A/N: I've noticed some of the people who've left reviews on this story pointing out inconsistencies, nitpicks, etc. So I've decided to make an FAQ page on my profile to explain why these changes were made. I'll be updating it more as the story goes on.
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.
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!