Out of all the problems Rialyn expected to face now, an invasion so swift was not one of them. The soldier seemed worried but still doing his best to keep his calm. The sword was drawn out in his hand, already bloodied. It seemed the enemy had gotten too close for comfort.
"Argonians?" - Nermero said in disbelief as he took out his own weapon.
"Yes, sir…They appeared on our bridges, dozens of them, attacked immediately!"
"Oblivion damn them, that persistence will match that of Celion…" - The legate was ready for a battle.
"Wait, you say they "appeared"? From where?" - Heleria asked with some confusion.
"We don't know, but when I saw them, they were here already; there wasn't much time to think."
"It doesn't matter." - Rialyn said as he took out his weapon. "Tell us where to drive these bastards from." - His menial work has left Rialyn longing for a real battle, although they did not expect it to come so quickly.
"I've seen them attacking the temple and the northern residential canton too…I think they're already inside." - The soldier recounted.
"Isn't that the one with your library?" - Nerius looked at Heleria, who did not hesitate to answer.
"And many unsuspecting citizens…" - The librarian followed, looking at Rialyn. She probably hoped for some assistance which Rialyn was happy to provide.
"We should split up." - Nermero said; The Dragonborn nodded.
"I'm going to the residential canton with Heleria. You can take the temple." - Rialyn realized that he was not in a position to give orders to a man such as Nermero. Still, his time as an imperial commander taught him to immediately take charge when chaos arises. The legate was slightly shaken by Rialyn's commanding tone but decided not to argue.
"Sounds like a plan. And you, Nerius?"
The argonian seemed to be unsure for a moment.
"I'll…Go with Heleria and Rialyn, if that's alright." - The rogue said with distress. Nermero nodded before turning to the soldier.
"Get to the temple and wait for my orders. We'll show the barbarians not mess with the Empire!" - He said with pride, commanding his wolf to follow him. The young legate did not seem worried even after such developments. He was longing for a battle, which was to be expected after all those months of diplomacy he had to endure.
The Dragonborn beckoned Heleria and Nerius to follow, and the three rushed to the exit closest to their canton. As they went through imperial corridors, several argonian corpses were lying on the floor with their blood splattered all over the walls.
"By the Hist…" - Nerius said with horror, following it with a slight shiver. Rialyn noticed it, but the argonian quickly regained his composure. They could talk about anything he might want later.
"Too many to simply sneak in…" - Rialyn noted, trying to figure out how they got here.
"That's what I wondered." - Heleria said, looking back at the bodies they left behind. "Have you seen our ordinators? They won't allow anyone to go unwatched, much less a whole squadron." - Heleria said with some sarcasm. Yes, the question remained, and much to think about after repelling them.
Before leaving the building, two raiders, which were waiting for them at the door, attacked. The silent marauders did not know who Rialyn was and attacked with solid resolve, foolishly believing that their opponents stood no chance. One attempted to strike Heleria only to have Rialyn stand in between. The Dragonborn blocked his hit and pushed the raider to the side. Perhaps this would have been a sign for him to understand that the opponent was too strong, but he would not get the hint. After another attempt to strike, Rialyn quickly pierced the enemy with his blade.
The second raider attacked Nerius. She fought with a greatsword, attempting to wound the argonian. He would swiftly evade her hits and strike back on occasion, but his hits were weaker than they could be. Rialyn didn't wait and slashed the raider's skin from behind, causing her to quickly fall down. The Dragonborn gave Nerius a look shortly before turning back to the gate; they needed to be quick.
"That was too close to getting a blade in my back….Thanks to you two. Were I alone, I might have shared a company with that lot in the corridor." - Heleria said with relief, looking at distraught Nerius. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, it's just…Forget it. We need to go."
Rialyn led the others outside; soon, they found themselves near the bridge which led to the residential canton. The Dragonborn understood that seeing so many dead among his own people was far from a pleasant sight for Nerius, but they had no choice but to continue the fight.
On the bridge, they saw three more argonians, this time mystics. They were conjuring up a small ritual, and even the opponent's arrival would not stop them. Heleria seemed to be the first one to notice.
"Azura, curse it, they're summoning a daedra!" - She was ready to defend herself even without weapons, but Rialyn was sure it would not have to go that far.
"Stand aside, dryskin!" - One of the mystics said. "One step forward, and you will face the wrath of Oblivion." - He spoke with some caution. Did this one realize the Dragonborn's strength?
"Fine, no steps." - The dark elf said calmly before holding his breath. "FUS RO DAH!"
The shockwave forced these raiders to collapse. The two unfortunate ones have been pushed off the bridge and forced to retreat underwater. The one that remained managed to clinch the ledge and climb back to the bridge. Still, the ritual was completed.
A daedra arose before them, a reptile being with its claws sharper than Rialyn's fangs. Its skin was covered by scales, and red eyes were brimming with hunger. A clannfear, one of the lesser daedra, was ready to strike. The beast rushed towards them, but before reaching the prey, Nerius plunged his daggers into its side. The monster roared, and while it was disoriented, Rialyn cut its head off. The bloodied corpse immediately fell to the ground, and the path was clear again.
"And this was the wrath of Oblivion?" - Heleria couldn't help but smirk.
"Not the first ones to exaggerate." - Rialyn said, trying to remember how many times he had an enemy who brimmed with confidence only to lose their life seconds later.
But it was far from it. Even from here, Rialyn saw the raiders surrounding the gates of the residential canton; there was much work to be done. Before the trio moved on, Rialyn felt a light destructive spell fly past him, followed by a disdainful hiss directed at Nerius.
"Why do you ally with dryskins? Do you not know what they have done? You live in a time when we could finally bare our fangs, and this is what you choose? You are a pathetic mammal-licker. The Marsh rejects you!" - The mystic said with hatred.
"Don't listen to him." - Rialyn said calmly, seeing Nerius's discomfort.
These insults did not help the situation. Soon this turned into anger. Nerius walked towards the mystic and sliced his throat, bloodying his daggers and feet as the raider fell.
"That's one way to answer…Might use on rude customers." - Heleria said; Nerius turned around, disliking the attention he had from her and Rialyn.
"It was past time…For him to shut up. Let's go."
Rialyn nodded and continued. It did not take long before they reached the outside of the residential quarter. The picture was grim; the main gates were already taken by invaders. Another trio of argonian ravagers surrounded the area, armed with bloodied blades. Rialyn was ready to attack them but was soon beckoned by Heleria to stand back.
"Wait!" - The woman hid behind a nearby wall so as to not let the raiders see them. After glancing at them once again, Rialyn knew why that was. The raiders had prisoners, three dunmer who were unfortunate enough to find themselves caught. Two women and a man were all keeping their tied hands behind their heads in utter silence.
As Rialyn and Nerius followed Heleria's hiding spot, they saw three ordinators and an imperial soldier approaching the canton from another bridge, but they were soon forced to stop.
"Stay where you are, or these people will suffer a fate worse than a crocodile's bite…" - One of the raiders said.
"You are surrounded." - The ordinator responded. "Soon, we will clear out your filth from Vivec, and what then? Buying yourself a precious hour at most will not save you!"
"We'll see about that. For now, I doubt any of you have the gall to strike if it brings even the tiniest sacrifice."
"You are not going to attack them directly, right…?" - Heleria asked. Rialyn was amused at this suggestion, thinking about how imposing he was at times. He had no qualms about killing people. It has become a mundane part of his life. Allowing citizens to die while there could be other ways would be a step too far if he wanted to become a hero of this land.
"No." - The dunmer replied, focusing on his thought.
"Maybe if we distract them somehow?" - Nerius suggested. Rialyn looked at Heleria as an idea sprung to his mind. She had no weapon and was wearing one of her relatively casual blue dresses, something they might need.
"No offense…But out of the three of us, you would make the best helpless civilian." - Rialyn nodded. Heleria shook her head awkwardly, seemingly realizing what he would do.
"No, you can't be…I know I said things about humiliation, but I wasn't even serious!" She could barely contain her voice to not attract attention.
"All I need is a few seconds. Pretend to surrender to them, and while they will be distracted, we'll strike." - Rialyn looked at Nerius afterward. "Get to the other side the long way. Then we'll attack from both sides and end them quickly."
"Consider it done." - Nerius said with some enthusiasm; Heleria sighed.
"What should I even tell them? Just be terrified and helpless?" - She said in annoyance.
"Tell them one of your prisoners is your friend, and you want to exchange." - Nerius suggested before beginning his path to the other side. He would have to circle the canton from behind, and in a few minutes, Heleria would go. She was preparing herself along with Rialyn.
"And what if they say that they don't know me? That would be a little awkward…" - Heleria noted.
"Only an idiot would lose their chance to be free in exchange for someone they don't know. We can only hope for that." - Rialyn said. "Don't worry, I will always watch you."
"How reassuring…Just don't take long."
Rialyn noticed a hand and a tail from behind the opposite wall in a few moments. The argonian would not show himself but give out signals to the Dragonborn, Nerius. Heleria noticed this too and, after another annoyed sigh, walked out on the platform. The attention was immediately turned to her as the nearest raider pointed at the altmer woman.
"Another one!"
"No, please, wait!" - Heleria pleaded as the raiders clutched their swords, ready to cut the hostages they had. "I beg of you, just let me speak. I will do everything!" - Heleria said in a terrified and whiny voice that Rialyn didn't even know she was capable of.
"What is it?" - said the raider. As the three looked at her, Nerius emerged from the other side, slowly approaching them with his daggers sheathed.
"The man you hold is my friend! You…You can't just kill him like that!"
"Can't we?"
"Take me instead, let him go!" - Heleria pleaded even harder, although perhaps the genuine plea was directed at Rialyn. The raiders clearly took pleasure in seeing her grovel; the two gathered near, getting ready to take Hereria as a prisoner. The third one remained to watch the prisoners, but he was quickly wounded by Nerius. The rogue slit his throat before he could even let out a sound.
"You want us to take you, then? Well, who are we to deny…" - The raider said moments before Rialyn left his cover. Two argonians looked at him with confusion. "Ambush!"
Before they could attack, the Dragonborn slashed one of the raiders in halves before attacking the second one. He resisted for a few seconds, but soon Rialyn's blade pierced his skin. All the raiders were dead as the hostages watched in pure awe. Nerius and the ordinators were already untying their hands.
"Thanks, you did well." - Rialyn said to Heleria before watching her fume.
"Never. Again." - She snapped and walked towards the prisoners. Rialyn could feel that she knew this was the right thing to do despite her annoyance, especially now that they had succeeded.
When the two approached, the soldiers had already gone inside the canton to clear it out, and the hostages were free. The male dunmer looked at Heleria with surprise.
"Do I…Do I even know you?" - He said, puzzled after hearing her performance.
"Don't ask." - She said as she helped him get up. "Find somewhere safe to hide until it's safe." - Heleria said before returning to Rialyn and Nerius. The civilians followed their advice and soon disappeared out of sight.
"What now?" - Nerius asked. "It seems the soldiers have it under control from here."
"I need to get to my library." - Heleria said. "There's a shortcut, I know, so it won't belong."
"Do you think raiders will care for the books?" - Rialyn wondered.
"They might as well burn them, but it's not about this. I want to get something from there as to…."
"FOR THE MARSH!" - A rallying battle cry interrupted them. There was a battle erupting on the main bridge. A dozen Argonians rushed forward, battling ordinations and imperials. The raiders had a numerical advantage there.
"I'm needed there." - Rialyn said as he glanced over the battle. Heleria smiled and gave him a nod.
"Go on, I'll survive and try to not take long." - She said with genuine approval.
"Are you sure?"
"That clash is more important than what I need; you can turn the tides."
Rialyn nodded.
"Nerius, escort her to the library, and I'll take them head-on."
The argonian nodded, and soon he and Heleria disappeared into the canton. It was time to rid Vivec of these bandits. The Dragonborn clutched his weapon and sprinted towards the bridge. It seemed that the number of raiders only rose as more of them swarmed into the battle from the surrounding cantons.
As Rialyn approached, he saw the city guard valiantly defending their city, yet they desperately needed help. The Dragonborn was quick to aid the nearby imperial soldier by unleashing the spell of fire on the attacking argonian. The bandit roared in agony before trying to strike Rialyn with his mallet. His resolve proved to be powerful, as even when consumed by flames, the argonian screamed in anger, directing his hate towards the Dragonborn. As the dunmer looked into argonian's fierce eyes, he was ready to finish the opponent off, but not before a golden sword pierced him from behind. The lizard would let out his final whimper before falling to the floor; the blood from his chest would immediately burn within the remaining flames.
Rialyn looked up to see a familiar figure clad in Aldmeri armor.
"And here I thought the "hero" would not show his face at all." - Camina said with disdain. Rialyn didn't give it much thought before, but seeing Dominion forces defending this city felt almost…Unnatural.
"Bold of you to assume I wasn't busy fighting elsewhere." - Rialyn responded dryly, not giving much attention to her taunting.
Before the two could continue, they heard a scream of an imperial soldier behind them. Another brave man has fallen to an argonian blade as raiders overtook the city's guards. They rounded them up on the main bridge, attacking from all nearby cantons at once. This would give the civilians respite but wasn't such good news for defenders.
Rialyn noticed an ordinator fighting three argonian raiders at once. The dark elf fought bravely, but there was barely anything he could do with an opponent which outnumbered him. One of the raiders pierced the weak spot in his armor, wounding the ordinator's leg. The Dragonborn rushed towards him to help. One of the raiders fell immediately as Rialyn's blade cut his veins, going straight for the heart afterward.
This allowed the guard a moment of clarity as he only fought one argonian. The second raider looked at Rialyn with eyes full of hatred. He must have seen many of his fallen brothers in the city; the Dragonborn imagined himself in his place…All of that hardly mattered. However, the raiders made their choice when they attacked Vivec.
This one was swifter than the rest. The raider took out his daggers, attempting to strike Rialyn's vital organs. There was no heavy armor on the Dragonborn now, he had to elude every strike, or the consequences could be deadly.
Shortly before the barbarian got a chance to plunge his dagger into the Dunmer's skin, Camina joined the battle. The altmer woman attacked with her full strength, wounding the argonian enough for him to become vulnerable. She charged to the ordinator, aiding him in his clash against the third raider. Wounded soldiers had trouble fighting alone, so her aid was more than welcome. Camina sliced the throat of the raider and helped the ordinator get up while Rialyn finished the wounded raider off.
"Return to the battle if you still have any resolve to fight." - Camina said in a commanding tone. "If not, go to the nearest canton and stay out of our way." - She helped the man get up, but he wasn't keen on accepting her help.
"Do not question my resolve." - The ordinator responded before clutching his blade and looking at the battle before him. He charged into the fray, aiding his brothers-in-arms in fighting off the invaders.
Before following him, Rialyn looked at Camina. She would keep her slightly angry grimace, but she might have saved him with her aid, not to mention helping the ordinator while the Dragonborn himself was distracted. This warranted thanks, but Rialyn could not force the words out of his mouth. Camina hardly cared.
"Are you going to do something useful?" - She said mockingly before coming to the aid of other soldiers.
Dragonborn finally snapped out and attacked. Camina and Rialyn found themselves at the very heart of this battle, where one could barely walk without bumping into an enraged fighter. So be it, then…Dragonborn would attack every raider before him, each strike bloodying his sword more and more. Fighting side by side with Camina might have felt perplexing to Rialyn, but he quickly went further. The screams, roars, and battle cries mixed in his mind like the essence of pure chaos. The blood-splattered, limbs were cut, corpses falling…
How ironic was it that this atmosphere made Rialyn calmer, almost as if he was at home? He thought back to his Skyrim adventures and how he marched among Imperial soldiers to fight Stormcloaks. Windhelm was very similar on the day of its siege…Death, blood, and hatred have filled its walls, but at this time, Rialyn's cause was clearer…His purpose felt simpler, within reach…
His musings were interrupted as one of the raiders managed to cut Rialyn's shoulder with his sword. The Dragonborn clenched his teeth to resist the pain and immediately sliced the raider's stomach, making him fall to the ground and cough in agony. Rialyn quickly slashed the invader's throat. There was no point in prolonging his suffering. The pain in his shoulder was burning, making it harder for Rialyn to concentrate. He almost forgot what it was to fight without heavy armor. At first, it seemed like shedding a burden and fighting freely while maintaining your speed and clear vision…Until at least you would get your first wound which will remind you of just how vulnerable you indeed are.
Another four raiders surrounded Rialyn. Most of the soldiers were pushed back while the Dragonborn remained at the heart of this battle. He grew weaker physically, but this couldn't be said about his resolve…He blocked the first incoming hits from these raiders, but one of them struck the dunmer again, this time in his right side. Another surge of pain infuriates Rialyn, making him want to fight.
However, he would soon get aid…A cloud of pure frost magic rose above the raiders, distracting them from Rialyn. The ice crystals would emerge one after the other, striking invaders and forcing them to the ground. The surge of cold disoriented them and caused them to shiver, making for easy targets for Rialyn. The Dragonborn quickly neutralized one after the other before they realized what had happened. Pierced hearts, cut-off heads, bloodied necks…After they fell, Rialyn felt his blood clotting. It was as if a boulder had fallen on his body; it took tremendous effort to still hold on. He saw someone on the outsides of a nearby canton in a moment. There was much distance between them, but Rialyn still recognized her.
Heleria has returned. This time she held a staff in her hand, masterfully weaving the magical fabric, calling it to Rialyn's aid. The initial surprise was quickly overtaken by Rialyn, remembering that Heleria mentioned her working with clerics and mages. These attempts were described as failing on all accounts, but this did not seem to be true…Her spells were impressive, especially from such a distance.
Heleria was not the only one there; Rialyn noticed crowds of civilians gathering in the nearby cantons watching him and the others battling the raiders. Their homes might have been clear from invaders, and still, they would watch as the primary battle unfolded in fear and hope. And most of their hopes were for the Dragonborn, the mighty hero from beyond Morrowind, one some considered a reincarnation of Nerevarine himself. And he had to fight.
More raiders surrounded him. This time there were almost a dozen. After a quick glance, Rialyn realized that they were retreating while still trying to kill as many as possible on their way. This was a good sign for the city but not for wounded Rialyn. The newly-emerging spell of wind disoriented the raiders, but it could hardly stop them. Heleria gave Rialyn some time to get up and attack first.
Three others attempted to strike him before the Dragonborn could pierce even one of them. Rialyn swiftly parred two of those hits, while he could barely evade the third as it left another small wound on his body. Frost crystals still continued to materialize above, but they weren't enough for all of these raiders. Rialyn fought those that seemed paralyzed, but he made himself vulnerable in this pursuit. The quickest and strongest raiders pushed the Dragonborn while cutting his back.
It wasn't that often that Rialyn would allow his primal rage to manifest in its purest form, but now was one of such instances. In the last few months, there was only one way in which this fury would take shape, and this was the vampire lord. Rialyn felt this bloodlust within him, not out of hunger but out of hatred and rage combined with an instinct for survival. He would break a few more moments, turning into a monster right in front of the city. He would quickly annihilate all argonians in front of him, but his true nature will be revealed to Heleria, Nerius, Nermero, all of them…For a moment, it seemed like a reasonable price to pay.
But this was just that, a single moment, for something hardly explicable happened afterward. A flame emerged, covering Rialyn's sword without damaging it. Argonians were surprised and stopped for a moment, cautious of their next move. The Dragonborn was in awe himself, he rarely saw blades enhanced with pure flame, and it usually required some powerful sorcery. He would have thought about Heleria, but her focus was on the frost crystals still. Was she so powerful as to use two spells at once? Or was this coming from something else entirely?
As the raider attacked Rialyn, the Dragonborn quickly cut him in half. The argonian would let out a horrified cry before his organs burned. This sword was a tool of pure destruction. While there were no physical changes, Rialyn felt newfound resolve and confidence, believing that he could win. A victorious smile emerged as he thought the raiders were trembling at something they could not explain. Even the pain seemed insignificant now, as the moment of triumph was at hand.
A fiery bloodbath followed.
