[AUTHOR'S NOTES: I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read and enjoy my stories! These chapters are long, but I can promise every detail drives the plot. I focus heavily on character development and descriptions of visuals and try my best to not include needless detail that doesn't correlate to the story. I hope you enjoy the read, and interest to see a new Dawnguard story which coincides with the Companions.
I have been working on this hefty novel since March of last year, and finally finished it last October. I'll be uploading it casually through the weeks till it is all finished. Really no time frame, it'll be random submits but there won't be a lengthy wait time. There are over 30 chapters, all juicy chapters with my depictions of the Companions, Dawnguard, Volkihar, and even characters in some of the major Holds. I've done my utmost to stay true to the characters so it feels like Elder Scrolls penmanship. But if you feel like I didn't capture a character as it should be please don't shy from letting me know.
Thank you all and please don't shy from any critique or advice!]
Prologue
The coldest of nights gloomed over the Pale in the high reaches of Skyrim's long winter. It was the 23rd of Evening Star, and the brittle cold of the stale air under a clear night sky could crack the glass of Nightgate Inn's oriel windows. In the late hours of the evening, a young woman emerged from the Inn. She was ghostly pale and fair, her long dark hair kept in neat, frilling braids. The young woman pulled her cloak over her shoulders and pulled her fur-rimmed hood over her chilling ears.
"Are you certain you want to be travelling in this treacherous weather?" Harding asked in concern to the young maiden, "The chill could cripple a frost atronach…"
"I'll be just toasty with the warming mead and fine foods in my belly, thanks to the generous hospitality of your charming little inn. What a gem, I'm happy I stopped here when I did," the young woman replied humbly. The innkeeper of the remote tavern returned a smile.
"You're too kind. I just don't feel right watching you leave into this bitter cold. Wait till the morning, at least. The sun rays can keep you warm," he persisted as he kept the door open for the young woman, who made a prompt reply.
"Oh no, I'm far too behind as it is. I've travelled in worse than this! I'll be just fine, I'm almost to Dawnstar anyway. Frida will need her ingredients before they spoil," the woman said in a high, optimistic chirp as she beamed a grin on her way out.
Hadring grinned, "Ah, good ol' Frida," he had a chuckle in his throat and chortled, "I suppose she'll give you a thrashing if you don't make haste!"
The woman snickered, "So I best get to it, shouldn't I? Ha-ha!" She pattered down the frosty steps of the inn and onto the snow trail, then called back to the innkeeper, "Farewell! Zenithar's blessings to you!"
"And to you! Safe travels!" He closed his doors before him. The woman began to trudge through high, heaping snow. It generously drifted across her path as the chills grew more piercing out of the shield of pine tree groves. She ambled into the plains and the winds grew fiercer. She shrouded into her cloak, pulling the fabric across the bottom of her chin and to her chest. She headed into more reaching groves through The Pale. The pine trees began to blanket her and blot the night sky which dwindled the thrashing winds. With a small bit of relief, she picked up pace through the grove. The sounds of the forest were deafening of silence. The winds blew softly through the upper treetops.
Suddenly she heard a soft crack of a twig in the vast darkness of the woods beside her. She slowed her pace to the startling noise and gawked into the thick shadows. There was nothing distinct in the grove, or further movement to be seen. She stayed hopeful it was merely a rabbit grazing. She continued her trek, cautiously examining the walling darkness of woods to her sides. She fetched a readied torch from her knapsack as she knelt down over the cobblestone path to light it. She pried for her flint and steel and before she had a chance to strike the fire; thudding footsteps came sprawling behind her. The woman dropped the tools in her hand and shot up with a gasp as her shoulders were gripped and pushed to the cold floor of the trail. The woman unleashed a horrified squeal as two glowing red eyes gawked widely. Her neck was tightly grabbed as the monster parted its jaw to reveal four razor sharp fangs and a demonic snarl escaping through them. The woman thrashed and panted with frantic screams to release herself from the creature, but its strength persisted.
Then a dim light from behind the monster's head revealed it was a man with piercing red eyes and insidious yellow pupils- with sharp fangs and wearing ghastly dark apparel. Suddenly a violent sound through it's chest emerged, as a blade pierced through from overhead. The monster jolted and shrilled in pain as the woman continued to scream. The blade sliced down through the monster's chest and down its spine and belly. Blood came pooling down from the wound and bathing the terrified woman. The body was kicked off her and to her side. She sat up in panic as she heaved from the blood and dread of the violent slaying before her.
The light was from torches held by two Nords wearing matching, sky blue cloaks draped over silver, glistening armour. The man before her wielded the blood-smothered blade which slew the monster. She stayed petrified on the ground with heavy breath as she gawked up at them, helplessly.
One Nord spoke aloud, "Good evening, ma'am. We are the Vigilants of Stendarr. A moment too late you would have been a meal for this blood-sucking fiend here."
The woman stammered and pouted; struggling to find a word to utter amongst the shock.
The second Nord man declared righteously, "Do not fret. You are safe now… please continue in your travels. We do not expect gratitude or compensation. Your life to be lived in its full- away from these heathens, is all we pursue."
She blubbered defeatedly, "But…I… I'm," the woman stammered with tears swelling in her eyes, then a frantic, angered tone erupted, "I am covered in blood!! You couldn't have gotten him off first?!"
The Vigilants went stunned as the woman grunted and pressed herself off the floor of the forest ground, "Now I have to walk in this blistering chill coated in this filth! Disgusting!"
The Vigilant sheathed his blood-soaked blade and affirmed, "Ma'am, this vampire would have killed you or turned you. Either way, you'd be dead now, do you understand? Savour your rescue. Learn to be grateful for the mercy of Stendarr now. If not for us; for his grace."
The woman scoffed in a petulant shrill, "Bah! At least the vampire wouldn't have made a mess of my favourite, custom-made blouse! Damn fanatics…" she stuck her nose up and pattered down the path grumbling under her breath. The Vigilants stayed aloofly staring, disappointed by the unexpected reaction they received.
After a brief moment of dejected silence, one Vigilant assured, "Don't worry. It's a thankless job most days. At least we got this bastard before he killed anyone else. Gratitude is the least of our expectations…"
The other Vigilant replied looking forlorn, "Still… some gratitude would be nice. You ever feel like we are doing more harm than good? Like our efforts are in vain?"
"That's hopeless thinking," his peer asserted, "The people of Skyrim may be too dim to realize it, but we are protecting them from the damnable evils of the daedra. This beast," the Vigilant kicked the body of the fallen vampire and continued, "… his death is everything we are doing right for Skyrim. Stendarr's mercy guides us as we share none to those who oppose it. Do not falter now. We may celebrate in our own rights when we get back to the hall. Come, let's go let Carcette know of our success!" The Vigilant patted the other on the back and lit their way home to the Hall of the Vigilant residing in The Pale.
Inside the two were greeted by warmth and comradeship as they entered the hall. It was a hub of those in priesthood to Stendarr, one of the Divines who instructed mercy. However, the Vigilants of Stendarr had none to spare to those of daedra or any affiliated with the beings. Which included vampires, werewolves and witches. They sought any of these creatures out and would stop at no force to destroy them.
As the two Vigilants entered the hall through the wind whistling door, a comrade greeted gladly to the pair, "Ah! You two are finally back! So, what news then? Did you finally kill it?"
One proudly stated, "Of course! Tried to feed on a poor girl along the trails. We gutted the beast before he had a chance to sink his fangs in."
"Ah, well done, brothers. You sure she wasn't turned? You know the procedure for when an innocent is turned," their comrade cautiously raised.
"No, we saw the whole thing. She gets to live another day under Stendarr's gaze," he assured then perked his head to the side, "Where is Carcette? I need a word with her if she can spare the time."
He affirmed, "She's in her quarters, studying these recent vampire attacks, as far as I know…" The Vigilant nodded in thanks and made his way to Carcette.
He knocked timidly onto the wooden frame and a woman blurted from behind, "Come in!"
The doors creaked open and the Nord Vigilant made his entrance and said, "Stendarr's greetings, Carcette."
Carcette beamed from her desk riddled in scrolls, books and ink; the room lit by generous candlelight, "Ahh, Adalvald. You've returned. How was the hunt? I hope the vampire lays ravaged…"
"He's fallen by the Vigil. These vampires are starting to become a problem," the Vigilant lamented, "We've had numerous deaths by these attacks. Some we can help, others we only haplessly hear of. During our trek we heard of at least two more incidents in Skyrim. A vampire slew a whole family in The Rift. Then a whole brigade exterminated a Fort of Imperial soldiers in Falkreath Hold! We do not have enough of the Vigil to spare to these corners. I fear what's to come… this can't be normal."
Carcette sighed dejectedly, "No, it's not. These are not planned, either. They are almost random. It's because their numbers are rising," she gloomed down to her notes and without making eye contact, alarmed to Adalvald, "this attack would be the twelfth incident this month…"
"By Stendarr's horn!" The Vigilant Adalvald exclaimed as his face went pale, "The vampires have never been this brazen before!"
Carcette explained grievously, "I have received word from a former colleague. Old fool is reassembling the Dawnguard and he's requested our council in handling the vampires. He claims it's a crisis. There could be any number of causes, so we shouldn't assume it's a crisis just yet. But yes, I agree, Brother Adalvald, it's certainly not good. We must tread our next steps with extreme care."
Suddenly frantic shouting was heard in the main hall; catching the attention of Vigilant Adalvald and Keeper Carcette. They stormed out the quarters to arid smoke building inside. The strong smell of smouldering wood and stinging fumes watered their eyes as the herd of Vigilants inside the hall clamoured at the door.
Carcette blurted, "What is happening?!"
"We are under attack!!" One Vigilant bellowed, "They barred the door!" The flames began to catch along the walls.
Adalvald ran to a chair and threw it against a window. The glass shattered and he broke away the remaining shards, letting the smoke vent out.
He covered his face and mouth with his arm and demanded to his panicking colleagues, "Through the window! Now!!"
He pried through the narrow opening and cried as he was pulled through by something on the other side. The Vigilants were met with the horror of his agonizing screams from the outside. A head appeared through the window where flames grew by the oxygen allowed to vent. It grinned menacingly with glowing red eyes, and sharp fangs.
"Stendarr's mercy, they've found us!" Carcette wailed in dread. The flames from within carried larger and the walls around the Vigilants began to cave as the fire collapsed the hall. The agonizing screams of the Vigils echoed sinisterly through the near reaches of The Pale. A crowd of vampires slowly gathered to behold the destruction of the hall and the Vigilants inside it.
As hours went into the midnight, the fire began to dwindle as the crumbling hall was left in smouldering wreckage. The vampires crept inside the extinguished hall, flattening charcoaled bodies into dust with their boots. Their leader smirked and menacingly cackled at the destruction.
A vampire behind him revelled in a lecherous voice, "By the blood, what a show. The Vigils screamed like pitiful infants— such cowards. Vingalmo will be most pleased with our success here, Lokil," he thrilled his red eyes at the wreckage of the hall.
Lokil glowered as he replied, "My success, you nitwit. I do not answer to that arrogant High Elf, I answer to our lord, and him only. But yes, he will reward me greatly. Stendarr's puppets lay in crumbling ash, as it should be. Without their interfering, our lord's vision will be made a reality."
The vampires could hear heavy panting from under a crumbling table in the centre of the hall. They approached the noise which began to wheeze and whistle with every breath. Lokil flipped the table which revealed Carcette barely breathing from the black, scalded burns across her body. Her hair was incinerated off her charred and golden scalp. She breathed haggardly and pried her red veined eyes up at the vampires glaring down at her. She gripped a Stendarr's amulet in her scorched hand before wheezing her last words.
"If… ahh. If not by our hand. Sten… ugh... Stendarr will drag you… to the ligh—AGH!!!" She shrilled hoarsely as Lokil's boot stomped to her chest. She panted and ached, gargling.
Lokil leered down to her whilst unsheathing his sword, "Your light won't last long, Vigilant. Neither will the light that protects your fellow mortals. Not for long…"
Carcette shivered and quaked with one last breath before his blade pierced straight down into her neck. He ripped his blade out where her breathing ceased, and eyes went still. The fellow vampires alongside Lokil gathered behind him, their yellow and red eyes glowing ominously among the shadows of the crumbling hall.
"Our reign starts here," Lokil grinned, "We will live in fear no longer. The burden of the sun will cease to exist. Vampire hunters will flee in terror and the tender civilizations will quake at our sight. Our lord will guide us to be the dynasty of Tamriel, and our insatiable hunger for blood will always be slaked! Soon no force can muster to stop us!"
The vampires hissed and hailed in celebration. The midnight sky cleared as the two moons shined brightly along the Hall of Vigilants which was swarmed by the looming eyes of vampires. The smoke from the hall drifted into the air over the reaching mountains and into the clouds. A grim victory had prevailed, where a far more horrendous eagerly anticipated feat brought by the monsters soon approached.