Sombra visits Skyrim

by Blackdrag-rose

30: Castle Volkihar

Finding their way out of Dimhollow Crypt was easier than when they had make their way through the tunnel, as they didn't have to worry about anymore vampires blocking their path. They had to deal with a group of stone gargoyles that woke as they passed them, raining chunks of stone down upon them before they bothered facing them. Raika was not in the mood to deal with any more enemies or obstructions, but she was saved from having to bloody her new swords as Trixie and Serana threw magic at them. Fire and ice traveled side by side before burying themselves in the chests of the gargoyles, one tossing them back before the second exploded around them.

Raika was pleasantly surprised that she had found yet another mage, leaving her as the only person in the group that didn't use magic as part of her daily life.

The last chamber they came to housed another squad of the undead draugr and several skeletons, though there was another dread deathlord standing in front of the Word Wall in the corner. Raika moaned as they moved into the chamber, spells and metal flying as they tore into the undead and scattered the bodies everywhere. As the others moved towards the exit Raika stopped by the Word Wall and absorbed the Word of Power, not really caring what this Word was supposed to do. Alduin was dead, so it really didn't matter how many Words she learned, as there was nothing else that needed the Thu'um to defeat them.

"So...you are the Dragonborn?" Serana asked, stepping into the light of the afternoon with the others, "I've heard the tales that only a Dragonborn can fight and destroy a dragon named Alduin the World-Eater..."

"He's dead," Raika replied, pulling out her map so she could pinpoint exactly where they were, "My friends and I followed him into Sovngarde and destroyed him before he could restore himself to full power. The souls of the nords are safe and the Divines are likely pleased that I fulfilled my destiny."

"Must have taken a lot of time and effort to put down such a powerful beast," Serana commented, staring to the west as they began to walk down the mountain side.

"Actually, it was much easier than I had expected," Raika told her, finding a pathway they could use to descend without tripping and breaking their necks, "and its not because I'm arrogant that my destiny was to destroy Alduin and that he didn't stand a chance. Rather, he had been severely wounded by Sombra when he had tried to kill me while I was reading my Elder Scroll, so I could learn the secret to defeating him."

"And what did he do to wound him?" Serana asked, curious as to what someone, who wasn't the Dragonborn of legend, could do to the powerful and nearly immortal dragon, "Throw magic in his face until he fell on the side of the mountain?"

"Actually, I impaled him on my crystal spires," Sombra replied, moving ahead as he spotted another group of bandits heading their way, "Here, let me show you exactly what I'm talking about."

Raika stood next to a tree as the others stood near her, giving her the perfect view of the surrounding area so she could watch the show that Sombra would perform soon. At first the bandits spread out and surrounded Sombra, confidant that the five of them could take down one person by themselves before moving onto the others. One bandit drew his sword and approached Sombra, swinging the weapon in a wide arc and finding nothing as it passed by where Sombra had been standing. Before the bandit could move a small crystal spike erupted from his chest, silencing him while the other four searched for what was responsible for the attack.

Crystals began to erupt everywhere, tearing through the ground around the bandits and causing them to scatter like each of them were chickens with their heads cut off. One unlucky bandit tripped over a fallen crystal and fell onto a bed of small crystals, puncturing his body multiple times and ending his life before he could do anything to save himself. The third bandit pulled out a pair of dwarven swords and struck at the nearest crystal spike, breaking the crystal into fragments and moving onto another spike. The crystals, however, had over plans as they erupted from the ground and tore through the unfortunate bandit, ripping her armor to pieces as her body went limp.

The last two bandits stood with their backs to each other, keeping their eyes out for Sombra while making sure that they didn't fall victim to another crystal trap. Shadows gathered around them and a section began to part as Sombra, his eyes burning with the shadowy magic he constantly used and his sword at the ready. He swung his sword and the first bandit was cut right in half, the top half flying into one of the fallen bandits while the lower half crumpled to the ground. The remaining bandit, now seeing that he didn't stand any chance at all, threw his weapon to the ground and ran towards the nearby river, but Sombra would not let it come to pass. A spike erupted from the ground in front of the bandit and tore through his chest, ending the attack without any harm coming to the others.

"What in Oblivion was that?" Serana asked, not sure exactly what she had just witnessed, "What did he do to those bandits?"

"He killed them by using his crystals," Raika replied, approaching the mess as she realized that Sombra had gone overboard, "Just imagine several of these, say about five times the size, puncturing the largest dragon you've ever seen and severely wounding him. He's a force to be reckoned with, so don't assume that, if you decide to attack him, that you'll escape without receiving some type of major wound."

Before the others got close to him Sombra cut off the shadow magic again and coughed into his hands, finding more blood on his palms that had to be wiped away.

The group continued on their way, though they had to circle around the crystal mess before they could approach the river and determine the best path to move from their current position to the other side of the inlet that Solitude rested above. Raika didn't want to walk all the way down to Dragons Bridge, follow the path out of the town, and pass by several Imperial patrols that wanted her dead. She was sure that General Tullius had heard the news that the Dragonborn was on the Stormcloaks side and had likely ordered her immediate capture. Or, in the event of her resisting arrest, they were likely ordered to execute her and not ask any questions.

Trixie, not wanting to bother with wasting time with people who wanted them dead at the moment, knelt before their side of the inlet and pressed her palms on top of the water. At first nothing happened, but then, when her magic kicked in, a large section of the water in front of them frozen over as if winter had hit the water hard. The frozen patch was wide enough for three people to pass side by side and, from what Raika could tell, was thick enough to keep it from breaking apart until they were on the other side of the inlet. It was stable enough for them to pass without the fear of falling into the water and freezing, so they began the trek across the frozen path.

The moment they finally reached the other side of the inlet, and the frozen path melted behind them, Raika spotted a group of Imperial soldiers coming their way. They weren't the Solitude guards, but heavily armed soldiers bent on doing whatever Tullius and his Thalmor allies commanded them to do. Even as Raika thought about the Thalmor she spotted several mages following the soldiers, which meant that they weren't on patrol and had spotted her before she had even crossed the inlet.

"Stop right there Raika Snow-Heart," one of the mages shouted, "By the order of her Emissary you and your comrades are to lay down your arms and surrender to the might of the Aldmeri Dominion. You will be tried as the heretics that you are and we shall execute you in public, for the viewing pleasure of her Emissary and the Emperor himself."

"Damn the Aldmeri Dominion to Oblivion," Raika shouted, turning to Sombra for a moment, "I need you to summon a wall that can keep them busy, long enough for us to get out of their sight and make them give up the chase."

"I will try," Sombra said, clapping his hands to the ground as he willed the magic to ignite, "Now go, get moving in case the crystals react too slowly and I'm forced to resort to violence to give you time."

Raika barely had time to reply when she felt the earth shake, the telltale sign of when Sombra was working a large amount of magic and was about to summon a field of crystals. She turned to the path that would lead them to Solitude's lighthouse and eventually, she hoped, the home of Serana so she could stop this horrible day. Her friends were quick to follow her down the path, leaving Sombra to deal with the Imperial soldiers and the Thalmor mages. Even as the crystals began to come out of the ground Sombra coughed and spotted red splatters on the ground in front of him, though he had to wonder why he was suffering so much all of a sudden.

"Give up heretic," a mage said, standing in front of Sombra while his companions tried to move around the crystal walls, "You strange magic won't work on me as easily as it did my worthless companions."

"You know nothing about how the crystals work," Sombra chuckled, a long crystal spike shooting out of the ground and striking the mage in the chest, "you can avoid the crystals all you want, but there will still be more ways for me to use them against you."

Sombra chuckled and got onto his feet, making sure that the wall would hold for some time before it fell apart, nodding his satisfaction before moving towards the path the others had taken. It took him a few moments before he noticed them approaching what he assumed was a lighthouse, so he picked up the pace while making sure that none of the soldiers managed to pass his wall. Before he could join his friends he noticed another group of soldiers, dressed in the same armor as the previous group, coming his way and he brought his hands together. Crystals rose out of the ground and sped towards the group, reaching for the unsuspecting soldiers as two of them were impaled almost immediately.

Raika, wondering why she could still feel the ground shaking, turned around and realized that she should have told Sombra about the other entrance into Solitude. She could have had him seal that entrance as well, making the soldiers circle back up to Solitude and walk the long way, which would have given them plenty of time to escape. Still, it seemed that, no matter how many times people witnessed Sombra's magic at work, they couldn't figure out that the earth shaking beneath their feet was just a warning of what was to come. The three remaining soldiers approached them, but Sombra was faster as he moved from shadow to shadow, cutting down the soldiers before they could reach them.

Before another group arrived they made their way further around the beach, passing several caves and ruined fortresses before they came to a dock that seemed to go nowhere.

"This boat will take us to the island my home is on," Serana said, climbing onto the boat as she turned to the others, "Come on, you wanted answers and you'll get them."

Raika sighed and followed Serana onto the boat, waiting for the others to join them before setting off across the water and passing through a mist. They might have run aground on some sharp rocks, but thanks to Serana's constant ball of light and her knowledge of the path she needed to take they managed to reach the island without delay. When Raika looked behind Serana and saw the structure behind her she froze up for a moment; where she was expecting a two story house stood, instead, a gigantic castle that reached towards the clouds.

"Castle Volkihar, my home," Serana said, starting up the stone pathway that would lead them up to the main gates, "Just a word of warning, but I know your friends would want to kill everything inside the castle, so I would appreciate it if you restrain yourself."

"Trixie will just wait outside then," Trixie declared, leaning against the side of a watchtower, "Sombra, what about you?"

"Shadow Travel," Sombra grinned, feeling his body slowly turn into a shadowy form, "I shall hide in Raika's shadow and learn more about what we are up against while she speaks to whoever is in there. And, in the off chance that someone would attack her, I will provide whatever support I can."

Before Raika could voice her concern with someone traveling inside her own shadow Sombra continued to melt into the ground, fusing with her shadow until she couldn't tell the difference. It only looked like her own shadow, but she knew that Sombra was there somewhere, watching and listening to everything that would happen around her. She followed Serana up the stone bridge and up to the gates, giving her plenty of time to notice the stone gargoyles that rested on both of her sides. As they approached the gates Raika spotted a nord standing on the other side near a lever, though it took one look in his eyes to realize that he was also a vampire.

The guard noticed them coming and pulled the lever, forcing the gate to rise up and allow them access to the castle, though Raika was beginning to feel a sense of dread. The moment they entered the front door they were greeted by an elf, one who didn't seem too happy to see them until he realized exactly who was standing before him.

"My Lord," the elf shouted, turning to the small balcony behind him and speaking to the assembled group, "Everyone. Lady Serana has returned to us!"

"I guess I'm expected now," Serana moaned, shaking her head as she moved down the stairs to the elf's left, "Do try to restrain yourself in here, for the both of us."

Raika moved down the set of stairs to the elf's right, her eyes wandering around the open room and taking in everything and everyone that she noticed. While she was doing this she could have sworn that she heard Sombra counting, almost as if he was making a layout of the castle and was determining just how many vampires there were. Before she reached the floor she spotted one vampire that seemed out of place; an argonian dressed up in a black robe that stood near the back of the room.

"My long-lost daughter returns at last," a middle aged man, who Raika assumed was the Lord of the Castle, said, "I assume you still have my Elder Scroll?"

"After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me?" Serana asked, though Raika couldn't blame her for asking anyway, "Yes, I still have the Elder Scroll. Its not something I can just throw away now is it?"

"Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words out loud?" the man continued, as if he hadn't heard the other bit of Serana's statement, "Ah, if only your traitor mother were here, I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike. Now tell me, who is this stranger you have brought to our hall?"

"This is the one who broke the seal on my prison," Serana answered, almost as if she had told a little lie and it went right over her father's head.

"For my daughter's safe return you have my gratitude." the man said, turning to face Raika now, "Tell me, what is your name?"

Raika, feeling as if every eye of every vampire was on her now, approached the pair until she was just a few steps away from Serana's seemingly uncaring father. She didn't know if the others would react if he gave the order to attack, but she trusted that Sombra would not fail her and they'd walk away as fast as possible.

"I am Raika Snow-Heart, Dragonborn of Legend," Raika replied, not sure if the vampires would even care about Alduin's legend, "And you would be?"

"I am Harkon, Lord of this Court," the man said, giving her a bow before straightening up, "By now I'm sure that Serana has told you exactly what we are."

"I didn't need to be told what all are," Raika replied, crossing her arms, "I could tell, just by looking into each of your eyes, that each and every one of you are all vampires. And, judging by how old this castle really is, I'm assuming that you are among the oldest and most powerful vampires that Skyrim has ever produced."

"I am pleasantly surprised by how much you know of us already," Harkon replied, a small smile appearing on his face as if he enjoyed having her around, "But you have done me a great service, and you must be rewarded. There is but one gift I can give that is equal in value to the Elder Scroll and my daughter. I give you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble as you approach, and you will never fear death again."

"Yeah...I'm going to say no to that," Raika told him, not even wanting the foul taste of blood to touch her lips, "I'm going to politely reject your offer and get out of here."

"So be it then," Harkon boomed, resting his eyes on Raika, "You are prey, like all the other mortals. I shall spare your life this one time, but should I ever find you in my castle again I won't hesitate to slay you. Now begone."

Before Harkon's magic could kick in the shadows sprung up around Raika, grabbed a hold of her, and consumed her without a moments hesitation. She found herself standing outside the castle, right next to where Trixie said she would be waiting for their eventual return. As she opened her mouth to say something Sombra emerged halfway from her shadow, leaving the lower half of his body still connected to her for a moment.

"I hate to ruin whatever you were going to say," Sombra started, his magic kicking in again as another Shadow Gate opened next to Trixie, "but I don't think those vampires are going to wait before they hunt us down. One's already on his way to where we are standing."

Raika looked back and saw the argonian from the castle approaching, though he wasn't armed and seemed like he just wanted to speak to them for a moment. Instead of waiting for him to draw closer Raika grabbed Trixie and directed her to the gateway, watching the mage disappear within seconds of entering. Before the argonian got any closer Raika approached the gateway and stepped in, but even as she stepped in she felt a scaled hand touch her shoulder. The moment she looked back at the argonian she felt the magic of the gateway activate and the two of them were swept away, traveling to wherever Sombra was taking them to.

Comments

[Sonata Blaze]

5755015 All are valid points. Serana is also one of the best followers in all of Skyrim, and I'm usually traveling somewhere with her at my side.

Also, who in Oblivion is that argonian?

[Crystal Static]

5761038 It is a shame that one of my mods glitched Serana where she can't carry anything... I don't know enough about console commands to fix her either.

~Crystalline Electrostatic~

[Sonata Blaze]

5761777 Yeah, glitches can ruin a game. I usually just make sure that the game cache is fine and that the files are okay. That usually takes care of things for me. I tend to stay away from mods that change characters, just in case there's something that might ruin a certain character.

[Crystal Static]

5761798 That is the only real issue caused by mods, everything else loads and runs just fine. I have over 50 mods, and there are no clashes from them (besides the one little glitch with Serana, which actually may be something that happened without an issue with a mod), so I would like to think I am set pretty well.

~Crystalline Electrostatic~

[Vigilant of Stendarr]

It is quite nice to see Raika turn down Harkon's gift, though I do have to wonder who that argonian is.