Skyrim, The Bloodlust Within

The Stranger With Fire In His Eyes

As I rode past the hills, streams and rocks I reached the camp behind Whiterun, the sun was behind blocking me from a clear view, but being a Khajiit I could see well in the dark, and I could make out some Bandits going about their daily lives. I drew my Bow and Arrow, reading to fire, but as I approached they didn't seemed fazed by me, rather than drawing their swords and other various weapons they instead parted a clearing for me, and bowed. Only after did I dismount my horse and sheath my weapon did they rise, but when they opened their eyes, I could see they were not human. The eyes were not brown nor blue, but glowing orange like the sun. In the shadows their gaze followed me, like an owl follows a mouse. Predator, and prey. As I walked up to the main doors, a man with short brown hair, pale skin, and the same burning red eyes, approached me and said

"Welcome J'zargo, my master has been waiting patiently, if you would follow me I can take you to him"

Turning around he opened the wooden doors for me, allowing me to pass inside. After I had entered he followed behind, occasionally gesturing for me to follow him in the right direction. After a while we came to stop, as we had reached a dead end. Deciding not to say anything I waited with growing doubt. 'Was this an ambush?' 'Did the Bandit's really send me a letter to lead me to my death?' After pondering over these I knew in my mind that no ordinary Bandit Camp would have strangers with fire in their eyes, or could have gotten my name so easily. As I was about to speak to the guide he reached up, and pulled a hidden lever on the wall. The wall in front of us folded into the cave ceiling, opening up a new passage.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. It was old and ancient, very much like in tombs, the next was something metallic, the flavour in the air sticking to my tongue. I knew this scent well. It was blood. As we headed down further and further it became icy cold, even my fur didn't keep me warm down here.

Finally we came to some big metal gates, which were made of silver. As my guide opened the gates my gaze was drawn to the room before me. The room was round in shape, not small nor huge. There was no opening to the world above to create light, so the only way to see was by candlelight. They covered the walls and floors, which was stained with blood, emitting just enough light to see. The rocks and rubble that created the walls was held together by huge ancient pillars, completed with gargoyles sat on the top point, their eyes looking down towards the back of the room, where a throne sat. As we approached I saw that it was made from bloody human bones. The chair where you sat was made from a rib-cage, the arms and legs of the chair were made out of human arm and leg bones, with human skulls to act as a hand grip at the end. But the resting piece of the throne was interesting. Instead of human skulls, the back was mounted with wolf skulls, but the jaw and the shape wasn't thin, it was muscular and built for crushing anything that managed to get in the way of the vicious, sharp teeth.

After looking around I turned to face my guide, only to find out that he had gone. But the Bandit's from outside had followed us down, and had positioned themselves around the room, kneeling down on red velvet drapes. As I walked forward to them I felt a gust of wind from behind me, spinning around I caught sight of another, but this one was wearing black armor, and the symbol on the clothing... I had seen it somewhere before... Only when he turned around did I realize who and what he was.

"Your... Your a Vampire"

The smile on the Vampires face was filled with amusement and delight, but also somewhere I noticed a hint of fear, fear of me? Looking closer he was dressed in a light grey armor, complete with decorative dark brown and gray boots with light pieces of leather wrapped around them. His face was a pale brown, with a scar running across his forehead and red war paint starting from the bridge of his nose, parting to reach the outline of his mouth. His face was not one of beauty, rather ancient and tired looking. But his fangs, his fangs could be seen clearly. Before I could reply he spoke to me.

"Greetings J'zargo, I am Namasur, loyal servant to Lord Harkon, nothing more, I have been waiting your arrival, come closer, I won't bite"

Turning around he sat on the bone structured throne, his burning bright eyes watching me, observing my every move. I approached him and bowed before him, he seemed to be someone who took loyalty gladly. I had studied Vampires for many years, so I know how to defeat them, learn their weaknesses, exploit them, and be able to tell what race they are, so I should be able to recognize what species of Vampire he was, but for some reason, this Vampire, Namasur as he named himself, was different.

"J'zargo" Namasur finally spoke. "Arise, I do not wish to harm you, I wish to offer you something, a gift that you are capable of having"

"And what is that?" I reply, a hint of curiosity in my tone.

"You, are someone special. Ever since you were born in Elsweyr and brought here as a young cub, only to have both your parents killed when you were just a very young adult, left in the wilderness to fend for yourself"

"What does that have to do with anything?" I reply with venom on my tongue. Recalling the bloody murder of my mother and farther, the gory image of their throat's torn open printed in my mind.

"You don't remember what happened do you? You don't remember that every evening after your loss, a hunger wells up inside you, but you are not sure why?"

I stop and think, come to think of it, I do have this... Thirst when the sun set's, I thought it was an affliction or a disease, but I had not been able to find a cure. Unable to find the words to reply I just stood looking at the ground.

"I will tell you what is happening to you, J'zargo" Namasur said, a cold but reassuring tone in his voice. "Your parents were killed by a Vampire, and that Vampire was my Lord, Harkon. You were bitten too, but you survived the attack. Over the many years after that, our Vampire blood is slowly turning you into a Vampire. Sadly you will starve because your true power will not awaken without Harkon's help"

"What... What are you trying to say?"

"You, J'zargo, are the descendant bloodline of the Volkihar Vampire Clan, the most powerful race of Vampires Skyrim will ever know!"