Chapter Thirty-Eight
The world exploded in bursts of purple and grey light, slamming images and shadows against the redguard's skull. She screamed as she felt her body materialize in waves of blazing blue fire, a slow burn agonizingly working through her until she had manifested in the new realm. She took in a gasp of pain as her legs gave out beneath her, and crashed into burned black stone. Her head was swimming with flashing images and the sound of a sick laughter followed by a painful pop. She groaned softly as her senses began to settle, and a hand found its way to push a few stray strands from her face.
"Divines what happened?" Muttered Yosa'Min, a wave of pain running through her body and sending electric jolts down her spine. "Serana? Are you alright?" She opened her eyes, and was baffled at what was before her. The sky was a pale purple color with ribbons of darker shades swirling throughout it. On the horizon were several black structure looking silhouettes, portions of stone simply floating in the air while beacons of luminescent purple light shot outwards towards the sky from a few of the ruin-like distant forms. Bolts of lightning shot downwards from the sky every so often, striking the ground every time. Down below a heavy fog that was nearly opaque lumbered across sick pale ground, gnarled trees with twisting limbs and no leaves spotting the surface and just barely rose higher than the fog. Dotting the foggy area before the redguard were stones that rose to pierce at the sky, some with runes upon them while others resembled tombstones and grave markers. Looming in the mist were beacons of pale blue light, their shapes lost to the vampire from the distance and instead muddled in the fog.
When Yosa'Min was finally able to get her body to listen to her and sit up, she looked around for the sire that should have been at her side, hoping she'd have answers for the strange world they'd arrived in. Instead, all she was met with was a black circle enclosed on the sides with more carved stone, some floating directly a over her, the same circular lines on the surface as back in Valerica's laboratory. There wasn't a single sign of the sire to be found.
Panic shot through the fledgling, and she struggled to her feet as her legs wobbled beneath her. "Serana!" She called, her voice catching in her throat that felt as if she hadn't used it in ages. The strange pressure like sensation in her chest wasn't going away, instead trickling throughout her torso to each of her limbs, chilling and yearning. "Serana!" She called once more, frantically looking around the unsettling place she had found herself in. "Where are you!"
She stood there, waiting for a response that did not come, and with a fresh wave of panic she stumbled down the levitating black stones that connected the portal to the rest of the strange Oblivion plane. Yosa'Min could only assume that this was the Soul Cairn, and that they'd been successful, but it was so foreign and strange that she nearly felt her stomach empty itself as her body still settled out from the effects of going through the portal. She managed to reach the bottom without stumbling, though her head still swayed with unease and she had to grasp one of the tombstones that lined the sandy path before her that cut through the fog before she felt certain she could press on. Giving one last look behind her in case she'd missed Serana, she gaped at the sight of a literal hole in the sky, tendrils of darkness spewing outwards with the same purple light as the portal in the real world.
Deciding that this place was uncomfortably different than her own world, Yosa'Min swallowed dryly and looked out at the fog before her. Serana had to be here if she'd made it through, and she was determined to find her. She staggered into the fog, surprised to find that while the horizon was still shrouded in its thick embrace, what was around her cleared up until she could see a few feet in front of her. Wondering if this was a result of magic, as she wouldn't put anything past an Oblivion plane, the redguard steeled herself for whatever oddities were sure to come her way. With the new view of the world around her, she was able to make out the upheaved ground, and seemingly endless slopes that shifted the way the fog fell, some spots peaking above like bald moons while others sunk low. The ashen path curved alongside dead brambles and bushes, piles of bones and tombstones lining the way. A small black structure with blue orbs of light in a pair of pillars welcomed her, but after a minute of calling for Serana with no answer she pressed on.
She was nearing a massive black wall that stretched on as far as she could see, towering high enough for her to make it out above the fog. There was an opening, an arch of some impress, before her and with a small bit of hope she drew near it. She wanted to run and find Serana, but her nerves were stayed just enough by her desire to live. The vampire knew well enough that rushing through strange lands got one killed, and while she wasn't certain if she could actually die in the Soul Cairn she wasn't itching to find out. As she drew near the massive wall, she gave a sweeping look around the area once more. With the immediate fog around her cleared up, she could make out deep fissures in the ground, white light swirling outwards in a manner that disturbed her. Conic white plants were also growing from the dead grey dirt, rings of brown lining the leaves that grew in clusters. She couldn't guess what source of food or nourishment it got, and didn't plan on thinking about it. The far more pressing matter of finding Serana was at hand.
Heading through the arch in the wall, she gave a soft hiss of frustration as while the fog thinned to the point of non-existence, she still had trouble seeing and there was no sign of her sire. Instead, nearby, a spirit sat on the ground, a wagon nearby and a structure of black stone make behind him that reminded Yosa'Min of a crypt. Yosa'Min blinked, confused, until she recalled what Serana said about the Soul Cairn being a place for spirits. "Does something living walk amongst the dead?" It asked, an echo to its voice that did not entirely come from its body. She squinted at it, picking out some masculine features though she was uncertain if one would refer to a ghost by a gender. "Or... Perhaps something stuck in between," it snickered.
Approaching it quite cautiously, she cleared her throat before she spoke. "Excuse me, but have you see another vampire come by?"
"The only vampire I know is right before me," it said, ghostly eyes looking up at her, "however something can jog this memory of mine."
Deadpanning, Yosa'Min gave a soft snarl. "Even in death greed and bribery persists," she muttered, "What do you want spirit?"
"Soul husks," it said with a smile, "those white things growing from the ground. They are of use to me. Collect me twenty and I will tell you what I know."
"Perhaps I simply force the answers out of you," she threatened, drawing the dagger that was thankfully still on her hip.
It gave a laugh. "You will kill me? A spirit? Oh yes, please, go ahead and release me from this torturous existence." She snarled, and sheathed the blade. "Good. I know you are not like I but please, a little more respect for your soulless brother."
"Soulless?"
"Why yes," it agreed, "I might be a spirit, and this might be my soul, but truly I am without myself. Disconnected... Powerless... I do not own myself, the Ideal Masters do." There was almost sadness in its voice.
"Who are they?"
The spirit held up a finger, grinning from one enr to another. "Ah, an answer only a soul husk can get out of me."
"Fine," she growled, "Where would I find them?"
The spirit gestured wide with its hands. "Everywhere my dear! The Soul Cairn is home to many things despite the dreary appearance; souls, soul husks, skeletons, and general dismal depressing scenery. They're those cone plants, like to sprout anywhere by a soul fissure."
Brow furrowed, she tilted her head. "A what?"
"The holes with the magic flowing from them," it explained with a flick of a hand, "that's where you'll find them mostly. Now get to it, I don't have an eternity!" There was a momentary pause. "Oh wait! I do!"
Yosa'Min gave it a heavy scowl. "I don't have time to run errands," she spat, "is there anything else that could change your mind?"
"I'm afraid not," it said, shrugging, "I suggest you get to it, who knows how long until I forget what I know..." With a hiss, she attempted to strike the spirit, but her fist went straight through its shimmering form. She stumbling through it, a terrible sensation running through her body as she did and the vampire collapsed on the ground with a gasp. "Bad idea..."
"Divines damn you!" She snarled as she got off the ashen ground.
"Afraid I already am!"
"Fine... Where's the nearest ones?" She asked bitterly.
"Deep in the Boneyard," it said, gesturing to the open expanse before her, more crypt like structures and tombstones dotting it but there was a notable amount more of remains scattered across it. Something about it was particularly unnerving, but with little else there for her to do in order to find her companion and friend, she steeled herself and pressed on.
The sound of bones crunching underfoot was particularly disturbing, and she looked around every so often for fear that she'd alerted whatever creatures lurked in this realm. She managed to find one of the soul husks, the plant a bit tougher than she anticipated at first and required the use of her dagger to remove but soon enough she had one of many. Sighing, wondering why she was doing some mundane task, the redguard continued in what she hoped was west, her sense of direction terribly skewed in the Soul Cairn. She could see a massive structure in the direction she'd decided was north standing taller and higher than anything else, more shafts of light shooting upwards from what looked like an old castle or fort, and decided to make that her marker for direction. She shuddered at the thought of getting lost in a place for souls.
As she bent over to collect another one, the strange plant growing besides a fissure that steamed magic of white hues, something clattered behind her. The redguard dove to the side just as a black sword swung down where she'd been, an obsidian skeleton with glowing blue eyes and streams of darkness standing before her. "Let's hope you're not too tough," she gritted, twirling the dagger in hand. Then she heard more clattering, and balked as the bones she was surrounded by began to shift and shimmer. Shapes rose up to face her, bones whirling into place and shadows binding them as one after another an army of skeletons arose. Fear clenched her gut instantly, and Yosa'Min attacked before more of them could appear. To her horror, these skeletons were much stronger than the average undead set of bones, her dagger harmlessly bouncing off its ribs and she had to roll out of the way of its counter attack. Before she could breathe, a trio of them charged at her.
"WULD NAH KEST!" She shouted, a burst of wind and energy sending her speeding through the throng and onto the other side, toppling over any unfortunate enough to be in her way. As the shout ended, her legs continued to run, the redguard trying to use the last of her momentum to sprint towards one of the black crypts that dotted the Boneyard landscape, just a small amount of space between her and the potential shelter. The twang of an arrow sailing through the air was a dreaded sound, and Yosa'Min screamed as she felt it pierce her calf and send her staggering. With gritted fangs, she half limped half sprinted the last few steps, and dove inside the structure that shielded her from the next volley of arrows. Muttering a few curses as she looked at the arrow still lodged in her leg, she struggled to find some way to fend off the horde of skeletons quickly encroaching upon her position.
"Dammit Serana where are you!" She hissed, looking frantically around the crypt and rushed up a small flight of stairs to the rooftop. It was fairly barren up there, but a long half wall provided enough cover for her to hide from the arrows sailing down upon her position. A chest was also on the roof, heavy stone, and she struggled with moving it to block the steps that had led her up to the roof just as a pair of skeletons began climbing up them. They bashed their swords against the bottom to no avail. Her mind was racing with possibilities, leg screaming in pain, and she knew she couldn't just shout them all to death. Preparing a spell in her hands, she hoped that it would have an effect as she poked her head over the wall cover to launch a bolt of lightning down into the crowd that had to be thirty strong for archers alone. It rattled their bones and jumped from one host to another but all it seemed to do was barely injure them and they quickly released another hail of arrows.
Yosa'Min dove back behind the cover, slammed a hand in frustration and then began to try and think of a way out of this once more. A small voice whispered that she should just try to run, but it was soon squashed by the reminder that they could probably track her anywhere she went. Then a more powerful, roaring voice filled her mind. Transform. She blinked, tuning out the sound of arrows smashing down around her and felt an only slightly familiar swirl inside her body. She could do it, change into that beast and probably squash them all and anything else that got in her way of finding Serana. What if I can't control myself? She thought, terrified of becoming a monster, of not being able to change back. She didn't even know how Serana had reversed the transformation before, too ashamed of having attacked her sire to ask how it all worked. No, she wouldn't do it again with so much unknown.
She ran out of time to think as the skeletons at last broke through the chest in the way. Yosa'Min sucked in a breath of air. "FUS RO DAH!" She shouted, sending them flying off the rooftop and battering against each other. She could hear their bones shattering down below, and only hoped they stayed like that. To her delight, it appeared one of them had been carrying a bow, and without a second thought the redguard dove towards it. Snatching it up and a few fallen arrows the archers had so eagerly offered her, she strung the first and gave one quick test of the weight. It felt perfect.
Sneaking back towards the half wall, she gritted her fangs, took a deep breath and popped out to fire. She let loose the arrow, and it zoomed right into the skull of one of the archers. The skeleton fell with a clatter, but its allies soon sent more back at her, possessing an infuriatingly large amount. Barely managing to duck in time, Yosa'Min hissed with frustration. This was going to take too long, she needed to find Serana and Valerica and get out of here! She strung three arrows this time, rolled a bit down the half wall to appear elsewhere and sent them flying into a pair of skeletons as one arrow went wide. Luckily for the vampire, they were clustered so close together it didn't really make a difference. Three down... Twenty seven to go!
Snapping her head up just in time, she realized she'd forgotten all about the melee fighting skeletons. Two of them were on the rooftop, an extra hand or arm attached to their bodies as if they had been more hastily made than before. She fired an arrow into each of their skulls, but they still rushed at her, one stumbling into the wall and she kicked it in the chest strong enough to break a few ribs. The other made a sound as it swung down upon her, and she barely managed to evade the blow. Grasping the arrow still penetrating its skull, she screamed as she shoved it forward through the back of its head, and it died. Stringing the reclaimed projectile, she spun around and finished off the remaining one. Looking between them, trying to figure out if she'd killed these bones before, she gave a soft hiss of pain as her leg throbbed.
Another pair of armed skeletons came up the stairs, followed by three more. Picking up the discarded black sword and stringing the bow on her back, she snarled and rushed at the attackers. The first parried her blow easily, her speed slowed with the obstruction in her leg, and kneed her in the gut. She stumbled back, attempted to attack it once more, but was blocked once again. Its friends were starting to surround her, panic rising up in Yosa'Min. She felt weaker in this place, that burning in her chest unyielding and the sluggishness to her movements was frustrating. Some prickling thought at the back of her mind told her that it was just because it was the Soul Cairn, that she was in Oblivion itself, but she ignored it behind the burning rage she felt at her attackers. "Just die!" She shouted, stabbing the sword forward and managing to pierce its chest. She kicked the tall skeleton off the blade, ducked beneath the sweep of another, rolled through the now open spot as the skeletons pressed an attack, and took off running down the steps.
Realizing that she had no choice now, these things were going to keep coming back again and again, Yosa'Min attempted to flee. The vampire panted hard as she felt one arrow after another zoom by, just barely missing her as she took off into the fog, half skipping due to her leg. She hadn't gotten very far before her other leg erupted into pain, and she fell face forward screaming. Looking over her shoulders, she felt tears of pain rising as she took in the sight of a pair of arrows in her other calf, pinning her to the ground almost. The army was rushing at her, swords bared and more arrows flying. She held up one hand, and an arc of lightning shot forward to disintegrate the closest ones, ash falling to the pale ground. As the skeletons drew near, she struggled onto her knees, wincing in pain at each sharp bolt that raced up her legs.
"FUS RO DAH!" She shouted once more, sending one skeleton after another over until the front charging half had fallen, the closest ones exploding in clouds of ash. Hissing loudly, she wrapped her hand around the first arrow to strike her, and tore it free. Her breathing was ragged and her head was swimming in pain while her chest continued to feel drained and as if on fire. Her vision hazy as she looked at the blood coated arrow, she readied it to fire at the surging army. If she was going to go down she'd go down swinging. "I've faced dragons!" She screamed at them as she took aim, "You are nothing!"
A spark of red light swirled around the arrow as she let it loose, Yosa'Min confused as it struck the first skeleton... and then went through another and then another, before exploding in a burst of red magical light. No skeleton rose from the small crater she had created, and they almost gave pause as they took in dent of their numbers. With a fresh volley of arrows, the undead pressed once more. Yosa'Min cast the lightning spell again, managing to keep herself from getting shot but a great many drew close to her. Desperate and hopeful that whatever had caused that first explosion would happen again, she gritted her fangs and removed the second arrow that had pierce her leg, strung it and took aim. It sped through the air right into the center of the mass of archers, nicking several skeletons along the way but moving through them as if it had the strength of a dragon behind it.
The explosion of magic made Yosa'Min's ears ring, and scattered the small army, sending many undead onto their faces or backs. She gave a sharp hiss as she removed the third and final arrow, and struggled up to standing. There was a few solid moments that the skeletons had remained as they were, whatever force driving them to attack her almost thinking, and then they rose back up, their numbers returned and more bones joining them with weapons in hand. She wanted to scream in fury. A rather strong desire to find whatever was bringing up this army to fight her and destroy it, along with the spirit who had guided her into this place, was rising up the redguard.
Taking aim with the last arrow that had harmed her, she sent it flying right into the midst of the the renewed army, picked up a fallen arrow from the archers, dipped it in her blood from the open wounds on her legs and shot it moments behind the first. Dual explosions rocked the Soul Cairn, and she struggled to stay on her feet from them. Yosa'Min had no clue how her blood was acting as an explosive agent, but decided questioning it wasn't going to do her any good when she could die at any moment. The split second thought that if she perished here she might remain in this place crossed her mind, but she shoved it aside and instead focused on the battle at hand.
However, she need not have bothered.
Hovering white orbs of light were swirling around her and the army, the undead dropping their weapons and slowly turning into ash. The orbs besides Yosa'Min brushed against her legs, and while she gave a brisk shout for them to back off, she blinked at the healed flesh as they moved away. Then everything exploded once more, only this time it was almost a peaceful eruption of white light that consumed the redguard. When it all faded away, she was no longer standing in a boneyard of crypts and long forgotten remains. Instead she stood in a grove of dead, wiry trees that rose up to block out the purple sky. The ground was filled with more fog, up to her knees, but even still she could make out the ashen ground beneath her. Still in the Soul Cairn, Yosa'Min gave a soft sigh.
"Where am I and what's going on?" She asked aloud, scanning the grove but she was perfectly alone. There wasn't a bone in sight, adding some relief to the redguard's mind but she was still on edge. The trees were all bent around her, blocking any way but forward, a seemingly endless distance before her. Left with no other choice, she started down the shaded path, cautious of what may lie ahead. She hadn't gone more than a few steps when the orbs of light returned, floating along besides her and leaving trails of wispy light behind. She wasn't certain if they were alive, or whatever semblance of life could be found in this place, or simply magic, but they guided her further along the path as it began to twist through the trees. It split at a point, and when all the wisps went down the path to the left, Yosa'Min decided to follow. There was a soft whisper in the back of her head, urging her to follow swifter and excitedly.
The fog was thinning as she kept walking, the limp she expected after being shot in the legs three times was absent, so she figured the spirits were benevolent enough. A hand kept twitching with the last arrow she'd taken from the boneyard, unsure if she should proceed with it fully strung or not. The redguard could only hope she wasn't being led into some trap. "Serana?" She called, fear that the sire had run into trouble as she had building up within her once more. There was no way she could find Valerica and escape this place without her, nor would she. Having to take hope and believe that her sire would be able to fight whatever crossed her path, Yosa'Min pressed on.
Soon enough, the trees were thinning and the path was growing wider. They still reached up to block most of the glowing purple sky, arcs of lightning striking down into the woods but did nothing to the already dead trees. The wisps were moving even faster, as if impatient, and she gave a soft hiss for them to slow down. They turned a bend, and as she rounded it, the redguard froze in place.
Mjoll the Lioness was sitting down at a table, mead and a fine meal resting upon it, while Lydia and Iona were talking besides a fireplace. Vex was leaning against a wooden pillar, a smirk across her face as she conversed with Serana who was rather animated with the imperial. As they spotted the redguard, smiles appeared upon all their faces. It was like looking into a cabin from a window, the walls and floor made of shimmering wood while the ceiling was comprised of the dead branches from above. "Yosa!" Called Mjoll, waving a hand towards the redguard who nearly dropped the bow. "Why don't you come join us? We've been waiting for your arrival!"
"This can't be real," she said, unmoving while her heart pleaded for her to walk over to them. "This is just some sort of magic trick, an illusion," she accussed.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Vex, raising a brow. "We're pretty real."
"But you're not," she snapped, walking closer now, a hand on the dagger upon her hip. "None of this is." As she settled her gaze on Serana, she was taken aback. Green eyes stared at her, no fangs or any vampiric features to be found. "Not even you..."
"Yosa, are you feeling alright?" Serana asked slowly, pushing off the pillar and walking towards her. She only got as close as Yosa'Min's dagger could reach, the redguard quickly drawing the blade and pressed it to Serana's neck. "Hey! What's going on?" Shouted Serana, hands rising to her head. "What's wrong with you Yosa?" The others were cautiously approaching the pair.
"You tell me illusion," she snarled, panic flashing in Serana's mortal green eyes. "Whatever trick this is I'm not going to fall for it."
Vex placed a hand upon Yosa'Min's arm, firm and as heavy as it was in reality, and attempted to move the blade away from Serana. "You saved us remember?" She said slowly, staring at her with a knitted brow. "From Harkon."
"What are you talking about?" The Dragonborn demanded. Lydia pulled a mirror from thin air, and held it up for Yosa'Min to see. Blue eyes stared back at her. Instantly a hand flashed up to her jaw, tongue running over the tips of fangs while she tested her reflection. "This is another lie! I'm a vampire now!"
"We found my mother, and with her help contacted the Ideal Masters. They gave us the power to stop my father," Serana was saying, smiling despite the blade being pressed to her throat. "We rose an army of undead that were stronger than even the most powerful gargoyles, swept through the castle and put an end to his schemes and ambitions! We couldn't have done it without you."
"Afterwards," Mjoll said, "you and she both decided to cure yourselves of vampirism, and the Ideal Masters were able to purge you of Molag Bal's taint."
Yosa'Min glared at the Lioness, the simple smile she wore making her all the more angry. Mjoll should be angry with me right now not happy! She wanted to scream those words aloud but instead gave a hiss, "And who exactly are the Ideal Masters?" Serana laughed, and pointed to the sky. A massive, shimmering purple shape akin to a soul gem was hovering overhead, arcs of light and magic swirling off of it. The tendrils of purple hue floated down and brushed the redguard's body, swirled around her and picked her up above her friends and high into the air. She thrashed, failing to free herself, and the gem quietly rotated around and around, the pain in her chest rising to unbearable levels. "Let me go!" She demanded. Pain pierced her skull as a whispering voice like stones being dragged across one another and the desperate cries of a thousand souls spoke.
We have use of you Yosa'Min, Dragonborn.
"Well tough luck!" She screamed, glancing down at where her friends had vanished. "I'm finding Valerica and Serana and after that I'm leaving this place!"
We do not need you here, we need you elsewhere.
"Where is Serana," she growled, managing to get a proper grip on her dagger.
You will make a deal with us, Yosa'Min. We will aid you in defeating Harkon.
"I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree," she sneered, bringing the dagger across the nearest piece of flesh, her hip, and stabbed through the light that was restraining her. "I'm not one for gods and masters!" Just as before, her blood caused a special kind of explosion in the Soul Cairn. This close, the eruption destroyed not only the magic holding her but also battered her with excruciating pain as she fell down to the Oblivion below. The Ideal Master shimmered, each face of its gemlike appearance turning red, before vanishing into nothingness. Her ears were ringing as she shattered branch after branch, falling through the canopy of dead trees like a stone. At last she stopped, body slamming into the ground and she gave a soft moan as everything swirled around her.
"Wow..." A deep voice said to her side, Yosa'Min just barely finding the strength to look. She was in a cabin again, this one fully built and decorated and... awfully familiar. Blinking, she struggled to straighten up, recognizing the cabin as the one she'd grown up in in Falkreath. A redguard man was sitting in a chair besides a fire, flesh and blood with only a faint bit of spiritual glow to his body, blue light swirling around him like firelight. Eyes just as brilliant as the magic stared at Yosa'Min, a smile upon the man's face that bore the scars of a weary life, yet remained happy and peaceful. "You were always one for dramatics but that... I gotta hand it to you sis, most impressive."
Her mouth opened and shut dumbly, the singular word choking and dying every time she tried to say it until at last she managed, "Vastin?"
The man smiled, stood up from the chair and walked across to her. As he helped her stand up, arms wrapping around her smaller body and pulling her into a firm hug, he gave a nod. "Hello sister... I've missed you."
AN: I've waited literal years to write that. Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts!