At 8 am I got out of my room and bought some food from the innkeeper. She was calm. Lurbuk's death is still unknown.
"An adventurer, eh?"
The redguard innkeeper asked. I smiled and handed over the key of my room.
"Indeed."
"Well, adventurer or not, it is weird someone like you visits such miserable town as Morthal."
"It is still one of the holds. I like to travel from hold to hold. Even Morthal has something to offer."
"Oh, really? Like what?"
"A warm inn."
I said and hoped she'll stop talking and shut her mouth before I do that. It's strange how people easly annoy me. That wasn't the case before.
She smiled and I stared going towards the exit. But she stopped me again.
"Hey, some man was looking for a young woman here. He described her as a young girl with silver eyes and golden, reddish hair. I would say the description resambles you, but still I haven't told him about you. I didn't want to disturb you. I hope I didn't do something wrong..."
"What did he look like?"
"Strange. Small, red hair and a jester's hat. Like a caricature. His voice was annoying and scary. I hope he won't return here."
"Thank you."
"Oh, you're welcome! If anything ever brings you back to Morthal, stop by for a drink!"
Chilly air pinched my cheeks and nose. I walked down the stairs, not looking at the figure right next to the entrance.
"Cicero."
"Frais."
"Why are you here?"
"The Listener told me to follow you."
"So you are spying on me? Checking every step I make?"
"Not exactly..."
"Oh, please."
"Frais, I didn't want to do that. My duty is to obey Morpheus, but every member has right for privacy."
He was suddenly standing next to me. He grabed my hand. I felt something cold touching my skin. I looked at my palm to see my necklace in shape of dragon. The one I sent to Menro.
"Please, don't let emotions prevail. Don't let yourself fall into a trouble."
He said with a sad voice. I grabed the necklace and put it in my pocket. Allie was waiting at the entrance to Morthal. I walked to her.
"That's none of your business."
He followed me. I soon recgonised his brown, a little lighter horse right next to mine.
"So, where are we heading?"
He asked me in his usual, cheerful voice. Great. Now I can't get rid of him.
"Half-Moon Mill. Target is Hern. Rumours say he and his wife are vampires. That might be tricky. Or not."
"So Falkreath then?"
I nodded. I didn't look back to see if he follows me. I could hear his horse galloping.
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It was a long way to Falkreath. We had to stop by and let our horses rest, but in the end, we managed to reach the Half-Moon Mill at sunrise. And that is what worried me the most. Vampires are stronger at night. Much stronger. How will we take him down before he kills us?
Dawn Bringers, especially Hodsing taught me some moves and weakspots I could use to kill a vampire. After all he was once a part of Dawnguard. Though he escaped from them he still hated vampires. I wasn't fond of them as well.
"I suppose we aren't going to attack them now, right?"
Cicero whispered. Even when he was trying to talk silently he still kept that annoying squeaky tone.
Right when I was about to answer, a loud noise interrupted me. Thanks to Sithis we were hiding behind the bushes across the river.
Suddenly, I saw a body flying all the way from the entrance to Hern's hause to the rivercoast.
It took me a few seconds to recgonise Hern. After a few moments a silhouette that has sent him flying appeared.
That was a slender and tall man. His eyes were glowing in the dark with a golden shine. Hern recovered quickly and I could see the same shine in his eyes. Two vampires? Well, I knew for his wife but who was this one?
I couldn't hear them what they were talking about. They started fighting. The moves and ways they fought were so foreign, I never saw such skill and speed. Their hits were strong yet elegant. Their limbs were fast as lightning. Their eyes shone with flaming rage. They were truly remarkable beings.
Then, the second vampire finally stood on place where his face was illuminated by magic and gorgeus moonlight. And I recgonised that face. Sharp and long chin, well-shaped yawline. Messy bangs and always tired yet determined look. Morpheus.
If I saw this scene a few years ago, I would be angry and somehow disappointed. But now...I couldn't just throw away the memory of Morpheus as my friend. If he is a vampire, does that change anything? He is the same person he was when I met him. This changes nothing. So I made my descision.
I grabbed the arrow and aimed it with a bow to shot Hern. But he was to fast. I could easly shot Morpheus.
For a few moments I just watched them fighting. Morpheus avoided every Hern's blow. The same could not be said for the vampire.
Morpheus was winning. And he gave me chance to shot Hern. He turned him around and bit him on his neck making him scream and whimp. I aimed the arrow but I didn't shot it. I saw Hert, Hern's wife madly running toward Morpheus. I quickly readjusted my position and shot Hert in the eye making her stumble back and fall on the ground. And she was dead in a few seconds.
I prepared another arrow for Hern but then I saw an ebony dagger in his chest. Cicero threw it and piereced Hern, instantly killing him.
Morpheus released Hern's body, very fast. And he disappeared. Well, he didn't. He appeared right next to me and grabbed me by my neck lifiting me of the ground. Fortunatley, he held me so he couldn't choke me immediatley.
"What the Hell are you two morons doing here?"
He hissed like a wolf. I could see his vampire fangs peeking out together with orcish ones. His chin was covered in red blood of a vampire. His eyes never shone so much. It was mesmerizing. Like mix of lava, fire and wind.
"Please, let me go!"
I coughed and he just let me fall on my knees on the ground. I touched my throat and started coughing like crazy so Morpheus turned his attention to Cicero.
"Answer me."
"Nazir gave us this contract."
"How is that possible? This was my contract."
"Maybe he misplaced something."
"I will misplace your head with Night Mother's corpse."
He spat at Cicero who giggled. Morpheus rolled his eyes and turned focus back on me. I wasn't coughing anymore.
Suddenly, I felt a high ammount of rage bursting inside me. So I jumped on Morpheus and started punching him. I didn't quite control my hits. I missed mostly, but I was angry.
"Stop. Choking. Me. For. Sithis'. Sake. You. Morron."
I greeted through teeth. And this time I didn't miss. I struck Morpheus jaw so hard he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, but immediatley got up on his feet.
"You disrespectful worm!"
He shouted at me and attacked me the same way I did. He was also clumsy and enraged as I was. Luckly, he missed a few hard strikes. I didn't just stand there. I fought back.
"You depressing liar!"
"Mewling brat!"
"Sulking self-concentrated runt!"
"Annoying and weak strumpet!"
And then he finally knocked me on the ground. I hit my head so hard I thought I saw traces of Sovnegarde.
"All right. That's enough."
Morpheus said after he rolled off me letting me breathe. Cicero was sitting on the grass clearly amused.
"Something funny, fool?"
Morpheus asked. Cicero giggled even more.
"You really think I am self-concentrated depressing liar?"
"Yes. I do."
"Why depressing? Why liar? Why?"
"You are always thinking about yourself and your past and your problems. It gets kind of depressing and boring. People around you just get some kind of wish to kill themselves. And liar because you are a liar. You never tell truth. And if you do, you do that only partially. I hate liars."
I said honestly. Currently, I didn't care if he will cut off my fingers. I was just mad.
"Wow."
"What?"
"I never realised how it hurts when someone is honest."
"I'd rather feel pain then false feelings. Don't lie to me."
"Well, technically, I didn't. My vampirism is a big top secret. The secret that knew only Dar'Zirno and Babette, of course. And Astrid. And now you two know. I suppose there is no need to warn you that I will rip out your tongues if anyone else finds out, right?"
"Why such secrecy?"
"Being a vampire is at the same time some kind of power and weakness. Humans are not fond of vampires. And they know how to kill or get rid of one. So, if I ever had a traitor in my Sanctuary he or she would have known exactly how to kill me. For now, most people who know about me are confused. They don't know what I am."
He got up on his feet and shook of some of grass off his armour. I copied him.
"For how long have you been a vampire?"
"Since my birth. That is a part of curse, you see. My mother was a worshiper of Molag Bal."
That explains everything.
"I am Molag Bal's champion and one of the most powerful vampires in the world."
"You have pretty high thinking about yourself."
"It is as I said."
"Whatever."
"Shut up."
He waved at me and walked over to the lifeless body of Hern and dropped one Nightshade beside him.
"We should move."