Chapter 9
The next time Seraphina saw Melody was late at night on her third day at Alduin's fortress. Seraphina had not been allowed out the room and she had only been given water to keep her alive.
The young-looking vampire strode into the room with a silver gleaming collar around her throat and a steaming stew in her hands. The vamp kept her head bowed much like she did a few days ago and waited for the dragoness to approach her.
Seraphina's instincts battled to take the food from icy cold hands. Her dragon-self screamed at her to murder the teen in front of her but her human-self told her to flee from the potential danger.
"What is this?" she asked of the girl.
"Beef stew, my Lady. My sire told me to deliver it to you and make sure you ate it."
Seraphina studied the food in her hands. Admittedly it smelt like heaven to her empty stomach but she would have to pace herself- who knew when Alduin decided to feed her again?
"Who made it?"
"Maddie, she's our head chef down in the kitchens."
Seraphina took another sniff of the stew. She picked out a piece of soggy beef with her fingers and hesitantly ate it. It was not the best food she'd ever had but it was the only food she has so she savoured the tasteless meat like a staved man.
"So, you aren't allowed to leave until I finish this?" she asked.
Her fear of this small girl seemed to be all for nothing- she looked so tiny and vulnerable. She didn't look like she had the skill to kill a rabbit, never mind a dragoness skilled in almost all forms of combat. Melody looked so pathetic.
"Yes, my Lady." she said.
Seraphina set the bowl of stew down near the fire and paced to the carvings on the wall. She traced them like she had done many times before. "What are these?"
She felt the presence walk up behind her and repressed the shiver of cold that ran up her spine. "We call it the Lingua, my Lady. The servants use it to explain the room to each other. Whenever we get a new servant that cleans rooms, we leave these messages to explain how to do it."
Seraphina frowned at the wall. "What does this one say?"
"It says that this room should only be cleaned rarely, because the Sire does not like people entering his quarters. But when cleaned the porch must get extra attention."
"The porch?"
Melody pointed to the other massive door in the room- the one Seraphina had yet to see open. "Sire uses it to quickly leave his room instead of the tunnels and hallways."
Seraphina had a spark of an idea. It was risky, slightly obvious, and would probably end with her death or Alduin finding her again. "Tell me more about it."
~o0o~
"I shall burn them all!" he roared and the stones shivered with his booming voice. The ground quaked beneath his thunderous wings and creatures of all sizes sprinted for safety. "I will not stop until the ground stains red and black with their charred bodies!"
A hunched figure the speck of his size cowered in the corner. "Got, lig- (Sire, please-)"
"Save your muttering, fool!" the World-Eater snarled. "Unless you want to be strung atop the tusks of a mammoth!"
The speck whimpered, a pathetic sound.
Alduin sung his tail and the wall quivered under the force of the hit. "She is mine! Mine!"
He had been frustrated since day one. He needed the Dragonborn to learn soon otherwise all his other plans would have to be postponed. But all her reports- health, mental stability, and physical- were all coming back negative. He was informed that she wouldn't be able to survive her teachings until all the factors went into the positive.
"If I say she is ready, then she is ready! Do you understand, you minuscule piece of unwanted scum?!" Alduin pushed down his urges to flay the tiny Mey until every inch of skin of torn off. No, this imbecile still could prove useful later on- if it doesn't get itself killed first.
The strong scent of urine invaded his senses and he realised, with disgust, that it had lost its bowels from fear. "Leave me, muttering fool, before I bathe the walls with your blood." he turned his back on the speck just as it left, leaving its putrid smell lingering in the air it had been.
He shifted his thoughts away from the snivelling coward and breathed deeply to calm his raging emotions. His muscles were tensed, his mind on edge, his throat running raw. He needed to hunt.
Yes, a hunt to clear his mind and release his pent up frustration. Maybe he would decide to burn the nearest town to the ground and devour its residents. Maybe he would chase and hunt down a mammoth to sate his hunger. Or he would resurrect a fellow dovah and watch as it reeks havoc across the land- or until a mortal ends its existence once again.
But his Dovahkiin was still waiting for his return- no doubt to ask endless questions again. Her curiosity would be her downfall. Even though every drop of her says silence she will reach out and ignore it, speaking in ways no other dare to do.
She intrigued him to say the least. He had no doubts that he could kill her as easily as any other mortal, however, should she somehow regain her original form, she might be able to defeat him in combat. But he would never give her that benefit, that opportunity, to defeat him. If he figures out how to change her, then there must be a way to change himself.
~o0o~
The bright noon sun shone down upon the citizens of Riverwood, a welcome heat to the past few days of rain. The clinking of the guards' armour echoed through the main street as well as the sound of Alvor's hammer pounding down on a sword. The town seemed peaceful, to say the least.
But Hadvar knew better. He could feel the underlying fear.
Riverwood was one of the first to get the news. The courier had described- in great detail- the remains of the Watchtower. They had found the skeleton of a dragon at the scene but also the carnage of the guards. The cobblestones had been stained red and birds had already started their feast when the bodies were discovered. Healers had been sent immediately- although they was almost no need for them. The jarl's Housecarl had survived thanks to extreme luck and the best healers in all of Whiterun.
She told of how a dragon darker than night had descended upon them while the other battled against the Nord girl. The dragon had slaughtered her men first, mauling them with its talons and cutting them down with its fangs. It has turned to her then, and swiped at her with its talons. She had tried to scream out but she couldn't.
All she could do, while her blood pooled around her, was listen as the dragon started speaking. She didn't know who it was speaking to until she heard a voice. Seraphina.
"I had wondered what had became of the great Loksilkun. We all thought you had perished with your servants in that place you called a temple." it spoke in a voice that oozed death and carnage. "Seems that was not the case."
A pause before the Nord spoke."Those traitors couldn't pull me down with them even if they tried."
"So it seems. Drop your weapon, Loksilkun."
The clink of metal dropping on the cobblestones. "You have found me, World-Eater. What shall you do with me?"
"I will not have you killed. You are a unique gift and killing one such as you would just make conquering this world utterly uninteresting. You shall come with me."
"Don't you have enough mates to dance for you?" she said it with venom in her voice.
"All my mates are dead, Loksilkun. So are yours. Unless I choose to resurrect them to do my bidding for me. No, you will help me strike fear into the hearts of these mortals. They will become our slaves once more."
"Don't call me that."
"Call you what, Loksilkun?"
"That. My name is Seraphina."
"Is that what you are called now, Seraphina?"
"Why are you here?"
"I thought I had smelt something when I returned to this time. Your scent is an easy one to pick out, even when you are in this mortal form. Its a shame you killed Mirmulnir, he could have been... helpful." Irileth feared the worst. "More mortals are coming this way. Our time talking here is over."
That's when she heard the chilling scream that slowly died down. The dragon had taken her. Irileth had no other thoughts as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Hadvar hadn't believed the news when the courier told him. Seraphina? That small slip of a girl who had managed to escape Helgen? He had only seen her days before. How could she had gotten captured by a dragon? Why wouldn't she be killed? Mortal form? Loksilkun?
So many questions floated around Hadvar's head, but he always pushed them down. Those thoughts were too much for him.
….
Exams are here and as a result, I've been away from my laptop. Updates will be slow.