4E 195 Midyear

The rain that woke Uriel long before the sun was up. It wasn't special. Neary back clouds obscured the sky, but it wasn't sheets of rain that were pounding on the window panes. No, it was a slow drizzle running down the edge of the roof. He went to the window and stared out over the street below him. It had been drizzling on and off for hours. By now Uriel would have assumed he'd tune the noise out.

Still, the dread from the day before lingered. The feeling seeped into his limbs. Wordlessly, Uriel slipped on his robe and went to leave the room.

Ulia stirred from sleep and groggily sat up. "Uriel? What time is it?"

"Too early to worry about waking up. Go back to sleep," the older man muttered. He watched Ulia scowl and grumble to herself before going back to bed. Making sure to keep as quiet as he could, Uriel left the house.

The drizzle continued as he walked down the street towards the dock gate. The neck of his robe was damp now. With each step he took, the rain grew harder. Small puddles formed in the cracks of the cobblestones underfoot. The dripping sound of rain hitting the roofs of the building around him was now almost the only thing the Imperial heard. The wetness made him squirm, but the feeling grounded him.

Uriel had no idea how long he stood in the rain. The cold had seeped into his bones long before he even thought of going home. His robe was soaked through and his hair stuck to his forehead.

Curiosity got the better of him before he could muster up the courage to go home. Hesitantly, Uriel climbed up to the ramparts of the city wall,, making sure to find the tallest vantage point he could. His eyes scanned the horizon for anything out of the ordinary.

For miles and miles, the inky grey went on. By now, Uriel expected to see the top of the sun peeking out from where the sky met the edge of the sea. But this morning, a wall of ominous clouds loomed in front of him. They threatened to swallow everything in their path.

Uriel felt miniscule in front of the wall of clouds and rain and wind.

It was the same feeling he felt when he looked at the pools of blood and gore and fire at the Battle of Red Ring.

Swallowing the feeling, Uriel pushed his thoughts down until he could no longer hear them and climbed down the ramparts. Rain poured almost right through him as his speed slowed to a crawl.

His family was still asleep when he made it back to the house. Any semblance of exhaustion was gone and sleep was impossible. Instead of going back upstairs, Uriel went to the kitchen. He poured himself some sour, bitter liquor and sat and watched.

Uriel must have watched the window for no more than an hour or two, though he wasn't entirely sure. The rain poured down the window in sheets now. The water warped the view of the street outside and cast long shadows over the kitchen walls.

Storms were not uncommon in Anvil.

Only, they happened in the fall — it was still the height of summer. And even then they were quick and painless. The sight of the wall of clouds and rain was hardly normal.

In the back of his head, he knew this was what Panamar warned him about. It wasn't the dread that paralyzed him. It was the thin glimmer of hope that he still had a little bit of time left that kept Uriel in his seat.

Then there was a bright flash of light. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as Uriel clattered out of the chair. The cup he was drinking out of tipped over, spilling the liquor all over the table. He rushed upstairs to change into hsi gear, not bothering to stay quiet any longer.

Marco was the first of his children to rise, then Valleri. They followed him to the door of his room. Marco rubbed the sleep out of his eyes while Valleri stood behind him with a steely expression. "What time is it?" Marco croaked out.

By now, Ulia was helping her husband get his equipment together. She paused. "Is this what-"

"I'm sure of it."

"But it's hardly been a day since you heard."

"Panamar was wrong!" Uriel exclaimed. Everyone in the house went silent. Three pairs of eyes were on him. He caught a glimpse of his daughter in the back. She knew, didn't she? Taking a deep breath, Uriel tried to sound reassuring, "I'll sound the emergency alarm. I have no idea how bad this storm will be, but prepare for anything. Where's Vilkas?"

Nobody answered as the old man sighed in frustration. Uriel said nothing more and marched down the stairs. Valleri followed him, loudly running down the stairs to catch up. She was out of breath when she met him at the front door.

"This was what you and mom were talking about yesterday."

Uriel arched a brow, "You knew?"

"Not really, but our walls are thinner than you think. Why didn't you tell anyone else?"

Valleri's expectant, bitter stare made Uriel take a step back. "I had little idea this would happen, Val. I won't let anything happen. Trust me."

His last words caused the scowl on Valleri's face to deepen. She glanced between him and the floor. Finally she rubbed her eyes as hard as she could and went back upstairs. Uriel didn't have to ask to know she couldn't bring herself to trust him any more.

…

Vilkas had only seen natural lightning twice in life. Magical lightning coursing through the air towards his face was common enough. He was used to that. But the bright, instantaneous flashes of light followed by booming thunder still filled him with astonishment.

Gauging Marisol's reaction, lightning storms were an oddity in Anvil as well. When the first bolt hit, she leapt from the bed, throwing on a loose silk robe. Marisol nearly leaned out of the window to see what was going on. Satisfied everything was mostly all right, she turned back to Vilkas. She laughed, "You look like you've seen someone get stabbed!"

Gulping down the unease, Vilkas tried to retain some semblance of composure. "I've seen people get stabbed before. I've been stabbed before. This is… just new."

"Oh?" Marisol paused, tilting her head. Her mussed curls fell into her face when she laughed again. "You kind of remind me of a dog, you know? The strangest things scare you even though you've apparently seen it all."

Vilkas tried not to look too uncomfortable at how close her statement was to the truth. Not that it was entirely true. Maybe a little.

He rolled onto his stomach with a groan. Vilkas had no desire to move all that much. Everything was sore from the night before and the draft coming through the window chilled the room. The rain did nothing to help. It was falling in sheets with no chance of stopping anytime soon. Turning his head, Vilkas stole another glance at Marisol. To say she was beautiful was an understatement, so Vilkas wasn't going to say anything.

The Bosmneri woman caught him staring. Grinning mischievously, she let the top of her robe come undone. Any respectable townsperson would have been scandalized. But then again, neither Vilkas nor Marisol were all that respectable. But, they knew what they were doing.

They both perked up when they heard voices yelling outside. Marisol turned around, making sure her breast wasn't exposed for the world to see. Vilkas tried to put on a pair of pants as quickly as he could before coming to the window.

On the street below, Uriel and most of the guards were busy knocking on doors and yelling through the din of the rain. The older Imperial caught sight of the couple and breathed a sigh of relief. "Marisol!"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Stay inside and tell the innkeeper to bar the windows!"

The woman's brow furrowed. "Is everything okay?"

"No! There's a storm just about on us! I'm not sure how much damage it'll do, so stay inside!" Uriel paused when he saw Vilkas in the window. In an instant the man's face fell with realization. Vilkas felt his shoulders tense when Uriel sighed with exasperation. "Vilkas? Is that you?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing up there?" the captain asked, glancing between Vilkas nads Marisol. After another moment, he sighed with exasperation. "Never mind. I don't really care what you're doing, but stay safe as well. We were worried about you."

"Right," the younger man stammered out. Vilkas said nothing further and stood close to Marisol as they both watched the guard captain run in the direction of the harbor. He glanced up at the sky above him, unsurprised to see a blanket of slate grey. Another bolt of lighting made him jump.

Marisol stifled a chuckle and slammed the window shut. She turned around and laced her hands around Vilkas' neck. Her smile grew into a wide grin. "Today is already proving to be very interesting."

Vilkas shrugged. "I suppose so. I should probably head back and check up on other Hayns."

As if on cue, the Bosmeri woman rolled her eyes. "That's probably… for the best. I'd assume they're fine. But then again, you don't often stay the night here. Madam Hayn would like to know you're alright."

Slipping out of Marisol's loose grip, the Nord gathered his clothes from the floor. "Well, Marco and Val too." He pretended not to notice marisol's second eye roll. "I can stay here, if you'd like."

"No, it's fine. Just come back when you're done."

Vilkas paused at the door and mustered a shaky smile. "I will. Don't worry."

…

Time was next to meaningless in the Anvil dungeon. The guards came and went at regular intervals but Panamar was never sure how long the intervals were. The lights were always blazing the dull orange. Sometimes a jailor would add fuel to the wall sconces, forcing the illusion of daylight to continue.

It wasn't necessarily the lack of time that drove Panarmar crazy. The dungeon may have been its own plane of Oblivion cut off from Tamriel. He couldn't hear anything outside of the thick stone walls. No matter how much time passed, it was always damp and chilled. Nothing changed.

Panamar only stirred when he heard the guards in the next room went into a frenzy. There was indistinct yelling as the door opened. The Altmer's brow furrowed when Uriel stormed in, sopping wet and exhausted. He was followed by a perplexed jailor. Panamar stood, "What's going on?"

Uriel said nothing when he unlocked the cell door. A crazed grin grew on his face. "What you warned me about. The storm!"

"Oh… Oh gods. It shouldn't have…"

Uriel's eyes went wide, breathing uneven, "But it has! Was this part of the plan?"

"What?"

"Answer me, Panamar."

The elf shook his head, taking a step back. "Not at all. I don't even think the people who made the spells would have known." He paused, feeling the cold stare of the guard captain boring into him. "No. No, I had no idea."

Uriel and the jailor exchanged a look Panamar couldn't quite describe. Holding his hand out, the old Imperial barked an order, "Get me a pair of manacles."

The jailor took in a sharp breath. "Are you sure this is safe?"

"No, I'm not. But this has to be quick. Now go! I have other places to be."

Panamar watched in disbelief when the jailor did in fact bring back manacles. They slipped around Panamar's wrist and secured with a squeaky click. Only then did Uriel lead Panamar out of the dungeon. "What's going on?"

"The dungeon is technically attached to the harbor. Once the water rises too high, it'll flood."

The guards were rushing about, but every few seconds one of them would shoot the duo a confused stare. They too apparently had no idea what exactly was going on. Panamar felt chills run up his spine when one of them blanched in horror and duck out of his way. Uriel paid them no mind and continued.

"Where are you taking me then?"

"Somewhere you won't die."

"I should be the last person to point this out, but this seems like a terrible idea."

"Terrible idea or not, you're more useful to me alive."

For the first time in two days, Panamar felt fresh air since he'd come to Anvil. In a matter of seconds, he was almost soaked through. Halting, Panamar's eyes went to the sky. There was nothing but dark grey above him as far as the eye could see. Uriel looked back and beckoned him on.

"This is… This is bad," the Altmer whispered to himself.

Surprisingly, Uriel answered, "I know. And this is only the beginning I fear."

The streets of the town were nearly flooded with water. Had this all been from the rain? Panamar couldn't believe it. Lightning struck, making the Altmer jolt. Again, Uriel was unbothered. After a few minutes of traversing the flooded streets, they paused in front of a house overflowing with greenery. Without hesitation, Uriel went inside and all there was left for Panamar to do was follow him.

The warmth of the house only made Panamar's skin prickle as he entered. The people, presumably Uriel's family, bustled about. Several of them carried plants up the stairs and out of view. A younger man — judging from the raven black hair and sturdy frame, probably wasn't family— stood dripping in the foyer next to Uriel, equally confused.

An older woman paused, eyeing Panamar suspiciously, "Uriel? Who is this?"

"Panamar."

The woman's eyes went wide when she heard the name. She already knew who he was. "Why is he here?"

Slowly, the rest of the household gathered behind the woman, attention focused only on Uriel. He addressed the group as a whole now, voice booming in the tiny hallway. "This is the prisoner we brought back from the island. Because he had a hand in this, I fear he might get lost in the mix. So, Panamar will be staying with us for the time being."

A young freckled woman spoke up from the back, "Does the Count know about this?"

"No, and nor shall he until the storm has passed." the guard captain's eyes scanned the room around him. "I have to go secure the harbor. Until I get back, Ulia is in charge. Anything happens, tell her."

There was a chorus of indifferent agreement. Satisfied, Uriel took Panamar up the stairs and into a back bedroom. Plants, books, and heirlooms surrounded him on the bed on which he sat. It was only now that Panamar felt panic settle in his stomach. He glanced up to Uriel, wordlessly pleading for an explanation.

"My wife will make sure no ne tries to murder you."

"You think someone would do that?"

"You're a Thalmor agent who summoned the storm. And Anvil did not forget the invasion. It's best not to take chances. And don't worry, I trust Ulia more than most of my guards."

Panamar gulped when he thought of the skinny, old woman downstairs. He wasn't sure he could put much faith into whatever protection she could provide if things went sideways.. He looked up finally when he heard the door shut and lock. Uriel was gone. And Panamar was stuck in another cell.

…

It had been several hours since Uriel woke up the entire house and ran off into the rain outside. Most of the sensitive plants and items had been hoisted upstairs. What couldn't go upstairs was put onto high shelves just in case the house did actually flood.

Valleri sat next to one of the windows and watched the storm rage on. By now, the wind blew leaves off the trees, damming up some areas of the streets. Water had nowhere to go and pooled into deeper and deeper puddles. The sight made the young woman uneasy. Storms only ever happened in the fall, and even then, never they were never this severe. Valleri had half a mind to march upstairs and question the strange Altmer Uriel dragged in.

"I know what you're thinking, Val," Ulia whispered softly. The older woman busied herself lighting candles around the house to fight off the darkness.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Don't think for a second you're getting into that room. The door is locked and I'm the only one who has the key."

Valleri groaned. "There's always a way. Not that I'd tell you anyways."

"I know you climb on the roof to sneak back into the house." Ulia smacked her daughter on the arm when Valleri rolled her eyes. "Also while I'm thinking about it, I don't want you running off."

"What does that mean?"

"I know you're going to get curious and run off and hurt yourself. So just stay home, Valleri."

"You're no fun," Valleri laughed, waving her mother off. The young woman shrieked when the window flew open with a hard gust of wind. She and Ulia stared in disbelief while rain came in through the open window. "I'll get some boards from the back," Valleri muttered. Ulia only nodded.

Valleri caught sight of her friend as she passed the guest room. Vilkas was vigorously drying his hair off with a towel. The image of a dog shaking its fur dry came to Valleri's mind. She stifled a laugh when she knocked on the door jamb, "Can I get your help with something?"

"What with?"

"The windows are coming open. We need to get some boards from the shed in the back."

Vilkas glanced out of the window with a grimace. The rain was only getting harder. He sighed and got off the bed he was sitting on, "Yeah, let's go."

Vilkas halted at the back door, hesitant to head back into the rain. Valleri didn't seem to care and went ahead, rushing to the shed. She flung the door open and disappeared inside. A flying board almost hit Vilkas' arm. Gingerly he picked the board up and leaned against the wall. At least the ledge of the roof would help keep a little bit of the rain off of him.

"You were with Marisol last night, right?"

Vilkas' chest tightened. "Uh… yes."

There was a bitter pause and the only thing Vilkas heard was shuffling from the depths of the shed. Just before Vilkas was about to poke his head inside, Valleri spoke again, "Everyone was kind of worried this morning."

"Right," the Nord droned.

"You two are together right?"

There was a dopey smile on Vilkas' face. He almost didn't know what to say. "I guess? Maybe? Yes. I guess we are." Valleri came back from the shed. Her arms were filled to the brim with whatever wooden boards she could find. Carefully she laid them in Vilkas' arms. Her expression was blank, making Vilkas feel even more uneasy. "I didn't think to tell you since I wasn't sure how you'd react."

The Imperial shrugged. "Well it isn't really any of my business. But I guess I don't have much of an opinion on the matter."

"I have a hard time believing that."

Valleri scowled in response. "I kind wish you told me earlier, but then again it wasn't my business. Anyways, as long as you're happy, I don't have much to say."

"Let's head inside. I need to head back to Marisol at some point."

"What for?"

"I promised to go check up on her in case the storm got worse and well… Maybe they'll need help over there."

Vilkas almost walked off without Valleri. He glanced over the shoulder to see Valleri staring at the ground with a look of dawning realization. Her face was nearly white as her gaze moved back to Vilkas.

"Val? You okay?"

Her mouth moved up and down while she searched for words. Valleri breathed in sharply. Finally she was able to croak out a few words. "Alastaros and Lex…"

"What about them?"

"Garlas Malatar. It's going to flood."

Goosebumps rose on the back of Vilkas' neck. He was pretty sure Valleri was shaking. She shoved the rest of the wooden boards onto Vilkas' pile as she turned to run out of the gate. Vilkas tossed the boards onto the ground and ran after her. "Valleri! Wait! Think this through!"

She halted and turned on her heel to face. Vilkas barely heard her yell over the sound of the rain and wind. "I am! They have no idea what's coming for them! If they're inside, it'll be a disaster."

"You're going to get hurt if you go out there," Vilkas shouted. Valleri's expression only became more determined. Vilkas cursed himself that he couldn't think of any other reason for her to stay.

"Look, you can come if you want. But you're not going to stop me from leaving!"

Vilkas grumbled, "What do I tell Ulia?"

Valleri rolled her eyes. She gestured wildly with frustration. "I don't care. Tell her I'm with Skeeva."

The Nord pinched the bridge of his nose and let the tension melt from his shoulders. He went to meet Valleri in the street. He almost regretted letting the cold water seeped into his shoes while he stood next to his friend. "Fine. Just be careful, okay? I don't want anything happening to you."

Valleri mustered a grin and nodded her head. With that, she continued running down the road. Vilkas stood in the street, watching her go. He almost didn't notice the stone settling in his stomach as she disappeared.

…

The rain poured just as hard outside of the city. Still, Valleri was already soaked through and the rain ran through her eyes. She tried to wipe away the wetness but it was an act of futility. It was too late to turn back to get a wide brimmed hat.

She ran on the side of the road in an attempt to keep her feet from getting any more soaked. That was another act of futility. But the road was practically a river. If Valleri wasn't careful, she might get pulled away.

Every few minutes, lightning struck from the sky. Valleri jumped every time. She wished she hadn't. Every second the woman paused was another second wasted.

It couldn't have been more than an hour or two when the young woman ran herself ragged. Valleri stopped on the side of the road and rested her hand on her knees. Her lungs burned as Valleri tried to catch her breath. The wind buffeting her from all sides only made it harder to breathe. Valleri would have regretted this in any other circumstances.

She was just standing there when there was a splitting crack and slam coming from the road in front of her. Valleri blinked at the fallen tree in front of her. Wood splinters and leaves floated down the road past her feet.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck!"

Running up to the trunk, the panic only grew worse. Valleri ran her hands over the trunk. Maybe in another moment, the tree would just disappear. It didn't. The shaking in Valleri's hands refused to stop. The rain and wind and lightning and thunder refused to stop.

She was searching for a way through the branches when Valleri heard something behind her. The noise, a low growl she'd never heard before, echoed strangely through the rain and thunder. The skin on the back of her neck went cold as the growl repeated. Valleri looked over her shoulder anxiously.

There was nothing there.

Valleri steadied herself as best she could and went back to studying the tree. Her breath hitched in her throat when she heard the growl again. Turning around again, Valleri squinted her eyes to look through the gloom. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She swore she saw something lumbering on the road behind her.

Without thinking, Valleri bolted into the trees. Every few feet, she tripped on tree roots. Branches caught on her skin. The cuts and scrapes almost stang as much as her lungs did. She didn't hear the growling again. But Valleri didn't care. She kept running.

In a few minutes, Valleri broke out of the trees and into the open. Blood pounded in her ears as she paused to catch her breath. She pulled her bangs back to keep her hair from dripping more water into her eyes.

Valleri glanced around. There was nothing familiar. Behind her was the forest she just ran through and in front of her was a deep trench. To her right was the coast. The waves roared onto the beach, threatening to overtake the hills separating the land and from the sea. Valleri glanced over her shoulder. The image of what she saw on the road was too fresh; she couldn't bring herself to go back.

Tears began to sting at the corners of her eyes. Valleri thoughtlessly made her way closer to the beach. She paused when she saw something clear through the gloom.

The island was just as close as it was the last time she'd seen it. In front of her was the small grove of golden trees and deep purple crystals. The floating lights were dimmed in the storm. Valleri clutched her chest. The island was the last thing she wanted to see.

Pacing back to the trench, Valleri tried to rework her plan. She still had to find Garlas Malatar. Warning Alastaros and Lexius was the only reason she was out here.

There was a gods forsaken river coursing in the trench. Valleri stared at it wide eyed. Ther river had to have been at least ten feet deep while the trench itself was much deeper. Roots and rocks poked out of the carved sides.

"No, no, no. I do not want to do this," Valleri mumbled. Her arms were hugged tight around herself and her eyes were slammed shut.

She opened them again, and stared at the trench. It couldn't have been more than a few feet across.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Valleri took a few steps back and steadied herself. After a few heavy breaths, the Imperial charged the trench. She leapt when she felt her front foot leave the ground.

Then her second foot slipped across the mud. Then she tumbled downwards, sliding across the jagged edges of the far wall of the trench. Her arms stretched up to find anything she could grab a hold of. After what felt like an eternity, Valleri grabbed onto a thin bunch of roots while her foot landed on a slick rock too far down the wall to be comfortable.

"Fuck!"

Her knuckles turned white as her grip on the root tightened. Just above her was another root poking out of the mud. Wasting no time, Valleri reached to grab on. Her muscles burned and her bones clicked.

Before she realized it, Valleri's feet slipped from under her. The world spun uncontrollably. Was she on her back? Valleri blinked once. The walls around her rose and rose. Valleri sucked in a breath when her back finally hit the river, freezing water seeping into her shirt

Valleri fought to keep her head above water as the river pulled her away. Every time she tried to breathe, Valleri choked on more water.

Valleri's muscles seized up.

Her entire body was cold.

She couldn't breathe.

Everything was water.