Forging The Past part 3
The days turned to weeks, to months, to years… and all this time I saw my father change more and more. I tried to talk to him, to reason with him, to somehow reach through to him…. But he had changed. I would sometimes look at him and see a stranger… someone who wasn't really my father, just a pretender… and I would then blame myself and hate myself for thinking such things. Every day he became more and more… I can only call it 'obsessed'… with the Vampire he had in his cell. He used to be a harsh but just king… but during those years he would sometimes bring prisoners and feed them to the vampire. He would do this in secret, and he would try to make sure nobody would find out but me and my mother knew about it…. And after a while others found out too.
We became followers of Molag Bal… we all did. The promises of power appealed to my father… and eventually my mother started to listen to them as well. My father had a small cathedral built within the castle, and a large altar was made in it, bearing the hideous resemblance of Molag Bal.
It was also during that time when other tribes and smaller kingdoms started to take our lands. My father would hardly pay attention to those matters anymore… he was too occupied… too obsessed… with his pursuit of immortality.
She slowly snuck down the stairs… avoiding the light of the torches that lit the dark hallways and stairs. She hated this part of the castle and she had effectively avoided it for most of her life, but now she would visit these parts more than she liked. But she had to, she wanted to know…. She needed to know.
She reached a large wooden door, reinforced with iron plating, but it was unguarded. She knew this, and she also knew the reason behind it. Her father did not want anyone anywhere near him when he would be down there. She quietly opened the door and entered a large, wide hallway with dozens of doors, and staircases led down to the darkness below.
She heard voices. They echoed through the entire area, yet she could not hear what the voices said. She silently walked through the hall, and reached a dark staircase and followed it down.
"That is something I'm sure you can arrange."
She hated that voice. It was a calm voice that could get under your skin in seconds. It radiated confidence, but of a creepy nature.
"What is preventing me from simply letting you starve, and find another to take your place and tell me what I want to know?"
It was her father's voice. It still sounded the same way… it was the same voice she knew, yet there was a difference in tone… it was still calm and fierce, yet with an almost scared undertone.
"Very simple…. Not everyone knows what I know… I am a lot older than you… and I have picked up more than you'd expect."
Serana hear that her father did not answer immediately, but appeared to think. She dared not get any closer, because she knew Vampires could sense blood. If she would get too close, he would sense her.
"Very well…." Harkon said, and his voice sounded reluctant. "Last time you told me Molag Bal requires something… devotion we have already given, sacrifices have already been made… but what else? What else is needed to become a Pure Blooded Vampire? Not some… pathetic half-breed like you… but a true Vampire?"
The voice chuckled and did not seem offended in any way. "You will have to strike a bargain with our Lord himself. Give him something he wants…. What that is, is something no-one can tell you…. But what you want comes at a price… a very high price."
"What price?"
Serana heard the Vampire chuckle, but she did not hear what he said afterwards. He had started to whisper. She dared not get any closer, because she knew the Vampire would sense her. So she stayed for a few more moments, trying to overhear anything, but he spoke too quiet for her to hear it, and after a while she left.
Serana stopped and she sighed. A slight glow came from the high windows, indicating that dawn was approaching. Tarrion still sat in front of her, seated on a chair while she leaned against the headboard of the bed.
"The months that followed were very much the same. My father would spend hours upon hours talking to the Vampire, and all the while the realm started to decline. All his attention were drawn to the Vampire, and his pursuit for immortality."
She sighed again. "He had changed. We all had. At first we were a normal family, but the next moment I could hardly recognize my parents. I couldn't even speak to my father anymore, and my mother was too occupied with her own affairs…. Until one day, my father announced he had discovered how we could all become immortal. I still remembered how I felt, because for a moment I thought I saw a shadow of his old self again. Like he had found a way to safe us…. But I quickly discovered it was nothing more than a façade. He told us we would travel to Morrowind… to a secret place."
"What kind of place?" Tarrion asked, but Serana shook her head.
"I have spent my entire life trying to forget it, and I have succeeded. I no longer remember where it is, and even if I did… I wouldn't tell. Let's just say it was a large valley."
I still remember what it looked like, and try as I might… I cannot forget it. We arrived there and I could tell immediately that there was no going back. There were hundreds of Vampires, and only a handful of humans. Six in total, and one of them was a young woman of my age. Eseri she was called, but I don't know where she was from, but I assume she was from another powerful family. We became…. I guess we became friends…. Or as close as you can get in a place like that. I think it is safe to say she was the reason I did not lose my mind there during the days we… prepared.
The two young women sat in a large tent, along with three other women, including Valerica. Serana and Eseri were clearly the most afraid, and they sat in a corner, while one of the other women had tears in her eyes. Even Valerica was undeniably scared and Serana could see her mother shake, even though she tried to hide it. The third woman was the only one that was not scared, and she sat in an uncomfortable chair like it was a throne. She had long black hair and a pale skin, and if Serana didn't know better, she would say she was already a Vampire. It almost seemed as if she was bored and tired of waiting.
"What do you think will happen?" Serana whispered as quiet as she could so the others wouldn't hear her.
"I don't know. They said they would offer us… but…. That can't be true…. Right? They won't kill us… right?"
"No..." Serana said hesitantly. "No… you're right…. They wouldn't…. we came here to be one of them."
"But how will that happen?" Eseri asked. "What is this 'ceremony' that they are talking about?... what will happen to us?"
Serana did not answer, because she had the same questions.
After a while the entrance to the tent was thrown open and two women came in. Serana could immediately see the glowing eyes and the fangs in their mouths as they grinned at them. Both of them carried a package, and when they opened it Serana saw they contained clothing.
"Put these on… all of you. You cannot wear anything else."
Serana and Eseri had two robes thrown at them, and they could see they were ceremonial. Pitch black and red as blood with a simple red, leather belt. Eseri looked with wide eyes from Serana to the two Vampires that now stood in the middle of the tent waiting.
The other women had already started to disrobe and the woman that hadn't shown any fear already stood naked and grabbed the robe from her chair. It fell down her body and she walked around like it was she was royalty. Serana thought she probably was royalty, but right now she hesitated as she looked at the robes she had in her hands.
"Is there a problem?" one of the Vampires said harsh.
"N-no… no." Serana quickly answered and she started to remove her boots.
Eseri followed her example and tried her best to cover herself, and her long, white hair fell over her curves. Serana could not cover herself and as soon as she had removed her last piece of clothing, she quickly grabbed the robes and put them on.
She found them to be incredibly uncomfortable. She had never dressed herself like this, with no undergarments and these robes left little to the imagination. With a very low and wide neckline her chest was barely covered and with every step she took, her legs were exposed. The sleeves were short and very wide, making her feel like she had nothing on at all.
Eseri seemed to feel the same, as she tried her best to cover her chest with her arms, and pull the robes as far over her legs as possible.
"Good." one of the Vampires said. "You will come with us, two by two."
One of the women, the one who was not afraid, already stepped forward, but the Vampire gave her an icy glare.
"WE will pick who goes first." and she looked at Serana and Eseri. "Those two will go first."
The woman opened her mouth in protest, but another glare made her close it.
"You two! Come with us."
Serana sighed. "They bound our wrists, and dragged us away. My mother did nothing in protest…. I wasn't sure if it was out of fear, or….. I don't know…"
"What happened then?"
Tarrion looked at her, and it was clear he could understand the horror of it all. His face had an expression of pity and disgust.
Serana told him about the dream she had, and although she left out a few details, she told him everything. But when she started to tell about the creature that had stepped from the flames she stopped, but Tarrion didn't need to hear more. He knew.
Serana sighed again. "The next thing I remember was waking up. They had put us all in coffins atop wooden pyres. I was the first to wake up…. My mother was the second… and the last."
"No-one else survived?"
Serana shook her head. "No. The others did not survive….. I remember I woke up naked. The robes I wore were gone. I remember how my legs felt weak, and yet an unknown strength coursed through them. The wind blew against my skin, yet I could not feel the cold. I could see everything around me, yet it was in the middle of the night….. they soon brought a young man to me. Tied by his arms and legs and threw him at my feet, and without a warning, they gave him a small cut on his neck."
She stared at the covers, and she could still remember the fear in the man's eyes. The horror… the begging… and eventually the silence… the emptiness that was left.
"Before I could control myself I grabbed him and sank my teeth into his neck. I did not stop until there wasn't a single drop left in him. I remember the warm taste and feeling…. How it entered my mouth and descended down my throat for the first time… how it gushed from his neck and throat… how it splashed over my skin….. how he screamed in pain… how he begged and pleaded…. How-.."
Tarrion leaned in and took her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "You can stop if you want."
Serana nodded and gave him a watery smile. "I know… but I'm alright. It's just… it has been a while since I remembered it."
She sighed again. "I tried to find Eseri… I climbed on one of the pyres to look for her, yet after I saw the first one… it was the woman who had shown no fear. I never knew her name, but what she looked like, I will never forget. Her hair had become like ash… her face was moulded in this image of horror embodied. Her mouth open, her tongue blackened, her eyes staring and empty and black blood came from under her eyes. Her hands and arms were petrified and over her entire body, you could see her veins… all were blackened… I did not look for Eseri any further. I did not want to see her in that way. When the night was up, the pyres were lit, burning those who did not survive. The Vampires treated us differently. I saw.. no, I felt… how almost all of them were normal Vampires, and almost none of them were Pure-Blooded. They now bowed for us, though reluctantly. When I later met my father again, I saw that he too was a Vampire."
"How?" Tarrion asked. "Your mother said the females were offered to Molag Bal, and you explained how only women were in that tent with you…. How did your father became a Vampire?"
"I don't know." Serana sighed and she shook her head. "I honestly don't know, but I assume it must have been some sort of bargain. The most depraved bargain you could think of. I think he made a deal with Molag Bal. He gave him us, my mother and me… and in return he would be made into a Vampire. He traded and risked the lives of his wife and daughter…. For power."
Serana took a deep breath. Both of them noticed how the day had dawned and an orange light now fell through the windows of the Arcmage's quarters. They had hardly noticed how much time had passed since Tarrion had woken Serana from her nightmare.
"After that… well…. You know the story." Serana continued. "My parents became really icy toward each other. I tried to live a normal life, but that proved to be impossible. I was no longer a little girl… or even a princess, the daughter of a king. I was now a Pure-Blooded Vampire… a daughter of Coldharbour. That is a feeling you cannot ignore, and you change because of it. I had never been very close with my father, but now I hardly even talked to him. I still spent a lot of time with my mother, but that wasn't really a 'mother-daughter relationship'. It felt more like she was a teacher and I was her student, like I was her protégé. That did not mean I did not enjoy the time I spent with her, but even that faded after a while. And then my father discovered that prophecy… my mother was trying to work against him, or reason with him…. She kept feeding me her opinions of him, only to eventually shut me out completely…. And I was left without a father and a slowly disappearing mother. It's definitely been a bad thing on the whole."
Tarrion came sitting next to Serana and wrapped his arm around her. He wanted to say that it was alright now, but before he could, Serana gave him a kiss on his jaw.
"I know… thank you. For this and for listening."
She pressed her leg against his and hugged him back.
"So…" she said and her tone became lighter. "how do you feel now that you know that I am actually a princess?"
Tarrion chuckled. He knew she was trying to lighten the mood and change the subject, and he decided to go with it. "What do you want me to do? Shower you with flowers and call you 'milady' or 'Lady Serana'?"
"Hmm, I wouldn't say no to the flowers…. And 'milady' sounds good."
Tarrion smiled at her. "Well then, milady, you must excuse me. There are new students arriving today, and I have to be ready to meet them."
This was not a moment too early, because right before Tarrion got dressed and wanted to head downstairs, Faralda knocked on the door.
"The new students can be here any moment. You should get ready."
"I am ready. Could you lead the students to the Hall of the Elements for me? I will wait for them there."
An hour later the doors to the Hall of the Elements opened and a group of around twenty young students entered the hall. There was only one Nord in the group, but Tarrion was not surprised as most Nords have no love for Magic. There were several Bretons though, two Imperials, a female Khajiit, two Argonians and six Elves, three of them Dunmer, and one Bosmer. Faralda was walking in front of the students, and Tarrion could see she was in her element. The other teachers had also gathered in the hall, and Serana stood in the back of the group.
Tarrion greeted the newcomers heartily, yet professional, first explaining a bit about the history of the College, and then introduced the teachers.
"Each of the Schools of Magic have a teacher here. I will not be teaching you…. That responsibility lies in the capable hands of the teachers you see around you. For those who want to study Conjuration, to learn about other planes, other worlds than this one, about powers besides the ones we can see… You can learn from Phinis Gestor. For those who want to study Illusion, to learn how to influence the mind, the senses without others knowing it…. You can learn from Drevis Neloren. For those who want to study Restoration, to learn how to heal almost any wound, to be able to protect yourself and others from curses and diseases, to earn the gratitude of any who you help…. You can learn from Colette Marcette. For those that want to study Destruction, to learn how to defend yourself from any enemy, to be able to bend fire, frost and lightning to your will, to learn the very essence of these elements…. You can learn from Faralda, the very same who showed you in here. And last, but not least, for those that want to study Alteration, to learn how to change energies at will, to transform the material world and manipulate it in ways you didn't think would be possible…. You can learn from Tolfdir, one of the most esteemed Wizards in Skyrim."
As Tarrion named each of the Schools of Magic and named each of the teachers, they stepped forward. Colette with a slight nod, Drevis with an extravagant bow, Phinis with a gesture of his hand, Faralda with a proud smile, and Tolfdir with his beard trembling with amusement.
"The Arcanaeum is located above us. This is where you will find the library, and the one that guards all that knowledge; Urag Gro-Shub. I will give you all this warning once; do not disrupt the Arcanaeum. It is a place where you can study and read in peace. No practical research will be done there. If you do… Urag will make you regret it."
Urag made a threatening growl, yet a smile was clearly visible.
"And to introduce the last member of our College, Nirya. She will be able to answer any question you have regarding the rules of your stay, research proposals and other questions. If you break any rules, you will be send to her or Faralda. My advice? Don't be a problem."
Serana heard it all while she stood in the back of the group, and she smiled. She saw how Tarrion spoke with strength, yet it was not threatening. He made the rules clear and simple, yet pressed everyone not to break any. She recognized the same power in his voice she had heard many times before. A strong and absolute power, yet not destructive or offensive. It was the first time she saw Tarrion as the Arcmage, and she liked what she saw.
"Now… if you have any questions regarding what is and what is not allowed, or about the different Schools… save them for the teachers."
One of the Breton stepped forward. "Sir… is it true that the Dragonborn used to study here?"
Tarrion saw Faralda's eyes flash at him and he smiled. "Yes… he was a student here, but not anymore."
"Did he graduate here? Or did he just leave?"
"He…. Sort of… finished his studies here." Tarrion said. "But where he is now? Who knows. Any other questions?"
"Is it true that the College was involved in the Great Collapse?"
"No… but you should ask Tolfdir about that. He knows more about it than I do."
Aside from two other small questions the students knew what they needed to know and Faralda escorted them to the Hall of Attainment.
With the students gone the teachers went about their daily business, but Tolfdir walked up to Tarrion.
"A good speech, Arcmage. Long enough to explain it all, yet short enough to keep everyone's attention."
"Thanks Tolfdir, and you know you can call me Tarrion." Tarrion answered. "I am the Arcmage, but you are all here longer than I am."
"I know. But I have called Savos 'Arcmage' for so long, I cannot imagine addressing anyone in that position by his name."
"See?" Serana said as she walked up to Tarrion. "Lydia is not the only one who keeps doing that."
Later that evening Tarrion went to bed tired. It was for the first time in a long while that he actually had a lot to do. Aside from addressing the students, he had to make notes of all of them. Make sure they all had what they needed, look after the needs of the teachers, and, after he made doubly sure she knew what she was doing, he helped Brelyna with more of her research.
Serana was still awake, and she stood alone on the roof of the college and breathed in the cold northern air. The night had fallen and only a few last rays of sunlight fell over the mountains to the west. She felt the rays on her skin, and for a few moments she could feel the heat. She knew it would eventually scorch her, yet these last few rays did her no harm and she savoured the moment. The heat had something pleasant, and she stayed until the sun had completely set. The stars appeared and with only a few clouds she could see them all. With her Vampiric vision she could see them in all their glory. Colours no human would be able to see, against a deep blue sky. Humans would see it as a black night, yet she knew better. A last, barely visible even to her, orange line fell on the eternal snow of the higher mountains, and she sighed in awe of the beauty of the night. On these moments she would love to live during the night, and sleep during the day. Yet the love she felt for Tarrion and the feelings she had for him and the warmth he gave her every time he touched her, was something she would not miss for the world. She knew he would travel the night with her in a heartbeat, and she would do the same for him. She smiled happily as took a last deep breath and headed downstairs to Tarrion's quarters.
There she saw him, fast asleep. He lay on one side with one arm around a pillow and the other over his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, even while still a few meters away from him. She looked at him and smiled, the way one could only smile at someone they love.
She started to remove her clothing and hung them in one of the wardrobes. Her boots she placed near one of the chairs, and she didn't stop removing her clothes until she had nothing on at all. It was how she loved to sleep. Her skin against Tarrion's skin, without any clothing between them.
Then she entered the bed, making her way under the covers to Tarrion. He still lay there, his chest going up and down under his breath, his brows furrowed in a frown.
She placed herself against him. She removed the pillow from his arm, replacing it with her own body. She could feel how she pressed her breasts against his chest, and she could feel his warmth against her. She stroked his hair gently and gave him a soft and tender kiss while she stroked her finger past his jaw. He moved in his sleep and his other arm fell around her and she felt a deep sleep come over her.
This was for her the ultimate feeling. She loved it and she loved him, and she wouldn't trade anything for it. She would gladly give up the beauty of the night for him.
=End of Chapter=
=Author's Notes=
Soo…. That took a bit, but there it is. I do hope you liked it, especially Serana's story. All of it is made up however. The lore doesn't say much about it, so I just made it up, while still trying to let it make a bit of sense.
Anyways… that is it for now. I will try to go a bit faster with the chapters that are still to come. I have like four stories to worry about right now, but I still give this one the most attention. Why? The loyal fanbase of course :)