The moon dimly lit the semi-frozen ground. Miraculously Witt managed to get a decent fire going under five minutes. Seated around the fire, Witt and the Templar, Gancolm eyed each other up every few minutes expecting the other to attack. Across from them seated on a fallen tree, Kyler eyed up her new charges.
The elf, almost youth like in figure, put as much space between the Templar and herself as she did the other two human mages and Kyler. The two human mages, both attractive and brown haired men of average stature, each carved away at a branch with a cooking knife that Kyler discovered at the bottom of her satchel.
" I'm confused…" Kyler looked back and forth between the elf and two humans. " So there's only one god in your world? And individuals born magical are locked away in a tower like prisoners?" The elf nodded, glancing nervously over her shoulder at the Templar that never took his eyes off them. Witt, in return, never took his eyes off the Templar. " And elves there don't have a homeland?" The elf nodded again.
Kyler leaned forward. " Do elves fall over backwards when the wind hits them too?"
Witt scoffed. " I thought you were going to be nice," He said over the fire popping. He finished cutting up the bear pelt into two separate vests and now started pulling out thick thread and a large needle from a wooden box.
The elf smiled for once. " We're more adaptive than you might think," The female assured the imperial.
The two human mages now turned their attention to the bear pelt carved up to create temporary clothing for them. " We didn't expect to end up here when we opened the door to Fade." One answered.
" So your Fade is our Oblivion," Witt made the comparison. " What is your equivalent to necromancy?" He stirred the food in the pot with a wooden spoon carved in the shape of a wolf's paw and set the spoon back in the empty bowl on top the stack of bowls.
" Blood mage," The other one answered.
Everyone fell silent, the Templar now removing his cuirass. He rubbed his forehead and winced. " Is there lyrium in this land?" He asked Witt.
Witt blinked. " What's lyrium?" He now started dishing out the stew in small bowls and passed them to the mages and Kyler.
The Templar sighed. " Lyrium. Enhances a templar's ability to counteract mage's magic. Glowing. Blue. Worked over by dwarves. Lethal to everyone else…" Irritation pitched his voice up and down.
" Withdrawal symptoms," One mage said out loud. " He needs the lyrium or else the withdrawal symptoms will overpower him and make him useless,"
" And then we could just leave him for another bear to kill," The second human suggested merrily.
Kyler shook her head, unable to suppress the smirk. " You have to remember that we also have mountain lions, minotaurs, willow wisps things…the little buggers, among other things. And maybe amusing to watch but not so amusing to be awoken by are mud crabs." Witt chuckled. " Not a word, or I'll-"
He held up his hand. "- cut my tongue out, I know," He still laughed as he dished himself up.
Clearing his throat, he now addressed Gancolm. " But if you want lyrium, you can just go back the way you came. If you need help, the Mage's guild could try. If you don't go back through the Fade, you'll just end up in Oblivion. Either way, you won't be a problem for me much longer,"
Moving closer to Witt, Kyler patted his shoulder. " Or we could introduce him to Vae. If we ever pry her away from Fadril."
" Him…" Witt shook his head. " To use magic to charm a woman into bed with him is not only a low move, it says he does not have the man skills required to enchant a woman," Swallowing a spoon full of the thin and lightly flavored broth, he relaxed. The taste of boar came through the various cooking leaves thrown in to invoke more flavor.
The Templar leaned forward to dish himself up the last of the food. " Who is Vae?"
Kyler and Witt made eye contact, shrugged, and then looked at him at the same time. " She's my twin. She also has an affinity for daggers and doesn't really have a heart. Unless you count her beloved home and the Dark Brotherhood. Other than that, she's perfect for you," She gave him her best wolfish grin.
He held up a hand. " I'll pass…By Andraste's Grace, why can't anything go right?" He rubbed his forehead and continued to eat.
Kyler almost felt bad for him.
Then she remembered how he turned his weapon on Witt.
Massimus met them at the gate in Skingrad the next day. He eyed up the Templar curiously. " It's been a while since I saw either twin," He took her hand and kissed it. " What brings you back here?" He looked over the other three, confusion mounting when he saw the shorter and thinner elf.
" Getting rid of him. He's been complaining about headaches from the moment he got up at dawn and now he says he's unable to travel until the sun sets. We're ditching him in the city and letting Sinderion fix him up." She shrugged.
Massimus looked over the Templar. " We could make use of him in the guard house. Some of our guards ran into a group of Mythic Dawn cultists that weren't wiped out before."
The Templar gave Kyler an evil look. " 9 divine gods, 16 Aedric or deadric princes, and cults? What the hell is this place? A breeding ground for maleficars?" Contempt colored his voice and made even the tolerant Massimus eye up the Templar with disgust.
The elf smiled. " The Qunari would have lost their patience with attempting to understand it by now," She agreed temporarily with the Templar.
" Maleficars equal mages not locked up," Kyler quickly explained to Massimus. " He had a little too much of an unknown poison before we could get to him. I think they all did, but he had the worst batch of it."
Massimus grimaced. " Are you sure a necromancy didn't make it?" He now eyed up the bear pelt turned vest covering one of the human mages. " Redguard?"
Kyler patted his shoulder. " We have to go. Antidotes, all the necessities of traveling and its risks unfortunately," She put her arm around the elf's shoulder and walked past Massimus. The two humans made eye contact with Massimus, tense, and relaxed only once they were out of eye sight.
" It's strange not having them come after us,"
" Yes, it is, but what's even stranger is that you haven't yet told me your name," She faced them all. " I'm Kyler Devinus. I have a twin, Vae Devinus. If Witt has a last name, I don't know it and he's not sharing it. Massimus Lumuno is a friend of ours," She subconsciously rubbed her belly wondering if she really was pregnant.
That damn Gray Prince story!
The elf moved away from Kyler. " Ashana," She nodded to the other two. " They go by Fool 1 and Fool 2,"
Fool 1 shook his head. " Greir," He pointed to himself. " And Thales," He pointed to his companion. " Ashana just doesn't like humans,"
Ashana sighed. " Aren't we supposed to be getting supplies?" She said pointedly.
Kyler nodded. " Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to hide you from the Templars like we can hide them. You're figure is a bit difficult to camouflage." She turned down the street for the traders. " Something of note here. Gold is gold. There is no subdivision of the coins." She spread out ten gold each. " It's all I can spare right now. Just remember to meet me at Summitmist Manor when you're done."
Thales grabbed her arm as Greir and Ashana peeled off to do their shopping. " Are you sure the Templar won't bother us?" He sounded worried, and his free hand shook.
" As certain as I can possibly be. Magic is prevalent here, and welcomed with open arms. We may not like necromancy but it's not illegal. If you're going to practice it, the Mage's guild will have nothing to do with you. If you break the law, pay up in gold or serve a sentence in a prison cell. You can lockpick your way out but the bounty will still stay on your head," She shrugged. " Unless you're a thief in the thieves guild. Then you can pay half price to someone to get it removed,"
" But you are sure they won't follow us?" He pressed.
She nodded. " Follow, maybe. But they can't do anything to you. Pray at a chapel if you wish. The gods may even answer you, or use a Daedric shrine. Just remember choose carefully. Some daedric are worse than others. And if you really want to escape this realm, you can enter a daedric prince's realm by entering his realm on an island across from Leyawin…Or is it Bravil? I can't remember, but you're free to do as a free person is wanton to do,"
A big smile replaced the concern and he hugged her tight.
Awkwardly patting him on the back, she bit back a chuckle. " And if you want to help fight against necromancy, just join the Anti-Necromancy Brotherhood. I'm a task master for it, so just come see me if that's your wish. Otherwise I'll refer you appropriately,"
He nodded and rushed off to join his comrades.
" I'm back," Witt surprised her. " Sinderion has taken the challenge upon himself to help cure the Templar of his withdrawal symptoms. He won't be a bother for us anymore,"
Kyler smirked and patted his cheek. " For now. Don't forget there are two others, and possibly a whole other realm full of the blockheads,"
" At least we can kill the blockheads if they try to attack us or enslave us," He called after her as she started for the manor. Catching up with her, he nodded to a passing city guard.
Whatever happened now, it would change the Cyrodiil one way or another.