Chapter 135: Chapter 128
Part of me just wanted to take a nonchalant walk to this little island that this 'Lord Harkon' lived on, express my displeasure at his actions, and rectify the situation with some stern words. The other parts, which contributed the vast majority, was extremely angry and was quickly calculating how much power it would take to turn the island into a smoking crater.
I wasn't like before, I wouldn't blow up like with the dragon that me and Thorum first fought. But that didn't extinguish the same feelings that were swelling up in my chest.
Walking through a portal to the approximate location of this castle, I saw a stone bridge that linked the greater island the where I stood. A stone tower and a gate blocking anyone from simply walking inside. Behind me was a small pier, apparently the only method to truly come and go from this island without magical means.
My footsteps echoed out into the surroundings, the rhythmic sounds of my heels against cobblestone pathing. Though, if you listened closely, it was also accompanied by the muffled screams and groans by someone else. My prisoner still in my grasp, my hand clasped firmly over his mouth.
It didn't take long before I garnered attention, but not any normal eyes were upon me. Some kind of undead hounds awoke, staring at me with deathly eyes, and an air of bloodlust and frost.
"Fuck off." I growled, letting my draconic nature seep out, loud enough for them to hear.
They paused, perhaps cowed by my threat, but as if something overcame them, their auras shifted, small patches of fur straightened and mouths pulled back in snarls.
Growls all around me as they began to approach, cautiously, but all the same.
Each step they took froze the ground, and the ambient temperature in the area noticeably began to lower.
"Shatter." I cast my go to illusion spell, dozens of copies of me filled the area and the hounds immediately began attack.
They couldn't tell the difference, going for the closest 'enemy' they could find. The illusions would dissipate with nothing but a touch, but there were enough to not bother me.
"Fire Storm." The area around me was engulfed in fire, turning everything to ashes.
Whelp, I hope Lord Harkon isn't upset I killed his dogs.
I walked forward, cross the stone bridge, and surprisingly the gate to the castle opened.
Was I expected, or was I already noticed?
Doesn't matter.
There were large wooden doors ahead of me, leading into the heart of the castle.
It would be polite to knock.
Focusing on my prisoner, I started to cast reinforcement on him. It was not a spell you could cast on another person without any trouble, not only is every person's biology slightly different, but they inherently fight the spell without sufficient preparation.
The Vampire in my hand starting writhing, parts of his body burst open at my botched attempt, but it was enough.
I planted my feet, reeling my arm back, and threw the disgusting thing through the wooden doors, shattering them wide open.
The vampire's body slid across the ground, coming to a stop infront of a throne, not too dissimilar to Jarls Balgruuf's own. In fact, the whole room looked quite similar to the Jarl's meeting room, complete with large tables with many people sitting down at them.
Really, the only difference was the copious amounts of blood that literally spilled onto the ground.
Many new eyes were on me, but the leader, the one sitting above them all on an elevated platform with his conspicuous throne, he didn't look perturbed in the slightest.
He casually leaned to the side, finger tapping on the hand rest, eyes giving me a once over.
The air was tense, I could see the other onlookers, the other Vampires giving me deathly glares filled with wanton desire, as if I was but a hearty meal for them.
The lead was a Nord, well at least that was his race before he was a vampire.
Finally, his eyes fell down to the vampire I had thrown infront of them. He let out a sigh. "I was going to reward him." His dry words the only noise that filled this hall. "Barely above one of those mindless vermin out in the wilds, but he managed to complete his task."
This was Lord Harkon, I presumed. And he didn't look the least bit phased that I had thrown his minion onto his floor, dead on arrival.
"Yes, I have received your 'gracious' invitation." I drawled. "But I wonder If I've come to the right place." I visibly swept my gaze around the room, making eye contact with all the residents, not faltering at their inhuman looks. I walked forward near one of the tables, within arms reach of another vampire, but he didn't react, just staring at me. I ran a finger along the table, a noticeable amount of blood now dripping off my skin. "When I heard the name 'Lord Harkon' and came upon this castle, I expected – elegance, regality, resplendence." I paused my words again, meeting back up with Harkon's gaze. "But all I see is squalor and filth. And I'm not speaking of the horrid unkept nature of your castle."
Harkon gripped his armrest tight, enough that it noticeably began to indent in his grasp.
The closest vampire to me leapt, hissing and growling. I didn't bother even giving him my notice, Mirage already swung out, and his head rolled on the ground before anyone could react. Atleast he had the decency to clean up after himself, turning to ash in mere moments.
The sound of wooden chairs scrapping against the stone floor filled the area as they all pushed out of their seats, about to attack me. I welcomed it all the same, but they stopped when Lord Harkon put his hand up.
"Child, watch your tone." Harkon growled. "Do not think because you have a slain a dragon that you are beyond reproach."
"Oh no." I put my hands up in surrender. "I think there's a misunderstanding. I don't think myself beyond reproach, if I did, I wouldn't have some group of idiots thinking it was a good idea to kidnap my friend in an attempt to lure me here." I took a step forward, meeting his gaze with my own anger displayed openly.
"It is an honor for a mortal – prey, to be invited here." Harkon stated, seemingly dismissing my anger.
"Yes, I'm sure every mortal is jumping at the opportunity to sit among these...'distinguished' people." I rolled my eyes. "For such immediate grandstanding, why do I have the incessant need to wash myself after merely standing in this building?"
Harkon took a deep breath, it seemed like he was straining himself from lashing out. I was genuinely curious why he hadn't attacked me yet. He seemed like the kind of person who would kill at the smallest slight.
His eyes glowed faintly, filled with power. "The only reason you have not been torn to pieces is because my patron has use for you. It would do you well to cease your petty insults before you lose your tongue."
"Well, that would certainly make it harder for me to please your wife." I replied, without much thought, but a chilly silence enveloped the room.
Did I touch a sore spot without even knowing it?
He closed his eyes, frowning deeply. "You only need be alive." He said, opening them. Gently, he raised his hand from his rest, and droplets of blood began to float up from the conglomerated puddles on the floor and tables.
They filled the air, these tiny droplets, almost miniscule to the naked eye, yet so many of them that they painted a large picture of death which had filled this place.
Within a blink of an eye, the droplets distorted, changing shape into needles and launching towards me from every direction.
I didn't budge, my eyes didn't leave Harkon's, but the air around me shifted, the warm and familiar light surrounded me as a shield. My Aura, my soul given form did not budge under the assault. My reserves dipped a little bit, which was to be expected, but this blood magic did not touch me.
Harkon, for all his arrogance, merely raised an eyebrow. "Impressive." His expression didn't otherwise change. "You have some skill, I suppose." He pursed his lips. "Otherwise, a mortal like you would not have garnered his attention."
His comment did not bode well, but I didn't dwell on it for the moment. "Is it my turn then?" I didn't wait for an answer, Mirage in my hand, I twisted the blade ever so slightly, and quickly swung it out. "20 Birds."
A single motion producing twenty sword phantoms, twenty condensed slashes of magical energy overlaid in the same space and bursting out towards Harkon.
An explosion of dust and debris stymied my vision of him, his throne in tatters by the time it began to scatter. I saw him standing tall, but blood dripped onto the ground from several wounds across his body. Yet, his expression didn't change, his eyes shone with a brighter anger than before, but he didn't outwardly react again.
He cracked his neck as his wounds healed at a frightening speed. Even the spots where my attacks landed, they would be merely flesh wounds had he not had such an ridiculous healing factor. I could guess that his vampiric constitution provided him with an obscene physical prowess that allowed him to essentially tank my attacks with disregard.
"Curious, I have not seen such an attack from a sword before." He stated, actually looking mildly enthused. It was only now that I noticed a sword in his hand, I don't know where it came from, perhaps nearby, or he kept it hidden in a different pocket space. But what drew my attention was the design.....it was very much reminiscent of a Katana. "Was it magic or...something else?"
"Interesting sword you have there." I ignored his comment.
He looked down at his sword, a nostalgic look flashed across his face. "It has accompanied me for many centuries, even before I had ascended to what I am now." He smirked, waiving it gently in the air, he turned back to me and moved.
I barely had time to blink before I raised my sword up to intercept. The shockwave blew away everything around us, the other vampire already began to flee and hide behind barriers.
"Rarely do I ever lower myself to actually draw my weapon upon lower creatures." He pushed more strength into his sword, and I couldn't help but notice he was physically stronger than even Thorum. "But there is always a certain satisfaction to put upstart brats in their place." His visage twisted into a snarling hiss, sharp fangs baring at me.
Reinforcement filled my body proper, and Ebony Flesh covered me. It was enough to push Harkon back, and enough to elicit a small noise of surprise from him as he narrowly dodged a second slash into his chest.
"All this blustering I've heard from outside, this nonsense about a 'Red Dragon Emperor' perhaps it was not all foolishness." He mused, clenching his hand for a moment.
Despite him squaring off against me, he really doesn't seem like the kind of person to handle an issue when he has minions to do it for him. He didn't even make a comment as they fled the area, like he expected this outcome to happen.
"Come then, supposed dragon. Face my blade that has slain your kin in the past." That caught me by surprise, and he must have noticed my reaction. "Oh yes, this blade of mine has severed the heads of dragons in a lost era. A relic of an order that had been lost to time."
"Well, come on, old man. Maybe you need a cane instead of a sword?"
"Hmph. Your insolent tongue will be cut from your mouth." He sword his sword, and a deluge of blood swirled around it. Almost like a whip, it shot out at each of his movement, and he didn't stand still, each step of his covering the distance it would take a normal person several moments to match.
Tightening my grip around Mirage, I silently sent out dozens of sword phantoms to disperse his blood magics, even summoning up my own Runic circles behind me and discharging bolts of lightning.
He hissed in annoyance, being lightly scorched by the suddenness, but adapted quite easily. He jerked his hand forward, and the blood coalesced into huge spears and shot towards my circles destroying them before they could finish their sequence.
He did not give me respite in that brief instance, his sword moving towards my head at astonishing speeds. My foot pivoted, and I met the attack in earnest and my own strength did not lose out, perhaps even surpassing his own.
"You are skilled for your age." He growled, pushing his blade into my, yet my own edge held his off. "My patron will make you stronger. You will never fear the passage of time, you will have no equal. These....dragons, would come to fear you in his name."
Was he doing a sales pitch in the middle of battle?
"Does it also come with that gigantic stick up your ass, or did you put it there yourself?" Arrogant dick.
"Foolish." He sneered. "I offer you an opportunity to be something more, yet you continue to run your mouth."
"Fine, I'll give you a genuine response."
He clenched his mouth, I think he was waiting for me to say something insulting again, but I couldn't help but smile. I did not practice my Thu'um much, but I was decent enough with a single word. "FUS" I bellowed out, catching him off guard and blowing him into the nearby wall.
I flicked my hand, summoning a handful of Talismans, I flung them at the vampire, chanting a Buddhist prayer to activate the spell.
"Mere parchment!?" Harkon looked enraged, he didn't even look phased as they approached him, having already regained his footing. He moved his hand to swat them away, but as soon as they made contract, his hand burst into flames.
He roared in pain. It wasn't a mere physical thing, this was targeting his essence, a karmic flame.
"WHAT IS THIS?" He flailed his arm, as it continued to be consumed. He barely even hesitated another moment, taking his sword and severed the entire arm from his body.
Admittedly, I did not expect that. I guess that's a good counter to that spell.
He gasped, blood oozing from his missing limb. His eyes darted around the area until they landed on a cowering member of his court who had taken refuge in the corner. He didn't waste another moment as he leapt at him, fangs seeking out his follower's neck, and visibly draining him of his blood until all that was left was a haggard corpse before turning to dust.
He let out a pained roar as his arm regrew at visible speeds, in but a second a few one was in its place.
"You....." He growled, looking back towards me. "Have earned my complete and utter ire." His sword sweep up the blood in the area again, but it the amount eclipsed the previous amount. Blood magic was something I only had a passing familiarity with, I had never seen someone manipulate it on this scale before.
I quickly jumped back as spears of blood filled the spot I was just in, and they continued at me. I dashed and rolled out of the way as more rained form above, but that wasn't all. Harkon's sword filled my vision, having predicted my movement, I was forced to block. My free hand shot up and cast a greater ward.
"Foolish, do you think a Ward Spell can block blood magic?" He sneered.
My eyes widened as they treated my spell like paper, piercing through and colliding with my aura. The numerous spears of blood pushing into me, and I felt myself colliding with the wall on the opposite side of the room.
I stood up, pushing a few stones out of my way, a little bit of blood dripped from my mouth. "Well, learning something new every day."
"Na?ve child. Your inexperience is obvious. Any competent mage would know that Blood Magic does not work of the same magicka principals as traditional sorcery." He took the opportunity gloat. "Allow me to show you the power you scoffed at." He waived his arms and all the blood on the ground swirled until it turned into a magic circle.
Dangerous.
I had no idea what he was doing, but my instinct was screaming at me. "Time to kick it up a notch." I muttered as my other swords burst out of my ring and I grabbed for Dawnbreaker, slamming it into the ground.
A massive burst of light burnt away all the abominable magics, and Harkon reeled back in horror. The magics he quickly summed up manages to shield up, but even they were torn apart before the light died down, revealing a scorched Harkon, coughing up blood.
"You're not the only one with a patron." I tapped Dawnbreaker on my shoulder.
To my bewilderment, his merely smiled. "No, I am not." He stated as a baleful aura began to envelop him. "We have an accord, Lord Molag Bal."
A presence forcibly made itself known in the room, the castle walls shuddered at the sudden 'weight' that descended.
"Mortal." The voice was.....calm, yet the words felt like nails on a chalkboard, they gripped at my soul and threatened me with certain damnation. "Meridia's Champion." He snorted. "Abandon her. I will offer you anything your heart desires, give yourself to me and this realm will be your play thing."
I sucked in a cold breath of air. "Fuck off." I steadied myself. He couldn't do much here, in this realm. He was lessened, he did not have the full might of his power here.
He didn't get upset, he merely laughed, and it sent chills down my spine. "I preferred you alive, but death will make you my slave all the same." The presence, the faint outline of a creature, turned to Harkon. "A deal was made, here is the promise." He waived his hand and a Mace appeared, its aura was disgusting, it corroded anything that came nearby. It was misshapen, protruding edges that looked to be made to cause as much pain as possible as opposed to a viable weapon.
Harkon Grabbed the weapon, the baleful green aura spread all around him, enveloping his form as he began to shift. His humanoid flesh peeled away, and he looked monstrous, with wings spread from his back and towering over me with a new height.
"Spectacular." He admired the weapon. "I will enjoy breaking this mortal for you, Lord Molag Bal."
Molag Bal's....projection did what I could only describe as 'smiled'. "Yes, lets see how he fairs with your vampire form and my own artifact. I will relish the sight of Meridia's face when I take another of hers."
My head snapped to him. "So, this is about Meridia?"
"Of course." He chuckled. "While your existence is amusing, why would I demean myself to waste time on trying to recruit you?"
"You dare?" I hissed, staring at him, this.....god. He wanted to hurt my Meridia. To make her sad, to anger her to....strike an emotional blow against her.
He wanted to touch my woman.
Molag Bal narrowed his/its eyes at me. "Harkon, bring me his soul and I will reward you further."
That was seemingly all he needed to hear before Harkon moved much faster than before, the Mace he now held swung down with enough force to blow my hair back.
I held my hand out, red gauntlet manifesting.
"What?" Harkon's eyes widened as he struggled to remove the Mace that was now within my grip.
"BOOST" I roared, accompanied by Ddraig's own.
He swung his sword at me from his other hand, Dawnbreaker meeting the strike, even as the ground beneath us shattered. The light of Dawnbreaker met his the aura produced by his mace, they seemed to cancel each other on contact.
My other swords flew out, a manifestation of blood-made weapons meeting them in the air. "Do you think your paltry tricks are something special?" Harkon scowled.
"Bindings of Gaia." I responded much to his bewilderment as sudden realization dawned on him. Massive roots shot up out of the ground and Whisper rejoined me, creating Runes in the air at my command.
He swept his weapons out, destroying the first roots that came after him, dislodging his Mace from a large one in particular and took to the air, but my roots quickly moved after him, his blood weapons turning back into blood and seeped back up around him. His blood magics coalesced once again, and sharp spikes rained down onto the earthen roots, destroying them in chunks.
I snapped my fingers, a dozen Runic circles appeared behind me, and lightning coiled out through the air lashing out against him, but merely charring the outside of his skin and healing moments later. The new aura he had covering him just further enhanced his defenses, not to mention this form his took was also physically enhancing him.
My sword did not let up either, taking any opportunity to try and strike, but that Aura around him was powerful, lashing out to deflect my weapons.
"ENOUGH." Harkon shouted, shooting up towards the ceiling, bursting through the roof of the castle.
"If you want to fight in the sky, so be it." My own wings burst out of my back, and I followed suit.
"Boost!" I shot towards the sky.
Swords flying around me, Harkon turned around and swung the mace again, its corrosive energy lashed out, a deep hunger to consume me. I grabbed the closest sword to me, Dawnbreaker, and brought it up to block, but the force of it knocking me down, causing me to lose my flight for a few moments, before regain my balance.
"BEGONE." Harkon shouted, the green aura burst out from all around him, knocking my swords away. I hand to mentally regain them all again. "COME, SERVE ME." Harkon shouted, and portals opened up all around him, things began to pour out.
They looked like Gargoyles.
I let go of Dawnbreaker, letting Mirage flow into my hand.
"1000 birds" I called out, swinging my sword, and the sky filled with sword phantoms. The slashes of magical energy meeting each of his summoned creatures, slicing through them with relative each, pieces of Gargoyle falling to the ground below.
Those creatures were minced and obliterated in seconds, my arms shuddered under the strain, having pushed the limit of that ability of mine for now.
Harkon had a shield manifest around him, more of his Blood Magic, while chipped away and cracked all over it held with minimal strength remaining.
Once again, Dawnbreaker entered my hand and I charge at him, my golden sword bursting with light.
Harkon roared in defiance, Molag Bal's mace meeting it head on. The two artifacts clashed in a burst of power that lit up the sky.
The aura around Harkon was keeping the light of Dawnbreaker away, even as it 'touched' him, it dissipated upon that corrosive energy. And his own baleful aura lashed out like tendrils, trying to grab ahold of me, only for Dawnbreaker's light to attack them when they got close.
"DRAIN." Harkon shouted, and something struck me, I felt my Aura start to wither. It felt frighteningly similar to the move that Dragon used on me previously.
"Penetrate." I countered, my Boosts fading to fuel the ability of Ddraig's. The conceptual attack pierced through artifact's defenses and ignored his bodies' durability. A hole opened up in his chest, able to see through one side to the other.
With this opening, I thrust Dawnbreaker forward, its holy light stymied by the Mace, but it was weakened, it pierced through and went into Harkon, my blade tasting his blood for the first time.
Harkon screamed and wailed, swinging his mace wildly to push me away. "Lord Molag Bal" Harkon called out.
The eerie image of the Daedric Lord appeared in the sky next to him. "I do not accept failure, Harkon." He said plainly.
"I HAVN'T FAILED." He shouted. "I just need more power."
Molag Bal turned to me. "Yes, he is surprising." The thing contemplated. "This is your last chance." He raised his hand towards Harkon and his wounds regressed back to notion. Dawnbreaker's cleansing light faded from his body and he returned to normal. "Well, I can offer one smaller boon." He smirked, pointing his finger at me.
Dawnbreaker escaped my grip and shot up above me, it was suddenly enveloped in a malevolent barrier and the feeling I got from it gave me chills.
"Let's get that annoying weapon out of the way." He clapped his hands with a laugh. "Now, let's have a fair fight!" He chuckled, licking his lips in anticipation.
The urge to fly up and punch him was almost hard to ignore, but I had a more immediate concern at the moment. It seemed like Harkon was a sort of....anchor for Molag Bal's power. It makes sense since he referred to the Daedric Lord as his 'patron'.
I grabbed Mirage immediately and didn't wait for the next bout to initiate, I moved he prepared but I wanted to end this. "Swallow Returns."
Harkon arched his back, my sword protruding from his heart.
"What?" Molag Bal looked at me with confusion.
Harkon began falling from the sky, I didn't know the true extent of his abilities, but I wanted to end him before Molag Bal decided to boost him even further. I don't think that attack would have been enough, but it was a good start.
Spell Circles gathered all around my sword, growing to epic proportions. Magical energy coalesced as I began to spell sequence.
"ETHER CANNON!" I swung my glass sword, discharging everything I gathered at the falling vampire.
The rainbow beam of light struck him head on, burrowing into the island, taking half of it along with eviscerating the undead monster.
My gaze snapped towards the Daedric Prince still floating nearby.
"How boring." He snorted. "Well, come along then." He put his hand up as if to claim me.
With a sneer I called upon my Sword of Destruction, saving its true power for this point, it flew out and he didn't even cast it a second glance, but I fed it my dwindling Aura and the Power of Destruction erupted off it. It sliced into the 'things' hand eliciting a visible reaction from the Daedric lord, something resembling....pain.
"MORTAL" He shouted, reeling his arm back. "YOU DARE HARM ME!?" The sky turned at his words, the visible reality around us somewhat distorted.
"I'll do more than that." I growled, calling the sword back to me. The ability that could only be active three times a century. I aimed my sword at him, and swung again. "Destroy."
A roar that shattered reality around me, the sky turned different colors, parts of the terrain shifted as if another world was encroaching here, but I pressed into him. If this was his true self, I knew for a fact that this would have been nothing, but he had to lessen himself to come here, to lower himself to exist in this plane.
The divine weapon bore into him, and he only realized what I was holding for the first time as the concepts began to eat away at whatever this part of him was.
"You dared to go after my woman." I sneered. Even with this, I didn't think it would do anything meaningful, but if his roars were anything to go by, it was certainly painful.
He was fighting it, quite thoroughly, to the point where it finally gave out, but I wasn't perturbed, because a new presence joined up.
"MOLAG BAL." A very familiar voice caused the air to vibrate.
"Meridia!?" Molag Bal's surprised tone greeted her.
She didn't respond, a resplendent light building up as she let it out towards him. His projection, whatever it was, seemingly destroyed in that sudden burst of strength.
Well, at least I thought so, because a sigh filled the area, the tone of Molag Bal. "Did you enjoy my present, Meridia?"
"Retreat back to your realm, Molag Bal, you've lost this game." Meridia crossed her arms in annoyance.
"For now." He replied, almost bored, and it felt as if his presence finally departed.
Meridia looked at me, and there are many emotions flashing across her face. It looked like she was holding herself back a lot.
"Talk back at my house?" I offered.
"Do not make me wait." She huffed, disappearing.
Huh, that didn't sound good. I don't know what's going on, but apparently something happened more than just me fighting that vampire.
Better go make sure Meridia's fine.....right after I nab that sword he was swinging around.
***
The first Daedric lord other than Meridia makes a move. Just a heads up, there is a decent chance I won't be able to post tomorrow, but no guarantees on anything.
Anyways, if you want to read 6 chapters ahead, visit my pat.reon.com/astoryforone , next chapter is the first lewd.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l