AN: So, thank you again to everyone who has read this far. Crazy to think we're already thirty chapters in, huh?
To Undeadmonkey8: I by no means think you're insane for liking Thera more. She is direct, and I can respect admiring that. But, on how Lucius is "holier than thou" when it comes to his dealings with Thera, I kind of feel like he has good reason. He is literally blessed by the Divines (though, I suppose she is, too). Also, while he does have a tendency to leave a pile of bodies in his wake, he doesn't enjoy it or mistreat the people they were like Thera does, unless maybe the victim was Thera herself. I did address it, at least a little, just below. Finally, as for blaming Thera all the time, he's basically been told by everyone that they're mirror images, two sides of a single coin. On top of that, they keep popping up in each other's stories. I agree it is a bit knee jerk so far, and I might address that, but so much so far is her fault that it seemed the logical reaction for Lucius to have. Thank you for reading and caring enough to form your own opinion, too. I enjoy that not everyone is... for lack of a better term, "Team Lucius."
Jul
Lucius
Our gazes were locked, Sealed together. We did not understand who the other was, not at that moment, but we understood what the other was. Neither of us was apologetic for it either: we are who we are, after all. Both of us, creatures born in the fires of tarnished youth. In death, both the death we've seen... and the countless more we have inflicted. I've been accused of being blind to that, to my own wake of ruin, but I see it. I attract death; I inflict it all around me and thus cause it to be inflicted on those closest to me. That was another thing we had in common. The pain we felt wasn't just our own. "I'm guessing you don't approve, then," Serana said coolly. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her braid was undone to hide her pale face from the tavern crowd. Her eyes, once closer to a bloody red from starvation, had become a golden brown. A warm color that was made colder by what I had seen.
"No. No I don't," I replied quietly. We sat alone in the corner of the building, plates of food and drink between us. My fingers were interlocked beneath my chin, and I was wearing a long black cloak over similarly colored clothes more comfortable than my armor. My blade sat on the ground, within arm's reach. The flame enchantment burned hungrily. I glanced down at the ground from my head's perch on my fingers. "There is so much we do not understand in this world, Serana. The Magicka contained in blood is... personal and powerful. It could contain the Soul, or part of it. For you to -"
"It couldn't have been avoided," Serana responded. She leaned forward onto the table. "I am a Vampire, Luc."
"I know. I don – I don't blame you, Serana," I replied. I took my chin from my hands and put them down on the table. I clenched and unclenched my fists, then clenched my right hand again. "I'd be dead right now if it weren't for what you did. I just – "
"You killed your fair share of those bandits, too," Serana interjected pointedly. Her fingers brushed against my left hand. They were cold as marble. "That fire – not all of them died quick."
I pulled my hand away from hers and let the din of the tavern fill the silence between us. I stared into her eyes, and I was back there, all of a sudden. I was crossing blades with some bandit, the two of us, experts in swordcraft, knowing that one of us would be dead at the end of things.
I shot flames from my left hand, a short spray that caused the bandit to raise his sword arm to his eyes to defend them. I went in to slash through his chest, but his shield arm came up to block just in time. He staggered backwards; I was just as unbalanced, and tumbled forwards. I was able to regain my footing just in time to coat my fist with a spike of frost Magick and bury it wrist deep into the bandit's fur covered chest. The Magick I was channeling to keep the weapon alive spread, freezing his blood and causing his entire body to suddenly shatter.
A gurgling scream erupted behind me, followed by the clattering of metal against stone. I spun quickly and froze. The blade, an ebony weapon, was laying on the ground just behind me. It's owner was gurgling, shivering as his blood was drained from his body. Serana's body was twisted around the bandit's body, shaking as she inhaled the power from his blood. "No!" I snapped. I dropped my sword and tried to drag Serana off of him, but she had been starving for thousands upon thousands of years. The woman shrugged me off, the simple movement throwing me across the grounds of the fort and into the dirt. I groaned and struggled to my feet. Serana turned from her kill, and I saw her for the creature she was, not the sarcastic but warm woman I had somehow met in that tomb. As her eyes slowly dulled from blood red to warm gold, as the blood coated her body from her nose down to her chest, I saw the animal inside.
Vampire.
I shook off my reverie and stared up at the ceiling. "I've done terrible things. Worse than what you've seen," I told her. She flinched and looked taken aback at the cold rage in my eyes. "I've probably bathed in blood more often than you or your father even have. For a while I was really good at it. Tried to convince myself that I liked it. That's what they told me I should do. 'Humans are only animals after all.'" I looked down at Serana and absorbed her fear with my dead eyed stare. She was actually a little horrified. Imagine, the monster in the dark scared of me, a mortal.
I smiled sadly and let emotion run through me again. "Enjoying your food. Hope you didn't ruin your appetite with that snack," I said dryly.
Serana stared at me, studying me and weighing her options. What should she say? How should she react? She made the right choice. She chuckled and shook her head. "Ugh... the steak isn't rare enough."
"Ha! Any more rare, Serana, and they would have just given you the cow," I half-joked. It was nearly bleeding on the plate.
She smiled good naturedly, then sighed. "This is going to cause problems isn't it?"
I shrugged. "I know how hard it can be to control one's self when darker impulses take over, Serana," I told her, shivering as I remembered things I had done, "and gods knows how long you were down there. You can't control getting hungry – Divines know I'd be hungry if I hadn't eaten in even just a hundred years. Just... don't go and accidentally kill an entire city."
Fahiil
Thera
I ran my tongue over my gums again, feeling the incredibly odd sensation of my extended fangs passing over my tongue. As they dragged over my tongue, the soft flesh ripped slightly to bring the familiar and now exciting taste of blood to my mouth. The wounds closed almost as soon as they opened, and I had satiated my thirst shortly after my transformation. Still, the flavor of iron in my mouth caused the pit in my stomach to burn yearningly. I thought about postponing my journey to the northwest to search for a quick bite in one of the towns, but thought better of it. With my luck, I would quickly come across a group of bandits to be used as dinner.
For the time being, I was... appropriating Dwemer artifacts from the humans who stole them. It's not as if the humans who used to live in Markarth were going to use them. Of course, they weren't going to be using much of anything. Ah well, what are slaves for but to strengthen their masters? The blessings of the god of Domination would serve me well, it seemed. In return for mastering Nirn, dominating her peoples, I would be given ever greater power. And in return for dominating the Aedra, I would become akin to a god. All in all, it was a good life.
"La la la la la," I hummed to myself as I tore the different pieces of a glass armor set from their owner's body. The now rigid limbs tore slightly from the exsanguinated corpse and released the foul – yet oddly intoxicating – scent of mortal death into the air. I glanced down at the body, a Redguard woman. "You look like you've lost weight. Is it a diet? Something you ate? Something that ate you? It works too well, whatever it is. You should put on some weight."
I smiled down as I buckled my new bracer. Glass armor is of Mer design – highly durable make, incredible and rare material. Despite the name, glass armor is both surprisingly strong and surprisingly opaque. As with everything Elven: in a word, superior.
Do not dally, Elf, Bal demanded, his voice hungry for domination. Honestly, my blood hungered for the same. Time may no longer matter, but domination is sweetest when you conquer the strong.
Lucius. He remained mortal, a human at that. My Brotherhood spies claimed he had given up on his Lycanthropy and the favor of a god. What was the old saying, "We are a year to their day, an hour to their second?" Yes, it just would not do to allow him to merely die from age or sickness or from a blade of another. I had to destroy him, or my victory would ring hollow for an eternity to come. "So, northwest of Solitude then?"
Jul
Lucius
"Wow. So it's only a small castle, then?"
Serana snickered and shook her head next to me. "Only. Actually, looks even bigger from down here. Most of the spires are full of rock."
"Seems like a waste of space," I said, glaring up at the spires that passed through the foggy mire all around, becoming invisible in the gray clouds. It looked like a place for a Vampire coven to live, honestly. Live, I guess that's a stretch for an undead. I glanced over at Serana, whose face was far from the joyous grin I had expected from one coming home, even a home she herself said was troubled. She looked, instead... depressed. But that was the case, why would she even want to come home? "What's wrong?"
Serana flinched and turned to me, lips pursed. "I... well, whoever is here when we go in could very well determine what kind of reception to expect."
"Oh. You mean whether I'll get eaten immediately or if I'll have fifteen minutes to run away?"
"Well, either way you'll have fifteen minutes. Dinner doesn't begin until the top of the hour," Serana responded with a grin and eliciting a groan from me. Her expression soured. "In all honesty, I don't really like either of my parents, but if it's my dad in there..."
"Ah. Well, if I had a family like that I could see where you were coming from," I told her. I grimaced. "I'm sorry. But, excuse me for asking, but why did you want to come back?"
"Where else would I go?" she asked, staring at me.
I opened my mouth to respond, then shut it and looked at the ground. Serana chuckled. "What, do you have an idea?"
"Uh, er... No. Unless you want to completely start over surrounded by humans, probably not," I replied with a sad smile. I shrugged. Serana smiled back and shook her head, taking a few steps to leave. "Wait! Before we head in there..."
"What?" Serana asked.
I sighed. "You make a good travel buddy," I told her with a sad smile. She smiled back. As the silence became awkward, I coughed and shook my head. "Guess I'll let you do the talking, huh? For some reason, a human speaking to a bunch of Vampire royalty doesn't sound like it would be received well."
"Well, at least you're not stupid," Serana joked. She grabbed my arm. "Thanks. Come on."
As we got closer, it seemed we were noticed. "Is that... Serana! Lady Serana has returned!" the voice of an old man screamed. As we approached, the massive gate slid upward and the door opened. "Please, follow me, my Lady."
"Just... be quiet, I'll get you out of here alive," Serana whispered as we entered. I nodded. "And try to take your hand off your sword. It's called 'being non-threatening.'"
With a jump I did as Serana said. I didn't want to get killed as soon as I walked in. "Who d – I..." the high elf Vampire froze, almost cowering. "Lady Serana... the Elder Scroll..." The elf fell to his knee. "Allow me to announce you my Lady."
Serana looked nearly ready to roll her eyes, but instead replied, "Fine." The elf bowed even further before standing up and walking into the main hall of the castle. As he did, the din running through the background of the air quieted.
"Yes?" a single, angry voice snapped, muffled.
"My Lord Harkon... may I present Lady Serana..." the elf replied, followed by gasps and exclamations of surprise, apprehension, and joy.
Serana grimaced at me, and began to walk into the main hall. I took a shaky breath and followed her. "Ah, my long lost daughter returns at last. I trust you have my Elder Scroll?" the angry voice asked, malice still running through every syllable, though less angry. This must have been Harkon. His hair was the same pitch as his daughter's, though his eyes were filled with an even scarier hunger. He wore luxurious robes adorned with the Sigil of Molag Bal.
Serana growled. "After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me? Yes, I have the damn Scroll."
Harkon laughed disarmingly. His charismatic nature seemed to almost calm even me. "Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words aloud?" he asked as she approached. He hugged her, though not heartily enough that I could not see it was loveless. "Ah, if only your traitor mother were here as well. I would let her watch this joyous reunion before putting her head on a spike." Harkon grinned at the thought and took a deep drink of his blood filled chalice. He stopped drinking as he caught sight of me and frowned condescendingly.
Harkon looked disapprovingly over at his daughter. "Now tell me, who is this..." Harkon struggled with the words, not wanting to offend the man who had saved his daughter. The mortal. "This stranger you have brought into our hall?"
Serana's glare asked if it even needed answering. Harkon's smirk said it did. "This my savior. The one who freed me."
Harkon took a deep breath, obviously angry that his own people were unable to fetch his daughter when an unimpressive mortal was more than capable. "For my daughter's safe return," he began, cold and calculating, "you have my gratitude. Tell me, traveler, what is your name?"
"I'd rather not," I replied, drawing a demonic glare from Harkon.
"Do not spit on my hospitality, Dragonborn," Harkon sneered. "Or did you think the tales did not reach us as well?"
I glared at the man whose height was the same as mine. Given how large he was, it was likely he was either Nedic or Atmoran, dependent entirely on the nebulous date of his turning. "I am Lucius Atmoran. The Dovahkiin. The master of the Companions and wielder of Magnus' light."
The Vampire's sneer fell away. There was no emotion save cold, calculating rage in his eyes. He saw me, suddenly, as a peer. A threat on par with him. "So you know what we are."
"Yes, Harkon, I do. You're Vampires," I replied just as coldly.
Harkon glared at me for a moment, then laughed. I continued to glare at him. "Not just Vampires, boy," he said with an arrogant smile. Serana groaned. "We are among the oldest and most powerful Vampires in Skryim. In all of Tamriel!"
"Is that so?"
"Indeed," Harkon said. He began pacing. "For centuries we have lived here, far from the cares of the world. All of which ended when my wife betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most." Harkon glanced over at Serana, though his gaze did not seem to fall on her. He asked for the Scroll before her own well being.
I looked over at Serana, who was staring sadly at the ground. "Then what happens now?" I asked with a frown. My hand was not yet on my blade, but I had a feeling it would soon need to be.
"You have done me a great service, and you must be rewarded," Harkon said with a crafty smile. It was obvious he wanted something from me in this 'reward.' "There is but one gift I can give equal in value to that of the Elder Scroll and my daughter –" Again, the Scroll first. "– I offer you my blood. Take it, and you may walk as a lion amongst sheep. Men shall tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again." He grinned down at me.
The so-called gift was a trick. He wanted me as his slave, as his tool to be used as a weapon. I looked over at Serana, who was staring at me intently. I wasn't sure, but she seemed torn between hoping I'd say yes and hoping I'd say no. I looked back at Harkon. "And if I refuse?"
His expression soured. "You will be prey." I made no response. Harkon scoffed. "Perhaps you still need convincing?! Behold the power! This is the power that I offer!" he screamed. His skin reddened as the blood rushed to the surface, and something I had hoped never to see again occurred.
My fists shook as the grey skinned monster stood before me, with a face of a bat and torn, ragged wings. It was a familiar, evil sight. "So you controlled Vignar," I hissed as I fixed my eyes on the ground. The images of the Battle-Borns's skulls affixed to pikes rushed through my mind. "You are responsible for all those deaths."
"Ah, Grey-Mane. It was disappointing when you killed him, yes," Harkon replied coolly. "But it just meant he was weak. Balgruuf will be strong once I turn him, as will Elisif and all the others."
My fists quivered. "NO!" I screamed. I drew my blade and angled it at Harkon's throat. The room erupted in rage, with a dozen arrows, swords, and spells pointed directly at me. My rage filled eyes were stuck on the point of my saber, ready to kill the creature in front of me.
"And you will kill me?" Harkon asked. He laughed, breaking the tension and causing his cult of Vampires to laugh with him. They looked down on me. "How?"
I glanced over at Serana, who hadn't drawn her weapon yet. She looked at me, confused. I tried to communicate how sorry I was that I hadn't told her what I was about to tell Harkon. I turned back to the monster. "I am the Bane of Movarth, I am Dragonborn, I am Alduin-Bane... I am the Butcher of Skingrad."
Harkon nearly choked at that. "S-Skingrad?" he asked. I looked over at Serana. As soon as she understood what that meant... Finally, Harkon came to a conclusion. "Let him leave."
"But, my Lo-"
"DO NOT QUESTION ME!" he screamed. The Vampire turned back to me, fear in his bloody eyes for the first time in millennia since he has seen the nightmarish form of Molag Bal. "Go mortal, and never return, lest I destroy all you hold dear."
I glared at Harkon, then glanced back at Serana. She looked slightly worried for her father, despite how she claimed to hate him. I couldn't kill him when she was right there. My blade sang back into its sheath. "I will leave, but remember that Alduin was the oldest dragon, and it did him little good." With that, I turned on my heel and walked defiantly from Volkihar Castle.
Fahiil
Thera
As I entered the castle in earnest, I used a rag of the gatekeeper's shirt to wipe his blood from my jawline. Couldn't do to greet this 'king' without looking clean. "You bring this monster, this Lucius into our home!"
"What, are you afraid?"
I stopped. Lucius, eh? It would seem our fates were yet again intertwined. How interesting. "Do not be so insolent, my daughter!" the first voice snapped. There was a loud crack as the sound of palm on cheek echoed through the air. "Know your place!"
"My Lord," someone whispered – ah, Vampire-Elven hearing. "There is someone else here."
"Kill them," the Lord – likely Harkon – spat. He returned his rage to the second voice, screaming at her.
I sighed and drew one of my blades, beheading the Altmer fool who attacked. "What a waste of good breeding," I sighed as I walked down the stairs. I tossed the head from hand to hand as a young, pale woman and a middle aged giant of a Man glared at me. I smiled at the woman's disgust and the man's intrigued rage. "I am Thera, and I believe we share a common enemy."
Harkon smiled darkly. "Then come this way, and feast. Your travels must have been arduous, O, Daughter of Coldharbour."
