A Skeleton Dance

Dear Kousei,

Thank you for the last letter. I'm so glad that you didn't think ill of me for having diverted my energies to Azura's enigmatic purposes instead of the Dawnguard. I couldn't help but smile at the thought that we're simultaneously dabbling in the affairs of two different Daedric Lords, but thankfully both Meridia and Azura don't appear to be as inherently evil as the others of their pantheon. May she who is in charge of the living energies keep you safe as you do her bidding.

Anyhow, I have progressed on my quest for the Queen of the Night Sky, but I won't say I am through with it. I sought out Ilinalta's Deep, as Nelacar told me to. Getting there was quite easy, but the moment I beheld the half-sunken remains of the Imperial fort, something primal in my heart spoke a warning. What magic could have caused a structure like then-Fort Ilinalta to be almost consumed by the lake?

I guess I should ready myself for a swim or two?

And Malyn Varen and his lackeys certainly made their purposes clear to whoever tried to enter their watery abode. A poor fisherman who accidentally entered their territory in search of a good fishing spot had the unfortunate honor of being made an example, as you can see in the illumination below. May his soul rest in peace in Sovngarde.

The Ilinalta's Deep necromancers bid you a warm welcome.

He wasn't the first skeleton I encountered throughout my tour of Ilinalta's Deep, and I'll have to say, most of them weren't as keen to stay dead as he was.

He used to be an archer like me, but then he took an arrow in the behind.

But of course, I was pushing my luck too far with hoping that only the undead inhabited the cursed place. If the skeletons dance, then nearby can be found their puppeteers -- or Necromancers, to use the fancy term they like to apply to themselves. I preferred to bring them down one by one from the shadows, as you know was my usual method of battling -- if Lydia did not blow my cover first, that is. I don't blame her, though, for wanting to send the Necromancers to their watery grave. From what we've heard of their conversations, it appears their twisted master had a flaw in his bright plan. He could not maintain his wretched half-life existence without being fed a gruesome diet of living souls, which his apprentices have been obtaining for him. Well, by the time I leave Ilinalta's Deep, he won't have any apprentices left to do his bidding.

Time for you to join the company of your skeletons.

As for Malyn Varen himself, I was more than ready to exchange spells with him (and maybe even an arrow or two) when I stormed the final room of the fort. Well, I was quite disappointed. There was Malyn Varen, indeed, and sitting on a throne-like chair no less. But he had withered to nothing but a skeleton, and he wouldn't dance no matter what poke and prod you give his moldy remains. Such a shame. He looked like he was taunting me. But this may not be the last I'll encounter of him. We'll see.

You'll turn into a skeleton if you sit on a throne long enough.

I then focused my gaze on his feet, and that was when I saw it: Azura's Star. Or the broken version of it, at least. Sections of its body still glowed the gentle blue-green of normal Soul Gems, but most of it has been swallowed by the purple-black that characterized Black Soul Gems. Poor Azura, I thought, to have her Artifact defiled as such. Hopefully Aranea Ienith would know what to do about it. I could not for the life of me take it back to Nelacar now. He has echoes of his old master in him.

What a sorry state for a supposedly indestructible Daedric Artifact.

I am now going back to the Shrine of Azura to return the Artifact to Aranea Ienith. May she provide closure to this quest when I get to her. And yes, do write to me about how your mission against Meridia's nemesis concludes. These Necromancers are no doubt giving even Deadric Princes a headache, aren't they?

Wishing for your safety,
Kiya

When Dawn Breaks (Part I)

Dear Kiya,

I think it would have been much less of a hassle for you if you had asked me for Frost Resist potions, as I have plenty, but we have been apart since we reached Fort Dawnguard and decided we split ways in order to speed up our recruitment for Isran. Fear not, my Lady, for I have found Gunmar, and much more. You do not have to worry about getting delayed by your involvement with Azura--it is for a worthy cause, I am sure--because I am also knee-deep in the affairs of the Daedra. This I tell you because I think it will help our cause in fighting the vampires.

I found Gunmar outside Clearspring Cave, a few miles northwest of Riften. I traveled there non-stop from Fort Dawnguard, as I know you would do so yourself at the task you were given. He was outside the entrance to the cave, hunting with two others. It was a cold, rainy night, and hunters take a liking to this weather, as their footsteps won't be heard as much by their game. However, what I was about to encounter was no small game.

I sank my boots in the lake I didn't see in the darkness.

Gunmar told me Isran had been too late to ask for help from him, as he had other business to attend to. I coolly told him that it was vampires we were up to, not just any draugrs or other creatures of the night. He changed his mind there and then, only to tell me he needed my help in dealing with some creatures he's been tracking since morning. If that was the only way to get him to come to Fort Dawnguard with me, so be it.

"Business" is the right word for hunting game.

We entered the cave, him trailing behind me. I turned the corner from the entrance of the cave, and out sprang a bear and a troll. Gunmar immediately distracted the bear, so I would take care of the troll. He thought I was just a messenger for Isran that I could not handle both the bear and the troll simultaneously. Needless to say we dispatched of them quite quickly.

Not seen: A troll.

At the end of the cave, there was a treasure chest, and as with all wooden boxes and crates I encounter in my travels (if no one appears to own them), I take a look at what's inside. So I did. Lo and behold, it was a white, glowing crystal orb. It was cool to the touch, and seemed to have had light inside but is slowly fading. All of a sudden, a voice spoke to me. It introduced itself as Meridia, the Daedric Prince of Life and Energy. She implored me to return her beacon to its rightful temple and cleanse it of any evil and undead. When the voice was gone, all I could hear was Gunmar calling out my name from outside the cave, telling me he would just meet me at the Fort. He was gone by the time I collected myself and went outside. 

I knew of the temple: During our visit to Solitude, there was a man who told me of Meridia's temple right outside the city. From Clearspring Cave, I again, without rest, traveled nonstop to the temple. Forgive me for my own delay, but I think it is a great advantage to have Meridia's favor on our side, for I know she does not approve of Vampires. 

How glorious she looks, even during the night.

I reach the temple and placed her crystal orb--her beacon--at the foot of her statue, and I was lifted up to the sky. I could see all of Skyrim from there, I swear it. Once again the voice of Meridia spoke to me, and told me that a necromancer has defiled her temple below the shrine, and I am to purge it of all evil. She thrust me back to the ground from the sky, and here I write to you this letter before I do anything else.

I am talking to a glowing orb of light a few thousand feet up in the sky. I must be mad.

Knowing that our enemy, the vampires, are Undead, I did not have one doubt about cleansing Meridia's temple, and I know that you would not, either. And so I tell you not to worry about obtaining Azura's Star, for I know it is for a great purpose in our fight against the vampires, as will my upcoming endeavor. I also implore you to stay safe, and I will write again as soon as I behead this vile necromage.

Stay safe,

Kousei

When Stars Turn Black

Dear Kousei,

I was afraid of penning down the contents of this letter for you to read. However, I understand that you would not appreciate being left out of something vital... even if the bottom line is this: I have delayed recruiting Sorine Jurard. I hope you'll forgive me for not going according to the plan. I know that our ordeal in Volkihar Castle had affected you (yes, it had also affected me), and thus you would do what you can to prevent the Vampire plague from spreading. But something else tugged at my soul after I left Fort Dawnguard. Please at least read my words before you try to behead me for being sidetracked.

I intended to reach Sorine Jurard as quickly as I could, but when I checked my inventory, I saw that my Frost Resist potions had run low. So had my ingredients to brew said potions. With the Vampires at our heels wielding their Frost-based spells, it would be unwise to go without Frost resistance. I was able to replenish my Thistle branches without any trouble, but I could not find enough Purple Mountain Flowers or Snowberries for the purpose -- at least on the more accessible parts of Skyrim. Rather than attempt to reach Sorine Jurard with a weakness the Vampires could exploit, I resolved to first visit Skyrim's northern reaches and obtain the Snowberries I needed.

And Snowberries weren't the only ones I found.

It was already well into the night when Lydia, Meeko, and I came across a scene of a tragedy. I don't know if you would have called perishing in an avalanche as tragic as losing your humanity to a Vampire. For one, I was already quite hardened by those facets of everyday life in Skyrim. Or so I thought. I mean, with war, Dragons, Vampires, and natural calamities that could swoop down anytime and anywhere without warning, death was as common as Snowberries in Winterhold and Windhelm.

Was he wearing this for a particular someone, I wondered.

Lydia and I attempted to revive the refugees, but it didn't take much to see that they were already beyond help. And while I was examining one of the dead men, I saw that he was wearing an Amulet of Mara. If you are not familiar with their purpose (aside from fortifying Restoration, that is), let me explain. I found out from the priest of Mara in Riften that inhabitants of Skyrim would declare their eligibility for marriage by wearing the Amulet of Mara. The priest had also mentioned that such seemingly superficial show is in fact an attempt to find happiness where darkness seems to shroud everything else.

Uh-oh, did Sanguine tell you about me?

You can laugh at me for what I did next. Instead of looting the dead refugees' belongings as I usually do, I had my Housecarl help me dig a decent grave for them. We then stood vigil over them for the rest of the night. I do not know what drove me to do it. I mean, they were only refugees, even if one of them did have an Amulet of Mara with him. But I knew we had to move on. Even then, I seemed to have temporarily lost my bearings and simply wandered where my feet wanted me to go. That was when I discovered the Shrine of Azura, and the lone priestess who maintained it, Aranea Ienith.

Before "what" happens? Can't Azura make it a little bit clearer?

In the cryptic manner seers usually have, Aranea did not waste time in telling me that it was fate, not curiosity, that led me to the Shrine. Furthermore, she claimed that she had seen a vision of me ascending the steps before I was born... because Azura had chosen me as her Champion. You know I'm not one to simply eat up such flattering statements, especially considering that Azura is of the likes of Sanguine, who you can say had also dubbed me as his "Champion" in a different sense. Nonetheless, I found myself unable to refuse when Aranea (speaking for Azura) abruptly tasked me to go to a fort "threatened by water, but not yet touched by it" and seek out an Elven mage who could turn the brightest star black. Thankfully, I did not have to decipher the first part of the riddle. The priestess helpfully told me that it most likely pointed to a location in Winterhold. Good, I was on my way there.

On a side note, I did stay to chat with Aranea for a little bit even after she gave me the mission. When I asked her why she was all alone in serving Azura, she said that her fellows had abandoned her because they feared to face the visions of the Deadric Prince (Princess, you mean?). Then she interspersed another prophecy in her words, about tragedy, war, and death, before "it" happens. But time was running short, so I just put the prophecy at the back of my mind and left for Winterhold.

He certainly looks shady.

As for the mage himself, asking around in Winterhold led me to The Frozen Hearth and face-to-face with Nelacar. He wasn't too keen to give up his secrets so easily, and my patience was running shorter than usual. However, some coin was enough to make him talk, and the results were pretty interesting, if not downright disturbing. Aranea Ienith didn't exactly tell me about what to expect from the mage except that he was an Enchanter. I thought that Nelacar was a follower of Azura, or that he at least knew Aranea Ienith, but apparently, I had my assumptions wrong on both counts.

Now I see what Azura has to do with this.

Turns out Nelacar was once the protege of a Sorcerer named Malyn Varen, who specialized in the research of Soul Gems. That would have been fine, if not for the fact that his methods were... questionable. You see, a desperate man dying of illness and a man obsessed with immortality are deadly when fused into the same person, and Malyn Varen was precisely just that. He began to focus his experiments on the Daedric artifact Azura's Star, which functions as an unbreakable Soul Gem. Like normal Soul Gems, it does not accept souls of sentient beings, and Malyn Varen sought to twist its properties so it could accept his soul and thus ensure his immortality. But Azura, like all Daedric Princes, was not to be easily trifled with, and she cursed him with increasing madness the more he furthered on his efforts.

I am now on my way to Ilinalta's Deep, a location mentioned by Nelacar. He said that Malyn Varen retreated there to continue his nefarious research, and he most likely took Azura's Star with him. Nelacar warned me not to take the Star back to Azura, claiming that she was evil and the cause of Malyn's madness. I said nothing, but secretly I was thinking that Malyn Varen was the cause of his own madness, if he wasn't already mad to begin with. Besides, Nelacar wasn't as clean as he thought himself to be, and the thought of giving the Star (should I be able to retrieve it) to him fills me with foreboding. You realize that I cannot just let Malyn Varen carry on with what he is doing, Kousei. Tampering with the laws of nature to achieve immortality makes him as bad as the Vampires. I hate to think of what will happen if he chose to ally himself with Lord Harkon. If I succeed in taking Malyn Varen down, at least that will be one less thing for us to worry about. Please stay safe, Kousei. My thoughts go to you and your well-being, as always.

Yours truly,
Kiya

The Heart of the Vampires

Dear Kiya,

It's been a few days since we reached Volkihar Castle, and I am still shaken by what I saw there. I cannot possibly know what you felt then, as you looked so calm and collected (and I tried my best to do so, too), but I am certain that you felt as scared as I was. We thought that bringing Lady Serana to the castle was not going to be easy, but it was more than that. It all started so well, so serene: We walked from Solitude to the west towards the shore without much strenuous killing. We needed our strength for the encounter, and we have had enough rest upon reaching the shore. Apparently, though, arm strength was not what we needed then.

I don't think even your arrows reach that far, Kiya.

I... I have to row?

It was quite a short trip towards the looming castle. I was the one who rowed the boat, which is not to say that I have stronger arms than you do, but because I wanted us to be prepared when ambushed in the middle of the river. I would be useless in those fights. You, on the other hand, have a repertoire of ranged spells and arrows you can use from the boat. Fortunately, we did not encounter any enemy threat. Surprising, given that I felt an eerie feeling in that area, as if several eyes were watching us.

What are those things on the bridge?

If I did not know that Castle Volkihar was the heart of the vampire threat, I would have called it beautiful and majestic. It is a structure fit for a king, with its large, thick walls, high-reaching towers, and a location far from the mainland, making it hard to siege with proper lookouts in the towers. It looked peaceful and serene from the shore, didn't it? Forgive me for thinking so far out from the severity of the situation, I knew I needed to focus for any ambush. Fortunately, as with the ride we did not encounter any of our enemies. Moving forward, we noticed that there were statues of the same gargoyles we encountered at Lady Serana's resting place. We proceeded a lot slowly this time, in case those statues made of stone come to life again. 

...Uh oh. Not them again.

The vampires at the foot of the castle recognized Lady Serana at once and said, "Serana has returned!" If Lady Serana has lived for quite a long time, I would think that these vampires who recognized her have lived far longer than that. It is a good thing they die to swords and spells. 

They let us enter the castle immediately, and we were greeted by a courtroom full of vampires eating human meat and drinking blood. It was disgusting and intensely disturbing at the same time. All of them, feasting and drinking on a human body. This is why we need to destroy them, Kiya. They are a menace to the people of Skyrim, killing innocent people in order to sustain their infinite hunger. 

Lady Serana and her apparent father exchanged words, and he gave us an audience. He wanted to give us a reward for bringing his daughter back to her, as well as the Elder Scroll that was with her. At first I thought it was a cruel joke, to make us think of a reward before he lets loose his 'court' of vampires on us. We knew better than to let our guards down at that point, but we might as well have. He offered us the power of the vampires, the ability to live forever. I know we did not prepare for this. "What if we refuse?" ran through my mind.

Please don't eat us.

...Then you spoke up. I froze in my place, unable to move nor speak. The same words I had thought of a few moments ago came out of your mouth, in a more defiant tone. You did not flinch nor moved one step back in fear as Lady Serana's father transformed himself into a monster, to show us the power of their immortal blood. He was fearsome, and for a moment there I was grateful that we have not encountered vampires such as he. Another thought immediately came to mind: What if the rest of them are like that? Some of the vampires we've encountered are immensely difficult to kill without transforming (such as Ancient Vampires), so what if they transform into that? 

Fortunately, the Lord of Volkihar did not punish us for refusing his offer then and there. He banished us from the castle, sending us to the shore oustide Volkihar castle. That might be the last time we get out of there alive, for all I know.

Harkon, you mad?

We immediately traveled to the other end of Skyrim, towards Fort Dawnguard. We only made a few stops before reaching our destination, one where you had to exchange your robe with a better one. Time was of the essence. 

Upon reaching Dawnguard, I immediately noticed that it was quiet. Too quiet. I sensed that something was wrong. I could tell that you had noticed it, too, as you were quickening your steps towards the fort. Turning a corner, we were immediately ambushed by a group of vampires, all of which were already wielding deadly weapons or readying their spells. I immediately covered you with my shield and let you take a much safer ground and cast your spells from there, like we always do. There was so much of them that it made me doubt Fort Dawnguard's safety.

We were able to defeat them all, fortunately. I gave the ones bitten by the vampires Cure Disease potion to prevent Vampirism from spreading, and you healed those that were wounded. Later, Isran immediately sent us on a mission to recruit his old friends into Dawnguard. I was reluctant on agreeing with you when you told me we had to split up in order to find these people faster, but it was a sound decision. It felt weird to see you turn and go, but it had to be done, for the sake of Skyrim.

Even your beard might fall off with all the worrying you do, Isran.

Please do write to me as soon as you can. I intend on reaching Gunmar within the next few days. Be careful, as these vampires, as we now know, are getting harder and harder to kill.

Regards,

Kousei

To Solitude

It's been quite a few days since traveling from Fort Dawnguard, and I am still angry. That joke Kiya shamed me with with that absurdly tall Riften guard still gets in my nerves whenever I remember it. This is no time to make fun of your comrades! A large part of Skyrim is starting to succumb to the Vampire threat, and there I was in Riften, getting heckled by my companion and a guard. A guard! For the life of me, I cannot fathom how anyone would have time to play jokes on someone during these dark times! Just a few days ago, though, Kiya had given me a grand soul gem with an apology for what she did. After a few moments' of deliberating with myself, I accepted the apology and declined the soul gem, taking instead a petty one, for the cause of my anger was, indeed, petty.

After Riften, it was a fairly smooth travel across Skyrim towards Morthal. Encountering several vampires with Lady Serana seemed awkward, but she fought them as well as Kiya and I did, and that got me thinking if she is really on the wrong side of things. I kept thinking of how she must have felt when she slew her fellow vampires as if they were nothing, like Nords killing Nords in a battle. Nevertheless, I pity her for her long captivity. 

"Kousei? Where are you? I can't see you."

We kept a steady pace from Morthal towards Solitude, the home of the Imperial Army. Kiya proposed that we enter the city when we get there. I had my own reasons not to go inside, and I know Kiya knows this. I have a short temper, and being surrounded by Imperial soldiers makes me want to Shout at them and hack them all to death. She kept insisting we enter Solitude, dousing my hesitation with her enthusiasm. 

"Seriously, Kousei, where are y--oh, there you are. You blend well with the darkness, you know."

For one whole night, we traveled. Nearing the city right before dawn, we swam in the river to stay as quiet as we can. We saw no dry land with which to cross it, so we had no choice but to swim across. I let Kiya scout the river, as her enchantments let her breathe underwater. I even took an illumination of her underwater, and hurriedly so, as I cannot stay there for long. If I did, she wouldn't have to scout so far ahead of us.

Underwater at night is scary.

Well, there's a bridge. Should we use it?

Nope, not going to use it.

It was already morning when we finally reached Solitude, and this was what greeted us: A crowd at the entrance of town, cursing, throwing rotten food at a man chained at the wrists, screaming, "Traitor! Traitor!" while the ones on the high ground took their positions. I noticed a kid crying about his uncle going to die. They announced that this man in chains opened the gates for Ulfric Stormcloak, letting him flee from the scene after he killed the High King. He defended himself, saying the Ulfric defeated the High King in single combat, that it was the way of Nords. I turned and stared at Kiya, looking for something, but she just shook her head, like she knew what I was going to do. 

Those are really pretty flowers.

It was painful to watch as this man, staying true to his Race, said, "On this day... I go to Sovngarde," as they chopped his head off. The crowd cheered, as though they really killed Ulfric with this... murder. It was as though the war will end with the death of an insignificant man who did nothing wrong. They are afraid, and gladly think that his death is a already a victory. Let them think that one small victory in their own city will mean a lot in the end. We'll see.

Opening doors for someone is a crime now.

 It was only after the crowd dispersed was I able to get a look around the city. Huge walls surround it, defending it from any kind of siege. Imperial soldiers training everywhere. Nobles' children running around. I must learn what I can in this city, but maybe next time. Kiya insisted on visiting the forge.

Feminine swing? I doubt that.

It surprised me when she proposed that she teach me the art of making Orcish armor. I've heard it's a lot stronger than Dwarven ones, so I immediately agreed. She was so adept at making it that I couldn't help but think: Who can imagine that someone wearing a mage's robe and a pretty face can pound a heavy hammer to Orichalcum and mold it to something so strong? I wonder where all this skill comes from. I am enchanted by her, and somehow, I feel different just staring at her. 

The headgear's a bit silly, but definitely better than that hideous Dwarven one.

As we finish making the armor, she makes me put them on, and immediately I feel a lot stronger. A bit heavier, yes, but I do not mind the weight of it all. If we are in battle, I will not even notice the difference. What matters is that I can take a lot of punishment from our enemies to keep Kiya and Lady Serana safely attacking at a distance. I thanked Kiya for the knowledge and skill, but she dismissed it, and said something about it was the least she could do to make up for what she did before. I quietly agreed, but not before thinking that I already accepted her apology.

Orcs have a surprisingly awesome taste (in fashion, that is).

In a few days we will be moving to Volkihar castle, with much preparation for the vampires that dwell there. We do not know if this is a trap set up by Lady Serana, however innocent she may look, but it's best if we prepare for it first. I need to discuss with Kiya what we have to do next without Lady Serana noticing anything. The next few days will be as tricky as improving your armor without breaking it. 

When Dead Fights the Undead

Dear Kousei,

I know it's queer that I'll be writing to you just when we are traveling together. I could have expressed these thoughts to you by word of mouth, but I find myself hesitating to do so. I can see that your mood is not quite at its best these days, and I figured that I may have something to do with it. For one, I've somehow understood that you are generally a man of few words. But as we journeyed to Dimhollow to carry out Isran's orders, I noticed that there was an unusual coldness to the way you fought. 

I was quite impressed the first time I saw you do this.



I did not think much of it when you went and lopped the head off of the first hostile figure we encountered. In fact, I was quite happy with the thought that I have such a capable warrior by my side on what may be a dangerous mission. But after a few kills, I began to have the impression that you're beheading enemies to vent out some inner frustration. After all, you know I do the same with Mudcrabs when I need some anger management.



...okay, is this the fifth person you've beheaded today? Or is it the sixth?

Nonetheless, I kept my thoughts to myself to prevent our partnership from being jeopardized. Not before we have even started on the quest. I was pitifully thankful that whatever ill-feeling you have towards me did not hinder us from working together effectively. You like to confront enemies head on, and I was there to help you take them down from afar, hidden in whatever cover I can find to conceal my presence. 

Death from the shadows.

On a side note, even Vampires are not too fond of Draugr, are they? We encountered an instance of a Vampire being harassed by one, and of course, we decided not to show any partiality for either faction. We just sent both of them to Oblivion, leaving no combatants behind to trouble the world of the living.
 

Taking advantage of the Vampire versus Draugr moment.

As we ventured deeper into Dimhollow, the more curious the setting became. Vampires, Draugr, and Skeletons were expected, yes. Wanting to utilize my skills in stealth for our benefit, I volunteered to do initial reconnaissance of every new part of the crypt we had to enter. You agreed with nothing but a little nod. Your coldness was really beginning to bother me by then, but still I kept silent. There were undead waiting to be killed.

 

You know by instinct that something will rise out of those waters.

We had gone quite a distance inside the cave when Frostbite Spiders also began to make an appearance. Or at least corpses of them. The Vampires were there long before us, and they were killing their own share of the creatures. They were not done with the task, though. We were close to entering the heart of the crypt when we encountered a Vampire fighting one of the Spiders. The arachnid wasn't quite dead, and it distracted me from the Vampire's own blows before you stepped in.    



Even the undead were not spared from your blows.

There was a closed door at the end of that room with the spider, and upon entering it, we overheard a not-so-happy conversation between one of the Vampires and a Vigilant of Stendarr they were apparently torturing. The poor prisoner was killed before we can even take a look at what was happening. The least we can do was to fulfill the purpose of our mission: to find out what it was the Vampires were seeking in Dimhollow.



That is quite an impressive structure.

There were two more vampires standing between us and our goal, but they were just minor setbacks. We wasted no time crossing the bridge and into the heart of Dimhollow Crypt.  



Those braziers must be there for a reason.

I was inspecting one of the unlit braziers when I heard you exclaim in pain. To my horror, I saw that the button mechanism of the crypt had driven a spike right through your palm. Despite your assurances that you're alright, I did not find it amusing at all. You could have lost the use of your right hand because of that injury, and I know how badly you depend on that in battle.

 

By the Divines, it got through Dwarven armor!

After a bit of work involving pushing lots of braziers around, we were treated to a display of surreal lights as the entire structure of the platform shifted and revealed a stone monolith where the deadly button used to be. You wanted to activate the monolith yourself, but I put my foot down. If there are more spikes coming from that thing, at least I still have two uninjured hands to take them.

  

Ready, get set...

Well, lo and behold! The monolith yielded not a spike, but an entire mysterious woman... a mysterious Vampire woman carrying an Elder Scroll, no less. That girl, Serana as she calls herself, seems friendly enough. But Kousei, you know as well as I that one does not carry around Elder Scrolls and not have a secret to tell. I am not entirely sure if it was wise of us to not send word to Isran about this matter straightaway, but I chose not to contest your decision to help Serana get back home. I am not as cruel as you probably think I am; I somehow feel pity for her too. So now we are four (or five, if you count my canine companion Meeko) in our little group: you, me, Lydia, and Serana. I admire your patience, Kousei. I know you are used to traveling alone, and having quite a lot of people in tow may be taxing your energies in more ways than one.



Well, I'm glad I was the one who opened the crypt.

But going back to my purpose in writing this letter to you, I have gotten to thinking that I may have offended you greatly when I joined the female Riften guard in teasing you prior to us joining the Dawnguard. Who was I to make fun of your armor when they do you such a great service in battle? Furthermore, I had no right. I do intend to don full armor once I have attained enough skill to apply the right Enchantments to them, but it is as plain as day that my current defenses are nowhere near as up to par as yours. I would have had a much harder time clearing Dimhollow Crypt if you were not with me. I am therefore giving you one of the Grand Soul Gems I have in my inventory as a token of my peace. I know it will not change the fact that I hurt you, but know that a Grand Soul Gem means as much to me as much as the rare Nirnroot means to you. Perhaps, by giving one to you, things will get better between us soon.

It's yours to do what you will.

Your good friend,

Kiya

The Red Moon Over Fort Dawnguard

At last, Kousei and I finally made it to Fort Dawnguard after so many delays! I'll admit I factored quite a lot in those delays because I traveled from the northern parts of Skyrim -- there were just too many chances of wolves, bandits, or dragons showing up to fight while en route. I do not know if Kousei suspected what I have been up to in Winterhold, but if he did, he did not mention it. I am well aware that Redguards are not too fond of magic, as are many Nords. He has so far not shown any disapproval of me leaning towards the class of mages, but I am not too sure it's the right time to tell him yet. It wouldn't do to prematurely awaken the dragon from the grave.

Hmmm... I don't really know what to say. Did the armor do something to your height, Kousei?

I was very thankful that Kousei didn't insist we stop by in Riften beforehand, although we did meet near its gates, at the stables. He doesn't know yet about my activities in Riften, and he might as well find them quite unsavory. I wouldn't put it past one of the shopkeepers to let it slip to him that his Imperial friend had been keeping contact with some figures in Riften's Ratway.

On the more humorous side, though, one of Riften's female guards and I had an unusual rapport regarding his armor. I myself am utilizing a Dwarven helm at the moment, but does the armor craft of Dwemer really have detrimental effects on its user's height? I swear, Kousei didn't look that short before. I wanted to keep my thoughts to myself, but I guess a giggle left my mouth before I could get a hold of myself.

The guard must have never felt so tall in her life.

Kidding aside, I was glad to see him again. It was early in the morning when we set out for Fort Dawnguard, but it was already nighttime when we managed to find the entrance in the mountain. I was seriously considering trekking up the slope just to reach the marker shown on the map, but thankfully, Kousei was able to find the proper path.

I nearly missed that crevice.

I'm pretty sure Dayspring Canyon is wondrous to behold by day, but it has its own charm when viewed by night. I mean, Kousei and I took a little break to catch the Luna Moths and Torchbugs that hovered in the scene for the sake of our Alchemy. And let's face it, waterfalls like these are beautiful no matter what time of the day. These views make me so proud of my adopted land, no doubt about that.

Dayspring Canyon at night.

As for Fort Dawnguard, I guess it's just our luck that one of the moons was shining red overhead when we reached it. Kousei was probably thinking the same thing as I -- it looks more like a lair of vampires than the headquarters of those who seek to exterminate them.

Are you sure we didn't hold the map upside down?

Thankfully, our misgivings were proven wrong. Never judge a fort by its looks.

"How sweet, a pair of lovers joining the Dawnguard together." You want an arrow in the knee, infidel?

We were allowed inside after we made it clear that we wanted to sign ourselves up into this vampire hunting business. Turns out Isran, the leader of the Dawnguard, is a Redguard like Kousei. I wonder if that will come out as an advantage for him in the end. Come to think of it, I have never asked Kousei what it was like in Hammerfell. I wonder if he misses it.

Are we interrupting?

Kousei and I didn't say much, but we implied from Isran's words that he was once a Vigilant of Stendarr, and that he left their order due to some irreconcilable differences. He does seem genuinely sorry for the cruel fate that befell his previous colleagues. He wouldn't have gone out of his way to reform the Dawnguard if that wasn't the case.

Wow, an assignment right after joining?

I was a bit surprised that Isran immediately tasked Kousei and me to investigate Dimhollow Crypt. Nonetheless, I'm quite impressed. They do mean business here in the Dawnguard, and are not afraid to show it. I am still at two minds about using the crossbow I was given, though. I have been using the bow and arrow all this time, so my learning curve may not be as steep as I imagine. But I am partial to stealth, and the new weapon's noise admittedly bothers me. I have given the crossbow to Lydia along with its corresponding bolts, thinking she'll be able to appreciate it more than me.

Kousei and I will go to Dimhollow Crypt soon. He's been pretty quiet, but it's in his nature to say a few words, so I don't think it's too unusual. I'm looking forward to fighting alongside him.

- Kiya