A/N: Couple of stupid things here: 1. I think it's stupid that every corpse has a note with its secrets in-game. I get the functionality of it, but come on. Super werewolf smelling powers, activate! That's less of a copout, right? Right. 2. I think the fight with Malkus is stupid. You can one-shot him in sneak, and he's just bam, dead. 3. I think Dexion is stupid, and I hate him. He deserves a smack. 4. I headcanon that vampires just disintegrate when they die because WHY ELSE ARE THEY SO DUSTY? Seriously, someone tell me.
Anyway, moving on.
Serana says that the priest is travelling southeast on a carriage. If they're fast enough, they may be able to catch up while it's stopped for the night. As they cross the bridge, they can see a small plume of smoke rising a few miles away. Hoping it's the carriage's campsite, the women hurry towards it. The closer they get, the more Destra knows this will end badly.
The carriage is smoking, but the fire is mostly out. The bodies that litter the area around the carriage are still fresh when they arrive. Not so fresh that they are still warm to the touch, but fresh enough that the blood has yet to coagulate. What blood remains, that is. There is no sign of the Moth Priest. Destra knows she should feel sorry for the dead driver and passengers, but mostly she just feels annoyed. She squats next to a pile of ash that she knows was once a vampire and inhales.
"Whatcha smell, girl?" Serana says. Destra glares back. She is getting used to looking at the vampire like this.
"Dust, parchment, and the odour of an ancient. Also what I assume is our Moth Priest," Destra returns. Serana smirks at this.
"So you do have a sense of humour. Noted. Where are we headed?"
Destra leads them north, occasionally stopping when the scent grows weaker. After about an hour, they arrive at the mouth of a cave.
"This has to be it. Wait here, I'll only be a few minutes," Destra says. She starts for the cave, but Serana catches her arm.
"Do you really think I'm going to wait around and let you have all the fun? Besides, you know I'm more than capable of handling myself," she says. Destra simply nods in return.
Like most of Skyrim's haunts, the cave is much larger than either is expecting. The somewhat narrow entrance quickly gives way to an enormous cavern, the centre of which contains the ruins of what appears to be an old fort. At the top, Destra can see several vampires surrounding a figure encased in a sphere of magical energy.
Destra gestures for Serana to crouch beside her. She points to two thralls on the battlements of the fort's entrance and a handful of shadowy black dogs Serana calls "deathhounds." Destra pulls her crossbow and signals left while Serana prepares an ice spike spell. A moment later, both thralls are dead. One of the hounds sniffs at the bodies and growls, red eyes scanning the darkness for signs of an intruder. Destra knows better than to think her fellow canine will miss them.
She lines up her shot. As she releases the trigger, Serana curses. Destra's head snaps, and the bolt goes wide by a few inches. To their left, two thralls and their hounds are rushing up the stairs. Serana fires a few spikes, and one of the thralls goes down. The rest are upon the pair before Destra can reload her crossbow. She casts it aside and draws her blades. The other thrall is headless before Serana can blink, and only the hounds remain.
The commotion on the staircase is more than enough to alert the hound Destra missed of their location. It rushes to alert its masters. The oldest of the vampires dispatches two fledglings to respond to the intrusion.
"Shit," Destra mutters as she all but tackles Serana to the ground. But it is too late, and they are spotted. Destra rolls off Serana and regains her crossbow. Serana is five steps ahead and has already ended one of the fledglings by the time Destra has a shot. The other proves more competent and manages to avoid her spells and the bolt Destra fires. Serana draws her dagger. The fledgling lunges for Destra and bites her arm, and the distraction allows Serana to slip her blade between his ribs. The vampire howls and lashes at Serana with his claws, but he is unable to land a blow before he disintegrates.
"Are you okay?" Serana asks as she examines Destra's bite. Destra huffs.
"Please, I've had worse from Aela," she says before wincing at herself.
"Who is-" Serana starts before Destra shakes her head.
"Later. We need to get to the priest." Serana nods in return, and they make for the top of the fort. When they reach it, the elder vampire sneers at them.
"Now however did this stinking mutt come to lead one of my own, and my lord's daughter at that?" he says.
"Malkus. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you're still nothing better than another one of my father's lackeys after all these centuries," Serana says.
"Bah! You always were an insolent brat, Serana. You're too late anyway. The Moth Priest is my thrall, and neither you nor your pet can stop me!" He draws his axe. "Now you will-"
Destra's bolt sinks into the orc's throat, and he is nothing but dust.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Serana pans. Destra shrugs at her and walks over to Malkus' remains. Amidst the dust she finds a small, glowing blue stone. She studies the magical barrier that enshrouds the Moth Priest for a moment before placing the stone in a slot nearby. The barrier dissipates, and the priest falls to the ground. Destra steps toward him.
"Here, let me-"
"I serve my master's will. But my master is dead, and his enemies shall pay!" the priest shouts as he stands. He draws a long, curved sword and rushes Destra. Serana steps between them, and with a surprising amount of force, slaps the Moth Priest across the face.
"Come on, now. That's enough of that," she says. The priest drops his blade and rubs his eyes.
"Wait! That wasn't me. I could see through my eyes, but I could not control my actions. Thank you for breaking that fowl vampire's hold over me," he says.
"It was my pleasure, I assure you," Serana returns. The priest hesitates a moment before continuing.
"Dexion Evicus. I am a Moth Priest, but I assume you already know that."
"Come with us to Fort Dawnguard, Dexion. We have much to discuss, and we need your help," Destra says.
Then she sighs to herself. She is getting too old for this shit.
—
They are camping in the Rift, about a half day's travel to Fort Dawnguard. Both Serana and Destra would have preferred to press on through the night, but Dexion is even older than Destra and frequently requests they stop. What should have been a three day's journey quickly turns into four, and Destra cannot be rid of the priest soon enough. They set up camp under an outcrop of rock, a small fire blazing. Dexion is already asleep by the time Destra finishes cooking.
"So much for that," Destra mutters as she sets the pot aside. Serana snorts.
"I can eat it if it'll make you feel better," she offers.
"The stew or him?" Destra jerks a thumb in Dexion's general direction.
"Both?" Destra chuckles at this. "Was that an honest-to-gods laugh, or is all this sunlight finally getting to me?" Serana says.
"Believe it or not, I haven't always been a grumpy old woman. I was happy once." Destra almost whispers the last.
"Does that Aela person have anything to do with that?"
Destra stiffens at the mention of Aela's name, and she looks away from Serana toward the fire. A thousand and one flecks of light pass through her eyes, each a memory, each an emotion. A tear forms, but Destra refuses to let it fall. Serana shifts closer to her.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to talk about it if it's too personal. I know we don't really know each other yet," she says. Destra considers this a moment.
"No, but we won't get there if we don't talk," she returns with a small smile. "Aela was my wife. We were together for thirty years. She's been gone for three now."
"Oh, I didn't… I'm sorry she's gone." Serana tentatively places a hand on Destra's shoulder. Destra does not stop her.
"As am I. The world will never be the same for having known her fierceness and beauty. And I will never be the same for having known her love," Destra whispers as softly as a prayer. The two sit in silence for several minutes as the fire cracks gently.
"How did you meet?" Serana finally asks. Destra tells her of the giant, their combined defeat of the creature, Destra's joining of the Companions, and how Aela gave her the beastblood. She tells of their marriage a few years later and how Aela stayed by her side on her quest to defeat Alduin.
"Alduin? The World-Eater of legend, First of Akatosh, bringer of the End Times, and all that nonsense? That Alduin?" Serana says with no small amount of disbelief. Destra smirks a bit.
"Not bad, huh?"
"I know Isran said you were the Dragonborn, but I guess I didn't… and why haven't I gotten to see you shout yet?"
"I can yell at you all you want," Destra glibs. Serana rolls her eyes.
"I can think of at least ten times quite literally yelling ancient magic would have come in handy by now."
"Yeah, well… I just don't use it anymore," Destra says with sudden seriousness. Serana wants to ask why not, but she decides against it for now. She's probed enough for one evening.
Instead, she simply says, "Fair enough."
Destra is fifty-six years old. She knows she won't live forever. There are still some things she feels too young to talk about.