A/N:

Okay, this chapter is sort of exploring the characters a little more, and progressing them. There is no advancement in the questline, that will happen next chapter. Btw, this chapter took a long time to write. Finals ate me alive, and so did Christmas. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter, and feedback is always appreciated!

Chapter Three: Right Back To The Basics

I stood on top of the Dawnguard fortress, underneath the night sky. The air was chilly, but I wasn't cold. My right hand was enclosed in a thin cloth wrapping. Danica did wonders for my wound, but she said the wound would leave a scar. I have yet to see the wound now, but I was sure it would be noticeable. 'Just what I need, more scars.' I took my stance and shot a flame spell towards the stone wall. It was weak and small. I cursed under my breath. How could I cast simple magic spells with this busted hand? I then shouted a fire breath, putting my hands out, trying to control it. I failed, and the flames just went right past my hands.

"Dammit!"

I then waited a few moments before shouting again. As I shouted, I tried to change the direction of the flame, but once again, I failed. I was beginning to get frustrated. 'I need to get stronger, I'm too weak.' I shouted out of anger, and I swore I felt the ground shake slightly. I opened my eyes to a familiar voice. It was Tailsin.

"Damn Lucien, don't bring the fort down." He said, chuckling a bit.

"Shut up." I glared.

Tailsin held his hands in the air, "Woah, what did I do?"

I guess I sounded a little bitchy when I said that. But I couldn't help it. I was frustrated. I continued to glare at him.

"What's going on with you?" Tailsin asked, crossing his arms.

"This stupid hand can't cast a simple spell," I said, holding my right up, "And I can't seem to control my own damn shouts."

"Yeah, I could tell."

I shot him another nasty glare. He apologized and took a step forward.

"Do you need help?"

I gave him a suspicious look, "What do you know about magic?"

Tailsin gestured to himself, "Um hello? Altmer?"

I raised my brow. Somehow I found it hard to believe because I was always used to seeing him use a sword. Very rarely did I ever see him use magic.

"I actually know a lot about the Arcane Arts." He said, rolling his eyes.

I turned around and tried to cast another spell, only this time it was a lightning spell. It faded out as soon as it left my hand. In a fit of rage, I shouted out of anger.

"You really should learn to control that," Tailsin said, putting his hands to his sides.

I glared and lunged my fist towards him, aiming for his chest. He grabbed my hand and stopped me. My stupid self tried hitting him with my right hand, so the impact hurt like hell. I quickly retracted my hand. Even if my hand wasn't so sensitive, the impact didn't even make him flinch.

"What the hell? Are you made of stone or something?" I asked, looking at my hand.

"Pretty much. But you should know better than to attack me at night sweetheart." He said, chuckling in amusement.

I glared at him for a moment before he spoke again, "Do you want some help now or what?"

My expression somewhat softened, and I lowered my hand. I nodded my head. Tailsin drew his sword and tossed it to me. He gestured at it, but stood there, confused. He rolled his eyes in a somewhat disapproving way. Tailsin then picked up a normal steel sword nearby.

"Okay, give all you got. I'll go easy on you." He said, twirling his sword before taking his stance.

I held up Tailsin's sword. It was light but felt inevitably dangerous. I swung my sword at Tailsin, but he blocked it, moving the course of my swing the other direction. I collected myself and struck again, but the same thing happened. This continued on repeat, and I was starting to become frustrated. Tailsin chuckled before looking at me with a serious expression.

"You cannot perform the same move over and over again expecting different results. If you really want to make your enemy bleed, you need to use your brain, not your strength."

I glared at Tailsin. He shrugged and let out a sigh. I knew how to fight, I wasn't inexperienced. But I didn't doubt that all vampires fight like Tailsin. Quick and silently. Tailsin swung his sword at me. I managed to block just in time, but soon his attacks became too quick for me to handle. Suddenly, he startled me as he hit the sword right out of my hand. He took the tip of his blade and pointed only inches from my neck. I let out a small yelp, as I was afraid he was actually about to stab me.

"Don't worry. This blade won't touch your skin. But if that were not the case, you would be dead already." Tailsin said, lowering his blade.

I let out a sigh and glanced over at Tailsin's blade, which laid a few feet from me. I thought about a strategy, but my mind drew a blank. I let out another sigh, and I felt a slight chill on my breath. 'Of course! My breath!' I quickly ran over to Tailsin's blade and picked it up. I looked up and Tailsin was only a few feet from me. I breathed my frost breath and directed it towards the ground. The stone turned to ice and I used my hand to guide the ice to Tailsin's feet, to which I froze them to the ground. Tailsin tried to break free as I picked up my sword and lunged it at him. Tailsin was quick to block it, but I had the ultimate advantage. He was frozen to the ground, unable to move away. If he was a real enemy, I would've killed him.

Tailsin let out a small chuckle, "That was good. I guess you can control your shouts."

I smirked as I clenched my left fist, breaking the ice beneath us. Tailsin took his sword back from me.

"You know. The only downside to your ability is that you can't actually control when it happens. It only happens when you're under deep pressure. That is a problem."

"How is that a problem? It kills my enemy."

Tailsin glared at me, "Your shout won't always hit your enemy. If you were to fight beside an ally, you could hit them instead, and kill them."

His word stung like a bee. I looked towards the ground in guilt. I never thought of it like that. I couldn't think of intentionally hurting one of my comrades, but with no proper control, it was sure to happen. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I started to sob like a baby. Tailsin't expression turned to surprise.

"I can't do this Tailsin," I cried, "You're right, I have no control. I can't fight. Not like this. I can't do it."

Tailsin grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes, "Stop crying."

I couldn't stop crying, so Tailsin shook my shoulders, "I'm fucking serious. Crying isn't going to help you or anyone else. You keep trying until you get it. Life isn't just going to hand you things you want, it's gonna keep punching you in the face until you're strong enough to get them yourself."

Tailsin lets go of my shoulders and directed me towards the empty stone wall, "I want you to keep shouting at this wall until you get it right."

I slowly walked closer to the wall and shouted my fire breath. I tried to lift my hands and control it, but it didn't work.

"Try again."

Tailsin kept pushing to continue. At first, it was exhausting. Having to repeatedly shout the same thing over and over again. But after a while, I began to realize that it was working. I thought about Tailsin't abilities, and how he could fight. Someone had to teach him, and I couldn't imagine the training being easier than this. He knew how to keep you in the same place, and even stepping a foot over the line got you a deadly glare. It felt as though I was training for hours, and maybe I was right. I could see the night sky getting lighter with blue.

I looked towards Tailsin and he gestured towards the wall again. 'The faster I get this, the sooner I can sleep.' I took my stance and inhaled. I concentrated on the stone wall in front of me. I let out a small exhale, and in doing so I then shouted. Hot fire escaped my lips and I held my hands up. I grasped the fire and redirected towards the sky. To my ultimate surprise, it did as I told it. My face lit up as I saw what was happening. I then took the flame and shoved it towards the wall.

"Well would you look at that," Tailsin said, smiling, "You finally did it."

I smiled with relief and let out a sigh. It took so long but I couldn't believe I did it. I ran over and hugged Tailsin, who seemed to be surprised. It was a happy hug, and I expressed my many thanks. I let go of the hug and jumped around, excited about my accomplishment. Tailsin let out a small chuckle, somewhat amused by my expression. Suddenly, I saw Serana emerge from around the corner, her hood over her head.

"What are you guys doing up so early?" Serana asked, crossing her arms.

Tailsin looked at me and then at Serana, "Just training."

I let out a sigh and walked past Tailsin and Serana, saying I was going to get some rest. As I was walking away I felt a strong sense of accomplishment, and I wasn't so doubtful of my abilities. I opened the wooden doors that led to the fortress and walked down the long stone spiral stairs. I followed a long hallway which then led to the sleeping quarters. I picked a cot and fell right into slumber, still thinking about the many hours of training that followed previously.

Tailsin's POV

I watched as Lucien walked back into the fort. Serana gave me a curious look, though I simply pretended to ignore it. As I was about to walk back into the fort, I was stopped by Serana.

"Hold up. I want to talk for a bit." She said, putting her hands on her sides.

I sighed at her comment. She sounded serious, so the least I could do was to be serious as well. She guided me over to the wooden table that resided a few feet from us against a wall. She sat down on the table, and I did the same. I was unsure about what she was going to say, so I simply remained quiet.

"What's going to happen Tailsin?" Serana asked.

I gave her a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"I'm confused Tailsin," She said, her tone getting serious, "I was locked away for sixteen-hundred years. I have no idea what is going on and I have no idea what is going to happen. I can't even go back to my own home. I have no idea how my mother is doing and I have no idea what my father is planning."

I simply shrugged. Not because I didn't have an answer, but because I didn't want to say something stupid. Serana's expression then turned angry.

"What the hell happened to you?" She snapped, "That's what even more confusing. You are defying my father with no legitimate reason as to why, and I can't even predict your behaviors. You have changed."

I let out a long sigh, and leaned forward in my chair, "Serana, you don't know what he did to me, what he did to people I cared about. You can sit there and say all you want that he wouldn't kill you, but he would. I have seen his evil first hand. He nearly starved Lucien in a prison cell, and prior to that was responsible for the suicide of an innocent mother."

Serana looked down to the floor, "I don't understand."

"When you and Valerica disappeared, they assumed I had answers. They were so convinced of their conspiracies that they tortured me for weeks, trying to get the answers I didn't know."

Serana couldn't meet my eyes. I wasn't sure if it was guilt or sadness, or both.

"Not convinced? He tried to have a pregnant woman killed and then proceeded to even have the child killed after the birth. Fortunately, I managed to stall him for a decade. I set the child free. But Harkon found out about twenty years later and ordered me to kill her. I couldn't do it, so she killed herself to protect her only daughter, who would've also been a target had Harkon found out."

Serana lifted her head and glared, "I get it, he's an awful man!"

"I don't think you do Serana," I snapped, "You want to go back to the loving comfort of the court without understanding what he tried to do to an innocent family. I know he did awful things to become a vampire, hell even I did too, but the difference between me and him is that I didn't go so far as to murder children and mothers!"

"Is this a guilt parade Tailsin?" Serana asked, her expression faltering.

"Oh no. You didn't do these awful things Serana, your father did. And you have no idea what he did to me, Lucien, and her family-"

Serana cut me off, "What do you mean Lucien and her family?"

"That little girl that was born in the cattle prisons, that was her mother. I helped her escape and she had a child."

"Is that why you changed?" Serana abruptly asked.

I let out a long sigh, "No, it's more complicated than that."

"Doesn't really seem that way," Serana said, "You would've never risked your own hide to help a little girl. At least, before I left."

"Serana it is more complicated than that!" I snapped, "I don't give a shit about a grown man or woman but I wasn't about to let a baby die! Did I want to help them all? Of course I did! But in this world people die, and you have to choose who gets to live and who dies."

"You chose to save a child. That's a noble act. Though I could imagine it bit you in the ass later on, hm? That's the beauty of our kind, Tailsin. We are forever cursed. We don't deserve the happiness of life. We have to sit back and take it away from others, that is Molag Bal's will."

Serana leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. I could feel my own brow furrowing; I was extremely agitated. I couldn't possibly disagree with her. She was right. We are merely Molag's spawn, and we were created to kill others; to spread fear in the hearts of mortals. It pleases the Daedric lord, but I didn't want that life anymore. Like all habits, they get old, and we seek to change. I was ready to throw it away, but I wasn't sure if Serana was.

"Do you want to keep spreading that fear?" I asked, catching Serana's attention.

She leaned forward again and placed her right elbow on the table. "Tailsin I was never a murderer-"

"That's not what I'm saying," I said, interrupting her sentence, "Do you want to go back to Harkon?"

She looked at the ground for a moment, unsure of what to say. She bit her bottom lip and started to tap her fingers on the table. She was thinking. I waited anxiously for her response.

"No," She whispered, "I can't go back. Not now."

I stood up from my chair, "Then we need allegiance with the Dawnguard. Serana, we can't take the clan out by ourselves. Those sons of bitches ruined our lives, all of our lives. It's time to take them out."

Serana reluctantly stood up from her chair and reached out her hand. She shook her head in agreement, and I took her hand. As much as Serana got on my nerves, she was a strong, rational woman. She was my friend, my ally, and I couldn't take out the clan without her. I smiled at the thought of having my friend back at my side. I was ready to take out the clan and kill every single vampire in that damn castle.

Lucien's POV

I awoke on a fur cot in the fortress's sleeping quarters. Most of the other cots were empty, and the only other person in the room was Anediir, who slept only a few feet away. I rubbed my eyes as I leaned forward. I turned my body and let my feet rest on the stone floor. I grabbed my leather boots and slid them on, all while trying to get up from my bed. I walked over to Anediir and shook her slightly, trying to wake her up. She mumbled as she rolled onto her side.

"Anediir wake up, we have work to do today," I said, shaking her again.

Still sleeping, she swung her arm at my stomach, hitting it hard.

"Oh hell no."

I put my hands underneath the cot and flipped her over, causing her to land on her front. She groaned as she woke up, turning her body towards me. The cot fell back into place, and Anediir remained on the floor, very confused.

"What the hell was that for?" She asked, raising her voice.

"I couldn't get you up dude," I said, walking towards the door, "Oh and get ready, we have a lot of work to do today."

All I heard as I walked out was Anediir groaning in annoyance. I let out a chuckle as I left the room, still amused from the literal turn of events. I walked along the hallway until I made it to what appeared to be a training room. I saw three soldier training, one of them using a crossbow. The other two were dueling each other with swords, and from what I could tell it was rather intense training. Distracted from the trainees, I suddenly felt a presence behind me, and as I turned around I saw Jonathon.

"Interested in training today?" He asked, his tone quite amusing.

I let out a small chuckle, "Oh no, I'm just watching."

After training with Tailsin all night, I couldn't even think about lifting a sword or casting a spell. Even after only a few hours of rest, I was still rather weak. Jonathon then proceeded towards one of the arrow targets and picked up a nearby crossbow. He loaded a bolt into the weapon and took his aim. He took a deep breath before firing, and the bolt landed right on the bullseye. I was rather impressed, it took some skill to shoot like that.

"There you are."

I turned around and saw Serana, who was walking over towards me. She had her hood on still and looked very relieved.

"I've been looking for you. This fort is ginormous." She chuckled.

Before I could respond I saw Tailsin come around the corner, his expression slightly irritated. He walked quickly over to us and grabbed Serana by the shoulder, turning her around.

"Can you not run around the fort? We shouldn't be wandering around by ourselves." Tailsin scolded.

"Calm down grandpa I was just looking for Lucien and Anediir." She said, rolling her eyes.

"You're older than me!"

Serana ignored him and turned towards me, "Are you ready for a day of training?"

'Why does everyone want to train today?' I gave her an unconvinced look, "I don't think so…"

Jonathon suddenly came over, his crossbow resting on his right shoulder. He glared at Tailsin, who in turn did the same. Tension started to fill the room. I took a step back, hopefully, to avoid a possible argument. Serana stopped me by tugging on my arm. I sighed, knowing that I'm not getting out of whatever she has planned.

"Training isn't a bad thing," Jonathon said, shrugging, "Can't get too shabby with your skills."

Tailsin rolled his eyes, "You say that as though you have skill."

Jonathon glared at Tailsin before turning around and shooting at a target. Just like before, the bolt landed right on the bullseye, and Serana's eyes widened with surprise. I let out a sigh, as I knew an argument was brewing in this circle of tension.

"Is that not skill?" Jonathon asked, "Think you could do better?"

Tailsin let out a low chuckle as he stepped forward, grabbing the crossbow from Jonathon's hand. Jonathon, who was slightly taken aback, glared at Tailsin. Tailsin loaded the crossbow and took his aim. I watched with curiosity. I didn't know how this was going to end, and I wasn't sure about the outcome either. Tailsin pulled the trigger and the bolt shot out of the crossbow. To all our surprise, the bolt landed on the bullseye, right next to the bolt that Jonathon had shot previously.

"I don't like to brag," Tailsin said, handing Jonathon the crossbow, "It's more fun to demonstrate my skill rather than to boast about it."

"What the hell was that?" Jonathon asked, his tone quite irritated, "How can you shoot like that?"

"Practice," Tailsin said, resting his hands behind his head, "Practice makes perfect. A teaching I would think the Dawnguard would value highly."

Jonathon's face was contorted with anger, and I would say he seemed very agitated, "What are you, Mr. Perfect?"

"Your words, not mine…" Tailsin sang, walking away.

Jonathon's expression softened as he turned around and practiced shooting again. I looked over to Serana, who was rolling her eyes, displeased with the sudden turn of events. I asked her to help find Anediir, who I hoped managed to climb out of her bed. Serana reluctantly agreed, and we made our way down the stone hallway that connected all the rooms together. We stumbled upon the dining hall, which consisted of other Dawnguard soldiers. Anediir was spotted at one of the dining tables, eating an apple pie. We walked over and leaned against the table, grabbing Anediir's attention.

We had asked Anediir about training, and she gave us a disapproving look. I knew she didn't want to train, and probably had other things to do, like sleep; though I didn't give her much of a choice. I had told her to meet me and Jonathon in the training hall, an order that she didn't much care for. Though just as before, I didn't give her a choice.

Serana and I made our way back to the training hall. Jonathon was still there, of course, but wasn't shooting. Instead, he was sitting on a nearby wooden crate that resided on the right side of the room. I took this opportunity to discuss some possible help with training. I knew for a fact that Serana and Tailsin were not going to need this help, but as for me and Anediir, it was a necessity. Jonathon agreed, and I was more than happy.

Some time went by and Anediir made her way to the training hall. She showed up in her typical clothes, ones that she has worn since I have known her, and Jonathon gave a disapproving look. This at first made Anediir uncomfortable, and I was rather concerned for her self-esteem.

"Those won't do," Jonathon said, standing up, "You need something more protective."

Anediir gave me a confused look, and I could it in her eyes that she was uncomfortable. I knew Anediir had never had proper training. Throughout her life, most of her skills were either self-taught or acquired by her parents or any other prominent figure in her life. Regardless, there was always room for improvement. Jonathon asked us to follow him to the armory. We followed him, but the whole time Anediir was nervous. She was always a shy girl and definitely was not the most confident in a conversation.

We entered the armory through a large wooden door, and inside was rather large. I could almost immediately see that all of the Dawnguard's armor and weapons were smithed here. Over to the right side was an area filled with smithing materials. Steel, ebony, iron, leather, wood, almost everything you needed for smithing. Accompanied was a large forge that was being used by a Nordic man. He seemed to be in his middle years and had long red hair and a thick beard as well. He looked up and saw us, and immediately dropped everything to speak.

"Aye Jonathon," The man said with a thick Nord accent, "What can I do for you soldier?"

Jonathon looked towards Anediir and gesture, "This young lady would like to be outfitted."

The man responded with a large smile, "Ah we have a young one. Let me ask you; are you a scout, or a heavy fighter?"

Anediir averted her eyes to the ground, very nervous. As I said before, she was never confident in conversation.

"She's a scout, sir," I said, speaking for her.

"Aye, then she'll want our lightest set." The man responded.

"When do you think it'll be ready for her?" Jonathon asked.

"If not tonight, then tomorrow morning. A light set of leather armor doesn't take much time to make," The man said, then turning to Anediir, "We don't have very many elves coming in these days, I am quite surprised to see one so young."

Anediir slightly nodded her head, rubbing her arms. Jonathon thanked the man and we left the armory, making our way to the training hall. Inside the hall was a tunnel dug into a rock wall. We made our way through, and on the other side was a large cave filled with obstacles and targets. On the bottom was water, and I could only assume its purpose was to catch you if you fell off the course. Jonathon stepped in front of us, stopping us from proceeding any further.

"This is our training course," He said, pacing back and forth, "This is where we train to practice our agility and stealth."

Anediir was in awe at the sight of the course. I could tell she was fascinated with it and felt rather confident she could make it through the course. Jonathon explained the basics of the course, and the rules as well. Though I was focused on the layout of the course. It was high up and consisted of wooden bridges and targets. To see more the course I would have to walk up the path, but I wasn't ready to do that.

"So what is the purpose of the course?" Serana asked, crossing her arms.

"It's to ensure that every soldier can effectively handle a crossbow as well as be quick on their feet. Vampires are very fast and silent creatures. Considering that most of our soldiers are Nords, Imperials, Bretons, and Orcs, they do not have a very high advantage when it comes to agility. This course helps them hone their skills."

"I have to learn how to use a crossbow?" Anediir asked.

"For this course, yes. But even if archery is not your strong point, every soldier in the Dawnguard learns how to effectively handle the weapon."

Jonathon grabbed a crossbow and some bolts from a weapon rack a few feet from us. He handed the weapon and ammo to Anediir, to which she took with hesitation. Anediir had the biological advantage. As a Bosmer, she is far more agile and quick than the other races, so this might be rather easy for her. She sheathed the crossbow and strapped the bolts tightly around her hip. Jonathon gave her the que to begin the course, and Anediir then started to run up the stone pathway.

It was going well at first. Anediir was quick and avoided many pressure plates. Though when it came time to shoot a target to activate the drawbridge, she couldn't manage to shoot with the weapon. I wasn't surprised. She had probably never handled a crossbow before, and I know they are far more difficult to use than an ordinary bow. Jonathon called Anediir back. Anediir seemed rather bummed, though I couldn't think of anything that could make her feel better.

"I don't know how to use this," Anediir said, fiddling with the crossbow.

"That's good," Jonathon said, which made Anediir quite confused, "I didn't expect you to know how to use it."

Anediir gave Jonathon a very puzzled look. As Jonathon was answering Anediir's questions, I couldn't help but think about where Tailsin might have gone. He had just left and I was becoming overwhelmed with curiosity. I asked Serana, who had just given me inexplicable reply. I told Jonathon and Anediir where I was going and told them I was going to be back soon.

I wandered out of the cave and into the fortress. I asked around if anyone had seen him, but no one had any idea. I then made my way to the armory, which was somewhat vacant. The only person was the blacksmith, who was working on an armor set. I looked around and saw Tailsin, who was sitting on a wooden bench near a grinding stone. He was sharpening his sword and seemed very focused.

"I was looking everywhere for you," I said.

Tailsin didn't say anything, only hummed a harmonious tune. He kept sharpening his sword, pretending not to hear me. I felt myself getting a little flustered, which he paid no attention to. I sat down next to him, and he gave me a short glance. He still continued to hum that unfamiliar tune.

"What song is that?" I asked.

He let out a sigh, "Since when do you have such good hearing?"

"I don't. I mean I'm not deaf."

He let out a chuckle, "It's nothing important."

I got up from the bench and pulled at his arms, trying to get him up, but he didn't even move an inch. He sat there and chuckled at my poor efforts. I gave him a flustered look, but he rolled his eyes, tending back to his sword. I gave up and pulled in a stool a few feet away. I was now sitting across from him, looking at him intently. He looked up from time to time, pretending to still ignore me. Eventually, he too gave up. He placed his sword down next to him and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in amusement.

"What do you want?" He asked, "Why did you come all the way over here?"

I didn't really know the answer to that question. It's strange how you have the desire to see someone for no real reason. Their mere presence is all you're looking for. Though I knew now that I wanted to ask a question. The more strange things he did, it made me want to know why he did them. My father always used to say I was too curious for my own good; I ask too many questions. He would also say my mother was the same way.

I placed my hands on my knees and got up from my stool, "No reason."

I turned around and was about to make my way to the door, though I was stopped when Tailsin called my name. I turned my head around slowly, my body still facing the exit.

"You're too curious, you know that?"

I smiled as I nodded my head. I didn't quite know how he was able to read people so well, it was sometimes spooky. I made my way through the door and closed it on the other side. I looked both ways and saw no one walking down the hall. I pondered where to go next. Maybe I could join Anediir and Jonathon. Though a part of me wanted to go back to Tailsin, just to sit with him. 'Jeez Lucien, you are so pathetic.' I slapped the top of my forehead and started to walk back to the training hall.

As I walked by the archway, I saw Anediir, Jonathon, and Serana walk out of the small cave entrance. Anediir was covered in sweat and looked exhausted. Serana looked at me, her eyes piercing my soul. She was a nosy woman and was always interested in what happened between me and Tailsin. She was very good at telling when I was hiding something, though this time I felt no reason to hide anything. She smiled as she walked over to me. I took a deep breath, not expecting her greeting.

"Can I talk to you, alone?" She asked, grabbing my arm.

"Um, sure," I said, slightly confused.

She lured me to a room, not far from the training room. The room had a large wooden table in the center, which bore a map of Skyrim. Many pins were placed on the map, and I could see small notes all over the table. Around the wall were the Danguard's banners and bookshelves. This was clearly a "war room" of some kind. Serana closed the doors behind us and walked around the table, placing her hands on it. I walked over slowly, almost cautiously. Serana let out a small laugh.

"Why are you afraid?" She asked, "I'm not going to bite, I promise."

It wasn't that, I was confused. Though maybe I appeared to be frightened. I stood against the table, waiting for her to speak.

"Okay," Serana said, staring at me, "Who are you, really?"

I gave her a rather puzzled look, I had no idea why she would ask that. "What do you mean?"

"What's so special about you?" She asked, gesturing towards me, "Like who are you?"

My voice trailed, "I'm Lucien."

Serana rolled her eyes, "Of course I know your name. But who are you?"

I let out a small chuckled in disbelief. I was very confused. I didn't know what she was asking specifically. My life story?

"I'm the Dragonborn. I'm from the Imperial City. My father was an advisor and is now probably dead. My mother is also dead. I was exiled and wandered to Skyrim, where I met Anediir and Tailsin."

Serana pointed at me, "Your mother was cattle, correct?"

I flinched somewhat when she said that. I never knew her like that, and I couldn't imagine her ever once being something so awful.

"Yes."

"How could you be born in the Imperial City? How did she make it there herself?"

"I don't know, I never even knew until Tailsin told me. I never could've asked her."

"Your father knew?"

"I don't know, maybe not."

I didn't understand all of this interrogating. Serana let out a long sigh before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, I just know so little about you."

"My mother, however, seems to be your favorite topic," I said, my voice piercing.

"A child being born in the cattle prisons is unheard of, I don't understand how it could've happened," Serana said.

"I knew nothing about her past before I met Tailsin. All I knew was that she wasn't noble. I never asked questions. I wouldn't have thought in a million years that she was vampire cattle. How is any of this significant?"

"I didn't believe Tailsin when he told me," She abruptly said, "I didn't want to believe my father would do something so awful."

"Well he did," I said, letting out a long sigh, "But none of that matters now."

There was a long moment of silence, and I could tell Serana felt somewhat guilty about the whole conversation. Honestly, I wasn't mad, I was confused. I didn't know how any of this was significant, and I didn't know why Serana wanted to know so bad. Serana let out a long sigh before speaking. I looked up at her, curious about what she was going to say next.

"Lucien, I know my father wouldn't be happy that she escaped. And I know damn well that he will do whatever it takes if it means having your head on a wall."

I never took that seriously. I knew Harkon wanted me dead, but I never truly afraid of him killing me. I had Tailsin, Anediir, Jonathon, and now Serana. My death never worried me. Though I knew better than to let this situation fly away. I knew how serious it was, but at this point, I didn't much care for whether or not I was going to make it out alive. This was about the world, not just me.

"That's good. Because I too will stop at nothing if it means I can cut off his head."