A little bit faster at the updates than previous months, hopefully I can speed things up a bit further...anyway, thanks for the reviews/alerts and private messages, it's great to get feedback from you all :)
Enjoy!
Sky Haven Temple.
It has been a long time since I were last here, Morgan mused, staring at the massive head statue that would lead her into the Blades' hideout. She glanced around for a moment and nodded when she saw nothing out of the ordinary before heading towards the blood seal situated within the centre of the room.
She knelt down and sliced the palm of her right hand with her dragonbone dagger and squeezed slightly, watching the droplets of blood fall onto the magical seal. And as the first time she had opened the door, she still found herself impressed with the way the statue moved upwards, revealing the sets of stairs within.
So far, so good. Hopefully everything else is fine within. Delphine may be a bitch but she did help me somewhat before she let her hate of the dragons consume her. At least Esbern should be there to keep things more civil.
Morgan sighed heavily and stood up, feeling the cut on her hand heal over.
"You aren't going to get any answers standing here," she said out loud...and flinched when a flock of birds flew past her head before vanishing into the rainy sky overhead.
Jumpy, are we?
Morgan smiled a little when she heard Serana's voice in her head and then pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers.
She is coming back. So stop moping and find out why no-one has come down to see why the front door is open.
Morgan moved forwards, each step seemingly becoming heavier with each step she took.
She had a bad feeling about this...
Serana walked through the main door of the Blue Palace, glad to be out of the rain. It had been raining ever since she had left Castle Volkihar and the entire time she had been travelling, all she could think about was her love and that of what Sheogorath had told her.
Here I was, thinking that a Dragonborn was special. But no, you had to fall in love with a woman with a family line that seems to be important to that of Daedric Princes and of the higher powers themselves. You certainly are an ambitious one, aren't you?
She grinned a little.
Morgan is worth everything and more. The Gods can leave her be, she is mine.
Serana walked up the steps and smiled brighter when she saw Elisif sitting there, with Sybille Stentor standing nearby. And when she saw Rikke, Serana sighed a little.
I wish Morgan were here, she knows how to handle mortals better than I.
When she noted the dozens of people in attendance, Serana sighed heavily.
Elisif fidgeted in her chair and shook her head slowly.
"I am sorry, but I can only afford to send a few extra bags of materials to Dragon Bridge. I can assure you that all communities are getting the same supply and that you will be well catered for until our shipments return to normal."
"Thank you, Jarl Elisif. May the Eight be with you," the spokesman from Dragon Bridge said softly, giving her a bow.
Elisif nodded to him and hid a yawn behind her hand, mimicking a cough to hide her un-courtlike manners. She had been sitting in this throne for days now, and each day was the same.
I now understand why my beloved hated these sessions so much...the boredom is unparalled.
Elisif nodded to Sybille, and the Court Wizard stepped forwards.
"The Jarl wishes to take a short break. The hearings shall resume in an hour's time. Thank you."
Elisif silently watched the citizens disperse and then spotted the lone figure standing at the edge of the room, the face hidden by a black hood and the rest of the figure wrapped in a red and black cloak. But she did spot the dagger hilt attached to the person's hip and she shuddered.
Is this how my end comes? An assassin? I thought the Dark Brotherhood was under Morgan's command?
"Who are you? Identify yourself," Sybille said sharply, moving in front of the Jarl.
Elisif watched and hardly breathed as the figure stepped closer and removed the hood...and then she almost cried in relief as she met the eyes of Serana, who gave her a small smile.
"Nice to be back among the living...so to speak," Serana said with a chuckle.
Elisif poured the wine into the goblet and passed it to Serana, who smiled in thanks. She then poured one for herself and sat down opposite the powerful vampire and crossed her legs, hoping to remain calm.
"I thought...I thought you were gone," Elisif said quietly. "I saw you being...carried away, the arrow..."
Serana reached over and gently took one of Elisif's hands in hers.
"It's alright. It was a shock to me as well," she said with a quirky grin, one that Elisif returned.
"What happened? How did you..."
"I cannot explain just yet. It's so confusing," Serana muttered. "I will tell all when it starts making sense to me."
Elisif nodded, feeling Serana's cool hand holding hers. She knew that whatever had brought the vampire back from what must have been after death had been done for a reason. She met the gaze of the vampire sitting opposite her and she took a breath.
"You must be wondering where Morgan is."
Serana nodded.
"I am. I worry for her. All I have been hearing from the guards and townsfolk as I walked through Solitude was how she reacted. The transformation...the bodies torn apart in the mist..."
"She is angry."
Serana quickly whipped her head to the side and spotted Idgrod the Younger standing there, her eyes full of worry. Serana relaxed slightly when Elisif gave her hand a small squeeze.
"She is full of anger, hate, love... So many conflicting emotions," Idgrod mumbled as she stood there, still as a gargoyle. "Death follows her wherever she goes, the Void is her cloak..."
Serana stiffened in her seat.
Morgan is a Void Walker? Oh shit.
Serana knew of the legends of course. She had learned about them from her mother, who had explained how she had attacked Morgan in rage, only to be overpowered in the blink of an eye.
"Serana? What does she talk about...the Void?"
Serana looked back to Elisif.
"Void Walkers have not been seen in a very long time. It is said that they can travel into the Void in person, completely undetectable to any known means. They could be in this room and we could never know of them until they leave the Void."
"There must be a catch to such power," Elisif mused softly, squeezing Serana's hand tightly now.
Serana was glad for the young Jarl's support and question.
"There is. The Void requires payment, just like entering any plane of Oblivion. In Morgan's case, I can only think of one such payment she could offer."
"And what is that?" Elisif asked.
"Blood," was Idgrod's scared whisper.
"The more Morgan kills, the more powerful she becomes. The longer she can remain in the Void...she may even be able to travel vast distances without much effort in time."
There was silence for a few minutes and then Elisif spoke again.
"Why aren't there many Void Walkers?"
Serana closed her eyes.
"From what I know, they simply vanished. No-one has seen any in thousands of years, which means none remember what they are capable of...Elisif, I need to find her before she does something truly drastic."
Elisif nodded.
"I will find out all I can. We have not seen her since the battle, but we have an extensive network of scouts now that the Stormcloaks are being pushed back."
Serana gave her a small smile.
"Thank you. I shall assist Sybille with her scrying, I am sure we can locate her quickly."
"The Dragon has awoken. Be wary, Daughter of Coldharbour, for her rage is vast."
Serana glanced over at Idgrod, just as the young Seer keeled over, her eyes white and her skin pale.
"IDGROD!"
Morgan ascended the winding steps, her footsteps silent in the darkness. Her senses were on high alert, something told her that danger was either close or that the darkness was hiding something.
She cursed when she felt her foot land in a sticky substance and she made to wipe it off when she narrowed her eyes.
Serana once told me how to use a version of the Night Eye spell that Vampire Lords can use, a far more powerful and longer lasting spell than the ones that mages use...
She closed her eyes for a moment and willed the blood to do her bidding, keeping her concentration despite the oppressive atmosphere. She felt her eyes change slightly, the same feeling she had whenever she used magic, and she knew it had worked. Morgan opened her eyes and stared at the floor, the very spot where she had just planted her foot.
A congealed river of blood lay on the stairs, the smell of moss and smoke hiding the familiar iron tang of the blood itself. She winced as she used a fire spell to blast the blood off her boots and then she spotted the body lying not six feet away, dressed in full Blades armour.
Morgan moved closer and knelt down before gently moving the helmet free and placing it to one side. Then she moved the soldier's head so she could see the face.
And she let out a small whimper when she saw the unseeing eyes of Aranea Ienith, the former priestess of Azura. Morgan held the dead woman's head in her hands and closed the dunmer's eyes, whispering an apology as she did so.
"May Moonshadow be as beautiful as you were. Rest well, my friend."
Morgan shuddered and stood up, moving quickly into the main hallway, her thoughts whirling through her head.
She didn't deserve that. I should never have brought her here.
While Delphine had been most insistent that she should kill Paarthurnax, it had been Esbern who had suggested that Morgan bring a few recruits to them as a peace offering instead of what Morgan had suggested...Shouting Delphine into a smear. Morgan had brought three in total, which meant...
"No..." Morgan wailed when she saw the bodies of Calder and Argis, two of her housecarls from Windhelm and Markarth respectively. Calder had left Windhelm as soon as he had seen the way that Morgan would ally herself with the Empire.
Calder must have left Markarth before Serana and I had...
"I'm sorry, I failed the both of you. I hope that Sovngarde accepts two fine warriors such as yourself," Morgan muttered, closing their eyes and feeling her blood begin to boil.
Who did this?
Morgan looked around and didn't see anything else, until she looked at Alduin's Wall. With Esbern's corpse attached to the massive stone mural.
"NO!" Morgan screamed, all pretence of stealth forgotten.
She ran forwards and cried when she saw the manner that the elderly Blade had been strung up. His arms and legs were pinned to the wall by a combination of twine, sharp steel spikes and what looked like sharp teeth from some creature. Morgan snarled when she also caught the stench of dark magic, the only kind that came with...
"Hagravens," she snarled.
The Forsworn did this.
Morgan destroyed each of the binds that held the deceased Blade against the Wall, and caught him as he fell. She gently lay him on the table and placed her hand on his forehead before closing her eyes.
"I'm sorry Esbern. I should have at least kept in contact with you."
She moved quicker now, searching all the rooms and finding nothing out of the ordinary. She frowned now.
They came in and killed them all but took nothing.
But there was one person still missing.
"Where are you, Delphine?" Morgan said softly.
Sybille held a smile as she watched the much older vampire work, her face full of concentration. She liked to watch how mortals pulled their faces when they were thinking of something, especially if they were in danger. But the face that Serana Volkihar had was most fascinating.
Thousands of years old yet she still acts like a child sometimes.
Idgrod was resting peacefully, despite the collapse she had endured after one of her visions. Sybille was certain the young woman would be fine in a few hours, although she was a little concerned as to how quickly the visions came, and just how much energy was taken from the young woman.
She schooled her own expression into one of mild interest when Serana grinned at her, her blazing eyes full of happiness.
"I found her!" Serana all but yelled.
Sybille smiled at her, and Serana chuckled before letting her enthusiasm fade.
"I wish I had listened to my mother when she tried to teach me scrying, it would have come in handy so many times."
"Indeed. I must say, I am impressed you have taken to it so fast, even Babette never managed to pick it up so easily," Sybille stated, impressed with Serana's ability.
Serana smiled.
"I was an idiot to not listen to Mother. It's amazing at how it works."
Sybille nodded to her and cleared her throat.
"Oh, yes...Morgan is in the Reach, what seems to be a ruin of some kind..." Serana trailed off.
"Sky Haven Temple," Sybille said after a moment's thought. "It used to be a ruin, now it serves as the fortress for the Blades."
"Why would Morgan go there? She was never fond of them, from what she told me."
Sybille shook her head.
"I do not claim to know how the Dragonborn's mind works. I doubt anyone save yourself could know of her intentions."
Serana shrugged.
"I have no idea what she is up to, the last time we were near that area, we...oh...Oh, fuck..."
Sybille held a smirk when she heard the vulgar language.
Morgan has certainly impressed this ancient being in more than one way.
"I think she is heading for Markarth before...GAH!"
Sybille raced around the scrying table and managed to catch Serana as she fell to the floor, blood pouring from her nostrils.
"Serana! Focus! Eyes on me...that's it. Now, tell me what you feel."
Serana blinked and then did as instructed.
"Anger. So much anger, it's blinding all my senses..."
"Your blood bond is extremely strong my lady. You are feeling Morgan's emotions through the power of your blood and that of hers."
Serana staggered to her feet.
"I need to get to her quickly..."
Sybille nodded.
"Then go, as fast as you can. And Serana?"
Serana stopped at the door and looked back at the much younger vampire.
"Be careful, I feel as though Morgan's anger has changed something within her."
"The Dragon has awoken," Serana intoned, thinking of what Idgrod has said. She nodded to Sybille in thanks and raced out of the Blue Palace as fast as she could, her figure a blur to anyone who even tried to look in her direction as she moved.
I'm coming, my love.
Morgan gently lay Delphine's corpse to the ground and sat back on her knees, her eyes fixed on the dead woman's battered face.
Tortured, abused, beaten to death with blunt weapons. Half her bones broken...
Morgan snarled when she had picked up the tooth-edged sword nearby and flung it off the cliff face before turning back to Delphine.
"You were a bitch, but you did help me. And no-one should suffer so much. I hope you finally find peace in Aetherius. I can promise you one thing though. I will not let this stand."
"YOL!"
Morgan stared at the dragonfire consuming the Blade's leader and she clenched her hands tightly.
A cold wind blew through the courtyard of Sky Haven Temple and Morgan savoured the fresh air blowing through her hair before turning to face Markarth, where a few torches could be seen hanging on it's outer walls.
They must have moved in when Serana and I cleansed the town of the soul-less. But who leads them?
"Please..."
Morgan spun around gracefully on her feet and threw one of her daggers at the voice, smirking in satisfaction when it impaled the Forsworn member in the abdomen, where a massive would could already be seen. Morgan briefly wondered why she hadn't smelled the mortal, then hissed as she noted the young man's grin, even as his mouth filled with blood.
"We came in the night, up the cliffs. A few fell but we gained access through the unlocked doors, killed them all..."
Morgan moved closer, drawing her blade.
"Killed the dark elf, then the two hulking brutes. Then the old man, after he killed half our numbers. The bitch over there, we saved till last, the screams...ARRRRRRGH!"
Morgan grinned sadistically when she heard his muscles tear in his leg when she stabbed her blade through it. Then she twisted it, hearing his leg bone snap and splinter.
"Now it is your turn to scream, human," the Dragon snarled, her eyes black and full of malice.
The Forsworn soldier wanted to pass out, but the creature standing before him didn't allow it, moving her blade slowly before taking it out. He sighed as the pain lessened slightly, and then yelled again when the creature straddled his lap, her thighs squeezing his injured leg.
"Your blood will tell me everything I need to know," the Dragon whispered as she pulled the man into her embrace.
"Kill...me..."
The Dragon laughed.
"Oh no, you do not get away that easily. And should you think the afterlife will save you, think again..."
He shivered as the Dragon moved his head to one side, his body paralyzed with fear.
"For the Void awaits you."
The fangs found his neck, and he managed to release one more scream before he was drained dry...
Morgan licked her lips and stood up, glancing down at the emaciated husk lying there.
"That's better. Thank you."
She sheathed her blade and started to run towards the cliffside, Markarth in the distance.
Madanach, you are a dead man.
Madanach sat back in his throne and laughed at the pitiful Blade member sitting in front of him, his hands and feet bound in rope, his neck surrounded by four spears.
"You think threatening me will work, young man? Your fellows are dead, your organization is no more."
The Blade chuckled harshly, a sound that surprised the King of Rags for a moment.
"That may be so, but Esbern did have friends elsewhere...in Cyrodiil and in Skyrim."
"With the war on and the Thalmor still in the shadows, none from Cyrodiil would dare enter the land in such turmoil. As for Skyrim, name one person who could even think of challenging me?"
The Blade laughed again.
"She knows, don't you, whore?"
Madanach motioned to the four soldiers standing guard around the Blade and they speared the captive through the throat in four thrusts, beheading the man sitting there. He sighed heavily and turned to his Queen.
"Forgive me, My Queen. Such manners in the young ones these days..."
The red haired vampire sitting in the throne beside him chuckled, a sound that filled his heart with love.
"Oh, my darling, be at ease. Words are meaningless after all. Now, we have other matters to attend to, do we not?"
Madanach grinned and stood up, and immediately knelt in front of his Queen, close enough that he could kiss her knees, hidden under her long red dress.
"Your wish is my command, My Queen."
Elissa giggled and held her thrall's head in her hands, thinking how easy it would be to kill this fool. But her Lord had asked her of this, to keep him alive until her pet returned to her. She had infiltrated the town easily enough, and after a night of passion and blood letting with the leader of the prisoners, she had full control of the Forsworn.
The Blades could have been useful but they were too full of self-righteousness. They at least served as bait for my pet however.
"Come to me, Morgan, I eagerly await you," Elissa giggled again, patting her thrall's head gently before hoisting him to his feet. "Come, my love. The work will not do itself."
She laughed again as she escorted her temporary pet from the hallway, feeling the envious stares of his followers on her figure.
I will not let you down, Lord Bal.