Nathan tore his eyes from Escher to watch Serana walk past him. Stopping in the center, Serana's voice sounded so heartbroken when she replied. "After all these years That's the first thing you ask me? Yes... I have the scroll." Lord Harkon slowly walked around the head table to join them in the center of the room, while the Vampires sitting at the tables fell into eerie silence. They appeared to be waiting to see Harkon's reaction. Reaching out for her, he placed his hands gingerly on her arms, regaling to her in a soothing tone of voice. "Of course, I'm delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words aloud?" Serana cringed a little at his touch, saying very softly without looking him in the eyes. "It wouldn't kill you..." Lord Harkon's lip curled into an almost evil grin, before answering casually. "Even if that was the case... Why risk it?" Lord Harkon lifted her chin with his finger, staring into her eyes without emotion as he told her a little smugly. "Ah, if only your traitor mother were here. I would let her watch this reunion... before putting her head on a spike." Nathan's eyes widened with slight alarm. The icy hostility from Harkon was intimidating. He could understand why Serana had hoped he wasn't here.

The Vampires sitting around the tables all chuckled very softly and sipped from their goblets. Drawing his attention to the sudden strong smell of warm blood that was wafting through the air now. From a side room, he saw an albino Argonian vampire in a bloodstained apron, walk out and over to the tables with a tray of bowls. Removing the bowls filled with steaming blood, she pushed them under the tables. Within the dark shadows beneath the table, large dogs with blazing red eyes sprang up to lap up the contents of the bowls. Their low snarls and the sloshing of the liquid resonating in the eerie calm of the room. Nathan risked another look at Escher, who sipped from his goblet, but kept his eyes on Lord Harkon with a nervous look. Nathan returned his eyes on Harkon just in time to see him, rubbing Serana's hair between his fingers like he might just rip her hair out for kicks. Letting her hair fall from his fingers, he asked her without looking in Nathan's direction. "Now tell me, Serana. Why have you brought this mortal into my hall?" Lord Harkon finally locked eyes with Nathan, causing Nathan to inhale subconsciously in response.

Everything about Harkon was menacing. There was no humanity in his glinting dark red eyes. He looked at him like his only goal in life was to kill him. Goosebumps rushed up Nathan's arms and he shivered from a cold chill that ran down his back. Harkon was a apex predator and Nathan could feel it to his core. Serana stepped closer to Nathan, drawing Harkon's gaze off him as she cut in warmly. "This is my savior. He is the one who freed me from my imprisonment." The second Harkon's eyes moved off him, Nathan exhaled the breath he was holding. Had Harkon done something to him? His eyes felt dry and sore... like he'd been caught in a trance. Serana gestured to Nathan, while telling Harkon hopefully. "I thought maybe you'd want to reward the mortal that saved your daughter from the clutches of the Dawnguard. Or do I mean so little to you?" Lord Harkon smirked at his daughter like he found her mildly amusing. Straightening up to his full height, he announced formally to him. "For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name, Mortal?" Nathan stiffened but answered promptly with as much respect as he could muster. "Before I answer. Would you mind telling me who it is that I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

Nathan was already pretty sure from the way Escher was acting around the man, but he wanted to be sure. Harkon crossed his arms, purring out with delightful amusement. "Very well. I am Lord Harkon. Vampire Lord and ruler of the vampire coven known as Volkihar. Champion to the Daedric Prince, Molag Bal. The god of rape, domination, enslavement, and strife. The creator of Vampirism and corruption of souls." Nathan gulped as Harkon strolled up to him, staring him down as he asked again in a daring tone. "You are?" Nathan cleared his throat, answering a little nervously. "I'm Nathan. I'm a bard. Often known by my stage name, Paultin Seppa. So... people have heard of me." A few vampires snickered behind their goblets. Even Harkon himself seemed to smile a bit more genuinely but turned away quickly to hide it. Putting some distance between them, Harkon fetched his goblet off his table and said aloud casually. "A bard? Well, now you've piqued my interest, Nathan. Regal me with one of your tales. How exactly did a man such as yourself, manage to save my daughter from the Dawnguard?" Serana opened her mouth to answer, but Harkon raised a hand to stop her without looking at her.

Nathan could tell Harkon was trying to catch him in a lie. So, he puffed himself up and answered in his most charming voice. "Honestly? They hired me to document their grand discovery. Something I was supposed to tell across all of Skyrim as propaganda to bring in more recruits. But... it didn't go quite as planned. They stormed this Vigilant tomb that apparently Vampires were excavating... People died. Boobytraps got the others. Before I knew it... I was the last man standing and out of pure curiosity... I opened something up and freed her." Hakon's eyes never blinked or left him, even as he sipped from his goblet. Shrugging, Nathan continued with a smile. "She didn't know where she was. So, I offered to take her home in the hopes of salvaging a good story. We ran into a few Dawnguard Draugr along the way... but we worked together and got out." Harkon licked the blood off his lips, asking curiously. "Were you not aware of what she is? Where she was bringing you?" Serana shifted on her feet anxiously, but Nathan answered swiftly. "She told me. But all the good stories come with risks. And quite frankly... most people don't believe Vampires exist. So, I thought to myself... Why not collect some Vampire tales to tell for fun? You have to admit... Aren't you curious about how the vampires overcame the Dawnguard with boobytraps? Swooped in and struck fear into their trained fighters?"

All around the vampires whispered with their own curiosity. Although, they looked to Harkon for a definitive answer. Harkon smiled, setting his goblet down on the table. Looking at Escher, Harkon purred out to him. "What do you think, Darling? Does his story sound like one we'd enjoy?" Nathan's heart beat faster as he looked at how beautiful Escher looked in the soft warm candlelight. Leaning back in his seat, Escher calmly told Harkon with an inviting grin. "Sounds exciting. I'd enjoy hearing how the Dawnguard... failed." Harkon's grin was devilish as he said with lamented joy. "I'm inclined to agree." Turning his attention back to Nathan, Harkon regaled in his formal tone. "You most certainly deserve a reward for your deeds, Bard." Serana's eyes narrowed on her dad suspiciously, causing him to move closer as he said bluntly. "I can tell that it is eating you alive to know how much you are worth to me, Serana. So, let's end the suspense, shall we?" Harkon started to circle Nathan, looking him over with guarded eyes as he uttered out for everyone in the hall to hear. "What would satisfy you, Daughter? Shall I load his pockets with gold and gems? Shall I dress him in fine silk and send him away with a few crates of centuries old wine? Should I ask him to name his enemies and decimate them in the night?"

Nathan couldn't help thinking that it all sounded tempting. Harkon's hands slid over Nathan's shoulders and Nathan flinched. Harkon's grip held him in place, his iron grip a bit unbearable against his fragile bones. Glaring at his daughter, he leaned over Nathan's shoulder and asked her with a cunning smile. "Would bewitching a Jarl to make HIM Jarl appease you? Why stop there... Why not make him Emperor? It's what these mortals want, after all. Power. Control. It's why they fear us. Because they..." Harkon suddenly drifted off and Serana's eyes widened with concern. Nathan turned his head very slowly to try looking at Harkon. Nathan hadn't realized that one of Harkon's sharp nails had pierced his shoulder, because his grip hurt more then the puncture had. The smell of his blood had Harkon's eyes glinting a soft fiery gold. Nathan tensed, leaning away from Harkon slightly. Calmly though, Harkon straightened up and released him. Nathan watched Harkon lock eyes with Escher, before announcing with sudden warmth and affection. "On second thought. I know exactly what to reward you with. For there is only one gift I can give that is equal in value to the Elder Scroll... and my lovely daughter."

Harkon moved around to face Nathan, raising his hands in a welcoming gesture as he told him loud and clear. "I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again." All around the hall, vampires looked at them with perplexed shock. Soft gasps left a few, while others whispered discreetly amongst themselves. Escher looked the most concerned as he set down his goblet and grabbed the table. Nathan licked his lips, asking gently. "And if I refuse this generous gift?" Harkon's hands lowered slow and menacingly, upon answering with a tense fierceness. "Refuse and you will be prey, like all Mortals are. Which will result in you keeping your life because of what you've done for me... but you'll be cattle here in the castle for us to feed on for the rest of your life. I've NEVER let a Mortal leave this island... and I don't intend to start now. It's coven law. Set to keep us safe. You understand that, don't you?" One of the Vampire women shot to her feet, blurting out respectfully to Lord Harkon. "My Lord! Please reconsider this! You'd turn him into a Vampire Lord like yourself? Like your daughter? Like Escher? Forgive me... but what makes him so special?!"

Nathan's hand went to his small wound from Harkon's nail. Could he smell the snow elf in his blood? Was that why Harkon seemed to change his attitude? Harkon looked at the vampire woman and she dropped into her seat with a face full of regret and shame. Giving her a grin that showed off his fangs, he said aloud. "Fine. I'll just kill him and end this debate... Unless one of you wants to vouch for him?" Nathan's heart plummeted and he looked to Serana. Serana looked stunned into silence. All around them Vampires snorted with disgust and muttered under their breath with distaste for him. Harkon nodded with approval, then dashed up to grab Nathan's shoulders. Harkon bared his fangs, his body transforming rapidly into a large muscular bat like creature. Within seconds, Harkon had finished transforming and was starting to go in for the kill, when Escher bolted up from his seat and yelled out. "MY LORD! I'll vouch for him!" Harkon paused long enough to tell Nathan coolly. "Be still." Harkon's seemingly small and feeble leathery grey wings flicked out into large wings with bright red webbing. Wrapping them around Nathan, Harkon's icy cold hands grabbed his chin to force him into baring his throat. Nathan had never screamed louder in his whole life. Harkon's fangs pierced deep into his sensitive throat, but it was the sensation of becoming light-headed so quickly that brought him to his knees.

Nathan tried to push Harkon off, but it was hopeless. He wasn't strong enough and he was losing what strength he had too quickly to think about anything except passing out. Harkon gently lowered him down across the stone floor, before straightening up over him like a dark angel. Nathan felt himself starting to slip away into darkness, when Harkon slit his wrist with a fang and brought it to his lips. Nathan felt the warm liquid run down his tongue and throat... but couldn't taste it. His senses were numb and fading. Over him, Harkon's bellowing voice chanted out loud. "Lord Molag Bal! I offer this mortals soul to you! If he is worthy, through my veins let his transformed blood revive him as my ward! If he is not... take him for your collection, oh great Soul Harvester!" Nathan's eyes rolled back, his body giving into the darkness. Nathan felt like he was falling backward through icy cold wind. The last of his breath left him as his back hit a surface so cold that it was suffocating. Falling through it, he stumbled backward onto his ass across a freezing frosted rocky ground. He could see his breath puffing out before him and hugged himself as his bare skin was exposed to the cold.

Frost crept over his skin, causing him to fear getting frostbite. Taking in his surroundings to look for shelter, his hopes were utterly shattered. All around him was a vast landscape of frosted sharp rocks and bogs of thick sludge that bubbled like tar pits. From the branches of fossilized trees, hung human cages over bubbling pits or roaring fires. The sky was covered in dark clouds that rippled with burning flames and flashes of lightning. On the snowy winds of beyond freezing temperatures; the screams and wailing of souls echoed like music. He could see people in chains being whipped to work harder or being pulled out of line by Dremora to be toyed with. It was a place of pure horror. Everywhere were piles of discarded corpses or puddles of blood. Nathan's eyes were drawn to a statue of a giant with an emaciated looking body and large black horns curling out from behind his jaw. The statue was smiling victoriously with a mouth full of sharp thin teeth and his shredded loincloth was decorated with spines and skulls. Around the statue were burning torches and offerings of blood or bones. As he approached it, a deep vile voice purred out. "Nathan Sharp. Son of Tarin Sharp. Not at all who I expected... but I'm interested. So, tell me. What makes you think you are worthy of MY gift."

Nathan hugged himself tightly to fight off the cold, chattering out honestly. "I'm not..." The voice chuckled out in response. "Correct. But one can BECOME worthy. All you have to do is show me the darkness that you bury within the depths of your soul." Nathan shook his head, blurting out shakily. "N-n-no!" From the ground, twisted dead branches with thick sharp thorns burst up to encase him like a cage. Yelping, Nathan dropped to his knees as the cage twisted and started to shrink, bringing the thorns closer to his flesh. The voice turned loud and angry as it snapped out. "YES, YOU WILL!" Nathan flinched as a thorn cut his arm, screaming out. "WHY?!" The voice turned into a smug purr as he told him. "I can feel the rage and darkness within you. I wanna see it unleashed upon the world! Upon Harkon!" Nate stiffened, asking a bit startled. "Harkon...? But he serves you?" The voice growled, before answering darkly. "He has outlived his usefulness. He hides. He cowers. I crave BLOOD and WAR! I want you to become my new prince of darkness! Bring Vampires out of the shadows! Strike fear back into the hearts of the mortal realm! Submit or become subservient under my agonizing grasp until your will breaks or your soul dies! Whichever comes first."

Nathan felt the thorns press against his back and yelped out. "I won't do it!" The cage stopped moving as the voice chuckled out to him in a sinister tone. "I don't recall giving you a choice. In fact... I'm going to enjoy watching you try and resist my gift." Nathan gasped for air as he felt the cold cut right through him. His body shuddered violently and then stilled as the cold seemed to vanish. Lifting his hand, he saw the snow land on his skin, but it didn't feel cold anymore. The voice then told him with an excitement to his voice. "Oh... and one more thing, my champion. If you come across the Dragonborn... KILL HIM!" Nathan heard the voice laugh heartily, before he felt like someone had punched him in the face. His vision turned into a bloody red for a brief moment, before he suddenly jerked upright with a gasp. He was now in what looked like a gothic church and Harkon was kneeling beside him with the most alluring grin on his face. To Be Continued...