That morning, Isran sat at the table in the western corner of his room with Carcette sitting directly opposed to him, as per his request.
"What is the meaning of this, Isran?" the annoyed and perplexed Breton crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, uncertain as to why he called her up to his chambers. It wasn't something Isran was known for doing; the man always valued his privacy and was a loner by nature. For him to invite another for a private meeting in his room must mean that it's an important ordeal awaiting discussion.
"I've called you up here for a drink, Carcette." Isran spoke in a lofty, softened tone. "After all, the Dawnguard as grown much in the last few months. I think it's cause for celebration, wouldn't you agree?"
Carcette shrugged her shoulders. "It's not my organization. That diminished with the tides." She would never count herself among the ranks of the Dawnguard; that would be a form of admission of failure. Not that she hadn't failed spectacularly - but that by not folding her cards and throwing herself into Isran's lap she could preserve her dignity in defeat, at the very least.
"I know, but you have been skulking about here, and your efforts have done quite a bit to push us up the ladder, I'll admit it." Isran said begrudgingly with a tilt of his head.
Carcette sighed. She had no intention of dragging this conversation out any longer, and so, relented. "So... a celebration. What kind of beverage is it? An Alto Wine? Colovian Brandy? Imported wine from Skingrad? Maybe you decided to be smart and brought a Stendarr's Vigilance Ginger Ale?"
"Hmm. No." Isran responded with reticence intended to keep her guessing. They would go back and forth for a while.
"Not a Pint of Bitters."
"Guess again."
"Camlorn Sweet Brown Ale?"
"Nope."
"A Mazte."
"Wrong again."
Carcette was growing frustrated. "A Sujamma. Isran, there are so many kinds of alcohol out there. We'll be here until the stars expire. Just tell me-"
Isran swiftly reached under the table and slammed a tankard filled with blood down on the table, silently and calculatedly. He watched as Carcette's face contorted into anxiety and desire, and then shifted to immediate anger.
"What is the meaning of this, Isran?" Carcette snarled. "Is this a joke?"
"I don't joke. You know that." Isran locked his hands together and leaned back in his chair with unfounded confidence.
"Why would you do this? Where did you even..." Carcette began to wrap her fingers around her collar in attempt to calm herself as the chocolate cake taken the form of blood sat before her on the table. She hungered for it - oh, how she hungered for it!
Isran crossed one leg over the other as he rested his feet on the table, careful not to knock over the horror drink. "Go on. I know you want it. Try some."
As much as she wanted to deny it, she could feel her body begging - nay - pleading her to take a forbidden sip. The crimson fluid glistened under the torchlight, bubbling, oozing, shimmering, smelling of powerful iron.
"This... this isn't fair, Isran." Carcette growled. "It isn't fair! Get that out of my sight! Right now!"
The sweet blood sang to her. Its red hue was reminiscent of the fine wines of Bhoriane. The fine Spiced Wines from the old vineyards, with that deep red staring her in the face. She just couldn't look away.
Isran watched as Carcette struggled to sit up straight in her seat. Try as she might to hide it, her bloodlust was nearly reaching its climax as her hands shook while hanging to her sides, purposefully being kept from the vessel of fiendish delight that rested mere inches away. The Redguard glared at her, all pretenses of friendliness removed, and his true intent unveiled.
"Take it away! TAKE IT AWAY!" Carcette barked at him. Her hands were clenched into fists, and she writhed lightly, trying her best to cover her nose and look away. Her feet tapped the floor as her muscles clenched and tightened to an uncomfortable degree.
Isran narrowed his eyes. "Look at it, Carcette. Look directly into it."
Carcette whimpered lightly and slowly brought herself to a calm, as she tried to see it through an analytical lense. "It's... Nord. Nord blood."
"From one of our fallen." Isran stated. "One of yours, actually. A Vigilant who died out in the fields. She and her colleague fought a Volkihar Vampire near Whiterun. Some of this blood was collected, on my orders."
'Why?" Carcette demanded to know.
"To test you, of course." Isran stated. "Does that story repulse you?"
"..." Carcette fell silent.
"Now that you know that this blood belonged to one of your underlings..." Isran leaned forward slightly, moving his feet down off the table. "...are you still thirsty for it?"
She was. As awdul as that sounded, and as horrid as it made her feel, the blood was blood. Her rational mind was terrified of the notion, but her body was nearly acting on its own. It took every ounce of the former Keeper's willpower to subdue it.
Isran was disgusted when he saw the pernicious vampiric gaze she fixed upon the blood. Then, with a sigh, Isran pushed the tankard closer to Carcette. "Drink it, then."
"No." Carcette refused.
Isran pouted and nudged the tankard a little closer still. "You want it! Drink it!"
"No!" Carcette protested louder, glaring at Isran viciously.
"I said drink it!" Isran shouted as he held it up in front of her face.
"NO!" Carcette yelled at the top of her lungs in a sudden, frenzied outburst. She swung her arm and smacked the tankard out of his hands and caused it to fly across the room and shatter against the floor.
Carcette held her face in her hands and tried to calm herself down. Isran slowly stood up and looked at the mess, and then at the vampiric Breton before him. The Redguard slowly nodded. "Good." He walked around the distressed woman and left the room.
Where will you be when the darkness falls?
A question that cropped up to mind in Cura's morning walk. As the day was deceptively peaceful, the air was heavy with burden, and she knew that deep down she was going into Castle Volkihar; the serpent's pit, so to speak. Cura knew that many perils awaited her; perhaps even fatal troubles. She hadn't the luxury to die, however. Tamriel needs her.
These were troubling times, after all, and in her heart of hearts she knew things were going to change, and their world was never going to be the same.
There was no telling what changes this entire age would bring.
It was quite overwhelming, really. The world turned upon her, and Cura really had no idea where to begin to affect change in this land. There were so many people who were suffering, and there were so many deadly threats leaving caves, lurking in shadows, crawling the fields, and soaring the skies as of late.
Now, she had two main threats to focus on: Harkon, and Alduin. She kept her mind on them.
If a Vampire Lord could obtain power over the sun, it would wreak untold chaos and despair upon the land. Cura could not allow it, on her honour as a Vigilant, and as the Last Dragonborn.
Cura looked up to the bright sunlit sky above and remembered the Greybeards' mantra; "Sky above, voice within." and she realized that she hadn't meditated on her Thu'um in a while, and the sudden fear of growing complacent etched itself in her chest, nagging her to focus once more. So, she walked towards the grass and fell to her knees, and looked up towards the sky, eyes closed, and began to attempt to find harmony with the Dragon Spirits lurking within her body.
They had calmed down long since she had subdued them, but they were still there; a controlled blaze whirling within her like an engine,
Effort.
Cura sorely needed to put more effort into taming herself and honing her skills. She had been so focused on external things these days that she'd neglected her own personal maintenance for the most part. She opened her emerald eyes and looked around at the Fort and its grounds surrounding her.
The Dawnguard had grown greatly thanks to Isran, Inigo, Sorine, Gunmar, Vigilant Tolan, Brother Adalvald, Florentius, Erandur, and the others' efforts. Cura so far only contributed to training some of the newcomers, who she could see were carrying out her training examples in the yard futher down, sparring with one another, being watched by Vori and Olrod as they patrolled the grounds.
Agmaer, however, was walking his dog, Snow, as well as the huskies Bran and Sceolang, while training them to pick up on Vampire Scent using the remains of the attackers from yesterday.
Vigilants of Stendarr walked through the wooded path and laughed amongst each other through the trees and shrubs. In spite of everything their order has endured, they seemed to be in good spirits.
Cura looked up to the roof of the fort and saw the Ballistae jutting between the divisions on the roof, and she could see Erandur there with a mug in his hand. Perhaps on his break. When the Dark Elf noticed her far down below, he waved, assuming she could see him. He was correct, and it paid off with a friendly wave from Cura in the grass.
A blonde Dawnguard Recruit rushed past Cura and dropped a roll of paper by accident in his hurry.
Cura was quick to grab the roll, and the recruit quickly spun around to pick it up from the dirt as he realized what happened. Cura slowly stood up and handed him the roll. "Here you are, you dropped this."
"T-thanks." the recruit smiled sheepishly as he accepted the paper roll.
"I haven't seen you before." Cura marvelled.
"O-oh, um... Dawnguard Novice, Hakar." the anxious young man stated. "I need to get this information to Isran, so, uh, if you'd let me?"
Cura nodded. "Sure, I won't keep you."
Hakar nodded and continued to run along the path, and he dropped another paper from his pocket, which landed face-up on the road. Cura picked it up and saw what was written on it.
"Novice Hakar,
Your repeated failures are an embarrassment to our entire order. Are you truly so inept you cannot even complete a simple courier mission?
You have one last chance to redeem yourself. We recently established a number of wilderness caches to supply our agents in the field. You are to restock the chests listed below then report back for further orders.
Our caches in Whiterun Hold are located:
-In Rorikstead, in the pasture behind Frostfruit Inn.
-Near Stendarr's Shrine in the center of the tundra.
-South of Whiterun's Western Watchtower.
You have one week. Return successful, or not at all."
It was nice to see that Isran was being ever-prudent, placing caches for the ground troops, but did he really have to be so harsh on the poor newcomer? Cura was beginning to think he went easy on her, if it were possible for Isran.
Folding up the paper, Cura set it to the side, and placed a rock on it to prevent wind from carrying it away, and she continued on her walk through Dayspring Canyon. Brother Adalvald saw Cura walking the grounds of the Fort, and he called out to her. She was ever joyful to see his familiar, and friendly face.
"Hello, Brother Adalvald!" Cura greeted him with a big smile. "How can I help you?"
"Cura, I wanted to give you these, for the next mission of yours." Brother Adalvald handed her a few Healing Potions, Stamina Potions, and Magicka Potions, as well as a few Cure Disease potions and a Spell Book with a cover indicating it belonged to the Restoration class, with the sigil of a golden Phoenix on the cover.
"Vampire's Bane'..." Cura looked at the Spell Tome. "Thank you! What does it do?"
"It will grant you the power to blast Stendarr's Light from your hands, as the Resolutes of old had done." Brother Adalvald elaborated. "It will surely aid you in your quest."
As soon as Cura read it, the book exploded into flames and ate itself. Cura decided to test out the new spell, and light focused itself on her arm, snaking around its length and forming a golden ball of light at her palm. She thrust her hand forward and shot a burst of light into the wall, which exploded into an explosive charge and vanished.
Cura's jaw dropped at sight of the spectacle. "Wow... that's incredible!"
"Florentius brought that spell to us." Brother Adalvald admitted. "It was lost for some time, so is it not fitting that it should fall back into our hands at this appointed time? Truly Stendarr's work."
Cura had no quarrels with the idea. "I'll put it to good use." She stated sternly as the golden light faded from her hand. She knew she would have to be careful and conservative with its usage, especially if Serana and Carcette come along.
But then again, Stendarr seemed to be on Carcette's side, so perhaps it would do her no harm.
Cura thought about her mentor. She gave up her chance for a guilt-free cure, for the sake of that family in Morthal.
As much as Carcette was proud of Cura, Cura was proud of her, if not a little saddened by the matters. She admired such a noble sacrifice, even if it left her mentor deeper in a hole at the end of the day. Still, though, it showed that Carcette was still there; that she was able to retain her humanity. Perhaps Cura was too quick to judge her.
"Stendarr, I know you're going to help us, some way, somehow. I just need to trust you." Cura prayed to the God of Mercy as she touched her prized Amulet.
"Have you thought to come by the Chapel?" Brother Adalvald asked. "I give a sermon and devotional three times a day; at sunrise, at midday, and at sunset."
"I know, I haven't been a good girl lately." Cura shrugged. "I haven't attended the sermons, but I do pray every morning and night."
"That's good, Cura." Brother Adalvald assured her. "As long as you tell Stendarr how you feel and keep the teachings in your heart. Never neglect your spiritual health; it's more important than anything else."
"I won't." Cura promised, electing to keep a mental note of it. "Especially with my dealings with Vampires and Dragons."
"Be safe, Cura. You can do this." Brother Adalvald spoke in an encouraging and friendly manner, nudging Cura's arm before heading down the Hallway.
Cura walked to the main hall, where Serana, Carcette, Inigo and Lucien were gathered, talking amongst themselves as they waited for her.
Cura walked in on an interesting conversation, it seemed.
Serana tilted her head and made waving gestures with her hands in Inigo's direction. "Oh, for sure. And I'm not one of those Nord barbarian types. I tend to fight like a calculated Imperial or Breton, actually. So, no, you don't have to worry about some accidental injuries on my end. But, hey... you're a blue cat! Who wouldn't notice you?"
Inigo rolled his eyes and began to sing jokingly. "I am a blue abomination, what can I say. Maybe I scared all my words awaaaaay. ~"
Serana let a giggle escape while the others weren't quite as amused.
"What did I miss?" Cura asked as she approached, feeling the amusement in the air.
"What's doing, Cura?" Serana demanded. "Ready to head out?"
"Yes. Let's storm the hidden entrance to the castle." Cura nodded as confirmation.
"Er, no offense, Candle, but I think I'm going to sit this one out." Lucien shivered lightly. "I've had enough of dealing with vampires for a while."
"Just bring garlic and you'll be fine!" Inigo scoffed.
"Garlic doesn't work!" Lucien snapped at him. He learned that the hard way.
"It doesn't?" Inigo looked like a deer caught in headlights for a moment. "Well, crossbows do! Go get one and come with us!"
"Inigo." Lucien said his name with exasperation.
"What's the matter, Julian? Are you chicken?" Inigo began to flap his arms. "Bwak, bwak, bwaaaak!"
"I am not a chicken!" Lucien snapped defensively at this assertion of cowardice against his person.
Serana placed a hand on her forehead. "Real mature."
Carcette shook her head disapprovingly. "If he doesn't want to come, we shouldn't force him. This is no small task. We'll be walking straight into the biggest Den of Vampires in Skyrim. Movarth's lair was child's play next to Castle Volkihar."
"You lurked in their court for some time. Do you have guidance for us, Carcette?" Cura asked her mentor.
"Yes; follow Serana. She'll know the castle best." Carcette gestured towards the Vampiric Nord.
"If it stayed the same." Serana conditioned. "Though, seeing as we vampires aren't big on change, I think it's safe to assume that father hasn't exactly remodeled the place."
"I just learned a spell that will turn Vampires into a joke." Cura said to try and ease Lucien's heart. "If you want to explore, I can protect you."
"Well... I suppose it could be fascinating, seeing the interior of a true vampire castle... like something out of old literature." Lucien paused for a moment to think about it. "Er, just give me a hot minute to gear up in Dawnguard wear." He hurried out towards the armoury.
"That's the spirit, Julian!" Inigo laughed. "Get a Dwemer Crossbow from Sorine!"
Erandur came downstairs and entered the main hall, past Lucien. "We've come a long way, huh?" He asked Cura.
"And we still have far to go." Cura scoffed lightly.
"We'll reach out destination." Erandur stated. "Lady Mara assures it. When you go inside the castle, bid her your respects, will you?"
"Bid her our respects?" Cura asked. "Er... all right. I could do that."
Serana avoided eye contact with Erandur and remained silent.
"Thank you, my daughter. You will right another wrong, and Lady Mara will much appreciate it." Erandur gave her a polite bow and returned to his affairs.
Vigilant Tolan came running over from around the western entryway, to Cura's surprise. "Oh, good! I got to you in time." He held a spell tome in his arm.
"Hi, Vigilant Tolan!" Cura smiled to her other mentor. "Another spell? I feel special today."
"This one I think you'll need, for sure." Vigilant Tolan stated urgently. "Detect Dead. Should let you sense vampires. I've been making these and passing them around to all the members of the Dawnguard. I'm glad I got to you before you left."
Cura took the spell tome and read it, and her understanding was met with the book's destruction.
"Carcette, you never taught that to Cura?" Serana asked the Breton, surprised by the fact she never taught such a crucial spell to her student.
"I would have gotten to it eventually." Carcette defended herself.
"Would you really have, Carcette?" Cura placed her hands on her hips and shook her head disapprovingly.
Carcette furrowed her brows. "I would have, once I felt you were ready to fight vampires."
"Minorne?" Cura brought up past experiences. "Fenrik?"
Carcette had no rebuttal. "Well, I did teach you Circle of Protection, Turn Greater Undead and Banish Daedra, didn't I?"
Cura realized it was true. "Well... yes. Yes, you did."
"Then use them! My goodness, Cura!" Carcette snapped at her slacking protege, to which Cura responded by awkwardly massaging the back of her neck and looking to the floor.
Guilty as charged. She had quite a number of spells that went unused.
"Well, now that you can see 'em coming, give 'em hell, kiddo." Vigilant Tolan gave Cura a gentle rub on the top of her head.
"Vampire's Bane and Detect Dead. I could have used these both sooner, but better late than never, I suppose." Cura stated.
"Aye, my apologies." Vigilant Tolan stated. "It's not easy to craft a spell time, but I'm finally getting the hang of it."
"It's all right, Vigilant Tolan." Cura reassured him. "You've been busy with a lot of things; this is extra help. We all appreciate it."
The large Nord smiled peacefully. Cura's words seemed to brighten his morning. Truly, Tolan himself had overcome his own share of ordeals, and was still coming to terms with all of the new changes taking place since the Hall's destruction. "That means more than you realize, Cura. Good luck out there. Stendarr be with you."
"You as well, Vigilant Tolan." Cura saluted him.
Vigilant Tolan gently shook Cura's shoulder and walked away from the group to return to his work.
"Ready to roll!" Lucien expressed his return in red Dawnguard armour with a war axe on his right hip and a Dwarven crossbow on his back. "Got these new Explosive bolts! It could be quite exhilarating to watch them burst."
"Just take care not to blast any of us." Carcette warned him. "Because if you do, I'll tear you apart."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Lucien anxiously gave a military salute.
Cura faced Inigo. "How do you feel about this, Inigo? We're going to face real undead, and I know you're not keen on Draugr and the like, so..."
"I will be all right, my friend!" Inigo exclaimed. "If we see the dead walking, you can Shout at them to stop, and they will surely listen! ...Not that they'll have a choice."
The Dragonborn couldn't help but crack a smile at that one. It was true; they would be unable to ignore her Fus Ro Dah, especially when they're sixteen feet in the air.
Serana stood beside Cura. "Are you ready for this?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Cura walked outside, and once the group was assembled, she cast her Fast Travel spell, warping them all to the entrance docks of Castle Volkihar.
The large battlement loomed over them, casting a suffocating shadow over the land, below the cloudy morning sky as deathly-looking Hawks soared the misty air.
"It's daylight, so they're asleep, most likely." Cura mused. "That's good."
"Let's hurry up and get inside; I don't want to get a suntan." Serana moved ahead, arcing around the building's west side.
There were large stones and crags jutting over the beachside, riding the castle's walls and providing a good cover for the entourage.
Inigo began to softly sing under the shadows of the stones to calm the mood.
"Oh, there once was a hero named Cura the Wise
She killed Draugr with fists and big men with her thighs ~ "
Cura immediately spun around and glared at him, her mouth open in shock at the obscenity. This did not stop the Khajiit.
"The Breton did stagger and brandish her mace
as she hit the big Dragon in his stupid faaaaace!"
Serana walked past him, unamused. "Cura, are you going to let him keep this up?"
"But then she went silent, did Cura the Wise,
as she met the mean Keeper who bitches and sighs:
'Oh, you fight, and you win, and you do all our deeds, well I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed!' "
Carcette stopped in her tracks and faced Inigo directly, cutting off the rest of his improvisation. Clearly, he seemed to have struck a nerve. "Okay, we've heard enough of your foolishness. Be silent!"
Inigo's ears lowered sadly. "But I was just reaching the best part... of the clashing of steel!" Then he heard the sound of creaking bones hitting stone some short distance away.
The group came upon a small waterway with sunken boats and raised platforms in a crescent shape around the moat. Walking these platforms were skeletons, animated and ready to kill any intruders.
"Showtime." Serana stated, raising her hands and forming an icy blue mist as she charged forward and launched an icicle into one of their ribcages.
Cura ran forward and charged another skeleton, and with the might of her mace, shattered and scattered its bones.
Lucien fired an explosive bolt at a skeleton sorcerer who was taking aim at Serana and blew it to pieces with great force.
Inigo leapt over another skeleton and spun around, and then tackled it from behind straight into the water, where the undead fiend sunk, unable to swim.
Carcette drove her Warhammer to the side as though hitting a baseball and shattering the skeleton behind Cura. The impact was found mighty, scattering its bones, which burnt to cinders from the powers of Stendarr and crashed against the walls.
Serana leapt over the moat with supernatural ability and drove her Ebony Dagger into the eye socket of another skeleton, pushing it through to the other side of its skull.
The skeleton was not slain by this, however, and it grabbed Serana by the jaw and lifted her up.
"Hng!" Serana grunted as she scratched at the bony arm that held her.
"Serana!" Cura exclaimed as she rushed around the corner, under one of the battlements and spiked the skeleton with the tip of her steadfast cudgel, prompting the animate corpse to drop to pieces and release her friend.
Serana quickly pulled herself up off the ground and dusted herself off. "Thanks." she expressed.
Cura looked around and saw Inigo drive another skeleton into the wall, and Carcette used a Banish spell to annihilate it.
The air fell still and silent; it was only Cura and her party now.
"Security is down. Through the door!" Cura exclaimed, pointing at the wooden door in the castle wall.
"If it's locked, I'm going to kill myself..." Lucien whined, fearing their being discovered by prolonged loitering. The chills on the back of his neck were an indicator of soemthing, he was certain.
"So far this hasn't been too bad. Gets lonely exploring by myself, though." Serana stated as she walked up the stairs. "I'm glad you all came with me."
"Of course, Serana." Cura reassured her friend. "I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks." Serana smiled as she pushed the door open.
"Were you and your mother close?" Lucien brought up the past for desired context of their plans.
"Before my father became obsessed with the prophecy, mother and I spent quite a bit of time together. She was very fond of her alchemical garden in the castle courtyard. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating quality reagents." Serana brimmed as she recounted her history.
"So, you always got along?" Carcette closed the door behind them as she asked.
"Like the best of friends. I would never hesitate to share anything with her." Serana smiled as she remembered walking the gardens with Valerica on warm Summer days, in their human years, and even in undeath.
Carcette smiled, thinking of herself and Cura. She really could have done better by her, but in the end, Cura turned out well. She couldn't complain, all things considered. She only knew that she underestimated her protege greatly.
"But then it all changed." Lucien brought the storm clouds into the picture.
"It was very sudden. It was almost like one day we were a normal family, and then the next I didn't know who they were. I'd try to visit my mother in the garden, and she'd quickly shoo me away saying she was much too busy." Serana's happy expression fell to bittersweetness.
"So, you think that the garden holds the secret?" Cura asked.
"She had to be up to something in that garden. I'm hoping it's a clue that will tell us where she went." Serana stated.
"Lead the way. I have a feeling you may be right." Cura stated hopefully.
The entrance led to a balcony, with stairs descending on the left. There was a decrepit Skeever wandering the area, and Inigo was quick to draw his crossbow and plunge a bolt into its head, killing it before it could leave the shadows. "Do not fear, everyone! The cat is here!"
The stairs descended to a small nook with a barrel with a woodcutter's axe stuck into the top by a stone railing. When the group passed it by, Inigo snuck up behind Lucien with the axe and held it up. "Rawr!"
"Wah!" Lucien leaped backwards and nearly knocked Serana down in surprise.
"Watch it, you fool!" Serana growled, pushing Lucien back.
"Sorry, sorry!" Lucien held a hand to his chest as his heart raced. "Inigo, you're so lame!" he snapped at the prankster.
"Hahaha!" Inigo laughed as he dropped the axe. "I am sorry, Julian, but I just could not resist!"
"Ugh... it's Lucien." The vexed Imperial corrected him.
"What in Oblivion is going on over there?" Carcette sneered as she came around the corner with Cura. She had her weapon at the ready, expecting a horror scene, but only found a cowering Imperial and a cackling blue Khajiit.
"Inigo started it!" Lucien pointed at him.
"You lot are such children!" Carcette snapped.
"We have to keep them out of trouble." Cura looked to Carcette. "We can't draw attention to ourselves."
"Do I look like a keeper to you?" Carcette scoffed, brushing the notion of monitoring them off.
"Well..." before Cura could bring up her past profession, Carcette cut her off.
"Don't answer that." Carcette stated with an indignant sigh. "I'll handle it just the same." She walked between Inigo and Lucien, dividing them. "Think of me as a prison wall. Any attempt around me for either of you will result in death. Do you understand?"
"This is ridiculous." Lucien crossed his arms and looked away.
"We were just having fun!" Inigo whined. "You should try it sometime!"
"Shush for now. I sense vampires in the next area!" Cura held an index finger to her mouth after having cast the Detect Dead spell.
There was an unlocked wooden door in the north of the small room, and Serana went to it first, gently creaking it open.
Immediately, she saw stairs leading down on the left to large double doors also to the north.
Serana and Cura exchanged glances while Cura readied her mace and nodded. Then Serana slowly pushed the double doors open, already knowing what to expect.
The doors opened onto a balcony overlooking an old water cistern.
"There are five death hounds and a feral vampire in this area." Cura surmised with a whisper. "Okay, Inigo. Do you see the feral vampire walking the steps on the other side?" She pointed forward with her mace, and Inigo leaned outwards to see where she was pointing.
"Yes." Inigo confirmed. It looked like an Altmer, but Cura's assessment was enough for him.
Death Hounds patrolled along the walkways, but hadn't noticed them yet.
"Place a nice bolt in her chest. We'll engage the Death Hounds." Cura instructed.
"As you wish, my friend!" Inigo rolled forward and, without a second's hesitation, fired a Dwarven Explosive Firebolt into the vampiress, causing her to cry out in surprise and horror when her body was blasted in pieces.
"Wow, thanks, Sorine!" Inigo expressed to the nonpresent Breton engineer as he kissed his Enhanced Dwarven crossbow.
"YOL TOOR!" Came Cura's echoing voice as fire rushed past Inigo and engulfed a couple of Death Hounds who tried to assail him.
"You know, I wonder; does a Dragon blow fire out of both ends?" Inigo asked, to which Cura shrugged with revulsion.
Carcette rushed forward and buried Stendarr's Hammer into another Death Hounds as it charged towards her with teeth bearing a frozen mist. The fiend's head caved in and flattened against the ground, and it's body turned to ash.
Serana kicked one of the Death Hounds backwards and plugged it with a barrage of icicles.
Lucien finished it off with another explosive bolt, while Inigo impaled another with his Ebony Sword.
The room went silent as the darkness drained out from it.
All that remained was the sounds of flowing water and dripping of ceiling moisture.
Cura looked at the remains of the feral vampire and discovered that she was carrying a journal fragment. She read it aloud.
"Not good enough to live in their stupid keep, am I? Stupid sods don't realize I've moved into the undercroft and started taking control of their own death hounds. I'll get my revenge."
Cura crumpled up the paper and chucked it over her shoulder. "It must have really eaten her that a Vigilant of Stendarr got admissions before she did." She remarked sardonically.
Carcette shook her head. "Can we keep moving, please?"
Inigo walked beside Serana and tapped her on the shoulder. "So, Serana, I was curious... how does it feel? Being a vampire, I mean. Not being eaten."
"It feels pretty great, actually." Serana crossed her arms, withdrawing.
Inigo raised an eyebrow. "Really? How so?"
Serana looked at him dumbfoundedly. "It just does. I can't explain why exactly. Perhaps it's just the power flowing from it. But there are times where..." She paused for a moment to contemplate but stunted. "Nevermind."
Carcette glanced over, certain she understood what Serana was getting at, but refrained from offering input herself.
"What is it?" Inigo pried, feeling a little concerned.
"Something just came to my mind. But it's not necessarily something I'd like to share with you at this time." Serana confessed gently, not trying to slight Inigo. "I hope you understand."
"I understand." Inigo reassured her.
"Thank you." Serana expressed with relief as she walked ahead of him, joining Cura.
The central third of the room was sunken, and on either side were paths, with a stone bridge linking them near the balcony.
There were alcoves on either side, with grating over water-filled tunnels, and in the southeastern corner of the large open area were four coffins and a dead Draugr lying on the ground at the foot of one.
"Draugr? Down here?" Cura pointed out in surprise.
"Don't be surprised." Serana told her. "They were the previous residents of the castle, before my father took it by force in ancient times. I guess they've popped out to say hello."
At the back of the room, there were stone stairs that ascended to a higher level that continued around to the western wall, complete with black mold adorning it with hanging moss.
"This place is a health hazard!" Lucien exclaimed. "It should be either cleaned, or condemned, and I'm okay with both!"
Inigo laughed. "Well, we could harvest some of the hanging moss for potions." He pointed to an alchemy lab that was situated to the left of the stairs that led up into another room, with a salt pile and a bottle of some sort of fluid resting on top of it.
Lucien entered the room to the right of the stairs and examined it, finding a set of shelves holding a pair of Vampire gauntlets, a hide helmet, some leather strips, a Blood potion, a salt pile, and a food sack slumped against the shelf.
He continued looking around the room up the stairs and noticed a small table and chair on the right, and a barrel of ingredients in the back right corner beside a narrow table against the rear wall. On the table was a copy of a Destruction skill book titled 'A Hypothetical Treachery', a copy of 'The Aetherium Wars', and a bloody tankard.
Lucien gingerly reached around the tankard and stole the two books.
Under the table was a pair of vampire boots. Lucien surmised that they must have belonged to the poor fool that Inigo lit up before. To the left of the table was an upright coffin that he knew that vampire was squatting in illegally. Though, it was a little late to report her.
To the left of the coffin was a small shelving unit that held a small coin purse and a bear trap. "Oh, come on! Who would actually be stupid enough to get snapped reaching for the gold?" He was quick to yank Inigo away, before he could snatch the coin purse.
"Really, Inigo?" Lucien furrowed his brow.
"What? I know how to disarm those traps! Do not worry." Inigo laughed as he pulled the bear trap off the unit by its back maw and hurled it across the room, causing it to snap shut. "Ah, there we go!" He then snatched the coin purse before Lucien could reach out his hand and walked away whisting.
Cura giggled lightly at the display. "Oh, Inigo. You're so silly!"
Inigo snorted humorously. "Well, if I was normal, then I would not be here, so there is that."
On the left was a lever on a small balcony, with a path below heading west from the main room. Cura approached the lever, but Carcette rushed from the shadows and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Make sure it's not a trap, first."
Cura rolled her eyes. "I think it goes to the drawbridge there, Keeper... er... Carcette. Damn it." She cursed her inability to let old habits die.
There was a raised drawbridge blocking the lower path, and the doorway could be seen before it. Courageously, and with reckless abandon, Cura yanked the lever, and lo and behold, the drawbridge fell forward, opening the way.
"Well. Would you look at that." Cura mused sarcastically. "It was to the drawbridge."
Serana was waiting below, and the group reconvened there. "Are we done dawdling? Can we move on now?" the impatient vampiress asked.
"Hang on." Cura again casted her new Detect Dead spell. She could sense Carcette coming up beside her, Serana in front of her, and she could sense a couple of skeletons on the other side to her right, around the next wall.
The raised path beyond the drawbridge continued to the middle of the dingy room, where Lucien nearly had a panic attack and almost lost his footing at the sight of the fire-hardened stakes jutting out of the flooded floor below them.
Near the top of the eastern passage was a skeleton mage wielding an Ancient Nord sword. Cura was fast to act and blasted it with her Flames, and the skeleton responded with an icicle in her left thigh. Cura staggered backwards and nearly fell off the platform. Serana quickly pulled her back by the wrist and Inigo split the skeleton's skull with a crossbow bolt, ending its dark existence.
Cura quickly cast a healing spell once the icicle melted. It was nothing she hadn't already endured before.
There was another raised bridge to the west, and a path heading south past three strings of hanging, rotted bones.
"Be careful, Cura. You will risk a chance of contracting at least one disease by touching those bones." Carcette warned. "That goes for you two, as well."
The passage led to a very macabre room with piles of bones covering most of the floor and bookcases filled with ruined books flanking the doorway. The floor was soaked in water and blood, and the air smelt of death galore. Immediately, the group was rushed by three Death Hounds.
Cura, Carcette and Inigo reacted quickly, and put them down in quick succession.
A trap door opened in the ceiling and more gnawed, bloodied bones fell atop the piles below. Lucien was horrified and Inigo was filled with vehement disgust. He quickly spoke his mind. "Eugh... my friend, this is worse than Hjerim. (Cough!) (Cough!)"
Cura agreed. This was horror unlike anything she had ever seen before - it rendered her completely speechless. The reek, the grotesque amount of wasted life around them abhorred the Vigilant. These bones belonged to Human beings. They all had families, hopes, dreams, lives. And it was all taken from them in the worst possible way. Terrible. The Vampires held no respect, nor regarded any value in Human life. They were mere cattle to be discarded. This was exactly what Stendarr hated. This was the very reason the Vigil of Stendarr and the Dawnguard do what they do-to prevent this. This, right here.
Immediately, Carcette realized, with great disgust, that this trap door was the one she had seen in the Thralls' Prison Chamber. They really were right below the devils. Quickly, Carcette turned to her allies. "These bones belong to the people ensnared by Vampiric Seduction. They have a Prison filled with Human Cattle."
"Human Cattle? You can't be serious!" Lucien exclaimed in disbelief.
"Wait..." Cura began to look around as her Detect Dead spell revealed a looming presence above. "Above!" She thrust her finger upward, pointing to the grate above.
Carcette, Lucien and Inigo looked above them and were caught by surprise as a speeding red bullet seemed to break through the ceiling above them and caught Carcette specifically. With a powerful smash, the blurred, red figure broke down through the floor, caving a large portion of the floor in. Bones, water, and rubble, as well as the ashes of the Death Hounds were pulled down into the forming crevice. Cura was yanked backwards by Serana, who stood behind her, and narrowly missed falling into the gaping hole. Displaced bones rolled along the floor and some tumbled down below.
Carcette was being dragged down as a figure pushed her face down. Inigo and Lucien tumbled down beside her, beneath the hail of bones and body parts as they descended into the earth beneath the castle.
"Oh, no!" Cura cried out. "Carcette! Inigo! Lucien!" She began to panic and rushed towards the hole, but Serana yanked her backwards.
"Cura!" Serana tossed her backwards. "They'll be fine-it's a moat down there! The water will break their fall!"
Cura crawled back quickly and gazed down into the darkness below as some rising dust caused her to cough. She felt a hollow sting in her heart as her blood ran cold. "Wh...what on Nirn was that?!"
"We have to keep moving." Serana warned her. "They're onto us!" She grabbed Cura by the wrist and pulled her back up onto her feet.
Cura kept looking back at the hole. "Oh, no... oh, no... it's... it's happening again... it's happening again!" She began to feel herself flying into a panic.
"Cura, snap out of it!" Serana grabbed her by the arms and gave her a shake. "We've got to keep going!"
Cura's lip quivered, and she closed her eyes. A shiver ran up her spine, and she nodded, gritting her teeth. "All right. All right. L-let's...go."
"We can find them afterwards. They're going to survive. Don't worry." Serana reassured her friend, pulling Cura into a quick embrace to calm the high-strung Dragonborn down. She understood well that Cura was horrified of the idea of losing her loved ones, but that would only get them in hot water if she were to go off now. "Just... focus on the task at hand for now."
Cura slowly pulled out of the hug and nodded. "Okay... lead the way." She wiped her forming tears and began to follow the hastening vampiress around the hole and over the stairs on the south side of the room.
Splash!
Inigo and Lucien hit the water below, as Serana had promised.
Inigo popped up out of the water and spat a large mouthful of it out and gasped loudly. He quickly began to search around for Lucien, but all he could see in the cold blue darkened cavern were bones sinking into the dark water. "Lucien? Lucien, where are you?" He called out as he began to swim around, diving periodically, hoping to locate the young man with his Night Vision.
After some searching, he saw something floating in the water near the rocks on the western side of the moat, and sure enough, it was Lucien. "There you are!" Inigo remarked with relief as he swam closer, only to uncover horror.
Lucien was unconscious with his face in the water, and a large gash across his chest, oozing blood into the water.
"S'rendarr have mercy!" Inigo shrieked in terror. "Medic! We need a medic!" He quickly pulled Lucien onto his shoulder and continued to swim, leading towards a platform jutting out of the earth-a small wharf beside it. Inigo climbed the wharf and laid Lucien on the natural platform. "No, no, no. You will not die today!" Inigo cried out as he began to try and resuscitate Lucien himself. He breathed air into the Imperial's mouth and tried to compress his chest, but it only caused the bleeding to worsen.
Inigo began to panic and looked around frantically. "CURA! CARCETTE! PLEASE HELP ME! I CANNOT DO THIS!"
There was no response, only the faint echo of wind in the chamber. Then, a splash nearby. When Inigo looked into the water to locate the source, a skull floated up to the surface to greet him, ripples spreading out around it before it sunk into the abyss below.
Inigo gritted his teeth and pried off his armour. He grabbed his shirt beneath and tore a large strip off of it and quickly began to turn it into a makeshift bandage around Lucien's chest. It would contain the bleeding, but only a Healing Potion or a Restoration Spell could seal it up.
As soon as Inigo attempted to stand, his ankle gave way, and he fell. He took off his steel boot, and realized that his ankle was broken, and the bone was jutting out. He hadn't noticed it before in the water, but now it was more than a little apparent. "We're done for..."
Further down in the chamber, on the opposite side, Carcette could not see what was compressing her against the stone below, but the moment the entity spoke, it became clear. "I got to admit, that trick you pulled in the court, with Vingalmo... tsk, tsk, tsk. Wish I'd have thought to turn the tables that quickly." Orthjolf stated as he loomed over Carcette, squatting and pushing her head into the solid ground by her face.
"Orth...jolf..." Carcette spat his named through her muffled mouth.
"Harkon is furious, and I may be next on the chopping block, all thanks to you!" Orthjolf lifted her head and slammed it back down onto the ground. "Bitch!" He slammed her head down several more times. "But if I bring you to him, I may win back his favour... and restore order to the court!"
He lifted her again for another slam, but Carcette raised a hand, and a golden light formed. "Circle of Protection!" A golden light formed a ring around her, and Orthjolf was immediately repulsed by it.
"Gah!" The Nord vampire flew backwards and levitated above the water. He shook off some fire that caught on his being and slowly began to chuckle. "When that runs out I'm going to rip your throat out, Breton."
"Then I have another surprise for you." Carcette stated as she levitated above the ground. She cast a Healing spell on herself and her wounds immediately vanished before Orthjolf's eyes.
"So, Necromantic Healing. Did that weasel Ronthil teach it to you?" Orthjolf growled.
Carcette looked up towards the open ceiling. "Yes, I bought the Spell Tome off of him on my second week in that putrid castle. I needed to be able to Heal myself for situations like this, you know."
Orthjolf shook his head, unamused. "Damn elves, always stick together."
Carcette flew through the air and grabbed Orthjolf. She smacked him across the open air, and he nearly hit the cavern wall.
Stilling his flight, Orthjolf flew into a rage and wrenched a large chunk of rock out of the wall and tossed it towards Carcette, to which she responded by swinging Stendarr's Hammer at it, smashing the stone into pieces.
"What is that?" Orthjolf demanded to know, pointing to her weapon, his eyes looming with terror.
"Come closer and find out." Carcette dared him as she pointed the Warhammer forward in his direction.
Orthjolf unsheathed his Ebony Sword and flew forward in blinding speed, stabbing Carcette in the stomach. She responded by butting him in the face using the shaft of the hammer, staggering the vampire.
Before she could bring the hammer down on him, Orthjolf quickly jerked away, avoiding the Aedric weapon, having now surmised its true nature. "That belongs to an Aedra! Which one is it? Zenithar? Talos?"
"Take a wild guess." Carcette was egging him on, expecting the answer to be clearer than that.
"Stendarr?" Orthjolf asked dryly.
"Stendarr." Carcette answered confidently as she lunged forward with a swing of her hammer, which he nimbly dodged and with great force, brought his elbow down on her back and drove her down into the water.
Under the brimy deep, Carcette was being pushed further and further down by sheer force. She could see the bones continuing to sink, and had no intention of joining them.
Now, Orthjolf made the foolish mistake of coming in this close to her. Carcette reached out and grabbed Orthjolf by the back of his neck, holding him in place, and he grabbed her by the throat, tightening his grip incrementally. "I am going to deliver your head to Lord Harkon myself!" The Nord vampire snarled as bubbles filled his mouth.
His ominous, glowing red eyes shone in the murky blackness as he began to dig his clamped claws into Carcette's thin neck.
"You won't have to worry about Harkon anymore." Carcette gurgled, her voice strained and distorted beneath the waves.
Orthjolf's eyes widened as he realized what was coming, but it was far too late.
Carcette then grabbed hold of Orthjolf's arms and summoned Stendarr's Aura, and golden light lit up the moat, revealing the walls, the sinking bones, and the Vampire Fish that swam below in the dead kelp.
Inigo gasped when he witnessed the spectacle, seeing clearly in the water from high above at the murky surface. He took hold of his crossbow and aimed it at Orthjolf's back, as he could see the burning fiend now.
"This is for Lucien, you son of a bitch!" the blue Khajiit exclaimed as he pulled the trigger. The bolt whizzed through the water, pushing particles to the side in pursuit of the target, and tore right into Orthjolf's heart, right through the back of his spine.
Orthjolf cried out for one last time before his skin dissolved to ash, revealing a skeleton with fangs underneath. His bones began to slowly float apart and dissolve in the waning light.
Inigo watched carefully as the light dimmed, and all that remained was the blackness.
After thirty seconds had passed, Carcette clawed herself out of the water and onto the platform near Inigo and Lucien. She was drenched to the bone and spat water out of her mouth. Strangely enough, being a Volkihar Vampire made her immune to water, but Lucien would know that.
"Carcette! Please, help me!" Inigo pleaded with her. He was close to tears at this point. "Lucien needs your help! You must help him! Only you can save him!"
Carcette removed the soaked bandage wrapped around her left eye, and Inigo could see the nasty scars around it, and the destroyed white eye itself. It was a chilling sight to the blue Khajiit.
The former Keeper swiftly approached and laid a hand on Lucien's neck, checking for a pulse. "It's weak. He doesn't have much time. Did you try to breathe air into his lungs?"
"I cannot compress his chest! It is bleeding hard!" Inigo wailed. "Use a healing spell or something!"
Carcette agreed. She went to remove the bandages and was immediately stricken with the sight of blood. She hesitated and began to stare as she tore open his shirt and was immediately greeted by the open gash. Flesh was peeled out of place in a wide crescent, and blood poured out from shredded muscle tissue.
It looked delicious.
"Blood..." Carcette muttered, almost as if she were in some sort of trance. "Fresh, warm, human blood."
"What are you doing?" Inigo snapped at her. "Heal him before he dies!"
Carcette slowly turned her face to look at Inigo with her right eye, and he could see her fangs bared. She growled lowly, like a Saber Cat before turning back to the morsel before her.
Just a taste.
The vampiric Breton slowly lowered herself and extended her tongue upon the wound. The taste was exquisite: sweet, not sour. The iron was delectable... not metallic and stinging like she had anticipated. She had to have a drink.
"HEY!" Inigo shouted at her, quickly snapping her out of her stupour.
Carcette gasped in horror when she realized what she was about to do. "Oh! I-I... Inigo... what..." She quickly turned to her patient and laid her hands on him. A golden light emerged and began to heal the large gash.
Inigo glared with embedded fear as he saw the blood on her chin. "Carcette... did you..."
"No! I didn't... not yet." Shame overtook her. The moment the wound was closed, Carcette cupped a handful of water and gargled it, and spat out the blood in a panicked hurry. A deep dread filled her being, mingling with the shame and breeding regret; she did it. She tasted it. Human blood. With her tongue. She tasted human blood. She came so close to giving in. If she would have swallowed it, she would have betrayed everything she believed in.
Carcette tilted Lucien's head, and moved closer to his mouth, where she found no indication of breath.
The situation was very dire. She hoped she wasn't too late.
Pushing on the Imperial boy's chest, Carcette began the procedure.
"What a wretched, vile creature I am!" Carcette exclaimed as she quickly began to breathe into Lucien's mouth. Then she pressed her hands on his chest, one over his sternum and began to push down harder, repeatedly. "Come on, come on! Breathe!"
Inigo leaned against the wall and held his broken ankle in attempt to soothe the shearing pain.
Carcette continued to push down on Lucien. "No! I won't allow you to die, for Cura's sake! Come on!" She pushed down harder but tried to control the amount of force. It was proving to be difficult. "Come on, you're too young! You have a whole life ahead of you! Not.. like this!" Carcette leaned forward and breathed into his mouth again. Then repeated compressing his chest.
Inigo felt like he was about to vomit. He could have been kinder to Lucien. He should not have goaded him into coming along on this deadly venture.
"I have done it again..." Inigo wept to himself. "I have killed an ally... he should not have been here! This is my fault!" He punched the ground, causing his knuckles to splint.
"Lucien..." Carcette spoke his name softly as her compressions continued. "I won't let you die. If this doesn't work, I'll have to..."
"No!" Inigo snapped at her, realizing what she was insinuating. "No, you will not do that to him, or to yourself!"
Carcette paused. The situation was beginning to bear an uncanny resemblance to Laelette and Helgi, the more she considered it. Only, rather than a burn victim who was a friend of her child's, this was a drowning victim who was a friend of her adopted child's.
Would she really go down that route?
There was no dignity in this. There was no hope in Vampirism. Just destruction, and carnage, and sadness, and terror, and indulgence.
She could not inflict such a curse upon another; especially someone so young.
"Please, Lucien. You must live!" Carcette pleaded in anguish as she leaned in for another couple bursts of air.
Inigo placed a hand on his forehead. The pain was so great.
The compressions seemed to do little. Lucien was unresponsive, still, and his pulse was growing weaker. Carcette lowered her head. "Stendarr, please! Don't allow him to perish!" She evoked the name of her deity in desperation as she continued to compress his chest. "'Blessed be the name of Stendarr, the God of Mercy. He strengthens and unifies his Resolutes through his wisdom and blessings. He calls us by day to train with sword and shield to strengthen our might; and by night to pray in his name to strengthen our souls.'"
Inigo slowly crawled forward and looked at the near-lifeless young man. "It's not working!"
The image of Cura's eyes brimming with tears clenched the former Keeper's heart. She recalled her reaction in Sky Haven Temple; the sheer amount of distress upon her.
No.
Her friend would not die this day. Someday, but not under Carcette's watchful eye.
Carcette repeated her process and continued to pray. "'Blessed be the name of Stendarr, the God of Mercy. He strengthens and unifies his Resolutes through his wisdom and blessings. He calls us by day to train with sword and shield to strengthen our might; and by night to pray in his name to strengthen our souls.'" She was growing restless, thinking of how Cura would respond to such horrific news, and the sorrow it would bring.
Inigo was growing restless, as well, peering over to see a change-any change.
Carcette grit her teeth. "Blessed be the name of Stendarr-"
Suddenly, Lucien began to cough loudly, and water spat up out of his throat.
"Lucien!" Inigo exclaimed, pulling himself closer to see. "Aaah-!" His ankle bent sideways.
Lucien continued to spit up water, and turned over on his side, hacking violently.
Carcette was relieved that it worked. She sat upright and examined Inigo's broken ankle. "Yeah, you broke that good. I'll fix it; just... find something to bite down on."
Inigo removed the remainder of his shredded shirt and rolled it up into a ball, which he inserted into his mouth and clamped his teeth around.
"This is going to hurt." Carcette stated as she grabbed his foot, and with a loud crack!, set the ankle back in its proper position.
Inigo grunted loudly as the pain rushed up his leg and tears beaded in the corners of his feline eyes.
Carcette quickly cast a Healing Spell over it, and the pain turned into pins and needles, and then soft tingles.
"That... is so much better!" Inigo spat out the gag. "Poo to those idiots who think the Restoration school is useless!"
Carcette smiled. "Try to stand up. It should be feasible now, but I can't promise it won't be sensitive."
Inigo nodded and pushed his hand down on the floor, using it for stability as he pulled himself up slowly. He could stand again, but as she said, he felt slight pins and needles. "Huh... this must be how Cura felt in recovery..."
"Give it time. You'll be all right." Carcette reassured him.
"Hng... Carcette...? Inigo...?" Lucien spoke weakly as he stirred. "Ooh... my head is pounding and my chest feels tingly..."
"That's perfectly normal, Lucien." Carcette explained. "If it weren't for Inigo, you would have drowned."
Lucien looked at the blue Khajiit, stunned and embed with gratitude. "Inigo... you saved my life?" It seemed true, as he realized they were soaked to the bone and shivering cold.
"I only took you out of the water. Carcette healed you, and gave you air; she is the one who saved you." Inigo explained.
Carcette looked away. "I was doing my job."
"Well... I... thank you. Both of you." Lucien was humbled. "You spared my parents great sadness." he saw the Dawnguard armours cast aside, and realized that his had a large, bloody gash on the front. "Wow... these really don't protect you as well as they think."
"We fell a few hundred feet. I'd say it protected you well, all things considered." Carcette stated.
"Where is Cura?" Lucien asked. "She... didn't drown... d-did she?"
"She's fine. I think she and Serana escaped the sudden onslaught." Carcette couldn't even see the hole they fell through. "We need to find a way back to them. I don't like those two wandering alone in that horrible castle. If what occurred is any indication, anything can happen."
"Agreed." Lucien slowly pulled himself up, but almost lost his balance over the water. Inigo caught him. "Ooh... my head is spinning." Lucien stated as he held his head in his right hand.
"It will take time to adjust." Carcette stated. "Both of you; I want you to tell me if anything changes, all right?"
Inigo nodded. "As soon as the butterflies leave my feet, you will know."
Lucien nodded, which caused him to stagger as the world spun around him. "Y-yes, Ma'am!"
The two of them donned their armours once more and were ready.
Carcette placed one hand around Lucien's waist, and pulled Inigo by his. "Let's get going, then." She began to levitate with the pair in tow, and slowly flew upwards.
They didn't have much time. They had to leave the area before the other vampires came down to investigate. Surely Orthjolf was not the only one.
The hole in the ceiling was off-limits. Surely it would lead them right into their grasp.
Inigo looked around. "Why are we not going through the hole?"
"It's bound to get us caught by Harkon's court. They're probably heading there right now. We've got to get out of here some other way... somewhere we can go unseen..." Carcette began to look around.
"Well, there's a wharf on that ledge, so boats must be able to reach here." Lucien mused as he pointed to the platform he almost died on. "Maybe there's a tunnel?" He clung to Carcette tightly for fear of falling back into the water below. The world was a carousel to him at the moment, and the lack of grounding did not help in the slightest.
"Ah, yes, Lucien! You are smart!" Inigo exclaimed as he continued to survey the area, using his night vision. "There!" He noticed a small tunnel - a crack in the rocks, obscured to the inobservant, but large enough for a riverboat jetty to pass through.
Carcette quickly flew downwards, skimming the water's surface, and ducked under the crevice.
Covered with blood and drenched with freezing water; into the darkness they went, in the hopes of finding their allies.