A/N: So, chapter six. Not too long of a note apart from a small announcement of this arc about to come to a close within two more chapters, and a warning for a suicide attempt.
Whispers of the Night
Summary: One year after Serana died and she left Astrid, Alana has left for Solstheim to be alone and never harm another innocent. Enemies new and old are rising, and it is never easy for one to free themselves from the shackles of their demons…
*Book 1: The Black Swordswoman Part 6*
Cindiri Arano sighed as she sat down at the dinner table with a cup of Geldis' fresh sujamma in hand. She glanced out the dusty window briefly to see if her husband was going to be home in time for dinner for once and was once again disappointed to see that he was still working past the hour.
Ever since the ebony mine had been reopened thanks to Saoron's discovery, escorting the shipments of ebony to the docks had become Adril's new order of the day. It was tiresome and quite a walk back and forth across town for him, and he never stopped worrying about the town possibly being attacked by reavers and Azura knows what else.
Cindiri wished she had her bloody folio to read to pass the time while she waited on him. She had sent a special copy of The Lusty Argonian Maid to the First Edition Bookshop in the Imperial City to be rebound several months ago, and yet it still hadn't returned. She was beginning to think that some kind of horrible disaster had struck or perhaps it had been lost on the voyage back from Cyrodiil.
The dunmer ran a hand through her luscious hair and huffed in frustration the door to the Morvayn manor opened and in stepped not her husband, but the First Councilor himself. "Hello, Lleril." She tried her best not to let her irritation at her husband's tardiness seep into her tone lest the councilor told him. The last thing she wanted to do was have yet another pointless argument with Adril. The man was as hardheaded as he was loyal.
"Cindiri." Lleril gave her a friendly smile and took a seat across from her, rolling up the sleeves of his elegant blue robes to prevent them from trailing into their dinner. "Adril running late again, I presume?"
"Yes." Cindiri nodded and sighed in defeat, looking at the food she had prepared. "He spends all his time focusing on everything else. I may be his wife, but at the same time I may as well be invisible to him. I can't remember the last time the two of us were able to spend an evening enjoying each other's company."
"I'm sorry," Lleril apologized. "I shouldn't have asked him to be my right hand man after I was elected to be the councilor of Raven Rock."
"It isn't your fault." Cindiri prodded at the roasted beef with her fork, not feeling too hungry while her husband was out doing Azura knows what. "You two have been through a lot together, and I'm sure he was the only one you could trust at the time of your election. As Adril so often puts to me, we all left a part of ourselves behind when we left our homeland. All we can do is make the most of what we have. That said, I did want to talk to you about our food supply. Gjalund can only care so much on each journey, and our population is only continuing to increase with each passing year."
"Indeed." Lleril nodded and cut a piece of meat, popping it into his mouth. He let out a quiet hum of content before swallowing, giving her an apologetic smile. "I'll speak with Garyn in the morning about increasing our crop production when I have a chance. Looks like we'll be feasting a little more on ash yams this year, I'm afraid."
To most nobles, the thought of eating food that was practically fit for peasants was disgraceful. Yet for Cindiri, it reminded her of home, of Vvardenfell. It brought back fond memories of her sitting down with her husband and sharing the news of how their day had gone.
"No need to apologize." The dunmer woman flashed him a smile. "Garyn's always been our most important supply of food since he came to Raven Rock, and I'm sure he'll understand." She helped herself to a mouthful of sujamma, humming to herself at the taste. "Have you heard any news lately regarding that folio I had sent to the Imperial City?"
"Not a word, I'm afraid." Lleril shook his head. "The ship should've gotten here a week ago at least. I suppose they're simply being delayed by bad weather; it's not uncommon for storms to brew on the Sea of Ghosts this time of year."
He took a sip of his own beverage, humming. "Delicious. Is this Geldis' brew?"
"Yes. I went by to pick some up for tonight," she answered. "I figured I could afford to spend some extra coin, now that Raven Rock Mine is reopened."
"Good old Geldis always does what he can to keep our spirits up, even when times are not their best. And our vision hazy." Lleril laughed.
Cindiri pursed her lips and took another sip of her drink, blinking as the alcohol slowly started to affect her. Unlike the soldiers and that blonde Nord who spent seemingly all her time in the cornerclub, she was not able to handle her drink that well. It wasn't something she built up a tolerance for.
The door to the manor opened again, and this time it was her husband. Cindiri looked up as Adril entered, covered in sweat and huffing a little. "Where have you been all this time?"
Adril looked completely disheveled; his sweaty hair was unkempt and a few black stains marked his usually clean brown robes. "Forgive me, my dear. One of the workers misplaced a crate of ebony in the mine and it took us a few hours to find it. Otherwise I would have been home in time."
Cindiri slowly felt her initial irritation wear off while her husband rolled up his sleeves and took a seat next to her. She found it hard to stay mad at him for long, especially when he had provided so much for her and was the sole reason why she was amongst Morrowind's nobility in the first place.
"Next time you're going to be late, please have one of the Redoran Guard come find and tell me," she requested. "I don't like worrying about you possibly being killed in the mines. They're still dangerous, even after these years."
"Don't fret, my dear. Old Crescius has been made the foreman of the mine and has taken to making them as safe as possible," Adril reassured her. Damn him, why was he always so calm while she was frantic with worry? Every day he went outside, she was afraid that she was going to stumble across his bleeding corpse in the ash.
"Still, this isn't the city of Blacklight," Cindiri fretted. "Out here on the frontier, anything can happen to you."
"My dear, you have always been paranoid ever since we left Vvardenfell," Adril chided gently. "I know you may never see this colony in the same light as I do, but it is our home and we will be safe here." There was that gentle rebuke that somehow always managed to sting more than when he raised his voice at her.
Cindiri flinched for she knew he was right. She never did like settling way out here on the frontier, not when she was born and raised in the capital of the dunmer homeland. She would've liked to argue, but as wife to a councilor she knew what was to be expected of her.
Lleril flashed her a sympathetic glance and stood up from the table, wiping his hands and face with a clean cloth. "Thank you for dinner, Cindiri. If you will excuse me, I'll attend to the matters at hand and see if I can get Captain Veleth to send out a patrol to find out what happened to your folio."
"Thank you, Lleril," Cindiri murmured. "I appreciate it a lot."
Lleril decided to retire to his chambers for the night, walking up the spiral staircase with a small smile and his cup of sujamma in hand. "Don't worry, Cindiri. Things will start to look up here in Raven Rock, I can feel it. Our mine is open, and the shops are busy again. We'll have some support from House Redoran in no time at all."
It had been many years since she saw the councilor with as much optimism as he now had. Not even the arrival of the Severin family provided so much hope for him.
Cindiri let out a soft hum and took a sip of her drink, wishing she could share that optimism. "I do hope you're right, old friend."
Adril tucked into his meal, digging in with as much grace as a famished fox. If he weren't her husband, she would've scolded him on his manners. Instead, she swallowed her irritation at his lack of respect and put down her fork. "Have you heard anything in regards to my folio, my love?"
Adril swallowed what was in his mouth and shook his head. "Regrettably, no. I have informed Captain Veleth of the matter, and he assured me that he would have someone look into it when he has the time. Although he never specified if he was hiring some lowly mercenary or sending his men."
A soft knock sounded on the door and in stepped one of the Redoran Guard, his bonemold helmet in his hands. "Councilor Arano? A sailor from the ship the Strident Squall is here. I don't believe he is going to survive."
Cindiri was up in an instant. The Strident Squall was the name of the ship that was supposed to be carrying her folio from the Imperial City. "What happened?"
"The ship got caught in a storm and ran aground," the soldier explained. "Poor bastard crawled on his hands and knees all the way here."
Cindiri and Adril both left the remains of their dinner behind and followed the guard to the Bulwark, where an Imperial man sat bleeding against the wall. His shirt was stained crimson and he looked up at them with a pained grimace, blood bubbling from his lips. "Y-you came…thank the Nine…"
"What happened? Where's the rest of your crew?" Adril asked.
"Dead, all of them," the sailor replied, clutching his chest. "T-the storm…it blew us off course. C-captain…he tried to take a shortcut. D-didn't work…" He let out a pained cough, letting his head fall back. "G-get the cargo before…before the damned reavers do…"
His head slumped and he was dead before he finished toppling over into the ashy ground.
Cindiri felt a sickening pit in her stomach. She had never witnessed someone die right in front of her before in the seventy years she had been alive, and she turned her head away to prevent herself from vomiting. It definitely was not a pleasant experience, and she wondered how the hell the soldiers had the stomach to witness such a thing.
Adril bowed his head in respect to the fallen, and the seconds that passed by felt like an eternity. He lifted his head and turned to the two Redoran Guards who stood witness. "You know what must be done. Burn the body and scatter the ashes. He took great courage in coming here to warn us in his state and deserves the honor."
"As you command, Councilor." The two soldiers picked up the sailor's still warm body and carried it over to the Temple of the Reclamations to let Elder Othreloth handle the ceremony of presenting the body to fire.
Cindiri turned to her husband in worry. She had confirmation that the cargo was still intact and in very real danger of being lost to the bloodthirsty reavers. "You heard him; my folio is onboard and the reavers are going to be closing in on the wreck."
"I know, dear. But right now the captain is out with Master Saoron fighting off the ash spawn by the remains of the Attius farm," Adril replied. "Until he returns, I cannot afford to send out anyone to retrieve it."
The dunmer woman growled in frustration, mainly because she knew he was right again. With Captain Veleth and Saoron outside of the Bulwark, the town was vulnerable to any kind of attack and it wouldn't be wise to send out a patrol until at least one of them returned. "Fine. I'll go and finish cleaning up dinner."
She hated this damn island more and more with each day and couldn't wait for the day she could finally return to her home.
Alana panted heavily as she leaned on her sword for support, the blade sinking into the ashy soil. Sweat dripped down her body and every breath of air she took did nothing to quell the fury that boiled beneath her skin. The powdery remains of ash spawn lay littered around her, and she grimaced as she felt one of the many burn wounds on her skin. 'Dammit…'
She snarled in disgust and focused her healing on the burns, taking the sharp sting out of them. The blonde was furious at herself for allowing such pitiful creatures to land blows on her, even if she had been outnumbered ten to one. She was the woman who slew one hundred of the Empire's finest soldiers in a single night, not a lowly mercenary who turned tail the minute a fight wasn't going her way.
Alana spat out a mouthful of ash, throwing as much contempt in the act as she could muster. 'At least these bastards can't attack Raven Rock anymore. That should take some pressure off of Veleth's shoulders.'
'But that wasn't what he asked you to do, was it? He asked for you to make sure Bjornolfr was safe, and you failed. Just like you failed to save the Brotherhood. How you failed to save Serana.'
"Get out…" Alana's arm trembled and hot tears stung at the corners of her eyes as she was reminded of her greatest failure. "Now…"
'Or what? What could you possibly do now? You're nothing. You are worth less than the dirt beneath their feet. No one would care if you died. No one. They'd hold a grand feast celebrating your demise and commit unspeakable atrocities to your remains. Because you deserve it.'
Alana's head burned, and she clutched at her head to drown out that cold laughter. "Stop it..."
'Lie all you want, but you want it. You want to die. The desire to take a dagger and plunge it into your chest burns like a hunger. Darkness flocks to you always, Alana. You can never escape its grasp, no matter how much you want to. A puppet can never be free of its master.'
A shadowy black blob appeared in front of her, stepping out of an Oblivion portal. The beast was somewhat reminiscent of a dragon, but its two heads were long and serpentine with no trace of eyes on its smooth green flesh. Rows and rows of razor sharp teeth caked with blood and grime lined its small jaws, and the blonde's eyes widened in horror as it let out a deathly shriek. Her blood froze in her veins and she found herself unable to move, paralyzed with fear of the monster she saw before her. 'I-I can't move!'
It lunged towards her and Alana squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for her death. She didn't even make an effort to try and rip her sword from the ground. 'So…this is how it ends for me. Torn apart by a demon that was spawned as a result of my past mistakes. Fitting.'
She heard the sounds of the demon rapidly approaching as it charged her and she was ready to be sent into Oblivion. However, the next thing she heard was rapidly approaching footsteps and the loud clang of one of the demon's heads hitting a solid steel shield.
Alana opened her eyes and saw Saoron struggling to hold the beast back with his shield. His teeth gnashed in a snarl of defiance and with one mighty heave he forced it back with a hard bash. "Alana! Snap out of it!"
Alana blinked and tore her sword free, gripping it tight. She leapt towards it with a vicious swing of her sword, but this demon was much more agile than its bulk suggested. It leapt back with grace and lashed out with its spiked tail, and she let out a pained gasp as it tore through her leg. She fell to one knee and was thrown back by another hit from its tail. She landed in a heap, coughing out a mouthful of blood, and wobbling back up to her feet.
Saoron landed next to her, and he spat out a mouthful of ash and blood. "Damn. This is no ordinary daedra. What the hell is this thing?"
"A demon, spawned by Vaermina," Alana replied with a wince as she helped Saoron up to his feet. "Damn things are stronger than any kind of daedra I've fought." 'Not even dremora warlords have the strength of these monsters.'
'And it's because of me they're as powerful as they are.' She ducked under another lash of its tail and raised her sword to block an attack from one of its two heads. She stepped to the side and went to sever it from its long neck, but the second head forced her back before she could deliver the blow.
"I'll distract it." Saoron wiped his mouth and let his hands become cloaked with lighting magic. "Take its heads off."
Alana nodded, and the brunet started casting his magic to get the beast's attention. The first two lightning bolts smashed into the demon's hide, and it shrieked in fury before lunging at him. Saoron raised his shield up and timed a perfect power bash, slamming the tough steel against its head. "Now!"
Alana raised her sword up and swung. The heavy sword tore through ribbons of flesh, and the demon screamed in pain as she severed one of its heads. The neck it was attached to thrashed uncontrollably, spilling chunks of flesh and blood from the jagged wound left behind. Alana ducked under a swipe from its clawed feet and clicked on the handle of her zweihander to spring the second sword into her hand. "You're done for."
Saoron's lightning spell caught the demon in the face and it let out another pained shriek. It charged him in desperation, and Alana struck again. Her sword cut through the demon's right shoulder, fatally wounding it.
It fell on its side with a scream, and Alana spat out a mouthful of blood as she stalked towards the downed demon. "Any last words before I send you back to Oblivion?"
Its sightless head fixed on her and its jaws parted to speak in a very high pitched voice that would've frozen the blood of anyone else. "Your kind…has no place in this world. An abomination of the very gods—"
"Rhetorical question." Alana's sword came down through its skull and she twisted the heavy blade to finish it off. The demon's body spasmed for a bit before it finally stopped, and Alana pulled her sword out of its head and stepped back.
The demon's body began to dissolve into a pool of black acid just like the one the blonde had killed a few days ago, and she fell to her knees and let the sweat roll off of her like a heavy rain. She panted heavily and attempted to recover her breath, wobbling back up to her feet. Right now, Clockwork's massive blade felt much heavier than it usually did, and it took her a few extra seconds before she was capable of lifting her sword again.
Saoron was using one of his healing spells to close the cuts on his muscular arms, looking at the puddle of acid with his lip curled in disgust. "So, that's what Vaermina is capable of creating now. She's much more powerful than I thought."
He approached her after he finished taking care of his injuries. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Alana wiped the corner of her mouth, glaring at the spot where the demon dissolved. "Why did you come after me?"
"Well when you didn't show up after four hours, Captain Veleth got worried," Saoron replied evenly. "And it's a good thing I came when I did. You looked like an elk frozen in a saber cat's glare."
He took a sniff of the air around her, and his amber gaze became firm. "Alana…were you drinking again before you set out?"
"No." The lie rolled off her tongue easily. The brunet Breton didn't buy it and he merely folded his powerful arms. Alana rolled her eyes and looked away, feeling a twinge of shame. "Fine, maybe I did have a flagon's worth of whiskey at once, but so what? Why in Oblivion does it matter to you?"
"Because you're my friend, and I care about you," Saoron replied, trying to prevent frustration from seeping into his tone. "You know damn well you shouldn't drink that stuff the way you do."
"Ha. Don't make me laugh. Friends don't drag you into their mess." Alana looked down at the ground, rubbing her sore arm. She pulled Clockwork free from her holster and looked at its wide silver blade for a few moments before looking him in the eye and tossing it onto the ground at his feet. 'I've had enough of this. Better by his hand than someone else's.'
It fell with a clatter and he looked at the zweihander for a few moments. "Alana, what are you doing?"
"I want you to do it while you have the chance." Alana felt her cheeks become wet, and she swallowed a painful lump that had grown in her throat. "Please…"
"Alana…"
"DO IT!" Alana never raised her voice at him before, but at that moment she wanted nothing more than for him to take her sword in hand and run her through with it. "Kill me, please…"
Saoron looked at her and at the sword lying on the ground at his boots, and he picked it up. Alana closed her eyes, waiting for the searing pain followed by darkness. 'I'm sorry, Father. But it needs to be done. Better done by him than by Vaermina or Mephala.'
However the next thing she felt was a calloused hand on hers, forcing her to take the handle of her sword. She opened her eyes to see Saoron holding her hand, giving her weapon back to her. "No."
His voice was quiet but firm, and he put both hands on her shoulders. "You don't know what you're saying. You know you want to live, to keep your promise to her. And truth be told, there was another reason I wanted to find you. Captain Veleth and I finally found out where the damned ash spawn are coming from."
Alana took her sword, and for a moment she debated on taking it and slicing her throat open. 'It was easy for me to promise Serana I'd live for us. She didn't walk the path I did, do the things I did.'
"Where are they coming from?" she asked with a hoarse cough, ash getting in her throat.
"Apparently, they're being sent by General Falx Carius," Saoron answered. "He was the Imperial commander of the garrison at Fort Frostmoth, but the records indicate he was killed two hundred years ago when Red Mountain leveled the fort."
That got Alana's attention more than she initially thought it would. "We're dealing with a necromancer then, and a damned powerful one at that." 'I was right in my assumption after all. It is the doing of a necromancer.'
"Exactly my thoughts." Saoron nodded and reached for his glass sword, looking at the refined malachite. "Well, if there's one thing I hate almost as much those who abandon their friends, it's those who would desecrate the bodies of those who had lived with honor."
He pointed to a crumbling tower not too far away from them. "That's the fort. How do you want to do this? Go in loud or take them by surprise?"
Alana looked at him as if he grew a second head and disconnected the second sword from Clockwork. "You already know my answer." 'And maybe, you'll be lucky enough to pierce my heart afterwards. You don't need me.'
Saoron let out a quiet laugh and spun his sword in his hand. "Fine by me. Let's get a move on then."
Alana fell in behind him as they approached the crumbling ruin of Fort Frostmoth and she stopped when she heard a familiar buzzing sound. She put her hand up to signal for him to wait and she looked around cautiously. "Wait. Do you hear that?"
Saoron stopped to listen and he nodded after a few seconds, letting his free hand become cloaked in an Ice Spike spell. "I do. It sounds like a spriggan is nearby. Didn't think any of them would be alive on the island after Red Mountain erupted."
"Me neither. At least not around this part of Solstheim," Alana agreed. She couldn't see any trace of the unusual forest being amongst the scorched trees, but the buzzing still grew louder and louder. 'Dammit, where is it? Did it already turn invisible?'
She caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye and she ducked as a burning hot hand swung at her head. Alana spun around with her sword swinging and she saw their assailant. It looked like any other spriggan, save for its ashy red skin. It screeched and flames came out of the palms of its hands, and the Dragonborn jumped back out of reach. "What the hell is wrong with this thing!?" 'Since when can spriggans use fire spells!?'
"I don't know! I'd say it was changed from the eruption!" Saoron yelled back. A jagged spike of ice struck the spriggan in the chest and it let out a scream of pain, falling to the ground. With his eyes frosty Saoron cast another spell, a second spike of ice hitting it in the head. The spriggan's body burst into flames, and Alana shielded her eyes from the blast. Once the flames subsided, Saoron went over to inspect the body.
"Interesting," he murmured, picking up a piece of burnt spriggan wood that had fallen off from its host. He tapped it with the tip of his finger before putting it in his alchemy pouch. "Think I'll take it over to Milore later to see what we're dealing with. Never know what we could use it for."
Alana didn't say anything and instead chose to prod at its body with her foot. It was surprisingly brittle; one gentle poke was enough for the body to start crumbling. 'This island continues to surprise me more and more each day. Wonder what other secrets it holds?'
'Not that I'm going to live enough to uncover them.' If Saoron wasn't willing to do her the honor of killing her, then she'd take matters into her own hands.
She would do the deed herself.
Alana was terrified of the idea of taking her own life. But she couldn't see any other way for her to get what she so desperately yearned for. 'It has to be done. I have to die, for the world to continue surviving.'
The blonde vampire fought back a sob as she trudged through the thick ash, ducking under the burning limb of a tree as she followed Saoron to the fort. She could see a boat anchored at the pier and patrolling the tower were two of the wretched ash spawn.
"Get down," Saoron hissed. The two dropped down on their stomachs and the Breton frowned as he observed Fort Frostmoth. "Hmm. We have one up on the far tower, and who knows how many are behind the main gates. The two across from us need to be dealt with, but that sentry above will alert the others if we don't take it out."
Alana reached for her crossbow and slid a bolt into it. "I'll take it down."
"Think you'll make that shot from this distance?" Saoron whispered.
"Only one way to find out." Alana took aim, squinting at the ash spawn on top of the far tower. She took a deep breath to focus on it and fired on her exhale. The bolt soared through the air and struck the ash spawn directly between the eyes. 'Bull's eye.'
Saoron let out a quiet whistle beside her as the ash spawn tumbled from its perch in a pile of ash and ore. "Nice shot. And the others aren't even aware of the attack. So far so good."
Alana slid another bolt into her weapon, taking aim at the one by the docked ship as it was closest. A single shot later and it too was sent back to the ash from whence it came. The second sentry across from them was now on alert thanks to seeing its companion suddenly collapse and it summoned a fiery sword in its hand.
"That one knows something's up. Take it out quick, before it alerts any others in the area," Saoron murmured.
Alana fired a third steel bolt, and the abomination was no more. "We're clear."
The two got off of the ashy ground, wiping some of it off the front of their clothes, and they headed to the fort's front gates. It was eerily quiet, and Alana's hand reached for the handle of her sword. "Something's not right. It's quiet. Too quiet."
"I agree." Saoron's own sword was up and the two slowly moved towards the front of the fort. "Be on your guard."
Alana opened her mouth to reply when she felt the ground tremble and she sank her heavy sword into the ground to steady herself. "An earthquake!?"
A spot in the middle of the fort's courtyard began to bubble and pop, and out from a column of ash appeared a being neither of them had seen before. It was an ash spawn as tall and bulky as a frost atronach with plates of rock acting as armor on its shoulders and chest. A massive fiery red hammer was in its hands and it groaned before taking a swing at them.
Alana dodged the blow and let her lips part with a crash of thunder. "Fus Ro Dah!" The powerful blast of magic did little to harm it; it merely stumbled back, far too large to be affected by the Shout.
It recovered quickly and took another swing. The hammer met Saoron's shield and the brunet struggled to keep his foot, beads of sweat rolling down his face as he pushed it back and slashed across its chest. The tough malachite barely even scratched through the ash giant's torso and it slammed its foot down, forcing Saoron back.
Alana caught him before he ended up in the ocean and hefted him back onto his feet. "Any plans?"
"Keep moving and try to slow it down." Saoron spat out a mouthful of ash. "Use ice magic, if you can." He holstered his sword for a moment to cast both Ebonyflesh and Frost Cloak, covering himself in an aura of ice.
Alana opened her mouth again to use another Shout. "Fo Krah Diin!" The blast of icy magic struck the ash giant and ice began to slowly creep up its ashy limbs. A pair of frozen spears and hit it in the chest, puncturing the tough rocky armor.
It groaned in anger and swung its hammer again, and this time Alana's sword met the handle. With a growl she broke the weapon, and her follow up swing cut through its arm. The limb fell onto the ground and dissolved into a pile of ash and it roared in pain. Its remaining hand went to grab the blonde and Saoron struck, having snuck behind it. With a loud battle cry the Breton's glass sword sank into its body and the ash giant's glowing red eyes widened before it sank to its knees, the blade protruding from its chest.
Saoron removed his sword with a pant and Alana finished it off with one vicious swing of her zweihander. The heavy blade split its head in half to the chin and Alana panted for breath as the ash giant started to crumble into particles of dust. The damn thing was stronger than she initially thought it was, forcing her to use her Shouts.
Still, it wasn't as difficult as fighting demons or dragons, both of which were much more difficult to handle alone. She had been very lucky that Saoron had come to find her earlier; she wasn't beating that demon by herself.
Alana fused her swords together, feeling a powerful source of magic coming from the fort. 'There's strong magic here, and it's not from that ash giant. It doesn't feel daedric.'
'Still. Can't dismiss it yet.'
The front door was open slightly and Alana could see a trail of footprints leading into the fortress. Someone had been here, and recently.
She looked at Saoron and he nodded. "Don't worry. I'm watching your back." His two spells wore off and he drew his longsword. "This ought to be simple."
Upon entry, Alana could see that Fort Frostmoth had indeed suffered severe damage from Red Mountain's eruption. The back walls were crumbling and part of the main tower had collapsed into the floor, brick and stone lying in heaps.
Alana followed the foot prints down the hall to her right, pushing aside vines and roots that had grown from the ruined ceiling. 'This fortress is a mess. I'm surprised anyone bothered coming here. Then again, that never stopped necromancers from using filthy caves as their hideouts in Skyrim.'
She swatted away at a thick cobweb with a snarl of disgust. It clung to her shoulder, refusing to release her from its sticky snare, and she growled before she freed herself. A trail of wispy string was left behind her, and the blonde stopped when she saw a pair of ash spawn standing with their backs turned. 'Perfect. That's all I need.'
The vampire drew her sword and separated the two blades, putting the heavier of the two in her non-dominant hand. Alana had been trained to fight with her weapon in either hand, but never had she really practiced dual wielding in such a manner. She only picked up the skill after finding Clockwork and seeing that the sword could be split in two.
With the swords raised high she leapt at the unsuspecting ash spawn, swinging both blades. The ash spawn didn't even have time to turn around before the aetherium treated swords cut through their ashy bodies and turned them into piles of dust.
Alana caught her breath and Saoron went over to inspect the door they were guarding. "It's locked. I don't think even you could pick it." He gave the handle a tug to prove his point; the door simply was not going to budge. At least not in a conventional way.
Alana combined the two swords and took up a stance. "Out of the way." 'I could break my way through.'
Saoron backed away from the door and once he was a safe enough distance away, Alana swung with every bit of strength in her body. The sword broke through the door and Alana fell to her knees with a loud gasp. Doing that had used up a lot of her strength and she clutched her side as she got back up to her feet. "Door's open."
Saoron looked like he wasn't sure whether to thank her or sigh in exasperation as he stepped through the splintered remains.
Waiting for them was a man in Imperial armor, but on closer inspection his eyes were pure white without pupils. A strange glowing stone was in his chest and he reached for the massive warhammer on his back. "Fort Frostmoth will never fall! Long live the Empire!"
"The Empire is dead. As are you." Alana held her sword at the ready and braced herself for battle. "Your end is here."
"Men, attack the invaders!" the undead general yelled. Several ash spawn rose from the ground on his command and he leapt at Alana with a vicious swing of his hammer. The head of it met Clockwork's wide blade and Alana grimaced as she absorbed the hit.
She could sense the powerful enchantments on the weapon and she jerked her head over to Saoron. "Take care of the ash spawn! This one is mine!" She clicked on the handle and sprung the second sword into her hand, taking a swipe at Carius.
Carius blocked the blow and spun his hammer around to try and catch her in the chest. The hammer met the zweihander again and the general hissed in fury. "Damn you. You're skilled, for a woman. But you are no match for the Empire. You will be crushed like the rest of them."
"You wish I was a normal woman." Alana gritted her teeth and forced him back with a heavy downward swing. Carius managed to block the strike but he still stumbled from the force, his hammer falling from his hands.
He reached for the weapon to defend himself, but the blonde's swing of her second sword impaled the man through the chest. Carius let out a pained gasp and he looked down at the sword sticking out of his body. "I've…I've failed…"
Alana withdrew her blade and rebuilt her sword, resting it on her shoulder. The ash spawn he was commanding suddenly disintegrated; without him giving them orders, they would no longer be a threat to Raven Rock. It was over. Now, there was only one thing left for her to do.
"It's over. It's finally over." Saoron put his hand on her shoulder, wiping sweat and ash from his face. "We better head back to Raven Rock and tell Captain Veleth of the news."
"You better get going, then." Alana turned her back and climbed the ladder to her right. She soon found herself standing on the very top of the tower and she looked at Red Mountain across the sea.
"Do it. You know you want to. Do it now and rid the world of its poison."
'I will...' Alana's undead heart thumped painfully in her chest, threatening to burst out of her body, and she took a few steps closer to the edge. 'I have to.'
"Alana, what in Oblivion do you think you're doing?"
The blonde turned around to see that Saoron had followed her up, and she gave him a sad smile. "Doing what needs to be done. I'm tired of seeing the ones I care about get hurt because of me. You've been a good friend to me. But it's time I took matters into my own hands."
She took a step back, feeling the hard stone slowly starting to turn to ash the further she went towards the edge. "Goodbye…"
She closed her eyes and let herself fall.
"NO! ALANA!"
A/N: I know. I'm an asshole for ending this chapter this way. But honestly, the additions I had previously made to it didn't feel like they fit in this chapter. I'll save it for the next update. See you all soon
C. Strife #5371