AN: Thanks for the feedback everyone, hope this chapter was worth the wait :)
"Raven Rock," Captain Gjalund Salt-Sage muttered as he steered the ship towards the destination that the Dragonborn had persuaded him to travel to. "Can't say I am overly glad to see this place again."
Morgan fought the urge to roll her eyes and simply looked at this strange new place. The ship voyage had only taken three days, two faster than she had anticipated. While she knew that the good Captain had increased his speed to receive his payment faster, she didn't begrudge him for it. Too many people used greed as their primary motivator after all.
She wasn't fond of the ash, that was for sure. She had heard that the massive volcano in Morrowind was still erupting even after centuries, but even she had to blink at just how much ash was being deposited on Solstheim. The more she thought about it, the more she understood that it was only because of the weather blowing away from Skyrim that was keeping the ash falling in this one place.
Not my problem, I have enough to deal with.
But she had to admit that Raven Rock really was a place that had hit rock bottom, only to fall through a mine pit afterwards. The massive thirty foot wall was impressive however. She raised an eyebrow when she noted several arrow shafts buried in the structure, along with spears and even a few broken sword blades.
"They get attacked this often?" She asked, pointing to the weapons.
Gjalund shrugged.
"I haven't seen anything that attacked with those weapons, its usually the ash spawn and they always fight bare handed. No, these attacks were likely Reavers. Bandits,"he clarified when he saw Morgan's clueless expression.
Morgan nodded.
"Fantastic. And it looks like I have a welcoming committee," she muttered, squeezing Seranas hand gently.
Serana nodded.
"Most likely the town leader," the ancient vampire agreed as the boat docked into the pier, three sailors jumping off to fasten the ropes to the shore.
"Gjalund. I wasn't expecting you to return. I thought that you were having issues with your vessel," the Dunmer said as he walked along the pier, his eyes fixed on the Captain.
"Aye, had a little trouble with the East Empire Company in Windhelm. It's all fixed now however,"Gjalund replied before nodding to Morgan, who had ensured her hood hid her pale features, Serana following suit. "I also picked up two passengers on a business venture."
The Dunmers eyes shifted to the two women dressed in black, the cloaks shimmering with numerous enchantments that he couldn't begin to recognise.
"Councilor Morvayn. On behalf of Raven Rock and the House of Redoran, I bid you welcome," he said, bowing to the two women as they stepped ashore.
He took a moment to appraise these new arrivals. One was tall, a full two inches taller than himself. He couldn't see her face, although the smooth cheekbones and the calm pose she had adopted showed that this woman was relaxed. He did catch a glimpse of two daggers attached to her hips, the dark hilts made of ebony, an ore not seen in Raven Rock in years. The blades were something else, however. A light grey colour, similar to bone but it seemed more sturdy.
The other woman was a different story. She was much shorter, a clear foot than the taller woman. But her jawline was fixed into what could only be described as tight. Her blade was a good five feet long, with the sharpest edge and tip he could ever recall.
"Thank you, Councilor. We will be out of here as fast as possible, once our business is concluded," the shorter woman said softly.
The Councilor shivered at how soft that voice was. Yet even he could sense that there was steel in that voice as well. A warrior, perhaps a mercenary?
"Perhaps it would be better to speak our business indoors, away from prying eyes?"
The two women exchanged glances and nodded.
"Excellent. Gjalund, I shall ensure your ship is repaired and reprovisioned. Feel free to visit the tavern, after such a long trip?"
He nodded to the captains grunted affirmation and he motioned to the two women to follow him, four guards falling into step behind them. He had a feeling that he may need the support once they were indoors.
Morvayn motioned for the visitors to sit down, glancing at the guards to stand at the doors before sitting down himself. He took a deep breath and looked at the smaller woman.
"May I see your faces so I know who I am dealing with?"
"Of course, Councilor. I only ask that no weapons are brought to bear once we do. We wish harm on no-one here in your city."
He snorted.
"You are kind to call this place a city, but fine. As Head Councilor of Raven Rock, you have my word that as long as you make no aggressive motions, you shall not be harmed."
His breathing stopped as the shorter woman pulled her hood back.
Beautiful.
Then he saw the eyes, the two burning irises that bored into his very soul.
"A better reaction than most," the taller woman remarked with an amused grin as she pulled off her hood.
Teeth elongated, at least four. Pale skin, no hint of fear or nervousness on their faces.
"What... how did you..."
"Captain Gjalund agreed to take us here once he realised a previous group of passengers cheated him of his gold and made the mistake of attacking this particular person," one vampire explained. "And calm your heart, we gave you our word."
"The three robed people? I had forgotten about them for some reason."
"They used magic, something old. Maybe older than I am, and that is saying something."
"I find that hard to believe, although it has been decades since I met one of your... kind. You said they attacked you? And why was that such a grave mistake, my lady?"
He shivered when the smaller woman smiled at him. It was like a smile from the depths of Oblivion.
"Its nice to not be recognised. In fact, I..."
Her words were cut off when the door was barged open, and a swirl of smoke blew into the house, followed by a sputtering Redoran guard, his yellow bone-like armour singed and smoking from what Morgan knew was dragonfire.
"Tell you what, let me deal with the dragon and then we can finish this chat, yes?"
Morvayn was unable to reply as the two vampires vanished in the blink of an eye. He stood up and nodded to the guards.
"Make sure the townsfolk are safe and then assist in downing the dragon!" he commanded.
He was pleased that none of the guards stopped to ask questions and followed his orders. He took a deep breath, the visage of that smile burned into his mind.
This woman. Who is she?!
"That could have gone better," Morgan snarled as she pulled her blade free, her senses already telling her where the dragon was.
Serana nodded as she pulled one dagger free, the other hand charging with electricity.
"At least he didn't attack us."
"Give it time," Morgan replied sarcastically. "I give him an hour before he starts panicking."
"Let's get rid of the dragon first," Serana suggested with a grin.
The deafening roar shattered the sky and Morgan tackled a guard out of the way, a second before a swath of fire blasted through the place where she had been. Morgan looked down at the guard under her, aware of the position and the fact that a fast beating heart was driving her close to feeding. She fought the urge and smirked at her, not letting her fangs appear.
"Watch where you're going, could have been a dragon landing on top of you."
Morgan jumped off and grinned as the dragon made another pass, heading right towards her.
Well, he didn't recognise me so that means he won't expect this.
"JOOR ZAH FRUL!"
She snarled in satisfaction as her Dragonrend Shout slammed into the dragon, the mighty beast falling out of the sky and colliding with the cliff face with a shattering force. She ignored the few cheers that went up as she accelerated through the idiots that had come out of their homes, and leapt onto the dragons back.
"YOL!"
Morgan ducked the flames and gave him a Shout of her own, putting as much venom as she could into it.
Fucking Greybeards with their passiveness. They have no idea of the strength I carry. Foolish joors.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!"
Her dragonfire enveloped the now shrieking dragons face, scales and flesh peeling off form the force of her thu'um. She noted that the dragons eyes locked onto hers despite the agony and she knew that the dragon had finally seen her for who and what she was.
"Dovahkiin..."
Morgan drove her blade through the creatures right eye socket before twisting it and pulling it free in one fluid movement. An instant kill. She stood there and absorbed her fallen foes soul, feeling a new form of strength enter her mind, along with an understanding of this strange land she was in.
A land of ash, hidden treasures lost to time. An ancient enemy returning after thousands of years, hidden by a shadow that cast over the land. A group of humans living in the north, few in number yet so resilient against the shadow, knowing that they were doomed to fail. An ancient wizard conducting experiments that were dangerously close to unravelling the world. And two creatures of the night, bringing a fresh wave of death and destruction to the land...
Morgan fought the urge to vomit blood everywhere after the memories had subsided and hopped off the skeletal remains of the dragon, smiling at Serana as she approached.
"Too slow, my love."
Serana chuckled.
"While you were having a nice conversation with your fellow dragon there, I was making sure that no-one tried to intervene with arrows. I blocked most of them, but a few did get through," she explained, nodding to the bones.
Morgan did note that a few arrows were indeed embedded in the bones and she gave Serana a sheepish grin.
"Alright fine, maybe you did a bit of work then."
Serana rolled her eyes and adjusted her hood before turning around, sighing when the guards and townsfolk still held weapons in clenched hands, hearts beating too fast from fear and excitement, blood roaring through veins so close she could taste it.
She bit her lip, placing a consoling hand on Morgan's wrist, knowing that she was feeling the same urges.
"You... what did you do?!"
"The flesh, skin, muscle, organs... all gone. Nothing but bones... "
Morgan raised an eyebrow as another Dunmer pushed past the group of people and walked right up to the skeleton, his orange and red robes untouched by fire, smoke or anything else that Morgan could discern.
"Nothing but the bones and scales. Most of the creature vanished into a formation of energy, which then was absorbed by you... "
Morgan crossed her arms as the strange figure walked over to her, his eyes fixed on hers with no fear or doubt.
"The dragon brought down by one form of magic I have not seen in person, but the studies were lost to time, since the Dragon War. Interesting."
Morgan sighed.
"A deadly use of a crafted blade ended the life of the creature. A solitary attack killing the dragon almost instantly, even after the effect of fire consuming the body while it was still alive. Akaviri fighting style, yes?"
Morgan blinked now.
"How did... "
"A combination of that fighting style, coupled with the use of magic formed only by the use of your own voice, there is only one conclusion... " he continued, not bothered by Morgans snarl of frustration. He turned to face her again, noting how the taller person beside her was standing in a protective manner, yet her mannerisms showing that this woman was clearly not of her time.
"The infamous Dragonborn," he finished with a grin.
Morgan muttered the foulest curse words in dovahzul as the crowd erupted with cheers, boos, insults and even death threats. She glared at the Dunmer, who was still looking at her with an appraising eye and narrowed her eyes.
"Thank you," she told him sarcastically in the dragon tongue, her thu'um shaking the ground slightly.
"You are welcome," he replied in perfect dovahzul, a smug expression appearing on his face.
Morgan scowled and pushed past the old dark elf and through the parting crowd as the guards began to disperse the locals. Serana held Morgans hand tightly as a few cabbages and an assortment of fruit and random objects were hurled at them.
"Great. A psychotic 'Miraak', a dragon attack within the first hour of landing here, a sarcastic smart arse of a Dunmer and a bunch of vampire fearing, Stormcloak fucking idiots as townsfolk," Morgan rallied off, booting a cabbage hard enough that it exploded into shreds and pelting a dozen sneering locals in doing so.
"Aside, from the Stormcloak reference, I agree with you," Serana replied, blocking a melon thrown at her with a ward spell and smirking at her would be attacker. "Let's just get indoors while we plan our next move."
Morgan nodded, her mind ablaze with options.
Talk with the Councilor... if he still wants to converse at least, and then see what can be done.
Councilor Morvayn liked to think of himself as a patient man, but even he had to admit that the events of the day was enough to bring even the most patient mortal to the brink of madness. The master wizard and his questions about books and the Stones was bad enough, the relentless complaints and counter complaints coming from the loan shark, Mogrul and his 'loanees' were becoming an annoyance. And now the Dragonborn herself had come to these shores.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, ignoring the two vampires sitting not three feet away from him. Even with twelve guards all crammed into his own home, he didn't feel even remotely safe. Ever since the dreams had started...
He opened his eyes again and placed his still full goblet of wine on the end table before meeting the twin pairs of burning eyes with as much courage as he could muster. While the events of Skyrim did not completely impact Raven Rock and the economy, the stories coming from that cold land had generated a mass influx of visitors, all eager to see a glimpse of the mysterious warrior that was sitting calmly opposite him.
"I never would have expected the Dragonborn herself to land here. Most believed you a myth at best."
Morgan snorted, ignoring the shifting of the guards surrounding her.
"Believe me, if it hadn't taken an assassination attempt, I wouldn't have come here at all. Fucking ash everywhere, makes the Sea of Ghosts look like a paradise."
"Yes, quite," Morvayn agreed, a ghost of a smile appearing for a second. "So you can appreciate the difficult position that I, and by extension, you, find yourself in. Most citizens have only the tales of your kind to hear of. The monsters of the night, the food that sustains you."
"Yes, and the muggings and regular murders that mortals engage in are so different," Morgan retorted, meeting his unflinching gaze with her own. "I haven't been a vampire long, you know. A few years. But in that time, I have seen how fickle that mortals can truly be. Defeating the World Eater wasn't enough. Killing a megalomaniac vampire lord hell bent on total domination of the mortal plane wasn't enough."
Morgan paused.
"And I am guessing that killing the prick who attacked me and nearly killed my daughters will not be enough either."
Serana placed a hand over Morgans and she calmed down a little.
"if you could just tell me what you may know about 'Miraak' and we will be gone faster than that of Ulfric Stormcloak's brain matter after he pissed me off. You have my word, Councilor."
He had heard a little of the battle of Windhelm of course, but the death of Ulfric Stormcloak had sent shockwaves through the provinces and especially Raven Rock. A few hundred of Stormcloak survivors had found their way here after the war and had entered the society here and praying that the Dragonborn wouldn't follow.
"I am not callous enough as to suggest you leave, but the people here are not used to... well, you know what I am implying."
Morgan nodded.
"I don't blame them for their misplaced fear. When I met Serana for the first time, we did fight after all."
"You Shouted me into a wall," Serana pointed out with a wry grin.
Morvayn glanced at the way that the two women held hands and he sighed. He couldn't throw them out, no matter who they were;. At the same time, he couldn't guarantee their safety, nor that of any of the locals.
"You met Master Neloth, yes?"
"Prick," Morgan muttered under her breath.
Serana nodded.
"Yes, he was very enthusiastic once he figured out who we were. Why do you ask, Councilor?"
"While I cannot recall why I know about this Miraak, I can tell you that Master Neloth is well versed in the dealings of the unknowns within Solstheim. And perhaps he may give you an idea of where to start looking."
"And getting us out of the city and stopping the people from rioting or worse," Morgan added, smirking at the surprised expression on Morvayns face. "I grew up around politics, Councilor, I know how this game is played. Where is the almighty Neloth right now?"
"He was last seen at the Earth Stone," one of the helmeted guards grunted out.
"Just southwest of here. You can see it from pretty much anywhere from within Raven Rock,"Morvayn supplied. "We have had some odd things occurring here recently and Master Neloth arrived within hours after it started... curious."
"What kind of strange?" Morgan asked.
"At least six of the Redoran guard and another five citizens of Raven Rock have been building some sort of construction around the Stone within the last week. They do not sleep, or eat. We have had volunteers force feed them food while they work. None of the Temple healers have been able to do anything, and when one of the guard tried to forcibly remove one of them away from the Stone, the others beat him to the point where he will never stand on his own feet again," Councilor Morvayn explained.
Morgan and Serana exchanged a nod and they stood up, ignoring the shuffling of the guards around them.
"Thank you, Councilor. May Azura bless you with the Dawn."
Morvayn felt the blood drain from his face as the Dragonborn produced Azura's Star from her armour and gave him a smile.
"if you thought the shit going on here was bad, pray that you never have to put up with what I have,"Morgan said solemnly before vanishing into the Void with Serana in tow.
Councilor Morvayn barely managed to reach the bucket before he vomited into it.
He was not having a good day.
AN: as many of my regular readers would tell you, I generally don't do the 'canon' conversations like in game. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to leave a comment or PM, I will try to reply as as many as I can :D