Arc 2—When Darkness Falls—Chapter 9:

After a lot of discussion, we finally decided our best bet was to search Valerica's garden sanctum for clues about her whereabouts. That was the one place Serana said Harkon absolutely would not venture. With the weather taking its toll, we spent almost a week crossing Skyrim together, heading back toward Castle Volkihar and getting to know each other better with each passing day.

"Mother's garden was always one of my favorite places, but Father loathed it. It's the only place I can think of that she might have left a message or a clue or something. If he hasn't just destroyed it, that is," said Serana as we once again set on the side of the dock waiting for the arrival of the bone ferryman at sunset. She'd said the same thing in similar terms a number of times before on our journey, making me realize that she was clearly worried and it was getting worse as we got closer. Therefore, I decided I needed to distract her.

"Serana, you've asked about my, ahem, situation, a couple of times and I've avoided answering you."

"Praise the gods! I was beginning to think you were deaf or had a mental block about it," she laughed before becoming more serious. "I know, you just don't want to tell me because I'm a vampire and you don't really know if you can trust me. You're afraid I'll go running to my father to tattle to him or maybe go all fangy on them to get you for myself."

"At first...yeah," I agreed. "I hope you understand."

"All too well. Using the words vampire and trust together in the same sentence doesn't exactly instill confidence, does it?"

"Not exactly," I agreed. "It has taken some getting used to. But that was then, before I got to know you. I trust you now, and I hope you see that."

She nodded, with a little smile. "No one has trusted me or been my friend, other than my mother and some of the castle staff since before the Change. And you saw what my mother did to me. I appreciate, really appreciate, your trust and friendship, Aerik, and I won't let you down."

"I know, Serana, and I appreciate that, too. That makes this even more difficult. I want to tell you, but I still don't want to tell you too much because it would make it more dangerous for you in case your father were to capture you."

"What about you? You're not afraid that you'll spill the beans if he tortures you?"

"Deathly afraid," I agreed, "but if he captures me, I'll be dead anyway, along with everyone I love, and I'll have no one to blame but myself. If he captures you, he might let you live if he can be convinced you don't know anything."

"I suppose that makes a little sense, in a ridiculously chivalrous sort of way. Of course, you don't know my father as well as I do to realize just how ridiculous it really is."

I nodded. "True, but at least this way, I don't have to worry about that part."

"So you are betrothed to some sweet little nameless farm girl and the two of you are just waiting for this mess to be over to get married and spend a lifetime together making babies and cheeses?"

"Not exactly how I'd pictured it," I laughed, "and you're a little off on the details but you've got the general idea. And I have an adopted daughter, the prettiest, smartest little girl in the world. Or at least the prettiest and smartest in my little part of it."

"Oh, Aerik! I'm happy for you," she said. "And I hope we can solve this mess soon so you can get back to both of them."

The bone ferryman appeared out of the mists and silently slid his craft up to the dock with his oars peaked. Holding them in one hand, he bowed to Serana as he'd done on our first trip and then helped her into the boat before turning to me. I held out a gold septim, which he took as he waved me aboard. He pushed off immediately, reshipped the oars, and started to row.

"Rognar, thank you for coming..."

She paused mid-sentence as the ferryman stopped rowing and wagged a bony finger at her. Serana's mouth fell open and she exclaimed, "Reginar! I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you, my friend! Of course, it has been a while, but I must say, you and your handsome brother look more alike every time I see you."

He bowed his head toward her as if in thanks for the compliment, if that was what it was, but I looked at Serana with worry written on my face. Leaning over to her, I whispered, "Do you think he'll tell your father about us?"

Serana laughed. Looking at me, she said, "You've finally convinced me, Aerik. You really do have a sense of humor!"

~ESV~

We sat silently as the bone man continued to row into the fogbank that seemed to always surround Castle Volkihar. Serana had told me that between the fog and the jagged rocks surrounding most of the castle, there were almost never any outside visitors. "The guards take care of those unlucky enough to reach the dock."

Even being in the boat rowed by the bone man and being with Serana, I was still worried, hoping we wouldn't run into such a reception committee on the dock."

Perhaps Serana was having the same thought. She leaned forward and whispered, "Reginar, can you be a dear and drop us off at the old receiving dock rather than at the dock at the front of the castle?"

I wasn't sure but I thought I could make out the bone ferryman dipping his helmet toward her. He'd rowed for perhaps half an hour more when Serana whispered, "Get ready. We're getting close. When you step out on the dock, move straight ahead to the wall as quietly as you can. We'll be going up the stairs, but there may still be some guards waiting for us. If so, they won't be friendly." She handed me something that felt like a small stone. "When I tell you, throw that out into the water."

"What is it?" I whispered in reply.

"A distraction. Now, shhh!"

We were through the fogbank and the black bulk of the castle, blocking out some of the stars, was just ahead. A gentle bump indicated that we'd arrived. Serana whispered to Reginar, "Thank you, my friend," as she took my hand, helped me step out onto the dock, and silently led me to the wall. A gentle swish…swish was the only indication that he had departed with the boat.

Serana turned my arm and led me forward and slowly up a long stair as if I was a blind man. I could see the outline of parts of the castle above, but nothing on our level. It was the clanking of armor and the peculiar sounds the working bones of skeleton warriors that finally made me understand Serana's caution. Slow and silent was our watchword.

We'd reached a landing and were in front of what I suspected was a door when she took my arm, signaling for me stop. Several seconds passed when the faintest of whispers said, "Throw now."

I tossed the stone toward where I thought the water would be but it hit the dock or a wall or at least something solid before bouncing and landing in the water with a splash. Several skeleton warriors went running toward the sound as I heard a key turn in a lock. Then, I was being pulled forward and heard a door quietly close behind me.

~ESV~

Once inside, Serana gave a sigh of relief and cast a candlelight spell before leading me deeper into the castle. As we went, we dealt with several creatures and several traps in turn.

"The courtyard garden is just ahead through this door. I'm worried about what we'll find or if we'll find anything at all. I'll go in first."

Several magical sconces gave off a dim light that allowed us to see a surprisingly well-kept garden. The sound of a skeleton moving caused me to start to draw my bow, but Serana put out a hand, indicating for me to lower it. She moved forward into the courtyard where I saw her stop and talk to a skeleton that appeared to be down on its hands and knees, of all things, pulling weeds next to some sort of moon dial. Serana returned a few moments later.

"Mother instructed Adana to care for the garden in her absence. Mother's been gone a very long time."

"How on Nirn did she tell you that?"

With a frustrated look that would have done Lydia proud, Serana rolled her eyes and gave me a pitying shake of her head. "Yes and no questions, silly." She looked back at the bone woman. "I need to get her a new dress. Her old one's probably been rotted away for centuries."

It was almost dawn by the time we caused a secret entrance to open. I looked at it, wondering what was next, but Serana took my hand and pulled me forward. "Hurry," she said. "Knowing my mother, a moon dial entrance will probably close when the sun comes up."

~ESV~

We were standing in what Serana called her mother's laboratory. Since she'd never been there, she wouldn't have known that except we found an old book that Serana identified as being in her mother's hand. She quickly read it but was shaking her head slowly when she finished.

"Aerik, if I'm understanding this correctly, she's done the unthinkable. She's gone somewhere safe for her, but it's somewhere we can't go. Well, somewhere you can't go and a place I'd most likely never be able to return from on my own. We've lost and I've lost her forever." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Tell me," I said. "What's the problem. Maybe there's a way we can overcome it."

"No. She's gone to a place called the Soul Cairn, a place of the dead, between life and the hereafter. I've heard it called various things like the aether, the netherworld, and purgatory. The living...well, they can't go there."

"Serana, I went to Sovngarde when I fought Alduin. Is this anything similar?"

She looked at me and saw that I was serious. "I...I don't know. I've never been to Sovngarde...and I, ah...I never will."

"What do you mean?"

"See, when I went through the Change, in addition to all the other bad things he did to me, Molag Bal stripped away my soul. He trapped it in a gem and took it to his plane as part of my payment for the Gift he gave me. I'm not sure about the gem part, but I think that's the way it works with all vampires, both full vampires like me and those who contract the contagion. If you kill a vampire with a soul trap, you're pulling the soul back from him."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't know."

"While it's depressing, in a way, it actually helps us here. Since I don't have my soul, that means I can cross the barrier into the Cairn. I might be able to find my mother and might possibly be able to recover her Elder Scroll, but Aerik, there are things there, terrible things, that would do there best to keep me there and never let me return. To steal a soul from Molag Bal..."

As much as I hated it and the thought of Molag Bal having control over me, I connected the dots she'd left me. "So, if I were to become a vampire?"

"Aerik, it might work, but then again, it might destroy you. It's not something we discuss, but not everyone is cut out to be a vampire. It's an anathema to some, what being a vampire means and what they have to do before they learn to control their urges. I've seen it destroy some like that."

"Serana, if it's the only way—"

"Wait! Perhaps...Aerik, you're alive and have your soul, so you can't pass the barrier to enter the Cairn. However, maybe if we could weaken your soul a little..."

"I'm not sure what you mean, but that sounds better than becoming a vampire."

"Depends on you perspective, I suppose," she said, frowning at me.

"Oh, sorry."

She laughed. "I know what you mean. Anyway, it's like a soul trap spell, but a weak version of it. The problem is that part of your soul will be trapped in the Cairn and you'll be weaker as a result. Then, before you can leave the Cairn, you'll need to find your soul and you may have to fight to get it restored. If you don't, you might not like the Aerik that comes out of there."

"Might not," I said, "but I know I won't like what will happen if your father succeeds in his quest. Let's do it."

I stop reading and look up at the kids.

"Grandpa, why did you stop?"

"Daddy, keep reading, please!"

"Don't stop here, Daddy! We want to hear the rest!"

I look at my eldest grandchild and then the twins and shake my head. "I can't."

"Why?" is the immediate group response. Young faces are set with frustration at me letting them down.

"To be honest, I couldn't write it. See, Serana did the spell and we crossed the barrier into the Soul Cairn. It was very strange magic that took us to that place, a strange place, on another plane. I've tried really hard but I can't describe it accurately enough to do it justice." I don't say it but I chose not to try because I didn't want to give them nightmares, either. "Let's just say it was very different and very, very dangerous. There were unfathomable creatures that we had to fight, creatures unlike any I'd ever seen. There was even a dragon."

"But you've told us all about fighting dragons, Grandpa. Even Alduin the World Eater in Sovngarde. What was so special about this one?"

"Because all of the dragon's I've fought could eventually be killed, even Alduin, but this one was different because it couldn't really die. It was really hard but Aunt Serana and I finally defeated it, not really by killing it, like we thought at first, but by convincing it that we were worthy opponents who were equal or better in battle and who truly deserved its respect."

The children seem to accept the explanation and Aerica gives me a big hug and her sweet smile.

I hug her back and then keep reading.

Other than being a bit older and wearing her hair in a way that must have been out of style for hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, Serana's mother looked much like her daughter. However, unlike Serana, the Lady Valerica clearly didn't trust me; the look she was giving me was intense as those given by many dragons just before they embarked on their efforts to kill me.

"So tell me, how is it that a vampire hunter has been clever enough to deceive my daughter into having her trust you in order to hunt me down."

I returned the glare. "It's not a trick. My intent is to keep Serana safe and make it safe for my people, too."

"How noble of you. Coming from one who murders my kind as an excuse to claim protection of your own, forgive me if don't find your explanation believable—"

"I don't give a pile of dragon droppings—"

All three children laugh out loud.

"Grandpa, I'll bet you said dragon droppings!" exclaims Andres. "I'll bet you really said 'shit.'"

Aern and Aerica both laugh hysterically as they nod and I feel my face flush red.

"Quite probably," I agree, hoping that all those years before I didn't use a stronger term. "And now I think we both owe a septim in your mother's swear jar."

I backtrack, rereading the sentence with the edit and adding another gold piece to my toll.

"I don't give a shit about what you believe. I'm not a vampire hunter by choice, or a dragonslayer either. I wanted to open a blacksmith shop, marry a nice girl, and start a family and have half dozen little boys and girls. Dragons started causing trouble and I had to go end it. Then, vampires killed my best friends and their continued attacks threaten my family; that's why I'm doing this. I was sent to obtain an artifact, the Elder Scroll, that could stop it. I couldn't care less about you and would be glad to leave you in this gods' forsaken place forever but Serana says we need you to help solve this mess in order to keep her and my people safe, to keep your husband from completing some idiot prophecy that might destroy us all."

Valerica's glare continued and she was almost spitting the words as she replied, "Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing that prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you."

"Yeah, she told me that you'd be able to help find the other Elder Scroll so we could. That's why we're here, to find that Scroll."

Valerica stern stare at me softened a bit, changing to almost like an adult looks at a continuously wayward child. "You really don't get it, do you? You think I'd be so cruel as seal my daughter in a tomb for thousands of years for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone? You're a far bigger fool than I thought."

"Mother?" asked Serana, uncertainty filling her voice.

I, on the other hand, just stood silently, wondering exactly what I was missing.

Her mother was only too willing to fill me in. "You simple fool. The scrolls are merely a means to an end. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun is Serana herself."

Serana and I asked together, "What do you mean?"

She gave me another glare before turning toward Serana. "Dear daughter, forgive me. I thought you understood." Turning back to me, Valerica continued. "When I fled from my husband, I carried two Elder Scrolls. The scroll I presume you found with Serana speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon, Auriel's Bow. The second scroll declares that 'The Blood of Coldharbour's Daughter will blind the eye of the Dragon.' This is the Tyranny of the Sun."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I don't get it. What's a cold harbor's daughter? What dragon? And whose son? I don't know about the first and the last, but I might be able to kill the dragon if that would make this all go away."

Valerica laughed at me before realizing I was being completely serious. "Perhaps you would, if only it was so simple. You see, like myself, Serana was once human. Members of our family were devout followers of Lord Molag Bal. Females of such devout families are offered to our lord on his summoning day. It is gruesome...I see Serana has told you. Needless to say, almost none survive the ordeal, but those that do emerge as a pure-blooded vampire. We call these invigorated survivors of the ceremony the 'Daughters of Coldharbour.' I am one. Serana is another. I know of no others who haven't fallen to the likes of you."

I ignored her insult, focusing instead on trying to find a solution. "So this 'Tyranny of the Son' requires blood from...you or Serana."

She nodded. "Sun, as in the sky. I have protected myself from Harkon; my blood is of no use to him."

"Serana, on the other hand..." I said.

"Yes, now you begin to see why I wanted to protect her, and why I've kept the other Elder Scroll as far from her as possible."

"Harkon wants to kill her to fulfill the prophecy?"

"'Want' is probably too strong a word, but if he were to obtain Auriel's Bow and then soak it in Serana's blood—all of it, I'm afraid, to achieve his desired effect—to blot out the sun from the sky forever. The world would be plunged into darkness and the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires. So yes, he would kill her without hesitation."

I was aghast at just what was intended and was even more determined to stop it. Still, it took a great deal of effort before Valerica was finally convinced to allow Serana to take the Elder Scroll. Valerica still didn't trust me despite all of my assurances to protect Serana, but her daughter's arguments and promises finally led her to agree. Despite the eons they'd been apart and the fact that they were both now vampires, I was surprised and touched to see them share a tender embrace as mother and daughter before we went on our way.

~ESV~

Author's Note:

The final chapter of Arc 2—When Darkness Falls will be published next weekend. Thanks so much for reading and for any feedback you might offer.