Awakening part 4
Tarrion led Serana off the mountain. The snow was still high enough to cover their ankles and it made the descend tiresome and slippery. Serana did not say much at first, but after they made it down the mountains she seemed more at ease. She looked around a lot and breathed in the fresh air. The terrain changed from mountain slopes to the swamps of Morthal. It was difficult to follow the path, since it would disappear every few meters, only to reappear at another place. Because of this it took the two of them a long time to pass through the bog and foggy terrain, and when they finally reached the end of the bog, the moon had already begun to slowly descend.
Now that the foggy terrain was behind them Serana began to look around again with eyes wide open, as if she saw everything for the first time. Tarrion walked behind her and felt a smile appear on his face. Serana noticed this.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," Tarrion answered. "it's just that you look around like you have never seen anything like this before."
"Well… I was away for fifteen hundred years." Serana answered as she looked at a Deathbell flower. "I have never seen leafs this colour."
After a while, when the mist had lifted even further, Serana looked north and stopped walking. She saw the city of Solitude, build on its natural rock formation. From this distance they both could see the tiny lights from countless windows shining, but since Serana was a Vampire, she could see everything as clear as day.
"That is Solitude, isn't it?" and Tarrion nodded.
"From the castle we used to be able to see Solitude just over the mountains. And from here it just looks…"
She seemed to be looking for the right words.
"It looks like it's from a story."
After they left Solitude in the distance, they followed the path as it went further west. The northern mountains began to loom in the distance, with only a huge river between them and that massive wall of shadow.
"Where do we have to go?" Serana asked after a short climb.
"Your home is on the other side of those mountains, right?" Tarrion asked and he pointed towards the northern mountains.
Serana nodded.
"Then we first have to pass through a small town called Dragon Bridge. After that we have to cross the mountains, and then find a way to get to that island of yours."
"That should not be a problem." Serana remarked. "There should be a small boat to take us there."
"What can you tell me about your home?" Tarrion asked. "I'm curious about what kind of home it is."
Serana seemed surprised by this question, but also slightly delighted.
"Well, as I said, it is built on an island, to the west of solitude. It is a large castle, and depending on who is around, I will be safe there."
"Depending on who is around?"
Tarrion looked at Serana, and saw that her smile had faded.
"Someone you don't want to see?"
"My father and I don't really get along." Serana answered and she sighed. "Saying it like that makes it sound so common. 'A little girl who doesn't get along with her father.' Read that story a hundred times."
Something about the way she said it told Tarrion that there was more to it than just that.
"But it is not that 'common'?" he asked. "There is something more to it?"
Serana did not answer immediately. She seemed to decide if she should explain or not.
"Maybe there is, and maybe there isn't." she concluded and Tarrion asked no further.
After a long walk through Dragon Bridge and a snowy hike through the mountains, Tarrion and Serana finally reached the sea. From there Serana seemed to recognize the area again.
"Yes… Yes it is this way." She said and she followed the shoreline to the west. "There it is."
Tarrion looked out over the open sea, but could not see a thing. He squinted his eyes, but still saw nothing. Serana, with her Vampire eyes, could see clearly in the night, and she kept looking to her right as she now led Tarrion further westward.
"Serana, I still can't see it." Tarrion said after another long walk. Northwatch Keep was not far away, and Tarrion knew that that fortress would most likely be overrun by bandits and outlaws. He preferred to stay away from it, and avoid a pointless fight.
"Trust me," Serana said and she nodded. "it is there. I can see it. And I am not surprised that you can't. Vampires can see much better in the dark."
After a short, moonlit walk across the beaches, Tarrion could see a large, dark shadow appear in the distance. He did not know how far it was, but it was too far to swim.
"Yes here." Serana suddenly said. "We used to keep a boat around here to get to the castle."
Tarrion saw a small, broken pier with an old boat tied to it. He walked toward it and saw that the rope was not as old as he thought. It looked like the boat was used often, and two oars laid in it, next to each other.
A loud crack sounded as Tarrion stepped on an old plank and his foot fell through a hole in the pier. He grabbed the boat just in time and felt that his leg was already halfway in the water.
He heard Serana laugh.
"This is the part where we usually get 'in' the boat." she said. "You with me?"
Tarrion pulled himself up and made sure that he would not step on an old, rotten plank again.
The crossing to the island was long and tiresome. Tarrion felt that he had to row, despite that Serana offered to help. The waves would try to force Tarrion to turn around, almost as if they were warning him, not to go any further.
The night had also reached its end. The moon had sunk in the west, and the sun came up in the east. Serana looked up and the first rays of sunlight touched her pale face. Serana pulled a dark hood over her head, protecting herself from the sunlight.
Tarrion turned around to see how much further he had to row, and saw a massive castle loom over him. Two watchtowers stood on the edge of the coastal cliffs, and behind that Tarrion saw an old path leading up to a large bridge that served as a causeway that led to the castle. Tarrion saw massive towers, one after the other, rising higher and higher, with countless windows, but no lights. The castle consisted out of three main buildings. The central fortress with the highest towers, and two large wings on either side, each with more towers and countless, dark windows.
"This is your home?" Tarrion asked, and he felt his jaw drop in awe.
"This is it." Serana said. "Home sweet… Castle."
"Why didn't you tell me it was this big?" Tarrion asked.
Serana sighed slightly.
"I just…. I didn't want you to think of me as some lady that sits in her castle all day."
She looked up at the huge, black walls and Tarrion saw that there was no real joy in her eyes.
"I don't know… Coming from a place like this… It's not really me. I hope you can believe that."
After a bit more rowing, the boat ran aground on the shore. Tarrion stepped out and pulled the boat further out of the water and helped Serana get out. Despite that he hardly knew anything about her, he felt that her past was not a joyful story. Serana had been through unpleasant moments, that he knew, and although he did not know why, he felt the urge to be kind to her.
As they walked past the intimidating watchtowers, and reached the causeway, Tarrion saw that large statues were made. Six statues stood on the causeway, and they looked like the gargoyles that they faced in Dimhollow.
Serana walked in front of Tarrion and suddenly stopped.
"Ok, so… before we go in."
Tarrion saw that she seemed to struggle. Like she was not sure what she wanted to do, or say.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes… I am, and thanks for asking." she answered. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me, but when we go in, I'm going to go my own way for a while."
"What do you mean."
"I just… I need to figure out where I stand, and what the situation is."
Serana seemed to be in an internal struggle.
"It's not you." she said quickly. "You have been so great in getting me back here. Just…. Let me take the lead from here."
At the end of the causeway an iron gate blocked the way to the great doors that led to the central fortress. An old gatekeeper stood watch, but as soon as he saw Serana, he shouted to others.
"Lady Serana is back! Open the gate!"
Tarrion followed Serana through the gates and through the great doors. He stepped into the fortress and the doors slammed shut behind him. He knew that he was literally, in the Vampire's den. He felt an almost uncontrollable urge to draw his sword, but he did not.
"How dare you trespass here?" a cold voice sounded.
A High Elf appeared out of the shadows, and Tarrion saw his eyes glow red. He was a Vampire.
"Wait… Serana? Is that truly you? I cannot believe my eyes."
The Elf stared for a few moments at Serana before he turned around and ran towards a huge open room.
"My lord! Everyone! Serana has returned!"
"I guess I am expected." Serana remarked and followed the Elf to the large room.
Tarrion followed her and still felt the urge to draw his sword, but as soon as he entered the large room, he knew it would do him no good.
A large throne room, as big as the throne room in Dragonsreach, dimly lit with countless candles and torches, filled with Vampires appeared before Tarrion. Three large tables with long benches stood in the room, and they were all filled with goblets, plates and platters. On those plates and platters, Tarrion saw humans lying still and the room was filled with the stench of blood. Many goblets were filled with a red liquid and Tarrion feared the worst. Over thirty Vampires sat at those tables, and others walked around. Tarrion also saw that many servants walked around with plates filled with more goblets. These servants all had their heads down and their legs were shaking in fear.
'Thralls.' Tarrion thought. Humans bitten by Vampires to serve them without question. 'A fate worse than death.'
"My long lost daughter returns to me at last."
A haunting voice echoed through the hall, and at the central table, a large man stood up. His black hair was long and fell over his shoulders, and his short black beard was unmistakable on his pale face. His eyes glowed fiercely and his dark robes were layered with many imagery.
He walked around the table with calm demeanour that made Tarrion uneasy, and he saw the glowing eyes flash from Serana to him.
"I trust you have my Elder Scroll."
Tarrion saw that Serana's face changed from slightly hopeful to disbelief.
"After all these years, that is the first thing you ask me?" she said, and Tarrion could hear the pain in her voice. "Yes, I have the Elder Scroll."
"Of course I am delighted to see you, my daughter." the man asked, and a slight smirk appeared on his face, showing his fangs. "Must I really say the words aloud? Ah, if only your traitor mother were here. I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike."
As soon as he said the words 'traitor mother', the smirk disappeared and a fierce anger was visible in his eyes. Tarrion knew then, that this man was more dangerous than any man he had met thus far.
"Now, tell me. Who is this stranger that you have brought into our hall?"
Serana looked at Tarrion, and a slight smile appeared on her face.
"This is my saviour. The one who freed me."
As soon as the man heard the word 'Saviour', a dark shadow appeared over his face, as if he wished not to hear it. He looked at Tarrion, sizing him up.
"For my daughter's save return, you have my thanks. Now tell me, what is your name?"
Tarrion heard that it was not a request, and he had no intention of making this man angry.
"My name is Tarrion." Tarrion said, and the man nodded.
"I am Harkon, Lord of this court." the man answered back. "By now, my daughter would have told you what we are."
"You are Vampires." Tarrion said, but Harkon simply laughed. An evil, humourless laugh.
"Not just 'Vampires'." he said. "We are among the oldest and most powerful Vampires in Skyrim."
He said it as if it was an undeniable fact, and Tarrion noticed that everyone in the hall had stopped moving and listened. Many of them now looked at Tarrion, either with disdain, or with hunger in their eyes.
"For centuries we have lived here, far from the cares of the world. But all of that ended when my wife took away that which I valued most."
Harkon stopped moving and looked fiercely at Tarrion, but Tarrion did not look away.
"Very well. What happens now?" he asked.
"You have done me a great service." Harkon said, and that unsettling smirk appeared on his face. "And now you must be rewarded, and there is but one reward that I can give that is equal to the Elder Scroll and my daughter."
Harkon still had that smirk on his face, like he knew he knew something Tarrion did not.
"I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble as you pass and you will never fear Death again!"
Tarrion knew that Harkon's offer was to make him a Vampire, but Tarrion was a Werewolf.
"I am already a Werewolf." Tarrion said, as if that would be the end of the matter. He saw Serana look surprised at him.
Harkon took a deep breath through his nose.
"Yes, I can smell it on you. The power of my blood will purge that filth from you and make you whole again."
"What if I refuse your gift?"
Harkon spat on the floor, like he did not want to hear such insolence.
"I will banish you from this castle. I will spare your life this once, but after that, you are prey."
Then Harkon laughed. Another humourless laugh and Tarrion had to force himself, not to grab his sword.
"Perhaps you still need convincing? BEHOLD THE POWER!"
With a burst of red light and a deafening roar, Harkon transformed. His hands became claws and out of his back, large bat-like wings appeared. His entire body transformed and his skin turned grey and his face moulded into something monstrous. It was over in a few seconds, and a giant monstrous bat had appeared before Tarrion. Its mouth opened and Harkon's voice had changed as well. It was no longer a creepy, dark voice, but now it was a raw voice that seemed more monster than man.
"This is the power that I offer! Now, make your choice!"
Tarrion had a split second to make a decision that he knew, would change his life.
"I don't want to be a Vampire." Tarrion said strongly. "I refuse your gift."
"Then so be it!" Harkon sneered and with his wings he jumped up and hovered a few meters off the ground.
"You are prey! Like all mortals! I BANISH YOU!"
Harkon fired a purple bolt of light at Tarrion and Tarrion fell petrified to the ground.
"Take him away, but he is not to be harmed." Harkon said, and a few Vampires grabbed Tarrion and dragged him out of the hall. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was Serana, who had an expression of pain and loss on her face.
=End of Chapter=
=End of Arc 1=
=Authors notes=
Fire and Blood will be about Tarrion and Serana and their adventures in Skyrim. Other characters will also make appearances in this story or any of the others. It will start at the beginning of the Dawnguard-DLC storyline and expand from there. There might be a few moments in the story that are not entirely in line with the lore of Skyrim, but I'll make these as small as possible.
What the stories are about is something that not even I know, yet. I'll make stuff up as I go along, so it'll be a surprise.
What is the background of the character and was quests has he completed already? :
-Alduin is killed.
-Civil War has ended in the Empire's favour (Ulfric is dead)
-Companions Questline is completed
-College of Winterhold Questline is completed.
-DragonBorn DLC? Not sure what I am going to do with it.
-Dark Brotherhood? Not sure ….
-Thieves Guild? Not started and I'll see what my character will do with it.
-Paarthurnax still lives.
- (I forgot to mention this last time) Tarrion is Thane in all the holds. (Whiterun, Winterhold, Solitude, Windhelm, Markarth, Riften, Morthal, Falkreath and Dawnstar)
/\
*I will keep this part in until the end of the first Arc*
Dragon Language used:
None used
Characters:
(You should know the main characters, Tarrion and Serana, by now :)
Harkon: Serana's father and lord of Castle Volkihar. He is the leader of the Vampires is the Dawnguard-Questline and also the main antagonist and (SPOILER ALERT!) the final boss. He is a real douche and drunk on power.
PS: I know I said that I would finish this chapter ten days ago, but I had other stuff to do. I now have a full week off from school, so I might do some more stuff for this story, but who knows.
I am also working on my second book (Yes I am a small time writer) and I will be busy with that too.
BIG PPS!: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands), so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please tell me about it.