Serana opened her eyes. An attempt to move was met by protest as soreness in her body made itself aware. Letting out a groan, she looked down at the weight she felt against her legs. Akiseta was sleeping, still in her werewolf form.
Serana looked over her lover's right arm. It appeared to be fine, not even a scratch was left, though some fur was missing. She looked around at Akiseta's legs, and was relieved to see them bite free.
She slid her hand underneath Akiseta, and ran it across her chest. Like on her arm, there was missing fur, but no more gashes either.
"Enjoying yourself?"
Serana looked down at the head resting in her lap. Akiseta was watching her sleepily.
"Just making sure you did heal."
"I told you I'd be fine, iluukai. And I am. Just a little sore."
"You're sore? I'm the one who slept against a rock all night."
"What's one night compared to a few thousand years?"
"That's different. At least that was smooth."
Akiseta left out a quiet chuckle, and pushed herself into a sitting position.
Serana scooted a little away from the rock, wincing at the soreness running along her back. She stretched, working to loosen her muscles. She glanced over at Akiseta, and saw she was doing the same, though she was stretching in very dog-like manners, before changing back to her normal self.
The de-transformation process was interesting. Akiseta's body shrank down as her fur receded, replaced by her dark scales. Her claws flattened out, and her tail regained its slenderness, the spines growing back out. Her feathers grew out of the top of her head as her wolfen ears sank back in, and her snout became more elongated.
Akiseta shook her head as she finished changing back, blinking away the last tinges of amber from her eyes.
"You sure you're alright?" Serana asked.
Akiseta nodded. "Yeah. Just a little worn out. Haven't had a fight like last night's in a long time."
Considering they'd fought a dragon not too long ago, that must have saying something about fighting werewolves.
Akiseta made her way to her backpack, digging out some clothes for herself. "You alright, iluukai? You got clawed up pretty good too."
"Yeah, I'm fine." Serana assured her. The spell she'd hit the white-furred werewolf with had treated her wounds well enough. The blood from one of her vials had finished the job.
Akiseta pulled her clothes on, and walked over to Serana, sitting beside her. "I'm glad you're okay."
"I'm glad you're okay too." Serana ran her hand over Akiseta's right arm, remembering how it had looked last healing potions had worked well, as well as Akiseta's natural healing in wolf form. "I was worried about you."
"I recall once telling you that you weren't getting rid of me that easily." Akiseta said with a grin.
Serana pressed her forehead to Akiseta's shoulder. "I don't want to get rid you at all."
"You won't. I promise."
She felt Akiseta's arm wrap around her, and she leaned into the embrace.
"Oh, you're both awake. Good."
They turned their heads as Sinding entered this section of his cave.
"I'm glad to see you're both recovered from last night. Will you be heading back out?"
Akiseta nodded. "Yes we will. Thank you for helping us and letting us stay here for the night."
"Anything for you, and your mate, old friend. Be careful out there."
"Same to you, raj-beeko."
Akiseta and Serana waved farewell as they left the cave. Akiseta pulled her map from her bag, and looked over it.
"Aki, do you know what causes werewolves to go feral?" Serana asked. The members of her father's court had never spoken about werewolves in any manner but degrading. There was some things them she still didn't fully know.
"Aela told me it happens when people can't separate the animal from themselves. Why?"
Serana shrugged. "Just curious, I guess. I haven't really met many werewolves. Seeing how different those ferals from last night are from you.. seeing how savage they were.."
"It was a bit of a shock to see?" Akiseta guessed.
Serana nodded. "I know werewolves can be vicious, but last night was something else. What.. what kept you from going feral?"
"The wolf blood in the Companions was gifted by followers of Hircine. It's a more direct connection to the beast world. Aside from that, my will was strong enough to keep my senses."
"So you've never lost control?"
"Loosing control and going feral are two different things, as Sinding is evidence of."
"Are you saying you have lost control?"
Akiseta sighed, and folded up the map, shoving it into her backpack. "I had one incident, one time, a very long while ago. And before you asked, no, I didn't eat anybody."
"I wouldn't judge you if you had, Aki. When it comes straight down to it, drinking mortal blood isn't a very high step up from... hunting mortals. The point is, I understand impulses, and instincts."
"I know."
"So, what was your 'incident'?"
"One day in Solitude, I met an Argonian named Jaree-Ra. He had a friendly smile, and seemed charming enough. He told me he was the one to see if I were looking for coin. I've done some odd jobs for people before, and I figured he needed some help."
"Did he?"
"Yes, but not the help I usually provide. He said he and his sister Deeja were 'treasure hunters'."
"Thieves, you mean."
"Yes. I said I wasn't a thief, and he said they only took things nobody would miss."
"So, what did you do?"
"Well, I knew this had thievery written all over it. I wanted to know what he was planning, so I listened. He told me about how a lot of ships were passing through the docks, including one called the Icerunner. He then said that if anything happened to the Solitude lighthouse fire, the ship would probably run aground on the eastern shore."
"Planning on wrecking a ship? That is low. Did you report him?"
"For what? Explaining what would happen in a tragic accident? I wanted too, but there wasn't any proof he was planning a wreck. I wanted to get proof. So, I asked what would happen to the crew if I helped him. He said that his sister and their people would make sure they'd be safe, and maybe they'd be rewarded for being heroic rescuers."
"So, they planned on wrecking the ship, taking the cargo, and then playing hero and maybe getting rewarded?"
"That's what he said."
Serana knew a lot of people saw Argonians as good-for-nothing scoundrals, and this one Akiseta had met filled that opinion quite well. "So, what did you do?"
"Cargo ships carry manifests of all their shipments. My plan was to get ahold of that, and use the loot Deeja was supposed to reward me with as proof of what she and Jaree-Ra had done. So, I helped. But, when I got to the wreck of the Icerunner, I smelled blood. Deeja and her people had murdered all of the crew members."
"They murdered them?" 'So much for just thievery.'
Akiseta nodded. "I confronted Deeja, and she tried to kill me. There was a note on her body from Jaree-Ra, telling her where to meet him."
"Did you go there?"
"Yes. But, I was so angry about what happened. I felt guilty about the death of those sailors, and being used by other Saxhleel to do something so awful... I gave in to that rage burning inside me. I let the wolf take over. I remember ripping into those thugs, not paying any heed to their weapons. And when I found Jaree-Ra... He reeked of fear, and.. that pleased me. The next thing I knew, his neck and chest were completely torn open in front of me, and my muzzle was drenched in his blood."
Serana tried to picture Akiseta in such an aggressive manner. She'd seen the Argonian angry before, but never pure aggression like she described. But, after being played like that, by her own people, Serana didn't blame her for it. She saw shame in Akiseta's eyes.
"Aki, they tricked you, and then tried to kill you. You had every right to be so angry."
"I know, but... It's hard for me, having to kill another Argonian, even if they are bad people. But, loosing it the way I did..." Akiseta sighed, running a hand through her feathers. "I spent a lot of time working on keeping control of myself after that."
"You've done well enough, I think. After all, you didn't try to mutilate my father when you first met him." Serana told her in a light-hearted manner.
Akiseta laughed. "That would not have ended well for me."
The Argonian's bright smile made Serana bring one to her own face. Akiseta's laughter could brighten up even Falkreath's gloomy atmosphere.
Little had troubled them on the rest of their trip. But Akiseta was still relieved when they finally came to Darkfall cave. They were now, hopefully, a few steps away from being able to end Harkon's foolish plan.
The cave itself appeared no different from the many other caves Akiseta had explored in Skyrim. The only thing around to greet the two women was a lone Frostbite spider.
After dealing with the creature, Akiseta cut away some webbing on the wall. A part of the wall in the alcove had cuts in the edges. Akiseta slid her hands along them, sliding her claws into the cut marks. She swore she felt a faint chill from behind the rock.
"A concealed pathway?" Serana asked.
"Yes." Akiseta said. She felt along the wall and ground. "But, no way to open it from this side. Come on, let's keep going."
The next part of the cave had a shoddy suspension bridge connecting to the other side of the chamber. Akiseta couldn't see anything over there from this side. She walked over to the edge near the little bridge, and looked down. The water below was moving fast, going into some other part of the cave.
"You're not going to cross that, are you?" Serana asked.
"I don't have a choice. There must be something on the other side of that wall."
"Just, be careful." Serana eyes the bridge. "That thing isn't too sturdy."
"I'll be fine." Akiseta kissed Serana on the cheek. She slid her backpack off, handing it to the vampire. She then carefully stepped onto the bridge. The wood creaked, but held.
Taking in a deep breath, Akiseta grabbed on to the one rope handrail, and began crossing. The wood groaned in protest. Some pieces were cracked, or broken in half. The rope handrail was frayed in several places. Akiseta moved slowly, stepping as lightly as she could.
She let out a sigh of relief as she stepped onto the other side, and looked around. There was a small wooden table off to the side, and a couple ore veins, moonstone from the look of it, but no visible pathways. Akiseta felt all along the wall and ground, tugging on rocks that jutted out a bit.
"Anything?" Serana called.
"No. We must have missed something on the way in."
"Maybe there's nothing here after all."
"There has to be! The scrolls showed me this place!"
"Forgive me for not trusting things that tend to blind the readers. Maybe they were wrong."
"Elder Scrolls aren't ever wrong, Serana. There has to be something here! We didn't come all this way for nothing!" Akiseta sighed, running a hand through her feathers. "I'll come back over there, and we'll take another look around, alright?"
"Alright. Please be careful."
"I will be." Akiseta began to cross the bridge again. The wood boards creaked loudly.
When she was about halfway across, the boards she stood on broke. She grabbed onto the rope handrail as the boards fell out from underneath her. The boards fell into the water below, leaving her dangling from the handrail.
"Aki!" Serana rushed over to the edge.
"I'm alright!" Akiseta said, gripping the handrail tightly.
"Can you make it back over?"
"I think so."
Akiseta looked down at the water rushing below her. Granted that she couldn't drown, she still didn't know where it went. If it flowed out of the cave, it would be as a waterfall. A big one, judging by the water's speed. She could easily get hurt from a fall, or even killed if her body were struck against rocks. A painful way to go. And she didn't want to die like this.
Akiseta slid her hands across the rope as she shimmied towards the other side. It bounced some under her weight. She eyed the frayed parts, watching them as she slid her hands across them. She had to grip the rope in an uncomfortable manner to keep her claws way from the rope.
As she neared the end of the rope, Serana knelt down, and held out her hand. "Here, I can pull you up."
Akiseta let go, holding on with one hand, and reached out for Serana. And she heard snapping sound. Serana reached out in an attempt to grab her, and caught her by the hand, but that resulted in them both falling.
They hit the water hard, immediately being forced under the current as it swept them away. Akiseta's gills instantly opened up. She looked around in the darkness, making out the shape of Serana's body.
She caught hold of the vampire as the water pushed them near each other, and kicked out with her legs and tail, bringing them to the surface. Serana took in a deep breath, and then they were forced over a waterfall.
Akiseta saw Frostbite spiders fall down from the cave roof before being forced underwater again. She flipped herself around and attempted to breached the surface again. As soon as she had, she was forced over a much shorter fall, and hit the rocks below hard. She rolled onto her back, breathing hard.
Rolling to her side, she saw the spiders had been carried along with herself and Serana. They were currently advancing on the water-logged vampire, who was readying her magic.
"YOL!" She Shouted.
The flames caught one spider full force, and singed the rear end of another, creating some steam as they grazed the water's surface. Both shriek with ear-splitting screams. Serana killed one with an ice spike, and Akiseta drove her sword through the mouth of the other.
She walked over to Serana, who was coughing. "Are you alright, iluukai?"
Serana nodded, coughing some more. "Yeah... I think I'll be staying away from water for a bit."
"I'm with you there." Akiseta looked around. The new section of cave was dim, but not dark enough that she couldn't see. After finding her bag washed up on the rocks, they began walking. At some point, they found the remains of a campsite. A torn up body of a Breton woman lay among the mess.
"Why would any body make a camp here?" Serana questioned.
Akiseta shrugged. She found a bloodied note on the body. "They.. wanted to live here? That's insane."
There were a couple different paths to take. One ascended, turning around a bend.
"Where do you think that goes?" Serana asked.
"I'd wager it might lead to that concealed path we found earlier. Which means we've got a way back out of here. Come on, let's try the other path."
The other path led them to a cavern with stone pillars and several pools of ankle-deep water. Akiseta crouched low as she picked up the scents of trolls.
"Rather not deal with them?"
Akiseta shook her head. "Not if we can avoid them."
Since coming to Skyrim, she'd grown to like trolls the least. She still remembered the Frost Troll she'd encountered on her first trip to High Hrothgar. Damn thing nearly knocked her off the mountain.
They stayed low, and made there way towards the far side of the cavern, avoiding the trolls. The presence of light surprised them both. There was some kid of structure in the water. A person was there, praying to an alter of some sort.
"Can you feel that? The power radiating from that thing?" Serana whispered.
Akiseta nodded. Though she wasn't was attuned as her lover was, she could feel a strange warmth encasing this section of the cavern.
She breathed in deeply, taking in the person's scent. It was similar to the scent of Falmer, but lacked the putrid stink the blind creatures bore. Upon inching closer, Akiseta saw it was a male elf. His hair was snow white, and his skin was damn near close to it. He wore strange but beautifully designed armour, and the mace at his side was Elven of an older design, like Serana's dagger.
The elf turned his head in their direction, and they froze, crouched in the shadows. He motioned to them in a welcoming manner.
"Come forward. You have nothing to fear here."
Akiseta shared a brief look with Serana, and they approached the elf man.
"Are.. are you a Falmer?" Akiseta asked.
The man sighed. "I prefer Snow Elf, if you don't mind. 'Falmer' is usually a negative term for most travelers. Those twisted beings you call Falmer, I call The Betrayed." He shook his head. "Forgive my manner. I an Knight-Paladin Gelebor, and I welcome you to The Great Chauntry of Auriel."
Serana raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look on her face. "This is a temple to Auriel."
"It used to be far more impressive, I assure you."
"My name is Akiseta, and this is Serana." Akiseta introduced them to the man. "I hate to impose on you, Gelebor, but we could use your help."
"In seeking Auriel's bow."
"How did you.."
"My dear Argonian, I've been here for thousands of years serving as the Chauntry's last sentinel. And in all that time, no traveler has been here for any other reason."
"So... you'll help us?"
"In a manner of speaking. I can get you the bow, but I ask you aid me in a small matter first."
"Sound fair. What do you need?"
"I need you to kill the Arch Curate of this Chauntry, Vyrthur. My... my brother."
Akiseta wasn't sure she could believe what she was hearing. "You.. you want us to kill your brother? Why?"
"Our kinship is long gone. He isn't the brother I once knew." Sorrow came to Gelebor's face. "I.. I don't understand what he's become. The Betrayed.. they did something to him. I just don't understand why Auriel would allow this to happen..."
Serana crossed her arms. "What could the Fa... The Betrayed have done to him?"
"They swarmed into the Chauntry without warning, killing everyone. I led a small group of Paladins, but we were no match for The Betrayed's sheer numbers. They slaughtered everyone, and stormed the Inner Sanctum. Then, I believe they corrupted Vyrthur."
"How do you know he's even still alive?" Akiseta asked. She knew The Betrayed could keep people alive. She'd seen enslaved thralls at their sides in Blackreach. But they killed the other Snow Elves. Why spare Vyrthur?
"Because I've seen him. He never seems to be in pain, or under duress. He just.. stands there. As if he's waiting for something."
"Have you tried to get to him?"
"Leaving the wayshrines unattended would violate my sacred duties as a knight-paladin of Auriel."
"Does it really matter anymore?" Serana asked.
Gelebor narrowed his eyes in her direction. "It matters to me. Besides, if I attempted an assault on the Inner Sanctum, I would be killed."
"Alright. So, tell us what you need us to do."
Gelebor led them to the structure in the water. He chanted softly to himself, and struck the top with some kind of spell, raising it out of the water.
"This structure is known as a wayshrine." He explained. "They were used for meditation and transport while the Chaunty was active. The Prelates that tended to the shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auri-El to our Initiates."
"What's the basin in the center signify?" Serana question, sounding curious.
"Once an Initiate completed his mantras, he'd dip a ceremonial ewer into the water basin in the wayshrine's center, and travel to the next one."
"So these initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water." Serana rolled her eyes. "Marvelous. How long would they have to keep that up?"
"Once an Initiate completed his enlightenment, he'd take the ewer to the Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin of the Sanctum allowed him an audience with the Arch-Curate."
"So, the water represented earning enlightenment, and by pouring the water into the Sanctum's basin, it was symbolic of enlightenment being achieved." Akiseta figured.
A smile came to Gelebor's face. "Yes, exactly."
Serana pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let me get this straight: We have to do all this nonsense, so we can get into this Inner Sanctum, kill your brother, and get the bow?"
Gelebor sighed. "I know how it sounds. But if there was another way, I'd have done it. The only way to get what you want is by following the path of the Initiates from wayshrine to wayshrine."
"How many are there?"
"The first lay at the end of Darkfall Passage, a cavern representing the absence of enlightenment. After that, there are five, spread far apart across the Chaunty."
"Just how big are these caverns?" Akiseta asked. The mountain didn't seem large enough to hold the scale of size Gelebor implied. 'How deep underground will we have to go?'
Gelebor laughed. "The Chauntry encompasses far more than a few caves, as you'll soon see." He walked over to his little camp, and brought a very intricately decorated ewer to Akiseta. "This will let you draw water from the wayshrine basins. There will be a spectral Prelate at each shrine. They've been restored to a spectral form through the grace of Auri-El. They will only respond to you as if you are an Initiate. I'm not sure we'll be able to converse again, so unless you have any questions, all I can do is pray you have a safe journey.
"I have one question, if that's alright." Akiseta stated.
"Of course."
"I know some history about Skyrim. The Nords claim their ancestors drove all the elves from Skyrim when they claimed it as their homeland. But, your people... What happened to them?"
Gelebor sighed. "As you say, we were constantly warring with the Nords. When our extinction became clear, we reached out to the Dwarves. The agreed to shelter us, but demanded a terrible price: The blinding of my people.
"So that's why the Fal.. The Betrayed are blind."
"Yes. By the time the word of the offer reached us here, it was to late for us to intervene."
"So the Dwarves betrayed your people."
Much of the Dwarves remained such a mystery. Akiseta knew they had been very intelligent before they vanished, but she'd had no idea they were so devious. At least now she understood why so many Falmer skulked about in Dwarven ruins.
"Yes. I still don't know they became the twisted beings they are today, however." Gelebor sighed. "Anyway, I wish you luck."
"Thanks."
Akiseta scooped water from the basin into the ewer. One of the walls in the wayshrine shimmered. Akiseta tentatively stepped through it. It felt a little weird, like going through a warm liquid that wasn't wet. Serana joined her a moment later.
They found themselves staring down a pitch black tunnel. Akiseta dug her lantern out of her bag. She added more oil to it, and turned the little gear that lit it up, casting light into the tunnel, and they began walking.
The only light the cavern itself had to offer were bioluminescent plants, some of which retracted their glowing parts when approached. And the whole place was crawling with Falmer and those wretched Chaurus creatures.
Akiseta quickly lost count of how many there were as she and Serana went through the tunnels and cave segments. The white bone of her blade was drenched in pale red Falmer blood, and the goopy green insides of Chaurus's. The stench was beyond foul.
After what felt like hours they reached a sealed up rock door, and two pull handles. Akiseta had been in enough crypts to know one would trigger a trap. And knowing the Falmer, it would be crude but brutal.
"Stand back." She instructed.
Serana took a step back. "Be careful, Aki."
Akiseta nodded. She grasped the left rock handle, and pulled it down. The rock door began to lower, and she let out a sigh of relief. Her relief went away as a pair of green eyes gazed at her.
The eyes belonged to a large feline creature. The two large teeth sticking out of its mouth were just like a Sabre Cat's, but its pelt was a deep black color, dappled with greenish spots and stripes that seemed to glow faintly.
The Sabre Cat lowered itself against the rock, flexing out its claws, and eyeing Akiseta hungrily.
"KAAN, DREM!"
Akiseta watched as all signs of aggression left the beast in front of her. The Sabre Cat laid down on the rock, yawning, and began washing itself. Akiseta took Serana by the hand, and led her along a path.
"What did you do to it?" Serana whispered.
"Calmed it, for a time. We best get away from it before it wears off."
This section of the cavern was beautiful. There were crystalized rocks, and large blue mushrooms like the ones Akiseta remembered seeing in Blackreach. There were also there purple-blue blossoms that seemed to glow.
The cavern was thankfully lacking in Falmer and Chaurus, instead a few more Sabre Cats and deer bearing similar markings wandered about.
The paths eventually led them to another wayshrine. A ghostly figure stood beside it. He turned his head to Akiseta.
"Welcome, Initiate. This is the Wayshrine of Illumination. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El, and fill your vessel with his enlightenment?"
"Yes." Akiseta said firmly.
"Then behold Auri-El's gift, my child. May it light your path as you seek tranquility within the Inner Sanctum."
The spirit cast a spell on the shrine just as Gelebor had, raising the shrine. Akiseta took the ewer from her back, pulled out the stopper, and added more water from the basin. As she did, another portal opened up.
She placed the ewer back on her bag, and looked at Serana. "Ready?"
Serana nodded. They stepped through. It led them to another cave, which opened up to a pathway outside. Akiseta was glad they'd see some sun soon. Serana pulled her hood up, and they followed a circular stone path. Coming outside, Akiseta stared in amazement at what she saw.
It looked like a valley of some kind. Mountains were behind them, and all in the distance, reaching up incredibly high into the sky. A wispy mist covered their surfaces, and the sky, though it didn't hide the sun. More of those blossoms were about, as were the strange-patterned deer. The ground was carpeted in grass, with little flowers sprouting through. The rocks they stood on were covered in little purple flower heads.
"Woah..." Akiseta breathed. She breathed in deeply, taking in the beautiful scents of nature. The Ancestor glade had been gorgeous, but this place... it was something else.
"This is incredible." Serana said, taking in the sights. "It's like a whole other world."
Akiseta nodded in agreement. It really felt like they weren't in Skyrim anymore. The Nords were selfish in taking the homeland away from the Snow Elves, but at least they hadn't found this beautiful place. Akiseta couldn't help but like the fact that she and Serana pretty much had this whole little world for themselves.
She looked over at Serana, who had her eyes closed. "You alright, iluukai?"
"Yes, I am. I'm just really grateful I get to experience something like this." Serana opened her eyes, and looked at Akiseta with a smile. "I'm especially grateful I get to experience it with you."
Akiseta grinned. "I'm grateful too, iluukai." She placed her hands on Serana's shoulders and leaned down to give her a kiss.
Serana's smile was even brighter after the kiss. Akiseta grinned again, and slid her backpack off. She turned out her lantern, dropping it in the bag, and dug out her armour.
"So, how much of thos valley do you think we'll have to explore?" Serana asked.
"I'm not sure. Gelebor said that the wayshrines are spread far apart. We're probably in for a lot of walking." Akiseta said as she put on her armour.
"I wish we didn't have to do all this wayshrine nonsense."
"I know it seems like a pain. But, there are some bright sides."
"What are they?"
"Well, we get to explore this valley, which no one has set foot in in thousands of years. No one in Skyrim even knows it exists, so it's like out own little hidden secret, And, we get to be here with each other."
Serana developed a thoughtful look. "True, and true. Those are very good bright sides."
"I think so too. And," Akiseta grinned playfully. "We've found something older that you."
Serana narrowed her eyes, and lightly punched Akiseta in the shoulder, which only made the Argonian laugh.
