Durnehviir faded away back to the Soul Cairn as his hold on Mundus slipped again. He'd been a great distraction as a handful of Forsworn tried to stop them on the path to Darkfall Cave. There were still a couple left alive but the ethereal dragon allowed Serana and Torina to flee without being seen. Bothering with the mountain dwellers was more annoying than it was worth most days. Getting in the middle of that particular spat was low on Torina's list.
"There's the cave," Torina said. An extra spring in her step, she carefully looked around before jogging out of the underbrush back to the footpath.
"You go on ahead. I'm going to finish off that briarheart."
Torina didn't argue. The Forsworn had attacked them unprovoked, since they were careful to stray out of their claimed lands, and Serana needed to feed. Her morals were satisfied here.
"I'll wait for you inside," Torina said. "Save his heart for me if you can, please."
Serana slipped away, becoming invisible before heading back down the path. Darkfall Cave was only a few hundred paces away so Torina took her time heading up. Sometimes Serana preferred the challenge of battling by herself which was something Torina could respect. She was always grateful for her companion's help in battle but taking on something alone and winning thrilled her.
The sun hung low in the sky above the mountains when she walked into the cave. She sat close enough to the mouth that she could hear anyone approaching but not so close as to be seen from a distance. Setting the packs down she adjusted the ties and straps where they came loose during the journey. The amulet Valerica gave her still twisted around her waist and provided a protective weight against her.
Crickets were starting to sing within the mountain grasses when Serana returned, long shadows cast across the valley grass. She gave Torina the briarheart as requested. There wasn't a spot of blood on Serana, but her skin did have a bit more color and her hands weren't twitching restlessly anymore.
Together they wandered down the throat of the cave system. They'd not returned this way since the bridge collapsed beneath them almost two months ago. They nearly were lost trying to find the path they'd taken to leave until they saw a marker for the slim entrance to the alcove. On either side of the path the walls were lined with far more bioluminescent plants than when they'd left. The path they took would have been hidden otherwise. The sight of so many glowing mushrooms initially worried Torina, as they almost always grew like this around the gardens of Falmer alchemists mixing poisons, until she saw who was propagating them.
Gelebor reached up above his head along the wall while balanced on an outcropping of roots and stone. Most of his armor rested neatly on the ground so his arms were free to move around and the outcrop could support his weight. He was intently focused on his work but noticed their approach.
"Well met, Gelebor," Torina said in greeting.
The initial surprise on his face melted to a smile in the space of a moment. Torina felt momentarily disarmed by how openly pleased he was to see them. He slipped down carefully from his perch to stand next to them. They exchanged the forearm holds in a more formal welcome.
"Well met indeed, Lady Torina. And Lady Serana. It's wonderful to see both of you. I trust your mission was successful?"
"My father is dealt with, yes," Serana said.
"Though I'm glad to hear he was unsuccessful in his tyranny I am sorry for your loss. It isn't easy to lose a family member."
Serana's reserved mood cracked a bit from Gelebor's genuine empathy. Of all the people in Tamriel, Torina reasoned to herself, he could understand what she was feeling. "I appreciate it."
"You are most welcome." Gelebor directed his attention to Torina. "Are you staying for a while?"
"Yes, if you'll have us," she said. Her body buzzed with anxiety and excitement to start telling him what she'd discovered so far about his people.
"There are a few rooms I've cleared in the citadel that are safe for you both to stay in, should you need them," Gelebor explained. He started walking down the slope and in moments they could see the chantry. "There are quite a few artifacts I've found in the wreckage you'll be interested in, including one of the missing paragons. I look forward to hearing of your adventures since leaving the Vale. Come, I've got some supper waiting. I don't have much to offer you, Serana-"
"I'll be fine for a few days," the vampire said. "So don't worry about me."
Gelebor put his armor back on as they walked, keeping their voices low in the cave to avoid attracting any trolls or wandering Betrayed. The journey through the chantry was as smooth as Torina remembered.
After supper was consumed the two visitors were lead through the partially cleared citadel to a hall they didn't have access to before. As they went along they passed a set of double gated doors that Torina remembered led out towards the front hall. Covering the gates was a shimmering barrier that switched between blue and purple hues and emitted a soft, high pitched hum.
"What's that barrier?" she asked, pointing to the soul gems she noticed on either side of the door.
"Charus deterrent," Gelebor explained. "They can't stand the frequency. It's a trick I developed a few hundred years ago to keep them away from my sanctuary below ground."
The hall he led them to opened many stories above their heads. Some criss-crossing stone archways were still intact with some of their handrails, but most were crumbling or completely shattered. A wall of ice pressed against the ceiling and as far as Torina could tell, it had fallen in the avalanche that caused most of the rest of the citadel to be destroyed. She could see scorch marks from flame spells on some of the rocks embedded and the ice which was all the answer she needed to know Gelebor had spent hours melting the ice away from the interior.
In the center of the hall was a slightly concave pool of water with two short columns on either side that resembled another archway out in the valley. A short round platform made of the same white stone used throughout the ruins waited expectantly with a small dias nearby.
"Is this the other paragon platform?" Serana asked. She crouched down to the ground to take a closer look at the dias. "Besides the way the arch is broken, it looks just like the one out in the Vale."
"Precisely. Do you have any of those paragons with you?" he asked.
Torina shook her head. "They're all locked in my home near Falkreath, guarded and hidden away."
"Understandable. However, I would like to keep them here, if you don't mind returning again in the future. They would be useful in monitoring the valley the same way they were used when the platforms were first constructed."
"Of course," Torina said. Something in his face clued her into what he was on about. Lips slowly rising into a smile, she said, "Though...you have another paragon."
Gelebor smirked, something more playful than one of the genuine smiles Torina was slowly growing accustomed to, and it made his eyes glitter with mischief. The look suited him. His smirk made hers grow further.
He reached into the satchel he brought with him to take out a paragon made from -
"A soul gem?" Torina asked. "This one is made from soul gems?"
"Not gems . One gem, mined from Fal Zhardum Din before the Dwemer controlled our race."
The gem was enormous compared to any other Torina had encountered. When she'd been in Blackreach and needed another soul gem she'd never been able to cut one of this size from the veins. Her attempts to mine away more than she needed caused what she collected to splinter into smaller and smaller pieces. The material that made the gems was soft and pliable, and porus in order to collect the souls they were named for in the first place. She'd seen some of the smaller fragments float in saltwater. Not even Azura's Star was so brilliant a specimen. She wondered if it housed a soul or had remained empty all these thousands of years.
"Impressive," was all she managed to say, transfixed by the paragon.
"It's made of the same material as a soul gem, but our conjurers never managed to trap a soul within it. Not even the pettiest soul."
Torina looked to Serana before saying, "Have you heard of such a thing?"
"Never. It's possible it isn't a soul gem at all."
The group regarded the item silently for another few moments, wondering at all the amazing things Mundus still held secret.
"I've not attempted to use this yet," Gelebor explained. "I thought it misguided to attempt it before you both had returned and it was not an option to go out into the valley to test from that platform."
Serana was still transfixed to the dias in the center. "We should go down there."
The phrase caught Torina by surprise. Over the time she'd known her, Serana had proven to have an uncanny sense of danger and knowledge for when to use caution. The overt suggestion to move ahead with a potentially dangerous trip to an unknown location was out of character. It lifted her excitement and anticipation to new heights.
"What are we waiting for then?" Torina asked.
Gelebor was eager and stepped easily over the ring of water to join Serana on the dias. He looked back at Torina and lifted up the paragon in his hands as if to beckon her closer. Transfixed on the item in his hands, she stepped forward, and held her breath as Gelebor activated the archway.
Huge thank yous to those who keep steadily reviewing this. Wanted y'all to know I had to take a second job. That and mental health has been through the shitter recently. I have a couple chapters written ahead in this but if it falls off, I apologize. Comments help motivate me on this one of course - let's me know that there are readers interested in the story.