Murphy's Law

Chapter 60

They arrived at Castle Volkihar without issue. "And I thought Solitude was cold," Sirius complained, pulling a pilfered coat more tightly around himself. Mayhem didn't look like she was faring much better. Balthazar didn't comment, leading them around the side of the castle. "It's strange to be at a place like this and not see any guards."

"You really think a family of vampires living on such a remote island would even need guards?" Balthazar drawled, sounding amused.

"No I don't think that, I'm just saying it's weird to me because I'm not used to it," Sirius huffed back. Balthazar smirked, then motioned for them to keep still, focused on something in the distance. They had come to what looked like a dock that hadn't been used in centuries. Several skeletons paced the walkways.

"There's your guards," Balthazar whispered. May lifted her crossbow, taking out the three skeletons before they were noticed. The vampire continued onward toward a door at the far side. Sirius wrinkled his nose as they entered the castle.

"Ugh. Are we in the sewers? It reeks."

"This is actually an improvement over what it used to smell like," Balthazar murmured in response as he led the way through the old cistern.

"Gross."

They continued onward, fighting the expected vermin (and one unexpected feral vampire) and disabling traps. May turned an alarming shade of green when they entered a chamber piled high with skeletons, and even Sirius looked somewhat queasy at the sight of them. They were quick to move on from it.

Finally they came to the garden, much to the two elves' relief. "Oh no... What happened?" Balthazar gasped as they emerged from the doorway. He looked around, eyes wide in shock and pain.

"It looks like someone went on a rampage in here," May murmured. "Everything's been torn out."

"I'd say we're the first to set foot in here in centuries," Sirius added.

"This used to lead into the castle's great hall," Balthazar sighed. "It looks like my father had it sealed up. I used to walk through here after evening meals. It was beautiful, once. This was my mother's garden. It... do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for hundreds of years? She would have hated to see it like this." He paused by the giant sundial in the center, staring down at it in confusion. "Something's wrong with the moondial."

"The what?"

"What do you mean?"

He paced around it. "Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew. I didn't even know the crests could be removed." He glanced back up at Sirius, growing excited. "I think you were right."

"Of course I am," Sirius scoffed. "I assume I'm not the only one here thinking the missing crests are important?"

"You assume correctly," Balthazar agreed. "They must be around here somewhere. Let's see if we can't find them. Even in this mess, they should stand out."

They split up, searching the dead garden for the missing crests. Balthazar had been right about them standing out; with their mirrored finish, they easily reflected the moonlight above them, catching their eyes. The three missing crests were found quickly, and replaced where Balthazar directed. The vampire gasped as the moondial rotated back into place, and a set of spiraling stone stairs dropped to reveal a hidden entrance below. "Very clever, mother. Very clever. I've never been in those tunnels before, but I bet they run right under the courtyard and into the tower ruins."

"At least now we know we're on the right track," May said. "Let's go see what else she left for you."

"I've never even seen this part of the castle before," Balthazar murmured as they entered the tunnels.

"You don't know this place?" Sirius asked.

"I'd always just assumed that the other tower was completely destroyed inside. My mother kept this a secret, even from me. She must have been up to something she thought was dangerous."

"So we should proceed with caution." Balthazar nodded to May.

"I don't know what might be around. Keep your eyes and your ears open."

Progress through the tower was slow going. The elder vampire had left a number of skeletons and even gargoyles in place to guard her secrets, along with several hidden entrances. It was several hours before they finally reached the top.

Finally they reached a wooden door near the top. Balthazar nudged it open, and stepped inside. "Look at this place," he breathed in awe. The room was massive, the walls lined with shelves and chests filled with books and alchemy components and soul gems scattered throughout. In the center of the room was a round pit, its edge lined with candles. "This has to be it! I knew she was deep into necromancy- I mean, she taught me everything I know. But I never knew she had a setup like this."

"It had to have taken her years to collect all of these components," Sirius murmured as he glanced around. "Some of these are very difficult to come by."

"And what's this thing?" May asked, pointing out the circle. "It's gotta be something, right?"

"My mother was meticulous about her research. If we can find her notes, there might be some hints in there." They approached the bookshelves set aside in a small alcove, browsing through them.

"I had no idea how old some of these titles were," Sirius said as he spotted a few he recognized. "This collection is incredible-"

"Not this trip," Mayhem teased, grinning at him. "You can go crazy over this collection another time, right now we've got a job to do."

"Right," Sirius muttered, turning his focus back onto the task at hand. He finally came across a small book without a title, its leather cover well worn. Curious, he pulled it out, flipping through it. Inside were pages upon pages of handwritten notes and illustrations. "Hey, I think I found her journal!"

Balthazar was at his side in an instant. "You did? Let me see." May stood back, watching in amusement and curiosity as the two went over the notes.

"Look, she mentions something here about the Soul Cairn... Maybe that's what she was trying to do with that circle? Perhaps it's a portal?"

Balthazar paused, a memory coming to him. "I do remember her trying to find a way to travel there."

"Maybe she found it."

The vampire read further. "I think she did. There's a formula here. If I'm reading this right, it should give us safe passage to the Soul Cairn."

"What is the Soul Cairn?" Mayhem asked, interrupting them.

"How much do you know about soul gems?"

"I know they're used to trap souls, which are then used to enchant items, often weapons and armor. I'm not much of a mage though, so I don't really know anything more in-depth than that."

Balthazar nodded. "My mother had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside of them don't just vanish when they're used... they end up in the Soul Cairn. It's home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls, and receive powers of their own in return."

"I assume this was something she attempted herself." The vampire nodded. "So what do we need to open this portal?"

"A handful of soul gem shards, some finely-ground bone meal, a good bit of purified void salts... Oh. Damn it."

"What is it?"

"We're also going to need a sample of her blood," he huffed in annoyance. "Which, if we could get that, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."

"You're her child. You share her blood," May pointed out.

Balthazar stared at her in surprise. "I... honestly hadn't thought of that. I hope that will be good enough. Mistakes with these kinds of portals can be... gruesome." He closed the journal. "Let's get started. The ingredients should already be here."