Chapter XXXVI: March

I knock on Sybille's door a couple of times and get no response, getting a bit worried I quickly activate my magic sight to try and peer inside and what I saw made me rather uneasy. The aura in the room was all over the place and with what I felt was a mix of blood, death, and extracted lifeforce.

This smelled like all kinds of trouble but unfortunately, I couldn't just barge in as the place was most likely trapped to an unholy degree.

I quickly went and grabbed Davos and asked him if he knew how to disarm the probably magical defenses.

Without responding he immediately got to work and after some grumbling and many broken lockpicks, he managed to get through the door without triggering whatever trap awaited behind.

Hiring him really was money well spent.

I worriedly opened the door and rushed inside, and what awaited was what looked like the site of a rather complex ritual with a disheveled Sybille lying in the middle of a pool of her own blood without moving.

After a quick scan, I could see that she was still alive, but her presence was faint.

We searched the room for wherever she kept her supply of blood and found nothing, it was to be expected as it made the most sense to keep that kind of thing inside of one's oblivion pocket.

With an annoyed tsk, I placed my hand above her mouth and made a cut on my palm, I had to will my enhanced healing to stop for a moment for enough blood to flow out.

Some color seemed to return to her face after a while and she abruptly sat up and a pair of feral eyes glared at me, for a moment I expected her to lunge in an attempt to consume my blood but she suddenly slapped herself with one hand and summoned one of her 'wine' bottles with the other.

After drinking the entire thing in one gulp, and repeating the process four additional times she seemed to finally calm down and merely sat there in silence staring into the distance.

"...You ok down there?" I ask slowly.

My question woke her up from whatever state she was in and she blinked in my direction "Ah... yes I am fine." and returned to her distant stare.

I turned to Davos and signaled for him to leave us, and then dragged Sybille to her bathroom to at least help her wash her face.

As I am getting the blood out of her hair I hear her mutter quietly "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

She sniffs "I could have died in there you know."

"You could have." I nod slowly "But you didn't and that is all that matters."

Her chuckle is a hollow one "That is not what I meant." she once again stares at a random spot for a time before continuing "If I didn't consume something rich in Magicka, like say a bit of semi-divine blood belonging to a certain wizard, I would have become blood starved and been hunted down in hours."

"Oh."

"Quite." she leans back into me as I continue doing my thing.

"What were you even trying to do that you almost ended up blowing yourself up?"

I feel some reluctance on her part, but seeing as I did apparently save her life she explains "It is a vampiric ritual, involving stealing the vitality of charmed thralls to empower my own."

"I am guessing it is fatal for said thralls?" My hands tense just a bit.

She seems to feel it and stills for a moment "I assure you they deserved it."

I sense no lies but still narrow my eyes "Right, not like it is my business anyways. but that begs the question, did you know you would end up in such a state?"

"There was a chance." She forces out "But it was a risk I was willing to take."

Right "Uh-huh, and were you relying on me helping you out if it did?"

She looks at the ground in shame and nods "Yes."

I sigh "Look, I wouldn't mind helping you out for something like this... but trying to force me by literally almost dying is not acceptable, nor is it fair."

Her brows furrow "You would have helped me just like that?"

"Well I might have asked for something in return, but yes." I shrug.

"Each time I previously asked for your blood you reacted rather negatively." there is a question in her statement.

I snort "I am not going to be your damned meal Sybille, but I don't mind helping you out. Now you should get yourself cleaned up, we do need to get going soon."

I let her hair down and she gets up, giving me a radiant yet teasing smile "You came to my rescue once again... I would oh so love to invite you to join me, but you are right that we should get moving."

I twitch just a bit due to my cursed hormones and she seems to notice, before she can tease me I smirk back "I will hold you to that after we get back then."

"Oh that..." She leans on my shoulder and purrs into my ear "And so much more."

God. Damned. Hormones.

-------------------

The gathering of the army was still a bit later so I found myself strolling through the palace gardens, trying to relax before I inevitably got stressed out on the march.

I get a bit distracted by some servants gossiping about some random rumor and almost bump into someone, I turn and find myself face to face with a scowling Savos Aren who instead of his usual cheerful disposition is busy giving me a stern look while staring right into my eyes.

Oh.

I feel a physical weight on my shoulders as he stares at me, though it might have just been a trick of the mind.

After an uncomfortably long time he nods to himself "A lesson branded in flesh, I guess that I don't need to say much more than that." then grins maliciously "Still will though."

He fake-coughs and the atmosphere shifts once again as he angrily asks "What in all the unmentionables of oblivion were you thinking not making a proper deal before barging into that damned temple?"

I frown "I was certain that I did though, she even blessed me then and there..."

"Exactly you foolish boy!" He pinches the bridge of his nose "She misdirected you by giving you something shiny immediately and you just barged in without any assurances."

I facepalm loudly "Fuuuuck..."

"Language."

I glare at him and he smirks "Oh don't get uppity with me Reyvin, you messed up and now you need to take the chiding like a good boy."

Why am I getting deja vu?

I frown and with a drawl say "Yes, yes I made a mistake, it won't happen again, thank you for the obvious lesson oh great Archmage."

He raises his nose "It is good that you understand." then claps his hands and looks at me conspiratiorially "So... you and Sybille, huh?"

My look at that moment could have dried the seas themselves.

-------------------

After repeatedly, and with great vigor informing the Archmage that no, I do not wish to regale him with tales of my love life, we headed out toward the city gates.

On the way there we were joined by Davos and Sybille, who seemed much more lively than when I found her this morning. Aren looked like he was about to start pestering her but one annoyed scowl from her was enough for him to remain silent.

Is it possible to learn this power?

There was a crowd gathered on the streets as rumors had, as expected, already spread about our 'glorious quest'. Most of the people seemed more merry at the prospect of a great battle than worried about the horde of undead... almost as if the poor fools had no idea what would happen if we lost.

Or maybe they were all just that optimistic? Likely story that... the whole thing was probably downplayed by the authorities as no one likes a panicky crowd, especially since the slums were barely kept contained as is.

The legionaries were standing in orderly ranks, with the auxiliaries positioned at the front and back of the formation. In front of the soldiers was a small wooden stage upon which stood the King, wearing resplendent ebony light plate and a crowned helmet inlaid with gold runes.

Falk, also reasonably equipped himself signaled us to approach as soon as we arrived and the moment everyone was accounted for Torygg rose his hand and the crowd went silent.

"People of Solitude... people of Skyrim! A foul plague has infested our lands." He trails off holding the crowd's attention "Necromancers!" gasps are heard all around "Indeed my good people, these foul blasphemers against the gods are conducting some diabolical scheme even as I speak."

The crowd starts shifting as worry spreads among the less confident, but Torygg intervenes before it can get out of hand "But do not worry my dear subjects, for today we march to strike down this disease and excise it from Nirn, never to sink its vile claws into anyone else!"

And just like that the worry turns into fervor as cheers are heard from all round.

He goes on about the glory of 'our' brave soldiers and thanks the people for coming to see us off. Thankfully he knows better than to mention Savos as he would probably start a riot if he were allowed to speak for even a moment.

Before long we are leaving the city, with horses provided for all of us upper class folk. Thankfully I learned how to ride early in this life so I didn't embarrass myself.

The march toward Wolfskul is surprisingly peaceful, but everyone knows this is merely the calm before the storm. As we travel I notice that the legionaries are big fans of dark humor, the madmen were betting who would die in the most gruesome way and all were laughing at the idea.

Torygg seemed to be perfectly fine on the surface, but if the twitching of his hand and the frowns of his closest advisors was any indication, the young man was worried sick.

I tried distracting him by teasing him about his crush but while it did make him a bit more relaxed he remained twitchy the entire trip.

Savos naturally spent most of his time annoying everyone he could get his hands on, which earned him some ice shards to the face from Sybille, but that only encouraged him to be more insufferable.

Finally, after a day of riding we crested a hill and came face to face with a wooden fort, completely covered in skeletons wielding bows and a gods damned zombie giant staring right at us.

"Well" I hear Savos mutter "That is a big lad."

[Quest issued: Purge the necromancers.][Reward: The Tome of Shadows]

A vicious smile finds its way onto my face unbidden "The bigger they are... " I say.

"The harder they fall?" Davos pipes in from my left.

"The easier they are to blow up." both Savos and I say in perfect sync.

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I am the stone man and I have come for your stones.

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