Loredas, the 17th of Morning Star, 4E202
"Are you nervous?"
Saya glanced down at her friend, who stood beside her with a sympathetic smile. She had been sitting on a large rock in front of the Earth Stone for a few minutes now, trying to calm her nerves enough to actually do something while the people came and went, continuing their work on the damnable shrine.
"Lil bit," she sighed, and immediately felt Serana give her hand a reassuring squeeze. Saya smiled. The circles under her eyes made her look sadder than she really was. "I'm just tired, honestly. I don't know what to prepare for." She gestured at the townsfolk. "For all I know, all these poor wankers might go berserk and try to kill us like that sailor fellow back in Windhelm. Or maybe I'll end up in Apocrypha again and have to deal with some other fuckery that'll send me back to the healer's." She sighed, shaking her head. "...'m just tired."
Serana gave her a long, silent look. "Do you want to… do this later?" She leaned in a bit to meet Saya's eye. Saya's mouth involuntarily curled into a smile again. "The priests did say you need some rest. You barely slept all night. Maybe you should take today off and come back tomorrow?"
Saya looked at the vampire pensively and then pointed to the shrine. Serana's gaze followed the motion. For a moment, she stared in confusion until Saya spoke: "See those two folks over on the far end? Weren't there, last we saw them." She lowered her hand. "And it's only going to get worse from there if I don't take care of it now. Not to mention…" She paused, taking a shallow breath and clearing her throat before she continued. "...what happened last night." She turned to Serana. "No matter what I do, it's risks all around."
Serana fell quiet for a moment, and then offered Saya a hand. Saya looked at her, then at the hand, and sighed softly before taking it and hopping off the rock. "Then perhaps it is best we stop stalling."
Saya chuckled, shooting the vampire an amused look. "Was that a jab just now, sunshine?"
Serana ignored the joking accusation thrown her way, shrugging innocently as she walked towards the Earth Stone. "Merely an observation. As for whether or not it is true…" She turned around and flashed the Dunmer a teasing smile. "Well, that part is up to you, isn't it?"
Saya's eyes narrowed as she stared at Serana for a few long, long seconds. Then she shook her head, defeated. "You're lucky you're so damn pretty, I swear." Serana snorted and rolled her eyes at the comment while the Dragonborn passed her by. She stopped at the very edge of the small stone pool that surrounded the Earth Stone, peering into the murky, shallow water. Somehow, it was still perfectly clean despite all the ash and dirt surrounding them.
"Alright, here goes…" She muttered to nobody in particular and lifted her eyes to the Earth Stone itself. Her hands tightened into fists and she drew a deep breath, tasting the sea on the air before exhaling with a word: "Gol."
Serana could've sworn the wind picked up ever so slightly. There was a pulse, something invisible but which the vampire felt, a gentle energy flashing through the space around them before fading out an instant later. Then, her eyes focused on the Earth Stone and she saw the green shimmer dance on its surface, swirling like dark waves laced with shadow, a deep darkness that rose to the surface.
"Did… Did it work?" Saya took a step back and looked around. She saw every single worker around the Stone freeze in place, eyelids falling as though half-asleep. Just in case, her hand hovered over the handle of her sword.
Then, one by one they all snapped to consciousness. Hushed whispers of fear and confusion echoed from all over, people dropping their tools and trying to orient themselves. Some townspeople recognized each other and rushed to hug their friends and family members, relieved to see them alive. Others looked around with confusion, not sure how they even ended up where they were, struggling to remember how to speak and think with an unclouded mind. A couple unfortunate few looked on the verge of unconsciousness, ready to collapse from exhaustion after toiling restlessly for weeks on end.
"It worked. Holy shit, it actually worked!" Saya laughed and turned around to look at Serana with a massive grin on her face. The vampire blinked, still processing what she saw before she mirrored Saya's excited smile and immediately braced for impact when she saw Saya rush towards her with a hug. "Oh gods, I am so going to get drunk and pass out tonight."
Serana hugged her back, laughing as she shook her head. "Is that really the first thing your mind jumps to for celebrations?" She asked, a light chastising note in her voice. Saya only hummed, not really having a snarky response ready and instead just hanging on the vampire's neck. "Alright, alright, come now, we should tell… huh?"
"Mm?" Saya loosened her hold, looking at Serana curiously. "Something wrong?"
"Look," Serana said. One arm still wrapped around her, Saya turned around and looked at the Earth Stone. The ancient magic that danced within the monolith was undulating and swirling about, as though pushing away from something else. Little dark spots emerged on the surface, little voids that clumped together and sank down to the base of the Stone until the water around it turned black as ink.
And then, a massive hand reached out of the pool and slammed down onto the ashen ground.
Saya broke away from the hug and unsheathed Stormblade. She took a cautious step toward the Earth Stone just as another arm reached out, webbed digits grasping the scaffolding with such strength that it splintered. With a low guttural growl, a massive form emerged from the pool, the thing's torso reminiscent of a tadpole yet its size rivaling that of a mammoth. Three milky, bulbous eyes opened at the top of the creature's tentacled head, feelers suspended unnaturally in the air as though they were underwater. Though they possessed no pupils, Saya knew it in her soul that they were staring directly at her.
"EVERYONE, BACK!" A loud shout came from behind Saya, followed almost immediately by an arrow. Serana watched the Redoran guard rush past her, nocking one shot after another as the arrowheads sank into the daedra's bulbous flesh. Its gaze snapped over to its assailant and the beast lunged past Saya with unbelievable speed, knocking her down as it grabbed the man by the legs with its massive hand. "H-HELP, SOMEBODY HELP-" he managed to scream before the other hand wrapped around the upper half of his body and twisted.
Serana watched in horror as, with a sickening crunch of bones and armor, the daedra tore the guard in two. The man's cries filled the ears of everyone at the shrine, all of them paralyzed with fear. The daedra then raised itself, sitting down on its frog-like hind legs to reveal a stomach lined with rows upon rows of serrated teeth, and stuffed the still-screaming man's upper half into its shark-like maw.
In moments, he went silent, and the rest of the shrine erupted into terrified screams.
The beast dropped back down to all fours, looking around in search of a new victim. Saya saw her opportunity and quickly stepped onto its tail, running up the creature's back and drawing her sword across the surface in one continuous cut. Once she reached the head, she stomped down and jumped off with as much force as she could muster before the beast brought its hand down onto its shoulder to try and swat her off.
"Do you have a plan for this thing?" Serana asked her, watching the Dragonborn land next to her with a tumble and roll. Saya wiped the dust off her face and spat.
"Same old. Blast it with everything we can, and figure it out from there."
Serana rolled her eyes. "Wonderful," she muttered and conjured up a few ice spikes before sending them out in a volley. The daedra immediately shuffled in response, putting up an arm to block the first two but missing the mark as the third and fourth circled around and pierced its sides. Saya quickly followed up by putting one hand forward and allowing heat to gather in her palm before swinging her arm and splattering lava all over the creature's body.
The beast roared. Boils and bubbles formed on its gelatinous skin before popping with viscid black blood. Once more, the creature stood on its hind legs and both Saya and Serana dropped into lower stances, both of them expecting it to attack. Instead, the daedra quickly turned around and leapt onto the scaffolding, perching atop it like a gargoyle while it looked for an escape route.
"It's trying to run!" Saya shouted, sending another bolt of viscous flame after it. This time, the daedra had the sense to swat it away with its free hand, though its skin still sizzled from the heat. Its eyes all darted around independent of one another, scanning the crowd as everyone at the shrine ran for their lives - or almost everyone. From the corner of its eye, the beast saw a terrified Dunmer boy standing alone, eyes wide and transfixed upon the monstrous form staring him down.
"Get away from there!" Serana shouted. In two leaps, the daedra crossed the distance between them and landed heavily right in front of the child. The mouth on its stomach opened and a dozen tongue-like tendrils reached out from within, each one lined with uneven jagged teeth. Immediately after, a wave of cold rushed between them and the tendrils froze solid before cracking and falling apart at the slightest exertion. The vampire immediately rushed towards the boy, pulling him off the ground by the arm and glancing back. "Saya, go!"
Just then, a whirlwind rushed past her and Saya materialized in mid-air, Stormblade plunging into the octopus-like head. The daedra released a gurgling shriek, thrashing about in agony before it grabbed Saya and violently threw her aside like a rag doll. Ash and dust kicked up around her, the tiny elf breaking out into a cough. Instinctively, her hand moved down to her ribs, but the realization soon dawned that she simply hurt all over. She struggled to stand, her knees shaking and giving out under her, and it took all her strength just to focus her gaze.
That was when she saw the daedra lift Serana in the air with one hand, and Saya felt as though her heart stopped.
"Let… me… go…!" Serana hissed, fruitlessly struggling to pry the scaled fingers off herself. The creature growled back at her, the feelers on its head reaching out towards her threateningly. Suddenly, she heard a commanding shout coming from the side - out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of guards approaching from the town. The frustrated beast released a low growl and sharply turned in the opposite direction.
And then, it dove straight into the water with a loud splash.
Serana fought her impulse to gasp - not so much from the cold water as from the cage-like grip she was held in. She had to think fast. Even if she couldn't drown, there was nothing keeping the creature from crushing her then and there. And even if she were to come out victorious, there was no telling how people would react to her survival if she were to take too long.
With as much strength as she could gather, Serana pushed the fingers apart just enough to slip her arms between them. Magic flashed at her fingertips and she pressed her hands to the daedra's slimy skin, the very seawater around them starting to freeze. Yet, much to her alarm, the creature barely seemed to notice. Its white eyes were completely transfixed on her, the serrated tongues reaching out from its mouth and stabbing into her torso. In seconds, the water around them began to turn crimson and Serana finally gasped, cold brine rushing into her lungs.
Her eyes felt hot. Pain burned under her skin, making her writhe and struggle against the monster. Once more it exposed its torso, the toothy maw shifting in preparation of a new meal. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the feelers on its head swimming around, drinking the drops of blood diluted in the water.
Wait. That's right. Blood!
Gathering her strength, Serana focused all her energy inward. She tried to push past the pain, the pressure, the smothering sensations that surrounded her. She had to feel a rhythm, an even beat that she could follow. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Her eyes snapped open, and her irises flashed red. In rapid succession, every blood vessel in her body blackened with dark energy until her very sclerae turned black, her glare gaining an almost demonic quality to it. The daedra went still.
Ba-dum. The blood rushed from Serana's body. Ba-dum. The tentacles pulsed, ravenously drinking every drop of red they could find. Ba-dum. Serana's eyes narrowed, every ounce of her concentration poured into sensing it. Ba-dum. The blood inside her, outside her, even inside of the daedra. Ba-dum. Her blood.
Ba-dum.
The magic in her eyes flashed again, and a dozen crimson spikes suddenly emerged from the daedra's bulbous body. Thorned and crystalline, they split and shattered with each passing moment, more and more spikes exploding outward from every single drop of Serana's blood inside the creature. Flesh tore and ripped apart by the strand, revealing black muscle beneath the translucent gelatinous skin as ink-black liquid spilled out into the waters.
Soon, whatever the beast once was became a distant memory, the pile of malformed and twisted flesh that now remained releasing its grasp upon Serana and going still. With minimal effort, the vampire slipped out from between its fingers and watched as the thing's corpse slowly but surely sank deeper and deeper into the uncaring sea. Then, she glanced upward. Back, I have to go back, she thought and began swimming upward.
She coughed in almost practiced fashion when she surfaced. Before long, Saya was already at her side, helping her out of the water. Serana felt her warm hand support her head. Once her eyes focused, she saw Saya looking at her with a proud smile.
"You okay?" Saya asked. The vampire smiled back and nodded. There was a brief pause. "Don't suppose you want to stand up and meet the adoring crowd?"
The vampire lifted her head and turned to the side. Some ways back behind Saya, she could see a small crowd of guards and civilians alike, gawking curiously to see what happened to the terrible monster they had seen before. The vampire sighed. "...do I have to?"
"Would you prefer to faint dramatically and have me carry you back to bed?" Saya snickered, a smirk on her face. After a moment of contemplation, the vampire nodded and closed her eyes.
"Mm… I think I'd like that."
The tiny elf shook her head, giggling. "And you say you're not a princess," she teased, and then carefully picked Serana up in her arms before turning around and heading back to Raven Rock.
Geldis must be either singing us praise or cursing us in our sleep with how much business we're bringing to his place. Once I explained everything to the guard and they finished writing their reports, everyone at the shrine ran off… well, just about all over. Some folks went to see their families at home, others got lined up at the temple to check for any lasting damage, some particularly impressionable folk even broke down right then and there. Either way, most people made their way to the Netch to get shitfaced, whether to celebrate or to forget themselves for the next few hours.
Much to Serana's relief, nobody really paid her much attention after the first hour or so. Conveniently, she also spent that hour (and then some) in our room drying off her clothes and reading… something or another. "2920", I think. Fun series, though the prose is a bit dry for my liking. Definitely beats having to hear questions and thanks from people you've never seen before.
I brought Serana and myself some lunch when Geldis got a moment to breathe and serve it. Pork ragout, I think. I say "I think" because there's some herbs in here that give it this odd aftertaste… I might ask for the recipe later, might be fun to play around with the flavor.
The Retching Netch had grown noticeably quieter by the time the sun had started to set. Just about everyone who had a place to live went there, aside from a few stragglers more concerned with getting drunk than getting home. Not that Saya could blame them, she had been nursing a bottle of greef for the better part of the afternoon. A pleasantly bitter remedy for the matching bitterness that gathered in her chest. She knew better than anyone that going up to Serana and giving her shit for almost dying would help no one, not even Saya herself. No, that particular worry was better off leashed on the inside. If anything, her coming out alive and relatively well was something to be happy with.
Or, well, at least that's what she told herself in-between swigs. The brandy burned her throat pleasantly on the way down, a lingering bitterness on her tongue that sometimes traveled up her nose. The image was still perfectly vivid in her mind. Saya, helpless, lying on the ground. Watching. A hulking figure, hand raised, wrapped around her throat. Her black hair falling in disarray. Struggling. Fighting just to keep her eyes open. A faceless face glances back at her, and then…
Saya took another swig and slammed the half-empty bottle down on the table. It's okay. She's fine. She's alright. She took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then exhaled. The thumping in her temples gradually subsided. Saya opened her eyes and looked at the bottle in her hand, as if gauging how much more she could handle. Then, with a resigned sigh, she grabbed the cork off the table and shoved it back where it belonged before burying her face in her hands. Today is too long.
A light pinging sensation pulled the elf out of her thoughts. She stood up from her table, grabbing the bottle on the way out, and went up the stairs to the inn entrance. She opened the door and immediately was met with a loud bird call coming from overhead. Recognition flashed in her eyes and she put out her arm, and within a few seconds an all-too-familiar avian landed on her forearm. This time, she noticed, it looked more like an eagle rather than a hawk or a falcon.
"Kura!" The bird chirped merrily in response to its own name and Saya reached out with her free hand to scratch its head. It seemed to enjoy the attention. "Hey there, lil fellow. How've you been? Did you bring me something?" Another chirp, this one more affirmative than the last. "Alright, let's see what you have."
Carefully, Saya placed the bottle on the ground before undoing the little string around Kura's leg that held the message in place. Then, she lifted her hand close to her shoulder and allowed the bird to jump over to its new seat. Finally, she unfolded the letter and scanned the contents with a quick eye while Kura looked around with curiosity, occasionally taking the moment to groom its own feathers. It didn't really pay much attention to Saya's expression as her smile gradually faded and she bit her lip.
"...shit."
Without another word, Saya folded the letter into her pocket and rushed back into the inn. Her half-finished bottle of brandy was left on the sidewalk, completely forgotten.
Serana's thoughts were completely adrift. Fantastical images filled her imagination, distant lands and cities she'd never seen, pictures and people painted by prose in her mind's eye by an author she'd never met or would meet. Her gaze traveled across the pages, devouring word after word and making of them an entire world, not even noticing the smile on her own lips. It was fun. Familiar. Just like those distant days back at the castle, that tiny room at the Retching Netch was her entire universe, at least for the moment.
Then she heard footsteps rushing down the hall and that illusion immediately crumbled. With a sigh, Serana moved the bookmark to the page she stopped at and set the book aside. She already knew who was coming. Saya's footsteps had a certain quality to them the vampire couldn't quite put her finger on, but they'd long since grown familiar to her. Finally, the door swung open.
"Did something happen?" Serana asked, seeing the somewhat disheveled Dragonborn. She instinctively pulled up her legs and sat up a bit straighter. She was wearing a very loose robe graciously provided to her by Aphia, as all of her clothes were soaked through and through with sea water and needed more than just drying off, but she was assured that by tomorrow morning they'd be up to shape again.
"You could say that, yeah." Saya reached into her pocket and handed Serana the letter. Along with it, Kura hopped down the elf's arm and onto the bed, chirping happily when the vampire gave it some attention in the form of lightly stroking its feathers. "A letter from Fortunata," Saya explained.
In the meantime, Serana's expression grew more and more grim with each word she read. "'The Volkihar got to him first'... 'cave near Dragon Bridge'... Dead?" Serana's eyes shot wide open. She re-read the passage. "They were holding him in a cave near Dragon Bridge while awaiting further orders, the priest was found charmed, and when they killed the vampire holding him hostage, he…"
"Killed himself," Saya finished. Serana's arm fell onto the bed as she blinked, still a bit stunned from the information. The bed creaked uncomfortably as Saya let herself drop onto the mattress. There was a brief, awkward silence broken only by the occasional noise coming from Kura. "...well, silver linings - at least he's not with Harkon."
Serana exhaled forcefully, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. That was an upside, she supposed. "What options does that leave us with?" She tilted her head, looking at the Dragonborn nestled at the foot of the bed.
"Short of going to Cyrodiil and knocking on the White Gold Tower's front door, not much." Saya shrugged. A second later, she added: "Though it would be funny." At those words, Serana couldn't help but snort. Saya allowed herself a smug grin.
"Father must have wanted to keep us from reading the Elder Scrolls at all costs." Kura bumped into Serana's elbow while she spoke. Without turning towards it, she gently picked up the bird and placed it onto her chest, continuing to stroke its feathers with a light touch. "I did not think he would attempt something so drastic. It took a lot of time and effort to lure a single priest into Skyrim, to throw all of that away just to keep us from progress…"
"He's on his back foot," Saya said matter-of-factly. "We have two out of… what, three Elder Scrolls?" She looked up to Serana, who gave her an affirmative nod. "And you said the last one is with your mom, who's been hiding gods-know-where for like a thousand years. There's not much he can do in his position except try and bite us back."
"Yeah…" Serana sighed. "I suppose you're right."
Once more, there was a brief bout of silence as both women considered what to do with this newfound piece of news. Theoretically, they could go back to Skyrim and exchange information with the Blades. On the other hand, leaving the All-Maker Stones as they are now that they've started cleansing them felt risky, if not simply irresponsible. There was the option of sending a letter in response, but what was there to even be said?
"Y'know…" Saya spoke up and Serana glanced at her curiously. Saya looked up and met her gaze. "All else fails, I could ask Hermaeus Mora for help with the Elder Scrolls."
"Absolutely not," Serana immediately replied. The tone of her voice was categoric, with no room for argument. Kura let out a distressed noise at the sudden motion from its master - or, well, its other master - and nearly fell off her chest. Saya's eyes widened slightly in surprise and Serana realized the extent of her reaction, recomposing herself. She cleared her throat and leaned back into the pillow. "I am sure there are other avenues we can explore without immediately turning to a Daedric Prince for assistance."
Saya hummed. "You really don't like him, huh?" She mumbled and immediately saw the vampire's eyes shoot over to her, animosity practically seeping from her gaze.
"I have already watched you nearly die twice because of those hellish tomes of his," she said curtly. "With your luck I expect there will be a third, but I will not have you inflate that number more than is absolutely necessary. He is to be a last resort only. Are we clear?" She asked, her eyes gleaming as they burrowed into what must've been Saya's very soul for it to send such a chill down her spine.
"...yes'm," Saya muttered awkwardly, still a little aghast at the vampire's bluntness. She couldn't in good conscience say she disliked it, but she had enough sense to leave that comment unsaid. She needed a moment to even out her voice before she asked: "So uh… any suggestions?"
Serana remained stone-faced for a moment before she sighed and her expression softened. She thought for a moment. "My father aside, there is still much to do. We should focus on the task at hand for now, at least until Solstheim is in no immediate danger anymore. And after that…" She shrugged. "I am not sure."
"We could look for your mom," Saya chipped in and Serana blinked, surprised. Saya sat up and moved to lie down properly, her red hair spreading across the rough blanket. "She seems to be the last piece of the puzzle with this whole… situation of yours. With your father, I mean." She turned to face the vampire. "Besides, you'd probably want to see her after so long, right?"
Serana stared back at her mouth agape. She didn't know exactly what it was about Saya's words that struck her so, but all of a sudden she felt emotion swelling up inside of her with no right words to release it. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she nodded. "Y-Yes, I… I would like that," she said. Saya smiled.
"Then that's settled. Now, if you'll excuse me…" The elf suddenly sprung back up and hopped off the bed. Kura made a displeased noise at the sudden disturbance. "...I'm gonna go take a bath because I just realized I fucking reek, and my hair is still full of ash from this afternoon. Keep the bed warm, will ya?"
Serana hummed something noncommittally and the Dragonborn grinned, waving her goodbye before grabbing a change of clothes from her backpack and stepping out of the room. The vampire lay there for minutes afterward, simply staring at the ceiling as she fruitlessly tried to sort out whatever thoughts she was having.
A sudden curious chirp pulled her out of those thoughts and she looked down, remembering the wide-eyed black hawk sitting on top of her still. "I think it is time for you to go, little darling," she said gently and received another affirmative chirp before the bird promptly vanished in the blink of an eye. With that final distraction gone, Serana got up and caught a momentary glimpse of herself in the mirror. She didn't notice when she started smiling.
And with that image in mind, she crawled under the covers and closed her eyes. As she drifted off, she wondered if she forgot to tell Saya that vampires don't produce body heat.
Sundas, the 18th of Morning Star, 4E202
Didn't sleep as well as I wish I had, but definitely better than the first night we spent here. I'll take it. A lot more people at the Netch this morning than yesterday, people getting back into the swing of things now that they can actually think for themselves. Temple folk have been busy with helping the injured, but it seems that the only casualty so far was that poor guy that got torn in half. All things considered, I would say that's damn lucky. My guess is that whatever that thing was, the amount of people around got it spooked. I've seen smaller fish in Apocrypha do a lot more than it did here yesterday. We'll need to be prepared for next time.
Speaking of which, we'll be heading off to the Water Stone next thing after breakfast. There's a reaver cave on the way that the Redorans want cleared out, and the money is worth the job. I'm thinking we handle the cave first, then rest if we have to, and then take care of the Water Stone. A handful of bandits shouldn't be too much trouble, I don't think.
Alternatively, Serana suggested that we scout ahead and see if the Water Stone has any reavers nearby. If so, we could try to sweet-talk some of their buddies back at the cave into helping us out with the Water Stone. Seems unlikely if you ask me, but hey. On the off chance it works, maybe they'll happen to die during the fight. Job's done either way.
On the topic of money, I actually met Ralis just as we were leaving. He's made a lot of progress with the excavation… but he needs more money. He says they managed to break into the crypt and almost immediately ran into a bunch of draugr. Part of the crew is injured, others are still able to work, but they're going to need people to guard them.
I can't spare the time, so we settled on twenty five hundred gold and he'd hire people at his own discretion. It hurts a bit to spend that much money all at once, but I guess that's just what risky investments are like. At least I have the benefit of knowing that Ahzidal is indeed in there, so I'm guaranteed at least some payoff.
The mine is empty. Just my luck.
"Heads up, on your left!"
The Dunmer man barely had time to react as a massive spiked tentacle slammed into his side and swept him off his feet. Saya cursed under her breath. That's the third one already, where did these morons learn how to fight?! Unfortunately, her feelings of frustration would have to wait as her ears twitched and the hairs on her neck stood on end. She glanced ahead just in time to see a streak of sickly green lightning shoot across the ground towards her - and just as quickly, it turned into little more than an invisible ripple in the air.
Feeling the surge of magicka in her system, Saya immediately retaliated with a fireball in her attacker's direction. When the flames dissipated, she could clearly see a single massive eye focused on herself. A watcher, Serana called it. Large creatures consisting of little more than some odd dozen tendrils and thick, rough skin stretched over a single slit-pupiled eyeball. Saya even thought Mora himself was paying them a visit when the blasted thing emerged from the Water Stone.
Fortunately, this particular shrine just so happened to have an odd dozen angry sailors all hungry for revenge.
"OVER HERE, YOU UGLY HORKER!" One of them screamed as he charged the daedra with a pickaxe in hand, slamming it into one of the smaller eyes on the main body. The monster recoiled with an echoing hiss, almost sounding more like a leaking pipe than a living creature. The retaliation came immediately in the form of a thick tentacle striking back at him like a whip, leaving bloody marks and bruises where it grazed the lucky bastard that just barely dodged out of the way.
"Serana, how are we looking?" The Dragonborn turned to her companion, whose eyes had been closely following the creature's movements for a while now. She had done little to participate in the fight aside from the very beginning, only throwing out a quick 'I have a plan' before backing off and only throwing the occasional ice spike to help.
Serana glanced back at Saya just to make sure who she was talking to and then turned back to the watcher. "It is just barely not close enough. I was hoping to get it above the water, closer to the Stone, but…" She bit her lip, watching as another two men rushed in and got smacked away effortlessly. She had a number of ideas she could've tried but none of them could account for such an amount of people, not without risking serious injury to most of them.
"Is that all?" Saya asked and the vampire blinked in surprise. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "A'ight, can do."
With that, Saya suddenly stepped forward and took a deep breath. For a moment, it seemed like nothing in the world existed for her. The environment became nothing but a blur in the corners of her vision, the shouts of the sailors fading into the background. The only thing to have her complete and undivided attention was the watcher. A big, almost stationary target. All that was left to do was take the shot.
"Fus, RO DAH!" Saya shouted. In an instant, her vision cleared and a wave of pure force erupted from her lips with a deafening noise. The watcher's eye grew wider for but a split moment before the torrent of wind rammed into its spherical body, knocking it out of the air and into the shimmering monolith just behind it. The reavers all around it stood there stunned, confused at what had just happened - yet completely unharmed. Saya turned to Serana and whispered with as much force as she could muster: "Now!"
Recovering from her shock, Serana quickly seized the opportunity created for her. As stark white magic danced around her hands, she brought both of them up and released the spell. The dazed watcher came to its senses just as the water around its tentacles rapidly froze up, encasing the creature's limbs in an icy shell.
"All of you, go!" She shouted to the sailors, and within moments they had swarmed the daedra, swinging away with their weapons and whatever tools they had on hand. Within seconds, the massive thing was soon reduced to little more than wet mush with a whole slew of… aptly disgusting noises to complete the picture.
The vampire sighed and slumped forward. The encounter was far more exhausting than it had any right to be. Just as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a hand touch her shoulder and instinctively flinched before she realized it was Saya. "All good?"
Serana gave a tired laugh and nodded. "Yes, just… slightly shaken." She lifted her gaze, looking over to the cheering men who were still picking at the corpse with whatever sharp objects they had on hand. She winced. She hadn't noticed it underwater, but the smell of a dead daedra was definitely not very pleasant, especially to a nose as sensitive as hers. "I am actually quite surprised you managed not to hurt any of the reavers. How did you know it would work?"
"Didn't." Saya shrugged. "Was testing a trick I learned from the first Black Book we found." Serana gave her a silent glare that wordlessly communicated everything on her mind. Saya seemed unbothered. "I mean, hey. I mess up, a couple of folks die. I don't mess up, everyone wins. It all worked out in the end, no?" She gestured at the crowd. Serana could muster no reaction other than an exasperated sigh.
As their conversation tapered out, the two of them turned to look at the remaining people. Serana did a quick head count - fifteen people total, four Nords and eleven Dunmer. They stood in separate groups, speaking among themselves and seemingly struggling to process what exactly just happened now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Saya's eyes narrowed as she looked from face to face, trying to see if any of them looked familiar. Finally, her eyes stopped on one of them and she bumped Serana lightly.
"That one, in the back." She pointed to the reaver in the back, half-turned towards them. He was a tall, muscular man clad in chitin armor. A simple, traditional tattoo stretched up front under his collar and along the sides of his head, which were shaved to emphasize his bright red mohawk. Most interesting, however, was the weapon hanging from his belt: it was a mace that looked more like a solid chunk of ice stuck on a stick wrapped in dark leathers. Stalhrim. "That's the fellow with the bounty on his head."
"What are you planning?" Serana asked, glancing down at the Dragonborn without turning her head. Saya paused for a moment before stretching to let out some of the tension in her muscles.
"Just wanna have a chat, see if they know anything. Think you can do the same with that crew over yonder?" She nodded towards the four Nords to the left, much less armed and well-dressed than everyone else present. Serana pursed her lips, thinking for a moment before she nodded. "Wonderful. See you in a minute, then." Saya patted the vampire on the back encouragingly before taking a step forward and clearing her throat. "Ju'rohn, n'wah!"
With those words, the heads of just about every Dunmer present turned toward Saya. With a light step, she walked up to them and threw an arm over the closest man's shoulder while examining the rest of them with a careful eye. As suspected, the redhead was most likely the leader: everyone else wore gear in varying degrees of damage and disrepair, though none went completely unarmed. There were a few scarier-looking folks with scars and piercings, but none so intimidating that they weren't weirded out at the outright cavalier manner of her approach.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A bulkier guy on Saya's right spoke up first, demonstratively cracking his knuckles. She couldn't help but smile a bit at the display. He appeared to be the least armored of them all, which meant that he was either a mage or an idiot. She decided to bank on the latter. "Might want to watch yer tongue, lass. Never know what kind of people you're dealing with."
Saya turned to him and offered her friendliest smile. "Oh, I have a pretty good idea." She pulled out the bounty notice from her pocket and showed it around, stopping on the man with the mohawk. He tried to keep his expression stoic, but there was still a visible twitch of the brow upon seeing a sketch of his own face next to the words 'WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE'. He looked up at Saya, who gave him her sweetest smile. "So, how about some introductions?"
A tense silence hung in the air as the leader crossed his arms and exchanged glances with the group. After a few moments, he grumbled out a name: "Casimar. These are my men. You?"
Her smile grew a little wider and she put the bounty away. "Saya, but you can call me 'the person who just saved my ass'. A pleasure."
"What do you want?" He asked bluntly. Her smile faltered for a moment and she gave the rest of his group another glance. It was obvious that some of them were itching to draw their weapons, but only stayed calm because their leader hadn't given the word yet.
After regaining her composure, she spoke. "Well, I'm gonna level with you - interrogations aren't really my line of work, so this can go one of two ways." She demonstratively turned to face the bulky man from before. "Option one, I kill the lot of you and then drag whatever's left of your leader to the guards, get paid, and go home. But I'm hoping it won't come to that." She flashed a friendly smile to the man, who scowled in response.
Casimar lifted his hand and stopped his underling. Unlike his men, he seemed a bit more cool-headed. "Those are big words for a girl of your size. Got anything to back them up?"
Saya gave him an amused look. She hummed for a moment, feigning thought. "I'll put it this way, I came here expecting to fight that thing alone." She pointed to the dead watcher behind them. "That you people were here and decided to help out was just a lucky accident. Thanks for that, by the way," she said to the guy she was leaning on, patting him on the shoulder. Then, she continued: "So yeah, if any of you like your chances, you're welcome to try me. But I'd like to think you're more reasonable than that." To accent her words, she lifted the arm she had wrapped around the reaver and in an instant, it flashed with magical flame. Half the reavers present instinctively recoiled and reached for their weapons.
"Enough," Casimar called out and reluctantly, they all obeyed. With a sigh, he turned to the Dragonborn and said: "What's the other option?"
"See, I knew you were reasonable." She smiled and extinguished the flame before releasing the guy in her hold, who immediately took a couple of steps back. Casimar watched as she procured a small journal from a belt on her side and flipped it open. "I'm going to ask you a couple of questions and you're going to answer them honestly. Tell me everything I want, and I'll forget I ever saw you. All of you," she emphasized, giving his crew a once-over. Then, she looked back at the captain. "Sound good?"
Casimar held a long pause, his expression slowly warping into a displeased grimace. Eventually, he relented and stepped forward with a grunt. Saya stepped aside and gestured towards a nearby crate for him to sit, away from the rest of the crew so they wouldn't listen too closely. Then, she sat down on a rock opposite of him and pulled out a pencil to write with. The reaver looked up at her and sighed. "Well? Out with it."
Saya gave his crew another glance, making sure they kept their distance. Then, she flipped over to a blank page. "For starters, tell me who you are. Where you came from, how you ended up on Solstheim, anything you can remember."
Casimar looked at her with confusion, as though wondering if she was serious. After seeing her expectant look, he sighed. "We're sailors… pirates, smugglers, whatever you want to call it. Make our living from people who want things procured. Sometimes not necessarily legal things. We don't ask no unnecessary questions, and get good money in return. Sometimes raid a ship or two, steal the cargo, bring it to whoever pays the most." He looked up at her. "It's a living."
"Mhm." She scribbled down the key points. "Are you from Solstheim?"
"Mephala's twat, no. I'm from Ebonheart. Been sailing the Inner Sea since I could scrub a deck." He spat to the side, as though offended at the very suggestion. Quite dramatic. "My crew and I came to Solstheim because we heard the mine finally dried up for good. That meant less Empire in the waters, less trouble. One of my contacts gave us a lead on an old ruin that was full of some legendary material. Looks just like ice, but supposed to be hard as ebony and twice as light."
Saya hummed. So they came for the stalhrim… Her eyes drifted downward, to the mace hanging from his side. She pointed at it with her pencil. "That weapon." Casimar looked up at her, then at where she was pointing. "I know the people who make these. Where did you get it?"
The man stared at her with a hardened expression for some time. Evidently, that was not a question he wanted to answer. But, seeing that Saya did not budge, he eventually relented. "The ruin. It was guarded by a couple of Nords, wore armor made of the same stuff we were looking for. Couldn't fight worth a damn, but wouldn't back down when we told them to, either." He sighed and pulled the mace off his belt. "Took this from one of their corpses when we were done. That's all."
Saya nodded, continuing to scribble away in her journal. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Serana was just about done with her conversation with the other sailors. Probably time to get to the point, then. "Alright. What else did you find in the ruin?"
"Don't remember," he replied immediately. Saya stopped writing and looked at him suspiciously. Casimar lifted his arms apprehensively. "Honest. Last thing I recall was one of my boys picking the door to the tomb. Then we saw some tall fetcher wearing this creepy mask. It's all a blur from there."
Saya put the pencil in her mouth as she processed what she heard. This was useful knowledge, though not exactly a relief to find out. If what he was saying was true, that would mean two things. The first was that one of Miraak's acolytes could already be out and about, enthralling people left and right. The second was that not even cleansing the All-Maker Stones seemed to return their memories to normal, so whatever they were doing in the meantime would remain a mystery still. And if that was the case…
Seeing the Dragonborn's expression, Casimar grew increasingly agitated, beginning to tap his foot. He threw a quick glance in the direction of his crew, who were all watching their conversation from a distance. Finally, he broke the silence. "Anyway, is that all you wanted to know?"
"Hm? Oh, almost." Saya blinked, pulled out of her thoughts. She quickly noted down everything and then reached into her pocket, pulling out a map. "Two more things. One, do you remember where this ruin was? Show me." She gave him the map and a pencil. After hesitating briefly, he took it from her hands and made a small mark just northeast of where they were, maybe an hour of walking away. Saya inspected the location for a moment and nodded, putting the map away. "Great. And last question - when did you come to Solstheim?"
Casimar blinked in confusion at her question. Then his brows furrowed and Saya could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he struggled to recall. "We… We left the port at Ebonheart on the fourth of Midyear, and it's about three, four days' sailing from there…"
"And the year?" Saya interjected. Casimar looked at her, not sure if he just heard her correctly, and she repeated herself: "What was the year when you left?"
"I…" He lowered his gaze. The stone-faced facade he wore was beginning to crack as pure shock seeped into his expression. "...one eighty-one," he muttered. Then, lifting his head to face her, he repeated in a louder voice: "Fourth Era, year one hundred eighty-one." The scratching of Saya's pencil stopped and she looked at him. In spite of her earlier attitude, there was a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "...why are you looking at me like that?"
She sighed. Silence hung heavy in the air for a few long, long seconds before she wrote down the date and put her journal away. "Today is the eighteenth of Morning Star… year two hundred and two of the Fourth Era." She stood up and watched as Casimar's expression contorted, the full weight of those words hitting him. Saya pursed her lips. "Sorry," she said as she passed him by and placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't even turn, staring ahead with those same shocked eyes. "As promised, I never saw you or your men. Good luck with… whatever you decide to do."
With those words, she left him behind and stepped away to meet Serana, who had been patiently waiting for her friend to finish talking. Once Saya came close, the vampire looked over her shoulder and saw Casimar's crew approach him, asking what happened and what they were talking about. "Will he be alright?" Serana asked quietly.
Saya looked up at her, then back at Casimar, and shrugged. "No idea. Why?"
Serana did not respond immediately. She simply watched as the other Dunmer stood around him. One of them, a woman with a scar on her face, crouched down and placed a hand on his. She whispered something to him and despite himself, he managed to smile and respond. Serana felt her own lips stretch into a small smile at the sight.
"No reason," she said and offered the Dragonborn a hand. "Shall we go?" Saya looked at Serana, then at the hand, and raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"You're an odd one," she murmured. Serana's smile grew a smidge bigger.
"Pot meets kettle, no?"
"...yeah, true that." Saya took her hand. And then, giggling like children, the two of them walked away.
I recognize the ruin that Casimar showed me. White Ridge Barrow, I think the Skaal called it. Storn mentioned it since it was close to Skathrald's Doom, and I saw it on our way to Raven Rock but was too tired to check it out. Now I'm kind of glad we didn't. Facing off a dragon priest while barely conscious is never a good idea.
I did a little bit of deduction. We know Miraak is in Apocrypha and his book was in his Temple, and we know that Zahkriisos was in Bloodskal Barrow. If we suppose that the other acolyte I saw was Ahzidal, then that would mean White Ridge is Dukaan's tomb. And if memory serves, then he was the guy with frost magic… hmm. That might be tricky. From what I can see, Zahkriisos is pretty much useless for anything except for lightning. And that one… what did that dragon call him, Golkromaar? The one I got off Golkromaar's priest, it gives my fire spells a little more punch, but I don't know if that's what I'm looking for necessarily. It's always a coin flip if fire is going to be extra useful against frosty folks or extra useless.
Whatever the case, Serana and I will have to work out some kind of strategy. We've gotten by with her frost magic fine up until now, but I think it's a safe assumption that it'll do fuck-all against him. Marked for Death, maybe…?
Saya shuddered as soon as the doors swung open. At first, she was tempted to simply chalk it up to her imagination, or maybe to tiredness. She had already spent half the day on foot and worked up a bit of a sweat, so perhaps the chill had just gotten to her. Those excuses immediately vanished from her mind the moment she saw the hoarfrost covering the stone walls inside the barrow and her goosebumps rubbed uncomfortably against the inside of her greaves with every step she took.
"Is it just m-me or is it… really fucking c-cold in here?" Saya asked through clattering teeth. Serana hummed indistinctly, a bare acknowledgment of Saya's words. She seemed to be completely preoccupied with a relief on a nearby wall. The elf walked up to her. "S-Something interesting?"
"These inscriptions…" Serana murmured, placing her hand on the wall. The texture felt rough under her fingers, unrefined even. "They feel different from the other ruins we've visited. Look here." She pointed to a section of the relief depicting a procession of hooded figures carrying a coffin on their shoulders. In the center stood a priest dressed in simple robes, his face covered by a barely-detailed mask. "Normally, dragon priests are depicted without their masks and with draconic filigree around the main image. But here…" Her hand drifted down to the edge.
"There isn't any," Saya said and slowly exhaled, trying to get used to the temperature around them. "S-So whoever built this p-probably wasn't big on the Dragon Cult. Or maybe just a sh-shoddy architect." Saya shrugged. The vampire made no comment, examining the carvings for a few more seconds before she backed away.
"I suppose we will find out soon," she said as she approached the next door. "Shall we?" She asked, half-turned towards the Dragonborn.
Saya approached the door as well and pushed it open. Once again, it was as though a gust of cold washed over her entire body. The air felt almost painful to breathe. Relief came in the form of Serana's hand on her chest and a whispered spell - a charm of cold resistance. "Ohh, that hits the spot," she exhaled. Once the ache in her throat subsided, she lifted her eyes to examine the room.
The thing that immediately caught her eyes was the illumination. Two large braziers stood on both sides of the entrance, most of their opaque bodies crafted from a familiar blue crystalline material - stalhrim, connected at the seams with simple steel. On the inside, the braziers were completely empty save for the radiant blue flames that lit the entire room with a cold, almost hostile light that made Saya's eyes ache.
She quickly averted her gaze only to find more of the same: identical braziers stood in each corner of the room. What should've been a large stone chamber instead looked more like a cavern dug into the side of the glacier, only a glimpse of the stone walls peeking out from behind massive chunks and pillars of ice that supported the glacial ceiling. The light of the braziers danced and refracted across the transparent, shimmering surfaces like clouded mirrors, creating an illusion of the chamber repeating over and over if you looked at just the right angle.
The last and by far the most important piece of interior was also the first to capture Serana's attention: a coffin. It was a simple box of light silvery metal placed right in the center of a small elevated platform. Inside the coffin, Serana could faintly spot the silhouette of a body preserved in a large block of ice. "...more stalhrim," Serana concluded after seeing the magic dance across the opaque surface. She sighed and lifted her head.
That was when she saw the silhouette of a tall man staring her down from the other end of the chamber. He wore a tattered old robe of pale grey and faded teal, hoarfrost covering the fabric. On his shoulders were scale-like pauldrons reminiscent of those worn by Zahkriisos, only differing in that they were made not of metal but of glowing blue ice that stretched down the priest's arms and chest as a suit of ceremonial armor. The only piece of metal in his entire outfit was the silver mask covering his face, faintly shimmering in the cold light of the braziers.
"You defile this tomb with your presence, trespassers" he spoke. Serana did not know if it was because of the mask, but the way his words reverberated across the chamber walls felt strange, almost disorienting. It was like hearing an echo and not knowing where it came from. He raised his hand and pointed towards her with a long pale finger. "Identify yourself, and you may be spared to serve a greater purpose. Resist, and die."
Saya's ears twitched at the voice and she raised her head, seeing Serana standing alone in the center of the room. She took a step forward and opened her mouth to call out when she felt an ominous presence pass her by. She could've sworn she saw a shadow that wasn't there before, but soon shook the thought aside. "Serana! Get out of there!" Saya called out. The vampire turned around to see the Dragonborn rushing up the stairs.
That is, until a robed figure emerged from one of the ice pillars with inhuman speed and grabbed Saya by the shoulder before throwing her into the wall.
Serana blinked. She whipped around and realized with horror that Dukaan disappeared from where she saw him but a moment ago. He lifted his hand and with a flash, a spear of shimmering ice materialized in his grasp before he threw it and with a crack, it pierced right through the Dragonborn's armored shoulder, pinning her to the ice-covered wall. "Saya!" The vampire cried out as the elf's eyes shot open and she saw Dukaan approach her.
He looked at her curiously from behind his mask and recognition flashed in his eyes. Saya could practically hear him smile. "Ah. I remember you. The little mongrel that tried to eavesdrop on Lord Miraak." Another spear materialized in Dukaan's hand and he raised it above his head. "I rescind my offer of mercy. A nuisance like you must not be allowed to live."
Saya drew a shaky breath and then sighed, the air leaving her lips as vapor. "Gods, why can't you people just talk normally? Wuld!" With a Shout, Saya's body dissipated right before the second spear struck. Dukaan immediately spun around and threw the weapon as Saya materialized behind him. She leaned away just in time to feel the spear graze the side of her cheek before it embedded itself halfway into the floor, sinking into solid stone like it were sand.
"Hm. I see now how you may have been lucky enough to evade my Lord's grasp," Dukaan said in an even tone. It was as though he was completely unbothered by Serana sending out a burst of ice spikes towards him. Without so much as turning towards her, he lifted his hand and a glacial wall appeared between the two of them. Serana scowled as she watched each and every one of her projectiles shatter without so much as leaving a scratch. "But luck will not be enough."
Saya did not wait for him to finish before putting on Golkromaar's mask and firing a flaming bolt towards Dukaan. A diversion, really - Stormblade was already in her hand for her to charge in as soon as he blocked it, or dodged it, or tried to move away. What Saya did not expect was for him to simply step back into the wall, his outline fading away as he became nothing but a shadow in the ice.
"Where the hell did he…?" Saya muttered, looking around. It was then that she heard a whizzing sound just before a barrage of razor-sharp ice needles shot out from a nearby wall. She immediately dodged behind a pillar, though she still felt a couple of pings come from her armor. Once behind cover, she saw those same needles sticking out of it, having pierced the steel like it was nothing. Fuck. "Stay out of the open!" Saya yelled to Serana.
Serana's mind, however, was a bit too occupied to heed that warning. Her eyes darted around the chamber as shadows danced across the walls. Each movement echoed in the ears as a subtle noise almost too quiet to hear, like a gentle but persistent breeze. Knife in hand, she slowly stepped around the pillar she was hiding behind, keeping her eyes peeled for any movement around herself.
Then she screamed, and without hesitation Saya rushed to the sound's source. Her eyes widened as she saw a pair of arms reaching out from the pillar, one hand grasping Serana by the hair while a short spike of ice formed in the other. Some of the streaks rapidly turned white as hoarfrost traveled up the strands and Serana struggled against the grip, hissing from the pain. Just then, Saya wrapped both hands around Stormblade's handle and brought it down on Dukaan's wrist, chopping the hand clean off just in time for Serana to fall to the floor, avoiding the priest's improvised dagger.
"FUS, RO DAH!" Kicking off the pillar to make distance, Saya released a thundering Shout that crashed into the ice and sent a myriad cracks through it. Both arms quickly withdrew back into the pillar, Dukaan's shadowy silhouette lingering only for a moment longer before it vanished altogether. Saya immediately turned toward Serana. "Are you okay?"
Serana got up from the floor, her breath frantic and her hair falling messily in her face. "M-More or less, thank you," she muttered as she reached into her hair and pulled the severed hand from it. She recoiled in disgust and was just about to throw it away when she suddenly stopped mid-motion and looked at the hand more closely.
Saya saw this happen and approached her. "What is it? Everything okay?" Before she could get a reply, she heard another noise come from her side. She turned sharply and swung her sword, sparks flying off in all directions as she deflected another spear into the floor. "Bloody hell… Wasn't stalhrim supposed to be rare or something?" She grunted, lowering her stance as she stood back to back with Serana, preparing for the next attack.
Serana herself stood up, throwing the severed hand aside. She was still a bit shaken, but she'd mostly managed to regain her composure. "I have an idea, but you are not going to like it," she said. Saya's grip around Stormblade tightened.
"Do I even want to ask?" Saya half-turned before her ears twitched. Once again, she snapped back around and saw a barrage of icy needles fly straight towards her. She quickly grabbed Serana by the cloak and pulled her down to the ground, letting her armor block whatever she couldn't avoid. The two of them fell to the floor with a thud and Saya hissed as she rolled off Serana, a few of the needles piercing through after all. "Okay, fuck it, yes I do want to ask-"
"That's… the difficult part. If I tell you what it is, it will not work." Serana stood up with a grunt and offered the Dragonborn a hand, pulling her up to her feet. Saya shook herself off and raised a puzzled eyebrow. "I promise, it will work. I need you to trust me. Okay?" She asked, but Saya did not immediately reply. Worry scanned clearly on her features, and she visibly wanted to jump at the opportunity to trust her, and yet…
She clenched her fist and sighed. "...fine. What do you need me to do?"
Serana smiled. "Only two things. Keep his attention off me-" she turned sharply, lifting her hand and raising a barrier of ice moments before a series of projectiles impacted it, lining the thing with cracks. Just barely, it held. She sighed with relief. "-and be ready to Shout when I give you the signal. As loud and strong as you can. Okay?" Saya nodded. "Okay. Then he's all yours."
Without delay, Saya rushed out from behind cover and straight toward one of the braziers. A thought crossed her mind - if Dukaan traveled through the ice as a shadow, then naturally he needed something to cast light on the walls. She huffed, turning around once she reached the base of the stairs and backing up against one of the braziers. She kept her eyes peeled, watching for the slightest movements she could possibly sense. Her ears twitched when she heard a breath come from behind her and she quickly turned around, only to watch the shadow vanish and pass around her.
Saya made a sharp turn, throwing her sword into the pillar right behind her. "Too slow," Dukaan growled and reached his hand out of the pillar, swatting away the weapon harmlessly. "You will need to do better than-" His words were sharply cut off as something blunt and heavy struck the pillar and the ice shattered, violently ejecting the dragon priest out onto the floor. He lifted his hand and saw Saya standing next to the broken pillar, holding one of the stalhrim braziers with flaming hands to stave off the cold.
"You want to finish that sentence, asshole?" She lifted the brazier up over her head and brought it down in another heavy strike that Dukaan narrowly dodged, rolling out of the way and jumping back up to his feet. Seeing his uneven footing, Saya took her hands off the brazier and instead kicked it with as much force as she could muster, sending the ice bowl skidding forward and hitting Dukaan's legs with a dull thud. She put out one hand and Stormblade lit up with amber magic before flying back into her grasp.
Dukaan growled and looked up, still doubled over from the impact to his legs. He saw Saya running straight towards him, both hands firmly planted on Stormblade for a powerful horizontal slash. Her confident expression faltered when Dukaan suddenly plunged both of his hands into the still-flaming brazier. The next moment, Saya ducked and rolled following her sword's arc, narrowly avoiding the blast of coldflame. Dukaan was just about ready for a second blast when he suddenly stopped, looking over Saya's shoulder.
There, Serana stood right above the coffin in the center of the chamber, her hands radiating cold magic a hair's breadth away from the stalhrim-encased corpse in it.
In an instant, Dukaan seemed to lose all interest in Saya and with an almost bestial cry, he rushed past her. Serana stumbled back, eyes widening in shock when the towering figure appeared right next to her, frost growing on his features as his chest visibly expanded under the tattered robes. Saya felt panic surge within her, having not even noticed the moment where he got past her. She turned to run up the stairs, her heart drumming in her ears when she realized what was happening far too late to do anything about it. The hissing sound that came from below the mask came to a sudden halt, and guttural, monstrous speech echoed through the chamber:
"FO, KRAH, DIIN."
Dukaan exhaled, and the very air around them froze as it left his lungs. Saya's vision flashed white and she winced, stopping dead in her tracks. When she could see again, she saw only Dukaan standing before a massive unnatural glacier that filled nearly half of the room, with the blurry outline of a terrified Serana's silhouette faintly visible inside the ice.
The dragon priest's shoulders rose and fell as his breathing slowed. Eventually, he straightened his back and spoke in a low, rumbling voice: "You were warned, vermin. None shall be permitted to despoil this place. Least of all - you."
He turned around to face the Dragonborn and watched as her sword fell from her trembling fingers. No. He took a step towards her and her legs shook. Get away. Get away. Her eyes were wide open, fluttering with disbelief at what she saw. No, no, no no, please. She wasn't even looking at Dukaan - rather, it seemed as though she was looking past him, through him, eyes hopelessly and completely transfixed on a single point in the ice where Serana's face would've been.
You promised.
"You should be honored, mutt. Your death will serve a greater purpose." Dukaan's voice rumbled. Saya barely even acknowledged him. Images flashed before her eyes, a maelstrom of senses real and imagined. Serana's face. Black hair swaying in the wind. Fire. Warm. The two of them, alone. Camp. Her arms wrapped around her chest. I am here. Snow. Her voice. Saya. Cold. White. Her smile. Tears streaming down her face. Don't leave. Pain. Burning. Her shirt, stained, torn. Red. Blood. Red. Red. Her eyes. Screaming. Red. Red.
Her hands, reaching out of the ice.
Saya lifted her head and her teary eyes widened with shock. For a moment, she thought she was seeing things. She blinked, and in that very moment she saw Serana grab Dukaan's mask and rip it off in violent motion, her eyes glowing vibrant red as she did. She saw his face twist with rage as the vampire slipped out of the ice and landed on the floor, the silver mask in her hand shimmering with pale magic once she put it on. She saw Serana push Dukaan back after a brief struggle, magic gathering at her hands before pouring outward as a wind so cold that the man's skin and flesh froze solid in the blink of an eye.
And then she saw Serana turn to her, screaming out: "Now! Quickly!"
Saya's body moved as though it were a puppet on cut strings. Ba-dum. Her gaze focused on Dukaan, the man's face a featureless blur in her mind. It didn't matter what he looked like. Ba-dum. She inhaled, and the air felt too cold to breathe. She didn't care. Ba-dum. She felt it travel down her throat and into her lungs, sending prickles of pain down her every nerve. She found solace in knowing that this was nothing compared to what he was feeling at that moment. Ba-dum. She opened her mouth and a hoarse whisper tore from her lips-
"Fus, Ro, Dah."
-and as the breath left her lungs, all that was left of Dukaan were icy shards and red splatter that turned to snow before it hit the floor.
Saya stood there, motionless, her heart still drumming in her ears and the ache in her temples filling her mind with static. Her breath was arrhythmic and shallow. She looked at the amorphous pile of pale blue and viscous red that lay at her feet, her eyes clouded by the vapor she exhaled. Saya looked at her hands and saw that they were shaking uncontrollably, and her legs felt so stiff that she wondered if she had forgotten how to walk.
"It worked…" She heard Serana mutter from beside her. Then, a series of rushed footsteps and a hug that bordered on a tackle. Saya stumbled, just barely retaining her balance while the vampire held her close. "It worked! We won!" Serana said excitedly, backing away just enough to look at Saya's face. Immediately, confusion crossed her face. "...Saya?"
The Dragonborn slowly turned and looked at Serana with glassy, hollow eyes. The wet streaks running down her face glistened on her skin. Saya stared at her in complete silence for a few long seconds, her expression indecipherable. Slowly, Serana's hold loosened and she backed away, giving the elf some space. Saya's gaze lingered unmoving on the vampire's face for a few seconds longer before she turned away.
"Saya?" Serana called out as the Dragonborn walked past her and bent down to grab her sword. Saya lifted the blade with both hands and wiped away the hoarfrost. For a moment, she didn't even recognize the red eyes staring back at her as her own reflection. Serana approached her, eyebrows knitted in concern. "Are you… alright?"
The Dragonborn momentarily paused at the question. Then, without response, she silently placed Stormblade back into its sheath and glanced around in search of the exit. Once she found it, she unceremoniously kicked the door open when it wouldn't give. Finally, as the door swung open with a torturous creak, she half-turned in Serana's direction and said in a hoarse, quiet voice:
"Don't do that again. Ever."
And without another word, she left.