Manis held a hand to his side as he tried to suppress the pain, pulling himself together to finally enter New Sheoth. The creatures the young Breton had encountered along his trip through Dementia were not to be taken lightly, and perhaps it was more than foolish of him to enter this realm despite every warning he had received at the portal towards the Shivering Isles. And yet, that voice still beckoned him to enter this realm, gifting him with a blessing…
But after having encountered multiple monsters along his way through the dark side of the land, the continued fighting had still taken its toll on him and he could slowly feel his awareness slipping away. The pain simply became too much to bear, and yet, he was so close to his destination...
Darkness began to fill his vision before he finally succumbed to his injuries, the last thing he could hear being a pair of steps approaching him, and he couldn't find the strength anymore to defend himself as he fainted.
However, unbeknownst to him, he would soon learn to be grateful for the being that regarded him with concern.
He awoke to a strange feeling on his side before he slowly opened his eyes, noticing now that he was seated on a chair within a small room. However, he also witnessed that he was not alone as a figure in front of him casted a spell onto his injuries. He blinked his eyes multiple times to see more clearly, uncertainty still filling his mind upon realizing that he didn't know where he was.
And yet, as his vision slowly returned to normal again, the being noticed that he had become conscious once more, causing it to halt in its motion.
"I see you have recovered. You are lucky to have succumbed near New Sheoth, otherwise you would have experienced a worse fate.", Manis blinked again at the strange voice that spoke to him, but after a short moment, he realized just whom he was talking to. In front of him stood a dark skinned female clad in short black armor along with a corresponding helmet, her eyes a light shade of blue. It was a Daedra.
The Dark Seducer in question merely narrowed her eyes slightly as he seemingly stared into nothingness for a moment, choosing to break the silence once more.
"Regardless, you should be more careful. Unlike the Aureals, the Mazken look after their citizens more carefully. Now that you have recovered you should be on your way, I must return to my post.", not wanting to waste her time in any way, he nodded in gratitude before he carefully got up from the chair.
"Thank you…", her expression remained indifferent, and despite everything, he could see the slight annoyance within her eyes. He didn't know much about the Aureals, and he had only briefly encountered a patrol of Dark Seducers along his way, but they seemed to be guarding Sheogorath's realm. Needless to say, both factions were not overly fond of mortals, even though the Mazken at least made an effort to appear friendly.
And yet, the fact that one of them even made the effort to bring him to safety was… he couldn't even begin to express his thankfulness for that.
"Walk with our Lord.", she left him to his own thoughts as she took her leave, resuming her patrol route once again. Lifting his hand to feel for his injury on the side, he found that there was no longer any indication of it, having completely healed.
He didn't consider running an errand for the Mad God to be something that he should be irritated about, but as he stood within the confines of Cylarne, the multiple stares he received from the Dark Seducers stationed at the fort didn't make him feel assured in the slightest. And they were not trying to hide it in any way, if the Mazken that stopped him on his way were any indication.
"State your business. A mortal to walk these sacred halls, a male no less, is beyond forbidden."
"I am here on request of-", his words were interrupted when another Mazken suddenly approached them from behind, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes.
"He is here by request of our Lord to retrieve the flame of Agnon. He shall be permitted entry.", the former Mazken didn't argue and seemed to regard Manis in a new light, even though the slight disdain remained. Once she took her leave, he looked back at the Mazken that stepped up for him, and yet, before he could say anything else, she took the initiative.
"I am surprised to see that we meet again, here out of all places. It seems that I was mistaken about you being a mere citizen.", realization lit up in his eyes once he recognized that she was the same one he had encountered before, only now noticing that her helmet was different from those of the other Mazken. It was embedded with several green stones at the front, indicating that she was of higher rank.
"Sheogorath has tasked me to help you ignite the flame first, how can I assist you in that?", she seemed to hesitate for a moment as she regarded him deep in thought.
"Then you can help us by repelling the Aureals from this place, my scouts report that they will launch an attack on us soon.", unbeknownst to him, he didn't realize that she was intent to see how much he was willing to fight for them, hence why she refrained herself from treating him like the rest of the Mazken. A small test, one that would show whether or not she should regret her decision of saving him at the outskirts of New Sheoth.
…
Victory was theirs. A smug smile of satisfaction had graced the Seducer's lips as she watched the remaining Aureals flee out of their sanctum, however, it was quick to dissolve once she witnessed the injuries her mortal help had sustained. She had been wrong to judge him as she did, to use this battle as a means to test him how much he would be willing to sacrifice for them…
… he had fought as hard as he could at her request, almost throwing himself between any of her soldiers that were threatened by the Aureals. Completely uncaring of his own safety… and his injuries were proof of that. And still, after everything he had done for them, she witnessed that the Mazken under her control were still looking at him with nothing but disdain, as if he were still worth nothing more than dirt.
And even though she did not realize it within that moment, something had changed within her at this very moment. And it reflected upon her actions as she gently knelt down beside the mortal, choosing to ignore his look of surprise and wonder as she silently held a hand over his injuries, channeling her healing magic to soothe him from all the pain that was written upon his expression. Just as her magic did all of the work, a mere whisper escaped her lips, and her dark eyes shifted to gaze into his own.
"Thank you… for what you have done..."
Manis did not know when exactly it started, or how, but over the course of the following days, his path seemed to cross more and more with that of the Dark Seducer captain that he had come to know bit by bit. As such, one of these instances was within New Sheoth, upon his return from yet another errand he had run for the Mad God.
However, this time, he had come to pass through the second half of the city, the one occupied by the Aureals and their respective citizens. Just like in the landscape outside of New Sheoth, the places that belonged to Mania were reverberating with colorful houses and plants, and the light of the sun seemed to smile upon it, just like its citizens, who seemed to be happy at all times. A strong contrast to the region and cities of Dementia, which was dark and lifeless in comparison.
And yet, one thing was to be distinguished between these two regions. The citizens of Mania all seemed to be happy and the colorful appearance may seem to be much more inviting… but deep inside, it was far more rotten than many would like to believe. For it was nothing more than a ruse.
As such, as he was trespassing through the colorful city on his way to the Mad God's palace, he was suddenly stopped by one of the Golden Saints that was on patrol, her golden eyes almost piercing him with unrestrained disdain.
"You! A denizen of Dementia does not belong here, and the mere sight of you is a disgra-"
Just as the Aureal meant to grab him by force, she was suddenly pushed back by a whole other figure that stood protectively in front of him. The Saint recoiled for a moment in surprise and annoyance, however, once she witnessed who dared to interrupt her like this, her eyes narrowed once more.
"You will do no such thing. Attempt it again, and I will gut you…", Manis stared at the Dark Seducer that was protecting him with wide eyes, the green emeralds upon her helmet signifying her position as captain. And he knew who it was.
"A Mazken being here is no less intolerable, and to threaten me is no less dangerous for you as well.", the Saint almost snarled with disdain as the Mazken in question remained completely unfazed.
"It does not matter where a citizen of Dementia trespasses, and if I find one to be threatened by the likes of you, I will go after my duty to protect them. And I will have no small amount of pleasure by tearing you apart if I must.", by now, the whole commotion had caused quite the scene amongst the citizens of Mania, who were long staring at the opposing Dark Seducer and Golden Saint.
The Aureal, even though she still utterly glared at the Dark Seducer with malice, knew that she could not take any chances. Being the captain of the guard of Dementia's own duchess was a position that was just proof of the Mazken's capabilities, and thus, she reluctantly stepped away with a last glare.
"This is not over yet, Nelrene.", as the Golden Saint stepped away, causing the crowd of gawkers to slowly dissolve as well, the Dark Seducer began to turn back towards the one she had stood up for without question. She found that he was still staring at her with wide eyes, and still, there was an unspoken gratitude reflecting within them.
"I didn't mean to cause you any trouble…", as he glanced at the ground in uncertainty, he didn't witness the small smile that appeared upon her lips.
"Don't think that the Mazken will abandon the citizens they swore to protect, but it would be safer to move through our part of the city in the future. However, if you ever find yourself in trouble, just know that you need only to search for me.", this, in turn, caused him to stare at her once again with unspoken gratitude and surprise.
"Thank you… ah, Nelrene.", remembering how the Golden Saint had addressed her a mere moment ago, he only now realized that he had never gotten to know her name. Knowing that it was not for him to ask her such questions, he had never inquired about it either, and it also stemmed from the fact that he didn't know whether or not Daedra placed much value on names.
However, even as he still pondered with uncertainty whether or not he should have dared to call her like that, she surprisingly did not mind at all. All she did was to close her eyes for a moment with a small hum, her smile still apparent, before she merely looked back at him in a friendly manner.
"Yes, you may call me like this. Mention it to any of the Mazken here in town, and they will direct you to me should you ever require my help."
And even though he didn't know it yet, it was only the beginning of their more frequent encounters. But one thing still remained stuck within his mind… even though he was utterly grateful for what she had done for him, why did a Dark Seducer trespass through the territory of Mania in the first place…?
A conspiracy…?
Sheogorath had tasked him to assist the Duchess of Dementia, Syl, in uncovering a secret plot against her. She claimed that someone was out for her life, and that she could not rest for a single moment in the knowledge that her unknown assailants could strike at any moment.
However, if he had to guess, or rather, from what he had gathered in the first moments he had talked to the Duchess, she simply seemed to be paranoid. But judging from everything he had seen upon the Shivering Isles, nobody seemed to be within their right mind anymore. On the other hand, what should he expect from the realm of the Mad God himself…
… no, that was not true. Nelrene was not like this.
Which brought him into his current position. At the beginning, he was still fairly uncertain whether or not he should take all of this seriously, since the Duchess could not give him any indication of where to start in his investigation other than to go into town and interrogate anyone he crossed paths with to gather information. Something that he did not want to comply with.
However, her last indication forced him to take this task more seriously whether he liked it or not.
'If you don't find the culprit, I will have your head instead.'
But before she sent him on his way to act as her new Inquisitor in her name, she motioned for him to follow her, claiming that she would send somebody with him who could help to apply force on a citizen should he have need of it.
And before he knew it, he came face to face with the Dark Seducer captain once again. Nelrene looked at him with a small amount of surprise for a moment once she saw him in the company of the Duchess, however, Syl was quick to explain the situation to her captain of the guard.
"This is Nelrene, the captain of my guard. She will assist you in your task to extract information from anyone who should prove to be more… hesitant to talk.", and with that, Syl took her leave, which only left the two of them as they looked back at each other. And Nelrene was the first to break the silence, a small grin forming upon her face.
"Why do I always happen to meet you in the most peculiar situations? I should apologize for Syl's rough temper, I can only hope she has not threatened you in any way. I remember what happened to the last Inquisitors she had hired… but with my help, the same will not happen to you. Shall we begin?"
And once again, she had so easily managed to take his worries away, putting his fears at ease.
…
Time was passing rather quickly, and regardless of whom he had spoken to, none seemed to know anything about the supposed conspiracy. Nelrene kept close to his side as they walked through the streets of Crucible, keeping a close eye on anyone they passed. By now, the information had long spread that there was a new Inquisitor in town, and there were some who shot him a glare from afar. But the Dark Seducer at his side was quick to send them away with a single glare, hence why she observed their surroundings closely.
However, unbeknownst to him, she did cast a glance or two into his direction from time to time. And, albeit ever so subtly, she walked a bit closer at his side.
"No lead yet… as always, Syl was unwise to simply send us upon a path with no visible lead to find a possible culprit.", Nelrene muttered a little bit more quietly, intent not to let anyone besides himself hear of her true thoughts about the Duchess.
"You don't sound as though you are fond of the Duchess.", he glanced at her with wonder and curiosity in his eyes, and for a moment they halted in their walk through the streets as Nelrene met his gaze with her own.
"I'm not. Syl is a fool, and I loathe her for what she is.", the mere thought of Syl wanting to harm him should he fail in his task… it caused Nelrene to clench her hand into a fist, and she almost imagined within her mind on how she would simply take her dark blade and-
-she stopped herself from being consumed by her own violent thoughts.
And still, she felt guilty. For in truth, she knew more about this conspiracy than she let on, and if it hadn't been for him… Syl would have long been dead already.
For she herself had been a part of that conspiracy.
Muurine, a high elf living here in Crucible, was behind all of it. Originally, Nelrene had worked together with her, all in the hopes of being rid of their foolish Duchess, for different reasons. Being the captain of her guard, it would have only been a matter of time until Nelrene would have found a proper opening to take her life… back then, she would not have cared to bring herself into danger if it meant for a chance to kill Syl, if she had failed in her attempt, she would have no doubt been executed herself for treason…
… but now that he was involved, she refrained from it. Her actions would have consequences for him as well, and thus, she was forced to decide between her desire to kill Syl or to leave her be in order to assure the safety of him. It no longer just concerned herself.
And… she guessed that, the moment she betrayed Muurine by secretly placing evidence within her home for Manis to find, she already made that choice.
"It's over Muurine, all the evidence leads to you.", Nelrene silently stood behind her dear mortal with her hand always close to the hilt of her sword, but Muurine made no effort to resist. Having assembled a small escort of two Mazken, she motioned for them to take her away. However, just as they did, Muurine shot her a last, hateful glance.
"You are all fools to stand with that dirty Duchess! But you, Nelrene, you are the worst of them all-", cutting her off before she could talk any further, Nelrene did not pay an ounce of attention to the elf's last words.
"Silence, citizen. The punishment for treason is death, now bring her away.", the two Mazken escorted the elf out of her home at Nelrene's command, and once they would arrive at the court of the Duchess, Muurine would be killed without hesitation.
All while Nelrene herself still remained free, with any possible evidence of her previous involvement vanishing once Muurine would meet her end.
She broke out of her thoughts once she witnessed the way Manis heaved a sigh in relief, his posture still stiff after everything they had gone through to finally bring this investigation to an end. Smiling to herself, she earned a small gasp from him the moment she placed an armored hand against his back, effectively causing him to straighten his back in surprise.
"We worked well, it was a whole success… we should be proud.", her voice lowered slightly as she smiled at him, and he couldn't do otherwise but to do the same. However, he froze slightly once she placed her other hand against his cheek, slowly trailing a finger down his face which sent a shiver through him. And he was almost entranced by her eyes as she gazed at him with a strong emotion, only now realizing how close she was to him.
She knew not how mortals showed affection to each other… but she didn't need to, not when she could do what she knew best. In time he would realize that she had long staked her claim over him...
'... with my help, the same will not happen to you…'
She would protect him… by any means.
Chaos was spreading throughout the entirety of the Shivering Isles. Or rather, in the eyes of their enemy, Order was beginning to spread. It was still hard to believe what the Mad God had revealed in his last waking moments before he had transformed into the very being that was now their enemy.
The daedric prince of Order, Jyggalag.
Once, he was feared by the other prince's since his influence and realm expanded each day without restraint. Thus, one day, they cursed him to be the very thing he despised the most. A being that was internally torn, filled with nothing but madness and insanity, representing the very opposite of Order. His new mantle had become the prince of madness, Sheogorath.
However, once each century, he would be allowed to transform back into his original self… to wreak havoc within his own land, to spread order once more, only to shift back into the cursed form of Sheogorath once again to rebuild his realm that he himself had destroyed. That cycle would always repeat itself.
And it was this that was happening right now. Without the Mad God's lead, the Golden Saints and Dark Seducers, who were still loyal to their mad patron and swore to protect the land against the approaching forces of Order, were now scattered and forced to act on their own.
However, one particular Mazken was currently not joining in her kind's last attempt to make a stand against the forces of Order that were threatening to take over New Sheoth. Both the remaining Golden Saints and Dark Seducers clung onto whatever hope there was to prevail against the knights of Order, but she knew better. Regardless of what they did, they could not win. The numbers of their foe were endless, and as long as Jyggalag himself was among them, there would not be an end to it.
The only thing that truly stuck in her mind, aside from the fact that she was leaving the others behind… she was betraying her oath towards their former Lord. Despite all of their differences, each and every single one of the Saints and Seducers would do anything for Lord Sheogorath, and if it meant to lay down their life's for him in the process, it was an honor.
And yet… she was leaving all of this behind, all for a single person.
Did that mean… that he had become more important to her than their very Lord himself…?
She shook her head slightly before her eyes wandered towards the unconscious form of the one she was carrying, all while moving through the smoldering remains of the city as fast as she could. And all of her doubts began to vanish, giving her all the answers that she needed.
If it meant to leave all of this behind in order to bring him to safety…
… then she would do so.