Author's notes: Oblivion and all its characters, places, events, etcetera are property of Bethesda Softworks. Special thanks to my beta, Pheonicia, who cleans up my grammar errors and typos.

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Chapter Seven

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"Oh dammit!" I shouted in pure frustration, swinging my axes at the door. Rather than sink in, they clanged off sonorously, throwing me off balance.

"Will you watch where you're swinging those?!" Dagmar shouted, the color high in her face.

I blushed, or at least, my cheeks felt a little hotter. "Oh wow…" I could have killed her, flailing around like that. Woops. "Sorry Dags," I ginned earnestly. "Accident."

"It's Dagmar," she snarled softly, picking herself up off the ground, this time ignoring my helping hand.

"Oh…right…" I backed up a little as Dagmar regained her composure. Fighting our way up through the main shaft and the surrounding halls took a heavy toll on us both. I was waiting for us to start steaming, as sweat evaporated in this heat, but so far no go.

"Move over." Dagmar knelt and poked a finger into the lock, and began to address it, but not in any language I recognized. Spellsigns, because the lock kept clicking, refusing to open. Swearing under her breath about inconvenience and crude methodology, Dagmar produced a handful of lock picks and worked her way, snapping them each in turn until she simply threw up her hands and got back to her feet. "Let's go take a better look around. This can't be the only way out," she rubbed the back of her neck, looking tired.

Mustering my fortitude I faked a grin, looking around, forcing my eyes not to linger on corpses, flaming bodies, or pools of blood. Really, I was simply skimming over most of the room. It was a lot of work to ignore the fountains of what looked like blood. These Daedra are crazy. "I'll go left."

"See you on the other side." Dagmar got to her feet laboriously.

I did not put a hand on the wall – I didn't trust it not to contain hidden spikes, hooks, spines or other nasty surprises.

"Hey! I found it!" the door was slightly hidden – you couldn't see it from the entryway, but it was also heavy-looking.

Dagmar appeared and reached out, touching the door, just barely dragging her fingers across it.

The hot blast of air actually felt cool as it raced into the room from the wastes outside. The door didn't lead to another room, instead it led to a little, narrow bridge, which led in turn to another tower, smaller than the main spire. The wind raced across the bridge, which had no railings or handholds. With the way the tower itself creaked oddly, it was hard not to imagine it was the bridge creaking so mournfully. My heart sank to my knees then finished its way to my toes when Dagmar gulped and looked back at me.

"Wow…put rocks in your pockets, huh?"

Dammit. I was hoping one of us had a little confidence in the situation. "That pretty much sums it up. You think it's safe?" It doesn't look safe. In fact, I propose we carry on looking for other doors, better doors until we find one, or prove this is a last resort. The way I see it, there's bravery and stupidity. Guess which this is.

"Safe?" Dagmar scoffed, edging slightly forward. "Hell no. Necessary…? Yeah. Let me go first."

Be my guest, but in the hopes of appearing brave… "You sure…I can…you know?" I shrugged uncomfortably.

Dagmar eyed me closely, taking in my stockier build then shook her head. "Yeah, I'm sure." Dagmar crouched low and began to climb nimbly forward.

I closed my eyes and then opened them, almost on all fours, my knees knocking into the bridge as I scooted, painstakingly forward.

I glanced over the edge once, immediately wishing I hadn't.

Dagmar stopped us at the door, and waved a hand before her eyes. She must be using another detect life spell.

"See anything?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not at this range. Shh." Motioning me silent, she opened the door, slipping in, shadowlike.

Nodding, I followed, trying not to jingle too loudly.

Dagmar looked around, left right, up, down. What do you really do for a living? I have never seen a mage with this kind of…well, call it professionalism of the adventuring sort. She's more comfortable with those weapons in her hands than any magicka. Not ignoring the fact that most people forget about looking up. Not that looking up revealed anything more than corpses, suspended from the ceiling. It looked like they might be hung like that so their blood could drain…

Oh, I don't need to think about that.

Dagmar snapped softly to get my attention and pointed upwards, then held up two fingers. A moment later sound floated down to us and it took alto of restraint not to take off in the sounds' general direction. A human shout, and the garbled sound of a rough, uncouth voice jeering in common.

Forget prudence, dammit. I took off at a trot, heading up the ramp that wound about the spire, which itself was built like the stalk of a plant, looking oddly organic. Not like a Telvanni structure, but…I dunno. Nasty.

I identified the Dremora, shouting and swinging axes at him as soon as I could launch myself forward, once the floor evened out. With another yell I hacked into the Dremora, not exactly relishing the sound of the axes grinding in his plate mail, but at the same time not sorry to see the fire go out of his eyes when he finally hit the floor.

I hit him again, just to be safe, then turned to find Dagmar already climbing Khajiit-like up onto the bars of the cage. "Who are you?" she asked quite calmly.

"Menien Goneld," the soldier replied, looking from Dagmar to myself as I wandered up.

Bingo.

He was trapped in a cage, suspended over a hole in the floor and a very long drop. I looked back at the wall. You know, I'll bet that weird contraption over there opens the bottom of the cage, sending the unfortunate prisoner screaming to his…and Dremora eat people too…

Don't finish that thought – either of them. It's not worth it. "No wait! Don't! You're just wasting time!" the soldier shook his head.

"What time?" I asked practically, gently. "We could have been here for days already. Let Dagmar have a look, we'll get you out." Reasoned argument sometimes helps, but I knew from his expression this was not one of those times.

Dagmar gave a short sigh, as if I had acted exactly as she expected me to, but I ignored it. It's not necessary to leave him here, particularly as we've just hit a dead end.

"No! You don't understand!" Goneld barked, gripping the bars on his cage until his swarthy skin turned white around the knuckles.

"What don't we understand?" Dagmar demanded calmly, hopping off the cage and landing neatly near where I stood.

"You must get to the top of the large tower..." he began, swallowing hard.

We'd love to, but the damn door is locked. I wandered over to Dagmar and began to fidget for my canteen. The poor guy's probably not had anything for several hours at least. He's starting to look pretty bad, now that I really look.

"The Sigil Keep, they call it," Goneld continued. "It's what keeps the Oblivion Gate open! Find the Sigil Stone. Remove it, and the Gate will close! Hurry! The Keeper has the key - you must get the key!" Goneld argued vehemently.

"We can still get you out!" I argued firmly, stepping forward again. "He's not going anywhere…"

"Don't be daft, girl!" Goneld protested.

I heard something, practicality immediately taking over. I moved to the ramp and peered down. Shit, they've caught up with us. "Um…D-Dagmar…Dags?" I asked nervously as one of the Dremora pointed upwards. Oh shit, that's more than two or three…

"Tch." She silenced me and turned back to Goneld.

Um, those Dremora are coming up that ramp really fast…toofast!

"Dags!" I shouted, swinging hard at the Dremora as he popped into range. Idiot - you never charge someone with the high ground. "They've got us pinned!" I planted a foot on the Dremora's shoulder, pushing him free, backing up as his companions had to move and dodge as he slid limp ad boned fish down the ramp. I can't hold this ramp, I really can't.

"Don't panic!" Dagmar barked forcefully. "Stay put!"

"The hell you say!" I barked, before realizing she meant Goneld, not me. Moving forward, slashing at one Dremora, my axe skipped across his plate, knocking him off balance as the second blade hit the other, lodging firmly in his chest. I fought and jerked and struggled, only looking away when Dagmar screamed.

A truly terrified cream.

I redoubled my efforts, taking a gamble, dispatching one Dremora two-axed and the other the same way, to see Dagmar struggling, hanging over the edge of the floor, with a Dremora menacing her, one foot on her shoulder as she struggled to resist the push towards empty air.

He lurched as Dagmar suddenly grabbed his ankle with one hand, kicking to dislodge her and missing, his heel hitting the floor instead of Dagmar herself.

Surging forward I brought my axes up, intending to sweep him off to one side, so I wouldn't inadvertently sweep Dagmar over when the Daedra finally came loose. "Oh no you don't!" wham. I felt the impact up to my elbows and grunted as I swung him to my right, over the edge and out into space he seemed to hang for a moment, but I didn't watch his fall. I dropped my axes with a clatter, grabbing onto Dagmar as securely as I could.

Dammit – Goneld's cage is in the way…craaap… "Come on! Climb up!" I growled as I tried to heave Dagmar to safety.

Dagmar yelped in pain. "Wait, wait," she panted. "My shoulder…" I stopped the pull and merely held her weight. She looked back over her shoulder, craning her neck, looking exhausted and absolutely worn out. My arms tried to shake and shudder, but I stilled the motion. I will not drop her. I won't. I can't.

"Okay – this is how it is," she looked up at me and let some of the tension out of her shoulders. "I need you to swing me Ailirah, no listen," she argued firmly when I tried to argue. "I need you to help me swing, if I do it from here, on my own, I'll just drop to the bottom. But if you help me, I can make to the ramp…okay? So take my wrists, and let me hang…"

She began shifting, and I moved, letting her turn so she was facing the same way I was, dangling below Goneld's cage. It was awkward for me, but doable. I think I see what she's planning…if I do, she's nuts.

"…now we swing." With that and a grunt, she began to swing her legs, back and forth, like a pendulum. I did what I could to stay balanced and help.

"Now!"

I let go without question. Throw her timing and she will plummet to her death.

I scrambled up, grabbing my weapons and hopping over Dremora corpses as I hurried down to find Dagmar limping a little, halfway between wherever she'd landed and the top platform. "Are you okay?" I grabbed her elbow, searching her face. "You're not hurt?"

"No," Dagmar shook her head composedly.

"Oh, you're crazy…damn." I leaned against the wall and banged the back of my head gently against it, wanting to cry from stress and heat and general discomfort. Now that the Dremora wasn't trying to kill me, I could feel aches and pains and what felt like pulled muscles in my arms.

"I know... I've never tried that before..." Dagmar said as if pointing out an unexpected aberration in some experiment.

"Aw…" I groaned.

"Come on," Dagmar patted my shoulder before glided up the spiraling ramp.

"Come on she says…I got stuck with the crazy one…" I moaned softly, dragging myself back up the ramp towards Goneld.

"You're still here?" he demanded, scowling as Dagmar walked over to the dead Dremora Keeper.

I walked over to Goneld, looking at his cage. "Let's get you out of here," I declared.

"Well yes, I don't have the key," Dagmar announced dispassionately.

"No! You haven't time," Goneld hissed.

"But we can use the extra..."

"Listen to me, girl," Goneld reached through the bars, grabbing my shoulder, glaring at me. "Those Daedra aren't attacking Kvatch for no reason – they're looking for someone. Now, you'd better close this Gate and find that poor bastard before they do…'cause they won't be wanting him for any good reason. Get going!" he gave me a push.

"Look, I don't…" How many people am I going to lose like this? "Don't be fatalistic!" I argued.

"Look girl, you'd better grow up some more if you want to keep playing this game. I'm one man – the people of Kvatch are hundreds! Now move your ass!" he pointed as his tone took on a sharp bite.

"Come on," Dagmar announced, grabbing my arm as she shunted me towards the door.

"But we can't…"

"He's made his choice. It's a brave one, and you're cheapening it." Dagmar snapped coldly.

"But..." I protested. Stopping, she rolled her eyes, before sighing. I know I'm cheapening a sacrifice, but that doesn't mean the sacrifice is necessary in this case…

But he said they're looking for someone…

"It's poison. It works very quickly. You won't feel anything." Dagmar was saying.

If they're looking for someone…Goneld might be more right than he knows, even if it's not a nice thing to say. I closed my eyes. "You can't just..." I meant this for my benefit. I can't just stand here and waste time. He's right. I have to get to Martin first. I can't afford to stall here anymore.

"Do you want me to shoot him now, then?" Dagmar snapped, evidently thinking I was being overly pathetic. "We have to go. Now. Think about if you like, just be sure and catch up." She strode over to the ramp and down it.

Sighing I followed, pausing only to pick up her fallen dagger. I was sure it was hers, it's not Daedric. The name Sufferthorn glittered, etched into the beautiful blade.

"You dropped this," I said once I'd caught up with Dagmar.

She stopped and looked shocked, gingerly taking the knife and rubbing her thumb against the pommel. "Thank you…" she said blankly, looking up in genuine surprise.

"It's special?" I asked.

Dagmar nodded, her eyes fixed on the blade. "It was a gift from my uncle," she answered.

Ah. A practical uncle – great choice of gift.

"Buck up," she clapped my shoulder, a little awkwardly. "If Menien is right we'll be back on Nirn before anything else can go wrong."

"Don't say that," I whined, "you'll jinx us…"

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