Chapter 19

CRASH

Time… is a strange thing. It's supposedly simple, with each day broken down by hours, and those hours by minutes, and those minutes by seconds. It never changes, never gets longer or shorter, it's just an inevitable march forwards.

But as anyone can tell you, time doesn't feel simple and constant. In a struggle of life and death, or when you feel true fear, or something in your instincts warns you, the world can seem like it slows to a crawl, with you seeing everything with such clarity and stillness. Or when you're reading a favored story, or taking a stroll on a sunny day, or laughing and holding hands with your daughter and husband, time can slip by you faster than you ever realize, or appreciate.

Things she could no longer appreciate now.
CRASH

Even in Nirn, time could be somewhat tricky. Roughly guessing by the sun's position in the sky changes according to the seasons, and so it can't be truly relied on, but it was accurate enough that most people did. Clocks and clock towers were true rarities in the world. But this wasn't Nirn.

Hourglasses were used for more precise measurements, but she wasn't sure if she lamented her lack of one or not. Her mind was still sharp as a dagger, she assured herself. She could count well enough for whatever her experiments called for. But then, that wouldn't be the point for one here, would it?

CRASH

No. What it would truly be here for was an actual reliable measure of time. In this realm, where there was no sun, no seasons, no clocks, no change, it would be some way to tell how long she'd been trapped in this place.

CRASH

As it was, she could only really go by the thundering crashes of lightning that pierced the ever-purple skies. So frequent were they, but without rhythm. Or was there? Sometimes she swore she could see a pattern in them, other times she would wait for what felt like an hour between strikes, and others still they would fall like raindrops. They were what reminded her that time was indeed still moving, that the plane wasn't forever paralyzed.

Did time perhaps work differently here than on Nirn? Had she been gone for only an hour, or a day from her home? Or maybe has it been eons, Nirn destroyed by some great calamity by way of a Daedric Prince's schemes?

Bubbling caught her attention, drew her from her mind, the faint pops calling her back to the reality around her, reminding her that she was still working. At her alchemy table, she observed the putrefaction of the soul husks mixed with dragon's tongue. The book in her hands almost caught her by surprise, failing to remember she was ready to take notes.

It was one of many others she brought along. They were all full now, this one only a few pages deep as she scribbled her observations of yet another interaction of soul husks with other reagents. They were the only thing that grew in this wasteland of souls. Her own stock of ingredients, though once bountiful, had pittered away to nearly nothing after… well, it's been a while. She had tried to create herself a garden, like in the courtyard, but soon learned there simply wouldn't be more than what she had. The land here was inhospitable to life of any kind. She remembered being very stingy with her materials in the beginning, ever reluctant to use them, knowing they would never return and that she may never get more.

CRASH

But, inevitably, she grew bored and curious. She had tested every combination of material with the soul husks, this being merely the latest and soon to be last experiment with the odd plants. Not that the item provided much in the way of alchemical interest. It didn't behave like other ingredients would, though it did have a magicka blocking property. Through trial and error, she learned to make it blend and fuse with foreign reagents.

How novel it is, she thought, to be an undisputed expert on something that no other intelligent creature, living or undead, would ever even know of, let alone see and touch.

CRASH

CRASH

She wondered if her husband had ever taken some form of petty revenge on her by setting the courtyard ablaze. Her garden, the flowers, all burned to ashes to somehow strike at her from wherever she was hiding. It wouldn't be far-fetched of him.

It mattered little now. It was no doubt dead either way.

The process ended and she wrote her comments on the next page. It was something to do, at the very least. Her other stories had been read so many times their spines were worn and nearly destroyed. Occasionally, she would go back and read through her own notes, simply to remind herself what she may have tested already.

After all, there was little else to do to occupy herself. She'd long since declared herself a master of necromancy, and the other fields of magic hadn't interested her as much. She had, of course, experimented in those when the gnawing boredom ate away at her. But without proper materials to test with, more tomes to learn from, she hadn't advanced far.

CRASH

Physical exercise was pointless. Her talents lay in mind, not something as plain as muscles. Her body was eternal.

She saw nothing to be gained by attempting to build something. She hadn't the tools nor the inclination to work with the unnatural stones that littered the landscape, and when she locked herself in this castle, there wasn't any point. It was suitable and even gave her a sense of belonging. How fitting to go from one miserable castle to another.

Damned Harkon. Damn him for his stupidity and his madness.

CRASH

Damn him for forcing her to take such drastic actions just to survive.

CRASH

Damn him for damning her to this place. Though she shared part of the blame for her arrogance, assuming she could actually barter with the Ideal Masters when so many others have tried and suffered the consequences. At least this stalemate she forced was a kind of victory over them.

CRASH

No matter how long it may or may not have been on Nirn, she was certain her husband was cursing every moment that his destiny was denied to him by her hands. Every crash of lightning she spent here was one more that Harkon spent in anger. At least she could take comfort in the knowledge that he was no doubt furious at his plans and dreams being foiled, at him failing still to this day.

It was the only comfort she could take.

That, and knowing her daughter was safe.

The closest thing to comfort behind those was the last thing she would do to occupy herself. When her eyes would roam over the words in a book and she would not be interested to read them, when the experiments were unappealing, when the magic had all been practiced, when she stopped staring at the shifting sky and the crashes of lightning, she would sleep.

And when she slept, whatever measure of time she had would mean nothing as her world became blackness. She counted every dreamless sleep as a blessing, the embrace of nothingness that robbed her of thought and care and worries. When she would awake, she had no idea how long it had been.

But she theorized she spent more time sleeping than waking, now.

CRASH

And she decided to do just that. Her latest test finished, she made to tuck her belongings back into their proper spots, placing a bookmark in her latest journal so-

CRASH

She felt it. Suddenly. Something. Something had… changed. Something was happening. Something whispered on the wind, under the howls of souls and whistle of the air. Something new, and old.

She immediately turned and ran to the gate. She flung it open, but in a burst of paranoia, immediately slammed it closed behind her and hid herself behind a pillar. The ward walls rippled in front of her, holding strong still. She never knew when Durnehviir may be flying about, waiting for them to drop. But then, she hadn't seen the dragon in decades. Centuries? After it was clear it simply couldn't breach the barrier, it flew away and only appeared when it, too, was likely bored or hopeful that it may one day finally kill her.

But this wasn't the dragon. No, this was something else entirely. But whatever it was, she was sure it would eventually make its way to her. She would just have to be patient.

Time would tell.

CRASH

"I heard stories about the Soul Cairn, but never thought I'd see it for myself. So far it's… about what I imagined," Serana commented evenly. The slight twitch in her hand gave away her nervousness.

The Twins, on the other hand, were perfectly aware what it was and what it looked like. They never thought they'd see it in person, and they definitely didn't know what it would feel like.

Unlike the death hanging around Castle Volkihar or other crypts, this was another side of death that surrounded them. The faint howling on the wind carried the sorrow and incomprehension of the uncountable and unfortunate souls that had been sacrificed over millennia. The purple and grey coloring to everything helped emphasize the mystical lifelessness of the plane, further highlighted by the dried husks of trees. The decrepit ruins dotted across the landscape were of an architecture not seen in Tamriel. It reminded them of Necrons, if differently colored. The tomb-like designs and ghoulish black bricks and stonework of all the structures were reminders to the souls that wandered here that there was no escape from what had become of them.

And then, they looked up. Like all realms of the afterlife, the sky was very different from the mortal realm and was horrifyingly beautiful to gaze at. The swirling, yawning black void surrounded by caronas of ethereal energy, and that too was surrounded by an endless sea of dreary clouds that were lit by the purple light of the plane, with lightning frequently lancing down from the sky. And the longer they stared, the more and more that void started to look less like a black hole and more like the pupil of an eye, a massive eye that stared down on the realm, silently watching every move of the damned souls and the minions of the realm.

Mikael forcefully tore his eyes away and cleared his throat. "Well, beautiful place, this. I can see why your mother would want to spend eternity here. Might build us a summer home." While not amused, the other two did at least seem grateful for the distraction.

Actually, ignoring the existential horror and sense of dread and death that hung around this place, Mikael thought it did look pretty kickass.

"I feel terrible for the dead who wind up here. Seems awful. Like they're still suffering," the vampire lamented.

"For most of them, nothing can be done," Aramen pragmatically offered. "But maybe, for just a few, we can help them in some small way and ease their burdens."

"Let's get moving. First thing we're gonna do is get our souls whole again." Mikael shuddered. "I don't like us leaving bits of ourselves lying around and being weakened by it."

"But we don't know where they even are," she observed. "They could be underground or in one of those giant pillars."

Mikael grinned. "I have a hunch."

Shortly afterwards, they encountered the wandering soul that gave them the quest for Arvak, which they agreed to and continued onwards.

"So, what can you tell us about this place, Serana?" Aramen asked, for want of better things to do.

"Just what my mother told me. I've also studied a bit on my own…"

CRASH

She could feel it, could hear it even. Whatever it was, it was very close. She could hear footsteps, three sets of them. It wasn't her husband; it may have been some time now, but she knew everything about that man and knew what his presence felt like. This was different.

"Mother? Mother!"

That word. How long had it been since she heard that word? And that voice. No…

CRASH

She stepped out from behind the pillar. And there she was… exactly as she'd last seen her. Her beautiful daughter. But why was she here? Had something gone terribly wrong? "Maker… it can't be. Serana?" Her throat felt quite dry. She hadn't needed to speak since she stopped trying to reason or barter with the dragon.

CRASH

"Is it really you? I can't believe it! How do we get inside? We have to talk."

A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind at once, countless things she could talk about. They were silenced by a sharp reminder of why she here to begin with, and a sudden fear of what may have happened. "Serana? What are you doing here? Where's your father?" Her eyes darted around. Had he followed them? Was she found?

But her daughter shook her head. "He doesn't know we're here. I don't have time to explain."

CRASH

It was as if a silent bell tolled inside her, a feeling of dread weighted in her stomach. "I must have failed. Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he."

"No, you've got it all wrong. We're here to complete the prophecy our way, not his."

We? It was then that the woman finally took notice of the two men accompanying her daughter. One very tall, clad in black and red cloaking and armor with a helmeted and masked face, carrying no weapons she could see. White hair peaked out from behind. The other slightly taller than herself with the dark greens, masked and hooded with a large glowing sword that hurt her eyes to look directly at. The sight was almost shocking; she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen such colors. That thought fell to the back of her mind as she took in something else about them. It may have been long ago, but she could recognize the scent of silver anywhere. These two either were vampire hunters, or had recently been with many of them. She almost rejected her senses, it simply wasn't rational that her daughter would fall in with the people who hunt her kind. "Wait a moment... you've brought strangers here? Have you lost your mind?"

Serana looked stricken. "No, you don't..."

CRASH

She wouldn't hear of it. Clearly things were different, and she needed to hear it from the source, enemies though they may be. "You two. Come forward. I would speak with you."

They approached, as expected of hunters to follow orders. As they did so, they removed their helmets and masks, and the woman was struck by their similarities and features. Siblings? It's possible, but unimportant. "So how has it come to pass that two vampire hunters are in the company of my daughter? It pains me to think you'd travel with Serana under the guise of her protectors in an effort to hunt me down."

CRASH

The shorter man snorted. Snorted! "Ah yes, you've figured us out. Two random men somehow tracked down a vampire hidden away for millennia," had it really been so long? The elder vampire felt an almost physical blow to her mind at the thought, "tricked her into allowing them to stick with her, retrieved secrets from her, infiltrated a castle full of vampires, completed a specialized ritual, and entered one of the foulest realms in existence, all for the express purpose of tracking down one vampire that's been keeping to herself not bothering anyone and doing her part to try and save the world." He shook his head. "Honestly woman, you've got one hell of an ego to think anyone would go through all that effort just to kill you. Maybe it's hard to remember after being down here so long, but the world doesn't revolve around you."

She was stunned. There was simply no better way to say it. The second person to speak with her in apparent millennia, and he practically sliced her flesh with the cutting retort he'd just given her.

Before she could find her tongue again, the taller Breton spoke up. "We're not part of the vampire hunters because we hate creatures of the night; hell, we don't care about vampires one way or the other. We did it because one particularly mad and ambitious vampire is trying something suicidally stupid and we figured the best people to fight him would be professionals. Unless you'd recommend we also stick our heads in the sand and hide? There's no ruse here. Serana is our friend and we wish to help her," he stated with certainty.

CRASH

The string of insults focused her mind back to responding. "I find it hard to believe your intentions are noble," she sneered. "Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you."

"The way we hear it," the mage-looking man replied, "you weren't giving her much chance to make a decision to sacrifice anything. You made a plan and pulled your daughter into it. She may have agreed, but it was hardly a choice."

"And she's explained plenty to us. Don't take us for brutes or fools, Valerica," the ranger man spoke in a low tone. "We know things, and we can put together the pieces of this puzzle."

"If you wanted to just hide away the elder scroll somewhere safe, you wouldn't have needed to seal your daughter along with it. In fact, it would have been safer to keep her with you, and I'm sure the both of you would be happier for it-"

CRASH

"-That means there's a reason you split both the scrolls and yourselves up, a reason having to do with the prophecy."

She flinched, feeling a growing wariness inside her. These two… they were not normal. Not simple men. They were dangerous. Which could threaten her and her daughter.

CRASH

"But why you two specifically? What makes you special? Well, Serana explained that you're both vampires born directly from Molag Bol's ritual, purebloods or something like that. A horrible ritual that makes you uniquely powerful and important. And given that the prophecy involves Auriel's Bow, then it must mean that you two have to be involved in doing something to that bow that makes it not-so-holy. Tainting its original purpose."

"But what about a bow from the god of the sun being tainted could be of interest to a master vampire? Why, to do its opposite, of course. Shroud the light of the sun, rather than amplify it."

"And given the lengths you were willing to go to to protect yourself and her, you must know something about the process that frightened you. Something that may cost you two your lives to invoke this power. I can assure you, we won't let that happen." the green-clad man finished.

How long had it been since she felt dizzy? The shock of it all, to have this suddenly crash down upon her, to see these two men had correctly deduced the secrets of the prophecy and elder scroll without laying eyes upon it… She couldn't display weakness, not in front of them. So she steeled herself and simply gave them very guarded looks. "It seems I may have judged you too early… yes. The prophecy calls for the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour, or we true vampire, to taint Auriel's Bow and block out the sun. Still, how exactly do you plan on completing the prophecy without the death of my daughter?"

"We kill Harkon."

She laughed. It surprised herself. "If you believe that, then you're bigger fools than I originally suspected. Don't you think I weighed that option before I enacted my plans?"

CRASH

Weeks, months, years even… she'd thought and planned and dismissed and counted and planned again. Nothing else would have worked, nothing would have kept her and her daughter safe. This was the best way. The only way. He couldn't be allowed to win. He had to fail, and she was the only one who could ensure that happened.

"You don't seem like a proper fighter," the tall man commented casually. "You're no doubt brilliant, accomplishing what you have, but it's no surprise you would've chosen to flee. But we are not you, and you do not know everything. We will have a fighting force at our backs, with spells and weapons designed expressly to kill vampires. We will have armor and enchantments that you didn't. We will have skill and power you didn't. And, in case you've forgotten, we will have a blessed bow in our hands." He smirked at her. "I think those will hold enough weight for our own plans. Besides, have you even considered Serana's opinion?"

CRASH

Anger boiled within her. She was no student to be lectured at like a child, no peasant to be looked down upon. She was a true vampire, chosen by Molag Bol! She'd spent more time learning magic than they'd spent living! "You care nothing for Serana or our plight. You see the Tyranny of the Sun as your chance at deification, and like Harkon you won't hesitate to destroy anything that stands in your path." Who were they to presume to know better? Glory seekers with violent intention, nothing more. They had no idea the terrifying power Harkon had wielded, gods know what more he may have gained since she'd left.

"You didn't answer the question," the shorter man stated pointedly. "She believes us. Why not speak with her yourself?" he gestured to Serana, who had so far been standing there, innumerable emotions flitting across her features.

CRASH

"Serana?" They turned to face each other. "These strangers may call themselves your allies, but they know nothing of our struggle, Why should I entrust you to them?"

CRASH

Her daughter almost recoiled at her words. "These 'strangers' have done more for me in the brief time I've known them than you've done in centuries!"

Her already boiling blood heated further at such a remark from her own daughter. "How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!" After all she had given up just to make sure he didn't win… Her garden, her home, her peace, her safety, her former life, her sense of time.

CRASH

You. I gave you up, just to protect you. Even though I wanted to stay with you all this time.

Serana shook her head. "Yes, he's a fanatic... he's changed. But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?" Her voice, it pleaded with her.

She could only sigh. She loved her daughter, but after all this time, she still couldn't understand. The man they had both loved was long dead, only that foul monster remained. "Oh, Serana. If you'd only open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'd be in terrible danger."

Her kin stepped forward, almost touching the barrier that separated them, a scowl adorned on her face. "So to protect me you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked me if hiding me in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly," she accused. Her stomach lurched. "Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still just a pawn to you, too."

No, Serana, that's…

But she couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.

CRASH

Had she truly done such a thing? Had she just commanded her daughter like her husband had tried to do? She wracked her memory, trying to recall any instance of them discussing the matter equally. To her mounting disgust, she realized that her daughter was right. Never had she asked Serana's opinion. Not once. Never had she thought of what Serana may feel about it all. They had to move quickly to ensure that the plan worked, she was the only one who could arrange everything, and there just wasn't time…

CRASH

"I want us to be a family again. But I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us." Serana spoke as if she were admitting it to herself, looking right into her eyes as she spoke those words, without even a hint of a tear inside them. Just a defeated sense of loss and grim determination.

She didn't think her old heart could be broken more than it was, but fate has ways of making the impossible happen. Oh, her sweet daughter. She shouldn't have to feel that way. Not her. Never her. It seems that I am the one who didn't understand.

How blinded had she been? She looked back, remembering the pervading pressure, the need to stop her mad husband, to spite him, to make him suffer defeat. She would insult and slight him to the rest of the court, feeling satisfaction as more considered her words and subtly turned against him.

It had been an eon ago, but she remembered the man he once was. Charming, handsome, well-spoken, intelligent… they had been happy, once. And their beautiful daughter, such a blessing. But it was after she was born that things began changing. She noticed how he wouldn't seek out their daughter to spend time together, how he would take meals in his study while deciphering tomes and studying the daedra. He focused on it more and more, and she became embittered about his growing absences. Perhaps she had felt far too personally about needing to stop him, too eager for the excuse.

"But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. And to do that, we need the Elder Scroll."

CRASH

CRASH

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She remained silent, coming to terms with this terrible realization. When she was finally composed, she stared her daughter back in the eyes. Serana deserved that much. "I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know... I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours."

Forgive me, Serana.

CRASH

She turned and faced the two strange men accompanying her daughter. "Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me. But for Serana's sake, I'll assist you in any way I can."

Then, perhaps, she may find some small measure of peace.

The party got the instructions from Valerica and split up. Mikael went to grab Arvak's skull and hunt down the Reaper, hopefully scoring the summon bonemen tomes, and kill the keeper on his side. Serana and Aramen wandered off to kill two keepers themselves.

"I can't believe we found my mother alive… well," she gave Aramen a half smile, "you know what I mean."

"How are you feeling?" the ranger asked.

"Relieved... I think. All those things had been building for a while. You have no idea how long I wanted to say that to her," she admitted.

Aramen looked her over and agreed that she looked better, like a weight had finally been lifted. "Why did you agree to her plan?"

Serana sighed. "Look, I loved my father, but when he found that prophecy... that became his life. Everything else, even me and my mother... we just became clutter." the vampire's eyes unfocused, staring ahead as they walked. "I was close with my mother, but she just kept feeding me her opinions of him, and eventually I started believing them."

"How did they ever end up married if they clearly disdained one another?" Honestly, between his lack of closeness with his daughter and his wife scheming behind his back, it was difficult for Aramen to even picture them as a nuclear family.

"They weren't always like that. The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power, and pulling in different directions. Then he found that prophecy, and... that was it."

The Breton noted her tone. "It sounds like you already didn't like him much."

"Like I said, we were never very close. Not a lot of father-daughter bonding if you know what I mean." She gave him a wry smile that quickly fell. "But once we threw our lot in with Molag Bal... people just don't think about their families anymore. 'Power takes precedence,' he always said."

"And you were caught in the middle."

"I was. Honestly, it took me up until now to figure out that my mother was really just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power. She was obsessed with seeing him fail. It was just so... toxic. Maybe I could have seen this coming. We could all be better off now."

"If, if, if…" Aramen mused. "'To get over the past, you first have to accept that the past is over. No matter how many times you revisit it, analyze it, regret it, or sweat it…it's over. It can hurt you no more.'" he quoted, then bumped her shoulder. "The past is a nice place to visit, but a terrible place to live. You can't blame yourself, only move forward."

"I know that in my head. But I just can't help feeling bad about... the way things are." She looked down at her boots. " Sorry, I know you're trying to help. Thanks," she looked back up and sadly smiled at him.

He nodded and returned her smile, hefting his sword. "Enough melancholy. Nothing like killing nightmarish creatures to liven up the day, yes?"

She squinted slightly at the blade, but her smile became brighter.

"So, enjoy yourselves?" Mikael asked as he sauntered back over to the castle and spotted his companions.

Aramen rolled his eyes. "Yes, actually. Yourself?"

"Found Arvak's skull," he gestured to his pack, which had only the bare essentials since neither twin wanted to access their pocket dimension while in another realm, "killed the Reaper, found some summoning tomes, and took care of the other keeper." He shuddered. "Had to take this teleporter, got swallowed by inky blackness. Not a pleasant feeling."

Valerica gave them once overs, as if re-analyzing them. "You managed to take out all three Keepers? I'm impressed."

"A logical deduction, given that the barrier is down. How astute of you," Mikael commented. Serana hid a smile and Aramen smirked. "So, that elder scroll?"

Valerica bit her own retort back. "Yes. Please, follow me. Keep watch for Durnehviir. With the prison's barrier down, he's almost certain to investigate."

Prophetic words indeed, for no sooner had they entered the courtyard than Serana perked up. "Wait… I hear something!"

Across the courtyard, a large lich-looking dragon rose from beyond the wall and swooped down, perching itself on the far wall. "It's Durnehviir… he's here! Defend yourselves!" she cried, drawing her ebony dagger.

Aramen drew his crossbow with one hand and cast grease on the corners of the stone courtyard, knowing that's where the bonemen would start spawning. "You two keep an eye on anything that he summons, we'll take care of the dragon!" He shucked his pack and readied himself.

Valerica nodded and Serana charged some ice spikes. Mikael hadn't wasted any time, after making his skin into Ebonyflesh, he started to pour lightning at the dragon with both hands in a solid stream, almost becoming plasma. Aramen shot at the beast, threw a fireball, reloaded, and repeated.

Durnehviir roared as the blows landed, and from his mouth spewed several glowing orbs that floated down to the courtyard's edges. They sank into the ground and bonemen started to pull themselves out, immediately having trouble finding purchase on the slick ground and being picked off as easy targets by the two vampires. Still, the undead had managed to churn up most of the grease on the ground, which meant it would be easier for the next wave. The dragon took flight again, even as the Twins poured magic and bolts onto him.

Mikael took a second to take his pack off and retrieve a few mana potions. "Catch!" he shouted to the women, tossing one to each, They were caught with deft reflexes, Serana tucking hers into her pouch immediately while Valerica eyed it and made note of the low quality, but held onto it all the same. "Aramen, all he's really got in his ranged arsenal is the bonemen, since I'm pretty sure his breath attack is the summoning thing. We just need to keep our distance and plink him to undeath."

"Right," the ranger agreed, scanning the skies for the next hint of the beast.

A swooping sound was their only warning and they dove away on instinct, avoiding being crushed as the lich dragon landed right in the center of the space. He roared and swiped at Mikael, who was still recovering and couldn't dodge. Luckily, the mage had plenty of armor and ebonyflesh to tank most of the blow, being pushed back a few feet. Aramen dropped his crossbow and drew out Dawnbreaker, which caught the dragon's attention nicely, and started slicing at his face. The dragon tried to retaliate by biting back, but was parried or dodged by the nimbler Breton. Mikael lanced out with more lightning. Durnehviir finally took to the sky again, looking much worse for wear, and sent out more summoning orbs. Aramen spotted this and made sure the other two had it covered, before snapping his fingers and igniting the remaining grease. The undead rose up and immediately burst into flames, but continued stoically on and began attacking the vampires.

Serana stepped forward with her dagger and parried the sword swinging at her, blasting the skeletal creature in the face with a spike of ice. It stumbled back and fell to another spike in the chest. Two more approached, still burning, and the vampire found herself stuck on the defensive and accumulating nicks and cuts from blows she hadn't quite managed to dodge. She briefly lamented not having a more suitable weapon to fighting such creatures. Valerica had been engaging her own opponents, dispatching them with the practiced ease of a skilled mage, and turned to see her daughter under attack. The elder vampire tried to disengage from her opponents, but they pressed in a bit too close when she got distracted. They were suddenly knocked back by a strong force, and she saw Aramen advance on them while keeping an eye on the sky. Valerica nodded and sent spikes over her daughter's shoulders, killing her attackers in one strike. The young woman slumped and backed to the center.

Since the dragon had disappeared over the walls again, Mikael looked over and caught sight of the injured woman and quickly sent some necromantic healing her way. She smiled appreciatively and drew herself back up. Aramen finished exploding the skeletons with his beautiful sword, and a lull transpired as they waited for the dragon to reappear, most of them chugging mana potions.

With a warbled roar, Durnehviir came cresting over the horizon again, immediately met with several icicles and lightning blast to the face. Where he had been intending to land on the arch again, the great beast stumbled and landed in the middle of the courtyard again, making the group dash backwards. As more orbs flowed from his maw, Mikael sent a fireball down his throat, then shouted "FUS!" and briefly stunned the beast while Aramen closed to melee. The ancient beast shook it off and groaned under the blows from the enchanted weapon. His bites missed, but his claws scored a solid strike on the sword-wielding man's torso, who cursed and jumped backwards, healing himself as he did so.

Both Twins were forced to dodge and roll as Durnehviir pulled some unexpected swiftness out, throwing his tail around and slashing widely, as well as swiping with his wings. Mikael panted and sweat poured off his frame as he rolled out of the way of a claw and saw the tail swinging at him. Unable to dodge, he put his magicka into a ward. The tail slammed into it and shattered the projection. Mikael heard a crack in his arm and shouted in pain. Drawing his boot dagger, he growled and grabbed the appendage, planting the blade into the rotting flesh and wrenching it outwards. Durnehviir roared again, rearing around to snap at the tall twin. Aramen spotted the opportunity and charged at the dragon's exposed back, jumping up and delivering a cleaving strike on the creature's spine.

In a burst of light, Durnehviir's hide was sundered and gave way to the blade, sinking deeply into his flesh. The beast bellowed in pain, his body going taught, then limp as the unlife left his body, the remaining summoned entities fading as well, to the relief of the vampires.

Aramen pulled his sword free and wiped the sweat from his brow, just barely restraining the urge to pose on top of his defeated foe. At least, until the body started disintegrating and the spot he'd been standing on disappeared. He gave a startled yelp and ungracefully fell on his ass in the flaking dead skin and bones. Mikael laughed, cradling his broken arm, sending healing magic through it. "You know, you looked pretty good for a second there. The sweat and blood sure adds to the appeal."

"Yeah, yeah." Aramen stood and dusted himself off. "You're the one who keeps hurting his arms when he fights dragons. It sounds weird, but you shouldn't block claws or tails with your arms. Can't remember how to dodge?"

"It's a tricky concept," Mikael mused. "The idea of 'don't be where the attack is going to be' can be difficult to get a handle on." He winced and put his hand to his head. "Got any magicka potions on you? I'm feeling pretty drained from using so much."

The ranger dug in his retrieved pack and found one, tossing it to his brother, who chugged it.

"You two actually killed him," they heard. They turned and saw Valerica staring at the spot where Durnehviir's corpse had been.

"Well don't sound too incredulous, you'll hurt my feelings," Mikael joked.

Valerica shook herself out of it. "Forgive my astonishment, but I never thought I'd witness the death of that dragon."

"What makes you say that?"

"Volumes written on Durnehviir allege that he can't be slain by normal means. It appears they were mistaken. Unless..."

"Go on," the mage insisted.

The elder vampire started pacing. "The soul of a dragon is as resilient as its owner's scaly hide. It's possible that your killing blow has merely displaced Durnehviir's physical form while he reconstitutes himself."

"And how long will that take?" Aramen asked.

"Minutes? Hours? Years? I can't even begin to guess." She shook her head. "I suggest we don't wait around to find out. Now, let's get you the Elder Scroll and you can be on your way."

For as important and powerful as the artifacts are, it was slightly amusing to see it sitting in a case next to the alchemy table and a few spare books. Mikael picked it up and stuck it in his pack.

"Now that you've retrieved the Elder Scroll, you should be on your way."

"You're staying here?" Serana asked.

Her mother nodded grimly. "I have no choice. I'm a Daughter of Coldharbour, too. If I return to Tamriel, that increases Harkon's likelihood of bringing the Tyranny of the Sun to fruition."

Mikael nodded. "And Harkon could probably detect your return, and that would be bad. We'll return when we can."

The woman finally gave a smile, slight though it was. Aramen could see her daughter in the older woman's expression. "I appreciate your concern for me, but Serana is all that I care about. You must keep her safe at all cost." Valerica focused on the Twins with intensity. "Remember that Harkon isn't to be trusted. No matter what he promises, he'll deceive you in order to get what he wants. And promise me you'll keep my daughter safe. She's the only thing of value I have left."

"Mother…" Serana wasn't sure what to say at such a blunt admission.

While the Twins weren't in the habit of doing absentee crap parents any favors, this was something they could easily do. "We promise," they intoned. The younger vampire looked away, her expression hidden.

Valerica nodded and walked away, looking to busy herself with cleaning up her courtyard or some other menial task, unable to quite look at her daughter. Mikael felt like sighing. It would be difficult for them to patch things up, nigh impossible, but eternity has a way of making you deal with things eventually.

They trudged out of the castle and immediately spotted the rekindling form of Durnehviir, perched on a stone archway. Serana made for her dagger but was stopped by a hand from Aramen, "Relax. If he wanted another fight he wouldn't be sitting here patiently."

"Why else would he be here?" she asked warily.

Mikael grinned. "Maybe he wants to be friends?" Ignoring the way Serana looked at him as if he'd gone mad, the mage happily trudged up to their recently vanquished foe and started chatting. Aramen chuckled and followed suit, leaving the vampire to stare until the conversation had progressed and she understood the situation.

"Now what exactly were the terms of your servitude again?" Mikael asked after they'd exhausted the normal dialogue, hiding a wince that was shared by his brother.

See, they'd had this cunning plan. A plan hatched for the express purpose of freeing Durnehviir from his eternal torment of being stuck in the plane of the Soul Cairn. It involved vampire biology, legalese, and sticking it to very powerful entities that would no doubt curse them fervently for doing so. But they'd forgotten an important detail.

Durnehviir couldn't survive purely in tamriel anymore.

He mentioned that he wasn't really "free" due to the fact that he'd spent so long in the Soul Cairn that he could no longer survive without it. He would wither away and die. Enjoying time in Tamriel like a vacation was the best he could manage.

Still, they weren't going to let all their efforts and plans be for nothing, so they fully intended to follow through with them, and see if they could still improve things for their very affable and intelligent new friend.

"It was simple, Qahnaarin," he slowly rumbled in his deep voice, addressing them both Twins with the title. "I was to serve as guardian of the Soul Cairn until the vampire here known as Valerica died."

"Just that simple?" Mikael stressed.

"Geh, just that," the lich confirmed.

The tall Breton shared a look with his twin and nodded. "Thank you. And fear not, Durnehviir, you shall soon taste the air of Nirn again. It would be our pleasure to bring you there, and I look forward to speaking with you again soon," Mikael gave his bow.

"And you as well, fellow dovah. It is my Hind to see the sun once more, to Filok from this place." Durnehviir nodded deeply in a sort of bow, then took to the skies again.

Mikael turned and smirked at the vampire. "See? You can find friends in the unlikeliest of places. An undead horse and a lich dragon? I'd call that a pretty successful day." Aramen nodded sagely.

Serana sighed. "Let's just go home." She wasn't able to keep the slight smile off her face.

Cheerio folks, how goes?

Honestly, I've been neglecting this story ever since I got into Thread Plague. The words flow off the page more easily for that fic than this one. I suppose booting up the game to get the scenes right is the main hurdle of that, as is the creative struggle of following closely to game dialogue without making it boring. In any case, thanks for tuning in again, please review and check out Thread Plague.

-Waki