Of course Dawnguard's leader wasn't happy when I reported back to him. I swear he was tempted to smash my face in with his warhammer for a second. Isran was already ready to explode with rage after the vampires assaulted Fort Dawnguard. We repelled the attack without a single casualty, but the fact that the vampires located and orchestrated an attack on the Dawnguard was alarming. And for Isran, infuriating.
The first thing I heard upon arrival at Fort Dawnguard's gates wasn't Isran demanding a full report, but rather the sound of battle. I found myself raising an eyebrow as the sound of steel on steel filled the air, accompanied by the blast of destruction spells and the cries of the wounded.
"I'll have your unbeating heart, scum!"
"Come and take it, mortal!"
The two shouts I heard amidst the thick of all the yelling confirmed that it was none other than a pack of vampires attacking. But I didn't really need to hear their exchange to know that. Who else would attack a guild of vampire slayers?
There was a pair of vampires walking at a casual pace towards the battle, oblivious to my presence. I took the opportunity to dart up behind one of them, snap his neck, and toss him on the ground. The sudden movement caused his companion, a Dunmer, to turn his attention to me. I finished the vampire off with a powerful stomp to the face, the dragon scale boots aiding in the crushing of his brain. The Dunmer lunged with a dagger, aiming to stab me through the gut. I sidestepped the attack and grabbed a hold of the offending arm. With a sharp twist, I bent his arm behind his back at an uncomfortable angle and ripped the blade free.
I shoved the Dunmer to the ground and stabbed him in the back twice for good measure before tossing his dagger to the ground next to his corpse. I barely took another step when a mutt charged me from the shadows, followed by his female master, a Nord. The hellhound pounced in my direction and I drew my dagger, sidestepping the attack. It lunged for me again, and I easily cut its neck open with my blade. The vampire ran forward, mace raised high to smash my head in.
Summoning fire in the palm of my free hand, I allowed the power to gather up for a moment as she got closer. I slashed her arm, faltering her attack. I followed up with a quick stab to the chest and a boot to the midsection. I sent the vampire stumbling back as I struck with my free hand, sending a ball of fire in her direction. The flames exploded around her and burned her to a crisp until nothing but ash remained. I extinguished the flames in the palm of my hand and drew my sword.
I picked up the pace as I rounded the corner to see two Volkihar vampires in combat with Isran. The Redguard was an absolute monster in combat. A bright glow enveloped him, and I could hear the vampires crying out as he got closer to them. The bright whitish-gold aura surrounding Isran weakened and harmed the vampires to the point of lowering their weapons ever so slightly. With a powerful swing, he crushed the ribs of the first vampire, sending her to the ground clutching her side.
The other raised his blade in an attempt to block the next incoming strike. The parry was useless and Isran split the vampire's head open with one swing, making a bit of a mess when he did. Behind him I saw a number of other vampires in a skirmish with the members of the Dawnguard. We were outnumbered, it seemed. Using his momentum from his attack, he spun around to attack the first vampire, who now sat up. She barely had time to turn her head when the warhammer connected with her temple and killed her on impact.
A vampire appeared as if from nowhere, dagger poised to dig into Isran's neck. The brutish Redguard, delivered a powerful kick to his chest. The blow nearly echoed throughout the area, and I cringed slightly as the vampire stumbled backwards. He recovered and lunged forward. Isran met him with an elbow to the face, cracking the vampire's jaw in the process. The vampire took a dazed step ahead of him and Isran took the opportunity to grab him by the back of his robes and throw him to the ground in front of him. Placing a boot on his chest, Isran sent his unforgiving warhammer down and crushed the vampire's skull. Dawnguard's leader abruptly turned about and ran into the fray to assist his brethren.
"I'll have your heart on a platter!" A yell to my left alerted me to a vampire taunting Agmaer. Alarmingly, the young Nord was bleeding from a wound on his side, and was struggling to parry with his axe. Instead of standing around and watching the fight like I had with Isran, I snapped into action. I dashed forward, cutting deeply into the vampire's side. I readied my sword to quickly chop his head off, when Agmaer suddenly struck with a burst of energy I didn't know he had.
The young Nord lunged forward, grabbing the vampire by the front of his robes and jamming his axe into his skull. The sick, satisfying cracking and squelching of the kill filled my ears and I felt strangely proud of the lad. Who knew the kid had it in him? Agmaer pulled his axe free from the vampire's head and gave me a nod in thanks. I eyed his side, where there were two visible gashes that bled freely. I sheathed my dagger and rubbed my fingers together with my free hand for a moment, trying to recall how the healing spell worked.
After a moment of fumbling, my hand fired a beam of warm light at Agmaer. I could hear his breathing even out slightly as the wound mended itself. I could only do so much, as I was experienced in destruction, although I rarely used it. My restoration skills were limited, and the kid needed an experienced healer to close up wounds as big as his.
A vampire and his thrall charged me, appearing from the shadows by the tree line. I raised my sword and easily parried a clumsy swing from the thrall. Before the vampire attacked, I kicked him in the gut, sending him a few steps back. I tried my best not to break the healing spell as I repelled the attackers. The thrall swung again with his sword, this time from the side. I met the blow with a slash going to the side. Our swords struggled for control and I felt myself losing. The thrall used both hands to overpower me, and I let my blade give way. The thrall lost balance, and I easily stabbed him through the heart before ripping my blade free.
The vampire came at me again with a swing aimed for my neck. I blocked the blow and let it slide down my blade. Before he could attack again, I delivered a quick slice aimed at his hand. The vampire dropped his sword and clutched his bleeding hand, screaming in pain as he did. I swung my sword and sent his head sailing into the air, silencing him in effect.
I turned to see a recovered Agmaer, who grinned widely at me. The deep cuts at his side stopped bleeding, but upon closer inspection, I noted that they may still need stitches. I could only do so much, after all. The two of us walked forward to approach the dying conflict. As far as I could tell, no hunters had died, but a few were wounded. There was but one vampire left and he soon dropped at my feet, a look of panic on his face as he tried to scramble back up. Isran placed a heavy foot on his back and prevented his escape. Before he could smash the vampire's head in, a steel bolt jammed into his skull, ceasing his struggling. The shooter was Durak, who moved to recover the bolt.
Isran returned his hammer to its sheath as he growled, "This is unacceptable. I will not stand for it! Damned vampires. They will pay for this! I will. I..." The man paused and took several deep breaths as he clenched and unclenched his fists. His self calming technique was working, but there was obviously still a deep raging fire in his eyes, one of which twitched slightly. It was also noticeable in the way he shook slightly, looking ready to burst as a vein on his forehead throbbed visibly. The Redguard exhaled one more time before turning to look at me.
"Look at this," Isran gestured to the dead vampires at his feet. "I should've known it was only a matter of time before they found us." His frown deepened slightly and he clasped his hands behind his back, and began pacing.
"It's the price we pay for openly recruiting. We'll have to step up our defenses." He noted as he kicked a rickety wooden steak erected from the ground. Isran paused and looked at me once again, his brow furrowed. A look of realization crossed his face for a moment and he recalled the mission that he sent me on. The look left quickly and was replaced by his frown yet again.
"I don't suppose you have good news for me." He grumbled, ceasing his pacing to stand straight and stare down at me.
I felt myself already cringing slightly, knowing that the man was not going to be pleased with what I had to say, "I have news, but I wouldn't call it good"
"Of course. Why did I suppose differently. Fine, tell me what you know." The Redguard looked at me flatly and spoke with slight irritation.
"The vampires were looking for a woman trapped in Dimhollow." My reply replaced Isran's angry look with one that was confused and puzzled.
"A woman? Trapped in there? That doesn't make any sense. Who is she? More importantly, where is she?" He spoke quickly, not liking the feeling of not knowing what was going on.
"She's the daughter of a powerful vampire lord" I took a small step back in case Isran planned on retaliating. Isran shook visibly, fists clenching and unclenching, as if tempted to grab his warhammer.
"And so you delivered her to them" He responded in a barely controlled growl. I decided to spit all the bad news out so I could get this encounter over with.
"They also have an Elder Scroll" Isran's brows nearly reached the top of his forehead as a look of horror crossed his face.
"They what?" He didn't want to believe it. "And you didn't stop them? You didn't secure the scroll?" He took a step forward, his hands emphasizing his words.
Give a coherent, logical answer that doesn't involve doing it for the pretty vampire, Mikhael.
"There were too many of them, and only one of me" I retorted, refusing the continue backing up. Isran stopped walking forward and placed his hands on his hips. His eyes glared at the ground as he replied.
"So they have everything they wanted, and we're left with nothing. By the Divines, this couldn't get much worse. This is more than you and I can handle"
"We have to do something." I stated.
Isran turned to me again and snapped, "Well of course we do. I'm old, not stupid." Isran paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face.
"We're just going to need some help"
He quickly sent me off on a mission that he was sure I couldn't mess up. I was to find Sorine Jurard, a Breton, and Gunmar, a big Nord. Sorine was very smart, and an expert on Dwemer technology, particularly weaponry and would be a great asset. Gunmar was either a hunter or a mercenary, I wasn't so sure, with extensive knowledge of and experience with working with animals. He was working on taming trolls for battle. The idea of a troll in armor charging at me with murder in its eyes admittedly made me cringe inwardly.
I found Sorine out in The Reach, searching for her missing Dwemer gyros. I had to talk her into it, but she agreed to return to Fort Dawnguard to help stop the vampire menace, after she found her missing gyros. It took a five minute search to find them by a river bank, which was filled with mudcrabs. Sorine was convinced that the mudcrabs were responsible for the theft.
Gunmar was out by Falkreath when I found him. He told me he was busy and that Isran would have to wait just a little bit longer. He had been tracking a pack of bears for several weeks and was bent on putting them down. Apparently, the bears killed a farmer or two in the nearby town, and needed to be slain. Having a bad past with bears, I was tempted to simply sit and wait for Gunmar to finish his little quest. But in the end, I offered a hand and helped slay the creatures in their cave. The big Nord then told me he was going to go ahead to Fort Dawnguard and just meet me there. Just like the two of them said, I found them at the gates of Fort Dawnguard, awaiting my arrival. We entered the massive fort and went through the double doors.
It was dark, and the usual beam of light that shines into the center of the room was absent. The gates blocked the stairs proceeding to the second floor and the arches on either side of the hall. I could make out the shadow of a man among the darkness of the second floor which overlooked us.
"Step towards the center of the room" Isran's voice filled the still air in the hall, and Sorine, Gunmar, and myself obliged. A shutter pulled open and flooded the hall with light, blinding us for a moment. Gunmar grunted and covered his eyes.
"What is the meaning of this, Isran?" His voice carried across the large hall.
"Just making sure you're not vampires. Can't be too careful" Was the cold reply. Isran paused for a moment and dimmed the shutters so it wasn't too blinding.
"So, welcome to Fort Dawnguard!" He spread his arms wide almost comically before continuing. "I'm sure you've heard a bit of what we're up against. Powerful vampires, unlike anything we've seen before" He paused once again to gauge their reactions.
"And, they have an Elder Scroll" If looks could kill, Isran's glare would have probably killed me three times over. Isran broke the death glare to put on a defiant look. "If anyone is going to stand in their way, it's going to be us!" The Redguard slammed a hand on the railing to emphasize his point. Sorine hesitantly spoke up to interrupt Isran.
"This is all well and good, but do we actually know anything about what they're doing? What do we do now?" She asked, face contorted in doubt.
"We'll get to that. For now, get acquainted with the space." Isran replied, sounding as cold as ever.
His tone took more authority when he spoke again, "Sorine, you'll find room to start your tinkering on that crossbow design you've been working on" He motioned to Sorine's right and she slowly made her way to the archway he indicated, the gate now lowered. Isran turned to Gunmar.
"Gunmar, there's an area large enough for you to pen up some trolls, get them armored up and ready for use" Gunmar wordlessly walked towards the other archway to begin his task.
"And now, Mikhael, we're going to find out why one of those bloodsuckers came here looking for you" Isran's cold, hard, irritated voice could send chills down the spines of lesser men. But I was no lesser man. Although, I must admit his statement caught me off guard. I frowned in confusion and opened my mouth to ask what he was talking about while the voice in the back of my head yelled at me to come up with a viable excuse.
"Let's go have a little chat with it shall we?" A dark smile crept onto Isran's face before he turned around to proceed to the vampire in question.
This doesn't make any sense. What vampire in their right mind would come to Fort Dawnguard looking for me? Perhaps someone from Castle Volkihar? But who would...
After a moment of processing, my eyes widened in realization as my brain clicked.
Serana.
I walked briskly towards the stairs and went up, taking two at a time, quickly arriving by Isran's side. He raised an eyebrow at my quick pace but decided not to question it. I matched his pace to avoid looking too tense or suspicious with my movement. We kept walking until we rounded a corner into a torture room.
The walls and floor were stained with dry blood, various torture tools were laid across a table, and a stretcher sat on one corner. I felt my breath hitch when it was indeed none other than Serana herself that stood next to Isran. Isran kept his eyes trained on her, and you could tell by the way his hands twitched that he was just aching to put her down right there and then. By the Nine, how did she even convince him not to kill her on the spot? She must really be more persuasive than I thought.
I looked Serana up and down for any sort of injury, and was relieved to see that she was untouched. She gave me a small smile in greeting but it was quickly wiped away when Isran growled slightly at the sight of her civility towards me.
"This vampire showed up while you were away" Isran practically refused to look away from Serana as he spoke, as if he expected her to suddenly attack the moment his eyes left her. "I'm guessing it's the one you found in Dimhollow Crypt. Say's it's got something really important to say to you"
It was notable that he repeatedly referred to Serana as an "it" and not a "she", which just goes to show how much the man really hates vampires.
I looked at Serana and gave her a small nod, urging her to speak up.
"So you probably weren't expecting to see me again" She smirked slightly, as if trying to break the tension in the room. I allowed myself to smile slightly but was wary of the agitated Redguard to my right, and tried to look serious once again.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I'd rather not be here either," She looked at Isran and took the smallest step back when his frown deepened, "But I really need to talk to you."
"It's important, so please just listen before your friend here loses his patience" Serana's statement caused me to briefly look at Isran, who still looked ready to pop. I nodded and motioned for her to continue.
"Well... It's about me. And about the Elder Scroll that was buried with me." I could see a quick shift in Isran's expression, and I could sense him trying to momentarily set aside his deep hatred to listen to what the vampire had to say.
"It's my father." She hurried along when she saw the look on my face, "But I'm guessing you figured this part out already. My father's not exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards." The bitterness in her voice as she spoke hinted at an eras-old resentment.
Isran placed his hands on his hips, a bit of an indication of his desire for the conversation to quickly get to the point. I relaxed my stance and crossed my arms, once again urging for her to go on.
"He wasn't always like that though. There was..." Serana grabbed at the air for the right choice of words, "A turn. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and just lost himself in it"
I could tell that even Isran was starting to show interest. "What sort of prophecy?" Isran spoke up.
"It's pointless and vague, like all prophecies. The part that he latched onto said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. That's what he's after. He wants to control the sun. He wants vampires to control the world"
I felt myself stiffen up at the thought of an eternal night as vampires roamed the land doing as they pleased. The horrors it would bring caused me to shudder slightly, and I turned to the grimacing Isran, who looked equally bothered.
"Anyway, my mother and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so we tried to stop him," Serana never did tell me about her mother. When she was about to, the vampires dressed as vigilants attacked. Serana's mother was also absent at Castle Volkihar when I returned her Harkon.
"That's why I was sealed away with the Scroll." She paused to let it sink in. I began rubbing my beard thoughtfully and spared Isran a glance to see he was deep in thought.
"You took a big risk coming here" I noted, my head tilting in Isran's direction ever so slightly.
"I know. But something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong." Her expression visibly softened and I gave her a reassuring smile that I hope Isran didn't notice or bother to notice. "That, and Skyrim's vampire hunters are high up on the list of people who need to know about my father's... Plans." She added.
"You're right," A look of relief washed over her. "We just have to convince the others you're on our side"
"Let's get moving then. I'm nothing if not persuasive" She sounded almost playful when she said it and I found myself suppressing a grin. I turned to Isran, who stopped glaring at Serana to give me the look, and I took a small step to the left, putting myself between him and Serana, just in case. The step also put me a little bit out of throttling range. You never know with an angry, bloodthirsty vampire hunter. The term bloodthirsty associated with a vampire hunter, was rather ironic now that I thought about it. Yet, as Isran clenched his fists and glared at me for looking too chummy with the vampire, and Serana, for simply being a vampire, I couldn't think of a better word to describe him.
"Alright, you've heard what it has to say. Now tell me, is there any reason I shouldn't kill your bloodsucking friend right now?" He shook in his boots in his effort to speak instead of simply unsheathing his warhammer and going wild. It was my turn to frown and grit my teeth, my patience beginning to drain.
"Can't you set your hatred aside for one second to see the bigger picture?" I kept my tone as controlled as possible but knew it came out sounding snappy. Isran glared harder at me before retorting.
"My hatred and constant vigilance is what makes me strong," He snarled, taking a step forward; this time I didn't take a step back. "Why should I? Because of her story of that prophecy? About some vampire trying to put out the sun? Do you actually believe any of that?" The tone Isran was taking was one that was daring me not to back down, and so I didn't.
I exhaled quietly and shut my eyes tight for a moment in an effort to regain my composure. "Why else would she risk her life to come here?"
Get it through your thick skull and think like a man, not a mindless vampire slayer!
Of course, I kept my thoughts to myself, lest I anger him and cause him to attack me.
"Who knows? Maybe it has a death wish. Maybe it's just insane. I don't really care." He turned to glare at Serana once again before continuing. "It can stay for now, but if it so much as lays a finger on anyone here, I'll hold you responsible. Got it?" He pointed a finger at me, that shook slightly in restrained anger. I nodded in response. He turned totally to Serana, who crossed her arms.
"You hear me? Don't feel like a guest, because you're not. You're a resource, an asset," Isran growled at Serana who now seemed unfazed. "In the meantime, don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it" He practically spat the word friend in my direction, and I saw a look of worry cross Serana's features briefly.
"Thank you for your kindness, I'll remember it the next time I'm feeling hungry" She droned sarcastically, earning a glare which I was surprised could be darker than it already was. She quickly diverted her attention from him and turned to me, her expression lightening greatly.
"So in case you didn't notice it on my back, I have the Elder Scroll with me. Whatever it says, it should help us stop my father... But of course, neither of us can read it" The last sentence caused me to frown again for the nth time today.
"Any idea who can?" I asked hopefully.
"There are these Moth Priests who are said to be able to read them. They spend years preparing before they start reading, though. But... They're all the way in Cyrodiil." Her tone took a bleak turn as she bit her lip, a thoughtful look on her face.
Isran, who was leaning against the wall by the door, cut in. "An Imperial scholar arrived a few days ago. I was watching out by the road when I saw him pass by. He might be your Moth Priest." Oh, wow. What a coincidence.
"Do you know where he's staying now?" Serana asked.
"No, and I don't intend to waste men looking. We're fighting a war against your kind, and I intend to win it" Isran was quick to return to his hateful demeanor as he snarled at her.
"You want to find him, talk to people who might meet travelers. Innkeepers, carriage drivers and the like. But you're on your own." Was all Isran said before he made his exit.
Serana noticeably relaxed further when the Redguard left. She let her back hit the wall and let out a big sigh, rubbing her temples with her fingers as she did.
"I hope they didn't treat you too roughly when you got here" Was the first thing that went to my head, and I felt that it should be voiced to remove the mental image of Isran dragging a tied up Serana into the Fort by her feet.
"It could have been worse. There were probably ten crossbows pointed at my head the moment I stepped through the gates. But, all things considered, it went pretty well. I'm still here and breathing, right?" She gave me a thumb up and a reassuring smile.
"So what's the plan. How are you finding that Moth Priest?" She asked, changing the topic and getting back to business.
I motioned for her to come along and we slowly made our way back downstairs as we talked. "Probably head to Riften and talk to the carriage driver there. Then from there, hire him to take me to wherever it is the Moth Priest is"
Serana nodded quietly before picking up her pace, walking in front of me, and blocking my way. I raised an eyebrow in question and Serana appeared to be searching for the right choice of words for a moment.
"Look... I don't know how to say this but... I want to come along with you. I've been wanting to get out and explore a bit." She didn't have to ask twice.
"By all means, come with me. I wouldn't mind the company" Serana grinned in response to my acceptance and we continued down towards the exit. As we reached the door, a hand gripped my arm and my head snapped to the direction of the offending arm that stopped me. Of course, it was Isran.
"You, go on ahead to the gates. I need to talk to your friend here." Isran nodded at Serana who frowned and didn't leave my side; instead, she took a step closer to me.
"It's okay, Serana. Go ahead to the gates. I'll catch up to you." I assured her. Serana's doubtful expression never left as she slowly stepped away. Serana put the hood I gave her to use, and stepped out of the fort and into the sunlight.
"I don't like the way you look at it." Of course he noticed, he just had to notice. I took Isran's hand and removed it from my person before taking a step back and straightening my dragon scale armor.
"And how exactly do you think I look at her?" I emphasized Serana's gender. I disliked his refusal to acknowledge her as nothing but a vampire very much.
"You let your guard down and you look at it as a friend. No, more than that. I see it in your eyes, boy. Don't try and pull a sack of lies and excuses over my head" He growled the last part when I opened my mouth to retort. I didn't think it was that obvious.
"You best tread carefully. If I didn't know better, I'd say she's using that vampiric seduction on you. It will try to get real close to you. Then you'll let it get close to you. Then next thing you know it, you're on the ground, and it's drinking your blood. Drinking you dry 'til there's nothing left in you. Then it'll throw you away like a bone stripped clean of meat."
I was about to give a snappy response when I realized that, in a way, he was just trying to look out for me. Sure, he hated the vampires for all they were worth. Sure, he lacked faith in Serana. But I was a hunter under his charge, and he was just making sure I wasn't going to get myself killed for not thinking clearly.
"I know what I'm doing, Isran. I can handle this." I told him, conviction evident in my voice. Isran was silent for a moment before he sighed, the irritation not as bad as before.
"Alright, Mikhael. Try not to get yourself killed." Isran left, proceeding to one of the arches, probably to check on Gunmar or Sorine.
I opened the door to find a few of The Dawnguard murmuring amongst themselves as they walked towards the fort. I only caught a few words.
Mikhael. Vampire. Elder Scroll. Kill. Isran. No.
I was going to assume that Isran gave the order that Serana was travelling with me and was not to be killed. Unless he commands it, I added in afterthought. They probably also saw Serana and the giant Scroll on her back. One hunter in particular stood out and shot me this dirty look. He was a Nord, not very tall, with shortly cropped blonde hair and a short beard. The look he wore was begging for a fight.
"So you're going around with a vampire on a leash now?" He yelled as we passed, causing me to stop and turn around to face him. Didn't I have enough skeever shit to deal with? Did I have enough time to deal with this ass, giving me shit I don't need?
"That vampire is going to help us stop other vampires from controlling the sun. I'd watch my tone if I were you" I spoke as calmly as I could.
The man spat on the ground before me, "Yeah, because the vampires can turn the sun on and off just like that" He mocked.
"Ollrod, come on this isn't worth our time." It was a Bosmer that spoke, I believe Beleval was her name. Ollrod shrugged her off and continued to glare at me.
"Better watch it, Mikhael. She might suddenly lose her life if you aren't paying attention. Scum like her and her kind aren't bound to live long. Especially in Fort Dawnguard of all places. We're supposed to kill vampires. We will kill vampires." The Nord threatened, taking a step forward to get in my face. Where was he getting this crap? He was like a more 'in-your-face' Isran. But worse. At least Isran had enough sense of reason to declare her an asset to our cause. This one on the other hand... I looked the man straight in the eye, and decided to do something about the invasion of personal space.
"Fus" I whispered the Thu'um, causing him to lose balance and stumble, instead of knocking him flat on his behind like the shout would usually do.
"You piece of-" Ollrod raised a fist to strike me, and I reacted quickly. I shoved my hand forward, aiming for his collarbone. My hand landed flatly and firmly, my index and middle fingers pressing into his neck and squeezing at his windpipe slightly as they did. Ollrod hastily took a step back and gripped his throat, coughing slightly. The move caused Ollrod to cease the attack and glare at me.
"You don't want to do this" I snarled and I knew the younger Nord was intimidated. He rubbed his throat, broke eye contact and hastily continued on the way back to Fort Dawnguard with his companions. It was only when they entered the fort that I let myself relax and continue on my way to the gate.
Who did he think he was talking to me like that? I'll be damned before I let that skeever ass talk like that again about me. About her. I shook my head to clear my thoughts of the arrogant hunter and focused on the task at hand. Need to get to Serana and find that Moth Priest.
I arrived at the gates in no time to find Serana sitting under a tree for shade. She waved as I approached and I nodded in response.
"I hope I haven't gotten you into too much trouble..." She trailed off apologetically as she got to her feet.
"All's good, Serana. Let's hit the road; we have a long way to go. I hope the hood's working its wonders for you" I opened the gate and began walking. Serana quickly followed and fell in step with me.
"It is. Travelling during the day is a lot easier" She smiled in gratitude. I returned with a smile of my own, and we walked in silence for a few minutes.
Guard up. Constant vigilance. Don't let her get to you.
I silenced the little Isran in the back of my head.
"Hey, I also wanted to thank you for having my back in there. I don't want to think of what might have happened if you didn't vouch for me when you did" She shuddered slightly, "Looks like I may have placed my trust in the right person" She smiled brightly at me, and I didn't bother suppressing a grin in return.
"I won't let Isran or the other hunters lay a finger on you. Don't worry" I assured her.
Are you sure you can keep that promise?
"I appreciate it, Mikhael. I'm glad it was you and not some... Other person that found me in Dimhollow" I wanted to say that I wouldn't have it any other way or that I was twice as glad, but felt she may take it the wrong way. Or rather, think that I was coming onto her. So maybe I was, but I didn't want her to know that just yet. It would be horrible if I was coming on too strong and she didn't reciprocate how I felt. If she returned some sort of affection then maybe, just maybe, we could be together or something. After all this was over, of course. And so I simply offered a smile in response to her statement.
I tried not to dwell on how I felt about her, and instead focused on the journey ahead. There would always be time for dwelling later. Riften was a few more hours away on foot, and I felt my heart ache slightly at the thought of Shadowmere in the Void, angry as ever. Why, oh why did that dragon have to attack when it did? Now I was stuck without a loyal mare. I couldn't quite bear the thought of buying a new horse. It just didn't feel right.
"You never did tell me about your parents. How about a story to make the walk feel shorter?" Serana asked, a playful smile on her lips. The hood casted a deep shadow and all I could see were her lips, and her striking bright eyes that pierced through the darkness.
Well I suppose an explanation as to why my name was hardly as Nordic as me wouldn't hurt. It would make the long, tedious walk more bearable too, if her mere presence wasn't doing that already.
"It started in Cyrodiil..."
A/N: Hey there, folks. I'd like to thank you all for the reviews, faves, and follows once again. I'd also like to mention that, I know how when someone ends a chapter with a line like that, the next chapter would focus on whatever that last line was. So no, I won't be going into Mikhael's heritage.
I wanted to make a short note on Isran. I honestly like the guy, and his slow progression throughout the questline. As much as possible, I'm trying to avoid painting him in too much of a negative light. *But of course, it is unavoidable, especially this early on* Because the guy is just out to keep Skyrim safe from the vampire menace. He's just an extremist in doing so. I respect the guy, and we'll eventually see him being more reasonable and sensible.
I hope you people enjoyed the chapter I've given you today, and will continue following this story. Drop a review on the way out, I appreciate it ;) Cheers!