AN: This is the first of two possible endings to Beneath the Shield. I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! Feel free to leave any comments you'd like at the end.
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Argis' mind snapped back through time to his present situation as the roar of fire echoed through the cavern. He braced for the impact, for the pain, and the death that would likely follow. His smile was hidden by the rim of his shield as he remembered returning to Falkreath after Alduin's death.
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They had rebuilt their house together after the little cottage was burned down and numerous gifts of thanks for largely ending the dragon threat had filled their coffers. In a world largely at peace, a bigger house was erected with the gold that they had and it was built over the site of the burned down cottage.
So many happy years had passed with Ardanthis and Argis living happily together. They relentlessly, remorselessly fought against the evils that still plagued the land but they did so with lighter hearts because back home there were two little hearts waiting for them.
Argis remembered the day they had visited Riften and the orphanage there. They had been overjoyed when they left with Runa Fair-Shield and Hroar in tow with them. The two children had been so spirited at the cold, dank orphanage and lifting them out of that place had only helped them to soar higher.
Runa had grown up into a fine warrior. Her spirit and self-possession, which had drawn the two men to her in the orphanage, manifested more strongly as she grew. The headstrong girl had taken to the stories her fathers told about their adventures together and she knew the story behind each trophy in their large manor.
She quickly took up swordplay and grew to be an accomplished warrior in her own right. Argis smiled as he remembered how she had met her husband, Ursten, on a mission to rid a camp of bandits from the roads around Whiterun where she had settled after leaving Falkreath. They had fought so well together she fell in love with him and quickly found him to be an honourable Nord. They already had two children together and she was heavy with her third pregnancy. The priests had told her to expect twins.
Hroar, unlike his sister, had loved his fathers' stories for their dramatic elements. He had grown up to be a bear of a man and became a mountain of muscle as he travelled Skyrim. Hroar was well-known in all of the holds as a man who always had an interesting story to tell. He never shied away from listening to any tale and he loved to explore lost places. He had developed a love for the dwemer ruins that dotted the lands and his curiosity led him to explore them to their depths.
Unlike Runa, who hadn't looked for love until she stumbled upon her husband, Hroar was unabashed in his pursuit of both men and women. He never pretended to look for true love, but seemed to quickly fall into brief, passionate loves with people as he learned as much about their life story as he could.
Neither child was with Argis when the summons had gone out. Though he was far too old to leave their house and fight the ever-present threats that afflicted Skyrim, Argis still travelled out to fight when he had long ago hung up his blade. Argis had been called upon by an Imperial agent who had showed up at his property unannounced. The officious man identified himself as Argenius and quickly explained his presence. A coven of vampires had sprung up and plagued the countryside around Markarth and Ard had travelled out to deal with them. The elf hadn't been heard from again, though.
Argis had strapped on his battle armour and magical blade despite the promises by the Imperial emissary that he would be safe and wouldn't need them.
He remembered the long ride to the coven's location. Apparently, the Altmer was supposed to have finished clearing out the coven long ago, and they assumed the worst. It was unlikely the Dragonborn had been killed by these almost feral vampires, but the greater unspoken fear was that he had been turned into one of them.
Argis knew that he would be called upon to fight his husband or try to reason with him if the elf had become a ravenous undead monster. The thought sickened and terrified him as he tried to imagine the elf's face twisted with a mindless bloodlust.
Their entrance into the coven was promising. Almost a dozen ash outlines of slain vampires covered the floor amidst tattered clothes and a scattering of weapons. The Imperial escort fanned out as they quickly searched the adjacent rooms and reported a few more slain vampires. The soldiers' enchanted swords gleamed softly in the lights that the mage who accompanied them scattered brilliant lights ahead of them to reveal any lurking ambushers. Their clattering armour made stealth impossible, so they opted to flush out any remaining monsters with bright light.
The conjured lights continued to reveal dead vampire after dead vampire which made the warriors all the more uneasy. If so many of the fierce creatures had been slain so easily then what had managed to stop the Dragonborn?
Their descent continued and with it the light revealed a crude sort of home that the vampires had established. Dead bodies, drained of all their blood, periodically dotted the caves but there was little sign of any sort of danger.
Drawing deeper into the cave, they had reached a door that led to the heart of the foul place. From underneath it a gentle blue glow pulsated and drew the warriors onward. Soft whimpers and the odd scream were muffled by the door as they approached, and they fearfully hesitated before the sharp glower of their commander urged them on. They approached the door with caution, ready for magical wards and other spells to spring into motion around them, but nothing happened as they opened the door.
Argis clutched his dragonbone sword in a grip that was white-knuckled under his glove as he nervously looked at the door as it cracked open. He hadn't faced this much excitement in years and he trusted in the protective enchantments that were woven into his armour to shield him from anything that might emerge.
The Imperials burst into the blue glowing room, ready to lay into whatever ancient vampire might be residing there.
Shock coloured their faces as they beheld the Dragonborn peering over a spread-eagled vampire and cutting into him carefully. The creature was bound to a large stone altar which had hollow worn into it where old, crusted blood collected. It suddenly hissed, screeched, and suddenly threw its head back. Though it was restrained it managed to thrash as it suddenly burst into dust.
"Damn!" shouted the elf with anger as he angrily swept his hand through the ash that covered the large altar. He didn't look up as he said, "Hello, Argis. I wasn't expecting to see you for a while yet."
"Love," he began with obvious nervousness, "What were you doing to that vampire?" Though he thought they were abominations, the idea of his husband torturing one made his stomach churn in a way simple battle couldn't.
The elf sighed softly and said, "I was...experimenting on it. I wanted-"
"He's one of them," Argenius called out as the Imperial mage raised his hand and it flared with a purple light. The Imperials fell into a battle formation as Argenius continued, "These vampires have turned the Dragonborn and he must be put down for the good of all of the Empire."
Outrage flashed over Ard's face as he coolly raised his chin and spat, "These vampires didn't turn anyone. Don't give these savages more credit than they deserve. They were barely surviving as it was."
Confusion filled Argis' mind as the implication in those words struck him. He asked, his voice fearful, "If they didn't turn you, but you are a vampire, then how long have you been one of them?"
Ardanthis looked sadly at his husband and answered, "A long time, Argis. A long, long time."
"Why!?" demanded the Nord as the Imperial legionnaires moved steadily towards the elf.
The Altmer seemed to hesitate before he answered, "I might live for centuries, but you won't." His words came out in a rush, "I was so afraid of losing you that I began to explore more ways to help you preserve your life. I've been exploring vampire's immortality. These...tests led me to a very ancient, very powerful clan who showed me what vampirism truly could be. This wasn't a condition just to be studied but something to be embraced."
His face hardened as he looked at the carefully approaching soldiers. "Stand down," he ordered, his lip curling in disgust.
Argenius coolly ordered, "Keep advancing. He might have been the Dragonborn, but he is now nothing more than a monster. It is your duty to take him into custody."
"Your soldiers know I can kill all of them before even one of them makes it to me," said Ard with a small shrug, "I suggest they stop approaching before I kill one of them as an example."
The line halted slowly as they looked at each other nervously before they continued to hesitantly advance, but their line was no longer as unified. They all knew of and were all scared of the Dragonborn's reputation.
"It doesn't have to end this way," called the elf as fire sprang up from his hands. He looked down at the approaching Imperials as fire crawled along his dragonscale gauntlets.
Argis raised his shield, uncertain if the explosions would hurt him. He still mentally reeled at the idea that his husband had been a vampire all along. For decades had he really loved a monster? His line of thought was interrupted as he was grabbed from behind and he froze as he felt a hard edge of steel press against his throat.
"Surrender peacefully, vampire, or I will kill Argis!" Argenius threatened. Though the old Nord couldn't see his assailant, he could hear the smile in the Imperial commander's voice as the man said, "Harm any of my men and your husband dies."
"Harm my husband and you and all of your men will die slowly and painfully," promised the elf. He cocked his head slightly to the side and said, "But you, Commander, you I might turn into a thrall."
Argenius' lips twitched in a cold smile as he said, "Argis will be dead and you will be a fugitive in every hold in Skyrim, even if you kill me. Your children will also be suspect and hunted if you leave here unscathed.
The fire that had kept Argis upright and determined to die to save the elf's secret died when his two children were threatened. Images of Runa and her husband fleeing Whiterun's guards and Hroar being chained in a cell filled his mind.
The stalemate continued as the soldiers slowed down and seemed to visibly hope for a peaceful resolution. "Release Argis and I will go peacefully," grudgingly said Ardanthis with defeat in his voice.
"Hardly!" laughed Argenius, "You'll kill us all without a second thought if I were to let Argis go. Surrender first and be shackled. Then I will release Argis."
The Altmer's gaze rested on Argis with evident worry as he slowly walked towards the soldiers who waited for him warily. With quick steps the wizard hurried down to the elf with a pair of runed shackles in his hands.
Smug satisfaction poured off of Argenius and nauseated the old Nord. Argis could feel the Imperial's distraction and sensed the blade move away from his throat a hair's breadth. In a flash he tried to thrust it away from his neck but the Imperial fought back. Despite the struggle Argis almost made it out of Argenius' grasp when he felt a hot lance of pain stab into his side.
He staggered two more steps before he collapsed, his hand slapped over the puncture in his side that poured blood onto the stone floor. "Argis!" he heard his love scream but the sound seemed to come from a great distance.
Numbly, he knew he was bleeding badly but he knew he had no way of saving himself. He watched, mesmerized, as black shadows swept over his husband and the darkness-shrouded figure seemed to swell larger. The Imperial soldiers hesitated and even the mage looked surprised. The shadows peeled off of Ardanthis and revealed a grey skinned, muscular form with bony wings that flapped and somehow supported the powerful body. The shadows turned into a swarm of hungry bats that circled around the strange vampire.
Instinctively, Argis felt a sense of horror at the creature that hissed loudly at the soldiers in front of it but it's face was so close to that of his husband's that he felt no real fear.
The Imperial wizard was the only one who didn't hesitate and he quickly hurled a bolt of fire at the monstrous creature. Ard bellowed in anger and his right hand flared a deep crimson. He hurled a glowing red ball of energy into the crowd in front of him. They screamed as the magic leeched the life force from them and the burn wound on the vampire's chest faded.
Two more crimson bursts tore through the soldiers and left the small force a desiccated pile of bodies on the ground. Argenius looked around, horrified that he was alone with this creature. He turned to run but Ard reached out with his left hand and a tether of yellow light manifested around the Imperial and yanked him towards the vampire. He slammed into the ground at Ard's feet.
The vampire stopped flapping and bent down. He picked Argenius up by his throat and smiled cruelly before tearing the man's throat out with his long nails. Without further hesitation he dropped the body and beat his strange wings hard as he soared up to Argis and knelt down next to the fallen Nord.
So this is how it ends, thought Argis as he looked up into the surprisingly undistorted feature's of his husband. He had imagined he would have died in their house when his heart stopped. He never would have thought he would die at the hands of his vampiric husband who looked down, hungrily Argis imagined, at the blood that still leaked from the stab wound.
"Oh Argis, not you," murmured the vampire, his voice unnaturally deep, as his hands flared with the healing golden light that Argis was so familiar with. Though the wound sealed Argis could still feel his life fading away.
Panic struck across the vampire's features as he realized the spell wasn't enough. More pulses of golden light washed over Argis, but the Nord knew he was fading out. He would count himself lucky if he died before he felt his husband feed on him. Now that he could feel his time coming, he wasn't scared of dying. He had nearly died so often before, but this time there was no spell that could pull him back.
"I promised you that I'd never lose you, Argis. I wanted to give you the gift of immortality but not like this. I don't have a choice, I'm sorry," murmured the elf as he gently lifted Argis up. The Nord could feel those strangely thin wings supporting his back as his husband enfolded him in an embrace. An icy pinch in his neck told him that the vampire was feeding on him and he wept softly before darkness crawled across his vision.
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Ardanthis looked down at his husband fearfully after reverting to his natural form. He had spent the last decade trying to find a way to extend the Nord's lifespan without resorting to transforming him into a vampire but the situation had forced his hand. He had sworn so long ago that he wouldn't lose Argis, not for anything.
The Nord lingered at the edge of death, his old heart finally having given out, and his body seemed to be struggling with the vampirism that Ard had gifted him with. Sweat poured off Argis' brow and he shook slightly as the necromantic magic worked on his body. Powerless to help his husband, Ard simply sat by and smoothed the Nord's hair as he waited to see if his gift would take hold.
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Argis slowly opened his eyes and blinked groggily as sight returned to him. He sat up slowly and immediately saw Ard's relieved smile. "You made it!" exclaimed the elf with joy as he reached over and embraced the Nord warmly. Argis smiled and returned the embrace, not quite understanding why his husband was so excited.
His old shoulder didn't ache when he moved to return the hug and that began a landslide of memories. Pulling back he clutched at his neck and gasped in surprise and fear. "It's alright, Argis," murmured the elf as he gently took the Nord's face in his hands, "Your body accepted the vampirism and it'll all be ok now."
Panic surged in the Nord's mind as he tried to comprehend having lost his humanity. Was he a monster? He didn't feel like it.
He rushed to his feet, his head spinning, and turned towards the exit. "I don't know, love – what do I – how can I?" Argis murmured as his words stumbled over each other. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask.
"Don't worry, Argis. I'll walk you through this. I swore I'd never abandon you and I plan to keep that promise," said the elf soothingly as he took the Nord's hand. They collected the dazed human's dropped weapons and stepped out into the brilliant starlit night.
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Ard looked at his husband's grinning face as the sunlight streamed down on them and made Argis' blonde hair look like it was made of gold. It had been a decade since that day that Argis had embraced the night. The wizard had collapsed the cavern system behind him and the pair had vanished from the limelight of Skyrim's society. Only Runa and Hroar knew the truth about their parents but the rest of Skyrim was led to believe they had died in the cave in.
The pair slipped through the crowds of the various holds and acted like nothing more than visiting merchants of wealth. Having just fed the night before on a pretty girl they had charmed they walked the streets fearlessly. Ard had ensured the woman had survived their encounter none the worse for wear and the two vampires stepped through the streets of Windhelm with confidence.
They slipped past Hjerim in their travels and Ard smiled at the old building. Hroar frequently lived in the old building when he was in town but it stood silent and empty right now. Calder had surprisingly kept his word even after Ard had supposedly died. The housecarl had publicly lived a life worthy of the best of the Nord warriors and had died in his sleep five years ago.
Though it had been years since they had walked the city's streets, the ancient stones seemed unchanged by time. Crowds of people surged through the narrow streets of Windhelm, but they seemed to be made up of the same people that had populated the city decades ago. Individuals died but the crowd was nigh on eternal.
Exchanging a wordless glance and a smile, the pair headed towards the inn to look for their evening's entertainment and meal.
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The handsome young Imperial laughed that infectious laugh loudly as he was led to the room that the vampires had rented. His dark eyes sparkled with the wine and excitement as the Argis grinned at him. While shorter than either Argis or Ard, the Imperial grinned widely, his perfectly straight teeth flashing in the dimly lit hallway of the small inn set just beyond the Grey Quarter.
Dressed in finely tailored clothes, Argis led the man into their room and quickly swept him into a powerful embrace.
Ard was already disrobing as he hungrily eyed the two men passionately feeling each other's hard bodies. It seemed surreal to him that just a decade ago this would have sent him into a fearful anger as he thought his marriage was falling apart. Now? Now it only reminded him that Argis' joy was his joy and that forever lay before them. Long after this virile Imperial was dust in the ground they would be passing through the cities of Skyrim and experiencing the pleasures of life.
Argis pulled down the young man's pants and winked playfully at Ard as he bared the other man's perfect ass. With a wide grin, Ard moved in to give and take his share of the joy he knew so well.
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AN: And so it ends. Also, I know that vampirism doesn't reverse aging but just stops someone at that age but I hated the idea of an very strong but very old looking Argis, so I fudged it a little bit. My apologies if that bothered anyone. I also know that you can't cast healing spells in your vampire form, but I didn't want to let game mechanics make for a clunky story.
I can only thank everyone who actually read through this entire story and offered their criticisms to help me improve. I never actually intended for this to explode to this length, you know. It was actually my first foray into novel-esque writing and every piece of advice given to me has helped me improve my writing. I've read every single comment that's been left and each of them, positive or negative, has meant a lot to me because they mean that someone cared enough about the story to say something.
As my final message, I ask again for any sort of criticism or final comments that you might give. Did you like this ending? I also wonder which ending you guys thought was more fitting, this one or the second one. I'll mark the fic as completed, but any comments will still be emailed to me so don't doubt that I'll still be reading them!
P.S. There's a slightly different AN at the end of Epilogue B.