Chapter 3

Evergloam

We stood in the midst of the field, staring at each other for what seemed like hours on end—a man with the blood of the ancients flowing through his veins and a Daedric Prince. Nocturnal was exquisite. A true marvel. It was as if her gaze—her moonlit eyes—were calling me in to drink of her soul. And indeed, I was drunk—unaware of what laid before me, below me, all around me. She must have sensed my surprise.

"Are you well, Dragonborn?"

"Y-yes, milady," I bowed out of respect, kneeling until she commanded me to stand.

"What brings you to my realm?"

Her voice was smooth—more so now than when I heard her speak in Nirn. Even though I was a Nightingale, newly bestowed by Karliah, Nocturnal hardly ever addressed me. She would grant me luck every so often, but once I matured and discovered my true calling—becoming the Dragonborn—then I never needed her aid again.

Perhaps I upset her over the years.

"I…don't know. I was in Hircine's realm just a moment ago fighting alongside my comrades. Now I'm here…"

"Do not fear, my faithful servant, you are safe now."

As much as I appreciated her words, they were exactly what I did not want to hear. She called me her 'servant' but in my mind I was the opposite of that. I only served one deity…and it was not the being which stood before me. I ignored the urge to swing at her and calmed my thoughts. Forcing a smile, I addressed her properly, asking about my companions in this realm.

"May I see Brynjolf?"

"Yes," she said, "but first you must help me with a troubling task."

It's always something with these Princes. When will they ever give first and ask later?

"How may I be of service?"

We walked across the gloomy meadow and made way for the top of what I can only describe as a small mountain. From here, we could see an entire city masked in shadow and low brimming lights. It was beautiful—in a dark and hopeless kind of way. Nocturnal turned to me and asked my opinion of the sight.

"It's breathtaking," I said, staring across miles of terrain.

"I enjoy this place," she said quietly, "it has been my home for so long."

I turned to face her, "What troubles you, then?"

She hesitated before answering, and then she motioned toward the city in the valley below.

"A war is coming."

"War? Here…in this realm?"

"All realms," was her reply, "it engulfs every spirit who has ever existed in times past and present."

I tried to wrap my mind around the implications of her words, but I couldn't see the danger. Nothing could possess so much power as to threaten both Nirn and the Daedric worlds. Mehrunes Dagon came close, I suppose, but even his efforts were thwarted. I stared at the city, noticing the activity in the streets—of people wandering aimlessly, of others living as if all was as it should have been. I had to question her further.

"What is the threat?"

She draped her slender hands over my shoulders and squeezed gently, "Close your eyes. This will only take a moment."

I did as she asked, hesitating at first. A foolish reaction. What was she going to do…push me off the cliff? Bury a dagger into my back? I wasn't exactly in the most defensible position, but then again, I was already dead…so what could I be so afraid of?

"You may open them now."

Light shined brightly from all angles, pouring into my eyes. Out of pure instinct, I threw my hand upward to shield my vision, but it didn't seem to help. Something ahead was beaming like a monstrous flame on the eve of celebration.

"What is-?"

I stared in disbelief as someone appeared before us.

It can't be.

"Vex? Delvin?"

"…Ugh, and did you see Hircine? Completely barbaric!" I saw Vex emerge from a fiery portal—she was wielding a sword and had a bag slung over her shoulder.

"It's not like we were there long!"

"…Aye, but it's forbidden," another being emerged from the portal. I could recognize his raspy voice from a mile away.

"Delvin?"

They looked over to me and smiled. Vex was the first to speak. "Well, look who it is!" she exclaimed, "about time."

I met them both with my arms outstretched, "It's been too long, my friends."

"And here I was looking forward to retirement," Delvin chuckled.

"What are you doing here, Dragonborn?" Vex asked, "shouldn't you be in Sovngarde or something?"

Delvin laughed to himself before adding, "Looks like becomin' a Nightingale got him stuck with us."

I turned to Nocturnal and shrugged, "What now?"

She approached the three of us slowly. "We are all in danger. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to quell the impending attack."

"Attack?" Vex stepped forward defiantly, "who's going to attack the dead?"

"I think she's gettin' to that Vex," Delvin countered, "be patient."

Nocturnal waved her hand in the air. The portal behind us closed, sealing itself and the possibility of whatever laid beyond.

"Something is destroying our realms from within. I have spoken with Azura. She believes the Princes have divided themselves. A war for existence is inevitable."

"A war for…existence?" I repeated slowly, "what do you mean?"

"There is a possibility that we may perish here in my realm, Dragonborn. Something has happened. The Poleax has been removed from its resting place in Nirn."

Delvin shook his head, "This…is very bad. I've heard of the Poleax before, but I didn't think much of it."

"What is it?"

Nocturnal motioned toward Delvin, "Tell him."

"Right…well…the Poleax is an artifact forged during the era when Mer ruled the land. They say it's a device that had been constructed to keep the afterlife in order. Forged by the fires of Akatosh and the power of all the gods, its purpose was to hold the Princes divided. A divided house meant order. And order for the Daedra means weakness."

"We were able to rule our own realms, but interference was not possible," she said sternly, "until now."

"So that's what you two were doing? Interfering with the other realms?"

"Hircine's to be exact," Vex said quietly, "and he didn't like it one bit."

"Why were you there?"

"I sent them to retrieve allies," Nocturnal replied, staring at the pair, "yet it seems they were unsuccessful."

"It ain't our fault. We didn't know what we were up against." Delvin shuffled uncomfortably before answering further. "We aren't fighters."

Nocturnal raised a pointed finger at me, "But the Dragonborn is."

Suddenly, it all made sense. My original plan, or whatever was left of it at this point, had led to this inevitable clash against the gods. A minor delay. But significant nonetheless. Despite every voice inside of my head that told me not to involve myself in this conflict, I knew that I was going to have to help. Whether it was a Daedric Prince or my friends from another life. .

One step at a time.

"Okay. What do I have to do?"

AN: And so the plot thickens! Firstly, I would like to give a huge thank you to all who left a nice comment or any constructive feedback! I appreciate all forms of opinion. I'm just glad you are all enjoying the adventure so far! Until we meet again. -Alamak