Chapter 108: A safe place

The sun had risen by the time I returned home from Druscashti, and I was starving. After leaving the strongbox full of armour pieces in the smithy for Ulfred to look over, I teleported across to the Vivec Mages Guild. Sirilonwe, along with a few other guild members, were sitting down to breakfast when I arrived. I again noticed Archmage Trebonius directing an odd glance at Sirilonwe and I as I sat down across from her; but then I received a lot of strange looks those days...

I sat and watched Sirilonwe's spoon rise and fall from her porridge. I no longer needed to eat. There was only one thing that could sate my hunger now, and once Sirilonwe had finished her breakfast, we retired to her room so that I could have it...

And quite some time after that, I emerged from her chambers and made to leave for home. I could feel Trebonius' eyes on my back as I stepped up onto the guild-guide platform and teleported away. I could have teleported directly home from Sirilonwe's chambers of course, but both of us agreed that it would be better if it was obvious to the other guild members that I had left. Otherwise it might appear as if I had not left at all, and stayed with her all day - and that is how rumours start...


Most of the rest of the day was spent with Ulfred, as we studied and made adjustments to my two new suits of armour; so that I could wear them if I wanted to. Yanika stopped in for a while too (at my request), bringing with her some books on unusual armour and artefacts so that we could try to put some kind of name or background to the pieces I had found.


In one of her books was an illustration that matched the suit of blackened chain, plate and leather; with the caption 'Shadow Lord Armour' - but no accompanying information. The other one; a striking red, black and silver suit of chain and 'honeycombed' plate, did not have a proper, known name - according to Yanika's book (which only referred to it as 'Vampire Ancient Armour'). This book is where the term 'honeycombed' came from: apparently the armour plates were layered, with a metal 'honeycomb' in between each sheet that helped to absorb impacts upon its surface.

This meant that the 'Vampire Ancient' armour provided an amazing degree of protection, but was not very durable. Our studies (if they can be called that - we simply hit the armour with different weapons to see how it coped) demonstrated this; Ulfred had to spend quite some time and effort repairing it afterwards. In fact, though it was certainly impressive-looking, with its large, wicked spikes and shining chain skirt, these same elements made the 'Vampire Ancient' armour somewhat impractical. I could easily imagine tripping over the skirt in battle, and the spikes looked as if they may catch on the surrounding environment. I would put it in my museum for the time being.

The Shadow Lord armour though; it seemed on par with my prized Netch and Adamantium armour in terms of quality, though it was perhaps not quite as durable. It was also easier to move in than the Netch-Adamantium (once we had made our adjustments so it was tailored to my body), and its blackened surfaces would serve to hide me well in the darkness. I decided to wear it that very night, when I visited Dhaunayne to tell her that the Quarra vampire, Kjeld, was dead.


"I have spies, little monster." Dhaunayne said. "I know Kjeld is dead." There was a pause. "Well done, fledgling. Perhaps you have some actual potential. I do not mind, in any case, allowing you now into my family - and calling you my child. Sit." The high elven vampire pointed at the stone floor in front of her chair.

I sat cross-legged at her feet. Something of a feat in my armour.

"You wanted to know about being a vampire. Everything, perhaps. Well, I will not tell you everything, but there are some things all young children need to learn; and those are the things I will teach you..."

Dhaunayne spoke at length on the particulars of being a vampire - on our 'gifts', as she called them - and I learned many things. I learned of our many strengths; things I may have guessed on my own, but were nonetheless a relief to have confirmed: as a vampire I would be quite difficult to kill. I could not be paralysed. Anything less than a weapon forged of silver or given some destructive enchantment would barely touch me. I was immune to disease, and to the effects of aging. In fact I was immune to virtually any kind of natural death, save for our great enemies: fire, the sun, beheading; and for some, the wooden stake.

There was also the matter of blood, of course - and here Dhaunayne answered a question that had been worrying me:

"We all need blood, fledgling - it is our other great weakness - but young ones such as you need it all the time, like a suckling baby or the squawking chick in its nest."

I weathered Dhaunayne's implied insults without comment. It was simply her way. She continued:

"If you survive for long enough, and do not end up killed for trying to drain a village of its blood in these early, hungry times, this will change. Your body will absorb the blood more slowly as it adapts: as it settles into its role as your eternal shell. But yes: we all need blood. Even the eldest of us, who can last months - at least - without feeding, need it. These ancient vampires may not die if they go without blood for too long - though they will enter a death-like sleep - but you; you will die if you go hungry. So, I have a question for you, child..."

The vampire leaned forward, her green and gold eyes boring into mine.

"Should something go wrong when you feed, do you have a way to escape? An instant method? Something that cannot fail? And you have my magical blood in your veins. There is no excuse for not being able to master at least a single teleportation spell, so..."

"I have... an item -" I replied, "that can teleport me home instantly."

Dhaunayne smiled, again showing her petite fangs.

"That is good, child; but let me ask you: is this 'home' of yours truly safe?"

I found I could not answer. With the Imperial Legion garrison (that held Apelles Matius and his probable grudge against me) in nearby Ebonheart, and the lingering concern that one or more of my personal guard might crack under the strain of having a vampire as paymaster, Wolfen castle was perhaps not entirely perfect. Dhaunayne took my silence as a 'no'.

"In that case, fledgling, I have a gift for you... an 'item' -" she mimicked me - "that will return you here - to Ashmelech - in an instant. This is a safe place. I and my strongest ones -" Dhaunayne gestured to my right at this, and I caught a dark flicker and a brief throb of power and magicka there - one of those dark, powerful vampires had been standing nearby, unknown to me - "promise protection to all of my family who shelter here. However, I need something done to ensure that this remains a safe place for us: for the young ones, especially - before I give this gift to you."

An expression of disgust and anger crossed her face for a moment, as she explained:

"A vampire hunter was here. Here! In my home! He was driven off, but he must be finished. It is not enough to simply kill this one, fledgling. For three weeks my children have been wondering at the dawn whether that day would be the day when a horde of hunters or Temple men would drag them all into the sunlight... But my spies have finally tracked this hunter down - to Ald'ruhn. Yes... it is not enough that this one just die. He must be killed in broad daylight, with many people around to bear witness that we will NOT tolerate trespass in OUR HOME."

Dhaunayne appeared almost agitated now. I had not seen her that way before.

"Find this mortal who kills OUR KIND, child! Bring him to justice in the light of day, so that all who look on shall know that they can suffer the same fate!"

A vampire hunter, I thought to myself... someone who would kill me not for anything I had done, but simply for who I was. When looked at from that perspective, such a man could be seen as dishonourable. But...

Could I kill someone in cold blood? A mortal?

Perhaps I could: my blood was now most decidedly cold, after all.