Chapter 10
The Fury of a Deity
Venfrie led the way down the mountain path, playing the part of the guide. The troops marched double file behind her, muttering over the morning's briefing on the strategy and the incredulous prospect of fighting a goddess. Their officer, Arden, walked at the front of the columns, hand resting casually on his sword hilt as he scanned the area around them. Zavi and Eclipse brought up the rear, side by side.
A long evening of tea and planning left both feeling slightly more confident in the battle to come, but no less wary of their opponent's vast destructive power.
Eclipse frowned, silently sullen. Even with the soldiers they had, defeating the goddess would be difficult to say the least. He glanced toward Zavi, steadfastly trudging forward with a heedless confidence that troubled him. With a sigh, he tried to quell the fear in his heart. Now that his days were filled with her earnest nature, wit, and zeal, the thought of losing her in the coming battle gnawed at him. He bit his lip, realizing that for the first time in years he had someone precious to him that he did not want to lose. Admitting it to himself was bittersweet.
"Hey," interrupted Zavi with an elbow to his ribs. "It'll be fine. We'll punch her in the face and call it a day. So stop looking like we march to our graves," she finished lightly with a humorous smirk.
He forced a smile. "Promise me you will be careful," he insisted, touching her arm gently.
She paused and looked at him quizzically, humor gone.
"I will," she vowed softly with a nod. "You just better remember to duck when she starts throwing magic."
"Ha, have no fear of that," he returned.
They continued on, but the words unspoken vast outnumbered the ones voiced aloud, and each syllable unsaid weighed heavily upon them both.
Krythus stood upon the mountain ledge, peering down into the valley below. His voluminous ruby hued pants and shirt snapped in the chill breeze. A mane of hair to rival his sister's was tied back into submission as it rippled in alternating shades of crimson and mahogany, heedless of the wind. He surveyed the land calmly, taking care to shield his presence from both sight and his sister's scrying as subtle flames shimmered along his seemingly molten skin, casting a faint light on the mountain stones beside him. His calculating gaze noted the movement of a regiment of troops marching down the winding path as he closed his amethyst eyes and subtly felt for the resonance of his sister's mind, confirming her location. Krythus frowned at what he felt. A pulsing malevolence, dark and haunting, danced within her mind. It seemed the eons had indeed turned her venomous, he frowned. A twinge of pain shot through him as memories of their now forsaken bond flowed through his thoughts.
He sighed and sat upon the desolate stones, mind roiling like the storm-wracked sea. Reflexively, he rubbed his chest, fingers circling over his heart. Another battle with his sister loomed like a storm on the horizon. The taste was bitter on his tongue. He could not help but loathe taking up his blade again. It felt as if every time he wielded it, he lost more and more of what was precious to him.
What would it cost him this time?
Zavi signaled from behind her pile of boulders as two guards squatted behind her, mail jingling like tiny bells as they settled. Eclipse waved from the other end of a flat field of hard packed dirt. Two guards already knelt behind him in the cover of a nest of stone. Venfrie nodded as she surveyed the area, confident everyone was hidden from sight. Their three archers saluted from a nearby ridge, then returned to laying flat on their stomachs to disappear in the sparse bushes. Arden crouched in the gully with the rest of his seven men, blades drawn and ready. He rose and nodded to the mage before returning to his hiding place. Venfrie nodded, then ducked into the cave to flush their quarry.
Venfrie paused for a brief moment inside the cave to take a deep breath, then trudged forward. She fingered the amulet around her neck, quietly asking Julianos to lend her wisdom in this endeavor.
The Elder Sister met her beyond the entry room. Ven nodded, affirming that all was ready.
"I'll draw the Elder Brother away," the woman stated. "You just be sure to move quickly after."
Venfrie nodded again as the Elder Sister vanished down the halls.
She followed, making her way down into the corridors, and stopped before she reached the corridor to the Elder Brother's room. Pressing herself against the wall, ensconced in shadow, she waited. She took deep, calm breaths, belying the rising apprehension in her stomach. Almost instantly, the Elder Sister and Brother flew from the room, darting for the cave's deepest section. Venfrie waited for the slow count of three, then dashed forward and knocked hastily on the door, looking distraught and breathless.
The door swung open silently.
In the center of the room, the goddess stood with a majestic bearing. Venfrie bowed and hurried forward.
"Eminence," she gasped. "Outside… soldiers…"
"What?" the goddess asked calmly, response uttered low.
Venfrie knelt, playing the part of the devoted, enthralled follower.
"Eminence please! They've been hunting us for ages. No one is as strong as you, my lady. I fear none but you have the power to stop them," she looked up, eyes pleading. "Please, Your Eminence, protect us, your loyal children."
The goddess thought for a moment, then barked a laugh, a malicious grin spreading over her face.
"So, these pathetic mortals have come to attempt to harm my loyal subjects? Absurd! I'll slay them all in the time of a breath! Then let the world know their folly. Come," she demanded. "Show me."
Venfrie jumped up and bowed before spinning around and trotting out the door as the goddess strode quickly behind her. The girl smiled in her mind. Sometimes honesty was the best policy.
Zavi nocked a black arrow with an evil-looking broad-head. Its brethren sat sharpened and ready in her quiver. She set the bow in her lap, feeling its unfamiliar weight. Not for the first time, she lamented the fact that her orchish bow remained at home, traded for its stronger ebony counterpart. A subtle blue glow danced along its black surface, attesting to its powerful ability to damage an enemy's magical energies with each arrow. Still, she frowned at it, hoping she'd practiced enough to acclimate to its heavier draw weight and unique nature. With a sigh, she glanced up at the sky as time crept on, noting the handful of stars that struggled to shine in the twilight haze.
She looked at the men behind her and said something she hoped was encouraging. Yet she couldn't help but wish that it was Eclipse at her back instead.
Her eyes caught movement from the cave entrance as first Venfrie, then the goddess emerged. They stopped in the center of the ambush.
"I don't understand," Venfrie muttered, brows furrowed. "They were just here…" She turned around in a circle, pretending to search. Her eyes settled on the ridge concealing the archers. "What is that?" the girl asked, drawing the woman's gaze away from the soldiers on the ground, lest they be spotted.
Aeternia frowned and followed her gaze.
"Whatever you saw, little mortal, it is gone now," the goddess stated, irritation seeping into her voice.
Venfrie turned and stared at the divine pleadingly, like a child wanting a parent to check under the bed for monsters. She noted Zavi rising from her hiding place, bow fully drawn, but stared at the goddess resolutely, determined not to give the feline away.
"Your Eminence, I swear!" she cried softly, deftly stalling while the khajiit took aim.
"Worry not, little mortal," she soothed, almost kindly, tussling the girl's hair. "My power is more than enough to ensure-"
The goddess broke off mid-sentence and spun to her right, unsheathing the blade at her side as the thrum of a bowstring resounded. A black arrow sped forth and glanced off her upturned blade, embedding in her left shoulder.
She screamed, rage and indignation coloring extraordinary pain.
It was as much of a signal as anyone needed.
Eclipse charged from his hiding place, guards alongside him. The woman spun at the sound of the soldier's clanking footsteps. She bared her teeth in a feral snarl and shoved Venfrie aside with the hilt of her blade, far out of the way of the attacking men. The goddess laughed, humor coloring madness.
Eclipse yelled a war cry in the still air as he brought his sword up. She sneered and sidestepped the overhead slash and returned his attack with two of her own, causing him to dart away. He swore at his own short-sightedness as he stepped back into range, wishing his akaviri katana were made to parry a blade without being sheared in half. The two guards from Eclipse's side kept the goddess' attention as Zavi's two moved to surround the goddess. Azure light danced around the divine as she fought, deftly keeping both men in check. But her rage boiled forth and became her greatest weapon as she screamed, and with a single fluid sweep of her sword that touched naught but air, threw the first two men farther than Eclipse could see in the darkness. He cringed as twin solid thuds met his ears. Zavi's soldiers were the next to fly, followed by a splash in the nearby river.
Aeternia turned to see Arden with the remainder of the guards in formation behind her, then paused, stared at them, and laughed anew. The marrow froze in their bones at the sound.
"Tell me, mortals," she harangued. "Precisely what chance do you believe you stand against me? Your kind are no more than bugs scampering beneath an overturned rock."
A black arrow flew through the air. The goddess turned, a smug smile on her face. The arrow met the azure light and cartwheeled away as Eclipse realized precisely what the luminescence was: a barrier. The dunmer's stomach lurched with a dreadful realization.
The goddess was toying with them.
"Do you truly believe I would fall for the same scheme twice, mortal? Foolish. Though by all means, feel free to waste as many arrows to the folly as you like."
Zavi snarled at her and fired another arrow to the same effect.
"Take heart, little mortal. After all, I seem to be unable to use this arm…" she lifted her blade and touched a finger to the arrow shaft as crimson liquid oozed slowly from the wound, soaking into her inky gown.
With that, she smirked at the khajiit and gave a contemptuous wave of her sword.
Zavi went flying.
Arden glanced to the dunmer, noting he seemed momentarily stunned. The guardsman steeled himself and charged toward the goddess, unleashing a torrent strikes that many a bandit had fallen to over the years. She scoffed as she blocked each of them, returning his efforts in kind as she forced him back. Sweat pooled on Arden's brow despite the chill air as he blocked the twisting strikes of her sword. With a rapid gesture, he signaled his archers to fire without heed of hitting anyone else.
"Foolish," the goddess laughed.
Arden rushed forward, dropping his sword and throwing his arms around the deity, locking her in a crushing embrace. Caught by surprise, Aeternia stared at him speechlessly.
"Strike her! Strike her now!" he shouted to his men as arrows whizzed past them, cursedly glancing off the swirling barrier.
The soldiers charged, swords bared, ready to end this nightmare.
"My, my, aren't you adorable," she smirked as she gazed at Arden. "Do you truly believe my power so limited that I require the use of my arms to guide my magic?"
The amusement in her tone made his blood run cold. Arden's eyes bulged as he felt an unseen force coalesce around him, and with a fluid movement, the goddess launched them both backwards, beyond the reach of the oncoming soldiers and their biting blades. Time became meaningless as he stared into her black orbs, tinted with a dark passion. He felt his arms release her of their own accord as he fought to no avail. Her blade seemed to hover, loyally waiting for its master's return as she released it, its tip alighting the soil.
She smiled warmly, tracing the outline of his cheek with the backs of her fingers. It sewed terror deeper than any threat of death he had ever faced.
"You shall be the first," she proclaimed. Fearsome canines sprouted from her upper and lower jaw as she leered and grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head back and exposing his throat. She reared back and for a horrifying moment, Arden saw not a woman, but a wolf given human form. Then she struck, biting into the side of his neck, fangs cutting through muscle and sinew alike with the ease of a blade. Arden screamed, a low, guttural sound echoing across the barren land.
In a brief instant, it was over, and she threw him like a broken toy onto the ground. The other soldiers remained fixed in their positions, the terror emanating from them palpable. The archers from the ridge trotted in and took up position behind their brothers, finally realizing their arrows were useless as they drew short blades. Aeternia smiled again, fingers curling around her blade as she sauntered toward them, the same haunting promise dancing in her eyes as Arden's steaming blood dripped from her mouth. Rejoining them on the battlefield, she lifted her sword tip to point at them and licked her lips.
"Now, little mortals. Which of you shall be next?"
Zavi flew over the tundra, gritting her teeth as she tried to get her bearings, glad to find that she was at least free to move after the initial shock wave barreled into her. She twisted her body, trying desperately to be able to land at a better angle. Swearing between clenched teeth, she hit the ground feet first with jarring force, throwing herself into a roll before losing control and bouncing off the dirt to land heavily on her side. A sickening crack echoed through the air causing Zavi to gag. For a moment, her lungs forgot how to breathe, and all she focused on was trying to get air past her lips.
Slowly, she rolled onto her back, fervently hoping her ears deceived her as she finally took a shuddering breath. With a sense of dread, she looked down, and quickly checked her ribs, arms, and shoulders for broken bones, then sat up and did the same with her hips and legs. Eyes wide, she looked down again, seeking the source of the sickening sound. With a shuddering laugh, she held up her left hand, still clutching her bow. Well, at least half of it, anyway. Zavi tossed the remains of the elegant weapon over her shoulder and rose steadily to her feet.
"Alright. Which divine do I thank for walking away from that one?" She paused. "You know what? Never mind. I've had enough of the divines for a lifetime," she grumbled to herself as she trudged back toward the fight.
Venfrie's whole body shook as she crept up silently to where Arden lay. The man's eyes were wild and his breath came in short, quick gasps. The mage bit her lip and set her trembling hands near the horrifying wound. A faint golden light glimmered from her fingers as she tried to heal the man.
The chaos of battle still raged across the field. She could hear swords clashing and men shouting and screaming. The girl shook her head sharply and forced herself to block it all out. She had to focus. If nothing else, she was determined to be useful somehow. Even if the goddess caught her healing "the enemy", the girl resolved that she could lie and tell the divine she thought he could provide information.
Ven barked a quivering laugh as the bleeding finally abated. Low to the ground, she crept back to her hiding place behind a boulder and planned her rout to another injured soldier.
As she crept along the ground, she made a solemn vow. If she had to use shadow and deception all of her life to do what was right, she would do so without apology. As least then she was useful.
Eclipse stared in horror as he watched Zavi sail through the air. He couldn't breathe. Everything within him demanded that he run to her and use every scrap of magic he had to aid her.
"Zavi!" he screamed, voice cracking.
But the shouts and cries of the soldiers wrenched his attention back to the fight at hand. He knew he had to finish this, no matter his wishes, and would have to trust in Zavi's own abilities to pull herself through. Eclipse screamed in rage and charged at the goddess, snatching up a forsaken steel sword from the ground as he went.
He swung in an overhead arc with blinding speed with first one blade, then the other. Her sword shuddered at the force of the impacts as she blocked. A war cry tore from his lips as flames swirled around him, the magical manifestation of his fury. He lashed out again and again, heedless of the fact that his blades merely glanced off the azure barrier as it pulsed and swirled, mingling with his own spiraling flames. The soldiers stood momentarily frozen in awe at the sight.
"You unsound, disparaging, resentful wretch!" he spat, accentuating each word with a strike. "How dare you impinge upon our world! Begone with you! You will never again harm the woman I love!"
The perpetual sneer vanished, replaced by wide-eyed shock as if the words had struck her.
"The woman you-" Aeternia cried out, sword dropping from unfeeling fingers as she grasped her head. A shock wave rippled from her, hurling the soldiers and Eclipse back.
'He loved you.' the voice whispered to her from within.
'He would have spent eternity with you.'
"Stop it," she demanded.
'Yet you drew your blade against him.'
"No," she protested.
'The very one you loved.'
Eclipse pushed himself up to kneeling, intending to strike, but froze, unable to comprehend what he saw. Shimmering silver swirled upon the goddess's skin like moonlight on a night-cloaked sea as she fell to her knees. Amethyst eyes turned to him slowly, tears dropping to the ground like twin stars glimmering in the dark. Behind her gaze, he felt the weight of ages.
"Flee," she pleaded softly.
An orchish dagger hurdled through the air, spinning end over end toward the deity, only to be met by an unseen force as she lifted her hand. Eclipse desperately searched for the source of the projectile, hoping against all odds. His breath caught as Zavi appeared beside him and without a word, grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet.
"You must flee," Illaria said again with greater urgency, pain tingling her voice. "I cannot hold this shadow back for long. Go!"
Her arm swept through the air once more, but instead of crushing force, the soldiers, dunmer and khajiit flew swiftly and gently across the river, landing on the mountain path from whence they came.
Illaria collapsed with a murmur, mortal flesh quivering. Tenebrous coils snaked along her flesh, cloaking her once more in their dark embrace. Venfrie stepped forward, a tremor in her step. She knelt and set the goddess's head upon her lap as the woman groaned and touched her head.
Krythus stood, trying to obtain a better view, certain there was some fault with his mortal eyes. Rage burned within him, yet as fervently as he tried to keep it stoked, it melted away as he saw the tainted being his sister had become. Much as he would have liked, he could not tear his eyes away from the battle raging in the valley below.
His hand clutching the blade trembled. Slowly, he shook his head from side to side, trying to deny the twisted being before him. Curse all the shadows, this could not be what his sister had become. Deep down, he was forced to acknowledge that he longed for the mortals to claim victory and spare him from having to face her.
Yet as he watched, his breath froze in his throat. For a moment, his sister's form shimmered, and regained some of its former radiance. With a gesture, she cast the combatants safely away from her, then collapsed, as if the deed took all of her strength. His hand shook so violently, he nearly dropped his blade as suddenly his rage seemed irrelevant in the face of what he saw.
Unable, or perhaps unwilling, to fight the need, he warped space around him until he stood before her still-beautiful form.
Eclipse pressed the cloth against the side of Arden's neck as the man moaned. Tendrils of golden magic streamed from his fingertips, offering a small amount of healing aid, but to little avail. Another soldier tore the sash from his own armor and used it to tie the cloth firmly to the wound. Two other guardsmen lay upon the ground, blood streaming from their necks as their brethren rushed to aid them. The dunmer swore as he noted only four of the soldiers remained able to stand on their feet, meaning that of the fifteen they started the battle with, only seven had survived.
In a frantic maelstrom of torn shirts and healing magics, the most critical wounds were treated before the battered party desperately tried to limp away, hoping to leave both sight and range of the destructive goddess while they still drew breath. Arden stumbled feverishly onward, supported by Zavi and Eclipse, as another of the bitten men managed to hobble with only the aid of one of his brothers in arms. Yet the last man to feel the goddess's fangs was pallid and shaking, and had to be carried by means of a makeshift stretcher fashioned from two branches and a number of the guard's armor sashes. At least, Zavi thought glumly, she now understood why they wore the unusual articles.
Despite fatigue, they plodded on, the only light courtesy of Eclipse's magic. Their progress remained painfully slow, taciturn silence kept equally as they supported the wounded and made time for them to stop and catch their breath. With each step, the halo of false rays hung over their head, mocking their failure as they returned to Whiterun.
"Leave us, child," Krythus bade the girl as she stared open-mouthed at him. His molten flesh cast a soft, flickering light as tendrils of flame glided along it.
"Go, little one," he reiterated firmly as she continued to sit unmoving.
Slowly, she nodded and stood, skirting past him as if she feared he would sprout another head and snap her up at any moment. The child then ran, disappearing from sight down a nearby cave entrance. He gave her no further thought as he knelt and touched his sister's brow, then stroked her soft hair. Even now, her silver radiance faded, replaced by web of shadowy tendrils accompanied by a tangible malevolence.
"Sister," he breathed, the word catching in his throat.
Dark orbs snapped open as she sneered.
"Fool."
He had barely enough time to leap away as her blade darted for his throat.
"Well played, dear brother. Sending mortals to do your work for you? Tell me, how did you think they would fare?" she jeered.
He frowned. Did she believe him to be responsible for the mortal's actions? Curse it all.
"Nay, this was there own endeavor, but I fear my words to the contrary would ring false in you ears regardless, thus I will save myself the effort."
"Well, if that's the case," she rose and leapt for him again, blade slashing for his torso. "You could simply die, and save me the effort."
He gritted his teeth as their blades met, the clang reverberating off the stones.
"What is this, sister? What madness has taken hold of you?"
She bared her teeth in a vengeful grin.
"Perhaps it was the eons spent bound in a broken body! Tell me, dear brother, how has Mother been since she put a blade in my chest?" she spat, venom dripping from the words.
"Your malice is misplaced," he returned, ire boiling within him again as he stepped back, meeting another strike of her blade. "Do not dare forget that I shared the same punishment!"
"Because you murdered my sister!" she screamed, a flurry of strikes ringing together into a single warbling note.
"And I shall ever bear the pain for the deed! But your damnable envy began every moment of sorrow and agony after it! Had you simply been content with the powers you were granted, she would yet live! And I would not stand before this wrathful monstrosity you have become!"
Their blades clashed, locking together in a deadly embrace.
Krythus's face was set in a snarl as he pressed back against her. Somehow she was far stronger than he remembered from their previous battle. Yet he could not fathom how.
She leapt back and darted around him, seeking an advantage in their stalemate. He matched her movements, verbal bandy abandoned. He couldn't rid himself of the sensation that something was horribly wrong. There was no way she could have attained such power from mortals. That only left...
His eyes widened with a terrible understanding as he finally paid heed to the necklace -nay, collar- bound around his sister's neck. The leering face of Hircine etched upon the metal affirmed his fears.
Rage burst forth as he blocked another strike, torrents of fire surged around them, setting the very stones aflame. Damn him! He snarled as he swore to rip Hircine apart with every ounce of strength he possessed. His anger for her past deeds still smoldered, but in the face of this atrocity, he found that nothing else mattered to him.
"Losing control, my dear?" she mocked, laughing.
"You must fight him, my love. Come back to me!" he pleaded.
She winced as if the words pained her.
"Fight him!" he shouted.
She shook her head, sable hair rippling with the effort.
"Die!" she cried, her blade hurtling downward.
He sidestepped and with all the speed he could muster, slashed at her weapon hand, blade biting into her fingers and wrist. With a cry of astonishment and pain, she reflexively released the blade. He surged forward and used his body to pin hers against a stone pillar jutting from the ground. With her left arm already incapacitated by the broken shaft of an arrow, he needed only still her right. He grabbed her wrist, her warm blood slick in his grip.
"Forgive me," he whispered as his right hand dropped his blade and latched onto the dark collar. Lightning lanced from the metal, rending his body with brutal agony. Her screams mingled with his as he stabbed at the object with every scrap of magic he could muster, uncaring if the effort shattered his mortal form. Too late he realized his folly as the artifact deftly deflected his efforts and returned them in kind, slicing open his flesh with a myriad of invisible knives. He stumbled backwards from the force, releasing his hold on his sister in the process.
She wasted no time and snatched up his discarded blade. He watched as she lifted it above her head, determined to put an end to their struggle. Yet her hand trembled, as if the blade suddenly weighed far more than she could manage. Amethyst glittered in her eyes for a moment, fighting desperately. With an anguished cry, she collapsed, blade falling from her fingers as she clawed at her head. He scrambled forward, barely managing to catch her before she collided with the cold stones.
He cradled her in his arms gently, their twin amethyst eyes meeting. Weakly, she touched his mind with hers and it terrified him to realize this was all the strength she could muster. Desperately, he tried to wrap his mind around her, but it was like trying to contain wisps of smoke with a shawl. All he could do was let her draw upon the steady strength of his own body as it dripped crimson onto her flesh.
'Shatter this form. Please!' she begged. 'I cannot stop this madness.'
'You know that I cannot do that. I will not,' he refused.
'Such a fool I was to think I could thwart him.' An agonized guilt suffused her mind before she suppressed the throng of memories to continue.
'I know not if Hircine's control extends unto my true self, but if it does, then wandering Masser as his eternal puppet seems a far better path than sewing chaos for mortalkind.'
'No…' Krythus breathed.
'Neither of us have the strength to shatter this cursed collar,' she replied solemnly.
'Not alone, no, but combine your strength with mine and let us rend it from you!'
Her mind laughed without mirth.
'The shadow commands the vast majority of my strength, my magic. Now twice have I challenged its hold upon me, and each time leaves me weaker than the last. There is no time left.'
'Our mother-'
'Is no doubt still filled with thoughts of hatred for me, and rightly so. She will dismiss this as my own machinations and say that I was aided by my father's magic. You know as well as I that she always favored you. It would be futile.'
He shook his head slowly, unable to accept what she asked of him.
'Please, if ever you loved me, destroy me while I am still myself. I know it is unfair of me to ask you to bear yet another burden for my sake, but I have no one else but you.'
'No,' he replied firmly. 'I will find a way to free you. Then when I inform our mother on Hircine's damnable machinations, she will rain forth her wrath upon him, not you, and he shall rue the day he e'er laid his hands upon you.'
His thumb caressed her cheek as they fell into silence, minds intertwined, simply reveling in the other's presence. To each it felt as if they had been held beneath the ocean and could at last draw a breath of air. Yet the moment faded quickly as he felt her consciousness sinking into darkness once more, and fought feverishly to keep her with him. Her mind reached out, brushing against him in the equivalent of placing her hand upon his cheek.
'The wrongs I have committed against you are unforgivable. I know that, but still I…' she paused, fighting to maintain control. 'Please, just know that I love you, and do not heed a single word that cursed shadow breathes,' she implored.
'Illaria…'
But without another word, she was overtaken, like the moon subsumed by the night sky. He grimaced at the cruel forgery of his sister's form in his arms. Sorrowfully, he touched her cheek for but a moment as she came awake, then vanished with his blade, leaving Aeternia to howl in rage.
The Jarl sat cross-legged upon his throne, thinking over everything presented in the report. Zavi and Eclipse waited patiently for the man to speak, feeling as if they watched a hot spring preparing to hurl its scalding fury at them. As the moments eked by, the man's face grew redder, a maelstrom of wrath building behind a calm facade. Yet when he spoke, it was quiet, contained.
"Proventus, have a commendation drawn up for the men who were killed. They deserve to be remembered for their bravery."
"Yes, my Jarl," the steward replied.
"I will see the men who survived awarded personally." The Jarl sighed and shifted on his throne, rubbing his face with his hand.
"This bodes ill for all of Skyrim," he muttered, then called to his steward again. "I'll need you to compile letters to all of the holds as well. They need to be informed of what's going on here, and they deserve to know. Also ask them for any soldiers they can spare. I know it's a long shot to get any, but we must try."
"Of course sir."
"As for the two of you," the Jarl announced, turning his focus to Zavi and Eclipse. "I will need you to travel to the College of Winterhold and seek out any information you can. If anyone can give us insight into how to kill a goddess, they can."
Eclipse saw Zavi about to protest and subtly grabbed her arm.
But the Jarl did not miss her near outburst and continued with, "After all, it was the two of you and that mage who requested my spare troops. I feel it only fair that I be able to ask this of you in return. I will need all of my couriers inform the other holds. In fact, I would also like you to take the missive to Winterhold and inform them of the situation, since you'll be going there anyway."
Eclipse frowned, but kept his irritation in check. The Jarl had a point, but he couldn't help but resent being ordered like a servant. After all, the Jarl might as well have placed a dagger to their throats for all the freedom they had to refuse him. He and Zavi exchanged glances that acknowledged the fact as they subtly sighed in unison.
"Very well, Jarl Balgruuf, we will do as you ask," Eclipse replied, amending the last word to a more complementary term than his mind provided.
"Good, I'll have the missive delivered to you as soon as it's completed," his voice softened as he continued. "For now though, you should get some rest. From what my men reported, it couldn't have been easy battling such a nightmarish creature." He paused to rub his face. "Well, it might not be much, but I'll at least pay the carriage driver at the stables to transport you at dawn... or what passes for it nowadays. That should both ease and hasten your journey."
"Thank you, Jarl Balgruuf," Eclipse replied, stowing his pride as he dipped his head in a minuscule bow.
"One last thing," the nord called as they turned to leave. "What became of your little tactician? I hope the girl wasn't hurt," he added softly.
"No, my Jarl, she wasn't hurt. She mostly just observed the battle. Her job was to lure the goddess and provided the distraction we needed to attack her." Zavi replied, after a pause, then added, "She's just staying close to her family right now."
"I understand," the man replied. "If you see her again, tell her I wish to speak with her. I would like to hear what insight she can share about the battle."
Zavi agreed, and with a parting thanks, they were finally dismissed.
"Well, that was fun," Zavi remarked with a sarcastic twist of her lips as they made their way back through the streets to her home.
"Yes indeed," he sullenly agreed, shivering in the chill.
"Wow, I've never seen you mad before," she mused, tempted to investigate this new development by antagonizing him further.
"I know that look, my dear," he sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I must ask that you refrain from whatever course of action you intend."
"Psht, you're no fun," she teased, curling her arm around his waist. "I'm in trouble and I didn't even get to say anything..."
"Perhaps if you learned to better control your facial expressions…"
"It was a good one too!" she continued, heedless.
He smiled, shaking his head as they stopped at her front door.
"I should get back to the inn," Eclipse sighed.
"Already?" Zavi asked, disappointed.
"Well, the burly gentleman in the room next to mine snores rather profoundly, as soon as he finishes imbibing copious amounts of mead for the night. I would like to be able to rest before he does."
Zavi thought for a moment, frowning.
"Why don't you just stay here then? I can drag all the things out of the guest room, and you can get some peace."
The dunmer bit his lip. "I thank you, but I could not impose upon you like that."
She glared silently.
He fought desperately not to laugh as he imagined her thinking a phrase concerning him, the word stupid, and possibly a fish in a boot.
"But I suppose if you insist…" he relented, a smile tugging at his lips. "I would be very grateful for a reprieve."
"Right!" Zavi tossed her head in victory with a smirk as she unlocked her door and led the way inside.
Venfrie bit her lip and pulled her hood low as she moved through Whiterun's streets, careful to stay out of the pools of light cast by roaring braziers and torches alike. Her caution proved unnecessary as she remained unchallenged. It seemed that in the eyes of the guard, she was no more than another stranded festival-goer waiting for the carriage to return and escort her from the city.
She stopped before the familiar unlit doorway and knocked gently. The door opened and she was greeted by a scowling feline face.
"Eclipse, the small female is back! How rude would it be if I closed the door?"
"Very!" yelled a sharp reprimand.
"Fine," Zavi moaned exasperatedly then motioned for Venfrie to enter.
The mage ducked inside, giving her thanks and politely declining an offered seat.
"I can't stay long," she said by way of an apology. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I had to come here again. You're probably sick of seeing me."
Eclipse saw Zavi about to loose a no doubt scathing affirmation and quickly intervened.
"Why did you come here, young one?"
"Where do I begin?" the girl muttered, then heaved a sigh.
"After the goddess cast us from the battlefield seems as good a place as any," Eclipse provided, not unkindly.
Ven barked a laugh.
"Well, I met the sun god. That was fun," she smiled wryly. "He just appeared out of thin air."
"Are you certain?" Eclipse asked, leaning forward.
"Given the circumstances? I'm fairly sure. That and the fact that he looked like he was on fire and didn't care."
"Oh good, another deity. That's just what I wanted," Zavi sulked.
"Me too, believe me," Ven agreed. "The good news is, Aeternia seems to need time to sleep for now, but we're worried what she might do when she wakens, so the Elder Sister made you this," she said, offering up an amulet of Julianos. "We can use it to communicate," she explained the details of how to use it, then seeing their faces, hastily added, "This isn't us asking for help, or trying to come up with another plan. You've already done enough for us, we don't expect or ask that you do any more. This is just in case something goes terribly wrong and you need to be warned before you have a raging goddess on your doorstep."
"What do you all intend to do?" Eclipse inquired softly, taking hold of the amulet.
"For now, we're just going to try and stay out of the way as much as possible and let her do whatever she wants. Who knows, maybe if she kills the sun god and takes over his dominion, she really will leave. At this point, I'm afraid that's all we can do," she cast her eyes down, despair and resignation warring for domination.
"Hope Snarky Face leaves? That's like putting a fish in front of three bears and hoping they don't eat it!" Zavi protested.
Venfrie gave a forlorn shrug.
"We can't fight her. And I'm afraid I'm all out of ideas, unless you two have any?"
"Run!" Zavi insisted. "Run far away!"
Ven shook her head.
"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that."
"It always is, with you," Zavi snarled in exasperation.
"Several of our older family members belonged to the Mage's Guild before its dissolution," Venfrie continued. "Most were instructors, some only students, but they consider it their duty to see this through and help protect the rest of Skyrim from this nightmare. They refuse to leave. To them, it's like breaking a solemn vow."
"Commendable, but unwise," Eclipse stated.
"I can't disagree with you there," Venfrie responded. "As for the rest of us, well… We can't abandon our family to face this alone any more than I'm guessing you two could abandon each other."
"I don't know," Zavi smirked. "He makes fun of me if I eat more than three sweetrolls."
"That is because you attempted to flatten them and inhale them all at once!" Eclipse protested.
Venfrie laughed, then listened to the crackling blaze as it snapped and roared in the hearth. She hated the question she desperately wanted to ask and stared at the floor before murmuring, "How are the men… the ones that… survived?"
Eclipse and Zavi exchanged solemn glances.
"The priestesses were able to heal most of the men, but the ones who were bitten…" Eclipse sighed and trailed off. "Their bodies resist any attempt to heal them beyond staunching the bleeding. One of the men took to a fever shortly after we got him to the temple. He did not last long after that. The Jarl is furious, to say the least."
The girl was silent for a moment, biting her lip.
"He didn't… punish you did he? It was my fault for devising the plan after all, and asking for troops."
"You cannot be blamed for this, child. You have fought this madness thrust upon us at every turn and done your best to set things right. We all made our own choices and did what we had to do," Eclipse replied.
"He has a point, female," Zavi admitted. "Plans always turn useless in the end, but planning in itself is vital."
"Zavi dear, that was almost wise," Eclipse smiled.
"Quiet, you," she rolled her eyes wryly.
The three stood for a moment more, knowing neither what to say nor do next.
"I should… get back before anyone notices," Venfrie hesitantly muttered, eyes downcast. "Thank you again."
"One last thing," Zavi added. "The Jarl said to tell you he'd like to speak with you about the battle."
As she acknowledged and pulled open the door, Eclipse called out to her.
"It was not your fault."
She smiled solemnly, and faded into the darkness.
The Elder Brother stood, watching over Aeternia as she finally relented to sleep. Slumber calmed her face, softening her perpetual animosity until she resembled a modicum of her former beauty. For a moment, she smiled sweetly, and whispered words inaudible. He sighed softly, and for the first time wondered if his actions had been worth it. He still yearned to be at his goddess's side, to revel in her power and have the world tremble before them, yet… With a pang of sorrow, he recalled Illaria as he had seen her so many times, lying upon the red stones of Masser. He found that he missed those moments terribly as he remembered her soft voice, kind words and sweet laughter. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if it had all been a ruse, deceiving him into freeing her, but another part of him wholly refused to believe her tender affections were a lie. Yet he remained intrigued by moments when Aeternia would pause, gain a silver sheen, and speak reminiscent of her old self before regressing to hostility once more.
The khajiit was no fool. It might have taken him time to realize, but he knew a daedric artifact when he saw one, and the macabre collar about her neck was indisputably one. He was unfamiliar with the device itself, but it bore Hircine's image, and the dark resonance of a Prince's power. He gritted his teeth in frustration. It was clear that the prince had a hand in all of this madness. The exasperated khajiit paced softly, a snarl upon his face. In truth, he lamented the loss of what Illaria had been, but he'd come too far, the culminations of decades of research and practice now quite literally laying before him as the goddess of Masser slumbered atop a bed of soft furs. He placed a hand over his eyes. There was no going back now, not for him. For better or worse, he would stand beside her as the world turned to chaos around them. The khajiit laughed silently. After all, without her protection, he would already be dead from his family's wrath. His power might be vast, but they far outnumbered him.
At the very least, he vowed, he would never be left with nothing again, never be forced to scrounge in heaps of filth to find a meal. He would rule, his name striking fear into the hearts of mortal kind. Well, he amended with a cynical grin, if he had a name worth uttering. Perhaps he should craft a new one for himself in the days to come- or nights, as it were. It made no difference to him either way.
Arden tossed and turned, unconsciously casting off his blankets and the cool cloth upon his brow. His eyes snapped open as he panted in the darkness. It took him longer than he would have liked to determine that he was in the Temple of Kynareth. His blood felt like it was on fire. With a grimace, he clutched at his throat.
Whispers floated through him like remnants of a half remembered dream. He turned to and fro, blearily trying to determine the source. There was someone… calling him. Someone very important. He couldn't stay here. The voice whispered tantalizing words, but too maddeningly soft for him to discern. But he needed it.
Arden pushed himself up from his cot, no more able to resist the compulsion than demand his heart stop beating. He staggered, unseeing, out beneath the gloaming sky. There was something he had to do. But he couldn't remember. Perhaps a few more steps would clear his mind.
Up atop the ramparts of Whiterun's city wall with no knowledge of how he'd gotten there, Arden listened. Suddenly he understood. There was something she needed him to do, and in return, she had granted him a gift. He closed his eyes, lost in a void of starlit black.
His body pitched forward, falling sharply from the ramparts. Yet he had no fear as the air rushed past him. Effortlessly, he wheeled through the air, landing upon all fours with nary a sound. As the voice whispered sweetly, his mind struggled to assert a single tendril of its own thought: he had to get away from the city. He ran blindly, fever distorting his vision into blurry color as distance and fatigue became irrelevant concepts to him.
Beneath the low boughs of a squat pine tree, he panted, trying to catch his breath. A horrible, glorious sound met his ears as pain shot throughout his body. The crack of bone resounded through the trees as he shuddered and screamed, feeling muscles and flesh pull apart and reknit. Yet with her voice breathing softly, lovingly to him, the pain became exquisite.
The world spun, colors vanishing as his vision dimmed. He thrashed in the damp needles, his own anguished screams the only sound as the sweet scent of pine stung his nose. At last the torment subsided, leaving him to lay unmoving on his side, short, rapid breaths the only sign of life.
Arden's body shook as he tried to push himself upright. His breath came out in a sigh of pleasure as he felt her brush against his mind once more, pleased with his actions. But there was something more she required, and he was determined to please her. He sniffed the air until he caught a human scent, then loped off into the night with a howl.
The silver wolf began the hunt.
A/N: If you have a moment, I'd appreciate some feedback, even if it's just a sentence. I'd like to know what you enjoy about this story, what you don't, and where you think I can improve. Thanks! :)