Quick note, there is a new Beta going forward, Da-Wolf-Goddess. Special thank you to her and all the efforts put forward to make sure everything is the best it can be made.
9th of Sun's Dusk
Matria glanced over to her shoulder. The wound wasn't the cleanest stitching she ever saw. This certainly felt better not having a bolt jammed in it. She didn't care for the bandage or the makeshift sling, but it would have to do for now. Her arm needed to rest. She really felt lucky to not have anything done. Lami didn't care she was a vampire. The mention of Lynly seemed sufficient to do the necessary clean-up of her shoulder. Her refusal to accept payment spoke volumes.
"Keep the arm rested for a couple of days. Your fast healing should get you back soon enough. I have a potion of blood, if you care to purchase it." Lami offered.
"Never heard of that." Matria said, confused.
"About five years ago, we received this from a trader. He worked with vampires off and on. I have no use for such a potion with regular customers. It is the same as feeding, just without the hunt."
"You sold me at feeding."
Matria gave her the coin and happily put the potion on her belt. This one she hoped would do as she expected. It seemed strange to her another would invent such a potion. Perhaps this potion served a greater good. In Cyrodil, she knew of no such thing. Finding this in Skyrim proved to make a curious item. Part of her wanting to figure out the recipe to make it again. Having this readily available would help her from being caught in the future or when food wasn't available. Her food wasn't as easy to obtain sometimes.
Ivy hung around for some strange reason. She vanished to the Inn long enough to sell off her guard outfit and replace it with a horribly cheap leather one. Not having the logo became an important piece. She would ultimately miss the armor for its protection but being able to blend to the world seemed a smarter choice given what the Dawnguard intended.
Together they left Lami and her store. Matria pulled the cloak they gave her at a healthy discount over her arm in the sling. It helped keep the cold out better than she expected. Both felt a lot more comfortable in their surroundings than before. For whatever reason, Ivy refused to leave her side. Matria noticed every time she suggested it, Ivy pushed back harder and harder.
"Since this is your home, where do you propose we go?" Matria asked.
"My friend had two houses in Skyrim, she had one somewhere in this hold and another inside Whiterun." Ivy replied.
"I assume that is a rather big area to search?"
"Incredibly. We would be looking for a needle in a haystack."
"Figures. What about Serana? Do you know of her?"
"No. I doubt anyone would know about her either."
"Well, we should try to figure something out. There is a large city in the distance. Why do we not try to go there? I think our odds are better than here."
"Agreed. Arm okay for the travel?"
Matria nodded and started walking out of the town. This place wasn't big at all. Neither of the people they sought would be staying in a place like this. Nothing really existed here. Sure, a great little place to hide in by beyond that, there is literally nothing here. Matria wasn't sure if this place really had much here. From what she saw in Skyrim, it remained a massive piece of land with almost nothing there. The views were breathtaking, but the actual parts of it were far between.
Both kept their cloaks high feeling the wind over along the path. Luckily for them, no Dawnguard walked around or bandits for that matter. They had their chance with decent weather to make progress and kept a brisk pace. It wasn't until the massive bridge with a head of Dragon approached did either really feel smaller than life. Passing under the sculpture was nothing less than amazing. The views towards Solitude were nothing short of once in a lifetime.
The walk through the small town proved uneventful. On the northeastern trail, a figure blocked the path. Ivy stopped Matria from moving forward. This person came for them, both felt it with no one around. The blueish-black robes fluttered in the breeze that came out of nowhere.
"I think we should run. This doesn't look good." Ivy said pulling Matria backwards.
"And where would you run to Ivy Starsmith? Where would you go to?" A female voice escaped the hood.
Ivy froze in place. She pulled her sword as if it would scare this person away. Her arms trembled with the sword visibly shaking.
"The one you seek is the same. Find her tonight during the first moonlight at Radiant Raiment. She will move through the shadows." The woman said turning her back.
"Who are you and how do you know who we seek?" Matria asked moving forward.
"Matria Thersos, your fates are tied to hers. Go before the others who seek you, find you. Azura will guide you to her."
Matria walked by her slowly with Ivy still holding up a sword. Neither of them took their eyes from this figure. As soon as they had a comfortable distance, both broke to a full run up the hill. Guards looked on completely unsure what was going on as they approached the city gate before slowing. The attention didn't matter while they tried to getaway.
Inside the city, both quickly tried to blend in. The woman scared them to near death. Each of them frowned in the realization they had so much going on around them. Neither asked for some sort of fate or destiny. Matria of all people knew how she couldn't survive on her own. She managed to get lucky a few times, most of all with Tenaya and now Ivy.
"This is the store she said." Ivy pointed to the right from the sign.
"How do we know this isn't a trap of sorts?" Matria asked.
"How did some random woman know my name and yours? Something is really going on and I for one am not going to assume she is a liar."
"Fair point. I never told anyone my name. That name died when I became this almost twenty years ago."
"Exactly! I am not questioning her."
Ivy chose to stand in the middle of the path and stare at the door. This wasn't exactly the best way to catch someone and she knew it. Anyone looking would be easily avoided. That woman said to look in the shadows. Matria drifted backwards thinking to how she would walk through this place without getting seen. The very spot she assumed would give the best cover was the place she hid in. They each had their own path to the same end.
As the sun started to disappear, both started to get nervous. Matria wondered how this entire thing would go down. What would she say to this Serana? How would she explain it isn't her she sought but another? Trying to make sense of that conversation kept her mind occupied a little too well. Matria missed the shadow walking by here without as much as a glance. Ivy stared at the door too intently. As a group walked by, the door opened. Her concentration for a moment slipped away with the group. She missed the shadow walking in the store.
Ivy looked to the moon seeing it ascending higher into the clouds. The moment didn't escape her. She started to think the entire thing was nothing more than a setup or lie. That woman told her a specific place and time. Ivy stared on without moving. She wanted to see Tenaya come there and put an end to everything.
"Matria!" A voice yelled startling Ivy.
Ivy and others ran over to the spot Matria stood. She stared at the woman, whom was wrapped in the same armor as she had seen once before, in Riften. She didn't have a chance to confirm it was her but by the way the armor looked, it was Tenaya.
"What in the nine are you doing here? In Solitude?" Tenaya asked.
"Looking for you," Matria replied to Ivy's astonishment.
"You said you were looking for Serana?" Ivy yelled back feeling betrayed.
"Ivy, stop. I will explain."
"Ivy? Matria? What the heck is going on here?" Tenaya asked very confused.
"Perhaps this discussion can happen somewhere without an audience?" Serana added walking through the alleyway.
"Good point Serana. Let's get out of the city…"
Matria put her eyes on the woman she heard about. There she stood in all her glory and most of all, with Tenaya who now had vampire eyes. A lot of questions came to mind, but Serana was right, this wasn't the time or place. Just seeing the amount of people starting to come over left her uncomfortable. The only time she saw anything like this was when a mob came to hang someone. She surely didn't want to be a part of something like that right now.
Tenaya and Serana led the two outside the city. Once they were well past the farms and out of earshot, things changed rapidly. Tenaya took off her helmet and sat down on the log wanting to know answers. She looked visibly frustrated and very different from when Matria split apart from her. At the same time, Matria wondered what happened to make this woman a vampire. She was one before and to go back made her wonder what happened.
"Care to explain what you are doing here and not in Cyrodil?" Tenaya asked.
"So this is the infamous Matria you name-dropped to mother and I? She doesn't look like a Daughter of Coldharbour. Cyrodil must be a little different." Serana mused with a hint of attitude.
"You are really going to judge someone? I heard all about you. For someone who is as old as you are, you were stupid to do anything to her." Matria replied in anger.
"I didn't lose to a drunk with a knife in my true form now did I?" Serana shot back.
The two bickered back and forth for absolutely no reason. Tenaya and Matria had no attachment beyond friendship and she went after Serana like they were scorned, lovers. Serana wanted to prove she was the stronger for some reason and all of it because Tenaya said her name once. Tenaya put her face down in her hands listening to the entire thing. How could they argue like this?
"Can someone tell me what in the nine a Daughter of Coldharbour is?" Ivy interrupted confused.
"I agree, enough you two," Tenaya said finally lifting her face from her hands. "For your sake Ivy, it is a pure-blooded vampire, born from a tear of Molag Bal."
"Yes, her and I are Daughters of Coldharbour, it is the name we earned for surviving it," Matria explained.
"She doesn't know does she?" Serana asked.
"Neither of them do. Did you think I ran out or sent carriers to tell everyone? It took me four days to figure out what was going on." Tenaya said with a roll of her eyes.
"What don't we know?"
Tenaya hesitantly chose to relive it again. She hated talking about it. For a long time, she pressured Serana to talk and open with no real answers. Matria did under protest with it coming out more hurtful than she imagined. Now she sat in the same position having to describe her details and yet she didn't face the same thing they did. What she learned of them was brutality in its rawest form. She managed to escape the same fate, but the thought of it haunts her the same.
Matria looked on with a blind stare and Ivy cringed. Neither really expected her to tell the story she did of Daedric Princes going to war with each other and pulling her from a place no mortal belongs. This made Matria wonder the demons she faced. Now she understood her hesitation more than even Serana did. For Matria, the feeling was fresh still. Her mind had them etched in.
"We knew to find you where we did thanks to a woman in the middle of the road. She told us Azura would guide us to you. Knew our names and everything." Ivy explained.
"This is starting to turn into a nightmare. I have a feeling I know who that woman was." Tenaya explained.
"Who? What does that mean?"
"It means I had better get some supplies and find a forge. We are about to be in a war none of us want to be in."
Tenaya put her helmet on and started up the hill. Ivy turned to Matria asking what that meant. All she did was shrug at the mention. She knew nothing about any of this. Maybe coming to Skyrim from Cyrodil was a stupid decision. Things seemed to spiral too quickly for her liking. Serana slowed down enough to come side by side with Matria. The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Ivy took the hint and ran up to where Tenaya walked. She wanted no part of whatever was about to happen.
"Tell me something, how does a Daughter of Coldharbour get made so easily by a mortal?" Serana asked.
"Let's be honest here. Tenaya is not exactly what you would call a mortal."
"You still managed to get yourself beat up even in our Lord form."
"Are you seriously going to keep this up the entire time we are together?" Matria replied with heavy irritation.
"I find it amusing really, that is all. That form is really powerful and only a few might be able to challenge it."
"I would shut up Serana." Tenaya yelled from ahead.
Serana looked her direction forgetting she was a vampire now. Her ears were perfect again. This conversation was out of Ivy's range but not Tenaya. Serana enjoyed the casual joking every now and then, even at expense of others. Call it what you will but being locked away for so many years did a number on her mind. She enjoyed some of the simpler and cruder things making her company much more interesting.
"Care to tell me what she meant by that?" Matria asked.
"For you ribbing on her as much as you are, did you forget to say the only reason I went to Coldharbour was for your life since you had your wings ripped off?"
Tenaya stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at the two of them. They fought like children for no reason. Seeing Serana get jealous was welcoming in some ways and irritating in others. She cared for her again, that part became clear. What she didn't like was making fun of Matria for a mistake, the same mistake she made with Isran.
"I am over both of you already. Now, I am starting to see why there are not many of us left. Calm down and relax. I am sure your mother will make it even more awkward soon enough."
"Mother?" Ivy asked hesitantly.
"Yes. Serana's mother is alive. She is also one of us. Serana lived and the family gets the same thing."
"Wow…"
Serana hated to be scolded like that but Tenaya was right. She went after Matria for no reason other than jealousy. Matria didn't deserve it and would probably be willing to learn some. She had many more years on her side and between Valerica and Serana, she could learn something of value.
"It's fine. Look at how we were introduced. It is a thing all of us share." Matria said.
"Glad I am normal then. Damn…" Ivy said shaking her head.
"You can take the first round of babysitting then." Tenaya mused as they walked towards Castle Volkihar.
On the path, the robed woman never moved or wavered. She simply waited as the hours passed. Fog set in heavily, but she never yielded an inch. Her time came to return to the world of Nirn. The summons brought her to this place. She wouldn't turn away Azura who gave her the strength to live many lifetimes.
"So, it has come to this Astronica. We are destined to do this again." A man called out coming through the fog. His thick accent gave away who he was, immediately. Astronica never moved seeing him come clearly to her sight.
"It appears so Velatin." Astronica said emotionless.
"Shall I kill you now and put you out of your misery?" Velatin replied as he pulled his blade. The blade looked unlike anything from this world. Blood appeared to drip from it without having a fresh source. The glow of faint orange and red, lit the blade up ever so slightly. It knew no equal in its life having ripped countless others apart with its ebony core.
"You still serve Malacath?"
"Now I serve them all…"
"Be on with it."
Astronica closed her eyes and vanished before the strike could cut through her body. Her robes fell to the dirt only cut from the swipe. She vanished faster than his blade could strike. Velatin laughed only to bend to the ground. He grabbed the robe and ripped it apart.
"I look forward to this game."