Dominus rides like the wind to his family, and we learn how kind a Vampire father can truly be...


~Fredas, 10th of Last seed, Pale Hold/Whiterun Hold border, 4E 203~

Shadowmere moved as fast as an ebony arrow piercing through the moonlit night and as silent as a mist traveling over snow.
He had no time for a casual ride.

His family was in danger.


~Fredas, 12th of Sun's Height, Lakeview Manor, Falkreath Hold, 4E 203~

"Papa! You're back"

Dominus turned from his carriage towards the young voice with a smile stealing its way onto his lips as his son and daughter ran out to greet him.

"Sofie, Blaise!" He said with a laugh as they ran forward and nearly knocked the Vampire Lord off of his feet due to their ferocious hug.

"How have you both been while I am away?"

"Mama took us down to the lake, and I managed to wrestle a hu-uge Slaughterfish without getting bit!"

"Miss Riva taught me some sword techniques, and Mama helped teach me a little magic,"

"Children, let your father breathe!"

Ysolda was dressed in a fine dress; an exquisite fur trim of an enchanted beast standing out against the crimson silk-like velvet as her face wore a bemused smirk.

"I am going to presume *you* were involved in delivering this here? The Courier said Radiant Raiment sent this along with no charge…"

She was cut off as her husband embraced her in a warm embrace, kissing her softly.

"I have so much to tell you, so much to tell you all. But let's head to the shade, the sun is beginning to hurt my eyes."

"Pop? I have a question." Blaise asked as he held open the door for his adoptive father, who was holding a hand up in a feeble attempt to snuff out the sun.

Dominus breathed a sigh of relief as he stood in the candlelit hall of Lakeview Manor.

"Ask away my boy, ask away." He replied, handing his cape to the steward.

"Do you ever wish you weren't a vampire?"

Dominus stiffened.

Then he smiled as he approached his son.


After speaking to his wife the moment after they were both turned, they knew what must be done.

"Blaise, Sofie! Please come here! Your father and I need to talk to you both."

"What's going on, Mama?" Blaise asked as he sat in a chair at the table.

"We did all our chores, did we miss a spot when we swept?" Sofie inquired.

"You both are nearly adults, and we need to have an important conversation…"

The pair of preteens laughed, causing Ysolda to flash Dominus an I-told-you-so look that only wives knew how to perfect.

"Not that talk, you two. A talk about life, and about the things that are in it." Dominus said flatly, though closing his eyes and sighing.

The pair of children calmed down, wiping away their tears and calming their squeaking laughter.

"What kind of things dad?" Blaise asked, the ghost of his smile burned by a thirst for wisdom that Dominus was all so proud of.

"There are creatures in this world that you must be made aware of. Monsters, beasts, and other creatures and how to defend against them, and to understand them."

They were both silent, carefully listening to their father.

It had not been the first time he had given them such a lesson.

Once, a rogue giant had wandered into their woods and harassed their livestock.

Yet instead of sending his family away, he told them to watch how to slay it as he strode from the porch, sword in hand.

As a result, the pair of children often insisted to be the ones to go out and fight the giants whenever one was foolish enough to think it could exact tribute from the Home of Cruor, much to the entertainment of the house's guard.

"Now, there are creatures of beast-like intelligence that I am sure you have heard calling in the night after you come back from play. You know of wolves, bears, and trolls; all afraid of fire, and all lacking intelligence. However, there are creatures out in the wilderness that are wise, and though they are dangerous, they must be respected in their own right." Dominus said, his story beginning to weave its way into the understanding of the children.

"To start, there are the Spriggans and the Wispmothers. Both are creatures that are violent should they be disturbed, but they are also creatures of great enchantment and grace; a grace that was lured many an inexperienced or knowledgeable traveler to their death. The Spriggans- Well, I have one in the trophy room, let's pay her a visit, shall we?"

The door to the trophy room - a construct from Dominus's mortal days, when he was fascinated in flaunting the stuffed or collected trinkets of his fallen foes in a room to proclaim his excellence - whined due to disuse, a muttered spell igniting the candles in the room and evaporating the dust.

"Here she is. Wooden, seven feet tall, and entirely mute save for the high pitched yells they will emit from their very soul; beings of nature that haunt enchanted groves, and create peace within the woods. However, they view the Mortal Races of Tamriel as threats to this balance, and will break their vows of peace in order to attack those that trespass in their home, as will the Wispmothers if anyone trespasses upon their tombs."

He turned to the children.

"You have nothing to fear, however. There is nothing in these woods. You will never be harmed here."

"I have heard stories of the Wispmothers and the Spriggins, but I thought they were just stories…"

Dominus let out a hearty laugh, before pointing to the corner of the room.

A dragon's skull dominated the entire side, it's teeth glinting in the candlelight.

"Stories claimed the Dragons were just legends, but that was in no dragon mound, my children."

"Yet there are just a few other creatures that I must tell you, then that will be all. The first is Werewolves; men who turn into wolves under the full moon. Their legends are self-explanatory; they turn into beasts under the full moon, and are vulnerable to silver blades."

Sofie looked petrified, as Ysolda went to comfort her.

"However," Dominus said softly.

"They are just men in a different skin. Some, of course, are bad and will hunt people. But there are packs, who have been very kind to me."

"You have met one?" Blaise said incredulously.

"Yes. I have met several, actually. They are very kind. During the day time, if you would like, I can see if we can meet them in whiterun."

He looked towards his daughter Sofie.

"After all, they are just big puppy dogs after all."

"But the stories say they are scary!"

"I did say look to the stories, but sometimes stories exaggerate in order to keep the story alive; to keep people afraid and telling the story. No one would tell the story of the sweet puppy dogs around a campfire to scare people, so they have to invent stories to make things darker than they appear," Dominus lied, soothing his daughter.

"There is one group that has had stories paint them as the darkest and most horrible of people, yet who are in truth quite beautiful and honorable people."

Sofie and Blaise looked to one another, then to Dominus expectantly.

"The Vampires, are seen as dark creatures, and many can be. However, the rulers of the Vampires in Skyrim, are polite folk, only fighting villains and crooks who pose a threat to-"

"Crooks? Not Black Mask Jack, right?" Sofie asked, referencing a character from her bedtime stories, causing Dominus to smile.

"No, not Black Mask Jack. But the Crooked Red King and his men."

"So they are heros, hates by the law yet loved by the people in secret?" Blaise asked.

"Yes, something like that-"

"That's cool!" He interrupted, standing up and raising his hands.

"I wonder if the girls are prettier than the Blue Gem, and her posse of Horse Riders…" Sofie said dreamily, referencing yet another bedtime character.

"Would you like to meet one of the good Vampires?"

"Sure!"

"Sure,"

"I knew you would both say that, so I invited a guest for you both to meet." Dominus said, waving to the secretly Enthralled Steward to open the door.

Ysolda stood as the children rusted towards the hall and began to whisper in her husband's ear.

"Dear, please tell me it's one of the more… tame, members of the Court? If one of those feral lowbloods-"

"I was clear that she was to feed before coming here. Besides, she-"

"She?"

"Darling, we are both Vampires, and only our love will warm my frozen heart. Besides, she is nearly four eras my senior."

The doors opened, and Serana entered, only just giving her enough time to give a friendly wave to her compatriot Dominus before she was swarmed by a pair of children asking incredible questions about turning into bats and flying in the night.

"You will have to excuse my children, they only just learned there are good Vampires in the world." Dominus said with a laugh and Serana smiled as she lifted both children into her arms and carried them to the now giggling couple.


It had been nearly two years since he had adopted his children; his daughter from the frozen city of Windhelm, and his son from the rancid edges of the golden city of Solitude. Age had begun to show it's light on the pair; they had both grown taller, and had begun to show the signs of growth between the stage of life of child and teenager.

"Sometimes I do wonder what would have happened if I did not accept my gift. But you see, in being a vampire you gain age without any true consequence. And with age, you gain wizdom rival to all of the colleges combined. And from then, you become wiser overall."

He knelt down instinctively to look his son in the eye, but once on one knee, he found that he was not looking up to his son.

By Azura, had they grown…

"Sometimes, I wonder what it is like. But I enjoy this power. I will be strong and healthy forever, and able to play with you both as long as you want."

"But you have been gone away for so long!" Sofie said in a huff.

"I know, dear; I know. I have had important work that I must inform you all about."

He motioned towards the main hall and the grand table that lay within.

He waited until they were all seated, before speaking.

"Ysolda, my children. We are no longer going to live in this house."

Ysolda frowned, and the children began their protests.

"But it's so fun here!"

"There's all kinds of fun bugs to catch-"

Dominus simply waited for them to pause, before he spoke again.

"Because, we are moving into the Dragonsreach Palace of Whiterun.

The children were silent, and it was Ysolda who spoke up.

"Dragonsreach? Darling, are you sure the Jarl…"

"Due to an insurgent attack, Jarl Balgruuf no longer sits upon the throne, and I have been elevated to the Throne. You, are all royalty now." Dominus said, his words saddened at the loss of his favorite mortal.

"We should begin packing immediately then!" Sofie said, no doubt her thoughts wandering to her collection of dresses beginning to gather space in her trunk.

"Wait! I want to know what Pop had been doing all this time. Do you have any new stories? Any new tales about saving the world?"

"Careful, Blaise!" Ysolda said from the other side of his Sister.

"Once your father gets going on one of his stories of his adventures, we'll be here all winter!" She said with a knowing smile to her husband.


"Wow! So now you rule Skyrim?" Blaise asked, his mouth full of food.

"Blaise, make sure you chew with your mouth closed." Ysolda said firmly.

"Oops," he said, before swallowing and apologizing.

"It's not quite as simple as holding solitude, I have to first fight the Evil Dawnguard, and to do that I have to fight the Dark King Ulfric Stormcloak, before he lets out a shout to call the dragon's back!" Dominus said in his traditional storytime embellishment.

They all knew without looking out the clouded glass windows that night had fallen; Dominus was always more energetic and entertaining when night came around.

"Papa, why do you want to rule Skyrim?" Sofie asked, setting down her soup spoon.

Dominus frowned, putting a hand on his chin as he thought of an answer that would satisfy his daughter.

"Skyrim… is torn in two, between two groups that have a simple disagreement, but one that has caused them to tear families apart, turn brother against brother and end the lives of too many men and women. So, I am getting involved to stop it. I have studied and know the best way to rule the land in the way that will help it's people… For instance; Say you are a farmer. Should you collect all of the grain when it is ready, save none for later, and eat lots and lots of bread, only to starve once winter arrives? Or should you harvest it all, save some for later, and use what you can?"

Dominus cut a bite of his venison and lathered it in the marinade.

"The Imperials and Stormcloaks are fighting over what kind of bread to make today and tomorrow. I am fighting to ensure everyone has enough grain for the entire winter."

"Papa?"

Dominus turned, the candle catching the glow of his eyes.

"Yes, Sofie?"

"...I keep having nightmares that you won't come home. What if the bad guys win, what if you lose, what if-"

Dominus brought her close in a hug and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Dearest, do you remember the time Black Mask Jack was sneaking into the ancient city of Markarth, and the Crooked Red King caught him and sent him into the silver mine?"

She nodded.

"He got out, his friends were there to save him. The most beautiful Blue Gem and her riders rode out and saved him and left the Crooked King without a crown."

He pushed his finger against her cheek.

"I have friends too. The strong Serana, and other friends just like her that help me. I will always come back here."

She smiled, her eyes slipping slightly as Dominus gently guided her back down to her pillow.

He blew out the candle with one icy breath, and made to leave the room-

"Pop, what if the bad guys try to get us? Black Mask Jack hasn't gotten out of something like that…"

Dominus smiled, allowing his eyes to glow a friendly orange to illuminate his son as he embraced him.

"They are too scared of your old man. They will never come here, or else I'd get 'em."

"Never?"

"Never."


~Fredas, 10th of Last Seed, Lakeview Manor, Falkreath Hold, 4E 203~

The house was a charred husk, smoke blakening every surface. The table had half collapsed, while the kitchen's oven and the house's pair of smoke stacks remained upright, the ashy frame was hardly standing.

Dominus took a deep breath.

Then he opened his eyes.

Not in the ways unobservant mortals would - or how he searched for items of interest in his mortal days - no, the gaze of a Vampire was absolute. And the Vampire Lord…

Nothing could escape his sight.

He saw a smattering of footprints - no, boot prints - all around the front of the house and approaching the balcony steps. Dirt was ground into the wooden platform, and the stairs showed the slight curvature of someone - or a group of someones - running quickly up and down the stairs.

The blackened remains of the house seemed regular; no instance of any attack from the inside.

The source of the fire was clear; oil. An abandoned drum of the lightly colored fluid had been left behind by the attackers.

Someone had broken the front door from the inside, with the scattering of wooden beams indicating it had been barred, and the inhabitants were expected to burn alive.

These prints were fresher than the others, and quickly vanished; replaced by hoofprints.

The attackers had set the fire and left, assuming they would die, but they escaped on horseback.

"So someone got away," Dominus breathed to himself, a shudder escaping him.

He looked to the charred piles of ash, and to the skeletal hand that sat limp under a dusting of inky black dust.

"So who were you?" He muttered to himself.

He quickly dragged to skeleton - still held together by the tatters of it's clothes and remaining ligaments - to inspect its hands: no ring.

He let out a gasp of relief. It wasn't Ysolda.

But who was it?

Reaching into the ash once more - his leather gloves ruined by the char - a brass instrument of some sort emerged.

The bard.

A worthy Thrall. He made a note to erect a memorial to the servant, for faithfully serving to the end; blasting his horn to alert everyone of the attack.

So *that* was why the attackers fled; the Horde stationed in Falkreath likely heard the sound, and rushed to aid, bringing riders on horseback as well.

A harsh cough entered Dominus's ear.

Putting his foot through the trapdoor separating the manor from the basement, he cast a fireball in one hand, caging it within his fists to provide light.

The basement - once filled with unique treasures and armor, not to mention an exquisite set of shrines to the Nine Divines - had been completely looted.

All that remained was Rayya.

"What happened?" Dominus demanded, lifting the dying woman by the collar of her armor.

Dominus did feel bad to lose such a capable warrior such as the housecarl, but warriors can be trained. Warriors can be replaced. The words on the lips of a dying woman could not.

"They came… by night… I failed you, my master… I failed."

"No, they got away. I saw the tracks. My family is safe. You did your job well-"
"No!"

Rayya stopped, devolving into a fit of coughs as she sank down.

"I failed… I failed…"

"What do you mean? How did you fail me, girl; *how did you fail?*"

"I failed to protect them…"

"I failed to…

"Protect…"

"Them all…"


We will soon learn who did not make it... -Cloaked Writer.