Portals & Shouts

I: Awoken

AN: I wasn't satisfied with the old version, so I made a new one. Enjoy. :)

Serana

I was awoken by a deafening crack. A thunderous noise that echoed through the cavern. I heard it again and again until there was silence. What was that? It didn't sound like a spell, nor any weapon I was familiar with.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a metal spike piercing flesh and bone. It must've been painful, yet I never heard a cry of pain. Only the sound of footsteps told me that someone was around. Who was that? They didn't smell like a vampire. In fact, nothing about their scent was familiar.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long for an answer. My sarcophagus was opened by a woman dressed like a classy mage. She had honey-colored eyes and long brown hair that covered the right side of her face. She wore a gray collage robe with a large, reddish fur mantle; the bodice dyed with bright blue stripes. She also wore brown mage gloves on her hands.

At first glance, her weapon seemed to be an oddly proportioned crossbow. However its levers were more extensive, there were no signs of bolts, and it ended in a long tube. It had the likeness of a Dwemer device, making me wonder where she found it. In any case, it must be the source of the noise I heard earlier.

I slowly raised my hands as I stepped out of my sarcophagus. "I don't want to fight," I told her. "However, I will defend myself if I have to."

The mage considered my words for a bit. She soon nodded and lowered her strange weapon. Then a soft voice echoed in my head. Alright then.

A small gleam of light drew my attention to the golden bauble on her left ear. It was an elaborately detailed earring fashioned in the shape of a siren. It started at the bottom of the ear with a tentacle-haired siren holding a single large pearl. It then curved around the ear with the tail resting at the top.

Upon further inspection, I realized it was a Siren's Pearl, a Direnni-crafted earring for people with mutism. It was enchanted with a telepathy spell that allowed its wearer to converse with others through mind magic. Whenever the wearer "spoke", the earring's namesake pearl shimmered like a tiny ball of moonlight. It was an ingenious way to enable those with mutism to "speak" with the ease of someone who can vocalize their thoughts.

So, this woman was mute. To the casual eye, she'd be a Breton. However, any vampire or lycanthrope who got a whiff of her scent would know otherwise. This mage was something else. Question is, what was she?

I eyed her carefully. "Who sent you here?"

No one, she sent. I heard there was something valuable in Dimhollow Crypt. Valuable enough for a group of vampires to raze the Hall of the Vigilant. So I decided to investigate.

"I see." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps they were after my Elder Scroll." If that was the case, those vampires must've been sent here by my father.

She glanced at the scroll on my back. Huh. So that's what an Elder Scroll looks like. She looked back at me. Why were you locked away like this?

"That's... complicated. And I'm not sure if I can trust you."

Fair enough. I'm Marla, by the way.

"Serana. Good to meet you."

Likewise. Marla frowned. How long were you in there?

"That's a good question." I sighed. "It's hard to say. Long enough to starve me, that's for sure. "

She sighed. In that case, you can have some of my blood. I'd feel more comfortable if your hunger was sated.

I blinked. "You're offering me your blood?"