-Fingalmo-

*Three days before Kagra's arrival to the Imperial City*

Fingalmo stood at the entrance of Elenwen's estate as he collected his thoughts. Serving as Ondolemar's replacement was more stressful than I would've thought it would be. It will be some time before he heals from his injuries. After he steeled himself, he pushed the door open and went inside.

"Welcome back, Justiciar." Said one of the two enforcers at the door.

Fingalmo ignored them and went straight to Elenwen's office. His thoughts were on the recent events that were rocking Skyrim to the core once more. He stopped as he clenched his fists and tightened his jaw. Even though the Emprie was able to quell the Stormcloak rebellion by sheer luck, the conflict in the province only increased. Solitude, Markarth and Whiterun being the most stable of the holds. After he calmed himself, he finished making his way to her office.

Elenwen was sitting at her desk, mulling over paperwork that almost stacked over it. Her gaze never left the papers before her, but she greeted him as soon as he stepped through the threshold. "How are things across Skyrim?" Elenwen said, the tone of anger barely palable on her voice.

"The Thalmor Enforcers have been ambushed all over the Rift and Eastmarch." Fingalmo said. "All attacks launched by cultists. Their bodies burned and left on the roads. Swords and armor stolen."

Elenwen placed her quill down and intertwined her fingers as she leaned forward on her chair. "And here I thought we would have a tighter grip on Skyrim by the time the rebellion was stopped." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "This is definitely putting back our plans to push forward towards Morrowind."

"Mer should stand together against men." Fingalmo said.

"These brutes wouldn't know their right hand from their left." Elenwen leaned back. "Though I do need to congratulate your exceptional job during your short time in the position."

"Thank you, Lady Ambassador."

"Now," She stood up. "I received word yesterday that you captured one of these new… rebels. I hope you brought him with you."

"Yes, Lady Ambassador." Fingalmo said. "He was to be brought here by dawn."

"Hmph. Good work. Then he should be in one of the cells already. Let's go." Elenwen took point towards the cells while Fingalmo followed her silently.

His thoughts were focused on how to suppress this new threat to the plans of the Aldmeri Dominion before Ondolemar returned to his post. He clenched his fists again as he motivated himself to push forward.

Once at the cells, he could hear the moans of pain from the prisoners they had captured for the worship of Talos; guards stood there on watch after the incident with the Dragonborn a few months back. This made Fingalmo feel pride and shame. The thought of some lowly peasant gaining entry into the Embassy and killing around twenty guards was like being spit on the face.

Elenwen stopped before the cell that contained their new prisoner. He was clad in a black armor with a brooch of silver stars on the right side of his chest. His hands tied to the shackles on the walls while he grinned at them. "Open the cell." Elenwen ordered before glancing back at Fingalgmo. "Let's see how much he will resist, shall we?"

The prisoner was a breton. He had been captured with a Forsworn blade and shamanic amulets akin to those the Reachmen use. "Now tell us, what is your name?"

"Why do you care?"

"Quite." She glanced at Fingalmo. "I'll leave it up to you, but I will ask the questions."

"With pleasure, Lady Ambassador." He said, then stepped inside as he readied his storm spell and attacked him with it, making his body convulse before he stopped.

"Why are you attacking the Aldmeri Dominion?" Elenwen said.

The prisoner was breathing heavily as he glared at the Thalmor. "You have no idea what is coming. Hehhahahah! The change that has blown in will cripple you and your opposing government! The streets will run red with Thalmor blood as the new order rises up from the old ashes and begins its ascent into the light! WE WILL TAKE DOWN ALL THE RULERS THAT MAKE TAMRIEL! WE WILL BE BORN AGAIN UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF OUR NEW LORD! WE WILL CURSE YOUR LANDS, YOUR SOULS! WE WILL COMMAND THE DEAD!" He began to laugh loudly as his head fell backwards. "Boethia will dance around your graves as we tear your bodies, bind your souls, and sacrifice your flesh to her! All Praise to the Lord Boethia! We are the newly-formed Mythic Dawn! We will bring forth a new age under a new name! May our Hexes be sealed on your souls! Hahahahaahh!" He cast an incineration spell which consumed him almost instantly, charring his flesh.

Fingalmo, as well as everyone else in the room was left speechless as the man burned before them while he laughed. Elenwen was the first to snap out of her surprise, ordering Fingalmo to douse the flames with his honed Frost spells, which left the whole room much colder than what it was outside.

Fingalmo paced over to Elenwen, who had a stern look on her face as her eyes were glued on the charred man. "It seems old flames are starting to come back alive."

"Quite." Her voice was flat. "It would seem this threat will extend to all the provinces. Fingalmo. I hereby order you to travel to the Imperial City to warn the Aldmeri Dominion Representative there about the incoming danger. Also, before you depart, choose two members of the Justiciars to accompany you and make sure you prepare a full report of this incident and deliver it to his hands. We may need to combat another crisis from the realm of Oblivion."

His skin crawled; the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he imagined another disaster like the Oblivion Crisis happening again, but he accepted nonetheless. "Thank you Lady Ambassador. I shall depart as soon as I'm ready."

"Be sure to deliver a letter to him from me as well. Be sure to pick it up before you depart." Elenwen turned around and left.

-Alexius-

*Present Day*

Dawn was just beginning to break over the horizon; the sun had yet to raise when I received the call from one of my men about an incident in the Talos Plaza first, I expected it to be another confrontation between the cititzens and the Thalmor, which occurred so often, that I stopped attenting them personally. The urgency from my Subordinate told me this wasn't a normal incident.

I wasn't prepared for the scene that awaited me when I arrived. People had gathered around Giventius Turelius's house while the City Watch kept them away. Black crystals protruded from its walls while matching, still glowing cracks decoarted the rest of the white walls. Daedric Runes were also burned into the stone, as they hummed with an ominous sound. The door had been blocked by one of the spikes; blood, thick as mucus and almost dark as the night dripped from their tips.

My jaw had dropped as I stood there motionless, staring at the unexpected scene before me, and everyone else there. At the top, was Giventius Turelius himself, held up high by the tallest spikes, possibly higher than the walls itself. "By the Eight…"

"Legate!" One of the City Watch called. "This way please!"

That snapped me from my trance, and I cleared my throat before proceeding through the crowd. The murmurs of the concerned citizens spoke many things as I passed. 'Is this the start of another Oblivion Crisis?' Or ' bet the Thalmor did it.' and 'The Gods have doomed us for removing Talos from our pantheon.' among many other comments.

As soon as I broke through the crowd, the scene was more impactful, and before it were stones, large black stones shaped like diamonds, surrounding the structure. At a dsitance from them were several mages from the Synod and the College of Whispers, mostly arguing than doing anything else.

"What are you doing here?" I called out as I marched over to the group of young men and women huddled up in a group yelling at each other's faces. "This is an Imperial Investigation. You have no permission to be here. Leave!"

One of the mages from the Synod glared at me before he took a few steps forward, while everyone else fell silent. "We do have permission to be here. The City Watch called us to discern the nature of this magical anomaly, in which it has not been seen before in modern day."

I looked at the Captain of the Talos Plaza City Watch, and he stepped forward. "I'm sorry Legate, but we didn't know what else to do."

"Thank you Captain." I said while I glanced at his white Legion Captain Armor. "But get someone more competent next time."

"Yes, Legate."

"Keep the citizen out. I'll handle this."

The Captain nodded again before turning around and started to push back the crowd even further. After I took another glance at the disaster we had on our hands, my gaze shifted to the young mages. "Mages, disperse. I have no need for you and your play to see whose dick is bigger."

"Are you mocking us?" The young man from the Synod said.

I grabbed the hilt of my blade and started to unsheathe it. "I am not. Now go, before I place you in chains for interfering with Official business."

"Hmph." The young man said. "I doubt you have sufficient magical knowledge to solve this."

I ignored the comment and paced over to the black hovering crystals. They began to glow as I passed them and a force pulled me back before the five stones shot out a strong bolt of lightning.

"Impressive display of force Legate Alexius." Linasta said as she made herself visible. "Though you shouldn't throw your life away so easily at the hands of Corrupted Varla Stones."

Sneaky as always. Fitting, for the Arch-Mage of the College of Whispers. "Inexperience is not something I tolerate."

Linasta chuckled before she passed her hand on my chin. "Now, now Legate, those words could be misinterpreted, hmm?"

I pushed her hand away. "Do you have any ideas?" We both glanced up at the body of Giventius Turelius.

I saw her shift her weight as she brought her staff before her and held it with both hands, the Varla Stone glimmering in the pre-dawn light. "I am afraid there is nothing we can do Legate." Her voice dripped with amusement. "I am sad to say that the events have sent in motion a wave that will only grow bigger." She looked at me directly in the eyes; she was having fun.

The fact that she knew more than what she told me was making me feel uneasy being around her. Her soothing, yet riddle-filled voice, the way she carried herself while she spoke and walked, and the way she made sure you knew she had the upper hand were traits I admired and respected from her. Truly, skills honed by the Dark Brotherhood.

"The Imperial Council will be thrown in disarray at the loss of their Chief Accountant." I muttered.

"Makes you question the reason why they targeted him and not the Chancellor?" Linasta paced over to the Corrupted Varla Stones and eyed them from a distance.

Why indeed? Even the Emperor would cause more dissent than the murder of one lowly accountant. Then again, with no one to manage the Imperial Coffers, many things could go wrong. My head began to hurt. I was smart when I came to investigation, but the intricacies of Politics were things that always eluded me. I paced over to where Linasta was. "Do you have any idea on how to get past them, or make them inert?"

"No." She said. "The Ayleid's kept such secrets from us, or was lost during the passage of time. And even if we managed to get them out of our way, there would be no way for us to get inside, much less remove his poor, and frail body." She turned to me, giving me that pleased and amused expression she had. "I was hoping you would be more observant than what you're displaying now, Legate. I'm starting to think that you were just boasting about your status before the war, or are you simply unable to perform early in the morning?"

"I'll admit." I got closer to the crystals. "I am not a morning person."

"I see." She chuckled before turning her gaze to the door, the spike that pierced it rising above us while the door was held in its highest point. Black tendrils running over the wood.

My eyes shifted over to the black blood that spilled from the spikes and pooled at the base. Smoke rose up from it as it touched the stone. Something pulsed from the house, sending a very audible beat and wave outwards to us that made my heart skip a beat. I saw Linasta start pacing backwards while her staff began to glow.

"This will be very interesting indeed." She seemed to have said to herself while this unnatural fear began to flood over me. Fear I had not felt since I was but a young lad running through the streets of Chorrol.

Smaller versions of the Corrupted Varla Stones began to form from the pooled blood and whispers began to echo from within the house. "A new thread has been sown." Spoke first a female voice, soft and slithering like a snake. "Change has be brought to the realms." A more nurtured, soothing to the ear. "The weak shall rise and cast down the strong!" A male voice finished, and the earth shook.

"We have come to reform this world!" The three voices spoke at once and I lost my footing, falling. As My gaze was set upon the sky, I saw the body of Giventius Turelius pull itself off the black spike and look down at us. His eyes and mouth glowing purple as his body hovered down. His multifaceted voice spoke in daedric as the crystals rose up and melded into his body, creating an armor, blade and shield.

Linasta had her eyes glued to the new version of the accountant and all around me I could see how the City Watch stepped back, and the crowd dispersed. She readied her staff and attacked the man, but the spell was merely absorbed by his armor. "Well, well. It seems the Lords of Oblivion have caused quite the stir." She helped me stand. "What is your call in this situation Legate?"

The stone beneath Giventius began to open as his feet touched the ground. The purple light that emanated from the cracks released even more stones. His voice grew louder as he stood there. Then he said a phrase I would never forget. "This is but the first soul to suffer this fate." His scream rose quickly into a screech before he broke down into black pieces of glass.

Linasta smiled at the situation. I, on the other hand, was not so amused by the whole display. My heart felt like it would pull itself off my chest. This is why I hate magic. The Council will have my head for this.