It all started as all the best stories did. In a bar with our heroine, me nursing a drink as I chatted up the bartender.
"Don't see to many of your kind around here lately." The Bartender's yellow cat like eyes looked at me curiously. "So, what brings you to Rimmen, Breton."
Rimmen is a large city in northeastern Elsweyr, near the border to Cyrodiil. Elsweyr itself is a region that lies on the southern coast of Tamriel. The place was divided into two major climates, a desert wasteland in the south and then a bountiful jungle in the north.
The city of Rimmen had once belonged to the Khajiit, but was then lost to the races of Man. And men being men discriminated against the native Khajiit. The local clans were pushed out. The Khajiit that stayed were then addicted to skooma. A refined version of moon sugar, a sacred substance to the Khajiit and a very powerful drug. But mostly it was used to sweeten everything that the Khajiit eat.
What are Khajiit you might ask?
Well basically, something like a cross between human and lions. Somewhat like the concept of a werewolf. As in the form they take depends on the position of the moons. From anywhere to a four-legged beast, to something like that of a human.
Because of the war with the Thalmor and Aldmeri Dominion, the Imperial Legion was spread thin to the point that they had to pull out of Rimmen and Elsweyr itself to reinforce the war fronts.
And without the Legion backing them the humans that were controlling the last bits of the civilized areas of Elsweyr were ousted. Now the country of Elsweyr was back in the complete control of the Khajiit, even if the Khajiit clan themselves weren't completely together. The races of Men and Mer were no longer welcome within the border, though not completely prohibited as merchants and traders still passed through. But men that wandered off the beaten path in Elsweyr had a habit of disappearing.
"You didn't answer, Breton. What are you doing here? Elsweyr isn't so kind to your ilk anymore." A second Khajiit, one of the Cathay breeds, said. The threat clear in his voice. His fur was a motley mix of browns and his one memorable feature was that he was missing one ear.
The One Ear was backed up by two other Khajiit, all the same breed as well. One had a rusted brown color to his fur. While the other was deep black. All of them were dressed in leather armor. Also, I could smell the mix of skooma and alcohol on their breath. A dangerous combination that.
Probably addicts looking for funds to enjoy their habits. I must have looked like an easy target, a human in a bar surrounded by beast men.
"Dragons." I said to the bartender. Ignoring the three Khajiit that slowly surrounded me.
The bartender eyed the surrounding Khajiit and was starting to slowly back away when my voice stopped him. He looked at me, at what I thought was, a bit of fear. "Dragons you say. Huh, I uh… heard rumors that there were dragons sighted around here. But that was a while ago."
"You're right." I smiled at him, as the other Khajiit looked confused at being ignored. "Most dragons are content to live in Skyrim these days. But a few have decided to migrate around Tamriel. Some were drawn here because of the story of a powerful dragon that once lived here. I heard that they wanted to follow in his path."
"Kaalgrontiid." The bartender spoke in the same tone Nords did when mentioning Alduin. A strange mixture of fear and awe. He leaned forward eagerly now, the cup in his hands placed down. "Follow how?"
"Dragons are the children of Akatosh, or Alkosh as your people call him, the god of time. As such the strongest of his children could manipulate his domain. Alduin the eldest of their kind was proficient in the art of reversing time, of himself and others. To the point that he could revive long dead dragon and reverse any injury done to him. Making him and his army practically invincible." I explained as I sipped from my too sweet drink, as it along with everything in Elsweyr was loaded with moon sugar.
I on the other hand was surprisingly good at stopping time, which did wonders for my figure.
"How do you know something like that?" The bartender looked at me skeptically. "You some kind of dragon hunter?"
"Something like that." I admitted with a laugh.
"So, what does that have to do with Kaalgrontiid?"
"Dragons only respect strength and as Alduin was the strongest. The dragons followed his will. Kaalgrontiid didn't want to be subservient to Alduin, so he came here to find a power to match Alduin. Instead all Kaalgrontiid found was death. So, come to our current time and Alduin returns to take back his kingdom. Then he gets killed as well. The dragons then decided to obey the one who killed him, the one they call…"
"Dovahkiin, the last Dragonborn." The Bartender finished. "That tale has even made it all the way here."
"It has?" I asked, though was not generally surprised, it had been a few decades since the events of the dragon crisis. It was enough time for the story to spread.
"Did you ever meet him, the Dragonborn?" The bartender asked me.
"Him?" I choked on my drink a little. So even if the story spread, I guess some of the details were lost. "So, after the death of Alduin The Dragonborn could have hunted the rest of the dragons down. But decided to be nice and let them live if none of them attacked any innocent people, and those that did met their end by The Dragonborn's hands. So, a couple of dragons disagreed with The Dragonborn's command, but didn't have to power to oppose them. So, they…"
"Hey! Stop ignoring us you…" One ear started to roar.
"Gol Hah, go away and clean yourselves up in a river somewhere." I snapped and bent their will.
The three Khajiit's eyes glazed over and their arms went slack and without another word, they left the bar. I had half a mind to kill them, but I didn't want to get up out of my chair for them. The bartender looked at the departing Khajiit and then to me with fear in his eyes. All noise in the bar stopped as everyone focused on me.
"Don't worry about any of that." I said to the entire bar. The bartender's eyes glazed over along with everyone who heard my voice. I tapped my empty glass against the wooden counter. After a moment, the bartender eyes regained focus as he refilled it with that same too sweet drink that I've been enjoying the entire night.
"Where was I? Right dragons. So, the dragons wanted to beat The Dragonborn, but lacked the power to do so. They then got it in to their heads that they could follow in Kaalgrontiid's path and gain enough power to kill The Dragonborn. I heard about it, tracked them down, and here we are." I finished my tale as I polished off another drink.
"You fought a group of dragons?" The bartender looked at me in disbelief, though his eyes kept flickering to the door the three Khajiit left out of.
"I had words with them, and they saw the error of their ways." I slumped forward and sighed drunkenly. How was it that I've reached a point in my life where an attacking dragon was once a thing of nightmares have now become a source of annoyance. "Dammit!"
"Are you okay?" The bartender asked as he refilled my empty glass that I was tapping on the counter again.
"I'm SOOO booorrreed! Is this what The Ebony Warrior felt like!" I cried out as slammed my face on the counter; bitter tears welled up in my eyes. "I wished something interesting would happen already!"
"Wish granted."
"Huh?" I sat up straight at the sound of the voice. That wasn't the bartender, so who? Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention as a figure took the seat next to me.
A black furred housecat sat on its haunches as it stared up at me. I ignored it as I tried to find the source of the voice. It was right next to me, but I couldn't see anyone close enough to have said it, as the rest of the patrons of the bar had went back to minding their own business. Just as I was losing patience and was about to leave the tavern the voice spoke again.
"Down here."
I looked back at the cat and it looked back at me a smile on its lips.
"So, is this interesting enough for you?" The cat said in a distinctively male voice.
"An Alfiq." I said in realization.
Alfiq were another breed that the Khajiit could become. Unlike their bipedal counterpart the Cathay that looked like a humanoid cat. The Alfiq appeared as an unassuming housecat. As such people unfamiliar with Khajiit treated them as no better than animals. It was the main reason why none of them ever venture beyond the borders of Elsweyr. They also tended to be treated a bit affectionately.
"Aren't you just the cutest little thing around!" I cried out as I scoped the little Alfiq into my arms. I swear they had some kind of power, not even normal cats looked that cute.
"If I knew it was this easy to get close to you, I would have done this years ago." The Alfiq spoke in a deep rich male voice. He wiggled out of my grip and jumped on the counter.
"We've met before?" I asked as the voice was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.
"My form may look a little different. But none can mistake my lovely presence." The Alfiq strutted around in a circle around my drink. Then he laid down and began to lap at it.
I looked closely at the Alfiq. His fur had an ebony luster and his eyes shone with an unnatural brightness. But of all things that clued me into his identity was his smell. A fruity intoxicating scent, that did more to get me drunk than the night of drinking that I've been doing.
"Sam Guevenne?" Also known as Sanguine the Daedric Prince of Debauchery.
"In the flesh."
"Why are you an Alfiq?" I wondered as the more powerful Daedra could choose to look like whatever they want.
"Why not?" Sam shot back as he stretched himself along the counter. "I'm starting to see why the others like masquerading as animals, it's kind of fun."
"Did you show up just to show off?"
"No, sadly this is a business call." Sam sighed as he… pulled a pipe from nowhere. Because he wasn't wearing any clothes. But I wasn't going down that rabbit hole. Holding it between to claws Sam laid on his side as he slowly took a drag on his pipe.
"Cute." I mumbled to myself as I continued. "What business?"
"Someone has been attacking the other Princes." Sam spoke so casually that it took a moment for his words to sink in. when they did my blood ran cold.
"What do you mean attacking the Princes? How is something like that even possible?" I harshly whispered to the cat.
"It's more common than you think. Sometimes a mortal or daedra gets lucky and manages to get one over on us from time to time. You're one such mortal after all. It's good when it happens, keeps us on our toes." Sam explained puffing out rings of smoke.
"If it's normal then why are you here?"
"Because whoever did this went after all the Princes, manage to triumph over us and stole power from each of us as well. Individually it wouldn't matter much, but when you add it all up. Well it could be the birth of a new Prince."
"Then do something about it. I doubt whoever it is couldn't match the lot of you together."
"You know as well as I that us Princes don't work well together. None of them will even admit they were attacked, as that would be admitting that they could be attacked. Some of the other believe it is one of us that is doing it and are on the brink of going to war with each other." Sam
"That doesn't explain why you're here talking to me?" I asked, my drink left to sit on the counter.
"I found the one responsible, but I ran into a roadblock in my pursuit." Sam admitted, embarrassment clear in his voice.
"Roadblock?" I asked skeptically.
"The Being in Question sealed themselves away in a realm that is warded against us Princes and even makes it hard for us to see inside."
"Just the Princes, then…" I trailed off the idea clear in my head when Sam interrupted me.
"Send something that isn't on the level of a Prince, had the same idea. But the children that I sent didn't come back, and those of a significant strength couldn't pass through. I need someone strong enough to survive but isn't a Daedra." Sam looked at me directly, the person he needed right in front of him.
"So, you came to me." I said putting the pieces together.
"My favorite human."
"Sounds dangerous what's in it for me?"
"My love and admiration."
"Pass."
"Piles of gold?"
"Just weighs me down these days, pass."
Sam looked disgruntled as he tried to think of something to bribe me with, eventually his eyes lit up. Slyly he said. "How about a couple of bottles from my personal brew."
I looked at him intrigued. "Personal brew?"
"It is something I've been working on for eons. Call it Soma, the drink of the Gods. The kind of drink that only my most devote of followers ever have a chance of drinking. But, for you my friend I'd offer up an entire bottle." Sam smiled like he caught a canary.
Decisions, decisions. This honestly sounded like the most interesting thing I'll hear about this decade. On the other hand, anyone who decides to make an enemy of the Daedric Princes is not someone that should be approached carelessly. But if what Sam said was true then the birth of a new Prince could upset the balance in Oblivion. Because if it were possible for anyone to approach the power of a Daedric Prince, there was no telling how many others would try. Just like the dragons that tried to be the next Kaalgrontiid. I let out a sigh as I polished off my drink and made my decision.
"Two bottles and I'll do it."
"We have ourselves a deal, then." Sam laughed as he hopped off the counter and left the bar.
Looking back on it and just where this will lead, I knew doing this was a mistake. But, at the time I was way deep in the bottles and bored out my skull, so it seemed like a good idea at the time.
I stood up wobbling a bit as I did as I made my way after Sam.
"Wait!" the bartender shouted. "You haven't paid for the bottles you've drank!"
Right knew I was forgetting something. I hobbled back to the bartender and searched through my satchel. After a moment of digging through it I was able to produce a gem the size of my fist. Placing it down on the table I looked at the bartender. "Will this do?"
"Yeah, this is good." The Bartender said as he hefted the ruby in his hand.
"Great keep the rest as a tip for listening to me gripe." I gave the cat a nod and walked out the door and into the warm desert air of Elsweyr, or I was supposed to. Because the moment my feet cleared the threshold of the bar, I stepped outside to the top of a hill that overlooked what looked like farmland with a forest surrounding it as a border. Turning around revealed that the door I had just stepped through was gone as well. Looking out into the distance I could see that a large patch of land was just gone. Leaving behind a large gaping hole that led into an abyss. Something tells me that is where I'm supposed to go.
XxX
It took me a good hour to make it to the pit. Which was a good thing as it allowed me to sober up. I took my time on the walk there to observe the realm around me.
Each Daedric prince was an entire world on to themselves. It was the single quality that made them, them. Any being could establish control over a realm of Oblivion but those were always temporary and ended with the being's death. But the Princes were the realm and the bodies that they use to interact with the world were avatars, simple puppets.
Sanguine had created the realm known as Myriad Realms of Revelry, a congeries of one hundred thousand pocket and sub-realms of Oblivion. The realm was unique in the way that they were not made to serve Sanguine but to meet the needs and desires of its visitants.
I watched as a tiny creature scurried by me. It was completely naked, with fur covering its lower body. Its rat-like tail swung back and forth as it scurried along on all fours on the trail I was walking. Its large ears twisted in my direction as it passed me by. On its back was a large basket filled with berries plucked from the field.
The creature was a Scamp, one of the lesser sentient Daedra of Oblivion, who often enter Mundus to cause mischief and carry out errands for their Princes. They are weak, unintelligent, and cowardly. Useful as pack mules and if professionally trained a real terror to fight in large enough numbers.
It wasn't the only Scamp around, there were dozens of them each one carrying a basket. Not to the hole I was heading toward but the town in the distance.
The hole that I could now see the edge of. As I approached the perimeter of it, I noticed the large amount of daedra surrounding the circumference of the hole. Each one was armed with a variety of weapons, their eyes were on the hole waiting for anything or anyone that might come out of it.
Near the edge looking over it and into the abyss stood another daedra. A large portly fellow, bald with four horns curving from his skull. He had a long face, with the dark-skinned features of a Dunmer, a dark elf. Dressed in the gaudiest robes he could find stood Lord Sanguine, The Daedric Prince of Debauchery.
"Is this how the other Princes have been attacked?" I asked.
"I can only assume. The other were not that forthcoming in details." He replied airily.
"What was here?"
"A special brand of berries that I have invested a lot of my power into over the eons." Sanguine sighed. "I had made such great wine from those to."
I looked around again and besides the hole in the ground and the surrounding daedra, I couldn't see anything that could lead to who did this.
"I thought you found a path?"
"I did." Sanguine nodded towards the hole.
"You can't be serious?" I replied deadpan.
"Never." Sanguine said with a smile. "But that is the only way forward and you will have to jump."
As I wondered if this was an elaborate way to kill me, Sanguine handed me a bottle. It was as long as my forearm and thick as it to. The glass was black with a red label with a picture of a rose printed on the front.
"One bottle of Soma now and another bottle when you get back." Sanguine explained, he then gestured for me to step forward and jump into a pit of darkness that led to where even the gods did not know.
"You know." I said as I place the bottle in my satchel. "Now that I'm starting to sober up. I think this might be a bad…"
A hand slammed into my back in an open palm slap sending me a few steps forward and over the edge. The sudden rush of air and movement panicked me to the point that I couldn't think of a spell to cast or a Thu'um to speak before I was free-falling into the darkness.
"IIIIDDDDEEEEAAAAAAAAAA!"
The last thing I heard before everything went dark was a cheerful Sanguine saying "Good luck."
XxX
I came to consciousness half buried in sand and convinced that the whole conversation with Sanguine was a drunken hallucination and I only got blackout drunk and wandered into the desert. But when I finally freed myself from the sand dune and stood up, I couldn't recognize any of the surrounding landscape.
Looking up showed that there were no stars, no moons, and no sun. Just an empty expanse of a black sky. Examining the surrounding around me just revealed sand, sand, and more sand. The only thing worthy of note was a city I could barely make out in the distance and the only reason I could see it was because of the massive tower that erupted from the center of it. I couldn't make out much detail from this distance, but I could see that the tower was tall enough that clouds had formed around the tip. Best bet was that the Daedra I was looking for was in that tower.
As I began my walk towards it, I could feel a pit form in my stomach as a feeling overwhelm me. it had my palms sweating and was making it hard to breathe. It had been so long since I had last felt it that it took me a moment to put it in to a singular word.
It was Dread.
As I took a moment to process that, the sand behind me erupted as a long serpentine figure emerged. What could pass for its head turned towards me and let out a bone shaking screech as it hurled itself at me.
"That's new." I muttered as I jumped away from it, turn around and ran like hell was following me.
XxX
My feet thumped along the sand as I ran with everything that I had. Magicka flooding my body fortifying my physique to the point that I could run down a galloping horse. It was hard to turn at this speed as a single mistake could send me crashing to the ground and skidding along it.
I didn't have a choice but to keep moving this fast because…
"Gaoh!"
The sand behind me erupted as the large worm-thing emerged. The hide of it was a dark brown the color of mud. Chitin covered it like armor. Its long-segmented body ended in a mouth large enough to swallow a dragon and it was opened wide to do that very thing to me. The teeth that lined its mouth were the size of swords.
"Why does something like you exist!" I shouted at the creature. This wasn't even the first one that had attacked me.
The worm responded by crashing down into the sand and burrowing underneath, the attack barely missed me but the force of its plunge was enough to send sand erupting outward in a wave that knocked me forward and sent me rolling head over ass. A burst of wind from my hands stopped my movement. Though as I tried to stand the sand beneath my feet turned to quicksand, and I was rapidly starting to sink into it.
A cone quickly formed in the sand with the worm in the center. Its mouth opened wide as it patiently waited for me to be pulled down close enough to it. Flipping to my back I pointed both hands down at the creature and focused. The air in front of me began to shift and spin. Faster and faster a charge built up between my palms and before the worm could react a solid blue beam of lightning pierced it down the middle. It let out a tiny gurgle as it died. The sand quickly coming down to bury it and me.
I then began the lengthy process of extracting myself from the sand before I ended up buried beneath. Or I tried to, but the sand was to loose and all I managed to do was get buried quicker.
"A little help here?!" I shouted out as loud as I could my lower body completely submerge. I reached out extending my hand as far as I could as I blindly groped for something. A moment passed and I could feel in my grip a piece of leather. I grabbed the leather and the one on the other end of it pulled and dragged me out of the sandpit.
Soon I found myself back on flat ground and stood up. I started to pat myself down and remove as much sand as I could while hearing silent snickering filling my ears.
"You could have help." I said bitterly to the one who helped me.
Towering over me, his fur the color of a moonless midnight, his breath as cold as death, and eyes red as freshly spilt blood. Shadowmere looked from me then the pit and back again. I could almost hear his response.
"That doesn't count." I corrected him as I mounted his saddle and took a hold of his reins. A crack of his reins and Shadowmere took off in a canter towards the city.
After ten or so minutes of moving along the rolling dunes of the desert and avoiding any more of those sandworm monsters. I was finally close enough to examine the tower and the city that surrounded it.
The entire city had a giant fortress wall built around it. The style of the wall reminded me of the one that surrounded the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. Pouring magicka into my eyes and fortifying them I could spot the ballistas stationed at places along the wall. Along with the several armored guards that paroled on top of it. None of them seemed to have spotted me this far away but I wager if I got closer, I would end up being seen and fired upon.
The tower was the centerpiece that the city was built around, with other buildings fashioned around it in a circular fashion. The base of the tower looked wide enough to fit a mansion inside and it extended upwards to such lengths that it almost looked like it was holding up the sky. Knowing how some realms worked it just well might. The tower was made of obsidian-like black material with a dark crimson inlay that almost looked like grasping hands extending towards the sky. Near the top, I saw what I had first assumed were clouds were in fact floating stone masses. 17 of them, the same number as the Daedric Princes. That of course couldn't be a coincidence. They were too high up for me to see what was on them though.
It was an impressive sight I had to admit.
"So, how do I get inside? Could I climb the wall, or maybe do I walk around and look for an entrance?" One would be quick but would cause to much attention and end in a fight with a city I knew nothing about. The other way would take longer and give me a chance to scout out the city, that is if there was a gate built into the wall somewhere.
Shadowmere jerked his head sideways at something that caught his attention.
It was a progression of beings making a pilgrimage to the city. It was a motley group of daedra. I didn't know much about the creation of the Daedra. Only that some are spawn within the infinite chaos of Oblivion, while others were personal breeds crafted by the princes themselves. The Daedra making their way to the city seems to be a mixture of both types.
No matter how the Daedra were created, the lesser ones all obeyed one of the Princes, though they were not completely beholden to them. Some daedra could abandon their current master and serve a new one through an Oath Bond.
These one must have heard about this realms ruler and wanted to rise from their current standings, or they could be spies from the other Princes to gain information on the current upstart.
The pilgrimage walked along the path marked by crosses. Crosses that had bodies nailed to them, fortunately the bodies look to have been dead for a while. Seriously, what kind of sick fuck runs this place.
I followed along their trail at a distance to not be spotted, as I observed where they were heading. Eventually the pilgrims enter the city through a gate guarded by what looked to be Daedric Giants. They were easily four times larger than me and twice as wide. They were covered from head to toe in black plate armor, the only bit of flesh I could see were the blue glow of their eyes. Both had in their grip a two handed battleaxe that could pass for steel trees.
"Come on." I gave Shadowmere's reins a flick and hurried to join the progression as we neared the cross marked path, I hopped off Shadowmere and he sunk downward into my shadow waiting for my call to bring him out again.
"Excuse me." I said as I slipped in between a Daedroth, a crocodile headed behemoth and an Ogrim, a short rotund creature with a frog-like head and horns.
They looked at me confused for a moment as I was a human and didn't belong in this plane. The confusion then turned to anger as they made to reach out for me, but I was already slipping further into the crowd. They tried to move forward, only to be rebuffed by the other daedra next to them. I quickly then to avoid a panic weaved a faint illusion spell around me, that would make others notice me less, it would not protect me if I drew to much attention to myself. But it was enough to enable me to slip through the crowd and make my way towards the looming gate and the giants standing guard.
The giants were like all guards stuck on gate duty. They lazily looked over the group and past them to the horizon not focused on anything and waiting for their shift to end.
Stepping past the unfocused guards I took a good look at the city. A realm took the shape of the one who ruled it. As such you can sometimes tell what kind of a person runs the land based off the land itself. What I saw stepping through the gate was a completely normal city. The buildings were made of stone and wood. There were metal pillars spaced out periodically around the street, each one with a magelight encase in glass lighting up the city. There wasn't much else to see when I was this close to the gate, if I wanted to see the city in full, I would have to explore a bit. I could see that the people at least were walking around without a care in the world.
And I do mean people. Actual humans, they had the darker skin tones of a Redguard. Some paused at the entrance, looking curious but not frighten of at a large group of daedra and after a moment they went back to what they were doing.
The was a single Daedra that didn't come with the group but was standing infront waiting for us. The cut of the armor gave the Daedra a distinctive female appearance. Her armor was an exquisitely crafted masterwork that was made of what I could only guess was ebony. It was then matched beautifully with a golden inlay that radiated an inner light. she also had a longsword strapped to her waist.
The knight waved us forward and spoke in a language I couldn't identify. The knight turned on her heels and walked off on a side path. The other Daedra followed her. They were also headed away from the tower.
I couldn't have that, so I stepped away from the others and hid underneath a shadow until they walked far enough away that I could no longer see them. The illusion spell kept them from noticing me at all. When they were all gone, I made my way to the nearest Redguard, a man that was sitting on a bench seemingly taking a break.
"Hey, I'm new in town and could use some directions." I asked the man with the friendliest smile I could do.
The Redguard snapped his head towards me, eyes wide as he jabbered at me. "▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪"
"Fuck." I cursed I couldn't understand the language he spoke. I was going to have to find someone who knew it and… no that wasn't something I needed to do for something trivial. "Sorry." I bowed my head to the man and left.
"▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪" The man called after me, but I ignored him.
I headed then to the only place I could get some answers from and made my way to the tower. It was easier said than done though. As the tower might have been at the center of the city the path to get there was like running through a labyrinth, with every wayward corner leading to a dead end. I was unable to get directions as I couldn't understand anyone. So, it took me the better part of the hour to make it to the courtyard surrounding the tower.
The courtyard was surrounded by another wall with only a single archway that served as its entrance. Through the arch I could see a paved path that led to a staircase that rose to the entrance of the tower. There didn't look to be any grass or anything growing around the tower, just dirt.
The moment I stepped through the archway entrance into the courtyard I was under attack. Two giant guards standing within the courtyard and just as huge as the ones guarding the gate into the city swung down their war axes at me to cleave me in two.
I rolled forward spun around and released twin bolts of lightning at the guards. The spells splashed off their armor, like water off a duck's back. Resistant to magic, check.
I stood up taking a breath as I let magicka circulate through my body fortifying and strengthening it as much as possible. There was a problem however as the magicka felt clunky and the spell didn't do as well a job as it should.
I'm more out of practice more than I thought. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. It wasn't a real problem, just embarrassing.
The giants charged me bellowing a war cry that probably alerted the city that there was a problem. I charged forward as well; except I was silent.
If I was a decade younger two armored giants charging for me would have given me paused. But now I know, armored or not a giant was a giant and they all had the same weakness.
I reached the first giant as it swung away at me. The moment before it hit me, I jumped over it and landed on the handle. My hand aglow with me next spell. Another jump and I was at his elbow. The spell released and I was now holding two ethereal scimitars. My next jump and I was on the giant's shoulder, my blade carving through its unarmored neck. One final jump and I was on the second giant, my blades piercing through its eyes and reaching its brain.
I let go of the swords as I fell, landing on the ground moments before the two corpses did. Their impact causing me to leave the ground for a moment. Giants were always too damm slow.
I reached out and pluck the essences of the two daedra before they could pass into the void were, they would remain until their physical bodies could be restored and ate them. Ensuring that they were permanently dead. A fact that if was ever known to the Daedra would probably terrify them. As otherwise the Daedra were immortal.
I didn't have time to decipher the information the two guards had as I knew their cries had most likely alerted whoever counted as guards to my presence. Going back the way I came would only lead me into a platoon of guards so instead I went forward onto the tower. The doorway inside was atop a fleet of stairs that were shaped to look like kneeling people.
Charming, I thought to myself. Reaching the doorway, I found no way inside. No knob or lock not even a door, just a solid piece of stone. The archway surrounding the stone had runes carved in, so there had to be a trick to get inside.
It might be like the door to the sanctums of the Dark Brotherhood and needs a password. What to say, what to say. Ah, I know I'll use the universal password.
I took a step back from the door spreading my feat shoulder length apart and bracing myself I took a deep breath and shouted at the top of my lungs.
"Fus Ro Dah!"
A massive wave of force erupted from my mouth, previously it was strong enough to knock down fortress walls and knock a dragon out of the sky. This time though I focused the power of my Thu'um into a single point infront of me. it was no wonder then when the stone door disintegrated. It was faint over the roar of force, but I could hear faint screams coming from the door itself. I could then hear multiple footfalls and heavy ones at that, as more people were starting to rush into the courtyard. Not wanting to deal with that I stepped inside. I figured if I could get them to chase me through the doorway, I could leisurely kill them one at a time. It was as I step through that I felt something brush past my feet as the shattered stone rushed past beneath my, nearly knocking me on my ass. The stone bits quickly filled the archway and melted together erasing all damage done. The stone kept shifting as a face formed within.
The face glared at me a snarl on its lips. "YOU DARE!" it roared at me.
At its roar something pulled at me. The feeling itself was strange and familiar, I couldn't place it. The stone face looked smug at me as the feeling persisted. I felt weak, like any second, I would collapse. I realized then what it was. It felt like when I devoured souls but in reverse. It was trying to eat my soul. A smile crept up my lips then as I extended a hand towards the face. I yanked on that feeling and the face's eyes widen.
"This is not possible." The stone face looked strained as the pull on my soul increased in strength.
"You really shouldn't bite off more than you can chew." I replied. My eyes glowed faintly as a shouted again. "Zii Los Dii Du!"
Zii Los Dii Du, a Thu'um crafted by my 'brother' Miraak. The words meant Spirit is mine devour. It was in my opinion and his, the truth of what a dragon was. It's one purpose was to snatch the souls of those still leaving and eat them immediately. In this case the soul in question was mine. My strength returned instantly, and I could feel something more come along with it.
"No!" the stone face screamed out in terror, the link between us breaking instantly. "What are you?"
"Kiera." I replied, then asked something of it. "Who are you?"
"I'm the Gatekeeper of the Tower." The Gatekeeper said, it looked smug then curious. "How did you end up here?"
"Fell through a hole in the ground." I answered, then to keep the conversation going I asked another question. "If you're the Gatekeeper, where can I find the ruler of this realm?"
"At the top."
"Figures. Longshot but you wouldn't mind helping me get there would you?"
"I am the Gatekeeper of this tower, but my reach extends far beyond this door. You who have stolen a fraction of my power should have no trouble making your way forward." The Gatekeeper said helpfully.
Too helpfully.
"Any reason why you're being so helpful?"
The Gatekeeper laughed, the sound like screams for mercy. "When you reach the top, you are going to wish I had killed you."
With that ominous warning I walked away from the Gatekeeper, its laughter following me as I examine the room. The antechamber was simply a small sitting chamber with nothing important in it except for some simple furniture. The most interesting part was the that the room looked to have been carved out of a single stone instead of built from several smaller ones.
The chamber led into a tunnel that was wide and tall enough to walk through without any worry of hitting the ceiling or the sides of the wall. The path forward was illuminated by magelights attached to the wall in decorative sconces.
I slowly made my way through the tunnel all my senses on high alert for any kind of trap.
Fortunately, there were no traps that I could find. Unfortunately, someone had took the time to paint the walls in a disturbing mosaic. Scenes of bloodshed and conquests taken from what had to have been an army on the cruelest campaign imaginable. The images were hard to decipher individually as there was no solid shape, everything just blended together in an orgy of violence and death.
"Weird." I muttered to myself as I continued down the tunnel. The path opened to a room large enough to fit a home in it. There weren't any lights lit in this room. The only illumination came from the ones in the tunnel and those lights only went so far.
What I could see though were three rows of pillars evenly spaced throughout the room. More were behind them in a row but they extended into the dark so I couldn't count how many there were.
In the center of the room I could barely make out through the gloom an ornate pedestal. On top of the pedestal was an orb, it was floating a few inches off the top of the pedestal.
"LAAS." I whispered as I stepped into the room. A wave of energy rushed out of me and stretched along the entire room. Revealing that there was no one in there waiting to spring a nasty surprise.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief at that and made my way to the pedestal. I held my hand out with the palm facing upward creating an orb of light to help me see better.
I reached the pedestal and took my time examining it. There were multiple runes engraved in a circle around the floating orb.
Magic, I learned a long time ago was a lot like languages, just as there were many ways to say the same thing, there were just as many types of magics that could accomplish the same thing. At the same time if you try and talk to someone that speaks a different language from you then you're probably going to run into some problems, same with magic from another style than your own.
The trick I found was to find common ground within both types.
My own style of magic revolved around five schools of thought. To master even one of the schools required intense training and a mind suited to the principles each one employed. In that way it was impossible to master all schools unless you were certifiably insane.
I chuckled nervously under my breath.
The circle was reminiscent of the now-defunct school of Mysticism. More specifically the part of Mysticism that was about magical transportation.
The College of Winterhold barely held any books about that kind of magic. So, I was happy as hells when I found the 'Gate' spell. It made traveling across the frozen wastes of Skyrim so much easier.
The pedestal seemed enchanted with a variation to a type of 'Mark' and 'Recall' magic.
'Recall was faster than 'Gate' but required the user to have applied a 'Mark' somewhere before. It was also riskier, if the 'Mark' was destroyed than the 'Recall' would have no effect. The 'Mark' could also dissipate if you traveled too far away from it or someone moves it without you knowing and you end up recalling yourself straight into a trap.
Using this thing was too dangerous, I'll have to find another way out of here.
I left the pedestal alone and sent out multiple orbs of magelights around the room to light up the darkness and hopefully find an exit. As the darkness cleared and I looked around the room the only exit I could see was the tunnel I came in through.
I sighed, a locked room with only a pedestal that could teleport you. The way forward was obvious. I reached out and gripped the orb. A pulse of energy rippled up my arm, one of both agonizing heat and bone deep chill.
A feeling came over me, one that was hard to describe. Somewhere between a new limb being attached and a sense I never knew I had awakening. I saw, felt, and heard the tower.
This must be the thing I stole from the Gatekeeper, I mused, its essence was acting as a key for this thing.
I was standing in a web of sorts. A node that stretch out and connected to others that then reached out to more and more all the way up to the sky. I sent my mind out through the web searching for anything that could be important.
Several stood out to me, but one especially drew me towards it. It was wrapped tight in multiple wardings and bindings. Not to keep anything out I thought, but to keep something in instead.
A prison.
"Prisoners might be easier to get information out of than any type of guard this place might have." I said out loud. I focused on that prison node and felt the rest of myself being pulled towards it.
The room around me disappeared and a new one took its place. I blinked at what I found.
The place felt like a prison, but what I saw felt homely. It was a small room, with no exit but the pedestal I was standing next to. Four walls, the one in front of me had a bookshelf against it and a chest that was opened with discarded clothes within. A desk was placed on the adjacent wall. A pile of papers and inkwell set on top next to a lamp, the only source of light in the room. A bed was placed opposite of the desk, it was unmade with the blank crumpled and laying on the floor.
A woman lay on the bed a book opened and covering her face, but not her long black curvy hair. One of her dark-skinned arms dangled of the side, the fingers slightly strumming the cords of a lute that laid on the floor. The other had lifted her tunic showing off a trim stomach as she scratched her belly. She was dressed in a purple and blue finery that better suited a noble attending a ball than one lazing around in bed.
"What do ya want now?" She wined not moving an inch, her voice had a musical quality to it.
I said nothing, just observing her to see what else she might say.
"This solitary confinement crap is getting to be a pain, I don't need the silent treatment on top of it." She continued; her fingers stopped strumming her lute.
I kept quiet.
"Fine, be that way you…" She lifted her book to eye me and stopped talking. "… huh?"
"Hi." I gave her a wave and smile.
The woman shot up; her book fell off her pretty face. She had eyes were almond shaped and colored hazel brown. Her small mouth stretched into a smile as she fell out of bed and scrambled towards me. "Finally! It's about time you showed up!"
I was surprised. "You were expecting me?"
"Someone like you, anyway. The story was ripe for it." She waved away my question. "So, what's your Name?"
"Kiera."
"Yes, but what's your Name?" She gripped my shoulders tightly and shook me slightly. The top of the woman's head barely came up to my chin.
The way she stressed the last part was strange. But if she didn't want my name then maybe a title will do? Most people were more comfortable calling someone by a title than their actual name after all.
"Dovahkiin." I replied.
"Dovahkiin." She repeated testing the word on her lips. She gave a sharp nod. "That's a new one, but beggars can't be choosers. She stepped away from me and gave a bow. "My name is Mariana the Wandering Bard."
"Mariana." I smiled. "How long have you been in here?"
"Oh… about…" She counted her fingers and turned to look at the wall her bed sat beside. Where a large numbers of tally marks were carved into the wall. I suddenly noticed as I looked around the room and there were marks everywhere. "… awhile. Where are the rest of your band?"
"Just me." I answered. I frowned as I looked her over. Snapped around her wrist and ankles were manacles. There was no chain between them, but I doubted they were needed. They were probably connected to the binding place around the room. "Let me see your arm."
"You're by yourself?" Mariana asked as she placed her hand in mine.
I grab the chair by the desk and dragged it towards the bed. Mariana sat on the bed and I sat in the chair as I began to examine the manacles.
"Is that a problem?"
"This is not the kind of thing you should take on alone."
"Most people just slow me down."
"The lone wolf. Those types don't last long."
"I'm not like most people."
"Hah, that's what they all say."
"Hmm." I grunted as I worked. "How did you even get here?"
"I woke up here."
"How does that happen?"
"Simple." She said. "I fell asleep and when I opened my eyes I was in this room."
"Why?"
"For study I imagine. Occasionally someone shows up to ask me questions or examine me. Sometimes they even pull things out of me."
"Hard to imagine you surviving that." I said as I examine her arm. There was no sign of any kind of torture nor was there any on her stomach.
"I don't"
"What?"
"The things they do to me usually kill me. Sometimes they kill me just for fun, painful ways to."
"But you're still alive?"
"That's the trick." She said smiling with no humor in her eyes. "Whenever I die, I wake up again in this room, with the same face. Those marks are a count of how many times it has happen."
"By the Nine." I stammered trying to find the right word for my disgust, there wasn't any. "That's horrid."
"Eh…" She waved off my concern eyes dancing in merriment. "This isn't the first time something like this has happen to me."
"Hopefully, it will be the last." I said smiling.
Like the pedestal there were enough similarities between the magic of the manacles and the magic that I knew. They were like a type of Conjuration magic that those of the Thalmor liked to employ around there more secured sites. Collars keyed to a specific type of daedra that once activated would call forth the exact same first keyed to it. When daedra are killed their bodies are left behind why their souls are returned to Oblivion. Once there the soul would then create another body that could be summoned again, but that body will be different than the one it had previously. The collar's purpose was to forcibly resummons the daedra to that same spot and force it back into an identical body. The collar could speed up a natural process that could take years into one that only took seconds. The idea behind it was if the daedra's body changed to much then the previous binding might not work on it anymore.
The fact that the woman in front of me was chained in a similar method to a powerful daedra was also something of a concern. But seeing as I'm here to wreck this Rulers day letting a powerful being out counted as a step towards my goal. I waved a hand over Mariana and the manacles fell off her with a clang that echoed around the room.
Mariana rubbed her wrist in shocked astonishment. Then a smile bloomed on her face as she scooped up her lute and walked to the pedestal. Her hand hovered over the orb as she turned to me over her shoulders. "Thank you, but you should really get out while you have a chance. The last woman to face her had an entire country and two empires backing her and still lost."
"You know the more you tell me not to do something the more I really want to give it a try." I said a carefree smile on my face.
Mariana gave me a sad smile as she gripped the orb and disappeared, the last thing I heard her say was. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
The smile slipped from my face as I titled the chair back. One of my foot was nervously tapping the floor before I made it stop. My heart was beating in my chest, my palms were sweaty, and my throat was parched. I knew this feeling; it was the one I always got when I thought I was walking into a fight I wouldn't survive. How long has it's been since I felt this way?
Too long was the answer.
I stood my body shaking. No, not with fear but excitement.
I strode to the pedestal and gripped the orb hard enough I heard it crack and rode the web to the brightest node I could find.
My surroundings changed again, and I found myself in what could only be a throne room. It was the same size as the room on the ground floor. The ceiling arched upward in a dome; a chandelier hung from the center shining brightly enough to illuminate the entire room. Seventeen groves were carved into the floor leading from symbols that represented the seventeen Daedric Princes and ended in the center of the room. The imagery suggested rivers leading into an ocean.
All that I noticed out of the corner of my eyes. What had my absolute attention was the throne placed in the center of the metaphorical ocean. It was a cruel thing to look at, every inch of it was carved with some crime against man, people screaming as they died, and of the end of hope. The woman sitting there smiled as the simple reminder of the evil of man made her happy.
I expect her to look like a daedra, ebony black skin with red markings and horns. But while her skin was dark it was the dark of one who has spent their life in the dessert and not the pitch black of a daedra. She looked human. She wore form fitting armor made of daedric steel over a voluptuous figure. She was beautiful, but it was a cruel beauty the kind that it made it hurt to look at her. Long black hair fell to around her shoulders and her eyes were black as night.
She was slouching in her throne, that way evil people usually do. Legs crossed slightly and leaning over one side of the throne with her head held up by one arm. She wasn't a surprise to see me, which wasn't a surprise I was not subtle.
"So, you are to be my rival for this tale." Her voice like her throne was cruel, but rich and sultry at the same time. "I'm not impressed."
"I feel the same way."
She blinked as she took a closer look at me. "What are you exactly." She mused. "Some bastard child of a Soninke and a Duni."
"First, off that's rude. Second, I have no idea what any of those words mean." I said as I made my way closer into the room. "You stole something that doesn't belong to you. Return it."
Best to at least try for a peaceful solution even if it won't work.
"If I don't?" She didn't move an inch, but the groves in the floor pulsed a deep dark crimson.
"Then I'll kill you and take it." I responded, peaceful thy name is Kiera.
She laughed suddenly, it sounded like screams. The laughter continued for a several minutes then stopped abruptly as it did any hint of amusement and humanity drained from her face like it was never there. She sat up straight in her throne and glared at me.
"It doesn't matter in the end what you try to do." She thundered the room shaking slightly at her voice. "Because in the end I will always be Triumphant!"