Meanwhile back on Nirn... Liri wordlessly followed her two visitors down into the valley for a few minutes until they came to an abrupt stop.

 

Liri: Is something wrong?

 

 

Sevetia turned to Teresa, who nodded.

 

Teresa: This is as good a spot any. Just get on with it! I've never been partial to this province's weather, and it's taking a turn for the worst.

 

 

Sevetia: Ah, come on Tesa. It's only a little snow.

 

Teresa shot the Imperial a sharp look.

 

Teresa: Stop wasting my time.

 

Sevetia: *smirks* Fine...

 

 

Sevetia turned to Liri and the air about her turned serious.

 

Sevetia: I want to ask you one more time, are you sure that you want to take down the powers that be amongst the vampires?

 

 

Liri: I am.

 

Sevetia: Then I'm going to have to give you a crash course in what you'll need to do, and when I'm done you'll be the 'fire fighter' that I always knew you could be, cupcake.

 

 

Liri: (There she goes with that cupcake nonsense again...)

 

Liri gathered an abundance of flames between her hands as she waited for Sevetia to advance.

 

Liri: So where do we start?

 

Sevetia hesitated.

 

Sevetia: Hmmm... Answer me this, if you wanted to cast a spell, what would you do?

 

 

The strangeness of the question caused Liri to snuff out her Magicka just so she didn’t burst out laughing.

 

Liri: I'd... Just cast it?

 

 

Sevetia: No, I mean, let's say I wanted you to cast a flame based spell. What's the highest level you could cast something at while keeping the cast time extremely low?

 

 

Liri: (Is this one of Tofdir's lessons from the College?) If you're talking near instant, it depends on the spell. The cast time for each spell varies significantly depending on how much—

 

Sevetia: Ah ah ah! Why should it vary at all? Why if you already know the specifications of a spell, would you need to waste time drawing magicka?

 

 

Liri: Using magicka draws on one's magicka reserves. In order to take just the right amount of magicka for a spell to not snuff out or explode in our face, casters take their time to gauge—

 

 

Sevetia: But WHY do you need to take your time? If I asked you to use Fire Storm, you know about how much magicka it'd take and you don't have to do any incantations or use any runes, right?

 

 

Liri still didn't see what she was trying to get at.

 

Liri: You're right... But I don't see how this is going to—

 

 

Sevetia smiled at Liri and fell back into a low stance.

 

Sevetia: Good! Now then, for your lesson. I want you to attack me head on. First without using any magic. Then with.

 

 

Liri: W-wait! I don't see how this is going to help me! I can't just instantaneously cast high magnitude spells without any prep time. I'm not that good!

 

 

Sevetia: I... Er...

 

She looked back towards Teresa.

 

Sevetia: Wanna help me out on this one, Tesa?

 

 

Teresa: *sigh* I knew I should have handled this from the start.

 

 

Teresa gave Liri a piercing look.

 

Teresa: As a fellow master level mage, I can tell that you've permanently enchanted yourself with various enchantments that boost your resistances and defenses.

 

 

Teresa: From what I can gauge, anything weaker than an ebony weapon won't do much to you, and most magic also won't actually harm you. Am I right?

 

Liri nodded.

 

Liri: I started off doing it so I could survive without any armor or clothing to hinder me, but then it kind of got out of control...

 

 

Teresa: On the contrary, what you're about to do is going to make you become nigh invincible, and ruin the world's perception of what a mage should be.

 

Liri's eyes widened at the sound of that.

 

Liri: So tell me what I have to do.

 

 

Teresa: Getting back to what Sevetia was trying to explain, when you cast magic, you're not still at the level where you have to think about the specifics of the spell you're about to cast, right?

 

 

Liri: I'm not.

 

Teresa: Then you know how long it will take to cast each spell, correct?

 

Liri nodded.

 

Teresa: Then I think a simple demonstration is in order. Sevetia!

 

Sevetia: Gladly.

 

 

Sevetia turned to her left, took a deep breath and punched the air. However, instead of just being a regular punch, a gust of wind followed afterwards.

 

 

Liri: What... What WAS that?! That… That couldn’t have been just raw strength?

 

 

Teresa smirked and shook her head.

 

Teresa: No, it wasn't. That, mortal, is what we are offering. It was—

 

 

Sevetia: That was a magic punch!

 

Liri: But that was almost instant! Like a concentration spell.

 

Sevetia: I promise you it wasn't instant. In fact, it had quite the cast time. But—

 

 

Teresa: Ahem!

 

Sevetia tensed up.

 

Sevetia: R-right. I think Tesa should finish explaining.

 

Teresa: Oh very well. The premise of what I want you to do is to not have any wasted moments in your fights from now on. No matter what it is, no matter what you're doing...

 

 

Teresa: You should always, and I mean ALWAYS be doing more than one action. Regular casting is, and has always been flawed as it leaves you defenseless. And quick casting also has its disadvantages.

 

 

Liri: Then what are you asking me to do?

 

 

Teresa: Constant casting. As soon as you find yourself in a battle, you need to be casting while doing every single action. Which means when you walk, run, dodge, jump, whatever...

 

 

Teresa: You should be charging up for something.

 

 

Liri thought that what they had in mind for her was going to be something groundbreaking, but this...

 

Liri: This just seems like a pain in the ass. And draining. I don't see how—

 

 

Teresa: That's only part one of what you need to do.

 

Liri: This is a multiple part lesson?

 

Sevetia: Something like a crash course.

 

Liri: I see... So how many parts are we talking about?

 

 

Teresa: Three in total. Part two requires you to familiarize yourself in the ways of close combat. Perhaps get one of these vampire hunters to train you in their ways.

 

 

Teresa: You don't have to be amazing or anything, although you WILL become so gradually.

 

 

Liri: *sigh* Can I be honest with you two? This seems like it's all just going to be a waste of time and energy on my part.

 

Sevetia: It's going to be energy consuming at first, that I promise. But trust me, acting as a mage without a support is only going to get you killed. Rosalie and Serana can't always protect you.

 

 

Liri bit her lip out of frustration.

 

Liri: I don't need ANYONE protecting me, as long as I have my seal—

 

 

Teresa: The same seal that's been killing you slowly?

 

Liri's eyes widened from shock.

 

Teresa: No one told me, and I wouldn't need them to. Any vampire who saw you before you used them...

 

 

Teresa: Would tell you the same thing. Whatever it is that you're doing, it's eating away at you and WILL kill you. Is that a power that you should be using wantonly?

 

 

Liri thought back to her recent fights with Gunmar and how easily she'd been defeated without using her seal… How easily she could have killed him with it...

 

 

She remembered how strong she'd become facing Foran and while at Redwater Den...

 

 

But also remembered the recoil her body took each time she'd broken the seal...

 

 

Liri: I...

 

Liri remembered her defeat at the hands of Foran, and words Silas spoke to her once. 'As long as you’re so one dimensional you’ll never be able to escape the grip of Clan Volstikar.'

 

 

Teresa: If you're still having doubts, just answer me this. Can you beat Sevetia here? How about Silas? Tinira? Foran? Harkon? Could you even beat Serana if it came down to it? Or me?

 

 

Teresa got right into Liri's face, spooking her.

 

Teresa: I've been beaten by a mortal before. I took everything from her, and she took it right back. She evolved, adapted...

 

Teresa: She was born in flames, raised by them, molded by them... But you? HA! You think simply using fire is going to help you take out my kind? You think you can stop their conquest of Skyrim?

 

 

Liri: C-conquest?

 

Teresa: Remember how I told you to come see me when you were 100%, but then you foolishly went out on some task Harkon asked of you?

 

 

Teresa: I wanted to warn you that you've become caught up in something more than simply taking out Clan Volkihar. If you all fail, Harkon, with Tinira by his side, WILL take over all of Tamriel.

 

 

Liri: What do you—

 

Liri recalled what Serana had told her in Whiterun.

 

Liri: You mean... They actually have a means of making all vampires become impervious to the sun?

 

 

???: It's more than that, mortal. Thanks to you all, we now are one step closer until Night Unending!

 

 

Liri, Teresa, and Sevetia looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Tinira there with a smirk on her face, holding Serana as a hostage.

 

 

Liri: Serana! Are you okay?

 

Serana: She... She heard everything! Auriel's Bow! They're going after Auriel's Bow!

 

 

Teresa: That old legend? Surely they jest—

 

Teresa saw the look on Liri's face and went quiet.

 

Liri: It... There's no way... You can't do that Tinira, you'll destroy us all!

 

 

Tinira: You can blame your lover, Silas, for that. I had planned to stay out of Harkon's foolishness, but since Silas couldn't simply behave like a good boy, I've decided to act.

 

 

Tinira: At first I was only going to inflict pain to you, Serana and Silas's underling, Rose-something.

 

Tinira: But when I found his underling, she was already in a state of her own personal Oblivion, so I simply enjoyed watching her fall further into her own depths.

 

 

Liri: Where is she? Why didn't you help her!

 

Tinira: Who knows where she is now. Some psychotic vampire fought with her and took her away. And help her? *scoffs* Anyone Silas treasures...

 

 

Tinira: I plan to crush them all.

 

Tinira shot a look at Liri's two visitors.

 

Tinira: And as for you two, don't think that you're welcome by my or Harkon's Clans after this betrayal.

 

 

Teresa: We didn't plan to be. This little 'uprising' isn't what Molag Bal would want. It's only going to unify the whole of Tamriel against us.

 

 

Tinira: But when our main weakness dies...

 

She pushed Serana forward and opened up a portal at her feet.

 

Tinira: Our supremacy is sure to follow...

 

 

...And then she was gone.

 

 

Liri immediately ran over to Serana and hugged her as if she'd disappear if let go.

 

Liri: Are you okay? Did she do anything to you?

 

 

Serana: I'm fine...

 

She hugged Liri closer to her.

 

Serana: I'm fine now...

 

Teresa: That's all well and good, but why didn't you simply stop her Liri? Isn't your magic up to the task?

 

Liri had hoped that with what had just transpired she'd have more time before having to make a decision either way on Teresa's proposal. But she knew time wasn't on her side.

 

 

Liri pulled away from Serana, stood up, and nodded at Teresa.

 

Liri: So what's the third part.

 

Teresa: You've buffed your allies before, correct? Those who would have to go into melee range?

 

 

Liri nodded.

 

Teresa: Then it's simple. After you get some training on some basic hand to hand skills and you recognize your weaknesses, you have to enchant yourself to compensate.

 

 

Teresa: Think you can do it?

 

Liri: (She's asking me to become some sort of mage-fighter hybrid... And I don't even know a thing about hand to hand combat...) Sure, how tough can it be?

 

 

???: Tougher than you'd ever realize.

 

Everyone turned to see Celann flanked by quite a few members of the Dawnguard.

 

Liri: What's this all about?

 

 

Celann: I've been pretty lenient towards you both because I do believe we need an open mind in order to take on the vampires, but you being here has compromised our position!

 

 

Celann: Men have died, information has been stolen, and we have been infiltrated. I cannot with a clear conscious allow you two to continue putting my men at risk.

 

 

Liri: So just like that, you're abandoning us? Have you no shame Celann!

 

Celann: No one's abandoning anyone. I heard what happened, and I've decided to let you take a few men with you.

 

Celann: Vori and Aelfna! You two and the moth priest are to accompany Liri and Serana until they've completed their task of destroying Clan Volkihar. Afterwards return immediately. Is that understood?

 

 

Liri knew he was talking to her more than the two Dawnguard, and nodded.

 

Liri: That's fine, but there IS a slight issue.

 

Serana: Slight? It's glaring! Where do we go now?

 

 

???: I know of a place but...

 

Every eye went toward this new visitor, but it was Liri whose face encapsulated what everyone felt by his presence.

 

Liri: You... I thought you...

 

 

Immediately Liri ran over and Silas embraced her.

 

Liri: ...Are you hurt?

 

Silas smiled and shook his head.

 

Silas: No more than usual. I... I came as soon as I could.

 

Liri: *smiles* I know...

 

 

Serana groaned, completely ruining the mood between the two.

 

Serana: So what's wrong about this place of yours?

 

 

Silas: Right... Well... This is more for Liri than anyone else here.

 

Liri: Wait what!?

 

 

Silas: Now don't be mad. I kind of promised the owner of this place that you'd do a favor, and before you get upset, remember that I did this before I even knew you. Heck before we ever met...

 

 

Liri: *smiles* Heh, I'm sure it can't be THAT bad. Come on! Let's get going.