Chapter Three: From the Embassy to the Mountains

The pair went over the roads, each telling the other what they went through.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say Harkon made you into something similar to his wife." Kai mused. "We will have to see what you can do is all."

Ven grimaced, drinking her blood and licking her lips. "We need to go left here," she said, following the road. "As for what you said, I loathe the thought of being his mate. Think about how Valerica feels; she went into hiding because of him!"

She turned wistful. "Kai? Um, after we're done at the Embassy, we'll be close to Castle Volkihar. Do you think we could..."

The male nodded his head. "If that is what you wish." He said in his usual way. Sure, life was different for him, but the feedings were few and far between; the Dunmer kept mostly to her blood vials. And thanks to bandits and whatnot, she was able to keep them filled. They headed into Dragon Bridge and stopped in at the Four Shields, getting some bread and meat after sitting down. "This is good." She said. "Then again anything tastes good to me."

Kai smiled at her as he ate his meal, hearing about the debacle at an old castle and for a few days it seemed as night. "Interesting." He said, talking with her. Ven was silent until they left the town.

"You are correct Kai," she said. "Volkihar. What's been going on?"

She went up a path, leading the pair to the Embassy, staring in shock. There were footprints from something large all over, several pairs of bootprints going inside. "Come," she said, following the prints quickly.

It was pandemonium inside. The banners torn with blood and burned as well, the few carcasses of Altmer lying haphazard. They went through the kitchen, a figure curled in a ball. "It's all right." Kai said gently. "Can you tell me who did this?"

A Khajiit with brown fur stared up at them. "They've gone?" she asked in a touch of an Aldmeri accent. "Khajiit from before came with many others. Slaughtered the elves. Saw me and did nothing."

"What are you called?" he asked.

"I am Tsavani." Came the reply. "Where shall I go?"

"Wherever you want." Ven was calm. "I think that Khajiit gave you a new lease on life. If it's the one I think it is she can't stand people being hurt."

Tsavani looked at them, her eyes brimming. "Thank you!" she cried, gathering up what she could, hugging them before running off.

"What was what about?" he asked. "This 'Dar'Mora' character?"

"Yes." Was the reply. "I think she has taken the Thalmor as fresh meat. It makes sense if you think about it. There are not enough Thalmor to guard this place."

They went to Elenwen's Solar, going in and up the stairs, stopping at a gaping hole to the outside. "Well, there's Elenwen, or what's left of her." Kai said with little emotion. There was the Emissary, in at least two pieces with a broken Elven sword clutched in one hand.

"Dragon..." Ven breathed, tracing the area where they landed with her eyes. "Dar'Mora must have found the words." Kai said. "We have always known this...but how do we..." he rubbed his head.

"Let's go Kai," she said softly, leaving the room with him following. The Dunmer went into the basement, finding a journal and reading it. "Down here!" she called, watching him come over. "Here."

The male read the diary, blinking. "Akaviri..." he said. "What did she do?"

The Dunmer looked at it. "The last location..." she intoned, grabbing her map. "It talks about 'the mountain'. That could only be Arcridge, here, in the Rift."

"Well, since we're done here, let's see your home." Kai smiled. Thanks to her he felt happier than he'd ever been. The pair followed the road, coming to the jetty and taking it across. There was draugr keeping watch, the pinpricks that were their eyes following them. They stopped at the doorman. "Aravenu Araleth and guest." She announced, lowering her hood. The doorman let them pass and go inside. The interior sparkled in its own way, a Nord coming up the stairs. "Who dares..." he began as she came forward, blinking. "Ven!"

"Hello Orthjolf." Was the reply as she hugged him, stepping back. "This is Kai Long. He's mine." She gave a look that would brook no argument.

"Harkon..."

"Is no more. I have felt it Orthjolf." She was smiling. "Are they here?"

Orthjolf gestured down below, descending down the stairs as well. "My lady," he said to the figure. "Everyone. Aravenu Araleth has returned."

Ven walked down the staircase with the Akaviri on her arm, walking to the figure. "Thank you for allowing me my lady." She said.

"Why would I not Ven?" asked the voice, leaning over to reveal...

"Dar'Mora!" the Dunmer grinned, letting go of him and hugging Dar' gently.

"How are you Ven?" She looked at Kai. "And you Kai Long. Be welcome here."

"I thank you, Lady Dar'Mora," came the reply as two Dunmer males came over.

"Garan. Feran." The Dunmer said softly, stepping forward. "Masce."

"Ven?" Garan Marethi breathed, he and Feran pulling her into a hug. "You are safe then and Dar'Mora passed along our words?"

"After I nearly jumped Surana," she said sheepishly, taking the Akaviri's arm, causing them to grin. "This is Kai."

"He is yours then?" Feran asked, the other male getting annoyed.

"I'm her what?" he growled. "Her blood doll? Her friend? What?"

Ven blushed, a voice speaking. "All that and more." Vingalmo smiled as he came down, taking her hand and kissing the back, gently dragging a fang along the back before turning to Kai. "Ven views you as a possible mate Kai. Take that in for a moment; she sees you more than merely food. What did she say when you met?"

"'I need a friend.'" Was the reply. "Ven, is this true? I must..."

"I know you're not ready yet Kai; that it will take time and that's fine. When you say 'do miv shi'korev', or I love you, I will say it back-not before."

The Akaviri was dumbfounded. Ven was correct about him wanting to think. It felt as if she wasn't ready to tell him. "Oh Ven," he breathed, nodding. "Until I am ready to speak the words. I won't make you wait long."

~Timeskip~

The pair left the castle after having a great time, Ven meeting Valerica for the first time. Now they headed back, taking the time to scope out an old cave. "Ven?" Kai asked as they set up the tent, seeing her ears twitch to show she was listening. "I was wondering if the few times you fed on me you were checking something?"

The Dunmer tasted the stew, thinking. "When two vampires mate it becomes more filling if they fed on one another." She explained. "So yes Kai, I was to see how your blood tasted." She looked sheepish as she said it.

The Akaviri smiled, taking a bowl of stew and eating. It was worth it in his mind; he decided not to ask how she found it, knowing that it must be good if she was saying he was hers. She grabbed a leg of venison off the fire, eating it. "I'm sorry Kai." She said after a bit. "I haven't done this before. Harkon just..."

"He did a number on you." Was the reply as he nodded. "Ven I understand in a way. He's gone though."

"I know, but still..."

Kai hugged her, smiling gently as Ven clung to him and silent tears fell. "Easy Ven." He said, holding her close. "Everything will be all right."

More tears fell, Ven shaking slightly. The fact that for 75 years she'd been a fool was part of it. She'd been blinded by the spell of turning that he had used, the same one she had felt break a few days ago. "The woman in Dragon Bridge," she began. "When did she say that battle at the Castle happened?"

"3 months ago." Came the reply. "And as to whatever you and Keir felt, maybe it was because neither of you were Volkihar anymore so it took a while?"

"That...sounds about right." The Dunmer laid back on her bedroll, dozing off. The pair woke later, getting up and packing everything before heading off. It began to rain and she lowered her hood, noticing something inside a cave. "What..." she began, several vampires surrounding them.

"Damn it!" Kai swore, drawing his two-handed blade as she growled.

"Aras noe zavas-kei!" Ven said, the male laughing darkly, grabbing at her.

"We don't want peace," he said. "The humans are weak, and so are..."

The male cried out in pain as she brought fire into her hands and burned him to ash.

"Kai, kill." She said sadly, another gout of flame coming from her hands and take out another vampire. The Akaviri took down his opponents, finding a Nord female who was waking up. "Easy," he intoned, his friend coming over after turning the bodies to ash, looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Please don't hurt me!" the Nord pleaded, seeing what was in front of her. "Just..."

She stopped as the Dunmer gently released her, her hands making quick work of the ropes. "You are all right miss. Listen, do you remember your way home?" At the nod she went on. "Then run miss, and don't look back. You are free."

Ven got up and moved back, gesturing and watching the girl run off before turning the other way, going down the path. Kai watched the girl run off before following her friend. "Talk to me Ven." He intoned. "What is the problem?"

"It hurt Kai-to be seen merely as a bloodsucker." She said, closing her eyes for a moment. "To be viewed with fear..." She opened her eyes. "It is hard."

"I understand Ven. Not everyone gets it."

The pair headed down near Falkreath, staring at the home up on the hill, the Dunmer sniffing the air. "Dar'Mora's house." She intoned, admiring the craftsmanship. "Very well-built."

The Akaviri marked it down on a map before they headed off, resting near Whiterun before making their way into the Rift, stopping at a cave. "Arcridge." He said. "'Follow the path to find one who knows.'"

"Well that's...ominous," The Dunmer replied as they went in. They fought skeletons and draugr, looking like they were slashed to ribbons before a glow reached them, stepping outside to reveal ruins, an ice blue dragon laying on the upper level. "The one who knows," she breathed, the dragon waking up and looking at them. "So one of our blood has returned." It said. "Drem yol lok."

"What...are you?" Kai said. "What do you mean 'our blood'?"

"I am called Iizvenahkrin. And despite the mentions on Akaviri, that is not what you are. You are Kiir do fin Dov, or Child of the Dragon in your tongue. In fact," he chuckled slightly. "You are my kul. Now tell me, who stands with you Kai?"

"I am Aravenu Araleth, Great Dragon. I am the ally of Dar'Mora and Inigo."

"I have met them." Iizvenahkrin replied. "The ones who talk to dragons." He hummed before climbing down in front of his son. "What is wrong?"

Kai growled, his body changing and having scales on his arms and legs, his eyes closely mirroring his father's. "What is this?" he asked, wincing a little.

"Your body is awakening." The dragon said. "Drem kul."

Ven thought silently. When she had named him hers, he had been human and realized that something needed to be said. "Iizvenahkrin," she began. "A few days ago, I named your...kul as mine, not realizing what he was. What must I do?"

Iizvenahkrin moved over to her, standing above her as she waited. The half-dragon guessed at first she was having second thoughts before realizing he knew the truth: she wanted to gain his father's favor as he had truly changed. "Bormah," he said in dragon, switching to Tamrielic. "Ven is a vampire, she has lived over 100 years and until she met me, she's been alone." He turned to her, taking her hands in his own. "Aravenu Araleth, with my father's favor, do miv shi'korev."

The dragon smiled. "I take it you know what it means?" he asked.

The Dunmer was floored, trying to collect herself. "Yes," she said, still somewhat lost because of what Kai said.

"She is having trouble." He said, his father laughing.

"Kai," she said quietly. "Are you absolutely sure? We would be legally bound and death...it doesn't know either of our names...probably."

The half-dragon glanced at Iizvenahkrin before looking at the sky, his gaze happy when he looked back. "I am yours, and I know everything else can wait. I understand how it is for you. So yes, I am sure."

Ven gave a rare smile, nuzzling his neck before taking a drop of blood and he did the same, his blue eyes looking electrified. "Then by my paw," the dragon said. "I name you bound to each other. May your days be long and fruitful!"

(A.N. And now we're totally playing it by ear. Tell me what you think!

Vampiric Translations:

Masce-hello

Aras noe zavas-kei- we come in peace

Dragon Translations:

Drem yol lok - peace-fire-sky, traditional dragon greeting

Iizvenahkrin – Ice-Wind-Courage

Kul-son

Bormah-father)