Chapter 8

"O' my God, Velan. Shut the hell up, before I kill you."

The group had made it back to Dragon Bridge, and they were waiting to hop on a carriage that would take them to the next big city, Solitude.

"I'm chill, man. You're the one being an idiot." Velan retorted back to his brother.

Their bickering words became muffled, as Serana lost herself in thought. Her head dropped shyly, as the attention they were getting from the townspeople grew. Peering over at Erik, she was perplexed to see him unfazed by the curious gazes of the people walking close by.

With the Moth Priest dangling unconsciously from Erik's shoulder, he was definitely drawing more attention, but Serana couldn't help but feel like all eyes were on her.

How is he so calm..?

Serana shook her thoughts away, and she turned her head towards the town, and silently watched as people walked by. She was hoping to run into Vanessa, Johann or Faida, before they left, but she couldn't see them in the crowd of townspeople.

When the carriage pulled up beside them, she was quickly brought back to reality. Velan and Josiah were still fighting as they jumped on the carriage's seat, and Erik placed the Moth Priest's sleeping body down on the edge, as Serana walked up behind him

She opened her mouth to call out to him, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to speak. She quietly bit her tongue, and watched silently as Erik secured the Moth Priest on the carriage. Her eyes fell down his back, and she watched as the edge of his cape lightly dragged across the ground with every movement he made.

Why is it so hard to talk to you…?

Serana felt like a child, when the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She was always able to talk to anyone, and she was always able to say anything. But when it came to him…

Fuck it…

"Hey-Erik?" Serana asked.

Erik stopped moving, and he turned his head slightly back. He didn't say anything, so Serana assumed that meant he was waiting for her to speak.

"Are you sure that going to Solitude is the best option? The vampires, that were in Malkus's group, will be looking for us. With Solitude being so close, that might be a spot they'll look at first."

Erik stayed quiet for a moment, before he turned back around. He grabbed Frost and put him in the carriage.

"If we stay here, the vampires will eventually come looking for the Moth Priest. They will slaughter the whole town just to get to him." He placed some supplies, that they purchased earlier, in the cart as he continued to say, "Dragon Bridge doesn't offer the same protection Solitude does."

Serana pondered on his words and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I just...hope we don't run into any trouble on the way there."

Erik didn't say anything back, as he went to pick up the last crate of supplies. The crate had alchemy ingredients and glass bottles packed tightly within. It looked heavy, so Serana went to help him.

"Here. Let me help you." Before Erik could react, she went to reach for the side of the box. Her fingers lightly touched the side of Erik's hand, and she froze instantly. Even with his hand being gloved, she felt a very cold chill run up her spine. It was such a weird sensation, that it caused her to almost stumble to the ground.

She lowered her head slightly, as she awkwardly said, "Sorry." Erik lingered on her face for a split second, before he turned around to place the box down on the carriage.

"Get in." Erik said, his face turned away from her.

Without saying anything else, they both stepped in the carriage. Erik went to speak with the driver up front, and Serana took a seat across from Josiah and Velan. When she did, she felt a hard poke on the back of her leg.

What the….?

She curiously put her hand in her pocket and felt cool metal touch her fingers. Her eyes widened in surprise, when she pulled the foreign object out of her pocket.

Oh, it's the knife Johann gave me… I completely forgot to give it to Erik.

Her thumb traced along the edge of the engravings the knife had on it. The inscriptions were so fascinating to her, and it made her slightly frustrated that she couldn't even guess what the language might be.

I need to give this to him, before he thinks I stole it or something..

She tucked away the dagger and looked up at Josiah and Velan once more. Beyond her belief, they were still fighting.

"Dude, are you serious right now? Casting the ward in the cave was my idea." Josiah firmly said to his brother.

"Yeah, well...your idea wouldn't have worked if I wasn't there!" Velan said matter-of-factly. They kept going back and forth, and Serana laughed at their antics.

They both turned to her, as she said, "Guys, it really doesn't matter 'who's better.' What matters is that we got out of there safely. Casting that ward was very helpful, so thank you. To both of you."

She smiled softly, as Velan said playfully, "Thank you, m'lady. I take full credit." Without warning, Josiah slapped Velan in the back of the head, and it made Serana burst out laughing.

Josiah scoffed and said irritatedly, "What?! Full credit? She said thank you, to both of us." Velan rubbed his head, as he winced and said, "She was looking at me, when she said it though."

Josiah defeatly threw his hands up and sighed. "O' my God. I literally have a living idiot as my brother." He crossed his arms, and looked away from Velan. Serana's laughter eventually died down, but her smile remained.

Serana's dimpled cheeks hurt, but something about laughing made her feel at ease.

The brothers went silent, so Serana took the opportunity to look around. Her eyes widened in surprise, when she noticed they were already out of Dragon Bridge. She didn't even notice that the carriage started to move.

I guess I was having too much fun.

Minutes passed in complete silence. It wasn't an awkward or unbearable silence, it was just silent. Serana was surprised to see the brothers not talking, or not doing anything with each other.

Even though she just met them, she was already thoroughly enjoying Velan and Josiah's company. They were completely different from Erik, and it was nice to finally have people to talk to.

Just like her thoughts, her eyes eventually fell on Erik too. And for some reason, it made her a tab nervous. He was sitting on Josiah and Velan's side, but Serana could tell that Erik made the effort to make sure he was far away from them. He was sitting on the very far side of the bench, the edge closest to the back of the carriage.

His arms were crossed against his chest, and his right leg was folded over his left. His head was slightly tilted down, but Serana could tell by his heartbeat that he wasn't sleeping. Frost was resting happily on Erik's thigh, and after a while, Erik gently began to stroke his head.

Serana softly smiled at the sight, but quickly turned away in fear of him noticing. When she did, she heard a small thump below her. She looked down and noticed that Velan was kicking Josiah's legs. Josiah tried to shake him off, but to no avail.

"Heyyy, stop being mad." Velan said in a playful voice. Josiah didn't move, his face still creased with irritation. Velan began to poke him softly, as he said, "Okay, dude. The ward thing was your idea. And we probably would have died if you didn't think of it."

Josiah puffed air out of his nose, his arms still crossed.

Velan lowered his shoulders sadly, as he slumped back in his seat with a sigh. Serana watched as defeat fell on Velan's face. She felt for him, so she was about to tell Josiah off, but stopped whenever she saw Velan's face light up with an idea.

"Hey, wanna play Mercy?" Velan asked. Josiah's eyebrows widened and a smile slowly crept on his face. Josiah swung around to face Velan, and he stuck out his hand towards his younger brother; with a large grin on his lips.

"First one that wusses out, has to apologize and tell the other how great they are." Josiah said.

Velan clutched his brother's hand, with a loud clap, and smirked widely. "In your dreams, dude. Get ready to weep."

Both laughed playfully, as Serana raised her eyebrow curiously.

"Wait, what's Mercy?" Serana asked.

Both men turned to her and snickered at her remark. They continued to laugh at her expense, but stopped when they realized she was serious.

Josiah raised an eyebrow and asked, "Wait, you really don't know how to play?" Serana shrugged.

Velan looked over Josiah's shoulder and shouted towards Erik. "Hey, Erik! You know how to play?" Erik didn't respond.

"Woo-hooo! Hey! Are you still breathing over there? Or did you die on us?" Velan asked.

"No." Erik said, in a low monotone voice.

"Okay, then. Let's hear it. Do you know how to play?" Velan asked a second time.

Erik lifted his head up and turned it towards the sky, as he said, "No."

Velan snickered and said, "Really? I would think a person as intimidating as you would be good at this game."

Josiah squeezed his brother's hand hard, as he said, "Shut the hell up, you idiot. Your bluntness is going to get you killed one day, I swear."

The brothers began to bicker again, as Serana slowly scooted her way towards where Erik was sitting.

Once she made it across from him, she asked, "You really don't know how to play? I get the feeling you know everything."

Erik's crossed arms scooted closer to his chest as he lifted up his head slowly. His different colored irises pierced through his shadowed face, as his eyes met Serana's.

"What gave you that impression?" Erik asked in a low voice.

Serana shrugged her shoulders, as she said, "I don't know. Maybe it's because you're the Dragonborn?"

When the word 'Dragonborn' left her mouth, both brothers stopped talking immediately and turned towards Erik with amazement on their faces.

"You're the Dragonborn?!" Both asked in unison, their voices riddled with excitement. They stood from their seat quickly and both began to rush towards Erik with great haste. They tripped over each other's body, as they fought to reach him first.

Velan tackled Josiah, and both men fell to the carriage's wood floor. Serana giggled at their child-ish behavior.

"You're-you're the Dragonborn?" Velan asked, in between bated breaths.

The carriage became silent, as everyone turned their eyes towards Erik. Serana could see Erik's eyebrows knit in thought. He turned away from the two men and nodded slightly, as he said, "Yes."

Serana looked at Erik with wide eyes. She knew he was the Dragonborn, but up until this point she had only heard it from outside sources. Hearing it from him directly, really helped resolve her curiosity.

"I knew it!" Velan shouted, "I knew there was something different about you!" Josiah pushed his younger brother off of him and said, "Get off of me, you dumbass. You didn't know anything." Velan fell to the ground as he said, "Fuck off. You don't know what I was thinking."

Both men pushed themselves off the ground and patted the light layer of dust covering their dark clothes.

"It's an honor to meet you. I mean-we've already met...but knowing that you're the Dragonborn, it's like I'm really meeting you for the first time." Velan said, while patting the last bit of dust off his shirt.

Erik only nodded slightly, as he continued to stare off into the distance.

Josiah sat down on the carriage's seat as he asked hesitantly, "Why didn't you tell us that you're the Dragonborn?"

Erik stayed quiet a moment, before he said, "It's not important."

"What? Not Important? Dude, you saved our lives. We would be dead if it wasn't for you. Not just Josiah and I, but everyone." Velan said firmly.

Serana looked at the two brothers curiously, as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" asked Josiah quizzically.

Serana shook her head as she said, "No. We haven't known each other for that long. And if I'm being honest...my knowledge of historical events aren't the greatest."

Erik stayed silent as the two brothers looked at each other.

Velan looked over his brother's shoulder at Erik, and his eyebrows creased in thought. "Uh-it's not really our story to tell, but just know, that if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now." Velan sighed and sat down next to his brother.

The carriage became silent yet again, as Serana stared at Erik. She wanted to desperately know what the story was, but she knew that it was probably best if she heard it from Erik. She just didn't know how to approach him about the subject.

"Ya know, since we're all getting our life story out there, how about you share." Velan said to Serana.

Serana lifted her head up and waved her hands in the air. "Sorry, but if you're looking for some exciting tale, I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person."

"Aww, c'mon. You're the daughter of one of the most powerful vampire lords in Tamriel. You can't tell me you've never done anything fun." Velan said playfully.

Serana shook her head, as she said, "'Fun' isn't actually the word I'd use to define my family."

Velan slumped back into his seat, as he sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Harkon always was a big jerk." He slowly looked up at Serana and smiled nervously, as he said, "..Uh-no offense."

"Oh, none taken."

Serana smiled back at Velan, as he turned to his brother and said, "Hey, don't think I forgot about our deal. Let's play."

Josiah grinned, as he held out his arm. "Fine. But don't cry, when you lose."

Serana perked up with interest, as the brothers gripped each other's hand tightly.

"You still never told me how you play." Serana said to Josiah and Velan.

Josiah turned to her and said, "Oh, you play by grabbing someone's hand….like this idiot here." Serana giggled softly, as Velan rolled his eyes.

"And you use your free hand to slap the back of the other person's hand, and whoever says 'Mercy' first, loses."

Serana raised an eyebrow as she curiously asked, "And why would you do that? Doesn't it hurt to play?"

Velan butted in and said, "Well, yeah. But it is fun to beat the shit out of your brother."

Josiah clicked his tongue, as he playfully pushed Velan's shoulder. "Oh, whatever." Both brothers began to laugh, as did Serana.

But her giggling quickly died down when Erik stood up abruptly. His cape swayed proudly in the wind, as he looked in the distance with a powerful stare.

Velan and Josiah turned their heads, when Serana asked, "Erik? What's wrong?"

He gripped one of the staffs that rested on his back, as he said, "Protect the Moth Priest."

Serana didn't even have time to respond, before Erik kicked off of the moving carriage and onto the road. Serana could hear the rocks break underneath his boots, as he landed firmly on the gravel pathway.

The brothers stood from their seat and ran to the edge of the carriage with great haste, as did Serana.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Josiah shouted with concern.

He didn't respond, and Serana grew even more worried when she spotted black figures coming from the horizon. She couldn't tell who they were, but they were coming closer at an alarming rate.

"Erik!" Serana yelled as loud as she could. "What are you doing?! Come back!"

He didn't budge, so she quickly turned around and ran to where the driver was. "Stop the carriage! Erik's being left behind!"

The driver shook his head quickly and said, "I can't do that. He told me to stop for no reason, whatsoever, and I intend to do just that."

"But-" "I'm sorry, ma'am. I have to keep going."

Serana's eyebrows knitted in frustration, as she said, "Fine." She turned around and ran back to the edge of the carriage.

"He's crazy!" Velan said to Josiah. "Dude. I know-"

Something in the distance caught Josiah's eye, so he paused and squinted his eyes tightly. "Velan, is that who I think it is?" Josiah pointed outwards, and Velan followed his brother's finger.

Serana watched, as Velan's face grew dark and dreary. "He really is crazy."

"Who is it?" Serana asked hurriedly. Josiah turned to her and said, "I don't know how, but they found us. The vampires found us."

Serana looked at Erik in horror, as the carriage got further and further away from him.

Is he trying to get himself killed?

She unclipped her cape and threw it on the carriage's hardwood floor. The sun burnt her skin, but she knew the cape would only slow her down.

Josiah turned to her curiously and asked in an uneasy tone, "What the hell are you doing?"

She put her foot on the edge of the wagon and confidently said, "What does it look like? I'm going to help him."

Before the brothers could intervene, Serana pushed off of the carriage. She slowly closed her eyes and braced for impact. But instead, she felt nothing.

Her body felt incredibly light, and she slowly opened her eyes to see that she was hovering over the carriage.

"What...?" She frantically wiggled around, not understanding what was going on. She looked down at her body, and noticed a subtle blue glow was emitting all around her skin.

What is happening?

She could hear Velan and Josiah call out to her, as she abruptly began to fall. Her heart jumped in her throat, as she fell straight down. The brothers tried to catch her, but instead she fell on top of them, and they all tumbled to the carriage's floor with a loud thud.

"Owww, fuck. You guys are crushing me." Velan said in a strained voice. Serana pushed herself up quickly, and she looked around in a panic.

Was that….was that Erik? Did he push me back, so I couldn't help him?

She ran back to the edge of the carriage, but before she could jump off again, a shield enveloped the whole carriage; blocking her way.

"No!" Serana said aloud. She reached into her pocket and took out Erik's dagger. She lifted her hand up and started to stab the barrier. But instead of it breaking, the ward zapped her hand, causing her to drop the knife.

I said to protect the Moth Priest. When I'm finished, I'll meet you in Solitude.

Serana froze. A voice rang loudly inside of her head, and it caused every muscle in her body to freeze. It was so clear and it made her confused, because she knew it was Erik's voice.

There's no way I can hear him. How the hell can I hear him?

She looked closely towards the horizon. Even with her excellent sight, she could barely make out Erik's figure anymore. She couldn't tell at all what was happening to him, and for some unknown reason, her heart dropped.

With nothing else to do, she defeatedly fell back into her seat.

Why didn't he just let me help him? I could've helped him!

Frost walked to Serana's feet and pawed at her legs. He softly whined, as she pulled him onto her lap. "I know how you feel." Serana said quietly to the small dog.

Velan and Josiah stood up from the ground, and winced as they stretched out their arms.

"What the hell just happened?" Velan asked. "And what the hell is that!?" He pointed towards the barrier in confusion, as Josiah sat across from Serana.

Reaching out his arm, Velan went to touch the ward. When he did, it zapped his finger and he pulled back his hand in pain. "Owwww! What the fuck is this?"

Velan continued to ask random questions, but Serana wasn't paying attention. Instead, she just sat in silence, softly petting Frost's fur.

"Hey...are you okay?" Josiah asked in a gentle voice. Serana picked up her head and looked at him. She shrugged her shoulders defeatedly, as she softly sighed.

"He just...took off. He always does this. Everytime I try to talk to him or just try to help him...he just always shuts me out." She bit her lip and looked around at the trees that lined the road. "I mean, just look at the barrier around us….! He did this, because he thinks we need protection."

Josiah was quiet for a moment before he said, "You know...when Velan and I were kids, I did the same thing to him." He paused and glanced at his brother, who was annoying the driver with questions. "Being the older brother, I made it my job to protect him; no matter what the cost."

Josiah folded his hands together and he sighed. "He hated it, you know. He always told me to, 'stop treating him like a kid', but I couldn't help it. No matter how much he fussed, I always looked after him. I always protected him."

Josiah glanced at Serana, and they thoughtfully locked eyes. He shrugged his shoulders, as he said, "Maybe...maybe Erik's doing the same for you."

Serana took in Josiah's words and she sighed in indifference. "I'd like to believe that, I really would, but-" She paused and looked at the young man in front of her. "You look after Velan, because he's your brother. You love and care for him, so that's why you do what you do. Erik and I don't know each other, and I don't need his protection."

She stopped and looked down at Frost. She rubbed the tip of his ear in between her fingers, as she watched him sleep with content. "Why would he go out of his way to protect me….? Someone he doesn't even see as an equal?"

Josiah continued to look at Serana, as he asked sincerely, "Do you really feel like he thinks that way of you, or are you just projecting a false image onto yourself?"

She didn't know why, but his question flipped a switch in her mind. She felt so discouraged, but something about Josiah's tone was so comforting to her.

Serana stared at Josiah with a surprised appreciation. No one had ever been this personal with her, and it felt really nice to finally have someone ask how she felt.

A smile crept on her face and she began to giggle loudly. Josiah's face contorted in confusion, as he playfully asked, "What? Did I say something funny?"

Shaking her head, Serana said, "No...it's just that-we just met, and you're treating me like we've known each other for a long time. It's really….generous of you to ask me how I feel. I-thank you..."

A genuine smile formed on Josiah's lips, as he said, "What can I say? I'm just a nice guy."

They both laughed, and it made Serana feel so at ease. The air felt light around her, and for the first time since she's been out of the tomb, she truly felt relaxed.

Serana watched as Josiah stood from his seat and made his way towards her. He knelt down on one knee and picked up the cape Serana threw onto the floor. With a smile, he reached out his hand to her.

She looked up at his lean arm, and her curious eyes traced up his body; all the way to his face. Up until this point, Serana hadn't really taken in what he looked like. She grew embarrassed at the sight of him though, because she thought he was quite handsome.

He was young, probably in his early-to-mid twenties. He had prominent cheekbones, and his skin was clear and soft. His jawline was strong, and his hazelnut brown eyes were the color of rusted septims. Unlike his brother, his hair wasn't long. The sides were cut short, and the medium brown hair on the top of his head barely touched the top of his ears.

Touching one of her cheeks, Serana noticed that she felt a little warm. Josiah looked at her curiously and smiled, as she lost herself in thought. He could see the subtle red tint of blush radiate on her cheeks, and it made him chuckle.

They gently locked eyes, and Josiah smiled softly at her. She hastily turned her head, trying her hardest not to make her embarrassment obvious. He tenderly sighed, as he shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"You dropped this." Serana looked back at him hesitantly, as he continued to playfully say, "And you might want to put it on, before your skin burns."

She gently grabbed her cloak and held it in her hand. She tried to shake off her embarrassment, as she said, "Thank you, but surprisingly enough, I think the barrier is actually protecting me from the sunlight."

They both looked up at the barrier that was still humming softly above their heads. Serana's eyes widened in amazement, as she looked closely at the colors that swirled freely within the ward. It looked like the night sky, dark and colorful. It almost seemed like little stars were twinkling within, and it put her in awe.

I've never seen a barrier this...beautiful. Erik gets stranger, everytime he does something…

She was brought out of thought, when Josiah sat down next to her with a sigh. He messed with his hair, as he turned to look at her.

"He seems comfortable."

Serana looked down at Josiah's pointing finger, and she traced it to her lap. Frost's sleeping face made a large smile break out on her lips.

Josiah continued to stare at Serana as he asked, "Is he yours? I've never seen a vampire with a pet...or at least one that looks normal."

Shaking her head, Serana said, "Oh, no. He's Erik's." She rubbed Frost's back, as she continued to say, "He told me that he found him injured and that his owner had died. So he took him in."

She silently continued to look at Frost, as she softly pet him. Looking down at his leg, she noticed that a dark ribbon was tied tightly around his ankle.

What's this?

Touching the ribbon, she noticed that the material was familiar to her. She rubbed the dark, heavy cloth in between her fingers, and she finally realized where it came from.

Erik's cape! I noticed that some cloth was missing at the bottom, but….this is why? It's missing, because he used it to bandage Frost's wound…?

A smile crept up on her face, as she realized what Erik had done. She continued to grin, even after she noticed that Josiah was staring at her with a little confusion.

"You...you smile a lot." Josiah said playfully. Serana scoffed, as she jokingly retorted, "Hey! What's wrong with that?"

Josiah shrugged his shoulders with a grin, as he said, "Nothing, it's-" He paused and looked at Serana genuinely, as he continued to say, "It's just...I didn't expect you to be like this."

Serana's words caught in her throat for a second, before she could muster out a sentence. "I'll-I'll take that as a compliment." Serana said lightheartedly.

"It is."

Shock wore down on Serana's face quickly. She didn't expect him to say that, so she dropped her head shyly. Josiah felt her embarrassment, so he turned his head away from her, and looked at his brother who fell asleep on the bench across from him.

Both of them grew quiet, so Serana took the opportunity to look at the unconscious Moth Priest that laid next to her.

He hasn't moved very much. I hope he's okay.

The ropes on the old man's wrists were tight against his wrinkled frail skin. Serana looked at him sympathetically.

Josiah cleared his throat, breaking Serana's concentration. He turned to her and said, "We should be close by now, so before we get there...I wanted to ask about your eyes."

"My eyes?" Serana asked curiously.

"Um, yeah. I guess it's a little insensitive to ask, but your eyes...they aren't glowing. You are a vampire, right?"

Serana shook her head knowingly, as she said, "Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting." She shrugged her shoulders, as she said, "It's illusion magic. Erik and I thought it would be better if people couldn't see what my eyes really look like, so he casted a spell on me. Pretty nifty, right?"

"I guess so." Josiah said quietly.

Josiah turned his head, and both of them grew quiet. Serana listened to the barrier's humming, as she softly pulled on Frost's white fur. She sighed restlessly.

Erik…...I hope you're okay.

As if he was listening, the barrier around them disappeared out of the blue. Bright light entered Serana's sensitive eyes. The sun burned her skin, and she winced in pain. Josiah was quick to grab her cape and drape it over her head.

"Hey. You okay? The barrier just disappeared out of nowhere." Josiah asked her through the heavy cloth.

Using her fingers to move the cloak from her eyes, she said quietly, "Yeah. I'm fine. Thank you.

She felt Josiah finger muscles tense up slightly on the back of her neck, as he turned his head. "We're here. I can see the gates."

A wave of happiness, but dread washed over Serana. She was happy to finally get off the carriage, but she was a little nervous being around such a large group of people. Squinting her eyes tightly, she could make out outlines of people walking through the dark material of her cape.

Peoples' voices rang loudly against her ears, and she could tell that the city was going to be busy.

I guess we are here..

The carriage came to an abrupt stop, and Serana head jerked slightly from the force.

"We're here. You guys can hop out." The driver said politely to them.

Serana turned to where she felt Josiah's presence and said nicely, "Get your brother. I can take care of myself. Thank you for the help."

She felt him nod, and a moment later, she felt him let go of her neck and head.

Frost perked up his head, and once he saw that they stopped, he sprung to life. He jumped out of Serana's lap, so she quickly readjusted her cape. Clipping the button in front of her chest, she rose from her seat.

"Hey, get up dumbass. We're here." Josiah said to Velan.

Velan groaned and waved his brother away. "Five more minuteeesss." He tried to shift his body, but his brother grabbed him and pulled him up; making Serana giggle.

"You're so stupid, Velan." The younger brother swatted Josiah's hands away, as he lazily stood. He rubbed his eyes, as he made his way to the edge of the carriage.

The driver lowered the carriage's back door and said, "Don't worry about carrying the crates or….him." The driver pointed to the Moth Priest , as he continued to say, "I have it covered. Everything will be delivered."

Velan and Josiah walked off the carriage, and Serana followed suit. She turned and picked up Frost, who was happily wagging his tail.

"Um, about that…" Serana spun around to face the driver and said, "We don't even know where we're supposed to go."

The driver said, "Oh, here." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. "He told me to give this to you."

Serana reached out gently and took the slightly crinkled piece of paper from the man's hand. The paper read: 'Go to the building closest to the Blue Palace. You can't miss it.'

Velan peaked over her shoulder and said sarcastically, "Nice instructions." Serana laughed quietly at his remark.

After making sure everything was set, the group decided to make their way inside.

I have so many questions….

You better make it back…...