AN: Sorry this took so long but, hey, it's Christmas. Speaking of: Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having a good end of the year!
On the Story side of things, I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'd say it's the end of the first half of the Dawnguard chapters and the start of the second half. Things should pick up from here. Lucius' Flashbacks end in this chapter, though I technically have one more planned.
Enjoy!
Fahiil
Thera
I had arrived a few hours early for the meeting at the Glade, completely sure that that my adversary would make his way there. True, he would likely be prepared for an ambush meant to end his life and return the Vampire princess to the clutches of her moronic and unambitious father. Well, I hope that I'll never be seen as one to disappoint. I had brought a small contingent of Vampires from the Castle Volkihar, each ready, willing, Oblivion they were even giddy to tear into the Dragonborn Vampire Hunter who had claimed the unlives of so many of their peers.
Dexion Evicus fidgeted next to me, his blind eyes dashing around in panic as I placed the black strap over his eyes to hide them. "Do not hand me over, my Lady," he begged again, fingers clasped before him. He was pleading like the weak, powerless slave he was. The fool didn't know this was a trap – can't trust a slave to make a trick work. "Oh, please do not send me away from your radiance!"
"Do not question me, Worm!" I snapped at the mindless slave. "This is what will aid me most. Is that not what you want?"
Dexion gasped. "No, my Lady! Please, I do wish to aid you and only aid you! That is my only desire, Lady!" he whispered tearfully. "I... please, Lady Thera, allow me to aid you however I am able."
"Be quiet then," I hissed at the fool. I motioned for him to move towards the central tree of the cavern so as to not hear us. I turned to the group of Vampires assembled and smiled cruelly. This was my moment, finally, to destroy that thorn in my side. "Now, this is not some mortal who you will be able to enthrall. He is a warrior capable of standing on equal footing with myself or Harkon. He is the greatest Mage in perhaps all of the human Provinces, a master swordsman, and an incredibly proficient user of the Thu'um. Some of you will die. If you survive, don't expect to do so in pristine condition. When the trade is made and he makes he turns... attack. If Lord Harkon's daughter is present, ensure her survival, though if she resists do as you must to secure her. Hide throughout the cave and await the destruction of one of our greatest enemies."
The other Vampires disliked being ordered around, but nodded and moved away to do my bidding. I smiled and placed my wrist on my sword happily. It was all coming up in my favor – I would soon have the Scrolls, Lucius' head in my hand, and the stolen power of a god. After that, my Empire would quickly rise on the back of my incredible power. The world, as it should be, at the feet of an immortal elf.
"We're here, Bitch," an angry voice snarled as he walked down the stairs. I smiled happily as the voice of my soon to be victim reached my ears. "Let's get this over with."
I laughed and turned to the fool. Lucius was wearing a complete set of Daedric armor, its red glowing in the dull light of the cavern. A veritable sun sat at his hip, hissing angrily, and over one shoulder sat an Elder Scroll. He was staring at me with venom in his eyes like the fires of the Sun. To my complete and utter lack of surprise, Serana was with him with almost as much spite flying at me from her eyes. Somewhat surprisingly, she also had an Elder Scroll strapped across her back. "Been a while, hasn't it, Lucius?" I asked with a toothy grin.
"Not long enough," he growled in response between snarling teeth. His hand drifted towards the weapon on his hip.
"Ah ah ah!" I said with a smile, pulling out one of my swords and holding it to my Thrall's throat. "Don't make another move, or your precious Moth Priest finds himself in less than desirable condition."
"We know he's blind, Thalmor," Serana said angrily. I glanced over at her, a Vampire completely loyal to a Vampire Hunter. "Hand him over and you can have the Scrolls."
"Ah, of course. The deal. Now, you don't take me for a fool, do you? There was no chance of you following through on a peaceful exchange," I castigated, waving my finger like a disappointed parent at the slave. "Now be a good slave and do as I say." I smiled waiting for my words to goad him into attacking first, only to be... surprised by my backup.
Lucius fumed, glaring at me with palpable venom coming from his eyes. I saw his hand inch towards his blade again, but he sighed and let his hands fall. "There would be no point in attacking you here. You brought backup. They would all die, sure. You probably, too. But I'm not risking the Moth Priest's life just to get even with you, though Talos knows I'd be in rights to seek vengeance for all the people you've killed. Lydia. Paarthurnax. Emperor Titus II."
"Yes, yes. And Markarth. And that werewolf. People die, get over it and hand over the Scrolls," I snapped, my blade getting ever closer to Evicus' neck.
"Werewolf..?" Lucius whispered. His eyes widened in shock, which slowly turned to rage. "You BITCH!" He rushed forward, blade swinging faster than I thought it could. I raised my sword up and deflected the attack, the movement accidentally shoving the Moth Priest out of the way of our battle. "Kodlak was a good man! Honorable!"
I laughed, drawing my second blade to deflect the incoming dagger of Serana. Lucius, instead, moved between us and shot a glare back at her. "This is my fight only," he whispered, quiet rage in his voice. The woman's eyes widened and she looked ready to protest, but Lucius ignored her and pulled an aetherial blade from the air, slashing the glowing, burning Daedric weapon down at my head to be deflected by my second blade.
"Good man? Exactly!" I hissed, ecstatic that the fight had begun. And yet... something was bothering me. "A man is merely a man, Slave!"
"We are not your slaves! Your playthings!" Lucius screamed in response, forcing our locked blades apart to deliver a sharp kick to my midsection. I stumbled backwards, but quickly regained my footing to deflect his wild, increasingly strong blows. I elbowed him in the face as he missed me again, sending him spinning. The second sword disappeared, replaced with a fountain of golden energy running across his skin. "You'll pay for this, you whore!"
"Oh, you always talk so sweet to women, don't you... Ayleid?" I said with a cruel grin.
"Oh, yes you do, Luv," a voice said from above, immediately causing Lucius to freeze mid blow and jump away from me. I couldn't move either, frozen as I remembered the power that accompanied that voice.
"Dwemer," Lucius hissed, eyes wide in fear. I turned around, glaring at the woman, who smiled down at us. Her eyes were bright red and her fangs were visible in her twisted smile. Her hands were behind her back. Lucius' voice was directed to me: "You've allied yourself with her?"
"She is not one of ours, fool!" I hissed back at him before glaring back up at her. Then I remembered – where was my backup? I looked around worriedly, only to be put at ease as a contingent of Vampires appeared around the room.
"Neither are they," the Redguard said with a smile. She pulled one of her hands from behind her back and tossed a familiar, Dunmer skull to my feet. "These are Lamae Bal's warriors."
Lucius' eyes widened. "You were turned by that monster?" he breathed fearfully. I looked over my shoulder at him. Serana stood beside him, cringing worriedly. Lucius' own face was, a first, plastered with fear.
"You've become acquainted with the She-Devil as well, then?" I asked, frowning. Lucius' gaze drifted down to me and he nodded, his thoughts no longer focused on his hatred for me. I shook my head and looked back up at Dwemer. "What do you want?"
"Me," Lucius growled. I heard his sword hiss hungrily as he twirled it. "Though, if you gave into Lamae Bal you must want something more."
She laughed excitedly. "No! That's the glorious part. For in aiding Lamae Bal, I will be aiding the Lords. She wants to aid them – she wants you."
I laughed derisively at that, drawing a disgusted, irksome look from the Vampire above. "She only has loyalty to herself, Bitch," I said between shudders of laughter.
Dwemer growled angrily, hating the idea that she was being played. She stomped her foot on the ground like and angry child and screamed in frustration. Then she took a deep breath and smiled callously. "She said there was no use for anyone or anything else here, however. So we get to have our way with the other three of you," the Redguard spat venomously. At that my blades rose before me, and I heard similar from Lucius, his little girlfriend, and my Thrall.
"Well... truce?" Lucius asked.
"If we must," I replied coolly.
Then Oblivion broke loose.
Jul
Ayleid
I strolled triumphantly into the throne room of Skingrad, covered in the drying blood of the insect army. My victory had been resounding, an accomplishment with which even the weakest Lords would be impressed. I had, in a single night, changed the political landscape of Tamriel for decades to come. No, not I – a sword does not kill, the knight does. I was merely the tool through which the Aldmeri Dominion would claim its final victory over the Insects.
I smiled as I saw the pools of blood collecting on the floor of the throne room. Tanyi- ah, with her recent change she was truly Dwemer now. Dwemer stood in the center, no blood on her. Instead, the corpses were strewn in a circle around two humans violently stabbing at each other with wood. Dwemer smiled as I neared. "Luv! Did I do well?" she asked, firing off a bolt of Lightning at the two fighters, killing them both.
I smiled approvingly. "I could not have done better myself," I replied with a grin. I pulled her close to me and brought her lips to mine. She pulled wildly at me, bringing us closer together. "I –" I frowned as I heard a rustle and splash behind me. I pushed Dwemer away and turned.
A child, a human child, no older than ten was staring at me. He held a sharp stick in his hand, angled at my chest. I began to summon a spark of flame to my hand but was stopped as I studied him further. Why? Why did this human, this cur with his messy mop of black hair, bright green eyes, and bloody face make me pause? What was it about him that made every bone in my body freeze.
Then it hit me. I saw another child, a different child, standing with a steel dagger in his grubby hands. The weapon was pointed at the soldiers who had murdered his own parents, good people. Good human people. That same burning fire in the eyes – vengeance, rage, love, loss. The same white knuckled grip on the weapon. The same trembling but sure legs. The same child.
I let my hand fall to my side. I breathed in to speak, but my words caught in my throat. I crouched to look into the child's eyes. "Who..?" Then there was a sharp pain in my chest. My heart felt like it was being torn in two, physically not emotionally. My vision darkened to red and tunneled around the child's angry face and outstretched arms. He had... stabbed me? My body tumbled backwards and my ears began to ring with the noise of a massive bell. What was happening to me? I saw a black boot rush past me and a flash of blue. Then... I saw nothing.
Just as the Count had said, I had died.
For countless eons I was adrift, cast into nothingness. Sithis. I could only feel pain, rage, and sorrow. I saw faces, familiar for a moment, that immediately disappeared. My skin felt like it was being burnt and my lungs felt like they were filling with water at the same time. Nails dug into my skin at every pore even while my innards threatened to explode outward.
It was only five minutes.
In the farthest distance there was a light. Even from afar I could see the shape of a mortal at the center. No, a god. The god came close and... then – Then I...
I awoke with a huge gasp, my back arching. My body was spasming as my Soul returned to its flesh, restarting the heart and brain and blood that had begun to die. The world was black to my blind eyes, but those too began to return. The world was red. Bloody. The smell was the same. I could hear the noise of something being stabbed over and over accompanied by manic laughter. My throat burned and my skin was ablaze. My body screamed for the death it had just endured, wanting nothing more than to return to where it belonged. But no, my Soul was back. I was... back? Yes...
"Ayleid! Ayleid... you're alive!" Tanyin – I... Dwemer. Dwemer shouted. She rushed towards me, dropping the weapon she had been holding and rushing over to me. She pulled up to a sitting position and stared into my eyes. I shook my head slowly and gazed past her, nearly gagging in horror. The child was unrecognizable, his flesh spread across the floor of the throne room. His hair floated lazily in the pools of blood and his teeth were sticking out of the wooden spike. Talos...
"I... yes," I began, pain in my heart. I brought my hand up to my cloak. "The enchantment apparently works. Though, then it's useless to me now." I brought my hand up to Tanyin's throat and a flame of pity and regret erupted in my chest. Useless emotions. And yet... I pulled the cloak from my shoulders, still dead inside. "I... take it. I want you to stay safe."
"After," Tanyin said, climbing atop me. I could not shake the feeling, through it all. And after. That I had... Everything I had done was terrible.
When we returned to the Lords with the Staff, my nightmares began. The Void. Those I had killed. Fire. Sithis.
The father of Dragons.
Jul
Lucius
I moved past the first of the grunt Vampires to attack me, bisecting him at the gut. The Magick of Dawnbreaker flowed outward, lighting many of the other attackers ablaze in an explosion of Sunlight. They shrieked in rage as the weapon's intense power burned them to ash, sending them spiraling down into Coldharbour. "So, Bitch, I take it you aren't too friendly with Lamae either, then?" I asked while I planted a fire rune on the chest of another Vampire and shoved him into one of his buddies, causing them both to explode in a shower of singed flesh.
"Sadly, our goals seem opposed indeed," the Thalmor replied while tearing the throat of a Vampire out with her teeth.
I turned and deflected a blow going at Serana's back, burning the attacker to ash with Magick while I did. I growled to myself and understood what had to be done. "Bitch, Serana, Moth Priest – we can't survive this horde without watching our backs. Form a circle!"
"Not a terrible idea, I suppose. For a human," the Thalmor spat, moving towards me. I sliced my way towards her, eventually standing back to back with the Vampire-Elf. I hacked at the attacking horde of blood suckers, feeling sorry for those who had been forced into the unlife but doing my duty to protect myself and others. Serana and the Moth Priest soon made their way to us as well.
It was long, grueling work to fight the Vampires. The flood of blood and blood suckers never seemed to end, with the creatures seeming to be replaced quicker than we could kill them. On top of that, having to entrust my life to Thera once again was the most nerve wracking and dangerous thing that I was doing that day. Knowing she was close enough to kill me, or for me to kill her...
Finally, we did manage to stem the tide of reinforcements. "Enough!" Dwemer yelled as the last of her Vampires fell. She shook her head. "Just can't find good help these days. Oh, well, we'll have to recruit some more. River...wood? Yes, that'll do."
My eyes flared up and I rushed the Vampire, swinging my blade at her head while firing a blast of Flames at where she would move. To my surprise, the woman drifted through my blade, becoming a red mist. I stumbled forwards, nearly searing my face on the heat of my Fireball. "Oh, please, it won't be that easy, Luv," Dwemer chided, firing a frost blast at me. She then ducked beneath an Ice Spike sent flying by Serana before grabbing the incoming blade of – surprisingly enough – Thera. Dwemer pulled on the glass blade and headbutted the Thalmor sending her tumbling to the ground.
"Together!" I shouted, running forward to slash down at Tanyi – Dwemer. She sidestepped my blade, only to be nicked by that of the Moth Priest, sending her stumbling into a drop kick from Thera. Dwemer spun through the air to be hit with a Fireball from Serana's hand that sent our mutual enemy tumbling towards me. I caught her with my right hand, having dropped Dawnbreaker for just a moment. "Now, just in case." I tore the cloak from Dwemer's shoulders.
"NO!" she screamed, tearing away from me with surprising strength. I shouted out in pain as a Frost Rune she had left on my arm exploded, freezing my fingers in place. I was only protected from frostbite by my Breton blood and some good luck. She then unleashed a steady stream of powerful lightning at the floor around her, sending the four of us flying away into unconsciousness.
When I awoke, I saw Thera standing apart, staring at me. Serana stood with her, glaring at her. When she saw me awake, she shot me her own angry glare. I sighed and pushed myself to my feet. "I'm surprised you didn't decide to kill me when I was asleep," I said harshly. Thera snorted in response. "You're afraid, aren't you?"
"No! A Mer of superior breeding afraid?" the Vampire asked, growling. "Never. Worried... perhaps."
"So what do you want?" I asked, collecting Dawnbreaker from the ground and sheathing it.
"I've been speaking with your... woman since we awoke about this," Thera explained, a touch of her usual haughtiness gone form her voice. She sighed. "Lamae Bal is more, perhaps, than our allies can deal with individually."
"An alliance? Between the Volkihar and the Dawnguard?" I asked, half incredulous. Honestly? It was probably our best, if not only, option. Getting Isran and Harkon on board would be tremendously difficult, though. On top of that, Thera would just be waiting for her first chance to betray me.
"It's our only option," Serana supplied. I groaned and raised my left hand to my face, surprised as the smooth touch of fabric glided across my face. My mother's cloak. "We have to do this."
I sighed and nodded. "Well, then, I suppose we should show each other some trust. The Scrolls – we need to read them, and the one you obviously brought with you. They should have critical information on how to kill Lamae. For good."
The Moth Priest laughed happily at that. "Yes, Mistress, this makes perfect sense!" he shouted, responding – perhaps – to some unspoken question that Thera had posited. "The Scrolls – often the same information can be read in two ways!"
"So there's a way to resist Lamae's control and kill her? Actually kill her?" Thera asked. She thought it sounded too good to be true, that we had everything we needed to start our war with the FirstBorn of Molag Bal. Oblivion, she was probably right.
"Yes. Truce?" I asked, holding my hand out begrudgingly. The Elf shrugged and took my hand, though it was obvious it almost caused her physical pain to touch a human. "We'll need all three Scrolls."
The three were soon collected and Thera stood in the center of the cavern, surrounded by Ancestor Moths. "Ah. This is why you came to this glade," I said with a smirk. "The Magick of the Ancestor Moths."
Thera turned to me, unamused. "Yes. Now..." she shook her head and sighed in disgust. "Get over here and read the Prophecy with me."
I raised my eyebrow, surprised. "You want to give me all the information here, too?" I asked. She nodded. She must have been terrified, not scared. I shrugged and walked over.
"Ready?" she asked, already unfurling the first Scroll.
"As I'll ever be," I grunted in reply, unfurling the second. Together, we unfurled the third and the world around us shifted.
There were bits and pieces of the world playing out around us. A flash of blinding light exploded next to me, birthing the mythically powerful Bow of Auri-El. Shadows erupted from the ground around a woman, leaving a red, bloody silhouette. Finally, the world stopped, leaving an ancient, Dwemer-Falmer map. Markarth was featured prominently, with a glowing, stylized sigil of the Sun burning a few miles outside of the Capital Hold. Then it ended.
"So..." Thera whispered.
"The Bow of Auri-El. The key to your destructive prophecy, and our only chance at killing Lamae Beolfag. Seems the Divines have a bad sense of humor," I grumbled.
