Skryim III: The Dawnguard Wars.

Part Seventeen: Kindred Judgment.

  The smell of smoke hits my nostrils after I step through the portal, following Serana. My gut lurches as I see the Castle Volkihar surrounded in flames. Members of the Dawnguard stand outside of the castle, catapults firing into the castle. Isran stands a few feet from the entrance, his arms crossed. He turns to us in  surprise as several members point their crossbows at us. 
"Halt! Hold fire!" he shouts at his men. He gestures for us to approach. "Sinding told me that you would be finishing your own quest to help bring down this vermin...." He studies Serana, "He wasn't joking when he mentioned the daughter of Lord Harkon being an ally." 
  Serana held her chin up high, "My father is dead, Commander. That man who you want dead is no longer my father." 
  She holds Auriel's Bow in her hands, tightening around the gold of it's hilt. Isran nods, "He's the only one we have yet to kill. Everyone else either perished in fire or was cut down by my soldiers. Even though, that slimy Altmer got away, he's the least of our problems for now." 
My stomach churns, Vingalmo is alive somewhere.  
   "I must say, after this fight is over, you vampire women must either make a choice, become human or go to Ravenwatch with that friend of yours." Isran says, "I will give you options since we are allies now." 
  "Isran, we can speak about this after Harkon is dead." I say, breaking the silence. "Where is he?" 
 "He barred himself away in the Shrine to Molag Bal." Serana whispers. She looks at me and than Isran. "We need to get to him, now!" Isran nods. "Go, and may the Aedra watch your path." We rush past him up the bridge and to the burning castle. Entering the interior, most of the building as been scorched. Serana hands me Auriel's Bow and say, "Follow me!" She rushes towards where the Cathedral doors are and she pushes them open. We both walk in, and the room is hauntingly silent.  We look around when the doors slam behind us, causing us to jump.  A cool, voice sounds from behind the Blood Fountain of Molag Bal's Shrine. "My own daughter, sees to destroy me. A pity." 
   Harkon, no longer a man, stands out from behind the shrine, his Vampire Lord form is terrifying, he was past courtesy, he was ready for war. His clawed fingers burn with blood magic and he bares his teeth. "Serana, you have become a splitting image of your treacherous mother.  Is this how it ends? With turning against your own father?" His bare skin is a ashy gray, and he quivers in fury. 
   "You wanted to use my blood to help destroy mankind! Even if you weren't going to kill me, I would never turn again this world!" Serana snarls, her magicka forming in her palms. 
  "And you, Dragonborn? Are you happy, you continue to have all in your grasp, now the Bow. What will you do after you kill me? Hunt down Serana and her bitch of a mother!?" Harkon snarls. 
  "I would never hurt Serana, and I won't let you hurt her either." I snarl, feeling the vampire in me crave to kill him. 
   "I'll kill you first, have my daughter watch, and then I will slit her throat and use all her blood for our new empire."  Harkon says, as he throws his blood magicka at me. Serana and I duck to the different sides. I fall on top of the bow, it's hard edges cutting into my skin. Serana takes cover behind a pillar, and shoots ice shards against Harkon.  Scrambling to my feet, I use one of my shouts to cast fire at the Vampire Lord. Harkon groans in pain from the burns as wraps his long fingers under my arms. I gasp for pain as his talons slice under my arms as he shoves my against a pillar. "It was a mistake to turn you, Dragonborn, I should of known you would of destroyed my plans, no more."  He reaches towards my neck and bites into my throat, hard. I scream in pain as my blood coats his lips. 
   "FATHER!" Serana screams. Harkon's head snaps towards her as he drops me to the floor. I struggle to drag myself towards Serana, pain searing through my neck and underarms.  I could smell the stench of blood, and new I was losing it fast. I thought about my husband and daughter. How I wasn't coming home to them like I promised. I'd never see Aela, Vilkas or Farkas again either. Or Lydia or Malborn. "I'm sorry my love, I'm sorry Lucia." I whisper as I struggle to stay away. 
   "I love you, Father." Serana says before she uses her magicka in a huge blasts and engulfs Harkon in scarlet mist. Harkon's screams in pain as he says, "No, Serana.....your own father...." The scarlet mist and flames burn Harkon into red ash. 


Serana.
   
   Serana swallows back whatever emotions she had has all that was left of her father, was a pile of red ashes.  Her father was dead..... it was over. But yet, she felt heartbroken. She had loved her father, well, before he became a mad man. She looked over to where Taniiaae was laid out on the floor, unconscious in her own blood. She rushed over and turned her over on her back. "Taniiaae?" 
She was breathing, but it was labored.  Serana bit her lip, the Dawnguard would be there at any minute. She would be saved. And Serana remembered that she still had her mother's journal, she could go get her to help her. And Auriel's bow was only a few feet away from her, but the castle was burning.  Before she could get up to do anything, the doors burst open and a huge orc points a crossbow at the two women. "Surrender, fiends!" 
   "Durak, put your weapon down," came another voice. Serana recognized him as Isran. "These women are our allies, and they have done what they promised to do."
   His eyes flick over to the Bow laid on the floor, and then back to Taniiaae in Serana's arms. "The bow--" he starts.
"Take it, I have no desire to ever see it again." Serana said, looking back at Taniiaae. She turns back to Isran, "Can you save her? Her and her husband have done everything in their power to help your cause, you got what you've wanted. Can you save her?" 
    "We can try." Said a familiar voice. 
Serana's eyes widened as her own mother stepped from behind the two Dawnguard men, behind her, was Sinding. He looked different, he looked....human again. His blue eyes enlarged when he saw Taniiaae's state. 
  He walks over and helps pick up Taniiaae into his arms as Serana helped lifted her into his grasp. She could sees tears in his blue eyes. He turns towards Isran, his wife small in his arms. "Now that this over, are you done with us? Can we go back to normal?" he asks, his voice thick with emotion. 
  Isran nods, "As soon as I come to an agreement with these Vampires,  you can go home." 
"Well, Falion is already waiting for us back in Fort Dawnguard." Sinding says, "I will take my leave with my wife and get her cured and the proper healing." He walks out with Taniiaae in his arms. Serana looks at Valerica, "Mother--" 
 Valerica wraps her arms around Serana's shoulder and says, "We will talk. Let's get out of here and follow these men back to their home, there is nothing left for us here."