The Battle of Xeddefen
Only Order knows the true extent of the corridors and chambers of Xeddefen which riddle southern side of the Fringe. They are so extensive that some say the tunnels extend even to the Gardens of Flesh and Bone where Relmyna created her Gatekeeper. However, the Gardens of Flesh and Bone have never been thoroughly searched and mapped and so this cannot be proven, as the Xeddefen end seals up during the reign of Madness.
"How did they all fit in there?" grated Na'kynaz. "The ruins must be immense."
"They are," said Finn. He'd explored them, way back when he'd first arrived in the Isles. They had provided him with his first introduction to Grummites. He and the local tribe hadn't exactly got on and he'd more or less avoided ruins since then, although during his service to the Madgod he'd been compelled to venture into a number more – Xedillian, Dunroot Burrow, Cylarne…
"Archers!" shouted Adriana next to them. A few Mazken glared at being ordered by a Saint, however those who had followed them were among the most open minded of the Mazken and the general response was a clank of amour and the army formed up into ranks. Anyway, they all knew what they were supposed to do so they weren't really being ordered around – it just looked like it. Someone had to do the shouting. It made the army look better, and that was halfway towards being the victor. (This is a theory that has been tested countless times. The mysterious Daedric Prince Malagbaal sums it up by stating that in battle campaigns 'the best looking side always has luck on their side' Nevertheless, this theory does not hold fast during a skirmish between Mystic Elves and Orcs. The Orcs seem to inevitably win) Bowmen slipped through to the front rank and readied themselves for the coming battle. The Ordered Army no longer appeared to grow – reinforcements stood back in the ruins no doubt, not fitting on the battlefield outside of bow range.
Suddenly, with flick of her hand Adriana sent a deadly lightning bolt streaming from her fingertips, which lanced into the enemy ranks. As if on cue almost every Mazken released a respectable bolt into the enemy army. The front rank of Order was cut to shreds, and the force fell into disarray. For precious seconds the army floundered around, as if trying to decide where to rush to, and in this time the army had released another burst of magic, some eighty odd lightning spells and one fire spell which Na'kynaz sent off.
And then Order charged. At the cry of "Arrows" a cloud of dark tipped arrows sped towards the enemy, Daedric magic biting into them. Volley after volley was released and countless more lightning spells lanced out form the Mazken ranks. Finally, Order was upon them though, and Mazken all around Finn threw down their bows and drew Dark Longswords, not taking the time to strap their bows to their backs.
Adriana estimated to herself that at least one hundred Knights had died in their headlong charge. Unfortunately there were plenty more coming, hundreds streaming out from the cover of the ruins even as the front rank crashed among them.
Finn looked to Na'kynaz who had drawn his mace and had pulled his hood back, letting the light shine over his Demora face. Finn himself had reached a decision long ago. While Dawnfang was a dreadblade, a doomblade these creatures had no souls… Reaching over his shoulder he pulled the long-handled sword from its sheath with a cold whoosh and hefted the sword in both hands. This time, welcome, the magic of the blade did not overcome him so completely as it had at Cylarne, rather worked with him than through him. At Cylarne the sword had sensed the need for him to act and his failing to do it on his own and had forced his hand – seemingly for his own good. However, Finn didn't believe for one second as the magic of the blade flowed through him, strengthened him and endowed him with the skill of all the souls it had claimed that it was not acting for itself and that it was not just working for itself. However, regardless of how unsatisfying Knights of Order might be they apparently appealed to the sword more than nothing would.
In his hand Dawnfang burnt red. As the first Knights reached him he stepped forwards, confident now in his skill and swung the sword in a fast high slash which cleanly killed the first Knight and his swing carried on through into the next. Beside him Na'kynaz's mace swung and cracked the stone face of another Knight, who fell backwards, already crumbling into dust. Finn sidestepped a Knight's unpracticed swing and stabbed him, and he collapsed from the hole in his chest. The ring of sword upon sword could be heard all up and down the ranks, the Mazken fighting a defensive battle, only going on the offensive when a clear kill could be sited.
Nearby, Adriana looked up into the featureless face of a Crystal Troll. The beast was really nothing like a troll, at least not those of Tamriel, it was more like a Frost Atronach only much blockier (if that was possible) and far less intelligent. A bolt of her most devastating lightning when she had first spotted it throwing Mazken around had not damaged it as far as she could tell, and now she cast the same spell again against it. It seemed momentarily staggered; however it turned quickly back to glower down at her, the lightning reflecting off its bulk. Suddenly, with a speed that its immense size belied it swung a crystal warhammer, twice Adriana's own height. It swept across at head height and Adriana dropped down, not bothering even to try parrying such a blow. She darted forwards, crunching over the disintegrating remains of Knights, many of which she had killed and raised her sword above her head, and stabbed at the beast two handed. By now it had recovered from its swing and as her sword struck swung the butt of its warhammer sideways. Her sword connected and dug into it, while she lost her grip on it and was lifted off her feet and thrown backwards. A dozen Mazken rushed forwards, trying to fill the gap the beast had left and two were caught up by the warhammer. However, Adriana was its intended target… She could see her sword still lodged just below its chest. She once again threw lightning at it. This time, however the lightning did not just bounce off it. Even as a shower of Dark Arrows peppered it, bouncing harmlessly of its armored shell. Adriana saw that the sword had acted as the conduit for the spell she had hoped it would. Lightning raging within it, the Crystal Troll staggered backwards and collapsed in a heap.
Finn saw the Troll go down and sighed in relief. But he knew that they could not win here. He could see many more Trolls lumbering across the battlefield. That first one had killed ten of his Mazken on its own, when hundreds of Knights had been lucky to kill one or two. While slow, the Trolls were the equal to hundreds of Knights, and harder to wound. He'd seen a number of weapons just bounce off its skin. Why Adriana's had worked he couldn't think… Perhaps it was a magical blade of some type… Regardless, the Trolls countered their advantage of being able to hold the gap one on one. They would have to pull back soon.
Nerte crouched in the shadows of the hall. The hall ran around a large square room. Light pulsed from around the corner, white and purple light as the Obelisk created Knights of Order. It was the most powerful she had ever seen – perhaps the obelisk did not enhance the Spire so much as the Spire enhanced the crystal…
She'd left Sheldon behind in a dark shadow – she'd said she wanted him to watch her back and that she would be back, but in reality he was just too noisy. Holding a Shard of Order in her hand she peeked round the corner. Sure enough the room was packed full of Knights of Order along with half a dozen or so Priests of Order. They would provide the greatest trouble… She glanced down at the Shard of Order in her hand and felt the others slipped into pouches in her Assassin's Mazken amour and hoped they really could do what Haskill said they could. She held the first of her Shards, wondering how it would work. One way to find out…
Gritting her teeth she stepped out into the doorway. There was silence in the room as dozens of faceless faces turned to face her. The silence ended when the clatter of Ordered feet erupted, echoes splattering all around her, coming from all sides. Her first instinct, to vanish, invisible nearly triumphed, but she held her ground. She held the Shard before her, realizing in some vague corner of her mind how foolish she looked. She was not Adriana; she could not fight them, not all of them openly like this… and invisibility would not help her here, not with the Priests standing guard against such an attempt.
In desperation almost she fed the Shard a command. STOP! The Knights ceased rushing up the stairs, frozen in almost comical positions, paralyzed instantly by her mental command. She felt the Shard of Order crumble in her hand even as she made her next move. She acted on her first impulse, realizing that here there was no time for thought. She drew one of her daggers while leaping past the frozen Knights. It spun home, lodging itself in the throat of a Priest even as he went to cast a spell. She felt a flame spell burn past the back of her neck, singing her hair. She reached the Obelisk, and ducked an Ordered sword wielded by a Priest of Order, which smashed into the Obelisk, causing a fountain of purple sparks to fly forth. She swung her leg around, knocking the Priest's legs out from under him and sending him sprawling to the ground.
Before the other three Priests in the room could close in on her she pulled a Shard of Order from a pouch and, flipping it round in her hand, followed through in one continuous swing and jammed the Shard into the Obelisk's side. SHATTER! She screamed at it in her head.
It obeyed.
