Chapter 31

Wolfskull Cave opened into a natural tunnel that then descended into the mountainside. There were a few torches guttering along the hallway. We’d been walking for several minutes when I saw a draugr patrolling ahead. I shot him with an arrow. We continued past his corpse and soon the passageway opened into a larger chamber. There were two figures warming themselves at a campfire along one wall of the chamber.

I quickly dispatched both of them. We checked their corpses, they were both human. A doorway on the far side of the chamber led down some stairs, into another chamber. More figures were in there, eating. Multiple arrows fed them death. A large hole in the floor was the only way to proceed after this, and we carefully crawled down the side to the level below.

There was another underground fortress here, this one in much better shape than the last one we’d seen. I crept to a vantage point and looked around. Mystical energy, and a lot of it, was swirling around the central tower. It looked like a powerful summoning was going on, the energy being visible, almost like when I absorbed a dragon soul.

A voice echoed through the cavern. “Wolf Queen! Hear our call and awaken. We summon Potema.” Several voices echoed the last comment. Then, “Long have you slept the dreamless sleep of death, Potema. No longer. Hear us Wolf Queen! We Summon You!”

Well, crap. I don’t think these are vampires. But necromancers have been known to work with vampires, so ... and if they’re trying to bring Potema back, that’s just not good, either. History says she was a crazy bitch when she was alive. Bringing her back from the dead qualified as stupidity.

From the ledge where I crouched, I could see a couple of draugr wandering around, so I picked them off. I couldn’t get a clear shot at the necromancers doing the summoning, or I would have ended their ceremony then and there. As it was, we ended up having to walk further down the passageway. A steep slope was ahead. Annekke saw movement at the bottom of the slope and killed the mage that was on watch there.

Things opened up to stairs leading down, towards the base of the underground castle walls. There were two draugr and a mage guarding them. Annekke had her sword ready this time, and killed the draugr while I took out the mage. The pathway led up into a tower, then wound around through the castle courtyard. I saw two figures on the bridge ahead, so I cast a fireball spell towards them. One of them was a necromancer, the other was a draugr Deathlord. I wasn’t expecting that powerful an enemy.

The five of us closed on them, while the draugr tried to use his Thu’um on us. I gave it right back to them. The necromancer saved herself from my shout by casting a shield spell, which didn’t help her when Argis and Annekke both shot her with arrows. Lydia and I closed on the draugr, quickly cutting him to pieces.

“Okay, after that there’s no reason for stealth. Come on, let’s clean this place out.”

Another flight of stairs lay before us. A necromage was at the top of the stairs. She began casting shield to protect herself from us. I shot her with a firebolt while Serana blasted her with lightning. That stunned her and I swung my sword, cutting off her head. I watched it roll down the stairs. Too bad, she’d been good looking.

We continued climbing stairs, going into another tower. I heard from ahead a shouted warning that there were intruders. You have no idea, lady. We rushed the top of the tower. A handful of necromancers were waiting for us. The woman that was their leader screamed for them to kill us, then started using drain life spells on us. So we had a vampire actually leading some necromancers, wonderful. The combat upon the tower top at this summoning altar was fierce, but brief. Soon they were all dead, and the magical glow that had been around the altar went up through a hole in the ceiling.

After a round of cure disease potions just in case, we took a bridge to another tower, then followed it down, through a door, and then back into the cave we’d originally entered.

“I’m actually surprised that there was a vampire here,” Serana said.

“I am as well. I figured they were simply some necromancers summoning Potema, who knows what for. That means getting to Dragon Bridge is doubly important now, because this reeks of something your Father would do.”

“My question is, though, who was Potema?”

“Oh, that’s right, you were indisposed during her reign. Since there were some cousins involved, she was basically an aunt of mine from about five hundred years ago. Very powerful, very evil necromancer, and someone who is better off dead and staying that way. Which means that if Harkon helped raise her, it’s because she’s going to help him somehow. She’s known for being able to summon armies of Daedra.”

“Yes, I could see my father wanting someone like that as an ally.”

We rode into town. There was a child walking down the street. “You, boy, do you know anything about a Moth Priest being here in town?”

“I don’t know what a Moth Priest is, but I did see an old man in a robe not long ago. He was riding in a wagon with some Imperial guards. They stopped for a time in town, then headed south across the big bridge. It was only a little bit ago. I bet you could catch them if you hurry up.”

I flipped him a coin for his help, and we headed on. We soon found an overturned wagon and a lot of dead bodies. “Spread out, search everyone.”

We began looking through the bodies. Argis hollered, “I found something here, on this dead vampire. A note, orders to ambush the priest south of Dragon Bridge, then take him to Forebears Holdout. It’s signed, Malkus.”

“I don’t recognize that name as part of my father’s court. I know he sent out notes soon after I returned, though, that promised whoever would bring him a Moth Priest would receive the gift of his blood. That was before I ... reclaimed the Elder Scroll and sought you out.”

“Well, hopefully we can find this Holdout place soon, then. Let’s get going.”

“Before we do, I have a ... question for you.”

“Sure, Serana, what is it?”

“Look, I’m ... I feel hungry. I’ve held off for a long time. But with this ... all this blood around here...”

“Ah, do you need to feed, then?”

“Actually, I was hoping I could have a taste. Of you. It’s ... your dragon blood. It’s not like anything else in the world.”

“So a nice kiss now, in exchange for some dragon blood. You said my blood smells like fresh flowers, so clean, eh? Just watch the teeth, okay?”

Serana came up to me and sank her teeth into my throat. I felt our pulses, our hearts, beating as one, as she drank. I could smell her arousal as my blood flowed into her. She licked my wound clean, her saliva healing it, and then moved to my lips. Our tongues danced as lovers, caressing each other, tasting and running together.

“Okay, you two. We need to find this Moth Priest, and we can’t do that if we’re having an orgy in the middle of the road.” Lydia giggled after she’d said that.

Serana took a moment to recover. “By the blood, so good. You really are changing me, aren’t you?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

She looked around for a moment. “Not really, no. It’s ... complicated, though. Come on, the blood trail leads this way.” We crossed the bridge and found another wagon that had been attacked, with more bodies. The trail then led up towards the northeast, where four stones stood guard at the entrance to a cave. We readied our weapons and entered the hole.

The tunnel into the ground looked natural, but opened into a chamber that then resembled in some respects the room where Serana had been entombed. There was a balcony with similar architecture, and I could see a bridge with railings that were the same as well. The chamber had a large fort in the middle of it, on the far side of a stream, with a strange bluish glow coming from the middle of it.

I saw a death hound guarding the path and killed it with an arrow. Another hound came into view and I killed that one as well. From my spot on the balcony, I could see a guard on the wall of the fort. I shot him with an arrow and watched him crumple. We crept around to the entrance to the fort, and I saw past a large fire in the middle another guard. That one died to my arrow also. Climbing the stairs on the wall, we passed the body of the guard I’d slain.

The lighting in here was very confusing, and I missed seeing someone in the shadows. She screeched an alarm and closed to attack. She took an arrow for her trouble, but another vampire, an orc, began casting fireball spells towards us. Argis charged him, while Annekke shot him with arrows and Serana cast lightning bolts at him. On the far side of the blue chamber in the middle of the castle, another vampire charged towards us. Lydia met her halfway across and cut her down without pause.

We could see the Moth Priest in the middle of the magical blue prison. I saw an activation pillar on a balcony overlooking it.

“Search the bodies. One of them will have the focus that runs this thing.”

We found it on the body of the orc vampire. I put it into the pillar, and the magical prison walls vanished.

The priest said, “I serve my master’s will. But my master is dead and his enemies will pay!”

He began attacking us with magic. That was unexpected. Lydia and Argis met him with sword and shield, Annekke hit him with arrows, and Serana began shooting ice spikes at him.

That must have been what it took to break the hold the vampire had put on him, for soon he called out, “I yield, I yield! I’m so sorry, that wasn’t me you were fighting. I could see through my eyes, but I could not control my actions. Thank you for breaking that foul vampire’s hold over me.”

“Okay, are you alright?”

“Thank you, I’m quite alright, thanks to you. Dexion Evicus is my name. I’m a Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower. These vampires claimed they had some purpose in store for me, but they wouldn’t say what. Probably hoping to ransom me, the fools.”

“I know why they needed you, because we need you for the same purpose.”

The long bearded priest sounded puzzled. “You do? All right, then, enough mysteries.”

“I ... we ... are with the Dawnguard. We need you to read an Elder Scroll.”

“You have an Elder Scroll? Remarkable. If my knowledge of history serves me, I recall the Dawnguard are an ancient order of vampire hunters. I will be happy to assist you with your Elder Scroll. Just tell me where I need to go.”

“You can find us at Fort Dawnguard, near Stendarr’s Beacon.”

“Ah, just across the Jerall Mountains from where our temple used to be, before the Thalmor moved us all to the Imperial City for ... protection. We’re now in the White Gold Tower, advising the Emperor from our study of the scrolls. The Imperial Council has the lower floors, we occupy the middle floors.”

“Is that what happened? I wondered, my old maps showed it to still be there.”

“No, no, it’s quite abandoned now. In any event, I’ll hurry my way there before any more of those vampires turn up.”

“You don’t want an escort?”

“I wouldn’t have been taken if I hadn’t had one in the first place. I know where to go, thank you.” With that he started walking away.

I stood there for a bit, just watching him walk away. “Did that strike anyone else as strange? I have a feeling there’s more to Dexion than he’s letting on.”

“I agree, my Thane. I suspect his Temple isn’t as empty as he says it is. But for now, what do we do?”

“I have no desire to sleep here, even though there are plenty of vertical beds should we choose to do so.”

“The coffins along the wall? Not hardly. Well, if Serana wants one, I suppose.”

“No, Lydia, that’s quite alright. I’m ... I don’t know why, but I’m growing to like certain aspects of my old life less and less.”

“Probably that hot and sexy Dragonborn blood.” Lydia laughed. “Wait till you taste the hot Dragonborn juices, straight from her other lips.”

I didn’t know vampires could blush, or perhaps it was just the firelight. “Come on, let’s get back to Dragon Bridge before it’s too late to get a room. We need to talk to Falk.”

The next morning we rode to Solitude. The guards were cleaning up from another vampire attack when we entered the city. We headed for the Blue Palace. As we were approaching it, a beggar approached me. I figured it couldn’t hurt, so I gave him a gold piece. I was wrong.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, kind lady. Can you help me now? My master, he is lost between worlds and I cannot bring him back.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yes. My master has abandoned me. Abandoned his people. And nothing I say can change his mind. Now he refuses to even see me. He says I interrupt his vacation! It’s been so many years ... won’t you please help?”

“I’m going to regret this, but ... how do I find him?”

“Last time I saw him, he was visiting a friend in the Blue Palace. But no one as mundane as the Jarl. No, no ... such people are below him. No, he went into the forbidden wing of the palace, to speak with an old friend. Said it had been ages since they last had tea. Oh, and you’ll need the hip bone ... it’s very important. No entering Pelagius’ Wing without that.”

“If I didn’t know better ... who is your master?”

“He is a great man, but one rarely praised. He rules twin empires that span the length and breadth of our minds! All know him, but few can name him! But, he has forbidden me from saying his name. He says it distracts him, and woe to those who draw his ire. But you will know him when you see him. He’s the one who made me like this!”

He handed me a hip bone, so old it was almost petrified, and then wandered off. Serana looked at him walk away. “What a strange and mad man.”

Lydia started then. “Martina, surely he’s not talking about...”

“Of course he was. He didn’t recognize me, but I remember him from the temple of Mania in the Shivering Isles. I’m just hoping he’s referring to Mother and not Jyggalag.”

Lydia said one word. “Sheogorath.”

“Come on, let’s go talk to Falk.” I so did not need this right now. I wondered how long I could avoid talking to Mother.

We entered the Blue Palace. Falk was waiting for us near the entrance. “Good, you’ve returned. What did you find at Wolfskull Cave?”

“Some necromancers, led by a vampire, were attempting to summon and bind Potema.”

“Potema herself? Please tell me you stopped them.”

“We interrupted their ritual. It’s done.”

“You’ve done a larger service to the realm than you could possibly know. A resurrected Potema? I shudder at the thought.”

We headed up the stairs so Falk could report to the Jarl what had happened. She motioned me closer. “I remember you. There’s ... something personal you could do for me. Falk told me what you did for us at Wolfskull Cave. He says you’re someone we can trust. As you may know, Talos worship is outlawed in the Empire. When we buried my husband, I made offerings to all the gods ... except Talos. I would like you to take an item of his, a war horn handed down by his father, and place it at a Shrine of Talos.”

“Do you worship Talos?”

“No, but my husband Torygg would want a proper burial, and this is the way Nords are buried in Skyrim.”

“I would be honored to help.”

“Thank you. It would mean a lot to me, and I appreciate your dedication. With the passing of my dear husband Torygg, the weighty position of Jarl has fallen to me. I hope I can live up to expectations. I hope I can help the people of Solitude. I miss him, but it’s clear he’s not coming back. May I ask you a question?”