The previous one.

Let's continue the show (even though there are fewer of us now than when we started....)

Green-Root.

Green-Root had not looked towards Ian yet. He knew he was taking a risk, but keeping his eyes on one vampire was hard enough already. Right now, the Vampire was trying to push Rann to the ground with his vampiric strenght.
,,Let's see how well you fight without that cursed blade!" The Argonian hissed and stabbed directly at the longsword which was locked with Rann's blade. Just before the two weapons collided, he called upon the power hidden within his spear and watched how it began to change its shape, turning into lethal Daedric.

The demonic tip crashed through the longsword as if the steel was mere paper. The blade flew away into the bushes somewhere, leaving the vampire with only the hilt. Green-Root made use of the surprise by swinging his spear down and cutting into the vampire's leg.
,,Now, Rann! Take that thing down!"

Patholos, in the fray

Patholos worried about the noises he kept hearing. It sounded like shouting, and every now and then he heard a sick squishing sound, accompanied by a cry of pain. Patholos crept out from the underbrush and saw a vampire fighting vampires. Patholos then realized that the lone vampire was Ian, the vampire he had met earlier. Patholos observed the wounds that Ian had sustained, and was about to help, when he remebered that he was weak and not a fighter. Patholos then made up his mind.

Yelling anything that came to his mind, Patholos jumped from the bushes and ran right through the fight, yelling and screaming. He jumped and danced and hollered, then sat down on a rock, a few meters away.

"Come on you scum, come get some dinner!" Patholos yelled with his back turned to the undead. Hopefully I can draw their attention away from Ian so he can heal up or help the others...., Patholos thought. Here goes.....

Rann

The vampire stumbled a bit as he cried out in agony, still clutching his broken sword. Rann took the opportunity to slash his opponents midsection, spilling undead entrails onto the ground.

The vampire fell on its knees, clutching his stomach.

Rann kicked the vampire to the ground and finished his grim deed by driving his katana through the vampire's heart.

"You can handle this one, right?" he asked Green-Root, referring to the remaining vampire. He didn't wait for a reply, as he assumed the answer was yes, and ran towards the place where Ian lay. Ian's attackers were running towards Patholos, not noticing him.

Patholos, being pursued

Patholos was relieved that the vampires had chosen to pursue himself instead of Ian. Patholos decided that the undead he was facing were much too much for his combative skill. Patholos then had an idea. He took off runnning towards his enchanted area of the woods. It looked as if one of the vampires was going to follow him and the rest were going to stay prowling around by Ian. It looked as if they were going to use wounded Ian as bait to kill the rest of the group. With a shrug, Patholos quaffed an invisibility potion that he had been saving for months. Light began to bend around him as he stalked around behind the vampire that had followed him into the woods. The vampire called out, "I know where you are, I can smell your pulse..." The vampire licked his lips and started to sniff. Patholos, deciding to act quickly and return to the fight, readied his dagger and threw it with practiced deadliness. The last thing that vampire saw was a bright green blade protruding from its chest. The vampire began to die, and Patholos strode over and kissed the creature on the forehead.

"Say hello to the Dread Father, Creature of Sithis!" And then Patholos violently snapped its neck.

Green-Root.

,,I was going to say no." Green-Root grumbled but Rann had already left. The Vampire glared at him hatefully. The Argonian bared his teeth in return.
,,I'm sure you've seen Daedric before. Know what it does? It cuts you in two like knife through butter." He hissed with more confidence than he actually felt.

The vampire glanced at the rising sun, then back at Green-Root.
,,Enjoy the day, lizard! It could be your last. Next time we meet, I'll drink your blood." He threatened and vanished. Green-Root set down his spear beside him and shrugged.
,,If you're so sure of your victory, you wouldn't run now. Bad bluffing on your part, good bluffing on mine."


Flint Ironwood.

,,Now that was a nice chap, especially for an Orc. Restore Magicka, restore fatigue and several healing potions. They taste bad, but I sure can't complain about the results." Flint thought happily. In the distance, he could make out the lights of Chorrol, steadily growing closer.

Rann

Rann knelt beside Ian and shook him gently, trying to wake him up.

"Ian, are you alright? Get up."

He also kept an eye on the vampire that was on the ground beside Ian. It obviously wasn't dead, but it's flesh was sizzling in the sunlight. He kept trying to wake Ian, all the while wondering what the point of attacking the vampires had been when there may have been a chance of Akavirian loot.

In order to make this worth it, this vampire here had better have some damn good information.

Patholos, emerging from the forest

Patholos watched as the body of the recent adversary began to turn to ash. Patholos removed his dagger from the burning corpse and noticed a satchel around the waist of the burning body. Patholos removed it and started to search through it. He found bits and pieces of goblins. They must be feeding on anything they can get their hands on, Patholos said. He searched around a bit more and uncovered a secret pouch in the sack. He found three small vials. Uncorking the vials, he smelled the metallic smell of blood. Laughing quietly, he put the vials in the sack and walked back to the clearing where the fight had occurred.

When Patholos arrived, he found Rann crouched over Ian and Patholos worried.
"It seems that the vampires were willingly starving themselves to gain an edge in battle," Patholos said. He tossed the satchel to the ground. "In there is human blood, or what i think is human blood," Patholos said without pause, then hurriedly said, "I want you to save that man, Dunmer, save him." Patholos stared at Ian with those pupiless eyes, and he bent down and laid a hand on Ian's chest.

Rann

Rann quickly went through the satchel and came out with two vials of blood. He propped the unconscious Ian up and pulled the cork from the vial of blood with his teeth.

"Wake up and drink it," he said, waving the bottle in his face, hoping the smell would wake him. He didn't think he could make an unconscious person swallow, but if Ian didn't come to soon, he was willing to try.

Ian, waking up

His senses returned as the acrid smell of blood rann down his nose. Ian blinked his glazed red eyes. It took several moments before the haze cleared up enough to to realize Rann was waving a vial of blood in his face.

Ian lifted a shaky hand to grasp the bottle of precious life giving fluid. His nearly gagged as it washed down his throat. He muttered, "Nice to see you went through the trouble to get fresh blood...." Ian tried to lift himself up, but the gash down his back stopped him.

"I.... I don't think I can walk, how bad is the wound?"

Rann

Rann glanced around Ian's back to take a look at the wound. "Uh...let's not talk about that."

"Here, drink another, I hear it helps your kind," he said, handing Ian the next bottle of blood, already uncorked for him.

Ian

Drinking the other bottle, clarity began to return to him. Ian now registered a dull throbbing pain along his back. Ignoring the discomfort, he looked around, noting Patholos and Green-Root. "It would seem I made a grave error in judgement." The vampire muttered dryly.

"Well, if the Quarra act outside of combat the same way the do inside, they'll be too proud to confess fighting and dying against us to their master. At least for the moment...." Color returned to his face, and he moved without shaking as dramaticly.

Patholos, with the group

"Ian, Rann, Green-root, I might be mistaken, but aren't vampires severly alergic to the sun? Ian, we better move to the treeline or that cave Green-Root was in, else you might become ash." Patholos stared off at the horizon, now looming up over the rolling hills. "Haste is of utter importance I fear...."

Green-Root.

The Argonian bent down and reached for Ian.
,,I don't suggest the cave. It just happens to be right in the middle of that army and so I don't think it would be ideal as a hiding place. Think you can stand with our help? We'll get you back to camp."

Rann

"You two take him back," he said, "I'm going to try to make this trip worth something."

He still didn't get why they attacked the vampires, and he figured the others were going to get to work interrogating the unconscious, but still very alive, vampire that Ian had been fighting, so he took it upon himself to fulfill their original plan; get some good loot.

"I'll be back soon; don't forget that one," he said, pointing to the sizzling vampire.

Flogir

With dawn shortly approaching, Flogir decided to prepare the camp for travel, or in other words, he was taking it down. After a cold breakfast he began rolling up sleeping bags and dismantling temporary shelters.

Stuffing the last article into his pack, Flogir stared up at the sky. A slight pang of doubt struck him. Why aren't they back yet? he thought. Did they run into any trouble? Were they caputured?

Curiosity got the better of him. "I'll be back shortly, don't follow me," he told the others still around before heading in the last direction he saw Rann's party go off.

Patholos, with Green-Root and Ian

Patholos stared at Green-Root and Ian. He thought to himself, "They can get back to camp, I should take this prisoner." He then said to the pair, "You to go on ahead, I take this one back myself. There are methods my Brotherhood taught me that some people might not deem, how you say, humane? Leastwise, I might need another Drain Fatigue Potion, if she decides that she has the courage to get up."

Waiting for a response, Patholos noticed the vampire stir, and he quickly bound the vampire with his rope belt. "I don't believe this will hold her, does anyone know some sort of Calm Humanoid Spell that would "keep her quiet" for the trip?"

As he said the last bit to the pair, Patholos bent down and whispered in the female undead's ear.
"Do you still feel pain, Creature? Are there still feeling under that dead flesh?" With the last word he bit the cheek of the vampire, causing her to cry out in pain. Patholos laughed a sadistic, evil laugh and then said,
"Ha! You taste better than the last one!" Turning away from the vampire, Patholos smiled. He knew he was in the female vampire's head, and he could feel fear coming from the vampire.

Rann

Rann stuck around long enough to see Patholos begin his gruesome work on the female vampire. It lessesned his already low opinion of the Dark Brotherhood assassin. He didn't stop him though, and hoped he wasn't just as bad for it.

"I'll be back," he reiterated, but it carried a second meaning this time; he had a score to settle with Patholos.

He began walking towards the mass of snake people, unsure of how he was to get in and steal something, but he was determined to try nonetheless. He didn't understand why, though, as he had earlier been against the idea.

Maybe I just want some kind of gain from all this. All we've got so far is a wounded Ian.

He hadn't walked far before he saw Flogir out of the corner of his eye, heading towards Ian, Green-Root, and Patholos.

Hopefully Flogir's reason will slow down Patholos's madness.

Ian

"I think I can walk, I'll just need someone to take the pressure off my back." He watched Rann depart, picking up his hidden meaning. It's unnecessary, but someone needs to to show Patholos the length of his leash.....

While Ian didn't see Patholos as treacherous, it was clear to all how unstable the priest appeared. As both Dunmer went their seprate ways for the time being, he noticed he was left with Green-Root. The agent didn't feel entirely comfortable around the killer who was motivated mostly by self-interest, but as he saw it, the Argonian was better companion to be alone with then Patholos.

Flogir's presence was only known to him when Ian heard the Nord's boots thump across the dusty ground. Finally someone who isn't a potential danger, Ian thought to himself.

Rann

Rann stuck to the treeline as he walked on for less than a minute, staying invisible to the thousands of eyes of snake-men. He stopped focusing on finding a way in for two reasons. One, it was impossible to do without dying in a matter of seconds, and two, his mind was on Patholos and his treatment of the vampire. The image of Patholos biting the woman's cheek ran through his head.

I can't leave it up to Flogir.

He immediately turned back, knowing his conscience wouldn't allow him otherwise. Advancing on Patholos without a word to anyone, he interrupted the 'inhumane' interrogation by putting his blade to Patholos's throat.

"Give me a reason not to kill you right now."

Flogir

Flogir knew something was up when he saw Patholos, Ian, and Green-Root with a tied up woman. At first, Flogir was curious on how Patholos was even there but that immediately changed when he realized that the captured woman was sizzling in the approaching daylight.

"You captured a vampire!?" he hissed in a stunned way, "I thought you were going to attack their supply lines or something? And where's Rann?"

But before any of his questions were answered, Rann appeared with a knife to Patholos' throat. It appeared that their previous fight had yet to be settled and things were turning into a dangerous situation.

"Rann! This is not the time to do this!" he whispered harshly, "We got a horde of enemies just over that hill, and for some reason we have a vampire that's going to burst into flame any minute! Can we at least find some cover."

Flogir hoped that what he said to Rann made him sound only mad about the timing, not the fact that he appeared to be ready to kill Patholos. Out in the outskirts of the forest was not an ideal place to hold a vampire who can't survive in the sunlight or have a possible murder.

Patholos, under pressure

"Do it! Do IT! Kill me now, you s'wit! Have you the courage?" Patholos spat at Rann, still frozen in place by the knife at his throat.

"Please, please, kill me, I do not want this place as home any longer. But, before you do, answer me this," Patholos whispered to Rann. "Have you ever felt something is right, even though others around you say it is wrong?"

Patholos waited, and he tensed up in anticipation. After a few seconds, Patholos relaxed, and put his hand on Rann's hand. "If you are going to kill me, know that my blood is on both of our hands."

Then Patholos said to Rann in a voice that only Rann could hear, "Kill me, murderer..."

Green-Root.

Green-Root looked at the scene and after a moment, he picked up the wounded vampire and began to move towards a place with a bit more shade.
,,Are there any of those blood bottles left?" He hissed.

,,Let those two. They'll keep doing this till the time no one is around to stop them. Better to finish this now than to cope with it." He grunted to Flogir and shifted the load on his back.
,,Help Ian, Nord."


At Chorrol, guess who.

Glass shattered and someone dressed in black came down from the ceiling, landing mere steps away from the throne. Guards all around him drew their weapons with the common shout. ,,Dark Brotherhood! Protect the Countess!"

,,Ah, crap. I'm beginning to hate this costume." Flint threw his hands up in the air, as far away from his blades as possible.
,,Hold up! Ian sent me! Agent type, young Altmer called Issac tagging along?" He shouted. The Countess motioned to the guards to lower their swords, much to the old Breton's relief.
,,I know Ian, and Issac. I also remember you. You were with them, that day. What does Ian request of me?"

,,Wew, much better. Flint Ironwood, aerial messenger. At your service. Now here's the message. Over a thousand Akaviri have gathered at the Valus mountains, led by some semi-immortal creature. Ian requests the aid of Tamriel's military might to counter this threat. Suffice to say, just Cyrodiil's army alone won't be enough."


(Dantrag, do you want to take control over the countess again?)

Flogir

Patholos' encouragement to Rann didn't help to ease the tension of the situation. Green-Root at least was responding well for a least a part of his rant by taking the vampire into the shade. The bad part was that Rann had yet removed the blade from Patholos' throat.

Clenching his teeth in frustration, gave Ian his should to support his weight onto him. He grimanced as he felt the sticky blood cling to his tunic. He turned to the two mer once again.

"Rann, bring him with us, we can't do this here; drag him if you must!" he hissed angrily before trudging Ian into the depths of the forest. There would be enough shade there that the vampire wouldn't burn up and the dense trees would hopefully muffle any sound that would be created. He looked back to see if anyone was following him.

Rann

Rann lowered his blade long enough to push Patholos out of his way.

"We'll settle this later," he said flatly as he scooped up the vampire in his arms and began carrying her back to their camp.

She was quite pretty, as far as vampires were concerned, and despite being an enemy a few moments earlier, he didn't think she deserved such treatment. The fact that she was a vampire alone wouldn't convince him of her 'evil' if there even was such a thing. The only other vampires he had met were Ian and Sadril, and they hadn't been half bad.

He stopped where Flogir did and gently laid the female vampire down. He sat himself beside her, blade unsheathed by his side.

"If he tries to touch her, he's dead." he explained coolly to Flogir.

"Anyway, what's the plan now? I thought we were getting supplies, but we ended up with an injured friend and an injured enemy. We're worse off than we were before."

Flogir

Flogir stood in the shade of the forest. He was glad that the situation between Rann and Patholos was being set aside for now. He scratched at his unshaven stubble as he thought over Rann's question.

"Yea, that didn't turn out for the best, and if we can't even do that properly, how can we expect to utilize guerilla war tactics to harrass the enemy?" he said in an annoyed fashion. He turned and faced Rann, concern evident, "If we do things properly, do you think we can sneak in and take out the Silhouette? Or are we going to follow them until Flint gets back with reinforcement? Because really, that's the only two options I can think of..."

His voice trailed off and Flogir stared off into the distance, a lost expression on his face.

Is this the ineviatble? Are we merely just clinging to our last options before our extermination?

His eye fell onto the vampire. "Perhaps she has some information about the layout of their camp that we could take advantage of. We might need to make her talk," he looked back to see Patholos heading their way. "I'll make sure he's not the one to do it though," he added out of the albino's earshot.

Patholos, left behind

Patholos watched as the group took off away from where Ian was. He stood there for a moment, then a twisted smile came over his face. Patholos turned his back to the group and his eyes flared red, changing what was once white into crimson. His lips curled back and his teeth grew exposed. Muscles in his bodies tensed and the cords holding them tightened. Patholos muttered a spell that had been kept secret by his Order. Sithis has not yet abandoned me, Patholos' broken mind thought. As he receded into madness, Patholos cast his Shadow Curse on his person.

Patholos began to twist and pulsate, then he disappeared from view. He snuck behind some trees and cast Invisibility on his dagger. After he activated the dagger's Paralysis enchantment with is own blood, he tied a note to his hilt, one he had prepared while he was in the forest. The thing was, the "sane" Patholos had written a note, not this new beast. The insane Patholos did not realize what the note was, but a voice in the back of his head said to attach it.

With extreme precision, Patholos hefted the dagger, and aimed it at Rann's head. At the moment of release, however, he broke concentration and the dagger buried itself in a tree right next to Rann.

(This is what the note said)

Rann, if you are the first to read this, I apologize for my actions. If this is not Rann who is reading this, then please tell him thus. Please, take heed of what I tell you. I am losing control of my mind. Sithis' spirit is taking away my personality, and it was because I drank the Ichor of Sithis. If you must kill the monstrosity I am becoming, so be it. I would like to find out what has become of my friend Darcretius, but, if I must die because of my madness, then finish me off. I cannot control what I do, and, sadly, I feel guilt already. Live and prosper, ....

(the rest is illegible)

Green-Root.

Rann unceremoniously took the vampire from Green-Root's back. The Argonian shrugged and followed closely behind the group. He sat down with them at their temporary hide-out and put down his spear.
,,First of all, I'd suggest the interrogation, fixing up Ian and solving your mess with that bloodsucking non-vampire called Patholos." He hissed and looked at their hostage closely.

He took up his spear again and levelled it at her throat.
,,Just in case she tries something. I'm not in the mood for another fight or anything." A moment after he'd said that, a dagger swooshed through the air and dug into a tree, narrowly missing Rann.
,,Change of priorities. Solving the mess with Patholos now comes first."



(Sorry, but Green-Root was already carrying the hostage. I think this fixes the plothole elegantly enough. )

Rann

He had been about to answer Flogir, but jumped in surprise when a dagger hit the tree he was sitting by. He snatched the dagger and had been about to pocket it, but saaw that there was a note attached. He took the note off and stuck the dagger in his belt before reading it aloud.

"He's asking us to kill him, why not oblige him?"

THe bastarde deserves it.

Flogir

"Whose asking to get killed?" Flogir asked as he snatched the note away and looked at it. He scoffed.

"Damn, is this serious? I knew he was a little out of reality, but this just makes him seem just plain ole bonkers!"

Flogir contemplated on the situation briefly. Could they help him? It seemed unlikely. Perhaps giving him the mercy of death was the best thing they could do.

Flogir nodded. "Yes, we'll oblige him," he replied in a heavy voice.

Patholos, what once was Patholos

Extreme nausea passed over him again, and he retched a dry stomach onto the dirt. His eyes were coals from Red Mountain, and he tossed and turned in his little alcove he found in the side of the mountain. All of the sudden, every one of the people he had murdered, every evil he committed was shown in an instant. Patholos wished to cry out, but he knew he would be slain if he did so.

After a fitful bout of unconsciousness, Patholos awoke to the Avatar of Sithis. The Avatar spoke in a voice like thunder, "Come, lets take a walk." Patholos replied." Is this a dream, am I awake?" Patholos almost gasped as the Dumner skin he once had coated his body. He looked into a rockpool and saw that his eyes were back to their original color. "What has happened?"

The Avatar took Patholos down the hill, and Patholos saw all the members of the camp as if they were in a dream. The Avatar said, "Look at these mortals, My Child, look at how they waste away." Patholos saw all the members of the camp start to age rapidly, then turn to ash. The only people who did not die were Ian and the female vampire, but they looked hollow and dry. Then the Avatar spoke again, "There is one who will bring Glory to me, and Glory to my name, you must make a choice. Do you know of whom I speak?" Patholos replied, "I have heard of this servant, the Silhouette, must I follow him?"

The Avatar laughed and then spoke, "You will retain this current state, and will be blessed as my right hand if you follow this Servant. Or, you can die on this Mundus and your ashes will be forever forgotten, and your ailments will pain you until your release. Make a choice, My Child."

Patholos awoke, already he had made his choice.

"So be it..." A voice on the wind said, and Patholos strode out of the alcove, eyes as white as a virgin snow.

Rann

"We've lost focus enough," he decided then, "I won't go out of my way to kill him, but if we happen to see him while we try to solve this Silhouette problem..."

He looked to the female vampire on the ground. She still looked somewhat in shock both from the unexpected sunlight exposure and from Patholos's display of cruelty.

"Want to tell us anything?" he asked, holding his arm out as if to allow her a drink of his blood to help her healing process. She leaned forward eagerly with fangs exposed, but Rann moved his arm away.

"I'm not going to hurt you, but I'm not going to help you for free, either. We need information. What do you know of the Silhouette?"

Countess Valga

"I want a full report before I send you even one soldier to die in those mountains," she said, "What did you find out about the threat, and how did anything from Akavir end up here?"

She leaned back in her chair, waiting for Flint's story.

OOC: She doesn't know anything that the group has found out.

Ian

Lying propped against a rock, Ian had kept his eyes shut and breathing deeply as if asleep, listening to the others talk. Patholos' flying dagger caused him to finally open his eyes to see if it had caused harm. Seeing Rann's response to the letter answered everything.

Ian watched as the dunmer began to work with the female vampire. Nodding silently at Rann's sound methods. Best not to appear hostile, but not freely giving good will. He'll do fine.... Ian thought as he closed his eyes to rest.

Aerona

Her mind was a fog after her incident with Patholos. She had been so terrified that she only vaguely remembered the fact that this 'Rann' fellow had somewhat protected her, and it took her a few moments to even recognize the face in front of her.

Then he offered his arm as if to allow her to feed and then pulled it away, demanding information.

Is he trustworthy or not? On the one hand he helped me, on the other...

"What do you want to know?" she asked. Her voice sounded raspy and weak.

Rann

Rann stroked his chin, then, unable to think of a question. He knew next to nothing about war strategies and things associated with them. He was more used to finding the stealthiest way into a building, or finding out the whereabouts of his targets than he was finding out the weakness in a large army.

"This seems more down your alley, Ian," he said, "You ask the questions and then I'll give her some blood."

Ian

Reluctantly the vampire opened his eyes when Rann asked him to question the other vampire. Ian glared at Rann for a few moments, You get sliced along the back and the work still doesn't change pace.... Gripping his leg to haul himself from his reclining position, Ian sat in a sitting position, straight to releave stress from his back.

At first Ian did not ask immediately, he decided not to go about this in the same manner he normally would have. The point isn't getting the girl to break, it's only to get the information necessary. Ian stared into her white eyes with his own bleached-brown eyes, the owund she'd inflicted during the fighting was just visible as it started at his shoulder.

"We are looking into the Silhoute and its army," he began. "That same army is hell-bent on marching across Tamriel. These mountains and the cities already razed are only the beginning. Millions of people, men, women, and children, will be slaughtered before they finally achieve victory."

The point of this statement was simply to appeal to what morality he suspected lay inside this woman. "We aren't going to let that happen, not without making their goals difficult to attain."
Ian paused briefly, then added. "Those vampires that were with you, the Quarra, they are dead, or that one ran back to the Silhoute. What we need from you, ma'am, is information on that army: weapons, patrolled areas, and places to attack from and dissappear."

The agent/vampire finished, "Whether you just want personal gain or to actually help save hundreds of thousands of lives is up to you, but it is in your best interests to help us destroy that abomination and its followers before they cause further destruction."

Patholos, in the woods not far off

Patholos walked along the woodpath near the camp. As he walked, he noticed a change in the texture of the land. His eyes began to water as Patholos walked towards the last spot he had seen the group and that undead creature. Fearing that he was going blind, Patholos put a strip of cloth around his eyes to try and stop the pain. What happend instead was that the pain increased, and then a startling discovery frightened Patholos. He could see whether his eyes were open or closed. And what he could see was even more frightening. He could see things as they died, wasting away before him.

Patholos cried out, "SITHIS, WHY?!" There was no answer from the Dread Father, and Patholos fell over and wept. The cloth around his eyes became sodden and he crawled towards the group interrogating the undead.
With a mournful voice, and a pleading face, Patholos cried, "Help...me...please...help..." Patholos trailed off as he collapsed in front of Flogir.

Flogir

Flogir was absorbed in watching the interrogation between Rann, Ian, and their vampire captive. For some reason, Flogir felt that this vampire was fairly young, mainly from the nervous nature she exuded. Of course, he could be fooling himself. This vampire could be much older than he was, since vampires did not age.

Being a former soldier, Flogir was actually impressed with Ian's interrogation methods. He was asking the right questions that were needed in times of war.

It was then that a shout was heard nearby. Flogir turned to the sound and saw Patholos crawling towards him, begging for his help. The pitiful creature collapsed before his feet.

"Ummmm..." Flogir said hesitantly, "What are we going to do with him?"

Aerona

"I...don't know much anymore," she admitted, "If you had asked me a few days ago, before those snake-people showed up...they took over everything...that's why we were pushed to the outskirts; the Silhouette preferred to be with his own kind..."

She writhed in agony the whole time, since her body lacked the nourishment to heal itself as it should. She had starved herself of blood for too long.

Rann

Rann couldn't handle it anymore, he couldn't explain it, but he felt sorry for their captive. He held out his arm for her to feed.

"Promise not to make me a bloodsucker?"

She nodded and Rann winced a little as she drank eagerly, but not too deeply from his arm. As she did so, Patholos reappeared.

Rann took his arm away and was surprised that it wasn't bleeding. The only trace of the feeding was two small teeth marks.

"What do we do with him? Nothing. Just leave him be; he'll die on his own."

Rann found it easier to withhold his hatred for Patholos when he wasn't preaching the word of Sithis or needlessly hurting women.

Patholos, near the group

Patholos, dismayed at the fact that Flogir and Green-Root did nothing, even though Green-Root didn't know him that well. Rann, the obvious decision maker of the group, hated Patholos and all he stood for. Why did Patholos ask for pity from a man that had no pity for Patholos?

Patholos asked Rann, in his most steady voice, "Dunmer, we share a heritage," Patholos paused, he couldn't talk for much for than a few seconds because of the pain. "We have a common enemy, my brother,..., and I wish we could put,...,put," Patholos could not finish, because of the pain. Patholos turned his head and the piece of cloth around his eyes fell off. His eye sockets were empty and barren.

"Please, my brother, please...help....me..."

Ian

"Looks like we're back at square one," he muttered silently to himself.

Seeing that the entire show was being run by those snakes Ian saw no reason to attack anytime after morrning.
'Those cold-blooded things are as coordinated as drunks during the morning.'

Ian was displeased by the lack of information that this girl was giving.
'There's no reason to kill her, but I have yet to see a way she can avoid becoming a liability...'

It appeared that Rann trusted this vampire over Patholos. That was perfectly fine, except that this woman hadn't even given her name.

When Patholos showed up Ian hid whatever pity/regret/loathing behind an icy wall of detachment.

Ian gave Rann a look that said "Whatever you intend to do, do it now."

The agent stood despite the protests of his body. Ian strode off, not quite toward the camp.

OCC: Minque?

Serene, not so far away

She had decided to leave for home , but something stopped her. She had watched Satyana´s change in personality and had a fairly good idea what caused it. So the girl could be a human welding flame if she lost control...Serene shrugged and turned back...slowly, monitoring the surroundings.

She noticed Ian before he noticed her. He was hurt...and she felt sorry for him. Ian was a good man and he obviously needed some help. It´s harder to heal vampires but she knew she could do it.

"Ian!" she whispered, "Come here lay down and let me help you"

She kneeled beside the lying man and let her voluminous robe hide what she was doing...this healing-act was not meant for anyone to see, it was far too.....special.

Afterwards she sat on her heels smiling faintly. Ian was soundly asleep now, looking pretty ok. She wrapped a piece of cloth around her left arm where two small teeth marks were slowly bleeding. She rearranged her clothing, looking around to make sure nobody was watching. Serene sighed, the thing she did for Ian was something she had performed just one single time before in her life. That time was rather successful considering it was the first time for her, but this act was a true wonder. She slowly shook her head, if the others had known what she had done.....

The important thing however was that Ian would be feeling very good when he wakes up....


Satyana

She had been standing a bit aside from the group, but now she approached

"Guys..." she said in a voice that sounded much darker than before " When are you considering using your secret weapon?" She meant herself of course....and the thing she could do by just uttering a short incantation


Brianna

"Durzogs???" May Azura help us, now we really have gotten ourselves into trouble!"

She took out a piece of parchment and read from it, silently...

I just hope I can do this..if it turns out to be necessary


OOC: Vampire-healing is .....veeeeery special!

Green-Root.

,,What secret weapon, girl? Is there something I should know?" He hissed before returning his attention to what he considered more important matters. Patholos.
,,Now are we going to kill that freak or are we going to cure him somehow? He's causing quite a ruckus with all that shouting and crying. And while I'm on the subject, what about the vampire?"

Satyana

She looked sternly at the Argonian..

"Yes Mr Lizzard, you should! I am the secret weapon..."

Kirana would understand...and Serene of course, wherever she is

Flogir

Flogir nearly retched when the empty sockets that were Patholos' eyes were revealed. He had no idea how it happened. For all he knew, the crazy Dunmer could've pulled them out himself. Still, Flogir felt some pity for the loathsome creature. His time with the group had been more troubling than helpful, but it didn't just feel right to leave someone to die. His soldier instincts revolted against such an idea.

"Fellas, I don't think I can just leave him alone here. I say we should at least leave him some provisions. He won't be able to follow us in the state he's in," Flogir suggested.

Satyana then arrived and mentioned a "secret weapon". Like Green-Root, her comment confused him.

"What are you talking about Satyana?"

She answered and Flogir nodded dumbly, he still didn't have a clue as to why she was the secret weapon.

Patholos, on the ground

Patholos, now completely drained of energy, waited to see what the group would do. The problem was, whatever they decided, Patholos couldn't do anything about it. He waited, then turning to Flogir, the only one of the group who showed him compassion, said, "Flogir..., maybe I should,...should join the army of Silhouette,...,act as a mole,...relay information..., the like." As he finished, Patholos struggled to refasten the cloth around his head. His vision showed group members slowly deteriorating, and it made him want to vomit.

Satyana

"i...I have certain powers" she answered silently, blushing


Serene

She decided to stay with Ian until he woke up...just in case

Issac

Having eaten all he needed from the rations, Issac began searching the nearby forest. Flogir, Rann, Ian, Serene, Kirana, Patholos, and Satyana still hadn't returned, so he took it upon himself to find them. After several minutes of making his way through ferns and tree trunks, Issac found most of the missing members forming a cluster.

He had time to hear Satyana refer to herself as a "secret weapon." While the complete meaning eluded him, Issac recalled the sudden chill he'd felt when he got near her, and he had a feeling he knew at least part of what she meant.
Suddenly he was very aware of Kirana leaning against a nearby tree studying him. Issac turned to face his adoptive former mentor and matron. "What is going on?" He asked bluntly.

Kirana gave him an appraising look, then glanced at Satyana a split second of recognition crossed his mother's face, but as emotion usually did it dissappeared as suddenly as it appeared.

Kirana

Looking back at Issac, she realized why he was keenly interested in Satyana. From what she'd seen of the girl, Kirana knew what could be going on. This new found potential in Satyana was still very new, thus the young woman had little experience controlling such abilities.

Kirana didn't want to test how far those powers could be pushed, especially if they were not under control. "Issac," She started. "Keep some distance from Satyana for the time being." Just listen to me

Issac didn't throw her advice back in her face at least. He just raised an eyebrow that said, "you didn't answer my question." The young Altmer however turned and went back the way he'd come.

Aerona

She felt much better, and most of her injuries, from sunlight or otherwise were gone. She still ached though, and it would take a good night's sleep to fully recover.

After feeding on Rann's blood, she immediately went to work making a potion from the ingredients she carried in a small pouch.

"Take this; just in case I accidentally infected you."

Rann

Rann drank the potion and thanked their new vampire companion with a silent nod before immediately turning his attention to this 'secret weapon' business.

"Sis, stop beating around the bush and spill it," he said, a bit skeptic of her 'secret weapon' abilities. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in his sister, it was just that he had never seen Satyana do anything that hinted at any sort of great power.

He ignored Patholos; he had no compassion for him, and decided to go along with whatever the group chose. (Unless of course, he disagreed with what the group chose)

Patholos, near the group (still on the ground)

Patholos saw through his cursed vision the vampire make a cure disease potion. Patholos wondered whether she might make him a potion but quickly thought against it. You tried to torture her, you DOG! Patholos heard a voice yell across the dark chasm that was his mind. A conscience, never had one before, why do I have one now? Patholos thought while laying in the dirt, watching the others move around him. He sat himself upright and leaned against a nearby tree, to try and recover his energy.

He leaned his head over to Flogir, and he waited for a response. While he waited, he thought back to his biological mother, and his few memories of her. As if in a dream, for the first time in his life, Patholos felt disgusted at himself.

OOC: What is the fate of Crazy Patholos???

Karn, scheming, what else?

The ninja had seen everything that had transpired, from the brawl with the Quarra to the pale Dunmer losing his eyes. Perhaps against his better judgement, Karn couldn't pass up an oppertunity to jab a dagger into the group's side.

Sitting in a tree not far from the group, the Dunmer sumaged through his pack. His hand clapsed a tightly sealed vial. Normally he would be hesittent to use such a invaluable tool, but he couldn't resist the chance. Testing the air to make certain it was blowing toward the group, Karn snapped the sap to the vial.
Karn held the vile poison away from himself.

The poison was an inhailant, it had no immediate affect, as did many of Karn favorite tools. The toxin would end up in a victem's lungs, and then, given the proper trigger, become corrosive, destroying the target's ability to breath.
It was odorless, tastless, and had very few early symptoms, a perfect tool for an opportunist..... Just when they thought they only had to worry about a few snakemen and an Akaviri demon.....