Okay, then. Bringing you guys the second half of the story now. I'll be thanking xTRESTWHOx and NaanContributor for their part in everything.

A major announcement! With this chapter done, I will begin rewriting the first two chapters of Dragon Rose to better fit the style of the story and be a little more inviting to new readers. I will let everyone know when they're ready, and then post them here.

Chapter 70: Guard the Dawn

20th of Evening Star

Ruby, Weiss, and Lydia were running full tilt, following an example from one of Blake's early ventures and gulping down stamina potions with an additional healing potion once in a while. Sometimes when they were faced with hard to pass terrain obstacles, Ruby would take her friends' hands and use her Semblance to get them past it, thus she had gotten a few dips in her Aura. It wasn't enough to keep her out of eventual conflict, but she hadn't been at one hundred percent for a couple of hours now.

"How far?" Ruby got out as night rolled over them. "How far?"

"H-halfway," Lydia gasped. She had found the plan to be halfway suicidal, but considering what was at stake, she was willing to run across the country. "At least…out of the craglands."

Weiss felt her breathing behaving erratically. At first, she was afraid of what it meant, but her body didn't seem too affected by it. It just felt like she should be short of breath more than she was, but it was like her lungs were simultaneously ignoring it and hyperventilating. Once she decided to ignore her lungs and let them do whatever, she began focusing ahead and outward, keeping an eye on their surroundings. She didn't know what they were heading into, but there were sure to be some sort of rearguard forces they might run into eventually. If they did, then they needed to be prepared even if it was still miles away.

Something caught her attention, and she looked back behind her. At first, she saw nothing, so she activated Sense Life. She caught a few small signals that were likely woodland creatures, most of them moving away from the sprinting humans. A tinking noise reached her ears and she looked forward to see Ruby was waving around some golden candlesticks, hoping again to catch Vulgahrotru's attention. They didn't know where the dragon was, but for once Weiss wished he was a bit more active in his gold-searching toll patrols.

Was he ignoring them on purpose?

Weiss looked back again and clenched her jaw. Sense Life again showed her nothing. A light went off in her head and she switched to Sense Undead, then a single, man-sized glow showed itself some ways behind them and was slowly catching up.

"Something's behind us," she warned the other two. "Get ready!"

"Turn and present!" Ruby commanded while grabbing Crescent Rose. The Scythe unfurled and she went about-face, with Lydia readying her shield and sword. Weiss stood to the side and prepared her rapier and magic as the form slowed and approached them. A pale-skinned Nord with red eyes, short-cropped black hair, and a small tidy beard came out with his hands held up in a placating gesture.

"I'm not here to fight you," he announced.

"Vampires are attacking our friends," Weiss responded. "Forgive us for being suspicious."

"I do, and also recognize the irony of you being the one saying that."

Weiss groaned. "Fair enough, but why are you after us?"

"I was trying to talk to you, but you kept going. It's like your friends aren't even mortal."

"Sorry, but we're in a hurry," Ruby explained, even though she still held Crescent Rose at full deploy. "Like she said, our friends are under attack!"

"Yes, from the army of Bloodfiends," he stated.

"Bloodfiends?" Weiss asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Wait, what do you know of them? Who are you? Volkihar?"

"I was, but my clan no longer associate with them," the Nord began to explain, keeping his right hand up to show he wasn't a threat while bringing his left to his chest. "We are the Wittestadr. We left them long ago, but it seems some of my clan decided to go back…and present the heads of the Dawnguard as a gift." He sighed. "Forgive me. I am Valeric Majornson Wittestadr. I have tried to lead my clan as peacefully as possible, but there are some who were unsatisfied with this, like Aniton and his ilk."

"Weiss Schnee," the heiress slowly greeted him. "And, well, I guess you could say I'm a splinter from the Volkihar as well."

"Ruby Rose, and this is Lydia Snow-Mare, my housecarl," the younger girl introduced herself. "Not vampires."

"Yes," he said while looking at her in slight confusion. "Be that as it may, we must hurry. Aniton has likely already laid siege on the Dawnguard. While we cannot fight all of his Bloodfiends, we can slay him while they are distracted."

"There's that term again," Weiss noted. "Bloodfiends. What are those?"

"Vampires, but somewhere between beast and man in their nature," Valeric explained. "When a vampire drains someone on the verge of death, but leaves them alive long enough to die with the curse in their veins, the result is a mindless vampire that feeds without restraint. They're usually an accident created by careless vampires who drink too deeply but do not ensure their victim's death. However, I think Aniton has been doing it on purpose for centuries now. I believe their original purpose was to be used against me and the rest of the clan, but now, he's either changed his plans, or he knew more than I suspected."

"And now you're out to stop him?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, though if you are who I believe you to be, then you could certainly help."

A heavy pause fell over the group. Ruby, Weiss, and Lydia looked at each other, trying to figure out just what to do.

"I'm not sure about this," Lydia said lowly. "We don't know if we can trust him."

"True, we just met, and you were kinda chasing us," Ruby pointed out.

"I did attempt to call out, but you were a fair distance ahead of me and moving fast," Valeric explained, but Lydia wasn't moved.

"For all we know, he could be on the vampire army's side," she added. Valeric sighed at that and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's fine if you don't trust me, but we need to move either way. They may already be attacking the fort as we speak."

"We know they are," Ruby pointed out. "That's why we're running there. We have to stop them before they hurt our friends."

"So, you know of this army that has slunk through my land?" The four looked up in surprise to see a dragon making tight circles above them, nary a sound coming from his flight.

"Vulgahrotru! You found us!" Ruby cheered as the dragon landed on a boulder near them.

"Ge, Dovahkiin. Once my actions were free, I felt something moving in my realm that spoke of your Thu'um." He sniffed and then looked over at the vampiric Nord. "What do you know of this army threatening those under my wings?"

"I am sorry, oh dragon. Some of those I thought trustworthy betrayed my trust, and I was unable to stop them. I did not know what they were doing until they were already moving through the Rift."

Vulgahrotru seemed to snort and shake his head and frills. "Moving through and sending forces to attack every mortal home from here to the Malokaazjunaar! I have flown from place to place all day, burning their madness away. When I felt the Dovahkiin nearing, I knew the threads of fate would lead us to the source of this…disturbance."

"Yes, the source would be Aniton. There are others, but he is the main instigator in all of this." As Valeric explained it again, Ruby looked over to Lydia, who still seemed suspicious.

"What do you think, Vulgahrotru?" she asked him.

"Hm, morahu vodrem. Nunon, rok gein ahrk hi los pogaan."

"Ge, arhk hi los dovah," she agreed with a nod. "Okay guys, there's one of him and four of us. I trust him to have the self-preservation to not do anything until we get there even if he is bad."

Valeric seemed quite disappointed, if resigned, about the reasoning, but he said nothing in protest. The other two silently agreed to it, then the dragon leaped sideways off of the boulder.

"Then let us be off. Climb upon, joorre."

"Wait, we're going to be flying?"

"Ge. We must make haste. Tiid mal. I cannot wait for you to scramble your way there."

"Right. Um," Ruby looked around for a place to sit, then went for the back, behind the shoulder. The others followed suit until they were all seated and gripping one of the spines on his back.

"I think we're secure," Weiss offered to the dragon toll master.

"Then we fly." He leaped up and flapped his wings. Ruby felt the Thu'um flowing through him as he took wing, then he began to glide over the treetops, angling slightly up after a moment of gaining momentum. "Hold tight, joorre. Wuld Nah…"

"Oh he means it!" Ruby yelled before she gripped a spine as though her life depended on it.

"…Kest!"

The dragon shot forward through the air, going faster than Ruby figured she ever went outside of a vehicle or her Semblance. Thanks to the angle, he also went slightly upward, though not by too much. As they slowed back down to what seemed to be an average sort of fast, she felt him preparing again while angling himself more.

"Wuld Nah Kest!"

He shot up and forward again, this time ending up just below the clouds. Everyone began to wonder if he would use it a third time, but the dragon seemed to be content with flying his way up further. Ruby finally felt brave enough to look over the side and down at the ground below. It was rather beautiful and terrifying at the same time, and a part of her felt jealousy and…longing.

'I wish I could fly,' she thought. As she felt the almost alien sense of missing being able to fly, Weiss pointed towards the horizon and Ruby followed her direction to see a mountain valley where some scattered blazes were lit but slowly dying.

"I just used Sense Undead. There's a lot that way."

"That is their army," Vulgahrotru announced. "Your friends are there, yes?"

"Yeah," Ruby answered before checking her scroll. There was a message from Yang, and recent at that. She read it, and her eyes went wide as she took in the details.

Don't know when they'll break through, it read, but I don't want you to linger, no matter what happens. Keep moving forward, Ruby.

The Dragonborn gritted her teeth and looked at the place where the army of undead was mostly gathered, both in and out of the valley, with building anger. Her fist clenched and she stood up to her feet.

"Vulgahrotru, these vampires threatened your home and my sister," Ruby began, heat building in her chest. "Burn them."

"Nust fen ag!" he gleefully agreed. Ruby looked back to the others, seeing the fear in Weiss' eyes before she took a breath to calm herself before speaking.

"Weiss, go ahead and take off. Can you fly, Valeric?"

"I can glide pretty well," he offered.

"Good enough. You two don't want to be with us for this next part."

"Ruby," Weiss began before gulping and looking back down at the moonlit land. She met her partner's gaze and reached out to her. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Weiss," Ruby said gratefully. She offered her a smile and received one in turn as she helped the vampire to her feet. Weiss shifted to her Vampire Lord form and then leaped off the dragon's back, taking wing right after. Valeric jumped after her in his own form, which was much bulkier in build, but still had full wings, looking much like a gargoyle. Ruby turned to Lydia, who was still waiting patiently. "You want off?"

The housecarl shook her head. "I'll stay by your side," she declared.

"Right. Well, hold on then. It's about to get hot. Vulgahrotru, head towards the castle. We'll work from there outwards."

The dragon roared, and Ruby felt that was all the agreement she needed.

Everyone heard the roar, some feeling a little more anxious, but Yang smiled brightly.

"Everyone!" she announced. "The cavalry has arrived!"

People looked around slightly confused until one person asked the question on all their minds.

"Which cavalry?"

"My sister," she proudly confirmed.

Again, there was a moment of silence until someone seemed to recall the almost obscure fact.

"Her sister's the Dragonborn!"

Then the cheering came, joined in by a louder roar that made the walls shake a little. The raucous noise climbed as the once fatalistic warriors felt their blood pumping again. Even Isran raised his hammer and shouted for the sort of reinforcement they were receiving. There was another slam against the doors, finally breaching them, but the Dawnguard were ready. The vampires that charged in were met with a wall of arrows and bolts once again, but then flames licked at their heels from outside. Shrieks rose up even after they were extinguished, and the men and women charged through. As they exited Fort Dawnguard, they looked up to see a bronze and grey dragon with a large nose horn hovering above the burning fields, and a small girl standing on his snout and holding on to the horn that was taller than her.

"Never thought I'd be happy to see a dragon torching my fort," Durak said before moving forward. Most of the undead past the third line were ablaze, and not even the Giant's mist breath could put it out fast enough. The dragon began moving forward, fire raining down from his maw, and a smaller stream coming from the girl.

"Go Ruby!" Yang cheered her sister on as she fell upon some vampires lucky enough to miss the fire, but not lucky enough to miss her. She smashed one down with a flaming haymaker, then hit the other one with three rapid punches of bone-crushing force, the third hit having an explosion attached that sent it flying, only somewhat in pieces. The Giant looked around at the flaming land and then back at the dragon flying away and still torching the army. A loud, roaring explosion sounded out and the Dawnguard made a battlecry matching it.

"That dragon lit the frozen pitch!" someone cheered.

"Burn, corpses, burn!"

The Giant roared in rage and blood seemed to leak out and cover it like a cocoon. The sight was enough to still even the revitalized Dawnguard. It burst open, and what seemed to be a gargantuan humanoid bat took its place.

"That thing was a Gods damned Vampire Lord!" Yang realized in shock.

The Giant Vampire Lord took off in a leap and flap of its wings, leaving a large crater of cracked stone at its takeoff point, going after the dragon. Yang gritted her teeth, but looked forward to what was left of the vampire army.

"Finish them off!" Isran commanded. "Every one of these monsters is a threat to every innocent soul in Skyrim! Don't let them get away with tonight!"

Yang felt it could have been better stated, but the main point was there. Each of these things was a threat to good and innocent people, and they needed to be stopped. She took off to help end them.

It was time to hunt.

Aniton was a simple vampire. He wanted power, to live forever, and to not hide away his eternal life. Valeric tried to keep him weak, but he found a way to gather power right under his nose. The sentimental fool had kept journals from his long-dead father around, and from just a few glimpses, Aniton learned how to make Bloodfiend Thralls and control them with ease just as the great Majorn once did. He taught the basics to some like-minded, though not as ambitious, vampires, and soon they were building an army. Everything was going smoothly, but he couldn't quite take the chance to make his move without risking everything. Then, just recently, an envoy from their Clanfather approached them and gave them not only a chance at usurping Valeric but also a way to get in the King's good graces. The destruction of the Dawnguard would be good for any vampire, but would remove a great thorn from Harkon's side. And while it was costly in the number of Bloodfiends, he was reminded that it was better to come back into the fold with less so as to not seem a threat.

He could always get more later, anyways.

Everything was going well for Aniton's people. A handful of neophytes were sent, along with a Giant childer of his by the name of Galadr. He was a powerful vampire, but his simple mind made him a loyal servant to Aniton. The perfect retainer, honestly! He was surprised more vampires didn't think of things like that.

Well, maybe Harkon had? A Senche Khajiit was rather ingenious! No one would ever expect that!

"Thing seems to be going well," one of his underlings using a scrying orb reported. "Galadr is at the door. He should smash it in and have them slaughtered soon. Oh, looks like his little brother died. He won't be happy 'bout that."

"He'll avenge himself on the killer soon, I'm sure," Aniton figured. "We'll give him a proper Giant's funeral, full of mammoth cheese and everything, however it goes." He grinned at the cat-like vampire. "Lord Harkon should be pleased with this."

"Certainly," Dro'magora, the King's envoy, agreed. "You've definitely earned your place at the court. Once their heads are in bags, this one will take you there where you can present them to his lordship."

Aniton smiled, his fangs glistening in the moonlight. He looked back towards Fort Dawnguard, where orange fires and black smoke rose high above its stone spires. The defenders had given it their all, but in the end, his army of thousands easily overwhelmed their few hundred. It was a slaughter, and he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into their ranks once the battle was won.

"Not much longer now," he muttered to himself, then from the corner of his eye, he saw the scryer's expression furrow as something came into view on the orb. Her expression turned nervous, then the underling turned to face her master.

"Sir," the underling called up nervously. "Something's…" A roar rolled out over the land, and everyone looked up to see a dragon flying towards the scene of the battle.

"What…?" someone muttered.

"That can't be!" Aniton seethed as his eyes widened and his fists clenched tightly. "We muddied the trail and sent groups everywhere to keep that lizard busy! There's no way! He doesn't even come this far!"

"Damn thing assaulted Riften once," one of his almost-equals pointed out. "I think his limits are wherever he wants to go."

Another roar rang out, and then flames poured from its mouth and…the top of its head? Aniton didn't know dragons worked like that. Fire raced across the valley, and everyone could feel the control over their Bloodfiends dissipate as they were destroyed. While it made control easier to have fewer, it was a little disorienting for some to have so many go so quickly. The fact that fire was involved wasn't helping things. The underling with the orb started shaking before scrambling away, and Aniton scoffed at…her? He never got to know that one too well.

"Tch, this isn't good," he muttered.

"Not good?" Dro'magora half-shouted. "That dragon's destroying the army! And they weren't finished killing the Dawnguard!"

"Don't worry so much. We've already breached all the way in. We take care of the dragon, we can finish off the rest."

"How do you plan to 'take care' of the dragon?" Dro'magora scoffed. Aniton merely smirked, and before the Senche could ask why, a screech went up as a massive bat-like creature flew up from out of the valley.

"Ah, good boy Galadr. See, he'll take care of the flying nuisance, and we'll get back on the attack." He picked up the orb and smirked at the Dawnguard running back out. "See, they're prematurely sortying, heading right for our best warriors, and the dragon's being cut-off right now. They'll be slaughtered and…"

More flames leaped out, but not from the dragon. The vampires looked on in disbelief as what seemed to be a single person was falling towards them and breathing fire before…turning into a red cloud…? Which sprayed a vortex of even more fire?

"What is going on?!" Aniton screamed, finally losing his composure.

Ruby left the twin rose petal bursts and was caught by Lydia as she readied an Aegis beneath her feet.

"All right, so I can Shout while using my Semblance," she concluded. The Aegis then hit the ground, and Lydia focused on keeping their balance as they slid to a stop. Ruby's Semblance may have changed their falling momentum to forward, but it was up to Lydia's to actually land them. Mostly so Ruby could focus.

"Yol Toor Shul!" she Shouted, roasting another long mass of unsuspecting undead. As they came to a stop, her flames petered out and they both leaped to action. Ruby had Dawnbreaker ready and began swiping through body after body while running forward, using her Semblance to dodge around attacks that were almost on point or get around pressed masses. Small explosions of light echoed in her wake, sending yet more of the undead hurtling and burning. Lydia cut through her own foes while bashing some away with both her shield and her Aegis, heading towards the group that Ruby had figured to be the leaders. The Dragonborn burned the crowd of vampires behind them, then started gasping, letting Lydia know she probably wouldn't be able to Shout for a few minutes now. They faced against the half-dozen or so that had drawn weapons and readied magic, though the main one who was holding an orb just stood there looking furious.

"You…" he ground out before tossing the crystal ball aside. "That was centuries of work, all up in flames!"

"Not the first time," Ruby croaked out before clearing her throat. She faced off against the vampire and held Dawnbreaker at the ready. The vampires looked ready to attack, but then two more hovered down and landed to Ruby's side. A Senche vampire's eyes widened in recognition, despite Weiss being in her Vampire Lord form, and a low growl escaped his throat that was barely audible. The growl grew faintly louder as Ruby glanced at Weiss and swapped out the holy sword for Crescent Rose.

"Aniton!" Valeric shouted before shifting to his human form, drawing a sword from his side as he did. He then raised the weapon, pointing it at the traitor. "You've poisoned the land with your presence for too long. For breaking my trust, the trust of the clan, and the death that you've sowed, you will pay."

Aniton scoffed. "Pay? The only price to paid here, Valeric, is yours!"

Blood coated him then burst open to reveal a gargoyle-like body, Aniton's face being the only resemblance to the vampire's human form on its stony skin. Weiss reached a claw out, and a true gargoyle appeared next to her, then she shifted to human form, two spells in her hands the moment she was in her human skin again. To her left, a Cold-Flame Atronach came into being, while an Ice Atronach of her design appeared at her right, its body shaped more akin to a sculpted armor hulk complete with a shield on its left arm. She then drew her rapier and focused, and a glyph appeared behind her before her knightly summon rose up from its surface. A few of the enemies took a few steps back at the display of conjuring power.

"How many summons can she have at once?" one of them cried out indignantly.

A low, rumbling growl rose up from their ranks as the Senche finally had enough. He walked towards the group, and Weiss recognized the Khajiit as Dro'magora walked toward her.

"He should've known you would betray us, newblood," he muttered darkly before his shoulders rolled like a lion preparing to pounce. "This one will make sure Harkon receives your head!"

Weiss calmly raised Strahlendjuwel and then brought it down with a flourish. "I was never on your side in the first place."

The Senche pounced, aiming straight for Weiss, but a shield crashed down before him, forcing the Khajiit to leap off of it. Aniton then moved at Valeric, but the Nord vampire side-stepped him and cut into his stony side. Weiss's gargoyle then rammed into one of the vampires coming to back him, clawing at it a second later. One of them sent a lightning bolt at Ruby, who leaped out of its way before rushing him in a cloud of rose petals. As she spun her scythe to attack, a woman tried to sneak up on her, only to be split from shoulder to waist by Lydia's orichalcum blade.

The Senche vampire seemed to get a number of vampires out of the shadows to join him and help with assaulting Weiss and her small army. One of them jumped up and over the shield-bearing atronach, going for a downward strike, but a golden blur shot through the air and smashed into him, slamming the vampire into the ground on the opposite side. Some of them paused at the sight of an armored, gold-furred werewolf, but others readied themselves for a harder battle, even as she shifted to a human shape.

"Good to see you, Rubes!" she shouted over to her sister.

"Yang!" Ruby called back happily before kicking her foe in the face. One ran towards her screaming, but went down with a yelp as a sickle was thrown into his back, only to be yanked backward and kicked off by a cat-eared girl. "Blake! You're both okay!"

"Yep. Good to see you," she said before drawing the Nightingale Blade with her left hand and slicing up and past a shadow vampire's blow and through their face in a single motion. Lydia smacked her shield against an incoming foe then stabbed, but the vampire managed to leap back from it.

"Dark Horse!" Ruby shouted, and Blake moved. Lydia's Semblance appeared before her, and Blake jumped up and kicked off of it, spinning as she flew forward in a dizzying fan of blades at a pair of enemies. Lydia then charged the injured vampire to the right and removed his head while Blake turned and did the same to the other.

"Freezerburn!"

With little hesitation, Weiss cast a spell through Strahlendjuwel and stabbed down, coating the surrounding earth in a sheet of ice. Several vampires slipped, though some were more aware of their footing and stood strong. Yang then leaped up, flames coating her fists as she punched down and let the fire spread out at the impact with the icy ground, sending up a mist that gave the warriors cover. The Senche vampire growled even as he dodged another swipe from the Cold-Flame Atronach, letting one of Aniton's underlings gain its attention and become trapped in its burning cold embrace. He sniffed and then focused, blood covering his body even as the other vampires screamed in fear and pain.

The Khajiit roared as his large wings burst out and then flapped, clearing away most of the mist. He then caught sight of Weiss, standing with her back to him and her summons in front of her. Smirking, he charged at her, his wings giving him a speed boost. She turned just in time for his paw to slam into her face and his claws to dig into her head. She screamed as her Aura flared, and Ruby turned and tried to come to her aid, only for another Vampire Lord to get in her way. Dro'magora laughed as he dug his claws in further, then Blake appeared before him, taking another sword from her back and swinging it, the red and black katana slicing cleanly above his elbow and all the way through as though his flesh were jelly. The Khajiiti vampire screamed and leaped back, his wings helping to take him away from the danger. As blood spurted from the vampire's severed arm, staining the snow, a smirk crossed Blake's lips and a manic light shone from her eyes, triggering immediate concern through both Weiss and Ruby, who had just beat away her own roadblock.

"You…bitch!" he screamed before throwing a string of Ta'agra curses at the Faunus. He began looking around, but he quickly saw that the battle was becoming untenable. Aniton's forces were depleted, the deaths of several of the controlling vampires was throwing off what little remained of the Bloodfiends, and a moment spent looking up told him the Giant Vampire Lord was covered in burns and bloody gashes. He growled and nearly fell when his missing leg threw him off-balance.

"To Oblivion with you all!" he shouted before disappearing in a cloud of bats that headed towards the nearby forest. Valeric finally managed to slay Aniton, impaling him upon his blade. The traitor gasped out his last breath as he fell to his knees, his stony skin losing all colors and crumbling into dirt as blood seeped out from the disintegrating corpse. The remaining defectors backed away defensively, now all looking incredibly uncertain with two of their three most powerful defeated.

A screech rang out and everyone looked up to see Vulgahrotru and Galadr circle each other before the vampire made a diving headbutt. He impacted the dragon, but then received talons in his face that scratched deep furrows before he was kicked down. The Giant released a chilling breath, now so dense that it was more solid than mist, but Volgahrotru met it with his fire. The two forces clashed, but then the dragon was dropping onto the vampire. He bit his wing and pulled at it, making them both drop to the ground. Vulgahrotru wrestled down the struggling man-bat, bashing him with wings and snapping into him with his jaws. The dragon then clenched his teeth on the neck of the creature and pulled. The vampire tried to flail himself loose, but Vulgahrotru tightened his grip and kept going. A tearing noise sounded out, and the vampire's screech turned into a gurgle the instant before the dragon ripped his head off. He tossed the severed piece away just as it and the body disintegrated into blood and ash, then roared a jet of flame into the night air, lighting the area for a mile's radius, and showing the Dawnguard slaying the last of the Bloodfiend army, now in disarray and falling apart.

As the defenders rallied and charged to cut down the remaining Bloodfiends in the distance, one of the vampires stepped forward and raised her hands. "I surrender!"

"Damn, rotten…traitorous… Oh, it aches," Dro'magora muttered. His stump pulsed with pain, even after he managed to get the worst of the bleeding to stop. He wanted to lick at it, but he needed to get somewhere dark before sunrise, away from his pursuers, then make his way back to the castle. Harkon needed to know what he learned.

Suddenly something was in his way. He was ready to pounce it just before he recognized the figure and sighed.

"Why are you here?" he groaned out.

"Can I not be concerned when one of my clan is injured?" she asked while crouching down and observing the severed foreleg. "My, what a clean cut!" Dro'magora backed away from her, fighting not to stumble as he did. Natha stood back up and chuckled. "You must be looking for shelter. Afraid you won't really heal from that, though. Not even a vampire can regrow whole limbs."

"It is not your concern," he muttered, before thinking over some things then biting down on his pride. "What should be your concern is the traitor in our midst."

"Oh, a traitor?" Natha prodded while looking thoughtful. "Hm, master won't like that."

"Especially not this one. Weiss Schnee stepped in to defend the Dawnguard. Dro'magora fought her himself."

"Ah, so she did that to you?" she questioned. His growl rose up.

"No. A Khajiit, Ohmes by the look of her. Black hair and fur. Light smell. Wielded a Daedric daikatana." Dro'magora growled. "If he ever lays eyes on her, he will take his time to make her suffer."

"Weiss," Natha muttered, ignoring Dro'magora's threats to someone she didn't know. "Weiss Schnee left the castle with Serana and Giledie in tow. Is it possible they're in league with her?"

The Khajiit looked at her and snarled. "Isn't that Giledie one of yours?"

"I'm her second sire, but she's not one of my little ones if that's what you're implying. She likes to follow Weiss around like a lovestruck puppy." Natha giggled at that. "Serana, on the other hand… Well, times are fun now, aren't they?"

"Kah! There is no fun in this! If Serana is a traitor as well, Harkon will have no mercy on her either!"

"Don't get your tail in a twist, child. There's a lot more to learn about what's going on."

"Do not belittle me! You are not one to call me a child!"

She laughed at that. "I'm thousands of years your senior, little kitten. You've barely been in the court a century. I just look like a child."

He growled a moment, then let out a chuckle. "Yes. Your dear father made sure of that, didn't he?"

Natha's smile disappeared at that. Her once jovial face became dark as she glared at the Khajiiti vampire. Seeing that he struck a nerve, he laughed sinisterly.

"Yes, it's no secret, your past. Everyone at the court knows. Sometimes you can hear the men making jokes about it."

"You…do not get to speak about it," she seethed.

"Why not? They all do. Talking about how much your dear father loved you." He chuckled as he saw her eyes glowing. "Loved you too much, yes. Loved how little you are. And he would have loved for you to stay little, so he did. Vampirism, hey? Hehehe!"

Dro'magora felt satisfaction at seeing Natha's eyes glow with hatred and anger. Getting to knock someone like Natha off her high horse was cathartic. As her eyes calmed and her expression morphed back to neutral, he figured his fun was over, and then she raised a hand and stuck out two fingers together before swiping it down. He wondered what that was about when he recalled that he had yet to see her Little Ones anywhere, those massive men who rarely left her side and served her every whim. His leg tensed, though there was hesitation when he felt a little off-balance. Even a lack of that hesitation would not have saved him from the flash of steel that passed his vision, going down at an angle. Dro'magora then felt himself falling.

Natha reached down and picked up the severed head by its mane, looking him in the frantically twitching eyes as the body fell over.

"You should have quit while you were ahead," she stated with a grin before lowering it, though her smile did not stay. Serric gro-Roc walked out of the shadows while sheathing his blade, then Ocadur came from the other side with the Nords, Schrubal and Djorni walking from behind her.

"What next, mistress?" Djorni asked, putting his thumbs into his belt.

"Well, we should go and pay a visit to little Weiss," she said while spinning the severed head around. "I have a gift for her."

Valeric left with the remainder of the splinter group, now just a handful of vampires that were probably no stronger than the 'average cave-dweller', as he put it. By the time any Dawnguardsmen made it to where RWBY and their companions fought the lead instigators, they were long gone. As far as the Dawnguard knew now, all the vampires involved were slain. For the rest of that night, no one got any sleep, save perhaps some of the injured. The Riften army arrived not long after the fighting ended, then a small force of Stormcloaks, led by Runs-Through-Storms, arrived from Windhelm. It was only a vanguard force, meant to gauge what they were up against and scout ahead for the bulk army being gathered. Both were equal parts disappointed and relieved that it was already over, and all that was left was getting rid of the bodies.

Piles and piles were made of vampiric corpses, both charred and unburned. Vulgahrotru lent some of his fire to dispose of them at first but then left without a word. The Dawnguard had started the cleanup, but it soon became apparent they were more than weary. The commanders of both the Old Hold forces decided to pick up where they left off, carting out undead from the valley and throwing them into massive pyres. Some starting making games of it, though others found 'how far can you throw a corpse' to be more macabre than they were used to.

In the fort, others repaired the damage to either the fortifications or themselves. Team RWBY and Lydia were having a private meeting at the very top level, the area secured with a Muffle.

"So, we'd use this, somehow, to unlock the way to Blackreach," Ruby explained while showing them the Dwemer orb. "Then, when we find the Elder Scroll, Septimus said we can use this lexicon thing to…I guess you could say 'download' the information."

"Yes, but there's more to what Septimus said about this thing than finding the Scroll," Weiss pointed out. "If he's right about what's in that lockbox…"

"Wait, what's in the box?" Yang asked. "Is it important?"

"He said…it was the Heart of Lorkhan," Weiss told them. While the sisters didn't seem to understand the implications, Blake shot up.

"Wait, I read about that thing," the Faunus said. "It… It's the literal heart of the actual God, Lorkhan. That… Are you sure?"

"Uh, hold on, is this like the Eye of Magnus?" Yang asked. "Godly body parts seem to have a lot of power behind them."

"It's more than the Eye," Weiss explained. "The Heart of Lorkhan is also known as the Heart of the World. I'm not sure of all the specifics, but there is one thing I do know: the Heart can be used to give mortals the power of Gods. The 'Gods' of the defunct religion of the Dunmer, The Tribunal, were once powered by it before the Nerevarine supposedly destroyed it to kill Dagoth Ur."

"Wait, so this crazy guy who talks in metaphors that translate to more metaphors is trying to achieve godhood?"

"Maybe. I don't know. It could be that or genuine intellectual curiosity. The Heart might not even be in that thing. Regardless, whatever he's planning, we'll be there."

"Maybe we shouldn't give him this lexicon thing?" Blake suggested.

"Seems sensible," Lydia agreed.

"You guys," Ruby protested, "we can't just leave the guy hanging after he helped us. Sure he's weird, a little crazy, and should probably go back to a civilized place with plumbing, but not holding our end of the deal with him would basically be stealing. Besides, he could end up getting someone else to help him. I don't know if he has more of these things or even if we're the first people he's asked. Even if he does try something, Weiss has the Staff of Magnus."

"Isn't that meant for the Eye of Magnus, though?" Blake asked.

"I mean, yeah, sorta."

"It…does have a lot more applications," Weiss admitted. "I haven't really tested it all that much, but I'm starting to think the limits of what it's capable of might be far beyond what has been theorized."

"Not to mention the tools thing. Tell 'em, Weiss."

"Ah, yes, I did tell you that story. Well, from all the records and dreams I've had, the Tools of Kagrenac are needed to manipulate the Heart. Not to say it would be impossible, but I highly doubt a crazy, underfed man in a hollowed-out iceberg can replicate the greatest creation of the brightest mind known among the Dwemer."

"So, we're pretty sure he can't do anything even if we open the box?" Yang asked for confirmation.

"Pretty sure," Ruby said. "And again, we'll be there to stop any shenanigans, without stealing."

Blake coughed a little at that and averted her eyes, though Ruby wasn't looking at her at that moment, instead taking out a map and unrolling it.

"Okay, so there's that, but first off, Weiss' sick friend."

"We're not really…" Weiss started, but then cut herself off. The semantics of how to term her relationship to the cranky, dying alchemist wasn't important at the moment. "Never mind."

The heiress pulled out her scroll and brought up a list of ingredients she had made and described, then set it down for Ruby to read. The younger girl looked them over to refresh herself and nodded. "Well, we need mammoth tusk powder, special snow, and a briarheart. I can see about getting the snow from Hrothgar, and pretty much any of us can stop by and buy some mammoth tusk powder from a Giant clan. The briarheart's trickier. We might have to go to the Reach for one of those." She then blanched. "We might even have to extract one ourselves."

"Well, we really need one, right?" Blake pointed out.

"Uh, Blakey," Yang started, "it's not like stealing a ring or something. Pretty much every briarheart we've come across was…inside a chest. A human chest."

The Faunus blinked at that. "You mean…like an actual…heart?"

"Yeah. At least, most of the ones we've run into were evil," Ruby pointed out. "The first one was part of a bunch of murderers. Then I ran into a couple who worked for one of those Hagravens, and she tried to have us all killed when there was a dragon flying around burning people."

"Oh, I see." Blake looked at the map. "So, we've got to go to the Reach?"

"Before that, I think you may want to make another stop." Everyone stiffened and turned to see who had just spoken, and they saw a young-looking girl of maybe twelve or so with a black hood over her head, eyes orange in its shadow. "Greetings, everyone. Weiss dear, I brought you a gift," she said while holding up a sack.

"Natha? Wha- What are you doing here?!" the heiress exclaimed.

"Well, it was such a nice cloudy day, I thought I might take a stroll. Then I heard one of my dear little friends was nearby, so I decided to drop by." Natha walked up to their table and then reached into the bag to pull out the severed head of Dro'magora. Most of them reeled back in revulsion, Ruby letting out a yelp as she did, but Weiss stared at it a moment before looking back up at the other vampire.

"The Senche from last night," she recognized him. "I'm guessing you're the reason why we only found a headless corpse?"

"He was going on about a certain traitor, but then he started saying some things he really shouldn't have." Weiss noted the tick of anger in her voice and the way her expression changed for a split second before it went back to her smugly superior smile. It reminded her of the events that led to another vampire's death, courtesy of Natha. Right then, Weiss swore to herself to never push whatever buttons set off Natha's murderous side.

"Thank you," she offered. "It certainly means fewer problems if Harkon is…unaware of some things. But why?"

"Well, to be honest, it's only a half-sure decision, but I just don't know about this whole thing. Blotting out the sun and all? We've done fine enough for thousands of years. We don't need total freedom. You get around just fine, and I just can't go around drinking spirits at the inns and taverns. Usually."

"Uh, Weiss," Yang spoke up. "You wanna fill us in on why a little girl is talking about vampire politics?"

"Because she isn't a little girl." The blancette sighed and brushed back her hair. "Everyone, this is Natha, a…member of the Volkihar."

"Hello again," she greeted them. "Now, am I correct that you're all looking to stop Harkon's plans? Well, if you want to do that, then you'll need to keep the Moth Priest out of his clutches. Unfortunately, the bait's already been set. Malkus is about to catch him."

"Malkus? How?"

"He sent some false information about having an Elder Scroll near Dragon Bridge to the College of Winterhold. They would have just gotten it about three days ago, right before the Moth Priest and his entourage arrived to investigate. I confirmed he was heading back west. Malkus will know as well, and then he will spring his trap."

"Ah, crap!" Yang muttered. "Then he'll…" She quieted herself when she realized she almost let some information slip.

"Oh yes, he'll know it's gone then," Natha confirmed. "I must say, Serana did a good job. Don't know where she got all of that gold paint, but it's fooled all the right people." Natha smiled brightly at that. "Where is she right now?"

"Right here." Natha looked over and beamed at the other vampire who had just joined them, the large scroll on her back, and a dagger held in a reverse grip in her hands.

"Good to see you well, dear princess."

"What are you up to, Natha?" Serana jumped straight to the point. "Did you have anything to do with that army?"

"I was as surprised as you," Natha admitted. "I honestly thought it was foolish, though poor Dro'magora may have been onto something. If it wasn't for dragonfire, he might have been successful." She then looked over at Ruby. "Well done, by the way."

"Uh, thanks?" Ruby wasn't quite certain how she should take the vampire's apparent compliment, but she still felt uneasy about the entire situation. So did Lydia, it seemed, as the housecarl had moved over defensibly at Ruby's side. The vampire didn't appear to be offended. If anything, she looked amused.

"Be that as it may, I don't think you'd tell us this for our sakes," Serana said.

"No," she admitted. "It's for all our sakes." She smirked while Serana crossed her arms. "You can take my advice or leave it. If Harkon gets the Moth Priest, then it's only a matter of time before he gets a hold of another Scroll and uses it, at the same time denying you the other one."

The women all looked around at each other, each of them trying to think their way around the situation. Finally, Ruby was the one to speak up as she started forward.

"We can't let Harkon get the Moth Priest, for the sake of the world and an innocent man's freedom to boot. We'll go to Dragon Bridge and try to stop the ambush and help the Priest. Even if she's lying, we're headed that way anyway. The worse that'll happen is that we're rushed, and that can only help in this case. But Natha," she said as she reached the small vampire, "I know you're not a child, and I'm getting a really big 'plot-brewer' vibe from you. Just know that if this is a trick and anyone on my team gets hurt, it'll be on you."

Natha nodded. "Ah, I can see you're really serious. Don't worry. I've only spoken the truth, and your team is a more than capable force."

"You're right about that." Ruby looked back to the others and nodded. When she turned back, Natha was already gone, vanished without a trace. Ruby was momentarily confused by Natha's sudden disappearance, then she shook those thoughts out and turned back towards the table to sit down.

"Okay then, we need to make travel preparations and go save a Moth Priest."