Nine
They landed on their feet. The blue light faded and they looked at their surroundings. It was almost identical to the reality they left behind but it was different. This world was identical but everything was either dying or dead. A pale blue mist shimmered around them. A forest of dead trees stood around them, with a drop into an endless abyss on either side of the girls.
"Where do you propose we are?" asked Valeria looking around.
"It looks like Skyrim," said Lucinda. "But...something is different."
The dead body of the Hagraven was gone, as was the witch.
"Time travel?" suggested Valeria.
"Unlikely," said Lucinda. "A Hagraven doesn't have the power to meddle with time."
Lucinda peered down the abyss underneath the narrow passage.
"Be careful," said Valeria grabbing her sisters sleeve.
Lucinda looked up, her eyes narrowed and she frowned as she thought.
"Wait a minute," she said quietly. "There's a place in Oblivion that is said to look like the world above."
Valeria was silent, unwilling to interrupt her sister's train of thought.
"That place is said to be called..." began Lucinda.
"...Coldharbour," finished Valeria suddenly remembering. "The realm of Molag Bal."
They looked at each other.
"The Hagraven," they said together.
They looked at the table in front of them. It was empty.
"How do you propose we get out of here?" asked Valeria.
"I'm not sure," replied Lucinda. "There's lots of anecdotes of mages entering this realm. But nothing about them leaving."
"Spiffing," said Valeria folding her arms. "Absolutely spiffing."
She sighed loudly and turned away, crossing the narrow pass towards the tent they passed in the normal world.
"Wait," said Lucinda. "If this is identical to our world, so is our house. We can return to Lakeview Manor."
Valeria was silent for a moment.
"Alright," agreed Valeria. "But let's not dawdle. I have a bad feeling about this."
They crashed through the undergrowth surrounding Lakeview Manor. It seemed, as Lucinda had predicted, that it was identical to the real house. Lucinda bounded to the door and tried it. It was locked.
"We never lock our door when we leave," said Lucinda looking at her sister.
"This isn't our house," explained Valeria. "It's a representation...oh move over."
She shoved her sister aside. She pulled the hairpin from her hair and slid it into the lock.
She pulled put her sharp Iron Dagger and slid it into the lock. She moved the hairpin around the lock gingerly. It shuddered. She moved it in the opposite direction. The hairpin juddered. She wiped the sweat from her brow and moved the hairpin in the opposite direction. The lock clicked and the door swung open ajar.
"Piece of cake," said Valeria.
She slid her hairpin back into her hair and pulled open the door.
The house was indeed identical to their home in the mortal realm. However...
"Can you hear that?" asked Lucinda.
...There was a noise coming from the house. It was very faint, and sounded like snuffling or sobbing, it was hard to tell.
"It's coming from inside the house," said Valeria.
"You check the basement," commanded Lucinda. "I'll check upstairs."
They nodded at each other and made their way to their search areas. Lucinda bounded up the stairs, drawing her sword. She pushed open the doors one by one, sticking her sword inside the empty rooms. It was a futile exercise, there was no one upstairs. She made her way back downstairs. She crossed the sitting room and towards a small set of wooden stairs in the opposite corner. She descended them slowly with her sword raised.
She landed on a stone floor covered with straw.
"The upstairs is empty," said Lucinda. "There's no one up there."
Valeria pointed to a small creature on the floor of the basement. It was handcuffed and chained to the floor. Lucinda looked down at it.
"What is that?" she asked.
"I don't think that's the right question sister," said Valeria. "Who is that would be more accurate."
"Fine, who is that?" asked Lucinda.
"I don't know," replied Valeria. "But I know she is an Elf."
She pointed to her small pointy ears. Valeria bend over the little Elf, who was sobbing quietly.
"Excuse me," said Valeria softly. "Hello."
She touched her gently and shook her to rouse her. The little Elf rolled over to face her. All of a sudden her sobbing stopped. She gasped and her eyes widened in both horror and surprise. She crawled into the corner of the room and curled into a protective ball.
"What do you want?" she asked in her squeaky but sultry voice.
Her small dark eyes darted from Valeria to Lucinda. There was a note of panic in her voice and her breathing accelerated.
"You're a Vampire," said Valeria looking at the red Irises in the Elf's eyes.
"So are you," said the Elf looking at the sisters. "What of it?"
"Why are you imprisoned here?" asked Valeria sweetly.
"I don't know," said the Elf. "I was fighting the guardian and then the next thing I knew I woke up here."
"The guardian?" asked Lucinda. "What guardian?"
"The guardian of Molag Bal," replied the Elf.
"Why were you fighting the guardian of Molag Bal?" asked Lucinda.
"Because I want to kill him," replied the Elf.
Lucinda looked at her sister.
"It seems we all want the same thing," she said observantly.
"Why do you want to kill Molag Bal?" asked the Elf.
"It's a long story," replied Valeria dismissively. "How did you become a Vampire?"
"I was bitten by one of your kind," said the Elf. "Not willingly I might add."
The Elf looked at them again.
"Wait," she said. "I've heard of you. You're the Volkihar sisters. You kill Vampires."
"Well, we don't kill Vampires perse," said Lucinda. "Our parents do, but we don't."
The Elf was silent for a moment. Valeria looked at her sister.
"We can't leave her," said Valeria.
"I was thinking the exact same thing," said Lucinda.
Valeria turned to the Elf again.
"Hold still," she commanded. "This might hurt a little."
Valeria held her hands over the handcuffs. She summoned fire from her hands. At once the magical fire began to melt the metal. The Elf winced as the fire kissed her white skin. Several seconds passed as the restraints failed. The Elf flexed her hands and fingers as they were freed. Valeria then focussed her attention to her ankles. The metal melted and her legs were free. She then helped the Elf onto her feet.
"My name's Eleonora," said the Elf.
"Valeria," said Valeria. "And Lucinda."
"Thank you," said Eleonora.
She stood up and her tiny stature was made apparent. She was so tiny that the top of her head barely grazed Valeria's shoulder. Valeria put her arm around Eleonora and helped her towards the stairs.
They reached the lounge and helped Eleonora into a chair by the black fire.
"Do you know how to get out of here?" asked Valeria.
"How did you get here in the first place?" asked Eleonora.
"By accident," replied Lucinda. "A Hagraven. You?"
"Imprisoned," replied Eleonora. "That moronic guard thought it would be fun to lock me down here. The irony being that I'm immortal so I will be down here for all eternity."
"I though all Elves were immortal," said Lucinda.
"No," replied Eleonora bitterly. "We just age much slower than mortals."
They stared into the black fire in silence.
"So back to my original question," said Valeria. "How are we going to get out of here?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," said Eleonora.
"What about Castle Volkihar?" asked Lucinda.
"What of it?" asked Valeria.
"Well, didn't grandmother open a portal to the Soul Cairn?" replied Lucinda. "Perhaps there's a way to open it there."
Eleonora looked at her.
"It's worth a try," she said.