Chapter 6 – A Moth Priest
"Power takes precedence" – Quote, Serana.
Tai leapt from the ground, his hands closing around the metallic railing to the floor above. Isran couldn't help but be shocked as he aided Tai. Tai found if he had one advantage from his beast blood it was the enhanced abilities. With his feet upon the upper floor for the first time Tai continued by following Isran.
Through an armoury of sorts to a small torture chamber. The walls were sticky, darkening from blood as were several chains and knives. A hot poker in white hot coals rested next to a rack. Burning blood filled Tai's nose as his eyes fell on the corner, on the back of Serana's head then down her body. She turned at the precise wrong moment for Tai, his eyes plastered on her leather clad behind.
"I'm guessing you didn't expect to see me again" Her voice was better than he remembered it. He smiled.
"I'm glad I am though"
"Likewise" Serana mumbled.
"Isn't it ironic we meet again in a torture chamber?" Tai winked. Serana sighed.
"How are you after been stabbed?" Serana's face betrayed her as Tai stared.
"Alive. Why did you come here though? You took a great risk"
"Yes I did. These Dawnguards aren't very welcoming. I got a warmer welcome from my father… And that's saying something" Serana's words made Tai flinch. Isran spoke up.
"Why should we welcome it?"
"I'm standing right here" Serana was unimpressed. Isran was cold.
"Control its tongue or I'll cut it off"
"My father… He's obsessed with power, I can't stand it anymore. I want to help you, to stop him. I understand how hard it is to endure me but I feel I can trust you. I hope I'm not mistaken" Serana seemed so confused. Tai sighed, his own eyes becoming softer.
"No you're right to trust me. I promise. What is your father planning Serana?" Tai's voice was soft as Serana offered him the elder scroll.
"I'm not sure how but my father found a prophecy to forever block out the sun, forever, and he's seeking to fulfil it. I'm sure the scroll holds the answer"
"Now we need to convince Isran you're on our side" Tai mumbled. Serana smiled.
"I'm nothing if not persuasive"
"Ok. You've got the knowledge now tell me why we shouldn't kill it" Isran was chilly. Tai turned his eyes quickly to Isran and whispered, hand on his shoulder.
"Because we are going to need her help. I believe her. If you can't trust her, trust me… sir" Tai was quick to the point. Isran sighed and turned his eyes to Serana.
"Ok you can stay but you are not a guest you are a resource, an asset. If you lay one finger on anyone here your friend is going to pay for it. Don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance" Isran was husky. Serana didn't even blink as she smiled sweetly.
"Thank you for your kindness. I'll remember it next time I'm hungry" Serana may have appeared sweet but her voice was cold enough to burn. Tai coughed nervously.
"What now?"
"Like I said I'm sure the scroll holds the answers we need but no one can read it, except, a Moth Priest. And there are none in Skyrim" Serana lowered her eyes as Isran spoke up.
"If I may interrupt it, I've heard of some priest touring Skyrim. Maybe this priest is the moth priest you need" Isran spoke his eyes on Tai.
"That's… Actually brilliant. But how are we going to find one man in the whole of Skyrim? Skyrim is massive! It's like looking for a dagger in the ocean" Serana's eyes widened as Tai laughed.
"A vampire and a werewolf trying to find a priest. I dare say odds are in our favour" Tai laughed. Serana gave him a troubled look along with Isran.
"My father will have hundreds of vampires looking for this priest. We have to find him before they do" Serana sighed as Isran spoke up.
"I can't waste men looking for this priest on its word. How are you so sure can we trust it?"
"I trust her. If you can't trust Serana trust me" Tai mumbled again as Isran nodded.
"Fine! Fine. Find this priest"
Serana rolled her eyes as Tai begun to walk off, Serana close at his heels after an uncomfortable glance exchanged with Isran.
"Where do we start?" Tai groaned. Serana seemed lost in thought.
"Well I would check the College of Winterhold. If it exists anymore"
"Winterhold? We should take the carriage then" Tai sighed looking at his near empty purse. Serana then produced a larger coin purse, a satisfied smile on her face at the shock in Tai's.
Tai nodded approvingly as she flicked her eyes to Isran. She may be a naive little vampire but she was a good pickpocket, a good thief. Isran however still had his coin purse, Tai instinctively looked to his own. It was slashed. Tai stared at Serana as she laughed that melodic quiet laugh and walked away, hips swinging confidently and teasingly as Tai chased after her. He desperately wanted some of her, but he would have to die and go to Sovngard before he got any. Tai was suddenly cursing his luck, and his stupidity at freeing this imp of a woman.
It was a while outside of Winterhold when it happened. The journey had been mostly comfortable, until Tai had said the wrong thing to the curvy cart driver. She had actually not been all woman, but in fact a man. Tai had cursed like a troll until he had been dumped face first into the cold snows. Serana had laughed her head off.
"Not funny Serana!" Tai spat as he raised his head from the snow, Serana laughed even harder.
"Have you thought about not trying to be a ladies man?" Serana's hands closed around Tai's large forearm pulling him up. As he tilted his head he noticed Serana's shocked expression as her hands held his arm, almost feeling his muscle. Tai grinned.
"And lose my muscle? No thank you" His words came out badly as Serana hurried to release his arm.
"Hey if you want to feel my arm…" Tai and Serana jumped at the echoing roar from the skies, the shadows that followed shook Serana to her core.
"Oh god what is that?" She asked nervously. Tai snarled.
"Dragon"
The creature was huge, big as a house and black as night. Not the same as Alduin but it was enough to worry the impossible Tai. He rolled his eyes as he stared at it.
"Alduin is dead snake face! Leave now before I destroy you" Tai bellowed. The dragon roared its reply. Tai grinned at the challenge as it swooped down at him, teeth snapping.
Tai drew his sword as he ducked the low flying dragon, a quick slash at the dragons belly revealed its blood. This dragon was obviously quite inexperienced.
The second time it came around again flying low Tai was ready, with a quick flick and step he took several slashes at the dragons wing, again blood rewarding him. Tai almost felt sorry as the dragon landed with a crash. As Tai came up behind the dragon it turned its head and bellowed flames Tai side stepped the fire easily. In his avoidance however the dragon had time to turn around and face Tai again; all the size of an Inn of dragon was now in direct combat with Tai. Tai relished the challenge as he sliced the dragon across the nose.
As the dragon raised its head with a roar Tai ran to its neck and leapt. His feet landed effortlessly on the neck as he drove the blade in and ran up to behind the dragon's head, blade tearing to the bone. When Tai reached its head he dropped his fist into the dragon's temple three times before pulling his sword free. He felt the heat rise in the dragon's snout as he stared at Serana.
"Get down!" Tai was sprinting off the dragon's face towards the paralysed Serana.
Tai groaned as he saw how shocked Serana was. Either way he knew it was going to hurt as he felt the flame's released from the dragon's mouth.
"Serana!" He yelled as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into him as the flames hit. Tai screamed with the pain as he felt the dragons life force enter him, and the flames burn away his back.
He and Serana fell to the ground as he groaned, the ice was what he hoped could heal his burn before it spread but alas he felt it down his legs. He screamed fearfully again despite he knew the dragon was dead.
"Tai?" Serana finally whispered, Tai groaned as she crawled out from beneath him. Her eyes went wide as she saw his armour completely burned away revealing his cooking back. Screaming she dumped snow over him. Tai screamed one more time as the pain sent his mind to the void.
Tai just couldn't catch a break.
"He's waking up" an Orc's voice rung. Tai blinked as he stared into Serana's worried face.
"Tai?" her voice was soft, dreamy. Tai blinked again his head rolling in a delusional state.
Tai couldn't keep awake as his eyes closed again, sleep came easily to him but his dreams he found troubling. Especially when they were good, this foretold he had bad luck to come.
The second time Tai woke up he felt much better, his eyes scanning the cold stone room of what he guessed was the college.
It was then Serana walked in, packs ready with a smile.
"Dragons Bridge. Let's go" She was already walking as Tai struggled to his feet, pulling his pants to a more comfortable position on his hips.
The town of Dragons Bridge was small, maybe six buildings consisting of the guards outpost, an inn, a mill and a few houses the families shared. Each building had its own little porch, a thatched roof with logs as the main building material. What was the attraction of the town though was the ancient bridge crossing a large rushing river.
"I don't like been out in the sun. People look at me funny" Serana mumbled, Tai gently took her hand.
"It's alright. We just need to find this priest" he mumbled. Serana took her hand awkwardly out of Tai's. The two stared at each other for a moment before turning to a passing Redguard.
"Excuse me sir have you seen a Moth Priest pass through here?" Serana asked quietly and politely.
"That depends. Are you interested in getting a room?" The Redguard eyed Serana rudely. Tai snatched the man around the throat.
"Answer the woman you common scum!"
"No I haven't. Ask a Guard. Please put me down" The Redguard coughed.
Tai was irritated as he obeyed, ensuring the man fell to the ground. Serana's eyes were wide as Tai stormed up to the closest guard, a manly scent to his boiling blood. Not that a human could have noticed this, but Serana did. It sickened her to the pit of her stomach. But despite of how he turned her off she found something about him … trustworthy. Despite his obvious flaws and anger issues there was a kindness to him. Serana couldn't deny she enjoyed his company when he wasn't such a failing flirt.
"You guard! Have you seen a Moth Priest?" Tai demanded, a confident air about him unsettling the guard as he nodded.
"Where?"
"Over the bridge to the south" The guard pointed the old bridge. Tai nodded respectfully as Serana jogged up to him, following in Tai's long, ground eating strides.
"Nice work" Serana gasped as she had to jog to keep up to the energetic Tai. Tai was on the hunt. A hound like manner about him as he seemed to catch a scent. Serana caught it too as Tai turned his eyes to hers. They both sprinted off, Tai leading by several lengths. Serana gasped for breath as she caught up to Tai, he stared at the dead horse and soldiers. The cart was over turned as he found a note. He wordlessly handed it to Serana. She began to read.
"I have new orders for you" her eyes raised to Tai for a moment before she continued on.
"Prepare an ambush just south of the Dragon Bridge. Take the Moth Priest to Forebears' Holdout for safekeeping until I can break his will. Malkus" Serana rolled her eyes.
"I'm lost" she sighed as Tai crouched, sniffing the dead guards' hands calmly. Serana felt sick as she belched.
"This way" Tai jogged off.
Tai would have made a perfect hound Serana realized as he jogged off. On occasion he dropped to a crouch placing his fingers on the ground then sniffing them, sometimes tasting the dirt. Serana was glad Tai was here to do the dirty work because the smell from a distance sickened her. Tai followed the blood patches Serana realized she would have missed. She was jealous in a way that a young werewolf could smell blood better than her. An aged vampire. Then again she had been locked up for longer than the Empire had existed. She guessed this was a long time.
They stopped before a cave mouth, Tai looking to Serana nervously. She grinned rubbing his hair roughly.
"Good boy" she talked to him like a dog, he grinned. Then he whined deeply, making Serana chuckle as he dangled his tongue out before becoming serious.
"Quickly and quietly. This will go better if I don't have to get into a fight with a lair" Tai earned a nod from Serana as the two snuck quietly in.
The cave was much like Dimhollow in the old ruins sense; it appeared to have once been an old arena. Tai and Serana took a quiet breath as they stared down the waterfall to a moat surrounding the crumbling arena.
Serana took the lead as they crept down some stairs, along the edge of the moat. Serana took a deep breath as she saw two of the death hounds, dogs like what Tai had seen in Dimhollow.
Tai nodded quietly, rolling forwards as he rested his hand around a stone. He threw it cautiously, hitting the first dog perfectly under its knobby tail in a brown crack down the middle of a black abyss that was the deathhound's rump. It yelped. As it ran it caught sight of Serana and growled. As it leapt for her Tai snatched it around the neck and twisted. The hound did not touch the floor alive.
Tai was the master of stealth as he continued on, eyes pinned on the second. Tai crouched behind an old post, a breath on his hand made Tai turn his head slowly. He came face to face with the hound he had just killed. Tai screamed loudly as he stabbed the first hound, earning the attention of the hound he was stalking.
Serana chuckled as Tai grabbed the second hound much like the first one. As it struggled free Tai managed to grip its head between his knees and dropped. The hounds head was crushed under Tai's weight as its bones snapped beneath him.
"Done and done" Serana mumbled earning a shocked glance from Tai.
"Indeed" he jumped as the dog writhed beneath him, blue magic surrounding it. Serana smiled.
"Necromancer" she mumbled quietly.
"Damn Necromancers" Tai mumbled even quieter than Serana. She glared but didn't utter a word.
"Here mutts" A Orc called.
Serana rolled her eyes as the hound followed her silent command happily. A command to kill. The Orc gargled as his throat was torn out. Tai smelt the blood as he was sure Serana did. Serana seemed to look almost hungry but said nothing as she held her nose, eyes flashing.
The other five thralls didn't last long. Serana enchanting the freshest dead body with her vile magics while Tai killed with the stealth he had begun to rely so heavily on. He and Serana nodded to each other before they circled, killing off the four backing vampires to meet behind a Orc.
"Break Moth Priest" The Orc growled. Tai laughed earning a swing for his head. Tai managed to block the blow by grabbing Malkus' wrist and driving his elbow down.
Malkus dropped his mace with a scream as he threw his first into Tai's gut. Tai fell to his knee as Malkus kicked at Tai's chest. Tai caught the Orc's large green foot and rolled, bringing the Orc crashing to the ground. Malkus screamed as Tai leapt from his knees to drive his fist straight into the Orcs large jaw. Malkus caught Tai's second punch and rolled, forcing Tai onto his back as Malkus sat over him with a hungry glow to his evil worn face. Tai gulped nervously as his hands were held over his head. Tai was painfully aware of where Malkus' crotch was, on his belly, hard and cold. What was with this Orc? Was he into men like Tai? This was just Tai's luck.
"Die Nord" Malkus laughed as he drove his teeth into Tai's cheek. His knee pushed between Tai's legs, preventing any form of resistance.
"You taste so good" suddenly Malkus moaned, almost in an aroused state.
"If you were a woman I would be flattered" Tai groaned gagging at the Orc's bad breath. Malkus laughed then hissed as he went to bite Tai's neck. Tai clasped his eyes shut for a second.
Malkus screamed as an Elven dagger sliced him across the neck slowly, bathing Tai's new shirt in blood. Malkus' body was then dragged off Tai rather swiftly, Serana glared down as Tai let his head flop.
"Are you alright?" Serana asked staring down at Tai as she fell to her knees beside his head.
"Sure. I got bitten had to listen to male vampire pickup lines" Tai's groan made Serana laugh as she leaned down, her eyes on the bite mark on his cheek.
"What?" Tai asked as Serana held his chin, Tai rolled his head instinctively to keep from been restrained. He felt the irritation in Serana's roughing grip.
"Hold still. I can't check this wound if you keep moving" Serana scolded, her grip was going to leave a bruise.
Tai still struggled as Serana snarled, throwing her leg over his chest before sitting over him. Her knee pinned his face on an angle, her eyes were now glowing as she leant down her shockingly warm breath on his ear as she whispered again.
"Hold still"
Tai felt the command in his heart as he became paralysed, his heart pounded as his veins became ice. Tai felt the warmth in Serana's cold flesh as she lifted her head slightly and stared down at Tai.
"Serana what are you doing?"
"Trust me"
Serana's voice was a whisper as she gently touched his cheek, her fingers needling the large bite mark as she reopened the healing wound. Tai flinched.
"It's alright. Just relax" she ordered in that special voice. Again the command flooded Tai. Tai's mind raged as he could no longer control his muscles, Serana seemed to notice this as her face softened from the determined glare it had been held in.
"This is going to hurt. Relax completely" she wasn't using the magic voice this time.
Serana took her knee from his face and shuffled backwards until she was sitting on his stomach. Tai couldn't help but picture her slowly removing her shirt as she leaned down, her nose touching his ear as she whispered again.
"I'm sorry"
Serana's breath was suddenly cold down the side of his face as her tongue gently touched his neck, Tai gasped as she trailed her cold tongue along his jugular vein, then along his jaw. Tai moaned and arched himself into her as her tongue touched the wound. Tai yelped with the pain as suddenly her cool saliva burned like flames. The pain travelled throughout his entire body as Serana pinned him down, softly whispering how sorry she was.
"That hurt" Tai groaned weakly as Serana stood up.
"I'm sorry. I had to make sure you weren't infected"
"Am I?"
"You're clean" Serana licked her bloody fingers causing Tai to flinch.
"Am I safe around you?"
Serana smiled as she plucked a necklace from Malkus' corpse then walked up to an altar. The magic barrier surrounding the priest weakened and collapsed. Tai blinked seeing it for the first time.
"No! My master is dead! But I will avenge him" the Priest yelled charging at the still collapsed Tai. Tai was irritated as he kicked out, his foot hitting the priest in the groin. Tai stood up, his sword levelled at the priest. The Priest rose his hands in surrender.
"Stop! Stop. That wasn't me. I could see what was happening but I couldn't control my actions. My name is Dexion Evicus. I'm a Moth Priest" The priest had a relaxed voice. Tai nodded.
"Head to Fort Dawnguard. All will be explained there" Tai demanded. The priest nodded.
"Yes the Divines agree. They will guide me there" The priest was already walking off as Serana came to Tai's shocked side.
"What the?" They spoke in unison.