"And that's when I loosed my arrow, spearing the dragon through both of its wings, and sending the scaly bastard crashing out of the sky!" Arlene triumphantly gloated at the head of her adventuring party, riding atop a sturdy, black maned horse.

"Really," Serana replied flatly from her own mount, her face even more emotionless than her tone. "And was this before or after you single handedly avenged your fellow Companion's death through a horde of 100 Silver Hands?"

"After!" Arlene said with a wide grin.

Serana's only response was an unamused eyebrow raise.

"You know she's actually not lying." Jenassa whispered conspiratorially to Serana as she rode her mare beside her, drawing a sidelong look from the vampire. "Well, she is exaggerating, but it's not an outright lie. I was there for the dragon, and her housecarl Lydia fought against the Silver Hands. Although last time I heard that tale, there were about fifty of the werewolf hunters."

Serana snorted as she looked in the back of the strange Wood Elf leading her to her home. Over the past two weeks, Serana had been traveling alongside Arlene and Jenassa to her ancestral home near Solitude. They actually should have already been there already, but they had to take a detour as Arlene had some other jobs she needed to complete before diverting Northwest. And as the unexpected tagalong, Serana couldn't exactly say no.

And that was how Serana accidentally started her adventurer career. First the party had to travel back East, swinging around to Winterhold as Arlene searched for a fragment of Wuuthrad, which Serana was surprised to have learned was shattered. Almost as surprised as she was to learn that the Companion's had taken in an elf into their ranks. She supposed even Skyrim could get a little more progressive as time moved on.

From there, they spotted a massive statue of the Daedric Prince Azura, which Jenassa informed them was constructed by Dark Elves who fled Morrowind as the Red Mountain erupted (an event which had taken a lot of explaining as well). What started as a pilgrimage for the dark elf to get a blessing from one of her deities, turned into a preordained quest as apparently Azura had destined Arlene to come to the shrine and become her champion.

Arlene wanted absolutely no part in having her destiny controlled by a Daedric Prince, but Jenassa and the priestess Aranea convinced her that Azura was one of the more benign and even benevolent Daedric Princes. Serana also added in her own two septims that angering such beings was never a good idea as well.

And so with great reluctance, the party then diverted, first to Winterhold, then South to Ilinalta's Deep. Once they reclaimed Azura's Star and dealt with the mages defiling it, Azura granted the artefact to Arlene, making her her Champion in the mortal realm. Arlene seemed to take all of this in stride, but even from the short time she had known her, Serana could tell the elf was severely uncomfortable with the whole series of events.

From there, the party resumed their original journey to Solitude. To hasten their travel, the women snuck into a Stormcloak encampment and stole three horses in the dead of night. The fact that Arlene and Jenassa were both thieves did not surprise Serana, but their skill in the dark did. She had to use a good amount of vampiric and illusionary magic just to keep up.

Three horses, over two-hundred septims, and two greatswords later, they rode off into the night. And strangely enough, Serana found that she was smiling as they did so, and it took her a little while for her to realize exactly why. She was having fun traveling with these two.

Not counting the fact that she had spent what was probably the last few centuries, or possibly even millennia sleeping, Serana realized she had never done this kind of thing while she lived with her family. Back then, it was always studying magic with her mother or training her powers with her father. Sure, she would occasionally accompany other vampires on their hunts, but most of the time, she stayed in the castle.

Galavanting across Skyrim, jumping head first into caves and ruins looking for ancient artifacts and adventure was a new experience for her, and she found that she enjoyed it. It had given her a strange sense of freedom that she had never known, where she didn't have to care about the expectations of her father or the machinations of her mother. Just the open road in front of them and their next quest. And now that they approached Solitude, she realized she was going to miss it when she parted ways with Arlene and Jenassa.

"By Azura's tits, that's Solitude?" Arlene said, equal parts awestruck and aghast.

Jenassa frowned at her. "You really should be more respectful to one of your patrons, sera."

Arlene only gave her a sidelong look. "You saw her statue right? I am being respectful. One of the best pairs I've ever seen." Arlene then refocused in front of her. "But nevermind about that. What crazy bastard builds a city on an archway like that?" Arlene then gestured to the natural rock arch formed by the Karth river beneath the city. "It does not seem secure."

"The city has been here since the First Era." Serana replied. She didn't hide the fact that she was somewhat talking down on Arlene, but if anything, the elf just seemed to enjoy the verbal sparring. "It's been through wars, natural disasters, and according to you, an invasion from Oblivion. I'm sure it's very secure."

Arlene paused and pursed her lips as she thought over Serana's response. "Doesn't look it though."

Serana just sighed as she pushed her mount forward. "Come on. I'm sure we can find lodging in the city so you can complete your burglary and then we can move on to my home."

"You shouldn't talk about a heist out in the open." Arlene complained as she moved her horse to catch up. "You don't know who could be listening."

Cocking a brow at Arlene, Serana turned her head and looked over the empty plains and marshes around them. "I don't think anyone is eavesdropping on us."

Arlene snorted. "Shows what you know. If I wanted I could stalk our party halfway across Skyrim without your or Jenassa noticing."

Serana opened her mouth to challenge this, but Jenassa cut her off. "Please don't wind her up, Serana. Because she will do it."

Sighing as she realized simply acquiescing to Arlene's strange habits was easier than arguing, Serana continued riding towards Solitude.

Serana was laying on her bed within the Winking Skeever, reading through the Brief History of the Empire as she familiarized herself with the events of the Eras she'd missed. She had reached the end of the IV volume by the time Arlene and Jenassa returned from their heist of the East Empire Trading Company. To save on gold, they all rented a single room, and planned on crowding onto the bed for the night.

Unsurprisingly, the Elven duo returned to the room late in the night, their leather armor smelling of salt water and blood.

"I take it your heist wasn't a success?" Serana asked, her nose wrinkling at their scent.

Arlene plopped herself down onto the armchair beside Serana's bed and sighed. "No, we got what we were looking for. A name. Karliah. Apparently a former Thieves Guild member who wants to kill our current Guild Master."

Bringing her hand to cover her face, Serana said, "Indeed. So what's the plan now? Hunt her down?"

Arlene shrugged as she sank further back into the seat. "Dunno. We can take you to your home in the morning, or evening, if that's better. Afterwards, we'll have to return to Riften and speak with Frey."

"Back and forth across Skyrim, and the only thing we were paid with was what we could shove in our pockets." Jenassa shook her head. "Not our best job, sera."

"You're telling me. At least Gulum-Ei gave us a good deal of gold to spare him." Arlene chuckled softly before sighing. "Whatever. A job is a job. And speaking of…" Arlene then looked at Serana. "You excited to finally get home?"

Serana frowned. "Excited isn't the word I'd use."

"What word would you use then?" Jenassa asked.

"I don't know." Serana admitted. "Anxious? Trepidatious? Maybe even scared."

"Scared?" Arlene parroted, now frowning as well. "Does your family not treat you well?"

Serana pursed her lips for a moment, trying to figure out how much she should really tell Arlene. Despite her blunt, awkward flirtations, and annoying overconfidence, Serana had grown rather fond of the elf. Even if she was actually supposed to be a vampire hunter. "Like I mentioned before, my family had a bit of a falling out. I'm not in danger, I hope, but if my father is there, it may be… unpleasant."

Still frowning, Arlene then leaned towards Serana. "Well if it's so bad, you don't have to go back." She then flashed a smile. "If anything you could keep adventuring with us. We make a pretty good team. And I think the Thieves Guild wouldn't mind having you as a member."

"The Dawnguard would object to us having a vampire in our company." Jenassa interjected.

Arlene waved her off. "Eh, what they don't know won't hurt us. And it's not like we're really full members anyway. If they want to be pissy about it, we leave. Simple as that."

"Simple as that?" Serana repeated.

"Yep!" Arlene said, popping her 'p.' "Might be hard at first, but sometimes, the best thing you can do is leave a bad situation behind and never look back"

Serana considered Arlene's words. So much of her own life had been riddled with pain and conflict between her family and their vassals. How much better would her life have been had she just walked away? She wouldn't have missed over a thousand years of life locked in a sarcophagus, she knew that much.

"Serana?" Arlene asked, closing in on Serana's face to look at her eyes. "You awake, love?"

Serana blinked. "Yes. Just… thinking." She then leaned back onto her bed. "Regardless, I think the two you need to get your rest. We'll have a long day tomorrow as well."

Yawning, Arlene nodded her head and moved to join Serana in her bed. "Sounds good to me."

But before Arlene could even touch the mattress, Serana spun and kicked Arlene in the stomach with the heel of her foot, knocking the elf away. Completely unprepared for the attack, Arlene fell back and landed on the wooden floor butt-first.

"Neither of you are getting anywhere near this bed until you've had a bath." Serana hissed. She then focused on Arlene. "Especially you. You smell like wet dog."

Arlene looked at Serana, shocked at the sudden rejection. "But-"

"Go." Serana commanded, vampiric blood magick crackling in her eyes.

Sighing, Arlene slowly trudged her way to the door with Jenassa following behind, failing to suppress her grin at her benefactor's misfortune.

The next day, the trio paid a local ferryman an exorbitant price in order for him to take them to what he considered the cursed isle. Though when Serana thought about it, it wouldn't have surprised her if one of her parents actually cursed their home in order to keep normal people away.

Arlene made all sorts of crass comments about the size and intimidating nature of Castle Volkihar that Serana blocked out as they approached the main gate. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by the gatekeeper, some menial vampire whose name Serana couldn't recall, but who instantly recognized her. He hurriedly opened the gate and ran in, proclaiming Serana's return.

Before she stepped in, Serana turned to her friends with a small smile and said, "Well, I guess this is where we part ways. Thanks for taking me all this way."

She was about to turn and enter when Arlene stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Whoa wait a second," she said with uncharacteristic seriousness. "I'm not about to just let you go into that den of snakes, or bats I guess, alone!"

Now frowning herself, Serana said, "Arlene, you really don't have to. Thank you for getting me here, but this is my home and my problems I have to deal with on my own."

Arlene's blank face was all but unreadable, but then she shrugged and said, "Fine. You can head in by yourself."

Serana was about to say thanks, when she caught the look of exasperation on Jenassa's face behind Arlene. She then narrowed her eyes on the elf. "You're not sneaking into my castle."

"Who said I was going to do that?" Arlene said with faux outrage. "I'm insulted that you'd think I'd even try something like that. Even though it would be easy. Your second story windows aren't even barred."

Sighing, Serana let her shoulders sag as she turned around. "Fine. You can come along. Just… give me space and let me do all the talking. It's not going to do you any favors if they know you're my friend."

Arlene grinned brightly at Serana. "I'll be a fly on the wall." She then turned to Jenassa. "Best you stay out here with the boat though, if we need to make a quick escape."

Janessa nodded. "I'll do that. But try your best not to bring down an entire coven of angry vampires down on our heads, sera."

With that, Serana and Arlene entered Castle Volkihar. The whole experience was nostalgic and somewhat surreal for Serana, as almost nothing had changed from the last time she was here, which was centuries ago. Sure the tiles were more worn down, and the furniture had been replaced, but it was almost exactly the same as before.

Entering the grand hall, the vampires of her father's court were in mid-feast, as the three long tables along the left, right, and far ends of the wall were filled with plates of human flesh and goblets of blood. She recognized nearly all of the faces there. Orthjolf and Vingalmo, her father's senior advisors and rivals for power. The Dunmer Garan Marethi, as well as Hestla the smith.

They all ate, drank, conversed, and plotted as if it were the same day that Serana left so long ago. That was what was nostalgic about the whole scene. What was surreal was the fact that nothing had changed despite the fact that she knew it had been centuries since she left. By Oblivion it had been Eras. With how much had changed in the outside world, it almost sickened Serana that the castle had stagnated so. It was almost as if the castle was a pocket dimension of Oblivion, not bound to the same flow of time as the rest of the world.

Upon her arrival, the whispers immediately began, courtiers and nobles all in shock not only at Serana's appearance, but at the fact that she had the Elder Scroll as well. The only one who did not look shocked was her father, Harkon.

If anything her father only looked at Serana with what she could peg as satisfaction. He didn't look at her like a father greeting a wayward child, but instead more like a craftsman, delighted to have found his favorite missing tool.

"And so my long-lost daughter returns at last. I trust you have my Elder Scroll?" Her father asked, his lips curled into a smile that didn't reach the rest of his face.

And with those words, any real hope that Serana had of her father actually being her father again died. There was no worry in his voice. No questions of where she's been, or if she's okay. Just, 'do you have my Elder Scroll?' What an ass.

And Serana couldn't keep some of the venom she felt out of her words as she said, "After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me? Yes, I have the scroll."

Though whether she would give the scroll to her father was a completely different story. This was all the confirmation Serana needed that her father was not to be trusted. This prophecy of his tore their family apart, and Serana would see to it it doesn't come to fruition. It would take a lot of work, she would need to rebuild alliances within the castle who would side with her over her father, but she would stop him, one way or another.

"Of course I am glad to see you are alright, my daughter. Must I say it out loud?" Her father backpedaled, trying to save face. "Ah, if only your traitorous mother could see how happy we are together. I'd let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike. But enough of that. Tell me, who is this stranger you have brought with you."

Serana's eyes flicked over to Arlene. "My savior. The one who freed me." For all his flaws, Serana knew that her father carried an intrinsic sense of honor and nobility. If she told him of her debt to Arlene, Arlene would be safe from her father and any of his minions.

Her father turned Arlene, his eyes sparkling with interest. "So I have you to thank for my daughter's safe return. You have my gratitude. What is your name?" Her father's smile here was genuinely polite, something which somewhat surprised Serana.

Arlene stiffened as Harkon's attention was on her. "I am Arlene of Valenwood. And you are?" To Serana's surprise, Arlene was noble in her response, dignified even. Nothing of her crass and arrogant attitude slipped out.

Harkon snorted at Arlene's politeness. "I am Harkon Volkihar, lord of his castle, and all the vampires within. We are some of the oldest, and most powerful vampires in Skyrim, and lived here for centuries away from the rest of the world. An isolation which ended when my wife betrayed me stole that which I valued most. And now, thanks to you, my daughter and the scroll have returned."

"I'm sure your clan has a great history," Arlene said, nodding slowly. "But, if I may ask, what happens now?"

"You deserve to be rewarded," her father declared. "For returning my daughter and the Elder Scroll, I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will become as a lion among sheep, never to fear death again."

Both Serana and Arlene's mouths fell open at that. Serana did not expect her father to offer a place in their coven to Arlene. She glanced at the elf, who was similarly taken aback. Silently, Serana tried to will Arlene into rejecting. Despite herself, Serana liked Arlene and enjoyed her company, but becoming a vampire would ruin her.

Unlike herself, Arlene still had connections and relations to the outside world, and becoming a vampire would throw all of that away. Not to mention the sheer toxicity and violence in this place brought out the worst in people. And despite her arrogance or her dubious profession as a thief, Serana saw Arlene as a good person. And a cruel place like Castle Volkihar was no place for good people.

For a brief moment, Arlene caught Serana's eyes. Serana could tell Arlene was considering it, and for the first time in a long time, Serana felt fear. It was the fear on her face however, that seemed to harden Arlene's resolution.

"I accept." She said with a confidence only a mad woman would have.

Serana's father grinned. He then began to morph, growing in size and ferocity as he entered this vampire lord form. "Then be still!" He then sunk his teeth deep into Arlene's neck.

Branwen Camp, Anima, Present Day…

Serana stepped through the inky black portal as she opened up her teleportation portal to Arlene. While Serana would never dare say it to Arlene's face and risk inflating her ego further, Serana was starting to miss Arlene the days they had been apart. Of course it's not as if she did nothing but sulk and pine in their room, after all Serana had been busy at work expanding their network in Vale and controlling the Malachite twins.

Under her direction, Junior's gang had taken a more aggressive posture, recruiting several lesser gangs into their number, and taking a stance against the White Fang. Under her direction, Junior's gang members would charge protection fees from local businesses, and in return protect them from White Fang robberies. Their actions had also drawn in a number of bigoted, humanocentric gangsters and hoodlums into the organization, who in the best case, would work well as chaf and footsoldiers, and in the worst as bullet sponges and blood bags. Arlene wanted to send a message that the White Fang did not control the underworld anymore, and was propping Junior up as a rival.

But Arlene had just used the Sending spell to inform her that she had finished her business in Anima, and wanted Serana to come meet her newest recruit. Knowing how much of a pain her last recruits were, after all freshly turned vampires were always rambunctious and she had to be heavy handed in convincing the twins to control their appetites, Serana wasn't particularly excited to meet this Raven Branwen.

Stepping through the portal, Serana entered a rather spacious tent. She knew the Branwens were nomadic so the fact that they lived in such a place didn't surprise her, but she couldn't help but wonder how people got used to living with only what they could carry on their backs and on their carts. Though she supposed she couldn't talk, after all she lived most of her life in a coffin.

"Serana!" Arlene's melodic voice called out the moment she stepped through the portal.

Before Serana could respond, Arlene pounced on her, firmly planting her lips on Serana's. Serana was nowhere near ready for such a display, and when she tried to open her mouth and scold Arlene, Arlene only shoved her tongue deep, dancing against Serana's own.

The kiss was deep and passionate, and sent shivers throughout Serana's body. She felt her knees weaken as arousal pooled within her. She didn't think she'd miss Arlene's touch this much. Feeling a very real desire to take Arlene right then and there, Serana almost moved to unclasp her partner's leather armor, when she finally noticed they weren't alone.

Sitting on the ground by a small table wearing a very amused grin, was a beautiful woman with stark raven black hair and piercing crimson eyes who looked shockingly like Yang Xiao Long. Serana's eyes widened as she met the gaze of the woman, who only smirked deeper as she did.

At that moment, Serana –somewhat reluctantly– shoved Arlene off her and said, "Enough you salacious harlot!" As Serana pushed her lover away, she felt a sharp sting on her lip. Reaching up to touch it with her hand, Serana realized that she was bleeding. She then scowled at Arlene. That bitch bit her.

"Don't stop on my account," The woman, presumably Raven Branwen, said with an amused tone. "I've already given Arlene my tribe, let her eat my food and drink my alcohol. Now I might a well let her fuck in my tent. Why not?" She gave an overexaggerated, sarcastic shrug as she poured herself some tea.

"You could join us," Arlene called back to her. "We could invite that cute little thing you keep around with the shaved head."

"No thanks," Raven flatly said. "I tried the polyamory thing once, didn't work out. But regardless, how about we focus on what this meeting is actually about?"

Serana couldn't believe her ears. A serious, level headed vampire. She almost felt like kissing Raven despite her protests of not wanting to be in a relationship. Wiping the blood away from her mouth, Serana composed herself and said, "Yes, how about we do just that?"

Arlene pouted at both of them. "Dibella's fine ass, the two of you are no fun." But despite her complaints she moved to the table where Raven was sitting and sat down as well.

Joining the two of them, Serana kneeled down on a pillow, a position far more comfortable with her dress and said, "So, I assume you're Raven Branwen?"

Raven nodded. "Raven Branwen. Leader of the Branwen Tribe, Spring Maiden, and now, apparently Arlene's vampire general."

Serana cocked a brow at that. "So Arlene informed you of the existence of vampires?"

"Amongst other things." Raven nodded once more. "She was brief as there was a lot to go over, but she gave me a quick version of your world and who the two of you are."

"Yep!" Arlene brightly cut in. "Now we can skip the boring stuff and Raven can tell us all of Ozpin's dirty little secrets."

Both Raven and Serana fixed Arlene with a flat stare, though she refused to be ashamed of what she said.

Sighing, Raven said, "Your situation isn't exactly one I would call boring, but yes we can get to Ozpin." She then folded her hands atop the table. "You both know of the Maidens, correct?"

Arlene nodded her head. "Aye. Four women who were granted magic powers by a wizard long ago. They're some of the only people left on the planet who can use magick without having to resort to Dust. And the same women that Ozpin and his little brotherhood are dedicated to protecting."

"Indeed." Raven agreed. "But they're not the only myth of legends to exist in this world. And if you pay close attention, I would think the wizard in the tale of the Four Maidens seems familiar."

Serana was faster to pick up on Raven's insinuation. "You believe the wizard in the tale was Ozpin," Serana said, not asked.

Raven nodded. "A wizened old man giving away part of his magic to naive children who don't know any better?" Raven shook her head. "He did the same thing to me and my brother. The parallels are just too strong to be pure coincidence. And if you go deeper into the myths and tales of Remnant, you'll find others which fit the bill of Ozpin.

"The Wizard of the Maidens, the Warrior King Osmund of the Great War, the Infinite Man, and the patterns only make more sense when you realize what Ozpin's trump card is. You see, when Ozpin dies, he has some kind of power that allows his soul to merge into another person's. It's random, but usually it's a young man of similar character to him. In fact, Ozpin even has fail-safes and contingencies to look for him if he ever dies." Raven shook her head. "Ozpin has left his fingerprints across history, even if others only choose to remember him in the form of stories and myth. And just as Ozpin has left his mark, so too as Salem left her's."

Arlene frowned at Raven's words. "You mentioned this Salem before. Just who is she?"

Raven's face set itself into a scowl. "Like I said before, Salem is the leader of the Grimm. I don't know where she came from, or how she's related to Ozpin. He wasn't very forthright with info on her. But what I was able to piece together myself is that for her to have been fighting Ozpin for this long, she has to be immortal as well. Not only that, she is the one who controls and creates the Grimm. Not only is she sentient, but highly intelligent, diabolical, and dedicated to the destruction of the human race."

Serana blinked. That was the first time she'd heard of this Salem. "Wait. From what I've researched on the Grimm, despite their low intelligence, their strength is made up of their sheer limitlessness. If a single person or entity truly had control over the Grimm, why wouldn't they have simply coordinated their infinite number of troops to overwhelm and eliminate all life on Remnant?"

Rather than answer immediately, Raven decided to take a long sip from her tea. When she finally put down her cup she said, "That… is the same question I've asked myself every night since Ozpin first unveiled the truth to me." Raven then sighed, looking tired and utterly defeated. "The best I can guess is that Salem doesn't care about just slaughtering humanity. If she wanted to, she could've overwhelmed what was left of us years ago. But she hasn't. To her, all of this is just a game. She has a goal that is more important to her than destroying humanity, which I believe is defeating Ozpin."

Serana mulled over this information. If the Grimm were actually ruled over by their own mad queen, their own Potema, then this may actually work to their advantage. They weren't fighting against a natural threat that worked only on base instinct or random chance. If the Grimm were controlled by a single person, then they could be predicted. They could be manipulated.

"So she likes to play with her food." Arlene cut in once more. "And it is safe to assume Ozpin has not been winning?"

"A fair and correct assumption." Raven nodded. "Ozpin has been on the defensive for years. In the same way Ozpin creates councils and inner circles to fight for him every generation, so too does Salem. And more often than not, the forces under Salem's command win. Ozpin has influence within the kingdoms and the Academies, and has been using them for years to protect the Relics, but in the entire time I've known him, he's never been able to strike back significantly against Salem. It's a game of keep away, and he knows he's losing."

"Relics?" Serana parroted.

Raven blinked, realizing she left out some important information. "It is probably best if we start at the top. What do you know of Remant's religions?"

Arlene gave Raven a blank look, causing Serana to shake her head and say. "There are dozens of gods in your myths, but some of the more popular ones are the Animal God of the Faunus, the Two Brother Gods, and the Infinite Man, who you theorize to be Ozpin."

Raven smiled at Serana. "I'm glad to see one of you is competent at the very least." Serana smiled back while Arlene just huffed in response as Raven continued. "But regardless, according to Ozpin, two of these gods are real, the Two Brothers, the God of Light and God of Darkness."

Both Arlene and Serana frowned as that sounded ominously familiar.

If Raven noticed the frowns, she didn't comment. "The two gods warred against each other, the God of Light creating life during the day, and the God of Darkness destroying it during the night. Out of frustration, the God of Darkness decided to create the Grimm in order to rid the world of life. Seeing the destruction wrought, the God of Light decided they should stop fighting, and to do so they made one final creation together, humanity." Raven paused there to take a sip of her tea.

"Not the worst creation myth I've heard." Arlene shrugged as she sipped her own tea. "Nothing will be worse than the way orcs came about."

Raven frowned, knowing she was missing some context, but didn't ask for details. They had more important things to focus on. "Regardless, humanity was given the best of both gods, the power to create and to destroy, given the knowledge to learn about the world around them, and finally, the power to choose what path to follow.

"What makes this myth important though, is that these four traits, destruction, creation, knowledge, and choice, were made into physical objects. Artifacts of immense magical power that Salem wants her hands on. I don't know what she wants to do with them, but it can't be good."

"Artifacts of gods should be treated with due caution and respect." Serana said. "Many have the capability of destroying worlds with their powers, let alone the risk of angering the god who created them." Serana then noticed Arlene giving her a flat stare. She sighed. "That is, of course, unless you're Arlene who hoards relics of gods as if they were collectible snow globes or bobbleheads."

When Raven raised an eyebrow at Arlene, the elf only shrugged and said, "What can I say? I'm half dragon. But this is good. We know what Salem wants, and we know how Ozpin is keeping them away from her. If we know their objectives, we can plan around them. And if we want to take over the world, we'll need to get rid of both of them."

"You're the one who wants to take over the world." Raven snidely retorted. "How would you even plan on stopping either of them? Like I've said before, they're immortal. Unkillable."

"And like I said before, I've tested that claim before." Arlene snapped at her. "I doubt either of them will be able to resist when Molag Bal tears out their souls and I send them to the Soul Cairn."

That comment earned a surprised look from Serana. "You want to use the Mace and Black Soul Gems?" Ever since their trip into the Soul Cairn together, Arlene had developed a distaste for the usage of Black Soul Gems.

Not that Serana could really blame her. Despite being a vampiric necromancer who learned some of the most powerful undead conjuration spells from the Soul Cairn, even she was put off by the fates of those sent there.

"I don't see why not. I do hate the Ideal Masters, but unless Salem is actually a dragon, we don't know how else we could actually put her down for good." Arlene shrugged. "Besides, it's like Phinis of the College always said, necromancy is a tool, like all other magic. And right now, it seems like the best tool we have."

Serana nodded. "That is fair. Although I don't have any Black Soul Gems on me. Do you?"

Arlene shook her head in return. "Unfortunately not. Do you think you can get us access to the Soul Cairn from here?"

Bringing her thumb and index finger to her chin, Serana thought back to the ritual Quaranir used to banish them from Alinor to Remnant. "Now that I think about it, Quaranir only cast us out of Mundus. Theoretically, that means we could open up a portal to Oblivion and to the Soul Cairn."

Arlene grinned. "Then it sounds like we have a plan."

Raven however raised her hand to stop them. "You two seem to be skipping over quite a few details." She frowned, most likely annoyed by their leaving her out of the conversation and her own ignorance. "What is this Soul Cairn?"

Ever the Archmage, Serana decided to answer. "The Soul Cairn is a subsection of another realm or dimension called Oblivion, separate from Remnant and our world of Nirn. There, extremely powerful, almost godlike entities known as the Ideal Masters rule. These Ideal Masters trade magical power in exchange for souls. We have weapons which can trap the souls of other people, and their realm has what we need to contain those souls and sell them, most likely trumping whatever gives Salem and Ozpin their immortality."

Despite her normally cool, aloof demeanor, Raven seemed disgusted by the idea, and Serana could understand why. With the existence of Aura and Semblances, which were direct physical manifestations of the soul, the soul was something considered sacred in much of Remnant. And calling the stealing and selling of souls like a form of currency sacrilegious would be more than an understatement.

"It's detestable, yes, but necessary." Arlene plainly said, reading Raven's distaste. "But we have our goals now. Serana, focus your research on trying to get us a way into the Soul Cairn. Raven, you'll focus on expanding the Branwen Tribe. We'll need soldiers of quality and quantity in the upcoming days. You also need to make contact with Lil' Miss in Mistral. She'll be your eyes and ears, while you'll be her muscle."

"And what will you be doing?" Raven asked with a raised brow.

Arlene just grinned at her. "I will continue to worm my way deeper into Ozpin's circle. The more of his trust I can gain, the more information and opportunities he'll give me. Ozpin's grip is strong on this world, and will take time to dismantle, especially if he'll just come back to life if we kill him." Arlene's grin split her face as she leaned forward. "His allies, his relics, by Oblivion even his cane. Once everything he has is mine, we kill this Salem, and I proclaim myself the first Empress of Remnant."

"Remnant's had other emperor's before," Raven said, causing Arlene to deflate a bit. "But none of them have been as insane or ambitious as you are. And to be honest, despite how crazy all of this is, I can't help but feel like you actually have a chance at doing this. I'm excited to see where this goes." The extraordinarily flat delivery of Raven's words could've been construed as sarcastic, but Serana could tell that the wry comment was actually the closest thing Raven could give to a compliment.

"I'm glad to see you're devoted to the cause," Arlene deadpanned in return. "But all of this can be decided later! For now, we have something else to do!" Both Serana and Raven looked at Arlene in confusion at her sudden change in topics. Arlene then focused on Raven. "You, have just been turned. Which means you need to learn how to use your powers. How to hunt, how to feed. Especially because I won't be here to babysit you like I can the twins."

Arlene then gave another feral grin. "And I know just the place where you can go for your first hunt."

Serana kept pace with Raven and Arlene as they moved through the tree canopy, albeit with great difficulty. Serana was after all, a mage, and the movements of a rogue like Arlene and a huntress like Raven were difficult for her to keep up with without the assistance of magick.

But it was a credit to Raven's skill that she adapted to her new vampiric physiology, and Arlene seemed to take notice too.

"You're doing quite well!" Arlene shouted back to Raven as they leapt from tree branch to tree branch. "Vampires have naturally greater strength and agility than normal humans, and for many it takes a bit to get used to!"

"It's not too unfamiliar to the ability enhancements from unlocking Aura." Raven called back as she flipped around a branch. "Every huntsman and huntress learns how to go from human to superhuman when they unlock it. The concept is the same, but now I'm just even more powerful than I was before."

"Don't let it go to your head." Serana made sure to warn. "There are drawbacks to being a vampire as well as benefits."

As she made her statement, the small coven stopped their advance, pausing as they now reached the treeline that overlooked their target, the village of Shion.

"Serana's right." Arlene said, not out of breath in the slightest. "Your physical senses and capabilities are now far stronger, and you are now resistant to frost magick, but you are also more vulnerable to fire. Not to mention if you don't feed, the Sun itself can weaken or even hurt you"

Raven frowned. "You're starting to make me regret this trade. Those are quite a few major weaknesses."

Arlene shrugged. "Perhaps. But I like to think the benefits are worth it. Especially now that you can do this." Arlene's body was then enveloped by shadows, fading from view as she went invisible.

Eyes wide and openly surprised, Raven said, "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You already know how." Serana responded, using her magic to manipulate the shadows around herself, focusing it into a glove upon her hand. "As your Maiden powers allow you to move the wind and create flame, your Vampiric nature now allows you to bend shadows the same way." Serana then completed casting the spell and vanished into the darkness as well.

Raven took a moment to stare at the spot where Serana was standing, contemplating her elder Vampire's words. Then, after taking a deep breath, Raven did as she was commanded and extended her magical reach onto the shadows around her. Like slick, oily tar, the shadows bent themselves to Raven's will, surely but slowly. Eventually they coalesced around her, embracing her in darkness and hiding her away from almost any observer.

"Grand work Raven!" Arlene cheered. Although neither Serana nor Raven could actually see her still, they could still hear her voice. "You really are a fast learner. Now come, let's meet up at the top of the tallest watchtower. From there we can find our mark."

Arlene then began moving, leaving behind only the sounds of crunching leaves and twigs as she moved. And Serana knew that Arlene was only making noise so she and Raven could follow behind her. If she wanted to, Arlene could completely vanish without a trace and the two of them would have no idea where she was, vampire powers or no.

It didn't take long for three of them to reach the top of the highest watchtower on Shion's defensive wall. There was a local militiaman there, but Arlene quickly put him to sleep with an Illusion spell before he could take notice of her.

When the others joined her, they all dispelled their invisibility.

"Okay then." Arlene grinned as she looked at Raven. "Now that we're here, this is your performance now. How would you like to make your claim on this little bordertown? The people down there, sleeping in their homes, unaware that we prowl. They are prey to us, and per the rules of nature we feast upon them as we see fit. And feast we shall. So what do you want to do Raven? Drown this town in a flood of blood, or perhaps something subtler?"

Raven looked down, considering the choice left out in front of her. After a moment, her hard eyes locked with Arlene's. "Wiping out the village is pointless. Even if my tribe slaughtered them and stole everything they'd have, that would only increase the pressure the Huntsmen are putting against us." Raven then stood and looked down at the village. "I would much rather convince them to give us our ransom and leave him to spread the tales of our villainy."

"Oh you are a woman after my own heart." Arlene said through her wide smile as she stood as well. "Not a bad plan, but I have a way to improve it. And don't feel bad, it uses another aspect of our powers you didn't know about."

Arlene then approached the sleeping guard, who was laid out on the floor beneath them. "You see, vampires have another power, and that's the power to bind another person to us, mind and soul." Raven's eyes widened again, but before she could say anything, Arlene nudged the sleeping guard with her foot to wake him. "Seduction, hypnosis, enthrallment. It has several names, but the result is all the same." Arlene knelt down to meet the guard's eyes.

"Huh, what?" Was all the guard could say before Arlene's eyes flickered with orange magic.

"You should go fetch Dryad Bark and tell him to come up here. There's something he needs to see and it's urgent." Arlene said in a perfectly monotone voice.

"I should go fetch Dryad Bark and tell him there's something he needs to see here, and that it's urgent" The guard automatically responded, before moving to the ladder and descending.

Once he was gone, Arlene, who was currently pleased with herself, turned back to Raven and said, "It works easier on weak minded fools. If you train your skills at illusions, then you may be able to eventually charm those with stronger wills."

"If she is even capable of training her Illusion skill." Serana made sure to interject. "We don't know why most people are unable to cast magick in this world, and we can't assume that, even as a Maiden, you have access to the full breathed of magickal powers we do."

"Oh don't be such a downer, Serana." Arlene complained. "Can't you just be happy for our newest sister?"

Serana's eyes narrowed on Arlene at her comment, causing the elf to flinch and look away. "I'm just tempering her expectations. There is just too much we don't know about this realm. We don't even know if the sun and the stars here are connected to Atherius or not. I would assume so given that we still have our magick, but there's no certainty."

"Wait." Raven interrupted, raising a hand. "The sun and the stars are connected to what?" She then shook her head. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter. Mr. Bark is coming."

Serana peered off the watchtower, and indeed she saw the guard Arlene had hypnotized walking back towards them with a younger man with short, brown hair in tow. Dryad Bark she presumed.

"And the show begins." Cackled Arlene. "Come Serana. Let's see how Raven decides to handle this." Arlene then went invisible once more.

Serana however, decided to give one last piece of advice. "Remember Raven, you are now above the humans in every way. You have ascended beyond things like remorse and empathy for them. But at the same time, if enough humans gather in force against you, then not even all of your powers will keep you safe. Keep that in mind when you make your decisions." Serana then vanished as well.

Moving off the tower and onto the roof, Serana and Arlene stayed nearby to keep an eye on what was going to happen. Raven chose not to move, instead taking a seat on the watchtower railing, opposite the staircase where Dryad Bark would enter. It would make for quite the shock when he saw her, and Serana could appreciate Raven's dramatic flair.

"Okay Azur, what is it that's so important for me to see?" They could hear Dryad's voice huff, as he climbed up the stairs to the top of the deck.

"I just had to bring you up here," the man, Azur apparently, said dumbly.

"Yeah like you said the last three times I asked. What's wrong with you? Have you been drinking while on watch?" Before he could get an answer however, when Dryad rounded the last of the stairs, his face fell as he saw Raven Branwen before him. "What in tarnation?" he shouted as he reached for a pistol at his hip.

But Dryad was too slow on the draw as Raven dashed forward, gripping him by the throat and lifting him off the ground. Serana could see Raven's eyes light up with predatory desire as she held Dryad at her mercy. Raven's fangs were fully bared and her fingernails extended. She knew that this was the most important step for Raven. Would she be a vampire who is slave to her own thirst and desires, or one who could think beyond such natural instincts?

Raven hissed through her new fangs, no doubt raring to sink her teeth into Dryad's neck. But through some force of iron willpower, Raven withdrew slightly, replacing the look of raw hunger with one of contempt. And so, rather than draining the huntsmen of all his life, Raven instead let her eyes glow scarlet with her magic.

"Hello Dryad." Raven almost purred as she reined in her baser instincts. "You know you haven't gotten me that ransom I asked for yet."

"Raven Branwen." Dryad hissed through grit teeth. "Guess the huntress that went after you is dead after all."

Raven smiled at Dryad's words, finding his ignorance of the whole situation amusing. "Not quite, but you don't have to worry about that. In fact, you won't have to worry about much anymore." Raven's magic then flared as she cast Vampire's Seduction. "Because your mind is mine!"

While invisible to the naked eye, Raven's magicka flowed from her eyes and into Dryad's. The man kicked and struggled within Raven's grasp for a brief moment, before his body went limp. His face becoming blank, he gave up any pretense of resistance as his face shifted from one of defiance to deference.

Raising an eyebrow at the immediate change, Raven dropped Dryad onto the floor. After taking a moment to steady himself and regain his breath, Dryad knelt before Raven and said, "By the Brothers. I… I must've been blind to have not recognized your majesty before. Please… what do you wish me to do, my mistress?"

Raven blinked at Dryad as it took a moment for it to sink in that she actually hypnotized him. The nonplussed reaction quickly faded as she returned to her stoic demeanor. "First, you will gather the ransom I requested of this village and deliver it to my camp tomorrow morning."

Dryad dumbly nodded. "Yes, mistress. I will gather the money tonight!"

Smiling at that, Raven continued. "Very good. Next, you'll report to Mistral Academy that we took your money and fled East. Then I want you to open a dialogue with Headmaster Leonardo. You'll trade in the currency of information with him. Offer him your services as something of a… first alarm on the borders of Mistral. In return, ask him for information on huntsmen and airship patrols in order to better coordinate. You will then feed that information directly to me."

Serana immediately understood what Raven was planning. She wanted to use Dryad as a mole to spy on Mistral's huntsmen. She couldn't help but feel impressed by the bandit queen's prudence.

"Your will be done, my Mistress," Dryad said as he bowed his head deeply. "I will begin the collection of the Lien immediately." He moved back for the watchtower's stairs, descending alongside the still hypnotized Azur waiting by the door.

At that point, Arlene and Serana dispelled their invisibility.

Arlene clapped at Raven's performance. "Grand work, Raven," she said as she bared her fangs in a wide grin. "And you might as well enthrall the boy here as well. Get two spies to do your work."

Raven looked at Azur, and smirked. "I'll do that. But I am rather parched after all of that talking." Without hesitation, Raven then moved forward and gripped Azur by the shoulders. Savagely, she sank her fangs into Azur's neck, taking her fill of the sanguine fluid. They could hear Raven moan as she drank, savoring every drop for several seconds straight.

Once her thirst was slaked, Raven then enthralled Azur as well, and sent the woozy man stumbling after Dryad.

"Well, that was a rather successful first hunt, if I do say so myself." Arlene said with pride as she puffed up her chest.

"Indeed it was." Raven nodded. "And is drinking blood always so…" she trailed off.

"Intense? Satisfying? Orgasmic?" Arlene wiggled her eyebrows at Raven, who only rolled her eyes in return.

Serana decided to give the actual answer. "Feeding can be more intense if you haven't drunk in a while. If you drink once every few days, you can stave off the worst of it. But remember, the longer you don't drink, the more powerful your vampiric powers and weakness become."

"And more vampiric you'll look." Added Arlene. "Your teeth grow longer, skin paler, your nose might even become more bat-like." She then shrugged. "Luckily though, vampires are only a fiction in this land. And the changes are nothing your fancy mask can't hide. Worst case, you can pass yourself off as a bat Faunus."

"Does it have to be fresh blood?" Raven asked, no doubt considering all of the ways she could get around the problem of hunting for blood.

Serana shook her head. "No. So long as it hasn't spoiled, vials or bags of blood can sustain you, though it will lose some of its potency in sating you. My suggestion is get a collection of thralls you can keep nearby for drinking."

"As slaves?" Raven asked, unable to keep disgust out of her voice.

"As cattle." Replied Arlene. "Remember, do not think them your equal. In the same way humans keep sheep and cows to produce meat and milk, you can keep them so you do not go hungry as well."

Raven put on a disquited face, but eventually nodded.

"Grand!" Arlene cheered. "Well then, with that, I think you know all you need to begin to successfully start your own coven and clan here in Mistral. Just embrace anyone you want to give the gift to like I did to you, and you'll have your very own half-breed son or daughter."

"Be warned of who you give the gift to, however." Serana countered. "Vampirism and ambition go hand in hand. And there's no lack of fools in the world who may try to usurp the one that gave them their powers." Serana then cast a sidelong glance at Arlene. Arlene looked away, pretending not to see.

Raven however, didn't notice the interplay between the two. "I'll give it to Vernal only," she eventually said. "She's extraordinarily loyal, and her having these powers would go a long way to my ploy of keeping her as the decoy Maiden."

"Dastardly. I love it." Arlene replied. She then looked to Serana, who nodded and opened up a return portal back to their room in Beacon Academy. "Oh, and make sure you keep in contact with Lil' Miss Malachite. Since you don't carry a scroll, she'll be how I contact you. I'll also let her know that you and your people are allies and can use her services for free."

Arlene then stepped towards the portal with Serana in tow.

"I also left you my number in case you need help directly though. I suppose you could just steal a scroll or something." Arlene shrugged. "Anyway, don't be a stranger, and have fun with your gift!" Arlene then stepped through the portal.

Serana stayed a second longer and nodded to Raven, who silently returned the gesture. She then walked through the portal as well, joining Arlene in their room at Beacon.

A/N, 5/7/22: And another one done! This one took a little while to come out. Not sure how I feel about it because it's pretty transitional, but with it, the current arc comes to an end and we move on to RWBY season 2 next chapter! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'll see you in the next one! And be sure to check out my newest story, Taylor the Everchosen, a Worm+Warhammer crossover as well!