Turdas, the 4th of Evening Star, 4E201

On my way to Sky Haven again, the road is taking a LOT less time now that I know where I am going. All goes well, I'll be back by midday.

We got back to the inn yesterday, decided to split up. Sorine already knows where the fort is so she doesn't really need me chaperoning her anyway. I decided to drop by and inform everyone of the Aetherium thing in person. I didn't feel like writing letters when I'm a stone's throw away. From there, it's more or less a straight shot to Riften.

Now that I think about it, I should've asked Sorine about that mini-crossbow she had. That could come in handy. Definitely would save me some of that back pain from lugging the full-sized thing around.

Alright, so only Esbern and Fultheim were at home and neither were much in terms of conversation. Aerin and Fortunata both left for Markarth to buy some supplies. Mjoll is doing her first lap, should be around Dawnstar or Winterhold by now. Don't envy that. It's cold enough down here, let alone in that frozen asshole of the world.

At least it's not snowing yet. Or at least, I've been able to avoid the areas where it does snow. I might have to change up this armor I'm wearing, because it's damn easy to break a sweat in this, and sweating is the last thing I want when my eyelids are freezing shut.

Oh Breezehome, sweet Breezehome. I'm so getting drunk tonight.

I don't really have a good reason to, I just want to. Besides, I have the money for it. I sold off all the findings I have been lugging around, so I'm fairly set. I kind of want to buy something, honestly. I'm not really sure what, just… Something. Though I guess the last time I did that I bought those earrings that I never wear. Am I just bad with money?

Maybe I'll visit Balgruuf, now that I think about it. Or… I don't know, maybe not. Gods, this is the worst. I never know what to do when I have time off.

I guess I'll go beat up a dummy at Jorrvaskr or something. Maybe I'll get mistaken for a thief and get arrested. That sounds fun.

Fredas, the 5th of Evening Star, 4E201

Well I didn't get arrested. I do have a headache now, though.

Am I really going to waste a potion on a hangover…? Ah who am I kidding, of course I am. I'd rather bleed out than walk around all day with a migraine.

Speaking of walking, I think I'll leave Annie at Whiterun this time. I've not really taken good care of her, and I think a week or two at the stables will do her good. I hear that Skyrim horses are bred specifically for their tolerance of harsh conditions, but that doesn't mean I should wear her out like an old pair of boots.

I'll be getting a carriage ride to Riften along with some travelers. It's relatively cheap and safe, plus it might be faster than me riding Annie halfway through the province. I make too many detours.

It's evening, and I'm back at Riften. I guess I could've gone straight to Fort Dawnguard from here, but I decided that it might be worth it to check in with the Thieves Guild. That Illia girl is still gone though. It's getting close to a month, I wonder if everything is alright.

Now that I think about it, everyone at the Guild was looking very… shifty. Not that they're particularly trustworthy on a day to day basis, just that they seemed more rustled than usual. I doubt they'd tell me if I asked, so I didn't pry, but it seems like something important is happening.

For them, anyway. I just hope it doesn't get in the way of what I'm doing.

The chirping of nocturnal songbirds was as mesmerizing as ever, and Saya found herself stopping every once in a while just to listen to it. The stars shone bright today, and the cloudless sky pulled the eyes upward into its depths. Perfect for a walk - or at least it would've been, were it not for the cold. The redhead sighed heavily, her breath turning to vapor in the chilled air. A slight shiver ran through her body and she pulled her cloak together more. She really should've gotten a scarf or something back at Whiterun.

She greeted the guard while walking by, signaling that she's one of theirs, before continuing further in. The encampment outside bustled even in the dark, appearing busier than when she had last seen it. She couldn't help but feel agitated at the amount of people still out and about. It made sense, though - vampires usually prowled around during the night after all. Folks walked around, eating and having conversations. Someone was off in the corner, tinkering away with spare equipment, while two others got shitfaced and were now singing their hearts out. Fires dotted the camp to keep everyone nice and warm, and generally the people seemed to be in high spirits. The Dunmer smiled a little as she walked by.

An unexpected sense of anxiety struck her the moment she opened the front door of the Fort, though she couldn't immediately pinpoint the source. The entrance behind her closed with a loud thud that echoed throughout the halls, and she took a few steps forward within the circular vestibule. A lot of the crates from before were now absent, so the room stood empty for the most part. And now that she thought about it, those side gates weren't closed last time she visited...

The floor lit up beneath her feet before she could even think of taking another step. The magical flash of gold startled her and the girl took a step back, covering her eyes from how bright it was compared to the darkness outside. Other than that, however, the light did little else that she could notice. Saya let go of Stormblade's handle, having been ready to draw her sword at a moment's notice, and stood at ease once more. The magicka slowly faded and her vision cleared from the excessive light, allowing her to finally see Isran standing on a balcony above.

"Evening to you, too." She put one hand on her waist, cocking her head. The magic felt vaguely familiar, like she had encountered it before… Ah. Her enchanted dagger. "I see your lost cleric has been doing some work?"

Alas, Isran did not seem to be in very good humor. He muttered something to himself before cranking a lever beside him, the portcullises blocking the different rooms rising up once again. He then pointed down, vaguely in the direction of a stairway that led to where he stood. "Get up here. We need to talk. Now."

Whatever smile Saya had until then quickly vanished. Isran was never in a good mood, but at least it wasn't this. She stalled for a few moments, collecting her thoughts before proceeding upstairs. If she had to hazard a guess, he'd want her to see him in his room, so that was where she went. And indeed, the Redguard was already waiting for her right there, arms crossed and brows furrowed. The entrance to his little dungeon was notably closed.

"So… Did Gunmar and Sorine make it here fine?" She tried to break the ice, lowering her hood and stretching her neck a bit. Isran seemed rather nonplussed at this attempt to engage, but now that Saya was standing right in front of him and waiting for a response he relented.

"Sorine arrived earlier today. Gunmar came a couple of days after you left," he said in that particular tone of his, the one he used whenever Saya was being annoying but not enough for him to explode."But that's not the reason why I called you here."

Saya tilted her head quizzically, but followed Isran without a word as he led her to the side room's entrance. He produced a small key from his pocket, unlocking the metal door and letting it swing open slowly. At first, the Dragonborn didn't think much of it until she noticed a familiar figure sitting on the floor, wrists bound with faintly shimmering metal shackles and a metallic collar on her neck, chained to the floor.

"Serana?" The name slipped out of the redhead's mouth in a confused whisper. The vampire didn't react, her eyes remaining closed and not a single twitch coming from her body in reaction to her name. Saya turned to Isran, her expression warped with disgust. "What the hell did you do? Didn't I tell you to let me deal with her?"

Isran didn't even look in her direction, his gaze solely affixed to the pale woman on the floor. "She showed up here two days ago. Walked right through the front door. Damn lucky that my men were too slow on the draw to shoot her before she managed to introduce herself," he said with scorn, more disappointed with his recruits than grateful they didn't kill a valuable source of information. "Some jumped in to attack her. You should be glad I was there to drag her away and bring her here," he said, finally looking back at the Dunmer.

She didn't immediately respond, though the look she gave him communicated her internal thoughts well enough. She sighed, shaking her head and stepping over to Serana to take a closer look at her. She was unconscious, but didn't seem to be harmed that badly - at the very least any injuries she might've had were already gone. Vampiric regeneration could be quite terrifying sometimes. "Did she have the Elder Scroll with her?"

Isran nodded back towards his room. "I have it locked up. Part of why the guards hesitated to shoot." He gave Saya a suspicious look, watching for whatever she was going to do. Though he already knew what she was thinking, he decided to ask for confirmation. "Do you want to remove the shackles?" The Dragonborn nodded, and Isran's expression grew unamused. "Suit yourself." He tossed the key to her, the redhead catching it out of the air, and closed the door behind himself.

With a click of the lock, the shackles on Serana's wrists opened and the shimmering on them vanished, whatever enchantment they were imbued with seemingly deactivating for the time being. With another click, the collar on her neck opened, and Saya carefully placed it on the ground. Immediately, the vampire's eyes shot open and she began frantically looking around, visibly panicked at the unfamiliar environment she found herself in.

The Dragonborn's first instinct was to immediately grab her shoulders, trying to hold her in place. "Hey, calm down! It's me, remember? Hello?" She asked, her voice a bit louder than usual but producing no effect on the vampire, who was very actively struggling to get out of her grasp. Saya recoiled a bit when Serana pushed her away, the vampire's supernatural strength showing in how the redhead found herself falling back from her crouched position. She grunted a bit when she fell, not hurt but definitely not happy with the situation.

She tried reaching out again, this time only lightly touching her forearm instead of grabbing her, and Serana struck her hand away once again. The vampire had almost completely curled up, covering her head and shaking like a leaf. Saya watched this for a few seconds, discomfort stewing inside of her as she clenched her hands into fists. Captive or not, this was not a normal reaction. So after a moment of thinking, she instead stepped away from Serana, sitting down on the floor by the opposite wall and giving her some space.

It took her a few minutes for something to change. Eventually, Serana quietly looked up, rubbing her eyes clean with her sleeves. Once her vision cleared, she raised her head and looked around, taking in the room she found in. It looked familiar, a faint recollection surfacing in her mind of the time when a tall bearded man dragged her here. She moved her limbs in a sluggish manner, as though she had not even realized she was no longer shackled - not until she saw those same silver shackles lying on the floor beside her.

"Hey." The voice caught Serana's attention, only now noticing the redhead sitting in front of her, a slight smile on her face. Despite the circumstances, Saya figured it'd be best to try and act friendly. Gods know she needed a friendly face. "Finally awake?"

"H-Hello." Serana was initially startled since she didn't realize there was someone else in the room with her. The fear quickly sapped from her features once she recognized the person in front of her. "Forgive me. I thought I was still…"

The vampire trailed off, but Saya quickly changed the subject before she could get too absorbed in that line of thought. "We're at Fort Dawnguard, in Isran's chamber. He told me what happened." She did her best to sound relaxed and comforting rather than interrogative. Her questions could wait. "Are you hurt? I was told the Dawnguard didn't offer the warmest of welcomes."

Serana snickered quietly at the joke. "That is one way to put it, yes." She leaned with her back against the wall, locking her fingers together and twiddling her thumbs to keep her hands occupied. "I am not sure what I was thinking when I approached them openly like that… I suppose I hoped they would be more understanding." She smiled awkwardly. "Live and learn, is that how the saying goes?"

Saya rolled her eyes, exhaling sharply in a way that was not quite a laugh. She was feeling decent enough to crack jokes, at least. No use beating around the bush too much, then. "About that - why did you come? I thought you said you'd stay at the castle to keep the Scroll safe, didn't you? What changed?"

Serana's sheepish smile quickly dropped, a face of thoughtful discomfort replacing it. She looked up from her hands and looked straight ahead, staring at the wall while she thought of how to phrase what she was going to say. "I inquired about Father's progress while I was home. How his search for Mother went, how much he knew about the prophecy. From what the clan members told me, he had made no advancements in either since I disappeared."

"Prophecy?" Saya interrupted, pausing Serana's train of thought. She had a feeling some kind of prophecy would be involved, but she needed to hear more. "What kind of prophecy?"

"Ah. I haven't told you this… right." Serana frowned, putting a hand on her forehead. "Forgive me. My mind is still… muddled. I sometimes have trouble discerning what happened when."

The Dragonborn couldn't deny her bubbling impatience, but decided that it's not something Serana would like to hear at the moment. "Take your time."

"Thank you," Serana said with a smile, glancing over at Saya but not turning to face her. "It was an old prophecy that an elven sage told my father about. The Tyranny of the Sun, he called it. It was very wordy and vague, as prophecies tend to be. But the part that caught my father's ear was that if it were fulfilled, then vampires would no longer have to fear the sunlight again."

Saya hummed, crossing her arms. So that's why Harkon grew desperate enough to exterminate the Vigilants. If his plans were to come true, his biggest weakness would be a non-issue. "And that's what he needs the Scrolls for, right?"

The vampire nodded. "Yes. Father knows only of the ends, but not the means by which to achieve them - that is why he needs the Scrolls. The sage who told him of the prophecy said it was made by a disciple who studied the Elder Scrolls for his entire life. It is found not in a singular Elder Scroll, but pieced together from fragments found within multiple."

"Do you know how many?"

"There were... two that we had in our possession. One was buried with me, and another was taken by mother, wherever she may be." Serana sighed, trying to recall. Her brows furrowed slightly. "The third… There was a third. Father had been searching for it since even before I disappeared."

The redhead nodded, but did not immediately respond. So multiple Elder Scrolls were involved in this, and yet Harkon didn't know what any of them said. "And how did Harkon plan on deciphering them?"

"That is the reason why I came here." Serana raised her voice slightly, a slight tinge of urgency now in her tone. She finally turned towards Saya as she spoke, intent on being heard. "When you brought me to Father, he put his plan in motion. The Volkihar were ordered to start spreading rumors of an Elder Scroll being found in Skyrim. I am not entirely sure why, but during his speech he mentioned something called a… Moth Priest? Do you know of such a thing?"

"Yeah." She nodded, stretching and standing up. It was getting really uncomfortable, sitting on the floor in metal armor. "They're scholars at the Imperial City, spend their entire lives deciphering the Elder Scrolls. I actually met one, back when the Great War just ended. He came through Blacklight looking for passage onto Vvardenfell, looking into a rumor that an Elder Scroll might've been buried under all the ash from Red Year."

The vampire's eyes widened momentarily. "Do you mean…?"

"It's a trap." Saya confirmed. "He's trying to lure a Moth Priest into Skyrim so he can read a Scroll for him. Though that last part might cause trouble."

Serana's brows furrowed. "No… If he were to enthrall the Moth Priest, he could make them do whatever he wants - even if it harms the thrall," she said, standing up as well. "Father must not get his hands on the priest. The only way to save them past that point would be to kill him, and even that is not a guaranteed solution."

Saya eyed the vampire up and down. She seemed more energetic now than a few minutes ago. "Well, it's still going to take time for the rumors to reach the Imperial City. Skyrim is not exactly buddy-buddy with Cyrodiil at the moment." She shook her head. Of all the things to help them... "In the meantime, we could look for that third Scroll you mentioned. Do you have any ideas where it could be?"

Serana thought long and hard for a moment. "I am not sure. Father never had a strong trail. But if these Moth Priests have been searching for the Elder Scrolls, then perhaps some of the scholars here would know? Do you know of any groups who could be interested?"

"Hmm… Well, the Mages Guild would've probably been hot on their trail as an Empire-mandated organization, but they haven't been around for decades. The College of Whispers and the Synod are more political than magical, so getting them to provide any information is a gamble at best…" The Dunmer sighed. That only left one option. "So I guess we're left with the College of Winterhold."

Serana's eyes widened slightly. "Winterhold? Do you mean the College of Winterhold?" Saya nodded in confirmation and the vampire only looked more puzzled. "I… did not expect that it would be still standing. Even in my age, it was considered ancient."

The Dragonborn couldn't help but chuckle at that as she walked over to the exit. "Standing is… a relative term. You'll see." She knocked on the metal frame, signaling for Isran to open up. A few seconds later, there was a click from the locking mechanism and the door swung open, revealing a not very happy-looking Redguard. "We're done here. I'm taking Serana with me."

Isran did not seem too pleased with that information, but it's not like he seemed pleased with much of anything these days. He only grunted in response, moving away to let the two walk out of the chamber before locking it up again. "We're going to need that Moth Priest too, you know."

Serana froze up, looking almost a little appalled at the fact that he heard everything she said. "You were… eavesdropping?"

Isran scowled. "I was allowing her to interrogate you in my chambers, where you only ended up because of your friend's sudden burst of tolerance and generosity towards blood-sucking monsters." He took a step towards Serana, his volume of voice increasing as he continued talking. "You're not a guest here, vampire. You're an asset. A resource to be used. So don't go having any thoughts, or else it's off with both of your heads."

"That's enough." Saya put a hand on his shoulder, walking in between the two of them. Isran's glare moved from Serana to the Dragonborn, who returned it in kind with those gleaming red eyes of hers. "I'd like to remind you, Isran, that the only reason your buddies are still alive and informed is because of my 'burst of tolerance'. I know you're not a people person, but you could benefit from at least pretending to give a shit about the folks your little crusade depends on."

Isran did not respond immediately, only continuing his glaring competition with the Dragonborn, who was quite a lot shorter than himself. When he realized she wasn't backing down, he grumbled and turned to leave the room, stomping away angrily. Serana watched him go from behind Saya's back, and when he was finally out of sight she asked. "He… did not mean what he said, did he?"

"He did." Saya said and turned to look over her shoulder. Seeing Serana's distraught expression, she gave a reassuring smile. "But it's not up to him to decide. He's here, and the two of us are out there. So until he starts to chip in and help with all the hard work, I think he can shove it. Aye?"

Serana blinked, taking a moment to process the expression. When it finally clicked, she snickered a bit but then quickly covered her mouth, as if catching herself saying something inappropriate. The vampire quickly recomposed herself by clearing her throat and straightening her back and nodded. "Y-Yes, I suppose so."

Saya laughed quietly at her reaction, patting her on the side of her shoulder lightly. "Then that's one less thing to worry about. Let's go," the Dragonborn said, and the two had departed from Isran's room at last.

Before we left, I checked in with Sorine for that crossbow blueprint I was hoping to get. It took a little haggling but she said she'd be willing to give it to me if I would go and explore Mzulft - that ruin by Kynesgrove where I found the Aetherium Shard. She reasoned that since I broke into a materials vault, then the main ruin probably was some kind of factory that needed all those resources to function. Meaning, a thorough enough search could, in theory, unearth some more schematics or blueprints for Sorine to upgrade the crossbow designs further.

It was already on the bucket list so I agreed. Granted, nowhere near the top of the list, but still on it. If nothing else, I could find some intact soul gems there. Maybe if I manage to fuck up a sphere automaton carefully enough, I could just take off its crossbow arm and bring that back.

Hmm. Now that's a good idea, actually.

Loredas, the 6th of Evening Star, 4E201

Every once in a while, Saya got the feeling that the universe - or at least something very powerful in said universe - really was watching her, even when she wasn't off doing heroics. And without fail, every time she had that thought, she'd always curse whatever entity it would be for its sense of humor, which was full of bitter irony and recycled gags. This was one of those moments, as the Dragonborn was back at the same ruin she'd been at months ago, angrily grumbling and picking at a lock to the front door. Truly, one thing she couldn't fault the Dwemer for was security. It's no wonder that even nowadays, the locks taken out of their chests and doors get sold on the market to paranoid rich folk with resounding success.

Serana watched the process unfold with an awkward expression. She was no stranger to picking locks either, but there's a large difference between sneaking out of her room to get into her mother's garden and attempting to pillage an ancient ruin. And she'd do it with hairpins instead of proper tools. Actually, the comparison was kind of falling apart at this point, wasn't it?

"Oh for fuck's sake!" There was a sound of metal snapping and a loud thud from the Dunmer hitting the door with her fist. Immediately after, she pulled the hand back and hissed from the resulting ache in her knuckles. Then, she promptly sat down on the floor and let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Is everything alright?" Serana said, still slightly recoiled from the sudden yelling. She appeared to be unsure what to make of the redhead's sudden outburst.

Saya looked over her shoulder, seeing the concerned vampire and waving her off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just…" She paused. For the life of her, she could not find a way to phrase her thoughts that didn't make it sound like she was throwing a tantrum. She shook her head. "Just give me a few minutes, this thing is giving me more trouble than I thought it would." The Dragonborn stood up, stretching her legs a bit and leaning on the door. It was a damn sturdy thing to last this many years. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Serana just standing by awkwardly, and something clicked in her mind. "Say, wanna know why I learned to pick Dwemer locks?"

"Huh?" Serana didn't immediately register that Saya was talking to her. She had mostly been keeping quiet as they traveled - too focused on the road to talk, the vampire guessed. But since she was offering, it'd be a bit rude to decline. "I thought you sort of… picked it up on your travels, no?"

Saya snorted. "If it were that simple, I would've unlearned that lesson right quick." As she spoke, she tried to fish the broken pick out of the lock before taking out a new set. She continued talking as she worked, once again taking her position in front of the door and listening close for any clicks. "It was back when I first took up exploring. Now, Morrowind has its fair share of dungeons to pilfer, but when you're looking for options you really only have two: either break into some clan's ancestral crypt and get dragged to the other side by the vengeful ghosts, or go dealing with the traps and robots in the Dwemer ruins."

Serana listened with curiosity, though she couldn't help but doubt Saya's ability to pick the lock while also holding conversation. In spite of those concerns though, the Dunmer seemed to be doing fine for herself. In fact, she didn't appear to look at the lock at all, playing it by touch and ear.

"So there was this one ruin I kept coming back to that I don't even remember the name of anymore - gods, it was a nightmare. It took me a whole week of leaving and coming back to break all the animunculi without getting myself killed." She chuckled. If only past Saya could see her now. Mom would be tearing her hair out. "And it was a damn loot cave. If you picked everything apart and found the right buyers, you could probably live comfortably for a solid few years without worry. But obviously, I didn't have that kind of luxury, so I went for the simple things. Coins, gems, weapons - the things that I could pawn off easily."

At this point Serana was actually getting quite engaged with the tale, listening attentively and nodding as she went. "That does make sense. I imagine it would be problematic to sell something more valuable, like some amin-... um." She stopped. Even Saya paused to turn and look at her. "Amun… anumin-"

"Animunculi?"

"Yes. Parts of… those things." Serana nodded hastily. The Dragonborn snickered before returning to working on the lock. She didn't know if the vampire could blush, but she figured she'd rather not be seen red as a beet either way.

"So, I look for things that are likely to have loot in them, and I find this chest. Like this big locked chest made of metal. And I, of course, immediately think - that must have good stuff in it! So I take it with me and drag it outside, where I try to open it- oop, almost slipped." A nice, resounding click from the door signified that there wasn't much more work left to do. Though, that's also what she thought the last four times.

Serana furrowed her brows at that. Wait, didn't she just say she didn't know how to pick Dwemer locks yet? "But… How did you-?"

"But, you may ask: Saya! Didn't you just say you didn't know how to pick Dwemer locks yet? And you would be correct! I did not," Saya said in an overdramatic voice. Serana's stunned expression lingered momentarily before she put a hand up to her mouth, trying to hold back a giggle at the exaggerated impression of her accent. "I spent hours trying to smash that chest open. Now you may be wondering, why didn't I just take it to a locksmith? And the answer to that is greed. It'd be expensive as hell to pop one of those open, and the fitter would no doubt ask for a cut of the findings. So I lugged the chest up and down this small cliff, and I threw it down against a big rock I found hoping it'd break open. For an hour."

The vampire's efforts to stifle her laughter were mounting, as the mental image of Saya lugging a massive chest on her back only cracked her up more and more. "And- excuse me," the grinning girl quickly apologized, pursing her lips in a futile attempt to hide her giggles, "did- did it work?"

"Oh it worked, alright." Saya shook her head, smirking and biting her lip. Despite her storytelling efforts, she was actually quite focused at the moment. "They must've heard me in the Skein from how I squealed when I finally got it open. I tripped on the way down so I had bruises all over me by the time I got to the chest. I saw that the chest was half open and I was already ready to celebrate, imagining all the things I could buy and all the stuff I could get for ma or all the food I could try that I couldn't afford before. And then I push the lid away…" She grunted, yet another click coming from the door's locks, which were straining under the elf's assault. "...and it's got five coins inside and the shards of three or four potion bottles that stank like death."

That was the moment when Serana finally broke and started laughing out loud. Saya glanced at her and couldn't help but snicker as well, watching this dressed up noble lady absolutely losing it over something that was most definitely not as funny as her reaction made it seem. The vampire had to wipe her eyes from the tears that welled up in the corners, struggling to talk. "You must be joking! You have to be!"

"Hey now! As I said, if it were something less, the lesson really wouldn't have stuck. Or, well, so I keep telling myself to drown the shame." The deadpan delivery of the final sentence tickled the vampire even more, only this time it was absolutely intended. "So yeah, that same day I went back to my dad and asked if he could teach me how to break into locks. Obviously he couldn't, but he did show me how to make my own lockpicks. After that, it's just a matter of practice. And now, like ninety years later, I can do… This!"

With that bit of dramatic flair, there was yet another click from the lock. The Dunmer laughed triumphantly, turning the tumbler to move all the pins in place and…

Snap.

Both the Dragonborn and Serana went silent as yet another lockpick broke right in two, and the lock twisted back into its original position. The vampire's eyes drifted over to Saya, who was completely motionless for a few long, quiet seconds, until she fished out yet another lockpick and began to wordlessly pick at the lock once again.

Here's to attempt number five.

You would think that with their sturdy doors, the walls in those Dwemer ruins would last for bloody ages. But so far, I've encountered two that are spliced up with random caves or mining tunnels, and only one with more or less complete structural integrity. Maybe it's time to reexamine some of my biases.

So far, it hasn't been anything special. A few metal spiders here and there, but other than that mostly no encounters. Some of the spiders also exploded with lightning upon death, but Stormblade took care of that safely.

Partway through I started noticing that Serana is lagging behind a little, so I asked her what she was doing. As it turns out, she had been trying to collect some of the oil leaking from the broken automatons, because it could come in handy. I'm not too sure how, but I guess if she knows better then more power to her. No harm in taking an extra minute or two to loot your kills properly.

If Saya had a drake for every time this particular ruin intersected with a cave, she'd have two drakes. It's not a whole lot, but it was weird that something like this would happen twice, and with such a small interval too. The pair had to get used to the feeling of moist stone beneath their feet, and the occasional squelch of moss. Serana was jumping at the opportunity to harvest some of the local fungi - the ones that gave off that peculiar glow of theirs. Dried and powdered, they could be made into a number of useful draughts, so she dedicated a part of her satchel to collecting a good amount. What that 'good amount' actually entailed, not even Serana really knew.

Saya was mostly relegated to watching from the sidelines, weapon at the ready and eyes peeled for any threats that might have been lurking in the shadows. The tunnels they were passing through looked relatively peaceful, like an abandoned mineshaft with the occasional piece of forgotten equipment lying around on the ground. But there was still a lurking sense of wrongness that she couldn't quite put a finger on. The ruin went quite deep, and the mineshaft had to have been rather long to reach all the way down here. It must've been part of some natural cavern or another, but then why was there no wildlife? Not even those frostbite spiders, which seem to live in every goddamn crack in the earth, were here.

And if wildlife wasn't the concern, then why abandon the mineshaft? It's not like the veins were dried up at all. Even with her relative lack of experience Saya could see that there were rather significant deposits of some milky white mineral within the walls, though she preferred not to disturb it much. This only added to her confusion: if there were so few animunculi within the ruin that they didn't wander outside, and if no wildlife seemed to live in these caverns, then what was it that pushed the miners out?

The question was answered silently when Saya felt herself get unexpectedly stopped, bumping into the vampire in front of her. Serana was standing frozen in place, looking ahead of herself quietly. The Dragonborn gently pushed her way through, but the question of what was wrong did not have the time to leave her mouth.

What the two of them saw was a massive arthropod creature, around the size of a horse. Its body shape was reminiscent of a centipede, its armored black carapace supported by four thick legs. The front of its head looked like a bull ant, with two massive mandibles that were vaguely similar to antlers biting into a corpse on the ground, tearing it into pieces and shoveling them into a gaping, tooth-lined maw. Four light blue eyes glinted from the darkness, seemingly not that good at discerning their surroundings seeing as how they've yet to pick up on the pair's presence.

However, it seemed that what the creature lacked in sight, it compensated for in smell - as immediately after lifting its head from whatever unfortunate prey it was consuming, it sharply turned in Saya's direction and let out a loud hiss that stung her ears. Saya's first instinct was to grab Serana by the shoulder, pushing her back behind herself. The Dragonborn immediately lifted her hand to coalesce a fireball within her palm when she felt something… oddly warm and slimy splatter against her armor, some of it getting on her face. At first she felt only mild repulsion, but the very next moment a painful sizzling sensation rapidly spread across her neck and cheeks. Her skin felt drier with each drop of venom that seeped into her pores and the Dunmer grasped her throat, suddenly struggling to breathe and falling to her knees as her muscles locked up.

The creature emitted clicking noises that almost sounded delighted as it began to approach its immobilized target. Serana watched in silent horror, still lying on the floor as this enormous insect lifted its upper body, mandibles spreading as it no doubt prepared for a second spit. Saya remained motionless, only strained gasps coming from her. Her eyes were wide open and bulging, pain overwhelming her nerves. Serana tried to say something, but only a voiceless gasp left her mouth. Yet Saya just barely managed to hear that much, and she turned to the vampire, mustering up all the energy she had to move her lips, mouthing a single word: Run.

In that singular moment, something inside Serana broke. Her mind went blank and the muscles in her arm twitched as she rose to her feet. The arthropod stopped partway through the motion, its mouth still drooling the viscous venom when the vampire lifted her hand. The previously smooth and untainted pale skin stretched as the veins and tendons popped out beneath it from the tension, her fingers slowly clenching as a liquid crimson energy wrapped around her forearm. The insect's clicking became more confused as a mounting tension began to press outward beneath its thick carapace.

Serana watched in complete silence, and her eyes briefly flashed a bright shade of red. Her posture tensed and she raised her arm, struggling as though she was lifting an immense weight. Peculiarly, the insect also lifted its armored legs, as if readying to attack - but its head told a different story, as the noises that emerged from its mouth sounded positively distressed. Serana paid them no mind. Her blank expression remained unchanging even as her hand curled into a complete fist.

And then she violently moved her hand downward, as if throwing whatever is in her hand at the floor. Immediately, the creature's cries were silenced as its carapace bent unnaturally, stretching and cracking, pieces of the hard shell bending and pushing inward as the soft skin beneath bulged beneath the cracks and the internal pressure continued growing. It almost looked like a balloon tied together with its own string, the grip growing tighter and tighter…

And then it finally culminated, and the creature's body violently ruptured as its eyes popped out of their sockets and its exoskeleton exploded with blood splatter.

Serana's breath was heavy, an exhaustion she was unused to feeling weighing her down. Her mind was racing a mile a minute yet that made focusing on something feel like holding water in a fingerless hand, every thought slipping away from her as soon as it emerged. Her mouth felt dry. Her throat felt dry. She felt thirsty, and the sight of all the blood bursting from that bloated corpse helped nothing. Just a few drops, just a little bit…

She took a step forward, and immediately felt herself bump into something. A brief feeling of irritation swept over her mind and she looked down, scowling at whatever it was that stopped her from getting to her food. Her heart sank when she saw Saya's visage, pale and almost completely unmoving, lying on her side while the shallowest of breaths left her dried lips. It felt like cold water was splashed right in Serana's face, the haze lifting from her mind. Her eyes darted around as panic gripped her, looking around for somewhere clean - somewhere safe.

She quickly dropped down to one knee, helping Saya to her feet and half-dragging her away from the cold stone and onto a nearby wooden storage area. Normally equipment would be lying here, but she didn't have the luxury of worrying about that right now. Once the redhead was safely lying down with her head at a slight elevation, Serana reached into her satchel and picked through the ingredients with shaky fingers, searching for something and muttering nervously under her breath. After a couple seconds of futile searching, she just dumped all of its contents onto the desk, picking through that instead while her eyes searched for- aha, there it was. One of her hands wrapped around the stem of a yellow flower while the other swiftly ripped off its petals one by one, crushing them in her palm.

Saya tried opening her eyes, seeing the vampire kneel over her through blurry vision. "Chew on these. Quickly." She heard, but her lips wouldn't move in response. Her skin felt numb, and she could faintly feel the vampire's cold fingers open her mouth and push the plant inside before closing her jaw. A faint groan of pain escaped Saya's throat, as her tongue got caught in her teeth. But as the bitter flavor of the petals began to mix with the metallic flavor of blood, the Dragonborn found her breath growing just a little lighter. It felt better. It felt more… relaxing…

Then finally, a pungent scent hit her nostrils and Saya felt herself not so much return to consciousness as much as she was dragged back.

She began coughing violently, spitting out what was left of the petals in the process. When she came to her senses, Serana was standing over her with a concerned look on her face. Saya looked at her with half-closed eyes and spoke up in a hoarse voice. "The hell...?"

"Smelling salts. I cannot risk you falling unconscious." The vampire replied before hastily returning to the dilapidated workbench, mashing away with a mortar and pestle that she pulled off her belt. "Do you have any water?" The redhead nodded slowly and Serana reached into her pack, pulling out a small canteen and slushing it around. She wasn't sure if it'd be enough, but it would have to do for now.

"What… what're you making..?" Saya said before breaking out into another cough. By the Three, whatever that flower was - the flavor really stuck. She'd have to wash it out later.

"Antivenom. At least, it should be antivenom if everything is done correctly." She said, crushing what looked to be a handful of seeds in the pestle and mixing it thoroughly with a bit of water. The vampire's nose wrinkled and she gave another uncertain look over everything she had before turning to the dead beast that lay on the ground - or more specifically, its unfortunate victim. Now that she looked closer at it, it looked less like a person and more like some kind of pale-skinned goblin… Ah. A Falmer. Exactly what she needed.

With a quick slice of her dagger, the corpse's long ear was severed and brought back to the table, where Serana carefully grasped the cold cartilage and wrung it like a dishrag, squeezing out a few drops of blood before tossing away the spent organ. Mixing that in with the rest of the substance, Serana then added a generous amount of water, emptying the canteen into the pestle as though it was a glass and offered it to the Dunmer, who was now sitting on the ground.

Saya looked at the mush in front of her, then looked at Serana who was staring back expectantly, sighed, and swallowed the entire thing in two gulps. That brief pause between swallowing was enough for her to taste some of it, which summoned the desire to vomit the medicine back from whence it came, but she fought it valiantly and came out victorious. When the internal battle was over, she slowly lifted her head and peered right into Serana's eyes with an expression that is best described as that of a kicked puppy. "...Thanks, but what was that?"

"Thistle seeds, alpine marigold petals, two cloves of garlic, and a drop of Falmer blood. Crush to paste, mix with water until liquid, and drink." Serana said, offering a hand to the Dunmer, who gladly took it. "That creature was a chaurus, they attack by spitting paralytic venom that sticks to the skin and enters the bloodstream through the pores. After that, they pick at the prey until it is completely immobilized and eat it." She spoke quickly, as though reciting a passage she'd learned by heart. It was only a little bit unnerving. Just a tad. "You are lucky none of it got in the eyes."

Saya squinted, tilting her head suspiciously. "And you know that how…?"

"Books. There are only so many ways to amuse yourself while locked up in a room for the majority of your life." Serana smiled sheepishly, quickly pulling her hand away and hiding it behind her back. "Though I have to admit, I did not expect it to be… Quite this large."

Saya followed her gaze's direction and took a gander at the felled chaurus. Hm. Chaurus. The word felt a little weird in her mouth. She'd probably get used to it later. "Huh… Nothing like a loveletter from home." She mumbled before turning to the vampire. "You should see the bugs back in Morrowind, you could make a house out of a few of those."

Serana was already staring off into some far-off corner - her eyes just so happened to catch the light of a nearby glowing mushroom - when she sharply turned towards Saya, a brief flash of excitement leaking into her expression upon hearing what she said. She quickly caught herself, however, clearing her throat and putting up a mask of dignified indifference. "I… see. And would you happen to know if they can be harvested in any way…?" She said, her voice sounding as uninterested as she could make it, which is not at all.

Saya chuckled and shook her head. She was like an open book. "Oh you and mom would get along swimmingly."

And the mask of stoicism immediately cracked as the vampire's thin brows furrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! Nothing." The Dragonborn laughed, and by the time it stopped echoing the two had already left the chamber, heading off into the darkness.

When the Dwemer ruin started being an actual Dwemer ruin again, it didn't take us much longer to find the blueprints Sorine was looking for. Or at least, I think this is what she's looking for. I'd be hard-pressed to call them blueprints, looks like a bunch of unintelligible scrawling to me. Found it in a metal tube locked up in a room that I can only assume was some sort of private study.

Now, full disclosure. There was more dungeon left to explore. Was I curious? Definitely. Would Serana be up for more? Probably.

But the bottom line is: the door was locked.

Luckily, there was a side door in the same hallway that opened into an elevator. I have never pushed a lever that fast before in my bloody life. Well okay, maybe a few times. But this time was particularly intense.

We're setting up camp in the storeroom, where the shard was. It's not too far from the surface, it's dark enough to sleep in, it's warmer than outdoors, and it's secure enough not to worry about any wild animals wandering in. The only real threat would be some looter trying to find valuables where there are none, but I think Serana can take care of it. Or wake me, if nothing else.

Saya put aside her journal with a content sigh and leaned back in her bedroll, rubbing her eyes. Her mother would always tell her to stop reading in the dark, but she didn't think all that much of it until recently. Eyesight is something you don't want failing on you regardless of lifestyle, but in her line of work it'd be a death sentence. She entertained the idea of using magic like Aura Whisper to try and 'see', but very quickly and very painfully found out it doesn't detect inanimate objects. And so it was that the great Dragonborn now lay in her bedroll, pouting about an issue that isn't an issue yet, for she was too lazy to create some light for herself.

Serana was sitting a few meters away, reading some kind of book that Saya didn't recognize. The cover was worn and weathered, obviously quite old - a souvenir from home, perhaps? Saya found herself frowning as a hint of jealousy ran through her mind. Sure, a vampire could probably see in the dark. She didn't have to worry about her eyes going bad. Although she had to admit, the mental image of a vampire having to put on glasses did seem pretty hilarious. Saya flipped over onto her side, looking at the black-haired Nord directly while she continued her leisure activity. Her hair was looking a bit messy after the dungeon trip, though Serana herself didn't seem too bothered with it. The dirt on her boots and bloodstains on the clothes certainly created a look.

Saya didn't realize she was staring until Serana looked away from her book and caught her gaze. Both of them blinked, slightly startled but not saying anything. Not immediately. It was Serana who broke eye contact first, clearing her throat and looking off at some far-off corner of the room, her expression a mixture of flustered and uncomfortable. "Um… Did you want something?"

Saya shrugged, still lying down on her side and looking at Serana. The vampire took a strand of hair between her fingers, rubbing it idly back and forth. She liked keeping her hands occupied, it seems. "No, nothing much. Just thinking about things."

Serana, though still turned away, peeked back at Saya curiously. The moment their eyes met though, she averted them once more, pretending to have never looked at her to begin with. "Things… such as?"

Saya hummed, sort of expecting the question but unsure how to answer. It was a productive day, but also oddly boring. Despite everything they've done today, it still felt like they hadn't accomplished much of anything at all. The feeling brought with it a very special kind of annoyance. She felt exhausted, but at the same time didn't want the day to end yet. "Just… things. Everything that's happened today, running it all through my head."

Serana gave her an understanding smile, closing the book on her lap. A paper bookmark rustled between the pages, threatening to fall out before the vampire pushed it into place. "Can't sleep?"

The Dragonborn shook her head. "Don't want to," she said, and then immediately yawned afterwards. It seems her body didn't agree with her mind. Sucks. "It's like this… nagging feeling that I forgot to do something, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it is." The redhead sighed, putting a hand over her eyes. Now it was even darker, but in an uncomfortable way. Somehow it made her less sleepy than she already was. She grumbled something incoherent under her nose and put the arm back by her side, letting it flop onto the fabric of her bedroll.

"Would you like to talk about something, then?" Serana suggested. Saya glanced over towards her, shrugged, and then went back to staring blankly at the ceiling. She didn't seem against the idea. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Mmm." From what she could tell, she was feeling alright. At least so far. She felt tired, but that's about the only complaint she could come up with. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, you did get splashed with paralytic venom a few hours ago. I have faith in my potion-making, but considering the field conditions…" Serana trailed off, scratching her temple. She wondered if too much explanation would make it awkward. Though she already started explaining, so maybe it would be more awkward to stop explaining now, midway through. Argh, why is talking so difficult? "Either way, I am glad that you are alright. Let me know if anything feels off."

"Oh. Sure. Thanks." Saya stiffly replied. She hadn't really thought about what happened too much. Life or death situations were already everyday business, so she had practically forgotten about the encounter after it was over, and being on the verge of unconsciousness didn't help her memory. "Say, how did you kill that… chorus, was it? I've never seen that kind of splatter before, did you throw an explosive at it or something?"

"Chaurus." Serana corrected, smiling a bit, but her expression grew gloomy right after as she curled up where she sat. She took the book from her lap and hugged it close to the chest. "I used blood magic. I… try not to use it often. I got caught up in the moment."

Saya turned to look at Serana, whose voice had been gradually growing quieter as she spoke. She didn't seem to like the practice much. "That's the first time I heard of blood magic. Is it a vampire thing?"

The vampire nodded. "Most vampires can do it to some extent. Some of us feed this way, by pulling the blood out of their victim's veins without touching them. It is… a dangerous thing to wield." She lifted her hand, looking at it as she clenched and unclenched her fingers. "Very few can use it to the extent that I can. Fewer still have had the opportunity to train it."

Saya hummed. That would explain why she never had anyone try and just… rip her blood out of her body. It seems like that would be much easier than trying to fight her head-on. "How come? Are you some kind of special vampire?" She asked, shifting a bit to lie on her side. "Does it have something to do with Harkon?"

Serana flinched upon hearing her father's name, but did not respond immediately. Her arms moved from her book to her knees, hugging herself. She nodded. "...yes, it does. The three of us - my parents and I - are pure-blooded vampires. Our… connection to the source of these powers runs much deeper." A heavy silence descended upon the chamber after she spoke those words. Saya felt like she had just ventured into a territory she shouldn't have, but she didn't know how to act now that the boundary was already overstepped. However, it was Serana herself that broke the silence and kept talking. "Do you know where vampirism comes from?"

Saya thought for a moment about the question. She had read different stories about it, though she never cared to find out if any of them were true. Most of them looked like Aedra-centric fearmongering anyway. "No, I don't."

The vampire's posture relaxed a little at the response. She seemed relieved to hear that. Though, the other side of the coin is that now it was her burden to explain, and that was not something she looked forward to. Serana took a slow, deep breath and turned to face the Dunmer again, though not looking directly at her. "It started as… a fight. Or maybe, a mockery would be a better word. Vampires were created by the Daedric Prince of Domination, Molag Bal, as part of his feud with Arkay, the god of Life and Death. He made the first of us to spite Arkay, to make something that could live forever without meeting its end naturally." Serana spoke quietly, her voice trembling a bit. "...her name was Lamae Beolfag, but people came to call her Lamae Bal instead. The first of Molag Bal's 'Daughters of Coldharbour', and the first to undergo the… the ritual. Unwilling as she was."

Saya's expression gradually shifted as she listened, worry slipping through on her features. Serana's voice was barely audible. "...Serana?" She asked, crawling partway out of her bedroll and sitting up. "It's… it's okay, we don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

The vampire did not respond, quietly hiding her face behind her knees. After a brief pause, she continued again. Her voice was trembling. "I am a Daughter of Coldharbour, and so is my mother. That is why we are stronger." She paused, and Saya's ear twitched. She could've sworn her voice cracked. "It's because of him. Because his blood runs in our veins. Because he…"

The next thing Saya heard after that was a quiet sniffle.

Serana's entire body jerked violently when she felt something touch her. She lifted her head, and even in the dark Saya could see that her eyes were puffy, and that there were two glistening streaks running down her face. The vampire didn't make even the smallest effort to break eye contact. Upon seeing Saya's concerned look, her lower lip began to tremble. "My parents, they… They wanted me to…"

Saya did not let her finish. She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around Serana, pulling her into a silent hug. She felt the girl freeze in her arms and it made her stomach turn. She had no words to console her, and every thought she could come up with immediately drowned in the mess of emotions swirling in her brain. Even if she could speak, she knew that it would only let them loose - the worry, the sympathy, the anger… So instead, she just silently held her close, stroking her back. She hoped it was enough.

A few moments later, she felt Serana's body relax. Right after, two thin arms wrapped around her chest while their owner hid her face in Saya's shoulder. She was silent at first, but soon the sound of quiet, stifled sobs reached the Dragonborn's ear. The hands that held onto her curled into fists, pale fingers clutching Saya's shirt as though she'd disappear the moment they let go. The Dunmer squeezed the girl in her arms just a little tighter. "Shhh… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She whispered, closing her eyes. Serana's sobs only grew louder in response.

It wouldn't be another hour until those heart-wrenching sounds would stop, until Serana's shoulders stopped shaking and Saya would open her eyes again. The vampire in her arms had gone completely still, having completely exhausted herself. For a moment Saya got worried about the lack of breathing, until she remembered who it was she was cradling so. The Dragonborn's arms relaxed, her hold gradually growing looser as she laid Serana down in her bedroll.

Then, as she pulled away, she felt the fabric of her shirt being tugged. Saya looked down and saw Serana's hands, still holding onto the fabric of her shirt, clinging to it even. The Dragonborn stopped what she was doing, thoughts running through her mind. She glanced at her own bedroll, then back at Serana. She shouldn't be doing this. She had no idea how Serana would react. She tried to stand up again.

Serana's hold grew tighter.

Saya once again glanced back at the vampire next to her. Her eyes were closed, black hair messily scattered across her pale face. She looked peaceful, sound asleep and utterly exhausted. Yet the moment the Dunmer made even the slightest motion to move away, her brows would furrow and her lips would tighten. Her expression would warp into a distressed grimace, and a displeased murmur would leave her lips as she would try, clumsy and aimless, to pull her close again. At the sight, the Dragonborn could only sigh.

And so, as quietly and carefully as she could, Saya lay down next to her. Awkwardly, she reached for the fur blanket that lay beside her and pulled it over the two of them. Then finally, she wrapped one arm around the vampire's shoulders, just as she had before. The moment she did that, Serana quietly pulled herself closer, burying her face in the crook of the Dragonborn's neck. And then, with a content sigh, the girl finally settled down.

Saya smiled sheepishly. She shouldn't be doing this. But right now, she found herself unable to care.