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 (continued)

"What's wrong?" Venyn seeing Rinori's pale face on her return, "Did all go well?"

"That kind of work is for the Brotherhood," Rinori spat at him angrily, "Never. Ever. Ever do that to me again. Ever! Do you have any idea, any clue as to what I've done?"

"You completed your writ, as instructed by your Master, I assume," Venyn replied, not understanding, "As you've done for years."

"No," she said, "This was different. This was...perverse,"

She went about washing the paint from her face and the blood from her hands. The latter would never go away, but she kept scrubbing nonetheless.

"I don't see how-"

"Get out!" she screamed at him. Venyn left her then, with nothing but her reflection in the mirror. She pulled the thing off the wall and smashed it on the floor. Struggling to get out of the dress, she found it was too complex to remove by herself. Her dagger began making short work of it.

"Calm, child," she heard Ornos say from behind. She hadn't noticed him coming in before, "You're solving nothing right now,"

She turned to face the seer for a second, only to continue shredding the dress that seemed to trap her.

"Stop," he said, more forcefully this time, "Have you ever thought that maybe this happened for a reason?"

Rinori did stop, and a look of sudden realization crossed her face, "You knew, didn't you? You knew!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Ornos.

The old mer didn't deny it, "I had to let you make this mistake. I can't tell you why, because I don't yet know. But please understand that I had to. Come find me in the morning. We have work to do."

"I won't be able to sleep tonight," she said, "Let's start now so I can get my mind off things." She wanted nothing more than to leave Kragenmoor.

"That's just it," Ornos answered, "I want your mind on things. Think. Meet me in the morning."

So he left Rinori with her shattered mirror, torn dress, and dark thoughts.