Chapter 34
With heavy steps and a heavy heart, Garen slowly made his way into the village of the Skaal. The villagers took in the sight of him and the grim look on his face. None of them new what it was that had him in this grim state, but all of them knew that whatever it was couldn't have been good.
Garen slowly made his way to stand in front of Stron. The shaman's smile faded at seeing the haunted look in Garen's eyes.
"What is wrong my friend?" Stron asked.
Garen tried to think of the right words to tell the shaman his grim news. He felt Frea's hand on his shoulder and nodded his thanks to her.
"I come with an offer from Hermaeus Mora." Garen spoke plainly and Stron's eyebrows shot up.
"So old Herma-Mora has finally come for what we have long kept from him." Stron mussed.
"Tell me my friend, what is it that the demon is offering up in exchange?" Stron asked calmly.
"He is offering to give me the ability to save your people and all of Nirn from Miraak in exchange for the knowledge you have kept from him." Garen spoke calmly, looking the shaman in the eyes.
"How would we go about this?" Stron asked after a few moments pause.
"Father! You can't be thinking to accept this! It is the duty of the shamans to keep our knowledge from that demon!" Frea exclaimed.
"It is also our duty to know when it is time for us to give it to him." Stron spoke calmly.
"It is not possible to keep secrets from Herma-Mora for all of time. There comes a time when we must give up what we protect to save our people." Stron spoke calmly to Frea before turning back to Garen.
"I just hope that this will not be wasted." The elder spoke and Garen nodded.
"It won't so long as I still breathe." Garen spoke calmly before pulling out the black book that was needed.
"If you accept his offer, simply open and read from the book." Garen spoke somberly.
Stron took the book from his hands and place one hand on Garen's shoulder.
"Whatever happens, know that the Skaal will still be your allies and friends." Stron spoke so everyone could hear.
Garen looked around at the villagers to see them all nodding in approval. He smiled weakly at knowing that these people would not turn on him as soon as Mora turned on all of them.
Stron took a step back and opened up the black book.
"Herma-Mora, I accept your offer." The elder Skaal spoke out to the book and to the Daedric Prince.
Between Garen and Stron, a rift of sickly green energy formed. Out of the rift, massive tentacles spread into the world, followed by a mass of eyes. The book in Stron's hands lifted up into the air and pulsed in green power.
Out of the pages of the book, a massive tentacle reached out. In a powerful thrust, the tentacle speared into the elder Skaal, stabbing him through the heart and exiting on the otherside.
"You have done well my champion." Mora spoke out, pleasure in his voice.
"With the death of Stron to my hands, I have the knowledge that the infernal Skaal have so long held from me." The Daedra spoke out to all of the Skaal.
Mora's tentacle flung the corpse of Stron away like a rag doll and Garen balled his first up in anger. Stron was a man that hadn't needed to die. It was his fault that a good man died this day and he would be damned if he didn't make it worth the sacrifice.
"Father!" Frea yelled out. Out of the corner of Garen's vision, he could see Frea running over to the corpse of her father.
"As promised, I give you the final word that you need." Mora spoke, turning to face him.
Garen felt power and knowledge rush into his mind. He could feel the full bend will shout just waiting to be unleashed. Garen crushed the thoughts and scowled at Mora.
"Tell me what I must do to kill the traitor Miraak." Garen snarled out.
"Simply read the book that you found in his temple, and pass the trails inside it. At the end, you will come to face him." Mora spoke smugly before vanishing.
Garen looked to Frea to see her shaking and cradling the corpse of her father in her arms. Garen slowly walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, but he will not die in vain." Garen spoke somberly.
"Just-just go." Frea choked out between quiet sobs. "Go and kill Miraak. Don't make his sacrifice a waste."
Garen nodded and stepped away from the grieving woman. He walked over to the black book lying in the snow and knelt down next to it.
"Here I come traitor. Prepare to die." Garen muttered to himself.
He opened the cover and its pages pulsed in power. Inky tentacles wrapped around him and pulled him into Mora's realm for the last time.
After passing through several levels of a large tower inside Mora's realm, Garen finally reached a massive open air platform off of the tower. On two sides of the platform, there were other raised platforms that seemed just big enough for a dragon to land on. On the other side of the main platform was an odd word wall.
This word wall, in place of being made of stone, was made of books and paper. Garen thought it was likely just that it was in Mora's realm for the wall to look the way it did. Floating in front of the wall, were two of the smaller creatures of Mora's realm.
Garen drew forth his twin scimitars and rushed the two creatures. After a flurry of slashes and stabs, the creatures fell to the ground.
Garen strode up to the wall and let the power of the words seep into his mind. He felt his thu'um for his dragon aspect swell and become complete. He yearned to see what it was that this final word would add to his ethereal armor and prowess in combat.
In the distance, Garen heard a dragon roar. He looked around to see one of the serpentine dragons flying towards him. Garen could feel the dovah's soul and could feel Miraak's taint on it.
Garen watched the dragon approach and waited until he could feel its thu'um building before he acted.
"Gol. Hah. DOV!" Garen shouted at the dragon.
Garen felt the thu'um of the dragon wane in power. The dragon circled around before landing in front of him.
"Hail, thuri. Your thu'um has the mastery. Climb aboard and I will take you to Miraak." The dragon spoke and bent its head for Garen to mount it.
Garen climbed up onto the dragon's neck. Once he was settled, the dragon launched them up into the sky.
After what seemed like hours of flight atop the back of one of Miraak's dragons, A massive tower came into view. Even from where he was, he could feel the strength of Miraak's soul. From the power the radiated from him, Garen could feel the dozens of dovah the man had consumed.
The dragon that Garen rode let out a roar and swooped down to the top of the tower. Kneeling down on the tower, was Miraak himself. Miraak was kneeling on one side of the top of the tower and looked up when Garen and the dragon approached.
"Sahrotaar." Miraak spoke with disdain. "I see you are so easily swayed"
"No matter, this betrayal matters little." Miraak spoke when the dragon landed on the tower.
"You're not one to talk of betrayal asshole." Garen spat out, jumping down from the dragon's neck.
"I see that grudges last generations in your fool clan." Miraak chuckled out.
"It matters little. Here, at the summit of Aporcypha, the fate of the world will be decided." Miraak spoke casually, pacing in front of Garen.
"This has been decided long ago traitor." Garen snarled out, drawing his twin scimitars.
"Such fire." Miraak mocked, pulling out his own sword. "It will be my pleasure to devour your soul and all those you have consumed."
Garen looked at the odd blade held in Miraak's hand. The sword was a deep, sickly green color. Starting at its hilt, a thick tentacle wrapped around the blade and seemed to writhe in anticipation.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen." Garen snarled.
"We shall see." Miraak smirked and Garen could feel Miraak's thu'um building.
"Mul. Qah. DIIV!" Miraak shouted.
Around him, ethereal armor appeared. Two rows of scales made their way down the front of Miraak's chest. Spiked pauldrons and gauntlets appeared on the man's shoulders and forearms. Spikes sprouted from Miraak's head, similar to the ones on the head of a dragon.
"This is the power that a true dragonborn wields." Miraak smirked.
"Mul. Qah. DIIV!" Garen shouted in a growl.
Around him, his own full set of ethereal armor came to life. His entire body was encased in armor made from the scales and hides of dragons. Behind him, he felt his trail grow out and begin to move on its own. On his back, sprouting from his shoulder blades, Garen felt something grow into life. Garen flexed his shoulders and felt a pair of massive leathery wings flex as well. Around his head, Garen felt a helmet form around him. Though he could not see it, the helmet resembled the head of a dragon.
"You must not be a true dragonborn then." Garen snarled out. As he spoke, he could feel the ethereal helmet's maw move to speak with him.
Garen let out a primal roar and it sounded as if Alduin himself roared from his voice. The tower around them shook with the raw power of Garen's thu'um.
Garen charged Miraak and the dragon priest readied himself to defend against the pure primal power of Garen's dragon soul.
Garen swung a powerful, downward swing and Miraak, but the man managed to barely dodge the attack. Garen's sword bit into the ground, causing cracks to spread out from where the blade had struck.
Miraak swung his sword out at Garen. The tentacle that wrapped around the sword reached out to try and strike him as well.
Without thinking about it, Garen brought one wing over to cover him and lashed his tail out. The blade and tentacle struck the wing, but did nothing to the ethereal limb. Garen's tail wrapped around one of Miraak's legs and jerked in one direction.
Caught off guard by the use of Garen's tail, Miraak cried out and was pulled from his feet. Garen turned to face the man with a snarl on his face. Garen used his tail to lift Miraak up into the air. Miraak dropped his sword and began to laugh.
Garen growled and used both of his scimitars to thrust through the man's chest, one blade through each lung. In the distance, Garen could feel two tainted dovah souls racing towards him.
"Feim. Zii. GRON!" Miraak choked out. When the shout took hold of the dragon priest, he slipped out of the grasp of Garen's tail.
Miraak laughed and slowly stood up. He turned to the dragon that Garen had rode in on and Garen could feel Miraak's thu'um grow in raw power.
"Zii. Los. Di. DU!" Miraak shouted at the dragon.
Garen watched in horror as the dragon died at the utterance of the final word. The dragon fell to the top of the tower with a crash and its flesh began to burn away. The dragon's soul rushed into Miraak. Garen watched in horror as the fatal wounds Garen had just inflicted healed instantaneously.
"You cannot kill a god amongst men." Miraak chuckled out and his body became corporeal once more.
"Too bad you're not a god." Garen snarled out in fury.
Garen could feel two dovah in the air behind him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was killing the abomination that stood before him.
Garen took in a massive breath and he could feel the very air around him shudder with the power that surrounded him.
"Yol. Toor. SHUL!" Garen roared out.
Unlike when he would normally shout, a massive jet of roaring white hot fire raced out of Garen's mouth and the maw of his ethereal armor. Garen let the fire burn for several moments before finally letting the fires die.
When the fires finally died, Garen snarled at the sight before him. Miraak was on his knees and his body was covered in burns. The dragon priest looked exactly as if he was a piece of meat left in a fire too long and was nothing but charred flesh and ash.
Much to Garen's frustration and to his swelling rage, Miraak had managed to become ethereal before the flames consumed him. Miraak looked to one of the dragons behind Garen and shouted at it.
"Zii. Los. Di. DU!" Miraak shouted at the dragon.
Behind him, one of the dragons crashed to the ground. The beast's soul rushed past him and into Miraak, healing his wounds and restoring him back to as if he had never been harmed.
"You… Can't… Kill… ME!" Miraak yelled out in rage.
Garen roared out in fury and charged the man again.
From his robes, Miraak pulled out a staff. The dragon priest flicked the end towards Garen and a mass of tentacles shot out towards him.
Garen ignored the attack and rushed through the writhing mass. Garen yelled out in fury and tackled Miraak to the ground. Garen tossed his scimitars aside and straddled Miraak's chest. Garen roared and slammed his fist into Miraak's face.
Garen pulled back his fist and threw it forward. Miraak managed to get his hands up in time to catch Garen's first just before it struck his face. Garen pulled back his other first and made to use it to punch Miraak. The other man managed to grab that hand as well.
"Such. Brutality." Miraak breathed out, struggling to keep Garen's fists trapped in his hands.
"DIE TRAITOR!" Garen roared out in fury.
Garen reared back and slammed his forehead into Miraak's face. Garen, in his rage fueled fury, didn't feel the pain that spiked through his skull.
Behind him, the last remaining dragon roared out. Garen felt the soul of the dragon rush towards him. He tried to dodge the claws of the dragon, but he was too slow.
The dragon lifted him off of Miraak and tossed him to the side. The force of the dragon's throw tossed him past the ledge of the tower and sent him plummeting to the inky waters below.
Garen flailed around for a moment before finally managing to face the waters that were rushing up to him. He extended his wings and they caught in the air.
His descent slowed until it finally stopped, mere feet from the waters. Garen looked to see his wings flapping behind him, keeping him aloft and upright in the air.
Without really knowing how he did it, Garen flew back up to the top of the tower. His wings carried him without him needing to really control them. All he had to do was think of which way he wanted to go and his wings took him that way.
When he finally reached the top of the tower once more, He found Miraak standing there, waiting for him. Garen could feel the fury radiating off of the other man, but even Miraak's rage was dwarfed by his own rage.
"YOL. TOOR. SHUL!" Garen roared out.
Just as before, a massive jet of white hot flames rushed to embrace Miraak.
"Wuld. Nah. KEST!" Miraak shouted, dodging the flames just before they reached him.
Garen swooped in behind the man and grabbed him from behind.
Give him to me. Garen heard Mora's voice speak in his mind.
"Mora has something for you." Garen snarled out.
From one of his pouches, Garen pulled forth his Blade of Woe. Miraak thrashed in his grip, but Garen used his tail to hold onto the man. Garen turned Miraak so that the other dragonborn faced him.
With a grin, Garen thrust his dagger into the other man's chest. Miraak let out a cry of pain and Garen twisted his blade viciously before pulling it out.
Garen flew out over the center of the tower to where a pool of Inky water had formed. Garen loosened his grip on the dragon priest who laughed out weakly.
"If I go. You will come with me!" Miraak choked out.
Before Garen could react, a dagger dropped into the man's hand. Miraak thrust the blade forwards. Much to Miraak's luck and Garen's misfortune, the blade slipped into Garen's armor and stabbed him in the heart.
Garen roared out in pain and dropped Miraak. His wings began to fail him and he soon crashed into the top of the tower.
Miraak fell to the pool of water below them. Before his body reached the waters, a massive tentacle emerged from the waters and speared Miraak through the heart.
"So you think you could betray me Miraak!" Mora shouted at the man impaled on his tentacle.
"You can hide nothing from me!" Mora yelled out to the man.
Behind him, Garen heard footfalls on the roof of the tower. A small, petite hand found his shoulder and rolled him onto his back. Garen looked up into the warm dark eyes of the Night Mother.
"I-I have failed you my mother." Garen wheezed out, feeling his life blood seeping out of him.
"No my son." The Night Mother smiled to him. "You are not yet done in this word."
The Night Mother, despite her small frame, picked up Garen in her arms. She cradled him close to her chest and walked away from the corpse of Miraak that just dropped to the ground.
"You cannot take what is mine from me!" Mora yelled at the Night Mother.
"He is not yours Mora. He never has been." The Night Mother spoke coldly to the Daedra.
A portal opened up in front of them. Before the Night Mother stepped in, Garen felt the souls of over sixty dragons rush into him. At the very end, Miraak's own soul rushed into him to be devoured.
The Night Mother carried him through the portal and he lost consciousness.
Serana looked on while Sofie played with Toothless out in front of their home. She smiled weakly at hearing Sodie laugh and giggle while playing with the large saber.
Not for the hundredth time that day, and it wasn't even past high noon, Serana's thoughts turned to Garen. It had been well over two months since he had left for Solstheim and there had been no word from him at all.
"You worry too much." Aela's soothing voice spoke next to her.
Serana gave the huntress a small smile. "I can't help it. He's been gone too long and I know that there's something wrong."
"He's fine Rana." Aela smiled. "I've known him long enough to know that there is nothing in this world save a Daedric Lord and old age that will kill him."
"You're right." Serana smiled to the other woman.
Serana looked to Sofie again, but movement from the corner of her eye drew her attention. Serana looked to the source of the movement and her eyes widened.
Walking towards her, was a lithe Dunmer woman. In her arms was the limp form of her husband. At first glance, nothing was wrong with him. His pouches were all in the same place, his swords were in their scabbards at his hips and his armor was still firmly in place.
At the second look, Serana could see the stab wound hole in his chest armor and a trail of dried blood coming out from it. His limbs and muscles were all limp, but she could see his breath come out in regular intervals.
"GAREN!" Serana shouted and ran to the woman carrying him.
Serana reached the limp form of her husband and cupped his face in her hands. She looked down to see that the wound had been healed. She could feel his heart beating strong and steady in his chest.
"He is fine young one." The Dunmer woman smiled to her.
"I would not let my favorite son die so long as I could help it." The Dunmer smiled to her.
"Wh-who are you?" Serana asked.
The Dunmer smiled sadly. "Let us get him inside child, then we can talk."
Serana nodded and lead the Dunmer woman into their house. Sofie noticed and followed in behind Aela.