I picked this back up, let me know what you think!
Serana
Serana wiped a splotch of blood from her cheek absentmindedly. The ice wolf she had just killed had snuck up on her, attacking her so close that she hadn't had time to gather her magic and concentrate. She was thankful for Nadia for making her always carry a blade with her, even if she rarely used it.
Serana shielded her eyes from the oncoming snow. She was about a day's travel away from Winterhold, on her way to Windhelm to meet with a few dawnguard who had stationed themselves there. It was close enough to their enemies; her family, but not too close.
She sighed heavily and thought of Nadia again. The memory of her before Serana had left was stuck on replay in her mind, the same conversation looping over and over again.
"You…are leaving?" Nadia asked timidly, before she cleared her throat and straightened her posture, trying to look less perturbed.
"I have to, just for a few days." Serana tried to explain, walking over and grasping Nadia's hands in her own. She lowered her voice and leaned in. "I have to meet with a few dawnguard to give them more details for when they storm the castle."
Nadia nodded and forced a smile, and averted her eyes.
"Right, of course. Please be careful out there." She said softly, and turned away towards the fire. Serana felt a pang of guilt for leaving Nadia here alone again. She reminded herself of what happened the last time she had gone away.
"Nadia, I will go and come back as fast as I can." Serana put a hand on Nadia's shoulder in a comforting way. "We just have to wait a little bit longer."
Serana felt Nadia begin to tremble, and she looked at Serana over her shoulder. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, but she blinked a few times to hold them at bay. She simply nodded in understanding, not wanting to speak. Serana embraced her, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her in. The sight would have looked funny to a bystander; a smaller woman holding a tall Nord like a comforting mother. Nadia practically clung to Serana for a few moments before she composed herself and pulled away with a smile.
"Go, I know you can protect yourself. Is there anything I can do from inside?" Nadia frowned. "Well, inside your room?"
"Just stay quiet and don't attract any attention." Serana stole some courage from Gods know where and kissed Nadia on the cheek before swiftly leaving. She felt like she was leaving behind a part of her heart, because it ached like it had been ripped in two.
Serana sighed heavily as she trudged through the snow, more aware of her surroundings after just being attacked. The landscape was a pure white, bright even in the dark. So bright for Serana's eyes that it almost hurt.
She continued on a vague path that gave out and came back every so often, but thanks to the stars, she kept going south and slightly west, towards the old capital of this country, Windhelm.
It took her another hour of snow trudging before she began to smell the sea air and see the top of the Windhelm Keep above the mountains. Another 10 minutes before she had to cross the icy bay that led out to the ocean and make her way to the long bridge that served as the entrance to Windhelm. She lowered her hood and kept her gaze down as she passed guards, knowing her glowing eyes would attract attention, especially in the dark.
The inside of Windhelm was less than welcoming. This place was ridden with racists and sexists, and it smelled like that, too. Most people were asleep at this point of the night, but not where she was heading; the most popular bar in town.
Serana could immediately tell who the dawnguard were as soon as she stepped in the tavern; the group of men and women who smelled like they had traveled across the country and had been carrying heavy armor and equipment the whole time. The group of people who kept to themselves and glared at anyone who looked at them too long.
With a sigh to calm her nerves, Serana slowly approached them and waited for the leader to notice her. She tried not to snarl at the Redguard; he was the one who had tortured her for a month.
"Ah, so it shows up after all," he murmured only loud enough that she and his group could hear. Serana bit down the retort at him calling her an 'it'.
"Let's get to it. I need to get back," Serana bit out before walking to the empty chair. She glanced around her, reading the group before her. Four in total; including the leader. All of them seemed to be seasoned fighters; they all wore their armor and weapons comfortably. The leader snarled at her before speaking.
"Our troops are almost ready. The trolls and recruits have been trained and the weapons sharpened. We await your final headcount to finish our battle plan."
"There are 13 vampires, not including myself, and not including my father."
One of the dawnguard leaders, the one with leathery skin and a crooked jaw, looked at her funny.
"Why single out the leader?"
Serana just looked at him.
"Because he is the most powerful. Fighting him will be nothing like fighting the others. You should be prepared to lose men, just fighting him."
The Redguard spat to the side and smirked. "I can't wait to plunge my sword through his throat. And then fuck the hole."
Serana shivered in disgust as a nasty feeling entered her stomach. She hated her father more than all the dawnguard combined, but he was still, well, her father.
Serana sat there as the men chuckled. Her mind wandered to Nadia, as it often did. She cleared her throat to get the attention of the gnarly men.
"Remember, there are prisoners that should be your first priority. Last I saw, there were four mortals in the dungeons, but that number can change daily. There is also the dragonborn, who is currently being held in my quarters."
One of the dawnguard, an Imperial, cocked his head to the side. "Remind me why the dragonborn is so important? Dragons don't actually exist, do they?"
Another dawnguard, a nord, turned to him with defiance in his eyes. "Of course they exist, in our history. A dragonborn appearing only means one thing: dragons." The large man visibly shivered. "No way in Sovengarde would I go against a dragon without a dragonborn by my side."
The Redguard brought everyones' attention back. "Listen up. Our recon troops will sneak around the side of the castle to enter through the servants' entrance while the main bulk of the group will charge the main gates." He turned to Serana. "Your map is helpful, but it would be best if you were part of the recon team to help navigate us through the castle. It is this small team full of my most seasoned fighters that should go against the leader."
Serana shook her head. "I want to be inside, next to the dragonborn to defend her."
The Redguard snarled. "I don't give a rat's ass what you want, vermin. I'm telling you we need your knowledge of your own accursed castle." He leaned into Serana's face, his piercing eyes showing a tinge of insanity. "Get over it."
Serana glared at him but stayed quiet.
"Good. Now we have a few things to go over, and then my men will assemble the troops." He continued on with their plans, and Serana did her best to listen to him. Her mind was just somewhere else, somewhere with a beautiful redhead…
Nadia
The first night I spent in Serana's room, I woke up screaming.
The nightmare had been terrible. So realistic, so…accurate.
I could only stop crying once Serana had me firmly in her arms. Only then could I calm down from the breakdown.
The day was drastically different than my usual routine. I was still fed like a dog and had my blood taken like milking a cow, but the atmosphere of the room had completely changed. Where before, I would antagonize Harkon from my simple boredom, I now had my closest friend there instead.
Serana had a couch moved into her room for me a few hours after I came, and falling asleep had been easier than I had ever remembered it. The feel of blessed cushions supporting me was heavenly, and to not be hot from being too close to the fire nor cold from a body part slipping onto the stone floor was amazing.
That was, until, I had the nightmare.
"Bark for me, my pet," he whispered into my ear. I barely heard him from the throbbing pain I was experiencing in my most intimate of areas. He bit my earlobe, and I felt blood drip down into my hair. "Don't tell me I silenced the dragon's roar already?"
I shook my head and tried to forget it. I was lying on the couch, just enjoying comfort, and Serana had left to conspire with the dawnguard. You would think I would enjoy time being alone for once, but in actuality the silence of the room was deafening. I focused on the crackling of the fire and tried to find comfort in it.
I wandered around the room for a bit, looking and admiring the beautiful art pieces Serana had collected over her years. They were all a very old style of portraits, since Serana had spent an immeasurable amount of time in that coffin I found her in, but they were still beautiful nonetheless, and reminded me of her.
I felt an ache reverberate through my chest at the thought of her.
I know she will be safe. And she said she would be fast.
But the thought of her just made the room's emptiness seem that much heavier.
After a few hours of staring at the fire, my boredom got the best of me. I slunk over to the large door and leaned my ear against it.
My curiosity will be the death of me.
I heard silence for a few moments, and then I knelt down and leaned my head near the floor. I looked outside of the room through the crack under the door, and I saw no shoes guarding the room. I sat there for a few moments trying to talk myself out of it, but to no avail. I slowly, very slowly, turned the doorknob.
And cracked it open an inch.
The first thing I saw was lights coming from a giant chandelier atop the main ballroom. Serana's room is a story higher than the ballroom, so I couldn't see anything below the balcony that stood probably 10 feet away that overlooked the ballroom. Frank was nowhere to be seen.
Am I that good of a pet that I don't even need a guard anymore? I grimaced. Fuck that. I'm going to explore.
My body was on its way in recovery. There was a bit of meat on my bones now, and thanks to my daily workouts, it was muscle. I was still a bit foggy in my brain, however, thanks to the lovely drugs they put in all the food that restricts magic. But I had enough of my skill back that I could successfully sneak, and God damnit, I would sneak.
I breathed slowly, listening to the soft chatter coming from the ballroom, and I crept towards the balcony on all fours. I peered between the pillars, and beheld a majority of the vampires here congregated down there.
And then my eyes immediately found him.
He was sitting at the head of one of the tables. Lounging, would be a better word for it. Everyone around him was talking, but he sat there staring at the wine glass in his hand, a contemplative look on his face. Lost in thought.
Nothing like the severe onlooker to his minions that he usually was.
I snuck away from the balcony before he could feel my eyes on him, and got an idea.
If he's down there, he's not in his room.
I closed my eyes.
The very last thing I wanted to do was to return to that place, that hellhole, that prison.
But there could be something there that wasn't there before. Like an update of the current events, or…
Or a defense plan.
Could he suspect an attack from the Dawnguard? Serana leaving so often may be suspicious, and Harkon is smart. Too smart.
If Harkon knew the attack was coming, he would slaughter the dawnguard. And my escape plan would be over.
Decision made, I crept along the wall slowly, stopping every few steps to listen for footsteps, and gradually made my way back to my old prison cell; Harkon's room.
When I got to the door, I pressed my ear against it to see if anyone was inside, and heard nothing but the crackling of the fire. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the large door, glancing behind me as I did. I slipped inside, and closed the door behind me.
I turned and beheld the room I had memorized every inch of.
I knew the floor tiles better than I knew my own body; I knew the paintings on the wall like they were my friends. I knew that corner by the fireplace where I slept so many times, I knew the cage in the corner that…
That isn't empty?
"What are you doing here?" The young woman in the cage asked me. She was a nord, with reddish hair and a comely face, and she wore nothing but a few pieces of cloth. Her throat was covered in puncture wounds. My eyebrows shot up and I stared at her openmouthed.
Harkon found another girl?
"What are you doing here?!" I responded. I shook myself and went to open the cage door. Then to my surprise, she stopped me by grabbing my hands.
"Leave it, I want to be in here," she said, and I nearly fell over I was so confused.
"You…want to be in here," I repeated, and she nodded.
"Lord Harkon is my master. I give him everything I am, and in return, he'll make me immortal."
I stared at her and had a revelation. Red hair, nord…
She looks just like me…
"What in the blue hell…" I murmured, sitting down next to her cage. I dropped my face in my hands as she continued to talk nonsense.
"I can't believe he's giving me this gift, you see I've wanted to be a vampire since my sister became one and I…" she paused, and I looked up at her. She frowned. "Are you…Nadia?"
I could only nod.
"Wow, to finally meet you. Lord Harkon talks about you all of the time, I thought you were his lover?" Her frown deepened. "But you're not a vampire?"
I just stared at her and shook my head. I grabbed the bars and rattled them, starling her.
"You don't want to be a prisoner, not to this, this…monster. You should want to get out of here, out of this cage and be free!"
She shook her head.
"No, all I want to do is serve Lord Harkon. He's all I've ever wanted, and I will be who he wants if it means I can be with him, even if I have to pretend to be you."
I fell away from the cage, shaking my head and trying to grasp all that I had just heard.
Harkon got a replacement me…
Why?
As if this wasn't enough to unhinge me, a loud crash happened from the other side of the door, and I jumped in fear. I ran and hid behind Harkon's desk and waited for someone to come in.
Minutes passed. More crashes happened, and a woman screamed. No one came in.
I need to get back.
Before I stood from my hiding place, my eye caught writing that wasn't my native tongue, but that I recognized anyways. It was three words that spelled another larger word; Durnehviir. I read further and saw a mention of Soul Cairn, and a mention of dragons. That was all I could grasp before I ran for the door, all the while more crashes were happening outside. I spared a glance at the woman in the cage, and she smiled at me. A shiver ran down my back.
When I opened the door a crack, I saw less people in the ballroom than before, which confused me. Where were all of the crashes happening?
I scampered over to Serana's room and slipped inside, without anyone noticing.
I breathed heavily for a second, before another loud bang happened outside, and this time, a deafening roar.
Roar?
I waited for another few minutes, all while the roaring and the banging continued, and I could only imagine what was happening on the other side of the door. Then, all noises stopped.
It remained quiet for another minute, and then I heard men shouting.
And then another roar.
Have I finally gone mad?
I was walking towards the door to get another look outside when it opened for me first, with Frank on the other side.
I was so confused I didn't even badger him.
"You! Get over here," he shouted as he grabbed my arm and yanked me outside of the room. Another roar sounded and the walls of the castle rumbled, and Frank and I waited a second trying to keep our footing.
"What's going on?" I yelled above the thunderous sounds, and Frank actually looked at me to respond. His eyes were wide in fear, and his bottom lip quivered as he responded.
"There's a dragon out there. Attacking the castle. We've already killed it once, but it came back alive." He paused to take a breath. "It's time for you to be useful."
I stayed quiet, because how do you respond to that? Frank yanked me through the ballroom, now empty with glasses of blood spilled everywhere and a redguard lying limply on one of the tables. I couldn't breathe as Frank dragged me out to the front entrance.
The doors burst open, letting in a burst of snow, and Harkon stumbled in before yanking the doors closed behind him. He was breathing heavily, and I just stared at him, looking for answers. He felt my gaze and turned around to stare at me back.
His eyes were alive again, but only on the surface. The adrenaline lined his expression, but nothing could hide how his eyes widened slightly when he saw me, or how his frustrated frown softened. I stared at him, so many questions on my lips, and so much hatred. His eyes moved to Frank.
"Rargal, join the others, the beast is almost down again." He commanded, and Frank nodded and released me. I stood there dumbfounded as Harkon approached me. He slowly closed the distance between us, and my fight or flight response was drowned like the hateful words I was about to give him. I was forced to look up at him as he stood in front of me; cold emitting from his clothes while he still breathed heavily from fighting. He stood there for a moment just looking at me, and sighed deeply. I was frozen, fear gripping my spine and the air suspended in my lungs. He spoke softly.
"I've lost three men so far to this dragon. We destroyed it, and it came back to life." He grasped my arms, and I began to shake. "I need you to save our castle and our family, dragonborn."
I stood there dumbly, beginning to shake harder. I was going to try and make a retort when Harkon swiftly bent down and scooped me into his arms, to which I just stared at him, numb.
Scream at him, Nadia! Claw at him, claw his eyes out, punch his neck, anything!
But I was trapped inside my terrified body, unable to even stop shaking.
With me still in his arms, he yanked the door open and let the wind and snow in. I hadn't felt snow in what felt like years but I felt nothing as he began to run with me, towards a massive winged beast that was breathing fire down onto the vampires who had fed from me.
The beast was covered in blood, and was limping on one side. Frank made a final blow that brought the dragon down to the ground, and Harkon brought me close to the body.
No one expected what would happen next, least of all, me. Harkon set me down next to the dragon's head, and the beast's body began to shimmer a goldish color, that constantly changed and devolved into a mist that came straight towards me. I felt nothing one second, and then I felt an explosion of emotions that had once belonged to the dead dragon as its soul began to seep into my very being.
I barely noticed Harkon or the other vampires as we all watched the soul leave the body a skeleton and the power flow into me. Where before I was terrified of Harkon; my captor, my enemy, my rapist, I now found my old anger that fueled me in my darkest of times.
Silence passed as we all stood in the blizzard and looked at the skeleton of the dragon, and I slowly turned around and glared at Harkon, his eyes fixed on me. I watched his eyebrows rise as I snarled at him.
"I should have let that dragon slaughter the lot of you. Fuck your castle, fuck your family, and most importantly, fuck you."
I breathed heavily, my strength finally returned to me, and I waited for a slap or a reaction from him. But there was none. He just simply looked at me, with sadness in his eyes.
How fucking dare him feel sad.
I was about to challenge him when he turned to Frank once again.
"Rargal, escort the dragonborn to Serana's room."
Frank grabbed my arm and I glared at him as the lot of us returned to the castle.
Who would have thought that a dragon's soul could help shake me from my fear?
