Sevetia found Serana reading in the downstairs library, and tried to creep up on her without disturbing her, but was unsuccessful.

 

 

Serana: You have Liri, correct? If so, please set her down and leave us. I’ve something to discuss with her. ALONE.

 

 

Sevetia: Don’t have to sound so formal about it. I know my place.

 

The Imperial set Liri down and raised her fist as she walked away.

 

Sevetia: See you around, Fire Fighter.

 

 

Liri: *grins* I’m not going to be a fighter!

 

Sevetia turned her head to see Liri sticking her tongue out at the Imperial, and after laughing for a bit she exited the room closing the door after her.

 

 

Liri turned her attention back to Serana, who hadn’t rose her eyes from the tome she was reading.

 

Liri: You said that you had something you wanted to talk to me about?

 

 

Serana: Oh, I do. But it’s not… It’s important, but I just… I don’t trust them. There’s something about them that doesn’t sit right with me.

 

 

Liri scoffed and rolled her eyes.

 

Liri: Something about them? You probably don’t feel right about a ‘pureblood’ like you sharing the same living space as a ‘leech.’

 

 

Serana stopped her reading and stonily looked into the Nord’s eyes.

 

Serana: Whoever put those words in your mouth, you ought to have slit their throat.

 

 

Serana: I may not have… LIKED the process that turned me and my family into what we are, but regardless of the strain, this gift that Molag Bal has given us is a godsend… Even if…

 

Liri could hear the pain in her voice and cut her off.

 

Liri: So Feran’s another one that I need to add to my hit list…

 

Serana: *sigh* Why doesn’t that surprise me…

 

Liri: Am I missing something?

 

 

Serana: My father wants me, rather us, to go and fill the Bloodstone Chalice… It was Feran that suggested that you accompany me.

 

 

Liri: Then let’s get—

 

Liri, in trying to get up from the table, forgot how much pain had wrecked her body with Teresa and Sevetia’s training.

 

Liri: S-sorry… I need some—

 

 

Liri’s eyes transfixed themselves on Serana and the vampire felt a chill go down her spine.

 

Serana: W-w-what!? Is there something wrong with me?

 

Liri: Give me your blood.

 

 

The vampire’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

Serana: W-w-w-what!? I thought that being turned was the furthest thing off of your mind! I… I don’t mind doing it, but—

 

 

Liri shook her head, further confusing the vampire.

 

Serana: Then what do you want?

 

Liri: Give. Me. Your. Blood.

 

 

Serana’s eyes followed Liri’s and if she could she would have blanched.

 

Serana: You want to drink MY blood!? But… but why?

 

 

Liri: *sitting up* Vampire blood acts as… a drug to mortals. It’s about as addictive as skooma, but it sharpens one’s senses and numbs their pain for an extended period of time. I think this will—

 

 

Liri felt Serana’s worried gaze and sighed.

 

Liri: I’ve never done it before, but I HAVE read about it when I was at the college. Don’t worry about it. I promise everything will be okay.

 

 

Serana: I… I don’t know…

 

Liri: It’s either this or we wait until I get better. And who knows how long that will take? *grins* Besides, you don’t want to make your father mad do you?

 

‘I knew I shouldn’t have done this,’ this is all Liri heard from Serana from the moment the pair left the Keep until they arrived at the abandoned shack said to house the Bloodspring.

 

 

But her apprehension wasn’t phasing the mage in the slightest.

 

Liri: Hehehe, so the spring’s in this skooma den? Not a bad cover up at all.

 

 

Serana bucked her eyes.

 

Serana: How did you—

 

Liri: Hehehee… I ‘sampled’ ‘some’ to gain more or less an immunity to it. It’s diluted, but it’ll get the job done unless you’re a super junkie.

 

 

Serana: Listen… I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go in there…

 

Liri: I don’t think it’s a good idea for YOU to go in there! This IS a vampire den after all. They’ll know their own kind.

 

 

Serana: W-what do you think you’re doing!?

 

Liri: But me? They’ll just think I’m some whore addicted to skooma looking for her next fix. This’ll be easy! *lick*

 

 

Liri saw the worried look Serana was giving her and quickly sobered herself up.

 

Liri: Trust me on this Serana. If anything goes bad, you’ll know and you can easily sweep in and save me.

 

 

Serana: But Liri… it’s way too dangerous.

 

Liri: That’s okay, because I know you’ll never let anything bad happen to me as long as we’re linked. And I you.

 

 

Serana stared into Liri’s eyes and although they were a bit glossed over, she could see the earnestness within them.

 

Serana: *sigh* Fine… Just… Just stay safe okay?

 

 

Liri gave her a goofy grin that made Serana regret her decision.

 

Serana: Ugh… I REALLY shouldn’t have done this…

 

Liri entered the wreckage of the abandoned house and saw the familiar sight of the skooma den’s two lookouts.

 

 

Liri: H-hey guys. It’s been a while.

 

 

They both looked her way and smiled.

 

Male Nord: Heh, if it isn’t the slooty mage. Back to up your resistances? Hehehe.

 

 

Female Nord: Just ignore him. You know the drill, if you’re here for a fix head on down. Otherwise…

 

Liri: I know I know.

 

Female Nord: Good. Now get going.

 

 

Liri didn’t need to be told twice, and quickly dropped down the trap door where she proceeded deeper into the den…

 

 

…Until she was stopped by the Doorman who looked her up and down.

 

Doorman: Ugh… another drugged out slut… Look, just behave yourself or we'll be getting better acquainted. Got it?

 

 

Liri nodded and continued on for a bit until her suddenly felt a bit sluggish.

 

Liri: (Shit… Are the effects wearing off already? No matter, I’ve still got an ace up my sleeve if it comes to it…)

 

 

???: Forgot why you’re here already? Damn junk—wait a second… I know you.

 

Liri looked over indifferently at who was speaking to her.

 

???: Well I’ll be… It’s the nudist mage. Been a while.

 

 

Liri: Gildnea…

 

The Dealer smiled at Liri’s recognition of her.

 

Gildnea: Damn, I thought you’d been killed out there. You’re sure a tough one. But we can catch up later, what do you need?

 

 

Liri: Same as before, you give me a sample so I can get acclimated to it, and then I’ll buy more. Sound good?

 

Gildnea: Heh, sounds PERFECT.

 

Liri received the skooma and headed to an empty stall as she had done plenty of times in the past. However, looking at what she was given she instantly knew something was afoul.

 

 

Liri: (This… This isn’t their normal blend. I probably shouldn’t—)

 

 

A sharp pain went up the Nord’s leg and she fell to a knee. Instinctively her eyes went to the skooma she dropped.

 

Liri: Damn… I know I shouldn’t but…

 

 

She took a swig of the skooma, and upon standing quickly stumbled to the ground feeling worse than before.

 

 

Before she could wrap her head around what was ailing her, the Nord’s vision went blurry and she passed out…

 

 

Not too long afterwards, Liri woke up in a cage…

 

 

…Within large dim room filled with vampires.

 

 

Liri: (No sign of Serana, and my legs seem to be working fine… So I wasn’t in much danger in her opinion…)

 

 

Liri stood up and she didn’t know if it was Serana’s blood or the skooma, but she felt better than she’d ever felt in her life.

 

Liri: *smirk* (Time to not let Serana’s trust in me be in vain!)

 

 

Liri blew the door off her cage, startling the vampires, and began her rout towards the Bloodspring...

 

Immediately after leaving her cage, a she engaged a pyromancer thrall that was taking everything that she had to give…

 

 

…But who also wasn’t doing anything to her…

 

Liri: A pyromancer… Luckily I know that the best way to  fight fire…

 

 

Liri: Is with an even bigger fire!

 

Fire Tornado, one of the spells that had no effect against Foran, engulfed and incinerated the thrall… and everything behind him…

 

 

Before she could get comfortable, she heard the sound of something magical shooting towards her and put up a ward.

 

Vampire: Puny mortal! Bleed for me!!

 

 

Not being the best at restoration, Liri could feel her ward’s strength diminishing quickly with every second.

 

 

Remembering some advice Teresa gave her Liri reinforced her ward and rushed at the vampire who recoiled at the prospect of having to engage in close combat.

 

 

That slight hesitation was all that she needed. When she got close, she stopped, dropped her ward, and began gathering magicka. Meanwhile the vampire started trying to drain her life force once more…

 

 

Vampire: YOU DARE! YOU INSOLANT MORTAL! DYING WILL BE TOO GOOD FOR YOU! No… Nonononono, you’ll spend the rest of your days as my personal thrall! And when you’re old, and ugly, MAYBE I’ll—

 

 

‘Startle them, give them hope, and then drop an explosion right in their face.’ It wasn’t an explosion, rather an eruption, but it got the job done all the same.

 

 

Liri could faintly hear the vampire hissing over the roar of her flames, but only for a moment as they changed to throes of pain when he was thrown off his feet and his flesh began melting…

 

Hearing the footsteps of more potential enemies gathering, Liri took a deep breath and enveloped the lower level of the room with flames…

 

 

Liri: *pant* *pant* I… I think I got them all…

 

She looked in the direction from where the vampire had come from, and only her flames filled her vision.

 

Liri: No one’s coming through that…

 

 

???: Hey! Over here!

 

The voice came from above, and with a sigh, Liri started channeling her magicka once more.

 

Liri: (I don’t have time for this!)

 

 

Rather than a torrent of flames, an explosion—no a storm—of flames went rampant throughout the room with Liri at its center… Incinerating everything living, dead or undead that it touched…

 

 

Finally able to make some progress towards the Bloodspring, another thrall immediately engaged her upon her entering the next area. Her response? A face full of lightning bolts for its troubles.

 

 

However, while Liri was dealing with the thrall, she was completely unaware of what was lying in store for her…

 

 

Liri: Ha! How do you like that you stupid thrall! Next time your kind will think think twice before trying to challenge the Red Witch of the Shadowswords—

 

 

Liri: Huh!?

 

Liri saw something that her some magic was obstructing, so she ceased her spell… Only to see that the area was filled with the undead, including the thrall she just fried to death…

 

 

Vampire Necromancer: You’ve a bit of skill meat, but do you think you can handle the onslaught of MY magnitude! I commend you on getting this far… But it’s OVER mortal!!!

 

But these undead weren’t anything like Liri had ever seen before, their flame—no, their magic resistance—was comparable to her own…

 

 

…But that didn’t deter her, rather, it fueled her drive to end them to destroy them, to devour them all with her flames. She could feel her own magic eating away at her as she pushed herself to her limit…

 

 

However, results were all that mattered. Results were all that ever mattered to her clan, and although she hated to admit it, that ideology had stuck with her even after distancing herself from them…

 

 

Which is why she’d stopped relying on sparks magic as much…  And why she allowed Rosalie to fight a losing battle against Foran… And why she used Silas’s protection when it suited her…

 

 

After hearing the final pile of bones snap and clang on the ground, Liri took in the destruction she had given birth too…

 

Liri: *pant* *pant* *pant* Results… Are all that… *pant* *pant* Matter—

 

 

She dropped to her knees as her body recoiled from over exertion. Master level spell one after the other, and then overcharging a master level spell hadn’t done her any favors whatsoever…

 

 

After gathering her strength once more, Liri continued on at a much slower pace. And had wanted to reserve as much energy as she possibly could…

 

But upon entering the next area and seeing the enemies before her, Liri sighed and hid as she tried to overhear a discussion about the Bloodspring…

 

Liri: (Here we going again…)

 

 

Thrall: So why don't you just drink the blood from the spring? I mean, that seems easier than running a skooma den...

 

 

Vampire: The boss said it's some sort of profaned spring. It looks like blood, but it's not the real thing.

 

 

Vampire: Drinking it gives you strength, but it also gets you pretty messed up... That's why we thought of putting it in the skooma.

 

 

Liri: (So that’s what I felt was off about the skooma!)

 

Liri prepared herself mentally for what she needed to do… And then jumped out before the vampires and began dousing them with her flames…

 

 

The area was more devoid of enemies than previous ones, so after snuffing out the remaining ones, Liri headed to the upper level of the room…

 

 

Liri locked eyes with a vampire and automatically flung her flames at it.

 

Liri: Apprentice level… Is that gonna be enough?

 

Vampire: *hiss* You think these flames will stop me meat!! I’ll—

 

 

Liri: *sigh* I guess not…

 

Liri overcharged her spells, as to not waste any time, and cursed inwardly to herself.

 

Liri: (If only those damn Volstikars would go down as easily…)*sigh*

 

 

Liri: I’ll never understand why or rather how vampires could dwell in caves and ruins if they see themselves as such ‘superior’ beings. At least the Volkihars and Volstikars seem somewhat highborn…

 

 

Liri: But speaking of vampires… Where are—

 

Hearing growling from her left, Liri cursed herself and collected magic in her hands as she braced herself for the beast’s attack.

 

 

Liri: I… fucking… HATE dogs!!!

 

Remembering how she was threatened by her elder’s dogs when she was younger, Liri threw all of her resentment of canines towards the beast, killing it instantly…

 

 

Upon arriving at the next area, Liri raise an eyebrow.

 

Liri: Gargoyles? Well… I guess it was odd that there haven’t been any—

 

???: Foolish mortal! The Bloodspring shall forever be unknown to you…

 

 

Liri hit the Gargoyle with a fireball that only seemed to enrage it.

 

???: You think your puny magic can hurt Venarus Vulpin’s familiars?

 

Liri: Oh, so it’s the magnitude that’s the problem…

 

 

With that being clarified, Liri did as she had done thus far… When her spells didn’t work, throw even more fire at them. …It was super effective…

 

 

…And drew out the vampire controlling the Gargoyles.

 

Venarus: By Molag’s balls… The Volkihar didn’t warn us that Harkon had THIS in his back pocket—

 

 

Liri’s flames quickly extinguished the formerly arrogant vampire’s life.

 

Liri: Wait a second… Did he say something about Harkon and the Volkihar’s?

 

Lifting a key off of Venarus’s body…

 

 

…Liri continued onward and finally entered the area containing what she had originally entered this skooma den for…

 

 

…The Bloodspring…

 

Upon looking upon the Bloodspring, Liri felt her fatigue set in and she found that she couldn’t turn away from it. As Liri crawled towards it and two conflicting voices echoed in her head…

 

 

One that urged her forward…

 

???: Drink from the spring… Gain the strength need to destroy the vampires and your clan… A single sip and your destiny WILL be in your hands…

 

 

And another that warned her of the vampire’s warning…

 

???: Drinking it gives you strength, but it also gets you pretty messed up...

 

 

Stopping before the Bloodspring’s edge, the urges driving Liri to drink from it overpowered her to the point where she was compelled to bend down to gather liquid directly from the spring itself…

 

 

Liri: Must… Drink…

 

Just as she was seconds from succumbing to the urges, two vampires entered from the other side of the room, breaking Liri from her trance.

 

 

Salonia: It's really too bad, you know. The little accident you had here, completely unexpected... Isn’t that right Stalf?

 

 

Stalf: Yeah, too bad. Lord Harkon's new favorite, dead so soon after joining the family.

 

 

Salonia: We're just lucky I was here to return the Chalice to Vingalmo, so he could make sure Harkon gets it back.

 

Stalf: Wait, what? That's not what we agreed. We take it back together.

 

 

Liri got up and understood what was going on.

 

Liri: (A political struggle? And Vingalmo is one of the perpetrators behind it… Rather than Teresa and Sevetia, Serana can’t trust her father’s—)

 

 

Salonia: Idiot. You didn't really think I'd let you walk out of here either, did you? Vingalmo wants you both dead.

 

 

Stalf: Well that's just fine. Orthjolf told me to finish off anyone who got in the way.

 

 

They both looked at Liri with venom in their eyes.

 

Liri: *pant* *pant* (I’ll… I’ll do it! I’ll break the seal… And then I’ll make it back to Serana with both of their heads on a platter!!!)

 

 

The two vampires motioned to attack Liri, but halted when they felt her magicka suddenly spike exponentially.

 

 

Salonia: If… If Harkon’s pet is THIS strong, shouldn’t we try to make use of it?

 

Stalf: Fuck Harkon! Orthjolf could rule the Volkihar’s himself if he made this woman his progeny!

 

 

Liri: But do you know what I want?

 

The vampires went through a gauntlet of emotions, from annoyance to fear, as they looked upon Liri’s visage…

 

 

They had been expecting her to have been building up towards some sort of super move, but seeing her looking like a flame goddess shook them to the pit of their soulless cores…

 

 

Liri dropped to the ground and the vampires gulped knowing that they may very well meet their end here… at her hands…

 

Liri: What I want… Is your complete and utter DESTRUCTION!!!