{"id":1817,"date":"2022-07-21T10:51:11","date_gmt":"2022-07-21T16:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=1817"},"modified":"2022-10-23T15:55:20","modified_gmt":"2022-10-23T21:55:20","slug":"chapter-2-dale","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-ii\/part-ii-above-and-beyond\/chapter-2-dale\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 2 – Dale"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
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 <\/p>\n

Ondale Perdeti crouched atop the guard railing of the bridge over the East Empire Company\u2019s warehouse, searching below for the traces of warmth and heartbeats that meant \u201cliving people.\u201d There wasn\u2019t much of either, on the docks or on the Red Wave\u2019s deck.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Excellent.<\/em><\/p>\n

He skittered down the boulders on the bridge\u2019s far side, intending to avoid any encounters. The warehouse patrol was spaced more closely than he liked; and while the ferryman was dozing, it would be entirely too easy to wake him. Dale therefore slipped into the water, submerged, and swam under the docks to their far end. From there it was only a few quick steps to the gangplank and up onto the Red Wave\u2019s empty deck.<\/p>\n

Inside won\u2019t be empty.<\/em><\/p>\n

As he reached the locked cabin door he extended his senses outward. There were definitely people inside, but the only sources of warmth he could feel were all horizontal, and not moving.<\/p>\n

Sleeping. Good. This will make this job so much easier.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He picked the lock, descended below deck and spent a few minutes listening. Safia \u2013 the ship\u2019s captain and his target \u2013 would likely be the farthest away from him. When he heard nothing stirring he moved ahead, carefully peering into each room. Two of the crew cabins were empty, the well-established cobwebs saying they hadn\u2019t been used for some time, but flimsy cots in the open space beyond held the entire, sleeping crew of the Red Wave. In the back corner, Safia rolled over and made a noise.<\/p>\n

Dale froze for a moment, waiting for her to quiet again. He then crept past the two crewmen in the outer chamber and into the back, where Safia and the other female crewmember slept.<\/p>\n

How very strange. You might think a sea captain might want some privacy. No accounting for taste, I guess. Speaking of which\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

He leaned over the bed and carefully cleared a spot on her neck, feeding long and well from her. Then he smiled.<\/p>\n

Another taste for the road, perhaps?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He once again opened her neck, this time taking the blood and storing it for later use, leaving her completely drained and quite dead. He took a moment to relieve her corpse of a goodly sum of money and turned to leave.<\/p>\n

To his dismay, both men in the outer room were beginning to stir. Dale had to force himself to stay calm and not simply bolt for the stairs; instead, he gathered the shadows and made his way out as quietly as he could. The crewmen were looking around, aware of his presence but unable to see him.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out!\u201d one of them shouted. \u201cThis is the last time I\u2019ll say it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale grinned as he opened the door and skittered across the still-empty deck. The man put up a good front, but he hadn\u2019t seen Dale and never would. He\u2019d soon enough realize his captain was dead, though. And Nazir would be pleased.<\/p>\n

Next on his agenda was the job directly from the Listener. A noblewoman had been targeted by the patron he\u2019d contacted at Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm. She was here in Solitude from just over the border in High Rock, and this was the perfect time to get rid of her. She wasn\u2019t hard to find, looking quite out of place in Castle Dour\u2019s training yard in the dim pre-dawn light. It was simple to slip up behind her and drain her of her life essence, and then lurk in the shadows, gleefully watching the panicked reactions of people encountering her corpse.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

After waiting until he was certain the court would be busy, Dale strolled into the Blue Palace to look for Falk Firebeard. It was odd that Agryn had been so vehement about answering Falk\u2019s request. Agryn was determined to follow through on Harkon\u2019s original plan of taking primacy over all the vampire clans in Tamriel, but there didn\u2019t seem to be a logical connection between that desire and Solitude\u2019s court.<\/p>\n

He stopped, halfway up the grand staircase, as a stunning thought struck him. Wait. Potema Septim. Royal line. Didn\u2019t Agryn mention that both his sire Edwyn Wickham and Harkon himself were obsessed with the idea of becoming Emperor, near their ends? Does this have something to do with that?<\/em><\/p>\n

He shook his head. It didn\u2019t matter why. Agryn wanted him to follow up with Falk and, therefore, he would do so.<\/p>\n

Falk was standing to one side of the throne, chatting with the assembled thanes. Dale cleared his throat as he approached, and Falk turned to look at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe courier must have found you,\u201d he said with a smile that looked both forced and strained.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did indeed,\u201d Dale agreed. \u201cNow what is this about Wolfskull Cave? I thought I\u2019d cleared it out for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Falk pulled him aside, slightly, and lowered his voice. \u201cYes,\u201d he murmured. \u201cIt\u2019s not so much about the cave itself, but I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s not good news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh? What\u2019s the problem, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you broke up the binding ceremony in Wolfskull Cave, Potema escaped! We\u2019ve encountered some of her minions. Styrr says she\u2019s still in spirit form. If not for that we\u2019d all be dead already!\u201d He stopped, shook his head, and heaved a sigh. \u201cYou\u2019ve already done us a service by stopping the binding \u2013 but I need you to go talk to Styrr, to see if he can tell us what to do next.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright,\u201d Dale said, slowly and uneasily. \u201cWho is Styrr, and where can I find him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s Solitude\u2019s priest of Arkay. He\u2019s the one who figured out Potema\u2019s still around. He\u2019ll help as much as he can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale searched Falk\u2019s face intently and could find nothing but genuine concern there. He nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll be on my way, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish you luck, my friend. I\u2019m counting on you. Be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale half-bowed and left the Palace. He strolled back through the city to the Hall of the Dead, thinking hard as he went. His theory about Agryn\u2019s interest in Potema just felt off, somehow. It didn\u2019t matter, though. He\u2019d promised to help, and Agryn had directed him to help.<\/p>\n

Styrr was an older man, judging by the amount of white in the lush beard that poked out beneath the hood of his robes. He looked Dale up and down as he entered the space, and nodded.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must be the one Falk spoke so highly of,\u201d he said without preamble. \u201cWelcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you. He sent me to talk to you about Potema.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh yes. Potema – Former Queen of Solitude and one of the most dangerous necromancers in recorded history. She was responsible for the Empire\u2019s near collapse almost five hundred years ago. Ironically, if she were alive today she\u2019d be the only living heir of the Septim bloodline and, therefore, the rightful Empress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d Dale said. So Agryn and his sire were undoubtedly aware of her at that time, if not actually here when she was active. Intriguing. <\/em>\u201cAnd now that her spirit has been called back to Haafingar?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSummoned in spirit form is not raised from the dead, thankfully. She\u2019ll need help before she can return to the living. For the moment, the Wolf Queen has retreated to a place filled with dead eager to serve her \u2013 her old catacombs in the mountainside. A few days ago one of her servants broke through a wall into the Temple of Divines. We\u2019ll need you to go into the catacombs themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course. This should be entertaining. I\u2019m getting stronger by the day but I don\u2019t know that I can stand up to a crowd of the undead directed by a spirit that powerful. Sild and his vampire companion were powerful, but even still I managed to best both of them. But neither was a five hundred year old Septim. <\/em><\/p>\n

Dale smiled grimly, though. \u201cCertainly. I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. You are the one to do it. Your being at the summoning created a connection between you and Potema. Here\u2019s the key. Find what\u2019s left of Potema\u2019s body. Remove it from the catacombs and bring it back to be sanctified by Arkay. Oh, and here,\u201d Styrr said, handing Dale a large flask, \u201ctake this. It should provide some help with her minions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale reached for the flask and had to steel himself not to drop it. As soon as it touched his hand he realized what it was: a powerful potion to turn undead. Even through the heavy flask he could feel its power. He gave Styrr a quick half-bow, turned, and practically fled out into the city, wasting no time before tossing the flask into the bushes beside the city\u2019s walls. Whether it shattered made no difference to him. He just wanted it gone.<\/p>\n

I have learned several things today, chiefest among them being that I need to become much stronger, very quickly.<\/em><\/p>\n

The interior of the Temple of Divines made him feel at home. It wasn\u2019t the loud prayers of the devout that drew him, nor the carefully-displayed shrines at its far end, but rather its dimness and cool temperature. The well-filtered beams of sunlight slanting down toward the shrines made the space quite beautiful, he thought. He nodded to the priestess near the entrance but spoke neither to her nor to the priest murmuring his prayers before the shrines. Instead, Dale located the entrance to the Temple\u2019s service areas and slipped inside.<\/p>\n

Down a short flight of stairs was a room perhaps used for sorting and storage of food or supplies. There was a locked cage door, very new, to his eye. Where the metal was anchored, the chipped stones were bright, showing no dirt, moss or other signs of aging. Styrr\u2019s key unlocked it. The space just beyond was full of casks and barrels, but dirty and festooned with cobwebs, looking to Dale as though it should be part of the Temple but clearly wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Or maybe it was,<\/em> once, he thought as he worked his way through the old Imperial-style rooms and down the dirt-strewn stairs. Who knows how many of the structures in Solitude are actually closed off? I\u2019ve heard rumors of an entire wing of the Blue Palace that\u2019s inaccessible.<\/p>\n

The hallway he was in ended at a niche holding a bas-relief of a woman. He moved closer to examine it, but two things distracted him. First was a row of thick metal bars, blocking the passage to his left. Second, and more startling, was a woman\u2019s disembodied voice accompanied by a surge of magical energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve arrived at last. The hero who prevented me from being bound returns to my fold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPotema?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have much to thank you for, little one,\u201d she said softly. \u201cWhen you die, I will raise you and you can take your place by my side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale smirked. \u201cI believe you are mistaken, lady. You see, I am already\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll serve me soon enough,\u201d she interrupted. The bars dropped down into slots in the floor, allowing him free passage. The energy he\u2019d felt ended, abruptly.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 already undead,\u201d he sighed. \u201cNot that it matters.\u201d He examined the relief: a woman with long, wavy hair and wearing furs, including the ears of a beast. \u201cWolf Queen, indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not far into the increasingly-decayed spaces beyond the lowered bars, a draugr stepped out of an alcove to attack. It wasn\u2019t a difficult battle, but Dale felt certain it was a sign of things to come and in this he was not disappointed. Above a descending staircase, a pair of draugr emerged and started for him. He defeated the first and conjured a gargoyle to deal with the other, and was feeling confident until a voice called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello? Who\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale peeked down over the railing just in time to catch a glimpse of ruby eyes, and the red glow of magic in one hand. He tsk\u2019d. There was no way to know how strong a vampire she was until he was dangerously close; so he moved down the stairs, keeping his attention focused on the second, stronger draugr until it was down. Then he hissed in pain as an ice spike slammed into one shoulder.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He grimaced, gritting his teeth. Ice spikes hurt regardless of a vampire\u2019s natural resistance to cold, but he refused to give the she-devil the satisfaction of knowing just how much. She smirked. \u201cAnd you thought I was just a pretty face,\u201d she said, casting her vampiric draining spell at him.<\/p>\n

It was his turn to smirk. \u201cOh, but two can play at this little game, darling,\u201d he answered, raising his own spell in one hand and slashing with the sword in the other.<\/p>\n

She growled, taking a huge swing at Dale that missed entirely. He laughed, backing up onto the stairs, drawing her forward enough that a single burst of energy, carefully focused into a backhanded swipe of his sword, sent her head flying.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you don\u2019t have<\/em> a face, my dear, pretty or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was much more closely matched to me in strength than I would have liked. But she\u2019s dead now and that\u2019s all that matters.<\/em><\/p>\n

He took a key from the pockets of her body. It might not be important, but he\u2019d rather not need to retrace his steps if it turned out to be. He thought of that frequently as he worked his way through ever more decrepit and deeper rooms until, finally, he reached a dirt-and-stone tunnel. He paused there for a moment, wondering exactly where he was.<\/p>\n

This must be under the mountain, as Styrr suggested. Beneath and behind Castle Dour. The natural bridge is only so thick and I\u2019ve come down a very long way. <\/em><\/p>\n

This is almost a city unto itself, down here. I wonder what else I\u2019ll find.<\/em><\/p>\n

What he found, aside from another weak vampire, a number of draugr, and a swinging gate of spikes that came within a whisper of slamming into his face, was a large cavern leading to a distinctively Nordic barrow entrance. He frowned, looking upwards; the cavern was open to the sky above a partial stone arch. Either he was closer to the surface than he\u2019d imagined, or this maze of rooms tunneled completely through the mountain and emerged on the other side.<\/p>\n

Just inside the barrow\u2019s first chamber was a lever mounted atop a stone cairn, behind which was a gateway blocked by a flat stone disc. He thought he recognized the setup; and indeed, when he threw the lever the disc began rotating, grinding loudly. A metal gate embedded in the stone came into view; when it was almost vertical its interior portion began retracting. Dale threw the lever just as the gate fully opened, and the stone stopped rotating. He grinned and scurried through. The next chamber held an alchemy station \u2013 and a locked door. Unsurprisingly, the key he\u2019d taken from the currently-headless vampire opened the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, Potema, what else do you have for me?\u201d He didn\u2019t expect a direct answer, and got none.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What he did get were more tunnels and more draugr. Another passage had three rotating discs blocking his path. It was easy to open them, but not nearly as easy to dislodge the soul gems powering blasts of fire blocking another passage. Fire was the second-easiest way to kill a vampire, and he was sweating \u2013 and not from the heat of the flames – by the time he\u2019d made the corridor safe.<\/p>\n

He was sweating even more after he\u2019d engaged what looked like a single draugr in the next room. That draugr was a Deathlord, a fact he discovered only when it rose from its throne and Shouted at him and his gargoyle. There was also a weak vampire there; both he and the Deathlord ran toward Dale, forcing him back out of the entry and into the previous chamber. The vampire didn\u2019t last long. The Deathlord, though, survived two separate gargoyle conjurations, several volleys of blade attacks, and liberal applications of the Flames of Coldharbour and his life-draining spells before finally falling. Dale panted in fatigue for several minutes after it was down, waiting for his energies to return.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then a strange thing happened. He\u2019d burned an immense amount of energy in that battle and was beginning to feel an almost overwhelming urge to feed, and from the corpse of the weak vampire in particular.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s ridiculous. I\u2019m not strong enough to feed from my own kind. <\/em><\/p>\n

Am I?<\/em><\/p>\n

He leaned forward over the corpse and, to his surprise, felt himself drawn to the man\u2019s neck as unerringly as if the corpse was human. He sank his fangs into that neck and drew from it the most interesting feeding he\u2019d had thus far as a vampire: cool, metallic, and somehow full of power. It was decidedly not as tasty as warm, human blood, but he was satisfied.<\/p>\n

I <\/em>am getting stronger. Agryn will be pleased. <\/em><\/p>\n

The battle had distracted him from exploring the room his meal and the Deathlord had been in. There was a locked wooden door tucked away on the right-hand wall; but on a hunch Dale returned to the vampire\u2019s corpse and found he had been carrying the key. Beyond the door was a series of short passages connected by several metal doors. There were increasing numbers of human remains scattered amongst these rooms, atop tables and tossed unceremoniously into corners. In one chamber Dale discovered another vampire, this one much more powerful than the last. By drawing the shadows around him, though, he was able to surprise attack in a veritable cloud of blade strikes, taking her down before she was able to defend herself. He shimmered back into visibility and grinned down at the body.<\/p>\n

\u201cStriking from stealth is part of my job. Don\u2019t feel bad; it\u2019s hard to overcome that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He felt his mouth beginning to water in anticipation. \u201cYou were the stronger of us, my dear, I can tell. I can barely wait to taste your power.\u201d He knelt and withdrew what rapidly-cooling blood remained in the vampire\u2019s body, wiping his mouth in satisfaction once he was finished and could feel her strength coursing through him. \u201cI thank you. And what\u2019s more, I believe my sire will thank you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next few chambers and stairwells had more draugr and skeletons. Those he removed by stealth, speed, and strength. But the grisly scene beyond another metal door caught him by surprise. There was a small, round chamber, closed by a gate on its far side, the floor utterly covered with corpses. Some had been properly embalmed, some not. There were skeletons near the bottom of the heap.<\/p>\n

Dale curled his lip in disgust. It wasn\u2019t the first time he\u2019d seen a necromancer\u2019s lair stacked with bodies, but this was an absurd number of them. Looking to his right he saw another of the reliefs of Potema on the wall, surrounded by free-standing and wall-mounted candles. It was almost as though the former inhabitants of these bodies had been worshipping<\/em> her, he thought. No wonder she had delusions of becoming the Empress. He was examining some of the armored draugr when he jumped, once more, at the surge of power followed by Potema\u2019s disembodied voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much further. Come, little thing. Serve me in death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale snarled as three of the corpses there on the floor began rising, slowly. Little thing? Is that what you think? And why would I serve you? I am a\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

His thoughts were interrupted by the need to slay the raised minions. The first two, ordinary resurrected draugr, were no real challenge. The third one, though not especially strong, had him greatly unsettled. This one was a vampire, even more desiccated than she must have been before whatever had happened to her. She didn\u2019t last long against Dale\u2019s blades but he shuddered as she dropped back down to become part of the charnel heap once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would there be so many vampires here? Why would they be serving a necromancer? Surely that\u2019s not what she wanted\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

His mouth fell open for a moment as he remembered the ghostly men in Rannveig\u2019s Fast. \u201cI\u2019m sorry! This isn\u2019t what I wanted!\u201d They all said that. And Sild was a necromancer. I\u2019m not sure what it means but I don\u2019t like it either. \u201cServe me in death.\u201d I suppose, technically, all of us who are vampires are dead in some degree.<\/em><\/p>\n

He felt a shudder run up his spine. No. I refuse. This was a path I chose for myself, not an invitation to be used.<\/em><\/p>\n

The gate had risen \u2013 probably Potema\u2019s doing – during his battle with the draugr. Through it, around a corner and down a half-flight of steps was another set of doors. Dale pushed them open and was greeted by a familiar sight – Potema\u2019s spirit, suspended above the far end of the room and surrounded by pulsing, purple energies. Dale took a few steps into the chamber to investigate. Along either side of the chamber were niches holding coffins and seated draugr. He smiled grimly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s the welcoming committee. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve come far, mortal,\u201d Potema said, \u201cbut can you stand against my inner council? Let\u2019s see!\u201d A beam of energy burst from her and started sweeping the room, crackling and sizzling as it went.<\/p>\n

Lovely. A shock spell. I see I have no option other than to rely on my gargoyle.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dale cast his conjuration and stepped back, just out of reach of Potema\u2019s destruction magic. As he had expected, draugr emerged from their places along the walls to attack the gargoyle, which enthusiastically rushed forward to fight them. Dale hung back and fired arrows when he could. It wasn\u2019t as easy as he\u2019d hoped, for the energy surrounding Potema filled the room with a mist and a glow that made it hard to see targets, and the shock beam had him darting back and forth to the safety of the doorway.<\/p>\n

Frustrated, Dale decided to take on some of the draugr directly. He timed his movements to duck behind the podiums and pillars as the shock beam passed, and was able to take down three draugr on his own. The cost was heavy, though; he was uncomfortably damaged by the time the third dropped and was frantically healing when Potema\u2019s voice rose again.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t applaud yourself too soon, worm!\u201d she snarled.<\/p>\n

Dale looked around, confused, seeing no movements from within the throne chamber. When he glanced back at the doorway, though, he saw two from the outer charnel-heap approaching, warhammers raised.<\/p>\n

\u201cRip the eyes from his head!\u201d Potema screamed.<\/p>\n

Dale snarled. \u201cI don\u2019t think so!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

Then he regretted his decision to use energy arguing. In a sudden burst of blue and purple energies, all of the intact draugr he and his gargoyle had supposedly finished began to rise again to Potema\u2019s necromantic command. He thought they\u2019d had their souls freed when he killed them. He knew<\/em> he\u2019d freed their souls; some of them had filled gems in his possession. No – Potema was simply torturing their bodies for her own devices.<\/p>\n

At least two of the draugr had the Voice, and began Shouting. One of them attempted to disarm him and would have succeeded if not for his vampirically-enhanced reflexes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what I was afraid of when I spoke to Styrr. I can\u2019t defeat all of these at once! I\u2019m not strong enough. I\u2019m\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

He turned and ran back through the draugr-filled chamber. For the briefest of moments he considered using his own skills to raise one of the stronger dead, but he shook his head. No, he thought. I will not do that. These poor souls have been tortured long enough. Instead, he re-conjured his gargoyle and used his bow to pick off the first of the draugr that had followed him. But he was using too many arrows. His archery skills were not good enough to fire more rapidly. Even worse, more and more of the draugr poured through the narrow doorway from Potema\u2019s outer chamber. There were too many of them.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not strong enough. I\u2019m\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a vampire lord, damn it!<\/em><\/p>\n

Before he\u2019d had a chance to talk himself out of the idea, he transformed into the great, gray beast that was his gift from Agryn.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The next moments were a blur of snarls, Shouts, red vampiric energy blasting into draugr, the gargoyle flying from one target to the next, and draugr speaking in the guttural language they used. Intermittently, the vampire lord flew back to the doorway to regain strength and heal; even then he cast his blood magic at any target he could find. He and the gargoyle took down a draugr casting shock magic, and for a moment it was quiet; then Potema raised the bodies yet again. He looked about in dismay and then bellowed, his voice deeper and more ghastly than any sound he\u2019d ever made in human form.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough, Potema! Let these poor bodies rest! They are not your playthings!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRip the eyes from his head!\u201d she screamed again, as the draugr revived.<\/p>\n

He backed up into the small entry chamber, forcing them to attack one by one and using his blood magic to drain them, over and over. Perhaps, he thought dimly, I will drain enough from them that she will have nothing left to play with afterward. At one point the re-resurrected Death Lord got close enough to stagger him with a Shout and land a heavy blow with its weapon, leaving Dale gasping and nearly incapacitated, even in his huge Lord form. He fled back the way he\u2019d come, re-conjuring a gargoyle and drawing as much life force from the draugr as he could.<\/p>\n

It seemed to go on forever. At last, though, there were only two draugr left in Potema\u2019s chamber; he and the gargoyle attacked. As the second of them dropped to the floor, the translucent form of Potema\u2019s spirit disappeared. Swirling tendrils of power swept around the room once more and then dissipated, just as they had done in Wolfskull Cave.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dale waited for a moment, scanning the room, hovering with his spells ready. Nothing happened. He sank to the floor and reverted to his normal form.<\/p>\n

She exhausted all the energy left in these poor, tortured bodies. Now then. I\u2019m supposed to retrieve what is left of her. Perhaps in the small chamber just beyond\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

As he approached the small antechamber\u2019s entrance Dale saw a throne at the top of a short flight of stairs. On it was a human skull, around which was the specter of a woman. Dale grimaced. Even having been cut off from her supply of minions, Potema\u2019s life force was strong enough to maintain some connection to this world. He snarled.<\/p>\n

I am going to sever that connection.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He drew his blades and ran forward, not even attempting stealth. She doesn\u2019t deserve my best. <\/em>He struck the spirit, over and over, in a flurry of attacks fueled by rage. The ghost mounted a feeble defense with her own spectral blade, but it was not close to being effective. Soon enough, Dale stood staring down at a puddle of ectoplasm.<\/p>\n

Dale turned and grimaced in disgust, scooping the human skull from the throne into his pack. A passage behind the throne led him through to the outside world \u2013 above the roadway that passed his mausoleum home and hugged the shore to Solitude. The complex really had burrowed through the mountain to the other side.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Styrr\u2019s eager expression was visible from across the room, even behind his beard and under his hood.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve returned! I hope successfully?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale smiled and pulled Potema\u2019s skull from his pack. He handed it to Styrr. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to say yes. This is Potema\u2019s skull, and I\u2019m happy to be rid of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Styrr examined it and nodded vigorously. \u201cExcellent! These things do have a way of working out when people take action!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Dale said. \u201cIt\u2019s a shame action wasn\u2019t taken earlier, though. I heard the warning being raised before I was sent to Wolfskull Cave in the first place. I alone, with no assistance, was not nearly enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you were! You\u2019ve defeated her in spite of everything, and that is what matters. I\u2019ll sanctify the remains. I hope Falk will make it clear that Solitude owes you a debt of gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

I hope so as well, Dale thought as he walked from the Hall of the Dead to the Blue Palace. It truly would have been a disaster if that power-hungry, insane necromancer had been set loose in Tamriel again.<\/p>\n

Vampires aren\u2019t generally considered good people, and many of them use necromancy to gain power over the living. But I can\u2019t abide the thought of what she did, and would have continued to do, to the dead.<\/em><\/p>\n

Falk Firebeard\u2019s polite smile changed to an expression of solemn awe when Dale told him that Potema had been taken care of.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve done a great thing today,\u201d he said. \u201cPotema would have been a blight on the land. Without you this would have been a great disaster. I should have paid more heed to Varnius\u2019 warnings. I won\u2019t make that mistake again. Take this payment. The Jarl would thank you personally, but she very much wants to keep Potema\u2019s return quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t blame her. It would create a panic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Falk nodded, handing Dale a very large, very heavy coin purse. \u201cMake no mistake. We consider you a protector of Solitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale glanced at the Jarl, a woman of late middle age who was studiously avoiding his gaze. He looked back at Falk, smiled, and gave him a half-bow.<\/p>\n

Protector of Solitude, is it? It seems to me that will make Agryn very happy indeed. Now to find out why, exactly, it was so important to him.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   Ondale Perdeti crouched atop the guard railing of the bridge over the East Empire Company\u2019s warehouse, searching below for the traces of warmth and heartbeats that meant \u201cliving people.\u201d There wasn\u2019t much of either, on the docks or on the Red Wave\u2019s deck. Excellent. He skittered down the boulders on … <\/p>\n

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