SKYRIM FANFICTION Pt.1 BY B.S
CHAPTER ONE
The guild of Companions had been established by Ysgramor a few hundred years ago and was home to many an honorable warrior from everywhere in Tamriel. They were big in fighting for those who couldn’t fight for themselves and those who were willing to pay them to do something for them within the law of course.
They also acted as extra guards for the city of Whiterun as long as the attacks weren’t political or had anything to do with the war.
That was why Farkus was outside the walls with the aid of his shield sister Aela and the young whelp warrior Rhea. He was fighting one of the giants that had been causing the local farmers difficulties in the area. He was finding that standing against the giant for the city they lived in because the guard had paid them to do so was proving tedious.
The guards were mostly good men but they didn’t want to get involved in a battle that they knew that they wouldn’t win.
He was holding his skyforge steel longsword two handed as he faced the giant and circled it. The giant was using his club trying to catch the warriors off guard. The Companions were the best warriors in Skyrim so they didn’t have a problem keeping their guard up against the giant.
That was when she came out of nowhere with her sword and she joined the fight against the giant. She swooped in with quick slashes to the back of its legs cutting deep furrows into its flesh. She twisted and turned quickly her sword swishing into the legs before she rolled away from the giant.
While the giant was turning towards her the Companions had their opening to strike against it, killing the giant.
Once the giant was dead on the ground the rest of the Companions headed back towards the gates of Whiterun and she was still standing there. None of the others seemed to notice her so Farkus walked over to her with a smile of greeting. She looked at him cautiously before sheathing her sword to meet him half way.
The woman was a dark elf with long auburn hair, red eyes, and the light blue tint to her skin, she had thin features. She had a skinny waist and was only a little shorter then him. She wore the leather armor that she had probably bought in Riverwood. He could tell that her sword was an elvish sword. She was also clearly a good swordsman.
“Hello. Thank you for your help back there. Despite the coolness of my shield siblings we appreciate the help.” He said with a smile.
“It was no trouble I was happy to help.” She said with a slight nod.
“I am Farkus one of the Companions.”
“I am Deino of Riften.” she said with a slight nod again at him.
Farkus smiled slightly at her and understood completely why she was so cautious of strangers, the people of Riften were plagued by a guild of thieves. She had every reason to believe that he might be willing to rob her of what goods she might have acquired during her travels across Skyrim. He decided to just be nice and then continue on his way back to Jarrvaskr.
“Well if you ever want to earn some gold or fight in an honorable guild come see the Companions. You can ask anyone in town and they’ll point you in the right direction.” He said “Hope you have a nice visit here.”
“Thank you.” She said quietly as he walked away from her.
Farkus looked back once he was back by the stables just outside the first gate to the city. He could see her talking to another dark elf man that worked at the meadry that sat outside the gates. Word was that the man running it no longer worked with Maven Blackbriar of Riften. He wondered briefly if she was speaking to him because she knew him or because she was on a business trip.
Farkus went back inside the gates and began walking slowly through the streets greeting the female smith that sat just inside the city’s gates. He and her husband were friends.
He continued walking taking the short way to his home in Jarrvaskr. The guild hall of the Companions had once been the ship that the founder of their guild had come to Skyrim on. They had turned the ship into the foundation of their hall when the men had decided to stay in the new land they had found. The location had been chosen because of the forge on the hill behind the great hall.
The Skyforge had been here for a very long time. Only the most talented smiths could put it to use effectively, which was why Earlhund Grey-Mane had become an honorary member of the Companions. He was the only smith in Whiterun that could use the great forge. The fire in the forge burned so hot that any metal could be forged in it and turned into the great armor of the day.
The Companions had long been here on this hill and they had always been honorable warriors.
They kept the guild from falling apart by using a hierarchy of statuses – the whelps, the Circle, and the Harbinger.
The whelps were merely the new warriors or the ones who had been in the guild awhile who weren’t good enough to be full members of the Circle yet. Some might be that good but most would not get the honor of standing among the Circle.
The Circle were the members of the guild that were the best warriors, they would be the ones to go on high priority missions. They were also the main source of income for the guild and the recruiters. They made the choices in the guild as of what to do or who to welcome into their ranks. They also had the most well kept secret in Skyrim.
The Harbinger was a member of the Circle just like the others. The difference was the one that was named Harbinger was the wisest of the group and the best warrior at least in one point of their lives. The Harbinger acted as the voice of reason in all the dealings of the group and was often the one to have final say in any votes. They did not lead over the group the wisdom was just highly respected.
The current members of the circle were: Farkus and Vilkas, the twins; Aela the huntress, Skorge, and Kodlak White-Mane. Kodlak was the current Harbinger.
Farkus had finally reached the doors of the guild hall when he turned to look behind him having felt someone watching him. He saw the dark elf woman standing by the great tree known as the Gildergreen. She had her hand placed lightly on the tree as if paying it respect through her touch, but her eyes were on him as he went inside.
Farkus wanted to say something to maybe call out to her from the door but he didn’t. The moment their eyes met he could have sworn that there was a glow to her eyes that was more than a trick of the light in her red eyes. It was almost feral to behold.
He went inside instead and joined his brother at the table where the others were drinking mead and ale while enjoying a well prepared venison steak. He sat by his brother with a slight smile that he sent his way briefly trying to place where he had seen that feral look before and at the moment failing to place it.
The way her eyes had glowed, the way she moved, and the way she had appeared as if from nowhere had him wondering where she had truly come from.
He felt a deep stirring in his gut then at the thought that he had seen all of those traits before and they had never worked out in the favor of the guild.
“Vampire.” He said surprising everyone at the table.
“What did you say Farkus?” Aela asked turning to look at him swiftly.
“That woman that helped us with the giant, I had wondered where I had seen such skill. She is a vampire.” He said sounding breathless at the thought.
He had invited her into their home.
Vampires didn’t like their kind very much and the feeling was mostly mutual. Vampires were parasites after all that fed off the living and more often than not killed their victims turning them into one of them. There were dens of vampires all over Skyrim that constantly needed dealing with by the guild.
He had wondered why she had become nervous at his approach to her outside the walls. She had known what he was the moment she had caught his scent on the wind, which would be why he didn’t catch her scent. The wind had been on her side. Had he caught the scent she would be dead now and not in the city.
The members of the Circle quickly stood to leave and begin the search for the woman who had been roaming the streets. She would surely become dangerous should she be allowed to stay within the walls of the city.
They gathered around the Gildergreen briefly and discretely before getting wind of her scent there. It was almost as if she had wanted them to pick up her scent on the tree. She would’ve known that they would come hunting for her.
Farkus having seen the woman longer than the others quickly described her and they set out hoping to find her. There were only two other dark elf women in the city. One was the Jarl’s personal body guard, and the other a known mercenary so everyone would notice a new dark elf in town.
They each tried following her scent but the longer they followed the more they believed she was playing with them. The scent led in circles, through shops, and at one point around then over a house. The scent seemed to linger at the empty house just beside the female smiths shop and it eventually drew the Circle to it. Every trail ended here.
The house was called Breezen Home and the house had been empty for nearly a year since the passing of the houses last resident. There would be no one inside that could forbid the vampire entry to the house. They looked at each other then tried the knob to enter the house it was still securely closed with need of a key to enter the house.
Feeling a little like they had followed a wild goose chase they decided to question the stall owners see if any of them would have seen her and to see if the smith had seen her enter.
They started with the smith.
“Good afternoon Companions what can I do for you today?” she asked smiling pleasantly enough.
“We need to ask you about the house next to your store, has anyone entered it today at any time?” Skorge asked getting straight to the point.
“No I haven’t seen anyone enter but you’re not the first to ask about the house.” She said putting her fists on her hips.
“Who may I ask was the first?” Vilkas asked leaning forward.
“A female dark elf. She said she knew the owner of the house that he was a good friend of her’s at one point.”
“Do you know where the woman went after asking about the house?”
“Yes actually. She said she had business to the west of the city. Something about a fort of bandits and a headless rider?”
The Companions looked to each other than seeming surprised. Not many would chase a ghost, but then again a vampire would not be afraid of a ghost.
They thought about following the vampire out to wherever it was she was heading, she could prove to be dangerous to the innocents that called Skyrim their home. The woman would be a force to fear should she return they were sure of it. They couldn’t figure out why she had come to the city in the first place.
There had been no attacks the only answer was that she had come solely seeking the dead owner of Breezen Home. They wondered about the man that had once called that house home, why would he be associated with vampires?
“We at least have to be sure that the woman is gone from this territory.” Aela said “I say we hunt her down.”
“Should we not talk to Kodlak first ask his council on this matter?” Vilkas asked, ever the voice of reason among them.
“There is no time. We will only chase her to the edge of the territory and then we shall return here to inform the guards not to let her return without first informing us.”
“Fine but I am against this. We should tell Kodlak.”
“You cannot let this woman turn you into a whelp again Vilkas be a man.”
The Companions looked at each other then turned to leave the city through the gates. They did not know that watching them was another group that had followed the vampire woman Deino to the city. They didn’t pay any mind to them as they left the city followed by leather clad shadows.
CHAPTER TWO
The Companions arrived at the fort that had once been home to a gang of bloodthirsty bandits that had long ago taken it over. They had no trouble entering the fort due to the bandits being dead upon their arrival and left in the open to feed the wild animals. Upon the examinations of the bodies they found out that they were all bloodless.
They knew that the woman had been here and that she had slaughtered them mercilessly. Granted the Companions didn’t count these vile creatures as much of a loss to mankind, they after all did kill innocents. They went inside the fort and were stopped at the entrance to the fort the wall had words scrawled in blood across it.
‘Death comes to those who exact it against the innocent. May the murderers and rapists who once lived here burn in the worst plains of Oblivion’
“It would seem that these men have been dealt with. Maybe we should just let her go.” Farkus said hoping that would be wise.
“Don’t go soft on this woman now Farkus she could still be a killer. She merely fed here and she could have left this here to throw off suspicion against her.” Aela said with a hard edge to her voice.
“This is not a hunt Aela this is simply a woman traveling Skyrim. We have no proof of a crime here.” Vilkas said with an equal hardness to his own voice.
They didn’t want to get into an argument over the woman and they were about to leave it when a voice called to them.
“If it is me you seek then why do you not simply call to me.” She yelled to them “Names after all hold power. Isn’t that right Farkus?”
They all turned to look to the top of the stairs leading further into the fort where the chief would usually be staying. She stood her head raised in a regal look as she stared down at them from her superior height.
She slowly began to walk down the stairs to join them on the first floor as they spread out drawing their weapons to face her. She simply smiled at them as she walked past the Companions her head tilted as she moved around the room to stare at the words she had scrawled in blood. Deino smiled slightly her eyes turning red as glared at the closest bandit.
“You call me a killer? Really? You who are cursed by the beast blood.” She asked eyes going to each in turn. “And I am the monster that you come to slay. Really you are all quite ridiculous to think that when you do something it is for honor but when one of my kind, do it is from blood lust.”
The group of Companions shifted guiltily as she spoke and they even averted their eyes when she tried to make eye contact. They didn’t want to admit that they had called her a monster solely because she was a vampire.
Finally Vilkas lowered his weapon and turned to look at the woman his eyes locked on with her’s.
“So who are you and why are you here?” Vilkas asked stepping forward.
“I am Deino which means Terrible by the by. I am simply here to finish what was started here by these monsters. I’ve no intentions of staying in the area and wish to continue on my own quest.” She said with a bow.
The Companions shifted before turning to look at the woman as they heard the sounds of someone entering the main gate of the fort. They noticed the look on the woman’s face and she suddenly was at the main door barring the only entrance inside the fort. She made sure to secure it tightly before she turned to face them as they prepared to attack.
“Listen to me the men outside this door are going to be coming in here. They are merely here for me, if you just stand back and leave them to me you will be left unharmed. Do not interfere with it.”
“Who are they?”
“You’d call them vampire hunters they followed me all the way from Morrowind.”
She turned away from them before they could speak and she walked to the closest body and she tore her nails across the body’s throat cupping blood in her palm. She then started walking through the hall down towards the dungeon leaving a bloody trail behind her.
The Companions didn’t move until Farkus started walking behind her down the hall. His brother followed quickly behind him intending to stop him.
“Farkus what are you doing?” he demanded.
“They found her because we followed her here.” Farkus replied with a slight look at him out of the corner of his eye.
Vilkas stopped in his tracks realizing that his brother might be right about how the hunters had found the woman. She had truly had no intentions of hurting an innocent and because they had decided to hunt her she had been found. THEY had been the ones to almost hurt an innocent. They needed to make the wrong they had wrought right again.
“Deino! We stay to fight with you what would you have us do?” Vilkas yelled to her when she stopped to look at them.
She nodded then she smiled at him “Simply do what you do best warrior. Just be sure to lead them down here so I can be sure to finish their leader.”
“Of course.”
The four started moving stuff around the room blocking the other passages to the rest of the fort leaving only the dungeon as the direction to take. The twins didn’t want to use their beast blood to fight but they could not deny that the sight of a beast would bring the vampire hunters up short. They would expect humans or fellow vampires, but they would not expect a small pack of werewolves to be in the fort ready to hunt.
Besides the blood called to them urging them to hunt, one hunt had already been interrupted by the finding of an innocent. They could stand a whole new one and this seemed as good as any.
They went through the hall extinguishing the torches and then throwing buckets of water on the braziers in the corners. The Circle then went through the hall till they reached the main area, the torture chamber filled with the bloody corpses of the once owners.
She simply stood facing the door as they entered she smiled at them as they walked by her to await her command. She pointed them to the nearby alcove that was shrouded in complete darkness where they would be able to hide and wait for the fight. Farkus admitted to himself that it felt dishonest to hide and wait for the enemy instead of face them head on.
“It won’t be long I promise you that. Thank you all for standing with me.” Deino said, bowing.
They did not have to wait long till the sounds of men beating upon the door for entrance to the fort. They clearly were putting the previous wooden barricades to use against the doors in their attempts to enter.
The werewolves didn’t wait for them to enter they simply allowed the beast blood to overtake them and change them. They changed to the large brutes of warriors that many in Skyrim feared more than the Daedra. They unlike the Daedra walked the land of Nirn in a physical form which was something the Daedra now lacked since the Oblivion Crisis.
The werewolves of Skyrim stood eight feet tall but hunched down in a semi- crouch ready to spring against the prey they were ready to hunt. The fur was course and dark helping them to blend in with the cloak of darkness from which they hunted. Their claws were sharp as daggers and their teeth were flesh ripping fangs. Their bodies were now standing like human men but their features were those of wolves.
They were one of Skyrim’s ultimate hunters. The fact that they hunted in packs made them fierce.
They had a fierce hatred for vampires that burned deep something about the proximity of another hunter drove them crazy. They both hunted in packs after all despite the different names for it that was what they were. They were all pack animals.
Deino stood with her eyes closed, her hands grasping the sword that she had killed the giant with just earlier that day. She paid them no attention as if the scent of her enemy didn’t bother her, didn’t awaken her fierce killer instincts. But she didn’t move didn’t acknowledge those instincts.
The sounds in the other room got louder as the doors were busted open and the hunters broke in. there was no yelling, no sounds of clanking armor, none of the sounds of men frenzied to being incautious. They were quiet and they were being cautious beyond what the local hunters would’ve been had it been them.
No Silver Hand and no Vigil of Stendarr would’ve been that quiet, they were the purest form of zealotry in Skyrim. The fact that these hunters were a new challenge made the Circle’s blood boil.
The first men to come through the door rushed her and she simply moved. There was no connection of swords no clash of the blades. She moved around the room dodging them or ignoring their attempts to attack her. She treated them as if they were inconsequential to her.
The first man to get close to her though was shocked when she simply grabbed his wrist mid sword swing. She held it there above her head then she began to squeeze until the bones in his wrist grinded and then shattered. Once he was just struggling to escape she slashed her sword across his throat.
The second man charged and she caught him slamming him into the nearest wall moving to the next man. She threw her sword into his chest till it was hilt deep in him, blood dripping off its razor sharp blade. She was there in seconds tearing the sword back out of him to finish the man she threw into the wall.
With the first wave of men dead she turned expectantly to the door her face an emotionless mask as the rest of the hunters came to surround her in the room. She watched them walk around her to stand weapons ready and their backs turned to the wolves. She looked not at the hunters then but right into the eyes of Farkus who had been the first Companion she had met. Then she smiled slowly.
The leather clad hunters stood with big smiles as their leader stepped from the center of the warriors, who were all dark elves Farkus noticed.
“You’ve gotten faster since we last met, have you not?” the leader of the hunters said sweeping his glass bladed sword out slowly.
“I have had a great deal of practice old friend.” Deino said with a lift of her chin.
“We have never been friends, even less so now that you are a monster. There could be no friendship of our kinds. I am an elf you are nothing more than a demon from the darkest plains of Oblivion.” He said stepping closer.
“And yet the same blood flows through our veins. We are the youngest of our house our ancestors would be ashamed of you if they could see you now turning your back on what we are.”
“I am not a monster like you are.”
“You are merely my mortal half and I am the vampire half that is all it is. If we are to bring this to its ultimate end then let us be done with it tonight. I am tired of running and I am sure you are tired of chasing.”
The leader laughed then with a cold sound to his voice that had they not been warriors it would’ve sent chills down their spines. He truly hated her simply for what she was surely she had not always been this creature that was here before them today. Even now she was not all monster.
The beasts knew before the human half in them did what they were doing before it happened. They tore from the shadows with roar like howls as they charged towards the dark elves that stood closest to their hiding place.
Screams of terror and panicked voices raised as they tried to scramble away from the attacking werewolves. They were not fast enough to escape the sharp claws and teeth of the werewolves as they attacked them without mercy.
The leader ignored the cries of his men and ran for her his intent was clear she was his only concern. He didn’t care if he died, he didn’t care if his men died, he only had eyes for the planned death of the vampire woman.
Deino matched him sword stroke for sword stroke as he mercilessly attacked trying to keep her on the defensive. She didn’t seem to think she simply seemed to react by just the feel of the air around her and this was impressive to Farkus. He couldn’t help but look on in admiration. He had never seen someone fight like that.
She moved away from the man just as another of his men came from behind cutting a furrow in her arm as he slashed his blade in an arc at her head. She narrowly missed getting out of the way of his sword but the deep cut drew a hiss from her lips. She snarled baring fangs and her eyes took on the red glow of the vampire.
Farkus could see the man preparing to attack her again so he launched himself at the hunter with his fangs at the ready. He hit the man head on his claws digging deep into the shoulder ligaments of the hunter and his teeth sank into the man’s throat. He twisted his head to the side with a quick jerk ending the man’s pain instantly.
His eyes went up to Deino as he heard her intake of breath as she continued to attack pushing the man back. She had managed to slowly get the upper hand over the man with her swordsmanship and was pushing away from the main battle. Farkus stood and began stalking towards the two fighting elves his intent to just observe the rest of the fight.
Besides the rest of the hunters were already dead scattered around them on the floor of the fort or trying to escape.
The Circle began to stalk around the two fighting elves eyes on the man constantly, they would not interfere but they wouldn’t let the man kill her. Their protection wasn’t necessary though because as if she had finally awakened to the fight she launched herself at him.
Her hand closed around the man’s wrist and she jerked the sword from his hand. Her other hand closed around his neck and she lifted him off of the stone floor, her eyes blazed with a new emotion.
She had a look of deep sadness that was settled deep within her.
“You can just walk away and never come back. You could tell them all that I am dead and this will be over.” Deino said her voice tinged with that sadness.
“I will kill you if you let me live tonight.” He growled his eyes full of hatred.
“So it shall be then. I am sorry that you wished it would end this way.” She said “Azura bless and guide you.”
She took her hand and twisted it till his airway was cut off. When he began to struggle she picked up her sword and drove it into his throat slashing through his arteries. His life blood gushed over her hands and she closed her eyes against the carnage she had exacted. With a quick slash she beheaded her enemy that had hunted her to Skyrim.
Deino dropped the body and turned to look at one of the hunters that was trying to struggle across the floor to the door. She moved with unnatural speed grabbing him up bringing him to her eye level.
“You will travel back to Morrowind carrying the head of your leader to your master. Tell them if they wish, no more of their sons to die then do not send them for me.” Deino snarled eyes red.
She threw him away from her onto the stone floor before turning to look at the bodies scattered around her on the floor.
Then completely surprising the Companions she threw her head back in despair and screamed. They could hear anger, pain, sadness, and rage in her scream. She was crying silently when she stopped screaming. The Circle lifted their heads and howled out their own mourning call giving honor to the fallen warriors.
She looked up at them with those red eyes that were now as normal as any other dark elves eyes.
“Thank you for your aid. I need to be alone with my thoughts, do not worry about the bodies here I will handle everything here.” Deino said “I will also be returning to Whiterun to give you all proper thanks for your aid.”
The Circle turned their backs to her and left one by one each turning to gaze at her in respect as they left. Farkus couldn’t help that he lingered there to stare at the dark elf she was something else.
CHAPTER THREE
It had been three days since the battle with the hunters of Morrowind at the fort and she had not returned to the city. Farkus thought about going after her to see if she was alright but he didn’t. He couldn’t go looking for her it was only because of Skorge though who was holding him back. Farkus wanted to go after her but Skorge wanted to be sure she never came back he didn’t like the fact that they had helped her.
His instinctive hatred of vampires had been only briefly forgotten by Skorge. But now it was back even stronger since they no longer owed her anything. He didn’t want to tolerate a vampire in their home even one who was not with a coven in their area.
Farkus finally decided that he wanted to go looking for her after the sun had set on the third day. He started out the door of Jarrvaskr only to run into the vampire Deino and he caught the woman’s elbow. When he caught her by her elbow he steadied her to find that she was looking up at him, her big red eyes were wide in surprise.
“I’m sorry I didn’t see you there.” He blurted with surprise.
“You’re perfectly alright Companion. I have come to offer something to you and your friends something in return for your aid days ago.” Deino said with a polite smile.
Farkus stepped back as the woman strode past him into the guild hall her eyes taking it all in as she moved through the room. She had a big bundle slung over her shoulder that would’ve weighed down a normal woman but she had the unnatural vampire strength going for her.
He stood back and watched her as she took in all the splendor of the guild hall in excitement. He could see that she was walking around hand just barely holding the strap of her bundle that was the length of her back. Farkus walked over and took the bundle with a friendly smile.
She turned her focus to the table where she could see the glowering Skorge who was sitting beside the equally insulted looking Aela. She shifted looking up to Farkus with a smile as she gestured to the table below.
“I have something for the Circle and its Harbinger.” Deino said with a big smile to him.
She opened the bag revealing weapons that were sitting in the carefully wrapped package. The first thing she pulled out was an ebony longsword which she gave to Farkus. The next was a bundle of ebony arrows that she laid in front of Aela. She gave another longsword to Skorge and an ebony shield to Vilkas. Then she turned to look over at the head of the table where Kodlak White-Mane sat his eyes taking in the woman.
His eyes were filled with wisdom beyond his years and he could spot what she was in a few seconds of looking at her. He also recognized the woman from something else and he kept that to himself it might not be a good idea at the first meeting to admit he had had a dream of her. That the dream he had had was more of a vision of what was to come then anything else.
She kept the gift she had brought for the Harbinger and she walked it to him. With a look of pure respect she got on one knee holding out the weapon for him removing the wrappings that she had put around it to keep it from getting damaged.
The Harbinger looked down at the weapon surprised to see that it was a kind of elvish blade that he was not familiar with. The hilt wasn’t the moonstone color of the ore that they used to make their armor or their other weapons. It was a deep black color with dark purple stones decorating the hilt and the blade was pure quicksilver.
“Please accept this blade Harbinger as one old warrior to another. I have long respected the guild founded by your brave leader Ysgramor, I am privileged to say that I had met him once years ago. At a time before he made his deal with the witches.” Deino said her eyes averted respectfully to the floor.
“It is quite refreshing to meet a warrior from a land and time where honor still mattered to warriors. I am honored to accept the weapon you have brought for me. Thank you.” Kodlak said bowing his head.
He took the weapon then stood up to see that she had also returned to her feet to look the man in the eyes. He smiled a fatherly smile as she bowed slightly to him with a big smile.
“Are you here to join our ranks?” Kodlak asked gesturing to the seat closest to his.
“Kodlak you can’t be serious she is a monster!” Skorge exclaimed standing up to knock his chair over.
“So says a man who will hunt anything so he may take pleasure in killing. I do what I must to the guilty only and only when I have too.” She said without raising her voice.
Kodlak simply smiled when the man stood there glaring at the vampire woman. He and Aela walked from the room shooting LOOKS at the two sitting at the table.
Farkus took his seat beside his brother who was watching the scene silently but with an amused look to his eyes. He looked at his twin brother who had an interested look in his eyes as he stared at the woman which Vilkas picked up on.
“She is something is she not?” Vilkas said “I can see why you are making eyes at her. She is quite the fetching woman.”
“Vilkas you can’t really think that I would” Farkus stammered.
“Of course not brother I am simply saying that it would be a shame to let the moment pass you by.”
“You make it sound like a one night stand. That’s what the woman Sadia is for at the Bannered Mare.”
“She is a vampire people other than her own kind would be temporary to her. She is immortal after all and we are not we are very mortal.”
Farkus looked over to see her eyes on them and they both blushed when she spoke.
“Maybe now would be an excellent time to tell you Companions that a vampires’ hearing is impeccable. And should I take a mate he would not be temporary, mortal or immortal.” Deino said smiling wryly.
The brothers muttered hasty apologies to the woman for talking about her like she was a bar maid.
“Please do not fear that you have offended me, I’ve seen a few centuries and have long ago stopped being offended by words.” Deino said looking over to Kodlak.
“It was still very rude of us and we apologize just the same.” Vilkas said.
She smiled and waved her hand dismissively to him as she turned her attentions back to Kodlak. She continued to talk with him and he finally asked the question that the brothers had been waiting to hear the answer too.
“So are you here to join our ranks as Companions?” Kodlak asked with a polite yet knowing smile.
“I have thought about it but I am sure that a few of your ranks would be insulted by my presence alone.” Deino said tilting her head “I do not wish to cause unrest.”
Kodlak opened his mouth to speak but then the guild hall’s doors opened back up and a courier walked in with a message in hand. he didn’t respond to the Companions but strode right to Deino holding the message out to her.
She opened it and cast her eyes over it briefly her mouth setting in a slight frown as she looked over the note.
“Bad news?” Kodlak asked with a friendly smile.
“So it would seem. I am afraid I will have to get back to you on your offer old friend, but I do have a request to make.” Deino said looking to him.
“Ask it of me and I will aid you to the best of my abilities.”
“Actually it is not you I would need help from but one of your Companions. It would be a paid job I assure you but it would seem that I need a little help getting where I am going.”
“Of course and where would you be heading now?” he asked tilting his head back.
“The Reach.”
Farkus perked up a little more as he realized he would be the best choice to aid her, he knew the Reach better than the other Companions. He could see the thought forming in the Harbinger’s mind before he even spoke. He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face at the thought.
“Farkus would be the best to take with you into the Reach he knows it the best.” Kodlak said with a nod.
Deino glanced at Farkus and she smiled at him before beckoning him closer to the two.
“Do you also have knowledge of Dwemer ruins beneath the land of Skyrim?” she asked.
“As much as any other member in our guild.” He said a little worried.
She smiled and said “Do not fear the ruins I’m sure will be easy enough to find it is what is inside that is unknown to me.”
“Then why are we going?” he asked sounding surprised he was sure.
Deino offered him the note that the courier had carried in to her and he carefully removed it from her hands. The note read: “Deino,
“That which you seek is buried beneath the Reach in the dwemer ruins
that fill this land. Beware your entrance though for inside death
waits you.
“A concerned friend.”
Farkus read the note twice over before he handed it back to her and his mind turned to the group of hunters that she had encountered in the fort. They had found her because of them he was sure, he vaguely wondered if this was just another trap set for her by them.
“What is it you seek inside those ruins?” Farkus asked her.
“I am looking for a familiar coven of vampires that I had tracked to Skyrim.” Deino said shrugging her shoulders gracefully.
“Why?” he blurted the question before he could stop himself.
“Because like myself they were born this way and have seen many lifetimes.” She replied.
Farkus nodded his head but looked into her red eyes where he saw amusement and kindness. He could understand what she wasn’t saying to him and she knew he could read it in her eyes. Eternity was a long time to spend alone for an immortal.
She must be lonely, Farkus couldn’t help the thought.
After a moment of starring into her eyes he heard the sound of Kodlak clearing his throat.
“So I’m assuming our usual fee for such an undertaking will not be too high a price?” Kodlak asked.
“Whatever price you name I am sure is more than fair old friend. I will pay whatever you may ask.” She replied turning her gaze from Farkus to the elder Companion.
“So it is settled than. When do we leave?” Farkus said regaining her attention.
“We will leave under the cloak of night I do not wish for anyone to observe our leaving.”
“As you wish.”
With a quick farewell Deino the dark elf vampire woman left the guild hall to prepare for the long journey that they would undertake together. Farkus went below to do the same.
Farkus packed food that they would need for the journey and potions that he acquired on his last job for the guild. He made sure to put his steel great sword on the weapons racks to where he could carry the ebony long sword.
He packed everything he could think of that they would need on the journey wondering briefly if she would need extra food of her own. Did vampires even eat solid food anymore? Farkus didn’t know all he knew was the cliche stories of vampires that said they were blood sucking monsters but similar stories were told about the werewolves too.
He didn’t worry about the extra food he packed he was sure he could eat it if she did not, it would keep them from having to stop for supplies sooner on any account he was sure.
“Farkus may I give you a piece of advice before you go on your way?” Vilkas asked before entering his brother’s quarters.
“Of course you know I am always grateful of your council brother.”
“The woman seeks out a coven of vampires. She may be perfectly harmless in doing so Kodlak trusts her so I trust her, but be wary of the coven she seeks. We both know what happens when vampires get in large groups.”
“They resort to the violent ways that we are accustomed to from vampires.”
“Yes and besides that they do not like our kind very much. Just be careful out there.”
“I will of course be vigilant in the finding of this coven brother thank you.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Farkus stood at the gate waiting for Deino wondering if she had been late or if she had maybe left without him. He didn’t want to believe that she would have done that but it was the thought itching at the back of his mind. When the dark shadows beside him stirred and she stepped from the shadows he felt relieved that she was here.
He turned to Deino and gave her a nod trying not to look to excited to see her, from the grim look on her face he realized something had happened.
“What is wrong?” Farkus asked “What has happened?”
“I received a message from the house of hunters that I sent the head back too.” Deino said looking grim as they walked through the gate past the guards who barely glanced their way.
“What is wrong? Are they sending more hunters to come for you?” he asked turning to look at the woman.
“No they would not do that not now.”
“Why?”
“It’s because they would not wish to lose any more sons to my blade. And I would not like to kill anymore kith or kin.”
“Kith or kin? They are your family?”
“Yes they were at one time my family. But that was centuries ago. I’d rather not speak of it if you would not mind my friend.”
Farkus nodded his head then they continued on in silence he was surprised to find that it was a comfortable silence together. He didn’t mind the woman standing at his side even with her vampire attributes reining supreme.
He knew a lot of the cliches that she obviously wasn’t in the vampires. She wasn’t burnt up by sunlight, didn’t let her blood lust drive her, and she was most certainly not a gaunt looking monster. There were a few things that she was though: she was beautiful, she had the same unnatural grace, she had the deadly abilities, and then there was her calm wise manor.
Farkus gave the woman a side long look out of the corner of his eyes and he could see that the woman had a look of ancient wisdom. She was centuries older than him but he was still in his late twenties there was nothing she could see in him that she would find attractive about him. He didn’t honestly know why he was looking to her like this.
They stayed silent as the night went on and they found that they were easily compatible out in the wilds of Skyrim.
It was almost dawn before they reached the furthest crossroads from Whiterun but it was closest to Markarth. She looked up to the mountain her eyes, taking in everything in the area she was searching for something.
Finally after a few minutes she pointed to what she had obviously been searching for that he could barely see as a trail leading up into the mountain. It had to be a very small goat trail and he was surprised that they were heading up the trail. He should have known because he knew that the Dwemer were reclusive people.
“A goat trail?” he asked sounding incredulous.
“They were very secluded and they didn’t much like visitors. That is why the coven has chosen it as their hide away they didn’t want humans to be a big prey item among them. The hunt only the blood frenzied falmer.”
Farkus nodded slightly in complete understanding as they walked up the trail towards the mountains above them.
As they walked up the mountain side they stopped when she stopped and tilted her head back listening. She could hear something that he couldn’t but then his advanced beast blood hearing let him know before a human would have what was coming. It was the unmistakable sound of another beast coming their way and he could tell that it was a pack of werewolves.
He turned to look down the hill and he saw a group maybe five strong, his heart stopped as he realized that they were on the hunt.
They would come after both of them first and foremost. They would want a rival beast dead because that would be their territory. Then they would strike out to kill the vampire who was encroaching on their territory, they didn’t need another predator in the area. Especially one that would be a superior hunter to them because she had much more skill than one of them.
“We have to move now.” Farkus said grabbing her arm to pull her up the mountain.
“You need not tell me twice Farkus. Go your beast blood will help you to stay ahead of them trust me I can keep up.” Deino said pushing him ahead of her. “Run for the ruins.”
Farkus did as she had asked and ran quickly onto the path where he allowed the change of the beast blood to overtake him. He could feel her presence there with him as he changed and when he lifted his massive wolf head to look at her he could see her standing nearby. She gave him a tight smile as the sounds of the fellow predators drew near.
Deino lead the way as they ran hard up the trail the sounds of raging werewolves after them as they ran for the great ruin that she knew would be above them. They came off the goat trail and ran towards the beautiful Dwemer city. She could find that he was right at her side. They would be at the ruins before the werewolves could catch them or so they thought.
That was until Deino- not seeing the trap in her haste- put her foot down on the pressure plate of one of the bear traps that Skyrim’s wilds were filled with. Deino let out a piercing screech of rage and surprise at the pain as she fell onto the ground below her. Her eyes were glowing red and there was blood seeping from the wound around her ankle.
She saw the werewolves approaching with a massive male in the lead of them and she reached for her sword. She pulled the blade ready to attack the approaching male but he was quick. His massive paw swiped out knocking the sword from her hand and it skittered away as it croached low, ready to kill the encroaching vampire.
The werewolf loomed over her and it opened its jaws launching at her. Deino closed her eyes ready to accept the ultimate death that had for centuries been kept from her. She had long wondered when and how that death would meet her.
Just as she expected the jaws to close around her throat she felt the ground shake as something landed above her stopping the attack. She opened her eyes as she looked up to see the dark figure of Farkus in his beast form protecting her from the other werewolves. The werewolves had been brought up short by another of their kind aiding a vampire.
Then suddenly another group of figures joined them as they flanked around Farkus who still stood protecting her. She could see the faces of the ancient vampires that had come from the ruins as they joined in her defense.
The other werewolves left the area moving away from them as they moved forward in mass.
One of the vampires turned to look to her with a smile that was one of pure wisdom and many years kindness.
“We could feel you coming dear girl. I do not understand why there is a man of the beast blood with you but that is for another time let us attend your wounds.” The vampire said bending down to check her wound.
“He is a member of the Companions guild he is one of Kodlak’s pack.” Deino said.
Farkus stood back growling deep in his chest as he looked down at the woman who was laid on the ground. He put his clawed hands on either side of the trap than he pulled opening it to release her injured leg. He then turned to look at the vampires before picking up Deino in his wolf arms.
He carried her inside following closely behind the vampires that had come out to help them against the werewolves that had come after them. Following them past the doors was something that he found himself dreading, once those doors closed behind them they were in the lair. He didn’t like it and it wasn’t just because of the instinct that told him that he shouldn’t be here.
“Farkus something is wrong.” Deino mouthed to him when she looked up into his eyes.
Farkus growled as he thought about it and he stopped following the vampires that had been leading them inside.
“What is wrong?” one vampire snapped suspiciously.
“Nothing is wrong my friend and I simply do not wish to enter. We would not impose on you.” Deino said smoothly.
“It would be no trouble at all. We welcome the company here.” Another vampire said quickly.
The vampires were starting to turn to face them shifting as if trying to get ready for an attack without it being obvious. Deino and Farkus had no trouble seeing it for what it was though, they were after all experienced warriors.
“Where is Malcor?” Deino asked them her eyes narrowing at them.
The vampires hissed then and she gave a hiss in turn as they all started to shift forward into feral crouches leaning towards the two.
“Malcor is here no more the old fool thought he could keep us from achieving being true vampires. He was too caught in his old dreams of being civilized to heed our words.” The first vampire said.
“We did away with the old one. We had no choice, we could not live how he asked.” A female snarled “I see we will have to do the same to you and your beast now.”
Farkus knew there were too many of them for them to have a chance if they stayed. Quickly, Farkus took Deino and tossed her onto his back so that he would be free to run on all fours. Running like that there would be no creature alive that could overtake him, even the vampires.
He waited till she was held on tight then he turned and launched himself down the path that they had taken to get there. He ran hard his beast blood thrilling at being let loose in a run, the only thing missing was the hunt that would make this complete. He didn’t let his mind linger long on the thoughts of a hunt not when he had a coven of angry vampires to worry about.
He kept running till they reached the road that they had found and then he started running back towards the Whiterun territory.
“Farkus wait we need to find somewhere to hide. A cave perhaps, I won’t make it back to Whiterun like this. Not when the sun comes up.” Deino said above the sounds of his hard breathing.
So listening to the vampire woman he began his search for somewhere to keep them safe overnight he knew it wouldn’t be long till the sun comes up.
He managed to find an abandoned mine tunnel that was filled with bandits before his beast blood wore off. Once his beast blood wore off he went inside and cleared out the mine so he could bring her inside to safety.
Farkus came outside and lifted Deino into his arms gently taking her back inside to the mine. He carried her until he found the room that the bandits were using as sleeping quarters and he laid her down on one of the beds. He could see when he laid her down that her face was very pale, even for a dark elf.
He thought about how her leg had been injured and he pulled back the armor on her leg to check the wound. The wound was an angry pink line on either side of her ankle but the armor fabric was soaked with blood from the time that the wound had been open.
“Would a potion help?” he asked concerned.
“I’m afraid not my friend. The wound was open long enough that the blood I lost was enough to make me weak. If I were to try traveling in direct sunlight now I would burn and die.” She replied not opening her eyes.
“Is there something I could do to help you?”
His question was met with silence. Farkus knew she was keeping something from him and it would possibly aid in her healing.
“What can I do?” Farkus demanded.
“I wouldn’t ask it of you.” She said softly “If you’re worried they’ll find us in the light then go get help.”
“I’m not leaving you here alone. What do you need?”
“I need to replace the blood I lost but I am too weak to do it by hunting.” She whispered
Farkus had to listen hard to hear what she said and it took him a minute to understand what she meant. She needed fresh blood to replace the blood she had lost when caught in the trap. She would need him to either hunt a fresh blood supply for her or he would have to volunteer to be the fresh blood. He didn’t really want to go hunt a human for her to bite but he wasn’t sure he liked the idea of being bit himself.
“Your bite won’t kill me will it?” he asked her sitting on the floor beside the bed.
“No I do not think I will need that much blood.” Deino said smiling slightly.
“Oh well good than. What should I do?” Farkus asked looking at her uncomfortably.
“You don’t have to do this you know.”
“You need help I am happy to aid you.”
“Don’t lie to me Companion you don’t want me to feed from you. You’re doing it because you know I need your help.”
Farkus remained silent as she opened her eyes and looked into his brown eyes. She noticed as if for the first time the cloudy look to one of his eyes and realized that he was blind in his right eye. She smiled, he was no less a warrior for what most would call a handicap.
“What do I need to do to help you?” he asked suddenly seeming a lot more confident.
“Lay on the bed next to me.” Deino said “I will try to handle the rest from there.”
Farkus laid down on the bed beside her, wondering why he felt so excited now at the prospect of her feeding from him when a minute ago he dreaded it. Then he jerked as if realizing what had happened had been a physical blow, vampires were good at thrall magic. She must have used her thrall magic to make him feel more at ease around her.
He didn’t really have time to ask her about it before he felt her body curl against his making him automatically take her in his arms holding her closer.
“See that’s not so bad is it?” She said with a chuckle.
Farkus blushed as he remembered his conversation with his twin brother from the day before. He shifted wondering why she would want to get that close to him since she had overheard that conversation.
“It will only hurt for a moment what you feel when I start to drink depends on you.” Deino said leaning towards his throat touching her lips to him.
“Why me?” he asked sounding a little breathless, he scowled at that.
He wasn’t one of those men who let a woman take his breath away.
“It depends on what you feel for me Companion Farkus because you’re true desires are revealed when I drink from you. Much like you, see who you really are when the beast blood is upon you.” Deino explained “Are you ready?”
Farkus nodded without another word and prepared for the sting of her bite.
The first feeling of her biting him wasn’t very painful like he thought it might be. She was surprisingly gentle even when in dire need of blood, it felt like a simple pin prick. After was another matter entirely, no it didn’t hurt like he thought it might either. It felt good. Really good. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before, the pure pleasure shooting through his veins.
It was better than the beast blood, it was better than a night with Sadia at the Bannered Mare.
Farkus moaned pulling her even tighter against his body and she moaned into the skin against his neck as she continued to drink from him. He put his hand to the back of her neck cupping it gently so that he was holding her more to him then her having to use her effort. Then he laid on his back pulling her on top of him.
He didn’t want that feeling to end he didn’t want her to stop drinking from him. Farkus did want to know what more of the dark elf woman would feel like, how she’d sound, and what she would ay to him.
But suddenly her mouth left his throat and she licked the wound closing it off so that he wouldn’t bleed anymore. Once she had removed her teeth and mouth from his neck he felt shaky, tired too he felt very tired. But he still felt the residual effects of her feeding burning through him eager to feel her touch to have her sooth his burning.
“Shhhh sleep now you need your rest. We will talk tomorrow Farkus.” Deino said gently to him.
He couldn’t deny that he needed to sleep and he couldn’t seem to fight it either. Within moments Farkus was asleep with the vampire woman held firmly in his arms.
CHAPTER FIVE
When Farkus woke up the first thing he realized was that he was very thirsty and his throat was scratchy. He also remembered what had happened the night before, all of it. Then he realized that he was in bed alone and he couldn’t hear the woman in the room with him at the moment, which meant she was in the mine or she was gone.
He wondered briefly if he had fallen for a trap that she had set against him and that she had merely used him. That was until he heard her coming towards him humming some lullaby he wasn’t familiar with but he did find himself listening hard to lullaby as she got closer.
When the door opened and he looked to her he felt his heart skip a beat, she was radiant in her beauty today he couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked. Deino had a glow to her face and the look she cast him was sweet, kind. She was carrying a tray with food and water on it that she placed beside him on a stool she’d placed by the bed.
“I knew you would have need of this when you awoke.” She said shrugging “How do you feel?”
“I feel alright, throats a bit scratchy though.” Farkus said smiling.
“It will pass I promise you that. Thank you for last night, I know being a werewolf that that couldn’t have been easy for you.” She said looking at him with a kind smile.
“It was nothing you needed my help so I wanted to help you.”
“Many wouldn’t have had they been in your place.”
The room was filled with silence, so to fill that silence Farkus picked up the food and started eating. He noticed she didn’t touch the food at all she simply started to focus on the things she carried with her.
“Who is Malcor?” Farkus asked surprising her enough to have her turn to stare at him.
“Malcor was the vampire that saved me.” She said shrugging “When I was a young fresh vampire I wasn’t in control of my thirst but he helped me to gain that control and therefor regain my life.”
“He must have been important to you.” He said noting the hint of sadness in her voice.
“He was my father.”
The silence returned between them and he shifted feeling bad about asking. It pained him that he had hurt her with questions about a vampire that was her father and now dead.
“It is alright, when you live to be as old as I am you become accustomed to a little grief. I pity those that have no one to grieve for when they lose them.” She said with a kind smile.
“You must have lost many people over the centuries.”
“Yes that is why I have always been hesitant to befriend mortals and why I do not join covens.”
“Seems lonely instead of easy, I do not know what I would do without the Companions.”
“Your kind are different from mine in that aspect. The more you have with you the stronger you are, the more we have with us the weaker we are. We cannot contain the fighting and back biting because we do not have leaders unless there is a sire in the group which is rare.”
Farkus looked at Deino wondering again how she could see so many lifetimes alone without someone by her side. He didn’t think he had the courage or the strength to do so himself, no he knew he didn’t.
“You’re stronger then I Deino.”
“How do you come to believe that Companion?”
“I could not have gone all those years alone as you have.”
“It does not prove you are weak Companion, it proves you are stronger than I. You care about people without fear of losing them. I cannot do that because being immortal I know I will lose them.”
Farkus thought about the night before when she had fed from him and he could see her watching him. He didn’t want to ask the question at the front of his mind because he knew now that he wouldn’t like the answer he received. But he couldn’t just leave the question unasked and unanswered.
“What about last night?” he whispered knowing she would hear him.
“I don’t know any more Companion all I know is maybe it’s time for change. But I have much to do first I am afraid, it is daylight out now I am returning to the ruins.”
Farkus would ask but he knew the answer to the question. She was returning to make sure that justice was served to those who had killed her father he would go back with her. It didn’t need to be said it was understood between them.
They packed up their stuff then they left the mine taking what they might need off of the dead bandits that Farkus had killed that night. They wouldn’t linger long though as long as the sun was out the vampires in the ruins would be weak, they weren’t true vampires after all. They weren’t born that way.
Along the way they encountered a courier whom Farkus stopped to give a message he had wrote back in the mine that would be rushed to Whiterun. He had to pay a good deal of money to ensure that the courier would stop there first.
“Vilkas my brother,
“There has been a complication here and we will not be
returning as soon as hoped. Deino and I will be killing
this coven of vile monsters. If I do not return
know that my spirit watches over you always
brother. Be well and be safe.
Your brother Farkus.”
He hoped to be able to return to his brother without him having to be a dead body but that seemed less likely the further they went. He didn’t want to die didn’t want to join the Daedric lord of werewolves, Hirricine in the realm of the hunt just yet. He didn’t want it but he wouldn’t go out of his way to avoid the possibility that he would die.
After all he would be joining their brothers in the hunt, that’s all he had ever wanted. Wasn’t it? He couldn’t help but question the very thought as he walked alongside the woman to what might be their deaths. But his mind turned to Savengarde, the home of the honorable dead.
They had just reached the doors when she saw the staked body that she immediately went to and recognized. She dropped to her knees and let out a vampire screech that only the craziest of the undead usually screeched. She was angry, grieved, confused, and the most dangerous of all her feelings was she felt betrayed. Betrayal was swiftly dealt with among immortals.
Standing she drew her sword and turned her full attentions to the task at hand before them.
“Spare none inside these walls. They are all blood thirsty killers now.” Deino hissed.
Farkus nodded then started to follow her inside his own sword drawn at the ready to kill the offenders inside the ruins.
They moved inside slowly and carefully, avoiding the pressure plates that lay on the floor at certain corners. They didn’t need the Dwemer traps to kill them before they had a chance to even find the vampires inside. She stalked ahead of him calling shadows to her to hide her mostly from view.
Farkus wouldn’t have been able to see her if he hadn’t seen her use her magic to shield herself from view. He vaguely wondered if he should ever take the time to learn at least one spell, it might eventually come in handy for them. But right now her magic was enough for the both of them he was sure.
They had stopped at one spot where she had motioned him to be silent as she tilted her head to listen to sounds that he couldn’t quite catch. Then she gestured to a door dispelling the cloaking spell, she held up two fingers then pointed to the same door. He nodded that he understood what she was saying to him.
There were two of the vampires inside that room. One for each of them to kill he was sure.
They approached the door and she again listened once they were outside the door and she met his eyes. She mouthed the word asleep to him nodding.
They pushed the door open to see the two figures laid in a bed that had the foot of the bed facing the door. They split and each stood on a side of the bed to attack, once in position they attacked. Blood gushed and the two let out wails of pain that echoed down the halls that would be known as their death cries. It would also serve to warn the others that they were there now.
They did away with sneaking any further and continued to move down the halls towards the sounds of a larger group of vampires coming their way. Some of the vampires were still in robes and a few were in a light raiment of armor. They were armed with daggers, one had a sword, and most were hoping to wield magic in their own protection. It wouldn’t save them.
Deino charged the magic wielders seeming to merely shake off any blow that they struck with their magic. She simply kept going till her sword had found it’s mark and she began to tear them apart with the blade. Deino did seem to be slowed ever so slightly by the magic attacks and Farkus realized that the spell was a drain life spell.
Drain life spells tried to take the very essence of life from the victim but it wasn’t always effective. Some had a stronger life essence than others but yet still some were weaker. Mostly vampires had the ability of those spells but not all of them wielded the spell.
While she was cutting the heads of the magic wielders off, Farkus turned his attention to the ones using more conventional weapons. He struck out at the ones with weapons his eyes fierce with blood lust and ready for the justice of their murders.
He parried and feinted alongside the one with the sword while the ones with daggers seemed to hang back. He didn’t know if they were afraid or if they were merely biding their time waiting to move against the Companion. He just kept them in the peripheral of his vision while he focused his attack on the swordsman.
Finally after parrying and feinting for a few minutes he saw his opening and he took it without even thinking, it was just second nature to him. He stabbed the blade through the heart of the vampire which didn’t make a sound just simply spat blood before falling off his blade.
He turned his attention to the knife wielders and he felt Deino brush up beside him ready to fight against those few. One tried to run in fear but she flew at him with a hiss of rage and slammed her sword into his spine tearing the blade down to the side, out at his hip.
Farkus had taken that opportunity to attack the other two with his long ebony sword driving it into one wounding him. But daggers were no match for a long sword and they quickly succumbed to him in battle. That was the first wave of vampires that they had encountered and they wouldn’t be the last in these ruins.
He vaguely wondered how far he would have to go into the ruins to be satisfied that they had hunted them all. He even wondered if this ruin connected to the ancient hall of Blackreach. It was once a dwemer city long ago, it was rumored to still exist but as a falmer city now.
They kept going down into the tunnels until they reached one that gave them pause. Or it gave Deino and her heightened senses pause.
“What is it?” He asked her quietly.
“You don’t smell it?” she asked sounding sickened and worried.
“No, what is it you smell?”
“Blood vampire blood to be exact. It smells like decay and old houses.” She replied.
Farkus took a long breath of air trying to smell whatever it was that she smelled in the air. He did smell it now that he knew what he was looking for and she was right it did smell like decay. He didn’t really understand why it was giving her pause until he thought a little harder about it. That was a lot of blood and they hadn’t been the ones to kill the vampires that were dead just ahead of them. So who had?
“Stay close and be cautious.” She said softly.
Farkus nodded his head slightly straining his ears to hear whatever was ahead hoping he’d hear it before it saw them.
They entered a door ready and waiting but that wouldn’t have made a difference as to what happened next.
CHAPTER SIX
As soon as they went through the door a figure slammed into them knocking Farkus down the stone steps that were in front of the door. He fell hard hitting his head on the stone as he went and he lost his grip on his sword.
He was sure before he started feeling dizzy that he could smell burnt flesh around him and he knew that that should mean something important to him. It seemed even more important since they were fighting vampires and that one of them was one. But right now all of that seemed irrelevant to him, all he wanted to do was sleep now.
The only thing that kept him from going to sleep was the sounds of a familiar cry and the sounds of blades connecting in combat, fierce combat at that. Looking up slowly he could barely see around the blur at the edge of his vision and he struggled against the encroaching darkness.
Finally he opened his eyes to a slightly clear vision that was before him. He could see the sight of Deino struggling in combat with a large male vampire that he didn’t seem to be letting up in his onslaught. He was fighting hard and trying to get her to let her guard down so he could get in a killing strike against the woman.
They were equally matched with each other and the fight was only getting more intense with each of them. He didn’t want to be out of the fight and leave it to chance what happened to her. He really wanted to aid her but he just couldn’t make himself move to her aid. He was too tired and his head was spinning painfully the longer he kept his eyes open.
Then he saw the male vampire shove hard against their met blades and it moved them both a few feet back. They glared at each other and kept circling each other as they spoke, Farkus couldn’t catch all the words but he did struggle to listen.
“…..a sire in the coven.” He growled eyes glowing red in anger.
“I would never bow…….” She snarled back her voice trailing off.
Farkus was sure that they both said more but he didn’t catch all of it. But he thought he understood enough of it to make what was happening make sense.
There was a reason they were equally matched, he was a vampire sire the type that would be like an alpha in werewolf terms. She was what he was sure was called a brood mother, the female equivalent of an alpha. They were both ancient from the looks of him and it was hard to tell who would be older, therefor stronger. They were to equally matched, to be that different in age.
Farkus let out a groan than tried to get back to his feet but he couldn’t manage to pull himself up any more than onto his side. He looked up at her and he could see them circling again as they drew near to each other. They had looks of pure hatred turned to each other and they kept moving never looking to anything else.
Farkus could still smell the burnt flesh and he turned to look at the source of the smell. There was part of the stone roof collapsed and in the center of the sunlight shining down were piles of bodies laid in the sunlight. He could see that from the sprawled state of most of the bodies that they had been thrown into the sun.
He couldn’t imagine why another vampire would throw his own kind into the sun like that and he felt his eyes begin to droop.
“You will die!” the male yelled suddenly drawing him back to look at the two.
Farkus saw that the male swipe the sword out at him and he saw her duck out of the just barely avoiding the strike aimed against her head. But she did get hit in the shoulder and she let out a pain filled cry as she rolled across the ground, leaving behind her a trail of blood.
“Yes bleed, die. Let your life blood ooze from your veins so that I can feed from it.” He snarled savagely.
“You fed from them and you killed them!” she said sounding surprised. “You are the reason they were becoming blood thirsty it was the body’s way of trying to save itself from you.”
“I have been eager for the blood of my vampires, with their blood feeding me I will become the strongest of all vampires!” he yelled throwing back his head laughing. “But not until I kill you little Deino, the blood of the ancients flows in your veins.”
The two struck out at each other than blades dancing in a deadly and fierce dance that would only end when one of them was dead.
While they circled each other and started fighting again Farkus pulled himself to his feet and then he decided what he need to do. He had to change into the beast and try fighting alongside Deino that was the only way he would be strong enough to stand with her. He stood up than and he began moving towards his sword where it lay.
The vampire looked to him and then smiled ducking away from the attack that Deino had sent his way. The male tackled him with such force that the two tumbled across the floor and Farkus felt the man’s blade trying to cut into him. He could feel the tip of the blade against his skin but he quickly reached around finding a discarded blade that lay nearby.
Taking it in his hand, Farkus felt the hilt and he pulled it up slamming it into the back shoulder plate of the armor. It was just barely stopped before it reached the heart of the vampire trying to kill him. The male vampire pulled back and extended his fangs ready to strike out against the Companion.
He knew two things. One was that now that the man was wounded Deino stood a chance of killing him mercilessly. Two was that he was going to die at the male’s hands.
Just as he was sure that he was going to die a yell pierced the air and the man was tackled off of him.
What he heard next made him turn to stare in horror and he began to weep at the sight. Deino had tackled the male vampire back into the sunlight and was holding him there by impaling him to the ground with Farkus’ ebony sword. What was causing him to weep was that they were both burning up in the sunlight.
They had both suffered wounds and now the sunlight would be the deciding factor in their deaths. Farkus could do nothing but watch as her body burned her corpse still grasping the hilt of the sword tightly. She was holding him down against the floor where his corpse sprawled back exposed to the sunlight.
Farkus let out a cry and howl much like that of an animal as he dropped to the floor. He had cared about her and now those feelings would never be realized between the two of them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Farkus wake up.” A female voice said softly.
Farkus lifted up his head believing that he was still deep in sleep and he was surprised by what he saw before him. The spectral form of Deino stood before him looking down at him unlike the living embodiment of her this one was unscarred and seemed so young. She smiled and her eyes which had once been red were now a clear blue.
“Deino you’re here. Why haven’t you moved on?” he choked back tears. “Are you trapped here?”
“No Farkus I’m not trapped here I am merely waiting.” She said smiling again. “My soul has sealed his here for the rest of eternity and I am free to move on now. I had something to ask of you first.”
“Ask me anything and I will grant it.”
“You see my request has to do with a person very close to me. My immortal existence wasn’t always lonely I have a daughter that lives in Riften. She is part dark elf and part nord she would be about your age now I’m sure.”
Farkus was surprised by the confession of her having a daughter.
“If she is anything like me she would benefit from being a member of the Companions. I have already sent word to her that she should join you there. I would be eternally grateful if you watch over her for me please.”
“You have my word that she will come to no harm as long as I am alive. Is she like you, a vampire?”
“No she is like her father and very much mortal although the ancient blood does flow in her veins.”
“Who was her father?”
“A distant member of the Septim blood line actually.”
“How will I know her?”
“Her name is Jahel.” She said as she began to fade. “I have to go now Farkus…… remember your promise to me.”
Then the spirit of Deino was gone and he was left in the ruins thinking hard about what he had heard. She had a daughter and she was counting on him to watch over her. A part of the vampire woman lived on now and he would ensure that she continued to live on.
He stood up than feeling relieved and not as grieved by the loss of the dark elf woman.
He was exiting the building when he saw that his brother was approaching along with the other Companions. He met them half way seeing that the Harbinger was looking around the area searching he knew who he was searching for and that he wouldn’t find her.
“She’s dead. She sacrificed herself to kill an ancient vampire stronger than I’ve ever seen.” He said softly “She has moved on to whatever awaited her next.”
“Are you alright?” Vilkas asked him.
“Yes let’s go home now.”
The end of the beginning.
I would like to thank Bethseda games for making successful game series’ like The Fallout series and The Elder Scrolls series from which this book was inspired.