Chapter 11 – Elder Scroll Blood

"Sometimes the famous come to us, some come to us to seek their fame" – Quote, Kodlak

Tai's eyes scanned the black stone ruins, so perfect in their deformity he flinched. Serana seemed calmer with the surroundings, sinking her fangs into what Tai could only describe as a nightmare. The storm he had ignored suddenly was crashing, the sound of wind howling was driving Tai into a fearful frenzy but yet no wind stirred and no rain poured onto his head. Serana seemed to notice this and gently took Tai's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, Tai smiled at her as Serana pretended he had done nothing. It was that exact moment Valerica turned to see her daughter not even noticing the handsome boy smiling at her. Valerica shook her head; Serana was foolish to ignore such a man offering his heart to her. That said, Valerica understood. The vampire could not love for eternity.

When out into what once would have been a great hall, but now was a ruin Valerica sniffed the air. Tai darted out from between the rocks, relaxing in the middle of the huge space. Tai had never liked small places since his days in the slave mines, the cave in. Tight places made his skin crawl.

"Wait a minute" Valerica said just a moment too late, Tai somehow had known and drew his sword with a huge slash, straight across a dragons face. It roared as Tai growled back weakly earning a chuckle from Serana and a glare from her mother. The battle had begun.

Tai's feet danced as his sword flashed, the glow on the ebony almost like the moon. Serana was captivated by the grace of the man and the dragon as they fought it was like watching a dance with death. Strangely their fight was quite respectful. Tai had a cheap shot open, he didn't take it.

As they continued Tai was swiped aside like a rag doll by the dragon's enormous tail. Serana screamed as she ran towards him.

"Serana!" Valerica screamed, but her limbs would not obey.

Serana didn't even hear her mother as she ran; her feet hit the ground as the dragons roar shook the skies, her strides longer than her actual body in her panic. The skeletons erupted from the ground, surrounding Serana as the dragon drew nearer. She glared at the dragon briefly before beginning to fight the surrounding, slowly attacking skeletons bare handed. Magic burned in her hands but she could not let off a spell, the dragon loomed over her, amused by her futile efforts. Valerica was frozen.

The dragon suddenly roared in pain as Tai dove for his bow and with a roll pulled the string back. Then he fired without a pause, his heart already pounding heavily as his desperation released the arrow. It flew, its head burring itself in the dragon's eye as Serana nodded to him smiling before blocking a skeleton's arrow with a perfectly timed side swipe.

Tai by then had managed to sprint straight up to the dragon and begin to climb it, his toes however got stuck in the dragon's worn nostril as it snorted the stench of scorched flesh and flames were strangely absent. Tai drove his fist into the arrow, driving it deeper with the rewarding metallic smell of blood, the sound of flesh been torn and the sticky warm feeling of blood that was flicking onto his face. Normally dragon blood would be horrible for a human, but Tai wasn't human, he was a vampire dragonborn. He licked the blood his tongue could reach as he felt the familiar rush of a dragon's death, but not the knowledge that usually flowed into his body. Suddenly the dragon made one final attempt to fight back, it threw its head to the side so violently Tai was lashed across the courtyard of sorts to land head first into some stone.

"Tai!" Serana screeched as she again sprinted after him. Tai blinked slightly as his vision faded in and out, his name kept dragging him back to the world of the living, or maybe it was the voice calling him every time he felt he could no longer hold on.

Serana dropped to her knees next to Tai as he blinked, pulling himself to a sitting position with the help of Serana. Tai noticed how she was shaking as she stared at him. Tai couldn't even summon a guilty smile as he looked at her, almost blank. He was struggling with the fog still in his head as Serana was tense, pondering a emotion building inside her. Tai realised with horror that she had done this with every emotion and thought, she couldn't afford to lose or be herself. Tai then saw her walls breech; mentally she had just lost control of her controlling force and was gushing her emotions like a ton of bricks.

"Tai you idiot you could have died!" Serana screamed, Tai blinked as she pounded her fist into his chest. Tears rolling down her face she pulled him into a huge frenzied hug as she cried.

"You scared me half to death!"

"You're already dead… I'm sorry Serana" Tai felt torn between his joking nature and nursing the emotionally unstable Serana.

Tai nervously wrapped his arms around her, his arms hooked under her arms to clasp around her shoulders, his hands stroking her hair as she cried. Tai sensed these tears were for everything that she had been holding in as he rocked her gently, Tai couldn't stand Valerica's astonished stare as Serana released him, wiping her nose as she pulled Tai to his feet. Tai stared at her for a moment then stroked his thumb just under her eye, wiping away the stray tear she had missed as she hugged him again, worry leaving her face to be replaced with gratitude. It then hit Tai harder than he had hit the ruin; he had just saved Serana's life from a dragon… again.

"What are you staring at Valerica?" Tai asked just a little harsher than he had intended. Serana gasped lightly, expecting her mother to snap; instead she shook her head and smiled.

"Forgive my astonishment, but I never thought I would witness the death of that dragon" she spoke in a softer tone; Tai heard her similarities to Serana.

"What makes you say that?" Tai was proud of himself; a cocky tilt of his head earned the same steel gaze from Valerica as if from Serana. He couldn't help grin; he was one of the three dragon born after all… Why shouldn't he kill a dragon?

"Volumes written on Durnehviir allege he cannot be slain by mortal, normal means. It appears they were mistaken. Unless… The soul of a dragon is as resistant as its owner's scaly hide. It's possible that your killing blow has merely displaced Durnehviir's physical form while he reconstitutes himself"

"Maybe… How long will it take?" Tai's voice shook. He did not like a dragon he couldn't kill. A fact which he voiced fluently, Serana blushed hearing Tai's language. Valerica looked like she had choked on her wine. When Tai finished he sighed, Valerica continued to answer as she did her elegant pace.

"Minutes? Hours? Years? I can't even begin to guess. But I suggest we don't wait around to find out. Now, let's get you the Elder Scroll so you can be on your way" Valerica didn't wait for Tai's reply, instead jogging into another make shift home, towards an ornate long box. Tai's hands shook. This was her Elder Scroll. The Elder Scroll of blood, been protected by a pure blood vampire.

Valerica silently placed her hand somewhere secretively, causing the box to spring open. She stepped aside allowing the shaking Tai to lift the case within the box housing the scroll. He thoughtlessly offered it to a shocked Serana.

"You're the one who found Valerica; you have carried Elder Scrolls before. This is your honour" Tai explained, Serana's hands nervously closed around the precious cargo as Tai loosened leather straps, to hold the large case to Serana's back like the first. She stood as Tai nervously began to tighten the straps, his eyes saying he knew she was tense with where the buckle was. Finally she took over, tightening the straps between her breasts before pulling a tight jawed face, her eyes knowingly on her mother.

"Now that you've retrieved the Elder Scroll, you should be on your way"

"You're not coming?" Tai couldn't help but be shocked at Valerica's sudden reluctance to escape the Cairn. She had been icy towards Tai but he couldn't help view her as a mother, mainly due to the way he viewed Serana which shocked him even more. Tai had never really thought about settling down, about having a family. That is until he met Serana.

"I have no choice, as I told you before I am a Daughter of Coldharbor. If I return to Tamriel I would only double Harkon's chance of bringing the Tyranny of the sun to fruition" she shook her head as Tai placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"We will return for you when we can. Like it or not you will return to Tamriel"

"I appreciate your concern for me, but Serana is all I care about. You must keep her safe no matter what the costs. Remember Harkon is not to be trusted no matter what he promises, he'll deceive you to gain what he wants" Valerica suddenly gave Tai a bear hug; he returned the gesture as she whispered in his ear.

"Promise me you'll keep her safe, my daughter is the only thing of value I have left"

"You have my word. Nothing will happen to Serana as long as I can fight" Tai whispered back as Valerica released him with a silent thank you. Tai smiled. Serana and her mother simply looked to each other; Tai knew that nothing could convey their emotions… Nothing but the look they shared before Serana begun to walk off, Tai followed.

They walked back to the large door as Serana sighed. Tai whispered quietly.

"How do you feel after talking to your mother?"

"Relieved I think. I can't believe we found my mother alive… Well… You know what I mean… All those things have been building for a while, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to say that to her. It felt good to get it off my chest"

"Why did you ever agree to her plan Serana?"

"Look, I loved my father but after he found that prophecy… that became his life. Everything else, even me and my mother… We just became clutter. I was close with my mother but she kept feeding me her opinions of him, and eventually I came to believe them" Serana sighed sadly, Tai instinctively reached out to Serana who shied away slightly. Tai swallowed.

"She doesn't seem too fond of him"

"The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power and pulling in different directions. Then he found that prophecy and…That was it"

"You were caught in the middle" Tai added with a sigh, this time Serana allowed him to edge closer to her.

"I was. Honestly it's taken me up to now to realise my mother was really just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power; she was obsessed with seeing him fail. It was all just so…"

"Toxic" Tai finished for Serana, who nodded. He didn't even notice her edge her hand closer to his.

"Maybe I could have seen this coming. We could all be better off by now" Serana was choking in her own guilt, Tai took her hand again not noticing Serana's positioning.

"Hey. You mustn't blame yourself; there was nothing you could do. It isn't your fault"

"I know that in my head. But I just can't help feeling bad about… the way things are. Anyways we should keep moving, I want to get out of this place" Serana was quick to disguise her weakness, snatching her hand back slightly. Tai refused to let it go as he stared her in the eye. After a tense moment he released her hand, hoping his stern look had snapped her out of her sorrow for a few moments at least. Together they pushed the doors open once more.

They froze once through the doors, staring into the dragon, Durnehviir's face. The purple flames dying around his worn green body. Tai instinctively pushed Serana back, his eyes on Durnehviir ready for a fight. The dragon's rumbling voice rewarded him however instead of flame and battle.

"Stay your weapons. I would speak with you Qahaarin"

"I thought you just tried to kill us. Why are you talking to us? Didn't I kill you?" Tai asked, Durnehviir chuckled sadly.

"Cursed, not dead. Doomed to exist in this form for eternity. Trapped between laas and dinok, between life and death"

"Why are we speaking again? You just tried to kill me"

"I believe in civility among seasoned warriors, and I find your ear worthy of my words. My claws have rendered the flesh of innumerable foes but I have never been felled on the field of battle" the dragon rumbled.

"I therefore honour-name you Qahnaarin, or vanquisher in your tongue" Durnehviir finished. Tai smiled, he had heard dragons had a strong sense of honour but had yet to experience it for himself.

"I found you equally as worthy Durnehviir" Tai silently prayed he had pronounced the dragons name correctly. The bowed head showed he had, much to Tai's relief. The thunder rumbled and lightning struck before Durnehviir continued on.

"Your words do me great honour. My desire to speak with you was born from the result of our battle, Qahnaarin. I merely wish to respectfully ask a favour of you… For countless years I've roamed the Soul Cairn, an unintended servant of the Ideal Masters. Before this, I roamed the skies above Tamriel. I desire to return to them, return home. But I fear that my time in the Soul Cairn has taken its toll upon me, I share a forced bond with this dreadful place. If I ventured far from the Soul Cairn my strength would begin to wane until I was no more" Durnehviir shook his head with something between rage and sorrow.

"How can I help, Durnehviir?" Tai asked, he too felt rage for the dragons forced slavery.

"I will place my name with you and grant you the right to call my name from Tamriel. Do me this simple honour and I will fight by your side as your Grah-Zeymahzin, your ally and teach you my thu'um. This is trivial in your mind perhaps, but for me it would mean a great deal. I don't require an answer Qahnaarin. Simply speak my name to the heavens when you feel the time is right" Durnehviir roared into the skies, Tai nodded his own respect.

"How did you end up in the Soul Cairn?" he couldn't help but ask. Durnehviir snarled.

"There was a time the Dovah fought for supremacy in the skies of Tamriel, in immense and often fatal battles. Unlike my brethren I sought solutions outside the norm to maintain my supremacy, something your friend is aware of" Durnehviir's eyes pinned on the shying Serana, she glared back as the dragon snorted, a puff of smoke wisping from his left nostril.

"I began to explore what the Dovah call Alok-Dilan, the ancient forbidden art you know as necromancy. The Ideal Masters promised my powers would be unmatched; I could raise legions of the undead, in return I was to serve them as a Keeper until the death of the one who calls herself Valerica"

"They didn't tell you she was immortal" Tai was almost sorry for this dragon, he had heard horrors of the Ideal Masters but he had no idea they could deceive a dragon.

"I discovered too late that the Ideal Masters favour deception above honour and had no intention of releasing me from my binding. They had control over my mind but fortunately they could not control my soul!" Durnehviir lifted his head skywards and bellow flames, bathing the Cairn as far as Tai could see in an orange glow.

"I would ask a favour of you Durnehviir, respectfully despite its somewhat humiliating position" Tai started nervously.

"Anything for a fellow Dovah" Durnehviir grinned, Tai was shocked he knew. Recovering quickly he posed his request.

"I would ask you lend us your wing to the portal we came here by. Time is of the essence" Tai's words earned a gasp from Serana as it did from Durnehviir.

"I see. You have my wings this once Dovahkiin" Durnehviir crouched, allowing Tai to jump up onto Durnehviir's back, Serana shook as she followed.

"You have my thanks Durnehviir" Tai spoke boldly as Durnehviir shook his wings out then launched himself into the sky, Serana screamed as Tai smiled happily. He was riding a dragon.