“J’Dash and The Child of Darkness” A Story Inspired by Elder Scroll’s IV: Oblivion
"J'Dash and The Child of Darkness" A Story Inspired by Elder Scroll's IV: Oblivion
Out in the open dry grass planes of what looks like Elsweyr, a Khajiit dressed in a noblemen's green and blue silk outfit with gold trim was running as fast as he could as the twilight of the dawn started to rise. "Where am I?" The Khajiit asked aloud to himself as he took a brief moment to look around and suddenly it dawned on him he was having a blood nightmare, which all vampires experience when they awaken each night and their body is craving blood. J'Dash turned and noticed that the twilight was braking into the morning dawn.
_Gods I really hate this part! _ J'Dash thought to himself as he looked off into the distance to see the sun slowly rising up over the mountains. Inside himself, he could feel his body screaming for blood and from the intensity of the cravings he was feeling, he guessed in this current nightmare, he has gone well over one month without feeding and was at the mercy of the sunlight. Looking around for shelter from the cruel sun, he noticed that of in all directions there was nothing but open land and no shelter within sight.
He was also unable to use his vampire speed due to being in his advanced starvation of blood, there was nothing left to do but accept his fate. He closed his eyes and clinched his fists as he felt the unbearable burning of the rays of the sun and didn't want to witness his flesh catch fire and burn. I REALY HATE THIS PART! He yelled in his thoughts just as the sun quickly rose to full view off in the distance. Suddenly, he felt his body burst into flames and smolder into ash at which point he suddenly awoken to his relief, to find himself safely embraced in the shadows of his Ayleid sarcophagus.
Instinctively he felt around himself in reassurance that he was not incinerated by the sunlight and that it was truly a nightmare. Thankfully, it was and he let out a sigh of relief in that knowledge. "By the talons of the Dread Father...I wonder whose final moment that was...still...it was much better then the public burning one where I was tied to a stake and set on fire by a bunch of Aragonian savages in Black Marsh!" He said allowed to himself.
He always figured that all blood nightmare are some form of memories passed down from vampire to vampire, and each one is record of some really tragic and terrifying moment within his predecessors existence. His guess that this most recent one was of some predecessors last moments of existence.
J'Dash also read something interesting in an old tome about the Blood-Nightmares vampires suffer. It is said the reasons where because of Vaermina, the suspected mother of all vampires and alleged lover of Molog Baal who is without a doubt the father of all vampires. Vaermina being the Deadric Prince of Nightmares had some special connection with vampires and tormented them with nightmarish dreams.
J'Dash learned long ago not to believe everything that is noted within book, for a great number of books written by so called vampire experts was based on rumors instead of facts. He theorized that the majority of these disproving facts were started by vampires themselves to throw would-be vampire hunters on the wrong tract. For example, vampires can eat and digest food like a mortal, just that food cannot sustain them and they cannot even taste it. Vampires don't see much point in eating food other then not drawing attention to themselves. Vampires can cast reflections, they can set foot on holy ground...the list goes on! Anyway, the point being is that J'Dash chose his own theory that the blood nightmares are remnants memories of previous vampires.
J'Dash let out a long loud sigh that sounded more like a groan then a sigh. "Oh how I miss the days when I engaged wild orgies during the spring solstice in Elsweyr!" He closed his eyes, tried to remember those days, and smiled happily to himself as dim vision appeared in his minds eye. "Oh how I yearn to smell a nice warm lass's fur, breath and the feeling of her bosom pressed up to me!" He purred happily at the image and forced it on, "I also miss the strong musk of frisky lad and the taste of his sweet lips when he meets mine! I miss the thrill of a four way with the finest females and most handsome males...oh...to once again touch, to feel, to surrender to the pleasures of the flesh and give myself body and soul over to sweet, sweet ecstasy and to no longer be numb!" He reached out to the ghostly images of lustful desire but as his hand made contact, it evaporated into nothing and the vision was lost.
Letting out another sigh as he tired to summon back the vision and failed. "Just once I would love to dream and relive at least one of my most joyful moments when I was alive...by Sithis...why do I do this to myself?" Suddenly he heard the lid to his sarcophagus slowly move open with the sound of marble scraping against marble and someone grunting as they pushed the heavy lid aside. A ray of torch light invaded into his sanctuary of darkness and looking up he saw the familiar lizard grin of his good friend and fellow brother in the Dark Brotherhood, Slits-Throats-With-Ease.
"Good afternoon big brother!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease greeting his friend. I heard you speaking in your tomb and figured you were awake. J'Dash chuckled reaching up he moved the heavy lid to his sarcophagus effortlessly aside, stood up and climbed out. Slits-Throats-With-Ease assisted his friend as he emerged from his tomb.
"Another nightmare big brother?" His friend asked him despite already knowing the answer...it was just his way of striking up a conversation.
"Yes my good friend, another nightmare as you call it but really it is just another memory that is not my own." Slits-Throats-With-Ease nodded and gestured with his hand if it was all right to proceed to the main room. J'Dash only replied with a nod and the both started walking down the hall of the royal tomb and up the stairs that lead into the main sanctuary.
The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary that J'Dash and his fellow brothers and sisters in Sithis belonged to was an ancient Ayleid rune whose name was long since forgotten. It was located just northwest and a good four days journey on foot from the Imperial City and was almost impossible to find unless you knew where to look. The main entrance is protected by a Dark Brotherhood illusion enchantment and unless you knew the secret code word, it would only appear and be as a solid boulder in the earth to you.
This Sanctuary of the Dark Brotherhood chapter housed the elite specialized killers who are favorites of nobles and even members of the Imperial Counsel. At one time the number of the Dark Brotherhood special elites was around 20, but today there are only 4.
Most where relocated to other chapters of The Dark Brotherhood in Tamriel, others where killed fulfilling contracts and some are listed as missing in action...more then likely they had defected and are now in hiding. J'Dash was one of the oldest members of the Ayleid Sanctuary and his rank is Master Murder. The Master Murder rank is rarely ever seen or heard, except only by those with exceptionally good skills and with a very high veteran status of well over 1000 contracted kills could ever hope to active this rank...few ever do!
His expertise within the Dark Brotherhood was murder and blame, also known as Conspiracy Contracts. Whenever J'Dash became activated to fulfill a contract, it was often to murder someone of great importance or influence and place evidence of the crime in house of a chosen pasty. J'Dash is Khajiit and 174-year-old vampire who is exceptionally wise and powerful in the ways of the vampire. He has honed his dark abilities to the point where others in the sanctuary often wondered if the dread father himself took possession and inhabited his body.
* * *
J'Dash was once the son of sugarcane cropper who owned well over 40ach of the richest and most fertile soil of Elsweyr. He was learning the trade from his father and lived the life typical of a young Khajiit male. Wild sex parties, good drunken fun and moon sugar all around! "Life is too short so live it while you can!" Was his motto in his teenaged years. Shortly after his 21h birthday, he was in the process of courting a young Khajiit lass and was just moments away from purposing and asking her to be his life mate...but that all changed one tragic night. After a long joyful evening of courting his female, he was on his way home when a lunatic who reeked of decay and earth soil attacked him just a few feet away from the town cemetery. He shook off his attacker but not after the lunatic sunk his teeth into his arm. His attacker ran off and was never seen or heard from again.
Within moments after he was bitten by his attacker, his heath suddenly started to fail and he became anemic. His nose and eyes paled and he was bed ridden for days. He was deathly sick with a fever and the tribal healer could do nothing to make him better, only give him herbs to help with the pain.
On the night of last moments as a mortal he remembers seeing his father weeping as he held his hand tightly in his. His mother was bellowing, clinging herself to his chest as he laid there on his deathbed. His two older brothers and baby sister J'Shasa, J'Nor and Shaba stood at the foot of his bed with their ears drawn back and where weeping tears of sadness knowing their brother would soon be dead. "Where's Dahleena father? J'Dash wants to see his Dahleena!" Was the last words he ever asked and his father replied in a tearful voice, "She'll be here soon kitten! Please hold on just a moment longer! Dahleena has something very special she wants to tell you! So please...hold on! Do this for father!" Despite knowing the fact he was going to die very soon, the only thing he wanted most was to see his beloved Dahleena...one last time.
He tried his best to hold on for as long as he could, but in the end the fever overcame him. The world went black at first and then he awoken to find himself wrapped in a burial sheet and covered in earth. After pulling himself free of his gave, he took a moment and figured he had recovered while he was mistakenly buried alive within the cemetery and was anxious to get home to tell his family the joyful news. Unfortunately, as he approached his home he was bewildered to see it abandon and not a single trace of his family could be found, his Dahleena was also gone.
Turns out he was not buried in the ground a few hours but four weeks. Suffering the grief of his death, his family must have packed up, sold out and moved with Dahleena in toe was the only conclusion he could reason up. Confused and alone he tried to figure out what had happened to himself and it all came to light when the blood lust first hit him and he found himself preying on innocent people. The lunatic who attacked him was a vampire and somehow his blood mixed with his and thus he rose from the dead as a vampire himself.
It was because he knew he was a vampire and suffered a ravenous bloodlust, he decided it was for the best his family and love of his life believe him to dead...which ironically he was.
Two years later, a fellow vampire discovered J'Dash and introduced him into the Dark Brotherhood. The vampire came across J'Dash as he watched him skillfully hunt down and kill...ironically...an Altmer who was marked for death and was the Dark Brotherhood vampires target. The vampire was a Bosmer mage named Theo and with Theo's help J'Dash learned to control his blood lust and put his natural killing instinct and Khajiit skills to very good use for the Dark Brotherhood in the ways of murder and stealth.
Theo and J'Dash lost contact around 60 years ago when he was moved out of the Elsweyr chapter of the Dark Brotherhood and relocated to his current Cyrodiil sanctuary, where he proudly calls home and his fellow brothers and sisters his one true family.
* * *
Slits-Throats-With-Ease is a Shadow Scale Aragonian, rank Eliminator, was born and raised within the order along with his late brother Knives-Guards-In-Silent who died at the hands of Imperial battle mages when attempting to fulfill a contract in murdering a mage ambassador from Summer Set Isles around six years ago. Not much of Slits-Throats-With-Ease's history is anything out of the ordinary for a Shadow Scale, just that his real name is unpronounceable when said in the Black Marsh tongue and sounds like nothing more then squeals, clicks and hisses. His specialties was vengeance contracts, also known as Eye for an Eye Contract. His duties mostly involves killing his targets in creative ways that are demanded and specified by his contractor.
For example, his most unusual contract was to murder and butcher all seven of a target noblemen's children, have the meat packaged and delivered to his private cook and made into meat pies for his 15th wedding anniversary party in the company of friends and family. Whenever Slits-Throats-With-Ease retells this story, he always jokes that he stole a meat pie when they were left out too cool and ate it. "Little children are so very sweet! Especially when they are served in meat gravy!" Was his favorite end quote to this tale.
He earned the name Slits-Throats-With-Ease when he was contracted to assassinated 27 royal guards in the employment of some noblemen's house. Every guard's throat was cut and no evidence was left behind by the killer. Also all the bodies where not discovered until the next morning...this deed earned him much respect and even his name.
Slits-Throats-With-Ease looked up to J'Dash as the brother he never had and had much sibling love for him despite him being a Khajiit let alone a vampire. Only Slits-Throats-With-Ease called J'Dash big brother while the others called him by name or just brother. J'Dash deep down was tickled with the Aragonian calling him big brother but never repaid the brotherly affection by calling him little brother, so instead he always called him his good friend.
* * *
Slits-Throats-With-Ease and J'Dash reached a wall that blocked their path and looked like a dead end. J'Dash reached over and after pushing a keystone marker just to the left of himself the wall slid open and showed the entirety of the great hall. At one time, this room was a royal council chamber for the long gone Ayleid king who once ruled this rune.
Today its usefulness is now the main room for this chapter of the Dark Brotherhood. The entire chamber's source of illuminating comes from 450 small welkin stones placed strategically on stands overhead for maxima illumination and a cold ever fire burned in a basin that was dead center of the room and required no source of fuel. The theory is that the flames where fueled by magicka and that it had something to do with the welkin stones, but whatever it was, it was not important. Only thing known and appreciated was it saved the members of the Dark Brotherhood from going out and buying/gathering resources for light and risk exposing the location of the sanctuary.
The only fire that required resources to consume was the torches and the converted sarcophagus fireplace Bash-Bash used for cooking and warmth. Bash-Bash is a Nord and the sanctuary beloved cook.
* * *
Bash-Bash, rank Murder, real name is Wulffric Ice-Veins but preferred being addressed by his friends and family by his pet name "Bash-Bash", which was given to him by his friends for his notorious days of getting into bar brawls in High Rock. Szandor, the current chapter head and member of the Blank Hand, was the one who brought Bash-Bash into the order. Bash-Bash is wanted in High Rock for the murder of well over 20 civilians which according to Bash-Bash was an act of retribution for the rape and injustice of his sister who killed herself after her assailant walked away with a not guilty verdict because he was a noblemen's son. Well Bash-Bash dealt out his own justice and murdered not only the assailant, but also his entire family and a good number those who where the assailants friends.
Szandor being a master of deception and skill posed as a captain of the guard, liberated Bash-Bash from his execution, and made him disappear by having the corrupted court judge die in his place before the executioner's ax. "A work of exquisite art! Worthy of even the dread father's attention!" Szandor comment his own action to be, especially when it was he himself who brought the judge kicking and screaming before the ax with a black shawl over his head to hide his face and everyone was none the wiser ever since.
Bash-Bash is truthfully a very poor assassin and often blows his cover. If there were anything that is a credit to his skills as an assassin, it would be in ways of causing a good distraction and his speed in evading capture rivaled that of a Khajiit Athlete. Fellow brothers and sisters within the other Dark Brotherhood sanctuary's normally ask Bash-Bash to tag along with them to play as a decoy. Bash-Bash would pretend to be the contacted killer and purposely blows his cover in order to get the guards attention and to give chase. The real assassin then can fulfill his contract without worry. Truthfully, the one thing that is highly desired of Bash-Bash is his mastery of a hot fire and unprepared food. Many wondrous dishes have come from his kitchen and most you would not think you would dare try unless a knife was held at your throat! Example, Zombie soup served with onions, carrots and cabbage. Very tasty...just don't ask why the meat is moving!
* * *
Just as both J'Dash and Slits-Throats-With-Ease entered into the main room, J'Dash could already tell by the way Slits-Throats-With-Ease took in a deep whiff of air and closed his lizard eyes that Bash-Bash was already in the process of cooking his ever famous and Slits-Throats-With-Ease favorite dish of slow roasted Troll and bone meal bread.
"Mmmmmmmm!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease hummed aloud and continued, "Bash-Bash that smells heavenly!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease rubbed his hands together as he continued, "When will dinner be ready?" Bash-Bash was in the process of making one of his Nord gravy's, "Well let's see..." He responded and taking his dagger he walked over to the headless and skinless Troll carcass that was currently slow roasting and turning just over the fire. As he approached it he plunged his dagger into it to test its tenderness. "Shouldn't be more then an hour!" Bash-Bash called over to Slits-Throats-With-Ease as he removed his dagger from the carcasses, cleaned and re-sheathed it, then returned to his previous task. J'Dash only glanced at the roasting troll and was glad his sense of smell in the ways of cooked food was numb.
"It is times like this my good friend, where being a vampire has its advantages!" J'Dash joked and nudged his friend with his elbow. "How so big brother?" Slits-Throats-With-Ease asked sounding a little confused and J'Dash answered, "I have forgotten many smells over the past 153 years, but the one smell that clearly sticks in my mind is the smell of Troll!" J'Dash ended his sentence with making a sick face and faked a gag. Slits-Throats-With-Ease busted out laughing and as he patted his friends shoulder he replied, "Yes troll is exceptional rank and smells of a bloated sheep carcass flowing in the imperial sewers, but Bash-Bash has a way to turn that sickly smell into a smell that would make even the 9 divines mouth water!" Bash-Bash heard that and smiled proudly at Slits-Throats-With-Ease's compliment.
"I have some of my world famous bone meal baked bread ready if you two want to munch on something other then blood and imagination!" Bash-Bash announced with a little joke at the end. "CHEERS!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease replied and headed over to where Bash-Bash had presented his loafs of bread. "No thanks Bash-Bash, I'll just have my usual of virgin male Dunmer blood if you please?" Bash-Bash nodded and taking out a wine bottle from the corner that was especially set up to house all of J'Dash's wants and needs in the ways of blood and all nicely present in old whine bottles. J'Dash walked over to the dinning table that was located right next to where Bash-Bash had set up his kitchen and sat down.
"One Virgin Dunmer!" Bash-Bash said and placed both the blood filled whine bottle and a glass cup before J'Dash and popped the cork. "Hope you don't mind sheep herder, were all out of warrior." J'Dash chuckled as he took hold of the wine bottle and poured himself a glass of blood. "Truthfully there is little or no difference between the two, just warrior blood is much stronger in life then a peasant." J'Dash raised his glass to Bash-Bash and said, "To your health my brother and may Sithis be with you!" Bash-Bash took hold of his pint of mead that was already on the table when J'Dash sat down, clinked cups together, and joined him in a toast. "Hail Sithis! Hail the Night-Mother!" Bash-Bash cheered and then they both wolfed down their drinks in one gulp.
J'Dash felt his need for blood vanish and just then, his mortal sense of smell kicked in. He took a deep whiff and was surprised by the mouth-watering odor that saturated the very air. "My, my...well I'll be Bash-Bash! That dose smell heavenly!" Bash-Bash eyed J'Dash speciously, "I thought vampires had no sense of smell." J'Dash giggled as he poured himself another glass of blood, "We don't have the same sense of smell as you mortal have unless we have just recently fed and even then...it only lasts a short while. It's the life-force you see, the life-force in the blood..." J'Dash stopped for a moment to wolf down another glass of blood and resumed, "For a brief moment it restores our mortal senses, our sense of smell, taste and can even feel the warmth and coldness of the environment, but it vanishes almost as quickly as it comes...just like now." J'Dash said and was impaling that his senses just went numb. "It's the one main reason that most vampires give into their unclenching thirst for blood...they don't crave the blood...it's the life they once had they crave and they try to prolong it by continuously feeding even though they no longer need too."
Bash-Bash only shook his head, "I don't know how you dealt with it for as long as you have brother! If I were robbed of the taste of a good stake of red meat or the intoxication of good strong drink and especially the thrill of a sporting whore under me...I'd send my own soul to the void and be done with it!" Bash-Bash laughed in his heavy Nord laugh and headed back to his cooking.
"Nords!" J'Dash laughed to himself as he once again refilled his glass with blood, "How much alike they are to us Khajiits! You'd think we were one in the same in our ideas of living!" J'Dash turned around in his seat with his back to table, relaxed himself with the glass of blood in hand and looked around for his apprentice Tsrazami, but couldn't find her anywhere within sight.
"Where is my ward?" J'Dash asked aloud to Bash-Bash and Slits-Throats-With-Ease. "She's more then likely out practicing her ambush attacks in the wild on the training course you had built for her! She's determined to prove herself to you little brother!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease replied and was followed by Bash-Bash who jokingly said, "More then likely trying to ensure her mentor doesn't bleed dry like what happened to poor Fredric!" J'Dash growled and shattered the glass in his hand as his vampire blood rage started to build in him. His eyes turned hellfire red and his feline fangs doubled in size as he stood up and eyed Bash-Bash dangerously.
"WHOA!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease dropped what he was eating, rush forward to stand between Bash-Bash and J'Dash's gaze, "Easy now big brother! He was only joking! Isn't that right Bash-Bash?" Slits-Throats-With-Ease tried to calm J'Dash down, turned to Bash-Bash and muttered under breath to him, "Apologies you idiot before he kills you!" Bash-Bash gulped and offered his sincere apologies to J'Dash, for he could see that he was exceptional irritated and there was no way he could defend himself from a 175-year-old enraged vampire.
J'Dash closed his eyes, took a deep breath and within moments his fangs returned to normal size, when he opened his eyes they were also normal. He took a moment and then said calmly, "Please also accept my apologies Bash-Bash...its just you unknowingly stepped on a sensitive subject with me...Fredric's death weighs heavily on my heart and I don't wish to ever hear of him being spoken in poor humor!" Fredric was a Breton and J'Dash's old apprentice who had showed much promise up until he learned that Fredric had betrayed him and the Dark Brotherhood in spared the life of his first blood contract and fallen in love with her.
* * *
Fredric was contracted to murder the daughter of an ambassador on her 16th birthday in retribution for the death of the contractors own late daughter who died on her 16th birthday in an unforeseen accident while in the charge of the ambassador, basically your more common "An eye for and eye contract." Shortly after his alleged first blood and full membership ceremony as a Murderer within the Dark Brotherhood, Fredric was all of a suddenly sneaking out at night and did not return until the twilight of the dawn.
Fredric lied and told his master J'Dash that he was patrolling for tomb raiders. J'Dash knew instantly this was a lie and decided to look into one of these late night sneak outs for himself and see for himself why Fredric was really sneaking out at night. When he learned the truth, he became enraged to see for himself that his own apprentice was going out each night for a secret rendezvous with his alleged first blood.
J'Dash flew into a full on blood rage and killed both Fredric and his lover in manner that would make even a Dremora flinch. When his blood rage cooled he knew he had broken one of the tenants in murdering a fellow family member and was willing to face his punishment, but he was surprised to learn that the Black Hand was pleased with his action and also that the Night Mother herself gives him her blessing for murdering the traitor and his lover.
He was also informed that the dread father forgives him for breaking the tent in murdering another brother or sister of the Dark Brotherhood and he will not suffer his wrath. Despite learning all this, during the time he was under J'Dash wing, J'Dash honestly felt a love for Fredric that only a father would show a son. It was a moment where for the first time in his undead existence he felt true emotion only a mortal can feel. J'Dash mourned Fredric and it was no secret to the other family members he did. For one year and six months, he isolated himself within his sarcophagus and mourned.
* * *
Bash-Bash let out a sigh of relief that J'Dash forgiven him and said, "No harm done brother! Let us eat and talk of murder and death from our past contacts! Sithis be praised!" J'Dash chuckled and nodded in agreement to that. Just then, he heard a voice say, "I'm sorry I'm late master!" J'Dash herd his apprentice Tsrazami announce as she approached from the direction of the secret entryway into the sanctuary. "There you are my daughter!" J'Dash said and quickly walked over to greet her with a fatherly hug. "I'm told you have been training hard outside!" He proudly said to her as he held onto her shoulders and smiled. Tsrazami smiled back with her famine feline grin that would set any warm-blooded Khajiit males heart aflame. "Yes Master, I was training very hard in ambush as you wished of me master!"
* * *
Tsrazami, rank Apprentice, is a fellow Khajiit and a female at that. When Tsrazami was a infant kitten, her mother could not afford the fee for hiring an assassin to kill her ex, whom she wanted vengeance against for choosing her sister over her and leaving her with child. Khajiits, like Shadow Scale Aragonians are highly prized by the Dark Brotherhood as assassins, thieves and scouts, so as a compromise in wavering the fee, the order accepted custody of Tsrazami instead.
A servant family to one of the Black Hand members raised her until she became the age of 6. She was then moved into a sanctuary where she received her education and was indoctrinated into the ways of the Dark Brotherhood. Growing up she was trained to hone her natural Khajiit strength, agility and dexterity and was also tutored by many masters in learning the art of combat, weapons and defense. Finally she was placed in charge of J'Dash when she turned 16 to learn the ways of stealth and with him being a vampire and also a fellow Khajiit, it was no doubt she could learn much from him and also find comfort in a master who was of her own race.
J'Dash promising himself he would never grow attached to another apprentice, but in the end...he could not keep that promise. Tsrazami reminded him so much of himself and he often wondered if there was some divine miracle she could very well be his blood, perhaps a decent of his siblings. If he where to choose, he would have guessed she was a direct descended from his baby sister Shaba, for she had Shaba smile and also that cute but irritating charm in getting her way...but in all honestly he knew she wasn't. Her family line has absolutely no connection to his. Vampires can sense their own mortal bloodlines, theory behind this was to ensure that did not kill off their own mortal ties, but anyway...he did not feel any such thing with her...but that did not stop him from looking at her as the daughter he never had and wanted.
J'Dash chuckled warmly and replied, "Ah my daughter, don't confuse your wants for my own! I know you could ambush and kill even a Deadric Prince as he sits on his throne if you so wanted, but what I WANT and expect of you is to discipline yourself in remaining unseen! It is one thing to kill your contract...but...escaping in silent and staying alive is another!" Tsrazami nodded and replied humbly, "Yes master..." Her eyes trailed over to Slits-Throats-With-Ease who was busy pigging out on some of Bash-Bash's bone meal bread and dipping its bits into some freshly prepared gravy. Tsrazami eye the bread hungrily and asked, "Master...may Tsrazami begin her stealth training after dinner? She is very hungry!"
J'Dash nodded and said, "Honestly my daughter it is not wise to train on a full stomach, but we'll over look it due to you already have been hard at training this day. Just know your training will begin much later tonight after you had time to digest!" Tsrazami smiled happily at those words. "Thank you master!" she said and rushed over to join Slits-Throats-With-Ease and dine on fresh bread and gravy.
J'Dash smiled happily like a proud father as he watched his surrogate daughter wrestle the last loaf from Slits-Throats-With-Ease's grasp and argue like a brother and sister would. He also laughed as he watched Bash-Bash brake up the squabble and threaten them both with a soupspoon. True they were all cold hearted killers who could easily slit someone's throat as look at them, but when they were all together like they are now...they were family and J'Dash couldn't be happier.
Two to three hours after dinner J'Dash was in the north wing with his apprentice. The North wing was more then likely, an Ayleid royals bed chamber, but right now was the prefect place for the indoor training course. J'Dash was busy observing his apprentice as she was trying to get past a barricade of red twine connected between two areas and ended in the shadows. These rows of twine symbolized someone's gaze and or line of visual sight, touching any of these strings would trigger a harmless impact arrow to hit the trainee and symbolize they have been spotted and killed.
Normally these types of arrows would be enchanted with a pain spell that mimicked a real arrow sting, but J'Dash preferred his own way of disciplining his students and that was with explicit instructions and a harsh and or dominating tone of voice. Pain always causes his young apprentices to lose focus and make more mistakes and so he didn't even bother with it.
Tsrazami had to go though this network of red twine while wearing a training suit that was worn down with small bells and weights attached each appendage. The purpose of this is to force the wearer to put extra effort into using their strength and to keep balance as well as remain silent. "Focus Tsrazami!" He called over to his apprentice as he noticed she was making a bad habit in staying in the light to watch her own footing, "Work WITH the shadows and focus from there! A seen assassin is a dead assassin!" He pointed out in a scolding tone.
"I'm trying master, but it is hard to see!" She was becoming frustrated and already started to cause the bells to jingle. "That's where you're making your mistakes Tsrazami! You're trying from the wrong..." J'Dash stopped in mid sentence just as Tsrazami lost her balance and set off every bell that was on her training outfit as well as touching six strings of red twine and was hit by six impact arrows. Each one of the impact arrows hit critical zone on her body and one would have been fatal if it was a real arrow. J'Dash took a long sigh and shook his head. "Congratulations Tsrazami..." J'Dash clapped his hands together slowly in a sarcastic applause, "You just killed yourself and every guard, member of the house and or your contract knows of presence!" Tsrazami growled at herself and said, "I'm sorry master..." J'Dash showed no sympathy and said in a very harsh and or angry tone of voice, "Saying sorry for every mistake will NOT win you any pity from me young assassin! It will only earn you my annoyance!" Tsrazami was just about to apologize again but caught herself and only nodded as she hung her head low, "Yes master...I will try harder and succeed next time! There is no excuse for failure, only pain of death!"
J'Dash smile for those where the words of a worthy apprentice and someone who will eventual grasp the concept of discipline. He walked over to her, gave her a reassuring hug and said warmly to her, "I know you will my daughter, but you really need to learn to work with the shadows instead of the light! Remember...the light is your mortal enemy and the shadows are your protector and friend!" J'Dash walked over to a nearby table and took up a hand full of arrowheads from arrows broken during bow training, turned to his apprentice and said, "Now for the next two hours I want you to locate and gather every one of these arrow heads and in the darkness!" J'Dash used his vampire ability of embracing the Shadows and became invisible.
Using his vampire speed, he quickly hides every arrowhead in strategic areas to help train his apprentice in using her night-eye. "Master?" Tsrazami asked aloud as J'Dash vanished and reappeared behind her silently and startled her as he said, "The arrow heads are hidden! Now..." J'Dash said and then raised his arm before he resumed, "Begin!" and as he gestured in a downward motion all the torches snuffed out as he used his vampire ability in snuffing out fire with only his mind.
Forcing his apprentice to train herself in focusing on her natural Khajiit night eye, she was astonished as she learned it was possible to see in the dark using this skill that came naturally to her. She learned how to utilize it and succeeded in finding all the arrowheads and as a bonus, she didn't make a single sound at all!
"You have done well my Daughter! Now that you know how to use your natural night-eye I want you to keep practicing in here instead of the outside training course." J'Dash instructed Tsrazami who was looking half in and half out of falling asleep at the moment.
"Yes master!" Tsrazami said as she took off the training outfit and slipped on her black clothing. "Thank you master, but..." Tsrazami stopped in mid sentence to take a deep yawn and stretched herself out, "Tsrazami is very sleepy right now...may she go to bed?" J'Dash chuckled and nodded his head yes. "Yes you may my daughter." Putting his arm around her he escorted her out of the training room and toward to the sleeping chamber.
The sleeping chamber was located in the south wing and was used as a sleeping chamber because there was an ancient ventilation shaft that allowed a steady breeze of fresh air to blow and ensure everyone could sleep easy and without worry of suffocating.
Slits-Throats-With-Ease was already fast asleep in his bed, cuddled up with his Bosmer rouge rag doll he had since he was a young hatchling and sucking his thumb. "By Sithis!" J'Dash chuckled and tried to keep from bursting out laughing at the scene of a cold blooded assassin snuggled up with his plush toy and suckling his thumb like an infant. "And that my daughter..." J'Dash said as he pointed to Slits-Throats-With-Ease, "Is the picture of a cold hearted assassin at sleep!"
Tsrazami was too tired to laugh or join it the joke, but only broke a tired smile and she snuggled her head close to her master's chest as he had her close to himself with his arm around her, "You are indeed very tired my Daughter!" He pointed out and helped her into her bed and covered her under the covers. "Sleep well and may the Night-Mother watch over you as you dream my Daughter!" He leaned down, kissed her on the forehead and started to walk away quietly but was stopped when Tsrazami asked aloud, "Master?"
He turned and replied, "Yes my Daughter, what it is?" She scooted herself into a more comfortable position on the bed and asked in a tired voice as she fought to keep her eyes open, "Why do you call Tsrazami daughter? Are you really Tsrazami father?" J'Dash shook his head no and answered, "Not in blood my daughter, but in love you are!"
Tsrazami nodded and then asked, "May Tsrazami call you father?" An unexpected warmth flashed in J'Dash's chest and in his bewilderment he almost lost his footing. "Um...why yes daughter, you may address me as father!" Tsrazami smiled and before falling asleep she said, "Goodnight father!" and slipped into blissful sleep.
"Strange how one little word can surprise someone as old as me..." J'Dash said quietly aloud to himself and heard something drip onto his black leather armor. He looked down to see a drop of blood. Confused he looked up and then felt his face which was wet. "What the..." He said as he held his hand out and realized the blood was coming from his eyes. "Oh that's right...vampires cannot shed tears." He chuckled and whipping away the bloody tears he back to the main chamber.
"I haven't shed tears of blood since I left my master Theo in Elsweyr around half a century ago." J'Dash said as he tried to remember back to when the Black Hand's Silencer handed him his orders that he was needed in Cyrodiil. All J'Dash could make out was vague ghostly images but the only one that was very clear in his minds eye was his master Theo dressed in his gold and red robes.
* * *
"You are needed child! Sithis has called you from here, so you must go forth and seek out your child of Darkness!" Theo said to him before he was sealed in his travel coffin for safe transport to Cyrdiil chapter of the Dark Brotherhood.
"Master...forgive J'Dash, but he doesn't know what master means by his child of darkness. What dose this mean?" J'Dash asked his master. It was around this time in history, J'Dash hadn't quiet yet mastered the Nibenean language and still spoke it like a common Khajiit. It took many years, but he mastered it and could now speak it flawlessly like an educated scholar in the Mages Guild.
"One day child...Sithis will call you to take on a child of darkness like I have with you. When this day comes you will have found the answer you have been praying for!" Theo replied before taking the coffin lid and laying it down to seal J'Dash inside, but left a crake open for one last reply.
"J'Dash doesn't understand master...is J'Dash to train another vampire?" J'Dash asked and Theo closed his eyes and tried to see into the future. Theo was once a mage within the Mages Guild and also was a master in the school of Mysticism. Theo had a way of foreseeing the future.
"The future is not clear to me my child, all that is certain is Sithis has charged that this child is to be delivered to you and that this child has been chosen by Sithis for a special mission within the Dark Brotherhood." Was all Theo could tell J'Dash.
"J'Dash will do as he is told! May the Night-Mother watch over you master!" Just then tears of blood leaked from his eyes and just before he was sealed inside he caught a glance of a single drop of blood run down Theo's cheek. "And may the Night-Mother watch over you my child!" That was the last time he ever saw or heard from his master again.
* * *
Bash-Bash was passed out drunk at the dinning table, snoring and with an empty mug he used for his mead was still in his hand. J'Dash walked over to his Nord friend and taking a dry sheep hide blanket that was hanging nearby and draped it over him. Bash-Bash snorted and mumbled what sounded like, "One more round..." and went back to snoring.
"Strange there were no contracts this night..." J'Dash said aloud to himself, "I guess even the Night-Mother needs a night off." He chuckled to himself as he walked over to the stand that held the Sanctuary's log book of contracts and kills. He picked up the black book and looked at the cover for a moment, it was decorated by the Black Hand seal and ancient hieroglyphs of a long dead langue that only the Black Hand could understand and speak.
He opened the book to the first page and looked at the noted entries and names. A majority of these names he didn't recognize and with good reason. The date the first entry was printed was twenty years before his mortal birth. Skipping ahead forty one years, he decided to see what went on during his last moments as a mortal.
Sleeps-With-Smooth-Skins has been giving his final warning! The next time he is caught in an Imperial whorehouse instead of fulfilling his contracts, steps will be taken and the troublesome area upon himself that is causing so much distraction from his duties shall be permanently removed!
J'Dash snickered at that entry and could only imagine the look on the poor Shadow Scales face as he was being informed that he will be gelded should he step out of line again. He also envisioned him covering his loins and repeating promises he won't do it again.
Nickolas Creedmoor has done well with murdering the troublesome scholar who's been blackmailing the contractor. The deed was done most excellently and would appear to look as a simple riding accident and no speculations of the Dark Brotherhoods involvement will be noticed. Nickolas Creedmoor has earned himself a bonus! He will be given the Void Shroud robe!
J'Dash only shook his head and figured that it was indeed nothing more then a ridding accident and that Nickolas had merely taken the credit for it, that or he simply startled the horse as he fumbled in his ambush and caused its rider to fall from his horse and brake his neck.
Looking down at the last entry that was four hours after his death he read a tragic report about a Khajiit Cut Throat by the name of Do'Rah,
_Do'Rah has returned mortal wounded, he was successful in locating his target but has informed us the contract was merely a decoy to lure out and expose the Dark Brotherhood. By Sithis...surly the Night-Mother would have foreseen this? Could there be a traitor within the Black Hand sending out false contracts? I'll shall speak with our chapter head in privet about this. Do'Rah has lost a lot of blood, it is a miracle he made it this far! I can only pray he didn't leave a trail of blood for our enemies to follow! We may have to relocate the sanctuary if this is true! I have already instructed Sleeps-With-Smooth-Skins to seek out any trails of blood leading here and have them removed! This is truly a dark day for our sanctuary. Night-Mother protect us!
Update: Do'Rah is dead. Despite Alexander's many attempts and healing enchantments, Do'Rah's wounds were too server. He is now in the cold, loving embrace of our dread father and Night-Mother. We will honor his last request in having his body safely delivered to his mother and father's estate in Rifton in the province of Skyrim along with all his earnings and possessions. His armor and any items that link him to the Dark Brotherhood will be withheld of course._
J'Dash closed the book and placed it back on the stand. "That's enough sadness for one night thank you J'Dash!" He said to himself in the third person and felt a strong tingling sensation that was his vampire senses telling him it was almost dawn. He headed straight for the secret entrance and exited to the outside to watch the sun rise as he always dose before heading to his sarcophagus to rest.
J'Dash has herd of a clan of vampires in Cyrodiil that can walk around in the sunlight if the remain well fed, but unfortunately his vampire blood comes from the Elsweyring Crypt Vampires, which is a rogue cast of the Bosmer vampire clans. The Crypt Vampires of Elsweyr are noted for their lightning like reflexes, speed and ability to snuff out fires at will, which is a very useful since all vampire fear fire. The Crypt Vampires are also much more difficult to kill. Silver has no effect on them, they heal quickly and their most powerful ability Blood Rage, makes them almost invariable, but unfortunately they go into a killing spree and both friend and enemy are in mortal danger of being butchered. Their only weakness is that they cannot set foot into someone house uninvited or else they will lose their strength and dark abilities for as long as they trespass. Garlic is also exceptional devastating to them because it will paralyze them if they ingest it somehow.
J'Dash stood outside and leaned up against his favorite tree and watched the sun slowly rise. He has noticed that over the past 134 year he has developed a tolerance for sunlight and figures that within the next 400 years or so, he should be completely immune to sunlight and be able to walk among the mortals without having to worry about catching on fire. He looked off into the distance of the twilight of the dawn and watched every second as the sun started to rise up. The tingling sensation within himself started to get very intense and it was a clear warning that the sun's rays will be upon him very soon.
"Just a little long...just a little longer..." He told himself as he was fighting his natural urge to run for cover from the light. Suddenly the tingling stopped and he was hit by a ray of sunlight. It shined upon himself and he welcomed it for a few moments with open arms. For the first minute it felt enthralling to be able to feel its warmth, but it was very brief and was quickly replaced by intense pain and the sensation of his flesh being on fire. Ok that's enough for today J'Dash! He thought to himself as he used his vampire speed to rush back inside the sanctuary and snuff out the hot spots upon himself that threatened to burst into flames. Thankfully the majority of his body was shielded by the Dark Brotherhood leather armor he always wore upon himself, but that didn't stop him from smoking like a green log in the fireplace. The only areas that were exposed were his forearms, head and tail.
His tail was safely unexposed but his arms were singed and no doubt he had a nasty sun burn upon a good portion of his face, but he was already quickly starting to heal and so was his damaged fur. J'Dash giggled to himself for he knew a good number of Khajiit who would give up their claws just for the ability to have their fur instantly grow back and look as though nothing had ever happened.
"One minute and fourteen seconds! That's two more seconds then yesterday, this is good!" He happily said to himself as headed towards his crypt to rest. Truthfully, being a vampire he really didn't need to rest at all, but he discovered over the century that if he stuck to a routine rest schedule, he was able to preserve a good portion of his memories. Most vampires who don't rest become aloof and forget a lot of their past and unable to remember anything. J'Dash didn't want to end up one of these types of vampires who go insane and live like animals in caves, feeding on animals and whatever they could get their hands on. Therefore, he stuck to living at night and sleeping during the day. He was not much good in the daytime anyway for he would have to wait for nightfall to perform any contract given to him. After walking through the secret entrance into his tomb, he reached over and pushed the keystone, sealing the entrance behind himself and proceeded to his sarcophagus.
* * *
Back when he was in the Elsweyr chapter of the Dark Brotherhood, J'Dash slept in an enchanted elder wood coffin, a gift from his master Theo when he was initiated into the Dark Brotherhood. The coffin had serenity illusion enchantment upon it where all he had to do as he laid in it, was think of someplace he wanted to go and the darkness instantly inside changed to what he was thinking of. His favorite serenity scene was lying in his father's field of sugarcane, as he often did when he was mortal and being able to look up at the sun without worrying about bursting into flames. Unfortunately, his very special coffin was lost due to a careless Renrijra Krin smuggler, who by the way is currently scatted across Cyrodiil in countless pieces when he dared to inform J'Dash it was lost and had the gall to demand payment.
When Crypt Vampires go into a blood rage, it is not pretty! It has even been said that the fearless Dremora have been reputed to stay well away when a Crypt Vampire goes into a blood rage. Fortunately, for J'Dash his new sanctuary home had an old Ayleid tomb that was no doubt the final resting place of the long dead king of this particular Ayleid city rune. For almost a century it was used as a storage room by the sanctuary for food and supplies, which was convenient because it was located behind a hidden doorway and protected by ancient anti vermin and insect warding enchantment to ensure the buried king's body and his priceless possessions were left unharmed.
This worked in J'Dash's favor because he hated to wake up to find himself covered in insects or worse, also the heavy marble stone sarcophagus tomb enclosed him in a tranquil moment of darkness, isolation, and away from the unpleasant light...what more could a vampire want?
* * *
Upon reaching his sarcophagus, he got inside, took hold of the heavy lid and sealed himself inside the tomb. "Now then..." He said as laid back, curled his tail around his legs, and folded his hands up his chest, "Lets dream about wild orgies and sweet love making for once!" He said to himself and instantly slipped into a deathlike state of sleep.
* * *
J'Dash found himself walking down a dirt path at night and instantly recognized the area to be his homeland. Off in the distance he could see his father's sugarcane crops growing and were just months away from being ready to harvest and sell at market. Looking upon himself he saw he was wearing his old brown flex suit he bought ages ago and used strictly in courting his beloved Dahleena. "Could this be?" He asked himself thinking it was real and not a dream. "Am I...alive?" Feeling his neck he noticed he had a heartbeat and he almost collapsed being overwhelmed by the feeling of his own heartbeat. "I'm alive...I'M ALIVE!" He yelled as he danced around, hoopering and hollering like a slaphappy fool and suddenly stops when he noticed that in his hands he had a bouquet of assorted flowers. Blue and red Lax, Morning Glory and Lotus. Each one was Dahleena favorite. "Dahleena!" He said aloud in a longing voice and remembered that this is the very trail he used every night to walk to Dahleena's house and court her.
"THIS IS THE NIGHT!" He yelled aloud as it all came rushing back to him. "This is the night I was suppose to purpose to Dahleena but got scared! This was the night I was attacked on my way home!" J'Dash could feel his heart beating very rapidly and it felt as though it was about to burst. "Not this time!" J'Dash said to himself, "I have been given a second chance and by Sithis I'm going to make Dahleena my mate!" With that set in his mind, he quickly started running and even tried to use his vampire speed. Oh that right! I am alive! He thought to himself and giggled. _I'm going to miss my vampire abilities, but I don't need them anymore because I'm mortal! I'M MORTAL! _ J'Dash had a hard time trying to keep from busting into tears of happiness. _I will have to tell the road guards about the Crypt Vampire hunting in the old cemetery...I will also have to tell them how to destroy it. Hmmm...I'll think up an excuse on knowing how to kill it later, right now only Dahleena matters to me!" _
He ran all the way to Dahleena house and felt very exhausted and out of breath. Gods how I missed being alive! _ He took a moment to catch his breath and steadied himself before he approached Dahleena front door. _Must resist the urge to squeeze the life out of her and bust into tears! He repeatedly said in his mind. He raised his hand up slowly and was just about to knock upon her door when he herd the sound of Dahleena giggling and saying happy playful stuff like, "Stop it J'Naga!", "That is my tail!", "Oh please don't lick down there!", "Stop! Your tongue is too rough!"
"What the...what in Sithis name is J'Naga doing here?" J'Dash asked himself in confusion as he walked over in the direction of Dahleena's bedroom window where the noise was originating from. I thought Dahleena banned J'Naga from ever coming near her home after she caught him stealing... Just as J'Dash approached Dahleena window and looked inside, he saw a sight that made his very heart stop.
Inside he saw Dahleena in the throws of passionate love making with her ex J'Naga. "How...COULD YOU?" J'Dash snarled as he dropped the bouquet of flowers. As he watched the two go at it, completely unaware of him standing there watching them through the window, he all of a sudden felt his vampire powers return and as he caught a glance of his reflection in the window, he could see his eyes burning bright red and his fangs double in size. "I WOULD HAVE GIVING ANYTHING FOR YOU!" He snarled in a demonic voice and smashed the window with his fist. J'Naga and Dahleena screamed in terror as they caught sight of him in his vampire form.
"J'Dash! You are alive?" Dahleena asked in a very confused and scared voice, "No, NO! I saw them bury you! YOU WERE DEAD!" She yelled at him. "I was alive...I was alive when I came to your door! However, you have killed me by betraying me in bring your ex back into your bed! HOW COULD YOU?" J'Dash said and snarled at the end. "I loved you! I would have giving anything to be with you and now I see you for the whore that you are! YOU BACKSTABBING SLUT" Just then, J'Dash felt his blood rage build and he as instilled with a ravenous blood lust. "Now I shall kill you and your lover and wear your skins as robes!" Within that moment, he smashed through the wall and just after he killed and drained J'Naga, he grabbed Dahleena.
"Please J'Dash..." She pleaded with him as tears rolled down her eyes, "Don't kill me!" J'Dash was gone, all that was there was the Crypt Vampire who had taken over after he died. "J'Dash can't hear you sweet thing, J'Dash is dead and you killed him...and now..." J'Dash said as he moved her head aside to expose her beautiful Khajiit neck, "I'm going to kill you!" Just as he sank his sharp fangs into veins of her neck, he all of a sudden awoke to find himself back within the safety of his sarcophagus.
"By Sithis!" J'Dash snarled to himself and slammed his fist hard into the lid of his sarcophagus, "That was the worst nightmare yet!" Suddenly he heard a knock on his sarcophagus lid and a muffled voice say, "You awake big brother? Szandor is here and insists that he speaks with you!" J'Dash quickly reached up, opened the sarcophagus lid, and set himself up.
"Szandor is here?" J'Dash asked and Slits-Throats-With-Ease answered, "Yes big brother! He says he's got a very special contract for you and explicit instructions from the Night-Mother herself!" Hearing that news, J'Dash quickly got up out of the tomb and quickly headed towards the secret door that leads into the main room. "Oh for the love of the Night-Mother Slit-throat! Is it really necessary to close the doorway every time you greet me as I awaken and especially when Szandor wishes to see me?" J'Dash snarled as he triggered the keystone and proceeded into the main room with Slits-Throats-With-Ease trying to catch up from behind.
"I'm sorry big brother, I wasn't thinking!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease tried to apologies when he noticed that J'Dash was obviously in a foul mood. J'Dash quickly caught sight of Szandor, he was standing there dressed in the traditional black robes of the Black Hand and standing next to him dressed in enchanted Glass armor was his Orc Silencer, Raguk Gro-Yagh.
"Afternoon Speaker Szandor and Silencer Raguk!" J'Dash greeted them both. Szandor nodded in response to the greeting, Raguk just scoffed and muttered, "Afternoon filthy fur licking blood sucker!" J'Dash only giggled and jokingly said to Raguk under breath, "At least I'm not an Orc who fancies cross dressing Breton men and wears blue eyeliner when no one is looking." After Raguk heard that, he growled just as he reached for his oversize ax that he had strapped to his back.
"Now, now boys!" Szandor said in a calm voice and motioned for Raguk to stay his weapon. "Play nicely...Remember we are all family here." Raguk grumbled and obeyed his Speaker. "J'Dash..." Szandor said and approached him, "I trust that Slits-Throats-With-Ease has told you the reason I am here?" J'Dash nodded and replied, "Yes Speaker, you have a very special contract for me?" Szandor only motioned for J'Dash to walk with him towards the main exit. "Yes child. It is an exceptionally unusual contract." They proceeded a ways up the main Ayleid pathway leading to the outside, Raguk followed behind them at a respectful distance and all the while his armor creaked and clanged loudly as he walked.
"The Night-Mother has requested you specifically for this task and informed our Listener that Sithis himself has chosen you to this task and you must obey it to the letter for the fate of our order hangs in the balance depending on how you choose to fulfill this contract." Szandor informed J'Dash and all the while remained in his serious tone of voice.
"If our dread father has chosen me for this, then I will serve him well Speaker! Hail Sithis!" J'Dash said and Szandor replied, "One last thing..." He then stopped and turned to J'Dash, "The Night-Mother herself told the listener to have these words repeated to you, so listen well!" J'Dash gave Szandor his uttermost attention and he continued, "Do not be fooled my child! There is more then meets the eye! Trust in Sithis and all will be reviled in due time!" J'Dash nodded and took note of those words.
"Forgive me Speaker, but do you know what it means?" Szandor did not reply, but only handed J'Dash the death order and continued walking ahead. "Sithis be with you child!" Was the last thing he said before he vanished as he exited the rune. "Don't screw this up blood sucker or I'll add your head to my collection!" Raguk warned J'Dash dangerously as he rushed ahead and also exited the Ayleid rune. J'Dash scoffed as he opened the contract death order, "More then likely it will be your head decorating my tomb if you even tried!" J'Dash grumbled and shook his head.
Upon opening the death order, he gave it a quick look, closed it again and then said aloud, "You may come out now good friend." J'Dash then heard the sound of someone losing his footing from being startled and the faint outline of someone landing just a few feet away from him from somewhere above. "How did you know big brother?" Slits-Throats-With-Ease asked as he drew back his black hood, "Am I losing my touch?" J'Dash only chuckled and replied, "Your heart has a very distinct rhythm when you are out sneaking around." Slits-Throats-With-Ease snapped his fingers in disappointment, "Damn it! I need to learn to control that!" J'Dash rolled his eyes and once again opened his contract to continue reading.
"What's so special about this contract big brother?" Slits-Throats-With-Ease asked and J'Dash replied, "Other then it being a direct order from the Sithis himself and the Night-Mother? Nothing really...just another vengeance deal. Your specialty, where as mine is causing conspiracy...strange that I was chosen for it!" Slits-Throats-With-Ease approached and looked at the contract as J'Dash held it.
"Hmmmm...It appears that some Khajiit family in Elsweyr is demanding blood vengeance against some female here in Cyrodiil for the murder of their son." Slits-Throats-With-Ease said after a quick glance. "Hardly seams important, but Sithis is not to be question so...you better do as it says big brother!" J'Dash nodded and stuffed the contract under his armor around the neck area. "Indeed! Well, I better get my dagger and go!" J'Dash said as he patted his friends shoulder and headed back into the main room.
J'Dash quickly walked to the weapons rack and retrieved his elven dagger and sheath. "You leaving father?" He heard his apprentice ask as she approached him. "Yes daughter, I have a very important contract I must fulfill this night!" Tsrazami then asked, "May Tsrazami come with you father?" J'Dash turned to her and said in a gentle voice, "Not this time love." J'Dash gently held her gently by the shoulders and pointed out, "Sithis himself instructed that I must be the one to do this contract. Besides, I want you to continue practicing your night eye training as I have instructed you to do so last night!" Tsrazami's facial expression saddens, but she was smart enough not to complain or disobey J'Dash. "Yes father, Tsrazami will do as you ask of her! May Sithis watch over you father!" Tsrazami said and give him a loving hug. J'Dash smiled and returned the affection with a fatherly hug and laid a kiss on her forehead.
"Now off with you my daughter, I must complete the task Sithis has given me!" On that note, Tsrazami headed off towards the training room to resume her training as J'Dash instructed. "I'll be back before the dawn!" J'Dash called over to Slits-Throats-With-Ease and Bash-Bash. "Happy hunting my brother!" Bash-Bash replied and Slits-Throats-With-Ease only waved for his mouth was stuffed full of left over Troll meat. J'Dash shook his head and rolled his eyes for he could not understand how anyone could eat such a fowl animal the way Slits-Throats-With-Ease dose. J'Dash garbed his black hood and using his vampire ability, he embraced the shadows and vanished out sight as he left the main room and exited the Ayleid rune.
* * *
Normally it would have taken a mortal or any other type of vampire a solid week to travel the distance J'Dash did in just one hour. One of the great advantages in being a Crypt Vampire was the ability to travel at lighting fast speeds and get from one point to the other in just mere moments. J'Dash crouched down low behind a few boulders that overlooked the Abandon house where his Contract was currently residing. Normally he would he just rushed inside, killed his target and already be back on his way back to the sanctuary, but there was something very odd about this contract...especially the instructions! J'Dash pulled out the contract death order Szandor handed him and reviewed it.
_ -:Order of Extermination:- _
Target: S'mirra Last Known Location: Twenty-Seven miles southwest of Skingrad in an abandon house. Instructions: The family of the late J'Rasha of Riverhold in the province of Elsweyr have prayed to the Night-Mother. She has heard and answered their prayers! Master Murder J'Dash, the Night-Mother has spoken and orders you to kill the Khajiit named S'mirra but you are not to take her life until you know the truth! Be warned Master Murder! DO NOT kill S'mirra until you learn the truth and know when to strike! The fate of our order rests in your hands J'Dash! Proceed with caution!
So speaks the Night-Mother! Praise Sithis!
J'Dash scoffed at the contract and almost thought this was all nothing more then a joke. He proceeded ahead slowly towards the Abandon shack to get a better view of this contact that held the fate of the entire Dark Brotherhood in its hands. Cautiously he approached the nearby window, braced himself tightly with his back to wall and sneaked a glance inside. Inside all he could see was whatever the former owners of the house left behind when they departed. Lying around inside the abandon building was mostly old books, rotten food, broken furniture and a few old throw rugs. Suddenly his target came into view. She was a fairly good looking Khajiit dressed in an inexpensive blue and green wool dress, aside from being very fat around the middle she was fair on the eyes. No doubt would have made good sport for a wanting male who likes his females big and as well as good looking.
"What did she do? Eat the poor sap?" J'Dash cruelly joked, "Oh don't poor boy..." J'Dash then unsheathed his elven dagger and kissed the blade, "I'll cut you free of the fat..." Just then, J'Dash felt something very unexpected as she took a few steps towards him and it caused him to drop his dagger and stagger backwards.
"No...no...it can not be!" J'Dash said in a bewildered tone and looked as if he had just seen a ghost, "Oh Night-Mother...Why?" He said in a tearful voice as he dropped to his knees and eyed the female Khajiit. "Why do you ask me to kill..." J'Dash started weeping tears of blood and continued, "My own family blood?"
That strange feeling that hit him and caused him to brake down was his vampire senses telling him that someone of his bloodline is very close and nearby. J'Dash was beside himself for he could not do it and or he did not want to do it. For 153 years, J'Dash has not once seen or felt any presence of his bloodline...but today he has found it and now he must kill it or risk the wrath of Sithis and the entire order of the Dark Brotherhood.
J'Dash could only weep as knew he had no choice but to kill his own. His anger built, his eyes turned bright red as his fangs doubled in size and he yelled in a demonic voice, "CURSE YOU NIGHT-MOTHER! CURSE YOU DREAD FATHER!", then doubled over into a fetal position, and wept.
"Who's out there?" He herd S'mirra demand and called out from inside the building, he herd her rush around and no doubt she was arming herself with a weapon. Within a few minutes, she opened the door and took a few steps outside armed with an enchanted steel dagger that pulsated with a powerful fire enchantment. "Show yourself you coward! Or are you afraid of S'mirra?"
"I am here!" J'Dash announced in his demonic voice and stood up, his eyes were leaking nonstop with fresh blood and he was still in his vampire form. "Take off the hood assassin!" S'mirra demanded and aimed her dagger at J'Dash who obeyed her demand and removed his hood. "By the claws of the clan mother!" S'mirra said and was trying not to break into a terrified voice as she caught a glance of his glowing red eyes and abnormally long fangs that glistened in the light of the big moon. "Is it not bad enough poor S'mirra has assassin after her? Why must it also be a vampire?" S'mirra was obviously terrified of him for the hand in which she held the dagger was shaking and her heart sounded exceptional uneven as it beat within her chest.
"S'mirra killed that pig because he ruined S'mirra life! It was justice assassin! So leave S'mirra alone or S'mirra will cut and burn you with her dragger!" S'mirra warned him in a dangerous but scared tone of voice.
"Shhhhh...don't be afraid S'mirra...I do not wish to kill you!" He replied in his sad but calm normal tone of voice, "It is true I was sent to kill you...but he cannot now!" S'mirra did not believe him and kept her ears drawn back, tail twitching which was normal for any Khajiit who was ready to throw down fighting and she kept the dagger aimed at him.
"S'mirra dose not believe you vampire! Your kind knows nothing but killing!" She snapped back at him and he started to approach her, "STAY BACK!" She snarled and took a few quick swings at him with the dagger as he came within arms reach, but he was faster and grabbed her arm, applied enough pressure to cause her to release the knife without braking her bones. When it dropped, he kicked it aside and into the darkness. "NO!" S'mirra wailed in a voice of despair as he kicked the dagger aside.
"Please...Please don't kill..." Tears filled her eyes and rushed down her cheeks, "Don't kill S'mirra please! S'mirra will do anything!" J'Dash only smiled with his blood-filled eyes and stroked her cheek, she closed her eyes and shuttered as he did so, she also start weeping. "Relax child...I cannot kill my great, great, grand Niece!"
After hearing, that she looked at him confused and asked, "What?" J'Dash chuckled and said, "You are my blood S'mirra! I can sense it in your veins as if it was my own!" S'mirra shook her head and said in a confused sacred tone, "S'mirra has no vampires in her blood! She would know because father has records of every mating!"
J'Dash laughed and said, "Around 153 years ago I was bitten by a Crypt Vampire on my way home from courting my mate to be. I was infected by this vampires cursed blood and died of a fever in the presence of my family...your family! I would have be listed as deceased in any record for I rose from my grave four weeks after they buried me in my native soil in Elsweyr!"
S'mirra then looked really confused and said as she shook her head, "S'mirra family was slaves for 200 years in Marrowind! S'mirra had just only moved to Elsweyr after her family was freed and after the Tribunal was overthrown!"
Now J'Dash was now confused himself and reasoned, "Perhaps someone of my blood was taken as slaves and married into your family...it must be so for I can sense it in you...wait..." J'Dash just released something very odd about this female he was holding, "Why dose your heart beat like that?"
"S'mirra's heart beats like it always dose!" She replied and then J'Dash said, "No...I've heard many heart beats in my 153 years of undeath, but I have never..." J'Dash could not make any sense of it, unless his senses were being affected by his emotional shock, it sounded as if she had two hearts beating inside her. Also...there was something very strange about the way he was sensing his bloodline, it was almost as if it was being muffled somehow.
"I'm very confused...wait a moment!" J'Dash said and bit into her arm to test a theory that was bugging him so. She screamed and tried to free herself of his grasp. J'Dash released her arm from his fangs and growled at her in a cold-blooded growl.
"YOU..." She snarled in her face and continued in a cold blooded voice, "Are not my blood!" S'mirra was extensively confused and way too scared to say anything but only struggled to free herself and cry. "What mockery is this?" J'Dash demanded as he looked her over and it wasn't until he looked down at her fat belly that it all of a sudden hit him.
"You are..." He said and stopped in mid sentence as he released her with one hand and moved it down to her belly and using his vampire senses he searched deep inside her and just then...he found his answer. He smiled happily to himself and just now understood everything! Why the dread father and mother insisted he wait until he learned the truth, what Theo meant by finding his child of darkness and especially what his father meant when he said that Dahleena has something very special she wants to tell him. All these years he thought it was that she loves him...no...she was pregnant with his kitten and she wanted to tell him before he died that night! He knew this because the blood he was sensing inside S'mirra...was his very blood itself!
This kitten he knew noting about grew up, had kittens of it's own, who had kittens of their own and now standing before him is the vessel where his very kitten's blood...the kitten that Dahleena wanted to tell him about and who shares both his and her blood grows within S'mirra womb.
"Now I understand everything...Theo's prophecy, what Dahleena wanted to tell me on my death bed and why Sithis and the Night-Mother chose me for this contract! " J'Dash leaned his head back and as he looked deep into the night sky, he mouthed the words, "Thank you dread father! Thank you Night-Mother and...thank you Dahleena!" He then began weeping bloody tears of happiness. He eased his head down and grinned at S'mirra with wicked smile. "So..." J'Dash said as pulled out his own dagger. "You killed your impregnator who was my great grandson!" J'Dash growled at her but made sure to keep his blood rage in check for she carried something that was worth more then anything in the world to him.
S'mirra found within herself a brief moment of courage and snarled, "He ruined S'mirra's life!" She then spite before she continued, "He did this to S'mirra! S'mirra wanted only his gold! Not his worthless brat! S'mirra was broke and starving! She needed his gold and the only way to keep him around long enough to steal it was to bed him! S'mirra did not want this kitten! She can barely feed herself!"
S'mirra took a breath and resumed snarling, "To kill this thing would cost gold that S'mirra couldn't afford to spend! S'mirra demanded he pay the healers to purge S'mirra of this thing but no! He wanted to keep it! S'mirra had no choice but to kill him..." She then looked him dead in his glowing red lifeless eyes and snarled, "For what rich male will marry a kitten heavy S'mirra! He...RUINED S'MIRRA'S LIFE!"
J'Dash was angered to hear that she murdered his grandson only because she wanted him to pay for the healers to kill the kitten and did not. Thankfully she was unsuccessful in purging the unborn and he had an idea that would solve both their problems. "You are nothing to me whore!" J'Dash snarled at her in demonic voice, "But..." he continued but this time in his normal voice, "This kitten you so hate is worth more to me then even the legendary cure to Vampirism!"
S'mirra sighed with relief and pointed out in a snide female manner, "Well if you want this brat so bad, you best keep S'mirra alive! If S'mirra alive, so is the brat!" J'Dash gave her an evil toothy grin as he shook his head no and pointed out, "You are over due child! I can sense it as clearly as I can sense your fear! This kitten is ready to come out...so..." J'Dash smoothed his sharp elven dagger over her cheek and to her horror he continued, "Let's get him out!" On that note, he dragged S'mirra kicking and screaming into the abandon house where he preformed his own version to a C-Section surgery, which involved killing the mother and fulfilling his contract...but saving the unborn.
* * *
J'Dash exited the abandon building covered in blood but in his arms, lovingly wrapped in expensive black silk from the shirt he wore under his armor, was his great, great grandchild. The infant Khajiit cooed and wiggled within its grandfathers arms. "My beloved grandchild..." J'Dash purred happily as he looked upon the face of his grandchild. "You have my Dahleena's maw and beautiful fur, my father's cheekbones, my mothers nose and my eyes!" J'Dash giggled as he nuzzled the infant lovingly. "My mortal eyes of course! I bet you wouldn't believe that your great, great, grandpa was right now holding you in his arms!" J'Dash cooed to the infant and continued in his soft voice, "Unfortunately love, grandpa cannot take care of you!" The infant began crying and J'Dash responded with rocking it gently in his arms and quietly sung a Khajiit lullaby he remembered from his mother. The infant settled down and feel asleep to the sound of J'Dash's voice. He leaned in, gave it a kiss on the forehead and said in the Khajiit tongue, "Sweet dreams my babe!"
J'Dash knew he had to find a trust worthy family to raise his grandchild and knew of only one. Located within in undisclosed location, he knew of a barren Khajiit family of two who would pray every day and night to many gods for the blessing of having kitten. Tonight there prayers will be answered and by an unlikely source. "Don't worry love, grandpa will ensure you will be raised in loving family home with a mother and father!" J'Dash continued to rock his grandchild gently. "Then when time comes when your Dread Father and Night-Mother feel you are ready, they will guide you to your true home! For they have chosen you for a very special mission, a mission that holds the fate of the entire Dark Brotherhood...your one true family! But don't worry yourself about that right now love." J'Dash giggled and covered the infants face to ensure the cold air would not cause it harm.
"Only worry about growing up and being a kitten! Your destiny can wait!" J'Dash then held his grandchild close to himself, "Now my love, this is going to feel a little unpleasant, but grandpa needs to get you to your new home as fast as possible before sunrise!" Just after J'Dash said that, he trotted away from the building and suddenly within a blink of an eye, he used his vampire speed and vanished in a jetting motion of blinding speed and lightning like reflexes, it would have appeared as though he and his grandchild had become one with the very wind itself.
Epilogue
J'Dash now known as Dro'Dash kept his promise to his grandchild and delivered him safely to a loving home within the Imperial province of Cyrodiil. He himself continued to watch over the kitten, but at a respectful distance and on more daring nights, he would enter into his grandchild's bedroom as he slept and whisper words into his ears describing the beauty of the many locations within the world that he had seen during his 150 years within the Dark Brotherhood. He also whispered stories of adventure which took root within the young Khajiit and blossomed in his later years.
When his grandchild became an adult, word reached Dro'Dash that his grandchild had been arrested on false charges and was imprisoned within the Imperial jail. He ventured out that night and was just moments away from freeing his grandchild from the Imperial prison, but to his surprise, his grandchild was there within the secret underground rune and speaking with the Emperor Uriel Septim VII himself. Hiding in the shadows, he watched from a strategic viewpoint as the Emperor handed over to him his very amulet of kings, just seconds before was murdered but an unknown assassin dressed in a blood red robe. His grandchild eventually escaped to safety and it was then that he realized that his grandchild had a much greater destiny then he could have ever imagined.
Eventually his grandchild found his way into the Dark Brotherhood and swiftly rose in ranks and was very proud to hear this. Eventually his grandchild became a Silencer for Lucien Lachance and even rose up further to replace him. When word reached him that, his own grandchild had found and killed the traitor within the Black Hand, they by fulfilling his destiny in saving the Dark Brotherhood and was now the new Listener, he could not believe his own ears and often though he was in a cruel teasing blood nightmarish dream, for he could not believe that his own flesh and blood was now the new Listener for the Dark Brotherhood. "Will wonders ever cease?" he often asked himself.
When the oblivion crisis was over, he was not surprised and portrayed his pride in his grandchild by saying to his friend Slits-Throats-With-Ease after he was informed of the news that his grandchild was not only the legendary Hero of Kvatch, but also The Champion of Cyrodiil in saying these words:
_Of course my grandchild is! After all... ...The hero is my Child of Darkness! _