Author Notes
Soundtrack recommendation: Leverage by Lyriel
~~-x-~~
29th of Evening Star, 4E 206
The cheers came to an abrupt end from the other side. Velatin stopped in the middle of his beating, Tenaya sliding off his sword to the ground. Everyone stared at the sky as the red and black ripple went across. A red haze hung over Skyrim, the once bright shining sun now relegated to a red mass of mystery.
"What in the nine is going on?" Lydia asked, freaking out from the loss of their light.
"What did you do?" Dozan demanded, seeing something truly horrifying.
"This is what my father died for, the day the sun vanished," Serana said, realizing she unleashed the Tyranny of the Sun after killing her own father to stop it.
"You did what?!" Dozan yelled, approaching Serana in anger.
Serana paid no attention to him, her eyes focused on Tenaya. She watched her love breathing in. This time, Tenaya started to regain a little bit of her strength. The sun no longer punished her for the choice she made to become a vampire, the decision to save her life. Velatin, at the same time, lost track of everything, caught up in the moment as everyone else. It gave Tenaya precious moments to recover.
"You might bring the sun, but I will take it away," Serana yelled at Velatin, wanting him to know where it came from. "No scroll of yours or Boethiah's will wipe this one away!"
Tenaya looked from her back towards Serana, their eyes locking together for a moment. The sacrifice she made, giving her own blood to the prophecy, was more significant than anything she ever did. It meant Harkon died for a prophecy, one she fulfilled instead for her personal reasons. Tenaya didn't let the moment go, taking every breath she possibly could.
Serana allowed others to argue as much as they wanted. To her, Tenaya was the one who she couldn't live without. Her hand lowed to her heart, hanging across for Tenaya to see. Blood dripped from the wound, falling against her chest, blood she willingly gave to give Tenaya her chance. There was nothing else they could do. From here until the end, Tenaya had to manage on her own. The Daedra gave her the balance, now she had to find the will to overcome.
"Do you think this matters? Do any of you think she can beat me?"
He returned focus to Tenaya, grabbing his sword and attempting to stomp on her fallen body. Tenaya put her hands up, catching the boot before hitting her face. The wound in her shoulder throbbed, arm shaking from torn muscles trying to keep from being killed. Velatin watched shock in his face from her sudden shift within Tenaya, lifting his sword to stab her through. The sword came down with a triumphant scream from Velatin, but it missed. His sword went into the mud without any flesh. Tenaya rolled further away, keeping a small distance between her and Velatin to regain more strength.
Velatin, unable to grasp what happened, moved in full rage, shifting his attention from Tenaya towards Serana, who stopped him from killing Tenaya quickly. Tenaya scrambled to her feet, finding her sword on the bridge. Every step looked more like a stumble than a run. This was her battle, not theirs, not Serana's most of all, as his eyes remained glued to her. She stood between him and the group of her friends, one arm hanging down from being stabbed, her breathing heavy and labored. Tenaya's blood dripped heavily, and the stones under her already turned crimson. The anger from Velatin was visible, wrinkles across his face in plain sight to anyone looking. He wanted Serana dead for interfering, demanding a penalty for the interference, screaming in anger.
"You broke the rules, Tenaya Darix. This was an individual fight. The whore involved herself, and now, she will die before you do." Velatin screamed, a few bandits pulling their weapons.
"And you had a Daedra help you, perhaps you wish to speak for yourself. Isn't that right, Boethiah?" Serana yelled. "Tenaya, she betrayed you. What do you expect from the Prince of Deceit anyway."
Velatin's rage took over. He swung his sword directly to Tenaya, who deflected with her own. The momentum pushed him forward and down the crown of the bridge. His eyes stayed to Serana now, a few short feet from where she stood. Tenaya grabbed his arm when he tried to advance towards Serana, pulling him back with a vicious yank. Velatin and Tenaya pulled against each other, his attention shifting back to where the fight was. Tenaya spit blood on the ground, reeling Velatin closer.
The sun made all the difference; her body was no longer continuously exhausted. Velatin swung his other hand, his fist colliding against her face. Tenaya fell to the ground hard, pulling back to regain her composure. He stalked Tenaya once again, fireballs erupting from his hands against the bridge with each attempt. Velatin pursued her with flame, burning marks into the stonework. When it touched, Tenaya didn't scream in agony like before. The fire hurt some, but she managed to endure.
Frustrations grew the more Velatin missed Tenaya. She moved faster with the darkened sky, every step just barely ahead of Velatin no matter what he did. Her hands clapped together quickly. She held them tight, channeling all her darkness at once. A large crackle of lightning around her signaled a change, something much more substantial in play. In his rage, Velatin kept shotting fireballs at Tenaya, all missing.
Her strength returned along with her magic. As she circled him, the crackling grew more prominent, the black and purple orb going straight towards Velatin. It hit him in the chest with his anger distracting, sending him to his back. Tenaya wasted no time as she pounced, jumping through the air at the fallen man. She used her weight to hold him down. Her fists pummeled his head and face, helmet no longer an object to protect him. Tenaya punched him until his mouth bled, her hands clamping on his neck. The blood from her head dripped squarely on his face as they struggled.
"You will die, Velatin…" Tenays pushed through her teeth.
An arrow bounced off her armor, coming from someone on the other side. One of the bandits who watched fired another. A voice yelled out, one she recognized from Beyond Coldharbour. Mehrunes Dagon refused to sit back anymore, his magic hitting Tenaya, sending her from Velatin's body.
"Fool! We decide who lives and dies," Mehrunes screamed in his wretched form. "I will unleash my armies upon now for this defiance. Know your place, girl!"
Tenaya backed away, unable to move, everything she could do came as protection for herself. The armor wouldn't hold up against the barrage much longer. Flames burst around, lightning shot over her head. Ice storms chilled her to the bone. Every piece of magic she knew existed flew her direction. This was no longer a one on one fight. Their entire army of Daedra launched a magical assault.
Velatin returned to his feet once again, the interjection in their fight, lending its support to his cause. Tenaya had no choice but to remain on the ground with a weak ward protecting her the best it could. Her armor burned and cooled rapidly with each attack once it broke through. Then, it all started to slow down. The lightning fizzled out before it could reach Tenaya. Fireballs burned out the same way, hitting Tenaya as smoke. Even the nice melted, only hitting her armor as a spray of water.
Azura looked towards the sky, Nocturnal doing the same. Serana looked up, confused, not sure what this meant. Meridia started to smile in her form as she turned her head to the sky. All magic ceased quickly and stopped working. The Daedra looked to each other, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, Boethiah, all remaining lost as to the stop in their magic. Their power was endless, but somehow, it came to an end.
"Now the fight remains with them, no more magic. Thank you, sister," Meridia said.
"All of you, Daedra, are crazy. What are you talking about? You have a sister?" Serana asked, irritated, confused, a mixed set of emotions across her face.
"There is much you do not know, Serana Volkihar. As Nocturnal is my sister, Meridia's sister is someone much different. Meridia, as you know her, we know her as Merid-Nunda." Azura said.
"She was a Magna Ge until they discovered her assistance with Oblivion, then the Magna Ge banished her to Oblivion as a result. It is why she controls the energy of living things. She was once pure magic, like the Magna Ge," Nocturnal continued, almost like the same person spoke.
"Xero-Lyg, we thank you…"
Explanations continued until Velatin charged toward Tenaya, flattening her with his shoulder. His magic worked when a fireball erupted against Tenaya's armor at close range. It seemed the moment gave him the advantage one more time, Tenaya now struggling to get back to her feet with the interference. Another fireball erupted against Tenaya's armor. She quickly put her ward up, backing away slowly towards the mud one more time. Velatin kept her isolated, moving her ever so slowly towards his followers.
Nothing Tenaya put up could stop the incoming fireballs quick enough. She struggled to get her ward up, sometimes the fireball broke through; other times, it didn't. Velatin seemed to have an endless supply of magic, each time he threw another, she barely recovered enough to get her ward up. The magic continued to punish her to the point her legs started to quiver in weakness. Her vision began to blur from the punishment. The group behind seemed eager the closer she moved, their actions getting her attention once the blades came out.
Tenaya charged headfirst into Velatin and lifted him into the air. Her strength kept her going, his fists raining down against her back. Tenaya refused to give up, driving him to the edge and pushing him over with her. Both of them fell off Dragon Bridge. For a moment, everything around Tenaya slowed. The world seemed to take a different look. The red sky gave way to the beautiful sun it appeared, the clouds magically opening up, but Tenaya knew it was a lie, she chose to sacrifice herself to kill him.
Velatin hit the rocks first. Tenaya's arms wrapped tight around him so he couldn't push her away, breaking instantly with the impact. Velatin yelled out when they crashed. Neither of them landed in the water, Tenaya only took a slightly softened fall from landing on Velatin. She remained still, pain ravaging her entire body. Every breath slowed down, her body rolling off his due to the way she fell.
She looked to the reddened sky, only the bridge blocking her view. Everything spun around rapidly while she remained still. Her back ached like nothing she ever imagined. This was worse than any beating she took in her life. She saw the heads looking down from the bridge, friend and foe alike, all trying to see what happened.
Only when blood tickled her throat did she go into a coughing fit, her body forcing her to sit up, so she didn't choke. She looked to the motionless body beside her, the once venomous man now dead. Velatin didn't move even when she pushed him. Tenaya struggled to her feet slowly. She clung her right arm tight to her body in obvious pain. The water didn't move too quickly, allowing her to cross over, the opposite side having rocks and a hill she could get up.
Tenaya trudged slowly through the water, limping heavily and panting the entire way. A friendly face greeted her at the rocks, Serana helping pull her up, so she didn't have to go it alone. She accepted the offer with her left hand, rising up and over the rock the best she could manage.
"Do not ever do something that stupid again! You hear me, Tenaya Darix!" Serana yelled, sobbing profusely.
All she could do was smile ever so gently. Tenaya never wanted to put her through any of this. For her to even be standing was enough, Velatin no longer an issue with his body still lying against the rocks, unmoving. Tenaya took Serana's help and went to the bridge. She stood tall, arm hanging across her chest, her eyes only to that of the Daedra before her. She cared little for any of them, even those who she once thought her friends.
"All of you said I wasn't strong enough, yet here I stand," Tenaya said, kneeling down slowly to pick up her fallen sword. She sheathed it quickly, never once breaking her eyes from the conduit of Mehrunes Dagon. "Which one of you bastards is next?"
"You fool! To challenge a god, I will crush you myself!" Mehrunes Dagon yelled.
"It seems the only fool was you for not believing in me, Mehrunes Dagon. Or perhaps you Malacath for thinking I am not a worthy opponent. Maybe Molag Bal for thinking I would bow down."
"If not for my gift slave, you would be dead. Forget not what a Daughter of Coldharbour is. I will have my way with you as I did your mate, Serana Volkihar. How I remember her flesh… Now I crave more…"
Tenaya turned to look at Serana, the words cutting her deep. The thought of what he did, all the memories started ripping her apart quickly again. He didn't slow down, spewing more vile hatred. Matria wrapped her arms around Serana as Molag Bal spilled more profound and more potent memories of their time together. Matria lived the same agony, hers a lot fresher, but Serana suffered for having a lifetime of hatred and no one to speak with.
"Take my flesh then, Molag Bal. Come and stake your claim," Tenaya said, hearing enough.
Molag Bal's conduit wasn't a pathetic being. The vampire he chose wasn't a pureblood, but it mattered little. Molag Bal's strength still resonated within him. Tenaya walked forward as Molag Bal did the same. Serana and the others backed away a few steps. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, Serana wanting to see Molag Bal struck down, even in conduit form for her pain and suffering. It wouldn't heal the wounds she carried, but there was a small sliver of satisfaction she craved.
All of it was nothing more than a distraction. A smile crept across the conduit of Malacath. No one caught the look at first, Tenaya too preoccupied with Molag Bal. Velatin slammed into Tenaya's back and smashed her hard against the bridge. No one thought to look over the bridge to see if he moved or what happened, the fight not over. His hands slammed her head forward off the stones repeatedly.
"Do not think a fall like that would ever kill Lord Velatin. Let's end this so Molag Bal can enjoy your flesh."
The whispers were heard by no one except them. Tenaya tried to push herself up, but his weight held her down. She tried to push him away with one arm, the other useless with a snapped bone, nothing seemed to get him off her back. He never relented, slamming her face-first off the stones every chance he could. The only pause came in the form of him scrambling to get his sword.
Tenaya flung over to her back and pulled hers. His strikes deflected to her sides. Velatin kicked her face, but Tenaya refused to let the sword kill her. She kicked him in the stomach when he charged again. It was her only opportunity to get to her feet, her legs moving wildly just to get upright. Her eyes remained on Velatin, his armor severely damaged from the crash.
Serana looked on in shock, as did everyone. No one expected Velatin to survive that crash, they even doubted Tenaya's ability to withstand the fall.
"Consider this a gift from someone your bitch remembers…" Velatin yelled.
He pushed his hands together while a bright yellow light started to glow between his fingers. Serana recognized it almost immediately. Before she could say anything, Velatin launched the light projectile at Tenaya. It moved with a speed no one could get away from. The shard of light shattered against Tenaya, sending her flying off her feet. Her armor lit up in flames while she screamed. The blast kept her down on the ground, unmoving.
"TENAYA!" Serana screamed.
Tenaya slowly moved on the ground to her side. Velatin already started to do the same spell again, his hands beginning to light with the same glow. Molag Bal yelled instructions, telling him to punish her. His commands caused much commotion as another shot hit Tenaya and sent her bouncing again through the crowd. All the conduits wanted to pounce the moment she hit, some bandits already pulling their weapons to jump her.
Matria sent her gargoyles immediately, the crowd too wild to sit back idle. Each landed on the ground while a brawl broke out. Daedra attacked the gargoyles as did the bandits. The melee stopped Velatin from approaching any further, a chance for Tenaya to gather herself for just a moment. It wouldn't last long, the gargoyles started to succumb to the numbers attacking at once.
Guards from the town moved everyone away who watched. This was a war none of them wanted to be associated with. The office closed its doors as quickly. People ran to the Tavern and quickly hid inside. No one in the town stayed outside except for the guards who had no choice. Those who did became spectators, not by choice, but by their duty only.
Azura led the group, running ahead of Serana, who kept to the comfort of Lydia with her hobbled speed. For the first time since the fight began, Azura showed some sort of compassion for Tenaya. She watched Tenaya struggling on the ground, her armor smoking from another shot. A hole in the lower part of her armor said everything she couldn't; Tenaya couldn't win the magical fight like this. Azura's lips quivered as Velatin stalked her. His foot pushed her head to the side. The two remaining gargoyles took off without fear of another attack.
"Tenaya Darix," Azura yelled out, stepping forward. Heads turned her direction just like the others did when a Daedra spoke. "Accept the piece of him. Do not fight it any longer!"
"What gibberish are you rambling about now?" Mehrunes yelled at Azura.
"Trust me, Tenaya Darix. I will not allow it to consume you." Azura pleaded.
"Oh, spare us with your pitty…" Velatin yelled, enjoying the moment close to victory, Tenaya not able to defend herself as quickly. He knocked Tenaya down, sending her face into the mud. He enjoyed the petty squabbling. "Your words are hollow, Azura. Tenaya is weak, like you. She deserves to die."
Velatin jammed his sword into her stomach. Tenaya yelled out in agony. He yanked the sword out as quickly as it went in, but the damage was done. Serana and the others turned their heads. No one wanted to watch their friend be murdered by someone like him. Tears started to form in their eyes, Serana struggling to watch with Matria holding her tight.
Suddenly, a laugh came from nowhere. All the heads turned back to Tenaya and Velatin. The laughter grew louder, everyone in the crowd slowly hushing. Tenaya remained on the ground for only a moment, slowly pushing herself to her knees and staring Velatin down. His anger boiled over with the laughs and charged. Tenaya used his momentum to throw him away and get to her feet.
A convulsion swept over her body, crimson spraying every direction as she assumed her pureblooded form, a full Vampire Lord. Tenaya hovered off the over the ground, wings beating, a soft red glow over her right hand. Serana and Matria looked in awe, both seeing her accept the form she refused to take, her past swearing off any help from Molag Bal. Seeing Tenaya in her pureblooded way gave hope to those who wavered. Tenaya wasn't down, not by a long shot.
"Do you think this scares me, girl? I brought many vampires to their death for Lord Molag Bal," Velatin said, twirling his sword.
Tenaya dropped to the ground, stretching her wings wide. She walked through the group, locking eyes with Molag Bal intentionally, smiling his direction with a slight grunt. Velatin remained close to the bridge. Every breath he took was measured, waiting for Tenaya to pounce. He wanted her to make the mistake the others did. Velatin was a master assassin, killing many pureblooded vampires over the years when they got too big for their own good.
"It is not the form you should be scared of, oh no, Velatin. It is me you should be scared of," Tenaya said, monotone.
Velatin charged Tenaya. His sword sliced down through the air, bats flying through the air around him. Tenaya appeared again behind Velatin. His frustration didn't show, but instead, a smile as he turned around to find her. It clearly was something he expected. His eyes remained on her, the woman lifting herself from the ground with a few flaps of her wings.
"Did you teach her that?" Matria asked Serana.
"No..." Serana mumbled, watching Tenaya closely. Something was very different when she took this form, she transitioned with ease and seemed in total control.
Tenaya circled around just off the ground. She waited for Velatin to act again, wanting him to make the next move. Watching him move with more purpose put things into perspective. Velatin kept his sword at the ready, placed across his chest with the other arm prepared to defend immediately. This wasn't calm and collected Velatin or the man who smirked constantly. Velatin had to remain focused on Tenaya as a Vampire Lord.
He refused to attack her, the many fights with other pureblooded vampires telling him to be cautious. Tenaya, however, wasn't willing to wait any longer. She raised her right hand towards Velatin. He tried to resist, a struggle happening between the two. Velatin lifted off the ground slowly, his effort going away the higher he lifted off the ground. Tenaya pulled him closer to her while he looked on in awe.
"I am going to kill you, Velatin, slowly and agonizing, then I will drink your blood in front of your Lords…" Tenaya whispered, her hand closing more as Velatin started to gag, eyes widening the closer he moved.
"I had no clue we could do that, did you?" Serana asked, turning to Matria quickly.
"Never seen this in my life. I was about to ask you since you are the old one," Matria replied, smiling.
Both watched Tenaya drop him to the ground. Velatin gasp for air. Tenaya stalked him. Hovering over the land, circling around while he struggled to fight back. Every swipe of his blade went through the air. Tenaya moved around too quickly, flying away as bats and reverting back on the other side, sending Velatin into chaos. He couldn't find her like this, she moved too quickly. She pulled his very essence away every chance she could, a red ball erupting against Velatin repeatedly.
It appeared only Azura looked on nervously. Everyone watched Tenaya make a fool out of Velatin, but she watched something else, a sign everyone missed. The hole in her stomach dripped blood steadily. Tenaya would not make it much longer. Keeping this form took a significant amount of effort and concentration, something Tenaya would start to lose as the blood dripped out. She fed on his life
The effects began to become more evident. Velatin missed her each time, but her attacks didn't have the same impact. Tenaya managed to get his face cut open and arms bleeding heavily. His strikes seemed to slow down and become more labored, the same as Tenaya's attacks were. Blood covered the mud in every direction. Both of them started to lose their abilities to push on.
Tenaya finally lost her ability to hold the form and reverted back, one massive convulsion sweeping over her body until she returned to human form. What she managed to do was weaken Velatin. A fireball erupted against her armor as she returned to human form, knocking her onto the ground. Tenaya struggled to push herself up. Velatin stumbled with his sword towards Tenaya. She couldn't get up from the ground when she tried, her broken arm giving out each time she tried.
"Time to die and become our servant. Your soul will be tortured by Mehrunes for eternity," Velatin said, lifting Tenaya's body from the ground by her hair.
His sword ran into her chest, pushing through and out her back. Tenaya gargled as it went through, her eyes going wide, Velatin's hand sinking the entire way to her body. Velatin smiled as gasps came from Serana and the others. She buried her face into Matria's arms one more time, seeing the look of death come across her lovers face, Tenaya's eyes closing. Velatin spit into Tenaya's face as a final insult to the woman who gave everything she had.
"You are next for getting involved, stupid girl," Velatin said to Serana.
He went to pull his sword from Tenaya and couldn't. He knelt to get leverage to draw his sword away. Tenaya held onto his arm with her right hand, keeping him close. Her eyes flew open, and her mouth bit into the side of his neck and shoulder, teeth sinking deep. Velatin screamed out, but Tenaya locked tight to him. She opened her mouth wider and bit deeper. The blood sprayed everywhere, a massive squirt pulsing from the wound on his neck.
Tenaya pulled him closer with the sword, leg's wrapping around his lower body to keep him from pulling away. She drank refused to drink his blood, her teeth only ripping his flesh apart to ensure he didn't live. Velatin's struggles began to fade. Nothing he did would push her away now. Bit by bit, she continued to tear him open until his body went limp. Velatin became dead weight, blood pouring from his neck across Tenaya.
She pushed his body off and yanked the sword free of her chest. Tenaya's breathing labored heavily. She laid in the mud with silence falling over everyone.
"I will kill you myself! You will not live another day, Tenaya Darix!" Mehrunes Dagon screamed out.
"Do not dare touch her," Azura yelled, running to stand in front of Tenaya's body.
Serana came running to Tenaya's side, dropping into the bloody mess around her. She held Tenaya close, all the wounds clearly bring Tenaya close to her death. The ordinarily pale skin looked even more so. Serana wasn't sure if Tenaya would live or not, but she refused to let her die here without trying.
"Tenaya…" Serana whimpered.
"My Serana," Tenaya said weakly, lifting her right hand to touch her face.
"You are an absolute disaster, my love," Serana said, crying some as she touched her face back. "There is no dying today, do you hear me?" Serana mumbled.
"Get Tenaya out of here. Allow me to deal with my brothers and sisters," Azura commanded.
Serana and Grelka lifted Tenaya to their shoulders and drug her away as fast as she could tolerate. Azura remained on the bridge with a bright light pulsing from her body. Mehrunes Dagon tried to breach the barrier but couldn't. The others struggled to move while she held them back. Meridia and Nocturnal vanished as quickly as they came with their support. Azura remained the only Daedra willing to put herself on the line for Tenaya.
"She will not make it to the lighthouse, we are too far," Grelka said, panting.
"Turn north in Morthal. She has another place we can go," Serana said while Grelka looked confused.
Tenaya's feet drug behind her in the dirt. There was no time to race to Frostflow Lighthouse, the need was far too urgent when they turned north to her old house. Guards quickly stopped them on the path into Morthal, the way forward blocked. Tenaya was woozy, mumbling in random tongues. The fever she felt before started to set in from his sword, poison starting to trace her body.
"No one may come into our great town. With the sky red, we have banished outsiders," A guard stopped them. "Return to where you came from."
"She lives here, the one we carry. Move out of our way, you idiot!" Serana yelled.
"Do not speak to a guard in such tones. We will arrest you for disobedience if you open your mouth again."
Matria pushed her way to the front, calling forward her remaining gargoyles. Each slammed against the ground behind the guards. Once the guards pulled their weapons, the gargoyles showed no mercy to those who stopped their effort to get Tenaya through the town. Dozan readied an arrow and sent it to the guards coming towards them. Ciphen sent walls of fire to block the path from the docks and guardhouse.
A foot race ensued that no one wanted. Guards and bandits seemed to appear around every corner in town. Outside town, the swamplands gave way to bandits, all eager to claim a prize to appease the Daedra. Ciphen and Dozan watched the sides while Matria led the way with gargoyles flying to anyone who appeared a threat. The numbers were just too much. Bandits ran behind, no matter where they went. Lydia stopped at the edge of the water.
"Get her to safety. It was a pleasure knowing all of you. I will fulfill my oath as her housecarl," Lydia said and turned to the oncoming groups.
"NO! You will die!" Grelka screamed.
"Get her home. Goodbye, Tenaya," Lydia said one last time.
"Come on, Grelka." Serana yelled.
The two moved as quickly as they could to get her to safety. Matria left her gargoyles beside Lydia to offer some sort of help and protection. She ran ahead of everyone to the house in the distance, figuring everything out the closer they came. A man heard the screams and went out of the house to see the commotion. Matria came to a stop well ahead of the group.
"What is your purpose here?" Valdimar asked.
Through her panting, Matria managed to get out a warning of Tenaya and her condition. The man rushed past her and into the marsh. He saw a woman being dragged by others, mouth lowering to realize the gravity of their situation. In the distance, a fight ensued, Lydia and the two remaining gargoyles trying to hold off waves of bandits from discovering Tenaya.
"You must help them, they will not survive if you do not. Let me take my thane." Valdimar said.
He gave no choice to Serana and Grelka. Valdimar lifted Tenaya into his arms and ran with her to the house. Ciphen demanded Serana do with her and went to assist Lydia. Matria and Dozan did the same. With no more bandits flanking the group, both could help her and know Tenaya was protected. Serana caught up to Valdimar and followed him into the house.
Serana opened the doors inside where Valdimar put Tenaya on her bed. Both started to take off her armor, Serana struggling to keep her emotions in check. Her fingers fumbled with the straps. Everything she did or tried to do took an effort she couldn't put forth. The frustration grew more and more when everything seemed stuck.
"Let me tend to her. You are of no help with your emotions, milady," Valdimar said.
Serana backed away, her back hitting the wall beside the safe. She crumbled to the ground with sobs echoing through the whole room. Valdimar kept his work steady, removing piece after piece of her armor slowly. The armor held up the best anyone could imagine. Velatin's sword only went through a couple places where the seams came together, but his sword also had the help of many different curses.
"Serana," Grelka said, standing over the woman. "Please get up. Let him work."
She remained lost to the world. Her hand combed through her hair repeatedly, a trickle of slobber coming from her mouth from the emotions tearing her up. Serana pulled her knees tight to her chest and buried her face deep into them. It only muffled the fear she felt.
Everyone returned to the manor, even Lydia, who survived the bandits, thanks to the help of her friends. Each of them looked tired and weak. They all suffered their own cuts and bruises, but no one would find them so quickly. Every last bandit died out there with none on the horizon. Their conversation stopped upon seeing Serana on the floor, hearing her wails through Valdimar's work. Everyone expected Tenaya to be dead the way she acted, but she wasn't, Tenaya clinging to life, but barely.
"Matria…" Serana said, lifting her head from her knees.
"I know. Let me gather something to collect the bandit's blood and dispose of their bodies. I just need some company so I can work quickly."
"We will join you," Ciphen said, grabbing anything Matria asked.
Dozan, Ciphen, and Matria all left as quickly as they arrived. Lydia was in no condition to join with her battered leg, adding fresh wounds to her problems now. Grelka went to tend to her needs. The bard who remained in the manor retreated upstairs after seeing a vampire walk into the house. She didn't understand there were decent ones out there, choosing her self-interest over anything.
The door swung open unexpectedly, another joining no one expected. Astronica came into the manor without delay or warning. She threw Valdimar to the side without a second thought, standing close to the bed over Tenaya. Things escalated quickly when she examined the wounds on her stomach and chest. This wasn't the same type of injury she dealt with before and the fever, this was new. Blackness seeped out the area.
"If you touched any of this, clean yourself immediately," Astronica yelled, turning to Valdimar. "Start a fire outside and put her armor in it. This needs to burn off, and for the sake of your life, be careful."
Grelka went about the business with the armor. Astronica stared at Serana, who remained a mess on the floor. She approached slowly, kneeling to talk to her at eye level.
"Her life is in your hands now, Serana. This curse can only be stopped by the Divine. There are shrines in the basement. Azura said you are the only one they will answer to. If you do not, she is dead."
"Let me show you where it is," Valdimar added, wasting no time
The words hit Serana like a ton of bricks. Serana's mouth remained open while staring back at Astronica. She found the courage to stand up and walk through the great room to the rear of the house. A small notch in the flooring with a handle was the only marker she recognized. Valdimar lifted the door and allowed Serana down the ladder. Astronica shut it over her. She knew what would be said had to remain private, if they even answered.
Astronica returned to Tenaya on the bed. Her breathing grew more labored with each passing moment. She didn't dare tend to the wounds or try to clean anything up. This was now out of all their hands and rested solely on the shoulders of Serana.