Lonely Day - Chapter 8: The Hunt

Finished exterminating the necromancers—and collecting the treasure from the locked room from before—Trish, Fugo, and Giorno returned to Cheydinhal, tired and weary. Well, at least Trish was tired. She looked at the two blonds, and they seemed fine.

“Aren’t you guys tired?” she asked.

“Slightly,” Giorno answered. “We were sneaking for quite a while. My leg muscles are aching.”

Fugo had his arms crossed. “We’re already in town. Let’s report back to that Argonian woman.”

“Can we wait tomorrow?” Trish asked.

“Why not now?” he asked.

“Because I’m tired. Come on. We should rest.”

Fugo wanted to see what changed in the sanctuary while he was away, but he couldn’t have these two following him. “I was hoping to do something while you guys were at the guildhall. Why don’t you guys eat something at the inn?”

“I still have a bit of energy left,” Giorno said. “Why don’t I help you?”

Fugo tried his best to hide any signs of annoyance. “Please, just head inside. It’s personal business. I don’t want anyone to get mixed up in it.”

“Very well, but don’t forget you can count on me,” he said before entering the inn.

The Imperial drew a sigh of relief and walked to the sanctuary.

As for Giorno, he quietly walked out of the inn, shadowing Fugo. He was curious about where he was going. Eventually, the golden blond stopped at a well near the abandoned house. Giorno remembered Bruno, a shadowfoot in the Thieves Guild, told him not to go near this house. He wondered why.

Still looking at Fugo, he watched as he looked around the area. Giorno cast chameleon on himself and blended in with the background slightly. Fugo’s eyes looked closely at him, making him a bit nervous, and then he climbed down the well. Giorno walked towards the well but noticed he must’ve locked it.

Maybe I should check inside. It seems like this well is a shortcut, Giorno thought.

The blond picked the lock to the abandoned house and went inside. The house was empty and bare, save for a few barrels and crates here and there. He went into the basement and headed inside the carved tunnel, stopping at the glowing red door with blood on the floor.

He avoided the puddle of blood and tried opening the door, but as he approached it, it spoke to him, “What is the color of night?”

Was there someone behind the door who asked him? Was it a trick question? What would happen if he got it wrong? He cast life detection, detecting many people past the door. Giorno sighed. Whether he knew the answer or not wasn’t worth it. The Breton knew what Fugo was now, an assassin for the Dark Brotherhood. He headed back to the inn, keeping what he knew a secret.

“Hey, where did you go?” Trish asked him as he entered the inn. She sat at a table, eating steamed mudcrab legs.

He sat down with her. “Pretend I was always here.”

“Did something happen?”

Fugo entered the inn and went to the table they were sitting. He noticed Trish stopped eating, and Giorno had nothing.

“Giorno, did you already eat?” he asked.

“I ate some corn,” he lied. “It’s gone. I threw it away.”

“Oh, well, I’m going to head to bed. I’m not hungry, by the way. That altar with the dead body in Hame made me lose my appetite.”

-

Trish was the first to wake up. Fugo still slept, so she quickly changed. Once she got dressed and put her makeup on, the High Elf checked to see if Giorno had awoken. She knocked at his door.

“Give me a few minutes,” he said.

“I’ll be downstairs, eating.”

She bought food from the innkeeper and sat at a table, eating a sweetroll. Eventually, the two blonds came down to eat with her. She also noticed Giorno’s robes were now blue.

“Wow, did you two sleep alright? You looked tired,” she commented.

“Not really,” Giorno answered.

“Ugh, no,” Fugo replied. “It’s not you, by the way. It’s just the ruins. I haven’t seen a body mutilated in so long.” The new freak in the sanctuary had disgusted him. He had an eyeball from his recent kill in his mouth. Fugo would tell them, but he shouldn’t.

Once they were all done, they got up and went to the guild hall.

“Ah, the associate from before and her companions, or should I say apprentice now?” Deetsan said. “Since you’ve returned, I assume you have completed your task of eliminating the necromancers, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Trish said.

“Excellent work, you three. The roads will be safer thanks to you. Raminus will have my recommendation. Should you ever need help in alteration, you know where to find me.”

“Thank you so much!”

They left the guildhall and went to the shops to sell the junk they collected from the ruins. Afterward, they headed to the stables.

“Hey, Fugo, I think we should buy a horse,” Giorno suggested.

Fugo sighed and looked at him. “Why? What if it gets killed?”

“It would make traveling quicker, and these horses are the fastest. I remember you telling me.”

“I did?”

“Yeah. Come on. You have to buy one for Trish. Who knows what the guild will make her do.”

“I know. You should know too. Trish’s next task is to get a staff. After that, who knows.”

“You know I’m not used to walking around as much as you do, right?” Trish added.

The Imperial sighed. “You’re right. Fine. I’ll buy a horse, but only for Trish!”

The High Elf cheered. Fugo bought the horse, and Giorno bought one for himself too.

“I’m calling my horse Ebony,” Giorno said.

Fugo got on Trish’s horse. “What are you going to call this one? Darkness?”

“I was thinking about Raven,”

“Ebony, Darkness, Raven,” Giorno muttered. “Why does that sound familiar?”

“Hmm, did you say something?” Trish asked.

“I remember now! Fugo, do you remember a guild member named Ebony? I think her last name was Way.”

“Yeah, she’s the High Elf with long, ebony black hair and icy blue eyes. She was kind of weird. Why do you ask?”

“She turned into a vampire, and Avdol had to hunt her down.”

“Oh? Sorry if she was your friend.”

“She’s not. She was aggressive towards me. You know, I think I’ll change my horse’s name to Star, based on the shape of my birthmark.”

Trish got on Raven, riding with Fugo. “So, what type of enchantment will I get on my staff? Will it be stronger than the one you gave me?”

The three started moving along the road, heading to the Imperial City.

“There’s a lot of enchantments for a staff,” Giorno said. “I’d recommend getting paralysis.”

“Wait, what kind of staff do you use?” she asked.

“Fire, but after being paralyzed multiple times, I realize how useful that spell is.”

-

It was still morning when they arrived at the Imperial City, and they dismounted their horses once they got to the stables.

“Wow, that was fast,” she commented. “We should’ve gone to Cheydinhal first.”

“Then we wouldn’t have bumped into Will,” Giorno replied.

“True. Before we go to the Arcane University, let me see my mother first. I miss her. You guys can go on ahead.”

Trish left Giorno and Fugo alone.

“Well, what are you going to do?” the golden blond asked.

“My task in Bruma was to make sure the guildhall looked presentable. I had finished before we left that city. By the way, you wouldn’t happen to know any expert-level illusion spells, do you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert,” Fugo answered, “but I know a few spells. They drain a lot of my magicka, but I pop a potion or two to gain back more. Why?”

Since he knew about his secret, he might as well tell his. He got close to his ear and whispered, “I’m a thief.”

“Kind of knew there was something shady about you,” he spoke quietly. “Don’t worry. I have some friends who are thieves. I could introduce you to them, but we shouldn’t waste time.”

-

Fugo and Giorno were there before Trish. While at the Arcane University, Fugo went inside and spoke to Raminus on the bench and reading. He cleared his throat to get his attention.

“Oh!” Raminus said with a delay in his reaction. “Is that you, Fugo? It’s been a while since you’ve stepped foot here.”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here to rejoin. So, do I have to bring 20 Daedra hearts and vampire dust?”

“No, no! No need for that.” He placed his book down on the bench. “There’s no need for that.”

Somebody appeared on the teleportation pad. The man was a tall Redguard dressed in a reddish-brown robe and had a golden amulet around his neck.

“Arch-Mage Avdol!” Raminus said. “Where are you going?”

“I’m heading to Chorrol to speak to Polnareff. Oh, Fugo, Giorno, I’m glad you’re here.”

The two blonds looked at him, confused.

“One day, Will came here with news that you helped him track down a vampire. Before he left the university, he told me to speak to you, Giorno. He wants you to track and kill four dangerous vampires. From least dangerous to most dangerous, you are to hunt Dustin McQuake, Abbie Pastry, Ashley, and Vicente Valtieri.”

Fugo’s face went pale when he heard the last name. Hopefully, he didn’t have to join Giorno.

“Where's Will?” the Imperial asked.

“He’s somewhere south of Skingrad, checking on his family after recently getting out of jail.”

“What? He was in jail?”

“Yeah, he was trying to investigate a vampire in the guards. It turns out that Adamus Phillida was a vampire. Oh, and Giorno, you’re now a magician. Also, welcome back, Fugo! Feel free to help Giorno in his quest.”

Avdol was about to head to the exit.

“Wait!” Giorno said, causing Avdol to stop. “Where will we find them?”

“You’ll find Dustin in Chorrol, Abbie in Bruma, and Ashley in Leyawiin. They probably won’t exactly be there, but you should use your clairvoyance spell. Where Vicente is, I don’t know. And one last thing, Vicente is an assassin. Be wary.”

Once the conversation was over, Avdol left, and Giorno looked at Fugo.

“Do you want to go on an adventure with me?” the Breton asked.

He should. He wants to, but he’ll have to abandon him once they find Vicente. “Sure, let’s try finding Dustin in Chorrol.” For now, he’ll follow Giorno, but he’ll need to think of an excuse.

The two went outside just when Trish finally showed up.

“Wait, why did you two leave the building?” she asked.

“Avdol wants us to kill four vampires,” Giorno answered. “Technically, Will asked us, but he’s currently away and told Avdol to tell us.”

“Can I come?”

“No!” Fugo blurted, causing Trish to look hurt. “It’s dangerous. One of them is an assassin. We don’t even know where he is. Besides, you should work on getting stronger. Try doing some tasks around the guild. You don’t mind if I take Raven, do you?”

“Actually, I do mind,” she answered. “If I’m to do tasks around here, I’ll need a horse to get me to places. Ride with Giorno.”

“Trish, before we part, I have a gift for you,” Giorno said. He searched for the pink robes in his bag. “These are for you. You may need to wash them.”

She took the robes. “Giorno, are you sure I can have this?”

“I prefer my blue robes. Speaking of which, I should probably pack more blue robes. Wait right here.”

-

It was lunch when Giorno and Fugo arrived at the Chorrol stables.

“I’ll leave the horses here,” the Breton said.

“Maybe we should ask people about him first? See what he’s like,” Fugo suggested.

“That sounds like a good idea, but let’s hurry before the sun goes down. He might be in a cave right now.”

They went inside the city, checking the shops. Their first stop was at Northern Goods and Trade. Seed-Neeus and Dar-Ma were inside.

“Hello, Giorno!” Dar-Ma greeted with a smile. “Ah, is that the Grand Champion with you? Hello there!”

Fugo whispered to the Breton, “Do you get along with everyone you meet?”

“No, not all the time,” he whispered. He then looked at the Argonian. “Have you seen Dustin?”

Her smile disappeared. “I haven’t seen him. There have been rumors about him. He’s a bit of a flirt with humans and elves, but I heard he bites people on the neck to show ownership of them.”

“Show ownership?” Giorno questioned.

“Yeah, it’s strange. His lovers would show off their bite marks. If he keeps this up, people might start thinking he’s a vampire.”

“Have you seen him recently?”

“Last time I saw him, he said he was going to explore Fort Carmala.”

“Who was he with last time?”

“Forgive me if this sounds like an insult, but you’re starting to sound like a guard. Did something happen?”

Giorno stayed silent for a while, unsure of what to tell her.

“By the Divines.” Dar-Ma’s mouth was wide open. “Don’t tell me he’s a vampire!”

“Yes, he is. Could you please tell us who he was with?”

“Girmana Caesata, an Imperial. She was with him three days ago. She wasn’t feeling too well today, so she headed to the chapel to see if anyone could heal her. Hurry! Before she turns!”

Giorno and Fugo rushed to the chapel. Before they entered, a priest Giorno recognized walked out. It was Pucci, but he didn’t stop to ask questions. Once inside, they heard somebody call for Pucci’s name. A balding Imperial in a fancy wardrobe cried out and stopped once he noticed the two blonds.

“You two, have you seen Pucci? Wait, never mind that. Can you heal?” the man asked.

“Yeah,” Giorno answered.

“We have no time. Quickly, downstairs!”

The three went into the chapel’s bedroom, passing the dining room. An Imperial woman lay on the bed, stiff as a board, and her skin was pale. When Giorno got closer and kneeled, he inspected her neck, finding a bite mark. He placed a hand on the bite and healed it. However, Giorno feared it might be too late. He got up and looked at the bald man.

The woman’s hand slightly twitched.

“If she doesn’t feel good within a few minutes—”

The woman quickly sat straight in the bed. Looking at the Breton’s neck made her drool. She reached for him.

“Giorno, behind you!” Fugo yelled.

“Wha—”

Her sharp teeth plunged into Giorno’s neck, and she was messily feeding on him. Blood seeped into Giorno’s blue robes, turning them purple.

“By the Divines!” the man yelled.

Fugo pulled the vampire away before ending her life with his sword, piercing her heart. The golden blond looked at her face and saw a teardrop fall from her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” she spoke weakly before turning into dust.

He then glanced at Giorno, who held a hand to the gashing wound.

“Are you going to be alright?” Fugo asked.

“Yeah, nothing a little restoration can’t solve,” he replied. “We should find Dustin before he makes more vampires.” He looked at the bald man. “Any idea what he looks like?”

“He has short blond hair,” he answered. “It’s in a bowl cut. As for his eyes—I knew something was off—they were reddish orange.”

“I think that’s all the information we can get,” Fugo said. “Let’s hurry!”

They left the chapter and walked to the fort near Hackdirt. As soon as they got there, it began raining. The two rushed inside. In the small room they were in, there was a bedroll and a dead Imperial on top of it. He had a two-handed ax and wore leather. Fugo knelt and inspected the body, spotting the two bite marks on the neck.

“He’s drained,” he commented.

Giorno cast life detection. “There are two vampires in the next room.”

Fugo brought out his sword and started charging into the room. He killed the first person he saw, a black-haired Breton woman. Giorno followed and attacked a High Elf man with a fire spell. Both of the vampires died quickly.

They continued forward, stopping at an intersection and avoiding the dart trap.

“Which is the quickest way?” Fugo asked Giorno.

The Breton cast his clairvoyance spell. “To the right. There are also a lot of vampires in the room, however.”

“I’ll just burn them all.”

The Imperial went into the room first, burning three vampires. The blond was behind him.

“Any more?” Fugo asked.

“Yeah, there’s more in the hallway. They’re probably invisible. Just burn through everything.”

Fugo went ahead again and cast his flame spell, burning everything, the vampires, the rugs, and the bookcase. He stopped at an intersection.

“Straight ahead, behind the iron door. I believe Dustin is in that room,” Giorno instructed. “Be alert.”

Fugo kicked the iron door wide open. The room was luxurious. Detailed paints of people, a large bed and wardrobe, a velvet couch, and an exported rug from Hammerfell decorated the room. As for the vampire they were hunting, Fugo couldn’t see him.

“I don’t see him!”

Giorno’s life detection wore off, and he was about to recast it until he felt somebody breathing down his neck.

Dustin revealed himself when he gripped tightly on the Breton’s shoulders. “You must be the healer.”

Fugo quickly turned around to face Giorno and the vampire. Both of the blond’s eyes widened.

“I honestly don’t know if you are, mage, but I’ll make sure you die first!”

Dustin let go of Giorno’s shoulders and kicked him towards Fugo, knocking them back into a wall and making a portrait fall on the blond’s head. Giorno was on top of Fugo. While the two were on the ground, he cast an ice spike, aiming for the Breton’s legs. The spell pinned him to the ground.

As for Fugo, he fought back with an explosive fire spell. Dustin dodged it, but it caused his room to catch fire.

“You’ll pay for that!” the vampire yelled.

The golden blond was no longer under Giorno but guarding him. “You want to kill him? You’ll have to get past me.”

Dustin cast an ice storm, sending a small blizzard toward him. Fugo knew one ward spell, but it wasn’t enough to protect him.

“Giorno, wake up!” he yelled.

The Breton opened his eyes and felt something cold in his legs. He tried getting up but couldn’t. Giorno twisted his body to see what was going on. Once he saw the ice storm, he cast his ward spell.

“I’m fine now! Finish him off while I melt these ice spikes!”

Dustin sucked his teeth and summoned a skeleton and two daggers in his hands.

“Kill the Breton! I’ll deal with this one myself.”

Giorno melted the ice spikes and got on his feet. He looked at the skeleton coming his way and cast fire spells at it.

Fugo charged toward Dustin, but the vampire parried his sword with his dagger. With the other dagger, he stabbed his sides, but Fugo brought a hand to his face, grabbed him, and set him on fire. Dustin hissed and released the dagger in his left hand, dispelling it.

Both of them were tired. However, once Giorno defeated the skeleton, he ran to Fugo and restored his stamina with a spell.

“Damn it,” the vampire said before Fugo beheaded him.

The two got out of the burning room and panted.