Ok this is the first fanfic i've posted in a long while. I do actually plan on going some where with it. Its actually about my RP character (who some of you may be familiar with) Almerion. I feel that there is only so much depth to him that i can reveal in a role playing environment, so with that in mind. I created a fanfic exploring his origins.

You will notice some simularities between this and the movie Interview with a vampire. That is not because i am trying to rip it off, it is merely because i am enthralled by the way the story is told. A story about a man telling a story if you will.

And this is Almerions story, told in a manner i could never do with an RP. I hope you enjoy it. be gentle.


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Chapter One: Humble beginnings

"It started almost five hundred years ago. Barenziah queen of Morrowind was but a child, fresh to the world. Born to parents long thought infertile, much like herself. It was an age of decadence the likes of which we have never seen. The empire was growing, Tiber Septim was still alive, and more than that. It was the year I was born. But not born like you know it, it was the year I was to be given my new name."

His voice was cold, bitter even. The candle light cast shadows across his gaunt inhuman features. Yet the parlour of his flesh held a quiet beauty within itself. There was no denying that this man was truly blessed.. Or cursed, with the dark gift. He wore clothes in a fashion long dead to the world, you could tell their age at a glance. But you couldn't possibly find a more exquisite attire.

He wore a cropped velvet riding coat, cutaway at the waist where more attention was paid to a pair of dark breeches, at the hip the breeches where tied in even bows instead of the use of a conventional belt. The bottoms where tucked into a pair of fine soft leather boots, which reached halfway to the knee. Beneath his riding coat was a silver waist length satin waist coat, double briasted and decorated with fine golden spun thread. Beneath the waist coat, a crisp linen shirt accented with a sheer frill, with matching cuffs at his wrists.

On the table before him, a slightly conical hat beside a pair of silver satin gloves, matching his waist coat. It was easy to tell that in a past life, how ever long forgotten, that he was rich man. Or perhaps not, perhaps he was a beggar who had accumulated riches through the slaughter of his prey.

"And what was your new name?" A greasy haired Breton asked. He hadn't bathed for days, he'd finally found the man he had been searching for, the man sat before him. He himself was a scholar, not unlike those known to each city containing a mage guild. But with all his similarities to his fellow learners and educators, they held none of his charisma charm nor tenacity. He was a man who could only learn so much trying to discover new things and unlock new secrets. No. He was a man who learned from history, he didn't look forward to the future like many of his peers, he looked into the past, searching for secrets already discovered but not yet explored. The man in front of him was one such secret.

"Almerion." He replied gently. Letting the syllables roll over his lips as if they where poison to him. "Almerion is what he named me. Though it was not always such."

"Who named you? Why didn't you just keep your old name?" The Breton asked, not looking up from a rapidly moving quill scrawling notes across a leaf of parchment.

"When one becomes a vampire you are no longer the man who woke to the sunrise that day. You start a new life in the same body. In that respect, you must be given a new name. My name was to be Almerion."

The Breton paused for a second, his brow furrowed and eyes wary. He was feeling the fatigue of a sleepless night the way Almerion could not.

"This is the first I've heard of vampires being given new names, the records of both the temple of the one and the mages guild show evidence that people who become vampires retain their identity when they turn. What is different about you?"

"I am older than any vampire you have ever known or heard about." Almerion whispered, the candle light fluttering gently as his breath played about with the flame. "Back then, the success of the vampire was directly related to how well he could blend in. That means leaving your past life where it belongs. In the past, if I where to keep my old identity and pretend I was still the same man, many people would notice a distinct change in my nature. That would give me and my secrets away;

It is arrogance and greed for power which led the younger vampires to keep their names. They do not believe they should hide them selves when they have so much power to wield. They believe them selves to be as gods. But truth be told, each generation of vampire grows weaker. We are a dying race. I am nearing my end. I pray for it to come quickly."

The Scholar before him stopped writing, staring at the paper as Almerion last words slowly made their way through the dense thickets of his thoughts. He looked up with a bemused expression, not believing Almerion's wish for death.

"Why would you give up your power, your immortality. What makes you less greedy than your brothers?"

"I am not Mer. I was once a man, like you. Only I was born a Nord. I was not meant for this many years on Nirn. I have no stamina for immortality." he waited a few seconds for the Breton to realise he was supposed to be recording the vampires words before continuing his story. "As I said. It started almost five hundred years past."



* * *



The streets where squalid. Lined with filth and bodies. A man named Marcus stumbled through the excrement thrown from the windows above him. He was in the waterfront of the Imperial city, a hive like slum of villainy corruption and above all else, complete and utter anonymity.

It had been his desire for solitude which brought him to this wretched place, not his lack of fortune nor want for adventure. He was no beggar, pirate or brigand. He owned a line of stables, one in the imperial city, the other two on the borders Leyawiin and Cheydinhal.

He had wealth and power. A stately home in Skingrad and a private vineyard just beyond the walls of Skingrad. But it did not bring him happiness. Not the happiness he craved so much. It had been two winters since his wife died, and three since he lost his parents. The only family he had left was a younger brother in the legion, stationed in a province too far for Marcus' embrace.

Why in his time of desperate loneliness he sought solitude, he did not know. Perhaps he searched for answers which could only be found in the silence of his own mind. Or perhaps, and in his heart he knew it to be true, he wanted to find somebody to release him from his suffering. To end his pain.

And it was in this time of desperation that he was found. Not by himself. But by his maker. A man named Gabrielle, a demon with an angels face.

Marcus lay, night after night. In a pile of decaying filth surrounded by rats. His hair tangled with soil and dirt. Sweat gave him the look of a man with plague, clammy and pale. Though really his only ailment was the amount of brandy in his veins.

Gabrielle watched from afar as Marcus committed a tormenting slow suicide, killing himself slowly from within. Poisoning himself with the bitterness of his memories mixed with the sweetness of alcohols embrace. The vampire would watch as Marcus goaded men into fighting him wordlessly, using nothing but body language and lack of response to aggravate and eventually break their tempers. It would never end the way he'd want it, with him lying down in a pool of his own blood. No, they never had the courage of their convictions to kill him. Just to much strength and not enough mind, the petty thugs and louts that they where.

This night however was different. Marcus was more in danger than he knew. Gabrielle stalked the nobleman like a predator, prowling out of sight in the shadows. Far away enough to not be heard, but close enough to act on the drunkards behalf if need be.

A brutish Nord followed him through the streets, like Gabrielle the Nord was a predator and Marcus his prey. Though unlike Gabrielle, he lacked the subtle finesse and skills of the hunt. He barged passed any who fell into his path, shouldering one man off the dock wall into the waste filled waters bellow. Gabrielle knew not what Marcus had done to enrage his stalker, though he did not much care. He was no man to judge another's sins. He proffered to goad them into committing them more often rather than chastising them for sinning at all.

"Oi you filthy scumbag cheat you owe me money!" The Nord had caught up to Marcus in a dark alley way, and was holding him by the scruff of a filthy collar, spit flying from the Nord's mouth onto a rather bored looking face. Marcus didn't even care that the man holding him against a wall was now pulling a dull rust covered blade from his rear pocket. "Where's my money?"

Marcus shrugged, his face slowly turning red, betraying non of the emotions any other man would surely have been feeling at such a pivotal junction in their lives. If he where to act one way he would live. The Nord would have his money and leave him be. If he acted another he would die, the Nord would use his less than elegant blade to end his life. It was a road that split two ways, his life was pivoting on the scales of life or death.

Gabrielle was the weight who would tip the scales in Marcus' favour.

It happened in an instant. For Marcus and his assailant it was over before either of them, especially the Nord, could register what happened in their mind. But for Gabrielle it seemed to last forever, he moved with an elegance unknown to mortals. Gliding through the shadows as if he where floating, his movements gentle yet filled with power.

He rose up from the darkness, breaking through the pitch black like a kraken from the depths of a hellish sea. He moved so fast the Marcus saw naught but blurred colours and shapes. Reaching up to the Nord's head, twisting it in one fluid motion.

A crack resounded through the air and Marcus's assailant dropped to the floor faster than a sack of stone. Nobody would pay any mind to it in the waterfront. People died all the time, most would go unnoticed for days, some never at all. Life for the waterfront was a dangerous and ignorant one. That is why it was the perfect place for Gabrielle to find Marcus. It was not his original intention to grace him with the dark gift. But the more he watched him, the more he knew he had to have him. As a brother and companion through time.

Marcus was slumped down on the floor beside the corpse of his attacker now, his head lolling from side to side like a new born child, eyes squinting through the gloom as he tried to study Gabrielle's features. The last thing he saw before blacking out was the hollow face of a monster bearing down upon him, and two pale red eyes.

* * *

I don't really have anything negative to say other than that was way too short and it stopped mid conversation, I'm just waiting for it to carry on

Also I love Vampire fan fictions, and I like the sound of Almerion, he seems so far to be a pretty cool guy I will refraid from saying much else until I;ve read more.

Indeed, I have no complaints other than grammar and word choice. There are a few instances that I'm sure you could catch on your own or with a spell checker, so I won't go into that. There are also a few places where your words don't feel quite right. I think you could find better substitutes, given the outstanding nature of the rest :goodjob:

You seem to dwell a bit long on his attire, I found myself quite bored reading about it. I understand it is necessary to describe it to us, but things like the length of his waistcoat feel a bit much. And the fact you said his waist length waistcoat kind of threw me off for a moment

Other than that, I agree that the method of telling the story is great, but I hope you turn to third person narrative for the first chapter. Such dialogue is great for an intro, but it gets tedious quickly. I too would like to read more, what you have said intrigues me.

Thanks for writing, and keep it up

I actually went over the spellings with a fine tooth comb.. three times. I type to fast alot of the time you see and i end up typing one word instead of another. So i had to make sure i hadent dont that with this to save people from confusion as they read. As for spellings. I'm english, if your not also english you may just be confusing english spellings of certain words for grammatical error.


Completely right actually i was going to take that bit out but i thought i'd leave it and see if anybbody picked up on it. Just because i like his waist coat. He is theo nly character who will be described in such detail, i want him and Gabriel to be the sharpest images in a blurry crowd, so in that ense, they need to be the ones most described. But i'll trim it down in the future.

I actually did have more. From a third person perspective. But i thought it best to keep it away from the forums just for now until i get more comments and feed back. Plus the fact that blocks and blocks of text has put people off my fanfictions in the past. As you could well imagine from the lengths of my posts in the time line.

Infact, most chapters will be from a 3rd person. Though every now and then i will drift back to the conversation between the breton and Almerion. I'm not sure how often i should do it, i was thinking maybe every 3 chapters or so.

I'm not a very big fan of vampire fics myself. I've spent too much time surfing random areas of Fanfiction.net. But, this is well written, though you do have some grammar errors, the most notable in my mind being that there are several sentences you could have combined at several points, rather than leaving them on their own. Other than the grammar, no complaints, so I'll be waiting for the continuation.

I had figured as much, but I just wanted to make sure. Sorry


I thought so. That seems to be the best way to go with this kind of interview style opening. It offers rather unique oppurtunities to offer the protagonist's feelings on a subject from a point of looking back on them, as well as a few other things. I look forward to it, good work

Exactly what i'm going for its kind of lik a spoken memoir of his own life. Where he can voice new opinions and ponder on things long gone with new wisdom and emotion. I'll post up the next chapter very soon since i've gotten a few replies for this one.

This isnt any where near as good as it could have been, i wrote it the night my girlfriend went into hospital so my mind wasnt really all there, it was just an attempt to take my mind off her and stop worrying. Now that shes woken up from a three day coma i'm over joyed and cant wait to see her, i just dont have the heart to proof read this to see if it makes any sense until i've been to the hosptal. I hope its acceptable.






Chapter Two: A Blood Covered Birth


"What happened then?"

"I do not know. I woke up in my home of Skingrad a day later, my house servants tending to me. At the time I thought it all to be a dream, that the alcohol has clouded my mind and implanted false memories. Perhaps Gabrielle was my inner demon. Perhaps." Almerion replied, a shadow of a smile playing about his lips for a moment.

"When did you realise it was real?"

"The day I died."


* * *

It was an insatiable hunger and thirst which woke Marcus from his slumber. It felt like a fire burning through his soul searching for fuel to feed on. His eyes opened to find the same blackness as when they where closed. He tried to reach out but his hand was blocked by cold stone a few inches from his face.

Panic slowly began to pool in his lungs, his heart beating unnaturally fast. He clawed and pushed but made no leeway in his attempt to break out of his confined tomb. It was when he started to lose hope that he could make out a gentle laughter from beyond his claustrophobic confines.

"Who's there? Let me out please!" His voice was strained and fractured, each word forced over taught vocal chords and through a bone dry throat. He felt as if it was the first time he had spoken in centuries.

The laughing slowly grew louder then stopped. Marcus waited in the deafening silence for a reply, his eyes darting around in the darkness trying to discern some minor detail that would give him a clue to where he was.

Then, three knocks resounded through the stone casket, followed by a faint giggle. Marcus' stomach lurched and his heart skipped a beat. Some one knew he was there, they couldn't just let him rot could they?

"Anybody home?" A snobbish drawl came, the voice ever so slightly muffled by the stone around Marcus, but it still failed to hide the veiled amusemant in the voice. A crack of light emerged to his left as whoever was outside began to push open the casket. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, and when he could finally see he was blinking furiously trying to get rid of the coloured dots floating wherever he shifted his gaze.

"Ah the drunkard awakens, and with quite the hang over I'll bet. I was starting to wonder when you'd be hungry for a sugary snack." It was the same man who had broken the Nord's neck in the water front, there was no doubt about it. He had the same cold empty red eyes. But his face was now full and delicate, his hair strawberry blonde, tied back with a pale blue ribbon which matched a finely decorated double briasted tail coat. There was no denying he was beautiful. But it wasn't a natural beauty Marcus was accustomed to. He wasn't in awe, he was disturbed by it.

"Who are you? Where am I?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the man before him.

"I, am Gabrielle." He said with a slight bow and mischievous smile, "And you my dear friend, well, how should I put this? Your dead, and buried it seems."

Marcus just stared at him, the man was clearly quite insane, it all seemed like a cruel joke or tormenting dream. He pulled himself up to find that he was in a sense, buried. He was in the casket he had allotted for himself for use on the event of his demise, it was situated in the chapel under croft of Skingrad, next to the casket of his dead wife.

"What do you mean I'm dead?" Marcus asked, not entirely expecting a straight answer from the jester in nobles clothes.

"Ah, you see. I saw you in that vermin filled city. You positively glowed with a sense of destiny, I saw an unlimited source of potential within you and just knew I had to take you under my wing." He was serious now, a slight frown creasing the perfect porcelain skin of his face. "So, I made you like me. Blessed by Bal, gifted with the power of the night. You are dead but through your death you will live a life mortal man can only dream of. You my friend, are a vampire."

It was confirmed. Marcus stared into those pale red eyes, convinced that the story was that of a mad mans. Perhaps the combination of depression and alcohol had driven Marcus insane, pushing him over the edge. Perhaps he was actually sat in his room at home, being tended to by his maids while he lived the rest of his life within his mind.

But deep down within him, something stirred. Whatever it was it knew Gabrielle's words to be true. But Marcus was no fool. He would not openly accept this contrived story as fact until he absolutely had to.

"Prove it." he said simply, a smug expression fell on Gabrielles face, he was expecting Marcus' disbelief.

"When you last dreamt, what did you dream?" He asked curiously, chewing a the blackened nail on his fore finger. Looking slightly anxious. Marcus knew it was a show, every little thing this man did was theatrical in one way or another.

Marcus began fishing in the depths of his memories, but the one he was searching for was already on the surface, lying in wait as if it knew when he would need to recall it. It was all beginning to be a bit much, he found the whole experience difficult to process.

"I was a child, it was summer and my friends an I where playing a game. I was in-"

"Your parents barn. Then as you made your way back you found their rotten fetid corpses amongst the hay bails. As you begin to cry over their bodies they pull you into a suffocating embrace. Yes I know, this is the dream I had when I first woke from death." Gabrielle said, describing Marcus' dream word for word. "Now, if you have had your fill of answers, I have a gift for your first birthday."

Marcus dragged himself up and craned his neck as Gabrielle left the room. It was a minute or two before his silhouette re-emerged in the doorway, carrying in his arms a rag doll like figure.

"Is she dead?" Marcus asked, gazing upon a young Imperial woman's face. She was very pretty, freckles ran across the bridge of her nose, a slightly darker shade than her heavy tan.

"Hmm, you know what? I didn't check." Gabrielle said, dropping her legs and holding her across the back with one arm, picking her hand up with the other. He began to spin and dance with her, performing a one mane waltz with an unresponsive body. "Ah, this one is full of energy my friend! Try her, she's quite sweet I assure you."

He bent down, holding head back as he lifted her neck toward Marcus, who simply stared at Gabrielle with a questioning look. He had no idea what he was expected to do. Gabrielle just smiled that same mischievous smile as he pressed on her neck with a small silver knife, he then slowly moved it down by an inch. Blood began to leak from the wound. The scent filled Marcus' senses as if they where a combination of his favourite foods and wine.

"Drink, you must feed." Gabrielle said, a little urgency in his voice to spur Marcus on. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then, without thinking. Marcus obeyed. He lowered his mouth to the woman's neck and began to drain the precious red liquid. The taste exploded on his tongue in a myriad of flavours. The warmth of the blood spread through his body. He needed more. He bit down on her neck and tore at her flesh with a pair of razor sharp fangs he had only just realised he had. Ripping the flesh open as he tried to cut through more veins and arteries. It was no good. He could feel her heart beat slowing now. Any blood left in her would be pooling downwards, obeying gravity instead of the muscle in her chest.

"Ah ah, now that is enough. You must never feed to the point of death. Lest she take you with her. You must only ever take what you need." Gabrielle said, lifting Marcus' face from the imperial woman's neck with a single finger. "Now, I have told you my name. What is yours?"

"My name is Marcus.. Marcus Enveri." He replied, wiping the blood from around his mouth on a dust covered black sleeve. He didn't even think for a second of the girl he had just drained, he just thought about how much more he wanted.

"Marcus.. Marcus, No. It just doesn't fit, We must all choose new names when we are reborn. A new life, a new name." He replied, chewing a nail again as he thought of a suitable name for his new brother.

"Why must I take a new name. Why do I need to leave this life behind? I built it for myself. This is my home." Marcus said, finding the prospect of giving up everything he knew to be absurd.

"Well Marcus, my dear friend. You try living your life again. But when your friends and servants start noticing your erratic and dramatically changed behaviour, what will they think? I mean, its enough that you have risen from the dead. But to act as if you where a completely different person? What are they to think?" Marcus couldn't stand the sarcasm in his voice. Gabrielle was right, he couldn't go back to his old life now he was supposedly dead. He would have to adopt a new name for his new persona.

"Well what did you have in mind?"

"How about.. Almerion?"

He liked it.

Oh wow, I love how this story is being told, so dark and gothic and the way Gabrielle speaks is so poetic. Almerion is really quite an intruiging character, please write some more.

I would also like to say I'm really sorry to hear about your Girl friend. I hope she is ok.

Oh wow thankyou for the feed back i didnt expect anything good from this chapter. And thats what i'm going for with this Fanfic, I really want to stay away from what most people do with vampires (huge fight scenes etc) and have it be more about Almerions uprising as a vampire with Gabrielle in the backseat pulling the strings, all the while trying my best to keep the story laced with gothic themes and darksubjects.

And she woke up last night (thank god) and seems to be doing ok, she's smiling, confused but smiling. Thanksfor the added concern

Well, I'm glad to hear she is doing okay. As you requested, I made this one of the featured fan fics of the week on the newsletter. I really enjoyed the last chapter and I'll try to critique it as soon as I can. Thanks for writing, I'm enjoying the creativity so far.

Wow Thanks thats awesome, I'm actually writing upthe third chapter as we speak, i've even picked out a beautifullsong to go with it.

Ok i just finished writing this. I actually really enjoyed writing is aswell as selecting the music for the piece. Its a long one though, but it really needed to be. I hope you guys like it.

Oh and there is a link part way into the post. Its a link to the song Gabrielle is playing, so listen while reading if you can, its a beautiful song.


Chapter Three: The Gods Move Through Him.




The small inn room the Breton had rented to conduct the interview was now filling with smoke. Almerion sat with a hand carved cherry pip between two pale lips watching the tendrils of smoke form shapes and patterns before joining with the thick thug of tobacco smoke now crawling along the ceiling, as he thought carefully about his next words. Smoking was one of the few mortal pleasures his body permitted him to enjoy and thanks to the fact that his body was dead, he did not need to worry about the effect unfiltered tobacco smoke would have on his once damp fleshy lungs.

"What was it like tasting blood for the first time? Well, imagine you had spent years eating nothing more than maggot filled bread with Vinegar as your drink, then out of no where, you are offered a feast full of succulent meats and ripe fruits, each dish complemented with the perfect glass of wine or mead for its taste. That's what it was like. The taste varies with each person, but the first feed is always the best." Almerion said, answering the Bretons question, who was now writing furiously trying his best to keep up with Almerion's monologue.

"Each race and gender to that race has a distinct base taste. Nord's are similar to the taste of salted pork, while Khajiit are very zesty and sour at times. Depending on where the person grows up and his diet, they all effect the outcome. All through your life you have been nothing more than the slowly cooking recipe of a vampires meal."

The Breton stopped writing at Almerion's last words, looking up with an nervous look on his face, sweat beaded on his brow and rolled down into the thickets of his stubble on the side of his unshaven face.

"Do not worry, if I was going to feed on you I'd have done it by now." Almerion said, reading the expression on the mans face like the bold print on the black horse courier. "Is there anything else you wish to ask before I continue?"

"Yes actually, you said you woke up in the under croft of the Chapel of Julianos, I thought Vampires where forbidden to enter such holy places by the gods?"

"Yes, you are right. Some of our kind are, some of our kind are monsters who kill indiscriminately. But I was a new born vampire basking in the beauty of life, and Gabrielle. Well lets just say an innocent meal didn't satisfy his taste buds. He proffered to hunt in society, aristocrats and nobles, particularly ones who where a little corrupt and, dare I say it? Evil. They where his favourite targets."

"So the gods just let you walk free in their place of worship then? They didn't do a thing?"

"What could they do? Let two beasts of the night remain trapped in there forever to feast exclusively on their worshippers? No they let us walk free, It is my belief that the gods secretly enjoy being looked on by vampires. For we see them for what they truly are."

"And what is it that you see?"

"I see what no mortal eye could ever see. Devine unadvlterated beauty."


* * *

They had left the under croft, the imperial girl had a new home in the casket the newly christened Almerion has woken from. Gabrielle and Almerion walked up the steps, Almerion like a child taking his first steps into a new world, Gabrielle with elegant grace and composure.

It was then that Almerion saw it. He had been in this chapel of worship every day for the last twenty years, he had gazed upon the very images he saw before him during sermons a million times before, but he had never seen them the way he saw them now.

He carried on walking down between the pews lining the chapel floor, Gabrielle on the other hand turned away and approached the door. They seemed to follow Almerion down the aisle, watching with eyes of colours he had never witnessed before. The stain glass windows depicting the gods now seemed to embody them. Julianos, Akatosh, Mara, they where all there. Moving within their frames, watching the vampire who prowled beneath them. At awe with the beauty of the nine.

Almerion could have stood there for a millennia, gazing wistfully as the gods stared back, beads of light streaming from them and intertwining around them, binding them together as the Nine divines, unified and un-opposable.

"Are you coming or not?" Gabrielle called over, his hand on the door. Almerion turned to look at him then looked back at the stain glass windows around him, mouthing wordlessly as he searched for something suitable to say about them. "Yes yes its truly beautiful but they are windows, they wont be going any where soon. And we have places to be. Now if you wouldn't mind."

Almerion stared at them for a few more seconds, trying his best to imprint the image purest beauty onto his mind before turning and never looking back, if he did he would probably never leave.

"Now, I have made sure to close all your loose ends, your house was left to your good friend Gabrielle who then sold it back to the count of Skingrad at a discount of the price you bought it for. Your stable was sold to the captain of the watch who has retired from military life. And your Vineyard was sold to a pleasant couple who plan to make a small business out of it. Their name escapes me for the moment, Seamus? Saintaire?"

"Surilie? They have been trying to purchase my Vineyard for months. Truth be told, I was close to letting them have it for free if they would just stop pestering me." Almerion said, almost able to picture the look on their faces at the news of his death, it wasn't a look of sadness. "What do we need the money for?"

"We, you and I, are going on an expedition. I have old friends I would like to visit, and some very important business to attend to. However, first I must teach you the wonders of the hunt!" Gabrielle could barely contain the glee in his voice. It was evident that he enjoyed nothing more than to kill, and work hard for the kill. A simple beggar on the street or travelling merchant. No, he liked to slip into a crowd and mingle with the food before seducing it into submission.

"The hunt?" Almerion asked, curious about how he was to find and feed upon unsuspecting individuals.

"Yes, the hunt. Come, I'll explain on the way."

They carried on walking, past Almerion's old house. He didn't even spare it a glance as they passed. It was nothing to him now, a whisper of a memory he was all to happy to leave behind. The mortal life he lived was a cursed one, now he had his second chance, and it would last all eternity.

Eventually they Left the city through two large wooden doors, outside a large black carriage waited, two of Almerion's own horses stood patiently waiting to drag the burden through the country side.

"A carriage?" Almerion asked inquisitively as he clambered up the steps into the plush velvet lined interior. The chairs had a mix of black and blood red floral patterns on them, the windows where covered by thick wool curtains, which buttoned around the edges, assumingly to keep the sunlight out when they need to travel by day.

"Well, what did you think I spent your money on? [censored]s and wine?" Gabrielle said with a laugh, closing the door behind him. "No, this was paid for out of the money for your vineyard and stable. The rest, well. You will see tonight, after we reach my home in Cheydinhal."

He gave Almerion the smallest of sadistic grins as he knocked on the wooden panelling behind his head, letting whoever was to drive this thing know that his passengers where ready to leave.



* * *



They had been in Cheydinhal for two days preparing. Gabrielle owned a large manor on the eastern side of town, within spitting distance of the Chapel. Beneath the manor was a vast ballroom, purposely built by Gabrielle when he moved in, a place he could host his sadistic charity balls and upper class social events.

Tonight was to be his first event in over three years, the count and countess of Cheydinhal, Bravil and Leyawinn where all invited. As well as nobility from across all of Tamriel. Legion officers and politicians. It was to be the staple event of the summer, politicians would weed their way into higher social circles, make contacts and try to further their own careers. Legion Officers would spend the night protecting their own daughters from the wandering hands of drunken old men and the nobles would watch on with glee as opposing families made fools of themselves under the influence of alcohol. Gabrielle was positively bouncing with glee and anticipation.

The room itself was reached through the wine cellar of the manor, to the left of the room was a raised podium, atop of it a grand piano of ebony colouring. The floors where stone, but where covered with large cream coloured rugs detailed with golden stitching and fray around the ends. The walls where draqed in white curtains, intricate images stitched onto them, almost as detailed as the finest of paintings. In the centre of the room, on the ceiling, was a large crystal chandelier, containing candles enchanted to burn a golden colour.

The whole effect was quite astonishing, to the sides of the room where circular tables draqed in white cloth, each one filled with delicacies from different provinces and wines to complement them. Several young men stood ready to serve, wearing black breeches over white stockings. Their shirts crisp and white and hair tied back in a black bow, all rather minimalist but they fit in rather nicely with the d?cor.

Almerion stood in a long black tail coat, a matching slightly conical hat under his left arm, a black walking cane in his right. He wore white silk gloves and a white shirt with a sheer thrilled cravat at his neck. His breeches where full length, tied in a bow at the ankle as not to hide a rather expensive pair of buckled leather shoes, all paid for of course, out of the money Gabrielle had made from selling all of Almerion's worldly possessions. The rest of the money had been spent on the ball.

Gabrielle looked over to Almerion, he was wearing the same outfit. They could have been brothers where it not for the stark contrast in their hair colour and subtle differences in facial features. Gabrielle's hair was a sweet strawberry blonde colour, Almerion's own was a rich chestnut colour.

"Now, remember what I said. You must select your prey then build up a front, charm her. Bring her pleasure, amuse her. Anything, just provide enough ecstasy to keep her mind busy as you move in to feed. She must always think you are attempting to seduce her, do not bite hard, kiss the neck and gently pierced the flesh. Open the wound more and more ever so slowly as you kiss it, but never open it right away." Gabrielle said, as if explaining to a child how you are not supposed to put your hand into a fire because it burns. It had been the seventh time he'd explained the techniques of his hunting game in under four hours. He was nervous, Almerion could sense it.

"Yes my friend I know, you have explained enough times already. When will the guests be arriving?"

"Shortly, now, once you pick some one out. I will warm her up for you. Good luck my friend."

"I do not need luck."

Almerion's last comment earned a grudging smile from his mentor as he left the room to admit the guests.

* * *

"How about that one over there?" Gabrielle asked, gesturing to a Nordic woman attending the party on behalf of Count Bruma, she had a rosy complexion, almost as if she was eternally blushing. Her face had no delicacy to it, she had a strong jaw and prominent cheekbones. Her face framed by golden curls which barely reached shoulder length.

"To boisterous." Almerion said, gazing over at the Nord woman with some distaste. They had been going back and forth for the past hour trying to pick out a suitable meal for Almerion.

"You know, there is such a thing as being too picky, How about her." He said, Almerion noted the exasperation in his voice and decidedly ignored it as he followed his gaze to a petite Bosmeri girl, barely of advlt age. Hey hair a wild tawny colour, her eyes fierce, she certainly had some attractive qualities, if you where into that kind of thing.

"Too mangy.. You know perhaps- Wait, her, over there. She is the one." Almerion said, his eyes stuck fast on a Breton woman just beyond the crowd. She was stood alone. Gabrielle looked over and smiled. Her hair was dark brown, a mahogany colour with highlights of caramel, it fell in loose ringlets around the right side over her neck, revealing the left nape. Her collar bones jutted out from her skin perfectly. Almerion couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was perfect.

Gabrielle, still smiling, left Almerion's side. The pvssyr around the room slowly died out as he cleared his throat, all attention was now on him, apart from Almerions. He was intoxicated by her, he couldn't kill such a thing of beauty. He had to have her.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, as you know we are here to celebrate the anniversary of our dearly departed friend Augustus Marriachi, an officer and very close friend of mine in the legion. He passed away last summer defending a village from a group of brigands. An unfit death for such an honourable man. But I assure you his death was not in vain, it brought many problems to the attention of the politicians and nobles who sit in rooms like this drinking free wine and eating free food, not caring for the well being of lesser people. That is why tonight, we donate money for the security of that village our dear friend died for. Now, some music."

Gabrielle nodded to a bald Breton man stood beside him who immediately sat down behind the piano and began to play a morose sombre tune to set the mood, it was a song meant to instil guilt in the rich around the room so they would donate more money. It was all a lie of course, there was no Augustus Marriachi in the legion. For that was Gabrielle's father, and he was a blacksmith, not a soldier. Though non of the people in the room would admit to not knowing who Augustus was, lest they look foolish in front of their peers. That was the beauty of high society. The real reason for this charity ball was for Almerion to learn, and for Gabrielle's trust fund to be replenished.

He didn't return to Almerion's side. Instead he made his way through the crowd, walking fluidly between groups of dancing men and women of all races, eventually making his way to the Breton girl Almerion was still staring at. He whispered something in her ear and she looked over to Almerion, he felt something stop inside his chest as they made eye contact. She was enthralling to him. A few more words where shared between the two and then she nodded and took Gabrielle's hand and followed him into the crowd.

He held her close, to Almerions dismay, with one hand on her hip and another on her shoulder. She held hers in the same way to him. They began to move backwards and forth. Almerion couldn't see it as dancing, just a simple series of gestures and movements. He was to busy concentrating on the Breton's form. Seeing her move was exhilarating.

Gabrielle caught Almerion's eye and held his stare for a moment as they turned, keeping eye contact he lowered his face to her neck, raising his eye brow's to his student with a smile, his mouth opening as if to bite into her flesh, then closing into a kiss just before reaching her nape. Almerion felt a beast stir within him, something he had not felt before. It roared for honour and blood. Though Almerion knew to ignore it, he couldn't help but listen to its words and nod in agreement, Gabrielle was mocking him.

Almerions eyes bored into Gabrielle's as the Breton exhaled with the vampires kiss. Her eyes where closed now, she was letting him control her movements, following his every whim as the music passed through her.

Gabrielle slowly guided himself and the woman toward Almerion, rotating and gliding toward him at the same time, Almerion turned with them as Gabrielle slid the Bretons hand of his own shoulder onto his students, She opened her eyes to see what was happening and met Almerion's stare with a passion filled gaze. They carried on moving, as a trio instead of a duo. Moving in perfect harmony to the music.

"Does he move like you?" The Breton asked, her voice heavily accented, her eyes never leaving Almerions.

"Cherie, my dear, if the god's could move through mortal's this is the man they would pick." Gabrielle whispered in her ear, grazing his lips on her lobe a little before breaking away from her and Almerion. "I must leave, I am to entertain our guests with a little music of my own, any requests?"

"Something a little sombre, like this one. But let it have some urgency in it." Almerion said, still staring into the amber eyes of the Breton. "No, wait, lets try something with a little more fire, a little more Avant-Garde."

"That my friend, is why I picked you." he said with a smile before moving up unto the podium, turfing the pianist from his seat with a flick of his wrist. "Now ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the interruption. I have been composing this piece for a number of weeks and I am just dying to share it with you all."

He sat down and smiled at Almerion, his smile was no longer mischievous or fun loving. It hid none of the evil within his soul, no longer did a bright smile veil dark intent. Without warning or further introduction, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz7usUEPWsc&feature=channel

Almerion first led her in a gentle waltz, left hand grasping her right, held out to the side as he directed her back and forth, sweeping around and repeating the same steps. Waiting for the right moment to pick up the pace, to introduce passion into the dance. She was smiling widely as he led her through the steps, bearing bright white perfectly even teeth for all to see. She was even more beautiful than Almerion late wife.

As the music quickened so did they, moving their feet back and forth, matching the speed of the notes as they came. Many people had stopped dancing and where now watching them, Gabrielle too was no longer lost in euphoria as he stared at them, the music kept coming, his expression one of concern and anger. He had warned Almerion about giving in to his passions, Human emotions where naught but useless to a vampire. But he didn't care, it coursed through him like a thunderous storm, searching for an exit, one he would not allow it to find.

The Breton girl closed her eyes and let her head lull from side to side with the movements, Almerion brought his lips to her shoulder and kissed it, then began to slowly move his mouth toward her collar bone, just grazing his lips over the flesh as he passed it and moved up her neck. She moved, trying to get closer, urging him to make contact with her skin through his cold lips, begging for the satisfaction of his kiss. He did not satisfy her needs, his breath began to make the skin damp as he moved away, brushing her jaw line ever so gently. She moved her own mouth in front of his, full of want. He could feel the urgency in her pulse, the pounding of her heart. He moved in closer and closer, her breath drawing in and out in pants, just centimetres away from allowing her to kiss him he moved away. But it was not enough.

Filled with passion she brought her hands to the back of his head and pulled his face down to meet hers. Time stopped as their lips met. The whole room around them was nothing more but blurred colours and noise, the only clear image in Almerions peripheral vision was an expression of fury etched into every crevice of Gabrielles face. He hadn't heeded his mentors advice, Though Gabrielle was no fool. Stopping to chastise Almerion would simply give them both away. So he carried on playing, and Almerion allowed himself to get lost in the moment.

The way she moved her lips and traced the outline of his with her tongue was almost poetic, he returned her kiss, not using any skill or technique, just instinct and fervour. He barely noticed as beads of magicka ran down his fingers, into her hair. It began to pulsate and grow, spreading across her body first then his own, surrounding them with a bright light.

Every one stared and gasped in unison as Almerion and the Breton's feet left the ground, slowly the began to rise higher and higher. Their clothes whipping around them as if they where caught in a storm, though the air was quite still.

Almerion could barely control himself, without hesitation he pulled away from her lips and bit into her neck. The blood exploded into his mouth, though this time it was different. The taste and warmth was replaced by something more metaphysical, emotions, memories. A stream of images began to pass through Almerion's mind, memories of a first kiss, child hood teachers. Tending to a white horse in a stable. A large grey manor with stain glass windows on the first floor. They where not his memories, they where the Breton's.

"He's a demon!" A voice cried from bellow, people where screaming, some frantically running to the door, others just standing and staring, mouths ajar. Gabrielle was one of those people, he watched in shock at the scene before him. The music had long since stopped.

At once the light surrounding them failed, they plummeted to the floor. Almerion managed to land with the Breton in his arms, she was still breathing, unconscious and close to deaths door, but still alive. The few warriors and legionnaires in the crowd began to move forward, some unsheathing decorative swords they had been awarded for services to the empire, others picking up the heaviest objects they could find.

Almerion backed away, moving as far as possible from danger before his back bounced from the curtain draqed walls. He couldn't make out any face but Gabrielles, a pang of anger shot through Almerion's chest at his mentors look of disappointment.

"You made me what I am, it is you who is the monster Gabrielle, not I!" He shouted over the heads of the men approaching him. Then without warning, he picked up an oil lantern from the side table then smashed it against the cloth draqed along the walls.

The fire spread around the room with unprecedented speed. The few remaining people in the hall ran to the exit, Almerion hot on their heels, the girl still in his arms. Gabrielle did nothing, he simply sat and watched as his world burnt down around him.

Almerion carried on running through the manor, knocking over candles and lanterns as he went, spreading the fire, cleansing the place of its evil taint. It was all he could do to ensure his escape, Gabrielle would not let the woman live if he managed to catch up with them.

Panicking, Almerion's head darted from side to side, searching for a place of refuge. Then he saw it. The Nine divines stared at him with the same beauty they had in Skingrad, from the coloured glass windows depicting them.



* * *

"What happened to the girl?" The Breton asked, truly enthralled by Almerion's past now, he could barely keep up with the vampires musings. Several full sheets of parchment lay on the desk in front of him, some of the ink still wet.

"I brought her to the chapel and left her with the healers there. Then I fled the city." Almerion replied, turning his pipe upside down, he slowly began to tap out the ash as he waited for the Bretons next question.

"Did you ever see her again?"

"Yes, I did see her again." Almerion's tone indicated that they where done on that subject for now, though it also indicated that he'd carry on answering the mans questions.

The Breton sat in silent contemplation for a moment, chewing the end of a very worn out looking quill. It was probably bought as a graduation present when he left the mages guild, though over the years it looked less like an eagles tail feather and more like that of a chickens.

"You didn't say vampires could fly."

"We cannot. In my passion, with so much exhilaration running through me, I simply lost control of my powers. I had studied Alteration while growing up. What those people witnessed was nothing more than a simple levitation spell. Though I admit, it probably did look some what demon like to them."

"So where did you go next? After you fled Cheydinhal?"

"Ah, with no money and no home, I left Cheydinhal for the last place of refuge I had. The same place this story had started."


* * *

Simply captivating, an excellent piece of literature. I can't wait to read your next chapter!

Why thank you, it will hopefully be up tommorow. I'm really loving writing this fan fic, i just cant stop coming up with ideas for the story.

I literally had to force my self to write this chapter. Though I'm enjoying writing this fanfic on the whole I'm finding the distinct lack of readers and feed back on something i put so much effort into to be quite disheartening.. I hope It picks up a little.




Chapter Four: Any old blood will do.



A strange plague had hit the Imperial city, though it didn't effect man or mer, it did leave them worried. Night after night their live stock died, the cause of their death was unknown. Nothing indicated foul play save for two small puncture marks on several places of the beasts found dead. But they where certain such small wounds could not kill an animal.

Oh how wrong they where. Almerion, after feeling Cheydinhal, had found refuge again in the Imperial cities water front. By day he slept in the cargo hold of a ship docked for repair's, it had lost its mast in a great storm. By night, he fed on the blood of horses goats and all manner of live stock.

It was a pitiful existence, an existence he was sure he deserved. How could he, a monster, created by a monster. Live in high society, wearing lavish clothes and sleeping in luxury beds. So it was the waterfront that welcomed him, for the last two days he'd been living in penance, punishing himself for becoming what he was, for embracing it.

In truth, he didn't much care for the lives he had taken so that he may feed. He had no strong emotions for the dead animals he had used to sustain his life. It was the Breton girl, the soul survivor of his feeding frenzies, who haunted him.

Her memories still flashed in front of his eyes when they opened. Her emotions still lingered in his heart as it beat. Almerion couldn't figure out what was different about her or why for one moment their minds joined as one. All he knew was that until he figured out why it happened, it would haunt him forever.

The filth squelched under Almerion's feet as he made his way through the backstreets of the water front, having just fed on a handful of rats from the end of a sewer grate. He was still insatiably hungry, but he refused to feed on another man or woman as long as his black withered heart still beat in the core of his hollow chest.

He carried on following the scent of blood through the narrow streets and alley ways. His hunger taking the initiative, leading him from the safety of the open and into the shadows of the hive. Eventually, after many twists and turns through the filth soaked streets, he came upon his super.

A mangy looking dog stood in the path before him, its front paw bleeding into the dirt, unable to take any weight. Almerion didn't know how it had injured itself, nor did he care. Slowly he moved forwards, crouching down a little to make himself seem as unthreatening as possible, trying to earn the animals trust.

Eventually its wet nose touched a grime encrusted out stretched hand, the pallid skin looking almost tanned because of the dirt. The dog yelped as Almerion lunged forward, grasping the back of its neck with his hand, taking its injured leg with his other, twisting it around to get the dog on its back.

He lowered a saliva filled mouth toward the hair covered animal, flecks of spit dripping down his chin. It had been so long since his thirst was satisfied. The dogs good paw scratched at his face as it struggled to escape his grasp. It was all in vain, the creature let out another yelp as Almerion tore a patch of flesh away from the neck, leaving a gaping hole from which he could feed.

It didn't take long to drain the mutt, it was skin and bones any way. Almerion could hardly bear the taste of the inbred animal. But his mind was soon taken off it from the sound of hands clapping together.

He looked up to find Gabrielle sat upon the wall beside him, cross legged, well groomed and to Almerion's dismay, very much alive. He sat with a smile on his face, clapping his hands slowly.

"I make a man out of a mouse and look what he does when I turn my back for one second, he returns to the vermin infested heck hole!" Gabrielle said, dropping from the wall, landing just feet from Almerion. The two vampires stared into each others eyes for an everlasting moment, Gabrielle smiling his mischievous sadistic smile, Almerion glowering beneath a burdened scowl. "You can run from what you are all you want, but the beast will catch up with you soon enough. And when it does, I wont be here to teach you how to control it!"

Almerion was walking away from Gabrielle, each step breeding more speed to his jittery walk, soon he broke into a gentle trot and then a jog. He rounded a few corners, putting as many turns between him and Gabrielle as possible before stopping, leaning his head against a grey coloured wall, sweat beading on a filthy brow, his hair stuck to the back of his neck.

"You know, we could just be civil, start anew! Would you like that Almerion? Would you?" Almerion turned his head to the right, to find Gabrielle stood quite calmly beside him, leaning against the wall, showing no signs of exhaustion.

He began to run from his mentor again, from the monster who made him. Back the way he came, over the corpse of the dog and out into the open, back onto the waterfront docks. He made his way through a crowd of people, some beggars asked for spare change as he shouldered past, earning a few choice swear words from them for his kindness.

"You know, it's awfully rude to run away when being spoken to." There he was again, sat on the side of a small cargo ship beside Almerion in the water. It was no use, wherever he went Gabrielle would be there, waiting for him. No matter what he did or where he did it, he would be tormented by the demon that made him.

"What do you want?" Almerion asked, relenting to Gabrielle.

"Oh just to pick up where we left off, you know. Just before you burned down my house and with it everything we own, everything I worked for." Gabrielle replied, dropping from the bow of the ship onto the dock front, taking a few paces toward Almerion, stopping just short of arms reach.

"You deserve to lose everything, as I lost everything because of you!" Almerion shouted, people stopped what they where doing to watch the bum shout at the noble, it was all very exciting of course, people began to gossip between themselves in the crowd, pointing at Almerion and Gabrielle.

"Please tell me what in the meagre little life of yours was worth holding onto? Hm? Your dead wife or estranged brother? Your private vineyard or line of stables. Please Almerion, we both know you needed release, and I offered a more fitting one than death. Though I warn you, embarrass me in front of my guests once again and the term meet your maker will be all to true for you my friend!"

Those last word's where enough, Almerion screamed, rushing toward Gabrielle like a mad man, grasping him by the crisp cotton shirt on his chest. Gabrielle laughed at Almerions attempt, several people gasped as the two flew over the sides of the docks and tumbled down towards the murky water.

Almerion closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact with the water, though it didn't come. He waited a few more seconds but nothing.

"Your not the only practitioner of Alteration in the realm my dear friend." Gabreille said with a laugh. They where both floating horizontally foot above a small wooden row boat. Gabreille had set this whole argument up, like some bizarre conductor of a two man orchestra. Slowly they both descended until they where close enough to step onto the boat.

"What do you want Gabrielle." Almerion asked simply, his tone wooden and body stiff. He didn't want to bring satisfaction to Gabrielle by revealing his true emotions.

"To start anew, let us leave this province, you will learn the ways of the vampire. I'll teach you how to control your urges and desires as well as stem those little emotional outbursts and flashes of memories that aren't yours." Gabrielle said, reading Almerion like a book even without facial expressions or body language. "Oh yes I know all about your little bonding of brains back in your feeding frenzy, it isn't a trait unique to you though it is rare. So, what say you? Will you join me and leave this rot infested province?"

He held a well manicured hand out, the skin shone brightly in the moonlight. A ring on his thumb and one on his fore finger glinted brightly, reflecting everything around them. Almerion watched the reflection of his hand approach Gabrielles in the large jewel in his ring.

What else could he do? He took his hand.




* * *

Still a great story and writing! I don't think the problem is your writing or story, but the promotion, reclamation, publishing etc. I guess it's just to few people wisiting this part of the forum

I guess your right, and the fact that Vampire Fanfics and RPs have the same kind of stigma as Assassin Fanfics and RPs. I can only hope a few more people will start reading it and give me more reason to carry on with it. Hopefully a few people from CD will come over and read after the next BethInformer.

Hmm, did I hear someone ask for feedback? :dance:

Generic disclaimer: Please note that the following critique is an attempt at constructive criticisim, and is not meant to put down the writer or his/her work. It is meant to illuminate the writer's strengths and weaknesses, and the simple fact that it's so damned long should be testament to how much potential said writer obviously has. However, this critique is also the expression of a single poster's opinion, and should be taken with a grain of salt. If you don't agree with something I bring up, go ahead and ignore it. I will not be insulted if you do.

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I just reread Interview with a Vampire last spring, and this does feel like an homage to that, especially during the first chapter. Gabrielle has the same insufferable roguish quality as Lestat. You even reflect Anne Rice's heady, mood-setting descriptions. I don't know if you've read the book, since you only referenced the movie, but there you go.

Everything about this is deliciously gothic; dark and dreary, with a hint of decadence. The waltz scene felt particularly poignant. You have a flair for description that brings character to life (no pun intended). Don't you dare lighten it up any more; it's perfect the way it is.

I already love both of the vampire characters. Gabrielle's dry wit makes me chuckle, and Almerion is a genuinely sympathetic character. It's true that a lot of vampire fanfiction (and vampire fiction in general) has a nasty reputation, since it's so very easy to uber it or make a character that's nothing but mystery-without-suspense. You, however, have circumvented that. Almerion strikes me as an entirely realistic character (as real as a blood-svcking undead person can be, anyway), with faults and feelings that are easy to relate to, despite his alien situation. The sensual dance, the flight and betrayal, and his decision to feed off animals are all very human, and are more than relateable.

I feel I'm invested in this character now, so you'll just have to keep on writing.

Now, you may or may not remember this... but I am a huge stickler for mechanics. Your spelling and grammar are passable, but, since pretty much every other aspect of the story is praise-worthy, I'm going to nitpick that.

It's nothing big, just word substitutions ("parlour" instead of "pallor"), a couple misuses of punctuation, switched homonyms (your/you're)... the sort of thing an english teacher might mark a point off your grade for, but that no one else will really care about. Personally, I believe proper mechanics are the base of a sound piece of writing, blah blah blah... I'm a picky grammar nazi. So you can take my grammar griping with a grain of salt.

The sorts of things I'm referring to are as follows:



The first sentence lacks a verb phrase. In the second sentence, "however" should be one word and the second "that" is superfluous. For the most part, there doesn't seem to be a pattern to your mistakes, so I can think of no catch-all way to stop them from happening.

The most common punctuation error I saw was the use of a comma to seperate two independent clauses:



My Manual of Nitpicky Grammar 101 says: a comma is to be used to seperate one or more dependent clauses from an independant clause, to seperate items in a list, or to seperate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction (and, or, but, so, etc). Two independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction (like the one in the box) can be seperated by a number of other punctuation marks outside boring periods including: semicolons (; ), colons (: ), M-dashes(a line about the width of the letter "m"; I use -- on these forums), or elipses (...). I'm partial to elipses myself, but they should be used sparingly.

Obviously, these little mechanical blips are tricky to catch unless you know they're there. That's why I don't really feel the need to tear into you for them outside a little mild whining. You already reread and edit your passages; what more could I expect?

Personally, I'm pretty notorious for my typos; at least half my RP posts on these forums have been edited to remove typos, and it's even worse in my prose writing. The most effective way I handle this as follows: when I finish a post or a passage, I reread everything out loud. The 'out loud' part is the most important; something about hearing my voice speaking helps pull the situation off the page. This helps me catch little mechanical blips, and helps me identify awkward phrasing or odd sentence structure. It doesn't catch all the mistakes (again, as evidenced by how often I use the forum "edit" feature), but it definitely makes a difference.

Failing that, though, I guess only more time and practice will help get rid of those. Not associating with members of the Grammar Patrol like myself might help too.

Another thing I want to touch base on is the disconnect between the past and present.

I know the above posters complained about the dialogue style. Personally, I like it. I tend to favor 1st person in my own works (barring stuff I do here, I guess) because I just love getting that deep into someone's head.

Therefore, I'm not unbiased when I say that I find shift initial from first person dialogue to third person narrative to be jarring. Honestly, if I hadn't read your post about switching between POVs, it likely would have taken me a while to figure out who Marcus was, and that he was a flashback.

This is related, I think, to the larger issue of how you transition back and forth between past and present. It's not a huge issue, but the rest of the story is good enough that I feel free to pick at little details. The main confusion is generated when you switch between the two timelines, and can create a small stumble in the reader as they relocate themselves.

As far as I figure, there would be two effective ways to circumvent that confusion outside rewriting the whole thing in real Interview with a Vampire style (which is written in first person dialogue the entire time). The first option is to give some structural indication that this is a flashback: either through adding a subtitle saying "500 years ago/present" or "flashback" or whatever, or by putting the entire past in italics. Since the bulk of the story is going to be flashback, I'd suggest the subtitles method.

I suppose there is also the option of writing the whole thing in pluperfect tense ("he went" becomes "he had gone", etc), but that would become cumbersome very quickly, so it's not really worth considering.

Then again, I am biased in that regard. And running on very little sleep, so perhaps I'm just easily confused right now.

So, yeah. Those are my impressions. It's a beautifully written story so far, with characters one can really care about. The only problems I found were the afforementioned mechanical errors and temporal shifts, neither of which are anything to stress over.

In conclusion, keep writing, because this story is good whether you get legions of fans or not. :goodjob:

Thank you so much, this right here is what i've been waiting for


I love how you still post this little disclaimer every time your critique


Nope just watched the movie, this is written purely through inspiration on how he tells the story from the movie. You mention difficulty switching from past to present a bit further down, this is because in the movie i consider the Interview segments to be first person and the past 3rd person, I guess its difficult to base a writingstyle from a movie. I actually wanted this entire fan fiction to be just Almerion speaking to the Breton interviewer (who really needs a name) But i thought it would be much more interesting to give the reader a taste of his history from a 3rd person perspective.


I was worried that Almerion and Gabrielle would be too alike. Almerions present self (the Almerion i use in role plays) Is very cold and calculating as a person, he keeps to himself and is very rarely intimate with another living (or in this case, un-dead) person. You will slowly see the transition from a vampire coping with the loss of his mortality to the modern day Almerion we all know and love to piss off. The one thing I was scared of when making Garielle was that he would be much more like Almerions modern day self than need be. So instead I thought, why not make im into the catalyst of Amerions emotional transformation? So I drew a little inspiration from Lestat.


I remember well.



Ah, thats actually because i wasnt sure how to spell it, if im not sure i usually just write it how it is and MS Word corrects It to the closest word, but since MS word is as Grammatically challenged as I am, i'll be sure to check and double check in the future.


Thats something i've always stuggled with. I really fine elipses to be over dramatic and cheesey when used, though I do tend to use semi colons when i feel the need to, I'll definately take this on board next time i write.


the whole your you're thing is something I've always struggled with (would is suprise you to know that I didnt pass my English exam at school?) I do find that saying it out loud helps. But half the time I type so fast that i'll make a typo and MS Word correct's it on its own, so i end up completely missing the mistake when it happens.





The hole switching perspectives thing is something i really struggled with. As a writer I usually stick to 1st person (like yourself) I like toget inside the head and really put across what the character is thinking, but when i do that, the descriptive nature of the story begins to fail. I couldnt let that happen with this since i'm going for a very dark gothic and uneasy feel. But your right about the Past/Present thing. I was debating putting the date or location on each post (I.e Present day, Interview for the present day posts and location for the past) I also toyed with putting the dates of when the passage is set, but decided against it because half the time people dont pay attention to them. Plus, since time is recrorded in a completely different way than ours is, i couldntbe bothered figuring out what date and Era it would have been way back then. But I will start putting something to help tell the difference between perspectives.

Thank you for the positive critique aswell as constructive criticism. I'll definately be refrencing this post every time I do a read over.

Well, I'm still reading this, even though I find little time to give a full critique now that High School's back in. I'll try my best, and I'll be reading it by iPod with every new chapter :goodjob: Thanks for writing, and keep it up.

Thanks to Bsparrows excellent critique i'm proud to say this is probably the most grammatically sound chapter yet. Thankyou again =)

Some of you may know i have a deep burning hatred of the twilight franchise and what it has done to the long standing traditional outlook on the vampire myths and legends. My friend is also reading this fanfic and she adores twilight, so i really had to slip this joke in at some point. If you share my opinion on Twilight then you will enjoy this chapter, if you like or love twilight. Than take it with a grain of salt and try to see it for what it is, light hearted alienation of a franchise.


EDIT: I also took Bsparrows advice and added tags to help differenciate the change of perspective from one time line to another. I hope it helps.




Chapter Five: Blood, fire and plains of ash.



Present Day



"So you went with him?" The Breton asked; he had been neglecting his note keeping duties. Instead he simply sat and listened, enthralled by the tales of Almerion's past.

"Yes, I went with him. Where else could I go? I had no home, no money and it was only a matter of time before the beast within me turned feral. I, the vampire with a lingering humanity, could not let that happen." He said with a cold smile, it had been so many years since the night Gabrielle had given him a new life. Yet, he could not let go of the old.

"What about this girl? I thought the experience with her had driven you from human blood. What changed that?"

"It did for a while; drive me to avoid feeding on the blood of men. I thought about her every night, the memories of her past faded and grew blurry around the edges but her passion and fire still burned within the core of my soul." A single tear rolled down the almost translucent flesh of the vampire's cheek. The thought of her fading from his memories tortured him so. "But I am a predator. I cannot deny what I am it would be foolish to do so, the consequences would far outweigh the noble penance which I undertook."

"Why is that?" The interviewer asked again, his voice rich with curiosity.

"Have you ever met a vampire who has not fed for several days?"

"No, I haven't."

"I sincerely hope you never have to my friend."

* * *

3 E 04, Morrowind


It had been three years since Tiber Septim ushered in the third era, three years since Marcus had been born anew as Almerion. Not much had changed in those three years; Almerion had learnt the ways of the vampire and relocated from the heartlands of Cyrodil to the Ash lands of Morrowind.

"I met a very interesting young Breton today my friend." Gabrielle said, avoiding eye contact. Almerions stomach lurched for one heart wrenching moment as his thoughts lingered back to the amber eyed goddess from the Cheydinhal ball.

"Oh really, what was so interesting about this Breton?" He asked, his ill hidden curiosity getting the better of him.

"Yes, the information we bought from that questionable contact of yours led me to him. He was claiming to be a Vampire of the Aundae clan; he was nothing but a poser, he wasn't even a vampire." Gaberielle said as he pulled the stopper out of a finely decorated crystal bottle and began to pour two glasses of red liquid.

"His name..?" Almerion asked, suddenly reminded of a Breton he had heard about in underworld circles.

"Edward, Edward Cullen if I remember correctly." Almerion smiled to Gabrielle as he passed the second glass to him, the red liquid within swirling slightly with the hand over.

"How did he taste..?"

"Bitter; sour, He had none of the usual depth and sophistication I have grown accustomed to." Gabrielle frowned as he said it, staring into thin air lost in thought. "Perhaps I should stop dining on the affluent..."

"I don't think the problem lays in your palate my friend, perhaps you are just getting picky in your twilight years." Almerion said, turning his eyes back to the book in his hand. For the last three years Almerion and Gabrielle had been researching the history of the vampire, where it all begun. All they ever found where dead end rumours and vague theories on the origins of the vampire; nothing more, nothing less. Almerion's interest in the subject was beginning to wane, though Gabrielle's grew stronger each and every day.

The two Vampires where now in business together; they ran a small but influential slaving ring in the southern plains of Morrowind, it wasn't the best line of work to be involved in, but it paid a steady wage. Though the real reason they were now in Morrowind was not because of profit to be gained through the slave trade, it was because of the three vampire clans of Vvardenfel; who it was up to Gabrielle to locate. Almerion on the other hand was trying to locate the whet-fangs, the reptilian vampires of black marsh to the south.

Slaving was Almerion's idea to begin with; it was a viable excuse to travel into the southern marsh lands of Argonia without arousing too much attention from the locals. They were used to slavers encroaching on their territory, some tribes would allow them through their lands peacefully and in exchange for their co-operation Almerion made sure none of them were to be captured as slaves and sold. All the while, he would be keeping his eye out for any signs of the Whet-fangs, with his ears open for rumours of their whereabouts.

"Have you made any progress with the lizards?" Gabrielle asked; he was impatient now, striding back and forth in their study, glancing out of the window every few seconds.

"I may have found the location of the clan leader, what is wrong with you?" Almerion asked, catching Gabrielle's eye with an austere gaze.

"We are expecting a visitor... that inbred dog Valarus Dreth. Who is he? To think he can force us to sign this damned contract of his. We are above him, we are more powerful and influential than him; he is nothing more than a filthy ash skinned devil!" Gabrielle erupted, throwing the blood filled glass into the unlit fireplace, its contents congealing sickeningly on the remains of last night's fire.

"Do not be so conceited my friend, arrogance will be our downfall. Though the man may be below our station he still pays his tab, it's just good business." Almerion replied, his tone dull and monotonous, this was the third outburst about Valarus Dreth this day alone.

"Well I don't like it. When we find a knife between our shoulder blades to not call me paranoid! He cannot be trusted!" He was biting his nails again, when they first met Almerion simply assumed it to be an act, a fake show of anxiety and nerves but as the years passed by he began to realise it was a trait he had retained from his life as a mortal. Even the greatest of Vampires held onto bad habits from their past it seemed.

"We operate in the shadow of night, working with men who we cannot trust because we have no other choice. It's not a case of loyalty in these circles Gabrielle; it's a case of profit margin. Keep the purses bulging and we keep our friends. Simple." Almerion said as he gazed out of the window. A silhouette could be seen approaching the house in the lamplight of the front track, accompanied by what was unmistakably the day time servant of the two vampires, Julam the Argonian. "He's here."

* * *

"No! I refuse to accept the outrageously absurd conditions of this agreement!" Gabrielle shouted; Valarus had arrived not ten minutes ago and already he and Almerion's partner where at each other's throats.

"Do not be a ridiculous Gabrielle, you are a smart man surely you see the benefits of this agreement, you would be a fool and a dead man if you turned it down!" Valarus shouted back with just as much malice, a vein throbbing in his temple beneath the ashen coloured skin.

"Was that a threat Valarus?" Gabrielle spat, striding over to the Dunmer with fire in his eyes and poison in his gaze.

"It was not a threat Gabrielle, be calm. Valarus, hold your tongue. We are civilised men, let us act like it!" Almerion said, rushing over to block Gabrielles path. "Valarus, leave us now. Gabrielle and I will discuss the terms of this contract alone and send the papers back to your employer signed or unsigned, good day to you sir."

The Dunmer paused, his mouth opened a few times but no words came. Eventually he saw reason in what Almerion was saying and turned to leave. Almerion closed his eyes and swore as the Dunmer spoke his final words.

"You're lucky your owner is here to keep a leash on you mongrel!" He muttered, not anticipating the vampires heightened sense of hearing. Almerion could barely react, Gabrielle shot across the room in a blur, pinning Valarus up against the wall by his neck.

"Mongrel... Mongrel..?" Gabrielle spat, furry rising up in a reddish colour beneath his skin. If he hadn't recently fed he would have remained as pale as the snow of Skyrim. "For the last time you insult me Valarus!"

The Dunmer mouthed furiously; trying his best to draw breath, his leg's flailing uselessly against Gabrielle's knees as the vampire slowly lifted him a few inches from the ground. Blood began to run down the pale fingers at Valarus' neck.

Slowly the life drained out of him and he grew still, with one last look of utter contempt Gabrielle tore his imbedded fingers from the Dark elves neck, taking a sinewy wind pipe with it. Blood shot forth, staining Gabrielles satin tunic and silk overcoat.

"You fool! Look what you've done! How are we going to explain this Gabrielle? HOW..!" Almerion screamed, his lungs straining under the force of his voice.

"It was time someone taught him some manners Almerion, he's learnt his lesson." Gabrielle said, wiping the blood from his hand with a silk handkerchief which cost more than one of their Argonian slaves.

"Learnt his lesson? He's dead you imbecile!" He shouted again, burying his face in his palms, not believing the lack of control on his mentor's part.

"Then his lesson was short lived!" Gabrielle spat, glaring at Almerion.

"We need to dispose of the body, what are we to do with it?" Almerion asked, mirroring his friend's habit as he began chewing his nails.

"Cliff Racer's," Gabrielle said simply, "There's a nest of them just south of here, if we cut up the body they would get through it in under an hour. If we leave it intact then maybe two hours, how long do you think we have before they come looking?"

"A day at the most, he's related to one of their higher up's Gabrielle. He will be missed." Almerion said, screwing up his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fore finger and thumb. Some people rubber their temples when stressed, Almerion pinched the bridge of his nose. "You handle the body, I'll prepare the horses."

"Horses...? Where are we going..?" Gabrielle asked as he began rolling the corpse up in an antique Nordic rug.

"Argonia,"


* * *

Gabrielle frantically threw book after book into a moth eaten travel sack. Valarus was missed sooner than anticipated; His body found by a legion patrol, only half eaten by the Cliff racers, which had left just enough flesh to identify him.

Almerion stood at the window, watching as several torch carrying men grew closer and closer. Apparently it didn't take long for Valarus' superiors to do the math, they had worked out who had killed him, now Gabrielle and Almerion where paying the price.

"Hurry up they're nearly upon us!" Almerion spat, rushing over to Gabrielle, wrenching him away from the books as he picked up the ready to burst travel sack. "We must leave now!"
Gabrielle nodded, picking up a trunk from the table as he crossed the room behind Almerion. They made their way through the house to the back door, haphazardly turning over furniture as they went.
Jumal awaited them, the same black carriage Gabrielle had bought so many years ago heavily laden with their treasured belongings, most of which were tomes of knowledge regarding the mysteries of the vampire genus.

"This way masters! Hurry now!" The lizard man hissed, gesturing furiously toward the open carriage door, taking the trunk and travel sack from his owners as they clambered past him into the carriage.
The door slammed shut, shortly followed by the sounds of luggage being tossed into the storage compartment on the rear of their carriage. Almerion listened intently as the sounds of smashing glass and raucous shouting broke through the night. Jumal screamed and their coach began to move, the horses neighing in objection to the Argonians frantic whipping.

"Almerion my brother... I love you dearly, but in all my years of being a vampire, it was only when I met you that people starting burning down my homes." Gabrielle said with a sombre smile, grudgingly putting on a brave face in light of losing everything again.

"Fear not my friend, they are but possessions, the beauty of immortality is that we always have time to rebuild what we lost." Almerion replied quietly, watching with sadness in his eyes as the home he had come to love was engulfed in the flames of an angry mob. "We will find our fortune elsewhere."

I like the story , its enjoyable , keep it coming.

Sorry about not updating for a while. Life has been busy indeed, but this long long long chapter should make up for it. Theres some interesting stuff in there and not alot of information on the subjects in the Lore of ES so i had to trim and tailor it to my stories needs and/or to my own personal vision.. But ofcourse you have no idea what i'm talking about, so read on!

Enjoy:




Chapter Six: The Binding Darkness of the immortal mother.


3 E 04, The swamps of Argonia




"I can feel it my brother; It's close, I can almost touch it!" Almerion was beside himself with excitement -- They had been searching for the location of the hidden clans of Tamriel for some time and now they where on the doorstep step of the Argonian sect of vampires.

"All I can smell is swamp." Gabrielle said, his voice muffled behind a silk handkerchief held over his mouth. It had been two days since they reached Black March and all Gabrielle could do was complain about the smell. "What self respecting vampire can expect to live as his brothers do in such a place; I haven't seen a living soul for days. What do they feed on? Tree sap?"

It was true. They had both been stuck inside the blacked out cabin of their stage coach for days now, though there was no need - They where now so deep into the rain forests and swamps that sunlight couldn't penetrate the upper layers of the canopy, where it not for the smell it would be a paradise for their kind - that was exactly why the Whet fangs had chosen this place as their home.

"What's happened to you brother?" Almerion asked, cautious to bring up the subject again - Every time he asked Gabrielle flared up and verbally assaulted him. But he couldn't keep the worry for his mentor locked up. "Your not your usual self, you've grown quite distant over the passing weeks."

Gabrielle didn't reply straight away; he simply stared out of a gab in the thick black curtains, chewing the nail of his index finger with absent minded fervour? His brow furrowed as if he was locked away in his own mind, battling with his own thoughts.

"Did I ever tell you about how I became a vampire Almerion?" He asked; still staring through the gap in the curtains, his voice flat and monotonous - Devoid of its usual cheer and arrogance.

"No, you havent." He replied, his curiosity was caught -- He had often wondered what it was that brought Gabrielle into the silken embrace of the immortal realm, though it was a subject Almerion instinctively tip toed around.

"It was almost seventy five years ago my friend, I was a musician. My father; a blacksmith, saw it as a soft trade? He cast me from my home for following my heart, It's ironic really." He had a flickering smile dancing across his thin pale lips now. The past was a painful thing for everybody, but Gabrielle hid it well.

"What was ironic?"

"If my father hadn't cast me out that night? I'd have never become what I am today and we'd have never met. I'd be an old man long forgotten to the world and you'd be drowning your sorrows in that squalid inn where I found you. The irony of it all is, both of our storied started out in a setting with many similarities.

I'd left my home with nothing but a hand full of coins and the clothes on my back. I lost track of time as I wandered aimlessly through the county side -- I remember the clear blankets of virgin snow on rolling hills of the lands around me, though I do not recall the name of the village I left nor the one I came upon."

He paused for a second before carrying on, as if trying his hardest to remember a name of no importance.

"At last I found shelter in a small filthy inn; The normal price for a bed was a single coin but I was forced to pay triple. The entire village was sat amongst the guttered candles and dust strewn floor, staring out of grime covered windows at a large fire. There where whispers of corruption and curses, [censored] and torment. They didn't answer me when I asked what had happened - They just each gave me that same look of morose sadness. It was as if some one had stolen the innocence from their souls.

"Then; as the fire outside rages, a figure rose from its depths. It was demonic and beautiful at the same time. She moved with as much grace as she did ferocity -- Though the fire burned around her it damaged her not, her hair fell to her waist, blood red and full of life. Her skin was as white as the snow on the land around us? I thought she was divine? an angel. I was looking at her through eyes marred by a hundred different thing. Now I look back through the clear looking glass of time and realise I was blind to what I saw. She was a demon.

"An unknown force drew the villagers to her; they willingly left the safety of their homes and gathered around her. I was the only one who stayed -- Rooted to the floor where I stood. Then a sound reverberated around the hillsides, snow fell from the trees where they rested and entire flocks of birds fled their nests. She screamed with such utter malice and fury.

"Then she pounced; tearing away the throats of those around her like an unfed beast; she relished in the slaughter, but the villagers did not run. They stood staring at her with glazed eyes -- transfixed as I at her beauty. It was madness that they could just stand there waiting to die.

"An hour passed as she drained every last one of them and for the first time I moved my gaze away from her and what I saw still brings bile to my throat until this day; bodies lay around, some looked like their throats had been minced? others looked like their skin had been shaved from their body. Then as I looked back up she was right in front of me.

"It seemed like an eternity has passed as I stared into those brilliant eyes; the colour moved and swirled within them, bright gold intertwining with deep red. I could hear a voice whispering a thousand beautiful words to me though her mouth did not move. I cannot recall what that voice said to me, save for her name."

"What was her name?" Almerion said, quite literally on the edge of his seat.

"She called herself the Blood Matron." He said with a shadow of his sadistic nature passing over his unfed features. His eyes relishing in the reaction that passed over Almerions face.

She was the first vampire.

Gabrielle was the second.



***





Almerions thoughts where reeling; flying through his mind from one spot to another? Working out questions he had asked himself which merely spawned a hundred others to be answered. He didn't even notice as the coach drew to a halt and the side door opened.

"Masters, we are here." A raspy Argonian voice said as Julam stuck his head through the door way and glanced at his owners. Almerion was sat staring at the scratched wooden floor with shock carved into the deepest recesses of his face, Gabrielle was staring at Almerion with a cunning smile playing about his lips.

"We'll be with you in a moment Julam." Gabrielle said, gesturing for him to go on ahead. "Come, Almerion, We have arrived."

He heard the words; the passed through him as he processed them but they didn't mean anything to him. He was numb and very much confused. He felt betrayed that such a secret should be kept from him, But at the same time -- The revelation excited him.

Grudgingly he looked up into Gabrielle's eyes and slowly began to rise from his seat. They where roughly the same height -- Almerion being an inch taller. But the dominance Gabrielle exuded at that moment seemed to dwarf Almerion. He felt like a child again.

"Shall we?" Gabrielle said, evidently still savouring Almerion's long drawn out reaction to the revelation of Gabrielle's origins.

He followed him out onto the soft soil of the forest floor. They where so deep into the bowels of Argonia that it wasn't just the light that couldn't make it through the dense thickets of vegetations, the swamp couldn't either.

Almerion's thoughts suddenly left his mind as he gazed upon a structure that no man could build; the roots of several colossal tree's had grown and wrapped around each other to form what could only be described as a living fortress. Judging by the thickness of the walls it had to be a half mile in circumference as well as depth. The root walls where carved with a myriad of symbols and depictions. A few of the pictures simply showed stick men bowing down before a great tree? Others showed a great reptilian head with two long teeth buried into the cranium of a Dunmer. The occupants evidently didn't approve of the Dunmeri slave trade.

A gentle tapping noise echoed half heartedly around the area and suddenly there was light. Almerion turned to see his Argonian servant holding a torch in between his legs with a flint stone in either hand. He blew on it softly and watched the flames grow and light the area around him. Almerion was astounded at what he saw.

The root fortress wasn't the only thing to be marvelled at in the heart of the forest - Above him plants of all colours and sizes intertwined and lived in a semi-symbiotic nature with each other, all feeding off a mysterious sap that dripped from the branches of the trees around them. It looked like the forest had placed them together in mockery of man made mosaics and art. Almerion couldn't help but agree with mother nature, this natural piece of art was far more beautiful than any he'd ever seen. Save perhaps for the one person who haunted his every dream.


Everything around them seemed to whisper in the shadows cast by the light as Gabrielle held two unlit torches over Julam's and the flames began to expand as they licked the alcohol soaked rags around the thick piece of wood. He could almost sense something shifting just beyond the circle of light.

"I assure you that the light is not needed here." A disembodied voice spoke, coming from a large archway in the root wall before them. "Please, follow me."

The two vampires glanced at a second then followed; dropping their torches to the damp earth beneath them, Julam followed suit a few seconds later and swallowed apprehensively -- He knew he wasn't in danger from Almerion and Gabrielle; they needed him to move them during the daylight hours. But for any other vampire? he was open game.

A silhouetted Argonian led them onwards through the wooden interior of the tree; through narrow winding passages and a weaving labyrinth of tunnels. Every single inch of exposed surface was carved with the strange symbols and images, the Argonian feeding on a Dunmer seemed to be a popular theme.

Eventually the passage way straightened out and an eerie glow met their eyes; casting unusually obscure shadows across their bodies. Almerion could finally make out the Argonian in front of them in full, His scales where the brightest of red save for a long ridge spanning from the top of his head to the base of his spine, which looked almost like bright blue jewels, on either side of the ridge was an inch long silver spike growing from the hardened scales. Under his jaw following his wind pipe a collection of green and yellow quills almost resembling a beard. For a beast he was quite beautiful to look at.

"My masters are very pleased that you made contact Almerion, we have followed the progress of your search for our home intently." He said without turning to look at the Nord, not saying how he knew his name. "We had to make sure you where not a threat in any way before allowing you to make contact, I'm sure you understand."

"Of course, not a problem my friend." Almerion replied politely, not wanting a reason for hostility in this strange place. He had a feeling that without the Argonians guidance they would be wandering the twisting hall ways and passages of the tree for a millennia looking for a way out.

"Shas'wiek is very anxious to meet you, this is the first time we have allowed an outsider entry into our home for over a century. Though, I hope you remembered to bring a gift?" He asked anxiously. The Argonian Almerion had made contact with was a non-vampire, but he seemed to know the importance of bringing a gift and mentioned if no less than five times during a brief ten minute encounter with Almerion.

"Yes, I feel that he will be most pleased with what I brought." Almerion said, Gabrielle shot him a malevolent knowing grin. They didn't have much to offer since their home was destroyed? They didn't even know what these reclusive Argonian vampires desired. But they did know what all vampires had in common. Food.

At last they made it into a large circular room; it looked like they where at the centre of the tree judging by the way the roots spiralled around each other to make a dome like ceiling. All along the walls where thick vines pulsating -- a strange luminescent yellow liquid seemed to flow through them like blood through veins, basking the room in a gentle flowing light.

In the middle of the room was a long rectangular table which looked like it was once a great branch now cut down the middle, the under side of which was still rounded and covered in small branches and bark, all around them small trunks grew from the ground and where carved into primitive looking seats.

Sat around the table where more of the Argonian vampires. Each one had the same crimson scales and encrusted jewels along their spines -- Though the jewels where a unique colour and shape to each Argonian. Some had large silver spines and horns like Almerions guide, others had peacock feathers around the base of their skulls. All of them however shared the same collection of yellow and green quills along the jaw and throat line.

At the head of the table was an Argonian of sizes Almerion didn't think they could grow to -- He was easily taller than any Altmer and broader than any Nord; nearly all of his scales looked to have been augmented or replaced with gems and jewels, his horns where an astonishing golden colour decorated with interweaving silver and ebony patterns at the base of each one, the quills around his jaw grew half way down his chest. Almerion had a feeling that this was the clan Elder -- The first Argonian Vampire.

With a gesture he offered up the two seats at either side of him; Almerion and Gabrielle obliged with a polite nod and a smile. Julam stayed at the edge of the room, an apprehensive look on his reptilian face. Or atleast -- Almerion thought it was apprehension, he wasn't that good at reading the expressions of beast races.

"At last!" The voice of the clan elder echoed around the cavernous room although he was speaking quietly -- It seemed to embody a quality that demanded attention and it worked, every person stopped talking and turned obediently to listen. "We have been joined by outsiders seeking knowledge and wisdom, they have searched many years for us and have been deemed worthy to sit in our presence. For this, we celebrate!"

The last word was a shout, he lifted up a wooden goblet and made a hissing noise as he drank, the rest of the Argonian's followed suit. Almerion looked into his own goblet to see a crimson red liquid -- Blood -- swirling around with the same glowing liquid that flowed through the vines of the tree.

"Do not worry brother; it is the sap of the hist tree, we drink the blood of our brothers -- So to shall we drink the blood of our guardians. After quenching your thirst on the hist you will be recognised as one of us!" The clan elder said, almost reading Almerions thoughts word for word. "And ignore the legends of it sending people made with rage and anger -- We vampires are immune to the negative side effects, we are simply empowered by it."

Almerion stared into his eyes, taken aback by the astonishing beauty of them. It was hard to know he was looking right at you because his eyes where like no other man or beasts. They had no iris or pupil; they where just two large glass like orbs swirling with green and blue gasses. Almerion couldn't help but wonder what it was like to see through them.

"A toast I think, don't you agree Almerion?" Gabrielle said, grabbing the Nord's attention with a twisted smile. "To brotherhood!"

The Argonian's hissed their approval as the two outsiders downed their goblets with gusto; the hist sap crawled down Almerion's throat at a leisurely pace -- though it didn't make him wretch or cough, it was quite a sensational feeling.

"I find your home to be quite an astonishing feat of craftsmanship? How did you build such a structure without damaging the tree's?" Gabrielle asked, he didn't really care and Almerion knew it, he was simply making polite small talk while they enjoyed the niceties of the feast -- then it would be strictly business.

"Ah but if only I could take the credit for being the crafter of such divine structures; No my friend, your are mistaken. It was not we who created our home. It was the hist!" The elder said, Argonians around the room nodding in agreement. It almost seemed like they where a hive mind.

"When we became vampires we where condemned by the gods of imperium, these Nine divines." he said, his lips rose in anger and revealed several rows of diamond like teeth as he spoke of the empires chosen gods. "No, the gods condemned us but the Hist; our true guardians, did not. They still recognised us as their children -- Lizard men born unto the swamp at their bidding. We still worship and do their bidding. When an Argonian drinks the hist on the naming ceremony he is given a vision -- But because of the negative effects all mortals are subjected to they are mistaken for hallucinations, but we vampires are able to pick out the details and work out what the hist desires of us. We are nothing more than its humble servants."

"On the night that she came to me and graced me with the gift I found this place. I did not understand what had happened to me; we had little contact with the outside world this far into the swamp so I did not know what a vampire was. When I arrived here I the sun was starting to dawn; I screamed in anguish and pain as its rays shone down on me, bruning away a large amount of my scales. My eyes bust in their sockets and the liquid scalded my face. I was convinced they where the first few minutes of a long agonising death? Until the pain went away and I was cast into darkness. The hist understood my pain and still recognised me as its child -- It acted immediately. Branches over head began to wrap around each other and coil down the trunks of each tree -- pulling them closer to each other. Eventually I was left with a large hut like collection of intertwined branches and vines. Every time a new brother seeking refuge comes here the hist grows and expands to make room. What you see is just the result of many years of refuge seeking brothers."

Almerion sat and contemplated how a tree could be sentient. He didn't question that a tree could move; he had seen many of the predatorily plants in Argonia, some large enough to swallow a man whole. But for a tree to understand pain an sorrow was a strange concept indeed.

"Interesting? I had no idea the hist where so divine; I knew they where sacred to the people of Argonia but to be able to create such a marvel of nature is astonishing indeed." Gabrielle said, his eyes following the progress of the glowing sap with a bored expression as it flowed through the vines of the tree.

"Wait, you said when she came to you, who is she?" Almerion asked, already anticipating the answer.

The room was suddenly hushed and tense, the Argonian's all averted their gaze from their elder, as if pretending they hadn't heard the question Almerion asked. Shad'wiek -- The elder, paused and contemplated his answer, looking on Almerion with a pained expression.

"The Vile bride my friend? The vile bride came to me and embraced me with a divine curse no man should be burdened with. We do not speak of her? She has spread an evil through the world so powerful that it is the very envy of the one who created her? We work for the hist in the hope that we undo the evil she had intended to spread through Argonia." He answered Almerion's question like he was telling his favourite nephew what happened when people died. His tone indicated there would be no more conversation on the subject. Gabrielle sat biting his nails, he looked close to death with boredom.

"Now, let us feast. Shal'wui, bring our guests the finest food we have to offer!" He said to a small female Argonian at the end of the table, she nodded and left the room immediately. Almerion began to wonder what food they had to offer beyond the blood filled goblet before them, but he didn't raise the question. "Now, Almerion, I do not mean to sound rude. But it is customary in our culture for the guest to bring a gift.."

"Ah yes do not worry my friend we haven't forgotten, as you may well know our home was destroyed shortly before we left for Argonia. Most of our possessions where burned to a crisp and the rest would be of no interest to you? But we do have something we truly think you would enjoy." Almerion raised his hand and Julam walked to his shoulder and handed him a book. That wasn't the gift however? His servant just assumed it was. "Since we acquired your gift almost two years ago we have been spiking his food with all manner of exquisite delicacies to augment his flavour. I was saving him for myself but I cannot think of a more worthy consumer for my little meal."

Julam actually recoiled at Almerions words; slowly he began backing away only to be stopped by two Argonians flanking him. He looked at his masters with confused scared eyes. Almerion felt a pang of regretted, Gabrielle smiled with glee.

"You choose to insult me with your gift?" Shas'wiek asked quietly, the smile dropped off Gabrielle's face with little contest. Almerion felt uncomfortable under the foreboding gaze of their host. "You know very well we do not feed on our own kind.."

"Ah yes we know this, very well. But Julam here is a very naughty boy indeed, Aren't you Julam? Very naughty. You see your highness, he was selling his own brothers and sisters out to slaves to secure his own freedom. We found him alone in his little village with nothing left and took him to be our day time servant knowing what he had done. Disgusting I know. But I cannot question his motives -- I wouldn't want to be a slave either." Gabrielle said, lacing his words with ill hidden contempt for the Whett tooth's customs and traditions. In his eyes, if its heart still pumped blood it was ok to eat, regardless of race six or origin.

"What my friend means is, surely it is ok to dine on the blood of one who has brought so much suffering to his own people?" Almerion said, quickly jumping in before he could go on, trying his best to avert the rising anger in the elders face.

He sat and stared at Julam for a long drawn out minutes; he looked as if he was reading into his past and seeing his future at the same time. There was something very austere about his gaze at that moment. Julam squirmed a little more but couldn't break the grip of his two captors if he tried.

"Very well, I accept your gift with my thanks." He said, the two Argonian's dragged a struggling Julam to their master and pinned him down bent over the table, his head directly in front of the elder Argonian.

Almerions expression turned to stone as Sha'wiek opened his mouth -- His jaw unhinged and dropped down further than the Nord thought physically possible, two large mandible like fangs unfolded from their hiding place in the roof of his mouth, easily the length of a short sword when fully unfolded, they had three joins across the entire length. They looked more like something an insect would use rather than a reptile. Slowly he slid his great jaws over the back of Julam's head, tears where streaming down the slaves face in earnest, he stared at Almerion with eyes full of fear.

The Nord looked down as the jaws closed around the back of his cranium and the Mandible like fangs flew down into the only soft part on Julams head -- His eyes. All he could hear was a muffled scream and the sound of slurping liquid and a sickening popping. He looked at Gabrielle, his face hid none of his disgust for such a barbaric practice the Whett tooth clan used to feed. But it wasn't their fault, it was how they evolved. They where primal.


Almerion turned back to look at Shas'wiek as he heard the sound of a body crumpling to the floor; he wiped his mouth with the back of a jewel encrusted hand, his face plainly showing approval for the gift Almerion and Gabrielle had offered. He picked up his goblet of blood and hist cocktail and raised it in a silent toast -- The occupants of the table followed suit and drained their goblets.


***

Present Day



"But the books in the arcane university archives suggest that every person the Blood Matron killed became a vampire? How is it possible that Gabrielle was the second vampire ever created?" The Breton scholar asked, leafs of parchment stacked beside him on the desk. His face now had ink smudges from where he had wipes the sweat away and inadvertently spread a liquid of a different kind across his brow. He had none of the haughty arrogance and composure of most scholars, Almerion liked him for his quiet modesty.

"Whoever wrote that book was a misguided fool who assumed to much. He wrote it with only two facts in mind -- How she was created and that she was the first of our kind. In truth not every one she feasted on went on to become a vampire. In the history of Tamriel she has only created eight vampires. One for each race. Every other vampire on Nirn is simply a bi-product of the ones she spawned, including myself." Almerion said, staring into the flame of a dying candle as he remembered long past painful memories.

"So Gabrielle and Shas'wiek where the first Imperial and Argonian Vampires? Where do you fall into the scheme of things?"

"I am not an original vampire? There have been hundreds before me, but because of who created me I have certain? abilities, that others do not have. Much like Gabrielle. The closer to the source the more purity you have."

The Breton sat and thought about his next question, scratching his chin with the end of his eagle feather quill, chewing his lip with the effort of making the fatigued cogs in his head move.

"What food did they bring you?"

"Humans? Elves? Khajiit? They provided a banquet of bodies and we feasted on them all. Each was drained to their last drop before we cast them aside and retired. I thought they where dead before we started eating."

"But vampires cant drink dead blood can they? Why?"

"No we cannot? The reason we need blood is because we cannot reproduce our own, we need it to sustain the living tissue of our bodies. Many people think we are but walking corpses -- In a sense they are correct, but we still live, we still grow. Just not like normal mortals."

"Then how did you feed on the bodies the Argonians provided?" He asked, not bothering to hide the look of confusion he would have hidden but a few hours ago. He knew now that Almerion could read him regardless of body language.

"Because of the secluded location of their home the Whett tooth have evolved a way of keeping their food alive but purely placated, they inject them with a venom that speeds up the reproduction of blood. It also contains many nutrients filtered from the blood they feed on that is not needed in a vampires diet -- It keeps the victims healthy but comatose. A long term stock pile of food if you will, quite ingenious I think."

The Breton seemed impressed by the natural evolution which was debated to not exist in the undead for years but within small clans it was plain for all to see. Almerion had encountered every vampire race known and witnessed for himself that a vampire evolves to its environment, they are predators after all.

"So why did you visit the Whett Tooth clan?"

"Ah? That is a subject I have debated on with myself for many years? Back then I couldn't see what looked me in the eyes, its strange how looking into that past gives you perfect vision."


***

No comments? Anybody still reading this? Hmmm, I'll edit the next chapter in shortly, I really hope this is being followed by a few watchful eyes though, It would be a shame to see it go to waste.