Chapter 11 ~Justice~

20th of Morning Star
8:23 am
The Blue Palace
Owain

I turned over in my sleep, that last few moments of it releasing its grip on my eyes. Events of last night flashed in my head- the Queen searching through Dyce's head, and proving him innocent a few minutes later. Sortiara was found stuck to the castle wall by the dragon's ice, and she was thawed pretty quickly. When she awoke, she was disappointed that she wasn't of greater help.

I stood up, realizing my lack of clothing. In the bed with me was Servant-Boy, and he was still asleep. I'll admit, a little fun to celebrate your best friend's amnesty isn't unwarranted. I found my armor nearby, and that went on after my smallclothes, as I got dressed and ready in my leather armor.

Servant-Boy rolled, and I saw him looking at me with a curious expression. I walked up to him, placing a feathery hand on his Nordic head. "Last night was one of my best," I said to him. "Maybe you'd like to sleep here more often?" I received a nod in response.

I walked towards the door, and hesitated before leaving. "Oh, and try to bring some of your friends next time, okay?" I said, winking. He blushed a little, and I closed the door on my way out. After the dragon attacked, and the silver-water, Erika had let us stay in her castle. When we delivered Jarl Balgruf's request, she agreed to send aid. We'd be leaving tomorrow with the Imperial Army, so today would be a much-deserved break.

I knocked on the door the room Dyce was given, only to find out he wasn't in there. Curious, I did see his Bag of Holding on a table, shut tight by the drawstring. Ignoring it, though, I went to the Queen's chamber. Like yesterday, she sat upon her throne. Sortiara was telling her about what we saw in the realm of Sheogorath, about her husband.

"He was distraught, your majesty. He desperately wanted to know how you were doing- his death is driving his soul mad." The purple-haired mage said. "It was saddening, really. His feelings of loss affected my own heart."

The Queen was near tears. "I want to let him know I'm okay… but I don't know how."

"We don't either. But I'm sure we'll find a way." Sortiara finished. I approached the two of them. "Owain, up so early?"

"More or less, Sweetheart." I said. "Have either of you seen Dyce? I'd like to talk to him- it's really our first day without either a blade, claw, or task above our heads."

Erika answered. "Yes, he was here earlier. He wanted to know where a small lake or stream was where he could wash the grime and gore off his clothes." She paused for a second, thinking. "I remember two of my soldiers, Hroki and Tor, telling him where one could be found. They headed south, if I remember."

"Thanks." I said. Wait a minute… where have I heard the name Hroki before? I thought for a second before I remembered. And a grim scowl ran over my face. "Sorry, but I need to fin Dyce, Now!" I squawked, opening a nearby window and jumping out.

I had forgotten my wing was still in that accursed sling. However, in mid-air, I ripped the bandages off. To my- and Sortiara's- surprise, my wing had healed enough for me to fly. I gracefully took to the air, almost knocking a hovering courier to the ground.

"Watch it!" He yelled, regaining his altitude with a flap of his blue wings. I ignored him as I headed south, hand on my mace. I soon came across a sight- Dyce, with two Imperial Guards. They were headed into the forest southwest of Solitude, and I landed in a branch near them.

I followed the three from the trees, careful to not get their attention. Dyce was wearing new garments, his old bloodstained ones and a bar of soap under his arm. The two guards near him were in heavy imperial plate armor, but they were laughing as they talked.

I thought I recognized on of their names, but I must have been mistaken. Dyce would never have gotten along with that guy, for what he did. The trio stopped by a lake, Dyce depositing his bundle near him. They engaged in idle chatter as my friend washed his clothes.

Dyce stood up when he finished. Laughing along with the two guards, it seemed my worries were for nothing. But then, almost instantly, Dyce did something that was sudden, unanticipated, and quick.

He had unsheathed the Nordic blade at his waist and decapitated the guard on his left in one slice.

~A few minutes earlier, Dyce~

"I'm telling you, Hroki, Solitude is a much better place than Whiterun for us to be in." Tor said as we walked in the forest.

"Why's that?" I inquired. The guards were friendly enough, and a little conversation never hurt anyone.

"No Stormwing bastards to worry about. They wouldn't dare come this far into Imperial territory." Hroki laughed. "Oh, we're here." He said then, gesturing towards a small lake. Perfect.

I set down my clothes in the water, and started to use the soap to scrub the blood out of them. "So, how long you two known each other?" I asked.

"We joined the legion together," Tor said. "We've done everything together ever since, be it fighting, resting, or fooling with a woman or two."

Hroki nodded as I pulled my clothes out of the water, satisfied. "It's been fun, especially with the girls we've met." I stood up. In a flash, my sword was in my hand as it swung to the left, and Hroki's head flew off his body, landing in the lake. The metal helm made his smiling, dead face sink into the water.

"What in the Divines' names-" I cut Tor off, slamming him to a tree nearby. My sword sunk into his fleshy gut, his lifeblood spilling out onto the ground below.

"You've both enjoyed women, huh?" I asked, driving the sword in deeper and twisting it. "What about the ones who didn't want it?"

"Wait… you… Whiterun… that whore…" Tor said weakly. "You're… killing us… because she was our enemy?" He pushed me off m, my sword making a gory shlick sound as it left his abdomen. Tor drew his own blade, weakly. "We did what we had to… to maintain order!"

"You didn't have to rape a woman to save Skyrim." I said, cutting off his sword arm. The Imperial that owned this sword took great care to keep it razor-sharp. "Now I, the Dragonborn, pass my judgment."

"AUGHHH!" He screamed as I sliced into his heart. The sword cut it neatly in two. I twisted my blade sideways and yanked I out, hard. Blood sprayed out of the wound, and I stepped to the side to avoid it. Normally I relish in my enemy's blood- but I didn't want blood on me that was from men as low as these two.

He fell, lifeless. It took me but a few minutes to dump both bodies in the lake. I wiped off my sword, sheathed it, and grabbed my bundle of clothes. As I turned back to Solitude, I saw an Avon flying away from the scene- pure white, with leather armor on. Owain.

Divines damn it. I ran back towards the town, trying to find him to explain. When I got there, though, he had disappeared into the crowd. I cursed out loud, heading back to the Blue Palace. I'd probably find him there.

Chapter 11.5 ~Celina~

Later that night
The Blue Palace
Sortiara

I started to wander the halls of the palace. It was after dinner- Owain seemed to be avoiding Dyce, unlike his earlier want to see him. I wasn't sure why, though. My mind wasn't focused on them, however- it was on the girl I had inadvertently saved, Celina.

She seemed different than a normal Imperial girl. Something about her just… radiated magicka. It was a powerful force, to be sure, and I had to find her to learn more about it. I spotted a guard in the hallway, and walked up to him. "Hello," I said. "Could you tell me where a girl named Celina could be found?"

"Celina…" He said, confused. "Oh, you mean the princess!" He said. I saved the princess? "She should be up in her tower right now- her personal chambers. But I'd rather you not enter…"

"Why not? I just want to make sure she's okay." I said.

"Well… it's down the hall, and two rights over. Can't miss it, big, white doorway with stairs behind it. But Celina doesn't like visitors to her chambers, won't even let her mother in." He shrugged. "She's about to-" He was cut off as a melody wove through the air, silencing everything else. The voice it belonged to was feminine and gentle.

"In a silent meadow, under a cool blue sky…
We walk together, and we both know why.
You are shadow, I am light…
We walk together, knowing it is right."

"Sing, yeah…" The guard sighed as closed his eyes. "She sings every night, calming the people of Solitude. Her voice can be heard all over the city."

"It is a beautiful song," I said, at ease. The guard took no notice as I walked past him, headed for the door he had indicated. I pushed it open, and began to climb the stairs.

"Over the windy sky, we fly together…
Through any hardship and any weather.
You are wind, I am of the earth,
And together we share our mirth…"

The singing was getting louder and louder. At last, there was a door on a small landing. It was engraved with a carving of the sun, overlooking an accurate carving of Solitude. I carefully pushed it open, quietly as to not scare the girl I knew to be inside.

"We sail together on the oceans blue,
We see as one, and act as two.
You are sight, I am touch…
Just know I miss you oh so much…"

As she finished her song, I could only stop and stare at her. Her singing was beautiful, but it was her body that was stunning, to say the least. She turned to face me, with an audible gasp.

Before, she had on a cloak, so I only knew her eyes were blue, and she had long, pink hair. But now, I saw her in a nightdress, pure white. On her back, coming out of the dress, were two large, white Avon wings. On the Imperial-skinned girl were ears like elves, long and pointed. Above them, barely visible in her hair, were the head-spikes of Argonians, and I saw the tip of a Khajiit tail poking out of her dress.

"W-Who are you?" She squeaked out quietly. I could say the same thing. She was every species I knew of, besides Orc, crammed into one.

"I'm Sortiara…" I replied, even so. "I saved you from falling..?"

"Oh, you… Yes, I remember." She said, her voice soft and kind. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see who was singing with such a lovely voice." I said. That calmed her down a little from her frightened self, and she sat me down on the bed in the room.

"So, you were always like this?" I asked. She had explained to me that she hid her appearance with a cloak for many years, so people wouldn't call her a freak.

"Yeah…" she shied away a little. "Even my mom think I'm odd…" She said.

"I don't." I said. She looked up to me, as if to ask if I meant that. "And I mean that. You're not odd, you're unique. And I think you should be proud of it."

"Thank you…" She said. "Nobody's ever been that kind to me…"

~End of Chapter~

Nano: What. The. Fuck.

Librom: what is it now?

Nano: cold-blooded killing AND a mutant?

Librom: I never said my stories were child-friendly or normal.

Nano: …

Librom: twit.