Realm of Games #1: Skyrim

Chapter 12

"What do you mean, the Jarl's been kidnapped?" I asked the guard angrily. "How could she have been kidnapped when this door is the only way in or out of the Blue Palace? Are you totally incompetent to protect your Jarl?"

The guard cowered under my harsh questions. "We were all knocked out." He stammered. "The entire legion of guards was knocked out by a sleeping spell of some sort."

I paused. A sleeping spell? No such thing existed here. The closest to a sleeping spell would be Vampire's Seduction, one of the Vampire Lord skills. Looking sharply at the now quivering guard, I asked, "Was there a note?"

He nodded, relieved. "Inside, on the throne." I let go of him and ran to the throne. If it was Vampire Seduction, there was only one person it could be. A quick glance at the bottom of the note proved me correct. It was Harkon, lord of the high vampires and Serana's father.

I read the note again. "Dearest Dragonborn. My, my, you're taking quite a long time to find a Moth Priest for me. I got so hungry in the meantime I had to find a snack. Common rabble taste awful so I knew one with royal blood would taste better. Come to Castle Volkihar with a Moth Priest in tow if you want this piece of human filth to live. Harkon."

My heart fell. If Harkon had Elisif, she was probably already half drained of her blood. But I also couldn't rush about in a blind panic or he would kill her.

In my previous life I'd played the game enough to know where the rumors of the Moth Priest would lead me: Dragonsbridge. I just had to talk to an innkeeper or carriage driver first. But since this was technically real life, the Moth Priest was probably waiting at Dragonsbridge to be captured by Harkon's lackeys.

I bit my lip, thinking. I was going to need help with this one. I'd never seen Serana's Vampire Lord form and I doubted the Dawnguard would work with me. My only hope was my party with Serana. If I could give them all wings we might just make it in time.

I jotted down a quick note and summoned a familiar. "Take this to Castle Volkihar with all speed. Go." The apparition nodded and left. I ran back down to the guard.

"I must go to Helgen with all haste. Pretend everything is fine, that the Jarl is simply ill. Let no one into her chambers. No visitors to the palace either." He nodded as I ran. Changing into my Vampire Lord form I flew off towards Helgen. I could only hope that the others had gotten there by now.

I flew through the night, though my wings were straining to keep me in the air. I reached Helgen by midday. Landing outside the city, I nearly collapsed from exhaustion as I changed back to my dark elf form. The sweet, sweet smell of blood, human and non human alike, made my mouth and throat go dry with need. I was a monster waiting for a delicious treat to come my way.

Shaking my head to clear my hunger thoughts, I drank a blood potion and walked into the city. It seemed like there was hardly anything left to do, as already the Jarl's men had repaired most of the masonry on the stone buildings and cleared the charred and burnt wood and rubble from the streets.

My group looked at me and ran over, excited. "What did you have to do?" I silenced them all with a look.

"We need to talk."