JoS/Henriette/29th Journal - Tricked by the Devil

First Seed, 29th, 4E 203

Since I was visiting home, I got my friends very curious about what I've been up to, especially about the little doggy I have with me. I got them so interested that both Sofia and Aliya insisted on coming with me. Serana isn't home yet, and probably won't be for a while, so we weren't going to wait for her. Instead, we ventured to the mountains where the shrine to Clavicus Vile is hidden inside a cave.

This cave must've been a pilgrimage site for followers of Clavicus Vile back in the days, but now there were only vampires there. As we learned later, this small clan of vampires, who are not distinguishable from your common bandits in any way, had made this their home in hopes of curing themselves of their condition and become mortal again. Weak-willed weaklings, a lot of them. I guess you could say that we "cured" them out of their misery. That's what Clavicus Vile said anyway, as he was amused by me granting this clan their wish.

His shrine, his statue, didn't look like I expected. It depicted him as a child, and according to Aliya, as a Skaafin. They're bipedal, humanoid Daedra with long-ass horns protruding from their foreheads, and amongst the smartest lesser Daedra you can find along with Dremora, but nowhere near as violent. And yeah, it was a cool shrine overall. What was odd about this shrine was the lack of Barbas by his side.

Clavicus wanted to get straight into business and asked me what kind of deal I wanted to strike, what would I ask of him. Barbas had warned me to not make deals with him because what I really get from this god may not actually be what I want, and I could very likely be tricked by him. So, I asked if he'd take his dog back. That's where things started going wrong for me.

He straight up refused. His tone and his ramblings kind of suggested that he understands that having Barbas by his side would be beneficial to him, but he didn't want to admit it, and since I came to him suggesting such an "outrageous" thing to begin with, he wasn't too happy with me. By Sithis, he's more childish than me, and look at me! I'm a little kid! Then again, in his statue form, he was a little kid too… But come on, he's a god!

Then, his tone changed. He had an idea. "Why don't you amuse me first?" he suggested.

I thought, why not? I mean, I'll be doing something for him and giving him his dog and part of his power back too, but what do I get in return? I'm not sure. So, I nodded and said: "Sure".

"I wasn't talking to you, little girl", he said condescendingly. "I was talking to you, Barbas. Let me ask you this, would you do anything to be by my side again?"

"Of course, my master", the mutt replied.

And then, Clavicus Vile threw the gauntlet. His idea of amusement, you see, wasn't quite what I expected. "Rape that cheeky little cunt for me."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I froze. It's not the first dog to have its way with me, but I was hesitant anyway. Barbas didn't screw around at all and turned towards me. He apologized to me for what he was about to do because there was no way he would disobey his master's wishes. It was going to go down either the easy or hard way. I told him to wait, just please wait, and began to strip. I didn't want to have my clothes ruined and dirtied. I said I'd play along with this god's little tricks.

Aliya and Sofia both stood back and watched me genuflect in front of the altar and get on my fours, presenting my ass to the grey hound who mounted me instantly. He was still flaccid, but rubbing and humping against me, he was slowly starting to get harder, and I was getting wet feeling his hot, pulsating boner rub against my slit and my thighs. Eventually, he got ready and slipped his cock into my folds in one clean push.

Never mind the fact that he's a dog, this creature is a god. He's a Daedra. He may look like any other doggy, but it's not like he has to be in that form either. Still, it was pretty exciting. I don't think I've ever let a god do me… Can I even say I "let" him do it? Something tells me that there was no room for me to refuse anyway. I guess I could've technically defended myself, and in hindsight I wonder, would that actually have made Clavicus Vile happier with me?

Still, what a vigorous and amazing lover he was. Balls deep inside me, he slammed against me repeatedly and made me cum faster than I could anticipate. Like, I wasn't expecting sex five minutes ago, I wasn't really even that horny, yet there I was, moaning like a little bitch being roughed by a stud, as he was getting harder as he went. It wasn't over very quickly either. Most of the doggy sex consists of only ejaculation with the actual "fucking" only taking a relatively short moment, but he pounded me for at least thirty freaking minutes!

Eventually, it got to the point where I was honestly starting to feel done, but I could mount no resistance against his dominating performance. I was caught in a loop of inescapable pleasure swelling in my body, which could only respond to his thrusts. He eventually tied the knot properly, turning his back towards me and letting me finally relax at least some bit. Of course, fun wasn't over yet, as there was still roughly another half an hour ahead of taking in heaps of semen. I was so full, but also so tired too. I honestly wanted to stop, but there was no way to separate him from me yet.

By the time he was done, Barbas didn't even bother asking me how I was. He simply was concerned about whenever he had pleased his master.

"Ah, yes, you have proven yourself to still be loyal. However, I won't take you back yet."

I was like, "wait, what?". All that fucking, all that waiting, letting my friends watch me in such humiliating position for an hour, and Clavicus wasn't even willing to take his damn dog back? I guess this is what Barbas meant by possibly being tricked and not taking any deals he offers me! I asked Clavicus, what's up? Did I not do what I was asked to do?

"Well, yes, but you had no say in the matter. You were here for Barbas to have sex with. As far as I'm concerned, you've done nothing for me yet. That was a test for Barbas to prove his loyalty by raping the woman who saved him."

Oh, I should've fucking known the answer!

"I want Barbas to travel with you now. If you want a favor from me, bring me something. Bring me an axe. I once gave one of my precious axes away to some poor fool, and since he doesn't need it anymore, I want it back. Do that, and then we'll talk more."

Has this Daedra not been listening to me? Is there wax in his stupid god ears, or is he fucking with me? I don't want anything from him! I want him to take this dog back, but now, the dog is stuck with me! Barbas is so devoted to his master that he won't go against his master's wishes, so as sure as the day is long, he will follow me around… Oh, for the love of… I don't want to drag a dog with me everywhere… I just wanted to do a favor for Barbas for helping me, and now I'm getting fucked both literally and figuratively…

Fine, I'll go find the axe. Where is it? Well, our luck just has it that it's on the opposite side of the province. We have to travel all the way through Solitude and by the northern shore to find the stupid cave…

Oh, whatever… I'll try to stay positive. Maybe something good will come out of this.

First Seed, 30th, 4E 203

We slept in the cave, traveled to Riverwood, and from there to Rorikstead, where we'll rest again. Tomorrow we'll push towards Dragon Bridge, and from there, up the mountains. Man, what a walk!

During our walks, I also noticed that it's not just Clavicus who's a perverted prankster here. It's his damn dog too. I swear, that horny beast… I wish I could see into his mind. I would bet a thousand drakes that at least every third word that goes through his mind has something to do with intercourse. He was pushing his nose towards my backside, probably wanted to hump me again. A part of me wanted it because it felts so good… But it didn't come without consequences either. Laying down with a dog is no quick fuck, and I just wasn't up for it, so I continued to push him away while he was just making jokes at my expense.

Lucky for me, I had a friend who was willing to relieve our new companion of his stress.

"I've never done it with a dog", Sofia told me. She must've gotten a little interested, considering how closely she watched me do it. I'm surprised Aliya didn't want to offer herself to this doggy considering how perverted she is… I guess we're all perverts.

Anyway, Aliya and I will just go to sleep while Sofia and Barbas entertain each other outside. I kind of want to go spy on them, but I think I'll pass… I don't want to get any ideas or get any hornier than I'm right now… It's not good for me to let my desires go unfulfilled, so I'll just bite my tongue for the night.

Actually, scratch that last paragraph, at least partially. As I finished writing it, something happened at the inn. A verbal fight broke out between the owner and his son, a young adult called Eric. He wants to be an adventurer, but his father won't let him. Wait, haven't I been through this already once?

"It's been four years already", Erik said. "For years of begging, father! What can I do to make you change your mind?"

Mralki, the innkeeper, gave a surprising reply and talked about some old chest in the cellar, a chest that holds some of his old armor. If Erik could steal its contents, he could have it for himself and become his own man. Erik protested heavily because according to him opening that chest is impossible, but the father just laughed and told his son to get out of the inn if you're not going to help with work.

Well, well, well, I was planning on laying down, but that could wait… So I approached Erik.

I took him to a quiet location and asked him what was wrong, what that fight was about, and asked if there was anything I could do to help, and he gave me his side of the story. He said in no uncertain terms that he's fed up with this dump of a village. I'm not sure why, because Rorikstead is great! He himself admits that the land is rich and prosperous, so anyone living here would be financially stable for years to come, especially considering that his family already owns the inn. I wouldn't mind this kind of peaceful life, but I guess we all crave things we can't have… No, peaceful life just isn't the life he wants for himself. He wants an exciting life of traveling and adventure, which is something he will never be offered if he chooses to stay here and inherit the inn.

"I used to have a friend here", he then said, going on to expand on why he feels this way. "His name was Lokir. He was older than me, taught me a lot about life, about fighting, wielding a sword… He was a troublemaker, and adults hated him because of it, but I thought he was cool because nobody could tell him no. He could become an adventurer and independent, he could travel, he made money, he laid beautiful women… I was jealous of him. Meanwhile, look at me. I'm already an adult, and I'm still living with my father, still a virgin. There aren't even women my age here. I hate this town."

Oh, and he was a little embarrassed admitting he was a virgin because he thought I'd make fun of him. Honestly, I wouldn't have guessed or even cared. We also talked a little bit more about Lokir, and apparently Erik isn't even allowed to bring him up anymore. The entire village seems to be a little ashamed of that man for some reason and likes to pretend as if he never even existed. "I wonder why", Erik said. "He's probably off being an adventurer in some far-off land."

Then, I brought up the chest his father was talking about and about the promise he made, to which Erik said that it's useless. It used to have a key, but Mralki fearing that his son would steal it, has disposed of it. Like, not just hidden it, but outright gotten rid of it. I offered to help because I'm pretty damn good with picking open locks, and he said I'm free to try.

Well, I was more than happy to help him, but unfortunately, it didn't end up going quite as I expected.

I snuck to the basement and found the mentioned chest. Erik didn't come with me, but if I could just open it a little bit and maybe then relock it in a way that even a novice could be able to pick it open, I could make it look like it was him who finally managed to pick the lock open. I took my sweet time and pushed every pin to its correct position, and then, the box was open. That's when I heard the old man talk, startling me. Mralki had mistaken me for a thief, so I had no choice but to explain myself.

He sighed heavily and said that he would completely null his offer, as Erik obviously is incapable of stealing the armor by himself. I insisted that he warned me not to do it and that I was acting out of my own free will because I felt sorry for him, but Mralki wasn't having it. He saw through my lie. Kind of. Maybe? Not sure, but he was willing to forgive me if I did something to him in return.

He has a son, but he has no wife. He's a widower, you see. He's not that committed to his now-deceased wife though, as is apparent by the fact that he seems to enjoy promiscuity. He told me to strip down and lay down for him so he could teach me some manners.

He probably thought I was going to protest or even defend myself, as evident by looking surprised when I stripped and flaunted my skin at him. This surprise only lasted for a short while as he was happy with me being a willing participant. He wanted to get into a proper mood first, and what better way to do it than by sucking his dick. So, I got down on my knees and dug it out, starting to work my hand up and down his shaft while slowly preparing myself to take it into my mouth.

He proved himself to be a man who likes control and bossing around. He kept his hand on the back of my head constantly, pushing me towards his hip, pushing his base towards my lips, his erection down my throat… It's a good thing I don't gag easily. He was warning me not to bite. Oh, I would never damage such a magnificent cock. Still, I wanted it to be over quickly because he wasn't making it easy for me. He was no match for my sucking though. I made him blow his load all over my mouth.

He took me by my hip and lifted me into the air, sitting me on top of a table. My skirt was short enough to raise without effort and didn't hinder me from spreading my legs, and my soaked panties were easy to displace. He stuck his still raging boner inside and began thrusting vigorously. Like, the entire table shook, and I had a hard time controlling my voice. Couldn't help but to wrap my legs around his hips either. Ah, we had so much fun. I have a feeling he was happy with me too. I wonder if I surprised him by how willing I was.

In the end, it didn't probably matter too much whether I let him do it or not, because he admitted that he had intended to let his son go and be his own man. It's not what he wants for Eric, but the kid has made up his mind, and the old man doesn't want his son to hate him. "Maybe he can learn the hard way, just like I did, that being an adventurer, being a soldier isn't as glamorous as he thinks." Besides, he doesn't think that Eric is ready, and he wanted me to prove that to him. "You're an adventurer, right? Duel him, best him in combat, show him that he still has a lot to learn."

That's exactly what we did. Mralki gave Eric his new armor and a training sword, and then passed on another wooden sword to me, telling his son to defeat me in singles combat. Eric laughed because there was no way he was going to lose to a little girl, adventurer or not. I thought about losing on purpose for a short while, but I'm sure those men would've noticed… Maybe Eric wouldn't have noticed it, but Mralki is an old Legionnaire, so I wouldn't have been able to fool him. I took no pleasure in schooling Eric, but I won the duel in less than a minute. I basically embarrassed Eric in front of his father. Still, Eric took the loss well, saying that maybe he's not cut to be an adventurer after all.

Mralki told Eric that he could keep his old sword and the armor on the condition that he would use them to protect Rorikstead. Yeah, it's a small village, and I'm sure that the patrolling Imperial soldiers could use a reliable helping hand. It will help Eric build experience too.

Now that that's out of the way, maybe I can catch some sleep, for real this time.

First Seed, 30th, 4E 203

We got to the damn cave, and here I actually heard the full story about this axe from Barbas.

This Sebastian fellow who lived in this cave used to have a daughter who became a werewolf. It drove him insane because he wanted to cure her, and in his desperation, not knowing who else to turn, he turned to Clavicus Vile, praying the Daedric prince for his help. So what he got was this axe, you know, to end the curse, to end his own daughter's life. Yeah, I'm really starting to see why I shouldn't deal with this Daedric prince… I mean, he already fooled me once. I hope he's not going to get me into more trouble later.

Well, this is going to be a very short update, as there isn't really much to talk about this trip. Like, what do you want me to write? I snuck up to him and slit his throat open, which was the most exciting thing that happened today.

We'll sleep at Dragon Bridge and try to return to Clavicus's shrine in one trip after that.

Rain's Hand, 2nd, 4E 203

It's been a few days now, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened, or rather, what's going to happen to me. Was I rewarded for my actions, for the task that I performed flawlessly to the letter? No. I got something worse than nothing, a punishment for my actions.

He didn't tell me what the punishment was, but I know, oh I know now. Barbas told me to not listen to him no matter what, so I didn't. He would reward me a mask, he said. Maybe I should've ignored Barbas? This mask, it's creepy… Why would I ever wear it?

Clavicus Vile told me to keep the axe, you see. This was probably what I should've done, to please him, you know. He told me to wield it, take charge and drop it on that stupid mutt's head. I told him that wasn't what we had discussed and that wasn't part of the original deal. Sure, I wanted to get rid of Barbas, but not like that… I didn't want to kill the doggie… I kind of like him, and it's not like he has done anything wrong. He simply tries to be the voice of reason in this bizarre, tumultuous relationship against Vile's childish whims, and I think that's commendable.

In the end, Clavicus Vile reluctantly accepted that I was taking Barbas's side on this but insulted me in the process by calling me a "terribly boring bitch". That wasn't the end of it though.

"So a mask from Barbas, but what from me?" he asked. "I think you deserve a punishment of some sort. Oh, I know, a curse will fit you well. Oh, but I won't tell you what it does, but tell you what… You will never see it coming!"

We traveled home after that, and I didn't think much of what had happened. I knew I had been cursed, but with what exactly?

When I woke up today, I went on a nightly stroll outside, which was cut short due to me being alerted by an enemy. I heard a wolf howl nearby, so I fastened my bow, trying to search for it. Something was wrong with my eyes, I could tell. I couldn't make sense of things far away, and I couldn't seem to focus on what was in front of me. I had no idea where the beast was. Everything was a blur… At least until it pounced at me. I still have my reflexes, so I could easily discard my bow in favor of a dagger and defend myself. I could see it clearly now, and the battle against this small, juvenile gray wolf was an easy one. Even in victory, all I could feel was dread, and I felt my heart pounding. I hurried home, trying to make sense of a once familiar road. Like, I should've been able to see my home from where I was, notice all the relevant landmarks, but I just couldn't. I came to the startling conclusion that Clavicus Vile's curse had taken my sight away. At least partially.

I still haven't told others. I just returned here, and you're the first one I'm telling this, dear diary… You might not think it's a big deal, but it's actually a huge deal. What am I, a hunter, a master of a bow, without my eyesight? How can I take aim on my foes and take them out from far away? It's impossible, utterly impossible!

I have been training my skills with the blade, and while I am probably better than average, I'm not exactly built for hand-to-hand combat. I'm tiny, fast, and agile, I'm good with short and light blades, and my step is soft and quiet… But I'm about as weak as a fighter can be. I can't overpower my foes, I can't block a powerful blow, and I fucking sure can't deal with being outnumbered. In the past, I've relied so much on my bow, my accuracy, and most importantly, my ability to take my enemies out before I'm seen, and it has served me well… But now what?

How will I even manage? I know I can't just stop being an adventurer. I've still got to try. I still got powerful weapons like my fangs and my voice, but this style is something I'm not as used to. Having to rely almost exclusively on my daggers is hard, especially if I get my ass spotted by my enemies.

Could magic work? No, no, no… I've got no talent for that… I bet that even casting a simple candlelight spell would result in me causing a fatal self-combustion event, which would burn me into a crispy Henriette cracker, only to crumble into fine warm sands… For fucks sake, now's not a time for jokes, this is serious… Maybe there are some schools that I might be good at that I just haven't tried. Conjuration maybe?

At least I have my Blood magic, the only magic I have any talent tapping into. It's not much, but I can turn invisible once every now and then, and I can even seduce people and turn them into thralls if needed… I feel like there's a lot of untapped potential for me to learn there, but I'm not so sure…

Well, I'm almost certain that there's a way to overcome this curse. I just don't really know where to start. I should talk to my friends, for starters. Aliya is smarter than me, and so is Serana. Yeah, she had returned while we were absent. Sofia… Eh, she's good for emotional support, which she does in her own way… Mages at the College also owe me, even if some of them might not want to admit it. What worries me the most is that the solution to this problem may lie within the same god that gave me this curse in the first place. Like, what would he even have me do if I wanted to make another bargain with him to have the curse lifted? Something tells me that would be a terrible idea, no way I'm going down that road again. Something even worse could happen.

I have to admit, I was a little spooked by what happened, I still am a little stressed, but I think I can at least deal with this… I hope, no… I pray.

Rain's Hand, 4th, 4E 203

I kind of feel stupid for not thinking about this earlier, but I do in fact have another weapon in my arsenal that I can use as a substitute for my lack of magical abilities: Alchemy! It's not a skill governed by one's magical affinity but rather one's wits. Not to say I'm the brightest gal in the room, but I at least have a talent for this, unlike some of the more magicka-intensive crafts of magic. It's also a skill I've neglected for quite some time, even though I like collecting all kinds of ingredients for my cupboard. I know how to create a large array of poisons and potions alike, but I'm not that good at it yet. Most of my mixes are impure and therefore not that effective.

I was planning on going on a little midnight stroll to collect some butterfly wings and Nirnroot for invisibility potions for some basic training because those always come in handy, and it's a perfect way to hone my skills. However, my walk was cut short. I was walking the Treva river's bank when I found a camp near a castle. It was still in good shape, so it must not be an old building, and its owner, Stalleo, was camping outside together with bodyguards. I allowed myself to be discovered because it looked like they were friendly.

Stalleo first was flabbergasted to see a small child wandering the wilds in the middle of the night, but then he realized something about me. It's not too often that people recognize me for what I am, a vampire. I mean, it should be obvious due to the unnatural color of my eyes, and my fangs should also be a dead giveaway, especially when I'm getting hungry. For whatever reason, it's not though. I know I have some Volkihar blood thanks to Harkon's gift, but perhaps the strain of vampirism I have is more Cyrodilian, which is why my state of undeath isn't that recognizable? I've never thought about it, but that's probably it…

He admitted that he's been waiting for reinforcements, some mercenaries to arrive, but they're already six hours late. He suspected he had been scammed, and he was getting desperate since he had no one to turn to. He needed someone to infiltrate the fortress through a secret entrance and lower the gate to storm in with his bodyguards, but none of them are suited for this kind of work. I was a little anxious because it was going to be my first encounter with hostile humans since I gained my new curse, but I also recognized that it was going to be a teaching experience, and there was potential here to get my fill of blood as well… Not to mention that these guys would know I'm here and help me if need be. Probably anyway.

The situation wasn't easy for me because the secret entrance was actually guarded and not so secretive after all. The bandits knew about Stalleo's little camp, and were anticipating an attack, so they had some guards. I had to tap into the little blood magic I had available to me to turn invisible and sneak past them. Once inside, I could get a little bolder and took out some of the patrols. I also had my first meal in days. I was getting hungry, but not maddeningly so.

I also got into a bit of trouble, and I seriously thought I was going to be fucked, literally. In the actual castle, I found the chief of the bandits along with six of his subordinates, and they were having fun at the expense of Stalleo's wife, daughter, and a maid. Like a dumbass I was, I obviously got curious and wanted to see what debauchery was taking place, but in the process, I knocked over a damn glass bottle left lying on the floor. Suddenly, all the bandits were alert. I hid in a hurry, my heart was pounding, and I managed to remain unnoticed… Still, they found a corpse, so they knew they had been infiltrated. Things were going to get harder from this point forward.

I continued my work from the shadows and killed off more guards who were now looking for me. I feel like I also had a little luck, as in the end, I managed to take them all out without being discovered. All that was left for me was to go outside and open the gate so Stalleo could storm the castle with his men. That's exactly what I did, and the rest is history. He reunited with his family and gained back control of his castle.

Having paid the little coin he has for the mercenaries, he had very little to offer me monetarily but said that he would reward me for sure in the future once everything had been cleaned up. I was a little disappointed, but I just shrugged it off and asked if he had anything other than money to give me then. Like, maybe books? That's what I got, so I left home with them.

Even though I didn't manage to get what I looked out to achieve today, which is ingredients, I at least was able to prove to myself I'm still useful even without a bow, even with limited eyesight. That's reassuring. Still, I can't get overconfident simply because of one successful mission. I need to stay careful.

• 30th Journal - Mission in Solitude