I know! I know it's been an Ice Age and I am so sorry! I had a bit of a breakdown due to work and other things and I simply had to take some time away from the internet and everything. Thanks to those that have been there for me and thanks for all of you that have reviewed and have read this story!
Big thanks to those that are still reading and have waiting patiently for this update :D
Anyway, I am much better now and have started writing again, with better working hours so hopefully I can get some more free time... :)
Hope you enjoy this chapter, Happy Holidays to everyone!
Ulfric stared for a moment, ignoring the battle cries echoing around him as his fellows charged at the walls of Solitude once more. He took in the appearance of the vampire standing before him, wanting to believe it was a trick, hoping it was a trick.
"It's not possible," he grumbled after a few seconds. "You vanished. No-one has seen or heard from you in over a month."
Morgan narrowed her eyes, shifting herself into an attacking stance, her grip tightening on the hilt of her blade.
"Where I have been is none of your concern, Ulfric. All you need to worry about is how long you will live when I start pulling your spine out of your body."
Ulfric scoffed, having heard similar threats from the Thalmor, Forsworn and would be assassins.
"As if I would give you the chance to try," he retorted, clutching his axe tightly.
He snarled as the Dragonborn suddenly threw up a glimmering shield of magic out of seemingly nowhere, a volley of arrows snapping harmlessly against the barrier a moment later.
Fool. You knew she fought with blades and magic!
"It seems the time for talk is over. Prepare yourself, Dragonborn."
Morgan grinned at him, and the sight of those razor sharp fangs within her small mouth sent his pulse racing a little faster than before.
"For once, I have to agree with you."
And then they charged towards the other.
Serana lithely dodged an arrow coming towards her and sent a barrage of ice spikes back at the archer that had sent the projectile to her, and snarled in satisfaction as the human went down, impaled by the magical spikes. She then spun to her right, avoiding a potentially lethal axe swing that had been heading for her head, and backhanded her attacker, snapping the man's neck from the sheer force of her swing.
About time we did something about these Stormcloaks, Elisif would have surely been doomed if we had waited for another day or so.
She ducked as Odahviing swooped low over her head, his massive jaws snatching two men and crushing them before throwing them to one side in one smooth movement. Serana grinned as the dragon began to climb, arrows bouncing off his thick scales as the Stormcloak archers began to retaliate.
Serana glanced over at Morgan, to see her slam her hand into Ulfric's shield, the metal buckling from the sheer force of the attack. A second blow shattered the wooden shield and she had to admire at how Ulfric managed to dodge yet another lethal attack as Morgan's blade flashed across his face, the tip of the blade catching his cheek and leaving a bloody cut in its wake.
Not long now, he is beginning to tire.
Serana heard the heavy breathing coming from nearby and she threw herself towards the side as an axe barely missed where she had been standing a second earlier. She chuckled as the solder charged at her, and she caught the hilt of the axe when it had began to descend upon her and sighed.
"Nice try," she whispered, before slashing the man's throat open with her dagger and walking past him as he fell.
She glanced back and scowled when she saw a group of Stormcloaks surround Morgan and Ulfric.
Bastards. I won't let you take her from me.
Ulfric grunted as his axe met Morgan's blade once more, and leaned forward, putting as much strength into his legs as he could. He could feel his legs begin to ache as the vampire simply pushed back at him, his legs sliding across the ground as though it were made of ice. Their faces were close enough so that he could feel wisps of her long black hair tickle his face, her blazing irises meeting his.
"I fucking HATE you," she growled before pushing him backwards with enough force so that he was flung into a pile of his men who had been running over to assist him.
He was grateful when an arrow punched into the vampire's midriff. And then he frowned as the Dragonborn pulled the arrowhead out and threw the shaft back at the archer who had threw it, piercing the mans helmet as though it were made of parchment. Her skin healed over, and her armour molded itself around the hole, making it look unblemished.
Unnatural.
He staggered to his feet and took a breath like he had been taught all those years ago. He could feel the power grow within, the same power that had been unleashed against Torygg and had disarmed him.
"FUS. RO DAH!"
"FEIM. ZII GRON!"
He could only stare as his Shout washed harmlessly around the glowing vampire apparition, only to slam into a group of his own soldiers and send half of them flying into trees, the other half collapsing on each other.
"You cannot match me with the thu'um," Morgan said softly before glancing at a single archer who had been lining up a shot on her and smiling before moving her lips once.
"Die."
The archer screamed before blood erupted from his ears, eyes and nose and he slumped to the ground as though his legs had been taken from him. Ulfric scrambled to his feet and backed off, picking up his axe once more.
Morgan smiled now, her fangs growing a little as she met his gaze.
"Zu'u Dovahkiin. Zu'u thuri," she whispered.
The answering bellows of the three dragons that she seemed to command confirmed what she was saying. He shook his head briefly.
No-one should have this power.
"You're a monster, Dragonborn. Try and deny it all you wish but that is your nature now you have become a blood sucking creature of the night," he said, nodding to the nearest officer and saying a single word that hadn't been on his mind until now.
"Retreat."
He turned back to his nemesis and walked backwards, allowing dozens of his men to stand before him as he retreated.
"We will be back, Dragonborn, make no mistake. And dragons or no, our army will end this."
He grinned at her as the white glow that had been surrounding her dissipated and then waved a hand. And from a hundred feet away, a single archer with a longbow who had been training an arrow on the Dragonborn the entire time loosed his arrow.
Ralof took a deep breath, his mind whirling. Ulfric had asked him to keep an eye on the Dragonborn the entire time should she ever appear, and had tasked him to shoot at her should the opportunity arise or from his own command.
How can it have ever come to this?
he could not get his head around how she had chosen the Empire's side, even after they had tried to execute her. He had admired how she had stood up against Alduin and had defeated him, especially after seeing her since her return from Sovngarde….
"Can I see her?"
"She is deathly ill, I am sorry," Danica insisted, placing a comforting hand on the burly Nords shoulder. "She needs rest."
Ralof sighed, ignoring the suspicious stares of the Whiterun guards. They hadn't truly recognised him thanks to his hood, but he knew that if he were caught here, he could face execution should the Jarl decide that option. Balgruuf hadn't picked a side yet but Ralof knew that many of his advisors were Empire supporters.
But that didn't stop him from trying to visit the Dragonborn, the one who had saved them all.
"Please, I just need to see her."
Danica frowned and then wearily nodded, moving aside top let him by. She tightened her grip on his arm however.
"Five minutes and no longer."
Ralof nodded and muttered a quiet thank you before entering the dimly lit room. He winced when the smell of burnt flesh entered his nostrils, mixed with that of blood, sweat and foul smelling poultices.
And then he saw her, lying on a bed, as still as death.
He met the gaze of a red haired woman who was standing nearby, her eyes narrowing on his when they met gazes. He recognised her as a Companion, and the way that she was holding one of the Dragonborns limp hands suggested they were close friends.
"I came to give my respects," Ralof said softly.
The woman sniffed at him and then nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving his.
"If you are an assassin, you should leave now."
This woman is dangerous.
The Dragonborn suddenly coughed, an explosion of blood pouring from her mouth a second later. The red haired woman cursed and moved Morgan's head to one side, allowing her to breathe. Ralof had moved over and the woman met his gaze again.
"Keep her head at that angle," she instructed.
Ralof nodded and winced again as he saw the pale face, the burn marks on the young Bretons face.
"By Talos…," he muttered softly. "How can she still live after…this?"
"She is more stubborn that most," the woman replied, gently stroking Morgans hair and whispering something into her ear that he couldn't hear.
"Will she live?" he asked after a few moments of awkward silence.
The woman grinned at him, and he had a brief moment where he thought she resembled a wolf before the moment passed and he was facing a dangerous Companion once more.
"Morgan doesn't know the meaning of the word 'die'. The healers have done their work, her body is healing. Alduin did as much damage as he could and it wasn't enough. She will be fine, in time."
Ralof nodded and glanced downwards, just as the Dragonborns eyes shot open and instantly locked onto his as though he were a target.
"Ralof," she whispered before closing her eyes once more.
He raised his head and met the other womans gaze, which was softer than it had been before.
"Is there anything I can do?"
The Companion shook her head.
"I shall take care of her. You better go before Danica throws you out. I will ensure Morgan gets in touch with you when she is able to."
Ralof nodded and looked down again, blinking as the burn marks slowly began to heal on their own, a black mist slightly appearing on her skin and vanishing almost an instant later. The room suddenly felt much colder…
Ralof loosed his arrow, muttering a silent apology as his finger allowed the tight bowstring to be freed. As if in slow motion, he watched his arrow fly, bypassing dozens of men and women that were hacking away at each other with swords and axes. The arrow narrowly missed Rikke, who had been leading her soldiers in the battle, and also passed Galmar Stone Fist, who had been trying to get close to Rikke.
And just before it reached the Dragonborn, a blur suddenly appeared before her…
Morgan heard a gasp just before a spurt of blood splashed on her face.
And then a body fell into her arms. A body with jet black hair and familiar cheekbones.
"SERANA!"
Morgan growled as she made to move the protruding arrow from her lover's chest, but Serana gently took her hand and shook her head slowly.
"Morgan…It's…it's alright…"
"Serana…NO! I AM NOT LOSING YOU!"
"My love….my heart…" Serana wheezed, blood rapidly spilling faster from her mouth as she tried to talk, her grip on Morgan's hand tightening.
"No, I can remove it and then…I can get you somewhere to heal," Morgan babbled, aware that she had no clue about vampiric healing abilities when it came to a fatal wound like this.
"Stop it…just…promise me…promise…."
Serana's eyes closed and Morgan shuddered, her hands covered in blood.
Her blood.
Ulfric took a deep breath and unconsciously began to back away. Something was VERY wrong. The arrow had struck the wrong target. If it had been the Dragonborn, he was certain that they could have won the fight if Solitude and its defenders had seen their champion fall.
Instead, that vampire bitch had gotten in the way.
The air suddenly began to chill, fogs of breath appearing from every person's breath, both living and those on the verge of death. A cold, blanketing mist had began to fall on the battleground, covering the ground and leaving a light frost on the grass and trees.
"What is this?" he heard one of his soldiers mutter.
"YOU."
Ulfric snapped his head upwards and took another step back when he saw the sheer fury on Morgan Aurelius's face. Her eyes were no longer orange, but jet black, and he realised that the cold mist was coming from her.
"DOVAHE. KRII DAAR JOORRE."
The three dragons that were under her command roared in unison, and the Stormcloak army began to back away, dragging their wounded with them as the ground began to shake.
And then Morgan roared, a deafening sound that shattered the skulls of three Stormcloaks that had foolishly attempted to close the distance to her, her black eyes full of malice and anger that Ulfric had seen only once before.
And when the dragons took to the sky before unleashing torrents of fire, ice and a sickly green magic that melted soldiers where they stood into corrupted skeletons and slimy mucus, the army began to scatter in earnest, closely followed by volleys of arrows from the remnants of the Solitude army.
Ralof ran as fast as he could, his feet slipping on the frost ground. His bow and arrows had been discarded for ease of movement. He never imagined he would see such a sight, but he had.
And he wished that he had never heard of the Dragonborn, because as she had met the gaze of Ulfric Stormcloak and had commanded her dragons to her will, her eyes had shifted over to meet his gaze, even over a distance of several hundred yards.
She knows it was you. Run!
His breath was becoming ragged but he wouldn't slow down. Didn't dare to slow down.
The screams of men and women in the mist surrounded him, usually within seconds of each other. The mist had limited his visibility to that of nearly zero, he was simply following the edge of the river, hoping that he would come across one of their camps soon.
He suddenly saw movement to his right and sighed with relief as he saw a young man run alongside, him, his eyes wide with terror and his armour shredded beyond recognition.
"She is coming for us."
"Calm yourself my friend," Ralof puffed as they slowed into a jog. "Who is coming for us?"
The man made to reply when a blur suddenly knocked both of them to the ground. Ralof managed to look up just in time to see the soldier dragged into the mist as he screamed for mercy…and a sickening crunching noise ended his pleas.
Ralof staggered to his feet as a dismembered head encased in a crushed steel helmet rolled to a stop near his feet. He fought down a wave of nausea and let his gaze shift away from the terrified eyes of the head…and locked onto a pair of black eyes that were inches away from his.
"YOU. YOU did this."
Ralof swung his fist and grunted as her hand intercepted his…and then he screamed as her small fingers crushed his, the bones snapping in several places under her strength.
"You will pay for this, human."
The realisation that she had referred to him as a human and not by name sent shivers down his spine…and that was when her hand slammed into his face and sent him into darkness…
"Listener…"
"Brelyna. You heard me. You and Solia are to return to the Sanctuary with the prisoner. Train the new recruits that should be there by now."
"But…"
Brelyna gasped as Morgan's hand closed around her wrist tightly.
"Please. Just go."
Brelyna nodded at the pair of black eyes that bored into hers and she motioned for Solia to follow her, the limp body of Ralof tied to a horse, his mouth and limbs bound.
"Where are you going?"
Morgan closed her eyes. Not wanting Elisif to see her like this, she shook her head so that her hair covered her face and her eyes in particular.
"I need to tell…tell someone what happened," Morgan whispered, gently stroking Serana's still face.
"Morgan…"
Morgan leapt onto Odahviing's neck and they took off a moment later, holding Serana tightly as they ascended into the clouds and leaving the blood soaked battlefield outside Solitude behind…
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Morgan didn't fight back as Valerica pinned her to the wall, her hands wrapped around her neck.
"Help her."
"I KNEW YOU WERE WRONG FOR HER! YOU SILLY LITTLE WENCH!" Valerica raged, slamming Morgan against the wall hard enough to crack the stone behind her.
"She saved me…"
"GET OUT!"
Morgan yelled as she was flung into the heavy wooden doors that led outside of Castle Volkihar. She noted the red dress that Valerica was wearing before the elder patriarch of the Volkihar clan knelt down on top of her and slapped her hard enough that it would have broken a mortal's neck.
"Please…help her."
Valerica slapped her again.
And then a third time.
She raised her hand to strike again, and was stopped as a pale hand stopped it in mid air. She made to move when she was suddenly pinned against the floor herself, the Dragonborn straddling her in her blood soaked armour.
"Help her or by Sithis I will kill you myself."
Valerica gasped as Morgan suddenly vanished into a black shimmering portal a few seconds later, kissing Serana's forehead gently before she left. Valerica stood up and walked over to her daughter, her hands shaking as her mind processed what had just happened.
She is much stronger than I gave her credit. I shouldn't have blamed her like that, Serana truly loves her.
She began to lay out the tools she would need, pausing for a moment to crush soul gem shards with her hand and setting fire to them with magic a second later.
She knows Serana is not dead but in between. She knew I could bring her back….but she didn't know that such a thing takes time.
Valerica closed her eyes, thinking hard.
She overpowered me after taking such abuse…such power! But her eyes and that portal….could she truly be…
"A Void walker…" she whispered.
Valerica shook her head to clear her thoughts and glared at the two young vampires that were standing nearby.
"You two. No-one is to enter. Not even Ronthil or Garan. Go."
She sighed in relief as the door closed and she took a brief moment to slam the locks inwards before moving back to her daughter and began to start work, hoping that the Dragonborn would stay out of trouble until her love returned to her. Valerica knew that a bond such as this was fragile. And she had seen what happened when such bonds were broken.
So what happens when a bond of blood such as this is broken? Can it be fixed? Can the Dragonborn be fixed?
Too many thoughts she mused. Enough of this, get to work.
Come back to us my daughter. For all of our sakes.
A/N: Sorry, but if you thought I would stop doing cliffhangers...nah, never going to happen :D