Giving Escher and Serana a little smile, he started walking out of the courtyard to see where they had to go next. Making their way to the next Keeper, they took it down faster with their spells and speed. Rendering its bone ax useless as it was forced to chance them around. Lastly, they made their way to the floating tower where the last Keeper was. While the Keeper was impressive with its archery skills, it didn't fair well when they teamed up to shove the Keeper off the tower. Shaking his head, Escher chuckled out as they made their way back to the castle. "I think we're a little overpowered. These little undead are annoying but not on our level." Nathan grinned to himself, before telling them openly. "True. But I don't the undead here have had as much practice fighting as we have. I met a dragon that knocked me on my ass... and you should see the Dragonborn. I've never seen anything quite like him." Serana slowed her pace a bit, asking curiously. "Dragonborn? What's that? And do I wanna know?" Escher snorted, stating out lightly. "It's a Nordic Folk story. It's a person blessed by the god Akatosh to bare the soul of a dragon in the body of whomever is worth. Very rare. The person usually becomes the emperor. The person protects people. Or so the Nord stories say."

Nathan piped in defensively. "It's not a story. I've met him. I've seen the power he wields. It's... impressive." Rolling his eyes, Escher scoffed out. "Ya. Well, if he's so impressive why hasn't he put an end to the human war yet? Ulfric and the Imperial Legion are killing people to become the ruler of Skyrim and the Dragonborn is...?" Nathan nudged Escher lightly, grumbling out. "He's been through a lot. Give him a break." Stepping in front of him, Escher asked him seriously. "Nate, let me ask you something. When you were sent to get the Dragon Scroll... Why didn't you kill him and take it? You had his trust. Your power has grown." Looking away from them, he refused to answer, prompting Escher to turn his head to meet his eyes. Staring into his soft eyes, Escher added nervously. "You can't be friends with him. He's the good to your evil. You know that, right?" Stepping around him, Nathan muttered out. "I'm not evil. I haven't done anything wrong. I'm stopping evil from destroying Skyrim. That's it." Escher tossed his hands up, retorting bluntly. "You're stopping Harkon from killing thousands of people. So, we can kill people by the hundreds. I'm not sure that he'll see much of a difference."

Sighing, Nathan grumbled out hopefully. "I haven't killed anyone during a feeding in a long time. Can we not talk about this?" Escher approached Nathan's side, his voice comforting when he told him. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm just concerned that you are not going to be able to finish this quest." Making his way back up the steps of the castle, Nathan calmly told him over his shoulder. "I'll manage. Let's just focus on this task first." Serana uneasily kept up with them, uttering under her breath. "So, the Dragonborn is important. Noted." At the top of the steps, Nathan was happy to see the barrier was down. It was one more thing off their list of things to do. Serana's mother stood farther back by the door to the castle, her posture becoming a bit defensive when she aloud to them. "Good. You managed to destroy all the Keepers. Very impressive. You're a stronger vampire than I thought you were. You worked quickly. Maybe you bought us some time before Durnehviir learns of what you've done." Serana stepped up alongside Nate, asking in a hopeful voice. "Does that mean you can take us to the Scroll now?" Her mother seemed reluctant but answered flatly. "Yes. Follow me. Keep watch for Durnehviir. With the prison's barrier down, he's certain to investigate."

Her mother turned on her heel and headed cautiously to the door, allowing Nathan to linger behind in order to ask Serana discreetly. "How are you feeling after talking to your mother?" He didn't want to her to be in bad head space if they had to fight their way out of here. Serana lifted her chin high, telling him open and honest as she glanced at her mother. "I feel relieved actually. All those things had been building up for a while. You have no idea how long I wanted to say those things to her." Nathan heard her mother scoff as she removed her keys to unlock the door. She could clearly hear them but was making an effort to avoid the conversation. Despite knowing that she could hear them, Nathan asked Serana curiously. "Why did you ever agree to her plan in the first place?" Serana hugged herself, looking away to let her bangs hide her face when she answered tenderly. "Look... I love my father. But when he found that prophecy... that became his life. Everything else... even me and my mother... we just became clutter." Gesturing to her mother, she added grimly. "I was close to my mother, but she just kept feeding me her opinions of him. Eventually, I... I just started believing them."

He knew it wasn't his place, but the words escaped his mouth before he could stop them. "Sounds like she doesn't seem too fond of him." Unlocking the door, her mother pushed it open and butted in a bit sourly. "I gave that man everything. He is the powerful man that he is because 'I' pushed him to work hard. When he asked me to become a vampire with him, how could I refuse? I loved him. But he knew what Molag Bol would ask of me and didn't tell me. If it had just been me, I might have been more forgiving. But he knew what he'd take from Serana as well... For that. I'll never forgive him. The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bol and he raped us brutally for his own pleasure... Well... Things have been icy between us ever since. No loving man would have asked that of his wife and daughter." Escher bowed his head as the seriousness of what she'd admitted too sank in. Nathan looked to Serana, but she turned completely away from him. He couldn't imagine how that must have messed with them. He'd barely survived his own encounter with Molag Bol. Just the thought of that cruel Daedric Prince doing something like that was... horrifying.

Shivering from the thought, Nathan told them in a heartfelt voice. "I'm sorry that happened to you both." Serana's mother straightened up to her full height, retorting dryly. "Why? I don't need your pity. My experience made me stronger. It made me the hunter that I am. After all. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Emotionally and physically. Keep up." Serana's mother strolled off at a brisk pace. While Serana finally turned to face him to say in a low grim voice. "They are both power hungry people. Pulled in different directions by their own ambitions to fill this long life..." Meeting his eyes with her fragile ones, she told him with teary eyes. "Honestly... You've helped me open my eyes. Cause I now realize... She is really just as bad as he is. And I'm... just caught in the middle. He's obsessed with power. She's obsessed with seeing him fail... It's so toxic." Placing a hand on her shoulder, he comfortingly whispered to her. "You shouldn't blame yourself. It didn't have anything to do with you." Shaking her head, she told him grimly. "I don't believe that. All their problems with each other eventually fall down upon me... Let's just get going."

She pulled away from him before he could say anything. Following her, he shrugged to Escher who patted his arm sympathetically. Passing the doors, Nathan's eyes widened. What he had thought was a castle was actually the ruins of an old fighting arena. Dark clouds hung over the sandy arena and bits of ruins were scattered everywhere. Escher ran a hand along the stone ruins, his expression deep in thought as he said aloud. "What would an arena like this be doing in the Soul Cairn?" Serana shrugged, asking her mother if she knew. Stepping out into the open area, Nathan shushed them and asked nervously. "Do you hear that?" They all fell into silence. Tensing, Nathan withdrew his sword as he listened to the low thunderous flapping of wings. Turning his attention to the far side of the arena, he saw the lightning flash behind a dark silhouette that was soaring over the wall. Just as the dragon crested the wall, it folded its wings to land on it. Its body arched like a large cat, its brown scaly lips curling into a frightening sneer of sharp teeth. The dragon was massive with thick horns that curled along the sides of his head like a ram.

Letting out a deep throaty growl, the ground shook beneath their feet. Dropping into a crouch to stay balanced, Serana and Escher stumbled around in awe of the creature. They had clearly never seen. While Serana's mother ran off to the sides of the arena, yelling out. "He's here! Take cover!" Nathan stayed where he was, feeling the power of the dragon's voice. Though the dragon hadn't spoken a word, his sound was filled with power. A power he recognized. Just as the rumbling stopped, Nathan watched black skeletons burst up from all around the arena. Rising to his feet, he called out to Serana and Escher. "Stay together!" Serana and Escher dashed in close to him and together they started swinging at every Boneman that rushed them in waves. While cutting down skeletons as fast as they could, Escher asked him nervously. "What do we do about the dragon?!" Kicking a skeleton to pieces, Nathan peeked a glance at the dragon that was still perked and watching them. Exhaling heavily, he told them seriously. "One thing at a time. When I see an opening. I'll take him." Durnehviir's large yellow eyes glinted as he locked eyes with Nate. He'd heard him.

Snorting a thick misty smoke, Durnehviir bowed his head and let out another seep rumble that spawned more Bonemen from the bony sand. The next wave of skeletons swarmed in around them, prompting Serana to yell out over the clicking of bones. "Nate! They are just going to keep coming! We have to do something about the dragon!" Punching the head off of a skeleton, Nathan gritted his teeth and hissed out. "Damn it! I could really use Jack's help with this..." Escher hissed lightly at him with slight jealousy in his tone, but Nathan ignored it. He had to focus on the dragon. Shoving a skeleton back, he backed up between Serana and Escher, calling out. "Cover me! I need time to change." Serana slashed skeleton spines with her dagger and blasted others away with her ice spikes, yelling back a little overwhelmed. "I can't! I'm already handling too much!" Escher grunted as skeleton hit him, but he managed to recover and shouted back. "Nate, I can't give you an opening!" Nathan kicked the ribcage out of a skeleton and slashed his sword at another. He didn't want to use Dawnbreaker and hurt his friends., but he didn't know what else to do. Until Serana's mother jumped into the fray. Using her magic, she started dispelling skeletons and turning others to their side to help.

Protected by her turned skeletons, she told Nathan confidently. "There! I'll help them! Go!" Nodding, Nathan sheathed his sword and dropped his stuff before willing his change. His bones popped and he felt his flesh tear as his wings sprang out. Shaking off the blood from his leathery wings, Nathan hissed aggressively at the dragon and leapt into the air. If he could distract Durnehviir long enough, he hoped that he could keep him from summoning more. He was risking a lot to fly straight at him, but he was confident that he could dodge his flames. Only Durnehviir didn't have flames. Instead, he saw him approach and quickly expelled a misty ethereal breath across the ground that made a large wave of Bonemen that rushed out toward the others. Just as Nathan got close, Durnehviir took off into the air and sped off out of reach. Landing on the wall, Nathan cursed, but had learned a lot about him. He wasn't like the dragons he'd seen with Jack. Durnehviir had no blood pumping through his veins. He was dead. Which meant that he had no flame at his core, or it would destroy him. Grinning wickedly, Nathan knew what he needed.

Diving off the wall, Nathan soared low over the arena and briefly landed to snatch up his bow and arrows. They others asked him what he was doing, but he couldn't answer them. Taking off back into the air, Nathan notched his bow and aimed for Durnehviir. Durnehviir snarled at him, quickly changing course to fly around a broken ruin tower. Nathan shifted his own course to intercept him and fired. The arrow whizzed through the air and connected with Durnehviir's shoulder. A dragon's normal scales would have just reflected it, but being undead, his scales were weak to wood like most undead. Durnehviir's scale shattered brittlely, letting the arrow impale into him without much resistance. Letting out a pained roar, Durnehviir swerved into his path and snapped his jaws at him! Folding his wings around himself, he hit Durnehviir's nose and rolled over his head. Once he was freefalling off Durnehviir, Nate let his wings shoot out to catch himself and quickly aimed to fire into his side. Durnehviir roared loudly as the arrow hit, causing him to thrash out his tail to swat Nate from the sky. Nathan hadn't acted in time and took the full force of the blow to his ribs.

The blow knocked Nathan clear from the sky and into the ruins of the arena wall, causing them to shatter and dust to puff up in a thick fog around him. Serana screamed his name and Durnehviir swooped around to boldly land in the arena to engage the others. Bouncing back took a while for Nate. His broken ribs just didn't want to heal quickly, leaving him practically paralyzed until they did. He'd never been hit so hard, and his body let him know it. The others were getting tired and slowing down. Durnehviir's deep throaty laugh filled the arena before he opened his maw and exhaled more Bonemen from his ethereal breath. He was just going to overwhelm them to death! Escher screamed his name and Nathan finally limped up onto his feet. Collecting his dropped bow, Nathan raised it and took careful aim. Then released it. The arrow cut through the air cleanly and without issue, impaled through to Durnehviir's heart. Jerking and curling up, Durnehviir groaned as his Bonemen puffed into black smoke. Then sliding to the ground, Durnehviir's yellow eyes faded to solid white before his body shimmering into purple flames and was just... gone.

Approaching the spot where Durnehviir's body had vanished, Serana asked aloud. "Is he dead? Can he die in the Soul Cairn?" Nathan reluctantly shook his head, telling the others seriously. "No. He'll be back. Let's get the Scroll and get the fuck out of here. He won't go easy on us next time." To Be Continued...