Chapter 22 – Four to Go
"Revenge? No. I want submission.
I want the priest who did this to bend his knee and give me his soul."
- Quote, Molag Bal
The Wayshrines bored Tai, gathering water; he couldn't say the trip had been wasted however. He had learned more about Serana, things he wished he never had. He had fought Serana, again learning the hard way just how strong she was. Tai knew she had held back, he had too in a way. Suddenly Tai sat there, on an old ruined column truly afraid. He realised everything he had done to Serana, every provocative word, action, thought, and Serana could have become that creature anytime from the beginning. She hadn't. What did it mean?
"Time to come back to reality" Serana whispered, her hand touching his. Tai's naturally closed around hers. He felt the tension through Serana, only for it to melt as Tai caught her eye. Serana smiled, noting how he laced his fingers through hers.
"Three more" Tai sighed, Serana's hand tightened slightly.
"It's almost over" her voice came as a whisper. Tai sighed. Serana walked around him, her fingers briefly leaving his as she sat beside him. Tai took her hand again; Serana seemed pleased by the motion.
"Then what? Do we go back to living our lives before all this?" Tai pondered aloud, Serana seemed to pause in thought. Her eyes stared at the frozen waterfall across the lake, Tai's also pinned there as his hand tightened around hers.
"I've never given it any thought. I won't have use after this is over. I don't know. I might go back to the tomb, study a bit. I don't think I could ever live in Skyrim as a normal person" Serana tilted her head into Tai's shoulder.
"Where ever you go, I want to be close by. I don't think I could live without you" Tai whispered, he tilted to lean his chin over Serana's head.
"You could survive, as could I"
"Is it enough? Surviving?" Tai leaned back to gaze at Serana.
"I don't know" She whispered finally, Tai silently rose to his feet with a sigh. Serana's eyes froze on Tai's as his hands closed around hers once more.
"I… We should go" Serana stuttered, rising to her feet before Tai could act. Tai sighed sadly, leading the way up the next mountain path.
Their feet stumbled in the snow as they continued upwards; Tai felt himself fading as he continued climbing. Serana's hands were suddenly over his shoulders, she wordlessly lifted him from his feet into her arms. Tai realised how awkwardly Serana carried his bulk, she easily handled his weight as she reached flat ground. Serana dropped to her knee weakly, releasing Tai back first into the snow.
"Next Wayshrine" Serana whispered, hoisting Tai to his feet shortly after she found her own. Tai groaned, not even hearing as he obeyed Serana's unspoken command. He stood there, repeating himself as the priest questioned. Then, when the Wayshrine was opened Tai took the water from the basin. Tai's mind blackened shortly after; again, Serana was there to catch him.
"Everything will be mine" The dark, gruff voice haunted Tai's dream as he awoke with a gasp. He sat panting for a moment, Serana's arm rolled from him as he moved. Tai hung his head, sweat down his brow. The stars shone brightly in the dark, clear sky. Tai realised they had found shelter under a tree, Serana moaned, breaking his thoughts.
"Can't sleep?" She whispered, rising to wrap her arms around Tai's chest, hugging him, her nose resting against his neck. She struggled with a sudden hunger; Tai remained unharmed. Serana shuffled one arm around his shoulder, now sitting beside him.
"I don't need too" Tai groaned, rubbing his neck stressfully. Serana slapped his shoulder gently, yet hard enough to earn a yelp from Tai.
"You're exhausted. You can't keep collapsing. Since the Forsworn, you've been fading. Talk to me. What's going on in your head?" Serana asked softly, her fingers running down his face. Tai groaned.
"Nightmares, a voice, a threat. Everything will be mine. Every time those words" Tai confessed, he felt Serana tense.
"Molag Bal. Tai, the sooner we complete this quest the better. Can you function?" Serana was suddenly rushing, Tai nodded.
"You're going to have to be the hero for a change"
"Does it hurt?" Serana asked in mock shock, Tai smiled. Even with her sudden fear Serana could still crack a joke.
"A little, you dropped me. Twice today, actually. I've been over two cliffs, buried in snow. Had bones broken, then repaired, oh and I was nearly spider food. What's next?" Tai spoke too soon as the sound of footsteps was heard. Serana leapt like a cat, gripping her dagger with a faint snarl.
"The Betrayed" Serana hissed, her eyes scanning the darkness. Tai flinched as a cloud passed over the moon, darkening the world. Tai looked past Serana, the land was bright still. Tai looked up horrified; he was barley moving as his eyes landed on the club raised high. He gaped.
"Or worse" he squeaked, tackling Serana aside as the Giant's club came down. He and Serana rolled across the freezing ice, noting the water rushing beneath them. The ice wasn't going to hold. Tai thoughtlessly grabbed Serana and rolled her body landing over his as the ice split. She grinned down at him.
"Bad timing Tai" She whispered, quickly patting his cheek.
"I didn't want you getting wet"
"Tai!" Serana scolded, Tai shrugged to the broken ice. Serana's mouth clamped shut.
"Oh you mean water not… well this is awkward" Serana blushed.
"I've been a bad influence" Tai groaned. Serana leapt to her feet. Her eyes widened in horror as she caught a full view of the Giant, now swinging its club down into their makeshift camp.
"Not now" Serana cried, dropping to her knee again as her skin began to bubble. Tai grinned, flexing as he felt the pressure building. The moon was calling, and Tai was itching for a decent fight.
He ran, screaming at the Giant as he tore the makeshift shirt off with a snarl, then his gauntlets. Tai sprinted faster, hearing nothing but the sound of his steadily pounding heart. He felt the cold rushing down him with the mist as he slipped, sliding between the Giant's legs. It stumbled, shocked for a minute before it turned. The wolf was waiting, eyes glowing gleefully at the hunt.
Tai leapt. His teeth and claws were desperate for the Giant's neck. It spun its club out, whacking Tai in the chest. Tai groaned as he rolled down the ice, his claws finally dug into the ice and provided stability. Tai growled, his eyes flicking to Serana. His ears pinned as she screamed loudly, Tai launched at the Giant again. This time Tai did not go on the attack, instead he darted. He only needed to give Serana a few more moments. He then heard the roar, right as the Giant's fist connected with Tai's side. Tai yelped as he was sent flying.
"Quit trying to be a bird" Serana hissed, catching Tai swiftly. This was beginning to worry Tai, that Serana was clearly the strongest. He looked to her and grinned, noting the certain pride of the Vampire Lord in Serana as she smiled back.
Tai fell to the ground snarling as Serana flew above him, they split, circling the Giant. The Giant kicked Serana, reaching her as she flew. She was thrown aside like Tai had been. The Giant then stomped for Tai, he somehow rolled aside. The hair on his neck rose as he snarled, dancing around the club then scratching. Tai knew his speed was all he could rely on against a giant. Finally Tai stumbled, his paws not as nimble on the freezing ice as they stuck, the sweat on his soles suddenly a disadvantage. The Giant dropped his fist for Tai.
"No you don't" Serana was suddenly there, her wings working overtime as she strained, holding the Giant's fist from Tai. Tai rolled aside.
"Keep it busy, I'll take out the hamstring" Tai barked as Serana threw the Giant's punch slightly left. The ice cracked. Tai darted between the Giant's legs again, throwing his paws into the back of the Giant's knee, then his teeth. The Giant writhed, unable to shake Tai's savage attack. Suddenly Tai was thrown by the cracking ice; he skidded across as the Giant fell into the freezing water.
"Tai?" Serana asked, her knees bending as she shed the Vampire Lord form, almost effortlessly.
"I'm fine" Tai barked, shaking his head as his vision blurred momentarily. A few minutes later his form would return to humanity. Tai almost regretted it this night; he knew his aching bones would hurt more in human form. Serana laughed an exhausted chuckle. Tai stared at her as she shook, his paw naturally supporting her.
"How did you hold a Giant's fist against a Giant itself?" Tai let his disbelief erupt; Serana shook her head her own eyes wide.
"Instinct. I didn't have a choice. It was hold the Giant or you die. Then again, I had a choice, just not a good one" Serana laughed as Tai lifted her upon his back, the ice trembled. Tai looked to the bubbles, fast freezing from the Giant's resting place. His eyes returned to Serana.
"Do you think you could raise that beast? There is a Betrayed Army out there, and a Giant would be useful" Tai felt relieved as Serana smiled. Her hand already surrounded in magic. She shot it at the Giant's floating head. It stirred, again the ice trembled.
"I would get off the lake Tai, the Giant will follow" Serana whispered, Tai threw her onto his shoulders with a woof.
"I would hold on like your life depended on it" Tai replied with a cocky head throw before he loped off. He felt Serana's legs tense around him, her hands buried into his fur as he sprinted back towards the Wayshrine he had passed out near, Serana somehow had retrieved her pack, and the pack held the ewer within as the Giant rumbled behind them.
They finally reached a cave entrance, a gathering of Falmer were blocking the way. Serana splashed in the stream, Tai gripped her arm, preventing her from falling as the Giant thundered past, instantly beginning to flatten the desperately attacking Falmer.
"Let's go" Serana whispered, instantly ducking past the Falmer to the cave.
Tai groaned, the mist falling from him as he stumbled. A Falmer lashed at Tai, he ducked. His hand closed around the Falmer's wrist, then Tai side stepped again. He twisted the Falmer's arm back and pushed. The Falmer screamed as Tai threw it to the Giant. With a quick breath he ran down the stream into the dark of the cave, Serana close on his heels.
"Your kind is weak. You're weak. But you, you challenge my power. Bravery in a lost endeavour, weak little mortal. You're prize, unclaimable. Still you dig further into the bowels" The voice rung through Tai's head.
Tai erupted from the water, gasping for breath as he was washed into a tunnel. The walls were ice, the water bitterly cold. He struggled a moment, his toes breezing the ground as he flailed his arms. Eventually his toes flattered upon the ground, he found his balance.
He turned. Darkness grew in his eyes as he saw Serana walking above the water, using a spell to freeze beneath her feet. Tai felt cheated as he swum to the closest ice chunk and pulled himself up. His eyes pinned on another troll.
"Wow. Now this… this is what I wanted to see" Serana spoke a little too loudly, the Troll roared.
Tai groaned, of all his luck. Serana however simply shot a fireball at the troll, which was thrown up the hill. It did not venture back down.
"That was a little easy" Serana moped, Tai glared at her.
His eyes then ventured the cave, it was massive, ice covered, cold and yet it held a certain charm. Tai admired the way the ice fell from the roof in ever threatening yet ever strong spikes. His eyes danced around the blue parts of the ice, almost like another world. There was water flowing freely, circling around a humongous rock sitting in the middle of the cave, covered in ice.
"Easy for you to complain. You're not naked on ice after swimming through freezing water" Tai shuddered, Serana was already producing a pair of pants.
"I could open a store for all the times I've put clothes on you" Serana grinned.
"And you could open another business for how well you take them off" Tai teased, noting Serana's blush. Tai had mentally won that round, he finished pulling the pants on then nodded. Serana seemed grateful to be moving as Tai led the way, up the hill Serana's fireball had thrown the troll up.
"Poor creature. I know it would have tried to kill us, but still. I wish it didn't have to die" Serana sighed, Tai smiled. The same gentle Serana was returning, or was she?
The Falmer ahead changed Tai's mind. Serana used her spell to pluck the Falmer from the ground and drag it to her. She then dropped to her knee, hand closed tightly around the Falmer's throat. Its struggled made little cracking sounds in the ice, Serana seemed indifferent.
"Enough games. I want answers" She hissed down at the writhing being. Serana had just lost her mind.