12 hours earlier
Serana and Jordis sat down to some fine Venison chop that Serana had to make in Nero's absence. He was certainly the master when it came to meat cuts and steaks, though Serana thought hers wasn't too bad.
"Not too shabby," said Jordis after they finished their meals, which earned a smile from Serana.
"Better than Nero's?" she asked.
Jordis raised an eyebrow and laughed, "don't push your luck."
Serana rolled her eyes before they both picked up their plates and cleaned the table. Soon after, Serana stepped out onto the porch and leaned on the side, looking out to the horizon. Jordis joined her a moment later.
"So have you thought of baby names?" she asked, sitting down.
Serana sighed, "a little. When me and Nero talk about it, he has his ideas and I have mine. We want to agree on one, but it really depends on whether it's a boy or girl."
"Well, Jordis is a pretty good one," smiled the Housecarl.
Serana glared over at her, "uh huh, and what if it's a boy?"
"Then I would recommend Jordis."
Serana sniggered and sat down, before suddenly feeling a sharp feeling in her stomach.
"Oh... oh no..."
Jordis went white, "oh, now? Now?!"
She suddenly got up in a panic, "shit, uh, Katia! Midwife! Everyone!"
They heard movement from within the house, when suddenly Serana raised a hand, "wait! It's okay. False alarm."
Jordis exhaled a sigh of relief and waved the midwife team off once they arrived at the door, and sat down next to Serana.
"Gods' Serana, I don't know what's worse, labour, or the build up to it," said Jordis.
"You know, I'm kind of the one having the baby here," said Serana.
"Right, sorry."
A moment passed by, before Serana sighed, "this sucks."
Jordis looked up, "yeah, I imagine it's not too great for you, the inconsistent pains, the stress..."
"No, not that. Waiting for Nero, when I can't even be there with him. Whenever we're in a bad situation, we at least know we can try to handle it together. I hate when he goes to do things by himself. I'm not a wife who stays at home and waits for her husband, knowing he could be hurt, or even worse, killed. That's why this is so... annoying! If this had happened months ago, we would've gone to deal with it together. But it has to be now, when I can't go with him."
Serana sunk her head into her hands and sighed.
Jordis felt bad for her; as good a person as Nero was, he never seemed to stop getting into dangerous situations. She wondered if he ever would.
"Hey, come on, this is Nero we're talking about. He's gonna be fine. Yeah, I'll admit this is one situation that seems to be designed to give both of you a bad day, but it'll pass; he'll be back tomorrow, he'll be here with you when you go into labour and when you give birth. After that, you guys will probablh never leave each other's side again. If he has to go somewhere and do something, you can go with him. Although once he's a father, I doubt he'll want to be anywhere except with you."
Serana smiled; it didn't seem to subside her thoughts, but she appreciated Jordis trying, "thanks Jordis."
Jordis sat back, "and just so you know, Jordis is a great name."
Serana laughed. The two stayed out only for a little more before eventually retiring to their rooms to get some sleep. Serana layed in her bed looking at the ceiling, thinking of Nero, hoping he would be careful. Soon enough, she nodded off to sleep.
Suddenly though, she woke to the sound of creaking, and movement downstairs. She got up, trying to listen. Without her vampirism, her senses weren't so sharp anymore, so she had to concentrate. It seemed like a banging kind of noise. She threw on a nightgown, and crept to her door. The noise seemed to be coming to her room. She quickly grabbed her elven dagger and went to the side of the door. It opened, and in walked a figure in black, with a sword out.
She stabbed him in the leg and he screamed, before pushing him to the side and going around for the others.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a hooded figure holding a knife to Jordis' neck. She was gagged, struggling, and being held by three men.
"Unless you want your dear Housecarl's blood all over this room, I would drop the dagger."
Jordis shook her head, but the figure held the knife close, "if you make any more noise, she dies."
Serana looked around; there were quite a few of them. She kept trying to look for an answer, anything.
"You have three seconds. One. Two-"
"Alright!" she dropped the dagger.
The figure smiled behind his hood, and tilted his head, ordering his men to grab Serana which they did.
"You'll come with us quietly. If you don't, this one dies," threatened the figure still holding the blade to Jordis' neck.
Serana nodded, "fine. But you let her go after."
The figure spat, "you're in no position to make demands. Now come quietly."
Serana gave in and the figures bonded her hands before pulling her along. They left the house and went towards the windmill. There were no guards to be seen anywhere, where were they? They found and descended the spiral stair down to beneath Solitude. At the bottom, horses were waiting, and atop it, a hooded figure sat.
"Good. Return the other wench to the house, and leave her with the message for Nero to find," he ordered, and with that, the figures nodded and pulled her back up the stair, Serana watching as she went.
Once Jordis was gone, the mounted figure pulled off his hood, revealing
"Rulindil! You bastard!" cursed Serana.
The elf smiled on his horse, "you made a good point those months ago, you can defend yourself much like Nero can. But that also means you have the same weakness."
Serana thought of Jordis, before looking back at Rulindil with anger.
"You'll regret this, Rulindil. Your whole Dominion will. Nero is going to come for you."
"Oh, I'm counting on it, tart," and with that, the altmer turned to his men, "gag and bag her, and put her on the carriage."
"I'm going to kill you, Rulindil!" struggled Serana.
Rulindil smiled, "also... burn the house down."
"NO-"
They pulled a gag over Serana's mouth and muffled her screams and shouts, before pulling her up onto a carriage and throwing a bag over her head.
"Now be quiet," smiled Rulindil, "we have a long ride ahead of us."
The Present
Jordis told Nero the last of the story, "and they left me with this note. Said if I tried to follow, they'd kill her."
Jordis handed Nero a parchment, which he read quickly.
Dragonborn,
If you want to see your whore again, come to your Last Vigil, marked below. If you do not, we will kill her.
There was no name. Nero saw the location on the map. He scrunched the paper up in his hand, grinding his teeth.
The General came forward, "Legate, I'm sorry. There was a fire in town, all my guards were diverted. You must act calm about this-"
Nero pushed past Tullius and kicked open the door to the bottom of his house; it was all burnt, his armor, weapons. He had to go as we was.
"GJOK!" he cursed, and went back outside and looked up, "ODAHVIING!"
His shout rumbled through the street and made some of the crowd stumble. Soon enough though, a large red dragon appeared in the air, and landed up the road.
Tullius tried to stop Nero, "Legate! They want you to come like this! They want you vulnerable!"
"Get out of my way, General," said Nero, a certain rage behind his voice that no one dare cross. Tullius tried one last time.
"Legate-" Nero pushed past him and went towards the red dragon.
"Dovahkiin, what reasons summon-"
"Odahviing, take me east, to the Velothi mountains," commanded Nero as he climbed up on the dragon.
Jordis came up and climbed on too, "I'm coming."
The dragon took off and flew away from Solitude as the crowd of civilians, soldiers, the General and even the Jarl watched from below.
Jordis clung onto Nero, trying not to fall.
"Why are you coming, Jordis?" asked Nero flatly.
She looked forward, "I failed you, and I failed her. I swore to protect you, to protect you both, and I failed."
Tears were falling out of Jordis' eyes, but she wiped them away.
Nero simply nodded, and stayed silent as Odahviing flew across Skyrim to the east.
In the Velothi Mountains
The wagon stopped, and elves climbed onto the carriage and grabbed Serana, hoisting her up and pulling her off. She was freezing, shivering at the cold that pierced through her night gown like a thousand swords. She walked barefoot through the snow before being pushed to her knees in front of someone she could barely make out through the bag. They pulled it off along with her gag, and she looked up to see her captor.
Elenwen stood tall, looking down at her, "well, we meet again, Mrs Dragons-bane."
Serana knew Elenwen wanted to see her weak, to see her cowering. She wouldn't give this bitch the satisfaction.
"Elenwen. It's been a while. I remember last time vividly, you running from the city in fear with your tail between your legs, like the coward you are. You and all your thalmor assholes."
Elenwen frowned, her actions clearly not having the effect on Nero's wife the way she wanted.
"Perhaps you're wondering why I've had you brought here."
"Let me guess, you want to try and make Nero surrender to you by threatening me. I've got some bad news for you, he's probably going to slaughter you all. That is if I don't first."
Elenwen clenched her jaw, but Rulindil stepped in, "don't worry, tart. You'll be reunited with your dear husband quite soon. You are wrong about one thing though. We don't want him to surrender."
Serana furrowed as the elves smiled, before Rulindil ordered his guards to take their positions. Serana looked around, before seeing a large man in black armor.
Nearby
Odahviing landed at the foot of the mountain under Nero's order and he and Jordis jumped off.
"Odahviing, stay here, and wait for me to call you again. If I do, you get Serana out."
The red dragon nodded, "kul faraan, Dovahkiin."
"Jordis, you stay here," said Nero before turning to the mountain.
"Wait, Nero, you'll need my help up there," she argued.
"Stay here, that's an order," finished Nero, but Jordis grabbed him.
"Please," she said.
Nero was silent a moment, before lamenting, "if I call Odahviing, you get up there too, and you get Serana and yourself to safety."
Jordis realised what he meant, and reluctantly agreed, "good luck," she said.
Nero nodded, before turning back to the mountain, unsheathing his sword, and beginning to climb it.
Get Serana. That's all that matters. Make sure she's safe. If even one of them laid a hand on her...
As Nero ascended, he began to see figures standing atop points on the mountain, with bows out. They weren't trained on him though. Nero furrowed his eyebrows and continued up the path. This was the only path up the mountain, the rest of which were high cliff-like peaks.
Soon enough, he reached the summit, where figures were standing around, guards were posted, all waiting for him. His eyes found the head of the gang soon enough, and no sooner were his suspicions confirmed.
"Elenwen," he spat, fixing her eyes on her and the other Thalmor who stood higher on the mountain.
"Welcome, Nero. It's funny how we keep meeting each other like thi-"
"WHERE'S SERANA?!"
Rulindil smiled, and took a few steps aside, revealing Serana, bound in her night gown, on her knees in the snow.
"Nero!"
"SERANA!"
Nero moved for her but suddenly Rulindil raised a hand, and then bows raised and arrows nocked, ready to fire at her at any moment.
"Now, now, Nero, let's not be hasty," said Elenwen.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't slaughter every last one of you, Elenwen!" barked Nero, the rage in his voice rumbling across the ground.
"Because then I would have to put an end to your beautiful and terrified wife, along with your child."
"I look terrified to you?" said Serana, to which Rulindil slapped her.
"GET OFF HER!-"
"One more inch, Nero, and she dies!" threatened Elenwen.
Nero consealed his rage; he would use it soon enough, but for now, he had no choice but to play along, "what do you want Elenwen? To kill me? For me to surrender? Fine! Just let Serana go!"
Elenwen laughed, "oh Nero... months ago, killing you was all I thought about. At every moment when I wasn't strangling your Empire or torturing one of your people, I would think of all the ways I could have your head. Arrest for being a Talos worshipper? Consortment with the Blades? So many choices. I nearly wrote a list."
Nero's teeth were gritted so hard to the point they might break. Serana was silently trying to free herself, and looking for a way to help him. Elenwen continued,
"But over these past months, since you humiliated me and made my Dominion seem like, how did you put it? Oh yes, flies you could swat away at any moment. All this time I've been pondering these moments, and I realised just what it is that I must do to you. Killing you is only so trivial, no no no... I will destroy you Nero. I will destroy the hero you are to this pathetic wasteland. I will destroy the lives of the people you hold most dear. And I will destroy you. I will break you."
Nero heard footsteps, and saw another figure come down the mountain.
"Or at least, I've paid someone to do it."
A Warrior walked down the mountain and came into the fold, clad head to toe in Ebony armor with an Ebony sword and shield. He stood, towering over even the elves. There was something different about him. Nero had the feeling there was more to this giant that he hadn't yet seen.
"Nero, meet the Ebony Warrior. My champion," said Elenwen, motioning at the Warrior.
The man said nothing, only looking at Nero.
"So what, you want me to get on my knees then? Bare my neck for you just like the Stormblades?"
Elenwen smiled, "no, Nero, what I have in mind is much simpler than that. You defeat my champion, and not only will I release your wife, I will let you both go. I will never bother you again, nor expect you to me. We will go our separate ways, with you free to live your life and have your family."
Nero furrowed his eyebrows, very skeptical about this. They could try to shoot him or Serana, and Elenwen would have what she wanted. At least what Nero thought she wanted. Now she didn't only want him dead, but destroyed. Broken.
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" he asked, "how do I know once I kill him that you'll free Serana?"
Elenwen smiled, "you don't, but you don't really have much choice now do you?"
"Fine. I'll play this game. And when I win, you will let Serana go!"
Elenwen raised a hand, "I swear it."
Nero frowned, but then turned to the Warrior. As he did, the Thalmor all backed away, taking Serana back.
"Give him hell, Nero" said Serana.
Nero smiled at her, "I'll have us home by dinner."
He then turned back to the Warrior,
"So, you're a mercenary? How much did they pay you?"
The Warrior said nothing.
Nero sighed, "well it doesn't matter. I don't have to know you to kill you."
Another moment of silence passed between them, save for the sound of the wind flowing down the mountain.
"The time has come," said the Warrior in a deep voice.
Nero furrowed his eyebrows, "what time?"
"I have done all that can be done. There is nothing left. No quests to be undertaken. No villains to be slain. No challenges to face."
Another moment of silence passed.
"Except for you. You are my last challenge. Only you can send me to Sovngarde with honor."
Nero was confused. Sovngarde?He's a Nord? A Nord helping the Thalmor. What kind of honor does he think he has?
"Honor, for you?" Nero laughed, "that's the biggest joke I've heard today. You'll die alright, but not with honor."
The Warrior said nothing.
"Are you prepared?" he finally asked.
Nero scoffed, and raised his sword, "let's get this over with."
The Warrior got into stance, raising his shield and sword. The two stood motionless.
"RAAAAGH!"
Nero charged at the warrior, throwing his sword down on him with all his might, and it clanged loudly on the Warrior's shield. The Warrior swung with his own blade, and Nero dodged it before coming back in and staying on the offensive.
They contended with sword on sword and shield, Nero repeatingly attempting to get through his barrier, but the shield was always there to block it, and the sword always ready to counter attack.
The Warrior bashed Nero back, and he skidded along the snow to a halt, panting. The Warrior stood still, ready.
Nero ran at him again, spurring him with a flurry of attacks, here, there, top, bottom, but always the shield blocked and the Warrior dodged. Then the Warrior came out attacking, throwing his sword at Nero in slices and swings. Nero blocked one, two, three, three, the fourth cut his arm.
He went back, disengaging, while the Warrior stood still, ready for him to attack again.
"Shit, Nero," thought Serana, still trying to undo her bonds.
"You believe your dear husband can defeat him?" asked Rulindil.
"As much as I know which part of you I'm going to rip off when this is over."
Rulindil only smiled, and Serana continued to watch, "come on Nero, I know you can do this."
"Gods' damn it!" cursed Nero, before he summoned a spectral sword to his left hand, and then conjured Ebonyflesh around his body. To top it off, he shouted,
"SU GRAH DUN!"
He felt his arms lighter, and now, he came back at the Warrior, and threw a flurry of attacks at him. One, two, three, four, the fifth cut past the shield too quick and cut his chestplate, the dragonbone cutting through the Ebony leaving a mark. The Warrior disengaged and summoned Ebonyflesh himself. Nero stayed on the offensive, trying to get past that shield.
He threw down on it, and immediately spun to go for the legs. The Warrior though bashed back, and Nero skidded in the snow. Then the Warrior summoned a barrier of frost around his body. Shit, thought Nero, this guy's good. He uses magic in addition to combat. The Warrior came at Nero with strikes of his sword, the cold taking its toll on Nero. He attempted to parry the Warior's strikes to get the angle on him, with no success. One, two, three, he cut Nero's arm, then his leg.
"Shit!" cried Nero, and anxiously tried to disengage. The Warrior then bashed him again with his shield, and kicked him away, the force of his kick surprisingly more than Nero suspected, making him skid across the mountain. The Warrior came back at Nero, and threw his sword down. Nero blocked with both swords, but the force was heavy. He was very strong. The frost circling the warrior was freezing Nero, he tried to back out, but there wasn't any way. The ebony sword was inching closer to him. He finally pushed away and shouted,
"FUS RO DAH!"
The thunderous Thu'um flew at the Warrior, who instantly threw up a ward that blocked it. The shout rumbled the mountainside, cracking rock and throwing snow up in the air. As the shout subsided, and the ward disintegrated, Nero sighed, as the Warrior was left standing, unscathed.
Serana watched with anticipation, waiting for Nero to kill this guy.
Nero grunted, and came at him running, that was when,
"FUS RO DAH!"
The Warrior's shout smashed Nero away, into a rock that cracked behind him. Nero's ears were ringing, and he tried again to get his bearings. He pulled himself up, onto his feet. He was dizzy, wobbling.
Serana was wide eyed, "he can... he can shout...?"
Rulindil and Elenwen laughed at her amazement.
"What the fffff..." said Nero, still dizzy.
"NERO!" cried Serana, "NERO MOVE!"
Nero heard Serana, and in his blurry vision he saw the Warrior coming at him again.
Shit! Nero shaked his head to restore his vision, before instantly shouting again,
"WULD!"
He flew past the Warrior down onto the snow, giving him distance and time. His sword was nearby. He ran for it, as the Warrior came back at him. Nero rolled forward, grabbed it, and blocked the Warrior's attack. He instantly then summoned another sword to his left hand and tried to strike. The Warrior blocked again with his shield.
Gods' damn it, thought Nero. He summoned his strength back and pushed the Warrior's blade away from him, to go back on the offensive. He had to get rid of that shield. Or at least the sword.
"ZUUN HAL VIIK!"
His shout flew across the Warrior, but his ebony sword didn't move from the Warrior's hand. He held them strong even through the shout. Nero coughed, his mouth filling with blood by shouting again too quickly. The Warrior followed up by going on the offensive, striking down and sideways with powerful blows. Nero blocked one with his summoned sword, but the warrior then immediately smashed it again and broke it, disintegrating the magic.
Nero was left with his dragonbone blade, and tried to defend himself. The Warrior came in with his shield to bash, but Nero had learned, and in one move, he sidestepped, spun, and sliced the arm of the Warrior who dropped the shield. The Warrior stepped back though and then, momentarily disengaged, he used Close Wounds and healed himself.
Nero battle cried and stayed on the offensive, now only their swords contending in the air. The Warrior was pushing on him though, and they edged down the mountain, onto a rock that was much more a cliff off the edge.
Serana's heart was beating out her chest. He's in danger. No. She knew Nero would defeat him. She knew he would.
Nero threw a blade at the Warrior just as the Warrior thew one at him, and they caught each other's sword hand with their free ones, struggling against each other. The Warrior had strength, but Nero did too, and his grunting was begining to rumble the mountain.
Nero bashed his sword hand against the Warrior's, rolled and cut the leg, before instantly getting back to his feet and defending himself from the coming attacks. One. Two. Three. The strikes were getting stronger though. He had to match it. Nero screamed as he threw a strike with all his strength into the Warrior's blade. He smashed it away, leaving the Warrior standing weaponless, nowhere to go.
Nero smiled as he went to deliver the final blow. Then, suddely,
"ZUUN HAL VIIK!"
Nero's sword flew in the air, and the Warrior caught it, and kicked Nero's leg out, putting him on one knee. Nero looked up, about to move.
Then the Warrior stabbed him in the chest.
Nero splurted out blood from his mouth, wide eyed. Serana felt a gasp catch in her throat.
They stayed there a moment, with the Warrior standing, and Nero on his knee, and his dragonbone sword lodged in his chest and out the other side.
"NOOOOOOO!"
Serana sprang to her feet, and tried to barge past for him, but the Thalmor grabbed her and held her back, "NOOOOO!" she continued screaming.
Nero panted, blood still spilling from his mouth, and he looked up at the Warrior.
"You have fought bravely, Dragonborn," said the Warrior.
Nero continued to pant, unable to move. He looked over at Serana, who was pulling and tugging at the Thalmor, and they met eyes for a moment.
"Now go to Sovngarde with honor."
Nero panted a bit more, before looking up, and screaming,
"ODAHVIING!"
The shout rumbled across the mountain, and everyone thrw up their hands expecting something dramatic, but nothing happened. Nero looked over at Serana one last time, her face in horror. Then the Warrior took the blade out and kicked him off the cliff.
"Nooooo!" Serana felt even her scream break, and she fell to her knees.
The Warrior looked down over the ledge, and then at the bloody Dragonbone blade, before tossing it over as well.
Suddenly though, a rumble filled the air, and the large red dragon came down, with Jordis atop it. It landed, and began breathing fire at the Thalmor, just as Jordis jummped off and in the confusion she ran to Serana. Rulindil was backing away from the dragon along with Elenwen to save themselves, leaving Serana on the ground. Jordis sliced two Thalmor guards closest to her and grabbed Serana, "come on!"
She cut Serana's bonds and pulled her up as Odahviing wreathed the Thalmor in flame. They got to the dragon, and Serana cast an eye at the Warrior, who was not attacking, not even moving to fight the dragon, simply standing by the ledge still.
Jordis hoisted Serana up, but then saw archers nearby nocking arrows ready to fire. She looked up at Serana.
"I'm sorry I failed you," she said, "get out of here. Odahviing, go!"
"No! Jordis!" cried Serana, but the Housecarl ran at the Thalmor and cut down one, two, three. The dragon took off up into the air and flapped his large wings, sending everyone except the Warrior onto the ground. Odahviing flew away, and Serana looked back over her shoulder, tears streaming from her eyes. They flew away into the distance.
Elenwen and Rulidnil got to their feet, along with the remaining Thalmor. She looked over at the Warrior on the ledge, and smiled.
"He did it. He actually did it."
The remaining Thalmor nocked arrows at Jordis, and forced her to surrender. She threw her sword to the ground, but as they went to grab her, she began puching and kicking, before they returned the favour to her.
"What about her?" asked Rulindil.
"Oh I don't care, she's all yours," said Elenwen, who walked towards her horse.
"Put her in chains," ordered Rulindil.
They pulled a beaten and bloody Jordis along to him, but she was smiling, "you'll never get your hands on Serana."
Rulindil looked angry, but smiled, "that's alright. I still have a tart to play with."
He took hold of her chin and she instantly tried to bite him, to which he laughed.
"Take her to the Embassy. I'll have a lot of 'questions' for her."
They pulled Jordis away towards the carriage, before Rulindil turned back to Elenwen who rode over.
"Get everyone mounted and ready to move."
"We ride for Solitude?" asked Rulindil.
Elenwen smiled, "yes. We have much to do."