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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Andante turned, at the top of the curved staircase, to look back at the statue of Auriel. From this vantage point he could see, in all its sumptuous detail, the stylized sun held aloft over Auriel\u2019s head by great curved supports, almost a halo, as though the sun itself emanated from the god\u2019s own shoulders.<\/p>\n
Why does it not surprise me? Don\u2019t all religions come down to this, in the end, the gods connected in some way to the greatest source of power that we know? Even the Daedra are defined in part by their relationship to the light of the sun – or its absence. <\/em><\/p>\n Behind him, on a multi-level dais, was a basin much like those from which he had filled the heavy, awkward ewer he\u2019d been carrying; and he turned his attention to it. From its base extended a long stone platform with rounded ends. It was raised slightly above the floor but with a set of three tracks carved into it. At the far end of the tracks was a depression, a bowl, its shape echoing that of the stylized sun over Auriel\u2019s head and, he noticed as he looked up, a similar shape protruding from the doors to the temple.<\/p>\n \u201cInteresting,\u201d Serana said. \u201cI wonder what this does.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a keyhole,\u201d Brynjolf replied. \u201cLook at it. The god, the bowl at the end, the knob over there. This is the keyhole, and the water is the key.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante looked at him and nodded. Clever man. <\/em>\u201cThat\u2019s what Gelebor told us.\u00a0 The initiate would pour the ewer into the basin and be given entry for an audience with the Arch-Curate. So\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Serana looked dubious but agreed. \u201cPour it into the basin and see what happens, right? I don\u2019t know what we\u2019ll do if it doesn\u2019t work, but we\u2019ve come all this way to try.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante emptied the contents of the ewer into the basin and then set it down, gratefully, hoping he would never have to touch it again.\u00a0 The basin filled, up to its rim; but then the level of the liquid began to drop and for a moment he panicked.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at that,\u201d Brynjolf said, pointing at the track in front of them.\u00a0 \u201cI told you it was a key.\u201d<\/p>\n Water was dropping through the basin, gravity pushing it down and out along the three tracks.\u00a0 Andante watched in fascination as the liquid\u2019s momentum carried it all the way down the tracks to drop into the shape at the far end.<\/p>\n The shape suddenly began glowing green, a shaft of light from the upper limits of the temple\u2019s outer courtyard shining down onto it. After a few moments the light faded. The ornate knob on the door twirled, rotating several times, and then stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were right,\u201d Andante said, walking toward the door.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m the best,\u201d Brynjolf replied.<\/p>\n Andante grinned, and tugged on the star-shaped handle.\u00a0 The doors swung outward.<\/p>\n They stepped into the Inner Sanctum.<\/p>\n Before them was an expanse of grey, and cold, and dark.\u00a0 The architecture was that of the arches through which they\u2019d passed on their rough tracing of the Initiate\u2019s path; huge columns, some broken but others with their massive capitals still supporting the stone ceiling after countless eons. The ceiling itself was enormously high, with recessed sections including a circle which might, as far as Andante could tell, once have been designed to let in light.\u00a0 In fact, some light came in through it still; greenish, as though it was filtered through heavy ice, and not nearly enough to illuminate the room, but light it was.\u00a0 The floor was buckled and heaved from frost, and time, and possibly from movements of the earth. There were piles of debris and stone clutter here and there.<\/p>\n But the things that drew the eye, instantly, and demanded attention more than anything else in the space were the Falmer and the chaurus.<\/p>\n Or, rather, the blocks of ice in the shapes of Falmer and chaurus. Some held weapons, or had their hands curled in a posture that looked like spell-casting.\u00a0 Some held items like weapons or potion bottles. The various chaurus weren\u2019t in resting positions but pulled up as they would be in a state of alarm, or of defensiveness.<\/p>\n He looked around, and he felt all his senses shift into a place that was familiar, and yet long-unvisited. His gaze darted from one corner to the next, hugging each shift from dark to light, looking for movement, or tripwires, or holes, or cavities from which live, aggressive Falmer might emerge. He smelled everything: dust, the staleness of air not circulated for ages, and the peculiar, cold scent of ice.\u00a0 He listened, hearing nothing, no movement, no dripping, nothing aside from the quiet breathing of his two companions.<\/p>\n Serana spoke, her voice echoing through the room at what seemed like an alarming volume but was probably not more than a murmur. \u201cThese Falmer. They\u2019re frozen in the ice.\u00a0 I wonder how long they\u2019ve been like this.\u00a0 And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy.\u201d<\/p>\n Something \u2013 or someone – froze these, and it wasn\u2019t the weather.\u00a0 I suspect that I know who that was.<\/em><\/p>\n Time to hunt.<\/em><\/p>\n Vitus turned to face his partners and whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are to remain silent unless I tell you otherwise. I don\u2019t know what is ahead but it is dangerous.\u00a0 Silent.\u00a0 Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf raised an eyebrow. \u201cAndante \u2013\u201c<\/p>\n Vitus raised a hand, cutting him off. \u201cDo you understand? This is my area of expertise. I am an assassin and this is my assignment. I do not need you to give me away.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Serana. I\u2019m not simply a vampire. And I need you to do as I ask. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n Both of them nodded, but Brynjolf gave him a long, piercing look.<\/p>\n He can see it. He knows that I\u2019m not the same. He\u2019s never watched me hunt, except to feed. <\/em>He closed his eyes for a moment and listened; but hearing nothing, opened them again and began creeping forward.<\/p>\n I suppose that there\u2019s not so very vast a difference between what we do, Brynjolf, but whereas you are the master thief, I am the master assassin.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how much I can accomplish here, since I am used to working alone, and used to knowing the place in which I will strike; but between us I am certain that we will be magnificent.<\/em><\/p>\n Vitus turned and moved further into the temple, to the right, around the perimeter of the space and around the dozen or so frozen figures in it. \u00a0There was a sculpture of some kind in the center of the room; and while he was vaguely interested in it, he was not here for interest, or research. He saw the items held by the Falmer and while his avaricious core knew he could probably take them he was not here to accumulate more wealth \u2013 he was here to hunt.<\/p>\n At the far end of the room, the first niche he encountered turned out to be a door that easily swung open into the next area.\u00a0 This space, long and narrow, stretched out to his left. It held a table with bench seats, four raised platforms, and more frozen Falmer as well as a number of skeletons. He stopped still, compiling a mental catalog of the room\u2019s contents, entrances and exits; and he waited, and sensed.<\/p>\n Nothing moved. Nothing made a sound.\u00a0 He crept forward, into a doorway about midway down the hall, and to the right around a corner past more frozen figures who seemed to have been caught mid-spellcasting.<\/p>\n The passage doglegged into a room with a badly damaged floor. There were several skeletons seated at and on top of a table with bench seats on either side, clearly having been killed at a meal and later picked clean. Enormous, thick stalactites of ice hung down from the ceiling to his right.<\/p>\n It really is like Sedor, isn\u2019t it, aside from the spaces being a bit more open.<\/em><\/p>\n There was another doorway to his left, this one into a room that had been severely damaged by ice. Here, the great stone columns were tipped or broken and the far wall was only partially visible through a thick coating of blue-green ice. The floor was all but destroyed, an uneven pathway of dirt and rubble.<\/p>\n Again he froze. Again he searched, and listened, and tasted the air; and there was nothing.<\/p>\n Vitus looked back to see that, indeed, Serana and Brynjolf were still behind him.\u00a0 He nodded, impressed with their ability to be as silent as he was, and their willingness to remain that way.\u00a0 He moved forward through the room, toward the cold he felt increasing ahead of him.<\/p>\n The room ended in a wall of ice, much like the thick glaciers they had passed through on their way through the Chantry. There was an opening in it, a tunnel, a slight movement of air from the spaces beyond. Vitus drew his bow and crept slowly into the tunnel, his head turned slightly to catch any sound.\u00a0 But there was no sound.\u00a0 There was just a long, silent, sweeping curve to the right that ended abruptly at a ledge.<\/p>\n He turned to look back at Brynjolf and point down.\u00a0 Brynjolf nodded, pulling his sword out at the ready.<\/p>\n As Vitus dropped to the passage below he heard birds. He looked around, quickly, for openings to the outside, openings that might house hidden enemies; but he saw nothing aside from ice and tilted columns. He heard nothing in their immediate area, but to his surprise he heard the twittering of birds somewhere nearby.<\/p>\n Alright. We\u2019re near the surface, somewhere. At the edge of a mountaintop, perhaps. Whatever is directly above us is thin.\u00a0 Good to know.<\/em><\/p>\n Directly before him was a darkened opening into which he slipped, looking for danger.\u00a0 There was nothing there but ice and stone. \u00a0But back at its mouth he turned to his right, toward the east. There was a long, straight passage before him, the left side consisting of a collapsed wall that had slumped over, atop the wall on the right; what might once have been a hallway was now simply a narrow gap that could be traversed if one was careful. At its far end was a room in which he could see ice, and light coming in from above, at an angle, shining down on what appeared to be another frozen figure.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why I heard birds. There must be a gap in the ceiling.<\/em><\/p>\n He closed his eyes, and raised a hand to stop the other two behind him. He listened, and waited, and knew.\u00a0 He\u2019s near. I can feel him. Your end is approaching, Vyrthur. I\u2019ve been contracted for your death, and I don\u2019t fail.<\/em><\/p>\n Ah, but you failed once, didn\u2019t you?<\/em> a part of his mind reminded him.<\/p>\n Yes, I did. And it will never happen again. Vyrthur is dead. He simply isn\u2019t aware of it yet.<\/em><\/p>\n He crept down the passage, agonizingly slowly, making certain that neither his feet nor his armor made so much as a whisper. As he approached the far end it became clear that there was, indeed, a frozen Falmer. Not just one but many, and chaurus as well, arrayed down either side, a court frozen solid in the midst of its business. Beyond them were steps leading to a dais holding an ornate throne blocked by thick stalagmites of ice.<\/p>\n And on the throne, seated in a position that spoke of long eons of boredom, was a figure, a living being, its chest rising and falling as it breathed.\u00a0 It was as white as the snow outside this chamber, wearing the same white and grey armor as Knight-Paladin Gelebor. It could only be Arch Curate Vyrthur.<\/p>\n Well. It seems that stealth is not an option at this point. Damn not knowing the terrain.<\/em><\/p>\n Vitus rose from his crouch and walked calmly forward.<\/p>\n Vyrthur smirked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you really come here expecting to claim Auri-El\u2019s Bow?\u201d His voice was raspy, as though it had been many an age since he\u2019d used it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve done exactly as I predicted, and brought your fetching companion to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana broke her silence. \u201cWait, is he talking about me?\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus turned to nod at her. \u201cI doubt very much that he\u2019s referring to Brynjolf.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf shot him the smallest of smirks, but said nothing.<\/p>\n He turned back to gaze at Vyrthur.\u00a0 I can\u2019t surprise him. How do I approach this now, I wonder?\u00a0 <\/em>There was something odd about Vyrthur, he thought, and he stared at him, analyzing his appearance, listening to his words, trying to grasp what exactly it was.<\/p>\n \u201cWhich, I\u2019m sorry to say,\u201d Vyrthur continued, \u201cmeans that your usefulness is at an end,\u201d his voice turning into a low growl. Vitus grabbed his bow as he heard the threat rising in Vyrthur\u2019s voice and stepped back, readying an arrow.<\/p>\n Behind them, a number of the frozen creatures came to life. Vitus could hear them moving, hear the crackle of the ice as they broke free from that on the floor, could hear Brynjolf challenging as Serana fired up her magic, but he did not join them right away.\u00a0 Instead, he took aim and fired an arrow that should have flown straight through Vyrthur\u2019s skull.<\/p>\n It bounced, harmlessly, off what was clearly a magical barrier just behind the ice stalagmites.\u00a0 Vitus snarled and turned to help with the battle behind him.<\/p>\n Brynjolf and Serana had at least half a dozen ice-encrusted chaurus attacking at the same time.\u00a0 Vitus calmly fired several more arrows; but they only bounced away.\u00a0 He grimaced and switched to magic, a hemolytic spike spell that ordinarily caused great harm to an adversary. It, too, did nothing at all. Finally, he pulled out his axe and Mehrune\u2019s Razor; and when he attacked the first one, growling in frustration, it exploded into icy chunks and died.<\/p>\n The chaurus didn\u2019t last long after that; but just as the last one died, Vitus heard Serana\u2019s shock spell sizzle off to his left. A group of four icy Falmer was approaching him, snarling and growling.\u00a0 The first of them caught him with its claws; he hissed in pain and darted out of reach, healing himself while Brynjolf rushed in with his sword flashing. That distraction gave him the chance to circle behind the Falmer and attack from behind.\u00a0 It, too, burst into great flying chunks of ice which they dodged while turning to on the others.<\/p>\n Finally, they were done, and Vitus approached the throne again, walking slowly and deliberately.<\/p>\n \u201cAn impressive display, but a wasted effort,\u201d Vyrthur said. \u201cYou delay nothing but your own death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that<\/em> what you think? Confident, aren\u2019t you.\u201d Vitus smiled, baring his fangs, and thought he saw a flicker of something in Vyrthur\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n Vyrthur waved his hand.<\/p>\n There was a rumble, above them.<\/p>\n \u201cWatch out!\u201d Serana yelled. \u201cHe\u2019s pulling down the ceiling!\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf snorted. \u201cThis trick again? I\u2019ve seen it done before. Frankly, Mercer Frey did it with more style.\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus grinned at Brynjolf, but his amusement was cut short as large pieces of ice and stone began dropping from the ceiling far above them.<\/p>\n \u201cFinish them!\u201d Vyrthur croaked.<\/p>\n The rest of the frozen creatures in the room came alive.<\/p>\n There were waves of them, the icy remnants of Snow Elves and Falmer alike, some mindlessly violent and others clever spell-casters. Vitus took down several of the Falmer, keeping an eye out on Brynjolf and Serana as they dealt with adversaries of their own, all the while dodging falling debris. One of them cast a frost cloak spell like the one that had nearly killed Vitus outside the temple. He growled, whipping around the perimeter of the room, destroying those he could reach from behind and trying to see where there might be an opening from which he could reach Vyrthur.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t how this was supposed to be happening. You have surprised me, my dear Arch-Curate, but have no fear; you\u2019re still going to die.<\/em><\/p>\n Serana saw the spellcaster and began casting lightning bolts from a safe distance. Brynjolf and Vitus looked at each other and, without words, agreed on a plan; first one would dart forward and strike several blows, then retreat and heal while the other took the attack.\u00a0 Once, Vitus nearly lost focus as a large chunk of rock struck Brynjolf a glancing blow and he cried out in pain; but there wasn\u2019t time to do anything other than dart back in to rain more blows on the creature and hope that Brynjolf was able to heal himself. Finally, Serana landed a solid strike with her shock spell; the Falmer\u2019s cloak dissipated, and Vitus struck a backhanded blow with the Razor, unmaking the creature.<\/p>\n Brynjolf had begun advancing on Vyrthur\u2019s throne, his fangs bared, when Vyrthur shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has gone on long enough!\u201d<\/p>\n There was a familiar hum of magical energy as Vyrthur conjured a frost atronach. Vitus stopped for a moment, stunned, and shared a glance with Brynjolf, who looked equally stunned.<\/p>\n Vitus tossed back his head and laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that it? Is that<\/em> all you\u2019ve got?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf began laughing maniacally himself as they all lit into a creature the likes of which they knew well and had defeated more times than any of them could count.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re dead,\u201d Serana yelled at Vyrthur as the atronach fell.<\/p>\n \u201cChild, my life ended long before you were born,\u201d Vyrthur sneered.\u00a0 Vitus blinked, and looked at him, and then smiled.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it. That\u2019s what I have sensed about him.\u00a0 I see.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n There were half a dozen remaining ice Falmer in the court, and they all attacked just as the atronach fell.\u00a0 The ensuing moments were a blur. Vitus couldn\u2019t tell from one moment to another which of them he was attacking, where the other two were in the room, or whether they were making headway or losing.\u00a0 More and more pieces of roof crashed to the floor around them, and he was tiring simply trying to keep from being crushed, much less from the battles themselves. But finally, dodging debris behind one of the few remaining columns, he saw that the frozen court was gone and only his target remained.\u00a0 He smiled and licked his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cTime to die, Vyrthur,\u201d he murmured, advancing slowly. Auriel\u2019s Bow is almost mine.<\/em><\/p>\n Vyrthur rose from his throne, and shouted at them.<\/p>\n \u201cNo! I won\u2019t let you ruin centuries of preparations!\u201d<\/p>\n He waved both arms and was surrounded by magic, a ball of glowing energy that grew brighter and brighter.\u00a0 As it did, the roaring and groaning of the remaining ceiling and walls increased.<\/p>\n \u201cLook out!\u201d Brynjolf shouted.<\/p>\n The spell released.<\/p>\n The roof of the Inner Sanctum exploded in a tremendous roar, throwing Vitus to the ground, tossing enormous slabs of ice and stone outward and flooding the space that had been a darkened audience chamber with the brilliant light of the mountaintop sun.<\/p>\n Vitus stayed on hands and knees for a moment, his head ringing from the noise and the percussive force of the explosion.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you all right? Come on, we can do this. I know we can.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked up to see Serana extending a hand.\u00a0 He took it, gratefully, and got to his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Serana.\u00a0 Where\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrynjolf?\u201d Serana called.<\/p>\n \u201cOver here, lass,\u201d Brynjolf said, dusting himself off as he emerged from behind what was left of a pillar.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll take a lot more than this to get rid of me. Now where did that bastard go?\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus looked around the area.\u00a0 Oddly, the throne in which Vyrthur had sat had survived, intact, while the building around it collapsed.\u00a0 He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and listened.\u00a0 Faintly, off to his left, he heard a heartbeat.<\/p>\n \u201cNot far enough,\u201d he said, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cNot nearly far enough.\u201d\u00a0 He opened his eyes to see Brynjolf staring at him oddly.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s up there on the balcony,\u201d Serana said, pointing forward. \u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n The balcony was blindingly bright, out in the sun as it was, its structure intact in spite of the calamity Vyrthur had created behind it. It was a semicircle, the height of two men, with staircases on either end, wrapped around what was clearly another Wayshrine, still in its lowered position. Vitus shielded his eyes from the sun as he mounted the steps toward the increasingly loud heartbeat of his prey.<\/p>\n Vyrthur crouched at the farthest point of the balcony, clutching his arm in pain. He\u2019d clearly been injured in the collapse and, Vitus noted, wasn\u2019t healing.<\/p>\n A bit hungry, are we? Well. You may be ancient and powerful, but in that condition I have you at a definite disadvantage. <\/em><\/p>\n The most satisfying way to do this, he decided, would be as a vampire lord.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to rip him to shreds. Not my usual style, but it will make me feel so much better. I have a bit of aggression to work out at the moment. <\/em><\/p>\n He began to focus, readying himself to transform. And then he looked at Serana\u2019s face and stopped cold.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough, Vyrthur. Give us the Bow.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana was generally so mild. Even in battle, her cries and taunts were sharp and sarcastic, but not frightening.\u00a0 At this moment, though, it was clear that she was a pure-blooded vampire, and an angry one.<\/p>\n \u201cHow dare<\/em> you,\u201d Vyrthur said, straightening up. \u201cI was the Arch Curate of Auri-El, girl<\/em>. I had the ears of a god<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd nobody here cares,\u201d Brynjolf said nonchalantly, approaching from behind Vitus. \u201cI\u2019m a Nightingale. I have the ear of a Daedric Prince. Is that any more likely to get me past you in a fight? I don\u2019t think so. Or vice versa, as it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you had the ears of a god,\u201d Serana said, \u201cuntil the Betrayed corrupted you. Yes, yes, we\u2019ve heard this sad story.\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus peered at Vyrthur.\u00a0 Close up like this the deep golden eyes were obvious, beautiful, set as they were in snow-pale skin. He smiled at Vyrthur, being sure to pull his lips back over his own fangs.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it may not be quite as simple as that, Serana,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cThe truth of the matter is absolutely delicious. Or will be.\u201d<\/p>\n Vyrthur\u2019s gaze flicked to him for just a moment, but then returned to Serana.<\/p>\n \u201cGelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools.\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough of this. Look at his eyes, Serana. See what he really is. It should be highly familiar to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana stared at Vitus for a moment, confused, then leaned closer to Vyrthur. Her own golden eyes went round and wide.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re\u2026 you\u2019re a vampire? But Auriel should have protected you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould have, perhaps,\u201d Vitus said. \u201cBut as we all know there are a great many things that should happen that do not.\u201d<\/p>\n Vyrthur grimaced. \u201cThe moment I was infected by one of my own initiates Auriel turned his back on me. I swore I\u2019d have my revenge, no matter what the cost.\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus tossed his head back and laughed long and hard. \u201cYour revenge, is it? That\u2019s my line, Vyrthur.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFickle things, gods and Daedra, aren\u2019t they?\u201d Brynjolf said.<\/p>\n Serana smirked. \u201cYou want to take revenge\u2026 on a god?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAuriel himself may have been beyond my reach but his influence on our world wasn\u2019t. All I needed was the blood of a vampire. And his own weapon. Auriel\u2019s Bow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe blood of a vampire? Auriel\u2019s Bow?\u201d Serana\u2019s face hardened into an angry mask. \u201cIt was you? You<\/em> created that prophecy?\u201d<\/p>\n Vyrthur smirked and nodded, stepping within arm\u2019s reach of Serana. Vitus heard Brynjolf\u2019s sword slide out of its sheath, but held up a hand to stay him from attacking.\u00a0 No, Brynjolf. We need to hear this.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA prophecy that lacked a single final ingredient. The blood of a pure vampire. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour.\u201d<\/p>\n What happened next had Vitus completely frozen in shock.\u00a0 It was the last thing he could ever have anticipated, and his mouth fell open as he watched. Serana stepped forward in cold anger, picked Vyrthur up by the lapels, and lifted him into the air as if he weighed nothing whatsoever. She held him there, shaking him just slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were waiting all this time for someone with my blood to come along. Well too bad for you. I intend on keeping it,\u201d Serana said, her voice taking on the overtones of power that Vitus recognized, her strength coming through. \u201cLet\u2019s see if your<\/em> blood has any power to it!\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus wasn\u2019t entirely sure whether Serana threw him, or Vyrthur pushed himself away from her with his feet, but there was suddenly a ball of magic in midair much like the one he used to bring down the Chantry.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat trickery is this?\u201d he yelped, and conjured another frost atronach just as the magic around him exploded.\u00a0 Brynjolf and Serana both attacked the atronach; Vitus drew his weapons and ran for the Arch-Curate.<\/p>\n You\u2019re mine, Vyrthur.<\/em><\/p>\n Vitus laughed as he watched the axe\u2019s sharp Daedric blade slice into pure white skin. Vyrthur howled, and waved his hand.\u00a0 Suddenly there was another frost cloak spell, slicing painfully into Vitus before he could back up enough to get out of its range.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn!\u201d<\/p>\n He pulled out his bow and the same kind of arrows he had used to fight the twin dragons, and began unloading them into the Arch-Curate, but found that Vyrthur had magic to spare and was using it to cast ice spikes at him.\u00a0 He ground his teeth, and yelped in pain as each one struck him, but he could hear the atronach pounding its massive fist into the ground and knew the others couldn\u2019t help him.<\/p>\n Potion. I have a paralysis potion.<\/em><\/p>\n He didn\u2019t use potions often, but Andante carried an embarrassingly large number of them and he knew that the paralysis was in there; a strong potion at that, just as the skooma Andante cooked was strong.\u00a0 He dropped back, around the corner of the balcony and down the stairs just far enough to give himself time, and poisoned his bow.\u00a0 He ran back up the stairs, aimed, and shot.<\/p>\n \u201cGood night, Vyrthur!\u201d<\/p>\n Vyrthur looked startled as the arrow struck him, and then toppled over onto his side.\u00a0 Vitus had plenty of time to take his axe and reach the motionless Snow Elf before it began to wear off.\u00a0 He laughed, raised his axe, and brought it down with as much power as he could manage; and at the same moment an ice spike flew into Vyrthur\u2019s side, cast by Serana from across the balcony.<\/p>\n \u201cFarewell,\u201d Vyrthur murmured, and breathed his last.<\/p>\n Vitus wondered, for just a moment, why it was that Vyrthur did not disintegrate into ash as he himself would if he had been the one to die. Then he shrugged, knelt down beside the body, and sank his fangs into Vyrthur\u2019s neck. The blood was only lukewarm, as usual for a vampire, but it tasted sweet, not bitter like that of a Falmer; and the power that came with it made him want to laugh.<\/p>\n \u00a0Ah the advantages of being a Nightlord, absorbing some power from one\u2019s enemies.\u00a0 So I didn\u2019t get to shred you, my dear Arch-Curate, but I think this reward may be even better.<\/em><\/p>\n He stood, wiping his mouth, and drew a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cJust as I expected. Delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLad,\u201d Brynjolf said, sounding unsettled, coming up to stand beside him.<\/p>\n Vitus grinned at him. \u201cHelp yourself, Brynjolf. I didn\u2019t drain him. He\u2019s very tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf stared into his eyes for a long moment.\u00a0 Then the corner of his mouth rose just a bit, he nodded, and knelt to have a taste of his own.<\/p>\n When he stood, he grinned. \u201cYou\u2019re a bad influence, Andante.\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus smiled and nodded. \u201cThat I am.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to walk away as the balcony began to shudder, a now-familiar grinding sound accompanying the rising of the Wayshrine.<\/p>\n He knows. He doesn\u2019t realize it, but he knows. I need to be more careful. It would be dangerous for all of us if he learns my actual name.<\/em><\/p>\n Gelebor stood in the doorway of the Wayshrine when they reached it.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, the deed has been done. The restoration of this Wayshrine must mean that Vyrthur is dead, and the Betrayed no longer have control over him.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana shook her head. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the Betrayed. He was a vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus stood back and observed Gelebor, marveling at his equanimity as he learned the truth about his brother.\u00a0 He was astonished, but happy to have an explanation for things that had made no sense before.\u00a0 He was also happy that the Falmer \u2013 the Betrayed \u2013 weren\u2019t to blame.\u00a0 Maybe, he said, some day they would shed their hatred and return to their belief in Auriel.<\/p>\n And maybe someday I will become the High King of Skyrim.\u00a0 Well, Gelebor, as long as you have hope I suppose it\u2019s good.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMy thanks to all of you,\u201d Gelebor said. \u201cYou risked everything to get Auri-El\u2019s bow, and in turn you\u2019ve restored the Chantry. I can\u2019t think of a more deserving champion to carry it than you,\u201d he finished, looking at Vitus.<\/p>\n Vitus looked around at the decimated temple.<\/p>\n \u201cRestored. Is that what you call this?\u201d<\/p>\n Gelebor smiled, and then told them about Auriel\u2019s bow. The bow drew its power from Aetherius itself, he told them, channeled through the sun. Therefore, a strike from the bow produced a magical effect something like being burned in fire. Sun-hallowed arrows, sanctified arrows created from stock of the elven type, produced a much more spectacular effect, causing bursts of sunlight to envelop the foe. It would hurt anything, but was particularly effective against the undead.<\/p>\n As Gelebor spoke, Vitus felt his excitement rising.<\/p>\n Burned in fire. And what is the one thing that we are most vulnerable to, as vampires? What was I the most terrified of, fighting the dragons? What have I feared since I was a young man watching the Listener fall, along with her Sanctuary in Bravil?\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Harkon will fall to fire. He may be ancient. He may be powerful. But even he will fall to fire.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd blood coated arrows?\u201d Vitus asked. \u201cI have heard something, in the prophecy, about them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVyrthur made that up, Andante,\u201d Brynjolf said. \u201cWhy even ask about it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause, my dear Guildmaster, even a rumor starts from a kernel of truth. Isn\u2019t that what you told me a long time ago?\u201d\u00a0 He grinned as Brynjolf blushed for just a moment.<\/p>\n Gelebor didn\u2019t know anything certain; but he expected that the effects of coating arrows in blood would be quite different, corrupting the bow\u2019s effect, if one were foolish enough to try it. Gelebor took Vitus\u2019 supply of elven arrows and began to convert them to Sun-Hallowed arrows, stepping away from the door of the Wayshrine to do so.<\/p>\n And there, suspended above a central pedestal in the Wayshrine, twirling in sparkling magical forces, was a bow of elven make clearly imbued with power beyond any enchantment he knew. Gelebor had told them that the bow was supposed to have been carried by Auri-El himself into battle against the forces of Lorkhan.<\/p>\n I can almost believe it. Look at this thing.<\/em><\/p>\n He reached out and took it from its place, feeling its energies thrumming along its length as he held it, testing its balance and its weight.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it would be, I don\u2019t know, shinier,\u201d Serana says. \u201cStill, it\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n Vitus gazed at Serana and smiled.\u00a0 And it will kill Harkon. It will destroy him, and Volkihar Castle will be mine. And then with your blood, so will the rest of the world.<\/em><\/p>\n As Gelebor handed him the arrows, the Wayshrine hummed with power and a series of portals opened, one to each of the other locations they had visited in this valley.\u00a0 He assured them that they were welcome to return any time.<\/p>\n Brynjolf stood at the entrance to the Wayshrine, frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, loverboy?\u201d Andante asked him. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten what we came for.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye. And now we have to go back to Harkon.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana nodded. \u201cBefore we spoke to my mother in the Soul Cairn, I would have said we take the bow back to my father.\u00a0 But after everything with her \u2013 I don\u2019t think we can trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know we can\u2019t,\u201d Andante agreed.<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded. \u201cWe have to kill him before he kills us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI keep thinking there has to be another way,\u201d Serana said. \u201cBut he\u2019ll turn on us all the moment he gets the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe will. But there are three of us, and only one of him.\u00a0 None of us individually may be stronger than he is but I suspect that I come close. And with your help, my dears, I believe that we will take him down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe has to die,\u201d she agreed. \u201cWe have no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Look how very easy it was to lead her to the exact conclusion I wanted her to draw. I seem to have learned something from my darling Brynjolf.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get going, then,\u201d Brynjolf said.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Serana said, briefly resting her hand on Vitus\u2019 arm. \u201cSomehow I knew you\u2019d understand.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned away, a smirk taking a corner of his mouth.\u00a0 You have no idea, my dear.<\/em><\/p>\n They stepped into the portal back to Darkfall Cave.<\/p>\n Andante turned, at the top of the curved staircase, to look back at the statue of Auriel. From this vantage point he could see, in all its sumptuous detail, the stylized sun held aloft over Auriel\u2019s head by great curved supports, almost a halo, as though the sun itself emanated from the god\u2019s own shoulders. … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/3-2-9-2.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart II: Counterpoint<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"