Blood of the Reach
Chapter 8: Battle for Karthwasten part 1
Raven Ap Madanach
I took a large group of about a hundred and fifty warriors, and marched south toward Kolskeggr. we took the route through the hills, to get behind our enemy. There had already been numerous skirmishes with no clear outcome. But there were dead, even though minor. The nords had large groups of soldiers throughout the hillside and they were marching on the roads in squads, and detachments. I hoped to descend upon a few large groups and deal crushing blows. I had eight warlords with me, and countless other warriors. We came up upon a hill where we could see a large group of Stormcloaks. There were at least fifty of them, and they were heavily armed. A perfect target, a malicious smile came across my lips, and I licked my lips ready for a fight.
"Brothers, the enemy is down there, the time to strike is now!" I barked, and the warriors of the sundered hills let out a war cry. Our war band was made up of the sundered hills warriors, Karthspire warriors, Druadachs, and serpent bluff redoubt warriors. I only wished we had our cavalry ready, but we would need horses first.
"Charge!" I roared, and the warriors followed my lead. As leader of the war band, I was to be first into the fray. The Stormcloaks finally saw us and they readied their weapons. I had been wearing my bear helmet, that I took from a fallen Stormcloak officer, and I had on Hircine's saviors hide, and gauntlets and boots of the old gods. I readied red eagle's bane and I readied my steel sword. We neared the Stormcloak detachment and one of them took a swing at me with his greatsword. I ducked to the ground, and slid beneath him, then jumped up and ran him through from behind.
He screamed and hit the ground spewing blood. My warriors collided with the rest of the Stormcloaks and the battle was on. There were people dying all around me. I slashed wildly at another Stormcloak.
"Skyrim belongs to the nords!" cried a Stormcloak bear friend. "Yeah, well the reach will be ours again!" cried a warrior as he charged the bear friend. But instead of being able to kill him, the bear friend took his left leg with his battle axe, and then finished him with a crushing blow to the head. I screamed in fury, and then rushed at the bear friend, dodging Stormcloaks, and wounding and killing others.
Once I reached him he locked eyes with me. "Oh another reach bitch come to die…" he stopped and looked over me again. "Oh I remember you witch, from windhelm, I heard you serviced Ulfric, I was there you know." He said cruelly, with an evil smile on his face. My anger sky rocketed, all I saw was red.
"Damn you and your Ulfric, damn you and your Skyrim, damn you and you nords, I will see this land run red with blood and burn." I said my voice shaking, tears were running down my face. He began to laugh, and that's when I charged him. He brought his battleaxe up to strike me down, but I was no fool. I got in range of it so he would strike down, and when he did I dodged to the right swiftly, and ran him through from under his right arm, to his left piercing his heart.
"First you, then all the reach… and then all of Skyrim." I growled in his ear as I eased him to the ground, glaring into his eyes. He looked fearful, but his resolve stiffened only for a moment. "now I go to Sovngarde... bitch." He spat, blood coming from his mouth. "No… damn your Sovngarde, you shall not see it." I said to him, swiftly casting soul trap on him. I didn't know many spells, but I would be a fool not to learn that one.
His eyes widened in terror, as he realized he would never see his blasphemous Sovngarde. Finally the life left his eyes, and his soul rushed forth toward the black soul gem I had on my person. By the time this was done, the skirmish concluded. And it was time to check the wounded and the casualties. We would need to bring them back to Karthwasten to get the wounded medical attention and the dead prepared for their rights. And then we would need more warriors.
-scene break-
Xaxa Faolan Red
"Raven should be returning soon, your eminence." Aonai said to me. "I am not your eminence, we are friends remember." I said to him, more of a statement then a question. "All the same, brother." He said.
"Do we have the horses now?" I asked him, and he nodded. "Ready to try the horsemen?" he asked me and I shook my head "We shall save them." I told him. And he nodded. "Do you wish for me to fetch Aryn?" he asked and I nodded. "Yes and bring the chosen swordsmen. It's time to strike the nords at one of their major camps, the one near sky haven. We cannot lose that area, it is to crucial in this fight." I told him and he nodded. "At once, I will ready the men, come when you wish to ride out. How many do you need?" he asked me. I looked at him. "one hundred fifty chosen swords men, and one hundred regular warriors, and I want twenty shamans." I told him and he nodded. "Of course." He said before turning and leaving the tent.
I followed after him, and saw that Raven had returned from her mission. "What happened? I thought you were flanking them?" I asked her, and she locked eyes with me. "I need to see Eithne, and I need more troops, we clashed with the Stormcloaks, and wiped out their detachment, but I took casualties." She told me, she looked shaken, rattled even. Not like herself, but I decided not to press the issue. "Okay I need to go off to fight, Eithne should be readying herself with Kaie, and Madanach, you should be able to find them a little north of here." I told her, and she nodded. "Oh Raven, if you ever want to talk to me, I will listen, I just want you to know that." I told her, and she nodded before walking off to find Eithne.
I gathered my weapons and my torc from my tent; I hadn't seen Aeihe since this morning. I hoped she wasn't still mad at me. I was going to look for her, but I ran into Alma'Lexia by the inn.
"Xaxa… what a pleasant surprise." She said seductively. My heart began to beat in my chest rapidly. "Alma'Lexia." I said nodding curtly. "Oh come on now… just call me Alma… that feels more friendly." She said, before she walked up to me, wrapped her arms around me, and pressed herself up against me. She purred in my ear, and began to basically dry hump me. I began to lose myself in my arousal, my willpower was fading rapidly.
"Come on… Alma, I have to get ready to fight. You're distracting me." I told her, though it sounded weak. "Am I? Or is it my breasts distracting you?" she asked playfully. That's when I lost my will to fight her. I grabbed her arm, and pressed her up against the door to the inn. "Come to fight with me… and then once we finish, I will ravage you." I said, whispering in her ear, a low growl escaping from my throat.
Then I kissed her hard on her neck. She squirmed, and moaned softly. Then before it could go further, I released her, and began walking off, and she began to follow. I looked back over her, she had a slim waste, she was more toned then Aeihe, her breasts were larger, her hips were wider, and she had better thighs, and her rear was something to drool over. Of course I wasn't going to leave Aeihe, but I was sure as hell going to live my life like tonight was my last night on nirn.
Five minutes later….
Xaxa Faolan Red
I was standing in front of a large group of forsworn warriors. The chosen swordsmen I asked for were there with their weapons of steel, gold, and dwemer metals. Some even had ebony, and glass weapons. And then there were the regular warriors, and then the twenty shamans. That included Alma'Lexia, and Aeihe. This was going to get complicated.
"Okay, you all know what we have to do. Take out the Markarth military camp near Karthspire, and sky haven temple. That area is to crucial to this war, we cannot lose it. Do not let me down, don't let the reach down!" I roared, and a roar went up in the ranks, and I began to go south, and the huge group followed me. We marched down unopposed.
The harassment had made the Stormcloaks weary. They would have to waste time fighting us, and I would appeal to the empire to see if I could have the reach in exchange for destroying the Stormcloak problem. But one thing at a time I suppose. We marched south passed blind cliff cave, and near Kolskeggr. I had decided halfway to our objective, that we split up into squads, of at least ten to twenty and then converge on the enemy camp and overwhelm them.
"Look alive men, keep your wits about you." I told the squad I had branched off with. My squad was made up of Aryn, Aonai, Alma'Lexia, Aeihe, Alaric, Muiri, and a few ravagers, and pillagers, and a warlord named Ferin. We neared their encampment, and we saw it was heavily fortified, and heavily guarded. I decided our party would not be enough.
"Muiri, Aeihe return to Karthwasten and call for reinforcements. We are going to go on ahead an attack, hurry." I told them but Aeihe looked very angry. "No, I am not going to leave you to go on a suicide mission alone." She said, and I snapped at her. "Look Aeihe. Do as I asked, I am not a child, I can handle myself, go!" I barked, and she looked shocked, then hurt. But eventually she just nodded. Eventually her Muiri turned and took off running back to Karthwasten.
"Aryn, send the signal up to the others, three fireball into the air, followed by an ice spike and lightning bolt." I ordered him, and he nodded. He turned and let loose his destruction magick and the others responded. The enemy camp by now should have been alerted to the presence of the nearly three hundred warriors amassed around them.
Just then the angry war cry of hundreds of reachmen went up in the surrounding hills, and mountains followed destruction magick flaring up into the air. I charged out of the forested hill to the front of the military camp. It was on larger hill above us, they had the high ground. Archers and sentries began scrambling about, and knocking arrows. I hurled an ice spike at one of them, and it impaled him through his heart. I launched an arc of lightning at another. Alma'Lexia unleashed a powerful wave of chain lightning, taking out at least five Stormcloaks.
Aryn lobbed another fireball at a group of nords on one of the ramparts, and they exploded in a wave of fire, they were cooked alive. "Rend the flesh from their bones!" I roared as I charged at Stormcloak, who was preparing to fight me. I unleashed another arc of lightning, and then drew my forsworn sword. Red Eagle's fury was ready to bathe itself in the fresh blood of my enemies.
He swung his sword at me, but I blocked it with Red Eagle's fury, and then stabbed him with my forsworn sword. The chosen swords men began to lay siege to the camp, as I eased the man down, then I took from him his head. Blood sprayed in my face and I licked my lips, forcing my bloodlust to sky rocket.
Alma'Lexia came up beside me, while unleashing another wave of chain lightning on the nords. "Are you ready to live forever?" she asked above the sounds of battle. I nodded to her "Always." She nodded back, "Then come on let's go, I bet I'll kill more then you!" she said, running off into the fray, weapon drawn. "I bet you won't!" I called after her, following her into the battle that had begun. I was not going to allow her to out kill me.
"Oh come on Xaxa, hurry up! Loser buys the winner drinks!" she shouted as she ran another Stormcloak warrior through. I dove onto the ground avoiding a greatsword, and I slashed out my assailants legs. Then I rose and stab him through his heart. He moaned as I left him to his fate. I saw another Stormcloak, this one was an officer, a general by the looks of it, he had an ebony war axe, something I wanted to add to my collection. I saw Alma'Lexia engaging three Stormcloaks, and winning. She had cast flame cloak, and was unleashing torrents of chain lightning.
"Hey snow back!" I cried at the officer, and he turned to me, his face was one of pure hate. His left eye was all white, signifying that he was blind in that one. He had deep scars running across his face, he had red hair, and a red beard. He had three braids in his hair, the rest was an untamed mane.
"Oh another witchmen has come to die at my hand." He said his voice deep and low, like the growl of a bear. "Are you ready to die, savage?" he asked cruelly. I then noticed several of my kinsmen lying dead at his feet. That made me angry, "Do your best axe dragger." I barked back at him. He took on a fighting stance and charged. "Come! Come on and face the FORSWORN!" I roared, charging at him, I was ready to end him, and take his axe as a trophy.
He swung first, and I parried his strike, then I hit him with the hilt of Red Eagle's fury. "I am Xaxa Faolan Red! Son of Lukaia, and Madanach! Descendant of the great Red Eagle, first and foremost lord of the reach! A right that I shall reclaim in his stead! Face the full might of the Forsworn! Here today you face the REACH KING!" I bellowed, and I brought my sword around for another strike, this time slashing him deep across his chest.
He struck back, he swung his axe, and it lodged itself in my side. I coughed up blood and pain exploded across my side, washing over my body. I bellowed in pain and rage, and I brought Red Eagle's bane across his chest once more, cutting deep, then I kicked him off of me and leapt on him stabbing him through his stomach.
"You think you can kill me witch men! I am a true bear friend, they call me Ysun the black bear!" he bellowed, kicking me off of him, and striking me once more with his axe, in my thigh. My strength began to wane, he knocked me to the ground. "Now you die witch men!" he bellowed about to finish me, that's when everything froze.
I looked around me and saw the battle was frozen in place, the world around me morphing slightly. That's when I saw him, a man hovering above me shaking his head. He had hair like mine, only darker. He wore a golden torc, and he had the banner of the sundered hills draped across his shoulders.
"So you are my descendant, the one who bears my name." he said musing. "Who are you?" I asked him, slightly alarmed. "I am Faolan, the Red Eagle. By saying what you said, you have just claimed my birthright and yours. Xaxa, you are the Red Eagle now, in truth and earnest. You wield my sword, bear my name, and lead the sundered hills." He continued "AND YOUR ABOUT TO BE KILLED BY A DAMN NORD!" he barked, suddenly looking very angry. "One of the same ones who raped your sister!" he bellowed, and I was confused.
"What?" I asked growing angry as well. "Let her explain it to you, let her tell you, it is not my place." He said and I nodded. Whatever happened I wanted to know immediately. "Anyway you have a power inside of you without equal, dragon blooded you are. I know little of the dragon tongue, for it is a nord thing, but the old gods decided you need this power, or whatever god is in control of that sort of thing. Anu himself told me to teach you this word, so that you may know it. The word is FUS, apparently it means force, use it with power. That is all reachmen, and tell my mother I said hello." He said before he vanished and time sped back up.
Then I saw that Ysun was about to finish me. This was someone who had hurt my sister, and I saw red. I raised my arm to stop his strike, and he tried to overpower me, but I would not allow it. Then I remembered the word that Red Eagle had taught me.
"FUS!" I shouted and power rushed forth from my mouth, a wave of power. It knocked Ysun back and he stumbled to the ground, caught completely off guard. "What! What blasphemy is this!?" he said, as I rose to my feet. He remained on the ground stunned. He began to reach for his axe, but I kicked it aside, and stepped on his arm. I smiled down on him cruelly, and I shook my head.
"Oh my friend, where you're going you do not need that." I told him, and then I cast soul trap on him. "You shall be used so I can create and enchanted shovel, or a pick axe. Or maybe an enchanted loaf of bread." I mused scratching my head, thinking of what to do with him.
"What you just did barbarian! You used the voice!" he screamed in rage, all around the nords had stopped fighting and so had my warriors, to witness the spectacle. I stood over the bear friend, fear in his eyes, he knew I was about to finish him. "May the void take you!" I cried as I stabbed him through the heart, and then I cut his head from his shoulders and raised it above for the forsworn to see.
Then the battle resumed, the forsworn taking the opportunity of the nords distraction to outnumber each of them. The reinforcements had arrived as well and the camp would fall by night fall. The battle turned into a blood bath, and then into a massacre. "I am Xaxa Faolan Red! And Red Eagle has named me to be Lord of the Reach!" I roared, above the fray, and the men and women cheered my name until the last Stormcloak was lying dead. I kept Ysun's head it would be a gift to Raven and then I would ask her about what had happened while she was away.
We burned the camp to the ground, and plundered what they did have. I kept the ebony war axe as a trophy. I hoped it would serve me well in the many battles to come. We were returning to Karthwasten, the crowd of warriors had hoisted me up onto their shoulders. They were chanting "All hail the reach king! All hail Xaxa Faolan Red of the Sundered Hills!" I had Alma'Lexia up in my arms, as the crowd carried me, I was going to bed her tonight, and ravished her. That was all that was on my mind.
"I killed more than you did Xaxa." She whispered in my ears seductively. "No you didn't." I said, as I pulled her close, and kissed her passionately. She giggled in my throat. "Xaxa… what about that other girl?" she asked me as I broke the kiss. "Don't worry about her." I whispered in her ear, and then I nipped it. She giggled, and snuggled into my arms.
Finally we returned to Karthwasten, we had loot, and food, and plunder beyond measure from that one military camp. We had carted off every weapon available, we took the weapons off of the nord dead, even helms and armor, to prod for weaknesses. But we took no prisoners.
We carried everything we could, and a huge supply chain had formed. We began taking food to the storages, and the meats plundered to be cooked, and we took the weapons to the designated armory. While I was helping put the weapons in assorted piles, I felt the ground shake, and I heard what I thought was thunder.
Then a voice it said "DOVAHKIIN!" and then it stopped. "What the fuck was that!?" Kaie shouted, basically summing up what everybody had thought. She had a way of doing that. "Okay I have no idea, but I am going to pretend like I didn't hear it." Said Aonai, and I laughed "I think I'll do the same." I said, the head I had tied to my waist swinging as I turned, and I continued helping organize the weapons.
Then Alma'Lexia walked up behind me, and jumped on me. "When are we going to go have our fun?" she whispered in my ear. "Be patient, allow me to finish helping with this, and I will be right with you." I said tossing a steel sword into a pile.
To Be Continued…
A/N: So I know I had another Dragonborn in an earlier chapter, but I have something in store for that. I have taken lots of liberties in this story, and I may be taking a lot more. This story is just getting started, and I am going to start having nord point of views later on in the story. Thanks again for reading.
Yours' Truly, The Last Dragonborn Warrior
