And When The World Remembers

by Ms Katonic

When an unexpected disaster gives Miraak the chance to cheat death once again, he finds himself in a new land with no one to save it from catastrophe. No one but Miraak. Can the First Dragonborn overcome the habits of millennia to be the hero Thedas needs? Or will he prove to be a villain greater than anything Tevinter ever managed?

23. Chapter 23

A/N: Happy Christmas everyone! Hope you're having a good time. Me, I am locked down and unable to see family so it's going to be interesting. Anyway, I finally finished this section so here it is. The Descent! This chapter would not have been possible without this video of the DLC content: watch?v=oaqjTk9g2wA which saved me replaying it. Miraak's unable to be involved but we've got Grand Enchanter Fiona on the case instead and she ended up with a lot of the Inquisitor lines. Plus we've also got Serana and let me tell you sending a vampire on this one was genius. Genius, I tell you.

Note on Thedosian vampire lore - Thedas does not really have them like Tamriel does because the Chantry wiped most of them out, but there are stories of blood-drinking abominations out there. There's no vampires like Serana though.

Summary: Earthquakes are threatening the Inquisition's lyrium supply, and with mages and Templars alike reliant on it, the Inquisition acted in Miraak's absence, deciding that as they had a senior Grey Warden on staff, he could lead the way. What the Council didn't know was that Blackwall was no more a Warden than they were and had no Blight-immunity. Miraak found out too late to prevent Blackwall going... but not too late to get word to Blackwall's not-quite lover, a woman with a few secrets of her own, magical power not far off Miraak's and her own form of Blight-immunity. Serana wastes no time in going after the party, and what they find down there could reshape the world.

---

The Storm Coast was as bleak as Blackwall remembered, and knowing what lay beneath didn't help. They'd felt the tremors on the surface. Maker only knew what they were doing to the roads underneath.

But the Inquisition had been busy, and Scout Harding was pleased to see the Inquisition party arrive.

"Good to see you all. Welcome to the Storm Coast! We've got the lift ready to go. Careful on there, it's a long way down. Grand Enchanter, I wasn't expecting to see you."

"His Worship can't go into the Deep Roads and is otherwise engaged liberating the Emprise du Lion from the Red Templars," Fiona said, bowing slightly to Harding. "So as a former Warden who is immune to the Taint, I took it upon myself to come."

Blackwall had been more than happy to give Fiona the lead role on this one. She'd offered it to him, but he'd said perhaps it was important for a mage, and an elven one at that, to be seen leading something. That had surprised her, but it had seemed to impress. Good.

"Well, we're very glad you're here, Grand Enchanter," Harding said, just relieved to see the Inquisition taking it seriously. "There's been no darkspawn on the surface yet, but the seals keeping them away were damaged in the last quake. The Legion's barely holding them back. And the lyrium mine down there's collapsed. Orzammar's in trouble, Grand Enchanter."

"I don't doubt it," Fiona said gently. "We were told to meet a Shaper Valta."

"She's below. Orzammar has rules about its dwarves coming topside."

Harding's expression said everything about what she thought about that. Born and bred on the surface, Lace Harding was not a dwarf who cared much for her ancestors' traditions.

"Hey! Identify yourself, stranger! This area is off limits to civilians!"

Everyone turned, and the stranger turned out to be a woman in black and purple armour, a black hood hiding her face… but Blackwall knew, just knew, who it was.

"Lady Serana?" Blackwall gasped, feeling his blood chill at the thought of her along.

Fiona looked closer and called to the guards to let her through.

"I know her," Fiona called. "She is one of Liriel's people. We should see what she wants."

"Cold blood, cold skin, blood still in her veins, remember how to breathe, not used to being around people, but I can't let him die alone."

That was Cole, managing to both reassure and terrify at the same time.

"No one's going to die down there," Blackwall said firmly. No one else anyway. And definitely not Lady Serana.

"Did you need something?" Fiona was asking her.

"I would have thought I should be asking that question to you," Serana said, small smile on her face under the hood. "You're going into the Deep Roads, right? His Worship thought you might need my help."

"You presume correctly. Did they tell you what the mission was? And what to expect?"

Serana nodded, orange eyes seeming to glow.

"I was told earthquakes were threatening the lyrium supply and we needed to investigate. As for what to expect, I was part of the force at Valammar. I've fought darkspawn. Helped hold the line while the others got to safety. I was last out before… look, I've fought them. Taken samples from them. And it turns out I have immunity to the Blight. Think you can use that down there, Grand Enchanter?"

"We can certainly use all the help we can get," Fiona said, approving. "I don't know how exactly you know you're immune… but I will take your word for it. I hope you realise the consequences if you're wrong?"

"I tended three infected soldiers for weeks before Liriel finally got back with that Shout that can purge it," Serana said, wincing at the memories. "I know. Just… trust I know what I'm talking about."

"All right," Fiona said. "If you know what you're letting yourself in for, you're welcome. Let's go, we don't want to keep the dwarves waiting. Every moment could count."

Fiona led the way, Solas and Cole following, but Blackwall had to drop back for a word with Serana, because there was no way he was letting her walk into danger if he could help it.

"What are you really doing here," Blackwall said, lowering his voice. "You don't need to be here, Serana. Go home while you still can."

Serana stared at him, same height he was and those orange eyes unrelenting in their focus.

"You're the whole reason I'm here, you idiot!" Serana hissed. "You've got no Blight immunity, even less darkspawn experience than I have, no one else knows that and you're just walking blindly into danger! Well too bad, I'm not letting that happen."

"I've made my choice, Serana," Blackwall said firmly, squelching the part of him that wanted to run back to Skyhold. Warden Blackwall wouldn't stand back and let others walk into danger unprotected, so nor would he. It was that simple. If he died down there, perhaps it was no more than he deserved.

Serana listened to this, shaking her head.

"You're not dying down there," Serana snapped. "Maybe I can't stop you, but I can go with you. So I'm doing that."

Blackwall remembered senses far beyond what was normal for humans, ability to see into even the darkest shadow, and strength enough to even stand up to him. Serana was no fragile beauty to be protected, he knew that, but even so, he didn't like the idea of her suffering either.

He had missed her though. And her company on the way would be pleasant, most definitely, even if they were unlikely to get much privacy. And that she'd learned he was putting himself in danger and immediately come to make sure he was all right… that warmed his heart. He'd not said anything to her about his growing feelings. He was absolutely in no place for a relationship and even knowing Serana knew the truth about him did not make him worthy of her.

But Serana was beautiful. Serana was kind, good-natured, carried a few dark secrets of her own and possessed a resilience he'd not seen in many. Of course he loved her. You didn't have to have the object of your affections return them for it to mean something. Still, Serana's smile gave him hope, driving away the darkness for just a few moments, and holding out the possibility of redemption for even a wretch like him. It was a very slim possibility… but Serana made him want to believe.

---

An interminable time in the rickety wooden lift, literally just a platform of wood with struts at the corner, all five of them just looking at each other awkwardly. Not a lot of conversation to be had, but Solas had remarked on how fascinating Dwarven engineering was, and then Cole whispering the stone was angry. He'd not known stones could get angry.

"Is he always like this," Serana whispered, edging away from Cole. She'd lowered her hood once the sunlight faded to a small circle above them.

"I'm afraid so," Blackwall told her. "He's… we're not sure what he is. A spirit of compassion once. Then he decided to become human… sort of."

Cole looked up, staring through pale blonde hair from under that wide-brimmed hat of his, staring right at Blackwall.

"A man with two names, fearing death… but not his own. The Black Wall between good and evil, his job to keep the monsters at bay, better his life than hers."

And then he turned unflinchingly on Serana.

"He doesn't know it's too late for that."

"That's enough," Blackwall snapped at him. "You leave Lady Serana alone."

Cole edged away, lowering his eyes.

"Good and evil aren't always obvious," Cole whispered. "You could love a monster. So can she."

"You need to stop talking now," Serana said firmly. "Gods, talk about the weather or something."

"Perhaps everyone could stop," Fiona said, voice ringing out in the lift shaft and surprisingly, everyone did. "Look, we're here. Now let's find this Shaper Valta."

Shaper Valta turned out to be a young woman in good quality Legion armour, recording the names of some dwarven miners killed in the latest rockfall and promising their names would not be forgotten. Made sense. Fiona wasn't an expert on Orzammar but she'd been told a little and studied more on the way up here. The Shaperate were the Dwarven record keepers, who cared for the Memories of Orzammar, its history. In a culture with no religion, they were the nearest they had to priests.

Normally Fiona had little time for priests these days, but Valta seemed genuine and relieved to see them, admitting the Legion of the Dead were at their limit, the quakes were getting worse and with the Wardens missing and most surfacers caring little for them, the Inquisition had been the only force they could rely on.

A lot of pressure on their shoulders, but Valta seemed to have faith in them. Then another tremor rocked the ravine they were standing near the edge of, and before Fiona knew it, she'd been sent flying backwards. Just in time. A boulder smashed into where she and Valta had been talking just moments earlier.

"Sorry," Valta said as she helped her up. "I didn't have time to explain. I knew the stone would fall as soon as the tremor hit. All of us down here have stone sense but mine was always stronger than most."

"Stone sense is real?" Fiona asked. She'd not thought of it as an actual mystical sense – Dwarves didn't have magic, everyone knew that. She'd thought it was a metaphor and the skills involved being more practical in nature.

"Mine is," Valta said, suddenly realising how close she'd got to the small pillar of sunlight still beaming down from far, far above and flinching back. "I'm sorry, I can't be near sunlight. One glimpse of the sun could cost me everything."

Serana heard that, raised an eyebrow and actually smiled. Something in common with the dwarves. She'd not seen that coming.

Sound of fighting from further down and Valta turned round, hissing.

"The seal must have finally collapsed, and the darkspawn must be through. Come on, we need to help them!"

Valta reached for a helm, sword and shield and sprinted off, moving remarkably quickly in heavy armour, and for all the Shapers were akin to priests, it appeared this one could fight.

"Ready, Warden Blackwall?" Fiona asked, casting a barrier over them all.

The merest hesitation before he nodded and raised his own sword.

"Ready."

Then Blackwall and Fiona were off, Fiona feeling it all coming back to her as if she'd never been away, going to fight darkspawn with her Warden comrades.

Well. One Warden comrade. And Solas the elven apostate. Also Cole the corporeal spirit, and Serana the mysterious Avvar mage whose magic had revealed her relationship to her son.

Fiona only knew of one kind of magic that could do that, but in the Deep Roads you didn't get precious about that sort of thing. You couldn't afford to, not when it was your life on the line. Anyone who had your back in battle and wasn't a darkspawn was your ally.

From the way Serana was casting some sort of barrier on herself and running into battle with frost magic at the ready, Fiona had a feeling she didn't need to worry about the former.

---

The seal had indeed gone, and the first thing to burst out to greet them was a full-size ogre.

"Blood of my ancestors, what is that?" Serana cried, casting an armouring spell.

"It's an ogre," Fiona said, hurling a fireball at it. "Hit it with everything you have and do not let it catch you!"

Serana didn't like to ask what would happen if it caught you. So she kept her distance, hit it with blood magic and frost magic both, the odd shock spell also keeping it off-balance.

Then she found out what happened when it caught you as it snatched up Cole, holding him aloft and squeezing.

Cole cried out, and Serana cried out because while Cole was a creepy little weirdo who clearly knew what a vampire was, he did not deserve this.

Focusing on the Volkihar blood in her veins, she called on one of its gifts, a spell only recently unlocked, the ability to summon a gargoyle, normally limited to her vampire lord form, but recent research let her use the powers in her humanoid form as well.

The gargoyle flew screaming at the ogre, and Serana smiled as the ogre dropped Cole and turned its attention to the gargoyle, and with this distraction, they were able to finally beat it down, sending its corpse flying off into the ravine.

"Well," Blackwall finally said. "That was bracing. Er… what is that thing?"

"It's a gargoyle," Serana admitted. "I summoned it."

"It's a blood magic construct," Solas said, seeming fascinated. "Is that how you're resistant to the Blight? You can use blood magic to nullify its affects?"

"Yes – sort of," Serana sighed,, not liking how close this elf was getting to the truth. "I'm sorry, I know your religion forbids it but… you can't tell me it isn't useful down here."

"I've never claimed to be Andrastian," Solas said, twinkle in his eye. "Or any religion at all. Claims of any being to godhood are far more likely to be suspect than not in my experience."

"Now there's an opinion he keeps to himself back in Skyhold," Blackwall remarked, rolling his eyes and grinning at Serana, and Serana could feel herself blushing as she realised Blackwall had heard her unmasked as a blood mage and not batted an eyelid. It wasn't the same as knowing she was a vampire but for an Andrastian like he claimed to be (albeit not a terribly observant one), it wasn't far off.

Cole was still staring at the gargoyle in awe.

"Stone summoned from blood and moving!" Cole whispered. "Fade made flesh, summoned and bound, night and magic in one."

Serana took that as approval, and seeing as Valta seemed to be paying more attention to the corridor the ogre had come from, that just left Fiona… and to Serana's surprise, she didn't seem bothered.

"Down here, anyone who is not a darkspawn is a friend. Do what you must. We can't sit around debating it. Not when I hear fighting."

Shouting, clashing of steel and the unholy shrieking Serana flinched to remember.

"The seal must be down," Valta gasped. "Would have to be for that to get past. Come on, we have to help!"

They ran down the corridor, and were met with darkspawn spilling out into a wider room, armoured dwarves struggling to hold them back.

"HOLD THE LINE, LEGIONNAIRES!" their commander was shouting. "NEED THOSE SODDING FUSES PRIMED AND IN PLACE!"

Blackwall was already running to join the line, and Fiona and Solas were assisting with barriers, Fiona seeing lyrium explosives and sending Cole to slip past and plant them.

Easier said than done, but the addition of Inquisition reinforcements seemed to turn the tide, what with barriers from the mages, Serana remembering healing spells Liriel had taught her to keep people on their feet, and no one caring about blood magic as long it was targeted firmly on the darkspawn.

Eventually the darkspawn were killed, and the fuses good to go, and the Legion commander was shouting at them all to take cover. Serana just made it behind a steel shielding wall when the explosion went off, caving in the tunnel and sealing the Deep Roads entrance off.

Sensitive vampire hearing did not like that. Serana winced, channelling magicka into her ears, sitting with her head to her knees while the ringing stopped and her hearing slowly returned.

"Are you all right," Blackwall said gruffly, rubbing her back. Serana nodded and it was all she could do not to lean against him for a hug. She resisted. Just about.

The Legion Commander turned out to be one Lieutenant Renn, clearly a long-time friend and companion of Shaper Valta. It turned out that far from leading a cushy life in the Shaperate, Valta had spent the last few years carrying out research in the Deep Roads and avoiding Orzammar.

"It was political," Valta admitted. "I was asked to remove something from the Memories and refused. A cousin of King Bhelen's getting involved with something he shouldn't, the King wanted it covered up. Eventually it was agreed I should do field research. Away from Orzammar. So here I am."

Exile. Poor thing. At least she had Renn. Serana wasn't sure if they were lovers or not, but they were clearly close.

With the Deep Roads entrance sealed for now, there was time to set up camp, rest and resupply, and for Fiona to send an initial report back to Skyhold. And for Serana to do the other thing she came here for.

Dragon blood experiments had proved fruitful, and the application of both Reach and vampiric blood magical knowledge to the field had resulted in an experimental vaccine. Not properly tested at all. It wasn't toxic, they'd established that much. But no one had been brave enough to go test it against darkspawn.

It did however work in culture and it was better than nothing, and Serana took Blackwall to one side and quietly explained it all to him.

"So, do you want to try it?" Serana asked nervously. "I mean, it may not work but… I can't just let you walk into the Deep Roads without it if it might help."

"You promise it won't be dangerous?" Blackwall asked, guarded. Serana nodded.

"Yeah. We tested it on goats. Then on a couple of captured pickpockets. They didn't die. We've tested it on a few volunteers since, they're all fine. You should be OK. Only it might not work."

"I'll take the chance," Blackwall said, already rolling up his sleeve. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Vaccine administered. Blackwall barely even flinched as the needle went in and then it was done. Serana wiped the needle down and began packing her things away.

"So that's it," Blackwall said, staring at his arm in wonder. "I'm Blight immune now? All thanks to such a tiny little thing?"

"That's the plan," Serana told him, smiling. "You can thank me when it works."

"If we all get out of here alive, I surely will," Blackwall promised. "Here, have you got any left? You should offer it to Solas as well. I know he's handy with the barriers but he's not Blight immune either."

That had not actually occurred to Serana but now he'd said that, she supposed she'd better. To her surprise, Solas raised his eyebrows then declined.

"No. But thank you. It is a gesture well meant. Perhaps our dwarven friends might volunteer? Shaper Valta and Lieutenant Renn are coming with us."

Valta was the only one who could follow the quakes to the source, and Renn wasn't letting her go alone. If those two weren't lovers, they should be, Serana decided, and was pleased when they both accepted. Renn looked a little dubious but then shrugged, said 'sod it all' and offered his arm, and then Valta gave in and accepted too.

Serana hoped they all made it back now. Liriel and Eola would want to know about the results. And Serana couldn't think about Blackwall dying. She just couldn't. Even as they finished resupplying and prepared to enter the Deep Roads proper.

Even as they took the elevator down to the next level, where predictably more darkspawn were waiting for them, and they needed to find cogs to open the door to the sealed off section the quakes were coming from. Even as darkspawn were lurking everywhere and it was all Serana could do to keep them off Blackwall.

And then they were facing off a couple of those darkspawn genlock alphas with the spiky shield and while the two dwarves were just about holding down one of them, the other broke free from where Blackwall had been keeping it at bay and made straight for the vampire who'd been draining the life out of it.

It was faster than Serana gave it credit for and the spiky shield rammed straight into her, spikes impaling her and pinning her against the wall, blood everywhere, Serana screaming in pain.

"SERANA!" Blackwall howled, covering the ground to attack the genlock's now vulnerable back, Cole there too and Fiona's magic covering them, and the genlock perished.

The other one was also expiring and then Fiona and Solas were levitating the shield off her and Serana slumped to the floor, in pain and barely able to move and thirsty for blood because she'd gone from fully fed to bleeding out in seconds.

"Serana! SERANA!" Blackwall was crying. "Get her potions, a spell, anything!"

"How is she still alive," Renn could be heard saying in disbelief. "She should be dead."

Fiona's healing magic washed over her, but it was all spells intended for the living and did no more than tickle.

"Why is this not working," Fiona said with a frown, but it was Solas who answered, his own diagnostic spells telling him all he needed to.

"Because she is dead," Solas said, lowering his hand. "No heartbeat and the lungs are being made to move."

"Don't be ridiculous, she's still moving," Blackwall snapped. "Serana, stay with me!"

"Pack," Serana whispered. "My pack! Potions…"

It was all impaled lungs could manage. But there were blood potions in that pack, they'd help.

"She's an abomination," Fiona realised, drawing her staff. "A demon in a dead girl's body."

"No, no you're not, you're still Serana, come on!" Blackwall urged. And then Cole was there with her pack, wordlessly holding out a potion, and it was Blackwall who poured it down her throat, and then another, and Serana's wounds healed before their eyes. One more and she was finally able to get up, holding on to Blackwall for support.

"You're not a demon," Blackwall said firmly. "You're still Serana."

"I'm Serana," Serana confirmed, but she was looking around at two mages, one who was watching her carefully and the other looking about to kill her, and two confused dwarves. And one spirit of compassion who clearly knew she was a vampire but had still helped. And then there was Blackwall, who deserved to know the truth. Thom Rainier Blackwall, who had no moral high ground here.

"You're undead," Solas said calmly. "And you always were the whole time, weren't you."

"Undead?" Blackwall said, disbelieving. "I've fought undead. They're usually more rotted."

"Lesser undead, corpses possessed by some random spirit, undoubtedly. But the Greater Undead? Where the spirit is a powerful one that didn't try on a rotting corpse but took the life of a living being, often willingly? They don't rot, they preserve the corpse as it was. But there's usually a price. They usually require the blood of the living to feed. There's few in Thedas these days, the Chantry wiped the more established clans out very systematically. But they came with the humans and have been a scourge on the living ever since."

Serana had heard such words before but never stated so matter of factly.

"My father's court had plenty of willing elven vampires," Serana snapped. "As it is, the ritual wasn't my choice. My parents were pretty clear I didn't have a choice if I wanted to stay part of the family. Yeah. I'm a vampire. It's how I can resist the Blight, it only affects the living. Look, I didn't have to come here and I brought enough blood to last me a few weeks if I'm careful. And avoid any more injuries like that one."

"I won't let that happen, I promise," Blackwall told her, still holding her hand.

"Have you enthralled him already," Fiona said tersely, casting her own diagnostic spells and then raising her eyebrows. "Hmm. He appears to still have his own will. Strange. So why are you here."

Serana's eyes slipped to Blackwall, whose expression was still one of love and longing despite the vampire revelation.

"To help," Cole said softly. "Reach-magic had a vaccine to test, knowledge and lives saved always worth it… but Serana came to help the helpless."

Eyes on Blackwall, and Serana had a feeling he could tell Blackwall's secret as well, but wasn't revealing it. Interesting. Apparently the spirit didn't believe in betraying people who were actively helping.

Fiona was still shaking her head.

"Fighting alongside a maleficar abomination. How has it come to this. Ah well. It wouldn't be the first time I've had to work with one of those. You're not a darkspawn at least. Come, we have a job to do. I will be watching you… but we do need your help. I have one question – Liriel, does she know?"

"She knows," Serana admitted. "So does Miraak. I don't think he wants me living in Skyhold, but he's prepared to use my skills should he need them."

"Of course he is," Fiona sighed. "And… you did help reunite me with my son. Against my will, but not his and… it has not been easy but I have no regrets about it. I suppose it's still true what I said earlier. Anyone down here who's not a darkspawn and fights alongside us is an ally. After all, you did not need to come here."

It was acceptance of a sort. Serana would take that although she had no illusions it would hold on the surface. No, best for everyone if she went back to Caer Bronach after this. Particularly a certain Thom Rainier Blackwall.

"About time," Renn muttered, about done with the magey rubbish. "Come on, let's go. We're keeping the darkspawn waiting. What."

"The presence of an undead blood-drinker in the party doesn't bother you at all?" Solas asked, surprised. Renn shook his head.

"No. It's like the lady elf said. She's not got the Blight. She can fight the things. Looks like she's also virtually unkillable. I'm all right with all that. Plus we're dwarves. We don't care about all that human Fade crap."

"I could still feed on dwarves," Serana felt obliged to point out.

"Then we'll deal with it when it happens," Valta said, siding with Renn. "Come on, let's go before another quake hits."

Wise words and so they made their way on until a Thaig entrance opened up and a veritable swarm of darkspawn emerged. The fighting was vicious but they'd got better at dealing with the genlock alphas, and while Serana felt her vampire lord face was for another time, she felt better about unleashing her full powers now and had no compunction about melting into bats or mist to get behind foes.

The battle was won and Heidrun Thaig was laid bare before them.

"Wow, it's like an entire city," Serana breathed.

"It was, once," Valta said, voice laden with sadness and unshed tears. "Heidrun Thaig, an entire dwarven city. Used to be known for its plentiful lyrium mines that never ran dry. One of the first to fall to the darkspawn."

"And they're still there," Renn added. "See the fires? A darkspawn camp. We'll need to get past them."

"Find a choke point and lure them in to it," Blackwall said, thinking it through like any other battle. "Renn and I will hold them, Valta too if she's willing. Fiona and Solas can keep us barriered and magic flying at the enemy. Cole can get where he needs to and take out individuals. And Serana…"

His voice faltered here and here it came. Too uncomfortable thinking about her vampiric powers to think how to put them to use.

"Do whatever you need to," Blackwall said gruffly, not looking at her. "You know what you're capable of. You unleash anything you've got on them."

Serana had not expected that.

"Anything?" Serana had to ask. "What if it's horrific? The Chantry would ban… if the Chantry knew what I was, they'd kill me!"

"I know," Blackwall said softly. "But they're not here and the priests don't know what it's like out in the real world. The darkspawn are horrors, and they're worse than anything you could ever be. Do what you need to, Serana. I won't think less of you."

He even sounded like he meant it. Serana would see if he still felt the same after seeing the vampire lord form.

---

They made camp at the overlook, having found the bodies of several Legionnaires killed by darkspawn and held an impromptu funeral. Apparently the darkspawn taint meant traditional dwarven burial was out of the question – the taint would only weaken the Stone

Odd that the allegedly non-religious dwarves thought of the Stone as a she, a Great Mother who took them in after death.

"Not so odd," Solas said, with a cryptic smile. "They hold to a goddess they can see and shape, one who forms the basis of their very culture and who they spend their lives surrounded by. It is humans and their belief in a god who is not there that is the oddity."

"Last I heard, the Dalish still worshipped ancient elven gods," Fiona said tersely. "Is that illogical too?"

"Undoubtedly," Solas said and that did surprise people. "Their gods are not only not there, they abandoned them to the human onslaught, in the first wars when Tevinter rose, and again after the fall of the Dales. Yet still they cling. It is useless to ask why. The only answer they will give is 'because that is who we are'. Still. Perhaps that is the only answer they need."

Serana's experience of religion growing up had been an all too real Daedra and her personal encounter with him was one she'd rather forget. She left the campfire and went to look out on the thaig, the faint smell of Blight noticeable even from up here, carried on the fumes of the darkspawn campfires.

Not long after, Blackwall joined her, sitting down by her side and staring out at it too, saying nothing.

Why he'd joined her, she didn't know – didn't want to. Still, it was cheering that he'd even sought her out. He could just have avoided her.

"You don't mind me being here, do you?" he said at length. "Only I'm not sure I can listen to Solas and Fiona argue all night. Don't get me wrong, Solas is a very intelligent man and I respect him, just as Fiona is a fearless leader and I respect her too. But he does have a tendency to lecture."

Serana hadn't expected that and she actually laughed.

"You noticed that too!" Serana laughed. "Oh wow, I thought it was just me. I mean, I'm not an expert on Oblivion. Not like my mother is. But I've been there. I have experience of Daedra. He seemed to assume I knew nothing or next to nothing. Then he told me I seemed to understand magic really well for a human."

Blackwall laughed, clearly remembering that part.

"Do you think he knew you were a vampire at that point?"

"No, I don't think so," Serana said, feeling the condescension had been genuine. "I don't think he knew until he saw me still moving after that shield hit me. I mean, he'd have no reason to keep it secret."

"No," Blackwall said softly, staring into the shadowed Thaig. "I… suppose we need to talk about it. You being… you know."

"An undead blood-drinking horror? It's all right, you can say it," Serana sighed, and Blackwall's gasp was gratifying at least.

"I don't think that!" Blackwall cried. "Look, it was a shock, I know, but… you're still you. I know you. You're a good person. You came to Skyhold at great personal risk to help Alistair find his mother. And when you found out about me, you made me own up to Miraak. You're honest. You've got a conscience. And when you heard about this mission, you risked yourself again to come down here. I told you before I wasn't worth it and I meant it. But don't think I'm not glad to have you here."

"I drink blood!" Serana snapped. "Maybe not Cole's, but anyone else in the party, I could feed on them. Including you. If I end up blood-starved, I may not have a choice!"

Blackwall looked up then, eyes meeting hers and she saw no sign of fear or hesitation before he took her hand.

"It will not come to that," he told her. "I will not let it. You brought potions to stave that off, didn't you? It'll be fine."

"I hope so," Serana said softly. "If it's not… I'll have to leave. I won't be able to be around you or anyone. It won't be safe."

Blackwall tightened his grip, eyes still staring intently at her.

"Feeding… you can do it without killing the person? Does it incapacitate them?"

"It doesn't kill the person, not if you do it carefully and not too often," Serana said, wondering where this was going. "I don't need to feed more than once a day, and I can put it off for up to three before things get bad. As for after-effects, how would someone normally feel after losing a bit of blood? I guess they'd be tired and need to eat and rest. Why – wait. Oh no. Blackwall, no, you can't be…"

"If you need to feed, do it to me," Blackwall said softly. "Don't look at me like that, I can take a bit of pain and blood loss. I'm a soldier, I've been wounded before. Maybe I'll ask Fiona to heal me if needed."

"Thom, you cannot be – you're not serious!" Serana gasped. "Do you have any idea what you're suggesting?"

"I'm offering to help out someone I care about," Blackwall said firmly. "Look, we need you down here, you're near indestructible. And… I'd miss you if you left and mourn you deeply if anything happened to you. Serana, please. If it comes to that, promise me you'll think about it."

Serana really wasn't used to willing victims. Even in the Reach, where she had regulars, she set boundaries. She didn't seek them out outside feeding, she didn't get attached, she was firm on rotating them, she didn't ask about their outside lives.

Now here was Thom Rainier Blackwall offering himself… and he was already in far too close, and the worst part was she didn't want him to go. Part of her wanted to feed on him right now and she wasn't even hungry.

For his own sake, he should be running far, far away right now, and why he'd not turned from her in disgust, she had no idea.

"Thom," Serana whispered, and when using his real first name in private had become so easy, she wasn't sure but easy and natural it felt. "Thom, you mustn't do this. I'm not safe and you're only… how are you all right with this? I'm a monster."

"Some would say the same about me," Blackwall said, hand still in hers and that serious look on his face. "Some blood never washes off. Some sins can't be forgiven. If people knew who I was, they'd hang me. At least I would deserve it. You don't. You're helping research cures for the Blight. You're helping here and now. You helped Alistair find his mother. And even if you didn't mention the vampirism at the time, you helped stop your own father from putting out the sun. Knowing you're a vampire does make that make more sense, now I think of it."

"Yeah, I guess it does," Serana admitted. "I'm sorry for not telling you everything. I can tell you the real story now if you want? Most of it anyway."

"I think I'd like to hear it," Blackwall said, smiling. "But first, listen. I need to tell you something. You probably already know, or guessed. You're a bright woman, always were. And a very beautiful one too. That you're a vampire… it doesn't make a difference. It's just more of who you are. It doesn't mean you're a bad person. Not if you can manage it safely. The rest is all down to you and what choices you make. And it hasn't put me off you. It's just another part of who you are. And who you are is lovely."

Serana was sure she was blushing, which was something because she hadn't been certain vampires even could. But vampires could still feel things.

"Thom," Serana whispered. "Thom, no. You shouldn't…"

"I have feelings for you," Blackwall said, eyes not leaving hers. "I did nothing about them and tried to fight them because I believed I wasn't worthy of you, and I'm still not. But you found out who I really was and didn't run from me in disgust. You stayed and you helped. How can I not do the same. And not just because I owe you. But because I love you and that hasn't changed."

"You barely know me," Serana whispered, and Blackwall raised her hand to his and kissed it, before letting her go.

"What I do know, I admire a great deal," Blackwall said, getting to his feet. "If you don't feel the same, I understand and will part from you after this mission if we both survive it. And you don't have to give me an answer right away either. But if you do feel the same… Lady Serana, there is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Serana shook her head, because he had no idea what he was asking. And yet… other than potentially give his blood, what would she ask him to do?

Nothing he probably wouldn't do anyway. Serana got to her feet, managing not to blush as he bowed at the waist and took his leave, returning to where the others were preparing to go to bed.

Thom Rainier-Blackwall. In love. With her. The man was an idiot and going to get himself killed. She was probably going to end up with a broken heart over this. And yet…

No one had ever professed romantic love for her before. Not knowing who she really was. For him to know and still be willing to tell her that, to still even have the feelings, and to think he was the unworthy one…

Serana didn't always understand humans, and she understood this one hardly at all, but everything in her wanted to find out more.

---

Eat, sleep and eat. Presumably that meant morning but with no sun to light the way, who knew. It didn't matter, they were all on the same sleep cycle by this point, and for Serana this was quite the novelty. It almost made her want to visit the Deep Roads more often.

Almost. The darkspawn had a way of putting her off. And then they stumbled on the main hive.

Wave after wave after wave – it was endless. Shrieks, hurlocks, genlocks, emissaries, everything. Still, they perservered and with permission to not hold back, Serana was certain they were winning.

Until they got to the core of the hive and the lead emissaries appeared, horrors with draining spells that could put a vampire to shame, and their minions just kept coming.

Valta was on her knees. Renn was bleeding. Cole was unconscious. Two genlock alphas had pinned down Solas, Fiona was certainly down if not yet out, and Serana was frantically trying to duel one of the emissaries, shifting between bats and humanoid and trying not to think about how low on magicka she was and how her drain spell in this form was no match for the emissary's.

Vampire Lord form would sort this mess out in about five minutes.

Thom would never smile at her again if he saw that.

Thom had said to use anything she had.

But then they'd all think she was an abomination. Which she was, but she could do without the stares.

Then the genlocks knocked Solas unconscious and turned on Blackwall, those menacing black shields ready to impale him next, and if he tried to block them the emissary would have him.

No one else was going to help. If she didn't help him, he'd be dead and then he'd never kiss her hand or call her Lady Serana again.

Serana didn't even think.

"Thom!" she cried, and then she was changing, blood thudding in her veins as her entire form shifted and Serana the Vampire Lord emerged.

Claws shredded the emissary in front of her, and then she was off, heading for the alpha genlocks first, and a Vampire Lord's blood magic did not care about those shields. The genlocks collapsed, the life drained out of them, and then it was just her and that last emissary, blood magic drawing it across the hall and slowly crushing it to death, and then Serana ripped its head off, letting the bloody remains fall.

Silence and the only thing left standing was Blackwall, staring up at her, shield still raised and Serana hesitated, lowering her claws. She knew that expression too well. Horror and fear… and then he gasped her name.

"Serana?"

Serana nodded, dropping to the ground, and to her surprise he put his sword away and moved closer, lowering his shield.

"Is that what you really look like?" Blackwall whispered, and Serana shook her head then reverted back, everything going red then black as her body rearranged itself and then she was herself again.

"It's my other form," Serana said, voice tight and defensive, because no one could look on that face and still love it. "I… don't use it much."

"I can see why," Blackwall said, still that sadness and wariness in his eyes. "Are you… all right? I mean… does it hurt?"

Serana nodded then realised that could be misinterpreted.

"Yes – I mean, I'm OK. It doesn't hurt to change, not much. But it makes me stronger, faster, gives me powers I don't necessarily have access to otherwise. I wasn't going to but…"

She gestured at the darkspawn and their unconscious and semi-conscious allies and Blackwall nodded, seeming to understand.

"I did tell you to give the darkspawn everything you had," Blackwall said ruefully. "Can't complain when you do. Especially when it saves us."

Serana nodded, but the fate of the others was the furthest thing on her mind right now. All she'd been able to think about had been Blackwall, and his face as three dangerous darkspawn had borne down on him, and she could almost feel undead blood pumping unusually fast, all sorts of primal urges that she normally kept well under wraps making their presence felt. Particularly because he'd seen her now. Seen her Vampire Lord face… and his reaction had been to ask if she was all right.

This was going to be a disaster, an utter disaster, but if anything happened to Blackwall, Serana would cry. And then rip apart the entire Deep Roads in her grief.

"I told you I'd keep you out of danger," Serana whispered, moving closer to him despite knowing in her heart she should back off. If he had any sense he'd be backing off too. But he wasn't, in fact he'd closed the gap.

"I must say, I'm not used to being the one being rescued," Blackwall said, and despite the surface amusement, there was a little hitch in his voice, his heartbeat speeding up, a sudden breathlessness that betrayed his own emotions getting the better of him. "I'm used to being the one guarding other people."

Serana was usually what other people needed protection from, but the thought of Blackwall coming to harm made her want to cry, and everything felt raw right now. Everything felt raw and mortal and human and messy and…

"No one's hurting you," Serana gasped. "I won't let them!"

"Serana-!" Blackwall gasped but she'd gone this far, no point standing on ceremony now. She pulled him to her and silenced him with a kiss, lips against his as she finally gave in, and may her ancestors forgive her, she just wanted a man in her arms. No. Not any man. This one. Thom Rainier Blackwall, with kindness in his eyes and gentle hands and strong shoulders, who'd seen her Vampire Lord form and been worried it was painful for her. And he was kissing her back, those hands on her back, pulling her close and while she could easily break free, the feeling of his arms wrapped protectively around her was intoxicating. She could close her eyes and pretend for a while that she really was a helpless maiden swooning in her heroic protector's arms. Just for a bit.

Finally Blackwall broke off, eyes staring into hers, their foreheads touching as he smiled gently at her.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on," Blackwall told her, smiling. "I don't care you're a vampire. I love you more than I can say."

Definitely going to be a disaster. But Serana realised she didn't care. She was happy. She was staring into Thom's face and seeing adoration and affection, freely given, for her, not because of a blood or pain fetish. Gods help her, Serana couldn't turn it down.

It was only Renn groaning in pain that brought her back to herself.

"We should see to the others," Serana realised and Blackwall nodded.

"Yes, of course. I don't know how many healing potions we have left, but if we use them on Fiona first, she can help with the rest."

And so they tended to the others, Blackwall getting a potion down Fiona's throat while Serana tended to Renn, and then they both helped Valta while Fiona healed Solas and Cole. And while Blackwall and Serana both took care to keep to themselves while the others were watching, he was constantly shooting shy smiles at her behind their backs and Serana couldn't help but smile in return.

Beyond the nest was the main mineshaft with the elevator to the ancient lyrium mine that had been Heidrun Thaig's economic fountain of plenty, and room to establish an entire Inquisition outpost. So they did just that, and the camp took shape, and with the darkspawn cleared, the Inquisition and Orzammar could send resources to help. Including a personal letter from Miraak hoping all was well and wanting to know if there was anything he could do to help.

Serana glanced at Blackwall as she read it out, shared a smile and wrote a response back in Tamrielic telling him all was well and they'd traced the quakes to a thaig built on top of an old lyrium mine, cleared the darkspawn inhabitants… and that they'd all survived unBlighted and Thom sent his best wishes.

Said Thom added a codicil thanking Miraak for getting Serana to help, telling him she was a fearless fighter and had saved all their lives and he was very grateful to have her here.

"Just grateful?" Serana had to ask, raising an eyebrow, and Blackwall blushed.

"I'm not good with words, and he's the bloody Inquisitor, he doesn't need me gushing all over the page," Blackwall said awkwardly. "It's enough for him to know we're all right and we're on to something. He's not a fool. He'll read between the lines."

Serana had a feeling a man with his own relatively new partner would have been fine with a more passionate declaration of new love, but when it came to trying to put words on the page, her own mind failed her. So reading between the lines it would have to be.

Off the page was another matter. Words weren't needed in the end. Just smiling at each other and holding hands and Blackwall raising her fingers to his lips. Nothing more had happened. Apparently Blackwall was happy to take things slowly, for now at any rate.

"You deserve better than a desperate coupling in the Deep Roads," Blackwall told her. "Don't you worry about me."

Not going to happen. She'd always worry. But he was here and safe, and content to rest his head in her lap by the campfire while she stroked his hair, and while Fiona sighed and shook her head, not entirely approving, no one actually said anything. Apart from Cole, who nodded, whispered 'yes, be happy. They look at you and don't see a monster and when they look at you like that, you believe it too.'

Which one of them that was aimed at, neither of them was sure, but perhaps it didn't matter. They had each other and for now, that was enough.

As for the mission itself, Valta studied the ancient books that they'd found down in the hive and excitedly revealed one was written by an ancient Paragon who'd been king at the time, describing the source of the earthquakes as a Titan, which awoke beneath the thaig.

So all they had to do was stop the Titan. Somehow. Despite not knowing exactly what one was, and that something called a Titan was probably… big.

"Does it say how they stopped it?" Fiona asked and Valta shook her head.

"No. But the fact the quakes are happening again means they didn't kill the Titan. They negotiated somehow. So we might be able to do the same."

Negotiate with a Titan. How on Nirn that would even work, Serana had no idea. But as she'd said once to Liriel, she was nothing if not persuasive.

---

Down the elevator into near total darkness and even Serana was having trouble seeing where she was going. Still, she saw better than the others and took the lead.

It felt different down here. No sign of Blight or darkspawn. And the energy felt… odd. Intense. Magically powerful in a way Serana had never even felt before. Like blood magic except stronger and… less dark. It burned with a cool fire that didn't harm her, and Serana could feel something in her responding. She just wasn't sure what it was.

"All right there, Serana?" Renn from behind her. "Don't want to criticise your sense of direction but you've been standing there for the last minute not going anywhere."

"I'm fine," Serana said with a start. "I'm just… it feels so strange down here. Like we're wrapped in magic itself. And it's watching us… there!"

Two blue eyes glimmered in the darkness then blinked out, and Serana smelt it then. Something out there. Not darkspawn. But alive, with a beating heart and… it smelt Dwarven of all things.

"Are your people living down here?" she gasped, turning to where she thought Valta was standing.

"Not that I know of," Valta said, surprised. "I knew Heidrun had a lyrium mine but it would have been abandoned once the thaig fell to the darkspawn. Survivors might have fled here but… why would the darkspawn not have come after them?"

Why indeed. There wasn't much a darkspawn wouldn't at least try and invade. But darkspawn were absent and these strange dwarves were very much present, in fact Detect Life was lighting them up. There were a lot of them and they seemed to be congregating around a certain point just up ahead and…

The tunnel air cleared as Serana stepped into a more open cave, and then she heard the unmistakeable sound of crossbows going off.

Memories of Isran calling her an 'it', hauling her off to the torture chamber and keeping her there, old bloodstains nagging at her to feed, be the monster Isran thought her kind were, and Serana cried out as Ironflesh didn't cast in time to stop lyrium tipped bolts hitting her.

She'd never taken lyrium before, had no experience of it whatsoever. She wasn't prepared for her senses to go wild and limbs to lose control as she collapsed to the floor, thrashing as her vision went day sky blue, a shade she'd not seen in a very long time.

Visions of oneness, of feeling the thoughts of an entire people, of being tall, mountain tall, striding the landscape of Skyrim with the sun beating down and not harming her. No burning, no pain, no fear, only feeling like floating, even as someone was screaming her name.

Fighting in the background, desperate cries, bodies falling, at least one magelight on the ceiling, and Serana slowly came back to herself, more so as she felt the bolts being ripped out.

Injured, she was injured and her blood moved to heal her, more quickly than usual, and afterwards… no hunger. No hunger at all. Strange.

"Serana!" Blackwall was gasping, shaking her shoulder, face haggard and drawn in the unnatural light. "Serana, wake up, are you all right?"

"I think so," Serana whispered, welcoming his arms enfolding her. "What was on those bolts? Vampires are supposed to be immune to poison."

"Lyrium, I think, their weapons and armour are laced with the stuff," Blackwall said. "Lyrium does strange things to mages. Not surprised it hit you hard."

"Not how you like to feed but it fed you," Cole whispered from behind Blackwall, staring at her from underneath that ridiculous hat. "Like blood but potent. You won't hunger again for a while."

Like blood? That made no sense but… she wasn't hungry. And it had felt like feeding on a drunk did, except more so. Like she'd been hit with an incredibly powerful drug that had fed her, not harmed her.

"I think I need to get up," Serana whispered, reaching for Blackwall, who took her hand and then stared at her, little gasp escaping his lips.

"Serana? Your eyes! They're… er…"

"My eyes?" Serana reached for her face, feeling no different apart from the light, floaty feeling still left over from the lyrium and the odd lack of blood hunger. "What about my eyes?"

Her vision felt no different but something must have changed from the way Blackwall was staring at her.

"They're blue," Blackwall whispered, and Serana could only trace her cheekbones, wishing for a mirror more than anything.

"What," Serana gasped. "But how is that… I'm still a vampire, right?"

A brief flick on and off of her night vision, feeling for her fangs (still there) and yes she still was. Albeit with eyes glowing blue, not orange.

"Strange blood in your veins," Cole whispered. "Different now. Still a vampire, but what kind?"

Serana wasn't sure. She supposed she'd find out. So she let Blackwall help her up and went to check on the others.

It wasn't good. Renn was lying on the floor and Serana could already tell from a distance he was no longer among the living. Valta was kneeling next to him and closing his eyes, distraught.

"He always seemed so indestructible," Valta whispered, wiping a tear away. "He never wanted this life, you know? He was a cobbler, a good one! He ended up in the Legion to pay his father's debts, and stop his mother and brother losing their caste. I… he deserved so much better."

"So do we all," Fiona said softly, doing her best to comfort Valta. "I'm sorry. He seemed a good man."

"The best," Valta said, getting up and composing herself… and then they all saw Serana's glowing blue eyes. "Wait… what? Do you know your eyes changed colour?"

"Yeah, so Blackwall tells me," Serana said, awkwardness going up as she saw the young Shaper staring at her, looking far too fascinated for Serana's liking. "They shot me with lyrium bolts and this is the result."

"We thought it was killing you," Solas said matter-of-factly. "I wondered if your kind might have a weakness to lyrium. Spirits certainly react to it."

"I reacted all right," Serana said, still wondering what it had done to her. "We're supposed to be immune to poison, but it felt like I had been."

"Lyrium's dangerous but it's no poison," Valta said, frowning. "It's… it carries the song of the Stone. And now it's like the song's in you. Like you absorbed its power somehow."

"That's impossible," Serana said, shaking her head. "The only thing I absorb power from is blood."

"Didn't he just call it strange blood in your veins," Blackwall said, glancing at Cole, and that just made things even weirder.

"Lyrium is blood of something?" Fiona said, reaching the obvious conclusion. "What on earth of?"

It did run in veins… but lyrium would need to be blood of the very earth itself.

"Or a Titan," Valta whispered. "Stone, lyrium is the Titan's blood?"

That would explain why the quakes were targeting lyrium mines. It did not explain why Fiona had suddenly started laughing.

"You mean every use of lyrium's abilities is actually blood magic," Fiona gasped through her laughter. "The Templars called us maleficarum, but they were using blood magic to keep us in line the whole time?"

Blackwall burst out laughing and Serana had to admit, it was pretty funny. Solas just shrugged.

"That is one of life's greater ironies, indeed. You plan to report that back to the Inquisitor, I trust?"

"I need more evidence first," Fiona said cheerfully. "But yes, I plan to tell him. I think it will make him laugh. And then I imagine he'll make it public and use it to bolster the cause of mage freedom and make the Templars look awful."

"It will make mages look worse, if you keep using lyrium for your own rites," Solas observed. "Not to mention dwarven enchantments. Orzammar might not thank you either if the Chantry bans lyrium."

"Orzammar's Carta have been smuggling lyrium for years, I don't expect that to change," Fiona said cheerfully. "Lyrium is too useful to ban."

That had not stopped the Chantry before. But Serana could only think of how she was feeling on lyrium and knew who else would be interested. Never mind the surface lands, one mission to Orzammar to set some portals up, and the dwarves would have themselves a whole new customer in King Madanach of the Reach. And if lyrium could replace blood in blood magic rites, the Reachmen truly would be a force to be reckoned with.

A thought for later. For now, they had a mission to continue, and Valta seemed all the more determined to see this through, to make Renn's sacrifice worth it. So more exploration it was, natural tunnels giving way to Dwarven architecture, and more of the silent dwarves to fight. It turned out lyrium wasn't just woven into their armour, but into their very skin. The armour was welded to them. And a wall of lyrium Memories, similar to the ones Valta was used to using in the Shaperate, revealed why. Once Valta had puzzled out the dialect, of course. The dwarves called themselves Sha-Brytol, or revered defenders. Of what, it didn't say. But the text did reveal they cut their tongues out and entombed their bodies as a way of showing reverence, and them attacking outsiders on sight meant they were protecting something. And then Valta was able to translate a line that did make it clear. They watched over the Titan until it stirred.

"Well, it's stirring now," Fiona said, glancing around nervously. "I don't suppose it says what they do then?"

"They might not know," Solas pointed out. "These words are ancient and Valta can barely read them. They might not either. All they know is that it has stirred, and that the outsiders might be the cause. Of course they are hostile."

That meant all they could do was press on, and prepare for more attacks. Which did indeed come, culminating in a sabotaged bridge, a forced diversion… and another Memory wall. This one talked of the Titan sculpting the world.

"How big is this thing?" Serana whispered, glancing around uneasily, and even though she'd not sunk her fangs into the vein itself, it was always awkward dealing with someone whose blood you'd drunk. Even if she'd not had a choice in the matter.

"It is called a Titan," Fiona observed. "Shaping the world within and without… that sounds significant somehow. And if lyrium is its blood… within and without. I will need to think on this."

Serana noticed Solas frowning. Odd. Very odd. As if he knew something somehow. Within and without… the physical world and the Fade, maybe?

Something that shaped Mundus and Oblivion alike would have to be immensely old and immensely powerful, and Serana did not like this at all.

Further down and further in and at length they emerged in a glowing blue cavern, lyrium veins not buried but twining around stalactites, the entire cavern lit up like strange sunlight, and for a vampire, walking in light like this without feeling the heat was a new phenomenon entirely.

"It's beautiful," Serana gasped. "Look at it! And the lyrium, it's humming!"

Lyrium was the singing metal, everyone knew that, but Serana hadn't realised it was so loud. Apparently it normally wasn't, but it normally didn't just exist on top of the rock either.

"We must be getting closer to the source," Valta said, determined. "Come on, let's go."

If the amount of Sha-Brytol defenders was anything to go by, they definitely were. The numbers only seemed to increase, and they'd erected barriers to keep them out that only a Sha-Brytol weapon could break.

"You'd think they'd build it and stay on the other side," Blackwall observed after they'd smashed one.

"They are fanatics," Solas said, shrugging. "Reason is not their strong point."

Hard to argue with that. And so they fought on, until finally they found the door the Sha-Brytol had been guarding, leading to a cave with more Memories.

"Only the Pure may pass. All others will be punished," Valta translated. "I suppose the Sha-Brytol are the pure."

"And we're the others," Fiona sighed. "Well, it does read like a final warning. We must be close."

Camp was made, now that the area seemed enemy-free, and Serana took the opportunity to explore the cave they'd just passed through. Which was where Blackwall found her, staring out at an underground sea.

"Look at it," Serana breathed, enthralled. "It's beautiful. The light, the water, everything! I could live down here, you know. No sun. No fire. I could live off the lyrium. It'd be perfect."

"Not as perfect as you," Blackwall murmured, coming to stand behind her and nuzzling her neck. Serana laughed and turned to face him, her new blue eyes reflecting the lyrium and just making her look more beautiful than ever.

"I'm very far from that," Serana said, smiling as she placed her arms round his neck, fangs clearly visible and somehow Blackwall didn't even mind the sight. "But thank you. I'm glad you're here with me."

Blackwall closed his eyes and drank in her scent, metallic and blood and the leather of her armour but also something else. Something that felt like sunlight.

"I was convinced I was going to die down here, you know," Blackwall said softly. "When the Council told me Orzammar was in trouble and the Inquisition needed its lyrium supply securing, I was terrified out of my wits but I knew I couldn't say no. It'd reveal who I was… and Warden Blackwall wouldn't abandon Orzammar in its hour of need. So I agreed. I thought it'd be no more than I deserved. I didn't expect you to come. Or anything like this."

"Me neither," Serana murmured, leaning in to kiss him. Blackwall met her lips with relish, pulling her to him for a kiss, and while she didn't feel warm like a normal woman might, she didn't feel cold either. She seemed to have this odd energy in her blood lighting her up from the inside, and Blackwall could feel his skin prickling at her touch. It should put him off. It didn't. He wanted more of her, and from the way she was pushing him back against a stalagmite, so did she.

"Should I get my armour off?" Blackwall murmured to her, and Serana gasped.

"Thought you'd never ask," she breathed, and then they were both stripping the other down, Blackwall lying down on the rock, and pulling her on top of him, seeing lyrium reflecting off perfect skin, the body of an eternal eighteen year old, soft and warm and inviting but with a strength beneath he could barely hope to match.

Lips on his as they met in a tangle of limbs, and then more intimate contact followed and it ended with her riding him, coming on top of him and Blackwall closed his eyes and knew he would do anything to have this again.

Afterwards, she nestled in his arms, and if this was a forbidden heresy, Blackwall didn't care. Serana was his to protect and he didn't care who knew it.

"I love you, you know," Blackwall murmured to her and Serana smiled.

"I've never… you know. Had someone before," Serana said softly. "Not like that. Not with someone who cared about me. Thank you."

"What, never?" Blackwall said, surprised. "I thought you'd be drowning in suitors."

Serana actually shivered.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, there's plenty of people wanting to be… donors. But no one I really wanted to be with."

"And you chose me. I'm honoured," Blackwall murmured, kissing her cheek. Serana nestled on to his chest.

"It's complicated," Serana sighed. "I mean, everything about my past, my family, is… complicated. I never had siblings. My father's dead. My mother is still around but she did lock me in a cave for thousands of years so that's… awkward. Liriel's one of the best friends I ever had if not the best, and Madanach's my childe vampire and I care about him a lot but… they have each other. I never had someone look at me the way you do. Even knowing what I am. I guess I just wanted to forget I was a vampire for a while, with someone who makes me feel safe."

"I'm glad I can help you feel that way," Blackwall told her, and then a tremor rippled through the rock, and falling stalactites nearby reminded them they were not safe, not remotely, not while the Titan was still angry. So they got up, got dressed and returned to camp, to find packing up happening already.

"There you are," Fiona said, and if she suspected what they'd been up to, she didn't seem bothered. "Valta's becoming increasingly concerned about the situation and doesn't want to wait. We're investigating the cave, get your things together."

Ominous… but that quake had seemed fierce. Maybe it was time to get this over with.

Blackwall squeezed Serana's hand, not sure what awaited, but knowing he had no regrets… and would protect Serana with his life.

---

Through the tunnel and it was a short one. Round the corner, light up ahead, light like daylight and Serana gasped, throwing up a hand… then realised she wasn't burning, wasn't in pain, was feeling fine in fact. Not daylight.

Valta was up ahead with Fiona, and the gasps told her they'd found something big.

Big wasn't even the word. An entire valley, glowing with brilliant white light, mountain peaks with dwarven houses built into them and walkways connecting them and… lyrium. Lyrium gleaming, great arteries of it sprawling across the cave ceiling, all converging down on to one point and… was that a heart?

"The rhythm we followed – that's it!" Valta gasped. "We found the source!"

"It's a heart," Fiona gasped. "A heart! Lyrium is truly blood! Hah! Ah, wait until I tell my son this. I think the Inquisitor will find it amusing as well."

"But what's it the heart of," Valta whispered. "Still no sign of the Titan. Is that it, do you think?"

It surely had to be, and the lyrium was still thrumming through Serana's blood. She'd taken a few more hits from lyrium bolts in subsequent fights, and while the effects weren't as potent as that first time, they were still affecting her, to the extent she could sense the lyrium heartbeat herself now. A pulsing rhythm sending ripples not just through the vessels but through the rocks, her body, the very air, and then Serana realised why the Deep Roads here had felt so different.

"We're in the Titan!" Serana realised. "That's the heart but we're in its body, have been for days! Maybe even since we first encountered the Sha-Brytol. And the lyrium is its blood. Blood so powerful that if a vampire drinks it, they change."

She still didn't know how yet, but she did know that both her mother and Madanach would be very interested in this.

It also made the prospect of negotiating with it awkward. But it was clear that heart bore closer inspection. They just had to get down there and… company. More Sha-Brytol and they weren't happy.

The fight was hard, but not the hardest they'd faced yet, and Serana somehow found her magicka just not running out – or at least recharging quickly. Side-effect of the lyrium? She didn't know, but this lyrium stuff was amazing. Going back to the blood of mortals after this would be a wrench.

The fighting was hard and brutal, and after, Blackwall in particular was looking solemn.

"There's a whole city down here, look," Blackwall said quietly. "An entire civilisation. And here we are, invading. These men and women were just protecting their homes. It didn't seem to matter in the other cave, it wasn't really inhabited. But this feels different. As if we shouldn't be here."

Serana glanced up and shivered, hoping that the buildings weren't home to kids who'd just watched a parent killed. She squeezed Blackwall's hand, hoping to both seek and offer reassurance.

"If we're trespassing, they should be arresting us not just opening fire," Serana said softly. "This isn't like the Callier massacre, Thom. I don't know if this is the right thing, but we can't turn back now."

"Oh we could," Blackwall said bitterly. "But you're right. We need to stop the quakes or innocents above will die too."

Up ahead, Valta was clearly having similar thoughts, asking Fiona why they seemed so fanatical and unafraid of death.

"Perhaps they're the Titan's Legion of the Dead," Fiona said thoughtfully, and Valta shuddered to hear it. That really wasn't a comparison anyone wanted to hear.

And then another wall of memories, confirming what they'd suspected. The Sha-Brytol came here to walk the path of purity and drink the blood of the Titan, which sustained them and gave them life.

"Like vampires but no one calls us pure," Serana breathed. "And we already figured out the Titan's blood is lyrium."

"You never drank lyrium before," Solas said, observing her with some fascination. "You too take blood into your very being, letting it sustain you. I can only imagine what feeding on the blood of a Titan might do. You've already changed just from involuntarily absorbing it through their lyrium weapons."

Serana had to wonder that herself, looking at the veins on the roof. Would it be worth finding out? Or would the Titan kill them all? She didn't know and it wasn't worth risking it. But purity… to be pure and untainted again… it might be a risk worth taking.

On they pressed, and finally the Heart was there, looming above them, the power and rhythm thudding through them. The party approached, staring up at it, all thinking as one 'what do we do now?'

It seemed the Heart had thoughts on that too. A lyrium spear shot out, impaled Valta, sent her flying back along the walkway… and before anyone could go and help her, walls of rock and lyrium raised themselves in between them, sealing the five of them in with the Heart.

The lyrium veins shattered and the light went out, night falling as the Heart summoned rock and mutated into some sort of rock wraith, roaring as it raised tendrils of rock and lyrium to strike.

"Scatter!" Blackwall roared, raising his shield to block. "I'll draw its attention, the rest of you try to bring it down!"

The battle was intense, healing potions being used, grenades being thrown, progress being made against the Heart's Guardian, but it proved all too powerful. Cole was down. Solas was next. Fiona was on her knees. Blackwall was still standing but his sword was barely making a dent in it. But Serana noticed something. Its attacks weren't targeting her much. Because she was a vampire on lyrium. Because she was… pure?

A limb lashed out and sent Blackwall staggering and Serana realised she had few options left. Vampire's Seduction could calm it but she'd need to power it up. Only one source of potent power here. And so she took the risk.

Steeling herself through the pain as she grasped a writing tendril, she sank her fangs on to one of the veins and felt lyrium flow into her mouth, not stopping as she fed, not stopping as blood more potent than any she'd ever tasted flowed into her veins, and then she realised she couldn't stop.

Her entire life flashing before her, turned against her will, forced by her parents, trapped underground for millennia, fighting her own father and why? Because the world was worth saving. And here she was again, with her new lover and new friends, trying to save the world from the earthquakes. Why? Because the world was worth saving. Because there was evil in the world, but plenty rising to fight it. Tears in the Veil but Miraak was healing them, becoming a better person against his will in the process. Three Dragonborns all trying to fix this. And Serana who just wanted to help.

I am a monster but I am trying to save the world.

Something listened. Something heard. And something judged.

You promise? This… Miraak will repair what was broken? And you will help him?

Yes, I'll help. Please, we just came to stop the earthquakes, they're hurting people. And we need lyrium to help us. Our mages need its power.

A pause and the Guardian's tendrils stopped thrashing. Then Serana felt the rumble as the rock slabs blocking their exit collapsed, and the Guardian withdrew its tendril, reforming into a Heart and reconnecting with the rest of the lyrium.

The light returned and it felt warm, but Serana wasn't burning.

Fear no more the light of the sun, Serana Volkihar. You are no monster. You are pure!

Serana staggered back and sat down, no idea what had happened but feeling whole, healthy, powerful and more at peace than she'd felt in a long time.

"Serana!" Blackwall cried, racing to her side. "Serana, you… are you all right? Only you're… glowing."

Serana let him help her up, still feeling very much a vampire, but the hunger was gone. She had a feeling she wouldn't need to feed for a while.

I drank from a Titan? A being that could reshape the world within and without and it had reshaped her. In what way remained to be seen, but fear no more the light of the sun? Had she managed to achieve her father's ambition? That would be deeply ironic. She hoped Harkon was in Coldharbour somewhere, suitably enraged at what his daughter had managed.

Fiona was getting to her feet, healing herself, then Solas and Cole, and then they went to check on Valta, who was slowly stirring.

"No… the song… too loud… STOP!" she cried, purple light glowing at her fingertips then blasting out, narrowly avoiding Fiona.

"What the…" Fiona gasped. "Did you just do magic? That should be impossible!"

"It wasn't a spell, it was an accident!" Valta gasped, staggering to her feet. "But it's fine. It will all be fine."

"You were hit by raw lyrium, you should be far from fine," Solas observed, watching curiously. Serana said nothing. She'd fed on the lyrium. And she was fine too. More than fine.

"I know, it should have poisoned me," Valta said, staring down at her hands. "But I feel good. Better than good!"

"You're not injured?" Fiona asked. "Not at all? Do you need me to examine you?"

Valta shook her head.

"No. I feel better than I ever have. Stronger. Faster. Clearer. I will not need a healer ever again."

Valta walked to the parapet to look out over the shining valley.

"The Stone is silent, but the song still echoes and it tells me things. The rhythm is stilled. The tremors will not return. It was the Breach that set it off, Grand Enchanter. Now that it has a connection with one of its children, it is calm. And…"

Valta turned to look at Serana.

"The song is within you too. You too absorbed the lyrium. You're pure as well."

All eyes on Serana who covered her face with her hands, mortified. Blackwall's arm round her, but everyone else was quiet, waiting for a response. All except Cole.

"You fed on it. You drank the lyrium! It's in you now, it's singing. The Tyranny of the Sun ended for you, Coldharbour's Daughter now part of the Stone."

"I was going to use vampiric blood magic to calm it but I didn't have enough power," Serana admitted, seeing no option but to confess. "So… I fed on one of its lyrium veins. And it realised and went through my head to find out who and what I was, because it didn't recognise me. It saw my entire life and saw the Inquisition trying to seal the Breach. It asked me if Miraak would repair what was broken. I told it he would and that I'd help. And then it all stopped."

To Serana's surprise, Valta smiled.

"The Stone likes you," Valta told her. "It was the Breach upset it, but learning from you that the damage is being repaired on the surface has helped. And you – you're one of us now. But you shouldn't stay. You made the Stone a promise, you should keep it. But once the rifts are healed and the one who caused them dealt with, you might be able to come back."

Serana nodded, feeling forgiven in that instant and knowing in her heart that one of these days, she would.

"Are you not coming back?" Fiona asked. "Won't the Shaperate want to know about this?"

"Yes," Valta said simply. "But I am not the one to tell them. I am staying here."

"Staying… Valta, this has changed you," Fiona said warily. "You need to be careful!"

"Just as any mage needs to be careful, but that does not mean they should be chained. You of all people should know that, Fiona," Valta said, glancing knowingly at the elf, before turning to look at the lyrium again. "We call it isana, you know. It's a gift from the Stone to my people. But it's so much more. I came here to find lost history, and I am finding it. This is only the beginning. Yes, Fiona. I am staying here."

"You're not worried about the Sha-Brytol?" Fiona had to ask, and Valta shook her head.

"No. It is as I said. I am pure. They will not harm me. They will give you no further trouble either if Serana is with you. Perhaps Inquisition forces can investigate the Bastion outside with no further trouble even if she is not. But they will not be permitted to come here."

That was fair enough. Valta's mind was made up and Miraak would no doubt be very interested in all this. The Vampire Reach-King, more so. Serana had her own questions in need of answers, but she wouldn't get those down here. And so the party left Valta meditating before the reformed Heart, and made their way to the surface. Back through the winding caves and tunnels, back to Heidrun Thaig, back to the Inquisition camp at the upper levels, then on to the Great Lift to be taken to the surface proper.

Serana looked up and saw daylight, and her hand reached for Blackwall's, but as the light grew brighter, it dazzled her eyes but did not burn her. And for the first time in millennia, Serana stepped into sunlight and gasped.

No pain. No burning. Nothing. Just walking in the day like a mortal, even though she was still a vampire.

Fear no more the heat of the sun. The Tyranny of the Sun was over, just like that, for her at least. Maybe for others too. Had she just saved vampire-kind?

"This is amazing," Serana whispered. "I can just be in daylight without suffering!"

Blackwall smiled and took her in his arms, kissing her hand then pulling her close.

"And you look beautiful in it," he told her, meaning every word. "Are you coming with us to Skyhold?"

"I… could do that now," Serana whispered. "If I can be about during the day, and don't need to feed on people, probably no one will even notice!"

She glanced at the others, suddenly concerned one of them might tell… but Fiona just smiled, Solas looked baffled and Cole nodded.

"Yes," Cole whispered. "Move among people like you're one of them again. Be one of them again. Not life but close enough. You help people. The Inquisition needs you."

"I am certainly not one to go tale-bearing to the Chantry," Solas said fondly, and Fiona just smiled.

"I think you two are rather good for each other," Fiona said, approving. "If you do come to Skyhold, I'll be happy to give you a tour of the mage facilities, just ask. We also have plentiful supplies of lyrium, it will be no trouble to secure you a supply, I think. You'll need to make a full report to the Inquisitor, of course."

Of course, but Serana had a feeling Miraak would be just too darn curious to complain much.

"Not right away," she said, recalling her other obligations. "I need to go back to Caer Bronach. If feeding on lyrium really does give you sunlight immunity, Madanach needs to know. And Orzammar just got itself a very well-paying customer for its lyrium."

"I'll be sure to present a full report to Inquisitor Miraak on your behalf then," Fiona told her. "I think he'll be very interested indeed."

And so Serana parted, with a kiss for Blackwall and a promise to write, and sure enough, in due course a delegation from the Reach went to Orzammar under Inquisition colours and secured the trade deal that would go on to revolutionise Dwarven and Reachman culture alike.

But for now, the four of them returned to Skyhold, where the Inquisitor came out to meet them personally, Dorian at his side as always, and Alistair running to sweep his mother into his arms for a hug.

"You're all right," Alistair gasped. "Maker, I was so worried!"

"I am all right, my son," Fiona said gently, still touched beyond words at the affection she didn't remotely feel she'd earned. "I will not pretend it was not dangerous, but the Inquisitor's letter to Serana did its job, and she likely saved us all. She had to report to Caer Bronach but I am sure she'll be back."

"I hope so, I am fond of her and Dorian here misses having someone to discuss alok dilon with," Miraak said, stepping into view in his formal tunic but mask-free. He bowed to Fiona, nodded at Cole, just about acknowledged Solas then faced Blackwall… and then Blackwall gasped as six foot five of muscled Atmoran battlemage enveloped him in a hug.

Maker's balls. Good thing he didn't fancy men, because Miraak clearly didn't mess about when he liked you.

"You survived," Miraak gasped, patting him on the back before stepping away, hands on Blackwall's forearms and a smile on his face that could melt hearts at a thousand paces. "Fahdoni, I feared… ah, it doesn't matter. You survived! And have a grand tale to tell, no?"

"You could say that, yes," Blackwall said, glancing at Fiona. "We'll, er, need to debrief in private. So to speak – Dorian, stop sniggering."

"There's an image," Dorian sighed, grinning at Blackwall and only stopping when Miraak let Blackwall go and turned to face Dorian with the full weight of Inquisitorial disapproval.

"Stop it," Miraak said pointedly. "Bad enough you keep topping up Cullen's tankard at Wicked Grace nights in the hope he'll get reckless and gamble his armour away again. Don't start on Blackwall too."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Dorian said cheerfully, if not entirely truthfully. Miraak growled under his breath then put a firm arm round Dorian.

"Drinks all round then you will tell us the story, yes?" Miraak said, steering the subject far away from male Inquisition members running around Skyhold in states of undress. Blackwall was quite happy to get off that topic. And so off it was to tell the tale to Miraak, who'd be impressed and intrigued and agree all this was interesting, and start arranging for Inquisition people to investigate further now the area was secured. And while the glowing heart chamber proved unreachable, there was loot to be had down there that enriched the Inquisition considerably. All in all, it couldn't have gone better.

---

A/N: Reachmen getting their hands on lyrium and using it as a replacement for blood magical techniques, there's a prospect to worry everyone. Magical-Industrial Revolution happening in Tamriel within five years, Aldmeri Dominion surrendering in ten. But that's another story.

I did not have lyrium acting as Really Potent Blood and having Massive Effects on vampires in mind when I sent Serana down there, I mostly thought undead so can't get Blighted, crush on Blackwall so will look after him or even turn him if she has to. And then I remembered lyrium was blood when I got to the second half and decided to play with it. So, er, now Tamrielic vampires can walk in the sun and not need to drink blood if they can afford to pay the Mournful Throne. There's a certain delicious irony in Serana being the one to find it and achieve her father's ambition in very different ways.