Serana and I were returning to fort dawnguard, still shaken by our recent battle. We would be lying if we said the recent events weren't gnawing on our minds.
The scope of this conflict in Skyrim just became visible for our eyes to see, and the prospect of winning seemed further than ever before.
We rode in a comfortable silence as Serena wasn't in her usual cheery mood, and I was still contemplating my own dilemmas *being a vampire, a Dovahkiin, the supposed savior of Mundus, the chosen one, blessed by the divines to save this world, it was all too much.
I glanced over to Serena, trying to make eye contact but saw that she was deep in her thoughts. As I popped open the last vial I got from Solitude's court wizard, drinking its blood-red contents in one swift gulp.
fuck, that's the last of the blood. Now I have to feed on innocent people as well. Can this week get any more horrible?* I thought to myself.
At least the landscape is peaceful.* I thought as I looked around me.
The birds sang their beautiful song as I spotted a few deer running through the forests off Falkreath. I was cautious, however, making sure we stuck to the road. These forests were infamous for being infested by vengeful beasts harming anyone who hurt the forest creatures or its vegetation.
Spriggans, werebeasts, there is even talk that the one who resembles a goat resides in these forests. Meaning the deadra lord Hircine, now I am not one for believing old wives' tales, but these forests have an eerie feeling about them. We have been riding in them for half a day now, and the mists still haven't subsided.
"Serana, shall we pick up the pace? " I asked Serana while looking around the forest, which darkness seemed to loom over us as it seemed to react to my awareness of its dangers.
Serana seemed to be dazed as a low mist engulfed us. Noticing that, I frantically gazed around me, my eyes darting through the encroaching fog for any adversary.
My eyes could make out a large set of antlers in the distance as I tried to focus my vision.
Dovakhiin*
Whispers from all around the wilderness repeated my title as my eyes were still focused on the large antlers in the distance. As I slowly felt myself being pulled in the direction of the huge antlers.
My horse neighed and pranced in deviance as it didn't want to go anywhere in its general location.
Dovakhiin*
The whispers continued but louder this time as the creature with the huge antlers seemed to inch closer to us.
"What do you want from me?" I asked as I glanced in the direction of the creature.
The forests need your help.*
I was dumbfounded. I was talking to a forest by the divines am I finally going insane?
"What do you need from me? I don't think I can help an entire forest..." I declared, confused.
in due time, it will be perceived mortal. My time in the mortal realm is fleeting young dovah. See the signs * it said as the mist receded as fast as it came.
"W-what happened..." Serana said groggily as she rubbed her temple. "It feels as if I was knocked out cold."
I rubbed my forehead, still confused about what had just occurred.
"I really don't know, Serena I just conversed with a forest." I looked at her with a weird expression.
Serana looked at me, perplexed at what I was saying.
"You did what??? Traveling with you really shows me how weird this world truly is." Serana said as she quirked her eyebrows.
"Let's just get out of here. This forest creeps me out," I said as I kicked my horse which obliged heapily, galloping rapidly, wanting to get out of here just as bad as me.
It didn't take long for us to reach the city of Falkreath. We decided to stop there to rest for a while before moving on, making the climb through the mountains. It was a steep climb between the two peaks, but it was the fastest way to get into the rift from this point of Skyrim.
"So, what now, Dracar? You still got some tree-talking spirit in you, haha." She said as she jokingly nudged me with a playful smile on her face.
I just glared at her.
"Not funny, missy. This place gives me the absolute creeps. I don't know what I hate more, strange forest creatures whispering to me or *spiders*" the last word I said with an ever-present dread.
Serana just laughed at me as she nudged me toward the city's inn.
The sign said dead man's drink. I pondered about why you would call an in such a weird name.
"Weird name for an inn," Serena remarked as if she could read my mind.
Once in there, we took a seat close to the heart fire. We sat there in silence for a while.
"So what's the plan, Dracar? Seeing my father is prepared to undertake such extreme measures to hunt us, we need to be more careful." Serana said, breaking the silence.
I sighed softly, hoping Serena wouldn't notice I should know better, as she immediately looked at me with a concerned look.
How would I know how we deal with this? My entire time in Skyrim consisted of being led into crisis after crisis. The turmoils in Skyrim seemed to have a will of their own, dragging me down with every turn I took.
A doom-struck hero being toyed with by the strings of fate.*
"I really don't know, Serena I've lost control of the situation. I would have thought that with time we could learn to face any crisis after what happened in Solitude... I'm not so sure anymore." I muttered barely in a whisper.
"Don't say that... We can do everything. I just know we can we have to!" Serana said as she gazed into my eyes sternly.
Serana's words didn't soothe me. It felt like the weight of the world came crashing down on me.
"I know we have to, Serana. That is clear to me; I just know I don't want either of us to die for that... I mean, just look at our adventure so far. We almost died more times than I can count." I said, saddened, visions of Serena bleeding and falling flashing before my eyes.
I didn't know what was more important, my safety or the female vampires. I had developed very strong feelings for.
"Sometimes I just want to give up," I said stoically, staring into the fire.
slap*
"Snap out of it, idiot! If you want to give up, OK! After all, we have been through, we fought dragons and hordes of undead vampires beings from oblivion, and we FUCKING prevailed over every single one of THEM. You can't give up, and if you do, you will have to do it without me! *cause I will push through*" Serena growled. "You made a promise to me, a promise to stay with me and pull through to the end, and we will FUCKING see the end of this and live the rest of our lives in peace."
Serana's words hit right where she intended, and I felt a pang in my heart as her words rejuvenated my vigor. She was right. We did all those things together, and together, we shall overcome even more.
"You are right, Serena. I'm sorry for feeling that way. We can do anything as long as we are together." I said while looking at her apologetically.
"It's okay, Dracar. I'm scared too, but I truly believe we can prevail, and if you fall down along the way, I'm here to pull you back up." Serana smiled at me as she rubbed my shoulder. "Owh, and sorry for slapping you..."
I smiled a little as I touched my cheek.
"Hardly felt it. You hit like a girl." I said with a cheeky grin
Serana smiled at me as she nudged me.
"Now, let's get some shut-eye. We have a challenging climb in front of us tomorrow." Serana said as she lovingly scuffed through my hair.
Snow raced past our faces as it became increasingly hard to see just a few feet in front of us. We had left our horses in falkreath asking a carriage driver to take them to riften for us. With that, we spend our last few coins.
The cold winds felt like sharp knives grazing past my face. I glanced over at Serena. Through squinted eyes, I could see she had no trouble traversing the storm.
it must be nice to walk so casually through a FUCKING storm.* I internally yelled.
Every step felt heavy, like I was dragging a mammoth strapped to my back. The winds seemed to pick up their ferocity as the snow blasted my face even faster than before.
"By the divines, can this climb get any worse!" I yelled out to no one in particular.
Serana walked back over to me. Her mouth moved, but I couldn't discern the words.
"What?!?!" I yelled, holding my hands in front of my face to stop some of the snow.
"Shall we wait out this storm!! I saw a ca..." She yelled back.
"You saw a what!!" I answered back, not hearing the last part.
"A CAVE! WE SHOULD WAIT OUT THIS STORM. IT'S GETTING BAD"
I nodded as I let Serena lead me toward the presumed cave.
Once there, I sighed in relief as the cold air chilled my bones like never before. I could feel every ligament in my body ache and crack. A few more hours in that storm, and I am sure I would have froze to death.
As I looked around, I quickly noticed this cave was not abandoned. Skulls littered the floor, and the alluring smell of blood filled my nostrils. My eyes glowed red as my fangs bore themselves. Serena noticing this quickly walked over to me.
"You okay, Dracar? I can smell it as well we should stay clear of going deeper." She said softly as she caressed my shoulder.
Seeing as I hadn't fed in a while, I was a bit more preoccupied with holding back my carnal instinct than listening to serana.
"I think I need to feed Serana... And if they are bandit scum, I will have fewer problems with it." I said, looking at her with glowing crimson eyes.
After turning another corner, I could make out muffled voices on the other side of the cave wall. I turned towards Serena holding a finger in front of my lips. She nodded as she began to crouch, walking as softly as possible.
I took a peek around the corner and saw two bandits standing over a cowering woman.
The woman had Auburn hair, and she had a talisman with a sigil on it that I couldn't quite discern.
The woman seemed to be barely alive as her body was littered with bruises. I began to shake from anger as the sight of the poor woman enraged me to the core. My eyes glowed a crimson red color as something in me snapped, seeing one of the bandits hitting the woman again.
My body propelled itself forward without me even trying as I lunged toward the two bandits ripping both their throats open. Letting the blood-red liquid flow into my mouth, satiating my hunger for now.
A loud growl escaped my lungs as blood dripped down my neck. Looking down at the carnage I had created, feelings of guilt and remorse began to flood my mind. I gazed upon my bloodied hands which began to tremble as the realization of what I had done began to dawn upon me.
I locked eyes with the woman who was lying on the ground. She looked at me with a mortified look on her face as she trembled in fear, slowly crawling away from me.
This amplified the feelings coursing through my mind as I gazed down at the ground in shame.
"Are you okay..." A worried Serana asked me as she stood behind me.
Am I okay??* I thought to myself.
Adjusting to being a vampire seemed more complicated than I would have thought. The trauma from my past seemed to be a more significant hurdle than I could imagine, as feelings of resentment, anger, and frustration filled my being.
"NO," I yelled, slamming my fist into a rock wall launching splintered rocks through the cave.
Serana placed her hand on my back as she made me turn around. Showing my face to the female vampire, tears flowed down my cheeks.
Seeing that, Serana's gaze softened as she pulled me into a loving hug. Softly caressing my back.
"We are going to find a cure for you, Dracar. Even if it takes us the rest of eternity, we will find it." She whispered in my ear as she softly kissed me on the cheek.
My heart fluttered at the welcome affection of the female vampire as I tightened our hug. She always knew just how to inspire me or soothe my fears.
The woman lying on the floor interrupted us.
"Pleaseee... Don't kill me." She said, quivering with fear.
I tried walking up to her, but she flinched, screaming.
"AH, GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yelled as she crawled back.
Serana laid a hand on my shoulder, walking past me, crouching down before the woman.
"We aren't here to hurt you in any way. Sorry if my friend here scared you." She said in a soft tone while smiling at the woman.
The woman still looked terrified but seemed to be calmed by Serana's words.
She glanced over at me with wide fearful eyes.
"So you really won't kill me?" The woman's voice sounded more like a whimper than actual speech.
My eyes softened as i laid a hand on my chest.
"I will never hurt innocent people I promise you that much. My name is Dracar." I said as sincerely as possible, hoping the woman would believe me.
The woman seemed to relax a bit as she sat in an upright position letting a painful groan out with every move she made.
Noticing that, I moved closer to the female. Her brown hair flowed down to about shoulder length as she gazed up at me. She had green eyes and a round face with perky lips; something about her reminded me of my late wife.
She flinched back as I came closer.
"Relax," I said as my hands were glowing brightly, inching closer to her wounds.
She gritted her teeth as the bright light enveloped her entire body. Wounds seared closed as scar tissue was replaced with fresh fair skin.
The woman moved her hands all over her body, looking shocked, before gazing back up at me with a small smile grazing her face.
"Thank you," she said softly as a slight blush crossed her cheeks.
I smiled back at her before stretching my arms out towards her. She gazed at my outstretched hands, doubtful if she should take my hand. She looked up at me and was met with a smile as she grabbed hold of my hands, pulling her up.
"See, I am not that bad," I spoke up, smiling at the woman. "What is your name? and what happened to you?"
The woman seemed to ponder as she was still unsure of her safety.
"My name is Elyria. I come from the imperial city of Cyrodill. I was tasked with a mission in Skyrim so far. Skyrim, as you can see, I haven't been successful..." Elyria explained as her eyes looked between Serena and me.
A woman from Cyrodill and from the Imperial city no less is she an agent of the Shadow Legion, perhaps?* I thought to myself, looking the woman up and down, which quirked her eyebrow at me.
"You sure you aren't hungry anymore?" The woman said with a worried tone.
"No, I'm sure you need not worry. Say, what mission are you on, or can't you give specifics?" I said, deciding to try to pry some information out of Elyria.
"I won't share any details with anyone. All you need to know is that it's of grave importance I accomplish my goal." Elyria said confidently while still eyeing me up and down.
Something about this woman seemed off; I just couldn't place it.
Serana decided to butt in the conversation, having observed enough.
"We are on our way to Riften. How about you accompany us, and we each go our separate way after reaching the city? " Serana remarked.
We all decided that was the best course of action as we waited out the snowstorm before continuing on our journey.
The Rift was a beautiful place with birch trees, their golden-leaved canopy, and monarch butterflies flying around looking for their next flower.
We had just passed the river fort, and we were on our way toward the western gate of Riften.
I glanced behind me occasionally to see if Elyria was still behind us. She had a red notebook in which she sometimes wrote something. She also faired pretty well in a fight as we had encountered a few bandits along the way, making me ponder about how those two weaklings captured her.
She seemed to notice me looking and waved at me before looking around again.
at least she isn't scared of me anymore.* I thought to myself as I glanced over at serana, who was uncharacteristically silent. I nudged her a little she looked at me and smiled brightly.
"Is something up, Serana? You are awfully quiet." I asked the female vampire.
"Nothing much; I just don't trust the *new* girl," Serana spoke with a hint of jealousy.
"I agree, Serena. She is a bit of a mystery, but I don't think she can harm us in any way. Let's just stay vigilant." I replied as I gave her a soft pat on the back.
"So, Dracar, how have you become a vampire?" Elyria suddenly asked me. "Was it willingly, or did she turn you?"
Serana narrowed her eyes at Elyria as she clenched her fist.
"Back in the cave, it seemed like you were crying, so I doubt you are enjoying, uhm, your 'situation.'" Elyria continued.
"That's private," Serana replied, her voice sounding as cold as a winter's night.
Elyria smirked before walking past us.
"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude." She replied, her voice sounding a little too cheerful.
"We are looking for a cure," I replied stoically.
"Interesting," Elyria replied.
I glanced over at Serana, who seemed to be ready to kill the woman.
For the rest of the journey to Riften, you could cut the atmosphere with a knife.
I felt relieved reaching the stables of Riften.
"So, this is where our paths split," I spoke up, looking at Elyria, who smiled at me.
An eerie feeling overcame me as I locked eyes with the woman.
"I have a feeling we will be seeing each other again," Elyria said as she smirked at me.
Serana, finally having enough of the woman, grabbed me by my wrist, walking to our horses. As we mounted the horses and rode off, Elyria just stood there watching us leave.
"Till we meet again, Dracar." She said with a wicked smile on her face.
Serana looked at me as we made our way toward day spring canyon.
"I have a feeling we made a grave mistake helping her Dracar. The entire time I was unable to sense anything about her. She is going to be a problem." Serana remarked with a troubled look on her face.
"I have the same doubts, Serana. There was something that felt off about her." Serana nodded as she reigned in her horse.
"What's wrong? Why are you stopping?" I asked, looking around.
We are being watched.
Before we could react we were shot with arrows knocking us off our horses.
Through dazed eyes, I could make out a few dawnguard soldiers inching close to us.
"What are you guys doi..." I tried to say before I fell unconscious.
"Isran, our reports are true Dracar has become a vampire," Durak said as he turned to Isran. The older Redguard man rubbed the front of his temple.
"This is troublesome indeed if they aligned themselves with Harkon; we are truly lost," Isran said with his hoarse voice as he paced around.
"How do you suppose we deal with this problem?" Durak replied, just as worried as Isran.
Isran seemed to ponder about it before an idea came to his mind.
"Take a battalion of soldiers and go to Morthal a wizard resides there, which can maybe help us. " Isran said with a grave expression on his face. "I truly hope you haven't forsaken us, Dracar."
My eyes opened slowly as I tried moving my body to no avail. I gazed down at my hands and feet, which were strapped down tightly.
I tried breaking them with my vampiric strength but found myself unable to do so. A bright light emitted from the restraints as a sudden pang of pain coursed through me.
arghhh*
The enchantment seared my flesh as I shook around violently, only worsening the pain placed on my limbs.
"ISRAN!! YOU BASTARD, COME DOWN HERE." I roared out.
wait, Serana!!* I internally screamed, worried for the female vampire's safety. My eyes darted to the dark room, searching for the female vampire.
Serana wasn't there, however, as my worry turned into a fear I hadn't felt since Solitude.
Suddenly the creaking sound of a door being opened alerted me as my eyes focused on the door opening.
The tall, broad figure of Isran stood in its opening. I growled dangerously at the redguard man as he slowly entered the room with a few soldiers.
"Mind explaining to me what the meaning of THIS IS ISRAN." I roared at the man.
Isran chuckled as he proceeded to walk further into my prison.
"I can ask you the same thing, vampire," Isran replied coldly as he studied my facial features.
I looked at him, confused.
"I don't know what you mean, asshole, and where is Serana!" I yelled back. "You better not have hurt her, or I will rain hellfire on you."
A vein on Isran's head popped.
"I thought you hated vampires, you traitor. And now you return here being one and apparently quite fond of that little seductress!" He spat back at me. "Your family would be ashamed of you, Dracar! What drove you to such lengths as to forsake our cause."
Isran's words struck a nerve, as the idiot had no idea what he was talking about.
"First of all, never EVER speak about my family. And second of all, you have literally no idea what you are talking about!" I spat back, enraged at the audacity of the man standing before me.
Isran scoffed at me.
"All I see before me is vampire scum. You have betrayed our cause." He replied coldly, seemingly regaining his calm composure.
"You are an ignorant fool Isran blinded by hate and incapable of seeing things standing right before you. If we really had betrayed you like you are thinking right now. We would have come here with an army, not just the two of us also not carrying the second elder scroll." I spat back.
"If that's true, how come you are a vampire Dracar?" Isran questioned me.
"That's because I almost died bringing that scroll here, you ignorant bafoon! Serana saved my life, turning me into a vampire, and yes, I have grown closer to her. She is a better person than you could ever be, and that says a lot coming from me hating those creatures probably more than you do." I spat at the man. I didn't care if he hated me for my words I wouldn't care if he cast me out or killed me. He needed to hear the truth.
"Well, that's settled then," Isran replied calmly as he walked and turned his back to me.
"Unbound him." He ordered the two soldiers standing beside him.
The two men unbound me, and as soon as I felt that I was loose, I bolted toward Isran.
smack*
My fist connected with Isran's jaw launching him through the doorway.
Isran slowly got up as he wiped some blood from his chin.
"Got it out of your system?" He asked me as he stood upright.
I scoffed at him.
"You deserved that one," I replied coldly before walking past him. "Where is Serana?"
"Don't worry; your little vampire girlfriend is safe. If you'd excuse me, I have some business to attend to behave yourself in the meantime." Isran said stoically as he walked off.
ughh I can't believe that guy!!* I internally screamed as I clenched my fists.
I glanced over at the two soldiers who cowered before me.
"Jeez, loosen up I am still the same person I just want to know where my companion is," I asked the two men.
They pointed me to a cell two doors from mine I hurried towards it and opened it to see Serana sitting on a chair in the corner of the cell.
She gazed at me, and a big smile graced her beautiful face.
"I see you also got a warm welcome from our idiot leader," Serana said.
"He really is stupid, isn't he? Hahaha." I laughed, locking eyes with Serana, which had an amused grin on her face.
"Glad you finally agree with me," Serana said as she gave me an I told you, so look.
I gave her a look.
"Yeah yeah, you are right." I sighed in defeat.
"Ah, my dear Dragonborn, haven't you learned anything? I am always RIGHT." She said teasingly.
I playfully nudged her, which earned me a make-believe glare from the beautiful woman.
My heart skipped a beat looking at her.
by the divines, you are gorgeous.* I thought to myself, enjoying the view.
We were shaken out of our playful moment as Durak walked in.
"Isran has requested you two to meet him in his study," Durak said.
I raised an eyebrow at the male orc.
"And what makes you think we want to see him after what he has done," I replied coldly.
"Well, he might have a solution for your current predicament," Durak said confidently.
My eyes shot wide open as I glanced over at Serana, which gave me a reassuring smile.
"Go, you should hear him out," Serana whispered to me.
I followed Durak toward Isran's study. As Durak opened the door, I walked in to see Isran was talking with a hooded figure.
"Welcome, Dracar. I want to introduce you to the court mage of Morthal Falion. Here is an expert in people with your condition." Isran explained as he crossed his arms.
I stood up to shake the man's hand, as this was precisely what I was looking for with Serana.
"Nice to meet you, Falion," I said eagerly, wanting to hear the man out."I hope you can help me out."
"Ah, so you are the vampire Isran talked about. How interesting I have never had a willing subject to try the ritual on."Falion said excitedly.
He must be kidding 'try?' Isran said he was an expert in this stuff.* I thought to myself as I gulped.
"What do you mean by try?" I asked, fearing for the man's answer.
Falion paced around a bit as he rubbed his forehead.
"Well, it's like throwing dice. Sometimes you cure the subject, and sometimes..." Falion replied, stopping mid-sentence, which made me fear more for his answer more.
"Sometimes what?!" I said, worried.
"Well, there might be a chance you won't survive the incognation, especially seeing the conditions you had when you turned," Falion explained.
"So you are saying there is a chance I might die?" I asked the mage.
"Yeah, so if you don't want to continue, I can understand," Falion said, understanding the predicament.
I pondered on it before deciding I had to talk with Serana about this.
"I have to think about this, so if you two will excuse me," I said as I rubbed my forehead.
Both men nodded as I excused myself and left the room.
I headed to my quarters, where serana was waiting for me. Serana looked at me as I entered the room.
"So, how did it go? Has Isran found a way to cure you?" She asked me.
I shifted uncomfortably on my feet before speaking.
"Yeah, but there is a chance I might die if we follow through," I said softly.
Serana looked at me with a shocked expression on her face.
"What!? No, you aren't going to do it. Right?" She said in a panic, but she saw the resolve in my eyes as she looked at me with pleading eyes.
"You can't be serious. Is it so awful being a vampire that you will risk dying?" Serana said, barely audible.
"Serana, you know how I feel about it. I am grateful you did it, but it isn't what I want you know that." I said softly, feeling guilty towards the female vampire.
Serana sighed in defeat, knowing full well what I wanted.
"Fine, but don't you die on me! You heard me. I will never forgive you if you do." She said as she lowered her head.
"I won't. I promised to stay with you, didn't I." I said confidently, knowing full well I might break that promise.
The next day came, and I had told Falion my choice he. He had assured me probably nothing would go wrong, seeing as I was a young, strong man. But something about his words not made me feel so sure about that.
I was told to come to him at as the last rays of the sun had gone. The ritual needed to be performed at the beginning of nightfall to be most successful. He also told me he would take care of all the necessities
I tried talking with Serana, but she wasn't very talkative all day.
As night came, me Serana made our way out of the castle to the courtyard where Falion had made an altar.
I turned toward serana locking eyes with her Serana cupped my face as she inched close to mine.
"Don't you die, you hear me. I care too much for you, and I can't lose you. Please promise me that." She pleaded with me as she softly caressed my face.
I took her hands in mine as I nudged her nose with mine.
"I won't. I can't go to oblivion without you by my side." I told her before making my way toward Falion.
"Are you ready?" Falion asked me.
I nodded.
"Then lie down on this altar before you and close your eyes. It's of grave importance you hold your eyes closed cause if you do, the beings of oblivion will take hold of your soul, and you will surely perish." Falion explained as he notioned me to lay down on the altar.
I lay down on the altar as instructed and took one last look at Serana. Before closing my eyes.
Falion placed a hand on my shoulder as he spoke the incantation.
I call uponoblivion realms, the home of those who are not our ancestors. Answer my plea! As in death, there is new life, in Oblivion, there is a beginning for that which has ended. I call forth that power! Accept the soul that we offer! As the sun ends the night, end the darkness of this soul, return life to the creature you see before you!*
A black soul gem began to hover above my body as black goo oozed out of the humming crystal. It was enveloping my entire body. As I could feel myself being pulled by a vortex of unimaginable force, visions of the soul cairn flashed before my eyes as I felt myself being pulled in deeper.
An immediate pain shocked through my entire body, one so intense that it made me scream out in agony as I felt my soul being pulled out of my body.
aaaarghhh*
My eyes shot wide open as I found myself standing in a vast open space devoid of any life. Before me stood a massive creature looking down at me.
"Where am I?" I asked as my voice died down into nothingness.