Fine, don't believe me. I'll just leave

GOODBYE.

:]

You know you're my buddy XD

How the karking hells did she get away?!!...

*Does best Admiral Ackbar* It's a trap!!... ...

So, it seems Albert wasn't quite the creep I thought he was...Well...Certainly at the moment he seems to be good...

Methinks he knows what's going on anyways... ...



Really can't be easy for him hearing this...



Blasted Vampire glamouring... ...

Excellent writing!!...Glad you're all on track again... ...

And this final one...



Aaaargh!!!... ....

Truly brilliant stuff...Loving it!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

In due time, my pretties, in due time... -evil laugh-

GAAAAAH!



This whole chapter was chilling! Urk! Awesome Write!



*

This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 11 2013, 01:55 AM

Very neat, seeing this from the disoriented young victim's perspective. mALX is right, chilling indeed!

The hey pile! I remember that from earlier. I am so tense something is going to happen!

What a gruesome sight. He found her!

The magic (I presume) that is keeping her from telling everyone what happened was a wonderful touch. Very creepy that she can remember, but can’t tell.

I think Albert knows what it really is… So cool that the disease actually tries to preserve itself. Chilling.

Gah! They are all infected?

I feel like my writing is declining in substance and worth, sooo... I don't know. I'll keep on trying to improve. I appreciate the comments, everyone! <3

Where we are: Kayla is continuing the story of her past.










Thumpthumpthump, thumpthumpthump.

There was a brief pause as the footsteps ceased. They were light and quick, not heavy like an adult's. I sobbed quietly as I waited for them to subside. Every night, at the same time, I heard the same searching footsteps. Every night, I heard Asta call for me.

Thumpthumpthump, thumpthumpthump.

"Nisse? I miss you, Nisse! Old Bear is back! He says I'm all better."

Thumpthumpthump, thumpthumpthump.

I heard a crash, then a cry. I jumped up and readied myself for whatever was to come. No other sound came though. I had heard the footsteps four times, and every time, Asta would try to coax me out. I had long ago found the lock and latched the trap-door shut against Asta's desperate arms. I slumped back against the wall, my breathing heavy.

I was getting ill, being trapped in the dark with my own filth. I had been too terrified to venture out after Asta attacked me, and had been waiting for the rescue Albert had promised. I occupied my time by practicing summoning a flame faster. When the footsteps came, I stopped all movement and huddled on the filthied bedroll in the corner.

Sometimes Eeva came with Asta. Sometimes one of my cousins would, or another town kid. But never Ma or Da, or Uncle Njal, or any other adult. And never Old Bear.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded. That wasn't Asta's footsteps. Or the other kids'. I heard the bed being dragged from over the trap-door and began to whimper. The door rattled, and I heard a curse.

"She locked it!"

"Is she even alive?"

"The spell says she is."

The trap-door rattled one more time. I heard the wood breaking as someone strained on the other side. With a sudden tug, the lock gave away and the sound of several bodies hitting the ground, and the clang of metal rang in my ears. I ran behind a stack of barrels before they recovered.

"Nisse? Are you here?" An unfamiliar female voice called. The accent was not Nordic, but instead crisp and precise. I heard footsteps on the ladder descending slowly.

"Nisse?" The floor creaked. I loaded up my fire and let out a war-squeak and hurled the fire as hard as I could. Which wasn't very hard. The fireball fizzled before it ever reached any of the three people in the basement. A large, dark-haired Nord man with a large crooked nose laughed at the Khajiit male and Dunmer female.

"You two jumped at THAT?" He roared with laughter.

I panted before falling to my knees behind the barrel. The Khajiit knocked over the barrels and scooped me up, holding me like an infant. I let him scoop me up.

"We found her!" the Nord man hollered up the ladder.

I cringed. "Please," I whimpered. "Please don't bite me. It hurts."

The group exchanged looks. "My dear, no one here wants to hurt you," the Dunmer woman said gently. The Khajiit shifted me in his arms. The Nord gave me a pitied look. I began to cry.

"There's no one here," I sobbed. "Only the kids, and they want to eat me! Asta tries to get me to come out, but I won't! I can't find Ma and Da, and Old Bear never came back for me." I sniffled.

"Do you know where they went?" The Nord man asked gently.

I shook my head. I clung closer to the silent Khajiit for comfort moreso than warmth. "He left me a note on the door."

"Hey! Someone bring me the note on the front door!" The dunmer woman hollered.

"Please don't yell! They'll hear you!" I whimpered. The Khajiit chuckled warmly, the fur tickling my arms. His warm, almost raspy voice surprised me.

"Vampires do not come out in the daylight. At least, not these ones. Nisse is lucky."

"Vampire? What's that? Is that what happens in barns?" All three looked extremely confused.

"Ma said sometimes young people go into barns and do things I'm not supposed to know about. I didn't know they eated each other!" I wailed. "I'll never go into barns again!"

I was incredulous that the three could laugh at a time like this. Had I been on the ground, I would have stomped my foot.

"We will have a talk when we get back to the city," the Dunmer woman said, smiling gently. "But for now, you need to tell us everything that has happened, while we get you cleaned up."

They listened while I recounted my experience and changed into the clothes Albert had apparently stocked for me. The Dunmer woman introduced herself as Nedene, the Khajiit man as Ma'Dat, and the Nord man as Jon. As I told them about hearing Albert saying all of the children were infected, Nedene's eyes watered up. Before I could ask, Ma'Dat spoke up.

"All clean. Time to go."

I was holstered onto Ma'Dat's hip once we were up the ladder into the house, where a group of 6 people awaited us. I took a deep breath of fresh air and leaned my head on his shoulder, shielding my eyes from the harsh sun. The cool air nipped at the small bits of explosed flesh on my arms and neck while tossing my greasy auburn locks around my face.

"When we get to city, you wash," Ma'Dat whispered into my ear. I said nothing and allowed him to carry me to the carriage. Suddenly I perked up.

"Asta!" I cried. "What about Asta? And Ma? And Eeva? And Da?" I bolted from the seat and hopped over the carriage side clumsily. A Redguard male grabbed at my clothing, but I tore away from him.

"Grab her!" Jon shouted, but I was faster than them. I ran further into town, searching frantically for my Ma. All I found were pieces of the people I grew up with, pale and bloated, tongues lolling, flies laying eggs. The children of the town had made their homes in their old homes, the decaying bodies of their parents no longer offering the comfort of warmth, but the stench of death. They gnashed and grabbed at me, and I recoiled, begging them to remember me. My cousins had feasted upon the body of my uncle Njal, their pale skin betraying their condition while their open mouths hungered for my own flesh.

I ran into the forest, out of town, weeping. Weeping for my parents, my sisters, even my uncle. Weeping for the children who only wanted to grow up and become adventurers, wives, fathers, farmers, merchants.

But mostly, I wept for myself and how alone I was.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



Onmund stopped me.

"You don't have to keep going, I get it." He grimaced. "Everyone... died."

I leaned forward, my hands on his shoulders.

"You DON'T get it, Onmund. They didn't just die, they were murdered." I gripped his shoulders tighter. "The children were turned, then allowed to slaughter their own parents! All because Movarth had some master plan that included an army of undead children! Something that, luckily failed."

I edged closer to him and looked him in the eye. "I know you have had trouble with your family, but imagine those little children-"

"Stop."

"No, imagine-"

"STOP."

"EATING their parents!"

Onmund covered his face.

I put my hand on his leg. "The disease does not allow for morality, Onmund. It does not allow for weakness, and it does not allow for emotions. When I was infected, I wanted to..." I gulped down the bile threatening to force its way up my throat. "I wanted to hurt the men trying to save me. And I didn't know why. I was a child, with no restraint. I wasn't mature at all. And Movarth-"

I cut off. After a moment of silence, I continued.

"Movarth knew that. He used to be a vampire hunter. Movarth Piquine," I sighed. "The man who wanted to hunt down every vampire. I admire that."

Onmund gave me a sharp look. "You're talking about the 'Immortal Blood' book, aren't you?"

I nodded, and he said, "Kayla, that book is fiction."

"No... No, it's not." I cast my eyes down. "That's another part of the story I haven't told you. Onmund, that group worshipped the daedric prince Meridia. Just as I do." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "When that group took me in, they let me in on a few secrets. A lot of them could get me in trouble with Meridia."

"Because she cares?" Onmund snorted.

It was my turn to give him a sharp look. "She cares enough to give me her sword. She cared enough to have Albert save me from becoming a vampire." I scratched the side of my neck absentmindedly. "I don't say anything about you worshipping Talos."

I instantly felt ashamed.

Onmund turned red. "Perhaps we need to take a break. Get some fresh air." He stood up and walked down the steps. "I'll be outside," he called over his shoulder.

I put my head in my hands. I cursed my temper out loud, and put on warmer clothes. I bolted out the door to find Onmund. as I searched, the wind nipped and bit at the exposed flesh around my face and neck. I looked around the outside of the house, finding nothing. Down the street, people from the Bannered Mare were trickling out. Most had their clothes on, where the rest seemed to be in such a daze that the guards had to escort them to their houses.

"Onmund?" I called quietly. No answer. I searched around the nearby houses, even around Adrienne's forge. Almost out of earshot, I heard a child's voice, and the familiar response of Onmund. I walked quietly toward the voices and stopped just before turning a corner and listened.

"How long have you been here, little girl?" Onmund asked.

"I just got here. I'm searching for someone. I've looked for so long, and I think I finally found her." A short silence followed, and then the girl said, "I'm so hungry. Can you feed me?"

I peeked around the corner, and lunged at Onmund, screaming at him to get away. A dirty child wearing tattered clothing and a feral look grasped my husband's shoulders. Her raven hair, which were pristine curls twenty-two years ago, stuck to her head with old gore and dirt. Mouth open, she tore into Onmund's neck before I coud reach her.

"Asta, NO!" I shrieked. Asta giggled as I ran to Onmund, trying to stave off the blood flow from his neck. Onmund gurgled, his eyes already glassy. His body convulsed in my arms. Asta fled.

"HELP! " I screamed. "SOMEBODY HELP!"

Onmund was gone long before the guards came.

This post has been edited by Elisabeth Hollow: Feb 13 2013, 07:26 AM

HOLY CRAP! GAAAAAH! URK! *mALX faints in front of PC*


An hour passes


HOLY CRAP! GAAAAAH! URK! *mALX faints in front of PC*


An hour passes


HOLY CRAP! GAAAAAH! URK! *mALX faints in front of PC*


An hour passes


HOLY CRAP! GAAAAAH! URK! Totally AWESOME Write! Urk! GAAAAAAH! *mALX faints in front of PC*




*

This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 13 2013, 11:34 AM

I absolutely did not see that coming...

I mean, that ranks as one of the biggest jaw-dropping twists since the end of Acadian's book 1 of Buffy...(Shan't spoil it, but trust me...Jaw. Drop.)...

Fair dues...I shan't go into my vampire rant just now...But I think psycho vampire-children ranks pretty high on the list of things what do my head in... ...

Brilliant writing...As ever...Brilliant stuff...

Looking forward to what the hell is coming next... ...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

I told y'all. lol

Wow, Asta appears to be even worse company the rest of Skyrim's children.

What, you expected sincerity? From me? Hah!



Look, I liked the chapter, I just can't think of any constructive input; I'm just awful at this stuff.

Okay? Lol

Onmund? Onmund?! OOONMUUUND!!!!!!

Oh, it's on now. IT. IS. ON! You got in the way of a mending relationship, don't think you can get away with it! Even if you are her sister!


Ugh, and here I thought Skyrim's kids were bad enough when they weren't vampirized. I swear, the little brats are fully aware of their immortality and child-guard mind-control powers over everyone. They just know they can whine and gloat to everyone. Well, no more of that!

Pull yourself together, Kayla! It is time for vengeance. Nord-style!

You're right, it's SO on, lol

This chapter was scary! I loved it

ONMUND IS DEAD? NOOOOOO! I DIDN'T LIKE YOU BUT I NEVER WANTED YOU TO DIE

Hey KOB.

Asta says hi.

XD

OH MY F*CKING GOD! JESUS F*CKING CHRIST!

Hi Asta

And the loop finally closes. What a tale of horror!

Poor Kayla. Welcome to the club of widows.

And it’s not over yet, for Asta is still out there, probably along with other three foot terrors. Will Kayla accept a quest to destroy what was once her own sister? I do not envy her path.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Feb 14 2013, 02:05 PM

Note from me: Thanks everyone for your encouraging words via postings and PMs. I have a WHOLE LOT of self-doubt, if you can't tell, but I'm determined! Determined to write things exactly as I see them in my head!

Where we are: The beginning of REVEEEENGE!









Dawnbreaker sang as I freed it from its sheath. The feral vampire snarled, her yellow teeth dripping with saliva. Her dirty hair clung to her face with sweat and her own blood. We panted, she with exhaustion and I with fury. She leaned herself against the cave wall while I pressed Dawnbreaker to her throat.

"What have you heard about vampire children?" I snarled at her. The remnants of what once could have been a young Breton girl only looked at me hungrily. Dawnbreaker pulsed with an eager light.

"Answer me!" I screamed. The vampire slumped against the wall. "I don't know," she panted, trying to push herself up from the floor, but failing. "Only rumors. A dark-haired child with eyes of crimson and a heart of ice. Putting the Dark brotherhood to shame." She gulped a few times, still panting.

I stepped closer. "Then that's all I need from you."

"You're letting me go?"

"Not a chance."

With a swift kick to the head, I knocked the vampire flat on her back. She tried scrambling away, but I pressed the heel of my foot to her throat. Without a word, as she begged for mercy, I lit a firebolt in my hand and shot it into her open mouth. As she choked on the conjured molten rock, I watched it burn her skull from the inside out.

I scraped my boot off and headed out of the cave. I could hear Dawnbreaker's moan of disappointment in my head as I sheathed it. I had only begun my search, but I knew my next step. I knew someone who could help me.

The heat of the flames waved my hair in ripples across my face. I stood, silent, as the funeral pyre burned my husband. The flames made the shadows dance across the courtyard, and the moans and wails of various townsfolk filled the air.

I was silent.

Lydia gripped my arm, her eyes red, but her face unflinching. The stench of burnt hair and clothing filled the air, wafting through the town, staining it for days to come.

The trek back to Whiterun was lonely. But I was used to it. Memories threatened to spill from my head and manifest into tears. The chasm in my chest was now filled with a burning, white-hot rage. I dove into it gladly.

"Danica, you have to save him! Please!"

Anything to distract me.

"He's gone, Kayla. There's nothing I can do."

Anything to keep me fueled.

I clung to Onmund's body, covered in his blood, smearing it when I stroked his cheek with my thumb.

Anything to replace the ever-looming cloud above my head.

"Wake up, please wake up!" I sobbed.

I would rather have the searing pain of hate than the crushing weight of sadness.

I blinked my eyes against the reverie. The sun was coming up. I washed the blood from my face and arms, kneeling, keeping a watchful eye out for any danger.

I kept my eyes on Onmund's body, intent on watching the very last flame die out. To make sure he did not come back to me.

Lydia pulled me away by my arm, and I followed her. We walked back to my house, lonlier and colder than it was before. I sat at the desk in my room, quill poised over parchment. Lydia watched me from the chair across the room.

I looked up at her. "I'm selling the house."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What? You're selling the house? The ENTIRE house?"

"No, just the floorboards. Of COURSE the entire..." I shook my head. "I have someone I've been meaning to visit for a long time. An old friend from my childhood." I dipped the quill in ink again and began writing furiously. when I was finished, I waved the parchment around to dry the ink.

"I want you to come with me," I said to Lydia. She raised her eyebrows again, but this time in amusement.

"Where else am I going to go? Once you sell the house, I'll be stuck in the old quarters I used to have, or in the the inn. I'd much rather travel with you than stay in this town all of the time."

I nodded. "Good." I folded up the parchment and poured some hot wax in the center to seal it. "After I send the letter, we will begin preparing to leave."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Rorikstead. We leave in a week. We should get there a few days after the courier. Give him time to prepare."

"Who?"

"Ma'Dat."

"Who is Ma'Dat?" Lydia scrunched up her eyebrows. "That sounds like a Khajiit name."

I nodded. "It is."

Lydia still looked confused. "WHY are we heading to Rorikstead?"

"I need advice on how to kill my 9 year old sister."

Lydia's eyes looked like they were pop out of her head.

"Well, kill her AGAIN, I mean." I added. Lydia's face paled.

"Whoa, calm down! She's technically thirty. She's a vampire." Lydia's mouth slowly opened. A squeak escaped.

"You know what, Lydia? Go to bed. I'll explain later." I pushed her out the door, despite her sputtering protests. I closed the door behind her, and after a few moments, her footsteps thunked towards her room.

I continued the trek towards Whiterun after eating a few mouthfuls of bread and dried meat. I had gotten no information from the vampires nearby. Asta's influence was farther out. But they HAD heard of her. In spite of Onmund's death being a week in passing, there was no time to mourn. Action had to be taken.

Asta would pay. Very dearly.




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=





A week later, we arrived in Rorikstead shortly before dusk. I spotted Ma'Dat's small house on the edge of town, next to the city's open wall. Lydia and I shouldered our packs and headed towards the house. Ma'Dat opened his door, grinning in a way that only Khajiit could.

"Ma'Dat is pleased to see Nisse! It has been too long for this old Khajiit." I embraced Ma'Dat, his brown fur smelling much like it did twenty years ago. Comforting.

"Nisse?" Lydia asked. "Your name is Kayla, though." She gave me a confused look.

I sighed. "Nisse is my real name," I explained. "After my family died, I changed it." I kept it short and sweet. Apparently telling the whole tale caused the listener to die a horrible death.

"But to Kayla?" Ma'Dat asked. "It does not sound of Nords or of Elves."

"Exactly," I murmured. I grinned at Ma'Dat, hoping to change the subject. "How's Nedene?" I bumped my hip with his, waggling my eyebrows. "Have you two made it official yet?"

Ma'Dat sighed. "Ma'Dat has some bad news, Nisse. Nedene did not make it to Rorikstead with Ma'Dat."

"What?!" I felt tears threaten to spill over my lids. "What happened?"

"A bandit arrow hit her in the throat. She only knew how to heal others, and not herself." He sighed and shook his head. "She was only sixty."

Lydia sensed an uncomfortable situation coming, and set her bags lightly on the floor.

"Kayl- uh, Nisse..."

"Kayla."

"Kayla, I'm going to head to the inn."

"Say hi to Erik for me," I called over my shoulder. I sat down and put my head in my hands.

"Nedene is gone too? And what about Jon?"

"Jon is living in Ivarstead with his wife and 3 children. All boys."

I sighed in relief. "At least he is doing okay. Ma'Dat, something terrible happened."

"What is it, Nisse?"

I gulped. "Asta is back. She killed my husband." I felt torn between anger, hate, and sadness. Either way, tears did spill from my eyes this time. Ma'Dat's ears flattened against his head.

"The vampire-child survived? Did we not purge their sanctuary twenty years ago?"

I shook my head. "No. Movarth survived too, but I took care of him. But not before he took my child." I gripped the arms of the chair. I suddenly realized ow much I had lost. The woman who taught me how to swing a sword without chopping my own leg off, my child, my husband, my sisters, my parents...

Suddenly I felt very dizzy. What did I have left to fight for? Ma'Dat put a furred hand on my shoulder. His ears were laid back, but not as much as when he was angry. His tail, brown with a black tip, also laid low.

"Ma'Dat, there is something you should know as well. When I was recovering from the injuries Movarth dealt to me, Meridia appeared to me in my dream."

Ma'Dat's ears went straight up. "And what did beloved Meridia have to say to Nisse?"

"That..." I took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I cannot have a husband, nor a child. At least right now." I looked questioningly at him. "Why not?"

Ma'Dat sighed. "Nisse received the same dream we all did. When Ma'Dat and Nedene discovered the love between us, we received the dream on the same night. Only Jon, as far as we know, did not have the dream."

I grew angry. "And why not?" I spat. "What makes him so special?"

Ma'Dat patted my shoulder. "Jon lost his family, much like you did. But Ma'Dat thinks because of his age, his time for serving Meridia is almost over. Only when we fulfill our duties to Meridia do we-" He suddenly cut off and looked at my sword. Dawnbreaker's leather flap did not cover the entirety of the jewel shining from it.

"Is that..."

"Dawnbreaker? Yes. Meridia gifted it to me after I cleansed her shrine."

"That was you?" Ma'Dat's ears didn't know whether to lie flat or stay up. "This changes thing, Nisse. She has chosen you as her champion. THAT is why you cannot have a husband or child. Never has a purpose been so clear than that of her Champion."

I blinked at Ma'Dat. "So... what is my purpose?"

"That Ma'Dat does not know. You must travel back to the shrine of Meridia and seek her guide. Bring an offering."

I grimaced. "Undead flesh?"

Ma'Dat nodded. "There is none lying around, but there are plenty of necromancer lairs around the shrine." Ma'Dat's face held a snarl. "Filthy people, messing with the dead."

I nodded in agreement. "I will never understand that either." I decided to change the subject. "Have you set up shop here?"

Ma'Dat nodded. "Since Mralki's son met a beautiful elf who helped him get his start adventuring, I have been helping at the inn." A twinkle in the old Khajiit's eye appeared. "Erik is still quite taken with you."

I rolled my eyes. "Erik is still green, and needs some practice with his sword."

A dry chuckle escaped from Ma'Dat, and I realized the double-meaning behind what I said.

"Gods, no! That's not what I-!" I turned crimson, and swatted at Ma'Dat. "You mangy old cat! I'm going to go get a room at the inn."

As I stood up, Ma'Dat put a hand on my arm. "Lemkil is at the inn as well. His daughters have shown up with bruises on their faces. Erik has already told him to keep his fists to himself. Lemkil might be looking for a fight."

I shrugged. "Let him. Besides, Lydia is up there. She packs a mean punch as well." I winked at Ma'Dat. "But not as good as the elf who had a Khajiit trainer."

I slipped out of the door, keeping my pack close to me. A few buildings down was Frostfruit Inn, and the music was lively. A feeling of dread weighed in my gut. The last time I went to an inn, I was stripped naked by a sore-sucking conjurer. I opened the door anyways.

This post has been edited by Elisabeth Hollow: Feb 17 2013, 07:46 AM