The city of Whiterun was calm that morning, and the marketplace was quite tranquil.
Ysolda was speaking to Carlotta Valentina at her stall. "Did you hear what happened at Solitude?"
"No, what happened?" Carlotta asked as she counted her shrinking coin purse. Three gold so far. She could certainly use more.
"Vampires nearly burnt the city to the ground yesterday night!" Ysolda exclaimed. "So many people were injured... and worse."
"How terrible!" Carlotta exclaimed in shock. "Where were the Dawnguard?"
"They stopped them, but there were so many." Ysolda explained. "I... I don't think I feel safe anymore."
Carlotta looked off in the distance at her daughter, Mila, who was chasing Lars, Lucia and Braith through the marketplace sadly. If anything happened to her, she had no idea what she would do.
"First Dragons, now Vampires brazenly attacking people in the streets... it really must be the end of the world." Carlotta sounded incredibly disheartened. "Maybe it's just not worth it, keeping this stall up every day. Mila and I should be spending more time together. Quality time."
"We have the Companions in this city, Carlotta. Even if the vampires can get past them somehow, the Dawnguard are around here someplace, too." Ysolda tried to cheer her up. "See? There's one over there!"
She pointed towards Belethor's General Goods, where a Dawnguard member came walking into the heart of the city, clad fully in armour; complete with the face-masking helmet and heavy pauldrons.
The warrior walked past the store and right past Ysolda and Carlotta, and headed up the stone steps.
Eorlund Gray-Mane was heading down at that moment, and the Dawnguard soldier withdrew his odd, ebony sword and attempted to impale the old man through the chest, causing the people at the market to cry out in horror.
Thankfully, Eorlund still had decent reflexes in his old age, and took the stab to his lower abdomen instead when he attempted to leap backwards. The geriatric blacksmith's foot went carried on the stone steps and he tripped, fumbling down.
"EORLUND!" Fralia cried out in terror, witnessing the attack from her stall in front of the Bannered Mare.
The old man grunted as he attempted to pull himself off the stone pavement. He held a hand to his open wound and watched as the Dawnguard member descended the steps with bloody blade in hand.
Carlotta and Ysolda ducked behind her stall to hide from the assailant's view and the city guard readied their weapons as they ran towards the Dawnguard attacker.
The Dawnguard attacker dropped a letter onto Eorlund as he lay bleeding out and ran for the city gates, past the guards.
His speed was incredible, and he managed to leap over a small squadron formed by Vilkas, Farkas, Ria, Njada, and Athis, and rushed through the city gate.
Fralia hurried to her husband's side. "Eorlund! Eorlund! Please, Talos, no!"
She quickly grabbed him and tried to stop his bleeding.
"Fralia..." Eorlund said her name weakly.
"I'm here, Eorlund!" Fralia sobbed. "You're going to be all right! Please, hold on!"
Carlotta crept out from behind her stall and found the letter dropped nearby, and handed it to one of the guards.
He read it aloud;
"Citizens of Whiterun. The slain personage before you is a suspected creature of the night. Thus the Dawnguard have slain him.
Let this be a lesson to all men and women demonstrating unholy powers and those who would protect them.
We are watching!
-The Dawnguard"
The city square fell silent, save for the sound of Fralia's weeping.
A few Vigilants of Stendarr ran towards the scene and one instructed Fralia to move as she cast a Healing Spell onto Eorlund.
"He's not a vampire! I swear it!" Fralia cried out.
"We know, ma'am." one of the Vigilants stated. "If he were, a Healing Spell would have no effect on him." He gestured towards the closing wound enveloped in golden light.
Fralia was relieved to see that, and a tear dropped from her eye. Ysolda helped the elderly woman up from the ground.
"I thought the Dawnguard were supposed to protect us!" Carlotta sneered. "Is this how they're intending to do it? Cast blame on random citizens and kill whoever they deem to be a problem with no proof? Commander Caius, you have to do something!" She turned to the captain of the guard. "Think about the children, for Stendarr's sake!"
"You're right." Commander Caius stated. He turned to the city guards. "Find the other Dawnguard in the area and have them imprisoned until further notice. We'll find out just who that assailant was. If they don't come along peacefully, kill them."
"And the Vigilants?" Nazeem poked in from around the Drunken Huntsman, finished hiding. "Aren't they in bed with the Dawnguard?"
"It wasn't a Vigilant who attacked Eorlund." Carlotta defended them.
"Well, we can't trust any of them, then!" Nazeem exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "Who are they going to blame next, me? I'm too beautiful for this! Let them kill one of you lowly peasants instead."
"You're all heart, Nazeem." Ysolda sneered at him as he stormed past.
"Everybody calm down." Commander Caius raised a hand. "The guard will sort this mess out. Return to your affairs."
"No, I think I'm closing up for the day." Carlotta stated as she began to store her produce. "I'm going to spend more time with Mila." She turned around her stall and walked past Ysolda and the Commander, and walked down the path, searching for her daughter,
Eorlund slowly stood back up with the aid of one of the Vigilants. "Eugh... thank you. Don't know if I would've lived that."
The Vigilant gave him a nod and continued on her patrol.
"Cura was fightin' with the Dawnguard, right?" Eorlund asked Fralia, short of breath.
"Aye. I heard that, too." Fralia stated. "The girl has good judgment; I'm sure that was a defector, or a fraud that attacked you. Everyone knows you're not a Vampire!" Truly. she trusted Cura's instincts on the matter; if she were to work with an Organization, they wouldn't be so tyrannical and unethical, or she would have called them out on it... right?
"I think I'm gonna rest for the day." Eorlund stated as he walked with Fralia up the stone steps, leaning on his wife for support as they headed towards the house.
Fort Dawnguard was bustling with action as recruits and Vigilants came to and fro, bringing in news from other parts of Skyrim.
News of Solitude reached Isran's ears and the Redguard felt a great deal of anger surge within. They stopped the vampires, yes, but how many had died?
A Vigilant brought the news to he and Carcette as the two were discussing the future after the Vampire menace, which only served to sour the mood.
Celann and Vori dragged Ronthil inside of the Main Hall of the Fort and threw him down to the floor. "Isran, one of these bloodsuckers showed up at the gates! It says it's on our side! What do we do with it?"
Isran heard the shouting and peered over the upper balcony down upon the sorry Nosferatu. Carcette joined him there, looking over to witness the spectacle.
She recognized his face immediately. Clearly he must be banking on the fact he was the only vampire who showed her kindness back at the castle.
"Throw it in the dungeon." Isran said callously. He recalled his conversation with Cura, where the Dragonborn made firm her stance on vampire reformation, as well as her ultimatum concerning his treatment of the repentant. Normally, he would have simply killed him here and now.
"No, let him speak!" Carcette contradicted immediately as she recognized Ronthil, much to the Bosmer's relief.
"Why? Do you know this wretch?" Isran demanded answer as he turned to the former Keeper.
"Yes, he was the only half-decent vampire in the court." Carcette admitted, to Ronthil's relief.
"A Volkihar vampire? Boy, you must have a death wish, coming in here." Isran snarled. "What, oh, what, I wonder would lead the likes of you to coming to my doorstep? A little unrest in the hive?" The Redguard spoke in a mockingly sweet tone of voice as he patronized the Wood Elf.
"I didn't really like it from the get-go, but now Harkon is going too far." Ronthil explained. "He's sent out agents to cause havoc across the province - he doesn't even care about his own court any longer. He just wants to destroy indiscriminately, and achieve his ends. Nobody else factors in. I never wanted any of this, I swear! I just wanted to be useful to somebody, and they offered me that..."
"Then you've failed at even that." Isran spat.
"No." Carcette refuted. "He was more useful than he realized. In giving me Necromantic Healing, I was able to last this long."
"Necromantic Healing?" Erandur asked from the doorway behind them. "What sort of blasphemy is that?"
"Healing spells modified to heal the Undead." Ronthil explained. "I'm... actually pretty good at it. I'm also a good Potion maker. I-if you let me stay, I could do that for you."
"Ha! Not a chance!" Isran spat. "We have no use for your 'Necromantic Healing', especially when we have Carcette here. She's the only one who would require it and already can do it. And as for potion making, we already have Adalvald and Florentius; two very capable men. You're out of luck, vampire."
Ronthil was terrified. "Please don't kill me!" He pleaded as his eyes lit up with visions of death. "I don't want to go to Coldharbour!"
When he exclaimed that, something rang inside of Carcette.
He meant it.
She couldn't allow them to take his life.
Isran turned his back. "Celann, do what you will. If he's that quick to betray his court in a moment of darkness, we don't need the likes of him." He walked away.
Celann quickly drew his war axe and raised it, but was stopped by Carcette, who rushed towards him and caught his arm.
"What are you doing, Carcette?" Celann snapped at her, and Vori readied her Warhammer. "Isran gave me the go to kill him, so get out of the way!"
"You never were a good subordinate." Carcette threw shade. "I don't expect you to listen to me now, but I'm going to say this anyway: if you kill him, you're no better than they are."
"He was a member of that court. He deserves to die!" Vori protested.
"So is Serana!" As soon as Carcette reminded them of that fact, the two of them hesitated.
It was true; Serana was a defector of Harkon's court. And his daughter. She believed he had gone too far long ago.
Perhaps there existed the possibility that others felt the same.
"True, but one Volkihar monster in here is enough!" Vori stated.
Celann raised a hand and looked at the fearful Ronthil. "Hmph. I guess we could review your case. You're going into the cage for a while." He lifted Ronthil off of the floor and carried him through the hall.
Ronthil offered no resistance.
Celann saw him to a large cage under the fort with black, tinted steel and silver-coated bars. He opened the door and tossed Ronthil inside and locked it.
The moment Ronthil's hand made contact with one of the bars, it burned him due to its silver touch.
"There, that should keep you out of trouble. Those bars will keep you in check." Celann said. "We'll wait for Cura to decide your fate. She seems a good judge of vampire character, after all."
Ronthil swallowed hard. It seemed that he was facing potential death, no matter where he went.
Carcette approached his cage and spoke. "We heard about what occurred in Solitude. How much do you know about that!"
"Not much, just that Harkon wanted it more to see how powerful the Dawnguard has become than to cause actual damage to the province." Ronthil stated. "And he wants to clear out his court after what you did. He thinks we're all traitors and tools."
"And which category would you fall under?" Carcette crossed her arms.
"Traitor, now." Ronthil admitted. "But before that he would have used me as a tool, like he did to Fura."
Carcette paused for a second while she tried to recall who that was. Then it came to her; the bloodthirstiest member of the court.
"Anyways, the court is carrying out more problems for the Dawnguard on his behalf. I hope you're strong enough to stop them, I really do." Ronthil fretted.
"Carrying out problems? What do you mean?" Carcette did not understand the term.
"The Dawnguard will be in for some rough public relations in Whiterun, at least." Ronthil explained. "Before news arrived about Fura's death, Garan Marethi sent Namasur to Whiterun clad in Dawnguard armour."
"Why would he..." Before Carcette could finish the sentence it already dawned on her. She pulled away from the cage quickly and rushed to find Isran.
"My army of Trolls is just about ready." Gunmar informed Isran and Vigilant Tolan, who both stood by the entrance to the Pen in the lower Smithy. "Just say the word and we're going to rain Oblivion down on those beasts."
"We wait for Cura's return with Auriel's Bow." Isran stated. "I give it a few days, at most."
"Fine." Gunnar huffed. "Those monsters are going to learn the meaning of Wrath."
"Isran!" came Carcette's voice bellowing through the halls, catching the Redguard by surprise.
"What now?" Isran asked in his gruff manner.
"A vampire is masquerading as the Dawnguard and is about to carry out something awful in Whiterun!" Carcette informed him. "You have to send out a letter to the Jarl, at once!"
Isran furrowed his brow. "Are you serious..." He massaged his brow. "Why don't you do it? You have a History of working with the Jarl there, don't you?"
Carcette considered it. "You're right... perhaps my name may offer some credibility when the Dawnguard denies the charges."
"See that, Isran? They fear that they're losing this war, so they employ cheap tactics to try and sully our name." Vigilant Tolan shook his head disgracefully.
"My name, not yours." Isran reminded the Nord. "The Dawnguard is my organization, not the Vigil's."
"You're still our Brother in arms, and we fight for the same cause, and the same God." Vigilant Tolan gave him a light punch on the left shoulder. "Anyone tries to sully your group, they sully us by association."
Carcette nodded. "Do you have anybody there in Whiterun who could stop them?"
"There are some troops hiding in the tundra." Isran assured her. "Believe it or not, but I had a feeling something like this could happen."
Carcette nodded. "Good." She then looked up to the ceiling. "Cura, get back here soon."
"So, about Alduin..." Lucien stammered and rubbed his hands together nervously. "He... was about as terrifying as I imagined. Maybe even more, actually."
Cura walked silently ahead of the group, knowing full well the future that awaited her.
"Yes, my friend, do you know how you will combat such a beast?" Inigo asked.
"Let's focus on Harkon for now, all right?" Cura changed the direction of the conversation. "He's our threat. Alduin will be mine in the future."
She was dreading her final encounter with the beast. His mere presence brought her back to Helgen all over again. She would never be at peace. Never.
"All right." Inigo was more than happy to put it behind them.
They returned to the bridge north of the Wayshrine of Resolution, and crossed northward. Once across, the path descended, cushioning the riverbank northwest.
They discovered a small, deserted Falmer settlement of two Falmer tents with a campfire between them. The first tent held a leg of goat on the ground and a Vale deer sheaved hide in a large leather pouch. The second tent had a chitin table holding two random potions of healing, which Inigo did not hesitate to swipe, a pearl, a small pearl, a soul gem, and a fox pelt. Beside the table was another large leather pouch holding a Falmer war axe, which nearly hit the Khajiit on his foot when it fell out because of his movements.
"Be careful, Inigo!" Cura expressed concern.
"Y-yes, my friend!" Inigo slunk away from the weapon, which, upon closer inspection, was coated in poison.
The group continued onwards in silence, combing the crags along the ravine.
Inigo broke the silence as he caught up to Lucien on the rocky trail. "So, Lucien... is there anyone special waiting for you back home?"
Lucien turned around to look at the approaching Khajiit. "Of course! I mean, I hope they're not actually waiting for me, per se, but I'm sure my parents will be glad to have me back when this is all over."
"Haha, I was not talking about your parents, my friend." Inigo reiterated.
"No? Then what did you mean?" Lucien needed the clarification.
Inigo cut right to the chase. "I meant, do you have a partner?"
"Oh, I see..." Lucien's tone lilted with mild anxiety as he pondered his answer. Then he came out with one. "Well, yes, we're all partners here, aren't we? Partners in crime."
Inigo was unsatisfied. "Now you are being deliberately obtuse."
"And you are being nosey." Lucien retorted.
"Hehe. Fair enough." Inigo closed the topic.
Continuing southwest, the group came upon an unfortunate sight; a group of five chaurus cocoons, two of which were moving, with two orichalcum ore veins among them.
Cura was quick to burn them down with her Fire Breath before the foes could emerge, and the group marched on.
Just to their northeast was an unlocked gate across a path that zigzagged up the side of the mountain. Treading silently, the group followed the meandering path, and came upon a natural stone bridge that crossed south over the river.
Before the group could cross the bridge, at the top of the path to the north was a Falmer hut guarded by a Falmer magic-user. The witch blasted Serana with a bolt of electricity, alarming The vampiress and her friends.
"Grr! I've had it with you!" Serana snarled as she launched an icicle straight through the Falmer's face, killing her.
Other Falmer were alerted by the sudden open noises and began to fire poisoned arrows at the group.
Cura ran across the stone bridge and parried a few of the arrows, but received one in her right shoulder as she bashed in the brains of one of them.
Lucien hid behind a rock and missed a few shots before drilling one in the forehead with a crossbow bolt, causing him to fall from his station on the Stony crags and plummet to the ground.
Inigo dodged and rolled to avoid arrows and sniped a Falmer in the throat with a return shot. The mutant Elf choked on his blood as he collapsed down the mountainside and into the river below.
Serana flew above and blasted the others with a flame spell, incinerating them as they attempted to flee.
It was regrettable, but they left the group with no choice.
They tread over the corpses and continued on their mission.
The beaten path ascended over a large natural stone arch, which was marked by two strange conal posts on the farther side. The path continued to the west, with the upper entrance to a large cavern marked by a filthy, tattered banner fluttering overhead.
The path continued past the entrance eastward towards an area beneath the natural stone arch, where the ice seemed to be thicker. The temperature was colder, as well.
The path kept rising and the air cooling; perhaps this was why they were called Snow Elves, the dwellers therein.
It was ironic, Cura found, that in a land allegedly dedicated to worshipping the god of the Sun, of all things, would be so cold! It rivalled even the Pale, and Windhelm both. She was thankful for the fur lining the insides of her Steel Plate Gauntlets, as they did a good service unto her. Though, she noticed both Inigo and Lucien shivering lightly; though Lucien worse still, because at least Inigo had fur all over his body, like a Cat.
Serana was entirely unfazed by the cold, being an Undead.
Cura took the liberty of igniting a Flame Spell, but keeping it tamed in her left hand, and she moved closer to the two. Lucien picked up on this and also held an idle Flame Spell. "Wow, Candle - now we can both be candles!" He said jokingly as he held his hand up over his head to mimic the small tongue of fire on a wax candle.
Inigo scoffed with amusement and Serana shook her head. "As if this weren't tedious enough. We're going to add lowbrow humour in here, too?"
Cura snickered, dismissing Serana's bitterness. "Well played, Lucien."
In the area beyond the gate another Frost Giant stood over two dead Falmer, a dead chaurus, and a dead chaurus hunter, all of which appear to have been killed fighting the giant. Scattered on the ground nearby were several Falmer weapons and shields along with many bones, suggesting the battle had gone on for some time.
The Frost Giant made direct eye contact with the group, but Cura simply gave a polite nod and continued on her way. They had to save their energy for other things, and the creature was well off their way. They didn't need to risk their lives unless it was necessary.
The path continued to circle around a tall rock spire beyond a Falmer chest on a ledge to a Falmer-constructed Chitin platform, which jutted out dangerously on many corners. When the group made it to the platform, they saw a magnificent view of the valley surrounding them. It didn't seem possible, but the sullen landscape was even mire beautiful from this high up.
Cura ogled the entire land around her. Sadly, she would only be here for a brief time. Though, even still, she would never forget this beautiful land. It was a privilege, and a struggle, to be here.
Though, if she burnt this place into her memory, perhaps she could Fast Travel here one day in the future, and maybe host a picnic. It could potentially be a fun outing, and the atmosphere was just right for it. Of course, she would have to locate a safe area first.
Cura shook it off. Not now. She had important things to deal with at the moment. Leave the fantasies for later.
Attached from the platform, a collapsed Falmer bridge hung downwards facing the northern landscape, while an intact Falmer bridge crossed to the southwest. The group walked along the rickety Chitin bridge, which led to another platform with a leather pouch holding a bowl of frost salts and four samples of hawk feathers. They then ducked under another natural stone arch to the west and Cura immediately blocked a lunging attack from a Falmer and split his skull with her mace. A second Falmer patrolling the bridge to the south attempted to get in on the action, but one of Serana's icicles rendered him quiet for the rest of eternity.
The next Falmer bridge headed south to a pair of overlapping Falmer tents facing each other on a slanted platform. The western tent held a skinned Vale deer hide, a deer pelt, two haunches of raw venison, and a Falmer war axe on a wooden chopping block, stained with blood. Inigo sifted through two leather pouches; one held two racks of dog meat, and the other held a few hawk feathers, two pearls, and three small pearls. A large rock behind the eastern tent bore an altar of sorts made from a goat hide lain bare on a leather pouch. On top of the hide were two garnets, a ruby, and a troll skull.
Lucien took the precious gemstones, and disregarded the skull.
The path across the next Falmer bridge led over the small mountain and down to a Falmer tent, with a mammoth skull attached above the entrance. The moment Cura stepped forward, the skull came crashing down into her like a battering ram, sending the Breton falling backward off the Chitin scaffolding beneath their feet.
Serana quickly flew down and caught her friend mere inches before the ground and flew her back up.
Falmer immediately got the jump on the group, and Lucien and Inigo began to fire relentlessly at the coming horde with their crossbows.
"Drop me into the thick of it." Cura asked Serana as the vampiress raised her into the air. She pointed to the group of Falmer that were attempting to swarm over the jagged hills.
"All right." Serana obliged, flying Cura over them like an albatross, and dropping her friend before the horde.
Cura, readied her mace and shield, which she used as a snowboard down the hill. With her mace, she held it beside her like a limbo pole as she lowered her stature, sliding into and tripping the oncoming Falmer in a clever display of acrobatics.
When she reached the bottom of the slope, Cura flipped her shield back up and began to scramble back up the hill while her friends plucked off the unbalanced swarm one by one.
A Falmer fired an arrow at her, but she quickly blocked it with her shield as she continued to run towards the remaining attackers.
P-tack!
Crack!
Klack!
Arrows bounced off the width of her shield as Cura picked up the pace.
Channeling her inner Nord, Cura roared fiercely. "HROAAAAAGG!" Like a rampaging Rhinoceros, she slammed her shield into one of the Falmer and pushed his frail body up off the snowy precipice and drove him into a large stone with impressive force.
Serana set the dead upon the living and watched as the dead Falmer killed Falmer, and eventually added to their number.
"That was hairy." Inigo exhaled. "Is everybody all right?"
"About as much as can be expected." Lucien sighed as he wiped dirt off his armour. "I think Candle won the day that time." He gestured towards Cura, who was catching her breath. "Incredible Snowboarding skills, Candle! Where did you learn to do that?"
Cura approached the group, still a little short of breath. "Phew... From growing up in the Pale. It was something I did when I was bored sometimes; Shield-Surfing. The slopes around the Hall of the Vigilant, and the small hills made for great practice! It worked better, since the Leather Shields we had were Round."
"Certainly came in handy back there." Serana noted.
Cura decided to comment on Serana's craft, as well. "And your penchant for raising the dead... I take it you had practice growing up in the castle?"
"I know a reanimated Skeleton may seem odd company to you, but when you're as lonely as I was, it... it just made sense." Serana said with a shrug.
"It is understandable." Inigo added in. "If I were alone a lot, I would probably prefer sock puppets, but you can do as you need."
They walked across a natural stone bridge heading to an upper section of the river, with a stone ramp descending into the hills. At the bottom, on the opposite bank were three chaurus cocoons, which the group were more than happy to kill preemptively.
After some distance, they meandered to the upper section of the river and headed south to where some Falmer fencing was stretched in front of the estuary. Beyond the fence, two Falmer were standing guard at the entrance to the Glacial Crevice. They had little reaction time before Inigo's arrows penetrated their heads.
The entrance led into a partially-flooded ice tunnel which proceeded down to a huge dimly lit open-roofed chamber. The chamber was coated in thick ice and deeply flooded, with various ledges and terraces rising above to meet the roof, including an icy ramp against the eastern wall rising up to further ledges and terraces.
"Oh, great. Water." Lucien shuddered as he looked down at the large moat.
A large iceberg floated in the middle of the chamber, protruding out of the water. "Well, friend, at least you could balance on that." Inigo reassured Lucien as he pointed to it.
"And be stranded on an iceberg in the middle of a frozen lake? Nooo, thank you." Lucien protested.
Immediately, two Falmer ambushed Cura by leaping out of a hole in the wall above her, but she was quick to block one with her shield, and with a quick deflection, flipped him over the ledge and down into the river.
A current ran from south to north, and the Falmer hit it at great impact, and then rose to the surface, slowly floating away.
Serana vampirically drained the life force from the second one, and pushed his body off the ledge.
A frost troll off in the distance was in a battle with two Falmer, and easily dispatched the two nuisances. It's healing factor fought off their poisons quickly enough. The noise alerted two more Falmer at the top, one of which was a magic-user, who blasted the troll with a bolt of lightning.
The Troll angrily stormed up the ramps and headed her way, claws ready to rend her flesh from her bones.
Cura decided to intervene with a Shout. "FUS RO DAH!" Her voice thundered through the chamber and hit the troll, sending it flying over the ramp before it could reach the Falmer.
The Falmer mage was stunned and simply froze in fear, dropping her staff as Cura approached.
Cura was hopeful. Maybe she could finally try some diplomacy for once.
Approaching the Falmer, Cura sheathed her mace, as to reveal no ill intentions. This calmed the Falmer mage down, and she emitted a sigh of relief. "Are you all right?" She tried to extend a hand in friendly gesture towards the alarmed mutated Snow Elf.
"What are you doing?" Serana asked Cura. "They're our enemies!"
Cura shook her head. "They don't trust people. I can't say I blame them, considering what the Dwarves did to them." Regardless of their history with the humans, Cura felt a twinge of sympathy for the fallen race. She returned her attention to the Falmer mage. "If you don't attack us, we will not hurt you. I promise." She spelled it out as clearly as she could, though she was uncertain as to whether the Falmer could speak the common tongue or not.
The Falmer seemed to understand, though mere raspy grunts came from her throat in response. Her aggression was gone, so that told Cura all she needed to know.
"We are looking for a Wayshrine to Auri-El." Cura informed her. "Once we find it, we will leave you all in peace."
The Falmer mage squinted her weak eyes and pulled Cura's face closer to her own.
"Eugh! Don't kiss her!" Lucien exclaimed hastily, as from his angle it looked quite suspect. Perhaps it was a Falmer custom?
The Falmer did nothing of the sort; rather, she gazed into the Half-Elf's eyes - as slight as she could see them through her damaged optics, and she saw it; the orange and violet glow of Draconic energy behind the green irises.
The essence of Auri-El.
"Hraah!" the Falmer exclaimed with joy as she immediately fell to her knees. Spreading out her arms, she prostrated before Cura, touching her forehead to the cold floor at the Dragonborn's feet.
Cura was stunned, and looked to her allies, who were just as confused.
"Er... could you maybe show us to the Wayshrine?" Cura asked. "We need to speak to the Prelate."
The Falmer mage stood up and lifted her staff, and bowed her head. Immediately, she began to lead the group through the frozen caverns, past a small waterfall that cascaded into the water.
She led them through another submerged passage that continued to the west to another deeply-flooded chamber, with Falmer-built walkways and bridges crisscrossing between the ascending ledges.
Falmer stood up from their stations, and the Falmer mage snarled loudly in her raspy tongue, raising her staff. Immediately the others began to calm.
"They're... they're letting us through?" Serana asked as she noticed the Falmer around falling to their knees at Cura's and the mage's approach.
"They are all worshipping Cura!" Lucien exclaimed.
"It is like a temple on ice." Inigo joked. "Cura, how does it feel to be a Goddess?"
"Strange..." Cura admitted. It was nothing she'd ever experienced before. She has been lauded, sure, but this was something else entirely. She felt a source of pride as she saw the weaker beings fall to their knees before her, but the faithful within her did not appreciate being placed on such a pedestal. That sort of prostration belongs to the Divines, not to a mere mortal. Not to a Human. Not to an Elf.
Wow. She almost sounded like the Aldmeri Dominion for a second, there.
Was Talos lauded like this while he yet lived?
"I guess the Shaman could see the Akatosh in you, and the rest fell in line." Serana looked at Cura as they walked side-by-side through the frozen caverns.
"It would seem so." Cura admitted. "But if we can avoid a massacre this way, I'll put up with it."
Proceeding southeast, and passing more Falmer homes, they eventually reached a small area on the shore, where they found a rowboat that was moored in the water. The boat seems to have been built from a large overturned Chaurus. Lucien paused to sketch it while he took notes about the Falmer way of life along the way.
How often could an explorer get this close to them without being mauled? He owed it to all who came before him to do this research.
The ravine passage widened and turns north at this point to lead back into the huge first chamber west of the small waterfall, completing the lower circuit.
The Falmer mage rowed the boat carrying Cura and her friends through the meandering river, and they docked within a nook in the wall. A wet Falmer - the one who ambushed Cura earlier attempted to attack again out of spite, but was stopped by the Falmer mage, who hissed at him, causing him to back down.
The passage rose and turned north before opening into a chamber with three Falmer tents. An icy ramp to the left ascended in a clockwise spiral around the walls of the chamber. They continued up another passage headed southeast before emerging far above the main chamber on a natural bridge extending back across.
Across the bridge was a ledge heading north towards two broken stone pillars. The pillars flanked another frozen passage heading east leading to an exit to the Forgotten Vale, which was filled with Falmer settlements, where more of the Elves went about their daily business.
Once they were led out of the Glacial Crevice, they emerged again outside in the isolated southwest area of the Forgotten Vale. There seemed to be two paths, splintered to either side.
The first path to Cura's right continued ahead under a walkway that linked two raised platforms with Falmer tents and continues to more Falmer settlements.
The second path, to her immediate left, headed north, with a string of bone chimes stretched across the path. Beyond the chimes, two Falmer patrolling in front of a gate, and a chest beside them.
The Falmer mage led them through the settlement, up the stairs and towards a ramp. The ramp ascended to the east, passing a smoky campfire to a set of elevated walkways that crisscrossed around the settlement and linked several tents on different levels.
One of the Falmer approached Cura with an offering of two bowls of powdered mammoth tusk, and kept her head down.
Word of her was going around fast.
Cura graciously accepted the gift as she continued onwards.
The walkway branching to the left passed another tent on the same level to the right, which contained a table holding a fox pelt, a soul gem, two chaurus eggs, and two potions of healing, and poisons. Inigo resisted the urge to swipe them, since they were on friendlier terms with the Falmer at the moment.
As the walkway descended past the previous tent, it twisted around and passed more bone chimes, then passed the entrance to the empty tent the group previously passed above. The place was a health hazard. How this race of nearly blind beings could navigate here was incredible, to say the least.
Lucien theorized that they had some sort of echolocation ability, much akin to Bats.
The walkway continued past the three tents up to a tent that was larger and more ornate, which contained a Falmer chest, a bench, a table, and a leather pouch holding a sample of hawk feathers, a set of small antlers, a rock warbler egg, two more potions on a desk, and another Unknown Book.
The Falmer mage gifted the book to Cura before leading them onwards.
Certainly they would be happy at the College to receive these books.
They came upon a Chitin gate, which the Falmer mage opened, allowing the group entry.
Beyond the gate, the path turned south to enter a wide tunnel and starts to rise. A lookout point and a large strain of quicksilver ore veins lined the left wall partway up, and several glowing mushrooms grow on the walls.
The path passed between two Falmer-built ledges near an empty Falmer house, followed by another quicksilver ore vein on the left of it.
At the top, the path exited from the tunnel and continued northwest. More Falmer tents were on several levels, and ahead of them all was the ghost of another Prelate Edhelbor in front of the stunted Wayshrine. Falmer knelt before the statue of the sun.
The Falmer mage walked Cura up to the Prelate and lowered her head to a bow, and skilled away silently.
"Thank you for your help." Cura expressed her gratitude to the Falmer before turning to the spectral priest.
"You've found the Wayshrine of Radiance, Initiate. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?" the Prelate asked.
Cura nodded sternly with determination as she locked eyes with the Prelate. "Yes."
"May the blessings of Auri-El protect you as you climb the road to the Inner Sanctum and final enlightenment." the Prelate turned into blue mist, and his voice resonated. "May Auri-El's radiance fill your heart with joy." He flew into the statue, raising it up into its full, complete form.
"And there's the fifth and final basin you need to draw water from. Thank Auriel, I guess." Serana said dryly as Cura walked up to the Font with the Ewer and swooped it inside.
Cura examined the water as it filled inside the Ewer. It began to glow even brighter than before, casting a light of its own on the environment around it like a Lantern. Sparkles were riding out of the spout like steam. "With this... we can enter the Inner Sanctum." Cura muttered to herself silently as she stood there before the Font. She lowered her head. "Stendarr, Akatosh, see me through this task."
She looked at the portals on the inner wall of the Wayshrine, and she could no longer see the solemn Knight-Paladin Gelebor sitting sadly in the cave. Perhaps he was handling affairs elsewhere at the moment.
"Wow, that is incredible!" Lucien exclaimed as he stared at the luminous Ewer. "It's like you've trapped the sun itself inside of a bottle!"
"If you drink it, will you light up?" Inigo asked with a laugh.
Cura smiled with amusement. "I don't think I want to try that, It would be rather disrespectful to drink Holy Water."
"Fair point." Inigo realized the fact that perhaps earning the ire of the Divines at such a critical stage might not be the best of ideas.
Serana shuddered. "Personally, I'm afraid to even touch it. I could feel its power radiating like the aura of an onion. Can we maybe pour it out like we're supposed to?"
Cura walked ahead of the group and past the Falmer, who were now following her and her group as they approached a long, ornate Snow Elf bridge, shrouded in thick mist. Taking her first steps across, Cura could immediately begin see a hint of something beyond the thick fog; it looked like a large Temple on the other side. It looked to be a large Cathedral, Elven-Inspired in its make with white marble masonry.
"That... has to be the place. I've never seen a building like that before. It looks like some kind of temple." Serana pointed out the large structure before them with a voice trembling with divine fear.
Approaching closer, they found a flight of stairs ascending to the chantry courtyard. To Cura's left, she saw an interesting stone beyond a lone stone arch holding an old Elven Greatsword, a flawless ruby, and a flawless sapphire resting around it. She wouldn't dare touch it.
Instead, she headed up the stairs into the courtyard which was circulating around a large, ornate statue of Auri-El. He was depicted as an elf wearing a crown of five sharp points; an emulation of the sun's rays, no doubt. As well, he had wavy, hornlike protrusions wrapped around his shoulders, emblematic of power and energy.
Serana's jaw nearly dropped as she examined the brilliant piece of artwork. "This is a statue of Auriel, but it's using the older signs of his power. This temple must be ancient. The bow has to be in here."
Inigo placed a hand on Cura's shoulder as the pair looked upon the statue. "Hmm... I can see a slight resemblance! It is the Elf in you, I think."
Lucien decided to crack a lighthearted joke at this time. "Wow, Candle! That's your spiritual father! I guess I'll have to call you Sunshine instead of Candle, now."
Cura shook her head. "I'm unworthy to be compared to him." Cura began to feel a deep sense of regret as she remembered the time in the Hall of the Vigilant, very early on in her quest, when she insulted the God of Time, Sun, and Dragons. She hadn't yet accepted her destiny at that point, and was but a petulant child. She hoped Akatosh - or rather, Auri-El - could forgive her rudeness.
As she stood there with the golden-lit Ewer in her hands, Cura could feel something changing within her. More clarity came to her mind as she stared into the liquid. Was this Auri-El's enlightenment?
I am the protector of the weak. I am the Champion of Stendarr, bringing his mercy and his justice to a time when all has but been abandoned. I am the guiding light of the Dawnguard, come to slay the tormentors. I am the one the Dragons fear. It is not hatred which drives them against me, but fear. I will unite the world of man, and prolong creation as per the Gods' will. The insights seemed to come naturally to her. Who she was, and why she was here seemed to be behind a veil that was pulled back before her now, and she could see the full picture.
"Don't sell yourself short." Serana interjected, snapping Cura out of the small trance. "With all that I've seen, you've done some pretty incredible stuff. Don't lose your confidence now."
A voice from beyond the statue spoke to the group. "The huge double doors beyond the two curved stairs will be locked until you complete the pilgrimage ritual."
Cura looked around the statue, and saw Knight-Paladin Gelebor there, leaning against it. It was no real surprise to find him here; there was no doubt after all that he would have completed the Pilgrimage himself at one point. "Oh! Knight-Paladin! It's good to see you again."
Knight-Paladin Gelebor walked around and faced Cura directly, and placed his hallowed hands upon her shoulders. "Before we begin, I must tell you. I am moved by your compassion."
Cura was surprised by the sudden compliment, but rather than dismissing it, she elected to hear his elaboration on it.
"The Betrayed... they flock to you like Moths to a flame." Gelebor pointed to the Falmer, who stood at the steps below, staring at them. "You could have easily killed them all; of that I have no doubt. But rather than do such, you elected to spare their lives, as much as you could."
Cura nodded. "If I can help it, I believe in the importance of mercy. It is Stendarr's way."
Knight-Paladin Gelebor seemed to be taken back for a moment. "Stendarr... the Apologist of Man." He seemed to study Cura's Human and Elven features both. "Perhaps..." he examined her further. "perhaps you are more than just the vessel of Auri-El's power on Nirn. I think you were put here for a grander purpose. I'll not question the Gods' will."
"So... I need to pour out the liquid to open the doors. I suppose it will be in the basin?" Cura pointed towards a small open font in the ground behind the Statue.
Gelebor nodded and began to walk with her to the open Font. "Yes, empty your Initiate's Ewer into the basin with the water collected from the five Wayshrines. The doors will then unlock and grant you access to the Inner Sanctum."
Cura nodded. "Lucien, would you like to get a closer look? For Science?" She smirked as she asked.
Lucien was all too happy to oblige. "Without delay!" He scurried over quickly and watched as Cura tilted the pitcher, allowing the golden light in liquid form to pour down into the basin. Slowly, but surely, the luminous fluid travelled along the grooves in the floor, leading up towards the ornate door and lighting the area surrounding it.
Suddenly, a loud 'clack!' resounded the area, and the Falmer all began to jump up and down with excitement and cheer. Serana turned around to see the group applause below, and took amusement from the fanfare.
Suddenly, a mechanism clanked from within, and the lock over the doors was lifted. and the doors slid open, revealing the Inner Sanctum to Cura.
The Breton turned to Knight-Paladin Gelebor and was about to return the Initiate's Ewer to him, but the Knight-Paladin softly pushed it back into her hands. "No, you may keep it as a souvenir. Cherish these memories."
Cura looked at the pitcher once more, and decided to accept it as a gift. "I will always cherish this memory. Thank you." She walked through the double doors and into the glaring darkness within. Her allies naturally followed, and once they were all within, the doors slammed shut behind them.
The Inner Sanctum.
The floors were a deep violet colour, and the architecture stretched high up towards arched ceilings many feet above. In the center of the main hall was a shrine of Auri-El, surrounded by unfortunate frozen Falmer, and frozen Chaurus on first glance.
"This is a temple to the sun? It looks a bit.. er... gloomy, I think, my friend. Are you sure this is the right place?" Inigo asked as they set foot within the Inner Sanctum. Truly, it was cast in shadow at this time; sullen, damp, and cold. They could see Skeletons in certain areas as well.
Cura felt a cold shiver run down her spine as the sights set in. This was the Inner Sanctum?
And then she remembered Gelebor telling them of the massacre that happened within. What horror! How could people do such a thing within a Divine's temple? The blasphemy was off the charts. This was far worse than how Harkon treated Mara's Chapel.
Serana walked up to a Falmer that was encased in a shell made of ice, with an Amulet of Akatosh dangling from his frozen fingers. "These Falmer are... they are frozen in the ice. I wonder how long they've been like this. And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy." The vampiress shivered.
Cura begged to differ. "Uh... it's awful, yes, but I have yet to see anything that could top the Soul Cairn, to be honest." Even just saying the name brought fear and trepidation back in full force. The environment suddenly felt much darker now that that place was invoked.
Inigo placed an arm around one of the frozen Falmer, and struck a pose. "Come, Lucien! Immortalize me in art!"
Lucien laughed as he began to sketch the Khajiit. "You're absolutely bonkers, Inigo. Do you know that?"
Cura and Serana leaned against the wall, allowing Lucien time to sketch. They didn't have very far to go now, so they saw this as a good opportunity to take a break.
"Cura, I have a question for you." Serana asked her friend, now that they were freed.
"Of course, Serana. What is it?" the Breton asked as she took out one of the Falmer books and began to ogle it.
"After we... you know. After my Father is gone... what do you plan to do next?" Serana asked. "I know you have to fight Alduin - that much is set in stone. How do you feel about that?"
"I'm not ready to face the World-Eater, if that's what you're asking." Cura confessed. "But, I will. I absolutely will. My destiny is clear to me now. I have to shoulder the burdens of Skyrim and beyond on my shoulders. To do that, I need to improve my skills. I'm heading to the College of Winterhold, and I'm going to study more forms of Magic. The Dragons don't seem to like it very much."
Serana smiled. "Good. I'm glad you have a plan. I was beginning to think you were just traipsing around the world, letting life take the lead."
Cura shook her head. "I was, but no more. I'm not going to let life itself push me around; I'm going to take life by the horns. I think getting into the College would be fairly easy enough. We do know one of the Professors there, so that helps."
Serana agreed. "You will take me along, won't you? When all this is over?"
Cura hadn't given it much thought, but she didn't have to. "Absolutely!" She extended her hand with her pinky out. "I'd be happy to have you on my team even after this business is concluded. That's a promise/"
Serana extended her own pinky, and the two locked. "That's what I like to hear!"
"Done!" Lucien exclaimed as he lifted his quill from his journal.
Inigo excitedly ran over to see the illustration, and it turned out quite well, pleasing the cat-man. "Hehehe." He chuckled. "It is fun to think that in over sixty years from now I may just be in an Imperial textbook at the Arcane University."
"You all will." Lucien informed his friends. "And Cura, you have come up a lot in my research. You're going to be recognized for eons! How do you like that?" He flipped a few pages back, revealing an illustration he had drawn a long while ago, featuring Cura with her mace in hand, Spellbreaker in the other hand, Shouting fire.
"Wow! You drew that? It's pretty good, Lucien." Cura was floored by his talent.
"I drew it back at the Fort during your first training session, when I took a break. I added the Fire Breath without actually knowing yet if you could do that. I just supposed since you're Dragonborn. It was a pleasant surprise to know you could." Lucien chuckled. "I even wrote the Shout! See?" He pointed to the text he inscribed above the fire. 'Yol Toor'. "It isn't everyday someone gets to study a Dragonborn."
"It certainly isn't." Serana agreed. "Even back in my time, when they still existed. Not many could take the time to travel with them. Ordinarily, they were loners who strived for power and little else."
"That means you are truly unique, my Friend!" Inigo was surprised. "I am happy to be travelling with you!"
"And I with you, Inigo." Cura complimented the Khajiit as they walked through the gloom-ridden halls of the ancient temple. The entire place was a desolate mausoleum, with no life to be seen anywhere. It was demoralizing.
Eventually, the group came upon a broken hole in the wall, which led down a cliff to some ruins below.
"I have a strange feeling about this, Cura." Serana warned her. "It seems like the place to go, but be careful."
Cura looked at the flat earth below, and jumped down. Thankfully, the drop wasn't too steep, so she landed on one knee and rolled forward to negate the force of impact. Inigo helped Lucien down and Serana joined her by levitation.
The group headed through a tight crevice and past some broken columns and temple ruins. Eventually, they entered a tight, circular cavern filled with the bodies of Frozen Falmer and Chaurus. A little off in the distance, however, there was a barrier, and beyond the barrier was a Snow Elf, much like Gelebor, seated upon a throne. He looked up from the floor and stared at Cura and Serana in particular.
His neutral expression stretched into a crocodile smile and he began to chuckle lightly. With a wave of his hand, the ceiling above collapsed behind Cura and Serana, but between them and Inigo and Lucien, dividing the group. Cura immediately whirled around and realized the fact. Her mouth swung open for a moment of surprise, but she quickly turned to anger on the evident foe before them. "What is the meaning of this?" She demanded an answer.
The Snow Elf spoke. "Did you really come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow? You've done exactly as I predicted and brought your fetching companion to me." He narrowed his eyes at Cura, who had already unsheathed her weapon.
Serana was surprised. "Wait, is he talking about me?" She looked at Cura with a vision of fear in her eyes.
"Are you the Arch-Curate?" Cura asked the Snow Elf, and he smugly nodded in response.
The Arch-Curate stood up from his throne and waved a hand. "...Which, I'm sorry to say, means your usefulness is at an end!" He raised his left hand and snapped his fingers, and suddenly the cavern began to rumble and shake.
Author's Note: For this big battle, "Tense Combat" from Dragon's Dogma ^^ thanks for reading!
Cura and Serana could hear Inigo and Lucien attempting to break through the rocks behind them, but it was useless.
Immediately, the frozen Falmer and Chaurus broke free of their shells and attacked the girls. Serana scoffed in response. "Really? Is that the best you can do?"
Cura blocked a Falmer with her shield and drove it across his neck, clearing his head from his shoulders. Serana cast Fire Storm, sending a torrent of flame through a couple more, destroying them.
One of the Chaurus lunged at Cura, but she drove her mace through its jaws, and Serana sent a Firestorm towards the other, incinerating it.
And just like that, the battle was concluded. It felt easy enough that Cura could even forgive him for the attempt on their lives.
Cura turned back to Vyrthur and outstretched her arms. "Can't we just talk, like civilized people?"
"Not a chance!" Arch-Curate Vyrthur denied her any civility. His tongue was filled with enmity and venom. "An impressive display, but a wasted effort. You delay nothing but your own deaths!" He clapped his hands together, and rocks fell down from above.
Serana quickly shoved Cura away as a rock nearly collapsed on top of her. "Watch out! He's pulling down the ceiling!"
Cura raised her shield to protect her head from further falling debris before realizing that the frozen Falmer from the temple above came falling in, poisoned blades at the ready.
Arch-Curate Vyrthur's voice resounded over the clamour. "Finish them!"
Cura ran in front of Serana, and pushed her back as the Falmer came charging towards her. With one large horizontal swipe of her mace, she killed two of them, shattering them like ice, and quickly blocked an assault from another.
Serana raised one of the dead and used it to attack the others while Cura butted her foe backwards with a virulent parry and followed-up with a skull-crushing blow. Cura then spun around and cast a Flame spell, burning the others to death and accidentally killing Serana's thrall in the process.
Cura and Serana were both confident now. They could handle anything he was going to throw at them.
The Arch-Curate growled angrily, pushing himself up off his throne. "Grrr- This has gone on long enough!"
Serana agreed with him, nodding. "Your life ends here, Vyrthur!"
Arch-Curate Vyrthur shook his head and bit his lip while he tried to contain his frustration. "Child, my life ended long before you were born!"
He clapped his hands together once more, and resurrected all of the fallen foes, which surrounded Cura and Serana.
"Do it, Cura. Take them from the front." Serana stood behind her Dragonborn friend, back pressed against back. "Don't worry about me. Just do your thing. I believe in you!"
"All right." Cura agreed. No holding back.
She lunged forward like a savage Wolf and clashed against her enemies. It was a flurry of blades, and shattering ice, and body parts, and Cura's mace tore through it all. By Stendarr, she kept swinging against her unreasonable assailants as she tore them down, one after the next.
Serana fought fiercely, clashing blade for blade, and even turning herself into a mist to snake past her foes. As if a cruel joke, Vyrthur summoned a Frost Atronach as well, which spiked her in the stomach. She responded by casting flames, melting away at the Daedric Construct enough that she could escape her impalement.
Cura wound up facing another one, as a second Frost Atronach was summoned. "Daedra..." the Vigilant smirked. "Now it just feels right." She spiked her mace forward, smacking the ice golem backwards and blocked its oncoming blow with her shield. The fiend continued to try and push her down, but she held it back with her shield before giving a mighty shove, knocking it off-kilter and down on its back. She then jumped on top of it and grabbed her mace with two hands, and drove it straight down through its skull, destroying it.
Serana flew around her own foe, and rammed into it from the back, causing the Atronach to fly against the wall and crush a few of the Falmer.
With a sudden explosion, Inigo and Lucien, crossbows with exploding bolt armed, managed to enter the fray, though they were lightly singed themselves.
"Do not worry, my friends! The cavalry is here!" Inigo exclaimed. "Though, I may need to wash the soot off my fur."
Arch-Curate Vyrthur roared angrily. "No... I won't let you ruin centuries of preparations..."
Serana held out an expectant hand as she walked towards him, exasperated by his attempts to get in their way. "Surrender and give us the bow!"
Arch-Curate Vyrthur shouted with rage. "Death first!" He clenched both fists together, and with great force and a brilliant shock of white light, brought down the entire ceiling upon them, collapsing this part of the temple structure.
Battered and battered some more, the Breton took a few rocks off the top of her head and back before the main parts of ceiling began to drop. Dodging the falling earth, Cura quickly rushed to Inigo and Lucien in attempt to push them away from the falling debris, but was toppled upon herself. In a last ditch effort, she turned over to her side as the upper foundation dropped and covered her. The world went black after the force of impact.
Slowly but surely, Cura's eyes began to open again, but her vision was blurred. She could see Serana vaguely approaching her before her vision cleared. Thankfully, she held her shield over her head, guarding against the collapsed solid stones. The impact was greatly lessened as a result. Serana went down on one knee before Cura as she examined her friend, worry painted all over her face. "Are you all right? Come on, we can do this. I know we can."
Cura accepted her hand and she pulled her up to her feet.
Inigo and Lucien were both fortunately unharmed, having taken shelter beneath the corners of the room.
"My friend, I need a bit of help!" Inigo could see Cura from his angle, but was trapped. He managed to stretch his hand out. Cura immediately rushed to his aid.
"Hold still, Inigo, and don't move!" She warned him as she readied her Elven mace. Her breath was a little shaky, but she did not allow it to deter her,
Inigo held firm to the cavern wall, and Cura shattered the large stone that was obstructing his passage.
"Phew... on times like these I am happy to have nine lives." Inigo exhaled. "Or... probably four in my case... now three."
"Then don't take them for granted." Cura stated exasperatedly, almost like a concerned parent.
"Yes, mother." Inigo said dryly as he slowly stood up.
"Where is Lucien?" Cura began to look around before she saw Serana pulling him out of the rubble.
"My word!" Lucien exclaimed. "Does that man not understand a thing or two about property values?"
"Not much about life values, either, it would seem. Come on." Serana took him by the arm and followed Cura and Inigo, who ran past the destroyed throne and up the stairs to confront the Arch-Curate on the roof of the temple.
The sun beamed down upon them and reflected off of the white marble stone of the building. Auri-El himself was watching them all, it seemed. Cura allowed Serana to take the lead, and she headed up the left side of the U-shaped stair platform to confront him at the top, before the railings lining the roof.
After the collapsing of the chantry, the group knew Auri-El was most likely more than a little displeased with Vyrthur.
Serana snarled angrily. She was more than a little displeased with him, herself. "Enough, Vyrthur. Give us the bow!"
Arch-Curate Vyrthur was annoyed by her impudence. "How dare you. I was the Arch-Curate of Auri-El, girl. I had the ears of a god!"
Serana wasn't having it. "Until the "Betrayed" corrupted you. Yes, yes. We've heard this sad story"
Arch-Curate Vyrthur scoffed and turned his gaze unto Cura and her friends, and then to the valley below, and back to Serana. "Gelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools." He walked up to Serana and Cura both, but specifically turned his face to Serana, with his back to the sun. The shadows cast made his glowing red eyes stand out even more. "Look into my eyes, Serana. You tell me what I am."
Serana was shocked. "You're... you're a vampire? But Auriel should have protected you..."
Arch-Curate Vyrthur pulled back and laughed aloud. "The moment I was infected by one of my own Initiates, Auri-El turned his back on me."
"You're... you're just like Keeper Carcette..." Cura recognized the priest's predicament. "By Stendarr, what happened to you... it's exactly like what happened to her! And to Fenrik! A priest turned vampire..." She looked at Serana, who also had the same realization.
"I know not who you speak of." Vyrthur hissed. "But it matters not to me."
"Carcette is my teacher." Cura informed him. "She was turned into a Vampire, but Stendarr never turned his back on her. And she never turned her back on Stendarr! She still held access to his miracles, even as an Undead. The Divines are not as cruel and rigid as you may think."
"You dare think to lecture me on what my god thinks?" the Arch-Curate waved her off nonsensically. "You know nothing, child! You may have Auri-El's gift, but you know nothing of him!"
"You're right. I don't." Cura confessed as she stood up to the vampire priest. "But I do know that Auri-El is forgiving. When I completed the Pilgrimage, he made my goal clear to me. Forgave me of my impudence in the past. If you would only repent..."
Arch-Curate Vyrthur laughed like a madman. "Repent? REPENT? Me? Why should I need to repent? It makes no difference, especially not now! I swore I'd have my revenge, no matter what the cost."
Serana took a step forward and tilted her head. "You want to take revenge... on a god?"
"Wah, wah." Lucien sounded a remark.
"Of all the incredibly foolish things I have ever heard..." Inigo raised an eyebrow. "He is unhappy with being a Bat, so he went Batty."
"Auri-El himself may have been beyond my reach, but his influence on our world wasn't." Vythur began to explain. "All I needed was the blood of a vampire and his own weapon, Auriel's Bow."
Cura immediately took Serana's shoulder. "The Tyranny of the Sun..."
Serana gasped with great trepidation. "The blood of a vampire... Auriel's Bow... It... it was you? You created that prophecy?"
"A prophecy that lacked a single, final ingredient... the blood of a pure vampire. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour." Arch-Curate Vyrthur pointed at Serana. "And your foolish friend here delivered her right to me. I really must thank you, mongrel. My plan is about to come to fruition, thanks to your efforts."
Before Cura could lash out, Serana rushed forward and grabbed the fiend by his collar and throttled him as she lifted him up into the air, enraged. "You were waiting... all this time for someone with my blood to come along. Well, too bad for you... I intend on keeping it. Let's see if your blood has any power to it!"
Arch-Curate Vyrthur could not believe her strength. "What trickery is this?"
"YOU RUINED MY FAMILY!" Serana roared with fury as she tossed him down the stairs. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" Serana choked down a sob as her eyes watered like rivers of blood. The group was in shock; they had never seen Serana lose herself like this. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" She dashed down the stairs and leapt on the elf with her ebony dagger in hand. She raised it over her head, planning a fatal strike.
"I'll feed your corpse to the Betrayed." Vyrthur snarled as he shoved Serana off of him. "Your puny powers are nothing against mine!" To everyone's surprise, he cast a Healing spell upon himself. "Hrrg... how many moons has it been since I was a mortal like you? I've lost count. Time is meaningless when you are a Vampire." He could feel himself being drained as he dwelled beneath the sun, however. "Curse you, Auri-El! Curse youuuu!"
Immediately, he summoned another Frost Atronach and sent it towards Inigo and Lucien, and focused himself on the Dragonborn. "Enough of this! Either you die, or I die this day!"
He quickly cast a draining spell on Cura, but she used Spellbreaker to guard herself.
"A warrior of Stendarr wielding a Daedric shield? Cute." Vyrthur scoffed. "I suppose I'm not the only hypocrite in these parts."
"No, but you'll be the only dead one!" Serana rushed into him and drove her ebony dagger through his armour and into the right side of his chest, plunging it mere inches away from his heart. Vyrthur responded with a thick backhanded slap, which sent Serana flying backwards into the cliff wall nearby.
Cura rushed forward and brought down her mace, which he caught mid-swing. "Child's play." Vyrthur gave Cura a stab in the stomach with his Elven Dagger of Frost, which caused her to bleed, and then numbed the wound, and then he gave her a quick push backwards, causing her to tumble down the stairs. He dashed downwards and readied to slam her head into the marble, but Serana intervened.
"No! I won't let you hurt her!" Serana shouted as she tackled him over the railing and off the roof.
Cura quickly pulled herself up and quickly grabbed the railing and looked around to see where they went. Quickly, Serana and Vyrthur ascended, spiralling through the air and clawing at one another. Then the two detached and flew separate ways and clashed their blades repeatedly through the air.
Blow after blow, Serana was relentless. Her attacks were disjointed and full of rage, making them predictable to the vampire priest, who stabbed her in the shin and punched her in the face, causing her to fall a few feet.
Serana quickly caught herself and performed a barrel roll, dodging his next spiking attack. The sunlight was not easy on Vyrthur, but it was no less harsh on Serana. The irony of a priest and a vampire princess both being harmed by the same deity was not lost on her.
"DUR NEH VIIR!" Cura called out to her dragon friend, summoning him then and there.
"The skies are mine again!" Durnehviir exclaimed joyfully. "How may I help?"
"I need to take to the skies." Cura said as she caught a glimpse of Serana dashing through the air to avoid Vyrthur's Ice storms as they soared beneath the sun.
"Of course, Qahnaariiin! Climb on." Durnehviir lowered his head.
Cura was a little nervous, as she had never done such a thing before, but her friend needed her help. It was an awkward maneuver for her to grip the Dragon's neck, but it wasn't nearly as difficult as keeping her blade lodged in him. With a forward thrust of her mace, she guided Durnehviir forward and the Dragon lifted off and took to the skies.
Lucien and Inigo took turns dodging icicles fired at them by the Frost Atronach. Lucien tucked and rolled a few times before firing an exploding bolt of flame at the Atronach, blowing off its blockish left arm.
Inigo fired one at its right arm, blowing off the second limb and causing ice shards to rain down upon the area.
The air was covered with mist, and Inigo and Lucien gave each other a high five in response to their perceived victory.
Then the smoke cleared to reveal that the ice golem was still standing, and worst still, it raised its shoulder stumps, and, taking in the moisture from the air, it began to regenerate its arms.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Lucien exclaimed in exasperated surprise. "They don't do that in Cyrodiil!"
"They don't do that in Skyrim, either..." Inigo was just as confused, but loaded another bolt and loosed it upon the construct's head, blowing it off and causing the being to cease. "There. That should do it."
"Where did Cura and Serana go?" Lucien looked around frantically, as he had lost track of the two.
"There!" Inigo pointed upwards to the sky proper, very far off in the distance, where Durnehviir could be seen firing his purple energy at a white figure that was dashing around and dodging his attacks.
Arch-Curate Vyrthur flew into a rage and smacked the oncoming Serana out of his way and descended upon Cura, scratching her across the face and causing her to slip off the Dragon's neck and down his back.
"CURA!" Inigo exclaimed in horror as he witnessed her flight.
The Breton quickly caught hold of the rotting Dragon's tail spike and clenched onto it for dear life. Her heart was racing as she could see the world passing her by below. When she looked back up, the Arch-Curate was effectively balancing on Durnehviir's back. "You really think you could defeat me? Your foolish life is about to come to an end."
That was when Cura reached forward with her left hand and pulled him down by his ankle, surprising the vampire priest. She then released her grip from Durnehviir and spun around mid-air, and pushed her shield down onto Vyrthur as the pair of them went plummeting down towards the sturdy Temple roof.
Cura fell off of Vyrthur and rolled a few feet off of him after the force of impact. Both Vampire and Half-Elf were stunned momentarily, but Cura quickly unsheathed Dawnbreaker. Though the world spun around her, she managed to drop her shield and took the blade into both hands, and drove it down into his stomach. The force created a shockwave of blue fire, and the Arch-Curate screamed loudly as the searing pain of Meridia's fire ran through him.
Serana slowly descended and helped Cura back up.
Cura could see that Vyrthur was still alive, but hanging on only barely. She decided to sheath Dawnbreaker, and rathered to try to talk him down. Vyrthur was at the doorstep to Coldharbour, and could barely stand any longer. He was heaving, doubled over in agony. Cura slowly approached him and stood over the fallen priest. "It doesn't have to be this way, Arch-Curate." She tried to calm the situation down. "You don't have to die a vampire. Just come with us... we can help you."
"Who do you think you're fooling?" Vyrthur snapped. "Do you think me an idiot? I'd sooner die here than go with the likes of you to your slaughterhouse!"
"Auri-El is extending you mercy, you craven!" Lucien insulted the corrupted priest. "That's why he sent you Cura! Take her offer!"
"No! He needs to die! His mind is set on it." Serana barked. "And if you really believe in Stendarr and his justice, you'd give him what he wants! Death."
"Serana..." Cura was stunned to witness her friend's descent into pure hatred like this, and more than a little saddened on her behalf, as well. She hated seeing her friend under this kind of distress.
"He started that prophecy, and drove my father mad by it!" Serana wept bitter tears. "He destroyed us all! Why can't you see that?" Those last words came out in a despaired squeak. She was feeling incredibly dejected by her friend's ideas of mercy.
"No, you're right. He has no intention of changing. He simply wants vengeance on Auri-El." Lucien searched Vyrthur's eyes as he walked forward.
"I'd put the snaggle-toothed bastard out of his misery, but it is your decision, my friend." Inigo looked to Cura for her decision.
"I did not drive Harkon mad - he was mad from the start." the Arch-Curate explained. "It is the fate of all Vampires... it is the burden of this immortal life. Someday, you will lose your mind, as well. It's inevitable."
"SHUT UP!" Serana wailed and threw a barrage of icicles right into his chest. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Winding up, she fired one final one through his heart, and it emerged out from his back.
"Hurk!" the Arch-Curate looked down at the long sliver of ice piercing his heart. Blood ran out and covered his hands as well.
Cura decided to spare him the rest, and swung Dawnbreaker across his neck.
"Auri-El, forgive me..." Vyrthur's last words spoken wearily and raspily before his head slid off of his shoulders and his body was gradually rendered to dust. In a fitting gesture, he had died as he'd lived; on his knees.
Serana leaned against the wall beside the stairs and cried to herself, covering her face with her hood. Lucien walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder to try and offer her some consolation.
For the longest time, Lucien had been afraid of Serana, or at the very least a little perturbed around her, but now he felt sorry for her. Everything she had endured with her family - it was because of one Elf's desire to blaspheme a god. No amount of anger or hatred could justify any of it.
Cura's job was to execute the heretic against the Divines, though her compassion had blinded her momentarily to her duty.
Cura turned to Inigo and the pair watched the Arch-Curate's ashes be carried away by the wind. Inigo then picked up his Ancient Falmer Cuirass. "May I keep this?" The Khajiit asked with excited eyes. "It is very cool-looking!"
Cura nodded to him as the ground between both rows of stairs began to open up and a Wayshrine slowly elevated itself. The main door of it opened, and Knight-Paladin Gelebor emerged elegantly, taking a couple of steps down. He opened his eyes and looked at Cura immediately, and noticed the blood on her clothes. "So, the deed has been done. The restoration of this wayshrine means that Vyrthur must be dead and the Betrayed no longer have control over him."
Cura shook her head. "Actually, the Betrayed had nothing to do with this. Nothing at all, save for being his pawns."
"What? What are you talking about?" the Holy Knight was baffled by the revelation, and so Cura elaborated further.
"I'm so sorry to say this, but your brother... he was a Vampire." Cura confessed.
"A vampire? I see. That would explain much. Deep inside, it brings me joy that the Betrayed weren't to blame for what happened here. Because that means there's still hope that they might one day shed their hatred and learn to believe in Auri-El once again." Knight-Paladin Gelebor explained. "Some have begun the course after you appeared to this land, but many still insist on worshipping their false idols."
"So, our coming here meant more than just finding the bow." Inigo wondered. "Thank the Gods! At least there will be something good we could leave behind for a change."
Gelebor smiled, and continued. He held a hand to his chest. "It's been a long time since I felt that way and it's been long overdue. My thanks, to all of you. You risked everything to get Auri-El's Bow, and in turn, you've restored the Chantry."
Serana stepped up and stood beside Cura. "I hope we can stop my father before he goes too far."
Cura nodded, and returned her gaze to Gelebor. "It was my pleasure to play a part in that. I hope Auri-El can shine his light upon the land once more."
Knight-Paladin Gelebor walked into the Wayshrine and came back out with a beautiful ornate Silver Bow in both of his hands. He walked up to Cura and went down on one knee, and held the bow up flatly on his hands, presenting the Holy weapon to the Dragonborn. "I can't think of a more deserving champion to carry it than you. If you wish to learn more about the bow, or obtain Sunhallowed Arrows for it, I'd be more than happy to help. You've but to ask. Please, take the bow... it's yours."
Lucien's eyes opened wide and he watched in awe. Inigo was hopping up and down with excitement, and Serana watched with baited breath as Cura reached for the Hallowed Bow.
The world froze.
Cura, with a confident hand, took the bow by its middle and beheld it. The bow, upon her touch, glowed with a powerful golden light, which travelled up her arm and arced into her heart. The Bow resonated with her; it felt her presence, and she felt its power. Cura held it up to the sky, and held it up towards the sky, horizontally. The bow cast no shadow; it instead luminated her and the others around her. It pulsated with solar energy.
"What do you plan to do now?" Cura turned back to Gelebor, who was standing now beside the Wayshrine.
"Even with Vyrthur gone and the Inner Sanctum destroyed, my duty as a Knight-Paladin of Auri-El remains. I've been sworn to protect this vale and everything it represents until I die." Knight-Paladin Gelebor spoke dutifully, though pained by his seemingly endless burdens.
"What about the Wayshrines?" Lucien asked.
"For the time being, they will remain open. If remnants of our kind who escaped the betrayal at the hands of the dwarves exist out there, perhaps they will find this place one day." Gelebor hoped.
"I hope so." Cura said earnestly. "If I ever run into any Snow Elves on my travels - because I do travel a lot - I will tell them the Wayshrines and the Vale are still an option."
"Thank you." the Knight-Paladin bowed his head with gratitude, which he then followed up with a regretful assertion. "While it would fill me with joy to see the Chantry back to its former glory, that time has long since passed. Now that my brother's dead, it's quite possible I'm the last of our kind."
"Then we've contributed to the extinction of your race." Cura's eyes fell sadly as the repercussions dawned upon her. It's true; though he was a vampire, the Arch-Curate was potentially the last Snow Elf besides Gelebor. It's entirely possible that there could be no more in existence. That he would be the last of his kind. The thought caused Cura's heart to ache.
The Knight-Paladin caught onto Cura's guilt and placed a firm, but gentle hand on her left arm to console her and absolve her of the guilt. "There's no need for that kind of talk. I said it was possible. It's also quite possible that there are some other isolated conclaves of snow elves nestled elsewhere on Nirn. I'll also assume Vyrthur didn't exactly give you the option to stay your hand."
"No, he didn't." Serana snarled. Mentioning that prophecy sealed his fate, after all. At least now, however, she knew that there was an element of her father's madness at play in the whole thing. Though, that somehow made her feel worse. Harkon was a monster, but Vyrthur hung the meat on the hook in front of his face. It went without saying that if Harkon didn't attempt the Tyranny of the sun, he certainly would have instead.
Regardless, Vyrthur's death was necessary. His own god didn't care for him. Why should she?
No... that isn't the right way to look at it.
Serana palmed herself in the forehead. Cura. Cura was rubbing off on her now. Great.
"So, you're just going to stick around here?" Inigo hoped to hear a different response from the Elf. "There are many lovely Altmer ladies out there, you know."
Knight-Paladin Gelebor chuckled with amusement. "No... For the time being I will remain here, on the overlook and continue trying to keep the Sanctum free of the Betrayed." He then gestured towards the group heartily. "You're always welcome to return here at any time, of course."
"Do you think it's possible that the Betrayed will ever be cured?" Cura asked out of genuine concern for the Falmer. From what she had seen, they still retained some semblance of normalcy, so she hoped they could return to their old race somehow. At the very least so Gelebor wouldn't spend the rest of his days alone.
The Knight-Paladin shook his head sadly. "I feel nothing but sympathy for the Betrayed, despite my actions against them. But I'm afraid that they're well beyond a cure at this point. The twisted forms you've seen didn't occur overnight. It isn't a plague or a disease that ravaged our species. The dwarves may have stolen their sight, but it took many generations for them to become what they are today."
"I think that even if their forms are beyond repair, perhaps there's some hope for them... I hope so." Cura rubbed her hands together.
"Perhaps they'll never return to their former appearance, but over the centuries, I've noticed a rise in their intellect. If a line of communication could be established with them, maybe they can find peace. It's the only way they'll discover that they weren't always malignant... they were once a proud and prosperous race." Gelebor explained. "The effect you've had upon them was incredible. You managed to not only make peace with them, but they recognized you for what you are. A part of Auri-El. There is yet hope that they may return to him, as I've suggested. How, though, did you manage to broker peace with them, if I may ask?"
"I saved a Falmer Shaman from a Frost Troll and she lowered her weapon. I told her that we wouldn't harm her if she wouldn't attack." Cura informed him. "She understood what I was saying, even if she could not respond."
"Fascinating." the Knight-Paladin scratched his chin. "I will keep it in mind."
Lucien cut in. "Soooo... sorry to interrupt, but what can we learn about Auriel's Bow?" He had his journal at the ready, as he had finished sketching the Aedric Artifact on the left page.
The knight-Paladin adjusted his belt and stood up straight. He was more than proud to give an exposé on the sacred weapon. "The bow was said to be carried by Auri-El himself into battle against the forces of Lorkhan in ancient and mythic times. Its craftsmanship has no equal anywhere within Tamriel and possibly beyond. The bow draws its power from Aetherius itself, channeling it through the sun. Therefore, when an arrow is loosed from the bow, it produces a magical effect very similar to being burned by fire. That's actually only a fraction of its potential. With Sunhallowed Arrows, you would be able to produce a much more spectacular effect... causing bursts of sunlight to envelop your foes. The sunbursts would certainly hurt anything, but is especially devastating to the undead." His eyes shifted to Serana when he said this. "Do take care around your vampire friend with it."
Serana placed a hand on her hip. "Your brother wanted to use my blood to taint the arrows in an idiotic attempt to spite your god."
"Well, using an arrow with the bow that's been dipped in blood may cause it to function differently... corrupting its purpose. That's of course if you're foolish enough to try it." the Knight-Paladin scoffed, knowing full well that the Vigilant would never do such a thing.
"My friend, maybe the Sunhallowed Arrows will vaporize Harkon!" Inigo exclaimed. "We can put him out like a candle!" Lucien cleared his throat, and Inigo slapped himself in the forehead. "No! Not like Candle, candle... I meant... ah, you know."
Gelebor assured the group. "I can actually assist you in that regard. If you were to bring me some good quality elven arrows, I could imbue them with the proper incantations and rituals."
"Well, I don't have any Elven Arrows." Cura admitted. "I don't normally do much archery, and Inigo prefers Ebony arrows."
"It's all right, I've already taken the liberty of blesing twenty for you." Knight-Paladin Gelebor proclaimed as he reached into his satchel and handed Cura a quiver filled with twenty Sunhallowed Arrows. The arrows were silver and white, as was the quiver, and decorated as the Elven eagle.
"Thank you." Cura slung the quiver over her shoulder and pinned its strap to her belt, binding it in place like Aela taught her many moons ago. She turned to the group. "We're going to return to the Fort. We've got a much bigger fight ahead of us."
"Auri-El bless you, my child." Knight-Paladin Gelebor imparted his blessing upon Cura as she Fast Travelled with her friends.
When the group landed in Dayspring Canyon, it was dark and gloomy, as it was the middle of the night. The sky cried rain upon the land, a forettelling of an eventual sad conclusion.
After some moments of walking in silence, Cura spoke directly to Serana. "Are you all right, Serana? Will you see this through with us?"
Serana nodded firmly. "I've been ready for a long time now. I just wish it never had to be this way to begin with." She regretted all that had transpired with her family, but not the friendships she made on this quest. "Nothing against any of you - just..."
Cura softly raised a hand. "There's no need to explain. I understand. After all that prophecy put you and your family through..."
"I think the worst part about it was that he was right." Serana ruminated on the Arch-Curate's words. "Vyrthur, I mean. What he said about immortality... I never lost my mind, because I slept through the centuries. My father, Vyrthur... they... they kept on going. And going. And going. And my mother, she... kept on going. Does it ever have an end that doesn't involve brutal murder? I don't know what to think anymore..."
Cura hugged her friend as they stood on the dirt path, under the rain. She was silent, but her warm embrace spoke volumes to her friend. Serana gripped Cura's back tightly and pressed her forehead into her shoulder.
The hour was approaching, and fast.
Soon, very soon, she would kill her own father.
