containment
The sun graced the College of Winterhold. Bright, white light, seared down onto the fortress-like structure and made it seem…warmer in a way. Vorstag had thought he'd miss that sunshine more. Sometimes he holds a hand out to the soft beams of light, just to check if it still burns. Unfortunately, it does, but it never burns never as bad as it burns Eve or Serana.
It was probably because he was a vampire who was very different form the others. One graced by the Lord of vampires himself. Champion of Molag Bal. He never got much information from the Daedric Prince. He never was taught to fly with the gifts he had, he was just pushed out of the nest and expected to survive.
Maybe there were some perks to that title, he noted with dark amusement. He took his time traversing the bridge to the fortress, Dawn at his heels. He looked around curiously when the courtyard came into view. He was gone for exactly five days. So there was no way Serana would have left to find him, whether she was joking or not. But she was nowhere to be found.
He checked their room and found it completely barren. Only the sheets were slightly ruffled, as if someone slept in that bed the night before. At least she was getting good sleep. He thought he would go check the Hall of the Elements then maybe the library. She was sure to be holed up there.
Wrong again. She was right in front of the classroom, her shoulders hunched over and arms crossed. She looks at him in surprise and longing when he walks in. An expression that makes his heart leap.
"I'm back." He gives her the cheeriest of grins. Thank the gods he didn't stutter. "But I have bad news, the Staff of Magnus was not there. It's said to be in Labyrinthian." He spies Mirabelle and the Arch-Mage at the door. And further on, a swirling blue light, barring them from entering.
"Troubles for another time, I suppose." Mirabelle gives him a grim look. "I'm not sure what's happened but someone is casting a spell in here to keep us out." She nods her head to the lecture hall.
"It's Ancano." Serana says, solemnly. "I can hear him in there."
"Did he do anything to you?" Vorstag asks, instantly.
"No. I'm just not sure where Tolfdir is." She pleads with him with her eyes, saying don't say too much.
He obliges. "I don't care what it is, I want it down now!" Savos yells. "I want to know what he's doing in there."
"Very well." Mirabelle gives him a dissatisfied look but holds out her hand to break down the spell with one of her own.
"I don't know what he's doing but he won't get away with it." Savos mutters. "Help us through this wall, will you two?" He asks them. His sharp eyes linger on Vorstag's armor and weapons strapped to his belt and back.
Vorstag doesn't know too much in the way of magic, but he does call flames to his left hand and pulls out a short sword with his right. Serana holds up her hands, flaming with fire and ice. They both fling their magic at the wall while Savos sends electricity that way.
Too soon, the wall falls and the others flood the room. Vorstag is fast on their heels. He extinguishes his magic and focuses only on his weapons. As he slowly inches around the orb, he finds Ancano is throwing all his magic at it.
"Ancano! Stop this at once! I command you!" Savos yells into the flurry of wind.
"Don't go near him." Mirabelle warns.
That does not stop Savos Aren. Even with a dark laugh from Ancano as warning, he pushes forwards He waltzes right up to Ancano and the rest of the world turns to light and air.
Serana woke up today worried about Vorstag and worried about the Soul Cairn. They were so close in building the portal and getting the ingredients right. Tolfdir said she just had to get the spell and runes around it placed just right.
That was all she was thinking about today. She never thought she'd be waking up again on the lecture hall floor with a worried Mirabelle in front of her. "Wake up. I need you on your feet. We're in trouble here." She shakes her knee with a cold hand.
"I think I'm alright." Serana moves her arms and legs. Fingers and toes. Nothing seemed to be broken.
"Ancano is doing something with that thing…the Eye. We can't stop him! I haven't seen Savos since the explosion. He must've been blown clear, and he may be injured. I need you find the Arch-Mage, and I need you to do it quickly. Get moving!" Mirabelle commands.
Rough hands pull Serana up and along with him. "Doing alright, Volkihar?" Vorstag asks.
"Yeah, just a little bit dazed." She admits, she pauses, getting lost in his dazzling eyes. He sets her down gently and she has to resist the urge to step away from him. To be so close…he was distracting.
"Dazed is fine, just don't get confused." He laughs, if only to ease her nerves. He grabs her hand and pulls her along with him. They wander the room but find no one else about, so they go to the courtyard.
"By the Nine…" Tolfdir exclaims. He wanders up to them with a shocked expression on his face.
"Tolfdir! You're fine." Serana pulls out of Vorstag's hold to go see the professor.
"What happened in there?" He asks with worry in his eyes.
"It's Ancano. He's done something with the Eye." Serana tells him. She wonders how Toldfir feels, she never really got his opinion on the Altmer. And knowing the sweet professor of Alteration, he probably didn't harbor any unkind feelings for him.
"Is he responsible for this? The Arch-Mage, dead?" He asks. Serana's chest tightens at that revelation. "There's more." Tolfdir continues, "Something's happened to Winterhold. It must be whatever Ancano did. You need to get out there and make sure it's safe. Quickly now! Quickly I'll find Mirabelle and see if we can't put a stop to this."
Serana glances down and sees it. The Arch-Mage's body. She swallows hard. "Vorstag."
He sees it too. "Just keep walking. Remember, Winterhold needs us."
The world was a haze of commotion and lights until Serana and Vorstag found Faralda on the bridge. She commanded them to follow her, immediately and in the town, Serana found some sort of daedric curse had been set free. Glowing orbs floated around to terrorize Winterhold. It was up to her and Vorstag to kill them.
Good thing they were adept at that.
It didn't take long, only twenty or so minutes. Once Vorstag pulled his sword free and Serana lowered her flaming hands, they gave each other a look and without word, walked back up to the College. Faralda stayed behind to deal the carnage.
"Is everything out there alright?" Mirabelle greets them.
Serana stops, feeling the growing ache in her legs. Maybe she got more banged up than she thought. "All the bad creatures are gone."
"Wish I could say the same for us." Mirabelle sighs. "Tolfdir and I can try and keep this contained. You need to get your hands on the Staff of Magnus. Now."
Vorstag nods. "We'll head off to Labyrinthian right away."
Mirabelle blinks rapidly. "Wait. I must not have heard you right the first time. Are you sure? The Staff is there? That can't be a coincidence."
"What do you mean?" Serana asks.
"The Arch-Mage. He gave me something a little while ago. He told me it was from Labyrinthian and that I would know what to do with it when the time came. I think…he meant this for you then. I'm not sure why but there was something very personal about it for him. I think you should take this amulet. It belonged to Savos. But I think it would do you the most good now." She hands it to Serana. "Take it and get out of here. Bring back that Staff before Ancano brings the whole College down around us."
"We will." Serana promises and follows Vorstag out to the courtyard. "How long to get to Labyrinthian?"
"A few days. It's near Morthal." Vorstag pauses, "Are you up for this? You can stay…I'm not sure what else you need for the Soul Cairn."
Serana shakes her head. "Tolfdir and Phinis are busy with Ancano, I'll go with you."
Vorstag just gives a brief smile and grabs her hand to pull her along. "Alright, Volkihar, but run fast. I need to make sure you keep up with me."
Some sort of tension began to loosen in her chest. She laughed along with him but showed him just who he was challenging.
"Mirabelle was right, this place is a madhouse." Serana grunt as she throws another firebolt. It took a few days, as Vorstag predicted it would, but it was fairly easy to get into Labyrinthian. They just had to avoid the few frost trolls patrolling around. And the ghosts.
"We'll make it through, Vokihar, just keep raising all that you can." Vorstag swings his broadsword over head before slicing through a draugr.
"Doesn't help if they're torn to pieces." She mutters.
Vorstag just gives her a charming smile. "Sorry. I'll try to keep them in one piece next time."
"You better." Serana casts a spell, bringing a new form to life. A familiar. The wolf-like creature howls before racing into the next room to tear into their enemies.
"Learning a lot." Vorstag whistles.
"As much as I can." She beams a smile at him and races into the next room.
"Wait." Vorstag sees it before she does. "See the energy over there?"
Serana peers through the dark room, the only light to greet them was emitted from a Dragon Priest. "So, one of those again." She says, darkly.
"We can fight him from afar. Can you raise more?" He looks over to her.
She only grins. "I can raise the worst Oblivion has to offer. I just need to make sure I banish them at the right moment."
A quick few spells and soon some rickety bonemen were walking over to where the Dragon Priest hovered. When he sighted them, he began blasting them with his power. The same power Vorstag was nearly killed by in Lorred's camp.
The mercenary nocks and arrow in his bow and pulls tightly. He didn't want to waste too many arrows. So, he has to make it count.
The Dragon Priest was growing increasingly anxious, flinging all the power he can at the numerous bonemen that kept coming his way. "Keep bringing them forth, it's working." Vorstag whispers.
Another spell cast was the only acknowledgement he got from Serana. He waits. When the Dragon Priest moved right into his sight, he let the arrow fly free. A keen screech echoes through the cavern. Vorstag ducks, along with Serana, when the explosion of power happens. But they're far enough away it doesn't do much besides rattle their weapons.
"Come on. Keep your eyes on the shadows, I'm not sure if anything else is here with us." Vorstag reminds her.
They creep through the room. And thankfully, the only other creatures with them were Dawn and the familiar Serana called. All the bonemen fell to dust after a short period of time.
"There." Serana breathes. She races up and it takes a lot of effort from Vorstag to not warn her to touch that Staff without him. But she does, and nothing happens.
"Here we go. Now we can get home." She smiles at Vorstag, and he returns it.
A few tricky corridors later, they were almost to the exit. Serana could feel it. She keeps the Staff of Magnus held tightly in her hand. The next room they enter, she lets out a breath of relief. No deathlords in here.
Instead, they find a man donned in robes much like the Altmer mage back at the College. "So, you made it out of there alive. Ancano was right…you are dangerous." He holds two ice spells in either hand. Vorstag moves just so he was in front of Serana and she backs up to get a better view of the potential enemy.
"I'm afraid I'll have to take that Staff from you now. Ancano wants it kept safe…oh, and he wants you dead." The Altmer man smiles in the most disturbing way.
"You picked the wrong people to kill." Vorstag says, unceremoniously, and plunges his blade through the Altmer. Serana gasps at the brashness of it. She saw Eve fight a few times, in a very dirty manner, killing all those that fought and who didn't. But this guy, he barely pulled his hands up to cast a spell. He could have been reasoned with.
"Let's go." Vorstag nods to her. She watches the man's body crumple to the ground but says nothing. Only follows the mercenary out of the labyrinth.
Winterhold was alive with people for once. Serana watched everyone emerge from the Inn and their various shops and homes to gape at the College. They had good reason to. The swirling winds Ancano had summoned were howling along the bridge.
"What do we do?" Vorstag asks her.
She studies the winds. They could walk through it, but even with vampire strength there was no way they would be able to stay on the bridge. They could scale up the side of the foundations, however.
Don't be silly. I allowed you to get that Staff, so you might as well use it. The voice, or Mannimarco, speaks in her mind.
She goes rigid at the sound of his voice. But he was right. If what saved the College was in her hands, then she should use it. "Stay behind me." She says to Vorstag.
He does as directed and she hears Dawn further behind him. She thought…maybe she had to say something. Like casting a spell. But just holding the Staff up parted the winds.
"By Talos." Vorstag whispers.
She laughs, "This Staff is more powerful than we thought."
"Seems like it, hopefully it's enough to deal with the traitor in there. I'll stay next to you the whole time." He reminds her.
With that thought calming her, she races ahead across the vast bridge and soon, they break into the Hall of the Elements.
"You again!" Sneers Ancano, Serana flinches. He looks ghastly. He keeps his hands outstretched before him with a continuous stream of power running from them. His skin is pale and sweat streams down his face from exertion. His eyes glow with madness. "You think I don't know what you're up to? You think I can't destroy you?" He yells over the magic blaring through the room. "The power to unmake the world at my fingertips and you think you can do anything about it?"
Serana has to compose herself when they round the orb and find Ancano throwing all his power into it. His eyes and expression were positively mad. He was insane.
A firebolt goes sailing over her head, she turns, thinking it was Dawn, instead she finds her professor. "Tolfdir!"
"I'm here. And I'm going to help you stop this monster." He yells. He has on the most beautiful of robes, enough to give him power in destruction magic.
"Ugh, you. All of you. All of you just had to help her!" Ancano sneers. "If I didn't have you in the way, this would have gone much more smoothly."
Serana wishes to ask him more. What that shade of Mannimarco was, why he took them on a tour of his life and legacy. But Tolfdir keeps her focused. "The Staff! Use it on the Eye!" He yells to her.
"Even now you persist!" Ancano yells at them. Before Serana can do anything, Ancano sends a spell through the room, paralyzing both Vorstag and Tolfdir and sending them to the ground.
She looks down at the Staff grasped tightly in her hands and finds the light from the runes shining through her armor. The light doesn't stop there though, it snakes up to the Staff so it is now engulfed in purple and white light.
Ancano goes back to throwing electricity at the orb but she wasn't done yet. Serana holds up the Staff, calling as much power as she can to it and sending it all forth from her being. It was harder than she thought. There was a resistance against this kind of magic, it was almost shoving it back to her. The orb begins to move and take shape into something else.
"You!" Ancano flies at her. She only has time to react defensively. She can't save him even if she wanted to. She turns and launches whatever magic was from the Staff into him. He screams, so loudly since he is so close, she fears her eardrums might burst. But soon he falls dead to the ground.
"Serana." Vorstag calls to her. She turns to find him just standing and helping Tolfdir up. "I knew you could do it!" He cheers her on.
Serana looks down the dead Altmer. Her hands were trembling but…she did the right thing. He couldn't be allowed to live after everything he's done. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be." She mutters as she moves to greet them. "What do we need to do now?"
"I'm not sure. Ancano is gone, but whatever he's done to the Eye doesn't seem to have stopped." Tolfdir nods to the orb. "I will show Mirabelle and we will discuss where to go from here."
It was still swirling and changing shape before their very eyes. Serana glances down and still finds the Staff, and her arms, are glowing.
"Is that from the Staff?" Vorstag asks her.
"I think so. I'm not sure." Serana says.
"Your magic and skills are quite adept." Tolfdir compliments her. "Have you tried opening the Soul Cairn by yourself?"
Her head snaps up. She never thought…"You think I could?"
"Well, I was puzzling over it and it makes the most logical sense that you would be able to open it. Without any other spell or incantation. You have the runes placed and the ingredients stirred. I don't see why you can't try." He gives her one of those cheery smiles.
She's flustered now. Why didn't she think of it before? It does, it makes perfect sense. "I'll be back. I need to go!" She yells and races out the Hall of the Elements, Vorstag right behind her.
"Good luck to the both of you! Don't hesitate to call on me if you have questions!" Tolfdir waves them off.
Serana only yells back a short "thanks" before racing into the Hall of Countenance and up the spiraling stairs. "Wait, Volkihar." Vorstag calls. "Where are we going?"
"I placed it up here, it was the only place we could put it without Mirabelle interfering." Serana keeps good pace and once outside, in the darkening skies, she stares down at the makeshift portal. The frame was perfect, only a slight dusting of snow was left on it from a previous storm. Below, the runes were burned into the ground and her ingredients were placed in a bowl on the nearby pedestal.
"Are you sure you want to do this now? We haven't gotten much rest. We might need it." Vorstag warns.
"I want to." She says, remembering her mother's face. She's almost forgotten her father's by now and doesn't want to wait another day to see her mother's again. It's been long enough already.
"Place these ingredients in when I say so." She commands Vorstag.
He only looks down on her with softening eyes and smiles. "I will. Be careful."
She paces around the portal, slowly, and closes her eyes. Please let this work. She prays to whoever is listening.
No one answered but no one had to. "Do it now." She nods to Vorstag.
He turns the bowl in his hands, letting the ingredients fall into the portal field. And then Serana burns brighter, like a star.
She points the Staff of Magnus right in the center and focuses all her magic on the portal. Please, let it work. She prays. Please.
The purple light burns so brightly, it was almost white. Serana almost closes her eyes but decides to watch the light. It sears her retinas and when the power finally fades and she sinks to the ground in relief.
To have all that power expelled…it took it out of her.
"Damn it. It didn't do a thing." Vorstag walks over to her but she catches her breath when she sees it.
Nothing. There was nothing in the portal, the flowers and herbs were scattered on the ground and the runes were still burned into the floor, still inactive.
"Why didn't it work?" She croaks.
Vorstag kneels next to her and rubs her shoulder. "Maybe you're spent from that fight with Ancano."
"I need to see her." She cries. Vorstag watches her with a soft expression. "I know. We can try again tomorrow. You need to rest."
She wanted, with all her being, to try again. But he was right. A little rest would do them good. Especially after the non-stop trek to Labyrinthian and back.
Vorstag just holds out his hand and she takes it, allowing him to pull her up from the frosty ground. "Alright?" He asks her after her unsteady standing.
"Just a little lightheaded. I'll be okay." She reassures him.
"I can carry you."
She pauses. She should just walk but… "I'd like that."
Vorstag smiles, "Look at me, carrying a full-fledged princess around." He picks her up and cradles her form against his chest. She feels his muscular arms aren't even straining to hold her, Staff and all.
"I'm not a princess, remember." She laughs.
"You are to me." He says, offhandedly.
She clutches the Staff to her more tightly. That…that had to be one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to her. "Really?"
"Of course." She expected him to say something snide like, I wait on you hand and foot and follow you everywhere. But the man surprises her. "I knew you were special from the start, when we first met. I know we've only gotten to know each other during difficult times. When we were at war with the Dragonborn and fleeing for our lives, not sure what the next day would bring. And every time those challenges threaten to bring me back down…you helped me keep stable." He keeps his eyes on the path ahead of them. They were almost to the Hall of Attainment. Almost to their room.
She lays there, in his arms, shocked. "How did I do that?"
He ponders, "You kept me smiling, kept me laughing. That was what I needed. Gave me someone to look after, I guess."
Her cheeks warm at that. "I'm no damsel in distress you know."
He laughs and slowly sets her down at the front of the great door. "I know. I'm not either, but I've needed help before and you came to the rescue. Gods…" He runs a thumb along her cheek in a caress. "I didn't know you had such power. You, my dear, are no damsel."
Maybe it was the aftereffects of battle, the shock and exhaustion, but Serana couldn't hold back her emotions anymore. Not one bit. She immediately threw her arms around the mercenary before her and pulled him down to her. He went without resistance. Falling into her embrace. She kissed him with such passion. All that emotion she felt for him over these past few months came rushing out. It was like she bottled it up and didn't really know she had it.
He pushes the door open and walks them into their room, all with his hands on her. On her back, running up her shoulders and down even lower. She keeps her lips on his, feeling the softness of them and teasing them with her tongue. Soon, he lowers her to the bed.
She pulls him down, running her hands up and down his armor. Gods…it was as if she could get drunk off of one person. And all they've done so far was kiss.
"You okay with this?" She asks him as he begins to move his armor.
"Are you?" He quirks a brow.
"I…I've wanted this for awhile but I'm now just realizing it." She tells him.
That stops him in his tracks. Instead of taking off the armor, he lowers himself, kisses her until she's drunk and needy for more, then pulls away slowly. "Serana Volkihar. From the day I first saw you, I knew I was going to have you. Not as a lover, not as a one-time thing. I want you. For as long as I can have you." His eyes burn into hers. Forever.
That seemed to be the one word that was hanging between them. She thinks back to her time with him. How he helped her through Skyrim when she wandered it like a lost fawn. Helped her now, with finding her mother. And thinking of anyone else…anyone else she could have and keep as a lover or friend. She wouldn't want anyone else.
"I want you too. I never want to leave your side." She vows.
That was all he needed to hear, apparently. He pulls her to him and they begin twining with one another. Teeth, lips, and hands all over each other. Vorstag moves his hands against her, pulling on her clothing and jewelry. He seemed to want her completely bare. She let him take those precious things off her. Her rings, her armor, the amulet that Ancano was so foolish to drop. She barely glances at it as he drops it to the floor.
Vorstag moves across the bed to her again. She was still halfway clothed, just as he was, but they couldn't take it anymore. Vorstag runs his hands along her, from her hips, slowly up her back, before curling his hands around her face. His lips find hers again and by the gods, she's lost. Serana has an instant to think between the moments of intoxicating haze of him. I've found my home.
Like a sign from the gods above, a bright flare crashes into the portal. Lighting, blazing and quick, strikes the frame, coaxing it to life. Finally. The flimsy makeshift frame and snow dusted exterior shines, lighting up the center.
He steps out. Walking between worlds can be…difficult and painful at times. But he ignores it for now. It doesn't hurt as much as what he's about to do.
He's about to break his bride's heart.
Mannimarco pulls his robes out of the snow and walks, with sharp, purposeful, strides down the stairs. No one looks his way and that is not from sheer luck. He made sure to have a spell nice and tight on the inhabitants of the College of Winterhold.
It takes some restraint not to kill them when he sees them. These kinds of people recoil at those as powerful as him. They would do whatever they could to kill him. That is, if they had the means.
He smirks but that humor is short lived. Especially when he's right in front of their room. He shoves open the large iron door, sending it slamming against the wall of the Hall of Attainment. The rustling stops. As it should. He slowly walks around the way, giving them time to make themselves decent. Not that they got far, from what he could see.
"Serana, sweet Serana." He greets her with a slight smile. He wasn't happy with this. Wasn't happy with her right now, but he had to show some sort of endearment on their first meeting.
She watches him with the widest of eyes from that painfully small bed. Her armor is scuffed but not torn from her.
"Don't you dare." The vampire man with her begins. He blocks her from Mannimarco's view, his fangs are bared and his right hand clamors for a sword.
"Testy one." Mannimarco licks his lips and throws a firebolt at that sword, sending it across the way. The vampire only lunges for the necromancer, fangs extended. "Enough!" Mannimarco holds out his hand, grasping the vampire man by the throat and throwing him against the stone wall. All the pathetic beast can do is struggle. Mannimarco tightens his grip on him. Not even the most powerful of vampires could break out of his grasp.
"Stop! You're hurting him!" Serana pleads. She slowly moves off the bed with her palms up. "Stop."
Mannimarco's dark eyes move to hers. "Or what? Why should I let him live? He wanted to ravage you."
"No…" She stops herself. She's holding her tongue. "I was…making a mistake but it was mine alone."
The man seems to stop his struggling against the wall. How nice.
"Is that so? You know I'm not here to be embroiled in a petty feud. I'm here for you." Mannimarco reminds her.
"I know." She says, still looking him in the eye.
Mannimarco smiles, his white hair slides over his armor as he moves closer to the man flailing about on the wall. "Should I be done with this maggot then? Kill him here so you don't ever have to see him again?"
"No." She says, plainly.
The necromancer tightens his grip further, sending the man into a full on fit. "Drop it." He commands her.
Serana drops the Staff of Magnus, she was pulling up to her, and she thought he didn't notice. "Don't fight me and I'll let him live." He makes the offer.
Her eyes dart to the vampire on the wall. Calculating. Mannimarco isn't pleased with that. She wants this creature to live. He pulls on the spell further and digs his fingers into his throat.
The man bucks and thrashes, his strength brings dust and rock down from the wall. Mannimarco had to admit, he did put up a good fight. He just wants to see how far he can push him…eventually the pressure will allow blood to spill.
"I'll go with you." Serana blurts out.
The man falls to the floor, his head on his chest before he slowly sinks down. Serana looks as if she wants to help him but she thinks better about it. Mannimarco watches her. "Are you sure? Be absolutely certain, it will be hard to bring you back to this plane of existence."
"What options do I have?" She asks. Poor dear, she's trying so hard not to gawk at the man on the ground. Her eyes remained on Mannimarco. He gives her a calm smile.
Stalling. That's what she was doing. "I cannot let him live. I only will if you are not in the same realm as him. If you wish for us to stay in Skyrim, just say the word and I'll be done with him." His hands fill with an inferno of fire just to show her how much he means it.
"I'll go. Just let him be." She says softly.
Mannimarco is disappointed, yet again. He was hoping she would have bonded enough with this province she that wanted to stay. How unfortunate. "Fine. Follow me, we have a ways to go before we get there."
Serana takes one last longing look at Vorstag. By the gods, she wanted to tear into Mannimarco with all her power, kill him for what he did to Vorstag. But she knows if she did, he could kill her lover.
"Serana." Vorstag's eyes meet hers. They're desperately pleading with her. She watches his body, how weak and fragile he was under Mannimarco's control. Even with the Staff of Magnus, they would not have a chance.
Even as her heart pounds, it is close to breaking. She memorizes Vorstag's lovely face. His soulful eyes. The beautiful mouth and hair. "I'm sorry. I can't risk you. I'll look for her." She promises him, thinking it was better not to mention her mother in the necromancer's presence.
"Please." Vorstag pleads, he tries to move but appears to be too weak.
"I'll see you again." She promises. And with that, she walks out the door after the necromancer, leaving the newfound string to her heart in pieces on the other side.
He can't let her go. He just can't. After being thrown against the wall and left with numerous broken bones, Vorstag shouldn't be moving. He should get a healing potion and alert Mirabelle. But then he might lose her.
In this room with her so close to him, so perfectly fitting against him, he poured out his heart to her. He was shocked but overjoyed to find that she returned those sentiments. Now that he found someone like her…he couldn't lose her.
Vorstag leaps up and grabs the Staff of Magnus from where Serana left it. Before he races out the door. He also puts on that strange amulet from Ancano. He's still not sure what in Oblivion it does, but anything will help. Then on shaking and still healing legs, he races up to follow them. Their scent is still fresh, leading up the staircase to where he and Serana were hours before.
"Stop!" Vorstag yells.
Mannimarco, the evil creature, looks over his shoulder. He has Serana by her hand and they were just at the edge of the now active portal.
"Or what vampire?" He growls in amusement.
Vorstag didn't know how to use the damn thing, all he knew was to point and shoot. He holds the Staff from him and prays. Mara, Talos, help me.
A searing light goes shooting from it. It crashes into Mannimarco but it is as if he was made of stone. A deep laugh escapes him. "Try better next time."
Vorstag didn't even blink. He only had one moment to look to Serana, see how worried and frightened she was, before the magic came sailing back into him. It was like being hit by a tree while riding your horse at full speed. The momentum was so powerful, it sent him sailing through the air and falling to the cold ground below.
Snow floats around him as he blinks out the haze. With the still healing bones…he could barely move. But he had to try, by Talos he did.
"I would stop while you're ahead." Mannimarco drawls. Vorstag flinches from the proximity. It was as if the necromancer was by the portal one moment, then by his body the next.
He leans down, his snow-white hair falling on Vorstag's armor, and he whispers. "Don't do that again. I commend your bravery but it won't end well. You have bigger problems, anyways. You might want to find the Master Wizard. Soon." He chuckles.
Vorstag snatches the air, trying to grasp a handful of that cold white hair to smash the necromancer's head in. But he was gone.
No. No. No. Vorstag groans as he pulls himself up. A quick healing spell helps things…somewhat. He races to the pillar where the portal was and without further thought, he uses his strength to carve out holds for his hands.
Slowly but surely, he scales the wall. He didn't want to risk the few precious seconds it would have taken to run inside and go up the stairs…but when he arrives, he finds the portal is dead.
His heart is leaping out of his chest. It should still be alive. Portals don't close that quickly. What was it Ancano said about Mannimarco?
He was a god. And gods can do things that bend time and space if they willed it.
Vorstag falls to his knees, sobs threatening to burst through him. She went with him. Out of some stupid sense of honor. She wanted to save him, and he didn't even get to tell her it didn't matter. He would rather be tortured by Mannimarco in whatever way. Just as long as she got away from him.
He sits there in his desperation. Trying to think of a way out, a way to stop him. Then he remembers. Mirabelle.
The mercenary once again, leaps from the great height to land in the courtyard. He races across the small path to the Hall of the Elements and bursts through the door. What he finds isn't what he expected.
His breath catches. His heart sinks even further.
On the other side of the room, right in front of the still glowing orb stands the man in those elaborate yellow robes. The one from the Psijic Order who would only speak to Serana. And to his left stood a great beast towering a good four feet above him. Long, ropey, muscles shone in the bright blue light. His dark skin was like spilled ink that wrapped around the creature like thin paper, the bones of his face were prominent. Weapons kept tight against him. His eyes were horrible. Evil things filled with a promise for the worst to come. The gargoyle-like creature smiled.
"Good to see you again, boy. I was told you were in these parts. And I thought I would take a little break out of my busy schedule." Molag Bal grins, showing his ever-sharp fangs. "I've come to request the services of my Champion."
Vorstag's heart drops. "I can't. I'm not bound to you anymore. You set me free." He reminds the Prince of Enslavement.
The Prince tilts his head, those terrifying eyes glare down at him. "And you think I wouldn't revoke that? I made you. I own you."
There was nothing left to do but run. Instinct took over, like a fleeting bird his chest, it told him to run. He scrambles across the room, feeling every second it took and every beat of his feet on the ground.
And it was useless. Sharp claws dig into his shoulders, rake down his back and plunge into his armor. "No!" Vorstag yells as his grip on one of his dagger's falters. It falls to the ground and recedes as his form goes up, up into the ceiling. They should have hit it and broken through but instead, something pulled them along to somewhere else.
A chasm of sorts, just the wrong side up. Upside down. Just like Coldharbour.
One of the darkest planes of Oblivion beckoned Vorstag. And he could do nothing as it swallowed him whole.