Last Dawn

Castle Volkihar

"Things will change now that I'm your Lady," Roë announced to the crowd of assembled vampires in the atrium as she stood on the balcony overlooking the hall. "No more prophecies and Elder Scrolls and ancient rituals. If we want to assure our existence, we'll have to secure it tooth and blade."

The vampires muttered among themselves.

"Tonight, I will lead a small group of vampires to Fort Dawnguard. If they're not stopped, they will find us, and they will destroy us."

Roë had only been the Lady of Castle Volkihar for two nights when one of the vampires had reported to her that the small group of mooks posted on the other side of the strait had been staked and put to the torch. There had been a few torture implements left at the scene, as well as some extracted teeth, meaning that the Dawnguard – because it must have been the Dawnguard – now knew where Castle Volkihar lay, and they would doubtless mount an attack if given time to prepare. The fact that the Dragonborn was reportedly among their number, or at least closely affiliated with them, further complicated matters. Perhaps this Dragonborn was the only one who was powerful enough to pose a threat. They'd come during the day, and no amount of security measures would be able to stop them. The vampires had to strike first.

Roë had drained a few prisoners dry to heal her broken body, and she was fully recovered now, able to take on whatever the Dawnguard could throw at her. Serana had left her, forever, and she'd felt the last moorings of morality let go, and had done nothing to stop it. What did it matter anymore? All she had left now was this rulership, and she would use it for great things.

"Lady Roë," one of the vampires – some whelp she didn't know – spoke up. The disdain when he pronounced her title was clear. "What of Auriel's Bow?"

Yes, what of it, indeed. If she took it along and it fell into the hands of the Dawnguard, they had a weapon to ensure the vampires' demise with even faster. But if she left it here and someone found it… that would be even worse. And if she fel to the Dawnguard, what did it still matter that they had the Bow? It would be none of her concern anymore. She'd already decided. "I will bring it with me."

Louder murmurs of indignation rose up. In the corner of her eye, she saw Fura give her a worried glance, the hounds straining at the leash in her fist.

"Quiet," she shouted. "I will take the Bow with me, and that's final. It's what I've decided and I am the Lady of this Castle."

"Might alone does not royalty make, Lady Roë," the whelp spat at her. "You murdered Lord Harkon, but that doesn't mean we have to accept your rule as legitimate." The pesky braided Breton peasant was becoming seriously irritating. "Do you believe you can establish your petty tyranny just because you slew our Lord?"

The murmurs rose to a low chorus of agreement, and Roë's irritation rose to tooth-gnashing anger. Had she not proven to be worthy of her position? She'd destroyed the despot who held this castle in a velvet-gloved iron grip, and replaced it with a rule she intended to be fair and just, and still these pests complained?

It wasn't a big problem, though. All one had to do when one's leadership was challenged, was to silence the ringleader, and make such a brutal example of him that the others would fall in line. She'd show them she deserved their trust later, she'd rule with a gentle hand when she had the leeway to do so, but right now she had to establish her rule by force.

This little peon wasn't even worth shifting for.

"I said I'm taking the Bow," she shouted over the protest, "But that doesn't mean I can't treat you to a demonstration."

All fell silent as she picked the Bow up from the ground, where it had been resting against the bannister at her feet. In a swift and fluid movement, the way only an elf could wield a bow, she drew the bowstring, and as a bright golden arrow materialized, she let fly, sending a streak of white golden light at the heart of the insolent mongrel inciting the vampires below her.

The whelp only had time to throw up his hands in a reflexive and pointless defence before the luminous missile embedded itself in his chest. The impact sent him staggering back, and when he opened his mouth in agony, bright white light flooded out. A moment later, his eyes splatted out of his face, rays of bright white shining from the empty sockets. He shrieked in horrible pain, clawing at his throat and face, before blowing apart in a blinding white flash, his blood, meat and guts flying in all directions.

That had felt good.

"Anyone else of the opinion that I shouldn't keep the Bow in my care?"

None dared make a sound, or move, not even to wipe the mess of the exploded vampire from themselves.

"Good. No more criticism. I rule this Castle now."

She turned on her heels and returned to her throne room. "Garen, bring me two slaves. Male and female. Preferably in their primes."

"Y-yes Lady Roë," the vampire only dared to say.

Her demonstration hadn't missed its effect, not even on her allies. So much the better. They'd been invaluable, and still were, but they too had to know their place.

After distracting herself with the slaves and the things they could be made to do to each other, Roë retired for the day, and after a short sleep, she crossed the strait with Garen and two newly infected fledglings. Garen and Fura were the only ones she trusted to undertake such a trip with her, but someone had to stay and look after her interests while she was gone. They made for Fort Dawnguard, Garen under explicit orders to watch the fledglings' every move, and reached the fort without incident two nights after.

This would be over quickly.

She held out her hand and felt the longbow being laid into it by one of the fledglings. She carried Auriel's Bow on her back and slung the normal bow over her other shoulder. Spider-climbing up the cliff that surrounded the fort, she scanned the target area and saw only a lone gate guard. From the top of the cliff, she was at least ten metres higher than he was.

She wasted no time, drew the bowstring and sent an arrow straight into the gate guard's heart before he had even seen her. The man went down without a sound, his arm clawing the air for the bell rope.

That was one.

"What is the plan, Lady Roë?" Garen asked, as her feet touched the ground again.

"Plan?" Roë said, laughing at the question. "I don't need a plan." She rose and walked to the fortress. When she reached the gate, she kicked the guard's body aside so it rolled over the edge of the stairs and smacked down on the rocks several metres lower. Garen and the fledglings followed.

A lone guard patrolled the entryway, and Roë made her shortsword come down, cleaving his skull. He fell, his brain splatting out the cleft in his head when he hit the ground. Another guard fell instantly and silently to Roë's blade, her larynx slashed in two.

She proceeded to the main hall, the three other vampires in tow, and shot an arrow through the head of the third guard, the shaft entering through his nose and getting stuck in his skull as the tip broke free of the cranium after piercing the cerebellum.

"Do we split up or stay together when combing the fort?" Garen asked, keeping his voice to a hush.

"We do neither."

The fledglings looked at each other uncertainly. Searching the entire place would be a drag, and it would run the risk of overlooking any Dawnguard members. And she was here for one purpose only: to leave none alive.

She tossed the bow on her back to one of the fledglings. The other still had his own. There were three entrances, three paths from which the enemy – or better, the prey – would come. "You two, take out anyone who comes through these archways, especially anyone holds a crossbow. Garen," she announced. "Keep your last globe ready. Use it when it can inflict the most casualties."

"Shouldn't we – "

Roë didn't wait for him to finish and rung the assembly bell.

She waited, shortsword loosely in her hand, as the two whelps drew their bowstrings taut. One was an Altmer, the other a Redguard, so they should be at least decent with their bows. The first Dawnguard member who came jogging into the great hall was dropped by two arrows in the chest. The second died not soon after. As did the third, and the fourth. She recognized the elf, Celann, the one Durak had greeted when she'd first come here, so many centuries ago, as he went down with an arrow in the forehead, crashing to his knees and then ending splayed on the flagstones. The whelps were adequate with their bows, keeping all three entrances neatly covered and swivelling to lay down anyone who entered. The cook's life was next to end, her fat gut and flabby neck skewered by more arrows.

The Dawnguard soldiers were realizing what was happening now, and after a few more of their number were slain by arrows, they chose a more careful approach, slowly coming near shoulder-to-shoulder, their shields up to protect themselves.

"Out of arrows," the Altmer whelp rapped, dropping his bow and drawing his longsword.

"Spare yours," Roë ordered the Redguard vampire. "Save them for crossbowmen." She nodded at Roë, her face fearful despite the number of soldiers already slain. "Garen, now would be a good time for that globe, yes?"

One of the soldiers in the shield wall lowered his buckler and raised his crossbow with the other hand, but an arrow flawlessly found his throat.

The next moment, a glass sphere filled with volatile liquid sailed through the air, and as it hit the shield wall, it detonated, scattering the Dawnguard members, shields and weapons flying through the hall. Those not killed outright were reduced to wailing, smouldering heaps of flesh.

It was time.

Roë closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around her, and threw them outwards, her clothes and skin flying off her as the Vampire Lady once again took form.

The massacre didn't take long. Hovering above the ground, Roë tore the soldiers apart from a distance, wrenching their bodies until their bones broke and their organs ruptured. With her other claw, she lifted one fighter after another, telekinetically propelling them against the walls so hard they were one by one flattened by the impacts, their screams cut short as their internal organs were smashed into mush. Several crossbow bolts struck her, but none did any real damage.

Durak was her next victim. When she spotted the Orsimer, she commanded her power to drain his life force from afar, his body jolting and shaking as his skeleton slowly collapsed in on itself, his blood leaving his body through his mouth and nose as a fine red mist. She heard his bones crack as his body slowly imploded, his blood swirling around Roë, invigorating her anew.

A few Dawnguard soldiers made it through Roë's horrible gauntlet, her cohorts throwing themselves at them to protect their mistress.

A javelin sailed through the air, going straight for Roë, but she dodged it in the nick of time, her body weaving to the side, leaving the throwing spear to pass her by and impale Garen Marethi through the heart. The javelin had come from Isran, the only member of the Dawnguard who still lived and wasn't locked in close combat. He stood, surrounded by the broken and torn bodies of his people and lifted his massive hammer, but Roë saw on his face that he already knew he'd never get a chance to use his weapon.

As the two fledglings held off the few remaining Dawnguard members, Roë dealt with Isran. She lifted the leader of the Dawnguard off his feet and hurled him upwards, impaling him on the sharp underside of the massive iron chandelier, the spikes penetrating his screaming body and keeping him suspended as he died, his blood raining on Roë.

The last of the Dawnguard soldiers chopped the Altmer vampire's skull in two his axe, but the Redguard whelp drove her dagger between the man's shoulder blades an instant later.

Silence fell and the slaughter was over. Only Roë and the ebony-skinned vampire remained. It was unfortunate that Garen had not survived, but better him than Roë.

"Wait outside," she commanded the fledgling in the growling voice of her noble form.

The girl did as she was told, and as Roë shifted back, put on the clothes she found in a nearby cupboard and surveyed the carnage, hating herself and revelling in her power at the same time, she came to a realization. She'd slaughtered all the Dawnguard members, but one thing was missing.

The ground lay strewn with butchered bodies, but none of them belonged to the Dovahkiin.

"