The vampires were dashing back to the cave entrance. If they escaped, her father would only send more after them. Serana knew she needed to catch them before they made it to the mouth of the tunnel.
"Serana! It's a…"
Serana didn't look back when she heard Aela call out to her. With as fast as she could move, these three particular vampires were faster than her. She cursed at whoever had enchanted their gear, because they moved like lightening. Pursuing them, she felt Aela's alarm, yet she ignored it, intending to stay focused on her quarry. They were too important to lose, too much was at stake. She was sure they had heard her translations of Azriel's song and they had to know where the Prophecy was going to lead them.
Her mother was already fighting the others somewhere to her right. The way it echoed, she guessed they were somewhere near the largest waterfall. The screams and the clamor reverberated as Valerica decimated the other vampires.
Her attempt to stop the vampires that raced ahead of her came to a halt hearing Aela's wolf yowl desperately in her mind. It called to Azriel and herself and half a second later Serana crashed into a stone marker, her right side burning as if she had been stabbed with a piece of the sun. The suddenness of it was breathtaking, knocking Serana from her feet, her chase lost. Only the searing pain Aela felt existed through their connection. The smooth, flat circular stones scattered everywhere as she tried to pull herself to her feet. Rolling to her side gasping, she dug her nails into the dirt. Her head was ringing, filled with every excruciating feeling Aela had. Aela's was silent, but she could hear her wolf wailing. It thrashed in an agonizing frenzy, stealing with it Serana's ability to think coherently as she fought to regain control of their merged emotions.
If Serana had been watching, she would have seen the three Azriel's, past, present, and future, snap back into one when Aela had been captured. Had she have turned when Aela called, she would have understood the ruse to separate and overpower them. Now, suffering as Aela did, she regretted not listening to Azriel's prophetic dream more closely.
Serana never saw the silver cord as it was pulled taught around Azriel's neck, strangling her. She only heard when the words to her song were cut short from it. Azriel never finished her song about the Dragon Scroll or why it was needed. But, Serana felt the moment when Azriel's connection with the moths was broken. A second later, the arresting pain tore through her right side again.
Serana cried out, tumbling down four stairs when the sensation had doubled. Her body slammed against a pine tree, almost knocking her out. Rolling to her side and grasping onto the tree, she pulled herself up against it. She rested her cheek on the trunk next to a broken branch. Through her blurred vision, she watched the Elder Scrolls lingered open for the seconds after Azriel had been silenced.
The brilliant white glow around Azriel was gone, the shaft of sunlight had returned. Azriel struggled against the silver chains she was trapped in with the cable around her neck. Her head bobbed and inside of that second, Serana watched Azriel, unaided by the moths, look directly at the Elder Scroll in front of her. The sunset color of her eyes instantly faded to white and Azriel's mouth opened to scream, but Serana didn't hear a sound escape from it. The rush of madness consumed the blind Dragonborn, nearly taking Serana with it. The manic cry of the dragon and the wolf became a raging storm Serana could not escape as she writhed in their dual misery. The moths were already dissipating, most simply disappearing, but Serana couldn't notice those details. She was just as lost as they, the oppressive waters and suffocating pain dragging her down with them. Struggling to regain her balance, her side felt as if it had been ripped wide open. She was visionless with their mutual distress. Losing track of the moments, she became trapped in their darkness. She gulped the air to taste her surroundings and dug her fingers into the soil to ground herself.
The cavern clamored around her, the sensations ricocheting inside her head. Her vision blurred and grew darker and she wretched, gasping for more air, as if the act could save any of them. Trying to assert her own will, she pushed against their pain. Yet their emotions surged, assaulting her and forced her to dig to the depths of her own soul. Reaching for a strength she had only used once before, she pushed at Azriel and Aela, letting the howling madness abate.
She shoved against the world, rising only to buckle against the tree, desperate for respite from the crippling pain that bled through the pair of them and into her. Forcing her will against their bond, she slowly wedged her own will between them, offering the only respite through the chaos. Doing so, she knew it was the only buoy she'd have for their joint salvation.
Blinking back the bloody tears, Serana looked over the ledge to see Azriel as she was pulled under the sapphire waters by silver cord around her neck. The moment she was pulled under, they closed and fell to the ground, their glow dying out.
Their fear and pain scored her, but her determination to free herself from their disarray was winning. The bitter anger she felt choking her now was mostly her own. Her tunneled vision allowed her to just see the vampires that had imprisoned Aela and Azriel slipped under the surface of the brilliant blue. Now her own panic and desperation choked her, causing her to stagger with her assertion and she fell again. Her face hit a rock and she rolled, gripping her right side in anguish.
Next to the bottom of the stairs, a vampire appeared from thin air. Serana blinked through more bloody tears, trying to grasp what was happening through the onslaught. The Nordic Vampire raised his hand, next to him a second vampire appeared. The mage's long flowing gowns swished around him with the breeze that had picked up.
A single flash left Elf's fingertips, racing to the top of the cavern. The flare exploded, raining down over the water, where Azriel and Aela were drowning. Serana could barely focus, but she forced herself to stay in attendance of what was happening. She let her senses reach out, letting the commotion of the cavern wash over her.
The breeze rattled the leaves of the trees, the beats of the moth wings, the rushing waters of each waterfall… the sounds around the cavern assaulted her in their disorienting totality. Her mind fought to register everything through the asphyxiating sensations surrounding her lovers. The helplessness of it coupled with agonizing cried of the wolves in exquisite pain pulled her closer to the zenith of reality. Her heart beat in rapid succession, matching the pace of the two people she needed to rescue, but couldn't yet move to save. She dug deeper within herself, calling on her true nature and the monster within.
The Nordic Vampire looked directly at Serana and smiled. "Ladies, I suggest you rethink your current situation…" He pointed to the water, "I'd say you have about 3 minutes to decide their fate."
Serana didn't answer and more vampires appeared around them, the illusions of the trap lifted.
The air was filled with the scent of half-blooded vampires, making Serana's mouth water. Her thirst rose, pulling the demon she was back into existence. Growling, she rolled to her knees, never taking her eyes from the Nordic vampire and the vampiric Elven Battle-Mage that stood next to him.
The vampire walked to where the Elder Scrolls lay and picked them up, examining them. A smile spread across his face, from behind Serana heard Valerica hiss angrily.
Footprints appeared in the sands, their grand scheme slapped her in the face. She fought to comprehend the enormity of what was happening around her. Archers appeared on the ledges high above, their silver bows pointed directly at the water. On the lower paths, more vampires appeared, with silver swords in hand.
Serana swooned trying to stand, her anger grew with the vampire's deep laughter.
The dark-haired Nordic vampire snapped his fingers. "Boryreloth!" He looked The Nordic vampire glanced at Serana smiled at her. She ground her teeth and pushed herself away from the tree she clutched, the bark peeling under her nails.
A vampire flew past her and down the stairs. His movements were so fast, she only recognized him as one the vampires she had been chasing when he stopped in front of the Nord.
"Return Lord Harkon's effects to him." He looked back up the hill at Serana as he handed the Scrolls to the Dunmer. "Inform him we shall be returning on the morrow with his daughter..." He smiled victoriously, "…and other guests."
In an instant, the Dunmer was sprinting past Serana.
"Release our comrades immediately."
Serana bristled at the anger in her mother's voice. It was a tone Valerica had only used with her father in the past when they had fought and Azriel.
The Nord drew himself to his full height and looked past Serana at Valerica.
All around her everything took on a more vivid form. Scents, colors, light, and the near artic cold of the increasing wind assaulted her. Working towards the control she needed, Serana let the anger she felt consume her. It was the changing tide and pulling her into her more perilous self.
"Come now, my dear lady. Surely you must know Lord Harkon will be most displeased if I were to allow your compatriots to simply walk free." He smirked at his own comments. He strolled forward, the Elven mage sticking to his side. "Besides, he has made it clear that the Dragonborn and the Lady Serana are to be returned to the castle. I'm sure you do understand that a second pure blood matron would be of obvious interest to him." He looked between Serana and Valerica and his smile broadened. "Especially one as beautiful as yourself. I do wish this to be an agreeable arraignment."
Serana could hear her mother's eyes roll.
"Since when has Harkon or his buffoons done anything amicably?"
The vampire winced at her scathing retort. So much so he stopped on the stairs and cleared his throat. "My lady, my Lord Harkon has made his intentions clear. The Lady Serana and the Dragonborn are his. All others are to be… disposed of. However, I consider myself a gentleman as well as a warrior. I wish to do this cordially, since I respect the Dragonborns previous conquests. I can also see the resemblance between you and the Lady Serana, therefore I'm also inclined to believe that my Lord would enjoy entertaining his estranged wife."
"You, whoever you are, simply expect us to return with you to the castle?" Valerica scoffed at him.
The Nord bowed with dramatic flair. "My name is Kaapo and yes, I would be delighted to escort the both of you to Volkihar Keep." He turned slightly, waving his hand at the lake behind him, "As I have said, I will also be returning the Dragonborn to the castle, since my Lord wishes to meet her in person. He finds her to be… um… intriguing."
Serana's anger rose unchecked. It lashed across the soul bond between Azriel and Aela. Whether she had intended it or not, Serana had returned their calls with her own outrage.
The water behind the vampire began to boil. The steam forming a hazy buffer between the cobalt waters and the frigid air.
Serana looked at her mother and Valerica gave her a sideways glance.
"And the other wolf? What will you do with her?"
Serana knew she was keeping the vampire talking. The grotto had taken on a chaotic and menacing air.
"I shall gladly release the shewolf of Jorrvaskr once you surrender yourselves to me." He called back, his arrogant smile fixed firmly into place. "I should remind you, at best, they have about two minutes before they will be hunting with Hircine. I do beg you to be sensible about this."
A smile twisted the corners of Serana's lips, she felt stronger and more in control. Though the soul bond, she could feel their frenzied emotions and battering distress, yet she now understood she could control how it affected her. She pulled at them, letting their torment fuel her rage. "We won't be surrendering." The calmness she heard in her own words surprised her.
The Nord chuckled. "Lady Serana, please, don't be foolish. You don't have half a chance to defeat all of us and save your friends. I have brought with me the best archers, swordsmen, and mages in the court." He waved his hand theatrically, sweeping the ledges and the vampires around them.
"You act as if we aren't capable of such a feat." A wicked smile bloomed on Serana's face. "Or did you think it was just us here? I think you've forgotten who is with us in this cavern."
The Nord and the High Elf vampire shared a concerned look.
"Who?" The vampire looked at her suspiciously. His cavalier attitude was gone.
The grotto began to quake, growling sounds filled the hollow as earth and rock shifted. The grinding rock cracked, fractures racing upwards from the water, splitting near the opening at the top of the cavern. A large section of basalt caved and the vampires all watched it fall into the water. The wave from it doused the two vampires with scalding water along with the swordsmen that stood at the ready nearby.
Before they could recover, another section of rock caved, this time falling into a waterfall and spraying cold water everywhere as a massive jet. The tremors increase and the rumbling grew louder. Cracks formed in the walls of the cave surrounding the small lake. The lake itself caught fire with blueish-purple flames.
Kaapo stood, drenched in lake water. "I demand to know who is here, or by Molag Bal I shall take their heads!" He pointed behind himself at the water without looking.
Serana laughed, his words weren't funny, yet everything about them made the anger she felt boil like the water. Her laughter wasn't reasonable, but she couldn't stop it. "Do you think they can't hear you?"
"Serana, have you gone mad?" Valerica whispered.
The torrid waters started to rain upwards from the lake. The droplets rising high into the cavern and suspended far overhead. The light in the grotto dimmed slightly, to a deep purple shade and the shaft of light disappeared altogether.
Serana didn't answer her. She only watched the vampires of her father's court shift warily, feeling the tension that surrounded them.
Kaapo and his companion started up the steps, all the while he never took his eyes from Serana. "Search the caverns!"
The smile that Serana wore twisted evilly on her face.
"Find anyone, kill them!"
The archers remained in place, their bows still aimed threateningly at the tossing lake. The vampires on the ground around them spread thin, searching the cavern for anyone. Only a small group of vampire warriors stayed near the edge of the lake, guarding their master.
The blue water churned wildly, mixing with the sulfurous muds, turning the waters turquoise. Kaapo looked over his shoulder at the lake, puzzling over it, watching the surface of the waters dance with blueish-purple flames. The vampires that had submerged to remain with Azriel and Aela rose to the surface of the boiling waters trying to escape, but the blistering temperature reduced them to ash.
Serana realized that the Soul Cairn had indeed rubbed off on Azriel. Their stay had changed her and had altered her magic. It had only been in the Soul Cairn that Serana had seen flames that matched the ones that danced on the churning waters now.
Kaapo's head snapped back around, the look of realization hitting him. "Bring me the heads of the shewolf and the Dragonborn!"
The vampire troop toed the edge of the boiling waters, the flames leaping higher into the air.
"We can't, it's too hot!"
Serana laughed at them, "Can't take a little heat?"
"If we can't get to them, then you'll work as bait!" The Elven mage hissed at her. "Bring the Matrons to us!" He shouted at the vampires that had scattered.
The lake exploded its boiling contents, scalding everything and everyone around it. Following the explosion of flaming water, Azriel's roar filled the cavern. Shaking the fissured rock walls and the ground, disorienting and deafening the lesser vampires. Rock exploded from the walls, massive chunks calved and slid into the tumultuous water. The wind picked up, no longer the breeze, but now the storm.
Serana used the distraction to their advantage, "Mother, now!" She took off in a dead run, sprinting down the stairs, taking on her true form. Serana hit the High Elf Mage in the chest, her claws catching him in the chest and tearing him in half. Her toenails drug in the yellow muds as she threw his remains aside.
Kaapo jumped away from Serana's claws, pushing another vampire between them and drawing his sword. "Stop them!"
The lake surged again, depositing Aela onto the yellow muds of the shore. She coughed and sputtered, trying to clear her lungs and replace the contents with precious air. All around her a battle waged, but her eyes, nose, and mouth burned badly from the sulfur. The gale blew her wet hair, slapping her in the face with it. Her ears had filth in them and her side was screaming. Her lungs felt like they were going to collapse from how little air she was getting. The chains around her wrists limited her movement, she couldn't get away from the lake edge. When she looked up, she saw Azriel standing on the water and she blinked hard. Azriel's hands covered her face, the chains pulled taught and the cord still firmly around her neck. The water from the lake still burned as it swirled around her like a tornado.
Serana ripped the Breton vampire's head from her shoulders, her teeth tearing off a section of her shoulder. Swallowing it, she looked at the water where Azriel stood motionless and Aela still laid coughing.
"Archers!" Kaapo shouted over the wind.
Aela looked over her shoulder, the glimmer of silver decorated the cave. Her heart skipped a beat watching all the vampires staring them down.
"Target the Dragonborn!"
Aela forgot about the pain she was in, all she could see was sharp tips as they adjusted to point at Azriel. She took as deep of a breath as she could.
"Loose!" He shouted.
Aela leapt with all of her strength. Catching Azriel around the shoulders and using her own body as a shield. She didn't have time to blink, breath, or think. All that mattered was protecting Azriel from the silver arrows. The strings snapped and whistling filled the air. Aela clenched tightly to Azriel. For a second… then two… then nothing. Only the sound of cracking filled her ears and her own shallow breathing sounded tinny. Cracking her eyelids open, Aela gasped. The pain in her ribs forced her to buckle and press into Azriel harder. But, it was what she was seeing that made her gasp. Surrounding them was a swirled dome of pure ice, blazing with the blue-purple light frozen within it. The silver arrows were inches from them. Azriel had trapped them, protecting them both.
"Dii lokaal…"
Aela struggled against the burn in her body to pull away from Azriel and look at her. Her hands still covered her face and blood dripped from the tight shackles that ate at her wrists, like Aela's were.
"Azriel?"
"Dii lokaal…" Azriel repeated weakly.
"Azriel, I don't understand." Aela eyed the ice that surrounded them suspiciously. The blue-purple light gave them a haunting look.
Azriel's hands dropped away from her face and Aela peered into the pure white eyes of the blinded Dragonborn for the first time. "Dii lokaal, Zu'u los koraavnu."
The words tumbled in space, no more tangible to Aela than what was occurring outside of their bubble. Through the ice, the sounds of the cave were muted by the water flowing around the exterior of the dome.
"Azriel…" Aela lifted her bound hands to Azriel's face, "…Ahziial, I can't understand you."
For another long moment Azriel didn't respond and that worried Aela. Azriel was within herself, and the feelings of it were off. Aela felt sand suddenly touch the bottom of her feet and let go of Azriel, settling into the earth that had risen to meet her feet. "Talk to me."
Ahziial took a wheezing breath, leaning forward, she kissed Aela.
The world around them melted away as Azriel shared her blood and her magic with Aela. In turn, Aela felt herself getting lighter, the keys to the knowledge of their bond opening the doors of understanding between them. The stirring of their souls, within their bond as the Dragonborn gave her the gift of her Nordic ancestors and unlocked Kyne's blessing fully. Dozens of voices filled Aela, the voices of dragons and their history, fueled by the souls Azriel had consumed. Their language and knowledge poured through her and Aela felt their unadulterated power. Ancient knowledge, as old as time, itself burned its way through her mind. Ancient skirmishes and rites gripped her. Through their bond Aela saw the fringes of knowledge and unmistakable power. She heard the call of the wolf and roar of the dragon, their voices as one. Through their combined cry, Aela's bones ached for battle and her blood boiled with rage.
Ahziial broke their kiss, her hands fled to her hair and she screamed. The ice that surrounded them shattered, the flaming pieces blowing into the swirling waters of the vortex that surrounded them, leaving them exposed to the fight that raged onshore.
Aela turned to see both Serana and Valerica fighting the vampires. Looking up, she saw the archers lock onto Azriel once more. Their bows notched and drawn in unison.
The flaming water that surrounded them stretched like a spring and Aela heard the dragon roar in her mind.
"You must be my eyes if we are to survive." The draconic words were rasped out and in Aela's head they were like a long lost friend that she had rediscovered.
Without a thought or a doubt, Aela understood what to do. "Hahnuheim. Ofuun. Mindok." The words where wheezed, the pain in her side tearing at her and her wolf as she breathed. She could feel Ahziial's agony through the maddening turmoil that cloaked her.
Ahziial's chin tipped upward and she roared. The basaltic walls behind the archers detonated, the twisting water lashed out like tentacles lashing at the vampires that screamed and were thrown from their perch. Ahziial's hands roughly shoved Aela her knees as archers on another ledge let their arrows fly. Once more, the water responded as a wall, rising from the lake and taking the arrows for them.
Aela looked to Serana and Valerica as they fought, Ahziial's head turning with hers. The cavern grew darker still, more reflective of the night in the outside world. Aela's hair whipped violently in front of her face, the wind driving from behind her. Waves smashed the shore relentlessly, pushing and pulling at their chains. The cord around her neck tightening and releasing with the motions, the constriction galling as she struggled for air. She gripped her right side, desperate for relief.
Ahziial roared again, fissures ripping through the ground and walls, shaking the vampires and knocking them off balance.
Serana and Valerica each capitalized on the disarray inflicted, but Aela didn't linger. Her focus shifted, with it, Ahziial's had as well.
The archers on the ledge had recovered enough to retake their places. This time, Aela could watch as Ahziial's hands motioned for the water to rise. Flames dancing though the column Ahziial summoned, and hurling it toward the archers before they could issue another volley.
Aela turned, just in time to see a Nordic vampire sprinting towards them. His silver sword was drawn as he charged. The rock ledge disintegrated under the vampires' feet and Aela heard them scream as they fell. Without any weapons, Aela threw herself between the vampire and Ahziial. The chains that bound her were now her only defense against his onslaught.
The grotto shook when Ahziial bellowed a third time. In her fury, fire and water twisted higher into the air. The shaking grew stronger and the blistering lake gurgled with monstrous bubbles. The gases spewed forth with each break.
The silver swords crashed against the enchanted chains, sparking. The vampire pushed Aela back, just as the mud pots around the cavern blew. The cold wind turned blistering.
Aela choked against the cord and the gases that were rapidly displacing the breathable air.
"HI FEN PAH AG!"
The vampire's fist collided with Aela's wounded and unprotected side. He grabbed her hair, ripping her head back and shoving her closer to the shore. "I wanted to do this as a gentleman." He lifted the silver sword high into the air. "But your decisions have brought this fate upon you!"
"YOL!" The methane that had filled the cavern ignited.
The blue flames of the gas scorched, the fire marked its way through the cavern, a monster with a life of its own. The firestorm surrounded Serana, her vision obscured by the force of the blue-demon wave. She lost sight of her mother, Aela, Azriel, and everything else. Her last sight was Kaapo holding the sword, point down over Aela and Aela looking directly at it. Pushing her way forward, her wings toiled against the strength of the wind generated by the storm. The blaze consumed the fuel that resided within its path and blacked it, incinerating every living thing instantly. The half-blooded vampires throughout the cavern burst into dust, including Kaapo.
Laying on the rocks near the shore, Serana saw Azriel and Aela were unconscious. The flames had burned away the breathable air, while the other weighty gases of the eruption had displaced the lighter air, suffocating them.
Serana's feet hit the mud and she reverted to her mortal form. She pulled Azriel from the water she was face down in and rested her against the rocks. Serana loosened the cord from her neck.
Valerica lifted Aela and pushed her against the rocks next to Azriel. Serana chucked the silver rope aside as she freed Aela as well. She breathed life-giving air into both women until they started to breath on their own.
The flames died away, leaving only the ghosts of blackened trees and scorched stone in its wake. The two remaining vampires marveled at how the fire-storm had vaporized everything in the hollow. Now nothing remained.
"Your father…" Valerica inspected the chains on their wrist.
"Look at this." Serana pointed to the small blackened hole in Azriel's side.
She reached out, running her finger over Azriel's wound, then sniffing the sticky black fluid that oozed from it. Valerica's eyes went wide, "No…" She moved Aela's armor, exposing an identical wound. Slowly, Valerica looked up at Serana. "Tell me, how do you think your father knew we traveled with wolves?"
Serana held Azriel's hand in hers. Looking down at the Dragonborn, she sighed. "When I returned to the castle, I had gone alone. Azriel had traveled with me to Solitude and we parted ways there. I didn't know if it would be you or father and I couldn't risk her life if it was father. Once I was there, he wanted me to drink from a werewolf he had killed and I refused. I told him the woman who had rescued me was a werewolf. When he asked her name and reacted to it, I knew I had made a mistake." Serana looked back up at her mother, "I didn't know who she was or that she was Dragonborn."
Valerica shook her head, but remained quiet for a moment. She looked down at Aela, reaching down, she snapped the chains that clasped tightly to her wrists. "Free the Dragonborn."
Serana snapped the chains on Azriel's wrist, then dug through her ruck sack that Aela still wore, pulling two vials from it.
"The silver is the least of their concerns." Valerica said softly.
As Serana poured the contents of the first vial into Azriel's mouth she looked back up at her mother. "This will prevent the fever…" But, she hesitated seeing the look on Valerica's face. "What is it?"
Valerica sighed, looking away. "The silver fever is nothing compared to what has been done to them."
Serana looked down at the pair of wolves, unconscious against the rocks. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was low and she couldn't keep the sinking despair she felt from showing through.
"Those wounds…" Valerica rubbed her forehead. "…it's a poison specific to werewolves. Your father knew we were traveling with them, he never intended for the Dragonborn to live and we have walked directly into his trap."
Serana crushed the empty vial in her hand as she stared at Azriel and Aela. "Then we get them the cure!"
Valerica closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "There isn't a cure for this poison."
Serana stared hard at her mother in silence. Then she shook her head and administered the tonic to Aela. "Then we find one."
Valerica shook her head. "Serana, there is no cure for this."
Serana leapt to her feet, grabbing Valerica and slamming her against the rocks. "How the do you know this?" She stared directly into her mother's eyes. Valerica remained silent and the realization dawned on Serana. "You made it."
Valerica gave a single, shallow nod of her head. "Serana, they are better off if we leave them behind."
"Oh no, mother… you are not getting out of this. You will tell me what it does."
Valerica sighed feeling Serana's grip tighten. "On wild wolves, the effect lasts a lunar cycle. During that time, they will lose their stamina as the poison works its way through their system. They will rot and decay from within until they transform."
Serana slammed Valerica into the rocks again. "Until they transform? What happens then?"
"The wolf will become feral during this time, at the end of the lunar cycle when they transform, they will die."
"Why would you make anything so foul?" Serana growled at her.
"Your father was cleansing vermin when we first moved to the Keep. I made it to ensure our safety and his during his hunts. Your father cleansed Skyrim of wild wolf and bear packs, an impressive feat to ensure our safety. This poison ensured his success, I didn't see a point to developing an antidote and I certainly wasn't going to have them lingering about the castle near you."
Serana glared at her mother. Her grip didn't loosen. "They aren't like normal wolves, they don't follow the moons. What will happen to them?"
Valerica returned her glare. "They will weaken, the rot will spread through their bodies, in pain they'll become feral, and they will eventually transform to appease their bloodlust. There is nothing I can do to stop this, their blood is already tainted." She took another breath never breaking her glare. "Look around you Serana, that Dragonborn destroyed everything here. Is she worth your protection?"
"I don't accept that! You made this poison, you are going to make an antidote." Serana leaned closer to her mother, her fangs bared. "Or I swear, when they die, you'll be right behind them. They mean everything to me and they give me purpose. You have no idea of what Azriel or Aela are capable of. You simply refuse to see them for who they are, especially Azriel. That is your shortcoming, mother. You've never seen anyone for who they, only how they can serve your purpose, including me."
Valerica shoved Serana back. "You dare, after everything? You ungrateful child." She smoothed down her blouse. "Serana, you need to accept that they are just tools to accomplish our goal. I have given you everything I can, everything!"
Serana slammed into her mother, forcing her into the rocks. "They are anything but that. I love them and I will not see them suffer. Not for you, not for anyone on Nirn!" She spun her mother around, "You want to go? Go! Chase the others, but I will find a means of fixing yet another of your mistakes."
"Mistakes? How dare you, Serana!"
Serana let out a frustrated scream. "You heard Azriel's song! The Scroll of the Dragon means only Azriel can pull the bow from Aetherius!"
"Which also means the others that escape know this as well since you translated everything thing for her!" Valerica pointed at Aela. "They have the Scrolls and everything Harkon needs…"
"Except Azriel!" Serana snapped back at her.
"If we take the Dragonborn into another trap, he will have her. Why can you not see past your own desires to what is really happening?!" Valerica had lost her composure. "When she dies, the Prophecy dies with her. It is better this way!"
Serana could only stare at Valerica for a long moment. Then she laughed.
"What is so damned funny?"
"You would see her dead so the Prophecy can't be fulfilled…"
"She defeated Alduin, she's the last Dragonborn and supposedly the daughter of Akatosh. So of course the Prophecy will die with her since no one else can draw the bow from Aetherius." Valerica was obviously exhausted by the argument.
Serana leaned against the rocks, laughing. "Your logic is so flawed."
Valerica tapped her fingers on her crossed arms impatiently. "Is it now?"
Serana stopped laughing. "Are you forgetting about the other Dragonborn that Azriel sent protection? The daughter of the Dragonborn god Talos…?"
Valerica grimaced. "I did not forget, Serana." She exhaled in annoyance. "I wish to spare you the pain of their deaths and that scroll is only about her, not the other."
Serana pushed herself from the rocks she bent and picked up Azriel. "I'm not leaving them behind. They don't deserve it and you know it. We are going to finish this together. They are coming with us and you are going to find them a cure."
Valerica exhaled angrily. Wordlessly, she bent and scooped up Aela.
The snow blew around them as they stepped from the cave. The night wind greeted them as did the smoldering trees and the dark gray dragon. "Drem . Yol. Lok. Goraan geinne."
"Drem. Yol. Lok. Gaafahviing." Serana bowed still holding Azriel, noticing the golden Elder Scrolls under the dragon's head.
"The others have perished." He said noticing her stare.
"You didn't just take the Scrolls… why?" Serana couldn't help her question since the dragon was a collector of magical items.
"They belong to my Thur." He looked at Azriel in Serana's arms and sniffed her. "She is injured."
Valerica remained silent, following Serana's lead.
"They both are. We need to get them someplace safe." Serana wracked her brain for a place to fit that qualification. "Can you take us to Morthal?"
4E 204 year… 4th of Evening Star… 0715…
The night was giving way to dawn and Serana could see Eldersblood Peak in the distance. She clung on to Azriel in front of her, Aela was between her and her mother. She counted her blessings for remembering the potions in the cavern and that their silver fever had been rather mild, but both women were still out. Azriel's madness had pulled Aela into a deep unconsciousness and she needed to find a way to help them.
The morning sky was tinted with oranges against the lightening blues and purples of dawn. Within ten minutes, the dark gray clouds behind the mountain had become visible and Serana groaned when she realized that they were from smoke, not water vapor. Gaafahviing turned to the east, clearing the alpine forest and the sinking feeling in Serana's gut worsened.
Morthal was ablaze.
Damn it! "Gaafahviing!" Serana called out over the wind. "Go Northwest towards Solitude." With the city on fire, Serana thought to chase down Movarth. She was sure that the caves were already flooded and they had already left, but they needed a safe haven and Morthal obviously wasn't it. Thinking about it, Movarth was the only real solution. They needed help and to wake the two wolves, plus her mother needed to find that cure. She would convince him to help them somehow.
The dragon circled high up, turning from the East to the Northwest. Diving and breaking the cloud line, Serana heard her mother's gasp. Most of the Drajkmyr marsh was on fire. The gasses that seeped from the waters burned as jets. Entire areas continuously burned as they flew overhead. The marsh had lost the greens and yellows, replaced by blacks and browns of burnt foliage.
They drew closer to the White Coast, the fires raging along the deltaic reaches of the River Hjaal. The small islands within the river braids also burned. Serana scoured the landscape, searching for Movarth's procession.
"There, Gaafahviing! Folgunthur!"
The dragon turned, heading towards the ancient ruins. It was only a matter of a few minutes before they were close enough to see a handful of vampires extinguishing fires that surrounded the outer edge of the ruins. After another minute or two, the dragon landed. "Stay here with them, I'll get help." She looked at her mother. "Make sure nothing happens to them, or I'll hold you responsible."
Not wasting anytime, Serana jumped off the dragon and ran to the first person she met. "Where's Movarth?"
The woman looked up and Serana recognized her as the vampire whose werewolf husband had fought with Azriel for dominance in the cave. Instantly, the woman dropped to her knees and touched her head to the soil. "Please, milady, have mercy on us!"
It made Serana pause, she had been so caught up in what she needed she hadn't placed much thought in the reactions of the vampire to her. "Please, get up." She extended her hand to the woman, who only looked at it in fear. "I won't hurt you. I need your help."
The woman eyed Serana suspiciously. "My… help?"
Looking around at the scorched earth, her anxiety flared further. "Yes, your help. But first, tell me what's happened here?"
The vampire looked away. "We were attacked, we had only just begun our journey. They slaughtered our mortal families and the guides. They…" The woman's voice hitched. "They didn't stand a chance against their strength."
Serana felt a lump form in her stomach. "Who attacked you?"
The vampire remained silent, her nervous disposition not lost on Serana. She took a deep breath and tried a different approach. "Where is everyone?"
"Milady, there are very few of us remaining. Movarth is directing the others on the other side of the ruins." The vampire rose and moved to another small fire, ignoring Serana's extended hand. "We'd be so lost… or dead without him." The vampire began to cry.
It was obvious she would be no further help and Serana didn't know her well enough to press, so she left the woman behind. She made a bee-line past the others putting out fires, knowing only Movarth could give them the aid they needed. The rest wouldn't speak to her out of fear or loathing and they ignored her.
A haze of smoke clung to everything, twisting the air around the ruins into something toxic. She was glad she left Azriel and Aela closer to water where the sea wind blew the smoke back towards Morthal.
Serana stopped short of the entrance, the smell of death and burnt flesh poured from it. She gagged and stopped breathing, but still covered her nose and mouth, the taste lingering. The need for blood pricking at the back of her throat, she had the overwhelming desire to cleanse the deathly malignancy from herself.
She pressed on past the ruins and scrambled over boulders to a sea-worn plateau. The sight was devastating. Vampires guarded others gathering the dead on a large unlit pyre. Some were weeping, others wore masks for faces, and the desolation of their task made more gruesome by the fact their mortal loved ones had been viciously slaughtered. The sight of it was heart wrenching.
Dozens were dead. Men, women, and children. None were spared a brutal death at the hands of their aggressors. Limbs and torsos were mostly separated. Very little of the humans remained. The smell of dead blood and wasting flesh tainted the air. Her chest clenched as a vampire passed her, carrying the body of a mutilated child. Her blue dress stained almost entirely in her blood. Her small head was clinging by threads to her neck. Serana had to look away, she recognized the child from the cave as the one that had called Movarth her 'uncle'. The vampire that carried the child skirted her, his eyes averted, neither looking at the other. She let him pass without a word, know that any expression of sympathy or condolence would never be enough for any of them nor would it scratch the surface of their loss.
When the vampire had passed, she watched his path and wasn't surprised when he walked past the pyre. Serana quietly followed, maintaining a respectable distance until the vampire had arrived at his destination. While she walked she thought about Movarth and his kin. The various types of vampires in his clan had learned a new way of life. One that didn't involve violence. She had been impressed by the fact that they had live in harmony with their mortal families and even werewolves. What Movarth had accomplished, she had never dreamed of seeing. Now it was in ruins like the Nordic burial ground around them.
Movarth stood over the bodies of fallen family members. He turned and Serana saw the grief on his face as he looked to the child in the vampire's arms. He reached out slowly for the child and took her from the vampire. Crushing her lifeless body to his chest, he collapsed to his knees, weeping. A fresh wave of sorrow washed over her as she watched, feeling guilty for both the intrusion and for what she needed to ask from those who had lost so much.
She let him grieve without interruption.
"I never thought that vampires grieved, not until now anyway." The voice behind Serana startled her from her own thoughts. Turning, she caught the dark haired Nord watching Movarth.
"Did you think we were all mindless beasts, Lydia?" Serana asked gently.
Lydia nodded. "Forgive me, but yes. It's what we were taught." She sighed and looked into Serana's eyes. "I've trained my whole life for battle. I learned how to separate my feelings from things that needed to be done. Then I became a vampire and I don't think I've ever spent so much time in turmoil with my own emotions." She looked over the plateau to the dead. "I've never felt so lost before in my life."
Serana gave her a sad smile. "I know how you are feeling and it does get better with time."
"I really hope so…" She scoffed, "Because feeling like this for eternity is going to drive me mad." Lydia looked at the ruins, then back to Serana. "Where are the others?"
Serana gave one last look to Movarth, "Azriel and Aela are badly injured. I thought Morthal would be a safe haven for us, but apparently I was wrong."
"We heard the attack on Morthal, but there wasn't anything we could do. The flames are too hot in the swamp and we were in a skirmish ourselves." Lydia's demeanor instantly shifted as she changed subjects. "Where are they? Are they okay?" Her concern coloring her voice.
"They're safe for now. Who attacked you?"
"Your clan." The growl in Movarth's voice unmistakable in both his grief and fury. He stood slowly, his eyes burning even as he cradled the child to his chest. "Your clan did this!"
The ball in her stomach tightened and she looked at the ground at her feet, ashamed.
"Why are you here? Did you come to revel in it? Did you come to seek more answers that we can't give? Even the Moth Priest, like all the rest, is dead!" He spat at her.
Serana looked up from the ground.
"She had nothing to do with this and you know it." Lydia shot back at him.
Movarth glared at Lydia. "Don't speak to me of righteousness, Lydia. You fought them at my side, you have seen what her clan has done first hand."
"That isn't a reason to blame her." Lydia looked at Serana. "Even I can see she's different and more so, I trust Aela and Azriel with my life. So I trust their view of her, and it's pretty obvious what that is. They wouldn't be anywhere near her if she was like the rest of her clan."
For a long time Movarth stood in silence, appraising both of them. Finally, he shifted the child gently in his arms, taking care not to damage her body further. "I will see my clansmen given their rites as is tradition, then I will aid you with your fight." He kissed the child's head as he laid her on the flat rock. "I will see them all back to Coldharbour if it is within my power to do so."
The knot released in Serana's stomach. "We stop my father and the clan can be controlled."
Movarth laughed maliciously as he stood. "The Order is still coming and they will not stop until they see the Volkihar Clan destroyed. Nothing can stop that. Their devastation will make what has happened here like the work of amateurs." Movarth looked to Lydia. "Spread word to the others, we are leaving. Start the fires…" He looked into the direction of Morthal. "…there is nothing we can do for them."
Serana knew the travel be more difficult with Azriel and Aela still unconscious. "Wait. To where?"
Movarth locked his burning eyes on hers. "There is a cave in the Druadach Mountains. It is far out of any route to your castle. The Order will not find us there."
"Azriel and Aela are badly injured. My mother will need supplies to help them recover. Solitude is the better option."
The muscles in his jaw tightened. "Leaving behind civilization is the only means to ensure our survival. We can gather…"
"No we can't!" Serana rubbed her forehead. "Their injuries are grave, mother will need access to as many reagents as we can get."
"What about the sewers of Solitude?" Lydia offered. "I know a way in."
Movarth grit his teeth in anger. "Shall we just leave them a blood trail to follow as well?!"
"We could leave them yours."
Serana groaned loudly, her mother's voice visibly shaking the other two vampires.
"You were supposed to stay with Azriel and Aela, mother."
Valerica glared at her daughter. "I'm not the help, Serana. Besides, if one more dragon arrives, everyone in Tamriel will know we are here."
Serana had expected both Odahviing and Saaraadgraat to show up. With both of their lives in danger the dragons would come to render aid. "Mother, what are we going to need for you to find that cure?"
Movarth looked between them. "What cure?"
Valerica ignored him. "A laboratory, a list of reagents that I have yet to compile, and no interruptions."
Lydia waved her hands, "What cure?"
Serana took a deep breath watching her mother size up the Nord. "Azriel and Aela have been poisoned. Without a cure, they'll die."
"Sooner rather than later." Valerica added.
Movarth waved on a young vampire, who began pouring oils over the dead on the rock. "How has this come to pass?"
"Finish with your responsibilities, Movarth. We'll tell you everything that's happened." Serana said watching the vampire finish anointing the bodies next to the sea.
4E 204 year… 4th of Evening Star… 1702…
Serana watched the door. She could hear the rapid heartbeat and footfalls of the mortal that was running through the tunnels. Serana stood and shared a look with her mother. There were no mortals expected and Valerica raised an eyebrow back at her. Serana walked to the door, pulling it open just as the human reached it.
The Imperial Battlemage crashed right into Serana's arms with a yelp.
"Careful there." She righted the woman, noticing she bore the crest of the Empire and Morthal on her leather cuirass. The thirst that had already been burning at her throat, grew with the magically spiced sent of the young woman's blood. Serana had to bite her tongue.
The woman ripped off her helmet and quickly threw a glance at the two women laying in the large bed. "There's very little time…"
Serana recognized the Jarl's daughter immediately. "What are you talking about?"
Idgrod pushed past her, "She's almost awake…" She move to Azriel's side of the bed and laid her hand on Azriel's forehead. Green light emitted from her hand as she wove the spell around her.
Serana gave her mother a confused look, Valerica only responded with a shrug.
"Do you mind telling me what's going on?" She knew she sounded irritated, but the young woman's erratic behavior was wearing on her.
Idgrod finished her spell. "This won't last long."
She quickly moved to the other side of the bed, but Serana caught her, spinning her around. "I asked you a question. What are you doing?"
Idgrod pushed herself out of the vampire's arms. "If Ahziial wakes blind, nothing will stop her from destroying everything around her. Not you, not Lady Aela, not anyone. She's gone mad and is living inside of her nightmares. You have to trust me if you want to help her."
Serana took a step back. "How do you know this?" But, Serana already knew how.
"There's no time for explanations, you have to trust me." The same green light erupted from her hand, this time engulfing Aela.
Aela's eyes flew open and she screamed.
Serana held her, but it did nothing to stop her from screaming. The glow around her changed from green to white and Aela began to calm. Tears streaked down her cheeks and Serana held her closely, watching Idgrod work the healing spell.
Several minutes past before Aela relaxed enough to breath without shaking. Serana stroked her hair, whispering to her the entire time.
"Where am I?" Aela's voice was shaky and gravely. Her breathing had evened out, but was shallow. She winced as Serana held her so she could look at her.
"We're in the Druadach Mountains, in Lost Echo Cave."
Aela's left hand fled to her side and she grimaced in pain. "Why do I feel so weak?"
Serana exhaled. "You've been poisoned." She covered Aela's hand with her own. "You also need to control your wolf. I hear the pain that she's in, you must not let her free."
Aela tried sitting up, but ended up buckling over and guarding her side. She whimpered into the furs and Serana tried to console her.
"What about the Dragonborn?"
Serana and Idgrod looked at Valerica.
"The spell will only lull her to sleep for a short time longer. We must be quick, but I need both Lady Serana and Lady Aela's help if we are to succeed."
Valerica contemplated the girl. "Succeed at what exactly?"
Idgrod look at Azriel on the bed. "Azriel separated herself from what makes her what she really is. I've seen it in my visions and in my dreams. When she faced Alduin, it changed her." Idgrod moved to Azriel's side of the bed, her fingertips brushing her forehead. "She is a dragon and like any dragon, she's driven to conquer. Blinded, she'll destroy everything in her rage. She can no longer tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined."
Aela groaned, trying to sit upright. "I've seen her nightmares… We were trapped until I heard a voice calling me."
Idgrod wore a ghost of smile. "It was your connection, not a voice."
"I knew it." Valerica eyed her daughter carefully, "The bonds you share are stronger than blood, aren't they? I won't even bother to ask what you were thinking, Serana. It's obvious you weren't." Valerica started to pace.
"Now is not the time for this." Serana growled back at her.
Valerica stopped pacing and glared at her. "Oh? And when do you propose we speak about the threat that's laying on that bed? Or the fact you bound your soul to hers? I wonder about your faculties at times, Serana. Do you have any idea what you have done?"
Serana watched her mother's fingers trace the handle of her dagger. "I know you can't possibly understand and right now, I am not going to explain it. You'll just have to deal with the fact that it is done."
"Please, we don't have much time!" Idgrod motioned to Azriel, who shifted for the first time in hours. "If we don't start, she will wake. My spell will not last more than a few minutes longer."
Aela opened her eyes and tried not to groan. "What do you propose, mage?"
"We enter her dreams. It will be the only way to communicate with all of her."
Serana looked down at the waking Dragonborn and into the silver pools of the werewolf. "Are you feeling up for this?"
"I'll only be acting as your guide and it has to be both of you since you're both connected to her." Idgrod took a deep breath. "Or it won't work and she'll be lost forever."
Aela pushed herself against the pillows. This time, she did groan. "What do we need to do?"
Idgrod cleared her throat. "We travel to Quagmire, find her, and make her see her insanity for what it is. She has to merge both sides of herself and deal with herself as a whole."