Well, I've been keeping afloat despite complications, but I don't know how long I can do this or where I'll land. Still, with long stretches of nothing to do, I found time to do something I love. Thanks to xTRESTWHOx and NaanContributor for their help and support.

Chapter 67: A Dim Light of Hope

16th of Evening Star

After rounding up the captured bandits, Ruby, Weiss, and Lydia led them along to a nearby village close to the crossroads. They reached the coastal village-town of Berg a couple of hours later. The place was almost a hive of activity in comparison to others this time of year. Most of it was the townsfolk readying weapons, either finding old ones and getting them back to a usable state, or putting together makeshift weapons from fishing, hunting, and farming gear. Being a coastal town also meant fishing, though, so there was a bit of that going on, as well as horkers, seals, walruses, and even a shark being hung up and prepped for eating at different places on the dock. A few workers were even loading barrels of fish onto longboats, likely for trade.

After dropping off the bandits with the guards, Ruby's approach was noted and a couple people went off to find someone. Within minutes of them setting their steeds into the stables, a large man with a thick, peppered beard walked up to them.

"So, you got our message!" he said jovially before looking her over. "Smaller than I expected."

Ruby almost said 'so's a Dust crystal', but then remembered that no one aside from Weiss would get it. "I'm full of surprises, I guess. Ruby Rose," she introduced herself. "This is my friend, Weiss and my housecarl, Lydia."

"Chief Storach," he greeted her. He then went serious, his smile replaced by a straight expression. "I'm glad you're here."

Ruby nodded, her expression shifting from jovial to serious to match the village chief. "I heard there was a dragon problem?"

"Yes, or at least, we're certain of it." Storach paused, then nodded to himself before continuing. "There were a couple dragons nearby and then…some of our young'uns were suddenly gone. Some folks went looking for them, but they all say about the same thing: there's a black dragon out there and some people listening to it. A couple say they saw a few of our young'uns around them, but that they didn't look like they were there by choice. One group said they saw one of our girls tied up to a stake."

"That's awful!" Ruby decried. her mind racing through the possibilities. None of them were good, but she couldn't help but notice the man had something else to say.

"Yes, well… It's more than that. It's personal." He frowned, and anger sparked in his eyes. "One of the first to go missing was my own boy, Hjakar. I haven't seen him in days and… If some new Dragon Cult really has sprouted up, we can't let them spread. I'd go out and stop them myself, but I'm not as young as I used to be. Taking on some men is one thing, but I'm not sure if I could have fought a dragon even at my best."

Ruby took note of the chief's stature more closely now. Beneath his robes, she could see the thick walls of muscle that encased his neck all the way down to his legs. Clearly, when this man was younger, he would've been considered 'peak Nord.' Yet, at the same time, she could also see the tell-tale signs of age creeping its way in. A few grey hairs here and there, a slight limp in his step, as well as a stiff right wrist that caused Storach to flex his hand every so often. With a heavy heart, Ruby began to realize that Storach was right. As much as he clearly wanted to, trying to take on the dragon by himself would've been tantamount to suicide.

"Don't worry," Ruby assured him, causing Storach to warmly smile from behind his beard. "If there really is a dragon out there causing you grief, then I'll put a stop to it."

"Ruby, doesn't this seem a little odd to you?" Weiss asked her partner as they and Lydia rode towards where the citizens of Berg last saw evidence of the resurgent Dragon Cult

"What do you mean, Weiss?" Ruby asked, moving around a large tree with Weiss close behind. Lydia was ahead, doing the same but with her sword and shield out in case of any would-be attackers, dragon or otherwise. The housecarl was also wary of any Dragon Priests in their area. The last time she and Ruby had fought one, they had almost died. Would have died, were it not for Lydia miraculously unlocking both her Aura and her Semblance at that very moment. She still thanked the Divines every day for that, and felt that she would continue to do so 'til the day she died. Just as she would continue to search for any signs of Dragon Priests that aimed to finish the job that Krosis started.

"I mean, a resurgent Dragon Cult?" Weiss asked with her hands held out to her sides. "It's not just far-fetched, but probably not as big of a deal as they're making it out to be."

"Weiss, of course it's a big deal! Kids are going missing!" Ruby protested, to which Lydia quickly nodded in agreement.

"Which is bad, but I highly doubt that's because of a dragon," Weiss pointed out with a raised finger. "It's winter, vampires are growing more and more brazen whether they're Volkihar or not, and people are always running off to join bandits for one reason or another."

"You think they might have gone to be bandits?" Ruby asked her. She didn't even want to consider the other option, and neither did Weiss for that matter.

"I think there are a lot of possibilities," Weiss corrected her. "Dragons tend to have a pattern, and the only one we've seen do something like gather a following could rightly be thought of as a cultist himself."

Ruby thought for a moment, tapping her chin, then nodded. "That's true, but every dragon has been a little unique so far. Maybe this one decided to start the cults back up?"

"Which is my next point, that's probably not as bad as they're making it out," Weiss said, much to both Ruby's and Lydia's surprise. "A lot of people ignore this, but the Atmorans around the time of Ysgramor, possibly including the man himself, were still intertwined with the Dragon Cult at the time. You won't hear a lot of Nords admit that, though."

"Wait, the Nord hero guy? You think he was in the Dragon Cult?" Ruby asked. Lydia visibly bristled at the assertion, but nevertheless allowed the vampire to continue.

"You have to consider the timeline. The dragons were overthrown after the Nords held most of Skyrim, right?" Ruby nodded at that. "Well, Ysgramor was where their conquest of Skyrim began, which likely means that the Dragon Cult was either fledgling or one among many religions at that time. Even if he wasn't a part of it, he likely knew and was friends with many who were. We know thanks to Yang that there was at least one monarch who worshipped the dragons at that time, basically making it her state religion. Ysgramor would've been clever enough to use that establishment to his advantage."

"I guess so," Ruby said. "Some dragons did help fight against the bad ones, too. I guess religion doesn't go away overnight. Still, we've got to be careful here. We don't know what to-" Ruby pulled Chocolate Hooves to a stop and her companions followed suit. A moment later, they heard a whoosh of air and looked in that direction to see something dark slip over the treeline.

"That way," she indicated before pressing her steed again. They followed the lead until they came up to a short but steep embankment. There were half a dozen Nords around a campfire. Upon seeing the three women, all immediately sprung to their feet, four of the six of them grabbing weapons and taking defensive stances.

"Who are you?" a young woman holding an axe and shield demanded of them as the scrawny boy who had been sitting next to her scrambled over to the embankment. Behind her, they saw a heavyset boy trying to create a small spell between his hands. Clearly, with how the flame was flickering in and out sporadically, he was quite new at the clever craft.

"Hey, her armor looks neat!" the other woman pointed out while indicating Ruby with her mace.

"Yeah, looks almost like it's made out of scales," a man who looked nearly identical to her mentioned. "Like you'd find on a big reptile or something?"

"Yeah, kinda like those rumors about that Dragonborn person," the girl agreed.

"Ooh, you mean the half-Giant dragon-slaying woman who eats whole horkers for breakfast?"

The youngsters all paused, then slowly looked Ruby up and down. The scrawny boy and the shieldmaiden's eyes widened first in realization, while the heavyset boy stood up slightly straighter while halting his meager attempts at spellwork to turn towards the rest of the group.

"I only ate one steak and some soup!" Ruby objected. "We made the rest into jerky! I'm still chewing through it!"

"Guys," the stocky young man said to them warningly, "I think that's the Dragonborn."

They looked back at her then at their friend.

"She's a little bit small to be half-Giant," the boy pointed out.

"Yeah, unless she's maybe just a baby."

"I can feel myself getting dumber just from being this close to those two," Weiss muttered.

"Are you the missing youths from Berg?" Lydia asked the group, hoping to derail the conversations that were going nowhere. The tension loosened up at that, and the scrawny young man who had been fumbling while trying to climb up the ridge stopped and looked back at them in confusion.

"Missing?" he asked before letting himself down and nearly tripping at his landing. "I sent a letter… Snetlon, you said you gave the letter to someone!"

"I did!" Snetlon proclaimed, placing the pommel of his two-handed axe on the ground and waving his free hand around in emphasis. "I gave it to Buck, and he went back hollering and whooping all the way."

They paused to take in Snetlon's works, then the first woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "Was he 'hollering' or screaming?"

Snetlon moved to answer, then paused and, after thinking for a moment, started scratching his head. "Well, now that you mention it…"

"Oh Shor save me…" the shieldmaiden groaned, then turned towards the scrawny boy Ruby just now realized she was most likely protecting. "Hjakar, you handle this. It's too stupid for me."

"Hey!" Snetlon shouted indignantly, but the girl ignored him as she stepped aside to let the scrawny boy, who Ruby just now realized was Storach's missing son, move out from behind her. Ruby couldn't help but note how different he was from his physically imposing father, but as the "half-Giant" comments just demonstrated, the same could just as easily be said about herself. And there was something about the boy that marked him as the leader here.

"Uh, okay," Hjakar said slowly before turning towards the three and giving them a nervous smile. "This was obviously a big misunderstanding. Maybe you guys could let my father know that everything's okay? We're just trying to…do some stuff out here. No dragons for you to worry about, at all."

Ruby nodded, both happy that Hjakar was fine and noticing his slip of the tongue. "We didn't say anything about dragons," she pointed out, which caused the boy to stiffen before he turned and started to try and climb up again, to little effect. "Uh…?"

"Guys, just keep them distracted!" he said to his friends while pulling himself up a little. "I'll go and warn-"

"There is no need, fahdon," a new voice said before black jaws came down and nabbed Hjakar by the back of his shirt. Ruby readied herself, but her tension evaporated as she saw the dragon gently pick the young man up and set him down on his feet. He was all black, just as she had heard some people describe one of the dragons as being, but unlike Alduin, this one seemed downright puny. If Ruby had to guess, the dragon was shorter than a horse, though still much longer. His eyes were also a striking blue that stuck out against his scales. Despite the intensity in them, they were nowhere near the rage-filled eyes that Alduin bore. The last major thing Ruby noted about him was how his jaws seemed mostly bereft of teeth, with only a broken one near the back. The youths all stood protectively in front of him, even the large weaponless boy readied with some frost magic.

"So you have come, Dovahkiin," the dragon began. "I suppose word has spread of my appearance."

"We heard there were multiple dragons in the area," she told him calmly, even as her best friend and housecarl prepared themselves.

"True. There were more. No longer."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, but before she could inquire further, Hjakar stepped in front of the dragon while waving his arms.

"Look, I know what it looks like, but you have to believe us," Hjakar started. "Tooths is a good dragon. He fought the other one to protect us."

"Tooths?" Weiss inquired.

"Uh… It's what we call him?"

"He doesn't want to give out his actual name," the more collected girl added. "Hjakar figured we could call him Tooths, since the other dragon knocked all of his teeth out."

"Ooh, ow!" Ruby went with a wince. "Wait… Oh, I get it." She looked up at the dragon now known as Tooths. "You fought the other dragon. I guess there was a disagreement."

"Yes, well, he did not take too kindly to learning that I was not sworn to his thur," the dragon explained. "When I further refused, he argued that Alduin must be obeyed. I argued he need not. I stand as the victor."

"Not to mention how he was trying to roast us all right before that," Snetlon said. "It was pretty intense, running from a huge dragon. Not that I was scared. He was just…flying the whole time, and I didn't have a bow. Wasn't a fair fight."

"And that's about when Tooths came in," the girl continued. "I have to say, I never thought I'd owe my life to a dragon."

"Astrid was completely dumbstruck," the other girl pointed out.

"Yeah," her male counterpart agreed. "Just stood there with her mouth open and staring."

"Okay, enough you two," Astrid told them. "Yeah, Hjakar ran into him earlier and…got him to help us. He somehow took down the bigger dragon, but he was injured pretty badly."

"We've tried patching him up," the large boy explained, "but we can only do so much at a time."

"Been out here with him ever since," Hjakar added. Ruby, Weiss, and Lydia each absorbed the information given to them. One after another, they came to agree with what the children were saying. If they weren't, and if this 'Tooths' truly was malevolent, it was highly likely that they would've been dead by now.

"You all owe him for saving you," Lydia concluded with a nod. "It's only right to help someone who has helped you before."

"Yeah, that's what I said," Snetlon agreed. "It's not like I…thought it was the most amazing thing ever, you know."

"Really? I did!" the dimmer boy admitted. Snetlon shot him a look, while the others lowered their weapons to the ground upon realizing that a fight wasn't going to break out.

"Does this mean you're not doing dragonslayer stuff?" the other girl asked.

"Actually, I'm pretty happy everything is going well," Ruby said before dismounting and approaching them all. "Drem Yol Lok, Tooths, I'm Ruby."

"Ah," the dragon rumbled as peace seemed to settle on him. "I see. Drem Yol Lok, Dovahkiin. Fent zu'u ofan koraav do Thu'umi?"

"Ge. Go ahead," she offered him while holding out her arms.

"Yol Toor Shul!" Tooths Shouted. Ruby felt the fire wash over her and experienced his Thu'um. There was a focused protectiveness tinged with loyalty within it, yet there was also an underlying fury that could not be missed. As the fire wicked away, Ruby smirked at the sight of the youths' eyes all wide.

"Yol Toor Shul!" she Shouted back, giving him a taste of her own Voice. When that fire washed away, Tooths craned his neck up and took a deep breath.

"Hm, yes… I feel it within you." He looked down at her and nodded. "Come then, Dovahkiin. There are many words we must share."

"Yeah, I guess so." She waved over her companions. "Come on guys. We're good."

Weiss shook her head as she dismounted. "I will not get used to this insanity."

"Ah, good," Lydia said as she dismounted as well. "That means I'm not alone."

"So, you were revived with a bunch of others," Ruby repeated before taking another bite of squirrel. "And now there's a bunch of dragons he's trying to…organize." She nodded and allowed herself to smirk. "I guess that's what's taking him so long."

"Ge. Alduin was reviving us…haphazardly. Not all dovah died around the same time. Many had centuries of life more than others before succumbing as well. A few were revived by others only to fall again at a later time. Each one left the world in a certain state, and each expects it to be that way on their return. The Firstborn has his talons full trying to untangle each mess."

"I guess that gives us some breathing room to figure everything out," Weiss decided. "I was always afraid that you'd be on some sort of timer with this thing. Well, I suppose it's still just a matter of time, but not nearly as short as we feared."

"The Empire wasn't built overnight, they say," Hjakar quipped before munching on some toasted bread.

Lydia then looked up from her leg of rabbit. "What about the name binding ritual?"

"Name binding…? Oh!" Ruby realized before looking over to the small dragon. "Yeah, that's a good… Didn't Alduin try to use Binding Words before bringing you back?"

"He did, but he used the name he knew, not the name I have."

"Oh, you gave him a pseudonym, too?" Ruby smiled at that, just happy that another dragon wasn't under the tyrant's thrall.

"Ni," he answered, to her surprise. "I had given my name over to Alduin once, long ago. But things have changed, and so have I." Ruby blinked, and Tooths leaned up and stood upon his legs, his craned head reaching seven feet. "I know this gaze, Dovahkiin. You are surprised."

"W- Well, yeah. You mean you…changed your name?"

"What's the big deal?" the girl, Ruflena asked. "We've got an uncle that changed his name a dozen times running from the law."

"They were always really dumb names, too," her brother, Torfnar recalled. "Or other peoples. He used my name once. That was an awkward Tales and Tallows."

"Well, dragon names are…a reflection of who they are," Ruby tried to explain to them. "It's their very essence defined. It's not something they can just...change on a whim." That certainly caught everyone's attention, but Tooths himself just chuckled, sounding like a creaky billow.

"This is true," he agreed. "But, Dovahkiin, would you say you are the same as you were yesterday? Would you say you are the same as you were ten years ago? Will you be the same ten years from now?" He leaned forward again and curled his wings up to his sides while lying on his belly. "All are becoming, fahdonne. Yes, even the dov. We may live for all of time, but even time changes as it moves. Often in circles, but never identical to what it once was." The dragon looked at the fire before him and blinked. "Our names reflect our nature, thus, knowing our names lets others know some of our nature. That is why calling our name is so effective. It is not absolute, of course, and yet…many find it irresistible. And yet, sometimes, when we look deep within, even a dovah may find something else about themselves. I did such a thing. I looked into myself, and I found a truer nature and a truer name."

Ruby listened with rapt attention, feeling her heart lift a little at his words.

"So, everything's perfectly fine now, right?" Ruby said to the village town's chief, who looked up from her to the black dragon his son had come back with. Most of the community was surrounding them as well, many with some sort of weapon held at the ready. Ruby had to give it to Tooths, he was taking the whole situation rather well. They had to conk out five people early on for trying to attack him unprovoked, and each time Tooths just calmly watched them run at him, even as they were ready to strike. Then again, given what most of the weapons were like, he may have just had nothing to fear.

"Well, if he truly saved my son's life… All right then, everyone!" he yelled out to the crowd. "Put it all away! This dragon is my guest, and anyone lookin' to harm him will have to answer to me."

The crowd shuffled a moment, a few people beginning to disperse, but many others just standing about confused.

"I said get!" he emphasized, taking a few steps towards a group that immediately scattered. The rest picked up their pace and left as well, until the fishing village had gone back to what was more or less normal activity, though many still glanced over on occasion. Chief Storach turned back to them all and smiled.

"I'm so glad to see you're all right, my boy," he said to Hjakar before wrapping him in a bear hug, making the boy wheeze out his greeting to his father through a compressed chest. Torfnar went to join the hug, but Ruflena tugged him back, starting a short shoving contest between them. When Storach let him go, he went over to the dragon, who met his eyes. "So, you really saved him?"

"I did."

"Not sure why you did. Never heard any tales of dragons saving folk. But if you're the first, then I'm glad you're with us." Storach looked out across the town. "Folk may take some time getting used to ya, but I give you my word that no harm'll come to you from Berg's people."

"Thank you for your assurance. I promise that I shall be no burden to you."

"Aye, I hope not. No telling how much something of your size eats." He then looked back to Ruby and her friends again. "And thank you, Dragonborn, for making sure all's well. Tell me, how can we repay you?"

Ruby tapped her chin then snapped her fingers. "Can you get us a ride to Winterhold?"

Before their ship was to take off, Weiss remembered that she needed to do one more thing on land in the seaside hold. After letting her partner know and finding a place to hide away (while Ruby would pretend they were taking a short nap while things were prepared), she changed into her Vampire Lord form and flew towards the Duskfall Haven. At the height she kept at, she was likely to be mistaken for a bird if not a dragon. Somehow, she figured citizens believing that would actually cause less of a panic than if they knew the truth. It still took her the better part of an hour to reach the Haven, but it was much faster than on foot, and soon she was banking down and singing the song that would open the way to let her in.

Back inside the icy, underground community, Weiss shifted back to human form and walked. She had been trying to figure out what to tell the elder Volkihar for some time now, but she still hadn't quite figured it out. All she knew was that they needed absolute privacy.

Luckily, Jarmak was at his normal place, sitting and meditating in the large, empty room. The memory fountain had been moved out, making it seem much more spacious than before. To Weiss, that empty, open area felt like it took hours to cross.

"So, you have returned," he stated as he stood up. He looked her over for a moment and then hummed while stroking his chin. "You are still a vampire. Was there no cure?"

Weiss made to enshroud the room with Muffle Area, but Jarmak immediately sealed it with Silence Area when she did. She looked back at him and took a deep breath.

"There is a cure," she admitted, feeling a deep cold swirling within her chest. She saw his eyes widen beneath his hood as he went ramrod straight. After a moment, he seemed to relax, and gestured for her to continue.

"It…requires…the sacrifice…of a soul." Weiss felt her gaze drop as her admission was released. Jarmak stood passively as ever, taking in the information and mulling it over.

"A soul," he whispered. "A Black Soul?" Weiss slowly nodded, and he shifted in his steps. "I see…"

"I asked to be sure," she decided to continue, "and Falion explained…that it can't be worked around. A vampire's soul won't be accepted, nor any other form of undead. The soul…takes the place of the vampire's."

Jarmak slowly nodded, closing his eyes as he did. "Yes, I could see why you would not use such a ritual. Hm, it seems the rumors of necromancy were dangerously close."

"What… What do we do?" Weiss asked. "We can't…"

"Let the masses know?" he guessed, to which she nodded. "You are right. There are too many desperate for a cure. While some would certainly hunt the souls of bandits, there are some, I fear, who would resort to slaying innocents should they find themselves short of more unclean souls to fill their place. Others still might not care, whether the victim be innocent or not, and kill the first person they come across." He hummed and shook his head. "I should have known it would not be easy, but I had expected…better." He sighed heavily before raising a finger. "You…did not try to find one such unclean soul?"

"I…did, actually," she admitted, shame filling her heart before she looked back up at him. "I couldn't go through with it. I thought I'd found the…nastiest, most horrid person I could. Someone who certainly would have…fit into Coldharbour, but…I just couldn't. I took off his head with no hesitation, but I couldn't bring myself to take…his soul."

Jarmak nodded. "You are a good person, Weiss. What's more, you understand the gravity that comes with an eternal soul. Many seem to just disregard its importance, but for the few of us who truly know, it is a weight that seems to manifest as an untenable responsibility." He smiled sadly. "To be ignorant of such things… What hopeless bliss!"

As the two settled into silence, something pricked the edge of Weiss' mind and she turned to look at the entryway before looking back at Jarmak.

"Gilly," she whispered. The elder vampire hummed and nodded.

"That child…has perhaps the worst of both worlds," he admitted.

Weiss steeled herself before swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I… I think she should know."

"Do you?" he asked, no anger or surprise in his voice. She winced and nodded.

"She deserves to know. She… She's never tried to hurt anyone and-"

"Do not explain yourself to me," he interrupted her while holding up his hand. "I will keep this secret, but in the end, it is yours. If you wish to unveil this to her, then do so."

"I… Thank you, sir." She bowed respectfully, and Jarmak hummed again.

"Do not thank me for this. All of it, from here, is you." As she left the room, he watched her leave with sadness in his eyes, and a single tear slipped down his cheek.

"So, th-there's a cure?" Gilly whispered, even after being reassured by Weiss several times that they were secure. The white-haired Huntress nodded, and Gilly smiled before looking down and pursing her lips. Weiss wondered what she must have been feeling when Gilly let out a small, humorless laugh.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"I… I r-r-really want to be…human again," Gilly admitted. "But…H-Harkon's plan…"

"His plan to blot out the sun?" Weiss asked, to which she nodded. "Gilly, there's no way…"

"You don't know th-that," she said, shaking her head. "W-weiss, there w-w-were so many of them. They're…all looking for w-what he wants. Th-they all obey him and he's str-strong, stronger than any other vampire." She looked ashamed to admit it, unable to meet Weiss' gaze. "If he wins, and I'm just a mortal girl…"

"You're kidding, right?" Weiss asked her. Gilly seemed to shrink under her gaze and Weiss closed her eyes while taking a breath. "You'd prefer to stay a vampire just because…he might take over the world?"

"Weiss, please," she squeaked out. The heiress gasped as she heard a few sobs. "I'm sorry, b-but…I'm too sc-ared." Weiss felt her guts twist as the younger girl's body was wracked a few times by her crying. "I've been sc-ared for so long and…th-is is the first place…I've felt safe." She sniffled a few times. "I want to be alive again, but…n-n-not if it means another vampire will drink or turn me…when the sun goes out."

Weiss held her breath for a moment and sighed in acquiescence. "Okay, I understand." As she began to walk out of the room, Gilly looked up.

"W-W-Weiss," she called out, getting the girl's attention again before seeming to strain to find the words. "I h-ope I'm wr-wrong and that…you win," she said, honestly, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "If you ev-v-ver beat him, then…I really will get cured, but…please be safe."

Weiss gave her a light smile. "I will. I promise."

Avrusa slowly walked along beside her fence, her hand hovering close to the grey image that her eyes could barely perceive. The chiming of her nirnroot patch kept her oriented, as she had long learned where everything on her farm was in relation to the magical plants. She was going past the windmill and chicken coop before leaving the fence's side and heading further past them down the path.

"Aduri," she called out and listened. No answer came, which made her hum in suspicion, especially when she heard footsteps crunching through the leaves nearby. "Come on, Aduri, we need to get the firewood ready for tonight."

The footsteps stopped a moment, and she smirked, figuring her sister knew where she was and was trying to hide. Then they started again, softer, as though trying to sneak, but coming towards her rather than trying to get away. The Dunmer's smile disappeared as she realized something was very wrong, a chill flowing up her spine.

"Aduri?" she called out again.

"What is it, Avrusa?" she heard from behind her, back towards the farm. A knot caught in her throat as the footsteps halted again, letting her know that whatever stranger was approaching was meaning to keep hidden. Steeling herself and gripping the knife in her apron, she kept her face towards them.

"Who- Who goes there?"

The steps went from sneaking to outright running at her. She clenched her teeth as she pulled out her small blade and prepared to defend herself. She was just wrapping herself in an Oakflesh spell when she caught the barest view of her assailant. As he leapt at her, white teeth being the one detail she could make out heading for her, something made a loud pop sound, followed by a whizzing through the air for a split second. A meaty impact sounded in front of her as her attacker was flung to the side with a shout, something wet hitting the ground next to her feet. A moment later, the scent of blood was in the air.

She turned towards the attacker as he struggled up, but then bright yellow came up and over him. There was a thwack and then a wet crunch, and things went quiet for a moment. Avrusa breathed rapidly, having barely noticed the way her heart and lungs had sped up in the last few seconds. Her ears then seemed to open up to the world around her as she heard sounds of a struggle nearby. There were a few screams, and the silence returned, this time for real. The yellow near her sighed heavily and walked up to her.

"Hey, are you okay, miss?" a female voice from the yellow asked her.

"I- I am," Avrusa said, turning towards her saviors. "By Azura, I think you just saved my life!"

"Hey, no big. Just glad I got here in time. Blake, everything good?"

"Yep," another woman's voice called from further away as three sets of footsteps approached. "That makes three, like you said."

"And that's all the vampires we were tracking accounted for," a male declared.

"Vampires?" Avrusa asked in shock. It certainly explained the bared teeth and the attack in general. Subconsciously, she brought her hand to her neck and gently gripped it. "Gods…"

"I think I found those Dwemer things in one of their satchels," a third woman announced as some parchment was ruffled, and then there was dark-red with a pale face reaching over to yellow. "Can't really make it out, though."

Yellow whistled. "Nice! I know some of these designs. If the Dawnguard can get this to working, we'll basically have rapid-firing crossbows."

"Dawnguard?" Aduri asked as she walked up, stopping a little behind her elder sister. "Avrusa, what's going on?"

"We were just attacked by vampires. Head inside, Aduri." She could feel her sister tense up at that, but then heard her hesitantly begin walking back to the house. "Everyone, I must thank you for saving us in time," she said to her rescuers. "Please, let me know how I can repay you."

"Well…" yellow began, "would we be imposing if we held a small birthday party with you?"

"Oh…you remembered," the second voice murmured.

"Yeah, well, couldn't really stop what we were doing and properly celebrate until now. Ruby and Weiss are probably waiting to join us by video call since they can't be here in person. You don't mind, do you miss?"

"Not at all," the Dunmer told them, joy rising up in her voice. "Please, come on in. I'm Avrusa."

"Yang," yellow introduced herself.

"So, you're not totally blind?" the High Elf asked for clarification.

"Rumarin, that's hardly appropriate," Blake tried to warn him.

"What? I think it'd be ruder to not ask."

"I don't mind explaining," Aduri said as she set down several bowls and filled them with beef, carrot, and potato stew. "We can't see most anything, unless it's very close. Even then, it's very blurry. Back during some of the eruptions a few years ago, a lot of hot ash came down where we were living in Morrowind, and it got into our eyes, nose, and throats." After filling each one, she put the pot back near the fire and sat herself down. "I was only a little girl at the time, so I guess I eventually healed up a bit better. Avrusa…is a little worse."

"Wow, I'm so sorry," Ruby said from over the phone.

"Don't be," Avrusa told her. "You had nothing to do with Red Mountain blowing up." She then scowled. "If anyone can be blamed, it's Vivec for leaving that damn rock hovering over the city. Endless power, and zhe couldn't be bothered to toss it into the ocean before leaving. May Azura neuter both zheir parts."

"It's not too bad. We can still make our way around and work every day," Aduri explained before a look overtook her face. "Well, I also wouldn't mind becoming a painter someday."

"Aduri," her sister began, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"I know, I know. I won't bring it up around our guests," she said, defeated.

"I think it's neat," Yang spoke up, catching both the Dunmer's interests. "You've got a fairly unique perspective. A lot of art connoisseurs and buyers are really into things like that."

"Why, thank you!" Aduri couldn't help but flash a large, toothy smile. "Yes, that's part of what I'd always thought! I mean, can you imagine how wonderful it would be to set what you see on a canvas so you'd have that memory forever? So that others can share in it throughout time?"

Conversations rose and fell, and soon everyone both in the Sarethi house and on the longboat to Winterhold had finished up eating. Avrusa got up for a moment and brought back an orange candle that she sat in the middle of a table.

"Bought this a few years ago. We light it once in a while for the smell more than the light. Imported from Yneslea. Smells like some sort of fruit and cream." She lit it up with a bit of magic and sat back as the scent slowly began to fill the room. Yang took a deep breath and smiled.

"Mm, peaches and cream."

"Aw man, wish I could smell it," Ruby complained.

"There should be Yneslean traders at Windhelm this time of year," Lydia told her. "Along with Esrionetese and Queyfolk. They sell more than a few exotic goods through most of Evening Star and Morning Star."

"Oh yeah, Yngvarr mentioned something like that," Yang recalled. "Said he was going to get hot pepper bantam guars for eating."

"Ooh, that sounds cool! Or hot, really," Ruby considered. "Hey Weiss, have you ever eaten bantam guar, before?"

"Yes, actually. Breylena cooked some for us all before. It tasted about like you'd expect, chicken, but the ash yams were something else."

"Ooh, it has been a while since I had an ash yam," Aduri contemplated fondly. For a little while, everyone talked about different foods they had tried or wanted to, a few highlights being the large differences between what Dunmer seemed to usually eat in their homelands and what everyone else normally experienced. As the conversation petered off, Avrusa was ready to extinguish the candle before recalling her guests' needs and asking them about it.

"I think we're good," Yang said before looking over at Blake. "Although, we have this birthday tradition back home. Is it all right if Blake blows it out?"

"Certainly," the Dunmer woman answered and Yang smiled at her friend, who smiled back and looked over at the candle as her Remnantian friends broke out into a chorus of Happy Birthday, led mostly by the two sisters. The Nirnians looked confused, though entertained and interested by the song.

"Now make a wish!" Ruby declared when it was over. Blake chuckled and closed her eyes for a few seconds while wondering over just what she wanted most. A moment later, she opened them and blew out the candle.

Their arrival into Winterhold was rockier than most. Rather than a dedicated dock for the city, they had to take a rowboat to a small, dilapidated one about a mile outside of the town, then head uphill in the snow to reach it and the College. Once they were in a secure place, Ruby called up Capric's device, only to receive a younger face on-screen.

"Hello!" Vertina happily greeted them. "This is Capric Thorn's… Oh, it's Ruby! Hi Ruby!"

"Hey, Verty? Is Capric around?" Ruby asked the young Harpy.

"Yeah, he's doing paper stuff with Aanda Maarah. I'll go let him know you're on the thingy!" And with that, she sped off, leaving them to look at a couch as they waited.

"I see what you meant about her being hyper," Weiss stated.

"It's hardly scratching the surface," Lydia told her. "She's worse than Thane Ruby ever thought of being."

"Hey, I'm not that… No, you were saying… Ah, nevermind." Just as she turned back to the screen, they saw hands reach down and pick up the device, pointing its camera to Capric's face, now short one antler.

"Ladies, good to see you. I assume this means you're close to Winterhold."

"Yep, we're here," Ruby answered. "Also, you shed your antler?"

"Huh, did I?" he started tapping the spot on his head where the bone-like growth once stood, causing Ruby to giggle at the joke. "So I did. Well, I'll get new ones soon. How was the situation at Berg?"

"Not that bad, actually," she explained. "The black dragon was actually friendly, and he had saved some teenagers from another, more aggressive one. He's working with Berg now, so we'll see what becomes of that."

"Huh, interesting." Capric seemed to muse on that for a while before shrugging. "Well, moving on, you're at Winterhold now. From what my intel is giving me, what we're looking for is securely locked up behind some magical means. Shouldn't hurt anything to unlock it. You'll be looking for some unmovable object in what's called the Midden."

"Swell," Weiss groaned. "Not like I expected today to go without seeing someone's thrown away experiments."

"Is it really that bad?" Ruby asked her partner in concern.

"Not…really?" Weiss shrugged after a moment of thought. "They're mostly annoying, and it all depends on how much people have been doing since the last time I went down there."

"So… Shouldn't be that bad, right?"

"Wh-y?" Ruby groaned out after they finally bashed the amalgamation of whole skeletons and random bones into pieces that, at last, stopped moving.

"I have no idea," Weiss murmured as they moved on. "That was the result of something too close to necromancy for my liking. If I ever figure out who threw that together, I'm going to…" Weiss stopped as she saw the centerpiece of the room she entered, a Daedric gauntlet sitting atop a pedestal with the 'oht' symbol emblazoned on the palm. Ruby walked in, holding her scroll up to let Capric see everything they were seeing as well, and stopped at the sight.

"Oh cool," she said as she walked up to the gauntlet. She reached out with her free hand to grab it, tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth, only to tug uselessly at it. She tried again a few times, grunting with the last couple attempts before giving up.

"This might be it," Capric said from where he was watching. "Interesting…and concerning. This looks like the work of some sealing ritual. They may have sealed our artifact piece away with a Daedra to guard it."

"I ran into something similar in the Labyrinthian," Weiss told him as she looked around, finding an old, worn notebook and some loose pages within. The newest one she read aloud:

"'The missing students were found in the Midden this morning. Dead, as expected. None of us bothered keeping a detect life charm for the search at this point.

The bodies were found together, each suffering the same deformities; peeled and bubbling skin on the arms and face. Conjurer's Burn, as it's commonly referred to around the College. There's little doubt they were attempting a summoning ritual well beyond their capabilities.

The relic nearby put any doubt in this theory to rest. I admit that I've never seen one like it - a large, segmented sculpture of a gauntlet, the Daedric sigil 'O' emblazoned upon the palm. Attempts to move it were in vain. I must show it to Archmage Sedoth during his upcoming visit. Perhaps he will know more.

While we couldn't move the relic, I was able to pry four "rings" from it. I'm sure there's a connection between them and the ritual the students were attempting.

I'll store these in the Arcanaeum until we can consult with a conjuration master to learn more.'

"

"Sounds like they never got around to that," Capric noted. "Sedoth is an old-sounding name. I think I heard it before earlier in my career, but not for a good few years. Decades maybe."

"Probably from before Archmage Savos took over," Weiss agreed. "Okay, so what do we do now?"

"Well, we'll likely need those rings for a start," Capric figured.

"Mm, too bad we don't have Blake with us," Ruby contemplated.

"Ruby, we're not stealing from the College!" Weiss vehemently rejected.

"Isn't that what we're doing by taking the relic, though?"

Weiss made to speak, but then stopped herself. Lydia looked between the two younger women and shrugged.

"We could always...ask?" the housecarl pointed out. The Huntresses looked at her, and then back to each other.

"Well, I guess we can," Ruby considered before smiling brightly. "As long as we explain ourselves and ask nicely," she said before giving an example of her puppy-dog pout.

"Are you kidding?" Weiss looked at her with exasperation and weariness. "Urag gro-Shub is the most hard-hearted, unflinching faculty member in the entire college. He never lets anything slip by him. Not so much as a common book, much less a series of potentially dangerous artifacts. I can already tell you, there's no way he'll just let us have..."

"Mm, sure," the Orc librarian groaned out after seeing Ruby's eyes for a few seconds. Weiss was completely taken aback, almost stuttering out her next words.

"I, er, uh, really? I mean, thank you, but, uh-"

"You're a pretty responsible student, Miss Schnee, and your friend here makes a good point. Plus, this is Conjuration, which I hear you've got an aptitude for. If you're certain you can handle it, I'll trust you. Just report back whatever happens and then return the rings, if there's anything to return." He reached under his large desk, going through a few drawers before pulling out a small box and setting it onto the table. He turned it towards them, and then opened it, revealing four rings, each one a different material for both band and stone, and all different shapes. Weiss wondered how they could be related as Ruby plucked them up, one by one.

"Don't worry, Mister gro-Shub," Ruby assured him. "We'll bring back them back as soon as we're done."

"Good. And bring up any other records or books you might run across while traipsing about the Midden," he requested them as he gingerly handled the papers they handed to him. "I'm going to have words with people about leaving important information like this out and unfiled, waiting for the elements to claim them. Malacath as my witness, a few more years and this whole thing would be left unrecorded and a complete mystery for someone to stumble upon in a few centuries or more."

"Hm, how many problems would we have avoided if people kept better records?" Ruby wondered.

"A few," Lydia reckoned as they left, Weiss still a little dumbfounded.

"Yeah, at least a few."

"I can't believe that just worked," the heiress morosely noted. Lydia silently agreed, resting against a wall.

"Few can resist," Ruby said proudly as they reentered the room and started trying to put the rings on the fingers. Nothing seemed to be happening, and Weiss was about to tell her to stop when the ring finger suddenly curved in after a ring was placed on it.

"Well, that was something," Capric said from the scroll Lydia had been handed. "Perhaps each finger needs a particular ring?"

"Makes sense, but we need to be careful," Weiss reminded them as she snatched the last ring from Ruby's hand. "The last people to have anything to do with this thing were burned alive."

"Right, sorry," Ruby said sheepishly. She looked back at the gauntlet and took off the other two rings. "Maybe they had them all in the wrong place, and that caused some kind of backlash?"

"Possibly, but I don't like how much is left to chance here." She looked back to Lydia and then her shield. "Could you maybe hold up your Semblance while I try to use Telekinesis to figure this out? A bit of inconvenience is better than all of us being roasted."

"A good call," the housecarl said as she handed the scroll back to Ruby and summoned her Adamant Aegis between them. Weiss levitated the rings around it and began trying them on the pinky, getting it on the second try. She moved up to try another finger but Ruby then squeaked.

"Middle first!" she declared. Weiss quirked an eyebrow then looked back to see how she almost made an immature mistake.

"Ah, I see." She placed a ring on the middle finger and it curled in, leaving just the pointer. Lydia lowered her Aegis and took a few breaths before powering it back up, letting Weiss place the last ring. The final finger curled up, making a fist, and then four skulls suddenly appeared at the corners of the room and floated towards the gauntlet. The girls backed up and braced themselves behind Lydia's Semblance as the four skulls touched foreheads just above the gauntlet, then it all was swallowed up in a swirl of purple fire that quickly parted and dissipated to reveal a Dremora in silk garments with a bandana on his head. He craned his neck then turned towards them, a snarl on his face.

"Where am I?!" he demanded before drawing a cutlass made of red and black metal and pointing at the three. "You! Out with it, then!"

"You're underneath the College of Winterhold," Weiss decided to answer while gripping the hilt of Strahlendjuwel.

"Ah, I was beginning to think the day would never come," he said with a smile of relief. "So, you broke the binding spell, did you? Matters little. Their souls are trapped in Oblivion all the same, and here I stay."

Weiss was ready to tell him off as her blue blade slid free, but another voice spoke up first.

"Yes, and perhaps for this, you could repay us," Capric said. The women looked at the scroll in Ruby's hands in surprise, and the Dremora looked with an intrigued expression.

"You can't be serious," Weiss objected. "He's killed those four and-"

"Nothing points to him being the culprit," Capric pointed out. "If they died from Conjuration Burn, then it was likely their own fault. Accidents like this happen. Some are more costly than others."

"Those kids are dead anyway. Killing me won't bring them back," the Dremora agreed. "But I'm good for making a bargain for freedom."

"Right. First off, no one hand him anything." The Dremora scoffed, but Capric kept on going. "Now, there is a device that was locked away here, likely with you. It should be made of ebony and have a gold band at one or both ends."

"Ah, I know exactly what you're talking about," the Daedra conceded. "Yes, I have it stashed with a good bit of booty I had ferreted away."

Ruby tried and failed to stop herself from snorting out a laugh. "Booty."

Lydia and Weiss both rolled their eyes in exasperation, but neither said anything and instead let the Dremora continue.

"I hid it with a trick I know. I can point you in the right direction, and we'll each go our separate ways. You can have all the treasure, and Velehk Sain will ride the waves of the Abecean once again." At his smile, the girls couldn't help but feel nervous.

"What do you think?" Weiss asked Ruby. "Is it worth it?"

"Every fiber of my being is telling me I should never help a Daedra or a pirate," Lydia admitted. "And this thing is both. But still…if he has the key to getting you home…"

Ruby took a deep breath and sighed. "Cap, what do you think?"

"I think…I'll balance the scales a little bit." They saw the half-Bosmer back up and begin a spell, casting it after a few seconds to bring up another Daedra, this one female and with four eyes and six arms.

"Webspinner," he commanded her, "tell me if this Dremora speaks the truth." The Daedric Webspinner then looked at the screen with a wicked smile, and Velehk seemed to roll his eyes.

"The item you're after, the artifact piece, is within the trove I will guide you to upon releasing me."

The Webspinner then rolled out a strand of black silk that turned blue. "He speaks true."

"Well then, I suppose we should release him,"

Capric concluded before sending his summon back to Oblivion.

Ruby sighed. "Okay, um, how?"

"Names have power, lass. You should know by now," the Dremora told her. "Just say 'Velehk Sain, I release you.', and 'Poof!', I'm on my way."

"Velehk Sain, I release you," Ruby announced with authority. Nothing seemed to happen, but the Daedra did sheathe his sword and pulled a piece of parchment from his pack.

"There's a smart lass. Check the map," he instructed while handing it over. "The loot's hidden there. It'll show itself when you get near. See you on the other side, mortals." With that, he made a long gesture for a spell, then disappeared in what they assumed was a teleport. The girls blinked and rubbed their eyes, looking at the place where Velehk once stood.

"We just unleashed one of the most notorious pirates in Tamriel," Lydia noted.

"To be fair, the Abecean is almost solely the Thalmor's problem," Capric tried to assure them. "Of course, I should probably figure out a way to warn them that he's back without implicating myself. Shipping security may have grown lax without Velehk Sain to keep prodding everyone. In the meantime, let's search for that treasure."

The trio prepared to move, internally wondering just what the consequences of their actions may be and whether anyone would ever link Velehk's reappearance to them. Part of Ruby even felt heavy, knowing that even if the Abecean sea was Thalmor territory, there had to have been more than a few innocent people just trying to make a living out there who were now threatened by what she just did. She just hoped there was someone out there who could stop the demon.

"Funny, the map said it should be here," Weiss complained while looking beneath a stone she had moved with her glyphs. Ruby came up, holding the map and trying to follow it in her head, then suddenly several chests and bags seemed to appear through someone's summoning spells. "What the! Oh, pocket dimension. The map must have been the key."

"Well that's neat," Ruby said while stashing it away to look through the filled treasure chests. "Maybe we could hide stuff here?"

"Certainly," Weiss agreed while letting gold, silver, and other coins slide through her fingers. "As soon as we get this all securely up to the bank." She opened a smaller chest and pulled out its singular item, a short rod of ebony with a gold band on either end of it. Ruby pointed her scroll's camera at the object to let their associate see.

"This it, Cap?"

"Yes! That's it precisely!" he cheered. "Well done, girls! Only one more to go in Morrowind, and we'll have our way back to Remnant!"

"All right!" Ruby joined in with his cheering. Even Weiss couldn't help but jump for joy a little, Lydia joining in with mirthful laughs. As they all shouted their triumph, the girls couldn't help but feel like they were one step away from home.

18th of Evening Star