Chapter Text
“This is… strange,” Isran sighed as he watched the large corpse below his feet.
The first Keeper. They walked for hours and hours until they reached the first tower and found this thing. It wasn’t an easy fight. Serana didn’t notice what Isran was talking about now. She was still in shock that the deep cut on her clavicle was just… gone.
It wasn’t unusual for her to get healed in the Castle, but she did not expect it here.
Isran actually learned a spell to heal her. To heal something that was not living.
He said it was easy and that the magic worked on the same principles as regular healing magic, but it was still a shock to her that he bothered to even think about the possibility of trying to heal her at all if something happened.
The pain was all gone and she was just left staring at the darker spots on her already dark glove – the blood that had just been gushing out of her.
“It was all strange,” he scowled. “Your interaction with her. I suppose I expected something else.”
“Oh,” Serana finally focused on him. “Yes, she was eager for us to free her, clearly.”
“I understand that,” Isran nodded. “But the Ideal Masters imprisoned her and we are just… defying that. What will be the consequence of it in this world?”
“Now you are worried about freeing people?” She smirked. He was not as concerned when it came to the Thalmor.
“I guess I just expected more… concern. For you, for Harkon and the prophecy. For anything, really.”
He had a point. Her mother just brushed her aside like that. It was a bit strange.
“I worry that we might be walking into a trap,” he sighed.
“A trap by the Masters? Or by my mother?” She asked. Isran seemed taken aback, but she didn’t mean anything by it. Either option was possible.
“You would know better than me,” he explained carefully. “I just don’t like how quickly she sent us away. No questions. No warnings of how dangerous these things are.”
“True,” Serana nodded. She did find that odd too. “Do you wish to go back and speak to her more?”
“I’m not sure. Would there be any point?” He sighed. “She has the Scroll with her there, doesn’t she?”
“Most likely,” Serana nodded. She would not let it out of her sight.
“Let us get this over with then,” he nodded at her in determination. “We will deal with whatever comes together.”
It was reassuring. He could have gotten just as suspicious about Serana agreeing to free her mother so easily. She just… felt strange when her mother addressed her. She wanted this over with. She wanted to see her properly too. And the reason for it surprised even her.
She wanted her mother accessible to attacks if she tried something.
How things have changed in her mother’s absence. And the woman likely had no idea.
Or maybe things have changed for her too.
And what she always claimed to be her priority – the safety of her child – was no longer one.
…
It was done.
The keepers were dead.
The fights were brutal. And it was particularly unpleasant when they found the last tower too near one of the giant crystals – presumably an Ideal Master. Serana was not going to risk that thing harming the mortal by her side. And while Isran kept insisting, she was eventually successful in convincing him to let her go alone.
It was a good thing he did. Despite her apprehensions, she was almost ready to charm him to obey. She was not going to risk him like that.
The battle was difficult. She had trouble keeping the Keeper at a distance. But she did come out of it with only one cut on her hand which Isran promptly took care of once they reunited.
Now it was all over. The three Keepers were dead. Serana and Isran expected something to happen. A burst of magic coming from the fortress perhaps. Or maybe some instant revenge by the Ideal Masters. But there was no indication of any of it happening, so they had to go there to see.
And fortunately, once they walked up to the fortress, they finally saw the entrance to the courtyard free of the magical barrier.
But where was mother?
The courtyard was empty. There was nothing in it aside from an alcove with a gate barring it and some ‘vegetation’ all over the ground. They’ve seen these plants before. They were all over the Cairn, growing everywhere. Serana inspected one at one point. It looked… meaty. A beige thing growing from the ground. It looked a little spongy, but upon touching it, she could feel that it was textured more like a mushroom.
She wondered before if this was a source of food. It could be, but she was not about to try it.
These sponges were trampled a lot in some places. By something… big. That made Serana nervous. But not as nervous as her mother’s absence.
“Did she… do you think she just ran to the portal?” Isran looked at Serana uncertainly.
It was… possible. She could not possibly predict her mother’s behavior right now. And it took them a while to come back here from the last tower.
“I… suppose. I don’t know,” Serana sighed. “We should go at least see what’s in there,” she pointed to the closed alcove. Hopefully it wasn’t magically locked and they could break the gate down.
All of the sudden, Isran toppled to the ground. Serana stared at him in shock. He wasn’t the type to just trip over his own feet, but he seemed to be struggling with something as he let out a pained roar.
And a few moments later, the form on top of him materialized.
Mother was sitting atop him, pinning him down. By now, Isran was holding her back with his strong arms, but Serana spotted the blood dripping from her mother’s mouth. And the two puncture wounds on Isran’s neck.
“Mother!” Serana gasped. Her reaction was instant. She didn’t even think about it. Maybe she should have, but it was instinct. Her hand lit up immediately and a sharp icy spike flew towards her mother.
The spike pierced deep into her upper arm and she let out a scream. At that moment and in the shock, Isran managed to push her off himself and scurried back from her.
“Serana!” Her mother’s eyes widened at her in shock and her tone was chastising. What? Why was she upset?!
“Mother, what are you doing?! Leave him alone!” Serana yelled at her. What has gotten into her? Did she make herself invisible to attack Isran?
Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising. Maybe she was just trying to protect Serana.
“You brought me blood. Why are you denying me?! Do you wish to leverage it?!” Her mother snarled angrily.
What?!
“He’s my friend! He’s not here for you to feed on!” Serana huffed.
“He is a weak mortal and nothing but a blood source,” her mother hissed. She didn’t even seem to notice the spike melting in her arm. As if she was unbothered by the pain, just focused on the sudden conflict.
“He is not! Stop this! I… I can give you blood,” Serana sighed. She promptly fished around in her bag to find a potion while Isran got up onto his feet, holding his hand to his bitten neck and lighting it up with magic.
Mother didn’t say anything more and she looked at Serana eagerly. She looked… strange. Not like a feral vampire would though. She looked a little paler than usual, but there were no signs on her of the disease progressing.
Serana finally found what she’d been looking for and she tossed the potion to her mother promptly. She had probably never seen anyone drink that eagerly.
“You… needed blood,” Serana shook her head incredulously. “Did you have none all these centuries?” How was she not feral? How was she alive?!
“Centuries,” mother growled almost hatefully. “Feels like millennia.”
Did it? Jiub said the same thing. That was both worrying and comforting. At least the time they spent here wouldn’t pass so quickly back on Nirn.
“More,” her mother growled when she downed the entire potion and, with a sigh, Serana tossed her another one. The spike was still melting in her arm and she made no attempts to remove it.
“Mother, can you… talk to me?” Serana shook her head. This was getting them nowhere. She was clearly starved, but… Serana didn’t have many more potions. And she didn’t want to give her mother more. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was spite. She felt angry for this stunt. The first thing she does after centuries was order Serana to do her bidding. Again. And now she attacked her ally here.
“Get rid of the mortal,” her mother hissed, throwing a hateful look at Isran. Of course she assumed he would be an enemy.
“I am not leaving you alone with her,” Isran scowled promptly. Well… that was… sweet. And she wasn’t ‘getting rid’ of him anyway.
“No, mother,” Serana shook her head defiantly. “He is my friend and ally. He is working with me to stop father. I am not getting rid of him or sending him away. Whatever we talk about, he will be here.”
“So trusting. You were always so trusting,” mother snarled. “With Harkon, with everyone. You will get betrayed.”
“Then it is my mistake to bear,” Serana narrowed her eyes at her. That was not going to happen. But that wasn’t important. “Talk. Were you here all this time with no blood?”
Mother looked uncertain. She finished the second potion very slowly, as if she was stalling for time, always watching Isran warily. Only when she drank the last drop did she speak again.
“Are you two here to kill me?” She asked, more calmly now, but still hatefully.
“No! We came to find you and the Scroll to stop father once and for all. I told you,” Serana shook her head.
“Why? Why now? You said it was centuries,” her mother looked at her with suspicion.
“Things are… in motion,” Serana sighed. “Father found the second Scroll. We need to find out what this prophecy really is about and find a way to stop it, rather than waiting for him to find you here.”
“He would have never found me here,” mother scoffed disdainfully. “You should have come with me, Serana. We would have…”
“Gotten imprisoned here together?” Serana shook her head. “That is not what I want. I am not going to hide. I am going to stop him. And I am not following you along, just to…”
“Just to what?” Her mother gave her a challenging look. Serana wasn’t sure if she knew what she wanted to say, but… it didn’t matter.
Just to have you make me sell my soul to more masters.
“It’s not important,” Serana sighed. “My choice is made. I will find out what the prophecy says and stop it.”
“You will only hasten his victory,” mother frowned.
“What do you care?” Isran scoffed. “It doesn’t affect you. You can just keep rotting here.”
“’Rotting’! Hah!” Mother let out a strangely disturbing laugh. “Clueless mortal and yet he manages to stumble onto the truth.”
“The truth about what?” Serana looked at her curiously. What did that mean?
“I made a deal with the Ideal Masters,” she sighed, almost proudly. Figures. “I asked them to hide me, protect me, keep me safe here. They agreed. They protected me by locking me in here and creating the Keepers.”
“What did you expect, mother?” Serana sighed. “And yet you tell me I should have come with you.”
“You would have been safe! I was!” Mother snarled.
“As you can see, I was safe too.” Entombed or not, it didn’t matter. She was safe. And she was alive. Living her life, outside of the entombment. She was safer out there than with her mother. She was safe from all her deals with higher beings for Serana’s freedom and dignity.
“You are not safe! You cohort with mortals, you defy your father, tempting your fate constantly,” mother shook her head.
“Why did you mean that Isran was right?” Serana interrupted the rant. She was not in the mood to listen to this. She knew what her mother’s safety meant. And she was curious to see what lengths she actually went to. What did she still advocate was worth the sacrifice, when she was ravenous and insisting to be released?
“The Ideal Masters provided. There is another… living thing here. Full of blood for me. A dragon. One that came here around the time I did. It survived the Dragon Wars long ago and wanted to conquer the world again as it hid on some remote mountaintop. It should have stayed hidden. It tasted necromancy, asked the Masters for an army of undead. All in an exchange to guard me here until I die and to provide what I needed. It didn’t know. It didn’t know what I needed was blood. And it didn’t know that I was immortal.”
“So you both got tricked,” Isran scoffed. It was somewhat… fitting.
“I did not get tricked! The beast got tricked! I was kept safe as promised! Safe from Harkon,” mother snarled.
“Why were you asking us to kill the Keepers then?” Serana scoffed.
“The blood… the dragon it… it is an Aedric creature, trapped for so long in a plane of Oblivion. Its very nature cannot take this. The dragon… it rots away. And its blood… it’s… poison. It makes me crave more, it makes me crave fresh blood. And it makes me… feel like I need to leave. But I am lucky. It will not let me. It will not let you. And now, I have all the fresh blood I need,” she looked meaningfully at Isran. “And I have you here, Serana. Safe at last.”
“A rotten dragon is not going to stop us,” Isran snarled. “We’re taking the Scroll, getting out of here and stopping Harkon. No matter what.”
“Serana, don’t let him die to the dragon. He can only nourish us when we keep him alive,” mother nodded at her with determination, as if she was secretly plotting something with her, despite Isran clearly being able to hear this.
“Mother,” Serana let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. She would like to think the rotten blood made her crazy, but unfortunately, such a plan did not sound very different from what she would expect from her mother at any other time.
“Where is this dragon of yours then?” Isran scoffed. Though Serana did note the trampled sponges before. That… did not bode well. Her mother was likely not lying.
“The moment anyone leaves the courtyard, he will be summoned. You cannot escape,” mother smirked. “So I suggest you make yourselves comfortable.”
“You know we are not going to do that, mother,” Serana almost had the urge to roll her eyes. “Is the Scroll here?”
“Take it, if it matters to you. Go and try to get past the dragon. You will run back here soon enough,” mother shook her head. “You were always too stubborn for your own good, Serana. You always needed to see. Why the fire would hurt so much in your new form. Whether the mortal would truly attack you on sight. You always had to try. Foolish child. But I will protect you, just like I always had. Try if you must.”
Serana still remembered the incidents well. Her mother cooling her burnt fingers, slaughtering the warrior who attacked her the moment she neared him on the road with her glowing eyes fully on display. Mother was always there to protect her. And always there to maliciously spew at her after about how foolish she had been to ever even try. How stupid it was to hope to achieve something mother was telling her was impossible.
“Say we kill the dragon. What then?” Isran looked at her curiously. “Do you still believe you are safe here? Do you still want to stay, feeding on a rotten corpse and wasting away in Oblivion when you have a chance to leave your prison?”
“A prison is safe. And you cannot kill Durnehviir,” mother scoffed. “Even if you defeat him, he will rise again. That’s what this place does. Necromancy seeps through everything.”
“Not everything,” Serana noted. “You would not know, being held in your solitude here. But the Daedra here can be slain in the right spots. A dragon can be too.”
“She’s right, Serana,” Isran sighed somberly. “Not about necromancy. It’s what dragons do. Unless there is another dragon or a Dragonborn nearby to absorb the beast’s soul, it will rise again.”
Oh. She didn’t know this. She didn’t know much about dragons. Her clan was unconcerned with them and she never lived in an Era when dragons were around in abundance before. Having Aeyrin with them would be useful just about now.
“So the dragon is immortal?” Serana scowled. Was her mother right? Were they trapped?
“Yes. But when they are slain, they remain that way for a time. Some for a day, some for a few hours. But we can leave this place,” Isran reassured her. “What about you?” He scowled at mother.
“I will not fall for your tricks! I am not leaving my safety.”
Good.
Serana felt a bit guilty for thinking that, but it was for the best. They would give her her safety. Serana could even close the portal to keep mother here. Perhaps when father was gone… she might consider her options then.
It was a little strange though. Serana would assume mother would abandon this line of thinking after she felt like she’d been here for millennia.
In fact…
“The portal has been opened for a while,” Serana noted. And a lot longer by the way time passed here, judging from what both Jiub and mother said. “Why can the souls not see it? Why don’t the Daedra go through?” It was unusual for a two-way portal.
“This is not a realm of any Prince, Serana,” mother said chastisingly, as if the answer should be obvious. “The Princes want to meddle in the affairs of Nirn, mess with mortals and our kind alike, with all the living and undead creatures. The Ideal Masters have no such wishes. The souls give them power. They feed this place and the Daedra protect it. Nobody will ever leave because that is the will of the Masters.”
“Except for us,” Isran nodded in determination.
“Hah! Keep dreaming, mortal,” mother scoffed. “Who is this, Serana? Why do you put your safety into the hands of this… thing. It’s not even charmed!”
“He is a friend, mother, I said as much,” Serana snarled. “A trusted friend. He leads the reformed Dawnguard order.”
Mother let out another strangely bone-chilling laughter at that.
“Oh… my dear. Even if you think it wants to help someone like you now, Harkon would break it,” she shook her head with a mocking smirk on her face. “But it matters not. You will not get to find out. It will serve only as nourishment soon enough.”
“Whatever you say, mother,” Serana sighed. There was no reason to argue with her on this. “Why did you hide here of all places anyway?” She knew a lot of this place, true, but did she not know the Masters might trick her. She claimed she was not tricked, but… Serana wondered. If the Masters willed everything here to stay, perhaps it affected her too.
“The Masters deal with necromancers of great power all the time. I needed something powerful to hide me from Harkon.”
This all sounded unpleasantly familiar.
‘Power should be coveted, Serana. If you wish to be strong, always remember you need to submit to someone who wields more power than you can imagine and hone yourself under their care.’
Serana would never listen to that drivel again.
“And you were not worried someone else would find the portal?” Serana shook her head.
“Those clues were for you! What I taught you, what I knew you would understand. Nobody else was going to find me,” mother gave her a small smile.
It was… true. While she read that journal, the vague mentions instantly formed into memories of mother’s teachings for Serana. Still, anything could have happened. She was lucky the wings were restricted. Some of those in the clan closer to her might have found this place.
“So… what happens now, Serana? Do you really insist on trying again? Pointless as it is?” Mother scoffed.
“I do,” she nodded in determination. She didn’t really want to talk to her mother anymore. All her questions had been answered and now she was here only for one thing. “Where is the Scroll?”
“In there,” mother pointed to the gated alcove. “It’s open. Go ahead.”
Isran scowled instantly and Serana knew why. He expected a trap.
“Stay here. I will go get the Scroll,” he said with determination. That was… surprising. But he likely figured if it was a trap, Serana at least could be out here to help him out of there.
He marched towards the alcove and Serana watched him open the gate anxiously. He did something inside, then he left again with the familiar golden case in his hands. Good. It seemed like mother was confident that they’re not getting out of here anyway.
“Get ready for battle,” he nodded at Serana before he turned to her mother. “You. Do you need healing?” The icy spike was melted by now, but mother was still bleeding, of course. She still didn’t even acknowledge the wound. And the blood was flowing so slowly. It was like her whole body was slowed with its inner workings. It was hard to say why. Was she being kept ‘safe’ by the Masters? Or was it the strange flow of time here? Or perhaps the rot in her system?
“Keep your favors, mortal. I only want your blood,” mother scoffed.
“Suit yourself,” Isran rolled his eyes. “Ready, Serana?”
“Yes,” she nodded. She was ready.
Ready to leave this place behind for good and her mother with it, rotting away here.
…
It happened the moment they stepped through the spot where the barrier used to be.
A dark purple light formed right in front of them, a large glowing orb. And with it, a form began to appear. Soon the beast stood on the ground in front of them.
A dragon, just like mother said. It was large just like those Serana sometimes saw flying in the distance. It looked strange though. Serana had never seen a dragon up close, but she knew that this one did not look right.
Its flesh was torn in places, rotting. It looked like chunks of it would fall off at any time. It looked… old and tired, as much as a dragon could.
This was him. Durnehviir. The tricked dragon necromancer.
“You are not Valerica,” the dragon noted.
“No, we are not. Valerica is staying right there,” Isran nodded. “Will you let us pass, dragon?”
“Nothing can pass,” the dragon huffed. “The will of the Masters. I have to obey.”
“Then we have to go through you,” Isran narrowed his eyes. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no other choice.
“No choice for anyone, joor,” the dragon said. His maw opened instantly and there was a purple light forming in the back of its throat.
But they were ready. With a roar, Isran gripped his warhammer tightly and charged at the beast while Serana’s hands lit with magic.
One icy spike shot right at the creature’s maw, lodging itself into its throat and stopping the spell forming there. The other though passed just above the beast’s head.
Isran reached the dragon soon and swung his hammer against its jaw. It hit, but just as the beast flinched in pain, its claw scratched at Isran, hitting him fully. Isran was sent staggering back and Serana could hear something rip, likely some part of his armor.
Serana quickly prepared another spell while the beast kept concentrating on Isran. It slashed its claw against him again as he was unprepared and, this time, it sent him flying to the ground.
Blast. She needed to tear its attention away!
Another spike flew towards the beast and hit it right in the neck, breaching its fragile scales. Isran was still on the ground and she worried it would attack him again, but the dragon turned to her instead.
It opened its maw once more. The spike from before was gone. It melted already? Then again, the inside of a mouth was a warm place, presumably even for a dragon.
The purple light was there again and this time, Serana did not manage to get a spell ready. Soon, a globe was hurled right at her.
It was so close.
She felt the familiar pull soon and then there was the confusion. So many eyes, seeing in all directions, frantic and trying to find a place to settle. She kind of disliked this feeling, but it was necessary. Necessary to materialize into the swarm again to save herself from whatever spell that was.
It took her a while before she could notice the ground below her and at last, she felt the fluttering swarm of bats squeeze close and form into her body again.
She could see properly once more. She was standing just a small distance away than she had been before. The dragon was ready though. It opened its maw again, ready to attack.
But she noticed Isran from the corner of her eye. Another roar left his lips and he ran towards the beast, grabbing its attention fully. And just as it managed to turn its head towards Isran, he delivered a fierce blow right into its nose.
The dragon roared in pain and Serana took the opportunity. Two ice spikes flew towards it and hit it. One right into its eye, the second into its neck again, only a small distance from the one that was still lodged there, melting quickly.
The dragon’s head dropped. It slumped to the ground entirely.
Was it… done?
Isran stood by the corpse, breathing heavily and leaning on his warhammer. He must have been wounded. Serana wanted to run to him, but a voice behind her stopped her.
“Serana!”
She turned around sharply. Her mother was there, staring at her in shock.
“You… killed Durnehviir,” she gasped. “Serana, you cannot leave! You won’t be safe!”
“I will not be kept here, mother,” Serana scowled.
“But your father…”
“My father will die. And I will live my life out there. Free,” she snarled. “Stay here if you wish. I have to see to my friend.”
She turned around, ready to run to Isran again, but her mother still called out to her. One last sentence to drive a pang of pain through Serana’s chest.
“Close the portal! Be a fool if you wish, but I will not pay for your recklessness.”
Fine. Rot here, mother, if that’s preferable.
She had a life out there. And a man here who was willing to go through Oblivion with her to end this prophecy. She was not going to abandon him. And she was not going to abandon the life she envisioned for herself. Free of her father. Free of the feelings only her mother could stir.
Free from this place.
She ran towards Isran, not looking back. When she reached him, she noted the blood rushing over the light small plates of his armor. The dragon’s claw breached the leather underneath in one spot and scratched him. She hoped its claw didn’t carry the same poison as the rotting blood.
“Isran,” she looked at him in concern. She wished she could help him. She didn’t know how.
“I… I just need a minute to cast a spell,” he breathed heavily. “Come. We… need to get away… from the corpse.”
He was right. They had no idea when it would resurrect.
“Lean on me,” she offered him her shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her carefully, lodging it between the back of her neck and the Scroll on her back. She wrapped her own arm around him in turn and slowly started to walk, urging him on.
He would manage to heal himself on the way, surely.
But right now, she wanted nothing more than to leave.
…
This was it.
They emerged from the purple vortex at last. They were back. Safe. Alive. And with the Scroll.
They walked for ages trying to get back. The souls on the way seemed to be avoiding them, as if they were scared. Intimidated.
Perhaps they were. The two of them killed all the Keepers, freed Valerica, in a way, and slayed Durnehviir. The souls may have been worried about their intentions.
But they could only hope they hadn’t made things worse for those trapped here forever.
Isran did manage to heal himself on the way and he said that he was not poisoned. He said he would be able to tell. Serana just hoped he really would.
And now, they were back at last.
Serana was relieved. And more than anything, she was oddly relieved that her mother asked her to close the portal. Even though the way she said it hurt.
She couldn’t wait to take a breath, away from the stuffy air and the endless feeling of emptiness.
At last.
But before she could even look around the study, a voice suddenly came from a dark corner.
“Serana.”
Vingalmo!
Oh no. What was he doing here? How did he get here?
Her old teacher emerged from the dark, staring at her with intrigue and fascination. He instantly noted the Scroll on her back. It was plain to see.
Isran promptly brandished his hammer, but Vingalmo didn’t seem to pay attention to him. At least not yet. He was completely absorbed by staring at the Scroll. And then his eyes fell on Serana. Full of concern.
“Serana, please, you cannot give him the Scroll,” he shook his head desperately.
“Vingalmo, I have to. I cannot allow my father to have it, listen to me, please,” she pleaded. He would listen, wouldn’t he? He had to listen.
“Your father?” Vingalmo co*cked his head at her. “Yes, who did you think I was…” And then he noticed. His glowing eyes widened and he stared at Isran with his brandished hammer in shock. “That… armor…”
“Yes, but Vingalmo, please listen, I…” Serana started to explain before she realized it. He only now noticed Isran. What did he mean then? “You… asked me not to give him the Scroll. To whom?”
“Your father, of course. Serana, what are you doing with one of the Dawnguard? He… does not look enthralled,” Vingalmo shook his head.
“He is not. And neither was the man with me before,” Serana nodded in determination. “He helped me get in here and find the portal. And now, Isran here helped me survive in there. All to stop my father’s plans.”
Surprisingly enough, Vingalmo smiled. That was… a relief. Normally she would find that disconcerting, but she knew Vingalmo well. She could tell when his smile was malicious and when it was sincere.
“Of course they are, Serana,” he let out a small chuckle. “I thought something was going on when you brought that man yesterday. I tried to find you all over the Castle, but somehow I suspected. I waited, but when you did not return today…”
So it has only been a couple of hours here? They suspected as much, but it was good to hear.
“I knew you would be smarter than that, than following that madman blindly,” he let out a relieved sigh. “I would question your choice of company, but… no. You were taught well and you were always smart. I came here to warn you. I worried you came to Valerica’s study to find hints of her whereabouts to find the Scroll. And then I saw the portal… I waited only for an hour, debating whether to go in. I don’t know where it leads.”
“It doesn’t matter now, Vingalmo,” Serana shook her head. “I will close the portal. There is nothing there anymore.”
“Oh. Is Valerica…?” His brows creased in concern.
“She wished to stay. To stay safe there,” Serana explained.
“But not you. You would rather fight. For you and for all of us,” Vingalmo smiled brightly.
“We will all die if father goes through with this,” she spat.
“I agree. I shouldn’t have worried. Of course you would be of the same mind,” he nodded approvingly. “You are giving the Scroll to the Dawnguard?”
“Yes,” Serana nodded and she noticed Isran flinch by her side. She understood why. He needed a little reassurance. “He is sincere, Isran. I know him well.”
“You would really go against your ‘king’?” Isran scowled a bit at Vingalmo.
“And Serana would really go against her father and join forces with a vampire hunter,” Vingalmo smirked a bit. “What of you, Isran? Why help her?”
“We want the same thing,” Isran nodded.
“And then? When the Scroll is safe, does the vampire princess need to die?” Vingalmo narrowed his eyes at him.
“What? No! And you don’t either, if you listen to her and not that madman. We have no qualms with your kind unless you hurt innocents or try to cover the world in darkness,” Isran scoffed. “Serana, are you really sure?”
“I am,” she nodded. She hoped for so long. She knew Vingalmo couldn’t think the prophecy should come to pass. She knew it. But there was no way she could ever risk exposing her intentions by asking.
“Well… everything seems to have worked out then,” Vingalmo nodded.
“Yes. I will just… close the portal. Then I need to help Isran get away with the Scroll,” she nodded.
“Very well, Serana,” the vampire smiled. “Do what you must. Harkon had been asking for you, but I provided an alibi. I will catch you up as we return.”
It was probably even more of a relief than being able to close that portal.
She had an ally. Here. In Harkon’s halls.
Through all those struggles in Soul Cairn, this was all worth it.
Worth it for all that hope it brought her.
