Beyond Death part 3
The only light that came from outside the laboratory came through only two small windows, but the night was dark and the clouds blocked the pale light of the moon. Tarrion searched on of the bookshelves while Serana kept looking at the stone circle in the centre of the room. A deafening silence had filled the hall and Tarrion knew that Serana held a lot of conflicting emotions boiled up inside, and in an effort to release some of them he asked her.
"Were you close with your mother?"
Serana looked like she only heard it half.
"Hmm?"
"Were you close with your mother?" Tarrion asked again. "You seem to have some good memories about her."
Serana sighed.
"Well… yes. I was. I would never hesitate to share anything with her. She taught me a lot, about almost everything. I used to help her tend the garden."
Serana smiled, like she remembered how it once was.
"We would spend hours there. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating reagents for alchemy. But…."
"But then it all changed." and Serana nodded.
"Yes…. They both did. I would try to help her in the garden, but she would quickly shoo me away, saying she was much too busy. And it all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long."
Tarrion walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Are you alright?"
"I… I think so. But let us focus on what's in front of us. We need to find out where she went."
"Very well, so how do we do that."
Serana looked around again, from the shelves to the tables, to the stone circle in the centre of the room.
"That circle is obviously… something. I don't know what it is, but it looks like she wat trying to advance her necromancy, but I don't know to what end. But I am pretty sure she would have a journal somewhere. We need to find that."
And so Tarrion and Serana searched every end and nook of the laboratory. After a while, when Tarrion looked through a small dresser on the elevated part of the laboratory, he opened a drawer and found an old, brown journal with yellowed pages. He opened it and read some of its contents.
27th Last Seed
Harkon's shortsightedness is becoming a serious problem. I've warned him time and time again that his foolish prophecy would cast far too much light on our people and yet he refuses to so much listen to a word I say. I've become less a wife and more of an annoyance in his eyes. Devoting attention to my work is the only solace I can find while enduring his ridiculous crusade.
28th Last Seed
I've had a breakthrough today. I was able to attune the portal vessel to the Soul Cairn properly by using a small sample of ingredients. Although the portal opened only for a few seconds, I'm confident that with the proper formula, it can be sustained indefinitely. I feel like I'm missing a key ingredient, something of sufficient potency that can resist the forces trying to prevent my intrusion. Communing with the Ideal Masters has proved worthless. They speak in riddles and offer no assistance whether I ensure them a steady supply of souls or not. If I'm to escape Harkon's clutches, I need to keep the portal open long enough to carry me away from here… forever if need be.
"Serana! I found it."
Serana came rushing from the other end of the room.
"You found it! What does it say?"
Tarrion looked through the pages again.
"There are a few lines about your father, but it boils down to the fact that she doesn't trust him. But then it changes and she speaks of something called the 'Soul Cairn'. She then says something about contacting something in this 'Soul Cairn'."
Serana walked around in circles and played with her hair.
"The Soul Cairn? Why would she…?"
"You know this place? What is it?"
"I only know of what she told me. She had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside them do not simply vanish when used, but end up in the Soul Cairn. The Soul Cairn is a tiny sliver of Oblivion, the realm of the Daedra. Supposedly it is home to extremely powerful beings known as the 'Ideal Masters'. Necromancers send them souls, and receive power to summon the undead."
"Your mother explains something here about entering the Soul Cairn."
Serana looked up with surprise.
"Really? Let me take a look." and she grabbed the journal from Tarrion's hands.
Tarrion saw Serana's eyes flash over the pages and she turned around and walked up to the balcony overlooking the stone circle.
"I think this circle must be some kind of portal. We need to find the right ingredients to activate it."
"So what do we need?"
Serana turned a few pages around.
"Hmm… a handful of soulgem shards… some finely-ground bonemeal… a good bit of purified voidsalts… and… ach, dammit."
"What is it?"
"We are also going to need a sample of her blood. And if we could get that, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."
Tarrion thought a moment.
"Maybe not…"
"What do you mean?" Serana asked.
"You are her daughter, right? You share her blood."
Serana looked at Tarrion and she smiled.
"Not bad. That is some excellent thinking. I think that could indeed work. Let's hope it works, mistakes with these type of portals can be… gruesome."
"So, all the other ingredients are here?"
"Yes, definitely. She would keep enough of all these ingredients, in case the first attempt would fail. We just need to find them."
And so they went from searching for a journal, to searching for ingredients. But since they already went through the laboratory, they had no difficulty finding them, and a few moments later they met on the small balcony overlooking the stone circle. A small, silver vessel stood on the edge of the balcony and Serana poured all the ingredients in the silver bowl.
"So, then the rest is up to me. Are you ready?... I'm not entirely sure what this is going to do once I add my blood."
"Can I ask you a question first?"
Serana pulled her wrist away from the bowl, and it looked like she was almost relieved that Tarrion made her wait.
"Of course, what is it?"
"Well… you seem conflicted about your mother. Do you know what you will do when we meet her?"
Serana sighed.
"I've been asking myself the same thing ever since we came back to the castle. I… I don't know. It's just…. She was so sure about what we did against my father, and I couldn't help but go along with her. But it was never my idea to be locked underground, but she wanted to get me as far away from my father before he really went over the edge."
Tarrion could hear a tone of frustration in her voice. When she said it wasn't her idea to be locked away, he could even hear some anger, but only for a moment.
"It sounds like, despite everything, she still cared for you the most, and wanted to keep you safe."
"…Maybe…. I guess even a Vampire mother is still a mother. I suppose she worried about me."
"We won't know until we find her."
"Yes.. you're right. I'm sorry, I just never expected anyone to care how I felt about her."
"Well, I do care." Tarrion said, and he meant it from the bottom of his heart.
"Thank you…. Are we ready then?" and Tarrion nodded.
"Alright. Here goes nothing."
Serana made a slight cut in her arm and a few drops of blood fell into the bowl, along with the ingredients.
As soon as the first drop touched the other ingredients, the entire room started to shake. The circle began to crack and pale, blue light began to shine from underneath it. The circle cracked more and suddenly it broke completely, leaving a large hole from which now pale light shone, lighting up the entire room. The broken pieces hovered around and all took place next to each other or above another. Within a few seconds a strange, broken staircase was made that connected the portal with the balcony where Tarrion and Serana stood. It looked like blue flames came from the portal, but Tarrion could not feel any heat and the pale light was ever changing.
"By the blood of my ancestors." Serana said in awe. "She did it! She actually made a portal to the Soul Cairn. Incredible!"
Serana was still in awe of the portal, and Tarrion walked down the staircase and reached the portal. Immediately he felt all his muscles contract and his skin started to char. The blue flames licked around his legs, and although they did not burn him, he felt pain course through his limbs. He stumbled back and reached the balcony and fell against the stone wall, surrounding it. Serana had a terrified look in her eyes and dropped to her knees next to him.
"Are you alright? That looked painful."
"Ach!... it was…. What happened?"
"Actually… I should have expected that…. I'm sorry. The Soul Cairn is… well… 'hungry', in lack for a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."
Tarrion looked from Serana to the blue flames that now looked threatening.
"So… I can't go in."
"Well…. There is a way, but I don't think you're going to like it. Vampires are, technically, not counted among the living. I could probably go through without a problem."
"So, I have to become a Vampire to go through?"
"Not your first choice I guess?"
Tarrion slowly shook his head. He knew that Vampires were not necessarily evil, but had no intention of becoming one.
"I'm sorry but, no. Is there no other way?"
Serana seemed to think for a few moments, while Tarrion rubbed his legs. The feeling of his soul being sucked from his body was a terrifying feeling, and he would not step anywhere near that portal.
"There might be another way." Serana said. "Might be. The Soul Cairn wants a soul, so we give it one… yours."
"What?... That would kill me!"
"Maybe not…. My mother taught me a few tricks. I could partially Soultrap you, and offer that gem to the Ideal Masters, and hope that is enough to satisfy them. I think it will… I mean…. You are Dragonborn, so the soul of a Dragon is not something to scorn away."
Tarrion sighed and stood up.
"Those are my only options?"
"I'm afraid they are…. Just… remember that, no matter what you choose, I won't think any less of you. Sometimes things just have to be done…. I know that better than anybody."
"Then Soultrap me." Tarrion said. "I mean no offence, but…. It's not you, but I don't think I would feel right as a Vampire."
"Are you sure? I'm willing to do it, but you need to think it through. You'll remain mortal, but you will be weakened while in the Soul Cairn."
Tarrion nodded.
"I'm sure."
"I… I hope you trust me. I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I do. I trust you completely."
Serana gave a him a warm smile.
"Thank you…. Then hold still."
Serana charged a small orb of dark light in her hand. She took a long breath and looked at Tarrion, and he nodded. She then threw the orb at him and Tarrion felt a surge go through him. A strange, surreal feeling went through him, from his head to his heart, and then out of him. Serana had grabbed a black soulgem from one of the shelves and Tarrion could see dark light being sucked from his body and being drawn into the gem. The gem glowed slightly, and then a small, purple light started to pulsate from the centre of the gem, like a small heartbeat.
"Are… are you alright?"
Tarrion felt woozy. He tried to walk, and that seemed to go normally, but he still felt weakened. Serana walked up to the portal and held the gem up. As soon as the first of the blue flames touched her leg, the black soul gem flew out of her hand and disappeared in the portal. Tarrion walked carefully toward the portal and the blue flames licked his legs, but the pain did not follow.
"The bargain is accepted." Serana said and Tarrion followed her into the portal, and they entered the Soul Cairn.
They entered a world that made both Tarrion and Serana feel uneasy. They walked down more stairs and the portal above them did not close. Tarrion looked around and saw nothing but death and decay. Strange ruins made of black stone were scattered throughout the plains over which they looked. Here and there they saw strange trees, that neither of them had ever seen before, and it looked like they were dead. Tarrion saw wandering spectres walking everywhere, but they seemed to ignore them. Tarrion also saw strange creatures, made of rotting, black flesh and black bones wandering around. They did notice the two that just entered their realm, but kept their distance. The sky was strange. There were no clouds but lightning struck occasionally, and it almost looked like a massive, black hole was were the sun should be. They could see no stars, and yet it was not dark, for a slight, purple light covered all.
The two of them did not stay to admire the view but followed a path that led them past many broken buildings, and countless spectres that were wandering around.
"This place is…"
Tarrion could not find the words that would express what he felt.
"I know." Serana said. "I feel bad for those that end up here."
"Does anything even live here?"
Serana uttered a sarcastic laugh.
"Look at this place, do you think anything would 'want' to live here? The only things that live here are the undead, the souls themselves and the Ideal Masters…. Well, if you want to call that 'living'."
"Do you think we will meet the Ideal Masters?"
"I don't think anyone has ever 'met' them. They could be underground, flying above us. They might be the ground, I have no idea."
"Do you know why the harvest these souls?" Tarrion asked when a spectre walked past him while mumbling to himself.
"There are lots of theories. Some say they feed on them, like I feed on blood. Others say that they used them as currency to an even higher power… a very strange currency. But, whatever they are doing with them, they have been harvesting for millennia. There is no telling how many souls are here."
They continued to follow the path, when another soul suddenly tried to grab Tarrion. Her hands went right through him and she was clearly shouting something at him, but he heard nothing and could only see her vague mouth open and close. The spectre disappeared as soon as Tarrion made a move and went up in smoke.
"This place is freaking me out. Why did your mother even come here?"
Serana sighed.
"Probably out of fear. To avoid whatever my father would do to her if he could get his hands on her."
"He would really kill her? His own wife?"
Serana nodded.
"Ever since we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power, and I think they would both do anything to see the other fall."
"And you were caught in the middle."
"I was…. It…. It took me a long time to find out my mother was just as obsessed as my father. I don't know… maybe I could have seen this coming."
"It was not your responsibility." Tarrion said. "You cannot blame yourself for their actions."
"I know that I my heart, but… I can't help but feel…."
Tarrion did not let her finish and grabbed her hand, and he saw it as a good sign that she didn't pull her hand away.
In the distance they saw a large castle on a hill. They followed the path to it and saw the remains of a ruined tower lying in front of the main staircase that led to the main gate. As soon as they walked up the steps they saw a figure standing against one of the pillars that was built on either side of the gate. Serana jumped up and walked faster.
"Mother? Mother!"
The figure looked up and, even from a distance Tarrion could see an expression of pure shock on her face.
"Maker, it can't be… Serana?"
Valerica was, just like Serana, clad in black clothes with a cloak. She was only slightly taller than her daughter and her hair was only slightly lighter. It was partly tied up in a small bun behind her head, and partly it hung on the side of her head. Her eyes were glowing red and when she spoke, Tarrion could see the white fangs. Despite that she was older than Serana, she looked like she was still fairly young and she had a handsome face, but Tarrion assumed this was on account of her being a Vampire.
"Mother, is it really you? I can't believe it!"
Serana's voice was a combination of shock, relief and surprise. She ran toward Valerica but walked into an invisible barrier. Valerica stood a few feet from where Serana was stopped and looked with disbelief at her daughter.
"Serana, what are you doing here? Where is your father?"
"He doesn't know we're here." Serana said. "But how do we get inside, we have to talk."
Valerica seemed to ignore her and a look of desperation came in her eyes.
"I must have failed. Harkon has deciphered a way to complete the Prophecy, hasn't he?"
"No…. no you don't understand." Serana tried to explain. "We're here to stop him, to make everything right."
Valerica again ignored her and now noticed Tarrion. Her look changed from shock, to anger.
"Wait a minute…. You brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind!?"
"No, no… you don't…"
But Valerica raised her hand to stop Serana and she walked toward Tarrion.
"You there! Tell me how it has come to pass that a Vampire Hunter is in the company of MY daughter? You travel under the guise of her protector, in an effort to hunt me down?"
"No! Not at all." Tarrion defended himself. "She is right, we are her to stop Harkon."
"Ha! Coming from someone who murders Vampires for a trade, I find it hard to believe you!"
"I pulled her out of that tomb to save her from your plan."
"My plan?" Valerica almost shouted. "Do you really think that I would lock my own daughter away for my own sake? Or only to protect an Elder Scroll? The Scrolls merely describe what can come to pass. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun, is Serana herself."
Tarrion felt himself calm down, but only for his anger to make place for fear.
"What do you mean?"
"Like myself, Serana was human once. When we were selected as offerings to Molag Bal, when we were turned into Vampires, we became something that others can only guess. We became Pure-blooded Vampires. The Scrolls tell that 'The Blood of Coldharbour's Daughter can blind the Eye of the Dragon.' If a woman becomes a Pure-blooded Vampire by Molag Bal, she becomes a Daughter of Coldharbour. Harkon only needs Serana's blood, to complete the Prophecy. That is why I sealed her away! That is why I hid away! To prevent the Prophecy from ever happening."
Tarrion was blown away by this news. He thought that Serana would just be, what Harkon would see as, 'collateral damage'. But now he realized that Serana was at the centre of the Prophecy. They key to it.
He looked at Serana, and her eyes were wide open in shock. She looked at him with more fear in her eyes than ever, and Tarrion remembered something important.
"And what was Serana's choice in this?"
"What?" Valerica asked. She did not expect this question, but she pulled herself together very fast. "You care nothing for Serana, or our struggle, our plight."
But Tarrion would hear none of it.
"I don't care if you believe me, but I trust Serana… and she trusts me."
Valerica looked from him to Serana, and she was clearly shocked.
"Serana? This stranger has murdered others like us, aligns himself with those that would hunt you down, and yet I should entrust you to him?"
Serana's face became combination of disbelief and anger.
"This stranger?... This stranger has done more for me, in the brief time I've known him than you have done in centuries! He has already saved my life twice!"
"How dare you!" Valerica burst out. "I gave up everything I care about, to protect you from that fanatic you call a 'father'!"
Tarrion could see that Serana got angrier with every word her mother said, and he could see tears in her eyes.
"Yes! I know he is a fanatic! I know he has… changed, but he is still my father! Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"
Valerica sighed.
"Oh, Serana. If you would only open your eyes…."
"NO! YOU OPEN YOUR EYES!"
Serana screamed it out and tears rolled over her pale face and her eyes were glowing brighter than ever.
"YOU decided to shut ME away from everything 'I' cared about! YOU never asked ME if hiding me in that cave was the best course of action. You just expected me to follow you blindly, and you never considered what I wanted! Your motivations might have been different from father's, but in the end… I was just as much a pawn to you too. Don't think for a second, that I will trust you over him! The last I saw of you was a woman that sealed me away FOR FIFTEEN HUNDRED YEARS! YOU!…"
Serana could not take it anymore and she turned around and ran off the stairs and disappeared behind the broken tower. Tarrion remained behind with only the barrier separating him and Valerica. He looked at her and he saw a different type of shock on her face. Like she finally realized what she had done. Tarrion turned around as well and wanted to follow Serana.
"Wait… I…" he heard Valerica say, but he did not turn around.
"No." He said. "She has said everything that had to be said."
Behind the tower he found Serana, sitting against the remains of the tower and her eyes were red with tears. She had her legs pulled up and rested her head on her knees. Tarrion said nothing and just sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She then fell around his neck and she cried. Tarrion could feel her entire body shake with grief and he felt her tears drip down on his neck. He embraced her and held her tightly, and he felt that he should have done that a long time ago. He gently caressed her back and kissed her black hair.
They sat there for a long time, and slowly Serana calmed but she still did not let go of him, but only tightened her grip.
"This is not how I imagined how things would happen."
Serana still sobbed a bit, but Tarrion could hear that she was calming herself.
"I know…." He said and he pressed his head against hers.
"I'm sorry… I…." but Tarrion stopped her.
"Don't… don't say that you shouldn't cry, because you have every reason to. I should be the one to apologize."
"Why?"
Tarrion sighed.
"I should have realized how you felt. I should have been there for you more. I… I'm sorry that you had to carry this on your own."
"Don't be." Serana said and she kissed his neck. "I…. I'm just glad you're here with me now."
And for the first time in his life, Tarrion felt like he was where he belonged.
"Then here I will stay. I will not abandon you."
He let go of Serana and looked her in her beautiful, glowing eyes. He gently wiped a tear of her cheek and cupped her face.
"Your father abandoned you, and so did your mother. But I promise you this; I will not abandon you."
And Serana's face changed, and she smiled at him, her eyes wet with tears of joy, and hugged him.
"But we should try and find a way to get your mother to help us."
"Yes… you're right."
Serana let him go, and Tarrion could see a deep happiness in her eyes. But when they stood up, she seemed hesitant. Tarrion could see that she felt conflicted about confronting her mother again, and he offered to talk to her alone, which she accepted. And so Tarrion walked up the stairs alone to talk to Valerica, while Serana stayed behind the broken tower.
"What happened to…." Valerica started, but Tarrion raised his hand.
"What happened is not your concern. I do not care if you trust me or not, I only want to know if you want to help us stop Harkon. Do you have one of the Elder Scrolls?"
He was blunt, and felt no need to ask nicely, and it was clear that Valerica was thrown off by this. But Tarrion knew it was because of what Serana had said. She nodded.
"Good. How do we get through this barrier?"
"It was put here by the Ideal Masters, when they found out they couldn't have my soul. They sent their Keepers to kill me, but when I took shelter here, they raised the barrier and prevented me from leaving. If you kill these three Keepers, the barrier dies with them."
"Where can we find them?"
Valerica pointed at something behind Tarrion, and he turned around.
"Do you see those towers? The three highest of them collect energy to fuel the barrier. At their bases you will find the Keepers."
"Then we will return when they are dead."
"Wait.. one more word of warning. The Ideal Masters have sent a Dragon named Durnehviir to keep watch, and he will definitely come if you are perceived as a threat. So… tread carefully….. and keep my daughter safe."
=End of Chapter=
=Authors Notes=
So, another chapter complete. I know this takes like…. Fifteen minutes in-game, and I squeezed into an entire chapter, but oh well. I know it is a ton of exposition, but I do feel like it is needed here. I am a bit of a sucker for detail and descriptions of the environment and the world that the characters travel, so yea, I do that here as well. I do hope you like it.
I know I said that I had to take a break and I needed to figure some personal matters out. I did, and thank goodness the effects won't happen until another few weeks. Until that time, I still have school stuff to do, but since I am in the middle of a project week, I don't have homework, so I got that going form me, which is nice. The new Safe-file is not nearly at the point where the story is, because i still have a ton of other quests to do.
I got a few messages from two or three people that had questions about the romance between Tarrion and Serana, and why it still hasn't come to the point when the two of them just grab each other and start making out. While a tender moment happened here, I will still address the issue and I have these reasons for that:
1: I am someone that takes his time with romances. I think it needs time, for it to develop, and for it to actually make sense. Have you ever met a guy/girl and within a week you would walk through fire for her/him? I doubt it. It is so that Tarrion and Serana met not a week ago, so it does go decently fast for my taste. The main reason is that I don't want to do it too soon, but most of all want to do it right. And that takes time.
2: If you have played the game, you know of Serana's background and her difficult childhood. Therefore I made it difficult for her to enter any emotional relationship, with anybody. Tarrion knows this and is also hesitant, mostly because he does not want to presume, or put Serana in a compromising position or make her feel uncomfortable. Despite this, they both care for each other, more than either of them will admit, and their hearts say 'Yes', but their heads say 'No'.
Also concerning the kiss in Arc 2, Chapter 3:
Especially Serana tries to forget it, because she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. For her it was a moment, and she felt strange afterwards. Tarrion also thinks of it as a moment that Serana now regrets, and he thinks that she didn't mean it. I know I should have explained it better, and more from Serana's point of view, so I am sorry for that.
But the real start of the romance is getting there. Just be patient.
Dragon Language Used:
None used
Big PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands), so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.