Entry posted by blazingsai
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The Story of the Red Witch
Chapter Eleven: The Awakening (Part Two)
As soon as Liri entered Dimhollow Crypt, the Nord knew that there was something about this place. Something… peculiar...
???: These Vigilants never know when to give up. I thought we’d taught them enough of a lesson at their hall.
Liri tensed and gathered spells in each of her hands.
Liri: (Shit… So the whole place is crawling with them! If this is a trap...)
Liri continued slowly, making sure to keep close to the wall, until she came to an opening. Then that voice range out again.
???: And I have half a mind to tell Lokil of your disloyalty.
Liri: (Lokil?)
Liri looked towards the source of the voice and the sight of two vampires made her feel like her heart was going to lunge out of her chest.
Vampire: *sniff* *sniff* Do you smell that? All this talk is making me... thirsty... Perhaps another Vigilant will wander in soon.
Liri closed her eyes and tried to still her heavily beating heart.
Liri: (Calm down! Calm down! You’re the Red Woman, the second-in-command of the Shadowswords…)
Liri: …You're just not a match for me... Oh well.
Liri opened her eyes and smirked as power began to surge through her.
Liri: (That’s right… That’s right! I’m the goddamned Red Witch! The Crimson Lady of Riften! What do I have to fear?)
Liri stepped from her cover and confidently presented herself to the creatures of the night.
Liri: (Two vampires and a death hound… Let’s have some fun!)
The vampires screeched and then came at Liri. However, she didn’t flinch. With little effort she went on the attack, keeping the undead creatures at bay.
Liri: (They're not nearly as scary as the supposed purebloods... Maybe this won't be as difficult as I had imagined.)
Liri fought as if she'd never been imprisoned by the Volstikars, making sure to stay on the move as she blasted the vampires with torrent after torrent of lightning.
The vampires were relentless, however when the Nord started levitating, and weaving in and out of their attacks all the while spraying them with her magic...
It was only a matter of time before Liri disintegrated the pair of undead, leaving only supercharged piles of ash in her wake.
Before she could relax, she heard growling and the rush of feet to her side, and without missing a beat Liri caught the death hound midair with her magic...
She grinned while eyeing the beast with a predatory look in her eyes.
Liri: You ugly, ugly thing... Out of my sight!
With a flick of her wrist the hound whimpered before collapsing to the floor. Liri then stepped over its carcass as she made her way towards the gate that sealed her advancement.
Liri: (Probably a lever somewhere… But it’d take too long to find it. I guess I could just teleport over there…)
Liri: Or maybe…
She encased herself with magicka, but unlike its usual volatility and power, it was calm, soothing, and had a tingling feeling...
Ultimately she was shrouded completely and turned incorporeal. Liri fondly remembered this feeling...
Liri: (Alteration magic... I almost forgot the high I got from using spells from this school...)
Passing through the gate, Liri shuddered.
Liri: (Ugh... I remember why I hated doing this... It always seems like I could feel anything I walked through, and it's so... discomforting...)
After becoming tangible, Liri gathered lightning in both of her hands and smiled.
Liri: (Alright Feran, I’ll play your game.) Besides… It’s been a while since I’ve been able to cut loose.
She didn't know if it was because she hadn't gone all out like this since she was in Blackreach, but Liri felt like there was no limit to the amount of punishment she could dish out to her foes...
And unluckily for the undead that were held up in Dimhollow Crypt, there wasn't an ally of hers among them.
Hesitation wasn't in her vocabulary, as Liri began doing everything in her power, including getting a bit creative, in order to swiftly deal with every adversary that stood before her...
As she continued to shred through the vampires' ranks, Liri could feel herself becoming overcome with power and as a result was showing less and less restraint...
But that was completely fine by her.
Liri: Kill or be killed. Skyrim is, and forever will be a harsh place, and if you pale fuckers can't deal with that...
Liri: May you burn forever in Oblivion.
Vampires, skeletons, death hounds, draugr...
It didn’t matter what stood before her, and before she knew it Liri was once again the ruthless force that made Jensgr initially recruit her for the Shadowswords...
She was unstoppable! A force of nature. Her enemies cowered before her and ran for their lives... Those that didn't were overwhelmed by her immense and unrelenting might.
That continued until she came upon a vampire battling with one of the biggest spiders that Liri had seen before.
Liri: (Hmph, looks like someone can't control their pets. The fool—)
Liri ate her words at the ease with which the vampire slayed the arachnid. Immediately Liri recognized that this vampire was different from the others she'd met thus far...
After making sure he wasn't going to pop up and attack her again, Liri looked around for more aggressors, but to no avail.
Liri: That feeling I had when I entered this place seems to be coming from here... There’s definitely more going on here than Feran told me…
After passing through the door, Liri looked around and could intensely feel whatever was exuding that strange feeling.
Liri: Shit... That’s got to be an ancient artifact of some sort. Feran must have known of its presence and believed that I wouldn’t recognize it. But that could only be—
Vampire: Are you sure that was wise, Lokil? He still might have told us something. We haven’t found—
Liri: (Lokil? Isn’t he the one those first vampires were talking about?)
Lokil(?): …It is up to us to bring Harkon the prize. And we will not return without it!
Something about his voice reminded Liri of Feran, of Tinira… of Silas, and Liri’s earlier bravado disappeared…
Feran: If you dare to compare Volkihar or Volstikar blood to that of those ‘creatures’…
Silas: Normal vampires… aren’t like us. They’re not as strong as us...
Liri could feel her consciousness wavering and it became hard for her to stand straight.
Liri: (Damn vampires! Why did I believe Feran! Not only is this Lokil a ‘pure’ vampire, but he’s Harkon’s—)
When she awoke, Liri felt an overwhelming calmness that didn't match the fear struck eyes of the man before her that exuded the same aura as Feran and Silas…
Liri: So... You must be Lokil…
Her voice was calm and cold. She was amazed that she had the strength to pacify a vampire without the use of magic, but something didn't feel right...
Lokil: Please! D-don’t hurt—
Liri: SILENCE!!
The weight and power her voice carried shocked the mage, but it felt like someone else was in control, not her…
Tightening her grip on Lokil, the Nord smiled.
Liri: Groveling? Begging? Scum like you doesn’t deserve the Lord of Domination’s ‘gift’. And so I shall deprive you of it.
Lokil: NONONONON—
And then there was silence, followed by a thud on the ground that echoed throughout the chamber.
From being disrupted to being supercharged, Liri didn't feel in control of her own power and this frightened her... But it also gave her great pleasure...
It wasn't long before the Nord passed out again. When she finally awoke, she felt drained, and although whatever was producing that weird feeling was close, it didn't affect her at all.
Gingerly, Liri used what she assumed to be a wall to get back to her feet and leaned against it until she had fully gathered herself.
When she was finally able to, she turned around saw that it was no wall and rather some sort of sarcophagus.
Liri: So this thing was the source of that bizarre feeling...
Curiosity overran her caution and she began touching the coffin, searching for a way to unlock its hidden secrets.
Liri: Alright then, let’s try to open this thing—
Liri’s hand felt like it was on fire. However, upon looking at it there was no blood nor a sign of injury.
Liri: By the Nine! What kind of trick is—
Suddenly, the coffin began to open causing Liri to take a step back in return. Although the Nord had expected a body to come spilling out of it…
She didn’t expect it to be quite so… fresh…
The woman seemed confused about being suddenly jolted awake, and Liri decided not to interact with her until she was able to get her bearings.
???: Ugh: Ugh… Where is… Who sent you here?
Liri: (She’s quite the rude one.) Hmph! What? I’m not who were you expecting?
She smiled, blushing ever so slightly, but stood out on her pale skin.
???: Not at all. To be honest, I was expecting someone… Well, like me at least.
Liri: *laughs* Like you? What do you think I am? We’re both Nords silly.
The woman shook her head, and once Liri looked into her eyes, she knew exactly what the woman meant.
Liri looked hard at the woman, who took offense to it. However there was no doubt. She felt exactly like Lokil and Feran.
Liri: (Divines! This is Harkon's 'missing' daughter! These damn vampires! Can they do nothing but lie?) Why were you locked away like this?
The vampire looked at her quizzically, but Liri simply ignored it.
Liri: I can do that, but first we need to take a detour to Solitude and meet up with my…
Liri: (I belong to no Man! Especially not to Him! I am my own woman!)
Vampire: You… You belong to someone. A vampire, like me… I can smell their scent on you. Are you their thrall?
Vampire: Silas…
Liri: My scent?
The vampire shook her head.
Vampire: To raise my coffin, a sacrifice was required... Blood, to be exact. Based on these feelings and memories that I'm seeing...
Liri could feel her anger rising, but when she realized that unlike the others, this vampire wasn’t poking around in her head, she tried her best to stay calm.
Liri: I... I see...
...And began trying to sooth the woman's pain. It took a while, but eventually she felt the pale Nord relax and let out a deep sigh of relief before squeezing Liri in return.
Vampire: Thank you.
She pushed Liri away and gave her a gentle smile.
Vampire: Heh, well then, that was a bit uncharacteristic of me… W-we should get going.
She took Liri by the hand, which took the redhead completely by surprise, and smiled.
Vampire: By the way, my name is Serana. Good to meet you.
Liri: Y-yeah... I'm Liri, and the pleasure's all mine.
Serana: Heh, you know what? I think we might get along just fine Liri! *wink* Just fine.
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