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"The consolation is that if it was easy to find, it would have already been found." |
I nodded, looking over the table and the amount of hand written sheets of parchment, paper and the sizable map of county Skingrad that were arrayed upon it. "Doesn’t make our life any easier." |
"Most of the records within the mages guild were useless or barely even made mention to the Priory." Viconia bit noisily into an apple and for a moment I couldn’t help but stare at her and remember how her teeth sunk in my shoulder during the night. "There were records confirming that it had existed but no trace on wh... |
"It was the same with the archives. References and hints but nothing substantial." |
"So, plan B?" |
Shrugging helplessly at the map I couldn’t help but chew my lip in frustration. "Plan B it will have to be, but I am expecting that we will have to resort to plan C to make progress." |
Moving in from the kitchen and the larder and carrying a bottle of wine Eyja appeared as she had several times that morning "Plan B milord?" |
Viconia and I shared a glance. Eyja had proven herself more than trustworthy enough for most matters, especially from her position of housekeeper for the manor. We hadn’t even tried to hide what we were doing in Skingrad as the rumours and gossipmongers were already spreading how the Heroes of Kvatch were seeking the ... |
"Plan B is that we travel into the region of the West Weald where we think the priory is located and spend several days searching for it." |
Our maid scrunched her face at the thought and I knew that all three of us understood just how difficult and monotonous that task was. Especially when combined with the fact that there was not much chance of finding the priory in several hundred square kilometres of forest and wilderness. |
"And plan C?" |
"We travel to Leyawiin and enlist the help of the Knights of the White Stallion to do the same thing." Viconia replied. |
"So, you both will be leaving Skingrad soon?" |
Watching her as she refilled Viconia’s glass with wine, I nodded to her. "Tomorrow at the earliest. There is little more that I believe we can gain staying in the city. You’ll soon have us out of your hair and the manor will be yours again." |
"I’m not sure whether I actually enjoy having such place all to myself milord, as it is far too big for just one person to live." |
"Well, it is yours as much as it is ours." Viconia and I shared a glance and I couldn’t help but grin. "We’re not the ones staying in it every day." |
"Thank you milady." A loud knock echoed from the direction of the front door and she placed the bottle of wine on the table before excusing herself. |
"Hundreds of square kilometres to search with no real clue on where to find the Priory, or even what it looks like or what state it is in. We have as much chance as navigating through Bravil blind, deaf and wearing nothing but our riches unmolested." |
I couldn’t help but agree with Viconia and I leaned over, taking a freshly baked sweet roll from the bowl that Eyja had provided for us earlier in the morning. We had been sitting and planning and discussing at the table for a couple of hours at this point and Eyja’s baking skills were highly appreciated. "Two hundred... |
Eyja appeared again, one hand brushing the front of her apron and the other clutching a scroll. "Milord, a page from the castle just arrived with this message for you." |
"The castle?" Turning and gently taking the scroll from her outstretched hand I placed the remains of the sweetroll down on my plate. "Why would someone from the castle send us a message?" |
"The page did not say, but it bears the Count’s seal." |
The scroll was indeed marked with the signet of Count Hassildor, and I curiously broke the wax seal and read the contents. Despite the seal it wasn’t written by the Count Himself, but instead by one of his servants and I couldn’t help but frown at the words. |
"I’ve been invited to have lunch with the Count." |
"Just you?" Viconia queried, eyebrow raised. |
"It appears so, although only the Divines know why he wishes to see me." Turning in my seat, I looked over to Eyja where she was busy collecting the used crockery. "Eyja, what do you know about the Count?" |
"He hasn’t been seen in public for years and is widely known to be a powerful wizard." She said simply, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes that had come loose. "I’ve never known him to see visitors other than the last time the Emperor came a couple of years ago. He also never takes part in or watches any of the ... |
"That’s who this invitation is signed by." I added, looking over the elegant lettering. "That’s an Argonian name too." |
Eyja nodded, turning and collecting our plates from the table as she moved back towards the kitchen. "One of the few in the city. She’s also one of the only ones in such a position of power within Cyrodiil." |
As she walked out I could feel Viconia’s eyes upon me as I read over the invitation again. I knew that she felt slighted that she had not been included in the invite, but that small niggling fact was enough for my gut to tell me that all was not what it appeared. It was very specific that I and I alone would be allowe... |
"So?" Viconia asked, her voice filled with venom. "Are you going to accept?" |
"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to simply ignore it, but it has me curious as to why someone such as he would want to see me. It’s obviously not an opportunity to meet the Hero of Kvatch as we both would be going. There’s an ulterior motive to this." |
"Then I suppose that we better get you into something suitable to wear." While there was humour in her tone, I knew that she was a combination of concerned and jealous. "We can’t have you meeting the Count in such a condition and smelling like ink." |
With the extra riches we continued accumulating in our travels, Viconia had spent a portion ensuring that we had the clothes to look as wealthy as we were. Viconia had bought several dresses, and while they enhanced her natural curves and suited her perfectly they were almost scandalous in the more conservative region... |
Never during my time in the Legion did I ever imagine being close enough to see such expensive clothing, let alone own it and another two sets of similar worth. I felt a little strange at the fact that all of it had come about after I had become a convicted criminal, but the sheer amount of wealth Viconia and I had ac... |
Viconia came up behind me, wrapping her hands around me and resting her head against my arm. "How handsome." She whispered, her fingers trailing down my chest. "Now you look like someone worthy of being my slave." |
We both chuckled and I bent my head down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I am still tempted to send an apology and not go at all." |
"You didn’t get dressed for me to pull it off you again." The expression on her face could only be described as hungry as I added the last item to my person. As the Mythic Dawn’s attack on me at the fellmongers those months previous had proven, it was not a good idea for either of us to travel unarmed. It felt unusual... |
"That sounds like a plan for when I return." Pulling her close for a moment I received another kiss that was all arousal. |
"Go, I’ll be here." She said with a grin. "Go see what the Count wants." |
Despite our several stays within the city, neither Viconia or I had been anywhere near the castle. It was unlike many of the other Cyrodiilic cities which had their castles built directly into the city. Instead Castle Skingrad was located externally and not connected to the curtain walls in any way. Built within an ea... |
It was completely unassailable from the ground, and the only way to reach the Castle was through the City itself and across a single stone bridge from the city to the Castle Gatehouse. Even sappers would struggle to make any progress against such an obstacle as it appeared to be solid granite, weathered, worn and yet ... |
The two Men-at-Arms guarding the Castle Gatehouse stiffened to attention as I approached, crossing their halberds to deny me access until I could prove that I was there for more than just taking in the sights. I simply showed the closest guard my invitation scroll, signed by the Count’s Steward and while he studied it... |
Satisfied with the legitimacy of my invitation they pulled their halberds apart once more, motioning inside the gatehouse to the tiny courtyard. I couldn’t help but notice the defences as I entered, looking at the dozens of murder holes and arrow slits that would allow only a small force of archers to hold off an enti... |
The interior of the Castle hall was smaller than the others that I had seen, but it was designed and laid out more as a home than a greeting hall for the public. A fire could be seen in the far end, tended by one or more of the castle servants as they scurried around on their individual errands and there was a comfort... |
"Good day Sir Desin." Said one of the several servants in the hall, and I gave a slight bow to the well-dressed Argonian. |
"Your invitation please." |
Obviously not one for ceremony or wasting time, she took the scroll from my hand, gave it a quick glance and provided me an approximation of a smile that was all fangs and scales. I had limited dealings with Argonians within the Legion and in Northern Morrowind, but enough that dealing with a six-foot-tall lizard dres... |
Holding the scroll in her clawed digits, she motioned for me to follow and we began making our way through the hall and up the staircase into the higher levels of the keep. The walls hemmed in close as every passage that I saw had been purposely built small and enclosed. There was only just enough space for three men ... |
The further we moved into the castle though, the more we found ourselves surrounded by artworks and other priceless artefacts. Painting and tapestries depicting everything from great battles, forests, various mountain ranges such as the Jerals, the plains and deserts of Elsweyr hung from the walls. There were portrait... |
"Does your master normally receive visitors like this?" I asked Hal-Liurz as we continued, the oppressive silence wearing on my nerves until I couldn’t stand it any long. It was dark within the passage and I realised that other than the few lanterns hung from the walls there were no windows or other sources of light i... |
"He rarely sees visitors at all." She replied, not even looking back as we neared the end of the hall. "The Count is a busy man, both with his studies and the running of the County." |
"He is a powerful wizard from what I have heard." Stopping briefly in front of a beautifully painted depiction of the port city of Rihad on Hammerfell’s southern coast, I remembered the last time I had been to the city as a child and felt nostalgic for a moment. "It almost seems a shame having so many pieces of artwor... |
"The Count is a collector of sorts." Hal-Liurz stopped just outside the last door in the hallway, one flanked by a small collection of chests fitted with locks. "Although, most of his collection is contained within the museums and galleries within the city itself. He’s never been one for hording and prefers to have hi... |
With a single flowing movement, she motioned towards the door and the surrounding chests either side of it. "The dining room is just through this door, but I cannot permit you to bear arms within the Count’s presence." |
I nodded, expecting the request despite not desiring to part with the blade. "Very well." |
"You will not need to worry," She said simply, watching me quickly unbuckle Sunchild before I handed it and the leather harness to her. "Your weapon will be quite safe. The locks can only be opened by one of three keys, one of which you will hold onto." With a loud click the chest locked, and she handed me the key. "T... |
"Count Hassildor will be along shortly." Bowing courteously to me in the manner of a Colovian noblewoman she gestured to the door. "Please make yourself comfortable. I assure you that you will not have long to wait." |
As she held open the door, I stepped through and nodded my thanks, only glancing back as she quietly closed it behind me. the door itself, despite leading into a private dining room was over twenty centimetres thick and I would have been more surprised if all of the other doors weren’t the same. The castle, while feel... |
The dining room itself was splendid, but it was a far cry from being described as a hall. Rosethorn Hall’s dining room was in fact larger than the Castle’s, as was the table itself. It surprised me in many ways, and while the table was worth years of legionary’s salary, there was only enough space for half a dozen peo... |
A pair of large silver candlesticks were surrounded with several small bowls of flowers and I walked around the table, looking over its polished mahogany surface and running my gloved fingers over the high backed chairs as I went. There were only two chairs in the room, but they had been obviously placed at both short... |
Silver plates and cutlery were arrayed before each table on immaculate silken cloths bearing the county’s heraldry. Wine glasses were also set up and I was finding myself more and more uneasy with such a situation. I might have the riches and the property of a nobleman and the title of Knight to go along with it all, ... |
Desperate for anything to take my mind off the situation, I moved toward the far end of the room from the door I entered, moving past another door set in the middle of the room where the smells of roasting food were emanating from. Obviously the kitchen, I guessed that the third door opposite it was the living quarter... |
A pair of enormous stuffed heads were mounted near the corners of the room. The first was a massive black bear that I had never seen the size of before, and the second was obviously a minotaur titan. Scarred and ruined in combat, the taxidermist had obviously chosen not to replace both of the minotaur’s eyes with glas... |
Within the cabinets there was a breastplate made of polished ebony, a double bladed broadsword forged from malachite, and a shield made from what appeared to be a mithril-steel alloy. They were incredibly made, priceless but also broken in various ways. The breastplate had been punctured by something, creating a hole ... |
The shield was surprisingly not as expensive or priceless, despite the obvious mithril within its make. It was simple, plain and almost entirely unadorned except for the county heraldry on its face. It was also a lot smaller than the legion tower shields, instead being a knight’s heater shield designed for use on hors... |
The painting in the middle of the all was what really caught my attention. While the trophies and heirlooms were impressive, the painting holding the place of honour in the room had been made by a true master. A man and woman, well into their fifties gazed off into the distance and were clothed in the finery of nobili... |
There was a serene feeling to the painting, the unknown artist somehow capturing the light hearted nature between the two of them instead of creating the usual portrait that seemed dry and soulless. The littlest of details sprung out to me, the way that the hand the count rested on his wife’s shoulder was being held b... |
"A man can be judged by what takes his interest the most." A sudden, but soft voice said from the room behind me. "While I would normally expect one such as yourself to be drawn to a blade or armour, I must say I am surprised at your taste for art." |
"It is an incredible piece." I replied as I turned to face my sudden company. "The artist is incredibly talented to have captured their subjects’ likenesses such as they have." |
None of the doors had opened, at least not that I had heard or otherwise detected and as I took in the room I realised that I was still somehow alone. The light was limited within the dining room with only the candles on the table and the small number of lanterns on the walls, but it was enough to see that whoever had... |
"It is good to make your acquaintance Sir Desin." The suddenly visible shadow of a man said from the furthest end of the table. I blinked with his sudden appearance, struggling to make out any details of his features even as my vampiric nature began to pull the darkness away. |
The shadow condensed into a man as he stepped into the flicking candlelight, and for a moment I found myself grasping for the empty space at my hip where Sunchild normally was. Its absence was keenly felt as he stepped closer, raising a hand and smiling warmly at my obvious reaction. |
"You are in no danger, and if I had wished you to come to harm I wouldn’t have invited you into my home to do so. The carpets are awfully expensive to replace." Continuing to move closer, the smile broadened and he gave a very slight bow with his head and shoulders. "I am Janus Hassildor, Count of Skingrad." |
"You’re a vampire." |
The simple nod was almost lost to me as I found myself staring into the burning pits of eyes. They glowed very slightly from within the tightened bones of his face. Eyebrows, jawbones and cheekbones all pushed against his flesh but it was obvious that he was still very much human. Unlike the others Viconia and I had e... |
"Yes. I am. I also assure you that despite your encounters with others of my kind you have nothing to fear from me." |
For a moment I considered the difficulty involved in turning and smashing the display cabinet to get my hands on the broken sword but reconsidered it. For the moment at least I wasn’t in any overt danger and I still had my own abilities to call upon if needed. |
Taking his offered hand in my own I felt the strange power and solidity that seemed present in all vampires. The simple act of shaking hands with him immediately increased my wariness as I could feel the overwhelming strength in him, and the incredible control that he had over it. |
"I am fully aware of your exploits and understand how... unsettling my appearance is." the grin he provided this time was calculated and ensured that his lips remained closed to hide his fangs. "You can also fully understand and appreciate why I am not seen out in public. |
Eager to shed my nervousness, although keeping a small part of me ready for anything I breathed deeply and tried to relax. My nerves were shredded as I had also realised very quickly who the vampire was that I encountered during the night. "It also explains why so little is known about you." |
"A necessary requirement for a man in my position. The utmost secrecy is required, lest I suddenly find myself surrounded by enemies and the County under siege." There was no disguising the unease and the way he felt about that scenario but instead he sighed, turning his gaze upon the painting instead. "She’s beautifu... |
"Your wife, I assume?" |
"I had this painting commissioned sixty-five years ago, and although the artist is long since dead I have several other samples of his artworks throughout the hall. It reminds me of a better time." |
Studying the portrait of the Count I compared it to the man who stood beside me. There was no mistaking that they were one and the same, even though the man in the painting was approaching sixty and the vampire beside me looked no more than a day over thirty. My flesh crawled with his close proximity, but unlike Volmy... |
"Please be seated." He said, turning away from the painting with barely concealed traces of a deep and lingering pain while motioning towards the nearest seat. "My butler will be along shortly with refreshments, and our meal will not be long after." |
I took my seat uneasily; still unnerved by his very nature to sit still and I caught myself staring at him intently without meaning to. He noticed my apprehension, sitting down with a grim smile and meeting my gaze. |
"I must apologise for our meeting like this, and for any concerns that you may have. It is rare that I reveal my true nature to anyone but several incidents of late have brought me into this awkward position. I can promise that you are in no danger and I am no threat to you, but in fact I have invited you here to ask ... |
He saw my questioning expression, leaning forward slightly and pressing his long fingers together in front of him as he rested his elbows on the polished tabletop. "But before I ask you, I wish to tell you some information that I hope will put your fears at rest." |
Sitting back into the comfort of the high backed chair I couldn’t bring myself to say anything so instead nodded. |
"Let me begin by saying that I know all about you, and your experiences against the other Vampires in your travels. You might be surprised to hear how pleased I was that a hero such as yourself recovered Maegalla’s Sword from Nornalhorst. It was a pleasant surprise receiving word from some of my agents that you had su... |
"You speak of them as though you knew them intimately." |
"In a way you could say that I did." There was no venom in his words as he gestured between us. "Despite what you may have thought at first, I have no love for my kind. My wife and I were turned just over fifty years ago and since then I have pledged my studies and authority in combating the threat of vampirism throug... |
The smile this time was honest and open and revealing fangs in what was meant to be friendly gesture. "Thanks to the efforts of you and your companion, I can rest lightly for the time being knowing that two of the greatest threats in Cyrodiil are nought but ash and bones." |
"But this doesn’t explain why you have invited me today." I said simply. |
"No, it doesn’t but it does give you an idea of my overarching goals. I hate these beasts with a burning passion but by becoming the demon I have allowed myself the time and power to study the creatures and fight fire with fire... So to speak. I invited you today," he continued, leaning back in his chair with his hand... |
Pausing thoughtfully for a moment as he collected his thoughts, I found myself watching the way his fingers tapped on the armrest of his chair. "Last night during one of my weekly.... outings you might say, I encountered one of my kind feeding within Skingrad. This came as something of a great surprise, as I pride mys... |
I swallowed lightly, my mouth dry and guts cramping as he spoke but forcing myself to look nothing more than curious at his revelation. |
"I will be completely truthfully with you Kaius," he said simply, using my first name freely. "I invited you today, in the middle of the day because I was suspicious and believed that you, of all people may have been this vampire. You are obviously experienced in these matters and known that it can be difficult to ide... |
There was a pregnant pause as I weighed up my options, trying to wet my lips with a suddenly dry tongue. The Count had obviously placed a lot of faith upon our meeting, and upon me by merely revealing his true nature to others. "But what if the vampire you saw last night is me anyway?" I asked with a deadpan expressio... |
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