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Mordred stared out at the open door after his mortified companion, casually bringing up a cup to his lips to sip at the warm juice swirling within. A moment later, he turned his attention back to his host, intent on prying out whatever details were missed in their conversation.

"So that's it, then?" The dunmer asked, "That's the cure for Serana's affliction, a simple romp in the hay? I'd always imagined it would've been a lot more complicated than that."

"Would that it were so simple." Lamae Bal replied, "No. The act alone is not enough, the union must be consecrated by the blessings of Arkay. The corruption of Molag Bal runs deeper than the boundaries of flesh. Her soul belongs to him, but that does not mean it cannot be redeemed." The matriarch raised her hands outward, referring to her daughters. "All souls belong to Arkay, the Keeper of the Cycle and guardian of our souls. With his blessing, your friend may be freed from her curse."

Even with her explanation, Mordred was just as skeptical as before. "And you're sure this will work?" He glanced around at the women sitting at the table with him, "Gods, now I'm curious how you all were cured of your vampirism. I'd imagine the men you brought here would've asked the same questions."

"There were no other men." One of the women spoke up, "Argaeus did it all himself."

Mordred stared at her in disbelief, "The ritual? With all of you? Huh...lucky bastard." Lamae Bal smirked, though looking a bit sad at some memory evoked by the mention of the man's name. Mordred asked her another question, "I suppose that should give me confidence in our chances of success, but I have to ask, are there any side effects I should know about? A ritual like this usually involves the matter of cost."

"That is what separates Arkay from Molag Bal, for he does not ask for much." Lamae Bal replied, "He smiles upon your intentions, how you strive to cleanse the world of abominations. He shall smile upon this act as well."

When she noticed that the vanquisher remained a tad unconvinced, she called him out for it. "You are still unsure. You should not think it so difficult an act, for it is a kindness. A kindness that shall only cost you a few hours, and will perhaps bring you happiness. Do you not love your friend enough to sacrifice your dignity that she might be cured?"

Mordred shook his head slowly, "You mistake my relationship with Serana, my lady."

"Oh? Have I?"

"I suppose it doesn't matter." Mordred sighed.

Lamae Bal had this knowing look in her eye, but she made no move to pry. "Talk it over, the both of you. This is not, after all, something only one of you should make of a decision alone."

Excusing himself from the table, Mordred got up and walked out of the house. He didn't have to walk far to find Serana. He found her, standing over a single grave covered in blossoming desert flowers. The gravestone had been carved beautifully, with the ancient Nedeian words spelling out the name of someone the women of the house held dear. Serana had a deep frown on her pale face, but it wasn't the desert heat that irked her so. Hearing him approach made the woman tense, and upon noticing this, Mordred kept his distance.

They stood there in silence for a long time, standing at a meter apart.

Both opened their mouths to speak, but only Mordred found his voice. "I suppose now we've found one of the last Iron Halo hunters left in the world. I'd say he's more fortunate than the rest of us, dying here surrounded by a grateful lot."

"You must be enjoying this." Serana said.

"If I were a fool, I would be." Mordred replied, "But as it turns out, I've been blessed with something immortals have mostly forgotten."

Serana turned around to face him, "That would be what exactly?"

"The power of observation." The dunmer closed the distance until he was but a foot away from his companion. "You don't want to go through the ritual because you're afraid of the memories it might bring." His eyes stared deep into hers, and as he spoke Serana felt herself become vulnerable- something she hated feeling whenever being around anyone. "When you had gone through that ritual that turned you into a Daughter of Coldharbour, it cost you something far more precious to you than the power Molag Bal promised you."

Serana's eyes blinked and twitched as she struggled to put down the hated memories. Her voice trembled, "Why are you bringing this up, Mordred?"

"He stole from you your innocence." Mordred said, "No, you offered it to him- and he broke you."

His words stung, perhaps not as he meant it to, but they stung nonetheless. Serana's tone grew hot and she growled as she fought hard to keep her composure, "Drop the fucking issue, Mordred!"

"I will not." Mordred's voice, in contrast to hers, grew quiet. "Your quest for a cure dragged us across Tamriel, and now that we've found it...you hesitate. Looking at you now, I'd say my observation's on point."

"Drop." Serana hissed. "It."

"No." Mordred was quick to notice her hand rise and caught her wrist. They struggled for a bit, with Mordred putting all his strength in stopping the offending hand and Serana barely even trying. She was stronger than him, and he knew it. The woman was acting out of impulse, lost to the stormclouds forming in her head, which could either mean he was playing this right or setting himself up to join Argaeus in the grave.

"You know I'm right, Serana."

"Fuck you!" Serana screamed, fighting back her tears. "You dirty coward! How dare you use my pain against me!"

His free hand grasped her by the nape as he forced her to look at him when she turned away, "I dare because before you now stands a battle, a battle against your demons- and you are losing. I owe a debt to our mutual friend, now I owe one to you. I aim to repay in full."

"Let go of me!" The vampire snarled, pulling herself free from the dark elf and vanishing into a red mist. When the mist dispersed, Serana had gone, disappearing into the night and leaving Mordred alone to wonder if he attained the desired effect.

Serana was furious. The volkihar vampire raced through the desert under the guise of a swarm of bats, her mind confused with a stormcloud of thoughts and emotions. She, like Mordred, expected the same thing out of her quest. A convoluted ritual, an artifact of some kind, a favor from one of the divines or the less benevolent daedra.

In all his brutal honesty, Mordred's words rang true in her mind. There was no escaping it.

Here stood the undoing of her curse, but what was expected of her required something she had failed time and time again to do. Like the insufferable dunmer said, she had to face her inner demons. The thought alone weighed heavily on her, and Serana reformed, stopping at the crest of a large sand dune to look up at the beautiful starry sky.

Only the howl of the desert wind and the mournful call of the beasts of the night could be heard at that moment. If her heart still beat, Serana would've heard its hammering as it pounded against her chest. After what felt like an hour, the vampire considered what lay before her.

She knew she had to go through with it. This was, after all, what she sought after.

It was no easy task, to even consider doing. Even after standing up against her father all those years ago, helping the Dawnguard to destroy the only family she ever had- none of which truly broke the infernal chain Molag Bal placed on her soul. What she was about to do now was the true test of her will.

To rejoin the world of the living, or to forever stand as one of Coldharbour's slaves.

"I am no one's slave." Serana said, finally coming to a decision. Molag Bal's hold on her soul ends today.

She thought about Mordred, and the more she did, her anger for him gradually faded away. Beyond the rough exterior, there was a man who had shown her kindness. He didn't take her struggles lightly as most did, and now that she thought about it, Serana realized Mordred actually cared about her. Just like the Dragonborn, in the brief time she knew him he had done more for her than most she had known her whole life. A friend who would do anything for her, even risk her wrath by showing her the path to salvation.

Perhaps, if she was honest with herself, he meant more than that to her.

Serana felt herself blush at the thought, chastising herself for her assumptions. "One step at a time, girl." She said to herself, "One step at a time."

Upon returning to the longhouse, Serana found Mordred packing up to leave. Her sudden departure undoubtedly made him think their journey together had come to an end, but when he saw her at the doorway he stopped. The dunmer let her speak first.

"I'm going through with it."

Mordred said nothing, merely nodding once to acknowledge her decision.

"Mordred." Serana moved closer, free to speak her mind as they were alone in the room. "Before we...proceed...there's something I want you to know." She waited a bit to see if he was indeed listening, "I appreciate that you try to understand my pain, even if you're not fully getting there. Some wounds don't heal quickly, and some scars never truly disappear."

There was that sad look in his eyes as he stared at her. "You poor broken thing."

Serana closed her eyes and shook her head, "Please, be gentle when you..." She stopped when she felt his hands touch her shoulders.

"Yes." His voice, something she had grown accustomed to sound harsh, grating and painful, now soothed like the gentle rush of a running brook. It caught her off guard. "I promise, whatever makes you feel comfortable."

Serana smiled, still not daring to open her eyes lest the tears fall freely. "Thank you."

"Do you need a hug?"

She opened her eyes in surprise, not even noticing the salty trickle running down the sides of her face. His offer seemed in good faith, and right now she felt she needed one of those. "Yes please."

He drew her in, wrapping her up in his massive arms. There, Serana felt at peace. He didn't say it, nor needed to say it, but she knew he loved her. Not the false feeling of attraction that most people felt to one another, it was just simply as it was. It was faint, like a sprouting seedling barely showing its first leaf after a hard rain on dry land. Faint, but there.

Serana found herself wondering if she had the courage to cultivate it. As she stood there held close to his warm, beating chest, Serana wondered if there was something more to them beyond this quest that bound them.

She had to know. Serana pushed herself up a bit off his chest and opened her mouth to say something, but before the words could come, Lady Bal chanced upon the two and spoke first. "Shall I make preparations?"

Embarassed, Serana broke off and hid her face from all who were present. Seeing her discomfort, Mordred spoke on her behalf. "Yes, my lady."

"That is good." Lamae Bal said, smiling to herself. "When you are ready, we shall meet at the back of the house, in the shrine. I shall begin communing with Arkay to bless the ritual." With that said, she left.

One of her daughters spoke with Serana, offering her a better change of clothing should she prefer something more comfortable than her battle regalia. "We have robes stored in the wardrobes, if you're interested."

"Um, yes I'll have a change." Serana glanced up at Mordred, looking a bit flushed in spite of herself. To cover her embarrassment, she uttered a snarky remark. "And you, keep those on. I think it might improve the mood."

Mordred rolled his eyes and walked out the door, following Lamae Bal into the gardens where the shrine erected in honor of Arkay was found.

The air was surprisingly hot that night. The perfect kind of heat, just enough to set off the chill of the desert wind blowing from the east. Serana's red robe swayed about with each waft, and against the orange glow of the candles lit about in the garden and the light of the moon in the sky above, her pale complexion made her look like a ghost.

A beautiful ghost, to Mordred's eyes.

He waited for her next to a bed covered with furs and adorned with soft pillows. The bed sat in the middle of the garden, right next to a stone shrine dedicated to the patron of life and rebirth. Beside it stood a curious-looking bottle filled with emerald green water. Lamae Bal and her daughters were nowhere to be seen. They were all alone, with only the gods to watch their actions that night.

His armor and shirt were gone, chest bared with only his leather pants to cover his body.

Serana's pace slowed as her eyes took in the powerful figure standing before her. That same figure would be on top of her sometime that night, and just the thought of it made her feel funny down there. Her courage wavered, and Serana struggled against her instinct to flee. Biting her lip out of habit when she felt distressed, Serana distracted herself from her doubts, all thoughts suddenly coming to a screeching halt when the towering form of the dark elf loomed over her.

"Mordred, I-I..." Serana stammered, squeaking in surprise when Mordred tilted her head back and mashed his lips against hers.

His touch was firm and testing, like one would tread around the crypts of sleeping draugr. Words would not assure her, so he chose to act. When he felt no resistance from her, he felt satisfaction in his success. Mordred was no gentleman but he tried to be one nonetheless. His searching, conquering hands moved from her arms to her shoulders. He tugged at the silk threads holding her dress together, eliciting a quiet moan from her when he brushed against her neck.

She felt the fabric resist against his pull, and moved to help. "Don't tear the robe, it doesn't belong to me."

A few more tugs and the dress fell. Mordred grunted in mock frustration upon seeing her still dressed in her underwear. Picking her up with ease, he carried her over to the bed and laid her out on the furs. He wasted no time doing away with the offending fabric, and once she lay there in all her naked splendor, Mordred slowed down to fully appreciate the beautiful creature before him.

From her fine, shapely legs to the wide curve of her hips; from her succulent breasts to her glazed, expectant face- the sight of it all made Mordred feel as though he were lost in a trance.

He rode as a passenger, with instinct directing his body's motions.

His mouth assaulted her nethers, tasting the sweet and salty tang of her moist cunt before enveloping the little bud on the top with his lips. Serana hissed and uttered a long throaty moan at the waves of ecstasy running up her spine. Mordred, true to his word about making her feel as comfy as possible, waited until moist became frothing before inserting his fingers into her sopping orifice.

He felt the folds part and pull at his touch. Transfixed, he watched as Serana's back arched, her moans coming apart with breathless gasps. The vampire uttered a whispered oath, her head lolling from side to side as Mordred slowly pumped his hand back and forth. A few minutes later, he stopped. Mordred brought his hand up to lap at the juices covering his fingers. Like a hungry bear savoring honey, his eyes glowed with excitement.

Readying herself for him, Serana pulled a few pillows to rest her head and neck on before spreading her legs to welcome him in.

Mordred got up and removed his pants. The long throbbing member jumped out of his undergarments, as though eager to introduce itself to her. Serana swallowed the lump forming in her throat, feeling nervous as she imagined the unspeakable things he might do to her with that thing all night.

As he crawled atop of her, Serana said quietly. "Remember..."

"I know." Mordred whispered soothingly as he kissed her cheek. "I'll try to be gentle."

Before she knew it, the thing was already inside her.

Her back arched again, and Serana gasped in shock at the sudden wave that slapped her mind from a drunken haze to sober wakefulness. "Oh gods!"

Mordred let her take a moment to settle down, showering her face with affectionate kisses before moving his hips back. He made love to her, spurred on by the sounds of delight coming from her agape and smiling mouth. High on the feeling, Mordred fucked her with a gusto that matched his fiery passion. His ever roaming hands reached for Serana's ankles, and he lifted her legs off the bed to rest on his right shoulder. With her thighs pressed together that way, her tightness grew ever more suffocating, and Mordred growled out a low, guttural sound of approval.

His harsh, brutish nature stood in stark contrast to the mewling, fragile thing lying spread out before him. As the hour grew late, and the candles burned out, only the moon shone upon the lovely scene in the garden. Mordred's glistening form of dark grey, with Serana's pale form- one might mistake the two for the night and its moon incarnate.

Suddenly, Serana felt something hot and wet gush deep inside her.

Surprised, she pushed herself up on her elbows and looked up at Mordred. The dark elf's chest was heaving, and he bent forward over her, resting himself with his arms against the bed. Serana smiled, not in the least disappointed with him. Her hands snaked around his neck and back as she held him to herself. She whined as the hot, throbbing member slid free from her nethers, leaving a messy trail of white fluid to pour out of her.

"So..." She said, looking into his eyes gratefully. "We're done?"

Mordred looked at her in disbelief, "Do you...feel any different?"

Serana opened her mouth, using her tongue to feel at her fangs. Her heart sank as she realized nothing was changed. "No." She gently pushed Mordred off of her, "Thanks for helping me try, at least."

Mordred stared at her, still deep in thought. Serana laid down on her side, saddened by the lack of success of their joining but relieved that she could feel loved in spite of it.

The dark elf glanced at the bottle sitting on the ground below and reached for it. He opened the bottle, sniffed at the sweet concoction within and drank from it.

"What's that for?" Serana asked.

"I don't know. Lamae Bal said it would help with my performance." Mordred said with a shrug, "I don't know what she meant by that exactly but..." The dark elf stopped in mid-sentence, feeling his heart beat faster. His face grew hot, and his muscles grew taut. Before long, his cock that hung between his thighs jumped back to life as the blood rushed through its veins.

"Oh." They said in unison.

Serana laughed heartily and rolled over to her stomach. Still slick from his earlier ministrations, Serana readily received Mordred and the two resumed their joining. Minutes later, her moans turned to screams as caution was thrown to the wind. Mordred was no longer as gentle as he was before, but Serana couldn't care less.

She had never felt anything like this before. She had never dared let anyone get that far. Now that she had him, closer than she'd imagined he would be, she regretted nothing.

Mordred lifted her to her knees and fucked her from behind, raising her up that her back might rest against his chest while his arms would possessively wrap around her waist and neck. His kisses grew furious and demanding, leaving a fiery trail from her shoulders to her throat. Kissing her neck in that particular way tickled Serana, and her shoulders bunched up as he mercilessly nipped at her tender flesh.

"Ow! Hey!" She whimpered.

Mordred offered no apology, growling like a rabid dog as he fucked her even harder than before. Serana reveled in the lustful attentions of her partner, feeling an unfamiliar knot grow at the pit of her stomach. She was nearing the edge, and she knew it. When she opened her mouth to say something, all she uttered was unintelligible gibberish. Later, Mordred's fingers found their way into her mouth, preventing her from saying anything. Her lips moved on their own, and she sucked on the salty digits that once plundered her sex.

With a fleeting thought, she thanked Lamae Bal for the bottle.

Growing tired, Mordred moved to lie at his side. Clumsily, he pulled Serana to spoon in with him. The woman found the position favorable, as she rested herself on the soft pillows. Mordred kept thrusting his hips inward, also nearing his end.

Serana reached up behind her to caress his cheek. Her fingers brushed at prickly stubble, but found a welcoming kiss from his attentive lips. The woman moaned with a raising pitch as she teetered on the edge. Mordred got the hint and pulled her on top of him. One hand reached down to rub at her swollen clit, while the other viciously mauled her breast.

Serana clung to his arms and hung her head back lazily, completely left to the dark elf's mercy. She cried out as she leapt off that edge, bucking wildly as though she was struck by lightning. Mordred held her there firmly, but didn't stop fucking her until he got his second.

The woman, having achieved satisfaction, slowly pushed herself off Mordred. The dark elf slowed his pace as he watched her squat over his member, only to plop down to take it up to the hilt. Mordred groaned at this, and gave her ass a light slap of approval. Serana giggled and grinded herself over him, relishing in hearing his tortured moans.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Mordred said weakly.

Serana said nothing, pausing to look back at him as she raised herself up to slam down against him. Her smile grew as she felt Mordred's thumb brush against her anus. She cooed as he pressed on it, then moaned as it dug deep into her dry cavern. "Oww..."

"Yeah, you like that?" Mordred asked, raising Serana up to pull himself out of her. The thick, bulbous head refused to leave the woman, but after a hard tug, it slid free with a soft pop. Still slick with both their essences, Mordred pushed his cock into Serana's ass.

The woman hissed, frowning deeply at her partner but otherwise allowing him into her unguarded posterior. "Slowly..."

"Gods, that's tight!" Mordred moaned, supporting Serana's weight while she fucked him.

Anal sex wasn't as pleasurable as Serana would've liked, but Mordred seemed to like it, so she let him have the luxury. And unlike that harrowing ritual performed on her by her hated enemy, Serana's partner was careful not to tear at her flesh. Soon, Mordred released his load, coating her guts with his warm essence as he did her sex. Having done its job, and with the effects of the potion gone, Mordred's cock slipped out of her ass.

Satisfied and winded, Serana got off and crawled to lie beside her friend. With the ritual over and done with, all Serana wanted to do now was to cuddle.

"I don't think this is working." She sighed as she melted into Mordred's arms.

"Perhaps. Though, I don't regret doing it." Mordred replied.

"I don't either." Serana said, hesitating a bit before asking the question. "Mordred, do you love me?"

Mordred, on the other hand, didn't hesitate. "I do." It was as though he was waiting for her to ask.

"Do you really? Even if I'm a vampire?"

"I've never told you this, but this isn't the first time I've met a vampire who regretted becoming one." Mordred confessed, "So to answer your question, yes. Yes, Serana, I would love you even if you're a vampire. Dare I assume you would feel the same, for one who's made a living slaughtering your kin?"

"I hold no loyalty to those you call my 'kin'." Serana said with a shrug, "But yes, I love this vampire hunter."

"Ah, then this quest of yours isn't a total loss after all."

Serana snuggled closer and laid her head on his chest. "Yes, I suppose so." A little while later, Serana went to sleep, leaving Mordred to think on what they had started that night. He had known love once, in a lifetime ago, he wondered if one can get rusty over something like this. As he drifted off the sleep, he noticed a faint glow above him.

At first, he dismissed it as the sunrise peeking out of the horizon at early morning. Yet, the rays were different. Mordred gently set Serana aside and sat up, squinting hard as he watched the stone shrine of Arkay glow with divine light. He looked down at Serana and noticed a symbol slowly form on her chest. If she felt anything, it wasn't enough to notice, for as the symbol grew to make that of Arkay's divine star, Serana made no reaction whatsoever.

The symbol, like Arkay's shrine, glowed bright before fading. It left an exquisite mark, almost like a tattoo, where it lay on her chest.

After that, the god's decree made itself evident. Serana's pale skin turned to lively pink, then gold as the early sunlight touched her naked body. Mordred looked on in wonder as life returned to the undead before him, Arkay reclaiming a soul stolen by Molag Bal. His hand reached forward to touch her lips, and when he lifted them he saw her fangs recede into her jaws.

At his touch, Serana awoke. Her eyes, that once glowed red with the fell influence of Oblivion, now stared up at him with kind, beautiful green orbs.

"What?"

"Serana, get up." Mordred said, showing her the sun as it rose up into the sky. "Tell me, how do you feel?"

At first unsure of what he meant, Serana looked about her in confusion. Then, she felt it.

Her heart beating at her chest, her skin feeling the warmth of the sun without prickling up from its punishing gaze. Her blood no longer boiled from the wrath of Akatosh, her throat no longer burned with the insatiable thirst for blood.

She was cured!

Her stomach growled.

She was also hungry.

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