Chapter 24 – The Fight Begins
Inside was dark, the mist within seemed to glow blue as they walked. Tai shuddered; the cold affected him more than Serana at this point. The doors closed behind them, the mist seemed even brighter, even bluer. Tai shuddered, smoke escaping his nose as he exhaled. Serana grinned.
"Oh no, help me. I'm locked in a temple with a dragon" She laughed, Tai shared, his teeth chattering slightly.
"I am Dragonborn" Tai again exhaled, the fog from his breath obscuring his view of an amused Serana. The joke landed in his mind, his mouth over flew before he could prevent his verbal outburst.
"Are you sure I'm a snow bear?"
"What in oblivion Tai?" Serana was utterly confused. Tai grinned.
"Because I'm Coldharboringly freezing" Tai finished, making up words as he went. Serana grinned, rubbing his arm once.
"Cheer up. This place can't be that bad" Serana reassured herself more than Tai who nodded as they then entered the main hall. Serana's words lost all meaning as she stared across the room, everything was frozen.
"These Falmer… Their frozen in the ice" Serana spoke, her voice shaking. Tai shook his head.
"What else would they be frozen in?" Tai's voice was uneasy, his joke trying to ease the sudden tension. Serana came to his side, now she was shivering.
"And here I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy" she sighed, Tai touched her arm comfortingly. Serana smiled, more for Tai's sake as they reached another door. Tai froze. What would be on the other side? With a deep breath, he found out. The door opened effortlessly, into another hall. There were scattered Falmer, frozen in looks of pain and distress. Tai felt the air, frozen in the moment as they wondered. He had to ignore the sense of doom building within him, Serana also felt everything.
"I don't like the looks of this. It isn't right" Serana whispered, Tai fixed her with a look, more savage than he had intended.
"Any other painfully obvious insights you wish to share Serana?" he snapped. Serana fixed him with her own aggressive look, Tai's face faded to realisation at his tone. He hung his head, ashamed that he had growled at Serana.
"I'm sorry. The air, the stress… It's getting to me"
"Tai. It's ok. Just don't go on the attack, I'm still up from that last feed, I am not in full control of my actions" Serana seemed calmer, yet her words rung through Tai's head. Was she speaking about him?
"No" Tai shrugged her worries aside.
He nodded fearfully; Serana had the look of intent on. She knew exactly what he was thinking. Tai grinned. He couldn't help grin at how he had traded roles with Serana. From protecting her to her defending him, she had opened up, but also wised up. Tai knew she had a leash on him, and he didn't have much to play with.
"Love bites" Tai groaned, Serana smiled the special smile as her eyes seemed to flash to life.
"So do I" she whispered, pressing her lips to Tai's. He could have gasped; she had forced him back against the wall in one rough motion. She growled playfully, gasping a breath of air. Tai yelped as her teeth closed around his lower lip and pulled gently, only to return to deepen the kiss. Tai's hands were on her waist, preventing her falling. Serana pulled back, leaving Tai gobsmacked once more.
"Um?" Tai managed to struggle out as Serana licked her lips innocently, yet with open intent.
"You wanted a display, for later. That's motivation" Serana winked.
"You can say that again" He grinned. Serana's eyes suddenly flashed again, her cheeky face returning as she darted down the path.
"Catch me if you can. First to kill a snow elf gets a foot rub, and doesn't carry the packs" Serana darted off, leaving Tai staring down the hall she had sprinted down. Tai was utterly confused. One minute Serana was the most lust filled woman he had ever met, the next she was a child.
"What?" Tai questioned aloud. After a moment he grinned, his head wrapped around the situation. He loved living in the dark.
How long he and Serana ran, silently stalking the elf while playing a game was unknown to Tai. He was caught in the moment, the chance to not have to carry the packs, and for a foot rub, it was too good to be serious about. This was a children's rivalry to the Snow Elf death.
"Curse it!" Serana yelled, Tai heard the echo and sprinted. His feet came to old snow once more, crunching loudly as he stared over a ledge. Serana was lying flat on her back, groaning as she struggled in the deep snow. Tai laughed loudly, landing beside her on his feet as he lifted her upper half from the snow with a curious look.
"Curse it? You're losing your touch Serana" Tai helped her to her feet with a chuckle; Serana rubbed her lower back then sighed irritatedly.
"I'm trying to be lady like Tai" Serana seemed irritated. Tai's arm closed around her, helping her to walk the fall off.
"How's it working out for you?"
"Horribly" Serana groaned, before unleashing a string of curses. Tai caught her as she stumbled.
Serana looked to him gratefully as she shrugged his arm off, walking slightly off as Tai sat on a fallen pillar. He wrung his hands as he warmed himself, Serana still shaking her body off. Tai looked up, the fall was a great one for him, let alone the smaller Serana. She had fallen over harsh, sharp rocks. How she was even walking, Tai put down to her vampiric side. Serana cracked her neck with a shake then turned her eyes to Tai. She was nervous.
"Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be" Serana answered Tai with a sigh, he nodded. Tai's hands closed around the blade he had found, Tai was growing use to wielding weapons not suited to him. He had to learn them quickly, or die quicker. Survival was important to him once more.
Tai took a breath and strode into the next room; down the frozen corridor into what Tai assumed was a throne room. A field of some kind surrounded the throne, where an elf much like Gelebor sat, bored, eyes intent on the entrance. Apart from the long, greasy hair, this elf could have been Gelebor.
"Mortal fool. Did you really expect to claim Auriel's bow?" The elf leered, his pronunciation of bow more like bough. His voice was harsh, unpleasant to the ears. Tai's eyes ventured the frozen army around them, something wasn't right.
"Give us the bow you hypercritical elf!" Tai snarled, something within him was ordering rage. Serana hung back, silently.
Tai felt fear emanating from her as the slight crack reached his ears. Tai's eyes darted, he hid the motions well. He was counting as the elf ranted, enemies to the left outnumbered by the ones on the right. Obviously more hidden away, there were not enough to hold someone back if they were armed. The roof was strong, ice covered, like everywhere in the damn temple. Ice spikes also blocked the throne, Tai cursed quietly.
"And since you've brought your fetching companion to me, your usefulness is at an end" Vyrthur finished.
"Wait… Is he talking about me? Tai what is this?" Serana was desperate, eyes flashing wildly. Tai snarled, the sound causing the whole building to tremble in Tai's rage.
"A trap" Tai answered Serana, and then focused on Vyrthur.
"Keep your squinty eyes off Serana" Tai growled. The ice around him melting, the Falmer's hearts started beating once more.
The sudden pounding in Tai's head was too much. With each beat he heard, Tai's mind disconnected. He no longer saw Falmer, light and dark. The world was black, living beings glowing red, objects a faint blue. The world was a blur, his only focus on the elf. Somehow he had used his life shout, now his world was something new again.
The ice erupted with a roar, the Falmer suddenly thriving, and attacking. Tai crouched, blade down his arm in the manner of stealth he had been trained in. Tai's movements were controlled, his eyes that of a stone cold killers, the perfect hunter.
The first Falmer rushed him, Tai spun from the hip, slicing the blade upwards, both his arms guiding the blade's path through the Falmer's head. Tai grinned at the blood, spinning like a man possessed, taking the blade across the gut of a second Falmer. Serana fired her ice spike for the killing blow. Tai leapt back, narrowly avoiding the blade of a third Falmer. Tai snarled, noting how vampiric he sounded as he launched, diving through the Falmer blade first. Tai ducked, suddenly unarmed as two more charged him. Tai flinched, the blade nicked his arm. He snarled again, his vision shifting from its cold focus.
"Yol!" flames erupted through the Falmer. Tai was satisfied at their shrieks, and the smell of searing flesh.
Serana was quick, her eyes flicking to Tai after each kill. She was worried, her possession should have helped him heal, rested him. Instead Tai was running on pure, unchecked instinct. This was bad; Tai was taking blows, gashes. His blood filled her nose, yet he fought on.
Serana's thoughts were interrupted by another charging Falmer. Serana wasted no time in ducking its blow, her feet elegantly circling as she came up behind the Falmer, arms locked around its shoulder joints. As the next Falmer charged Serana pushed forwards, the Falmer's blade executing its ally as Serana's blade pierced its eye. Both died as Serana ducked the next blow, swinging her foot to meet the Falmer's groin.
The Falmer dropped, staring at her with something that stilled Serana's blade, her intent. She cursed at the pain in her back as another Falmer slashed, blade tearing through her skin like butter. Serana fell to her knees, eyes wide as she suddenly stared the Falmer in the eye. It couldn't see, but somehow it could. The look it showed was not anger, or hate, but pity. Its hands wrapped around Serana's neck, she couldn't move. Somehow she was captivated. Suddenly it pulled her forwards, the second Falmer's blade passed over her head safely. As did Tai, who dove furiously. His hands blazed as he drove his fist into the Falmer's face, again, again and again. He continued beating down the corpse; Serana's eyes came to the Falmer again.
"Thank you" she whispered, it released her neck and stood.
"Human welcome" it replied then walked away, straight from the fight.
Serana was beyond confused. The Falmer, it had just saved her life in return for her sparing it. Serana was beyond confused. The monster had spared her, a kindred monster? Tai was more monstrous as he lifted Serana to her feet; she was already ignoring her gashed back. It was healing with her magic. Tai supported her weight, his eyes burning at Vyrthur.
"Give us the bow Vyrthur, you're defeated" Serana gasped, she felt Tai tense at Vyrthur's laughter. It seemed that was the first wave. Tai's hand closed around Serana's for a moment as he stooped, recovering his blade with a steady glare. The blade scraped the ice covered stone, sparks leaving its tip as Tai straightened, his stance challenging the world. Serana was truly shocked; the hero was rising in Tai once more.
"Bring it on, squinty" Tai released Serana's hand, gripping the sword with both hands.
The way he moved was enchanting, each and every muscle tensed, flowing as he fought. Serana watched him, like he was in slow motion. A dream. Each slash downwards made his chest ripple, the skin across his abs taught with the strain. Returning upwards made him ripple again, his back suddenly alive as his chest tightened, tensed. His feet moved like a dancer, Tai was weaving through his enemies. Serana concluded, he was a dance with death.
"No!" Vyrthur screamed, firing magic as more Falmer erupted. Tai groaned, the dance was annoyed. His slashes returned to being animalistic as he swung blindly, each swing a deadly or debilitating blow. Serana saw it before Tai did, he was faltering. His blows were beginning to bounce harmlessly from the Falmer; the ice behind Serana was stirring. Vyrthur has just summoned a Frost Atronach. Serana had a split second choice, kill the atronach or save Tai. She leapt, knocking Tai to the ground as more Falmer leapt.
Now Serana was in power, struggling to lift the weapon Tai handled so easily. She raised it high, only to drop it with a yelp. It fell through a Falmer's skull, splitting it open. Serana was proud of herself as she narrowly avoided a second blow, her dagger sprung free as she spun, slicing a Falmer's throat. The remaining Falmer faltered as Serana danced, blade slicing their throats before they could act.
"Now bad" Tai approved as Serana tugged him to his feet, wincing at the freshly healed wound on her back. She gave Tai a look, one she knew Tai hadn't taught her.
"You're welcome" She finally sighed, realising Tai wouldn't say thank you so openly. He smiled, eyes flashing to the atronach. Then came the rumble.
"He's bringing down the roof!" Serana exclaimed, Tai gulped as he sprinted, Serana in hot pursuit. She tripped, like she always did. Her foot caught in the dead bodies.
Tai leapt, his body working overtime as he avoided the falling roof, he was dancing blindly. Tai knew not how he moved; only that he was saving Serana… Again. He reached her, arms locking around her body as he lifted; she came effortlessly to his chest. The roof was falling.
Tai sprinted; now his instincts were gone, replaced with a frightened mind. Serana felt Tai, shuddering around her as he tried to outrun a falling building, his own foot caught. Serana screamed as she was thrown, bouncing across the ground. Each time she hit she yelped, groaned or yelled.
"Tai!" She screamed, rising to her feet after laying sprawled for a minute. Her heart was in her voice, panicked, tears in her eyes, her heart felt like it was pounding. She hadn't felt this for thousands of years. The fear of loss was written in her face. She couldn't lose Tai, not now. She just couldn't.
Tai winced, his bad luck had returned, it would be the death of him. He felt the roof caving in, the rumble vibrating through his entire being. His head spun, a black fog spreading across his vision as did the dust. His eyes found Serana's, she was safe. In that knowledge he allowed himself to fall to blackness.
I am Molag Bal. I am the lord of the Domination. King of Rape. I am The Daedric Prince of Coldharbor. I demand you surrender to will of Molag Bal, Teinavoh. I command you to abandon this vampire, she is mine. I will not compromise, staying by my creations side will only leave you both broken, begging for death. A gift I will only grant to you, Tai. I take great pleasure in promising you street thief, prisoner, assassin, failed companion and now Dawnguard champion. You will fail. You will fail like you have your entire life, there is no alternative.
Your kind is weak. You're weak. Ever mortal is 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.
Continue with this woman and I promise you will never find happiness, a family, victory. You will be around to see, but none will see the ghost as I send my minions to once again break my child's will, until my day of summoning when I will claim her, all of her, as my own. Forever in Coldharbor. Can you imagine her screaming? It will be delicious, should you wish to come listen.
Your family, your friends, everything will be mine.