No Elves in Sovngarde Book Two, NEIS continued Options

[Acadian]

Quite a gang the girls of vamp are collecting! A duo of wolfy pooches and now a pair very obedient fellows. Kayla’s getting good enough at this vampie stuff to go in and out of cities now! Things don’t bode well for that traitorous thief in Riften methinks.

[McBadgere]

Excellent!!... ...I'm always a bit off my game when I'm hungry meself... ...

Loved the way she turned the tables...And Emelia, despite her size and appearance has obviously got enough gravitas to be a decent presence...Yes...

Loved the bit with the wolf and "I like you a bit, sometimes..."... ...Yeah, yeah...We know what you mean... ...

The sneeze was pure dog...I've seen that so many times... ...

Ooooh, Niruin's gonna get his handed to him soon enough...

Wonder what the others have been doing in all this time?...

An excellent story!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[Colonel Mustard]

I'm all caught up! I'm all caught up! And this is all really good!

I'm really enjoying Kayla's arc as she learns the ropes, and she and Emelia have great chemistry together on the page. It's fun to see the vampire hunting team about, and I am enjoying a vampire story where it's told from the perspective of both the vampire and the hunters, and both of them are the good guys; it makes for a refreshing twist on the usual formula.

This is just as great a read as I remember it to be, and I'm really looking forward to the next chapter.

[mALX]

I am so glad Kayla is finally going to give that backstabbing creep what he has coming to him for double-crossing her (unless he smooth-talks her into forgiving him).

LOVE the thralls, this story is great !! Awesome Write !!

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Just a quick summary of what happened with Erik and Mjoll in Whiterun: Uthgerd left the trio, and now they've resolved to head to Riften to speak to Marcurio.




-----------------------------------------


Marcurio leaned back, his fingers interlocked as he appraised the two beings in front of him. One was a tall, magnificant-looking woman with blonde hair and beautiful crystal blue eyes, and the look of a hardened warrior about her. Her steel armor glowed in the torchlight, the Nordic runes along the curves of her bosoms and small of her waist creating an alluring look to her already commanding presence. Marcurio found it hard to look away from her pale face, her full lips parting slightly as she leaned forward, her hands on the table after she earnestly explained their situation.

The other was also tall and magnificent looking, slightly softer, but still had the look of a barbarian. His red hair contrasted his pale, lightly freckle flecked skin in a flattering way. His armor was dented in places where the thrust of an enemy's sword had failed miserably, ending with his foe no doubt rotting in some cavern below the hardened, frozen earth. He regarded Marcurio with a slightly suspicious gaze, his dark green eyes keeping trained on Marcurio's movements. This amused Marcurio to no end. Nords were naturally suspicious of magick, yet weren't above using a simple fire spell to light a fire when the chill was too much for even them. The man's muscled arms crossed and uncrossed as he regarded Marcurio with his piercing eyes.

Marcurio gave them a sly smile and raised his dark brows.

"Let's go over it again, shall we?" He held up a ringed finger. "I charge five-hundred septims, no ifs, ands, or buts." He held up a second finger to bring about his second point.

"Two, you two will be sharing your stash of curing potions with me. You will shell them out when I ask, and never withold them."

"Now wait a minute," Erik began. "We agreed that you'd bring your own potions. Why are you changing the deal all of a sudden?"

"It occurs to me that between the two of you, you might have more potions stocked up than I do. Now, you might not know this, but vampirism is contracted in several ways. By bite, weapon, magick, or sexually. Now, since I'm very sure you two aren't copulating-" He chuckled slightly at their confused looks on the new word. "-with said monstrosities, I'd like to point out that as a wizard, I WILL be at the magickal forefront of all battles I participate in. Meaning," He shifted in his seat and leaned forward, putting his palms flat on the table. "Even though I'll be dusting them left and right, enough to where the two of you will most likely hardly lift a finger, I will be getting zapped, drained, gnawed on, and stabbed. Now," He leaned back again, interlocking his fingers once more.

"I will explain the reason for the high fee. The fee covers new scrolls, potions, enchantments, and of course, food. Before each new 'adventure,'" He made air quotes around the word. "There are things I like to make very, very clear on what is to be expected from myself, and from my partners. I need to know what your capabilities as warriors are, so I can know what to expect. If you two lack in the healing area, I can fix that by healing. If you two lack skill in speed, well, there's a spell for that. If you two need to sneak away for some fun time alone-"

"Compopulating?" Mjoll offered.

"Yes, for... compopulating... then let me know and I can muffle any lewd sounds that might leak through those warrior lips of yours."

Erik crossed his muscular arms. "You're very thorough."

"I must be, Sir Slayer. I haven't survived in the harsh lands of Skyrim by being brash and careless."

Erik pursed his lips, his arms still crossed. "What kind of fighter are you?"

"Pardon?"

"Can you use any weapons at all?"

Marcurio's brows knitted together. What type of question was that? He inwardly scoffed as he realized that Nords had no appreciation for the arcane. The woman seemed ready to hire him, but the man was holding back for some reason. Suspicions about magick? Most likely. Surely it wasn't Marcurio's character, flawless as it was. He presented himself as knowledgeable and shrewd as best as he could. He had no doubt these two were fantastic fighters, their bodies in peak physical condition whereas his was still malleable and soft. Only in comparison to theirs, though. He had ways for alleviating the pressures of being in great physical condition.

By magick, of course. Each jeweled ring he wore(Four in all, on every other finger starting at his right ring finger) had an enchantment that boosted his already natural talents. The silver sapphire ring on his right ring finger bolstered his already superior skill in Destruction magicks. The ruby one, engraved with daedric symbols(meaning nothing, of course, but what buffoon would know that?) gave him an extra boost of magick, something that came in handy when his own natural reserves were running dry. The golden one with the golden and brown stone, called Tiger Eye, boosted his confidence and awareness and willpower. The silver one on his left first finger made his flesh a little more resistant to non-magick weapons.

The ring on his left ring finger was his favorite one. It boosted his Restoration skill. Restoration was a highly undermined school in Skyrim, the barbarians and wizards alike in this frozen, ungrateful wasteland deeming it the "weakest" school.

To Marcurio, it was quite the contrary. with enough skill, one could cure a disease or, on the more malevolent side of Restoration, cause disease. There were several times where he'd brought a small plague of festering sores upon his enemies.

He needed to know every aspect of their combative nature, though. Not only to ensure their safety, but to ensure his own. He needed to know where their skills lacked so he could compensate their failings with his own strengths.

Yet the red haired Nord was busy thinking of Marcurio's own failings instead of his own. He understood. He did. It wasn't lost on Marcurio that the Nord was only doing what he was doing, just not worded as eloquently.

"I am minorly skilled in any bladed weapon you give me," Marcurio said smoothly. "Of course, I have spells to rectify any failings I may have in any area of melee combat."

Erik sighed audibly. "What does that mean?"

"It means, I can handle it."

"With magick?"

"Yes, with magick."

Marcurio saw Erik bite the upper part of his lip before speaking. "I want to go over our strengths and weaknesses BEFORE the pay."

"Understandable. Shall we begin?"

[King Of Beasts]

Marcurio is a egotistical bastard, isn't he? Lol.

He better better be worth the pay

[Colonel Mustard]

Marcurio in that chapter was absoutely awesome. I loved him so very, very much indeed, and having him as the third member of the trio looks like it's going to be a blast. Excellent stuff.

[mALX]

GAAAAH! I love Marcurio in game, you have really rounded him out here! Mjoll and Marcurio together, imagine the dialogue that would create!! Lol. Awesome Write !!!!





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 15 2013, 06:36 AM

[Acadian]

Compopulating! When you think about it, the word makes perfect sense. . . .

Cause disease as a spell! How cruelly cool!

This was a fun episode as the pair hire an uppity mage.

[Captain Hammer]

Ah, glad to get caught up again.

It's nice to see a trained and powerful Wizard act like a trained and powerful Wizard. Marcurio clearly knows a lot, including his limits and resources.

"It means, I can handle it."

"With magick?"

"Yes, with magick."

See, that right there. I half-expected something along the lines of "No, it will be with my expanding trousers-quarterstaff." But Marcurio remains resolute and professional, like a boss.

[Elisabeth Hollow]

That's exactly how I was trying to portray him. He was a lot of fun to write, especially with how little magick my characters usually use. He knows where he lacks and seeks to better himself in those departments. He'll lose his cool at some point, sure, but all in all, he's a businessman. Even though Erik was grating his nerves, he remained professional.

He actually reminds me of a guy I work with. I've been hanging around him a lot(much to his surprise XD) and watching him, listening to him, and mentally writing down anything funny or off-hand he says.

[King Coin]

Ahh what a wonderful bastard this guy is going to be.

[Grits]

Another thumbs up for your treatment of Marcurio. I just love that guy in the game. His snarky confidence tends to annoy my characters only until he first saves their butts in his usual spectacular way. (Often right outside the gates of Riften, lol.)

[McBadgere]

The overall impression I got from Marcurio was that he's not above looking both ways... ...

Not a judgement people!! Just an observation... ...

Definitely loved this chapter...Brilliantly done, and Marcurio's obvious skill and power came across brilliantly, and all he did was sit at the table... ...

Loved the thing with all the rings too...That gets on my nerves in Skyrim...You've got four fingers on each hand dammitt!!... ...

Brilliantly done...

Love it!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Tanks for your patience, everyone. These past few weeks have been particularly difficult for me, and I'm very lucky to have peers like y'all.

Anyways!

Where we left Kayla and Emelia: Both vamps headed to Riften, where several familiar scenes are playing out.



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



Night in Riften was deceptively beautiful. The moons reflected serenely off the canals as the torchbugs flitted to and fro in an erratic dance with the lunar moths, their white wings reflecting with the moons and the glow of their partners' bodies. On the top level, the merchants who peddled their wares above the waters of the Rift packed up their belongings and stored their wares beneath their stalls, pocketing their keys and their septims they earned that day.

They milled about for a few moments, shooting scathing comments about the pickpockets they'd encountered earlier in the day and problem customers before finishing up and heading to their homes for a night of quiet, rest, and hopefully, peace from the low-lifes that infested the nightly streets of Riften.

Emelia and I scanned the emptying streets with hungry, watchful eyes, the dryness in our throat growing as the scent of blood filled our noses. I swallowed, the sticky, dry feeling coupled with a sense of desperation making my mouth water. Emelia put a reassuring hand on my arm and gently squeezed, her cold little hand doing nothing to warm my own icy skin.

"Steady," she said. "Look for anyone who's not doing what they're supposed to be doing."

In other words, I thought, Thieves, murderers, and rapists. I nodded and scanned the crowd once again. A flicker of movement caught my eye to my right, and I saw the slight figure of a thief crouching behind one of the market vendors. I tapped Emelia on the shoulder and she looked, then nodded. She slunk away, her movements too fast for human eyes to discern, but fine for me. She positioned herself between the stall vendor and the thief, hiding behind a crate.

I motioned the men behind us to stay still as I slid closer, sticking to the shadows. My garments scraped against the wall, not loudly, but loud for my vampiric ears. I watched intently, the voices growing louder.

Emelia stepped in front of the thief as he neared her, a wide smile on her pale face. The market vendor kept walking and turned a corner, completely unaware. The thief cursed, standing up.

"Get away from me, you stupid kid! You're letting her get away!"

"Who, mister?" Emelia asked, innocence shining in her eyes. A pang of guilt sprang into my gut as she toyed with her prey. Why not kill him and get it over with?

The thief visibly fumed, but didn't want to cause a scene. "No one. Just go away."

She stepped in front of him when he tried to step around her. "I'm hungry." She said in a pitiful voice. "Will you feed me?" She blinked and held her stomach.

My chest contracted as a memory flew into my vision, making me gasp.

"Will you feed me?" The dirtied, raven-haired girl asked Onmund. "I'm hungry."

"No!" I said in a strangled whisper. I felt a hand on my arm and whirled to see two ivory fangs gleaming in the moonlight. The were attached to thin, grinning lips and a handsome Bosmer face.

Niruin.

"I see you've finally seen a glimpse of Emelia's true colors." Niruin said. I pulled my arm away and opened my mouth to snarl, but cool fingers pressed themselves against my lips and he looked into my eyes.

"Shhh." His eyes glowed an odd amber color, and I blinked, closing my mouth. His cold hands turned warm as their palms glowed slightly, and I relaxed.

"See? No need to overreact." He murmured, tracing my lips with his once again cold fingers. "My, you make a lovely child of the night. I bet you have a lovely set of fangs." He grinned, the expression not quite reaching his eyes. His own fangs glinted in the moonlight, and in the distance, an ominous howl sounded. Had Niruin been a Khajiit, his ears would have flattened at the sound. Instead, his eyes narrowed.

"Looks like we're not the only monsters about." He spat, his teeth still gleaming. His charm was wearing off, and I pushed him away with a small amount of effort. He stepped away without protest.

"Get away. You betrayed me. Why should I listen to you? Why should I listen to anything you say?"

"You shouldn't. I'm a lying thief who betrayed you for a sack of gold. A rather small sack, looking back on it. Your sister has acquired a sizable amount of gold, robbing the dead of their children and monetary posessions." he chuckled.

"You make me sick."

"That may be true, but I know what makes you even more nauseated. The thought of a child army, undisciplined, hungry, wreaking havoc across Nirn with no goals, no ambitions, and no thoughts given to whom they eat. Trained by a killer to be killers. Look at young Emelia. Toying with her food like she was a cat. Torturing it until it begged for mercy."

I turned my thoughts inward for a moment. The two warring natures within me constantly battled. The disgust of the hunter, and the voracious appetite of the hunter's prey. My vampire slaying self tried to kill and choke the vampire nature within me, but it didn't always win. When the thirst became too great, I did things I wasn't proud of. I had come to believe that Emelia was the same way.

I saw the dangers. It wasn't above my head that maybe Emelia didn't know better, sometimes. She was a smart little girl, reborn in a dark, shadowy world where blood and power ruled,and sometimes the rules of mortals were bent to give us blood-drinkers an edge. I knew that, out of fear, we were hunted. A fear that was well-placed. I looked at Emelia, still recovering from her large meal. She sat on the ground, licking blood from her fingers, her skin not quite as pale as it had been.

I looked back at Niruin, who continued at this cue. "I don't have to tell you the horrible implications this would have on mortal society." he said.

I shook my head. "No, you don't."

"Then you'll heed my warnings? Do not stay in Riften long."

"I came to find you."

"Revenge?"

"Yes." I lit fire in my hands. His hands grasped my wrists, putting the fire out.

"Stop," he commanded. "Come with me. I will explain to you everything that has happened while you were away."

I looked back at Emelia, who was rifling through the pockets of the thief. I motioned the men over, and the silently sauntered over.

"Tell her...I found some prey I wanted to chase." I said. They nodded and turned while I followed Niruin.

[King Of Beasts]

No! Don't go with that traitorous bastard! Kill him! He's gonna betray you again!

[mALX]

How beautiful you made Riften sound in this beginning! Nice! Ooh, you were at your best in this chapter, some amazing reflections by Kayla in this!

I am guessing Niruin can’t do much more to her now that she is a vampire already, or she wouldn’t trust him again; but it still feels like a cliffhanger as it ends with her putting herself into his care once again - and we all know how that worked last time! GAAAAAH!

AWESOME Write !!!!!!

[Grits]

A nice, evocative description of Riften after dark. I loved the part about the torchbugs and luna moths.

I finally realized that Niruin is in the game, right? Thieves Guild archer? Took me long enough. Hmm, let’s see what he has to say.

[McBadgere]

Fair dues...Amazing picture of Riften in the early evening... ...

Love the fact that even after all this time as a vamp, she's still getting the flashes of pain about Onmund, shows that she still has a soul somewhere in there... ...

Oooh...That Niruin's a bit of a darkly powerful one if you ask me...I really like him...He's epic!...

Looking forward to seeing what comes next...

Brilliant stuff!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[Acadian]

The girls drop in to the Riften diner for an evening snack and run into Niruin! We know he cannot be trusted. . . can Kayla just eat him?