:read: This was a pleasure to read.

Very nice how you blended Vincente's dream into the reality he woke up to.

Yes, exciting stuff with swords swinging and arrows zinging. :toughninja:

Congrats on how well your website is doing!

Boy, it's tough being a vampire, is it not?

Finally, the two paths begin to merge! It is awesome the way Eyja set him up the way she did.

I'm sitting on the edge of my chair waiting to see what happens next!

Oh, wait, I've got to go do some writing. Medical records, that is . . .

My jaw is officially dropped, my ass is officially on the edge of my seat, and my antennae are quivering a-waiting for the next installment..!

And my dear MalX1...do NOT be surprised if ANOTHER record bites the dust soon! Do not be at ALL surprised!

A great read that shows why vampires do not rule the world. Man that sunlight bites.... :nod:


I am curious why he did not resort to his vampire talents. An ancient vampire probably would be able to put his 3 minute invisiblity and night eye to good use.
Was it because he was in a weakened and confused state?

Because of the way you've handled his character, sometimes it's easy to forget just how dangerous Vicente can be. Thank you for reminding us.

I have to say that I am torn, part of me wants to see him get what's coming to him, and part of me regrets losing such a great character.


*spoiler* - It is one of Vicente's quests, when you break back into the Imperial Prison to silence Valen Dreth.

Congratulations on the record, and the new one you will set soon. :celebration:

Woo Hoo! Excellent, gripping combat in this one. I wait in anticipation for the culmination of Eyja's revenge- and for the return of a certain Khajiit... :read:

@ Rachel the Breton - Thank you so much, actually it was a Barbarian vampire, lol. I appreciate you a lot !!
***
@ Acadian - Thank you Acadian, I loved how she set it up to match his nightmare too! You ROCK !!
***
@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank you very much! That was my fave part of it!
***
@ Foxy - Thank you TONS Foxy, and you will be greatly missed!
***
@ Winter Wolf - Thank you Wolf, and you pegged it exactly. The garlic causing his concentration to be off; knowing the purge is on and he is now homeless and hunted, etc. - (plus, skulking around in camo killing wouldn't have displayed his ability to fight as well, lol). You are Awesome !!
***
@ Destri Melarg - Thank you very much Destri! But with his escape he has quite a bit more roles in the story before he gets his - (promise!) I thought the Valen Dreth one was called "Scheduled for Execution," but I am probably wrong, ARGH! Lol. You are very appreciated !!! Thank you again!
***
@ Treydog - Thank you so much Treydog - I have spent the last three days working on nothing but Maxical's return - Eyja will have to wait!



**************************



Chapter 71: Alix And The Thief



Vicente woke up from a sound sleep hearing the song of Maxical so near that she must be in County Skingrad. He stepped outside and was angered to find it was daylight again. He did not need to lift his nose to smell her, the scent of her filled the air so strongly that it was overpowering; as if she bled freely into the open air. He became lightheaded, and the arousal of the vampire in him was instantaneous and overwhelming, intoxicating.

He could not stay to keep smelling it, he was burning alive just standing in the doorway. He cursed the timing of her, she obviously traveled through the night, but could not arrive here while the darkness held. He would have to wait till that evening.

The scent and her song were both gone that evening when he stepped out of the cave. Totally gone as if they never existed. Vicente was confused and upset, what could have happened?

In a rage he decided he would return to the Pothole Caverns and lay in wait for her there. It was too dangerous here, vampire hunters would be drawn to this cave just as he himself was. Maxical would have to go back home eventually. Vicente had gone through too much over Maxical, lost too much. She would be his now, even if that dolt Hassildor had taken her virginity from her; but there would be hell to pay for the Count if he had.

***

Each night Vicente would leave the Pothole Caverns and wander the woods in the area, hoping to catch her scent. Since her disappearance at Skingrad he had not been able to pick up a single sign from her. How in the world could her song have just disappeared that way?

Vicente stepped out of the cavern as soon as darkness fell, anxious to get out of the dampness and stench of the place. He could not wait to enslave Maxical. A plan would have to be made for where they would live afterwards, now that the sanctuary would not be safe to return to. Living in this cave was intolerable. The thought of killing that Nord boy and taking over the Inn played increasingly across his mind.

Vicente honed his three blades to razor sharpness, repairing any nicks or gouges; then sliding the yellow-gray whetstone with practiced ease over the blades. He finished the two swords and was working on the claymore when suddenly a new scent entering the area caused him to leap to his feet.

It was a vampire, an ancient. The scent was familiar, but Vicente could not place it. The odor was confusing, and there was something else there as well, a familiar scent that reminded him of something he had smelled ages ago. His nose tickled with the odor, trying to pick up each nuance as it neared.

What in the world was an ancient doing here? How in over 300 years had he never smelled this particular line before? But he had?when? Vicente honed in on the familiar aspect of it, trying to remember where he had smelled that particular scent before. Then it came to him. It was the smell of that ancient line from Skingrad Castle. She had escaped, he was seeking her then. Bold.

The vampire was not alone, but Vicente was not interested in the companion. He could not see them, but by their odor and sounds they were approaching the Faregyl.

An anger began welling up deep within Vicente. This ancient thought to poach on his territory, he would not let that happen. The hair on the back of his neck was raised as he moved in closer. He would not stand aside while this vampire waltzed away with her, not after the hell she had put him through. Killing an ancient would not be easy, they had powers that went well beyond his own capabilities. He would have to prepare.

A low growl escaped Vicente as he angled himself to be facing them as they hurried toward the Faregyl. He crept in closer, honing in on every sound as they entered the yard of the Inn.



********************* Janus

"I will distract them, you sneak by and find that dagger. Do you know where it will be?" Melisande asked, preparing herself for the role she would have to portray.

Janus watched her in confusion. "What exactly are you doing?"

"I have to distract them somehow, I am going to say I was assaulted. Now, do you know where her dagger is?" Melisande repeated as she continued to tear her blouse and finished up by pinching her cheeks with such force it brought tears to her eyes and left dark red marks.

"It is in her room on her dresser, but I have no idea which room is hers. I will have to be invisible to sneak by them, her father Alix is like a Blade from all Maxical has said of him. I have never picked a lock either, what if her room is locked? I never had need for any 'unlock' spells." Janus was beginning to realize his protected life had kept him from learning quite a few things no books would ever teach him.

"I can't imagine anyone going through life without ever having to open a door that has been locked against them. Here, take this 'open' spell of mine, and this chameleon spell. Use your senses to pinpoint the most likely room; or just try every door if you have to; but hurry. Get that dagger and get out. Head for the castle; I will catch up to you later, it will look suspicious if I hurry out."

Melisande entered, and as soon as she crossed the threshold she began shrieking. Janus jumped, not expecting it; and almost screamed himself. He started to bolt back out, then realized what she was doing and stopped himself. Without waiting to calm down he shot up the steps, not bothering to be quiet. He went to each door in the upper hall till he found the room that gave off Maxical's distinctive aura.

He was right, it was Maxical's room, filled with the sense of her. There were her old toys; and the dagger lay on the dresser in plain sight, as if on display there for her to see each time she entered. He quickly tucked it in his pocket.

As Janus turned to leave, his eye fell on some drawings Maxical must have made as a child. He picked them up and sat down on the bed to look through them. She was a terrible artist, but he could feel her personality so strongly coming from those drawings that tears stung his eyes and he had to fight off the urge to roar from the pain that welled up in him.

He lay the stack on the bed and had just picked up her pillow when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Throwing the pillow he ran to the door, colliding with Alix.

Janus ran to the end of the corridor before he realized he was boxing himself in. He was breathing hard from the sudden panic and Alix must have heard him. With a yell he moved toward him and began drawing his blade.

Janus pushed by him just as he heard the longsword leave its sheath. He tried to leap down the stairs and tumbled instead, making a loud racket as he thumped down them. He shot out the door with Alix close on his heels.






************* Alix


Alix saw Maxical's door open as soon as he reached the landing at the top of the stairs. He hurried to her room and started in, but was staggered back by a body blow. He could not see anyone, but felt the breeze as the burglar raced toward the end of the corridor.

Glancing into the room Alix saw the pillow on the floor and her drawings scattered out on the bed. Then he noticed the dagger gone from the dresser. With a battlecry he swung around facing the end of the corridor where he could hear breathing. Moving fast towards the sound, he began drawing his sword from its sheath. Before he could pull it fully out he was shoved sideways into the wall. He spun, following the sound of crashing as the thief fell down the stairs.

At a dead run and with sword out, Alix followed, leaping down the stairs in one smooth jump. The front door was flung open with force, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Roaring like an angry bull Alix followed. He could not let them get away with Maxical's dagger. He forced himself to be quiet so he could hear where they went, following the sound of the footsteps.

When the thief hit the road they ran so fast it left Alix feeling like he stood still, even though he was running at top speed. He could not catch them. The only time he had seen anyone move that fast was when he had chased Vicente after the ambush.

Why would Vicente steal Maxical's dagger? Did that mean she was near? Dear Gods he prayed she was, and that what he had been feeling recently was false. Dear Gods please let her be alive.

Alix was angry as he turned to go back. He couldn't catch them, and they had stolen the one thing that meant more to Maxical than anything else. Alix determined to make sure the household was okay, then he would come back out here and try and find them.

By bribe or force he would make them bring him to Maxical, he had to see her so he would know she was alive. Every innermost feeling lately had told him that she was dead; and that was something he didn't think he would be able to stand...the thought of facing life without her in it.

When Alix walked back into the Inn he stared at Melisande suspiciously. Did she have something to do with this?





************************** Melisande

Melisande had come in shrieking about an attack by bandits and was being comforted by S'Jirra and Abhuki. She heard the crash as Janus fell down the stairs and saw the door fly open, followed by a roaring Alix chasing thin air. How should she react to keep the 'intruder' separate from her own presence at the Inn?

Her heart quivered against the soul gem nestled in her bra, and her hands came up instinctively and cradled it. She turned pale as a ghost and was clutching her chest in genuine trauma when Alix returned.

"What happened Alix!" S'Jirra's words implied a question, but her tone demanded an answer.

"Someone broke into Maxical's room and took her dagger!" Alix sounded devastated. "He was invisible. I followed, but could not catch him."

"NO!" S'Jirra screamed. "Oh no" Her shock dwindled into a helpless wail.

Alix and S'Jirra were just looking into each other's eyes, both with the same bleak expression. Then they clung to each other silently for a minute before Alix spoke.

"Who would do this?why? Break into a child's room while we are all awake; take a dagger that has no value?except to her. They came for that purpose alone S'Jirra. They deliberately sought her room. Her drawings and pillow were scattered about...why? I..I have felt something?wasn't right?now this. I don't know what?to?she has never had an enemy."

"What do you mean by not right?" S'Jirra seemed frozen in place.

"Nothing. It's just the shock of what has occurred, that is all." Alix obviously bluffed, the look in his eyes showed a heart that was crushing in pain.

The devastation in his eyes shook Melisande terribly, and S'Jirra had the same look on her face. It was obvious they both knew something was very wrong with Maxical, but neither wanted to say the words; were afraid to say them.

The raw pain was tangible. Melisande turned sheet white and clutched tightly onto the soul gem nestled at her briast.



***


*

Just ripped through chapter 70 - loved it. :goodjob:
There was one thing that had me scratching my head. Vicente was carrying 3 swords? The enchanted longsword, the silver longsword AND an enchanted Claymore?

Onwards to chapter 71 :twirl:

Janus is back to his reliable bumbling self, I see. Were it not for his station in life I fail to see how he could have survived, ancient or not.

How silly is this of me; when I saw the heading Alix and the Thief I became really happy because I thought it referred to the mouse! :lmao:


Nope, that would be me who's wrong, mALX. "Revenge Served Cold" is Corrick Northwode's quest at Harm's Folly. Sorry about that. :facepalm:

Now we're back to Maxical's story! Does that mean the big fight is near?

I am so ready to say buh bye to dear Vicente! Sorry but I can't feel any sympathy for that ***.

Like RemkoNL, I ripped through this chapter. I'm on the edge of my seat holding my breath.

More already!

Well, this was a spellbinding, tightly wrapped adventure! Brilliantly done. :goodjob:

I quite liked the little touch where you described Vincente sharpening his blades in some detail. Those are the little things that bring your story to life.

You have previously developed all the characters involved here in depth. That allowed you to employ all of them in this story without having to spend a lot of words developing who they were. This in turned, allowed the brisk tempo that was just right for this story.

You demonstrated amazing flexibility by describing the same sequence from differing perspectives and making each one fascinating. Your POV changes were clear and well done. I did have one question on the latter part of Janus' portion. From his perspective, he ran into Alix (by name). Would he know the identity of Alix? Is it perhaps something he and Maxical might have discussed while she was captive in his castle? It may well be, and if so, please ignore my concern.


Some very minor points:

In a rage he decided he would return to the Pothole Caverns {and?} lay in wait for her there.

Maxical would have to come go back home eventually. {I suspect you mean either come or go, but not both.}

"NO!" S'Jirra almost screamed. "Oh no" S'Jirra {S'Jirra's?} shock dwindled into a helpless wail.

Acadian has already ably noted my nits- but, since I already had them saved in a Word file...



Missed a "to" here, I think- "?to lie in wait?."



Another one of those things that creep in while rewriting- you only need "come" or "go."



And the letter thief strikes again. Rather than rustling an "R," she has lifted an "L."

Yay! One that the eagle-eyed Acadieditor missed!



"S'Jirra's?" needs the apostrophe "s.

OK, enough of the dueling editorial editing, let's get to the important stuff:

It is so much fun to see Janus as completely out of his depth when he finally ventures into the world. And it makes sense- he has had no need to learn any new tricks...

The raw emotion of Alix and S'Jirra was quite well-drawn, enough so that it affected Melisande, too.

I admit I was almost looking for a moose-mouse chapter, also... :facepalm:

Great work- Vicente's continued existence will just make it all the more satisfying when he is finally fixed.

Allow me to reiterate this! I can't wait until Vicente gets his dues...and I'm loving this!! More, please!

You can add my name to the list as well. When I saw the title I had a vision of a fat mouse in a big 'S' that came through and saved the day.
When I realized it referred to a Breton instead, it was like :facepalm:

I really enjoyed this chapter, the POV works very well. The advice from the Sage SubRosa has worked a treat.

Three days working on Maxical's return. I am spinning in uncontrollable giddiness. :twirl:
Yippee.

@ RemkoNL - Thank you so much! Yes, Vicente carries two longswords, (one enchanted, one silver), and an enchanted claymore - according to WIKI. I haven't killed him in so long I don't remember, lol. I appreciate you RemkoNL !!
***
@ Destri Melarg - Thank you very much Destri! I thought that name sounded familiar, but couldn't remember where it was from, lol. I appreciate you a lot!
***
@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank you very much!!!! Er...well, Vicente is needed a bit longer, lol. I can't kill him off yet, lol. I appreciate you a lot!
***
@ Acadian - Thank you, Thank You! I fixed the nits! You are always appreciated !! You ROCK!!
***
@ Treydog - Thank you so much Treydog! I appreciate so much the help with the grammer nits - and I am glad you picked up on the reason for his ineptness out in the world. I tried to picture someone as isolated as he has been, and the things they wouldn't know. You are AWESOME Treydog !!!
***
@ Rachel the Breton - Thank You, Thank You !!! I appreciate you a LOT !!!
***
@ Winter Wolf - Thank you so very much! I agree, SubRosa is Awesome with her sage advice! Maxical coming back: Yes, it is on now! (finally) I appreciate you TONS !!!

Chapter 72: The Night Mother And The Faregyl


That dagger had to mean the world to Maxical for them to be this upset, it would be the perfect item to bring her back; but how painful it was to be a witness to her family's hidden grief. Melisande felt stronger than ever that she had to do whatever it took to bring Maxical back and relieve these people's minds and hearts.

Alix turned toward Melisande. "I am sorry about all this Miss. It seems we have had an intruder ourselves. It may be the same person who assaulted you. You must spend the night here, as the culprit got away and may be laying in wait nearby. There will be no charge, of course. Please, allow us to offer you our protection." Alix's voice was insistent.

"But what hour is it? For I must travel to Skingrad as quickly as possible. A relative of mine is in dire health and may not survive the night." Melisande fabricated on the spot.

Her pale appearance and continued clutching of her heart did not sit well with Alix for letting her leave however, as was evidenced by his next words. "S'Jirra, get the good guest room made up. Ma'am, you are not well enough to travel it seems, and with that villain about it is not safe for you to leave. I beg you wait till daylight and make your trip well rested. S'Jirra, draw her a hot bath as well." Alix alternately ordered S'Jirra and cajoled Melisande.

Alix's voice and tone were all that was kind, but his eyes remained haunted. Melisande hoped Janus would continue on to the castle and make haste rather than wait for her to exit. She decided to spend the night and get to know these people that had raised Maxical. Besides, if she left now it would look very suspicious under the circumstances.




***************** Janus

Janus saw Alix turning back toward the Faregyl and eased his pace, but continued toward Skingrad as Melisande had instructed him. He could smell the old vampire following him, good. He did not like the idea of an old vampire hanging around Maxical's home. Maybe if Janus drew him away, the vampire would set up a new lair.

He had gone quite a ways when his scent told him the old one had turned back. Janus turned around then, and at a distance tailed the vampire right back to the Faregyl. Drat! He was hanging around there for some reason. Janus would have to wait for Melisande, or this old vampire may get her.

Janus blanked his mind, having learned his lesson from the fight with the duenna. He stayed in chameleon and worked his way back to the Inn, cutting up to it from behind the building so his scent would be confusing. As he neared the Inn he began to channel his powers, forcing them to come out. If this vampire hurt Melisande, she would not be able to bring back Maxical. The fear and anger of that possibility fed the vampire in him, bringing it out in full. The testosterone and adrenaline flooded over him, filling him with strength and a cat-like cunning. The acid dripping from his fangs as they lengthened burned into him. His eyes were on fire and the world around him became darkened, reflecting only the thermal images of living beings, the pulse of their blood flowing in their veins.

Janus stealthily crept up the hill behind the Inn, and with a smooth leap he landed on the roof, crawling low across the thatching till he could see the image of the old vampire waiting in the woods near the clearing of the Inn. Waiting for him to return? Yes, Janus read his thoughts. He wanted a showdown, and thought to surprise him with an attack.

Creeping to the edge of the roof, Janus leaned his head over just to the west of the doorway and allowed some of his fluids to drizzle to the ground there. Then he crouched, waiting for the vampire to follow the scent over. He carefully kept his mind blanked as he waited to pounce on the unsuspecting vampire.

The thermal image drew a sword out. Janus saw the split second glow of an enchantment when it released into the air from the sheath, and heard the faint hum it gave off briefly. Then the vampire began slowly creeping over to the Inn. It went right to the spot Janus had dropped his juices.

Janus began to gather himself to leap on the old vampire when suddenly the door of the Inn opened. The old vampire beat a hasty retreat to the woods and waited at the edge of the clearing. Drat!

Alix emerged below him, looking about. He seemed to be following his senses, listening to an inner guide as he slowly began walking toward the spot where the old vampire was hiding.

Janus would not let that old vampire hurt Maxical's father! With the grace of a cat he leaped from the rooftop and landed behind Alix. Alix spun around at the sound of the footfall. He had his silver longsword readied.




************* Vicente

Vicente was watching the front of the Faregyl Inn after the ancient and that woman went in and started screaming. He didn't have to wait long before the door burst open with a bang and Alix ran out bellowing and swinging his sword. Vicente thought at first that he had been spotted, and darted back into the woods.

Alix had quieted down then, listening. Vicente froze in place, and heard what Alix did, footsteps running down the road. Alix took off then chasing the sound. Vicente followed at a distance, carefully and quietly picking his way through the woods rather than entering the roadway.

When Alix gave up and turned back, Vicente followed the scent of the ancient vampire. He tailed it till he was sure it was heading back to Skingrad. Good, Vicente thought as he turned back toward the Faregyl. So the ancient had lost track of Maxical as well. That didn't explain why her scent and song were gone; but at least it meant this one had not gotten to her yet.

Vicente went back to the Faregyl to wait. The ancient had left without his companion, and may return. Sure enough, within a short period the scent of the ancient was nearing. Vicente prepared for battle, drawing out his enchanted sword. It would be impossible to sneak up on him, the vampire would smell him; but he may not expect a full on attack without warning. Vicente went into full chameleon and began creeping up closer to the Faregyl, it seemed the ancient was directly against the Inn itself.

The scent was the strongest at the doorway to the Inn. Vicente could almost hear the breathing. He honed in on it, pinpointing the sound so his sword would strike true. Before he could get a lock on the sound the front door of the Inn opened, and Alix emerged with his longsword in hand.

The sudden opening of the door startled Vicente, and his first reaction was to run. He got to the edge of the clearing and stopped, watching Alix slowly making his way toward him. He checked to make sure his chameleon was still working, it was. So how was the man coming toward him then? Well maybe it was time for Vicente to pay Alix back for that ambush in Cheydinhal then. Vicente stayed put and kept his sword ready for Alix to step closer.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a footfall from behind Alix. Alix had heard it too, as he spun around to face the ancient. Vicente could not see the ancient, but he could smell him coming closer. Why had he pounded his feet like that? The idiot!

Vicente kept still so Alix would go after the ancient. Vicente would wait it out and kill whoever was left standing at the end of that fight.

The ancient must be a clumsy oaf, he was making a lot of noise, stomping his feet like an Ogre and drawing Alix away from him. Good. Alix followed the ancient out of the yard.

Vicente decided to wait and see who returned, and would take care of whichever did when they arrived. He put his sword away and waited.

Just then the ghostlike figure of a Khajiit woman appeared in front of Vicente.

"Vicente! I am the Night Mother! You have made me very angry! Leave this Inn and don't come back! Do not harm them, or you will face my wrath!" The ghostlike figure said in a growling voice.

The purge! Oh no, the Night Mother had found him! Vicente turned and ran, not caring that branches whipped against his face as he beat his way through the woods.

Vicente reached Fort Blackboot before he finally stopped and rested. He kept a wary eye out for the Night Mother. Odd, her being a Khajiit. That was something he had never expected. In all these years he had assumed she was either a Dark Elf or Mephala! To find out she was a Khajiit, well this put a whole new light on Sithis' interests and the five children they had together.

Vicente wondered if he could appeal to Sithis for relief from this purge. Surely if Sithis fell in love with a Khajiit he may understand Vicente's obsession over Maxical; well, of course this wasn't over love. Maybe he would not understand after all. Darn that Khajiit, she was going to pay for all he was going through once he got his hands on her. Or maybe he should say his fangs. Vicente barked out a laugh, but it died out quickly. What was he going to do now? He could not go to the sanctuary anymore, now the Night Mother was guarding Maxical's house. Where could he go?

Maybe if he swore to Sithis to leave the Khajiit alone?even as he thought that the memory of the taste of that blood came back to him, and he knew he could never stop as long as she was alive.





****************** Melisande

Melisande carefully lay the black soul gem on the pillow of the bed and covered it with the blanket while she bathed in case the Innkeeper entered. She hurried through her bath and toweled off quickly, sliding naked between the fresh sheets that faintly smelled of violets. She had not blown out the candles, and lay looking around the room trying to figure out why she was drawn to a soul gem and a girl she had never met before. Why had she insisted on keeping Alix the mouse?

Her defense of Maxical to Janus was normal enough, none of these odd feelings started till she had captured the soul and placed it next to her heart. She had never had such a reaction before; it was almost a motherly instinct that had taken hold of her. Was she losing her mind in her old age? Was the child trying to tell her something? Turning to her for protection? It was all so strange. Melisande gave a gentle kiss to the soul gem and then cradled it to her briast, falling into a confused sleep; her heart beating as if it were trying to nurture an egg she carried.

The next morning she found herself stuffed with potato bread and given a bag of it to carry. Her money was refused, and Alix walked her well past the Old Bridge to be sure of her safe journey. It was very doubtful she would have been treated as well had they known she was a witch; but she found Maxical's family delightful and found herself somehow drawn to them in the same way she was drawn to Alix the Mouse. Alix turned back once he was sure she had passed the most dangerous spots, giving her a warm farewell.


*

Very well done mALX! :goodjob: This was wonderful to read. The action flowed logically and made perfect sense. I liked 'seeing' it from the differing perspectives, and you did a great job with that.


My goodness this was fabulous! Crystal clear, but intriguingly and creatively worded. This was some beautiful writing!
Poor Janus, dropping his juces and all -

The big moment draws closer! Come on, already!

Well written, very much so. I was holding my breath while Janus was stalking Vicente. Immersive!

It was a great idea to add this line into the story. It was the resin that held everything together and made the actions of everybody crystal clear.



I really loved this chapter. It was so full of goody treats. Janus on the roof was so vampirish (is that a word? ) and the way Melisande held the black soul gem in the bed was delightful.
Alix is worried about the well being of his adopted daughter, yet he doesn't know that she is in the gem. Ha, I love it. :liplick:

Add my voice to those saying, "It was great!"

I only have one complaint- I want MOOORE! (Please? Sad puppy-dog eyes/).

You really got deeply into Melisande here- and the view of the same events from multiple perspectives is masterfully done- enough continuity for me to keep up, but enough variation to keep things interesting.

Ohhhhhh, so exciting! More, please! This really is cruelty, you know, to keep us so long waiting for the return of our perfect imp! And, needless to mention, keeping us waiting to see Vicente get what he so clearly deserves.

One question...the Khajiit ghost...was that really the Night Mother? It couldn't be Maxical, right, since she is trapped in the soul gem? If you can't say at this point without giving stuff away, feel free to ignore my questions, LOL.

Bravo! Very well made.

The. Suspense. Is. Killing. Me! :wacko:

@ Acadian - Oh, Janus dropped them on purpose, in the way that a spider drops its juices on the web to draw flies in....Buwahaha !!! I hope everyone is keeping up with the Tournament of Stars over on Acadians thread! Thank You so much Acadian, you are Awesome!
***
@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank you so much, and speaking of immersive! Your last chapter had me aching from wounds and exhausted from battle. You ROCKED that last chapter! Really Awesome piece of writing!!!
***
@ Winter Wolf - Thank You so much! Having you read my thread is always an inspiration, you are like a detective; finding every hidden clue I lay out, every motive that lies beneath the surface. That scene of Janus on the roof - that was my fave in the chapter. I am actually beginning to like Janus's vampire side, he has more potential for evil than Vicente as he learns how to use that vampire - more power, and more cunning. He is like Stealth on Steroids when he is a vampire - You are AWESOME!!

- I see your character (woo hoo!) Aradroth, is on two different threads at once!!! Maybe he needs to go to work for Foxy next!
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@ Treydog - I am glad you said that! I do worry about the repetition a lot. When I am writing the scene I realize each one is seeing something different, feeling something different, motivations, etc. - and really didn't know how to get it in there without going to the same spot with the next character. I had those scenes in the Inn and in the front yard where the role of each was a layer added to that scene, (like those old clear plastic pages of human bodies in an encyclopedia, where the basic page is a skeleton, and each clear page just adds a different organ system, the more clear pages you flip on top of that skeleton the more complete the body/or in this case, story - at least that is what I was trying to do, and didn't know how else to do it, lol. I really worried about it being too repetative, and if you know any tricks on how to do this correctly, I am all ears !!!) Thank you very much Treydog!!

Treydog, you and Destri Melarg, will take the reader's breath away every chapter. Both the storylines and writing - I can't pick a favorite chapter because each is as awe-inpiring as the last. Reading both of yours is like seeing a movie that you want to see over and over again.
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@ Rachel the Breton - Thank you so much! Five chapters (if I counted right) and you will know who it is, lol. I am loving your lasted storyline! Both The Fan (now THAT was a twist I didn't see coming!) and Edward's - really addictive!!
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@ Sythro - Thank you very much! - and I have to say, your Myspace page is AWESOME !! I love it, and know how much work it was to get that done, I still haven't seen all the vids, but spent quite a bit of time trying to get them all in! You ROCKED that page!
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@ Destri Melarg - Thank you very much! I have the next twelve chapters written, and there are some things coming in them that no one could see - I am very excited about this - Maxical will be back at the end of them, but what comes between has shocked even me! I hope you will like them, like I said in Treydog's comment, you and he take reading to a whole new level, and inspire others with the sheer genius of your plots and writing.


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Chapter 73: Of Revenge And Understandings


Melisande had not gone far after Alix was out of sight when she heard a thundering noise and yowling coming her way. She cast a dispel around her so that Janus was made visible. At first she thought steam rose off him from anger, then realized he was burning in the sunlight.

The sight of Janus burning gave her a sensation of being rewarded somehow; her mind was haunted by the suffering of Alix and S'Jirra, and that of Alix the Mouse. He deserved pain for the havoc he had wrought on so many innocent lives in his moment of greed and lack of self control. Hannibal and Marie had to be included in that as well. Everyone was scrambling to clean up the mess Janus created while he sat in comfort; herself as well.

She had started out only to do this for an innocent girl, now she had a mouse and two distraught parents whose pain was eating at her heart. And still Janus thought only of himself in all this. It angered Melisande just to think about it, and she found herself getting short with him.

"Why did you not go back to the castle like you were supposed to? You should not have waited for me. I am certainly capable of getting to Skingrad safely on my own. Give me that dagger. And stop that howling, you will draw the wolves thinking you want to mate." Melisande snatched the dagger from his outstretched hand.

"That vampire was out there. I could not chance leaving you with him skulking about. How was I to know you would spend the night? OWWW! I must get out of this sunlight, it burns badly." Janus gasped out, fighting the vampire from emerging due to the pain. So far he was winning the fight, and was fairly proud of himself for it.

"Well cut through the woods then. You are just lucky Alix did not alert the watch and have them searching for you. What caused the delay upstairs? Could you not find the right room?"

Janus looked briefly ashamed. "I found it right off, and had the dagger. She had drawn pictures as a child, there was a stack of them."

Melisande felt a rage overtaking her that Janus had fondled Maxical's childhood drawings when he was the one responsible for ripping her life away and bringing the pain she had seen in her parents faces and heard from Alix the Mouse.

"Don't expect me to save you when a wolf runs up and humps your leg if you choose to keep walking out here in the sun and howling like some kind of she-wolf in heat. Now please go walk in the woods and leave me alone!" Melisande felt herself losing control of her temper, and didn't trust Janus not to turn into that horrible vampire beast again if she did.

Janus stopped walking and pulled her around to face him.

"Do you think I would harm you? That I cannot control myself? I am a beast? I know what I have done to Maxical, but I have tried to tell you all along it was the virgin blood. You cannot know the overwhelming drive eons old that is aroused by that scent. I have a very strong willpower. In over 50 years that was the only incident, you must believe me!" He was still yowling between words.

"I know you could have left, you could have not gone to begin with and just sent a healer or a guard to go get her and bring her to the healers. This is all your fault Janus, just like this pain you are complaining of right now is. To see you such a baby facing pain when you took her without a thought to the pain you brought her or those that love her! Stop that racket this instant! I'm sure it is painful but it is your fault. You knew if you waited it would put you into the daylight. Do you never think?"

"What is it Melisande? What has happened that has upset you so?" Janis fought against the howling, his voice gentle so she would realize he was not a beast about to attack her.

"They know! They can sense the loss of her, and they suffer! Those kind, innocent people are suffering because you didn't think before you acted, and everyone has lost because of it! Even Alix the Mouse, it ripped me apart to hear his cries yesterday when he saw her dead!" Melisande started off screaming at Janus, but ended up in uncontrollable sobs that nearly distorted her words beyond comprehension.

Janus gave a roar of pain and ran into the nearby woods. Anger helped Melisande regain control and she screamed after him.

"Do you think I feel sympathy for your burning? I wish the Gods would torch you till you were ash!"


***

Janus stumbled blindly through the trees and finally fell down at the base of a huge pine and buried his head in his hands, roaring repeatedly to keep from sobbing uncontrollably as Melisande had.

How many times he had relived that day, and never once had he pictured sending someone else, trusting another not to bumble the job of protecting her; feeling he was the only one capable of saving her from the dangers she may have found at Shadeleaf Copse.

Melisande was right, he could not blame all this on her virginity, it was his fault. Rather than risk someone else's possible mistakes he had placed her in graver danger than another may have caused by being inept. He could have left her out there alone to struggle and she would still be alive today.

Hearing Alix the Mouse cry had made him physically ill, and he relived it just as he did the sound of Maxical screaming before she died. That day, with the vampire fully out in a way it had never been before; somehow he had not heard the screams; but when the vampire was gone and his mind was back to normal he remembered them clearly and could not understand why he hadn't been able to realize what was happening at the time.

He thought he had come to enjoy the powers of his vampirism these past decades, not needing to eat or sleep, the cheap parlor trick of reading people's minds, or playing with Maxical's dreams. Suddenly he realized that it was all a ruse that masked the true horror of what he had become.

Why had he not remembered that day at Shadeleaf Copse more vividly? The terror of it, the devastation that was so real; yet he let the horror of that day fade away to a distant memory while he played with a monster; toying with it and taunting it; never realizing its evil power until Maxical lay dead, every drop of her life inside of him. Why had he not remembered that day? Because if he had, maybe he would have done what Melisande said, and sent another in his place.

How high and mighty he must have sounded to Rona, forcing her to look at her bloody face in the window that day, talking about how they could fight this and control it. At least Mina was not someone Rona loved, and that made him all the more evil than she, who took a stranger and left her alive while he murdered Maxical who loved and trusted him.

Melisande saw the monster he was, and the weak man he had become; who whined over the sun burning him, and feared going out in the daylight lest his precious hide sizzle. What had become of the man he had been? Had those decades of isolation caused him to think only of himself, while Maxical lay dead at his hands and her parents grieved? Dear gods how he wished it had been Rona who had gotten the Immortal's blood that he could take his own life now and never again have to face what he had done, what he was, what he had become.

The tears came then; tears he had been fighting to hold back every second of each day since Maxical died; fought when he heard Alix the Mouse crying over her; or when he saw her childhood drawings. And now her parents were living in pain, knowing their daughter was gone in their hearts, unable to grieve openly or even voice it for fear that once it was spoken it would be final. No matter what it took, he had to bring her back, he had to.


***


Melisande stood quietly listening at the edge of the wood. She had stayed well out in the field and waited for the roars to die down, not sure if they were the beast or the man; anger or sorrow. When the sobs were heard she had her answer and had come in closer, clinging to the fringes of the forest that he may be alone with his remorse for a while. Time was passing, though; they must get back to Skingrad.

She heard Janus approaching and tried to look as if she hadn't been listening.

"I need to apologize for the last thing I said Janus, about hoping you would be torched by the Gods. That wasn't very nice of me."

"Please don't apologize. There are some things you said that I had to hear, have needed to hear for a long time. That wasn't one of them, but the other things you said were, and I probably deserved that one. I am the one that should be apologizing."

"There is no need to apologize to me?" Melisande began, but Janus stopped her.

"Yes, there is. I wanted to be all Maxical needed. I thought I could handle it. I had this image in my mind of what being chivalrous meant, how I was raised to think a man should treat a woman?how I used to be before the attack. We hadn't seen each other in weeks after having lived together for months. I knew she was coming, and was more excited than I have been about anything in decades. Knowing she was injured did not put a warning bell in my mind as it should have, knowing my condition. All I could think of was my own desire to see her as quickly as possible. I knew what those vampires were that attacked me over 50 years ago, but until that day I never knew what I was."

"Because you stayed isolated you had no frame of reference Janus. This was your first real attempt at trying to live a normal life with your condition."

"But you were right, I should have thought, sent someone else. I had a blown up idea of my own strength and willpower, that my love for her was stronger than the vampire in me. She was thinking of going to the place I had been attacked. I came riding up on a steed with thoughts of carrying her off to safety like some knight in a fairy tale. Instead, I was the danger. The vampire had emerged before, but never like this. I had always been able to control it, sometimes with a struggle, but always the victor. Until that day I never really knew its full power."

Finally! Janus' critical introspection I have been awating for quite some time... Wow!