I have been in situations like this before…
Well, they weren't as terrible as what I was in right now, but they were bad. I was surrounded, hurt, and had no real plan to get out of it. So, I did the thing I always do in situations like theses and trusted in my instincts. Changing course, I rushed one of the newly arrived group of daedra. There were two cohorts of them blocking off the street from both ends. They were formed up in ranks and pressed tightly enough that I doubted I could slip through easily. I picked the one on the left as they were closer.
But I could tell immediately, they weren't organized well. This wasn't an organized maneuver but an immediate gathering and summoning of troops. There was an opening in that if I was lucky enough to find it. The front of the group of the daedra I rushed at formed a wall to try and cut me off. They all had thick tower shields that they planted in the ground, creating a barrier of daedric steel, a shieldwall been awhile since I had to deal with one of those.
Leaping towards the wall I tried to clear it, but I misjudged the height and with my uninjured shoulder slammed into the top part of it. Tumbling off the edge of the wall I managed to land on my feet behind it and turned to keep running.
The rustling of clothe behind me said, that Sandy cloak had made the leap easier than me. Then the sound of steel hitting flesh admitted that the Xivilai hit the wall and was momentarily waylaid. In the middle of the cohort, one of the giants spotted me and took a swing with its giant warhammer. I watched as it reared back, shoulders and hip twisting to bring the hammer down in an arc and smash me through a building.
I saw all that and laughed.
Sandy saw it too and shrieked. "No, you fo…"
The giant swung, the edge of the hammer gorged the ground sending rocks and dust flying.
I barely managed to escape the full brunt of the attack, rolling forward at the last moment. The hammer itself didn't hit me but the rocks it kicked up did. My back and shoulders were pelted with rocks, bruises no doubt forming like the stars in the night sky.
Now, I might have gotten away relatively unscathed. But Sandy was right behind me and took the hit clean on. The warhammer slamming them into one of the opposing buildings, with a sickening crunch of wet sticks snapping.
They weren't dead of course, I could still feel that bundle of power even as they were ploughed through several feet of stone, but for the moment they were gone.
My roll continued into a slide that took me beneath the giant and through its legs. The giants swing had kicked up a dust cloud around me blinding me and everyone else. There were more daedra behind the giant and when they saw me, they took their own chances against me.
But the thing was in that press of bodies and with the dust everywhere it was easy to step pass their attempts and continue onward. Another thing was that when they missed me, they more often than not hit each other in the confusion.
Confusion that then quickly turned to anger, add that with the low visibility making it hard to see and chaos soon erupted. As each of them assumed I was the one attacking them.
If they were facing an opposing group, then it might not have been so bad. But trying to find one body slipping through them. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
I made it through the dust cloud and daedra to emerged on the other side alone with the street laid out before me.
For a fleeting moment I thought I was in the clear, then I felt the gathering power behind me.
Throwing myself to the side I watched as a crimson energy beam carved through were, I was a moment before. The light so intense it blinded momentarily when I saw it. When it passed the ground was reduced to molten red slag as everything else that power touched just vanished.
Including all the daedra that had tried to stop me.
The wake of that blast knocked me clear of the street and into a wall. I landed on the ground in a heap, breathing heavily. Right then and there I wanted nothing but to lay down for a second and close my eyes. Gods, I was so tired. But I couldn't cause the second I did, I was as good as dead.
Screaming erupted from where the street used to be. Orders where barked but they were to far away for me to hear. More screams answered the orders. Then I felt the power gathered and the screams died down.
They'd be moving soon so I'd have to be gone or… or what? How much time did that little stunt by me, couple of minutes at best, a few seconds at worse.
Fuck, I'm an idiot. I thought harshly to myself. I always had a problem of rushing headstrong into whatever stood in my way, but this was the first time in years that someone was able to match me and then beat me.
By the Nine, I was treating this as some minor distraction since Sanguine showed up and look where that got me.
I took a moment to let the shame of my stupidity wash over me. Then I let it pass and got to my feet.
I was in the thick of it now, but there was a way out. There always was if you could struggle long enough to find it.
A hand gripped my shoulder, my injured shoulder. I bit down on the instinctual scream and spun around, my one hand raised to beat to death whoever it was that touched me.
Mariana backed away from me slowly her arms raised next to her head as she made herself as non-threating as possible. When she saw I recognize her she dropped her hands. She then turned and made her way down a side street in between two buildings.
"Come on." She hissed looking over her shoulder at me. Her tone urgent. "We need to get moving before they finish reorganizing themselves and come after us."
With no better ideas I hobbled after the fleeing woman.
…
As I hobbled after Mariana it became increasingly clear that she knew her way around this place well and that she had a specific destination in mind. I followed close behind her as she ducked and weaved through the backstreets of the city, taken paths that were often hidden within the natural shadows caused by the odd angles some of the buildings were built.
She said almost nothing as she moved, the only times she did decide to speak were to give me directions.
We stuck close to the walls and shadows as we moved. As overhead swarms of Watchers flew scouring the city looking for us. We had to move slowly to avoid detection, but the slow pace allowed my body more time to mend, even without invoking any Thu'um of spell my body healed rapidly on its own. But while most of my wounds healed during our escape the blow to my chest stubbornly refused to mend.
Mariana stopped suddenly at an intersection of backstreets rapidly looking back and forth for something. She smiled as she apparently saw it and headed towards and down a set of stairs that were difficult to see from where I was standing. Above it was a sign that read, Hope's End.
That's a good sign, I mused and laughed silently to myself.
Following close behind her I watched as she opened a thick set of double doors and pass through them. Not wanting to be left behind I walked through the doors as well. Entering the room, I took a quick glance around.
The stairs continued downward into a large room, large enough to fit 50 or so people comfortably. Next to the left where I stood rested a large wooden stage that took up that entire side of the room. Circular tables were spread out away from the stage in arcs, with three chairs each around the tables. Placed at the right was a wooden counter and along the back wall were shelves filled with bottles.
Mariana was already behind the counter and purring herself a drink. I walked up to her in time to watch as she finished her drink in a single gulp, toss the glass aside and then just drank directly from the bottle.
There were stools infront of the counter, but I chose to stand instead. If I sat down, I probably wouldn't be able to move again for a while. It was for that same reason I declined a drink Mariana offered me.
Mariana finished her bottle tossed it aside as well and grabbed another and started to drink it dry next. She pointed to my wounded shoulder with her free hand and pulled her bottle away long enough to ask. "That should have killed you, how are you still alive?"
"It was magic that did it." I said. My fingers danced along the edge of the wound and I hissed at the flare of pain. "I'm resistant to most forms of it. If this was made by a blade or something more physical, I'd be dead by now."
"Lucky you." Mariana said.
"Not luck." I muttered. "She wants me alive, to drain my power. The blow was meant to cripple not kill."
"Huh, unlucky you, then." Mariana amended. She shivered then in a way that had nothing to do with the cold. "You don't want her getting her hands on you. She doses horrible things to the people who oppose her, and to those that annoy her, also if she's bored and you're just close at hand."
I bit back a biting response, and instead asked something I probably should have done first. "Who is she?"
"Dread Empress Triumphant. Old girl raged a continent spanning war that got countless people killed. She was only stop with the aid of foreign kingdoms. An utter monster who only cares about herself and sees herself as the rightful ruler of everything she sees."
I took that in and placed it somewhere else to be unpacked. "You seemed to know a lot about her and this place."
"Eh," She waved a hand around the place. "It's not that hard, this entire place is based off of Ater."
"This place being what exactly?" I asked. This place I noticed was to well formed to have been created from the chaos of Oblivion.
"Don't know for sure, but best guess was that this all started out as an Echo in Arcadia." Mariana said tossing her empty bottle and reaching towards the wall for another. Her voice was still even for all the alcohol she just drank. "Then it was ripped from Arcadia and sent spiraling out to this place, but instead of fading away like a bad dream. It held on, stabilized, and grew beyond simply repeating history."
"An Echo of what?" I asked.
"Of the last brutal battle of a long and bloody crusade." She said. Her eyes distant and her tone reminiscent. "The powers unleashed that day were both mighty and terrible in equal measure. That kind of bloodshed left it's mark on Creation and Arcadia both."
"What's Arcadia?" I asked. One eye on her and one looking towards the door. But I part of me realize that even a portion of a Prince's power could go a long way to do as she said and stabilize a fading realm.
Mariana turned sharply at me question to look at me. Her eyes searching for something. She sighed and turned back to the wall and grabbing a purple bottle with blue liquid inside. "You're not from my neck of the woods at all are you? Think of Arcadia as just another plane of existence like this one, I mean it is a lot more complicated than that, but I don't have the time or patience to explain it to you."
"Triumphant said something similar to me." I said. Echo, repeating history. If an event is powerful and impactful enough it could leave its mark on the world. Like say sending a dragon hurtling forward though time. But if that was true... "What is Triumphant, some kind of Echo? The same as this place." Something else occurred to me. "Are you one as well?"
"At this point it'd be pointless to argue one way or the other. And for me, well." She smiled, it was a tinge bittersweet. "Something like that."
"Then what about the other four generals of hers?" I asked. They seemed too sentient to be simple echoes.
"General is a good name for them, but you might have miscounted." She said. At my blank look she elaborated. "There aren't actually four of those guys, there's ten. Well, eleven counting Triumphant."
"Ten?" I repeated dumbly.
"It's a good number actually. Narratively that is." She said, idly sipping from her bottle. "Infinite potential, some say it is the symbol of creation itself."
"Who are they?" I asked. Interrupting Mariana's ramblings.
"I told you already." She said. The annoyance clear in her tone as she waved a hand. "Echoes, there all echoes. But those ten were echoes of powerful Names that she enhanced and reinforce with the power she stole from the Gods that live in this plane."
"Names?" I asked. "What are you…"
"Nope!" Mariana shouted cutting me off. "Q and A is over, we are out of time and need to go." She waved at me impatiently. "So, get to it."
"Get to what?" I asked, looking at her blankly.
"Getting us out of here." She said.
My blank stare continued.
"You got here somehow right." She clarified. A hint of panic in her voice. "So, you have to have a way out if here too."
My eyes widen.
"Right?!" She slammed her palms on the table as she leaned towards me.
"Shit." I muttered under my breath, but Mariana was close enough to hear me. "That was something I probably should have asked about."
Mariana looked at me, her eyes blank. For a moment I thought she didn't hear me.
Thunk!
Mariana's head slammed into the counter with such force that for a moment I thought she had knocked herself unconscious. Until I heard the low sound of her groaning. She was muttering something under her breath to, but I could only make out a few of her words. Something about Heroes and idiots
"Stop that." I said annoyed and vaguely insulted.
Mariana lifted her head and glared at me, hissing at me in a outraged tone. "Are you telling me you don't have a way out of here!?"
"Well, I did have a way." I admitted with a shrug of my shoulders. "But I can't use it right now. If I had a day to rest, then maybe." Opening a hole into another realm would require more power than what I'm comfortable channeling right now.
"We don't even have an hour." Mariana scoffed. "We'll be found sooner or later no matter where we hide in this city."
"Can we leave the city and hide in the desert." I suggested, then immediately regretted it as I remembered the trial it was to make it to this place.
"No!" Mariana said with as much vehemence as I felt, her face paling in the magelight. "The beasts that lived underneath the sands would hound us every step, and I doubt there is anything in this place but here."
I leaned over the counter as I pondered my options. Running through scenario after scenario that could get me out of this debacle. Then an idea struck me, though it would be insane and dangerous.
A smile crept along my face. But an insane and dangerous plan was par the course for me.
"You're smiling, you got a plan?" Mariana asked.
"You know your way around the city." I said, a statement not a question.
"Yeah? You got a destination in mind?" She asked.
"Can you get us to that giant archway?" I asked.
"The arch." Mariana's eyes widen as she realized my plan. Her mouth opened and closed for a few times then she threw her head back and laugh, deep from her belly. "That is insane, that place is a stronghold seconded only to the Tower."
Mariana pushed herself up from the counter her form wavering a bit as if pushed by an unseen wind, or she was completely drunk. It was probably the later. Still she made her way to the door, turning to me she waved me forward. "Come on, already. Before I sober up and realize just how bad a plan this is."
"It's only a bad plan if it fails." I shot back as I followed her back into the city.
From there we took another twisting path through the city, traveling the backstreets and side path doing our best to avoid being seen. I noticed the sound first, in every city I've been through there was always this undercurrent of noise. People talking to each other, the baying of animals, or the white noise created from people just moving about.
But here and know I heard nothing, nothing but the rhythmic steps of soldiers marching in unison.
"The city's on lockdown." I muttered.
"That tends to happen when some tries to assassinate the Empress." Mariana pointed out.
"It would have been easier if she was on a boat." I said.
Our progression into the city was slowed as we had to stop and hide from a patrolling group of soldiers made their way by us. I took a closer look as they passed us by. They were decked out in heavy plate, the metal was as dark as night that familiar look of daedric steel, even if it the style of it was unfamiliar to me. They were decked out with a regular assortment of weapons, longsword and shield, but some carried with them staves.
Staves, enchanted sticks designed to hold and fire a spell regardless of the user's own skill in the arcane arts. I've seen many of staves in my travels and even used them myself on occasion. But unlike a normal stave the ones wielded by these soldiers seemed modified somewhat. They were to far away to tell reliably but the shape of them seen odd somehow.
Eventually the group passed, and we continued onward. A few hours passed of this game of cat and mouse until we reached our destination. As we moved the buildings around us went from housing to blacksmiths and foundries, filling the air with the sound of steel hitting steel and the smell of something burning. The presence of soldiers increased as well.
We must be in the military district now, I guessed.
Glancing outwards I examined where we were. A large wall stood before us, blocking off the view from me. A military compound within the city I'd guess.
"It's here?" I asked.
"Yeah." Mariana said, her face looked pensive as she turned to me. "You think this thing can get us out of here?" Mariana asked.
"Maybe?" I shrugged.
"Maybe!" She said incredulously, then continued in a harsh whisper. "You're basing this on a maybe!"
"I base a lot of things on maybes." I said. "Hopefully, the thing actually works."
"Now we're at 'hopefully'." She grumbled.
"Shh?" I whispered as I took a closer look.
I couldn't get a good look at what laid beyond the stone wall, as it was near 40ft high and thick enough for guards to walk along. As the ones doing just that showed. There were also a group on the ground making their rounds too.
It also stretched from one end of the wall built around the city to the other, sectioning of a good portion of the city.
There was some distance between from where I hid in between the two buildings and the wall, separating us as if it was a moat.
I watched the guards walk along the wall and did my best to memorized their patterns, as I did I focused inward running a pulse of power through me to see what kind of condition my body was in. The power burned going through me the pain akin to that of tensing overworked muscles.
So magic was an option for me at the moment, but anything to powerful would likely to fail and even the slightest amounts could cause harm to me. Pain though, pain was something I was used to dealing with.
I crouched down and patted the small of my back. "Climb on. I'm going to jump the wall."
"What?!" She hissed staring at me as if I was insane. It was a look I have been given a lot over the years.
"Grab on to me, I'm going to jump over the wall." I explained helpfully, tapping my back.
"This is not going to end well." Mariana said as she climbed on to my back, her legs wrapping around my waist and arms around my neck.
"Laas." I whispered as my vision faded to black and then returned with a new clarity. The material world fell away in grey hues and the souls of all the living things began to glow. Not just the patrolling guards infront of me but the dozens or so Watchers that still flew through the city.
Mariana flinched at my use of the Thu'um, her arms tightening around me neck for a moment before she relaxed.
I bit back a curse as the use of the Thu'um sent a spike of agony through my skull like a bad hangover and watched. I pushed the pain to the side and waited for the best moment.
Almost.
Almost…
There!
For a single moment, the guards on the wall and the guards on the ground were clear of this section. My power flooded through my limbs, resulting in another burst of pain I ignored, and I shot forward. The power behind my lunge cracking the ground.
Mariana let out a scream and her grip tighten around me to the point of strangulation.
With three bounding steps I was within reach of the wall, and on my third step as my foot hit the ground, I released the bound power I kept within. The sudden burst of power launched me upward in an arc towards the wall. I had judged the angles correctly and skimmed along the betterment and falling on to the other side, clearing the wall and earning me a look at the compound.
The area was shaped like a half-circle with open ground large enough for a village to be built within, or an army to stand at the ready. Near the center of the wall was a gate big enough to march people through but small enough to be closed quickly if necessary. There were multiple ballistae arrayed within, which were basically giant crossbows, set up along the wall and floor all pointed at one thing.
That thing in question was the Oblivion Gate, a giant archway made of blacken steel and pulsating light. It rested against the wall that surrounded the city if not touching it directly.
I was right the first time. This place was a staging ground, but it was designed in a way that if the gate was turned on from the other side any who came through would be slaughtered.
I reached the apex of my jump and started to fall behind the wall. Twisting around slightly and fortifying my arm, and biting back another scream of pain, I reached out and grabbed the lip of the wall. That stopped me from falling to the ground, but it did cause me to brutally slam against the wall, and nearly ripped my arm from its socket.
I looked down.
There was open ground between the wall and the gate with nothing to use as cover. Soldiers walked this side of the wall as well, the faint aura of their souls highlighting them.
I took a breath to settle myself. My arm burned, my legs ached, and I had a headache that was increasing in intensity the longer I kept up my aura vision.
"You don't do subtle very well." Mariana whispered harshly into my ears.
"Yeah." I muttered, my voice thick with pain. "That is something I'll have to work on, if we get out of here."
The longer l hung there the greater our chances of discovery became. I let go of the wall and plummeted to the ground, before I hit the ground I extended a hand and flared my magic releasing a burst of wind to arrest my momentum. Allowing me to land on the ground without issue.
We ended up behind one of the ballistae aimed at the gate. The moment my feet touched the ground I threw myself against the wall, while weaving a minor illusion spell to make me less noticeable. It increased the pressure of my headache, but at this point any pain or damage I did to myself was second to my overwhelming desire to leave this place. I'd collapse later.
Mariana climbed of my back, but before she could step away, I grabbed her wrist. I held up a finger to indicate silence. Even the slightest disturbance could cause my spell to fail. Bracing against the wall I made my way along it heading left.
Slowly, ever so slowly I circled around the base sticking to the wall and shadows. The slow meandering pace took us around the patrolling guards and behind the gate. Fortunately, the dark steel of the Gate was wide enough that the two of us could stand behind it without worry of being seen.
"What now?""
Looking back towards the wall, replacing my aura vision with enhanced sight, I could see now that built into it and above the entrance was a room. A large glass window pane was embedded in it letting me inside. A pedestal was placed in the center of the room with an orb atop it. There was also a console placed next to the pedestal, but I could not see what it was from were I stood.
"That." I pointed towards the room. "Was probably were the Gate is controlled from."
Mariana looked from the control room to me, her face incensed. "Then why aren't we over there!?"
I turned back to the Gate. Following it contours to the apex of its arch. "Because." I said a smile curling my lips. "There is more than one way to control theses things."
There embedded within the darken steel of the gate was a stone. It was large, the size of my head atleast, and glowing red in the darkness of the night sky. A sigil of a tower was carved into it.
A Sigil Stone was on of the most valuable thing in Oblivion. Those rocks were the only thing that could create a stable bridge from Oblivion to Mundus. I took a step from the gate and turned towards the stone. Extending my hand and my will towards it, I grip the stone with telekinetic force and pulled.
Immediately I felt the drain of the spell and had to grip the side of the gate to keep from falling. Sweat dripped from my face and the wound on my shoulder flared in agony. My headache went white hot with pain and I wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep.
The stone shuddered and groaned within the steel of the gate but didn't budge. So I pulled harder. The groaning increased and I was sure that I had earned the attention of the patrolling guards, but that didn't matter.
What mattered was the stone. The stone that should be in my hand. I focus on that thought, that the stone was mine, that it belonged to me, that it wasn't in my hands at this very moment was the gravest insult imaginable. I let those draconian thoughts fuel me and pulled.
The metal surrounding the stone buck and screamed as the stone was launched from the gate and towards me as is shot from a bow.
My eyes widen from the speed it moved and I braced myself to catch it.
I needn't bother as a shadow interceded on my behalf. A tendril of darkness wrapped around the stone, redirecting the force of it and slamming to the ground. The force was enough to crater the ground but the stone remained unharmed. The tendril melted into the ground as a puddle of darkness that spread between the stone and me.
The shadows were still as a figure emerged from it, she was clad in gold and black plate armor.
I let out a string of curses as the Knight of Triumphant stood between me and my way home.
"Shit… "
The Knight moved as soon as I opened my mouth. She closed the distance rapidly and swung out an empty hand. Only it didn't stay empty, from one moment to the next the Knight went from unarmed to wielding a greatsword.
The dark material of the blade showed it to be made of something similar to daedric steel. But instead of the commonly used serrated edge as was the norm for daedric weapons, the edge for this blade was straight.
The Knight went for a horizontal swipe to cleave me in half. I tried to back away but crumpled to the ground as my legs gave out. Which saved me as the greatsword passed over my head missing me completely. The Knight continued her swing, spinning around in a tight circle and bringing her greatsword down on my head.
I rolled to the side to dodge, but the Knight wouldn't let up her attack and an armored sabaton lashed out with a vicious kick into my side, tossing me away from the Gate and the Sigil stone. Using the momentum of the kick I rolled to my feet. Letting out a hiss of pain, it felt like the left side of my chest was burning from where The Knight hit me.
The shouts that erupted from behind me weren't surprising, the guards would have now been made aware of the rats hiding within their midst. The ones closest to me drew their blades and rushed forward. I was in the large open space in the middle with the gate on one side and a line of ballistae on the other. So, everyone in the entire base could see me.
When the first of the guards reached me, they raised their swords high and attacked. I sidestepped one and let him pass. I then reached out for another and grabbed their arm.
"ZUN!" I barked at the guard. His hand spasmed and he dropped his weapon, a straight edged longsword. I snatched the blade out of the air in a reverse grip, the blade jutting out from the bottom of my hand. Fortifying the edge of the blade with my will, I swung upward, cutting through both flesh and armor easily.
As the top half of the guard's body fell away, I tore into its soul as greedily as a starving dog. Breaking it down and adding its strength to my fraying body. Newfound vigor began to fill me, but it was a temporary thing, the added power already slipping from me. More guards moved in, rushing past their fallen comrade without a second glance.
One came at me with an overhead swing, but a quick thrust underneath the helm separated his head from his shoulders and stopped that one in his tracks. I then repeated the process of devouring their soul and moved on to the next.
I had gotten to three more before the shadows beneath me rose up like a wave and pushed the rest of them away from me. From the depths of that wave emerging with grace akin to a pouncing beast, the Knight burst from the shadows her blade extended to run me through. I slapped her greatsword aside with my own, but her pauldrons slammed into me and forced me back.
That's odd.
I expected the Knight to try and take a stab at my back, infact I was planning on it. Instead, she rushed forward to keep me from killing the rest of the guards. The guards then began to move around her to surround me, but as they started to move past her, she held up an arm and stopped them.
"Ma'am." One of the guards spoke up, their tone respectful but confused. No fear either from speaking to someone obviously above them.
"Don't interfere." The Knight commanded. "The only thing you will accomplish is feeding her strength."
"Heh, noticed that did ya." I said, smiling. I cocked my head to one side and asked. "You wouldn't happen to have a name I could call you by."
"I am no one, just a pathetic knight that has long since fallen from grace." The Fallen Knight said, then she cocked her head to one side, mirroring me, and looked at me curiously. "And you are?"
"Kiera." I said, laughing. "You wouldn't mind stepping aside and letting me go?"
She rushed me answering my question, her sudden movement catching me off guard momentarily as she unleashed a blistering barrage of attacks. Greatswords as a rule were used by people with a lot of strength but no skill, the length and weight of the blade making even a glancing blow dangerous. But this Knight, she swung the giant blade as if it didn't weigh anything and with the kind of skill that only came from years, upon years of training.
I blocked and deflected her blows best I could, turning lethal strikes into glancing wounds. But even papercuts could kill if you got enough of them. My own strikes against her harmlessly sparked off her armor. When I tried for the gaps in her armor, the Knight twisted away with a kind of grace that was obscene in armor so heavy. Soon enough I was forced away from her as she spun and lashed downward trying to lop off my leg.
She was better than me with a blade, I could admit easily. I was never formally trained in the blade, you see. My skill with it I picked up from keen instinct, backed by the fragmented memory of the souls of the various bandits, soldiers, and draugr I've killed over the years.
I probably didn't have much time before the more powerful beings of this realm get here and escape becomes impossible. They must have spread out looking for me but how did this one…
The sound of flapping wings drew my attention. I looked up and found my answer. There above me was a Watcher, its eye locked right on me.
"Of course." I sighed, then a smile curled up my lips. I glanced out of the corner of my eyes and I saw Mariana, she was hiding behind the Gate, the Sigil Stone held in her arms. "ZUL" I whispered throwing my voice so only she could hear me. "Can you work that thing?"
She gave an imperceptible nod.
"Do it, while I keep them busy." I continued softly, then turned my attention back to the Knight. I smiled. "Well then, let's put on a show."
The Knight slipped into a combat stance, left leg forward and right leg back, her sword held low, the blade pointed upward behind her. I didn't slide into a stance myself, merely tapped my stolen blade against my thigh as I thought over my options.
Simple fortification magic wouldn't be enough to deal with this one and I didn't dare call upon my dragon aspect. Destruction magic was out too, the kind of power I would need to hurt her would put me on my ass in moments. Besides strength wasn't what I needed right now, just space, and it had been a while since I last used this particular Thu'um.
"Ven…" I shouted and the air around me began to twirl and spin. The drain of the first word caught me off guard and I wavered.
The Knight moved as I invoked my Thu'um with another one of her explosive bursts of speed. She swung her greatsword to cleave through me again, but this time I was ready for her. I held up my own sword, further bracing it by placing one hand on the blade itself, catching her strike before she could cut into me. The force of the blow however dropped me to one knee.
The Knight stood over me forcing her greatsword downward, the blade edging closer to my skull.
The sound of footsteps filled my ears as the guards came rushing. I guess now that their Knight had me in check, they felt it safe to come closer. They had weapons drawn, not blades but those strange staves I noticed earlier.
They were mostly metal rods that they rested against their shoulders. The end of the staves had stocks like a crossbow and the tip had a glaive-like blade attached to it. The guards surrounded us in a half circle, The Knight being the center of the formation, their fingers rested slightly on what looked like the triggers ready to squeeze. It didn't take me much imagination to know what would happen if they did.
"… GAAR…" I continued, the spinning of the air got faster. My hair and clothing fluttering in the sudden gale. Black spots appeared in my vision as the strain of my Thu'um grew.
The guards didn't hesitate, they squeezed the triggers of their staves. The blades glowed for a moment and then the magic stored within them was released as bolts of pure kinetic force.
Something like that would be the end of a normal person but me, I just smiled as I let the power in my blood roar to life. As the spell powered missiles tore into me, bruising flesh and opening up wounds, they were at the same time broken down for excess power to be stored within me free to use, as I saw fit.
Dragonskin, my mother had called it. Though in what way Bretons are related to dragons no one has ever been able to tell me. I started to push the blade away from me and get to my feet. The Knight though was smart, she realized what was happening as I rose.
"Stop!" The Knight called out, alarmed. "Don't use anything magical against her!"
The warning came too late. I opened my mouth to shout and the Gate behind me activated with a sudden whoosh. Its unexpected noise drawing everyone's attention. The multitude of runes engraved in it sparked to life as crimson energy danced all around it. Standing infront of the Gate, holding up the Sigil Stone towards it as if it were an offering stood Mariana.
"No!" The Knight bellowed, looking towards the surrounding guards she ordered. "Do not let her escape!"
They obeyed instantly, breaking off from us and rushing Mariana. She in turn took a step towards the activated Gate but didn't go through it just yet, instead she turned to look at me. I gave a nod and she returned it as she leapt through the Gate, taking the Stone with her.
When The Knight turned her attention away from me, I acted. Letting my left arm, the one holding the actual blade, drop. The movement cause The Knight's greatsword to slide along the edge and crash into the ground. Leaving her open for one glorious moment.
"... NOS!" I raised my sword high and attacked with all my might, bringing my sword down on The Knight's helm. There was a resounding crack as the helm crumpled and my blade shattered
The Knight stumbled backwards disappearing from my sight as all around me the wind spun faster and faster kicking up dust and small stones. Then it increased in strength again and began to lift up the bodies of the guards, their screams muffled by the torrents of wind.
The sound of wood and metal creaking drew my attention to the ballistae. The frames were made of darken daedric steel. The heads were twisted and shaped into the visage of a snarling beast, the arms sticking out to the side gave them the appearance of wings. I had a moment to appreciate the artistry of them before they too were torn from their housings by the howling winds.
With no one else around I took a single step towards the Gate and collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. My Thu'um had ripped all the power I had accrued, from the souls of the guards and magic used against me and left me with nothing. I mentally ordered my body to move but it wouldn't budge, my eyes felt heavy, and all I wanted to do was sleep.
My goal was just a few feet away from me and I couldn't move so much as a single finger. Even worse without the Stone it was only a matter of time till the gate closed and as I was now, I wouldn't be able to open it.
I sighed. "Just great."
And just when I thought it couldn't get worse. The Knight rose from the shadows, she must have submerged herself to avoid being taken by my cyclone. When she stood up, I saw her helm cracked and dented where I struck her. Growling softly The Knight reached up and remove her broken helm, giving me a good look at her face.
Her hair was blonde, almost the color of wheat, it was cut short to be level with her neck. Her eyes were a stormy grey, set in a face with regal features and sun kissed skin that combined to create a beautiful woman. Even the various scars I spotted, that spoke of a life of battle, couldn't take that away. In fact, I'd go so far as to say they enhanced them.
The ground beneath me cracked and shadows burst out. Before I could so much as squeak, they were on me snaking around my limbs and chest holding me in place. The shadows felt cold on my skin as if they were leeching away all the heat from me. I tried to gathered magicka to break free but whatever I pulled forth slip from me. Reaching out and physically touching them had them slipping through my fingers, both ephemeral and solid at the same time. I didn't have enough strength left to try and absorbing the power within them either. Annoying. The shadows twisted and forced me to my feet and a few inches off the ground.
The Knight marched towards me greatsword in hand. The wind from the cyclone was beginning to die down now that my will was no longer feeding it. When she got to me, she whipped her sword around in an arc to take my head. But inches before The Knight's blade could take my head she stopped. Her head twitched to one side as if listening to the wind. She turned looking at something behind her and upwards towards the left, after moment her shoulders slumped, and she turned back to me.
Without the helmet in the way I could look into the Knight's eyes and read the emotions there. What I saw shocked me, she looked sad.
"Forgive me, I had hoped to spare you further pain and end you quickly." She said softly, stepping closer as if afraid to be heard. "Unfortunately, that is no longer an option for you."
I didn't like the sound of that. I increased my struggles against the shadows, but they wouldn't budge. The black spots in my vision were increasing in size. Even thinking was becoming a trial. My head slumped forward my exhaustion catching up to me. Behind me the Gate was starting to close. Dammit, if I could just get out of this shadow I could…. My head shot up as an idea formed.
Fuck, I'm an idiot.
"Hey! A little help here!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
The Knight took a step back at my shout. "I cannot help you."
"Wasn't talking to you." I said, smiling. The shadows beneath my bindings began to tremble.
The Knight looked down in confusion and got a face full of hooves for her trouble, as Shadowmere emerged and kicked with all the strength he had in his hindquarters. Which I've seen was enough to kill most things outright. The Knight took the kick and flew up and away in an arc that sent her tumbling backwards. At the same time the wind of my cyclone died down and several tons of steel, wood, and flesh fell to the ground.
Right on top of the Knight.
"Hah!" I laughed. "Hahaha!"
Shadowmere looked at the pile of refuse and let out a contemptuous snort.
The shadows holding me up faded and I, still without any control over my body, fell forward. But Shadowmere, the faithful horse that he was, positioned himself to catch me before I hit the ground. So instead of face planting to the ground I ended up laying across his saddle like a sack of potatoes.
"Good horsey." I said patting Shadowmere's flank. "Nice horsey, now get us through the Gate."
Shadowmere snorted and started off at a gallop to the collapsing Gate. I held on tight to the saddle to keep from falling off and looked where The Knight was glancing at before. There on the horizon I spotted a figure heading towards me. It was too far away for me to make out the features of who was flying, but it wasn't hard to guess. So as Shadowmere went through the Gate carrying me, I gathered as much strength as I could into my hand stretching it out to her and extended a finger.
Going through that Gate was like, jumping into a lake from a tall cliff. There was a sudden sense of weightlessness, followed by a sudden cold that had me closing my eyes to shield myself. When I opened them again I saw, I, it was hard to explain and even now the memory of it all was hard to hold on to. But the trip was over quickly and when I was on the other side, I saw…
A wall.
A big stone brick wall and when Shadowmere entered the Gate he was going at full speed, so we exited at the same speed. Unable to stop in time Shadowmere did the only thing he could and dive back into my shadow, saving himself.
The last thing I saw was that wall rushing forward eager to meet me.
XxX
"… next thing I remember is waking up in your bed, and well you know the rest." I said as I finished my tale and turned to my audience looking for their reaction.
I was met with the unimpressed stares of William and Elise. During the speaking of my tale, we ended up back at our campsite for the night.
The remainder of the Sons of Streges gave our trio plenty of space at night and none had wandered close to hear me. As always, I sent out Lucien and a couple other minor daedra out to keep watch. Leaving me free to sleep the night away.
"What?" I asked, confused. I was honestly expecting more of a reaction.
"You're saying you fought Triumphant, in hell." William said, the disbelief in his voice clear.
"Yes." I said. "What part wasn't clear?"
"Triumphant died over 800 years ago." Elise pointed out.
"I wasn't the one who named her." I said, starting to get annoyed at the questioning stares.
William struggled to find something to say when he finally settled on. "If you're going to lie atleast pick a better one."
"What?!" I squawked, my eyes narrowed. "I'm telling you the truth, and can't you tell when someone is lying to you?"
William looked at me and very deliberately raised one eyebrow. Then he settled up against a tree and purposely with through the motions of falling asleep.
I didn't try to wake him up, it would be the same as admitting defeat, instead I was going to kick his ass extra hard tomorrow. Was it petty? Yes. Did I care? No. I turned to Elise, ready to hear her response.
Elise turned away from me, tossing a blanket over herself and going to sleep. There was an audible snore radiating from her form.
A vein in my head began to pulse. I turned away from the traitorous girl and looked at the flame. My mind wandered as I stared at the fire, going back over that entire night had a couple of questions coming to mind and not a lot of answers. But one thing I did know, if I was going to find anything out, I had to do one thing first.
I needed to find the Wandering Bard.