JoS/Henriette/34th Journal - Homeward Road

Midyear, 1st, 4E 203

Rah'jin's mansion is located by the sea, just outside the busiest parts of the harbor, barely within the confines of the city. While it is the headquarters for the local guild, it's not really a place where most of the business is being dealt. It's more like the brains that move the rest of the body. Most importantly, it's the place where the boss gets to enjoy the fruits of his underling's labor along with his inner circle and where the boss likes to host lavish parties to cozy up with wealthy politicians and other high-ranking officials mainly to gain their favor. In that sense, it's not quite a place I expected it to be.

He had few servants working for him in his mansion, out of which the first I had to deal with was his personal bodyguard, who also served as one of his "palace guards", as Rah'jin calls them. He was this really tall Cathay-raht Khajiit with brown fur with orange hue covering just about the biggest muscles I've ever seen on a cat-person. The man was like a freaking Werewolf or something and wore a complete set of Ebony armor to the boot! Never got a chance to know his name, not that I cared anyway. He would've probably squashed me like a bug if he got a chance.

Then, I was led to the big boss by his personal maid, an Imperial woman in her mid-twenties. Rah'jin was waiting for me in his living room overlooking the Topal Bay. He urged me to sit down for a face-to-face chat and signaled his maid to leave us be. I did what was asked of me and sat on a sofa opposite him. I guess that wasn't good enough, as he sat down next to me and threw his arm over my shoulder. Confused, I took a glance at him, and he just told me to relax. I reminded him that I was here for business, but he just laughed.

According to him, any girl with above-average looks could've pulled off what I did, as what I did wasn't as much a display of skill as a thief as it was a display of the effectiveness of my charm. "It may be enough to impress Akhdar, but not Rah'jin." To be honest, I wasn't really sure how to formulate any counter-argument to his analysis, as I agreed with his reasoning. Granted, it would be hard to find another girl as young as me who would be willing to do what I did, but I bit my tongue and kept my opinion to myself, as I wasn't sure if it would've helped my case.

At least, I made an impression on him with my looks. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to me like that. I felt like it would be best for me to not object to anything, so I allowed myself to take a more relaxed posture while asking if there was anything else I could do to prove my worth to him. He kept quiet for a while, just staring me down without any discernable expression on his face. The following chat ensued.

"Khajiit wishes to know why it wants to be a thief."

"For wealth", I said.

"It looks wealthy already", he commented.

I guess he was referring to my clothes, weapons, and jewelry… I certainly don't look like a noblewoman, but I do put my wealth on display. "Is there such a thing as too wealthy?" I asked him and tossed a smile at him. "I've been an adventurer and a cutpurse for a long time, and came to Senchal because I know I can make more money here. I guarantee I can also make money for you."

Rah'jin smiled back and said that there's more than just one way of making money. His claws were softly crazing against my skin, enough to tickle me but not hurt in the slightest, looking to get underneath my shirt on my bare shoulder. He suggested that maybe I should show him exactly how I tricked that merchant with my charm, asking how far did I truly go. I didn't hesitate to turn my body towards him and suggest that we'd take it straight to the bedroom then. Little did I know, it would prove to be just the best possible thing I could've asked for in that particular moment.

When I stepped into his master bedroom, the first thing I did was look around. He kept many of his most prized treasures in his bedroom, and I noticed a particular golden ornament, a crown sitting on a pedestal. I just knew that it had to be Barenziah's Crown. There are even the empty slots for all those jewels on its front side, as I quickly realized. My only real worry was, would he put a replica on display and hide the real deal somewhere else? He didn't strike me as the kind of personality that would, and it was his private bedroom, so there shouldn't have been much of a reason for it anyway, but I digress for now.

I only managed to stare at it for two seconds or so before Rah'jin stole my attention by grabbing my ass and stealing a tight squeeze with his clawed fingers. He was eager to see me naked, which reminded me of the task at hand. I couldn't let myself get distracted by the treasure, even though my goal was right beside me… Sure, I could've just unsheathed my dagger and taken it to his neck, but it would've probably failed because he, without a doubt, far surpasses me in close-quarters combat and wouldn't have let himself be taken by surprise like that.

So, the best I could do was wait for an opportunity and distract him with my body, just like I distracted Galator. Isn't that ironic? He said that any pretty girl could've done what I did with that Bosmer, yet he was letting himself go down the same very path, leading himself to be deceived. Of course, I wasn't going to make him go asleep, no way that would've worked out… Either way, maybe it was overconfidence on his part or lack of intellect, Or perhaps he just couldn't suspect me of being after one of "his" treasures. Who really knows anyway?

I warmed myself - and also him - up by first taking a taste of his cock. Makes me think in hindsight that it was the first time I had ever given a blowjob to a Khajiit. Their members look very different from what men and elves have, but not necessarily in a bad way… I hate to admit, I'm quite fascinated by all kinds of dicks regardless of their color, size, shape, or even host. I must say, his barbs didn't really bother me when they were in my mouth, at least. It didn't smell or taste too different from what I'm used to either. He complimented me on being great at giving head and said I suck so good. I never got to eat his load though, because he was eager to explore my body.

He wasn't that interested in my more child-like features, like my chest, but he sure loved my ass. He gave it to me from behind and fucked me hard. And yeah, I don't think I can ever get used to how Khajiiti cocks feel because of those barbs. It's like there's this constant stinging pain accompanied with the actual pleasure, and he made me moan in ways no other man had in a long time. He slapped my butt cheeks and rubbed my clit. I was eager to push back against him at the beginning, but his commanding presence just drained all my strength away. Despite this, he was happy with me not complaining about it hurting like so many other girls do, which made him happy with me. "Maybe it enjoys the pain", he said jokingly, but jokes aside, I kinda do. A little. Everything in moderation, as they say.

Before I knew it, I laid my chest and my elbows against his bedsheets, just taking his cock while he made me climax over and over again. I came so fast from his cock. This display made him actually tease and mock me, as he asked me what's wrong, could I not handle the pleasure?

Like fuck, even after he shifted positions and laid down, with me riding his dick with my back against him, he still dictated the pace by tossing my body up and down like a damn doll. I know I'm small and don't weigh a lot, I know any adult man who has even the slightest bit of muscle should be able to manhandle and outpower me, but this position should for all intents and purposes be one where a woman takes the reins. Yet, he grabbed me by my waist just tossed my body up and down, all the way to a squirting orgasm. He simultaneously gave me his thick load of semen, delivered straight into my uterus. We stood still like that for a good while as I reveled in the afterglow in one of the most satisfying climaxes I'd reached in ages. I don't even care that it fucking hurt, the ache just made it better.

I had more than enough spice left in my body, so I raised my hip to pull away from his member, and he let me escape his clutch. I only did this to turn around and lay my hands on his chest. I was panting, sweating too, but regardless, I decided I should tease him back a little. I begged him for more and said that there's no way he could be done after cumming just once. He laughed, still lying down, panting a little himself, saying that he just needed a moment to revitalize himself. I leaned forward, with my face ever so closer to him, whispering that I'd gladly breathe some new life into him…

A naughty thought crossed my mind at the sight of a defenseless, naked Khajiit lying underneath me, waiting for me to do my magic. I began by kissing him, not that I really think Khajiit like kissing the same way we humans do… I've heard they actually don't like it too much when their nose is touched, or maybe they just dislike it because to them, it IS like kissing… I caressed his neck too, his mane, rubbed the soft fur behind his ears… And I opened my mouth as wide as I could, took a deep breath, and sunk my teeth into his neck. He took a heavy breath, but although he did resist and try to fend me off, it was already too late for him. I was indeed doing my magic. In his "weakened" state, he was highly vulnerable for me to take control over his mind.

To think he is delusional enough to believe he's some kind of thief god reborn… He fell under a vampire's spell just like any other ordinary mortal.

I wasn't sure how long my power over him would last, so I simply instructed him to just stay still and relax, empty his mind, and let me take care of him. I fetched my dagger and took it to his bed, cutting apart the sheets and the mattress, taking a good nice long chunk of it to use as a make-shift rope. Anxious that my spell could be broken at any moment, I hastily took his arms and tied them behind his back, and then with some more cloth, I tied his mouth and his eyes. I wasn't going to hurt him or kill him. I may be reckless, but I'm not stupid.

By the time the spell had worn off, he could do nothing to escape the tightly tied wrappings. I teased him about how I would steal his prized treasure, which he didn't seem too pleased about, based on how he was struggling against my restraints. Then, I took a long glance at my price, the Crown of Barenziah. Nothing stood between her and my naked self anymore… Except for maybe the fact that I was naked… I wasn't going to make my grand escape without my gear, you know…

Truth be told, I didn't really have any of this planned out. How could I have? I had no idea where that bastard was keeping the freaking crown! Besides, there was the minor issue of it being daytime and me being in the middle of what was basically an enemy territory. I escaped through the window to the front yard, and after determining that the coast was clear, I tried my best to escape the compound without being seen. Lucky for me, it was much easier than I ever anticipated it being.

All in all, I must say, I was expecting this burglary to be a little bit more dramatic, not that I mind at all. Pieces all fell in good places, and all that was left was for me to return to Ahkari to signal them to start packing and moving. Her expert eye confirmed that I was indeed holding the real deal, putting any shadows of doubt I might've had in my mind to rest. I wasn't meant to join them on the trip home, at least not at that point, as we promised to meet down the road in Cyrodiil later. Or, at least so I hope we will… They could've gotten into trouble for all I know.

Anyway, they were shocked at how quickly I got the task done, but it didn't matter. They were ready to leave. Me? I decided to call for help from an old friend I made in the afterlife.

Remember Durnehviir? That dragon I defeated with my friends in the Soul Cairn? I have only called for his aid once, so I think it's only fair he owes me some more help. Outside the city, I let my voice rip and tear down the walls between the dimensions and let my old friend return to Tamriel once more. He was surprised to be summoned outside Skyrim, but he didn't mind at all. In fact, a chance of scenery might be what's preferable to him. I asked him, was there any way he could fulfill my selfish request and give me a lift? I was planning on taking a boat to Leyawiin, but you know… Why? Literally why, when you can fly? He was hesitant, but I promised to him, I promised and pleaded that the third time that I would summon him to Tamriel would be for him to just fly free without any commitment to help me. Besides, he was also getting to fly now, so there was no need for drama, was there? I was able to convince him, thank Sithis for that.

So yeah, that's the second time in my life I've ridden on the wings of a dragon, this time over a sea! By the time those fools at Rah'jin's mansion realized they'd been robbed, I was flying the fuck out of Elsweyr!

And so, that finally brings me to today. I stayed a day in Leyawiin, just treating myself to its scenery and resting, and then spent a night traveling the road northward to Bravil, where I'm right now, waiting for Ahkari. Man, was it a satisfying stroll through a night! Weather was clear, no wind at all, and didn't run into any trouble whatsoever, except for one Legionnaire who was awfully worried about a young child wandering a road alone at night. I must also say, those Ayleid ruins I saw by the roads sure are pretty… There aren't many ancient Falmer ruins left in Skyrim, apart from that Forgotten Vale anyway, so having these kinds of ancient relics dot this landscape is a nice shift of pace from what I'm used to. I also walked past what I think was a shrine dedicated to Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of madness. I didn't stop to commune with him though. I'm a little insane in the head, but there's no guarantee he would've responded to me.

The reason why we decided to travel separately was for the safety of the crown, by the way. It's unlikely they would've come for Ahkari and her crew, but if they were stopped for a search in Elsweyr, at least they would've found her caravan without the crown, making sure she wouldn't be suspected for being my accomplice.

The first thing I did when I got to Bravil was knock on Kanna's door, and I was delighted to see she was still home. She wasn't expecting to see me but welcomed me in anyway. I asked if I could stay with her for a couple of days as I waited for my friend to return from Elsweyr, and promised that I'd make it worth her while. I expected to help her with chores, but she's treating me like a freaking princess… She won't let me do any work, and she just keeps saying that I'm her honored guest.

I also told her about my little heist… Not sure if I should have? She noticed the crown I had with me, so I kind of had to… I also asked her if she would like to tag along with us to Skyrim since she's headed there eventually anyway, but unfortunately, she refused, saying there's still something she has to do here in Bravil. Well, whatever.

That's about everything I have to write about. Depending on how long it takes Ahkari to catch up with me, I might write something tomorrow as well… We'll see!

Midyear, 6th, 4E 203

So, the journey concludes, and we're back at Skyrim. The caravan dropped me off before heading to their designated area north of Riften, and I approached the Nightingale Hall. Karliah seemed surprised to see me, saying she wasn't expecting me to be back so soon. At the same time, she admitted to being worried for me every day, hoping I would come back safely. I presented her with the crown she was looking for, and she couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces when the crown with all the gems would be brought to the cistern.

She had prepared a perfect place for the crown to be placed in, and with the help of Brynjolf, she has even erected a small shrine to Nocturnal. It's also thanks to Nocturnal that we can use this powerful artifact as a paragon for the guild. This isn't merely just a status symbol or some superstitious nonsense either, as Karliah says it's truly been blessed. She also had some final words of gratitude for me.

"No matter how well I've served Nocturnal, I couldn't have done this without you. You helped me take down an impostor, a betrayer, and now you've helped me recover something priceless to me and this guild from a delusional pretender. My Mistress recognizes this too and wishes to reward you."

Well, I'll be damned. I approached her shrine, and I could finally hear her voice for the first time. The tone in her voice didn't really suggest to me that she seemed happy or even grateful, but maybe that's just how her personality is. She simply told me that her shadow shall guide me through my adventures, and her luck shall bless my journeys. No trinkets or artifacts, just a blessing, but I should know that a blessing from Lady Luck is valuable enough. The same blessing will be brought upon the members of this guild, both present and future.

That doesn't mean I didn't get rewarded monetarily though. Karliah paid me as she promised, and she even had a little surprise for me in the form of an amulet from her personal collection. It's not some enchanted, powerful piece of sorcery or anything like that, just a valuable treasure I can either keep or sell at a high price. She doesn't really care. She just said it's one of the more valuable jewels she's ever looted.

As for me, what does the future hold? Well, I've been doing a lot of work for others lately, and I feel that I need to focus on myself more. Not only will I take some time off to rest and relax, but I will also have to look into lifting this curse that Clavicus Vile has cast down on me. I'm not sure where to start, but I don't intend to be blinded by his curse for the rest of my life. Maybe I could turn towards my friends, or perhaps someone at the College knows how to lift a Daedra's curse? Perhaps I need to seek out the man himself… I don't like the idea of it, as he would probably just fuck me over again, but what if it truly is my only option?

Midyear, 11th, 4E 203

Having spent time home with my lovely friends, I've had time to think, read, ask questions… Sadly, no book could really provide me with any helpful information. I was expecting it to be some of my more literate friends who could provide me with information, but curiously, it was my lovely fellow meat-brain Sofia who had an idea for me. "Isn't there some crazy wizard living in Morthal? I've heard rumors that he can even cure vampirism."

Well, if that's true, maybe he could cure other Daedric curses and illnesses as well? Granted, vampirism is neither curse nor a disease, but it's of Daedric origin, so who knows? Seeking this crazy wizard out is probably my best bet at the moment.

I'm quite looking forward to going on an adventure with my usual travel companions once more. Me, Serana, and Sofia, just like in the good old days. Maybe we can even find some unrelated fun on the way to Morthal? Sissel and Aliya will keep watch here at home. Sissel has been learning magic from Aliya, so they're gonna keep themselves busy with that. Aliya even joked about having to eventually steal Sissel away from me and bring her to her home once she decided to return. In case you wonder, her actual home is in Morrowind, and not right on the other side of the border either, but quite a far away from here. I would love to visit one day! Oh, but I'm keeping Sissel though. Ain't nobody gonna steal her away from me!

Midyear, 13th, 4E 203

We were traveling north from Whiterun towards the Pale for my semi-weekly visit to the Sanctuary, as it's on the road to Morthal. It's not the straightest route by any means, but with the other options being walking through Rorikstead or through the mountains, it's the most logical route. Anyway, we noticed a lot of commotion near some old Nordic burial tomb on the roadside. To our surprise, what we found were actually soldiers from the Legion. We couldn't help but get curious and went on to listen to them.

It quickly became apparent to us that they were looking for something down there and that the Stormcloaks were looking for this something too. I didn't care what this something was, but that didn't mean we didn't want to be involved. Technically the peace treaty that was signed in High Hrothgar is still ongoing, and while I don't care about it being lifted now, I also don't care for both sides completely ignoring its terms that were negotiated for such a painfully long time. I thought it would make for a funny prank to sabotage them both by trying to steal whatever they were looking for from right under their noses, and I'm glad my mischievous little friends agreed.

Stormcloaks were ahead, while the Imperials were still waiting for someone or something to make their move. Oh, they're so organized, aren't they? Can't make any decisions without your superiors, now can't you? Cloaks hadn't made much progress beyond clearing out rocks that stood between them and the riches inside near the entrance and were now in the process of venturing deeper. There were about thirty of them, but with the help of some magic and potions, we all could sneak past them while they were fighting against the Draugr near the entrance. Thanks to this undead distraction, we got well ahead of them, but that also meant braving towards mostly unventured waters.

Cloaks had also sent a scout ahead, a master of stealth in his own right. His route had been cut short by one of those doors you need an ornamental claw to open. He was holding it in his hands while failing to figure out how to operate it. That's when I took him alone and slit his throat open before he could even realize he was under attack. I took the claw from his fingers and opened the door as I whispered, "Let me show you how it's done, mortal".

My friends took the opportunity to poke fun of me talking to a dead man. Oh, they're such lovely annoying cunts sometimes. I missed traveling with them.

As we snuck past a room full of Draugr, we tried to figure out how to get forward. Like, we knew there was a hidden lever somewhere, but it took me way too long to figure out where, and when we eventually found it, we realized that the enemy was right behind us. The Stormcloaks had met their defeat after being flanked between the Legion and the Draugr, and now Legion was on our tail. "Someone is ahead", one of them said. "There's no way that Stormcloak scout could've been killed by Draugr." "It damn sure wasn't one of our men either. Be careful."

Lucky for us, we were still sufficiently ahead and had plenty of time to plan ahead…

The next room was the throne room, but we couldn't figure out what it was we were looking for, so I approached the word wall instead, while my friends tried to figure out what the treasure here was. I think this word is for slowing time… I've been looking for something like that for quite some time! Goodness gracious, what a find!

We could hear the soldiers approaching. "The crown must be here", one of them said.

A crown, you say? Well, there happened to be one sitting square on the head of that Draugr seated on the throne. Sofia reached from behind the throne to grab it, which angered the undead. Legionnaires stormed the room and realized that they were surrounded by pissed-off enemies. These soldiers weren't going to lose, but with the treasure in our hands and with an ample distraction, we were ready to leave. We didn't stay to listen to the aftermath, as funny as it might've been.

Now, if this crown is significant, I can't probably get away with selling it to just about anyone. Maybe Delvin? Yeah, that's a good idea. Or maybe, if both sides want it in their hands, I could just sell it to them instead? Nah, that would be boring. Although, if Ulfric or Tullius would pay a lot for it, why not? Then again, I can't imagine anyone wanting to wear a crown this ugly. It's hideous!

Anyway, that's about the only exciting thing that happened today. We got to Dawnstar safely, and now we can rest for the day.

Midyear, 14th, 4E 203

Haven't managed to leave Dawnstar yet, but we'll get around it. I'll skip all the boring, work-related stuff since I'm not gonna kill any of these targets personally.

When I was strolling the streets, going from shop to shop wondering what to sell, what to buy, what herbs could be useful for my experiments, I was attacked by some cultists, talking about the true Dragonborn, about me being a false one. Wait, I'm getting a weird feeling of déjà vu here… Hasn't this happened before? This is already the second time, isn't it? I hate to admit, but I had pretty much forgotten about them attacking me a year or so ago. They talked about Solstheim, which I believe is an island northeast of Skyrim, a territory of Morrowind north of Blacklight.

I didn't think I would be leaving Skyrim so soon after coming home from Elsweyr, but I guess there's a place I should visit sooner rather than later. If there are people there who are after my life and some other "real" Dragonborn, it might be important to investigate what's going on.

Yes, we are going there, in case that wasn't obvious already, my dear diary. This time, I'm bringing friends along, but we're not leaving yet, not even this week probably, not before we're done with our round-trip to Morthal anyway.

• 35th Journal - Vampires of Hjaalmarch