Forging the Past part 2

Fires were burning all around her and it seemed as the entire valley was set ablaze. She saw countless people standing in anticipation, some looking at a massive elevated area, others looking at her with a dark hunger. Their eyes glowing bright in the darkness, or flaring in the light of the flames, but all had the same look. A look of great anticipation, like they were waiting for something, or couldn't wait for something. Their clothes were dark as the night, and their voices were sharp as they cried out and laughed and shouted and sung dark songs she had never heard before.

"I… I, I'm not sure if this was a good idea." a voice next to her said.

"I know what you mean." she answered, and her voice trembled.

She looked at her companion who wore the same clothes as her and had the same expression of fear on her face. Their clothes were black as the night and red as blood, and they were almost ceremonial. An open neck and low neckline, showing almost half of their breasts, and only a simple, blood red belt was strapped under their chest. Below the belt the robes hung loosely around their waists and legs, and could easily be pushed aside, revealing their naked bodies underneath as neither of them was wearing anything else.

"Serana… I…I'm scared."

"I know, Eseri…. Me too."

"Stop talking!" a rough voice behind them said, and both young women said nothing else. The group that escorted them past the countless Vampires were mostly large men with fiercely glowing eyes, holding the ropes by which they almost dragged the two women. The man in front of them gave a harsh tug and Eseri almost tripped and Serana could see the painful marks on her wrists. The same type of red marks she had as well.

They slowly reached the elevated area, and they both saw how sixty-six steps lead up to the highest point, and Serana noticed how the entire place looked almost like an altar. At the centre stood two massive pillars, made from black stone, yet many red lines, like blood veins, glowed in them, and unless the two women were deeply mistaken, and they hoped they were, the ground beneath the pillars was red with blood.

As soon as the two women neared the two pillars, they were forced to stop. The men that escorted them unbound them and left them, and soon the two women stood alone on the giant, altar-like plateau surrounded by hundreds of Vampires, and all their eyes were fixed on them. Waiting… anticipating…. Hungry for that one moment.

"W…we can't r-run now… can we?" Serana asked herself aloud. She felt her blood freeze as she looked at the scene around her, and her entire body was shaking with fear.

Eseri did not answer and Serana saw how tears of fear crawled from her eyes and how she lacked the strength to stand. Her skin was now so pale, her usually long, white hair looked grey in comparison. Serana grabbed her hand, but she herself felt a tear of fear welling up in her eye as well, and she knew that her legs were about to give in.

Suddenly there was silence. All Vampires around them had suddenly stopped screaming and shouting, and even the fires seemed to burn in silence. The stars were gone and a deep and intense darkness now fell over the valley. A deafening silence now ruled everywhere…. Gripping the heart in an icy grip that no normal man could bear.

Then a lone voice sounded.

"Bal."

First quietly, but stronger and louder every time.

"Bal….. Bal!... Bal!... BAL!"

And every time new voices joined.

"Bal!... Bal!... Bal!….. Bal!"

Until the entire valley shook and echoed with the sound of a thousand voices.

"BAL!... BAL!... BAL!...BAL!"

A horn sounded… it's haunting note only overruled by the constant shouting.

"S-s… Serana…." Eseri said and Serana saw how she stared in fear at the two pillars. And when she turned around, she saw why.

Both pillars were still covered with red, vein-like lines that glowed in the night, but now that had started to pulsate. Every time the Vampires shouted 'Bal', the lines glowed brightly for a moment, and then doused, only to glow again with the next shout. The two pillars seemed to pulsate now, like a grotesque heartbeat and the two women could almost hear the beating in their ears. Their own hearts were pounding rapidly in their chest, as if they were trying to escape, yet the two women knew that there was no escape now.

The two pillars pulsated again…. And again…. And again, until, with a terrifying roar, they burst into flames. Eseri and Serana screamed, but their voices were silenced in the roaring of the flames, and they saw how the flames neared each other. Slowly they reached to the other pillar, burning the air itself and the heat scorched the robes the two women wore, until the inferno had reached its peak.

A war-cry and a horn echoed, but this time it came from the flames. Red light now rent the air apart and a haunting cold chilled the two women to the bones, and they fell to their knees. Eseri grabbed Serana and screamed something, but Serana could not hear it, for out of the flames she saw a shadow made flesh step forth. A long gruesome, paw had stepped from the flames but it was not human, for it ended in a claw that burned with dark fire. It's skin was grey and black and a claw appeared from the flames. Serana's eyes were fixed, and it was as if her gaze was no longer in her control… like she had to look at the creature that stepped from the flames. Then, terrifying and monstrous, a horned head came. It had four horns and a maul like a beast, filled with sharp teeth, and the eyes were glowing like burning coals, and they looked down at the two women. A monstrous smile appeared and one could even hear a bestial laugh as the creature now emerged entirely from the flames.

A laugh came from the creature. It looked down at Serana, smiling. She screamed. Her scream carried above the roaring of the flames… above the shouting of the Vampires around her… above the laughing of Molag Bal himself.

She heard a voice in her head… calling her name.

"Serana… Serana!"

"No!... No don't!... NOOOOO!"

Her eyes opened and she saw someone standing over her. A figure that loomed over her and she kicked and clawed away from it.

"Serana! Calm yourself!"

"No! Get away from me! You will not have me! GET AWAY!"

"Serana! It's me! Tarrion! Calm yourself!"

And finally she saw clearly, and the shadow was no longer dark, and she was able to see his face and eyes. It was not monstrous at all, but handsome. The eyes were not glowing with fire, but were deep and strong. His skin was not grey and black, but light and smooth. She looked around still with fear and she saw that there was no fire around her, and the ground was not covered in blood. The walls were grey, and her bed was soft. A wardrobe stood against a wall, and her clothes were thrown on a chair. She cowered against the headboard of the bed, and she saw how Tarrion looked at her with concern and fear.

"Serana? Are you alright?"

It was the sound of his voice that finally calmed her, and she threw herself around his neck and she felt his arms around her and his hands on her naked back and she felt safe again. Her breath was still rapid, but it started to slow down, and her skin was wet with sweat.

"Oh, Tarrion." she said, and she felt a tear rolling over her cheek.

"I'm here…. I'm here." she heard him say and she felt how he held her tightly, a caring touch on her skin and she felt how she calmed.

"By the gods…" he whispered. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…. I am now…." she answered. "I'm sorry for that…. I had a nightmare."

"Clearly." Tarrion said as he was still in shock at how Serana had woken up. "But I don't think it was a normal nightmare."

Serana knew this to be true, yet the memory of it was still too fresh in her mind, and she preferred not to talk about it.

"Don't worry about me, Tarrion. It was just a nightmare."

But he was not convinced, and he looked her in her eyes. "Serana, I know you well enough by now to know that you are lying. I have seen you in many moods. Happy, angry, sad, joyful… but you were afraid just now, and that is something I have not seen in you."

She tried to look away, but his gaze kept her eyes fixed on him, the way only he could, and she knew he was right.

"You were terrified just now…. This was not a normal nightmare…. Tell me, what was it about?"

"I… I dreamt…." Serana stammered. She struggled to organize her thoughts. "I dreamt of the night of my turning."

"The night…"

Tarrion's eyes widened.

"Not at first." Serana continued. "At first I dreamt of my family…. But there were only small fragments, and I don't really remember most of it…. But then I was surrounded by Vampires, but I was not one of them. I was forced on a large plateau in the middle of a large valley…. There were two pillars… they glowed…."

Tarrion softly squeezed her arm. "Are you alright?"

Serana nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She nodded again.

"Alright then…." Tarrion said. "Then tell me everything…. From the beginning."

Serana looked out one of the windows and sighed. Like she tried to remember something long forgotten.

"I hardly remember the beginning." she said. "But I guess we can begin at the day it all started. The day my father captured a living Vampire."

"You see… my father, at the time, was a powerful warlord. A king you might say, and I was his daughter. Our lands were vast, and spread out over all of Skyrim, and only the easternmost areas were not part of our domain, yet they were vassals to us. Castle Volkihar was a keep and a palace in its days of glory.

We had everything one could ever want. Lands… vassals, armies, servants, wealth beyond imagining…. We had everything. And my father was the king of it all, and yet he feared only one thing. Death. He feared his own mortality, yet at first it was because of noble… almost romantic reasons. He never wanted to leave us. He loved my mother and me and wanted to stay with us forever. At that time we were a normal, and happy family.

Until one day, my father encountered a Vampire."

She woke up from a long and pleasant sleep. As her eyes opened she saw the room glow in the light of the large chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Another candle was placed beside her bed and she took a deep breath through her nose. The covers were warm and soothing, but she threw them aside and stepped out of her bed. A long, red and black nightgown hung from a chair and she put it on, covering herself. Before she would leave her room, she walked to a small mirror and tied her hair black hair. Two small braids on both sides of her head hung from her forehead and were tied behind her head. She saw herself in the mirror and checked if she looked presentable. Her hair was black and her eyes were deep blue, the same shape and size as her mother's. She smiled and walked away to the dining hall.

A great number of servants walked in and out the hall, carrying trays with food, goblets with wine, plates, cutlery and more. As soon as Serana walked in the hall, all of the servants stopped with what they were doing, and made a deep bow to her.

"Good morning to you, Lady Serana."

Serana nodded back and looked around to see if she saw her parents, but neither of them were to be seen.

"Where are my mother and father?" she asked the servant.

"I have not seen them, milady."

Serana nodded and left the dining hall and walked up a large staircase that lead to the bedrooms. At the end of a large hallway she saw two large, ornamented doors. There were no guards posted in this part of the castle as there was no need. She carefully opened one of the doors and listened if she could hear anyone.

".. Why of course…" she heard a man's voice say. "You are my queen."

"Hmmm… and what would my king ask of his queen?" a woman's voice asked seductively.

"I would ask her to remove those covers, so I can kiss her between her breasts."

Serana heard a playful yelp and quickly closed the door.

'Wow…' she thought to herself. 'That was something I did not want to hear.'

The entire day was on all accounts blissful. The sun shone bright throughout the entire day, and after only a handful of petitioners came to Lord Harkon for advice and requests Serana spend most of her time in the garden, reading books or just lying in the sun.

"Serana."

Her mother walked up to her, and her wine-red hair almost glowed in the sun. She smiled at her daughter as she saw how Serana clearly enjoyed the day.

"Yes mother?"

"Are you hiding from me again?"

Serana conjured an expression of ignorance and surprise. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Sure you don't." Valerica said with a smile and sat down on a wooden bench next to Serana, who leaned against a rock near a small pond. "You know full well what day it is today."

Serana sighed. "Yes mother, I know. But I believe you also know that my answer will always be no."

"Serana, be reasonable. Do you want to grow old alone, and eventually see how suitable young men find another?"

"I do hope they find another." Serana smiled. "That would mean that they would finally stop pestering me with proposals."

"Serana, you really need to find yourself a good man." Valerica interrupted her daughter, and she leaned in. "You are now at an age where most of your age get married… plan a future together…. Have children… or at least get betrothed. When I met your father-.."

"Yes, yes." Serana interrupted her. "I know the story. 'You met at moonlight, the stars were reflected in the lake… and in his mesmerizing eyes. His gaze was captivating… so manly… so handsome… your heart was in your throat, pounding faster and faster'-.."

"No… that is…" Valerica blushed. "That is not what I mean. I mean that you need to choose a man that you want to spend your life with."

"How can I choose if you almost never let me leave, and roam Skyrim on my own? You keep me here ,'for my safety' so you say… yet you expect me to marry someone I don't even know? That makes no sense."

Valerica wanted to say something back but changed her mind and simply sighed. "Then will you at least tell me when you do want to get married?"

"When I meet the right man…. Not when the 'the right man' shows up at our doorstep."

"Just promise me that you'll look out for someone with a good trade? Not a… farmer… or a bard…. And promise me you'll never, ever, fall in love with an 'adventurer'? They attract trouble and never have no mind beyond the reach of their sword."

"I see you didn't listen to her." Tarrion chuckled.

"What? You're no adventurer." Serana smiled back. "You are a thane, nine times over… Archmage…. Harbinger and of course the Dragonborn of legend."

"You forget that I became most of those things because I started adventuring."

"Ah well… In that case I guess I could do worse."

The day turned to evening and after dinner Serana, Valerica and Harkon walked through the castle garden and talked. Harkon, tall, dark hair, bright eyes and handsome walked hand in hand with his wife, and listened at how Serana once again refused to marry any of the suitors that had come by.

"Serana, you must make up your mind one of these days. None of us lives forever, and you need to look to your future."

His tone was sharp, yet there was also a slight tone of care, although it was hardly noticed by Serana. Her smile disappeared.

"I know this father… Mother had already told me the same thing. But I want to live my own life, not a life that some man throws at me."

"You are stubborn," Harkon said. "But stubbornness is not always a good thing. One must learn to adapt, and sometimes decisions are made for you."

Serana knew it would not help to answer, no matter if she agreed or disagreed with her father.

"Harkon, we can talk about this another time." Valerica suggested and her husband sighed.

"I will go back inside…. There are still some matters I must attend to." and he walked away.

Valerica sighed, but Serana looked up to the darkening skies. She knew that her father meant it well, but she hardly ever saw it. She knew she could always confide in her mother, yet her father always seemed more occupied with other matters. And she disliked that. She knew he was a king with responsibilities, but would it be so hard to show care for your daughter?

Later that evening Serana lay alone in her bed. She stared at the walls and thought about what her parents had said. It was true that she had reached an age at which most would marry, yet she had turned down every suitor that came. She knew she could not wait forever, and at some point she had to marry. It was something she used to look forward to. When she was younger she would dream of a handsome prince to take her away to a far land and make her a queen. Yet as she grew older she found it far less romantic to have a stranger decide who she would be.

At that moment she heard commotion outside her room. At first it sounded like some insignificant noise, but as she listened more closely she heard it was not.

"Make him sit still!"

"Grab the silver!"

"Hold him!"

Serana stepped out of her bed and grabbed some simple clothes and left to see what it was all about.

In the main hall of the castle the commotion was great. Dozens of guards stood around a single man, and all had their weapons drawn. Serana could not see who the man was, but everyone seemed to think he was dangerous. A moment later Harkon and Valerica also came running.

"What is the meaning of this?" Harkon shouted.

"My lord," a guard started. "We have found this man trying to sneak into the castle."

"Who dares to infiltrate 'my' home?" Harkon asked and he walked past the guard toward the now chained man.

"He has not given his name sir…. Be carefull, my lord. He is a Vampire."

Serana saw Harkon freeze, and Valerica went pale. Her eyes flashed from her husband to the man in the middle of the hall. Serana still stood at the top of the stairs and saw how Harkon took a long look at the man.

"Take him outside and kill him!"

Valerica stood lower on another staircase on the other side of the room, and she stared at the man. Several of the guards had grabbed the man by his arms and were about to carry him outside when Harkon shouted.

"Wait!"

All who were present now looked at Harkon who apparently tried to think as fast as possible. After a few moments he looked up.

"Take him to the dungeons… chain him and put silver over the bars."

Immediately the guards took the man away while the rest went back to their posts. Harkon stood alone in the middle of the hall and did not move.

As Serana and Valerica descended down the stairs Harkon walked toward them.

"Harkon…. Why did you spare him?" Valerica asked. "He is a Vampire…. A monster… why didn't you kill him?"

"I need to think." Harkon answered and walked past the two women and left to his quarters.

Serana and Valerica stayed behind and looked at how Harkon left. Neither of them knew what this could mean. Neither of them knew if they should be worried or not. Neither of them knew of how much their lives were about to change.

-End of Chapter-

-Author's Notes-

So… that took a while. Sorry for the delay.

But this is how the story will go for now. Serana reliving the time before she became a Vampire, and after it. I'm not sure how detailed I will make it, but we'll see.

For now, that is it for this chapter. Stay tuned for the next one and stay patient.