Sorry this took a while. I recently moved across state lines, which may have slowed me down. Thanks going toward Trest and Naan.

On another note, I know I've mentioned it before, but seriously, if you're going to post a review with a lot of criticism in it, don't go it as a guest. It's annoying because I actually like to talk to people to find out what exactly they feel about something, therefore I can improve myself for the future. Telling me you think that people showing mercy is dumb and leaving it at that does nothing but make me hit that 'delete' button.

But anyway, back to the story.

9th of Evening Star

"So dragons can be pretty different from each other?" Ruby asked as she looked around the black boulder of ore. She had spent hours practicing with different ranges of Unrelenting Force to pull it from the mountainside, and occasionally chipping at it with some ancient and enchanted pickaxe. She was pretty sure it was made from ebony as well, seeing as it could actually break the stuff. She'd found it embedded into the very summit of the mountain, almost like a flag, and she wondered who'd put it there.

"Yes, dragons are quite varied, yet are still one. Vomed ahrk med. There are those with serpentine necks and wide jaws, able to angle their Voices and snap up their prey in an instant. There are many who are long and lithe, who fly like strings through the air, able to leap from a mountain and glide on the winds near endlessly while barely opening their wings. Some are covered in thick fur and could hide among hills as though they were one with the earth. Some have feathery plumage and appear as massive eagles in the distance." He looked over to her and a small chuckle came up. "Some are small and are without wings or tail, with only borrowed scales."

Ruby's brow cocked at that, and she looked away from her chunk of ore to the dragon before smiling in realization. She walked over to the dragon and nudged him a little.

"And some dragons are big and white and look like they got old."

Paarthurnax let out a steaming breath from his nostrils and shook his head and neck.

"Battle damage," he said jovially before stepping over to the other side of the ore boulder. "Are you certain of this plan, Dovahkiin?"

"Yeah, I've jumped off of cliffs before. Even if it doesn't work out exactly, you'll be there."

"Ge. I would not want you to make a mistake and perish for it. Still, I have every confidence in you. You believe. This is enough."

"Thanks." Ruby took out her rifle and looked down its scope to the area around them. "Hm, all right." She put the weapon away and then went around the boulder, adjusting her stance and raising up her hands to make sure she was looking in the right direction. In the end, she was down on one knee, her other leg off to her side to hold her steady, and a hand pushing against a rock next to her.

"Okay, I think I got it. Ready?" At the slight nod from the dragon, Ruby took in a deep breath. "Fus! Ro…DAH!" she Shouted at the top of her lungs, the concentrated force hitting the massive rock and launching it away from her at an upward angle. It went off the side of the mountain and dropped like the rock that it was. The Huntress hopped up to her feet and ran after it.

"Time to catch it!" she hooted before jumping off in a burst of rose petals. She fell through the air rapidly, keeping her body streamlined to help catch up with the ebony ore. After a moment, she caught up with it then swung out the notched pickaxe to get a hold of it.

"Wuld Nah!" she Shouted, propelling herself forward along with the piece of god blood she was on. Both were moved forward several feet, bringing a smile to her face as she saw that the incoming slope was now behind her, but there was still more mountainside to go.

"It's working!" she yelled back to her companion, hoping that he could hear her. She turned back forward and saw that she was still a ways from the river near Whiterun. "Wuld!"

Lydia had found some time to relax before going about the next step of her mission, but a message from Ruby had stopped her traveling plans for a while. She still wasn't sure why her Thane wanted her to keep watch to the east, but she figured there was good reason for it. Besides, she always enjoyed looking out over the Whiterun Plains.

A loud boom echoed across the land, bringing the Nord woman's attention – and that of several other people – to the Throat-of-the-World. After a few seconds, another boom came, with the slightest tinge of a near-recognizable word chasing it, and Lydia caught sight of a black and red object falling from the peak.

"Dear Gods, that can't be…" Lydia began in pure disbelief.

Another boom, as well as what the woman was certain was the word 'wuld' echoed out. The housecarl sighed in resignation and decided to go ahead and get the horses and go out to where it looked as though the Dragonborn and whatever object she had dragged along was set to land.

She only paused a moment when she managed to see the white dragon speeding after them, in just the right place to be missed by anyone not looking for one on the horizon.

'All clear,' Ruby thought when she was finally out as far as she needed to be. The river was nearby, as well as the bridge leading over it to Whiterun, and the shadow of her boulder was right next to the road and slowly growing larger. In her mind, she began counting down the seconds, years of sniper practice giving her the confidence that she was right on the money with it. Tens of seconds counted down to the single digits, then she stood against the rock and pulled the pickaxe free. As the last moment of the incoming earth came, she jumped and Shouted.

"Feim!"

Ruby Became Ephemeral, taking on a ghost-like visage all throughout her body and gear. The ore slammed into the ground like a meteor and broke apart into large chunks as it sank in around a foot into the ground. Ruby landed softly next it before fading back to flesh. There was a small whoosh of air, and she turned and looked up to see Paarthurnax having turned back to head up the mountain, staying near the snow that helped to camouflage him. She waved towards the dragon before turning to see a couple of farmers staring at her like deer in headlights.

"Hi! You guys got a wagon or wheelbarrow I can borrow?"

As daylight dimmed, the three women came out of the small, abandoned cabin. Gilly seemed to sulk about preparing while Weiss did what she could to freshen up. Serana seemed the best put together of the trio, managing to have her travel items ready and be out the door just as twilight began to truly give way to night. Weiss sighed at the refreshing feel of natural darkness and stretched out and limbered herself.

"How f-far is it?" Gilly asked them.

"I…have no idea," Weiss admitted. "I've never actually been there."

"Wait, you've never been there?" Serana asked her. "Then how…?"

"Normally I sent things and people through the College of Winterhold. Arch-Mage Savos knows how to communicate with them at least." The heiress brushed her bangs back and looked about herself. "But, the leader did tell me something when we met." She hummed and rubbed her chin while calling up the memory. "He said, 'look for where dusk falls at the heart of dawn and sing'. Beyond that, I just know it's somewhere in the Pale."

"And what does that even mean?"

"I haven't the slightest. Maybe something to do with Dawnstar?"

"W-w-wait, the Heart of Dawn?" Gilly wondered aloud. "Like the poem?"

"Poem?"

"Yeah. It's a p-p-pretty old one, but my gram used to tell it to us before bed. And some…others. S-she had a book."

"I never heard a poem like that," Serana said. "Then again, Duskfall Haven probably wasn't a thing until after I went underground. How does it go?"

"It, um, one second. I… 'Child the day has come to close. You cannot wait here in the cold. But if we go forth to meet the sun, we may come upon the Heart of Dawn. O'er waters bronze we set our sail. Through stony hills we make our way. As the glow of sun has fell, we keep our vigil until the day.'"

"You're actually really good at this," Serana complimented her, bringing a blush to the girl's cheeks. "In fact, I don't think you stuttered once reciting that."

"N-n-n-no, I just…r-r-remember it v-very well," she nervously got out.

"Wait, bronze water? Stony hill?" Weiss took out her map and quickly unfolded it, focusing on the Pale's territory and its immediate surrounding areas. "The Stonehills," she pointed out before tracing her finger to the other side of the Hold. "And on Lake Yorgrim, there's a place called Bronze Water Cave. Then down here, to the south, is Fellglow. And then there's where the Hall of the Vigilant used to stand." Weiss traced her fingers across the map, focusing on where the four points created lines intersecting each other. "There's more of the poem, yes?"

"Um, yes. But, uh, what is… What are you doing?"

"I think the Heart of Dawn must be giving directions. It wouldn't be as easy as that, though, but I'm sure this crossing point is the first step."

"That's actually pretty smart," Serana admired. "Unfortunately, wouldn't the terrain have changed as time moved on? I doubt every village it references is still standing."

"Maybe not, but something tells me they would've accounted for it. And he wouldn't have given me the outdated instructions. At the very least we've got a lead." Weiss handed over the map and looked to Gilly. "So, can you tell us the rest of the poem?"

Throughout the night, the three made their way towards what they were sure was the first step to Duskfall. At points, they had to stop to gather their bearings and ensure that they were on the right track. Serana's knowledge was outdated Eras ago, Gilly was more used to Wayrest's terrain, and Weiss hadn't been through the area enough to really know it well. They had come across only two people so far, one being a woman who seemed to be a hermit, though Gilly was convinced she was a witch, and the other a hunter. They seemed to be decently on track, but Weiss still yearned for a GPN or something more certain to go off on.

"What I'd do for one of those maps Inigo managed to find. But noooo, there were only four and if anyone else needed one it was Ruby." Weiss groaned before feeling Gilly tug on her cloak.

"Uh, I…need t-t-to…stop."

"Hm, what's the matter?" she asked the younger girl, turning towards her. Gilly looked away and swayed a little bit while biting her lower lip, making Weiss raise an eyebrow.

"I…have to…uh, stop." Weiss recognized the pattern in Gilly's motion and resisted the urge to palm her face with a sigh.

"Okay, it's fine. Go ahead. We'll wait." When she stayed still and seemed to shrink into herself, Weiss frowned. "Well?"

"I don't w-w-want to go alone."

Serana let out a slight chuckle and walked up to her. "It's okay, I'll watch out for you." Weiss gave her a thankful look and Serana smiled and nodded while leading Gilly off of the beaten path and into the woods. For a moment, Weiss stood looking in the direction they went before turning around and starting to look out across her surroundings. Aside from snow, conifers, and the occasional boulder sticking out of the white, there wasn't much to see. The natural ambiance was quiet and sparse, with very few creatures willing to remain or stay awake in such cold. Weiss picked out an owl some distance away, and the sounds of some hoofed creature, perhaps a deer or elk. She started listening to these, but then it all suddenly stopped. The world grew quiet, and the air became as frozen as the ground. Weiss went still, her ears straining against the unnatural silence that had taken the world, not even daring to breathe. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and the slightest chink of metal on metal was heard. She leaped to the side and twisted to see a flaming flail head on the end of a long chain smash into the snow where she had been standing with a small, fiery explosion. Her teeth clenched as she came to a halt and looked to the source of the attack.

"You again!" she yelled at the monk, who now looked in even worse shape. If she were to guess, he probably hadn't stopped to bathe or wash himself since his attack in the forest while never sleeping indoors. "Can't you just…" Weiss' words were interrupted as she had to leap over the flail head, which then hit a tree and dug/burned a deep gash into it.

"I'm going to end you, vampire," he ground out, rage twisting his face. His hand clenched and then magic flowed over him, leaving a grey glow about his form. "I will avenge those people you had killed and corralled." Two more spells coated him, one after the other.

"If you hadn't chased us it would have never happened!" she screamed back as she drew Strahlendjewel and charged forward. She already knew magic was ineffective against him, which meant she needed to physically stop him. A glyph under her feet, she sprang forward and reared back to strike. He yanked his chain back toward him, parrying her thrust away with its links and forcing her to come to a stop where she slashed up with a spin for momentum. The orichalcum alloy blade hit a farming sickle and bounced back, leaving a deep slice nearly haflway into the blade before she brought it around from the opposite direction, where it collided with the monk's arm, now wrapped in his chain, which unlike his other weapon did not give. The flaming head came at her from the side, making her jump back before trying to thrust again. The monk managed to dip to the side before slicing up with his sickle, but Weiss quickly pulled back and parried, forcing him toward the side and breaking it. The two backed up and began to slowly circle one another, Weiss poised for a strike and the monk's flail spinning next to him.

Weiss charged, and the monk opened his palm to release a blinding light. The vampire shouted and winced while moving back, dodging the next two swings of his weapon almost instinctively. However, the flail struck her sternum on the third, smacking her backwards and further launching her with the small explosion it made. Her back hit a tree as the pain in her chest registered, knocking the breath completely out of her. She managed to look up, trying to see her attacker, but then the feeling of dread came.

It was like feeling the cold for the first time, as the man came towards her, marching with purpose. Her body was quivering. She couldn't even gasp. She began kicking herself away from the man, fear overriding her every sense. She had to get away from him! Had to get away!

She turned to run, but then a glass bottle went past her and smashed against a tree, sending its contents everywhere. The flail came out after it and, though she was moving, it wasn't aimed at her. It hit near where the bottle had and the liquid burst into flame almost instantly. He repeated the steps in two other places, surrounding her with fire on three sides. Weiss felt herself shrink in and –

Almost as soon as the fear came it was gone. The heiress managed to take a breath and stood straighter, still shaken by her experience, but now knowing somewhat what to expect.

'Fear enchantment? No. Not so specific. Turn Undead? Maybe… It would have definitely worked on me.' The faded fear was then replaced by anger. Once she was done here, she'd have to take more precautions against such devices. Even as she thought of it, she noticed another pair of bottles being dropped by the monk's side, likely potions he had just consumed. A spell ran across his frame, tinging the Steelflesh spell with red, and then he began readying his weapon.

As she saw him beginning to move in, a rain of ice spikes erupted from the trees, all aiming at him. He nimbly leapt out of their way while smashing several aside then took cover behind a log just before Serana jumped into the clearing. She created several more and sent them at him, but the monk jumped out of his cover and came at the vampire princess. She sent twin cones of frost at him, but he barely slowed his steps before reaching out and grasping her by the face, electricity pouring out of his arm a moment later. Serana screamed, and Weiss yelled at the top of her lungs while coming at the man. Her sword swiped down hard enough to blow snow away, but he had managed to pull back in time and only had a scratch to show for it. Serana jumped back and sent a ball of ice his way, only for him to smash it aside.

"He's an Atronach sign," Weiss warned her partner. "Magic's almost useless against him."

"You just have to know the right magic." Serana reached towards the ground and rocks began popping out of the snow under her command, which she then directed with her hands towards the monk. He managed to get out of the way of several, but then a log being led by Serana's other hand slammed into him before Weiss took her cue and began concentrating on Alteration. A Raise Wall here and Perilous Path there helped to harry him and force him out of his defensive position to face them. His flail flew towards them, but with two fighters to aim for, an attack on one was to leave himself defenseless against the other. They kept on his trail, pursuing him towards a cliff edge while Serana harrassed him with wood and stone and Weiss continued her melee and magic assault.

"Damn you!" he shouted as he kicked up while pushing Weiss's blade away, catching her off-guard. His knee hit her chest, then sprang out, smacking her back towards the trees. He charged at her, but Serana intercepted him with a ward spell, holding him off. Her foot then kicked up behind her, hitting the bottom of her sheath and making her short sword spring up into the air. She let up with her right and grabbed the sword from just behind her head then swung down with a shout while angling the ward downward with her left. The blade hit his shoulder and elicited a scream as blood sprayed out and flesh parted, the strength of his magic armor enough to keep her from splitting him further apart. Serana began to back up, but without losing his stride at all, the monk pulled his chain upward, wrapping it around the vampire's sword arm then stepping on it and pulling it tight. Serana found herself trapped and barely noticed the broken sickle coming for her throat.

"No!" a high-pitched voice screamed as a blur rammed into his side. Serana pulled loose, and Weiss got back to her feet, and both saw Gilly atop the man and trying her best to wail on him with her fists, screaming curses and insults as she did. The monk quickly recovered and threw her off of him, but didn't have time to focus on her before the other two were back on him.

He took in a few breaths while both sides waited for the other to make the first move, and Gilly got up to her feet with a snarl. Weiss saw blood crawling around her body and was stunned for a moment when she realized the girl was taking on her Vampire Lord form. She burst loose from her bloody chrysalis and Weiss saw how the monk's face twisted further in rage and disgust. Gilly's form was similar to most others, but the webless wings were much thinner, longer, and further back than most. Her claws were also smaller, seeming to come out like cat claws instead of the dangerous steak knives others had. Her face still looked like Gilly's but with a corpse blue color and a mouth full of razor-like teeth.

The monk moved, and Gilly's hand went forward. An impossibly strong gust of wind came forward with a bloody mist, blowing all of the snow away and the monk backwards. Weiss saw him struggle, only to be forced all the way back and off the cliff's edge. Gilly's spell ended, and the three ran up to see him falling. He hit ice, which broke apart and swallowed him into the waters below.

"G-good riddance," Gilly yelled out before reverting back to her normal form. She stumbled back and the other two caught her and helped her stay on her feet. "Ooh, I…never…did that…before."

"It's all right. You did well, Gilly," Weiss congratulated her. "Can you walk?"

"I th-th-think so." The girl tested her legs, then nodded. The other two let her stand on her own, then they looked back down to where the ice had resettled.

"We better move on," Serana told them. "He's not getting out of that without some kind of divine intervention."

"I hope he stays gone this time," Weiss muttered as she followed the woman.

Day was breaking, and the women began looking for a place to rest for the day. Serana had suggested a cave, but Weiss would have preferred something else if it was available. It wasn't that she refused, but if there was a hunter's rest or another abandoned home, she was pretty sure anyone would prefer those to a random cave with gods know what in it.

"Hey, I think this will do," Serana said to her as they came to a wooden building. It seemed to be a hunter's rest, but it might have just as likely been someone's old home. "Let's find Gilly. …Where is she?"

Weiss looked around and groaned. "I thought she was with us."

"It's all right. Here." Serana summoned up a Clairvoyance, and the blue light flowed from her and along the ground. "This way."

They followed the tracking spell for a moment, coming up to where a lean-to was set next to a campfire. They both froze in their steps, however, when they saw the other vampire leaned over a man, her mouth on his neck and her eyes glowing orange.

"No! Gilly!" Weiss cried out as she and Serana jumped forward. The younger girl seemed to hear her and looked up, but it was Serana's fingers pushing under her lips and prying that got her off. Once her mouth was pulled from his neck, the vampire princess slapped her across the cheek, knocking her out of the haze she had been in. Weiss pulled Gilly away while Serana checked over the man, then she grabbed the girl by her head and forced her to meet her eyes.

"Gilly! What in… What were you…" Weiss saw tears collecting in her eyes and let go as she broke into sobs.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she got out. "I d-d-d-didn't mean… I d-didn't mean to."

"Shh, it's fine," Serana said to her, one of her hands glowing green over the man's head. "He's okay. I'm erasing the memories right now."

"You can do that?"

"For recent things. Going back further makes things tricky. Hey," she gently directed to Gilly while kneeling next to her. "Sorry about that, but I had to snap you out of it. Why didn't you tell us you were hungry?"

"I- I th-thought I could find something. I kn-know how to hunt deer and- and things, but… In the castle, all w-w-we ever had was human blood. It tasted…so good." Gilly's breathing became even, and the quiver in her throat seemed to disappear. "I saw him lying there, sound asleep, and I thought about how good it would taste, and…" Her eyes squeezed shut. "And it w-w-was some of the best I ever tasted."

Weiss covered her mouth and unbidden memories returned, of her draining an elf until he was dry and dead. She remembered vividly how euphoric she had been in that very moment, and how nothing before or after had ever come close.

"It's okay," Serana continued to comfort her. "We all fall a little once in a while. Just keep it in mind and be careful in the future, okay?"

Gilly nodded slowly and Serana helped her up to her feet.

"Come on. We've got a place for today. We should be able to find the Haven tonight."

They went back towards the shack, stopping a moment to pour a bit of cure potion into the man's mouth. Weiss looked at him a moment longer, then turned to follow the other two.

"That's…a lot of numbers," Ruby mused while looking over the statement.

"You did just sell around half a ton of ebony," Lydia pointed out.

"Yeah, but I kept most of it. That's just what Ulfberth and Adrianne have been able to smelt so far. I'm still going to have another two and a half sitting in the basement because nobody else will buy any more! I know we need some for our projects, but there's no way we'll use more than a fraction of that."

"Remind me to upgrade the locks and security wards for the house and basement later. Again. In fact, I'd say it's past time to commission a proper vault." her housecarl mused dryly. Lydia was glad she'd convinced the gawking farmers to forget what they saw with a generous payment for the use of their cart, and had gotten a canvas tarp to cover it before her Thane paraded her haul through Whiterun's streets (the wonders of Aura making themselves known to her once again when it kept the wooden cart from shattering under the entire load). Normally she wouldn't think anyone would be stupid enough to try their luck at robbing Breezehome at this point, but rumors of the fortunes (both literal and metaphorical) her Dragonslayers tended to accumulate could be enough to spark...unwise impulses. Shaking her head, she returned to the topic at hand.

"Ebony is one of the rarest materials in Tamriel, as well as being the strongest. The Empire can only ever mine enough of it to outfit their most elite soldiers, and most of it comes from Morrowind and Skyrim," she reminded Ruby. "Most merchants and store owners aren't going to have enough coin on hand to buy too much of it on such short notice. There likely isn't enough liquid capital in the entire city to take the whole thing off your hands. Selling off the bulk of it is probably going to involve a bank transfer and a caravan or two, and you know Weiss will never let you hear the end of it if you don't include her in that kind of sale negotiation. At least by then you'll have processed it all into proper ingots so you're not just selling raw ore."

They reached the top of the stairs and, Ruby suddenly stopped and reached out towards her housecarl. Her eyes were locked on a sight near Jorrvaskr, which Lydia looked at as well and gawked at momentarily before both women collected themselves and walked over. Ruby stopped a few paces away from Coiroy and Sherman as the two spoke to Kodlak Whitemane, a Giant standing patiently behind the Goblin and Ogre researchers.

"It is true. Back in the old days there were Giants among the Companions," Kodlak said for both the benefit of the Companions and the ones before him. "Looking at you, though, I wonder, can you truly be a part of our great company?"

Coiroy looked back to the Giant, almost distracted by Ruby's presence, but focused and began speaking in the Giant language. Ruby gasped and pulled out her translation amulet, but before she could even move to offer it to Kodlak, the Giant raised up his hand.

"Gihrer. Knows. Words," he seemed to struggle out. With a hack that sounded a bit like clearing one's throat, he continued. "Heard. Stories. Grandfathers. Warriors. Fight evil. Grandfathers' grandfathers fight. Gihrer not. Fight. Want to. Make good. Help. Like grandfathers. Like Companions."

"I see. Yes, there's that spark in you. In that case, Gihrer, I welcome you to this hall. We'll speak more about your proving later. Until then, come on in, my boy."

A big smile drew itself across the Giant's face before he walked into the mead hall, not even having to duck to get inside. The Mulukan professors looked right pleased as Ruby walked up to them.

"You guys have made some progress, huh?"

"Ah, Miss Rose, we're happy to see you! And yes! Aside from dear Gihrer there we've actually managed to bring Giants and local Nord communities closer than they ever have been before. Still, we're seeing them develop independently, if slower now. A lot of it is them copying Nords at this point, but I wouldn't be surprised if they stood alongside them as equals in a human generation or so."

"Nah to mention the centralizin' power," Sherman added. "Seems the tribes all 'round the Whiterun Plains in e'ry direction's communicatin' and tradin' more an' more. From our notes, they normally stay put in the winter. Seems dey got a new confidence in their thunderous strides."

"Yes, it is quite fascinating. I think we're seeing the beginnings of trade routes, all of which are focused around Whiterun. Pretty soon the Hold will become an important center of commerce for the Giants, and by simple social osmosis, everyone else as well. Ah, but we're getting carried away now and rambling on. How have you been?"

"Well, I just learned some important stuff from a dragon, brought a couple tons of ebony down from a mountaintop, and now we're heading out to meet a special ally and learn how to stop an evil god before beginning a search for an Elder Scroll to help stop another evil god."

The two stood in silence for a moment, then Coiroy nodded while cupping his chin.

"Interesting times, indeed."

He walked up the stairs towards the palace, key in hand and ready to be used the moment he reached the door. Quickly unlocking and opening it, he stepped inside and looked forward to see an androgynous figure of two colors, split down the very middle between golden and ashen skin. The being, who was certainly Vivec, suddenly seemed to lift their feet off of the ground and hovered, floating in place in the lotus position about a triangular dais with braziers at each point.

"I expected you," Vivec said in an ephemeral voice as he stopped before the triangle. "We have business, you and I."

"That we do." A moment's silence passed between them. "Well, let's move on with it then."

"When I was young like you, I was very impatient. So I will keep our business short. Then, later, there may be time for other things. First, I propose to remove my curse upon the Nerevarine, and end the persecution of the Dissident Priests, and proclaim all of Morrowind that you are the Incarnate and Nerevarine, the prophesied savior of Morrowind, and the last hope to withstand the menace of Dagoth Ur and the Sixth House. These things I will do, whether you wish or not."

"No complaints here." Not that he had any choice to complain.

"Next, I propose to surrender to you the power and responsibility of defeating Dagoth Ur. You may choose to refuse; I will not compel you. You will receive the power as a gift, in the form of an artifact called 'Wraithguard'. You may accept this gift, and then do with it as you will. You will receive the responsibility as an oath. You may give your oath, then keep it or break it as you like. First, will you accept Wraithguard as a gift?"

A groan escaped his throat. He hated being pushed around by all of this, but at this point, there was no turning back.

"Yes. I accept Wraithguard."

"Good. Sensible of you," they said before proceeding. "And now, will you give your oath, before all gods and men, before all spirits visible and invisible, before my honor and your honor, to dedicate yourself and Wraithguard to the defeat and destruction of Dagoth Ur, and the preservation of Morrowind and its people?"

For a moment, he ground his teeth together. "I don't like making promises," he admitted. "But, I will swear it. I will defeat Dagoth Ur. And I will protect the people, just like I've been doing."

"Not very sensible. But very good. I was hoping for someone who would have no hesitation about making such an oath. You will now have a brief, momentary sensation of time passing. Don't be alarmed. You are being taken out of time in order to avoid the unpleasant experience of learning how to use Wraithguard. It will be over before..."

Suddenly, he felt a brief sensation of motion in total darkness, floating, but without a sense of weight or direction. His mind whirled in confusion, but he managed to make himself stay calm. Just when he was beginning to plan out how to keep his focus, it was over.

"...you know it. Now. I will notify the Temple that you are our champion. There shall be no more persecution of the Dissident Priests, and I hope both sides shall swiftly be reconciled. We have time for questions, if you like. Or you may leave, as you wish. But I think there are at least two things you ought to know before you leave: how to use Wraithguard, and how to defeat Dagoth Ur."

He took a breath and looked to the object now in his hand, which, by all appearances, was a Dwarven-made gauntlet. He held it in his left and slowly fitted it onto his right, clenching his fingers once it was fully on and feeling some sort of enchantment size it down to fit him perfectly.

"All right. Let's begin."

Weiss awoke and blinked away the sleep in her eyes before reaching toward her pack. She shot up a little when she felt something prick at her hand and looked over while clutching the small point of pain. She sighed and then reached over more carefully, opening her sack and taking out Azura's Star, still glowing from the last time she filled it. She concentrated, and then it folded back into its 'travel' form again.

"What even made it…" She blinked and thought back to the dream she had just had. Like the others, she was sure it was sent to her by Azura, for whatever reason the Prince of Dusk and Dawn was sending them.

'Prepare for the future, by looking at the past,' she recalled. She hardly thought a meeting with Vivec was in her immediate future, unless Ruby did something Dragonborn-related to catch his attention, of course, so it was likely something less obvious that she couldn't quite perceive just yet.

"Wraithguard was a Tool of Kagrenac, the one needed in order to make use of the others. With it, the Nerevarine would have been able to use Sunder and Keening, all three of which were used to defeat Dagoth Ur." Thankful, once again, for Brelyna making sure she was educated on the pasts of Azura's closest and most well-known followers, Weiss hummed in thought. "Am I about to get something…that leads to something I need?"

Sighing at the vagueness of it, Weiss got to her feet and started packing away her bedroll. Serana was already up and Gilly was soon to follow them. Going by her notes dissecting the Heart of Dawn's stanzas, Weiss began leading them onward.

"The 'cold emeralds' probably refers to the evergreens. Well, we're west of those now and…" She looked forward, seeing sheer mountainsides in three directions. "Okay… We might have gone the wrong way."

"Wait, what's the last line?" Serana asked.

"'Where we'll sing the dirge of our travels and lay our heads to rest.' That doesn't mean anything unless it's telling us to go to sleep here, which I doubt is a step on the way there."

"I mean, this could be a good hiding place, assuming there's a cave anywhere around here."

"Wh-what if we're supposed to sing?"

The other two looked to Giledie and then at each other.

"Okay, that makes sense," Weiss admitted. "Jarmak did tell me specifically to sing. But what though?"

"'Th-the dirge of our travels'. A song is just…poetry that you sing."

"Ah," Weiss muttered in realization as she nodded. She smirked, planning to begin singing it, but then realized she didn't quite remember the words. Just as she was about to flip back a few pages where she started penning it down, she heard Gilly's voice start up, a surprisingly smooth and sweet tone that carried the song well.

"~ Child the day has come to close. You cannot wait here in the cold. But if we go forth to meet the sun, we may come upon the Heart of Dawn. O'er waters bronze we set our sail. Through stony hills we make our way. As the glow of sun has fell, we keep our vigil until the day. ~"

Just before the next word, a small rumble came from beneath their feet. The three stumbled back and watched as something rose out of the snow, pushing aside much of it as it did. The object was revealed to be a pair of trap doors, each several meters long and across. After they had risen, the girls walked up and looked down to see a set of stairs leading to what seemed to be a black abyss. They began walking down, and before any of them could prepare a light, braziers to the side lit themselves with fire. A few steps further, and another set did the same. With the third set, they heard stone moving and looked up to see the doors closing themselves. Gilly groaned in fear, but Weiss patted and squeezed her shoulder in assurance, and they started heading back down again.

After a minute or so, they reached the bottom of the stairs and a doorway. Weiss began looking around and studying the place in more detail as Serana opened the door before them and walked in.

"Place is definitely lived in," the vampire princess confirmed upon seeing several sets of boots and shoes set nearby, some of them with mud that hadn't totally dried yet. "Somebody came in less than two days ago. That snow on the doors wasn't naturally placed."

"We blow winds from some of the higher levels after each use," a new, accented voice said. They turned to face it and saw a tall, pale, blonde-haired woman. "Welcome, sisters. I am glad to have you find us."

"Well, you're friendly," Serana observed with crossed arms. "We could've been vampire hunters for all you knew."

"Most vampire hunters are not undead as well. And if you were, you know not the passcode for opening the doors from this side, nor doest I believe you could face and defeat well over two-hundred of our kin." She smiled at that, revealing her four fangs to them.

"Fair enough. So this is it, then? The Duskfall Haven?"

"Yes. Ye must have spoke with one of ours before yon search."

"Yes," Weiss affirmed. "Jarmak told me about this place."

"Jarmak of Volkihar? Truly? Ah, ye must be of the College. Verily, let us go seek his counsel and find you lot a place of comfort. The road must have made ye weary."

As the woman led them further into the lair, Gilly tried to speak up. "Y-you talk with a very arch- uh, old way of speaking."

"Well, ye're surely not surprised to find a few vampires of ancient times?"

"Uh, no, uh, my grandfather talked like that…some. But, um, he was old. He was half…elf."

"Yes, the way of common speech changes every few centuries in many provinces. You art of High Rock, yes? I am of Atmora."

"Oh, Atmora?" Weiss wondered aloud. "I never met anyone from there. A friend met one person…but that was a draugr from the days of Ysgrammor."

The vampire woman laughed. "Truly? I was in the latter of my first millennium when Ysgrammor was but a sulking babe."

"Really?" Serana asked in surprise. "Gods, that takes the place of 'oldest being I know', no contest."

"Y-y-you can't just call someone old," Gilly squeaked out.

"Why not? Am I not old? Ye shall see I bear the wisdom of these years with pride."

The three came into another room where some other vampires were moving about and Weiss snapped her fingers at the sight of a chandelier.

"Wait a moment! Is this place what I think it is?"

"Think what is?" Serana asked her.

"I thought I recognized the architecture when we entered. I've only ever seen one other example of this, but this place matches with some Snow Elf ruins we once came across."

"Snow Elf ruins? What's so special about those?"

"The Nords who fought them destroyed all Falmer buildings they came across," the lead vampire explained. "They had few in the beginning as it were. Falmer were very nomadic peoples."

"Oh, so… How many are there?"

"Counting this one, I've only ever so much as heard about two," Weiss told her. "We only found the other one thanks to some psionic tether attached to my friend's mind by a Magne-Ge."

"…what?"

"Hey, is that who I think it is?" Weiss stopped and looked to see a Redguard woman walking up to her, her eyes going up and down her frame as she approached. "You, aren't you friends with the Dragonborn?"

"I am," Weiss answered hesitantly, only to get wrapped into a sudden and somewhat crushing hug.

"Thank you so much!" she said while swinging the hug a bit. "I haven't been able to rest comfortably in years since turning, then she and you helped us get here and I've never been happier." She pulled away and then patted Weiss' arms. "I'll let the rest know you're here! They'll be so happy to see you!"

The Redguard let her go and ran off to somewhere else, leaving the four a little confused.

"Wha-what was that?" Gilly asked.

"I…did say I sent a few vampires this way."

They continued on until the tall woman led them into a somewhat spacious room with three water fountains set within it. At their center Jarmak was seated, meditating as pieces of ice slowly spun around him.

'Azura couldn't have been more blatant if he was floating,' Weiss thought to herself while also wondering what exactly this meant. Jarmak opened his eyes and stood to his feet while the ice settled around him in a circle.

"Hm, so you've actually come. You're here as well, Princess Serana."

"I don't know if I count as a princess anymore, Jarmak," she said to the elf, a smile finding its way to her lips. "Good to see you're still alive, old mer."

"You as well." He looked over to Weiss and hummed before his eyes settled on Gilly. "And who is this?"

"She's a friend," Weiss answered. "Giledie Vassonia."

"Uh, hello…sir."

"Hm, hello, child. Please, if you would go with Svoldyn, I would like to speak with these two alone for a moment." Gilly looked towards the other two, who both nodded to her, and then she quickly bowed and followed the Atmoran vampire. When the door closed behind them, Jarmak hummed a moment.

"I assume this visit was not for pleasure's sake. Something is happening."

"Well, Harkon is finally making a move," Weiss relayed. "He's hoping to capture a Moth Priest and use him to read an Elder Scroll."

"I thought such might be his next step." The elf hummed and rubbed his chin while tilting his head forward. "Yes, it seems he's still pursuant in that goal. All the living world will be in danger from this."

"You know what he's planning?" Serana asked.

He nodded with a hum. "It is the same as it has been for thousands of years. Whenever he was not given in to despair from his…loss, it was all he could focus upon. I've seen his agents searching, fruitlessly, ever since for any sign of his lost Elder Scroll. Fruitless, until recently, that is."

"Then they found me," Serana muttered.

"Yes. Hm, in a manner of speaking. They found solid clues which had been unearthed by the Vigilants. After that, the Volkihar began to move with haste. But the adversity has given rise to a boon. The Dawnguard."

"The vampire hunting guild?" Weiss questioned him.

"They have presented themselves as a bulwark against the increase in hostile vampire activity. Hm, other guilds and mercenary groups, perhaps even armies, can focus themselves alongside the Dawnguard and truly fight against Harkon's forces. They may be needed if we are to stop him for good."

"True. I was heading there next," Serana told him. "If the Scroll's safe anywhere, it's with the guys who want the vampires to have it the least."

"And yourself?"

"I might have to escape, but I'm hoping that bringing them the Scroll, letting them know I know Yang, and telling them who I am will be enough to keep them from staking or burning me. For a little while, at least."

"Hm, a risky gambit, but I think you might be able to handle it. There's…heh, well, I see something in you I haven't seen…in an age." He hummed while looking over to Weiss. "And you?"

"I…was planning to go with Serana."

"You were?"

"Well… I'm thinking now that there might be something here I need. Call it intuition."

"Does it have to do with that dream you were talking about this evening?" Serana asked her.

Weiss turned to her in surprise. "Wha- How did-"

"You weren't exactly whispering. You've mentioned dreams before. What did you see?"

"Well, don't laugh, but I saw the Nerevarine receiving the Wraithguard."

"The first of Kagrenac's Tools," Jarmak said before humming and stroking his chin. "You think I can give you…a key to defeating your own Sharmat?"

"In a manner of speaking, I suppose."

"You…are not wrong. There are things I can teach you, but it will take time, and you must be willing to learn. I hadn't suspected it would be you, but now…"

"That what would be me?" Weiss asked, wondering what exactly he could be talking about.

"It is not so easily explained with words. You will learn, like with other things. But you must be certain of this. Some of what I will teach you…may break a weaker soul."

"I'm not afraid."

"Hm, not now. But you will be." He reached out and a door that they hadn't seen before opened up from the side opposite of where they had entered. "You will be."

Blake blocked the sun from her eyes as she peered forward, seeing a bronze inlaid wall that screamed Dwemer. The horses were taken to Heljarchen Creek by the other two, who were coming up alongside her. She nodded to them both, then her ears flicked at the sound of different footsteps.

"Hey Yang," she greeted her partner as she came out from the nearby underbrush.

"Okay, just so you know, I spotted you first," the blonde bragged before looking over to the thieves. "So these are your guys, huh? You two know how to work your Auras decently?"

"Well, Belladonna here's been showing us on the-" Brynjolf's words were cut off as Yang's fist came for him, forcing him to block with a navy-blue sheen springing up at the point of contact. "Gagh! Are all of you going to do that?!"

"Just had to see for myself. All right, well, if you guys get carved up, can't say it's our fault."

He looked back at the Dunmer woman with a frown. "Next time, you stand in boxing range of one of her friends."

"Noted," she said with a smile.

"Okay, so I've already scouted up ahead," Yang relayed to them. Looks like a camp of some kind used to be here, but now there are bodies everywhere. Either bandits or something were trying to set up here. Wounds are fresh. Blood hasn't all frozen."

"So, we're right on his tail," Karliah concluded. "He should still be delving in."

"And here I was hoping we could get some rest and cut him off," Yang complained. "Well, at the very least, most of the problem should be cleared out of the way. Don't get complacent though."

"We won't," Blake responded before pressing three of her fingers to her black vest's sigil, causing misty shadows to wisp around the rest of her body and solidify into the Nightingale Armor. The other two followed her example as the enchantment began to take effect. Yang let out a whistle in appreciation.

"Nice. Wish my armor did that. Would've saved me a whooole lot of work. And spiders."

"Wasn't she bringing some friends?" Brynjolf asked as they moved forward.

"Yngvarr's going to find a guy for the Dawnguard, and Rumarin doesn't have Aura, so I'm not getting him mixed up in this. He's waiting by the lake, fishing."

"You didn't just unlock it?"

"Yeah, we're trying…to not do that too much." At that, he looked over to Blake.

"She didn't break some sacred laws, did she?"

"No. Nothing like that. Eh, it doesn't matter. Right now, let's move in and get this creep."

11th of Evening Star

Vomed ahrk med - Different and similar [Lit. non-same and same]