After a much long-winded travel, the group came upon a cavernous entrance in the mountainside, dug in deeply and collapsing inwards. Vilja was the first to spot it with her keen eye for detail and lured the group over. The blue light emanating from within caught her attention more than anything, and she wanted to see what it could be. Considering that it seemed to match the location marked on the map, Cura agreed and followed her.
From without, the group could see the ominous blue glow of Ayleid crystals shining through, as Vilja had mentioned.
"I told you so! I'm no liar!" Vilja sulked. "I have always had a good eye; if only my archery was up to par - then I'd be better than Inigo!"
"Ha! Better than me? I doubt that, my friend. I am a natural with the bow." Inigo laughed with amusement.
Vilja shrugged. "Fair enough. You really are a hawkeye."
Inigo laughed again. "It is because I am a Cat - we are predators!"
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but most cases of research done on the subject of Cats actually shows that their lengthy vision is debatable. Though, some reports also claim they're far-sighted and require whiskers to navigate things that are closer by." Lucien went over the various reports he'd read in his life.
"We Khajiit are born different in accordance to the moon cycles. I wouldn't apply too much science to it, Lucien." Inigo resigned himself to the absurdity of it all.
"Indeed! I hear that there are Khajiit that look like Wood Elves with fur." Vilja raised the fact. "Maybe that means Khajiit are actually Elves after all?"
Cura immediately spun her head towards Inigo and looked him up and down. "Elves? Khajiit?"
"It has been a scholarly debate for some time." Lucien admitted.
Cura pulled down her hood and quickly shuffled over beside her cat friend. "Do we look anything alike to you, Lucien?"
Even as a Manmer, Cura's ears were sharpened to a point. Her elven heritage was enough to show the wide difference between herself and Inigo, whose scarred face looked very much like a panther with blue, white and black-striped fur.
"Pelinal Whitestrake famously murdered Khajiit, as well." Lucien informed her. "So, I'd say there has to be something to it."
"Well... legends say Azura changed us from Elves and Y'iffre and Nirni cut our ties. Tough other stories say we came from a race of intelligent cat creatures. Maybe we are a crossbreeding of them both?" Inigo admitted as he recalled stories he'd heard growing up in an Argonian and Khajiit family.
Cura was fascinated. "To be honest, I really don't know all that much about the Khajiit. But they have always fascinated me. It's a shame the way the Nords treat them so cruelly."
"I suppose it is just difference. The Nords, and other races, do not like things that are too different." Inigo proposed. "After all, creatures whose appearances change with the lunar cycle often bode ill when put that way. And there is the elven connection."
Cura shook her head. "I hope that changes. Everybody should get a fair shake." Indeed, this back-and-forth hatred of men and mer, and beastfolk was asinine. It was always one of the biggest causes of conflict in Tamriel. Why couldn't they just all coexist?
Though, it wasn't so black and white. She had no illusions that she could simply walk into the Palace of Kings or the Thalmor Embassy and preach such a message without finding herself in a dungeon of some kind. Wounds were deep, and old wounds were like mine caverns. They just kept going and digging and compounding on themselves, finding more and more iron below. When does it end?
The topic itself frustrated the half-elf. Strangely enough, as a child the thought had never occurred to her. Sometimes she'd even forgotten she was a hybrid. Growing up in the Hall of the Vigilant, their leader, Carcette, was a Breton, who were mixed between men and mer, as well. Her subordinates were two Nords: Adalvald her advisor and the scholar, and Tolan, her support and tactician. As a child she was trained by Isran, a Redguard. There were Redguard Vigilants, Nord Vigilants, Breton Vigilants, Imperial Vigilants, and even Altmer, Dunmer and Bosmer Vigilants she'd seen come and go from the Hall in her lifetime. Nobody brought race into it at all.
The only time she'd noticed was the few times they saw Skald the Elder. He was always whining about the Empire and the 'filthy dog-eating, Talos-hating Elves.'
And once she entered the wider world, she witnessed the hatred herself, coming from both men and elves. She still hadn't quite figured out where she stood in this. Was she too elven for men, or too human for Altmer? If she stood beside her biological mother, Elenwen, would she be ashamed to have Cura beside her? If she stood beside her father, Ulfric, would he be ashamed to be seen in the streets of Windhelm with a half-elf daughter?
The thoughts made her feel a sense of looming insecurity. Though, perhaps society could overlook that and see her as she is: the Dragonborn. Perhaps. She'd seen no direct disrespect in the cities. Most people seemed to like her, in spite of her heritage. The Nords on large hadn't given her an issue. Perhaps...
Perhaps their society under the Empire was more fair to its diverse citizens than she'd realized.
Cura climbed over a pair of large stones and nearly tripped, but Inigo was quick to catch her with his catlike reflexes. "Whoa! Watch your step, my friend! As nice as some colour here would look, we do not want you to paint the snow red!"
Cura clung to his arm and slowly pulled herself upright. "Thanks, Inigo."
Keeper Carcette walked ahead of the group again, and led them through the stone passage opened in the cavern wall. "I... suppose this is it. Rielle."
"It most certainly is!" Lucien marvelled at the familiar Ayleid accents that visually hit him in the face as they entered. He'd spent a fair share of his life researching Ayleids and general history as well, so it was quite familiar to what he'd seen before.
"Have you ever gone inside of an Ayleid Ruin?" Cura asked her friends. As far as she was concerned, this was a first. She had no idea what to expect.
"I have with the Arcane University on a field trip." Lucien proclaimed. "If only Marcurio were here; he could tell you how a wight made him nearly soil his pants! Hah!"
"Indeed. I would call them the elf version of a Draugr." Inigo stated.
"They say that if a Wight kills you, you will turn into one!" Vilja shuddered and massaged her cheeks in her hands with a circular motion. "Let's be careful: I like my pretty face!"
"I like your pretty face too. Let's be careful." Lucien remarked shamelessly.
Vilja blushed and covered her mouth with her hand. She was not expecting such a compliment, but was happy to have received it just the same. She chuckled. "Why, Lucien, if I didn't know any better I'd say you had a crush on me."
Lucien laughed nervously and shrunk to himself.
A few steps into the decrepit ruins and the overwhelming scent of rot permeated the air.
Cura immediately drew Dawnbreaker. She was certain that wights would fall to it just the same, even if the Ayleids too once served Meridia.
They meandered through right hallways and Cura marveled at the architecture. It truly was a sight to behold. It vaguely reminded her of Auri-El's Chantry, but that was mainly because of the sharp ceiling arches. If there was anything she could give the elven peoples for certainty, it was that they had an immaculate sense of style. It was very crisp; clean; intentional. Beautiful.
She could only dream of what beauty there must be in the Summerset Isles and High Rock.
Cura tapped Keeper Carcette on the shoulder, prompting the older Breton to turn around, confused. "What?"
"Keeper, in High Rock, do the Bretons have architecture like this?" Cura gestured to the wide space around them. "You always described the buildings as having sharper roofs, and I was wondering-"
Keeper Carcette glared at her silently for a few moments, as if considering her answer, and then shook it off. She instead admonished her. "Now is not the time, Cura. Just keep moving. We have some important matters at hand!"
Cura looked a tad hurt, but ultimately realized that she was right. There were Vigilants in danger, potentially, and they had to get the Great Welkynd Stone before the Mythic Dawn. It really wasn't an apporpiate time for casual conversation.
Though, she couldn't help but feel that this was retribution for her outburst concerning leadership. Who could say?
And then, once they entered a wider area, the blood-soaked, reeking corpses of Mythic Dawn agents lay upon the ground.
Cura smiled. The Vigilants must have given them a run for their money. Or perhaps the Wights did. Either way, something happened here, and it was not a good sign. Though, Cura had Dawnbreaker and knew Bane of the Undead, and was surrounded by capable warriors and had an incredible new arm with a crossbow function. She was anything but worried.
Near one of the corpses with a shattered skull, Lucien picked up a journal and read it aloud to the group. He slowly pushed the gnarled hand away with his foot and pried open the blood-stained covers.
"Janus' Journal
by Janus
10th Rain's Hand, 4E 204
I was called upon to assist with the Rielle expedition, and have been studying urgently and without rest. I was entrusted with a page from an ancient Ayleid text, retrieved from a researcher in Bruma.
My Ayleidoon is not very good, but I was able to understand something about elemental shards, and "sleeping guardians" within the ruins. None of this would be a problem if Vonos had granted me more time, but he and our Lord are impatient. But I will make do. My research is what matters.
The Ayleids believed the four elements to be Air, Water, Earth, and Light. From what I understand, shards representing these four elements may serve as "keys" to certain hidden chambers. It is fascinating to ponder how many Great Welkynd Stones may be hidden among ruins thought to be barren.
If there is a hidden chamber within Rielle, this might be how they are opened. But how? Where? At the cost of their lives, many of our disciples have searched nearly every corner of the ruin, but have yet to discover anything. I will study the texts further.
13th Rain's Hand, 4E 204
Vonos has issued urgent orders to descend upon Rielle with the last of our expedition team to try and find the Great Welkynd Stone. I am to go with them and lead the team. The Vigil of Stendarr are assumed to be on our trail so we must act quickly.
I must not allow this latest wrinkle to deter my research. It is almost within my grasp.
16th Rain's Hand, 4E 204
Woe to those who entered before me and met their fate. I imagined not the horrors that awaited me.
Our persistence in this expedition has awoken Ayleid Wights - guardians who have lied in wait for untold centuries, sealed in their sarcophagi, awakening to protect the ancient powers within.
And yet, all is not lost. I found four Welkynd Stone holders in the Rielle Crypt, each colored gold and positioned to the north, south, east, and west. The directions correspond to each of the four elements.
North, upward to the Air (Wel) in the sky.
South, for the Earth (Sercen) under our feet.
East, for the Light (Alata) of the rising sun.
West, for when the Water (Nen) devours it.
A diagram in the Ayleid text matches this pattern. If these shards are retrieved and placed in the correct holders, I believe the secret chamber containing the Great Welkynd Stone will make itself known.
My team has been slain, and I have been injured. A pity, as I have heard rumors of an area underneath the college where this stone could have been put to better use. I just need to hold out a little longer..."
"Hehehe. The name 'Janus' always sounded funny to me." Inigo remarked mischievously, nudging Lucien in the ribs. The Imperial laughed awkwardly in response, catching his joke.
Cura needed help with this one, and turned to Lucien for advice. "Wel, Sercen, Alata, Nen. I don't understand what any of that meant."
"I believe it may be the solution to an Ayleid riddle somewhere further in Rielle. Let's keep moving." Lucien took charge. He rubbed his hands together. Now was his time to shine! His years of studying were about to pay off, as he now had the right opportunity to flaunt his knowledge.
"The Ayleids, as you may well know, were an ancient tribe of High Elves in Cyrodiil." he began a history lesson as they walked over the corpses of wights, slain in combat. "Av molag anyammis, av latta magicka. - From fire, life; from light, magic. That was one of their ancient phrases. The Ayleids were quite spiritual and attributed mystic elements to, well, the elements."
Inigo looked at the freshly bloodsoaked walls and Cura kept her eyes in front. Vilja walked behind the group with Keeper Carcette, and all listened to the exposé.
Lucien enthusiastically continued. "Though they settled predominantly in Cyrodiil, the Barsaebic Ayleids also had settlements in modern-day Black Marsh. The Ayleid rulers of Black Marsh were renowned as necromancers and titled the Fenlords. The cities Gideon and Stormhold were originally Ayleid settlements whose names have been lost to history, sadly."
He snapped his fingers and spun around to face Carcette. "Oh, yes! The Ayleids were in High Rock as early as the First Era, and their ruins can be found throughout the province, including the Wrothgarian Mountains and as far as the island of Betony."
"Indeed. And they aren't missed." Carcette muttered.
Lucien lifted a malachite sword from the floor, coated with dry blood, and noted it's similarities to Dawnbreaker, holding it beside Cura's hand which wielded it to compare the artisanry. "As evidenced by their weaponry, we know the Ayleids made deals with Daedra for more power, blessings, and other advantages. Meridia being one of such Daedra."
"Somehow I don't think they stopped at Meridia..." Vilja mused fearfully.
"They employed entire armies of Daedra to conquer, subjugate, and enforce their rule. They made no distinction between the good and evil Daedra." Lucien resumed. "In the earliest Cyro-Nordic stories, Shezarr fought against the Ayleids on mankind's behalf, then one day, he suddenly just... vanished! Poof! Without his leadership, the Cyrodiils were dominated and enslaved by the Ayleids, and the rest is history."
"Wow, that's impressive! You really have studied a lot about the Ayleids." Vilja remarked.
"Oh, I'm a walking library for all sorts of things! Feel free to pick my brain whenever you like." Lucien waved it off as a small deal.
Cura stepped over a discarded Steel Mace and noticed a trail of blood. She hurried in its direction and noticed a few dead Vigilants laying on the floor, and a few dead Wights and the sounds of clashing and lightning bolts filled the air.
She hurried to the aid of two Vigilants who were cramped between two large statues of Elves in a smaller room, who attempted to fight back against the Wights; foul undead resembling elven Draugr, bearing horned helmets forged in Moonstone.
She had to divert their attention from the Vigilants and slipped under their arms as their rotting backs were facing her. She laughed at the undead as she presented Dawnbreaker. "Do you know this sword?"
The Wights exchanged a glance before turning furious upon recognition of Meridia's artifact.
One swung his battleaxe in a downwards arc at her and she leapt backwards, landing beside the Vigilants.
"Meridia's sword. I never thought I'd see such poetry in the flesh." Cura laughed. She spoke internally as she weighed out the situation. Because of their betrayal of Meridia, Cura sought to defend her honour. "Lady Meridia, these were once your servants - now they are accursed undead. I dedicate this to you: how would you like them to perish?"
A divine voice responded to Cura's prayer: "Slay them as you see fit, champion. They are no longer worthy of my favour, for they have given themselves over to their own hubris and embraced an unnatural existence."
Cura nodded and pivoted to her left as she gauged their motions. One ran towards her with the battleaxe while the other cast an Ice Storm her way.
Spellbreaker guarded her from the axe, but her legs were chilled by the ball of unyielding frozen vapour. Still, she trudged forward, shifting her legs, and impaled the Wight through his neck. The fire explosion resonated through the area and the flames engulfed his partner, who began to flee.
The second one immediately met Inigo's ebony sword and Lucien's focused flames as the group emerged.
Keeper Carcette leapt forward and embedded her Blessed Paladin Warhammer into the back of the first Wight, finishing him off when he attempted to flee.
"Only a fool lets himself get surrounded." she sneered as she yanked her hammer out of the gummy, rotted flesh.
"Thank Stendarr. Weve been fighting those fiends for days!" one of the Vigilants was relieved at tge sight of Keeper Carcette and Cura and the other Vigilants who came with the small group.
"Keeper, your instructions were for us to handle matters here. Why have you left the Beacon?" the second Vigilant asked, baffled as to why she was there.
"That isn't me at the Beacon." Keeper Carcette warned. "But we'll handle that once this and Red Scar Cavern are dealt with."
Indeed; those matters were far more pressing at the moment. What good would it be to accost the fake should the fiendish plans of the Mythic Dawn be put into action all the while?
"We believe that the Vigil is infiltrated." Cura warned the Vigilants. "Let's handle matters here and stop the cultists first; then we will March to the Beacon."
"Yes, Dragonborn." the Vigilants complied.
Lucien, Inigo and Vilja went through the motions. They would follow and see where this was all leading to.
Along the way down, the group and the Vigil fought both Mythic Dawn and Wight alike. Different to Draugr, it seemed that once killed, Wights would not remain dead for long, until Dawnbreaker reached them.
Lucien led the way this time, as he was knowledgeable about Ayleid ruins, and eventually brought the group to the heart of the dungeon: a room with four crystal holders positioned at the quarter marks of the center. Adjacent north and west were two doors.
Cura had a feeling where this was leading. "I suppose here is the elemental clue written in the journal, right?" She waved both hands in a wide circular motion, clockwise and counterclockwise towards the grand contraption before them.
"You would be right, Candle." Lucien was proud of her intuition for someone foreign to Ayleid ruins.
"Couldn't they just make a key lock?" Vilja moaned. "Why do these living places always have puzzle locks? What if they have to use the bathroom but need to find six keys to put in six statues in a specific order before the door opens?"
"Then I hope they have a secret cleaning system as well." Inigo laughed.
"Yeah, but what if that has a puzzle too?" Vilja proposed.
"Then I suppose they are shit out of luck." Inigo snickered.
"Oh, you and your jokes! I'm serious!" Vilja playfully tapped him on the arm.
Inigo laughed harder and a couple of the Vigilants laughed, as well.
Keeper Carcette joined Cura and Lucien. "Okay, so I think it's rather self-explanatory. The directions correspond to each of the four elements. North, upward to the Air (Wel) in the sky. South, for the Earth (Sercen) under our feet. East, for the Light (Alata) of the rising sun. West, for when the Water (Nen) devours it."
The crystals were scattered about the floor. This was a bad sign. It meant the Mythic Dawn had already been here.
But why leave the crystals near their platforms like this?
Did they want Cura to stop them? It made no sense. The more she thought of it, the less sense it made.
"Not too swift, are they? Or perhaps they left the crystals for their buddies to join them? You decide." Lucien proposed.
"I don't like it one bit." Cura stated as she cautiously advanced.
"It is what it is. We must be diligent. And we must hurry! There's no telling how far ahead of us they are if they have an impostor in our ranks!" Carcette warned.
"You're right, Keeper." Cura responded and quickly hurried to the crystals. The one in the west was green; colour of vitality.
"Wel." Lucien pointed to it. "This one is air. I know, strange that they use green to symbolize air."
"Well, at least they aren't perfectly aligned. Wouldn't want it to be too convenient for us, right?" Cura scoffed as she picked up the obtuse stone.
Lucien scoffed, as well. "Heavens, no! Okay, so, that one goes in the northern pedestal. Wel goes north."
Cura did as instructed, and then lifted the blue crystal off the floor nearby.
Lucien spoke. "The blue is-"
"Water." Cura figured that one out easily enough. She jacked it into its proper position in the western receptacle.
"West." Lucien confirmed.
Cura lifted a yellow crystal. "Light."
"East."
Then Cura found a red crystal. She was uncertain if she'd made a mistake. Could red be fire, which would represent light? Or...
"Earth...?"
Lucien nodded. "South."
To Cura's relief, the four crystals resonated with each other and the northern door pried itself open and three pillars turned around, granting entry into a sloped hallway.
Blood littered the walls; an ill omen.
Unconventional colour-coding aside, the group was happy to know that it worked. They moved quickly into the antechamber.
Once they passed the right threshold, the area fanned out into a wide chamber with high pillars extending upwards to a pointed arched ceiling. Blood soaked the floor and the corpses of Wights, Vigilants and Mythic Dawn Cultists lay strewn about the tiles.
One of the Vigilants, a female Nord, stepped forward. "Stendarr have mercy... we managed to flee, but the others were left behind when the Wights started attacking... I hadn't realized it was this bad..."
Keeper Carcette glared sternly to the other side of the room.
Cura looked disheartened. "We were too late to save them..."
Curse her inability to Fast Travel. She should have done it anyway; travelling the mountains was a mistake.
Inigo gently touched his friend's right arm. "Do not blame yourself, my friend. This probably happened way before you even woke up in the morning."
Isran had mentioned something about Rielle. Carcette has told him. Lucien recalled overhearing as much in the Dawnguard Library the very same day when Sorine and Gunmar were putting the finishing touches on the Dwemer arm.
Lucien seemed to realize something, but kept it to himself. He looked at Cura's new arm, and towards Keeper Carcette, and scratched his chin. He dismissed himself and walked next to Cura and Carcette.
Mounted on a special holder was a bright, shining blue crystal shard behind a long coffin slab.
Corpses were tossed about around it.
"The Great Welkynd Stone! There it is! They've failed! Hahaha!" Lucien cried out. "Now, we must beware Norion the Undying, I believe his name was."
"Who?" Vilja asked.
"An Ayleid sorcerer-king who wielded the Staff of Ehlno-Ede." Lucien exposited. "He was dreadful - not as bad as Umaril the Unfeathered, though, but quite wicked in his ways."
"Daedra-worshipping scum!" one of the Vigilants spat.
Cura spun around to face the Vigilants. "I want you all to head to the entrance, please. Be safe."
Keeper Carcette nodded at them. "Yes, it would be a good idea. We've lost enough people for this expedition." On further consideration, she added an order in with the request. "I want you to return to Stendarr's Beacon. Imprison the false Carcette."
The Vigilants were hesitant at first, but ultimately left, and wished the group luck.
Vilja shuddered as she looked upon the stone. "I know that once you grab it, the bastard is going to wake up. It sounds cliché, but I just know it."
"I'm not sure what to expect from an Ayleid Sorcerer-king, but it can't be that much deadlier than Alduin the World-Eater." Cura remarked.
"Do not let your guard down - this is no elf on a shelf, my friend. It is an ancient menace with great power." Inigo remarked.
Cura scratched her chin. "Then how to proceed..." she studied the sarcophagus, the Great Welkynd Stone, the other four sarcophagi lining the walls, and her allies.
Vilja giggled. "What if we were to sit on the coffin as you grabbed it and then we all make a run for it?"
"Sit on the coffin? Are you serious right now?" Carcette chastised her. Never before had she heard such an inane suggestion.
"There is no guarantee that those four coffins won't come alive either." Lucien pointed out.
Then Cura considered something. "Bane of the Undead. Let them awaken. I have a nasty surprise for them if they do."
"Alternatively, we could try to substitute the stone with a Black or Grand Soul Gem, which holds a similar weight... maybe they won't notice?" Lucien proposed.
"Forget it. I have a better idea!" Cura grew impatient and rushed to the sarcophagus. They weren't vampires, but the way they lay dormant in their crypts, they could be treated as such.
Cura, with a burst of strength and her Dwemer arm, slid the lid off the sarcophagus laying on the ground.
She would give him no chance. Unsheathing Dawnbreaker, she nodded to Inigo, who hurriedly slid the Staff of Ehlno-Ede from the Lucy's hands and chest.
The lich's eye sockets began to slowly emit a blue light as a raspy noise came from the pit of its throat.
Cura drove Dawnbreaker down with as much force as she could muster, piercing the Undead Sorcerer-king's heart and causing his body to be swallowed in the azure flames of Meridia.
The fiend writhed in agony and flailed about, swiping at the air in attempt to claw Cura, but it didn't take long before his swipes grew slower and then abruptly grinded to a halt. The body collapsed into ash within the ornate coffin.
Cura kissed the hilt of Dawnbreaker. "I love this sword. Thank you, Meridia."
Keeper Carcette glared at her with bewilderment before returning her attention towards the sarcophagi lining the walls.
Immediately the four popped open and Wights emerged with fury at their king's second death.
Before Cura could even cast Bane of the Undead, Inigo was already on the scene. He loosed an Exploding bolt of Flame at one of them, taking their head clean off and engulfing their corpse in fire. "The warranty of your existence has expired!" the cool cat proclaimed.
Keeper Carcette swung her Warhammer with vigor, shattering the ribs of a second one. The force slayed the frail corpse on impact, and Carcette didn't even need to rely on Stendarr's Aura to protect her.
Lucien cast a series of Elemental Bolts at the third, rending it's gummy flesh in all directions, raining body parts through the room which were shivering with jolts of electricity and flaking with flame in tandem.
Vilja locked eyes with her assailant and gave a confident grin. "You'll taste my sword!" she declared as she rushed forward, sidestepped an axe cleave, and drove her sword into its mouth. Then she swiped to the right and tire through its morbid cheek, causing a spray of rotted, congealed black blood and plasma to hit the column beside. Vilja leapt back. "Ew! Ew! Eek! By the gods! This is so disgusting!" she switched her tactic and cast a concentrated Flame spell and continued to move backwards as the fiend lumbered towards her, battleaxe gripped in both hands.
Once Vilja's back hit the wall she switched to a dual cast, and brought the fiend down a mere foot's length of distance in front of her. "Whew. That was too close for comfort. I didn't get any of that crap on my outfit, did I?" she quickly began to twist her upper torso around and look her outfit over as far as she could see.
"No, just in your hair." Inigo laughed and pointed at her.
Vilja shrieked and grabbed one of her pigtails to examine as Inigo laughed hysterically.
"Wait... there's nothing on me! You lying cat!" Vilja snapped at him, causing Inigo to laugh harder.
"I am sorry, I could not resist." Inigo wiped a tear from the corner of his eye as he dropped a few extra chuckles.
Lucien placed his hands on his hips and shook his head disapprovingly. "Really, now? Don't tease her like that."
Cura grabbed the Great Welkynd Stone and examined it under the light, with Keeper Carcette at her side. "So, this is a Great Welkynd Stone."
"Do you think you could Fast Travel now, Cura?" Vilja asked. "I don't want to spend another eight and a half hours travelling the mountains."
"The last time I did I nearly fell unconscious." Cura recalled the week before. "I think I'll need some time to readjust my mind, my soul, and my body before trying again."
"Why didn't we go by horse, at least? I could always have summoned Bruse." Vilja complained.
"Because Keeper Carcette's horse, Mercy, is being used by Brother Adalvald in the Rift." Cura answered. She could summon Arvak to ride, but it would be weird if half the team was riding and half walking.
"We have to reach the Red Scar Cavern." Keeper Carcette insisted. "No pitstops. Now that we know what their intentions were, we can put a stop to them."
Cura nodded. She had a crazy idea. "I have Dragons. Why don't we fly on one?"
Lucien's eyes widened. "What? Did I just hear you say... that we're going to ride there..."
Cura nodded.
"...on a Dragon?"
"Yep." Cura responded. "We'll need to get outside, first." she hurried through the ruins and eventually after retracing their steps the group reached the entrance.
On the way out her allies questioned her sanity momentarily.
"How are we supposed to ride a Dragon?" Vilja wondered.
Once outside, Cura looked to the skies. "OD AH VIING!"
Her voice shook the outer mountains and within a few moments, the red dragon came soaring down from the skies above, alarming Cura's allies.
"Aam hi vir, Dovahkiin? You have need of me?" Odahviing asked as he slowly hovered before the group, beating his powerful wings gently to hold himself afloat.
"Drem yol lok. Miin unaz koraav. It's good to see you, Odahviing." Cura responded with a gregarious half-bow. "We need your help. Can you fly us to Red Scar Cavern? It's in the Velothi Mountains - probably..." she looked on her map and saw the noted region. "...further east of Shor's Stone?"She ran a finger across, drawing an invisible line from Shor's Stone to the Rising Sun symbol penned onto the fabric.
Then she realized that it wasn't far from Ruunvald, where she'd freed the Charmed Vigilants from Minorne's clutches. It felt like such a long time has passed since then, and it caused her to feel nostalgic. But she remembered it. Though some of the events were a deep fog, she recalled much of it. Poor Lydia received Moric's pickaxe in the head and survived it. She was very tough.
Odahviing landed slowly and lowered his head for Cura to climb on top. "Nel bo lok. Praal ruus - sit upon my neck and we shall soar."
Cura beckoned to her allies as she climbed onto his neck behind his horns. "Don't be shy. It's fun!" she looked to the fearful Lucien specifically with her proclamation.
"Fine. But if I fall off I'll never forgive you." Lucien moaned as he begrudgingly pulled himself up onto the wyrm's neck and grabbed hold of his sharp scales.
"Wow, riding a Dragon! This is the sort of thing I dream about!" Vilja excitely exclaimed as she popped up behind him.
Inigo hopped on next. "Bring it on! I, for one, am ready for the joy ride to end all joy rides!"
Keeper Carcette hustled up behind Inigo and gripped her warhammer. She held it horizonally and pulled Inigo back, using its shaft and hs body as a set of makeshift handlebars for balance. "Hold on tight - I really don't want to fall off this thing."
Inigo shuddered. "Well, you are not giving me much room, here!" He gripped one of the large spikes for support.
"Is everyone set?" Cura asked all of her friends. She wanted to ensure that they would all fare this voyage well. She turned her face to see how they were seated.
"Yes!" they all responded, and Inigo and Lucien both gave a thumbs up.
"All right." Cura gestured to Odahviing. "Nel bo lok."
Odahviing slowly raised his back and pulled himself upright, alarming the group. They were prepared, but as ready as they were, they could never be truly prepared.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Lucien practically threw himself forward for support.
"Oh hohohohoho..." Inigo nervously laughed as his heart leapt in his chest.
Vilja squealed as the momentum pulled her backwards.
Carcette pulled Ingo back a bit with the shaft of her hammer as she held on for dear life. Her heart was racing as she sat on a near 90 degree angle from the Dragon's head going back.
With a mighty roar, Odahviing thrust himself upwards with a great push of his wings and began to steady himself in midair. He then swerved in a u-turn motion and took to the skies.
Vilja nervously clung to Lucien to maintain her balance, and he clung to Cura for dear life and screamed like a schoolgirl for the first few minutes. They were at least a thousand feet in the sky from what they could see.
The view of Skyrim was magnificent from such heights. The colours of autumn littered the southeastern landscape and snow littered the heights. They flew through a light snowfall and the cold rushed through them.
"THIS! IS! AWESOME! WOO-HOOOOOOO!" Inigo shouted to the heavens as they sailed over the mountains and forests of the Rift.
The sun rose over the eastern hills and Keeper Carcette sat in her underground quarters alone and had her eyepatch removed. She was seething with pain as she finished preparing an ointment made from Ambrosia, which she slowly applied around the broken white eye to soothe the aching pain.
Even after all this time, the destroyed nerves of her eye troubled her consistently, requiring her to do as much, lest she feel the throbbing, pulling, sharp sensation for hours at a time. She really had to give it to the vampire Stalf, who blinded her: he really did a number on her. Would she have to deal with this pain for the rest of her life? Most likely.
She winced openly; as nobody would see her with her back to the door. She would not show her men weakness. No. She was to go out to the Vigil with grace and dignity as befitting her station.
As soon as she'd received the information of the fresh Ambrosia making it to the Beacon, she Fast Travelled there.
It felt wrong to leave Cura alone on her waking day, but the situation was urgent. She knew that Cura would forgive her, but it didn't lessen her qualms.
Once the cloth finished riding the slope of her lower scarred eyelid, Carcette sniffled once before blinking it and feeling the sharpness recede. Ambrosia was truly a godsend. Stendarr's mercy in physical ingredient form.
A shame it didn't come in a premade salve for the lower back - after being rid of vampirism, she realized how quickly age was catching up with her.
Skyrim could do with some good masseurs, but then again, people rarely reached their forties here.
The Keeper dropped the cloth into a washbasin and retrieved her clean, white and gold eyepatch. She strapped it around her head and clipped it in place where the straps joined.
Before she could do anything else, however, her door was thrown open and several Vigilants stormed her chambers. Their faces bore expressions of fear, scorn and suspicion. Perhaps it was because they were new members, but Carcette couldn't take any chances.
"What's going on? Are we under attack?" the older Breton asked plaintively.
"The jig is up, impostor! You're coming with us!" one of the Vigilants thrust his mace forward in her direction.
"Excuse me?" Carcette furrowed her brows.
Another Vigilant spoke up, confronting her directly with five more behind him. "If... if you cooperate, we won't kill you. Just in case... you know." he was one of the Rielle expedition, she surmised. Young and inexperienced, he could not even hold his mace steady through the tension. His robes were crusty with dry blood and the lad looked exhausted. His breath was rugged and he looked near to collapse, himself.
The Keeper searched his eyes. It would be an easy victory against any one of these greenhorns, but she didn't wish to fight. She was not going to attack members of her own organization.
Keeper Carcette sighed and went down on her knees as she was quickly outnumbered fourteen to one as more and more Vigilants came forward. Carcette held up her hands in surrender, and they accordingly bound her hands together with rope, clasping even her fingers together.
"I don't know what's going on here. An impostor?" Carcette explained.
"You can stop pretending. We're sending you to the dungeons." the weary Vigilant stated firmly.
Three other Vigilants grabbed the Keeper, but she thrust herself out of their grip. "I can go myself, thank you very much." She proudly resisted their advance and walked through the crowd of angry paladins with her hands bound.