Blood of the Kyn, Volume I Options

[Dantrag]

Well, after some unfinished stories and a long hiatus, I'm back in this territory of the forums. Not that anyone should care. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my latest creation.

Prologue

It was a dark night, and the rain fell in sheets over the town of Cheydinhal. Unbeknownst to the gate guards, a cloaked, shadowy figure climbed the stone wall on the other side. He sat perched on the wall for several seconds before jumping to the ground below, using the loud pitter-patter of the rain to cover the sound. Swiftly and silently he ran, clutching a package tightly wrapped in a gray cloth. He reached his destination in a matter of seconds, and after lifting the grate up, he descended into the darkness of a well.

He was welcomed at arrow point.

"I need to speak with Vicente," he said in an otherwordly voice from the shadows of his cowl. He turned his side to the woman in front of him, shielding his cargo should she decide to fire.

The archer, who was a Bosmer woman dressed in the typical black leather armor and hood of the Dark Brotherhood, fumbled for a response. Before she could give one, a hand from behind rested on her shoulder. Taleandril looked to see that it was Vicente Valtieri himself, the oldest member of their specific chapter of the Dark Brotherhood, due to his vampiric nature.

"Don't worry, Taleandril, I'm expecting company," Vicente said reassuringly. Taleandril gave the visitor one last glare before going about her business.

"Let us go somewhere more private," the vampire suggested, leading the way through the dark, damp corridors until they reached Vicente's quarters. There was no door or any other typical way of creating privacy, but the other assassins seemed to respect the vampire's space and gave him a wide berth. There was not a soul near enough to overhear anything that might be said.

"Kyzra, old friend! What brings you from Oblivion?"

"Trouble," Kyzra replied, removing his soaking wet cloak, revealing his black and red skin, horns, and armor that marked him as a powerful Dremora. He sat down at the small table across from the vampire assassin.

Vicente gave him a questioning glare. Anything Kyzra believed to be trouble must be dangerous indeed. The two of them had been through much together, though most of it had been a hundred years or more ago, and Vicente could not remember a time when the Kynmarcher had feared anything.

"I have disgraced the clan and insulted Lord Dagon himself. I will not live long, I assure you. Even my own armies have abandoned me, and my most trusted Kynreeve has taken my rank and title."

The vampire stood angrily, "You would bring an entire Dremora fiefdom here? Endanger me and my brothers and sisters?"

"You owe me!" Kyzra shouted, his booming Dremora voice echoing througout the halls. Just then, the bundle he carried made a sound. It cried loudly. Vicente's rage was put to a halt as he wrapped his mind around this new development.

"It is my son," Kyzra explained, "Half Dremora, half dunmer. I want you to take him; I cannot bear for him to die for my mistakes."

"That was your disgrace, then? A dunmer woman?" Vicente asked, sitting back down.

"She was only the half of it," Kyzra replied cryptically, "Will you take him?"

Vicente nodded, taking the infant from the Dremora Lord, "I will warn you, I am no parent."

"As long as he lives, Vampire, I do not care how you raise him. Just promise me one thing."

"If it is within my power."

"Never tell him my name, never speak of me."

Vicente nodded in silent understanding. Kyzra stood and began to exit.

"What is his name?" Vicente called after him.

Kyzra paused for a short moment, as if he had never thought of the answer to that question. "Azyrek," he finally said, "Azyrek."

He left the hideout without another word. Azyrek cried all night long.

[Dantrag]

Chapter 3 - Kragenmoor

Finally home, Rinori thought as she strode through the enormous gates and wandered confidently down a maze of roads that led a small, poor neighborhood. She knew this city better than anyone, having grown up here and delivering letters for House Redoran as a child. Now, though, her loyalties no longer sat with any House. She stopped at the end of a narrow cobblestone road. A single lantern was lit, hanging next to the crookedly-hung door of a small tavern. Its name was the Brown Beggar, as noted by the whitewash letters on the wall. Rinori was glad that the second lantern did not burn; it meant that she had come at the right time to get answers. Stepping through the door immediately got a reaction.

"Rinori!" the barkeep said in surprise, "You made it back! Hurry, let Venyn know you're here. He's worried sick."

She shook her head, "You tell him; I have to talk to Ornos first."

"You know where to go."

Ornos had a permanent room in the place, but was rarely in it. He was an old dunmer who made a living as a fortune teller, traveling often. Most people abroad thought him a hoax, but the people of Kragenmoor knew better. He was odd, yes, but he was also a worshipper of Hermaeus Mora and could see glimpses of the past and future. Rinori knocked on his door three times and waited. A few seconds passed and the old seer appeared at the door. He wore a drab green robe, fur moccassins, and carried a short walking stick. His body looked thin and frail, but he was strangely surefooted and had the grip of an ogrim. The mer never hesitated to grab and ear and pull.

"Ornos," she said sweetly, "How nice to see you. I saw one lantern wasn't lit and thought I'd stop in."

"You need to speak with Venyn."

"No, I need to talk to you. Something terrible has happened."

"You didn't take my advice," he said, ignoring the fact that she'd spoken, "On the mountain."

She paused; sometimes the things he knew scared her, "I know," she answered after a time, "I had to make a choice, and based on the circumstances, I think I made the right one."

The old mer shook his bald head, "Why did I interpret your dreams in the first place if you aren't going to act on them?"

"Because Gils is dead," she said, "That's why I'm here."

Ornos smiled, but it was a compassionate one, "Gils knew he was going to die, and I knew he was going to die. Venyn did not. Venyn has no respect for our traditions. I told Gils what to do, and I told you what to do. Only half of the task was completed. Why did you come back, little one? Why do you not spin the web as you are told? Now it may all unravel at our feet."

Rinori knew that Ornos was in a trance right now. He spoke, looked, and acted differently when he was.

"I...don't know," she answered, lowering her head.

"You knew what to do when you saw the face from your dreams, but you chose to come back. You failed me, and Gils fell for nothing."

"What did Gils have to do with this?"

"Go speak with Venyn. You've chosen to abandon my help. Now our enemy is loose."

Rinori left the room, slamming the door behind her. She was angry. Angry at Ornos, angry at Venyn, angry at Gils, and angry at her own confusion. Here she was in the middle of everything, and nobody told her anything. She stormed down the hallway until she reached the closet at the end. A quick key turn opened the closet door, and that same key opened a floor hatch to the basement below.

I'll speak with Venyn, then, maybe he has a few answers.

Venyn was waiting for her. He was a young dunmer, though a few years older than Rinori. The youngest Master in the history of the guild in fact, and probably the most thickheaded. Venyn held little regard for Ornos' mumblings, despite his longtime history of serving the guild, and the two often butted heads. Rinori thought that maybe this time their quarrels went too far.

"What happened?" was the first thing Venyn asked, "Where's Gils?"

Rinori took a deep breath, hardly knowing where to start, "It was a complete failure. We got to the city and everything was going smoothly. We tracked down Llether Salam and found out where he was staying. The night before we planned to strike, Gils went missing. I looked everywhere for him, and didn't find out until the next day that someone had been killed in the Tiber Septim Hotel--that's where Salam was."

"So Gils succeeded?"

Rinori shook her head, "I thought the same, but when I got a look at the body, it was Gils'."

Venyn scratched his head and sighed heavily, "And you don't know where Salam went?"

She shook her head, "I think he was being protected by the Brotherhood. Not long after I started asking about Gils and Salam, I noticed that I was being followed. So then I left town and started the return trip. I was followed as far as the mountains, but left them dead there."

"You talked to Ornos. What did he say?"

"A whole lot of nothing."

"Typical. I don't see how the Morag Tong finds use for the ramblings of crazy old fools."