We left the Cairn and proceeded back to Fort Dawnguard. Valerica refused to return to Tamriel with us, saying she didn't want to increase the risk Harkon of bringing the Tyranny of the Sun to fruition. I told her that we'd come back for her when Harkon's head rolls.

Before we actually left the Cairn though, Durnehviir was resurrected, and spoke to me like a brother-in-arms would. No hard feelings. He wanted me to shout his name in Skyrim to summon him back to the world of the living. Throughout the duration of the journey back to the fort, I had called for Durnehviir twice, and both times he taught me words for the Soul Tear shout. It was a very powerful shout, ripping the soul from a person or beast, trapping the soul, killing them in effect, and resurrecting the corpse.

We travelled by night, to make it easier for both of us. When we first left the castle, I got my first taste of the sunlight as a vampire, and learned firsthand the effect it caused.

I felt tired, lethargic, and very weak. At the pace I walked, you'd think someone tied steel balls to my feet to slow me down. For that reason, Serana and I stayed by the undercroft, in the shade, for the day. We moved out at night as much as possible, and we passed by Dragon Bridge. Young Clinton Lylvieve was already asleep, so we didn't pay the lad a visit, and instead let him rest.

Serana and I stopped by a random mineworker's home. Sneaking and being invisible was no problem for me. I was a master of the art of not being seen. We easily made it in and found the residents sound asleep.

Here, Serana taught me how to feed off of the sleeping, without waking them, or killing them. It was a simple matter of making a small prick in their neck, and drinking. I was actually surprised at how simple the procedure was. A vampire's fangs were so sharp, that when they pierce the flesh, it is close to impossible to feel. Turning another person, on the other hand, was something different altogether, and Serana did not want to demonstrate.

That night wasn't necessarily the first taste of blood I've ever had, taking into consideration all the man, mer, and creatures I've slain up close. But it was the first time I took it as a drink. A thick, satisfying drink dribbling down my throat. Blood was bitter, and metallic, yet at the same time, sweet. It was something else. Feeding gave such a pronounced feeling of fulfillment and pleasure. The blood was warming. It made me feel different. It made me feel almost alive again, not like the cold, undead vampire I was now. It was addicting. I couldn't get enough of the stuff. I had to stay in control and avoid drinking the man dry.

We left the house satisfied, and with me looking much more human. How Serana could fast from blood for hundreds of years without her appearance becoming bat-like was a mystery to me.

Serana told me that I also possessed the ability to turn into a Vampire Lord, but said that it was a lesson for another day. Apparently, she wasn't fond of using the form.

We stopped by Whiterun very briefly, to pick up the Dragon Elder Scroll from Breezehome. We hit the road shortly after, travelling by foot, a scroll strapped to each of our backs.

We eventually arrived at Fort Dawnguard during midday after a few days of travel. Naturally, Serana and I were held up the moment we stepped past the gates. There was Ollrod, Ingjard, Vori, and Durak, geared up and aiming crossbows at us.

"Let's just kill them. Come on. Just one bolt for each of them! That's all we need! It'll be quick!" Ollrod snarled in my direction, and I let out a feral hiss in response.

"We can't shoot them just like that." Was Durak's firm reply. "They're on our side. Mikhael's been running around Skyrim trying to stop the vampires ever since I found him. His vampire friend has been helping him too. I don't know about you three, but I don't see vampires here."

I raised a questioning brow at Durak, and he continued, lowering his crossbow as he did, "I see allies."

My confusion turned into a grateful smile, and I felt Serana's tension ease slightly.

"He stopped being an ally the moment he became one of them!" Ollrod spat.

"Oblivion! I'd say he turned his back on us when he let that in!" The Nord jerked his head in Serana's direction. "I bet she's trying to get him to join them Volkihar vampires."

"Oh, yes. I bet this is all your doing." Ollrod trained his sights on Serana, and I stepped forward to stand in front of her. I was hit with the overwhelming urge to lunge forward and rip the man's throat out. It took a great deal of self control to stop myself from doing so.

"Vampires have never been good news." Vori muttered quietly in agreement, raising her crossbow to point it at me.

"Vori, think about it... Maybe Durak is right. I know we kill vampires for a living, but they've been a big help to us. Doesn't that make a difference?" Ingjard spoke up, slowly lowering her crossbow.

Ingjard, Ollrod, and Vori then began arguing amongst themselves about putting us down, whilst Durak was simply eyeing the floor and rubbing his thin, grey beard. Since they were all rather preoccupied, I turned to Serana, who nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she bit her lip. She caught my gaze, and mouthed 'sorry' before looking away.

Sorry? What could she be sorry for?

I stepped closer to take hold of her hand, but Serana simply moved her hand away and looked at me with sadness in her eyes.

"This is my fault. I shouldn't have told you vampirism was an option. If you just went with the soul gem, there wouldn't be vampire hunters arguing whether or not to kill us both." She whispered, the regret clouding her eyes as they broke away from mine.

"Don't say that. I don't blame you for anything. I have no regrets. I would have picked vampirism over the soul gem any day. We'll get out of this just fine. Trust me." As the last words left my mouth, I could sense Serana slowly relaxing.

"I trust you." She said quietly. I gently raised two fingers to bring her face up to look at me. Her eyes caught mine once again, before snapping to look behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Durak looking at us, his face clearly indicating he was still thinking.

I stepped back so we weren't too close. "In that case, we won't have any problems."

The corners of her lips tugged upwards in a small smile, and I felt at ease knowing her doubt and regret were fading once again.

Durak looked at the three bickering hunters, and then at Serana and I. With a sigh, he pushed Ingjard, who bumped into Ollrod and Vori, effectively stopping the argument. The three glared at the Orc, but did not speak up.

"We'll let Isran decide if they live or die." Durak said with a tone of finality. Durak was their senior, and I knew that they had to do as he said. It would be insubordination if they went against his command.

"But Durak! They are the very beings we've sworn to destroy!" Ollrod protested, causing the Orc to roughly shove Ollrod towards the Fort.

"We're escorting them to Fort Dawnguard. That's an order! Another word and I'll have your tongue!" He snarled at the younger of the two, who looked away dejectedly.

Durak began barking orders at the three of them, having Ingjard stay to watch the gate. Vori was to bring up the rear, and keep her crossbow trained on us. Ollrod and Durak walked at the front on the way back to the Fort.

Now I had to worry about dealing with the big man. Was he going to smash my head in before I have the chance to speak? Kill Serana and I without second thought? Throw our bodies in with the rest of the vampires and torch us?

No. He will see reason.

We passed by numerous hunters on the way, who began whispering amongst themselves and eyeing us. There were several calls of "vampires!" and "foul beasts!", but I did my best not to pay them any attention. That was hard though, considering they began following us into the fort. Several drew their weapons, and those with crossbows aimed at us. Celann vigilantly stood by the doors and his eyes widened at the sight of us.

"You aren't welcome here as long as you're one of them." He growled at me, raising a sword as he did. Durak stopped Celann from causing any harm by raising a hand to stop him and explaining that he was taking us to Isran.

Celann shot me a dirty look before unbarring the entrance. The great doors swung open, and we found ourselves in the entrance hall. Durak led Serana and I to stand under the sunlight. An involuntary hiss slipped through my lips as the warm rays bathed me. Serana was silent, being more used to this than I.

Ollrod walked up the stairs to go find Isran, just as Gunmar and Sorine casually strolled in from the dining hall. They came to an abrupt stop upon seeing us. The pair approached us, their faces torn.

"Oh... Mikhael, what did you do to yourself?" Gunmar muttered under his breath, taking in the sight of my paling skin and glowing eyes, his hand covering his mouth that was probably agape.

"No. It can't be... But it is. I did not see this coming." Sorine, as analyzing as always, stated. The two red haired hunters slowly walked around us, looking us up and down.

"If your life is still of any value to you, you'd be smart not to let Isran see you." Gunmar said.

Gunmar's tone was hard to place. It wasn't condescending, or pitying. It was like he hated to see me like this, because he was seeing the thing he hated the most, in me, a fellow hunter. But he didn't want to hate me. For sure Gunmar and Sorine heard from Isran what Harkon was planning. They've got to have heard what I had been up to. There has got to be some underlying respect for me here.

"I agree. I mean... You've done a lot for the Dawnguard, and I'd hate to see Isran take your head off. But why did you have to go and-" Sorine didn't get to finish, as Ollrod came running down the stairs, to eagerly stand next to Durak, grinning ear to ear as he did. Isran's heavy footfalls followed and he soon made his way to the center of the hall, his death glare centered on me. Gunmar gently pushed Sorine to the side, and stepped back himself to let Isran take the floor.

"So you've returned. You've returned as a monster." Isran's angry voice filled the hall, and silenced the chatter among the other hunters that began to gather around the area.

"Isran, you must let me speak." I pleaded, making sure not to sound pushy, as it would only agitate him further.

"You pledged to my cause to put down these vile beasts, and you return to me as one of them. What could you possibly say to stop me from killing you right here?" The Redguard growled.

"I let your vampire, Serana, walk my halls freely. I allow you to carry on, running around Skyrim to stop some prophecy that we aren't even sure about, instead of having you work in the Fort. This is how you repay me?" It was then that I sensed the betrayal in his voice. Perhaps the man was being a bit dramatic, but given his deep rooted hatred for vampires, maybe he was entitled to it.

"Were you the root of all this? Did you convince him to become one of you?" Isran turned his glower to Serana, who shrunk ever so slightly at his gaze.

"Isran, please. Allow me to explain." I tried again, only to have him stop me with a scoff.

"It will only waste my time." Isran slowly turned around and took a few steps, hands on his hips as he sighed. If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it by now. The fact that I was still standing was evidence enough that he wasn't too keen on putting me down. I still have a chance.

Isran grunted in frustration and spoke without turning to face me, "If you leave right now, and get a cure, I will welcome you back."

"I can't," I lied. "If I get blooded by a Daughter of Coldharbour, Falion's cure would be useless."

I could feel Serana tense up beside me, but she did not protest. Isran turned around, his face showing his horror.

"Is this true?" Isran asked Serana, who nodded hesitantly, causing him to snarl, "This is all your fault, vampire."

The big man took an intimidating step forward, causing me to stand between Serana and Isran. I was glad that I was taller than Isran by an inch or two. It helped me look less intimidated by the angry vampire slayer.

"Off with their heads!" Ollrod yelled. Many other hunters gave yells of affirmation, and the sounds of weapons sliding from their sheathes began ringing out.

I turned my head slightly to look at the Dawnguard hunters. Ollrod was the most vocal, throwing insults in my direction and waving his axe around. Several others, including Vori and Beleval, spun their weapons around as they glared at us and called for our blood. Then there was Sorine and Gunmar, who looked conflicted, and were not keen on seeing me dead. The priest was nowhere to be found. Durak stood next to the duo, an agitated expression on his features.

I think I understood why Durak treated me the way he did. He was an Orc, and Orcs deeply value honor. Durak finds killing me, even if I was a vampire, after all the help I provided, dishonorable. He would not stand with those that demanded Serana and I's death.

Serana grabbed hold of my hand. She was shaking. I couldn't blame her though. She could probably handle several hunters by herself, but the whole Dawnguard against just the two of us? The odds were not exactly in our favor. I needed to remain composed and keep my head on. For her.

"Isran." I spoke again, this time louder, and bolder. My voice cut through the yells and shouts like a hot knife through flesh, and just like that, they were silenced. Isran recognized my tone and crossed his arms. My tone demanded respect, attention, and an unbiased ear. I could only hope he was capable of giving them all.

"Divines." Isran muttered under his breath. "Alright, explain yourself."

I gave Serana's hand a firm squeeze before I released it, and proceeded to walk behind her, gritting my teeth at the strain the sun was putting on me. I unstrapped the Scroll from her back, and yanked my own Scroll free. The Elder Scrolls in my hands were heavy, but the vampiric strength aided in carrying the burdens.

I raised the Dragon Scroll, "The Elder Scrolls are no laughing matter. They should be taken seriously. The Scrolls can be totally unpredictable, and wield power, power we barely understand, power far greater than that of any man or mer. This is my Elder Scroll. Much of my blood and sweat was put into locating this Scroll. Without this, I would not have defeated Alduin, the World-Eater."

I paused, allowing them to swallow the fact that I was the Dovahkiin of legend. Some already knew this, but others were clueless. I lifted the Blood Scroll before continuing.

"This is the Elder Scroll that was in the possession of Serana's mother, Valerica. This Elder Scroll dictates that "The blood of Coldharbour's Daughter will blind the eye of the dragon." Recalling the last Scroll regarding Auriel's Bow, a weapon that I believe we all can agree we don't want to see in the hands of the Volkihar clan."

There were scattered murmurs of agreement. I had to imagine that the others heard of the reading, and one thing led to another, and everyone was in on the prophecy business.

"If the Bow is stained with Serana's blood, or Valerica's, and fired at the sun, we would face an eternal night." I decided to press on to intimidate the other hunters, "Eternal night, where vampires roam the land. They would be free to hunt down the people. They could easily find our families, our friends, our lovers, and they could just drink them dry. Drink them 'til they're nothing but a pile of skin and bones!"

Some of the hunters looked away from me, and probably reflected on those they had lost at the hands of vampires. I continued, "Oh, yes. They would do it to get to us. Because all that stands between the vampires, and eternal night, is us. We, The Dawnguard. We are the last line of defense against the vampires."

"But we would not have known this, had it not been for Serana and her mother. If not for their cooperation, Harkon, leader of the Volkihar vampires, would have gotten Valerica. With Valerica, he would have gotten the Scroll, and the blood of Coldharbour's daughter. Then he would proceed to find my Elder Scroll. With all that, Harkon could locate Auriel's Bow, and end the sun as we know it."

"That isn't the case, however! Thanks to Serana here, we have the Elder Scroll of Blood!" There were several mutters of approval. "And I have the Dragon Scroll. Now we can locate the Bow before Harkon does, and stop him."

Isran raised a hand to stop me from continuing, and spoke, "I have come to believe that the prophecy is no joke, and I appreciate all that you and Serana," Isran appeared to have a hard time referring to the vampire by name. "Have been doing to further our campaign against the vampires."

Isran's face went from grateful to frustrated, and he went on."But that doesn't explain why you've become this."

"To get to Valerica, we needed to enter the Soul Cairn. The Soul Cairn is a realm in Oblivion, where souls go after they are used in soul gems. Valerica was trapped by the "Ideal Masters". These are the rulers of the Soul Cairn."

"I, a mortal, could not enter the Cairn just like that. It tried to take my life essence as payment for entrance. The only way to get through was to partially soul trap me, or become a vampire."

Before I could continue, Isran snapped, "Then use the soul trap! How was that a hard decision?"

I quietly inhaled and exhaled to keep my calm, and continued, "The soul trap would have weakened me greatly. To what extent, I can't be sure. I wasn't willing to risk it. Who here has been to Oblivion?"

I spoke when nobody else did, "The realms of Oblivion are a very hostile, inhospitable places. Well, perhaps New Sheoth in Sheogorath's Shivering Isles isn't all that bad. But most of the others are terrible! With Daedra and other spawns of evil that have no other goal other than to rip you to pieces!"

"I couldn't afford to enter the Soul Cairn as a weak man. In the Cairn, I faced these man like creatures, Boneyard Keepers. They stood several feet taller than me, and were clad in dragon bone armor! A crossbow's bolt was but a pinprick to them! They wielded dragon bone weapons to match. The dullest dragon bone dagger can still cut through the toughest armor."

"If I went in there as a pathetic, weak milk drinker, then I wouldn't have stood a chance against the Keepers. I would have died, and Harkon would have eventually found Valerica. Then one thing leads to another, and the madman has both scrolls, and the sun in the palm of his hand."

"I did not want to take that chance. So I became a vampire. A half-blood. Because of this, I slew the Keepers, the dragon guarding them, and secured the Scroll. It was a necessary evil."

"We're fighting a war against the Volkihar vampires. The Bow, along with Serana's blood, is the key to the war. I don't say Valerica, as she is in the Soul Cairn, and nothing will lead Harkon to her. His head will roll before he hears of her whereabouts. Vampires working with The Dawnguard has its advantages. You can learn from us, and it may be easier to hunt other vampires down in the future. My turning into a vampire is just another necessary sacrifice in this war. And with this sacrifice, we're another step closer to stopping the Volkihar, and saving the sun."

I stopped, and let my words sink in. I allowed them to let it mull it over as I strapped the Scrolls back onto Serana's back and my own. My gaze washed over each hunter, and I observed the changes in their expressions and the thinking behind their eyes.

As the silence began to carry on for a bit too long, the sound of a sword being sheathed echoed throughout the hall. It was Beleval, the Wood Elf. She bowed her head in respect, and placed a fist over her heart.

The other hunters began mimicking her, the pleasing sound of sheathing weapons reaching my ears, until only a few still had their weapons drawn. Naturally, Ollrod was among the hunters that looked out for blood. He was gritting his teeth and glaring daggers at me, his axe shaking in controlled rage.

I looked at the man in front of me, who stared calculatingly. As I looked back at Isran, I could see my fiery eyes reflected in his own. I realized that it was something that I would be noticing from now on. Instead of just seeing one's eyes, I'd see my own reflected in them. And the hungry vampiric fire that threatened to consume everything.

Isran's hard face softened, and he pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed in frustration. The Redguard turned around and took several steps to put space between us.

"Stendarr preserve us." I heard him mutter. He faced me, before giving his verdict, "You're free to stay. You're still useful to us, and you're our best hope at stopping the prophecy." Isran paused before looking at Serana, and gulping, as if to prepare himself for his next words, "That goes for you too, Serana."

He set his hatred aside. He was opening his mind. He was finally looking at the bigger picture. I let out a sigh of relief, and felt Serana's tension disappear. She gave Isran a grateful, toothy grin, which he responded with an attempt to smile, which just turned into a grimace. Had the other hunters not been calling for our death moments earlier, I would have laughed at his reaction.

Isran turned to face the hunters gathered around us, his face hard once again, "If anyone here lays a finger on them, I will personally feed them to Gunmar's trolls. Am I understood?"

The Redguard was given calls and yells of affirmation in response, of varying levels of enthusiasm. The hunters began to disperse, until only a few remained in the hall.

I was glad that everything turned out well enough, considering how badly this could have ended. Convincing Isran really took the cake, though. If I failed to convince him... I imagined that it would have ended rather messily, with everyone in the hall dead or dying. But I did it. I was safe. We were safe.

"I suggest you speak to the Moth Priest about the Scrolls. His condition is... Concerning." Isran turned about and headed for the stairs, leaving me to wonder about what he meant.

"What condition?" I called to him, and he didn't stop as he responded.

"You'll see. Now, don't make me regret my kindness!" Isran yelled before he began walking up the stairs.

"I won't!" I called back.

Durak approached the exit behind me, to return to his post by the gate. On the way, he clapped a hand on my arm. "Try not to wind up any more dead than you already are."

The Orc left without another word, and the other two gate guards followed Durak out. I caught Ollrod's eyes, which burned with a passion. A passionate hatred for vampires. A senseless hatred stemming from the notion that all vampires are evil, and should be eradicated, no matter what. It was only at this point that I really distinguished Ollrod and Isran's hatred. What Isran did, he did because of what he felt was his duty to protect Skyrim and her people from threat, that threat being vampires. Isran was the best at killing vampires, so he took it as his personal mission to stop the vampires. They were what stood between him and his ultimate goal, and that was what fueled his hatred.

I couldn't be a hundred percent sure about this. Perhaps there was more to it than that. I only knew Isran so much, after all. But looking at where Isran once stood, and at Ollrod's fiery glare, it just made sense. If two vampires would help Isran stop the rest of the bunch from putting out the sun, then what was the problem in that? Isran now understood this. Or maybe, he now accepted this.

But Ollrod was something different altogether. He reminded me of Rolff Stone-Fist, who would accuse the Dunmer of Windhelm for practically all that was wrong in Skyrim. Maybe Ollrod's hatred was more justified, as vampires really were frowned upon, regardless if you're in Skyrim, Morrowind, or Cyrodiil. But that didn't mean that vampires couldn't be of help to the Dawnguard's cause.

As Ollrod passed by us, his glare averted and he forcefully rammed his shoulder against Serana's, causing her to lose balance and fall.

"Oh, sorry about that." He drawled sarcastically. I growled angrily and grabbed the younger Nord by the shoulder and turned him to face me. I wrapped my hands around his neck, my thumbs applying pressure to his windpipe.

"Do that again, and I'll rip your head off." I snarled at him and bared my fangs.

"I'd like to see you try, traitor." Ollrod struggled against my grip as he growled back. I felt a pair of hands pull my arms off of him, causing him to stumble backwards.

It was Gunmar. I glared at the larger man before looking back at Ollrod, who had a hand massaging his neck.

"I'll beat you to death, boy." My final snarl had Ollrod slowly leave the hall, not breaking eye contact with me. I shook with barely controlled rage as Sorine gave Serana a helping hand.

Should have killed him. You know you wanted to.

I tried to ignore the voice that demanded Ollrod's head. It was difficult, considering I agreed with it. That bastard. He crossed the damned line. Nobody was going to touch her again. Nobody. I was going to be sure of that. The next person that did was going to suffer a very painful death.

Gunmar shaking me knocked me out of my thoughts. "Let it go, Mikhael. At least for now. Ollrod isn't worth the trouble."

I let his words wash over me and I nodded slowly, taking time the time to ease my breathing, which had been threatening to turn ragged. "I will."

"Good. Now, I hope your new condition hasn't lowered your tolerance to mead. I still owe you a mug for when you helped me deal with those damned bears." Gunmar jested, and I had to chuckle slightly.

"I doubt it has, Gunmar. But the mead will have to wait. We need to speak to Dexion and locate the Bow." I told him.

"We have to get going too. Still so much to do, you know how it is." Sorine offered me a friendly smile.

"Take care of yourselves." Gunmar said, as he and Sorine turned to return to their trolls and crossbows, respectively, and left us alone in the hall. It was then that I realized Serana was soothingly rubbing my hand the moment Ollrod left.

"I told you I'd get us out of that." I said with a grin, and placed my hand over hers. Serana gave me a small smile at the motion before responding.

"Thank you. Now let's get to Dexion." The cheeriness in her voice as she spoke lifted my spirits further. The way all her earlier fear was wiped away raised my mood tenfold, and so I took her hand and led her up the stairs to where the priest's room was.

Isran couldn't have been more right in saying that Dexion's condition was concerning. The priest had a strip of cloth wrapped around his eyes and he was only alerted to our presence by our footsteps.

"Oh, Isran? Is that you? What was all that shouting about?" The Moth Priest's troubled face was turned to us, and he patiently awaited a reply. Serana and I exchanged looks before I spoke to Dexion.

"Uhm... That was nothing, Dexion. It's me, Mikhael. Serana's here too. We have the Elder Scrolls." At the sound of our names, Dexion's face switched from pleased, to worried, to apologetic.

"It seems we have a predicament, my friend."

"Damn moths! Why are they doing that?" I growled as I tried to swat some of them away.

The sweet sound of her laughter found its way to my ears. "They seem quite taken to you now that you're carrying some of that tree bark." She smiled brightly and I couldn't help but smile back.

"I guess we should have seen this coming... Moth Priests, moths... They're apparently related in some way." She mused, a smirk on her features.

The Moth Priest was supposed to make proper preparations and the like before reading the Scroll, but in his haste, he didn't. The result was his blindness. Whether temporary or permanent, he couldn't say. Dexion didn't want to delay our quest for the Bow, so he offered an alternative. We took the Elder Scroll of the Sun he had with him, and brought the other two Scrolls with us. This was an ancient ritual done by the original Moth Priests. We were to go to an old cave called the Ancestor Glade. Inside the cave, we found the draw knife necessary to harvest Canticle Bark from the proper tree.

The reaction was instant, and I began to get swarmed by the Ancestor Moths the moment I held the bark in my hand. The bark attracted the moths to me like blood to a vampire.

I realized the comparison was in bad taste, considering I was a vampire now.

"Unless my vision's playing tricks on me, you're starting to glow. Maybe we need to attract a few more of those moth swarms." She suggested. I silently agreed to this and began walking around the area, gathering more and moths as I went.

The cave was beautiful, and it reminded me much of the Eldergleam Sanctuary. Light seeped into the cave, but it wasn't an overwhelming amount, to the point that it would burn. It just lit up the area, and made the scenery easier to see. Everything was so green, and the plants were so healthy. The flowers were all so vividly colored, and I had to admit that it was a nice change of pace. Instead of running around Skyrim trying to stop the prophecy, here we were, running around this beautiful cave, attracting moths.

It wasn't long before the bright, magical glow that enveloped me began to glow a hundred times more prominently.

"I believe that's enough of them. Let's head to that column of light so you can read the Scrolls." Serana led the way back to the center of the cave, where the light shone.

I unstrapped the Scrolls from her back and my own, and fumbled with them for a moment as I prepared them.

I caught Serana's gaze as I successfully balanced the Scrolls in my hands. For some reason, I couldn't look away from her stunning, fiery eyes. There was just something about the moment in this extraordinary cave. The way the moths fluttered about, creating that magical aura that now surrounded the both of us. The aura's glow, that somehow accentuated every little detail on Serana's gorgeous face.

I suddenly felt lightheaded, and was practically paralyzed as the ancient beauty slowly walked up to me and placed a hand on my chest. There was almost no space between us, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. My heart would probably be hammering right now, if it still beat.

The heat of the moment got to Serana as well. I could see it in the way she traced the intricate patterns on the scales of my armor. The way her smile was so small, yet so sweet, and seemed to have a hundred things to say to me. The way she batted her long, dark lashes at me suggestively, yet innocently. The way she pressed her forehead to lean against mine, as she brought her other hand up to caress the side of my face, the side Alduin scarred with his flames.

Serana gently traced the rough skin with her small fingers, and I found myself staring at her full, tempting lips. It was like they were calling out to me. I cursed the Scrolls in my hands that prevented me from wrapping my arms around the lovely vampire before me.

"Mikhael." My stomach flipped, and I shuddered at the passion in her voice as she whispered my name. Nobody had ever said my name in the manner that she just had. It was just so full of adoration, caring, and, dare I say it, love. Paired with the way she smiled at me like she was the happiest woman on Nirn, I knew that there was only one way to describe this moment: Pure bliss.

In that moment, as her delicate little fingers caressed my scarred face, I knew that there was no other person I wanted to spend the rest of my immortal life with. There was no one in Mundus that could make me feel like this. Nobody else could make me feel so stupidly happy by simply smiling. Nobody could make me feel complete like she could. Like I needed nothing more in the world. Like I could just lay down and die, if I had her in my arms as I did.

It was then that I decided that I would keep her company, and make sure she never felt lonely again. I would protect her with my life. I would scale the highest mountains, slay the fiercest beasts, swim the deepest oceans, if it meant keeping her safe and happy. I would do anything for her.

I wanted to tell her all of this, but my words seemed to fail me. My words which not two days ago saved our lives from the angry Dawnguard. I just felt so damned happy.

My throat felt rather tight and constricted, and I didn't want to even attempt relaying all that was in my head. I cursed my unbeating heart for my extreme and utter happiness having to manifest itself in this way. I settled for placing a shy kiss on Serana's cheek, hoping it would magically convey everything I wanted to say. Of course it wouldn't. But it made her beautiful smile seem all the more bright.

Serana's eyes came to a gentle close, as she slowly leaned forward, wrapping her arms around my neck as she did. If I couldn't express all that I felt vocally, I'd be damned if I didn't show it physically. I shut my eyes and leaned in, drowning out the loud beating wings of the moth swarms. The Scrolls could wait. This moment was about Serana and I. And nothing was going to interrupt us.

Hisss.

And, I was wrong. I felt a pair of jaws clamp onto my boot, and I turned away from Serana to look at the creature that ruined the perfect moment. It was a skeever. A damned skeever with incredibly horrible timing.

With an irritated growl, I lifted my other boot and stomped down onto its head, easily killing it. I then kicked it away, sending it sailing to the far side of the cave. I turned back to Serana, who was flushing, but smiling nonetheless.

"Do your thing, Mikhael." Her smile never left, as she stood close to watch me work.

I nodded, still not trusting my voice to respond verbally. I took a deep breath and tried not to dwell too much on what just happened. I need to focus on the task at hand. There would be time for thinking later. Time for thinking and time for finishing up what we were supposed to start. Serana took the other two Elder Scrolls and allowed me to read the first one.

I unrolled it, to have shapes and lines burn into my vision. I had to blink a few times to stop the image from blinding, so that I could make it out. It was vague, but it looked like a map. I took the second scroll and opened it. More images swam into my eyes, and I could begin making out the map. There were two crests, and I recognized Markarth and Solitude. I took the final scroll and raised it, suddenly feeling my arms weaken and my vision blur. I grunted slightly and gathered the energy to unroll it. There it was. The Scrolls pinpointed a location between the two hold capitals. Now it was just a matter of travelling all the way there to retrieve the Bow.

I rolled up the Scroll and realized that my breathing had become uneven as I read the third Elder Scroll. It was tiring. Draining. How Dexion made it look so easy when he read the Sun Scroll, I had no idea. But then again, he did go blind afterwards. As I lifted a Scroll to strap to my back, my legs buckled, and I fell onto my backside. The ritual took more out of me than I thought.

My vision threatened to darken, with nothing but the map in my sight, but I fought it. The darkness abruptly disappeared when Serana crouched down to my level to gently assist me back onto my feet, snatching up the Scrolls as she did.

"Are you okay? I thought I lost you there for a second. You went as white as the snow..." Serana's concerned voice reached my ears as she held me by my arms. I gave her a dazed, reassuring smile before I responded, and began strapping the Scrolls to our backs.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

Serana glared at the Elder Scroll on my back, "I never trusted those damned Scrolls. Who knows what those things could have done to you... Just look at Dexion!"

I had to chuckle slightly at how troubled Serana was. "Well, as you can see, no harm done." I said soothingly.

"I have the location of Auriel's Bow as well. It's somewhere between Markarth and Solitude. I've got it in here," I tapped the side of my helmet. "I suggest we head there right away. We can get back to The Dawnguard, Bow and all. They don't need to see us off before we head to... Darkfall Cave."

"Then let's get to it." Serana's eager smile was wiped off at the sound of footfalls from somewhere behind me. Her eyes widened, and I spun around, pushing her back as gently as possible.

A ball of fire came flying in, and I opened my palm wide to catch it in my lit hand. The force of the impact had me spin in a circle to regain my footing, only to send the ball of flame right back at our assailants.

The fiery ball exploded, and the cries of pain indicated I hit my mark. Conjuring up another ball of flames in my free hand, I hurled another in their direction.

The Volkihar clan was a persistent bunch, I had to admit. But in the end, it wasn't going to be us mourning our losses. I drew my blades as Serana readied her spells, and without further delay, charged forward to meet them head on.

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone who's been reading, faving, following, and reviewing. All are much appreciated and very motivating! I apologize for the long author's note that follows.

To those not so keen on Mikhael's vampirism, we won't go too deep into his new condition. I actually prefer the soul gem method myself. But Mikhael's protectiveness towards Serana makes the vampirism his more ideal choice. It seems more fitting to his character.

About the Become Ethereal shout... Well, I admit that I forgot about that, haha. I'll be more thorough in future combat scenarios. :)

So about Isran and the Dawnguard in this chapter. I just feel that after everything the duo did for the Dawnguard, they'd have earned a rightful place among their ranks, and can be accepted back, even if they are vampires. I like to think that Isran is capable of sensible thought and sympathy. In the end of the questline, he does give his condolences to Serana, remember? The way I see it, the stubborn guy just needs some convincing!

Ollrod's sort of a manifestation of senseless rage towards all of vampire-kind. The Dawnguard's and Isran's, at that. And we see how reason beats the senseless hate, which goes on in most of their minds. Does that make sense?

I hope you enjoyed my portrayal of Mikhael's speech and Isran and the Dawnguard's reaction. If you did, I'm glad you enjoyed. If not, I'll try better next time. :)

I also hope you liked Mikhael and Serana's little moment in Ancestor Glade. When I did that quest, I swear the atmosphere was strangely romantic. Moths making me glow and everything, haha.

Funfacts: Ollrod is a random Dawnguard member by the front gates of the fort in the game. I randomly picked him for his role in the story.

The skeever that interrupted Mikhael and Serana is based on an actual skeever encounter I experienced. I was in the Undercroft, talking to Serana about her loneliness, and the damned thing bit me and cut the conversation off.

Lastly, am I the only one that quietly ships Gunmar and Sorine?