The Story of Little Katy 1#

A Cave. It always starts in a damn cave. But this should be expected when living as a vampirehunter for the Dawnguard. It was the usual: some peasant, or some lord, it really doesn't matter, saw, or think it saw, a vampire. One of those blood sucking monsters, hiding in the shadows of those freaking caves. Goddamn, I hate caves. It's not that I'm scared of them, I'm just annoyed of them after all those years. But you know who's scared of them? My Apprentice: Kathryn. I like her, a lot. As a friend, and as her mentor. But this time, I will be happy that she was with me. I really couldn't know that all of those would end in a fight with a gigantic, overgrown, big titted vampire, but let's start at the beginning. The cave.

"And you think this is the right cave?", Kathryn asked the second we set foot into the darkness.

"It's the only one around. So, yes, I think this is the right one.", I replied knowing what was to come. She wanted to argue.

"But...", she started, promptly interrupted by me.

"We will not look around the woods, the villages or something else, only because you are afraid of caves, Katy."

"Stop calling me that! It's Kate, not Katy!"

"As long as you are afraid of caves, I will call you that."

"I'm not afraid, I'm just... cautious, you know?", she explained decent enough.

"Call it what you want, little Katy. It's still the same. Let's head in there, kill this beast and get out of here.", I said, ending the conversation to get ready for a fight.

And so we head in. Right into the dark spots of this forgotten cave. We heard the scratching of the surrounding undead, the rumbling sound of silence in our ears. Kathryn was all the time right behind me, holding her dear sword like a baby doll. God. If I wouldn't know how good she was with it normally, I would get rid of her. She was an excellent fighter, alchemist and hunter overall. I told her in the last year's everything I know, and she was the best apprentice I ever had. Not that I had much, but, you know...  But when a cave was involved, she looked more like a child. Hopefully this story would make her more confident of what she was able to.

But all the 'cautiousness' and the fear of little Katy was unnecessary when we were heading deeper and finally coming to the main chamber of the complex. You know what we find there, and all of the way down there? Right – two draugr. Nothing more. Even those were so dry that they vanished into nothing when hit by my sword and the crossbow. Disappointing, actually. There was no Vampire here, only some weak undead. So the story could end here, you think. Well, It could. But I have to stick my damn nose into stuff it doesn't belong.

To take care we missed anything, we proceed to the last chamber of the cave. Nothing more than a small room, with a pedestal in its center. And so we find the damn pond of green, stinky gruel that will start all of this mess.

The mucus was stinky as hell as it ascended in greenish clouds into the moldy room. I had should have known better that then taking a step forward, right in front of it. While examine the thing, I accidentally took a deep breath from it. It only takes a second for the coughing to start. But not those normal coughs, you get while hopping over a flowery meadow. No, this one was real, coming right from the lungs, making you wanna puke. The coughing was so heavy that I blacked out, only for a second, maybe two. The next thing I remember was lying on the ground, Kathryn right next to me, while her nervous voice wakes me up.

"Hey, how are you? Can you hear me?", Kathryn asked in concern as I was coming back to consciousness.

“I'm fine. How... long was I gone?”, I rumble while getting back together.

“Less than a minute, maybe. You sounded cruel, you sure are fine?”

“Yes, yes! It was a cough, nothing more. Shouldn't head my nose into draugr poop, Ha!”, I joke to enlighten our mood before standing up with her help.

After standing again, I field good. The cough was gone and I was fine. But after this, Katy was speaking again in this nervous tone of voice.

“Garet...?”, she started, before interrupted by me.

“Yeah, Yeah I'm fine. C'mon and get out of here.”, I said while tapping the dust from my armor.

“Gareth, your smaller.”

“Don't rip me of, I'm not sma-”, I started, before I lift my eyes. I was looking up to Kathryn.

But I was the taller one. I have always been taller than her, but now I have to look up. Not much, but enough to be recognizable instantly. Now she was half a head taller, instead of me. I was gasping for a second, while looking up to a woman first time in my life.

“Shit, that's... that's the gruel. It's a trap! Get out of her, fast! Before you are effected, too. Now!”, I pulled together and hurry Katy off to run. But for the things to come, I couldn't run. Because my little story of shrinking, just began.