Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter Text
13th of Rain's Hand, 4E 188
Valkyrie sat in silence, pouting next to the fireplace she had stoked hours earlier. She was dreading the imminent confrontation with her father that would undoubtedly start as soon as he had finished his shift in the mine. Having returned from a short walk down the road, or rather, being dragged back by her older brother Gronmir, the young girl's father, an old Nord named Skjalund had been waiting, so furious that Valkyrie was shocked there was no steam rushing from his ears. The old man screamed at the top of his lungs at his daughter,
"Gods damn it, girl! How many times have I told you not to wander away from town?"
The young Nord girl, barely into her ninth year, had only hung her head and mumbled in response.
"What was that?"
Finally, she spoke louder. "I said I didn't go far. Just to the end of the road."
"You were alone. Defenseless!" Skjalund bellowed. "If a wandering Forsworn had spotted you, you would be dead right now!"
"But they didn't."
"That doesn't matter, Valkyrie!" The old man was beginning to lose his temper. "I've told you time and time again not to go wandering alone, and you disobeyed me again. I don't know what I'm going to do with you."
"Well," Valkyrie muttered, head still hung to avoid her father's gaze, teeth beginning to grit. "Maybe it wouldn't be such a problem if you would teach me how to fight."
"Not this again." Skjalund rested his face in his palm. "You are far too young for any of that. I don't want you getting hurt."
"You can't control everything, papa." The girl responded. "At least if you taught me I'd actually be prepared."
Her father shook his head. "At your age, Valkyrie, no amount of training would prepare you to face a lowly bandit, much less a Forsworn."
"But-"
"I said no!" The man raised his voice once more. "And that is final!"
Her father had ordered her back to their modest hut to do her chores, that he would deal with her when he was done working for the day. That had been several hours ago, the sun finally beginning to dip below the horizon outside, and Valkyrie was dreading the lecture that was surely to come. She understood why her father and brother were so overprotective of her, of course. The girl had been too young to remember, but her mother had been killed in a Forsworn raid when she was but an infant. But despite their objections, Valkyrie only wished they could see that she was miserable in the small mining town of Karthwasten. There were no children her age, and the adults mostly ignored her. The thought of spending her days in this town as a miner repulsed the girl to no end. She knew there was more out there than just a mine and its miserable workers. And she was determined to see it.
"Boo!"
The sudden sensation of a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder, and the booming voice in her ear made her jump from her seat next to the fire, letting out an audible shriek. She turned around, only to find Gronmir, her elder brother having a hearty laugh at her expense. Valkyrie crossed her arms and pouted.
"Very funny, Gron."
"I'm sorry," The older Nord said as his laughter began to settle. "You just make it too easy sometimes."
Gronmir was a Nord of his seventeenth year, finally old enough to work in the mines, his normally bright red hair had patches of black from the ash and soot that permeated throughout the mine. There was a short silence as Valkyrie turned her back away from Gronmir. If he was home, then surely their father would not be far behind. The older Nord wasted no time taking a seat next to Valkyrie at the fire, groaning as he sat down, no doubt relieved to be off of his feet after so many hours.
"Where's papa?" Valkyrie spoke after a short time.
"He'll be here soon. Went to go talk to Einethatch about something." Gronmir said, letting out a short yawn. He turned to the young girl, his expression suddenly taking on a more serious tone. "He was worried sick, you know."
Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "I don't see why. It wasn't a big deal."
"Not to you, maybe." The older Nord sighed. "Valkyrie, you don't realize how much he worries about you. About both of us."
"But why?" She spat back. "All my life he's never let me go anywhere or do anything. I don't want to grow up and be a miner, Gron!"
Gronmir shook his head. "So then, what do you want to do?"
Valkyrie was silent for a moment. Until now, no one had ever even bothered to ask her what she would rather do than spend the rest of her days in the miserable town. She was surprised, but quickly composed herself. "Honestly, I don't know. But I do know that there's more out there than just Karthwasten." She turned away from her brother, staring intently into the fire, allowing visions of what the future may hold to envelop her mind. "I want to see what the world truly has to offer. I've never even been to Markarth, and it's maybe a day away from here if you go by horse."
Gronmir smirked. "Wanderlust, eh?" He shook his head. "You sound a lot like mother."
Valkyrie was silent for a bit. Her mother. "I wouldn't know." She said, still gazing into the fire.
The older Nord let out a quiet chuckle. "You remind us a lot of her, you know. Me and father."
"Really?" At last the girl turned back to face her brother, being met with a simple nod in response.
"Oh, yeah." Gronmir smiled. "She had the same desire to see all of Tamriel that you do. That's actually how she and father met in the first place."
"Tell me more." Valkyrie turned her whole body away from the fire, giving her brother her undivided attention. "I've never heard this story."
"I thought you'd be interested." The older Nord smiled. "So first off, mother wasn't even born in Skyrim."
"Really?"
"Yup. She grew up in Cyrodiil, in a small town called Kvatch."
Valkyrie's brow furrowed. She could have sworn she had heard the name of that town before. "Why does that sound familiar?"
"Anyone ever told you about the Oblivion Crisis?" Gronmir raised an eyebrow, and his sister nodded in response. "That's where it all started. Mother spent her whole childhood with a dormant Oblivion gate a stone's throw away from her house."
"Wow." Less than a minute into the story, and Valkyrie was completely mesmerized. She nodded, giving Gronmir the go ahead to continue, which he gladly obliged.
"Now, from what I hear, Kvatch is home to Cyrodiil's Chapel of Akatosh. And mother's parents were very religious."
"Uh huh."
"They wanted her to grow up and become a priestess at the chapel, but obviously she had other plans." Gronmir laughed and shook his head. "As soon as mother came of age, she was gone. Off to live the life of a wanderer."
"That does sound like me." Valkyrie smiled. She was enjoying these tales of her mother. Gronmir and Skjalund often avoided talking about her, so it was nice to finally hear about the woman for a change.
"It didn't work out like she planned, though." The older Nord raised an eyebrow. "About six months after leaving Kvatch, mother was flat broke and homeless."
The younger Nord crossed her arms, her expression souring. "Way to ruin the mood, Gron."
He chuckled. "I'm not done yet. You see," he leaned forward and continued. "She had been wandering Skyrim's southern border for a few days, almost considering going back to Kvatch with her tail between her legs, when she happened to stumble upon Karthwasten."
Valkyrie was silent, still attempting to pout.
"The rest is history. She somehow convinced Einethatch to give her a job. She met father her first day in the mines, and they were married within a year." Gronmir nodded his head. "Not long after that, they had me."
There was a lengthy silence as the young girl thought about the story she had just been told. Clearly, there were many parallels between her and her mother that she had never realized, but they were enough to evoke feelings of grief and sadness in her father and brother.
"Look, Valkyrie," Gronmir's expression was once again serious and somber. "I know you hate it here. And I'm sure eventually you'll be able to convince father to let you leave." He took a deep breath. "But you have to realize, he loved our mother so much. When she died, it destroyed him." He hung his head. "And now here you are, you look just like her, have the same idealistic dreams." Gronmir took a deep breath, as though her were trying to hold back tears. "If anything were to happen to one of us, father would absolutely fall apart. We are all he has left, Valkyrie. He just wants to keep us safe. You understand?"
For once, what her brother was saying made sense. "Yeah." Valkyrie nodded her head. She finally understood why Gronmir and Skjalund were so overbearing. They had already experienced loss once, and couldn't bear to do so again.
"Listen," the older Nord spoke again, reaching into the pocket on his trousers. "I was going to wait until you came of age, but now seems as good a time as any." He held out his hand, revealing to Valkyrie a small silver locket, which the young girl eagerly accepted. It was fairly plain, no master craftsmanship to be observed, instead the true beauty was what lay inside. Valkyrie opened the locket, revealing a small, yet masterfully painted image of someone who could only be her father, his hair and beard a gleaming blonde, rather than the gray it was now. In front of him, barely up to his hips was a mischievous looking redheaded boy, the one and only Gronmir, looking to be about Valkyrie's age. And standing next to Skjalund, was a nameless, beautiful woman with long dark hair. Her mother. She looked to the other side of the locket's inside, where only two words were written.
For Ellana
"I..." Valkyrie stumbled with her words. "Thank you, Gron."
The touching moment was cut short by the door of the family's hut being kicked in by none other than Skjalund, who looked to be terrified beyond comprehension. "Gronmir!" The man yelled. "Help me block the door!" The younger Nord complied immediately, the both of them grabbing the large wooden table from the center of the room and pressing it against the door. Valkyrie stood up, greatly concerned and scared of whatever was happening.
"What is it, father?" Gronmir asked as the two barricaded their entrance. "Is it the Forsworn?"
"No boy, it's worse." Skjalund answered, giving one final shove. "Much worse." There was a short, almost deafening silence before the old man uttered one final word.
"Vampires."
No sooner had he spoken the word, was the door struck with a massive thud, knocking both Nords away from the barricaded door. "Both of you, into the cellar!" He yelled, getting back up and pressing the table back to the door.
"But what about you?" Gronmir protested.
"Don't argue! Go now!" Skjalund screamed at his son, who immediately grabbed Valkyrie by the arm and dragged her to the edge of the room, where the entrance to their underground cellar lay. Valkyrie was quite literally paralyzed with fear, unable to speak, unable to think, unable to move without force from her brother. The redheaded Nord hastily unlocked the hatched and forced his sister down the ladder, into the near absolute darkness of the cellar as whatever lay outside continued to pound at the door.
Gronmir locked the hatch, before quickly lighting a nearby lantern to give off some semblance of the light in the dark, open space. Valkyrie, overwhelmed by sheer terror, began to sob quietly, unable to comprehend what was happening. Her brother quickly knelled down to her, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, hey now," he spoke in a soft tone. "It's gonna be okay, Valkyrie. I promise."
These proved to be poorly chosen words, because at that moment, the hatch in the floor was busted open, shining down a ray of light from the inside of the hut. Gronmir quickly backed himself and Valkyrie away from the entrance to the cellar, up against the wall, grabbing a rusty war axe from a nearby shelf, ready to defend himself and his sister with his life. After a few moments of complete silence, a menacing figure dropped through the hole in the floor, landing firmly on its feet, its back to the siblings. The figure turned around to face them, still embroiled in shadow, almost unnaturally. In the light of the upstairs, there was only a murderous black shape, all except for the eyes. The creature's eyes glowed like the sun, made Valkyrie's blood run cold. The monster held a hand up, a small fire forming in its hands to light its face. A dark elf vampire, its features twisted and malformed, stared at the two Nords with a devilish grin.
"Ah," the vampire spoke softly. "Fresh meat."
Gronmir charged towards the nightwalker. "Die, monster!"
The undead Dunmer was far too quick for the boy, sidestepping him with the greatest of ease as the Nord fell on his face, only to picked back up by his hair. The vampire shook his head, holding Gronmir's limp body with one hand. "Please, boy. Your kind should know better by now." And with that, the monster promptly snapped the boy's neck, and he fell, dead before he hit the floor.
Valkyrie screamed. The horror was simply overwhelming and the young Nord could not hold in her terror anymore.
The vampire turned his head to her, glaring a hole into the girl. "Silence, worm!" He shouted, the malice in his voice forcing a dead silence to come from Valkyrie. Suddenly, a shadow appeared at the top of the hatch door. For just a brief moment, the young girl had hope. It was her father. It had to be. Papa was going to come and save her from the monster.
Instead, Valkyrie saw something that would haunt her for years to come. Another vampire, equally as menacing and dressed like a noble, descending into the cellar with her father's decapitated head in hand. He paid Valkyrie no attention, quickly turning to the Dunmer vampire. "What in the world was that racket?" The beast spoke so casually, as this were just another day for him.
The other nightwalker sighed. "Nothing of interest I'm afraid, my lord." He looked back at Gronmir's dead body and chuckled. "Just a mortal with more balls than brains."
The lord vampire growled, causing his apparent subordinate to flinch. "Rumaris' information was wrong." The monster spoke with venom. "Again. He will be punished for this." He shook his head, turning towards Valkyrie and sending a shiver down her spine. "We are returning to the castle, Morevar. Kill the girl and be done with it."
"My lord," the vampire named Morevar looked at Valkyrie and began to lick his lips. "If I may, perhaps I could... stay for just a bit longer? It's been ages since I was able to..." He let out a quiet, malicious laugh. "...Indulge myself."
The other beast looked back at Valkyrie and groaned. "I will never understand your fascination with young girls, Morevar." He shook his head. "Very well. But you will return to the castle soon, else you will face consequences."
The Dunmer's smile grew wider. "Of course, my lord. Safe hunting to you."
"You as well."
And with that, the lord vampire rushed up the ladder, closing the hatch behind him, leaving Valkyrie in complete darkness with this monster that had murdered her brother moments ago. Her heart was beating violently, beads of sweat on her forehead and tears in her eyes. She didn't want to die. Dear Gods, she didn't want to die.
"Now then," Valkyrie heard Morevar speak. "There's got to be some sort of light around here. Ah, there we are." A lantern was turned on, bringing a dim light to the room, as the young Nord remained frozen in the presence of this murderous beast. The vampire smiled wide, bearing his fangs as he slowly began to step towards his prey. "Oh, my dear girl." He growled. "You and I are going to have a great deal of fun together." Valkyrie attempted to scoot away from her attacker, but her back was already against the wall. Morevar took notice of this, moving faster than the girl thought possible. He went from standing across the room to towering right over the young Nord in the blink of an eye, and wasted no time grabbing her by the throat, and lifting her to his face.
"What's the matter?" The monster snarled. "You think vampires are scary? Is that it?" His voice sounded more and more inhuman with every word, and Valkyrie had not the strength to respond. "Don't worry, girl. I'll show you just how fucking scary I am." With the greatest of ease, the vampire tossed Valkyrie to the other end of the room, where she landed hard on the stone floor, driving the air from her lungs, as the nightwalker continued to stalk her.
"Pathetic." He said. "I would have hoped you'd put up some sort of fight." He knelled down, and wrapped his hands firmly around Valkyrie's throat, cutting off the flow of air. "No matter," the monster continued with a sadistic smile. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you nonetheless." And so the vampire squeezed harder, the edges of Valkyrie's vision beginning to go dark. This was it. She would be with her father and brother soon. Then suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted none other than Gronmir's rusty old axe. Without thinking, she grabbed the weapon, and swung as hard as she could, planting the iron firmly in the vampire's shoulder.
Morevar squealed in pain, releasing his grip on Valkyrie and rolling over to his back. "You little cunt! You will pay for-"
Valkyrie did not allow him to finish, she ripped the axe from the monster's shoulder, and brought the weapon down again with as much strength as she could muster, this time right in the middle of the vampire's face. She did it again. And again. And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
The vampire named Morevar had likely been dead after the second blow. But Valkyrie didn't care. All the terror, all the fear, all the indescribable emotions she was feeling had been let out through the axe. Every ounce of horror in the girl's system had been turned into vengeance against the bastard who had killed her only brother. With the paralyzing fear gone, the only emotion left was now grief. Valkyrie dropped the axe to the ground, laying down on her side and curling up into a ball.
And she began to cry
Chapter 2: New Beginnings
Chapter Text
14th of Rain's Hand, 4E 188
"Gods damn, it's hot out here."
The nameless guard didn't like complaining, he was always taught that things could be worse than what they were, but it was a bit hard to appreciate the wisdom in his parents' teachings when his uniform was quite literally glued to his body. Why, oh why, on today of all days had he been picked for gate duty? He leaned against the massive stone gates to the city of Markarth, eagerly counting the hours down in his head for when he could go leave and go home. At least the view was lovely. The valley surrounding the gates to the city was always a testament to the beauty of The Reach, even if it was one of the most dangerous regions in Skyrim.
"If you've got time to complain, you must not be doing too bad." A female guard's voice came from beside him, causing the man to shake his head.
"I'm not trying to complain," he said defensively. "But even you have to admit, this heat is awful."
The female guard simply scoffed, and the two returned to their mostly comfortable silence. The male guard cocked his head to one side, the bones in his neck emitting a dull pop, which in turn caused a groan from his counterpart. He smirked under his helmet. That would never get old. Suddenly, off in the distance, the male guard swore he saw someone walking the road to the city. Nothing unusual there, Markarth was often subject to visits from travelers, merchants, and adventuring types. But usually when people strolled up to the gates, it was a large group of grown men and women, capable of defending themselves in the wilds of The Reach. When people came to the gates, it was never a lone child in tattered clothing.
The male guard shot a glance to his counterpart, who only shrugged in response, and the two set down the stone steps at the gate to question the child, a girl seemingly wandering The Reach alone.
"Oi! Girl!" He shouted, but the child didn't even look up, her eyes firmly planted on the ground at her feet. This annoyed the guard, who only raised his voice as she got closer. "Excuse me, citizen! I'm talking to you!" This only got him a punch to the shoulder from his female counterpart, a stern message to knock it off, as she took the lead in the questioning. The woman bent down to one knee in an attempt to get the child's attention.
"Excuse me, little girl?" She said, the tone of voice much softer than the male guard, and at last the young girl took notice of them. Her eyes were bloodshot red, mouth hanging slightly agape as she stopped walking. "What are you doing out here?" The guard continued, leaning in a bit closer. "The wilds aren't safe, especially for a child. Where are your parents?"
The girl winced at the mention of the word parents, and the guard backed away immediately. Something was clearly wrong here. "They..." the girl spoke at last, a quiver in her voice that already told the guard all she needed to know, but the girl continued. "They're dead." And the young Nord burst into tears once more. The female guard looked up at her male counterpart, who only hung his head and crossed his arms. She turned back to the girl, taking her helmet off and staring right at the child's eyes.
"Hey, hey," she reached out to put a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "It's alright." She stood back up, holding the child by the hand, the tone in her voice never once raising. "Listen, we're going to take you to the Jarl, alright?" The girl looked up at her, still silent. "You can tell him what happened and he'll help you however he can. Okay?" At last the girl nodded in response, and the two guards gently walked her to the city gates.
In truth, the massive city of Markarth was a bit overwhelming. For all nine years of her life, Valkyrie had only seen the small mining town of Karthwasten and a small portion of the roads beyond. But this... this was like nothing she had ever seen before. So many people in one place, all shouting at the top of their lungs at one thing or another. The buildings, much like the gates, seemed to be made entirely of stone, as though they had been carved directly into the surrounding mountains. It was beautiful. Valkyrie walked slowly, the sights of the bustling city able to take her mind away from the horrors of the previous night for just a moment, and the guards were all too accommodating of her pace.
As they walked, Valkyrie allowed herself to be consumed by the unfamiliar surroundings. She wasn't in Karthwasten anymore, that was for sure. The massive, sprawling buildings, the different people, the smell of molten silver in the air. For some odd reason, the city of Markarth felt... welcoming.
After walking through the city for what seemed like ages, Valkyrie and the nameless guards had arrived what was undoubtedly the largest building she had ever seen. Einethatch's mansion back in Karthwasten didn't even compare to this massive stone palace. For just a second, the young Nord found herself unable to breathe due to sheer awe. After a short moment, the guards motioned her forward, and the trio began to make their way up the grand staircase, where more guards were standing by the door. They passed through with no trouble, and the inside of the palace was much like the outside. A ceiling that looked as though it stretched to the heavens, the walls an intricate blending of stone and some strange sort of metal. At last, Valkyrie's curiosity got the better of her.
"What is this place?"
"This, my dear girl," the male guard answered with a sense of pride in his voice. "Is Understone Keep. The name is a bit self-explanatory." He chuckled at his own joke.
They came to yet another massive set of stone steps, and the female guard spoke once more. "Come, child. The Jarl is just up here."
As the trio reached the top of the staircase, there was a man sitting atop a great throne (which was also made of stone, because of course it was), an older looking Nord with little hair, dressed in a lavish garment, and an expression on his face that would have frightened most other children, but after what Valkyrie had seen in the last day, nothing was fazing her. This was undoubtedly the Jarl of Markarth. Next to him was a Redguard woman in full steel plate armor, who looked like she would have rather been anywhere else, and on the other side, yet another aging Nord who already seemed to be somewhere else in his mind. The Jarl raised an eyebrow. "Can I help the three of you?"
"Yes, my lord." The male guard answered promptly. "We found this girl wandering the roads alone. She says that..." He looked at his female counterpart nervously, then down to Valkyrie. "Uh, well..."
"Spit it out, boy!" The Jarl said sternly, causing the guard to flinch. The female guard simply shook her head, kneeling down next to the young girl and giving her an encouraging smile.
"It's alright, hon." She said, motioning to the Jarl. "Go ahead."
"I- um..." Valkyrie stuttered, turning back to face the Jarl. "My name is... Valkyrie... sir. I'm from Karthwasten."
For just a split second, the girl swore she thought she saw a smirk on the old man's face. "A pleasure, Valkyrie of Karthwasten."
"My village was attacked," Valkyrie continued, and the expressions from the Jarl, as well as his subordinates immediately hardened. "I... I'm the only one who survived."
The Jarl nodded slowly. "I see. Was it Forsworn?"
"No." She answered, a twitch in her jaw as the image of the monsters who had killed her family flashed in her mind. "Vampires."
A hollow silence fell over the room. It was clear that no one had been expecting this girl to waltz in and say that not only had her entire village been massacred by vampires, but that she, just a little girl, was the sole survivor. At any other time, the Jarl or his underlings would have said it was madness. And yet here she was, relaying news that they had never expected to hear. At last, the Jarl rose from his throne, walking over to Valkyrie and kneeling down to face her.
"Allow me to express my deepest condolences for your loved ones." He held out his hand, which Valkyrie accepted. "Jarl Igmund of Markarth. A privilege to make your acquaintance."
"You too."
"I must say," Igmund continued, a smile beginning to form on his face. "Not many children your age could witness a vampire attack and live to tell about it. Something like that takes great courage."
"I... thank you."
The Jarl stood back up, turning back to the Redguard woman. "Faleem," he said sternly, "Send out a legion of guards to investigate and secure what's left of Karthwasten." The woman named Faleem bowed her head to the Jarl in response, and proceeded to leave the room. "Now then," he offered his hand to Valkyrie, "If you'll come with me, we'll get you sorted out."
Several hours passed. Valkyrie had been led to the Jarl's quarters, where he had insisted the palace servants wait on her hand and foot, much to the young Nord's unease. She was a child, yes, but she was far from helpless, at least in her own mind. Still, she had gotten a few free meals out of it, and the servants were nice enough, but in truth, it bothered her just a bit. They were coddling her, just as her father and brother had done in their own way for as long as she could remember. In a span of twenty four hours, she had gone from the naive girl who must be protected from the evils of the world, to the girl with the dead family who must be protected from the evils of the world. It annoyed her, to be certain.
The doors to Igmund's private quarters swung upon, and in walked the Nord who had sat next to the Jarl's throne, old and wrinkled, and dressed in fine clothes that screamed nobility. He shot a glance Valkyrie's way and offered a slight smile, to which the gesture was returned. The old man made his way to her, sitting down at the opposite end of the Jarl's dining table, and cleared his throat.
"We didn't get to be properly introduced earlier, little one." He spoke calmly. "I am Raeorek of Markarth, Jarl Igmund's uncle and steward."
"Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine." Raeorek continued with a slight bow of his head. "I trust our staff have made you feel welcome?"
Valkyrie simply nodded, taking another bite of her food. In truth, it was nice to have some pleasant conversation to take her mind off... what had happened. But despite the old man's gentle tone and seemingly kind nature, she couldn't help but feel like there was something more to his visit.
"So..." she spoke up after swallowing her food. "What's going to happen with me now? I..." she sighed. "The only family I had were in Karthwasten."
"Ah, yes." Raeorek's tone suddenly took a more somber direction, and the young girl's full attention was on him. "I've spoken with Igumnd about it, and unfortunately..." There was a short silence, which only made Valkyrie nervous as to what he had in store. "...We have no choice but to send you to Honorhall."
She stared at him blankly. "I've never heard of that place."
"It's... an orphanage." He sighed. "In Riften."
Valkyrie's jaw dropped. "Riften?!" She exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing. "That's on the other side of the whole province!"
"Yes, I know." Raeorek continued, still remaining calm and collected. "In truth, I wish there was something else we could do. I've heard stories about Honorhall. Very few of them good."
The girl's brow furrowed. "So you know it's a horrible place but you're sending me there anyway?"
"I'm truly sorry," the old man continued, and for a split second, Valkyrie actually believed him. "But there's nothing else within mine or Igmund's power that we can do." There was a lengthy silence that followed, and the young Nord couldn't believe what she was hearing. There had to be something she could do, something someone could do. If this Honorhall was truly as awful as Raeorek described, there was no way in Oblivion she would be spending the rest of her days there. Valkyrie slumped back in her chair, feeling a mix of disbelief, confusion, and resentment. This wasn't fair. "The Jarl is going to send word to Riften in the morning," Raeorek continued. "Until then, you're welcome to stay here in the palace. I'm sure we have a spare bedroom somewhere."
Valkyrie offered no response to the older Nord, instead rising from her seat and storming out of the Jarl's chambers. Raeorek made no effort to follow her. This was so unfair, downright cruel even. After all that had happened in the last day, they were just going to dump her in some horrible orphanage until she came of age? Where was their sense of compassion? It made no sense to Valkyrie, and she soon found herself wandering the Jarl's palace, not really paying attention to where she was going, allowing herself to be lost in her own thoughts. After walking aimlessly for a bit, Valkyrie's attention was soon captured by a certain room near the Jarl's throne, smoke emanating from the wide open doorway. Her curiosity overcame her judgement, and she peeked inside the room, where a surly looking Orc was tending a forge. The Orc stood still for just a moment, before pulling a white hot blade up from the flames, exquisitely made.
"Cool," Valkyrie blurted out.
The Orc immediately snapped his head towards the sound, a look on his face suggesting he was ready to give someone an earful. But when he saw it was only a child, his expression softened ever so slightly. "Yeah," he shook his head, turning back to his work. "I guess it is pretty cool."
Valkyrie nervously stepped into the room, leaning against the wall next to the doorway as she watched the Orc work. She had never seen anything like it. The only forge she'd ever seen had been in Karthwasten, but she had never been allowed near it, and no one hardly even used the damned thing. "So," she spoke up after a brief silence. "You just spend all day making swords?"
The Orc chuckled. "Swords, bows, axes," he said, never once taking his eyes off the molten metal he was shaping. "All kinds. I also do repairs for the guards' uniforms whenever they get into a scrap. Never any shortage of work when you're the Jarl's personal blacksmith."
Before Valkyrie could continue the conversation, she heard a woman's voice coming from outside the room.
"Moth, you damned oaf, are you finished with that blade yet?"
The Orc, apparently named Moth, groaned. "Almost, dear sister."
Another Orc, this one female, stepped through the doorway, her arms crossed. "You've been working on that thing for hours. What would our old Legion commander think about this pace?"
Moth chuckled. "He'd probably tell you to lay off me."
The female Orc simply sighed, now finally catching a glimpse of Valkyrie, leaning against the wall. "Hmph," she looked down at the young Nord, "You didn't tell me you were entertaining a guest." The female Orc's expression was a bit off-putting, and Valkyrie backed away slightly.
"Oh, leave her be, Ghorza." Moth replied, taking a few swings of his hammer to the blade. "She's not hurting anything."
The Orc named Ghorza shook her head. "What are you even doing here, child?" She cocked her head to one side. "Where are your parents?"
There was that damned question yet again. Valkyrie turned away from Ghorza, dipping her head and crossing her arms. There was a short, very uncomfortable silence before Moth spoke up once more.
"I think she's the girl from Karthwasten, sister."
Ghorza's eyes grew wide. "Oh," she said nervously, averting her gaze from the young Nord. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." she trailed off.
Valkyrie paid her no attention, instead turning back to Moth. "You knew?"
The Orc nodded. "Word travels fast around this palace, girl." He set the blade in a tub of water next to the forge, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead with a nearby rag. He turned to Ghorza. "I'm going to get some food. You want anything?"
She shook her head in response, and Moth stepped out, leaving Ghorza and Valkyrie alone. There was yet another awkward, uncomfortable silence, and Valkyrie contemplated simply leaving, finding a place to sleep and preparing for the inevitable, miserable journey to Riften. But the Orc broke the silence rather quickly.
"Listen, I'm sorry about the question." She said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Gods know you've probably been reminded of... well, what happened enough today."
A sincere apology. That was surprising. "It's fine," Valkyrie deadpanned, only wishing this conversation could be over.
"Something like that..." Ghorza continued, "You never truly get over it. It just gets easier with time, you know?"
"How would you know?" The Nord spat, a bit surprised at the venom lacing her own voice.
"Because the same thing happened to me when I was young."
"Really?" The young girl's tone immediately shifted from spiteful to empathetic.
"Yeah," the Orc sighed. "Moth and I lost our parents during the Great War." She pulled up a nearby chair, taking a seat across from Valkyrie. "We had to make our own way from a young age." More silence ensued, but this time there was a sense of understanding between the two. Maybe this Orc wasn't as brash and insensitive as she had originally thought. "Listen," she spoke again. "I'm truly sorry for your loss. Believe me, I understand what you're going through. Just..." she stopped short for a moment. "I promise it will get easier."
"Thank you."
For the first time in two days, Valkyrie felt a short moment of solace. If nothing else, she appreciated knowing that perhaps she wasn't as alone in the world as she thought. The Orc spoke again.
"So, um... what are you going to do now?"
Valkyrie sighed. "The steward said they're sending me to Honorhall in Riften."
Ghorza's eyes widened. "Honorhall?" She shook head. "Child, trust me on this, you do not want to go there. The woman who runs that place is a cruel, vindictive cur." She leaned back into her chair. "You're sure there's nothing else you can do?"
The young Nord threw up her hands. "I don't know. Not if I don't want to be homeless, I guess."
"Well," the Orc spoke once more with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "If I could make a suggestion..."
"Yeah?"
Ghorza opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She sighed. "Listen, I know we don't know each other that well," she began, hanging her head. "But you seem like a good kid. And... well, I know what it's like to grow up alone. Mostly." She motioned to the doorway, obviously speaking of her brother. "If you don't want to go to Honorhall, then maybe... I could talk to the Jarl about putting you in my care?"
Valkyrie's eyes grew wide, a mix of excitement and hope. "Really? You mean it?"
Ghorza nodded. "I do. Besides, I've been toying with the thought of getting an apprentice for a while now." A smirk graced the Orc's face. "You don't mind getting your hands dirty, do you?"
"No! Not at all!" The Nord's voice rose, and in a moment of pure joy, rushed forward to smother Ghorza with a hug. "Thank you so much!" The Orc hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly wrapped her arms around the young girl's frame. And for just a moment, no words needed to be said.
11 years later
5th of Sun's Height, 4E 199
"Why did I let you talk me into this?"
"Because you're a kindhearted soul who can't bear to turn away a friend in need."
"Very funny, Valkyrie." The nervous Reachman stumbled over a crack in the stone floor, and Valkyrie laughed. She enjoyed having Eltrys around. He could always be convinced into being dragged along on the Nord's little adventures, even if he did constantly worry about petty, insignificant things like whatever rules they might be breaking or whether or not they could die at any moment. Take now for example. Ghorza had asked her to retrieve a shipment of Dwarven metal from Calcelmo, the court wizard of Markarth, who, in typical wizard fashion, asked her to do something before he would give it to her.
Calcelmo tasked Valkyrie with going into the ruins of Nchuand-Zel, an ancient Dwemer city just underneath the city of Markarth, to find his team of researchers who hadn't been seen in weeks. It sounded like a dangerous task, and Valkyrie knew she would need some form of back up, so of course she brought Eltrys along. He was quite capable with an axe, though he didn't want to admit it. All Valkyrie had to do was flutter her eyelashes and pout, and the Reachman reluctantly came on board.
"Couldn't you have just gone back to Ghorza?" Eltrys whined. "I'm sure she could have gotten the metal from Calcelmo herself."
"Probably," Valkyrie replied, still walking. "But Calcelmo did say he'd pay me for this. Handsomely." A smirk dawned on her face. "And I thought to myself. Self, I thought, who better than to split this lavish reward with than my best friend in all of Nirn?"
"Hmph," the Reachman rolled his eyes. "More like, self, who better to use as a meat shield?"
"Tell you what," she replied. "If we die, I promise I'll never drag you into any more ruins. Deal?"
"Deal."
The ancient Dwarven ruins of Nchuand-Zel were eerily quiet. This much was to be expected, as its denizens had disappeared into thin air centuries ago. There was always a certain air of mystery to these ancient ruins, be they Dwemer, Nordic, or otherwise that Valkyrie couldn't help but appreciate. The sense of wonder and adventure, however, was usually just a nice bonus to whatever shiny, expensive trinkets she picked up along the way. If it came from an old ruin, someone somewhere was willing to part with their coin purse for it. The obvious danger was just a small price to pay, which Valkyrie paid gladly, and the ever growing collection of scars and bruises on her body showed.
The two walked in silence for a short bit, before the Dwarven stonework eventually gave way to an area that looked more like a mine than an old ruin.
"This must be where they started excavating." Valkyrie noted. "I'd keep your hand on your axe, just to be safe."
"And yours on your bow," Eltrys replied.
She nodded, drawing her old wooden bow and notching an arrow, and the two slowly descended into the depths of the excavation site. It didn't take more than a few steps for Valkyrie to notice an abundance of spider webs. Her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings, but she saw no signs of any abnormally large spiders in the room. That is, until there was a a sickeningly wet splat sound on a wall inches from her face.
"Frostbite spiders!"
Valkyrie pulled back the arrow, letting it fly at one of the dozen or so spiders emerging from a tunnel at the bottom of the excavation.
"Gods damn it, woman, what have you gotten me into now?"
The arrow hit its intended target right in between all eight of its eyes, the creature let out a wretched hiss before falling to the ground, dead. The other spiders continued to advance, and Eltrys jumped down to the bottom of the excavation, swinging his axe like a madman. Half the spiders seemed to focus on the Reachman, while the other half began climbing up the walls of the excavation to Valkyrie's position. She loosed more arrows at the approaching spiders, a few of them hitting, a few missing, and a few dead spiders falling back to the ground.
The damned arachnids were fast though, and they reached the top of the wall before she could take them all out. Valkyrie began backing up the path to the ruins, loosing arrow after arrow at the spiders still chasing her. One of the insects spread its pincers, letting a slob of venom fly right towards the Nord's face, which she dodged, but just barely, and proceeded to fly an arrow right into the spider's open pincers.
One of them lunged at Valkyrie, leaping through the air straight at her face, and the Nord quickly rolled underneath, missing the spider by a wide berth. She turned back to face the creature, and proceeded to jump into the air, stomping down on its head with as much force as she could muster, crushing the spider's exoskeleton with a wet crunch. There was only one more spider to deal with, which seemed to know that it was outmatched at this point, and began to back away, sending a few balls of venom towards Valkyrie.
The shots were dodged with relative ease, and the Nord responded with two arrows of her own. The spider fell to the ground, limp and dead as could be, when a cry of distress was heard from below.
"Shit!"
One of the spiders below had pinned Eltrys to the ground, chomping away with its pincers while the Reachman just barely kept it at bay with the hilt of his axe. Valkyrie quickly notched another arrow, letting it fly right into the side of the creature's head, successfully knocking it off of Eltrys, who quickly rose to his feet and planted his axe firmly in the spider's head.
At last the spiders were dead, and Valkyrie rushed down to the bottom of the excavation to help Eltrys, whose axe appeared to be stuck in the spider's corpse. Finally with a disgusting sound of release, the axe was removed, and the two took a moment to catch their breath. There was truly never a dull moment when Valkyrie dragged her Reachman friend along on one of her adventures.
"Well," Eltrys said, still breathing heavily. "That happened."
"Yeah," Valkyrie shook her head, returning her bow to its harness. "I think it's getting easier to imagine what happened to that research team."
"Still opposed to turning back?"
"We'll be fine, Eltrys." She chuckled. "We just handled a horde of frostbite spiders by ourselves. I think we can manage whatever is up ahead."
"That hardly qualified as a horde, Valkyrie," the Reachman objected, but the Nord paid him no mind, making her way into the tunnel the spiders had emerged from, to which Eltrys reluctantly followed. The tunnel was narrow, a dark, damp space which forced Valkyrie and Eltrys to uncomfortably twist their bodies just to squeeze through. On the other side was what appareled to be the entrance to the rest of the ancient ruins of Nchuand-Zel. Without a word, the two made their way to the nearby stone staircase, looking to explore the rest of the ancient city, but were stopped by what appeared to be a person. Or rather, a body. Entangled in a massive spider web.
Eltrys gulped. "Is that what I think it is?"
Valkyrie cautiously stepped forward. Judging by its armor, this had been one of the Imperial guards assigned to the expedition. "Yeah," she said, examining what was left of the corpse. "That is definitely a dead Imperial soldier." There was something small and rectangular attached to the soldier's hip, something that looked quite like a book of sorts. Valkyrie tugged at it, struggling for a few moments before finally managing to rip the book away from its former owner.
"It's his journal," she said out loud, flipping through the pages of the book. "Looks like... they were running from something."
"From what?" Eltrys asked nervously.
"I don't know," Valkyrie replied. "There are mentions in here of... blind monstrosities. Creatures attacking without mercy that..." her stomach dropped as a wave of realization hit her. "...Almost look like elves."
The Reachman's eyes grew wide. "Falmer?"
"It would seem so," she said gravely, putting the journal away. There was a short silence as the two tried not to think about what the Falmer had done to those who weren't lucky enough to escape. "Well," Valkyrie finally broke the silence. "I think that's enough adventuring for today."
"I couldn't agree more."
"Come on," she made a beeline for the tunnel. "Let's get out of here."
Calcelmo stared at the journal for a long time, as though he were struggling with his words. "Damn," was all that came out after several moments. "I warned Staubin that he was leading those poor folks to their death. But he just wouldn't listen." The wizard placed the journal on his desk gingerly, and out from underneath revealed a large, and rather heavy sack which, from the sound of it, looked to be filled with scrap metal. The old Altmer struggled with the weight of the sack, before dropping it rather unceremoniously at Valkyrie's feet. "Thank you for bringing this to me, Valkyrie. All of Ghorza's supplies should be in here."
"A pleasure doing business with you."
"Yes," Calcelmo continued. "And speaking of business," he reached behind and pulled out a sizable coin purse, and graciously plopped it in Valkyrie's hand. "Do let me know if you have any more spare time. I'm sure I have things to do that could make use of your... talents."
"I might just have to take you up on that," Valkyrie smirked, tossing the sack of metal over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Calcelmo, I'll see you later."
The old elf simply nodded, and Valkyrie and Eltrys were on their way to the keep's exit. "So Eltrys," the Nord spoke, sounding entirely too pleased with herself. "Now that you're filthy rich," she continued, causing the Reachman to roll his eyes. "What are you going to do with your newfound wealth?"
"First," Eltrys held out his hand, which Valkyrie gladly placed his share in. "I'm going to go to the inn and drink myself blind. Hopefully forget this day ever happened." The Nord simply laughed at his comment. "After that, I'm not really sure," he pondered for a moment. "Honestly, I'll probably just take Rhiada somewhere nice."
Valkyrie smirked. "I knew you were sweet on her." Eltrys simply shrugged. "Well, I know what I'm going to be doing with mine."
"And what's that?"
"Ghorza's had a crossbow for sale at her forge for a few months," the Nord's eyes grew with excitement. "And now, it's finally mine."
"A crossbow?" Eltrys raised an eyebrow. "Really? You already have a bow."
"Yes, but this is a crossbow," she seemed annoyed that the Reachman didn't understand the gravity of the situation. "It's a bit slower to reload, but it does much more damage than a normal bow."
"You planning on doing some hunting?"
"Something like that."
Eltrys shook his head. "I don't even want to know what sort of shenanigans you're going to get up to with a crossbow," he chuckled. "Anyway, it's getting late. I've got to get home before the others start to worry."
"See you, Eltrys." And with that, Valkyrie was left alone with her own excitement, the coin purse in her hand, she could already feel the grip of the crossbow in her fingers. Look out, Nirn, she thought to herself, as she rushed through the doors of the palace.
Chapter 3: The Hand Of Fate
Chapter Text
7th of Sun's Height, 4E 199
The aching in Valkyrie's hands only grew more prevalent with each bolt she fired into the target. She groaned. This crossbow had a powerful kick to it. Ghorza had not been joking when she warned the Nord that it was far different than the bow she was used to, but Valkyrie was undeterred. She was determined to master this weapon, although not for the reason she had given Eltrys. She was interested in becoming a hunter, to be certain, but not a hunter of the wild beasts that roamed The Reach. In recent months, Valkyrie had been hearing whispers, rumors of vampire attacks happening sporadically throughout some of Skyrim's smaller settlements. Whenever the sun went down, the city guards would become nervous, paranoid even, constantly looking over their shoulder. Valkyrie determined that if any foul, bloodsucking monsters wanted to make a move on Markarth, she would be ready for them.
There was a sharp thwack as Valkyrie let yet another bolt fly from her weapon, and she groaned as it missed the bulls-eye by only a few inches. She had spent much of the last few days trying to improve her aim, which was considerably difficult give the kick of the weapon that was constantly point her shots just a bit upwards. This was not helped by the fact that her hands were killing her. She set the crossbow down next to her feet, attempting to massage a bit of the ache out of them. The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon, and it was getting harder to see around Valkyrie's makeshift training ground just outside the city gates with each passing minute.
"Valkyrie!"
She turned around to see Ghorza descending the stone steps, torch in hand. "You've been out here for hours," the Orc continued. "Are you planning on coming home for dinner any time this year?"
The Nord let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I'll be home shortly," she said, still massaging her hands. "You weren't kidding about this crossbow being difficult to work with."
"Hmph," Ghorza grunted. "I still don't see why you decided to spend your money on that thing. Your bow handles so much easier."
"Maybe I just wanted a challenge," Valkyrie replied, attempting to be coy.
"I don't believe that," the Orc narrowed her eyes. "If you really wanted a challenge, you could help me with the malachite we just got in."
"For Ondolemar's order?" The Nord raised an eyebrow, to which Ghorza nodded. "Fuck Ondolemar. He's an asshole."
"He's a paying customer, Valkyrie!" Ghorza snapped.
"A paying customer who happens to be an asshole," Valkyrie picked her crossbow back up, taking aim at the target once again, an image of the pompous Altmer who served as Thalmor advisor to the Jarl firmly in her head. "I have no problem with elves, but the Thalmor can piss off." She closed one eye, finger on the weapon's trigger. "The Dominion is here, and we're watching you," she mocked, squeezing the trigger, the escaping bolt flying directly into the center of the bulls-eye "Bastard."
The Orc shook her head, letting out a sigh. "You know, if you're going to run the forge one day, you're not going to be able to discriminate against customers," a smirk formed on her face. "Even if they are assholes."
"Well, that day hasn't come yet," Valkyrie replied, walking over to retrieve the bolts from her target. "I'll be home in a bit, Ghorza. I just need to finish up a few things here."
The Orc simply grunted, turning back up the stairs to the city gates, leaving Valkyrie alone with her thoughts. She was going to have to tell her adoptive mother the real reason she bought the crossbow eventually, and in truth, Valkyrie was dreading it. Ghorza had already lectured her to no end about poking around in Nchuand-Zel, and may have threatened to break Calcelmo in half for sending her down there. The Nord could only imagine what she would say when told that this weapon was purchased specifically to kill vampires. Valkyrie's mind flashed back to that night eleven years prior. She had been so terrified, so helpless, and yet she had still managed to kill the monster who had insisted on toying with her rather than finishing her off. That night had been the cause of many more restless nights for Valkyrie. Gronmir's death had been avenged, but Skjalund's had not. She shook her head, staring down at the crossbow in hand. Who knew? Maybe if she were lucky, she'd yet run into the bloodsucker that killed her father.
"Oh, shit!"
One of the guards at the gate suddenly cried out, ripping Valkyrie's attention away from her own thoughts. She quickly turned to the source of the commotion, a guard who was visibly shaking, sword in hand, looking out at the surrounding valley. She then turned her head to the road leading from the city out into the wilds of the Reach, and her eyes grew wide as she saw what was approaching. Even from this distance, Valkyrie could see their eyes glowing like the sun. Markarth was being attacked by vampires.
There were about a dozen attackers, only about half of them vampires. Those that remained appeared to either be bandits, or some grotesque creature that almost resembled a dog, but its fur was black as death, and its face was hideously malformed and distorted. Just looking at it made Valkyrie's stomach uneasy. Suddenly, an Altmer vampire who was leading the group of attackers turned his head towards the Nord, drawing his weapon and making a beeline for her. Valkyrie instinctively raised her crossbow, letting a bolt fly right at the bloodsucker's throat. Except this vampire was quick, and he sidestepped the bolt with ease, allowing it to miss him completely.
Shit, Valkyrie thought, reaching behind, scrambling to load another bolt into her crossbow. But the vampire was on her now, slamming into the Nord with speed and force no mortal could have managed, knocking her to the ground. His blade already drawn, he raised it into the air, attempting to stab the point of the weapon right into Valkyrie's face, but she barely managed to roll out of the way, and the sword found only dirt. Quickly getting to her feet, the Altmer trying to wrest his sword out of the ground, she cocked her arm back, and bashed the bloodsucker across the head with her crossbow. This knocked him right onto his back, where Valkyrie just barely managed to load another bolt into her weapon and send it straight between the monster's eyes.
By now, a legion of guards had amassed at the gates to fend off the attackers, although they were having little success. One guard in particular was being pinned down by a Breton vampire, its fangs bared, looking as though it were about to sink its teeth into the guard's neck. Valkyrie quickly yanked the bolt from the Altmer vampire's forehead and loaded it into her crossbow, sending it into the Breton's shoulder. This knocked him off the guard, but he was back on his feet in an instant, bringing down his axe into the guard's stomach, and then proceeding to rush towards Valkyrie. She loaded yet another bolt into her crossbow and pulled the trigger, but the vampire caught this bolt with his bare hands and tossed it to the ground. She instinctively reached for another, but a panicked look adorned her face when she realized she was out of bolts. The Breton saw this, and a deadly grin began to show as two clouds of fire began to form in each of his hands. Valkyrie didn't even have time to jump out of the way as the vampire sent a magical bolt of fire right at her, which exploded on impact, knocking the Nord several feet away onto her back.
Valkyrie's vision was blurred, her ears were ringing, and she was having trouble moving. She couldn't feel part of her arm, and didn't even have a chance to get her bearings before one of the hideous death hounds pounced on her out of nowhere, gaping maw snapping inches away from her face. Valkyrie tried to hold the beast back with the bone of her arm on its throat, but the creature's mouth kept snapping, getting dangerously close to the Nord's face, its breath an eerily freezing cold. At last the death hound made contact, its maw crunching down onto the Nord's shoulder. The pain was excruciating, even more so was the overwhelming sense of cold that permeated through her body from the hound's bite. In a moment of desperation, Valkyrie managed to bring her feet underneath the creature and kick it off her. The beast was sent flying back, and Valkyrie just barely made it to her feet to see the creature making yet another lunge for her, but was knocked out of the air mid-jump by another crossbow bolt. But... this hadn't come from Valkyrie's crossbow.
The Nord looked to the source of the bolt, shocked to find that the battle was largely over. The vampires were now lifeless husks, and the guards who hadn't perished were tending to the fallen. But there were more people than were here before. About three of them, clearly not Markarth guards, who appeared to be setting fire to the vampire's corpses, as well as those of their hounds. Valkyrie hobbled forward, curiosity getting the better of her as one of these unknown soldiers took notice, making his way to her. His face was entirely obscured by a steel helmet, one of his arms bore a shield which held a depiction of a blazing sun, and the armor he wore was like nothing Valkyrie had ever seen, even during her time as Ghorza's apprentice. The soldier spoke.
"Gods above, girl. They really did a number on you."
She groaned. "What are you talking about? I feel fine." It was a lie, of course. Now that the adrenaline rush from the battle was winding down, Valkyrie was in excruciating pain. Her shoulder was bleeding profusely from the death hound's bite, and looking down, she saw that part of her other arm was scorched, to which she could thank the Breton vampire.
The soldier removed his helmet, revealing himself to be an Orc. "The bloodsuckers are dead. Now isn't the time for bravery." A faint glow began to form in the Orc's hand. "Hold still," he said, bringing it up to Valkyrie's shoulder. The glow intensified, and in the blink of an eye, the bleeding on her shoulder began to stop flowing, and the wounds from the hound's bite slowly disappeared, leaving behind only a few scars. The Orc then turned his attention to her arm, letting out a sigh as he moved his hand up and down the Nord's scorched skin, causing her to wince. After a few moments, the burns were gone.
The Orc chuckled. "That's going to leave one hell of a scar."
Valkyrie smirked. "I don't mind. Scars just remind you of the battles you've won."
"Hmph," he shook his head. "I don't think you would have won this one if my men and I hadn't shown up." He raised an eyebrow. "You and those guards were in a bad way, girl."
"Speaking of which," the Nord quickly changed the subject. "Who are you? I've never seen armor like yours before."
"My name is Durak," the Orc introduced himself. "I represent an organization called the Dawnguard."
"I've... never heard of you," Valkyrie deadpanned.
Durak just laughed. "Well, we have been trying to keep it quiet for the past year or so." He shook his head. "But once these vampire attacks started happening across the province, we couldn't really afford to stay in the shadows any longer." The Orc crossed his arms. "Long story short, we're vampire hunters. Real, serious vampire hunters. We search out and destroy those bloodsucking scum wherever we find them."
"I see," Valkyrie was now infinitely more interested. "So what were you doing coming to Markarth?"
"Recruiting," Durak replied, raising an eyebrow when he saw the glimmer in the Nord's eyes. "I have to give you credit, girl. Not many people would have had the stones to face down a horde of vampires."
"Well, not to brag or anything..."
"But it was stupid," Durak cut her off, and Valkyrie's stomach sank. "If my men and I hadn't shown up, you'd be dead. As would these guards, and probably many of the citizens inside the gate."
"And what was I supposed to do? Nothing?" The Nord shot back, crossing her arms defiantly.
"Look, girl, I don't have time to argue with you," the Orc replied. "But..." he reached into a pouch on his hip, pulling out a piece of parchment. "You do have heart, determination. Those are good qualities." He handed it to her. "If you think you've got what it takes to be a true vampire hunter, come talk to us at Fort Dawnguard."
"And where can I find this Fort Dawnguard?"
"We're located southeast of Riften," the Orc continued. "A small, isolated valley known as Dayspring Canyon. You can't miss the entrance to it."
"Thank you," she said, extending out her hand. "My name is Valkyrie, by the way."
Durak gladly accepted the gesture. "A pleasure," he said before turning around and making his way over to his men. For the first time in a decade, Valkyrie felt some sense of purpose, as though the stars had aligned for her. She now knew what her path was going to be. A vampire hunter, slayer of the creatures of the night, defender of the weak and helpless. Well, perhaps the last part wasn't as true as she would have believed. This was also a chance for vengeance. A chance to find the bloodsucking scum that had killed her father and rid Nirn of him forever. If Valkyrie had to cleave her way through every last vampire in Tamriel to do so, she would gladly.
"Are you absolutely insane?!"
This had been about the response Valkyrie had expected from Ghorza. She couldn't blame the Orc for having doubts. Valkyrie had rarely left Markarth since coming here as a child, and now here she was, waltzing home late at night, looking like she had just lost an argument with a cave bear, declaring that she was going to be leaving for the other side of the province to be a vampire hunter. When condensed to a short explanation like that, it did sound absolutely insane.
"Ghorza, I know how this sounds," Valkyrie started, trying to calm the Orc's mood.
"Do you?" Ghorza cut her off. "Do you really know how it sounds when the girl you've looked after for over a decade suddenly wants to leave and chase some mad fantasy?"
"This isn't a fantasy," the Nord shot back, crossing her arms. "These people are the real deal. I saw it firsthand."
"And why would you even want to hunt vampires of all things?"
Valkyrie looked at the Orc as though she had spat at her feet. "Ghorza," she said, her voice softening. "You of all people should know why I would want to kill these things."
Ghorza sighed. "Your family?" She questioned, shaking her head. "So that's what this is about? You're going to throw your life away for some ill-fated revenge quest?" Valkyrie only groaned and placed her head in her palm in response. Ghorza turned to Moth, who had been silent for most of the conversation. "Are you going to help me at all here?"
Moth scoffed. "What do you expect me to say?"
"Something would be nice."
The male Orc sighed, turning to Valkyrie, still slumped forward in her seat. "Look," he began. "I'm of a mind with Ghorza." Valkyrie rolled her eyes at this. "You have a good life here, and leaving it all behind to go hunt dangerous creatures sounds like a very bad idea." There was a short silence that followed as the Nord tried desperately to refrain from screaming in frustration at her adoptive mother, who simply didn't understand. "But," Moth continued, catching Valkyrie's attention once more.
"But?"
He sighed. "But you've been of age for four years now. You're a grown woman, and free to make your own decisions." He groaned, as Valkyrie's eyes lit up with excitement, and Ghorza scowled at him. "I don't approve, but if this is something you want, we can't stop you."
"Like Oblivion we can't!" Ghorza shouted to no one in particular. She pointed a finger at the Nord. "I can't believe you would sacrifice everything we provided for you. After all these years, you jump at the first opportunity to leave."
"Really?" Valkyrie asked, bewildered. "You think I want to leave because I'm ungrateful?"
"I don't see any other reason," the Orc sneered as she turned towards the door. In a moment of anger, Valkyrie stood up from her seat and grabbed Ghorza by the arm, which the Orc promptly shook away, but stopped dead in her tracks.
"Ghorza, I need this." The Nord exclaimed, and there was a lengthy silence that followed, no one quite sure what to make of her outburst. She sighed, lowering her voice. "Look, you've done more for me than I ever could have asked," she continued. "I owe you and Moth a debt that I could never repay. But I need this. If there's even a chance that I can find the vampire who killed my father, I have to take it."
The Orc sighed. "You're sure about this?"
"Yes," Valkyrie nodded firmly. "I won't lie, it'll most definitely be dangerous. But the Dawnguard will train me."
Ghorza simply nodded her head in response, and the silence that followed weighed on Valkyrie heavily. She didn't know if she could bear to leave without the blessing of the Orc who had looked after her for eleven years. At last, Ghorza spoke once more. "Alright."
"Really?"
"It's like Moth said," the Orc continued. "You're a grown woman. If you want to do this, I won't stop you."
Valkyrie responded with a genuine smile. "Thank you."
"Anyway," Ghorza turned and began walking over to her bed, reaching into the small drawer she kept beside it, causing Valkyrie to raise an eyebrow. "I was going to save this for the day you took over the forge, but this seems like as good a time as any." The Orc returned with a small leather pouch in her hand. Valkyrie was confused.
"A pouch?"
Ghorza smirked. "Not just any pouch." She then proceeded to reach into the pouch, at which point the entire length of the Orc's arm disappeared inside it. Valkyrie's jaw dropped.
"What is that?"
"Hold on," the Orc replied. "It's in here somewhere." After a few moments, from the depths of the pouch Ghorza's arm re-appeared, and nestled in its palm was the hilt of an exquisitely made golden sword. "There we are. I spent months working on this blade." She spent a few moments inspecting the weapon before handing the hilt towards Valkyrie, who hesitantly accepted. "The pouch I got from Calcelmo a few years ago. It's enchanted, so you've essentially got a limitless pocket attached at your hip." She smiled. "As for the blade... well, I just hope it can serve you well."
Valkyrie nodded, placing the sword back into the depths of the magical infinite pouch. "Thank you."
"You can thank me by staying alive," Ghorza deadpanned.
"I will," Valkyrie responded, rushing forward to force the Orc into a hug. "I promise."
19th of Sun's Height, 4E 199
It seemed Durak had been lying when he said that the entrance to Dayspring Canyon was easy to find. As if the ten day journey from one end of Skyrim to another wasn't tiresome enough, it seemed none of the residents of The Rift had ever even heard of Dayspring Canyon or the Dawnguard. Valkyrie had spent the better part of two days searching southeast of the city of Riften, only to come up short, each time narrowly avoiding a life or death battle with bandits, rabid packs of wolves, or stray bears. Until now, that was, when she happened to stumble onto a cave that was almost too non-descript. Next to the cave was an old tree which had the symbol of a blazing sun carved into it, the same symbol that had adorned Durak's shield back in Markarth. This had to be the entrance to the valley.
It took Valkyrie no more than five minutes to traverse through the shallow cave, and on the other side lay a beautiful open valley surrounded by on all sides by the base of Skyrim's massive eastern mountains. There was an abundance of breathtaking foliage and plant life along side the walls of the canyon, culminating in a massive waterfall some distance away. The one detail that stood out about this valley, however, was that the sun seemed to beat down on to Nirn's surface more intensely than elsewhere. Valkyrie began to make her way into the valley, when a voice from behind caught her attention.
"Hey there! You here to join the Dawnguard too?"
She turned around, greeted by the sight of a fellow Nord about her age, looking very eager and very nervous. "That I am," she answered. "For a moment, I thought I was the only one who actually wanted to join."
"Yeah well, being a vampire hunter isn't exactly the least dangerous occupation in the world," the boy laughed nervously before extending his hand. "I'm... uh, Agmaer, by the way."
"Valkyrie," she accepted. "A pleasure."
"Truth is, I'm a little nervous," Agmaer began to ramble. "I've never done anything like this before. I hope you don't mind if I walk up with you?" The last part of the boy's sentence sounded more like desperate begging than a simple request.
"Umm... I guess not?" Valkyrie replied as she resumed walking. The path leading away from the waterfall was long and winding, dense with trees and foliage, so it looked like there would be quite a walk before reaching Fort Dawnguard. At least she wouldn't have to do so in silence.
"Thanks," Agmaer's tone immediately became more chipper. "Just... do me a favor, don't tell Isran I was afraid to meet him by myself. Not the best first impression for a new vampire hunter, I guess."
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Who's Isran?"
The boy looked at her oddly. "He's... the leader of the Dawnguard."
"Oh," she replied. "I figured the Orc who recruited me was the leader."
"Never met this Orc you're talking about," Agmaer became nervous yet again. "The order must be bigger than I thought." At this point, Valkyrie was beginning to get annoyed. This Agmaer simply wouldn't shut up. "You've probably killed lots of vampires, huh?"
She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't really call two vampires in my entire life lots," she replied. "But yeah, I've killed a few. Almost died both times."
"I see," the boy's voice quivered a bit. "I'm sure Isran will sign you right up. Don't know if he'll take me. I hope so."
"Well," Valkyrie scoffed. "You could probably do to hide some of that nervousness. Self deprecation isn't much of an admirable trait."
Agmaer gulped, and at last there was silence, at least for a moment. Valkyrie understood where the boy was coming from, even if she didn't show it. She had also left the safety of her home behind for an extremely dangerous undertaking. She wasn't lying about her experiences, either. Both times she had faced off against vampires, her life had come far too close to ending. It was her hope that this Dawnguard would be willing to help her hone her skills, make her into a vampire hunter to be feared by all nightwalkers. But then, there was also the possibility that they wouldn't take her at all, which Valkyrie was trying not to think about.
"That must be it," Agmaer's voice ripped Valkyrie away from her thoughts once more. "Fort Dawnguard. Bigger than I expected."
He was right. Off in the distance from the path was a compound that could only be Fort Dawnguard. But simply calling it a fort was inadequate. This was a castle, plain and simple. A sprawling complex of stone towers and walls unlike anything Valkyrie had ever laid eyes on before. It was truly a sight to behold, and yet... the place looked completely abandoned. With all the talk of the Dawnguard rebuilding itself, she had expected to see someone guarding the gates. But this castle didn't even have gates. This raised Valkyrie's suspicion more than she would have liked.
"Where is everybody?" Agmaer asked out loud. "The place seems abandoned."
He was right. The two had strolled up to the grounds of the castle and had yet to spy a single person. A feeling of doubt began to form in Valkyrie's stomach, but this was soon relieved when she spied a Breton leaning up against the doors to the castle. The man raised his eyebrow at them.
"Here to join the Dawnguard?"
"Indeed we are," was Valkyrie's only response.
The Breton smiled. "Good. Isran will decide if you've got what it takes." He motioned to the doors behind him. "Go ahead. He's right inside."
The inside of Fort Dawnguard was similar to its exterior. Massive and sprawling, but also seemingly empty and lifeless. As Valkyrie stepped through the main doors of the castle with Agmaer close in tow, she came into an expansive circular foyer, doorways on either side leading to seemingly endless hallways, and a giant hole in the roof which let the sun beat down into the room. Next to one of the doorways, leaning up against a desk was an aging Redguard man, bald head, a great beard adorning his face, dressed in the same armor she had seen Durak wear back in Markarth. He apparently hadn't noticed two entering, and Valkyrie took a glance back at Agmaer.
"Uh, you go on ahead," the boy said apprehensively. "I'll talk to Isran in a minute."
She shook her head, stepping away from her fellow Nord and making a beeline straight for the Redguard, who she assumed was this Isran everyone had been talking about. "Excuse me?" She called out to the man as she approached, and the Redguard quickly turned away from his work, a hand placed on the war axe attached at his hip. The look in his eyes gave away his paranoia, and Valkyrie stopped dead in her tracks. "Isran, I presume?"
"That's right," Isran answered, a hand still on his axe. "Who are you? What do you want?"
How very friendly, Valkyrie thought to herself as she straightened her posture. "I'm here to join the Dawnguard."
After a moment, the man named Isran withdrew his hand from his axe, the seemingly permanent scowl never leaving his face. "Got a fire in your belly to kill vampires, eh? Good for you." He scoffed, motioning around the foyer. "But look around you. There isn't really much to join yet. I've only just started rebuilding the order." He crossed his arms, staring right into Valkyrie's eyes. "Besides, we don't take just anyone. Why should I let you into our order at all?"
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "I was actually invited here by one of your men," she spat back at the Redguard. "An Orc. Durak, I think his name was."
"Ah," Isran's expression softened ever so slightly. "You must be the girl from Markarth, then."
"I guess so,"
"Come with me," Isran motioned to the doorway behind him. "Let's talk."
Isran led Valkyrie through the doorway, leading to yet another large, barren room with a massive table adorning the center. This looked to be a dining room of sorts. Across the room from the entryway was a large fireplace, which was being tended to by none other than Durak, the Orc Valkyrie had met in Markarth. "Durak!" Isran bellowed to the Orc, who immediately turned away from the fire and stood at attention. "New recruit."
The Orc turned his head, a smile gracing his face as he laid eyes on Valkyrie. "Ah," he said. "I was wondering if I was going to see you again."
"Have a seat," Isran pointed to the end of the table, to which Valkyrie complied as he and Durak took their own seats on the opposite side. The Redguard took a deep breath, putting his hands together on the table. "So," he began. "Durak told me you charged straight at a group of vampires. Even managed to kill one of them."
"That's right," Valkyrie said, a twinge of pride in her voice.
"Was that your first time encountering vampires?"
"No," she continued. "The village I was born in was attacked when I was nine years old." She folded her arms. "They had already killed everyone in the village, my father and brother included. One of them stayed behind to... well, I don't know what he was planning on doing with me." She sighed, closing her eyes, tired of reliving that night over and over again. "He was so focused on choking the life out of me, he didn't see me reaching for my brother's axe."
"I see," Isran responded with little enthusiasm. "So is that why you decided to join the Dawnguard? Vengeance?"
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it." She eyed Isran cautiously. "Is that going to be a problem?"
"Not at all," the Redguard replied, his face still showing a permanent scowl. "You wouldn't be the first to join us for personal reasons." He turned to look at Durak, whose head dipped down at the mention. Valkyrie shot him a curious glance.
"I lost two wives to vampires," the Orc stated. "And I will avenge them. I'm just glad I won't have to do it alone."
"So," Isran cut them off before Valkyrie could respond. "What's your weapon of choice?"
The Nord reached down to her hip, setting Calcelmo's pouch on the table, restraining her laughter as Isran and Durak's eyes gaped open watching her arm disappear inside it. "It's in here somewhere," she mused, before pulling out the crossbow she had purchased from Ghorza, as well as the Dwarven blade that had been her parting gift. She set them on the table, and there was a short stunned silence from the Dawnguard leaders.
"I'm not even going to ask where you got these," Isran commented before pointing to the sword. "Grab the blade and follow me."
Valkyrie complied, carefully picking up the sword as the Redguard led her back into the foyer. He removed the axe from his hip, twirling it in his hand for a short moment. "We're going to have ourselves a little sparring session," he said, raising his axe to her. "Show me what you can do." Valkyrie nodded, readying herself as the two began to circle each other. She was nervous, to be sure, but then again, she had already stood against vampires. What threat could this old man possibly pose to her 'Ready?" Isran asked, and Valkyrie nodded.
For an old man, Isran was fast. He lunged at Valkyrie, who was only barely able to dodge the initial swing of the Redguard's axe. She spun around, retaliating with a swing of her own, but he blocked it with his bracer with ease. Isran brought up his leg, delivering a firm kick to Valkyrie's stomach which knocked her onto her back. Isran tried to capitalize with another swing of his axe, but Valkyrie brought her own sword into play as steel met steel. The two struggled for a moment, before Valkyrie raised her own legs and gave a kick of her own to Isran's chest, knocking him back.
She quickly returned to her feet, charging at Isran, swinging her blade like a madwoman, but the Redguard bobbed and weaved in between every swing with ease. It was almost as if he was just toying with her. Once again, the Redguard caught one of her swings with his bracer, shoving it away before spinning around and catching Valkyrie with an elbow to the side of her head. She stumbled back, dazed enough for Isran to take advantage and use his feet to sweep her legs out from under her. Once more her back hit the stone, and Isran tried to follow up with a boot to the chest.
But his foot only hit the floor, as Valkyrie just barely managed to roll out of the way, struggling to her feet. She charged towards Isran, who sidestepped her with ease, allowing her to fall right back to the floor, the sword slipping from her grasp in the process. The Redguard wasted no time capitalizing, taking yet another swing at the Nord who just barely managed to roll onto her back, his axe stopping in mid-air just before it made contact with her face. It seemed this round had went to Isran.
There was a long, uncomfortable silence that followed as Isran stared a hole through Valkyrie, his axe never moving away from her face. At last, he stood up straight, returning his weapon to his hip and offering the Nord a hand up, which she gladly accepted. "Tell me," Isran said as he handed Valkyrie's weapon back to her, "Who taught you to wield a blade?"
"No one," she answered honestly, "I'm self taught, for the most part."
"It shows," Isran scowled, folding his arms once more. "You're quick on your feet, and your stamina is impressive." He eyed her up and down. "But your form is sloppy. Reckless, even." He stepped in closer to her, causing Valkyrie to lean back cautiously. "When you're dealing with vampires, there's only one thing worth remembering," his voice lowered. "If you're sloppy or reckless, you're dead. And good people will die because of you." There was a short silence as Valkyrie tried to read the man, a task that was proving impossible. He was so seemingly devoid of emotion, it was unbelievably difficult to tell if this meant she had failed his test or not.
"But," the Redguard continued, "You do have potential. I think all you need is some proper instruction."
"Really?" Valkyrie's eyes lit up.
"Don't get too excited," Isran scolded her. "The training you'll be going through will be long, difficult, and grueling." Valkyrie only nodded in response. "But if you can make it through all of that, I reckon we can make a vampire hunter out of you." In the first real show of emotion since the two had met, Isran extended his hand, which Valkyrie gladly shook.
"Welcome to the Dawnguard."
Chapter 4: Awakening
Chapter Text
2nd of Morning Star, 4E 200
Six months passed in the blink of an eye. Valkyrie's days were a fast-paced, hazy blur of training her skills, traveling Skyrim to recruit more soldiers for the cause of the Dawnguard, and if she was lucky, the occasional mission to hunt down a pack of vampires. As the weeks went by, and the order's numbers steadily began to grow, the Nord couldn't help but feel some sense of pride. She was actually making a difference, helping to drive these bloodsucking monsters back into the shadows. Even if she had yet to encounter the one vampire in particular she was looking for, Valkyrie was content to spend her time training, hunting, and occasionally getting blackout drunk with her fellow Dawnguard soldiers. Also sparring. Sparring was something Valkyrie had become quite good at, and something she happened to be doing right this very second.
"That your best? Huh?"
Valkyrie only sneered in response, dodging a quick flurry of blows from a fellow Nord named Ollrod, before retaliating with a few of her own, each one blocked by the male Nord's arms, except for the last, which managed to make contact with his stomach. Ollrod stumbled back a few feet, hand clutching his gut as he let out an audible growl. Valkyrie only smirked, and the small crowd of their fellow Dawnguard which had gathered to watch continued to whoop, holler and whistle. The two combatants circled each other for a brief moment, before raising their fists once again and charging for one another.
This had become a regular occurrence at Fort Dawnguard in recent weeks. Two soldiers would fight out their frustrations in the sparring pit just outside the castle, and their comrades would watch and often gamble their hard earned gold on who would emerge the victor. It annoyed their dear leader Isran to no end, but he made no real effort to stop them.
Valkyrie made a few quick jabs at Ollrod's head, all of them blocked by the male Nord's burly arms before he retaliated with a headbutt, smashing into Valkyrie's nose and causing her to fall to her backside. Her hand quickly went to her face, and the rage she felt from seeing her own blood sully her fingers made the Nord's jaw twitch. If Ollrod wanted to fight dirty, Valkyrie could certainly oblige. As the male Nord swooped in to attempt to capitalize on his fallen foe, Valkyrie quickly brought up her foot, delivering a swift kick to Ollrod's nether regions.
He stood motionless for a moment, before grabbing his privates and hobbling backwards slowly, his eyes slowly making their way to the back of his head, as Valkyrie rushed to her feet, marching straight to Ollrod and delivering a vicious blow right to the Nord's jaw. The jolt of pain that shot through Valkyrie's hand as a result was well worth the sight of seeing the man fall backwards, spinning in midair and landing face first in the dirt. She quickly descended upon him, grabbing a handful of the man's short hair and pressing his face against the ground, the small crowd of Dawnguard roaring with approval.
"Say it, Ollrod!" Valkyrie shouted in the man's ear.
He groaned with pain, struggling for a bit to get free, but Valkyrie's weight held him down firmly. Or so she thought. After a moment or two, Ollrod managed to get his legs underneath him, slowly rising to his feet with Valkyrie still hanging on to his back. He delivered yet another headbutt, the back of his skull colliding with her chin as she reluctantly let go, dropping to her feet, legs wobbly as Ollrod turned around and resumed his assault.
The male Nord delivered a swift punch to the side of the head, and for a moment, Valkyrie's vision went hazy. Her sense of where she was was slowly fading. but somehow she managed to stay on her feet. Ollrod delivered another blow, connecting with her jaw this time, and the blurriness in Valkyrie's eyes only grew. She had no idea what was happening, but still somehow she stayed standing. That is, until Ollrod began to back up slowly, before charging at her, delivering one final blow to the face that knocked Valkyrie off her feet.
For a moment, there was nothing but darkness. It was almost comforting, but was soon driven away by the vision of several pairs of Dawnguard boots slowly fading into view. The sound of the crowd then made itself known, beating against Valkyrie's eardrums with a ferocity that only added to the throbbing ache in her head. She moved her arms, desperately trying to make it back to her feet as she struggled to remember where she was. She had stepped in the pit, one of the new recruits had run his mouth a little too much, and now here she was, lying on the ground in excruciating pain.
Now she remembered, and the blood boiling fury that captured her senses was soon to make for a very painful awakening for Ollrod. As she slowly rose to her feet, the male Nord had his back turned, attempting to revel in his short lived glory. Valkyrie gritted her teeth.
"Hey asshole!" She shouted, causing Ollrod to spin around, facing her looking as though he'd seen a ghost. Valkyrie spit out a mouthful of blood at the ground, and motioned for the male Nord to come and get her. He growled, raising his fists once more and charging for her. But Valkyrie was ready this time, she ducked Ollrod's inital swing and rushed forward, her shoulder colliding with the male Nord's gut as she tackled him to the ground. Valkyrie quickly climbed on top of Ollrod, delivering a quick succession of blows that the man tried to block, but she was too quick for him. Valkyrie pummeled Ollrod's face into the ground as the Dawnguard cheered on, drawing blood from his nose, blackening one of the man's eyes before he finally relented.
"Alright, alright!" He screamed, his words slurred from a likely dislocated jaw. "I give! I give!"
The Dawnguard roared with satisfaction, and Valkyrie rose back to her feet, planting her boot on Ollrod's chest and raising a fist high in the air as she soaked in the cheers and praise from her fellow Dawnguard soldiers. Her head may have been throbbing, the taste of blood in her mouth would likely be there for hours, but Valkyrie felt good. The sunlight shining down on her, her comrades cheering her victory. Suddenly, Ollrod stumbled to his feet, groaning with pain every inch he rose, and the crowd of soldiers suddenly went deathly quiet. There was a short, uncomfortable silence before the male Nord suddenly put forth his open hand.
"Good fight."
Valkyrie nodded, accepting the gesture as the applause continued and the two made beelines in opposite directions. She made her way over to Agmaer, miraculously still alive after all the months that had passed, who smirked. "Still undefeated, I see."
"Are you surprised?" Valkyrie replied, massaging her temples, attempting desperately to coax some of the pain in her head away.
"Not at all," Agmaer chuckled. "Honestly, I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did."
She simply laughed, spitting out another mouthful of blood to the ground. "I have to give him credit, though. Man hits hard."
"True, but you just don't stay down," he remarked, eyeing Valkyrie with a mixture of admiration and concern. "He did a number on you, though."
"I know," Valkyrie groaned. "I'm gonna have to go see Durak or Celann again."
"You won't have to look very far."
Valkyrie and Agmaer turned around to to face the source of the voice that had interjected itself into the conversation, none other than Celann himself, the Breton who had greeted Valkyrie at the doors of the castle her first day. She gave him a sheepish grin as the Breton shook his head.
"I see you've been keeping yourself busy, Valkyrie."
"As always," she shrugged. "Do you think you could... you know..." she motioned to her face, nose broken, dried blood staining her nostrils and the corners of her mouth. Celann sighed.
"Prevention is the best cure, you know," the Breton commented, a glowing ball of light forming in his hand. Valkyrie smiled, the wonders of Restoration magic once again healing her wounds. "You and the others don't have to keep having these fights."
"But Celann," Valkyrie replied with a smirk, "How else am I going to inflate my ego?"
"Hmph," he grunted, moving his hand slowly over Valkyrie's face. "If your ego is so important, maybe your talents would be best served somewhere other than the Dawnguard."
"I'm joking," she groaned. "I swear, Isran's lack of humor is rubbing off on you and Durak more and more lately."
"Maybe it's because you come to see us for healing more than anyone else," Celann retorted, and Valkyrie for once had no response. "Restoration magic can only do so much, you know. Every time we send you on a hunting mission, you come back looking like you're about to drop dead." She crossed her arms. Celann wasn't wrong, of course, but what was she supposed to do? Everyone in the Dawnguard knew that what they did was extremely dangerous. Injuries, and possibly even death were always a possibility. "All I'm saying is, it wouldn't hurt to actually think a bit before charging into battle," the Breton continued. "You keep going in swords blazing and you might get hurt so badly that we can't fix you."
Valkyrie simply nodded her head, eager for Celann's lecture to be over.
"Look, I didn't come here to gripe at you," he continued, finishing up the wounds on the Nord's face. "Isran actually sent me to come find you. I think he has an assignment for you."
"Oh yeah?" She raised an eyebrow, suddenly more interested in the conversation. "Recruitment or hunting?"
He shrugged. "Not sure. Just... be mindful when you speak to him."
"Why is that?"
"Remember how I told you he and I were part of the Vigilants of Stendarr years ago?" Valkyrie nodded in response. "One of them showed up here a few hours ago looking for Isran. So he's in a worse mood than usual."
"Lovely," she remarked.
As Valkyrie made her way up the stairs to the upper levels of Fort Dawnguard, her mind couldn't help but ponder why a Vigilant of Stendarr would come looking for Isran. The old Redguard had been a member of the order many years prior, dedicated to hunting down daedra, as well as vampires, werewolves, or any other abominable creatures that preyed upon the innocent. But Isran had left, dissatisfied with the order, his views and methods deemed too extreme by his superiors. And so he turned his attention to re-establishing the Dawnguard.
"Why are you here, Tolan? The Vigilants and I were finished with each other a long time ago."
As Valkyrie reached the top of the staircase, she overheard Isran speaking, presumably to the Vigilant of Stendarr who had sought him out.
"You know why I'm here," another voice spoke, his accent giving away his Nordic heritage. Valkyrie stood outside the doorway to Isran's room, unwilling to interrupt and undoubtedly anger her leader even more. "The Vigilants are under attack everywhere," the Vigilant named Tolan continued. "The vampires are much more dangerous than we believed."
"And now you want to come running to safety with the Dawnguard, is that it?" Isran replied with a venom in his voice that made Valkyrie wince. "I remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Fort Dawnguard is a crumbling ruin, not worth the expense and manpower to repair." His voice sounded almost like a snarl now, his disdain for the Vigilant becoming ever more present. "And now that you've stirred up the vampires against you, you come begging for my protection?"
"Isran... Carcette is dead."
There was a long silence that followed, it seemed even Isran was taken aback by this news. "The Hall of the Vigilants, everyone," Tolan continued. "They're all dead. You were right, we were wrong. Isn't that enough for you?"
"I..." the Redguard stuttered. "Yes well, I never wanted any of this to happen. I tried to warn all of you." He stopped short, his voice lowering significantly. "I'm sorry, Tolan."
At last, Valkyrie made her presence known, stepping forth through the doorway. "Isran?" she questioned, catching a glimpse of the Redguard's hand clapped on the Vigilant's shoulder before he hastily pulled it away. "I'm not... interrupting anything, am I?"
"No," Isran responded with his usual sourness. "I assume Celann told you about the mission I have for you?"
"Just that you had one," she answered cautiously. "He didn't give me any specifics."
"Right," the Redguard sneered. "Tolan was telling me about some cave the Vigilants were poking around in. Seemed to think it was related to these recent vampire attacks." He turned back to the Vigilant. "Tell her about... what was it, Dimhollow?"
"Yes, that's it," the elder Nord turned to face Valkyrie now, a look of sorrow on his face. "Dimhollow Crypt. Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long lost vampire artifact of some kind." Valkyrie raised an eyebrow, nodded for Tolan to continue. "We didn't listen to him anymore than we did Isran. He was at the Hall when it was attacked."
"That's good enough for me," Isran nodded. "Go see what the vampires were looking for in this Dimhollow Crypt. With any luck, they'll still be there."
Valkyrie nodded, a slight flutter of excitement surging through her stomach. It had been ages since she'd had a proper field mission, and was aching to get out of the fort for a few days. "I'll meet you at Dimhollow," Tolan turned back to her. "I owe these vampires a debt of vengeance." Valkyrie was surprised. With what had happened to the Vigilant's friends and comrades, she would have thought he'd prefer to stay behind.
"Tolan, I don't think that's a good idea," it seemed Isran agreed with Valkyrie's sentiment. "You Vigilants were never trained for-"
"I know what you think of us!" The Vigilant cut the Redguard off, now showing a fury in his eyes. "You think we're soft, that we're cowards. You think our deaths proved our weakness!" Tolan stepped forward, getting in Isran's face, poking a single finger into his chest. "Stendarr grant that you do not have to face the same test and be found wanting." He turned back to Valkyrie. "I'm going to Dimhollow Crypt. Perhaps I can be of some small assistance to you." Isran smacked Tolan's hand away, and Valkyrie finally decided to intervene, stepping in between the two men.
"Fine!" She exclaimed, desperately trying to keep them from coming to blows. "You can come with me!"
There was a short struggle before Isran and Tolan finally relented. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Valkyrie?" Isran seemed to ask this more to the Vigilant than his subordinate.
"An extra sword arm between me and the vampires?" She replied, looking back at Tolan. "Yes please. Besides," she crossed her arms, facing Isran. "He knows more about the situation than we do."
The Redguard simply growled, never taking his eyes away from Tolan. "Fine," he continued, "But if you get one of my best people killed, Tolan, there will be Oblivion to pay."
As shocked as Valkyrie was that Isran had actually payed her a compliment, even if it was simply at the expense of someone else, there were more pressing matters at hand. She turned back to the Vigilant. "Let me gather my gear, and we'll leave immediately."
Tolan simply nodded.
7th of Morning Star, 4E 200
It wasn't often Valkyrie was thankful for simply being born a Nord, but if there was ever a time to do so, it was now, as her natural temperament against the harsh cold of Skyrim protected her from the chilling bite of the snowstorm she and Tolan were making there way through. From what the Vigilant had told her, this Dimhollow Crypt had recently been uncovered by a group of vampires after years of being hidden away, and it happened to further up the very same mountain where the Hall of the Vigilants once stood. And so, rather than risk being caught off guard, the nightwalkers took it upon themselves to destroy the Hall and kill everyone within. Tolan had barely escaped with his life, and with no further options, immediately came to Isran and the Dawnguard.
As they made their way up the mountain, the two had caught a glimpse of the destroyed Hall of the Vigilants. Valkyrie would have stopped to take a closer look, but Tolan had insisted they keep moving, that worrying about it would only serve as a distraction. She could tell that the Vigilant was grieving for his fallen comrades, but was unwilling to face it until their mission was complete. She worried that perhaps Isran had been right, that maybe Tolan would only be a liability, considering how his fellows had fared against vampires.
"Here we are," Tolan said suddenly, as the pair reached a narrow entryway carved into the side of the mountain. "Time to send these bastards to Oblivion," he growled, making a march for the entrance of the cave. Valkyrie stopped him, a hand on his shoulder.
"Easy, Tolan," she said, thinking back to the advice Celann had given her. "You saw what these things did to your friends."
"And your point is?" The Vigilant sneered at her.
"Let's go in quiet and slow," Valkyrie continued. "Keep your head down, but your weapon at the ready."
Tolan groaned, but nodded in response as he and Valkyrie stepped out from the raging cold, into the warm dampness of the cave, stepping as lightly as they possibly could. Eventually, the narrow entrance of the cave gave way to a large cavern, the light of the sun peeking in through a crack in the ceiling, and a massive metal gate sticking out from a wall the opposite side of where Valkyrie and Tolan entered. The two Nords stopped in their tracks when they heard voices.
"I'm feeling thirsty. Perhaps another Vigilant will wander in soon."
Tolan gritted his teeth, letting out an exasperated growl, reaching for his warhammer, before being stopped by Valkyrie, who put her arm in front of his torso. She brought a finger to her lips. "They don't know we're here," she whispered, and the Vigilant reluctantly backed down and the two deigned to stay low and observe their surroundings from afar.
"I wish Lokil would hurry it up," another vampire's voice made itself heard, this one female. "I have half a mind to return to the castle and tell Harkon what a fool he's entrusted this mission to."
"And I have half a mind to tell Lokil of your disloyalty," the male vampire spoke back.
"You wouldn't dare," she growled at him. "Now shut up and keep on watch."
Valkyrie and Tolan exchanged a glance. "How many do you see?" She whispered, squinting her eyes to attempt to get a better view. The female was leaned up against the metal gate, but she couldn't see the male anywhere.
"Looks to just be the two of them," Tolan hushed back. "And one of their damned hounds."
"Alright," Valkyrie said, pulling her crossbow off its harness. At last she spotted the male vampire, pacing back and forth in front of the female. "I can probably take them both out if I'm quick," she continued, placing a bolt in her weapon as quietly as she could. "Can you handle the Death Hound?"
The Vigilant unsheathed his hammer, ready to rush forward at the beast. "I've got it."
Valkyrie took a deep breath, taking aim with her weapon, before pulling the trigger and sending a bolt flying straight through the throat of the female vampire. She dropped to the ground, emitting a gurgling sound as she choked on her own blood, as the male vampire's hands began to crackle with electricity. As quickly as she could, Valkyrie loaded another bolt into her weapon as Tolan charged in. The hound made a pounce for him, but the Vigilant swung his hammer, catching the beast in the side of the head and knocking it out of the air. The remaining vampire immediately took notice, and fired a bolt of electricity from his hands directly at Tolan, catching him square in the chest and knocking him back against the walls of the cavern. This allowed Valkyrie the distraction she needed, as she pulled her trigger once more, this bolt going into the monster's shoulder.
The vampire yelped in pain, as the injured arm promptly went limp, the lightning fading from his hand as he turned towards the source of the bolt. His working hand fired another bolt in the general direction of where it had come, and Valkyrie couldn't help but jump as the bolt struck the wall just a few feet away from her. While the bloodsucker was distracted however, Tolan had reconstituted himself, and gave another swing of his hammer, bashing the vampire's stomach and causing him to fall to his knees. At last, Tolan finished the creature of with yet another blow from his hammer, this one crushing his skull, leaving only a bloody mess where the vampire's head used to be.
With their attackers dead, Valkyrie rushed over to Tolan, who seemed to be favoring his torso. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," he responded, seemingly out of breath. "Just need a minute."
She nodded, making her way over to the metal gate the vampires had been guarding. She could just barely see inside the gate, and immediately recognized that it wasn't part of the cave. It was clearly man made, and it stuck out quite a bit from the natural, jagged surroundings of the cavern. The sight sent a nervous feeling through the pit of Valkyrie's stomach. "What is this?"
"This..." Tolan made his way to Valkyrie, a twinge of confusion and fear in his voice. "This is a Nordic burial cairn. What on Nirn could the vampires have been looking for in here?"
"I'm not sure, but it's probably not good," she replied. "You see a way to open this thing?"
"Yeah, here," Tolan said, pulling on a lever by the wall as the gate opened. Valkyrie cautiously stepped forward, keeping her crossbow in front of her, eyes darting around the room to make sure she wasn't surprised. Inside the burial chamber, there were several coffins lined up against the wall. There was little suspicious about them, until one of the coffin's lids broke open, falling to the ground and revealing a corpse trapped inside, rusty armor packed onto rotting flesh. Valkyrie's eyes grew wide when that corpse opened its eyes, stepping out of its coffin and charging right at the two.
"What the fuck?!" Valkyrie screamed as she loosed a bolt from her weapon. It struck the corpse right in the stomach, but did absolutely nothing to slow its movements. She instinctively began backing up, loading another bolt into the crossbow, when Tolan jumped in front of her, a wall of fire emerging from his hand as the corpse began to burn. It only took a moment for the monster to stop in its tracks and fall to the floor, motionless. Valkyrie stood motionless for a moment, her heart nearly beating out of its chest. She had expected vampires, but this?
"What in Oblivion..." she said, slowly stepping forward to make sure the corpse was going to stay down. "...is that?"
"Draugr," Tolan answered matter-of-factly. "Ain't you ever seen one before?"
"No," Valkyrie shook her head. "And I'm not sure I'm better off for it now, either."
"Well, we're probably going to run into more of them as we get further into the crypt," the Vigilant sighed. "I can handle the Draugr if you've got the vampires."
"Deal."
And so the two warriors made their way through the bowels of the ancient, recently unearthed Nordic burial tomb. In truth, Valkyrie and Tolan proved to be a formidable team. Most of the vampires they encountered were mere fledglings, and it seemed the Vigilant was far more attuned to killing normal undead rather than vampires. But as the tunnels continued, a nagging feeling in the back of Valkyrie's mind wouldn't go away. She couldn't fathom what these foul vampires would be doing in an ancient cairn like this, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. All she really wanted was to get out of here and get back to Fort Dawngurd as soon as she possibly could. Eventually, after a few hours of navigating the crypt and fighting off vampires and Draugr, the two came to an imposing doorway. It obviously led somewhere, but something was odd. The statuary for this entryway was different than the rest of the cairn. It felt darker, more sinister than the old Nordic tunnels that had preceded it. Valkyrie and Tolan exchanged a glance before cautiously entering through the door.
The doorway led to a balcony, which overlooked another massive cavern. Down in the center was a massive stone platform with tall pillars on its edges, bearing the same statuary as the doorway, surrounded completely by water except for a bridge connecting it to a small patch of ground just below them. Valkyrie looked down, where she saw a shirtless man, covered in blood and bound and the hands on his knees. Above him stood two figures, which she assumed were more vampires. As Valkyrie readied her crossbow once more, a gasp from Tolan caught her attention. "That's brother Adalvald," he whispered.
"I'll never tell you anything, vampire!" Adalvald proclaimed to his captors. "My oath to Stendarr is stronger than any suffering you can inflict on me."
"I believe you, Vigilant," one of the vampires replied in a calm tone. "And I don't think you even know what you've found here. So go and meet your beloved Stendarr." With one swift motion, the bloodsucker spun around, his blade cutting clean through the neck of the Vigilant as his head fell to the ground.
Tolan gritted his teeth, grabbing his hammer, ready to rush into battle, but Valkyrie managed to hold him back, pressing a finger to her lips.
"Are you sure that was wise, Lokil?" The other vampire questioned as the two began to make their way across the bridge. "He still might have told us something. We haven't gotten anywhere ourselves with-"
"He knew nothing," the vampire named Lokil cut his accomplice off. "He served his purpose by leading us to this place. Now it is up to us to bring Harkon the prize."
Up on the balcony, Valkyrie's mind began to make a connection. "Harkon," she whispered to Tolan. "The vampire at the gate mentioned that named too. This Harkon must be the leader of their coven."
"And we will not return without it!" Lokil exclaimed. "Vingalmo and Orthjolf will make way for me after this."
"Yes, of course, Lokil," the other vampire said as the two reached the massive platform. "Do not forget who brought you news of the Vigilants' discovery."
"I never forget who my friends are," Valkyrie could almost hear the smirk in the vampire's voice with this proclamation. "Or my enemies..."
Suddenly, Tolan let out a roar, jumping down from the balcony warhammer in hand, and alerting the vampires to their presence in the process. "Damn it, Tolan!" Valkyrie cursed the Vigilant as she reached into her magic pouch, pulling out her Dwarven blade and resting it on her hip. She had a feeling she may need to resort to close combat in this fight, a suspicion that was only confirmed as it appeared Tolan had broken his ankle upon landing below. The Vigilant fell to his side, just in time for one of the vampires to reach him and bash him across the head with his mace. Valkyrie took aim with her crossbow, letting a bolt fly, but this vampire's reflexes were fast, and the bolt only hit the ground.
Valkyrie moved quickly, taking a staircase close by that Tolan had idiotically overlooked. The vampire rushed upwards to meet her, however, and took a leap, her powerful legs helping her to soar through the air, arm already in mid-swing. Valkyrie just barely managed to duck and roll under the beast, causing her to land right on her face, giving the Nord a valuable shot with the crossbow. But she pulled the trigger too quickly, and the bolt lodged itself in the back of the vampire's leg. It was promptly ripped out, causing a cry of pain from her, and the beast charged at Valkyrie once again.
In one fluid motion, Valkyrie placed her crossbow back on its harness, and unsheathed her blade, catching the swing of the vampire's mace in midair. They struggled for a moment, but the nightwalker was much stronger than Valkyrie, and her arms began to buckle. Before the steel could reach her, though, she delivered a swift kick to the monster's gut, who then stumbled backwards. But before the Nord could capitalize, a spike of ice hit the wall right next to her, as Lokil had made his way across the bridge and was making a beeline for her. She knew she was as good as dead against two vampires in close quarters, so when Lokil swung his quarterstaff at her, she managed to side step him, and then sprinted right for the bridge, heading for the center of the giant platform to give herself some room.
The vampires chased after Valkyrie after reconstituting themselves, and she took aim with her crossbow, letting a bolt fly directly at Lokil's face. The vampire dodged with ease, however, and it ended up lodged in his counterpart's forehead, who promptly fell to the floor, dead. Valkyrie drew her blade once more, preparing herself for an undoubtedly grueling duel.
The other vampire may have been stronger than her, but Lokil was faster. Much faster. Valkyrie took a swing of her blade at him, but before she could blink, the vampire was behind her, delivering a kick to her back that sent her crashing down onto her stomach. Lokil leaped into the air, the jagged end of his staff aimed at her throat, but she managed to roll out of the way, and the blade end met only stone. Valkyrie made a stab at the vampire's midsection, but he backed away, dodging with ease before smacking her blade away with his staff. The Nord stood up, her breath heavy, heartbeat even more so, and the two circled each other for a moment.
Suddenly, Valkyrie doubled back, retrieving her crossbow and taking aim at the monster. She let a bolt fly, but it was deflected by Lokil's quarterstaff. She loosed another, and another, but the same fate befell them. The vampire was just too fast for her attacks, as proven when he suddenly charged forward, crossing the distance between them in a seemingly impossible moment, but the Nord was ready. She swung her crossbow, battering the side of Lokil's head with it, which only angered the vampire. He growled, and a blinding ball of electricity began to surge in his free hand.
He fired a bolt at Valkyrie, which she managed to side step. Then another, which she rolled under. A third bolt, however, made contact with her gut, and sent her flying back into one of the pillars on the edge of the platform. Before she could regain her bearings, the blade end of Lokil's quarterstaff came flying at her.
The staff went straight through Valkyrie's gut, impaling her and trapping her against the pillar.
Valkyrie couldn't even feel her midsection. For a moment, she stood motionless, a mixture of shock and horror overwhelming her senses. She let out a cough, and the taste of blood came barreling into her mouth at full force, a splatter of her own blood dirtying Lokil's staff. Her legs began to shake as grabbed the staff, making an attempt to pull it out, but it was either embedded too deep into the pillar, or she was too weak to move it. Not that it mattered, because tampering with the weapon send an agonizing wave of pain up and down Valkyrie's spine.
"Hmph," Lokil remarked. "That was quite a good fight, mortal." He laughed, making his way to the center of the pillar. "You'll make for a fine snack on the way home."
Suddenly, the platform began to shake. Out from the center, a stone monolith rose up from seemingly out of nowhere, enveloped in a strange purple glow. The look on Lokil's face suggested that he had found what he was looking for. For a moment, there was nothing but silence as the vampire inspected the stonework. Then suddenly, the monolith opened, revealing inside to be...
A woman?
The woman inside the tomb fell outside, quickly getting to her hands and knees, letting out a fit of coughing, followed by a groan of discomfort. Her skin was pale, he was dressed in a regal garment that Valkyrie almost could have sworn she had seen before, if she weren't so focused on keeping her breathing down so as not to bleed out. There was also something attached to her back, but Valkyrie couldn't make out what. The woman slowly got up to one knee, and Lokil smiled.
"Lady Serana," he said, obviously pleased with himself. "How long it's been."
He began to step closer to this Serana, but she suddenly held up a hand, and Lokil stopped dead in his tracks, almost unnaturally so. He emitted some kind of noise that sounded like pain or discomfort. She raised her head to face him.
"Did my father send you?"
Lokil was silent for a moment before responding. "Y-yes," he stuttered. "Lord Harkon insisted that-"
The vampire never finished his sentence. Serana's open palm suddenly became a fist, and Lokil, to put it mildly, exploded. Where he had once stood, there was now only a pool of blood and severed organs. Serana slowly made her way to her feet, stretching her limbs all the while and groaning from discomfort. Valkyrie's blood ran cold when the woman suddenly looked in her direction. The Nord got a good look at the woman's eyes, she was indeed a vampire. Of course she was. By now, the feeling was beginning to return in her stomach, and it was agonizing, to say the least. Another cough forced it's way from Valkyrie's chest, more blood spewing from her mouth, and another jolt of pain coursing through her body. Serana made her way over to the bleeding Nord, a look on her face that almost looked like curiosity.
"That," the vampire remarked. "Looks excruciatingly painful."
Valkyrie said nothing. As much as she would have liked to say that she was racking her brain for some way out of this, the truth was that she was absolutely terrified. All her training, all the confidence that had been instilled in her had led her here. She was bleeding out in some dead cave, and completely at the mercy of a vampire. Serana smirked, leaning in close, her mouth almost touching Valkyrie's ear. This was what the Nord was afraid of. The vampire was going to sink its fangs into her neck and drain the blood from her body. Or worse, make her one of them.
"Hold still," Serana whispered as she promptly yanked the staff out of Valkyrie's stomach, freeing her from the pillar.
The scream that escaped Valkyrie's lungs sounded anything but human. She fell to the floor, her body unwillingly curling into a ball as she clutched at her gut, blood now flowing freely from her innards. The pain was indescribable, and at that moment, Valkyrie was absolutely sure she was going to die. She just wasn't sure if the blood loss would do it before the vampire did.
"I said hold still," Serana sounded annoyed, kneeling down as she forced Valkyrie's hands away from the gaping wound. There was a blinding flash of light, and a sensation in Valkyrie's stomach that made her want to vomit. When the light receded, her gut was healed, and the pain from the wound was slowly receding. Valkyrie was perplexed. Had this vampire, this foul bloodsucking scum, actually saved her life? After a short moment, Valkyrie made her way to her feet, wiping the blood from her mouth. She had absolutely no words for what was happening.
"You know," the vampire cocked her head, "When a girl saves your life, the least you could do is say thank you."
Valkyrie remained speechless, and Serana simply scoffed.
"Fine. Be that way," she crossed her arms. "So who sent you here?"
"I..." the Nord stuttered. "I'm with a group called the Dawnguard."
"Never heard of them," Serana remarked. "But from the look of things..." She began to circle around Valkyrie for a moment, as though sizing her up, the vampire's eyes darting over every inch of her, causing the Nord's blood to run cold. "Let me guess," she spoke after a while. "Vampire hunter. Right?"
Valkyrie stepped back slightly. "Yeah."
Serana just laughed, and Valkyrie only grew more scared and confused as time went on. "Of course you are," Serana began to back away, a devilish grin replacing the playful smirk she had adorned earlier, as two spheres of red energy formed in her hands. "Come on then," she said, motioning to Valkyrie. "Give it your best shot."
The Nord froze. After the state that Lokil had left her in, and after seeing what Serana was able to do to him, Valkyrie knew that if she were to fight this vampire, she would most certainly die an agonizing death. The two stood silent for a moment, before the vampire raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"Well," Valkyrie scrambled to think of an excuse. "You did just save my life. I suppose I can let it slide this time."
Serana let out a laugh, the glow disappearing from her hands. "Smart girl." She walked back over to Valkyrie, still smiling. "And your name is?"
"Valkyrie," the Nord replied without thinking. Serana gingerly grabbed one of Valkyrie's hands, once again freezing the Nord with terror as she brought it up to her face and placed a soft kiss on her fingers.
"Serana," the vampire cooed. "Charmed." She let go of Valkyrie's hand, and the two stood silent once again as Serana crossed her arms. "So," she continued, "Are you just going to stand there like a knot on a log?" she leaned in closer. "Or are you going to escort me home like a gentlewoman?"
Valkyrie hesitated before answering. "I feel like I don't really have a choice in this."
"You don't," Serana chuckled. "But I'm sure you want to know what's going on here just as much as I do." She shrugged. "Help me get back to my family's home, and I'll have a better sense of where we all stand. And..." she rolled her eyes, before letting out a sigh. "I'm sure my father will want to... reward you for finding me."
"Fine," Valkyrie relented. "Just as long as you don't get in my way."
"I was going to say the same to you," the vampire shot back. "Let's get moving."
Chapter 5: Bloodlines
Chapter Text
7th of Morning Star, 4E 200
"It's so good to breathe again," Serana sighed as the two emerged from the cave. By now, several hours had passed since Valkyrie had arrived with Tolan. The snow storm had died out, and the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the night sky ablaze with stars and celestial light. It would have been beautiful, had Valkyrie not had to keep looking over her shoulder at the nightwalker who had strong armed her into escorting her home. "This weather is incredible." Valkyrie said nothing, preferring instead to begin traversing down the mountain so that she could be rid of Serana. In truth, the vampire terrified her, and not just because of how blatantly powerful she was. The Nord had faced down vampires before, but they had all been predictable. If she had a septim for every time she had heard "Your blood is already mine!" in the prior months, she could have easily afforded a new crossbow.
But Serana was different. No grandstanding, no arrogantly looking down on the mere mortal as though she were simply food. Not only that, the vampire could have easily finished the Nord off in the cave, or at least left her to die. But Serana had gone out of her own way to mend her wounds, something completely uncharacteristic of any vampire she had encountered previously. It was confusing, and definitely concerning.
The two made their way down the mountain path in silence, the chill of the cold night air forcing a shiver from Valkyrie. What she wouldn't have given to be inside next to a roaring fire right now. "So," she said, eyes still fixed firmly on the path ahead. "Where exactly do you need to go?"
"My family used to live on a island northeast of Solitude," Serana replied. "I would guess they still do."
"You would guess?" Valkyrie raised an eyebrow.
"Can't think of any reason why they would leave," the vampire shrugged.
"Unless they were hunted down," the Nord said with a twinge of malice in her voice.
"I doubt that," Serana sneered back. "You saw what Lokil did to you. You really think your friends could stand against a few dozen of him?"
Valkyrie offered no response, not wanting to admit that maybe the vampire was right. It was true that despite all her training, and all the vampire blood she had spilled for the Dawnguard, she had been no match for Lokil, who seemed to be one of the lesser members of whatever coven Serana belonged to. And then there was Serana herself, who was able to kill her vampire brethren with a simple hand gesture. Whatever Valkyrie was getting into, she feared it was more than the Dawnguard could handle. If they couldn't stand against these monsters, who could?
Suddenly, Serana began to groan audibly, as Valkyrie turned behind her, confused to see the vampire clutching her stomach. The groans began to shift to whimpers as Serana dropped to one knee, causing Valkyrie to raise an eyebrow. "Are you... okay?" She asked, yet made no attempt to help the vampire. Serana then emitted what sounded like a snarl, not unlike what would come from a feral animal. Valkyrie took a step back, a hand on her crossbow as the vampire returned to her feet, a hand still desperately clutching at her gut. The Nord was horrified by the sight that greeted her. Serana's face, moments ago had looked almost human, was now wrinkled and distorted, much like the vampires who she had hunted down over the previous months. The vampire bared her fangs.
"Go to the base of the mountain," Serana commanded, her voice rasp and hollow. "I'll be back."
Before Valkyrie even had a chance to respond, the vampire's form shifted, where her body had once stood there was now only a cloud of crimson mist and a swarm of bats, which flew off into the distance at a breakneck pace. Valkyrie stood still for a moment, speechless. This Serana refused to relent in displaying her vast reserves of power especially in comparison to other vampires. The Nord shook her head, a small part of her still hoping for a way out of the mess she found herself in, when a thought occurred. With the nightwalker gone, she could simply leg it back to Fort Dawnguard and Serana would be none the wiser. As powerful as the vampire was, surely even she couldn't stand against the entirety of the Dawnguard?
Valkyrie's pace quickened, eager to escape Serana's clutches before she could return, steadily rushing down the rocky path that led to the base of the mountain. After a moment, she began to make out the hazy image of tents and buildings below, likely a mine by the name of Stonehills she had passed by with Tolan on the way to Dimhollow Crypt. It would only take a few short minutes for her to reach civilization, and be that much closer to being rid of the vampire. Freedom was in Valkyrie's grasp. Until a familiar cloud of crimson mist and bats flew into her vision, and Serana's form materialized right in front of her.
The vampire let out a long, elated breath. "Much better," her voice had returned to its normal, sultry tone, and her face was no longer hideous and grey. In fact, if she hadn't been a bloodsucker, Valkyrie almost would have called Serana attractive.
"And here I thought I was free of you," the Nord groaned.
Serana chuckled in response. "Please," she quipped. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."
"So," Valkyrie said, a pang of curiosity overtaking her. "What was that? With your face?"
"I'm a vampire, remember? I feed on blood."
"No, I get that," The Nord continued, "But the vampires I hunt down are always hideous. You look human."
"Right," Serana remarked. "See, most vampires are the way they are because they contracted a disease. Came into contact with another vampire and got infected."
"Sanguinare Vampiris," Valkrie added with a hint of disdain.
"That's one of the disease's forms, yes," the vampire continued, paying no attention to the Nord's tone. "There are others, but they all lead to the same result." At this point, Serana began to smirk. "But what I have? That's something different entirely." She leaned in, her lips puckering slightly as she looked Valkyrie up and down like a fresh meal. "Maybe if you're a good girl, I'll tell you about it."
Being under the vampire's gaze sent a shiver through Valkyrie's spine. "Are you..." she began, dumbfounded. "...flirting with me?"
Serana laughed. "I was trying to be subtle earlier, but you weren't taking the hint." She backed away, putting her hands behind her back and giving a coy smile that Valkyrie found infuriating. "It's cute though, this thing you've got going on." The Nord raised an eyebrow. "You put on this facade of being a fearless, badass vampire hunter. But underneath the armor, the weapons, the training, you're really just a scared little girl looking for a sense of purpose."
Valkyrie wasn't sure what was more enraging. The vampire's assessment of her, or how she wasn't too far off from the truth. She crossed her arms. "So insulting people is your way of getting into their smallclothes?"
"It wasn't an insult," Serana purred. "You're just so... innocent. I love it."
The Nord's teeth began to grit behind her lips. "How about you keep your hands and fangs to yourself, vampire."
Serana pulled back, crossing her arms. "Have it your way then," she continued. "But if you ever want to blow off some steam, the offer stands."
Valkyrie groaned. "By the Gods, I do not have the energy for this." She began walking, right past the vampire, rushing down the path with Serana in tow. "If my sense of direction is right, it's going to take us a few days to get to this island."
"And?"
"And I don't know about you," Valkyrie continued, "But I've spent the entire day fighting all kinds of undead and I'm fucking exhausted."
"I see," the vampire remarked. "So what's our plan?"
"The nearest town from here is Morthal, I think." The Nord said, "We stop there, I get some food and sleep, and we hit the road in the morning." Serana offered no response, and the two kept walking as Valkyrie made one final comment, albeit in her head.
And then I'll finally be rid of you.
Morthal was every bit as quiet and unassuming as Valkyrie had remembered Karthwasten to be in her youth. Naturally, she hated it, but kept her tongue for fear of angering the locals and being run off. Especially now that she was finally enjoying a warm meal and bed for the first time in days. Valkyrie took a bite of whatever the meat that been prepared for her was, taking the time to savor it, as there was no telling when she'd be able to find this kind of comfort again. It was nice, for the briefest of moments anyway, until a knock on the door of Valkyrie's room at the inn caught her attention, and in walked none other than Serana.
Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "You have your own room, you know," she sneered, lying back down on her bed.
"I know," Serana replied, closing the door behind her and taking a chair next to Valkyrie's bed. "I'm not really in the mood to sleep." The Nord only took a swig of ale in response. "I actually wanted to apologize to you."
This caught Valkyrie's attention. "For... what, exactly?" She asked, sitting up to face the vampire.
"Earlier. The... flirting," Serana shrugged. "I realize I was being a bit too... forward, and may have made you uncomfortable."
Valkyrie struggled to find her words for a moment. "Manners from a vampire," she couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Now I've definitely seen everything."
"Vampire or not," Serana continued, "I still practice basic decency when I can. Maybe you should try it sometime."
The Nord rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever," she retorted, grabbing for her ale. "Apology accepted." She haphazardly raised her glass to the vampire, which garnered a smile from her, before taking another gulp of ale. There was an awkward silence that followed, the two unsure of what to make of the other. Valkyrie's curiosity towards this vampire only grew as time passed. She had heard tales of vampiric seduction, how nightwalkers were strangely talented at compelling others to follow their will. Perhaps this creature was trying to turn her into a thrall? Surely not, as Serana had kept her distance away from Valkyrie's neck since they had left the cave, but the Nord knew she had to be careful.
"So," Valkyrie spoke once more, "Are you... good? You don't need to feed again?"
"Sweet of you to worry," Serana replied, causing the Nord to groan. "But no, I'll be fine for a while. I got my fill back on the mountain."
"Where did you even go?"
"There was a fort nearby," the vampire explained "Full of bandits. Took more blood than usual."
Valkyrie shot a look of caution. "More than usual?"
Serana sighed. "For someone who hunts vampires as a profession, you really don't know much about them, do you?"
The Nord simply shrugged.
"Well," the vampire leaned back in her chair. "All vampires feed on blood. We have to do so every so often, otherwise blood starvation begins to set in."
"And that is?"
"It's a sickness... sort of," Serana continued. "If we go without feeding for too long, we start to show symptoms. Aching muscles, twisted facial features. The worst is the nausea. Feels like your stomach is tearing itself apart inside you. It does make us stronger, but few can withstand the hunger."
"I... see."
"Thanks to my disposition," the vampire smirked. "I can hold out longer than most and be fine. But even I have my limits." She crossed her arms. "If a vampire goes too long without feeding, they can potentially become feral. Which is why I had to leave for a bit earlier. I could have lost control and attacked you." She chuckled. "And I couldn't have that. That's no way to repay the woman who freed me."
"Technically it was Lokil who freed you," Valkyrie retorted.
"Now you're just arguing semantics."
"So how were you fine when you were freed, but close to starvation minutes later?"
Serana shrugged. "Probably magic. Though no kind I've ever seen. I would guess the tomb was enchanted to preserve whoever or whatever was inside. But the effects began to wear off after I was freed, and time essentially caught up with me."
"So if you were close to becoming feral," the Nord continued. "You must have been in there a long time."
"It sure feels like it," Serana shook her head. "I wish there was a way to tell how long it's been." Suddenly, the vampire's eyes widened and she looked straight at Valkyrie. "Who is Skyrim's High King?"
Valkrie racked her brain for a moment. "I don't really pay much attention to politics. But if I recall correctly, Torygg of Solitude is still High King."
"Never heard of him," the vampire sighed. "Is he well supported?"
"According to some, he was hand-picked by the Empire," Valkyrie chuckled. "So I would say so."
Serana's expression shifted, now worried and a bit horrified. "Empire..." she repeated. "What Empire?"
The Nord was confused beyond measure. "The... Empire," she added, unsure of any other way to explain. "From Cyrodiil?"
"Cyrodiil is the seat of an empire?" Serana put a hand over her mouth, her gaze slowly shifting to the floor. "Fuck, I've been gone a long time."
"Is that... bad?" Valkyrie asked cautiously.
The vampire was silent for a moment, before quickly shaking her head. "Might be. It might also be a good thing. We'll have to wait until we get to the island to see." She quickly stood up and made her way to the door, before turning around and giving one last glance at Valkyrie. "Get some rest. I'm gonna take a walk. Clear my head."
"You don't need to sleep?" Valkyrie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm fine," Serana turned back to the door. "I've been asleep for centuries."
9th of Morning Star, 4E 200
Valkyrie grunted, pulling the last of her bolts out of a fresh mudcrab carcass that had been attacking Serana and herself only moments earlier. She had not expected the northern coast of Skyrim to be so brimming with annoyances. She and the vampire had spent the better part of the morning fending off attackers, from hostile wildlife, to bandits occupying a shipwreck. Still, the two of them together had proved to be a rather formidable team, and had made short work of whatever dangers stood in their way. Valkyrie almost could have enjoyed it, had she not been working with one of the very things she had sworn to destroy.
"You don't seem to want to give up those bolts of yours," Serana prodded from behind.
"Yeah well," Valkyrie rested the bolt in her pouch. "My ammo is a little limited at the moment. That fletcher in Solitude had never even seen a crossbow before. Looks like this and my blade is all I have until I get back to Fort Dawnguard."
"Well, you'll likely be on your way soon," the vampire said. "We're getting close."
"How close?" Valkyrie asked as the two continued walking. They were nearing the end of the beach, an endless expanse of ocean and a looming cloud of dense fog the only things in sight.
"We used to keep a boat around here somewhere," said Serana, before rushing over to a particularly rocky section of land on the edge of the beach. Valkyrie was confused, until the vampire snapped her fingers, and a worn down rowboat and wooden dock appeared out of literal thin air.
"Clever," Valkyrie said, "Is this island of yours concealed the same way?"
"Sort of," Serana remarked. "That giant cloud of fog out in the bay?" She pointed out a finger as the Nord nodded. "That's where it is. My family likes to... keep to themselves."
"Don't they sound like a jolly bunch."
"You have no idea," the vampire said, carefully stepping into the boat with Valkyrie in tow.
"Uh, Serana?" The Nord questioned. "This boat has no oars."
"I'll take care of that," Serana replied, snapping her fingers yet again as the boat began to move. Valkyrie carefully sat down in the center of the vessel, watching behind her as the beach began to fade further and further away, and the ominous fog surrounding Serana's island began to encroach their view. In no time at all, Valkyrie could see nothing except Serana and the boat. The thought that she was being lured into a trap crossed her mind for longer than the Nord would have liked to admit. There was very little visibility, and her only means of escape was to jump out of the boat, into the freezing cold waters and swim her way back to shore. But those thoughts vanished as soon as Serana spoke again. "Gods, this is going to be awkward."
"What is?"
"This... family reunion," Serana groaned. "I'm not looking forward to it."
"Someone you don't want to see?" Valkyrie asked.
"My father and I don't really get along," the vampire replied, her face visibly twisted at the sound of her words. "Saying it out loud makes it sound so... common. Little girl doesn't get along with daddy. Heard that story a thousand times."
"And why exactly don't you get along?"
"Let's just say my mother and father had a bit of a falling out," Serana said, reaching down to her hip and retrieving what looked like a pouch made of fine leather, fit for nobility. "All over this," she added, reaching inside as her entire arm disappeared into the pouch.
"The pouch?" Valkyrie asked, confused. "Wait, you have one of those, too?"
"They were in fashion in my time, believe it or not," Serana said. "And no, the reason they started fighting," she said, her hand emerging from the depths of the pouch, the strange object that had been strapped to her back when they had first met firmly in its grip. "...was over this."
"I was wondering what you did with that," the Nord remarked. "What... what is it, exactly?"
Serana raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, it's probably for the best you don't know what this is."
"Hey," Valkyrie said. "I already followed you to this island in the middle of nowhere. The least you could do is not keep me in the dark."
The vampire rolled her eyes. "It's called an Elder Scroll," she sighed. "Even I'm not entirely sure of what it is, but it's very old and very powerful."
"And what does your family want with it?"
"It's... a long story," Serana dodged the question, once again strapping the Elder Scroll to her back. "Once we're done with this, I'll tell you everything. Okay?"
Before Valkyrie could respond, the air around her changed suddenly, the temperature seeming to plummet, causing the Nord's breath to turn visible. She began rubbing her hands together. "Did it get really cold all of a sudden or is it just me?"
"Welcome to Isle Volkihar," Serana said. "What's wrong? I thought Nords were supposed to be resistant to cold?"
"Even I have my limits," was all Valkyrie managed to get out before the fog suddenly dissipated, and the sight of Serana's home came into view. This island, the vampire had neglected to mention, was home to a castle that made Fort Dawnguard look like a dingy hut. It was absolutely massive, made of stone that appeared dark as night, its imposing presence causing a knot to twist in Valkyrie's stomach. "This is your home?"
"This is it," said Serana as the boat touched land at last. "Home sweet... castle."
"Why didn't you tell me it was so huge?"
The vampire sighed, stepping out of the boat onto the dock. "I didn't want you to think I was... you know, one of those women who just sits in their castle all day." She looked back at the foreboding stronghold. "I don't know. Coming from a place like this... it's not really me." She turned back to face Valkyrie. "I hope you can believe that."
"Well," Valkyrie said, shooting a glance back at the castle. "I can certainly see how people could get annoyed with you," she continued with a smirk.
"We were having a moment," Serana deadpanned. "And you just ruined it."
"I was just joking."
"Right, well," the vampire shook her head. "Before we go in there, I just wanted to say thank you for getting me this far." She then stepped in close, her tone suddenly serious as she stared Valkyrie dead in the eyes. "But once we're inside, you need to let me do the talking, understand?"
Valkyrie nodded.
"I know your friends would want to kill everything in here," Serana continued. "I'm hoping you can show a bit more restraint than that. If you say the wrong thing, or reach for your weapon, they will tear you apart. And I won't be able to stop them."
"They really are a jolly bunch, aren't they?" Valkyrie said with a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this."
Valkyrie wasn't sure of what to expect when she set foot inside an ancient castle filled with powerful vampires. After the previous several days, very little continued to surprise her. So when her first sight was a small, dingy entryway with an Altmer vampire with bolts of lightning filling his hands, fangs bared, she was almost disappointed.
"How dare you trespass here!" the vampire exclaimed. Valkyrie instinctively reached for her crossbow, prepared to kill this beast and then turn right around and hoof it back to the mainland, but then the Altmer's eyes grew wide, and his magic dissipated. "Serana?" He said in wonderment. "Is that truly you?" Valkyrie glanced to her side, only to see Serana giving her a very annoyed look. Valkyrie took her hand off her crossbow as the Altmer vampire raced to the doorway, proudly exclaiming, "My lord! Everyone! Serana has returned!"
Valkyrie chuckled. "I guess you're expected."
Serana grabbed hold of Valkyrie's wrist as the Altmer disappeared into the next room. Her grip unbreakable, she practically hissed into the Nord's ear, "Hand. Off. Your weapon."
Valkyrie jerked her arm away, "I thought he was going to attack me!"
"Listen," the vampire continued. "They're trying to intimidate you. Just keep a cool head and you'll be fine."
The Nord watched as Serana took a deep breath, straightening her posture as she made her way into the next room. Valkyrie shook her head, following the vampire down a balcony, doing her best not to show any fear or weakness.
"My long lost daughter returns at last..."
These words rang out from the other side of the room and immediately caused Valkyrie's blood to run cold. A shiver ran down her spine and her breathing became ragged and irregular. She would have know that voice anywhere. That terrible voice that had haunted her nightmares for so many years as a child. Her steps down the balcony were agonizingly slow, debating whether or not she dared to turn and face the source of the voice. Finally reaching the bottom, and thus having no choice, she turned to see none other than him. The very same vampire who had raided Karthwasten and killed her father all those years ago, sitting on a fucking throne of all things.
An indescribable mixture of rage and terror overcame Valkyrie's senses, for a moment she saw nothing else. There was only her and this bastard who had once taken everything from her. He was right there, so vulnerable. One quick shot to the head from her crossbow would be all that was needed. But a hand on the shoulder from Serana quickly snapped Valkyrie out of it. She motioned forward, and the Nord reluctantly followed. So Serana was this monster's daughter. Of course she was, it all made sense now. The similar styled clothing, the regal attitude she put on. She was practically the spitting image of him.
As Serana led Valkyrie to the center of this room, the Nord took a moment to glance around, inwardly horrified by what she saw. It seemed to be a dining hall of sorts, but these monsters weren't eating any food. Lined up on the table were bodies. Desecrated, small chunks of themselves missing as those sitting at the tables gorged themselves. Dim lighting, bloodstains lining the walls and floors, and there were vampires everywhere. Valkyrie counted at least twenty in this room alone. Humans, Altmer, Dunmer, even a Khajiit off in the corner. This place was horrific. And Valkyrie couldn't wait to leave.
"Now then," the lord vampire said, rising from his throne to meet his daughter. "I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"
"After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me?" Serana scoffed. "Yes, I have the Scroll."
The vampire mustered a smile, one that was easily seen through as being forced. "Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words aloud?" He added with a hint of annoyance, and Valkyrie's hatred only grew.
"Ah, if only your traitor mother were here," he continued, and Serana visibly winced at the mention. "I would let her watch this warming reunion before ripping her head from her shoulders."
Valkyrie's teeth gritted. Like you did to my father, you fucking bastard? It was becoming harder by the moment not to go for the vampire's throat, but the Nord knew that doing so would only end in a very painful death.
"Now tell me," the lord vampire continued, now turning to Valkyrie. "Who is this stranger you have brought to our hall?"
Of course you don't remember me, Valkyrie thought with disgust. Why should I be surprised?
"This is my savior," Serana said, with emphasis on the last word. "The one who freed me."
"I see," he said, taking a bow towards Valkyrie. "For my daughter's safe return, mortal, you have my utmost gratitude." Valkyrie's jaw twitched. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"My name is Valkyrie," she replied, still fighting the urge to lunge for his throat. "And you are?"
"I am Harkon, lord of this court," he said, motioning to rest of the hall. "By now, I can assume my daughter has told you what we are."
"With all due respect, my lord," she snarled at him. "I don't really care what you are." Serana shot Valkyrie a look of concern, but the Nord paid it no mind. She wasn't going to play their games.
"Perhaps you should," Harkon said, unfazed by the Nord's tone. "I count some of the oldest and most powerful vampires in all Tamriel among my court."
"That's quite a bold claim," Valkyrie shot back.
"True, but not one made without merit," the lord vampire continued. "For centuries we lived here in isolation, far from the cares of the mortal world. But all that ended when my wife betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most."
"And so I delivered her back to you," the Nord continued. "So what happens now?"
A devilish grin grew wide on Harkon's face. "You have done me a great service, and now you must be rewarded." He took a step towards Valkyrie, who in turn leaned back, unappreciative of this monster being so close to her. "There is only one gift I can give that is equal in value to the Elder Scroll and my daughter," Harkon continued. "I offer you..." He gestured to himself, some strange form of grandstanding.
"...my blood."
Valkyrie was dumbfounded. "Excuse me?"
"I offer you the chance to join my family... Valkyrie," Harkon explained, the Nord grimacing at his mention of her name. "Take my blood and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach and you will never fear death again."
Valkyrie took a step back, still struggling to process the offer before her. This monster was serious. He actually wanted to turn her into one of them. Her eyes still firmly placed on Harkon, she spoke again. "And if I refuse?"
The vampire turned his head upward, eyes still locked on the Nord, visibly angered by the question. "Then you will be prey, like all mortals," he growled. "I will spare your life this once, but you will be banished from this hall."
Hearing that she would be spared and allowed to leave was all Valkyrie needed to hear. But before she could refuse, and do so vocally at that, Harkon's gaze grew more intense. "Perhaps you still need convincing?" He bellowed, likely posturing to his court. "Behold the power!"
Valkyrie watched in horror as a strange red aura began to envelop Harkon. His body shook and trembled for a moment, before he began to grow taller. His already pale skin began to shift to a dull grey, his facial features twisting into a horrific monstrosity. Wings not unlike those of a bat tore through flesh, ripping their way out and sprouting from his back. In the span of a moment, Harkon's form had shifted from that of a human, to this monstrous beast. Valkyrie no longer felt any rage. Now the only thing she experienced was pure terror.
"This is the power that I offer!" Harkon raged, his voice unnaturally distorted.
Valkyrie could only stare at the creature in horror. "What..." she began. "What the fuck are you?!"
"I believe I already told you what I am," Harkon stated with pride. "These are the oldest and most powerful vampires in Tamriel. And I am their lord!" He flapped his wings, levitating up from the ground. "I contracted no disease to become what I am, girl. This power came directly from Molag Bal himself!"
A Daedric Prince, Valkyrie thought, Why am I not suprised?
"Now make. Your. Choice."
Valkyrie didn't even need to think before answering. The horror and disgust she felt from simply being here, watching this monster brag about his power were too much. "No," she said, continuing to step away. "I refuse. You..." she pointed a finger at Harkon. "...and your little reclusive cannibal cult can all burn in Oblivion for all I care. I'm done here."
"How very disappointing," Harkon growled. "But so be it. I hereby banish you from this hall." He held out a hand in Valkyrie's direction. "See to it that your path never crosses mine or my daughter's again. For it will be your doom."
There was a strange noise, and the next thing Valkyrie knew, she was outside once more, on the edge of the island, the imposing shadow of Castle Volkihar looking down on her. She took a deep breath before heading back to the boat, struggling to come to terms with what she had seen. The vampire responsible for the destruction of her village, the murder of her family, right in front of her. And yet she had been powerless to do anything. It enraged her. And then there was Serana, the seemingly human vampire. Just when Valkyrie had been beginning to entertain the notion that perhaps, just maybe, she was different than other vampires, it turned out she was the monster's daughter. As Valkyrie stepped into the boat, her fists clenched, teeth gritting, she swore that this was not the end. Harkon was going to die, no matter what it took. And Serana?
"If I ever see her again," Valkyrie whispered to herself. "She's fucking dead."
Chapter 6: A New Order
Chapter Text
6th of Second Seed, 4E 200
"So tell me..."
Valkyrie looked up from her meal, over to Sorine Jurard, a Breton woman recently recruited into the Dawnguard at Isran's insistence. Several months had passed since the Nord's encounter with Serana, and in the days since, something had emboldened the vampires of Skyrim. Attacks on villages were happening with increasing frequency, so much so that the Dawnguard had been forced to step up their recruitment. The order now numbered at least fifty men and women from all over the province. Most had come to Fort Dawnguard willingly, eager to defend their home from the vampire menace. But there were a few Isran had mentioned by name, like Sorine, people he had worked with over the years whose expertise would be invaluable against the growing threat. And so he sent Valkyrie to the far corners of Skyrim to find them.
She had recruited Sorine a few weeks prior. The Breton had been scouring the Reach in search of undiscovered Dwemer ruins. When Valkyrie had finally stumbled upon her, out in the open by herself with little or no protection, she questioned for a moment whether or not Sorine was alright in the head. But a short conversation proved that this Breton was perfectly capable of defending herself. She must have been, after all, if Isran thought her useful.
That had been weeks ago, and now Valkyrie, with the help of Sorine, had set out to find yet another of Isran's old comrades, a great brute of a Nord by the name of Gunmar. They had set up camp somewhere in the wilds of Eastmarch, a few miles south of the great city Windhelm. This Gunmar had been rumored to be scouring the wilds hunting and taming great beasts, and Isran was convinced that expertise would be of use.
"What's on your mind?" Valkyrie answered the Breton.
"What exactly made you stay with the Dawnguard?" Sorine questioned. "Isran seems to have a talent for running people off."
"Trust me," the Nord shook her head. "I know how much of an ass he can be," she continued, taking another bite of meat. "But the fact is, he's the best chance we have of stopping whatever these vampires are up to. Especially since they have that Elder Scroll."
"Which you didn't make much of an effort to secure."
The Nord's brow furrowed. "Tell you what, when you're surrounded fifty to one against ungodly powerful vampires, you can play hero all you like. I'd prefer to live and fight another day."
The Breton was silent for a moment. "It did sound like I was blaming you, didn't it?" She shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't mean to come across like that. I've just been racking my brain thinking about what they could possibly do with one."
"Who knows?" Valkyrie replied, standing up from the ground. "But the sooner we find this Gunmar, the sooner we can stop whatever they're plotting."
Sorine simply nodded, and the two began walking, leaving the Nord time to ponder. Although Valkyrie had been telling the truth when expressing her desire to stop the insidious plot that Harkon and his family were no doubt brewing, that desire was only second to her wanting to put the monster's head on a spike. The bloodsucker had been so calm, so nonchalant as he and his subordinate brutally murdered her family right in front of her young eyes. He had taken everything from her, and so she would take everything from him, starting first and foremost with his life.
Then there was Serana. Easily the most human vampire Valkyrie had ever encountered, but she knew it was all just a ruse. She was Harkon's daughter after all, and vampires were all the same. They were all abominations, creatures who would use a person, get into their heads, gain their trust before sinking their fangs into their neck. Serana was no different, she couldn't be. And if the nightwalker were unlucky enough to cross paths with the Dawnguard again, Valkyrie would see to it that she perished, just like her kind deserved.
"You there! Hold fast!"
A deep, booming voice grabbed Valkyrie's attention, as she turned around to see a great mountain of a man approaching Sorine and herself. He was dressed head to toe in animal skins, with long, unkempt red hair that fell well below his shoulders, and a great beard that covered most of his face. This was undoubtedly Gunmar.
"I've tracked these damned bears for two weeks," the brute continued as he approached. "I'll not let them have anymore vict-" He stopped short, taking notice of the Breton, his eyes growing wide. "Sorine?"
Sorine smiled. "Nice to see you again, Gunmar."
"Indeed," he bowed slightly. "Never thought our paths would cross again. Who's your friend?"
"My name's Valkyrie," the younger Nord spoke up. "A pleasure."
"The pleasure is mine," Gunmar replied with a smile. "What can I do for the both of you?"
"Isran sent us to find you."
The older Nord's smile vanished quickly. "Isran?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm afraid he's a few years too late. I've moved on. I have more important business to attend to. Besides," the tone of his voice changed, now showing a clear irritation. "He can handle anything alone. He assured me so himself."
"Gunmar, we're up against vampires." Sorine interjected. This clearly captured Gunmar's attention, his expression suddenly far more serious than a moment ago.
"Vampires? That..." he said, biting his lip. "Well, that might change things. Tell me more about these vampires. What are they planning?"
"We're not sure," Valkyrie said. "But they have an Elder Scroll."
Now Gunmar was visibly worried. His eyes grew wide and his voice went silent for a moment. "By the Eight," he whispered. "Alright, look. I'll consider it, but I can't just leave these bears to prey on more innocent people. Once they're dealt with, perhaps I'll see what Isran expects of me."
"Bears you say?" Valkyrie smirked, drawing her crossbow. "I've been looking for an excuse to go hunting again."
The man gave a hearty laugh. "Then I find myself in good hands," Gunmar said as he drew his axe. "The bears' cave should be around this area somewhere. Let's move."
Valkyrie stepped as lightly as possible into the damp, dimly lit cave with Sorine and Gunmar in tow. She had dealt with bears before, of course, but it had usually been one at a time, never an entire pack. Still, with her new allies at her side, surely the three of them could make short work of these beasts. Further into the cave, the sound of a furious mother bear's roar made itself know, and Valkyrie readied her crossbow. The cave's pathway narrowed, leading the three hunters to a sharp corner leading to a large open cavern. Peeking around the corner, Valkyrie's eyes caught sight of no less than four fully grown cave bears, all huddled around something, likely chewing away at a corpse. She looked back at Sorine and Gunmar, who both gave her a nod of confirmation, and Valkyrie took aim.
A sharp thwack sounded as she pulled the trigger, sending a bolt flying right into the gut of one of the bears. The beast roared, immediately turning its attention to the source of the bolt. The three warriors rushed into the cavern, weapons blazing, as the pack of bears charged in their direction, hungry for blood. One of them came straight for Valkyrie, who remained motionless until the very last moment, before quickly rolling out of the way, allowing the bear's head to smash against the stone wall of the cave. With the beast dazed, she loosed another bolt, this one landing in its neck. But with the beast's thick hide, this only served to anger it further.
Valkyrie backed away quickly, trying to put as much distance between herself and the bear as possible. She loaded another bolt into her crossbow, this one being one of Sorine's experimental bolts. There was a ledge made of stone jutting out from the wall as Valkyrie backed away, which she quickly climbed onto, just barely escaping the beast's claws. She took aim once more, letting another bolt fly right between the bear's eyes. It exploded on impact. The bear's lifeless body, now lacking a head, fell onto its side. Valkyrie put up her arms to shield her face from the blast, as she likely would have been burned if not for her armor.
Suddenly, she heard Gunmar cry out in agony. He and Sorine had each killed a bear of their own by now, but the last remaining one had given him a good slash to the midsection. The brutish Nord was on his backside, blood flowing profusely as he tried to scuttle away from the beast. She quickly loaded another bolt, Sorine doing the same, and the two let them fly in unison. Valkyrie's bolt found its mark in one of the creature's hind legs, and Sorine's in its stomach. The beast stopped in its tracks, enraged, it began to let out another roar, giving the injured Gunmar just enough time to plant his axe into its skull.
The bear fell over, finally dead, as Valkyrie jumped down from the ledge and rushed over to Gunmar's side, whose hand was planted firmly on his wounds, trying to slow the bleeding.
"Gunmar, are you alright?" Sorine asked, kneeling down to help. The Nord simply gave her a look in response. "Right. Stupid question. Sorry." She reached into a pouch at her hip, pulling out a large red bottle. "Come on, drink it."
Gunmar gladly obliged, downing the entire bottle in seconds, a feat Valkyrie considered both impressive and concerning. After his last gulp, the brute finally got to his feet, taking an audibly deep breath. "Much better," he turned to Sorine and Valkyrie. "Don't know how well I'd have managed by myself. You both have my thanks." The two nodded their heads in appreciation. He now faced Valkyrie. "You've helped me, so I suppose the least I can do is see what Isran wants. He's still in that fort near Riften, I assume?"
"He is," she answered. "How did you know?"
Gunmar chuckled. "He's been working on that place for years now. Never lets anyone in. His own little fortress"
"That definitely sounds like him."
"Well," the older Nord continued. "I guess I'll get to see what he's been up to all this time."
Valkyrie smiled. "Then we'd best get moving."
7th of Second Seed, 4E 200
In the months since Valkyrie had joined the order, Fort Dawnguard had truly become a sight to behold. Once an old, crumbling ruin filled with cobwebs and skeever droppings, it was now a home truly worthy of a noble band of vampire hunters. It seemed Gunmar was impressed as well, as he had let out a whistle as the three approached the gates to the fortress. Celann had greeted the trio at the main entrance, as he usually did, and the three stepped into the main foyer, expecting to be greeted by Isran himself. Instead, the entryways to the rest of the fortress were closed off by metal bars, and as the three made their way into the center of the room, a familiar voice made itself known from up above.
"Hold it right there!"
A blinding light shone down on the three from a hole in the ceiling, with Isran staring down intently on them from his personal quarters on the floor above.
"What are you doing?" Sorine asked with a hint of annoyance.
"Making sure you're not vampires," the Redguard responded. "Can't be too careful." The light dissipated, the metal bars lowered into the floor, and Isran disappeared from view, only to reappear moments later coming down the stairs to greet his new recruits in person. "So," he said. "Welcome to Fort Dawnguard. I'm sure you've heard a bit of what we're up against."
"Aye," Gunmar said. "Your friend here painted a rather grim picture."
"Indeed," Isran continued. "Powerful vampires, unlike anything we've seen before. And they have an Elder Scroll. If anyone is going to stand in their way, it's going to be us."
"This is all well and good," Sorine interjected, "But do we actually know anything about what they're doing? What do we do now?"
The Redguard simply sighed. "We'll get to that," he said. "For now, get acquainted with the space. Sorine, you'll find room to start your tinkering on that crossbow design you've been working on." He turned to the old Nord. "Gunmar, there's an area large enough for you to pen up some trolls. Get them armored up and ready for use."
"Yes, sir," Gunmar answered sarcastically. The Redguard paid no mind as he now turned to face Valkyrie.
"Good work," he said, his face still showing a permanent scowl. "Their expertise will be incredibly useful in the days to come."
"So," Valkyrie said. "Is there anything I can do?"
Isran was silent for a moment, likely racking his brain. He never got the chance to answer the Nord's question, however, as the fortress's main door suddenly slammed shut, and an all too familiar voice invaded Valkyrie's eardrums.
"This is a nice place you've got here..."
Valkyrie immediately reached for her crossbow, pointing it straight at Serana, who had somehow slipped past Celann at the door, and was now waltzing into Fort Dawnguard as though she owned the place. Upon seeing the Nord brandish her weapon, the vampire simply sighed and rolled her eyes. Isran's reaction to this intruder, however, was a bit more dramatic.
"Vampire!" he screamed, drawing his warhammer and charging straight for Serana. He swung, and of course Serana's superior reflexes allowed to dodge the blow with ease. She leaped through the air, a few flashy motions suggesting she was trying to show off, before landing right in front of Valkyrie, her face still wearing that same damned smirk.
"Did you miss me?" Serana asked.
Valkyrie's teeth gritted. "Like an infection."
By now, several other Dawnguard members had overheard Isran's cry, as they had all come rushing into the foyer, weapons blazing. Serana simply groaned, her hands beginning to glow with a crimson red aura. She waved her arms in one fluid motion, and a wave of magic erupted from where she was standing, knocking her attackers back, many of them losing their balance. At last, Serana stepped in the center of the room, the majority of the Dawnguard dazed and confused from her attack.
"Are you all quite finished?" She asked, visibly irritated. "I didn't come here to fight any of you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an old friend to catch up with." She turned right around on her heel, and marched straight back to Valkyrie, a seemingly permanent smile etched onto her face.
"Old friend, huh?" Valkyrie crossed her arms. "That's a funny way of looking at it."
"I'm a funny person," Serana harped back.
By now, the Dawnguard had reconstituted themselves, and they all moved quickly to surround Serana, crossbows firmly planted on her. "Oh, for the love of..." she rested her face in her palm. "How many times do I have to say I'm not here to fight?"
"Valkyrie," Isran growled, knowing something was afoot. "Why is it acting like it knows you?"
The Nord sighed. "This," she began, hanging her hand. "This is the vampire I found in Dimhollow."
"The vampire lord's daughter," the Redguard spat. "Why am I not surprised?"
Serana ignored Isran completely. "Bet you never thought you'd see me again," she said to Valkyrie.
"Can't say I was," the Nord retorted. "What are you doing here?"
"I did say I would tell you everything," the vampire cocked her head to the side, still smirking. "This is just me being a woman of my word. However," she turned her head to the rest of the Dawnguard, fingers still firmly on the triggers of their crossbows. "It's a little hard for me to think with so much hostility in the air. You think you could ask you friends to lower their damned weapons?!"
At this point, all the Dawnguard's eyes were now on Valkyrie, waiting for her to make a move so that they could follow suit. Despite her anger, knowing that Serana needed to die, she also knew that the vampire wouldn't have come here if it weren't dreadfully important. She turned to her comrades, giving them a nod of confirmation, and they reluctantly lowered their crossbows and took a few steps back.
"Thank you," Serana said, bowing her head. "Now then," she continued, turning back to Valkyrie. "You and I have quite a bit to discuss. Mind taking this somewhere a bit more... private?"
"Whatever you have to say to me," Valkyrie shot back. "You can say to them."
"Fair enough," Serana said, visibly annoyed. "First things first, though," she continued, reaching into her own magic pouch. The vampire fiddled around for a moment, before pulling out something Valkyrie was certain she's never see again.
"You..." the Nord stammered, "You brought the Elder Scroll?"
The rest of the Dawnguard were stunned as well, now completely sheathing their weapons, all except for Isran, of course.
"Consider it a peace offering," Serana said, aimed more towards the Dawnguard than Valkyrie. "This Elder Scroll was the reason I was buried down there in the first place." The vampire gingerly placed the Elder Scroll in Valkyrie's hand, who was still unsure what to make of it all.
"Go on."
"It all comes back to my father," Serana continued. "I'm sure you figured this out, but he's not exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards."
"I noticed."
"He wasn't always like that, though," the vampire said. "There was... a turn. He stumbled upon this obscure prophecy and just kind of lost himself in it."
Oh, this ought to be good, Valkyrie thought to herself. "What kind of prophecy?"
"It's pointless and vague, like all prophecies." Serana said with a sigh. "The part he latched onto said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun."
Valkyrie's eyes grew wide.
"That's what he's after," Serana continued. "He wants to control the sun. Have vampires control the world."
"That..." the Nord found herself at a loss for words, if only for a moment. "That's insane."
"I agree," the vampire said. "My mother and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel. So I was sealed away with it."
"So, "Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "What does all this have to do with the Dawnguard."
Serana scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought a plot by a bunch of vampires to extinguish the sun might interest a group of vampire hunters. Was I wrong?"
"You could be a spy."
At this point, the vampire simply laughed. "Hate to shatter your confidence, but as it stands, my father could easily march in her and slaughter all of you without a second thought. Not much need for spies."
There a short silence that followed. Although Valkyrie didn't want to admit it, Serana was right. Even with their growing numbers, there was no way the Dawnguard in its current state could stand against Harkon's power. If he were to be stopped, and more importantly, if she were going to be able to kill him and avenge her family, she and her fellows were going to need help.
"Besides," Serana continued. "I saved your life, remember? You would have bled out in that crypt if not for me. Why would I go through all that trouble just to turn around and betray you later?"
Valkyrie's jaw twitched, knowing that she was right.
"Valkyrie," Durak interjected from across the room. "Is this true?"
After a short silence, the Nord reluctantly admitted. "Yes, it's true. She did save my life."
"Alright, that's enough!" Isran bellowed, stepping forward as he turned to face Valkyrie. "You've heard what it has to say. Now tell me, is there any reason we shouldn't kill this bloodsucker right now?"
"Because," Valkyrie sighed. "We're going to need her help."
"Why?!" The Redguard challenged. "Because of that story about the prophecy? About some vampires trying to put the sun out? Do you actually believe any of that?"
"Honestly," the Nord shook her head. "I don't know. But I do know that her little coven is dangerous, and that they need to be stopped. If there's even the slightest chance that she's telling the truth, we need to look into it."
There was a lengthy silence that followed, all the eyes of the Dawnguard settled upon the three, waiting for Isran to make his move. Valkyrie knew that if he attacked, they wouldn't hesitate to follow him to their deaths. The fact was, none of them stood a chance against Serana. At last the Redguard spoke, looking Serana dead in the eyes.
"Fine," he said, and Valkyrie felt a wave of relief. "It can stay for now." He stepped in close, getting into Serana's face, the vampire not so much as flinching. "But don't expect to be treated like a guest, because you're not. You're a resource. You're an asset. Don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity. Because if you do," Isran turned to Valkyrie, a look in his eyes that made her spine shiver. "I'll hold your friend responsible."
"Thank you for your kindness," Serana replied, her voice laced heavy with sarcasm. "I'll remember it the next time I'm feeling hungry."
At last, Isran turned and walked away, with the rest of the Dawnguard following suit, the majority of them shooting strange looks at Valkyrie and Serana as they left. The Nord shook her head, leaning up against a nearby wall. What a beautiful mess I'm in, she thought to herself. In the span of a few moments, she had gone from one of the most respected members of the Dawnguard, to nearly all of them questioning her loyalty and debating whether or not she even belonged here. No one had outwardly said anything, of course, but she saw it on their faces. And it was all thanks to the damned vampire.
"Nice performance," Serana quipped after the Dawnguard had dispersed. "You really made them think you didn't trust me."
Valkyrie's jaw twitched. "Who said it was a performance?"
The vampire raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, did I miss something? Last time I saw you, I thought we were getting along famously."
"Maybe," the Nord growled. "But that was before I knew what, or who you were."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your fucking father," Valkyrie snarled, stepping in close to Serana. "Your father raided my village and killed my family when I was a little girl. I saw him carrying my papa's severed head like it was a Gods damned trophy!"
"Oh," Serana said, her voice suddenly low and feeble. "Are you..." she stuttered. "Are you sure it was him?"
"I will never forget that face," the Nord said. "His voice gave me nightmares for years. And now that fucking monster's daughter wants to come crawling to me acting like we're best friends?!" She shook her head. "I don't think so."
"I'm sorry," said the vampire, hanging her head. "I never would have guessed,"
"Of course not," Valkyrie continued. "I'll work with you to stop him, but after all this is done," she moved her face dangerously close to Serana's. "I never want to see your fucking face again."
Chapter 7: Prophet
Summary:
A/N: Jesus Christ, this chapter ended up being way longer than I anticipated. Hopefully that explains why it took so long. In case anyone was wondering, the character Olette is from a mod called Interesting NPCs by Kris Takahashi. It's a great mod, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. And she will be returning later on in the story, and will end up playing a much larger role way later on, but I've said too much at this point. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day!
Chapter Text
7th of Second Seed, 4E 200
Valkyrie let out a yawn. Sleep continued to elude her, and staring up at the ceiling was starting to get boring. It was moments like these where she was thankful for her own private quarters in the fortress, where she wasn't constantly being bombarded by responsibilities, and could be alone with no one but her own thoughts for a short bit of time. It had been several hours since Serana had made her dramatic entrance in the foyer, and since then, the vampire had mostly kept to herself. This was fine with Valkyrie, particularly after the rather heated exchange they had gone through. Every time the vampire entered her head, the Nord felt her teeth grit slightly. It was only fitting that the monster who had taken her family from her had resurfaced, only for her to be forced to work with it's spawn.
Despite Valkyrie's best efforts, she couldn't keep her mind very far away from thoughts of the vampire. The arrogance of the monster, to think that they were friends of all things. There was no way in Oblivion the Nord would ever fraternize with a nightwalker like Serana. And yet it appeared she had little choice than to do just that if they were to stop Harkon's mad plan to extinguish the sun. Valkyrie had spent hours racking her brain, trying to figure out just what ulterior motive Serana could have had for turning against her own family, and yet the Nord had come up with exactly zero speculations. But she knew there was more to it. There had to have been something the vampire was keeping from them. It was only in her nature to be manipulative, deceitful.
Suddenly, a knock on Valkyrie's door ripped her away from her thoughts. The Nord grumbled, hoping to death that it wasn't who she thought it was. "Come in," she groaned, not even bothering to sit up on her bed.
The door creaked open, and the Nord let out another audible groan as none other than Serana entered, quietly shutting the door behind her. "I don't think anyone saw me come in," the vampire said. "Don't want your little group to start jumping to conclusions," she added with a smirk. Valkyrie only turned her head to glare a hole through Serana in response. "Sorry," she continued. "I really shouldn't be joking right now. Do you have a minute?"
"What do you want?" Valkyrie asked with disdain.
Serana sighed, taking a chair across from Valkyrie's bed. There was a lengthy, uncomfortable silence that followed, one that made the Nord wish to be anywhere else at the moment. Finally, Serana spoke, "Look, I know you hate me right now. And I really can't blame you," she sighed. "I never would have guessed that it was him of all people who killed your family, but-"
"Is there a point to conversation?" Valkyrie cut Serana off.
"There is," the vampire said. "Once we're done with this, after my father is defeated, I'm leaving. You and your friends will never see me again."
"Hmph," the Nord sat up in her bed. "That might be the best news I've heard all day."
"However," Serana continued. "We've still got a lot of work to do before that happens. And I don't want to have to constantly be worrying about a dagger in the back."
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I think I'm the one who should be worrying."
The vampire shook her head, a knowing smirk adoring her face. "Why? I could have killed you at any time. Skilled as you are, you're no match for me. Much less my father." Serana's expression softened, taking notice of the Nord's teeth gritting behind her mouth. "All I'm saying is, I'm as good as my word. You and your friends have nothing to fear from me," the vampire crossed her arms. "But if this is going to work, I need you to trust me."
Valkyrie sighed. "You realize I'm a vampire hunter. And yet you're asking me to trust you, a vampire, one of the things I swore to destroy?" Serana simply shrugged, and the Nord shook her head. "It's going to take a lot for me to be able to trust you. But if it means putting an end to Harkon, I guess I can try."
The vampire winced at Valkyrie's mention of her father, but quickly regained her composure. "Thank you."
"So is there anything else you wanted?"
"Well," Serana cocked her head. "You were full of questions on the way to the castle. If you have any more, I guess I can try and answer them. Since we're trying to build trust, after all." She smirked, and Valkyrie took a deep breath.
"There is something I'm curious about, actually," the Nord said, "Were you always a vampire?"
Serana's head immediately dipped to the floor, hesitant. "That's..." she stammered, "...a long story."
"We have time," Valkyrie shrugged. "I might as well hear it."
The vampire took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair, garnering the Nord's full attention. "I guess we have to go back. To the very beginning. Do you know where vampirism came from?"
"According to Harkon, it was from a Daedric Prince."
"Exactly," Serana continued. "The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She..." The vampire shuddered slightly. "...was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful Daedric lord, and his will is made reality," she continued, the quiver in her voice almost barely noticable. "For those willing to subjugate themselves, he'll still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."
"I see," Valkyrie said, her curiosity now getting the better of her. "How did you actually become a vampire, then?"
Serana tensed up slightly, letting out a lengthy sigh. "The ceremony was... degrading. Let's not revisit that." She shook her head. "But we all took part in it. Not really wholesome family activity, but I guess it's something you do when you give yourselves to a Daedric Prince."
"How has it affected your family?"
"Well, you've met most of us," Serana continued. "My father's not exactly the most stable, and eventually he drove my mother crazy with him. And it all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long," she took a deep breath. "It's definitely been a bad thing, on the whole."
Throughout Serana's lengthy explanation of how she came to be, there was another thought brewing inside Valkyrie's head. One that was much darker, one that she was almost afraid to ask. "So, I don't know much about the Daedra," the Nord began. "But from what little I've read, all the Princes have spheres of influence, that dictate their nature."
"That's right."
"What exactly is Molag Bal's sphere?"
Serana said nothing. She only folded her arms, hunched over in her chair, and Valkyrie worried she had said the wrong thing. Finally, the vampire answered, in a hushed whisper that the Nord barely heard. "Molag Bal is the lord of rape and domination."
Valkyrie's eyes grew wide as a horrid realization hit her. "Oh," she said, unable to stop herself from continuing. "So you're saying that in order to become a vampire... you-"
"Stop." Serana cut her off forcefully. "Please, just... just stop."
"Sorry," the Nord said timidly. "Should we change the subject?"
"Yeah."
"Right," Valkyrie said, rubbing the back of her neck. "So... we've got the Elder Scroll. What's next?"
"We have to find someone who can read it," Serana said
"Why can't one of us do it?"
"I could try listing the reasons, but we'd be here for the next week," the vampire explained. "Blindness, madness, complete paralysis, death. And that's just the tip of the iceberg."
"So who can read them?"
"Well," Serana smiled. "I spent a little time exploring Skyrim before I came here, did a bit of research. There's an Imperial order based out of Cyrodiil, full of priests who spend their lives reading Elder Scrolls. Moth Priests, I think they're called."
"Wait," Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying we have to go all the way to Cyrodiil to find one of these people?"
"That was my first thought," Serana continued. "But your leader mentioned that an Imperial scholar came to Skyrim a few days ago. That has to be the priest."
"I don't guess Isran knows where the priest is now?"
"No. He also made it clear he wasn't going to waste men looking for him," the vampire spat, shaking her head. "We're fighting a war against your kind, and I intend to win it," she mocked. "What an ass."
The Nord chuckled. "He can be kind of an ass," she said. "So how are we going to find this priest by ourselves?"
"I guess we'll just have to ask around," Serana shrugged. "Carriage drivers, inn keepers, anyone who would meet a traveler."
"Sounds like we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
"We do," the vampire smirked, rising from her chair at last. "So you should probably get some rest," and with that, Serana made her way to the door.
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine," she replied. "See you in the morning."
8th of Second Seed, 4E 200
The sun very rarely shined in the city of Riften. Whether this was due to otherwordly interference or the city's natural dip within the landscape was unknown. The only thing the citizens of Riften knew for sure was to be wary of your coin purse. The fog that permeated throughout the city on any given day meant that pickpockets were sure to try and take whatever opportunities they could find, especially on newcomers. But Valkyrie was no stranger to Riften. By now she had been to the city at least a dozen times on Dawnguard business, and after having her own coin purse stolen more times than she would have liked to admit, she had learned to be as attentive as possible to everything. A lesson Serana clearly had not learned, as the vampire proceeded to waltz right through the gates as though she owned the city, a bad habit that Valkyrie had begun to notice.
Just inside the gate was a non-descript street full of housing for citizens. A small ways further was Riften's marketplace, home to the only inn in the city, where any information they needed could be gained. Just beyond that was the Jarl's palace. Valkyrie was ready to get what they needed and leave, but it seemed Serana had other ideas.
"Wow. Riften has..." the vampire said, looking around the street. "...really gone downhill since I was gone."
"How so?"
"This place used to be massive," Serana continued. "Now it's barely the size of a village. And the people, they're just so... depressing."
"It's been well over a thousand years since you were sealed away," Valkyrie noted. "A lot has changed."
"Don't remind me."
The two continued to walk their way down the street, their ultimate destination being the marketplace, but Valkyrie had a nagging suspicion in the back of her mind. She couldn't help but feel as though she and Serana were being watched. Not unlikely, considering where they were, but the Nord brought a hand to her blade, just in case some aspiring thief decided to make marks out of them.
"Hey, you!" A voice called out, and a large Nord dressed head to toe in steel stepped out from seemingly nowhere, blocking Valkyrie and Serana from the marketplace entrance. "I don't know either of you," the man growled at them. "You in Riften looking for trouble?"
"What's it to you?" Serana replied, and the man's expression soured.
"Don't say something you'll regret," he took another step toward the vampire, who didn't back down. "Last thing the Black-Briars need is some loudmouth trying to meddle in their affairs."
"Hmph," Serana said, leaning close into the Nord's face. "I'm not scared of you. Or the Black-Briars, whoever they are."
The man reached for his weapon. "That's the wrong answer."
He drew his blade, taking a swing aimed right at Serana's face. Valkyrie instinctively reached for her own weapon, but it appeared her help wasn't needed, as Serana effortlessly caught the blade between her hands. The vampire took a quick glance back at Valkyrie, an amused smile on her face, before bringing up her foot, delivering a kick to the man's stomach. He let go of his sword, stumbling back a few feet and clutching his gut. The man looked up just in time to see Serana snap his blade in two. With her bare hands no less. There was a short stunned silence before the vampire marched over, grabbing the Nord by his collar and pulling his face close to hers.
"This is the part where you run away screaming," she said in a mocking tone.
"This..." the man stuttered, "This isn't over."
"Yes it is," Serana growled back, now deathly serious. "You tell your Black-Briar friends they are not to trouble me or my friend again. Because next time," she lowered her voice to barely a whisper. "I won't be so nice about it."
Serana shoved the man away, who promptly fell to his backside, before scrambling to his feet and rushing off. The vampire, seemingly satisfied, turned back to Valkyrie, an impossibly smug grin on her face. The Nord was both impressed by Serana's restraint, and also just slightly intimidated, considering she knew exactly how powerful the vampire was. Serana could have easily torn the man to shreds, but chose not to. At every turn, Serana seemed determined to differentiate herself from her fellow vampires. Whether it was a matter of pride, or that she was simply trying to prove a point to Valkyrie and the Dawnguard was anyone's guess. The vampire motioned to the marketplace.
"After you."
Valkyrie shook her head as the two continued walking. "You seem to enjoy scaring the life out of people."
"Only when I have to," Serana shrugged. "What can I say? It's a talent."
The Nord and the vampire hadn't even made it ten steps into the marketplace, full of the bustling of merchants and citizens alike, none of them willing to give the two the time of day, when they were stopped yet again. This time by a small red-haired Breton girl, thin as a rail, likely no older than her tenth year.
"'Scuse me, miss," the girl said, clearly distraught. "Have you seen me pa? We was trading in the market and now I can't find 'im."
A lost girl without her father immediately tore at Valkyrie's sense of compassion. She knelled down to the girl. "I'm sorry. What does your pa look like?"
"He's..." the girl stuttered, "He's got red hair like me. And a big, bushy beard. Could ya help me find 'im?"
"Of course we can," Valkyrie said without thinking. "Can you be more specific about what he looks like?"
"Well, he... uh..." the girl stuttered yet again, scratching her head. "He's got a scar on his chin shaped like a star. And a big, fat belly."
"Really now?" Serana questioned. "What kind of father gorges himself enough to get fat and leaves his malnourished child alone in the streets?"
"Well, pa likes ta go drinkin'" the Breton girl continued. "Doesn't come home 'til late most o' the time. He might be over towards the inn. I'd check meself but kids ain't allowed inside."
"Alright," Valkyrie stood back up. "We'll go check there. Be back in a moment."
No sooner had the Nord turned around and taken a step towards the inn, did the young Breton girl rush past her, bumping into her slightly on the way. "Nevermind!" she called back, rushing away into the market crowd. "I see 'im. Thank you!"
Valkyrie was confused. Her eyes quickly darted around the scene, looking for anyone who could've matched the girl's description of her father, but saw no one. "That's odd," she said out loud, looking back at Serana. "I don't see him."
The vampire chuckled, leaning in close to Valkyrie's ear. "That little girl just made off with your coin purse."
The Nord's eyes widened, her hand quickly going to her side, only to discover that Serana was right. "Are you kidding me? That little-"
"Calm down," Serana said. "We'll get it back. I caught her scent. She's probably heading into the back alleys to throw us off," the vampire smiled. "Let's move."
The two rushed through the crowd of people, whizzing past market stalls and merchants until they reached what appeared to be the Jarl's palace, and just next to it, a gateway which looked to lead to a closed off street behind the housing. Valkyrie and Serana nodded at each other, the Nord rushing through the gate to catch up with the girl, while Serana moved in the other direction to head her off. As soon as Valkyrie entered the alleyway, she immediately sighted the Breton, looking down at something she was clutching to her chest.
"Hey!" Valkyrie yelled, and the girl immediately took off running. "Get back here!" The Nord demanded, chasing after her, but the Breton kept running. At least, she did until Serana appeared in front of her seemingly out of nowhere, and the young Breton found herself trapped in between the two women.
"You know," Valkyrie said, "If you needed money, you could have just asked."
"Dunno what yer talkin' 'bout, Cap'n," the girl spat back, looking back and forth for a way out. "Looks ta me like yer just a couple o' bullies pickin' on a little kid." She crossed her arms. "Maybe ya tried ta kidnap me and I stuck ya where the sun don't shine."
The Nord groaned, resting her face in her palm. "Look," she said. "We're not going to hurt you. Just give me back my money."
"Actually," Serana spoke up now, leaning down to the child's face. "I think we can come to some sort of agreement."
"Excuse me?" Valkyrie said.
The vampire had the Breton's full attention now. "What kind of agreement?"
"First," Serana held up a finger. "Introductions. I'm Serana, and this is Valkyrie," she motioned back to the Nord. "And you are?"
"Hmph," the Breton grumbled. "Olette's me name."
"A pleasure to meet you, Olette," the vampire's tone softened with every sentence. "So what's a smart kid like you doing in a slum like Riften?"
"Ya tryin' ta butter me up, miss?" Olette questioned. "'Cause it ain't gonna work."
"I'm trying to get to know you," Serana said coyly. "We could all use more friends, right?"
The Breton raised an eyebrow. "What makes ya think I'm worth havin' as a friend?"
The vampire smirked. "I'm not stupid, child. And neither are you, despite your best efforts to act like it."
"Serana," Valkyrie sighed, "Is there a point to this?"
"Give me a minute, darling," the vampire replied, causing a look of confusion and annoyance on the Nord's face. Darling? "Just answer the question, okay?" She said to the girl.
"Ugh," Olette groaned. "If ya must know, me pa was a sailor. Had a kid in every port from Seyda Need to Stros M'kai. One o' them ports is Windhelm. And one o' them kids is me."
"So Windhelm?" Serana questioned. "Not Riften?"
"Gods, do I have ta..." the Breton stammered. "Ma was a skooma fiend. She went where the skooma was. Dragged me along most o' the time. We came here one day, and she disappeared into the Ratway. Haven't seen 'er since."
"The Ratway?"
"There's a labyrinth o' sewers underneath the city," Olette continued. "I hear rumors that the sneaky types like ta gather there, but I never got the courage ta try and find 'em."
Valkyrie sighed. So this girl really had lost her family. As much as she wanted to be angry about Olette stealing her purse, the Nord couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the child. "I..." she stuttered. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother."
"Don't be," the Breton turned back to face her, her expression soured. "If she showed up tomorrow I'd spit in 'er face and tell 'er to go kiss a Daedra. I can take care o' meself."
"Clearly," Serana said, trying to regain control of the conversation. "So about this offer..."
"I'm listenin'"
"We won't turn you in to the guards," the vampire continued. "All we want is some information."
"And what might that information be worth to ya, miss?" The Breton smiled, and Serana let out a laugh.
"How about we let you keep the coin?" She looked up to a bewildered Valkyrie, who reluctantly nodded in agreement. "And maybe throw in a little extra if I like what you tell us?"
"Ya got yerself a deal, miss," Olette beamed. "For a little coin, I'll sing fer ya like a sparrow. What d'ya want ta know?"
The vampire smiled. "Have you heard anything about an Imperial scholar coming to Skyrim in the last few days?"
"Aye," the Breton nodded. "Some ol' robed fella stopped here the other day. Asked the carriage driver to take 'im to some town called Dragon Bridge, but that wasn't one o' his stops. So the fool hired some mercenaries and set out on foot."
Serana looked back up at Valkyrie. "That's definitely our man," she said, to which the Nord nodded. She turned back to Olette and reached down to her hip. "Thank you, Olette," the vampire continued. "If I ever need more information, I know exactly who to talk to."
"My pleasure, miss," the Breton replied confidently as Serana sprinkled a few gold coins into her palm. Olette turned on her heel, marching away to spend her newfound wealth.
Valkyrie shook her head. "Take care of yourself, kid," she called back to the girl.
"You as well, cap'n."
Once Olette was gone, Valkyrie turned back to Serana, a little annoyed that she had let the girl keep her stolen money. "So," the Nord said, "How did you know she knew anything about the priest?"
Serana shrugged. "Lucky guess. Urchins usually know all kinds of stuff most children don't." She smiled. "Either way, we know where we need to go now. Dragon Bridge."
"And just how are we supposed to get there?" The Nord questioned. "Considering you let her keep all of my money."
The vampire just laughed, reaching into her magic pouch and pulling out the most bloated coin purse Valkyrie had ever seen. "Vampire royalty, remember?" She said with a smirk. "I have more than enough to get us where we need to go."
13th of Second Seed, 4E 200
Dragon Bridge, yet another small, unassuming village a few short hours down the road of the great city of Solitude, was a welcome sight after several days of nothing but open road from the top of a horse. Valkyrie still couldn't believe that Serana had enough money to buy each of them a horse. When asked about her apparent wealth, the vampire had been coy and only said it was a parting gift from her father. The word gift, making it sound as though the money was given willingly and not stolen, likely right from under Harkon's nose, was unconvincing. But the Nord let it go. What she didn't let go, and in fact spent quite a lot of time during the journey dwelling on, was the fact that Serana had referred to her as darling.
Even after their discussion, the vampire still didn't seem to get it through her head that she and the Nord were not friends, and certainly not anything more. Valkyrie had attempted to show her displeasure by talking to Serana as little as possible on the journey to Dragon Bridge, but the vampire hadn't seemed to mind. In fact, she had seemed to enjoy the silence, although the Nord was not appreciative of her wandering eyes. The vampire may have apologized for her overly aggressive flirting back in Morthal, but that didn't stop her from stealing a glance at Valkyrie every chance she got, eyeing the Nord up and down like a fresh meal. Something she happened to be doing right this instant.
"You think I don't notice you undressing me with your eyes?" Valkyrie asked, clearly annoyed.
"Of course not," Serana said playfully. "The squirming just makes it that much more adorable."
"You are impossible."
The vampire laughed. "One of my many endearing qualities, darling."
"Will you stop calling me that?" The Nord snapped. "I don't know what's worse, you harassing me or the fact that we still haven't found the damned priest."
"Well, he did have a few days' head start on us," Serana said. "He also might have taken a completely different road."
Valkyrie groaned as the two brought their horses to a halt in front a large building that could only be the local inn. The Nord was starving, but determined to remain focused on the task at hand. The sooner the Moth Priest was found, the sooner she could put an end to Harkon. Stepping inside, the tavern was mostly deserted, any patrons likely off working their day away. The only soul in the entire building was the innkeeper, who immediately took notice of her guests. The woman walked over to greet Valkyrie and Serana, a smile on her face.
"Welcome to the Four Shields," the woman said with a smile. "Can I get you both anything?"
"Actually," Valkyrie said. "Have you heard anything about a Moth Priest visiting Dragon Bridge?"
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. "I don't know about a Moth Priest, but some Imperial type rode through town not long ago with an escort of soldiers."
"That's him," the Nord replied, her eyes wide. "Do you know where he was going?"
"He was headed south across the old bridge," the woman continued. "They were moving at a snail's pace. You could probably rest up here for a bit and still have no trouble catching them."
"That's alright," Valkyrie said, turning to the door. "We need to get going."
"Actually," Serana interjected, pulling out her coin purse. "A bit of rest sounds like a good idea. The sun is..." she paused. "Well, it's not great for my skin if you catch my meaning." She held out her hand to Valkyrie, full of at least a dozen septims. "Get yourself something to eat."
"I'm fine," the Nord deadpanned.
"No you're not," the vampire smirked. "I can hear your stomach grumbling."
The Nord groaned, reluctantly giving in to Serana's suggestion. Just a few short minutes later, she was enjoying a slice of beef and a bottle of mead fresh from the kitchen. Although it was nice to finally have some food in her stomach, Valkyrie couldn't help but question why on Nirn Serana was being so damned courteous. It couldn't be because she was trying to lower the Nord's guard, it was perfectly clear that Serana could have killed her at any time. Valkyrie racked her brain, thinking of any possible reason this vampire could be acting so human. After a short bit of silence, the innkeeper disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Valkyrie and Serana alone in the main room of the inn, chairs next to the fire. The Nord took another gulp of her mead and turned to the vampire, ready for an interrogation.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" She demanded.
Serana looked at her, confused. "I'm sorry?"
"With the exception of your damned flirting," the Nord continued, "You've been nothing but kind and courteous to me, even though I've been nothing but a bitch to you." There was a short silence as the vampire's bewilderment only intensified. Suddenly, that confusion shifted into amusement, as Serana let out a laugh.
"I know you don't really mean it," she said with a shrug.
Now it was Valkyrie's turn to be confused. "I'm pretty sure I do."
"No you don't," Serana said. "You're being a bitch because you think you have to be. You were trained to hate and fear my kind. Not without reason, I admit," she shrugged. "But I have faith that you'll come around."
"That I'll come around?" The Nord said. "Are you kidding me? You're a vampire."
"And your point is?"
"I know you have to have some sort of ulterior motive," Valkyrie said. "I've been racking my brain but I can not figure out what it is."
"Or... or, consider this," Serana replied sarcastically, "Maybe I don't have one and you're just being paranoid." Valkyrie tried to form a rebuttal, but had no words to suffice, instead the Nord just grumbled, leaning back in her chair. Satisfied, Serana continued. "I get it. I may be a vampire, but I was human once," she folded her arms. "After seeing what happened to my parents, to other vampires that lost their humanity," Serana sighed, shaking her head. "I don't want that to happen to me. And once you finally realize that I'm not some evil monster to be despised, this whole ordeal will be so much easier." She smirked. "We might even become friends." With that, the vampire stood up from her chair.
"We should get going."
Leaving their horses in Dragon Bridge, Valkyrie and Serana set off down the southern road in search of their priest, although mostly in silence after their conversation had left the Nord questioning herself in no small way. Could the vampire have been telling the truth? What if all along her intentions had been genuine, and Valkyrie was too blinded by her past and her prejudice to see it? Vampire or not, Serana acted like a normal person. Perhaps her spiel about holding onto her humanity was more than just bluster. Time could only tell, as the Nord was still having trouble trusting the vampire completely, but she supposed she could at least give Serana a chance, if nothing else.
"I smell blood," Serana said suddenly, grabbing Valkyrie's attention. "And corpses."
"Great," Valkyrie said, putting a hand on her sword. "How many?"
"Maybe five," Serana continued, quickening her pace and sniffing the air. "And one of them is a vampire."
The two moved faster, now running straight for the source of the scent the vampire had picked up. Turning around a corner, Valkyrie and Serana were greeted by the sight of what could only be described as a massacre. An overturned carriage lay on the side of the road, a dead horse next to it, with several bodies, all covered in armor lying dead in the sun, covered with what looked to be their own blood. Off a ways was another body, dressed all in black, looking as though it had tried to crawl away before collasping dead.
"I'm surprised they managed to kill one of them," Valkyrie said.
"Well, they did make the mistake of attacking in daylight," Serana offered. "But I still don't see our priest anywhere."
The Nord walked over to the slain vampire, searching for anything that might have been of use, while Serana did the same with the cart. A few moments of searching, she found a rusty mace, a few vials of blood, and finally a note, somehow in perfectly readable condition. "Serana," the Nord called out. "I found something." The vampire rushed over as Valkyrie began reading aloud. "Prepare an ambush just south of Dragon Bridge," she read, growing more concerned with each word. "Bring the Moth Priest to Forebears' Holdout for safekeeping until I can break his will. Malkus."
"Wait," Serana said, reaching for the note. "Malkus? That's one of my father's cronies." She gave Valkyrie a concerned look. "They knew the priest was coming."
"How?" Valkyrie asked.
"Well," the vampire continued. "Before I left, my father mentioned he had spread rumors about the discovery of an Elder Scroll. I guess that's the whole reason the Moth Priest came here in the first place."
"Then we need to find him before Harkon's lackeys can..." the Nord paused. "Do whatever it is they're doing."
"They're trying to make him their thrall, most likely," Serana said. "Luckily, Moth Priests have strong minds. You have to in order to read an Elder Scroll," she shook her head. "So we have a bit of time, though not as much as I'd like."
"Where is this Forebears' Holdout?"
"It's a cave not far from here," Serana said as she began walking once again.
Valkyrie nodded. "Then let's go."
The entrance to the cave had been well hidden from the outside world. Luckily, Serana seemed to know exactly where she was going and found the entrance within minutes, with Valkyrie in tow. After navigating through a dark, narrow passageway, the two found themselves on a balcony overlooking yet another massive cavern. But this cavern stood out from previous ones, as taking up most of the space below was what appeared to be a fort, and a freshly constructed one at that. Torches on the walls gave off unnatural amounts of light, allowing the two to spy no less than ten vampires patrolling the perimeter, as well as a few of their damned Death Hounds. And emanating from the very top of the structure was a strange blue light, undoubtedly some form of magic, and surely where the Moth Priest was being kept.
"Who builds a fortress inside a cave?" Valkyrie whispered.
"My father's lackeys, apparently," Serana said, surveying the area below. "How do you want to do this?"
"Honestly," the Nord said. "Since you're so much stronger than I am, I think maybe I should stay up here and cover you."
"I don't know," the vampire replied. "I may be strong, but I don't know if even I can handle that many by myself."
"Don't worry," Valkyrie drew her crossbow with a smirk. "I'm too proud to let anyone kill you but me."
"Aww," Serana fluttered her eyelashes. "You do care." The vampire took a deep breath, backing away from the edge of the balcony. "If we're going to pull this off," she said quietly. "I'm going to have to do something I really don't want to do."
"What are you talking about?" Valkyrie questioned.
"You should stand back."
The Nord complied, and her curiosity soon turned to terror. Serana's body shook violently, before it began to grow and distort in a way she had only seen once before. Her skin turned to a sickly grey, and a pair of wings tore through the flesh on her back. She looked just like her father. Valkyrie stood for a moment in silence, horrified by what she saw. But then, the Nord shouldn't have been surprised. Serana had told her multiple times that she and her family were no ordinary vampires. But to see Serana become... this...
Serana snapped her fingers, breaking Valkyrie's trance of horror. "Hey," she said, her voice distorted. "Get your head together. I need you sharp."
Valkyrie nodded, taking aim with her crossbow. "Ready when you are."
Serana vanished, in her place was only a cloud of crimson mist, which flew through the air, up until it reached the entrance to the fort. Not a single vampire noticed until she became tangible once again, letting out a primal roar that would have sent most beings running away, screaming in terror. Two Death Hounds guarding the door leaped through the air, aiming for Serana's neck. One of them was caught in the side by a bolt from Valkyrie's crossbow, the other Serana caught by the throat, sinking her claws into its flesh. The creature squirmed for a moment before it fell limp.
Tossing the Death Hound aside, she rushed forward, meeting the door to the fortress with her shoulder. There was a loud thudas she smashed into it, but the door held firm. That was until Serana backed away slightly, and came charging forward with all the might she could muster. With a deafening crash, the door fell to the ground, and the vampires inside wasted no time pouncing on her. She swiped her claws, slashing one of them in the torso, while another latched onto her back, digging its own claws into her shoulder. Serana let out a snarl, reaching behind her and grabbing the vampire by the head. She pulled him off her back with the greatest of ease, and proceeded to squeeze with her claws until the monster's head was crushed in her grip.
An arrow lodge itself in her side, causing a cry of pain, but before Serana could retaliate, the vampire holding the bow was caught in the side of the neck by a crossbow bolt. Serana smiled, but it was short lived as a group of at least a dozen mortals, undoubtedly the vampires' thralls rushed in to meet her. She charged at the group, flailing her claws and fangs, ripping apart everything in her path. Almost everything. One of the thralls managed to land a slice of his dagger on the back of Serana's leg, forcing her down to one knee, while another hit her square in the side of the head with his warhammer.
As a vampire, Serana was far more able to take punishment than the average person, even more so in this monstrous form. But even she wasn't invincible. The blow from the thrall's warhammer dazed her, she was now on the ground, flat on her stomach as the thralls and remaining vampires pounced on her, taking stabs and blows with their weapons, and she was powerless to stop them. She took a swipe with one of her claws, only for a vampire to stomp on her hand, cracking the bones within. Serana's vision began to blur, and for a moment, she began to worry that she had bitten off more than she could chew. But only for a moment.
There was an explosion, a rather large one, just a few feet away from where the mob of vampires and thralls had Serana pinned down. It knocked most of them off, and allowed her to finally get her bearings and return to her feet. She looked over to the source of the explosion, only to see Valkyrie, quickly loading another bolt into her crossbow. At that moment, Serana had never been more glad to see a mortal.
"Get back!" Valkyrie yelled as she took aim.
Serana complied, rushing backwards as one of the vampire's lunged for Valkyrie's throat. The beast was caught mid-stride in the shoulder by one of the Nord's bolts, which exploded on impact, leaving a dead vampire with a missing arm in its wake. The two remaining thralls turned their attention to Valkyrie, charging in weapons blazing, and the Nord drew her own sword. One of the thralls made a swing with his warhammer, which Valkyrie sidestepped with ease. Being under the control of the vampires made them slow and stupid, which was fine with her. She swung her blade at the other thrall, who blocked it mid-swing with the handle of his mace. They struggled for a moment, before Valkyrie delivered a swift kick to his nether regions.
The thrall's hands immediately went to his injured regions, and Valkyrie turned back to his partner, who was gearing up for another swing. Valkyrie dodged the blow once more with ease, and the head of the hammer went straight into the other thrall's gut, causing him to drop to his knees. She lunged forward with her blade, running the thrall right through the gullet, then proceeded to pull it back out and swipe at the other thrall, taking off a good chunk of his neck.
Suddenly, a body landed at Valkyrie's feet. A vampire's body to be exact. When she looked in the direction it came from, she saw only Serana, now back in her human form, surrounded by corpses and hunched over as though she were in great pain. Valkyrie rushed over to her. "Are you alright?"
"I will be," Serana gasped. "I heal fast, but I'm not invincible."
"Any way we could..." the Nord stammered. "You know, speed up the process? We still need to get to the priest."
"There is," the vampire said in between deep breaths, before looking Valkyrie dead in the eyes. "But I can't ask that of you."
Valkyrie was confused for a moment, but soon realized exactly what Serana was saying. "Oh," she said quietly. "Yeah, I'm sorry, but... I can't."
"I understand," Serana said, finally standing straight. She reached into her magic pouch. "I think I have a few vials left in here." The vampire pulled out a small red bottle, downing the entire mixture in seconds. For just a moment, her eyes began to glow just a bit brighter. She smiled. "Much better. Now let's find that Moth Priest."
The two rushed to a nearby flight of stairs, within moments they found themselves nearing the top of the structure, taking notice of that same strange blue light they had seen near the entrance.
"You want to obey me," a voice sounded out from just above. "You want to give in."
"No!" Another voice answered, clearly distraught. "I... will... resist you."
The first voice laughed as Valkyrie and Serana finally reached the source of the noise. A lone vampire stood in front of what looked to be a magical barrier, and inside was an old man in robes, undoubtedly the Moth Priest, neither of which took notice to Serana, or Valkyrie who was loading her crossbow as silently as possible.
"Your mind is strong, Moth Priest," the vampire said with a sinister tone. "But you're exhausted from the struggle. You want to give in."
"I... must resist," the priest's voice was little more than a whimper now.
"You can't resist any longer," the vampire laughed. "You want to acknowledge me as your master."
Valkyrie had finally heard enough, taking aim with her crossbow and pulling the trigger just as the Moth Priest uttered a "Yes, master." The bolt struck the vampire in the back of the head, exploding on impact as his limp, headless body fell to the ground. The magical barrier disappeared, but the priest looked horrified at what he saw. As Valkyrie and Serana stepped forward, a look of pure rage came across the man's face as he drew a sword.
"I serve my master's will," the priest growled. "But my master is dead. And his enemies will pay!"
The old man charged at Valkyrie. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she said, raising her crossbow to block the swing of the priest's blade. The two struggled for a moment, before Serana stepped in, delivering a punch to the side of the priest's head, knocking him to the ground. Valkyrie turned to the vampire, visibly annoyed. "What did you do that for?"
"He was enthralled," Serana deadpanned. "As long as it hasn't been very long, a good knock to the head is usually enough to snap someone out of it." The Nord raised. "Don't worry. I held back enough to not hurt him."
As if on cue, the Moth Priest scrambled to his feet, letting out a groan. "Divines have mercy," he said as he massaged his temple. "I apologize, that wasn't me you were fighting." He took a deep breath. "I could see through my eyes, but I could not control my actions."
"Are you alright?" Valkyrie asked.
"Much better now," the old man smiled, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you for breaking that foul vampire's hold over me."
"Our pleasure," the Nord extended her hand, which the priest gladly accepted. "I'm Valkyrie, and this is Serana."
"Dexion Evicus is my name," the old man said. "I'm a Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower," Dexion looked down at what was left of the vampire. "These monsters claimed they had some purpose in store for me, but wouldn't tell me what." He shook his head. "Probably hoping to ransom me, the fools."
"Actually," Serana spoke up. "We know why they needed you, because we need you for the same purpose."
"You do?" Dexion raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then. Enough mysteries."
"We represent an order of vampire hunters known as the Dawnguard," Valkyrie folded her arms. "And we need you to read an Elder Scroll."
At this, the Moth Priest's eyes grew wide. "You have an Elder Scroll?" He exclaimed, clearly excited. "Remarkable! I would be happy to assist you both. It seems the least I can do for your rescue."
Valkyrie smiled. "Then we're headed to Fort Dawnguard."
Chapter 8: Bolstering The Ranks
Chapter Text
19th of Second Seed, 4E 200
"Where in Oblivion have you been?!"
This was not quite the reaction Valkyrie expected upon returning to Fort Dawnguard with the Moth Priest Dexion Evicus in tow. As she and Serana stepped through the doors of the fortress, none other than Isran himself had been waiting for them, an even deeper scowl on his face than usual.
"We were looking for the Moth Priest," Valkyrie said, raising an eyebrow.
The Redguard growled. "I told the vampire I wasn't going to waste people chasing this nonsense," he pointed at Valkyrie. "That includes you."
Before the Nord had time to reply, Serana interjected. "It might not be as much nonsense as you think," she sneered. "Considering we already found the priest without your help."
Isran's eyes widened. "Wait," he said, "You actually found one?"
Valkyrie and Serana turned back to Dexion, who had not even been paying attention to the conversation, opting instead to observe every inch of the foyer with indiscriminate wonder. "Dexion!" Serana shouted, finally gaining the priest's attention. The old man promptly rushed forward, a great smile on his face as he extended his hand to the Redguard.
"You must be Isran," he said as Isran reluctantly accepted his gesture. "I am Dexion Evicus, Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower." He stole another gaze around the foyer. "I must say, this is a remarkable fortress. I have colleagues back home in Cyrodiil who would love to study this place in detail."
"So..." the Redguard began. "You actually agreed to come here?"
"Indeed," the old man nodded. "I owe you and your agents a great deal," he motioned back to Valkyrie and Serana, "They saved me from a group of foul vampires who tried to break my mind. Assisting your people with your Elder Scroll seemed the least I could do."
There was a short silence as Isran looked back to Valkyrie and Serana, then back to Dexion once more. He let out a sigh, "Very well," he said, "I'll fetch the Scroll, as well as everyone else. I want them to hear this."
Within minutes, the foyer filled up with Dawnguard soldiers, some eager to hear what the Moth Priest could tell them, others questioning why they were there, hoping to get back to whatever it was they were doing. Isran had retrieved the Elder Scroll from a hollow brick in the wall of his quarters. As the last of the Dawnguard entered the room, he instructed Valkyrie and Serana to stand front and center with him, before gingerly handing Dexion the Elder Scroll. "Alright, old man," the Redguard said. "Whenever you're ready."
"Alright," Dexion took a deep breath, pulling on the tab of the Scroll. "If everyone will please be quiet. I must concentrate." The Scroll began to glow, projecting a brilliant white light onto the priest's face, and he began to speak. "I see a vision before me," he spoke, as though possessed by some otherworldy force. "An image of a great bow. I know this weapon. It is Auriel's Bow." A few gasps came from the Dawnguard soldiers, mostly the elves, and Valkyrie wondered if they knew something she didn't. "Now a voice whispers," he continued, "Saying among the night's children, a dread lord shall rise," This was undoubtedly meant to refer to Harkon. The Nord took a deep breath, almost afraid of what Dexion would say next.
"In an age of strife," he went on, "When dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will mingle with light, and the day and night shall be as one." If the Moth Priest didn't have the undivided attention of every single Dawnguard soldier before, he certainly did now. The old man had mentioned dragons, creatures of legend who hadn't been in centuries. There were a few nervous glances cast between people, especially between Valkyrie and Serana. "The voice fades," Dexion was seemingly not finished. "And the words begin to shimmer and distort. But wait, there is more here."
More? He had already mentioned an incredibly powerful weapon, apparently powerful enough to extinguish the sun itself, then followed it up with mentions of dragons of all things, and there was still more to be revealed. Valkyrie crossed her arms, shaking her head and wondering just what she had gotten herself into. At every turn she seemed incredibly out of her depth.
"The secret of the bow's power is written elsewhere," Dexion said, and out of the corner of her eye, Valkyrie saw Serana's head dip. "I think there is more to the prophecy, recorded in other Scrolls," he continued. "Yes, I see them now. One contains the ancient secrets of the dragons, and the other speaks of the potency of ancient blood." There was a short silence, no one in the room quite sure how to comprehend what they were hearing. "My vision darkens," Dexion's voice began to return to normal, "And I see no more. To know the complete prophecy, we must have the other two Scrolls." He closed the Elder Scroll, a look adorning his face that expressed great pain or stress. "I... must rest now," he said. "The reading has... made me weary."
Dexion fell to one knee, and Isran rushed over to help him up. "Come on, old man," the Redguard said, throwing one of the priest's arms over his shoulder. "You should get some rest." He shot a glance at Valkyrie and Serana, shaking his head. "Everyone, back to your duties," he said, helping the Moth Priest over to the stairs. As if on cue, the Dawnguard dispersed, scattering themselves throughout the fortress, bits and pieces of mixed conversation following them on there way, until Valkyrie and Serana were left alone in the the foyer.
"That," Serana said eventually. "Wasn't as informative as I would have liked."
"Are Elder Scrolls always so vague and unhelpful?" Valkyrie asked with a scoff.
"How should I know?" The vampire snapped. "It's not like we had Moth Priests ready to read them on demand back home."
"Okay, okay," the Nord backed off.
"Sorry," Serana continued, crossing her arms. "I just... I thought this was it, you know? We were finally going to put an end to this damned prophecy, and now..." she sighed. "Now it seems further out of my grasp than ever."
"No kidding," Valkyrie shook her head. "I'm still caught up on the dragons. I've read books and heard old legends, but... but that's all they are. Legends." A thought suddenly occurred to the Nord. "Have you ever seen one?"
"Once or twice," the vampire shrugged. "They were still pretty rare in my time."
"Well, in this time, dragons have been extinct for centuries."
Valkyrie and Serana looked over to Isran, who had evidently returned after helping the Moth Priest to his likely temporary quarters. The Redguard looked none too pleased about what he had heard from the Moth Priest. He stopped in front of them, turning his gaze directly to Valkyrie. "Look," he said, his jaw clenching. "I'm not too proud to admit when I was wrong," he sighed. "If you want to continue investigating this prophecy, I suppose I can't stop you."
Once again, Valkyrie was shocked that Isran could actually show some semblance of humility. She bowed her head slightly. "Thank you," she said. "So what do you think about what we heard?"
"I heard a lot of vague nonsense," he spat. "You could interpret it a hundred different ways. But," the Nord and the vampire hung on his last word. "What stood out for me was Auriel's Bow. That's a powerful weapon, and I sure as Oblivion don't want the vampires getting their hands on it." Valkyrie sighed. Even after admitting his own fault, Isran was still paranoid with his one-track mind. "The Moth Priest can stay for now. As for the vampire," he turned to Serana, the two exchanging a glare. "I still don't trust it. So keep it on a leash."
Before Valkyrie or Serana had a chance to respond, Isran turned on his heel and marched out of the room, off into the fortress, leaving the Nord and the vampire alone once more. The vampire sighed heavily, sounding more like a growl than anything else. "What. An. Ass."
"So," Valkyrie said, hoping to calm the vampire. "We need to find the other two Elder Scrolls. Any ideas?"
"I don't have the first clue," Serana shook her head. "I need some time to think. I'm going to go for a walk," she turned to the Nord. "You're welcome to join me."
"I think I'll pass this time," Valkyrie said. "I'm going to get some food."
"Suit yourself."
Within minutes, Valkyrie found herself in the fort's dining hall, enjoying a fresh meal all by her lonesome. The events of this day had her still confused, and a bit nervous as to what may lay ahead. For one thing, she had no clue who this Auriel was, or what significance his bow held. And the mention of dragons, beasts of Nordic legend who had been extinct since Serana was locked away. Not to mention they still needed two more Elder Scrolls in order to complete the prophecy and put an end to Harkon once and for all. Valkyrie's hand gripped just a little tighter every time she thought of the mad vampire king, and she couldn't help but be amazed just how different he and Serana were.
In the midst of Valkyrie's inner monologue, she was joined at the dining table by Durak and Sorine, who she greeted with a nod. There was a lengthy silence as all three took sips of their drinks and bites of their food. The Nord could feel the tension in the air, and was tired of wondering who was going to bring it up first. "So," she said, putting down her mead. "Are you two here to question me too?"
Durak and Sorine looked at Valkyrie as though she had three heads. It appeared the Nord had put her foot in her mouth, so to speak. "No?" The Orc raised an eyebrow. "Why would we be questioning you?"
She sighed. "I see the looks everyone gives me whenever I come back here," Valkyrie explained. "They're always full of suspicion and paranoia, yet nobody bothers to actually say anything to me."
"Well," Sorine spoke up. "That's mostly just due to your choice of company."
"It's not really a choice," the Nord shrugged. "She's here because of me. I'm the one who found her in that damned crypt."
"We know," Durak said. "Look, not all of us are as paranoid as Isran. We may not trust the vampire, but nobody is questioning your loyalty," he took a swig of his ale, before adding, "We just hope you know what you're doing."
"Yeah," Valkyrie took a deep breath. "So do I."
"So, since you're heading back out in the morning," Sorine said. "You think you could do me a favor?"
"Sure," the Nord said. "What's the favor?"
"Gunmar and I were talking," the Breton continued. "With the mention of this Auriel's Bow, and now more Elder Scrolls, the situation is getting worse by the day. We both agree we're going to need Florentius."
Valkyrie's brow furrowed. "Who's Florentius?"
"He's a priest of Arkay," Sorine explained. "Or... was. It's complicated."
"I'm not sure how much more complication I need in my life, Sorine."
"He is a bit... out there," the Breton shrugged. "But we can trust him, and we could definitely use his skills."
"Alright," Valkyrie took another gulp of mead. "Where can I find him?"
"Well," Sorine said sheepishly. "That's the thing. We don't know where he is. Haven't seen him in years." Valkyrie sighed, but Sorine continued. "But he had regular contact with the Vigilants of Stendarr, and I know Isran kept track of them."
"But the Vigilants were wiped out months ago," Valkyrie questioned.
"No, their hall was destroyed," the Breton corrected her. "They have members all over Skyrim, Cyrodiil and High Rock. So you could try asking Isran if he knows anything. Just keep in mind that he might not like the idea."
"When was the last time Isran liked anything?" Valkyrie smirked, garnering a laugh from her comrades. "Between finding this Florentius and getting my hands on the other two Elder Scrolls, I'm going to be very busy," she said, and Sorine and Durak nodded. "It could be weeks before I return."
"Don't worry," the Orc smiled. "We'll be right here when you do," he raised his mug.
"Stendarr watch over you."
21st of Second Seed, 4E 200
Isran had been less than pleased when asked about the whereabouts of Florentius Baenius, the priest of Arkay that Sorine had mentioned. The Redguard seemed to think he was insane, but eventually relented and pointed Valkyrie in the direction of a group of Vigilants, ones excavating an old Nordic burial crypt known as Ruunvald in the mountains of Eastmarch. Once again on horseback, the trip had been taken mostly in silence. This time not due to any lingering distrust between Valkyrie and Serana, but simply because the two felt no need for idle conversation. At least, not until Serana suddenly spoke up.
"So," the vampire said.
"So," Valkyrie said back.
"That Moth Priest Dexion said we needed to find two more Elder Scrolls," Serana continued. "I think I know where we can start looking."
"What?" The Nord asked. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"
"Hmph," Serana scoffed. "Half the people in your little group would just as soon kill me as look at me. Doesn't exactly make me want to open up." She shook her head, letting out a sigh. "I got a warmer welcome from my father. And that's saying something."
"What is it between you two?" Valkyrie asked, before immediately retracting. "Actually, don't answer that. Look," she paused, trying to choose her words carefully. "I know he's your father, but he..." She stopped short before she inevitably called him a monster. "He hasn't treated you like a father should."
"Preaching to the choir, darling," Serana said, and Valkyrie rolled her eyes at darling.
"Does Harkon even care about you anymore?"
The vampire said nothing for a long time. "You know, I asked myself the same question," her voice began to quiver. "When you and I arrived on the island, some small part of me hoped that maybe he'd finally seen the light. That it wouldn't have to be this way," she shook her head. "But as soon I was back in his life, all he cared about was his Elder Scroll and his damned prophecy." At this point, Valkyrie couldn't help but feel sympathy for Serana, although she tried not to show it. The Nord finally understood that she wasn't the only one to suffer at Harkon's hands. "And now that obsession's had a thousand years to fester," Serana spoke again. "To be honest, I don't know if he ever cared about me. Even when we were human, he was always concerned with power, wealth, his image. Anything that didn't involve me or my mother."
The vampire's voice was shaky, her breath becoming ragged and irregular, and from underneath her hood, Valkyrie swore she saw a tear flowing down her cheek. "Then there was the ceremony," she said, and Valkyrie shifted her weight on her horse, riding a bit closer. "What kind of father..." Serana stopped short, and Valkyrie said nothing, hoping to let her vent. "He let a Daedric Prince do horrible, unspeakable things to me," she took a deep breath, likely trying to hold back tears. "For no other reason than for his own gain..."
Valkyrie reached out a hand, placing it on Serana's shoulder. The vampire was surprised by the Nord's show of compassion, likely the first she had shown since the two had met. Serana turned her head, the two looked at each other in silence for what seemed like ages, before Serana shook Valkyrie's hand off. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to get so emotional."
"It's alright," Valkyrie said.
"Honestly," the vampire continued, "I wasn't expecting you to care."
"No one deserves to go through what you have," the Nord said. She smirked, "Not even a filthy vampire."
Serana let out a genuine laugh. "Thank you," she said, taking a deep breath and regaining her composure. "That was heavy."
"Yeah," Valkyrie agreed, now trying to change the subject. "So, the other two Scrolls?"
"Right," the vampire nodded. "Since we're already headed north to look for this Florentius, I thought we could try asking around the College of Winterhold."
The Nord's brow furrowed. "The College?" Thoughts of blistering cold and wizards rambling on about things she could never comprehend filled her mind, as the College of Winterhold was the only place in Skyrim dedicated to the study of magic. It didn't help that it was located in the northernmost part of the province. Most of Skyrim was cold and unforgiving, but Winterhold was truly something else. Not a day went by without heavy snow and bone-chilling cold, even in the summer. It was why Valkyrie generally declined going to the region.
"Yes," Serana said. "The wizards there probably know about all kinds of things people shouldn't."
"That's the problem," Valkyrie cautioned. "The College of Winterhold has a bit of a... reputation."
"Why?" The vampire raised an eyebrow.
"Take your pick," the Nord shook her head. "How much have you heard about the Oblivion Crisis?"
"A bit," Serana said. "Something about Mehrunes Dagon trying to invade Tamriel."
"Right. And the cult who started the whole thing were mostly magic users," Valkyrie continued. "Then, about a hundred years later, we had The Great Collapse."
"Which was?"
"Most of the city fell off into the Sea of Ghosts," the Nord explained. "The only thing really left was the College. The people thought they either caused it, or could have prevented it."
"That does sound fairly damning," the vampire relented.
"Then you have the Great War, about thirty years ago," Valkyrie went on. "The fact that it was waged by the Thalmor, who are elves, which Nords already don't like, and magic users."
"Okay, I think I get the point."
"The bottom line is the people of Skyrim generally don't trust magic," Valkyrie shrugged. "And because of that, the College doesn't let visitors in."
"Good thing I'm not a visitor."
Before Valkyrie could ask what Serana meant, the vampire rolled up her sleeve, revealing a strange sigil, one the Nord had never seen before. Seeing the smirk on the vampire's face, the realization suddenly hit her. "You were a member of the College?"
"Still am," Serana replied. "If they still accept the sigil."
"Well, that's one Scroll down. Hopefully," Valkyrie said. "What about the other?"
At this, the vampire took a deep breath. "We need to find my mother, Valerica."
If she didn't have Valkyrie's full attention before, she certainly did now. "Your mother?" The vampire nodded. "I thought you said you didn't know where she went."
"I don't," Serana said. "The last time I saw her, she said she was going somewhere safe. Somewhere my father would never think to look." She shook her head. "Other than that, she wouldn't tell me anything. What I can't figure out is why she said it that way. It was cryptic, yet she called attention to it."
"Well, if Harkon is any indication," Valkyrie chimed in. "There's always the possibility she didn't trust you, either."
"Maybe," Serana said, still pondering. "She's honestly not much better than my father, but we can't worry about that now. We need the Scroll and she's our only lead."
"Right. Do you know where she could have gone?"
"No. I can't imagine a single place my father would avoid looking," the vampire sighed. "And he's had all this time, too. Any ideas?"
Valkyrie thought for a moment. Serana did have a point, Harkon had well over a thousand years to look for her and Valerica, and yet he had come up short. "Maybe she was sealed away like you were?" She blurted out the first thought in her head.
"I don't think so," the vampire said. "One of us needed to stay awake, and she's much more powerful than I am. It made sense for it to be her."
"How..." Valkyrie's brow furrowed. "How much more powerful are we talking?"
"There's... a pretty significant power gap between me and my parents," Serana explained. "That's part of the reason I went looking for you. I knew I couldn't take my father on alone."
"Only part of the reason?" Valkyrie questioned. "What was the rest of it?"
The vampire shot a smirk in her direction. "I think you know what is is, darling."
"Ugh," the Nord scoffed. "I walked into that one."
"Yes you did," Serana laughed. "So, any other ideas?"
"Hmm," Valkyrie said. "Well, if your mother is almost Harkon's equal," she paused, until a thought finally hit her. "What if she was hiding right under his nose? In Castle Volkihar?"
The vampire's eyes grew wide. "Wait... that almost makes sense!" She exclaimed. "I used to help my mother tend a garden in the castle courtyard. All the ingredients from our potions came from there," she continued. "She used to tell me my father couldn't stand the place. Too peaceful."
"Isn't that pretty risky, staying around the castle?" The Nord asked.
"Absolutely," Serana said. "But my mother's not a coward. That said, I doubt we'll actually trip over her there. But it's worth a look."
"We're not going to be able to waltz in through the front door, you know."
"True," the vampire replied. "But I know a way we can get in without arousing suspicion."
"Yeah?" Valkyrie questioned.
"There's an unused inlet on the northern side of the island," Serana explained. "The previous owners used to use it to bring supplies into the castle. It's an old escape tunnel. I think that's our way in."
"Then it looks like we have a plan," Valkyrie said. "Speaking of plans, I think this is our stop." She took notice of a nearby tree with a symbol of Stendarr carved into it, right next to a rocky path which led up into the eastern mountains. The two brought their horses to a halt, tying the reins onto the branches of the tree, and promptly setting on the path. Valkyrie only hoped it wouldn't be too lengthy of a walk. She was surprised at herself, the fact that she actually cared about this vampire and her past. But then, Serana had already proven multiple times over that she was nothing like Harkon or the vampires she and the Dawnguard hunted down. For the most part, it seemed Serana simply wanted to put an end to her father's prophecy and then simply be left alone, which Valkyrie could appreciate. She would owe the vampire an apology once they weren't so preoccupied.
After a lengthy trudge up the mountain, the pair came across an old cave, marked by a banner with the Vigilants' symbol sticking up from the snow, as well as a nearby empty tent. And nothing else. No Vigilants outside standing watch, as well as no sign of this Florentius. A feeling of dread began to form in Valkyrie's stomach, and it seemed Serana's as well. "This is odd," the vampire spoke. "You would think they'd have at least one person out here standing guard."
"This is the Vigilants we're talking about," Valkyrie said. "They would definitely have someone standing guard." She drew her crossbow. "I don't like this."
"I don't like this?" The vampire repeated, smirking. "That's right up there with what could possibly go wrong?"
"In my experience," the Nord said, walking over to the tent, "If something can go wrong, it will go wrong." She picked up a discarded journal, skimming through and looking for any important information. What she found was quite worrying. "This journal belongs to a Vigilant," she turned back to Serana. "This last entry said it had been three days since anyone had come up from the excavation."
"Great," Serana sighed. "So we should expect trouble."
"We should," Valkyrie began making her way towards the cave. "Be ready for anything."
Almost immediately upon entering the cave, the rocky, natural surroundings gave way to man made walls, the statuary nearly identical to what Valkyrie had experienced in Dimhollow Crypt. At the very least, she knew that she and Serana were headed in the right direction. The Nord stepped carefully, her crossbow still in hand as the two came across a makeshift stairway, leading straight down, further into the tomb. At the bottom of the stairway was what looked to be a Vigilant of Stendarr, pickaxe in hand, swinging away at the walls. Valkyrie and Serana exchanged a glance before carefully treading down the stairway. The whole time, the Vigilant never once turned his attention away from his mining, and Valkyrie's crossbow never left her hand.
As the two reached the bottom of the stairway, Valkyrie cautiously made her way over to the Vigilant. She tapped on his shoulder, "Excuse me, friend?"
She had barely finished her sentence before she was met with an elbow to the face. Valkyrie stumbled back, her vision blurred as the Vigilant swung his pickaxe in her direction. The blow never connected, however, as an ice spike from Serana caught him in the shoulder, pinning him against the walls of the cave. Serana rushed to Valkyrie's side, in the process sending another spike right through the Vigilant's forehead, killing him instantly. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," the Nord said, pinching her nose to stop any bleeding. "What was that?"
"I don't know," the vampire said, walking over to inspect the corpse of their attacker. After a moment of silence, Serana turned back to Valkyrie, a very worried expression on her face. "He was being mind controlled."
"What?" The Nord asked incredulously. "How?"
"I don't know," Serana said. "But if this one was being controlled, we should assume all the Vigilants in here are as well."
"Do you think it's more vampires?"
"No," Serana continued. "I can smell my own kind from a mile away. This is something else entirely," she folded her arms. "Likely the work of a very powerful sorcerer."
"Great," Valkyrie said.
"Luckily, mind control makes people stupid," the vampire continued. "As long as we keep our heads, we should be fine."
Valkyrie nodded, and the two continued into the excavation of Ruunvald. The Vigilants of Stendarr were separated into groups throughout the tomb, each one mining away at a specific area. Serana had been right, having their minds controlled did indeed make them slow, both in speed and mental capacity, and most of them proved no challenge to the pair. The Nord felt a pang of remorse at cutting down so many innocents, wishing that there could only be another way, but Serana was insistent that there was no saving the Vigilants, that they were better off in death than serving as mindless slaves to a sorcerer.
With every Vigilant that fell to her blade, the feeling of dread in Valkyrie's gut only grew. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Eventually, after navigating through the crypt for what felt like hours, Valkyrie and Serana came to a great doorway, one that stood out from the statuary of the rest of tomb as the stonework was far more detailed. This likely lead to the main chamber of Ruunvald, and Valkyrie turned to exchange a glance at Serana, only to find the vampire searching a Vigilant's corpse.
"Really?" Valkyrie said, annoyed, as she walked back over the the vampire. "Is this really the time?"
"I'm seeing if he has anything useful," Serana deadpanned, "I don't know if I found anything, but he did have a journal."
"Let me see," the Nord said, and the vampire handed it to her. Once more, she flipped through the pages, reading bits and pieces aloud to see if she and Serana could learn anything from the tome. "I have decided to document our expedition to find Ruunvald in my journals," she read. "In the hopes that if we fail, it will bring illumination to those who follow us."
"As if anyone else would," Serana smirked. "Well, besides us, of course. What else does it say?"
"Let's see," the Nord continued, "I have found myself distracted at times. I have had many a conversation with the workers where I drift off, only to have them call me back to reality. Sometimes I lose small amounts of time and can't remember what I've done."
Serana sighed. "That's always how it starts."
"The damnable headaches!" Valkyrie kept reading. "Minorne be merciful, I just can't seem to shake them. Wait," she paused. "Who's Minorne?"
"I... don't know," the vampire raised an eyebrow. "Is that name mentioned anywhere else?"
"Everywhere, actually," The Nord said, worried. "I'd hate for the Vigilants of Minorne to think I'd lost my senses... my father, Minorne... my mentor, Minorne."
"Looks like this Minorne is our sorcerer," Serana said matter-of-factly. "Does it say anything about Florentius?"
"Yes, here," Valkyrie flipped to the end of the journal. "The guard, Florentius, sent from the beacon, he still prays to Arkay."
"So Minorne hasn't broken him yet," the vampire said. "Good. We need to move before it's too late."
"Agreed."
Valkyrie tossed the journal aside as she and Serana rushed through the doors to the burial chamber, where a High Elf sat atop a makeshift throne, surrounded by at least a dozen Vigilants. Off to the side was a rusty cage, in which an Imperial man sat, seemingly in a meditative trance, undoubtedly Florentius. Before Minorne or the Vigilants could react to their sudden presence, Valkyrie led a bolt fly straight at the Altmer, which exploded on impact. But as the smoke from the explosion cleared, Minorne appeared unharmed, behind a glowing, transparent magical shield. She raised her head, looking down her nose at the two intruders, before shouting, "Vigilants, attack!"
The dozen or so Vigilants immediately drew crossbows, leaving no room for Valkyrie or Serana to sidestep them. The attackers all fired in unison, but the bolts never reached their targets, blocked by Serana's own magical shield, one that was crimson and reeked of blood. The Vigilants began to charge, and Valkyrie loaded another bolt of her own while Serana threw herself right into the thick of it, fighting hand to hand and easily outpacing the enslaved Vigilants.
Valkyrie loosed another bolt, this one landing in the arm of a Vigilant that was charging straight for her. His arm went limp, but no mind was paid as he swung an axe right at the Nord's head. Valkyrie promptly dodged the blow, drawing her own sword and making a swing of her own. She and the Vigilant clashed weapons for a few moments, before an arrow caught her in her lower leg, forcing her down to one knee. The mindless Vigilant took advantage of this, delivering a vicious kick to her chest, knocking Valkyrie onto her back. He made ready to swing his axe down once more, but Serana rushed in from nowhere, slamming into the Vigilant with all her might.
"You alright?" She asked as Valkyrie returned to her feet. The Nord never got a chance to answer, as a stray bolt struck Serana right in the stomach. Readying her blade, Valkyrie charged at the source of the bolt, a Vigilant who seemed to be taking his sweet time to reload. He had barely inserted another bolt before Valkyrie's blade went straight through his chest. There were no more Vigilants, and now the Nord was face to face with the Altmer known as Minorne.
The witch held out her hands, a wall of fire spewing from her fingertips which forced Valkyrie to double back, once again drawing her crossbow. She loaded it with another of Sorine's experimental bolts as Minorne raised her magical shield once more. The two circled each other for a bit, before Minorne began sending bolts of fire Valkyrie's way. One of them she sidestepped, the next she ducked under. Finally, the Altmer was able to land a blow, hitting Valkyrie in her hurt leg which caused the Nord to collapse face first onto the ground.
Minorne began to laugh, her shield finally dissipating, and Valkyrie saw her chance. Before the witch could react, she aimed her crossbow with one hand, and pulled the trigger, sending a bolt right into the witch's gut, which sent a surge of lightning throughout her body. She wasn't dead, not yet. But while the electrocution took effect, Valkyrie scrambled to her feet, drawing her blade and sending it straight through the Altmer's neck.
It was over, at last. Valkyrie reached down, tearing the arrow from her leg, and letting out a sharp grunt of pain in the process. "Well," she groaned, dusting herself off. "That was fun. Are you alright, Serana?" She recieved no response. "Serana?" Valkyrie repeated, turning over to where she had last seen the vampire. The Nord's eyes grew wide as she was horrified by the sight that greeted her. Serana was on the floor, curled up into a ball and shaking violently. "Oh, shit. Serana!"
She sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her over to the injured vampire, who still offered no reply to the Nord's pleas. "Serana," Valkyrie continued in between frantic breaths, knelling down to her. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"S... Si... S," the vampire stammered, nearly unable to speak. "Sil... silver."
Valkyrie's stomach dropped as the realization hit her. The bolt that had struck Serana had been made of silver, something deadly to all undead creatures. Without thinking, the Nord reached down the wound, and promptly ripped the bolt from the vampire's stomach. Serana let out an inhuman snarl, her fangs extending out of her mouth. The bolt was gone, but the shaking didn't stop, and Valkyrie began to panic.
"Shit," she said, lifting Serana's head. "Serana, what do I do? How can I stop... whatever this is?"
The vampire's mouth moved slightly, as though she were trying to form words. Valkyrie said nothing, afraid to miss whatever it was Serana had to say to her. "P... po..." the vampire stuttered still. "Potion."
Valkyrie rushed, her heart beating violently as she reached into Serana's pouch, looking for any potions she could find. It wasn't until now that she absolutely despised having an infinite carrying space attached at one's hip. Her arm flailed around, finding the textures of anything and everything besides what she was looking for until, by sheer luck, she pulled out a large grey vial with the words "For silver" scribbled onto its surface. That was all Valkyrie needed to see, she lifted the vampire's head up and poured a generous amount of the elixir into her mouth. "Drink," was all she said, making sure Serana swallowed every drop.
A few moments passed, and Serana's shaking didn't stop. It was agonizing, every second feeling like years as Valkyrie waited for something to happen. She had given the vampire the potion, she had done all she could do. After what felt like an eternity, the shaking began to stop, and Valkyrie's heart rate began to slow with it. Until she looked into Serana's eyes. They normally glowed with a brilliant amber hue, but they were slowly shifting into a dull, lifeless gray.
Valkyrie's heart skipped a beat. "No," she said as she began to shake Serana. "No, no, no, no, no," she repeated the word over and over, but it brought no comfort, and garnered no response from Serana. "Come on," the Nord said, shaking even harder. "Stay with me, damn it!"
After a few moments of nothing but silence, Serana suddenly let out a dramatic gasp, the amber in her eyes returning. For just a moment, Valkyrie retained just a tiny bit of hope, that maybe she had been able to save her friend... her friend.
Serana coughed, and a slab of blood flew directly into Valkyrie's face. The Nord gagged, and as she wiped the blood away, she heard a quiet, barely audible laughed. Opening her eyes, she saw Serana smiling weakly up at her, and it was the most welcome sight Valkyrie had seen in her life up to that point. The vampire put a hand on the Nord's face. "My hero," she said sarcastically, and Valkyrie shook her head. Serana was fine, alright.
"Let's avoid doing that in the future," Valkyrie said. "You had me worried."
"Aww," the vampire teased. "You were worried."
The Nord rolled her eyes. "Can you stand?"
Serana nodded, taking Valkyrie's extended hand and rising to her feet. The two made their way over to the cage next to Minorne's throne where Florentius was held, still in his trance, likely trying to resist whatever mind control the witch was attempting to cast over him. A quick spell from Serana, and the door to the cage flew open, although the priest took no notice. Valkyrie leaned in, placing a hand on Florentius's shoulder,
"Aaaah!"
"Aaaah!"
Almost immediately upon contact, the man's eyes opened, and he began screaming. Valkyrie jumped at the sound, letting out a surprised yelp of her own, falling down to her backside. Florentius rose to his feet, immediately rushing over to the fallen Nord and offering his hand. "Arkay have mercy!" He said. "I am so sorry, my lady. Are you..." he stopped short as Valkyrie got back up, and the man stole a glance over both of them. "You're... not with them, are you?"
"I don't think so?" Valkyrie said.
"Oh, thank Arkay!" The Imperial exclaimed, turning his head to the sky. "I knew it! I knew Arkay would save me! I asked for help, and he sent you!" Already, Valkyrie could see what Sorine had been talking about when she described Florentius as out there. "I'm sure I'll manage to repay him later, but..." the priest continued, now turning his attention back to Valkyrie and Serana. "What can I ever do to thank you?"
"You can go to Fort Dawnguard, southeast of Riften," Valkyrie said. "Isran needs your help."
The smile on Florentius's face faded immediately. "Isran? My help?" The priest began to scowl, folding his arms. "Is this some kind of a joke? Did Arkay put you up to this?"
"What?" Valkyrie asked. "No, I-"
"Isran's done nothing but mock me," the Imperial continued. "He's never given me the respect I deserve."
"Now why does that story sound so familiar?" Serana chuckled.
"Hmph," Florentius scoffed. "I've just gotten out of quite a mess here, and while I appreciate your help, I... what's that?"
Valkyrie's brow furrowed, now completely lost. She glanced at Serana, who seemed equally as confused as she was.
"No, that's not what I..." The priest continued, now staring off into space. "Yes, but..." At last, he let out a great sigh. "Are you sure? Really?" He grumbled, before glancing back at Valkyrie and Serana. "Fine. Arkay says it's a good idea for me to go. I don't agree, but he's not the sort of fellow you can just ignore."
"Arkay told you this?" Valkyrie asked.
"Indeed he did," Florentius said confidently.
"O...kay?"
"Anyway," the preist spoke once more. "I'll see you at Fort Dawnguard. Arkay will show me the... Oh, for the love of... what now?"
Suddenly Valkyrie regretted agreeing to Sorine's request. This man honestly believed that the God of Death and Burials was talking to him. Perhaps Isran had been right, that maybe they should have just left Florentius out of it. Suddenly, the Imperial turned and looked straight at Valkyrie, a bewildered look on his face that was returned fully.
"Really now? Her?" He asked, examining the Nord from head to toe, and making her very uncomfortable in the process. "Are you sure? I don't see what... True, but... Alright, alright, I'll tell her," the priest sighed, looking straight at Valkyrie with the sternest of expressions. "Arkay says there's something... special about you."
"Did he now?" Valkyrie asked, wishing for an end to the conversation.
"He did," Florentius continued. "He can't quite put his finger on it, but he swears he's seen it before." He shook his head. "He wanted me to tell you too... Damn, what was it? Guard your life, for others will depend on it in the future."
The Nord had far too many questions, many of which were directed at the priest's sanity, or lack thereof. But she never got a chance to ask, as Florentius bid them both ado and set out on his way out of the tomb. Valkyrie looked over at Serana, who was still just as puzzled as she was. "That was..." the vampire said. "Interesting."
"Let's just get out of here."
With Florentius gone, Valkyrie and Serana were free to make their own way out of the damned crypt. They walked in silence, and Valkyrie's mind couldn't help but drift back to what had happened earlier. The Nord was relieved beyond belief that the vampire was okay, but now that the crisis was over, she couldn't help but wonder exactly why she'd been so worried to begin with. Sure, she had resigned herself to apologize for her actions and treat the creature with a modicum of decency, but this was different. Valkyrie had been panicking as though she would have died herself if Serana perished from the silver. It didn't make sense. As the two walked, Serana shot a glance back at the Nord, and for a moment, her stomach began to feel a bit queasy. It wasn't until she turned back around that the sudden weight of realization dropped on Valkyrie like a ton of bricks.
Gods damn it, I have feelings for her, don't I?
Chapter 9: Discerning The Transmundane, Pt. I
Chapter Text
25th of Second Seed, 4E 200
It was a wonder anyone still chose to live in Winterhold after the Great Collapse. She counted maybe two buildings besides what appeared to be the Jarl's Longhouse and the local inn. All of the buildings were in various states of disrepair, and this wasn't even counting the destroyed homes that littered the landscape. And the Gods damned cold. Even Valkyrie's Nordic blood was unable to keep her from shivering like a leaf in the midst of the snow storm that was plaguing the town. She could see the fabled College of Winterhold in the distance, a massive sprawling complex of stone towers that looked so out of place in this dingy frozen waste. Their destination was in sight, but at that moment, all Valkyrie wanted to do was get inside for a minute. She shivered once more and her teeth began to chatter, earning her an amused look from Serana.
"If I didn't know better," she said, "I'd think you were cold."
"Just a little," Valkyrie replied shakily. "I can't imagine what it must be like for people who aren't Nords."
The vampire only laughed, reaching into her magic pouch and pulling out a small blue bottle. "Drink this," she said, handing it to Valkyrie. "It'll help."
Valkyrie didn't even think twice before swallowing a considerable gulp of whatever concoction Serana had given her. Not that it mattered, as within moments, the blistering cold seemed to simply fade away. "Thank you," she nodded to Serana.
"My pleasure," the vampire said with a smirk. "Can't have you dying from the cold before we find the next Scroll."
No longer in danger of succumbing to the elements, Valkyrie and Serana marched onward, reaching a great stone stairway that bore the College's symbol. It was different than the one Serana had inscribed on her wrist, however, but the Nord had no time to worry as just before they reached the top of the stairs, they were stopped by an Altmer mage who stood in the way.
"Halt!" She exclaimed, and Valkyrie and Serana complied. "If you are here to complain about the College's recent activities, you would be better of talking to the Jarl of Winterhold."
Serana sighed. "We aren't here for that."
"Hmph," the Altmer scoffed. "Then you're simply wasting my time. The College does not take visitors or tourists, so I'm afraid the both of you will need to leave."
Valkyrie and Serana exchanged a glance, both visibly irritated by the Elf's belligerence. But Serana shook her head, stepping forward and rolling up her sleeve to reveal the sigil on her wrist. "Does this mean anything to you?"
The mage lifted Serana's arm, examining the mark closely, saying nothing for longer than either Valkyrie or Serana may have liked. Finally, the Altmer's eyes grew wide. "This," she said, astounded. "This is a student identification mark... from the School of Jhunal of all places. They haven't been seen since the Second Era." She looked up at the vampire, looking confused and also a bit curious. "How exactly did you come to be in possession of this?"
"It's a very long, complicated story," Serana said, suddenly adorning a smirk, her voice becoming low and seductive. "I'd be more than happy to share the details with you," she moved in close to the Altmer, whose breathing suddenly became much heavier. At this point, Valkyrie's jaw began to twitch. A pang of jealousy and anger shot through her mind and her stomach felt as though it were turning inside out. She wanted nothing more that to punch this damned Elf in the face, but they needed information about the Elder Scroll. Suddenly, Serana stole a glance back at Valkyrie, that same damned smirk still on her face. "But it will have to be at a later date," the vampire said. "My friend and I are on some very urgent business."
"Very well," the mage said, regaining her composure. "But I'll hold you to it."
Serana only chuckled in response, motioning for Valkyrie to follow her. As she passed, the Nord glared a hole into the Altmer's very soul. The mage's wide eyes and subtle backing away gave the Nord a grand sense of satisfaction, and she quickly made her way to Serana's side. Past the gate the Altmer was guarding was a bridge, which, as Valkyrie discovered by simply looking over the side, carried them across a seemingly bottomless canyon of snow and ice, ground that had once occupied most of Winterhold. At the end of the bridge, a surprisingly great distance away, was the College. Valkyrie decided to try and get her mind off what had just happened.
"So," the Nord said rather suddenly. "The School of Jhunal. What exactly is that?"
"It's a tradition. Used to be, anyway," Serana explained as they kept walking. "I'm surprised you don't know who Jhunal is."
"Raised by Orcs, Serana. Remember?"
"Right," the vampire laughed. "He's one of the ancient Nordic gods. You probably know him now as Julianos." Valkyrie nodded her head. "In my time, there were temples of Jhunal in all of the major cities in Skyrim," she explained. "In addition to the worship of the god himself, they were also dedicated to being testing grounds for aspiring mages."
"And what brought you to them?" The Nord asked.
"I always had an aptitude for magic," Serana shrugged. "It just seemed to make sense that I try and join the College."
"Right," Valkyrie said. "So what does Jhunal have to do with the College?"
"He's the god of magic," the vampire said. "Even back then, they didn't take just anyone. You had to get a recommendation from the leaders of each temple before the College would even give you the time of day."
"That sounds like a lot of trouble to go through just to join a school full of mages."
"Things were different back then," Serana said. "The College of Winterhold was respected throughout all of Skyrim. Being accepted was considered an honor."
"So, now for the obvious question," Valkyrie said. "How did your parents react?"
"My father didn't really care. Big surprise," the vampire sighed. "He enjoyed the respect it garnered for our family, but other than that it didn't interest him. But my mother, she couldn't have been more proud." For a brief moment, Serana showed a genuine smile, before sighing and dipping her head. "To be honest, I kind of miss those days. I learned so much here. It was... a more innocent time, I guess."
"If you loved it here so much," the Nord said. "Why did you leave?"
There was a long silence after this question. The two had reached the end of the bridge, stopping just in front of the gate to the main grounds of the College. Serana's head stayed pointed at the ground, her arms folded, and Valkyrie worried she had said the wrong thing. At last, the vampire took a deep breath. "I left when my parents gave themselves to Molag Bal," she said, looking up at Valkyrie.
"Why?" The Nord asked. Even if Serana had never outright told her, she knew what had happened during her parents' ritual, given Molag Bal's nature. "Why would you give up all of this just to pledge yourself to a Daedric Prince?"
"Because at the time," the vampire sighed. "I thought family was more important than anything. I..." she stammered. "I never thought my parents would do anything to hurt me."
Every conversation with the vampire only seemed to reveal more and more tragedy. "I'm sorry," Valkyrie said quietly.
"Don't be," Serana replied. "I really do appreciate your concern. But," she sighed. "I've had centuries to cope with everything that's happened to me. Sometimes it still hurts, but I've accepted it. Made peace with it." Suddenly, the vampire smiled, causing the Nord to raise an eyebrow. "Honestly, despite everything that's happened to me, I wouldn't change any of it. Because if it didn't happen," she cocked her head to one side. "I never would have met you. And that would be the greater tragedy."
"Flirting with me right after you tried to charm that Altmer?" Valkyrie smiled back. "Typical vampire."
"So you were jealous," Serana's grin grew devilish, and a sudden rush of heat to Valkyrie's face made her dip her head. "And here I thought you weren't interested in little old me."
"W-who says I am?" The Nord fired back, unable to stop herself from talking. "Maybe... maybe I just got used to you doing it with me and felt a little betrayed."
"Whatever you say, darling," the vampire said with a laugh. "Good to know I have someone so... protective with me."Valkyrie's blush only darkened. "Come on," Serana continued, motioning beyond the gate. "If I remember correctly, the Arcaneum is just above the Hall of the Elements. We've got some research to do."
Any feeling of wonder or curiosity Valkyrie may have had about the fabled College of Winterhold faded after an hour of sitting on her arse, doing absolutely nothing while Serana picked apart every book in the Arcaneum, which as Valkyrie quickly learned was just a fancy word given to the College's glorified library. It drove her mad, both the seemingly glacial passing of time as every minute felt like a month, or simply the fact that she couldn't help, as powerful magical artifacts weren't exactly the Nord's area of expertise.
Every so often, a stray mage would pass through the library, casting suspicious looks at Serana, and Valkyrie by extension. It seemed word traveled fast around the College, and people were no doubt curious about the woman from the Second Era. At one point, Valkyrie could have sworn she saw an Altmer in what looked like a Thalmor officer's uniform, but she couldn't get a good look at him before he left. It mattered not, because even the possibility of a Thalmor presence at the College just made the place that much more unbearable. Valkyrie stood up from her seat and walked across the room to Serana, who was busy going through yet another bookcase.
"You know," Valkyrie said, leaning against a wall. "After all this time, I would have figured you'd at least think to ask the librarian if they have anything."
Serana was silent for a moment, before turning to look at the Nord with a look of bewilderment. "You did not call them a librarian," she replied, shaking her head and returning her attention to the bookcase. "The person is charge of the Arcaneum is known as a loremaster. Calling them a simple librarian is an insult."
"Alright," Valkyrie pinched the bridge of her nose. "So why haven't you asked the loremaster?"
"Yes, why haven't you asked the loremaster?"
A very irritated voice came from several feet away, but before Valkyrie and Serana could even turn to look, and old Orc wearing College garments was right next to them, glaring a hole into their beings. "You are now in the Arcaneum, of which I am in charge," the Orc spoke with disdain. "It might as well be my own little plane of Oblivion."
Serana immediately put back the book in her hand, and bowed her head. "My apologies," she said, speaking with a sudden charm and civility, one that caused Valkyrie to raise an eyebrow. "I would have asked for you sooner, but..." Serana continued, "Well, I couldn't find you."
The old Orc's expression softened ever so slightly. "I was helping the Arch-Mage with some... delicate business," he said, crossing his arms. "What exactly do you require assistance with?"
"Do you have any information on Elder Scrolls?"
The mage was silent for a moment, his eyes widening as he stared the two down for what seemed like ages. "Why?" He asked at last.
"Excuse me?"
"Why did you come here?" He demanded.
"Well," she began, raising an eyebrow. "This seemed like the best place to look. I thought it was too much to hope that you actually had one here, but you'd at least have some information on them."
"Wait," Valkyrie chimed in, now eyeing the vampire with annoyance. "You brought us all the way up here and they don't even have one?"
Serana simply shrugged, and the mage shook his head, grumbling. "You think that even if I did have one here, I would let you see it?" He crossed his arms. "It would be kept under the highest security. The greatest thief in the world wouldn't be able to lay a finger on it."
"That's about what I expected," the vampire dismissed. "So do you at least have any information on them?"
"First, you answer my question," the Orc said. "What exactly do you want with an Elder Scroll?"
Serana sighed, letting out a short chuckle. "Would you believe me if I told you we're trying to stop an ancient prophecy by a group of vampires to extinguish the sun?"
The mage narrowed his eyes, before grumbling and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. You really don't want to tell me, that's your business. But you don't need to insult my intelligence," he turned away from the two, heading to a desk at the opposite end of the room. "I'll bring everything we have on them. But it's not much, so don't get your hopes up."
Valkyrie sighed, leaning back against the wall as she prepared to wait for another inordinate amount of time while Serana picked through lots and lots of books. But much to her surprise, the old Orc came back moments later with only two tomes in hand. "Like I said, don't get your hopes up," he said, handing the books to the vampire. "It's mostly lies, leavened with rumor and conjecture." Serana said nothing in response, looking over the tomes for a moment before turning to Valkyrie.
"Here," the vampire said, handing one of them to the Nord. "You want to look through this one?"
Valkyrie shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She accepted the book from Serana, immediately opening the tome to see what information could be learned within. "Ruminations on the Elder Scrolls," she read the title aloud. The title, however, was the last thing in the entirety of the book that would make any sort of sense. The first sentence of the first page alone was a twisted, indecipherable rambling that made the Nord's head hurt just reading it.
Imagine living beneath the waves with a strong-sighted blessing of most excellent fabric. Holding the fabric over your gills, you would begin to breathe-drink its warp and weft. Though the plantmatter fibers imbue your soul, the wretched plankton would pollute the cloth until it stank to heavens of prophecy. This is one manner in which the Scrolls first came to pass, but are we the sea, or the breather, or the fabric? Or are we the breath itself?
For several more moments, though it seemed like hours to Valkyrie, she attempted to make some semblance of sense from the impossible book, but eventually gave up, shutting the tome, and marching over to the old Orc's desk. "What..." she stammered, still confused from the book. "What kind of madman wrote this book? It's incomprehensible."
The mage took a glance at the particular book Valkyrie had in her hand, and simply began to laugh. "Aye," he said, leaning back in his chair. "That's the work of Septimus Signus. He's the Empire's foremost authority on the nature of Elder Scrolls."
"Is there..." Valkyrie hesitated, "Is he alright?"
"He's always been a little... eccentric." The Orc continued. "He's been gone for a long time..."
"He's dead?" Serana piped up, now having made her way to Valkyrie's side.
"Gods, no." The mage said, shaking his head. "At least... I hope not. But even I haven't heard from him in years. And we were close."
"Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" Valkyrie questioned.
The Orc was silent for a moment. "He became obsessed with the Dwemer. Took off north saying he had found some old artifact. Haven't seen him since." He sighed. "Somewhere in the ice fields, I'd assume. If you want to try and find him, I'd start looking there."
Valkyrie sighed, glancing over at Serana. "Ice fields. Great," she shook her head. "Please tell me you have more of those potions."
Serana laughed. "Don't worry, I've got plenty."
Calling them ice fields was a bit of an overstatement. The freezing ocean at the bottom of the cliffs at the end of the town of Winterhold had its patches of ice, to be sure. But those small patches were in between much larger currents of bone-chilling water, so cold that not even Serana's potions likely could have helped. Navigating through this frozen wasteland was a nightmare, made only more irritating by the fact that Valkyrie and Serana were still no closer to finding the damned Elder Scroll. Now they were off in search of an apparent madman, a scholar at the College who had an unhealthy obsession with the extinct Dwemer, a lost race of elves who once lived underground. All because the crazy bastard might know where one the Scrolls was.
Eventually, the patches of ice began to get thicker, and with them, the wind began to blow harder and colder. If it hadn't still been daylight, Valkyrie would have been seriously worried about whether or not she could even see where she was stepping.
"You know," Serana had to raise her voice a bit to be heard over the wind. "I'm starting to understand why the ancient Nords left Atmora."
"Tell me about it," Valkyrie replied, rubbing her hands over her arms, trying to warm them from the friction. "Do you see anything that stands out? Something that might tell us where this Septimus is?"
"Not really," the vampire said back. "I can barely see as it is in this snowstorm." She was silent for a moment, before suddenly grabbing Valkyrie's shoulder. "Wait, look!" She said, pointing to a rather large iceberg in the distance.
"What?" The Nord said, "I don't see anything."
"I can barely see it myself," Serana replied, "But I swear that iceberg looks like it has a door."
"You're joking," Valkyrie said. "Something that weird and crazy has to be Septimus."
At this point, after all the twists and turns that the universe had thrown at her and Serana, Valkyrie would have hoped she'd learned to expect the unexpected. But despite that, never in an Era did she imagine she'd see a mountain of ice with a door, and beyond that, a tunnel that someone had clearly spent years digging through. And the oddest thing of all, was that although the walls were made of pure ice, it was warm inside this outpost that someone had made. Valkyrie and Serana hadn't taken two steps before they overheard a manic, rambling voice coming from further down the tunnel.
"Dig, Dwemer, in the beyond. I'll know your lost unknown, and rise to your depths..."
Valkyrie and Serana took a glance at each other, and the Nord placed a hand on her blade. The voice must have belonged to Septimus, but he was clearly mad, and the two had no idea if he could be violent. They slowly made their way through the tunnel, which eventually gave way to a cavern, once again, made of pure ice. There was a pathway down, and settled just at the bottom was the figure of a man in plain robes, still rambling to himself. But what immediately caught Valkyrie's attention was what also seemingly had Septimus' attention.
Calling this thing a box would have been insufficient. But yet that was the only word Valkyrie could think to describe just what it was she was gazing at. This massive square construct was the size of a house, and clearly Dwemer in origin, buried firmly into the walls of the ice. And yet it served no visible purpose. It was just a giant box that this madman was seemingly enthralled by.
"When the top level was built," Septimus continued, still oblivious to Valkyrie and Serana's presence "No more could be placed. It was and is the minimal apex."
The two women glanced at each other once more, before Valkyrie finally stepped forward. "Excuse me, friend?" She said, and Septimus turned to face them, surprisingly calm at their sudden presence. "What brings you here?" The Nord continued.
"Ah, the ice entombs the heart," Septimus said excitedly. "The bane of Kagrenac and Dagoth Ur. To harness it is to know the fundaments. The Dwemer lockbox hides it from me"
Well, Valkyrie thought to herself, at least there's no longer any question of whether or not he's insane. "We heard you know about Elder Scrolls," she said, trying to get the conversation back on track.
"Elder Scrolls," the old man continued to ramble. "Indeed. The Empire," he growled, almost viciously. "They absconded with them. Or so they think. The ones they saw. The ones they thought they saw. I know of one," he nodded erratically. "Forgotten. Sequestered. But I cannot go to it, not poor Septimus. For I have arisen beyond its grasp."
With every word, Valkyrie became increasingly irritated, and also questioning of her own sanity. "What is wrong with you?" She finally asked the old man.
"Nothing," he said, oblivious to the Nord's tone. "I am well. I will be well. Well to be within the will inside the walls."
Finally, Serana stepped forward. "Can you help us get the Elder Scroll or not?"
The old man put a hand to his chin. "One block lifts the other, he continued. "Septimus will give you what you want, but you must bring him something in return."
"That figures," Valkyrie said, rolling her eyes. "What do you want?"
Septimus gestured to the Dwemer box. "You see this masterwork of the Dwemer," he said, losing himself once more in its presence. "Deep inside their greatest knowings. Septimus is clever among men, but he is but an idiot child compared to even the dullest of the Dwemer." Suddenly, he let out a manic cackle, and Valkyrie and Serana took a step back. "Lucky then," Septimus continued, turning back to the two. "They left behind their own way of reading the Elder Scrolls. In the depths of Blackreach one yet lies."
"Blackreach," Valkyrie said suddenly, "Cast upon where Dwemer cities slept, the yearning spire hidden learnings kept."
Septimus' eyes widened with excitement. "You have heard of Blackreach?"
Serana raised an eyebrow at the Nord. "Um... what?"
"Blackreach was the capital of Dwemer society, back when they existed," the Nord began to explain. "I guess this Elder Scroll is holed up there somewhere."
"Alright, but... how exactly do you know this?" The vampire asked with a hint of concern.
"I..." Valkyrie tried to answer, but stopped short. That was a damned good question. She wasn't a scholar. Why on Nirn did she know of all things? "I'm not sure," she said quietly. She began to trail off, her eyes fixed loosely on the ground, before she was brought back to reality by Serana's snapping fingers in front of her face.
"Hey, Nirn to Valkyrie," the vampire said. "We're on a mission, remember?"
"Right, sorry," the Nord said, shaking her head as she turned back to Septimus. "Where can we find this Blackreach?"
Septimus laughed once more, a mad giggle that grew more unnerving with each appearance. "Under deep. Below the dark," he said, his voice suddenly lowering to a whisper. "The hidden keep. Tower Mzark," he continued. "Alftand. The point of puncture, of first entry, of the tapping. Delve to its limits, and Blackreach lies just beyond."
"Good to know," Serana said, clearly eager to leave. "Thank you."
"WAIT!" Septimus suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, causing both women to jump. "Not all can enter there," he said, now perfectly calm once more. "Only Septimus knows the hidden key to loose the lock to jump beneath the deadly rock."
"So how do we get in?" Valkyrie asked.
"Two things I have for you," the old man announced dramatically as he reached to his side, revealing two small devices of Dwemer construct. "Two shapes. One edged, one round. The round one, for tuning. Dwemer music is soft and subtle, and needed to open their cleverest gates."
"And the other?" Valkyrie asked nervously as she accepted the devices.
"The edged lexicon... for inscribing," he whispered. "To us, a hunk of metal. To the Dwemer, a full library of knowings. But... empty. Find Mzark and its sky-dome. The machinations there will read the Scroll and lay the lore upon the cube."
"I..." Valkyrie stuttered, still more confused than ever. "Alright then." At every turn, her adventure only seemed to become more confusing and complicated, as though the Gods themselves were attempting to toil with her. She turned to Serana. "Let's get out of here,"
The vampire offered no response. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge that Valkyrie had spoken to her. "Serana?" She asked, still seemingly being ignored. Serana was still, almost like a statue, and it began to unnerve the Nord. In desperation, she turned back to the old man. "Septimus?" The old man had befallen the same fate. Valkyrie's heart began to race, and she backed away from the two not knowing what was happening.
Suddenly, next to Septimus, something began to rise out of the ground that looked like a tentacle. Its blackish-green frame wrapped around the old man, and several more began to spring up next to it. Valkyrie drew her sword, more terrified than she would have liked to admit, when just above Septimus' head, materialized an eyeball. Not one belonging to a human or elf, or even a beast. This was something else entirely.
"Come closer," a disembodied voice sounded out. "Bask in my presence." The voice was low, and every other word slurred. It was otherwordly, seeming to come from every direction, including inside Valkyrie's own head. After a few moments of silence, she finally gathered the courage to speak.
"Who... who are you?" She stammered.
"I am Hermaeus Mora," the voice spoke slowly. "I am the guardian of the unseen, and knower of the unknown. I have been watching you, mortal." It let off a soft chuckle. "Most impressive."
Lovely, Valkyrie thought. Another fucking Daedric Prince. As if the matter of Harkon being a worshipper of Molag Bal wasn't enough, now a second Daedric Prince had taken an interest. The Nord didn't know much about the demon other than his name, but it was clear he was after something involving her. "What do you want?" She asked the mass of tentacles.
"Your aid to Septimus is beginning to render him... obsolete," Hermaeus Mora explained. "He has served me well, but his time is nearing its end. Once that infernal lockbox is opened, you shall take his place as my emissary. What say you?"
Valkyrie didn't even need to think before refusing. "I don't think so, demon," she said, sheathing her sword. "I don't make deals with Daedra."
"Hmph," the Prince seemed unimpressed. "Be warned. Many have thought as you do. I have broken them all." The tentacles began to wither back into the ground, and the eye vanished into thin air.
"You shall not evade me forever..."
Chapter 10: Discerning The Transmundane, Pt. II
Chapter Text
27th of Second Seed, 4E 200
The next thing Valkyrie knew, she was no longer inside Septimus' frozen hideout. Instead, she and Serana were on foot, making their way through yet another seemingly endless field of snow. It had seemed like only a moment ago they had dealt with the crazy old man, and now they were here. In fact, it truly had seemed like only a moment ago. A feeling of uncertainty and nervousness began to grow in the Nord's gut, as something just didn't feel right. "Wait," she spoke suddenly, earning a glance from Serana. "What are we doing again?"
The vampire raised an eyebrow. "We're going to Alftand, remember?" She asked. "To find the Elder Scroll?"
"Right," the Nord shook her head. "Sorry, it seems like just a minute ago we were still at Septimus' place."
"Darling, that was two days ago."
Valkyrie's stomach dropped. Two days? That feeling of nervousness now grew into worry and fear. Never before in the Nord's life had she experienced a severe loss of memory like this. What in Oblivion happened at Septimus' place? She thought to herself, And why don't I remember any of it? Valkyrie's inner dread must have shown on her face, because Serana immediately put a hand on her shoulder, concerned.
"Hey," the vampire said, "What's wrong?"
For the briefest of moments, Valkyrie considered lying. They already had a mission to take care of, and neither of them needed anything extra to worry about. But then, she knew Serana would be able to see through her bluster. The Nord took a deep breath, "The last thing I remember, we had just agreed to take these... things to Alftand for Septimus." The vampire nodded. "And now we're here. Two days later. And I have no memory of anything in between."
Serana's eyes widened. "Shit," she said quietly. "Valkyrie, that's not good."
"Yeah, I gathered that much," Valkyrie retorted, "What do you think could be causing it?"
"Well," the vampire pondered. "If I remember correctly, this is how the Vigilants at Ruunvald slowly lost their minds. It has to be powerful magic of some sort."
"Great," the Nord sighed, before a thought occurred to her. "Septimus is a mage. You don't think he had anything to do with this?"
"I don't know," Serana shrugged. "He's definitely crazy enough, so we can't rule him out. Regardless," she looked straight at the Nord, "Once we get somewhere safe, you need to let me look you over."
"Oh, I bet you'd like that," Valkyrie chuckled.
"I'm serious, Val," Serana said. "Whatever happened, we need to make sure it doesn't happen again."
The Nord offered no response, and the two kept walking, the endless fields of snow crunching beneath their feet with each step. Despite Serana's reassurance that they would get to the bottom of her apparent loss of memory, she couldn't get the nagging feeling of dread out of the back of her mind. The Vigilants at Ruunvald had slowly succumbed to madness thanks to the work of a powerful sorcerer, and it all began with them losing bits and pieces of time from their memories. Valkyrie trusted Serana's expertise in all things arcane, and yet the notion that a much darker force was in play continued to plague her thoughts, and the Nord had no idea why.
Eventually, after marching through the snow for some time, the two stumbled across a seemingly abandoned campsite. A tent in shambles, empty bedrolls nearly submersed in snow, it was clear no one had touched this camp in some time. Perhaps weeks, even. Off some ways in the distance was a tower, clearly of Dwemer construct, looming over the camp. In the opposite direction was an ice covered cliff range, leading down into a snowy canyon below.
"Abandoned," Valkyrie sighed. "That's always a wonderful sign."
"Come on," Serana said. "Let's look around. See if we can find anything useful."
A few minutes of searching yielded few results. It was as if whoever had set up this campsite had taken everything they had with them, expecting to return soon. Sadly, that was rarely the case with explorers traipsing through old ruins. There were always untold horrors within that no one could be prepared for. Finally, buried deep within one of the ratty bed rolls was a journal. Valkyrie quickly made her way to Serana's side, who had been inspecting the Dwarven tower, flipping through the nearly illegible writings. "Looks like we know what happened," the Nord said, reading aloud. "We've managed to secure the site and hold off any others who may try to steal our discoveries so far, especially those from the College of Winterhold, who seem to think the glory of exploring every ruin should be theirs alone."
Serana sighed. "Why do I get the feeling our dear adventurers met their end down there?"
"Probably because they didn't have us with them," Valkyrie smirked. "Regardless, it looks like we're gonna have to follow their trail."
"Well," the vampire said. "With any luck, they at least sprung all of the traps that are no doubt waiting inside. Less of a headache for us."
The Nord just laughed, and the two made their way to the cliffside, where a rickety and poorly put together series of bridges and platforms that led into a crevice within the ice. The two stepped as carefully as they could for fear that the path may collapse beneath them, eventually finding the relief of solid ground beneath their feet as they stepped into the icy cave.
Valkyrie breathed a sigh of relief to finally be out of the unforgiving bitter winds that raged through the tundra. Within a few moments of walking, the ice that covered the walls of the cave gave way to Dwemer statuary, metal mixing with stone to give that same eerie vibe that the Nord always experienced when delving into old ruins. The sounds of centuries old machinery still functioning always gave off the feeling that one wasn't quite alone, even though the Dwarves had been extinct for millennia. A particularly loud clank of metal caught the Nord's attention. Although unsure of which direction it came from, she quickly drew her crossbow, trying to pay as much attention as she could to her surroundings. This act proved to be of little help when she was tackled to the ground from behind.
Managing to roll onto her back, and losing her weapon in the process, Valkyrie just barely managed to catch the razor sharp claws of a Dwemer machine that resembled a spider, its hands mere inches away from her face. The Nord shifted her weight, able to get her feet underneath the spider, and delivered a kick that sent the creature flying some feet away. Valkyrie wasted no time getting to her feet, grabbing her crossbow off the floor, and putting a bolt into the creature before it could reconstitute itself. The machine was still for a moment, and the Nord thought she had won.
But suddenly, the spider leaped through the air, coming straight for Valkyrie's head. Until it was promptly struck from the air by a spike of ice from Serana. The two aimed, crossbow and magic respectively, at the now motionless hunk of metal for a good few moments, not wanting any more surprises. "You think it's dead?" Valkyrie asked, not taking her eyes off the spider.
"It sure as Oblivion better be," Serana sighed, the ball of ice in her hand dissipating. She chuckled. "Dwarves, right?"
The Nord scoffed, offering no response. If this was the legacy the Dwemer left behind, perhaps it was for the better that they went extinct. At least now the two were prepared for whatever machinations awaited them further into the ruin. Or so Valkyrie thought, as after just a few minutes of walking, she heard a voice. A very distinct accent, sounding anxious and frustrated, coming from just around a corner.
"Where is it?" The voice said to no one in particular. "I know you were trying to keep it for yourself, J'zhar! You always try to keep it for yourself!"
Valkyrie and Serana shot a glance at each other, the Nord placing a hand on her blade, and followed the sound of the voice. "No!" It shouted, becoming angrier by the second. "There's got to be more skooma! Shut up! Don't lie to me, J'zhar! You hid it! You always try to steal it from me!"
The two women made their way through a small doorway, greeted by the sight of two Khajiit, the two legged cat-folk of Tamriel, one hunched over the other's motionless body. Valkyrie's eyes grew wide as she cautiously took a step forward. The cat instantly took notice of her presence, and hissed, turning his head in her direction. "Who is this, brother?" He growled, as though talking to the corpse. "Another of the smooth-skins looking for food?"
"Easy, friend." Valkyrie said, slowly continuing to move toward the seemingly mad Khajiit. "We mean you no harm."
"Hmm... these two weren't trapped with us," the deranged cat continued, completely ignoring Valkyrie's words. Suddenly, he stood up, baring his teeth and hissing once more. "No," he snarled. "You must be the one who took my skooma!"
The cat pounced at Valkyrie, his feline claws extended and ready to rip into her flesh, but he never got the chance. Before the Khajiit could reach the Nord, she had unsheathed her blade and run it straight through his chest. He gurgled for a moment, blood spattering from his mouth before going limp, and Valkyrie ripped her blade from his body. She sighed. "It's getting easier to see why this expedition of theirs went south." She shook her head. "Bringing a couple of damned skooma addicts. What were they thinking?"
"Sorry, skooma?" Serana questioned. "What is that exactly?"
"Something that would be better off not existing," the Nord spat, still looking down at the Khajiit's body.
Valkyrie's apparent anger was calmed by the vampire's hand on her shoulder, a concerned look cast in her direction. She sighed. "Sorry," Valkyrie said quietly. "Didn't mean to get so upset."
"It's fine," Serana assured her. "But that doesn't actually answer my question."
"Right," the Nord grumbled. "Skooma is... a drug, essentially. A very addictive one."
"I see,"
"The Dark Elves invented the stuff a few hundred years ago," Valkyrie continued. "It's illegal in just about all corners of Tamriel, but that doesn't stop people from taking it."
"So," the vampire prodded. "Why exactly do you hate it so much?"
Valkyrie sighed. It seemed Serana wouldn't be satisfied without an answer. "After my family... you know," she explained, and Serana nodded. "I was growing up in Markarth, there was this Reach native. This girl, a year or two older than me. I was good friends with her and her brother." She glanced at the vampire, making sure she was still listening, as though she would somehow have lost interest. "When I was about in my thirteenth year, these merchants came to the city. Except they weren't actually merchants."
"Skooma dealers?" Serana asked.
"Yeah," Valkyrie said. "They had enough actual supplies to pass off as legitimate traders, but they were there to start a skooma operation in the city." She grumbled. "My friend, her name was Kyla, got hooked on the stuff. It... changed her."
"Changed her how?"
"Well," Valkyrie continued. "She was always nice, compassionate, caring, you name it. But after she started taking skooma she slowly started to turn... angry. Irritable, even violent."
"I see," Serana said.
"I actually had to stop her from beating up her brother for money a few times," Valkyrie shook her head, with a slight smile. "Poor Eltrys never could bring himself to lay a finger on her, even if it was in self defense."
"So what happened to her?"
"Eventually, the dealers were exposed and run out of the city," the Nord said. "And Kyla just couldn't handle the skooma withdrawals, so she went after them. Wandered off in the middle of the night," she took a deep breath. "None of us ever saw her again."
"Oh," Serana said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Valkyrie said with a sigh. "I can only assume she's dead. Her father looked for her, of course, but..." She shook her head. "Well, the guards couldn't exactly be bothered to care about some stupid Reach native." She was silent for a moment, before continuing, now unable to stop herself. "Her father died a few years later. Poor Eltrys was left all alone, a Reachman in a city full of Nords who looked down on him." Her mind began to drift now, as though some unknown force was compelling her to keep talking. "Maybe that's why he and I became so close. We had both lost everything so young and had to start over with nothing." She sighed. "You know, I haven't even written to him since I joined the Dawnguard?"
"You're starting to ramble, darling," the vampire said, raising an eyebrow. "It's funny you bring up how close you were with this boy now, considering..." She stopped for a moment, and Valkyrie looked at her, confused. "...You know."
"Know what?" The Nord asked. "What are you talking about?"
"What do you mean, what am I..." Serana snapped, but stopped short as her eyes widened, and a devilish smirk began to adorn her face. "Oh, that's right, you don't remember."
"Remember what?" Valkyrie asked again, now with a clear tone of anxiety in her voice. "Serana, what did you do?"
The vampire laughed. "I didn't do anything," she said. "It was you who did something. Or rather, said something." She cocked her head, still giving off that damned smirk that only served to frustrate the Nord further. "It was so cute, too."
"What did I say?" Valkyrie demanded now, and Serana only chuckled in response. "Serana, what did I say?"
"You're a smart girl," Serana teased as she began walking further down the hall. "I'm sure you can figure it out."
The ruins of Alftand were, to put it quite mildly, an infuriating labyrinth of twisting hallways and tunnels that one would have had to be truly mad to navigate through, much less design. Seemingly around every corner, Valkyrie and Serana would come across all manner of Dwemer worker machines, still working away thousands of years after their masters had gone extinct. The machines proved little challenged to the pair, who by this point had grown accustomed to fighting creatures of far greater power and skill. Every so often, they would discover another corpse, a member from the expedition who had met their end at the hand of the machines. Although most of the bodies had visibly odd wounds, ones that didn't match up with the weapons the Dwarven workers were equipped with, but Valkyrie paid this detail no mind, as her thoughts were occupied by a far more important question...
What in Oblivion had she said to Serana?
The Nord of course had a very good guess of what it was, but didn't want to face that possibility if she didn't have to. Childish feelings or not, she was still an agent of the Dawnguard, and the very thought of being with a vampire was likely to have the other members seeking both their heads on a spike.
Eventually, after a great lengthy silence and countless battles with Dwemer machines that left the Nord feeling a bit more tired than she would have liked to admit, the two encountered a grandly decorated doorway, one that hopefully marked the end of their journey through the ancient ruin. Stepping through the door, Valkyrie could have sworn that the inside of the building was shaped like a chapel, not unlike the ones of Cyrodiil she had heard described in tales and books. There were several levels of stairs, all leading upwards to a great shrine of a massive, humanoid shaped machine. If it hadn't been so creepy, Valkyrie could have almost admired the thing.
Before she and Serana could begin climbing the stairs, they heard a screech, one that sounded anything but human. Valkyrie immediately reached for her crossbow, scanning her surroundings, when she saw two of them. Skin pale as snow, ears pointed like knives attached to bodies that almost looked like elves, but with faces that were twisted and distorted beyond recognition.
Falmer...
Valkyrie glanced over at Serana, whose face showed a look of disgust, and put a finger over her lips. The Falmer, twisted remnants of the fabled Snow Elves, were not opponents to be taken lightly. Thankfully, the deformed elves hadn't taken notice of their intruders, and Valkyrie took aim with her crossbow. She pulled the trigger, but the thwack that sounded from her weapon was all it took to get the Falmers' attention. One of them screeched, catching the bolt out of the air before readying some sort of magic in its hand. The other drew a sword, its metal just as mangled and devolved as its wielder, and charged directly at Serana.
While the vampire dodged in and out of the deformed elf's attacks, the other made a mad dash in Valkyrie's direction, an ethereal sword appearing in its hand out of thin air. The Falmer swung, and the Nord managed to block its blow with the edge of her crossbow, but the beast was strong, and almost immediately began to push Valkyrie back. After a moment of struggling, she suddenly swerved to the left, using the elf's momentum against it and causing it to fall on its face. Valkyrie instinctively drew her own blade, making a stab for the beast while it was down, but it barely rolled out of the way in time.
The Falmer quickly got to its feet, slashing its ethereal blade with all the grace and precision of a toddler. It would have been rather easy for Valkyrie to dodge its attacks, had the damned monster not been so fast. At last, the Nord managed to block the sword with her own, quickly swiping it to the side and retaliating with several swings of her own. The Falmer didn't even bother to defend against the incoming strikes, ending up with several deep gashes on its shoulder and midsection. But it was as if the Falmer didn't even feel Valkyrie's blade make contact, and it continued fighting.
Swords clashed once more, steel met magic, and Valkyrie once more used the Falmer's own momentum against it, swerving out of the way as it slashed its magic blade through the air, and tripping over the Nord's foot in the process. The only difference was that this time the monster wasn't fast enough to dodge the strike of Valkyrie's sword, and the steel went straight into its back and out through its stomach. The deformed elf twitched for a moment, before it finally lay on the ground, motionless and dead.
No sooner had Valkyrie yanked her blade from the Falmer's corpse, did the limp body of its counterpart land right on top of it, thrown from some distance away by Serana, who greeted the Nord with a knowing smirk. "So," she said, looking down at the bodies. "These monstrosities are the legendary Falmer."
"Not much to look at, I know," Valkyrie chuckled. "I'm sure they were much more impressive back in their day."
"How come they didn't notice us at first?"
"From what I've read," the Nord explained. "They're all blind. But of course, that just strengthens their other senses."
"Great," the vampire sighed. "Here's hoping we don't run into more of them."
At the top of the stone stairways in the cathedral, there had been a strange pedestal that had strangely stood out from its surroundings. Closer inspection had revealed an opening slot the perfect size for Septimus' Dwarven sphere, and once it had been inserted, the pedestal rose from the ground, the stone beneath it shifting into a downward spiraling staircase. And so down the two went. Down further, and further...
And further...
And further...
And further...
Just when it seemed the stone staircase had no end, the Nord and the vampire were finally met by a simple door, a seemingly anticlimactic end to the journey through Alftand. Then they stepped through...
To call this cavern massive would have been a grave injustice. The consecration of Dwemer buildings and machines went on as far as Valkyrie could see. There were paths of stone carved out into the mud, likely to help the city's original tenants navigate. Up above Valkyrie's head, she saw nothing but pure darkness. For a moment, at least, because as her eyes adjusted, she noticed that the rock far above her head was glowing, no, gleaming, providing light to this gargantuan underground city. It was beautiful.
"Wow," Serana said after a lengthy silence.
"Yeah," Valkyrie replied, still mesmerized.
"I almost feel pity for the Falmer," the vampire continued. "They live in this beautiful place, and they can't even see it."
Some feet away, guarded by what lackluster defenses remained of the Dwarves' ancient machines, was a small abandoned building, likely once a home for only one person, as evidenced by the single stone bed and only one room. Cramped as it was, the empty space served as a suitable resting point for Valkyrie and Serana as they prepared to venture across Blackreach in search of the Elder Scroll. The two were initially put off by the sight of a skeleton sprawled across the center of the room, an arrow sticking out of its ribs, likely yet another hopeless adventurer who met their end in the depths of an ancient ruin.
After disposing of the skeleton, and discovering the alchemy setup that had apparently belonged to the deceased adventurer, Valkyrie and Serana were relieved to finally have a moment to rest, not having to constantly look over their shoulders for whatever dangers lurked in the shadows. The Nord gingerly sprawled herself across the stone bed, grateful to be off her feet, while the vampire took a seat at the alchemy table. In spite of the unforgiving frame of the stone bed, Valkyrie couldn't help but feel the urge to doze off. They had been navigating through Dwemer ruins for almost a full day now, and any semblance of sleep would have been a welcome change. Just as her eyes began to close, however, Serana immediately stood up from the alchemy desk, a transparent bottle full of a strange blue liquid in her hand.
Valkyrie sat up, and the vampire handed her the potion. "Drink this," she said.
"Why?" The Nord raised an eyebrow as she took the bottle in her own hand.
"I did say I needed to look you over, remember?" The vampire crossed her arms. "Whatever caused you to forget the last few days, I'm going to find out what it is."
"So what is the potion for?"
"It's a magicka potion," Serana explained.
"Um..." Valkyrie stuttered. "Serana, I'm not much of a mage."
"I know that," the vampire continued. "But you still have some inherent magical energy within you. All people do," she pointed to the bottle. "The potion is meant to briefly focus that energy. Give me a clearer picture of what I'm dealing with." Valkyrie eyed Serana with a look of concern, which only cause the vampire to roll her eyes. "Oh, just drink it."
With a shrug of her shoulders, Valkyrie downed the potion. It had a bitter taste, one that almost made the Nord gag, and forcing a giggle from Serana. The next several minutes were an infuriatingly tedious mess of what the vampire only elected to refer to as tests. Her hand would glow with a strange aura as she hovered it over the Nord's head, she would pat down random body parts, she even had Valkyrie turn her head and cough once or twice. The whole ordeal would have been unbearable were it not for the fact that Valkyrie really, really didn't mind the vampire's hands all over her.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Serana pulled back from Valkyrie, taking a seat in the chair she had brought from the alchemy table. "Well," she sighed. "I think I've found the source of this magic that's plaguing you."
"And?"
"It's... Daedric."
The Nord grumbled, resting her head in her palm. "Fucking great," she said before looking back up to Serana. "How can you tell it's Daedric?"
"Well," the vampire said. "It's similar to the energy Molag Bal had about him when he..." she stopped short, taking a deep breath. "When I met him in person. But there are few key differences that set it apart from his power."
"I... see?" Valkyrie said, unable to keep up with where the vampire was going.
Serana paid no mind to her confusion. "One of those key factors is the fact that you lost your memory. That narrows it down to two Daedric Princes who may be trying to influence you."
"And those are?"
"The first," the vampire continued. "Is Sheogorath. Prince of Madness."
"Doesn't he sound lovely," Valkyrie groaned.
"Depends on who you ask," Serana shrugged. "His sphere is pretty self explanatory, his motives are known only to him and him alone. He might help those who cross his path, or he might try to destroy them. No real rhyme or reason behind it."
"So a gibbering lunatic who also happens to be a god might be trying to make me his plaything," the Nord sighed. "Who's the other possibility?"
"The other," Serana said. "Is Hermaeus Mora, Prince of Knowledge."
Suddenly, every last iota of Valkyrie's attention was focused inward. "Master of fate," she began speaking in a hushed whisper, unable to stop herself. "Steel, shadow, and spirit, all bow before the winds of change. Knowledge is power, and power shines forth,"
"Hey!"
Valkyrie was pulled back into reality by the sight of Serana's fingers snapping right in front of her face. The Nord shook her head, now facing Serana, who gave her a look of great concern. "Well," the vampire said after a moment. "At least we know who it is now."
"Wait, what?" Valkyrie asked, suddenly unsure of herself. "What just happened?"
"As soon as I mentioned Hermaeus Mora, you started talking in riddles." Serana said. "This explains a lot, actually. How you knew about Blackreach, and all. But the bad news is Mora is known to be... persistent when selecting his champions."
"Is there any good news?"
"Yes, actually," the vampire smirked. "Now that I know where this influence is coming from, I know how to go about ridding you of it. Once we find the Elder Scroll, we're going to stop by the College again."
"For?"
"You'll see," Serana said. "Now get some rest. We've got a lost Dwarven city to explore..."
28th of Second Seed, 4E 200
"I'm not going to lie," Valkyrie said with a mouth partially full. "This Chaurus meat isn't bad if you cook it the right way."
Serana only scoffed in disgust as the Nord continued to bite into what she had desperately thrown together for a meal. They had spent a full day trudging through the sprawling Dwemer metropolis of Blackreach, fending off ancient Dwarven machines that seemed to spring to life at a moment's notice, as well as the Falmer that still inhabited the abandoned city, and the grotesque insect-like creatures they kept as pets, which as Valkyrie recalled were known as Chaurus. After countless hours of wandering, the duo had come across a great stone staircase, leading upward to a fenced off plateau that was nigh unseeable from the ground. A lengthy march up the stairs later, and Valkyrie and Serana had stumbled into what could have only been a palace, at least back when the Dwemer had inhabited the underground city.
What was almost certainly once a beautiful courtyard was now a desolate waste of mud and strange fungus, as well as a mass of Falmer occupying what had once belonged to the Dwarves. There had also been the damned Chaurus beasts, who in some aspects were even more dangerous than the blind monstrosities that were their masters. The battle with the Falmer occupying the palace had left Valkyrie exhausted, and clutching her roaring stomach in discomfort. Under most circumstances, the Nord would never have even considered making a meal out of one of these things, but seeing as they had spent nearly a day and a half underground, and her last proper meal had been well before they had delved into Alftand, she decided this was her only alternative to starving. One makeshift fire pit later, as well as some very careful preparation, and the meat of the insect was now resting in the pit of the Nord's stomach.
"I can't believe you actually ate that thing," Serana shook her head, trying to stifle a gag as Valkyrie swallowed the last of the meat.
"Desperate times," Valkyrie said with a shrug. "Not all of us can sustain ourselves on blood, you know. Speaking of which, how are you? It's been a while since you fed."
"I'm fine," the vampire's tone softened. "I made sure to pack plenty of blood vials just in case this took longer than I thought."
"Right," the Nord stood up from the fire, wiping her mouth. "Then we'd better get back to looking for the Elder Scroll. Didn't Septimus say it was in a tower or something?"
"Tower Mzark," Serana confirmed. "Well, while you were... ahem... eating, I walked the ramparts of the palace."
"And what did you find?"
Serana motioned for Valkyrie to follow her, and the two made their way to the gates of the palace, a balcony at the end of the great staircase giving them an unrivaled view of the entire city. Once again, despite the danger that purveyed the entire place, Valkyrie couldn't help but appreciate its beauty. Suddenly, the vampire's hand came into her view, a single finger pointing into the distance. Off some ways from the palace was a tower that extended all the way up into the darkness that was the cavern ceiling, something that would have been nearly impossibly to see from the ground, what with so many abandoned buildings in the way.
"You think that's Mzark?" Valkyrie asked.
"That's the only place down here that fits the description Septimus gave us," Serana said. "So it's worth a look. Besides," she smirked. "I'm pretty sure we've already cleared most of the Falmer out of that area."
As it turned out, the vampire was right, and the short trek to the tower went uninterrupted. As the two approached the massive structure, Valkyrie tried to look up to see where it ended, but after nearly straining her neck to see, after a certain point she saw only darkness. Perhaps this tower went all the way back to the surface, even. If so, the Nord would be happy for it. There was only a single door at the base of the tower, and inside only one room, completely bare save for a lever in the center of the floor. Looking up, Valkyrie was slightly disoriented when she saw that, just like the exterior, this room had no ceiling, it only seemed to go up and up forever.
She looked back down just in time to see Serana pulling the switch in the floor, and the sounds of a machine kicking to life filled the small room as the floor began to rise. They rose further and further for several minutes, the tower still seemingly having no end in sight, until finally, the platform stopped in front of a single door. When it was opened, Valkyrie was greeted only by a wall of golden metal. She was confused for a moment, until she stepped forward and realized that the wall began to curve upwards. It was a gigantic sphere, one that took up nearly the entire room, strange glass panels scattered across its surface. Its sheer size made the lockbox at Septimus' outpost look puny and insignificant.
To the left of the two, there was a stone pathway that spiraled upward, circling around the sphere. They made their way upward, the path eventually leading to a platform that overlooked the top of the strange device. There were several pedestals centered on the edge of the balcony, each one containing only a single button, and next to it, a separate pedestal that looked as though it were missing something.
"Well," Valkyrie said. "I'm completely lost."
"I'm not much farther ahead," Serana said, scratching her head. "The Dwemer were nothing if not confusing." There was a short silence as Serana began to examine every inch of the platform, looking for any clue that could tell them what they were supposed to do. Valkyrie, still confused beyond comprehension, opted to simply lean back against the wall and let the vampire work. "Hey," she said after a while, pointing at the pedestal on the end. "Do you still have that cube Septimus gave you?"
"Um... yeah, hold on," The Nord replied, reaching into her magic pouch. The strange Dwemer cube Septimus had referred to as a lexicon changed hands a moment later. "What's it supposed to be for?"
"That's what we're about to find out," Serana said, carefully lowering the lexicon onto the far pedestal. The metals had barely made contact with each other when suddenly, a trio of tiny, golden metal arms sprouted from the top of the structure, latching onto the cube. Suddenly, the deafening sounds of machines coming to life filled the room, and a brilliant ray of light began to shine down from the ceiling, where the two noticed there were glass panels scattered across its surface identical to the ones on the sphere. Finally, two of the four buttons lit up, glowing with a strange aqua hue.
"Alright," Serana said. "That happened."
"So what now?"
The vampire shrugged. "I guess we just start pushing buttons," she said, placing a finger on the button on the far end. She let out a sigh when nothing happened. "Damned Dwarves." She hesitated for a moment, before taking a chance to push the other glowing button. This time yielded results, as the sphere began to spin wildly for a moment, before coming to a screeching halt. Serana and Valkyrie exchanged a brief, bewildered glance. "Well," Serana said scratching the back of her neck, "That did something. Not sure what, but it was something."
"Push it again," Valkyrie said with a shrug.
"So confident all of a sudden," the vampire smirked. "What if doing it twice activates some horrible death trap?"
"Well, this is the Dwemer we're talking about," the Nord smiled back. "That's not inconceivable."
Serana only chuckled as she pushed the button once more, as the two witnessed the same result. The sphere rotated, then stopped, and nothing else visibly happened. The vampire groaned, her sentiment shared by Valkyrie as the two wondered what kind of insane madman could have even conjured such a bewildering conundrum. They shared yet another glance, before Serana shook her head. "Screw it," she said. "Third time's the charm."
She pressed the button a final time, and at last, something different happened. The lexicon attached to the pedestal began to glow, as did a third button on the balcony, and several more rays of light began to shine down from the panels in the ceiling. Serana smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere," she looked over at Valkyrie, motioning to the newly lit up button. "Would you like to do the honors?" Valkyrie smirked, and did as she was asked.
There was a scraping noise, a sound of metal on metal as the panels in the ceiling began to shift. As they moved, so too did the rays of light they cast down onto the sphere, scattering in random directions. Once again, lots of flare and puzzlement, but no true results. Valkyrie sighed, hoping to the Divines that she wouldn't be stuck pressing buttons for the next several hours.
Her wish was granted as she pushed down once more, the rays of light from the ceiling moving to line up perfectly with the glass panels on the sphere. There was a loud banging sound, as the central light vanished, and an opaque glass vessel descended from the ceiling. Valkyrie almost didn't want to get her hopes up, given all the twists, turns and dead ends she and Serana had come across thus far, but with a subtle click, the vessel opened, revealing none other than an Elder Scroll inside.
"Well," the vampire said, a genuine smile across her face. "That's one down."
"And one more to go," Valkyrie said as the two moved to grab the Scroll.
"Yeah," Serana's tone softened just a bit. "Hey, make sure you grab the lexicon before we leave."
"Why?" The Nord asked as she set the Elder Scroll into her pouch.
"We're going to need it to break this Daedric influence away from your mind..."
31st of Second Seed, 4E 200
Once again, the two stood out in the middle of a frozen sea, thick patches of ice beneath their feet as they carefully watched their steps so as not to fall into the freezing water. Serana had remained tight lipped for the time being about what her plan was to combat the looming threat of enthrallment by a Daedric Prince. All Valkyrie knew was that she wanted this whole excursion into the freezing ass end of nowhere to be over soon so that the two of them could get back to looking for the final Elder Scroll. At last, they arrived upon Septimus' outpost, a massive iceberg sticking out of the sea with an ordinary door built into the side.
"Alright," Serana said, reaching into her pouch and pulling out a simple, silver necklace. "Put this on."
"A necklace?" Valkyrie questioned.
"Not just any necklace," the vampire said as the Nord put the piece around her neck. "This is what we stopped at the College for. It's enchanted."
"Enchanted how?"
"It's designed to protect your mind from outside influence," Serana explained. "Once you're inside, you'll probably have to deal with Mora again before you can leave."
"Wait," Valkyrie said. "Are you not coming with me?"
"You have to be alone when you refuse him," the vampire sighed. "Otherwise the amulet might not work to its fullest potential. Mora's attention needs to be solely focused on you." Valkyrie looked at Serana incredulously, but passively accepted that the vampire likely knew what she was talking about, being far more versed in magic than the Nord. "So," Serana continued. "Normally, champions of Daedric Princes have to be willing subjects. Since Mora is, as I said, persistent, he may try to enthrall you once you refuse him."
"What?" Valkyrie snapped. "And you think it's a good idea to leave me in there with a god who wants to make me his slave?"
"That's where the amulet comes in," Serana said. "Daedric Princes may be gods, but their power has its limits. They can't physically manifest themselves on Nirn without being summoned. Whatever you see in there will just be an aspect of Mora, not the real thing." Valkyrie sighed, and Serana, sensing the Nord's apprehension, put a hand on her shoulder. "You've got this, Val. I believe in you."
Amazing, Valkyrie thought as she took a deep breath. A few honeyed words from this woman and suddenly I'm ready to face death and worse...
She cautiously stepped through the door to Septimus' lair, each step as carefully placed as possible as she walked through the ice tunnel, the distant sound of the old man's mad ramblings catching her eardrums with every step closer. "It licked the panes and smokes the glass," Valkyrie didn't even want to know what on Nirn this deranged man was talking about, but she had a job to do and eventually reached the cavern where Septimus and the Dwemer box rested.
"Septimus!" Valkyrie called to get the old man's attention, and he turned quickly, an insane grin on his face.
"Oh," he began. "Your returning proves what Septimus knew. He knew you could know."
"Right," the Nord sighed, reaching into her pouch. "I've inscribed the lexicon you gave me."
"Give it, quickly!" The old man cried, snatching the device from her hands. He examined it for a moment, before emitting a mad cackle that caused Valkyrie to instinctively rest a hand on the hilt of her sword. "Extraordinary!" Septimus exclaimed. "I see it now. I can almost hear it."
"It?" Valkyrie asked. "What is it, exactly?"
"The heart," Septimus turned away from the Nord and stepped in front of the box. "The essence of a god. Of you and me, and us all."
Valkyrie was quite sure she had absolutely no idea what this madman was talking about, but as the box began to open, a thought popped into her head. A tale she had read about in her books, from before the Oblivion Crisis. No, she thought. There's no way. It was destroyed...
Septimus wasted no time dashing into the confines of the massive structure, with Valkyrie not far behind. The inside of the box was bare and empty, save for a single book on a pedestal. She heard the old man gasp, "It's... it's just a book!" He sounded so disappointed, the Nord almost felt sorry for him for a split second. But then Septimus touched the book, an incredibly thick tome that looked like the cover had been sewn together from different sources, and he inhaled sharply. "I can see!" Septimus exclaimed. "The world beyond burns in my mind!"
Suddenly, the old man began to float in the air, and Valkyrie backed away, suddenly very nervous. As Septimus went higher, he continued to ramble.
"It's... marvelous."
These proved to be Septimus Signus' final words, as his body quickly fell to the ground, and his body, almost instantly, began to decompose, the only thing left in his place a pile of smoldering ash.
"What the fuck?!" Valkyrie exclaimed in horror. This was undoubtedly the doing of Hermaeus Mora, but the Prince was nowhere to be seen. Very slowly, and very carefully, the Nord stepped closer to the mysterious tome, running her own fingers across the surface. If Valkyrie hadn't known better, she could have sworn the cover of this book felt like skin. It sent a shiver down her spine. She removed the tome from the pedestal, turning away to leave this wretched place, but as she turned around, she was greeted by the sight of her exit being blocked by a sprawling mass of tentacles, with a piercing green eyeball in the center, all seeming strangely familiar.
"You," she growled at the Daedric Prince, her fists clenching.
"Come, my champion," Hermaeus Mora spoke slowly, the voice emanating from inside the Nord's own head.
"You killed him," she accused. "Why?"
"His usefulness was at an end," The Prince said nonchalantly, as though nothing of value had been lost. This only angered Valkyrie further, but Mora was not done. "Do not weep for Septimus. In death, he joins the halls of my library, and gains access to all the secrets and knowledge he could ever hope for."
"You're a fucking monster," Valkyrie snarled. "You honestly expect me to serve you after what I just saw?"
Mora laughed, a chilling cackle that froze the Nord's blood. "Do you truly think I would have sought you out if I did not have use for you?" He asked. "Septimus served me long and well. But in the end, he was simply a pawn. An expendable piece of a much larger game. But you..." The eyeball blinked. "I know what you truly are."
"What are you talking about?" The Nord demanded.
"Curious? Good," The Prince said with a grim tone. "I can show you things you could never have imagined. Such is the knowledge befitting a champion of Hermaeus Mora..."
"I already told you, demon," Valkyrie shook her head. "I'm not interested."
The Daedric Prince sighed once more. "You truly think you can defy me forever?" He chuckled once more. "What a grand and intoxicating innocence. Tell me, who do you think brought Septimus here? Who do you think protected you on your journey to open the box and loose my knowledge on this world?"
"Congratulations, you successfully wasted your time," The Nord spat, becoming increasingly disdainful of the monster in front of her. "Whatever it is you're hinting at, whatever I am, I'll figure it out on my own. I don't need, or want your help."
Mora sighed wistfully. "Such ignorance. You are not the first to resist the call of my knowledge, you will not be the last. No matter," suddenly Valkyrie took notice of her hand being filled. She looked down and saw the book that had been trapped inside the box locked in her palm. "For now you have my Oghma Infinium. It contains the knowledge of the ages, as revealed to Xarses, my loyal servant." Valkyrie rolled her eyes, eager to be done with this conversation. "For hundreds of years, it's been shut away from the world. Septimus was a useful tool unleashing it. And now, it is in your hands."
Finally, Valkyrie lost her patience. "If I take your damned book, will you stop talking?" She said. "I've told you multiple times, I'm not your champion. I don't care about whatever knowledge you have to show me."
"Not yet, perhaps," Mora laughed once more. "Very well. Go and discover your destiny for yourself. But you and I will cross paths again. It is inevitable."
"And I'll tell you to piss off then, too," Valkyrie sneered as the mass of tentacles dissipated into thin air, clearing her way out of the ice cave. All in all, that hadn't gone as badly as she had hoped. Certainly not as bad as Serana had made it out to be. But at least she was no longer in danger of being controlled by a Daedric Prince. Valkyrie scoffed. All that trouble poor Septimus had gone through, losing his sanity and ultimately his life, for a bastard demon who threw him away when he was no longer useful. All for a gods damned book.
A pang of curiosity rolled through the Nord's mind. What on Nirn could have made this book so important that it was worth taking a man's life over? She gently caressed the tome, now certain that the cover was indeed made out of skin. With a gag, she opened the book, only to see blank pages. Before she could even utter an are you kidding me, her mind took her elsewhere.
For a moment, there was nothing. Nothing but pure, black darkness, until a vision came to Valkyrie, one of a great warrior in armor made of bones, marching across a war-torn battlefield, their enemies fleeing in terror. The warrior sheathed their weapon, and began to scream into the sky. As the warrior's voice left their body, the very sky itself began to distort, a sudden torrent of vicious rain and unrelenting thunder falling to the ground below. Death, chaos, destruction, but also power. Pure, raw power that was to respected, but most importantly, to be feared. The kind of power that blurred the lines between mortality and godhood. Suddenly, the vision began to fade, leaving only the same piercing darkness...
When Valkyrie's senses finally returned to her, she was still exactly where she had been. No lapse of memory, no strange jump in time. Whatever this artifact was, perhaps it was too valuable to be simply tossed away. The Nord set the tome back into her pouch, and headed to the cave's exit.
Chapter 11: Chasing Echoes
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
4th of Mid Year, 4E 200
The looming shadow of Castle Volkihar set a feeling of uneasiness in Valkyrie's stomach. As the old wooden boat slowly sailed across the bay, her mind was a whirlwind. She trusted Serana, yes, but that didn't help with the knowledge that inside the walls of the great mountainous fortress that was hidden away from the rest of the world, lied possibly the greatest threat to Tamriel in existence, and that she, at the moment, was powerless to do anything. If Harkon happened to discover either of them while they were searching for Valerica, the only thing in store would be a painful death, and the subsequent extinguishing of the sun itself. Valkyrie inhaled deeply, an attempt to get her nerves under control, which Serana took notice of.
"You alright?" Serana asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I guess," Valkyrie said. "I guess it's just now starting to hit me what's at stake here."
"And what's that?"
"The entire world, for starters," the Nord sighed. "My own life, the life of my comrades, my family," she turned to face Serana now. "And my friends."
"Aww," the vampire said mockingly, causing Valkyrie's cheeks to flush.
"That-" Valkyrie stuttered. "That's not what I-"
"You're so sweet," Serana smiled at the Nord. "And you don't even mean to be."
Valkyrie groaned, resting her face in her palm. "I hope for both our sakes, your father or one of his cronies doesn't find us," she said. "Then you can keep making fun of me to your heart's content."
"I tease because I care, darling," Serana continued. "Besides, the undercroft of the castle is pretty much abandoned. I doubt we'll run into much trouble." With that, the vampire turned away from the Nord, facing towards the front of the boat. "Now if you'll just give me a second," she said, "I have to concentrate to make sure this thing doesn't just go to the front door like it normally does."
Valkyrie only nodded in response, as the boat began to steer away from the island, now giving a wide berth to go around to the other side and avoid detection. As their vessel slowly waded through the increasingly narrow water, the air slowly getting colder by the moment and nipping at what little skin the Nord had left exposed, the castle only seemed more ominous and foreboding than ever. It sent a shiver up her back, she quickly turned her face away from the fortress. She had no idea why she was such a bundle of nerves now, after so many months spent hunting down vampires. Perhaps she simply needed something to take her mind off the situation?
She quickly glanced back at Serana to make sure the vampire wasn't looking. Thankfully, the vampire was entirely focused on steering the boat, and thus Valkyrie reached into her pouch. Against her better judgement, she pulled out the Oghma Infinium. The book, it's cover stitched together from bits of flesh, had been in her possession ever since she and Serana had left Septimus' hideout in the frozen wastelands. Despite her disgust for the Daedra, she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it, a feeling in the back of her mind that the book could be useful somehow. Valkyrie slowly opened the tome, the blank pages greeting her just as before, and the Nord's vision began to blur and distort.
The warrior clad in bones stood in the center of a great pit, thousands of onlookers enthralled by bloodlust screaming at the top of their lungs. The warrior shuffled their feet, boots digging into the dirt beneath them, as a great horde of skeletons began to dig themselves out from the ground. The screams of the spectators grew louder, but the warrior stood still. As the legion of dead readied itself and began charging towards the center, the warrior quickly outstretched their arms, a sphere of red and orange flame in each hand. Just before the skeletons reached them, the warrior slammed both their hands down onto the ground, and it all directions, a storm of pure fire erupted.
The undead creatures screeched horrifically as bones began to melt, frames began to collapse. Within moments, the warrior had no challengers left, and the deafening roars of the crowd heard only moments ago were now deathly silent. The warrior exhaled a deep breath, now turning their attention to the onlookers who had cheered for their demise. The warrior raised their hands once more, palms still housing the fire, and unleashed their power yet again. The screams roared again, not with appetite for blood, but from terror and agony...
"Castle looks so big from down here. I mean, it is big, but... well, bigger."
Serana's voice ripped Valkyrie away from the visions of the tome, and the Nord quickly shoved it back into her magic pouch to avoid the vampire's notice. They were nearly on the opposite side of the island, the castle's foreboding image towering over them even more than usual. Valkyrie shook her head. At the very least, the book had helped to calm her nerves. Although that didn't help with the fact that she would still rather not have to set foot inside this infernal place yet again. As they approached closer, Valkyrie took in the sight of an old dock, one made of stone and much more solidly constructed than the one at the front of the island. Built into an opening in the massive rock formation that was the foundation of Castle Volkihar, the old dock was still every bit as unsettling as the rest of the castle. Even more so, when Valkyrie, almost too late, spied its inhabitants.
"Shit," the Nord cried suddenly. "Look out!" Valkyrie jerked her head to the side, just barely avoiding a spike of ice, cast from one of the dozen skeletons roaming the dock. The sudden movement cause the old wooden boat to tip over, sending both Valkyrie and Serana into the freezing water. The dampness wasted no time seeping into Valkyrie's leathers, and she scrambled to make it to dry land before the biting iciness got worse.
The raw frigidness ached in Valkyrie's bones, and she collapsed to her knees as she finally escaped the water. Teeth chattering, and with a horde of skeletons exiting the dock and charging for her and Serana, the Nord drew her crossbow and took aim. She fired, but the shivering of her body was too strong, and the bolt missed its intended target. One skeleton drew its blade, taking a vicious swing in Valkyrie's direction, which she barely managed to sidestep before drawing her own sword. The Nord's teeth continued to chatter, the freezing water having seeped into her trousers, she felt one of her legs begin to go numb.
She swung herself, her own steel clashing with that of the skeleton's. They struggled for a brief moment, before Valkyrie's numb leg gave out from underneath her, forcing her down to one knee. For a mindless creature that was quite literally nothing but bones, the skeleton was extraordinarily strong. So much so that his blade began inching closer and closer to the Nord's throat. Her heart racing, mind in a panic as the steel loomed in on her neck, Valkyrie did something she never would have thought of under any other circumstances.
Her free hand left its place on the hilt, and in the Nord's empty palm, a ball of fire began to form. Her engulfed hand flew out, placing itself firmly on the skeleton's face. The undead creature began to screech horrifically, stumbling backward before it eventually collapsed to the ground. Valkyrie looked over to see Serana at the edge of the docks, holding her own against three of the undead creatures at once. The Nord readied her blade and began charging, stealing the attention of one of the skeletons who began racing in her direction as well. The skeleton swung its blade, but Valkyrie sidestepped it almost with ease, spinning round and retaliating with a slice of her own, this one completely severing the monster's head from the rest of its frame.
Without thinking, Valkyrie sent a bolt of fire flying from her hand, making impact on the final undead creature, Serana having killed one only a moment beforehand. As the skeleton collapsed onto the sands of the shore, and now with the adrenaline of battle no longer coursing through her, the Nord suddenly felt as though her own lungs were made of lead. She fell to one knee, breathing heavily as the flame disappeared from her hand.
"Shit," Valkyrie said in between heavy breaths. It was strange, she had fought countless battles over the last several months, and never once had she been this winded. Before the Nord had any time to ponder, however, Serana had raced over to her to help her up. As Valkyrie slowly returned to her feet, she expected to see that same playful smirk the vampire was known for. Instead, she was greeted by a look of wide-eyed concern and confusion. "What?" Valkyrie asked.
"What was that?" Serana demanded.
"What was what?"
"You used magic," the vampire crossed her arms. "I've never seen you use magic."
"I... um..." Valkyrie struggled to think of an excuse. Serana was right, she had never even attempted to use any sort of magic in combat or otherwise, now here she was throwing fireballs at skeletons. "Desperate times, desperate measures, I guess," she said with a shrug. "That skeleton's blade was getting a little too close to my neck."
"That doesn't explain how you were able to cast a fire bolt," Serana continued to question. "I mean, that's not really advanced, but it takes a bit of time to get the hang of."
The Nord sighed, her breathing slowly starting to return to normal. "I don't know what to tell you," she said. "So is that why I'm so winded?"
"Most likely," the vampire took a glance at Valkyrie. "Remember when I told you that all people have some inherent magical energy within them?"
Valkyrie nodded.
"The technical term for that is magicka," she explained. "And it's more that just a source of power. It's... well, your life force for lack of a better term."
"I see."
"Casting spells uses up your magicka," Serana continued. "It does slowly regenerate on its own, but if you use too much too quickly, you end up exhausted and out of breath."
"So how are you able to cast spells all day and be fine?" Valkyrie questioned.
"I've been doing this for centuries, remember?" The vampire smirked. "My body is much more finely tuned to using magic than yours." She cocked her head to one side. "I suppose it's not unheard of for people to be able to cast spells beyond their skill level."
"Maybe you're not the only one with a natural aptitude for magic," the Nord chuckled.
"Maybe," Serana replied, reaching into her pouch and pulling out a few small, blue vials. "We can always try and hone your skills later, but for now, I'd go easy on the magic. Only use it as a last resort." She handed the bottles to Valkyrie, who put them into her own pouch. "If you get winded again, drink one of those." The Nord only nodded, following Serana onto the dock as she led the pair of them to an old, decrepit door built into the stonework.
"The old water cistern," Serana said with a twinge of discomfort as the two stepped inside, greeted by the sight of a massive, yet almost empty room, save for a channel of water running in the center of the floor, and a door leading to a set of stairs in the distance. "Some days, this place would smell just..." she sighed, shaking her head. "Be glad you weren't here then."
"Seems like you know this place pretty well," Valkyrie said.
"Immortal, remember?" Serana replied. "I had centuries to memorize every nook and cranny of this castle."
"Right," the Nord said. "Did you spend a lot of time down here, specifically?"
"I liked to explore," the vampire shrugged. "Once my family... you know," Valkyrie nodded in response. "My parents almost never let me off the island. So yeah, I poked around down here a lot." She let out a quiet laugh. "It was a little... quiter then."
"Even with all the skeletons?"
"There weren't any then," Serana said. "And I guess a little vampire girl was enough to scare off the rats."
"Little girl?" The Nord raised an eyebrow. "You look fairly grown to me."
"You know what I mean," the vampire sighed.
"That begs the question," Valkyrie continued. "I know you're over a thousand at this point, but how old were you exactly when you..." she paused. "You know,"
"Good question," Serana said. "It was a long time ago, but if I remember correctly, I was in my twenty-seventh year."
"So you were already an old woman," the Nord laughed.
"Funny," Serana spat back. "That reminds me, I haven't even asked you how old you are."
"Twenty-first year, if you must know," Valkyrie said. "9th of Rain's Hand. My day of birth already came and went after I dropped you off here the first time."
"Shame," the vampire said wistfully. "We could have celebrated."
"Ugh," the Nord rolled her eyes. "You're persistent, I'll give you that."
"Always been this way, darling. Ever since I was an actual little girl."
"You sound like you were a weird little kid."
"I was," Serana chuckled. "But I think I turned out alright."
"So do I," Valkyrie blurted out, and she immediately cursed herself as Serana gave her that damned smirk once again. "Damn it, I-" she said in almost a whisper.
"Aww," the vampire. "I have to say, flustered is a good look on you."
"Stop it," the Nord said with what authority she could manage.
Suddenly, there was a dull crashing sound from the door on the far side of the room, immediately taking Valkyrie's attention as she readied her crossbow. Not a moment later, no less than three Death Hounds came barreling through the door, followed by an Altmer vampire dressed in rags. The vampire let out a snarl, a sphere of red energy forming in is hand. One of the hounds leapt at the pair, only for it to be shot out of the air, right in between the eyes from Valkyrie's bolts. Another leapt, this one taken out by an ice spike from Serana.
The Altmer vampire charged straight at Valkyrie, swinging its claws like a rabid animal, the lack of finesse and mobility allowing the Nord to weave in and out with relative ease. She drew her blade once more, sidestepping yet another swipe, before running her sword through the monster's gullet. It continued to snarl, hiss, and struggle for a few moments, before finally going limp. The Nord planted her foot on the dead vampire's chest, pushing forward with her leg as she yanked the sword out of its corpse.
The third Death Hound's lifeless body promptly landed right next to the Altmer, Serana having taken care of it herself. Valkyrie groaned. "So much for not running into any trouble," she said as she sheathed her blade. "First the skeletons, now this one. I thought you said your father didn't pay any attention to this place."
"This one wasn't one of his," Serana said, looking down at the corpse of the vampire. "Looks like it was hiding down here, eventually went feral. That explains the difference in smell."
"You think that was the only one?"
"We can hope," the vampire shrugged. "Come on, the courtyard should be just up these stairs."
"Oh, no."
Valkyrie wasn't sure what to expect when the two finally stepped outside into the castle's courtyard. But it certainly wasn't this. The courtyard Serana had described was a beautiful oasis, with a garden full of rare and exotic herbs. But this place simply looked dead. Debris littered the landscape, no sign of vegetation in sight. The only thing that truly stood out was the giant sundial in the center. A rather unimpressive sight, but Valkyrie was more concerned about the look of sheer devastation on Serana's face.
"What happened to this place?" The vampire said, almost in a whisper as she slowly walked towards the center. "Everything's been torn down. The whole place looks..."
"Dead?" Valkyrie asked.
"Yeah," Serana said quietly. "It looks like we're the first to set foot here in centuries."
Serana stopped talking then, instead choosing to walk the courtyard with Valkyrie in tow. She wasn't saying, but the Nord could tell that seeing the place in such a state bothered the vampire quite a bit. Directly across from where they had entered, there was a stone stairway leading up to a balcony, and beyond that, what looked like it had once been a massive door, but was now blocked by a mountain of rubble and dirt. Serana sighed, "This used to lead into the castle's great hall. Looks like my father had it sealed up." She crossed her arms, hanging her head. "I used to walk through here after evening meals. It was beautiful, once."
They continued walking, Valkyrie silent as Serana grieved in her own way for this place that clearly meant quite a bit to her. Eventually, they came upon a patch of dirt, gray and lifeless, with only a few dead weeds and roots sprouting in its bed. "This was my mother's garden. It..." she stopped short, looking over at the Nord. "Do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for hundreds of years?" She turned back, shaking her head. "She would have hated to see it like this."
"I'm sorry," Valkyrie said, placing a hand on the vampire's shoulder.
"It's alright," Serana replied. "Not your fault."
"I know, but still," the Nord continued. "This place meant a lot to you."
"It did."
"What do you think happened?"
The vampire said nothing for a moment, before sighing. "If I had to guess," she began, "After we fled the castle, my father went into a rage. Everything that reminded him of her was just destroyed."
"Then he just walled it off," Valkyrie said, looking back at the collapsed door.
"It would seem so," Serana crossed her arms. "I guess he wanted to put the past behind him. Maybe if he had spent more time with us, he would have seen the beauty for himself."
"Seems like the only thing he didn't destroy was the sundial."
"That's not a sundial," the vampire said, turning back to the giant mechanism in the center of the courtyard. "It's a moondial."
"A what now?" Valkyrie asked, visibly confused.
"Actually, hold on a second," Serana quickly stepped away from the Nord, her attention now completely focused on this moondial. "Something's wrong with the moondial. Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew." She circled the dial, examining every inch as best she could. "I didn't even know the crests could be removed."
"You're gonna have to explain all this to me," the Nord said. "What exactly is this moondial?"
"Well," the vampire said, still looking over the mechanism. "As far as I'm aware it's the only one in existence. The previous owners of the castle had a sundial in the courtyard, but obviously that didn't appeal to my mother."
Valkyrie nodded.
"She persuaded an elven artisan to make some improvements," Serana continued, motioning to the dial. "You can see the plates that show the phases of the moons."
"Does it work?"
Serana just shrugged. "That's the thing," she said. "What's the point of a moondial? I always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out." She chuckled. "She loved it, though. I don't know, I guess it's like having a piece of art, if you're into that sort of thing."
"And you said some of the crests are missing?" Valkyrie asked.
Serana nodded.
"Then maybe we should find those."
"Good idea," the vampire said, and the two began walking the courtyard once more. Several minutes of silence passed as they searched for the missing crests, every so often Valkyrie stealing glances at Serana, both out of concern for the vampire's mental state, and for a selfish desire to feed her own childish feelings. The Nord felt a pang of guilt on one hand, knowing that she shouldn't be entertaining thoughts of herself and Serana. But on another, as the days went on, she found it harder and harder to care. Vampire though she was, Serana was easily one of the most human creatures Valkyrie had ever come across. Not that she would ever admit it to her fellows in the Dawnguard, or perhaps even to Serana herself.
"Hey, so" the vampire interrupted Valkyrie's train of thought. "A thought just occurred to me."
"What's on your mind?"
"So, despite all your questions, you learning all about my tragic past," Serana continued with a hint of sarcasm. "I realized I don't actually know that much about you."
"Really?" The Nord raised an eyebrow. "Even though we've been traveling together for months now?"
The vampire shrugged. "It's usually you asking all the questions."
"Right," Valkyrie chuckled. "So what do you want to know?"
"I'm just curious, what were your parents like?"
Valkyrie froze, a heavy silence suddenly hanging over the conversation like a dark cloud. She hung her head slowly, images of her family's dead bodies invading her mind as she took a deep breath. Serana must have clearly noticed this, because the vampire rushed forward and put a hand on the Nord's shoulder. "Shit," she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."
"It's alright," Valkyrie said with sigh. "You've been nothing but honest and forthcoming with me. It's only right I do the same for you."
Serana smiled.
"My birth mother died when I was still a baby," the Nord began. "I don't remember her at all, sadly."
"Any portraits of her at all?"
"I actually have a locket in my room back at the fort," Valkyrie said. "There's a picture inside of her with my father and brother before I was born. I'll have to show it to you once we get back."
"Never knew you had any siblings."
"Yeah..." she continued. "After my mother died, both of them were extremely overprotective of me. I'd get scolded for stepping outside the house without permission."
"Now why does that sound familiar?" Serana said quietly.
"They weren't quite as extreme as your parents were," Valkyrie replied. "I loved my family, but I hated it in the village. They wanted me to stay and grow up to be an obedient little miner."
"Clearly that didn't happen."
"Well, Harkon and his little coven kind of derailed those plans," the Nord said with a pang of anger, one she instantly regretted when she looked back at Serana. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay," the vampire reassured her. "Go on."
Valkyrie sighed. "I was in my ninth year when they attacked my village," she took a deep breath. "They had already slaughtered everyone else, but this one vampire wanted to stay behind and toy with me for a bit."
"Gods..."
"Somehow I managed to kill him,"
"That sounds awful," Serana said. "What did you do then?"
"The only thing I could do," Valkyrie continued. "I went to Markarth. The Jarl wanted to send me to the orphanage in Riften. Thankfully, I met the Jarl's blacksmith, Ghorza. She and her brother Moth took me in, made me their apprentice. I stayed there for years, right up until I left to join the Dawnguard."
"Wait," the vampire said playfully. "You spent the rest of your childhood in a palace?"
The Nord grumbled. "I didn't have free run of the place, if that's what you're asking," she shot back. "I was pretty much only allowed in the main hall and the blacksmith's quarters." She was silent for a moment, before speaking once more. "If I'm being honest, meeting your family kind of makes me grateful for my own. Both of them."
"Can't fault you there," Serana shook her head. "Living with two power mad vampires as parents... let's just say I spent a lot of time by myself."
"That sounds pretty lonely."
"It was."
"You know," Valkyrie said. "You talk about being lonely a lot."
"Well," Serana shrugged. "Growing up the way I did, you get used to it."
"Do you still feel that way?"
"Sometimes," she continued. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to come with you."
"Well, if you hadn't, I'd probably be dead by now," Valkyrie smirked.
Serana apparently didn't see the humor in the Nord's joke, instead opting to sigh. "So... I just need to know, does it bother you that I'm here?"
Valkyrie's brow furrowed. "Of course not," she said, confused. "Where's this coming from?"
"I don't know, I just..." Serana stammered. "Nothing. Just paranoid, I guess. I am my parents' child, after all."
The pair said nothing for several minutes, continuing to search for the moondial's missing plates. Eventually, after a fair bit of searching, the found the crests, immaculately crafted depictions of the moon's phases. Moments later, after being returned to their proper places on the dial, both Valkyrie's and Serana's ears took notice of the sound of metal scraping against stone, as the dial began to move on its own accord, the stone paneling shifting to reveal a staircase below, not unlike the one they had seen in Alftand. Serana simply laughed.
"Very clever, mother," the vampire said.
"Any idea where this leads?" Valkyrie asked.
"No clue," Serana said. "I never knew this path existed. My mother kept this a secret, even from me."
"The questions just keep piling up, it seems."
"She must have been working on something she thought was dangerous," the vampire continued. "Which means we should be ready for trouble."
The pair descended down the staircase, met at the end by a simple door. Beyond this was a room that looked almost like a morgue, embalming tools scattering the shelves on the walls, a table shoved against the wall with a decomposing skeleton lying on its surface. But the most important detail was the cobwebs that lined almost every single corner of the room, as though no one had sent foot in this place in centuries, which was likely the case. As they passed through the unsettling room, they stumbled into another, this one looking almost like a dining hall, a grand table gracing the center, more skeletons sitting in the chairs. Every so often, lining the walls of the room were statues of vampiric-like creatures that seemed almost a bit too lifelike. It was unnerving enough just looking at the dead remains, but even more so when, as soon as the two entered the room, the skeletons rose from their seats and drew weapons.
"Gods damn it!" Valkyrie cursed, drawing her crossbow.
She fired hastily, a bolt flying from her weapon into the ribcage of one of the attacking undead. The creature stopped and stumbled for a moment, but continued charging for her, unfazed. Valkyrie attempted to load another bolt into the crossbow, just barely locking it into place when the skeleton reached her, swinging its blade furiously. The Nord dodged a few slices, each one coming closer to her than the last. Finally, she blocked a final swing with the hilt of her crossbow, before firmly planting her boot into the undead attacker's chest, and promptly firing right between its eyes.
Out of the corner of her eye, the Nord detected another skeleton charging for her. In a split second, she ducked underneath the monster's horizontal strike, and came back up, backhanding it across the skull with her crossbow, knocking the skeleton's head clean off. Valkyrie drew her blade once more, rushing to Serana's side, who was holding her own against six of the undead creatures, almost gracefully weaving in and out of their attacks. With a quick slice of her sword, Valkyrie successfully disarmed one of the skeletons, and before it had any time to react, she spun around and severed its neck.
Another skeleton swung its blade, only to be met by Valkyrie's own. They battled back and forth for a moment, the clanging sounds of steel on steel ringing in Valkyrie's ears, before she finally blocked a vertical strike, only to proceed to kick the skeleton's knee out the wrong way as it was struggling. The monster collapsed to its other knee, and the Nord stabbed right at the center of its head, her blade going clean through the skull.
She ripped her sword out of the skeleton's remains, and from her side, yet another monster appeared to be charging for her. But before the Nord could defend herself, a bolt of lightning from the other side of the room struck the undead creature and shattered its frame into pieces. Valkyrie looked over to see Serana, magic still focused in her palm giving off that same damn smirk that drove the Nord crazy. Behind Serana, one final skeleton was preparing to slice its blade and cleave the vampire in two.
"Look out!" Valkyrie yelled to Serana, whose smirk only grew.
The vampire didn't even look behind her. She ducked under the monster's blow with ease, before coming back up, her hands beginning to glow red with magic, and quite literally blasting the skeleton apart. Once again, the pair were victorious. Or perhaps, so they thought. Before Valkyrie could even get a chance to catch her breath, the monstrous statues came to life and charged straight at the duo.
The beasts were fast, much faster than their undead counterparts, and Valkyrie had a difficult time dodging the claws of the monster that had come straight for her. She swung her blade, only for it to bounce of the creature's skin like it was made of stone. She tried again, only for the beast to knock the blade from her hand. She drew her crossbow once more, firing a bolt right into its chest. This caused the creature to stumbled in its tracks for a moment, but then it simply ripped out the bolt and kept coming for her. She tried to block one of the creature's strikes with her crossbow, but it only suffered the same fate as her sword, knocked from her hand, the force of the strike also knocking the Nord down to her back.
The beast raised its foot, and Valkyrie just barely managed to roll out of the way before it came crashing down onto her. Now weaponless, the Nord could only use her last resort, and thus summoned a stream of fire from her palm. The monster began roaring in pain as soon as the flames made contact with its skin. It sumbled backward, allowing Valkyrie to regain her footing. Deciding for the brute force option, she summoned yet another steady stream of fire from her other hand, as the beast fell to its knees, writhing in agony.
The Nord couldn't keep this up for long, however, as after only a few moments, she was suddenly winded again, breath heavy and heartbeat racing. The flames dissipated from her hands, and she collapsed to one knee. Much to her dismay, the monster recovered almost immediately, and immediately grabbed her by the waist. Unable to escape, it lifted her high above its head, then proceeded to throw her into a nearby wall.
The impact of hitting the stone wall and subsequent landing on the marble floor knocked all the air from Valkyrie's lungs, and blurred her vision slightly. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, could only lie there helpless as the beast stalked its prey. That is, until a dark crimson glow appeared behind it. Before the monster could react, a sickly grey clawed hand reached down and grabbed it by the ankle.
"I don't think so,"
Serana had shifted into her bestial form, and proceeded to lift the creature into the air, and immediately slam it back down onto the floor with tremendous force. The beast literally broke apart, revealing that it was in fact somehow made of stone. The vampire kicked a bit of the creature's remains away, the same crimson glow eclipsing her form as she changed back to her human form.
"You alright?" Serana asked, extending a hand to Valkyrie.
"It..." Valkyrie said in between heavy breaths. "Hurts to... breathe. Think he... broke something."
"Oh, that gargoyle definitely broke something," the vampire said, a brilliant light forming in her hand. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're still conscious after that."
"Just... barely," the Nord whimpered, wincing at the pain shooting through her midsection. They were silent for a moment, as Serana ran the light up and down Valkyrie's torso. After a few seconds, she could finally breathe normally again. She began to search the room, picking her lost weapons up off the floor, before turning back to the vampire. "What in Oblivion were those things?"
"Gargoyles," Serana answered matter-of-factly. "Don't you remember? We saw a bunch of them leading up to the castle the first time you brought me here."
"True, but those didn't come to life and attack us."
"I'm aware of that, darling," the vampire said.
"Did your mother keep gargoyles here?" Valkyrie asked.
"Not that I ever saw," Serana shrugged. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Mother always had a bit of a thing for magical constructs."
The Nord raised an eyebrow, causing Serana to roll her eyes.
"Not like that," the vampire said. "She just found them fascinating. And they say I'm the one with the dirty mind."
"Your words, not mine," Valkyrie smirked.
With that, the pair continued further into the secret passage. At the end of the dining hall was yet another staircase which, according to Serana, likely lead into one of the abandoned towers in the castle. A strange place to hide, right under Harkon's nose. Valkyrie couldn't help but shake a growing feeling of unease in her gut, one that she had felt ever since embarking on this journey with Serana. Perhaps it was simply knowing that Harkon and his coven were a stone's throw away from them and they could be caught at any moment. Or perhaps the possibility that even if they found Valerica, she wouldn't even have the Elder Scroll.
The two continued to ascend in the tower, occasionally running into more skeletons which proved no match for the duo, eventually reaching a grand set of doors, beyond which was something that made Serana's jaw drop, and Valkyrie scratch her head in confusion.
The apparent top of the tower, it seemed, was home to an old alchemy laboratory that Valerica had used ages ago. All across the walls were shelves filled with exotic ingredients, most of which Valkyrie had never even heard of. One shelf in particular was full of strange gems that made the Nord's stomach turn for an unknown reason. But the strangest part of this room, was the artificial shifting of the stonework in the very center of the floor, a circular design not dissimilar from the platform in Dimhollow Crypt.
Serana let out a whistle. "Look at all this," she said, clearly impressed. "She must have spent years collecting these components."
"Your mother maintained quite a laboratory," Valkyrie said, crossing her arms.
"I had no idea her laboratory even existed," the vampire replied. "She had an alchemy setup in her drawing room, but nothing that even comes close to what's here."
"Any idea what she researched?"
"Looking at all the equipment and materials," Serana said, looking over the room. "It looks like she was trying to advance her necromancy."
"To what end?"
"No clue," the vampire shrugged. "Certainly not longevity. Kind of a waste of time for a vampire. But I'd be willing to bet it has something to do with that circle in the center."
"So, what are doing, exactly?" Valkyrie asked.
"Well," Serana continued. "My mother was meticulous about her research. If we can find her notes, they'll probably have a clue as to where she went."
It took only a few minutes for Valkyrie to find Valerica's notebook, a thick sheet of dust covering its spine. Feeling her own curiosity growing, the Nord briefly flipped through the pages of the notebook, only to be thoroughly confused as they were mostly filled with babblings about alchemical components and rants about how awful Harkon was, as if she needed any reminding. The only thing to truly catch her attention was the final entry, in which Valerica mentioned discovering the correct form of whatever formula she had been working on, and that she would soon enact her plans with Serana. There was also mention of a Soul Cairn, at which point Valkyrie decided to simply let Serana figure it out.
"Found it," the Nord said as she returned to the vampire's side.
"Let me see," Serana said, hastily grabbing the notebook from Valkyrie's hands, her eyes glued to the pages.
"That last entry mentioned a Soul Cairn," Valkyrie said. "Any idea what she's talking about?
"The Soul Cairn?" The vampire said, visibly concerned. "Mother, what have you gotten yourself into?"
"What's the Soul Cairn?"
"Well," Serana explained, still looking down at the pages. "My mother had a theory about soul gems, those things over there in the corner. They can be used to power enchanted items, but to do that, you essentially have to steal the soul of a living creature."
"That..." Valkyrie was horrified. "Sounds awful."
"She believe that once the souls inside are used up, they don't just disappear," Serana continued, unwavered by Valkyrie's unnerving. "They're sent to the Soul Cairn, a tiny sliver of Oblivion."
"Your mother traveled to Oblivion?!" The Nord exclaimed. "I agree, what has she gotten herself into?"
The vampire simply shrugged. "Looks like we have no choice but to go in after her."
"Great," Valkyrie groaned.
"That circle is definitely come kind of portal," Serana said, finally looking up from the notebook. "If I'm reading this right, there's a formula here that should give us safe passage into the Soul Cairn."
"Safe is kind of a relative word, Serana."
"Well, safe as can possibly be, anyway," Serana said. "Looks like we're going to need... a handful of soul gem shards," the pages turned. "Some finely ground bone meal... a good bit of purified void salts, and..." Suddenly she sighed, her free hand clenching into a fist. "Fuck."
"What's wrong?"
"We're also going to need a sample of her blood," the vampire rested her face in her palm, letting the book fall to ground. "If we could get that, we wouldn't be trying to do this in the first place."
"Of course," Valkyrie sighed, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Why should anything we do be easy?" There was a lengthy silence as the two pondered what to do next, when suddenly a thought occurred to Valkyrie. "Wait a minute," she said, getting the vampire's attention. "She's your mother. Technically, you share her blood."
Serana's eyes lit up. "That... might work, actually," she said, eyeing the circle. "We'd better hope that's good enough. Mistakes with these kinds of portals can be..." She paused for a moment, before looking back at Valkyrie with a twinge of worry.
"...Gruesome."
Valerica had all the ingredients needed for the formula stored in bulk in the laboratory, it took the two only a minute or so to gather them and place them in a receptacle right next to the circle in the center of the room. Or rather, for Serana to do it, as Valkyrie had no idea what to even look for. Finally, with the ingredients gathered and mixed together, the vampire sighed. "Well then," she said, retrieving a knife from a nearby table. "Looks like the rest is up to me." She turned to Valkyrie. "Are you ready? I'm not sure what this thing is going to do once I add my blood."
"As ready as I'll ever be," Valkyrie crossed her arms. "Can I ask you something, though?"
"Of course."
"What are you going to do..." the Nord paused. "If and when we find your mother?"
Serana was silent for a long moment. She took a deep breath, "I've been asking myself the same question since we came back to the castle," she said. "She was so sure of what we did to my father, I couldn't help but go along with her. I never thought of the cost."
"I know it's not really my business," Valkyrie said. "But from what I've seen, she was right to be worried about what your father might do."
"Right," the vampire sighed. "She worried about me. About all of us. But she wanted to get me as far away from my father as possible before he really went over the edge."
"We won't know until we find her, I guess."
"Right, sorry," Serana cleared her throat. "I'm not used to people actually caring how I feel," she shot a smile the Nord's way, one that was returned almost immediately. "Anyway," she continued. "This is all very touching, but we have work to do. Are you ready?"
Valkyrie nodded. "Let's do this."
Serana held out a hand above the receptacle, and slowly dragged the blade across her wrist, letting a few small drops of blood fall into it. For a moment, nothing happened, and Valkyrie worried they might have been foiled yet again. But then, the circle began to glow with a brilliant violet hue, and the floor itself shifted, turning into a portal, a shoddy makeshift staircase forming into Oblivion. Valkyrie and Serana exchanged glances, before nodding to each other and taking the first steps downward.
As soon as Valkyrie's foot entered the portal, her entire body began to feel strange. Heavy, sluggish, as though all the energy was being sapped from her very being. She lost her balance almost immediately, and Serana caught her before she could fall in, pulling her away from the portal as quickly as she could. Valkyrie breathed heavily, resting her hands on her knees, wondering what on Nirn had just happened. She felt Serana's hand on the small of her back.
"Are you alright," the vampire asked. "That looked painful."
"It was," Valkyrie said as she stoop upright once more. "What happened?"
"Now that I think of it," Serana sighed. "I should have seen that coming. Sorry."
"What do you mean?"
"It's hard to describe," the vampire explained. "The Soul Cairn is... hungry, for lack of a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."
"So there's no way in..." Valkyrie sighed.
"There is," Serana said cautiously. "But I don't think you're going to like it." Valkyrie simple raised an eyebrow. "Vampires aren't counted among the living. I can go through there without a problem."
"You are not suggesting what I think you are," the Nord said, backing away ever so slightly. "No. I'm sorry, Serana, but I can't. There has to be another way."
"Not your first choice, obviously," Serana nodded. "There might be another way, but it's really not any better."
Valkyrie sighed. "I'm listening."
"We could just pay the toll another way," the vampire said. "It wants a soul, so we give it one. Yours."
"Wouldn't that kill me?"
"No," Serana smirked. "My mother taught me a trick or two. I can partially soul trap you, and offer that gem to the Cairn as payment. It might be enough to satisfy it."
"And these are my only two options?"
"I'm sorry," the vampire hung her head. "I wish there was an easier way. Just..." she stopped short. "Just know, whatever you choose, I won't think any less of you."
"Thank you," Valkyrie said. "It's not much of a choice, though. I just... can't become a vampire," the Nord took a deep breath. "Soul trap me."
"Are you sure?" Serana said. "I'm willing to do it, but you'll be much weaker when we travel through the Soul Cairn."
The Nord sighed. "Might have mentioned that little detail a minute ago."
"Well," the vampire cocked her head. "We should be able to fix that once we're inside."
"Right, so," Valkyrie breathed deeply. "Should I be prepared for this to hurt at all?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Serana said. "I've never actually tried this before."
Valkyrie only groaned nervously, crossing her arms and turning her head to the floor. A moment later, her attention was stolen by the vampire's hand on her shoulder. They were silent for a moment, before Serana's hand moved further upward, now caressing the Nord's face. "Hey," the vampire said quietly. "You know I'd never do anything to hurt you, right?"
In that moment, every last ounce of fear, uncertainty, or dread in the pit of Valkyrie's gut simply disappeared, now being replaced by feelings of butterflies. She took a deep breath. "Of course," Valkyrie said. "I trust you."
Serana nodded, retrieving a small white crystal from a shelf in the corner of the room. Valkyrie gulped, silently praying to whatever gods would listen that this would actually work as intended. The vampire held the gem up in one hand, and in her other, a violet aura began to glow. "Alright," she said. "I'm going to try and take as small a fragment of your soul as I possibly can. A common gem should be enough to hold it." Valkyrie only nodded, and Serana outstretched her arm. "I promise to try and make this as painless as possible. Now hold still."
With a flick of Serana's fingers, Valkyrie felt an odd sensation in her chest, not exactly painful, but very uncomfortable. After a moment, the gem in Serana's hand began to glow, and the Nord thought for a moment that it just might work. Until, that is, the gem suddenly shattered, its fragments falling to the ground as the two stared at them in confusion.
"That's... odd," Serana said.
"What happened?" Valkyrie asked.
"I'm not sure," the vampire scratched her head. "The gem couldn't contain your soul, not even a fragment of it."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know," Serana shrugged. "Could be I just got a defective gem. I'll have to try again, and use a black one this time just to be safe."
The vampire returned moments later with a larger gem, this one as black as night, and a look of confidence on her face. Her hand began to glow once more, and the sensation in Valkyrie's chest returned. The gem began to glow, and suddenly the Nord felt a sting, as though the inside of her chest had been stung by a wasp. She inhaled deeply, dropping to one knee, and Serana rushed to her side.
"Okay, yeah," Valkyrie groaned. "That one hurt."
"Sorry," the vampire said, helping her to her feet. "Are you alright?"
"I will be," the Nord replied. "Let's just find your mother quickly. You said I'd be weakened in the Soul Cairn, right?"
"You will," Serana nodded. "So I'll just have to do the fighting for both of us."
"I don't like this," Valkyrie said. "But I suppose there's no other way."
Suddenly, a sense of surprise overtook the Nord's senses when Serana suddenly placed a hand in hers. "We've got this," she said, gripping firmly, as Valkyrie's cheeks began to show a slight shade of pink. "I swear I won't let anything happen to you." Valkyrie simply nodded in response, and hand in hand, the two stepped into the depths of Oblivion together.
Notes:
A/N: Yes, this chapter was posted twice. For whatever reason, the first time a huge chunk of the end was missing from it. As such, I had to post it for a second time after making sure it was there again. Sorry for the confusion!
Chapter 12: Beyond Death
Chapter Text
"Gods..."
Valkyrie had done her best to expect the worst when she and Serana left the mortal plane and delved into the depths of Oblivion, but what her eyes saw right this second exceeded every expectation she had. As far as the Nord could see was nothing but a desolate wasteland, the ground nothing but ash, completely devoid of any vegetation, and the occasional ruined building dotting the landscape. Then there was the sky above, seeming to glow with the same strange violet hue as the portal, but dead in the center there was nothing. A complete black void that gave Valkyrie the uneasy feeling that something was watching them, watching over everything that inhabited this horrible place.
Then there was Valkyrie herself. As soon as she and Serana had stepped through the portal, she found herself feeling... heavy. Sluggish, slow, drowsy, just a few words she could think of to describe how she felt, like she was suddenly carrying a heavy weight on her back. The Nord absolutely hated it, and silently prayed that the both of them could find Valerica quickly.
"This place..." Valkyrie said. "It looks like it goes on forever."
"That's because it does," Serana said quietly. "Welcome to Oblivion." The vampire turned to face her, and the two said nothing for a moment. Finally, Serana took a deep breath. "Well, we won't find her standing around like this. Let's go."
Serana began walking, and Valkyrie followed close behing, gazing out into the seemingly endless wasteland. Valerica had certainly picked a clever place to hide, a completely separate plane of existence of literal infinite size inhabited by Gods only knew what. But this only fueled Valkyrie's worry. How in Oblivion were they supposed to find her here? The elder vampire could have been quite literally anywhere, the two could have spent ages searching and never locate her. Before the Nord could delve too deep into her own tendency to over worry, the vampire snapped her out of her own thoughts.
"So," Serana said. "How are you feeling?"
"Well," Valkyrie groaned. "Kind of like I suddenly gained a hundred pounds."
The vampire nodded. "Sounds about right. Or at least, that's what my mother described when she taught me the technique." Serana bit at her lip. "Once we find her, she'll know how to counteract the spell."
"If we find her," the Nord sighed. "I don't want to sound like that person, Serana, but-"
"I know how it looks," Serana snapped at Valkyrie. "But we don't have any other choice. We need that Elder Scroll."
"To decipher the rest of the prophecy, right," Valkyrie shook her head. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "So listen," she said. "I've been thinking. If we don't have the complete prophecy, it only stands to reason Harkon doesn't either, right?"
"I suppose?" The vampire raised an eyebrow. "What are you on about?"
"Just thinking out loud," Valkyrie shrugged. "Maybe it's for the best that the Scroll stays here with your mother. If she even has it," she said, awaiting a response from the vampire, who simply stayed silent. "I'm just saying, if no one has the complete prophecy...?"
"That's a nice thought," Serana dismissed. "But my father is a millennia-old vampire with far more connections, resources, and paranoia than us," she sighed. "There's no guarantee he won't find a way to decipher the prophecy himself, with or without the Elder Scrolls. And besides," the vampire said nothing for a moment. "Once that happens, he'll be out for revenge. Against my mother for locking me and the Scroll away from him. Against me for running away and working against him. And of course, against you and the rest of the Dawnguard for being pesky, insolent mortals."
Valkyrie offered no response, she simply sighed and shook her head.
"At this point," the vampire continued. "It's little more than a race against time. If we don't decipher the prophecy before him, we're doomed. And even if we do, I doubt we'll stand much of a chance against him without Auriel's Bow."
Before the Nord could offer any sort of rebuttal, the pair were taken off guard by a strange noise around them. The sound of gravel shifting, rock sliding against itself, as though the dead were crawling out from their graves. As it was, this was more or less what was happening, as in moments Valkyrie and Serana found themselves surrounded by a horde of skeletons, bones black as night and armed to the teeth. They quickly moved back to back, Valkyrie drawing her sword, Serana focusing her magical energy in her hands. For a moment, the undead beasts stood still, eyeing down the two in eerie silence. Then, suddenly, every last skeleton rushed forward.
Valkyrie raised her blade, barely quick enough to parry one of the skeleton's blows. She retaliated with a strike of her own, but noticed herself to be much slower than usual, and the monster sidestepped her with ease. The skeleton swung again, just barely missing the Nord's neck out of sheer luck, and she began to back away, but was flanked from the side by yet another beast. The creature struck with its blade, and Valkyrie attempted to block the blow with her own, but the sheer force and the strength of the skeleton sent her stumbling backwards.
Serana hadn't been joking. She was much weaker in this infernal place. The two skeletons charged again, and Valkyrie managed to dodge one of their blows, but the force of the other creature's swipe sent her own blade flying from her hands. It was here that the Nord's heart began to beat with renewed intensity, as she found herself out of breath more quickly than ever before. Now disarmed and backing away from her attackers, she attempted to summon a fire in her palm, but only managed a few sparks before it died out.
Valkyrie didn't even have time to curse her own weakness before the monsters began closing in on her. Left with no other options, she spun around on her heel and tried to run, not as a retreat, but to create some distance between her and her foes so she could draw her crossbow. However, the Nord didn't make it two steps before she felt an agonizing, white hot pain surge up and down her back. One of the skeletons had made contact with its blade, and left a gash across the Nord's back that forced her to emit a scream of pain. She fell to the ground, unable to move for the briefest of moments, before trying to crawl away from the undead beasts.
The Nord felt one of the creatures grab her by the hair, forcing her up to her knees as it put its blade near to her throat. Just before Valkyrie could think that it was all over, suddenly the beast dropped its blade, and Valkyrie fell to the ground once more. The stabbing pain in her back rendered her unable to lift herself up and see what was happening. All she heard was the sound of lightning, and the snarl of a rabid beast. Serana, undoubtedly. Just as soon as the sounds of slaughter began, however, they ended, and for just a moment, there was nothing but silence.
"Oh, fuck," Valkyrie heard Serana say from some distance away. "That's bad."
"S... Serana?" The Nord said weakly as the vampire rushed to her side.
"Don't speak," Serana said, grabbing Valkyrie by an arm and a leg and hoisting the Nord onto her shoulders. Valkyrie let out a whimper as the pain surged in her back, unaware of where exactly the vampire was taking her. For what seemed like ages, all she saw was the ground below moving at inhuman speeds. As much as the Nord wanted to simply blow it off, act as though she wasn't even hurt, but she could feel that something was wrong. Something about her body felt different, and not in the way of the Soul Cairn making her weaker, but Valkyrie simply couldn't put her finger on it.
After some time, they reached one of the countless ruins that dotted the landscape of the Soul Cairn. The vampire rushed inside, eager to take shelter from the untold horrors that inhabited this, place, and took Valkyrie from her shoulders, placing her down on the ground as gently as possible. Serana quickly went to work, as Valkyrie lay on her stomach, she felt the tingle of restoration magic crawling up and down her spine. This went on for several moments, a gravely uncomfortable silence filling the air as neither woman said a word.
Finally, the Nord's ears picked up the faint sound of Serana letting out a deep breath. "Alright," the vampire said. "That should do it," she continued before quietly adding, "Hopefully."
Valkyrie simply groaned, still devoid of the energy to move herself, and decided to simply face the truth head on. "So how bad was it?"
"It..." Serana hesitated. "It was pretty bad. The sword tore right through the back of your armor, ended up making contact with your spinal column."
"Oh," the Nord grimaced. "You fixed it though, right?"
"Yeah," the vampire said without much confidence. "I mean... I did what I could. I can't really tell how far the extent of the injury went." There was a short silence, before Serana continued, "Can you move?"
"Yeah, hold on," Valkyrie grunted, summoning what little strength she had in her arms to lift herself off the ground. But a sense of terror quickly gripped the Nord's mind when she could only go up so far, as though part of her body refused to cooperate. Suddenly, realization hit her like a rock.
"Serana..." Valkyrie said, almost silently as she fell back to the ground. "I can't feel my legs."
The vampire said nothing, instead lifting the Nord up from the ground herself, and setting her up against a nearby wall. "Fuck," she said softly, eyes running up and down Valkyrie's body. "Are you sure? Try and move them."
Valkyrie complied, exerting every last ounce of will she had to move her legs, but they simply wouldn't cooperate. Her heart began to beat erratically, horror filling every synapse in her head as she continued to try and will her legs to work. They did not, and the Nord's breath became ragged and irregular. "No," she said, almost in a whisper. "No, no, no, no, this can't be happening." She took as deep a breath as she possibly could, fighting back the tears threatening to break through her eyes. After all Valkyrie had been through, this was how it was going to end? Paralyzed from the waist down in the back end of Oblivion? She looked up at Serana, still knelled down with her head hung.
"I shouldn't have brought you here," the vampire said shakily, taking a seat next to Valkyrie, leaning against the wall and curling her legs up to her chest. "Fuck, why did I bring you here?"
The two said nothing for a long time. Thoughts flooded Valkyrie's mind as to just how they could have avoided this situation, but they all came up blank. She couldn't move her legs, couldn't walk under her own power. This was the Nord's reality, and her mind failed to conjure any sort of scenario where she would come out of the ordeal alive. Paralyzed in the middle of an endless wasteland full of deadly monsters? There was no way anyone could survive that, regardless of their skills. Finally, Valkyrie spoke up. "Serana," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "What are we going to do?"
The vampire didn't turn to face Valkyrie, instead took the Nord's hand in her own. "Val," Serana said quietly. "I need you to listen to me, alright?" Valkyrie simply nodded. "There's only one way I know of that could possibly heal you," she stopped, the continued when the Nord said nothing in response. "Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't ask this of you. But if we don't do this, you are going to die in this place." Serana squeezed Valkyrie's hand. "I can't let that happen."
"So you want to turn me?" Valkyrie finally said.
Serana sighed. "Yes."
There was yet another lengthy silence as the Nord weighed her options. "Serana," she said after some time. "I don't know about this."
"Valkyrie, we don't have a choice," the vampire continued, her tone now firmer. "We've already proven I can't protect you. At least not while you're weakened." Valkyrie said nothing, and Serana took a breath. "It's okay to be unsure. I kind of figured I'd have to convince you, anyway." The Nord continued with her silence, and Serana nodded. "Alright, so... pros and cons," the vampire continued. "Pros, you'll regain the use of your legs. And you'll likely be at full strength again, even without the fragment of your soul," she explained. "That reminds me, we still need to get that back."
"And cons," Valkyrie finally said. "I'll become the very thing I set out to destroy."
Serana sighed. "I know."
The Nord turned her head to face the vampire. "Is there a cure?"
Serana opened her mouth to say something but stopped short. "I... maybe?" Valkyrie groaned, leaning her head back against the wall. "When we were in Morthal," the vampire continued. "And I went on my little midnight walk, I met this man, Falion." The Nord nodded. "He claimed to be an expert in all things related to Daedra, vampirism included. Had a nice conversation with him before we parted, but that's besides the point. I think he might be able to help you."
"Are you sure he'll be able to help me?"
"Sure? No," Serana sighed. "But it's the best we've got."
At last, Valkyrie took a deep breath, turning to Serana once more and squeezing the vampire's hand. "Alright," she said. "Let's just get this over with."
Valkyrie expected Serana to simply reach over and bite her neck, but instead, the Nord's eyes nearly popped out of her head when the vampire repositioned herself on top of where Valkyrie was sitting, straddling the Nord's hips. Valkyrie's cheeks went a dark shade of pink, even more when Serana laid her hands on her shoulders. "You trust me, right?" The vampire said in a hushed tone.
"Yeah," Valkyrie replied, equally quiet. "I do."
"Good," Serana said. "Now just... give me a second to ready myself."
"You alright?"
"I'm fine, it's just..." the vampire hesitated. "You have to understand. For vampires, the act of turning someone is very... intimate."
When Serana uttered the word intimate, a brief image of Harkon flashed in Valkyrie's mind, sending a shiver down what she could feel in her spine. "Well," she said. "All things considered, I'm glad it's you doing this and not Harkon."
"So am I," Serana smiled genuinely down at the Nord. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah," Valkyrie said behind gritted teeth. "Make it quick."
Serana nodded, moving her hands up to the Nord's face. She slowly tilted Valkyrie's head to the side, before licking her lips, baring her fangs, and going right for the Nord's neck.
Nothing...
For what seemed like eons, there was nothing. Nothing but an empty, black void that encompassed all sight, sound and feeling. The nothing lorded over all senses with an iron fist, eventually letting in only the slightest bit of consciousness, but only in the form of raw terror. Incomprehensible, maddening terror soon fell through the cracks that the nothing had let slip open, and threatened to devour all that the nothing had once ruled. But soon after terror, other forms rushed in through the gaps, a blurring whirlwind of colors and shapes that made little sense.
Finally, a being finally began to register some small semblance of itself. Its hand was wielding something heavy, the rest of its body moving with a speed and viciousness that its mind couldn't keep up with. The only thing it could make sense of was base, primal instinct. Kill and survive. Next, strange and vague shapes began to form in the being's vision, its mind ever so slowly beginning to process the images it was taking it. Whatever these shapes were, they were enemies, and the being's intuition was only to destroy them before it was destroyed itself.
Finally, sound began to make itself known. At first, a faint whisper, as though something were calling out to the being from a great distance. But this whisper quickly grew louder, growing from almost deathly silence to a deafening roar in mere moments, almost knocking the being to its knees with its sheer ferocity. For a moment, what the voice was saying was indecipherable, but slowly became clearer, second by second, until its words finally registered.
"Valkyrie!"
The sound of Serana's voice finally snapped Valkyrie back to reality. She was no longer propped against a wall, taking shelter in some abandoned ruin, but was now somewhere else entirely, a horde of dead skeletons at her feet. She spun around to see none other than Serana herself, eyeing her with concern, a sphere of red energy pulsing in the vampire's hand. Valkyrie said nothing for a long while, as though she had forgotten how to speak, until finally, she took a small step forward. "Serana?"
Serana let out a deep breath, the magic disappearing from her palm. "Oh, thank the ancestors," she said, rushing forward to force Valkyrie into a hug. "I was starting to think you might never come back."
As Serana withdrew from her embrace, Valkyrie could only look downward at her legs, now once again in working orde. "I..." she said, almost unable to believe her own eyes. "I'm walking." She looked back up at the vampire, who was beaming with something that resembled pride and satisfaction. Then she took a look around her surroundings. Rather than the old ruin she had last seen, she and Serana were standing on what almost looked like a paved road, in one direction little else than more of the endless hellscape that was the Soul Cairn. But in the other, some feet away, was a castle, the sheer size of which rivaled Castle Volkihar. Around the massive structure looked to be an intangible wall, clearly made from some type of magic. Finally, she turned back to Serana. "What happened? How did we get here?"
"Well," the vampire cocked her head. "The blood of a pure vampire is potent. Your body was overwhelmed by it at first." Valkyrie nodded. "After I bit you, you collapsed. Fell into a slumber."
"How long was I out?"
"Honestly," Serana continued. "A good twelve hours or so. Then when you finally woke up," she shook her head. "You were damn near close to feral. Raced out of the ruins like an animal. Even I had a hard time keeping up with you."
Valkyrie looked down at her hands, closing them both into fists. Everything around her seemed more real, for lack of a better word, as though all her senses were on overdrive. "So," the Nord said in between deep breath. "This is what it's like to be a creature of the night."
"Well, with any luck," Serana stepped forward once more. "You won't be one for very long." She put a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder. "How do you feel?"
"I feel..." The Nord struggled with the question, her eyes not leaving her hands as she clenched and unclenched her fists. "Strong. Like nothing can stop me."
"I wouldn't let that go to my head if I were you," the vampire said cautiously. "You may be more powerful than you were before, but you're not invincible."
"Right," Valkyrie said. "Anything in particular I should know about being a vampire?"
"First things first," Serana said. "If you start to feel thirsty, as in the kind of thirsty you feel in your bones, tell me immediately." The Nord nodded. "I have some blood vials left over, you'll probably need a few before this is over."
"Not looking forward to that."
"I know," the vampire shot back. "So next is the weakness to sunlight."
"Uh huh."
"For mongrel vampires, going out in the sun is agonizing. But for a pure blood like me, it's more annoying than anything," Serana continued to explain. "Now, because you were turned by a pure blood, that makes you what we call a half-breed. Sunlight will be painful, but you should be able to tough it out, just so long as you don't stay in it for too long."
Valkyrie sighed. "Really looking forward to that visit with Falion," she said. "Anything else?"
"One more thing," Serana said. "Being a vampire, everything about you is stronger. And I do mean everything, including your emotions." Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "I'm just saying you might find it hard to control yourself at first."
The Nord nodded her head and crossed her arms. She was still a bit overwhelmed by everything, her senses being heightened to levels she didn't think possible. Valkyrie was so much more aware of all that was happening around her, and found it hard to focus her attention on one thing only. Until finally, she turned her sights to the castle off in the distance. "Well, I don't know about you," she said to Serana. "But that place looks pretty important."
As the pair reached the imposing fortress, stopping only for the wall of magical energy that surrounded its structure, both Valkyrie and Serana's eyes darted everywhere, looking for anything behind the barrier that even remotely resembled a pure blooded vampire or an Elder Scroll. They saw only a grandly constructed entryway, held up by several stone pillars, and in the center a massive gate that likely led deeper into the castle. Finally, after a few moments of searching, a figure stepped out from behind one of the pillars, paying no attention to Valkyrie or Serana. Even from this distance, the Nord's newly powerful eyesight saw that this person looked almost exactly like Serana, albeit with shorter hair and a few wrinkled on her face. Valkyrie didn't even get a chance to say anything before Serana pounded her fist against the barrier.
"Mother!" Serana exclaimed, finally getting the other vampire's attention. Valerica turned to faced the source of the noise, a look of horror adorning her face as she stepped from the shadows.
"Maker," the elder vampire said. "It can't be. Serana?"
"I can't believe it's you," Serana gasped, putting a hand on the barrier, as Valerica did the same on the opposite end. "How do we get inside? We have to talk."
"Serana," Valerica continued, her voiced panicked. "What are you doing here? Where's your father?"
"He doesn't know we're here," Serana said. "Is there a way to take down this barrier or not?"
"I must have failed," the elder vampire backed away from the wall, her head hung down. "Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?"
"No, you've got it all wrong," Serana backed away slightly herself. "We're here to stop him, to make everything right."
"We?" Valerica finally picked up on the younger vampire's choice of words, and at last noticed that her daughter was not alone. The elder vampire's attention turned to Valkyrie, who had been standing some feet off. "Wait a moment," Valerica raised her voice. "You've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?!"
"You don't understand, she-"
"You," Valerica pointed directly at the Nord. "Come forward. I would speak with you."
Valkyrie sighed. Here we go, she thought to herself as she stepped forth to speak with Valerica.
The vampire crossed her arms. "You're a half-breed, that much is obvious. But you have the look of a vampire hunter about you."
"It's a long story," the Nord said.
"Hmph," Valerica scoffed. "Somehow I doubt it's as complicated as you make it out to be. It pains me to think you'd travel with Serana under the guise of her protecter in an effort to hunt me down."
"I'm not here to kill you," Valkyrie shot back. "I'm just trying to keep Serana safe."
"You call bringing her here safe?!" The elder vampire yelled. "Coming from one who murders vampires as a trade, I find it hard to believe your intentions are noble."
"First of all, I don't murder vampires," the Nord spat. "I hunt down monsters who prey on the weak and defenseless. I don't bother with the ones that keep to themselves."
"How very altruistic of you," Valerica's voice was heavy with sarcasm. It seemed the two would have gone for one another's throats had the magic barrier not been in between them
Finally, Serana stepped in once more, "Can we all just calm down for a moment?"
"Stay out of this!" The elder vampire snapped, and Serana nearly jumped in the wake of her mother's anger. But Valkyrie was having none of it.
"Don't talk to her like that!"
"I am her mother!" Valerica said. "I will speak to my daughter however I wish."
"And what a fantastic mother you are," Valkyrie rolled her eyes.
"I grow tired of your petty insults," the vampire continued. "Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you."
"That's why we're here. We need that Elder Scroll."
Valerica only sighed, placing her head in her palm. "You think I'd have the audacity to place my own daughter in that tomb for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone?" Valkyrie said nothing in response. "The Scrolls are merely a means to an end. The true key to the prophecy," at last, Valerica turned back to face her daughter. "Is Serana herself."
There was a lengthy silence as Serana backed away slowly, clearly taken aback by Valerica's revelation. The younger vampire exchanged glances with Valkyrie, her mother, and the ground for what seemed like ages before Valkyrie finally spoke once more. "What do you mean she's the key?"
"When I fled Castle Volkihar," Valerica said. "I fled with two Elder Scrolls. The one I presume you found with Serana speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon, Auriel's Bow." Valkyrie nodded. "The second Scroll declares that the blood of Coldharbour's daughter shall blind the eye of the dragon."
"I don't know what that means," Valkyrie sighed, shaking her head. "How does Serana fit in?"
"Like myself, Serana was a human once," the vampire explained. "We were devout followers of lord Molag Bal." Don't remind me, the Nord thought to herself, resisting the urge to grit her teeth. "Tradition dictates the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day."
"Offered?"
Valerica paid no attention to Valkyrie's question. "Few survive the ordeal. Those that do emerge as a pure blooded vampire. We call such confluences Daughters of Coldharbour."
The Nord's fists began to clench, anger inside her beginning to rise. "Serana underwent this ritual willingly?"
The elder vampire raised an eyebrow. "It was expected of her. Just as it was expected of me."
"Of course it was," Valkyrie said in a low growl, fists nearly shaking from rage. All the Nord wanted to do at this moment was rip through the barrier and tear Valerica limb from limb. Who did this monster think she was, subjecting her own child to such torture? But then, if she even laid a finger on the elder vampire, it was unlikely Serana would ever forgive her, so Valkyrie was forced to settle for gritted teeth and clenched fists.
"You have something to say, killer?" Valerica turned her nose up at Valkyrie.
"Oh, I have plenty to say," the Nord spat. "But I'll save it for later. You're telling me the prophecy requires Serana's blood?"
"Yes," the vampire said. "Now you understand why I wanted to protect Serana, and why I've kept the other Scroll as far away from her as possible. If Harkon obtained Auriel's Bow, and then used Serana's blood to taint the weapon, The Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires."
"I would never let that happen," Valkyrie said.
"Is that so?" Valerica mocked the Nord. "And just how do you plan to stop Harkon?"
"I'll kill him."
The elder vampire simply sighed. "If you believe that, you're an even bigger fool than I originally suspected. Don't you think I weighed that option before I enacted my plans?" She shook her head, eyeing the Nord with disgust. "You care nothing for Serana or our plight. Whether or not you've become one of us in order to survive the Soul Cairn, you're still a vampire hunter at heart. You're here because we're abominations in your mind. Evil creatures that need to be destroyed." The rage inside Valkyrie began to build once more with each word Valerica spoke. "Once Harkon's been dealt with, how do I know Serana's not next?"
This was the final straw. Valkyrie stepped forward, as close to Valerica as the magic barrier would allow. "How dare you..."
"Excuse me?"
"Let me just make sure I'm understanding the situation clearly," Valkyrie practically snarled. "You and Harkon groomed your only child," she pointed a finger at Serana, but her eyes remained locked on Valerica's. "To be a sacrifice to a Daedric Prince?"
"That is correct," the elder vampire said with annoyance.
"And then you forced her to participate in a ritual where she was literally raped to death?!" Valerica's mouth hung wide open, although she didn't say a word. In wake of the vampire's silence, Valkyrie continued. "Then you proceeded to lock her in a box for a thousand years, all because her father wants to kill her and drain her vampiric blood. Which, I might add, she only got because she managed to survive being raped to death!" Valkyrie banged a fist against the barrier, causing Valerica to jump slightly. "And after all you and Harkon have done to her," she continued, fangs bared. "You have the fucking gall to question my motives. Did I miss anything?"
Valerica said nothing, so Valkyrie turned to Serana, whose mouth was also agape, and for the slightest of moments, Valkyrie regretted her outburst. Serana had been correct in saying that a vampire's emotions ran stronger than a mortal's. The Nord had been so wrapped up in giving the elder vampire a piece of her mind, she hadn't even stopped to consider how Serana may have felt seeing her berate her mother. After a lengthy silence, Valerica finally turned to her daughter.
"Serana?" She spoke at last. "This stranger allies herself with those who would hunt you down and slay you like an animal. Yet I should entrust you to her?"
"This stranger has done more for me in the brief time I've known her than you've done in centuries!" Serana finally snapped, and even Valkyrie was shocked that the vampire had finally stood up to her mother.
"How dare you!" Valerica growled. "I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!"
"By locking me away from everything I cared about?" Serana shot back. "You never asked me if hiding me in that tomb was the best course of action. You just expected me to follow you blindly. You were both obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm just a pawn to you, too." Valkyrie glanced back and forth between the two, a single tear running down Serana's cheek, and Valerica hanging her head in shame. "All I wanted was for us to be a family again," Serana continued. "But I don't think that's possible anymore. Fathe-" she hesitated. "Harkon is too dangerous to be left to his own devices. We have to stop him before he goes too far. And to do that, we need the Elder Scroll."
Valerica closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath of air. "Forgive me, Serana," she said at last. "You're right. I never once considered your opinion in how to deal with Harkon. I've allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours." Finally, the elder vampire turned back to Valkyrie. "Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me."
"Oh, for the love of-"
"But," Valerica cut her off. "For Serana's sake, I'll assist you however I can."
"Thank you," Valkyrie said. "Do you have the Scroll with you?"
"Yes," the vampire nodded. "I've kept it safely secured here ever since I was imprisoned. Fortunately, the two of you are in a position to breach the barrier that surrounds these ruins."
"And how do we do that?"
"There are three spires in this area, each one towering over the rest of the ruins," she explained. "At their bases, the barrier's energy is being drawn from the unfortunate souls that have been exiled here. They are guarded by Keepers, servants of the Ideal Masters. Destroy these Keepers, and the barrier will disappear."
"Ideal Masters?" Valkyrie questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Never heard of them."
"They are the unseen entities that lord over the Soul Cairn," Valerica said. "Not exactly Daedric Princes, but rather something else entirely."
The Nord simply shook her head. "Sounds like a story for another day. We'll return soon."
"Before you go, a word of warning," the vampire stopped them. "There's a dragon that roams the Soul Cairn."
Valkyrie's heart skipped a beat. "A dragon?"
"The beast calls itself Durnehviir. Be wary of him. The Ideal Masters have charged him with overseeing the Keepers, and he will undoubtedly intervene in you're seen as a threat."
"Today just keeps getting better and better," the Nord sighed. "Before we leave, any chance you could help get my soul back?"
Valerica looked puzzled. "I'm sorry?"
"Serana partially soul trapped me before we came here," Valkyrie explained. "But I was much weaker, and as a result, I was seriously hurt in a fight with some undead."
"And so the only way to survive," the elder vampire finished for her. "Was to let her turn you."
"That's the long and short of it, yes."
Valerica simply smirked and shook her head. "So Serana applied some of my lessons about necromancy. No matter, I think I can help you." Valkyrie simply nodded. "The fragment of your soul was trapped inside a gem, you see. When you and Serana entered the Soul Cairn, it was given to the Ideal Masters as payment," Valerica explained. "You simply need to retrieve the gem. Once you find it, your soul will be whole once more."
"Good to know," Valkyrie said with a bit of concern. "But this place isn't exactly small. I have no idea where it could be."
"There's an offering altar not far from these ruins," the vampire said. "I'm willing to bet the your soul gem is there."
"Thank you," the Nord said. "We'll be back soon."
"Good luck," Valerica replied. "And keep my daughter safe."
"So," Serana said after the two vampires had been walking for some time. "You want to tell me what that was all about?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your... argument with my mother."
Valkyrie stopped in her tracks. She had known this conversation was coming, but was still trying to hold it off for as long as she could. Having torn into Valerica in the manner that she did, whether it was deserved or not, had clearly upset Serana, which was Valkyrie's sole regret. The Nord had wrestled with her feelings for the vampire for weeks now, ever since their close call in Ruunvald. As much as she wanted to deny her feelings, they were painfully obvious, even more so now that her emotions ran stronger due to her vampiric blood. "We need to talk, Serana," she said quietly.
"I'm listening."
The Nord sighed, unable to look Serana directly in the eye. "Ever since we met, you've been nothing but kind to me. Even though I was an insufferable cur at the start."
The vampire laughed. "I remember."
"And... since we've been traveling together, I started seeing you as... a friend."
"Awww," Serana said in her usual teasing tone. It seemed she wasn't quite picking up what Valkyrie was saying.
"I'm not finished," Valkyrie said, now quickly taking Serana's hands into her own. "I..." she stuttered. "I care for you, Serana. You're one of the kindest, most genuine people I've ever met, and hearing the shit your own family put you through," her teeth began to grit once more. "It made me so angry. You deserved so much better, and I-"
Valkyrie never got the chance to finish. Serana grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt, and pulled the Nord into a kiss. Valkyrie was shocked, but didn't even attempt to fight the vampire off, instead leaning in deeper, moving her hands to Serana's waist as the vampire threw her arms around the Nord's neck. For the briefest of moments, all felt right with the world, and nothing else mattered. After some time, Serana finally pulled away, resting her forehead against Valkyrie's. She smiled.
"And here I was worried the second time wouldn't be as good."
"What are you talking about?" Valkyrie asked, confused.
"You kind of already confessed to me once before," the vampire laughed. "Those two days Hermaeus Mora wiped from your memory."
"Oh," the Nord blushed slightly. "Right."
"Luckily for you," Serana planted another gentle kiss on Valkyrie's forehead. "My answer is still the same as the first time."
Valkyrie said nothing, instead dropping her head into the crook of Serana's neck. "You know," she said after a time. "We have to keep this a secret from the rest of the Dawnguard."
"Naturally," Serana replied, running her fingers through Valkyrie's hair. "Don't worry, love. We'll figure something out."
After retrieving the remainder of Valkyrie's soul, at last the two happened upon what was undoubtedly one of the spires Valerica had mentioned. From the roof of the structure, a ray of light shined up into the very sky, and at its base, some distance away, seated on a makeshift throne, was a spectral giant clad in bones. For just a moment, Valkyrie could have sworn she recognized the armor this wraith was wearing, but the newly turned vampire had no time to ponder, as the monster noticed them immediately as they approached, standing from its throne and drawing a battleaxe.
Let's see what this vampire blood can do.
Valkyrie drew her own blade, readying herself as the wraith marched in her direction, and just before the monster swung at her, something odd happened. As the newly turned vampire's adrenaline began to pump, her reflexes began to react several times over the speed they once had. It was as though everything around her was moving in slow motion. The giant swung downward vertically, Valkyrie dodging his blow with almost ease, the giant axe burying itself in the ground next to where she stood. As the monster struggled to pull its weapon out of the dirt, the Nord jumped onto the hilt of the axe, running upwards, blade drawn, before plunging the end of her sword right into the wraith's head.
The monster fell backwards, hitting the ground with a deafening thud that shook the area. Valkyrie couldn't help but smile, this new blood of hers was so powerful, it was a wonder she was ever able to kill vampires as a mortal. But the Nord didn't get a chance to celebrate, as the Keeper's arms rose quickly from the ground, its massive hands wrapping around her entire body, pinning her arms to her torso. Although she struggled, she simply couldn't get free, and thus had no time to even curse as the wraith slammed her body onto the ground, landing right on her neck.
Valkyrie expected darkness. Death. She expected, at the very least, to not get back up again after the Keeper's attack. But the young vampire, to her own surprise, picked herself off the ground, cocked her head to the side, the bones in her neck emitting a dull pop, and smiled wide, fangs on display.
Serana had shifted into her bestial form, fighting the beast hand to hand, but had to look back in shock when from behind, she heard Valkyrie cry out, "Is that all you've got, you son of a bitch?"
The Nord was now unarmed, charging straight for the giant, her claws now etching from her fingertips. She jumped in the air, higher than she ever possibly could have before, and tackled the monster to the ground. She sank her claws into the wraith's head, her hands meeting only fog and ectoplasm, but it still appeared to hurt the Keeper, as the rest of its body began to twitch violently. Valkyrie slashed away at the monster's face again and again and again, until it finally stopped moving. It was then that Valkyrie let out not a simple laugh, but a mad cackle. The Nord vampire was unstoppable, and she wanted the entire Soul Cairn to know it.
"What in Oblivion has gotten into you?" Serana finally got her attention.
"What are you talking about?" Valkyrie answered from atop the Keeper's lifeless body. "Look at me! I'm fucking amazing! I'm-" she stopped suddenly, a feeling of intense nausea overcoming her stomach. "I'm..." she tried to boast again, but found herself quickly at a loss for words. Valkyrie stumbled down from the giant's body, and quickly dropped to one knee.
"Hey, hey," Serana rushed to her side. "What's wrong?"
"Mouth... dry..." Valkyrie stuttered, clutching her stomach. "Feel like... going to puke."
"Shit, hold on," the other vampire said, quickly reaching into her magic pouch, a moment later revealing a small red vial. "Drink."
Valkyrie didn't need to be told twice. She snatched the bottle from Serana's hand, downing every last drop inside within moments. As the liquid entered her stomach, she began to feel normal once more, no more thoughts of blood and death clouded her mind. The Nord slowly rose to her feet, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry," she said to Serana. "I don't know what came over me."
"It's alright," Serana put a hand on her lover's shoulder. "I told you this power was very difficult to control."
"You weren't kidding," Valkyrie said. "Maybe now you understand why I was so reluctant."
"We'll get you cured as soon as possible. I promise," the vampire said. "Now come on. The sooner we kill the rest of these Keepers, the sooner we can leave this lovely place."
"You managed to destroy all three Keepers?" Valerica said almost immediately upon Valkyrie and Serana's return to the castle. "Very impressive."
"Thanks... I guess," Valkyrie responded with a bare attempt at civility. "Are you able to give us the Scroll now?"
"Yes," the elder vampire nodded. "Follow me." And so she led the two women through the great door at the base of the castle, which, much to Valkyrie's surprise, led to a massive and barren courtyard, one several times the size of Castle Volkihar's. As much as she was glad to have the Elder Scroll within reach, Valkyrie couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. Her fears were proven correct, when a primal, savage roar encompassed her senses. She immediately reached for her crossbow, eyes darting about the landscape.
"Did you hear that?" Serana said, rushing to the Nord vampire's side. Before Valkyrie could even answer, a gargantuan form flew over the walls of the courtyard. From underneath its frame, the beast simply looked like a giant shadow, but when it landed on the opposite wall of the courtyard, the sight of this monster made Valkyrie's stomach drop. A dragon, a monster from Nordic legend was right in front of her, but it didn't look at all how she expected. The beast's wings were in tatters, and its very skin looked as though it were rotting and melting off its bones.
"It's Durnehviir!" Valerica shouted, readying magic in her hands. "Defend yourselves!"
Valkyrie wasted no time taking aim with her crossbow, but the dragon flapped its wings, taking flight over the courtyard. For such a massive creature, it moved incredibly fast, and even with her newly strengthened reflexes, she had a hard time keeping up with the monster. Before it landed once more, however, the beast let out a roar, and if Valkyrie hadn't known better, she could have sworn it was speaking, albeit in an unknown language. Suddenly, around the three, yet more undead tore their way through the ground, blades in hand, and charged at the three vampires.
Valkyrie set her crossbow back on its harness, drawing her own sword, readying herself as three of the creatures came straight for her. As the skeletons swung their blades, the Nord weaved in and out of their strikes with ease, then quickly retaliating with several swipes of her own, the sound of steel meeting steel ringing in her ears. Her body was a whirlwind, her blade hacking and slashing through undead beast after undead beast, the creatures clearly no match for her newfound power.
Within moments, every last skeleton had been cut down, the already formidable duo of Valkyrie and Serana now bolstered by yet another exceptionally powerful vampire.
Upon seeing its undead minions defeated, the dragon opted for a more direct approach, landing in front of the trio and letting loose yet another roar. Valkyrie, showing no fear, charged the beast head on, swinging her blade like a madwoman. Despite its size, the dragon was far quicker than any mortal enemy Valkyrie had ever faced, but with vampiric blood now coursing through her veins, the Nord was quicker still. In spite of the beast's best efforts to dodge her attacks, Valkyrie's blade made a few small incisions in the dragon's maw, and one on its neck.
At last, the monster began to back away, but before Valkyrie could draw her crossbow, she noticed the dragon rearing its head back, mouth wide open. She quickly rolled to the side, barely getting out of the way in time before a blast of fire from the dragon's maw incinerated her. Valkyrie attempted to return to her feet, but the dragon had quickly spun around, its tail slamming into her body with great force, sending her flying some feet away. The Nord landed, her breath knocked out of her lungs as she skidded on the ground.
The irony was not lost on Valkyrie being thankful to her vampiric blood, without which it was likely the dragon's blow would have broken her in half. She stumbled back to her feet, catching out of the corner of her eye that the beast was now busy with Serana and Valerica, who seemed to be holding their own. Valkyrie drew her crossbow, arming it with one of Sorine's special bolts, and took aim carefully. The dragon, still busy with the the other two vampires, let out another thunderous roar, which is when Valkyrie loosed her bolt right into its mouth. The bolt exploded on impact, tearing the bottom of the monster's maw from the rest of its head. The creature fell to the ground, another roar of agony escaping its mouth.
Switching out her crossbow for her blade in one fluid motion, Valkyrie charged once more at the stunned dragon, climbing onto the top of its head and carving away with her sword. She sliced and swiped near a dozen times, each blow tearing into the skin of the beast, until finally, Valkyrie held her blade high, and finally brought it down onto the center of the dragon's head, impaling the monster clean through the roof of its mouth. At last, the dragon was dead.
Valkyrie awkwardly yanked her blade from the dragon's head, climbing back down onto the ground. For a moment, the Nord couldn't help but wear a grin on her face. She had just bested a dragon, a legendary creature straight out of myth and song, and lived to tell about it. If only her father and brother could see her now. As she sheathed her sword, a strange violet hue began to ensnare the dragon's corpse, and within moments, it vanished into thin air.
"Wow," Valkyrie heard Serana say as the vampire came to her side. "That was... impressive. If I didn't know better, I would think you'd been killing dragons your whole life."
"Indeed," Valerica said before Valkyrie could respond. "Forgive my astonishment, but I never thought I'd witness the death of that dragon."
The Nord raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"
"Volumes written on Durnehviir suggest that he can't be slain by normal means," the elder vampire explained. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide. "Unless..."
"I'm listening."
"The soul of a dragon is as resilient as it's owner's scaly hide," Valerica continued. "It's possible that your killing blow has merely displaced Durnehviir's physical form while he reconstitutes himself."
"So we might not be rid of him," Serana piped up. "Lovely. How long would it take him to reappear?"
Her mother only shrugged. "Minutes? Hours? Years? I can't even begin to guess, but I suggest we don't wait around to find out." The elder vampire motioned to the two younger ones to follow her, to which they obliged, heading to a small inlet on the side of the courtyard where it appeared Valerica had set up yet another small alchemy laboratory, although this one was not nearly impressive as its counterpart in Castle Volkihar. On a table in the center of the lab was a large, opaque case, which, upon Valerica unlocking it, revealed to be the holding place of the final Elder Scroll. The vampire picked it up gingerly, before presenting it to Valkyrie.
"Here you are," Valerica said as Valkyrie took the Elder Scroll, shoving it down into her magic pouch. "If there's anything else you need before you set out, I'd suggest you tell me now."
"Wait," Serana said. "You're not coming with us?"
The elder vampire shook her head. "I have no choice but to stay here. I'm a Daughter of Coldharbour. If I were to return with you to Tamriel, that would only increase Harkon's likelihood of completing the prophecy."
"Are you sure?" Valkyrie asked. "We could certainly use your help if you'd come with us."
"As much as it pains me to send you both back alone," Valerica sighed. "Harkon would undoubtedly sense my return to Tamriel. When we..." she stopped for a moment. "When we submitted ourselves to Molag Bal, the ritual made he and myself blood brethren. A bond so strong that most could not even comprehend. If I were to return to Mundus, Harkon would know, and he would be able to find me in an instant. And by extension, he would find the two of you."
Valkyrie nodded, "I understand." She then turned briefly to look over at Serana, whose head was dipped towards the ground, unable to meet the eyes of her mother. The Nord reached over, taking the vampire's hand into her own. "Thank you for everything, Valerica. We'll return for you when we can."
"Before you go," Valerica said, her tone now softer. "I don't believe I ever caught your name."
"I'm Valkyrie."
"Well then, Valkyrie," she continued. "I need you to promise me something."
"And what would that be?" The Nord asked.
"That you'll keep my daughter safe."
Valkyrie simply smiled, squeezing Serana's hand tighter. "I will. You have my word on that."
The two vampires would have been forgiven for thinking that it would be a smooth walk back to the portal to Tamriel, but upon exiting the fortress, setting patiently some feet away from the entrance, was none other than the dragon, its physical body reborn in less time than Valkyrie could have ever predicted. Instinctively, the Nord reached for her blade, ready for yet another battle with the beast, but the dragon then did something she never could have expected.
"Stay your weapons!" A deep, booming voice escaped from the dragon's maw, and Valkyrie, eyes as wide as they could be from shock, lowered her blade. "I would speak with you, Qahnaarin."
"You..." the Nord stepped forward, briefly at a loss for words. "You can talk?"
The dragon gave a hearty laugh. "Did you think all dovah... Dragons to be mindless beasts?"
"Apologies. You're the first one I've ever seen, so..." Valkyrie stuttered. "I wasn't really sure what to think." Suddenly, a thought occured to her. "Hold on," she said, her tone now more aggressive. "Didn't you just try to kill me?"
"The hostility was necessary. I was bound to an oath."
"But not anymore, apparently?" Valkyrie questioned.
"It is... complicated."
What else is new? she thought to herself. "Alright," the Nord said finally, crossing her arms. "What did you want to speak with me about?"
"I believe in civility among seasoned warriors," the dragon said proudly. "And I find your ear worthy of my words. My claws have rended the flesh of innumerable foes, but I have never once been felled on the field of battle. Until now..." The dragon then dipped its head, bowing to Valkyrie. "I therefore honor-name you Qahnaarin, or Vanquisher in your tongue."
It was here that Valkyrie couldn't help but laugh. A prophecy to extinguish the sun, millenia old vampires, and now a dragon was honoring her strength in battle. For a moment, it was all too much, but the Nord humored the beast by returning his bow. "Thank you," she said. "I found you equally worthy."
"Your words do me great honor," the dragon said. "I have roamed this infernal place for so long, I thought I'd not have the chance to bestow an honor-name upon one who has bested a fellow dovah in battle."
It was here that Valkyrie became incredibly confused. "I'm sorry, what?" she said. "No offense, but do I look like a dragon to you?" She gestured to herself.
"Forgive me," the dragon dipped its head. "It was simply my instinct to grant you this title. I am uncertain why. Perhaps one day it will become clear to both of us."
Valkyrie exchanged a look with Serana, who seemed equally confused. "All is forgiven... I suppose?"
But the dragon was not finished speaking. "My desire to speak with you was born as a result of our battle, Qahnaarin. I merely wish to respectfully ask a favor of you."
Now Valkyrie was beginning to get suspicious. "What kind of favor?"
"For many centuries, I have wandered the Soul Cairn in unintended service to the Ideal Masters," the dragon began. "But before this, I roamed the skies of Tamriel. I desire to return there."
"So what's stopping you?" Valkyrie asked. "You seem to be free now."
"Free? No, I have been here too long, Qahnaarin," the beast said. "I share a bond with this dreaded place. If I ventured far from the Soul Cairn, my strength would begin to wane until I was no more."
"Alright," the Nord sighed. "So how am I supposed to help?
"I will place my name with you," the dragon said. "And grant you the right to call my name from Tamriel. Do me this simple honor, and I will gladly fight at your side as your grah-zeymahzin... your ally."
"Just... call your name in Tamriel?" Valkyrie asked, visibly skeptical. "That's it?"
"Trivial in your mind, perhaps," the dragon retorted. "But to me, it would mean a great deal." The creature raised its head high now, looking straight down at Valkyrie before he spoke again.
"Zu'u Dur Neh Viir."
When Durnehviir spoke his name, something odd happened. Valkyrie heard the dragon of course, how could one not, but the Nord swore she heard the beast's voice inside her own head, not so dissimilar from her encounter with Hermaeus Mora. The only difference that this dragon's voice was not so invasive and unsettling, it still left the Nord wondering exactly how Durnehviir had done it. Sadly, she didn't get the chance to ask, as the dragon began to flap his wings and rise from the ground.
"I do not require an answer, Qahnaarin," he said calmly. "Simply speak my name to the heavens when you feel the time is right."
Durnehviir flew off into the sky, and there was a long silence as Valkyrie tried to comprehend what in the world had just happened. Finally, she let out a sigh and turned to Serana.
"Is today over yet?"
Chapter 13: Rising At Dawn
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
7th of Mid Year, 4E 200
"Are you ready?"
Valkyrie sighed, unsure of her answer. It had been several days straight now of she and Serana traveling only at night to avoid the wrath of the sun, all due to their decision in the Soul Cairn to turn the Nord into a vampire. In the time between, Valkyrie, having great difficulty controlling her newfound appetite for blood, had downed every last vial that Serana usually brought with her on their travels. This left them no choice but to venture out in broad daylight, leaving behind the safety of their room at the Winking Skeever, the only inn in Skyrim's capital city of Solitude, in search of fresh blood.
"To be honest," Valkyrie said. "I'm really not."
"Well, we're out of blood," Serana stated the obvious. "And you're going to need to know how to do this anyway."
"But why?" The Nord fired back. "You said this Falion could cure me."
"I said there was a chance he could cure you," Serana said sternly. "If he can't help, you could be stuck like this for a while." Finally, the vampire sighed, stepping in close to her lover. She put her hands on Valkyrie's shoulders. "And I have to make sure you can take care of yourself."
The Nord simply breathed deeply, nodding her head. "Alright," she finally relented. "Where are we going?"
"I did some scouting last night," Serana said, motioning for Valkyrie to follow her as she made for the door of their room. "There's an old fortress not far from here. Full of bandits, people nobody will miss."
"Fine," Valkyrie groaned, putting on the old leather hood she had attached to her armor a few days prior, covering her eyes. "Let's get this over with."
To say that standing in direct sunlight was painful for a vampire was something of an understatement. As soon as Valkyrie stepped had stepped outside of the tavern, she felt as though her very blood had been set aflame. A scorching heat that seemed to be coming from her veins, it was all she could muster not to stumble and fall to the ground. Instead, the Nord vampire managed to settle for an audible wince and a grit of her teeth.
"Are you alright?" Serana asked, taking her by the hand, not so much as a romantic gesture, but to make sure she didn't collapse.
"Everything hurts," Valkyrie growled. "The sooner we get back inside, the better."
Serana said nothing, only quickening her pace as she and Valkyrie made their way from the tavern through the streets of Solitude, weaving in and out and in between busy citizens, obnoxious drunkards, hapless beggars, and the occasional skeever dropping. At last, they reached the main city gate and set out on their way to this abandoned fort. As they walked, Valkyrie's mind was unable to diverge from her desire to simply get out of the sun. For once, she could understand why other vampires would want to never again fear the light of day.
Then the Nord realized what she was thinking and silently cursed herself. She was not one of them and never would be, her current condition being only a temporary setback. Vampire or no, blocking out the sun was absolute insanity, and no amount of pain inflicted upon her by the light of day could change that. Of course, her apparent steadfast morals did little to help her now, as she felt as thought she were being boiled alive.
Serana led the Nord up a path that led into the northern mountains. As their altitude increased, the sheer cold of the air around them only grew in intensity, although Valkyrie hardly noticed. What she did notice, however, was when the clouds in the sky began to roll in, temporarily shielding her from the rays of the sun. The relief this shade provided was very slight and subtle, but the Nord was profoundly thankful for it nonetheless. After a short walk, though it seemed like years to Valkyrie, she and Serana at last spied in the distance the abandoned fortress the vampire had told her about.
Abandoned, it was to say, other than the dozen or so vagabonds and cutthroats that had made the ruin their home. "There they are," Serana said, magic beginning to pulse in her fingertips. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Valkyrie replied, a hand on her sword. "So... feeding. Any particular way I need to go about it?"
"Not really," the vampire said, eyes still locked on the fortress. "Just sink your fangs into someone's neck. After that, it's pretty much like swigging a bottle of mead."
The Nord simply nodded, drawing her sword, and so the two marched for the ruins. They were spotted some feet away by one of the bandits atop the fort's ramparts. He immediately took aim with his bow, letting an arrow fly directly at Valkyrie. But her superior reflexes allowed her to sidestep the arrow with ease. The bandit, a fellow Nord, tried again, this time aiming at Serana. As the arrow flew, it was deflected by a magic shield the vampire put up at the last moment. It was at this point the bandit began to panic, running to the edge of the fort's ramparts to what appeared to be a large bell, undoubtedly an alarm.
The man never got the chance to alert his comrades, as Valkyrie, with a speed impossible to most mortals, drew her crossbow and loosed a bolt right through the bandit's neck. With no one standing guard, the two simply strolled right through the gate, into the main courtyard of the fortress as though they owned the place. Within moments, they were spotted by another bandit near the gate, an elf, who began screaming his head off, alerting the attention of the remaining cutthroats. Within moments, Valkyrie and Serana were surrounded, at least a dozen and a half armed bandits closing in on them, but the two simply flashed glances at one another and smirked.
Valkyrie quickly rushed to the side, closing the distance between herself and the elf in less than a second. The bandit swung his mace directly at the Nord's head, but she ducked under his blow with relative ease and plunged her blade into his gut. The Dunmer dropped his weapon, body twitching violently as Valkyrie bared her fangs and went straight for his throat.
It's so... sweet, Valkyrie thought to herself as she drained her victim. She had thought Serana's blood vials were rather dull, only to be consumed when left with no other option, but this? Blood straight from the vein, it was like fine wine to the young vampire. Delicious, smooth, and only served to dilute the Nord's mind. As the elf's body dropped to the ground, she turned to face the rest of the bandits, several of whom were busy being toyed with by Serana, but a few were charging in Valkyrie's direction. The Nord simply smirked, dropping her blade to the ground, only a single thought in her head.
I need more.
Her claws etched from the tips of her fingers, and she bolted for the group of bandits, moving at inhuman speeds. The vagabonds never stood the slightest chance, the vampire's claws tearing through their armor, right down to their flesh with ease. One bandit dropped to her knees, only for Valkyrie to sink her fangs into her throat a moment later, raising the body off the ground with nothing but her own teeth. Valkyrie couldn't help but moan in satisfaction as her victim's blood flowed down her throat, only for the body to run dry all too soon. Valkyrie released the corpse from her fangs, turning around to see the other two bodies still had some life in them. She quickly bared her fangs and drained them of every last drop she could muster.
It wasn't enough.
Every last inch of Valkyrie's mind was consumed only with a ravenous desire for more blood. She no longer saw people, animals. Only walking vessels there only to sate her appetite. For what seemed like ages, it was as though the young vampire's mind had simply turned off, her senses little more than a raging torrent of blood, blood, and more blood. Yet despite each new freshly drained victim, her hunger only grew even more vicious. It wasn't until she sank her fangs into yet another victim, one that seemed only slightly familiar, that Valkyrie was finally pulled back to reality. The blood she attempted to draw from this creature was foul, bitter, worse than any rotten food she could have imagined.
Valkyrie dropped to her knees, coughing and dry heaving furiously, as she wondered what on Nirn could have happened. Her question was answered, when from above she heard Serana remark, "I thought that would snap you out of it."
Valkyrie looked up at her vampire lover, who was wearing a look of annoyance, and a slight smear of blood adorned the side of her neck. "Gods," the Nord moaned as she stood up. "What just happened?"
"You went blood crazy," Serana said. "I was kind of afraid this would happen, that's why I took you here to feed."
Valkyrie looked to her side, only for her stomach to drop as she saw the carnage she had left in her wake. She had expected to see simply a pile of corpses, but instead was met with the side of dismembered bodies, organs torn to pieces, flesh shredded. And not a single stain of blood in sight. The Nord backed away slightly, mouth agape. "I did this?"
"What's wrong?" Serana asked, putting a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder. "They're just bandits."
"Killing bandits is one thing," Valkyrie said quietly, her eyes still locked on what was left of her victims. "But I... tore them apart. No one deserves to die like that." She hung her head shamefully, spinning around on her heel and quickly marching in the other direction, Serana in tow. "We're heading back to the inn to get our things," the Nord said. "And after that, we're headed straight to Morthal. And we aren't stopping until we get there."
Upon returning to the inn, Valkyrie was ready to simply grab her things and leg it, but she and Serana hesitated when they saw a familiar group of people sitting off in the corner. Durak and Celann, the two senior most members of the Dawnguard apart from Isran, had made their way to Solitude. For what reason was unknown. What was known, however, was the sudden wave of terror and paranoia that came over Valkyrie's mind the moment she saw them from across the room. The Nord shuddered to think how her comrades would react if they discovered she had allowed Serana to turn her.
"Shit," Valkyrie said quietly, draping her hood over her eyes. "We've got company."
"I see them," Serana replied calmly. "No use trying to sneak past, they'll see us."
"So what do we do?"
"Just stay calm," the vampire said. "Act like everything is normal. They trust you, so I doubt they'll catch on. Just don't take your hood off."
The Nord simply sighed, as the two made their way over to the corner of the room to speak with the Dawnguard agents. Sure enough, Durak and Celann spotted the pair well before they reached them, and raised their mugs in greeting.
"Well, well," Durak said, clearly a bit drunk already if his grin was any sign. "Small world. Have a seat, Valkyrie."
"Good to see you both," the Nord said, taking the only empty chair, while Serana simply leaned back against a wall. "What brings you to Solitude?"
"Ah," the Orc groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Isran dragged us up here. You know how it is." Valkyrie only laughed in response.
"So," Celann said, setting his mug down. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you at the fort for some time."
"Chasing down that ancient prophecy," Valkyrie shrugged. "We just found the last of those Elder Scrolls not long ago."
"You don't say," the Breton said, his eyes widening.
The Nord nodded. "Once we grab our things, we're heading back to the fort to give them to Dexion."
Suddenly, Durak and Celann's gleeful drunken grins dropped, as the Orc and Breton quickly exchanged a glance with one another. The pit of Valkyrie's stomach then dropped, a slight feeling of dread overtaking her as she wondered just what could have happened since she and Serana had left the fort. "What is it?" she finally asked, after it became clear neither man was going to come forward.
"Dexion's the reason we're here," Durak said. "We brought him to Solitude to see if the healers at the temple could help him."
"Healers?" Valkyrie only grew more confused. "What happened? Is he alright?"
"He... um..." the Orc's inebriated mind began to fail him, and he looked to Celann for support.
"How do I put this..." the Breton said, rolling his eyes at Durak. "According to Dexion, he was in such a hurry to read the Scroll, he neglected the time he needed to prepare thoroughly. He's..." Celann stopped short, letting out a sigh. "He's gone blind."
"Blind?!" Serana piped up, earning looks of ire from Durak and Celann, which she completely ignored. "You've got to be kidding me. Where's Dexion now?"
The two Dawnguard soldiers hesitated for a moment, exchanging looks with one another before the Orc answered, to Valkyrie, not Serana. "We rented a room upstairs. Can't miss it."
"Thanks," Valkyrie said, standing up from her chair. "We need to talk to him."
"Leaving already?" Celann asked.
"Kind of in a hurry. Sorry," the Nord replied as she turned away. "I'll see you both back at Fort Dawnguard."
Moments later, Valkyrie and Serana barged into Dexion's room, finding the Moth Priest alone, sprawled out on a large bed, humming to himself. What they noticed immediately, however, was the bandaging over the old man's eyes. The two exchanged looks of horror and concern with one another, before Valkyrie finally stepped forward. "Dexion?" she asked.
The old priest sat straight up upon hearing the Nord's voice. "Valkyrie!" He said, his voice oddly as chipper as ever. "I assume Serana is with you?"
"You guessed right," the vampire said. "What happened? They said you've..."
"Gone blind?" Dexion said very matter-of-factly. "Yes, I'm afraid so. The fault is purely my own. In my haste to read the Elder Scroll, I neglected the careful preparation needed."
"Can anything be done to help you?" Valkyrie asked.
"Your comrades seem to think so." The priest said. "But I know better. It will simply have to run its course. And there's always the chance that I may never recover."
"So there's no way to read the Scrolls," Serana's head dipped.
"Actually," Dexion held up a finger. "There may yet be a way to decipher the prophecy. The question is," he stopped for a moment. "How much are you prepared to sacrifice to find Auriel's Bow?"
"What are you getting at, Dexion?" Valkyrie raised an eyebrow.
"I can't guarantee you'd be free from harm," the priest warned. "Becoming blind could be the least of your worries."
Valkyrie and Serana glanced at one another briefly. "Of course," the Nord said. "Why should anything we do be simple and safe?"
"Simply the nature of Elder Scrolls, I'm afraid," Dexion said with a laugh as he scooted to the edge of the bed. "Scattered across Tamriel," the priest began. "Are isolated groves known as Ancestor Glades. There just so happens to be one in Skyrim, in the pine forest to the south. Performing the ritual of the Ancestor Moth within the grove should provide the answers you seek."
"Ritual of the Ancestor Moth?" Valkyrie questioned. "You've lost me."
"Performing it is actually a great honor," the priest continued. "Every Moth Priest is taught this ritual, but few ever get the chance to do so."
"So what does this ritual entail?" Serana asked.
"First," Dexion explained. "You must carefully remove the bark from a canticle tree. Such trees are exceedingly rare, but they will undoubtedly be growing marvelously in the Ancestor Glade."
"What does the bark do?"
"It will attract Ancestor Moths to you," Dexion answered. "Once enough of them are following you, they will provide you with the second sight needed to read the Elder Scrolls."
"And how exactly are we supposed to gather this bark?" Serana questioned.
"In keeping with tradition, you must use a specific tool known as a draw knife," the priest said. "Again, such tools are rare, but luckily, I have one I'd be willing to lend to you."
"Thank you," the vampire said. "Where is it?"
"There should be a chest somewhere in this room," Dexion said. "Your friends put my belongings in there for safe keeping."
Serana rushed over to the corner of the room, where an old chest that fit the priest's description lay. Inside were several stacks of books, a few extra bandages for Dexion's eyes, as well as countless other baubles that she couldn't make any sense of. It took a moment of rummaging before the vampire finally found what looked to be the priest's draw knife. The tool had two small handles, each one leading to a singular blade that looked sharp enough to cut through steel. Serana carefully placed the knife in her magic pouch, giving Valkyrie a nod.
"Thank you for everything, Dexion," the Nord said after a moment. "So what are you going to do now?"
"Well," the priest pondered. "As I said, your friends thought the healers at the temple could help me. But sadly, I know they can't. Once your man Isran returns, it'll be high time for me to return to Cyrodiil."
Suddenly, the door behind them creaked open, Valkyrie and Serana turned around, being met with the sight of Isran standing in the doorway, that permanent scowl still etched into his face, Durak and Celann behind him. "Isran," Valkyrie gave the Redguard a nod in greeting, which he returned. "Any luck with the healers?"
"Unfortunately, no," Isran sighed as he stepped into the room, his fellows in tow. "There's nothing they can do for the old man."
"I don't mean to say I told you so," Dexion said from his bed.
"Anyway," the Redguard ignored the priest. "Durak and Celann told me you've made some progress in finding those Scrolls."
"We did," Valkyrie nodded. "And Dexion might have just given us a way to read them without his help."
"Speaking of which," Serana interjected herself before Isran could inquire any further. "I don't mean to cut this lovely reunion short, but time isn't exactly on our side." She turned to Valkyrie. "It's a long way to the Ancestor Glade. We should get going."
"Of course," Valkyrie nodded, as she and the vampire sidestepped Isran and made for the door. "We'll see you all back at the fort."
"Hold on," Isran said suddenly, just before the two could escape. Valkyrie recognized the tone in the Redguard's voice, that scathing, unrelenting paranoia that he was known for, and the Nord's senses began to fill with dread. She slowly turned to face Isran, whose scowl had only grown more intense. "Take off your hood," he said. "Now."
Valkyrie froze. She had known there would be a risk to allowing Serana to turn her, but had hoped they would simply be able to avoid her fellows in the Dawnguard until she could be cured. She looked over at Serana, who simply nodded. Valkyrie inhaled deeply, slowly pulling back the hood from her face, gasps of shock escaping from Durak and Celann when they saw her eyes. "Before you make any assumptions," the Nord said, stepping forward slightly. "This isn't what you think."
"Silence!" Isran said, clearly enraged as a hand went for his axe. "I ought to cut you to pieces where you stand."
"That," Serana butted in, stepping in front of Valkyrie. "Would be a very foolish move on your part."
"I'm afraid I don't understand what's going on," Dexion said from across the room.
"Serana turned Valkyrie into a vampire," Isran growled.
"Serana is a vampire?!"
"Not the time, Dexion!" Serana exclaimed. "Now listen," she continued, turning back to the enraged Dawnguard. "I know how this looks, but-"
"But nothing!" Isran cut her off. "I should have known this vampire would seduce you into its wiles eventually."
"That's not what this is!" Valkyrie snapped.
"Valkyrie," Durak finally said after his own lengthy silence. "How long have you... been like this?"
"A few days," the Nord said quietly. "I was badly hurt, and would've died if she hadn't turned me."
"Then you should have accepted death!" Isran bellowed, stepping forward, only for Serana to get in between them. "Any one of us would have gladly died instead of becoming a nightwalker," he said, glaring at Serana.
"I considered that, believe or not," Valkyrie replied. "But Serana says there's a man in Morthal who can cure me."
There was a long silence after this, Isran finally stepped back away from the two vampires, his eyes firmly locked on them. Durak and Celann's gaze shifted rapidly, from Isran to Valkyrie and Serana to one another and back again, each man waiting to see who would make the first move. Finally, the Redguard shook his head. "I don't believe you," he spat, drawing his axe. "Kill them, boys."
Serana immediately readied her magic, Valkyrie drawing her sword. "Isran," Serana said, her fangs bared. "You're making a big mistake."
"The only mistake I ever made," Isran snarled. "Was allowing a bloodsucking fiend like you to infiltrate my ranks." He turned to the men on either side of him. "What are you waiting for?"
"Isran," Celann said softly, looking back and forth between them. "She... she's one of us."
"Not anymore, she's not," the Redguard said. "She ceased to be one of us the moment she let this beast infect her. And if the both of you won't kill them, I will."
Celann and Durak eyed each other, neither man sure what to do, until finally the Breton sighed. "I'm sorry, Valkyrie," he said, drawing his crossbow.
The three Dawnguard soldiers never got a chance to attack, as Serana released a wave of magic from her palms, several blasts of energy with a crimson shade knocking them back and pinning them to the wall. The Dawnguard struggled, but were unable to free themselves from the vampire's magic. "We're leaving," she said grimly. "And we're taking the Elder Scrolls with us. If the three of you or any of your people try to follow us," she began to back away. "Then I will kill you." At last, she turned to Valkyrie, still in shock.
"Let's get out of here."
10th of Mid Year, 4E 200
The town of Morthal had changed little since Valkyrie's last stay. It was every bit as dull and dreary as she remembered, even with the sky's violet hue as the sun began to dip below the horizon, an atmosphere that reflected the Nord's mood. Even now, days after her incident with the Dawnguard, she still found it hard to believe. Having spent the better part of a year training, drinking, fighting alongside those men, and they turned on her in the blink of an eye. It made Valkyrie question why she had ever hoped to join their ranks in the first place, whether it had all been a waste of time. But then the Nord looked over at Serana, and any feeling of doubt that may have lingered disappeared. Even if her time as a vampire hunter was over, she still had her vampire, and that was enough.
After a short walk through the town, the two stopped at a small, unassuming cabin, settled far from the rest of the village's homes. Serana, with Valkyrie in tow, stepped to the front door and delivered a few quick knocks.
"If you've come to accuse me of sacrificing children," a loud, irritable voice came from the other side of the door. "Or eating the hearts of the dead, you may save your breath."
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow, shooting Serana a look of concern. Was the vampire certain this grouch would help them? Serana only chuckled, knocking yet again when the voice went silent.
At last, the door flew open, an aging Redguard man on the other side with a scowl that could have matched Isran's. "Why can't you people just leave me al-" he stopped suddenly as he made eye contact with Serana, his grim look fading quickly.
"Now Falion," Serana smirked. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
"Ah, it's you," Falion replied much more calmly, bowing his head. "My humblest apologies. I'm so often harassed by the people of Morthal, I hardly know who to expect at my door anymore."
"May we come inside?"
"Of course," the old man nodded. "Agni!" He called to the inside. "We have company!"
The two stepped inside the Redguard's one-roomed cabin. The inside of Falion's house was quite bare, two beds off in the corner, a fireplace with a large wooden dining table next to it, and several bookshelves next to an alchemy workstation. This old man was not exactly living the life of luxury, but then again, he was a mage in Skyrim. Serana led Valkyrie to the dining table, and the two sat down next to one another. They had barely even gotten a chance to rest their feet when a young girl, presumably this Agni that Falion had mentioned, rushed to the side of the table, her face full of excitement and wonder.
"You must be the vampire Falion told me about!" the girl said.
Valkyrie shot Serana a look of concern, the vampire eyeing the girl nervously. "He..." she stuttered. "He told you?"
"Of course," Agni said. "But don't worry, I swear I haven't told anyone else!"
"Agni," Falion said, taking a seat across from Valkyrie and Serana. "Why don't you run along and play? I have some things to discuss with our guests."
"Aw, but Falion..." the girl pouted.
"No buts," the Redguard said firmly. "Go on. I'll have dinner ready when you get back."
The young girl simply hung her head, complying with her apparent guardian's wishes and making her way outside. As soon as Agni was gone, Falion's face began to adorn a wide grin. "Smart girl," the old man said. "Has a natural talent for magic like you wouldn't believe." He grabbed a nearby mug, evidently not caring what its contents were or how long it had been sitting there. The Redguard took a quick swig, before reengaging the conversation. "So, what can I do for the both of you?"
Serana simply nodded at Valkyrie, who then sighed, "I'm told you're an expert in vampirism."
Falion's smile disappeared, his expression now much more serious and grim. "I know many things," he said. "I've studied things far beyond the reach of most humans, traveled the Oblivion planes, seen things one should not see. I have met Daedra, and Dwemer, and everything in between. And I know enough to see a vampire where others would see a normal person."
Valkyrie questioned if the long, drawn out introduction to this old man's knowledge was truly necessary, but stifled herself. "I was hoping you might know of a way to cure me."
The Redguard nodded. "It is possible," he said. "I know of a ritual, but I've never had the chance to perform it." He leaned in ever so slightly closer to the pair. "The question is, just how badly do you wish to become mortal again?"
"Of course there's a catch," Valkyrie sighed. "What do I need to do?"
"The ritual requires a black soul gem. A full one," Falion said. "You will need to kill someone."
"Actually," Serana spoke now, reaching into her magic pouch. "I think I have one we can use."
"Wait, what?" Valkyrie asked.
"We came from the Soul Cairn," the vampire smirked. "You couldn't expect me not to pick up a few of these, could you?"
"The Soul Cairn, you say?" The Redguard sounded curious as Serana handed him the gem. "You'll have to stop by and tell me about it one of these days."
"So is that all you need?" Valkyrie asked, desperate to get the conversation back on track.
"Yes," Falion nodded, looking over the crystal. "I believe this gem will do nicely." He put this gem into his pocket, eyes now locked on his guests. "There's a small bit of swamp not far from town. In that swamp are a set of ancient summoning stones that have been here much longer than Morthal." He stood up from his seat, while Valkyrie and Serana did the same, the Redguard leading them to the door. "Meet me there at dawn," he said. "I will bring life to your dead body, vampire."
Several hours passed. Being that the there was exactly all of nothing to do in the town of Morthal, Valkyrie and Serana decided to use the time to rest, knowing they would likely not get another chance to do so for some time. The room they rented in the local inn was small and cramped, but the two didn't mind, Valkyrie sprawled out on the bed while Serana sat in a chair. The pair spent a good while in silence, not that Valkyrie minded. They had been racing around the entire province for weeks now with very little rest, it was a welcome change to simply be able to relax and not worry about the fate of the world.
"So," Serana said after some time.
"So," Valkyrie replied, turning her head to look over at the vampire.
"This is nice," Serana continued. "We haven't really had a moment to ourselves since..." She shot Valkyrie a smirk. "Well, you know."
"Yeah," the Nord smiled. "Are you still okay with... us?"
"Of course," the vampire said. "Speaking of which, I actually wanted to talk to you about... us."
"Uh oh," Valkyrie said, sitting up and throwing her legs over the side of the bed. "I feel a change in the mood coming. What's on your mind?"
Serana took a deep breath. "How do I put this," she said quietly, taking the Nord's hands into her own. "I know you have your own reasons for not wanting to be a vampire," she continued, eyes now locked with Valkyrie's. "But..." she sighed. "Are you sure you want to be cured?"
"What?" Valkyrie was shocked. "Of course I am. What kind of question is that?"
"Alright, alright," Serana quickly backed away. "I shouldn't have asked. Clearly you don't want to talk."
"Hold on," the Nord said, grabbing the vampire's hands back. "I never said I didn't want to talk. I just... where's this coming from?"
Serana said nothing, instead moving from the chair to take a seat beside Valkyrie on the bed. "Val," she said, almost at a whisper. "I've lived a long time. Seen things you haven't." She grabbed the Nord's hand once again, holding it firmly in her grip. "Let's just say I know what it's like to have loved and lost." She finally turned her head to face Valkyrie. "I'm immortal," the vampire said. "And once you're cured, you won't be."
"Oh," was all Valkyrie could muster as the gravity of the situation hit her. She had never once stopped to consider the fact that Serana, an immortal vampire would never age and continue to be around long after she had grown old and withered away. "Serana," she said, slightly hesitant. "I understand what you're saying, but..." she sighed. "You saw first hand, I can't control myself as a vampire. I tried to feed on you." The vampire only nodded, and, desperate to stave off any hard feelings, Valkyrie reached up, placing a hand on Serana's cheek. "Hey," she said. "We'll figure something out, I promise. But... I'm a danger to everyone around me like this, and you know it."
Serana was silent for a moment, turning her face away from the Nord's and staring down at the floor, and for a moment Valkyrie was terrified she had said the wrong thing. "Okay," the vampire finally said after a while.
"Okay?" Valkyrie questioned.
"I understand," Serana offered a weak smile. "I promise I don't hold it against you."
"Are you sure?" the Nord questioned. "I just... don't want there to be any-"
She was cut off, rather forcefully in fact, when the vampire put her hands on Valkyrie's face and pulled her into a kiss. But this one was not sweet and gentle like the one they had shared in the Soul Cairn, it was deep, aggressive, and passionate, so much so that the Nord's head began to spin with every second Serana neglected to pull away. Finally, the two broke apart, resting their foreheads against one another's, Valkyrie's breathing deep and heavy while Serana simply gave her a smirk. "I'll say it again," the vampire put her arms around the Nord's neck. "Flustered is a good look on you." Valkyrie found herself unable to form any real words, and so Serana simply stood up, taking her hand. "The sun will be rising soon. We should get going."
As the tiniest rays of light began to creep over the skyline, Valkyrie felt it in her blood instantly. Between the putrid smell of the marsh and the pain from the light of the sun, the Nord could be forgiven for being in a hurry to get the ritual over and done with. She and Serana had arrived at the summoning grounds a bit too early, it seemed, as Falion was nowhere to be found. Or so they thought, when the Redguard made his presence known in the most obvious for a mage, by stepping out from behind one of the summoning stones. "You're here, good," the old man said. "Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes," Valkyrie sighed. "What do I need to do?"
Falion motioned to the stones, a perfectly circular platform with strange etchings in between them. "Simply stand in the center. I will do the rest. As for you, Serana," he turned to the elder vampire. "I would stand back. We don't want any... accidents."
Serana simply nodded, backing away from the stones a considerable distance. As Valkyrie positioned herself on the platform, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She trusted that this old man knew what he was doing, of course, but there was always the smallest chance that something could go wrong, and that she would be stuck like this forever. But the Nord never got the chance to express her concerns, as Falion presented the soul gem, and the crystal began to levitate between them. Finally, the old man began to speak in an unknown language.
"A cas uro daen. Homet av man ni Aedra."
Falion's voice was strange and otherwordly, and as the man spoke, Valkyrie's vision began to blur.
"Adma preal furis. Ry feh ehlin tu duio anyammis."
Valkyrie's vision continued to fade, and as such, her fear and worrying only grew, but she found herself unable to move. Slowly, as Falion continued speaking, her other senses began to wither as well.
"Feh homet Daedra, anyammis et felli ehlin. A cas bala."
There was nothing. The Nord could not see, could not feel. Around her was nothing but an empty void, all she could comprehend was Falion's voice.
"Kace nu delle. Ry anar ednes banar. Enef liut av perlisce."
Then, as the Redguard uttered his final phrase, Valkyrie's senses came barreling back at full force. As she awoke, she was lying on the ground, the cold stone of the summoning platform against her body. She slowly made her way to her feet, feeling much different than she had moments ago. The Nord looked behind her, to the sun still barely creeping over the horizon. The light no longer burned. There was no desire for fresh blood anywhere in her mind. Her heart had begun to beat once more. She turned back to the others, Falion wearing a satisfied smirk, while Serana, off a small distance donned a genuine smile.
"It is done," the Redguard said.
Notes:
If anyone is wondering, the language Falion spoke during the ritual is actually meant to be Aldmeris. Sadly, there's very little information online about the language and how to actually form sentences with it, so some creative liberties had to be taken. His lines are more or less meant to roughly translate to his original dialogue in the Rising At Dawn quest, but even that particular bit of dialogue was pretty hokey, and I thought it sounded much cooler and more ominous spoken in a strange, unknown, alien language.
Chapter 14: Unseen Visions
Chapter Text
14th of Mid Year, 4E 200
"So this is the place," Serana said as the two stepped into a damp, dingy, and rather uninspiring cave. "Not very impressive, is it?" Valkyrie simply shrugged, stepping over a branch. "I swear, if this ends up being a wasted trip, I'm going to find Dexion, and we're going to have some words."
"Good luck with that," Valkyrie groaned. "If he's not already on his way back to Cyrodiil, the Dawnguard are probably guarding him day and night."
"Don't remind me," the vampire replied with disgust. "Bastards."
Despite her previous loyalties to the Dawnguard, Valkyrie couldn't help but agree with Serana. They were bastards, Isran especially, to turn their backs on her so quickly over a temporary setback, accused her of lying when she said she knew of a cure for vampirism. But none of that mattered now, as she and her vampire were on the verge of finding Auriel's Bow and putting an end to the ridiculous prophecy once and for all. Or so she hoped. Their current setting did little to encourage the Nord's sense of optimism, a cramped, dimly lit cave that seemed to be getting more and more narrow as they continued further.
After a time, however, and the two had stumbled into an especially narrow passageway, Valkyrie noticed a bright light coming from the other side, although she dared not get her hopes up. As she and Serana squeezed through the tight-spaced formation of stone, her eyes widened and jaw dropped as she beheld the sight that lay on the other side.
This was undoubtedly the Ancestor Glade that Dexion had spoken of. It was breathtakingly beautiful, vegetation flourishing over every inch of the ground, yet somehow not overgrown. The sheer scope of the grove was nearly overwhelming, an entire forest containing trees and flowers the likes of which Valkyrie had never seen dotting the landscape, and a great ray of light from the outside world shone down through a hole in the stone ceiling. For someone who rarely took in the sights of nature, even Valkyrie was rendered speechless by the beauty of this place.
"Wow," Serana whispered. "I take back everything I said on the way in. This place is beautiful." Valkyrie found herself unable to take her eyes off the scenery, but felt the vampire's hand slide into hers. "Looks like no one's been here in centuries."
"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Valkyrie managed to ask.
"No," Serana said. "According to Dexion, though, there's groves like this all over Tamriel." She let out a laugh. "I guess most people don't even know what to look for." They continued to ogle the grove for what seemed like ages before finally exchanging a glance with one another. "Well, come on," Serana said. "Let's find one of those canticle trees."
The trees in question, it turned out, were rather easy to track down, a whole slew of them seeming to grow near the center of the grove. It took Valkyrie only a moment to retrieve Dexion's draw knife from her pouch and cut off a sizable chunk of bark from one of the trees. "Alright," she said, turning back to Serana. "What now?" Before Valkyrie could respond, a swarm of the apparent Ancestor Moths appeared seemingly out of thin air, surrounding the Nord, buzzing around her body frantically as she made futile attempts to swipe at them. "Damn moths!" She said in frustration. "Why are they doing this?"
Serana only laughed. "Looks like they've taken a liking to you," she cocked her head to one side. "And unless I'm seeing things, you're starting to... glimmer."
Valkyrie's brow furrowed, and she looked down at her body, only to see the vampire was right. There was an ever so faint aura emitting from her, undoubtedly caused by the swarm of moths that refused to leave her side. "Well," she said, "That's new."
"I think maybe we need to find more of them," Serana said.
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Valkyrie asked. "This grove is a pretty big place." The vampire said nothing, instead allowing a devious smile to come over her face. "Oh no," the Nord said with a slight chuckle. "That look scares me." Serana stayed silent, as she began inching closer to Valkyrie, their eyes locked together, until finally, the vampire softly poked her lover in the shoulder.
"You're it."
Valkyrie's face dropped. "Are you joking?"
Serana began to back away, still smirking. "I'm deadly serious." She held out a hand, motioning for Valkyrie to come and get her. "Catch me if you can," she said, and with that, the vampire spun on her heel and dashed off into the trees.
"Oh, for the love of-" Valkyrie started, but couldn't help letting a smile of her own shine through. "Fine," she called back as she began to race after Serana. "But you asked for it."
It seemed like just when the Nord had begun to chase Serana, the vampire had practically disappeared from view, lost in the thickness of the forest. Valkyrie stopped in her tracks, eyes darting back and forth around her immediate surroundings. She shouldn't have been surprised, Serana was a vampire, and thus had a natural talent for stealth, and was likely toying with her. Suddenly, off in the distance, Valkyrie heard a giggle, which only made her certain Serana was toying with her. She made her way in the general direction of the vampire's voice, quickly but also cautiously. Her natural instinct as a vampire hunter was beginning to come into play, and she was determined to get the upper hand.
Valkyrie continued to follow the sound of Serana's voice, the only hint she had been given thus far, trying her damnedest to focus her senses as sharply as possible. She knew the vampire was probably watching her from somewhere, desperately trying not to laugh at her while she stumbled around looking for her. As annoying as it was to have to play this childish game, Valkyrie couldn't help but admit that she was enjoying herself. It was nice to not worry about the fate of the world for just a moment, and have a bit of fun with her lover.
Suddenly, from just behind her, Valkyrie heard a twig snap. Instinctively, she spun around to face the source of the noise, to find Serana, a look of disdain directed down at her feet. The Nord rushed forward, hand outstretched. "Got you!" She cried, only for Serana to side step her at the last moment, and send Valkyrie tumbling to the ground. As she let out a grumble of pain, her ears picked up Serana laughing yet again, and Valkyrie quickly rolled over and sat up, eyeing the vampire with a look of frustration, yet her smile only grew wider. "Really?" She asked.
Serana only shook her head. "Too slow, love."
"Slow, huh?" That had done it, Valkyrie was now determined to catch this vampire if it were the last thing she ever did. "I'll show you slow. Get back here!" And so the chase was on once more, the Nord trailing Serana from a reasonable distance, the vampire weaving in and out of trees and vegetation with little difficulty, while Valkyrie struggled to keep her in sight. All the while they were running, the two women were unable to keep themselves from laughing like madwomen. Despite her annoyance with being unable to catch Serana, it was the most fun Valkyrie had had in ages.
Eventually, after taking a quick look over her shoulder to see if Valkyrie was still following, Serana leaped through the air, going from the ground to an impossibly high tree branch in one swift motion. Valkyrie stopped at the base of the tree, her breathing deep and heavy. "No fair!" She shouted to above. "Not all of us have superhuman strength!"
"Sounds like a personal problem to me!" Serana called back down. "I'm just utilizing the resources I have! If you really wanted to catch me, you'd find a way!"
"Oh, so it's like that, huh?" Valkyrie replied, as she jumped into the air, grasping onto a few broken stumps that were protruding from the trunk of the tree. The things I do for love, she remarked to herself as she began climbing, slowly and awkwardly, towards the massive branch that Serana had perched herself onto. It was a hard slog upward, but eventually Valkyrie finally reached the branch, as she hung downwards and slowly dragged herself up onto it. The vampire, of course, was standing all the way at the end, presenting herself as a prize to be captured. Finally, after a long struggle of trying to keep her balance, she began to inch forward, careful not to slip and fall to her death. "So," Valkyrie called out to the end as she moved slowly."Do you go out of your own way to infuriate all your lovers like this?"
"Only the ones I give a damn about," the vampire sniped back. "Come on, love. You're almost there."
"I don't trust that encouragement," Valkyrie said, only to be immediately proven correct. Just as she was about to make contact with the runaway vampire, Serana simply fell backwards off the branch, landing neatly on the ground some several dozen feet below, cackling madly all the way down. Valkyrie roared in frustration. "You are insufferable!"
"And you love me for it!" Serana called back. Valkyrie simply grumbled, preparing to inch her way back to the start of the branch and pick up the chase once more. However, halfway across, one of her feet lost its footing, slipping away from the wood, and sending Valkyrie plummeting towards the ground. She let out a quick scream, bracing herself for an impact that would likely break several things. But she never hit the ground. Instead, she found herself landing in the gentle arms of her vampire, who bore a look of slight concern, but mostly amusement. "You alright?" She asked.
"I guess," Valkyrie said as she allowed her body to go limp. "Just severely wounded my pride."
"Well, just so we're clear," the vampire continued."This doesn't count as you tagging me."
The Nord lifted her head up, taking a moment to simply stare at Serana, before placing a hand to her cheek, and moving in for a kiss, to which the vampire gave no resistance. After a moment, Serana let Valkyrie's legs go, returning them to the ground but still pressing her lips to the Nord's. She quickly threw her arms around Valkyrie's neck and pulled her closer, while Valkyrie moved her hands to Serana's waist. After a long while, the two finally broke apart, leaning their foreheads against one another. "So," Serana said quietly. "Don't get me wrong, this is really nice, but your glow is hurting my eyes."
Valkyrie quickly looked down at herself. She had been so intent on catching Serana, she hadn't even noticed the swarms of Ancestor Moths that were now surrounding her body, the faint glimmer she had seen moments ago had grown to a brilliant shine. And suddenly, off in the direction of the ray of light shining in from the outside, the two heard a loud boom. They exchanged a glance. "I guess that did something," Serana said with squinted eyes. They rushed to the direction of the noise, only to find that the ray of light had brightened to a blinding glow.
"I mean, that is something," Valkyrie said. "What now?"
"I guess we..." Serana said, but stopped for a moment. "I guess you have to read the Elder Scrolls."
"What?" The Nord asked. "Why just me?"
"You're the one with the... weird moth glow," the vampire said, gesturing to Valkyrie. "Seems to me like you have the best chance of reading them and coming out unscathed." She leaned in closer. "I've seen you survive things no other mortal would," Serana tried to reassure her. "You'll be fine.
"Of course," Valkyrie couldn't help but laugh. "One more impossible feat to add to the list, I guess."
With that, the Nord took a deep breath and stepped into the light. So blindingly brilliant it was, that she had a difficult time keeping her eyes open. But somehow Valkyrie managed to reach into her pouch and retrieve one of the Elder Scrolls. After a short hesitation, she finally threw caution to the wind and opened it.
Valkyrie's vision went completely white. She lost all sense of self and time, the only thing she could even register was the light. The blinding light that, although it pained her eyes, was almost comforting in its own way. As though a small bit of Atherius had seeped through to the mortal plane. Slowly but surely, the light begin to give way to what looked like a mountain range, although its details were so vague that Valkyrie could hardly make it out.
Without even comprehending her body's own actions, she opened a second Elder Scroll, and the mountains began to fade into view. It was now that Valkyrie at last recognized it, the mountains in the northeastern most part of Skyrim, not far from Dragon Bridge. Was it there that Auriel's Bow was hidden? All this time in plain sight and no one had ever found it? The odds seemed astronomical, but Valkyrie couldn't even take a moment to ponder, as the Scrolls were not done with her yet.
She opened the third and final Elder Scroll, and at last, her destination revealed itself. A small, isolated cave high in the treacherous reaches of the mountaintop began to shine brightly, and at last the Nord could see the end in sight. Suddenly, just as soon as she had learned the Bow's location, her vision went white once more.
When Valkyrie finally came to, she was on all fours, breathing heavily. Serana was down on one knee, a hand on the Nord's back, clearly worried. "You alright?" Serana asked. "I almost thought I lost you there. You went white as the snow."
"I'm fine. I think," Valkyrie said as she stumbled to her feet, unable to explain what she had just witnessed.
"Are you sure?" The vampire asked with concern, looking the Nord over. "There was a second there... I honestly thought you were gone."
"Hey," Valkyrie smiled back at her, placing a hand to her cheek. "I'm fine. I swear."
"Good," Serana smiled back. "So what about Auriel's Bow? Do you know where it is?"
"I do," the Nord nodded. "It's in a cave up in the mountains. The Scrolls gave me its exact location."
"Then it's almost over," the vampire's voice went quiet. "We can finally put an end to this ridiculous prophecy."
"Are... are you alright?" Valkyrie asked, taking notice of the sudden shift in the mood.
"I will be," Serana said. "Let's get going. I want to get there before my father has a chance to track us-" She stopped short, eyes suddenly darting all over the place. Serana quickly sniffed the air a few short times, and looked Valkyrie dead in the eyes. "We've got company." The vampire quickly readied her magic, while Valkyrie drew her crossbow. After a moment, some several hundred feet away, they saw no less than two dozen vampires, casually strolling towards the center of the grove as though they owned the place. Directly in front of the group was a mountain of a Nord, dressed in red and black leather, whom Serana seemed to recognize.
"Orthjolf," Serana snarled as the enemy vampires at last reached them.
"Lady Serana," the vampire named Orthjolf bowed to her. "So good to see you again." His eyes darted towards Valkyrie, and his arrogant expression quickly turned to one of disgust. "I see you're still in the habit of playing with your food."
"What are you doing here?" Serana spat. "How did you even find this place?"
Orthjolf simply laughed. "Let's just say... it's very unwise for a blind man to travel alone."
"Dexion," Valkyrie realized. "What did you do to him?"
"Silence, worm!" Orthjolf growled at her. "I am speaking with someone who is worthy of me!" Valkyrie's jaw twitched in anger, she very nearly stepped forward and fired a bolt directly into the brutish vampire's face, but Serana put out an arm, holding her back. "Lady Serana," Orthjolf continued. "Lord Harkon misses his only daughter so very much. He sent us here to try one last time to bring you to your senses," he stepped closer, holding out his hand to her. "Come home, Serana. Fulfill your destiny. This is your last chance."
Serana simply scoffed. "Fuck you," she spat, and promptly fired a bolt of lightning from her palm, hitting Orthjolf square in the chest, sending flying backwards. Without hesitation, the underling vampires charged at the duo.
Valkyrie loosed a bolt from her crossbow, hitting one of the beasts in the shoulder, but he continued as though he didn't even notice it was there. The vampire took a swipe at her with its claws, which she barely managed to dodge, and the Nord promptly set the crossbow back on its harness before drawing her blade all in one fluid motion. She deflected a few more of the monster's swipes with her steel, before retaliating with a swing of her own, which the vampire dodged easily. Before Valkyrie could continue her offense, a shard of ice flew past her, mere inches away from her face as another vampire attempted to pounce on her. Valkyrie quickly jumped backward, leaving the nightwalker's face to plant in the dirt, but it quickly returned to its feet and joined the attack with its fellow.
Her blade still drawn, Valkyrie went back on the defensive, dodging and deflection the monsters' blows with her blade, and finding it exceptionally difficult to keep up with their speed. She continued to back up, her mind a blur as she considered her options, knowing that she couldn't keep this defense up for long. After side stepping yet another swipe from a vampire's claws, in her free hand she summoned a sphere of fire, and shot it directly at the beast's face. It stumbled backward, screaming in agony, while the other vampire continued its assault with renewed vigor.
Now that it was down to one on one, Valkyrie found it much easier to contend with her foe. She swung her blade quickly, but the vampire leaned backward, its face just barely missing the tip of her sword. She swiped again, and again, pushing the monster back, each blow coming closer to hitting than the last. Finally, she attempted a downward strike, and in an act of desperation, the vampire caught the blade in between his hands. Valkyrie struggled for a moment pushing downward as hard as she could. She could see blood dripping from the beast's palms, but it refused to let up, and before the Nord could capitalize, the vampire delivered a swift kick to her leg, knocking it out from beneath her.
Valkyrie's blade slipped from her grasp, and before she could attempt to regain her balance, the vampire's boot raised again, this time slamming into her chest, knocking her onto her back. The beast pounced, its claws heading right for the Nord's neck, but she managed to roll out of the way just before it made contact, she had barely gotten back up to one knee when the vampire charged for her again, its claws extended, and Valkyrie just barely managed to grab the beast's wrists before it could slice away at her throat. The two struggled for a moment, the vampire's claws slowly inching closer to her throat, but Valkyrie summoned the fire in her hands once more, and a moment later the vampire's claws receded as it backed away screaming. With the monster distracted, Valkyrie rushed forward, placing an engulfed hand to its face.
There were no more screams from the vampire, instead its body only began to twitch violently as it fell to its knees, then to the ground, its face charred and lifeless. Huh, Valkyrie thought to herself. I'm not winded. Must be getting used to this magic thing. With that, she quickly grabbed her blade from the ground nearby and rushed to help Serana, who the majority of the vampires were focusing their efforts on. Serana had already shifted into her monstrous form, and was giving her brethren a great deal of trouble. That was, until every last vampire in the grove pounced in unison, piling onto Serana with fangs and claws bared.
Valkyrie came rushing in, swinging her blade with as much precision as she could manage, she even managed to slice a few of the nightwalkers open, freeing Serana from their grasp. But this lasted only for a moment, as several vampires turned their focus to the Nord, rushing forward and pinning her to the ground. Valkyrie struggled to get free, but the beasts were too strong, and with her defenseless, one of them extended its claws and sunk into her torso, tearing right through her armor and into her skin. Valkyrie screamed, and this seemed to delight the vampire, who promptly yanked its claws out and licked his fingertips clean.
Valkyrie could already feel her strength beginning to fade, between the agonizing pain of having her stomach ripped into, and the blood that was now flowing freely from her wounds. But before she could even begin to wonder if this was the end, out of the corner of her eye, a cloud of crimson mist was beginning to form and swell. Valkyrie barely had a moment to even see it before a deafening crack pounded against her ears, and an unbelievably powerful wave of force sent herself and the vampires flying backward. As Valkyrie hit the ground once more, her vision began to blur.
Her body began to curl into a fetal position, as she grasped at her stomach, short, strained breaths managing to escape from her mouth. The pain was excruciating, and Valkyrie found it incredibly difficult to move. As her sight began to steady, she spotted Serana, having reverted back to her human form, limping towards where the Nord lay. Valkyrie attempted to speak, but was unable to do so before the vampire weakly lifted the Nord to her feet. She threw one of of Valkyrie's arms over her shoulders and began to move as quickly as their injured selves were able.
"Se... Serana..." Valkyrie managed to groan, despite every word escaping her mouth causing agony.
"Don't talk," the vampire's speech was strained as well. "Need to... get out of here. Spell took... a lot out of me. They... won't stay down long."
And so the two hobbled, just barely escaping the grove before Harkon's minions came to.
Chapter 15: Touching The Sky, Pt. I
Chapter Text
The warrior clad in bones stood in the center of a great cathedral, unarmed, but clearly in desperate search for battle. For the slightest of moments, the temple seemed abandoned, but with a flash of blinding light, the warrior was now circled, surrounded by nearly a dozen unnamed assailants, all dressed in black robes and masks. One of the unknown cutthroats pointed a single finger at the warrior, and began to speak in a strange, alien language. The warrior offered no response, simply standing in silence, and staring a hole through their foe.
The assailant grew furious, shouting commands to their underlings, and in perfect unison, each of them began to emit a brilliant aura from their palms. But the warrior showed no fear, instead extending their arms, welcoming whatever force their attackers could muster, almost in a mocking fashion. With a final command from their apparent leader, each of the masked vagabonds set forth a blinding wave of magical energy, completely enveloping the warrior from view. The magical attack continued for what seemed like ages, before at last, the masked attackers had burned through their own reserves, and nearly every last one of them dropped to their knees.
As the magic energy faded, the warrior slowly came back into view, but in doing so, caused the leader to clutch at their stomach, disgusted by what they saw. The warrior had been forced down to one knee, their bone clad armor in tatters, their limbs quite literally ripped from their bones, a gory mess of blood, veins, and bones littering the cathedral's floor. For just a moment, the masked cutthroats entertained the idea of victory. That was, until what was left of the warrior's body stood back up, now shimmering a dark crimson hue.
The attackers watched in sheer horror as the warrior's body began to knit itself back together, skin joining with bone in a stomach wrenching display. At last, the warrior was complete once more, as their assailants looked on, speechless. The warrior held out both their hands, each now housing spheres of a brilliant blue flame. Just before the entire temple was incinerated, the warrior emitted a mad cackle...
14th of Mid Year, 4E 200
Valkyrie jerked awake, suddenly sitting upright, which sent a jolt of ripping pain through her midsection. A hand quickly moving to her torso to try and dull the pain, she took notice of the Oghma Infinium lying at her legs. The Nord didn't remember taking it out of her pouch, but she quickly dismissed this in her mind as confusion due to blood loss. Valkyrie carefully placed the tome back in her magic pouch, before emitting a slight shiver as the late night air nipped at her skin. It had only been a few hours since she and Serana had set up camp in a clearing in the middle of Skyrim's southern forest, and even less time since the vampire had managed to patch her up. What a fine time it was to learn that healing magic could only do so much, as Valkyrie looked down, a hand clutched to her stomach, which, beneath the tattered remains of her Dawnguard leathers, was covered in bloodstained bandages.
"I thought I told you to sleep," Valkyrie looked over to see Serana, staring intently into the dying fire she had haphazardly put together.
"Well, I seem to be having some trouble with that," the Nord groaned. "What about you? Shouldn't you be resting?"
"I will, I just..." the vampire sighed. "My mind won't be quiet."
Valkyrie simply nodded, slowly rising from her bedroll and moving to sit next to Serana at the fire, groans of pain escaping her mouth every step of the way. When she finally sat down, she leaned over, resting her head on the vampire's shoulder, and the two sat in silence for some time. At last, Valkyrie spoke once more, "We really got our asses handed to us."
"Can we not talk about this?" Serana sighed.
"I think we need to," the Nord said, lifting her head up. "Harkon's lackeys came this close to killing us both. At the very least, we need to have a plan for next time."
"Now you want to come up with a plan?" The vampire raised an eyebrow. "Up until now, you've been content to just fire away with your crossbow and hope for the best."
"And look where that got us," Valkyrie said, pointing at her bandaged ribs. "I can barely walk, and you almost died from magic overuse." Serana said nothing, opting to only inhale deeply, and rest her face in her palm. The Nord reached out, laying an arm over the vampire's shoulder. "Serana, I can tell something's bothering you. What's wrong?" Serana looked back into the fire, and let out a breath.
"I'm going to have to kill him," she said quietly.
"What?" Valkyrie was confused. "Who are-"
"My father," the vampire continued. "I guess I knew it was a foregone conclusion, but..." she paused. "I don't know, I guess some small part of me was holding onto... some semblance of hope that it wouldn't have to be this way." She shook her head slightly. "But after what happened at the grove... I know there's no use fighting it. He has to die."
"I... uh..." The Nord was at a loss for words.
"I know you don't understand," Serana said. "But despite everything he's done, everything he's put my mother and I through," she sighed. "Harkon is still my father. And I have to kill him."
"I'm sorry," Valkyrie said, mustering as much sympathy as she could when it came to Harkon. "I know this can't be easy for you."
The vampire sighed. "I'm trying my best not to think of him as my father anymore,"
"Well," the Nord replied with a nod. "No matter what happens, I've got your back."
Serana shot Valkyrie a smile. "Thank you," she said softly. "Anyway, I'm all for coming up with a plan to face him, but I'm also thinking we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves."
"Meaning?"
"Let's actually find Auriel's Bow first," the vampire said. "Knowing our luck, we're bound to run into all manner of obstacles."
Valkyrie chuckled. "You're not wrong," she said, before leaning over to plant a kiss on Serana's cheek. The two then said their goodnights as Valkyrie left the fire and limped her way back to her makeshift bedroll. It was only a few short minutes later that the Nord found she was no longer sleeping alone, as Serana had also ventured away from the fire, lying down next to Valkyrie, wrapping her arms around the Nord's body and pulling her as close as could be possible. Despite the knowledge of impending danger, at that moment, Valkyrie couldn't have been more comfortable, and it wasn't long before both women drifted off to sleep.
19th of Mid Year, 4E 200
"And you're sure you don't want to take another day or two to rest?"
"I promise, I'm fine," Valkyrie protested. In the days since the attack at Ancestor Glade, her body had healed at a miraculous pace, so much that it even raised a twinge of suspicion and curiosity from Serana. The Nord's midsection was still sore, as one would be after being sliced open by the claws of a vampire, but after a several days of rest and light travel, she was finally in condition to fight if the need arose. And if the two women's history was anything to go by, the need would most definitely arise. They had been wandering the northeast mountain pass since before dawn, searching for any signs of the non-descript cave that had been shown in Valkyrie's vision. Just as she began to shiver, the freezing mountain winds finally getting to her, the Nord spotted what was surely the resting place of Auriel's Bow, off in the distance.
"There!" She called to Serana. "That's the place!"
"Are you sure?" The vampire called back. "We've seen plenty of other caves that were just as unassuming as this one."
"I'm as sure as I can be, given vague, unhelpful visions from Elder Scrolls."
Serana found it difficult to argue with the Nord's logic, and the two women made a rush for the cave in question, at last receiving shelter from the bone-chilling winds of the mountain pass. Inside the cave was every bit as standard and dull as every other cave the two had been forced to plunder in the last months. The only difference being that the further they strayed from the outside, the closer it came to pitch black darkness. Just before Valkyrie could suggest doing something, Serana simply summoned a floating sphere of light with a flick of her wrist, clearly ahead of the Nord's thinking.
Valkyrie didn't even have the chance to thank the vampire before she was pounced on from above by something large and hairy. The weight of the attacker brought her to the ground, and from behind she heard Serana immediately begin to fire off bolts of lightning. One of the blasts managed to knock whatever it was off of Valkyrie's back and she immediately rose to her feet and drew her crossbow.
"Of course," she said, now taking aim at the dozen or so giant spiders that seemed to be extraordinarily annoyed at their presence. "It had to be fucking spiders."
Valkyrie pulled the trigger, sending a bolt flying directly between the eyes of one spider, while another leaped through the air straight towards her. The Nord quickly raised her crossbow, deflecting the insect's pincers and preventing them from sinking into her. As the spider fell to the ground, she delivered a vicious kick, cracking its exoskeleton and sending the bug flying some feet away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another spider preparing to pounce, but Valkyrie was ready. Before the creature reached her, she swung her crossbow, knocking it straight out of the air. Before the spider could retaliate, an ice spike from Serana finished it off.
It took only minutes before the rest of the hideous creatures lay dead, and left Valkyrie frantically rubbing her pant legs to remove whatever disgusting liquid had flowed through the veins of the spider she had kicked. To no surprise at all, she heard Serana giggling as the vampire caught a glimpse of her. "Yeah, yeah," the Nord groaned. "You love watching me suffer, don't you?"
"I can't help it," Serana said with a smirk. "You're cute when you're frustrated." The vampire took a few steps over, patting her hand on Valkyrie's back. "Come on, let's see what's further down the cave."
The two continued onward, stepping as lightly and as carefully as they could so as not to draw attention from anymore spiders, or whatever could have been hiding in the bowels of the cave. After a few minutes of walking in silence, and thankfully no further surprises, Valkyrie could have sworn her ears were picking up the sound of running water. But all she saw, after continuing to inch forward, was a bridge that in no way whatsoever looked safe to cross, hanging over what she assumed to be a very long drop. On the other side of the bridge, there was a dimly lit fire, set next to a few discarded pickaxes, which only added to her confusion.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Valkyrie asked.
"Seems we might not be as alone here as we thought," the vampire said. "You want to get a closer look?"
"Maybe it's just me," the Nord replied, eyeing the rickety bridge in front of them. "But I definitely don't trust whatever this is supposed to be."
"Pretty sure it's a bridge, love."
"This thing is an insult to bridges," Valkyrie shot back.
Serana simply laughed, stepping past Valkyrie without fear onto the bridge. After seeing the vampire make it to the other side with no issue, she finally threw her hands up in defeat and rushed to join Serana before it had the chance to give out from beneath her feet. Seeing that the fire was dying, Valkyrie quickly summoned a flame of her own in her palm, reigniting the dying fire as she and Serana examined the site.
"Looks like mining equipment," the vampire said after a short time. "Who in their right mind would want to set up camp here?"
"Someone with a death wish, maybe?" Valkyrie shrugged. "Do you see any other way forward?"
They looked around in silence for a moment, finding only a solid wall of rock. "No," Serana said with a sigh. "Looks like a dead end. Although," she continued, looking back across the gap. "There's always the chance we could have missed something." She motioned back to the bridge.
"I'd rather not cross that again if I don't have to," Valkyrie said.
The vampire rolled her eyes, grabbing the Nord by the hand and practically forcing her to walk back along side her. "Don't be so paranoid, Val," she said, before the bridge essentially collapsed beneath their feet. The two didn't even have time to emit screams before they hit water. The current was unexpectedly strong, so much so that Valkyrie found extreme difficulty trying to bring her head above the surface. With no time to take in any breath before the fall, and the unnaturally strong current of the water moving her along at a dangerously quick pace for what seemed like ages, the Nord began to feel a slight sense of panic as an agonizing burn made itself known in her lungs.
Just when the Nord began to consider the possibility of drowning, she finally found relief in a deep breath of air, only for it to be knocked immediately back out, as the current sent her over a short drop, crashing awkwardly onto the wet, rocky ground in pitch darkness. A jolt of pain shot through her midsection, still hurting from the vampire attack in the grove, and Valkyrie let out a great fit of coughing as she stumbled to her feet.
"Don't be so paranoid, Val," she said mockingly between coughs.
"Alright," she heard Serana groan from some feet away. "That was my bad." The vampire immediately summoned another sphere of light so as to not be stumbling around in the dark. As the two saw what was seemingly the only way forward, the water now exceedingly shallow and flowing slowly further into the cave, its surface littered by rocks and mud, Serana simply shrugged and continued marching onward, while Valkyrie grumbled to herself about her now soaked leathers. They walked in silence for many minutes, before turning around a corner and finding something quite unexpected.
Several feet away, the cave grew into a massive clearing, one that was well lit, and dead in the center, was some sort of structure, with a style of architecture Valkyrie had never seen. Just next to it was a smaller construct, something that looked to be a shrine of sorts, and on the other side, knelled down in prayer, looked to be a person. The Nord's mind flooded with questions. Who was this stranger, and what on Nirn were they doing setting up camp this deep in a dangerous, backwater cave in the middle of nowhere? Valkyrie's hand drifted to the hilt of her blade, on the very likely chance that this stranger wasn't friendly, as she and Serana crept their way closer.
At a sudden, the person stood up from the shrine, and turned to face where they were in the darkness. It was an Elf, that much could be told from the pointed ears, but their skin was ghostly white, and their choice of garment, what looked to be armor of some sort, was in a style Valkyrie was unfamiliar with. "Come forward. You have nothing to fear here," a man's voice called to both women, and Valkyrie's hand slipped off her sword. As they approached the Elf, he took a bow. "I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor," he said as they at last reached the shrine. "Welcome to the great Chantry of Auri-El."
The number of questions Valkyrie had only began to grow, and she found herself unable to start asking them. "You picked a strange place to build a temple to your deity."
Gelebor simply chuckled. "Perhaps, but I would say being so out of the way quite possibly saved my life."
"What do you mean?"
He crossed his arms. "I imagine that if you've ever come across any of my kind, you encountered only blind, feral monstrosities that attempted to kill you on sight. Would I be correct?"
Valkyrie racked her brain for a moment, before realization hit her. "Wait," she said, dumbfounded. "You're... a Falmer?!"
Gelebor nodded. "Yes. Although I prefer Snow Elf, if you don't mind. The name Falmer usually holds a negative meaning to most travelers," he sighed, dipping his head downward. "Those twisted creatures you call Falmer, I call the Betrayed."
"Betrayed?" Valkyrie asked. "What are you talking about?"
"It is a long and tragic tale," the Elf shook his head. "But judging by the tatters in your armor, and the fact that both of you have come here armed to the teeth, I can only guess you don't have time for it."
"Then I imagine you know why we're here," Serana said.
"Of course I do," Gelebor replied matter-of-factly. "You seek to claim Auriel's Bow," he sighed. "For the thousands of years I've served as this Chantry's sentinel, there hasn't been a single visitor here for any other reason." Valkyrie and Serana shot one another a look, which the Elf essentially ignored. "I can help you retrieve the bow," he continued. "But first I must have your assistance."
"And there it is," the vampire groaned.
Valkyrie rolled her eyes at Serana. As far as they had come, it wasn't as though they could turn back even if they wanted to. "Alright," the Nord said. "What do you need our help with?"
Gelebor looked straight at them, before replying, "I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur..." he paused. "...my brother."
Both women's eyes grew wide, momentarily taken aback by the Elf's request. "Kill your brother?" Serana asked after a moment. "Why?"
"The kinship between us is gone," Gelebor explained. "I don't understand what he's become, but he's no longer the brother I once knew," he began to exhibit a scowl. "It was the Betrayed. They did something to him. I just don't know why Auri-El would allow this to happen."
"What exactly did the Betrayed do?" Serana questioned again.
"They swept into the Chantry without warning," the Elf said grimly. "Began killing without pause. They slaughtered everyone, and stormed the Inner Sanctum where I believe they corrupted Vyrthur."
Valkyrie and Serana glanced at one another once more, their confusion only growing. If what Gelebor was telling them was true, this Vyrthur had to be dead already. "Are..." the Nord began, careful of her words. "Are you sure he's even still alive?"
"He's alive," Gelebor stated. "I've seen him. But something's wrong. He never acts as though he's in pain or under duress. He just... stands there. As though waiting for something."
"That's not ominous at all," Serana said with a twinge of concern.
"Didn't you fight back against the Betrayed?" Valkyrie asked.
"Of course I did, but..." the Elf tried to explain. "You must understand, the Chantry was a place of peaceful worship. I led a small group of paladins, but they were mostly young, inexperienced recruits. Even so, we were no match for the Betrayed's sheer numbers."
"And what exactly makes you think we would be a match for them?" The Nord raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like you're sending us on a suicide mission."
"I won't lie to you," Gelebor's voice lowered. "What I ask is extremely dangerous, and could very well cost the both of you your lives. But considering Vyrthur is currently in possession of Auriel's Bow," this garnered a sigh from the Nord, "There is simply no other way. If there was, I would have done it long ago."
"What else is new?" Serana chimed in. "Are you at least going to come with us? We could use the skills of an experienced paladin."
The Elf sighed. "I truly wish that I could," he said, shaking his head. "But even though the Chantry may no longer be an active religious ground, I am still bound by my oath to the order of Auri-El. It would be a violation of my duty as a Knight-Paladin to leave this wayshrine unguarded."
"Wayshrine?"
"Yes," he motioned to the structure behind him, as one of his palms began to glow. "Allow me to show you."
Gelebor raised his palm to the construct, and after a moment it slowly rose out of the ground, revealing a grand entrance, although inside lay nothing but bare stone walls, and in the center, jutting out of the floor what appeared to be a basin filled with water. "So this is Snow Elf magic," Serana mused, eyeing the shrine with great interest. "Incredible."
"This structure," the Elf explained. "Is known as a wayshrine. They were used for meditation and transport when the Chantry was still a place of enlightenment. If you plan to reach the Inner Sanctum, and by extension, Vyrthur, the only way to do so will be to follow the Initiate's Path."
"Alright," Valkyrie said, trying to follow. "How exactly does this work?"
"Well," Gelebor continued, "Prelates of these shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auri-El to our Initiates. As you find more wayshrines, you will also find the priests attending to them."
"So there are other Snow Elves still living?"
"Unfortunately, no," he sighed. "Vyrthur and myself are the only two Snow Elves that remain. The priests were all slaughtered by the Betrayed. But by the grace of Auri-El, they were restored to ghostly forms and allowed to continue their duties."
"That..." the Nord stumbled on her words. "Sounds horrifying."
"Perhaps to an outsider," Gelebor shot back. "But these Prelates devoted their lives to the service to Auri-El, and are perfectly happy to continue that service in death."
"Can they at least help us?"
"I'm afraid in their current form, they still believe the Chantry to be an active center of worship," the Elf replied, simply offering a shrug when Valkyrie and Serana groaned. "They won't respond to you in any way other than believing that you're an Initiate on the path to enlightenment."
"I suppose we shouldn't have expected it to be simple," Serana said, clearly annoyed. "So what's that water basin in the center all about?"
"Well," Gelebor explained, "Once the Initiate had completed his mantras, he'd dip a ceremonial ewer in the basin, then proceed to the next wayshrine."
"So these Initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water," the vampire pinched the bridge of her nose. "Marvelous. How long would they have to do this?"
"Once the Initiate's enlightenment was complete," he continued. "He'd bring the ewer to the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. He would then pour the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin, allowing him to enter for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself."
"How many of these wayshrines are there?" Valkyrie asked.
"There are five in total, spread far apart across the Chantry," Gelebor answered.
"These caves must be massive."
"Caves?" The Snow Elf chuckled. "Oh no, the Chantry encompasses far more than a few caves. As you'll soon discover."
"So let me get this straight," Serana said, crossing her arms as her voice became more and more irritated. "We have to do all that nonsense, all to get into the Inner Sanctum so we can kill your brother and claim Auriel's Bow? All while fighting our way through Gods know how many feral Elves that want us dead on principle?"
"Yes," Gelebor said.
"And judging by your choice of words," she continued. "We're not the first you've sent on this little excursion, are we?"
"You are not," his head dipped. "Many have come here seeking Auriel's Bow. They ask for it, I ask for their assistance. It's been repeated so many times I cannot imagine it any other way."
"And none of those people have come back alive?"
"I know how it all sounds," Gelebor said, almost in a pleading tone. "But as I said before, if there was another way, I'd have done it long ago." He sighed. "If it's any consolation, the Betrayed's assault was a very long time ago. Their numbers have since dwindled significantly," the Elf looked them both over. "I truly wish their were an option that would put you in less danger, but the truth is you both have a better chance of succeeding than any who have come before you."
"And what makes you say that?" Serana sniped with a hint of suspicion. "What exactly do you see here that makes you so confident in us?"
"I've lived for many centuries," the Elf crossed his arms. "And I've learned to see things that most would overlook... Daughter of Coldharbour."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the three, Valkyrie and Serana unsure of how to respond to Gelebor's knowledge. Most people they had come across had been completely oblivious to Serana's vampiric nature, and yet this man, this Snow Elf, seemingly one of the two last living members of what had been thought to be an extinct race, saw right through her. And even more unbelievably, he was still offering to help them retrieve a weapon of untold power. Finally, after taking a moment to collect herself, Serana stepped closer to Gelebor. "So you know what I am?" She asked, to which the Elf simply nodded. "And yet you're still helping us in spite of that?"
He smirked. "Let's just say I'm a good judge of character," he said wryly. "Vampire though you are, I believe you and your companion to be well-intentioned."
"But... why?"
Gelebor simply laughed. "Haven't you ever heard the saying about looking a gift horse in the mouth? I'm afraid I've said too much already," he looked back to the wayshrine, before walking to his makeshift camp, beginning to rummage through an old chest. When the Snow Elf returned, he was carrying what was certainly the most elegantly decorated water pitcher that either woman had ever laid eyes upon. The ewer quickly found itself in Valkyrie's magic pouch. "Perhaps once Vyrthur has been dealt with, we can discuss this further," Gelebor said.
"You'd best believe we will," the vampire said to him, as she and Valkyrie turned away from the Snow Elf. As they stepped inside the wayshrine, one of the walls lit up, the blank stone giving way to what looked to be a portal, showing a projection of yet another dimly lit cave. Before they stepped through the portal, the two heard one final word from Gelebor.
"May the grace of Auri-El protect you both."
"That... wasn't as unpleasant as I thought it would be," Serana said as she and Valkyrie made it to the other side of the portal. "Kind of soothing, actually. I feel a little warmer."
The Nord only groaned, looking past the apparently destroyed wayshrine they had stepped into from the portal, and eyeing the start of what looked like another endless trudge through a cave, all while wondering what the vampire was talking about, as she felt only a biting cold. In front of the both of them looked to be only another trudge through a dark, damp cave. Being in no hurry to face death for the dozenth time that hour, Valkyrie decided to ask the question she was sure was on Serana's mind as well. "So, what do you make of this Vyrthur character?"
"Something's definitely not adding up," the vampire said. "You and I have encountered Falmer before, they're mindless beasts. Makes no sense that they would corrupt someone instead of just killing them."
"Maybe..." Valkyrie racked her brain. "Maybe it has something to do with them all being Snow Elves? Technically?"
"That thought crossed my mind," Serana replied as she began pacing. "But you heard Gelebor. They slaughtered everyone else, who also happened to be Snow Elves. Why leave just one of them alive?"
"Speaking of Gelebor," the Nord said. "What's your take on him?"
"I don't think he means us any harm," Serana said after thinking for a moment. "But he definitely knows more than he's letting on."
"More about what?"
"About me," the vampire continued. "About Vyrthur, about Auriel's Bow. Maybe even the prophecy." She stomped a foot down. "Damn it, I should have pressed him."
"You think we should find him again after we get the bow?" Valkyrie asked.
"Definitely," Serana nodded. "After what we're about to go through for him, the least he owes us is some answers."
With that, the two set forward down the narrow, rocky path in front of them. After a short time, however, they noticed that the cave had seemed to incline, taking them further upward, eventually leading into an upward spiral that felt as though it went on forever. Between the aching in Valkyrie's legs, and the rumbling in her stomach that had started several minutes earlier, she was about five seconds away from cursing a storm, until at last, they reached what appeared to be the end of the cave.
Both Valkyrie and Serana's eyes widened and jaws dropped at what they saw. The surrounding mountains towering above, they split down the middle, giving way to, as far as the eye could see, a breathtakingly beautiful valley, covered in ice and snow, yet brimming with trees and other vegetation, each one more foreign and eye-catching than the next. It was as though the two had left Skyrim entirely and stepped into a separate plane of Atherius, a notion Serana clearly agreed with when the vampire spoke up after a lengthy silence,
"Wow," Serana said softly, unable to take her eyes away from the valley. "It's like a whole other world." Valkyrie offered no response, save for a slight blush when she felt the vampire's hand slip into her own. The two continued to marvel at the sheer beauty of this unknown place, somehow tucked away from the rest of the world for centuries, until Serana finally spoke again. "Come on," she said. "The bow has to be in this valley somewhere."
Valkyrie nodded, before her eye caught something else off in the distance. A stone shrine, its architecture identical to the wayshrine Gelebor had tended to in the cave. The both of them exchanged a nod, quickly dashing out from the cave's exit, into the heart of this beautiful valley. As they moved, however, Valkyrie couldn't help but feel a strange sense of foreboding. There seemed to be no sign of life whatsoever in this forgotten vale, although they had only just arrived, and had yet to even explore any of this new land.
They reached the wayshrine after a few moments, only for Valkyrie to let out a frightened gasp. She quickly backed away, a hand on her blade, as what looked to be the shape of an Elf emerged from the inside of the shrine. But something was incredibly wrong. The Nord could see right through this Elven priest, as though he were...
"A ghost," Valkyrie uttered in a horrified whisper. Serana put a hand on her shoulder a moment later.
"Easy," the vampire said to her. "Gelebor warned us about this, remember?" Valkyrie nodded nervously. "It's fine. You've got this," she said with a smile, and the Nord simply shrugged her shoulders, retrieving the ornate ewer from her pouch.
"Ah," the specter said as she approached, greeting her with a bow. His voice was otherworldy, but almost in a comforting way, and it did much to ease Valkyrie's tension of dealing with a literal ghost. "It's been ages since we've had another Initiate take the path to enlightenment. I am Prelate Edelbhor. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El, and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"
"I am," Valkyrie said with a nod.
"Then behold Auri-El's gift, my child," the ghost continued, as the wayshrine began to hum with a strange energy. "May Auri-El's glow shield you from your enemy."
The Nord stepped inside, dipping the water pitcher into the basin as she had been instructed, after which, nothing happened. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. These rituals were several thousand years old, after all. The ewer returned to her pouch a moment later, and Serana greeted her with a grin of approval as she emerged from the wayshrine.
"Well," Valkyrie said. "That was easier than expected."
"Don't jinx us," the vampire said as they began to walk. "We have a lot of this valley left to see." There was a short silence before Serana suddenly began to chuckle to herself quietly.
"What's so funny?" the Nord asked.
"Fill your vessel with His enlightenment."
Valkyrie simply rolled her eyes. "What are you, twelve?"
Chapter 16: Touching The Sky, Pt. II
Chapter Text
24th of Mid Year, 4E 200
Valkyrie's eyes were as wide as they had ever been, as just a short distance from the final wayshrine, glistening in the moonlight, stood a building that put the Temple of The Eight Divines in Solitude to shame. There was no question, this building had to be the Inner Sanctum that Gelebor had described. They were so close now, all that remained was to deal with this Vyrthur and claim Auriel's Bow once and for all. But Valkyrie sighed, as she knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Her eyes darted to the side as she heard Serana let out a whistle.
"That has to be it," the vampire said, to which Valkyrie simply offered a nod, the two quickly rushing through the entrance way, and finding themselves in a surprisingly well maintained courtyard. Flowers and other forms of vegetation dotted the ground, a strange departure from the ice and snow that permeated through most of the valley. In the center of the courtyard was a massive golden statue, depicting an elf holding the sun in his hands.
"This is a statue of Auri-El," Serana said upon closer inspection. "But it's using the older signs of His power."
"Older?" Valkyrie asked. "As in, older than you?" The vampire simply nodded. "This place must be ancient."
Valkyrie nearly jumped out of her skin as she entered the Inner Sanctum, as the first thing her eyes came upon was yet another Falmer, poised to attack. But as the Nord reached for her blade, she noticed something odd. The Elf simply stood there like a statue, and upon further inspection, she discovered something even more unsettling. "These Falmer," she said out loud. "They're... frozen in the ice." As she and Serana cautiously stepped past the statue, into what looked like the temple's main hall, they were horrified to see dozens of frozen Falmer littering the place, several of them gathered around a radiant shrine in the center of the room, all deathly still, but each looking as though they could come to life at any moment.
"And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy," Serana said.
Valkyrie only shuddered as the both of them moved forward into the temple. For what felt like hours, they slowly discovered that the Inner Sanctum was built like a maze, one twisting hallway after the other, each with its own array of frozen Falmer, all of them more unsettling than the next. As the two navigated further into the temple, they both noticed that the ornate, grand Snow Elf architecture was slowly but surely giving way to walls made of pure ice. Eventually, after endless winding pathways and deceiving turns, they stumbled upon only one, straight forward path, just narrow enough for the both of them to squeeze through.
On the other side of the frozen hallway, Valkyrie and Serana stepped into a large open room where the ice once again met Snow Elf statuary, a grand cathedral, and on the opposite side of the room, sitting on a majestic throne, clad in armor not dissimilar from Gelebor's, but far more regal and elegant, sat a Snow Elf. Even from the distance, Valkyrie and Serana could see that his features were not twisted and warped beyond recognition, this was undoubtedly Arch-Curate Vyrthur, seemingly asleep on his throne. The two women nodded to each other, Valkyrie drawing her crossbow, Serana summoning her magic as they marched for the Elf.
Before they could reach him, however, they both noticed something blocking their path. A wall of ice, looking to be almost a full foot thick, but somehow nearly intangible, almost invisible to the eye. Valkyrie banged her fist against the ice, hoping to get a read on exactly how difficult it would be to reach Vyrthur, but the impact of her fist emitted a dull thud, which was enough to awaken the Arch-Curate from his slumber.
"Eh?" He said, rubbing at his eyes, before looking down from his throne at Valkyrie. "And just who in the blazes are you?" He asked with a twinge of disdain.
"Arch-Curate Vyrthur, I presume?" Valkyrie said as she backed away from the wall.
"Ah," the Elf said lowly. "It's been some time since Gelebor sent another fool to their death," he shook his head. "When will they ever lea-" Vyrthur stopped short after turning his head and catching a glimpse of Serana, at which point his mouth dropped open. "It's you," he said, leaning forward. "At long last, it's really you."
"What are you talking about?" Valkyrie demanded, trying to get the Snow Elf's attention once more.
"Silence!" Vyrthur yelled back at her. "Did you really come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow? You've done exactly as I predicted," he turned back to Serana, almost a gaze of wonder in his eyes. "...And brought your fetching companion to me."
"Wait," Serana said, unnerved. "Are you talking about me?"
"Indeed," he said as a menacing grin began to show on his face. "Which I'm sorry to say, means your usefulness is at an end!" Vyrthur snapped his fingers, and in perfect unison, Valkyrie and Serana heard several deafening cracks behind them, around five frozen Falmer had sprung to life and jumped from the shadows. Valkyrie took aim with her crossbow, but was too late, as one of the creatures had pounced on her, knocking her to the ground and allowing her crossbow to slip from her grasp. As the frozen Elf made swipes at her face, Valkyrie just barely managed to push it back long enough to bring her feet underneath its body and kick it off of her. She returned to her feet a moment later, her blade leaving its sheath as the Falmer jumped again, this time finding only a sword through the chest.
She brought her foot up, using it to push the limp beast of the edge of her blade, before spinning around just in time to catch two more Falmer readying themselves for attack. They both charged, and Valkyrie quickly jumped back, missing the swipes of their claws by a wide berth. The jumped managed to clear just enough distance to allow her to retrieve her crossbow, with which she took aim with one hand, firing a bolt into the gut of one of the creatures. Resting the crossbow back on its harness, Valkyrie used her blade to deflect the blows of the uninjured Falmer, ducking under one of them, before spinning around and using her leg to sweep the monster's feet out from underneath it. Before the Falmer could get back up, a blade went clean through its throat.
Yanking her sword from the neck of the now dead Falmer, Valkyrie quickly rushed to its injured counterpart, another swipe separating its head from its body. Serana, meanwhile, tossed what little remained of the beasts who had made the foolish mistake of trying to fight her. Once again, its was only the three of them, Valkyrie, Serana, and Vyrthur alone in the chapel. But the Snow Elf didn't seem the least bit concerned at the fate of his minions. "And impressive display," he said, his voice laced with arrogance. "But a wasted effort. You delay nothing but your own deaths!"
"Your life ends here, Vyrthur!" Serana shouted back at him, to which the mad Elf laughed.
"Child," he said calmly as his palm began to radiate with magic. "My life ended long before you were born."
With a brilliant burst of light, Valkyrie and Serana now found themselves staring down what was, essentially, an eight foot tall, sentient block of ice, jagged and misshapen limbs protruding from its midsection. They didn't even have time to question it before the giant lunged at them, the ground shaking with every step it took, the two barely managing to side step before it rolled them over. Valkyrie took aim with her crossbow, but the single bolt she fired simply bounced off the ice giant's body, and served only to anger it. The beast brought its limbs down onto the ground, causing a quake that knocked the Nord off her balance and onto her back. The monster leaped into the air, aiming to crush Valkyrie beneath its weight, but she managed to roll out of the way just before impact. The force of the giant landing, however, sent another quake through the room, and sent her slightly into the air, allowing her to more easily return to her feet.
The beast swung its arms again, but Serana jumped in front of Valkyrie, deflecting its blows with a magic shield. In one split moment, the vampire turned back to the Nord, dropping her shield in the process and asking, "Are you alright?" The question was never answered as the giant, incredibly fast for its size, swatted Serana away like a fly, sending her flying some feet over.
"Serana!" Valkyrie called out, as she rushed over to her fallen lover. She never reached the vampire, however, as the ice giant's arm came slamming into her side a moment later, sending her crashing into a nearby wall. Agonizing pain jolted through her torso, and the air knocked out of her lungs, she just barely managed to duck as the beast came for her again, its stubbed limb only bashing into the wall, leaving a sizable crack. Backing away as fast as her injured midsection would allow her, she heard Serana call out from somewhere in the chapel, "Keep it busy!"
Unsure how to do exactly that, Valkyrie simply decided to wing it, drawing her sword and trying to keep her distance from the monster. It charged for her again, and she managed to duck underneath a swing of its limbs, sliding in between its legs, before coming up on its blind side and swiping her blade at the back of its ankles. This served only to grow her frustration as her blade bounced off the creature's icy surface.
The monster's arm came swinging around once more, and Valkyrie narrowly managed to duck underneath. The limb came for her again, and she was able to back away just before it hit her. The Nord was at a loss. This creature didn't even register her weapon's attacks, so there was only one further option. The momentum of the swing threw the beast slightly off balance, and so Valkyrie took advantage, throwing a stream of fire from her palm directly at the monster's frame. For just a moment, the monster began to back away, and the Nord was convinced she was finally gaining the upper hand against this mindless creature.
Those hopes were dashed a second later, as the beast suddenly charged straight at her, knocking her several feet away and sending her rolling across the chapel floor. The pain that shot through Valkyrie's body from the monster's blow made it incredibly difficult to move, and the Nord was sure it was the end when she finally managed to sit up, only to see it readying for another charge. Before it could even take a step forward, however, Serana appeared from thin air, her entire body enveloped with a crimson aura. She stuck a hand out, and the creature shattered, into far too many pieces to count.
As Valkyrie slowly and awkwardly forced her way to her feet, she saw Vyrthur, an expression of unrelenting rage on his face stand up from his throne. "Enough, Vyrthur!" Serana shouted at him, her body still brimming with magic. "Give us the bow!" The Snow Elf's head dipped down, his teeth gritting, as his own body began to glow with a brilliant aura. Suddenly, he looked back up, staring a hole through Serana with his eyes now glowing a blinding white. He stuck out his own hand.
"Death first!"
There was a blinding flash of light, followed by nothing but total darkness. Slowly, Valkyrie's vision began to return to her. She was lying on the chapel floor, an enormous weight crushing down upon her, preventing her from rising to her feet, and making it difficult to breathe. After a moment of struggling, the weight suddenly disappeared, as Serana was standing over her, lifting what looked to be a piece of the cathedral's ceiling off of the Nord's body. "Are you alright?" The vampire asked, holding out a hand, which Valkyrie somehow managed to grab, her entire body throbbing with intense pain. She only managed to let out a groan in response to Serana's question.
The Nord awkwardly rose to her feet, thanks in no small part to Serana's help, and she took a look at her surroundings. Whatever magic Vyrthur had used, it had demolished almost half of the entire cathedral, bits of the ceiling had fallen to the floor, rays from light from the moon shining through the cracks. The entire back wall of the chapel, where the Snow Elf's throne once stood, was entirely gone, in its place now what appeared to be a great balcony, one that looked over the valley in its entirety. Just before the Nord could take a step forward after the Snow Elf, she collapsed right back down to one knee, the pain in her body almost unbearable.
"Hey," she heard Serana say as the vampire helped her up once more. "Come on, we can do this. I know we can."
Valkyrie groaned again. "I hope you're right."
The two slowly hobbled to the edge of the balcony, itself as grand in its construction as the remainder of the temple. Sidestepping the shrine to Auri-El in the center, they finally reached Vyrthur, the Snow Elf being the only thing now that stood between them and Auriel's Bow. The Elf was leaning against the railing of the balcony, a hand clasped on his midsection, his breathing heavy. Clearly the magic he had cast had taken a great deal out of him as well.
"Enough, Vyrthur," Serana said with authority. "Give us the bow."
The Elf's eyes narrowed at her. "How dare you," he snarled at the pair, now standing himself up straight. "I was the Arch-Curate of Auri-El, girl. I had the ears of a god."
Serana simply rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, until the Betrayed corrupted you. We've heard this sad story already."
It was then that Vyrthur did something neither Serana nor Valkyrie had ever once expected. The Snow Elf began to laugh, causing the Nord and the vampire to exchange worried looks with one another. "Gelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools," Vyrthur said, shaking his head. "Look into my eyes, Serana. You tell me what I am."
The two cautiously complied with Vyrthur's demand, and at a sudden, the weight of realization hit them both harder than any blow. The Snow Elf's eyes burned with an unnatural amber hue, which could only have meant one thing. "You're..." Serana said at last, still struggling with this new revelation. "You're a vampire." Vyrthur simply grinned maliciously, nodding his head in confirmation. Both Serana and Valkyrie backed away slightly, their glances moving from each other and the Elf and back again. "But that's impossible," Serana continued. "Auri-El should have protected you."
"Hmph," Vyrthur scoffed. "Auri-El turned his back on me the moment I was infected by one of my own initiates. But I swore I'd have revenge. No matter the cost."
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "You want to take revenge on a god?" She asked. Clearly this elder vampire's time in solitude had done much to addle his mind. "Good luck with that."
The Snow Elf simply shook his head. "Auri-El himself may have been beyond my reach," he continued. "But his influence on our world wasn't." He began to step forward, now far too close to Serana for Valkyrie's liking, and the Nord immediately stepped between them. But Vyrthur continued glaring a hole through Serana as though this mortal did not exist. "All I needed," he said, his voice low and sinister. "Was the blood of a pure vampire, and his arcane weapon. Auriel's Bow."
"Wait," Serana said, suddenly stepping around Valkyrie and getting right in the Elf's face, her fangs now bared. "It was you," she growled, shaking with rage. "You're the one who created the prophecy."
"A prophecy that lacked a single, final ingredient," Vyrthur began to smile wide. "The blood of a Daughter Of Coldharbour." The Snow Elf's grin disappeared, however, when Serana grabbed him by the scruff of his armor, lifting the man high into the air with a single arm, a display of power and anger that took even Valkyrie back.
"You... fucking idiot!" Serana snarled up at the undead Elf. "Do you have the slightest idea what you've done to me? To my family?!" Vyrthur offered no response, and Valkyrie knew better than to try and get in her way. "No, of course not," Serana continued. "What do you care that you destroyed my family? All that matters to you is my blood." With this, her free palm began to radiate with that familiar crimson aura. "Too bad for you. I intend on keeping it. Why don't we see if your blood has any power to it?"
The Snow Elf laughed. "If that is what you wish." His body began to radiate with its own aura, this one a brilliant white, and Serana dropped the Elf to the ground, grasping at her own palms and hissing in pain. Valkyrie drew her blade, charging forward and slashing away at Vyrthur, but the Snow Elf was far too quick for her, and he dodged each blow all while looking as though he weren't even trying. Finally, his hand began to glow, and he struck his open palm directly into Valkyrie's sternum. The force of his magical blow sent her flying some feet away, landing on the ground hard and rolling a considerable distance.
Vyrthur may have entertained the idea of an easy victory, but Serana was now back in the fray, swinging her claws at the elder vampire in an almost feral manner. This time he actually had to try to defend himself, blocking her swipes off his wristguards, but still staying quick on his feet so as not to get backed into a corner. Suddenly, his body flashed its magical energy once more, forcing the younger vampire back, and at last allowing the Elf to go on the offensive. His palms now radiating, he mimicked Serana's attacks with frightening accuracy, she was barely able to avoid the Arch-Curate's blows.
At last, it seemed Vyrthur had put too much weight behind one of his strikes, throwing himself off balance, and Serana attempted to retaliate with another swipe of her claws. But this proved to be a ruse, as just before her claw reached the Snow Elf's face, his hand shot out and wrapped around Serana's wrist. The magic emanating from Vyrthur's palm felt like the younger vampire was being burned alive, she immediately dropped to her knees, screaming in pain, and trying in futility to jerk herself free of the Arch-Curate's grasp.
After a few moments of agony, however, the Snow Elf finally released Serana, not of his own volition, but because Valkyrie had rejoined the battle, taking another swipe with her blade and managing to graze the undead priest's leg. He howled in pain, falling to one knee, but only for a moment, he quickly returned to his feet, doubling back to distance himself from Valkyrie, and now Serana who was slowly recovering from his magic.
"What an annoying little cockroach you are," Vyrthur spat at the Nord. "Although that was quite a lucky shot."
"Sometime's that's all it takes," Valkyrie shot back, glancing over to Serana, who had now returned to her feet.
"What the fuck was that?" The younger vampire demanded of her elder, still nursing her wrist.
"That, my dear girl," the Arch-Curate said with arrogance, "Is what we Falmer call sun magic."
Serana was dumbfounded. "You're a vampire!" She exclaimed at him. "How is that even possible?"
Vyrthur smirked. "Vampire though I am," he gave a few short knocks on the chest plate of his armor. "I am still the Arch-Curate of Auri-El!" His hands began to glow with magical energy once again. "And you are nothing compared to me!"
Valkyrie and Serana exchanged glances with one another, and the Nord, unexpectedly, began to smile devilishly. "So what you're saying is..." she turned back to Vyrthur, her blade extended. "We just have to destroy your armor."
His smiled vanished almost instantly. "You are more than welcome to try, girl," he spat back at the Nord. Both Valkyrie and Serana did just that, each of them charging directly at the priest. Valkyrie swung her blade with as much precision as she could manage, and Serana readied an undoubtedly devastating spell in her palm, but yet again, it was as though Vyrthur had calculated their every last move, when Valkyrie's sword swung, it hit only an apparition. She quickly spun around, only just a moment too late to stop the Snow Elf from blasting Serana with another wave of his sun magic, sending the vampire flying once more.
Rage began to consume the Nord's senses, she began swiping at the undead priest with reckless abandon, wanting nothing more than to cleave his head from his shoulders, but the Elf was still much too quick for her. After a few moments of effortlessly avoiding her blows, he at last drew a sword of his own, seemingly from thin air. Their blades clashed with one another, the sounds of steel meeting steel ringing in Valkyrie's ears as she continued to attack without pause. Finally, the two swords met for a final time, both Valkyrie and Vyrthur struggling to push the other backward. The Snow Elf laughed.
"I must say, you are quite skilled with a blade," he said in an almost mocking tone. "Certainly a far cry from the last fool Gelebor sent my way." Vyrthur then apparently put forth a bit of effort, easily pushing Valkyrie backward, forcing the Nord down on to one knee, as his own sword slowly inched closer to her throat. "But I am the Arch-Curate of Auri-El!" He exclaimed. "I am His mortal representative on Nirn! I am-" He suddenly stopped short, his gaze turning to just behind Valkyrie, and his eyes growing wide with terror.
"Oh, shit..."
These were the last words the undead Elf managed to speak before a precision bolt of crimson energy struck him square in the chest, himself now being the one to be sent flying. As Vyrthur landed several feet away, hitting the stone with a dull thud and continuing to roll some distance, Valkyrie glanced behind her. Serana had once again shifted into her monstrous form, but this was unlike anything the Nord had seen from her before. The pure blood's entire frame was brimming with a crimson aura, and in her eyes there was nothing but death. Valkyrie knew far better than to try and get in Serana's way, she simply stood up and backed away, the vampire lord slowly and menacingly closing in on the Snow Elf.
"It's time for you to die, Vyrthur," she snarled at him, the Elf slowly stumbling to his feet. As he reached his full height, the look in eyes was that of pure horror. He took a small step backward, showing visible signs of panic, before his palms began to radiate with sun magic yet again.
"No," he said, pointing his open palms directly at Serana, still slowly marching his way. "I won't die like this. I won't let you ruin centuries of preparation!"
"It's over..."
Vyrthur suddenly bore a menacing grin. "It's not over," he said, his entire body now brimming with sun magic. "...Until I say it's over!"
A blinding wave of light erupted from the undead Snow Elf's body, washing over the entire balcony. Valkyrie was knocked from her feet almost instantly, unwillingly curling into a ball as the sting of Vyrthur's magic left her in excruciating pain. But the Nord was hardly worried about herself. Amidst the hum of the Snow Elf's magic, she heard an inhuman, monstrous scream, one borne of total agony. Her only thoughts were of Serana, and when the blinding light finally subsided, Valkyrie's stomach dropped. Serana was in her human form once more, lying motionless in the center of the balcony. Vyrthur was still some distance away, down on one knee and breathing heavily.
"No..." Valkyrie whimpered out loud. She tried to force herself to her feet, but was unsuccessful, falling right back to the stone. Vyrthur, on the other hand, was now at full attention, albeit with a visible limp. At an agonizingly slow pace, he moved in towards Serana, a wicked smile of sadistic satisfaction on his face. It was then that Valkyrie finally managed to stand, and with all she had left, charged right at Vyrthur, her blade coming down on him with all the might she could muster.
"Don't touch her!"
The Snow Elf easily caught Valkyrie's sword between his hands, his grin turning to an annoyed scowl. "I am quite sick of you, girl!" He spat at her, twisting his arms, and in the process disarming the Nord with little difficulty. The undead priest moved so quickly, Valkyrie had no time whatsoever to react, and was powerless to stop him as the Elf ran the blade straight through her bicep. Valkyrie screamed in pain, dropping down to her knees, unable to stop the tears from flowing. Vyrthur delivered a vicious kick right to her chest, and the Nord was sent rolling several feet away yet again. Coming to a rest against the shrine of Auri-El, all she could do with her last remaining ounces of strength was pull the blade from her arm, every inch the steel moved causing her indescribable agony, her tortured screams escaping her throat involuntarily, blood flowing freely from the wound.
At last, the blade was removed, but the Nord was finished. She felt in her very soul that this was the end. The majority of her body had gone completely numb, the only appendage she could still move was her uninjured arm, but even that was severly limited. Darkness began to creep around the corners of her vision, but all she could focus on was the sight of Vyrthur standing over Serana, cackling madly. It enraged her beyond her own belief. It couldn't end like this, could it? Not after they had come so far...
The book, a thought made itself known among the fevered screams of Valkyrie's dying mind. The book will help me. It has to...
Somehow, the Nord managed to reach into the magic pouch, still miraculously attached at her hip. Less than a moment later, the tome bound in flesh, the Oghma Infinum, entered the outside world, feeling as though it weighed a hundred pounds. With one hand, she somehow managed to open the book, and its secrets enveloped her senses.
The warrior clad in bones stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a great and massive canyon. For what seemed like ages, they stared into the distance with an unbreakable focus, as though pondering whatever it was an almighty warrior of their stature would ponder. It was then that another presence made itself known. The warrior turned around to face whoever it was that had been foolish enough to interrupt their inner focus. The stranger had skin as dark as shadow, and was dressed in rags. The two exchanged words, as though they were familiar with one another, and for a moment, all seemed to be going well.
It was then that the ragged one drew a blade from their hip. They promptly bowed to the warrior in bones, a gesture that was returned a moment later, followed by the warrior drawing their own sword. The two pointed their weapons at one another, talking for just a moment longer, as though not certain if they truly wished to battle. But these doubts were set aside as the two began to circle one another. The ragged warrior then charged at the bone clad warrior, but this proved to be a mistake.
With the greatest of ease, the bone warrior met their attacker's blade, disarming them in but a moment, and promptly driving their own sword into the dark skinned one's neck. The ragged warrior dropped to their knees, a look of what almost appeared to be satisfaction adorning their face, as life slowly left their body. After the warrior in bones was sure the ragged one was dead, they quickly ripped the blade from their neck, bowing to what remained of the dark skinned warrior, before turning back to the canyon...
When Valkyrie's senses returned, she was standing on her own two feet yet again. How, she couldn't be sure, but at that moment, every last iota of her focus was directed at Vyrthur. It seemed that almost no time had passed, as he was still positioned over Serana, cackling like a madman. The Nord quickly summoned a ball of flame in her palm, and sent it flying straight into the Snow Elf's chest. It was clear Vyrthur was not expecting any more trouble from Valkyrie, as the bolt of fire caught him unawares, knocking him straight to the ground.
With her uninjured arm, Valkyrie grabbed her blade from the stone floor and marched straight in the undead Elf's direction. Vyrthur made it to one knee before gazing at the Nord with disbelief. "How are you even still standing?"
"Fuck you, that's how," she spat back at him. With only one arm able to move, she swung her sword right at Vyrthur's neck. The Snow Elf just barely managed to lean backward far enough to avoid Valkyrie slicing his throat. He quickly rolled backward, returning to his feet, and casting bolts of light in the Nord's direction. She sidestepped one after the other, still coming for Vyrthur. At last, the Arch-Curate charged straight at the Nord, seemingly aiming to overpower her. But at the last moment, he feinted to her side, circling around to her back, and coming at her neck with his fangs.
He was met instead with the full force of Valkyrie's blade rammed into his mouth, straight through the back of his skull. For the slightest of moments, Vyrthur still had life in his body. He fell to his knees yet again, looking up at the Nord in terror and disbelief. "I told you," she growled at him. "All it takes is one lucky shot." She promptly yanked her blade out of the Elf's head, and the rest of his body fell to the ground, lifeless. The Arch-Curate was dead at last.
But with Vyrthur gone, Valkyrie's mind turned elsewhere. She looked over to the center of the balcony, and panic overtook her. Serana...
The vampire had not moved since Vyrthur's magical attack, still lying on the stone, motionless. Valkyrie moved as quickly as her injured body would allow her, kneeling down at Serana's side, shaking the vampire, hoping to stir any signs of life. "Come on, Serana," she said aloud, in an almost pleading tone. The vampire did not answer, and Valkyrie only shook her harder, tears now beginning to flow from her eyes. "Please, Gods, not like this," she whimpered, still unsuccessful. Her pained sobs blended together with pleading at Serana's seemingly lifeless body, unwilling to accept that she could have died.
At last, the Nord gave into a final act of desperation. The wound on her arm was still bleeding, she had not bothered to try and heal herself, only focused on putting an end to Vyrthur's life. She grabbed Serana by the hair, lifting her head upward and putting her mouth directly at the open wound. Nothing happened. Valkyrie was ready to be consumed by grief and sorrow, her vampire was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. But then, a jolt of pain shot through her injured arm, as she felt the blood flowing from her open wound. Serana was alive, and feeding.
It was the most welcome pain Valkyrie had ever experienced. Serana was okay, and that was all that mattered. After a few minutes, the vampire suddenly let out a cough, the unnatural amber light returning to her eyes, eyes that met Valkyrie's almost exactly the moment they opened.
"Your blood," Serana said weakly. "It's... amazing. Like nothing I've ever experienced."
"Well," Valkyrie smiled down at her. "Hopefully this will only be a one time thing." The vampire only offered a pitiful laugh in response, and the Nord pulled her in close with her one good arm. "I thought I lost you," she whispered into Serana's ear.
"It's going to take more than that to kill me," the vampire replied, before awkwardly stumbling to her feet, still weak from Vyrthur's magic. "Do you..." she stuttered, now truly laying eyes on Valkyrie's wound. "Need help with that?"
"I think I've got it, actually," the Nord responded, her uninjured hand now conjuring a faint light. "I guess I've picked up a few tricks from watching you." After a few moments, the blood had ceased to flow, and the wound was closed, although an injury of this magnitude was far beyond Valkyrie's meager skills as a mage. She would have to see a trained healer once they got out of this damned valley, but that could wait. Serana was okay. At that exact moment, nothing else mattered. Not Auriel's Bow, not Harkon, not a damned thing. All Valkyrie cared about was that her vampire was still her.
She grabbed Serana by the scruff of her neck, and pulled the vampire into a kiss, which was only returned too quickly. The Nord had never felt quite so happy in all her years, but unfortunately, the moment was cut short, as the shrine to Auri-El on the balcony began to hum with a familiar energy, and slowly rise up from the floor, revealing a silhouette of none other than Gelebor.
"So," Gelebor said as he stepped from the newly emerged wayshrine. "The deed has been done at last. Vyrthur is dead, and thus the Betrayed no longer have control over him."
Valkyrie, still nursing her arm, exchanged a look with Serana, as though debating which one of them should break the news to the Snow Elf. After a moment, the Nord finally spoke. "I need to tell you something, Gelebor," she said, as he raised an eyebrow. "The Betrayed weren't responsible for what happened."
"What?" His eyes shot skyward, unable to believe what he was hearing. "What are you talking about?"
"He was a vampire," Valkyrie explained. "He was the one controlling them."
"A vampire?" the Snow Elf said, his voice low and confused. At last, he closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "I see. That... would explain much, actually."
"I'm sorry."
"No need," Gelebor said, crossing his arms as he looked over to Vyrthur's corpse. "Although I mourn the loss of my brother, deep inside it brings me joy to know that the Betrayed weren't to blame for what happened here."
Now it was Valkyrie's turn to be confused. "Why?"
"Because," he said, now staring over the edge of the balcony. "That means there's still hope for them. That they may one day shed their hatred, and learn to believe in Auri-El once again." Although the Nord admittedly admired his optimism, she wasn't crossing her fingers. Before anyone's thoughts could descend into pessimism, however, Gelebor spoke again, a smile now on his face. "But, enough of all that. You risked everything to claim Auriel's Bow, and in doing so, restored the Chantry. I can't think of a more worthy champion to carry it." With a cock of his head, the Snow Elf motioned to the inside of the wayshrine, where, at long last, she lay her eyes upon Auriel's Bow for the first time.
The weapon was absolutely gorgeous, a divine melding of platinum metals that, even in the light of the moon, gave off a reflection that made Valkyrie squint when looking at it. Next to it in the wayshrine was a quiver of equally beautiful craftsmanship, full of arrows that almost appeared to be glowing. She took a glance at Serana, who was clearly also dumbstruck. "Well?" The vampire said, not taking her eyes off of the bow. "What are you waiting for? Take it." Valkyrie didn't need to be told twice, as she slowly stepped into the shrine, grasping Auriel's Bow in her hand. The moment her hand made contact with it, she felt a rush in her veins, one that was nearly indescribable, but she somehow managed to find the word for it. Power. She had the power of a God at her fingertips, and it was just short of being overwhelming.
Valkyrie stepped out of the wayshrine, holding the bow up to the light of the moon, unable to stop marveling at its beauty. "This is going to sound odd," she heard Serana say. "But it's not as shiny as I was expecting." The vampire's remark drew a hearty laugh from both the Nord and the Snow Elf. "Still," the vampire continued after they were done. "It's beautiful."
"It is," Valkyrie said as she faced Serana. "So... what now?"
"I think we both know," Serana's expression quickly went from playful to deadly serious. "It's time to face my father."
"Right," the Nord nodded. "And you wanted to find the bow before we came up with a plan. Well," she gestured to Auriel's Bow. "Time to come up with a plan."
The vampire sighed. "After what happened in Solitude, this might not be your first choice," she said, as Valkyrie bore a sneaking suspicion where she was going with this. "But I think we need to go back to the Dawnguard."
"What?" Valkyrie asked in disbelief. "Are you crazy? They tried to kill us!"
"Because you were a vampire," Serana nodded. "But you're not one anymore."
The Nord sighed. "I mean, that's a good point, but..."
"Listen, Val," Serana continued. "If we go back to the castle and kick in the door, we're going to be knee deep in my father's minions. After what happened at Ancestor Glade, you and I both know we can't take them all on alone." She stepped forward, placing a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder. "At the very least, it would be useful to have allies who are trained for this kind of thing."
It was then that Valkyrie looked Serana straight in the eyes. "Are you sure about this?"
"Honestly? No," the vampire sighed. "But it's our best bet."
Valkyrie took in a deep breath, before nodding. "Alright," she said softly. "It's worth a shot at least."
"It is," Serana said back. "But before we do any of that," she shifted her gaze, now looking back at Gelebor. "I think you owe us some answers."
The Elf simply nodded. "I suppose I do," he said calmly, motioning to the destroyed remains of the chapel. "Come. Walk with me. We can discuss this while I find a suitable place to bury my brother." His eyes then darted towards Valkyrie. "And someone needs to take a look at that arm."
25th of Mid Year, 4E 200
Serana winced with discomfort, a clear sign that the sun was just on the edge of the horizon. She, Valkyrie and Gelebor had made their way back through the infuriating maze that was the Inner Sactum, and now stood in its courtyard, in front of an ancient statue of the god Auri-El. Valkyrie's arm, after being healed to the best of his ability by Gelebor, now lay in a makeshift sling. Vyrthur's body had been stripped of his regal armor, and it now lay next to him, beside a hole just shallow enough to fit his corpse. As the last Snow Elf began to pile the dirt back into the ground, his brother's remains successfully laid to rest, he turned to the two women, exhaling deeply.
"So," Gelebor said, his hands behind his back. "Where do I begin?"
"How did you know about me when we first met?" Serana asked. "Not just that I'm a vampire, but a pureblood at that?"
"As I said," the Elf nodded. "Part of my training as a Knight-Paladin allows me to see things that others could not. Although I'm afraid any more specific explanation would require extensive use of Ancient Falmeris, and I somehow doubt you are versed in a dead language." Serana let out a groan, but Gelebor was not done it seemed. "However," he continued, "There is... something." He once again had both women's full attention. The Elf gazed off into the distance, recalling his memories. "Not long before the Chantry was destroyed, Vyrthur had begun to act... different," he said. "For most of our lives beforehand, he was always level-headed, stern but fair. But in the weeks leading up to the slaughter, he grew irritable. At the time I thought nothing of it, but looking back I can see what those changes truly were."
"But you knew I was a vampire the moment you saw me," Serana questioned. "How could you not see it in him?"
"I can only guess that my own emotional attachment to my brother blinded me," Gelebor continued. "But back to my explanation. Perhaps a day or two before the Betrayed attacked, Vyrthur made mentions of a prophecy." The vampire nodded in response. "I only caught bits and pieces of it, but the part that stuck out to me was when he declared that one day, a Daughter of Coldharbour would travel to our Chantry in search of Auriel's Bow." The Snow Elf shook his head. "At the time, I thought him insane. But then the Betrayed came, all my fellows were slaughtered, and I've had nearly four thousand years to ponder why."
He looked back at Serana. "But at last, I believe I finally know. Auri-El, in his own strange irony, sent a Daughter of Coldharbour," he then turned to Valkyrie. "And a Child of Auri-El to purify the Chantry and make it whole once again."
Valkyrie's eyes shot upward. She had been following along intently up until this point, but now was utterly confused. "Hold on, what?" She asked, stepping forward slightly. "Child of Aur- What are you talking about? Yeah, I saved your Chantry, but I don't exactly follow your religion."
Gelebor's eyes narrowed at her. "That's not what I-" he stopped short, now smiling and dipping his head downward. "Of course, my apologies. You can't always expect a madman's prophecy to be entirely accurate."
"Oh no you don't," the Nord's anger began to rise. This was only the latest in strange things that had happened to her since she and Serana had been chasing this Gods forsaken prophecy, and she was not about to let any answers slip away from her. "First an insane priest tells me to guard my life, then a Daedric Prince tries to ensnare me into his service," she said in an accusing tone, stepping closer to Gelebor. "Then I defeat a dragon in combat, just for him to give me an honor name, and now you, the last living member of a dead race is telling me that I'm a Child of Auri-El?" The Elf did not back away, offering only a look of sorrow. "You're going to tell me what you know, Gelebor," Valkyrie demanded. "Now."
Gelebor's teeth gritted. "I cannot."
"Are you fucking joking?!" She screamed at him. "Do you have any idea what I've gone through to get here? To restore your Chantry?"
"I have some idea," the Snow Elf replied calmly. "And you cannot possibly fathom how grateful I am to you. But gratitude aside," he breathed deeply. "I am still a Knight-Paladin of Auri-El. And I am sworn to a sacred oath."
"Fuck your oath!" Valkyrie screamed again, her uninjured arm poking at his chest. "You. Owe me."
Gelebor was silent for a long time, his eyes locked with Valkyrie's, whose were burning with an intense fury. After several long minutes, he finally sighed, stepping back from her. "Tell me," he said quietly. "How much do you know about Elven religion?"
She turned her head up to him, this being a question she was unprepared for. "Very little," she answered. "I sort of know a High Elf in my home city. I've heard him make brief mentions of Auri-El, but he pronounces the name a little differently."
"An Altmer, you say?" The Snow Elf asked. "So he likely worships Auriel, not Auri-El."
"What's the difference?" Valkyrie questioned. "There's just a pause in his name."
"To my Altmer cousins," Gelebor smirked. "It is a distinction worth making. However, to the Snow Elves, it makes no real difference. Tell me, what pantheon do you follow?"
"I..." she paused. "I'm not really the religious type. But my adoptive family worships the Eight Divines."
"Your chief deity is Akatosh, correct?" He asked.
"Yes."
"So the Cyrodiilic pantheon, then," he nodded his head.
"What does this have to do with me?" Valkyrie questioned again.
Gelebor put a hand to his chin, silent for a moment. "What is the best way to put this?" He wondered out loud, before turning back to the Nord. "You see, your Altmer colleagues will argue that Auriel is the true incarnation of the chief deity. Whereas your human friends will claim that Akatosh is the rightful ruler of Atherius. But the Snow Elf pantheon..." he paused. "We believe our sovereign has many names. Auriel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh, whatever name you wish to assign Him, we recognize that these deities are all one and the same."
The Nord nodded, prodding him to continue. "As such, servants of Auri-El are encouraged to study other variations of our deity from different cultures, albeit at a very elementary level." He paused, making sure Valkyrie was still following. "And thanks to my training as a Knight-Paladin, I can tell you that you are tied to Auri-El, or Akatosh, or whatever you may wish to call Him."
"I..." Valkyrie was at a loss for words. "I don't understand. Why me?"
"Perhaps now you know why I wished to refrain from telling you," Gelebor said sternly. "You have questions that I do not know the answer to. However," he reached out then, placing a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder. "I can tell you this." The Snow Elf cleared his throat. "Think back on your life. Every hardship you've endured. Every victory you've savored. Not one of them has been an accident." He smiled. "If Auri-El has chosen you to be His messenger, He has done so with the greatest of reason. At this very moment, you may have no idea what you are truly capable of. But I know that you will inevitably discover your birthright for yourself. And when that day comes, you..." Gelebor glanced over at Serana. "And her will be destined for great things."
Valkyrie remained silent, still struggling to process what Gelebor had just told her. Surely the Elf was mistaken? There was no way on Nirn she could be a chosen messenger of the Gods. One on hand, it made sense, with so many powerful entities having taken a strange interest in her. It would also explain her sheer luck, having survived situations where most others would have surely perished. "This..." she stuttered after a while. "This is a lot to process."
"I know," the Elf sighed. "But on another note," he continued, looking back over to Vyrthur's grave, where his ornate armor lay next to him, folded into itself with the greatest of care. "You may have noticed I did not bury my brother with his armor," he picked up the set, still in pristine condition despite the battle it had just been through, before presenting it to the Nord. "I want you to have it. You'll likely be needing a new set anyhow, with your own being in shambles."
Valkyrie cautiously accepted Gelebor's gift, awkwardly taking the armor into her uninjured arm. "Thank you," she said, "But this armor is male patterened."
The Snow Elf chuckled. "I believe you'll find the Armor of Auri-El is, shall we say, one size fits all." He turned to look at his brother's grave. "Normally, only the Arch-Curate is permitted to wear the attire. Unfortunately, there will likely never be another Arch-Curate," he explained, now looking back at the Nord. "So a messenger of Auri-El himself is the next best thing."
"Thank you," she said again, nodding. "So what are you going to do now?"
"For the time being," Gelebor's gaze shifted to the temple. "I shall remain here. I am charged with protecting these wayshrines until I die," he shook his head. "It is a long shot, but there is the small possibility that there are other isolated conclaves of Snow Elves nestled elsewhere on Nirn. And that they may eventually find their way here."
Valkyrie kept silent out of respect for Gelebor, despite the near impossibility of what he was suggesting, but she had no time to ponder, as the Elf's palm began to radiate yet again, and as the ground shook, the grand statue of Auri-El began to rise up, revealing a final wayshrine underneath it. "This particular wayshrine will take you back to the entrance of Darkfall Cave," he said to them. "The both of you are welcome here at any time, of course, but," a knowing smile began to adorn his face. "I suspect you have yet another battle to prepare for."
"We do," Serana said with a nod as she and Valkyrie exchanged glances. Without any further delay, they stepped into the wayshrine, preparing to go back to Skyrim proper. "Goodbye, Gelebor," the vampire called back just before they stepped through the portal. "I hope we'll meet again someday."
"As do I," the last Snow Elf said. "May the grace of Auri-El protect you both."
Chapter 17: Battle Preparations
Chapter Text
2nd of Sun's Height, 4E 200
"You have a lot of nerve coming back here, monster."
Isran's first words to Valkyrie were about what she expected upon their return to Fort Dawnguard. The outside of the fortress was seemingly lifeless, as though the entire place had been abandoned, but the inside was crawling with untold numbers of new recruits for the order, and several dozen of them had their crossbows trained on Valkyrie and Serana as they stepped into the main foyer, as though they knew the two were coming. And directly in the center was none other than Isran, the paranoid old bastard himself, shooting a death glare straight at both of them.
"Nice to see you too, Isran," Valkyrie replied sarcastically. "We aren't here to fight. Tell them to put down their weapons so we can talk."
"I have nothing to discuss with a pair of bloodsucking fiends," the old man shot back, to which the Nord rolled her eyes.
She stepped forward, ever so slightly so as not to be met with a hail of crossbow bolts. "Look at me, you idiot!" She pointed two fingers at her eyes, motioning for Isran to look into them. "Do I look like a vampire to you?"
Isran hesitated before answering, "No, you don't."
"I told you we were on our way to get me cured," Valkyrie continued. "But you wouldn't listen. Your damned paranoia almost got you and two good men killed," she motioned to Serana. "So I'll say it again, we are not here to fight." She turned to the Dawnguard soldiers behind Isran, their crossbows still pointed directly at the pair. "So could you please lower your damned weapons?!"
"You could be a thrall," Isran retorted. "A walking trap sent in here to get us to lower our guard."
"Oh, for the love of-"
The Nord grumbled with frustration, before reaching into her magic pouch with the one arm that wasn't in a sling. A moment later, Auriel's Bow, in all its majestic glory was introduced. That got the attention of the Dawnguard rather quickly, and they at last lowered their crossbows, eyes wide with wonder. Isran was amazed most of all it seemed, he stepped forward with his jaw dropped. "The bow," he said softly. "You have Auriel's Bow. I've heard it described in tales, but I could never have imagined its beauty."
"If I was enthralled," Valkyrie said calmly. "Why would I go through the trouble of bringing you the one thing that could turn the tide in our favor?"
The Redguard sighed. "Alright," he said. "You've made your point. But why come to us?"
The Nord looked over at Serana, who finally spoke up herself. "Because we need your help," she said, quite matter-of-factly. "As long as my fath-" the vampire stopped short, hesitating for a moment. "As long as Harkon is still alive, Auriel's Bow isn't safe. The world is still in danger of him completing the prophecy, and now that we have the bow, it won't take him long to learn of it. He won't rest until it's in his grasp." She paused and took a deep breath. "He has to die."
Isran simply nodded. "Finally, something we agree on."
"And the two of us can't take him on by ourselves," she added.
"I suppose you're right," the old man said, crossing his arms. "The day hasn't been won as long as Harkon and his little cult still walk Tamriel," with this he turned back to the wall of nameless soldiers, seemingly hanging on his every word. "Lower your weapons, men, they're friendly. You can all return to your duties." The recruits obeyed the word of their leader with a concerning amount of enthusiasm, and within moments, the three were left alone in the foyer. "As for the both of you," he said to Valkyrie and Serana. "Give me some time to gather our lieutenants. We'll all meet in my quarters in an hour, and start coming up with a plan."
It was damned near impossible to move freely around the fort with so many unfamiliar faces roaming the place. In the weeks following Valkyrie's exclusion from the order, it seemed Isran had stepped up his recruiting significantly, the Dawnguard must have at least numbered a few hundred at this point, a revelation that only intensified her shock when the both of them reached Valkyrie's old quarters, still seemingly untouched by her former fellows. Whether they had left the room alone out of respect, or had simply forgotten about it with more pressing matters at hand didn't matter to the Nord, she was just happy to be able to lie down in an actual bed for the first time in weeks.
It took less than a moment after she collapsed onto the bed for Serana to join her, the both of them shifting their bodies to intertwine with each other's. After what they had been through in the past weeks, Valkyrie decided they deserved some time to rest and relax.
"Well," Serana said after a moment. "That went better than expected."
Valkyrie laughed. "What did you think was going to happen?"
"I expected at least one of them to try and shoot me."
"That seems a little tame," the Nord said. "This is the Dawnguard we're talking about."
"Oh?" The vampire questioned. ""What were you thinking?"
"Some frothing at the mouth," Valkyrie began to ramble off. "Some torches and pitchforks, maybe a sacrifice to Stendarr to protect them from the unholy monster."
Serana just laughed, adjusting her position slightly and moving her arms around the Nord's waist. A lengthy silence ensued, the both of them content to simply enjoy each other's company. They rarely got the chance to enjoy moments such as these, and with the impending battle with Harkon and his disciples, they would likely not get another chance for some time. Suddenly, Serana sat up from the bed.
"Hey, so," she began. "I just remembered. You said when got back to the fort, you'd show me that locket of your mother."
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "That was before Isran tried to kill us."
"Well," Serana said with a shrug. "They left the rest of your room untouched. I don't see why they would single out one specific thing to destroy."
At last, the Nord relented. "Let me look," she said as she stretched out, reaching at the small cupboard next to her bed. By the most unlikely of coincidences, it was still there. The old silver locket her brother had given her all those years ago, just before her life had been changed forever, still lay in the bottom of the old drawer among other various items she had collected in her time as a vampire hunter.
Valkyrie sat up, putting an arm around Serana's shoulder when the vampire moved to sit next to her, and popped the locket open. She was greeted with the familiar sight of of her father, much younger, her brother, still barely into his ninth year and full of energy, and of course her mother Ellana, looking as happy as could be.
"Wow," Valkyrie heard Serana say. "You look just like her."
"Yeah," the Nord said softly. It had been ages since she had looked at the painting inside her pendant, and thoughts of her family, of Skjalund and Gronmir filled her head. She sighed.
"You alright?" Serana asked.
"Yeah, it's just..." Valkyrie struggled with her words. "I miss them. And I wish I hadn't been such a brat while they were still here."
"Hey," the vampire rested her head on the Nord's shoulder. "I'm sure if your family was here, they'd be proud of you."
They both said nothing for a time, and Valkyrie continued to stare into the locket. After a while, she began to focus intently on her mother, the woman she had always heard about when she was young, but somehow knew very little about. It brought back memories of the day her family had died, when Gronmir sat with her next to the fire and told her their mother's story.
"So, I just had a thought," Valkyrie finally said.
"And that would be?" Serana asked.
"I know we're not quite done with this prophecy stuff," the Nord began. "This fight with your father and his cronies is probably going to be more dangerous than anything we've done thus far. So I might be getting ahead of myself by asking, but..." she turned to look Serana directly in the eyes. "Once we're done... When Harkon is dealt with, what do you want to do after?"
Serana's eyes widened, and she turned to look away, clearly taken aback. "That..." she stuttered. "That's a damned good question. I've been so focused on putting an end to the prophecy I haven't put much thought into after." She was silent for a moment, before speaking again. "I'm guessing you're not interested in staying with the Dawnguard?"
"After they tried to kill me? Not a chance," Valkyrie shook her head. "We're only here because we need allies to fight Harkon. But once we're done, my life with the Dawnguard is over."
"So what are you thinking?"
"I don't know," the Nord shrugged. "We could always go back to Markarth and stay with my adoptive family, but..." she let out a sigh, followed by a soft laugh. "To be honest, I've gotten used to life on the road. We're not getting old any time soon... well, you more so than me." Serana only replied with a chuckle. "And I can't really see us settling down to run the family business, you know?"
"You're talking as though you have something in mind," Serana stated, crossing her arms and listenting attentively.
"As a matter of fact," Valkyrie turned to look back at the locket. "The day my brother gave me this, he was telling me about our mother. She wasn't originally from Skyrim, she was actually born in Cyrodiil, a town called Kvatch."
"You don't say."
"When I was little," the Nord continued. "I used to have this dream of exploring every last corner of Tamriel. And the more I think about it, Kvatch seems like a good place to start." She paused. "It's definitely a long shot, but I could have family there I don't even know about."
"Well, I'm definitely up for a road trip," Serana said, moving in to plant a kiss on Valkyrie's cheek. "On one condition."
"And what's that?" Valkyrie asked.
"After we're done with this," the vampire shifted her head, now whispering into the Nord's ear. "We're going to find a nice, secluded bedroom. And we're not coming out for a fucking week."
Valkyrie erupting into a fit of coughing, and Serana fell back onto the bed, cackling like a madwoman. The Nord groaned after she finally regained herself. It was just like Serana to push her buttons, she just hadn't expected it in this form. But they had no chance to discuss the matter further before a knock on the door sounded out, almost causing both of them to jump.
"Who is it?" Valkyrie asked.
"It's Sorine," the voice on the other side of the door made itself know. "Isran's ready for us."
Some time later, Valkyrie and Serana entered Isran's chambers, where the Redguard was circled around a table alongside several familiar faces. Durak, Celann, Gunmar, Florentius, and now Sorine, who had walked in with them, all sat surrounding the table, the mood deadly serious.
"Alright," Isran announced to the group. "Now that everyone's here, let's get right to it. Valkyrie and Serana have brought us Auriel's Bow." There was an audible gasp from a few members of the table, and Valkyrie found it only necessary to reach into her pouch yet again, a moment later displaying the weapon in the center to gaze over.
"And there's all the proof we need," the Redguard continued. "We finally have the upper hand. The gods themselves have favored us, and we must answer with action!"
"So, what are we going to do?" Celann asked.
"Exactly what we're trained to do," Isran answered with a nod. "Harkon still breathes, and so the battle is not yet won. Thus we are going to march on their lair and destroy every last vampire within!" A round of whooping and hollering emerged from the vampire hunters, still too enthusiastic for their own good. "However," Isran continued after they settled. "We can't afford to be reckless. These particular beasts are far more dangerous than the vampires we're used to. We need a plan." At last, he turned to Valkyrie and Serana.
"Vamp-" he began, but stopped short when they shot him a glare. "Serana," he corrected himself. "You know this place better than anyone. What can we expect?"
"Well," Serana rested her hands on the table, somewhat taken aback by the old man's attempts at civility. "For starters, we aren't storming some dingy cave in the wilderness. My father and his minions live in a castle. Very well fortified, very defensible. And knowing him and how paranoid he is, he's likely bolstered his numbers since the last time I was there."
"With more vampires?"
"Thralls, more likely," she continued. "We'll almost certainly be outnumbered."
The Redguard raised an eyebrow. "Have you seen our own numbers? We have a small army here."
"Maybe," Serana shot back. "But how many of these recruits have actually seen combat?" Isran offered no response, only sighing. "That's what I thought," the vampire said. "Not only that, if we bring too large a force to attack the keep, they'll likely flee."
"It's on an island," he said. "Where could they possibly flee to?"
"Anywhere," the vampire said quite matter-of-factly. "Turning into mist and flying all the way to the mainland does open up quite a few possibilities for escape."
"Alright," Isran pinched the bridge of his nose, visibly annoyed. "So what do you suggest?"
"We take a team of maybe a dozen of your most experienced fighters, everyone in this room included," Serana proposed. "You've all dealt with powerful vampires and lived to tell about it. That experience will be invaluable going up against my father. Not to mention," she motioned to Auriel's Bow, still gracing the center of the table. "We have an extremely powerful weapon on our side."
"Yeah," Valkyrie said nervously, reaching for the weapon. "About that..." She returned the bow to her pouch, drawing looks of confusion and annoyance from the Dawnguard.
"Something you'd like to share with us, Valkyrie?" Isran asked.
"First off, watch your tone," the Nord spat at him. "You're not my superior anymore and I don't take orders from you." The rest of the room was visibly stunned at Valkyrie's open defiance, especially Isran, whose face twisted into a furious scowl. Valkyrie paid them no mind. "I don't think it's a good idea to bring Auriel's Bow into battle."
"What?!"
The entire room, almost unanimously, was shocked. The Nord had expected this, and was prepared to defend her decision, but the others were not so keen in the idea.
"Valkyrie," Sorine spoke up. "That thing was designed to slay the undead. Not using it removes one of our biggest advantages."
"It's also one of our greatest detrements," Valkyrie explained. "As soon as I reveal the bow, every last minion will know what it is, and their top priority will be getting it from me." She sighed. "All it'll take is one lucky shot, and we're done for."
"I don't know," it was Durak's turn to speak now. "We have a weapon imbued with the power of a god. And if this Harkon is as powerful as you say he is..."
"We don't have to worry about him until the end," Serana said. "My father may be paranoid, but he's also arrogant to a fault. He won't come out to fight us himself, not without sending his underlings as a buffer to weaken us."
"Are you sure?" Valkyrie asked her. "He was in the band that slaughtered my village when I was a girl. Seems he's no stranger to taking matters into his own hands."
"That's... oddly out of character for him," the vampire said. "Then again, he did occasionally leave the castle for things he felt were worth his time. But from the way I heard him talk before I left to come find you, he doesn't consider the Dawnguard to be more than a minor annoyance." She smirked. "Another advantage we have. I'd say we can keep Auriel's Bow out of sight while fighting his minions, but... for Harkon himself, we need it."
Valkyrie nodded. "I can live with that, I guess."
"What's that?" Florentius muttered aloud. "Arkay says that presents another problem. If we don't have Auriel's Bow during the battle, we need something else to give us an advantage."
"I actually might have something," the Nord reached into her pouch yet again, moments later displaying the Armor of Auri-El, to even more stunned gazes. "I could tell you all where I got this armor, but you wouldn't believe me if I did," she continued. "Long story short, it's imbued with ancient Falmer sun magic. Seems suitable for battling the undead."
"But," Celann said. "There's only one set."
"That's why I brought it here," Valkyrie replied, before turning to Gunmar. "I might know my way around a forge, but I'm no master blacksmith." She then glanced to Florentius. "And I'm no enchanter, either. If the both of you were given time to study this armor, do you think you could replicate it?"
"Perhaps?" Florentius said, his gaze still locked on the armor. "I would likely need a few days, though. I've never seen anything like this, and even Arkay says it's been ages."
"And you, Gunmar?"
"I don't know," the brute of a Nord shook his head. "I could probably draw up some diagrams, but..." he sighed. "You said Falmer. I'm not familiar with Elven smithing techniques. So unless you know someone who is..."
"As a matter of fact," Valkyrie smirked, before turning back to Isran. "Please tell me you've got some coin put back for operations like these."
The Redguard raised an eyebrow. "We have some coin," he said cautiously. "What are you thinking?"
"We're going to put in an order to the smith of Markarth," Valkyrie said. "Don't worry, she'll give us a good price. I'm family, after all."
"Well," Isran sighed. "That takes care of our defenses, so let's get down to specifics. How should we go about this?"
"First and foremost," Serana spoke again. "We need to make sure they can't close the entrance gate. No steel or magic can break through that thing, and if they do shut it, they can overrun us with numbers fairly easily." She paused for a moment, placing a hand on her chin. "I would say we send a small detachment, two or three people at the most to sneak into the gatehouse before we attack."
"Is that even possible?" Gunmar asked. "If this place is crawling with vampires and their thralls..."
"We've already done it once," Valkyrie said. "Had to in order to find one of the Elder Scrolls."
"So," the vampire continued, turning to the Nord. "If we're taking suggestions, I think it should be you and Isran."
"Wait, what?" The Nord was puzzled. "You're not coming with me?"
"Here's the thing," Serana explained. "No offense to anyone here, but I'm probably the strongest person in this room. Your best chance of survival is to have me on the front lines with you."
The Redguard arched an eyebrow. "Alright, but why us specifically?"
"Because Val is the only other one besides me who's actually snuck inside the castle," she replied. "And the route you'll be taking is full of skeletons, death hounds, and knowing my father, probably powerful vampires. We need someone who's experienced with fighting the undead, and no one here is as experienced as you."
"But in that case," Sorine piped up. "Wouldn't it make more sense to have Isran fight alongside the rest of us?"
"He'd be useful in either situation, true," the vampire continued. "But we need to make sure that gate is open. It's going to be an uphill battle regardless, but that would doom us."
"Well then," Isran nodded. "It has been ages since I've undergone a proper stealth operation. My only concern is that arm of yours," he shot a glance at the sling which currently housed one of Valkyrie's arms. "Will you be ready for combat once our preparations are taken care of?"
"Definitely," the Nord said with confidence. "A few more days and I should regain full mobility."
The Redguard nodded his head once more. "I suppose that's as much as we can hope for," he said, his eyes darting around the room to each of his constituents. "If no one else has any concerns, I believe we have our plan."
Surprisingly, not one soul did.
9th of Sun's Height, 4E 200
"You mean to tell me you met an actual, living Snow Elf?"
Valkyrie nodded, unsurprised by Ghorza's disbelief at her tale. Why would she believe her, after all? The true Snow Elves had been gone for centuries, their only remnants the twisted, deranged Falmer. "Alright," the Orc said, her eyes narrowing. "I'm going to say this as nicely as I can... bullshit."
The Nord only laughed. "I knew you wouldn't believe me."
In truth, Valkyrie had missed her adoptive mother more than even she had realized. The overwhelming joy she had felt when Ghorza, Moth, and a caravan of guards from the Reach arrived at Fort Dawnguard's doorstep was indescribable. They had embraced for what seemed like ages, before Valkyrie introduced them to Serana, while being explicitly careful to leave out certain details about her lover. The last thing her family needed to hear was that she was romantically involved with one of the very creatures she swore to destroy, and left home in order to do so. They had all then proceeded to spend the day touring the fortress, introducing Ghorza and Moth to the senior most Dawnguard members.
The day had ended thusly, with Valkyrie, Serana, and Ghorza walking the battlements of the fortress, swapping stories from the months in which the Nord had been gone from Markarth. For the first time in nearly a year, Valkyrie was able to put the impending danger of the prophecy out of her mind, and simply focus on catching up with her adoptive mother.
"So," Valkyrie changed the subject, leaning back against the stone walls of the fortress. "How's the business?"
Ghorza groaned. "Well," she began. "I took on a new apprentice shortly after you left. His name's Tacitus. Imperial boy."
The Nord raised an eyebrow. "How is he?"
"He's fucking useless," the Orc deadpanned, causing both Valkyrie and Serana to laugh. Ghorza had never been one to mince words, but for her to be this harsh must have meant that this Tacitus was terrible. "Just the other day, I had him smith a set of nails for your friend Eltrys," she continued. "The metal he shaped wasn't even fit to melt and re-forge. They were so brittle and frail I could have torn them apart with my bare hands."
"Wow," was all Valkyrie could say.
"Then he had the gall to complain that the forge was too hot!" Ghorza threw up her hands in exasperation. "I swear, I've almost forgotten what it's like to have a competent apprentice."
Valkyrie sighed. She knew where this was going, but against her better judgement, pressed further into the conversation. "Well," she said. "This mission we hired you and Moth for is probably going to be my last with the Dawnguard."
The Orc's eyes widened. "Did something happen?"
"Let's call it a difference of opinion," the Nord shrugged. "But after this, I'll have done what I set out to do."
"What do you mean?"
"The vampire who killed my family," Valkyrie looked down. "He's the leader of this coven we're attacking."
Ghorza let out a whistle. "You don't say."
Valkyrie nodded. "After we're done with him..." she glanced over at Serana. "We... could use a place to rest up. Get our bearings before heading out for Cyrodiil. Maybe in that time I could show Tacitus a few things."
"Of course," Ghorza smiled. "You know my door is always open for you," she turned to Serana. "Both of you."
"Are you sure?" Serana asked. "I wouldn't want to impose,"
"If it was imposing, I wouldn't have offered."
"Thank you," the vampire said.
The Orc nodded, then turned back to Valkyrie. "Listen," she said. "I know I may have had my doubts about you doing this," Ghorza sighed. "And I know when you left I wasn't exactly thrilled about it, but..." she reached out to the Nord, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I just want you to know that I am so proud of the young woman you've become."
"Ghorza," Valkyrie said, feeling a lump forming in her throat. "You're going to make me cry." The two rushed forward to embrace one another, a tender moment that was unfortunately cut short when a certain grumpy old man made his presence known.
"Ahem,"
The three women looked over, visibly annoyed at the approaching Isran, who himself seemed like he would have rather been anywhere else at that moment.
"Can we help you?" Ghorza asked rather sternly.
"I apologize for...interrupting, but I need to speak to your... daughter," the old man said.
The Orc raised an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between Isran and Valkyrie, before shaking her head. "Fine," she said. "Moth probably needs my help with something anyway, knowing him." Ghorza stepped away, back to the inside of Fort Dawnguard, leaving Valkyrie and Serana alone with the Redguard, ensuing a short, yet painfully awkward silence.
"What do you want?" Serana was the first to speak.
Isran groaned. "Look, this isn't easy for me to say. So I'm just going to come out and say it," he said, jaw visibly twitching and his frustration growing with every word. "I owe you both an apology."
Both Valkyrie and Serana's eyes widened. Never in a thousand years did either of them think that Isran of all people would actually admit that he had been in the wrong. "Um, Isran," Serana said cautiously. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Please don't start cracking jokes," the Redguard groaned, before turning to Valkyrie. "Back in Solitude," he continued, crossing his arms. "You had to make a difficult decision. I may not have agreed with it... still don't agree with it, but that didn't give me the right to attack you."
"Still think I'm a thrall?" Valkyrie asked, her voice cold and dismissive.
"You brought us Auriel's Bow when you could have just as easily given it to the vampires," Isran shot back. "If that's not proof enough of your loyalty, I don't know what is." At last, Isran held out his hand. "I'm sorry, alright?"
Valkyrie hesitated for just a moment before nodding her head, clasping forearms with Isran. "Apology accepted," she said softly. But when the Redguard tried to pull away, the Nord's grip tightened. "Hold on," she said. "Don't get me wrong, Isran. I'm glad we're on the same page again, but before we leave, I need to make something clear to you."
The old man's eyes widened as Valkyrie continued. "You may still think Serana is just another filthy vampire, but you're wrong," she continued, her voice soft and calm, but with a clear threatening tone. "But she is so much more than that, especially to me. I love her." When the Redguard said nothing in response, the Nord kept going. "So if you so much as think about trying to hurt her again," she pulled Isran in close, their faces inches away from one another. "I swear to the fucking Eight, I will tear your head off and leave it on a spike at the gates of the fortress. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah," Isran answered almost immediately, and Valkyrie released his arm.
"Good," she said, and the old man quickly rushed away, trying and failing miserably to look as thought Valkyrie hadn't just put the fear of the gods into him. Her aggressive demeanor faded almost instantly, however, when from behind came Serana, slinking her arms around Valkyrie's neck.
"So," the vampire said quietly. "When were you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That you apparently love me."
Valkyrie's face went a deep shade of pink. "Uh, I-" she stammered, yet again allowing Serana to make her trip over her own words. "I mean... you know how it is. I didn't want to say I love you too soon, but-"
Serana cut her off with a giggle, before planting a kiss on Valkyrie's cheek.
"I love you too."
Chapter 18: Kindred Judgement, Pt I
Chapter Text
16th of Sun's Height, 4E 200
Valkyrie was unable to take her eyes off the gargantuan, imposing cloud of mist that sat almost too peacefully in the bay, its presence concealing the existence of Castle Volkihar from the rest of Skyrim. This was it. Her day of retribution had come at last. She, along with Serana and the Dawnguard, were going to march into the keep and slay every last vampire within, Harkon included, and forever rid Tamriel of his menace. She should have felt excited, chomping at the bit to finally exact revenge on the monster who had killed her family so many years ago. But the truth was Valkyrie was terrified.
She managed to muster a look over her shoulder to the remainder of the Dawnguard, their forms visible even in the darkness of night. This was mostly thanks to the combined ingenuity of Ghorza, Gunmar, and Florentius, who had managed to decipher the secrets of the Armor of Auri-El, and imbued their leathers with runes and plates of moonstone. Their armor and weapons were powerful, certainly, and stood to be a useful edge against the vampire coven, but the Dawnguard's armor still paled in comparison to the original. The Armor of Auri-El, which Valkyrie had decided was a fitting choice to wear into battle. As soon as she had put it on some time earlier, the Nord immediately felt... something. A rush of power, perhaps, coursing through her veins now that she wore armor forged by a god. If this wasn't enough to keep her from dying at Harkon's hands, nothing was.
Valkyrie turned around to join her fellows in preparation. There was a tense mood about the air, most of the Dawnguard seemingly accepting of the possibility that not all of them would be coming back alive from this battle. The Nord took a deep breath, reaching down at her hip to unsheathe the new blade Ghorza had forged at her request. It was a true thing of beauty, made from a rare metal known as ebony, black as midnight, and far deadlier than the ordinary steel she had once used. Valkyrie only hoped it would be enough to put down Harkon for good.
From the corner of her eye, Valkyrie spied Serana, her formal gown embedded with plates of the same ebony metals. Where once the vampire had properly looked a noble's daughter, now she had the look of a knight ready to charge into battle. The Nord couldn't help but crack a smile when Serana finally joined her at her side, throwing an arm around Valkyrie's waist.
Serana was followed with Isran closely in tow, the two likely going over last minute details of the plan. Valkyrie looked around at her former comrades. Durak, Celann, Sorine, Gunmar, and Florentius were there of course. Even young Agmaer, the pushover of a boy who had pestered her the day of their arrival at the fort, had grown into his own as a warrior. There were a few others as well who Valkyrie didn't recognize, a Wood Elf, an older Orc, and a fellow Nord. She could only guess they had enlisted during her exile from the Dawnguard, but had since proven themselves capable enough fighters to be suitable for this mission.
"Alright, everyone," Isran said. "This is it. Our assault begins at dawn. Serana has prepared boats for us to cross the bay to Isle Volikhar."
"That gives the both of you a little over an hour to secure the gate," Serana said with a nod. "Listen," she continued, now turning to Valkyrie specifically. "No matter what happens, you keep moving. We're going to be outnumbered, and if we can't get that gate open, we're doomed." The Nord simply nodded in response.
"What about you?" Valkyrie questioned. "We'll be fighting in daylight, and you'll be weakened."
"I've got something prepared," the vampire said with a smirk. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it."
"Alright," Isran piped up, turning to glance at Valkyrie. "I'm ready when you are."
She nodded. "Let's do this."
The three marched quickly to the shore, where several boats lay waiting in the water for the Dawnguard's attack. Isran, showing an uncharacteristic sense of eagerness, hopped in rather quickly, while Valkyrie took a moment with Serana, who reached out a hand to caress the Nord's neck, fingers entwining in her hair. The vampire smiled, "Come back to me safely, alright?"
Valkyrie nodded. "I will." She moved her head forward, planting her lips against Serana's for as long as she possibly could, before an impatient ahem from Isran broke the two apart. "I love you," the Nord said as she backed away and made for the boat.
"I love you too," the vampire said back. "Good luck."
The warrior clad in bones stood in pitch darkness. Nothing above, below, or around was visible in any way, and for the first time perhaps in their existence, the warrior was nervous. They dared not venture in any direction, for fear of what the absolute darkness held, but in a moment of courage, the warrior held out their hand, a brilliant glow beginning to emit from their palm. What the warrior saw, like nothing before they had ever experienced, struck terror into their heart. A single, disembodied eye staring directly into the warrior's soul.
An otherwordly voice that seemed to come from inside the warrior's own head began to make itself known, emitting a low, menacing laugh that sent shivers down the warrior's spine. "I told you that you could not evade me forever," the voice said. As it spoke, from seemingly nowhere at all a sprawl of tentacles began to rise up from underneath the warrior, encasing their body at an agonizingly slow pace, all while the warrior was frozen with pure fear. "You have abused my knowledge for your own gain for long enough."
One of the tentacles wrapped around the warrior's neck, slowly lifting the bone clad helmet from their face. Underneath was revealed to be... a woman. A woman who looked quite familiar...
By the Gods, it was Valkyrie. She was the bone clad warrior. And this voice, this demonic, unnatural voice that permeated inside her head... it could only be...
"At last, you realize the gravity of your errors," Hermaeus Mora said wistfully as the tentacles caressed Valkyrie's armor. "I offered you the world, mortal. Not only did you spit in my face, but you then took the knowledge I offered by force, and used it for your own benefit. No more." The tentacles continued to writhe over her body, slowly removing every last piece of armor. "All knowledge has its price, mortal. And I will have my payment. But for now..."
Suddenly, the tentacles receded, leaving Valkyrie standing alone once again, naked in the darkness. Hermaeus Mora began to laugh once more. "You are lucky today, young one. The time has not yet come to devote your soul to me. But mark my words, the day will come when I shall call on you to collect my due." A single tentacle resurfaced from the darkness, its tip gently touching the center of Valkyrie's forehead. "I cannot touch you, thanks to that pesky amulet your vampire fashioned. But like all trinkets, it is temporary, and one day soon, there will be nothing to protect you from my grasp." At last, the tentacle vanished once more, and the disembodied eye closed, itself disappearing into the darkness. But the insidious voice kept speaking.
"So go," Mora continued. "You will have knowledge enough to finish your mission, and fulfill your destiny. But the Oghma Infinium shall return to me. Perhaps I may see fit to give it back when you are more... agreeable." The Daedric Prince of Knowledge began to laugh, a mad cackle that tore at Valkyrie's very being. At last, the light flickered and went out, leaving her in absolute darkness yet again.
"Now, begone."
The next thing Vallkyrie knew, she was in the boat with Isran, navigating by way of magic to the back end of Isle Volkihar. She didn't even remember taking the Oghma Infinium out of her magic pouch, but there it lay in her lap, or so she thought. The moment she laid eyes on the tome, it began to disintegrate, until there was naught left but ash where the book had once been. It was only when Isran turned around to say something was the Nord suddenly aware how heavy and panicked her breathing was.
"What's wrong?" The old man asked, seeming to show genuine concern.
"It's... it's nothing," Valkyrie lied, not wanting to have even more to worry about. "Just nerves getting the better of me."
"Well, I'd suggest getting them under control," Isran spat. "Both of us need to be calm, collected, and focused in this wretched place."
"You're right," the Nord said, taking a deep breath to attempt to calm herself. The boat swerved around a final bend of the island's cliffs, and Valkyrie reached for her crossbow, readying herself for whatever defenses Harkon had set in their way. But much to her surprise, the old dock was empty. The last time she and Serana had been here, the place had been nearly overflowing with skeletal guardians and other forms of undead. But now it was eerily quiet, and the Nord didn't like it one bit.
"It's not as crowded as last time I was here," she remarked.
"You think they just forgot about this harbor?" Isran asked. "According to Serana, Harkon isn't exactly fond of this part of the island."
"He's arrogant, but he's not stupid," Valkyrie answered as the boat pulled in alongside the dock's stone walkways. "I see one of two possibilities. Either it's like you said, and they just haven't paid attention to the back of the island," she continued as she stepped out of the boat. "Or they're expecting us, and something much worse than skeletons is waiting for us."
"Then we err on the side of caution and assume they have a trap laid," the Redguard said darkly. "Which poses a very big problem. You and I can't defeat all of Harkon's cult by ourselves."
"Somehow I doubt his entire coven is waiting in the courtyard," the Nord said. "He needs his minions in the main part of the castle to try and repel the Dawnguard. But we don't really have a choice either way. Serana and your people need that gate open." As the pair stepped through the old door built into the stone, Valkyrie couldn't help but gag. The first time she and Serana had ventured here, the vampire had warned her that some days the castle's water cistern smelled awful and rancid. She plugged her nose, Isran doing the same as he followed behind her, while both also kept their weapons at the ready in case something was waiting in the shadows for them.
The cistern was empty, almost suspiciously so. A feeling of dread and worry came over Valkyrie, her gut spinning as she led Isran through the corridors of Castle Volkihar's undercroft. Despite only having been there once, she was surprised with herself at how well she remembered the path to the courtyard, and within minutes, the both of them had reached the door to the outside. Deciding to be a bit more cautious, however, Valkyrie stopped, kneeling down to look through the keyhole of the door.
"See anything?" Isran asked.
What Valkyrie saw worried her, but she was confident that between herself and the old man that they could handle it. "Two vampires," she answered. "And about eight or nine thralls." She recognized one of the vampires, the brutish Nord named Orthjolf who had attacked Serana and herself back at the Ancestor Glade. Beside him was a Dumner, both sets of eyes fixed on the door. "They're definitely waiting for us," she said, standing back up and away from the door.
"Then let's go greet them," Isran growled, reaching for his warhammer. "The thralls should be child's play, but two half-breeds could be a challenge."
Valkyrie gulped, deciding it was now or never as she opened the door, stepping outside to the courtyard to a deceptively warm reaction from the vampires. The big Nord particularly grew a devilish grin, bowing to the both of them as they approached slowly, hands on their weapons. "Ah," Orthjolf said. "Lady Serana's little play toy. I must admit I'm surprised she's not here with you, attached at the hip."
"Oh, don't you worry about her," Valkyrie spat at him. "She and the rest of the Dawnguard will be breaking down your door soon enough."
"That's what I'd hoped you would say," the vampire practically snarled, extending his claws. Valkyrie and Isran glanced at one another, before drawing their own weapons in retaliation.
"Let's hope you haven't gotten rusty, old man," she said to the Redguard, who only scoffed in response.
The vampires rushed forward with their thralls in tow, while Valkyrie and Isran readied themselves. Orthjolf swiped his claws at Valkyrie, seemingly putting every last bit of strength behind the attack, which allowed her to sidestep him with relative ease. Before she could retaliate, the vampire's thralls were on her. One swung at her with its mace, just barely missing the Nord's head, and then proceeded to fall down dead when Valkyrie came back with a blow of her own, slicing into his neck. Another came at her then, his hands burning with fire as he threw a series of blows at Valkyrie. She parried his blows, each time his fists connecting with the edge of her blade, and each blow slicing his hands wide open, yet the thrall paid no attention, and stayed on the attack. That was, until Valkyrie heard the rumble of Orthjolf charging up from behind, and she quickly ducked, tricking the brutish vampire into digging his claws into the thrall's face.
Caring nothing for the life of his underling, Orthjolf immediately turned back to Valkyrie, slicing away at the Nord while she attempted to parry his blows. The only problem was that the vampire was much stronger than his minions, and each strike forced Valkyrie backward, until at last, one of Orthjolf's blows knocked her to the ground. Before the vampire could pounce on her for the kill, she swung her foot upwards, slamming into his nether regions. She kicked again, this time planting her foot into Orthjolf's chest, finally with enough force to send him stumbling backward. Valkyrie quickly rose to her feet, sending the tip of her blade straight for the vampire's chest, but much to her disdain, he managed to catch it with one hand.
Valkyrie tried to push forward, her blade sliding ever so slightly closer to Orthjolf and cutting into his palm in the process, but the vampire ignored it, rising to his feet, and shoving her away with such force that the Nord was sent flying back. She hit the ground with a roll some feet away, the air being forcefully knocked from the lungs. As she struggled to breathe, slowly and awkwardly rising to her feet, she caught a glimpse of Orthjolf, staring at his injured palm with disgust. After a moment, he returned his gaze to Valkyrie, and snapped his fingers. The two remaining thralls that had followed the brute into battle rushed to his side, and without any hesitation, Orthjolf sunk his claws, one hand each into their chests.
Valkyrie was disgusted. Even more so when the thralls' blood began to flow unnaturally, directly up Orthjolf's arms and into his mouth. In less than a moment, he had drank his underlings dry, and they promptly fell to the ground dead. With that, the brutish vampire picked up one of their weapons from the ground, extending it towards Valkyrie as though he were issuing a challenge, one the Nord was all too happy to accept. The two lunged for each other, eventually meeting their blades together. For what seemed like ages, the sounds of steel meeting steel rang in Valkyrie's ears again, and again, and again. Finally, their blades clashed for a final time, each warrior trying to push the other back. Unfortunately, Valkyrie was quite outmatched in terms of raw strength, and it wasn't long before Orthjolf had forced her down to one knee.
The Nord vampire's sword inched closer to Valkyrie's face, and despite her effort, she just couldn't push him back. That was, until suddenly, Orthjolf's eyes tightened shut, and he let out a pained groan. "Damn it," he growled, still pushing his blade against Valkyrie's.
The realization caused Valkyrie's stomach to turn. "Shit," she said out loud. "It's dawn already."
"Seems you're too late to execute your little plan," Orthjolf said through gritted teeth. His mocking expression only turned to rage and frustration when Valkyrie managed to push him back slightly, as he was now weakened from the light of the sun.
"No," she said to him. "Just means I have to kill you quicker."
Serana winced with discomfort. The sun was on the horizon, and there was still no sign of Valkyrie, or Isran, or any indication they had made it to the gatehouse. The vampire was worried, immeasurably so, that they had run into trouble. But there was no time to think of what could have happened. As the Dawnguard's boats landed against the shores of Isle Volkihar, there was a tension in the air that almost everyone felt. The soldiers stepped out of their boats, landing softly on the sand, seemingly hesitant to begin their assault. Durak stepped next to Serana.
"Looks to me like that gate is still closed."
"I can see that," she fired back.
"You don't think Valkyrie and Isran..." The Orc began, but immediately cut himself short when Serana glanced at him with a menacing glare.
"They're fine," the vampire said. "They have to be. Probably just ran into some trouble, but I doubt it's anything the both of them can't handle."
"So what do we do?" Gunmar chimed in as he approached from the shore. "Wait a bit longer for them?"
"No time," Serana sighed, reaching into her magic pouch. "This has to end here and now." As her hand re-emerged, gripped in her hand was what looked to be a chalice made of stone, its cup filled with blood, which looked as though it were unnaturally keeping itself inside.
"What is that?" Durak asked.
"Let's call it a parting gift from my father," the vampire replied. "The Bloodstone Chalice. Increases the potency of a vampire's powers." There were a few groans from the Dawnguard, to be expected, as Serana knew many of them still didn't fully trust her, and were none too happy that she was about to make herself even stronger than usual, but none stepped forth to oppose her. Serana knocked the goblet back, downing every last drop of blood within. As the chalice emptied, and it promptly fell to the ground, so to did Serana, dropping to one knee as the rush of power began to overtake her. None of the Dawnguard rushed forward to see if she was alright, the closest thing being Durak asking.
"Are you okay?"
The vampire simply laughed darkly. "Oh, I'm great."
Serana rose to her feet, and charged forward like a rabid beast. Just as she approached the bridge leading to the castle, the stone gargoyles adorning the edges sprung to life, their stone shells emitting a thunderous crack as they bolted in Serana's direction. One of the beasts made a swipe for her head, only for Serana to duck underneath with ease, before shooting back upward, her palms radiating with a familiar crimson glow, as she pressed her palm against the gargoyle's torso, sending it flying backward.
Another monster came it her, flailing desperately just as its counterpart had, only to be met with Serana's mocking gaze as she weaved in and out of its blows, before the vampire suddenly jumped forward, tackling the creature to the ground and, after a few moments of struggling, ripped the beast's head right from its shoulders. As she stepped off the gargoyle's corpse, out of the corner of her eye she spied at least a dozen thralls emerging from the castle, led by two vampires, a male and a female, who were trying but failing miserably to conceal their apprehension at fighting Serana.
The vampire looked back at the Dawnguard, who were seemingly equally as hesitant to jump into battle after seeing her display of power. But Serana only smirked. "Well, what are you waiting for?" She exclaimed to the soliders, nodding her head towards their slowly approaching attackers. "Get 'em."
A "Fuck it" from Durak was the only response Serana recieved, as the Orc raised his crossbow and let a bolt fly in the direction of the approaching horde. The vampire in front managed to sidestep the bolt, only leaving it to bury itself into the shoulder of one of their thralls. With a thunderous roar, each side shed their inhibitions, and began to charge at each other wildly. Serana, empowered by the Bloodstone Chalice, was only too happy to shed more of her father's minions' blood. With an animalistic snarl, she bolted to her nearest target, the female vampire that led the horde of thralls, and promptly sunk her claws into their neck.
The deafening sounds of battle, steel clashing with claws, spells being cast, the fevered screams of warriors and monsters alike only served to strengthen Serana's bloodlust. Her claws still entrenched in the other vampire's neck, she sprinted with unnatural speed to the castle gate, still closed, and began to batter it with the corpse of the dead vampire. The gate shook, but still held firm. Frustrated, Serana tossed the body aside. "Well," she mused to herself. "Guess I'll just have to get something bigger."
Before she could do just that, however, another vampire landed right behind her, having jumped from atop the other side of the wall. The vampire rushed for Serana, their claws just barely missing her torso as she moved out of the way. Serana quickly retaliated with a bolt of magic, but this too was evaded, as she finally got a decent glance at her attacker. A small Breton vampire, of a much more petite stature than Serana, but with a murderous rage in her eyes, one that Serana recognized instantly.
"Fura Bloodmouth," she quipped as the two began to circle one another. "I'd say it's nice to see you again, but you know me. I don't like to lie."
"You traitorous whore," Fura growled back at her, fangs and claws extended. "You've signed your own death warrant coming back here. I'm going to enjoy watching Lord Harkon punish you." She titled her neck to the side, her bones emitting a dull pop. "But first, I'll have to subdue you myself."
Serana just smirked. "Try me, bitch."
With Orthjolf in a weakened state, Valkyrie found it much easier to keep up with him in battle, but by no means did that suggest the vampire was now a pushover. He swung his blade with ferocity and precision, as Valkyrie attempted to parry some of his blows, and dodge others. Each one came closer to connecting with her than the last, the vampire succeeding in keeping Valkyrie on her toes. After one particular strike came a bit too close for her liking, Valkyrie rolled off to the side, sending a stab at Orthjolf's abdomen, which the brute managed to side step, and in return sent his free hand, balled into a fist, colliding with the Nord's face. She flew back several feet, hitting the ground hard.
Weakened though he was, the vampire still hit harder than any mortal could have, and the side of Valkyrie's face began to ache horribly, her mouth filling with the taste of blood. She got to all fours, spitting out the blood in her mouth, rage and fury overcoming her senses as she saw the splatter on the ground. Valkyrie rose to her feet once more and attempted to summon a fire in her palm, but something odd happened. Instead of fire, her hand began to radiate with a brilliant white glow. The same aura that Vyrthur had imbued.
So, Valkyrie though to herself. His power did come from his armor. She began to smirk. Let's see what this sun magic can do. She fired a bolt of magic directly at Orthjolf's feet. For a moment, the brutish Nord looked both confused and insulted, that was, until the blast hit the ground, exploding on impact and enveloping the vampire in a blinding light. He began to scream in agony, dropping to the ground and flailing about as though he were on fire, and Valkyrie couldn't help but laugh. It only lasted a moment, though, as the next thing she knew, Orthjolf was back on his feet and fuming.
"Nice trick you've got there," he snarled at her. "Wonder what else you've got up your sleeve?"
"I'm not really sure myself," she said, extending her blade to him. "But I'm dying to find out."
He charged at her once more, armed with only his claws and this time lacking the precision and skill he'd had. Orthjolf was blinded by rage, and Valkyrie used it to her advantage, weaving between his strikes before finally coming back with one of her own, landing a shallow surface cut on his abdomen. The vampire fell to one knee, but quickly rose again, resuming his assault with even greater fury, and also even more recklessness. Valkyrie ducked underneath one of his blows, and came up with her radiating palm, placing it directly around Orthjolf's throat. The sound the vampire made as he struggled sounded anything but human, the magic in Valkyrie's hand burning his flesh and forcing him to drop down to his knees, limp. At last, Valkyrie removed her hand from the vampire's neck, and as the last of his life began to leave him, she decided not to leave it to chance, and promptly drove her blade right through Orthjolf's heart.
He was dead, yet the sounds of battle still rang in Valkyrie's ears. She turned her gaze to the other side of the courtyard, where Isran and the Dunmer vampire were still engaged in battle, seeming to be evenly matched. Until the vampire managed to evade a swing of Isran's hammer, and his claws land a lucky strike to the Redguard's shoulder. The force of the blow knocked Isran down to his back, and the vampire moved in for the kill, but was interrupted when a bolt of sun magic from Valkyrie struck him square in the torso. The monster landed awkwardly on the ground, and before he had time to even attempt to get back up, Valkyrie shot at him again, firing blast after blast directly at his grounded body. Eventually, the vampire's frenzied screams turned to total silence, and Valkyrie repeated the same action as with Orthjolf, driving her sword into his heart.
As she yanked her blade from the vampire's corpse, suddenly she felt winded, out of breath, and dropped down to one knee. She knew why, of course. Serana had warned her about using too much magic at once. "Note to self," she managed to groan, reaching into her magic pouch and pulling out a bright blue vial. "Sun magic... very draining." As the tasteless liquid entered her stomach, she began to feel normal again, and with that, rushed over to help Isran to his feet. The Redguard was bleeding rather heavily from his shoulder, and was struggling to get up.
"That looks rough," Valkyrie said as he finally rose to his full height.
"I've survived worse," Isran responded, only for Valkyrie to roll her eyes, before placing a hand to his injured shoulder, her palm glowing gold, the old man's flesh slowly stitching itself back together. The wound was too severe for Valkyrie's meager healing skills to fix completely, unfortunately, but at least the Redguard wouldn't be terribly bothered by it. Before he could even utter a thank you, the both of them took notice of even more sounds of battle, these ones audible all the way from the front of the castle. "Seems they've started without us," Isran said.
"Then let's hurry," Valkyrie said with a nod. "If I remember correctly, the tower is this way."
While the rest of the Dawnguard contended with the thralls and gargoyles at the base of the bridge, Serana and Fura Bloodmouth battered their claws at one another with a viciousness and ferocity that no mortal could have managed. Serana had to hand it to her opponent. She was quick, strong, agile, and fought with staunch determination. But she was still just a half-breed, and Serana was a pure blood, her power bolstered even further by the Bloodstone Chalice. Fura didn't stand a chance, and somewhere deep down Serana imagined she knew it.
The Breton came at Serana with everything, her claws just barely missing each time as the pure blood effortlessly evaded every last attack. But unlike her brethren, Fura didn't allow frustration to overtake her, remaining as calm and cool-headed as ever. Finally, the two met their claws, pushing back against one another, with Serana holding the clear advantage. Her palms began to radiate with energy yet again, and finally the smaller vampire was forced downward. If she hadn't been so prepared to kill her, Serana would have almost pitied the vampire.
"You know you can't win against me," she said to Fura.
"I don't have to," the Breton snarled back. "I just need to soften you up for Lord Harkon."
"Really?" Serana asked in disbelief. "You're going to throw your life away for him?"
"At this point," Fura continued, still struggling against Serana's superior strength. "It's either die to you, or die to him. I'll take my chances." It was then that the Breton suddenly relented her struggle, using Serana's momentum against her and sending her face first onto the ground. Serana rose back up quickly, only to be met with Fura's claws digging into her stomach. The pain was excruciating, but not enough that Serana was fazed by it. Not with the power of the Chalice in her. She grabbed Fura by the wrists, emitting a savage roar as she ripped the Breton vampire's claws from her body, and promptly rose her feet to plant a kick to Fura's own stomach.
The Breton doubled over, and Serana took the opportunity to grab her by the throat, her claws sinking into Fura's flesh, before lifting her into the air and promptly slamming her back to the ground with a deafening thud. Serana proceeded to raise her fist yet again, bringing it down with as much force as she could manage, again and again, pounding Fura Bloodmouth into the stone. Just when she was almost done, when she was almost sure that the Breton was dead, the gate began to rise. Serana smirked, as it seemed Valkyrie and Isran had been successful after all. She picked Fura up by the scruff of her collar, and placed her limp, nearly lifeless body into one of the rising gate's openings, eventually hearing a satisfying crunch as Fura's body was crushed between the gate and the stone of the castle.
Two ropes then fell against the stone from the top of the wall, and shimmying down them were none other than Valkyrie and Isran, and in that moment Serana was sure she'd never been happier to see anyone. The moment Valkyrie's feet hit the ground, the vampire came up from behind, spun her around, pinned her arms to the wall of the castle, and laid a kiss on her with a passion even Valkyrie was unprepared for.
"Are you kidding me?!" Isran yelled at them, drawing his hammer once more. "We're in the middle of a battle here!"
Serana parted her lips with Valkyrie's just long enough to say "Fuck off, old man," before crashing right back into the Nord's mouth at full force. After the initial light-headedness wore off, the Nord forcefully broke contact, her breathing heavy, and her face a bright shade of pink.
"What's gotten into you?" Valkyrie asked, and received only a mad giggle in return.
"Right," Serana smirked. "Sorry, I got carried away."
"If you two are going to take the fight to Harkon, I'd suggest you do it now," Isran butted in, clearly annoyed. "Some of the other vampires spotted us on our way to the gatehouse, and they're likely to be over the wall any minute."
"That's the best idea you've had all day, Isran," the vampire said, still not taking her gaze away from Valkyrie for a moment. "Go help your men. We'll take care of my father." The moment the old man rushed off to fight the remainder of the horde at the base of the bridge, Serana rushed forward yet again, grinding their hips together and nipping at Valkyrie's neck. "We probably have a minute," she moaned into the Nord's ear. "The things I want to do to you right now,"
Valkyrie couldn't take it. Any more suggestions from Serana and she likely would have given in, so the Nord forcefully moved the vampire away from her. "Serana," she said sternly, finally getting her lover's attention. "I'm not saying no, just... later, alright?"
Serana licked her lips. "I'll hold you to that," she said. "Let's go."
The two burst through the front doors of Castle Volkihar, down the stairs and into the main hall, where no less than five vampires were waiting for them. Weapons were drawn, and the two forces rushed at one another with murderous intent. Valkyrie and Serana were outnumbered, but then what else was new? The Nord found herself contending with the Altmer vampire that had greeted her the first time she'd set foot in the castle. The vampire shot a few blasts of magic Valkyrie's way, each one evaded as she tried to inch her way closer to him.
Her efforts were stopped dead in their tracks when from behind, Valkyrie felt something wrap around her neck, tight enough to cut off her breathing and dragging her backwards. She managed to turn her head just far enough to see yet another Nord vampire, a whip in his hand as he struggled to keep her still. An intense pressure began building in Valkyrie's head, and with no other options, she summoned the sun magic yet again, firing a small bolt towards the Nord. It knocked him back a few feet, his whip releasing Valkyrie's neck, and she instinctively drew a massive breath.
She wasn't done, however, as the Altmer was on her yet again, having drawn a blade of his own. Valkyrie parried his strikes, feeling a strange sense of deja vu, as this vampire seemed to be Orthjolf's equal at the very least. The vampire raised his blade, coming down with a vertical slice, one that Valkyrie managed to dodge at the last possible second, just quickly enough for a strike from the Nord vampire's whip to make contact with the Altmer's face. He howled in pain, stumbling backwards and clasping a palm to his face, giving Valkyrie just enough to time to blast him with another ray of sun magic, sending him flying to the other side of the room.
Valkyrie turned around, just in time to see the Nord readying another strike of his whip, but she was ready. As the weapon came down, Valkyrie managed to catch it, the end of the whip winding around her hand, and she gave a vicious tug, forcing the vampire to stumble forward, which she capitalized on by rushing forward herself, just barely making it in time before the vampire was able to regain his footing, and driving her sword through his gut. In her free hand, the sun magic continued to flow, and she pressed her palms down on the Nord vampire's face. His body twitched violently, until finally, it fell to the floor, limp.
She turned once again, to now focus her attention back to the Altmer, but was taken off guard by a bolt of lightning square to the chest. Valkyrie was knocked back, hitting a wall with great force. Despite the pain, she was grateful for her armor, as something would have definitely been broken if not for it. The Altmer vampire shot another bolt in her direction, and this time Valkyrie managed to roll out of the way, the lightning striking nothing but the stone behind her. She rose to her feet, and retaliated with another bolt of sun magic in the vampire's direction. It was side stepped with relative ease, but exploded on impact with the wall behind him, the force of the blast knocking him down to his stomach. Valkyrie wasted no time firing yet another bolt, this one hitting the Altmer square in the back, forcing a tortured scream from him.
At last, she rushed forward, blade in hand as the vampire struggled to return to his feet. He never got the chance, as Valkyrie quickly spun around, her sword cutting clean through the vampire's neck and removing his head from his shoulders. Her attackers were dead, and Valkyrie looked over just in time to see Serana tossing the corpse of another Nord vampire, this one a female, on top of a Dunmer. Serana still bore that same wild grin, but only for a moment. Suddenly, the pure blood dropped down to one knee, breathing heavily, and Valkyrie rushed to her side.
"Are you alright?" She asked, helping the vampire to her feet.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just... winded," Serana answered in between heavy breaths. "The effects are finally wearing off."
"Effects of what?"
"I drank from the Bloodstone Chalice," the vampire explained, earning a look of confusion from Valkyrie. "Long story. Tell you the details later, but it makes vampires more powerful than normal. It also makes us susceptible to our more... primal sides."
"That explains a lot," Valkyrie jested, earning a laugh from Serana.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," the vampire said, her breathing finally returned to normal.
"No sign of Harkon," the Nord said gravely, looking around the room. "Hold on, there were five vampires waiting for us. I only count four corpses."
"The Bosmer, Ronthil," Serana sneered. "Little runt must have scurried off somewhere." The vampire walked slowly, cautiously to the center of the room, before shouting out to no one in particular. "I know you're here, Ronthil!" She yelled at the walls of the room. "Come out now! Save us the trouble of having to hunt you down and I might spare you!"
After a moment of silence, the sound of creaking doors made itself known from the back of the room, and a Wood Elf vampire timidly stepped into the main hall, his eyes showing nothing but pure terror. Serana wasted no time rushing for him, grabbing the runt by the throat and pinning him against a wall. "Where is he?" She growled at him.
"Lady S-Serana, p-p-lease," the Bosmer stuttered, only for Serana to remove him from the wall and slam him back into it.
"Where is he, Ronthil?!"
The Elf coughed, a spatter of blood emerging from his mouth. "He's... in the chapel."
"Good boy," she said, releasing her grip and letting Ronthil fall to his backside. As Serana started to march towards the end of the main hall with Valkyrie in tow, they heard the Elf's voice squeak out from across the room.
"He's going to kill you," the runt said. "And then he's going to come for your mother."
Serana spun around quickly, moving with blinding speed towards the Elf, digging her claws into his neck. Ronthil gurgled incoherently, falling down to his knees as his body twitched, never breaking eye contact with Serana. At last, the Bosmer's body went limp and she released her grip, letting him fall to the floor. But Serana wasn't done. She proceeded to stomp on the dead vampire's head. She did so again, and again, and again, until his skull was satisfyingly crushed, bits of brain and bone scattered where his head used to be. Finally, Valkyrie put a hand on Serana's shoulder, forcing her away from Ronthil's body.
"That's enough," the Nord said firmly. "He's dead."
The vampire took a deep breath. "Sorry," she said in almost a whisper. Before the two could set off in the direction of the chapel Ronthil had mentioned, the main entrance door of the castle swung open, and down the stairs came none other than Isran, limping and nursing his gut, which appeared to be bleeding heavily. Whatever pain the old man was in, he did a rather convincing job of masking it. But Valkyrie's spine still shivered when she got a look at his wound. "That looks pretty bad."
"To be honest, it is," Isran groaned. "Is he dead?"
"Not yet," Serana said. "But he's the last one still alive. I'd ask if you wanted to join us, but..."
The old man shook his head. "I'm in no condition to fight any further, sadly."
"Is everyone else alright?" Valkyrie asked.
Isran sighed, his brief silence saying all he needed, but the Redguard spoke anyway. "Every last vampire is dead, but... we suffered heavy losses as well."
Valkyrie's stomach dropped. "Who did we lose?" She questioned, her voice becoming quiet.
"Durak, Celann, and Agmaer."
An unspeakable rage grew over the Nord, her fists clenching. She reached into her pouch and, finally at long last, retrieved Auriel's Bow. "He's going to pay for this," she said through gritted teeth. "For the Dawnguard, for my family, for everyone he's ever hurt."
"As much as it pains me to send you after him alone," Isran said. "You two are the only ones who aren't seriously injured or dead."
"I understand," Serana crossed arms. "It's probably for the best this way." The vampire extended a hand forward, which Isran begrudgingly accepted, clasping their forearms together. "Thank you for everything, Isran," she continued. "Head back to the mainland and see to your wounded. We'll take care of my father."
He nodded, before turning around and heading back up the stairs. "Gods guide you," he said.
Valkyrie and Serana made their way to the back end of the main hall, greeted by several flights of stairs leading upward. The fury that had consumed her moments earlier was still there, prevalent as ever, but there was something else making itself known as well. As the two ascended the stairs, Valkyrie couldn't help but feel like something was off. That something in the air felt wrong. As much as she tried to ignore it, the Nord couldn't put it out of her mind. She knew that there was a very real possibility that she wouldn't be walking out of that sinister, infernal place alive.
But Valkyrie didn't care. This was what she had signed up for all those months ago, and if she couldn't kill Harkon, avenged her family and fallen comrades, she was going to cause the bastard as much pain as she possibly could on the way down. At last, the two reached the end of the flight of stairs, facing down another great door that looked rather significant. They stood there for a moment, silent, before Valkyrie felt Serana slip a hand into her own.
"Nervous?" Valkyrie asked.
"To be honest with you," Serana said. "I'm fucking terrified. Not of my father, but... more the fact that he might actually succeed. Block out the sun, destroy all life on Nirn." Valkyrie had no response, instead taking a deep breath and squeezing the vampire's hand tighter. "Listen," Serana spoke again. "This might be our last chance. If you have anything to say, now's the time."
"I love you, Serana," Valkyrie said without hesitation. "And we will make it through this," she began to smirk. "If nothing else because I still owe you that week in a secluded bedroom."
"Easy there, Val," the vampire's tone became rather playful. "Let's kill this bastard first."
The Nord motioned to the door. "After you..."
Chapter 19: Kindred Judgement, Pt. II
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As Valkyrie and Serana stepped through the doors to the chapel, the Nord's stomach couldn't help but turn at the sight of the place. Bones, bloodstains, other forms of human remains littered the floor from one end of the room to the other. The stench of corpses permeated through the air, and directly opposite of the two women stood a great shrine, depicting what Valkyrie could only guess was the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. The stone carving of the demon's face sat above a large bowl, and from the mouth of the statue, a stream of red flowed downward, the bowl now overflowing with what appeared to be blood. And standing right next to the altar, turned away from Valkyrie and Serana, swishing around a goblet in his hand was Lord Harkon himself.
This was it...
Harkon didn't even bother turning around to face them. Instead he opted to take a sip from his glass, which Valkyrie could only guess was even more blood. The vampire lord let out a refreshing ahh, before dropping the goblet to the ground. It shattered on impact with the floor, and Harkon put his hands behind his back, still facing away. "Serana, my darling," he spoke at last. "I see you still favor keeping a pet."
"You know why we're here," Serana growled at him.
"Of course I do," he said, sighing and finally turning to face the both of them. "You disappoint me, Serana. You've taken everything I provided for you and thrown it all away. And for what? For this... pathetic mortal?"
"First of all, she's anything but pathetic," Serana shot back, stealing a glance at Valkyrie, the both of them smiling slightly. "I've seen her do things that would put even you to shame. And secondly," she turned back to Harkon, her expression seamlessly shifting to pure rage. "Provided for me? Are you fucking insane?!" Harkon opened his mouth as though to respond, but Serana held up a finger. "No. Don't answer, because I already know what you're going to say."
"Do you now?" Harkon said while rolling his eyes.
"Yes," she spat. "You're going to say that power takes precedence, and then spend the next half hour going on about how this prophecy is your chance at deification. You destroyed our family over the vague, nonsensical writings of a madman, consequences be damned!"
"It was written in the Elder Scrolls!" Harkon shouted at her.
"No," Serana shook her head. "I met the one who wrote your precious prophecy. A Snow Elf priest, much, much older than either of us, who thought he could use a vampire's blood to corrupt Auriel's Bow," she tilted her head towards Valkyrie, now showing a slight smirk. "And we killed him."
"You're lying!"
"No I'm not," she said calmly. "And I'm not lying when I tell you that you've single handedly pushed away everyone who might have ever cared about you, and it was all for nothing."
"Serana," Harkon spoke through gritted teeth. "I am your father, and you-"
"I don't have a father," she cut him off. "You are dead to me," with this Serana's palms began to radiate with a crimson aura, her rage seemingly about to boil over, but yet she stayed by Valkyrie's side, as though waiting for Harkon to make the first move. The elder vampire did not attack, much to their surprise, instead simply shaking his head in what appeared to be disappointment.
"I see this dragon has fangs," Harkon said, placing a hand to his chin. "Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How very alike you've become."
"No," Serana said. "Because unlike her, I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."
The elder vampire's jaw twitched, a far cry from the calm, collected demeanor he had posed when the two women first entered his chapel. In truth, every moment Serana insisted on talking to her father just made Valkyrie's arrow finger itch. She wanted this monster to die, and even Serana was beginning to test her patience, although she neglected to show it. So it was only fitting that Harkon then turned to her. "And you," he said, taking a few small steps toward the two.
"I have nothing to say to you, you bastard," Valkyrie spat at him. "Other than that I'm going to enjoy killing you."
"So very angry," Harkon was attempting to keep his cool, but it was painfully obvious that any moment his fury would get the better of him, and so Valkyrie slowly brought a hand to the blade on her hip. "I wonder what I could have possibly done to warrant such hatred?" He continued. "Perhaps it's because I slaughtered your pathetic father and took his head as a trophy?"
Valkyrie's eyes grew wide with shock. "So you do remember me."
"Of course I do," he continued to talk down to her. "I knew who you were the moment you set foot in my keep all those months ago. The only difference is that now I can see the grave error in judgement I made by sparing your miserable life." He briefly turned his glance back to Serana, a look of nothing but disdain and contempt in his eyes. "Well congratulations, mortal," he continued. "You achieved the ultimate vengeance. I took away your family, and so you have taken away mine. It appears I have you to thank for turning my daughter against me."
It was then that Valkyrie did something no one in the room would have ever expected. She began to laugh. Her cackles only served to enrage Harkon even further, and bore a look of confusion from Serana, but yet no one side attacked the other. "Wow," the Nord said as she finished laughing. "You really are every bit as delusional as Valerica said you were." One of Harkon's eyes twitched. "You can try and blame this on me all you want, but the truth is, you brought all of this on yourself when you chose that prophecy over your family. You were going to kill your own daughter for it!"
"A small price to pay for the betterment of our kind," he turned his nose up at her.
"Your kind is a blight on this world," Valkyrie growled at him.
"Yes, yes. Always the noble vampire hunter," Harkon sighed. "So what will happen once you've slain me? Is Valerica next? Or Serana?"
The Nord shook her head. "I could never hurt Serana any more than you or Valerica already have. I love her."
This got Harkon's attention. His calm facade was already shaky, but now his rage was on full display, eyes wild and furious, fists clenched so hard his own claws began to dig into his palms and draw blood. "Then my daughter is truly lost to me," he said gravely. "She died the moment she allowed a mortal into her life."
"You lost her a long time ago," Valkyrie shot back, at last drawing her blade. "I've had enough of this."
"Quite. I grow tired of talking to you and my traitorous daughter," he said. "Luckily for you, I'm in a generous mood. I'll give you a single chance to turn over the bow to me. Do so and I will make your death as quick and painless as I can."
"You want this?" She smirked, motioning to Auriel's Bow, still resting in its harness. "You're going to have to take it from me."
"Very well then!" Harkon shouted, drawing the blade at his hip. "Let's see if you're as extraordinary as Serana says you are!"
Harkon lunged forward, swinging his sword wildly in the direction of Valkyrie's neck, which the Nord managed to block at the last moment. But Harkon, it seemed, was much stronger than his minions, the force of the blow alone knocked her off her feet and sent her reeling. Valkyrie quickly returned to her feet, Harkon rushing for her yet again, but this time the vampire lord was tackled to the ground by Serana, her claws sinking into his midsection. Harkon struggled for a moment, before getting a foot free and sending Serana flying off him with a vicious kick.
The lord vampire returned to his feet in an instant, now charging for his daughter, but Serana was ready for him. As Harkon swung his blade downward, Serana threw her hands up, a wall of crimson energy blocking her father's blow. The two struggled for a moment before Serana retaliated with a kick of her own, delivered right to her father's unmentionables. Harkon immediately buckled, and Serana pounced, her hands brimming with magic as she clawed away at his face. She managed to land a few blows before her father retaliated with a magical blow of his own, delivered right to Serana's midsection, which sent her back, still standing, her feet scraping across the floor.
Before Harkon could capitalize, a bolt of sun magic from Valkyrie struck him in the side. This made the vampire lord howl with pain, but failed to slow him down at all. Harkon extended his blade, the blood magic in his palms now extending to his weapon as he charged for the Nord, who met his sword with her own. The two went back and forth for a moment, steel meeting steel with Harkon clearly having the upper hand, he began to force Valkyrie back until she was against a wall. Finally, the vampire lord struck horizontally, which Valkyrie managed to duck under at just the last moment, his blade leaving an indent on the stone.
The Nord rolled out of Harkon's way, being rejoined by Serana, who fired a few bolts of blood magic, each one deflected with her father's sword. For a moment, there was a standstill, as Harkon moved away from the wall, being circled by Valkyrie and Serana, each one waiting for the other to make a move. It was Serana who finally broke, bringing her hands together, one radiating with blood magic, the other with lightning, firing a bolt of magic and striking her father square in the chest with it. The impact forced Harkon back, and before he could retaliate, Valkyrie rushed forward, running her blade right through the vampire lord's abdomen.
Harkon screamed. It was then Valkyrie knew she had won. She twisted the blade, causing more howls of agony from the vampire lord. But then, much to her dismay, he grabbed Valkyrie's wrist, and promptly ripped the blade from his stomach with enough force to send the Nord stumbling back. As he nursed his wound, Harkon let out what could have almost been described as a snarl.
"I believe I've had enough of this little game," he said.
His body began to radiate with magic, and within moments, Harkon's body began to twist and distort, his limbs stretching, his skin turning to a sickly gray. He had shifted into his bestial form, and suddenly Valkyrie wasn't quite so sure she had won. Harkon moved quickly, almost too quickly for the eye to see, battering Serana with a few blows from magic radiated hands. The younger vampire couldn't react fast enough to block or dodge her father's attacks, her body was slung back and forth with each blow, only stopping when Valkyrie swung her blade, managing to land a small cut on Harkon's midsection.
It was almost as if the vampire lord didn't even register the Nord's attack, but he quickly turned his attention to her, wrapping his grotesque and misshapen hands around her head, and rushing away, her body colliding with a stone wall. Valkyrie fell to the floor, dazed, and Harkon reeled back for another attack, but was cut off by another bolt of magic from Serana. In the split second he was distracted, the Nord rose up, her own palm now radiating with sun magic. The moment she placed her palm to Harkon's chest, the vampire lord backed away, roaring in pain. Naturally, Valkyrie continued to fire sun magic at Harkon, her assault joined moments later by Serana's blood magic.
The two continued to push Harkon back until he was backed against the shrine to Molag Bal. The vampire lord fell to one knee, breathing heavily, and Valkyrie began to think that perhaps the both of them may actually win this fight. Harkon looked up at them from across the room, his face bearing an expression of pure disgust. "Is that... the best you can do?" He asked in between breaths.
"Let's find out," Valkyrie said as she at last drew Auriel's Bow. Harkon managed to make it back to his feet, outstretching his arms as if daring the Nord to shoot him. Valkyrie was only too happy to oblige. She drew a Sunhallowed Arrow from her quiver, drew the bowstring back, and let it fly right at Harkon's chest.
The arrow exploded on impact, a brilliant wave of sun magic emitting from its remains. The force knocked Harkon back to the ground, and forced a shriek of pain from him. So naturally, Valkyrie fired another. As it exploded, letting out another wave of sun magic, the vampire lord screamed again, and his body began to twitch. He attempted to raise his hand to them, now brimming with blood magic, some last ditch effort to defend himself. Valkyrie responded by loosing yet another arrow, this one going right through the vampire lord's hand.
Valkyrie reached back into her quiver, noting she only had three arrows left. Not that she needed anymore, as it seemed Harkon was on death's door as it was. She drew the arrow into the bowstring, but something happened before she fired. The shrine next to Harkon began to radiate with blood magic. It began to spread across the floor, enveloping Harkon and forming a barrier between the vampire lord and the two women.
"What's happening?" Valkyrie asked.
"I would use the bow again, quickly," Serana said, clearly worried.
"Lord Molag Bal," Harkon's voice sounded out as he rose from the ground. "Grant me the strength to destroy my enemies, to shroud the world in darkness in your name!"
Valkyrie wasted no more time, quickly firing an arrow at the barrier between them and Harkon. Another blinding flash of light permeated on impact, leaving behind an absence of a barrier, but the shrine still continued to radiate magic, and it was seemingly healing Harkon's wounds. "Well," Valkyrie said to no one in particular. "That's no good at all."
"Are you going to fire again or not?!" Serana asked.
"I only have two arrows left, Serana," Valkyrie said, returning Auriel's Bow to its harness, suddenly smirking. "I've got an idea. Take cover."
The vampire did as she was told, quickly moving behind a pillar, and Valkyrie took a deep breath, staring Harkon down, her mind drifting back to the balcony in the Forgotten Vale. To one of Vyrthur's little tricks that had almost been the end of her. The Nord focused, her entire body beginning to radiate with sun magic. This is it, she thought to herself. All or nothing. With every last ounce of energy the Nord had left, from her palms emitted a beam of pure sun magic, fired directly at Harkon. The room itself began to shake as it enveloped the vampire lord's body, forcing even more inhuman screams from him.
Valkyrie found herself exhausted quickly, but kept pushing forward, intent on killing the beast here once and for all. As she kept battering Harkon with magic, the roof of the chapel began to crumble, slowly at first, but then an entire section came crashing down onto the vampire lord, burying him in rubble and debris. At last, Valkyrie relented, her breathing deep and heavy, vision slightly blurry, exhausted beyond belief. She promptly collapsed to the ground, and Serana quickly rushed over to check on her.
"Are you okay?" Serana asked.
"I..." The Nord barely even had the strength to speak. "Can't move."
"You used up too much magicka too quickly," the vampire said. "It'll pass. You just need to rest."
"Did I... kill him?"
The vampire helped Valkyrie to her feet, throwing one of the Nord's arms around her shoulder. They both took a look at the massive pile of debris that had buried Harkon, confident that he was finally dead, until they noticed one small detail. The shrine was still radiating magic. "Shit," Serana said lowly.
"Serana..." Valkyrie struggled to talk. "Is he dead?"
"I don't think he is," the vampire said, clearly worried. "If not for the shrine, you almost certainly would have killed him, but-" she stopped short. "The shrine. We have to get him away from the shrine. Come on." With that, the both of the proceeded to hobble their way out of the chapel, down the flight of stairs in a desperate escape attempt.
Serana dragged Valkyrie's limp body through the main hall of Castle Volkihar, hoping to reach the outside before Harkon was able to dig his way out of the rubble. This proved a futile hope, as the doors of the chapel swung open above them moments later, and Harkon let out a menacing roar. Serana continued to move as fast as she possibly could, but her father reached the both of them almost disparagingly quickly. The vampire lord grabbed Serana by the back of the neck, lifting her into the air as she struggled to get free.
"Where do you think you're going?" He said, mocking their efforts to escape. Harkon tossed Serana aside, her body crashing into a nearby wall, and Valkyrie attempted to crawl away. But the vampire lord had her before she had made it an inch. He reached for Auriel's Bow, still lying on Valkyrie's harness, but a bolt of magic collided with his body a split second too soon, knocking him to the ground. Serana was back up, now having shifted into her own bestial form, her body brimming with magic.
"No," she said as the two began to circle one another. "You will not touch her."
The two pounced at one another, their bodies colliding in a vicious and animalistic swarm of claws and fangs. They plummeted to the ground, Serana on top as she slammed her father into the marble floor, only for Harkon to shift his weight and maneuver himself out of her grip, throwing her at the closest wall. But Serana reacted quickly, her feet hitting the stone wall and propelling her back, tackling her father once more, claws swiping wildly. She managed to get a few good hits in before Harkon was finally able to shove her off, and the vampire lord returned to his feet, still as energized as ever.
Serana's body began brimming with magic once again, and in turn so did Harkon's. Their bodies began to float in the air, and after a moment of staring one another down, both vampires charged forward again, their collision this time emitting an explosion of magic that sent both of them flying in the opposite direction. Both of them almost immediately returned to their feet, but surprisingly, Serana was just a hair quicker, and was on her father yet again, continuing her relentless assault. After a moment, Harkon attempted to retaliate, rushing his own claw forward, but Serana managed to side step him, spinning around to her father's back and promptly sinking her fangs into the arm.
Harkon shrieked in pain, sounds that only escalated when Serana then plunged a hand full of claws into the same arm on the opposite side. Then she began to pull. The sickening sound of tendons, muscle, and bone being removed from one another were just barely audible over Harkon's screams of agony, moments later Serana had successfully ripped the vampire lord's arm from his shoulder, and she then proceeded to flail the appendage at him, the impact knocking Harkon back just a bit. She did it again, and this time the vampire lord lost his balance and fell to one knee. Serana responded by bringing her own knee directly into her father's nose.
As Harkon was knocked onto his back, Serana pounced once more, her closed fists colliding with his body again, and again, and again as she pummeled him into the floor. After some time, when her hands were sufficiently bloodied and her stamina almost at an end, Serana finally spoke. "It's over, father."
Harkon was silent for a moment, before letting out a villainous laugh. "Not yet," he said, his remaining palm began to radiate yet again, this time with a blue aura instead of its usual crimson. His magic collided with Serana's body and sent her flying. The frightening thing was that she had shifted back to her human form by the time she crashed into the wall and came to rest right beside Valkyrie, still unable to flee.
Serana's face bore a look of pure horror. "How...?" She asked, stumbling to her feet.
"Oh, Serana," Harkon cackled as he rose up from the floor. "I had centuries to hone my abilities while you were locked in that little box. You put up a good fight, to be certain." The vampire lord began to groan, and of a sudden, a new arm sprouted from the bleeding stump Serana had made. He began to walk towards them, and Serana prepared to defend herself, although it would most likely be futile. "But for all your skills, you are still just a little girl with so much left to learn," Harkon continued. "I only wish your mother were here to join the fun."
"Did someone call on me?"
Another voice seemed to sound out from all directions, this one decidedly more feminine than Harkon's, and in a split second, another bestial vampire lord stood between Harkon and the two women. Its hand permeated with blood magic, and quickly struck a blow to Harkon while he was unawares, sending him flying back to the other end of the hall, crashing into the table and throne where he once sat. The unknown vampire lord looked back at Valkyrie and Serana, offering what almost could have been considered a smirk on its twisted features.
"Mother?!" Serana exclaimed, unable to believe it. "How are you even-"
"Let's just call it a mother's intuition," Valerica said as she turned back to Harkon, who had now risen back to his feet.
"Ah, Valerica," Harkon said with a tone that could have almost could have been described as joyful. "It's been far too long, but at last, our family is back together."
Valerica offered only a monstrous growl in response. "Girls," she said, taking a slow step towards Harkon. "I think you should wait outside. I need to have a word with my husband."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Serana said, helping Valkyrie to her feet as the two hobbled up the stairs. The moment they were out of reach, the sounds of Harkon and Valerica doing battle made themselves quite prominently known, even after the Nord and her vampire had made it out of the castle.
The two fled from the castle, the sounds of two vampire lords viciously and enthusiastically trying to tear one another limb from limb behind them. Serana still supporting Valkyrie, who could barely walk, they moved at an agonizingly slow pace from the castle doors to the edge of the island. As grateful as Valkyrie was for Valerica's assistance, the Nord still wasn't quite sure the fight was won.
"Do you..." Valkyrie struggled to speak. "Do you think she's got this?"
"I don't know," Serana answered gravely. "Probably not, but... I'm hoping she can hold him off long enough for me to regain my strength."
"Wait," the Nord said. "You're going back in there?"
The vampire said nothing, gently letting Valkyrie down to the ground as they reached the edge of the island. With a hefty sigh, Serana turned around and started back to the castle, only to be stopped as Valkyrie summoned what little strength she had, reaching out and grabbing the vampire's ankle. "Serana," Valkyrie said, pleading. "Don't do this. If you die in there-"
"If we don't stop him here and now, we're all going to die anyway," Serana said sternly. She jerked her leg away from Valkyrie's grasp. "I love you," was all Serana had time to say before a thunderous crash came from the castle's main doors. The body of a vampire lord, flying through the air like a rag doll, before crash landing right at Serana's feet. The body wheezed, whimpered in agony, still alive, yet was covered in blood, its features mangled so much that Serana couldn't even tell which of her parents it was. That was, until the body began to revert. Its limbs shrank, its sickly gray skin changing to a pale human's. It's body... Valerica's... broken.
"Mother," Serana's voice barely managed a whisper. Valkyrie had been right it seemed, Valerica hadn't been strong enough to defeat Harkon on her own. Tears began to well in Serana's eyes, just in time for her father to burst through the castle doors. Still in his bestial form, Harkon let out an audible groan, clearly in great pain from the light of the sun. He was limping, bleeding heavily from several spots on his body, a small comfort that he had not emerged from his battle with Valerica unscathed. But Serana didn't care. Rage began to consume her as she took one final look at her mother, barely alive, before charging at Harkon.
"You fucking bastard!" She screamed at him. "I'll kill you!" She pounced, ready to claw his head off with her bare hands, but just before she reached him, Harkon stuck out his own hand, this time with a strange green aura radiating in his palm. His attack knocked Serana out of the air, sending her flying back to where Valkyrie and Valerica lay. Valkyrie was horrified, as Serana was completely, unnaturally still when she landed, her face still bore the expression of pure rage.
"No," Harkon said darkly as he continued to inch his way forward. "You won't."
Valkyrie tried to crawl forward, but her body simply wasn't responding to her commands. "Serana!" She called out, but received no answer. It was then she realized that Harkon was heading straight for her. The Nord felt a terror then almost incomparable to anything she'd ever experienced. Her limbs began to move, finally, although they did so entirely too slow. She reached for Auriel's Bow, and threw it as far as she could muster, the weapon landing some feet away, just barely out of reach of the tides. She then tried to crawl away, just barely moving a few inches before Harkon reached her. The vampire lord kicked her out of the way, and the Nord was sent rolling. The force of the blow almost had almost definitely broken a rib or three, but Valkyrie simply didn't have the strength left to cry out in pain.
She was left to simply watch helplessly as Harkon stopped, standing over Valerica, before grabbing her by the back of the neck and lifting her limp, nearly lifeless body to his own height. Harkon extended the claws on his free hand, before plunging the right into his wife's stomach, forcing a primal, inhuman scream from her. Harkon twisted his claws for a moment, clearly reveling in Valerica's suffering, before finally letting her go, her body dropping to the ground and his hand dripping with her blood. He then made a beeline for Auriel's Bow.
Valkyrie could not move. The last of her strength had left her, and so she lay motionless as Harkon retrieved Auriel's Bow from the banks of the island, then turned his focus to her. Within moments, the vampire lord reached her, and he reached into her quiver, pulling out the penultimate Sunhallowed Arrow, which he greased in his palm with Valerica's blood. For the slightest of moments, Harkon simply stood there, staring at the bow and arrow, his face showing no expression. Finally, he backed away from Valkyrie, readying his aim straight for the sun. As he pulled back on the bowstring, Valkyrie managed to utter a feeble "No," before the vampire lord let his arrow fly.
For a moment, nothing happened. For a split moment, Valkyrie had hope, that the prophecy had been nothing but the insane writings of a madman with no real consequences. Then the sky grew dark. Its normal blue shade shifted to a dark crimson in a matter of moments. Valkyrie managed to turn her head to look up at the sun, and in its place she saw only a black void. Unable to move, unable to fight any further, tears began to stream down her face. She had failed.
After a brief silence, Harkon began to laugh. Not a maniacal, evil cackle like one may have expected from him, but a soft, rather amused chuckle. "I have done it," he said softly, still staring at the empty void where the sun once was. "So many centuries of waiting, and now..." He paused, taking in a deep breath. "It is beautiful."
Harkon let go of Auriel's Bow, letting it drop to the ground as he made his way back to Valkyrie, his strength seemingly renewed from the absence of the sun. The vampire lord grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, lifting her limp body in the air with a single arm. Harkon cocked his head to the side, letting out another quiet, dark laugh. He raised his free hand, a golden aura beginning to radiate from the tip of his finger, and he gave Valkyrie a quick poke to the forehead. Immediately, a small bit of her strength returned to her. Not enough for her to continue fighting back, but just enough that she was at last able to release a cry of agony from her broken body.
"I feel I should thank you," Harkon said. "Had you not been stupid enough to bring Auriel's Bow here, I may never have been able to bring the prophecy to fruition." Valkyrie said nothing, only glaring back at him with utter hatred, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I'm almost in a good enough mood to grant you that quick death I promised earlier, but..." He turned back to look at Serana. "My wife has very little life left in her. And my daughter must be punished for her insubordination. Right now, I can think of no better punishment." He extended the claws in his free hand. "She will watch you suffer. And then both of you will die. So," he continued as he readied his claws. "Any last words, mortal?"
Valkyrie mumbled something, but it was far too quiet and slurred to be comprehensible.
"What was that?" Harkon asked.
"Du...ir"
"Damn it, girl, speak!" The vampire lord demanded.
At last, Valkyrie took a deep breath, and with every last ounce of strength she had in her lungs, Shouted out...
"DUR NEH VIIR!"
A blinding violet hue appeared from thin air just behind Harkon. He dropped Valkyrie to the ground, who managed to crawl some feet away before the energy faded, leaving in its presence none other than Durnehviir, the dragon she had bested in the Soul Cairn, and who had promised to come to her aid when she called his name. The great beast dwarfed Harkon, who stood motionless, horrified. The dragon looked around quickly, seeing Valkyrie injured, Serana paralyzed, and Valerica on death's door. Durnehviir then looked straight at Harkon, and uttered a monstrous growl.
"What in Oblivi-"
"YOL TOOR SHUL!"
No sooner had Durnehviir finished speaking in his own strange language, did a wall of fire erupt from his maw, enveloping Harkon, leaving nothing but his audible screams of agony. When the flames finally relented, their absence revealed Harkon's body, charred from head to toe, but somehow still alive. Durnehviir turned his head to Valkyrie.
"Drem Yol Lok, greetings, Qahnaahrin," the dragon said as he bowed. "You appear to be in dire straits."
"You could say that," Valkyrie managed to sputter out, still unable to return to her feet.
"Allow me to assist," Durnehviir said, raising his head upward. "LAAS SLEN HAAS."
At a sudden, the pain from Valkyrie's injuries seemed to dissipate. She stumbled to her feet, moments later noticing Serana and Valerica doing the same. As relieved as the Nord was that her lover and ally were alright, Valkyrie knew it wasn't over. She walked, as quickly as her tired body would carry her, to Auriel's Bow, still resting on the ground where Harkon had dropped it. Silently praying that this would work, she retrieved the bow, as well as the final arrow in her quiver. "If I were you," she said to Serana and Valerica. "I would take cover, just in case."
The two vampires did so with no argument, as Durnehviir welcomed them under the shelter of his massive wings. Valkyrie promptly took aim the black void in the sky, and finally loosed her arrow. As it had been earlier, for a moment, nothing happened. In the back of her mind, the Nord worried that the process was irreversible, that Harkon had won despite being defeated.
The ground beneath them began to shake. So violently, in fact, the Valkyrie lost her balance and fell to the ground. Even Durnehviir seemed concerned, though the beast didn't show it. It was then that the sky almost immediately shifted from its crimson hue to a blinding white, forcing Valkyrie to turn away and shield her eyes. After a moment, the ground stopped shaking, and when Valkyrie turned to look again, the sky was its ordinary shade of blue, the sun shining as brightly as ever. Valkyrie rose to her feet, tears beginning to well once more, although these were for a different reason.
"We did it," was all Valkyrie managed to get out before Serana crashed into her, gripping her in an almost suffocating embrace.
"Yes we did," Serana replied before planting her lips onto the Nord's, an act that likely would have gone on for some time had Valerica not interrupted.
"I don't mean to ruin your fun, but..." the elder vampire said, turning back to what was left of Harkon. Despite his entire body being nearly burned beyond recognition, the vampire lord still lived. He had managed to turn his body to face the three of them, his breathing heavy, audible, and labored. Had the monster been anyone else, Valkyrie may have even pitied him. But she knew it was time to end it, right then and there.
Valkyrie turned to the other two vampires. "Are you both okay?"
Serana and Valerica nodded at one another. "Yes," Valerica replied as she drew her blade from her hip. "This has been a long time coming."
The Nord nodded as she drew her own sword. Serana, with no weapon of her own, marched forward, taking Harkon's sword from his hip, somehow still undamaged from Durnehviir's fire.
"Serana..." Harkon managed to speak, his voice feeble. "Your own father..."
"I don't have a father," she spat at him.
With that, the three women plunged their blades into Harkon's chest in perfect unison. The vampire lord let out an inhuman roar, his dying gasp, as his entire body went limp, and after a few short moments, disintegrated into a blood red ash.
It was done. The beast was dead, Valkyrie's family had finally been avenged. The Nord wasn't sure what she expected to feel. Satisfaction wasn't quite the right word, although she was more than glad her journey was at an end. She looked over to Serana, who hadn't taken her eyes off the smoldering pile of ash that was once her father. The Nord reached out, putting a hand on Serana's shoulder, a gesture immediately returned as the vampire rushed forward, throwing her arms around Valkyrie's neck. "Thank you," she whispered into Valkyrie's ear, before pulling away.
The Nord beamed back at her vampire, before turning to Durnehviir. "And thank you," she said to the dragon, who responded with a bow. "Sorry I had to call you here just to fight a vampire."
Durnehviir laughed. "There is no need to apologize, Qahnaahrin," his voice boomed. "You have allowed me to taste the free air of Tamriel for the first time in centuries. For that, I am eternally in your debt."
"In that case," Valkyrie said. "Maybe you could answer a question or two for me..."
"If I can, I will..."
"When you spoke in that... that strange language," the Nord questioned. "You somehow managed to heal all three of us. What was that? Some kind of magic?"
Durnehviir titled his head, as though he were confused. "You do not know of the Thu'um? And yet you used it yourself when you called me here?"
"What are you talking about?" Valkyrie asked. "All I did was call your name, like you asked me to in the Soul Cairn."
"Strange," the dragon said in a curious tone. "The Thu'um, or The Voice in your tongue. An inborn nature of the dovah, of dragons. It is rare that a joor, a mortal possesses such easy mastery."
"I don't-" Valkyrie struggled to find the proper words. "What is the Thu'um, exactly?"
"I am afraid there is no short answer for that, Qahnaahrin,"Durnehviir said. "Though it would bring me joy to answer your questions, my time grows short. I will soon be forced to return to the dreaded Soul Cairn, else I will surely perish."
"Oh, come on!" Valkyrie threw her hands up in frustration. Every single time, just when it seemed that answers were right in front of her, they were ripped away, and in their absence only left her more confused than ever.
"Forgive me, Qahnaahrin," the dragon dipped its head. "Were only I permitted a bit more time,"
The Nord sighed, resting a hand on the beast's maw. "It's alright," she said. "Thank you for everything. Maybe once your strength is back, I'll have reason to call you again."
"Nothing would delight me more," Durnehviir said happily, as the dragon backed away from the three women, beginning to flap his wings and rise into the air. "Farewell, Qahnaahrin! I hope we will meet again under more... agreeable environs."
The dragon let out a roar as he rose ever higher into the air, circling the remains of Castle Volkihar. It was a wondrous sight, Valkyrie thought, to see this majestic creature thought extinct for centuries, now soaring through the air in a fit of joy. In her wonder, only one thought managed to poke its way through Valkyrie's mind. "How are we going to explain this to the Dawnguard?"
Serana put an arm around the Nord's waist. "I say we wing it," the vampire said. "Speaking of which, we should probably get back and check on whoever's left." She turned back to her mother. "Are you going to come with us?"
Valerica scoffed. "To your little band of vampire hunters?"
"You helped us slay Harkon," Valkyrie said. "If any of them have a problem, they can take it up with me."
The elder vampire began to say something, but was cut off as the ground began to shake once more, with every bit of violence and fervor as it had before. As the three fell to the ground, a great booming voice sounded out, seeming as though it came directly from the sky...
"DO VAH KIIN!"
The moment the voice ceased to speak, the shaking of the ground stopped. There was an uncomfortably lengthy silence that occurred as Valkyrie, Serana, and Valerica simply took turns staring at one another, unable to make sense of what had just happened. "What was that?" Valkyrie finally spoke.
"I haven't the faintest idea," Valerica said back, shaking her head. "But perhaps one of your friends might."
Valkyrie simply shrugged, and the three of them made a beeline for the last boat left on the island.
"What in Oblivion just happened?!"
This had been about the line of questioning Valkyrie had expected from Isran upon her return. She offered no answer as she, Serana, and Valerica stepped off the boat. As they walked towards the remainder of the Dawnguard, the old man continued his questions. "First the sky goes dark, then a fucking dragon appears on the island, then all of a sudden everything is alright again! And top that off," he pointed off into the distance. "Now the Greybeards are apparently summoning you?!"
"First off," Valkyrie shot back. "I don't even know who the Greybeards are. Secondly, all you need to know is that Harkon is dead." She stepped slightly closer to Isran. "Which means you and I are done."
"Indeed," Valerica said from behind Valkyrie. "All of Skyrim owes your little band of killers a debt of gratitude. Even if we did most of the work."
Upon glimpsing at the elder vampire, Isran's face twisted in a way that Valkyrie almost thought unnatural. "There's another one?!" He screamed. "How many more vampires do you plan to consort with before the day is done?!"
"She's Serana's mother," Valkyrie said. "And if not for her help, the sun would still be blackened out."
"Of course," the Redguard growled, stepping back and drawing his warhammer. "I see now that the battle is not quite over."
The Nord's teeth gritted as she drew her own blade. "Are we really doing this, Isran? This is what you want?"
"What I want is for Skyrim to be free of this vampire menace!" He snapped back at her. "But I can see that won't happen with you protecting them."
Suddenly, much to everyone's surprise, Valerica stepped in front of Valkyrie. "You have exactly five seconds to drop that hammer before I liquefy your insides," she said to Isran, whose grip only tightened. "Harkon is dead. It's over," she continued. "I can promise that you do not want me as an enemy." The Redguard responded the only way he knew how. By blindly charging at Valerica, hammer already in mid-swing. The elder vampire dodged the injured man's attack with ease, ducking underneath, and slipping around to his back in one fluid motion. Valerica then leaped into the air, bringing a foot down to the back of Isran's head, before forcing it, along with the rest of his body, to the ground rather viciously.
The old man's body was motionless, and Valkyrie was almost afraid to ask. "Is he..."
"He'll live," Valerica remarked. "Though he may have trouble eating solid food for the next decade." The elder vampire then turned to the Dawnguard, all of whom had simply watched the ordeal play out with relative indifference. "Does anyone else have a problem?" Valerica asked, to which no one gave an answer. The vampire smirked. "Excellent."
"Are the rest of you alright?" Valkyrie turned to the few Dawnguard members that remained. As she saw, only Gunmar, Sorine, Florentius, and the Bosmer who's name she never learned were still there. She could only imagine the rest had left after returning to the shore. Sorine was the only one to speak. "Physically, we'll all be fine. But..." her head dipped down. "We're just taking some time to mourn those who fell, I suppose."
"I understand," the Nord said. "Thank you all for everything you've done. It was a privilege to fight alongside you."
"You as well, Valkyrie," the Breton nodded. "Good luck, wherever your path takes you from here."
"I..." Valkyrie stuttered. "I don't mean to overstay my welcome, but... before I go," she continued. "Do any of you know anything about these Greybeards?"
Now it was the big brute Gunmar's turn to speak. "You're a Nord," he said. "How can you not know about the Greybeards? About your own culture?"
"I might be a Nord, but I was raised by Orcs," Valkyrie answered with a shrug. "What can you tell me?"
The big man looked off into the distance, to the range of mountains that spread across Skyrim's northern shore. "Depends on who you ask," he said. "Some revere them as the last true followers of the ancient Nordic ways. Others think they're just a bunch of crazy old hermits. But the one thing that all agree on is that the Greybeards are said to be masters of the Way of the Voice."
"The Voice," Valkyrie said. "That... um, dragon mentioned something about it."
"I'm not even going to ask," Gunmar shook his head.
"And you think these Greybeards are summoning me?"
"That's what Isran thought," the older Nord shrugged. "If so, I'd suggest you go see them. They live alone at the top of The Throat Of The World."
Valkyrie racked her mind for a moment. "That's the mountain near Ivarstead, right?"
"That's the one," he nodded. "I've heard stories. They have a monastery built at the peak. No one's allowed inside, but every few decades, the Greybeards choose someone that they train to join their ranks. It's a great honor."
As was tradition at that point, Valkyrie had no clue what to make of these new revelations. She simply shook her head, thanked Gunmar for the information, and promptly walked off in the opposite direction with Serana and Valerica in tow, her mind racing. All her questions about who she truly was, the ones that had begun all those months ago during her encounter with Hermaeus Mora. Every time one of them was answered, a dozen more were raised in its place. The Nord found it incredibly frustrating, only able to snap out of her anger and confusion when Serana placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" The vampire asked.
"I guess," Valkyrie shook her head. "I'm just... I don't know."
"Take your time," Serana said softly. "What's wrong?"
The Nord sighed. "Ever since we started... this," she gestured to nothing in particular. "People... not even just people, but Daedric Princes, dragons, members of an extinct race," she dipped her head down. "They've all kept telling me that I'm meant for bigger things, that I have some kind of destiny I'm supposed to fulfill. I thought it would end once we killed Harkon, but..." she motioned off into the distance. "Now I'm being summoned by these Greybeards that I know nothing about, and it feels like I'm just getting started." She knelt down, taking a seat on the ground, and Serana quickly followed suit. Much to their surprise, even Valerica joined them. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, or what's expected of me," Valkyrie continued. "Look at what happened with Vyrthur, and then again with Harkon, how many times I've barely scraped through with my life. I feel like..." She paused. "I feel like eventually my destiny is going to throw something at me that I don't walk away from." At last, she turned to face Serana. "I guess... I'm scared."
"Look at me," Serana said with no hesitation, raising her hand to caress the Nord's face. "You just saved the gods damned world, Valkyrie."
"I had help," Valkyrie said.
"And?" The vampire questioned. "Just because you have this destiny, doesn't mean you have to go it alone." Serana smiled, which only forced one from the Nord in return. "You are so much more amazing than you give yourself credit for, Val. You can do anything. And you know I'm going to be there with you through it all. Wherever this takes us."
In the span of a few moments, the weight that lay on Valkyrie's shoulders lifted, and all she could focus on was her vampire. The one who, with a few simple words, had made her forget about her foreboding troubles. "Thanks," the Nord said with a smile, and the two rose to their feet. "I don't think I ever thanked you properly, either," she turned to Valerica.
"No need," the elder vampire replied. "As I said, this was a long time coming."
"What are you going to do now?"
"Well, for starters," Valerica looked back into the distance, to the looming shadow of Castle Volkihar. "I think it's high time I get back to my work as an alchemist. Having access to the Soul Cairn will give me a unique opportunity to continue my studies." She turned back to the two. "I... assume you'll both continue to travel together for the foreseeable future?"
"Yes," Serana said. "I'm sorry I can't stay, I know it's been centuries since we've seen each other, but..."
"It's alright, Serana," Valerica smiled at her. "I've held too tight a grip on you for too long. It's time I allowed to be your own woman. You're both welcome back at the castle at any time of course, but... I do have one more question." This time she faced Valkyrie directly. "What are you going to do with Auriel's Bow?"
Valkyrie didn't even need to think. She had been mulling this over since the three of them had left the island. "I know exactly what I'm going to do," she said, removing the bow from its harness. "Both of you had best stand back." Serana and Valerica complied, although the both of them appeared quite confused. They didn't even have time to ask what the Nord was doing before Valkyrie held out the bow in front of her, one hand on each end, and promptly snapped the weapon in two over her knee.
There was a blinding flash of light. Quite literally blinding, in fact, as for a moment, Valkyrie saw absolutely nothing, the force knocking her down to the ground. Thankfully, her vision returned moments later, and she looked on at the remains of Auriel's Bow, its once brilliant white hue now reduced to a dull and lifeless gray. "What was that?!" Serana demanded as she helped Valkyrie up. "What were you thinking?!"
"Well," Valkyrie said as she stumbled to her feet. "I was thinking that no one should have that kind of power. Seemed like a good idea before I went blind for a moment."
"And you don't think we could have used it later on?" Serana asked. "For this destiny you seem so terrified of?"
"Maybe, but..." the Nord sighed. "It's better this way, Serana. Trust me."
The vampire offered a sigh in return. "Okay," she said softly. "So what do we do now?"
"I'm thinking we stop by Markarth and rest up for a few days," Valkyrie said. "And then..." She looked off into the mountains once more. "And then we find out what these Greybeards want with me."
Notes:
A/N: And there you have it, folks! It took almost two years, but the Dawnguard arc is finally finished! Harkon is dead, Valkyrie and co. are victorious, and despite the fact that the world was saved, we're just getting started!
So, you remember how I said at the very beginning that the main questline and the Dragonborn DLC were going to undergo some pretty drastic changes? Well, that starts NOW. Thank you so much to everyone who's read and reviewed my story thus far. It truly means the world to me when you tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, and your speculations on what might happen next. That shit is my bread and butter, ya'll.
Until next time, my friends...
Chapter 20: Epilogue
Notes:
A/N: DO NOT SKIP PAST THIS!
Okay, so I realize that when I first started rewriting my Dragonborn's saga, I said that it would now be one incredibly long book instead of being split into multiple stories. After beginning to write this chapter, however, I began to realize that it felt much more like an ending than a simple transition into the next arc. Now, this (and I cannot stress this enough) ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT mean that I am ending Valkyrie and Serana's story here. It simply means that I've decided to go the traditional route and split their story into multiple parts instead of having one unbelievably long epic quintilogy (Is that even a word?) in the space of one fic. Besides, I think a story that clocks in just shy of 150k words is more than enough for one book. I can only imagine that sticking to my original plan would prove to be quite tedious for new readers who may be looking to read my work.
Thus, this epilogue marks the official end of Part I of The Dragonborn Legacy. Look for the first chapter of Part II sometime in the next few weeks (hopefully).
Until next time...
Chapter Text
20th of Sun's Height, 4E 200
Valkyrie couldn't help but beam slightly. After days of walking, she and Serana stood just outside the gates of Markarth, her home. Gods, how she had missed this place so. The Nord couldn't wait to see Ghorza, Moth, and even Eltrys and regale them with the details of her battle with Harkon. She looked behind her to catch a glimpse of Serana, lugging behind, her usual snarky demeanor having given way to a quiet, glum indifference. The vampire had been acting like this for some time since the both of them had set off for the city, but only now was Valkyrie truly beginning to feel worried. She couldn't remember the last time Serana had gone five minutes without cracking a joke or complaining, and it was truly starting to unsettle her.
Eventually, the Nord stopped dead in her tracks. "Are you alright?"
Serana immediately looked up from the ground, her face expressionless. "I'm fine," she said in an unconvincingly chipper tone.
Valkyrie sighed. "Do you... want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what?" the vampire retorted, as she continued to walk, going right past Valkyrie, who proceeded to reach out a hand to her shoulder.
"Listen," the Nord said. "It's okay to feel... conflicted. He was your father, after all."
Serana immediately turned around, her eyes squinting. "What are you talking about?" She asked, clearly annoyed. "You hated him."
"And I had my reasons for it," Valkyrie shrugged. "But I didn't know him like you did. Your relationship with him was more complicated than that." She recieved only a nod from Serana in response. "You didn't show it right after the fight, but I can tell it's been eating at you."
Serana sighed. "I don't think you can ever be ready to kill your parent," she said. "In the moment, it was easy. It was kill or be killed. I knew he was a monster, and that he had to be stopped, but... after..."
"He was still your father," the Nord finished for her.
"Honestly," Serana continued. "I think my father really died a long time ago. This was just the end of something else." Valkyrie put an arm around the vampire's shoulder, prompting her to keep venting. "I know I've said this more than enough times, but... ever since he found that damned prophecy, it became his life. My mother and I were just means to an end." She shook her head. "I don't regret killing my father. Not in the slightest. I just... guess there's some small part of me that wishes it could have turned out differently."
"I understand," Valkyrie said, before taking it back. "Actually, that's a lie. I couldn't possibly understand what it's like to have to kill your own father, regardless of the circumstances. I just knew it couldn't have been easy on you."
"I'll get over it. Eventually," Serana says, turning a genuine smile to her lover. "Thank you."
"My pleasure," Valkyrie smiled back, leaning over to plant a kiss on the vampire's cheek. And so the two continued to walk, up the stone steps that led to the city gates. The Nord's eagerness to see her family had not subsided even slightly during her conversation with Serana, but it was at least dampened when the both of them at last reached the top of the steps, and were stopped by a pair of guards, their weapons drawn.
"Halt!" One of them exclaimed, pointing his blade at them. "What's your business in the city?"
Valkyrie's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and annoyance overtaking her. "I live here," she shot back at the nameless guard. "Well actually, my family lives here."
"Hold on, Onryg!" The other guard said as he lowered his weapon. "I recognize her. This here's the blacksmith's girl."
"The blacksmith is an Orc!" Onryg tried to argue.
"The blacksmith just raised her, you idiot!" The guard said, delivering a smack to the side of his companion's head. He sheathed his blade and walked forth to greet Valkyrie and Serana. "Sorry about that," he said. "It's been quite an eventful few days in the city."
"What happened?" Valkyrie asked.
"You might not have noticed, but a few days ago, the sun blacked out," the guard said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.
"I saw something like that," she said, crossing her arms. "Might have just been an eclipse."
The guard scoffed. "I've seen eclipses, kid. This was nothing of the sort." He shook his head. "Everyone thought the end times were upon us. There was panic in every corner of the city, riots even. The guards tried our best to keep order, but... not everyone survived."
Suddenly, Valkyrie grew worried, a pit forming in her gut. "Are Ghorza and Moth okay?" She asked.
"They're fine," the guard waved her off. "They were in the keep the whole time."
"Good," she answered, breathing a sigh of relief, before another thought occurred to her. "What about... do you know anyone named Eltrys?"
"Can't say that I do."
"Reach native? About my age?" Valkyrie continued to ask.
The guard was silent for a moment. He titled his head to the side before responding, "Reach native? What's a nice Nord girl like you doing hanging around with Forsworn scum?"
"Hey," her tone immediately sharpened. "Watch your tongue. That's my friend you're talking about, and he's not a Forsworn."
"Hmph," he scoffed at her. "Well, ever since the riots died down, we've had to do some... relocating. I'd look for him in the warrens with the rest of the Reachman trash."
"So you're just going to let them in?" Onryg shouted from behind them.
"Ehh, I don't see why not," the other guard shrugged. "I know her, after all."
"What about her friend?"
"You know what they say, judge people by the company they keep," he answered, nodding to Valkyrie. "This one's of a decent sort, I can only guess her friend is, too." He stepped away, resuming his position leaning against the gargantuan stone gate into the city, all the while ignoring the looks of disgust from Valkyrie and Serana. "Welcome to Markarth."
"You're alive!"
No less had Valkyrie knocked on the wall of her adoptive family's quarters, did Ghorza, Moth, and even Eltrys was there much to her surprise, all came rushing forward to smother her with hugs. She was only too happy to return them, even when her loved ones began to crush her. "I was so worried," Ghorza said as she finally pulled away. "They said the sun grew dark all of a sudden. Moth and I were in the keep the whole time, we didn't even see it."
"You weren't missing out on much," Valkyrie said. "Trust me."
"I saw it," Eltrys interjected, shaking his head. "It was terrifying."
The Nord sighed, before rushing forward to embrace the Reachman herself. "Good to see you, Eltrys," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't write you, things... got a little crazy."
"It's fine," the Reachman said. "I'm just glad you're alright."
"So," Moth now spoke for the first time. "That story you told us back at the fort? About how you had found a weapon able to blot out the sun?" Valkyrie nodded. "I guess we were fools not to believe you."
"I wouldn't have believed it, either," The Nord said.
"Are the both of you still heading south?" Ghorza asked, to which Valkyrie and Serana hesitated to answer, sharing a glance with one another.
"There's..." Serana piped up. "Been a change of plans. We have more pressing matters to deal with before we go gallivanting around the entire continent."
"More pressing matters?" The Orc raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, listen," Valkyrie said with a sigh. "I need to tell all of you what happened on Isle Volkihar. Keep in mind it's going to sound every bit as crazy as the story about the prophecy and Auriel's Bow." She paused, before adding, "And... I would appreciate it if you would all keep it to yourselves for the time being. Just until I know more about what I'm dealing with."
The five of them all took seats around the room as Ghorza, Moth, and Eltrys listened to Valkyrie explain the extraordinary circumstances of the last few days. Battling Harkon, very nearly dying at his hand, the sun being extinguished. All the way to Durnehviir being summoned with Valkyrie's use of the Voice, and her subsequent summoning by the Greybeards. Her loved ones listened patiently, attentively. When Valkyrie finally finished her story, not one of them said a word, and the Nord was somewhat relieved that she didn't have to justify her tale. That was, until Eltrys burst out laughing.
"I'm too sober for this," the Reachman said.
"You don't believe me?" Valkyrie asked, clearly offended.
"Valkyrie," Eltrys said, reaching over to place a hand on the Nord's shoulder. "You know I love you to death. But I think you've been hitting the mead a little too hard." He stood up from his seat, stretching his stiff limbs for a moment. "Anyway, I've got to get back to Rhiada," he said, before his eyes suddenly went wide, and he turned back to Valkyrie. "I didn't even tell you. Rhiada's pregnant."
"Really?" Valkyrie questioned, to which her friend gave a nod. "Congratulations. Are you excited?"
"Terrified beyond belief sounds more accurate," Eltrys shrugged. "I hope I can prove to be a good father, but..." His voice trailed off.
She simply responded with a gentle punch to the shoulder. "You'll do fine." The two exchanged their goodbyes, and on his way out of the room, Eltrys bumped shoulders with a stranger, a young Breton man, out breath, seeming as though he had just run for miles.
"Can we help you?" Moth asked the boy.
"Yes... got a... letter here," the stranger said in between breaths. "For one Valkyrie."
"That's me," Valkyrie held out her hand, exchanging a sealed piece of parchment for a single Septim. "Who's it from?"
"Some... big brute of a Nord," the boy explained. "Had to... travel all the way... from Riften."
With that, the stranger exited the room, leaving Valkyrie, Serana, Ghorza and Moth in a state of perpetual confusion. "Well," Ghorza said, leaning back in her chair. "Seems like you're miss popular all of a sudden."
"If you know a way to make it stop, I'm all ears," the Nord said back. "Big brutish Nord from Riften. Sounds like Gunmar." She promptly unsealed the letter, leaning back against the nearest wall, and proceeded to read aloud. "Valkyrie... Isran has gone completely insane," she looked to Serana. "Wonderful way to start a letter."
The vampire sighed. "What else does it say?"
Valkyrie continued reading. "We didn't even make it halfway back to the fort before he woke up. Started raving about how there was more work to do, that the vampire menace was more of a threat now than ever. We tried to talk sense into him, but it was to no avail. He called us all cowards, and stormed off into the wilderness."
"Sounds like his true colors are finally coming out," Serana remarked, a twinge of malice in her voice.
"I don't know what he's planning, or if he'll even try anything," Valkyrie kept going. "I just thought I should give you fair warning. As for the rest of us, I had a long talk with Sorine and Florentius. We've all agreed that the best of course of action now, with Harkon dead and Auriel's Bow destroyed, is to disband the Dawnguard and go our separate ways. We all have lives and duties that we put on hold to help the cause, and now it's time for us to get back to it. Good luck, wherever your path may take you. Gunmar."
Valkyrie was at a loss for words. She'd known Isran had started to come unhinged after the battle at Castle Volkihar, but this was something else entirely. The man who had welcomed her into the Dawnguard was harsh and stern, but was still logical, rational, and cared deeply for his comrades. The man described in Gunmar's letter sounded like a paranoid fanatic, and a dangerous one at that. "Is it too late to say I told you so?" Ghorza remarked after Valkyrie had finished, only to be met with rolling eyes.
"So what are we going to do?" Serana asked.
The Nord was silent for a moment, before ripping the letter in half. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" The vampire questioned. "Val, you did read the letter, right?"
"I did," Valkyrie said, resuming her seat. "And I don't know about you, but I don't have the patience to go hunting Isran down. We have bigger things to worry about now."
"You mean the Greybeards?" Ghorza asked, to which the Nord nodded. "Look, I'm sure you're used to my skepticism by now, but... I don't know about this, Valkyrie. A bunch of crazy old men who live on a mountain..."
"Trust me, I'm wary, too," Valkyrie said. "But we all heard their voices from across the entire province. They don't seem like the kind of people you can just ignore."
"But what about Isran?" Serana jumped back in. "Not to say that you and I couldn't take him, but I think we should at least be prepared in case he finds us."
"Honestly," the Nord shook her head. "If I never see Isran again, it'll be too soon. I don't even want to think about that crazy bastard if I don't have to." She turned to face Serana. "I say we forget about him. And if he finds us, and tries something, we'll deal with him. If and when..."
The vampire sighed. "Alright. If and fucking when."
21st of Sun's Height, 4E 200
Valkyrie and Serana stumbled through the door to their room, mouths entangled, grabbing frantically at one another's clothes. The vampire slammed the door shut from behind with her foot, and immediately shoved her lover down onto the old, worn bed. The both of them had set off from Markarth that very morning, and Valkyrie had every intention of not stopping until they reached The Throat Of The World, but Serana, it seemed had other plans. As evidenced when the vampire had gotten a devilish look in her eyes at the very first roadside inn they passed. She had whispered into the Nord's ear, "You. Me. Week in a bedroom. Now," to which Valkyrie had only been too happy to oblige. Serana had dumped a bloated coin purse onto the inkeep's desk, and that was that...
Serana grabbed at the bottom of her own shirt, loosely fitting as it was, and promptly removed it, revealing nothing but her own undergarments beneath. She slowly strode over to the bed where Valkyrie lay, throwing her legs over the side to straddle the Nord's hips.
As much as Valkyrie was enjoying herself, something, which she simply couldn't put her finger on, felt off. And it seemed Serana had begun to pick up on it. The vampire lowered down, her forehead now touching Valkyrie's. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Valkyrie answered unconvincingly.
"Val," Serana said sternly. "Don't lie to me. What's wrong?"
The Nord sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, it's just..." she paused, struggling with her choice of words.
"Have you..." Serana began. "Never done this?"
"A few times," Valkyrie answered honestly. "Just never with another woman."
"Ah, I see,"
"I promise I'm fine," the Nord continued. "I just... need a minute, okay?"
"Take your time," Serana said, adjusting herself to lay her head down in the crook of Valkyrie's neck. "I'm actually kind of curious now," she spoke again. "Who was the lucky man?"
Valkyrie laughed. "Would you be disappointed if I told you it was Eltrys?"
The vampire burst into a fit of cackling. "I fucking knew it."
"Yeah," the Nord shrugged. "I let him bed me a few times when we were teenagers."
"How was it?"
"Ehh..." She struggled. "It was okay. He got the job done, but..."
"Say no more," Serana said, tracing her hands across Valkyrie's shoulders. "Was he the only one?"
"There was one other, but..." Valkyrie began again. "I'm kind of ashamed of it."
"I know that feeling all too well," the vampire tried to comfort her. "Who was it, if you don't mind me asking?"
"You remember Ondolemar?" Valkyrie asked, and received only squinted eyes in return. "That really snotty High Elf who stays in the keep?"
"Him?" Serana's eyes grew wide. "I'm actually... genuinely shocked. What prompted that?"
"I had just come of age, and I was very drunk," Valkyrie shook her head. "The sad part is... it was actually really good. But he pretended the whole thing never happened afterwards. A man of his supreme blood couldn't be seen with a lowly human peasant."
"So that's why you hate him so much," Serana remarked.
"It's one of the reasons I hate him," Valkyrie said.
"Well," the vampire began to shift her body again, now straddling the Nord's hips once more, and beginning to plant kisses on her neck. "I can promise you," she continued, slowly moving her way up to Valkyrie's mouth. "That I will be the best you've ever had."
29th of Sun's Height, 4E 200
When Serana said a week, she had meant it. Barring breaks for food or sleep, every last moment the two spent in isolation was used to explore one another's bodies and learn more about one another on the most intimate levels possible. Valkyrie had almost tapped out several times, but somehow managed to keep up with the vampire's desires and demands, much to both of their surprise. Eventually, the time came to move on, leaving behind the old, cramped room in a roadside inn now a bit more decorative having the words Do Not Disturb carved into the door. Not that Valkyrie minded the time she had spent with her vampire in the slightest, but their escapades were currently making riding horseback slightly more annoying, as evidenced when the Nord let out a groan.
"Are you alright?" Serana asked from across horses.
"Serious question," Valkyrie said, adjusting herself slightly. "Is that how it's going to be every time with you?" The vampire cackled, only for Valkyrie to roll her eyes. "Forget I asked."
"No, not every time," Serana said. "Just when we actually have time. Honestly, I'm surprised you were able to keep up as well as you did."
"Just don't expect that from me regularly," the Nord smirked.
"Well, we're headed to an ancient monastery, home to a group of very old, very religious hermits," the vampire shrugged. "That could very well have been our last chance for a while."
As the road the both of them were traveling split off into the forest, Valkyrie began to say something else, but was cut off when a crossbow bolt struck the ground right in front of their horses. She didn't even have time to react before the bolt exploded, sending the horses into a panic, very nearly bucking Valkyrie off until they stopped, very suddenly, and the Nord looked over to see Serana, her hand outstretched, a faint glow encompassing her palm. "Easy, boy," the vampire said in a soothing voice. The both of them looked on in the direction the attack had come from, and off in the distance, obscured by the trees, Valkyrie could just barely make out a figure before it turned around and bolted further into the forest.
"You've got better sight than me," Valkyrie said. "Did you see who that was?"
"Oh, I know exactly who it was," Serana growled, turning back to look the Nord in the eyes. "If and fucking when, remember?"
"Shit," the Nord groaned, steering her horse around. "Alright, let's get after him. Yah!" She snapped the reins, leading the horse off into the woods with Serana very closely in tow. Anger swelled in Valkyrie's mind. For the life of her, despite all evidence to the contrary, there was some small part of her that couldn't believe this was the same man who had taught to her fight, to survive, who had made her feel welcome amongst a legion of trained warriors. And here she was about to use those very skills to kill him. The irony wasn't lost on her, and Valkyrie thought that perhaps she began to understand some semblance of what Serana had felt after the battle with Harkon.
After a short bit of galloping, the two reached the spot where the old man had fired from, or so Serana seemed convinced. The vampire hopped off her horse, inspecting the ground around them. "You see anything?" Valkyrie asked after a moment.
"I... think so," Serana answered, still not looking up from the ground. "It looks like his tracks head this way, but..." Her voice trailed off.
"But?"
"They're much lighter than I would have expected from a human," the vampire noted.
"Well, he is a trained vampire hunter," Valkyrie pondered.
"I guess," Serana said, still sounding unsure. "We should leave the horses here. Don't want them getting spooked again." Valkyrie complied, throwing her horse's reins over a tree branch as she followed Serana deeper into the forest. They tracked for some time, what seemed like at least and hour, as the Nord tried to stop herself from growing overly annoyed that the old man was leading them on a wild goose chase. After a short while, the trees began to grow more sparse and spaced apart, until eventually, Valkyrie and Serana emerged from the edge of the woods into an open field, one that went on as far the eye could see. Rather, as far as the seemingly abandoned fortress in the distance would allow them to.
The building, even from this distance, looked to be almost falling apart. An opening in the crumbling walls revealed what looked to be a courtyard, completely empty, with the main fortress doors just beyond. Valkyrie and Serana exchanged a quick glance with one another, before nodding and marching off to the fort's entrance, as foreboding as it was.
The inside of the fortress was every bit as empty and bleak as its outside, and even more dimly lit, as the moment Valkyrie and Serana stepped inside, the Nord found herself struggling to see anything in the darkness. This was fixed a moment later when Serana summoned a sphere of light in her palm, only slightly lighting the large, barren foyer. Every so often along the walls were doors, clearly leading to elsewhere in the fortress, but one in particular, off in the corner, stood out to Valkyrie and Serana. As they approached, they discovered this door had the symbol of the Dawnguard painted on it. All in red, to be precise...
Valkyrie's stomach dropped. The symbol had been painted in blood. It was almost shocking how far the old man had fallen in such a short amount of time. The Nord's mind was ripped away from her thoughts when Serana suddenly turned around, sniffing the air around them. "What's wrong?" Valkyrie asked her.
"I can smell one of my kind from a mile away," the vampire said cryptically.
The Nord's eyes widened as she clasped a hand on the hilt of her sword. "There are vampires here? With Isran?"
"I don't know," Serana said, eyeing every last corner of the room. "It's... different than usual. I'm not really sure how to explain it." She turned back to the door, opening it slightly to reveal a set of stairs leading downward. "Stick close, Val," she said as they began to descend. The further down the both of them went, the more Valkyrie disliked the idea of being here altogether, and the more she simply wanted to be done with this place and move on. Eventually, they reached the bottom of the stairs, at their base another closed door that seemed all too uninviting.
Serana stepped forward carefully, opening the door as slowly and as silently as she could manage, eventually revealing behind it yet another large, empty room. Or so they thought at first glance. The vampire forced the light in her hands to shine ever brighter, and in doing so uncovered prison cells lining the walls, each of them empty, sporting unlit torches at their doors. Every last one remained uninhabited, except, as Valkyrie and Serana discovered when the light continued to shine, one farthest away from the entrance. A person lay inside the cell, chained to the wall, unresponsive to the two women who had just entered the room.
With a wave of the vampire's arm, every torch in the room lit up, at last freeing them from the eerie darkness. Serana marched to the end of the room with Valkyrie close behind. When the door to the cell wouldn't budge, Serana simply ripped it off its hinges, tossing it against the wall with a deafening clang. As both of them entered the cell to examine the prisoner, a Dunmer they could now tell, dressed in rags, Serana suddenly let out a gasp.
"Serana?" Valkyrie asked. "What's wrong?"
"This is Garan Morethi," Serana said quitely.
"Who?"
"He was a member of my father's court," Serana knelt down, placing a hand on her fellow vampire's shoulder to attempt to shake him awake. "I didn't see him at the battle, I just assumed he was killed along with everyone else."
"Nearly was," Garan spoke suddenly, his voice clearly labored. He let out a groan as he lifted his head, his unnatural amber eyes glaring at both women. "Lady Serana," his voice was thick with venom. "How lovely to see you again."
"Who did this to you, Garan?" Serana demanded.
"An old friend of yours," the Dunmer spat. "I fled the castle when your mortal friends attacked, you know. I thought I'd gotten lucky and escaped with my life." He breathed deeply, letting out a few coughs. "If you're here," he said. "I can only assume that..."
"Harkon is dead," Serana confirmed. "And Auriel's Bow is no more."
"I suppose it's for the best, like Lady Valerica wanted."
"What in Oblivion did he do?" Valkyrie spoke now. "Isran just kills vampires, he doesn't hang them from the wall like trophies."
"Your friend is truly mad," Garan said. "He... did something to me... something I didn't think was possible."
Neither woman had a chance to ask what it was that the former leader of the Dawnguard had done to this vampire, because in that moment, the sound of the dungeon door being slammed shut sounded out, and at its entrance was none other than Isran himself, his Dawnguard leathers in tatters, a worn hood obscuring his face. Both Valkyrie and Serana stood up, exiting the cell to face him once and for all. The old man scoffed. "Ladies..."
"Hello, Isran," Valkyrie said, surprised at her own civility.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Isran said, his hand hovering above a war axe attached to his hip.
"It doesn't have to," the Nord fired back, mirroring the Redguard's motion with her blade.
It was then that the old man laughed, something Valkyrie had never even imagined him doing in the entire time she'd known him, it unsettled her deeply. "Is that what you're doing?" Isran asked her. "Trying to appeal to my sense of honor? For old times sake?"
"Old times sake is the only reason I'm giving you a chance to walk away," Valkyrie gritted her teeth. "It's over, Isran. Harkon is dead. Just... let it go."
"I'm afraid it's too late for that," the old man said cryptically.
"You know this won't end well for you, Isran," Serana said, her palm beginning to brim with magic.
"Maybe," he shrugged. "But I have to try." He began to laugh again, and Valkyrie drew her blade, waiting for the old man to make the first move. "You know, it's funny," he said. "You know I was part of the Vigilants years ago. Before they deemed my methods too extreme."
"I've already heard this story," Valkyrie said angrily.
"The funny thing is," Isran continued, unfazed. "During my time with the order, I saw Keeper Carcette do things that made me seem tame. I asked her about it once, and she gave me a piece of advice that I scoffed at, but recently I've come to see the wisdom in."
"Is there a rest stop between now and the fucking point?" The Nord snapped at the old man.
"She told me that sometimes," he said, grabbing at the edge of his hood. "In order to defeat a monster," he ripped the fabric away from his face, and Valkyrie and Serana were horrified when a pair of unnatural glowing eyes stared back at them. "You have to become a monster yourself."
With nearly impossible speed, Isran drew his axe and charged, closing the distance between himself and the two women. He swung horizontally at Valkyrie, and she was only just able to block his blow, but the newly turned vampire's strength pushed her back. That was, until Serana came in from the side, planting a boot into Isran's chest, forcing the old man to stagger backwards. Serana fired a bolt of blood magic from her palm, one that Isran sidestepped, then another, which he deflected with his axe. Yet another bolt was fired, this one Isran rolled underneath, upon returning to his feet he threw his axe directly at Serana's head, which she managed to dodge, leaving the weapon buried in the stone wall behind her.
Valkyrie charged forward again, swiping her blade with all the precision she could manage, but Isran's new speed and reflexes allowed him to weave in and out of her attacks with little effort. It was then the Redguard vampire revealed yet another new trick. In a split second, his palm began to radiate with the same crimson aura that Valkyrie had seen Serana use so many times, and his open palm quickly struck her right in the sternum. Valkyrie was knocked back, her feet scraping against the floor as the breath was knocked out of her, and the Nord was thankful for the Armor of Auri-El's protection.
Serana was back in the fray now, seemingly enraged that Isran was using the same form of magic that she possessed. Both vampires hands permeated with blood red energy, and bare handed, they made swipes with their claws at one another, letting out monstrous and venomous growls every time one of them managed to cut into the other's skin. Finally, Serana leaped upward, coming down on Isran with every last ounce of force and magic she could muster, but the old man was ready. He quickly constructed a magic barrier between the both of them, leaving him unharmed by Serana's attack. It was then Isran began to push his magic shield back, forcing Serana away from him, eventually catching Valkyrie in its snare and slamming both of them into the wall of the dungeon.
Both women fell to the ground after the impact, but Isran wasn't done. He reached out his hand, and the axe he had thrown in Serana's direction began to shake, before removing itself from the wall and returning to the old man's grip. The moment the weapon made contact with his hand, it also began to radiate with blood magic. Isran backed away slightly, as though daring either woman to try and attack him.
"Nice trick," Valkyrie said, eyeing the Redguard's axe. "Let's see if I can do that, too." She returned to her feet, focusing intensely as she felt her magicka flow from her center, into her palm, then suddenly leave her body as a brilliant, blinding gold energy enveloped her weapon. The Nord smirked. She knew that sun magic beat blood magic, but was curious if Isran possessed the same knowledge. Valkyrie rushed forward once more, and Isran was only too happy to meet her. Their weapons clashed, and the old man was knocked backwards, almost losing his balance. The Nord charged again, this time the Redguard vampire only just barely managing to deflect her blow, before being knocked to the ground by its force.
Valkyrie raised her blade, bringing it down quickly to try and finish Isran once and for all, but the old man managed to roll out of the way at the last moment, and the sword met only the stone floor. Isran rushed for his axe, only to be met with a bolt of blood magic to the midsection from Serana. Isran staggered backward from the impact, being met with the end of Valkyrie's blade, shining with sun magic, running straight through his back and out his chest. The Redguard let out an awful, inhuman scream borne of agony, as though he were being burned alive from the inside. Mostly because he likely was. After a moment, his body went limp, and fell to its knees, the glowing in his eyes now replaced by a dull and lifeless gray.
Valkyrie yanked her sword out of Isran's corpse, a small part of her feeling some sort of regret that this was how it had ended. Granted, it was only a small part. She looked at Serana, and both of them exchanged a nod before the vampire turned back to the prison cell, where her former family member was still chained to the wall.
"What fun that was," Garan Morethi said sarcastically. "Though, in truth, I'm glad the bastard's dead."
"How long has it been since you've fed?" Serana asked him calmly.
The Elf raised an eyebrow. "At least a week," he said cautiously. "Why do you ask? You know we can hold out longer than those mongrels, Lady Serana."
"Because I'm not taking any chances," she said sternly. Serana reached into her pouch, pulling out a vial of blood which she then held to her fellow vampire's mouth. "Drink."
The Dunmer was only too happy to comply, downing the contents of the vial in moments. He let out a sigh as the glass was removed from his lips. "Ah," he sighed. "Much better."
"Can you walk?" Serana said, carefully undoing the shackles which held Garan to the wall, the vampire collapsing to the ground the moment he was freed.
"I believe so," Garan said, returning to his feet and massaging his wrists. "So what happens now, Lady Serana?"
"I guess that all depends on you," Serana crossed her arms. "Do you still feel an unwavering sense of loyalty to my father?"
"Hmph," the Dunmer scoffed. "You said it yourself, Harkon is dead. Hard to be loyal to a pile of ashes, wouldn't you agree?"
Serana smirked. "Wise words."
"He," Garan nodded his head towards Isran's corpse. "Was clearly too stupid to simply walk away. I'd like to take that choice in his stead, if it's all the same to you, my lady."
"Fine," she said, before stepping dangerously close to the Dunmer. "Just make sure you never cross my path again, Garan."
"Trust me," the Elf said, slowly stepping around Serana and out of his cell. "I won't. Good health and good fortune to you and your..." he stopped short, turning to glance at Valkyrie, who was shooting a glare through him from across the room. "Well, I suppose it's none of my business what she is to you."
"No," Valkyrie spat at him. "It isn't."
Garan simply bowed his head, walking directly past Valkyrie and out of the dungeon. "Farewell, Lady Serana."
The last of the dirt piled onto Isran's makeshift grave. Why Valkyrie had insisted on burying her former mentor, given all he had done to herself and Serana, the Nord couldn't quite explain. She only felt that she owed him some small semblance of respect, as the old man had been the one to put her on this path in the first place. He had taught her to fight, he had been the one to send her to Dimhollow Crypt and discover Serana, and the prophecy in the process. It was a damned shame how the man had turned out towards the end, becoming one of the very things he was so determined to destroy, all for a half baked vendetta against Valkyrie and Serana.
Serana placed a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder, and for some time, no words were spoken. The Nord titled her head, resting it on the vampire's shoulder as Serana ran her fingers through Valkyrie's hair. No tears were shed, no great feelings of loss were awakened, Valkyrie simply felt a twinge of regret. Not that she regretted killing the old man, simply regretting that it had to be this way.
"So," Valkyrie said after some time. "I guess this part of my life really is over."
"Are you okay?" Serana asked.
"I guess," the Nord shrugged.
"It's okay to feel conflicted."
Valkyrie chuckled. "Where have I heard that before?" She removed her head from Serana's shoulder, opting instead to slide her hand into the vampire's. "It's just... the respect I used to have for this man." She shook her head. "His paranoia drove him crazy, and he let his sick idea of justice and revenge consume him. I don't want to remember him like that, you know?"
"Where have I heard that before?" Serana laughed, and Valkyrie did the same.
"Who knows what's next for us?" Valkyrie pondered. "These Greybeards... I'm still not sure what to make of them."
"We can form an opinion once we actually meet them," the vampire said. "Regardless, I have a feeling my father's prophecy was only the beginning."
"As long as you're there with me," Valkyrie turned her head to face Serana.
"Always," the vampire responded, before planting her lips together with Valkyrie's. After a few moments, the two broke apart. They whistled for their horses, and as the animals came running, Valkyrie, despite her fear and apprehension about the uncertainty of the future, felt hopeful that she could face anything if only Serana would stick by her. The two rode off from the fortress together, determined now more than ever to discover what destiny had in store for them...
END OF BOOK ONE