4E 202, Haafingar Mountain Range, Wolfskull Cave
Serana Volkihar
She stepped over the crumbling remains of a Draugr, this one dead from the clear stab wound at the base of its neck, courtesy of Kiera.
They were certainly in the right place. Wolfskull Cave was filled with Draugr of all kinds, not to mention the numerous Necromancer they found fiddling within.
Serana herself could feel it. The cave practically bled with necromantic energy. It was amateurish. Whatever ritual the necromancers had attempted here had scarred this place deeply.
"Too many bodies," Serana murmured under her breath, glancing at the cracked sarcophagi littered across the cave. "Was this place a tomb of some kind? It certainly explains the number of undead we had to kill through to get here."
"This cave was the place where the Former Queen Potema Septim was buried." Legate Rikke replied, her armor dirtied in a few places from the dust and sand. While Serana was confident that she and Kiera could have cleared this place by themselves, the Legate and the twenty legionnaires they had accompanying them were a massive help.
"From what I heard, the many loyalists that fought for her in the War of Red Diamond all chose to be buried with their mistress, joining her in death." She looked around at the arms and armor of the Draugr around them, a tone of respect in her voice. "That type of loyalty was rare."
Serana certainly agreed.
Kiera, standing a few feet ahead, was already grilling a bloodied necromancer they'd dragged out of the ritual circle and managed to capture. The Dragonborn's tone was cold and clipped, but her eyes blazed with fury.
"Talk. What happened here in Wolfskull?"
The necromancer, his robes singed at the hem and his face pale with fear, stammered. "W-We were trying to revive the former Queen—Potema Septim! The world is falling apart! Dragons… vampires… Daedra! You see it too, don't you?! The Empire has fallen from grace!"
Serana narrowed her eyes. His voice wasn't just fearful. It was zealous. Fanatical. Did they see this Queen as some sort of God?
"The Mede Dynasty is weak!" the necromancer continued. "They bow to the Thalmor like dogs! But Queen Potema—she was strong! The last true Septim! She'll restore order, take back Tamriel from these foreign puppet-kings!"
Similar cries rang out from the other restrained necromancers. Every last one of them shared the same mad fervor. They weren't just cultists—they were believers.
"I've seen zealotry before," Serana said to no one in particular. "But this… this is closer to worship."
Kiera shot her a look. "They're old Legion mages, from what I can tell. Disillusioned, probably broken from the many conflicts that happened after the Septim dynasty died."
"Which made them easy prey for someone like Potema," Serana replied, folding her arms. "She was a tactician even in undeath."
"You forget," Legate Rikke shook her head as she eyed the necromancer. "Potema was known as the Mad Queen. She plunged Skyrim into a generation of bloodshed for her claim on the Ruby Throne. The lands around Solitude turned barren from her foul magic. A genius, yes—but monstrous."
Kiera nodded, but her tone remained probing. "So what happened here? Did she… return?"
The necromancer's grin was feral now, blood smeared across his teeth. "We succeeded! Potema lives! Her spirit is loose—powerful and hungry! She searches for a vessel worthy of her legacy! We raised her army of death and would've raised more until you came and ruined it all!"
Kiera exhaled sharply, and then struck the man hard in the temple with the hilt of her blade. He slumped unconscious.
Serana lifted a brow. "That's one way to end a conversation."
Kiera sighed. "I've had enough of fanatics today."
They regrouped near the cave's opening, the soldiers of the Imperial Legion fanned out to ensure there were no stragglers. Rikke knelt beside a map of the surrounding regions unrolled on a crate, with Serana and Kiera both standing over her.
"What do you make of all this?" Kiera turned to Serana
Serana rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "If this Potema was as powerful as they claimed, she must've managed to untether herself from her old remains. That means she turned herself into a wandering soul on purpose."
Rikke looked up sharply. "You're saying she planned this?"
Serana nodded. "It's a level of Necromancy that even I haven't reached yet. Even my mother would find that impressive. She's no ordinary ghost—she's a soul looking for the perfect body to possess. And she's likely found one."
"Meridia's Temple." Kiera said the words grimly. "Meridia warned me that a powerful necromancer was desecrating her shrine. If I had to guess, Potema's spirit found them and took over."
"Which means we're now dealing with a fully-possessed, highly-skilled necromancer… enhanced by the soul of a Septim warlord," Serana said, her voice almost admiring despite herself. "That'll be fun."
Kiera chuckled. "Glad you're enjoying this."
"Compared to being locked in a crypt for centuries?" Serana smirked. "It's practically a vacation."
Rikke's voice returned them to focus. "So what now, Lady Kiera? Shall we rendezvous with Legate Adventus and attack Meridia's Temple head-on?"
"Yes," Kiera said. "We strike before she can raise another army. But I have no doubt Potema is aware of what's happened here. She'll be hunkering down in the temple and turning it into a fortress."
Serana's eyes narrowed as an old memory surfaced—like a flicker of candlelight in a dark chamber. "There might be a way in from behind."
Kiera turned. "What?"
"To Meridia's Temple. I remember it." Serana nodded, more certain now. "My mother and I saw it when we explored the mountains to the west. Hidden under a ridge, half-buried by snow."
Kiera stepped closer. "Do you remember exactly where?"
"Maybe." Serana said. "I might need to see it from the air to identify it, which shouldn't be hard with Vermithor."
Rikke nodded at the implication. "If Adventus and I attack from the front, we can draw Potema's forces away long enough for you and Lady Serana to slip in from the rear."
Kiera nodded. "Two-pronged assault. While you keep them busy, we find the necromancer queen and end her."
"And if it turns out she's got a whole new army of undead?" Serana asked, her tone light but dangerous.
"Then we kill them all." Kiera said with a deadly smile.
Serana smirked back. "I like this plan."
"I'll have some of my men escort the prisoners to Solitude," Rikke added, standing. "Ahtar can wring more answers out of them. We might learn how many other Septim loyalists are crawling around Skyrim."
Kiera nodded as she rolled her shoulders and turned toward the cave mouth. "Time to move. Let's go kill a Queen."
…
Two days later, Meridia's Temple
"There!" Serana pointed to a narrow clearing nestled between jagged cliffs, ringed by snow-dusted pines. It was barely wide enough for a dragon with Vermithor's size, but it would do.
Vermithor banked gently, his massive body quieted by a Muffle spell courtesy of Serana herself. Even she had doubted that such a simple spell could tame the sound of a creature so enormous, but the silence that followed the dragon's descent proved her wrong.
The moment his talons hit the stone, she and Kiera slid off his back, landing in perfect sync. Before them, nestled against the base of the mountain, was the hidden passage—an ancient, half-collapsed cave mouth that served as Meridia's forgotten backdoor.
"Wait here, Vermithor," Kiera said firmly, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes.
"Understood, Kiera," Vermithor said with a toothy grin. "May your foes regret their existence."
Serana followed Kiera into the shadowed tunnel, a thick weight of silence falling upon them. The siege had begun hours earlier. Outside, Legates Rikke and Adventus were hammering against the temple's front gate. Dozens of Legionnaires were locked in a bloody stalemate with Potema's endless waves of Draugr and necromancers.
They needed to be quick and quiet. Potema had turned the temple into a small fortress. But it seems that Potema had no knowledge of this backdoor since it was completely unguarded.
Just as they walked through the tunnels dug deep within the mountain, She and Kiera paused as a voice spoke.
"The necromancer who desecrates my temple is named Malkoran, but he is no longer alone." Meridia's voice spoke out. "A dark soul rides within him. Cleanse this corruption, and I shall reward you, Dragonborn, with a weapon worthy of your wrath."
The divine presence faded as quickly as it came. Serana and Kiera shared a nod, then pressed forward into the black.
The deeper they went, the more they could hear—the rattling of bones, the crackle of fire spells, and voices.
"Reinforce the doors. The Legion lacks siege equipment, so we have time. Retrieve every corpse of the Legionnaires and bring them back here. I will use them to reinforce our numbers."
The voice was eerie—male, yet warped with a female undertone. It grated against Serana's ears like claws on ice.
"That must be her." she whispered. "She must've taken over this Malkoran."
Kiera narrowed her eyes. "Then let's make this quick."
They turned the corner to see a vast antechamber lit by flickering braziers. Rows of Draugr lined the stone floors. A half-dozen necromancers stood behind a central figure–a pale Breton man, clad in black robes laced with crimson runes. His eyes glowed faintly violet, but it was the voice that confirmed everything.
"Ready?" Kiera asked.
"Always." Serana confirmed.
They stepped out of the shadows, the former taking a deep breath. "FUS RO DAH!"
The Unrelenting Force exploded from her lungs, the echoing shout a concussive thunderclap that blasted across the room. Draugr and necromancers were flung like ragdolls. The stone beneath their feet cracked.
But Malkoran—Potema—did not move.
A curved, glowing ward flared into place in front of her, absorbing the shout.
Kiera raised an eyebrow. "She blocked my Thu'um?"
"Potema is a powerful wizard, so I'm not surprised." Serana quipped as she darted forward and unleashed a massive blizzard from her fingertips. Ice and snow howled from her palms, engulfing the enemy in freezing mist.
But Potema countered with a roaring firestorm, the flames coiling like serpents and crashing into Serana's spell in a storm of steam and shrieking magic.
The cave shook. Dust rained from the ceiling. The sound of the siege beyond bled through the walls—booming impacts, distant screams, the clang of swords.
Behind them, Kiera barreled into the remaining necromancers, her silver longsword Dawnbite cleaving through the undead. One Draugr flew backward from a savage kick, tumbling end over end and crashing onto the walls of the cavern.
"You threaten the Wolf Queen?" hissed the abomination. "Then perish."
Potema snarled and stabbed her hand forward, chanting in an ancient tongue. The ground split and an undead dragon burst from the catacombs with an ear-piercing shriek. Bones clattered as it unfurled skeletal wings and hissed at Kiera.
"Is that a dragon?" Serana said.
"Undead one," Kiera shouted, backpedaling. "You take Potema—I'll take the big guy."
"Got it. Good luck." Serana nodded as Kiera lunged forward.
"KRII!"
Kiera's Marked for Death shout rapidly absorbed the life force of anyone swallowed by the purple wave.
Serana knew she had nothing to worry about with her teammate. She had to focus.
She rushed forward, managing to get behind Potema with her vampiric speed. The ebony dagger that Gerron gave her gleamed with the frost enchantments imbued as she slashed for the neck—but Potema spun with unnatural grace, parrying with her palm and sending Serana skidding back with a blast of raw flame, singing the front of her armor.
She didn't even feel the heat, her bodice that was made up of Caraxes' scales absorbing much of it. She really needed to thank Gerron for all the gear he made after this.
"You cannot defeat me, bloodsucker!" Potema howled, her voice booming unnaturally. "I ruled the Empire before your birth! I bent legions to my will!"
"Oh trust me," Serana hissed. "You weren't even an important name back when I was alive."
She hurled a lightning storm from both hands, the bolts spiraling and weaving around Potema's defensive wards. Sparks exploded across the room as stone shattered and sigils cracked. One arc of electricity missed Potema by inches and slammed into the ceiling—causing a cascade of rubble to collapse dangerously close to Kiera's duel with the undead dragon.
"Woah careful, Serana! We're inside a cave!" Kiera barked, barely ducking a chunk of stone before grabbing one from the air and throwing it towards one of the necromancers, breaking their neck from the force.
Serana gritted her teeth and shifted tactics. She weaved through pillars, dodging flaming whips conjured from Potema's hands, and retaliated with a burst of illusion magic—flickering shadows that mimicked her movements, drawing Potema's attacks away.
One of the illusions danced left while Serana appeared from the right. She moved fast and landed a searing ice spike into Potema's gut.
"ARGH!" Potema staggered, momentarily dazed.
That was her chance.
Serana lunged forward, grabbed Malkoran's—Potema's—shoulders and sank her fangs deep into his neck. The blood rushed into her mouth, hot and electric. But this was no ordinary blood. This was Potema's soul. Twisted, ancient, powerful.
"NOOOOOO!" Potema's voice shrieked in utter horror, a chorus of hatred and despair as her essence was pulled into Serana.
Serana's body trembled, her veins glowing faintly with dark violet. She felt the strength of a thousand souls flooding through her, the agony of the Wolf Queen screaming within her mind.
When the body crumpled into a dry, withered husk, Serana stood tall, glowing faintly with power.
"Time to finish this," she whispered.
She lifted her left hand, now pulsating with purple energy, and pulled.
Potema's soul—a dark, snarling, furious thing—tore itself free from the ruined corpse in a shriek of madness.
"YOU CANNOT KILL ME—"
"I already did," Serana said coldly.
And with a final incantation, she purged the soul in a burst of necrotic violet fire, scattering the remnants of Potema the Wolf Queen to oblivion.
…
AN: Twenty four hundred words of Serana goodness. It's been a while since her last POV chapter. Thought I should give her some love.
With this, the threat of the Wolf Queen is finished and Meridia's Daedric Quest is completed. What'll happen when a fully realized Dragonborn at the height of her power wields a blessed and ancient Daedric Artifact? We'll find out soon enough.
More chapters on my Pat_reon! A whole 10 chapters ahead! Chapter 57 should be available by the time this chapter is posted. Just look up my name and you'll find me.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Cheers!