Nathan watched his gargoyle battle the other for a moment. Then gesturing to Serana and Escher, he beckoned them to keep moving. He hoped they'd be able to slip by even if his gargoyle lost the fight. They others quickly followed him up the steps and through the rumble of the dusty castle. The place was far bigger than he thought it was. He couldn't believe how much Harkon had cut himself off from. Serana guided him from behind to areas that she was vaguely familiar with. Resulting in them, heading up a set of stairs to an open floor that appeared to be a little dining area with a gated off stairway. Walking up to the iron gate, Nathan tried to lift it, but even with his inhuman strength, it was shut firmly. Serana hugged herself, pointing to a hanging chain that rested on a wall in a nook behind a gargoyle. Exhaling heavily, Nathan groaned out. "Oh, great..." Escher smirked, gesturing for him to go as he purred out playfully. "I'm sure it's fake. It would have moved by now." Narrowing his eyes on him, Nathan huffed back. "Right. Stay here and get ready to run." Creeping up close to the gargoyle, he waited for it to come to life. But it didn't.

Reaching out to touch its' burly arm, he felt only cold rock. Still feeling uneasy, Nathan stepped into the nook and leaned in around the Gargoyle. He tried to do his best not to touch it as he looped his fingers around the ring. He felt like this was a trap. If the Gargoyle was a deep sleeper, it might not awake until something loud happened. Which odds were that pulling the chain would make something do just that. Inhaling deep, Nathan held his breath that he didn't need and pulled the chain down. The chain clinked softly as gears whirred to life. Jumping back from the nook, Nathan waited for it to move but it remained still. The gate squealed as metal scrapped against rusted metal, causing everyone to flinch but still the gargoyle didn't move. Turning around, Nathan chuckled out to the others. "Huh, that was weird. I honestly thought that it would move. What weird place to even put a statue of a gargoyle." Escher suddenly tensed, his body straightening up as his eyes widened. Serana slipped beyond the now open gate by walking backwards, telling Nathan anxiously. "Nate? Um..." She pointed with her finger and Escher backed up to join Serana. Nathan slowed as he heard a soft clicking behind him. Turning quickly, he stood frozen to the spot.

The gargoyle had moved out of the nook and was casually sitting right behind him now in the center of the room. Swallowing, Nathan raised a hand and watched the ruby eyes move to follow his hand before they locked back onto him. Lowering his hand very slowly, he mumbled out breathlessly. "An Alpha male... Shit..." The Gargoyle's lip very slowly curled up to let saliva leak out like slime from between its sharp teeth. Escher's voice sounded a little startled, when he called out. "Nathan, come here. Fast." Nathan slide his foot across the ground as he stepped back, telling them a bit stiffly. "He's going to catch me. He's just as fast... Weren't you listening before?" The gargoyle started to move so slowly that Nathan could barely tell that he was moving at all. It's hands carefully moving over the stone floor in a way that made no sound. The only thing that gave him away was the soft clinking of rock as it's joints stretched, or when it was forced to shift its heavy weight to a different limb. Tensing up, Nathan tried to think of another way out of this, but all he could think off was to run. Raising his hand, he used his spell for invisibility and took off toward the gate. The Gargoyle lunged at his heels, missing him by inches as Nathan dashed to the gate. Upon approaching the gate, Nathan screamed out. "CLOSE IT!"

Escher yanked the chain so hard that it broke off the wall, sending the gate to come crashing down. Nathan dived and barely cleared the gate as it slammed down into the stone. The gargoyle wasn't so lucky. It slammed into the iron gate so hard that the metal bent and strained not to snap. The Gargoyle's arms reached in, its clawed fingers outstretching to where Nathan's invisible legs were. Scooting back, Nathan's spell broke as his concentration broke. The gargoyle snarled and slammed its horned head into the head like a ramming goat, doing anything it could to get farther in. Scooting all the way to the far wall, Nathan panted out. "Let's go before he finds a way in!" Serana rushed up the steps, while Escher grabbed Nathan's arm and pulled him up to his feet as he ran by. Running up the steps, Serana yanked on another chain that opened another iron gate that led into a large chapel. Racing a bit aimlessly around, Serana eventually called out to them to lead them onward. The place was like a giant maze, but together they navigated their way up along the bridge that overlooked the chapel and through a narrow tunnel that led up to a large double wooden door.

Upon entering the room, Nathan stopped breathing through his nose. The place smelled of dried blood and moldy bones. Escher made his way to a table that was laid out in the center of the room. Tipping the boxes to peer inside, he told them a bit gruffly. "More bones. Human. Someone was feeding like crazy. How many people were here?" Serana didn't say anything. She just quickly moved around the room to the next door. Nathan couldn't tell what she was thinking. She looked determined to press on. Gesturing to Escher, he followed her through to another set of stairs that led up to a larger wooden door. Serena slowly pulled it open, then looked back at them to press a finger to her lips. Escher rolled his eyes in response, but as the doors opened, everyone stiffened. The entire room had Gargoyles stationed around a dining table with chiseling tools. While in the back corner were empty vampire coffins. Serana started to move inside, but Nathan lingered in the back of the group. His eyes kept darting from statue to statue. There were seven statues and none of them looked dusty. Just as Serena reached the last gargoyle by the table, it sprang to life!

The sharp roar awakening two others. Serana screamed as her gargoyle smacked her into a wall. Escher leapt onto a ladder as his tried to grab him. Leaving Nathan to back up as his stomped after him with a menacing snarl. Nathan stopped breathing as he locked eyes with the gargoyle. The gargoyle slashed out at him, and Nathan used his speed to duck and strike back with a punch to its ribs. The gargoyle staggered from the powerful hit but shook it off like it was just a bruise. Its wings sprang up, letting out a loud roar at him. Arching himself in a similar stance, he hissed at it, his fangs dropping aggressively. The gargoyle thrashed its horned head, then charged him to try ramming him. Using his speed, he barely got his hands up to grab its horns. Sliding back across the floor, Nathan groaned as his strength strained to stop it. His feet hit the wall and in a split second decision, he ran up the wall and flipped over the gargoyle to let it slam into the wall. The gargoyle's horns dented the stone wall, stunning it as it backed up slowly. Removing Dawnbreaker, Nathan winced as the handle made his hand uncomfortable.

The gargoyle turned to face him, snorting before charging after him to slash at him rapidly. Nathan blocked every swipe with Dawnbreaker, watching sparks fly off the golden blade. Every blow pushed him back, until he risked spinning out of the way to slash the Gargoyle's back with the blade. The Gargoyle let out a distressed wail but turned right into Nathan's lunge. Impaling the blade right between its eyes. Removing the blade, Nathan rushed to help Escher, but slowed to a stop. Escher leapt down from the ladder onto his gargoyles back and used his momentum to flip the gargoyle onto the horns of a gargoyle that hadn't awakened. The horned impaling its chest and causing it to go limp as Escher gracefully landed on the table. Farther in the room, Serana ducked and ran around to avoid her gargoyle, until she saw the two dead ones. Then she tossed out spells to them and yelled out. "DUCK!" Escher jumped down from the table into Nathan's arms, who dropped to the floor as the dead ones sprang up with roars. Charging in, the gargoyles leapt into the air to fly over the table and slammed into Serena's pursuing gargoyle as she dived under the table.

Tackling the gargoyle, the two slashed and headbutted the other gargoyle to death. Once the gargoyle was dead, Serana ended the spell and crawled out from under the table toward them to ask. "Everyone alright?" Escher helped her up to her feet, chuckling out. "Emotionally? Or physically?" Nathan chuckled and watched Serena smirk to herself. Taking a breather for a moment, Serena told them as she glanced around the room. "I don't think we've reached the top of the tower yet. Knowing my mother... I'd bet there's some kind of secret passage around here." Escher pointed to the unawaken gargoyles, adding lightly. "Check the statues. These four didn't wake up. Chiseled decoys, maybe?" Escher moved back to the ladder, climbing up to the top to touch a gargoyle statue mounted there. Serana checked the ones below and Nathan went to the coffins to check them over. Finding nothing, he moved to the bookcases by the fireplace. Kneeling to check the books at the bottom, he froze in place. He felt a breeze on his ankle. Turning to face the fireplace, he stuck his hands out and felt it. Shoving the logs of fresh unburned wood aside, he ran his hands along the seam of the fireplace.

Escher hopped down from the ladder, shrugging out. "I got nothing. You?" Serana sighed heavily, answering reluctantly. "Nothing. Nate? What are you doing?" Nathan looked for a level or chain but found nothing. The only thing around the fireplace were wall mounted candles. Touching one, he told them distractedly. "I think I found something, guys." The first candle stand didn't move, but the second turned and made the back of the fireplace open. Behind him, Serena chuckled out lightly. "Huh. Leave it to my mother... always smarter than I gave her credit for." Nathan gestured for Serena to go first, and she didn't hesitate. Then letting Escher go in next, he slipped inside and pulled the chain just inside to close it. The stairway spiraled up for a few floors before finally coming to a door. Serena tried the handle, but it was locked. So, she kicked it in and slipped inside. Following her in, Nathan took in the many shelves of books and alchemy tables. The floor had a strange circle design with snuffed candles all around it. While cobwebs clung to everything. No one looked to have been here for years. Moving into the center of the room, Serena said aloud. "This has to be it. I knew she was deep into necromancy. I mean... she taught me everything I know. But I had no idea that she had a setup like this."

Nathan moved to look at the shelves of ingredients and animal skulls. Nathan had never seen so much dedication put into the study of necromancy. Behind him, Serena admired the shelf with him, adding a little excitedly. "Look at all this. She must have spent years collecting these components. And what's this thing? Do you recognize it?" Nathan turned to see her looking over the layered circle design in the stone floor. Moving over to it, he told her to the best of his knowledge. "There are many magic circles in magic. My guess... a summoning circle? Necromancy is about communicating with the dead... Maybe she was looking for answers from someone beyond." Serena placed her hands on her hips, replying coolly. "Ya. Could be. But who? It obviously means something... Let's take a look around. My mother kept a lot of journals. She was meticulous about her research. Maybe we can find the answer in her notes that can tell us where she's gone... or what she was doing." Escher let out a low whistle, mumbling out. "There are a lot of journals in here. We could be here a long time... Your mother maintained quite a laboratory."

Serena shrugged a little, moving to a bookcase as he told them openly. "I had no idea this even existed. She had an alchemy setup in her drawing room, but nothing that even comes close to what's here." Moving from table to table, Nathan told her confidently. "From the looks of this equipment and materials, I'd say your mother was trying to advance her necromancy." Serena raised an eyebrow, asking curiously. "To what end? She was already pretty good at it." Escher smirked to himself, stating aloud smugly. "Certainly not for longevity. That would be a waste of time for a vampire." They all shared a laugh, before separating to search different parts of the room. For a few hours, Nathan flipped through journal after journal about necromancy practices and stories of the dead. There were even regular books on vampires and the dead. By the time he finally reached the fifth shelf, he noticed a book that was jammed behind the others. Carefully pulling it down, he flipped it open and called out. "Serena? Listen to this." Turning to face the center of the room, he read aloud. "Harkon's shortsightedness is becoming a serious problem. I've warned him time and time again that his foolish prophecy would cast far too much light on our people, and yet he refuses to so much as listen to a word I say. I've become less a wife and more of an annoyance in his eyes."

Serena rushed over, stating out excitedly. "That's my mother! Read on. Is there more?" Nathan looked for where he left off and read on clearly. "Devoting attention to my work is the only solace I can find while enduring his ridiculous crusade. Twenty Eighth. I've had a breakthrough today. I was able to attune the portal vessel to the... Soul Carin... properly by using a small sample of ingredients." Nathan stopped to breath a moment to calm himself down. Serena looked to him, then Escher, asking perplexed. "What? Why the look? Go on." Nathan decided to hold his tongue for a bit and read on. "Although the portal only opened for a few seconds, I'm confident that with the proper formula, it can be sustained indefinitely. I feel like I'm missing a key ingredient. Something of sufficient potency that can resist the forces trying to prevent my intrusion. Communing with the ideal masters has proved worthless. They speak riddles and offer no assistance whether I ensure them a steady supply of souls or not. If I'm to escape Harkon's clutches, I need to keep the portal open long enough to carry me away from here... forever if need be."

Nathan looked up briefly to see Escher sit down on the low bookshelf with a defeated look. They both knew what she'd done. While Serena eagerly asked him. "Anymore? Don't stop." Sighing, Nathan finished off. "I've done it. After wasting thousands of gold coins on components, I've discovered how to sustain the portal. I'm listing the components below without the proper amounts for my own protection. As a secondary precaution, I am combining my own blood into the formula which should prevent anyone from being able to duplicate it and follow me into the Soul Cairn. The formula consists of: Finely ground bone meal. Purified void salt. And Soul gem shards. Using the proper measurements, place the above in the silver-lined portal vessel and add blood as a reactive agent. I will make my way into the Soul Cairn tomorrow after I gather my things and prepare for a potentially lengthy exile. More importantly, I must enact my plans with Serena, and get her to Dimhollow Crypt as soon as possible." When he closed the book, Escher grumbled out. "Just great... The Soul Cairn. Of all places..."

Serena looked between them, asking softly. "What's wrong with it? My mother had a theory about Soul Gems. Said that the souls inside them don't just vanish when they're used. That they end up in the Soul Carin." Nathan nodded, retorting a bit dryly. "Ya. She's not wrong. Necromancers have discovered it. Only... The Soul Cairn is home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls through the soul gems and receive powers of their own in return. Sounds like your mother was trying to contact them directly... and when not satisfied with their answers she traveled there." Serena shrugged, blurting out. "So what? My mother isn't afraid of anything." Escher cut in then to tell her a bit darkly. "Being brave doesn't mean shit. The beings there don't care who comes in. They only care that nothing leaves. They are soul eaters! Necromancers that go to the Soul Cairn to explore it have never returned. No one does. It is quite literally a death trap!" Nathan nodded, but Serena puffed her chest up and told them firmly. "I don't care. If she made it, we are going to find her." To Be Continued...