Disclaimer – Skyrim and related lore belong to their correct copyright owners.
Based upon the Skyrim mod "Belua Sanguinare Revisted" by MofoMojo and Jackisthe.
A Friend of Darkness
A Skyrim Oneshot
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I wasn't always like this.
I once relished in the embrace of the Sun's rays. Frolicked in the magnificent fields of Skyrim and took in the beauty of this foreign land that I now stalk.
I once was heralded as the foreign Hero that came to put an end to the rebirth of the dragons, a Hero of the people in all 9 holds, and the Hero who protected the light of the sun from the vampires of castle Volikhar.
But being the Hero comes at a terrible price.
I came to this land to escape my past in Cyrodiil. I had killed an Imperial Captain after he tried to rape my sister and I. I knew as a woman I'd never be allowed to defend myself. I had to run or be killed simply for defending the only person I had left.
After securing a new identity for my sister from an old friend who owed me a favor, I left for the harsh land known as Skyrim.
As soon as I arrived I had been captured for illegally crossing the border and was sent to Helgen to be beheaded alongside a horse thief and a detachment of Stormcloaks, sons and daughters of Skyrim who wished to rid their homeland of the Thalmor and Imperials, with their leader Ulfric Stormcloak.
As my turn came for the executioner to remove my head from my body the impossible happened. A dragon descended from the Heavens and wiped Helgen from the maps. I along with one of the Stormcloaks survived and my reluctant journey to kill the dragons began.
I never wanted to be Dragonborn. I never wanted to risk my life for this land that seemed to want to kill me no matter where I went. I just wanted to live and one day find my sister again. I never wanted to be a hero.
As I faced the hidden horrors that plagued Skyrim something I didn't expect happened. I fell in love with this land. Suddenly, I wasn't just fighting for my dream of being reunited with my sister, I was fighting for my home. Every act of evil was an act against me. Every tyrant wishing to enslave the Nords was wishing to enslave me. Every innocent's death was the death of a piece of me.
And perhaps what truly changed everything was that I was no longer alone. Despite being an Imperial the Nords accepted me. They saw how hard I was fighting. The danger that seemed to be following me everywhere I went. I wasn't an oppressor that wished to rule over them. I was another woman looking to live just one more day. To live free.
First came Lydia, my own personal Housecarl. She wasn't very happy about that at first. But as we fought together across the plains of Skyrim she and I came to respect one another and perhaps even view the other as a sister. I can no longer remember she looks like. She died so very long ago.
Then the others came: The Companions, the Thieves guild, the Dark Brotherhood, the Mages College, and the Dawnguard. Friendships were forged and enemies were exposed. I cherish every memory I have of each group, the good and the bad.
Then I met her, the only woman I'll ever truly love. The very thought of her brings warmth to my now cold body. I had found her trapped, entombed by her own mother, in a cave designed by those ancient fools who thought they could blot out the sun.
My beloved Serana.
I'll never forget when she met my adopted daughter Sophie. The two took to one another instantly. Sophie was rather blunt about Serana's Vampirism but did not judge. After all I was a Werewolf and it wouldn't do for my daughter to despise the supernatural.
Those days were perhaps my happiest.
But this isn't a fairy tale. How could it be?
Slowly I lost everyone. One by one they were taken from me until I was alone. Each death seemed to be more gruesome than the last.
Perhaps it was punishment for believing my self indestructible. Perhaps it was Alduin's last act of revenge. Or maybe the gods finally punishing me for not believing in them.
Either way I was never the Hero they say I was. I wasn't brave or gallant. I was scared, terrified even that I would meet my end with each exploration of Skyrim's seemingly endless supply of caves or tombs.
For all the power I'd gained since arriving, I was powerless against the one enemy everyone must face.
Death.
I know not how long I was broken. How long I just drifted from place to place. It felt like an eternity.
Then I found it. No, it's more it found me.
A present.
It just appeared. Given to me on some god forsaken night when I'd let my guard down.
A potion and a book which explained why I'd been given this gift.
If I chose to accept it, I'd make the final step from Hero who lost everything to fallen Monster.
I spent countless hours simply reading. Reading what my fate would become. How I would have to live. Feared and hated everywhere I went. But unimaginable power would be at my disposal.
My father once told me to never be a hero. That misery and pain was all that a hero knew. For you either die a Hero or live long enough to see yourself become the Villain.
This gift was a choice. But not just a choice. It was the choice.
The choice between death and immortality.
I don't know if I'll ever be ready to die. However, if that final day should ever come to me I'll greet death as a dear friend rather than the ultimate enemy.
Even now I still have things to do. Unfulfilled vows of vengeance and justice to complete.
The person who bestowed upon me this gift, this curse. This friend of darkness. I hope, one day, I'll meet them. So that I can thank whoever they are for bringing me back from the brink of despair and destruction and placing me back where I belong.
The Nords no longer welcome me.
The Dawnguard actively hunts me.
The Mages College wards the college against my presence.
The Companions despise my existence.
The Thieves Guild are reluctant to use my talents.
The Dark Brotherhood was contracted to kill one of their own.
Oh yes. My father was quite right. You either die a Hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the Villain.
But I'm fine with that. I was never a Hero. I was just a lost soul looking for a place to rest. Being the Villain is fine with me. It won't stop me from protecting this land or the innocent who call Skyrim home. I've no interest in them.
It is those who seek action that I wish to drain of life. To send fear into the depths of their hearts. To rip the flesh from their bones and feast upon their hearts. To turn them into the instruments of my justice. To watch with absolute glee as allies turn on one another even after death.
Imperial, Stormcloak, Thalmor, Dawnguard, Bandits, Daedra, and all those who wish to change the world with blood will know just how painful it is to set down that road. The same road I ventured down upon to protect those precious to me.
Friend of darkness, when the day comes that you and I meet…
You shall regret giving me this gift, this curse. For you'll realize as I lob your head from your demonic body that I am not a friend of darkness.
I am a conqueror of darkness.
I drank it.
I became it.
So now innocent reader.
What will you choose?
Will you choose to do the same as I and forsake death for power?
Or will you do as I could not and embrace death?
Whatever you choose, know this.
The Belua Sanguinare never dies.
And if you cannot choose.
I will.
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Inspired by Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the Skryim mod "Belua Sanguinare Revisted" by MofoMojo and Jackisthe and countless hours lived in the realm of Tamriel.
Not all powers, weaknesses, notes, or myths are used from Belua Sanguinare Revisted. All credit for the mod goes to MofoMojo and Jaskisthe.
This was written a long time ago, back when the mod was still active and being updated. Unfortunately, as of this posting, Belua Sanguinare Revisted is a dead mod and Better Vampires has vastly surpassed what BSR is capable of when it was abandoned. I highly suggest checking it out if you haven't already.
I was looking through old one-shots and decided to post this up. Not really caring for typos, grammar, etc. for this so don't waste your efforts pointing them out. They will be ignored. Just posting for fun.
Originally this was a letter to the reader where, the vampiric dragonborn turns you into a vampire. I found it rather cheesy and took that bit out. It still can be if you want that to be the case. Either way I hope you found some kind of amusement from this and that you'll check out my other stories and follow my silly writings.