Chapter 2

Kelria narrowed her eyes at the older woman, mentally cursing herself for being so incautious. "Is that how you thank the one who has just let you out?"

For a moment, she could see a tint of doubt and confusion in the stranger's eyes. Those eyes... There was something unusual in them. She could swear she had never seen such breathtaking and expressive eyes in her lifetime. They looked like a smooth sea while the sunset was shining upon it. Kelria took a moment to slide her gaze down to take in a perfect face proportion but the sudden intake of breath, coming from the woman, broke her from her reverie.

"I...I'm sorry..." she loosened the grip on Kelria's arms before carefully standing up and walking a few steps away. Kelria stood up, grabbing her sword that had fallen from her hand after she was knocked off her feet but held it by her side.

"So you are that mysterious artifact that everyone was after" Kelria spoke quietly, leaving the statement hanging in the air, though not letting her guard down.

"Everyone? What do you mean? Who sent you?" the woman's voice sounded like a velvet, yet full of worry.

"Those...vampires, they have been coming here like something was drawing them in. I suppose they were trying to find out how this mechanism works." she looked around the place, that still held the mystery. No one knew who had built this vault, the only thing Kelria could guess was that the place was not created in the Fourth Era, it seemed far older.

She looked back at the woman "Isran sent me to find out what's happening here."

"I...I don't know who that is but I guess I should be grateful that you freed me. Thank you. My name is Serana, by the way" She walked closer towards Kelria as a distant light of the torch on the far wall reflected on her face, showing her skin in full sight. Pale skin... As white as...

Kelria gripped her sword's hilt tighter "You're... one of them" the thought of how dangerous the woman could be stroke her as she realized how this vampire had been so strong earlier to pin her down easily.

Serana stopped abruptly, carefully looking into Kelria's eyes. "Yes. I am a vampire. But my blood belongs to another kin. Not these mindless creatures. I, just like my family, originate from the Volkihar Clan. You have nothing to fear from me. Well...apart from my father." she looked away trying not to let her thoughts get to her right now.

Kelria listened closely. Something in the back of her mind told her that she shouldn't trust Serana, that she should just end her like Isran had told her to. She squeezed her hilt harder so that her knuckles turned white. Turmoil was coursing through Kelria, uncertainty placed its seed inside of her. After a few moments she gave in and loosened her grip, mentally noting to herself that she would probably regret this decision in the future.

"How long have you been in there?" she asked her guardedly.

Serana turned her head at Kelria again and furrowed her eyebrows, thinking. "I don't quite remember... What year is it now?"

"203 of the Fourth Era" Kelria responded after a moment.

"Divines..." a shock was clearly shown on Serana's face. She looked at Kelria with some kind of hopelessness in her eyes. "It's been...Over four thousand years..." She ran her hand through her dark hair and sighed frustrated.

Kelria frowned "Wait, you happen to be four thousand years old?!" The fact was unbelievable. An ancient relic literally stood right in front of her, though the woman didn't seem any older than twenty three or so.

Serana ignored the question and asked slowly. "Is the High King still alive?".

She sighed after receiving a headshake from Kelria. She started to pace around slowly and thoughtfully. A few seconds after she stopped and inhaled the air.

"It'll be good to get outside and breathe again. I haven't missed the sunlight, but I do miss fresh air." Serana said calmly receiving a questioning look from Kelria at the sudden change of topic.

"Well, I expect you do know a way out. Because on my part, I don't fancy going through the cobwebs again."

"Sadly no. Nor do I know this very place."

Kelria brushed past Serana, rolling her eyes "Right... Memory serves you quite well."

Serana gritted her teeth at the witty remark and pretended she didn't hear it. Something told her they wouldn't part ways anytime soon. 'I can feel this child is special' And with that thought she silently followed after Kelria.


"You still haven't told me where your home is and where we're going to go." Kelria wiped the slick liquid of the damn spiders' blood, or whatever their intestines were made of, off her sword with a rugged cloth and then threw it down on the snow near the cave entrance.

It had taken them almost an hour to find the exit after meeting several draugrs, that were roaring around, and finishing them off. Kelria was glad to finally get out of the cavern as something was always tugging at her there, the uneasiness crawling up inside. Now that they both were out in the open, she was enjoying the feeling of fresh air on her face and a little breeze blowing through her fair hair.

"And you still haven't told me your name" noted Serana as she pulled up her hood, shielding her eyes and skin from the shining afternoon sun.

"It wouldn't matter anyway, now would it." Kelria's voice sounded gravely. She sheathed the sword and walked up to her lonely standing horse, that was tied to a small post. She untied the reins and patted the horse's neck.

"I need to know my savior's name." Serana watched Kelria closely as she folded her arms in front of her.

Kelria snorted at the words and turns to look at the vampire. "It's Kelria. Happy now?"

Serana gave a small smile, pleased. "I am, thank you for the answer, Kelria. And as for my home, my family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do"

Kelria nodded and motioned her head at the horse "I am not going to let you lead her, just saying. So either you sit behind or go on foot"

Serana narrowed her eyes smirking "Still will be faster than you are"

"You wish."

"Then try me." Serana snorted and looked at her challengingly.

Kelria rolled her eyes and mounted the horse before extending her hand to Serana. "Let's just get it over with."

Serana gave her a smile and took Kelria's hand, hopping up behind her.

Suddenly they both felt some stinging in their clasped hands. Serana's hand was as cold as ice, but the feeling Kelria had was like it was on fire. She quickly removed her own and turned away to the reins, leaving Serana contemplating too at what had happened between them.

"Hold on tight" Kelria spoke barely audible before cueing her horse into a gallop.


A beautiful view of Whiterun opened in front of them. In some places around the city the grass was covered in snow. The evening sun reflecting on it was so fascinating that it looked like the snow was an orange-and-purple warm blanket.

They had come across a small bandit camp, intentionally. Serana had been hungry for thousands of years, so Kelria decided it would be the best option for her to feed on the bandits, as she couldn't let her harm the innocents. But even the sight of Serana draining their blood was sickening, so she had returned to her horse right after fight and tried to block out any sound.

There was no way she wanted to spend the night in the woods when Kelria had her own house in Whiterun as an insisted reward she got from Jarl Balgruuf.

Kelria pulled the horse to a slow pace when they neared the open gates and entered the city. It was as crowded as she remembered it was seven months ago. She had left the city after defeating Alduin, leaving everything behind in pursuit of adventures. She had had no reason to return and intention on being drug into the war, knowing that even Jarl Balgruff had sided with the Empire. It's not like she didn't want to restore peace in Skyrim, but she knew that she would be no help in the war. It was selfish, Kelria knew it, but unless she got a solid reason to side with either Stormcloaks or the Legion, she would try to escape even a mention of it.

Kelria halted the horse by Breezehome, her house. It hadn't change a bit, since she last saw it. She climbed off the horse, motioning for Serana to do the same, and walked up the small stairs towards the door. She turned the handle to the left, trying to open it, but it wouldn't move.

Locked.

Apparently, Lydia, her housecarl, had locked the door before leaving the house. Kelria had asked her to look after it when she left. Lydia had been very disappointed when she heard that her Thane would abandon her. She had asked multiple times for Kelria to stay and change her mind, even to take the housecarl with her. Kelria regretted the decision now, realizing how much she misses her.

She sighed and turned to her rucksack hanging from the horse's backside. She found a key inside and lifted the rucksack to put it over her shoulder with a strap. Kelria now opened the door and both of them stepped into a dark room, never noticing a little girl watching over them from the other side of the road and running away.


Serana lifted down her hood when she closed the door behind her and looked around the room. She watched as Kelria walked towards the fireplace in the center of the big room and ignited the fire from her palm, lighting the firewood.

The place now became more vivid and cozy and Serana took in every detail. The hallway was connected to the dining room right behind the fireplace. Everything was clean, apparently the house was taken a good care of. There was a lot of shelves along the walls, full of books and scrolls. Farther, near the left wall, there was stairs leading onto the second floor. The house was indeed not small for one person and Serana wondered if Kelria really lived here alone.

Kelria stood up turning to face Serana and shrugged shyly "I know it's not that nice and beautiful how you, perhaps, imagined it to be."

"It's quite alright, I actually like it here." the vampire said calmly.

Kelria rubbed the back of her head "Uhm...thank you. We're moving out first thing in the morning. So feel free to have a look around if you wish" She walked over to the table and put her sword on it before retrieving some cloth and dumping it in the water.

Serana gave a last glance at Kelria cleaning her sword and slowly moved towards a bookshelf. "Kelria, may I ask you something?" She run her fingers on the rugged covers of the books, reading the titles.

"Of course" Kelria answered, still occupied with her task.

Serana pondered for a few moments before asking. "Who are you? I mean, you told me you were a vampire hunter. Yet you're helping me when you could have killed me right on the spot. This is...odd.

Kelria stopped cleaning her weapon, thinking if she should tell her the truth "Well...I know it would be of no importance anyway but there is so-..." she paused abruptly when she heard a heavy knock on the door. She looked in the direction of the sound, dumb-founded.

'Lydia wouldn't knock if she didn't know I had returned' she thought to herself and called out to Serana, keeping her voice low "Go upstairs. Now"

Without making any sound, Serana ran up the stairs. After making sure the house was quiet, Kelria moved to the door and rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed, upon hearing another impatient knock. She opened the door and was taken aback at the sight in front of her.

A red-haired woman, with a man behind her, was leaning against the door frame with her arms folded "It's time we finally talk, Dragonborn"