[A/N]: Hey guys! This is the chapter many of you have been patiently waiting for – the fight with Durnehviir! I would like to dedicate this chapter to ShoutFinder, who has been excitedly waiting for this moment for the last ten chapters. :D
On a different note, college is finally over and summer is here! I hope to get back to weekly or bi-weekly updates now that I have more time. But I wanted to take a quick moment to thank new followers for taking the time to read and review, your support is appreciated. Also, for those who's stories I currently read, I will be working on catching up. :)
Thank you xShadowmere, for being a wonderful beta and checking over this chapter! :)
[DISCLAIMER]: I don't own the Elder Scrolls Series, that's Bethesda's gig, but Arela, Celta, Delica, Garthla Pale-Storm and Enden are my characters and belong to me.
~Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Won't Back Down
Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down
Biting back waves of vicious pain, Enden clutched onto his wounded side for dear life. Blood was flowing through his fingers, and he knew the slash was deep. Him and Serana had managed to kill the three Keepers, but not without receiving a fierce wound. It seemed that Valerica had failed to mention the extent of the Keeper's raw power, leaving them slightly unprepared.
Serana was pulling him up the hill back towards the Boneyard. His arm was wrapped behind her neck as he used her for a crutch. It seemed Serana was determined to get him to Valerica.
"Stop fidgeting, you're making the wound worse." She comment sternly and Enden took note on the hint of worry in her tone.
"Don't worry. I will be fine–." He was cut off by a groan as Serana stumbled over some bones laying out. Her near fall caused his wounded side to sting exponentially.
"I'm sorry." Serana muttered. Her voice was filled with genuine regret.
Enden let out a small cough, noting the tang of blood in his mouth as he did so. It was never a good sign when blood was tasted.
"It's okay." He said in response.
Serana was silent for a few seconds before speaking once again. "You know you didn't have to do that."
"Yes, you know I did." He retorted. "You might would have died otherwise."
She shook her head. "You didn't have to take the blow from the Keeper for me. I can handle myself."
"I know you can handle yourself, but that strike would have killed you." Enden protested. "What would Arela have said if I let you die here?"
Serana let out a light chuckle, but then her expression suddenly became serious. "She probably wouldn't have been too happy."
"More like devastated because I let her best friend get chopped in half."
Another frown crossed Serana's face. "We have to hurry and get you to my mother. I'm sure she knows more about healing than myself."
They continued the trudge up the large inclination that led to the crypt. Without Serana's support Enden was sure he wouldn't have made it this far. His legs felt very weak and his side was pulsing out surges of shrill pain.
He could feel his feet beginning to drag against the dirt more every second. It even became a burden to hold his hand against his side. All his limbs felt like lead weights, they just wanted to tumble limply.
"We're not far now, hold on, Enden." Serana pleaded. "You can't die on me now."
The Keep was in view now and Valerica's harsh gaze had found itself resting on him. Her stare made his skin crawl and he wanted to twitch in discomfort, but his wound thwarted his squirming.
It was as if he could feel her sifting through his thought, picking away at the intel she needed. It was terrifying that his mind wasn't even a safe haven from Valerica.
"Mother, I need your help now! Enden was hurt when we were battling the Keepers." Serana informed her. Valerica paced over by them; her steps left no trace of urgency.
Serana lowered him slowly to the ground in front of the Keep. He felt the cold tile connect with his back, devouring his body heat and leaving him feeling empty. As his side touched the stone he let out a sheer moan of agony.
Valerica crouched down and examined the wound, her fingers were cold as they prodded at the slash with no tenseness. He felt his stomach churn and his back arch as waves of rolling agony overtook him.
"I don't know whether to say you're a damn fool or a brave man." Valerica muttered under her breath before casting some type of healing spell that neatly knit his skin back together.
He started to feel energy run through his bones again, something he hadn't felt since entering the Soul Cairn. Instantly, he sat up feeling refreshed and recharged.
Enden lightly grazed his hand over the wound and discovered that the open flesh was now healed. His Dawnguard armour was still ripped open, but at least he wasn't going to die.
Strength once again fill his aching and sore bones. The withering exhaustion was only a fraction of what it use to be.
"What did you do? I feel like I have more strength than before." He stated.
Valerica's brows wrinkled in frustration. "First, I believe most people would thank the being that saved their life. It's a sign of gratitude."
She stared him down until he mumbled an apology and then a weak thank you. Valerica seemed to enjoy watching him submit to her word and he loathed it.
"The second spell I cast was to reduce the effects of the Soul Cairn. I spend too much time locked away, so I formulated spells. It proved to be an exemplary challenge and a way to pass time."
"Mother, where is the Elder Scroll? Enden and I need to return as soon as possible." Serana prompted.
"I tucked the Elder Scroll in a mausoleum located in the Boneyard. We must hurry to it. I have no doubt with the barrier gone Durnehviir will come investigate."
Enden felt his brow crinkle. "Durnehviir, as in the dragon you mention before?"
Valerica frowned. "Yes, he is an ancient dragon who was tricked into serving the Ideal Masters or so legend has told."
"Great, where is the Dovahkiin when you need her?" Enden chuckled, though Valerica didn't seemed amused – which wasn't unusual – at least he got Serana to smile.
Serana helped Enden to his feet so they could carry on. She seemed determined to get this Elder Scroll and he couldn't blame her.
They marched forward, trying to be cautious enough not to alert Durnehviir of their presence. Valerica opened the doors to the graveyard and they made a loud screeching noise as the rusty hinges cried in protest. It must have been ages since those doors had been opened.
Acrid fumes hung in the air, carrying the scent of death and decay. Enden felt himself almost choking on the foggy haze. Even Serana let out a hoarse cough to the pungent smell.
They moved together as a unit into the courtyard. Enden was covering their flank with his crossbow, trying his best to watch the sky for Durnehviir. Valerica and Serana were more preoccupied with making their way over to the crypt.
Under his feet he could hear the sound of bones crunching and breaking. Enden looked up toward the center of the courtyard, hoping to get a better view and he was greeted with masses of bones. Valerica had been accurate in calling this place the Boneyard.
Lopsided graves were tumbling over – time it seemed had taken its toll by leaning the graves. Some of the stones had crumbled or they were nearly worn away. Ages worth of bones were littering the ground and it was apparent that the Ideal Masters had been gathering souls here for a long time.
They began to make a path across the boneyard when they heard a distant roar. It pierced the clear, abysmal sky and echoed around them, resonating off every wall in the Boneyard.
Enden's eyes shot up just in time to see a large looming shadow overcast them.
A dragon with pale green flesh hovered over them – Durnehviir was a horrid sight. The very scales on his form looked as if they were melting off his ancient and decaying body. It was clear that his once rugged hide had faded away, leaving in its wake a worn, slimy and weaker version of itself.
It's head was massive but also decrepit looking. A sticky primordial liquid dripped from Durnehviir's mouth making him appear rabid. Many horns were located on the beast's crown which was unique to other dragons seen by him.
Enden dared to take one look in the eyes of the dragon and just its stare told him that Durnehviir was no monster to trifle with. There was a burning desire embedded in his old, dark eyes. He was determined to stop them from completing their task, though he did not have the understanding of why.
His wings were wide and torn from ages of flying. Durnehviir propelled himself forward gliding through the murky air with ease. His very roar shook the atmosphere.
Valerica had been right, this dragon looked much tougher than any basic frost dragon.
"Enden, how are we going to kill this dragon without your sister?" Serana shouted over the sound of Durnehviir's cry.
"We will find a way." He responded with optimism, while loading his crossbow. He was definitely readying himself for a grueling fight. Dragons had always proven to be a challenge, but Arela was tactical and always brought them down. He – on the other hand – was not strategic and could not use Dragonrend, so this would be far more difficult than any normal dragon-slaying.
Durnehviir landed harshly on top of the large spires that overlooked the courtyard.
"GAAN LAH HAAS!" Durnehviir bellowed in their general direction.
"Watch out!" Enden pushed Valerica out of range as a Draining Shout flew at her. He rolled out of the way just in time, before the purple shock wave struck him.
Durnehviir unleashed another Shout that shook the rock beneath them. The ground began to shudder violently; he watched as boney hands clawed through the dirt. Glowing skeletons rose from the dusty earth, enthusiastically pulling themselves from their graves. Almost in an instant they assembled into a pack of skeletons and turned to Serana, swarming her. Enden loaded his crossbow and jumped to her defense taking down a skeleton that was dogging her. He reloaded quickly and removed another skeleton that was trying to land a blow to Serana's right side.
Serana kept up a strong defense, blasting away enemies that neared her. She was definitely holding her own against the horde of resurrected skeletons. Enden watched stunned as Serana nimbly dodged strikes and kept herself balanced enough to properly aim spells.
Behind him Valerica was covering his flank, knocking back skeletons that threatened them. She mixed her assault with well planted dagger attacks and ice storms. Her style of combat was very similar to Serana's, but it was Serana who was out showing her mother.
While Serana and Valerica occupied the majority of the skeleton's attention, Enden had a good chance to pick off any boney monsters that were proving to be annoying for either of them. It wasn't long before the group dwindled down enough for Serana and Valerica to handle alone.
Overhead Enden heard the beating of wings as a large shadow passed over them. Quickly, he loaded his crossbow for another shot, hoping for the chance to take out the dragon.
Durnehviir slowed down and landed on one of the spires overlooking the boneyard. Taking aim, Enden landed a perfect shot right for Durnehviir's throat. A deafening roar was the only confirmation Enden received before shifting to avoid a skeleton's charge. He had been lucky to notice the advance in time, the skeleton had nearly hit him in the side with it's axe.
He toppled over to dodge the swing. Unceremoniously, he landed in the dirt on his stomach with a thud. Enden felt his muscles respond instinctually; he sprung up and smashed the skeleton with the buttstock of his crossbow. The skull of the monster cracked and it fell over dead.
Turning his attention back to Durnehviir, Enden saw another wave of skeletons being beckoned by the dragon's Shout.
Serana had retraced her steps back to him and Valerica, joining their defenses once again.
"Will he keep summoning skeletons?" Serana sighed, shocking a few bonemen that were approaching.
"I believe so." Valerica scowled. "Enden you have a bow, focus on taking down Durnehviir, if it is possible. Serana and I will cover you."
"All right." Enden complied as he loaded the shooting mechanism with another bolt. The next wave of bonemen had begun to close in on their position. Electricity crackled in the air as Serana and Valerica combined lightning strikes, taking out five skeletons instantly.
Another roar from Durnehviir caught Enden's attention. The beast circled above him, swirling in a cycloning spiral until he was closer to the ground. As Durnehviir approached the ground, he pulled up beating his wings so he could hover comfortably above Enden.
There was only enough time to react, so Enden took advantage of the dragon's stillness and shot a bolt right into Durnehviir's chest.
Durnehviir didn't even flinch, instead he took a deep breath before unleashing a blast of icy shards. The cold wave knocked all three of them over, cloaking them in a layer of numbing ice.
Serana was first one on her feet again and responded by blasting two ice spikes in a boneman that was about to attack Valerica.
Angrily, Valerica pulled herself to her feet while glaring at him.
"I believe I asked you to take care of Durnehviir, not allow him to kill us," she said with her usual condescending tone.
"I'm on it." Enden grumbled while reloading his crossbow once again.
Another bellowing screech rang in the sky as Durnehviir flew above them. This time Enden took a shot while the dragon was in mid-air, landing another powerful blow to it's side. He was rewarded with another roar, as a small stream of ectoplasm fell down like rain from Durnehviir's wound. It seemed his ground assault on the beast was finally paying off.
Quickly, Enden reached for his side pouch and pulled out a very small collection of explosive-tipped bolts. He hoped his reserve would be just enough to get Durnehviir to land so he could finish him off with his Ancient Nordic sword.
He reloaded his crossbow with an explosive bolt and took aim again. Durnehviir was making his way around the central tower, locking on their position once again. Tensely, Enden aimed at the dragon, before releasing his well-trained shot. He was lucky; it dug itself directly into the dragon's left shoulder.
The driving force of the explosive bolt had discombobulated Durnehviir. He yowled in the air, batting his wings furiously. Though he continued flying onward, there was a distinct crippling in his movement.
Enden smiled before loading his crossbow with another explosive bolt. He tentatively watched as Durnehviir clasped onto a tower, trying to regain his strength, but that was not a luxury Enden would allow.
He took another shot, placing it perfectly in Durnehviir's neck, causing him to thrash violently as it ignited on his tender throat. It only took seconds for the dragon to recover and lock eyes with Enden. Fury was buried in its fiery gaze – he was sure it wished to inflict vengeance on him.
Rapidly, he prepared for another shot, but Durnehviir's Shout shook the air and ground, making him drop the bolt. The ground was in turmoil as more skeletons unearthed themselves.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of the skeletons." Serana reassured him, so he could continue focusing on the dangerous dragon.
Another wave of confidence crashed into Enden as he grasped the bolt he dropped and loaded it into his crossbow. Aiming and taking another shot. Satisfaction over took Enden as he heard a thundering sound – the bolt had flawlessly landed and exploded on Durnehviir's chest.
Once again, Durnehviir took to the sky, skillfully soaring through the thick, foggy air. The dragon passed over them, which allowed Enden another shot at his stomach. The hit caused a roar to erupted in the sky, shaking the ground again. This time Durnehviir didn't land on the tower, instead his trajectory was the ground.
Luckily for him Serana and Valerica had finished off the bonemen, allowing them to aid him in defeating Durnehviir. Enden tucked his crossbow behind him, instead he unsheathed his two-handed, Ancient Nordic sword.
The ground quaked as Durnehviir landed, his mass was staggeringly larger than Enden had imagined. The dragon's eyes locked with his, pure unadulterated rage burned in Durnehviir's eyes. Enden really lost his footing as the beast released an ear-piercing roar. A power wave of ectoplasmic spit flew, spattering Enden. With disgust and disdain, he shook it off and charged.
His sword instantly connected with Durnehviir's shoulder, slicing deep into his skin. Dark ectoplasm oozed from the wound, awarding him a ferocious shreek. In his conquest, Enden hadn't noticed that Durnehviir had shifted his weight, putting Enden in range of the monster's tail.
Durnehviir whipped his tail forward, slapping Enden squarely in the stomach. He was launched back at least ten feet before his back made quick contact with the ground. His sword slipped out of his fingers as he was tossed through the air.
Vivid stars flashed across his vision as his skull rebounded against the dirt. His body was desperately trying to recover from the blow, but it was taking longer for him to feel his limbs once again.
"Enden, watch out!" He heard Serana call out. Without hesitation his eyes shot open; he was staring directly at Durnehviir's head. It was crashing down on him, the dragon's jaw wide, aiming to grasp onto his left shoulder.
In a split second, Enden rolled to the right, dodging the dragon's bite. Durnehviir's face smashed into the hard earth, causing dust to disperse in a heavy cloud. Instead of grasping for his sword, Enden threw himself at Durnehviir's exposed and lowered head.
It was hard to see through the obscuring flurry of dust, but his hands still found the dragon's withered horns. Tightly, he held on as Durnehviir's head recoiled, and thrashed up from the ground. With brute force Enden was lashed through the air. He felt like a ragdoll, being tossed up by the dragon's sheer strength. Still he held on tightly to the dragon's horns, as he flew up in the air.
Unceremoniously, he landed on Durnehviir's back. The monster bucked, beating it's wings once against the ground so it could stand up vertically. Enden felt himself sliding off it's back, but he hadn't worked this hard just to be thrown off. Instead he grappling onto one of the spikes that ran along the dragon's spine. With the help of Durnehviir's sticky, and decaying skin Enden was able to maintain a better grip.
Ice spikes soared at Durnehviir as Valerica and Serana tried their best to retaliate and kill the beast.
"What in Molag Bal's name are you doing, Enden?" Serana shouted. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
Enden chuckled, before replying. "That's a good possibility, but I have a plan. Don't worry, I can handle this."
As Durnehviir landed Enden began to climb his way toward the dragon's neck. It was a slow process, especially as Durnehviir was thrashing around, trying to shake him off. The ectoplasm was helping immensely as he lightly adhered to the dragon.
But with high levels of determination and a slow steady crawl, he was able to make it closer to Durnehviir's neck. Finally, Enden was able to climb to the base of his throat, before he pulled out an ebony dagger.
Serana and Valerica were putting in an arduous amount of effort to keep Durnehviir's attention on them. They were constantly bombarding him with icy spears, causing him to Shout showers of thick sleet at them.
Enden quickly took the ebony dagger and plunged it straight into Durnehviir's neck. He withdrew the dagger again and stabbed the dagger into another open patch of decaying flesh. Repeatedly, he dug the dagger into Durnehviir's throat, hoping that soon he would stop thrashing and roaring.
Eventually he felt Durnehviir buck and let out one last caterwauling roar before going completely limp.
Within a second Durnehviir's body began to dissipate beneath him, sending Enden crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
"What happened? Where did his body go?" Serana asked as she made her way over to help Enden up.
"It is theorized that Durnehviir cannot be truly slain here in the Soul Cairn. He might simply be regenerating, so we must hurry." Valerica prompted as she made her way over toward one of the mausoleums.
With Serana's help Enden was able to get back on his feet and regain his balance.
"That was a brave and very insane stunt you pulled back there." Serana congratulated him. "Let's just hope Durnehviir's dead."
Enden chuckled lightly. "Something makes me doubt he's dead. Arela was always the one with good luck, not me."
Serana smiled, and even her golden and orange flexed eyes reflected her joy. "Come on, let's get that Elder Scroll so we can return to Nirn. I think I've had enough of this place to last a life time."
Enden couldn't argue with that statement. He was only too thrilled for the moment to leave the Soul Cairn and they could reunite with Arela once again.
[A/N]: So, what did you guys think of this chapter? Please leave me some of your thought, because I could really use any feedback since I've been gone for so long. Again, thank you for all the support! :)
Also, I have a little surprise/secret planned that I will soon be revealing, so stay tuned!