After a few days of preparation, Korvan was ready. He steeled himself and prepared for the biggest day of his life. The sun rose above the forest, and he waited impatiently for nightfall. He spent the day sharpening his swords, and when the sun fell below the horizon, he almost ran to his bed. The vampires jeered and kicked him, but he shrugged them off bleakly. Night fell, and he arose from his half-doze. Although creatures of the night, some of the vampires slept at that time.
It was to their room that Korvan went. He took a dagger from one of their bedside tables and slit their throats while they slept. He neither wept for nor cared about what he had done. There were only a few vampires left, but after Korvan left, they fought amongst themselves because they believed it was one of their own who had committed the murders.
When Korvan returned to the cave the next morning, he found just one vampire, kneeling in the centre of the bedroom weeping. He turned when he saw Korvan, his normally bright eyes now dulled.
“You did this,” he said quietly. The vampire rose slowly, and drew his axe. Korvan drew the two swords that were slung across his back, and he and the vampire clashed. It was a short fight, as Korvan had been honing his skills alone in the forest, and his opponent was weak and slow. He left the cave unmoved by the deaths of the people who had effectively raised him. They had been cruel to him and had deserved nothing, so why should he care? It would all be over soon anyway, and he could see no reason to waste his remaining time on those monsters.
He strode confidently down to the village, covered in blood and dirt. The people gasped when they saw him, but he didn’t care. He went into the tavern and called for a drink. He had no idea what it was, but it definitely tasted good. Still, he didn’t want to get drunk before tonight. There was a lot of excitement around the village. It almost seemed to shudder with anticipation as sundown approached.
Night fell, and she herself seemed expectant as the villagers gathered in the forest, away from the prying eyes of the Imperials. A Bosmer with more years behind him than he’d probably care to remember stepped into the circle. The shaman.
“My brothers and sisters, we have been beset by a great evil of late. The Imperials have invaded Valenwood, and have been harassing our village for longer than we should have allowed. They have a large encampment nearby, but as mere elves we could not hope to best them. Our forefathers, however, gave us a way to overcome all invading forces, are we in agreement that we shall follow in their footsteps?”
The crowd cheered delightedly.
“Revered Shaman,” one woman began, “what about the vampires? Could we not vanquish them also?”
The crowd cheered again.
“They have already been dealt with, and now their vanquisher wishes to rid us of the Imperials as well! Step forward, young Korvan, for I know your intentions.”
The young Bosmer stepped forward incredulously. How could this man possibly know? The shaman spoke again.
“Who will join him?! Who will honour their ancestors and be part of the Wild Hunt?!”
Five male and two female Wood Elves stepped forward. The crowd cheered them as heroes. As instructed by the shaman, they removed their clothes and allowed him to paint their bodies with a thick red paste, forming intricate patterns. The crowd, much like Korvan, were particularly impressed by the bodies of the two women taking part in the hunt.
After the participants were painted, the crowd withdrew slightly, and the shaman began to mutter an incantation, centuries old, pronounced flawlessly after years of practise. Korvan beagn to feel slightly strange, and was rather surprised to find himself looking back on his miserable life with a tinge of regret. He didn’t want to die, not really, but his parents had to be avenged.
The spell was reaching a climax, and Korvan held onto that animal need for survival as his body was torn apart , replaced by something terrible and monstrous. Korvan disappeared, but that spark of hope for survival stayed with the creature that took his place.
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