Skyrim: Legacy of the Voklkihar Vampires
Fall of the Blades
Alester spent the latter part of the day making love to Serana like no tomorrow. As they are resting from their love-making, Garen carefully stepped in.
"My apologies for intruding my lord but the High King and the Thalmor asks for your asssitance." Garen Marethi reported.
Alester made a noise and replied. "Very well. I'll just get dressed and me and Serana will head out." Garen nodded then closed the door.
Alester shook his lover awake despite her pouts of protest. He eventually succeeded in in waking her up and they dressed up then left the castle.
They found Mors at Solitude along with a lovely blonde Nord woman wearing Nordic Carved Armor that Alester didn't recognize.
"I have received your letter Mors, or should I say High King." Alester began speaking then he looked at the woman. "Who's this?"
"Frea of the Skaal. She agreed to travel with me as she wants payback for the attack Miraak's Blades had done on her people." Mors explained. "Elenwen has agreed to your terms and is now waiting for you at Markarth. Let's travel together."
Alester nodded then asked. "I suppose that you don't have a horse?"
When Mors nodded, he cast a Conjuration spell casting Arvak and allowing Mors and Frea to ride on him while he and Serana rode on Shadowmere.
The trip lasted for several days but they made it to Markarth where they saw Elenwen and a host of Thalmor Justiciars waiting.
"Alester, High King Westford. My superiors have agreed to the pardon and will recognize you as High King upon the deaths of Delphine and Esbern." Elenwen explained.
Alester nodded then proceeded to travel to Karthspire where Alester explained his plan:
"I will call upon my two loyal dragons to attack the courtyard. The Blades will panic and they will try to run through the entrance of Sky Haven Temple. You will be waiting at the entrance of Karthspire."
Elenwen nodded. "Like flushing out a rat. Let's see if this plan of yours works."
Calling Durhneviir and Sahrotaar, he ordered the two dragons. "Attack the courtyard. Make it seem like you are invading their base of operations."
"Yes thuri/Qahnaarin." Sahrotaar and Durhneviir replied before the flew to the skies. They spat out Frost Breaths at the unaware Blades and they panicked seeing the two of them. Durhneviir used his Drain Vitality and Soul Cairn Summons to deal with the archers.
(Meanwhile, inside of Sky Haven Temple)
Delphine was angry. She heard reports that Mors is now High King and in exchange for the Thalmor granting his friend a pardon, he sold them out! The Blades! Aren't they allies or servants to the Dragonborn? What kind of Dragonborn sells out his own people?
Add to the fact his friend is a vampire makes it worse. She assumed that he must have a spell cast on the Dragonborn to make the Nord do his bidding. She made a mental note to send an assassination team to kill Alester and have Esbern purge Mors of any corruption the vampires had on him.
Delphine angrily said. "I still can't believe that Mors is willing to throw us to the wolves like that! To the Thalmor no less!"
Esbern just mused. "Considering that he was angry at you for paralyzing him, he must have taken it personally."
Delphine just scowled. "I did what I had to do to make sure Paarthurnax's crimes are paid with his blood. If it means making the Dragonborn watch as I kill him and then unwillingly take his soul, so be it."
Esbern just shook his head. "Now I believe that he has a grudge against you. I know you already told him that it was Miraak who has been bolstering our forces through blind obedience plus the man can control dragons. The Skaal weren't happy about it and banned us from entering Solstheim." He was relieved that he had nothing to do with Delphine's mad plan and he was friends with Storn or he would've suffered the scorn and ridicule of the Skaal.
Delphine glared at Esbern. "Mors should just work together with Miraak! They are both Dragonborns and they refuse to see eye to eye due to their personalities. Mors even punched me in the face once."
Esbern raised an eyebrow at that and replied. "Considering that you shot him with a paralyzing arrow and made him watch as you attacked Paarthurnax and he didn't defend himself? I can't say that I blame him for that." While he agreed that Paarthurnax needed to die, even he had to admit that Delphine went too far with her actions.
Delphine just sighed tiredly. "It doesn't matter now. What's done is done and I have forgiven Paarthurnax because he isn't Alduin. Now we've got to figure out how to repel those two dragons, one I had never seen before and the other is summoning skeletons."
Before Esbern could reply, a Blade called out. "Grandmaster, more dragons had guguhhgugh..." he didn't finish as a Wrathman kicked him in the back of knee and then hammered his head down at his neck, killing him.
More skeletons arrived and are storming in the place, forcing the two to evacuate Sky Haven Temple.
However, they saw the two people they didn't want to get on the bad side on...
Mors Westford and Alester Sarwyck standing at the entrance of Karthspire.
When Mors pointed his Nordic Warhammer singlehandedly at Delphine, Alester went into a magic casting match against Esbern while Delphine charged at Mors with her Blades sword and her steel dagger.
Delphine hit the handle of Mors' warhammer several times and briefly got on the offensive by hitting his warhammer but barely managed to parry his two strikes and got hit in the shoulder for it. She blocked his swing down at her and she blocked it but he kneed her side two times before hitting her on the back and then hit on the side of her head, causing her to spit a tooth. The next thing she sees is the blunt part of his warhammer coming to her head, making her go unconscious.
As for Alester against Esbern, they hit each other using fire spells with the occasional lightning spells from Alester and frost spells from Esbern. Esbern summoned a Storm Atronach while Alester used a Heart Stone to summon an Ash Guardian as a gift from Mors. Esbern made the mistake of dual-casting a Greater Ward spell and Alester countered by dual-casting an Incinerate spell which stunned Esbern long enough for Alester to use Telekinesis Grip (Telekinesis + Vampire Grip) on him and then slamming the old man headfirst to the ground, knocking him out.
(Karthspire)
Delphine woke up from a slap and found herself bound along with any remaining Blades that survived Durhneviir and Sahrotaar's assault. She also Esbern with a swollen eye and a bloodied lip.
She saw Mors and shouted at him. "What have you done Dragonborn!? You have betrayed everything the Blades stand for!"
Mors just shrugged. "I was never a part of the Blades to begin with. I wouldn't include you in my agreement with the Thalmor but well, I just don't like you."
Delphine growled. "Cursed Westford! I should've killed you and your vampire butt buddy when you first appeared in Riverwood!"
Mors didn't seem impressed. "But you can't and won't because you need your oh so precious Dragonborn. Face it Delphine, your group is nothing without one."
Delphine remained defiant. "We still have Miraak! He can still save us, his loyal servants!"
Alester looked aloof for a while then answered. "That's strange. I don't see him anywhere whilst traveling in Skyrim. I bet that he doesn't believe that you're worth the effort or he doesn't care."
Delphine felt like getting a sword to the gut as she realized that Miraak manipulated her Blades to be his servants. It's no wonder that there were only a handful when Alester attacked.
When she focused her senses, she saw Thalmor soldiers behead the Blades. Elenwen look ready to cut Esbern's throat but Mors raised a hand to stop her.
Mors kneeled to Esbern's level and said to him. "I have nothing against you but the Blades are an offering to the Thalmor. Everyone who is a Blade will die as per the agreement of the White-Gold Concordant but I am willing to give you a choice: a life of exile or die by the sword. You have only one chance at this so think carefully."
Esbern looked hesitant and is afraid for his life more than ever. He saw Delphine glaring at him, Mors saw this and gestured Alester to move to block his line of sight. Now that he is truly caught and lost, he made his decision.
"I choose a life of exile."
Elenwen said. "Normally, we would just deny that and kill you straight away but the High King likes you. Renounce your loyalty to the Blades and share everything you know about the dragons and we will let you go free. You have my word as First Emissary of the Aldmeri Dominion, and my word means plenty."
Esbern nodded, eyes filled with shame and guilt. He finally said, barely stopping his stutter. "I, Esbern, do solemnly renounce my affiliation to the Blades and strip myself of any honors and privileges along with it. I am no longer a member of the Blades and do not associate myself with them."
Elenwen looked pleased and replied. "My Justiciar will give you some pen and parchment to write on, you will write everything you know about the dragons."
A Thalmor Justiciar handed Esbern some parchment and a quill to write on plus a small table. He wrote EVERYTHING he knew about the dragons down to the last detail. The Justiciar was pleased and handed it to Elenwen.
She said. "This is valuable information. You have my thanks and I will make sure that you are properly credited for this. You are free to go any province you want without interference from us. You can always go to Cyrodiil or Morrowind or stay with my people at the Summerset Isles and we'll assign someone to take care of you." She gave him a reassuring smile and it's a genuine one.
Esbern nodded, head bowed in shame. Then Mors placed his hand on his shoulder and said gravely. "Leave. Leave Skyrim and never return. Go to places that Elenwen suggested but do not come back to Skyrim. Ever." Esbern nodded again.
Elenwen declared. "Now it's time for that bitch to get her just reward in evading us for so long. Lord Westford, pick a weapon."
A soldier is holding an Elven Warhammer while another held a Glass Warhammer. Mors stared at them for a moment as he regarded the two weapons. While he knew the Glass Warhammer seemed practical, the Elven Warhammer looked more elegant and it would add more insult to injury.
He went to the soldier wearing Elven Gilded Armor and took the Elven Warhammer.
Delphine's look of madness as she saw her executioner looking down at her. Elenwen intoned. "Delphine of the Blades. For crimes of evading the Thalmor and killing it's operatives in addition of your group existing being a violation of the White-Gold Concordant, your punishment is death."
Delphine spat at Mors. "For your decaying wretch of a dragon?"
Mors replied flatly. "No. For me." Then he swing the Elven Warhammer at Delphine's head, splattering it.
Mors handed the Elven Warhammer back to the soldier as Elenwen said. "You have been good to your word Dragonborns. As per our agreement, the Aldmeri Dominion will recognize your sovereignty as High King and hope for a lasting and peaceful future with you. As for you Alester, you are hereby pardoned and any and all crimes you have committed against the Thalmor are forgiven." They both nodded.
Alester mused. "Now to deal with Miraak."
One of the soldiers went outside of Sky Haven Temple. "Dragonborns, I have found a letter from Delphine to Miraak. It says that he is currently staying at his temple in Solstheim."
Mors tells Frea. "Looks like we're going back to Solstheim. I still have Herma-Mora's Black Books."
Alester added. "I and Serana will be coming with you. If what you speak of Miraak is true, you will need our assistance." Serana nodded in agreement.
"If you wish it, I can send a force of one of our finest Justiciars to aid you." Elenwen added.
Alester replied. "With respect Elenwen, we'll have to decline your offer. I'd rather not risk any troops of yours to be enslaved by Miraak. Mors and I can do it alone."
Elenwen raised an eyebrow at that but didn't question it. "So be it. I will report to my government of this. They will be pleased and they will leave Skyrim be. You have my thanks and may the gods favor you in your battles." Then she and her entourage left.
Alester said. "Let's head to Solstheim and deal with Miraak." Mors nodded in agreement.
As for Esbern, the old man was given generous provisions by the Thalmor and wished him good life on his journey. He knew that they were true to their word and he wouldn't squander it. He left Skyrim after two days by entering the border heading for Cyrodiil. He was never seen again.