The words felt heavy coming from his mouth, but Nathan meant them. He wanted to take this as a sign that he might be too dangerous to be in the mortal realm. If the undead could travel in and out of Niflheim, then he wanted to stay there and get himself under control. Behind him, Jack had a different reaction. Confusion flooded Jack's voice, when he asked him. "I don't understand... I thought you were a Bard?" The question made Nathan scoff before he chuckled out over his shoulder. "What? You think that because I'm just a Bard that I can't be an adventurer? Come on." Giving him a little shrug, Jack asked him lightly. "Ok... What quest are you on?" Nathan stared at him over his shoulder for a minute. He wasn't sure that he should say, but he eventually let slip rather seriously. "I was working with the Vampire Hunters to take out Lord Harkon. But I a... hit a snag." Jack's eyes drifted to Nathan's neck, clearing his throat a little before adding in lightly. "You got bitten?" Nathan licked his lips anxiously, then regaled out honestly. "I went to steal something from his men... and unearthed his daughter... literally."

Jack's eyes widened, his voice sounding a bit accusing now when he gawked out. "Oh, Nate... You didn't... Did you?" Nate narrowed his eyes on Jack a bit offended by what he might be implying, but reluctantly shot back as he admitted semi-honestly. "She didn't give me a choice. She'd been buried for centuries... and I was the only thing living in the damn place. Let's just say that I'm lucky to be alive... but now Lord Harkon hunts me because of what I'm becoming and the Dawnguard too. I've been able to outrun them... but what I'm becoming... I'm afraid. Every day it gets harder to resist. I don't know what kind of monster I'll be... but I feel something cold and dark beneath the surface." Nathan was a bit shocked by how easily he could warp the facts to be believable. Yet, he told himself that he was on a mission. The Dragonborn was a means to an end. He needed the Dragonborn to trust him. Even if he had to warp a few things to keep him on his side. He highly doubted that he if knew the truth that he'd trust him. He had to play this right or he was going to lose all that he loved. Odahviing turned his head to calmly state back to him. "Primal nature is hard to overcome. Fearing yourself will only make you more dangerous to those around you."

Nathan nodded, retorting out through an acted-out burdened huff of a voice. "I know. Which is why I was told to do this... I have to get this under control." Nathan tensed a little, when he heard the disembodied voice of Sanguine state practically over his shoulder. "I can hear you lying about me. But I'm curious how long you think this lie will last." Nathan discreetly looked in the direction of the voice but saw nothing there and the others didn't appear to hear him. Instead, Odahviing carried on the conversation by chuckling out a little dryly. "You'll take your newfound powers out on the dead? How will that help? Or is your plan to battle Dovahkiin there?" Behind him, Jack jerked as he tensed up. Nathan's heart plummeted to his stomach, and he tried to think of something fast. While over his shoulder the disembodied voice, chuckled out. "Well, that was quick. Listen and learn, Bard. Repeat after me." Listening, he began to regal quickly as Sanguine told him what to say. "No. There is a special dragon in Skuldafn. A legendary guardian... No one has ever gotten past it. And Sanguine thinks it will give me my answer. And if all else fails... I can distract it long enough to get the Dragonborn through."

Jack sounded a bit taken aback by his words, asking bluntly aloud. "This is a suicide mission for you?" Nathan eyed the place discreetly where he had heard Sanguine's voice, but defiantly scoffed out honestly. "I hope not... but I'm damned anyway." Nate heard Sanguine chuckle softly, telling him coolly. "Classic. Heroic missions work every time. You realize though... Now I'll have to warn her that you're coming. It's the consequence for lying about why I sent you. I'm no liar. So, a victim of your own story, you shall be. This will be fun." Nathan wanted to protest but restrained himself to remain calm and quiet. Now he had to watch what he said. Straightening up behind him, Jack reluctantly opened up to Nate in a serious tone of his own. "I know what you're going through... Mark was afraid of his own curse at first. He thought it would change him into a monster too. But he learned to control it and I think you can too." Nate raised an eyebrow, when he realized that he'd never asked what Mark was. Of course, he knew already. However, for the sake of his charade, he asked curiously. "What does he suffer from?" Jack bit his lower lip nervously, mumbling out softly. "Mark is a... a werewolf."

Turning up his charm, Nathan let out a chuckle and said in a playful voice that was almost genuine. "Is that right? Damn. No wonder he didn't like me... He probably smelled it on me." Jack smirked so cutely with distant eyes, when he said. "Actually... He told me you just smelled like alcohol... Which you do." Nathan couldn't help laughing at that, then replied to him in a fading voice as something came to mind. "Well... I'm enjoying it while I can." Why hadn't Mark told Jack about what he was? Was he trying to protect him? Did Mark not see him as enough of a threat? The thought started to plague him, until Jack patted his hip and confidently informed him over his shoulder. "I saw you hold back from feeding on Farengar... I think you have more control than you think. You just have to get used to your new gifts. Took Mark a bit... and he's still working on some things. But if he can be more than a monster, then so can you. You say that you work with Vampire Hunters? Well, who better to fight a vampire than one? You're only a monster if you lose your ability to care about those around you. However... I've learned that sometimes to kill a monster... you have to become one. But it's who you choose to be after that, that is usually harder."

Nathan found himself smirking at Jack over his shoulder. The guy wasn't at all what he had expected the Dragonborn of legend to be. He was... kind and understanding. Not once had he made fun of him for thinking Vampires were real. Other people didn't believe they existed. Why did Jack? Was it just his way of being nice? Nodding to Jack solemnly, he told him in a genuinely honest tone of voice. "I guess, we'll find out what I'll become. Just be on your guard. Unlike your husband, I won't eat your heart out... I'll leave you breathless." Jack rolled his eyes in response, mumbling out flatly. "I'm dead in both of those scenarios. Or was that you're idea of flirting?" Odahviing laughed, while Nathan winced and said under his breath a little embarrassed. "Sorry. Old habit." Jack shook his head with a smile, his eyes turning to look upon the horizon. Nathan felt too torn up internally to enjoy the view. So, he let the silence grow between them. He could only hope that this was all worth it in the end. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he tried to push Jack's kindness from his mind. He had a job to do. He needed to do it and then somehow convince Jack to leave with him to go to Harkon's castle. His big concern was how he was going to divide Jack from Mark to do it. Or would saving Mark be enough to convince Jack that he owed him?

Odahviing began a slow descent from the clouds, circling an edge as he made a graceful landing. Nate marveled at the ancient ruins built around the open cliffside landing area they were in. Odahviing lowered his head and neck to let them slide off safely, but told them grimly. "This is as far as I can take you. Krif voth ahkrin. I will look for your return in Midgard... Or Alduin's." Nate tried to stretch out his legs from the long ride, but was a bit startled by the way Jack so casually touched Odahviing's nose without fear. The guy was so calm around Dragons that it was a bit unnerving to Nate. The touch even came as a surprise to Odahviing, but he didn't pull away. Respectfully, Jack told Odahviing with a warm smile. "Thank you, Odahviing. Safe journey home." Odahviing seemed touched by his words, then snorted a soft gust of heated breath over Jack from his nostrils, before coyly saying back. "And to you, Dovahkiin. Good luck. You will need it." Without another word, Odahviing leapt back into the air and quickly flew back over the crest of the mountainside. Nate rubbed his sore inner thighs that were sore from rubbing against Odahviing's hard dragon scales, while telling Jack with a bright teasing smile. "Aww, I think he likes you."

Jack rolled his eyes in response, strolling right past him and toward the stone archway that had a large stone bridge beyond it. Reaching the archway, Jack mumbled out a bit shyly. "Focus. We need to find the way into Sovengarde." Nate rolled his eyes at that despite Jack not noticing his sarcasm. The guy kept his mind on the tasks at hand, he gave him that. Following Jack across the stone bridge, Nathan asked Jack playfully curious. "You touch them a lot, don't you? Weren't you scared that he'd take your hand?" Jack glanced back over his shoulder, giving him a narrowed look when he retorted. "You touched him. Weren't you scared?" Tilting his hand a little, Nathan honestly told him. "Ehh, that was different. He was shackled. I was confident that I could run." Jack looked up and Nate did too to see the massive black castle that was mostly a ruin now, but enough of it was still standing to make it a sight to behold. After looking upon it, Jack changed the subject to ask. "So, this Guardian Dragon. What's so special about him?" Thinking about the dragon caused Nathan to put a hand on the hilt of his sun sword. He was about to dodge the question, when Sanguine told him what to say in his same amused disembodied voice. "He's a step down from Alduin... A master of the Shout of Death. No one has ever seen it and lived to brag about it."

Jack glanced back again, chuckling out a bit sarcastically. "Then how do we know it exists?" When Nate didn't hear anything but a chuckle from Sanguine, he just blurted to him through a nervous chuckle of his own. "Because Daedric Lords enjoy trying to find champions that can best the creatures in those tales." Behind Nathan, Sanguine's voice huffed out to him. "Ha. Ha. Very funny. Blame the Daedra. You brought this on yourself. I can't have you soiling my name. A Daedra Lord's reputation is all he has." Nathan casually walked along a stone path that had the castle's wall on one side and a sheer drop off into darkness on the other. Since he could fly, he was unfazed by the cliffside. Jack was a different story. Jack couldn't seem to even look at the depths of the cliff, his back hugging the wall. Nathan peeked over the side to see that the castle was nestled high up in the nook of a volcano judging by the smell. The thick grey fog hiding anything that was hidden in the dark depths far below. Upon reaching the steps, Nathan paused to take in the sights. He was bit confused when he asked Jack while continuing up the steps. "Human stairs? But everything else is dragon sized. How does that make sense?"

Jack took a jagged deep breath, struggling with the cliffside still when he answered in a soft voice. "The Dragon Priests... This must be where they communed with them. Be on your guard. Chances are that there are some powerful Draugr here." In response to his words, Nathan withdrew his sun sword. The golden blade glinted and shined brightly in the lack of morning light that was cast here. The blade pulsed with aggression at feeling his cold hand. As much as the sword would come in handy against the Draugr, he had to be careful and keep the blade from hurting himself too. Noticing how Jack's eyes marveled at his blade, he told him with a smile. "This is Dawnbreaker. It kills undead with the intensity of the sun. A gift... that I won't be worthy of when I turn." Even as Nathan said it, his hand gripped the hilt tighter. If Merida's new champion did try to claim it from him, he didn't think he was willing to part with something that could kill him. Jack raised his eyebrows, uttering out in disbelief. "It's gorgeous. And I have no doubt that we'll need it." Nathan turned the sword to show off the blazing white runes engraved down the blade, stating out as he read aloud in a rather grim voice. "To cleanse the word of Darkness... One simply needs to shine brightly."

Jack straightened up, withdrawing his own strange looking sword. The blade was so thin and resonated with its own power. Nodding to him, Jack confidently stated out. "Let's bring the dawn then." Jack started to walk onward, conjuring two Fire Thralls that made Nathan jump back from them. The heat radiating off their powerful slender female forms was almost unbearable for his vampiric skin. So, he sped up a bit to walk beside Jack and conjured a little something of his own. Since Jack had summons two powerful Fire Thralls, he decided to show off his own skills by summoning a Dremora Lord. The spell barely cost him anything for a Necromancy spell that should have cost a lot. The Dremora Lord flexed its muscular arms to loosen them up, then withdrew its frightening daedric greatsword with a menacing growl. As they reached the top of the steps, the Dremora Lord rushed between himself and Jack, stating out in a thick growling accent. "I smell weakness!" Before Jack moved passed the wall and into the open, Nathan grabbed his arm to stop him to let the Dremora Lord go out first. The sounds of blades clanging, and armor banging brought the silence, before the sound of crackling bones.

There was a brief pause before more songs of blades began to ring out loudly over the open courtyard. Beside him, Jack gestured to his Thralls, and they began to move to join into the fray. The fiery horned women hovered out, forming fireballs in their hands before they started hurling them at the enemy. Moving to stand in front of Jack, Nathan risked taking a peek around the wall to see what they were up against. Quickly counting the Draugr he saw, he jerked back with wide eyes that he locked on Jack. He'd been hoping for less powerful Draugr, but he had no such luck. Jack winced after seeing his expression. Nathan cleared his throat quickly, then told him a bit unsettled. "Four Draugr Death Lords. Two Swordsmen and two-" Nate stopped talking to wince at the sharp whistling sound that stung his ears, before a large black arrow impaled itself into the shoulder of a Flame Thrall. The Flame Thrall let out a sharp inhuman squeal, the arrow melting in her molten body before she moved to throw more fireballs at her new target. More arrows whizzed after the Flame Thralls, while Nathan finished off gruffly. "And two Archers... That I can see."

Jack shifted uncomfortably on his feet, mumbling out uneasily. "Damn... I could use Mark about now. I'm better at fighting from a distance." Nate smirked wickedly as a smartass comment came to mind about Mage's always being better distance fighters, but he swallowed it down. Instead, he raised a hand and told him a little excitedly. "I got you. Draw their fire." Jack sheathed his sword and nodded as he conjured a bound bow that shimmered with blue ghostly light. Nathan nodded back to him, then clenched his raised hand into a fist to turn himself invisible. He didn't need to be invisible, but for how fast he was about to move... He didn't want Jack to see him. To Be Continued...