Some Other Kind of Conscience

My dearest Kousei,

It's only been a few days since we parted ways in Fort Dawnguard, and I still miss you like there's no tomorrow. Thankfully, I have Serana's company, and she's really a great hand in helping me cope. As we traveled to Ruunvald, we made a game of coming up with ways to get back at Isran. Not that we really intended to infect him with Vampirism or to place thistle branches on his bed when he's not looking. Although, it sure felt good to annoy him by giving you a kiss right in his presence. I hope you two didn't have a fistfight after I left.

But going back to the mission, Serana and I made it to Ruunvald. We were confronted with a deserted camp. I wondered if Isran had it wrong that Florentius was residing here (after all, he might have changed addresses), but we might as well go deeper into the excavation to make sure. Oh, and take a look at the illumination below. Just for the fun of it, I crafted Daedric armor for Serana so we can have matching outfits. She did say that she'd like to try Dragonplate though; we'll get back to that once we have cleared Ruunvald.

Serana managed to balance the illumination machine on some rocks.

Serana and I sneaked our way into the excavation site, and in the distance, I saw what looked like several Vigilants of Stendarr. However, it didn't take a second glance to notice that there was something wrong with them. Unless my eyes were deceiving me, there was this suspicious reddish halo surrounding their heads. After several failed attempts at talking sense into these Charmed Vigilants, I reluctantly gave Serana the go-signal to kill on sight. Might as well put these poor souls out of their misery.

Definitely not your normal Vigilant.

It was quite difficult to kill these souls who may not even be fighting us out of their own will, but it was either their lives or ours. The least I could do was make sure their deaths were quick. They even had several huskies with them, and it broke my heart a little to kill them. All the while, I thought of Bran, my own husky I obtained from the Dawnguard, who was most likely trotting around at my adopted daughter's heels in Breezehome just as I was shooting down his kin.

Just one more step up those stairs...

Serana pointed out that we may be able to free the Vigilants from this deathly hold by disabling whatever mechanism that binds them, but alas, that came at a huge price. I was unable to take a proper illumination of it because of the heat of battle, but it did turn out that a vampire named Minorne was keeping the Vigilants under her control. She easily succumbed to several poisoned arrows in the temple section of Ruunvald, but she took all the Vigilants with her when she died. At that moment, my blood turned cold. What if Florentius Baenius was under her thrall like the others, and by killing her, we have killed him too?

Instead of a halo, I find something else on his head.

Thankfully, that wasn't so. I unlocked the cage holding the Priest of Arkay in prison, and Florentius was quick to give his thanks. Out of curiosity, I inquired how he managed to keep Minorne's influence at bay while his companions succumbed to it. He simply replied that Arkay had been protecting him. That would have been a normal answer for a priest, I guess, if not for the fact that he soon ended up talking to a voice Serana and I couldn't hear. He originally didn't want to have anything to do with Isran, but apparently the voice convinced him otherwise. Despite Florentius' claims that it was Arkay, I am taking it with a grain of salt. He may have named his conscience after the deity of funeral rites, for all we know. I guess we have to thank the voice in his head, though, for closing his mind off from the effects of Minorne's staff. I am relieved Florentius is alive; I really am. However, I won't say that my impression of him is a good one.

Presenting the Staff of Ruunvald, tamer of Vigilants.

As soon as we exited Ruunvald, I asked Serana if it would be all right for us to visit Whiterun first. Thankfully, she agreed. It has been a while since I last saw Lucia, and by her eagerness in meeting me upon my arrival, I know she missed me too. I gave in to her requests for hide-and-seek and tag for hours on end (sometimes even including Serana) before I bid her goodbye again. Bran seemed to want to go with us as we walked out the door, but I gently petted him before giving my assurance that he will get to travel with me again soon. Such a loyal dog.

We meet again, my friend.

After a stop in Warmaiden's so I can smith some Dragonplate armor for Serana, we went out to the plains surrounding Whiterun. There, true to my promise to Durnehviir in the Soul Cairn, I called his name. It can't remember the last time I used the Thu'um, and I was worried my voice was quite rusty at it. Thankfully, Durnehviir responded to my summons. He couldn't stay for long, of course. And so after a few conciliatory exchange of words, I just smiled at Durnehviir and gestured for him to take to the skies. I can almost feel his joy as his wings tasted the air of Tamriel once again, no matter how briefly. He often looked at me as he circled the grassy fields, and the gratitude in his eyes, I know, were true.

Do tell me how things are going on your side, Kousei. I know you can more than hold your own against a vampire Isran set you up against, but it would assure me even more if you can tell me that you are all right.

Love,

Kiya