She wasn't sure why she liked watching the flames.
She disliked the heat. She always tried to stay away from them ever since she remembered. The amusing part was that it didn't all start after she was turned. At least she was convinced of that. It's been over a millennium since she could feel the sensations of the flames like the mortals did.
Maybe she remembered it wrong. Maybe they hadn't always been that unbearable to her.
But regardless, she found it oddly calming to be staring at the thing that could so easily hurt her.
Sometimes she felt like that around him too.
She had been thinking about Bishop's 'advice' ever since he and Aeyrin left.
He was clearly upset and emotional. He chose Isran as the target to direct his anger at, whether justly or not. She wasn't sure. She knew nothing of what happened and it didn't matter. Isran saw it too. He stayed calm, allowing Bishop to try and take out his frustrations on him and explain his actions. He was always calm. Calming. And then, sometimes, something snapped.
Serana had seen it before. She'd seen him deal with the spy in his fort with surprising brutality. She'd seen him snap at his men when they kept suggesting he kill her. She'd seen him rush to danger without a moment's hesitation when one of his men reported a feral vampire den close to a settlement.
So… why? Bishop had a point. She was eager to suggest he would get charmed – it would have made things so much easier and much less stressful. But she didn't even consider it when she was thinking about actually bringing Isran there. He could actually try something and ruin her ruse. He could actually attack the clan. Or… he could just wait until they got her mother's Scroll and then… take it from her. Try to steal the other ones. Kill her for it. All of that was actually possible.
Why did she find it oddly calming to be relying on the man that could so easily hurt her?
She was more worried that Isran would not be willing to venture into Oblivion with her, rather than him doing any of those things. Strange. Irrational.
The fire was almost dying down. Isran probably wouldn't want to rekindle it. He mentioned they needed to move lest the Thalmor began to scour the area.
She was used to disappearing quickly, but Isran might not be. It was likely a good idea.
He had been gone for a while though.
She was still wondering about the best way to approach this. She did like Bishop's suggestion about giving Isran the Scroll in the end and tricking her father into believing the only way to have the Scroll read was to get them to the Imperial Library. After all, letting him have all three of them was risky.
She was still curious about what Isran thought of that. It was a plan that would make him much more at ease than her previous one, surely.
The crackling of snow tore her from her ruminations and she promptly snapped her head towards the source. Fortunately, she spotted the familiar Redguard in his armor. He should have really taken that off. Not only was it partly covered in blood, possibly Aeyrin's, but he was not supposed to risk letting the clan know about the Dawnguard presence here.
But it probably didn't matter now.
"Serana," he nodded at her as he instantly went to grab his pack. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I sent my men away with the prisoners. We should hide somewhere before the Thalmor start the search."
"I'm not very… familiar with the Thalmor," she scowled a bit. "They have a large presence in Skyrim, don't they? When you say 'hide'… do you mean 'find the nearest cave' or 'travel across the Province' like your men will?" She only ever heard of these Thalmor after she'd awoken from her entombment. Some of the clansmen spoke of them. Vingalmo even suggested they should avoid the nearby outpost. Serana knew of it, but the clansmen never thought the elves were a danger to their existence here, so she never paid them much mind. Isran seemed to be taking them quite more seriously though, be it through his anger at them imprisoning people or through his wariness about their subsequent search.
"The further away we are, the better," Isran nodded with determination.
Well… that was what she'd been worried about. She needed to dispense with any preambles then.
"No time to lose then," she sighed. She feared that a revelation too fast might deter him but perhaps it might spur him on too. It was a chance.
"Yes. Let's go," Isran slung his pack onto his back and briefly looked around the campsite. There was nothing left but the waning fire now. Aeyrin and Bishop took their things long ago, of course, and Serana had nothing but the bag with a bedroll attached she always carried over her shoulder. She never understood why everyone kept lugging such huge packs around.
Well… here goes.
"There is a portal me and Bishop activated in my mother's study," she stated as she stood up on her feet again. "It leads to Soul Cairn. A plane of Oblivion where my mother hid. That's where the Scroll is. And before you leave, I…"
"She's right there in the Castle?" Isran's eyes widened at her as he interrupted her determined reiteration of the events.
"Not really. She can be accessed through the restricted wings of the Castle," Serana shook her head. He understood what a portal was, didn't he?
"Then that solves everything. If we go into the Castle, we avoid the Thalmor and find your mother as well," he nodded.
Well… yes. That's what she hoped for. But still… he agreed so readily.
"Did you hear the part about her being on a plane of Oblivion?" Serana gave him an uncertain look. She didn't expect him to just gloss over that. Bishop had been so shocked and quite disturbed with that fact. That was the regular mortal reaction, wasn't it?
"Yes, but we've dawdled here for long enough. I trust that you will give me the details on the way," Isran nodded at her. Somewhat impatiently at that.
She wasn't sure whether to consider his impulsiveness in this case a blessing or not. Serana did not want to dawdle either. Every moment of dawdling made her worry about someone somehow discovering the portal in the meantime. Sure, she and Bishop covered their tracks. They couldn't put the crests back in completely, but they at least made a show of trying and placing them on their spots, even if they didn't slot in. They did manage to close the staircase at least and cover it in this way. Bishop even wanted to lock a few of the gates behind them with his lockpicks, but Serana didn't know if Isran would be coming with her and if he had a way to open them. Some seemed sturdy enough to be too hard to pry out. She could always use her magic to get past a gate. But not Isran. So that only added to her uncertainty.
Even though she was sure that nobody saw them enter the restricted wings and nobody would ever think of trying to enter them, since they had no reason to, still there was a little part of her that worried that someone just… would. Right now. For some reason.
But those worries were irrational. It would be better to hide somewhere nearby and talk to Isran properly. But he clearly didn't want to hide nearby.
The Thalmor were said to be capable mages for the most part. Perhaps he feared alteration magic at play – the elves might try to detect anyone living nearby. It was… a valid worry.
Yet it still made her uneasy to simply take him to the Castle like this. For many reasons. And first and foremost, there was an important one.
"Isran, you cannot enter the portal as is. No living can. Not entirely," she warned him.
"You make it sound like there is a way despite that," he narrowed his eyes at her.
"Well… yes, but you might not…"
"Serana, we need to go. You will tell me on the way," he interrupted her. But when he saw her surprised expression, he finally elaborated a bit. "We really don't have time. Durak returned from his scouting just as I was about to come back to you. He said there were a few Thalmor examining the routes we led the prisoners through. Someone must have spotted some tracks in the snow. They will alert the fort once they check the prison."
Ah. So this was really pressing.
Well… she hoped he would stay this determined once he escaped the imminent danger and found out what might be in store for him.
"Do you have invisibility potions with you?" She had to at least check this. There was no way she would have him in his full gear on a boat with her. If someone saw, even from afar… she didn't want to think of that.
"Of course. I came prepared for a potential infiltration. Now come," he grasped her wrist and urged her along, towards the jetty.
She felt like she should be thanking those elves.
But she was still unsure how he would react when he learned the truth.
…
She was still a little worried when she was taking Isran so close to his enemies.
But even he knew that trying anything would be insane and suicidal.
Fortunately he listened to her. He took an invisibility potion before they left the cover of trees. Then he got into the boat and let her row them to the Castle.
It was interesting that things got easier closer to the night. Then again, who would have seen them there? Garan was likely still tormenting Aeyrin's father before he killed him and she wouldn't expect anyone else around the grounds. She hadn't expected Garan either. It was an unfortunate coincidence and she was glad they avoided one now.
Isran wasted three potions on this, but it was for the best. They managed to get to the landing and Serana even rowed the boat alone to the pier, just so that it didn't look suspicious that it was waiting by the side entrance.
They were silent throughout the journey and around the Castle. But once they made it inside the cleared out restricted wings, they were finally free to talk. Although Isran was still invisible.
"May I talk to you now then?" Serana smirked a little as they continued down the hallways, past what was left of the gargoyles and the corpses of undead and hounds. Her only indication of Isran's presence were his footsteps beside her and the feeling of someone near. But he would surely be visible again soon.
"Yes. Sorry about rushing us out of there," the emptiness beside her let out a sigh.
"I understand. The elves are powerful mages from what I've heard," she nodded. "But I am still convinced that you are going to want me to get you back to the shore soon anyway."
"I do not get deterred easily. I thought you would know by now," the voice beside her chuckled a bit.
"This is not just dangerous mages or feral vampires. I'm still not sure you heard me right," Serana scowled a bit.
"A plane of Oblivion. I heard," Isran's form materialized right next to her as they continued to walk through the halls. "Did you think I would assume an Elder Scroll guarded by an ancient vampire would be kept somewhere in a field of flowers? Danger was always a certainty. Though I'm not sure I'm familiar with it from my days in the church of Stendarr. Soul… what was it?"
"Soul Cairn. I realize you weren't very focused when I told you," Serana sighed. She would be lucky if he waited for her by the portal in the end, at best. Then again… she knew how much he would do for something so small in perspective as a few prisoners or a little settlement threatened by feral vampires. How much would he do to save the world?
"Right. Soul Cairn. I haven't heard of it before," he frowned at the notion alone.
"It does not belong to any Prince, unlike the planes you might be familiar with. I learned about it from mother a long time ago," Serana explained. "It's… not unfamiliar to those practicing necromancy. At least not to its advanced practitioners. It is where black souls caught into soul gems end up."
"I… was not aware their souls were bound to Oblivion," Isran scowled deeply.
"Yes. They are doomed for Soul Cairn. And aside from that, there's Daedra and other danger on that plane," she continued to reiterate the information. "As well as the Ideal Masters. The… keepers of Soul Cairn. Its masters. It is said that any contact with them might kill any mortal."
"Ah. So that's why you said no living can go there?" His frown never disappeared as he stopped watching the halls warily and looked at her. "Do you know what form these Ideal Masters are in? How to avoid them?"
"No," she shook her head wryly. "I read in some text that they are supposed to look like giant gems and that they seep life essence. I don't know if it was reliable information though. And… I'm not sure if that's the reason why mortals cannot enter. It could be the portal itself, it could be the Ideal Masters. It could be something else entirely."
"If you don't know, how do you know how to circumvent it?" Isran looked at her suspiciously.
"My mother gave instructions on that. She explained a way a mortal could enter. And then… of course there's always another option." She wasn't sure if she should mention the 'other option'. Or would Isran be more open to that option? She wasn't sure. He was… not as judgmental as she had feared before she got to know him.
Isran suddenly stopped in his tracks. It took a moment for Serana to realize and look back at him.
"Why?" He scowled deeply.
"Why what?" She tilted her head in confusion. She wasn't sure what he was asking.
"Why would your mother include instructions for mortals?" He folded his arms across his chest. He looked at her… challengingly. Did he think she was lying?
"In case I brought a thrall? She knows that I'm aware of the dangers there," she looked at him uncertainly. What did he suspect she was lying about? "Isran, if I meant you any harm, I could have…"
"Not you," he promptly interrupted. "It's your mother I have doubts about. What if this is her way to ensure you do not bring anyone with you?"
Oh.
That was… different then.
"Hmm… that's an interesting theory and not something we should put past her. Yet I don't see how. I understand the procedure that should be done. And the alternative, of course," that one she understood all too well. "If you trust me, that is."
"I thought we established that. I am here, aren't I? Walking into what could easily be a trap. Alone with an ancient vampire," Isran smirked at her, but it wasn't as reassuring as he thought.
"You think about it being a trap, even if you don't believe it is one. That already shows a measure of distrust," she frowned.
"It shows unfortunate experience and jadedness, if anything," he scoffed. "Serana, we enter dangerous situations together. And we both hesitate at times and think of what could happen. We were supposed to be enemies, if things were less complicated. Not that I'd want them to be."
"Yes. But you won't like what I have in store for you, if you really want to help me find my mother," she shook her head. If he was thinking about walking into a trap now, what would he think when she told him what this involved?
"You do things you don't like all the time, despite your hesitation and remnants of mistrust," he smiled at her surprisingly warmly. "Don't think I don't see how much you hate demonstrating your abilities to my men."
Serana stayed silent for a moment. She didn't realize her discomfort showed.
"It… feels like showing them how to kill me," she admitted. She hated it when he asked her to do that. She understood he did it so that his men could defend themselves from her kin, but… she couldn't shake the discomfort.
"On the contrary. You just keep showing them how you can kill them," he chuckled before he looked at her surprisingly sincerely. "I do understand. And I appreciate your help. I just want them to be able to avoid getting killed by someone with your abilities. I do know you're still holding back though."
"I don't do that," she scowled. She knew instantly what he was talking about.
Isran only gave her a thoughtful look. He did that often. Like there were a thousand things going through his head, thousands of conclusions about her that she had no idea what would mean for her.
She knew he wanted her to show them the transformation. Or he at least wanted to see it himself. She understood why, but she was not going to do that for him. For anyone. She transformed three times throughout her long life. Twice in the beginning, when she tried to convince herself she could, and then once out of desperation during the Crisis. It was after that that her father decided to entomb her with the Scroll. She almost died then… beset by Daedra. The transformation was the only thing that saved her.
She hated that it did. She hated that she couldn't stand her most powerful weapon.
It just looked so much like… him. Or whatever form it was that he took during that ritual.
She didn't want to turn into anything that looked like that.
She was honestly quite surprised that Isran was even aware of that ability. Only those strongest in the bloodline wielded it. She wondered if it was something he learned from his father or from the Dawnguard records and now he was curious, or if he ever saw that thing before.
But the unsated curiosity was better than discussing this topic. Isran, however, did not know that.
"Why? You have no issues using your other powers to achieve what you need to. Tools at your disposal, are they not?" He prodded her curiously.
"They are," she shrugged. It was the whole purpose of this. Power.
"Why not this one?" He pried. "You shapeshift when you disappear into the bat swarm. Your magic is already powerful on its own, even in your humanoid form. Is it the claws? The strength?"
"You know an awful lot about the transformation," Serana scowled and questioned him instead. If he insisted on talking about this, she might as well get some answers from him too.
"When the Scroll was taken… one of the vampires turned into this form," Isran's brows creased. "I've heard of this ability. Studied to prepare for it. But what my only surviving men told me… I was not prepared for it."
"Perhaps neither am I," Serana stared curtly. Hopefully that would be enough for him as an explanation.
He studied her intently again and she once more chose to try and ignore his stares. It was a little unpleasant though. She was wondering what kinds of assumptions he was making about her every time he looked at her like that.
Fortunately, there was a distraction at hand.
"This leads to the courtyard. There's a moon dial there. If you move the dial in a special combination, it reveals the entrance to my mother's laboratory. Bishop thought of a simple way to uncover the combination. Unfortunately, that makes it all too easy for anyone else to find too," she sighed. "No solution is ever perfect."
"Some imperfections are worth overlooking," he nodded thoughtfully. What did that mean? He looked at her oddly when he said that.
Maybe she was studying his expressions too much though.
"You said… moon dial?" Isran questioned her after a moment. At that, she just opened the door to the courtyard. Him too? Well, it was something to question, sure, but Serana did not really have any satisfying explanations.
That might be the case for a lot of things between them tonight.
There was still so much that was left unsaid.
…
"The portal. Just as you said," Isran peered into the purple swirly vortex when they finally entered the study. He did double back right away though. "I did not mean that you were lying. I just…"
"I know what you meant," Serana interrupted him. It was still hard to look away from the portal, but she did look at his expression instead. He did seem in awe. And he also seemed a little apologetic about his words. She knew he didn't mean to voice any mistrust by them. For now. He would surely get more suspicious soon.
"So… let me explain what needs to be done for you to enter," she sighed. Here it went.
"Do. But first, we've been awake and active for a long time. Before we head in there, I suggest trapping the room and getting some rest. Unless you think there's any dangers here," he noted.
That was a good point, actually. So much had been happening that she didn't focus on her exhaustion. And what awaited them inside would surely require a lot of energy and strength.
But…
"Uhm… there is that… portal to Oblivion," Serana smirked at him a little.
"And things can come out of it?" Isran raised his brow. "Nothing has since you've been gone."
That was true. But… wait… did that mean…?
"Can anything come out of it? Can we?" Isran scowled. He clearly figured out the same potential problem she just had.
That might be bad. Serana would not put it past her mother to not tell her about the inability to go back intentionally. Just to keep her hidden there forever too.
"We need to test this," Serana sighed. Fortunately she had an idea and her mother had an opportune study for that. She clearly decided that there was no need to animate the guardian gargoyles right outside her study. But that only meant that Serana could use one to what they needed now.
She promptly marched out of the room and stood in between the gargoyles. She could sense Isran's eyes on her when her hands lit up with dark purple lights.
The stone creature moved soon, and just as Serana willed it, it stomped through the doorway and into the laboratory. The creature didn't even hesitate before it entered the portal.
The swirling lights enveloped it and soon enough, it disappeared into the vortex. Serana and Isran watched the spot for a while with bated breaths.
It took a minute or two and the creature emerged again. Both of them released the breath they'd been holding. It seemed like the portal was safe.
Serana willed the creature to return to its original spot, and after a while, it was merely a statue again.
"Excellent idea," Isran nodded at her approvingly. "Presuming it's not a two-way access only for the non-living, which we have no way to test, this should be safe enough."
They did have a way to test the portal even more safely if Serana took a thrall here, but she felt like Isran would not agree to that.
"It also means that anything might be able to come out of the portal though," he pondered.
"I can deactivate it by taking away one of the elements," Serana noted. The shards would be easy to grab. They didn't dissolve in the liquid. She could just add them back after.
"Good. Do that. I will prepare our camp and trap the room," Isran nodded.
They did need some rest. Serana had no doubt that this adventure would be challenging.
Not to mention what she still had to discuss with him.
That would be in no way easier.
…
"So… are you going to tell me?" Isran asked into the silence of the room.
The portal was closed for now and everything was ready. Right now, they were both just sitting on their bedrolls and staring into the empty space where the portal used to be.
It was time. He needed to know. She had been jumping at any chance he gave her to avoid this for far too long.
"I will understand if you're not willing to undergo this," Serana started. Even she didn't really know what it meant. She heard about this process before, but there wasn't ever much information about it in the tomes she read. She could only hope that her mother knew more about it and suggested it for Serana's protection and not in order to rid her of any companions, thralls or otherwise.
"Just tell me what it is," Isran urged her.
Right. She should just get this over with.
"Mother's notebook said that no mortal can enter Soul Cairn," she explained. "That… does not apply to me, of course. But there is a way to… trick the system, I suppose. As souls trapped in the gems can… or have to exist in Soul Cairn, there is a process that gets you near to this… state. A partial soul trap."
"Partial?" Isran scowled. "You can only trap a soul that departed its body."
"Usually, yes. But there is a way. How to…" she pondered for a while. "Imagine your soul to be a… a wooden stake. It remains in your body as such, but powerful enough necromancy can lay claim to a part of it. A… splinter. You see, necromancy does not take a life. It gives life, it manipulates life, but it cannot take one. If one tries to make it do so, it will fail. But… with enough power, it will try to tear out the stake that's lodged inside. And at least get a splinter," she smiled a bit at the analogy. It made sense to her. That's how she imagined it when she read the magical formulae.
"You want to splinter my soul?" Isran frowned. She couldn't blame him. That did not sound good.
"No. I just want to encase one splinter of it in a soul gem. Your soul will still remain mostly unchanged. The same wooden stake. Would you notice a splinter missing?" She noted. "But that splinter is enough to connect you to Soul Cairn."
"And what happens when I die?" Isran asked. She was expecting this question, but it was one she was dreading.
"I… do not know. I expect that the pull of your soul will not be affected by that one splinter and it will go where it is supposed to. However, there is really no way to know this for certain," she sighed.
Isran remained quiet after that. Contemplating. She didn't want to disturb him in that. This was an issue that needed a lot of pondering, certainly. She had no guarantees for him, no matter how much she wished she had.
"You said there was an alternative?" He asked after a while.
Ah yes. That.
"Well… there is," she nodded. "As I've mentioned, I do not have to deal with this issue. I am not… living. Not mortal."
"Vampirism is your alternative?" Isran scowled at her. She knew he wouldn't like it.
"It's an option. I simply wanted you to have all the information to consider."
"So... a small possibility of spending my eternity in Oblivion or giving my entire soul to Molag Bal," Isran scoffed.
"It is… yes," she nodded. That was what it was. There was no sugar-coating it. "You can also… refuse. I can take you back to the shore."
"Hmm," Isran only murmured under his breath. "Thank you for telling me. I… think we should get our rest. I will think on it."
She got the hint. She wasn't sure how much he would be able to sleep after this, but she wasn't going to disturb his ruminations.
She wasn't sure how much rest she would get either though.
She would probably keep worrying that she was going to be left alone in this again.
…
Serana wasn't sure when she fell asleep.
She was pondering on Isran's choice for so long. And she was waiting for him to fall asleep first too. She tried. She needed to get a potion. He once asked her not to drink them in front of his men, so he was clearly uncomfortable with that. She wasn't sure why. He knew that she needed to do that. But since then, she refrained from doing it in front of mortals. It wasn't a chore for her to make herself scarce sometimes, if it prevented more suspicions from people around her.
She didn't hear Isran's steady breathing at all though. And in the end, she must have fallen asleep regardless.
Now she woke up with a familiar unpleasant craving.
She hoped it wouldn't be an issue, but as she willed herself to open her eyes and sit up in her bedroll, she noticed Isran was already sitting there, awake.
"You're awake," he nodded at her in greeting.
"How long have you been awake?" Serana scowled at him. Did he get any rest at all?
"An hour or so. Don't worry. I slept," he smiled at her softly. "Are you rested?"
"Yes," she sighed. "I just need to step out for a moment." She couldn't exactly sneak a potion with him right here.
"Unless it's for something else, I do not mind you feeding here," he shrugged.
Well that was… a mixed message.
"You asked me not to," Serana shook her head.
"In front of my men. I don't mind," he explained.
He didn't? That was… surprisingly uplifting. He wasn't as repulsed by what she was as his brethren were.
"Alright," she nodded slowly as she began to rummage in her pack for a blood potion. "What about you? Have you made a decision?" She'd been wondering for what felt like so long. Would she have to face Oblivion on her own? Or find an unreliable thrall at least?
"I have," he sighed. "You can… splinter my soul."
"Not 'splinter'. Just… take a splinter," she reiterated. "And… are you sure? I cannot promise that there will be no consequences."
"I am sure. I have made my decision," he nodded at her resolutely. She knew what he meant by that. Aside from the literal meaning, she knew all too well. Isran never went back on his decisions. Never looked back.
"Very well. I respect your choice," she smiled at him a little. She couldn't help but be a little worried. She wasn't sure what this would mean for him. But then again, this was the best option she was hoping for, wasn't it? Vampirism was far from ideal, both regarding the situation and something Isran would have to live with.
So why did she feel… guilty? She didn't want him to leave her alone in this, did she?
But it would have been safer for him.
She wanted him safe.
But this was for the best. There was more at stake here.
"Nourish yourself. And get something to eat. We have a challenging task in front of us," Isran urged her.
Right. That was what she should do.
Suddenly it all felt so close. Too close. Everything. Oblivion. The Scroll. Her mother.
She was going to go see her mother with Isran.
This would not go well.
But the decision has been made.
There was no turning back.
…
She held the black soul gem tightly in her hand, watching its dull sides as she turned it in her palm.
"What will you do with it?" Isran asked curiously.
What would she do with it?
They were standing there, by the small basin, watching the swirling purple vortex reopened in front of them. It was time to do the ritual. Time to take a splinter of Isran's soul and trap it in the gem. Serana had no idea what this would mean. She couldn't even tell him if it would hurt.
He didn't even ask though.
She was nervous. She knew how to do this, even though she never really tried. She knew in theory.
It wasn't exactly pleasant to be trying it out on him.
But there was no other choice.
He asked what she would do with it. What should she do with it?
"I… don't know. I can give it to you. It's your soul. Your splinter," she shrugged and Isran looked taken aback for a moment. But he spoke soon enough.
"Hmm… you may keep it though. You have more use for it," he smiled a bit.
For… a soul gem? Or for his soul? What use would she have for it? Was there something she was missing? He was… leaving her with part of his soul. But it was not his once it was in the gem. She could smash it and it would make no difference. Aside from the unexpected consequences of smashing a soul gem sometimes.
Her brows furrowed for a while, but she wasn't sure how to resolve these ruminations just then. And it wasn't the time for it now.
"Well… are you ready?" She asked nervously. She wasn't sure if she was, but she had to.
"I am. Do it," he nodded.
"It… might hurt. Or feel strange," she noted. He didn't ask, but he had a right to know. She just wasn't sure.
"I expect that. I am ready, Serana," he reiterated before he gave her one more smile. "I appreciate your concern."
Was she concerned? Well… was there any point in denying it?
"Alright. Here we go," she took a deep breath. She had to concentrate on the magic. It was a complex ritual involving two spells in quick succession.
Her free hand lit with a bright red light soon enough. This was it. She needed to detach the splinter first.
The light flew towards Isran and his eyes suddenly went wide. His breath hitched and he looked… shocked. Did that hurt?
Focus.
She couldn't get distracted by her worries now.
Her hand lit with a dark purple glow, almost black. It was an adjusted soul trap spell. One that could pull the splinter out of the shell.
The dark light enveloped him right after.
And soon, the flash of light sprung free, flying towards the soul gem. It lit up momentarily, but only a little. Not like a full gem would glow.
It was done.
"Isran?" She asked uncertainly. He still looked shocked. Was he in pain? Did the magic… do something to him? Did it change him?
"I… I am… alright," he let out a breath and Serana instantly let out one of her own. Good. He spoke. He sounded… normal.
"How do you feel?" She scowled. She couldn't even imagine.
"It feels like… like something keeps pulling. Like someone was pulling on one hair on your head, all the time," he growled.
"I… I hope it passes," she mumbled uncertainly. That couldn't be pleasant.
"A minor annoyance if it does not. Worth the fate of the world," he smiled a little.
The world. Right. That's why they were here.
Down below, Oblivion awaited. With the last piece of the puzzle to save the world.
Perhaps it would have remained safe there with her mother. But could they risk it now when her father was so determined? Sooner or later, he would come here. He would figure it out somehow. And he would find her and the Scroll.
The world didn't deserve to be left to uncertainty. It didn't deserve to remain constantly holding its breath and waiting for Harkon to strike.
They needed to know what this prophecy meant.
And to destroy any chance of it coming true.