Shea: A prison?



Shea: Any explanation you want to provide?



Shea: Or will you just continue to sit there?



Errwarld: Good that you're here. Is that another pair of swords?



Shea: Might be...

Errwarld: Can't just stick with one can you?



Guard #1: So that'd be who the quartermaster is complaining about?



Errwarld: Yes, she would-



Shea: Look, can you tell me why you wanted me here? You know, instead of letting me be a part of vampire history.



Guard #2: Errwarld seems to think one of the prisoners has more to tell.

Guard #1: He won't say anything, the prisoner that is, not that Errwarld is particularly talkative with us anyway.



Errwarld: Well, shall we meet the lucky man?



Shea: Look, this is going to be a wasted effort, they already said he isn't going to say anything. I'd rather be part of the discussions than partaking in whatever this is.



Guard #2: What is going on up there by the way? I heard that some-



Shea: Not of your concern.



Shea: So, Errwarld, can we get this over and done with before things get interesting upstairs?



Errwarld: So let us proceed. Follow.



Shea: So, why is it we're doing this? I don't suppose you all of a sudden want justice for someone.



Errwarld: My desires are of that ilk.



Shea: Who is he?



Errwarld: I'd like to introduce you to Baron Mortrue.

Shea: Why is he here?



Mortrue: Seem to think I got Queen Eldris killed. Her own fault really-



Errwarld: And that's the story the story he keeps touting.



Shea: And you think there's more to it?



Guard #2: He seems to think so.

Guard #1: We've tried everything...



Guard #1: ...As it turns out, torturing a vampire is rather troublesome.



Errwarld: The issue is that he was blindly loyal to her just days before she died.



Shea: So how'd she go? It takes a lot to kill a vampire.



Errwarld: We don't know. Poisoning wasn't possible. Wasn't attacked. It was quite mysterious. She supposedly seemed a little empty in the days before she was...put to rest but that's all worthy of keeping in mind.



Guard #2: I hope you aren't going to start investigating rumours-



Errwarld: So it's a rumour, but it's unusual for someone usually emotional to be like that.



Shea: And?

Errwarld: There's a myth about this place, that the First Queen would return once the cold reached the throne.

Shea: Cold reaches the throne? Doesn't really make sense. But you think it's related?

Errwald: I think so.

Shea: So investigating some myth was more important than what's happening right now?



Errwarld: No but we're investigating it. We're heading into the bloody waters of the undercroft.



Shea: You don't think that'll set the fangs off? Or drive both of us feral?



Errwarld: It was the First Queen's cell, it's not actual blood.



Shea: Then what is it?



Errwarld: You said it was 'some myth' you won't be interested.



Errwarld: But the bloody waters are supposed to be from her tears, it supposedly glows too.



Shea: So you haven't been down there yet?



Errwarld: I imagine we're the first for a long time.



Shea: Well you weren't kidding about it glowing.



Shea: But whatever was in there is long gone.



Shea: So it was all just a myth. Something that was a waste of time. Besides, why'd you even think that Mortrue was linked with this myth? Bit of a stretch to argue.



Errwarld: Well it was more of an excuse to get you down here. The First Queen has been the subject of my scholarly research for a while now. I needed some help. An anchor if you will.



Shea: An anchor, you aren't going to chain me up, are you?

Errwarld: No, nothing of the sort.



Errwarld: You'll keep me mostly grounded. You won't let me stray too far into the arcane looking for an explanation.



Errwarld: And it's daylight, I do need some help scouting above ground.



Shea: How'd you know the wall was there?



Errwarld: The undercroft is massive. We've only seen a fraction of it. There's probably a secret wall in every room.



Errwarld: If you'd be so kind to move ahead, I can feel a breeze and I can't risk a run in with sunlight.



Shea: Fine. I'm too late to join with the talks now anyway.


{Several minutes later}



Errwarld: What's up there?



Shea: It's just the river passing through the castle.



Shea: It's the overgrown part, near the entrance through the mountains.



Shea: There doesn't look to be anything here!



Errwarld: Nothing? Okay, I have an idea. During the twilight hours, meet me at the Grave of the Queen's Blade.

Shea: Where's that?

Errwarld: Below the Executioner's Hill!
 

Sol: So, you weren't at the talks.

Shea: No.




Sol: Might I ask why?



Shea: Well you're the head of the clan, I didn't want to start an argument about what we should do in the middle of an official talk.



Sol: I don't believe a word of that.



Shea: Fine you got me. Errwarld dragged me into some investigation about the First Queen.



Sol: Described it by name. It must be interesting, I seem to recall something mother taught us about though.



Sol: The First Queen was supposed to be dead long ago. She was called...something Takano, I think.



Shea: Well we're investigating it. I don't know why I even agreed, I could've been doing something much more productive.



(Knock! Knock!)



Knight: Madam Sanghurst-



Sol: Let them in!



Vera: Both the Sanghurst twins? Unexpected.



Vera: I trust I'm not interrupting anything.



Shea: No but you-



Sol: Sister! Be civil, please.



Vera: Yes, that's no way to greet a guest.



Shea: {whispering} With all due respect sister, I wouldn't trust her as far as you could throw her.



Shea: (Not after what she's said to me)



Sol: Perhaps it was a good thing that you weren't at the talks. Sister, hold your tongue or leave.

Shea: Fine, I'll see you later.
 

Shea: Not very magnificent is it?



Errwarld: A grave is a grave. No amount of fanfare changes that.

Shea: But for a Queen's Blade? I'm assuming that was high ranking.

Errwarld: Very.



Shea: So why such a meagre grave?



Errwarld: The First Queen and her followers were toppled by a rebellion. That's why there's only a small grave. And that's why only warriors seem to respect it. Leaving their former belongings behind before becoming the Raven Knights.

Shea: Rebellion? I don't recall learning of that.



Errwarld: Yes. It started when one of her knights left her service. The First Queen was ambitious. But ambition without wisdom is like a bird with no wings. Doomed to fail.



Errwarld: The knight that left was one of her wisest advisors. He armoured her forces and gave them more effective weapons. He gave wisdom to the First Queen when she was enraged and made sure the people were happy with her. That knight, Sir Gabriel was the foundation of her power. Without him she would've failed and died like so many other rulers.  Then she turned away from him. Once Molag Bal attempted his invasion of Tamriel, the First Queen took the opportunity to pillage the lands of bloodstock and indulged in debauchery and things better left unspoken. That knight left, with all his wisdom. The Queen's Blade supposedly fought him and died, hence the grave. That's how the books tell it anyway.

Errwarld: Sorry for the lecture.



Shea: No problem, I learnt something new at least.



Errwarld: Anyway, I believe my next assistant is here.



Shea: So who'd you bring?



Vinheim: He brought me.



Shea: Sir Cone Head, I don't see how you can help with that on.



Errwarld: Pardon, Shea. She means nothing of it.

Vinheim: It confuses many when they first see it.

Shea: So we're going to ignore the caused by it?



Vinheim: I hear far more with this on than I ever did before. That's very important for me.



Shea: So we have a vampire with an ability to stand in the sun and little else -



Shea: - Someone who is visually...impaired-



Shea: - And a scholar who is probably boiling in his armour because he didn't want to wait any longer for the sun to fully set.



Shea: What an entourage.

Errwarld: You know, those who are unexpected usually win.

Shea: So we're the underdogs, even better.



Vinheim: Something is wrong.

Errwarld: What is?

Vinheim: I feel as though...



Vinheim: I feel as though we're being watched...



Errwarld: It's just a feeling Vinheim...I've been feeling it since we looked in the First Queen's cell, nothing has come of it yet.



???: I'm afraid something just has.



???: Three vampires in a dangerous forest, chasing after a myth, and they won't even acknowledge their instincts. Weak.



Shea: Who are you?!



Vinheim: Don't!



Errwarld: Do as we do and you might just get out alive.



???: You, who still has the freckles of youth! You'd be wise to quieten down.



The First Queen: You stand before myth. Legend.
 

Sol: I say we should start. Those who don't care about this aren't here. I doubt they'll have gotten into trouble with anything. They're all capable.



Eleavoir: That isn't what we should be worried about.



Vera: I say we should be worried about a plot against us. Those three had been getting rather friendly...



Eleavoir: Let's not throw accusations like that around lightly.



Sol: But we're all so used to throwing accusations, you certainly are Eleavoir. I remember the first day of talks...vividly.



Vera: Sounds like she's made a choice already.



Eleavoir: Vera, don't start that! We're here to vote on who leads us, not push a campaign against one another.



Eleavoir: So, does anyone have any propositions they would like to make before we begin.



Sol: Yes! I believe that it's long past the time that we choose only one successor. We could rule, the three of us, as a triumvirate. There'd be no need for these excursions to this castle, we could rule-



Vera: Really, you don't think that you or Eleavoir aren't going to try and take the lead? You'd both gladly-



Sol: Do you need to be so self-centred? Not everything is about you!



Eleavoir: Despite the good intentions and ambitions, a proposition of a triumvirate is denied by two. That little exchange was proof enough that it would never work.



Eleavoir: I propose myself as the head of the clans. 



Vera: Of course you would! Don't want to settle down your pride just yet-



Sol: Well, with respect, neither of you are a great fit for the role.



Eleavoir: I believe Sol and I may be an agreement, Vera.



Eleavoir: Someone must take lead. My clan is the strongest and largest. We need security!



Sol: And if the largest clan won every time, we'd be extinct by now!



Eleavoir: What exactly are you trying to say?



Vera: I think I know exactly what she's trying to say.



Eleavoir: Someone needs to sit on that throne. I'm prepared to bleed for it, to bleed for my people.



Eleavoir: Are you prepared to do that? Either of you?

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As usual, I'll always welcome comments, criticisms and suggestions. Oh I also remembered to upload as .JPEGs this time; hopefully, things loaded more quickly.