Chapter 35: The Soulcairn

After Wendy left the group for Mzulft, Dipper and Serana made their way back to the Castle Volkihar. They agreed on regrouping in the Dawnguard after they've got both Scrolls.

When Dipper and Serana finally arrived on Volkihar Island, Serana led him around the castle until they reached a small inlet. It was definitely the dock she was talking about. Completely broken down, and shipnoses pocking through the water. It really wasn't used in years. Four skeletons rised from the bones laying around. They were quickly taken care of, and the two entered the building.

"The old water cistern. On some days, this smell would just… be glad that you weren't here then."

"To be honest, it doesn't smell good now either." Dipper said while holding his nose.

"Take a left up here. This is one of those weird double-barred security measures that my father put in when he got more paranoid."

After dealing with the security measures, and a Vampire with five Deathhound companions, the two went outside again, into the courtyard of the castle. After Seranas description, it sounded like a beautiful oasis, but it looked like something out of a goth-movie.

A lot of the plants were either dead or dying, the grass was brown-grey, and the water in the little pond was green. In the middle of the courtyard was a giant moondial. However, some phases were missing.

"Oh no… What happened to this place? Everything's been torn down… The whole place looks… well, dead."

"I don't know. Kind of fits into a Vampire castle." Dipper replied.

Serana pointed to one of the several stairs that led back into the castle. "This used to lead into the castle's great hall. It looks like my father had it sealed up. Used to walk through here after evening meals." Dipper cringed, knowing what she meant with 'meals' . "It was beautiful, once. This was my mothers garden. It… do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for hundreds of years?"

"Not really. I've only been alive for twelve."

"So, what is the older thing you have seen then?"

"Uhm, good question. Bill Cipher, I guess."

"Then take that and make it hundred times more beautiful." Serana said.

"Uh, no thanks." Dipper replied while a shiver went down his spine.

"Okay then." Serana let her sight go over the garden again. "She would have hated to see it like this." She stopped at the moondial. "Something's wrong with the moondial here." They stepped on it. "Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew. I didn't even know the crests could be removed. Maybe my mothers trying to tell us something?"

"Why? Is this thing special somehow?"

"Well, as far as I am aware, it's the only one in existence. The previous owners of the castle had a sundial in the courtyard, and obviously that didn't appear to my mother. She persuaded an elven artist to make some improvements. You can see the plates that show the phase of the moons, Masser and Secunda."

"And how does it work? I mean, moons don't really give out light, or create shadows."

Serana moved parts of a plant off the dial with her foot. "That's the thing. I've always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out. But she loved it."

"Well, it looks good. But what are we gonna do with it…" Dipper thought for a moment, until he had an idea. "Of course. The missing crests. You said they were still in place before you got sealed away, right?"

"Right."

"And when your mother left after that, she maybe ripped them out."

"What are you saying?"

"That there is a secret passage underneath." He got down and held his ear on the ground, while knocking the dial. "Yep, secret Passage. And if we find the missing crests, it could open."

Serana crossed her arms. "Wow. You have experience with that kind of stuff, don't you?"

"Yeah, a bit. Now, we only have to find the crests."

They began searching through the Courtyard. Dipper stopped before the pond, where he could see a little reflection underwater. He looked around and picked up a metalrod, which he used to fish the crest out of the water. He swiped off the algeas, and saw a half moon on it. He put it in the middle of the dial and resumed his search. The next crest was behind some flowers, leaned against the wall. It had a full moon on it.

Serana held up the last one, with a crescending moon on it. They put them into the dial in the right order, and it opened up a hidden staircase. "Very clever, mother. Very clever. I've never been in those tunnels before, but I'd bet they run right under the courtyard and into the tower ruins. Well, at least we're getting closer. Let's go."

After traveling the tunnels, and defeating a number of gargoyles on the way, they arrived at a fireplace, with no other way to go.

"Bet there's a secret entrance here too?" Dipper asked.

"Surely." They began to search for the lever, and Dipper pulled a candlestick.

The fireplace opened up into a secret room. "Huh, the old 'Passage behind the fireplace' clichè." Dipper muttered.

"Leave it to my mother… always smarter than I gave her credit for."

Behind the fireplace was an old laboratory. It had two floors, and a big rune in the middle of the lower floor. Ingredients for alchemy stood around everywhere.

"Look at this place. This has to be it! I knew she was deep into necromancy. I mean, she taught me everything I know. But I had no idea she had a setup like this. Look at all this. She must have spent years collecting these components. And what's that thing?" She looked down on the rune. "I'm not sure about this circle, but it's obviously… something. Let's take a look around. There has to be something here that tells us where she's gone."

Both began to search through all the stuff here. There really was everything: Flowers, dusts, berries, feathers and other ingredients. Although some of them were already rotting. Dipper found a book in a shelve near the entrance. It read Valerica's Journal on the cover. "Serana? I think I've found something."

The Vampire walked up to him and took it. "Interesting."

"Hey, by the way, there was something about a Soul Cairn in there. What is that?" He pulled out his Journal to write down the information about the Cairn.

"I only know what my mother told me. She had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside them don't just vanish when they are used… They end up in the Soul Cairn."

"Farengar in Whiterun told us that the souls don't vanish." Dipper pointed out.

"Really? Either the mages noticed it whilst I was sealed away, or he lied. Anyway, the Soul Cairn is home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls, and retrieve powers of their own in return. My mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them directly, to travel to the Soul Cairn itself."

"I'm getting a feeling where she might have gone."

"Well, the circle in the center of the room is definitely some kind of Portal. If I'm reading this right, there's a formula here that should give us safe Passage into the Soul Cairn. We need a handful of soul gem shards, some finely-ground bone meal, a good bit of purified void salts… Oh… damn it…"

"What is it? Something wrong?"

"We're also going to need a sample of her blood. Which… if we could get it, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."

"But your blood should work then. If this is like a DNS-Scanner, that is. You are her daughter after all."

"Hmmmm. Not bad. We'd better hope that's good enough. Mistakes with these kinds of Portals can be… gruesome. Anyway, enough of that. Let's get started."

They searched through the laboratory again, and after some time had all the ingrediants ready. Serana put them in the vessel in front of the portal. Then the rest is up to me. Are you ready to go? I'm not entirely sure what this thing is going to do when I add my blood."

Dipper looked around, and got into cover behind a pillar. "Yeah, I'm ready."

She used a knife to cut her finger and let the blood drop into the vessel. Soon after, the stones on the ground began to move, and a portal into a blue-purple vortex opened. The stones began to form a ramp into the portal. Dippers eyes widened at the sight and he came out of his cover.

"By the blood of my ancestors… She actually did it… created a portal to the Soul Cairn. Incredible."

"So, can we enter it?"

"I guess so."

Dipper jumped down the ledge and got to the ramp, slowly walking into the Vortex. Suddenly, an explosion occured, and he was thrown back into a pillar. He felt the air leaving his lungs, and at least some bones breaking. Serana ran to him, and pulled a healing potion out of the bag. "Here."

He drank it with one sip, and felt his bones move back. After drinking a second one and waiting some seconds, he felt okay again. "Are you alright? That looked painful."

"Trust me. It was. Very painful." He got back up, but his body still hurt all over. "What happened?"

"Now that I think about it… I should have expected that."

Dipper starred at her angry. "And you're saying this now?"

"Sorry. It's hard to describe. The Soul Cairn is… well, hungry, for lack of a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."

"Yeah, I'm not going in there then. No way I get in there alive."

"There might be a way, but I don't think you're going to like it."

Dipper sighed. "What is it?"

"Vampires aren't counted among the living."

Dipper realized what she was suggesting. "No way! I'm not going to turn into one of you. Forget it."

"Hmmm. We could just pay the toll another way."

"And how? Sacrifice a goat?" Dipper joked.

"Well, it wants a soul, so we are going to give it a soul. Yours."

"Uhm, this isn't better then the first solution."

"My mother taught me a trick or two. I could partially soul trap you, and offer that gem to the Ideal Masters. It might be enough to satisfy them. It would make you a bit weaker when we travel through the Soul Cairn, but we might be able to fix that once we're inside. Maybe."

"Yeah, I'm taking that one. Maybe it won't be that bad, I've absorbed some dragon souls afterall."

"Are you sure? I'm willing to do it, but you need to think it through. You'll remain mortal, but you'll find yourself weakened in the Soul Cairn."

"I'm not one for brute strength anyways. Let's just hope it works."

"I know this is hard for you. I hope you trust me. I'd never do anything that could hurt you."

"Y-Yeah. I trust you." He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared, and expected something to go wrong.

"Thank you. I promise I will make this as painless as possible. Hold still." She casted a Spell on Dipper, and he felt part of himself leaving him. Even though she promised to make it as painless as possible, it still hurt like hell. "There. Now, my mother must be waiting on the other side of that thing. Come on." Both entered the Soul Cairn.

The world around Dipper was beginning to evaporate, and his sight became completely purple, and then dark, then bright again. He woke up in a barren wasteland. Dead trees grew everywhere, energy streamed out from cracks in the ground and bones laid everywhere. "It definitely looks like a place a vampire would live." Dipper muttered.

Along their way through the realm, they saw a number of trapped souls. They decided to go to a castle in the distance, and when they arrived, a forcefield kept them from entering. A woman stood inside. "Mother!" Serana ran to the field and touched it.

"Maker… Can it be?" Valerica came closer to the field too. Dipper stepped beside Serana.

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

"Serana? What are you doing here? Where's your father?" It sounded like Valerica was far less exited than Serana.

"He doesn't know that we're here. I don't have time to explain."

"I must have failed. Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?" She spit out Harkons name like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Actually, he has not." Dipper answered. "At least I think so."

"Wait a moment… you've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?"

"No, you don't-"

"You. Come forward. I wish to speak with you." Dipper stepped a foot closer. "So how has it come to pass that a vampire hunter is in the company of my daughter? It pains me to think you'd travel with Serana under the guide her protector in an effort to hunt me down."

"I don't want to hunt anyone down. I just want to stop your Ex. And the Dawnguard actually told me to keep her safe."

"Safe? You call bringing her here safe? Has she explained anything to you? Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you."

"And that is why we need the Elder Scroll you have." Dipper replied.

"You think I'd have the audacity to place my own daughter in that tomb for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone? The Scrolls are merely a means to an end. The key to the tyranny of the sun is Serana herself."

That surprised Dipper. "Say what now?"

"When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls. The scroll I presume you found with Serana speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon, Auriel's Bow. The second Scroll declares that 'The blood of Coldharbour's Daughter will blind the eye of the Dragon.'"

"Uhm, and what does this have to do with her?"

"Like myself, Serana was a human once. We were devout followers of Lord Molag Bal."

"Uhm, who?"

"Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of Domination, Enslavement and Rape."

"Let me guess, he is a bad guy." Dipper asked. He had to deal with the fact that something like gods actually seem to exist, or at least people who are so powerful that they got religion followers. But there was this word again, Daedric Prince. After all of this, he had to look into them. He felt like they were pretty important.

"Kind of. It- It is hard to explain. Anyways, tradition dictates that the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day." Okay, maybe they weren't gods, but some kind of demons. "Few survive the ordeal."

"Which ordeal?"

"How old are you?"

"Twelve, why?"

Valerica crossed her arms. "Then I'm not going to tell much. Let's just say it has something to do with the three things he is the Lord of."

It took Dipper a few moments until he understood. "Oh. Ew. That is horrible. Why did he enslave you?"

Serana and Valerica facepalmed at the same time. Dipper looked confused, and then it snapped. "Oh. That is even worse. Can we go back to the whole prophecy thing?"

Both nodded. The topic was just as awkward for them. "Those that survive, emerged as pure-blooded vampire. We call such confluences the 'Daughters of Coldharbour'."

"And what is Coldharbour?"

"It's what some call the drain of Molag Bal. His place in Olivion."

"So, like another Dimension."

"Basically."

"And the prophecy require her blood then?"

Valerica smiled. "Now you're beginning to see why I wanted to project Serana, and why I've kept the other Elder Scroll as far from her as possible."

"Wait, wait, wait. Does this met Harkon would kill her?"

"If Harkon obtained Auriel's Bow and Serana's blood was used to taint the weapon, the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires."

"And what is this Tyranny of the Sun even?"

"It would mean that the vampires would have the ability to, well, shut the sun off. And Harkon would have it shut off all the time."

Dipper thought about that for a moment. "That would be catastrophical. The plants would die, then the animals, then vampires too, everything would fall into an Ice Age."

"I know. But wether or not you've become undead to survive in the Soul Cairn, you're still a vampire hunter at heart. You're here because we're abominations in your mind. Evil creatures that need to be destroyed."

"No I'm no-" Dipper took a deep breath. "Listen. Serana believes me, why don't you?"

She turned back to Serana. "This stranger aligns himself with those who would hunt you down and slay you like an animal, yet I should entrust you to him?"

"This 'Stranger' and his friend have done more for me in the brief time I've known them than you've done in centuries."

"Friend? I only see one?"

"Yeah, Wendy is in some place called Mzulft." Dipper explained. "I wonder how she's doing…"

Meanwhile, in the dephts of Mzulft, Wendy killed roughly the twentieth Falmer. She wiped the Blood of the blade, when another one jumped out of his hiding spot. "Oh how many of this goddamn things are there?"

"Probably well."

"How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to project you from that fanatic you call a father!"

"Yes, he's a fanatic… he's changed. But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"

Valerica shook her hread. "Oh, Serana. If you'd only open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'd be in terrible danger."

"Or your blood." Dipper pointed out.

"That's why I am here. He would never work out the portal. He is a terrible Idiot."

"So to protect me, you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked me if hiding in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still just a pawn to you, too. I want us to be a family again. But I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us. But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. And to do that, we need the Elder Scroll."

She thought about Seranas words for some time. "I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know… I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours."

Serana wiped away a tear. "Thanks."

Valerica turned back to Dipper. "Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me. But for Serana's sake, I'll assist you in any way I can."

"Well, do you have the Scroll with you?"

"Yes, I've kept it safely secure here ever since I was imprisoned. Fortunately, you're in a position to breach the bracier that surrounds these ruins."

"And how?"

"You need to locate the tallest of the rocky spires that surrounds these ruins. At their bases, the barriers energy is being drawn from unfortunate souls that have been exiled here. Destroy the Keepers that are tending them, and it should bring the barrier down."

"Sounds easy enough. We'll be back in no time."

As both left, Valerica yelled something at them. "One more word of warning. There's a dragon that calls itself Durnehviir roaring the Cairn."

Dipper sighed. "Of course."

"Be wary of him. The Ideal Masters have charged him with overseeing the Keepers, and will undoubtedly intervene if you're perceived as a threat. Be careful, and keep my daughter safe."

"No problem. Will be back soon."

And Chapter 35 is out.

I'll probably do Wendy's travel through Mzulft through a Flashback later on, if anyone wonders.

Now to replies:

Glitter Bomb1221: Thanks

Bayoboo: I already mentioned that he'll appear after they visited the Akaviri Temple.

corondomontes: Thanks, but you don't have to write it in spanish and then in english.

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