A/N: It's been a while since the last update. Three and a half weeks, in fact. Given that I HAVE had spare time, I cannot offer an excuse for this lateness. I'm simply too bloody lazy sometimes. Ah, well, it's here now. More reviews would always help. And as for those who did review:

Random Reader: Yeah, grey eyes seem logical, or anyone with common sense would meet the Count and know exactly what he was. And, yes, war does tend to help mature people, and Aerin's an example of that. It should be said that even if it was Malacath invading right now, Gorgoth would still have to oppose him due to his Blades Oath. If he didn't have that, he'd join Malacath in a heartbeat. Saliith, right now, is busy chewing through gladiators and minotaurs. He WILL get more screen-time soon, I promise. As for those mods, I barely play Oblivion any more, so getting more might seem a bit redundant. Besides, right now, I'm happy with OOO and MM.

Burz gro-Khash: The Hassildor-eyes concept is open for use; in my opinion, it's just common sense, nothing else to it. The Count isn't stupid, so concealment is logical. Anyhow, I can say for sure that we WILL see Lurog in future chapters, and as for Gorgoth... well, I DO have an ingame character called Gorgoth gro-Kharz, but he doesn't look much like the actual Gorgoth. War braids aren't an option, for starters. This is a story, so characters are painted in people's minds by words, not images.

Underpaid Critic: I do see what you mean, and I WILL try to cut down on my comma count, but it will be hard for me, given that I have a definite preference for long sentences. As for nitpicking, I do welcome it; like you said, it helps me improve.

Wildcat: Yes, my chapters are long. I prefer them that way, always have. Means I can actually get something of note done in a chapter while having enough room to describe it adequately.

Right, enough of my rambling, here's the chapter. Don't forget to review.


Chapter Twenty-nine: Duty and Revenge

It had taken a fair amount of vehement arguing on Gorgoth's part to clear his name with the Bravil Guard before he set off to Chorrol, but eventually they decided to ignore the deaths of two Blackwood Company members and the injury of another. He kept quiet about what he had done to Maglir. The guardsmen would probably not take kindly to the fact that he had only stopped torturing the Wood Elf just after the sun rose due to a lack of time. He could have kept up the agony for a day longer at least, but instead had killed the traitor after ten hours, eager to return to Oreyn. Reaching Chorrol a day and a half later, he ignored the driving rain as he stabled Vorguz and headed towards the Fighter's Guild.

Shoving open the door, the massive Orc ducked through the doorway, ignoring the wet, muddy footprints he was treading over the oak-panelled floor. He almost walked into Viranus Donton, the young Imperial starting back in surprise. "Where's Oreyn?" asked Gorgoth, peering around the hall to find no-one except Kurz gro-Baroth, downing a tankard of ale.

"Excessive paperwork combined with heavy drinking the night before gave him a headache. He's in his house," responded Viranus, clearly just having come from the training ground around the back of the Guildhall. His matted hair was slowly dripping water down the back of his mud-splattered cuirass. "I don't think it's wise to dist-" Gorgoth had already left, slamming the door shut behind him.

Putting his head down slightly to keep the rain out of his eyes – his sole concession to the weather – Gorgoth stomped through the near-empty streets to Oreyn's house, which stood in the shadow of the west wall. It was a simple affair, built in the style of most lower-priced Chorrol houses, with thick stone walls holding up a sturdy thatched roof. Gorgoth walked up to the door, noting the fact that he was a full six inches taller than the door frame, and pounded his fist on the simple wood, hard enough for the blows to resound all around the street but not hard enough to splinter the wood.

After banging on the door for some time, Gorgoth was rewarded by a surly Dunmeri voice on the other side of the door growling for him to identify himself. "Protector Gorgoth, here on Guild business," rumbled Gorgoth, resting his arm on the door frame. There was a pause, then a rusty grinding reached the Orc's ears and the lock was disengaged. Oreyn wrenched the door open and beckoned Gorgoth inside.

Ducking under the door frame, Gorgoth took a quick look at his surroundings as Oreyn closed the door behind him. The entire house was separated into two simple rooms, linked by a doorway. Gorgoth found himself taking in the simplicities of the main room, its occupant clearly not being one for luxury. Bare wood-panelled walls surrounded a stone-floored living area, with an unmade single bed rammed up against the wall in the far right corner. The rest of the space was taken up by an overloaded bookshelf, a small table piled high with papers weighed down by daggers of varying quality, a few chairs, and a wardrobe that looked decidedly overbalanced.

Modryn himself looked dishevelled, naked from the waist upwards, clearly having reluctantly dragged himself from bed. One side of his heavily muscled, ash-grey torso bore fading imprints of the stones that he must have been pressed up against while sleeping. "You were dealing with Maglir, correct?" growled the Dunmer, moving over to sit back on his bed, running a hand through his loose, shoulder-length black hair, which for once was falling over his face in the absence of anything tying it back.

"I was. He defected to the Blackwood Company." Oreyn's face twisted into a snarl at the revelation, but Gorgoth continued on over any reaction. "I completed the contract that he was assigned to, then... dealt with him." The Orc kept his face utterly emotionless.

"Define 'dealt'," ordered Modryn, his eyes sharpening and meeting the Orc's.

"I tortured him to death over a period of ten hours," responded Gorgoth, with utterly no change evident in his voice or face. "He deserved worse. However, time is no longer as free as it used to be."

Modryn held Gorgoth's gaze for a moment, then a smile spread across his face. "You know, Gorgoth, I'm starting to like you," he told the Protector, chuckling softly.

"Nothing but my duty. Traitors deserve worse," replied Gorgoth, standing with arms folded, water slowly dripping from the ends of his war braids to the stone floor. "Do you have any other duties for me?"

Oreyn slowly shook his head, leaning back against the wall and sighing. "Not at the moment. Burz gro-Khash was crying out for someone to help him with his contract load, though. Maybe you'd better give him a call if you're looking for work." The Dark Elf sighed and leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling. "Now piss off. I have a hangover." Gorgoth nodded and made his exit, closing the door behind him.

The rain was pouring down even harder than before, the accompanying mist reducing visibility. Shrugging irritably as water started trickling down his back, soaking his clothing under his armour, Gorgoth started off for the inn he'd seen just past the South Gate. It would be too late in the day to start travelling, and Vorguz deserved his rest in the warm, dry stables outside the city.

By the time he entered The Grey Mare, most of Gorgoth's body was soaked and chilled. The pounding of the rain on the roof was drawing the attention of a fair few patrons, who were apparently making decisions to stay in the warm inn a while longer. Gorgoth caught Emfrid's eye and held up a single finger. The Nord nodded; Gorgoth had visited the Grey Mare a few times before, and she knew what to supply him with. Gorgoth ignored the squelching sound made by his boots every time his foot hit the wooden floor and stomped over to an unoccupied table, sitting down carefully. The chairs in the inn were strong, but not Orsinium strong.

While waiting for a beer, Gorgoth stopped drumming his fingers on the table as he recognised a voice from the table next to him. Turning his head slightly, he regarded the Orc with confusion. The large Orsimer, wearing studded leather armour with a large axe hanging from his belt, was speaking loudly, with expansive gestures, to two Nords. In front of him on the table was an untouched tankard. Distracted by the arrival of his own beer, Gorgoth gulped half of it down while wondering over the identity of his loud neighbour. He knew he recognised that broad face, those small, beady, dark eyes from somewhere...

The Orc's dark eyes seemed to desperately appeal to whatever humanity Gorgoth had left as he drove the small, narrow blade further and further behind his knee. Naked flesh and muscle, long stripped of any skin, uselessly contracted and convulsed in a futile effort to escape as the agony grew even more intense, Gorgoth's spell preventing him from slipping into the dark embrace of unconsciousness...

Gorgoth's eyes widened momentarily before he forced his stoic exterior back into place. He pushed his half-finished beer away and stood, walking over to the Orc's table. "Grat?" he asked, staring down at the Orc. "Grat gro-Yarzol?"

"That's me," grunted the Orc, regarding this new arrival with impatience. "What do you want?"

Gorgoth regarded him coldly for a moment. "You will remember me," he told him slowly. "I am Gorgoth gro-Kharz."

Confusion reigned for a few seconds on Grat's face before his eyes widened in horror. He jumped to his feet, nearly overturning the table into the faces of the two Nords, and dashed for the exit, but Gorgoth was quicker. Grabbing him by the neck, he threw Grat across the inn into the wall, splintering it with the impact. Before he could recover, Gorgoth had a conjured shortsword to his throat.

"How are you still alive?" snarled Gorgoth, pressing the blade to the Orc's throat hard enough to draw a trickle of blood. "I watched you die in the depths of agony after torturing you for four days, when even my magic couldn't keep your ruined body alive. How did you survive?"

"What?" gasped Grat. He promptly had his head bashed against the wall.

"Do not play games with me," growled Gorgoth, peering around at the shocked, scared faces of the inn's patrons. Sending Illusion magic straight to Grat's brain, Gorgoth stepped back and let his summoned weapon dissipate. The Orc grunted and lost all focus temporarily as the sudden brutality of the Command spell took over, but then they refocused, looking at Gorgoth with terror. They were about the only thing he had control of; he was fully conscious, but Gorgoth had full control of his body.

Shooting a warning glance around the common room, Gorgoth stalked out into the rain, Grat helplessly following him, Gorgoth's demands communicating efficiently through the insidious spell infecting the Orc's brain. The gate guards, huddling down inside their inadequate cloaks, barely gave the two a glance as they left Chorrol. Certainly, they wouldn't have noticed the silent pleading of Gorgoth's captive. The warrior-shaman led Grat past the remains of the Oblivion Gate that he'd closed with ease some weeks previously, and into the forest. He stopped after a mile or so, in the centre of a tiny clearing, and released the spell.

Staggering back as his body was suddenly released to his control again, Grat had no time to run. Gorgoth's fist slammed into his stomach, the sheer power treating his leather armour like it was paper and doubling the hapless warrior over. Another strike, this time from the left, dug in between his ribs, painfully forcing the air from his lungs. Gorgoth stepped back and delivered a savage kick to Grat's jaw, sending bloodied teeth flying across the clearing as the Orc crashed to the ground. Two more kicks cracked and broke several ribs, leaving Grat moaning in pain as Gorgoth knelt by his head and wrenched it back by gripping one of his mid-back-length war braids.

"It wasn't you, that is definite," muttered Gorgoth, glaring into Grat's dark yellow eyes. "So, who did I torture to death ten years ago?" Grat spat blood in his face and swore in Orcish. Gorgoth calmly wiped the crimson-stained saliva from his rain-soaked face and summoned a small dagger. He hefted it for a second, then drove it ruthlessly into Grat's groin, stabbing at the root of his genitalia. Gorgoth let his victim scream and convulse for a second before letting go of the hilt and grabbing his jaw. "Who was it?"

"My twin brother!" roared Grat, his eyes wild and frantic. "I knew you were coming," he explained, panting harshly, his breath coming in wheezes. "We both knew it. Over those two years, you killed the other five... my time was next." He paused for breath. Gorgoth let the dagger dissipate and kept up his stony stare, ice-cold rage flickering in his eyes. "He offered to die for me. I was worth more than him, he said; he was lame, a wounded right leg. Not that you'd have noticed that after five minutes." Grat coughed harshly, glaring up at his captor. "And now you've found me, ten years on. Well, let's get this over and done with, Bastard."

Gorgoth slowly rose to his feet. "All this time, I thought there was only one left..." he muttered, half talking to himself. "That one will be dealt with in time. But you..." An evil gleam appeared in Gorgoth's eyes. "As for you, I have refined my techniques since I ravaged your brother. I..." His voice trailed off. Gorgoth's head began to pound, and he put a hand to his temple, squeezing his eyes shut to control the pain. The shock was getting to him. Grunting with the effort, he opened them again.

He was no longer in the clearing in the forest; he was in a dirty, single-room mud hut in Orsinium. Rain pounded down outside, but the young Orc only had eyes for the body lying on the crimson-splattered table in the centre of the room. Kharz gra-Shagren had been attractive in life, but in death, not much remained of her that was recognisable. After raping her numerous times, the killers had not held back, laughing as they skinned her, joking as they ripped her limb from limb, barely paying attention to the ten-year old Orc crouched in the corner, watching everything with wide eyes, occasionally wincing as a spray of his mother's blood hit him. After the six Orcs had left them alone, he had hesitantly walked over to her. Looking at her helplessly, he pathetically attempted to call her name, reaching down to touch her cheek...

...and abruptly he was back in the forest clearing, the rain pounding down on the trees overhead, finding gaps and pouring down on him. His outstretched hand was inches from Grat's face, the disabled Orc looking up at him with horror. Gorgoth snatched his hand back, recoiling at the memory, clenching his fists. Pain racked his mind, the pain at losing the woman who had loved him for the first ten years of his life, despite him being an unwanted bastard. Pain, at losing someone he had loved with his entire heart and soul. His normal stoic exterior was shattered as Gorgoth fell to his knees and roared in pain and rage, in frustration and in sorrow. Emptying his lungs, he took another breath and roared again, his wordless bellow shaking raindrops from leaves overhead. His air spent, Gorgoth's head dropped onto his chest as he gasped for air, ignoring the wounded Orc in front of him, ignoring the wind howling overhead, ignoring the bloodstained grass beneath him. For seconds, nothing else existed.

Reality returned, and the world slipped back into focus. Gorgoth's moment of weakness passed, his emotional armour once again in place. A look of death crept into his eyes, and he raised his gaze to look at Grat. The Orc threw himself backwards and fumbled for his axe, attempting to find his feet. Gorgoth stood and kicked his weapon away. It spun out of his hands and embedded itself in a tree. Stamping his boot down on Grat's foot, Gorgoth delivered a stunning uppercut, putting the Orc on his back, his foot broken. As Grat voiced his pain, his yell shaking the trees once again, Gorgoth summoned a delicate shortsword.

"I have all the time in the world," he growled. "You are finally going to pay the price in blood for what you did. And it will not be quick."


The clannfear straightened slightly in order to sniff at a leaf drooping from the low-hanging branch of a tree. The advanced stage of autumn meant that it was dark brown, ready to fall, another leave to pockmark the inches-deep snow lying in the sparse forest eight miles west of Cloud Ruler Temple. Snowfall had stopped, but the daedra emerging slowly from the Gate, a mile distant, were still treading carefully in the foreign substance.

An arrow flashed through the air, the weak sun reflecting on the barbed steel head before it embedded itself an inch behind the clannfear's eyes. It tore straight through its brain and exited on the other side, plunging into the tree with so much force that it held the daedra pinned there. Silence descended upon the forest for another few seconds.

Cautiously, Captain Renault emerged from behind a tree, rendered mostly anonymous by her concealing plate armour and helmet. She had already nocked another arrow to her composite bow, and her eyes scanned for more danger, despite Selene's Detect Life spell showing no enemies in the immediate vicinity. "Thanks for the boost," she muttered to the battlemage behind her, referring to the enhancement Selene had laid upon the arrow just before she'd released it.

"My pleasure," muttered Selene distractedly, following the Knight Captain, using her glaive as a walking staff while maintaining the heating spell that kept the wind from chilling her bare skin. "I can't see any others in the area... the only life signatures are our comrades." The squad of eight had split up in teams of two in order to make a more stealthy approach to the Gate. Renault nodded and motioned for Selene to follow her forward, ignoring the arrow impaling the clannfear; getting it back out would take too long and could attract unwanted attention.

They moved forward slowly, booted feet crunching in the snow. The gouts of fire leaping from the Gate were easily visible through the trees, and served as an excellent guidance beacon. It steadily grew closer as they cautiously stepped over bodies of dead daedra, some of them hewn in several different places. Renault suppressed a smirk; Haesmar had insisted on keeping his massive battleaxe when he'd joined the Blades several years ago, and the Nord was brutally effective when he got his blood up. Several daedra now also knew that, much to their regret.

"Daedroth, to the left," muttered Selene, pointing in the direction of the bulky life signature visible through the trees and giving the Breton a questioning glance. Renault gave her a nod of confirmation, and the battlemage walked assertively past a snow-laden pine, coming face to face with the hulking behemoth. She calmly ignored its roars of fury and sent ball lightning at it. Turning before the smoking corpse had finished crashing to the ground, Selene fell back into position just behind the Knight Captain, constantly scanning the area for hostile or unfamiliar life signatures.

The cover of the trees suddenly ended, and they found themselves staring across a scorched, muddied clearing at the Oblivion Gate they'd come to destroy. Corpses of daedra sparsely decorated the small open area, bearing a variety of wounds. Four Blades were already standing in combat stances near the Gate. The bulky, blood-splattered figure of Haesmar was easy visible, his size making Callia Petit, who was watching his back warily, even more diminutive. At the other side of the Gate, Glenroy and Fortis Denian were busy repeatedly plunging their katanas into a crippled, armless daedroth, grimacing in frustration as the massive crocodile-headed daedra simply refused to capitulate.

As Renault and Selene approached the Gate, two more Blades – Achille Meric and Baurus - emerged from the tree line to their right. Renault gave them a quick glance, then did a double take. "Baurus, what...?" her voice was strangulated by the sight of the blazing katana shining in the Redguard's hands.

"It was getting wasted as a paperweight in Martin's study," explained Baurus, a smirk tugging at a corner of his mouth as he gave Goldbrand a fond glance. "He didn't mind me taking it. At least it'll be put to good use here."

Renault nodded, quickly recovering her composure. "Good point. Just don't lose it." She turned to the assembled squad, all of whom were keeping at least one eye on the Gate. The sheer heat was making Haesmar, who was closest, wince as his armour-clad Nordic body rebelled against the oppressive atmosphere. "All right, in there is daedra, death, and a threat to the Emperor," she told them. "We're going to neutralise that threat. Baurus, you had the 'wisdom' to bring that, so you take point." The Redguard nodded and stepped up to the gate, his face grim behind his helmet's cheekguards. "The rest of you, stay together – not too close – and keep both eyes open. Move!"

Baurus hesitated for only a heartbeat before walking steadily into the Gate, Goldbrand a shining beacon held in front of him. Renault and the rest of the squad followed within seconds. Moments later, they emerged into Oblivion, panting but forcing themselves into combat stances, attempting to ignore their bodies crying out in protest at the portal's rough treatment. It was fortunate that the disciplined, well-trained Blades were able to recover quickly, as a motley assortment of daedra roaming around the Gate had wasted no time in charging at them.

None of the mortals had to be told what to do, and in any case, none had any breath in their lungs to waste. Baurus was reached first: a clannfear decided to try its luck, lunging for him with its beak jabbing. Deflecting the creature's attack with his shield, Baurus smoothly sidestepped and slashed at its torso. Goldbrand cut through the thick skin and flesh like it was paper, searing and igniting the flesh around it. The clannfear squealed in agony as half its chest was cleaved in two, flames licking at the rest of its body, spreading out from the deep slash as the daedra collapsed at the Redguard's feet.

There was no time for the other Blades to admire Baurus's swordwork as he started to hack a path through the daedra; each had a battle of their own to think about. Renault had managed to drop a Seducer with an arrow in the chest, but a Dremora quickly bore down on her and she'd dropped the composite bow, katana ringing as it flashed from her scabbard just in time to parry the Kynaz's mace swing. The heavy weapon's blow shook her entire right arm, but she managed to keep her balance and take a step back, buying time to wrench her shield off her back. Another step back almost took her back into the Gate – she could feel the heat on her back – but the Dremora's second swing missed and he staggered slightly, giving her enough of an opening to bash her shield across his face, lowering his defence and allowing her to thrust her katana through his armpit.

Pushing the body off her blade, ignoring the hot blood spraying over her face and armour, Renault looked around for more danger. Three Dremora were abruptly blasted apart as Selene's lightning ripped through them. Most of the daedra in sight were dead or dying. Renault grunted and sheathed her katana, picking up her bow again before straightening and taking a proper look at their surroundings.

She'd known what to expect, of course – Glenroy had been very detailed in his debriefing – but it was evident that no matter how prepared one was, Oblivion still overwhelmed the mind at first sight. A scattered collection of rocky, fractured islands dotted this part of the Deadlands, stretching out to the murky horizon. A handful of smaller towers rose from some of the islands, whereas others were utterly barren. The Sigil Keep speared towards the angry sky ahead of them, separated from the Blades by numerous rivers of lava. Geysers of steam periodically rose from underground vents, dissipating rapidly after heating the already-hot air.

"I don't see a bridge, Captain," observed Haesmar, his voice slow as usual as he looked out across the Deadlands. "And I really don't care for swimming in that stuff."

"We'll find a way," replied Renault, signalling for Baurus to take the lead as they moved out to find a way down through the rocky terrain to the lava's edge. Loose stones crumbled and slid underfoot, making the advance somewhat treacherous given the heavy armour of the Blades, but fortunately daedric activity was light; two scamps were taken down by Renault's arrows, while Selene dispatched a Storm Atronach with a few fireballs. Within a few moments, they had made their way down to the lava's edge to be confronted with a wide channel of molten rock. The intensification of the heat around them meant that Haesmar's blonde hair was soon matted with sweat; the big Nord wasn't complaining – he never did - but he clearly wasn't suited to the environment.

"Right, so we're getting across this by levitating?" asked Fortis, shooting a sideways glance at Selene.

"That's the plan," confirmed Renault. "We island hop until we reach the Sigil Keep." She gave a nod to Selene, who raised her right arm slightly. A purple haze covered her entire body momentarily before vanishing. Without pausing, the half-elf put a foot in the air, starting the climb through thin air. Instead of hitting the platform of Alteration magic, however, Selene's boot slammed back to the rocky bank. Baurus grabbed the shocked battlemage's arm to stop her staggering into the lava.

"It's... it's not working," she stammered, looking impotently down at her right hand, which was faintly glowing purple due to the maintained spell.

Glenroy frowned, eyebrows scraping against his helmet's noseguard. "It worked in the other plane," he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe..." He broke off, looking suspiciously up at a distant walkway between two towers.

"Can you get us to walk across it, at least?" Renault asked Selene, keeping her frustration firmly leashed.

The half-elf shook her head, her golden hair whipping in a sudden stray gust of wind. "The heat would melt our boots within seconds, and I can't provide enough magical resistance," she grunted, pounding a fist against her thigh. "I can't get us to jump that far, either." She sighed. "I can't see a way across from here. I don't know what's wrong with my levitation..." Achille snorted and muttered something under his breath. Renault shot him a sharp glance before leaning on her bow and thinking hard.

"The daedra must have reached this island somehow," she muttered, talking half to herself. "But there are no bridges... they can't go over the lava, so..." The Knight Captain grunted as the thought hit her. "We'll go under it," she told the squad. A few exchanged sideways glances. "There is almost definitely a system of caves in this plane. Split up and find an entrance."

It didn't take long. Within minutes, Callia had found a jagged hole in a ridge and summoned them to it. A dull red glow pulsed faintly in the distance, but apart from that, darkness reigned in the passage. "Doesn't look too wide," observed Baurus, peering inside. "I'm guessing I'll be taking point?"

Renault nodded. "Keep that glorified torch out," she told him, nodding to Goldbrand "That'll help with visibility. Selene, follow him closely, you never know when Light spells might be needed. We'll be behind you."

Baurus squared his shoulders, drew Goldbrand, and walked into the fissure without looking back. Selene followed quickly, and after a few seconds Renault jerked her head towards the crack and led the rest of the squad through. Goldbrand's brilliant light lit most of the passage, revealing walls of dry grey rock and a loose, sandy gravel that crunched beneath their boots. It was narrow enough to force them to walk in single file, in a hushed silence, all ears straining for the first sign of daedric contact.

As the passage curved and broadened, the red glow became more prominent, as did the heat. Sweat soon drenched the clothing of the Blades under their plate armour, collecting in their boots. That discomfort was trivial, however, when compared with the threat of the assortment of lesser daedra waiting round the next corner. A daedroth pushed a scamp out of the way in eagerness to reach the mortals, blocking the passage as it did so. Selene's glaive knocked aside its claws and allowed Baurus to step within range an drive Goldbrand into its stomach. The massive reptile howled and fell as its guts sizzled.

Withdrawing the katana with ease, Baurus took a second to appreciate how all the blood simply evaporated off superheated blade before looking back to his front, where a Dremora and a scamp had shoved the daedroth out of the way and were advancing. The passage was still narrow, allowing only two to fight abreast. As the rest of the squad watched impatiently, Baurus stepped forward and neatly sliced through the Dremora's breastplate. Selene, her normal fighting style restricted by the confines of the tunnel, merely knocked aside the scamp's clumsy lunge and impaled it on her glaive, kicking it off without a second thought.

"This is taking too long," reminded Renault, a hint of impatience in her voice as she stood ready behind the pair, katana drawn.

"Fine, fine," muttered Selene, taking a step back and throwing her left palm outward. A wave of frost magic descended upon the daedra ahead of them, the air crackling as it passed through, freezing them solid. Renault jerked her head forward and the squad moved up, roughly shoving the ice statues out of the way. They shattered easily, the sound echoing down the passage over the pounding of the squad's boots. Reaching a spacious cavern dotted with geysers and small cracks revealing lava underneath, they were immediately confronted with four Dremora, two daedroths, and a Spider daedra.

As the arachnid crumpled, her body riven by Selene's lightning, the Blades moved swiftly to attack the others. Goldbrand flashed as it sliced through a Dremora's sword before continuing on through his torso, cutting him in two. This left his flank open, and Renault quickly jumped in to divert the daedroth who was about to lunge for the Redguard. Knocking its claw aside with her shield, she swung at its neck. The tough skin and the daedroth's movement meant that her katana left only a shallow gash. Cursing, Renault stepped back to defend against the inevitable charge, but before the reptile could move, it bellowed in agony and dropped to its knees as Callia hamstrung it from behind. Both Bretons moved quickly to sink their katanas deep into its chest. Wrenching their blades free, they kicked the crocodile-headed daedra aside to find the rest of the melee over.

"Judging by the heat, I'd say we're pretty near that bloody lake," grunted Haesmar, blinking sweat out of his eyes then running a hand over his face.

"Good. No time to waste. Baurus, lead on," commanded Renault, wiping her katana on a cloth she kept in her belt bag for the purpose.

The Redguard led them deeper under the earth, the atmosphere becoming heavier with every step. Resistance was fortunately light; fighting for prolonged periods in their stifling plate armour could have been lethal for the Blades. The tunnels straightened out, and it became clear that there was one long passage stretching from one island to the next. What had seemed like a short distance from the surface became a long, tiresome walk underground. Haesmar asked Selene more than once if she knew a spell to cool the body, similar to her heating spell, but she could only shake her head helplessly. There had been no need for such a thing on the wind-battered Whiterock.

Reaching the system of caves beneath what she assumed was the next island, Renault swiftly ordered an advance to the surface to get their bearings. Locating the mouth of the cave was easy; they just followed what seemed to be the fresher air. The combined might of Goldbrand and Selene's magic cleared the way easily, brushing aside token resistance. Renault remained wary; light concentrations of daedric forces here meant that there would be far more elsewhere.

They soon emerged back onto the surface. This island appeared to be the same as the one they had just left – numerous rocky ridges scarring a barren wasteland – but it was evident that they were closer to the centre of this plane than before. On the next island over, a small tower rose, reaching for the sky overhead, a thin bridge stretching across the gap between it and the Sigil Keep. Renault let forth a satisfactory grunt.

"That's our target," she announced, pointing with her bow. "I doubt there's a direct path across the surface, but I want every avenue exhausted before we go down there again." She turned to Achille. "You've got good eyes; get up to that ridge and see if you can find a way over to that island." He nodded and slung his shield onto his back, starting to drag his way up the indicated rock formation. The rest of the squad spread out below him, eyes searching for danger. A stray scamp wandered into view and was swiftly dispatched by Renault's arrow.

"Nothing doing, Captain," called down Achille, narrowing his eyes to slits in order to keep out the dusty winds of Oblivion. "I don't see any way across. A few daedra here and there, and nothing else but rocks."

"Any cave entrances?"

"None that I can see from this angle. Looks like we'll have to go back down there." Achille pointed briefly at the cavern they'd just left before slowly easing himself down the ridge. Haesmar grunted but left his protesting at that.

"Well, you all know what to do," Renault told them, looking over at the island ahead of them, imprinting the direction in her mind. "Come on, time is a luxury more than ever right now."

Baurus and Glenroy took the lead as they descended once more into the depths of the earth. Selene followed closely behind them, the illumination of the globe of light hovering a foot above her head allowing them to see with clarity without being blinding. The captain's sense of direction proved to be a good one; they swiftly found themselves in a similar, but distinctly different tunnel burrowing deep under the lava towards the next island. Resistance was light, which forced a seed of gnawing doubt into the Captain's stomach: the daedra knew they were there. The lack of an ambush so far spoke of extensive preparations up ahead. They would face an attack in force, sooner or later.

The passage started gradually sloping upwards, indicating that they'd arrived at the other island. Before they could reach the first cavern, a Xivilai stepped into sight up ahead, ebony battleaxe held effortlessly in one hand, blocking the way ahead. He raised his free hand and beckoned, orange eyes narrowing to slits. Baurus and Glenroy tightened their grips on the hilts of their katanas; in the confines of the tunnel, it would always be a maximum of two against one.

"No time to do the job properly," grated Renault. "Selene, take care of him."

The half-elf shot the Breton a sideways glance before nodding and tapping both Blades ahead of her on the shoulder. Baurus and Glenroy grudgingly pressed themselves against the rocky walls of the passage as the Xivilai's eyes widened slightly. He started to advance rapidly towards them before ball lightning flew from Selene's outstretched palms. The daedra simply raised a hand, and the elemental magic was absorbed into a pink glow spreading over his body. Snarling and increasing his pace, the Xivilai sent a large fireball roaring down the passage. Selene leapt forward in front of the squad and reflected the Xivilai's missile right back at him.

He didn't have time to react as the Mysticism magic propelled the massive ball of flame into him. Selene's hastily created shield blocked the explosion from reaching the squad, but they all winced as the angry flames hammered at it, eager to find a way through. After a few seconds, the air cleared, leaving behind a hot residue and a burning stench. Of the Xivilai, only scattered handfuls of ash and burnt scars on the walls of the tunnel remained.

"Glad you're on our side, Selene," commented Renault. "Move up," she told Baurus and Glenroy, who nodded and started off once again. The passage sloped up sharply, then flattened out as they entered a large cave. Numerous holes in the floor let steam escape from the lava down below into the room, making it comparable to a sauna. However, the bigger problem was the squad of ten Dremora waiting for them.

Four of them instantly nocked arrows to their bows, while the other six split up to attack from both flanks, allowing the archers a free field of fire. Before Selene could react with a shield, four arrows flashed through the gap; one missed and hit the cavern wall, one embedded itself in Callia's hastily-raised shield, and one struck a glancing blow on Fortis's torso, staggering him but leaving him unharmed. The final arrow buried itself in Haesmar's right shoulder. As the Nord winced, barely managing to maintain his right hand's grip on his battleaxe, a Dremora rushed forward, jabbing his mace at his exposed right flank. Callia leapt between them, knocking the mace aside with her shield and slashing at the Dremora's mace arm. Her katana bounced off the daedric plate armour, but the Dremora was put off balance for long enough; Haesmar dropped his battleaxe and stepped in, drew his katana with his good left hand, and hacked half the Kynaz's head off.

As they realised that none of their arrows were going to get past Selene's shield, the Dremora archers cursed in frustration and dropped their bows, drawing maces and swords and closing in. Selene let her shield dissipate and moved to meet them, lightning flashing from the fingers of her left hand, striking down two of them. The other two leapt for her, one hacking at her legs, the other at her head. Sweeping aside the low strike with the haft of her glaive, the half-elf ducked under the high swing and rammed her palm into the Dremora's chest, telekinesis magic propelling the Kynaz into the wall of the cavern with enough force to stun him. The other Dremora attempted another swing, and once again Selene blocked it with her weapon's haft. Reversing the movement, she slashed the Dremora's face open and planted a firm kick into his chest, sending him staggering back into one of the lava holes.

Baurus had already dispatched two Dremora, and at his side Glenroy was wearing another down, driving him back across the cavern. The Kynaz's shield arm slipped momentarily, exposing his upper body, and Glenroy ruthlessly pressed his advantage, forcing his opponent's sword aside with his shield and stabbing him through the throat. Withdrawing his blade and ignoring the Dremora as he slumped choking to the floor, the Imperial turned to find the last remaining Dremora assaulted on all sides by four Blades. He swiftly went down as numerous katanas violated his body. Glenroy grunted and took out a cloth to wipe his katana clean. Baurus was already checking for any signs of daedric reinforcements.

Fortis had taken a blade clean through the forearm, but a potion had taken care of that. Haesmar was being typically straightforward in the treatment of his wound, merely snapping the shaft of the arrow in half and wrenching it the rest of the way through, ignoring the stabbing agony in his shoulder. He then rolled his eyes in exasperation when Selene insisted on taking off his pauldron to remove the ripped shred of cloth from the wound. After she'd healed it, he gave her a typically Nordic broad smile and a friendly pat on the head before replacing his pauldron and picking up his battleaxe.

"Any other threats?" Renault asked Baurus as she joined him at the far end of the cave, sheathing her katana and taking her bow off her back.

"If there are, they're staying quiet," Baurus informed her, head cocked to one side as he strained his ears to pick up any footfall. "And if the air in this place can be called fresh, I'd say it's fresher coming from that way." He pointed down a narrow passage leading away from the cave. A dead Dremora was slumped over the entrance as though to protect it, his entrails decorating the rocky floor.

"Good enough for me," Renault told him. "You lead, as usual." He nodded without a hint of complaint. Discipline always had been strong in the Blades. The Knight Captain jerked her head towards the passage, telling the rest of the squad to follow her, before moving in behind Baurus, stepping over the Dremora's corpse with the indifference of stepping over a fallen log.

Passing through the remaining caves, the squad met no resistance as they climbed towards the surface. Eventually, they reached not an opening in a rocky ridge, but a door, similar to those found in the Sigil Keep. Baurus shot Renault a questioning glance, waiting for her nod of confirmation before forcing the doors apart. Almost immediately, he staggered back, stunned by the arrow that had glanced off his helmet. Renault wrenched him backwards out of danger as the Dremora loosed another arrow through the gap. It passed so close to the left of her face that her cheek felt the wind of its passage. As it bounced off the walls of the passage, Selene created a shield just behind the door, deflecting any further projectiles.

"Well, this looks straightforward," observed Achille, rubbing his chin as he gazed critically towards the doorway. "Send the half-breed in, she can wipe out the whole lot of em."

"Thank you for the suggestion," Renault told him curtly, sending him a withering glare. She turned back to the doorway and spoke to Selene. "Can I fire through that?" she asked.

The battlemage moved her fingers slightly, concentrating hard on her spell, outwardly unperturbed by Achille's suggestion. "You can now," she muttered, brushing sweat away from her eyes. She only succeeded in leaving a bloody streak across her face; most of her arms and torso had been splattered with the blood of a scamp she'd gutted earlier.

Renault stepped up to the open doorway and instinctively flinched as an arrow bounced off the transparent shield of Alteration magic in front of her. The two Dremora archers at the far end of the circular room – clearly the lower level of a small tower – had arrows fully drawn and pointing at her. As she quickly nocked her own arrow, they loosed, assuming the shield was down. They exchanged bemused glances as both arrows bounced off. As Renault fired, they realised their own mistake too late. One fell choking, clawing at the arrow protruding from his throat, while the other dropped his bow and slung his shield off his back.

He succeeded in blocking Renault's next arrow, but he clearly hadn't expected Selene to move up behind the Knight Captain and unleash chain lightning from both hands at him. The charged air crackled as the Dremora was thrown into the wall, his shattered body collapsing on top of his dying comrade. Renault signalled for the squad to move up as Selene dispelled the shield.

They moved swiftly into the room, obviously glad to be out of the humidity and overwhelming heat of the caverns. The lift was standing ready to receive them in the centre of the tower's ground level. Renault ordered them all onto it, staying well away from the spikes, and nodded to Glenroy, who wrenched the nearby lever downwards before jumping on. Most of the squad were thrown off balance by the sudden jerking of the platform and grabbed hold of the spikes or each other before steadying themselves. Selene was looking upwards, the pink glow shimmering at the end of her fingertips indicating an active Detect Life spell.

"Four figures on the first floor, medium size," she warned. "More up above. About ten, twelve." Her hands began to glow dull red with Destruction magic ready to be unleashed.

The platform shuddered to a halt. Two clannfear made their presence known with hissing roars and leapt at the Blades. One was impaled on Callia's katana while the other was bashed aside by Fortis's shield, allowing Haesmar to cleave it in two. Renault's arrow took a Dremora mage in the eye before he could even get his spell away, while Selene's hands sent a dark red stream of magicka into a Flame Atronach. It dropped limply to the floor, dying without a mark on its rapidly cooling body.

"Move up!" barked Renault, pointing upwards with her bow before slinging it onto her back. Drawing her katana and shield, she started running up the stairs behind Baurus and Achille. Anything other than single file would mean an unpleasant death on the spikes below. That fate became the painful reality for a scamp that Baurus roughly shoved aside as the Blades rushed to the top of the tower.

The top level hosted an assortment of alert daedra, who gave the Blades no chance to deploy. Baurus charged in, attempting to give them room, Goldbrand flashing as he removed a Spider Daedra's torso from the rest of her body, then turning to deflect the heavy blow of the Frost Atronach with his shield. He staggered under the force of the blow as Selene got in behind him, sending a fireball spiralling into the Atronach's chest. She promptly came under attack as a Dremora attempted to embed his war axe in her chest. Fortis got in between them and pushed the Dremora away towards the lip of the ledge, both ignoring the danger of what lay below them as they locked weapons.

Haesmar had fought another Dremora to a standstill, but next to him Achille was unprepared for the sheer debilitation of the spells of a Seducer. As he was raising his katana to strike down into her unprotected flesh, he suddenly felt weary to his bones, an insidious exhaustion creeping into every fibre of his being. Within seconds, his katana had dropped from his hand, and he had slumped to his knees, fighting merely to stay awake, let alone fight. As his eyelids started to slide down, the Seducer pulled back a clawed hand, ready to end him, only to find herself impaled on Selene's glaive. Throwing the daedra's body aside, the half-elf dropped to her knees beside the crippled Achille and sent Restoration magic pumping into him, reversing the draining spell. As his eyes sprang open, a look off utter confusion reigned on his face as he stared up at her. Selene was on her feet and back into the fray before he remembered where he was.

Fortis was being hard pressed; the Dremora had been pushing him backwards for a while, battering his shield, leaving the Imperial unable to find an opening. The Blade was unaware how close he was to the edge until his left foot slipped over. Arms flailing, desperately attempting to maintain his tenuous foothold, Fortis looked into the Dremora's eyes. The Kynaz wore a look of exhilaration, of savage exaltation at his kill. He planted a boot into Fortis's chest, sending the Blade screaming down the tower until his body was impaled on the central spike of the lift. The Dremora had no time to savour his victory, however, as he was promptly shoved out into the abyss by an enraged Haesmar.

The big Nord walked slowly to the edge and watched the Dremora's body bounce off the walls on the way down to join Fortis. Turning, he started off down the slope, only to be stopped by Selene's arm barring his passage. "He's dead," she told him, attempting to be gentle. "I'm sorry. But there's nothing that can be done for him now."

Haesmar stared at her blankly before Renault's sharp voice snapped his attention back to the squad. "We move on," she told them briskly. "Mourn for the dead later." She pointed with her bloodstained katana towards a door in the side of the tower. "There's a bridge from here to the Sigil Keep through that door. Selene, you lead."

The half-elf nodded and cautiously wrenched the door open.. The wind buffeted at her as she led the way out, somewhat welcome despite being hot and dry. Recalling the last time she'd been in a plane of Oblivion, she frowned and cast her levitation spell before taking a cautious step off the bridge. Her foot found the solid platform formed by most Levitation spells. She raised an eyebrow as she stepped fully off the bridge to walk alongside Renault. "I don't know why this is working now," she observed, frowning down at the ground far below her.

"I'm not about to complain," grunted Renault. "Just don't let that spell wear off." An idea occurred to her. "Could you get up to the Sigillum Sanguis from here?"

Selene considered it for a moment before shaking her head. "With levitation as unreliable as this, I wouldn't want to risk it," she said, floating back to the bridge to open the door to the Sigil Keep. As a precaution, she encased herself with a strong shield spell before stepping inside. She needn't have bothered; the room was empty. Moving in, the half-elf peered up and down the two long ramps leading from the room. There appeared to be no daedric presence nearby; an ominous sign.

The battlemage was turning back to the squad when a shimmering caught her eye. Eyes widening, she opened her mouth to shout a warning, but it was too late: the Dremora, hidden by a powerful Chameleon spell, calmly stepped up behind Achille and drove his sword through the Akaviri plate armour. The blade punched through the Breton's spine and lungs before exiting just beneath his throat in a spray of blood. Still under the influence of the spell, the Dremora pushed the Blade's body off his sword and attempted to move back into the shadows, but by then Selene had cast a Detect Life spell on everyone in the room.

Baurus, Glenroy and Haesmar all leapt for the hapless Dremora, fury etched on their faces. Baurus severed his sword arm, Glenroy sank his katana deep into his stomach, and Haesmar delivered the finishing blow by decapitating him. The armoured corpse became visible as the horned head rolled over the ground towards Achille. Callia was already straightening from where she'd knelt put her fingers to his neck. She sighed, a grim expression on her face. "How many more are we going to lose taking on that bastard Dagon?" she whispered savagely.

Renault shook her head, her thin lips pressed together in a determined line. "As many as we need to Callia," she told her fellow Breton. "We'll win this war and pay the price, whatever that might be." She sighed. "Move up. Baurus, Haesmar, you lead."

Baurus didn't sheathe Goldbrand; instead, he held it out in front of him as he advanced, lighting the crevasses and shadowed corners of the passage as they headed upwards towards the Sigil Keep. No Illusion magic would take him unprepared this time. Haesmar had a savage snarl firmly planted on his bearded face, which made the blood-splattered Nord seem even more threatening.

The daedra, perhaps wary of the increasing proximity of the Blades to the Sigillum Sanguis, had no intention of making their passage easy. Within minutes of entering the Sigil Keep, the squad hefted their weapons as waves of daedra poured down at them. However, Baurus and Haesmar had got their blood up; the Redguard hacked though the daedric ranks, Goldbrand's edge meeting no resistance as he cleaved upwards, while Haesmar went utterly berserk, roaring like a madman and charging with battleaxe swinging. As the mighty weapon rose and fell time and time again, the walls of the passage upward became increasingly stained with crimson as the Dremora found that not even their daedric plate armour could not keep out a battleaxe wielded expertly by a raging Nord with no regard for his personal safety.

Selene kept herself ready to leap in at any opportunity, but she need not have bothered; the width of the tunnel and the effectiveness of the two Blades ahead of her meant that her magic simply was not needed. The only hazard for Selene, Renault, Callia and Glenroy was trying to avoid slipping on the daedric bodies or in their blood as they continued resolutely upwards. Within minutes, they had fought their way to the next room, and finally the endless hordes of daedra faded away to a few stragglers who were put down with ease. Staggering around and suddenly finding himself with nothing to kill, Haesmar's battleaxe drooped and he bent over, hands on knees, sucking in air in large gulps. The big Nord was painted black with blood from head to toe, not all of it daedric; a lucky stab had penetrated his thigh. Baurus was unharmed; Goldbrand had simply destroyed everything in front of it.

Haesmar jerked when Selene put her hand on his shoulder to heal him. Shaking his head and blinking, he attempted to wipe some of the blood from his face. He succeeded only in rearranging it, so Selene did it for him, removing her gauntlet using her comparatively clean left hand. Nodding his thanks, still breathless, the Knight Brother straightened and walked slowly over to the start of the next spiralling ramp. Renault took one look at him and shook her head. "You're spent, Haesmar," she told him. "Guard our backs for a while. Get some water down you." He grunted in acknowledgement and wrenched his canteen free from his belt.

Baurus looked forlorn as he turned his own canteen upside down. A few lingering drips splashed onto the dark obsidian floor. "Thirsty work, this," he growled, glaring angrily at the burnt corpses he'd left behind him. "Anyone got anything to spare?" he asked hopefully. Heads were shaken all round; there was simply none to spare. Selene walked over and took his canteen, filling it to the brim with magically melted ice before handing it back to him. He smiled gratefully at the unexpected refill then winced as the unexpectedly cold water splashed over his lips.

"Glenroy, Selene, you go up front," ordered Renault, drawing her katana. "We've already wasted enough time. They're only ever going to get more reinforcements." Glenroy squared his shoulders and led his way over to the ramp leading upwards, katana and shield held ready. Selene joined him, glaive held in her right hand, left hand sparkling with magicka ready to be unleashed. As they prepared to advance, the daedra pre-empted them, their footsteps echoing down the ramp before they appeared.

A shimmering, transparent wall sprang up between the Blades and the daedra. Darkly tinted, it did not resist the attacker's passage, but within seconds of passing through it they feel dead without a mark on them. As the more sensible daedra realised that they were charging to their deaths, they frantically attempted to stop, only to find fireballs exploding behind them, throwing them forwards, slamming them into the compatriots and adding to the pile of corpses steadily growing behind the magical wall.

After a few minutes, the daedric force was spent, scattered over the entrance to the passage. Selene dispelled her magic and slumped slightly, breathing heavily. "That amount of drain so rapidly, casting complex spells..." she shook her head. "It takes a lot out of you."

Renault nodded and motioned for her to fall back, taking the half-elf's place herself. The squad moved forward, kicking their way through assorted corpses. From time to time, they glimpsed the spire of magicka anchoring the Sigil Stone in place; they were drawing steadily closer to the Sigillum Sanguis. Resistance was sporadic and weak; clearly, they had already torn through a large number of the Keep's defenders. Eventually, they emerged out onto a ledge curving around the spire of magicka. Directly overhead was the fleshy red floor of the Sigillum Sanguis.

A lone clannfear snorted and pawed at the ground at the sight of them. Glenroy moved swiftly, bashing its head aside with his shield and thrusting upwards into its chest, feeling the dying heart beat frantically against his steel before heaving the corpse off his blade. Hurrying over to the door, the Imperial opened the crack a tiny bit and pressed his eye to the gap. He withdrew his head after a couple of seconds.

"No enemies in the hallway," he reported. "You can be sure they've got some of their best guarding the stone, though. Expect Xivilai and high-ranking Dremora."

Renault grunted. "Selene, how much magicka do you have?" she asked. The battlemage was leaning against the obsidian walls of the tower, her once-lustrous golden hair now crimson-stained and matted to her shoulders and back. She blinked at the question.

"Less than half of my full potential," she answered slowly. "It'll be enough. I hope."

Renault's mouth twisted into a sour grimace before it was forced back into a thin, determined line. "It will be," she told her, hopefully sounding more confident than she felt. The Breton raised her voice slightly, addressing all of them. "The odds are long, yes, but we've come this far. We're Blades. We live to serve the Emperor." She glanced down at her katana, coloured various hues of red for most of its length. "If we all die, then we all fail. That, more than death, should be your motivation to spit in the eye of Dagon today." She turned towards the door, hefting her weapon. "Let's do this."

Glenroy forced the door open and the Knight Captain stepped through, barely waiting a second before marching quickly towards the entrance to the Sigillum Sanguis. At the open doorways, she paused slightly, gesturing for Baurus and Callia to take one while she and Haesmar took the other. They took a second to collect themselves, determination forcing aside any fear, before entering the final stronghold of the enemy.

Immediately, a large fireball was sent roaring towards them from the ledge above. Selene reflected it back at the caster. He dived out of the way in time, but the force of the blast hurled his body into the spire of magicka. There was no time to savour the moment, however; five Dremora and two Xivilai had emerged and were rushing towards the mortal invaders, various wicked-looking weaponry clutched in their expert hands. Sounds of weapons being unsheathed were heard from above; there were more daedra ready to enter the fray within moments.

Baurus stepped up confidently to meet the attack of a Dremora, who tried to fend off Goldbrand by forcing his shield at the weapon as he swung his own katana down in an overhead cleave. Baurus sidestepped the blow and went under the Kynaz's shield, the blazing weapon stabbing through the Dremora's thighs. The weapon came free easily and the Redguard forced it down into his crippled opponent's chest. Hearing a pained grunt, Baurus spun to see Callia staggering back from a Dremora, her shield sporting a considerable dent from the Kynaz's mace. Without hesitation, the Redguard launched himself at the Dremora, Goldbrand cutting through the plate armour on his back and down into his flesh. He crumpled lifelessly to the floor.

Elsewhere, Renault was doggedly fighting another Dremora to a standstill. She'd been appointed Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard several years previously not only because she was excellent with both katana and bow, but also for the essential ability to keep a cool head whatever the circumstances along with a natural affinity for being able to read a situation within seconds. All of these were being put to good work now as she parried another swing for her head and countered with a low thrust. Her blade was knocked aside by the Dremora's shield and he barged forward into her, his heavily muscled, heavily-armoured body sending the more lightly-built Breton staggering back. However, the distance between them now gave Selene the opening she needed, sending lighting coursing through the Dremora before turning back to deal with another rapidly closing the distance with her.

Haesmar had leapt into the daedric ranks with his usual abandon, but swiftly learnt that when fighting elites, his normal crowd-clearing tactics simply would not work. After decapitating a Dremora, he found himself surrounded by Kyn, who continued to appear from the ledge up above, and was lucky to escape with a slash across the ribs as Baurus broke through to rescue him, cutting two Dremora in half. Haesmar back-pedalled rapidly, barely avoiding the battleaxe of a Xivilai who followed him.

Renault ripped her katana free from a summoned clannfear and dashed for the steps leading upwards towards the Sigil Stone, bellowing for the others to follow as best they could. Selene froze a Xivilai and two Dremora solid, clearing the way for the captain, and most of the Blades broke off and followed her. Baurus stayed to the rear, fending off the increasing numbers of daedra. Lesser daedra were now pouring in from below, making the position of the Blades increasingly untenable.

An idea suddenly occurred to Selene, and she rushed the rest of the way up the uneven steps, turning to yell down at the Redguard slowly back up towards her. "Hurry! I'll destroy the way up!" He took the hint and sprinted for the ledge, ignoring the daedra behind him. Selene grunted with the effort as she sent Destruction magic through the obsidian stairs, shattering them. Given a brief respite, she and Baurus turned and sprinted for the final ramps leading to the Sigil Stone as the rest of the daedra below them ran for the second set of stairs.

As Renault started up the ramp, Haesmar abruptly turned and sprinted at the incoming army of Daedra. The slowly-spoken Nord always had been smarter than he looked; he knew that if his comrades were delayed at the Sigil Stone, the daedra coming from their rear would crush them. "Get the stone!" he roared to Renault as he charged towards the seething mass of enemies rushing up the stairs. Bellowing a wordless battle cry, the Knight Brother jumped into them, his weight bowling several over and sending the rest into confusion. Struggling to his feet, Haesmar lay around him with his battleaxe, hacking off limbs, cleaving through bone and armour. A daedroth charged at him, its claws scything deep into his left arm, leaving it hanging by mere threads. As the bloodied, battered Nord attempted to raise his mighty weapon one-handed, a clannfear darted in and ripped through his stomach, tearing into his entrails, beak stabbing. Another clannfear pounced upon his slumped back, bearing him to the ground.

His comrades did not see Haesmar ripped apart, with clannfear squabbling over who would eat his liver as he died in agony. They were too busy concentrating on killing the two Dremora standing back to back in front of the Sigil Stone before reinforcements reached them. With Selene out of magicka, and with Callia watching the ramps behind them, it was left to Baurus, Glenroy and Renault to get around their defences and put them to the sword. As daedra rushed up the ramps, Renault reached out and plucked the Sigil Stone from its anchor. Screaming in rage, several daedra rushed at the victorious Blades before the plane collapsed around them.

After the searing heat of the Deadlands, the cold of the Jerall foothills was a slap in the face to the exhausted Blades, most of whom sank to their knees in the sparse snow that was slowly covering the blasted soil where the Oblivion Gate had stood. Renault was the only one to remain standing; she walked slowly over to lean on a stunted tree, ignoring the bloody prints her boots were leaving in the snow. She knew that most of her squad were bearing wounds – she herself could feel a painful throbbing in her left calf and blood collecting in her boot – but for now, she merely wanted to think for a few seconds. Fortis, Achille, and Haesmar were gone. She looked up at the skeleton of the Gate and sighed. It had been worth it. Their duty had been fulfilled. Cloud Ruler Temple was safe.

For now.


Caius Nirol was approaching forty. He'd spent twenty-two of those years in the Chorrol City Guard, and had spent nine of those as a Guard Sergeant. He was one of the most experienced in the Guard, and had probably seen the worst of what life had to throw at him. Short and stocky, those who underestimated his height were swiftly undone by his skill with both blades and fists. And now the grizzled, grey-haired Imperial's mood was a tad darker than normal; when he should have been looking forward to a long night in the barracks, he had instead been told to go and tramp around the fringes of the Great Forest. With one of the greenest recruits in the Guard in tow.

Jesan Galenus, overtopping his fellow guardsman by nearly a head, was understandably taking their assignment seriously. "This could be a very real threat, you know," he was saying, as though he had to explain what could be happening to someone who had been a guardsman for longer than Jesan had been alive. "They say they found the body of a Bosmer just north of Bravil, and if there's something similar here..." Jesan let his voice trail off, probably hoping that Caius would finish his sentence for him. He didn't.

The silence trailed on as they walked through the still-wet bushes, heads swivelling as they entered the forest. "They wouldn't send it out here if it wasn't serious, would they?" asked Jesan, possibly sensing his superior's scepticism.

Caius sighed. "It was probably just a farmer spooked by a dead pig," he growled, his voice low and gravelly after years of bellowing orders.

"But what if it wasn't? We could be-" Jesan was cut off mid-flow by Caius's chainmail-clad arm forcing itself across his chest. Wincing and expecting a rebuke, the younger Imperial shot a glance at the Guard Sergeant, only to find him staring at something through the trees.

"We've found something, at least," he said slowly, moving through the bushes towards what had caught his eye. His gauntleted hand crept towards the hilt of his sword as he entered the small clearing, Jesan a step behind him. Both stopped dead. The only sound in the clearing was the pounding of their hearts. Then Jesan turned and bent over, emptying his stomach into the bushes. Caius, horror written deeply into his blunt features, took a few faltering steps towards the centre of the clearing.

The Orc had clearly lived through most, if not all, of his ordeal, given the pained snarl planted on his face, which incidentally was the only part of his body to have any skin left on it. He was hanging by his wrists from an overhanging tree branch, leaving his tormentor access to every part of his body with ease. Most of his bones had been shattered or twisted beyond all hope of repair, and narrow holes pockmarked the body where a slender blade had been driven through and twisted. His genitalia had been ravaged and then forced into his mouth, and where his eyes would normally be, there was only a collection of scars and two hollow sockets. Deep pits in the bone marked where a blade had been scraped across the skull multiple times.

As Caius walked around the body, dazed, noting yet more wounds, his mind struggled to comprehend two questions: how and why? It had to have taken the killer days at least. He'd thought he'd seen the worst the Guard had to throw at him. He had been very, very wrong.


A/N: And so ends another chapter. I'm not all that happy with it, and I KNOW it could be better, but the plot will be moving on soon, so that means I can soon get down to writing about something actually important (i.e Sancre Tor). As ever, reviews are valued. If you read this, then it's only a few minutes of your time to review, so leave one. Or more than one. Just know that reviews are appreciated immensely.