20demayo Chapter 239: Chapter XLIII: Laid To Rest
Chapter 239: Chapter XLIII: Laid To Rest
Chapter 239: Chapter XLIII: Laid To Rest
(Mephala's POV)
My eyes roam the bustling tavern, the best one in the city supposedly even if that did not say much, most of the mortals appearing utterly uninteresting and bland as my gaze passed them
over.
'Well then' The girl approaching me catches my attention 'This one might prove worthy of my attention'
"Tough day, sweetie?" I smile pleasantly as the young tavern wench brings me my drink.
She blinks, briefly startled by my melodious voice, and looks me over, a slight blush covering her cheeks as her eyes wander "I uhm... we manage." She fidgets nervously.
I tut at her "You manage?" My face twisting into a light scowl, the slight gesture of support easily earning me the bored creature's trust "We can't have you falling over, now can we? Why don't you take a seat?"
"I- I really shouldn't" She fidgets, a rather pretty little thing, no doubt to be snatched by some lumberjack or marsh hunter to live a life of mediocrity in mere months. At least she showed off a bit of her figure while she still had it.
Only shoulders and a bit of cleavage and the Nords fall over themselves, the prudes!
"Oh come now, what is poor little me going to do?" I tap the bench to my right, my fingers moving hypnotically and her eyes following them in a daze "I am sure your employer won't mind you keeping me a bit of company, after all I am a well paying customer."
And just like that the feigned hesitation disappears and she sits down, a bit too close even.
'How very bold' I giggle breathily, sending a shiver down her spine "Now, my dear" I barely touch her exposed shoulder and she immediately looks away, her ears reddening "How about you entertain me with some intriguing gossip, and in return..."
Her head immediately turns back to me, anticipation clear in her eyes.
I do so love applying the personal touch to these things from time to time. Tempting mortals with your mere presence gets oh so boring after a while...
Another thing to thank my not quite so mortal chosen for I guess.
My split second of thought was apparently too much for the little thing as she asks "In return?"
I offer her a conspiratorial smile and whisper "I teach you how to snag yourself someone not completely worthless."
She shivers for a moment as my breath caresses her reddened ear but suddenly composes herself, her eyes now showing her hidden hunger instead of the well practiced meekness she projected as her smile turns outright manic "It would be my pleasure."
There is that hidden potential.
(Reyvin's POV)
"It is definitely burned." Serana points out helpfully.
I give her a dry deadpan "And the award for detective of the millennium goes to Lady Volkihar, long may she reign."
She rolls her eyes, visibly trying to be more expressive "As if you could tell more from a mere glance without magic."
"I can in fact." I scoff "For example, this fire was obviously started by someone as the area around the fireplace is still relatively intact while the edge where you can see the slightest remains of a bed has been burned the most."
"They could have dropped a candle." Serana tries lamely.
I give her another deadpan "I am not really sure if you should be having such low standards for your own people."
She raises her nose with false pomp "As if I would ever compare myself to mere peasants." I snort lightly and shake my head "Alright, that is enough of that. We have a job to do." To which she nods.
I had been spending some time in the past few days getting her to relax around people, at least slightly. Her paranoia wasn't gone, she still seemed jittery and at times even unhinged when certain powerful people were around, but she was getting a handle on it and even developed a bit of snark from her constant interaction with me.
She was so company starved it wasn't even funny.
We searched around the house and within it after that, finding out small details about how the whole thing went down and even seeing the locks barred from what little remained of the door. Whoever did the deed made sure the family was unable to escape easily.
I just hope they suffocated in their sleep instead of burning alive...
Unfortunately a bunch of people already went around the house multiple times so no tracks were left to be followed, making any kind of mundane investigation unable to provide extra relevant information.
Finally done satisfying my childish urge to play detective I dust the ash from my gloves and cast a quick clairvoyance, just an underpowered version as I didn't want to alert whoever cast the ward too much.
As the spell induced hunch enters my mind I mutter a "Huh..."
"What is it?" The bored voice of Serana reaches me.
I frown "I just tried finding some hints but it is pointing me toward the graveyard."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Serana, already moving, asks.
"The graveyard is that way." I lazily point in the exact opposite direction.
She stops, takes an unnecessary breath, and wordlessly starts marching after me.
(General POV)
Her eyes flash a deep bloody red "Yes, yes I very much do."
The moment we passed by the city's central tavern a shrouded figure fell into step beside us,
without even turning around I asked "What did you find out?"
Mephys scoffs "This whole city is entirely uninteresting, only two dozen cheating couples,
and a mere three of them doing anything barely worth mentioning and they aren't even being creative about it, or so the rumors say."
"That is not what I asked." I deadpan, earning a giggle.
"Then you should have been more specific." Before I have the time to groan she raises her hands placatingly "Fine you spoilsport, I learned about a bunch of locals disappearing over the past year or so. Apparently many of them were in contact with a certain Alva, a supposed
seductress drawing the gullible young men into lives of banditry and other equally idiotic claims."
"Blood thralls or recruits." Serana mutters "Whoever is behind Alva is building a coven."
"A vampire?" Mephys asks, though her tone tells me she is unsurprised "I guess there are less subtle ways of telling the paranoid locals that you are a Daedra worshipper." Serana gives her an odd look at the apparent disdain in her voice but she chooses not to
comment.
"Our primary target is her master" I interject "She should have the information on their
location."
"And our own bloodfiend can force said information out of her" Mephys chuckles, ignoring Serana's glare "Well then, what are we waiting for?" she asks and walks in front of us, straight toward Alva's home.
I do not even try to be subtle as I simply kick down the wooden door with a dragonskin empowered foot, the slightly rotten wood splintering into tiny shards the moment my boot connects.
A surprised Nord man, Hroggar I presume, stands up from his dinner and goes to grab his axe but I simply use telekinesis to smack him with a nearby pan, knocking him out on the spot.
We continue our march through the house without pause, ripping off the cabinet hiding the passage to Alva's coffin and coming face to face with the very panicked vampire slowly getting out of said coffin.
The massive blood red runic matrix covering the entire room lights up for a brief moment but
ceases just as quickly as stone spikes rise up in vital points of the ward, destabilizing it and turning it useless.
That is what you get for using blood to draw your wards you fucking amateur. Serana appears in front of Alva in a blur of movement and locks eyes with her "Who is your
master?" Serana asks.
"M- ugh!" Alva clutches her head in an attempt to resist the command but it takes only the
slightest glow coming out of Serana's eyes for the resistance to break completely as she drones in a completely dead tone "Morvarth."
"Did he recently capture the Moth Priest Dexion?" Good thing she remembers the actual
objective.
"Yes."
"Where is his lair?" Serana presses.
"Four hours north of Morthal, go east by alchemy farm, pass hunting camp, cave under large
willow tree." Alva drones emotionlessly.
Serana gives me a questioning look and one quick clairvoyance later I get a vague feeling of
the general location and nod, signing Alva's death sentence as Serana lashes out with her
claws, severing her head in one swift movement.
"That was satisfying." I mutter appreciatively.
Serana gives me a weak smile "It was."
"If you are quite done with your little interrogation, there is a small crowd gathering
outside!" Mephys' cheery voice comes from upstairs.
I groan.
The powerstone dragon yearns for a grander hoard!
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