578 The Sus

A faint light, calm light, nothing as blinding as the light of this world seen when a baby is born. I remember it… I remember the minute I was born.

It was bright, too bright to my liking even then so I cried. Everything was so annoying.

I didn't know fear by then much like those subterranean beasts who are burnt by the flames they saw for the first time.

Life back then… it is something I cannot remember.

Strange, right? I remember the moment I was born but I don't remember anything else from my childhood?

Normally, even a vampire like me shouldn't remember such a thing as the moment of their birth but it was strangely vivid after that time I spent in the dark because… I was reborn.

Believe it or not, people can get reborn. Just seal them in the ground for hundreds of years then unseal them. They will get attached to the first face they see.

Such emotions!

First time, I saw my parents.

Second time, I saw him.

By the second time, I could tell what happened and understand what was going on but he could barely tell the special bond you share with those whom you unbound.

Good, he must never know.

Even though he may be as strong as my father, he may be fearless and calculative but there are things that he must never know.

Yet he too, he did it to me.

He put me in a coffin and said the exact same words.

"Wait here, I will come for you when the time is right."

And he shut me in a coffin… the same way my mother did.

Speechless? Yes, I was speechless.

I couldn't even say no. I don't want to be kept in the dark again. I don't want to feel like this… to sleep hundreds of years in this place alone to the point where my very soul is just frozen.

It may sound painless but it is not. My brain always turns on me… my enemy is in my head… the devil whispers… he comes… he calls… he tells me names… names I don't want to be called with… and the Devil never sleeps… and he is always within… always speaking… always telling me things I…

"Oh by the way… Almost forgot…" And the coffin was opened again in front of my eyes with the light shining so bright.

"Here, some snacks for you, cute little fangs. Oh… and take this scroll. Use it when you get in contact with… you know who. I'll be right next to you just outside the cave."

And he closed the coffin again.

What to make of this? I wonder.

Did the Devil say the truth or did it lie to me?

The Devil never lies, you see… but he is different from what the Devil says. He is there even if I don't want him to be.

And I don't want him to be.

I belong in the dark. I belong in the deep.

But it wasn't long since the visitor came to me.

I am out before I even know it.

There are two waiting for me just like he said, a man and a woman.

The moment I looked to the woman, she opened up a scroll and cast its runes on me. Strange! I surrendered to the spell. And I slept… deep… peacefully.

After all, he is right behind me.

***

"I expected resistance!" Astrid said.

"So did I… the place is so convenient for a fight." Arnbjorn replied, "How long will she remain asleep?"

"Long enough. She didn't seem to be putting her guard up so we have plenty of time." Astrid said as she conveyed the surroundings of the cave with her eyes, "Let's move."

Arnbjorn carried the coffin which Serana was in and followed Astrid out as she halted to take a good look at the cave once again.

"Something's wrong?" The husband asked.

"I don't know. You don't feel anything?" She asked.

"Hm? Nah, nothing in particular."

"Alright. Must have been my imagination."

She walked away with her werewolf husband following her with the coffin as they descended the mountain and took the road to a different secluded location.

"She could have noticed you." Nefertiti spoke.

"Impawssible. Sneak 100." Jon felt offended.

"You are being silly again, Hooman." She stretched her limbs before walking beside him and sitting on his lap.

"Hey, we're ought to be following them now. This is not nap time."

His words fell on deaf fluffy cat ears as she had to take his lap as her bed this time. He made a tired face knowing that he must never move if it came to this.

Or he can just float around while maintaining his pose.

***

As for Serana, she began to wake up not long after. All she found was the coffin she was in but the cave outside was clearly switched. She remembers bits and pieces of surrendering her consciousness to the effect of a spell and according to the instructions provided, she shouldn't be resisting.

"Sleep well?"

Her first steps out of the coffin were accompanied by the said words falling on her ears. She looked around left then right to see the silhouette of a feminine figure emerging from a shadowy spot. Just because she's a vampire who can see well in the dark, she managed to spot the features of the woman speaking.

She was blonde, aged but aged well with no traces of wrinkles on her face. She is quite tall as well meaning she is a Nord yet her presence was faint and her steps were soundless.

She exchanged eye contact with Serana for a minute before acting friendly.

"Quite the heavy sleeper you are. You killed a man and slept like a child. Quite cold-hearted of you? Don't you think?" Astrid asked while walking closer to the Vampire in front of her with no hint of worry, "I like it. You sound more like the quality I prefer."

The conversation was one-sided so far. Serana was briefed about this situation but her nature wasn't as easy as Jon thought. She had thoughts of her own. Unpredictableness. A low awareness of danger and a high aptitude for curiosity.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" Serana asked.

"Quite the usual questions, don't you think? Who are you, what do you want with me, why am I here, can I please go… or you are more of the begging type? Please don't hurt me and this nonsense." Astrid acted all mighty and capable.

"I am not. My questions were very clear." Serana replied with a motionless tone.

"Alright then. You can say I invited you here for… compensation issues. You took something from me, you pay me back and we are done. Simple… Oh! And if you are going on with this whole change of scenery thing you are witnessing… then you are welcome. Your cave looked dull to be honest. This one has a water stream… you can bathe and hydrate if you like. Thank me, if you want."

The mocking tone of Astrid got under the skin of Serana who was traveling the past few days with a Sarcasm Spam Lord called Jon Dare. If she didn't train her tolerance against mockery, she would have started slashing her claws against Astrid's face by the moment.

"I appreciate the gesture of goodwill but I don't hydrate on Water and…"

"Oh, I am well aware."

"… and please refrain from talking circles. Unless you want a fight, tell me why did you bring me here. What is this Compensation you are after?"

Astrid didn't like the intimidating tone of Serana but she smiled with only her eyes as the lower half of her face was hidden behind a mask.

"Alright." She said, "A man was killed in a town last week and he was right in the middle of the street guarding his master. You were seen just walking towards him, holding him up from his neck and twisting the damn thing like a straw doll. Everyone in Falkreath was watching you that day and I got to say… girl, you left an impression."

"..."

Serana kept silent and narrowed her eyes. Jon told her if she found no answer, she should just keep silent and narrow her eyes.

"Do I take your silence for confirmation?" Astrid asked before shrugging her shoulders, "No matter, the man you killed wasn't anyone dear to me just to clear this out of the way. I am not here for vengeance or something."

"So you came to such lengths, kidnapping me who is a vampire and you know it, just to tell me you want no vengeance?" Serana spoke haughtily.

"True. All I came here for is that the man you killed was mine to kill… and you stole my kill… my contract." She said.

"So it is about money?"

"On the contrary. I would even reward you for killing the scum. He was a molester and he deserved it. It is not every day when we do some good for the world, don't we? Gotta enjoy it while we can." Astrid said, "Still, what made you act recklessly in such a way to kill a man in the middle of a town under the lights of day and risk people coming after you? It seems rather… odd."

Serana gazed coldly at Astrid after this particular question.

"I don't have to explain anything to you."

The answer was spot on. Those who explain themselves are usually people who are trying to hide something. Those who don't are people who don't want people to middle into their personal business. Jon specifically taught Serana this little trick around words.

"I see… I don't mind a bit of mystery." Astrid nodded, "Now to the kill you owe me."

With a gesture of her hand, Astrid pointed to the people on the other side of the cave. Serana has priorly noticed them but seeing them all cuffed and tied, even covered with execution masks, there was not much to think about regarding minor bystanders.

"As you see, those are our guests for the night. I've collected them from… well, that's not really important. The here and now. That's what matters. You see, there's a contract out on one of them, and that person can't leave this room alive. But… which one? Go on, see if you can figure it out. Make your choice. Make your kill, I just want to observe… and admire."

"What is the catch?" Serana asked.

"The catch is that I gave the order to kill and you must obey."

"I don't like it."

"What is it?"

"Your ordering thing… I don't get ordered."

Serana has completely derailed from the main course of the game dialogue at this point. At a faraway place, Jon was facepalming at the long ends of his patience."

"HA!" Astrid laughed, "Now that is a shame! But what you fail to realize is that you involved yourself in this insanity when you took Helvard's life. You made your choice. Now it's time to face the consequences of your actions. You don't leave this cave until someone dies." Astrid pointed to the entrance of the cave which was blocked by a large boulder.

"That one can be you." Serana insisted on being stubborn.

"You can try but I prefer to handle this the civil way. A debt must be repaid, that's all there is to it." Astrid said as she fished out a dagger from her bag, "This is a Virgin Blade. My better half just forged it for our newest candidate. I should have given you this after the initiation but let's break some rules. What is the cost of a single mortal soul to a vampire anyway?"

Serana slowly accepted the Virgin Blade while watching the confident look in Astrid's eyes. If she decided to fight this woman, it wouldn't be an easy fight at all.

Either way, Serana finally let go of her badass emotions and turned to the targets she had to kill.

"Who are they?"

"Ask them yourself." Astrid said as she retreated from the scene.

In front of Serana, there were three tied individuals. A Khajiit, an Old Woman and a burly Warrior… seemingly a Nord. Serana chose to start with the Khajiit.

"Cat."

"Hm? What a tinder voice we have here? Might I say, young but beyond your age." The Khajiit replied ever so calmly.

"Who are you?"

"Me? Vasha, at your service, Obtainer of goods, taker of lives, and defiler of daughters. Have you not heard of…"

"Ugh! An idiot!" Serana didn't even listen to the rest and rolled her eyes with annoyance.

She walked to the tied old woman. Quite old but her curses and vulgar tongue was quite the irritating thing even on the other side of this room.

"Woman."

"Who in Mara's name are you, slut? I've been hearing your voice talking… scheming. Cut me down or as Mara is my witness, if I didn't have this hood on right now I would spit right in your face."

Serana sighed once again indicating that not different from the Khajiit, this woman is just another idiot. Last was the burly man.

"Nord."

"Uh… What… Who is it… Please, spare me. I'll do anything." The man said in a shaky tone.

Serana had a strange look on her face, she turned to Serana who by her part shrugged her shoulders as well.

"Quite the timid guy, aren't you?" Serana asked, "Who would want you dead?"

"Wait! What?" The man freaked out and quivered struggling with his cuffs and hood, "I am nobody. I don't want to be killed. Please."

"I am…" Serana wanted to say something but thought before she continues, "I am finding a pattern between the first two but with you… you seem like a nice man. Mind I say, not a man to be put a price on his head."

"No… I mean… I was a mercenary… I made some enemies."

"Obviously." She nodded.

"Oh, no! Oh, Gods! What have I done?"

Between two idiots who would make anyone into their enemies and a coward, Serana was perceptive enough to feel that the two idiots are easy to get contracted on by the brotherhood but it wasn't common to get every little shit in the land contracted for murder. The only one unique between the three is the last guy and he sounded strange.

"I didn't quite catch your name… what was it?" Serana asked.

"Jon… Jon Dare… they call me Jon Dare…"

"Huh?" (Serana)

"What?" (Jon some distance away)

"Meow?" (Nefertiti beside Jon)

This was quite an unforeseen situation even by Jon. The reason is this guy calling himself Jon Dare and about to piss himself from fear. In the game, there was no such thing as Jon Dare but Jon is positive that this guy was called "Fultheim the Fearless". Quite the distance between Fultheim and Jon in all Tamricallic languages. Even Serana was dropping her act amidst the confusion.

[A/n: So to explain it, Fultheim the Fearless from the game was quite the imposter guy and he was posing as Fultheim, a former Blade agent who is hiding in the Nightgate Inn. The original Fultheim is clearly hunted by the Thalmor and he seemed to be quite the Hero who killed many Thalmor during the War. Of course he is one of the starting characters in this book. Naturally, his tale should be a local Nordic urban myth and an imposter or two should appear. With Jon Dare being the hottest topic in Skyrim and the urban legend that outshines all, he did have some imposters in the past and here's this guy posing as him. Tbh, I've had this idea since the start of the novel now. A weight has been lifted at last.]

With the appearance of such an imposter, Serana and Jon took quite the time to readjust and think of something.

Serana pointed the Virgin Blade at this so-called Jon Dare and said…

"Hmmm."

"Just don't kill me, please." (fake Jon)

"Kill him already!" (The Woman)

"Kill the man and let's get this over with please." (The Khajiit)

"I am sorry, the vote has been cast."

And with a clean slice, the dagger slit the throat of the imposter Jon.

"Well done." Astrid applauded, "You are quite stubborn but it's a trait I value. No one should just follow orders mindlessly."

"Is that all?" Serana asked.

"Yes, that concludes our business." Astrid replied.

As she said that, Serana turned away towards the entrance of the cave without care. The moment she reached the boulder, she pressed on it with her hand but it didn't budge making her narrow her eyes.

"Before you go, I would like to extend you an invitation to join my Family. The Dark Brotherhood."

Astrid's offer irradiated the skin of Serana just a little because of the word "Family" obviously but she got over it.

"What's in it for me?" Serana asked.

The question made Astrid smile as she acted all cool and chill.

"We are a particular group of people with particular like-mindedness to murder. A remorseless guild of paid assassins and homicidal cutthroats. We kill for profit and for enjoyment… and of course, personal interest. A good reason as any to join, don't you think?"

"…" Serana kept silent for a while then nodded, "Keep going."

"I admire your enthusiasm. Go to the pinewood of Falkreath just between the farm and the town east of the old tower, you will find a black door under the road. It will speak to you and you shall answer 'Silence, my Brother'. Are we clear?"

Serana nodded and faced the boulder. Without even touching it, the boulder was lifted and pulled away by a large creature. A werewolf.

"See you at home." Astrid said as Serana walked past the werewolf thin in a dash, disappeared from sight.

Astrid narrowed her eyes towards the direction Serana ran to and kept thinking before the werewolves spoke to her.

"Should we start cleaning?" The werewolf awkwardly spoke.

Astrid looked at him.

"What's with the blood on your mouth?" She asked.

"A snack." Arnbjorn replied.

"So, the old man is feeling young, I see." She laughed.

"Heh!" He grinned with his terrifying werewolf face as well.

"Fine, your meals are waiting inside. Finish up and meet me at home."

They walked past each other with a similar grin on their faces.

"Just wash up after you finish eating!"

"… Yeah."

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