Rubick watches with rapt interest as Michael goes through the motion of casting [Sacred Resurrection], the spell he'd stolen from Aqua in Megumin's origin world.
"Hmmmmhmmm, using your link with higher powers as an alternate replacement for the magic you lack... Interesting..."
Michael lets out a sigh, Rubick was honestly only useful here as a distraction... It'd worked on Harkon, but he hadn't counted on Rubick being annoying and distracting him too. "Can you just watch without talking?" he asks as he delicately places Saeko's desiccated body into position.
"Hmmu, very well..." the Grand Magus reluctantly says.
A minute later, a bright pillar of light from the sky signals the activation of the spell, Saeko's body filling with vitality as her soul returns.
*GASP!*
She desperately sucks in air and sits up with wide eyes, patting herself over to check her condition... "W-what!? I, I was dead?... Then... That..."
Michael perks up at that, "What did you see?"
"Hircine... Reaching for me." she almost growls, "You tugged me away before he could get a grasp on me..." she breathes, thoroughly relieved. Being enslaved as someone's fighting dog for eternity wasn't something she wanted for any amount of time...
"Still feel like being a Werewolf?" he asks
"... No."
He drops a couple potions into a lap and turns to Rubick, "Alright, thanks for your help..."
The Magus holds out his palm, "I'll be expecting recompense for my efforts, you do understand?"
Michael lets out a huff, "Yeah... I'll get you some books or something." he says, waving his hand and desummoning him.
He looks to Saeko, "Alright, let's see if Serana's left anything for us." he says, helping her up and over to the furious vampire girl.
"No. Just, let me do this... Alone." Serana says and continues to rant at the despondent-looking Harkon.
Hours later and Harkon is just a pile of ashes atop a bloody smear on the floor... Serana stands, grabs Harkon's Sword, and exits the hall. She finds Michael and Saeko waiting outside, quietly conversing about her recent 'tribulation'...
"I'm done... Let's leave..."
"You alright?" Michael asks but she waves him off, not answering.
"Shouldn't we free your mother?" Saeko quietly inquires.
"No... I need some time to think... We can do this tomorrow, let the survivors clean this place up for when we return."
Michael nods and opens a Dimension Gate back to the Eye of the World.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next day was laborious for everyone involved... Serana met with the surviving vampires and tried to negotiate terms with them then she and Michael had come up with. The main one being not to hunt and use innocents as cattle like they had been doing under Harkon's rule.
Some, of course, refused categorically, and in response Serana killed them with Harkon's own blade before confronting the others. In the end, they bent the knee, accepting the terms amd only hunting criminals, bandits, and others that 'deserved' to be treated as cattle.
With all of that confirmed and dealt with, they went to work getting Valerica back to the mortal plane.
Only Michael and Serana ended up venturing into the Soul Cairne, he was actually immune to having his soul trapped there due to the Dead God's influence, allowing him to avoid the 'multiple choice non-choice BS' from the game.
The Keepers were less of a threat when you were able to straight up devour their souls... They didn't possess bodies so there wasn't any resistance to Shadow Fiend's abilities...
"SERANA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Valerica exclaims as she walks over, the forcefield trapping having been deactivated with the deaths of the Keepers.
"I'm here to get you! We're leaving this place! For good!"
"We can't! Why do you think I sealed you away in the first place! If your father knows-"
"I killed him. We found Auriel's Bow and turned him to ash." she states, unsheathing Harkon's Sword and displaying it.
...
"Y-you did what!?... B-but the prophecy... It needs my Elder Scroll!?"
"Err, we took another path..." Michael adds at the side.
Valerica's confused look turns to a baleful one as she looks to Michael, "It's you! Isn't it! You must be one of my husband's thralls!" she exclaims, pushing Serana behind her, "I won't fall for your tricks! I'll sacrifice everything to stop him if I need to!"
Michael raises his hands, "I'll just leave you to talk... Maybe she can convince you... I myself have a dragon to kill." he walks past her intent on challenging Durnehviir.
"W-wait!" Valerica protests but her daughter stops her.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine..."
"But-"
"Leave it, mother."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael walks out into the large arena-like area, the ground was covered in many black bones and acidic-looking scorch marks, displaying Valerica's earlier efforts to combat the dragon.
"Durnehviir! COME! DURNEHVIIR!" he shouts as loud as he can, and it isn't long for a roar to announce the dragon's entrance.
A huge shadow flies overhead and lands heavily on a raised dais on the other side of the arena. Durnehviir was just as he looked in the game, larger than all over dragons barring Alduin, with rotting, mottled green scales that barely covered his body, torn-up wings, and a crown of dangerous-looking horns that framed his glowing purple eyes. "Mortal, why have you called me? And how do you know of my name? It has not been spoken outside this accursed place for millennia, yet you speak it with familiarity." he drones in a rumbling tone, not sounding interested at all if you take his voice at face value.
"I called you because I have an offer you'd regret not taking." he declares, drawing a loud sniff from the semi-undead dragon.
"You are still living so you have come to this realm voluntarily. This makes you an intruder to this realm that I am forced to protect. If you wish to make an offer, you must defeat me first... It is regretful that you must end here, whatever this offer was, I doubt it was worth eternity."
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Michael and Durnehviir brawl it out... Well, not quite. The dragon's method of combat differed greatly from the others he'd faced, simply flying around and animating the numerous skeletons lying around, all while occasionally blasting him with Drain Vitality and Soul Tear...
Unlike how the Dragonborn is forced to fight, Michael can fly... Which surprised Durnehviir thoroughly when he received a kick to the face a hundred feet in the sky. One pummelling later and Durnehviir faded into particles, dead for now.
He reformed a moment later of course and elected to greet Michael as soon as possible to see if his offer was actually worth anything.
"So, out with it, tell me what has brought you all this way." the dragon curiously asks.
Michael nods, "What if I told you that I have a way to free you from this place? I could bring you to Tamriel, still bound but free to fly and do as you wish."
...
"Whatever your intention, it will not work. My soul is ever bound here, stuck in this realm until the end of all things."
Michael shakes his head, "Then we just have to take your soul out."
In the game you could summon Durnehviir by shouting his name, this would bring a sort of 'Astral Projection' that would fight for you until the duration ended and the Soul Cairn pulled him back.
Michael had a different option though, he could open a Dimension Gate and take Durnehviir directly to Tamriel... He'd still be linked to the Soul Cairn, meaning he'd end up back there if he died, but he'd be free until that happened.
"Let us say you do have a way to grant me refuge... What would I have to give in return?... My soul is already bound, my magic is lesser to yours..."
Michael grins, "I want you as my mount." he states determinately. "Here you are the slave of the Ideal Masters, and out there you would be my slave. The only difference would be the location of your servitude."
...
"You make a compelling offer... I long to feel the wind on my scales, the echo of my father... If I must lower myself to that of a glorified horse... So be it." the dragon eagerly accepts despite his reluctant front.
For Durnehviir not accepting simply wasn't an option. There weren't any negatives, nor did he think his new 'master' would make him do anything so egregious as to regret his decision. He'd gladly burn anyone or anything that stood in his way for this chance.
"Then we are in agreement." Michael grins before jumping atop Durnehviir, sitting himself atop the scales on its half-rotten neck. "Fly to the entrance of this place, I have friends waiting."
The dragon does as he's told, and they soon land in front of the vampire duo. Valerica is taken aback by his apparent taming of the biggest menace in this realm, but Serana just shrugs her shoulders, "Hello Durnehviir."
"Greetings, stranger."
"As you can see, Serana, I brought him under my 'Wing'." he chuckles as he looks down at them.
"Very funny."
"It's easy to be funny when you have the High Ground..." he crooks a brow at the silence, "Huh, note to self, show you the prequels... Whatever, you guys good to leave yet? We're taking the back exit with Durnehviir here."
"Ah, allow me to retrieve my Elder Scroll... Leaving it in this realm just seems like a disaster waiting to happen." Valerica says as she shuffles to get it.
...
"So, how's... Things?" Serana tries to make smalltalk with Durnehviir.
"Things are." he simply replies, leaving the group in silence.
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Valerica safely makes it back to Tamriel, and while she isn't all that happy about the terms Michael made the Volkihar clan accept, she reluctantly agrees to follow them regardless. He also managed to extract a promise to have her tutor Tiffania in Alchemy. Anyone who can open the way to the Sou Cairn with some Void Dust and elbow grease deserves to be called a master of the craft.
Durnehviir would be staying atop the Throat of the World for the time being. He couldn't exactly have the dragon hang around Winterhold right now, people were tense enough whenever Illococoo's dragon form passes by, adding another dragon onto that might just implicate Michael in the return of the dragons somehow...
He wasn't sure when he'd see Serana again, but he'd be sure to visit her with Saeko... The fact that the girl hadn't seen the prequels wasn't affecting his decision-making at all...
With the vampire shit all but cleaned up, he turned his attention to the other troubles afflicting Tamriel... Solitude had been taken by Ulfric Stormcloak and Elisif the Fair had been taken prisoner. The vampire attack that'd struck Solitude had only weakened the defenders, apparently they'd tried to kidnap some nobles but failed in the end.
They'd actually almost freed General Tullius from his cell, but the Imperials soon slew the vampires with help from Sybille Stentor, the secret vampire knowing exactly how to deal with her brethren.
With the whole of Skyrim now under Ulfric's rule, the Civil War had all but come to an end... A few villages were still resisting but they didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. For now, Ulfric seemed intent on stabilising Skyrim for future battles.
All Thalmor were either expelled or executed depending on their position and crimes... There was some trouble with racist Nords but they were stamped out pretty quickly since Ulfric saw all those under his care and loyal as true citizens, who should be afforded the same rights as anyone else.
Indeed, most Dark Elves in Windhelm were surprised to find their living conditions improve upon the Imperial Legion's defeat... Things were still tense however, as everyone knew Ulfric's eyes were now turned towards Cyrodil and the Summerset Isles...
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