The Vampire Prince, The War That Started It All. Options

[Lord Veneficus]

Hey you guys. This is my new fan-fic. Comments and critiques would be the most welcome. Oh, and don't tell me this is cliche', as I already know that. Just give me some pointers and advice, please.
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“Praise be to Lord Vile and the blood patron, Molag,” Acerbus whispered in the darkness as he stood from the obsidian pedestal in the chapel. The glass windows were stained with the color of blood. The moonlight poured through them, casting the crimson rays all across the room, bathing him in the light. He turned and headed for the hidden trap door into his home below the chapel.

Acerbus Occisor was born an Imperial. His hair was as black as the Void itself and it fell to his wide shoulders. His eyes were of the deepest and darkest crimson, seduction and cunning flowed from them. His face was pale and very gaunt due to the lack of blood he drunk. A long, crooked scar ran diagonally down his back. Acerbus wore a tight black leather suit and a dark sapphire blue hooded cape.

He climbed down the ancient oak ladder and into the cave that surrounded him. The walls of the old place had fresh pickaxe cuts into them for more room and walking space. The amount of recruits who had joined the Esoteric Fangs had stretched the cavern to several levels below the chapel. It was an astonishing amount of vampires in one location. Over three thousand had joined the guild over a one hundred year span. But a thousand are there under the chapel, as it is the place where the guild was founded.

The guild of assassins has prospered over the span of one hundred years and now rivals the power and fear of the Dark Brotherhood presence in Cyrodiil. The Fangs have been taking most contracts from the Dark Brotherhood, almost crippling the ancient guild from under its foundations.

Acerbus nodded at the vampiric children roaming about the halls of the expansive cavern. The uppermost level of the cave was the market, with several other sections ranging from fletchers to bladesmiths and general goods to large bottles filled to the brim with human blood, ever so sweet blood. He moved towards the back wall of the top level and to the vendor sandwiched in between two larger stalls.

“Hi, Peter. What do you have with you today?” Acerbus asked with questioning eyes. The vendor, a gray headed Nord taller than his stall, stood there swaying to some music that no one but he could hear.

“I have just come back from High Rock. It seems that they have been performing illegal experiments and doing research there. I was lucky enough to steal a few books from their alchemy labs. Here have a look,” he answered politely. Acerbus could tell from the tone of Peter’s voice that he had just recently fed, as he is usually irritable after a missed feeding. Acerbus grabbed the red leather bound book and began to flip through the pages. The script it was written in was a beautiful one, curvy letters and the perfect slant of them. Acerbus immediately recognized it as a woman’s; no man could write like that.

He finished flipping through the first one and put it down. He picked another up, this one was bound in a blue cotton cover and was embedded with blood red rubies. Acerbus opened it up to the first page.

Porphyric Hemophilia: The Vampires

He began to read it. It told of the many different clans of vampires of Tamriel and their abilities and weaknesses. This was the perfect book to further increase his studies of his kin. He looked up from the book and queried, “I’ll take this one. How does twenty septims sound?”

Peter nodded and Acerbus placed the gold on the table and walked away. He moved downstairs to his room and began to drink a bottle of blood, all the while reading his newly acquired book.

EDIT: Changed seductive to seduction

This post has been edited by Lord Veneficus: Jul 7 2008, 05:57 PM

[Lord Veneficus]

Chapter Five

“But Ralas, you must understand. I cannot do this on my own,” Acerbus said. Ralas merely shook his head, refusing to allow Jena to accompany him on the journey. Acerbus slammed his fist on the wobbly, faded table. He moved towards Ralas. “Why are you so damned stubborn? Just let her go. She’ll do no harm to the mission.”

“No! This is your assignment. You can do it on your own. Having a person along will only hinder your progress against those beasts,” Ralas answered calmly. “Now go. You will leave for the ruin they call Menyandasil on Sundas; it lies on the south bank of the Panther River. The ruin has been said that a small group of werewolves have taken refuge there. Make sure you feed yourself well before you leave, as you will need to get there by nightfall. When you are done with them or you find anything useful, come back and we’ll give you your next assignment. ”

Acerbus spun on his heel and stormed off from the room. He kept walking briskly towards his room, the only place he knew would grant him the silence he desired.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door and sat down on the edge of his bed. He laid down, needing something to keep his mind in order. Acerbus had been lying there for a few hours, imagining what it would have been like to have met his father. No one had ever had much to say about him, especially his mother. Every time that Acerbus even mentioned him, she would either ignore it or tell him that it was neither the appropriate time nor place for such a discussion.

Jena walked in. “Can I go with you?” Acerbus sat up and went to his chair. He knew this would hurt her. Seeing him sit down, she grabbed a chair and did the same.

“No, Jena. Ralas, that honoured user, refused to let you come with me. He said you would only slow me down,” Acerbus said. He moved over to his door and would have shut it quietly, had it not creaked. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “But you are coming with me anyways. A few hours before dawn on Sundas, I want you to meet me in the chapel. Keep yourself hidden, understood?”

Jena’s face brightened up at the words she had just heard; especially ones that came from Acerbus, as he was never known as a rule breaker. She jumped from her chair and embraced him. “Thank you, Acerbus!” She said, squeezing him ever tighter.

“Jena, you’re choking me,” he said, grabbing Jena’s arms and lowering them gently. She looked up at him and gave him a smirk. Then, she turned and walked from the room. Acerbus could tell she had a little bounce in her step.

+++++

“Ralas, why in Vile’s name didn’t you tell him about his father? He deserves to know and you will not let it happen. I will tell him, regardless of your decision. I am a Council member, too and my decision weighs just as much as yours,” It was J’Keri, still pushing for the truth about Acerbus’ father to be told.

Ralas just sat there, drinking from his ruby encrusted goblet. “Go on, J’Keri. Tell him and your death will come quick,” He said.

“Damn you, Ralas!” J’Keri strode from the room, robes flapping behind him.

+++++

Acerbus went to the dining hall, all the while ignoring the crude remarks and the nasty glares he received as he moved towards the kitchen. The smell of beef in a cream sauce wafted into his nostrils, warming his bones. If he wasn’t mistaken, he thought he detected a flambé in the making. Acerbus wasn’t sure where the council had found vampiric cooks, but he decided he could care less.

Once inside the kitchen, he took a large slab of boar meat and slapped it on top of a silver plate. It had been a long while since he sank his teeth into flesh and the meat would compensate for it. He grabbed a silver mug and a bottle of Tamika’s West Weald Wine… modified with a cup of blood.

He sat at his regular table and commenced to feasting on his meal. Then, a messenger strode up to him, threw a sealed letter with the symbol of the Fangs embedded in the wax, and left the room just as fast as he arrived. Acerbus stopped his eating and opened the letter.