ENTHRALLED
The Dawnguard had cute dogs. I wanted to take them home but Serana was adamant that they be killed. They were trained to hunt vampires, she said. As for the Dawnguard themselves, they actually put up a real fight. Not one of those easy ones that the town guards and other enemies engage in.
Cicero had run into the fray to fight. I was left with Serana but we took on the Dawnguard one by one. She used the vampire drain, which was advantageous because she could stay at a distance. I used the Ebony Sword and my power, only when we were surrounded did I change into the Vampire Lord.
The remaining Dawnguard had looks of pure horror on their faces. Good. I needed them to be scared. Two tried to take me down at the same time, one with a crossbow and the other with a stake. I just batted it out of his hand like it was a sweetroll and tore his throat out. The other one wasn't as lucky. I flung some of that vampire drain magic at her. She was dead in minutes.
With the room cleared, I check the perimeter one more time. "All good?" Serana asks. I nod, not wanting to change back yet…just in case.
"Listener, Mother wants you back in your mortal form." Cicero is crouched by the beacon pedestal. Serana found some sort of beacon that releases the Moth Priest. I sigh, which comes out more as a groan and shift. What's waiting for me on the more mortal side of things isn't pretty.
It's a trap. The Moth Priest has been taken over.
"So? We drag him to the Castle if we have to."
You need to change him. Turn him into your thrall.
"How?" I ask. Even though it is a stupid question.
Drink from him but give him some of your own blood. He will be yours to command.
And hers. If she gets him, she can use whatever mojo powers he has. What was it? His specialty is reading the Elder Scrolls? Not sure how much use he would be to her.
The stones below shift in shimmering patterns of blue. The glowing light grows. "What's happening?" I yell to Serana over the wind.
"The Priest is almost free!" She peers over the edge of the rock. They recede into the ground and all that's left is a screaming Nord man.
"My master is dead, and his enemies will pay!" He screams. I guess the best thing to do would be diplomatic, so here goes nothing.
I land in a crouch then speak. "Sir, Moth Priest. I'm the leader of the Dark Brotherhood and we're here for…" He throws a firebolt at me. Diplomacy it will be.
I lunge across the way and tackle him before he can get his knife out. He screams but goes down without much resistance. Maybe we could just tie him up.
Make him yours. She commands.
Without much thought my fangs pierce his neck. He screams again but soon I cut my own wrist and feed him my blood. The red stuff barely touches his mouth when he becomes docile. He stops resisting. Green power fuses my hands to his chest, furthering the enlightenment.
"By the divines! It's as if my eyes have been opened! I am blinded by the light of your majesty. I…I must obey you."
"Yep." I get up then dust all that dirt off. "We need you at Castle Volkihar."
"Yes, master." He rises on steady legs. "Where might I find this castle?"
"North of Solitude out in the ocean, can't miss it."
"I'll set out at once, then." He walks for the exit.
"Another member of the Brotherhood?" Cicero creeps up next to me. I nearly jump out of my skin but compose myself. "Nope, hopefully this is temporary."
"Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't." Serana makes her way down to us. "We should go, my father is waiting, and he'll want to reward us."
Wonder what a tyrannical maniac would want to give us? Hopefully gold, can never have enough of that.
"Well done," His pride is noticeable, "Somehow I knew it would be you and Serana who found our moth priest."
"Wasn't too hard. I got him as my thrall now, so he's easy to command." I watch Harkon's expression. Stony as ever.
"Yes, I see that. I heard the Dawnguard was involved."
"They were, but it was an easy take down."
He smiles, in the creepiest way possible. "I wish I could have been there to hear the sounds of their screams. Now, in celebration, I propose a toast!" He hands me a little champagne flute filled with blood. Same thing everyone else has.
I take a sniff, no poison, but the most enticing scent I've ever been in the presence of. This blood seems familiar, but I know it will be decadent.
"To my daughter and to the leader of the Dark Brotherhood! We thank you for you aid in our plight!" Lord Harkon raises his glass. I follow the motions of everyone else: raise, then drink. No sounds. But there didn't need to be. I was right, the blood is absolutely mouthwatering.
"Where did you get this?" I ask when the flute was dry. I nearly licked the remaining drops out.
Careful. She whispers.
"Poison?" I ask.
No one can poison you. Vampires are immune. But they aren't immune to everything.
Harkon's answer was holding more weight now. He just smiles. "That blood was make specially in this castle…just ordinary blood but with some extra iron."
I couldn't refuse the drink when I was offered, but I should have paused, maybe thrown it out while he wasn't looking. Stupid, dumb rookie mistake.
"Thank you." I nod then avert my eyes. The sooner he turns his attention elsewhere the sooner I can ask Serana what this is.
"Well," He drawls, "Your thrall awaits, and we have given him the Elder Scroll. Command him to read it and let us hear the words of prophecy together." He signals to the other end of the aisle.
I take in a breath. This guy was all looped up and waiting for me, but I was waiting for whatever was in that drink to take hold. If I croak, the whole court will see.
Talk to him and make it fast. She commands. Harkon is merely playing with your mind. Don't let it get to you.
I snap out of my own thoughts. Of course, he's waiting to see if I'm sweating over what I just drank. I stalk down the aisle.
"Master, I have done as you asked and traveled here." The Priest says in the blandest voice he could conjure up.
"I see, I have a new task for you. Read the Elder Scroll." I motion to it in his hands.
"Yes, the Elder Scroll! I admit, I'm looking forward to this." He just stands there and dare I say I feel a little tingle in my spine. I could throw that blood up in the bushes behind him, but it might be too late.
"Go on, read it!" I snap.
"Of course, master." He grins then holds out the hulking scroll, I can't see much on it but strange shapes. But the man is entranced. "I see a vision before me, and image of a great bow. I know this weapon! It is Auriel's Bow! Now a voice whispers, saying 'Among the night's children, a dread lord will rise.' In the age of strife, when dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will mingle with light and the night and day will be as one. The voice fades and the words begin to shimmer and distort. But wait, there is more here." He says that right as I'm eyeing those bushes. The pain is starting to radiate.
"The secret of the bow's power is written elsewhere. I think there is more to the prophecy, recorded in other scrolls." Great. Not like we have them. "Yes, I see them now…one contains the ancient secrets of the dragons, and the other speaks of the potency of ancient blood. My vision darkens and I see no more. To know the complete prophecy, we must have the other two scrolls." He closes his Scroll. The pain is still dull, not intense, so I keep up the façade and walk back to Harkon.
"That was…not as useful as I would have liked. Even so, you did well." He muses.
"Sounds like we need the other Scrolls, any idea where they are?" And an antidote for whatever you gave me? I eye Cicero, crouched as he was told to by the large table. He could stab Harkon in the back right now if I asked. We'd deal with everyone as they came to us.
No. It is not time yet. You would be killed instantly.
I want to talk to her but Harkon is too close. And I don't want to show my hand. "I do not know where they are. My traitor wife stole one of them away and then disappeared. As for the other, the last I heard, it was lost I the bowels of a Dwemer ruin. It seems our work is not yet done. But I have waited this long, and we are so very close now. I can wait a bit longer." He walks away, dismissing me yet again. I grind my teeth as I see him leave…how tempting it would be to tear into him right now.
"You okay? You seemed a little out of it." Serana appears next to me.
"I was, what's with the blood? Was it tainted?"
She laughs, "Not that I'm aware of. All I know is that it was brewed beneath the Castle, they have ice spells down there to keep everything fresh."
Okay, that helps, but the pain?
"Listener, ah, you're hurt." Cicero comes up behind me and the pain goes away, he shows me a little piece of wood we must have missed back at the cave. "The Dawnguard tries to kill you even after death."
My mind is going crazy. I'm certain Harkon knows who I am and why I'm here.
He might not. Now is not the time to go insane. Go find the other Scrolls.
As much as I hate to follow her, she might have a point. We only get one shot at killing him and so far, no good opportunities. "Care to share with where your mother went?" I ask Serana. She seems to pale.
"Let's go outside and talk. I need some fresh air." She rubs her head but leads us. Cicero and I follow her to the courtyard. Vampires keep their prying eyes on us the whole way there.
"Sorry, didn't want the others to get wind of it. I guess you're starting the search for the other Elder Scrolls? My mother would be the best place to start…if we're lucky, she'll have it with her."
"Vampire, you said you don't know where she went." Cicero adds.
Serana looks between us, "Last I saw her, she said that she'd go somewhere safe…somewhere that my father would never search. Other than that, she didn't tell me anything. But the way she said it… 'someplace he would never search.' It was cryptic yet called attention to it."
"Hm, sounds like she was being cautious." I say. Movement catches my eye up on the tower, something is up there.
"Maybe. What I can't figure out is why she said it that way. Besides, I can't imagine a single place my father would avoid looking. And he's had all this time, too." She looks off into the distance, as if her mother would conjure out of thin air before us.
"Maybe she was sealed away like you?" I broach the subject, anything to get her mind moving so we can get on with it.
"No. No, my father would find her. She wouldn't want to be incapacitated like that."
Hm, if I were a vampire lord who hated the ground my husband stepped on, where would I go? Somewhere else in Tamriel that's where. But if we have to go all that way…
The very thing you hate is the thing you are closest to.
How like her to know. "The Castle? Maybe she never left."
Surprise dawns on Serana's face, "Wait…that almost makes sense! I used to help my mother tend a garden in the courtyard here. All of the ingredients for our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn't stand the place. Too…peaceful."
The rationality of her mother's decision still baffles me. If I could put as much distance between myself and the Night Mother, I would. "Isn't it risky to stay here?"
She laughs, "Yes, it is. But my mother is no coward! That is…I don't think we'll actually trip over her there. But it's worth a look."
Keep your eye on your target.
"Your father? He won't be angry for us snooping around?"
"Trust me. I lived here for a very long time and I know every nook and cranny. There's an unused inlet on the northern side of the island that was used by the previous owners to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel from the castle exits there. I think that's our way in."
"Alright, take us to this secret entrance." I check to make sure all my weapons are still accounted for. Nightingale Bow is still here and so is the Ebony Blade. My fangs complete the check and that's right when I see it.
The arrow whizzes past us at high speeds. The archer is close. Cicero ducks while Serana races towards the source. Up there. On the tower. I aim, as well as I can, and ask for the power. She grants me it. The lighting races out and engulfs the top part, like a thunderstorm was raining down on just that area. A solitary scream rings out. Serana begins her walk back to us. That was almost too easy.
No sooner than I think that a knife is at my throat. And no sooner than I can blast the bastard off me Cicero has him stabbed through the chest. He screams, writhing on the ground under the command of the blade. I take in his form in an instant. Dawnguard.
I'm ready to cave his head in when he says my name. Well, sort of. "Leader of the Dark Brotherhood. No! You can't trust them!" He chokes out. I nod to Cicero and thankfully he has the wherewithal to back away from the body. Gives the guy a chance to speak.
"Isran. He knows where that…amulet came from." He coughs and blood begins to pool around his mouth. I crouch next to him to hear his next words. "A Vampire Lord. Carved from her heart. She was here…" Those were his last words.
"Father's not going to be happy about this." Serana sneers.
"Let's not let him know. Just float the bodies away." I murmur. My mind is racing. Why would Isran want to tell me now? Why send them to try and kill me before even delivering the message?
"He was talking about an amulet?" Serana continues, "What was that about?"
"I don't know." I admit. "But maybe your mom will."
Thirty minutes later we were at the door of the belly of Castle Volkihar. Cicero complained the whole way after disposing of the bodies. He wasn't too happy he lost his dagger, but it was his fault since he lodged it so deeply into the man's chest we couldn't pry it free. Once we got into the dungeon part of the Castle everything this side of Oblivion came out and tried to kill us. No surprises there. We disposed of every nasty thing quickly all without me having to go Vampire Lord on them. And all without Cicero's precious knife.
Serana pushed the iron door quickly. I could feel the excitement and anxiety rolling of her. When we emerged from the bowels of the castle, we found a sight to see. A nice little garden in disrepair.
"This is where she is? You sure?" I ask Serana as I survey the courtyard. It was incredibly tiny, and no older version of Serana was hiding behind any bushes. Just grass and panes of glass scattered around.
Serana just wanders around. "Everything's been torn down…the whole place looks…well, dead. It's like we're the first to set foot here in centuries." She then breaks into a run. I actually have to push to keep up. "This used to lead into the castle's great hall. It looks like my father had it sealed up." She gestures to the ruined entryway into the other side of the castle. Pots and glass are shattered on the ground. "I used to walk here after meals…"
I quit listening as she zig zags around the garden. Instead, I look to find Cicero. He's pacing around the sun dial in the center. "Mother says this is important." He murmurs as he makes a lap and passes me.
I glance down. The glass panes are everywhere, surrounding the whole sundial. And some are missing. "Well, what do you think?" I ask her.
Cicero is correct, something is below there.
"Oh, this. Something is wrong with the moondial here. Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew." Serana finally comes to inspect it. "I didn't even know the crests could be removed. Maybe my mother's trying to tell us something?" She looks at me.
She is indeed. Find the other crests to open the passageway.
"Yes, need to get the other crests. Cicero check the garden," I command him. "Maybe look around over there?" I point to the others side of the courtyard for Serana. I'm comfortable ordering Cicero around but with her, I'd rather have her want to follow my directions.
"Only for Mother." Cicero grumbles. Still mad about the dagger I see.
"We'll get you a new one." I call out to him, but he just ignores me. I'd almost rather have him flip me off.
Twenty minutes later we have all the crests set in the sundial. It spins, moving the ground with it and opening a staircase that goes below the castle. "Very clever mother." Serana nearly whistles. "I've never been in those tunnels before, but I'd bet they run right under the courtyard and into the tower ruins. Let's go."
I signal to Cicero and he follows, one by one we descend down the stairs, and right then I smell something…wrong. Some other vampires are down here along with the permeating scent of blood.
"I've never seen this part of the castle before. Be careful. I don't know what might be around." Serana pulls her hood up to conceal her face. I look around the room and find dead humans, along with barrels filled with blood. This is definitely creepy.
Cicero pulls out his solitary dagger when we hear it. Footsteps in the distance. I crouch, blending with the shadows. But I don't need to. He see's me all the same. His eyes are the first ones I lock with.
I nearly lose my footing but instead of retreating, I stumble towards the vampire. In all my wildest dreams and wishes, I didn't know it was possible. Something long broken in my heart finally heals. Latches into place. Right in front of me, emerging from the shadows is an old friend. His face barely marred by vampirism, and his mark is still there. How, I don't know.
"How?" I breathe. Vorstag moves forwards but instead of pulling me into a hug, he lunges for my throat.
Cicero's Journal Entry
2nd of Rain's Hand, 4E 202
Cicero is growing weary. Just running around in circles trying to smite the evil vampire king! Why, let us get it over with, Mother! Cicero knows the truth. He knows what we need is close! Why not just kill him now in his sleep and be done with it?
Oh…you mean…Listener. Yes…we must wait a little more…