Part 1 - Swords

Embers

Epilogue

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4E 175 – Cyrodiil.

Nevano stood in the middle of the smoking remains of the city of Chorrol. Sweat mingled with the few stray tears that he couldn't blink back cut tracks through the blood and grim on his face. All around him, battered and stunned citizens were moving around slowly, picking through the remains of their once great city. The bodies of men and mer littered the streets, citizens and Thalmor alike.

The beaten down remains of the city guard, Fighters Guild and Mages Guild carefully avoided looking at the Dunmer while they assisted in what they could. Nevano had swooped in, their hero, their savior, breaking the Thalmor hold on the city. But at a price…

Slowly Nevano looked up at the sky. Another tear slid down his face, the blue grey of his newly revealed skin standing out in stark contrast to the gritty mask of battle. He was a near perfect statue reflecting the mood of the survivors; a numb, stunned sadness with little whispering undercurrents of rage and terror.

A bloodied Orc slowly walked up, visibly wary of the elf. He was a fellow Fighters Guild member and he knew Nevano's legendary quick reflexes. Normally Nevano was a good-natured mer with a mischievous sense of humor and a penchant for getting into trouble. However, seeing the Dunmer like this, so broken and numb, was enough to make Orc wonder if he would snap. He did not want to have to deal with Nevano. He was a friend…and a deadly warrior.

The Orc's footsteps seemed to snap Nevano out of his dazed state and he sucked in a quick breath. "What?"

"Nevano…" the orc, Ogol gro-Bulfim, said hesitantly, "I just wanted to say…"

"Don't." Nevano said far more sharply than he meant to, "Leave it unsaid."

"We all feel it, Nevano." Ogol protested, "It can't be left unsaid."

Nevano didn't answer. Slowly the sickening feeling of grief and heartbreak was settling in, constricting his lungs and twisting his guts. For him it was over. Eventually the citizens of Chorrol would rebuild. They were a tough people. They would pick up the pieces. But he was done. All that he had here was destroyed. As gro-Bulfim had said, everyone felt it, everyone knew, but it was left unsaid.

It was time to go.

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A/N: Well, it's certainly been a while since I've done something here other than read fics on my phone. I originally wrote this out purely for my enjoyment but after a while decided to post. There's a bunch written out already and all planned out so there WILL be frequent updates, despite my well-deserved reputation for NOT updating (my bad).