Dragon of the East - Arc 2, Chapter 10

• Posted by Okan-Zeeus April 14, 2015 - 1,208 views

  Dar-Meena

  ~ ~ ~

  “So this is it… Stonefalls Hollow.” Chase lowered his telescope, taking in the scene.

  “Must be. Fits what Delvin described,” I said.

  In the shade of a thicket, beneath cloudy skies, we spied our destination from a distance. A steep path swerved up the cliff ahead beside a large waterfall. I could hear it hissing down rocky slopes. The hollow turned out to be just that, a cavern going deep into the mountainside.

  “This one would have preferred something other than a cave,” Chase remarked cheerlessly.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Got a problem with caves?”

  “I have no fondness for them.” He peered again through his scope. “There are two men standing by the entrance.” Chase passed over the instrument to me. I took a peek at the mouth of the cave and saw a couple of Nords standing around, wearing chain mail armor under vests of leather and blue cloth. Both had steel swords at their waists.

  “Matching uniforms. Weird,” I muttered. “They look like Riften guards.”

  “Not quite,” Chase said. “They’re donning the leather and mail of Stormcloaks.”             

  Stormcloaks. I’d heard of them. They were those rebels trying to oust the Empire from Skyrim. I didn’t like being reminded that a civil war was going on. As if there weren’t enough things to worry about.

  “You’re sure?” I asked.                                                                                                        

  Chase’s eyes narrowed. “About the uniforms, yes, but not the men wearing them. I have reason to suspect this place.” I couldn’t see what gave him that impression, but he knew things that I didn’t. He insisted on leaving me in the dark.

  “What happens now?” I said, shifting my tail. Chase thought long and hard to himself.

  “I need to get into that cave,” he said. “I’m going to ask those two if I can come inside.”

  I glared at him. “What makes you think they’ll let you in?

  “I will ask politely.”

  “That’s stupid. I’m coming with you.”

  Chase stood up. “No. I have no knowledge of what lies ahead. It could be dangerous.”

  “So?”

  He looked down at me. “I don’t want to put you at risk. I made a promise you wouldn’t be harmed on this trip.”

  I rolled my eyes. “After all this, I’m supposed to just sit here and wait? I don’t get to find out why I even came here?”

  “You’ve fulfilled your obligation. I require nothing else from you.”

  Augh! What’s with this guy!? Just when I think I’m warming up to him…

  “Look, I know I did this for the money, but I don’t like getting kept out of the loop,” I said, irritated. “And I’m not helpless. I can handle myself in danger.”

  “Dar-Meena, you will not change my mind on this matter,” he replied sternly. “Find a place to lay low for a while. If I’m not back by sunset, leave. Understand?”

  I groaned. “Fine.” There was no getting through to him. I didn’t have an angle.

  Chase pulled up his hood and followed the path to the hollow. I stayed low, watching him anxiously. By the time he made half the distance, he started plodded along with slow arduous steps. It looked like his knapsack had somehow gained weight. Then I realized what it really was. He’s pretending to have something heavy in his bag. What for? The two men on guard duty saw Chase coming up. He obviously wanted to be seen. One of the Nords came over, halting him with a raised hand.

  There was an exchange of dialogue. I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Chase showcased his bag to the men, who both looked at each other before waving him up. Whatever he was doing seemed to be working. They were letting Chase into the hollow.

  Were they expecting him? What’s going on here?

  The three walked together into the dark cave. Wind rustled through the trees. I had nothing left to do but sit around and wait. Fantastic. I planted myself on a rock and sulked. Even if Chase thought there’d be danger in that cave, I hated the thought that he saw me as a liability. He was looking for someone, right? Why couldn’t I help him?

  Because he’s hiding something from you, that’s why, I thought to myself. Something shady. He insists on all this damn cloak and dagger.

  Chase seemed honest so far, but I knew how quickly that could end. All it takes is one smudge to ruin the streak. I used to think that trust was worth the risks it came with. It took Barnaxi to show me how naïve I was. Even after we split I thought I could trust his word. Two years together had to count for something.

  What did that trust leave me with? A knife in my gut and three deaths on my conscience.

  Words are cheap. I needed to find my own answers.

  I got up and made for the hollow. Chase didn’t want me in that cave, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. I’d keep out of sight. Poking around where you’re not supposed to is what thieves do for a living.

  A dark and dank tunnel met me at the mouth of the cave, filled with echoing roars of the waterfall. The walls were narrow and the ceiling was high. Tiny mushrooms grew in cracks of soil along the rocky floor. I took each step with doubled caution, watching my shadow merge with darkness as I stepped further and further in.

  I entered a large cavity. Torches and oil lamps were lit at the far back of the pitch black cave. Their light was my only guide. There were sleeping pallets laid out on the ground near a fire pit kept for cooking. I saw boxes and barrels and sacks of grain in the shadows. Large iron cages were gathered near an alchemy laboratory, torch flames reflecting on blubs of glass. All I could hear were the sounds of babbling ground water.

  And the smell! That awful smell! What was it?

  This cave… Why does it remind me of…?

  I stepped in something wet and looked down.

  It was a pool of blood.

  Shit!!

  The shock made me reel. At my feet were the bodies of two men, the same ones Chase had walked in with. One’s head was split open, slammed back against the cave wall. The other bled from a deep slash across his belly. Intestines were spilling out.

  No, no, no… not this! Not this again! It’s just like–                                         

  Like another cave I’d been to, up in the dusty hills near Chorrol. Memories came flooding back. What’s the first thing I remembered? I was coming to, lying in a puddle of water mixed with blood. The blood was mine. My head throbbed.

  “Ah… You’re awake,” a familiar voice said. “Do you know where you are? Nosy little rat. You’ve been here before.”

  It was too dark to see well. But I could smell things. Awful things.

  “You took something precious from me. A book. I would very much like it back…”

  A book… That book… How could I possibly forget?

  It was my first theft.

  Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me into the shadows. I snapped back to my senses and found myself staring at the snout of an angry Argonian.

  “If I recall, you aren’t hard of hearing,” Chase hissed. “Why did you come here?”

  “Get off me!” I pushed away, catching my breath. “Gods, are you trying to give me a heart attack!?”

  “I would rather that than a sword wound! I told you to lay low!”

  Chase was pissed. I didn’t have time to worry about that, though.

  “What is this!?” I motioned toward the bodies. “Did you kill these people!?”     

  He glanced at them briefly.

  “They tried to ambush me the moment we stepped inside,” he snarled.

  My heart was pounding. “Why!? Who were they?”

  “I do not know. Bandits, maybe.”

  “Are there any more?” I asked, suddenly wary.

  “No. We are alone,” he replied.

  That was a relief. “Why’d they let you in in the first place?”

  He paused. “I mislead them to believe I had wares to trade,” Chase said in a somber voice. “They saw I was armed. They still thought they could surprise me.”

  I shuddered. “You… tricked them into attacking you?”

  “It confirmed my suspicions. This cave has a large stockpile of resources. These criminals have been baiting farmers and lumberjacks to come here with their goods. There’s no telling how many people have fallen prey…”

  “Then you knew! You planned on killing those two from the start!”

  Chase shot a menacing glare. He took a step toward me. I stepped back.

  “If I truly wanted to kill them,” he hissed, “I’d have done it more competently. It was my hope that I wouldn’t have to. Perhaps that hope was foolish, but it matters little now.” He pointed to the beds over by the torches. “Count those cots. There are seven. These two were part of a larger group. The longer we wait, the more we risk them coming here and finding us.”

  Chase brought his crossbow to bear and walked toward the back of the cave.                    

  “I am not leaving until I’ve searched this place thoroughly,” he said. “Stay close. I don’t want you out of my sight.”

  Daedra and divines… what have I gotten myself into?

  I pushed down my fears and kept a stern face. We stepped into the lit portion of the cave. The living amenities laid out were all makeshift. Chase began inspecting containers and barrels, brushing off dirt and dust.

  “I thought you came here to find someone, not something,” I said.

  “I am looking for a man named Leifnarr, or any evidence that he has been here. Middle aged, average build, pale complexion. Last seen with a trimmed beard. Keep your eyes open for any personal belongings that may have been his – a white bandana, a leather tunic with a patch on the waist, or a silver wedding band.”

  He didn’t come here without exact details, I mused. His conduct had become methodical all of a sudden. It seemed very… professional.

  Chase lifted the lid off a box. I peered over his shoulder to see inside. There were several sets of Stormcloak uniforms stacked in a pile. “I knew it,” Chase muttered. “This is how they’ve been drawing people here. Establish credibility with the guise of a war effort.” He closed the lid and walked over to the alchemy table. I followed. The awful smell was back again.

  There were strange ingredients laid out. Some leafy plants and fungal spores, but more importantly slabs of meat, freshly cut.

  I grimaced at the rotten stench. “What are those? Animal guts?”           

  “Human flesh,” Chase said coldly. I didn’t want to ask how he knew that.

  He strolled over to a cluster of glass instruments. Several vials of liquid were laid out, labels tied onto them with pieces of string. Chase picked up one of the containers and popped its top, fanning the scent to his nostrils. His face knotted. He set the vial down.

  “This is a powerful paralyzing agent,” he said. “These people are brewing potent poisons. For what purpose…?”

  “Maybe they’re trying to make their dirty work cleaner,” I suggested. “They’re bandits, right? Why spill blood when you can just poison somebody and take their stuff?”

  Chase didn’t seem to agree. His eyes were searching around the room.      

  “Something else is going on here. Something foul,” he growled. “We need to cover more ground, and quickly. Check the area over by that oil lamp. I’ll see what more I can find near these cages.”

  As Chase turned away I paused, eyeing the container of poison. A powerful paralyzing agent, huh? That sounded useful. I snatched the vial without being noticed, smiling to myself. Stealing was a nice stress reliever.

  I passed the cluster of beds and started snooping around the cave. That’s when I saw a dark passage leading deeper into the mountain. The smells coming from the entrance were even worse than the ones outside.

  “Hey!” I called out. “I’ve got something! There’s another tunnel over here!”

  Chase jogged to me and inspected the entrance, weapon ready. We both looked at each other. He grabbed a torch from nearby and led the way as we slowly stepped inside.

  What was in that room? I can sum it up with one word: horror.

  There was blood everywhere. A wooden table was soaked with it, covered in the remains of some mutilated corpse. Other bodies were shackled to the wall with iron chains, hanging bare, pale skinned and filthy. I felt sick to my stomach.

  “A torture chamber!?” I whispered.

  “Xhuth… zoqthei’aal…” Chase murmured. His tail was rigid. He holstered his crossbow and motioned for me to stay put, walking up to the bodies. His inspection was brief.

  “These men and woman died recently,” he said. “There are few signs of decay.” As he looked closer, his eyes widened at the sight of something. He quickly rushed to check the other bodies.

  “What? What is it?” I asked.

  “These corpses… Their necks are riddled with bite marks,” he said.

  Oh gods…

  I swallowed something down my throat. “You’re telling me...”

  “This is no mere torture chamber,” he hissed.

  An uproar of voices filled the cave.                       

  “Over here! I found them!”

  “Bastards…! They’re both dead!”

  Chase immediately dropped his torch and stomped out the light. I could barely see a thing. He grabbed me and pressed us both against the entryway, peering out into the cave’s main chamber.

  “Someone will bleed for this. Search everything! Now!” a sharp voice commanded.

  Lights started moving in the darkness.

  “We are in a vampire’s lair,” Chase spoke softly, almost inaudibly. “I should have known.”

  I’d never seen a vampire before. I leaned over Chase to get a look for myself. A rag-tag group of men and women were scurrying about, carrying all sorts of blunt and bladed weapons. A cloaked figure was among them, tall enough to be a High Elf, with a pair of glowing yellow eyes that glistened in the dark like stars.

  “That’s him, isn’t it?” I whispered.

  “There is only the one. The others must be thralls,” he hissed, gently pushing me back, “which means I know where to strike. The thralls are slaves to the vampire by magic. If I kill the monster, their minds will be freed.”

  Chase gripped the wooden stock of his crossbow. What could I say? Nothing that would stop him, that’s for sure. He chanted something to himself.

  “Tsarkk xhe nohn'daa...” Chase turned back and made sure I could see the gloss of his eyes as he glared at me. “Stay. Here.”

  Without making a sound, he slinked around the corner and into the cave. I tried to see where he went. No dice. He’d vanished into the shadows. My survival instincts kicked in the instant I realized I was alone. I hunkered down with my knife in hand, heart pulsing in my ears.

  Seconds passed but they felt a lot longer. Where did he go? What is he doing? One of the thralls started walking toward me, torchlight bleeding into the chamber. I held my breath.

  There was a mechanical sound, the snap of a crossbow. Chase had taken a shot at the vampire. I heard a hard impact on stone followed by a quiet clanking.

  “Ha! You thought you could hide from me?” the vampire exclaimed.

  The shot missed. I couldn’t tell you why, but it did.

  The thrall near me whipped his attention to a bright flash of red. He ran to his master’s aid. I looked out and saw the vampire unleashing some sort of spell from an outstretched hand. It was like a beam of light made of small glowing orbs, drawing toward the vampire. There was another light with it, blue. Chase’s ward pushed back against the vampire’s magic as he closed the distance to his target.

  But the thralls were closing in as well. Everyone was rushing together headlong. I braced for the clash.

  “Wait!!” the vampire suddenly yelled as he dropped his spell. Everything came to a halt. Chase stood frozen in place, sword drawn and held defensively. He eyed the thralls holding back at their master’s bidding.

  “Will you speak?” he asked.                          

  Chase said nothing.

  The vampire sneered. “Silence. Of course.”

  Things were looking bad. Those thralls are going to jump him the second he makes a move! I wondered if he even had a plan to save himself. Chase wanted me to stay put, but… damn it all, I couldn’t stand and watch him get killed! He was one against five! Who could beat those odds?

  “You realize you’re outnumbered, Argonian. There’s nowhere to run.”

  Kill the vampire and free the thralls. That’s what he’d said. Was it really that simple?

  Even I could do that.

  …I could do that.

  I readied my bow.

  Fuck it.

  “Tell me… why have you come here?”

  I snuck into position at the back of the cave, picking a spot with clear vantage. My hands were trembling. Tsariba taught me how to calm myself in moments like this. I steadied my breathing and felt the soft fletching of my arrow between my fingers as I drew to aim.

  “Was it the Dawnguard?  Have they sent you to kill me?”

  Tension built in the string at my claw tips. I pointed my arrowhead at the vampire’s eyes, two glowing targets in the dark.

  “I kill for no one,” Chase growled.

  Here we go.

  Release. The arrow sailed true and struck the vampire’s skull. He stumbled to the floor. Yes!! A perfect shot! Chase spun around in surprise. The thralls stood motionless, gazing at the body of their former master.

  So much for the scary monster. Not bad for a liability, either. I think I proved my usefulness.

  Now the thralls will–                                                                                                             

  Spine-chilling screams filled the cave. The thralls raised their weapons and rushed Chase all at once. He barely had time to flinch.

  …What!?

  I felt the blood drain from my face. I thought I’d killed him. I tried to save him and I killed him.

  Weapons clanged. Cavern walls were splattered and stained red. Torchlight flashed on metal. It was a slaughter.

  The thralls were dropping like flies.

  Chase was untouchable, parrying every blow and seizing every opening. One by one he cut them down and ended their cries. Swiftly, mercilessly. It was almost unreal the way he killed them. He made it look easy. The last man was struck with a rising slash. Chase held his sword up at the peak of its arc and watched him stumble back, before he dropped to the floor with a sickening thud. Chase’s arm fell back to his side.

  Then he just… stood there. I could see him panting in the cave’s dim glow, soaked in blood, clutching his sword. He wouldn’t look at me as I walked up to him. He was staring numbly at the man he’d slain.

  “Daedra and Divines… Chase are… are you okay?”

  “This is the one… The man I came here to find,” he said quietly, almost to himself.

  The dead Nord lying at his feet was lanky and unshaven, but definitely middle aged. He wasn’t wearing any of the clothing Chase had mentioned, except for a silver wedding band on his finger.

  “I killed him…”

  Chase tightened his jaw. I went closer.

  “Who was he?” I asked gently. The question only made it worse. He looked so sad…

  “The vampire’s spell… it should have worn off,” he whispered. “Why didn’t it?”

  “It’s not your fault,” I said, not knowing what else to. “I’m the one who killed that vampire. You defended yourself.”

  Silence.

  “Come on, don’t space out on me. Say something…”

  “…the waterfall…”

  “What?”

  He walked away.

  “I will go to the waterfall. Wash off this blood. Wait for me if you want to.”

  I didn’t say anything else. It was my turn to be silent.

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