When Nathan regained consciousness, he sat up with a groan. His neck was throbbing, and his body felt just awful. Everything was sore and stiff. Pulling his hand away from his neck, he saw the dried flakes of blood on his fingers. Wiping off his hand on his pants, he ran his hands through his long dark bangs to move them away from his eyes. The smell of the place drew his attention to his surroundings. It smelled of blood and death. Looking around it was easy to see why. He was in a nice candlelit dungeon, but everywhere there were piles of bones. The piles were massive and weren't just in the cells but scattered along the dungeon too. Getting to his feet, he heard the sound of water flowing along an open floor drain along the back wall. Out of the six large barred cells, two of them were full of at least twenty mortals in burlap clothing. They looked at him with wide eyes, the smell of their fear making him tense. With his powerful new eyesight, he could see the bites along their skin even in the dim lighting. Some used the open water drain to drink, while others nibbled on loaves of bread on bedrolls. Grabbing the bars of his cell, he tried to break it off the hinges with his strength. The bars merely rattled. They appeared to be made from the same material that the basin in the church had been.

Smirking to himself, he mumbled out. "Vampire proof. Son of bitch." Banging his hand on the bars, he turned and noticed the woman huddled in the corner of his cell. She gasped when his eyes met hers, trying to push herself father into the corner. He took a step toward her, asking nicely. "Are you alright?" She shook her head, stammering out at him desperately. "Stay back! D-d-don't come any closer!" Nathan took a step back, raising his hands in surrender. She began to cry, hugging the bars. He could smell blood on her but forced himself to focus on something else. Taking in the cell, he uttered out to himself. "Well, I've gotten out of worse than this..." Picking up a large bone, he snapped it in two and went to the door. Leaning against the bars to see the keyhole, he set to work using his nails to carve the bone down into make-shaft lockpicks. When he finished, he slipped his arms through the bars and carefully set them into the keyhole. Biting his lip, he listened as closely as he could to the lock. From the cell next to him, a High Elf man asked him curiously. "What are you doing?" Nathan paused to state out sarcastically. "Making sure it is locked... What do you think I'm doing?"

The High Elf shook his head, telling him seriously. "You shouldn't do that. They won't like that." Nathan rolled his eyes, grumbling out. "I'm pretty sure that I'm already dead. What else is there?" Before the High Elf could answer, Nathan heard a low menacing growl come from the stairs at the end of the dungeon. Going still, he locked eyes with the large black dog with powerful jaws full of sharp fang teeth. The dogs blazing red eyes bore into him as it crept down the stairs slowly. A Death Hound. Nathan could sense how tense and angry it was. From one predator to another, he could tell what the gruesome hound wanted to do to him. Without warning the hound lunged for his arms with a vicious snarl. Yet, Nathan pulled his arms clear like the hound was attacking in slow motion. The hound missed his arms entirely, but instead snatched the bone picks out of the lock. Resting his arms on the bars over his head, Nathan bitterly told the mutt. "Gonna have to be faster than that you little bastard." The hound turned to face him, snapping the bone picks between its teeth as it stared him down. Without blinking, Nathan added to it with a smug smile. "That's fine. I've got plenty more where that came from and plenty of time. What's your schedule for the next few months?"

The hound snarled deeply, and Nathan felt a strong primal urge to take the mutt up on his challenge. He was pretty confident that he could take him. From the end of the dungeon, a familiar voice told him in a cool voice. "Don't tease him, Nathan. Shadow is just doing his job." Nathan let a warm smile pull at his lips as he watched Escher make his way down the steps. Shadow kept growling at Nathan, until Escher told him in a calm tone of voice. "Shadow, I'll watch him. Go get something to eat. The hunting party brought in your favorite. Fresh cow meat. Shadow's little ears perked up and his tiny nob of a tail wagged before he trotted off with excited whines. Smiling brightly, Nathan purred out to Escher. "It's good to see you." Escher folded his arms over his chest, asking him with a disheartened look. "I told you to stay away. Why didn't you listen?" Nathan put his arms back through the bars to lean on them when he answered. "Because I missed you. I was worried about you. And... I've never really been good at listening. I'm still working on that part." Escher exhaled heavily, shaking his head before telling him. "Here is not the place to work on that. Harkon expects perfection. And if he doesn't get it... He gets rid of it."

Escher kicked a bone away from his foot, asking in a broken voice. "Nathan, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. What you've done..." Nathan turned his hands palms up, asking in a soft hopeful voice. "Escher...? Did you miss me at all?" All the tension is Escher's body melted away. Stepping closer, he slid his hands over Nathan's and mumbled out in a loving but worried voice. "Of course, I missed you... But I told you-" Nathan cut him off, stroking Escher's smooth and flawless pale arm as he said. "You don't feel cold to me anymore." Escher smirked, rolling his eyes as he whispered back. "And you don't feel like fragile glass..." Leaning as close to the bars as he could get, Nathan sweetly told him. "I had to come... I needed to know that you were ok." Escher squeezed his hands, pressing his head against the bars when he uttered out. "I was fine. You shouldn't have thrown your life away for me..." Nathan put his forehead to Escher's, whispering back lovingly. "You don't get to decide that for me. It was my choice. It's done. It's over. Escher... Can we survive this? Do you still love me as I am now?" Escher tilted his head to bring his lips to Nathan's, whispering breathlessly over them. "I'm gonna hold this against you for eternity... but seeing you here. I've never been happier. I still love you."

Nathan brought his lips to Escher's to kiss him, their hands spanning through the bars as much as possible to touch the other. Nathan wanted the bars to vanish. He wanted to take Escher into his arms. Breaking the kiss, Escher stepped back and told him shyly. "Don't get me worked up like that. Harkon won't like it..." Nathan looked to the door at the top of the stairs, asking more collected. "Where is he? Does he know about us now?" Escher avoided his eyes, scoffing his boot over the floor when he replied. "He does. Although, I don't know what he plans to do with that information. He's locked himself up in his room with his daughter for that last few hours. Judging by the yelling... I don't believe it is going well." Escher started to pace a little, before anxiously telling him. "I can't believe you let Princess Serana deliver an Elder Scroll to him. Were you not listening when I said how dangerous he was?" Nathan shrugged, replying honestly. "I heard you. I just... I've been distracted. I thought things would play out differently." Tapping the bars, Nathan added swiftly. "Let me out and I'll go get it." Escher scoffed, retorting in a hushed tone. "And do what? Run? Harkon will find you. You belong to him now. When he wants you. You'll FEEL it. Besides... He has the key. He doesn't trust me with you."

Nathan flashed Escher a wicked smirk, purring out. "He's jealous? He controls you... but it has limitations?" Escher shied away with flushed cheeks that Nathan guessed meant he had fed recently to get that beautiful shade of color. Leaning back against the empty cell across from him, Escher told Nathan guiltily. "Everything has its limits. He controls my actions. Not my feelings. And having tasted me in your veins... he knows you mean something to me. Otherwise, you'd be dead after that stunt you pulled in the church." Nathan grabbed the bars, purring out to him. "So, tell me what you want me to do?" Escher huffed, rolling his eyes as he said sarcastically. "And you'll listen this time?" Nathan flashed him his most charming smile, answering warming. "If it keeps you safe, I will." Escher bit his lip, looking toward the door, before telling him openly. "He needs to know that he can trust you. The more trust he has in you. The more things he will let you do. You got off to a VERY bad start with him though... The only thing going for you is me. If you screw up... He'll punish me because I vouched for you." Nathan tensed up, gripping the bars more tightly. The thought of his outburst hurting Escher made him uneasy.

Escher raised his hands to calm him, telling him honestly. "I'm fine... but it's why I'm here. When your punishment is over. He has a job for you. Something to test your strengths and your loyalty. A job offer that he'll want you doing on the side. As awful as I know you'll find it... I need you to just do the job and do it well. I promised Harkon that I could get you to do it. So, can you? For us?" Sighing, Nathan leaned on the bars, mumbling out. "What does he want me to do?" Escher shrugged, truthfully answering. "I don't know. He left shortly after to confront Princess Serana. I've heard rumors around the castle about it being something to do with things going sour at Redwater Den. Harkon will fill you in more. Right now, just... Try to..." Escher weakly gestured to the woman in his cell. Nathan stiffened, growling out to Escher. "I can't do that." Escher pushed off the cell, moving closer to plead with him. "You must try. If you don't kill her, Harkon will. And believe me... you'll kill her more humanely than him. He'll let his Death Hounds rip her apart. I've seen it. Where do you think all these bones came from?" Putting his hands on the backs of his, Escher whispered to him. "You can make it painless. You can use your new abilities to put her in a trace. She'll be calm and it will be easy."

Nathan shook his head, mumbling out reluctantly. "I can't... Why is he forcing me to do this?" Escher swallowed, before answering openly. "Because the first kill as a vampire is the hardest to overcome... and usually the one we regret most. It's his way of breaking your spirit. To prove you are not better than him." Escher kissed Nathan's tense hand, then added lovingly. "Every animal hunts. What makes a good hunter is how they take down their food. You are not a monster, Nathan. But if you resist the urge to feed... Eventually you'll starve yourself. And just like a man trapped in a burning desert... a single drop of blood will set you off into a frenzy. Harkon drained you... and when the last of the blood in your muscles and veins run dry... your body will seek a way to fill itself again. Don't starve yourself! Feed when the need arises, and you'll never be out of control." Nathan nodded with understanding. Escher cupped his face through the bars, staring into his eyes as he told him in a beautiful voice. "I know your strong enough to do this. You are stubborn and free-spirited. You wanna show up Harkon? Don't give him the satisfaction of seeing this break you. If anyone can master being a better vampire... it's you."

Escher kissed Nathan through the bars and Nathan reached out to hold his shoulders. He wanted to feel him closer, his fingers pressing into his shoulders, desperate for his warmth and comfort. Escher's fingers stroked Nathan's jaw, prompting him to linger in the kiss. Until a voice from the doorway bellowed out. "Escher. Lord Harkon has asked for you." Reluctantly prying his lips away from Nathan's, he whispered to him. "Don't forget what I said. I love you." Nathan squeezed the bars in his hands, watching Escher walk away with pride. He didn't like seeing him slip out of sight. With them gone, the mortals in the cells began to whisper amongst themselves. It was only when he looked at them, that they fell silent. He'd heard every word they had tried to keep secret. His ears were just that good now. They were all worried about him losing control or pissing off Harkon. Backing away from the cell door, he moved to lean against the wall and asked the woman curiously without looking at her. "What's your name?" She sniffled, before answering shakily. "It's Ivolin." Nathan licked his dry lips, asking as nicely as he could. "Family?" Ivolin shifted, replying openly. "Dead. An Imperial raid. My father was a Stormcloak. Harkon saved me."

Sighing, Nathan tilted his head up to look at the ceiling as he said coolly. "What did you want to be before this damn war?" Her voice was barely audible when she strained out. "A singer." A smile pulled at his lips as he uttered out. "No, shit? I'm a Bard myself." He risked looking at her and saw a tiny smile pull at her lips. Turning his eyes back on the ceiling, he took a deep breath out of habit and started singing. The other mortals stared at him in disbelief, but he ignored them and enjoyed how his voice bounced off the stone walls nicely. The song he picked to sing was an old one that he'd heard his father sing a few times. It seemed like a fitting Nordic song about the glory of death and fueling vengeance for those that lived on. To his surprise the Nords that knew it began to sing with him. The other races watched the Nords with timid looks. They didn't understand the deep pride that Nords carried for their gods. Songs like this were designed to give hope and erase fear from soldiers before battle. To Nords, life was just a means to prove their faith and strength. Home was beyond but they had to earn it through great battles. Despite not truly believing in it himself, he couldn't help respecting it. It was apart of him. As their voices thundered throughout the dungeon, it drew some of the noble vampires to the door to see what was going on.

While singing, Nathan picked up a bone and snapped it in two to make it a sharp point. He had another reason for singing this song. The Nords all stood, singing loud and proud. Even Ivolin stood and sung with them as tears ran down her cheeks. Facing her, she looked at him with eyes that seemed to understand what he'd done. Tossing her the sharp bone, he stood up straighter. She caught the bone, swallowing but straightened up with more confidence and pride. Raising his fist, he banged it respectfully against his chest and she responded with the same. If he had to kill her, he wasn't going to have her go out disgraced. She deserved a Nords death. Within the other cells, the Nords all banged their fists against their chests in a salute to those about to die or be victorious. Taking a jagged breath, Nathan parted his lips to let his fangs grow out. Then raising his hands, he beckoned her to come at him. With a sharp angry yell, she came at him with the sharp bone. The vampires watched with confused expressions as Nathan let her beat him down to his knees. He saw her every attack coming but refused to move. He doubted that any vampire would allow themselves to let their prey do this to them. Yet, this was how he wanted it. He wasn't a monster, and he was going to prove it to himself.

Every cut she gave him only made a single trickle of blood leak from him. Every punch bruised him and yet none of it felt even close to really hurting him. When she started to tire after taking her frustration out on him, he finally rose to his full height before her. She trembled but tightened her grip on the bone to stab him in the gut. THAT had hurt. She thrusted it in deep, trying to stab his heart. He staggered back against the cell wall, taking a jagged breath to fight off how badly it stung. Stabbing him had not only calmed her but had sealed her fate. She'd attacked him on her own and had done all she could to end him. She'd go home. Grabbing her shoulders, he leaned in and sank his fangs into her throat. She clawed her nails down his flesh but made no sound as he drained her as fast as he could. When he had drained her dry, he felt her heart give out and gently set her across the floor. Then removing the bone from his gut, he tossed it aside as her blood rushed throughout his body to heal his wounds. The Nords bowed their heads and Nate stared up at the vampires with a fire behind his dark eyes. Moving up to the door of his cell, he called out. "Tell Lord Harkon, I'm ready to talk!" To Be Continued...