Chapter Forty-Three

"Serana... About your father," said Yosa'Min, her voice thick and powerful. The clouds were below them, the sky nothing but stars above. Serana stirred out of her thoughts, admiring the beauty of the world from up so high while also dwelling upon her father. She sighed softly as she looked up at Yosa'Min, the hybrid having turning her long neck enough for her to peer at her. "What are we going to do?"

"Stop him," replied Serana as emotionlessly as she could, afraid of her inner thoughts would betray her. She wasn't certain exactly how they would do that, getting Auriel's Bow first was certainly the first step but beyond that it became a blur of hurt and logic.

Beating her wings in silence for a few long moments, Yosa'Min lowered her head and snapped at a cloud as they passed it. It simply dispersed and she was left with a faint bit of moisture on her muzzle. "But how?" She asked next, banking a bit further south. It was a bit hard for her to get a sense of which direction they were going at night, but she'd stared at the stars long enough that being this close to them she could vaguely sense the appropriate way. Not long after they'd crossed into the Reach, a great storm had blown in from the south, making the clouds below them into a thick blanket. It was nothing but rain and storms she'd have rather not flown through, uncertain how much her body could take like this. There were plenty of thicker ones she had to fly around, lightning dashing through their puffy forms while thunder roared with raw power in its celestial domain. Even with the storms, the Throat of the World still pierced the sky, Yosa'Min unable to look at the peak as she imagined ancient eyes watching her flight.

"We get the bow," Serana said with conviction, perhaps the only thing she was certain of. "To do that we have to go to this glade and you'll need to read the Elder Scrolls. We'll go wherever they tell us we need to go, and face whatever lies before us. We have to get it before my father and we possess a strong advantage by having the Scrolls. He'll have to track us down in order to find it."

"Yes but... When we get Auriel's Bow, what then? Do we run or do we face him?"

Serana dipped her head, that had certainly been a thought running through her head. Almost as if in defeat, she sighed. "We face him. Father will come after us, he'll hunt and search until the end of days and unfortunately it's not like we can just outlive him. It might have taken him centuries to find me but eventually he did. Perhaps he only has Skyrim under his control but given enough time and with enough determination and I have no doubt he'll find wherever we are hiding." There was a soft pause, her fingers wrapped around the sharp spikes that rose from Yosa'Min's spine. "I also don't want to run, I'm tired of hiding."

Yosa'Min grunted softly, though in her form it was as loud as a drunken nord's laughter. "I don't want to run either. You realize what that means though don't you?"

"Yes."

"Can you handle that?"

"I... My feelings for my father are complicated, but I understand that he is dangerous. Maybe we can find a way that won't kill him, perhaps lock him up like I had been so he can't return or-"

"Serana..." softly interjected Yosa'Min, "He'll find a way to come back, somehow he'll return. The heroes of old thought they'd defeated Alduin but all they'd done was send him forward in time to dealt with by the future. By me." She felt Serana's hands tighten around the spike she held, easily picturing the conflict upon her face. "What was it like in that crypt? Being trapped for centuries like that?"

Instantly Serana's eyes grew wide. "Terrible... It wasn't quite like sleep, dreams and nightmares and nothingness mixing together. I could feel every passing day until they meshed into an endless nothing... I thought I might eventually go mad, trapped within my mind."

"Now imagine we put your father in one of those."

Shuddering at the thought, Serana gave an agreeing nod. "I see your point."

"Harkon is a raving mad man, he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants, and now that means us. These kind of people won't give up, even after they've been defeated. It would be safest to kill him."

"I know," admitted Serana with a heavy sigh, pressing her brow to the long spike keeping her balance on the hybrid vampire. "It was just so much easier to think it couldn't happen, that we could find another way but... I know there's no other option. He'll hurt you if he can, he nearly- are you alright?" Suddenly recalling that she'd seen bite marks upon Yosa'Min before they fled the castle, she jolted up.

Blinking, Yosa'Min bobbed her head in the wind. "Yes."

"He didn't... he didn't get a chance to try and... you know?"

"I'm perfectly fine, I was able to get out of it. The Thu'um is a powerful thing. He obviously underestimated me."

"He won't make that mistake twice," uttered Serana.

It was silent for some time then, the rumble of thunder nearly deafening up in the sky. Yosa'Min banked around another mighty thunderhead, having to move more north than she'd have liked before being able to come back around to the southeast. "It's just easier to think it would never come to pass, that I'd never have to try and kill my own father. Even though I don't feel for him as I did as a child, it's still... difficult to imagine."

Yosa'Min opened her massive maw to say something when something heavy beat in the air, not quite the same as the roar of thunder around them. She sniffed the thin air for a moment, before she caught sight of the clouds bending around a monstrous form. "Hold on!" Shouted Yosa'Min as her wings came in close and she spun to the side, narrowly dodging the snapping maw of another dragon. It bellowed in fury at having missed, twisting around to chase her as she skirted just around one of the storm clouds. "We must have crossed into its territory!"

"You said you stopped the dragons!" Shouted Serana, holding onto Yosa'Min as tightly as she could, legs pressing into her neck to keep her from slipping.

"I stopped Alduin, not all the dragons! Most of them just kept to themselves when he died but they're still territorial bastards!" Dodging another attack, Yosa'Min wasn't certain how she could fight this enemy with Serana on her back, fearing she might slip or get injured in the ensuing battle. There was also the matter that she'd been in this form for hours now, and the strain upon her body was already adding up. "Whatever you do don't fall!" Cried the Dragonborn as she evaded another attack, whipping her tail around to strike the shimmering blue dragon as it passed.

"I'll try!"

Sparkles of water and snow was trailing behind the dragon as it banked, coming up towards them with ice on its tongue. Its maw opened wide, and a wave of blue air laced with ice shot outwards as it shouted, "FO KRAH DIIN!" Try as she might, Yosa'Min wasn't able to get out of the way in time with her concerns for Serana, and the blue magic made contact with her right wing. Ice formed around her flesh, making her far too heavy on one side and she began to plummet down below. Serana dared reach out with one hand and struck the ice with lightning, shattering them while also giving Yosa'Min a sharp jolt.

Freed of the weight, Yosa'Min rose back into the air and roared with fury. Her rear claws clasped with the dragon's, the pair spinning in wild circles with maws snapping at each other. With her advantage of possessing two sets of legs, Yosa'Min slashed its chest, tearing scales and drawing blood. "I am Dovahkiin, Qahnaarin of Alduin! You will let me pass!" She roared as her fangs dug into scaly flesh. The dragon bellowed laughter, kicked outwards with its far stronger legs and the pair broke apart. Clouds shuddered around them with each wingbeat, lightning dancing below and aside of them.

"The Dovahkiin is a mortal, not... whatever you are," growled the dragon, blue scales glistening in the night while yellow eyes glared hate. Serana tensed as she spotted that angry gaze drift to where she was peaking over Yosa'Min. "Letting one of those two legged rats ride upon you, disgusting," further sneered the dragon before he charged once more. Yosa'Min met him with fire, shouting in the Thu'um to summon forth a great flame. The frost dragon careened to the side, managing to avoid the brunt of the fire it swept down low and fangs caught her left back leg, Yosa'Min shouting as it dragged her down into the clouds. Serana screamed as the world was swallowed in darkness, the storming blanket swallowing them like an angry sea. Gravity had a firm hold on their large bodies, Yosa'Min flapped frantically in the sky as if it could stop their descent while her tail and claws struck the dragon again and again.

She roared as she twisted her body, leg still in the other dragon's maw and it screamed in pain that she ignored, and spewed more fire, blasting scales and flesh. Finally it let her go, and Yosa'Min had only a moment to level herself before she hit the trees. The tops of the pines snapped as she crashed into them, flapping her wings as strongly as she could but exhaustion was wearing thick upon her. Just barely able to rise back above the tree line, Yosa'Min swung her head about trying to find her opponent. Lightning brought flashes of illumination, the nearby lake dancing like a reflective pool of the chaos in the air. Fat raindrops smacked into her body, weighing her down and Yosa'Min had to blink continually to clear her eyes. "Serana!" She called above the torrent, "I don't think I have any fight left in me. I've been like this for too long..." Pain was rippling through her body that she knew the dragon hadn't inflicted.

"Transformations aren't usually more than an hour," agreed the vampire upon her back, "Maybe we can lose it in the storm!"

"Per-" Yosa'Min's words were cut short as Serana screamed out in warning, and a terrible force crashed into her. While the heavy dragon slammed into her, sending her sailing forward as claws tore scales off her hide and fangs kept her from escaping, something tearing her wings, she was keenly aware of the sudden lack of a certain weight upon her body. "Serana!" She roared, unable to look behind her as her body went down into the trees once more. Pain erupted across her body, and try as she might she was unable to get free as more and more trunks bent and snapped beneath her, the forest quaking and yawing until eventually there was nothing but dirt and stone to stop her. The forest exploded in her vision as they slid to a stop, at the banks of Lake Illinalta, water slapping against the shore.

Yosa'Min had just a moment to breathe before its fangs were on her skull and shoving her into the water. Yosa'Min thrashed, fire burning in her lungs as they filled with water and she struggled beneath the larger dragon. The lake grew cold, and Yosa'Min was vaguely aware of how it was getting iced over on the top. Exhaustion pulled at her body, and she kept trying to ram her horns into the dragon's mouth but its grip was firm, not letting her slip and gore something important. Left with no other option, she opened her mouth and shouted into the water. "FEIM!" Her scales shimmered before she became translucent, a blueish hue to her body that kept her visible. Slipping free from its grasp, she spread her wings and rose into the air, hovering over the lake uncertainly with her wounded wings.

There was a certain fury about her as she hovered there, picturing Serana impaled on a tree branch from their dangerous descent, burned by the dragon or bleeding out from a wound. As she looked at it, fangs twisting into a particularly malicious snarl, any hesitations she had vanished and she was determined to find the strength to finish the fight. The dragon snarled in frustration, and moved to take off after her only for the shout to have been finished and she twisted in a tight spiral that'd have been too much for Serana when she was on her back, and drove into it, slamming the dragon down into the dirt. It snarled with fury, but she silenced its noise with her foreclaws, snapping its mouth shut. Just as when the gargoyle had nearly killed Serana, or Durnehviir's interruption of reuniting with Vastin, the fury that burned through Yosa'Min blinded her to everything but the most primal of instincts. That of to hunt and kill, demanding blood and she was determined to get it. The thick liquid ran down her body, the dragon beneath her kicking with its legs to try and push her off but she forced all her weight down onto the creature.

With a terrible roar her maw snapped down, and fangs dug into its neck. She did not simply drain it of its blood, but instead tore flesh as she wrenched her head back and then bit down again and again. Its legs kicked at her, tearing great lengths of her weaker scales off but in her rage she hardly even took notice. The futile thrashing down below did not last for long, life fading from ancient eyes as Yosa'Min killed the dragon. When at last its strength was gone, she stole from it the last of its life force, and her wounds began to heal themselves. The dragon shuddered one last time, before fire swept across its body and it burned away in flakes of flesh. The bleached bones left behind glowed as brilliant lights swirled off of them and began to encircle Yosa'Min. They wrapped around her and she felt a rush of power before they spun together and shot through her body, a vile laugh escaping her at the sensation.

The moment it was over however, she was hit with all the pain and exhaustion building within her body, and she could sustain her form no longer. With a roar of agony, her body began to shift back to normal decreasing in size and scales fell from her skin, white hair receding back to her normal black. As her wings went away, tail vanishing just as well as they rejoined her normal spine in ways she couldn't understand nor did she, Yosa'Min screamed in utter misery. The strain she'd gotten accustomed to in her previous two transformations was nothing compared to what she felt then, a battle added to a considerably longer amount in that form made her want to curl up and cry. A small part of her raging mind recalled that she needed to find Serana, but when she tried to move her once more a human mouth cried out in protest. Collapsing into the mud below, the storm still raging with a passion, Yosa'Min slipped from consciousness into the dark.

Yosa'Min wasn't certain how many times she'd been knocked out or passed out only to wake up in a place she certainly hadn't been before. This was one such occasion. As she stirred out of the nightmarish black that had consumed her, Yosa'Min winced in pain. A terrible ache was in her chest, every muscle in her body stiff and a headache pulsed in the back of her head. "Serana?" She weakly called out, blinking at the earthy ceiling above her. There was a brilliant light to the side that pierced the cave roof despite the storm. As she rose to sit up, discovering a cloak rolled up that'd been a pillow for her, she took in her surroundings. Directly besides her were a trio of blood potions, and with a deep need she downed them each. The headache she was experiencing lessened as the potion took effect.

Grateful for what no doubt was left behind by Serana, she started to look for her sire. There were five peculiar trees within the cavern, unlike the various pines that grew upwards but instead were short with outspread branches covered in pink and white blossoms. Flowers and brush were just about everywhere aside from the vast amount of stone within the cavern, some piled ritualistically while others simply rose upwards to the ceiling.

Pools of water were settled at the bottom of the cavern, similar to a hot spring with plumes of steam rising from them. A river cut through the cavern, a small waterfall trickling out of the far stone wall while the rush of water came from the opposite end. She could heard birdsong and a faint magical tinkling noise while a hum reached her acute ears. Looking around, she spotted several different stone steps curving with the hilled terrain, some leading to other parts of the area or up and what she assumed to be out. Then she caught sight of Serana, down below using a peculiar blade of some sort on one of the unique trees, Yosa'Min assuming it was the canticle tree the moth priest had spoke of. She was near the shaft of light, her skin radiant just from being near it, and once more Yosa'Min was struck with how beautiful she was.

Rising to her feet with sore limbs, she stepped down to where her sire was at work. Down by the springs and the column of light were several pillars and arches, crude but distinctly manmade. An almost alter like one was before the light, a circular center where Yosa'Min figured the drawing knife had been. "Serana?" She called as she approached, the nord vampire pausing from rubbing the knife against the trunk of the tree, some scraps of bark having fallen into the warm water below. "Are you alright?"

"I'm pretty sure I should be asking you that," said Serana, smiling softly. "I am, but are you? That dragon meant business."

"I just hurt... A lot."

"Pain or soreness?"

"Soreness, bit of a headache... I fed off the dragon before it died though so I'm fine there... Plus the potions you left for me, thanks."

Yosa'Min almost could have sworn she blushed, Serana shrugging it off. "Of course. Do you often get attacked by flying monsters?"

"They're not monsters," snapped Yosa'Min, "not even Alduin was."

Blinking, Serana dipped her head. "Sorry, didn't mean to upset you." Shaking herself, she gestured at the tree. "I'm trying to get that bark the priest talked about but it's surprisingly tough. I'm not sure how much you need either."

Plucking one of the fallen pieces, Yosa'Min brought it to her face to examine when a moth landed upon her fingers. "Looks like not much," she smirked, the massive insect fluttering its wings before taking off and circling her. "It's a shame we have to harm the tree, this place... Well I'd almost forgotten such places existed. I've spent so much time crawling through sewers and ruins it's easy to forget there's beauty out there as well."

Serana paused to glance around, taking in the truly spectacular scenery. "I'm pretty sure we put a lot of distance between us and father, we could probably enjoy it for a bit... Before we end up in somewhere dreary again."

"That water looks pretty good," said Yosa'Min slowly.

"It'd probably help your muscles recover," replied Serana, smirking, "Go ahead, I'll get the bark. I'm pretty sure you could use some more rest, a few hours after a transformation like that isn't enough. Not to mention you haven't properly rested once since your first one either."

"That doesn't seem all that fair now does it, if we relax we both do it. You've been pushing yourself too."

Rolling her burning eyes, Serana waved a hand and turned back to the tree. "My body can push itself far more easily than yours, I'm used to all this." The fledgling's eyes narrowed accusingly and with a huff she caved. "Fine, but only after we know where the bow is."

"Deal."

After a few more minutes of scraping, there was a hefty amount and Yosa'Min began to walk around the stunning cavern, holding the bark up high in an attempt to lure the ancestor moths towards her. It didn't take long for more of them to flutter down from the high rock wall or tall trees. Their brown wings flapped all around her, swarming the redguard and if she didn't think they were more interested in the bark than herself, she might have been worried. The swarm was large enough that she could barely see where she was going anymore, guided only by the massive shaft of light coming down from the ceiling and Serana's voice. "Okay, let's do this!" She called, stepping into the blinding light.

Serana handed her the Elder Scrolls, having to fight the swarm of moths to hand them to her. "You know, you're positively glowing," called Serana.

"I'm standing in light!" Retorted Yosa'Min with a rare laugh. She caught sight of Serana's toothy grin through the swarm of moths, and rolled her eyes.

Focusing on the task at hand, Yosa'Min cleared her mind of everything but the scroll. She assumed the shaft of light worked like the time distortion atop the Throat of the World, allowing her to peer into the wonders of the Elder Scrolls with a certain keenness anywhere else wouldn't allow. As she held the edges of the first Elder Scroll, the golden casing warm with power, she could hear a song almost. Blinking, she realized it was the ancestor moths, their wings singing something ancient and old but powerful. Readying herself the best she could, Yosa'Min opened it and the world exploded around her. The parchment was black with runes of blue etched into it, stars almost and things beyond Yosa'Min's understanding whispering along it. She quickly grabbed and opened the next one, the image of the first burned into her vision. The magic shimmered and pulsated, roaring in her ears and she could hardly breathe as the second one came unfurled and it only grew stronger.

A deep, jagged line of blue was cutting across the runes, curving down to the right before splitting into several smaller lines at the bottom. The image shimmered and a great force was building up inside her, the headache she that had faded returned with a vengeance, exploding within her skull but she could hardly pay it any attention. Instead she heard the whispers that the moths sang, growing louder like a chorus within a great cathedral. As she opened the last Elder Scroll, a wave struck her and she stumbled, nearly leaving the shaft of light but Serana kept her within. Up near the top of the blue line it shot off to the right before spreading once more like rivers of blue. It pooled in some places and trickled around others, Yosa'Min recognizing it but unable to place it until another wave of light struck her, blackening her vision save for the blue lines and the faint silvery etching behind them. White ones danced across the top of her eyes, resembling mountains and peaks while the blue spread around them like a great sea. To the bottom left of what she could see a red symbol began to shimmer, something akin to a ram while on the far top right opposite it was a wolf like image.

Then there near the center, just a bit above where the blue line she'd realized represented a river was, a strange symbol appeared. It pulsed and screamed at her, nestled at the base of the mountains while a thunderous roar of voices leapt from the vision and gave her the answer she sought. Darkfall Cave! She screamed as the vision exploded, white nothingness consuming her and a shrill noise filled her ears. The next thing she knew she was on the ground, head upon Serana's lap and the Elder Scrolls had rolled away from her, not a moth in sight.

"Yosa!" Serana was nearly shouting herself, shaking the redguard in her grip, "Yosa can you hear me?"

"Yes..." Groaned the fledgling, "Ow."

"Can you see me?"

Yosa'Min gave a heavy nod. "Yes, please stop screaming."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Serana frowned at her, brow knit together. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Rubbing her head a bit, Yosa'Min sat up, finding Serana's hand upon her own. "I... I know where the bow is."

"You do?"

"Yeah I just... Hold on," she took her hand back and started to shuffle through her pockets until she pulled out a map, laying it flat on the stone beneath them. "It's as I thought, it showed me a map almost. Markarth and Solitude so... It's here," she said, marking the spot upon the map.

"Awfully close to where father will certainly be looking for us," said Serana with discomfort.

"That's at least the entrance, it could be like Blackreach and have so much underground territory three cities can fit inside it. Besides, your father won't expect us to come anywhere near him."

Nodding her head, Serana let out another shaky breath. "Do you feel strange? Any side effects?"

"I really want that dip," Yosa'Min drawled with a pitiful tone, "Everything hurts right about now."

With a brilliant smile, the sire nodded her head. "Okay, but we can't take too long."

"At least ten minutes," begged the redguard, trying to start removing her tunic but she could hardly move her arms let alone lift them above her head. "Also... Can you please help me?"

Snickering, the worry fading from Serana, she lent her a hand with removing her upper clothes. A soft fire burned along her skin when Serana touched her, lingering and enticing but Yosa'Min pushed any dirty thoughts out of her mind. Serana was attractive, and she did care for her, but she was tired of ruining relationships by diving head first into something romantic. Mjoll and Vex both could have been good friends if she'd just not been so lustful. Grimacing at the memories, a mix of blame and strife swirling in her mind with only a few pleasant moments, she muttered in frustration. Perhaps one day if she decided to remain a vampire she might pursue Serana, but for now all she needed and wanted was a friend, and with her sire she had exactly that. The thought of ruining that made her feel sick, a terrible trend she'd set up for herself. Serana had been right about her going from one thing to another in life, lost and wandering.

The springs weren't terribly deep, but it was enough for Yosa'Min with a bit more assistance to sit down in, her back against the edge of stone. She could hear Serana stripping down as well, and when the vampire joined her in the pool, as that one was the only one deep enough, her eyes roamed over the pale canvas. Perhaps she wasn't looking for anything romantic, or even a fling as she didn't think one could have a fling with a fellow vampire without it ending badly or into something far more, but she saw no harm in admiring what she saw. Serana caught her gaze, and with a knowing smirk settled down into the spring, a softness slipping across her face as she enjoyed the hot spring. The water was warm enough to be relaxing but not so hot as to be uncomfortable, and leaning her head back Yosa'Min let out a long sigh of relief. The ache in her muscles was softly fading, magical warm water soothing the tense woman. Her mind soon grew blank, and despite herself and every instinct that told her she needed to keep her wits about her as they were being hunted down, the redguard couldn't care less and soon dozed off into a light sleep.

AN: So I hadn't noticed last time, but the previous chapter tipped 200K. Thanks for sticking with me this long, and as always, I'd love to hear what you think in a review. I certainly couldn't have come this far without you!