The Diary of Sir Lucian Montrose
~ an account of his actions and the events that befell him following his arrival in the
Written by Sir Lucian Montrose
Day 1
I arrived early this morning into the
On the subject of my Treatment � I am most impressed! I do not begrudge the surgeon of a single drake. My (rather smelly) fellow traveller was chatting to me for most of the journey as if I were like him � a young adventurer about to try to make my way in a new land. I wish that I could feel like a young adventurer! Another thing I have noticed is that I am receiving rather more (needless to say, unwanted) attention from young females. Such is the price of beauty!
Anyway, upon leaving the ship I talked to the Customs officer to get my papers sorted. I received rather less respect from him than I would have liked, and I even detected a hint of scorn in his voice when I gave my class as �Aristocracy�. Oh, if only he had seen me two weeks ago, then he would have shown respect! I am by far his elder and superior!
Much to my shame, I have to admit that I nearly gave in to the pressures of my poverty on my way out of the office. I felt sorely tempted by the silverware and food on the table, but I am not a thief and I refuse to let my current situation change that. I did, however, find a ring outside in a barrel. I did not count taking this as thievery � there was no-one around, and who in their right mind would leave a fine ring such as this in a water-barrel? It appears to be enchanted, and after giving it a slight probe with my mind I have determined that it has healing abilities. This may come in useful here � I hear that this country is full of disease-ridden wild creatures.
I finally left Customs with instructions to go to visit a man in Balmora. This I decided not to do; I never would take orders from a mere captain when I was at home and I certainly don�t intend to start now. Besides, I have a bad feeling about it.
My original intentions � to stay a while in this town and find some food, lodgings and new clothes � were swept aside when I beheld Seyda Neen in its full glory. Never have I seen such a place! There are no roads, only worn-out dirt tracks; and no proper houses, just primitive wooden constructs, a few of which were even on stilts. This led me to question the thoughts of the town planner who built this rotten place so close to the damn water � perhaps, I thought, he had hoped that a regular flooding would help to wash the place clean� Or better yet, wash it away.
To add to the general annoyance that I was feeling at this point, I was then accosted by a scruffy little runt of a man who proceeded to whine about a lost ring. If it sounded at all similar to the ring I had found earlier, I did not care. Such a treasure belongs in the hands (or on the hand, in this case) of a member of the upper class, not in the grubby paws of one who had probably stolen it to begin with.
I left the town as soon as possible � boarding the Silt Strider to get away. The last letter I had received from Daryn suggested that I go first to Balmora and spend a night or two there, perhaps getting acquainted with a few friends of his in the Mages� Guild, then on to the Guild in Ald�Ruhn. From Ald�Ruhn there apparently is another Silt Strider port to a north-western town called Gnisis, which is where Daryn�s manor is, and where I am to meet him. The mages in Balmora and Ald�Ruhn would be happy to provide transport, he assured me, and they would gladly put me up for the night and give me food and refreshments � this is only what I would expect, of course; Cousin Daryn was once the Arch Mage of this country before stepping down to continue his studies in the private of his own mansion, and I was no mere low-ranking wizard at home.
I decided to play the tourist and follow Daryn�s instructions, and asked the caravanner to take me to Balmora. On reaching Balmora, however, I quickly changed my mind. As we approached the seemingly fair city I felt a growing dread in the pit of my stomach. It stemmed mostly from the orders I had been given on arrival in Seyda Neen, and I had an unwavering feeling that I would lose control over my destiny if I were to stop there even one night. I discovered that the �Strider continued on to Ald�Ruhn, so I immediately re-embarked and set off. It was late afternoon by this time and my old muscles were aching terribly.
Arriving in Ald�Ruhn at close to
So here, in a comfortable bed in the Mages� Guild of Ald�Ruhn, I conclude my first day in Vvardenfell. Tomorrow I shall carry on to Gnisis, there to meet dear cousin Daryn � he will show me to his house and, hopefully, his research. I wonder what he will think of me, his elder cousin, now that I seem to be half his age! I am fearful though, that I will not enjoy this youthful appearance for much longer � I need to act quickly and can only hope that his research is complete. I feel weaker and slower every day� my time is running out.
Day 2
As I write this I am sitting at my desk in the master bedroom of the Manor � my manor. It has been an eventful but rather sad day� but I shall start from the beginning.
This morning I awoke at dawn, had a quick breakfast in the Guild, and set off. It is not my usual habit to rise so early, but something barely conscious within me seems to need to spend these final few days out in the sun for as long as possible.
The Silt Strider journey to Gnisis was swift and refreshing in the cool morning air, and I arrived at my destination shortly before lunchtime. The town is a rather odd mixture of buildings � most are of the strange shell-like material I first encountered in Ald�Ruhn, and some, it would appear, are no more than cave dwellings in the rock face. Despite its simplicity, I can understand why Daryn chose this place to retire to. It is small, quiet and uncomplicated, and what I have seen of the surrounding countryside seems beautiful and unspoilt.
I consulted the crude map Daryn had drawn in his letter, and arrived at the Manor not ten minutes after leaving the port. It is an impressive place, boasting a full complement of guards, servants and tame wolves inside. My knock on the door summoned a butler � a smartly dressed old fellow � who welcomed me and ushered me through the main hall. We passed through an impressive armoury and into a large dining room, which was heated by a large log fire. The table was spread with sumptuous delicacies, but set only for one.
It was at this point that I asked where Daryn was, and why he had not come to meet me. Then the butler told me � Daryn; the former Arch Mage, my younger cousin and my saviour-to-be; was dead. He had died a fortnight ago � peacefully and in his sleep. He had left to me everything that he owned.
I wept at this � I couldn�t help it. Daryn had been like a younger brother to me when we were both children and we had always remained close, even after he moved from the mainland to Vvardenfell. I also cried for my dreams as they broke before me, for surely now I was doomed to die just like my cousin had � peacefully, yes, but alone. Tired and old and alone. I felt older then than I have ever felt in my long years.
The butler and the kitchen staff left me to my mourning, but I soon regained my composure and called the butler back. I asked him if he knew of his master�s work, and where it might be now. He replied that every bit of my cousin�s research was filed in the Manor library � if I needed something I could probably find it there. This brightened my spirits somewhat, and as soon as I finished my lunch I asked directions to the library and began my search.
The Manor library is a huge, sprawling, intimidating room with rows upon rows of shelves of books and papers � most concerning magic, but it seemed that Daryn had also amassed a fair-sized collection of the Classics, and a token few of the religious texts. My search was actually surprisingly short. I found that two entire bookcases were labelled �Research�, then all I had to do was flick through the numerous treatises and theses that Daryn had written � from Alit Behaviour through to Zombification: How and Why � until I found what I was looking for.
To be honest, I haven�t read it yet. I am too much of a coward. When I picked up the single scroll under �V� my hands were shaking so much that I almost dropped it, and I realised that I was scared. Scared of what would happen to me if this scroll told me nothing more than that Daryn had failed in his research, and absolutely terrified of what would happen if he had found something of use. After much consideration and pacing I decided to wait until tomorrow morning, and to spend some time now exploring my new home.
My first port of call was the master bedroom; a grand, yet tastefully decorated affair, with several wardrobes. I chose some of Daryn�s clothes for myself � fine suits of silk and flowing robes � I knew he would not begrudge me them, just as he wouldn�t mind me living in his room. I disposed of my own clothes as they were ruined, and I noticed at this point that I didn�t smell too fragrant myself. A framed plan of the Manor hanging above the desk told me that there was a swimming pool beneath the house, underground. I found a couple of large towels and headed down for a swim.
The pool, like most of this house, is beautiful � lit from within with lovely blue lights and home to a number of colourful and friendly fish. I bathed for a long while, and it was dinner time when I finally emerged, fresh and clean and clad in the sort of clothing to which I am accustomed.
After my meal I sat for a while with the butler, and we drank and talked of Daryn. It felt good to remember him in this way with someone who obviously knew him well, but I soon succumbed to my usual weariness and I had to make my excuses and go to my bed. The butler, though to polite to say anything, seemed mildly puzzled by my behaviour. No doubt Daryn had told him of my condition and what to expect, but perhaps when he faced me � looking as I do now, like a healthy young man � he doubted my cousin�s words.
Oh yes, the surgeon worked miracles with my aged skin, stretching it and reshaping it so that it is now like it was over fifty years ago, youthful and handsome. I paid with almost all of my considerable fortune for this Treatment, but I do not regret it at all. Unfortunately this wonder surgery could do nothing for my dying heart and my tired soul � they still fade away as you would expect in a man of over seventy years. All I have left to do now is hope that my cousin completed his research and found what we both wanted to find. If he did, then my heart and especially my soul will not be of any concern to me any more.
Day 3
Today I awoke early again � partially due to my overwhelming desire to see the sun, but mostly because my curiosity as to what the scroll contains had over-ridden my fear of the contents, and would not let me rest. I took the scroll from my desk and left the house without thought of breakfast. I walked a little way from the Manor to a hill where I could watch the town from afar and bask in the sun�s warmth. I gazed at the furled scroll for a number of minutes before I gained the courage to open and read it.
The scroll read as does most of my cousin�s research work � I had to wade through scientific and thaumaturgical terms to gain the gist of what he had discovered. Put plainly, Daryn had discovered and proved the existence of vampires in Vvardenfell. It appears that they cluster in groups or clans, and each clan�s blood makes for a slightly different vampire. He had found the headquarters of each of the clans, and had also catalogued rumoured hideouts in addition to this. As a personal side note to me he had added that to visit the headquarters for a mortal would be nothing short of suicide, and had helpfully given me the most likely location of some weaker vampires of the clan he had considered to be of the most interest to the both of us. It is called the clan Aundae.
The Aundae clan, he wrote, are the most effective spellcasters. Their leader is called Dhaunayne Aundae � a reputedly beautiful and deadly ancient vampire, whose blood flows in the veins of all of her clan. She was once a great sorceress and has now passed on her innate magical ability to all of her progeny, through her blood. Daryn hinted that the blood powers that one already skilled in the magic arts would gain by becoming a vampire of clan Aundae would allow them to become one of the most powerful mages to walk the land.
Daryn had gathered many rumours and sorted fact from fiction, which resulted in a rather detailed list of the skills that any vampire would gain over a mortal, and also the weaknesses he would succumb to. Most of these just confirmed what I had heard myself, and reading them here in Daryn�s own neat script seemed to calm me. I had committed myself to this path by leaving my home and coming here, and in reading this I felt the fear leave me to be replaced by hope, excitement, and impatience to be getting on.
The last paragraph, however, made me pause for a moment. Written in a more hasty hand - almost like it was an afterthought or a recently-discovered titbit � the last paragraph documented the rumoured presence of a secretive faction who call themselves simply �The Hunters�. Apparently Daryn was unable to verify this rumour, but the information he had gleaned would be enough to strike fear into the dead heart of any vampire. He wrote of a group of fanatical assassins; their cause dedicated to the gods and their armour and weapons blessed by them, their sole purpose to eradicate vampires from the land. They apparently had more detailed information on the whereabouts of these creatures than most of the creatures had themselves. They had done what few mortals have ever done � faced a vampire and survived, indeed it seemed from the rumours that they had faced many more than one. Everyone seemed to think of these Hunters as great saviours, but simultaneously everyone feared them and spoke of them in hushed whispers, and the Hunters themselves did nothing to soothe these fears � maintaining minimal contact with any from outside their order and moving mostly in darkness, they seemed to have taken on the characteristics of the ones they so abhorred. My cousin expressed in this chilling epilogue his fear that the fascinating vampire race, of which he had so much more to learn, would be soon wiped out by these deadly Hunters.
I returned to the Manor around
Daryn�s notes had implied that to become a vampire one must catch vampirism from another vampire. The most commonly accepted way of doing this is to come into contact with a vampire. Unfortunately, wild vampires not being the friendliest of creatures, this usually involves getting attacked by one and simply surviving the attack until the disease is contracted. I have great faith in my own healing and general survival abilities (after all, I was trained as a wizard, as is customary for the aristocracy), but I have no experience of killing or fighting of any sort other than the most basic of weapons training and organised hunting. I�m not sure what will become of me as a vampire.
I have spent most of today in preparation and now I am now going to retire to bed early and set off at dawn tomorrow for Dagon Fel, and the tomb of the Aundae vampires.
DIARY
I left home nearly seven days ago now. First day I went straight to Pelegiad �cause I heard rumours that they stay there when they�re not on duty or whatever. Didn�t see them though. Nobody likes talking about them much but I heard enough. I knew they�d come back soon and I was right. On the third day a woman came into the pub. Real pretty she was, but it was weird that she didn�t get no attention, like everyone pretended she wasn�t there or something. Even them at the bar who never stop talking didn�t want to talk to her. When she�d sat down I went over and said hello and stuff, and she was surprised that I wanted to talk, but she didn�t say nothing much to me. So I told her why I was here and what I wanted to do, about mother and father and how they died, and she just looked at me and said to be ready at first light next day �cause we�d be leaving.
So next day, four days since I got here, we left the pub really early. It wasn�t even properly light yet, but she made us walk for miles and she didn�t say anything to me. I kept talking to her though �cause I thought she was really pretty and I always talk loads around pretty girls. Her name is Sylvie, but that�s all she said. We got to a river about
We ended up in a big cave and there were some other men there and three women. I don�t think any of them are as pretty as Sylvie but I didn�t tell them that �cause they talked to me more than she did. Beon showed me my room that I am going to share with him and another guy called Diw, and he gave me a sword and some armour to keep. The sword is shiny like silver and has writing down the blade that says �Fiat Lux�, I dunno what the first bit means but Diw said that the second bit means light, �cause we have to bring light to the dark places. The armour is shiny too and Beon says that I have to wear it when I do my devotions �cause then the gods will be pleased �cause it belongs to them.
From then until now I�ve been training with Diw, Beon, Sylvie and another woman called Alys. I think it�s really odd because everyone here is Dunmer like me, but when I said this to Beon he laughed and said that is because we are the ones who are closest to the gods and we are the righteous ones who can kill the monsters best. In training we have to do exercises so we can be fast and strong, and we have to fight each other with our swords. I�m good at this �cause I used to practise with father at home with my old sword, but I�m not as good as Sylvie. Beon told me that she�s been with them for years now and she�s one of the best hunters there is. Her family were killed by the monsters too and now most of them are afraid of her �cause she�s killed so many of them. I like Sylvie more each time I see her. She�s got big eyes and long dark hair, not like the other three who have cut it short like men. She talks to me a bit more now, which I like. Yesterday she said that I was good with a sword! Beon and Diw laughed at me �cause my face went red then.
Today I am here on my own with Alys, Diw and a big guy called Rane. The others have all gone out hunting. Alys says that they will be gone for a week or more, which is sad �cause I will miss training with Beon and Sylvie. I think Alys likes me �cause she keeps talking to me but I don�t want her to. Diw is okay but he is boring because he doesn�t talk about much and he�s really clever. I don�t really know Rane. I want the others to come back but �til then I will just keep training so I can be good enough to go with them next time.
Day 4
I am tired. This will be a fairly short entry; I want nothing more than to sleep right now. Today more than ever I am feeling the strain of what has happened recently, and my whole body cries out for rest � protesting against the early mornings, stressful days and sleepless nights. I am currently staying in an inn in the small coastal town of Dagon Fel, as it is too late to go hunting for tombs this evening � already the sun is sinking below the horizon, and it is said that worse things than vampires roam the darkness.
This morning, as planned, I rose at dawn and collected the few belongings that I would be taking on my journey. The butler surprised me by giving me a great treasure of Daryn�s � a golden goblet. He said that it was enchanted, and if I were to drink from it that no matter where I was, I would be immediately teleported back to the Manor. This artefact begs to be examined in greater detail � I have never seen anything of the like and the possibilities it creates are almost endless � but I will have to curb my curiosity for now. Combined with a mark and a recall spell, this will allow me to travel anywhere and always be in reach of the Manor. I sense that this goblet will be of immensurable value to me in the days and weeks to come � I praise my cousin for his ingenuity, for surely it was he who invented this wondrous device.
I took a map-scroll showing the northern part of the country from the library and walked into town to board the Silt Strider. The �Strider took me a short distance north, up the coast to a fishing port called Khuul. There I chartered a small boat to take me to Dagon Fel. This journey lasted for most of the day � luckily the weather was in our favour and we had good winds and a cloudless sky for most of the time. Nevertheless the journey was tiring and I was glad to be off the boat in the end � the tossing and rolling of the skiff�s small deck was making me feel quite nauseous by mid afternoon, and I gave most of my bread and meat to the captain, who seemed entirely unaffected by the motion of the boat.
We docked in Dagon Fel late in the evening, and the captain of the boat directed me to the town�s tavern � aptly named the End of the World - while he disappeared off to see some sweetheart of his. I talked to the barman about some local rumours, and they seem to back up my cousin�s research. The publican told me of night stalkers and dark tombs, of adventurers who would go missing, and of bodies found drained of blood. I made up some story about being a researcher for the Mages� Guild, and showed him my map of the area and the tomb I planned to visit. He confirmed that many rumours centred on that place, but said very little else. Indeed, I spoke to him very little at all after this point, as he always seemed to make himself busy at the other end of the bar.
So here I am now � relaxing in my room in the inn. Tomorrow it comes down to a very real case of �do or die� � I will die if I don�t succeed. But perhaps I am damned if I do. I have set my course now and must see it through until the end � whatever end that may be. This will be my last journal entry for a few days, possibly forever. If this does become the last ever entry here, I hope that whoever reads this will know and understand what I do � I do it of my own free will and I do not do it as a suicide attempt; rather, I do this for my love of life and a wish to remain in it more than of a desire to leave it. Perhaps when you have seen as much of the world and of life as I have, and experienced it � then felt the experience and life ebb away as you fall victim to inexorable time; perhaps then you will understand why I do this.
I�ve been here in this cave for five days now. It�s not so bad, but I wish I could�ve gone with the others. They�ve been away for three days and I�m bored. Diw said he�s happy with how I�m fighting now and that I�m probably as good as Beon and him. I asked if that meant I could go on the next hunt but he wasn�t sure. He said I didn�t know what we were facing and that I�d have to learn that before I could go. I was so bored that I asked him to teach me, even though I never usually like lessons. These lessons weren�t too bad, I didn�t have to do any reading or anything. Diw read me some stories out of some old books. The books looked really boring and dusty but the stories were good, they were all about the evil monster called the vampire that the gods made as a punishment. But the evil vampire went and made more of his kind and they spread like a nasty disease, and the gods sent people to kill them. The books had loads of battle scenes and gory fights in, like the books mother never used to let me read at home.
After two evenings of reading these stories to me Diw said I�d finished my lessons. I said that they weren�t like normal lessons and I didn�t think I�d learned much from them but Diw asked me some questions about the stories and I could answer them all and he said that had learned a lot. The questions he asked were all about how the vampires in the stories had been found and killed and how the heroes had sometimes been killed by the vampires. I remembered it all from the fights in the books �cause they were really good. The heroes always found the vampires by going to a town where people were dying or staying in more and feeling tired. This is �cause of the vampires hunger, they have to drink the blood of innocent people like women and children and the people they attack either die or if the vampire likes them they leave them alive and come back to use them again later. This makes the people tired and ill �cause they�re losing their life-blood. When the heroes talked to these people they never told about the vampire coming to drink their blood because the vampire put a spell on them. The heroes watched the people�s houses at night until the vampire came back then the followed it to it�s den and killed it. They always killed the person too because they were tainted. I thought this sounded wrong but it said it in the book and the gods told people to write the book, so it must be what the gods want. I suppose they can�t have people walking round with a vampire�s spell on them and missing half of their blood.
The vampires in the stories died by the heroes stabbing them with silver swords, then hammering the body into the floor with a wooden spike. Some of the stories didn�t have happy endings and the heroes died because they didn�t kill the monster properly and it came back to life. It was really obvious in the books when this was going to happen �cause the hunter was in a hurry or something and forgot to hammer the spike through them. Also in the books the vampires could heal themselves really quick if the heroes cut them with normal swords, they had to be shiny silver ones blessed by the gods to hurt them properly. Sometimes in the stories (these were my favourite bits) the heroes would torture the vampires to get information. They tied them down outside and left them �til the sun came up, and the vampires burned like they were on fire until the heroes took them inside. Sometimes the heroes set fire to the bodies of the dead ones to make sure they didn�t come back.
The vampires in the stories were always really fast and they could move really quietly and change shape like into bats and wolves. Diw said that a hunter always had to be careful because the animals were just as dangerous. He said you can always tell a vampire by its glowy eyes and you can tell the vampire animal because it will have the same eyes. Then he showed me some pictures in the books of vampires so I could see what they looked like. Most of them look like normal guys and the ones that look like women are quite pretty and make me think things that make me hot and embarrassed. They all have big teeth at the sides though, like dogs, and they have pale skin �cause they don�t go out �cept at night. The pictures of them fighting the heroes looked just like I imagined from the stories and Diw was pleased when I could tell him what was wrong with one of the pictures. There was a dead vampire and the hero was hammering a wooden spike into it but he was going to die because he hadn�t looked around and there was another vampire in the form of a bat near the tree. Diw said that this drawing was a lesson to keep looking behind you �cause the vampires were clever and there might be more than one.
Diw told me tonight where the others had gone. There�s been a load of rumours in the north of people asking a lot of questions about vampires. The hunters think there are a couple of vampire dens up there but they don�t know where exactly, so they�re going to go see if they can find out anything and kill any vampires they find. If there�s someone else looking for the vampires Diw says it�s probably an adventurer wanting to get famous or get revenge or something. He said they might have to kill that guy too if he got too close to the vampires and got infected by them.
If I keep practising with my sword like I have been and show Diw whenever he asks me that I remember the stories, he says I can go out hunting with him as soon as the first of the others get back. He says there always have to be some people here to look after the place but it�s his turn to go out next and I can go with him. I�m really excited and I can�t wait for the others to come back even more now. I�ll be able to show Sylvie how good I am and she�ll be really impressed and talk to me or maybe come with us hunting. Or maybe we�ll meet her out there and I�ll be able to save her from a vampire or something, but I don�t think this will happen �cause she�s too good.
Day 6
It is done. I am now safely back in my bedroom in the Manor, and I am feeling close to breaking � I must set all of this down on paper or I fear that I will go insane. This entry will be a long one, but I know that I will not rest again until my mind is clearer.
Yesterday morning I set off from the inn in Dagon Fel after a meagre breakfast of bread and water. The innkeeper expressed his concern for me and pressed me to eat more � he had a large selection of the finest foods for his �valued customers� he said, though this led me to think that perhaps he meant �customers of value�. Either way, the simple food alone was nearly too much for my stomach that morning; I felt quite ill with the thought of what I was going to do. There was a path leading westwards from the town, and according to my map this would curve northwards around a thin sea inlet. The tomb is close to the coast on the northern edge of the peninsula � directly north-west from Dagon Fel.
I cast a very simple chameleon spell on myself for the journey, as I did not want to be attacked by any of the wild creatures of these parts and waste energy or risk my life. The spell is an easy one � taught to most young mages in their early lessons � but is effective. I passed a number of creatures while walking, mostly large rats and a number of beetle-like creatures, but none of them displayed any aggressive behaviour towards me or even acknowledged me. I am not sure whether this was due to the concealing spell or if it was just my good fortune to meet some of the few benevolent creatures of this land; I suspect it was the former.
I found the tomb with very little difficulty � it was marked by a small wooden door set into a stone archway in the hillside, and carved into the arch was the word �Sarethi�. Although the sun was at its height and I knew that it was close to
Daryn had written in his notes that in more recent tombs, or tombs of families with living descendents, the torches were kept alight by relatives of the deceased who would come to look after the burial place of their ancestors in the hopes that they would receive protection or blessings from the ancestral spirits. According to the notes though, even in the ancient tombs of long-dead families the torches still burned day and night. The reasons for this ranged from the illegal (thieves and smugglers often used these tombs for storage) to the magical (a powerful wizard could enchant his own torches to glow long after his death) to those which were both illegal and magical (apparently necromancy is becoming more common here). I guessed that in this particular tomb the torches glowed because they were kept alight by the inhabitants, which did nothing to calm my ragged nerves.
The door at the bottom of the stairs would be locked, Daryn had said, to deter would-be adventurers or looters. I had come prepared for this � one of the items I had taken from the Manor was a magical scroll containing a powerful spell of unlocking. Spells to open locks are not difficult, but I did not want to waste precious magicka on such a spell when a scroll could do it for me. I had no such scrolls for anything else, though � I did not expect to have time to read from a roll of paper while under attack from vampires. I crept down to the door and pressed my ear to it. I could hear shuffling noises from the other side � someone was definitely in the room beyond. I silently fished the scroll from my pack and unfurled it. The words on it were few but powerful, and I knew I would not have to speak them loudly for the magic to work. Indeed, as I barely mouthed the words, I heard a faint click from the door as the lock slid back. The creature beyond the door immediately stopped its shuffling and I had a sudden eerie image of us both standing � one on either side of this thin barrier of wood � listening intently for any sounds which would give away the intentions of the enemy.
Knowing that the longer I stood there, the harder it would be to advance; I reached out and grasped the doorknob. I shut my eyes as I turned it. Halfway through the turn a flicker of magicka warned me in my mind, but it was too late � a bolt of lightning shot up my arm and I leapt back from the door, which swung slowly open. The knob had been spell-trapped, and I could feel my hand burning. I looked down to see the flesh of my hand and lower arm blackened and smoking, but I did not have time to worry about that now. Amazingly I felt very little pain and if anything my mind was more focussed than before � I remember thinking that it was lucky, as my casting would not be affected. All this took less than a second; the door was still swinging slowly open, its movement silent and steady. I took advantage of that small amount of time and readied a healing spell in my mind. It was the simplest spell I knew �the very first to be taught to young mages � but I thought this would be safer to ensure that even in a moment of pure panic I would be able to call it forth. Then I waited there on the steps, hands glowing slightly blue-white with the readied spell, as the door completed its swing and banged lightly against the wall.
I could see the room beyond, bathed in the light of several torches, and in it a single figure. The figure was human in shape, but somehow� more� it almost glowed with innate power and it moved with a superhuman grace and speed. I felt a thrill then � even if I were to die at that moment, I would have at least witnessed one of these incredible creatures. It hesitated slightly at the door as if it wondered what I was going to do, and then the next thing I recall was it upon me � I did not even see it move; it was so fast. The creature seemed to be weaponless and struck out at me with its hands; long nails scraping deep into my skin. It punched me around the side of the head and I staggered backwards into the wall, dazed; I could feel blood running down my face. I struggled to regain focus as I knew that I needed to heal soon, but my vision was blurred and the spell would not come into being.
The vampire paused for a moment, sniffing the air. This gave me a vital second to regain my concentration, and I had the spell readied again. I cast it on myself and felt its warmth spread through my body. The creature in front of me leapt then, its canine teeth elongated and bared in a snarl. In one hand it grabbed my hair and yanked my head to the side, the other hand ripped my shirt collar away, exposing my neck. The vampire sank its fangs into my neck and I felt hot blood flow freely down onto my chest. I whimpered as I heard the grotesque gulping noises coming from the creature as it devoured the thick liquid, then I must have passed out for a few seconds.
When I came round, the vampire had backed off a few paces. Blood � my blood � was smeared over its face and bare chest, and I could feel the stickiness mirrored on my own skin. I felt unusually weak and tired; my legs could barely support me and there was no hint of a spell in my mind. I felt utterly defeated as my legs buckled and I slid down the wall � I knew then that this was the end. I had been foolhardy to go there believing that my magic and my mind would be able to save me, and this was the price I was going to pay. I had not forgotten the goblet from the Manor; it was in my pocket where I could reach it in less than a second, but I was not going to use it. My cousin had documented that the vampirism disease was borne in the blood, and that a human tainted with the disease would be able to feel it burning in their veins. My veins felt no different and I refused to return to the Manor � I would stay in the tomb until I contracted the disease or until I died; there was nothing left in life for me.
The vampire, perhaps sated, seemed to decide then to play with me for a while. It punched and kicked me again and again and scratched me with its talon-like nails, until I didn�t know when I was conscious and when I had blacked out � both had merged into one dark red sensation of pain. I began to forget what my purpose was and I just lay on the floor, every part of me burning with agony. The pain seemed to go deeper than the bruises and cuts inflicted by the creature, right into my blood.
Abruptly my mind became clear and every nerve in my body screamed at me to drink from the goblet and return to the Manor, but I could not move my arm to reach into my pocket. I focussed all of my remaining energy into the task and managed to pull the goblet out, then I inched it slowly towards my mouth. The vampire became aware of my actions and kicked the goblet away viciously. As it spun away I saw it fill with the magical liquid, then it hit the opposite wall and showered us both with shining droplets. I think now that the liquid must just be part of the magic � meant only for me � because the vampire did not notice the sparkling rain. A single drop fell on my swollen face and trickled down towards my chin, but I reached out my tongue and stopped it. For a split second I tasted the sweet liquid, then the dark corridor faded away with a gut-wrenching sensation and everything went grey.
I awoke some time later in my bed in the Manor. One or more of the servants had evidently carried me there, and my tattered clothes had been removed and the deeper wounds cleaned. I hurt all over � stinging sensations from the many small cuts on my face and arms where I had tried to defend myself from the vampire�s sharp nails, deeper aches from my bruised sides and legs where I had been kicked and punched, and overriding all of this was the burning in my veins where my now tainted blood flowed. It soon became apparent to me, as I lay there, that the servants had not cleaned the majority of the wounds. I felt a sudden fear grip me � what if, having gone through that ordeal, I was killed in the next few days by an infection? I staggered to my feet, swaying wildly, and lurched to the bedroom door. Wrenching it open, I was greeted by two guards who had taken up post outside my room. I tried to speak but could manage nothing more than a croak � luckily my presence alone seemed to spur the guards into action, though, and one of them ran downstairs, while the other helped me back to my bed. The first guard arrived a few minutes later with one of the servants from the kitchens who immediately set about soothing me and cleaning my wounds. He gave me a flask containing a warm concoction of herbs, and as soon as I drank it I began to feel more relaxed and drowsy � I drifted off into a deep slumber where the pain couldn�t reach me.
Now it is nearly
According to Daryn�s research I have two days remaining. Although my external injuries are healing quickly, the burning in my veins seems to have increased tenfold. I fear that the healer�s offer of a cure may soon become too tempting for me to resist.
Day 8
Just a short note for records� sake. Sorry for my disjointed thoughts� I cannot think straight. My superficial wounds are healing well but my body is wracked with the burning pain of the tainted blood in my veins� so much pain. I had the servant destroy the potion that would cure me; I could not bear the knowledge that it was here. The servants have left me alone now with my ravings; I will get no more sympathy from them� indeed I do not know if they are still here at all. I anticipated these last days as joyous� savouring the last experiences of mortal life� but this pain has robbed me of my senses. I cannot sleep and food has lost its flavour. In my dreams I see the monster � yes, monster; I see now that this transformation holds no glory �coming for me again and again� beating me while I lie defenceless; no honour in its attack� I see her skin, not youthful but decaying� her movements unnatural and his charm transparent. Oh gods, what have I done?
Day 9
Today has been both the most frightening and the most wonderful day of my life to date. I hardly know where to begin! I awoke late - around
The first thing I did was blink several times; but it made no difference � the place I was in was so totally dark that I could not see my hand in front of my face. The second thing I did was gently move each part of my body in turn� something did not seem right and I couldn�t work out what it was. Had I been drugged by my captors? There certainly seemed to be an unfamiliar lightness about my limbs which could, I supposed, have been brought on by certain narcotics. It took me some time to realise what was odd, and why I recognised the oddness. I felt no pain! The dreadful burning which had crippled me for the past three days was gone completely, but that was not all. Apart from the lack of pain, my body felt different and my heart leapt when I realised why. The lightness I felt was not drug induced, it was the sensation of youth� and my mind had not recognised it at first because it has been so long since my limbs last felt like this; close to forty years ago, I should think. I ran my tongue gently around the inside of my mouth, feeling new sharp teeth in place of my old worn ones.
The next thing I noticed was that I could see my surroundings. With my mind free of my initial panic, my eyes appeared to have swiftly adjusted to the low light (which, a part of me realised, wasn�t there � the darkness was total, yet I could see quite clearly) and I saw that I was alone in a small chamber of stone, lying upon a stone table. I quickly stood up and stretched my arms and legs. It felt indescribably good to stand up straight and tall, with no aches in my back or legs and no shakiness in my hands, and as I moved towards the door � an archway in the wall across the chamber from me � and was surprised at my own speed. It literally seemed to me that I glided to the door, so light and agile were my footsteps. Through the door was a staircase leading upwards, which I leapt in one bound, and another chamber much like the last, with urns and sarcophagi adorning the niches in the walls. A rat scurried across my path and without a thought I reached down and grabbed it, snapping its neck easily with a flick of my wrist. I felt a red storm rising in my chest and in my mind, and with a snarl that I barely recognised as my own I sank my teeth into the limp body. As the thick acrid blood gushed down my throat I came to my senses and realised what I was doing. I threw the pitiful creature to the floor then sank to my knees and vomited.
A while later I wiped the blood from my face, then stood up slowly. An empty feeling in my stomach told me that I was hungry and should eat, but I knew it was not solid food that I craved and I felt repulsed by the thought of drinking the blood of vermin. I walked slowly to the door of the chamber and looked out into a long low corridor. A couple of large rats were hunched at the other end, fighting over some scrap of meat. As I approached them the red hunger started to rise again, and again I reached and grabbed with supernatural speed, killing both of the creatures instantly. This time I slowed and steeled myself before biting and I drank slowly; trying not to flinch at the bitter taste. I swallowed carefully, making sure that my stomach would accept the thick liquid, and carried on in this way until the first rat was just a dry bag of skin and bones in my hands. I waited a moment and considered the second rat. Part of me was shocked by the lack of revulsion that I now felt; I kept looking at it, making myself take in what I was about to do and almost scared by how I had accepted it so quickly. I didn�t even close my eyes as I sank my teeth into the soft body and the blood, as it flowed down my throat, tasted almost sweet.
I found my way through the dark sepulchre with ease, and moments later I stood next to the heavy studded door in a dilemma. Here was my problem � I had no idea what time it was, and all too well I recalled Daryn�s warnings of the dire consequences of exposure to sunlight. I assumed that it was still night-time, maybe around two or three of the clock, but in truth I had no idea. The last thing I had remembered in my fevered state back in the Manor was the old pendulum clock outside my room chiming nine, because I recall thinking that I had only three hours of humanity left (assuming, of course, that the transformation would take place at
As it turned out, my hunch was correct and my caution unnecessary. The night was clear and cold, with no hint of grey on either horizon. To my great surprise and joy I realised that I was still in Gnisis, a short distance from the centre of the town. As I stepped out into the night and let the door close behind me, I realised that the crypt was not particularly noticeable against the rocky hillside, and as well as that I detected the hint of a bound spell within it which hid it from prying eyes. I had no such spell on my person, however, and I noticed that my sudden appearance from a sheer cliff-face had drawn the attention of a couple of the town�s ever-vigilant Imperial Guards. As they approached me casually, torches in hand, I realised that I did not know what I looked like � would I be ashen and withered, with unnatural glowing eyes and elongated fangs, dripping blood from my chin? I raised a hand to the men in a careless wave as if I was merely out for a stroll, then I turned towards the Manor and walked nonchalantly away, into the shadows. I quick glance over my shoulder a few paces on reassured me that the guards has already lost interest and were heading back to the lights of the town to make life difficult for some unlucky thief or scoundrel.
I reached the Manor with no further incident, and only realised as I stepped over the threshold that perhaps my belief that this was a safe-house was misplaced. In truth I had no idea what kind of reaction I would get from the stern and quiet guards, or from the friendly, eager-to-please servants. As it turned out, Daryn had picked his staff well, and it seems they all knew at least as much as I of what was going on. I received a simple nod or a �Sir� from the guards, and an offer of supper (or breakfast, if I preferred) from the butler. I thanked him but declined, and went directly to my dressing room to inspect myself. I reflected later that his offer held some irony and amusement, at least for me. What did he propose to offer me? Either he knew less about my new circumstances than I had assumed, or he knew more than I had assumed, and was merely well prepared and surprisingly open-minded.
When I reached my bedroom I went straight over to the mirror near the wardrobes so that I could inspect the changes to my body. Imagine my surprise when instead of seeing my own face peering back at me I saw the opposite wall of the room! I moved this way and that in case the old mirror was playing tricks with the light, but I was not mistaken � I had no reflection! Not even this, however, could dampen my spirits at that time, and though I realised that certain things would be more difficult now, I had never been particularly vain and I really didn�t see any major problems arising from this new development. I probed my face with my fingertips, and the first thing that came to my attention was the messy stickiness of drying blood around my mouth and chin. I immediately went to the small wash-basin and cleaned myself thoroughly. I was overly dusty too, probably from the old crypt, but it was nothing that some soap and water and a change of clothes couldn�t fix. After this my fingers went back to their task of exploring my face. I discovered that with my mouth closed there was no tell-tale sign of my new fangs; only if I smiled or (and I practised this a few times � it was something I�d not tried before) snarled did they become obvious. In normal conversation I think they would probably go unnoticed unless my acquaintance was specifically looking for them.
Further probing told me that beneath my neatly trimmed beard my chin was as firm and unwavering as it had been forty years ago. Even my Treatment of a few months back had not given me the confidence to shave off the facial hair that had disguised my sagging skin, but now I realised that I had nothing to fear; I knew that my skin would be as smooth and unwrinkled as it ever was. I searched through the drawers of Daryn�s dresser for his razor blade; he had always been clean-shaven, even when the years began to take their toll on his neck. I found it in a cloth bag, along with his other shaving implements. I could see that the razor was still keen and the soap was still soft, so I went to the basin and applied the thick lather to my face. Unfortunately, save for a few trims, I have not shaved myself for a good number of years, and without the benefit of a mirror it was not long before I felt a sharp pain and saw the first few splashes of dark blood in the sink. I quickly rinsed off the soap and ran my hands over my face, trying to find the source of the bleeding. I pinpointed a small gash just under my jawline which was bleeding profusely; as such wounds are wont to do. I rummaged once more through Daryn�s cabinet, this time searching for some gauze and antiseptic. I found them in a small medical box, but when I put my hands up to my face again to dress the wound, I could not find it. I figured that it had stopped bleeding, so I carefully felt for a scab of dried blood, but I could find nothing. The cut had healed completely. This could be a useful gift indeed, but at that time I decided not to push my luck and to instead find someone else to handle my razorblade.
I ran a comb through my hair (which, I noticed, was still streaked with grey) then went out into the hall in search of the butler. I found him in the training room talking to the trainer, but they both stood to attention when I approached. When asked if he or any of the Manor staff were confident with a razor blade, he sent me in search of a servant called Saunders, who apparently has the official title of �Advisor�, and who could be found in the Drawing Room. Saunders was a cheerful middle-aged Bosmer who informed me that he�d been the best barber in Gnisis for fifteen years before taking up his position in the Manor. I took an immediate liking to the small elf, who chatted incessantly while he skilfully shaved me, and it seemed no time at all before he was patting my face with some alcohol solution and telling me how much younger I looked. I felt strangely bare, but at the same time I felt confident, and above all else, I felt like a young man again.
I headed back down to the training room to find the butler, as I wished to ask him a couple of questions. I had assumed correctly, he was still talking quietly with the trainer, and as before, they stopped the conversation as I approached. This didn�t bother me overly � it was the level of respect that I�d expect from my servants � and I launched straight into the questions that were in the forefront of my mind. Firstly I wanted to ask the butler if Daryn had possessed a pocket watch. I once owned such an item, but had sold it along with most of my other possessions when I moved from the mainland. If my cousin had a watch, it would be of great use to me now that time was such an important factor in my existence. Luck was with me, and the butler exclaimed loudly then apologised profusely, saying that he�d meant to give it to me earlier, but it had completely slipped his mind. As he talked we walked into the library, where he searched through a number of small chests before he found what we were looking for; a small gold trinket with a delicate crystal face. He looked worried for a moment and held it to his ear then shook it gently and handed it to me, smiling. I felt a sudden pang of sadness as I turned the pocket watch over in my hands; Daryn�s name was engraved into the back, along with the dates that he was Arch Mage � it seemed that this trinket had been a gift to him when he retired from his position as head of the Mages� Guild.
Slipping the watch into my inner breast pocket, I turned to the butler once more. My thoughts of Daryn had reminded me of my second question. I had wondered if there was a Cold Room somewhere in the house. A Cold Room is sealed to prevent the leakage of magicka � these rooms are common in colleges of magic where the students can not always be trusted to control their spells, and some of the more reclusive independent mages have recently taken to building them secretly onto their houses. A Cold Room enhances the concentration and allows a mage to practice magic in safety and without interruption, and also ensures that the more� interesting� spells are not detected by the outside world. With all of the experimental work that he was doing, and considering how paranoid Daryn was prone to being, I had little doubt that my cousin had such a room somewhere in the house. The butler hesitated for barely a moment before taking my arm and leading me into a quiet corner of the library, away from the librarian and the guards. He told me that none of the staff knew about it except him, and that it should remain that way. There is a Cold Room; the hidden entrance to it is behind one of the waterfalls in the swimming pool, and I will need to levitate to get there.
After telling me this, the butler yawned suddenly and apologised, saying that he was not used to keeping such hours. A glance at my watch told me that it was past eight in the morning; the poor man would probably have started work the previous morning at dawn! I bade him go to bed, and as he went I thought about myself. Was I tired? I didn�t feel particularly tired, but I suppose that sooner or later I will have to adapt to this whole nocturnal malarkey, and get used to sleeping through the days. My journal entry has taken me a good few hours to write; it is now mid morning and about time to go to bed, I think.
Day 10?
I�m not sure if this is the tenth day I�ve been here� I�ve lost track of time somewhat. It is mid afternoon now (yes, of the same day as my last entry) and I am finding that sleep eludes me. The house is silent now despite the hour; I dismissed the servants to their beds before retiring myself, and I am not so cruel as to call them back just because I am suffering from insomnia. I am not sure if my inability to sleep is due to excitement or disrupted body-clock, or whether this is another side-effect of my new condition. I have checked Daryn�s notes but can find nothing on the subject. I do not feel tired so I am happy, for now, to ignore this minor issue.
I have decided to explore the Cold Room while the house is relatively empty. I simply must practice a few spells; I can feel the magicka all around me like never before and a whole new world of magic seems within my reach. I have found a number of Daryn�s spellbooks in the bottom of his closet, written in a code which we made up as children. Fortunately I still remember it� I think he knew that I would not forget. There are a number of interesting spells here that are begging to be tried!
On a different note, I found some clothes in the guest bedroom closet that are not really Daryn�s style � he preferred understated quality, whereas these are flamboyantly opulent � and I can only assume that he intended them for me. I think they make me look rather dashing, and to my shame I find myself eagerly anticipating the attention I will attract from young women (and men) in town.
Day ?
<SPAN style="COLOR: navy">(Note: I shall no longer refer to the passing of the days here, when time has little meaning. What is the point in counting days when in fact days are no longer the periods of wakefulness between inactive nights, but rather the opposite? What use are days when even years will not affect me?)
I have just returned from the Cold Room. I cast a simple levitation spell upon myself and inspected the waterfalls that feed the swimming pool and sure enough, behind one, hidden from view, was a simple-looking wooden door. When I touched the door I could feel many latent and powerful enchantments within it, and when I placed my hand upon a panel the door swung open silently. I think it would not have done so for anyone else. Beyond the doorway was a dark, rough passage leading downwards. The air was very still and seemed somehow more intense� it is easy to see why Cold Rooms are so popular with mages � the magicka within me stirred and my mind was immediately calm and clear. After a couple of hundred metres the passage suddenly opened up into a huge room. The floor shimmered with some sort of inlaid crystal (quartz, I suspected; its vibrations are known to be a natural focus for magic) and the walls glowed slightly from within with what I guessed was the residue of the magic they had absorbed. I silently saluted my cousin�s genius � I have never seen such a perfectly and beautifully designed Cold Room.
I tried a few relatively simple spells at first; a couple of Fireballs and some Lightning, and I soon realised that my magicka reserve was a lot larger than it had ever been while I was mortal. Even the best mage will begin to feel the strain after casting a number of spells, simple or not, yet I was unaffected. I felt my mind reach out to the magicka and suddenly I was casting spell after spell � spells I�d never learned, yet which came as naturally as breathing � and still I was not tiring. With some experimenting I discovered that it was spells of a destructive nature that I excelled at (until now conjuring and mysticism were my forte); I could think of an effect and with minimal effort I could turn it into a spell. I also tried some of the spells that Daryn had written � they were far more complex but I found that I didn�t have any trouble grasping the magicka forms required or controlling the forces. The effects of his spells were quite impressive; stars danced around me, energy bolts sizzled in the air and strange magicka-shapes flickered in and out of existence.
After maybe an hour (time seems to run differently in the Cold Room) I was beginning to feel tired. I found that I had no trouble casting and I still had magicka to do so, but I was mentally drained and I could feel a headache coming on. I left the room, but instead of levitating to the poolside I took off my clothes and dived straight into the cool, clear water.
It was then that I discovered another interesting effect of my new condition; it seems that I no longer need to breathe! I had been underwater admiring the coloured fish, when subconsciously I started to surface for air � then I suddenly realised that I was feeling no discomfort and no particular inclination to breathe; it was only the fact the I felt I should breathe, not that I actually needed to. I have no idea how long I spent underwater, but it was a long while. I have always loved swimming, so this particular gift is quite wondrous.
I noticed after a while that the pool attendant had returned, so I assumed it must be early evening. I collected my clothes and left the pool area, intending to collect a book from the library to take to my room to relax with until it was dark enough for me to explore outside. I was feeling the red hunger rising inside me and I decided it would be best to sit quietly and try not to think about what I would have to do to sate it.
However, as soon as I left the pool room I was accosted by the Trainer. He explained that he had been talking to the butler and they had decided (they had decided something for me!) that I should be trained in the use of weapons before leaving the house. I was outraged; firstly, that my servants would be so audacious as to talk about me and discuss my skills and secondly, that they dared to think my abilities were somehow inadequate! I, who had just created fire and lightning with my mind and shaped it with my hands! I told the Trainer exactly what I thought of his behaviour and stormed into the library. It is true that I have never had any training with physical weapons; why would I need to when magic is so powerful, and words even more so? I cannot foresee a time when I will have to use physical violence against a foe � it is so uncouth!
The library did nothing to calm my nerves. A couple of slaves (slimy looking creatures employed by the head librarian, I think, to dust the shelves.) were whispering in the corner. About me, I�m sure of it. Perhaps the butler and his friend the Trainer had been less discreet than I had thought. Was everyone here talking behind my back? I tried to ignore the whispering pair but their hisses carried so clearly to me that I couldn�t stand it. I left the library without a book, and decided to just go up to my room and work on my diary. I was in no mood for any more confrontations, and to make matters worse, as if on cue, the hunger within me suddenly flared up like a roaring beast. It gnawed at my stomach and pounded in my head and all I could think about was sweet blood. I was horrified at the intensity, and I fought the beast to regain control of my senses.
Feeling slightly faint, I walked through the main hall towards my room. As I passed one of the Manor guards patrolling the hall I distinctly heard him say, under his breath, �Unholy creature!�. I rounded on him and asked him to explain himself, but in conversation he seemed as loyal and professional as ever. I decided that it was just my imagination, and I walked on without another word to him. I managed to make it to my corridor without meeting any of my other employees, but then I saw the two guards stationed outside my bedroom door.
I held my head high and went to walk past them into my room. They saluted me and stood to attention, but as I opened my bedroom door I heard one of them mutter �Foul beast!�. With a roar I leapt on him; grabbing his head with one head and yanking it over to the side so that a gap appeared between his helmet and pauldron, then I sank my teeth into the flesh of his neck. As the thick, hot blood flooded down my throat I felt the guard sag as his legs gave way beneath him. I held him up until I had drunk my fill, only releasing him when the gushing blood had slowed to a trickle.
When released, he slumped to the floor � I�m not sure if he was breathing or not, and I didn�t care � and I stepped over the body and into my room. I was pleased to note that the other guard was standing respectfully (and thankfully) silent against the wall; he made no move against me and even stood to attention as I swept past. Perhaps there is some hope for them, after all.
After last night�s unfortunate episode I retired to my room to write my journal entry and relax. The guard�s blood had sated my hunger and appeased my rage, and I was relatively calm as I mused over the day�s happenings. I resolved to tell the butler that I did not require the Trainer�s services and that I certainly did not appreciate their meddling in my affairs. I would also need to find a replacement for the guard � a task I decided that the butler could take care of, though I would be sure to tell him to get a fellow like the guard outside my room now; loyal, unflinching, and above all, quiet.
The terrible hunger had abated, but the memory had not. I was not sorry for my actions against the guard � the gods know he deserved it � but I was ashamed and a little fearful at my lack of control. I realised that I couldn�t let that happen again, and one logical solution came swiftly to my mind. In Daryn�s research he mentioned that a vampire�s will is so strong that one can control the actions of others, especially mere mortals. I imagined that this meant I could focus my will onto someone, a bit like casting a spell, then �convince� them to do my bidding, such as follow me home. I was sure that somewhere in this extensive house there must be some rooms for �holding� guests, and a quick search of the map on my wall confirmed this � there were some cells in a hidden area below the kitchens. Perfect, I thought, for keeping food!
It took me little time to prepare for my outing; by the time I had written in my journal it was
Though it was late there were many people around; lamps were lit in most windows, Imperial guards patrolled the streets and the sound of revellers in the town�s only bar spilled out of its open door, along with the stench of many warm bodies. I had never noticed the smell of people before, and now I wonder I how I managed this� the salty scent of sweat and the heady aroma of spilt blood (I guess that a tavern brawl had not long ended) hung heavy in the air and I felt the now familiar hunger begin to rise again. I fought the reaction � it was not long since I last fed and I really couldn�t afford to lose control in a public place � and continued on until I reached the town�s limit. There were only a few houses this far out, and the guard patrols were fewer. I walked between the houses until I came to one which suited my needs. This house was smaller than the surrounding houses so I assumed that it was inhabited by only one person, and judging by the general state of it, it was clear that this person was quite old.
I knocked firmly on the door and after a moment or two it was opened by a Dark Elf of indeterminate age � I would guess he was quite old but his skin was so weathered that it was difficult to tell � and he bade me enter, as it was a cold night. Truth be told, I had not noticed the chill, but I was pleased that his hospitality had saved my having to think of an excuse for entering. I followed him into the small house and was even more pleased to note that my assumption had been correct; the old man lived alone. He was pottering about in his tiny kitchen area, muttering something about a warm drink, when I decided to try my �attack�.
�Come with me.� I said, putting as much persuasiveness into my tone as I could muster, but the elf just grumbled a bit and said something about the weather. I summoned all of my (considerable) willpower and spoke again, �You will follow me to my house�. This time the old elf turned around sharply and demanded to know what I was trying to do to him � maybe he had felt the compulsion in my voice or maybe he was just annoyed at my statement � so I tried again, this time putting more force into it. Suddenly he backed away from me, terrified. He said he knew what I was, why I had come for him� he called me names; unholy, filthy abomination� said he would get the guards, kill me�I felt the rage building up inside me and I leapt�
The old elf was faster than he looked, though, and before I could reach him he darted behind me, towards the door. He had surprised me that time, but I wasn�t about to be fooled again; with my preternatural speed I was behind him before he even realised that I had moved. I pulled his head to one side and sank my teeth into his neck, but just as the sweet liquid began to fill my mouth he pulled away. My mind was fuzzy with the warmth of the blood, and I staggered back as he punched me in the chest, then again in the face. I felt blood � my own, this time � flow from my cheek as I lunged forwards to grab him again. He fought surprisingly well for one so old and so obviously terrified. I half expected his heart to fail as he dodged my attack and rained upon me another flurry of blows, but it didn�t, and his fear seemed to multiply his strength so he was hitting me with the strength of many men.
I found that I was fast enough to dodge some of his blows, but I had no chance to ready a spell or get in an attack of my own. Given chance, I�m not sure that I could have done anything anyway. As I mentioned, the attack was too frenzied for me to concentrate enough to cast and I didn�t even know where to begin hitting him back. His blows were not causing me much pain � the cut on my cheek had already healed completely � but they were tiring. I was angry with myself for not being able to stop the attack� for inflicting no damage at all on this old elf who was terrified of my mere presence. I just had to keep ducking and trying to move faster than he did, while at the same time keeping myself between him and the door � I didn�t want him running out into the street and alerting the guards.
I soon began to get into a rhythm of ducking and dodging the blows; I could almost see where the next hit was going to come from and I was ready for it. This really didn�t help me much, I still had no time to ready any magic, but it gave me the chance to push back towards him. Then I realised my advantage � he was so terrified of me that when I moved close to him his punches grew more frantic, but less co-ordinated. I pushed closer and closer to the Dunmer and he backed away without realising it, until he was caught in the corner of his room and I was upon him. The abject terror in his eyes told me that he realised his mistake, and his attack became really desperate. I used my new-found strength then, and shoved the elf hard into the wall. His skull made a loud crack as it hit the stone and I was surprised to see he was still conscious and fighting, but now his punches were completely uncoordinated.
I ducked my head between his flailing arms and drove my fangs deep into his neck. This time my feeding was not interrupted. I waited until the old elf�s pulse was weak, his heart about to stop, then I lifted my head. It took a large amount of self-control to do so, and I�m not sure I could have done it if I had not fed earlier. As I looked with disdain at the pitiful figure slumped before me, I saw that he was still conscious, and even trying to stand up. The Dunmer�s legs failed him when he was half-way up and he slid back down to the floor again. I stood over him.
�Why bother fighting now?� I asked him, �Is your life worth so much to you?� I could not believe his stubbornness. Then he whispered, so I could barely hear him, �I don�t want to die�. An idea came to me then and I bent my head to his neck again, letting my fangs rest on his neck without piercing, then I murmured softly to him� he didn�t have to die; he could live if he lived to serve me... I waited for his reply, and after a few moments of silence I lifted my head to look at him, sure that he had died. The elf�s eyes were half closed and his skin was so pale that it seemed almost translucent, and I wondered if there was any chance that he would survive this. Then his eyes opened, and I could see that a change had come over this strong-willed Dunmer. In his gaze was a mixture of fear and gratitude, along with a sort of dull resentment; a sickening expression to behold. I nearly killed him there and then, just to stop him looking at me like that.
�I am yours.� He mumbled, and with those three words I knew that I had won.
I gave my new slave a few moments to recover from my attack, then ordered him to his feet and commanded him to wash his blood from my face and to make himself presentable too � I did not wish to cause a scene while walking back to the Manor. I was pleasantly surprised by the behaviour of the elf; silently he did my bidding with the same expression on his face, his movements careful and reverent.
When he had finished we left his house, and I warned him not to try to escape. I said with perfect confidence that I would find him again wherever he hid, and that he would wish from then on that he was dead� he replied with �Master� and nothing more, but the terror was plain on his face and I knew that I had a loyal servant.
As I expected, he behaved perfectly as we walked through the town. He kept his head down and trudged along in front of me while I kept close enough for him to feel my presence. I decided to call my new slave �Jak�, as I don�t want him to use his real name � that would be a link to his �previous� life � and Jak was the first name to come to mind. He accepted this with the same sickening gratitude as he accepted his room in the manor � a small box-room with a pallet on the floor to sleep on and no windows or other furnishings. I did not feel that it was necessary to keep him in a cell; he obviously wasn�t going anywhere soon.
With the issue of food sorted, I had time to think over what had happened in town. As painful as it was for me to admit it, I had to confess to the Trainer that I did need his services � my failure earlier had worried me more than I had realised at the time. I dreaded the thought of going to see him though; swallowing my pride and asking for help � it is not something to which I am accustomed.
We got a message today from Sylvie and Beon. Diw read it out to me. They went to a town called Dagon Fell and found a load of vampires in a tomb and killed them all. Now they�ve split up with the rest of the group �cause some guy in the town said that some adventurers had been to the tombs earlier in the week. Sylvie and Beon got a boat to a town called Nisis, �cause they know that one of the adventurers went there, and the others have followed the other adventurer to some wizard�s town by the coast.
Sylvie says that they�re spying on the guy who went to the tomb, and they think he�s a vampire now. They�re watching his house but they can�t do anything �til they�re sure. They�ve got a really clever plan, I bet Sylvie thought of it. There�s an advert in the pub for a guard to work in the guy�s house what they�re watching, and Beon�s gonna get it! He used to be a guard before he joined the Hunters, Diw says, so he�ll be really good. Then he can watch what�s going on in the guy�s house and find out if he�s really a vampire or not. I wish I was up there with them, it sounds really fun, and I could keep Sylvie company while Beon�s working in the house.
I found a painting of Sylvie in the storeroom. I�d forgotten how pretty she is! I have it under my bed now. I had a dream about her last night, and we went together to fight this vampire guy and we tied him to some stakes outside and cut him with silver knives so he bled. Then he said that it was him who�d killed Mother and Father and little Salli, and he was really scared of me and I cut up his face with the knife then the sun came up and he burned and screamed and screamed �til there was nothing left but ash. Then Sylvie said she liked it when I did that and she took her armour off for me to see her. I liked that dream. I�ve had some other dreams like that, about making the monsters scream and bleed. It makes the screams of my family go away.
It�s been a while since my last entry� about a week, I would guess. It seems that time is becoming more slippery with each passing hour, and I�m finding it increasingly difficult to keep hold of it. Sometimes it seems to me that a day has gone by, yet my watch tells me that it has been no more than an hour; other times I sit down to read a book and a whole day passes. It frightened me at first, but now I am used to it � why should the passing of time worry me?
Aside from this, things have been going well in the Manor. The
Of my new slaves, Salli is my favourite; perhaps because she fought so hard, perhaps just because she�s female. She has stirred in me feelings which I have not experienced for over thirty years, but she is a mere slave and could never satisfy me. Despite this, I have had her three times since I brought her here, each time by force. At first it was just to teach her what it means to be my slave, and to make her fear me more, then after that it was just for my pleasure. She has now lost her haughty air and is even more servile than the other two. I have my suspicions that the younger of my two male slaves (whom I have called Ros) has also been using her � he is obviously a very virile young elf. It is unacceptable for my slaves to behave this way, but I cannot think of a way to deal with him yet. Perhaps I shall give him what he�s so obviously wanting; that might bring him down a little.
Overall, this has been an exceedingly busy week for me. Apart from venturing out at night to find food, I�ve been working each day with the Trainer. Luckily for me he is a seemingly tireless man, and I�ve learned so much from him in these past few days that I can hardly believe that I survived so long in the past without the skills he�s taught me. Every morning at dawn he arrived in the Manor and my training would begin. We�ve worked on bare-fist and sword fighting so far, as well as just generally improving my endurance and agility� I can now avoid most attacks and I can fight for much longer without tiring. The Trainer was extremely impressed with the speed at which I picked up these skills � who says you can�t teach an old dog new tricks?
I�ve spent a lot of time in the Training room, but I�ve also been exploring the rest of the house. Daryn was a bit of a packrat, it would seem; his armoury is full of suits of all kinds of armour and weapons beyond belief. As a mage, I knew that he would never have used most of this stuff, so I was even more impressed that he had taken the trouble to collect it from somewhere. The Trainer sent me to this room before we started our first sword training session, and told me to find a sword that I was comfortable with. I picked through Daryn�s chests and display cases, not really knowing what I was looking for; I�d never even held a sword before, let alone felt comfortable with one! It was an odd feeling when I did find my sword though; exactly as the Trainer had described it � it just fitted into my hand perfectly and felt� right. It was a long sword with a steel blade, plated with gold and copper, with inlaid red enamel and a glowing amber stone in the golden hilt. I knew at that point, with my basic training, that I was about a dangerous as a kitten, but I felt incredible � like I could take on the world.
At the Trainer�s wishes I also tried on some of the armour, but even the lightest armour (soft leather, with small steel studs) seemed to restrict my movement, and I found I could not call forth my magicka as readily. I decided not to bother with armour because of this � I suppose I could learn how to function while wearing it, but I don�t particularly want to waste my time doing so. The Trainer seems happy enough with my progress to allow me this. He would not, however, let me train in my usual robes - instead I had to search once more through Daryn�s wardrobes to find something more practical.
I�m rather impressed with my progress so far. I�ve become most proficient in hand-to-hand combat � surprising even the Trainer, I think � and it is this that I have founds to be most useful on my two trips into town. I now find it easy to knock my victim out with a couple of blows to the head, then drink my fill while they are unconscious. In the case of my two newest slaves, I then tied them up and waited for them to awake. I found that this maximised their willingness to obey my commands!
I think I�m going to be quite happy in this unlife; I have food enough to keep me happy and enough knowledge around me to keep my mind occupied, and once I have perfected my fighting skills enough to survive I plan to venture out into the world. Perhaps I�ll visit some of the more noble ladies in town and see if I can introduce them to a new way of life. Maybe I�ll visit the headquarters of my clan, seek acceptance there� I�m sure I have much to offer them. Ah! I am content at last!
Had another message from Sylvie today. They�ve been watching the guy for a week now, with Beon in his house. They know for sure that he�s a vampire. Beon saw him steal three people from the town, he keeps them in a room and he uses them to drink their blood. Sylvie said he uses them for something else too but Diw didn�t read that bit too me, he just said in happens a lot when a man turns into a monster.
Anyway, Beon reckons the guy�s a push-over �cause he�s been watching him train and he doesn�t know anything about fighting. They�ll get him tomorrow during the day when he doesn�t expect it, but Sylvie�s gonna wait outside �cause Beon won�t need the help. He�s gonna kill the bastard.
Another message from Sylvie. She�s worried about Beon �cause he didn�t come back last night from the house. She�s going to go look for him later today, she reckons maybe he didn�t get a chance to kill the vampire yesterday and had to stay in the house. He still should�ve reported back though. Wonder what happened to him. He'll be okay though, prolly having a party or something with the other guys in the house now the bastard�s dead. Sylvie's gonna send another message tomorrow to tell us what's going on.
My gods, what curse have I upon my head? In the last two days I have experienced hatred and anger beyond anything I have ever known before. I shall try to arrange my thoughts and put down an ordered account of what has happened here since my last entry.
Two days ago I was in a restless mood. I was in no mind to read, nor did I feel like practising magic or swimming, or making small talk with the servants. My energy levels had been increasing steadily since I began my physical training, and all I wanted to do just then was hit something. I certainly put the Trainer to the test that day; we sparred for hours with fist and sword, until he finally told me to go and practise on a dummy and give him a break. I beat the stuffing out of the training dummy for a while, then fidgeted around the Manor for a couple of hours, getting in the way of the servants. Eventually I went to my room to try to relax. I was going to write in my journal but I couldn�t think straight enough to string a sentence together, so I ended up lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. I then decided to try meditating; I used to be good at it when I was young, so good that my father said it was better for me than sleeping. Given my restlessness, I did not expect much of myself, but to my great surprise I relaxed into the depths of my mind with ease and was soon in a deep state of self-hypnosis, dead to the world.
It was some time later when I suddenly came to myself again, aware that something was not right. I kept my eyes closed for a moment, allowing my preternatural senses to seek out the source of the disturbance that had awakened me, and I noticed subconsciously that I felt stronger and generally more able than I had earlier. Perhaps I had needed time out to think and let all that I�ve learned this past week sink in. Anyway, I had no time to ponder this at that moment. I sensed a figure to my left, moving slowly and quietly towards my bed.
My body tensed beneath the blanket and when the figure was next to the bed I leapt up, my great strength propelling me almost vertically to face him. If my sudden emergence startled my assailant he didn�t show it; instead he let out a powerful roar and surged towards me. I took a great leap backwards and landed catlike on the far side of the room, and though my attacker still didn�t seem surprised by this either, it took him a few seconds to redirect his momentum and he scrambled awkwardly around the end of the bed.
As he moved across the room I studied my attacker carefully. He was fairly tall and clad from head to toe in some shining silvery armour which pained my eyes to look at; something about it � the way it shone, the golden sigils emblazoned on it � jarred my senses. The man moved with a lithe grace that was redolent of hours of hard training � it was not natural to move so smoothly and silently in such heavy armour. His complete lack of alarm at my movements also made me suspicious; I expected that even hardened assassins would be fazed by my blatantly uncanny motion, yet this man had barely even blinked. All this I gathered in less than a second, then something in my mind was screaming to me: The Hunters!
I think that had he attempted to slay me a week � nay, a day � ago, I would have fallen to his cruelly shining blade. With my training fresh in my mind and my body and muscles refreshed by my meditation I felt like an equal match for the Hunter. As he ran across the room towards me, his sword raised, I held my ground and waited for him to come within arm�s reach of me. When he was a pace away his sword started to descend swiftly in a brutal arc that was calculated to sweep my head from my shoulders, but I was faster. I ducked, as the Trainer had taught me, beneath my attacker�s arm and spun up behind him, delivering a sharp blow with the side of my hand to the elbow joint of his armour. The metal buckled inwards under the huge force of the blow and there was an audible crack as the joint snapped inwards. A simultaneous crack and flare of pain from my hand indicated that my victory had not gone unpunished, but I ignored my crushed hand as the Hunter turned towards me again. To his credit he lost neither his speed nor his grace, even as he bellowed in agony � his right arm hanging uselessly by his side, his sword forgotten at his feet.
Before he had completed his turn I had a spell readied in my mind, my hands already forming the magicka shape. It was a simple incantation designed to paralyse the victim, and I had cast it before the he could blink. As the greenish glow of the spell engulfed the Hunter his painfully shiny armour flashed brightly, deflecting the hex completely. I waved my hand quickly, dispelling the glow before it could reach me, and simultaneously dodged sideways towards the bed. As my attacker ran at me once more I stepped upwards and back so that I was standing in the centre of my bed looking down on him, and I formed another spell in my mind. This spell was one of Daryn�s own making � it was designed to instantly sap the will and the spirit of the target while draining his stamina and physically tiring him. It was an overwhelmingly complex spell which had taken me some time to master, and I doubted that even the fiendish armour of the Hunter would be able to deflect it.
Sure enough, when I cast it the beautiful amber-purple glow of the spell enveloped my attacker totally and he visibly sagged, coming to a halt in the middle of the room. I stepped off the bed, and as I walked to him he sank slowly to his knees, utterly defeated. The broken man sobbed softly as I knelt before him and gently removed his helm. The face beneath was that of a young Dunmer � handsome and strong � and though I realised with displeasure that it was my new guard, I still felt a pang of sadness at what I was going to do. I bent my head to his neck and drank my fill, and slowly the pain in my hand dissipated and I felt the bones knit together. When I was done the wretched man was still alive and shivering slightly, close to death. I lifted my bloodied mouth to his ear and whispered, �Will you serve me?�. He nodded weakly. �Will you renounce whatever faith it was that brought you here?�. He nodded again. �Do you reject your gods and your calling?�. �Yes� he mumbled. I stood and picked the man up effortlessly in my arms, then carried him to the door.
After locking the pitiable wreck in one of the Manor�s box-rooms and removing his offending armour (I had one of the servants place it in the armoury, for display purposes), I went in search of the
Unable to face leaving my new home so soon, I instead decided to prepare myself as best I could for the next assault. All of that day and most of yesterday I spent either with the Trainer or in the Cold Room, perfecting my attacks and building my defences. I spent more time on the magical techniques than on the physical, remembering how effective Daryn�s spell had been at breaking the resistance of my assailant. I planned to use the same method to defeat any other Hunters, though I did not intend to let them catch me unawares next time. I told the guards to be especially vigilant, but I did not really expect them to survive long enough to alert anyone if they had a confrontation with an attacker of similar talent to the first.
Yesterday afternoon I went into the room where I had imprisoned the first Hunter, determined to get some information from him about his sect. I found him naked and shivering on the floor in a pool of his own vomit, and he cowered away as I approached. I noticed that his wrists were scratched and torn, almost as if he�d tried to bite into his own veins to bring about a swift death, and I was glad that I�d instructed my servants to remove any sharp objects from the room. When I looked into his eyes I could tell that his mind was gone; I would get no sense from him. He was still totally subservient to me, and it was possibly the sense of revulsion he felt at this and the intense self-hatred at what he had become that had driven him to madness � I suppose I will never know. I was standing over him as he grovelled at my feet, dribbling and smeared in excrement, when I sensed the door behind me open slowly and silently. I whirled around, ready for an attack, but it never came.
The man standing in the doorway was shorter and leaner than the first attacker, but wore the same silvery armour and had the same sword ready in his hand. The new Hunter seemed completely disorientated by the sight of his partner in such a state, and for a second seemed unable to do anything. Not one to waste a chance that is given to me, I concentrated and started to form Daryn�s spell in my mind. The Hunter�s gaze was fixed on the man in the corner and he barely glanced in my direction, yet a flash of magic leapt across the room from him to me. My mind was so fixed on my own spell that I had no way to block the unexpected attack, and at once I felt my magicka reserves draining away, leaving me with an uncomfortable empty feeling and no means to perform even the simplest of incantations. The Hunter strode past me to his companion and to my great surprise removed his own helmet to reveal that he was actually a she; a beautiful Dark Elf woman in fact, with long dark hair and large ruby eyes. She knelt by the man on the floor and looked up at me with incomprehension plain on her face, and she asked me �Why?�. I didn�t know how to answer her. The defeated Hunter was pulling at her sword with his bare hands, oblivious of the blood that slicked his hands, and he whispered one word to her which I could barely hear: �Please�. Tears clouded the woman�s lovely eyes and she cradled the man�s head in her lap and whispered soothing words even as she lifted her sword and guided the blade into his stomach. The look of gratitude on the fallen Hunter�s face was heart-wrenching.
I was moved by the scene, but not so much that I lost focus on the situation. I watched as she lay her comrade down gently and I found myself hungering for the woman, her strength and her beauty, her passion � I wanted her. I was greatly disadvantaged without my magic, but it was perhaps more of a weakness for me that I found myself unwilling to hurt this Hunter. She seemingly held no such soft spot for me as she screamed high and loud and leapt across the room, bloodied sword held high. I collected my thoughts and dodged to the side as the blade whistled past my ear, only inches away. Without missing a beat she spun on her toes, her sword weaving a deadly dance before me. I danced too, constantly on the move to avoid her, and I couldn�t have landed a single blow on her even if I had wanted to. I crouched low then pushed upwards in a great leap, grabbing the ceiling beam above her head and swinging myself so that my legs were hooked over the joist and my arms hanging down behind the Hunter�s head. As she turned to find me again I reaching down and lifted her by the shoulders, pinning her arms to her sides. In this position � her suspended helpless in my arms � I licked her neck tenderly then gently pierced her soft skin with my teeth. As her hot blood rushed into my mouth I fought the urge to drain her; I restrained myself and only took enough to subdue her thrashing movements.
Holding her in one arm, I swung from the ceiling and laid the elf softly down on the floor. The blood was still flowing freely into my mouth, but I could feel her heart fluttering uncertainly and I knew there wasn�t much time. I lifted my head for just a second and bit into my own wrist, then pressed it to her mouth so that my potent blood trickled into her mouth. This was the swiftest and surest way for her to contract my wonderful disease, and the panicked look in the Hunter�s eyes told me that she knew exactly what was happening. I bent my head once more to her neck, but as I bit down she summoned some last vestige of strength and whipped her head away from me. My razor teeth tore her vein and precious blood gushed in an unstoppable torrent, soaking my legs and flooding across the floor. She lay back with a slight smile on her face and passed away beyond my reach.
Diw and the others here reckon that Sylvie would�ve got back to us by now� if she could. So they say that she�s probably dead and Beon is too. I didn�t believe it at first and I told the others not to be stupid, �cause Sylvie is too good to be beaten by any vampire, and if she was with Beon they both would be okay. Then Diw told me about how they send messages to each other. I didn�t understand it all, it�s something about mages talking to each other with magic, and all the hunters out on missions have a special box that tells the mages what to say. I don�t like this, it�s all magical and I don�t trust it. Anyway, Diw says the messages only take a few minutes to go from them to us so if they were alive we would�ve heard from them.
This makes me really angry. I don�t like to think of Sylvie being hurt and I don�t want any bad people to touch her. I told the others that I wanted to go and kill this vampire for hurting Sylvie and Beon, �cause they were my friends. I�m not good at talking to people �cause I get my words all mixed up and the guys who�d been hunting with Beon and Sylvie up north while I was training didn�t think that I could do it. Diw and Alys stuck up for me though and said that I was a really good fighter, then Diw said how I had good ideas about making the monsters suffer lots of pain with burning and stuff like that, and the others all looked impressed and said I could prove myself by doing this for them.
So now I�ve got all my armour ready and my weapons sharpened and I�m going to leave this afternoon. The arms guy has given me a load of silver knives and some fire-making stuff in a leather bag to use on the vampire and Diw gave me the picture book with the story of how the great hunter hurt the monsters until they screamed. Alys came to my room and gave me her necklace. It�s got a charm on it that will take me to the nearest temple when I use it. I don�t like magic things �cause they�re not natural but Alys seemed upset so I took it.
I have to leave soon to get a Silt Strider ride to Gnisis. I�ll get there in the evening just as it gets dark, which isn�t the best time but it�ll have to do. I know I�m not as clever as Sylvie or as strong as Beon, but I want to kill this beast more than anything in the world.
I�m leaving tonight. I have been thinking about the events of yesterday and I have come to the conclusion that it is far too dangerous for me to stay here. My victory over the female Hunter had been more through luck than anything else and I have no wish to tempt fate a second time. Later last night I inspected the body of the woman and found an amulet tucked inside her shirt which, when activated, would drain the magicka out of the target. It is a frightfully dangerous and effective weapon to use against a mage (as I discovered, to my great disadvantage). I also searched the corpse of the other Hunter, and found that he too carried an enchanted amulet. His was of a different sort though � as far as I can tell it was meant to teleport the wearer somewhere. Obviously he intended to use it if the fight with me went badly, but he did not get the opportunity. If both Hunters so far have carried such powerful trinkets I must assume that every one will have them. It would be crippling to encounter another like the woman�s, and I am not sure if I could survive.
I have collected my most precious belongings into a single case and searched through the library for a safe place to go. I have settled on the heart of the clan of vampires of which I am now a member; the Aundae headquarters. Amongst Daryn�s many scrolls I have found a map which contains almost direct instructions to find the place; the Ashmelech tomb in the islands of Sheogorath. It will be a long and arduous journey but I am sure I can make it. I will set off as soon as it becomes dark and use a spell of Daryn�s to boost my speed, then I will fly, invisible, through the clouds � straight to the only safe place left for me.
I am sad to be leaving the Manor. I will miss the ever-practical
My sadness about leaving does not, however, dampen my increasing excitement about meeting the Sire of my kind, my blood-mother. According to the rumours that Daryn had collected, Dhaunayne Aundae was a fierce and beautiful woman, and possibly the best mage in the land. I look forward to meeting her � I�m sure we will have a lot in common and much to offer each other.
Well, it is three hours until sunset, and time for me to pack my journal and quill into my case. I appear to have almost filled this book since my arrival here in Morrowind, so much has happened! I must get another one as soon as I arrive in Ashmelech.
Here ends the diary of Sir Lucian Montrose. Here also ends the hastily scrawled journal of the Hunter, whose name shall remain unknown. The story, however, has not finished yet�
As the sun set over Montrose Manor, just outside the walls of Gnisis, Lucian Montrose closed his leather-bound diary and corked his ink-bottle, then placed them in his small travel-bag and tied it shut. Picking up a warm robe from his bed and slinging it around his slim shoulders, the vampire took one last look around his spacious bedroom and went in search of his butler.
As Lucian descended the great staircase in the Manor, on the other side of town a young man descended the short wooden steps from the silt strider. His shining, blessed armour was hidden from view by his rough robe but his silver sword swung boldly by his side, inscription glittering for all to see and know him by. As he approached a town guard the hunter�s nervousness showed through and he stammered, but the guard knew instinctively what led him there and gave concise directions to the Manor. The guard watched the young man walk away with an equal mixture of awe and gratitude in his gaze. Awe at the young man�s courage � the hunters were legendary throughout Vvardenfell � and gratitude that he had not had to talk to him for long; though many people would agree with the hunters� work, few would welcome them any more than they would a vampire.
Back in Montrose Manor Lucian was saying his final farewells to his butler and his trainer, and generally preparing himself for the swift flight ahead. He packed a number of small bottles of powerful magicka-restoration potion to drink during his journey; the flight from Gnisis to the Sheogorad region would be a long one, even with his vampiric powers and his cousin�s spell to enhance speed. There was no longer any trace of worry in Lucian�s mind about the Hunters. He knew that they would most likely be on their way, but it would be a while before they arrived and they wouldn�t be foolish enough to attack a powerful vampire in his own home during the night. Lucian anticipated the Hunters� frustration when they arrived at the Manor to find him gone and he imagined them trying to attack the Aundae headquarters, which would of course be heavily guarded by mages and many expendable thralls� shouldering his lightweight pack, the youthful-looking vampire smiled and began to whistle as he sauntered towards the entrance hall. A glance at his pocket watch told him that the sun would be well below the horizon, so Lucian shook hands with his faithful butler for the last time and stepped out into the night.
The Hunter strode through the streets of Gnisis. It was not a large town and it took less than ten minutes for him to reach the fortified wall at the south boundary. He walked through the stone arch and a guard saluted him as he passed, then the Hunter was at the bottom of the grand stone steps leading to Montrose Manor. He halted there with one foot on the first step, unsure of what to do. It had been easy to get this far � the momentum of his anger had been enough to carry him here � but even though he wasn�t the brightest of the hunters he knew that rage alone would not win him this fight. Not against such a formidable adversary; one who had already killed two hunters more experienced than him. He had to think of a plan of action, and thinking had never been his strong point. The Hunter half-wished that Diw was there � he was much better at thinking and planning � but then again, he had practically begged Diw to let him go alone. He couldn�t fail now and disappoint the others, and he couldn�t let Sylvie and Beon down either.
The apprehensive Hunter was saved from further worry because at that point the door at the top of the stair suddenly opened, and his quarry stepped out into the night. The vampire seemed to be in a good mood; he was wearing an expensive silk robe with a small bag slung over his shoulder, and he was whistling. He had not noticed the Hunter yet � he was too busy looking at the stars twinkling above him and listening to the soft noises of the sleeping town. This is a perfect night to fly, Lucian thought, this is a perfect night to be alive. The Hunter thought only that this was it � this was his opportunity to get the bastard. He started to run up the steps.
The sudden movement below him startled Lucian from his reverie. He whirled around to find one of the silver-clad Hunters only yards away from him and closing fast. Without any weapons to hand, the vampire did what he knew best and immediately formed and cast a spell with hardly a thought. It was a paralysis spell, a simple one, and as Lucian had half-expected it was instantly reflected back to him by the unnaturally shiny armour. He dispelled it with a wave of a hand. The Hunter paused for a moment, taken aback by the swiftness of the vampire�s reactions. This was only the second time that he had ever encountered one of the beasts face-to-face; the first time had been when they had killed his entire family before him. Nothing in Diw�s books could ever be enough to prepare a man for this. The Hunter�s hesitation lasted only a split-second, then he drew his sword in one fluid motion and surged on up the stairs.
The Hunter�s momentary pause had not gone unnoticed by Lucian � he used it to plan his next move. Unlike the Hunter, he was very good at planning and had already decided what to do as his attacker began to move again. Lucian jumped high into the air, aiming to land at the bottom of the steps behind the other man, and while he was in the air he cast a second spell. The few extra seconds he�d had to prepare allowed Lucian to hurl a more complex curse at the Hunter; one which he gauged would not be reflected as easily. This spell was designed to exhaust the target � an uncommon spell, but effective if used correctly � and as the red glow enveloped the man on the stairs, Lucian was pleased to see that most of it seemed to penetrate the enchanted armour. The Hunter was still fast on his feet despite the inexplicable weariness he was suddenly feeling, and turned to face the vampire the instant that he landed, cat-footed, on the path. He swung his sword in a wide arc intended to cleave the beast in two, his arm muscles corded with the effort.
Lucian was slightly disorientated by his swift jump and taxing spellcasting, and only just managed to sway back on his heels to avoid the sweeping blade. The tip nicked his robe, tearing the cloth slightly and he roared in anger at the injustice of this persecution and unwanted violence. He allowed the rage to take over his actions and swung his balled fist at the Hunter�s shielded head. The young Dunmer had not expected this from a mage and did not even lift a hand in defence. The vampire sensed his advantage and pressed on, landing blow after blow on the silver helmet which soon became dented beyond recognition. The Hunter wavered unsteadily, the pressure on his skull almost unbearable. Realising that a few more blows would cause the metal to cave inwards, rendering him unconscious, he dropped his sword and reached up to wrench the helm from his head. Lucian stepped back slightly, unsure of what his assailant was going to do, but when the battered helm fell to the floor and the young Dunmer stood before him, blood dripping down his face, the vampire wasted no time and started to attack once more. The Hunter collapsed in a heap as the powerful punches demolished his face, but Lucian, incensed, was not going to stop there and hauled him to his feet again to pummel his torso. The Dunmer stirred and gasped, the battered armour restricting his breathing.
�No,� The Hunter managed to pant, �You won�t get me� not like the others.�
�None of your kind can stop me,� Lucian growled savagely, his ruined hands clenched tightly, �I did not ask for this; I was nobody�s enemy, but you made me yours. I did not want to kill the others,� the vampire�s face twisted, �especially not the woman, but I will not fall to you.�
The reference to Sylvie was enough to bring the Hunter fully to his senses, �What�d you do to Sylvie?� he asked, desperately, �What did you do?�
Lucian perceived the bitter menace in the young man�s voice and pulled him closer so that he could whisper in his ear, �I wanted her � I wanted her as soon as I saw her. She could have been mine forever� I would have given her immortality; a life beyond this, powers beyond anything her gods could give her.� The Hunter writhed in his grasp, but Lucian continued, �But she did not want my gift, she was� disgusted� by me, and she chose a final death over the eternal life that I could give her.�
The Hunter felt an immediate rush of pride for Sylvie, who had given her life to deny this monster his hateful wish. He blinked back unwanted tears as he thought of how he had failed her. The young elf considered the enchanted amulet tucked inside his armour; he could use that to escape then return with the others as back-up, then mentally shook himself. He was worthless as a Hunter � this monster would kill him before he�d reached the amulet then he would escape, and Beon�s and Sylvie�s sacrifices would have been for nothing. He couldn�t let that happen.
Lucian was tiring of this battle. Talking of the female Hunter had reminded him of the needless waste of life that seemed to be his curse, and he wanted nothing more than to be away from this place. Once he reached Ashmelech there would be no more killing, no more pointless hate and prejudice, and he would be among others like him who understood his plight. He loosened his grip on the Hunter momentarily so that he could cast a swift, fatal spell.
The Hunter sensed slight relaxation of his bonds and on impulse he reached into the leather pouch at his waist and grabbed a handful of the fine powder inside. Diw had told him that it was a mixture of ground minerals that would burst into flames when mixed and thrown, so he hurled the handful as forcefully as he could at the rocky ground. With a soft whumph, tall flames shot up out of the bare earth and the vampire flinched away from them. The Hunter grasped Lucian�s thick robes firmly and tried to shove him into the fire, but the vampire was too strong, and the Hunter felt himself being forced back towards the house, away from the heat.
A flurry of movement from the direction of the town caught the Lucian�s attention. The fire had attracted the interest of a number of the town�s guards and some of the citizens too � they were hurrying towards the blaze to see what was going on. He snarled in annoyance; the curiosity of the townsfolk was the last thing that he wanted at this moment.
As Lucian was distracted, the Hunter gathered his strength and wrapped his arms firmly around the vampire, then thrust forward with all his might. The force of the push knocked Lucian off his feet and propelled the two men into the middle of the fire. The pain was immediate and terrible for the Hunter as his hair was singed away and his armour branded his skin, but he clung onto the struggling, screaming vampire until the thrashing stopped completely. Lucian knew nothing of those final moments, the pain was far greater than anything he�d ever felt before in his long life. He was vaguely aware of the Hunter pinning him down and stopping him from escaping the dreadful flames, even as his own flesh was burned away� but then the agony was over for both of them.
So here the story ends.
The townsfolk and Imperial Guards gather around the fire. They know nothing of either of the victims or of what has happened, and they care even less. Outlander affairs have little to do with them. The butler, standing on the steps to the Manor, removes his hat in honour of his master then turns and goes inside to pack his bags and move on. In a few days time the news of the fire will reach the ears of a cult living in a cavern beneath the mountains in the south, and they will mourn the death of their most recent brother and they will celebrate his bitter victory. They will not mourn for long � their work continues and there are more tragedies than this. In the far north a clan of vampires know nothing of these events, and probably will never know. The lives and deaths of these two fine men � one their kin, one their mortal enemy � would mean nothing to them anyway.