-1A Madgod's Realm
Chapter Ten - Escalation
Somehow, Aldric had managed to miss the Golden Saint guards which flanked either side of him. But when the door burst open and the familiar voice of Syl called out, followed by her figure and that of her Dark Seducer escorts, the Saints reached for their weapons, but didn't draw them. A scowl was plastered on each Saint, as well as Sontaire's.
Syl rushed toward the congregation. "Wait! I must speak! The Ritual must not be completed!"
The Madgod, standing on the side where Arctus' lectern sat, immediately frowned. "Syl! You dare interrupt Me? Only I interrupt Me. Like just then.
"I'm speaking with someone. We'll talk later. Or not. When is later, exactly? Not now, I'm sure of that." He looked to the Golden Saints, and his tone became more hostile. "Guards, I think Syl forgot how to use the door. Kindly show her out. Before I forget myself."
Syl looked at the Saints, Sheogorath, then Aldric. A look of despair crept onto her face. "Thadon…dead?" She shot her finger out at the Lord Sheogorath. "You've done this! It was you all along!"
It was Sheogorath's turn to point, except this time he pointed with his staff. "Hold your tongue, little Duchess, or I'll tear it from your mouth!"
"Replacing Thadon with this…outsider?" Syl cried, shaking her head. "This is how it ends. I should've seen this coming!"
Sheogorath's eyes narrowed in anger. "Calm yourself, Syl," he replied, looking like he was doing his best to keep from unleashing his wrath upon her. "You're making my teeth itch. You still hold your office. I suggest you see to your duties."
All the while the Champion remained silent because speaking from him would only make things worse. But he kept the hilt of his sword within reach, in case things got violent.
"No! I see what's going on. I should have seen it before," Syl said, putting her right hand to her forehead and seemingly cursing herself for some lack of intelligence. "You conspire to destroy us all! You're a fool if you think I'll allow this to happen."
"Fool?" Sheogorath laughed. "Visionary! Change is in the air, Syl. Breathe it deep! Bathe in its scent! Bottle it up. Save some for later." He then sniffed the air as though change itself were present, which it was. Aldric almost laughed at the Madgod's statement but he kept his mouth shut.
"Order stands at our door. They've taken the Fringe! Did you even know? Do you care? And you speak of "change?"
Aldric's eyes widened in horror. Despite that Dementia would cheat to get ahead, the tone of her voice made it clear--she was being serious and telling the truth. Oblivion only knows what could be going on there.
Sheogorath tapped his staff against his right leg. "Change will preserve us! It is the lifeblood of the Isles. It will move mountains! It will mount movements!"
"No. I can't do this. There has to be a way out. A way to escape!"
A quizzical look appeared on the Lord of the Never-There's face. "Then go, Syl. Return to your quarters. Before I send you back in pieces."
Syl suddenly became all smiles--one of smug satisfaction. "Yes! That's what I'll do. I'll go. The enemy of my enemy. Order is the key. I'll keep them close."
It was at that moment that everyone's face turned to shock at what they just heard. It also caused the Golden Saints to draw their weapons, followed by the Dark Seducers, and then Aldric.
This…this can't be! Aldric thought, looking over to Sheogorath. Even he looks surprised.
Sheogorath held up his hand in the direction of the Saints and the new Duke of Mania. "No! Let her go!"
Syl about-faced and began leaving the room, the Seducer escorts watching the Saints closely. "This is not over, Madgod. I give myself to Jyggalag. As a Priest of Order, I'll be safe. Your empire will crumble before the armies of Order!"
The door to Crucible slammed shut and for several minutes there was nothing but silence in the Sacellum Arden-Sul. Everyone was utterly stunned at the events that had just unfolded. Aldric knew he had once again witnessed history be made, although in a different way.
"Wondering why I let her go, aren't you?" Sheogorath suddenly said, breaking the silence. Aldric turned and looked at the Madgod, who now had both his hands on his staff and was looking at the door to Crucible. "I can see it in your face. Mostly in the eyes. I may take those from you when this is done."
He broke his stare and met Aldric's gaze. "This has never happened before! The ruler of Dementia turning traitor? Unprecedented!
"I've seen others defect, but never a Duke or Duchess! Maybe we're on to something here. We'll see how it plays out. It can't be worse than what's happened before."
"If you say so…" Aldric replied wearily.
"I do. I did. And I won't say it again. But, that's enough about that. You're the ruler of Mania! Just look at you. You're positively beaming! Oh, how I would dance about on your skull and sing to the hills!"
He barked a hardy laugh, then just as suddenly stopped as usual. "That wouldn't be worthy of such a thing. Your skull is too small for me to dance on, I'd probably crush it. But anyways!"
Sheogorath dug through his shirt pocket before pulling out a beautiful engraved ring. "Here is the Ring of Lordship, a symbol of your new station. Symbols are important. They carry weight in this Realm, and others. You would be well served to remember that. I've also granted you the ability to summon a Golden Saint once-a-day."
Aldric took the ring from the Madgod's hand and put it on his right ring finger. Suddenly, he felt more sociable and he could feel a slight barrier form around his figure. "And what of the Fringe?"
Sheogorath sighed. "She was right about that. I can feel it. In My bones. The little ones."
He slashed his staff sideways. "The Greymarch has swept the Fringe. Order gathers its forces there as we speak. And I hate when people gather forces…in My Fringe!
"You'll need to put an end to that. Stop them. My armies should already be there, but I want you to see what you can do to help. If they continue to marshal their forces there, we won't be able to contain them. Make sure they can't."
Aldric just stood there, looking at the ring on his finger. He couldn't believe what was happening. He could feel himself becoming part of the Isles, and he had a strong desire to stay here forever. That thought alone startled him, as did Sontaire suddenly appearing next to him. He knew he had a promise to keep with Caius and he made another to himself that when the Fringe was back in the hands of Sheogorath, he would leave and report to the Spymaster.
"What're you doing with your tongue flapping about, lad?" Sheogorath asked. "Move! Get going! Or I'll make you myself!"
That registered. Aldric spun on his heel and ran for the Mania door, Sontaire in close pursuit.
"Aldric! Wait!" she yelled and he stopped as he got outside. It had begun to rain. Joy, he thought.
"What is it love?" he asked.
She stopped, and seemed to hesitate about what she was going to say. "Can I come with you?"
Aldric rapidly shook his head. "No, absolutely not. It's too dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Me? Getting hurt?" She chuckled. "Aldric, I've had to fight for my life before because of ravenous perverted men. I've killed before. Please, trust me. I have armor and a sword. Please let me help you."
Aldric was in a bind. He couldn't make up his mind. He was sure that the forces of Sheogorath would need every body they could get, but at the same time, he loved Sontaire with his entire being. He was momentarily surprised with himself, but at the same time, he wasn't. After much thinking, Aldric came to a decision.
"Yes, you can come with me. But stay close, okay?"
She jumped up once and hugged him tight. "Thank you, baby! Let me go suit up."
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Sontaire had suited herself up in a hodgepodge of chainmail and mithril armor, complete with an elven shield. The only thing she was missing was a helmet, but her ebony shortsword (enchanted to do shock damage) more than made up for her lack of head protection.
On the way to the Gates of Madness, they ran into the very first Obelisk Aldric had come across on the Low Road, which was now fully activated and kicking with Knights of Order. During that battle, Sontaire had kept up with him and even saved his butt a few times before they managed to shut the Obelisk down. Aldric would have to ask her where she got her martial skills from and why she wasn't more grounded in the ways of magic.
The rain had finally stopped by the time nightfall came and they reached the Gates of Madness. Aldric hadn't a clue as to what he might encounter inside the Fringe; all-out battle could be occurring or it could be scattered skirmishes. He truly didn't know. As they stood before the Gate of Dementia, they both drew their swords.
"You ready?" Aldric asked his companion.
Sontaire nodded. "As ready as I can be. Hey, Aldric…"
He looked over at her, and sensed a brief amount of tension in the air before he said "What?"
"Please, let's live to see another day." She approached him and kissed him on the lips; Aldric returned it.
"Sweetie, trust me," Aldric replied with a smile. "I've been through Oblivion and back, and I'm still here."
They turned toward the Gate of Dementia. "Let's go."
Aldric pushed the Gate with his left hand until it opened all the way and the pair stepped through. Neither of them were prepared for what they saw.
Whereas the Fringe had resembled both Mania and Dementia in certain aspects, something wasn't right. Gone were the vibrant landscapes and dark gnarled plants. Everything was covered with Order Crystals and a gray mist hovered in the air. The Fringe seemed more dead than the lands of Dementia, if such a thing were possible.
"By the Madgod," Sontaire breathed. "This is unbelievable."
"You got that right," Aldric added as they walked down the left most staircase next to the bust of Sheogorath.
He noticed that the corpses that the Gatekeeper slew when he first arrived had been reduced to skeletal remains. The Gatekeeper's skeleton, unfortunately, wasn't there…which was also strange. Had the citizens removed it? Or had…Jayred Ice-Veins eaten it? The thought chilled him.
One other thing caught his eye: off in the distance, a blue light up in the sky seemed to be radiating near the center of the Fringe.
"Stay on your guard, Sontaire," Aldric said. "Follow me down to Passwall."
When he arrived down into the village, he saw a couple of Golden Saints roaming about and one without a helmet with long golden hair seemed to be the leader. Aldric approached slowly.
"May we be of help?" Aldric called out, and all the Saints turned to look.
"I am Aurig Desha," the helmet less Golden Saint replied. "Your Grace, a dark time has been thrust upon us. Passwall is under attack. We are outmatched and outnumbered."
"What happened here?" Sontaire asked before Aldric could.
"At first light, the Spire at the center of town became active. Immediately, the area around it began to crystallize and change. Soon after that, the sky darkened and the Knights came."
"Surely they must be weakened." Aldric knew that their numbers had to be thinning, but he noticed that Aurig Desha was shaking her head vigorously. .
"The Knights are relentless. They do not tire, they do not fear, and they do not stop coming. They appear out of nowhere at the base of the Spire. We kill five of them, five more show up. We've lost too many of the Aureals already." She gestured to some of the bodies scattered about the ground. "I fear that we will not be able to hold the town for--"
Off by the Spire, three beams of light flashed briefly out of the corner of Aldric's eye. Then one of the male Saints cried, "They're attacking again! To arms, to arms!"
Son of a bitch, Aldric thought as three Knights of Order appeared where they hadn't before. The Golden Saints drew their weapons, while another nocked an arrow into a bow, and they charged.
The Knights closed quickly, and weapons started to clash. Aldric kept an eagle eye on Sontaire, not wanting her to get hurt. As a Knight knocked a Saint back with the hilt of its sword, Aldric sliced it across the back and kicked it in the back of the leg. It collapsed and the Redguard shoved his sword through the Knight's husk, killing it.
Meanwhile, Sontaire ducked the attack of another Knight and slashed at one of its legs, causing it to stumble off balance and send it right into a Golden Saint's mace, crushing its helmet beyond repair.
Two more waves of Knights followed and only one Golden Saint fell. After the ninth Knight of Order was dead, there was a considerably lull in the combat to where Aurig could speak again.
"The Spire is obviously their source of power," the Saint commander said. "This battle will not end until we find a way to shut it down."
"How do we do that?" Sontaire asked, wiping a trickle of blood away from her cheek. Even all sweaty and bloody, to Aldric, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"I am not certain," Desha replied. "But do not lose heart, for I have a plan. The ruins of Xeddefen run under Passwall. The entrance to the south of the town has been sealed for centuries. One of my scouts reported that the ruins have been opened recently and a number of these Knights are now guarding the entrance."
"I'm guessing you sent the scout inside. Did she report back?" Aldric inquired.
"She did not return. I can only assume that she was caught and captured. If we attempt to assault Xeddefen, though, Passwall will be overrun and we will lose the Fringe. Additionally, our forces are dangerously thin. We have no idea what opposition may await us inside."
Aldric looked to the southeast, in the rough direction of where the ruins lay. From the sounds of it, he'd be going in by himself. Taking Sontaire would be too risky; she needed to be with the Saints in case she was injured.
"I know what you're suggesting," Aldric said, looking Desha in the eyes. "I'll do it."
He then looked into Sontaire's eyes. "As much as I'd love for you to be at my side, I can't this time, love. I want you to be with the Saints in case you get injured. I'm not familiar with the art of Restoration, and I only trust myself with potions. I'd rather drink a bad mix then the woman I love."
"I understand," Sontaire replied.
Aldric began to head in the direction of Xeddefen when Sontaire called out.
"Wait!" She ran up to him and Aldric stopped in his tracks.
"What is it?"
She kissed him on the lips for a good five seconds before uttering three words that would soon be pumping through him: "Come back alive."