33: Punishment
Sonata and her friends stayed in the room where they encountered the strange structure that Serana had been locked away inside, explaining everything that they knew about Harkon's dealings with the orc warlock called Grul. At first the vampire seemed shocked that her father would even ally with such a dangerous character, after everything that she and her mother had witnessed before sealing themselves away from him. Then, as the got into more recent events, she learned that her father was responsible for the deaths of many vampires, including the Council of Three, which was actually an old custom that had been left alive since the time of her departure. She also learned that her father was killing innocent people, which wasn't too shocking for her to believe, and that he was essentially helping the orc bring about the end of Nirn, while not even apparently trying to fulfill the prophecy they had discovered.
Sonata also informed their latest ally of the fact that her father had likely handed her sisters over to the orc warlock, as only the vampires had known about Adagio and Aria, which only served to make Serana even angrier than she had been when she had first opened her eyes.
"Oh all the stupid stunts my father has pulled over the years, this has to be the most idiotic one of them all," Serana said, letting out a sigh as she tried to calm herself down, though she wasn't doing a good job in that department, "The Council of Three, one of the oldest network of vampires that ensured that my father didn't go off the deep end, has been destroyed thanks to one of their own betraying them to my father. Innocent people across Skyrim are being attacked at random, by either vampires or orcs, and are being taken alive for whatever foul purpose this Grul has in store for them. And, to top this madness off, my father has earned the wrath of a person who legend says will destroy a creature that's capable of bringing the world to an end... which I'm guessing has already come to pass."
Sonata was impressed that Serana was even taking this so well, but she had the feeling that the vampire was keeping her rage trapped inside herself and was trying to remain calm in the face of everyone that was around her.
"Your going to kill my father, aren't you?" Serana asked, receiving some gasps from several of the people around her, though it was more because she had guessed what was coming next and not from surprise.
"Yes. He betrayed my sisters, not to mention all of Nirn for that matter, and so he deserves to die," Sonata replied, nodding her head as she tapped her ebony sword for a second, "I know he's your father, and that this is likely going to be hard on you, but if you have anything to say on the matter, however small you might think it is, I would like to..."
"I'll help you kill my father." Serana declared, much to the shock of most of the group, though Sonata was somewhat glad that the newly awoken vampire was seeing things her way, "Before my mother and I fled, and took two Elder Scrolls with us, he was considering the prospect of sacrificing the both of us for the greater good of all vampires. We considered fighting him, but my mother declared that we weren't in a position to get away with it, so we fled and I was locked in this cave. Now, however, I think its time that we end this madness that my father started so long ago... and I'm more than happy to help you put down the monster he's become."
"Welcome to the team then," Sonata said, a smile appearing on her face as she, and by extension the rest of her friends, made their way to the exit, "We'll just use the back entrance, gather our carriages, and then we'll be on our way to your father's castle... then we can put this nightmare behind us."
Sonata wanted nothing more than to get rid of both Harkon and Miraak, where the vampire lord was nothing more than a constant thorn in her side while the mysterious man she knew nothing about, so she could track down Grul and put an end to his schemes.
As they made their way towards the exit Sonata noticed two stone statues to their left, though the moment they left the area of the strange structure the statues torn themselves apart and revealed stone creatures that she assumed had been left here, by Serana's mother she guessed, to prevent intruders from removing Serana from the area. It was at that point that Sonata discovered exactly what her latest ally was capable of, because the moment she shouted that the creatures were gargoyles she turned on them and froze them to the ground they were walking on. That was before two large ice spikes were thrown through the air and punctured the chests of the stone creatures, dropping them to the ground in a matter of seconds.
Serana, despite being a vampire, was a powerful frost mage, which Sonata was happy to have on their side because she knew that, when Serana regained her true potential, they would have a mage capable of using the frost and ice around them to their advantage.
Once the gargoyles were taken care of the group continued into the next chamber of the ruins, where they found a host of draugr that happened to be waiting for them. Kael, apparently taking a moment to try and impress their new ally, clapped his hands together and released a wave of flame at the undead, causing many of them to ignite the moment they were touched. Only the Deathlord, the heavily armed draugr that had been staying near the back, remained stable after the attack and began his advance towards them, though before he could even reach the halfway point Serana attacked him.
They gathered anything useful in the room, which was mostly weapons and armor that the nordic brothers could smith down and repurpose into whatever they desired, before they followed the pathway and came to a chamber that was filled with more draugr. Sonata had been expecting something like this, including the Word Wall off to the right of where the head draugr was sitting, which was why they all separated from each other the moment they entered the chamber. This time, however, the draugr seemed to hesitate before they started a fight, as if they knew what had happened to the previous batch of undead that had fought Sonata and her friends.
What happened next caught Sonata, and likely her friends, by surprise, as the head draugr, something that looked more powerful than the Deathlord they recently defeated, raised its hands in the manner of how someone would surrender to another. Sonata was somewhat shocked that the draugr were even capable of such thoughts, as she had been told that their primary goal was to protect their fallen masters and maintain the barrows they were buried in. The other draugr, as if following their master's silent order, laid down their weapons and returned to their slumber, as if they were allowing Sonata and her friends to leave without a fight. Even as the draugr laid down their arms Sonata noticed that the head draugr had a weapon that was different than what the others were carrying, but decided that now wasn't the time to figure out what it was.
"Does... does this normally happen to you?" Serana asked, as she was definitely confused as everyone else, though Sonata had the feeling she knew what was going on.
"No. This is the first time this has happened," Sonata replied, beckoning for everyone to head towards the exit, while she made her way towards the Word Wall.
Sonata kept her eyes on the head draugr, who was merely sitting on his throne and staring at the fire pit that seemed to burn without end, just in the off chance that it took offense to her learning the Word of Power that it was guarding. She approached the Wall as silently as she possibly could and let the new Word, Gaan, enter her body like all of the other Words she had learned so far. She cast her eyes back to the draugr for a moment, wondering if it was going to be pissed off by her taking the Word of Power, but its eyes remained on the fire pit. She quickly headed to where her friends were waiting for her and they left the ruins behind, where they emerged on the mountain side and found some snow waiting for them.
Once they were in the clear Sonata had Kree and Lydia head back to where they left their carriages, because she had the feeling that they were going to need them once more.
"That... that was a Draugr Death Overlord," Tolan commented, though it was clear that he was trying to stop himself from shaking, "Back when the Dragon Cult ruled Skyrim the Death Overlords were essentially the third in command, under the Dragon Priests that followed whatever their dragon masters ordered them to do. To see one of those Death Overlords up close like that... we're fortunate that he didn't want to fight us."
"That wasn't any old follower of the Dragon Cult," Saerza said, staring at the cave they had emerged from, "There is only one man, or undead as the case now is, that could have been carrying that weapon; Gurgath the Wicked. During the days of the Dragon Cult he slew everyone and anyone that dared to oppose his masters, all while drinking the blood of the fallen like the vampire he was. How a vampire, who served the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, ended up becoming a part of the Dragon Cult, and served his new master Alduin, is beyond me. Before the fall of the Dragon Cult it is said that he was supposed to be added to the ranks of the Dragon Priests, making their numbers nine instead of eight, but then Alduin was defeated and the Cult collapsed.
No one knew where Gurgath went after the defeat of his masters, and I only recently discovered his existence thanks to a trek through Labyrinthian, but it seems that I have another question answered. And that weapon he was carrying has to be the infamous Blood Blade... which means, if you believe the legends, that he's killed at least a thousand enemies in combat and stained his weapon with the blood of those he killed."
Sonata didn't like what she was hearing, nor did she like the thought of leaving behind such an artifact for some foolish adventurer to find... or worse, her enemy Grul. She could already imagine the damage the orc could do if he claimed the blade that the Death Overlord had been carrying, which she assumed would be adding its power to the reserve that would allow him to open his gateway. She wondered if it was best to go back in and take the weapon while she still had the chance, but considering how powerful he had to be, and was likely even stronger now that he was undead, she decided not to go back into the cave. She was still recovering from her fight with Alduin, so she didn't have the energy to waste on some ancient nordic warrior that could hold his own against everything they threw at him.
Sonata sighed and let it go, knowing that there would be time to recover the blade in the future... once she was finished with Lord Harkon anyway.
It took them a few hours to reach the boat that would take them to Serana's home, as they had to go through a small village and then through the mountain itself, but they were finally ready to meet with whoever was waiting inside the castle. Gol, Mez, Tolan, and several others stayed back with the carriages, leaving Sonata, Serana, Saerza, Kael, and Kree to walk up the bridge that would take them to the main gate. The plan was simple, they approach the guard that was watching the gate, gain entrance to the main hall, and then do whatever came next, which all depended upon who was leading the castle. If it was anyone other than Lord Harkon then they could play nice and get out of there before something terrible happened, but if it was Lord Harkon, and Sonata hoped that it was, then everything was going to get crazy.
The gatekeeper took one look at Serana as they approached the gate, as if trying to make sure his eyes weren't betraying him, before the gate opened for them, allowing them to access the main hall of the old castle.
Once the five of them were inside the building another vampire tried to stop them, but when when he laid eyes on Serana he backed up and approached the main hall, to which he declared that Serana had returned. The five of them stopped at the stop of the set of stairs that would allow them to access the room before them, choosing to take a moment to take in what was around them. Sonata could see at least ten vampires, not counting the Lord of the Castle, in the entire room, five on either side of their lord, along with quite a number of thralls that had been bent to their will. It reminded her of what she and her sisters had gone to the students back on Earth, before they were defeated and stripped of their powers, only now she was definitely more pissed off than she previously was.
"My long-lost daughter returns at last." the man said, looking up at the group as the rest of the vampires turned their attention towards them, "I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"
"After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me?" Serana replied, clearly pissed off that the scroll she was carrying was apparently more important than she was, "Yes, I have the scroll."
"Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter." the man said, though this time Sonata detected a hint of annoyance flickering in his voice for a second or two, "Must I really say the words aloud? 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 are these strangers that you have brought into our hall?"
"These are my saviors," Serana answered, barely moving her hands to indicate the four people around her, which was fine considering that everyone could see them, "they are the ones who freed me."
"For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude." the man declared, directing his full attention to the group, though Sonata knew that he was staring right at her, "Tell me, what is your name?"
"I am Sonata Dusk, Dragonborn of Legend and Slayer of Alduin the World-Eater," Sonata replied, staring down at the man and prepared herself for what might be coming next, "And you would be?"
"I am Harkon, lord of this court!" the man answered, failing to notice the grin that appeared on Sonata's face, "By now, my daughter will have told you what we... are?"
Harkon had to stop himself as he heard laughter for a moment, though it became clear that the one laughing happened to be Sonata, which made him glare at her. He couldn't believe that he was being laughed at, in his own castle no less, by someone who his daughter claimed to have saved her from whatever prison her mother had sealed her in. He guessed that he wouldn't be recruiting the Dragonborn into his ranks at this point, as he was fairly sure that it would have ended with her betraying him at a critical moment, even if he managed to convince her.
"Today is a good day," Sonata said, jumping over the side of the railing and landed on the floor, to which she straightened herself and approached Harkon, "Now then... onto the business at ha..."
"Who dares to laugh in the presence of Lord Harkon?" a voice shouted, to which Sonata turned her head to the left for a moment and spotted Lady Vespula, who seemed shocked to see her again, "Oh, Dragonborn... this is kind of awkward..."
"And my day just got a lot better!" Sonata declared, turning to face the vampire that had betrayed her Council, "Wait here Lord Harkon... I've got some business to take care of."
Before anyone could say anything Sonata leapt over the table that was between her and Vespula, not to mention making the vampires move out of the way, before she landed in front of the traitorous vampire that had turned her sisters over to Lord Grul. Lightning wrapped around her right hand as she used her left hand to throw Vespula back against the wall, causing her to stagger for a moment, before piercing her chest with her Lightning Blade. Vespula was surprised by what was happening, but that didn't stop Sonata from making sure that her heart was being ripped to pieces by her lightning.
"W... why?" Vespula asked, as if she wanted to know the reason for why Sonata had ended her life, which she knew would be soon just by looking at Sonata's face.
"You betrayed my sisters... and ultimately me, the Siren Queen." Sonata replied, a grin appearing on her face as she noticed a look of realization appear in Vespula's eyes, "Yes, now you understand what my sisters told you. Now, however, you shall leave this world and trouble me no more."
Once the life had left Vespula's eyes, and Sonata was sure that she was dead, she tore her hand free from the vampire's chest and threw her into the room she had been hiding in when she and her friends had arrived. She turned around and noticed that Harkon was descending upon her with his sword drawn, but before the blow could connect Sonata sidestepped the attack and slammed her fist into his wrist, knocking the sword free for a moment. She didn't give Harkon time to recover from the attack, as she threw her fist into his chest and knocked him back a few steps, which was followed by her flipping backwards and using her feet to kick him in the chin, causing him to flip onto the table and land hard on his back.
A few seconds later Harkon rolled off the table, landed with his feet touching the floor of the area he had been standing on when Sonata entered the hall, and cracked some of his joints as if he was getting rid of some pressure, before he beckoned for Sonata to come at him again. Sonata sighed and undid the belt that was holding her ebony weapon, which she tossed over to Serana, who was holding her father's blade as well, before she entered the area that Harkon wanted to fight her in. The two of them faced each other, silently daring the other to take a swing at them, before Harkon threw his right fist at Sonata and was blocked by her left hand.
Sonata went on the defensive almost immediately, letting Harkon throw punches and kicks at her, which she blocked, while she studied his every move. He was a vampire lord, which was the most powerful type of vampire in Tamriel, so she had to be careful and not let him score any blows that could potentially give him the advantage in this fight. So she blocked all of his attacks while giving him none in return, feeling the amount of power he was putting behind each of his blows and determining how much she would need if she wanted to end this in a matter of seconds. That was seconds before he changed his pattern and slammed a fist into the side of her face, knocking her back a few steps as Harkon gloated over finally hitting her.
"Is this all the fury the Dragonborn can muster?!" Harkon shouted, as if he was amused by the fact that she hadn't touched him since they started fighting in the middle of the room, "I expected more from the person who slew the World-Eater... I guess you really don't care about your sisters."
"Your overconfidence will be your downfall, Lord Harkon," Sonata said, standing straight as she rubbed her cheek for a moment, "but fine, if you wish to witness the power of my rage... well, let's just say you'll enjoy this."
Sonata tapped into her powers and felt the red aura from earlier wrap around her, allowing her to tap into her powers as she stared at Lord Harkon. The vampire lord charged at her and swung his fist at her, but this time Sonata merely caught the arm before it could reach her and stopped the attack dead in its tracks. Before Harkon could say anything Sonata raised her right leg for a moment and struck him hard in the chest, letting him go flying into the wall behind him and crushing the table that he would normally be sitting at. It was in that moment that Sonata was disappointed with her opponent, as she expected something much greater than what she was getting, but she let out a sigh as she approached the fallen vampire lord.
As she walked up to where Harkon was laying she allowed her magic to gather around her left hand, forming a blade that she would use to end his life and bring an end to whatever the vampires were planning.
"Do you expect me to beg for my life, Dragonborn?" Harkon coughed, struggling to pick himself up as he watched her approach him, though it was clear that the fighting spirit had left his body.
"No Lord Harkon," Sonata replied, coming to a stop in front of the fallen vampire lord as she drove the energy blade into his chest, causing him to cough up some blood, "I expect you to die!"
"It seems that my skills were sufficient enough to fool you," Harkon said, to which was consumed by green fire until an orc replaced him, one that Sonata recognized as another of Grul's Lieutenants, Faldruuk she recalled, "I am called the 'Many Faces' for a reason, as my magic allowed me to wear the face of another person and act like them... allowing the real Lord Harkon to escape before you arrived. He will find Auriel's Bow and deliver its power to my master... who will find another to replace me in time."
Sonata growled and released the magic that was holding her energy blade together, though as it fell apart she wove it into another spell and set the orc on fire, allowing him to burn under the intensity of her anger. She was annoyed that she had been played by her enemy again, as now it meant that they had no idea where the real Lord Harkon was hiding, but they knew what he was searching for. Auriel's Bow... that was something that she assumed that Serana knew about, or maybe her mother considering that it was her idea that lead to them being locked away.
Despite all of this she had to be somewhat pleased, because she had taught the vampires that had betrayed her a lesson that she was sure that none of them would forget... and soon Harkon would know that lesson as well.
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Is it wrong for me to want Sonata as the High Queen of Skyrim?
7685644 Sonata Dusk, High Queen of Skyrim... to her it would likely be like when she was the Siren Queen in Equus, only this time she'd actually have to rule her subjects. Its definitely an interesting thought to entertain.
Boy, she is nettled.
Super nettled.
7686347 And sadly that wasn't the real Harkon... that was one of Grul's Lieutenants, who deserved to die.
7686427 Aye, and he'll get his soon enough.
7686467 That begs the question... where did Harkon run off to?
7686479 Either he's hiding behind Grul's skirts, or he has a secret base that Sonata will have to sniff out.
7686501 He's likely got a base that Sonata doesn't know about... but that doesn't mean that she won't find in in the future.
7686554 Find it, and blow it up! I'll bring the popcorn.
7686564 Hmm... interesting...
I'll bring the drinks and we can watch the fireworks together.
Everyone else in invited to watch as well... provided they bring other snacks.
7686847 Man, I hope someone brings cake or butterscotch-cinnamon pie.
7686868 Dang it... now I'm hungry...
I'll bring cake when we reach that point
7687886
Huh... a changeling orc
Why am i not surprised -_-
7685644 nope. I want to see that
7703771 I added Grul and his orcs because I thought it would make everything more interesting. I guess you can think of the story as a modded Skyrim, where everything is much more interesting and entertaining... depending on what you add to it.
7706498 Well, some bandit leaders have enchanted weapons and armor in the vanilla game. But I'll have to check that out in the future.
Huh... the Harkon in the castle was a fake...
I'm sorry Sonata, but the real Harkon is in another castle!