Azriel stared at the parchment. She had already written eight short letters, requests for favors from friends were easy to write. But this one was different and more personal for her. So many things cried out for her to say, but part of her wanted to say nothing at all.
He deserves so much more than nothing… Her emotions swirled inside of her as she rubbed her eyes. No, I'll write him and I'll tell him everything… She picked up her quill and dunked it into the ink. Her thoughts flowed around the words and feelings she never could get out in person.
~ Ulfric ~
There was a time I found you to be inspiring. At Helgen, your command, your authority… it gave me hope we'd survive the dragon's attack and find freedom. After, when I heard you speak, you settled my beliefs and molded them to fit your own. In the beginning I came to you to hear your words. I thought that after spending time with the Greybeards, you would set me free of the fear and confusion that being Dragonborn brought. I listened as you spoke of great deeds of men, the mantle of Nordic history, and the fondness you had for your people. I remember when you told me what the Dragonborn meant to Skyrim. You never sneered the way others did when saying 'warrior' or 'champion'. 'Bane of Dragons' and 'hero to men' you called me, even if I was only fifteen. You encouraged me to see the people of Skyrim for who they were and to explore your homeland's vast beauty. You told me to return to you when I was ready…
Ulfric, I did return. Not for war and not for dragons. I came to you because I was afraid of my dreams, of being Dragonborn, and because I felt so alone in the world. How I still long to hear you speak of great feats. To listen as you weave your tales of championing men and women of Skyrim. In days past, each return to Windhelm brought me a bit of hope, the world wasn't so bleak and that men could be inspired by greatness. The Bear of Markarth they called you and I listened. Born to lead Nords against the tyranny of the Dominion and the oppression the Empire forced you in. I remember the night you implored me to stay, to listen to old men spin their tales of the Great War and I did.
I remember every lesson you have ever taught me. I remember when my fondness for you changed. I remember that night. I remember everything.
How could I forget? Did you think I would? To watch as you, Ulfric, had men stripped and beaten. To know you extracted confession and information the way you did… I was appalled. After everything with the Thalmor, what lesson did you learn? Your words flowed like music, but they were sung by a devil. The man who preached about honor and returning to the old ways, the great bear, my inspiration… gone. Again, I found myself alone and lost. Now, you threaten my home and my companions. You offer rewards of wealth, of land, of fame. Where are your old ways? Where is your honor? You, Ulfric, have become the very thing you hate. Your oppression of the Elves, enslavement of Argonians, and despisement of the Khajiit… you are no better than the Thalmor.
I made my choice long ago to remain neutral. I came to you in hopes of finding peace. I came to you for guidance, for friendship, and most of all because you were my hero. Now, there will be blood… your blood. Payment for the blood you spill on your quest to be High King. Your hands are tainted with every atrocity done in your name. Every word ever uttered in a racist rant about Skyrim belonging to the Nords. Every foul deed committed against free men and women regardless of their race is your blame. I told you long ago that I carry no love for the Empire, but you… you will feel my wrath. You will feel my sword on your shield. I will never rest, I will never stop my pursuit, and never yield until your head lies separated from your neck at my feet.
And there is something else I want you to know.
I claim responsibility for the destruction of Winterhold wholly. But, it was you who damned them to their fate. The city you held in your name. The city you filled with men and women. Your garrisons, whore houses, and all the rest of it, I took from you. There were no innocents there, only the vile and the corrupt. I called that storm. I used the words I swore to you I would never would, after we saw together what it would do. And I enjoyed it, just as you enjoyed defiling the High Elf merchant in your prison. You took her because you thought she was mine. You took her out of hatred and spite for me. I took Winterhold for those same reasons. Borne of my hatred for you, I took every soul there. I don't regret what I've done, Ulfric. I don't regret it for those you force into squalor, prostitution, enslavement, or death. I don't regret it any more than you regret harming or destroy the lives of men and women who aren't Nords.
How I wish things could be different. I wish you were the man I thought you were. But, that man never existed. And for that I am to blame, for having false hope in the Great Bear as a foolish child. For having dreams that I could have the things I desired and with them, peace. You were right, Ulfric. Destiny has plans for me. I am the Dragonborn of the Nords. I am the Dragon of the North. I am a warrior of the people. But, you were also wrong… I am a believer that freedom belongs to all men, mer, and beast races. I am their champion now. I have chosen a side, Ulfric. I chose them and their freedom over you and your tyranny. I am coming for you, Ulfric Stormcloak. I am now your bane and I will be their champion. It is time… and time is always on my side.
I challenge you in the old Nordic ways, the ways of your forefathers. Together we'll finish it, on the field of honor. The Bear and the Dragon will have their final day under the watchful gaze of the Divines themselves. Sword for sword and soul for soul. Ulfric, on the 30th of Evening Star meet me where the snow and the sky touch on the plains. You remember it don't you? The place where I called that storm for you. Bring your witnesses, but leave your army behind.
May Sovngarde cull you, if you fail to appear.
~ Azriel the Dragonborn~
Azriel looked up when Theron slumped into the chair next to the hearth in silence, his eyes never leaving the flames that danced in place. She blew on the ink to dry it then stretched. Folding the letter, she added it to the pile she had written.
Both were unaware they were being watched.
"You alright?" Azriel looked at Theron as he shuffled in his chair.
Theron nodded, but remained quiet.
She took each letter and sealed them with wax. When she finished she looked at Theron and realized the boy was upset. "I'm sorry if I scared you." She placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling him flinch.
"I…" Theron swallowed. "I guess when your friend ate that Thalmor, it reminded me what happened to my Pa."
Serana held her breath and silently chastised herself for feeding in front of him.
Azriel sighed. "Theron, not all vampires are the same."
Theron nodded again, but didn't respond.
Azriel let out her breath and watched him shift again.
"I know they're not. The old one under the Hero of Kvatch's statue was always kind… Why are they so different here?"
His question was mumbled, but the watchful vampire had heard his words. They twisted in her gut. I don't know child, but I will change it if I can…
"Why can't they get along with us like they do in Cyrodiil? They only take bandits and the like…" He muttered.
At his words the vampire cocked her head. An elegant eyebrow slipped upward. This boy is different than others… almost accepting of it.
"I don't know, Theron. They are looking for something and if we can, were going to stop it. Their leader isn't kind like Serana and we need to stop him." Azriel looked at the stack of letters. "Go check and see how Jordis is doing. Take some coin with you. Get out and explore Solitude. Finish those tasks I gave you, see that these letters are delivered to the couriers' guild, and then enjoy the rest of your afternoon. Don't worry about us here, just go and explore the city."
Theron pushed back his chair, picking up the stack of letters. He left without a word.
Azriel planted her elbows on the table and ran her hand through her hair. She was absolutely drained. Her wolf paced in her mind as she stared at the table, trying to motivate herself to walk upstairs. The bed was more tempting than a bath at this point. Aela had disappeared to the street vendors and Serana had slipped upstairs when they walked through the door. She let her eyes close as her fingers massaged her scalp. Every part of her was exhausted and she felt like she was losing herself all over again. This time the reasons were different.
"You should take a bath…"
Azriel jumped with surprise that Serana had walked up on her. Lost in her own thoughts, she had missed the vampire's presence.
Serana sat quietly into the chair next to hers. "You're falling asleep, but I doubt highly you'd want to go to bed covered in blood."
Azriel lifted her head and looked at the vampire. Serana's emotions were shifting between concern and tension. Aela being gone was bad enough, but the distance between the three of them was wearing. Her wolf nipped at her. "What's wrong?"
For a moment, Serana sat quietly. Her thoughts drifted between her questions and dragging Azriel up the stairs to let her rest.
"How many lovers do you have?" Serana sat back in her chair, watching her.
Azriel let out a long sigh. "I had a few."
"How many is a few?"
Azriel watched her fold her arms together and tap her fingers on her sleeve.
"I haven't counted."
Serana frowned. A little too defensive… "Right… So, try counting for me."
Azriel took a breath preparing for the fight that was coming. "Why are you asking me this right now?"
"Well, so far I only count two. Elisif and Sapphire, but Aela says you've had more than a few."
Azriel sighed. Figures she'd know… "If you're asking me if I sleep around… The answer is yes. A warm bed and someone to share it with beats a cold dirt floor and hours of unending loneliness. It was a distraction for me, nothing more." Azriel looked away from her. "I would think you'd understand that by now. Given everything we've been through thus far."
Serana let herself relax and reached out, covering her hand. "Trust me. I do understand. I mean, I haven't done it myself, but I can see why you did. I just want your honesty. It's important to me."
Azriel savored the feeling of her touch and laid her right hand on top of it. The vampire's unusual warmth after so much cold felt good. How long has it been since that night? "I hold no interest in anyone other than you and Aela. You both claimed my heart."
"She's just as jealous as I am, Azriel. I think she needs to hear it as well."
"I'm well aware of how jealous she is." Azriel let her lips curl into a crooked grin taking her answer as acceptance.
Serana thought for a moment as she looked into Azriel's eyes, searching them. "You're not struggling anymore, are you?"
The dragon that watched her smiled. "Not with what we are."
For a moment both were silent. That's an unusual way for her to speak. We… not I.
"Have you thought more about your mother?" Azriel wanted to change the subject, it was too much to talk about and she was too tired for it.
"I have. I'm still at a loss though. I have no idea where she went." Serana lapsed back into thought.
Azriel smiled understandingly. "Come on. I have an idea."
"Where are we going?" Serana asked, standing as Azriel pulled her by her hand.
Azriel smirked at her. "The bath. It's a great place to think."
Serana growled at the thought. "Among other things…"
Sithis. Really? She had been wandering the market for over a couple of hours. Her mind revolved around the Dragonborn. Why Sithis?
She hadn't been able to go back with Serana and Azriel. Too many things weighed heavily on her mind. She had too many unanswered questions of her own. Too many thoughts about everything she had seen.
Sithis… I know some worship the Dread Father, even among the moon-born. But, why her…?
She chucked the empty mead bottle aside into the grass. That woman fails at every attempt for logic or reason…
Following the worn path back to the manor, she opened the door, making her way inside. Aela climbed the stairs of the empty manor from the basement. She had needed a bit of time for herself after everything. Coming to terms with the Azriel's personal changes was enough to handle, but the never ending list of things to do was becoming unbelievable. The war, vampires, Thalmor… it was a lot to take on for three people. Too much to take on… even with Movarth's aid.
The mid-level was empty as she continued her climb. The sweet scent of soap hit her nose when her foot touched the landing. She pushed open the door to their shared bed chamber and looked at the clothing on the floor.
Aela groaned looking at their discarded clothes.
She had been feeling several things over the past hour, but her arousal was the most prominent. She had thought on so many things, but the fact of the matter was it didn't change how she felt about Azriel or Serana. Her attraction outweighed everything else.
She swiftly walked to the door opposite the entry and let herself into the bathing chamber. The room was lit with pale yellow sunlight as it filtered through the paned glass. The steam coiled through the rays of light, playing against the stone of the room. In the center of the bathing chamber was a raised stone tub.
Azriel was laid back against the edge. Her eyes were closed, arm was tightly wrapped around the vampire that pushed against her. Azriel almost had a death grip on Serana. Her hand wound firmly into the vampire's loose, wet hair holding Serana to her neck. Her left hand on the vampire's waist and her fingers were digging into Serana's side.
Aela could hear the soft suckling sound as Serana slowly drank Azriel's blood.
She was drawn to them as she watched, her feet moving on their own. The look on Azriel's face was of contentment, her eyes closed. Her hands hastily moved over her armor as her fingers undid the buckles keeping it in place.
Aela let herself soak in the sight of the vampire's porcelain skin against Azriel's dark honey coloring. It was almost maddening how flawless Serana was. Not a single flaw decorated her surface.
At the steps she let the armor fall loudly to the floor, but neither woman moved. The only the sounds Aela could hear were Serana as she gently sucked against Azriel's skin and Azriel's heavy breathing. The heat of the water felt wonderful on her skin and she lowered herself into the bath. The ripples her body made on the water collided with a tame force on the vampire's back. Aela submerged under the water, soaking herself in the opulence that surrounded her.
When she broke the surface, the two women were watching her.
Azriel pushed herself away from the edge of the tub and sat up, withdrawing her hand from Serana's hair. Serana was still holding her close.
Aela stood, watching them. The ocean of the tub between them was daunting. For a rare moment, there was a trace of self-doubt.
She watched Azriel stand, the water hugging her hips. Aela let her vision drift over her sinewy form. The desire to lick the droplets of water that raced back to the warm pool down her stomach made her entire body ache.
Azriel reached out for a bar of soap and a wash cloth. Aela watched as she dunked it into the water and brought the cloth to lather.
Azriel looked up from the rag in her hands and smirked, chucking the soap aside. "Once again, you've found your way into my tub…"
Aela returned the grin and stepped forward to meet her. "So I did."
Azriel walked behind Aela, running the cloth around her chest to her back. Aela let her eyes drift close at her touch. "I guess that means you decided to join us for a bath?"
Aela didn't miss the sarcasm in Azriel's voice. "I could leave if you prefer…"
Azriel pressed the cloth to her back and placed her left hand on her hip. "Or you could shut up and let me wash you."
"Seeing as I'm already wet…?" Aela offered.
Azriel chuckled. "Not nearly wet enough, Huntress. But, I think we can change that."
Aela growled her approval, feeling Azriel move the cloth in slow circles on her back. Aela let her eyes open as Azriel ran the cloth around her side to her stomach. Serana was standing directly in front of her. Her eyes trailed over the pair with a ghost of a smirk on her lips. Aela watched her move closer to them, her hands reaching out and catching Aela on either side of her face, drawing her into a blistering kiss.
Aela and Serana pressing their bodies together made Azriel groan and watched as the two kissed. She picked up the pitcher next to the tub and filled it with water, pouring water over Aela's back. Azriel pushed the rag into Serana's hand as the two broke their kiss. "This requires… teamwork."
Serana's eyes caught hers for a moment than moved to the rag in her hand. She didn't linger on it as she moved her hand, mimicking Azriel's previous efforts. She traced her hand over Aela's side and Azriel caught it. Their fingers locked as Serana worked at methodically washing Aela's chest.
Azriel snaked her fingers into Aela's hair and drew her back, kissing her deeply for the first time since the cavern.
Serana watched as the maelstrom of emotions filled her. She could smell their lust as it clung to the air around them. Her eyes lingered on Aela's throat, listening to her and Azriel's heartbeat increase. Her throat burned from her hunger for them and it tore at her. She dropped the cloth in the steaming bath and picked up the pitcher Azriel had discarded. She freed her fingers from Azriel's grasp and she rinsed Aela of the soap, letting her hand travel over the Huntress' torso.
Aela's body shuddered under Serana's touch. She moaned into Azriel's mouth feeling Serana's fingers trace her stomach muscles and travel lower.
Azriel broke their kiss and tilted Aela's head. She kissed and nipped her way down her neck and shoulder. "Serana…" She felt Serana's fingers in her hair as pulled away from Aela. "Bite her. I want to watch…"
"What?" Serana's voice was no more than a throaty whisper. "Azriel, I can't do that." Serana was well aware she was gaping at Azriel.
Aela caught her hand. "You can… I want you too."
Serana looked between gold and silver, both captivating her with the longing contained in them. The unfathomable hunger for them both made her stomach twinge with her desire and it ripped through her with urgency. Her senses were already on edge because of them. Her mouth was watering to taste them on so many ways. The blood pounding through their veins was like a siren's song, crying out to her and each ticking moment made the fire within Serana unquenchable.
Aela pulled her closer, letting her hand rest on her side. "Do I need to inscribe it in stone?"
Azriel watched Serana's eyes as they changed. The twin fires were alight with her yearning. For that one moment Azriel wondered if she would surrender or refuse.
The flash in Serana's eyes caught Aela and her breath hitched. The flaming pools reflected the heat Aela could feel in her belly and she licked her lips.
Watching Aela's tongue travel her lips leaving a glossy wake was too much for her. Serana lunged for her. Her hand clamped down on Aela's shoulder as she pulled her close from her waist. For a fraction of a second, Azriel could see the flash of her fangs, before her lips graced Aela's skin. The chill of her bite caused Aela to cry out and Azriel moved closer, their combined emotions irresistibly primal. Her carnality for the two women was like a fountain of pure boiling passion.
Aela's seductive moans were like a sweet music to both Azriel and Serana's ears.
Azriel smirked, watching Serana's dark eyelashes flutter. She reached out, tenderly pushing Serana's damp hair from her face. She watched the vampire's eyes slip open and for every thought in her head, Azriel was struck by how much she truly loved her. The rapturous trance Serana's eyes held her in and the sentiments conveyed filled her. Serana's eyes closed once more as Azriel's fingers slipped affectionately down her cheek. Azriel let her other hand slip out of Aela's hair, instead snaking it around between Aela and Serana. She stroked her fingers over Aela's stomach, letting them gradually go down her abdomen.
Aela reached behind, pulling Azriel closer to her. Her fingers danced along Azriel's skin.
Azriel's fingers slipped into the saturated warmth of Aela's body. The gentle teasing eliciting moans of pleasure as Aela's hips rocked with the rhythm of Azriel's strum.
Aela's body boiled between the two women. Her moans grew on ragged breath and she dug her claws into Azriel. Her fingers wrapped tightly into Serana's hair, pushing against the vampire's head.
Serana groaned at the wintery flood running over her tongue. Her body was bathed in heat from the pair's bodies, their emotional coils enfolding her own. The splendor of Aela's blood coupled with their combined moods made the bloodlust difficult for her to control. The blood visions reared like shadows in her mind and she desperately pushed them away. She had no desire for the memories when so much was happening in the now.
Azriel's fingers pushed deeper into Aela, her movements cadenced to Aela's breathing.
Aela's entire body trembled, her need driving her closer to the edge of reason. It clawed at her at her from within and she cried out. Her nails unwittingly dug into Azriel's hip, breaking her skin. Azriel growled savagely into her ear, thrusting inside as far as she could. Aela screamed, pulling on Serana's hair. Her body shook violently from her climax between Serana and Azriel. Azriel's unrelenting and forceful fingers drove her well over the edge. With every pinnacle, Aela crushed the pair against herself. The need for each of them was devastating and the feel of them touching her overloaded her senses.
Serana carefully pulled her fangs from Aela's skin and held the woman as Aela's body calmed. She rested her head on Aela's strong shoulder and traced the lines of her back. Azriel's fingers grazed her own, shocking her.
"Maybe we should try the bed?"
Serana smirked into Aela's neck and looked up at Azriel's face, which was plastered with a very large grin.
"Good idea." Aela could barely get the words out. It took everything she had not to fall over into the water or Serana.
The three climbed from the bath and made their way quickly into the bed chamber.
Azriel pulled Serana into a suffocating kiss next to the bed.
Her right arm wrapped around the vampire's waist, she tangled her fingers into her hair and tilted Serana's head back. Serana gasped as Azriel lips kissed a trail down the center of her throat. Azriel let her hand fall, her nails riding against Serana's bare back. Azriel's kisses were trailing farther down to Serana's chest, leisurely. The feeling was so good, yet torturous for her and it made Serana moan louder. She grasped Azriel's hair tightly with both hands. Serana could feel the scorching heat of the twin suns that surrounded her. Their body heat made her feel as though she'd catch fire until she felt Aela's hand in her hair and on her shoulder.
Aela pulled her head around, crashing her lips against Serana's. Serana freed one hand from Azriel's hair, switching its position to the back of Aela's head. Aela's right hand slid over the woman's chest.
Azriel twirled her tongue around Serana's hard peak, alternatively sucking lightly against it with her lips. She moved her hand over Aela teasing fingertips, stroking them affectingly before returning it to caress Serana's skin.
Azriel's electric touch made is way lower over Serana's stomach, while Aela's icy trace provoked her agonizingly. Serana could no longer help the moans the pair elicited from her. Each of them was pulling her into unfathomable bliss. Her hips pushed into Azriel's as her lover's hand found its way to her dripping core. The first touch was so potent Serana bucked against Azriel fingers, grinding hard into her hand.
Aela pushed Azriel lower and moved her hand to replace Azriel's lips from their vacated place. Aela's tongue pushed its way past Serana's lips, exploring the cavern of her mouth. The lingering remnants of her own blood burned against her taste buds. Its persistent whine coupled with her own need and Aela growled lowly into their kiss.
Azriel's lupine fangs extended, grazing Serana's skin. Her own arousal from their act was becoming too much for her. Her desires bit at her as she kissed, nipped, and licked her way lower and she dropped to her knees in front of the vampire.
Aela shifted, breaking their kiss. She held Serana, guiding her to the bed behind them.
Azriel held Serana's calves as Aela pulled the vampire onto the bed. For a moment she watched them as Aela pushed her down onto the furs roughly. She caught Aela by her foot and Aela looked at her as she pinned Serana's wrists to the bed. "With her, be gentle." Azriel growled through her teeth.
Aela knew it wasn't a request. She looked down at Serana and could see the fear masked in her eyes and immediately loosened her grip. Aela leaned down, kissing her softly. "I won't hurt you."
"I know. It's just…"
Aela silenced her with another tantalizingly sweet kiss. "I promise, I will not hurt you. I want you to enjoy this as much as we do."
Serana nodded, her nose brushing against Aela's lips, her eyes never leaving Aela's. Aela smiled at her, letting Serana adjust under her once more, but she didn't tighten her grip on the vampire's wrists again. She glanced at the edge of the bed as Azriel pushed Serana's legs apart at the knees. She ran her hands over the outside of the vampire's smooth thighs while kissing her along the insides of them, working her way up.
Serana threw her head back as Azriel's lips brushed against her folds. With Aela's hand still gently holding her down, she couldn't move anything other than her hips.
Aela bent down, running her tongue down the vampire's cool neck to her chest.
Serana gasped again, twisting against both women under their ministrations. Her hips pushed, countering Azriel's fingers and tongue. Serana choked back another gasp against the flood of bliss as both women worked slowly and deliberately. Their gentle affections overpowered her will.
Gradually, Azriel's motions were building, moving faster. Serana was lost in a haze, clouding her mind, her self-control lost to the fog. Aela's hand let go of her wrists, but Serana didn't notice. Aela's fingers replaced her mouth, Serana's whimpers were muffled by Aela's mouth over hers.
Minutes stretched as three carried on, their fervor increasing with Serana's desperate movements for release. Serana screamed into Aela's kiss, her hips thrusting furiously against Azriel. Her nails tore at Aela's hair and back. Even in her in her frantic state, neither woman granted Serana reprieve.
Serana swept Aela off of her with a single arm, pinning her to the bed. Simultaneously catching Azriel's wrist and forcing her to stop.
"Had enough?" Aela growled.
Serana pulled Azriel up and pinned her next to Aela. "Not a chance."
Azriel laughed as the pair sprang at her.
Serana's fingers massaged the werewolf's scalp through her scarlet hair while staring at the sliver of sunlight peeking through the heavy curtains. Their body heat and their touch stimulated blissful contentment in her. Serana sighed in satisfaction as her fingers moved to work out the knots from Aela's hair.
The werewolf was lying on top of her with her head resting on her chest, sleeping tranquilly. The three were entwined from their embrace, and the feeling of it made Serana content.
Azriel nuzzled farther into her left side, the heat of her honeyed breath tickling the peak of her breast. Azriel's hand rested on her chest with Aela's on top. Serana traced the women's hands where they rested with fingertip. Her lips curled up feeling the stickiness that lingered on them. Aela shifted slightly on top of her. Her leg fell between Serana's, brushing her thigh against her sensitive nerves.
Serana bit her lip, taking a sharp breath.
The sun had only just risen and they had been in bed together since the previous afternoon. But, she had no intentions of disturbing them. After the many hours together, the pair had only just fallen asleep.
She let her mind drift lazily over the progression of the next couple hours.
They had bonded over the course of the night with her and she with them as much any vampire could. Their blood rolled lazily in her veins and their emotions tumbled together. She had no doubts in her mind of her standing with either woman and that gave her a great sense of peace. After so many years alone, she felt it almost necessary to rethink her previous ideas of family. They were very much a part of her life and she wasn't willing to part with them for any reason. She knew they felt the same, even if the words never left their lips, she had felt it in their blood.
She ran her hand over Azriel's side, feeling the deep curved scar. Her thoughts drifted to her mother and Azriel snuggled next to her. She pulled Azriel into her arm and held her, being careful not to wake her. For another hour she contemplated where her mother could have disappeared to. Each option seemed less likely than the last. Frustrating as it was, she did want to find her.
Azriel howled in her sleep, a low and haunting sound. Serana felt her feelings shift and listened to her heart pump faster. Azriel coughed and sputtered. Her breathing became ragged and Serana felt the fear swell in her. Azriel's claws extended and with a gasp she hurled herself out of the bed, waking Aela. Her golden eyes dark and canines extended. She snapped and snarled at them, bordering on transforming. Serana caught Aela's look for the briefest second as her silver eyes flashed with worry.
Aela jumped off of Serana and Azriel growled fiercely at her.
"Ahziial…" Serana whispered softly, drawing her attention.
Aela took another step towards Azriel and Azriel swiped at her. Aela grabbed Azriel's arm and shoved her into the dresser. "You can't transform here, Azriel. Get ahold of your wolf. I know you can hear me."
In an instant Serana was on her feet next to Aela restraining Azriel. "AHZIIAL, HELT!" The air around Azriel shimmered as it moved.
Azriel visibly relaxed and shook her head.
Aela cocked an eyebrow at Serana as Azriel shivered in their hands. "You're getting better at that…"
Serana only nodded as she ran her fingers down Azriel's cheek. "What did you dream of?"
Azriel rubbed her face, letting Aela guide her back to the bed. "At first I was walking through what I thought was a forest with a huge golden horse. It kept nudging me forward. The only sounds were of the wind and the ravens."
Azriel sat on the bed and Serana climbed in next to her, drawing the blanket over them.
Aela poured cold water into a goblet and brought it to her.
Azriel gratefully took a drink and continued. "We came to a clearing, the horse and I. It nuzzled me and I looked up. I wasn't in a forest, it was pikes. Thousands of them with the bodies of men and women skewered onto them."
Aela shivered at the thought.
"The dream changed. I was in that ancient hall again, the one with bone floors and cold, black stone walls. I was fighting that gray monster again, but this time I moved slow. It's movements were... I don't know how to describe it. It was like it… he… was a hallucination. He moved and it was a blur, then he'd disappear into mist."
Serana drew a shaky breath.
"Why were you coughing?" Aela pulled Azriel into an embrace.
"I was being drowned in mortal blood… in a bubbling fountain. I could taste it and my own. My body felt like rock, like I was paralyzed."
Serana took her hand. "Azriel, did this monster have… large wings?"
"It did."
"What did it look like exactly?"
Aela looked over Azriel at her. "Does this matter?"
"Please Aela, just let her answer." Serana rubbed her hand encouragingly. "Azriel, what did this monster look like?"
"It was taller than me with clammy gray skin. It had a row of pointed teeth. Its ears were swept up and it had a crown…"
Serana was trembling. "And the alter… what did it look like?"
"I'll show you." Azriel held out her hand and her ruck sack flew to it. She dug through her sack and pulled out Serana's collar. "Like this." She held it up for both of them to see.
"You're not telling us something." Aela looked directly at Serana. "What do you know about all this?"
Serana swallowed hard. "There are things I… we… can do."
Azriel squeezed her hand tightly. "It was just a dream. You don't have to talk about this."
"Shor's bones, Azriel. Let her speak." Aela dropped her hand onto theirs.
"It's alright, Azriel. I have to do this. You both need to know." Serana took a deep breath. "My family… clan… can alter our bodies much like you can when you become the wolf." Serana watched both their jaws drop. "Not the weaker vampires with the disease, but pure-bloods and half-blooded vampires can."
"Into what, exactly?" Aela watched Serana shift uncomfortably.
"Into that monstrosity Azriel accurately described." Serana looked away from them.
Azriel reached out cupping her chin and turning her face back. "Don't look away from us and don't be ashamed."
"It's… it's something I chose not to do. We are far more powerful in our true form than this one." Serana watched them carefully as she finished.
"Wait, what do you mean… 'your true form'?" Aela looked her over. "Is this not it?"
Azriel stared at her intensely. "How much more powerful?"
"Yes and no. This is my mortal form and how I became a vampire. Our true form is what was created by our vampirism by Lord Molag Bal." She could feel Aela's agitation rise and it was matched by Azriel's curiosity.
"Do you still worship Molag Bal?" Aela was careful with her question.
Serana laughed nervously. "How could I after everything?"
The layers of silver studied her and once more she found herself being probed by them. Aela's constant alertness at times was unnerving. She looked from silver to gold and found only unconcealed curiosity.
"Will you show us?" Azriel couldn't help the question. It was a part of Serana that was unknown to her and her hunger for knowledge consumed her.
"Azriel, I'm not proud of…"
Azriel interrupted her. "Please?"
For a moment the three were silent.
"I'm more aggressive in that form. It does things to me, my thirst is unbearable and completely insatiable. It's why I chose not to use it."
Aela was studying her and their eyes met. "There shouldn't be secrets between us, Serana. If there is another aspect to yourself, we should know of it."
Serana relented and stood. She walked to the locked door and turned around. "Remember, you asked for this." Serana bent down as crimson smoke enveloped her.
Azriel and Aela looked at each other as she did. Both faces were curious, but also concerned.
Blood sprayed across the room, evaporating in the air around them as Serana emerged. Her arms stretched and black talons extended. She unfolded her wings and looked down on them in the bed. Their startled faces stared at her and she laughed at them. "This is what you wanted to see, isn't it?"
"By Talos…" Aela barely started to speak. She didn't have words for what she was looking at. "You're… you…"
"You're floating!" Azriel stared at her feet and worked her way up.
In a blink of an eye, Serana was on them, pinning them down. "You both smell… delicious." Her voice was deeper and more vicious. A cruel growl tinged every word.
Her wings spread around them and the pair stared up at her. Serana chuckled darkly. "In this form we are the most powerful, our thirst uncontainable." Serana narrowed her eyes, their combined smells irresistible. "Blood magic serves us in ways you can't imagine."
Her clawed fingers flexed in both women's chests. "Blood magic allows us to levitate, Ahziial."
Aela let a low growl of warning escape her lips and Serana eased the pressure she was applying to them, but still held them firmly in place.
"Let us up, Serana. Even in this form you are still in control." Aela growled at her.
Serana bent lower. "I find this position suits me, Aela."
Aela's eyes changed to amber as her wolf howled. Azriel's wolf responded, both were on the defensive.
The howling in her mind snapped her attention back to what she was about to do to them and Serana sat up. Her wings still draped around them, but she removed her hands.
Azriel placed a hand over Aela's and followed the extra appendages on Serana's body with her eyes. "So. Not. Fair."
Her comment caught both Serana and Aela's attention with its amusement. Even the wolves were stunned.
"What's not fair?" Aela looked where she was.
Azriel ran her fingers over Serana's wings. "You have wings! Real ones! Like a dragon!"
Serana laughed wickedly. "Of everything… that's what catches your attention?" Serana let Azriel wiggle free and climb to her knees in front of her.
"We have teeth and claws, but you… you have wings." Azriel's hands traced over Serana's wings from where they met her back to their clawed joint. "Can you fly?"
Serana had never had anyone touch her before in this form before. The heat on her pale skin and the smells and sounds of the two women was taxing. "I can."
Azriel looked at her face and finally noticed all the changes. "Stay like this for me…"
Serana's obsidian hair was long, covering her head. The ends of it graciously reaching the top of her stomach. The blood red dress she wore wrapped tightly around her top and flared at her hips slightly. Slits ran from her upper thighs to her ankles. The dress had no straps nor back and had cuts along the sides.
"You really are a princess." Aela had climbed out from under her as well and was looking at the unusual crown on her head, her curiosity winning her over after Serana's aggression had eased.
Serana chuckled as their bodies touched hers. Their roaming hands brought heat to her deathly chill. "One is interested in my wings, the other in the crown. Do neither of you see the monster that I truly am?"
Aela looked into her cerise eyes, her fingers following the sharp angles of Serana's cheeks. "I see only my mate before me."
Serana rocked back on her heels. Her wing wrapped around Aela and carefully she stroked her naked body with it. "I wish that were true. I am a monster, Aela."
"What do you see when we are cloaked in fur?" Azriel studied her every detail. "You are still you, Serana."
The fanged grin formed on Serana's face. She looked between them and Aela's finger gently followed her ear. "You're both insane. I could destroy you…"
"But, you won't." Aela answered quietly. "You'd destroy yourself in the process. Even through your blood lust I can feel you. I know what you are and you are not a monster, Serana. This is just another part of you and you control it."
Azriel went back to her wings, gently bending one to inspect. "And you can fly…" Azriel sighed, looking at her wings and tracing the thin tissue with her hands. "You have no idea how jealous I am of that."
"I can't believe you're stuck on that." Aela joked.
"Um… I'm the only wingless dragon I know." Azriel pouted then turned her attention on the broach holding her dress together at her bosom.
Serana looked down as Azriel unclasped the dress, peeling away the wrapped layers. "What are you doing?" Her tone was placid and teasing. "That's not supposed to come undone."
Azriel chuckled. "As if a lock is going to stop me, besides I just wanted a better look at you."
Aela shook her head. "You're insatiable, you know that right?"
Azriel smiled as the dress dropped away. "Shut up and help me pin our vampire to the bed." Azriel looked back up at Serana. "Ever have sex in this form?"
Serana chortled quietly as Azriel traced the backs of her fingers over Serana's stomach. "No… you know this."
"Then we need to change that." Aela smirked, pushing Serana over. "No claws, vampire."
"Do you want any help?"
Aela looked up from the cutting board. "Keep your flames away from our dinner, mage."
Azriel snorted with laughter. "Suit yourself."
Theron poured milk into his cup with a snigger. "You can't cook?"
Azriel dropped into the chair next to Serana's. "Not even a little bit."
Serana let her smile linger as she took a sip of wine.
"What about alchemy?" Theron asked curiously.
Azriel smiled. "I like to burn things. I can't cook or do alchemy. I don't have the patience or the understanding." Azriel took a drink of her wine and thought for a moment. "Besides, I'd look ridiculous out picking flowers. 'Savior of the world out picking flowers'." Azriel mimicked a Nord's accent. "I'd never hear the end of it. It's like that damn saying 'milk-drinker'."
Theron looked down at his cup and Azriel laughed. "I don't think it applies to you, Theron. Besides, I like milk."
Theron blushed and set the cup down.
Aela rolled her eyes. "I did try to teach you, but you..."
"Caught the bowl on fire, burned everything including the spoon, and melted the pot. Yes, yes, I know. When are you ever going to let that go?"
Aela contemplated it with a soft laugh. "Never."
"It's not like I can learn to cook or do alchemy from taking a dragon soul." Azriel countered.
Serana set down her goblet and looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"Dragons don't cook or do alchemy." Azriel replied sarcastically.
Serana playfully glared and threw an onion at her. "I know that. You can learn anything from them? Anything?"
Azriel nodded. "I learned enchanting at the College. But, a dragon taught me how to do it properly." She got up and walked to the bookshelf and pulled down a book. "I read this and found a dragon that could answer my questions. We had to fight first, but I did spare him." She handed the book Twin Secrets to Serana.
Serana flipped through the book, noticing the writing in the margins.
"He helped with my understanding of magic too. He told me if I could understand how a spell worked, I could enchant."
Serana tore her eyes away from the scratched draconic language and looked at her. "How so?"
"Well, I can't use most of the schools. Remember when I told you light and heat were related? I can make a light, but I can't create magical barriers or make my skin stronger. I can do kinesis, but I was born with that. Really, I can only manipulate elemental forces. It's natural for me and Vulonyoloskrif said it was natural for dragons."
Aela unwrapped the fish and began to season it. "Explains why you don't burn."
Azriel cleared her throat. "Not, exactly." She mumbled the words, but both women heard her.
Aela stopped what she was doing. A cold feeling spread through her body and she looked at Azriel. "And you mean what by that?"
"I was resistant to it, but not immune. After getting burned so many times in my life, I cut a deal to become protected from it. I am invulnerable from all forms of elemental magic. But, I am more susceptible to other things now. It was a tradeoff and I don't regret it."
Aela stood up and looked at her. "Meaning?"
Serana shared a look with Aela. "Who did you broker a deal with?"
Theron moved to the edge of his seat.
"Dagon."
Theron squeaked and cover his mouth. "But he's… evil. He…"
"I know. But, I don't regret it." Azriel replied simply. "Poisons are the worst ones. Acids, venom, silver, it's why I scar and it's why I get sick from so much as looking at nightshade. My body takes it harder than most because to become impervious to one thing, I had to take weakness to another. At the time I didn't think it would be that big of a deal."
Aela's mouth hung open. "I didn't understand when that priest called you Oblivion Walker…"
Serana caught Azriel's hand. "What did you trade him for?"
"He wanted a drop of my blood. In trade, he would teach me how to read the Sigil Stones and become completely resistant to elemental magic. The idea I couldn't be burned again after everything… I gave him what he wanted without a second thought."
"You went to the Deadlands like the Hero of Kvatch?" Theron was in awe.
"Theron, it's not a place you ever want to take a vacation to."
"Somehow I doubt you got off easily with a deal like that." Azriel could see Aela was searching for everything she hadn't said.
Azriel looked at her wine. "No, I didn't. My fear of water… I've always had it. But, it became worse because I can control the elements. I know it doesn't make sense. But, fire is the most dominant for me. It's like a friend I know intimately, I understand it, I feel it. Water is this calm, silent, destructive force that I can't master. I hear it inside of me, but its quiet ferocity is terrifying. It's like a war that overcomes me inside and I panic in water." Azriel took a drink. "I love baths, because they calm me and let me think. But, anything more than that and I'm a shaking mess. Because it's like part of me know that it will crush me and that it will extinguish my own fire no matter how hotly it burns."
No one spoke as she thought and Azriel let her thoughts flow.
"You'd think that water would be the same as ice for me. But, it's not. I can use it totally different than fire, but I know it just as intimately. It burns in its own way, but water just takes… consuming everything in its path. Either quickly or slowly, it always wins." Azriel shivered. "It's petrifying how terrible it is. I've tried to use it and I almost drowned."
"And the stones?" Serana asked quietly.
"The Sigil Stones when I read them possess another power. They're dark magic and…" Her voice faltered.
"They're addictive, aren't they?" Serana tugged her hand, drawing her attention. "The power they possess isn't for mortals, Azriel. Even if you aren't truly mortal, they can put an end to you."
Azriel looked at her. "You have no idea what I've learned from them and I know you're right. It's like they should be with Mora rather than Dagon. They speak of fire and destruction. They're like a piece of chaos… that they can command everything around you, but only in part." Azriel relaxed against her chair. "You don't just read them, you know them in the darkest reaches of yourself. Each time, you grow more attached and more addicted to them. I learned so much from them, but I can't stop the cravings for it. It's like a black smoldering flame that burns inside of me now, wanting more fuel."
"Azriel, Daedric magic is incredibly powerful. You're messing with things you don't understand. Trust me, I know…"
"When I was looking for the Elder Scroll to stop Alduin, I read the Oghma Infinium. There was this voice in the back of my mind asked me to choose my path. I chose magic and I watched the letters shift on the pages as I read them. But, it didn't sate my thirst for knowledge." Azriel could see her concern. "But, what it taught me… that was power. It taught me a means of control and how to really understand magic. I learned to make my fire hotter and the ice colder. It made my thirst for knowledge…" Azriel finished with a growl.
"It made it worse." Serana finished for her and Azriel nodded.
They looked at each other for a long moment, but it was Aela's voice that interrupted them. "Why did he want a drop of your blood?"
Serana cleared her throat. "It's a means of opening an Oblivion gate. Azriel is part Aedra. Her dragon blood combined with other magical items would be strong enough to open one."
"I didn't know that at the time. I didn't know anything about the last Septim either." Azriel withdrew her hand from Serana's. "The one that became the avatar of Akatosh... Martin." Serana nodded at her in understanding. "I still don't regret it, but I know someday I may have to deal with my selfish decision."
Everyone was quiet as they ate. Theron kept looking up at them like he was about to speak, but would quickly retreat.
"Do you have something to say?" Aela dug her fork into her fish, never looking up.
Theron looked over at her, then to Azriel. "What's it like?"
Azriel finished chewing a bite of potato. "What's what like?"
"Being Dragonborn and the daughter of a Divine?" Theron watched her look at him incredulously, mistaking it for permission to continue. "I'm mean, you get to fight dragons and monsters. And you're the Grand Champion of the Arena… how come you don't want anyone to know? How did you end up going from the Penitus Oculatus guard to being in Skyrim? Does the Emperor know who you are? Are you like the Hero of Kvatch?"
Azriel rubbed her face. She mentally reminded herself he was a child and to not kill him. She counted to ten in her head, before answering. "Honestly?"
Theron nodded eagerly.
"It sucks. It's not the blessing everyone would have you believe. It's really a curse. I was never in the White-Gold Tower, I have no idea why they said that in the book, and the Emperor is an idiot."
"But, the Emperor led the Nordic legions into the Battle of the Red Ring… He saved Cyrodiil."
"In turn he gave the Dominion everything it originally asked for, whelp. You're a Nord. You believe in Talos, do you not?" Aela had felt Azriel's frustration.
Theron thought for a moment. "But, father said he had too."
Aela glared at the boy. "Nords fell in line with the Empire only to watch him mismanage his army. They use old tactics and haven't modernized in over two hundred years. The damned Elves could have been pushed back, but he yielded under the strain to save his own skin. Hammerfell is still alive with conflict and Nords that remained behind helped Redguards push those damn elves back."
Theron shrunk under her piercing gaze. "Then why help the Legion?"
"The Companions have been fighting in Skyrim since Ysgramor's return. I will fight for the Legion as my mother did, but as a Companion like her. It's why I marked the old paths down for Tullius and gave him means to cut off the Stormcloaks from their routes. Trade caravans and armies use the main roads. We know these paths like the backs of our hands. It's our land and we know every bit of it and the knowledge has been passed on for generations." Aela took a drink of mead. "Besides, Azriel is right. Under Stormcloak rule, Skyrim would be a different place and I want my homeland whole again."
Azriel smiled at her.
"But that doesn't explain why you would help the Legion."
Serana rubbed her temples as she listened to them. "Sometimes, Theron, the world is much more complicated than it seems. By helping the Legion, the racism that's rampant against others could be eventually overcome. People could learn to tolerate one another and eventually live together."
"Oh." Theron scratched his chin and picked up his fork. He was about to take a bite and stopped again. "So you're like the Hero of Kvatch? I want to be just like him."
Azriel sighed, he didn't understand. Growing up under a statue of Cyrodiil's savior only lead to ideas in his mind, ideas she knew the truth about. "Theron, trust me when I say you don't want this. The Hero of Kvatch, me… this isn't a life."
"But, he saved the Empire! He was a Blade and one of the Knights of the Nine! He was awesome with…"
Azriel slammed her hand onto the table and everyone jumped. "Do you know what happened to him?" The words ground out of her throat in anger.
Theron shook his head quickly, recoiling from her.
"He went as mad as you can go, Theron."
"What do you mean?" Serana sat forward on her chair. She reached out for Azriel to calm her, but Azriel withdrew.
"He met a fate that the gods left him for, colder than anything and they never intervened. Is that fair? To save the world from destruction, only find your own…"
"Azriel, he's just a child." Serana whispered to her.
Azriel ignored her. "Just over two hundred years ago there were sixteen Daedric Princes. After the last Oblivion Gate closed, he disappeared. There are seventeen Daedric Princes now, Theron. Do you know why?"
Theron's eyes were wide as he stared at her.
"Azriel, that's enough. You're frightening the boy." Aela glared at her.
"Because the Hero of Kvatch relieved Jyggalag of his curse, the curse that bound him to becoming Sheogorath. I met him. I saw that Argonian for a hair of a second. Just when I thought I would make it out unscathed, I knew the gods had abandoned him. He went to the Shivering Isles never to return. And you know what? When they are done with me, they also will abandon me, just as they did him."
Serana watched Theron shake. "Azriel, please stop."
"For the time I was with Sheogorath, he trapped me inside the mind of a dead Emperor... Pelagius the Mad. I lost every bit of my sanity, just as your hero did."
"I said that is enough, Dragonborn!" Aela yelled at her.
Azriel realized she was holding Theron's tunic. The boy's eyes were filled with fear and she let go. "We're sorry."
She sat back in her chair and stared at her food.
Aela raised an eyebrow at her. We?
Azriel could feel their stares and her cheeks heated with a flush. She rubbed her face and sat quietly, unable to look up. She buried her head in her hands. "You don't want this, Theron. I hope the gods never answer your prayer to be as damned as us." Her voice was so low, only the vampire and the werewolf could hear her.
Aela looked at Serana, both were desperate to change the subject. She thought quickly and managed to come up with a topic. "Have you thought more about your mother, Serana?"
Serana drained her wine, watching Theron nervously resume his dinner. "I have, but like I said… I have no idea where she went. 'Someplace your father will never look' isn't exactly helpful, since there isn't any place I could image that he wouldn't search."
"Your parents don't get along?" Theron took a bite of fish and chewed, watching Serana expectantly. He avoided looking at Azriel altogether.
"They haven't in a long while. My mother and I left our home to escape from him." Serana pulled another bottle from the shelf behind her and opened it. "It was cryptic though. I mean the way she said it, it was like she was drawing attention to it without doing so."
Theron smiled at her. "I used to hide from my mother in the house when I was little. It was a game we'd play when it was raining. I'd hide under the floorboards, under my bed and she never found me."
Serana grinned sadly at him.
"Maybe she's just hiding at your home where he can't find her."
Serana's face fell as the wheels in her mind clicked into place. "That almost makes sense…"
"That's she's hiding in your castle?" Aela's question was riddled with doubt.
"My father is a stubborn man, but hiding under his nose..." Serana became lost in her memories. "My mother used to tend a garden in our courtyard. It was her pride and joy…"
"So you want to go back to the castle and look for your cowardly mother, while your father is hunting us? This isn't a good idea." Everyone at the table looked at Azriel.
"Since when, are you the voice of reason?" Aela scoffed at her.
"Since, I took a blow to the eyes from a vampire that tried to kill all three of us." Azriel answered her cheekily.
"Azriel, my mother… she isn't a coward."
Azriel made an unconvinced face. "I could tell when she locked you in a box and ran away from your father for eternity."
Serana couldn't argue with her logic. It did seem like a cowardly move and her mother had a number of things to answer for in her mind. "Look, it's not like I think we'll trip over her there. But, there must be some clue as to where she went."
Azriel growled at the idea. "Fine, we'll go to your castle, Princess. But, your father is undoubtedly going to have doubled or tripled his guard. How are we supposed to get inside?"
Serana pondered the question. "There used to be a dock in the back of the castle. The previous owners used it to bring in supplies. We'll head there."
"And your father's guard? What of them?" Aela wasn't sure that access would be that easy. "There are only three of us."
'Even odds.' Azriel mouthed at her and Aela smirked.
"My father is both stubborn and arrogant. He typically uses trained assassins as hunters. They are good at killing, but not at fighting since he uses weak-blooded vampires. It's disgusting, but he sees them as expendable and more or less like he does with mortals."
Theron looked appalled. "He eats them?"
Serana laughed at the question. "No, he doesn't eat them. He just uses them and doesn't care when they die."
Theron shivered. "I can see why you ran away."
Serana nodded back at him. "Even by vampire standards, he's not a very good person."
Thanks Tomed Ceht for proof reading! Thanks MightyMerlin and Child of Sithis for being sounding boards.