Just as Choi Ha-neul filled the Bloodstone Chalice and prepared to leave the cavern with Salonia, a mysterious man blocked their path.
"Greetings, ladies."
The man, greeting them with a smirk, was a vampire just like them. What’s more, he was a familiar face.
"Orthjolf? I was under the impression that only the two of us were assigned to this mission," Salonia noted, her eyes narrowing.
Orthjolf?
Hearing the name, Choi Ha-neul recalled that he was the traitor plotting a coup—at least, according to Vingalmo’s one-sided claims.
"I know. But I’m acting on my own initiative today."
"You realize what this means, don't you? This is open rebellion against Lord Harkon."
Ha-neul could feel the tension through their conversation. It was a powder keg, a hair-trigger situation where steel could fly at any second.
Orthjolf didn't seem to care.
"I made my decision the moment the order came down to fill that chalice. It’s time for someone else to take the throne!"
—Thwack!
"Gah!"
The moment he finished speaking, a silver spear erupted through Salonia's solar plexus.
The man who had struck from the shadows was Stalf, a Nord belonging to Orthjolf’s faction.
A powerhouse like Salonia would normally have reacted to such an ambush, but Stalf’s exceptional stealth and her own focus on the argument had allowed him to close the distance undetected.
—Sling!
Choi Ha-neul swung her Blades Sword at Stalf. He quickly wrenched the spear free and leaped backward.
"Blegh...!"
Salonia collapsed, coughing up blood, and Ha-neul rushed to catch her.
"The wound... why isn't it...?"
Usually, a vampire’s regenerative powers would have knit the flesh back together instantly. Instead, the wound only seemed to deepen.
"Heh, I’m glad I brought this along."
Only then did Ha-neul notice that the tip of Stalf’s spear was crafted from pure silver. Silver was lethal to the undead, vampires included.
Combined with a sneak attack, the damage must have been catastrophic.
"Attacking from behind like a coward?!"
"Do you really think 'cowardice' carries any weight in a fight?"
Orthjolf mocked her outburst, his voice dripping with condescension.
This is bad...
With Salonia effectively retired from the fight by that single strike, Ha-neul was left to face two high-tier vampires alone.
"Hmph. Scarring that pretty little face of yours might be fun too, don't you think?"
"Be careful, Orthjolf," Stalf warned. "There’s a reason she’s Harkon’s favorite."
"Heh, I know."
"Tiid!"
Before Orthjolf or Stalf could even register the Thu'um, Choi Ha-neul vanished from their sight.
"Ack!!"
In the blink of an eye, she was inches from Orthjolf’s nose. She drove her blade toward his throat—
—Whoosh!
...But it didn't connect. Orthjolf evaded the strike with superhuman reflexes. However, the assault didn't end with a single swing.
The duration of the Slow Time shout hadn't expired yet.
Putting every ounce of strength into her arm, Ha-neul unleashed a blurred flurry of rapid slashes upon Orthjolf.
"Graaagh!"
Lacerations multiplied across his body faster than he could count.
Stalf’s spear thrust forward to save his leader, forcing Ha-neul to jump back and create distance.
"Are you all right?"
Orthjolf struggled to his feet, leaning on Stalf for support.
"Curse it! Dammit..."
"She can use the Thu'um. Is she a Dragonborn?"
"Who cares?! Just kill her and be done with it!"
His wounds were knitting together, but she had definitely shredded a significant portion of his Health.
"I’ll make sure your death is the most painful one I’ve ever gifted!"
Orthjolf barked his threat as the two vampires synchronized their advance. With her shout on cooldown, Ha-neul was once again at a disadvantage.
But she still had one trump card they didn't know about.
—Crack-pop!
"What is this?"
A crimson aura flared around Ha-neul. Simultaneously, her skeleton began to shift and distend into a horrific, monstrous frame.
—Boom!
"Crazy!"
With a powerful shockwave, she stood before them in the form of a Vampire Lord.
"Roaaaaar!"
The transformed Ha-neul let out a primal scream and began bombarding the area with blood magic.
It was an area-of-effect assault; no matter how nimble Orthjolf and Stalf were, they couldn't evade it all. The lifeforce drained from their bodies flowed directly into Ha-neul.
I can feel... something rising within me!
"ROAAAAAAR!!!"
Having tasted their blood, she lost all sense of reason, behaving like a true monster.
She flooded the room with Drain Life using her boundless Magicka and shredded anyone who got close with her claws, completely overwhelming the pair.
"Orthjolf! You didn't say she had received the blood directly from Harkon!"
"Don't blame me! I didn't have that information either!"
The two scrambled to dodge her life-sapping spells, retaliating with Destruction magic of their own.
"Should we retreat?!"
Orthjolf answered Stalf’s question with grim determination.
"No. If we run now, we’ll never get another chance!"
He was right. If they retreated now, they would be permanently exiled from the Volkihar clan, and their failed coup would ensure Lord Harkon hunted them to the ends of Tamriel.
Hardening their hearts, they resolved to stand and fight.
Stalf used Invisibility to vanish from sight.
"Hm?"
Confused by her prey disappearing, Ha-neul scanned the room.
"Eyes on me!!"
Orthjolf smashed his mace into her while she was distracted.
—Clang!
The impact sounded like metal hitting metal, leaving Ha-neul with only minor bruising.
Enraged, she lunged and seized Orthjolf’s neck with both hands, crushing his windpipe with monstrous strength.
"Gah... gah!"
Suddenly, the silver spear plunged into Ha-neul's side.
"Aagh!"
Unlike the mace, this sharp, agonizing sting forced her to scream and release her grip.
"Guh...!"
"Pull yourself together! This is our chance!"
Spurred by Stalf’s shout, Orthjolf scrambled up and unleashed a barrage of attacks on the staggering Ha-neul.
—Clang! Thud! Splat!
The initial superficial wounds began to mount. As her Health depleted, her injuries grew severe.
"We can win!"
"Haha! She’s not so tough after all!"
The tide had shifted, and confidence returned to the traitors' voices.
Dammit... this is dangerous!
In contrast, Ha-neul was in crisis.
The Vampire Lord form was a weapon of immense power, but she hadn't yet mastered how to wield it properly.
"Hahaha! I'll kill you first, then take Harkon's head next!"
"Phew..."
It wasn't too late to learn.
As the weapons lunged toward her, Ha-neul focused, recalling the lessons Harkon had shared with her.
—Flutter-flutter!
In an instant, she dissolved into a swarm of bats. The attacks from Orthjolf and Stalf sliced through empty air.
"That invisibility... it's annoying."
"Gaurgh!"
Reappearing directly behind Stalf, her clawed hand punched through his back and seized his heart.
—Squish!
As she clenched her fist, the immense pressure caused his heart to explode instantly.
—Thump.
Kicking Stalf’s corpse aside, Ha-neul pounced on Orthjolf.
She pinned his mouth and one arm with her brutal grip, burying her massive fangs deep into his neck.
"Mmmph!!"
Her fangs pierced his artery with precision, draining every drop of life from his body. Parched and shriveled like a mummy, Orthjolf slumped to the floor and crumbled into ash.
"Consider your treason against Lord Harkon paid in full."
Intoxicated by the power, she let out a line of dramatic dialogue before reclaiming the Bloodstone Chalice—the objective of their mission.
Then, she approached Salonia.
Taking a healing potion from Salonia's own belt, she applied it to the wound and poured the rest gently into the vampire's mouth.
"Ugh...! What... happened?"
"Are you awake?"
A moment later, Salonia’s consciousness returned.
"What happened to the others?"
"I took care of them."
"Honestly... that's hard to believe."
"Let’s get back."
Ha-neul kept her explanation brief and started walking toward the exit.
Salonia stared at her back in a daze.
She had been pretending to be unconscious, but her ears and eyes had caught every detail of the slaughter.
The use of the Thu'um, the transformation into a Vampire Lord, and the absolute dominance she displayed against the two of them.
"By the way, you were going to mention a plan earlier. What was it?"
Ha-neul asked as they made their way back.
"Uh... what?"
The plan Salonia had mentioned after filling the chalice was the same as Orthjolf’s: keep the power for herself and rebel against Harkon.
However, Salonia was now completely overwhelmed by Ha-neul’s strength. She realized that the moment she uttered the words, her own life would be forfeit.
She assumed Ha-neul’s loyalty to Harkon was unshakable.
"Oh... I was just saying we should go back and have a nice drink of fresh blood together. Hehe."
"Hmm, sounds good."
The excuse was a bit clumsy given the context, but because it was Ha-neul, she fell for it.
Whew...
Sighing with internal relief, Salonia returned to the castle alongside Ha-neul.
Immediately after the mission concluded, Ha-neul went to Harkon to report, while Salonia sought out someone else.
"Vingalmo. I need a word."
Salonia spoke with her arms crossed as she stood before Vingalmo.
"What is it?"
"I’m leaving your faction."
"Hmm..."
Surprisingly, Vingalmo reacted calmly.
"Might I ask for a reason?"
"You’ll find out soon enough."
"I haven't the slightest idea what you’re talking about."
With that, she formally declared her withdrawal from the faction and completely abandoned her dreams of rebellion.
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