That only meant that my attempts to coax further information out of her with a generous helping of coins became even easier
There were troubles in this town, and during times like these people sought out someone to blame, and when they couldn't find the real guilty party, they found someone to blame who might be guilty. Normally an outsider, those that didn't fit in with the group, as they were often the most vulnerable.
Her brother Falion was a conjurer, and while many who studied this school of magic didn't perform any Necromancy, that was part of the school of conjuration. So people might actually have a reason to be wary of him.
Humans often turned on the outcasts of society during troubling times because we were pack animals. It was in our DNA to look after the pack, to defend it against threats, be they external, like another pack, or something internal such as a traitor.
This didn't mean people were bad, it just meant that we needed to try to rise about our more primitive drives when dealing with potential or real threats. This is why civilised people had law enforcement and courts to deal with criminals instead of using mob justice, as that could harm more innocents than even corrupt law enforcement.
"It was Hroggar's house that burned down. He managed to survive totally unscathed" the innkeeper told me "Hroggar claimed it was a hearth fire that got out of control, but a lot of people don't believe him. They think he did it himself. Killed his own wife and daughter".
Perhaps he had. People could go crazy and do bad things, but normally there was a reason behind it. Besides, it takes a special kind of monster to kill your own child.
"Why would he burn down his own house, with his wife and child inside?" I wondered.
This didn't seem vampire-related, although I was sure that it somehow was even if could be possible that there was a third party out there causing trouble, perhaps even planning to set the vampires against the town. Best not to assume anything at this point.
"Well," said as she Jonna lowed her voice, "He's living with Alva now, and that started the very day after the fire".
Now that was interesting. Hroggar may have fallen in love with another woman, and wanted to leave this family for her, however, plenty of men managed that without murdering anyone.
"It ain't right moving in with a new love the day after your kin die so tragically" Jonna muttered
After thanking the local woman, I got up off the stool I'd been sitting on and went over to where Serana was sitting. She'd entered the inn while I was talking to people and hadn't interrupted my intelligence gathering.
"I thought you'd be busy" I commented.
Serana frowned.
"Mother is handling the arrangements," she told me "When I tried to help, I was told to go out and play like I am still a little girl".
I don't think any child really grows up in their parent's eyes at least not completely. I wondered if Serana's mother had actually used those words or if she'd simply told her daughter to go off and find something to do.
"We need to search the remains of the burned-down house, I'll need your help, you might find something I'd miss," I said.
Vampires had enhanced senses and Serana had much more experience with magic than I did. As we left the inn I explained to my companion what the Jarl knew and what I was looking into.
"There's more going on around here than meets the eye" I commented "Time for a little CSI: Morthal".
Serana gave me an annoyed look.
"I swear half the time I have no idea what you are talking about" she complained.
Rather than reply to that, I got with the work. I knelt down in the remains of Hroggar's house and searched around. There was little to find. Everything other than what remained of the walls was ash, and the snow was already covering most of the ash.
It was hard to believe such damage could have started from the fire in the hearth. Sure a wooden house could burn down quickly, but wouldn't the woman and her child have time to run out of the building as the fire spread?
Also, why did no one hear them scream for help and come to their aid? There was no shortage of water around here to put out the fire, the house was meters away from the swamp. Something didn't feel right and there were many unanswered questions.
"I found something" mentioned Serana
She brushed aside a pile of ash, showing me a small necklace. It was silver, or at least coloured that way and had been missed by me. It was a woman's decoration I felt sure.
From the chain dangled a symbol, the amulet was magical I felt sure, but not like an enchanted item. I quickly concluded that it was the symbol of the Divine Dibella, who was the goddess of beauty and women, among other things.
It looked a little pricy for such a poor family. It could be a family heirloom, passed down from mother to daughter in the hopes that the daughter would grow to be a beautiful woman, or maybe a gift from someone wealthy who owed the family a favour.
Something got my attention and I turned around. When I did I saw something, no someone, standing in the corner of the room, it was the ghost of a little girl. The girl didn't seem to notice us at first, she just kept humming to herself.
Ghosts didn't scare me, they were rather common in the Wizarding World and this spirit didn't feel hostile, so I felt calm.
"Hello, miss," I said.
Now the ghost noticed me.
"Hello. I'm Helgi. But Daddy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers" the dead girl replied "Are you a stranger?"
Well yes, but saying that wouldn't help.
"My name is Macross," I told the spirit "And you're Hroggar's daughter, a stranger wouldn't know that would he?".
The ghost seemed to accept this logic, or at the very least she didn't leave.
"Helgi. Do you know what happened here?" I asked, "How was your house burned down?"
Helgi thought for a second or seemed to, her expression was hard to read as she was partly transparent.
"The smoke woke me up, it was hot and I couldn't breathe. I got scared, so I hid" she told me "Then it got cold and dark. I'm not scared anymore".
By the sounds of things, she may have suffocated to death before her body had been burned.
"Did you see how the fire started?" I asked.
The little girl ignored this question and asked one of her own.
"I'm lonely, will you play with me?" she requested.
Lucky for me I'd always been rather good with children. They can be quite reasonable and they tend to be motivated by their simple desires. Their most important desire is for attention.
"If I do, will you tell me who started the fire?" I asked.
The girl's ghostly face brightened, as in glowed for a moment, which I guessed was a good thing.
"Let's play hide and seek. If you find me, I'll tell you" she promised "We'll have to wait for nighttime though, another person is playing too, and she can't play until then".
That didn't sound right.
"Who are you talking about?" I asked.
Had someone else seen this poor spirit?
"I can't tell you," the little girl told me as she leaned forward in order to whisper, "She's so close, she might hear me. If you find me first, I can tell you".
Helgi's ghost began to fade. I was greatly concerned as it sounded as if the ghost was worried about someone knowing that she was talking to me. Which didn't make much sense as you couldn't harm a ghost, so why would Helgi fear anyone?
Could there be a Necromancer involved? A powerful one could compel spirits perhaps even harm one.
Of course, she might not realise that no one could harm her, and I wasn't totally sure that she couldn't be harmed. Aside from a Necromancer, a priest might be able to exorcise her, although they were far more likely to try to get the spirit to move on naturally than do anything to harm her.
"Who were you talking to?" Serana asked me as I stood up.
I was surprised that she had to ask.
"A ghost," I told her "Couldn't you see her?".
Apparently not and that was odd. Serana is a supernatural creature she should be able to see ghosts. Had Helgi kept herself hidden from Serana? Or could I only see her because I had one of the Deathly Hallows? They were meant to be relics created by Death.
Interesting to think about, but I could look into it later on if I had the time and motivation. Right now I needed to wait until dark and then find that ghost. I didn't know about manifesting spirits, but I was sure that people didn't become ghosts for no reason or the world would be full of them.
Helgi remaining in this level of existence was the key to the mystery, and I would need her help to find out what was going on around here.
I explained to Serana about the ghost and what the spirit of the little girl had told me. I decided that I would go out alone after dark to find Helgi so that I could find out more.
Morthal. Skyrim.
"Laelette! No, it can't be!" I heard someone call out.
I turned and spotted one of the men who lived in this town. He was staring at the vampire corpse, which was rapidly turning into nothing more than dust and clothing, with a look of horror on his face.
The female vampire had just attacked me and I'd been forced to defend myself with the goblin-silver dagger I normally kept hidden. The finely crafted weapon had been the only thing I'd been able to reach for when I'd been abused.
I'd become desensitised to violence very quickly, a result of coming to this universe, so I quickly came to my senses and tried to figure out what was going on here.
"You knew her?" I asked the native person "Who was she?".
He needed a few moments to process what he had just seen. The Nords were tough folk, but they were still humans.
"I'm Thonnir, Laelette is... was my wife" he explained
Already I'd figured that it was something like that. I'd not intended to kill anyone, the ghost had led me to the vampire, or the vampire had followed the ghost.
I had a feeling that the spirit of the little girl had led me to the real killer, but I didn't have the full picture yet. Hopefully, the poor child could move on once this was all over.
"I am so sorry, Thonnir" was all I could say.
The local man shook his head, he didn't seem mad at me, just upset. He was holding together very well.
"I can't believe it… she was a vampire, my Laelette was undead..." he muttered.
While this wasn't the best time or place to discuss this I really did need to know more.
"What can you tell me about your wife?" I asked, "Did she disappear or start acting strangely?".
It took some effort, however, he found the ability to speak. I was greatly impressed by his inner strength.
"I thought she left to join the Stormcloaks" was what he told me "I had no idea she was..."
Understandable that he might think that given how people were throwing themselves into that conflict, but in this case, it wasn't the war that had destroyed Laelette's life.
"Did anything strange happen before she left?" I asked, "Did you notice anything weird about her behaviour? It's important, there could be other people in danger".
Thonnir shook his head.
"No… I don't think so… I..." he struggled to say before he realised something "No wait. Before she left, or before I thought she left. She was spending time with Alva, but Laelette always despised her".
He had more to say on this subject.
"The night she disappeared, she was supposed to meet with Alva" he informed "I was later told by her that Laelette never showed up. I never… I never even got to say goodbye".
The man choked up, and tears formed in his eyes as he looked at what remained of his partner.
"I think they might have ended up meeting after all," I said.
Thonnir looked at me with dawning realisation.
"You think Alva is a vampire?!" he asked in shock.
I didn't think Laelette could have been a vampire for very long as she'd only started acting strangely recently and she'd been easy to take down.
Alva did have a reason to harm Hroggar's family, as she clearly desired Hroggar for herself Proven by how quickly they'd started living together after the fire, perhaps she wished to turn him or keep him as a thrall, but Hroggar's family had been in the way.
Alva could have made Laelette a vampire and then sent her out to kill the mother and daughter. That way Alva could ensure that she and Hroggar both had an alibi at the time of the fire.
"It's a possibility I can't ignore," I said.
Thonnir shook his head
"No! That can't be true! Laelette must have met her fate out in the marsh" he insisted "I refuse to believe that Alva had anything to do with this!".
The man shook his head again, and turned away, heading back down into the town. I headed out to find Serana so that I could tell her what had happened.
"Let's find the house of this Alva woman and look for evidence" I decided.
Rather than kick down the door or unlock it magically I simply knocked on the entrance to the house. After a few seconds, it opened and revealed the wary face of Hroggar. Right away I could tell that there was something wrong with him. He didn't seem focused.
"What do you want, stranger?" the man asked suspiciously.
My vampire companion learned in and cast some sort of spell upon the Nord.
"You will invite us in" Serana ordered.
As I'd suspected might be the case Alva had this man enthralled and since my vampire ally was a lot more powerful she had overridden Alva's control. That explained why it sounded as if she was using a Jedi Mind Trick.
"I will invite you in," said Hroggar
We walked inside and I closed the door behind us
"Where does Alva go during the day?" I asked, "Where does she sleep?".
He didn't answer me.
"You will show us where Alva sleeps" Serana commanded.
I didn't mind manipulating people, as everyone manipulated each other either intentional or not, but stripping someone of their free will, even for a short time just felt wrong to me. I'd still do it if needs be, I'd just feel bad about it afterwards.
The vampire's thrall led us down the stairs to the basement and opened up the door. Inside, was a fairly normal cellar layout, with barrels and other items for storage. In the centre of the room was a large coffin, which was currently open. It seemed rather out of place.
Inside the coffin, along with a pillow, there was a small book. Alva's journal it turned out, and when I picked it up to read it the Thrall attacked. I assumed that he'd been ordered by his mistress to kill anyone who messed with her coffin and that command was a strong one as it broke Serana's control.
However before he could strike me, my companion grabbed the man and cast some sort of sleeping spell upon him. Which pleased me as we were going to need him alive for questioning.
"Find something to tie him up with" I ordered
I wasn't used to giving commands, but Serana seemed happy to follow my lead.
"Once we kill this Alva he should return to his old self," she told me.
Not that he'd welcome that once he found out that this family was dead. He'd not performed the deed, but he'd still been involved, the guilt might drive him to kill himself.
I quickly went through the journal and typical villain style Alva hadn't been able to resist going on about her group's big plan. Villians were always overconfident and vampires were arrogant. It would be their downfall.
The Jarl's dream was a very accurate prediction, it seemed like the attack she'd envisioned would become reality in a matter of days. A large group of vampires intended to take over the entire town, with the aim of killing or enthralling everyone.
While it might not seem like my business I had no intention of allowing the vampires to destroy this town, the ghost of the little girl bothered me too much.
I could not just let this go. Still, it wouldn't do to rush into anything regardless of how powerful I was becoming. I would need allies and time to plan some sort of defence.
"We need to talk with the Jarl," I told Serana "We don't have much time".
The planned attack would happen soon.
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