Thankfully, as they made their way through the dreary halls and passages of the abandoned tower, they didn't encounter any more spiders. Mora wasn't sure her heart would survive another surprise spider attack, and her dignity was already in shambles after the first one. As she slashed and hacked at the numerous skeletons that kept jumping out at them, Mora was still fuming about that particular encounter. If she hadn't been with Serana it wouldn't have been a big deal, she could have just killed everyone in the vicinity and her secret would have been safe. But now Serana knew of her greatest weakness. Spiders. The skeletons and gargoyles were no problem. They at least didn't make grotesque clicking noises, and they only had two legs. Secretly, she hailed Serana as her savior for killing that horrible spider and saving her from being forced into close quarters with it, but she wouldn't voice those thoughts. She couldn't give the woman the satisfaction.

Mora couldn't help but noticed Serana's growing frustration as they blasted their way through ranks of skeletons. The vampire clearly didn't see the point in her mother leaving behind so many guards, and was using more and more potent spells with each skeleton they encountered. They seemed to appear from thin air, and were hiding behind almost every possible corner. When they came across a room with four gargoyles, Serana had clearly had enough.

"Mora," she spoke in a voice that seemed just a little too calm, "please stand back." The elf did so, eyeing the inanimate gargoyles warily. Obviously, Serana could take them on by herself, but gargoyles tended to be tough, and often able to resist-

"HAH!"

Mora blinked owlishly at the gargoyle head that rested near her feet. Compared to the other gargoyles, it was actually relatively intact. The blast of energy Serana had unleashed was more than enough to obliterate the four gargoyles before they even had a chance to animate, and even at Mora's distance she was knocked back a few paces.

The elf simply smiled because, oh yeah, that was really hot. After they finished getting the scroll, she was going to make sure Serana knew exactly how much she really appreciated her. She could image it right now: Serana bending her over her desk and-

"Mora, love," Serana was smirking, "you're drooling." Mora quickly close her mouth, which she hadn't even realised was hanging open, instead opting to give Serana her best sultry grin.

"I can't help it." She traced her pointer finger slowly over her bottom lip. "You're such a powerful woman, it just makes me so...hot." The way Serana's eyes darkened with lust proved that she had won this round. She took the victory with maybe a little more pride than was appropriate.

It was only a short time later that they finally found what they were looking for. Behind a false fireplace and up a short twisting staircase, was a room that varied heavily in appearance from the rest of the abandoned tower. Mora didn't understand how Serana's mother had hidden a whole tower inside the castle, but decided she didn't really care.

"This has to be it!" Serana said excitedly, pushing past her to get a better look at the room. It was just as dreary as the rest of the castle, but unlike the vacant halls they recently passed through, this room seemed to actually have been used. Various alchemy ingredients were lined up neatly on shelves, along with an extensive collection of books and an assortment of bones. Serana picked up one of the bleached skulls, turning it over in her pale hands.

"I knew she was deep into necromancy. I mean, she taught me everything I know." She set down the skull, her piercing orange eyes scanning the room. "But I had no idea she had a setup like this." While the array of magical items was undoubtedly impressive, Mora didn't know the first thing about necromancy. Conjuration in general was a weak point for her, which was mostly because she never attempted to try it. She didn't need to summon others to fight her battles for her. Besides, that would ruin the fun.

"But...what's this thing?" Serana was now inspecting what appeared to be the centerpiece of the room. It was a large circular indentation in the floor, with multiple rings almost like a shallow round staircase. Candles lined the outermost ring, and whatever it was, it looked important.

"My mother was very meticulous with her research, maybe we'll find something in her old notes," Serana offered. Mora shrugged, and the women began their search.

It wasn't long before Mora heard Serana's excited voice from the bookshelves, prompting Mora to set down the copy of the Lusty Argonian Maid she had been reading, and hurry to her side. Serana was wearing an uncharacteristic scowl as she leafed through a small red journal, which worried Mora slightly.

"It seems like my mother found a way into the Soul Cairn. The recipe itself isn't difficult to copy, but we need her blood for it to work."

"I don't know what the Soul Cairn is, but maybe your blood would work?" Mora offered, hoping she didn't sound too much like an idiot. Serana gave her a sharp look.

"Of course…" She shook her head as if to clear it before locking eyes with Mora once again.

"My mother had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside of them don't just vanish when used... they end up in the Soul Cairn. The Soul Cairn is home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls, and receive powers of their own in return," she explained patiently, "My mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them directly, to travel to the Soul Cairn itself. If I'm correct, that thing in the middle of the room is some sort of portal." Mora smiled at the excitement in Serana's voice. She clapped her hands decisively.

"Let's get to it, then." Serana gave her an amused smirk.

"Yes, let's. It looks like we'll need a handful of soul gem shards, some finely-ground bone meal, and a good bit of purified bone salts…"

After a fair bit of rummaging around, the women had assembled the required ingredients. Serana placed them in a vessel near the center of the room, then bit her arm near the wrist and dripped blood over the items. Tremors began to shake the room, and a purple glow emanated from the centerpiece. Slowly, the rings began to shift. They rose from the floor, spinning slightly, and then disassembled into random chunks of rock, before reforming once more as a staircase. The stone steps led to a bright purple portal, basking the whole room in an eerie glow.

"I can't believe she actually did it," Serana whispered. Mora could only nod dumbly, before taking a deep breath.

"Well, here goes nothing." She adopted a cocky smile, which was at odds with the nervousness in her stomach. "Wish me luck?"

"Luck," Serana smiled, pulling her into a tender kiss. When they broke apart, Mora's cocky smile adopted a slightly dazed look, but at least her confidence gained a boost. She gave Serana a cheeky wink, and jumped into the portal.

When Mora woke up, the first thing she registered was that her whole body hurt. It was as if needles were constantly piercing every tiny portion of her flesh, and it was all she could do not to scream. Despite the pounding in her head, she opened her eyes, only to squint against the bright purple light dominating the room.

"Are you alright?" Soft hands lifted her head, and she vaguely noticed that she was sprawled on the cold stone floor.

"That looked...painful. I should have expected that, sorry." Mora only groaned in response. Serana gave her a pitying look, but continued.

"The Soul Cairn is...well, hungry, for lack of a better word. It tried to take your life essence as payment." She helped Mora into a sitting position, resting her back against the stone wall, and began to pace.

"I'm sure that I would be able to go in without a problem, since I'm already dead." Mora's eyes widened.

"Are you saying-" Serana held up a hand, silencing her.

"We have two options. Either you become a vampire, or I could partially soul trap you and offer the gem to the Ideal Masters, who are the beings that reside in the Soul Cairn." Mora gulped. She had thought about the prospect before, while they were walking to the castle. The idea of being able to spend an eternity with Serana was certainly tempting, but they hadn't known each other very long, considering. That was something to contemplate in the future. If she chose to become a vampire, it would mean a lot more than if it was imposed upon her. If Serana felt that she had forced Mora into it… She shook her head, trying to clear away such thoughts. This was a discussion they could have later.

"Soul trapping you would make you a bit weaker, though," Serana contemplated, "though maybe we could fix that once we're inside." Mora scowled.

"Maybe?" Serana gave her an apologetic look.

"Maybe," she agreed.

"Soul trap me," Mora said decisively, though inwardly she felt anything but.

"Serana?" Her voice sounded timid, even to her own ears, but she continued, "I...Becoming a vampire is something I'm not ready for yet." She hated the turmoil and weakness of her own emotions, but she forged on. "Maybe one day, but...not yet. I just want you to know that I'm not turning it down because I think it's disgusting, or-" Serana's lips crashed into her own effectively silencing her.

"I love it when you do that," Serana said as they broke apart. "When you open up to me," she clarified, at Mora's confused expression. "To everyone else, you're the badass Dragonborn, but to me...you're just Mora, my adorable little elf." Mora tried really hard not to blush, and failed miserably, feeling oddly unangry at the nickname.

"I love you," she blurted, not really thinking about what she was saying.

Serana's kiss took her breath away.