A/N: cross posted on Ao3, thanks for reading.
Apocrypha was, at a first glance, a horrid place. Dreary, convoluted, and unbearably uncomfortable. It was not a place many chose for their awaited afterlife. Cael certainly hadn't. Although, he supposed that didn't really quite matter yet, seeing as how he wasn't actually dead. In Cael's eyes, the one redeemable thing about Apocrypha was what could be found in the nightmare-like world. Knowledge, a vast endless supply of knowledge ranging from mundane subjects like cooking to ancient dragon shouts.
He liked the cooking recipes ("A horker sauce? I've got to try that.") but what really kept him in Apocrypha was the knowledge that could be turned into power. The dragonborn had always been greedy for power, therefore he wanted knowledge, so it wasn't a surprise to Cael when he found himself reading his years away in the Daedric realm. He'd never been the studious type, but he could hardly put a good book down.
The book that he was currently reading wasn't an exception. It was a strange text, esoteric, even for Apocrypha's standards, which was really saying something. (He had found novels upon novels on chaurus mating rituals, by Auriel, never again.) The tome spoke of another realm, a Thedas, supposedly a failed dream of the godhead. (What in the world was a godhead and why was it dreaming?) It detailed a long history, not unlike Tamriel's own, filled with slavery and religious wars and magic and all sorts of things he could barely comprehend.
It also spoke of a Fade, powerful elven mages, demons, and warriors with tainted blood. It was fascinating though far from useful, or at least that's what he believed. Even if this other realm was real, Cael had no intention of seeking it out. He was intrigued but that's where it ended.
It was the last page of the oversized tome that started it all. Before he realized what the page had inscribed, he flipped it, fingertips grazing a moment too long on what appeared to be an elaborate rune. An incredibly complicated-looking rune that Cael had never seen in all his time. He realized his mistake when the rune started glowing, blindingly bright and scorching hot to the touch. He tried to pull his fingertips away to no avail. The rune, a powerful force not even the dragonborn could resist, was pulling him into the book, not unlike the sensation one felt when using a Black Book. His vision swam with myriad of colors and there was a shock of raw magical energy that surged through his body. He felt like a living lightning rod and Cael could only exasperatedly curse.
"For fuck's sake…" were his last words in Oblivion as the rune burst and devoured him whole.
When his vision stopped swimming, Cael saw that he was in an unknown realm of rocky cliffs and budding trees. Heavy fog hung in the air, further obscuring what scarce little Cael could see the distance. It reminded him of the arboreal Rift, but he knew he couldn't be on Tamriel, maybe not even in Oblivion. It certainly didn't look like Apocrypha with the distinct lack of murky ink and mountains upon mountains of books. Still, he tried calling for the Daedric Prince who had claimed his soul.
"Hermaeus Mora? I don't suppose you could tell me where am I or what this place is?" There was no answer, just silence that further unnerved Cael. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Why did things like this always happen to him? Hadn't enough books swallowed him up already?
He looked around the realm to see if there was anything of interest. A convenient portal back to his dwelling in Apocrypha would be preferred. A portal to Breezehome or the Sanctuary wouldn't be too bad either. After two years, he did miss the place and people. There was no portal, sadly, but stood by what looked to be a large drop, was a glowing mirror.
"Yeah. That's not sketchy." Cael muttered, though he still moved to approach it. He peered at it curiously and poked at it. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he felt his finger pass through what seemed like liquid glass. Was the mirror a portal? Cael wanted to find out. Although knowing his luck, the mirror would lead straight to the Shivering Isles or why not Coldharbour?
Or the mirror would just kill him. Cael thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. He doubted it and besides, it wasn't like he was particularly busy or had any other viable plan. He stepped in and saw the world blur around him once more.
And then he proceeded to immediately regret it.
Passing through the mirror made Cael want to throw up as a wave of nausea hit him full force. There was a spark of a magic that ran over his skin and then followed a more primal burning in his blood. It set his nerves alight, making him feel as though he was boiling from the inside out.
He all but collapsed when his feet finally hit solid ground, the pain of the experience practically immobilizing him. He could barely hear the sound of a sword being unsheathed beyond the thundering sound of his heartbeat. He looked up and saw through distorted vision, a man dressed in ornate blue-silver armor, a sword held threateningly in one hand.
"Who are you?" Cael heard the man ask. Cael didn't bother to answer, his tongue still felt swollen in his mouth. Instead, he tried to stand up which immediately alarmed the other man, a soldier of some sort most likely. "I'm afraid I can't allow any tainted demons from that mirror to leave here."
Tainted what? More importantly, was this man threatening him?
Cael rose smoothly to his feet, into a battle position that betrayed how awful he actually felt. His vision still swam with each blink and every move he made sent an excruciating amount of pain up his spine. He felt feverish, weak with pain, but it would be a scorching hot day in Winterhold before he'd let some random man confine or kill him. If he had to carve his way just to get to a healer and find out what happened, then so be it.
Although perhaps he should leave this soldier alive, so he could tell Cael exactly where he had ended up. If he could even manage to incapacitate the man without killing him, of course. The man looked like he wanted to say something more, but Cael gave him no chance. With how much pain he was in, this fight had to be finished quickly.
His arrow was nocked, drawn, and released in just mere seconds. His grit his teeth as the man dodged skillfully and a new wave of agony washed over him. He fought through it anyway, even as the world around him tilted on its axis.
A poisoned dagger cut through the air, but only clattered uselessly against the wall. (He ignored the sting of wounded pride. He actually missed!) The man steadily advanced, bringing his shield up to intercept a hail of his poison tipped arrows. Cael used the man's momentary block in vision to his advantage. Another arrow was drawn and loosed, this one aimed at his unshielded legs, but the man was a better fighter than Cael preferred.
He sidestepped, the arrow merely grazing the top of his calf. Cael's vision darkened, but he smirked wickedly all the same. He made sure the smirk was visible when the soldier's sword clashed against his dragonbone bow.
The bow held strong against the weight of the sword. In an instant, he slipped out the Blade of Woe and slashed at the man's stomach with his free hand. It met only the steel of his shield. The shield swung into his right side, crashing into his face, and sending Cael to the ground. There was the distant clatter of his bow and the taste of iron. Blood dripped in rivulets from what felt like an already broken nose.
His opponent towered above him, sword held high, perhaps assuming he had won their short fight.
He was very wrong. Cael savored the brief look of confusion on the man's face as he did the strangest, damndest thing.
Cael laughed.
"The poison should kill you in just under a day. Don't worry. It's painless, I promise." He taunted.
"What-" Cael wasn't interested in what the man had to say.
Cael's voice rumbled in his chest, unnatural and more guttural than any language on Nirn. It shook the very foundation below them and the ceiling above. It shook the man's very bones.
"FUS. ROH. DAH."
Unrelenting force sent the man flying into the wall farthest from him. The crash of metal and the crunch of more than a few broken bones reverberated throughout the room. Cael took sick pleasure in the sound.
Cael kept his eyes open long enough to enjoy the look of visible pain and shock on the man's face. He had nothing personal against the man, not really, he was simply a sadistic bastard. And being in pain himself, made him want to put others in pain even more.
He then closed his eyes, knowing the fight was over, and missed the look of dawning horror on his opponent's face.
"I believe the paralyzation should be kicking in about now." Cael nonchalantly added, swollen tongue hindering his every word. His grasp on his consciousness was fading fast. "Remember when I said the poison was painless?" Cael allowed himself one final laugh before he succumbed to his own pain. "I lied."
The world went black.