Chapter 9: Valerica.

Serana took the ingredients that Talis found in her mother's laboratory. She gave them one last look over before placing them in the basin overlooking the portal. "Finely-grounded Bone Meal, Purified Void Salts, and Soul Gem Fragments."

"Now all we need is your blood." Talis said.

"Yeah, hope this works." Serana said.

"Before we go on, can I ask you something?" Talis asked. Serana nodded. "Why is your mother so interested in this place?"

"That's actually a good question." Serana said. "I don't know. Necromancers are always interested in souls, so I guess interest in the Cairn would come naturally. Anyway, I'm adding my blood. Get ready." She took out the Elven Dagger she had. She clenched her hand to make the blood drop into the basin with the other ingredients. The portal began to open and began to glow. Parts of the stones that made up the portal formed into a stairway. "By the blood of my ancestors, she actually did it."

"Just like Skuldafn." Talis said. She looked over at Serana. "Your mother is probably on the other side. Are you ready?"

Serana nodded. "Let's go." The two of them began to walk down into the portal. Serana was about to go through, but Talis began to get shocked. The pain began to overwhelm her and she ran back up the staircase.

"That wasn't like Skuldafn. What the fuck happened?" Talis asked Serana.

Serana paused for a moment. "I thought something like this might happen." Serana walked up to Talis. "The Soul Cairn is, well, hungry for lack of a better word. It was trying to take your life essence as payment for entering."

"So I can't go in?" Talis asked.

"Well…there is something I could do…but I don't think you'll like it." Serana said, looking away slightly.

"What is it?" Talis questioned.

"Well, Vampires aren't counted among the living. I can pass through just fine, as I'm sure my mother did. I could…turn you." Serana suggested, finally making eye contact with Talis.

Talis' mind drifted back to Harkon. Since Serana was like him, her blood could also turn Talis into that monster. "Are you sure there isn't a plan b?"

Serana thought for a moment. "Well, there might be another way. I could partially Soul Trap you."

"Explain, please?" Talis said.

"Well, you'll still be mortal, but I think you will be able to enter the Cairn. There will be one catch, you'll become weaker. I won't try to force you toward one decision. The choice is yours." Serana told Talis.

"There is no choice. Soul Trap me." Talis said. "No offense, but I have no intention of becoming a Vampire."

"No, I get it." Serana told her. "After seeing my father, I get why you wouldn't want to be one." She summoned a conjuration sphere into her hand. "Ok, hold still." She cast her spell on Talis. "Don't worry; I'm sure we can get your soul back."

"Yeah. Let's go." Talis said. She turned back to the portal and ran through.

"Wait." Serana said. Talis turned to the Vampire. "I just want to say, thanks. For everything."

Talis smile and walked up to her. "Hey, what are friends for?" Talis turned back to the portal. "Let's go!" She ran down the staircase and into the portal.

Inside the Soul Cairn...

Talis and Serana couldn't believe what they were seeing: an actual plane of Oblivion. The grey earth and darkened sky, accompanied with the sound of thunder. Talis turned to the Vampire. "So, where do you think Valerica is?"

Serana looked around. She noticed a rather large structure, larger than the other ones. She pointed at it. "If I was my mother, that's where I would go."

"Ok. Off we go." Talis burst out into a sprint. However, she found herself tiring out quickly. Serana caught up to her. "Oh right. Weaker in here."

"Right. So be more careful while we're here. You have a tendency to be reckless." Serana told her friend.

Talis gave a quick thought to her most common battle strategy: run head first into the enemy, no matter how many there were. "Fine, you have a point. I'll be careful."

"Good. We're almost there." Serana told her. They began to hear the rattling of bones. "We have company."

Talis gripped Dovkaalkrine's hilt. "Just because I'm less energized doesn't mean I'm weak." She slashed at one of the Bonemen, black skeletons like creatures. Serana also went on the offensive. After clearing them, they continued on their way to a large, castle like structure. As they got closer, Talis noticed a rather large barrier surrounding the castle's area. She also saw a woman standing by a table with many books and parchments. "She may have had a different hairstyle, but Talis could see the similarities. She turned to her Vampire companion. "Is that her?"

Serana stepped closer to the barrier, slowly. "Mother? Are you there?" She called out.

The stranger's head jolted up in surprise, like she hasn't heard another voice in centuries. She turned around and walked to the barrier. "Maker, it can't be…Serana?!"

"I can't believe it! We really found her!" Serana said, looking at Talis. She turned back to her mother. "Mother, how do we get inside? We need to talk."

"Serana, why are you here? Where's your father?!" She asked. She looked at Talis. "And who is this?"

"Harkon has no idea we're here." Talis said. "As for me, my name is Talis Winter-Blood."

Valerica began to pace. "I must've failed. Harkon has found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?"

"No, you've got it all wrong." Serana said. Valerica's attention was turned back to her daughter. "Father has no idea about where I've been. I…ran away. I ran away to stop him."

Valerica once again looked at Talis. "You, tell me everything that has happened."

"You want the long or the short version?" Talis asked. Valerica raised an eyebrow. Talis could tell she was in no mood for jokes. "Ok, I'll start from the beginning." Talis told about her vision, the Vampire attack in Whiterun, joining the Dawnguard, and Dimmhollow. "Then, I met your loving husband, who kicked me out after I basically told him to fuck off."

"Sounds like my husband." Valerica said. "Continue."

"Well, while I was on a mission for the Dawnguard, Serana came to Fort Dawnguard with the intention of helping me stop Harkon." Talis continued. "We found a Moth Priest named Dexion, read Serana's scroll, got one I read a long time ago, and came here to find you and your scroll. Now you're caught up."

"Well, it still bothers me that a Vampire hunter is in the company of my daughter. I have a fear that you've been traveling with her to get to me." Valerica said.

"I've been traveling with Serana to keep her safe." Talis said.

"Coming from someone who fights Vampires as a living, I find it hard to believe that your intentions are noble." Valerica told Talis. "Serana gave up everything to stop Harkon from fulfilling the prophecy. I would've expected her to tell you."

"I know. I know. The Tyranny of the Sun. Harkon wants to blacken the sun and have Vampires rule over Tamriel." Talis said.

"You only know part of it." Valerica said. "The scrolls are just a means to an end. They key to the Tyranny of the Sun, is Serana herself."

Talis took a quick look at Serana and then back at Valerica. "Serana? She's the key to the prophecy?"

"Well, either Serana or I can fulfill the prophecy." Valerica said. "When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls. The one you found with Serana spoke of Auri-el's Bow. The second one with me states that the blood of Coldharbor's daughter will blind the eye of the dragon."

"Coldharbor's daughter…Paarthurnax mentioned that when we met him. Who or what is Coldharbor's daughter?" Talis asked.

"A long time ago, Serana and I were once human. We were devout followers of Molag Bal." Valerica began.

"Yeah, worshiping Daedric Princes like Merida or Azura I can get, but Molag Bal?! What the fuck were you thinking?!" Talis asked in a slightly raised tone.

"Tradition dictates that the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day. Few survive the ordeal. Any who dose emerges as a pure blood Vampire." Valerica said.

"Wait…offered to Molag Bal? You mean to tell me that Harkon made you two…" Talis thought for a moment, catching on what it means to be offered to the prince of dominance and rape. "That is so sick."

"Please don't remind me." Serana said. Talis could see that she struck somewhere sensitive.

"Sorry." Talis said.

"Ahem. As I was saying, anyone who survives this ordeal is called a Daughter of Coldharbor."

Talis began to see why Serana was sealed away with the scroll and Valerica ran away. "You mean Harkon will…kill you?" Talis asked. Valerica nodded. 'How could he…his own family. First offering them to a monster, now this?!' Talis tightened her fist. "I'll stop him."

"And how do you plan on it?" Valerica asked, doubtful of whatever answer she'll give.

Talis drew Dovkaalkrine and held it to Valerica. "I'll take Harkon's head myself."

She gave out a haughty laugh. "If you think you can do that, you're an even bigger fool then I imagined. Don't you think I weighted that option before I enacted my plan?"

"Hey, I took down Alduin. So don't tell me I'm weak." Talis told the doubtful mother. Valerica's eyes widened as Talis said this.

"The World-Eater?!" Valerica asked in surprise.

Talis nodded. "If I can slay him, Harkon shouldn't be a problem." Talis then pointed at her friend. "So, what about Serana? How does she feel about this whole family drama?"

"You care nothing for Serana and our plight." Valerica told Talis. "You're still a Vampire Hunter at heart. You think we're abominations and need to be destroyed."

"Serana is a friend. I will never harm her." Talis told Valerica.

Valerica turned to her daughter. "Serana? You really expect me to hand you to this stranger who hunts down our kind like animals?"

"This stranger did more for me in the short time I've known her than you did in centuries!" Serana said.

"How dare you! I gave up everything to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!" Valerica said to her daughter, as if she was betrayed.

"Yes, he's a fanatic…but he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?" Serana said to her mother.

"Serana, if your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'll be in incredible danger." Valerica said, now with concern.

"So to protect me, you decided to shut me away from everything I care about." Serana said, a bit of anger in her voice. "You never asked me if hiding in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. You may be different, but I'm just a pawn to the both of you." She hung her head. "I wanted us to be a family again, but I don't know if we can even have that. Maybe we don't deserve it. Maybe it isn't for us."

"Serana…I" Valerica began.

Serana held her head up. "But we still need to stop him. For that, we need the Elder Scroll."

Valerica was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry Serana. I didn't know…I didn't see. I allowed my hatred for your father to estrange us for so long. Please, forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours." She looked at Talis. "Your purpose is still unclear to me, but for Serana's sake, I'll trust you."

"Thanks." Talis said. She looked around the barrier. "So, how do we get inside?"

"That's the hard part." Valerica said.

A special thanks to Hellfire44 for pointing out a spelling mistake I made.