Phoenix Burned, Dragon Born
Chapter 2: Lecture Materials
Rated M for Malekith
Disclaimer: I own naught of these fictional characters
After his little stunt of stretching the limits of his abilities in Conjuration, the Witch King had been given ample of threats of banishment to increasingly terrible planes of existence and half- hearted chastisement from the Archmage Aren, who seemed to be impressed with his performance. Sadly, the conjurer appointed as his teacher had immediately confiscated the Sigil Stone, but it was not as if the Elf could not summon a different of the Dremora and lure them into a hopeless battle to gain another of the stones.
In all Conjuration had proven a rather useful field to study as the spells for summoning bound weapons made him worry less about the need to purchase adequate weapons currently, but Phinis had revealed him something interesting. In the bowels of the College laid a forge capable of summoning both creatures and items from the far reaches of the Planes of Oblivion, already with a vicious smile on his face, as he fully intended to broaden his knowledge. At first, he had intended to use the tomes in the library to study, alas the librarian an Orc named Urag Gro-Shub guarded this knowledge zealously, almost unwillingly handing him anything that was older than the Great War. Even with the special permit signed and sealed by Savos Aren himself. Frankly this, was at best irritating when he wanted to learn beyond the spells taught by the teachers that the College could provide for him and study Tamriel with zest when the fleets of Druchii had first sailed to raid the coasts of Ind and Cathay, when they had first discovered these nations.
Another unwanted side-effect of his bouts with the summoned Dremora was the increased admiration from his peers, a laughable misconception of his persona, really, but still it was bothersome enough and counterproductive to his stay here as their constant interruptions held him from achieving greater mastery over this peculiar brand of magic in the absence of his favoured Dhar and the much more time-consuming use of Qhaysh. During lectures he could entertain his fellow students with shows of magic, but afterwards his own private research had priority. As it was not to say that his interactions with them were completely useless. He caught rumours of all sorts, from fantastical legends to mundane old wife's tales, from those two he was most interested in the shrine of Azura, a supposedly tall structure in the mountains, just outside Winterhold. A chance to converse with a Daedric Prince was not to underestimated, but that would have to come when he had mastered himself enough. According to Toldrir, the trainer for the Alteration school of magic, Malekith was on his way to become an adept with the art. While at first the Witch King had no interest in magic that could not harm, heal or impose his will upon the reality, but seeing Toldfir demonstrate a spell dubbed ironflesh, his interest was piqued. The ability to protect oneself with semi – permanent magical shield that surrounded the body was quite impressive and allowed the wearer to fight fully protected even the flimsiest clothes.
Currently the Elf was sitting in the Grand Hall with the tome "Reality and Other Falsehoods" in hand. The elderly Nord had suggested Malekith study this particular book in hopes that it would trigger a chain reaction in his mind that currently kept the Elf with all his talent from grasping fully the concepts of this world's alteration. While he could turn people into metals with a flick of a finger or raise walls of earth to protect himself, the more foreign spells and their application eluded him. Urag, if that was the Ork's name, had begrudgingly allowed apprentice to remain a while after the official hours of visiting the library had already passed. However, with how much effort it had taken him, the Elven King wondered whether or not these Orks were substitutes for Dwarves in this world due to their grouchy demeanour and sheer stubbornness. Turning another page of the tome, he read of how one could use the rays of magicka that came from the sun to create the basis on the shield that would surround the body. Though, there was the issue of how much energy it required to create such a shield. By his estimation, the stronger the shield would become, the larger would be the cost of maintaining the spell. He wondered if it was possible to feed these spells on the magic that flew freely from this land.
"Well hello there. I didn't expect to meet you in such a place" a female voice spoke to him and the wizard barely raised his eyes from the tome to see who was interrupting his studies. There was a gaggle of students that had tried to worm their way into his graces, but quickly they had desisted once the Witch King made his displeasure known. Yet there were those who had not given up in taking up his time.
In front of his stood an Altmer woman- tall, lithe and blonde. Still, she couldn't truly approach the beauty of his kin, but he supposed that she was comelier than Faralda.
"Yes, and you're interrupting my time of studies" Malekith returned to his book, but he sensed that this one would not let up so easily.
"Let's not be hasty" she chuckled and sat down across him, making the male elf exhale through his nose "After all you might never know when a stranger you meet may be a dear friend in a future"
A stout and white-haired man with a flagon of beer flashed before his eyes. The regrets of the past were guests Malekith entertained far too often and the very gall of the woman to use the term was enough to send him into a state of simmering fury.
"You still haven't introduced yourself." His emerald eyes bore into her gold-green ones and to the gall of the girl, she smirked and he felt her leg brush against his.
"Oh, do pardon me" the female elf leered as the leg was pulled away from her "I'm Nirya"
"At least now I will know just exactly who to avoid-"
"Don't be like that" Malekith was no stranger to seduction and advances of seductresses, but this…child's… if he could call the woman that, attempt was as transparent as Morathi's silks "I just want to know you"
"Then you would not resort to acting like a common harlot" politeness was a useless virtue at this point and with scarcely two weeks passing, the King of Druchii had felt his reserves exhausted.
"You best be mindful of your words" the coy façade remained, but the She-Elf had narrowed her eyes and now this was an unfamiliar sight. In Naggaroth, only the Hag Queen could attempt to exert authority over him, but even then, the sorceress was wise enough not to try it.
"Oh?" However, it was refreshing to see someone attempting to threaten him. Stretching back, the warrior smirked, calling her bluff "What shall befall me if I am not delicate towards the fair maiden's feelings?"
Malekith hoped that the false wariness dripping from his comments would not fly over her head, but he had no such high hopes. Huffing, Nirya straightened her azure robes and leaned in closer, much closer than the sorcerer would have preferred.
"I have rarely seen an Altmer worship Talos so openly before" she whispered in his ear and giggled as if the veiled threat was some great jest. In Naggaroth, she would be dead before the nightfall and despite whatever faults could have been attributed to his people, Malekith had made monumental effort to cull the stupid. It seemed that this was not so in the Aldmeri Dominion, or perhaps she was just a very liberal expatriate.
"My apologies, my tongue forgot that it was in a company of a lady" the dark haired elf spoke as he put down his book, not enjoying the sadistic delight evident on Nirya's features as he leaned in closer. Loath to admit it, the woman knew how to pick her fragrances even if the elf had no idea what it was.
Grasping her chin, the Witch King channelled the considerable charisma built up by centuries and whispered in her ear, inwardly repulsed at how she acted like a human instead of one of the Elder Races "I could make you experience things you of your dreams"
"Go on" she leered, and the Witch King felt her dirty hands on his own. Deftly, his hand slipped from her chin and around her neck, constricting her airflow and making sure that she understood that this was no eccentric game of lovers that would be a prelude to the bedroom. He knew that she would attempt to muster her magic to defend herself, but his grip on her hands threatened to crush bone, should she attempt something foolish.
"However, it is for you to decide whether those will be fantasies or nightmares" he applied even more pressure uncaring about the possible witnesses. It was beautiful, how her cockiness vanished in an instant, replaced by dutiful obedience. However, her pinkish cheeks told him that this wouldn't be over so easily "Is that understood, Nirya?"
"Y-yes"
"You have to say it properly" Malekith corrected her with a gentle smile "Try it again"
"Y-Yes, sir"
"While not what I expected, this will do" The emerald eyed sorcerer chuckled and released the Altmer woman from his grasp. Like a wounded animal, the mage shrunk back from him, eyes wide with terror as she clutched at her neck that slightly tinged red from the bruising touch.
"Now you can either decide to make your threats true and live with the consequences or you can seek me out when the night falls and we can discuss more of our acquaintanceship in a more private setting" A light surrounded her neck and in the blink of an eye the red welts had already disappeared. It seemed as if Nirya was about to provide the wizard with an answer, but he had already risen from the seat and left, book in tow. There was a slight chance that she would make good on her threats and indeed report him to the Thalmor. However, he was sure that they were reasonable and if they weren't – the fools would know that there existed magics beyond their comparison.
"Ah, our resident paladin" the Librarian sneered as he saw the tall elf approach and put down the tome on his desk "Who are we going to fight today? A Xivilai perhaps? Or maybe you would rather spar against some special beast of Hircine's. It would be great, we could even open an Arena and expand our enterprise, ha!"
Another side effect of his fame was that the Ork had become even more insufferable as of late.
"Or maybe I'll finally test out if you're really the Atronach master you profess yourself to be, Orismer" Malekith politely offered a sneer in return as the elderly librarian's brows furrowed and he set down the books he had been inspecting previously.
"I thought that there couldn't be a cockier bastard than Ancano, but here you are"
"And I thought that nothing could be more charmless than a Sload"
"I see you have familiarized yourself with Tamriel well enough, maybe the assignment from Toldfir isn't really needed"
Malekith narrowed his eyes and held out his outstretched hand "I would like to see the parchment as much as you would like to see me leave your library for now. So, I propose an exchange, if you will."
The Ork gazed at the sorcerer, but spoke nothing, opting instead to grunt and hand over the small note to the Elf, who smiled in return and grasped the note. Maybe this time it would be something more interesting, perhaps even a chance to leave the College grounds. As much information he devoured, the son of Aenarion had awakened the long-gone spirit of adventure that lingered inside his soul. While during his reign there had been too many responsibilities for him to just leave and venture out on expeditions like he had once embarked upon the coronation of Bel-Shanaar.
As he passed Nirya on the way out, he and the mage locked eyes, but only for a brief moment, before raven haired elf was out of the door.
"Tomorrow morning we are heading for an excursion to Saarthal, the first Atmoran settlement in Tamriel, if you can believe it! We just unearthed it recently and while the exploration is mostly done there is still a lot to be uncovered. There's a shrine of Daedric Prince Azura in the nearby mountains and there will be enough time for you to visit it.
- Toldfir"
He noted that the old Nord had an acceptable handwriting, which coming from such a long-lived Elf as Malekith was almost a praise. Toldfir's offer was very lucrative and written just in a way that would possibly pique Malekith's interests. The Nord was much cannier than he had thought, then again stupid master wizards did not exist- another parallel with his own world.
Smiling the wizard put the tiny roll of parchment in one of the many pockets of his robes and leisurely strolled down the long winding stairs and towards the Hall of Elements where, if was not mistaken Faralda plied her craft. Destruction spells were some of his favourites in this world, but admittedly they were rather limited in comparison to the destruction wrought by his peoples most destructive spells, yet it was imperative to learn these ways, for it took only a split second for the mage to conjure a lightning bolt capable of turning to ash men in steel plate as the dummies in lecture hall demonstrated.
It was commendable at how she weaved her art, he thought as he sat down, resting his back against one of the stone pillars. While these were not his classes, the colossal elf wisely sat at the very edge and soaked up her lessons. Who knew that the insulting variety of three main subclasses came from the ease of weaving the magic together and the rest was tradition that was ingrained into most mages on the continent?! The sorceress in the Hall displayed a spell of pure magicka, which swallowed up the entire practice dummy and left nothing in its wake, but faint wisps of smoke. The class was too eager to learn how she had done it, but the ancient wizard noticed that their tutor had weakened herself and struggled to remain standing. To give her credit there was little betraying her, but he knew that the Altmer was at her endurance's end and selfishly the Witch King did not wish for the lecture to end so soon.
Willing the magicka around himself, the Son of Aenarion imbued the air with an aura of restoration magic and sent it like a snake slithering across the floor, almost invisible all but for a slight glimmer of gold. As it passed the apprentices and connected with the mage, vanishing into the shoe, the woman straightened out from her slight slouch and subtly let her gaze float around the hall as she directed more apprentices to practice their weakest elemental spells at the level they wouldn't exhaust themselves. Without surprise or delay their eyes locked and the other elf raised his quill in greeting, making the sorceress turn around and huff. The King of Druchii continued to diligently take notes even if he had long grasped the theory taught to these children.
However, Faralda's lecture had ended after an hour of intense spellcasting and there was nothing Malekith could do but slip out of the Hall of Elements and continue his studies elsewhere. As the sun vanished from the sky to be replaced by the two moons- Masser and Secunda along with the stars, Malekith did not feel his power vanning at all, which was even more curious. On his desk sat a jar of faint magelight, twisted so that it would provide a more natural light. As the corner of his lips twitched the otherworldly elf noted that perhaps he had underestimated that Altmer. It was not as he did not expect Nirya's visit, but much to his surprise the blonde had decided to maintain her distance. Perhaps he had succeeded in scaring her off and thus ended this potentially exhausting game or she was biding her time. In any case it would be a win-win for his situation and left more time for his experiment with regards to a certain spell.
Deep into the night a flash of white light illuminated the room housing the unorthodox apprentice of the College and should a guard had done his patrol instead of sleeping, then the Imperial would have discovered the Elf cheering wildly as he had circumvented an annoying limitation of one of the more interesting spells.
"Ah Good Morning Malekith" Toldfir waved at the dark-haired elf, who dragged his feet into the hall, with small bags under his eyes, but still a triumphant on his lips "I hope you slept well"
"Sleep was secondary, but I believe that you will appreciate my discoveries later" he grinned and rubbed his eyes, before putting on his backpack. Only then he realized that someone was among the apprentices that he didn't particularly did not enjoy meeting. Far in the back, surrounded by a small gaggle of girls and enamoured thralls stood Nirya clad in bearskins and obviously enchanted outfit for the cold weather that was indicative of the…friends…she possessed. Yet it was satisfying to see her shrink from his gaze while her female acquaintances exchanged puzzled looks. However, the male apprentices were a different story.
"You'll tell me later, if we are to fully utilize our allotted time in the ruins, then there is little time to be spent on waiting" the old Nord cheerfully said and walked over the group. Out of some twenty people gathered to the expedition Malekith noted that only three besides himself, Toldfir and Nirya were somewhat talented, he could feel it from their personal wells of magicka that swirled inside. Curiously only one was a dark elf, while the others were a human and a cat beastman- Khajit. Despite their power most of them seemed unprepared, save for the Dunmeri girl, who looked more excited than anything, which was more than what could have been said for Nirya, whose sour expression reminded him of the time he and Morathi had ventured to Clar Karond to see the efforts of beastmasters in person.
Hating to waste an opportunity to see the new developments, the Witch King strode through the crowd, clearly aware that this would draw considerable amount of attention to them and there would be some that would clearly misconstrue their non-existent relationship.
"Good morning, lady Nirya" Malekith swept back his dark wolfskin cloak as he stood before her, his long hair tied in a loose tail behind him "It is a surprise to see you with us, but a welcome one"
"Yes," to give her credit, she did not stutter or otherwise reveal her true thoughts on the matter "I thought that Saarthal is a sight to see for anyone who wishes to know more about Skyrim and the whole history of Tamriel."
"I agree wholeheartedly" Malekith nodded and turned to the other mages, who fearlessly met his gaze "Who are your fellow students? Anyways, it is always a pleasure to meet more friends of Nirya's. I am Malekith"
"While you're somewhat of an exception, usually the newest members of the College are guided older apprentices, who act as their support out of classes and join them on assignments outside the College"
"Ah I see" Malekith nodded "You must be quite excited to venture out in the wilds of Winterhold, huh?"
The four novices nodded, offering small-talk, yet the towering elf knew that none of them were interested in what he had to say, aside from Nirya, whose ears had subtly twitched when he had asked about their extracurricular studies. This of course did not bother the sorcerer at all, but only confirmed their intent. By Khaine, Malekith considered it a gift to break out of the routine he had immersed himself in. After all, what was life without little danger? Snowstorms and wild creatures were dangerous after all, especially with inexperienced, arrogant magelings.
"Students!" Toldfir's loud voice cut through the Hall of Elements "We must move out now, if we are to make our way to the ruins at an acceptable time. Let's not tarry!" at the Alteration Lector's call the group stood at the attention and were ready to move out.
The Witch King spared a single glance at Nirya and turned on his heels, leaving the Altmer woman with her cronies.
First time out of College's walls would be a sight to behold indeed!
As the expedition trudged through the thick snow, Malekith professed that he missed his ensorcelled plate. Armour of Midnight might have been a dreadful and agonizing tool he had been forced to use most of his extended lifespan, but so many useful enchantments had been added onto it, for one his feet had always been dry, but there were spells for that he supposed. The former Prince of Naggarythe held out his hand and willed bearskin into existence, its shimmering glow enveloping his feet, thus not taxing upon his control over the rays of magicka. Though they had left the once great city of Winterhold, Malekith noted that as he had pulled his hood down at the moment, the residents of the city had shot him and other decidedly non-human mages looks of disgust and that did not bother him at all as his lessers could not comprehend what it was to be one of the elder race, thus their judgement was irrelevant. Even more so when at his orders millions yearly were brought to their doom in the Land of Chill in toiling for the good of the Druchii.
Currently the mages had passed through a mountain range, unworried about the hostile wildlife as several fire atronaches had been summoned, who did their duty with admirable glee as a pack of starving wolves were burned to crisp when they tried to find their next meal. Behind him, the Son of Aenarion felt as if some was trying to cast a geas onto him. It was subtle, far too subtle to be any of the apprentices gathered here, if they weren't secret mage assassins, of course. Only possible explanation was that Toldfir dabbled in the defunct school of Mysticism, but it was leagues out of the Old Nord's character to attempt something like that. He could almost reach out and bend it, but like dust, it scattered before his very eyes, creating a vision of rose petals in his mind that flew past him. Perhaps this had been just his imagination, Malekith rubbed his eyes, but nothing remained. Gazing upwards, Malekith raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and was greeted by a gargantuan statue of a woman holding up both star and the moon in each hand.
Then he realized that this was the fabled shrine of the Daedric Prince of Dawn and Dusk, one of the more benevolent deities this world possessed. While he had expected it to be grand, the sheer size of the structure astounded the Witch King and reminded him of the idols dedicated to Isha, Asuryan and in Naggaroth- Khaine. From what he had read this statue had been built by the pilgrims who fled the Eruption of the Red Mountain. If his wanderlust had somewhat waned by studying spellcraft and delving into whatever the library could provide. Now being outside, seeing the wonders he wanted to experience in person.
It was more than an hour until they had come upon the excavation site and to say the least, the Elf expected a grander sight, rather than the large dark rock temple that was protruding from the glacier. For the first city of men in the continent it was rather quaint. Though Malekith had to take in the account that the city had been razed and then presumably left the surviving ruins as a memorial and perhaps a temple.
"Here it is!" Toldfir called out to the group "Welcome to Saarthal!" as they stood before the unearthed corpse of the once great city, sun shining down on them and laborers and summoned Daedra who heaved heavy stone and melted the ice under the supervision of mages and the workers.
"Come along now" the old Nord started to walk again, feet leaving imprints in the snow as he trod towards their destination "We aren't inside just yet!"
Malekith grinned and followed suit.
Before they entered the ruins, the entrance was guarded by what he supposed were traditional mercenaries, dressed in iron and furs, which to the Elven King reminded him of the savages infesting the north of Naggaroth. As Toldfir approached suit, the two stepped aside and lowered their simple battle-axes by their sides and let them pass. Their positions were slouched and eyes droopy, it did not take a genius to surmise that they hated this guard duty with their every being. If not for the pay, the small tent city that they passed would be empty and the tomb robbed blind. That was if the small garrison was enough to kill all manners of creatures that infested the place.
"Before we enter the ruins there will be some guidelines" the Alteration mage informed the group as he opened the heavy iron door without touching, Malekith caught his hands shimmering orange briefly, before it vanished in a blink of an eye. Behind him guffaws could be heard and the elf rolled his eyes at the ease with which these novices were astonished.
"Once we enter the Tomb, stick close to me until we have reached the Grand Hall" he gestured for them to follow and no one wished to remain in the freezing cold that reigned outside "It should be safe, but it's always better to be cautious"
Cautious, if the outlandish elf had to pick one word to describe the human who had been one of the most open-minded of his tutors, then cautious was it. Perhaps this overt adherence to safety measures was seen as stifling by others as halting progress, but with Faralda's tales of mishaps of a miscast spell or his own experience with overly ambitious sorceresses that attempted magic beyond their means. However, with human lifespan being as it was, Toldfir ought to have been a touch boulder or invest in immortality. There were sorcerers that had achieved longevity and Malekith was confident that the elderly Nord could do it. Though, not by the Witch King's means, he chuckled to himself.
"As some of you may know" after passing through a hallway littered with tools, the expedition came upon a grand hall, though still partially unearthed, with large stone pillars and arches supporting the stone ceiling "Saarthal was one of the earliest human settlements in Tamriel, it was also one of the largest" The lecture continued as they travelled down from one of the pillars with the long winding stairs "It was sacked by the Snow Elves in the infamous Night of Tears, much is lost to history of what happened later."
To him it was just another staple of this strange world, many things had happened, but there were scarcely written, or left oral legends of what had happened and judging that this place was largely untouched, only suffering from the vagaries of time by the ancient elf's estimation and while the mages would get these answers on their own, the green eyed elf never had been a scholar, he had been always more interested in the practicalities of the knowledge he received. Another thing that made him think a bit about this assignment was that despite the spacious hall and the rest of the ruins was that there were scarcely any manual or summoned laborers the College used outside.
"Now that we are standing in what I believe was the Grand Hall of the Atmoran Tower" with a twinkle in his eyes the Nord gestured at the pickaxes, shovels, carts and brushes laying against the many crates lining the clearest hall "This is an exciting opportunity to study such an early civilization and immerse ourselves in one of the most important parts of a mages life- field research."
Behind him, the sorcerer could hear the some of the apprentices groaning at the prospects of manual labour, but instead of dragging out the uncomfortable silence, Toldfir quickly sought to calm the distressed weaklings.
"Your instructors should be here and with that the lessons shall begin. If there aren't any questions, we'll begin our first lecture on Atmorans and what we know of their magic while excavating the artifacts that have been left here."
Unanimously the response was complete and utter silence towards the lector, who took in stride and for a brief moment his eyes met Malekith's and he was ready to begin, but Nirya spoke up.
"I know that Malekith is a talented mage, but has little experience with these matters, no offense"
"Hmm, archaeology has never been exactly my passion, but you are not wrong" he turned his head to look at the yellow eyed blonde, who flashed him a nervous smile, that was little too wide and little too quick to vanish.
"Nirya, I appreciate you taking such initiative, but you are not very experienced in these matters yourself, if I recall correctly" Toldfir scratched his chin and it seemed that Malekith was not the only one who was aware of her ulterior motives, which was good.
"Not for lack of trying" she spoke smoothly "I assisted Lector Turrianus in his excavation in Reachmen ruins and afterwards really did not have the option to venture out more due to my responsibilities…"
"Is this alright with you, young man?"
"I see no reason to refuse such helpful colleagues" The King of Elves shrugged carelessly, knowing that Nirya would not relent so easily. Such vigorously made plans should not be insulted and ruined so easily.
"Alright then" Toldfir once more sent him a subtle questioning look before continuing "Nirya with her group and Malekith will help Arniel Gane in cataloguing our finds. You'll find him at the very end of the tunnel behind me. Now scram!" With a good-natured smile, he sent them off and Malekith knew that it would be soon before the Altmer female would unveil her plan.
However, it would not be just yet. They would wait until they were deeper into the ruins.
Behind them the statuesque Elf could her Toldfir start ordering the remaining students to their places as the six ventured deeper into the dead city. At the end of the tunnel that still had remnants of small cobwebs and dirt on the floor there were three balls of light floating high above a wooden table over which a balding human male in enchanter's robes was pouring over a catalogue, intently scribbling down details in another, much smaller journal.
"Ehem" the sorcerer coughed, and it was interesting to see the man exhibit almost elven grace in jumping up from his object of interest to see the group of mages in College robes.
"By Magnus" he exclaimed "Don't scare me like that!"
"You must be Arniel Gane" Malekith began the introduction "Toldfir sent us to help you with cataloguing the items"
"Oh, he did?" the researcher scratched his head and looked at his open journal "Fine, just don't mess with my work, we just collapsed a wall that revealed an almost untouched section of chambers that presumably belonged to their storeroom, so please explore and bring me anything that looks vaguely magical in nature"
"And where exactly would this chamber be?" Nirya raised an eyebrown and the researcher just absentmindedly pointed towards a glow of torches on his right.
"Thank you," the sorceress grumbled and stormed past Malekith, her cronies following suit in the direction Gane had pointed them to. The Witch King did not tarry, but he did prepare two spells in his hands as he strolled forward.
The Altmer woman's minions were at the very least greedy as the sorcerer saw one of them stuff pouches of gold into his pockets while another of them was eyeing the amethyst gems the size of a chicken egg with a glint in her eyes. Strolling past them, he looked to see if there was anything these thugs had missed in their petty robbery and lightly shook his head as he saw Nirya gaze in what appeared to be an old mirror and correcting her lightly unmade hair. In the distance he felt his magic reach out to what appeared to be just a wall far ahead of him. Turning on his heel and following the trail Malekith did not care that Nirya had caught onto this and beckoned her followers to follow immediately. At the very least she did not overtly call on them, which would have possibly annoyed him enough to incinerate them on the spot.
On the wall at the dead end he saw an amulet lodged into what seemed like a sealed alcove, decidedly newer than the rest of the tomb.
As the former Prince plucked the trinket from the wall, he heard the metal screaming against stone, following by a terrified shout of "WE ARE TRAPPED HERE! HELP!''
Malekith could hear Toldfir's voice consoling the terrified novice, but his attention was focused to the wall in front of him. The amulet in his hand seemed to glow and dangle a bit in the direction of it's pedestal.
"So, what is this fine mess you got us into?" Nirya leaned beside him, but the King of Druchii ignored her attempt at small talk and rested his hand against the wall. It wanted something to be done, he could almost feel magic in the stone trying to mingle with his own. He had an idea, however.
"Nirya, do you know a projectile destruction spell?" he asked innocently as he retracted his hand.
"Why yes" She answered, "Why do you ask though?"
"Because this wall is enchanted to break apart by a projectile spell" he lied smoothly "though my proficiency with destruction spells are quite lacking"
"Well…if you say so" she shrugged, clearly not deceived and to prove her stupidity, gathered the magicka in her palm and unleashed a frozen icicle that impacted the wall and shattered it in dust and hundreds of brittle pieces, making him wonder if he could have just smashed through it by brute force. To his knowledge Ice spear couldn't have done that, but the amulet in his hand ceased glowing, being rendered inert as its probable purpose was achieved.
"Shall we?" Malekith asked the Altmer, who huffed and entered the newly revealed tunnel. With Nirya disappearing into the darkness, the ebony haired elf smiled maliciously with his eyes shining in the darkness as he followed the chit into the dark.
They stopped as they encountered another dead end, with sarcophagi lining the four sides of the chamber, with an iron altar in the middle. Behind them the Son of Aenarion heard footsteps and the insipid comments of the novices as Toldfir herded them towards their location. This couldn't be it, could it?
Such a magical seal and secrecy for just another simplistic chamber? To the ancient sorcerer this was unacceptable, but perhaps the old Nord had more tricks up his sleeve and could validate his doubts. Crossing his arms, the wizard waited as the five mages poured into the room, hands alight with spells ready to be cast.
However, after seeing the two safe and sound the Alteration lector dispelled the spells he had prepared and so did the two girls, but Nirya's male followers remained on high alert. It was hardly a surprise why, but were they so stupid to think that this cheap trick would work?
"This an amazing find!" Toldfir clapped on Malekith's shoulder as he surveyed the chamber "I think not even fifteen minutes have passed! Maybe we'll have this place mapped out by noon with you six!"
"It was just luck-" the Elven Prince began, but then the magical aura in the room changed.
Immediately Malekith was on high alert, the invocation of Fiery Convocation on his lips as his vision turned azure, dust in the air stilled and his fellow mages of the College froze still. The Witch King had experienced many wondrous and horrific powers of magic, but only the shrine of Iron Circlet and the first time he wore it could compare to the awe and terror that he felt. It was ludicrous, he thought as he materialized the Sword of Order in his right hand, while the left was prepared to unmake whoever deigned to reveal themselves to the warlord.
The ability to control time, the sorcerer in him was salivating at the power and how it could be used in clandestine operations and warfare. With it even most prodigious legends would fall before the might of Druchii.
"Hold, Outsider and listen well…" the space before him shimmered and folded onto itself, allowing a mage in robes appear before him. He recognized the person as one of the Altmer and begrudgingly admitted that this power dwarfed even his, currently.
"Know that you have set in motion events that cannot be stopped" he spoke and Malekith snorted
"It would not be the first time" he shook his head morosely, thinking of a lifetime of wrongs.
"Regardless" it seemed that his visitor had been caught off-guard "Judgement has not been passed, because of your lack of knowledge, but it will be based on your actions in the future and how you will deal with the dangers ahead."
"Are you sworn to forever speak in riddles mage?" the Witch King sneered and to his surprise the mage chuckled.
"Sadly, Outsider this is all you are privy to, but take heed" the powerful mage continued at ease as Malekith toyed with the idea of simply casting a geas onto this very cryptic visitor "We are entrusting this to you, because the Psyjiic Order sees your future as beneficial to all of Tamriel"
"Take great care. We believe in you."
"I-" the Son of Aenarion began, alas the space had folded itself again and the flow of time had resumed.
"Khaine damn it" the King of Druchii grumbled as the rest uncovered from what had transpired before their eyes.
"I-I felt that something strange happened just now" Toldfir rubbed his forehead as he blinked multiple times "What was that?"
"I believe a mage from Psyjiic order-"
"What did those traitors want?!" Nirya scowled and the taller elf raised an eyebrow at this revelation. It seemed that they weren't friendly with the Thalmor.
"The mage informed me that the College should take great heed in exploring these halls" Malekith shrugged before turning to the old man.
"What exactly is the Psyjiic Order, would you mind explaining?" Malekith asked Toldfir, who scratched his head in embarrassment.
"I really don't know much" the Nord began "They are supposedly the oldest mage order in all of Tamriel, but very secretive. They vanished after the Oblivion Crisis, it's most-"
However, he could not finish his sentence as the caskets burst open and four shambling undead filled the room. They reminded the black-haired elf of the dried mummies of Nehekara, but instead of their desert garb and bandages, these creatures with their glowing icy eyes were clad in rotten furs and rusted steel.
Yet they possessed considerable speed as their axes sought the nearest mageling. Lucky for him, the boy fell backwards and lit the creature ablaze, allowing Malekith to strike with impunity and cleave it's head clean off.
The stench of urine filled the air and the elf clicked his tongue with disappointment as he sprung forth over the altar, intercepting a strike meant for Nirya, whose ward seemed to shatter at any moment. With a precise strike, the millennia old Elf cleaved the draugr from shoulder to hip, letting the two halves hit the floor.
"T-thank you" Nirya breathed with relief as she dispelled her ward as the sound of fighting waned. Both elves turned to see what had happened and to acknowledge the old man's talent, two statues of steel in the likeness of the undead stood frozen. While it was not gold, like the wizards of Chamon preferred, it remained one of the more frightening spells that did not belong to Dark Magic.
"It seems that they desperately wanted to protect this entryway" the Alteration master wizard pointed towards a pathway that had been revealed to them by the lousy ambush.
"Malekith" the wizard addressed the green-eyed elf "I trust that you will protect Nirya and the Novices. Please feel free to explore further as I need to tell Arniel to take over the lessons for the rest of the students" the wizard wiggled his finger at Malekith " but don't think you can explore the entirety of this place by yourselves, I'll be along with you shortly. Is that clear?"
"Crystal. You can count on us!" it was Nirya who answered it with a beaming smile, but that faltered when the warmth in Toldfir's eyes vanished and he simply left, which seemed to upset the Altmer greatly.
This left the Witch King alone with five mages who weren't exactly fond of him.
Instead of waiting on them, Malekith merely proceeded onward into the tunnel. Further was another entryway barred with spikes and a lever. However, now the sorcerer had little patience in waiting on Nirya or any other mage to trigger the mechanism for him as he grasped the handle in his mind and it was pulled, opening the gate. Once he was inside the circular room, he observed that it was once again lined with sarcophagi on the walls, while the door were barred in front of him. Behind the Son of Aenarion a haughty laugh could be heard as the door was sealed shut behind him.
"I'm afraid here is where our friendship ends" Nirya sneered behind the iron bars as the four novices stood before him, their hands alight with magic.
"You really should have let me have a taste" the Altmer complained "Would it have really been too hard for you to have the best night of your life?"
The mocking laughter of the Witch King shocked her "Your beauty is nothing compared to the thousands of women that have sated my appetites"
"Were you one of mine concubines your use would be entertaining the lowest of guests" he sneered "Be honoured that I did not snap your neck then and there"
"W-whatever" Nirya tried to recover her seductive façade "What a horrid man you are. My friends are right to defend my honour that you besmirched with your violence"
"So you will send these four to their doom?" Malekith raised an eyebrow at the four novices who stood resolute.
"We'll send you to yours, you monster" spoke one of the girls and the towering elf allowed himself a bloodthirsty grin.
"Nirya" he addressed the Altmer "Do stay and watch"
Faster than eye could see, the leftmost novice was without a head as the dark-haired elf wiped the blood on his white blade in her robes, pitilessly gazing at his would-be assassins.
"Gea-" the stout boy cried out in terror, but he was flung into the leftmost wall without a touch, shattering the sarcophagi and with his body crushing the undead in it, remaining only a crimson smear on the ruined clutter.
Nirya, with unsurpassable terror realized that she could not move, only watch as Malekith revelled in this one-sided massacre. However, his aggression had a side effect. The sleeping Draugr had been awakened by the festivities of violence and they wished to partake in them. Who was Malekith to deny them?!
His bound spectator watched in fear as he descended upon the undead warriors, wasting not a single moment to maim and brutalize. It gave untold pleasure to Malekith to know that the arrogant woman stood there paralyzed as her followers begged her to open the gate and let them escape, only to realize that it was hopeless. Before Nirya's eyes her both remaining thralls were turned to fine ash as the Witch King uttered the words for the Fiery Convocation.
Like an artist with a blade, the King of Druchii beheaded a Draugr, before blocking and overhead strike from a greataxe, which he returned with a vicious kick that sent the offender crashing into his fellows, just in time for the emerald eyed elf to strike an arrow with the white sword as the mummified archer exploded into another pile of ashes, while the wizard continued to hack and hack at the Draugr until his cloak and robes were covered in dust and ashes.
The room felt silent as Nirya like a puppet on a string opened the door and stepped inside the chamber.
"Your subtlety seems lacking" the pitiless sorcerer released her from his power, and she fell to her knees, scraping her hands and sobbing like a child.
"What kind monster are you?!" she cried, letting tears fall like waterfall as she refused to look at her dead minions "How could you so casually kill them?!"
"Like swatting a fly" Malekith chuckled and knelt before her, dispelling his sword "Tell me what was in your foolish head when you decided that your four novices could match a wizard who could match a Dremora Valkynaz in melee?"
"Fuck you!" she spat, and her hand crackled with lightning as she tried to punch the other elf in the face, alas he caught her by the wrist and easily broke it, with distaste he let her go as he saw the blood on his hand.
"Perhaps when I will be greatly bored" he said calmly over her howls of pain and kicked her towards the sealed door that would lead them deeper into the temple.
"If you think that I will suffer any repercussions, then you are greatly mistaken" once more Nirya could not move at all, but only miserably stare as once again her body had become a puppet for wizard's foul will.
"I can control you like a fine-tuned instrument" he lectured the woman like a child, sighing as the golden light healed the broken wrist and the probable internal bleeding his kick had caused. Unable to control herself, Nirya walked right into his arms. Once more she found herself in a position where the evil and unnaturally beautiful wizard was grasping her by the neck and this time, he was certain that there was no arousal.
"However, I am not unreasonable. If I were not then you would have joined them" with his free hand, the sorcerer whispered in her ear as his free hand travelled downwards "You have proven your proclivity for cruelty and scheming. Such talents coupled with a talent in magic cannot go to waste."
Now he knew that he had her full attention.
"Obey and only thing in Tamriel that you will have to worry about will be failing me" his fingers brushed against her and she breathed heavily as he released her from his power.
"Do you understand Nirya?" he cupped her cheek and brushed away a tear with his thumb.
"Y-yes" she stuttered, clearly terrified.
"Good" he patted her cheek enjoying how she flinched, before pulling away his other hand, which was quite…warm.
"Your first task" he addressed the blonde Altmer as he calmly proceeded to the lever "Will be explaining to Toldfir how your minions perished"
She nodded shakily as the iron bars descended into the ground, walking towards the other lever. With a slow creak the door opened and dust that was gathered in the cracks fell down onto the floor allowing them to proceed deeper into the tomb complex.
"After you, my dear Nirya" the wizard leered and gently pushed the fellow apprentice deeper into darkness of the tunnel, leaving behind the corpses of the fools who had to try and kill him. Had they possessed any talent in magic, the Witch King would have used them as he had Nirya. But all of them had been lacking, so it was only reasonable to cull them, lest he would be burned by a baggage that would considerably slow him down.
After the next three undead, Malekith had grown already tired of the creatures in the tomb and with contemptible ease reduced them to smears on the walls, gibbets, or hot ash if his patience ran exceedingly low. His little Altmer doll was in front of him, constantly whimpering at his casual displays of magic. Their progress wasn't even stopped by two inane puzzles meant for children as the wizard liquefied the steel before the terrified woman's eyes and stepped through the obstacle. There had been moments when the blonde had almost stepped on a cunningly disguised pressure plate, had he not pulled her back as they avoided it.
Only thing that he found moderately interesting was the rune traps that had been oddly placed on the ground in some corners. Almost undetectable to those not gifted with magic, these traps could prove particularly nasty against cavalry charges or just any plain intruders and what was even more curious that these spells could distinguish an ally from foe, which was evident as an ornately dressed Draugr casually strolled through a corridor full of them only succumbing to it's magic, when the mage had thrown a small fireball it's way.
"Hold on you two! Hold on!" the former Prince of Naggarythe could hear Toldfir in the distance as they descended another small flight of stairs. Already the sorcerer noticed that there was another pressure plate in front of them.
"You certainly took your time" the male elf greeted his teacher good naturedly "Sadly there was nothing that could've been done for those four"
"Indeed, what a tragedy" the aged mage sighed "what happened there to cause such mayhem?"
"It was a Draugr" Nirya lied "It-It shouted them apart, gods! Malekith only barely killed it!"
"Huh, a Deathlord, you say?!" Toldfir looked pensive and quite worried "I never expected this to happen here, but best be prepared. If you see something like that again, run and don't look back!"
"What exactly is this…shouting…?" Malekith asked as while some had attempted this, the warrior had not granted them the opportunity to do so.
"It's an old almost extinct art of magic unique to the Nords and Atmorans that inhabited Skyrim in the Merethic Era" the Alteration mage explained "Very potent, but often too time consuming for mages to attempt it. There are books I can show you if you'd like, but first we have to finish exploring and then take care of those poor dead students"
"Indeed" the green-eyed man agreed morosely "Let us proceed and not waste any more time!"
Together the trio descended deeper into the tomb. Proceeding to draw nearer there was the undoubtedly saturation of magic in the air, the sorcerer felt intoxication of the raw power and narrowed his eyes as undoubtedly a challenge awaited them down there. For there was no way in Warp that he would be able just to take whatever lied in wait deeper in Saarthal.
Sparing a look at Nirya and Toldfir, both were apprehensive with what they felt was down there, and he could not blame them. The Blonde Elf clung to his arm and this time Malekith allowed it for she had just validated his initial decision to spare her life. Still the warrior conjured the Sword of Order, for as Toldfir had said that there were more powerful foes that could be encountered downstairs.
With slow steps they descended to an entryway, where the trio were bathed in hue of arcane blue as something that radiated pure unadulterated magicka floated in the centre of the room, stabilized by the bindings on the floor. Upon closer inspection as the mages came upon the alcove, the object was an orb of wrought black metal and crystal. From the distance the Witch King could see foreign glyphs etched into surface that seemed to pulse with the beat of a heart. Such an amazing sight, the Elven Prince thought and steeled himself from following the siren song of the artefact as his eyes gazed down on the presumable guardian of the Orb. His eyes met the empty sockets of the armoured corpse and to his expectation the undead awoke, eyes glowing ethereal blue.
"Must there always be a guardian?!" Toldfir exclaimed with annoyance that Malekith had heard for the first time in the Nord mage.
However, what surprised him was that the ethereal aura that enveloped the creature as it pulled out his axe and stared at them.
"Dir Sahlo Joore" the being snarled in his raspy voice and behind him two shimmering portals opened, as black skeletons poured out of it, armed to the teeth with weapons crafted of bone.
"Take cover!" Malekith shouted as he willingly bent the once pure Qhaysh into True Dhar, ignoring how the magicka around him fluctuated and cried out in disharmony as the sorcerer gathered the black flames in his free hands and unleashed a destructive wave of energy towards the summoned creatures and with grim satisfaction awaited to see his foes perish. Yet this satisfaction turned to rage as the glowing undead seemed to be unharmed even though as it's minion had perished by the Doomfire.
"Nothing seems to work! Nirya, help me!" the Nord called, coalescing the magicka in his palms and guiding the beam of sorcery towards the orb. The undead seemed not to be willing to allow this as he stalked towards them, hand raised to doom the unwary casters. However, he had to contend with the swordsman first. Like a tempest of magic and steel, the son of Aenarion intercepted the Draugr and kicked it down the ascending stairs. The foolish move seemed to have paid off as it fell down and slowly raised itself up, but the elven swordsman could not allow that as the creature still was invincible to any damage he could dish out.
Without hesitation he continued to trade blows even if it did nothing. The opponent was far skilled than the rest of dead that he had encountered in this tomb, but still paled to the might of his summoned dremora who was a grand help in regaining his prowess with the blade and the nimbleness that came without being encased in the Armour of Midnight.
"FUS" came the shout and Malekith was sent crashing into the wooden stairs with a cry of surprise. So this was what Toldfir had warned him of, the Elf sneered hatefully as his injured flesh knit itself together before the enemy could capitalize on this short victory.
"Two can play this game, you corpse"
"Hi Fen Kos, Joore" the Draugr snarled, but like a ragdoll was flung into the ceiling, much to the dark satisfaction of the sorcerer, who was very much aware that this did not harm the creature significantly.
"Malekith keep him busy for a while!" Toldfir shouted behind him as the undead seemed to have changed course as it ran towards the channelling mages.
"Cease your fruitless attempts!" the black-haired elf snarled and with magicka pulled the ancient warrior down the stairs, towards him, fully intent of keeping it there and preventing it from any shouting. Such power was terrifying to behold and herein Malekith declared that he was held the sole rights of doling it out.
"We got him sir!" Nirya cheered as the azure glow vanished from the wight and a malicious smile graced the Witch King's features.
"Hit him now!" Toldfir called as the magicka cracked around them, threatening to deafen Malekith who could finally deal with the previously invincible foe.
"I hope you will enjoy this as much as will I" he sneered and flexed his hand as the black flames slowly consumed the guardian of the artefact before them. In the blue green light of the chamber, slowly the Draugr's skin, muscles and bone were licked clean by the accursed flames and it's screams echoed through the chamber as it perished before their very eyes. Only thing that remained of it was a necklace, dirtied by soot that stuck out from the pile of ashes. While Toldfir approached the orb and Nirya apprehensively waited for Malekith's next actions, the elf pulled the small trinket from the pile of ashes, sensing a powerful enchantment on it that seemed to change…enhance his spellcasting abilities and such artifacts were quite rare by his estimation.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Toldfir questioned loudly as he gazed at the object in front of them, no doubt the Psijiic Order had meant this when the time stopping mage had shattered the Witch King's belief of superiority.
"Yes, we are, but what exactly is that?" the Altmer woman pointed at the otherworldly object and the warlord silently was asking the very same question.
"I have no idea, but Archmage Aren needs immediately to be informed of this find!" the mage prattled on with unhidden excitement "He needs to see this by his own eyes!"
"It means that we must make our way back to the College?" green eyes looked at the orb, silently wondering just what purpose it could have served.
"That's right my boy, you will need to inform the Archmage, while Nirya will need to tell Mirabelle to already arrange the funerals"
"As you wish, Nirya, let us not waste any time" the elf found another door and vanished through it, cloak billowing behind him as the blonde woman chased after him.
Malekith came upon a strangely secluded chamber with a display in the shape of half moon. Cuneiform markings that looked as if made by giant claws indented the wall, their meaning obscure to the sharp eared elves. Yet like the orb before, it beckoned the green-eyed one, who saw a symbol in the middle glowing, coming closer there was a chest revealed to them, which masked with moss that strangely grew here in weak sunlight, but the Witch King did not question the absurdities of this world and allowed his terrified servant to have the spoils as the structure beckoned him ever closer. Like wisps of wind, the tendrils of energy seemed to be sucked in his vision, suddenly his vision vanished and before his very eyes flashed
The
Word
"IIZ"
The son of Aenarion blinked and the mysterious feeling was gone, along with the energy, yet inside himself, the sorcerer felt that no longer cold bit him so as if he…knew more about Ice than he ever had or had wanted… Yet the wizard could not recall what exactly. He clutched his head with his free hand and turned to his companion, who held out a rather well-maintained tower shield that was rather similar in nature to the metals the ancient peoples of Tamriel had used in Skyrim.
"You're alright?" she asked "I also found some pittance of Atmoran Drakhs and a gold necklace, but this may be the most valuable thing in this chest"
"The day is full of surprises" the black-haired wizard grumbled "If you are willing to bring it with yourself, then sure, if not, we have no use for it."
"If you say so, sir" she nodded and let the armament rest against the chest as she pocketed the goods.
"I was a Prince before I returned to Nirn" he spoke cryptically, but before the woman could ask an inane question, the swordsman clarified "I was an Ayleid Princeling, before we were betrayed by servants of Molag Bal and cast into Coldharbour"
"I see" Thankfully their conversation ended there as the both elves retraced their steps through the tomb until they looked upon the setting sun. Nirya had not exhibited any emotion in seeing the corpses covered in linen sheets and this pleased the ancient elf for she was indeed learning that moving beyond the past was instrumental should she expect to last in his employ.
Noting on their map, the Shrine of Azura was not far and with it, the small valley that would turn onto the main road to Winterhold. Along with them came a fire atronach, summoned by his fledging minion and it suited them quite well to deal with any overly ambitious wildlife, leaving Malekith and Nirya to iron out their relationship.
"What is my role in your plans, exactly?" she asked as wind blew in her hair as they trod through the snow.
"A retainer with some potential to one day be a considerable force in both magic and court" her master, the domineering monster answered, not looking her in the eye as they moved "However, you must obey me without a thought of questioning my orders"
"I never knew that I was a slave" she grumbled, but the male just laughed and shook his head "Then your slavery will exceed the power and freedom of most beings on Tamriel"
The son of Aenarion currently had no plans for any sorts of conquest, but until he found a way off Tamriel, he would need funds and manpower to ensure that his needs were met. This meant that he needed to be very proactive in the future, should he wished to recover some semblance of his former status in this world. Deep in thought of what the future could bring, the sorcerer was distracted and did not hear the flap of wings in the crimson sky, only warning that he heard was the animalistic roar, before a shadow descended from the sky.
"Nirya to me!" he called and tackled the woman in the cold snow before she could react in an impressive feat of speed, just as a large gout of flame passed above their heads and his cloak catching flame. Both suddenly glowed green as the glowing illusion of mail covered their bodues and Nirya was surrounded by a shimmering shield from all sides, yet she could not move. Banging on the barrier, the Altmer could only watch helplessly as Malekith conjured a violet portal before him as he threw the burning cloak on the ground before him.
A large creature, similar to a crocodile stepped forth from its depths and released a bellowing roar towards it's summoner. With malice in his eyes, the Daedroth's will belonged to the sorcerer who wasted no time and muttered in Drukh Eltharin a word of pain and above them another roar could be heard, and the ambusher revealed itself clearly.
Two wings stretched in front of the sun, while a spiked tail flailed like a snake and two reptilian eyes bore into the sorcerer's soul, the intelligence behind them was unmistakable. As well as the inhuman fury as its maw opened and once more the King of Druchii was reminded why dragons were universally respected and avoided unless one had the will to dominate them.
"YOR TOL SHUUL"
Once more Malekith was forced to dodge and drawing upon Qhaysh bolstered his already amplified defences and reflexes, slowing the time for a halt. The orange flames barrelled towards him, but the wizard was undeterred.
Chanting a the spell of wind, a tempest was manifest, dispelling the flames and hitting the dragon, who instead of falling down due to disorientation gracefully landed in snow across him.
"Hi Yah Dinook, Joore" it snarled and rushed forwards his fangs and teeth, fully intent on eating the offending mage whole, but Malekith had no such intention and the summoned Daedroth thought likewise as it jumped into the fray, it's razor-sharp claws ready rend flesh. Yet sadly the Daedric creature was outmatched as the Dragon snapped it's jaw around it's arm and with immeasurable force threw the beast high up into the sky and it was enough for Malekith so attempt to get close enough to land a decisive blow.
He flanked the giant reptile from his right and raised the bound blade high in the sky and swung it downwards, ready to destroy the assailant.
However, the moment the crystalline blade touched it's scales, the blade vanished in from his hands in a shower of sparks, leaving the wizard defenceless before the dragon.
Cursing loudly, the wizard sprung back and raised a silvery shield of Saphery that seemed to hold the gout of flames as he called upon his fury and let loose a mighty bolt of pure white at the beast.
The shield shattered and Malekith laughed madly as his spell of wards held out just as his own spell had connected, making the beast cry out in agony as it was rendered blind in one eye and scales had burned away from it's face.
Now the Dragon was rampaging and more attacks were of simple and bestial nature. Dodging the swipes of wing-claws and tails, the Witch King drew his might from the magic that flew freely in the world and raised himself into the air, ready to rain more destruction on the reptile, but he had forgotten one crucial aspect of the battle.
There was another combatant on the field.
The draconian eyes settled on terrified Nirya and much faster than one would expect the creature charged. Cold fury overtook the former Prince of Naggarythe as he charged, seeking to stave off Nirya's end as minion or not, she was his, damn it! With wide eyes the Altmer woman felt the shield vanish and ran as fast as she could, even attempting to bolster her own speed with raw magicka, just to escape the beast as Malekith tried to reach her.
Behind her she could hear the roaring and snow between it's claws as it drew nearer and she could do naught, but scream as adrenaline burned in her veins and desperatedly she sought to flee her doom.
Unfortunately for her, the shadow was upon her and she could expect the claws of it's wings pinning her down in the snow and then devouring her, but there was only silence and a whine.
"Run! You foolish woman, flee!" Malekith roared his orders as he grunted when the dragon's sword-like teeth pierced his shoulder. The blood dripped onto the snow, but this was not over just yet.
Deep rumbling laughter came from the dragon who enjoyed the look of pain of the mortal's face. Slowly and steadily it increased the pressure on the shoulder, feeling the bones crunch and the Elf roar with pain. Now it only wanted to eat the formidable upstart and then later feast upon the female he had tried to save.
"Let him go!'' the foolish woman tried to intervene, but the dragon merely swatted her aside with the sharp claw on its wing. He saw her body skid across the snow, leaving crimson patches in the snow. Only today he had acquired her and such a loss was unacceptable with all the death and carnage that he had wrought to coerce her to follow him with her own free will.
"Joor" the dragon mocked his prey through clenched teeth "Koraav Fin Suleyk Do Dov!"
"You base beast" the Witch King sneered "You thought that I would fall so easily?!"
With all of his might, the Elf unleashed his rage and pain through the corrupted Dhar he had been amassing during the skirmish within the beast and let the dark bolt of flames straight into the Dragon's throat, searing the insides and melting anything that was in the way. Despairing and full of rage, the Dov tried to snap his killer in half with his teeth, but found that it's bite could not physically crush the shimmering energy of the sorcerer's spell that held the incisors in place.
"Be honoured that you managed to wound me so" the Elf ground out as the Dragon's life force left it's body. As before some sort of power was drawn to him, but instead of the blue tendrils that had come from the monument, these ones were of gold and silver and that terrified the dying beast.
"DOVAHKIIN?! This cannot be!" it bellowed in it's dying throes as the flesh slowly turned to embers, parting from its very bones as the Dragon's skeleton spasmed until there was nothing, but bleached bone that felt warm to touch. The beasts of this world were quite strange, when
Malekith grunted as the strange power was absorbed by his very being, struggling to stand on his feet as he pried open the jaw of the slain dragon and with an impressive cry of pain the elfin Prince janked the bone out of his shoulder, immediately focusing whatever magic he could muster to close the gaping wounds. Even though they healed, the dark-haired elf saw Nirya's body lying farther in the snow.
Slowly the once proud King of Elves limped towards the Altmer's body, but then collapsed on his knees in the snow as his head felt as it was held between thumbscrews and ready to burst from the pressure. Visions of Ice and cold clouded his eyes and then the Witch King understood what he had seen on the wall, back in Saarthal. All living things had dreaded cold and yet cold they would become with death claiming dominion over them in the end. The power to turn his enemies to ice was a chilling thought indeed and now it was just another arsenal in the Elf sorcerer's employ to destroy his enemies.
In front of him he could see his minion breathing, her chest heaving and falling with shallow breaths as blood ran down her nose and crimson stained her already dust addled robes. He tried to cast a spell of healing but found his own wounds worsening. Struggling to stand up, the son of Aenarion pulled a flask from his robes and emptied its contents on the other elf and to his discomfort, her condition did not improve much. As he knelt down, to lift her up, he felt her body grow colder as he shivered himself without a source of warmth nearby. Inwardly, the sorcerer kicked himself for only learning to summon unbound daedra for whatever inane reason he had refused to learn summoning atronaches in favour for more sentient ones. Because of this arrogance perhaps this would be then for both of them, he thought cynically as the statue of Azura loomed nearby.
Perhaps if he could make his way and bargain with the Daedric Prince then they would be saved or at the very least his own life. Lifting up the woman by his undamaged arm, the King of Druchii winced as he heaved her unconscious body over his shoulder and begun his long trek.
His eyes blinked.
Malekith saw the statue much closer, his heavy breath exhaling white mist as his feet struggled to listen to him and his shoulder ached from the woman's weight despite his spells cast to lighten her weight.
He blinked again.
It was hard to move, his feet only dragged and without his thick cloak even he was almost overcome with the freezing cold.
His eyes unwillingly closed.
The Witch King fell to his knees, exhaustion and cold looming victorious over him. With the last of his strength he gently laid down Nirya's body and cast with the last of his strength a spell of warming around them that already was waning. She looked peaceful in her slumber. Such a waste.
"DOV AH KIIN" the skies rumbled, and his vision darkened.
"Worry not foreign one" the air smelled of roses "Your solace dwells within the twilight"
Then Malekith of Naggarond felt warmth and there was darkness.
A.N: Sorry it took me so long to write this, I was deployed on the 3rd of July and returned at the 27th and after that there was little bit of a writer's block. I liked it there, but the professional army isn't for me, that's for sure. Hopefully you'll like the chapter. Leave a review and have a nice day!
-Spook