Hello people and welcome back to Skyrim: Darkblade Chronicles. Alright...the cat's out of the bag, let's see how many mice it can catch.
Yes, the infamous figure that terrorized all of Tamriel was none other than I. A lone monster that rampaged against the rest of the monsters plaguing the people, just as I have to this day. It took my time in Skyrim to rediscover who I was before the curse took hold, but even during my previous campaigns throughout Tamriel, I never lost myself. I killed many who were guilty, and none who were not; I have done nothing but do what I could to turn my curse into other people's blessing.
Despite the lack of taste in disclosing my most crucial secret to one who by all accounts was unworthy of the knowledge, I felt I had no choice as much as I did before. To all those who trusted me as their savior and defender, I have to extend my sincerest apologies for my deception. I kept this to myself because I couldn't stand the idea of the horrors that already gripped the world being compounded with the shadows darkening my own past. I can only promise to remain stalwart in my resolution to make a blessing out of my curse, despite it no longer having a say in my life.
However...my troubles did not end with releasing this burden from my mind, if anything...they were only getting started...
Sheldon remained as motionless as ever as Serana stood before him taking in the revelation she just heard.
"You...? All this time, you..." She trailed off.
"Yes..." Sheldon breathed out.
"But...you said the Beast was dead!" Serana said seriously.
"He is...in every way except the literal way." Sheldon said, then Serana stared at him, then took a moment to think.
"The ebony knight you mentioned...don't tell me that was you too." She said.
"It was." Sheldon said.
"You cannot be serious!" Serana exclaimed.
"I couldn't be the Beast anymore. The people were too afraid of me, and I couldn't stop my campaign, so...I donned a suit of ebony armor, and took credit for killing the Beast. Now that legend is as dead as he is, and that is how it must be...and how it will be." Sheldon said.
"So...let me get this straight, you used to be a vampire, who went around killing his own kind, then you became a knight, took credit for killing the vampire you used to be...yet remained a vampire who went around killing his own kind?" Serana asked seriously.
"My tactics as the Beast were what inspired the most fear, but I was scarring the innocent and the guilty alike. Even the Vigilants of Stendarr were appalled with me...which I learned the hardest way possible." Sheldon said.
"But...how long did your campaign last?" Serana asked.
"Over a century." Sheldon said.
"A century?" Serana asked.
"Serana..." Sheldon groaned, then Serana sighed deeply, and folded her arms.
"Alright, let's hear the story." She said, then Sheldon looked away.
"My time as the Beast...it was a nightmare. Even the most pristine places I went to needed someone who was willing and able to take up a sword, and search even the darkest of shadows. More often than not, that responsibility fell to me, just like it did here. During my campaign against the corruption infesting the world in all of its forms, my travels took me to even the most remote locations, where I searched every corner for whatever could aid me. On my own, I traveled to each country, honing my skills in the arcane arts, alchemy, and unconventional warfare. I also sharpened the skills with weapons which I had long before I became the Beast. Eventually, my campaign led me here to Skyrim...where the civil war raged." Sheldon said.
"Why would you come here knowing there was a civil war going on?" Serana asked.
"I heard rumors, ones I believed could help me get my life back. Even though there was a civil war...I had to risk it." Sheldon said.
"What sort of rumors?" Serana asked, then Sheldon sighed.
"Nothing that matters anymore; I'm no longer a vampire, and I'm never going to become one again." Sheldon said seriously, then Serana closed her eyes and lowered her head.
"Does anyone know you were the Beast of Bruma?" She asked.
"No...Aela knows I was a vampire once, but my time as the Beast is a secret known only to me, and I would keep it that way." Sheldon said.
"And why are you telling me?" Serana asked.
"Because unlike the rest of Skyrim...I can tell you." Sheldon said.
"Even though I'm a vampire, like all the other ones you've killed?!" Serana asked seriously.
"No...you are nothing like them." Sheldon said.
"I'm deeply honored..." Serana breathed out.
"And I am not lying to you, no more than I have before." Sheldon said.
"You kept a secret the size of a mountain from me, and even now it's not one I'm comfortable knowing." Serana said.
"Because of what I did?" Sheldon asked.
"Because of what you were. The rest of the Dawnguard make me uneasy enough, but...having the Beast- I'm sorry, the man who used to be the Beast at my side, when I was under the impression that he wasn't around anymore? I don't even know what to think anymore..." Serana said seriously.
"My past does not change what I told you before." Sheldon said.
"That's not the point Sheldon." Serana said.
"I know what you're point is, and I had a sense that it would come to this, which is half of the reason I told you what I told you." Sheldon said.
"So you were setting me up?" Serana asked.
"I was preparing you for something you might not have wanted to hear...and I was right." Sheldon said.
"Yeah...lucky you." Serana said, then she looked away, folded her arms, and sighed.
"Well...I hope you can come to terms with it at some point." Sheldon said, then Serana looked at him again.
"Sheldon...I'm not scared of you, I'm just...alittle disturbed." She said.
"Understandable...but my hope is that nothing between us sours." Sheldon said, then Serana looked at him curiously.
"That's awfully forward of you." She said.
"Serana...I told you my greatest secret because I trust you with it, and my trust does not come easily. My point being that you've earned it through no small effort, or length of time." Sheldon said.
"Right..." Serana whispered, then Sheldon looked at the door leading to the inside of the fort.
"I can see you need some time to take this in...I will be in the cavern grinding the rest of the bones should you wish to find me." Sheldon said, then he walked to the door, went through it, and left Serana alone with her thoughts.
Later, she went through the door, down the spiraling staircase, and to the cavern. When she got there, Sheldon was using his ebony mace to crush some bone fragments in a metal bowl. Sheldon's method involved him holding the mace with his hand just under the mace's head, and using a hammerfist motion to crush the bones into powder.
"Interesting method." Serana said casually as Sheldon looked at her.
"Using this mace in the manner with which I crushed that gargoyle is out of the question." Sheldon said.
"I figured...so, are you almost done?" Serana asked.
"For now, but later, I will need to use a mortar to grind them into a finer powder." Sheldon said, then he de-materialized his mace.
"Hey...I'm sorry I got indignant with you earlier." Serana said.
"Serana...there is nothing to forgive, at least on my end." Sheldon said, then Serana sighed.
"Well...that was quite a revelation you shared with me, but I think I'll manage. Besides, it's harder the worst thing I've heard." She said.
"It isn't?" Sheldon asked.
"Believe it or not, no..." Serana said, then Sheldon stared at her.
"I see..." Sheldon trailed off.
"But don't worry, your secret is safe with me...as long as mine are safe with you." Serana said.
"As much as ever." Sheldon said seriously, then Serana smirked, looked behind her, and back at Sheldon.
"So...you still want to go fishing?" Serana asked casually.
"As a matter of fact, I do." Sheldon said.
"Then let's go." Serana said, then Sheldon past her, and led her to the front gate.
They then walked past the garden, tower bases, the palisades, and the various animals and vegetation filling Dayspring Canyon until they reached the partially-frozen pond at the end.
"I am loathed to even consider this, but maybe Dayspring Canyon itself could be established into the Dawnguard's base, not just the fortress itself." Sheldon said.
"I thought that was the plan all along?" Serana asked.
"The fortress is a given, but I meant from there to here." Sheldon said, then Serana widened her eyes.
"Yikes, that's going to be...quite the investment, and not just in the amount of gold spent." She said seriously.
"I am prepared to make it Serana, and when the time is right, I would like you to be at my side as much as before." Sheldon said, then Serana shrugged.
"We'll see..." She said casually, then Sheldon turned to the water, and walked to the small cliff overlooking it.
"Laas...Yah Niir..." He whispered, then he looked over the area.
"Anything good?" Serana asked.
"Yes, there are a bounty of mudcrabs, both young and old, as well as over a dozen fish scattered throughout the pond." Sheldon said.
"It's going to take alot more than that to feed dozens of bloodthirsty, armed-to-the-teeth vampire hunters, even if there's more than just fish on the menu." Serana said, then Sheldon used Clairvoyance.
"As I thought...there are natural tunnels leading to and from this pond, and there's just as many fish coming and going as well." He said.
"Well, that's something..." Serana said casually, then Sheldon walked back to the beaten path leading to the fortress, then he stopped and looked around.
"As for this canyon...perhaps, a series of walls and towers would be sufficient, stone ones as well." He said.
"Yeah, yeah, that much is obvious, but what about the good stuff?" Serana asked.
"Well...by the water, there could be a small fishery, further back could be a hunter's post, maybe a farm as well, complete with a mill and apiary..." Sheldon said.
"There's not much space here for all of that." Serana said.
"We will manage, but like with the Dwemer weapons the fort will have for defense, all of this is late in the future." Sheldon said, then Serana stared at him.
"This will cost more than I thought..." Serana trailed off.
"As I said, it is a price I am willing to pay; I will even help built with my own two hands if need be." Sheldon said.
"That's awfully generous...even by your standards." Serana said.
"My altruism is anything but misplaced...as is the reason behind it." Sheldon said.
"Because of the Beast of Bruma thing?" Serana asked casually, then Sheldon stared at her.
"That 'Beast of Bruma' thing wasn't just a time for training, or a moral crusade...it was also an act of mercy." Sheldon said.
"Mercy?" Serana asked seriously.
"Not for those I hunted...but the people." Sheldon said.
"Because of course..." Serana groaned, then Sheldon looked away.
"It's almost fitting that my time as the Dragonborn mirrors my time as the Beast..." He trailed off.
"Like a training phase?" Serana asked as she folded her arms.
"Exactly like a training phase...Akatosh planned more than I'd dare measure." Sheldon said.
"Akatosh? You cannot be serious." Serana said seriously.
"I wasn't made a Dragonborn; I have been one my entire life, and that cannot happen without Akatosh's direct intervention." Sheldon said.
"And how would he know that you'd be needed well after your normal lifespan would be over?" Serana asked.
"Destiny." Sheldon said.
"Destiny...? Get real..." Serana breathed out.
"Dragons, and by extension Dragonborns, are specially-tuned to the currents of time, and destiny has a connection to time that is far from subtle." Sheldon said.
"So...what? You're saying that all of this, your time as the Beast of Bruma, all the feats you've been telling me about, all of it was your destiny?" Serana asked.
"No, my destiny was to defeat Alduin, which I couldn't do as a normal man. However...everything else, especially the price to pay, were also part of my destiny, and believe me...the price of my 'services' as the Beast, and even the price of my services as the Dragonborn, are anything but enviable." Sheldon said.
"Wait...you once said that glory isn't free..." Serana trailed off.
"One of many lessons I had to learn the hard way, and ones I am sharing with you not only for your benefit, but to pay tribute to the bond we've formed." Sheldon said.
"Bond you say...?" Serana asked casually.
"Serana...I told you things I told myself I would never tell anyone, and you came here to find me, which you yourself said is a betrayal of the Volkihar clan itself. My admiration is the least you have earned for those reasons alone." Sheldon said, then Serana sighed deeply, and smirked.
"Well...this has been the most interesting adventure of my life, and I get to spend it with the one and only Dragonborn." Serana said.
"It no longer bothers you that I was...the Beast?" Sheldon asked.
"I still don't want to think, and chances are I never will, but hey, I've left behind what little I have left of my family. If I can do that...what's the worst that could happen later on?" Serana asked casually.
"Spoken with the same spirit I saw when we first met." Sheldon said softly, then Serana shook her head.
"O.k...this is getting pretty sappy, let's go back to the fort please." She said.
"Indeed...I would like to look at those greenhouses again." Sheldon said, then Serana followed him as he marched through the canyon once again.
When they entered the fort, they went to the roof, and Sheldon looked inside both of the greenhouses.
"Well, these vines, weeds, and dead wood in these pots will need to be removed." Serana said.
"Yes, and afterwards, they could be ground or burned, and turned into fertilizer." Sheldon said.
"Speaking of which, do you have any more ingredients for that alchemical fertilizer you mentioned back in Rorikstead?" Serana asked.
"Yes I do, although...just to warn you, it's anything but fragrant." Sheldon said.
"I've smelled so many dead things I lost count, so bring it on." Serana said.
"Well...much of it is dung blended with a great deal of water, but bone meal, various mountain flowers, and other vegetation used for alchemy can be added to the mix." Sheldon said, then Serana looked at him curiously.
"That's it?" She asked seriously.
"That's only the base, and it cannot be used right away without taking time to settle. However, when a strong potion is added, preferably a healing potion, then the fertilization is second to none." Sheldon said.
"Did you learn this during your time as the Beast?" Serana asked as they walked toward the area with the sun dial.
"Yes, multiple alchemists tried different techniques with such a mixture to aid the farmers, and eventually one of them perfected it. I immediately took note of it, and helped the news spread as much as possible, and the results spoke for themselves." Sheldon said.
"Of course they did." Serana said.
"My time as the Beast wasn't just destruction and bloodshed, despite how...distasteful my work was." Sheldon said.
"Define 'distasteful'." Serana said.
"I told you about my habit of putting impaled corpses on display to instill fear, and that wasn't the only tactic I used, and had to eventually stop using." Sheldon said seriously.
"That's the end of that conversation branch..." Serana said casually.
"That would be best, for the moment." Sheldon said.
"Wait a minute...you once said you were exposed to a potion that altered your body..." Serana trailed off.
"The alchemists I mentioned just now were not responsible, and of course, the ones who were are no longer living." Sheldon said.
"Why did they do that in the first place?" Serana asked.
"I did not go through the process voluntarily Serana. I was caught in a trap, I was taken to a laboratory, and the alchemists there experimented on me. Unfortunately...the madhouse I was taken to had numerous people who were also captured, and used for various experiments, all of which were sadistic beyond words." Sheldon said.
"What kind?" Serana asked.
"Most of them involved how much a body could withstand before dying. From heat, to cold, to lightning magic, to poison, to diseases, to blood loss, to pain itself, to organ removal...nothing was too cruel." Sheldon said as Serana widened her eyes.
"O.k...sorry I asked..." She said seriously.
"As for me...well, I was exposed to the very potion I mentioned before. They singled me out because I survived an explosion before my capture, and they figured my luck, or my strength would prove useful to survive the potion." Sheldon said.
"Why did they even make the potion in the first place?" Serana asked.
"Like I said, experimentation. They wanted to see if they could advance the body of a human or elf beyond it's physical limits. The problem was that the potion was highly toxic, and killed everyone who took it before me." Sheldon said.
"But of course, as a vampire, the poison didn't do a damn thing to you." Serana said.
"Yes...but and the alchemists took note of that, and planned even more experiments for me..." Sheldon trailed off.
"Let me guess, it didn't go well." Serana said.
"Actually, the experiment was a complete success...too much of a success. I broke free of my restraints a short time after the potion did what it was supposed to, and I bled every one of those barbarians dry." Sheldon said.
"Well...at least they were good for something." Serana said.
"My thoughts exactly." Sheldon said, then Sheldon sat on one of the nearby stone chairs.
"What did the potion do exactly?" Serana asked.
"It made any potions I took that much more effective, and my body reacts to any potion I take, no matter how minor, or how intense. I move faster, hit harder, I can fight or run for longer periods of time, I can withstand grievous injuries and keep going. During my time as the Beast, I ingested so many potions that a small portion of the effects became permanent." Sheldon said.
"So that's what you meant when you said your body is enhanced...and why I feel so much better than I do after I drink 'normal' blood." Serana said.
"Indeed..." Sheldon breathed out.
"What's the potion called?" Serana asked.
"It doesn't have a true name, but it was codenamed 'That which does not kill you'." Sheldon said.
"As in, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'?" Serana asked.
"I suppose so..." Sheldon said.
"Do you know the potion's formula by any chance?" Serana asked.
"Yes...but I have no intention of feeding it to the Dawnguard." Sheldon said.
"But, what if we could counteract the poisonous effects somehow?" Serana asked.
"I doubt it...although, if it could be done, then it would unlock Divines know how much potential." Sheldon said.
"Maybe those bones you craved could cancel the poison out?" Serana said.
"Possibly...although, the potion is far from simple. It's actually a combination of different potions combined into one, including ones intentionally made impure, with toxic ingredients." Sheldon said.
"And I take it that it's a pain to make?" Serana asked.
"Most likely." Sheldon said.
"Well, we've worked miracles before..." Serana said casually.
"Right..." Sheldon said, then Serana folded her arms, and looked around.
"You know, despite all the chaos that's been happening since you got me out of Dimhollow Crypt, this really has been the most interesting adventure of my life. I got to see the sights, learn a ton about how the world's changed, and there's quite a bit more that I'd like to find out. And who better to show or tell me than the one and only Dragonborn...even though I never got to see your face." She said.
"Almost no one has; my armor's symbolism speaks for itself, and it speaks louder than my true face could ever hope to." Sheldon said.
"Somehow I don't think so." Serana said, then Sheldon took a moment to think.
"It's worth noting that I didn't crave any dragon bones, although that's for the better given how durable they are." He said, then Serana sighed.
"You know that entire project of yours kind of bites a chunk out of the need for potion-brewing." She said seriously.
"Not necessarily. The most those bone charms do is prevent diseases, and by extension vampirism. It will take more than that, and a few minor increases in prowess to make one unkillable...alot more." Sheldon said.
"Yeah, you have a point there, and I've made more than a handful of healing potions. But still...it might be a while before the Dawnguard trust me." Serana said.
"Maybe...but there is little harm in trying." Sheldon said.
"Speak for yourself; it's shockingly obvious I'm not welcome here. At most, these people just tolerate me because I'm associated with the Dragonborn." Serana said.
"Even still, I have far too much power and prestige for them to ignore...whether Isran likes it or not." Sheldon said.
"I noticed...and wish me luck winning his trust. I sure as Oblivion don't trust him..." Serana said...then Sheldon grabbed the horns of his helmet, and Serana widened her eyes as Sheldon removed his helmet, and looked directly at Serana with a stoic look on his face.
"Do you trust me?" Sheldon asked softly, then Serana stared at him.
"Yes...of course I do..." She trailed off.
"Nevermind the things we've done and said to and with one another, I never once stood up for you in front of Isran because I felt like it. I did that because I know you...I've had more than a century to figure out what could make someone worthy of trust, vampire or otherwise." Sheldon said seriously, then Serana smirked.
"Then...I suppose I should be grateful that you were the Beast of Bruma." She said, then Sheldon closed his eyes and sighed.
"On another note, and you may very well have figured this out...I was called that because that is where I was born and raised. I have roots in Skyrim, but nevertheless, I am not from here." He said.
"And you looked after Bruma because it's your hometown?" Serana said.
"Yes...'Beware the Beast of Bruma' the posters said." Sheldon said.
"Oh...so you didn't call yourself that." Serana said.
"Of course not; the people bestowed that infamous title upon me as a generous reward for my work in the shadows to keep the scourge within them at bay." Sheldon said.
"Well, you said yourself that it was your own fault." Serana said.
"Yes...which is why I firmly believe no one is immune to consequences, and Harkon is no different." Sheldon said.
"Right..." Serana said, then Sheldon closed his eyes.
"I did not go after vampires alone; there were others. With most them, we went our separate ways when we were done, but others...well, some became friends I knew for decades. Like a priestess of Arkay who came with me during a mission to save some captives from a vampire coven. He was horrified by the brutality I demonstrated, but I dismissed her concerns since, to my mind, there was no reason to be merciful. She then asked me if there was such thing as a good vampire..." Sheldon trailed off.
"Do I want to know what you said?" Serana asked seriously as she folded her arms.
"I didn't dismiss her; I told her that if you looked hard enough, you might be able to find one, but it wouldn't be a search worth going on. Little did I know that a century later, I would find a good vampire without having to look...and she also happens to be one of the strongest vampires I have ever encountered." Sheldon said, then Serana sighed deeply.
"O.k...this has to be the most exhausting story you've ever told me." She said.
"I'm sorry..." Sheldon whispered, then Serana looked at the sky.
"The sun's coming up soon..." She said, then Sheldon stood up.
"Then we should get cooking..." He said, then he put his helmet back on, and walked to the entrance with Serana in tow.
Well damn...that's all I can say. This chapter really set the pace for how intense things are going to get from here on out. Granted I was trying to make Sheldon an enigma for the most part, but that time has come to an end. Considering how much more he's opening up about who he is as a person, and believe you me, he's just getting started, things can only get heavier.
Also...that potion Sheldon was exposed to has a...pretty colorful backstory, but it was inspired by an alchemy perk from the Ordinator mod. The perk causes the Dragonborn to suffer a ton of poison damage overtime, but it makes potion effects greater, and gives several perk points. That's exactly what happened with him, like he described. There's a bunch of other perks involved, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Now then, please continue to Rate, Review, and Share while the rest of this two-in-one tale keeps cooking, stay tuned.