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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
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Tadric's Tale: Tomorrow may never come
Topic Started: Dec 19 2017, 11:25 PM (658 Views)
Kane
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I have a dream. That one day - the Ravenwing family will live in peace.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Now that wouldn't be any fun at all! And certainly nothing to write about....
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Kane
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Oh, I know. They just deserve break for a couple hundred years!
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Serethil
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Chapter 18: Tad has a consultation

Watching his mother climb the hard path upward to the highest point in Solstheim made his heart squeeze painfully. She moved slowly though gracefully. But.... as with all, she would die, no longer being undead. And that sent tears rolling down his cheeks. That one day, his mother would be sent to Sovngarde on her pyre - it caused more than heart-pain; it caused his soul to cry in angst - and some anger. ‘Well, then - would you still have her a vampire, undead?’

And his little-boy heart told his man-soul the truth: ‘I would - because.... she’s my mother!’ And his man-soul seemed to hug him gently, an embrace of warmth and not arms. ‘But she will live and love and wait for you in Sovngarde. No one has earned that rest, that boon, more than our mother.’

‘Aye - you’ve the right of it.’ But tears still sent the sun to flare-sparkles. Oh but....

“Well, son of mine. I find your heart is in its right place. Have no fear for Serana. And.... nor for Valerica. Sometimes, a god may - choose - to right some daedric wrongs. No, I will say no more now. You have questions?”

Tad dashed the tears away so he could see true. And what he saw.... Well, it had to be Tiber Septim - not Talos, since he was there in his guise as conqueror, not ascended man.

“I.... you call me son....”

“Aye. For you are. You are a Nord of my begetting - though it would take long years of research, of tracking who married whom and so on - before you would know. So take my word for it - as I know. I always know my children....”

“Questions. Well. Of course, but - sometimes having them answered for me rather than working the answers out on my own.... it’s not optimal, you know.”

The shade of Tiber Septim bent a sharp glance on this one of his descendants. “You are - far more perspicacious than most believe. Good. You may need to - hide - that though....”

“I don’t let most see it. It’s safer that way.”

“Well. I - entirely - approve of you, young Tadric. Call on me if you have need. I will always answer the need of my blood.” And with that, the shade was gone.

Tad shook his head. He’d always known he was - different. But this sort of thing.... well, it gave him chills. He settled into a meditative trance, to calm himself.

Serana, knowing her youngest, waited until he pulled himself out of it. Tad shook his head, then grabbed her and held her hard enough to make her squeak.

“Sorry ma. I - just had a chat with Tiber Septim. And - it - rattled me.”

Serana gazed askance at her son, looking to see if there was anything “off”. No - he was fine, just unsettled.

“Well, save it - tell us all when we’re all together again. We should head for the Castle. I’m - sure we’ll all be there....” Even Var and Tier....
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neildarkstar
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:thumb:

A good read, but... for some reason it made me feel that I had missed something and lost the thread of the story. I went back and read 17 again, and somehow I still felt out of time and place. I don't know where we are... or where we're going... and 'm uncertain as to where we've been... but I know we are going places! ;)
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Nice... A Septim in sight... conflict or war can't be far away!
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Serethil
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Eh, neil - hopefully things will get more concrete soon. Yes, we'll be going places.... If I was going to publish this, I'd probably have to reconfigure things - but it makes sense to me (more or less....) If you're still lost in another chapter or two, say so, and I'll try to come up with a précis of - things.... And thanks, both of you!
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Serethil
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Chapter 19: A gather of Ravenwings is NOT a murder of crows!

The Castle was - lit up to a faretheewell. Serana was instantly twitchy. Her mother would never have.... well.... not back then.... But now? Well, things were different now. Somehow. She shook her head; just wait - all the stories would be told eventually, if not tonight, then soon.

Tad put his arm around her. "Ma. Talos told me, g’ma would be fine too. I know you said to save it. But - that was for you...."

She touched his cheek with a loving hand. "Thank you. My heart is always sore, that she won't...."

"Aye. Well, we'll see how it ends, won't we?"

"I hope so, my son. I hope so."

They entered the main hall of the Castle, now simply returned to a normal great hall, without any of the trappings of the Volkihar vampire clan. Serana remembered the place she grew up so many millennia in the past, and again wondered why anyone would choose that life over a real one - though she thought she knew the answer: her father and his brethren had been afraid to die, afraid of Deth and the hells. So they had sought to become immortal.

Yet their immortality was but a trick: they had to have blood to keep it viable; in effect they were nothing more than a somewhat better class of undead - like the draugr but.... more coherent, better able to maintain their selves. And that of course put them in direct conflict with every other entity in Tamriel - even their own kind, the lesser vampire clans. Serana damned her father - and also Valerica truth be known - for giving her unwilling to Molag Bal. It had taken her all these millennia to realize that nothing of what she was, as Volkihar, was who she was. Had Verinne not - well, that was neither here nor there now, because Verinne had, so she, Serana was now just.... human. And that was - in her own mind - a very good thing.

The rest of the family - including Var and Tier which certainly didn’t surprise her - were sitting around the huge table, food and wine in abundance.

“Huh. G’ma’s done it up a fair treat!” Tad escorted his mother to the right hand seat next to Valerica, then took himself off to the end of the table next to Merin. His glance took in everyone, and realized Melki was missing.

Valerica touched Serana’s arm. “Melki will be along in a day or so. I - hate - to ask.... but it seems politic to wait until he arrives to discuss all?”

“Aye. It’s best if it’s all told just the once. I think... there’s a lot to think on....”

“No doubt. It’s almost like old times, with the Greybeard and his Dragon living on the Cairn portal steps.”

“Uh.... but they’re not - “

“No no. They’re full rooted in Sovngarde - but the Cairn is a far better option for.... meetings here.”

Serana slanted her mother a glance from under her lashes. Valerica - was different - somehow. Well, likely that would come out in time as well.

And then she caught Tier’s eyes. Hmm. ‘I’m not the only one who noticed....’ She said nothing, simply gave a little nod in Tier’s direction, then began to eat - and as she did so, her heart sang that something so basic as food could taste so good, and feel so right.
Edited by Serethil, Apr 17 2018, 07:30 PM.
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neildarkstar
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Ah, simple pleasures are what keep us in touch with our lives, yes? :)


:thumb:
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Serethil
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Thank you neil!
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Areial
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Great read Sis... Warm and furry...
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Serethil
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Thank you Sis!
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Lapuaboy
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Very good and quite ominous! There is a lot of stuff that will happen in the near future me thinks :) :thumb:
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Serethil
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Thank you Lap! Once the stories are all told....
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Serethil
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Chapter 20: All the information in place - but still...

Two days later, Melki having arrived the evening before, they met in Valerica’s study - where “the Greybeard and his Dragon” sat near the top of the Cairn portal steps so they could contribute as well. Serana shook her head - they appeared nearly transparent and faintly bluish, but they were certainly solid enough to converse. Having been undead herself, Serana felt a bit uneasy with them.

Arngeir spoke softly into her mind ‘Fear nothing from us. We are here only to assist with this current crisis as we may. Do not allow your millennia of undeath to worry you. I - am told on good authority - that you bear no blame.’

She smiled at the old Greybeard, and nodded; then she turned her attention to hearing the others tell their tales.

It went on for long and long. Eventually, Melki was the last to speak. He reached a hand to his beloved wife, drawing her up beside him.

“I have spoken with Beltan and others of today’s Dawnguard. And.... I have....” here he stopped, went pale, and swallowed hard “had converse with - Isran. He.... asked after you” here he glanced down at Serana “and seemed happy to hear of your life after the Dawnguard.

“Isran - is very concerned. Actually, I think he’s damned worried. There seems to be no precedent.... for Alduin, having been defeated by Verinne and the Nord heroes, to have returned. Beltan and the other Dawnguard - yes, they’re very worried. This seems to be a new thing.

“Unless - our Greybeard and his dragon have information we’ve not heard yet - I think we are in deep trouble.”

Arngeir spoke into all those assembled minds, and all could feel Durnehviir’s intellect as well. ‘It has not happened before - well, not like this. Of course, Alduin was returned to Skyrim in Verinne’s time, because he had not been actually dealt with by those heroes - other than that they thrust him out of their own time and into ours.

'This is - we think - unprecedented. We are unsure how this has happened. Or why. Or specifically - why now. Something is - very much awry. Neither of us has been able to parse this puzzle.'

That drew a pall over the family. Finally Tier muttered “Well. It’s on us again then.”

Durnehviir sent her a caress. ‘Aye. We could not so say - but you have seen. You are all - able. You are the most able in the world today.... to deal with a reincarnated, inimical in the extreme, infuriated Alduin. And that there is another Dragonborn....'

Merin raised her eyes to the shimmer of the dragon’s presence. “I don’t know anything. But - I will do what I can.”

She felt a benediction of love wash over her. Then Valerica said “Well, that’s for another meeting. We all need rest - yes, even I do. Tomorrow at this same time?”

With no dissenting votes, they all dispersed to rest. Or at least attempting to do so.
Edited by Serethil, Apr 17 2018, 08:13 PM.
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Areial
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Very nice... war plans.. or at least idea's to come!
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Serethil
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Thank you Sis!
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neildarkstar
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:thumb:
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Serethil
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Thanks neil!
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Kane
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Hm. Plenty to think about when Arngeir and Durnehviir do not even have an inkling. Mayhaps Talos can provide some insight!
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