Brilliant white flame filled Rykon's vision as the fireball exploded, the sound drowning out everything bar the dim clatter of shattering glass. Much to Rykon's surprise, he was still very much alive when the explosion dissapated. Over the manical laughter of the Altmer in the courtyard, a familiar voice whispered into Rykon's ear.
"Perhaps later! We need to get out of the city!" a vague outline of Ariem said.
"I- I owe you my life!"
"Save it for later, or we'll both be dead!"
Rykon and the invisible Ariem snuck back towards the city gate, where the guardsman they found was waiting.
"Thanks the gods we're alive," the guard said sarcastically. "Only bloody person to get out of the city from the start of the attack and I don't even get a pat on the back."
"Something tells me this wasn't a random attack," Ariem said, gloomily. "If the Thalmor are coming again... if they have this elf... this 'Destroyer'... then there isn't much chance for Skyrim."
"You're forgetting something, Ariem." Rykon said. "Remember who we're after?"
A bit of a smirk grew across her face. "How could I forget!"
"Guardsman, are you fit to travel?" Rykon asked.
"After your lady friend here gave me a dose of the good stuff, I'm fine."
"You need to head to Windhelm. Let them know what happened here. The sooner the Legion knows the better!"
"For what? Just because you healed me doesn't mean you get to boss me around."
Rykon produced a hefty pouch of gold and a bottle of mead from his bag. "Perhaps these will change your mind."
The guardsman snatched them away. "You've got yourself a courier. Name's Bernan."
"Well, Bernan. I imagine we'll be seeing each other soon enough." Rykon turned to Ariem. "We have a boat to catch - there's no time to lose!"
Parting ways, the pair hurried back down to the docks. Rykon was surprised their boat was still there.
"Huh!" the captain said. "Thought you two would be dead for sure. We'll set off immediately; you can tell me what happened during our journey."
Tall spires cloaked in clouds loomed from the mist, and the dark stone of Castle Volkihar revealed itself. Their boat stopped alongside a small jetty, and Rykon bid the crew farewell. They seemed rather shaken by their tale of what transpired inside the walls of the city, and sailed swiftly away after the pair stepped off. They walked up the stone ramp lined with gargoyles and were stopped at the portcullis by a man in Dawnguard plate.
"State your business. We don't get many mortal adventurers around here," the man said, his voice muffled by his full helm.
"We're here to see Lady Serana," Ariem replied. "We'd like to ask her a few questions."
"I can't let you in without the password," the Dawnguard said, firmly.
Rykon cleared his throat. "There is still light to be found in the darkness."
"Welcome to Castle Volkihar." The man looked upwards and shouted. "Open the gate!"
The inside of the castle was eerily quiet. Dim light filtered in from high windows. Walking in to the main hall, there was 3 people sitting at the long feast table. Two of then seemed to be playing dice, the other reading a book. They looked up at Ariem and Rykon, revealing their golden vampire eyes.
"Hail, friends!" Rykon said, waving. "We're here to see Serana; could you help us?"
The woman reading closed her book and put it down. "She'll be up in her laboratory. If you'd like to follow me?"
The two others went back to their game, and Ariem and Rykon followed the vampire through the halls of the castle.
"I'm Karla. I used to be an adventurer, but then I caught the disease and didn't get cured in time."
"It's certainly an experience talking to a vampire that doesn't want to kill me on sight."
"There's about 5 of us here at the moment. Me, the two gentlemen you saw playing dice, Serana, and a Dawnguard locked up in the dungeon."
"The dungeon?" Ariem asked. "What for?"
"Serana's methods are very effective... but somewhat painful at first. As vampires, we don't need to eat or sleep. The new ones are locked in the dungeon for a couple of weeks on their own. They're denied the blood that they so crave, and can't escape from the castle in search of it. By the end of the ordeal, it's nothing more than a delicacy for them."
"How long have you been here, Karla?" Rykon inquired.
"Better part of 6 months. I'll be able to head out on my own again in a few weeks, but Serana prefers we return every couple of months. She's working on a cure and occasionally needs help with experiments."
"Truly remarkable." Ariem said. "I've never heard anything like it."
After winding up a spiral staircase, the trio came to a closed wooden door.
"She's just through here," Karla said. "Best of luck to you both. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."
Rykon opened the door, and he and Ariem stepped into a huge laboratory lined with reagents, books, scrolls and alchemy equipment. A tall black haired woman, eternally in her mid-twenties, sat at a desk poring over a pile of tomes - Serana.
"Please, come in, take a seat," Serana said. "The watchman told me of your arrival. I hear you're looking for me."
They sat down in two chairs on the opposite side of the desk. Serana extended her hand.
"Serana. But you already knew that."
"Rykon."
"Ariem."
"Now tell me, Rykon and Ariem, what brings you to my castle?"
Ariem was the first to speak. "Well, we were on a purely academic quest to find the Challenger - "
"I'm not telling any old adventurer who walks in here where he is. Otherwise he'd have no plates left on his armor."
"Ah, but you do know where he is, then?" Ariem said.
"He visits every decade or so. But like I said, you'd better have a good reason for me to tell you."
"Terrible powers are at work here, Serana," said Rykon. "Solitude has just been sacked by a single man, and we fear another invasion from the Thalmor is imminent."
"Go on..."
"This is more than an academic venture now. We need the Challenger. We need his legendary gear. The future of Skyrim - hells, all of Tamriel - depends on it," Rykon said.
"I've lived a very long life - or rather unlife - and heard many a deception in my time. I'm not sure wether to believe you, or if you're just after Marcellus' gear for yourself!" Serana replied, a tone of menace in her voice.
"See for yourself," said Ariem. "Surely you've got a tower with a couple of windows?"
The pair followed Serana up another winding set of stairs, and found themselves at the peak of one of the four spires in the castle. Thick smoke pillars could be clearly seen from above the cliffs lining the coast of the mainland.
"Very well. I cannot take you to him, but I can show you the way."
"Uh, you two might want to take a look at this..." Rykon said, fearfully. On the opposite side of the castle was a fleet of ships on the horizon.
They had black sails with a golden eagle embroidered in them.
"There's no time to lose, Serana!" Ariem said, hurriedly. "The sooner we go, the better!"
Serana thought for a moment. "How do you two feel about a powerful vampire flying you there?"
Rykon and Ariem met Serana down at the docks a few minutes later. Serana had to "get a few things", returning with a travelling cloak and an ornate pitcher.
"What in Oblivion do we need that for?" Rykon asked.
"You'll see," Serana replied. "Grab onto my hands, and hold on tight!"
Rykon and Ariem shot a sideways glance at each other as Serana began to transform. After a few seconds her new form was revealed - a gray-skinned almost humanoid creature with batlike wings and claws. Her clawed hands latched on to Rykon's and Ariem's like a vice, and with a flap of her wings they sped off towards the Reach.
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