Ch. 13
"Nothing has changed?! Nothing has CHANGED?!" Gweneth screamed at the top of her lungs, making her way to Brellach. She could go back there and scream at him, but she wouldn't. As much as Gweneth didn't care for the citizens of the realm, she cared for the lord. She didn't want the realm to be destroyed with everyone in it. Gwen didn't care about dying, she got rid of that fear long ago, but she feared for Sheogorath.
Gweneth loved him, she knew that to be true. Whether she fought her feelings hard or very little the outcome was going to be the same. This man, this daedric prince just captivated her and never let go. He entertained her feelings, she wouldn't go as far to say that he loved her but she felt that there was something there, something mutual. So to hear the man tell her that nothing has changed enraged her, betrayed her. All hope was not lost, Gweneth had been working her ass off for this man and she'll be damned if everything fell to pieces. She wouldn't allow that, th Imperial would rather die than allow that.
She could see Sheogorath slowly dwindling. The few times they shared together alone only proved that, he kept up a facade among his people to keep them calm. Behind closed doors his clarity was only increasing, he was just as much troubled as herself. Gweneth caught pain in his eyes, a small fear behind them like it was the last Greymarch. She wouldn't go as far as him wanting to save her life, that he feared for her. He was an immortal and there would be another creature like herself to come around his realm eventually.
"I wanted to help, I wanted to stop it. For one brief moment I just wanted us to work, stop the Greymarch and just be together. To exist in the Shivering Isles with not a care in the world, spreading madness to citizens and creating.. little princes and princesses before I would die. Before the Void will take me and I serve my afterlife for Sithis. I WANTED THAT. WHY COULDN'T THE NINE JUST GIVE ME ONE THING." Tears streamed down her face, she wouldn't give up.
Brellach was a simple mission, Gweneth wasn't sure why they really needed her help. Staada their leader was kidnapped inside the fortress and they needed help to free her. The Order flooded the fortress so they felt overwhelmed. It was sad that the Golden Saints couldn't handle themselves, especially since they were immortal themselves.
The Order was prevalent inside but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Taking down priests and soldiers alike, the only time consuming part was just roaming the halls. The enemy wasn't smart, but there were a lot. The Golden Saint army behind her held together, and they came across a male Golden Saint. It was odd, really odd.
"I am all that is left, the others were struck down by Order. How did this happen? I know I am only a lowly male, but I am at your service. Shall I follow you into battle?" The saint did not look like he could handle another battle so soon.
"I want you to go outside and watch the perimeter in case any more Order come around. You will be useful protecting our only exit." Gwen nodded to him as he saluted.
"As you command." The saint ran off to the opening.
So many doors, so many staircases, up and down. Why couldn't these areas be less elaborate, it would have saved on construction time. The place was a maze, but she figured it was supposed to be so. This was a building of the Isles, of madness.
Eventually the saints and Gweneth made it to the last room, Staada could only be freed when chimes were rung throughout the room, this was easily done and the woman ran up to Gwen to say her thanks. It was a weird sight to them all to see the Duchess of Dementia in their fortress when it is highly forbidden. But because there was no Duke of Mania anymore, Gwen was the only Noble able to help.
"You have my thanks for freeing me, but just who are you?" Staada eyed her up carefully.
"I am the duchess of Dementia." Gwen bowed her head ever so slightly, this seemed to be the only Saint who was nice to her on first impression.
"Your Grace! I am so sorry I did not realize... Where is Thadon? Have you seen him? That traitorous coward!"
"What exactly happened here?" Gwen sheathed her sword and took a more relaxed pose, her explanation could take a while.
"Thadon... that snake. He showed up, asked for a contingent of guards, said that there was trouble and that we were needed. We were so focused on organizing quickly that by the time we realized that he'd let Order in himself, it was too late. We were split up and picked off. But it doesn't matter anymore, The only thing that matters now is the Wellspring. We must reach it at once!" The saint looked a mixture of anger and pained.
"What Wellspring? What do you mean?" Gwen stood up straight and held a hand on her sword.
"The Wellspring of Aureal. Its what links us to this realm, where we return from the realm from the waters of Oblivion. If Thadon helps Order sever that link... my kind will be annihilated. The realm will be lost to us. We must get to the Wellspring and stop them! I will follow your lead. The Wellspring is at the heart of Brellach; follow the waters to reach it. I am yours to command your Grace." Staada stood at attention and in that moment Gwen decided she liked her. "We must purge Order from our home!"
A few more staircases and a door later, the saints and Gweneth made it to the Wellspring. Following the golden water was not difficult. The door closed behind the group and a few screams were heard. Gwen turned around to only see Staada behind her. The other Golden Saints vanished.
"No the Wellspring! They've stopped it up. You.. you must make it to the Wellspring, and let the waters flow..." Staada began to fade, screaming she dropped to the ground lifeless. Gweneth stared at her for a moment before she got her resolve back. Smacking the large chime next to the Order's spikes that covered up the entrance with her sword, the spikes fell to pieces on the ground.
There was a long corridor with a bridge at the end, making her way to the bridge Gwen decided to break into a full on sprint. Not attacking any Order or priests she came across but dashed past them with all her might, she knew she wouldn't have enough energy alone to take them all at this point in Brellach, the saints had been taking most of the blows. Sneaking around corners and silently assassinating Order was her preferred path to go.
Chimes, there were so many in the final room it excited her. The blast from the chimes took out most of the Order that chased her, blasting them against walls. The Pyramid structure that contained the Wellspring crumbled to the ground along with the soldiers and priests. Golden Saints ran into the room, filling in there were at least twenty. Gwen searched for Staada, she was the last to run inside.
"The Wellspring is restored! You have saved us! We are forever grateful your Grace. Please allow me to teach you this spell so that you may summon our kind to you in your time of need. Also accept this gift of armor, it is the least I can do to show thanks for your help." The saint smiled, she glowed a little brighter when she was happy.
"What about Thadon?" Gwen carefully put her rewards inside her pack, they had to have found him escaping. She sent that male golden saint out there for a reason.
"No sign of him yet. We'll do our best to track him down, and deliver him to Lord Sheogorath for a fitting punishment. The traitor must be brought to justice!" Staada growled.
"What happens now?" Gwen readied her pack and stood up from her knees, the saints were much taller than her.
"Our warriors will scour the halls of Brellach, removing any last elements of opposition. Then we will immediately return to our duties." She smiled a little, obviously happy this was all over.
"Then I shall take my leave." Gwen didn't want to leave Sheogorath's side anymore.
"Indeed. Lord Sheogorath will be anxious to hear of our victory, I am sure." With that Gwen left Brellach, happy to finally breathe in some fresh air.
There was a foreboding feeling in her gut that Gweneth couldn't shake. Just like when she was on her way to Apple Watch and found.. Lucien strung up by his ankles and torn to shreds. Just like when Martin broke up with her right before he condemned himself to his suicide mission. Something was wrong in the air and that only put fire on her heels to return to New Sheoth.
Daedae occasionally whimpered from the pain in his paws, Gwen would apologize profusely for making the wolf travel so much with her, he wasn't conditioned yet. She feared he would hurt himself, so Gwen carried him on her back with her pack on top of him. She couldn't stop for a break, she wouldn't stop for anything. The closer she came to the capital the worse the feeling got, to the point where she felt like her skin was aflame, her heart in a vice, and her stomach doing backflips. Every citizen and guard went about their day as usual, greeting her as Duchess or Dog. Did they not realize that something horrible was going to happen? That their realm was hanging on by a thread?
The palace looked the same, golden saints and dark seducers alike roamed the grounds neutrally. People carried on about their day. Daedae climbed off her back as she opened the wooden door to her impending doom.
"Sh-Sheo?" Gwen's voice was barely above a whisper. He wasn't on his throne or in plain view, Haskill looked her in the eye and pointed to his side. Sheogorath looked up from his staff and greeted her with sad somber eyes.
"Time." He started, and reached for her hands. "Time is an artificial construct. An arbitrary system based on the idea that events occur in a linear direction at all times. Always forward, never back, is the concept of time correct? It... matters not, one way or another. I fear our time has run out. As I feared it would, my plan has failed. The Greymarch is upon us, and I must go."
"No.. Sheogorath, no. Please-" The madgod cupped his hands around her face, Gweneth started to cry profusely.
"I thought we had more time. I thought we had a chance. My plan has failed, and we were so so close..." His golden eyes darkened, they were glossy.
"What.." Gwen choked out in tears. "What happens now?"
"What happens is what always has happened- what always will happen. I crumble. I fade. The realm dies... and you with it... flee while you can, Starshine. When we next meet I will not know you, and I will slay you like the others." Sheogorath looked away slightly, disgusted with himself.
"But, we haven't failed-" Gweneth sputtered, reaching up and holding his face to hers.
"Optimism! How adorable, I love it." The prince held her close. "Even at the end, you make me laugh... No matter. Soon you and everyone else will be dead, and I will be left a madgod... a ruler of a dead realm.. again." Sheogorath closed his eyes, holding them tight.
"What can I do, there must be something I can do! It's not all lost, I won't give up on you!" Gweneth reached up and used all her might to just kiss him on the cheek, she stayed there hoping all her affections went through. Sheogorath held her tighter and breathed out a defeated sigh.
"I had intended to give you my staff, the symbol of my office. But life has gone from it, as it goes from me. It is now dead wood, a useless twig. With the staff there was hope... But now hope is dead. I am dead... and the realm..." The prince let go of her quickly and pushed her back, the Imperial fell to the ground on her back. Light sprayed everywhere from Sheogorath.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH THE REEEEAAAALLLMMM IIISSS DEEEEEAAAADDDD!" A split voice screamed in agony. Sheogorath fell to the floor, more light forced itself out of him. He looked up in pain one last time at Gweneth before his body was enveloped in light. "SSHHHEEEOOOGOORAAATHHH IS DEEEEEAAAAADDDD."
"ALL SHALL CRUMBLE BEFORE JYGGALAG!" The mass grew as large as a house, and vanished in a loud boom. Sheogorath was nowhere to be seen.
"N-no. No. Nonononononono!" Gweneth screamed at the top of her lungs, screamed for everything she was worth. She screamed until her voice gave out, and then silently screamed some more. Her prince was dead.
"Malady." Haskill picked her up from the ground, Gweneth beat into his chest, kept hitting him with all her might. Haskill just took it with no comment, and restrained her when there was no energy left within her. "He is gone but hope is not all lost... we have a rare opportunity here, but I hesitate to do what must be done. If the throne of Madness remains empty Jyggalag storms the palace, he will prevail. But there is a chance that the throne may not be empty."
"Who will sit at the throne?" Gwen mumbled into his shoulder.
"Why you of course. It has always been Sheogorath's intent to raise you to sit upon the throne of Madness." Haskill rubbed her back reassuringly like a father.
"But I am not a Daedric prince." Gweneth removed her head from his shoulder.
"True- but perhaps you can hold the throne- provided that you possess the proper symbol of office. Namely the staff of Sheogorath." Haskill released her from his grip.
"What must I do?" Gweneth dried the tears from her eyes.
"Unfortunately, when Sheogorath faded, the power of his staff faded with him. It must now be remade. The staff is the symbol of power in this realm. He who rightfully holds the staff may hold the throne of the Shivering Isles. However the secrets of it's construction is lost." Haskill looked grim, as if he barely believed this could actually happen.
"Lost?! You said there was hope!" The imperial yelled.
"That which is lost can be found again. There is one being in the Shivering Isles who may be able to assist you in the construction of a new staff. The ruins of Knifepoint Hollow once served as a great library. There, you will find a door. Behind that door you will find the answer you seek... Although I hesitate to guide you towards this path. The secrets of the past will surely aid Jyggalag, but I fear we have no other choice... Be mindful of what you find there. The library is a thing of Order, and it will still serve that end. Take this crystal, it contains the power to open the sealed door. Inside you will find the final remnants of the library." Haskill handed her the Knifepoint crystal to carry in her pack, Gwen slipped it inside.
"Go with me, I need your help. I can't do this alone." Gweneth already felt her mind splintering from the stress and pain, she had always thought one final heartbreak would do her in and it feels as if she could barely breathe. "Please I beg of you."
"No, I cannot. I have to duties to serve here still. I am running the Shivering Isles while there is no one on the throne. The realm needs me here, but you must go to Knifepoint Hollow alone." Haskill gave her a sad smile and shooed her away. "I believe in you Malady."
Bwaaahh we're almost at the end, epic conclusions/ surprising twists!
Stay tuned!
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~LadyMarrowind.