Keeper of the Day, Lover of the Night

by Eronald

Two years after the defeat of the World-Eater, the province of Skyrim has entered a period of peace under High Queen Elisif, leaving the Dovahkiin of legend with too much time on his hands and a land that does not need saving. A plot arises to shroud the sun, which the Dovahkiin, with the help of an ancient vampire, must stop. M!Dovahkiin/Serana. Follows the events of Dawnguard

7. Her Mother's Scroll

Ugh... My head.

I realized I was moving. My legs were dangling limply off the sides of whatever it was I was riding. A horse? The way the horse would falter in its pace or move irregularly hinted that the rider was inexperienced. My head was turned to the side and my cheek was pressing into whatever it was I was leaning against. I noted that I had my arms draped around it. I squeezed the object experimentally, and found it rather soft.

"Squeeze any higher and I'm kicking you off this horse."

Serana's voice made me snap my eyes open. Indeed, it was good to see that I was just holding her around the waist, so as to not invoke her wrath. We were in the Soul Cairn, I could assume that much. The air was thick, and it made breathing slightly difficult. The ground was cracked, and you could see something, most likely souls, oozing from the fissures. The sky was dark, and displayed the most peculiar shade of purplish-blue. It was eerie, for lack of better word, and the wandering souls didn't help brighten the mood.

When I straightened up, I saw, with much amusement, that Serana was wearing my helmet, which was far bigger than her head. Serana seemed to hear my contained mirth, and turned to look at me.

"You like my new look?" She winked. I laughed heartily and was glad that Serana joined in my merriment. After we quieted down, I began wondering about my turning. Did it change my appearance by much? I heard that vampirism had more physical effect on some people than others. I knew it was such a trivial thing to worry about at the moment, but I couldn't help but wonder: Did I resemble a bat like some vampires do?

Serana released the reigns to take the helmet off and place it on my head, before explaining, "So after you passed out, and I had to carry you in here, the helmet kept slipping off of you. So I had to wear it."

"Do most people pass out when they get turned?" Or was the leftover beast blood the cause of that? Serana picked up on the unspoken second question.

"I could taste the lycanthropy in you, but it was pretty faint. I'm going to guess you 'cured' yourself?" I gave her a hum of affirmation as I gazed at our rather creepy surroundings.

"You can't really cure yourself of something bestowed by a Daedric Prince. Pure blood or half blood, there will always be a part of the soul that harbors the 'gift' they give us. Your lycanthropy put up a fight against the turning but I cleaned it out. So if you were experiencing any side effects prior to that, they should be gone now. Or very inconsistent. Or you could just be visited by Hircine one night and he'll belittle you for your choices. You never know with these Daedric Princes."

"But, yeah. Some people pass out when they get turned. Their bodies can't handle the change, so they faint, and wake up accustomed to the power."

I began wondering about feeding, and how I was going to handle all of that. Perhaps she planned to show me the ropes when we get out of here. It was a unique form of bonding, teaching a new vampire how to feed off of humans. I didn't exactly look forward to it, but as my gaze wandered to Serana's neck, I realized that I felt thirsty, and wouldn't mind learning how to feed. Though, as far as I know, vampires don't feed off of other vampires.

I frowned when I came to the sudden revelation that I didn't possess a horse, and that Shadowmere was staying in The Void. Where did this horse come from? I gently pulled away from Serana to get a better look at the horse, not releasing my arms as I did.

It was nearly completely skeletal, but there was some remaining flesh and muscle present on the beast. Instead of hair, it had flames. Flames as purple and cold as the realm we were in. It was actually quite the sight, and was moving at a decent speed.

"So... Where did you get the undead horse?" I asked curiously, leaning forward to place my chin on Serana's shoulder.

Without looking back, Serana replied, "I saw a man, well, a soul with this horse, and he was yelling and asking me how to get out of here. Since I had no intention of carrying your backside all the way to mother, I took his horse. His name's Arvak, by the way. And no, stealing a soul's horse isn't the nicest thing I've done, but I needed some way to get us around, right?"

I replied with a snicker as I gently patted Arvak's flanks. That soul was horseless for a good cause. The ride quieted down yet again, and I began thinking of the Dawnguard. They weren't going to like my current state, obviously. A cure was out of the question. I was not giving up my immortality and leaving Serana alone. And getting cured, just to be turned yet again, seemed like a waste of time and effort.

It seems Serana read my mind, because she asked, "So what are you going to say to our favorite vampire slayer?"

Isran. He needed to see reason. I was going to make him see reason. If there was one thing I learned in the Bard's College, it was the power of one's words, and how they could sway the minds and wills of the hardest individuals. I just wished I could convince Isran that I was still a useful hunter to him, vampire or not. Maybe I'd even get him to see the advantage of having a vampire on his side.

"I don't know just yet, but I'm going to deal with him. Don't worry about it." I reassured her, and let her focus on the path. If I could get Isran to trust me, then no doubt I could convince the rest of The Dawnguard. And in the off-chance that Isran believes me, while the rest of them don't, Isran would give the order not to put a bolt through my skull.

The undead horse slowed to a trot, before it came to a stop. Arvak snorted and struck the ground with his hooves. I imagined that the horse was protesting its separation from its master.

We stopped in front of a large structure, much like a small castle or a keep. From where we stood, I could see some sort of magical wall or barrier surrounding the building. It was the kind of thing that you'd expect the College of Winterhold to have to keep people out. Or in. Perhaps Valerica was in there. Maybe something trapped her in the building, or she trapped herself to protect her from something or someone.

Serana hopped off the horse without too much difficulty, and I followed. Serana snatched Arvak's reigns when it made a move to turn around. She pulled the reigns to get close to the horse's face.

"Stay here." She ordered in a growl, earning a snort from the horse. Arvak stopped struggling against Serana's grip and she released the reigns. Serana turned to me, giving me a thumb up.

"So if she isn't in there, then I believe it's going to be difficult finding her or the Scroll in this place." She jerked her thumb towards the stairs and chuckled nervously.

I turned to look up the stairs, before asking, "How do you think she'll react to us?"

My question caused Serana to pause, and to rub her chin thoughtfully for a moment. "I'd like to think she'll be happy to see me. I can't be sure. You, on the other hand..."

Serana looked me up and down before giving me an amused smile. "Mother told me if I brought a man home, and he wasn't a looker, she would throttle me." She stepped forward to slowly place a hand on my face. "I believe my windpipe is in no danger."

I felt my cheeks heat up at the subtle compliment, and Serana laughed at my reddening face. It was a strange sensation now, I realized. With the coldness that vampirism brought, being flushed made the tingling sensation more prominent. I suppose this was also a confirmation that, no, vampirism did not alter my features much. Serana removed her hand and took a step back, before her expression turned serious.

"But she may not take too kindly to you. She isn't the most trusting type." Serana sighed, her gaze turning to the stairs yet again. "Let's go."

I quietly followed Serana up the steps. When we reached the top landing, Serana broke out into a jog. "Mother!"

There she was. Valerica. She wore the same attire as Serana, and shared some of her features.

"Maker... It can't be. Serana?" Valerica called back, briskly walking to meet Serana and I by the magical barrier.

"Mother, how do we get inside? We have to talk." Serana sounded frantic. Maybe more excited than frantic. Valerica looked back and forth between Serana and I, a hand resting on her sheathed ebony dagger.

"What are you doing here? Where's your father?" Valerica peered over our shoulders, as if expecting Harkon to suddenly appear behind us.

"He doesn't know we're here. I don't have time to explain."

"I must have failed," Valerica's face darkened greatly, and the grip on her dagger tightened. "Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?"

"No, you've got it all wrong." The excitement from earlier was gone, and now frustration began forming on Serana's face. "We're here to stop him, to make everything right!"

At the word we, Valerica's eyes locked onto mine. She spoke with controlled anger, "You... You've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?"

"No, you don't under-" Serana attempted to speak up on my behalf, when Valerica cut her off.

"You." She raised a finger at me, "Come forward. I would speak with you."

I obliged and stepped closer to the barrier, crossing my arms over my chest as I did.

"So how is it come to pass that a vampire hunter is in the company of my daughter?" She growled in question, and I was puzzled as to how she figured out that I was with The Dawnguard.

"Oh, what are you so surprised about? I can smell the blood of dozens of vampires on your hands." She said, clearly disgusted.

"It pains me to think you'd travel with Serana under the guise of her protector in an effort to hunt me down." Valerica glared me down, and I didn't have to look to my left to see Serana slowly walking up to stand close to my side. The accusation that my purpose in Serana's life was false admittedly hurt. I reminded myself that she was the girl's protective mother, and I couldn't totally blame her for speaking like she was. I just had to convince her of my true intentions.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke in a controlled tone, "This is no ruse. I want to keep her safe."

As soon as I said this, Valerica laughed, amusement absent from her voice. "Coming from one who murders vampires as a trade, I find it hard to believe your intentions are noble."

"Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you." Valerica's condescending tone pushed on my patience, and I quietly exhaled before replying.

"That's why I'm here for the Elder Scroll." The simplicity of my reply had Valerica frowning.

"You think I'd have the audacity to place my own daughter in that tomb for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone?" When I did not reply, Valerica sighed, and began to pace. "The Scrolls are merely a means to an end. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun is Serana herself."

My brow furrowed in confusion, and a glance at Serana verified that she was as perplexed as I was. "What do you mean?"

"When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls. The Scroll I presume you found with Serana speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon, Auriel's Bow. The second Scroll declares that "The blood of Coldharbour's Daughter will blind the eye of the dragon.""

My mind flew to our past, brief conversations about her vampirism, and about what made her different from the average vampire. She received vampirism from Molag Bal himself, and was a pureblooded vampire. Such vampires were called Daughters of Coldharbour.

"The Tyranny of the Sun requires Serana's blood?"

"Now you see why I wanted to protect Serana, and why I've kept the other Elder Scroll as far from her as possible." Valerica stopped her pacing to stand straight and keep her eyes trained on me, watching my smallest movements.

"So Harkon means to kill her?" Saying the thought out loud made me cringe.

"If Harkon obtained the Bow, and Serana's blood was used to taint the weapon, the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete." Valerica tore her eyes from me to look at Serana, her expression kinder. "In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires."

I looked at Serana, who seemed shaken, but was doing her best to stay strong. I had to admire her for that.

I gently took her hand in mine, and was glad to find her easing her fingers to interlock with my own. I turned back to Valerica, and told her, "I would never allow that to happen."

Valerica frowned at the sight of our joined hands, and her frown deepened when she looked at me. "And how exactly do you plan on stopping him?"

"I'll kill Harkon." I spoke flatly. I've killed people and beasts, ranging from Emperor Titus Mede II, to the World-Eater, Alduin himself. Why should one Vampire Lord be any different from all the other blood on my hands?

Valerica sighed in frustration, before replying, "If you believe that, then you're a bigger fool than I originally suspected. Don't you think I weighed that option before I enacted my plans?"

"And Serana's opinion in this?" My reply seemed to anger Valerica further.

"You care nothing for Serana or our plight." Serana tightened her grip on my hand as her mother continued, "Whether or not you've become one of us in order to survive the Soul Cairn, you're still a vampire hunter at heart."

"You're here because we're abominations in your mind. Evil creatures that need to be destroyed." The disgust in Valerica's voice was evident.

While I did believe that when I first joined the Dawnguard, how I looked at vampires changed drastically the moment I met Serana. Serana proved that vampires could be just as human as any other person. Serana was kinder than many I met, and unlike any I met before. She had a heart warmer than most. Figuratively. If Serana was like that, then how could we be so sure all vampires didn't know how to have a heart?

"Serana believes differently." I allowed the woman holding my hand to take the stage.

"Serana?" Doubt crossed Valerica's features. "This stranger aligns himself with those that would hunt you down and slay you like an animal, yet I should entrust you to him?"

Serana squeezed my hand quickly before releasing it and stepping closer to the barrier. "This "stranger" has done more for me in the brief time I've known him than you've done in centuries" The sudden fire in her voice surprised not only Valerica.

"How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!" Valerica met Serana's fire with her own.

"Yes, he's a fanatic..." Serana's voice took a soft turn, "He's changed. But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"

"The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'd be in terrible danger!" She explained.

"So to protect me, you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about?" Valerica made no move to interrupt Serana. "Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still just a pawn to you, too."

Serana grew quiet, and for a moment, I thought she was done speaking. The hurt on her face caused me to gently move my hand to take a hold of hers. She gave me a sad smile, before turning it to Valerica, and continuing, her voice cracking ever so slightly, "I just want us to be a family again. But I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us."

"But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. We need the Elder Scroll." Serana took a small step back from the barrier, and released a breath.

"I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know... I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. Forgive me. The Scroll is yours." Valerica paused, before her soft expression hardened once again as she turned to me.

"Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me. But for Serana's sake, I'll assist you in any way that I can." Valerica bowed her head slightly, and I nodded in response.

"Is the Scroll with you?" I asked.

"Yes. I've kept it safely secured here ever since I was imprisoned. Fortunately, you can breach this magical barrier. You need to locate the tallest of the rocky spires that surround these ruins. At their bases, the barrier's energy is drawn from the souls here. Destroy the Keepers tending them, and it should bring the barrier down."

"We'll return soon."

I turned to leave, when Valerica added, "One more word of warning. There's a dragon that calls itself Durnehviir roaming the Cairn. Be wary of him. The Ideal Masters have him overseeing the Keepers, and it will undoubtedly intervene if you're perceived as a threat."

A dragon. It's been two years since I've slain a dragon. I missed the thrill, I had to admit. The feeling of ducking under a dive attack, ripping my blade through the beast's stomach as I do. The rush of narrowly avoiding a jet of fire.

Serana released my hand and descended the stairs without another word, leaving me with Valerica.

"Be careful. Keep my daughter safe." Valerica's tone was pleading in the slightest, the earlier hostility absent, and I glanced behind me, to Serana who I believed was patting Arvak.

"Nothing will happen to her as long as I breathe." The sureness in my voice eased Valerica's expression. I descended the stairs to catch up to Serana, hearing the faintest "thank you" from Valerica as I did.

I arrived at the bottom to find Serana mounting Arvak and preparing him to leave. "Let's kill those Keeper things and head back to the prison." Serana offered me a hand up, and I took it, allowing her to yank me up onto the horse with a single tug.

We rode in silence towards one of the spires, and I decided to speak up not long after Arvak began cantering. "How are you feeling after talking to your mother?"

"Relieved, I think. All those things had been building for a while. You have no idea how long I wanted to say that to her." Serana's reply was soft, and she seemed to think back on what she said.

"What made you agree to her plan anyway?" I wondered aloud.

"Look, I loved my father, but after he discovered the prophecy, it became his life. Everything else... Even mother and I, we just became clutter. I was close with my mother, but she just kept feeding me her opinions of him, and eventually I started believing them."

Serana sighed, before continuing, "After we became vampires, they just didn't think about family anymore. "Power takes precedence," he always said."

Power takes precedence.

I was reminded of that vampire back in Dimhollow Crypt. The vampire seemed to be in charge of the expedition there to locate Serana and her Elder Scroll. His brutality and disregard for the wellbeing of his comrades was a perfect example of the saying. He was willing to slay his own allies if it meant pleasing Harkon and gaining power in the court.

"I just got caught in the middle. Honestly, it took me up until now to figure out that my mother was really just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power, she was obsessed with seeing her fail. It was just so... Toxic."

Serana was silent, and she slowed Arvak down as we got closer to the first rocky spire. "Maybe I should have seen this coming. We could all be better off now."

I tightened my grip on Serana's waist, and nuzzled her neck, saying softly, "You shouldn't blame yourself. Things would have gone downhill even if you saw it coming."

Serana pulled Arvak to a halt and released the reigns. She gently removed my hands and turned to face me. "Thank you."

She hopped off the undead stallion's back, and I landed beside her. Arvak stomped the ground in protest once again, but made no move to escape.

Serana began moving closer to the spire when I gently stopped her by grabbing hold of her arm. "For what, exactly?"

Serana faced me, and held my hand with both of hers, "For caring."

I grinned at the simplicity of her response and let her continue, "I'm glad you're here with me. I don't think I could be doing this alone."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Serana." My reply earned a soft chuckle, and I was pleased to see her in better spirits. "Now let's kill these Keepers."

I slowly advanced towards a ruined wall, and pressed my back against the surface. I peered over and found several souls standing in place idly. In their center was what could only be the Boneyard Keeper. It stood at least two feet taller than I, and was clad head to toe in dragon bone armor, easily the toughest armor in Skyrim, and probably this Cairn. A large dragon bone battleaxe was slung over its armored back, and I knew Serana and I were in for quite the fight.

"Just keep pelting him with ice spikes, and keep the bonemen, if any, off my back." Serana nodded sharply at my command, and I commenced the attack.

I drew my crossbow and fired once, jamming the bolt into the Keeper's thick armor. It stumbled slightly from the impact and quickly unsheathed its great battleaxe. I slung the crossbow on my back and drew my Blade of Woe in my left and my dragon bone sword in my right. I sprung from cover, Serana following close and flinging ice spikes at the behemoth. The ice spikes could only penetrate the thick armor so much, and I wondered for a moment if it was truly armor, or the beast's thick skin.

Several skeletons began pulling themselves free from the piles of bones surrounding us, and Serana got to work with dispatching them.

The Keeper raised its axe high, and I dashed to its left hacking at the thick dragon bone as I did. The heavy axe stuck itself into the ground and the Keeper troubled itself with yanking it free, while I dealt several more cuts to its back.

My blades were penetrating the armor easier than expected, and for that I was grateful. The Keeper abruptly freed the axe and spun around, aiming to rip me in half. I ducked under the swing and executed a roll to put me behind it. I slashed at the back of its knees, causing it to stumble backwards. It raised its axe once again, and I took a step back before shouting.

"TIID KLO UL"

Time bended to the sound of my voice and slowed down around us. I took the opportunity to swiftly strike the Keeper several times before plunging my sword hilt deep into its chest. When it still didn't drop, I dug my dagger into its helmet.

The Keeper collapsed into a pile of armor and black smoking ooze. I stared at the substance on the ground as I sheathed my blades, Serana walking up to me as I did.

"That wasn't too bad." Serana muttered as she dusted herself off.

"Let's hope the others aren't much trouble either." I replied, and led the way back to Arvak, who watched us impatiently.

The other two Keepers were taken care of similarly, and without too much of a hassle. The second fell the same as the first, and the third was sent flying off a tower with a shout of unrelenting force. Within no time, we rode Arvak back to the ruins where Valerica was now free.

"You destroyed the Keepers. Most impressive..." Valerica trailed off and began walking to the door towards the back.

"The Scroll is this way. Follow me." We did us instructed and fell in step behind Serana's mother as she pushed the large door open.

The door swung open and we entered a large open area, filled with several mounds of bones and a view of the eerie purple sky. A great roar suddenly echoed throughout the entire Cairn, and I heard the might beat of the dragon's wings as it approached us.

"It's Durnehviir. Ready yourselves." Valerica drew her dagger, and Serana and I readied our own weapons.

It landed with a loud thud on the tower opposite us. Durnehviir bared his massive teeth at us and angled his wings for an easy takeoff. The dragon was about the size of Odahviing, just larger than the average dragon. His green scales stopped just at the sharp tip of his tail, where you could see bone protruding. His scales were... Corroding. There was a green liquid oozing from the beast's mouth and several other parts of his body. The yellowish tinge on his deadly horns was another sign of his age.

Durnehviir seemed to set his eyes on me, and roared in the deep voice all dragons possess, "Dovahkiin!"

The undead dragon reared his head up and spewed purple balls of necromantic energy. The piles of bones were struck, and bonemen began to rise.

"Handle the dragon, we'll deal with the skeletons!" Serana yelled, just as Durnehviir leapt off the wall, and dived for me, his wings spread to give him greater speed.

Durnehviir's jaws opened up to rip into my flesh, and I performed a roll, effectively getting clear of the attack. At the end of the roll, I swung with my sword, and hit my mark, the material ripping into the dragon and drawing blood. Durnehviir landed roughly on the wall behind me, and took to the air.

Durnehviir hovered above me and opened his mouth, readying a shout. The only clue as to what the shout was, was the bluish glow emanating from his maw. I licked my lips and prepared to battle his Thu'um with my own.

"FOH KRAH DIIIIIIIIIN"

"YOL TOOR SHUUUUL"

The great roar of my dragon soul echoed throughout the ruins to match Durnehviir's own roar. My fire met his ice, and battled in the space between us, sending out flames and jets of ice in random directions. Within moments, my fire overpowered Durnehviir, and scorched his face as he growled angrily.

Durnehviir dashed back to the first small tower, and fired out several more balls of raw energy to raise the dead yet again. He took to the air again, going very high above us, as if trying to touch the sky. He shouted. I couldn't make out the words, but they sounded unfamiliar to me.

I looked up questioningly as clouds suddenly began to form above the boneyard, and a hundred small shadows began racing for us. As the first struck the ground, I belatedly realized that it was a storm of ice spikes. My eyes widened, and I rushed to Serana and Valerica, who stood back to back.

I shoved my blades back into their sheathes and raised my hands, creating a ward. Serana and Valerica mimicked the action, and the ice spikes harmlessly smashed against our magical barrier. Next came the problem that I was no mage, and my ward soon wore down, leaving me open. The bonemen were now resurrected and began converging on us, and Durnehviir seemed to be flying back to us.

"Cover each other!" I ordered, and Serana generated a ward with one hand and cut up a boneman with her free hand. Valerica switched roles with her every so often, and I would have made a joke about their sudden cooperation, had time allowed it. I unsheathed my blades and cut down a pair of skeletons among the sea of undead easily.

Durnehviir drew closer and closer, and I could tell he intended to swallow me whole. As the dragon nearly collided head first into the ground, he swooped upwards, straight at me.

I dropped flat onto my back, raising only my dagger. The blade embedded itself into Durnehviir's flesh, and my firm grip sent me flying with Durnehviir. I could hear Serana's surprised yell from here, high up in the air, on the belly of the undead dragon.

I could hear Durnehviir curse in his native tongue, which I didn't understand. It made me recall how Alduin would insult me for not knowing the tongue of the dovah.

I clung onto the dragon's midsection for dear life with my legs. Taking my sword, I stuck it into Durnehviir's chest, eliciting a loud roar. I yanked my dagger free, and jammed it into the dragon once again. I repeated the process to get closer to the beast's neck, as he desperately tried to shake me off, executing several dives and rolls.

In no time, I was on the underside of his neck. I took my dagger and jammed it into the side of Durnehviir's muscular, decaying neck, earning another roar from the furious dragon. I freed my sword and swung myself up onto his neck, successfully mounting the undead dragon.

He swung his neck around wildly in his feeble attempt to shake me off. I carefully scurried over so I was all the way on Durnehviir's head, my position very unsteady. By now we were close to the ruins once again, still high up in the air, and he was supposed to attempt a landing.

I raised my sword high and held it in a reverse grip, causing the dragon to shout in panic, "Dovahkiin! No!"

I silenced the dragon by impaling my sword through the top of his snout all the way through the bottom of his chin. Durnehviir's flight began to grow unsteady, and his wing beats faltered. As I raised my dagger to finish Durnehviir off, it occurred to me that only a madman would slay a dragon while riding him high above the ground. Maybe a little bit of Sheogorath rubbed off on me the last time we met.

I plunged my dagger hilt deep into Durnehviir's eye, and into his brain, killing him. Durnehviir grew limp, and we began to descend rapidly. The vector of our landing was a diagonal descent. A very rough crash landing. Maybe I should have waited for us to descend before ending the dragon?

I pulled both my blades upward to raise Durnehviir's head, and I wrapped my legs around his spiky neck, bracing for the impact.

We crashed through a small tower, sending rubble and rock every which way, the dragon's head taking most of the impact. We roughly landed in the middle of the courtyard as the tower collapsed, sending dust and dirt into the air. I was sent flying off Durnehviir's head the moment we hit the ground, and I performed a poor roll in an attempt to lighten the impact, my head smacking onto the ground.

"Mikhael!?" Came Serana's concerned cry. From my position lying on the ground, I quickly inspected myself for any grave injuries, and was pleased to find nothing worse than a bad headache from the rough landing. I shakily sat up and pushed myself up to my feet, and moved to Durnehviir's corpse, which was soon burning up and dissolving into the air. Instead of the energy transferring to me, Durnehviir's soul shot up into the sky.

I picked my weapons up from the ground Durnehviir once lay on, and sheathed them. I turned around to walk out of the dust that enveloped the area. I couldn't take one step before Serana charged into me, knocking me back to the ground. She enveloped me in a tight hug, and her firm grip made me belatedly realize I may have bruised a rib or two in the crash.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I had to repeat over and over as Serana looked me up and down for injury, not releasing me from her hug as she did.

"Are you insane?!" She yelled, her grip tightening even more than I thought possible. She loosened the hug when she felt my discomfort, and looked at my face, wiping some dirt from my cheeks as she did. Her fiery eyes were glassy, and it only occurred to me now just how much I scared her when I crashed with Durnehviir.

"Don't... Don't do anything like that again. Please." She buried her face in the crook of my neck, and I was genuinely surprised by her actions. She was horrified by the thought of losing me, that much was obvious. The idea that I nearly got myself killed shook her to the core and reduced her from the strong, proud woman she was to this small bundle of worry in my arms. As I soothingly rubbed Serana's back, I found myself smiling at how much I now mean to her. There was something about the way Serana sat on my lap, face buried in my person, arms wrapped around my neck, that made me feel so content. And I had to convince myself to get up.

"I won't. Now, come on. Your mother might find our proximity scandalous. She'll finish what Durnehviir started." I joked, causing her to chuckle softly. I stood up and pulled Serana to her feet. We dusted ourselves off. Serana straightened her robes and rubbed at her eyes, trying her best to look composed.

We stepped forward together, hand in hand, to find Valerica pacing, awaiting our return.

"You're unharmed. Good. And you slew Durnehviir. I never thought it possible." Was Valerica's impressed reply.

She began walking towards the far end of the boneyard, motioning for us to follow, and explaining the reason for her astonishment as she did, Serana never releasing my hand as we walked.

A/N: Hey, guys. I'm glad everyone loved that last chapter, and I believe it is my most well received chapter yet. A big thank you to everyone who's been reading and taking the time to review, fave, or follow.

Now I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much, whether it be Mikhael and Valerica's first meeting, the fight with Durnehviir, or MikhaelxSerana goodness, or the chapter as a whole. Please stay tuned, and I will have the next chapter up next week. It will focus on Mikhael and the Dawnguard, and the Moth Ritual.

On another note, have you folks tried Bioshock Infinite? I loved it, personally. It's got to be one of the best games I've played. I'm sort of thinking of another Dawnguard centric multichapter fic branching from the Kindered Judgement quest, where I pull a Bioshock Infinite inspired twist. I'll start it, if ever, after I finish Keeper. What do you guys think?