Chapter 1:

New Page of a New Story

Skyrim is owned by Bethesda.

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"Daedra/Aedra speech"

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Ella took in a deep, silent breath. Her prey was particularly mobile this time around; fond of traversing rocky ground and moving even in the freezing rain, but all creatures had to rest eventually, and this simple beast had finally done so. She peered closer at her potential feast, debating the best way to take it down.

"What are you doing?" a voice whispered teasingly.

Ella flinched, resisting the urge to snarl. "I'm hunting, Jon!"

Jon snorted, turning his gaze to the quarry, "…Doesn't look all that impressive…was it the first one you saw ?" he jeered.

"What of it?" Ella hissed, whipping her head to glare at her (as of now) unwanted companion.

"Everything," Jon chided, "You are not some stray hunter anymore. You're a part of something far greater. And you should only use your skills to hunt the best, most delicious prey, not some scrawny little—and it's gone".

"What!" Ella nearly shrieked. She looked over at the clearing, growling at its emptiness. "You damnable oaf!" She stood up, glaring down at Jon, "You scared it away!"

Jon smirked coolly, standing up to look Ella in the eyes, "Well, you're certainly not helping matters".

Ella sneered, clenching her fists, "Don't test me".

Jon rolled his eyes, "Sure…C'mon, I know a place with far bet-gak!"

Ella stepped back as an arrow pierced Jon's throat—spraying blood on her face—sending electrical shocks through out his body, before he fell on the ground, dead.

Ella pulled the dagger on her hip out of its sheathe, charging up an Ice Spike in her free hand. She heard the twang of a bowstring, and ducked behind a tree, smirking when an arrow sunk into the tree. Quick as a flash, she shot out the spike in the direction the arrow flew from, along with two more within the same area.

"Grah!"

Ella's eyes widened immensely, jumping back in fright as a hulking Dremora burst from the brush, cleaving the space she stood with a massive Daedric sword.

"You will bleed!" the Dremora roared.

Ella haphazardly shot another ice spike at the monster, before turning around to run full sprint. She only made it a few feet however, before she felt something sharp pierce through her abdomen. A flash of purple light revealed a man in hooded armor, wearing a red facemask, his blade sunk deep into her body.

Weakly, as the light dimmed from her eyes, she recognized him as the one she was hunting just moments before.

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Alan watched the woman's face go through a variety of emotions after he revealed himself. When she opened her mouth, he quickly brought his free hand over her face, "Shh…" He charged up a lightning spell, letting it flow from his hand to her brain; she spasmed greatly, only stopping when he removed his hand.

After a brief moment, he pushed the woman off of his blade.

"Bah," Alan turned towards the Dremora, "To deny me the pleasure of killing one of Molag Bal's pets. You are a cruel mortal".

Alan chuckled, crouching down to search the woman's corpse for valuables, "Is that a compliment?"

The Dremora snorted.

Alan frowned as he patted the vampire down. "Where have I seen this armor?" he muttered, "Hmm…Ah! Movarth wore a similar piece…Yeesh, these guys must be pretty old then". He then noticed the woman's dagger had a glow to it, "Ooh! Fear enchantment!" he exclaimed.

The Dremora rolled its eyes, ignoring its summoner's excited ramblings. It then heard a cracking sound to its left, and whirled around gripping its blade tightly.

"Stand down," Alan softly stated, moving over to the second corpse.

The Dremora frowned, but shifted out of its stance.

"You can come out now!" Alan called out without looking up from the second corpse.

After a moment, a figure started to push past the brush. Alan looked over his shoulder, frowning at the sight of an Orc in unfamiliar dull brown armor.

The Orc, to his credit, ignored the Daedra standing just a few feet away. He smiled at Alan, "I must say, that was some impressive vampire-killing".

Alan grunted, "Eh, I give it a six out of ten," he smirked as the Orc's brow rose, "There's an arrow sunk in the tree to your left. Speaking of, do you mind?"

The Orc shrugged, pulling the arrow out of the tree, tossing it over to Alan, "The name's Durak".

Alan nodded as he caught the arrow, "Okay".

Durak frowned, "…Aren't you going to give me your name?"

Alan stopped patting the corpse down. He stood up, turning to face Durak. "…Alan".

Durak hummed, "You know Alan, my organization could use someone like you".

Alan slumped slight, holding back a sigh, "Oh? And what army might you be a part of? What hopeless cause are you fighting for?"

Durak shook his head, "We're not some band of mercenaries. We're the Dawnguard, vampire hunters".

Alan straightened, narrowing his eyes curiously, "Come again?"

Durak smiled, "I take it you're interested?"

Alan just turned to the Dremora, "Catch you later," he then charged up an orb of purple energy in his hand, shooting it at the Daedra.

To its credit, the Daedra only groaned lightly as it was forcibly sent back to Oblivion.

Alan turned back to Durak, "Sorry, but if I keep the guy here too long without a fight, he gets antsy".

Durak grunted, "Right. So, back to the matt-!" Durak pulled out his axe as Alan shot orbs of magic at the two corpses, reanimating them.

Alan clicked his tongue as Durak growled lowly, "Relax," he then charged up two orbs in his hands, summoning two transparent wolves, simultaneously turning the corpses into ash, "It's just my way of cleaning up".

Durak blinked, "Oh," he slowly slid his axe back into its sheathe, "That's…smart actually".

"Isn't it?" Alan said as he bent down to pet the ethereal animals.

Durak crossed his arms, "So…"

Alan shrugged, "Sure, I've got nothing going on at the moment. Where are you guy's located?"

Durak smiled, "Just East of Riften," he then turned around, "I do hope you'll join. We'll need all the help we can to deal with the vampire menace".

Alan hummed, "Sure thing".

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Alan whistled jauntily as he entered the Ragged Flagon, waving as he passed the various merchants that had decided to take up shop after the Guild returned to its former glory.

"Boss," Dirge grunted from his usual spot.

"Dirge," Alan replied in a similar tone of voice. He smirked as the large man grumbled.

He quickly moved forward, nodding his head at Vex and Delvin, "Hey guys".

"Hey Boss," Delvin smirked as he lifted a bottle of mead to his lips, "Have a successful venture?"

Alan smirked (not that anyone could see it beneath his mask), summoning two burlap sacks from a pocket dimension he'd developed years ago. "You tell me," he tossed the sack on Delvin's table.

Delvin sifted through the first sack, smiling widely as the gems and jewelry glimmered in the dim light of the tavern. Vex had a much more sour expression on her face, "…The hell is this?!"

Delvin frowned; leaning over to look in the second sack, scrunched his face, and stared at Alan, "…Sweetrolls?"

Alan shrugged, accepting cup of mead that Vekel handed him, "You said you wanted the equivalent of fifteen hundred Septims in stolen goods," he pulled down his mask, taking a quick swig of the drink, "The Sweetrolls count for half of that".

Vex sighed irritably, "We can't sell this!"

Alan waved a hand, "Nonsense! Tonilia ca—"

"I don't deal in perishable goods," the Redguard calmly stated.

Alan shrugged under Vex's glare, "Okay then…consider it an early bonus!"

Delvin, sensing Vex's temper reach the breaking point, quickly dumped the sellable loot on the table, "Why don't we sort this out, eh love?"

Vex clenched her jaw, but did so regardless.

With a smirk, Alan turned around, leaning against the counter and downing his drink.

Vekel chuckled as he handed Alan another bottle of mead, "You know she's going to kill you one of these days?"

"Please, she knows she loves me," he tilted his head to the side, throwing his hand up to catch a Sweetroll flying where his head was, "Thanks honey!" he said in a falsetto voice, turning around to give the blonde thief a wide smile.

Another Sweetroll slammed into his face. Laughter echoed throughout the Flagon.

Alan smacked his lips, smiling as a rag was placed in his hands, "Thanks Vekel".

"Wrong Nord, lad".

"Ah, Brynjolf!" his smile widened when he removed the rag from his face, seeming a familiar Dunmer, "And Karliah! "Back from a job?"

"Not exactly," Brynjolf pulled off his hood, running a hand through his long, red hair. "…Just got back from an Impromptu meeting with Maven".

Alan grinned, "Oh? And what did our illustrious Jarl have to say to you?"

"Apparently," Karliah began as she sat down next to him, removing her own hood, "Louis Letrush stole her horse, Frost".

Alan snorted, "That nervous-wreck couldn't steal a Septim from a blind beggar, much less a horse from Maven Black-Briar".

"Yes, that's why she thinks he had help".

"Lucky him".

Brynjolf nodded to Vekel, and the man decided to take everyone out on a picnic.

If Alan was nervous when all but two people in the Flagon left, he didn't show it.

"You were just on a job up in Windhelm, weren't you?" Karliah asked.

"Oh yeah," Alan snickered, "Robbed this woman named Viola blind…Feel bad for the Dunmer she's going to end up blaming though".

Karliah and Brynjolf shared a look, "We going to keep playing this game, lad?"

Alan smiled widely at Brynjolf, "Oh, we could all stand to play more games".

"…Weren't your girls asking for a pet pony?"

Alan slammed his drink on the counter, "…I guess now I know why you sent everyone away. You plan on using that from the beginning?"

Brynjolf nodded, "Didn't want to," Alan merely nodded.

"But back to the matter at hand," Karliah continued.

"Please," Alan scoffed, "We all know Maven could stand to be taken down a peg".

"That's not the point!" Brynjolf slammed his hand against the bar, "We may have gotten back on our feet, but Maven is still a huge revenue stream for us! You can't keep antagonizing her!"

"I don't have any love for Maven either, Alan," Karliah placed a hand on his shoulder, "But this is getting dangerous. First she 'lost' that magic inkwell, then Honningbrew gets immense revenue from a 'mysterious investor' allowing them to move out of her pocket—while still in our mind you—and now this," she sighed, rubbing her temples, "You're good Alan, but she's going to catch you soon enough".

Alan nodded somberly, "Then it's a good thing I'm going to stay away from Riften, and the Guild, for awhile".

Brynjolf leaned closer to Alan, "What do you mean, lad?"

"You guys heard of the Dawnguard?"

Brynjolf frowned, "Heard a few guards talk it, why?"

"They're a band of warriors seeking to destroy the vampire menace," Alan shrugged, "At least, that's what an old tome on the group said".

Karliah frowned, "Well, I have heard rumors of smaller settlements being accosted by vampires".

"So," Brynjolf cocked a brow, "one of their ranks asked you join?"

"Yeah".

"And you plan on doing so?"

"I've got nothing going on at the moment, so…why not?"

Brynjolf and Karliah chuckled. "Well, lad, may Nocturnal watch over you on this latest endeavor".

"And don't worry about Maven, we'll keep her off your back," Karliah added.

Alan wrapped his arms around their shoulders, bringing them in for a quick hug. "Thanks you two". He stood up, pulling on his hood and mask. "And Lady Nocturnal, if you're listening, don't worry. I'll be sure to grab some loot in your honor".

The three Nightingales shivered the room darkened, before lighting up in the next instant. Alan smirked, "Well, she doesn't seem mad".

Brynjolf sighed as the Breton walked away, moving behind the counter to grab some liquor, "One thing's for sure, it'll be calmer with him gone".

Karliah grinned, "I'll drink to that".

A/N: So…I woke up and found a very, very rough draft of the Dragonborn curb stomping Harkon on my computer. So I decided, 'Fuck it, why not make an entire story out of it'. FYI, the Dragonborn DLC was completed before this story...I wasn't kidding when I said Harkon is going to be stomped. Be sure to leave a review. Later.