The Battle for Castle Volkihar
The journey to Castle Volkihar took them just over two weeks. Travelling in a group slowed things down and each morning they were forced to seek shelter. Sometimes they sought shelter in abandoned mines or caves and where they could they stopped in towns and villages to stock up on food and water. Emily was glad of the mornings where they were able to spend the day in an Inn rather than rolling out a bedroll on the floor of a dingy cave. In an Inn there was no need to keep watch and drinks flowed. Spirits were higher when there was a good bottle of mead to be had and a warm fire crackled in the fire pit. Although Emily could not partake of the food she was able to have a sip of mead and though it provided her with no sustenance it was still a pleasant taste.
"I'm glad vampires can at least appreciate the taste of a fine mead," she said one morning as she and Serana shared a bottle of honningbrew.
"And now you can drink anyone under the table if you want to," Serana replied. Emily paused in the midst of taking a drink and set down her tankard on the polished wooden surface.
"Come again?" she said.
"You've noticed by now, haven't you, that it does nothing to satisfy your thirst?" asked Serana. Emily nodded. "Well, nor will it cause you to lose all sense of control and start babbling like an idiot. Well, no more so than usual." She gave Emily a sly smile and Emily replied with a friendly nudge. Then she paused and slowly a grin spread across her face.
"What are you planning?" Serana asked, "That's a daedrish grin if ever I saw one."
"Well, it's a bit underhand really," said Emily, leaning forwards, "I've been thinking about life post prophecy." Serana set down her tankard. "Well, I don't want to live in a cave, even one as nice as the Ancestor Glade and who knows when or if I'll ever get the chance to go home. Might as well have a roof over my head. But it'll take coin. Lots of coin. So, how about a house built for two?"
"Are you asking me to live with you?" asked Serana. Emily nodded.
"Yeah," she said, "I mean, if you want." Serana smiled as she picked up her tankard and took a draft from it.
"And where does drinking hapless Nords under the table come into all this?" she asked though Emily felt she already had an idea.
"I bet them they can't drink me under the table," Emily explained, "This poor, pitiful, defenseless little girl." Serana chuckled at this. "Could be a fun way to pass the day. So, how about it, want to be my drinking partner?"
"I think I'll leave you to your skullduggery," Serana replied, "It wouldn't be seemly for a vampire queen, as you call me, to partake in such unqueenly behaviour." Emily scoffed at this.
"Your loss," she said. Serana smiled behind her tankard.
And so it was that that day Emily scammed half of Whiterun out of their drinking money and when they left it was with a large purse bulging with gold and in their wake were a group of Nords in a drunken stupor.
"Well, that wasn't bad for a day's work," Emily smiled roguishly, "It was actually kind of…fun."
"I think vampirism has brought out your dark side," Serana joked, "Where's that pure at heart little vampire hunter?"
"We should reach Rorikstead by morning," said Emily, "Another few days like this and we'll have the deposit for our new house ready and waiting."
* * *
At last they arrived at the Solitude docks. It was a clear night and the faint sound of the bells attached to the tops of the buoys in the harbour met their ears. They followed the cobblestone road down from the small farmstead outside the city walls to the wooden walkway leading down to the docks. They drew strange looks from the night watchmen as they watched the three armoured trolls awkwardly navigate the narrow wooden steps followed by the band of warriors in heavy armour.
"Will they sit quietly for the trip?" Serana asked Gunmar, gesturing to the three trolls.
"Should do," Gunmar replied, "All the trolls I trained before could keep quiet when needed."
They reached the docks and followed the boardwalk along to the Harbour Mistress' station. A man dressed in full Imperial legionnaire's armour was manning the post while the good lady slept. He looked half asleep as he sat at the counter but snapped to full wakefulness when he saw the strange crew before him.
"We need to hire two boats," said Emily, "Big enough to seat all of us."
"Would this be for business or…," he eyed the three trolls standing at the back and wished he didn't have to stick to this ludicrous script of questions the East Empire Company insisted on him using, "Or pleasure?"
"Business," replied Emily.
"Of course," said the legionnaire, "Any cargo?"
"Just some potions," Emily replied, "And what we're carrying." Florentius joined her at the counter and showed the legionnaire the contents of his bag where the healing potions and stamina potions were nestled in the fabric.
"You understand I'll have to check these of course," said the legionnaire, "Make sure you aren't carrying any illicit skooma or moonsugar."
"As long as it won't take long," Mogrul growled.
"I'll be as quick as I can, I assure you," the legionnaire replied. Mogrul nodded and they waited while the man took the bag behind the counter. It took him some fifteen minutes to check each bottle and phial but at last he was satisfied and handed the bag back to Florentius.
"Alright," he said, picking up a sheet of parchment and a quill, dipping it in the ink well built into the counter, "That will be five hundred septims each for the boats plus a twenty septim surcharge." Emily handed over a pouchful of gold and once the legionnaire had finished counting it he handed them the shipping charter and pointed down the docks to where two boats were moored.
It took them some time to get the three trolls in the boats and Gunmar elected to travel with them with Serana at the helm. Emily stood at the helm of the second boat with Mogrul, Sorine, Florentius and Beleval. Serana's boat departed first and Emily was surprised to see the three trolls taking up the oars.
"I always thought they were stupid creatures," she said under her breath as they followed Serana's boat out onto the swells. It took them a great deal of effort to keep up with the combined efforts of the trolls and Emily wondered what shape they'd be in when they finally made land. The Sea of Ghosts seemed cursed to never remain clear for long and by the time they sailed around the port and struck out westward a thick mist was beginning to descend.
"Dammit," said Sorine between oar strokes, "If we don't hurry up we'll lose them in the mist." Emily stood up in the boat and waved over to Serana. She saw her wave back and she must have spoken to Gunmar for the boat ahead slowed to a stop and they managed to catch up to them.
"Is something wrong?" Serana called across.
"It's this fog," Emily called back, "It's threatening to swallow us up. Gunmar, any chance you can get your trolls to slow down just a bit."
"Yes, we have only one among us close to their brute strength," added Florentius, earning a scowl and a feigned hit from Mogrul.
"I'll see what I can do," Gunmar called across to them.
"How much further, Serana?" Emily asked.
"Another two hours should see us there," she called back.
"Good, I'll be glad to get out of this boat," grumbled Mogrul.
"I thought you were looking a bit green," quipped Florentius.
"If that's a joke…" said Mogrul, narrowing his eyes at the priest.
They resumed and Emily noticed that Gunmar had taken one of the trolls off the oars and they now found it a bit easier to keep up with the wooden craft. As Serana promised, just as the second hour was drawing to a close the island suddenly emerged from the mists. Emily remembered what Serana had told her concerning the island's enchantments and she heard gasps of awe behind her in the boat as they gazed upon the blackened towers of the castle. They ran aground on the rough shingle and disembarked quickly. The trolls were sniffing the air and shambling from foot to foot. They could feel the tension in the air every bit as strongly as their human companions. Sorine and Beleval strung their crossbows as they advanced on the stone slope which led up towards the Keep's doors. As they drew nearer a terrible shout went up from near the gate.
"Invaders," yelled the cracked voice of the old watchman, "Dawnguard invaders and they have the bow."
"Guess word hasn't got around about our name change yet," said Emily but Serana was not listening. She recognised the stern look on her face. This was the moment she'd been stealing herself for over the weeks.
"Ready to transform?" she said. Emily nodded. She sought herself for that dark seed of bestial energy she had lost herself in before, letting its dark energies escape and surround her. There was a rushing sound in her ears and tinges of red encroached on her vision. The thirst within her grew as her emotions entered a fever pitch, anxiety and fear mixing with determination and a primal urge to attack. She doubled over as the dark energies consumed her, surrounding her body and out of the corner of her eye she could see the same thing happening to Serana. She saw her face shift and change, all her teeth lengthening and sharpening as her face was twisted out of recognition and felt the same transformations taking place within herself. Serana's dark hair streamed out behind her as their ears grew pointed and leathery wings sprouted from their backs. And there they stood before the crew of the Mourning Sun as the stone gargoyles on the bridge exploded into life and six vampires including the old watchman and a death hound swarmed at the top of the stone slope before running down towards them.
"The Heroes of Sovngarde will sing of this battle for centuries to come," yelled Gunmar as he raised his war axe and they charged up the slope with Emily and Serana leading the assault. There is no greater chaos in this world than that of war and in the midst of it you were only conscious of your opponent and those on either side of you. The death hound reached them first and lunged at Serana. She stopped it in midair, clawed hands gripping its decaying flesh before tossing it to one side where it set up a fiercesome snarling. Emily did not look but heard one of the trolls smash one of its great shaggy arms into the death hound and it was no more. They floated above the ground, she and Serana, as they flew at their opponents, savagery coursing through them as they met the vampire hordes. A red light engulfed Emily but she barely took it under her notice, instead throwing a savage blow in the direction of the spellcaster, ripping a great gash in his shoulder.
Mogrul entered the fray with his warhammer raised and caved in the skull of the nearest vampire before turning to face the next. The trolls were grouped near the base of the slope, lunging at the beasts that had erupted from the stonework. Emily saw one fall out of the corner of her eye and the two gargoyles converged on it as the remaining trolls leapt to their fallen brethren's aid.
A bolt whistled through the air and caught one of the vampiress', a woman with fiery red hair, in the chest as she stood over Florentius, axe raised. Another bolt followed from the opposite direction, embedding itself in her back and she tumbled to the earth with a soundless snarl. Florentius recovered himself and rounded on the watchman who was running at him with his iron blade raised above his head.
"In the name of Arkay," he yelled, "I send you to your final resting place." And he brought down the silver war axe upon the Watchman, cleaving his arm from his body. The iron sword dropped uselessly to the stones and the Watchman turned from his arm to stare straight into Florentius' eyes as the axe swung down again.
Serana lunged at the next vampire. His was a familiar face, one she had often seen around mealtimes as he prepared the thralls. As a child she had seen him as the stern yet somewhat kindly old cook. But now she saw someone different. She saw a monster and realised that a monster he had always been. And so she grabbed him by the shoulders and bit down savagely and he screamed. This only spurred her on and this time she aimed for his neck, tearing him asunder.
The trolls had killed two of the gargoyles and now turned on the third which lashed out wildly at the still wilder beasts before them. Only one vampire remained and he was backing away towards the door, perhaps hoping for escape. But there was none with the Mourning Sun closing in from all sides. He heard the final gargoyle being ripped asunder before the Vampire Lord with the burnt blonde hair rushed him and he heard no more.
The doors to the keep were thrown open and they found those waiting within were ready. They had heard the dying shrieks of their comrades and all stood, armed with whatever they could find, as the two vampire lords followed by their band of warriors entered the Keep. All candles in the Keep guttered into darkness as though swept away by some great wind. The vampires were on their own turf and intended to fight as predatory creatures of the night. But Emily and Serana could see them as clear as if the sun were burning above and they flew at them from the top of the balcony. Lightning flashed in the air around them as three of the Elven vampires launched spells from the upper galleries while those nearest swarmed them with axes and swords raised. As Emily threw one to the ground, tearing open his chest she saw another of the elven vampires, a Bosmer with a shock of red hair, flee the room. She growled deeply and Serana caught her gaze before giving chase.
Mogrul caved in the skull of another of the vampires but as he rounded to take on the next another of the vampires knocked him to the ground where she hissed savagely before biting into the Orc's neck. Emily heard his cries of pain and tore the vampire from him. Her hands closed around the vampire's throat and she struggled. She saw Sorine catch up to Mogrul and drag him across the floor towards the wall. The vampire's eyes were popping in her skull when Emily let her drop to the ground. She heard pain filled shriek's from the adjoining room Serana emerged a moment later, her face and chest stained with blood.
The two trolls had entered the fray and one was chasing after another of the death hounds. The shadowy beast was running in terror with the troll catching up behind. Beleval and another of the trolls were closing in on the final vampire on the lower floors. Emily heard lightning crackle and saw the troll that had been chasing the death hound tumble to the ground where it lay twitching before falling still. She growled to Serana and the two split, moving up to the upper levels on opposite sides of the room. The three Elven vampire mages caught sight of them and one charged Emily while the other turned on Serana. The third vaulted over the side of the upper gallery and landed on the ground below, aiming bolts of energy at the two Vampire Lords above. He did not notice Sorine's crossbow trained on his back, nor did he notice the second bolt that followed the first from Beleval.
Emily swiped at the vampire and he leapt back, loosing more lightning that rippled across her modified armour and the bare flesh of her arms. She roared in pain and fury, lunging at the vampire but he was too swift. She felt a hot burning pain in her side as his dagger plunged into her grey flesh and she reared back, tearing the dagger from his grasp before swiping him to the ground. Then she was upon him and she tore open his neck with a second clawed swipe. He soon fell still, dark blood dripping down the balustrades his limp body leant against. She turned in time to see Serana throw the second from the balcony where his broken body landed on the floor below.
The last remaining vampire saw this and she and her death hound took to their heels, running for the doors. They heard her sickening cries as she encountered the troll and Gunmar waiting outside.
At last silence pervaded the Keep. Serana and Emily joined the rest of the Mourning Sun on the ground floor. Flortentius was tending to Mogrul's wounds who was smiling despite the pain as he applied a healing and curative salve to the puncture wounds on his neck. Sorine's arm was bleeding from a knife wound that ran the length of her upper arm and Emily kept one hand braced against her side to stem the flow of blood. Beleval returned from her search of the remaining rooms and reported that Harkon was nowhere to be found.
"He'll be in the Cathedral," said Serana, her transformed state distorting her voice, "There's a shrine to Molag Bal." She turned to Emily. "We'd better change back," she said, "I can't heal you like this." Emily nodded and grimaced as she doubled over, feeling the leathery wings recede back into her body as she shrunk back to her regular size, her face cracking and reforming into its more human shape. Serana too, reversed her transformation, gritting her teeth with the effort as they returned to their normal shape and size. As soon as Emily resumed human form she took an unsteady step forward. Humans were not nearly so resilient to such wounds as a Vampire Lord. Serana steadied her and cast her hand over the wound which began to knit together.
"Thanks," Emily winced. Serana nodded before looking over her shoulder at the upper level.
"Is that where the cathedral is?" Emily asked.
"Yes," she replied, "Up the stairs and through the portcullis." She turned back to face Emily.
"We'd better stay in human form," she continued, "It would take too much out of us to transform again and you need to be able to use the bow."
"Right," said Emily.
"We'll come with you," said Beleval but Serana shook her head.
"We can't afford for any mortals to come with us," she said, "It's nothing personal. But father will be difficult enough to defeat without a supply of blood to rejuvenate him." Beleval nodded and stepped back. Emily felt her mouth go dry. This was it.
They climbed the stairs to the upper level, Emily pulling Auriel's bow from her back and one of the sun blessed arrows from its quiver. As Serana promised a portcullis separated them from the cathedral and she pulled on the iron pull chain. It rose slowly, centuries old metal grating within the mechanism. Ahead of them lay the door and together they pushed it open, stepping into the darkened room beyond.
It was large and looked as though it had once been grand but like great portions of the Keep it was now dilapidated with large chunks of rubble littering the floor. At the far end was a hideous effigy wrought of dark metal. It looked to Emily what the face of a demon might look like with curving horns and sharp teeth. Gushing from its maw was a dark red liquid Emily assumed to be blood and standing before the altar was the hideous form of Harkon. His red cloak swept the floor and his wings arched over his head as he stalked towards them.
"Serana, my darling, I see you still favour keeping a pet," he growled, his voice dripping with mock affability.
"You know why we're here," said Serana. Her voice shook with emotion as she faced down the monster she had once called her father. But he was gone now and in his place was a demon which belonged among the ranks of the King of Strife himself.
"Of course I do," he said coldly, "You disappoint me, Serana, throwing away all I provided for you for this," he looked at Emily with disdain, "This half-breed vampire."
"Provided for me?" said Serana, her voice rising an octave, "Are you insane? You destroyed our family, you killed other vampires all over some prophecy we barely understand." She drew her blade and Emily saw unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "Well no more, I'm done with you." These words were spoken with such finality that Emily glanced over at Harkon, almost expecting shock to register on his twisted features but there was nothing, only calm indifference as he looked over at Emily.
"You will not touch her," said Serana, noticing his gaze. Harkon's voice took on a graver tone as he continued.
"I see now my daughter has fangs," he said, "Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How alike you've become." She heard anger creep into his voice with these last words.
"No," Serana shook her head, "Because unlike her I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."
"And you," he turned towards Emily and glided towards her, "It appears I have you to thank for turning my daughter against me."
"I did not," Emily replied, "You did that yourself. You would kill her in the name of this foul prophecy. Well, I don't intend on letting that happen. You are a blight upon this world." Never in her life had Emily spoken of someone with such venom. Never had she known what it was like to hate someone so intensely before.
"I see your new blood has done little to change your vampire hunter's heart," Harkon chided her, "And when you kill me, who will be next? So long as Serana remains alive the prophecy can be fulfilled. It will not die with me. Will she be next?"
"I would never harm her," said Emily, "She means everything to me."
"How touching," sneered Harkon, "My daughter is truly lost then. She died the moment she accepted you into her life."
"Enough of this," Emily almost shouted.
"Yes, quite," said Harkon as he rose up from the ground, wings flapping. Then he vanished in a cloud of bats and Serana and Emily looked around quickly. He reappeared behind Emily and lunged at her. She felt Serana push her to one side as claws raked along the vampiress' arm. Serana cried out, rounding on her father and launching an ice spike that embedded itself in his shoulder. Emily regained her balance and they fled towards the steps.
Blue light swirled about the piles of bones that littered the floor and skeletons crawled out, eyes glowing eerily in the near dark. Emily traded the bow for her dagger and ran at the first, cleaving its head from its shoulders while Serana took down the second. Emily staggered back as something else rose from the bones. A gargoyle, big and menacing, roared as it swiped at Emily. She leapt back, boots skidding on the discarded bones. She managed to recover her balance and lunged at the gargoyle, dagger plunging into its chest. It roared, striking out and she was thrown backwards. She crashed against one of the pillars and she looked up in time to see Serana launch another ice spike at her father. She took the bow and nocked an arrow, aiming for the gargoyle. When the arrow pierced its grey flesh it exploded in a blinding light. She then turned on Harkon.
The arrow whistled through the air, striking Harkon and the resulting explosion of sunlight knocked him back against the stone wall, causing several cracks to appear. He disappeared in a cloud of red and Emily and Serana regrouped in the centre of the Cathedral. They looked around desperately. Then Emily spotted him by the fountain. There was a great rumbling which shook the entire room and Harkon was surrounded in a red pulsating orb as he drank of the fountain.
"The bow," said Serana, then she yelled, "Emily, the bow!" Emily nocked an arrow and fired it at the great glowing orb as another gargoyle leapt from its stony tomb. She turned her aim at it but Serana stopped her.
"No," she said, "I'll deal with it. Stop my father!" Then she sprinted for the gargoyle, ice spikes at the ready. Emily turned back to the pulsating red orb where Harkon waited and fired. The arrow blazed with light as it shot through the air and when it pierced the orb surrounding the Vampire Lord the orb shattered and a great wall of sound shook the room, shattering the glass in the stained glass window behind the altar. Harkon turned to mist and Emily looked around in time to see Serana dispatch the gargoyle. She saw Harkon advancing towards her and she turned to face him.
"This is what your obsession brings you," she yelled as she launched a bolt of lightning that struck him, rippling across his grey skin. He kept coming and lunged at his daughter but she sidestepped the blow aimed at her head and struck again. Emily retrieved her dagger. With the two fighting at such close range she could not risk using the bow. She ran at Harkon and jumped at his back, stabbing her dagger into his side. He reared back and reached over his shoulder. Emily felt him grab her by the scruff of her shirt and the next thing she knew she was flying across the room with such speed that it made her head spin. She crashed into something solid and stars popped before her eyes, fading to black as she slid down the pillar and rolled to the floor.
"No!" yelled Serana. Her father laughed coldly as Serana's attacks grew more frenzied. He was still looking at the fallen Earthling and didn't see the dagger until it was too late. It punctured his chest and he doubled over, wheezing. Then he snarled, rounding on his daughter as she ran to the Earthling. She dropped to her knees beside her and when she saw her father begin his approach she wrested the bow from her and took the quiver of sun blessed arrows. She nocked one, aiming at her father. She was breathing heavily and tears blurred her vision as she fired.
The first arrow struck his wing and burnt straight through, causing him to stagger back.
"No, Serana," he said as the second arrow was levelled right at his chest, "Not your own father." But it was too late. The arrow left the bow and even as it soared straight at him he looked at it and saw death staring him in the face. He had dodged it for so long yet here it was like an old adversary, appearing to strike him down.
The explosion was immense and in his struggling state Harkon dissolved several times into a cloud of bats, reforming at different points around the room, struggling with creeping mortality. Then he appeared before the altar and a great deafening rumble shook the room and he cried out in a voice more monster than man. "SERANA!" He stood frozen for a moment, arms stretching imploringly towards the sky. And then his body turned to red ashes which fell to the ground in a bloody heap.
Once again a horrible silence pervaded the room. Serana stood, breathing heavily for a moment, staring at the place where her father had been. Then she looked down at the still form of the Earthling and with a sob dropped to her knees beside her.
"Emily," she cried, "Emily, wake up!" She cast aside the bow and pulled Emily to her.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," she said, cradling her head in her lap, "You weren't supposed to leave me alone like this. Emily, you can't, you mustn't." Tears now ran freely down her face and dripped onto Emily's face, mingling with the smear of blood on her cheek. Serana bent her head, shoulders shaking.
She stroked the burnt tips of Emily's hair and the sides of her face as though trying to coax some life back into her. She heard the doors open behind her and heard running footsteps.
"We came as soon as we heard the explosions," said Florentius, "Is he-." He stopped when he saw Serana cradling the still form of Emily. "No," she saw him mouth. Beleval and Sorine ran up behind him and he put out a hand to stop them.
"I'm so sorry, Serana," said Sorine. These words brought the full reality crashing down around her and Serana broke down completely. Florentius made to step forward but Sorine shook her head.
"Leave her be," Serana heard her say.
There were voices. She could place at least two of them. They were speaking in hushed tones. There was someone nearer, someone who did not speak but who cried in harsh agonizing sobs. The world was dark, filled with shadows that swirled. She could not make sense of what she was seeing. It was then she realised her eyes were closed. Her head throbbed and when she opened her eyes she winced and shut them again quickly as her head filled with pain. A few moments later she tried again and looked up to see a familiar figure. Serana was crying, her head in her hands. There was a neat gash along one arm but she was ignoring it. Why was she crying? She tried to ask her but her tongue felt like lead. Instead she reached up slowly and her movement caused the talking of the other voices to cease. Her hand lightly touched Serana's arm and slowly she took her head out of her hands and looked at her. Her eyes were red rimmed from crying and for a moment they just looked at one another.
"What happened?" Emily managed to croak out. Instead of replying Serana looked at her, open mouthed. Then a slight smile spread across her face, widening as she looked down at the Earthling.
"Don't scare me like that again," she said. Emily smiled back. Then she looked around.
"Is he gone?" she asked. Serana nodded. Emily slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position and turned to face Serana. Then the vampiress did something unexpected. She threw her arms around the Earthling and held onto her tightly. Emily returned the embrace, burying her head in the vampiress' shoulder.
"I love you," she whispered and she felt Serana's embrace tighten.
For several minutes they remained like that while the rest of the Mourning Sun looked on.
"I think it's time we head for home," said Florentius.
"I'll go get Mogrul and bring him out to the boat," said Beleval.
"How is he?" Emily asked as she drew back.
"He'll live," smiled Beleval, "It was a nasty wound but there's no infection. Just don't expect him to be any more than his usual jolly self."
Emily and Serana got to their feet, Emily a little unsteadily and Serana put her arm around her waist as they left the Cathedral and her father's ashes behind. The castle looked very empty now, devoid of all life, or unlife.
"When do you want to go back for your mother?" Emily asked as they walked.
"After they've gone," she replied, "I think I need time, Emily." Emily nodded. They crossed the great hall and emerged from the Castle to find Beleval and Mogrul standing at the top of the stone slope, staring steadfastly at a boat that had just drawn up to the jetty. Standing at the helm was a familiar face. It was Isran.