Part 4-High Voltage
Rated T-For, oh you know already
I don't own Elder Scrolls, nor does my buddy
Miryn was dreaming vividly, a continuation of his most previous dream, which was unfortunately short lived as Dahmaan decided it would be fun to wake him up by jumping on the bed and screaming repeatedly. When he began to stir she plopped onto her stomach, poking him in the forehead, "Wakey, wakey, my little buddy." He turned the other way, his back to her. Dahmaan didn't take this well, flailing her arms and legs on the bed while screaming, "IT'S ALMOST NOON!" When he let out a grunt, she took a pillow and hit him once, "UP!"
"Oh god, what? Jeez." Even with his little intricacies, Miryn was still a teenager at heart, and he hated his sleep regimen getting disrupted. "Mind if I ask as to what was so pressing as to wake me up like this?" Miryn groaned, slightly irritated. He shook his head in an attempt to clear the "fuzz" in his eyes that results from sleep. "You got a bead on Nehviir yet?" Dahmaan shook her head. "Sadly no." At that point, some heavy footsteps echoed through the halls, suddenly the door was flung open, revealing a fierce looking red haired woman, whose eyes were as dark as death. Miryn stood up, this was going to end with violence. "Who are you?" The woman cleared her throat. "My name is inconsequential, it's nothing personal, but I am the one who will end your lives with my blade, as dictated by my master." She pulled her cowl up, hiding all of her face but her eyes. There was an explosion outside, people running out to discover what. "That should distract the guards," she said to herself, looking from Dahmaan to Miryn as she took out her bow and some strange looking arrows, "I think I'll face you first, you look like the tougher challenge." In one swift movement, she launched an arrow into the ceiling, the arrow dissipating as a noxious gas and a thick fog poured out of it.
Miryn was quick to grab Dahmaan and run, he wasn't going to stick around and find out what that gas did. "Whew, who the hell is that?" Miryn wondered aloud. This woman was out for blood on the orders of someone else, the question was, who? As much he hated to admit it, they needed Nehviir, and they needed him now. But hoping wasn't going to do them any good, Miryn had to act, and fast. "Dahmaan, I need you to fight. I know its not your forte, but I need you to help. You can fight, right? Nehviir is not here, and we need to help ourselves, you'll be fine, no one is going to hurt you, not while I am around, you gotta trust me on that." She nodded hurriedly, taking out her short sword and shield, "Y-Yeah, I can fight. Usually, I need Ne- Ah, screw it. I can fight for myself." There was some creaking floorboards, but nothing to really indicate movement.
"Looks like we aren't going to be able to escape, no matter. I've been fighting all my life." I have to protect Dahmaan, even if it turns me into a demon, I'll tear down the sky for her. She may be disappointed as hell in me, but that doesn't matter, I'll do what I can. And so, with his determination, Miryn stood up, clenching his dark blade in hand. A dark purple mist began to permeate throughout the area, and the mysterious woman appeared. "I knew you were a demon, but that power, is impressive, care to demonstrate, after all, you and I, we're the same. You think you're the righteous one, but at the end of the day, you're a corrupted soul." Miryn gritted his teeth. Dahmaan spoke up. "That's not true, there is light within him, he has to search for it, is all. I believe in him, and thats all that matters." The woman chuckled. "Utterly ridiculous, he can't change what he is, no matter how much he may try. And you, girl, you can't help him, no matter what you may say, they are just empty words, devoid of meaning, or purpose. But I have said all there is to say, all there is, is the conflict." Dahmaan charged at her, sword in hand, releasing a battle cry not too different from Nehviir's from the explosion.
The woman managed to dodge each strike, only taking a step to completely dodge. Dahmaan attempted to bash her with her shield, but the woman leaned back to extreme lengths, winking at Miryn. "You're elf friend put up a better fight, I can give him that. Lucky me, he didn't take up many arrows." She sprinted towards him, instead of launching her arrows at them, she stuck them into the ceiling. She turned back to them, her back to the nearby exit, she pulled on the barely visible thread connecting them, the ceiling above collapsing. She leaped up into the remaining rafters, uncertain whether or not they are dead, but deciding to blend into the shadows for now and see how things would unfold.
Miryn fell to his knees. "I'm tired Dahmaan, really tired, all my life, I've been fighting, fighting...and it never seems to end. I don't know how I get myself into these fights, they always seem to arrive at my proverbial doorstep. I want just one day where someone isn't trying to kill me, but maybe I can never have that." He sighed, "What I would give to put all of this behind me, I guess we gotta head out again though, yeah? We won't be safe if we stay in one place too long." Miryn picked up his blade, and gave the owners of the local inn a generous sum of gold. "To cover the damages…" Miryn muttered. "Have a good day…" Dahmaan tried to give a reassuring grin, but it didn't come off like that. "Dahmaan, its time for the truth, you aren't exactly human, are you? I could sense it the moment we met, that you were different. You tell me your story, and I'll tell you mine, no beating around the bush anymore, if we're gonna be in this for the long run, we have to be able to trust each other, isn't that what you told me, you have to live up to your own words, too."
"I- Well, it's not that simple... I, well, I did say that, didn't I?" She bit her lip, "Well then, I guess it all started whe-" "Don't you think I should be the one to explain all this?" said a familiar voice, an old strange, elven looking man leaning on the half destroyed doorway. "NEHVIIR!" Dahmaan called, tears in her eyes as she sprinted to hug him. It took almost all of his remaining energy to stand on his own, let alone not try to let her crush him. They held each other tight, Dahmaan letting out a small sob, "I-I didn't know what happened to you, I was trying to find somewhere safe and you didn't come, and and-" "Grounded. One week." His hands raised to her temples as an angry look flashed across his face and, just like that, her whole for, popped like a bubble into nothing, "Should know better than to lie to me..." There were gasps, but Nehviir hadn't the time to be discreet. He waved a hand over the small crowd, the cyan-colored aura spreading over them, "Dragons attacked and destroyed the inn and the mine. Many people died. I'd advise you all to talk to the Jarl about this." He pulled up his hood, turning to Miryn, "Before you jump, no I did not kill her, she's basically in time out. She needs it, too. Too weak to fight, like she just tried."
Nehviir had Miryn follow him to the thicker parts of the Rift, where the tree made it hard to see the sky, let alone bring in any sunshine. Nehviir casted a spell, muttering an incantation to himself, before finally turning to Miryn, "I think now would be the proper time to hold a moment of truth, so to speak. I believe we owe each other quite a long list of answers, no? You start. I want to hear everything. From the beginning."
Miryn sighed. "Well, what do you want to know? I may not be that old, but I've got secrets, and I'm sure yours dwarf mine, but in any case, I'll answer any question of yours, I just want to get this out of the way, I'm sure with some things, you have made your own inferences, but I see that is not enough." Miryn scratched the back of his head, as Nehviir didn't break eye contact. I can also see that we arent that different, but I'll save my questions for once you are done, so lets get this over with shall we? Ask away." Miryn smirked. "Actually before you start Nehviir, I have one simple question, do you hate me? Cuz it feels like it, I don't care one way or another, I'm just curious."
"I have no opinion of you. I keep you here because you know too much, which alone makes me worry. I keep my distance to observe you, see what I can know, which has proved some use. Your intentions with my companion do not affect me, if that's what you're getting at. In fact, you and her could've accomplished quite a few things if it weren't for a couple things standing in the way. I admit, I am paranoid, but due to experiences I have learned it is smart to be cautious then to let your guard down like our mutual friend does." Nehviir huffed, "I'm not a big talker, as you see. So let's make it short and simple: Why is our attacker also wanting to harm you? What are you, exactly? What are your intentions with me and Dahmaan? Why should I trust you? Go."
"On that first one, I have some ideas, she thinks I am some sort of demon, I am just a normal Dunmer, who has been privy to unfortunate circumstances the day I was born, as for Dahmaan, all I can say is I love her, and as for why you should trust me, let me put it like this: I am not a bad person, I just am trying to live, no need to be suspicious of me. I wouldn't dream of doing anything to hurt Dahmaan, and by extension, you." Miryn paused for a second. "What exactly is Dahmaan? What are you? And why are you observing me so intently, I'm not an experiment…" Miryn finished.
"Dahmaan is a creation of mine. I am not her father, she is not an ordinary, seventeen year old Nord girl, she is an extension of my being. In my day, when my people were abundant and thriving, I delved into darker magic. I have ties with Mephala, just as most of my people did, but I took things further. In exchange for powerful knowledge, I gave up something of my own as you can see by my skin. It's painful, yes. My people, the Chimer, soon found out of my connections after a few mishaps and seeing me, so I fled far away and slept for a very, very long time. While my body hibernated, my mind expanded, giving me a companion: Dahmaan. Even her physical form has ties to my past, which is partially why I named her that. Now, the reason I observe you? To see what you're capable of, to see if you're just dead weight on our shoulders. Is that all?" He narrowed his eyes a little.
"So you're one of my ancestors, interesting…I can't think of much else. As for what I am capable of…"Miryn smiled, his eyes glowing a fiery red, as the powers of chaos that coursed within his body manifested. "So you see, I am very powerful, but my soul is fragmented. I can feel it slipping away week by week, I have no idea what will happen when it finally goes completely. But even so, I want to be with Dahmann until the end, I never had a family before, so Dahmaan is the first, and closest thing I have. Sure, she may not be a real, natural, human, but I don't care, no one here is normal, we're all broken in our own way, no? I'm just trying to live my life as best as I can. But I can tell when I am not needed, nor wanted around." Rain began to fall, it seemed strange that it occurred so often. "I guess I'll be seeing you when I see you." Miryn scowled, shouldering his dark blade, his boots crushing the grass under his feet.
Nehviir stood there for a moment, allowing him to leave with no regrets whatsoever. "Not my fault, it's on his own initiative," he said to what looked like air, "Yes I know- Hey, we did him a favor. Don't I li- Why must you make things complicated? Less people its si- You know I don't do well with physical affection... I really regret not making you a boy, sometimes." He waved a hand, "Miryn." He turned to face the older elf, knocking some raindrops out of his eyes. Nehviir walked to him, taking in a deep breath, "Dahmaan stubbornly requested me on her behalf to give you a hug as a sign of wanting you to stay with us." His arms widened, giving Miryn a tight hug that must've been plenty awkward for both of them. "If we didn't want you, you'd been an iceberg in the icy waters of Eastmarch by now."
Miryn chuckled. "I appreciate you saving my life, that much is true. But there is something I have to do, I'll be back soon, when you see me, I'll be a better man. I just have to find what I lost. I'll win the day. I need to shrug off this curse…So until that day, I bid you both adieu."
Nehviir smirked. "Kids these days. Even so, I feel just fine leaving the future to the youths of this generation." Even in the face of this new ray of hope, a deep darkness would stand in the trios way, and it would take all of their power to bring it down. The fight was only just beginning.