Chapter 37: One More Journey to the Light
Subaru felt himself waking up in a different environment than the castle, but it was familiar nonetheless. It was a black, foggy abyss with nothing around.
And he could already feel his hair being stroked by a familiar person.
"Long day?"
"Heh," Subaru let out a mirthless laugh. "More like a long month."
"Well, this adventure is almost over," the woman stroking Subaru's hair said, her voice sweet. "Once you have that bow, you'll be able to deal with those bloodsuckers."
"Yup," Subaru said, looking up at the woman. "So, how've you been… Satella?"
Satella merely shrugged and gave her usual answer. "What is there to say? Sitting in this void, watching over you and your friends…"
"Did you see the robots we beat?" the Japanese man asked.
"I did. I take it you want to try and start our world's Industrial Revolution?"
The nasty-eyed man smiled at that. "You know me all too well."
Satella's face went from happy to worried. "...I saw what happened... with Emilia and J'zargo."
"What about it?" Subaru asked.
"Hermeaous Mora... he said he was interested in Emilia and you... I don't like that a Daedric Prince has its eye on you, or even her…"
"Wouldn't be the first time."
Satella flicked Subaru's head a bit, wanting to get her point across. "This is different from Gwyn's followers, my beloved. Daedric Princes... they are beings beyond our comprehension... if one of them decides to take you, there would be nothing I or even Envy could do…"
"Morbid," he joked.
Satella pouted at Subaru's nonchalantness. "Please... just be careful. I already lost Hanasha to the Daedra... I don't want to lose you too."
"You won't."
Satella softly smiled at that. "You are too stubborn for your own good…"
"And you are still as beautiful as you were the day I was forced to seal you away."
Satella blushed, looking away. "Dummy…"
Subaru shrugged in her lap. "I'm just telling the truth."
"And yet, you won't let me call you "Handsome"."
"With eyes like mine?"
"They're charming to me," the silver-haired woman said.
"Eh, my mom wore them better." Subaru tried to redirect the compliment.
Satella giggled a bit. "Maybe, but you got the best of both parents."
Subaru knew he couldn't change her mind on that "Heh. Fair enough, I guess."
The two stayed in silence for a few moments, merely enjoying each other's company.
"I wonder what it was like…" Satella suddenly said.
"What was?" Subaru asked.
"Our original universe, without the other two... I wonder what it was like."
Subaru shrugged. "Probably more peaceful."
"Maybe. Though, as long as she was still there, then pain would have followed…"
"I'd still find a way to kill her."
Satella smiled at that. "You would find a way. Only you could."
Subaru smirked in return. "Heh. Yeah, I would."
After a few seconds of silence, Satella said, "We don't have long now…"
Subaru was quiet for a moment. He knew that she was talking about his eventual sacrifice for her. "I don't want to go."
True, he wouldn't be dead after a thousand years of burning, but he would be completely hollow with no way of coming back.
"I won't let you. I can't live without you…" Satella was unwilling to let her beloved go.
Subaru sighed as they had this conversation thousands of times. "We don't have much of a choice."
Satella tried to plead with her love. "You know I could kill them all... we could run away and live out the rest of our eternal lives together."
"Live them out where? Among the ruins of a dying world, being feared by the remaining soon-to-be extinct races? Even then... Alduin would just destroy the world."
Satella knew he was right. Even if they could find someone else to fuel the First Flame, she knew she couldn't stop an actual dragon god.
Subaru noticed his beloved's expression. "Satella?"
Satella tears up, holding Subaru's hand. "Why...? Why is it so hard for us to have a happy life...?"
"Maybe because the world hates us?"
Satella shook her head. "It's not fair…"
"Life usually ain't," Subaru said, paraphrasing a quote from an old anime he watched.
Subaru wiped away Satella's tears, attempting to comfort her.
Satella sighed as she felt their time together drawing to a close. "It's almost morning."
Subaru groaned at that. "I always hate that part."
"Don't fret, my Beloved. I'll still be watching over you."
Subaru chuckled a bit at that. "Some would find that creepy."
Satella gave Subaru a knowing look. "But you don't, do you?"
"Never have, never will."
"Safe travels, my Subaru." Satella gave Subaru a kiss goodbye before the world around them collapsed.
When Subaru opened his eyes, he was back in the men's bedroom at Fort Dawnguard.
"Fuck."
Solaire yawned next to him. "Good morning, Subaru. Is everything alright?"
"Just peachy," he lied, getting up from his bed.
Patches smiled. "I know that morning look. Another wet dream with your girlfriend?"
"Patches! That's just so gross!" Erik shouted.
Seigmeyer nodded. "Agreed. Subaru's love life is his own and we should respect that."
"Speak from experience?" J'zargo asked.
The onion knight nodded again. "Yes, actually."
"Morning, gentlemen," Oscar greeted the group as he entered the room.
Subaru stretched a bit before asking the knight, "Morning, Oscar. What's for breakfast?"
"Emilia is attempting to recreate those flat cakes that you once made."
The realization slowly sank into Subaru. "I... better make sure they come out... edible."
Oscar nodded. "See that you do."
Subaru quickly got dressed, and made his way down to the dining room.
"Morning, Emilia-tan," Subaru said, rushing through the door. "Making some pancakes?"
The amethyst-eyed girl looked up from her pan. "Oh, Subaru! Good morning!"
Subaru looked down at her handiwork. Reminds me of when Ella used to cook...
"So, again, are you making some pancakes?"
"Yes! Please, try some!" Emilia said, as she placed some on a plate.
"Sure," the Japanese man said, as he grabbed the plate.
Well, they look good, and smell good. Guess they can't be that bad.
As Subaru took the first bite, he immediately regretted it. It tasted... horrible. However, he didn't want to upset Emilia, so he forced himself to swallow it.
How did it taste like a dog turd dipped in Cool Ranch?!
"So? How does it taste?" the silver-haired girl asked, eager to hear what her friend thought.
"It... uhm… hack!" Subaru coughed. "It... really packs a punch…"
"That's one way of putting it."
Subaru turned to see Aela and Sieglinde sitting at the nearby table, clearly woozy.
Oh, no…
Serana, meanwhile, just walked into the room. "What's going on here?"
"Breakfast," Sieglinde simply said. "Want some?"
"Sure," Serana said, as she took a pancake and ate it. The others, minus Emilia, were expecting a negative reaction, but the Vampire merely smiled. "Hmm... not bad."
Emilia cheered. "Yay! I'm glad you like it!"
Serana looked at the others with a funny expression. "So, what's up with you guys?"
"Getting ready for breakfast," Solaire said, as he entered the room with the other guys.
Serana shrugged, as she said, "Well, you want pancakes?"
Erik eagerly agreed. "Don't mind if I do!"
Everyone tried to secretly warn Erik by waving their hands, but he didn't listen. He bit into the pancake, and immediately froze up.
"Erik? Are you all right?" Emilia asked.
Thankfully, Aela intervened and grabbed the young man to prevent Emilia's feelings from being hurt. "Erik's fine, probably slept weird last night. We're gonna sit down."
"Ever the hero are you," Patches snarked.
Serana could see what the problem was now, to which she subtly leaned over and whispered to Subaru. "Don't worry, I'll take care of them for you."
Subaru was truly grateful. "Thanks."
After having breakfast, the party quickly packed up and prepared to head out.
"Sir Isran. We likely won't return for a few days, or even weeks. However, we will do our best to locate Auriel's Bow. Then, we can begin our assault on Castle Volkihar."
Isran nodded. "Make haste, Oscar. And good luck."
The Dawngaurd knight bowed. "Thank you, Sir. We'll return as soon as possible."
And with that, the party headed off.
Subaru opened a portal to Falkreath, and the party began their journey to Ancestor Glade. It took a bit of hiking and fighting off some bandits, but they managed to make it to their destination which happened to be...
A cave.
Because of course it fucking was.
"Serana, can you see anything?" Sieglinde asked.
"Not yet. If this is a waste of time, Dexion and I are gonna have words."
Subaru didn't wanna see how that would turn out. "Well, let's hope something's here for us."
"Let's keep going," Solaire said.
The party kept moving, as they made their way through the cave, and it wasn't long before they came into... what can only be described as a Divine Grotto. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with a calm waterfall and even cherry blossom trees.
"Wish I had a camera," Patches said.
Emilia covered her mouth in amazement. "This place... it's gorgeous!"
Siegmeyer took his helmet off. "Truly, nature is beautiful."
"Truer words have never been spoken." Solaire agreed, admiring the Glade's beauty.
Oscar, meanwhile, got right down to business. "Well… now what?"
"We need to perform a certain ritual that will allow us to safely read the Scrolls. Dexion explained to me how the Ritual is supposed to go, so I can be the one to undergo it." Solaire explained.
Subaru gave the bucket-helmeted knight a funny look. "Are you sure you want to…?"
Solaire nodded with confidence. "Of course."
"Alright, just making sure."
Solaire walks down the carved stairs with the other close behind him. He walks up to an altar that had a strange two handed knife.
"Interesting design," J'zargo noted.
"It's a Draw Knife, meant to cut into one of these trees," Solaire explained. "The tree will secret a special sap that will attract a certain species of moth that will help in the ritual."
Erik snapped his fingers. "Hence the priests' names!"
Solaire nodded. "Precisely. This shouldn't take long."
Solaire grabs the knife and walks up to one of the trees. The Sun Knight begins to cut into one of the trees, which causes sap to leak out.
A few minutes later, several moths appeared, flying around the exposed sap.
"I guess this is what he meant by moths…" Serana said.
"What's he supposed to do now?" Aela asked.
Solaire didn't answer. He merely pulled out the Scrolls, which caused the moths to become attracted to him. They circled around him fervently.
The others watched silently, as the bucket-helmeted knight began to read the Elder Scrolls. One by one, Solaire opened each Elder Scroll, taking in the knowledge he was looking for.
About the Prophecy, about the Bow's Location, about everything they needed to know. Once he was done, Solaire collapsed on the ground and gasped for air, causing everyone to rush to him in concern.
BAM!
Emilia was the first to run up towards him. "Solaire! Are you all right?!"
Solaire slowly got up and nodded. "I am... I will be alright."
"What did the Scrolls say?" Subaru asked.
"Everything... about the Prophecy, how it is intended to be carried out... and where to find the Bow." Solaire stated.
"Details, man! Give us details!" Patches shouted, clearly impatient.
"It is in a place called the "Forgotten Vale". It dwells in the edges of Gusteko and Kararagi's borders. The entrance is north of the city of Markarth."
"Anything else of value?" J'zargo was keen on seeing if there was anything else they could get their hands on.
Solaire nodded. "There does seem to be a similar artifact residing there... Auriel's Shield. It could be useful if we can find it."
"A shield?" Sieglinde repeated.
Solaire nodded. "Correct, but no matter. We must make haste at once."
"Why? Is someone racing us?" Siegmeyer asked.
Solaire shook his head at that. "Quite the opposite... we are being expected."
Author's Note: No matter what universe, Emilia will always be a bad cook. Probably. On a more important note, one of the legendary weapons is now coming into the story.
(Indeed, the party finally knows the location of the Aedric Artifact, Auriel's Bow, and even Auriel's Shield. Also, I'm sure some of you know who's waiting for the Party in the Forgotten Vale.) But that's for later! For now, it's time for the comments!
5queso: Glad to know you'll still be here two years from now (I jest, it's probably gonna be longer). It's already week three, and I want off this wild ride. Let's see this through!
Kifhjoofff: Oh, créeme, habrá al menos cien capítulos de esto.
Anyways, back to the regular old shilling…
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Thanks for reading, and once again, see you next time!
- Ernalore & Infinite the Celestian