Skyrim II - Sequel of Murder (13)

The Arch Mage of Winterhold knew the way to Lord Harkon’s castle – naturally. Our rendezvous point with the Companions and Dawnguard was Dragon Bridge; thankfully, we took our time buying supplies and resting for our great confrontation against the vampires. Naomi had fashioned a strange collar and lead for the baby dragon, coaxing it along as it whined for fresh meat. Lorelei was its unexpected feeder, shooting elk in the prairies and having fun teasing the scaled beast with bloody strips of hide. More than once, Louisa and Heather had expressed their disgust, but I had seen Zayanah looking at it intently, watching it grow every night with the help of Naomi’s potions.
     The sisters kept to themselves, but it was clear that they were unhappy with their lycanthrope. They could transform at will, but when they did so, they brutally fought each other, rending clumps of fur and wrecking their muzzles with their claws. I tried to intervene, but the Companions held me back; luckily they did so, otherwise I would have been torn to shreds. Compared to werewolf Maddy, I think I preferred the vampire version much more.
     People’s belongings went missing; it was no surprise who was its source. Louisa took delight in personally relieving us of our purses and weapons, sometimes storing them in each other’s pockets and generally causing dissension among ourselves. Combined with the nervous anticipation of fighting a dangerous horde of vampires, the result that transpired was not delightful in the least: Companions accused Dawnguard, Rebecca accused Madeleine, Dragonborn accused dragon. Once, I even overheard Zayanah chiding Heather for her obdurate support for the Stormcloaks, sending the poor girl into tears.
     Serana was keen on reminding Lorelei of her duty to stop Lord Harkon, pointing at Auriel’s Bow and then at her chest. Emma the Dragonborn tried her best to comfort everyone, but she herself was exhausted, drained by stress and the high tension within our small army – if we could call ourselves that. Vampire attacks, although not as formidable as the first, became more frequent; one night, a woman drained me so viciously of health that I had fallen unconscious and awoken a day later in a cold sweat.
     Not to mention the dragons that descended. We could handle ordinary dragons – hell, even blood dragons – but not elder dragon after elder dragon, converging on us like we were a beacon to them. Some of the Companions died, as did the Dawnguard, and Madeleine lost three fingers when a dragon bit Windshear out of her hands. I suffered claw streaks to my forearms that soaked the sleeves of my robes and forced me to change attire. Now equipped in leather armour, which was supple and didn’t cling too tightly to my body, I burnt my old robes with a sense of sadness and nostalgia, for these were the original clothes offered by the sisters. With help from the Arch Mage and Naomi, we assembled an enchanting table and gave my armour the necessary enchantments to boost my magicka. Yet it wasn’t possible to re-forge Windshear, nor locate the fingers lost under the carcass of the dragon, nor permanently resurrect the warriors who died bravely for us. Any other day, I would have scorned their honour and danced on their graves; yet this mission was consuming my humour, such as it was, replacing it with awkward sorrow and a heavy mould of guilt that weighed more than the rucksack I had to carry.
     Sarah shot baleful glares at us; her command was questioned by the Companions, as they did not like having their forces depleted so early in combat. Nights were cold and mirthless. We didn’t want to think about what would happen if we failed. The world, shrouded in eternal darkness? Two Elder Scrolls in the hands of a malevolent vampire lord? Alduin, the first born of Akatosh, terrorising Skyrim and eventually the rest of Tamriel? Not only that, but dying? I didn’t want to die. No one wanted to die. Nords would go to Sovngarde, but Emma proclaimed that not even there was safe, for the black dragon could manifest in there, she had said.
     “Shall we sing?” I suggested, as we sat around the campfire, shoulders hunched and eyes downcast. None of my friends stirred. “We drink to our youth, to the days come and gone…”
     My voice was the only one that carried through our ranks. I faltered, and then stopped. Lorelei gave me a sad smile, the not-quite-so baby dragon resting its head upon her lap. Naomi reached over and petted it.
     “What is everyone going to do after this is over?” I tried again.
     Heather shrugged. The others did not respond.
     “I’m going to Riften,” I declared, “and get a lovely house there. Rebecca, you told me you were the Thieves Guild master. And you, Louisa – you’re a thief novice, right?”
     Louisa hummed. “Yeah,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
     “Do you think I could join, too?”
     She made an expression that I decided was “I don’t know” and found interest in the buckles of her boots. I was about to try again and kindle another conversation when a Companion caught my attention. He looked defeated.
     “We’ve buried Aela,” he rasped. Sarah nodded. “May Talos guide her.”
     Aela the Huntress had been crushed beneath an elder dragon and ripped in two from her waist. I couldn’t say that it was a particularly honourable way to go, but it seemed better than having her blood sucked out by ravenous vampires. That fate awaited us at Castle Volkihar.
     “What have we got left to eat?” I mused aloud, rummaging through my rucksack. “Aha! Eidar cheese, tomatoes, grilled chicken breast and bread! I knew raiding that bandit camp had been a good idea!”
     The others did not agree – not aloud, anyway. I took a bite of my dinner, chewing the cold chicken and overripe tomatoes and stale bread. The cheese was good, however. I held it out.
     “Anyone want some?”
     There was an indistinct murmur, accompanied by my friends shaking their heads. I lowered my sandwich.
     “Come on, everyone. Remember Labyrinthian. That wasn’t too bad, was it? The maze turned out to be somewhere else separately; we found the Arch Mage-” Zayanah grimaced “and we cured Maddy’s vampirism! Remember when she kept coughing? She doesn’t cough any more, does she?
     “Let’s face it: we’ve all been through worse. This is a challenge for us, yes, but we’ll get through! Lord Harkon is just another vampire; he’s just another guy to be slain by the mighty Dragonborn and her stalwart companions! And also the Companions! And the Dawnguard!
     “When this is over, we are going to go down in history. Even if we fail and perish, we will still go down in history! We will inspire rebellions against the vampires, and encourage the Dawnguard and Companions to reunite! But that won’t be necessary, because Lorelei will shoot Lord Harkon in the heart with Auriel’s Bow, and we will use his ashes to make loads and loads of invisibility potions!”
     “Aye!” said Madeleine suddenly. I grinned.
     “I don’t think you realise that we can’t lose. We won’t even come close to losing. Serana has estimated there to be around a hundred vampires waiting for us – well, let Harkon make a hundred more, ‘cause I’m not fazed, and you sure as hell shouldn’t be!” Naomi rolled her eyes, but I could see that she was amused. “Believe, everyone! I’m serious! You’ve got to believe in yourself, because I’ve seen what we all can do, and it’s bloody awesome!”
     “I think that’s enough, Sam,” said Zayanah dryly. “You don’t have to list what we all can do and make this cliché.”
     I pushed my rucksack aside and stood. The dragon watched me with gleaming eyes. “I disagree!” I said. “I think you need to be reminded of how great you are, and how pathetically feeble they are!
     “Emma the Dragonborn! Where would we be without you? You are the salt pile that every recipe in Skyrim needs; you are the sweetroll that everyone knows and loves; you fight a dragon and emerge from its body glowing golden and smiling as though you’re on a skooma high! You have the Thu’um – you were chosen by the Greybeards! You are destined to take down Alduin, so I think that you can cope with a little vampire lord, don’t you?”
     “Rebecca and Madeleine, the crazy sisters who murder everything in their path! You are now werewolves, and your murdering habits have increased by double! When we were on that cart, heading for Helgen, who were the ones who actually jumped off, killed the guard and then went back to save the village people? You’ve had your weapons stolen by thieves, and suffered the antics of a psychopathic mage in your midst without breaking a sweat! Think of that tailor butterfly! Think of how disappointed he would be in you if you didn’t massacre all of those vampires!
     “Naomi, the ice Destruction mage! Your spells have frozen the hinds of Stormcloak soldiers and draugr alike! You’ve chewed on giants’ toes and ice wraiths’ teeth just to improve your potions, and even snacked on a bit of deathbell and nightshade! When you wave your hands, people become frigid statues and shatter when they hit the ground! You’ve tasted vampire dust before – this time will be no different!
     “Lorelei, the happy Nightingale archer clad in black! You possess the ultimate weapon, Auriel’s Bow, and by the Divines, you will make a pincushion out of Harkon! You are Thane of Whiterun; the people depend on you for safety and guidance, and you have proven yourself worthy! Even Noctural, the daedric prince of shadow, has deemed you her sentinel! Darkness is your ally, and you will command it to leave Tamriel’s skies alone!
     “Zayanah, the Arch Mage of Winterhold! Those storm atronachs never leave your side, and for good reason: you are the master of conjuration, the Morokei that the dragon priest could never hope to be, the leader of the College of Winterhold! Your cheese fests make the people rejoice! You have brought together three incredible factions – the Dawnguard, the Companions, and the Dragonborn’s followers – to combat the foolish evil that dared to show its face! Now is the time for you to show just how pitiful that face is compared to your badass mask!
     “Louisa, the cunning pickpocket! Never has a single septim escaped your sight! Your hands are never empty, and neither are your pockets! You see wealth in every nook and cranny; you don’t need luck when you have your own fortune! If shadow is your spouse, then subterfuge is your child! Will you endanger your way of life for another who intends to steal your profits? Of course not!
     “Sarah, the leader of the Companions! Diminutive you may seem, but let the vampires think twice when they see your longsword! You command the greatest fighting faction in Skyrim - not only that, but the only civilised werewolves who possess Skyforge steel weapons! I swear you could strangle a dragon with that hair of yours! Your fiercesome spirit is like a cave bear that has just been rudely awakened; it's pants-wettingly terrifying to behold! When we see a stain on Lord Harkon's pantyhose, you'll know why!  
     “Heather, the Stormcloak bard among Imperials! Even though the beliefs of others surround you everyday, still you are undeterred! The wood of your lute feels like stone - that I know from first-hand experience! You've sung for thanes and warriors and commoners, declaring your allegiance even when it could mean the death of you! That, my friend, is courage! When others would stutter and say 'Down with Ulfric', you say 'All hail Ulfric', for you are a true Stormcloak, a true daughter of Skyrim! Do not let the vampires conquer your land!"
     “And then, me. Yeah. Let’s do this. We drink to our youth, to the days come and gone-”
     “For the age of aggression is just about done!” we shouted.
     Morale sufficiently boosted, we arrived at Castle Volkihar bearing wide smiles and smirks. No vampire could tarnish our confidence. As I had said, there was no way we could lose. The dragon lifted its head and roared, announcing our emergence, and we lifted our weapons - or fists, in the mages' case - and added our voices to the outcry. The sound of our ardency carried throughout the mountains, and I looked at my friends with pride and gratitude. We had made it this far: we weren't going back, and we weren't going away. Lord Harkon would find out how big of a mistake he had made challenging the Dragonborn and her friends.
     When our voices died down, Zayanah, Emma and Sarah organised us into units. Those three would be our vanguard, closely followed by the Dawnguard and Companions. Madeleine and Rebecca were to protect our flanks, and shield Lorelei, who joined Naomi, Heather, Louisa and I at the back to fend off aerial and tail assaults. Lydia was part of the mass within the middle, while Serana accompanied the Dragonborn. I knew nothing of tactics, so I stayed quiet while I was assigned to my position. Rebecca, however, pursed her lips, clearly wanting to comment, but in the end, she shrugged and settled into formation. We could do this. It was only a castle.
     Oh, how wrong I was.
    The stone gargoyles came to life, pouncing on Farkas and the Companions within seconds. The gate crashed to the ground and vampires poured out. We braced ourselves against the surge, but Sarah's shriek of pain told us that she had been hurt. Then I saw the vampire straddling her body, teeth clamped around her neck. The overwhelming urge to vomit came over me, but I swallowed it down, and drove Dawnbreaker into a male vampire's torso as he ran towards me. Flashes of fire and lightning lit the battle as the dragon took to the air and roasted the vampires' thralls. Madeleine was hacking at all of the limbs she could see, while Rebecca skilfully parried the ebony blades that arced towards her with her own daedric one. Lorelei's arm was a blur; she was shooting two arrows at a time, occasionally cracking a vampire's jaw with Auriel's Bow when they attempted close combat. Bats flurried above our heads, screeching, but Naomi froze their wings and crushed them underfoot with a sneer. Every so often, I heard a "Yol!" or "Fus!" as Emma used her Thu'um to blast her foes.
     Steadily, we trudged towards the main gate, Dawnguard and Companions falling as arrows pierced their chests. Someone shouted my name in warning, but I was too slow to evade the searing brand of metal carving a line down my back. Pain flared and I screamed, doubling over, wanting to curl up and disappear, to heal-
     Oh right. Healing. Golden swirls replaced the hissing electricity in my hand, and I opened my palm to feel the warm, beautiful energy rushing down my arm and washing over my back. Just as the vampire tried another attack, a hand gripped her hair, pushing her head down as another hand wielding a dagger swept across her neck. As the body dissolved, I momentarily saw Louisa, before she downed an invisibility potion and camouflaged with the world. That was close. I hadn't even thanked her.
     We burst inside of the castle, and more vampires descended onto us as we came into a dining hall. Emma barely had time to order Naomi, Rebecca, Heather and the last of our Dawnguard warriors to guard the outside, when her strength was vehemently drained by a master vampire and she collapsed to her knees. We tried to distance ourselves from our own opponents and help her, but the vampires were swift and steadfast, penning us in and away from her. Suddenly, Lydia broke through their ranks and lunged forwards, attacking valiantly but earning the full potency of the master vampire's magic. I knew she was dead even before the vampire sapped the rest of her life force, yet she fought nonetheless, trying to take the vampire down with her. She could not, though. Louisa's sneaky backstab caught the vampire off-guard and killed it, and Lydia's body was showered with ash. I thought I saw tears in Lorelei's eyes; it could easily have been the flicker of the torches.
     Dawnguard's blade became splattered with my blood and that of my allies nearby, as we fought to reach Lord Harkon. His forces were incredible. I could only imagine the impossibility of fighting had the dragon not been on our side. Nevertheless, our own forces had dwindled: almost all of the Companions' souls had ascended to Sovngarde, while the Dawnguard were backed into a corner, swarmed with bloodthirsty vampires. Lydia and Sarah were dead; Madeleine was nowhere to be seen.
     "Keep going!" Zayanah bellowed. "We're almost there! Lord Harkon isn't far away!"
     The Arch Mage led the way up the stairs on the opposite side of the dining hall, leaving the remaining Dawnguard to deal with the vampires and their conjurations. I raced next to Zayanah, and I thought I could discern apprehension in the eyes behind Morokei's mask. Emma caught up to me, having just beheaded her foe, and exchanged words with Louisa, who was now visible.
     "Are you all right?" she asked the pickpocket.
     "My tummy hurts," complained Louisa. "One of those vampires shot a fireball at me. Is my armour still intact?"
     "Well, you're not naked, are you?" said Emma sarcastically.
     We heard the dragon thunder outside, and they fell silent. Serana caught my eye and gave me a supportive nod. Lorelei was running with an arrow nocked, alert and ready. This was it. Whatever was beyond the gate, we would have to face. Serana pulled the chain, and the gate clinked as it rose, revealing a short set of stairs to a door. The six of us bowed our heads and walked through.
     We entered another hall, with stained glass windows and dark stone as the foundations. Half-crouched on the sides were gargoyles; I could almost feel their dormant malevolence, just waiting to be set free. At the far end, a insectile fountain spewed blood into a basin. From what Serana had mentioned back at the camp, this had to be the cathedral - and where the vampire lord was waiting. Sure enough, some sort of humanoid abomination was leering at us. Featherless wings jutted from its shoulders, and each of its fingers ended in a curved claw. Its ears were large and pointed, its skin greyish, bared by its scant armour: a loincloth and ornate necklace. Lord Harkon watched with carmine eyes belying his amusement, sizing us up and noticing Auriel's Bow, and spread his arms in greeting as we approached. I used the last of my magicka to heal the minor cuts on the back of my hand and across my arms, knowing it would recharge soon.
     "Serana, my darling," he said smoothly, sounding incredibly civilised for a monstrous being. "I see you still favour keeping pets."
     The daughter of Coldharbour glanced at us, before stepping forwards and replying, "You know why we're here."
     "Of course I do. You disappoint me, Serana. You've taken everything I've provided for you and thrown it away for these...pathetic beings."
     "Provided for me?" she repeated in disbelief. "Are you insane? You've destroyed our family. You've killed other vampires. All over this prophecy that we barely understand." She shook her head. "No. I'm done with you. You will not touch them."
     A wry smile contorted the edges of Lord Harkon's lips. "So, I see this dragon has fangs. Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence."
     "No. Because unlike her, I'm not afraid of you. Not any more."
     "And you." Her father glided towards us. "It appears I have you to thank for turning my daughter against me. I knew it was only a matter of time before she'd return with hatred in her heart."
     The Dragonborn growled, "Hatred born of your neglect."
     "A small price to pay for the betterment of our kind."
     "Your kind is a blight upon this world," said Zayanah fiercely.
     "Yes, yes." Lord Harkon waved a hand. "Always the noble vampire hunter. And what happens when you've slain me? Is Valerica next? Is Serana?"
     "We're only here to kill you," Lorelei replied, still loosely holding the arrow.
     "I see. Interesting that you can set aside your morals when it suits you."
     I clenched my fists. "Enough of this!"
     "Yes, quite. I grow weary of speaking to you and my traitorous daughter. I will give you a single chance to hand over the bow to me. There will not be a second."
     "Never!" cried Emma and Lorelei.
     Lord Harkon snarled. "Very well, then. You leave me no choice!"
     There was the sound of spells being cast, and I staggered back as a gargoyle charged into me. Its claws ripped through my leather armour, leaving blazing lines in my chest. I screamed, lashing out desperately with Dawnbreaker, using my left hand to heal. Louisa was gone from sight, and the others were too busy fighting more gargoyles and Lord Harkon himself. I ducked and grabbed its arm, swinging my sword down and lopping it off. As it shrieked, I plunged Dawnbreaker into its head, between its eyes. While I backed against the wall, regaining my breath, I saw Lorelei batting the gargoyles and resurrected skeletons away; Emma came to her aid, shouting with the Thu'um to gain some space. Zayanah's storm atronachs disippated before Lord Harkon, who whirled round to attack empty air. The empty air was Louisa: she squeaked in fright as he gripped her throat, lifting her from the ground.
    "No!" I yelled, changing my spell to lightning and frying him. "Let go of her!"
     But he took no notice of me. I watched despairingly as he buried his head in her throat; her protests became weaker and weaker, until she was limp and unmoving. Then he cast her aside, grinning with bloodied fangs. An arrow thudded into his shoulder, and all smugness was gone while he screeched and grappled the shaft.
     Suddenly, a fist crunched into the stone beside me, and I dived out of the way. The gargoyle chased after me, and I weaved through my battling friends, shooting sparks at it. Serana bumped into me, saw the gargoyle, and thrust her sword forwards. The gargoyle batted it away, slashing with its other arm. The vampire lithely dodged, and sliced through its abdomen. I parried a skeleton's attack, forcing all of my strength into the blade, and then grabbed its skull, marvelling at the lightning that crackled through its eye sockets and gaping jaw. It collapsed with a clatter, and I heard Emma cursing all vampire kind at the top of her voice.
     I turned to face her. I saw Lord Harkon levitating before me.
     "No-" I managed, swinging my sword round, before he tackled me to the ground and splayed his palm. Those claws were sharp and bloody. I saw their blur as they arced towards my face and-
     Pain exploded in red. Bright, bright red that darkened into black.
     Black nothing.

-

I hummed merrily, kicking the crystal water that formed a stream through the field. The weather was warm, but the sun wasn't out. No, in the sky were a thousand specks of white in indigo, purple and red strata, and in the centre was a giant white orb, somewhere a moon and a sun, between night and day. It was beautiful, I mused, and then looked back down at my feet. The water was lovely and cool. I took a sip, and it tasted clear. Beneath my hands, the grass and wild flowers tickled my skin. Behind me was a hill, that I knew. But I wasn't interested in that. I wasn't interested in anything, really, except-
     "It's really nice here," someone said.
     Rebecca sat beside me. I felt a pang of joy and sadness at seeing her. Why? "You're here, too?" I asked.
    "Yep." There was her crazy grin, as always. "Don't sound so disappointed, Sam."
     "I'm not."
     Another person took the space to my left. Her blue eyes were similar to her sister's. "Yes, it is nice here," remarked Madeleine. "Who wants to wrestle?"
     "Or have a drink?" Louisa held a bottle of ale above my head teasingly, and Maddy lunged towards me to grab it.
     "Hey, hey!" I shouted, but not angrily. "Watch it!" Then I felt someone punch my shoulder. "Hi Sarah."
     "Anyone seen where Lydia went?" said the long-haired Companion. "She said she wanted to swim."
     Everyone said no, and my attention drifted away, until Louisa's and Maddy's antics, Becky's chatting and Sarah's enquiries became background noise. I wouldn't mind staying here, but I could see a magnificent hall over yonder, and something in me wanted to visit it.
     As if reading my mind, Rebecca got up and started walking down the path towards it. "Anyone joining me?" she called.
     "Where are you going?" said Louisa.
     "The Hall of Valour," Sarah breathed reverently. Immediately, she went after Rebecca. Louisa obediently trailed after her, as did Madeleine. I stared, longing to go but held back.
     "Wait!" I said. "What about...what about everyone else? What if we don't get in?"
     "Sure we will! There's no way we can't!" said Rebecca happily.
     I felt a hand on my shoulder; Lydia was smiling at me. "They'll know where to find us," she promised.
     I looked at the stream, then at my friends, and then at the sky. My indecision resolved itself.
     "Okay. Let's go."
     Getting to my feet, I allowed the others to walk ahead of me, and caught a glimpse of the path behind me.
     "See you soon, guys," I murmured.