The Story of the Red Witch
Chapter Thirteen: Ebbs and Flows
Part One
Rosalie followed Silas for a short while until the older vampire finally came to a stop. Rosalie didn’t say anything, but stood behind him far enough to not be in range for a sudden attack.
Silas: You’re a quick learner, little Rose. You’ve got good instincts, better than I would have believed especially considering what you’re doing to yourself.
Rosalie: (One of these days I’m going to pay him back for calling me little so much!) What are you talking about? What AM I doing to myself?
The older vampire turned around and raised an eyebrow.
Silas: Oh you didn’t know? That’s… odd. Maybe your sire just hasn’t been completely forthright with you.
Rosalie glared at Silas and controlled her urge to strike him down.
Rosalie: My ‘sire’ is an ass, so I can believe that he’s hiding things from me. But how would you know this?
Silas: How would I indeed? You know our agreement. A blow to my appendages gives you one question, two for a body blow, three for a hit to my head…
Silas: And as always, a knockdown allows you to open Pandora’s Box, and with it anything you desire to know shall be told… at least until this session is over.
Rosalie: *rolls eyes* You say I’m a quick learner, but what do I have to show for it? And besides… you just want to beat me up because you had a bad dream!
Silas: *shrugs* Heh, guilty as charged. But it is of no consequence, come at me Rose!
Part Two
Rosalie went on the attack, coming at Silas with everything she had, but the older vampire always seemed to be one step ahead of her.
Silas: I’m glad you stopped trying to use that pathetic drain life on me. You wouldn’t want to see my counter for it anyway.
Rosalie: TAKE THIS!!!
Annoyed, Rosalie went for his face, but again Silas dodged with ease, almost as if she were in slow motion.
Rosalie fell back and glared at Silas. She hated his lax attitude, that arrogant smile, and felt like she was nothing but a child to him, but what could she do about it?
Rosalie: (It’s like he can see what I’m about to do before I do it… Hold on!)
Rosalie launched herself at Silas with an attack she knew wouldn’t hit, and rather than dodge it Silas stepped into it and countered with a fist to her face.
Silas: I know what you’re doing. I’ve seen it before from warriors both stronger and weaker than you, but it doesn’t make it any better now than it was then.
Silas: How many times do I have to say it? Trust your instincts Rosal—!!
Rosalie jumped at Silas’s throat, intent on ripping it out. She was able to get within inches of striking the older vampire...
But was once again countered as if it were nothing by Silas as he held her up by HER throat.
Silas: You’re mad, frustrated, but you’ve got to think rationally. If you can’t you’ll be useless to me!
Part Three
He released his grip on her and turned before she hit the ground.
Silas: Stop playing around Rosalie! Unlock your potential! A pure-blood turned you right? Then stop wasting my time!
He spread his arms out and sighed.
Silas: You said you wanted to be strong, you were so proud of that speed of yours… Does all of that amount to nothing? Shame that your sire was garbage—
Rosalie: DARIUS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!!!
Again, but quicker than before, Rosale leapt at Silas and was certain she had caught him this time, but at the last moment he dodged…
And flipped her over, slamming her into the ground hard causing Rosalie to unconsciously let out a cry in pain, garnering a laugh from Silas.
Silas: Close, but you’re still being overcome by anger and projecting it before each of your attacks. Control your anger. Use it as a weapon and don’t allow it to use you.
Rosalie slowly got to her feet, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
Rosalie: I know all of this! This was already beaten into my head… I hate to admit it, but you pure-bloods are too strong!
Silas: Man has defeated giants, werewolves, vampires, and dragons. Beings much stronger than themselves. You’ve just got to use the one thing that you have that we don’t.
Rosalie: (The one thing I have? All I have is my speed, but that’s—!)
Rosalie smiled and Silas saw a new light in her eyes.
Silas: I see that you have a plan, but I wonder how well you’ll be able to carry it out.
Rosalie: We’ll just have to find that out now won’t we?
Part Four
Silas: (I don’t know where this newfound confidence is coming from but it’s a good start.) Alright then, come at me!
And come at Silas she did, attacking with a flurry of kicks and punches that Silas was narrowly able to avoid.
Silas: (Shit! At this rate she’ll actually hit me! Not good…)
For the third time Silas felt Rosalie’s bloodlust targeted towards his throat and frowned.
Silas: I thought I told you to control your anger! If you’re not going to listen to me, we might as well—
Suddenly Silas felt like he’d been hit in the gut with a warhammer, and was taken off of his feet…
…And promptly landed on the ground with a weight on his lower body.
Silas: (What in Oblivion just happened? Did she just…)
Rosalie: Don’t look so surprised old man! I only did what you and Darius have been telling me to do.
Silas looked towards his chest and saw Rosalie straddling him triumphantly.
Silas: Really?
Rosalie: *nods* Yup! Use my anger as a weapon, and misdirection.
Rosalie: Looks like I’m not the straightforward vamp that you thought I was huh?
Part Five
Silas: I see… It’s great that you’ve finally progressed, and as comforting as this has been I need you to get off of me... Unless you plan on doing something ELSE to me.
Rosalie: What’re you—!!
Realizing what she’d been doing, Rosalie quickly got off of Silas and turned away from him which made him chuckle.
Silas: (Haa… If only we’d met at a different time without any of our baggage…)
Silas then remembered Lisaly and shook the thought from his head.
Silas: No, it’s best this way… At least you won’t be in danger…
Rosalie: Did you say something?
Silas got up and discarded his human disguise.
Silas: It was nothing. Now then, you got a knock down, pretty impressive. So what is it that you want to know?
Rosalie: Right, well then… You said that Darius was hiding something from me. What is it, and how would you know about it?
Silas: (Not pulling any punches.) Right… I know Darius, rather I met him back when I didn’t mean anything to my Clan. He was known as Harkon’s brother, but I don’t know if they were blood kin.
Silas: When I last saw him, he and Harkon were having a bit of a falling out, and I got to witness two Vampire Lords in the same place at the same time… As a young vampire it was frightening….
Silas: But awe inspiring… Anyway, to answer your question, you DO know that you can be fixed. That the powers that you’re missing, could indeed be restored to you.
Part Six
Silas: I don’t know why you couldn’t take his blood completely… It could have been that you were too weak when you were turned among other things, but as the night-child of a pure-blood—
Rosalie: What are you talking about? I’m not broken! I just… A-and what do you mean I can be fixed?
Silas: No Rosalie, you are definitely broken, but the fix is simpler than you’d imagine. Just have the head of a pure-blood line of vampires turn you.
Rosalie: The… head? Then that would include Harkon and…
Silas: Me. Think about it. Power that you’ve always dreamed of at your fingertips to do with as you pleased. With your innate abilities, I’d dare say that you’d surpass most vampires in an instant.
Silas could tell that she was struggling with this and was relieved. He knew that she craved to be stronger than she currently was, but admired her loyalty towards Darius in spite of his offer.
Silas: I know it’s a lot to think about at once, so let’s leave it aside. Is there anything else that you want to know? Otherwise we can end here.
Rosalie: Huh? Y-yes… I mean no! I have one more question. You seem back to normal now, but… when I woke you up you seemed… a bit emotional.
Silas glared at her.
Silas: Yeah, and? I don’t see a question here.
Rosalie: What did you dream of that made you become so emotional?
Part Seven
Silas walked past her, and Rosalie could feel Silas’s anger toward her even though he wasn’t looking at her.
Rosalie: D-did I pick at an old wound?
Silas: A… a wound? SHE WASN’T A WOUND DAMMIT! SHE WAS MY—!!
Silas saw how taken aback Rosalie was at his sudden outburst and immediately tried to compose himself.
Silas: It’s in the past and can’t be changed, so does it even matter?
Rosalie: Of course it matters! Especially if you’re going to blow up at me like that! If I have to knock you down again or land another strike or—
Silas: *sigh* No… that won’t be necessary. A promise is a promise after all…
Silas took a deep breath and braced himself for his next words.
Silas: I was dreaming about my wife, Lisaly…
Rosalie: Oh… So you decided not to turn her. So that’s why you told me to ‘treasure this time I have with Bishop.’ You just miss her. That’s nothing to be ashamed—
Silas: That's not it. I... I killed her in cold blood.
Rosalie looked as if she had turned even paler, if it were possible.
Rosalie: Y-you killed her?
Silas: Not only her, but I also killed our child as well.
Rosalie took a step away from Silas in disgust.
Rosalie: I thought that you were a good man Silas! But to think you were the type of man that would murder his own family!
Rosalie: Have you nothing to say for yourself?
Silas: Come with me… There’s quite a bit that I have to explain, and this could take up the rest of the night…
Part Eight
At the same time, things had resolved between Serana and the Faith-Broken sisters, but it didn’t go as Serana had thought.
Serana: Liri… Why didn’t you fight her…
Innis: Bwahahahaaa! You thought that my sister, dear sister, could ever lay a hand on her ‘poor defenseless baby sister?’
Innis: You’re a fool vampire. Much more of one than your cool personality would let show.
Innis kicked Liri in her stomach.
Innis: And you sister… Dear sweet sister, you need to stop living in the past!
Innis kicked her again out of spite.
Liri: *cough* *cough* Innis… Why—
And again Innis kicked Liri again, but this time in the head, knocking her out.
Innis: Why? WHY!? Oh me oh my, to begin with why. They want you back, I want you too, only to see you cry!
Innis turned and pointed her sword to the rising vampire.
Innis: You there! This was boring. I thought vampires to be vicious beasts, not spineless fools like my sister.
Serana: (If Liri’s memories weren’t flooding my mind at every turn, you wouldn’t even be alive your wretch!) There’s a first time for everything…
Innis frowned.
Innis: And you’re a liar, but name calling is so juvenile. So here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to go and you’re going to prep my dear sister, so that when I come again…
Innis: I won’t have to fight an invalid child pretending to be a woman!
And with that Innis walked off but not before knocking Serana out for good measure.
Part Nine
The sun greeted Liri as she woke up feeling aches all over her body.
Liri: Ugh… what… what happened—
Liri: Innis!
Liri shot up to a seated position and immediately let out a pained shout as her body reminded her of the beating she had taken.
???: Glad to know you have your priorities in order. Also good that your body remember just what your foolishness resulted in… for the both of us.
Liri: Serana… Look I’m sorry, but I couldn’t... She’s my sister! She’s the sole reason that I am who I am—
Serana: Stand up.
Liri stood and was immediately knocked down by the vampire.
Serana: Get over it! That… that woman was is not the same person you left behind! You need to come to grips with that!
Liri: How would you know anything! You’re not Faith-Broken! You don't know what we... what I—
Liri saw a look not of anger, but sadness in Serana’s eyes and was reminded of the vampire’s predicament.
Liri: (That’s right… she’s the only one that knows exactly how I feel…)
Liri: So what then? What should I do? How am I supposed to fight Innis, when every fiber of my being is shouting at me to protect her?
Serana averted her eyes.
Serana: Well I have a solution, but I don’t think you’ll take too kindly to it…
Liri looked rose to her feet and nodded.
Liri: Whatever it is, we can talk about it on the way back to Solitude. Besides, it can’t be that bad… right?
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