As they returned from the cave, the three were greeted by the amazed looks of the other civilians who were meant to go in and help them. People immediately began apologizing to Thonnir as they started heading back into town, Durak taking up the lead, while Yang hanged back as she smelled something in the air. As the townsfolk cleared, Yang turned and saw the ghost of Helgi once again.
"Mother's calling me," the ghost child said as she looked up at Yang. "It's time for me to sleep now. I'm so tired. Thank you for helping her feel better. Can you let papa know that she's not mad?"
Yang nodded, her eyes feeling misty. "Sure. I'll tell him as soon as I get back."
"Thank you. For everything. Good-bye." The child waved her arm as she dissipated into mist, flowing away into the sky. Yang stood and watched as the ghostly mist disappeared completely in the morning sun, then turned and walked back towards Morthal, a single tear trailing down her cheek.
After Hroggar was released, the man nearly fell into a depression. No one blamed him, and many felt sympathy, but most didn't know what to do. Luckily, Thonnir was able to comfort him and the two went to the inn to drown their sorrows. While others were celebrating the removal of a menace, the two widowers could only mourn their losses together. When things seemed settled enough, Yang went to Highmoon Hall and bowed her head to the Jarl as she approached.
"So, I hear Movarth is dead, and he and his childers' corpses are being burned as we speak. Have to admit, I was a little worried for a while there, but you all pulled through."
"Only doing what was right to protect the people."
"Well, you went above and beyond your call. I was half-expecting Hroggar to just turn up dead somewhere, but you did everything professionally. Not only that, but we're only hearing good things about you from all over Skyrim, even things here in Morthal. I could use someone like you in my court."
"Thanks, but… I'm kinda based in Whiterun."
"True enough, but the title of Thane is mostly honorary, especially in a smaller Hold like Hjaalmarch. Also, it'll allow you to purchase property within the hold. But mostly, you need to be a Thane in order for me to grant you a certain reward." Aslfur walked in with something covered by a cloth and a large bag of gold. He set it down upon a table, then uncovered it to reveal a four-sided mace with a green-wrapped hilt and mouth-like engravings on its edges. "The Marshborn Blight, one of the relics of Hjaalmarch from ancient times. They say it smashed open so many frostbite spiders and chaurus that it became eternally poisonous itself. Probably just a strong enchantment, but I feel that it makes a worthy gift for a Thane who's saved our very capital."
Yang picked up the mace and looked it over in appreciation. "It's nice. Not my kind of thing, but I was saying the same thing about axes about a week ago." She nodded and set it down before kneeling. "I'd be honored to accept."
"I'm honored to have you, Companion. Let your friends know that they're welcome anytime as well, so long as the red one doesn't scare our children half to death again."
Yang laughed, but then realized Idgrod might be a little serious about that.
Returning to the inn, Yang saw Hroggar and Thonnir both talking to Durak, who noticed her and waved her over. The men nodded, tears evident on Hroggar's face, as she came up.
"Everything good?"
"Just fine. The men and I were talking, and they decided they wanted to join up with the Dawnguard. Looks like I'm bringing them back with me."
Yang looked at the two Nords, who nodded.
"I've lost…everything to them," Hroggar got out, his breath ragged and eyes red from tears. "My home, my wife, my child…everything. All because some vampire wanted a guard." His face warped into a snarl. "She could have chosen any bachelor in this Gods forsaken town, and she decided to take me, and take away everything from me. All I can do now is work to keep this from ever happening again."
"I may still have something left, but it'll do me no good if there are more to take it away," Thonnir picked up. "I'm moving my son down to Falkreath with my brother and his family. Might not be the best place, but it's far better than here."
"So you guys are really going to do it?" Both nodded, and Yang hummed. "Can't blame you. I probably wouldn't be half as calm if something like this happened to my family. I'll wish you luck."
"I guess you'll be headed back to Whiterun then?" Durak asked.
"As soon as I catch up with my friends." At his blank look she held up her scroll. "We can magically send each other messages. We're trying to keep our plans in line so that we can help each other out as much as possible. But yeah, I'm going back that way soon."
"Ah, good luck with that then. I'd ask if you want to join, but I'd rather not have the Companions biting my ass about taking one of their best."
"Heh, yeah, I'm pretty much theirs now. Although, if you don't mind me asking, your axe is enchanted against vampires, right?"
"Rune-forged and enchanted. Runes themselves aren't powerful, but they do a little on their own. Even if the enchantment was drained, it'd still have some extra kick against vampires."
"Nice."
"Actually, everything on me is specifically made for slaying vampires. Steel bolts, dipped in holy water. Crossbow, blessed. Armor, specially made. I don't even know the specifics behind it, but a lot of work is put into each set. Vampire tries to bit you, they're more likely to break their teeth than anything."
"Damn, that is useful," Yang muttered. "I might have to bring it up with Kodlak. If the vampires really are getting out of control, then Companions are going to be called about them more and more."
"Feel free to come by and ask Isran about it. Don't know what he'll tell you, but he's always up for new recruits. Might be willing to work something out with your folks."
"Yeah, I hope so."
Weiss and several others were observing the object many had taken to calling 'The Eye of Magnus'. Research still didn't explain quite what it was, but the object was always giving off large amounts of magicka, making it easier for people to recharge near it. Almost no one was convinced, however, that that was its true purpose. Weiss followed and wrote down a line of runes on one side of it, hoping that the sample could help out. She thought about getting the Marker to translate, but the thing seemed to only have one purpose and revisiting it only led to her being reminded of it.
Speaking of which, that thought led to a thought that caused her to feel the draw of her goal. Weiss sighed and tried to clear her mind of anything to do with Magna-Ge, which was difficult considering someone decided to name the object of curiosity she was nearby after their leader.
"Is the one named Weiss Snee here?" she heard, causing her eyes to open as she looked over to see Ancano storming into the Hall of Elements. The student he questioned nodded and pointed over to her.
"You mean Schnee? Right there."
"Thank you." Weiss felt her breath hitch as her heart hammered in her chest. She hadn't finished her work on a different communication medium, so there was no way to get a warning up to Inigo and M'rissi without Ancano noticing. He stopped just short of her and glared down while crossing his arms. "I need you to come with me."
"What's going on?" Weiss asked, holding her tone neutral.
"That's what I'd like to know, as well," he said while putting his hand to his hips. "Why is there someone claiming to be from the Psijic Order here. I'd also like to know why he's asking to meet you, specifically."
Weiss internally sighed while relief flooded her, unfortunately, she also let slip a smile, but quickly recovered it.
"Perhaps they're recruiting me? Sounds like a wild, but amazing dream, yet…"
"Recruit you? Really? And they say I'm arrogant." He huffed and shook his head. Weiss briefly had a look of indignation come over her, but he didn't notice. "Come on, he's up in the Archmage's rooms. Let's get to the bottom of this."
As Ancano turned to lead Weiss out of the Hall of Elements, she began to wonder what really brought another Psijic monk out here. "Why do you seem concerned about this?"
"Because the Psiijic Order is a rogue organization that believes itself above the law," he began, making Weiss roll her eyes.
'Yes, as opposed to the one that twists the law to suit its desires.'
"They've clashed with the Aldmeri Dominion many times in the past. If they're planning something here, then I will make sure it doesn't interfere in our work."
Weiss somehow didn't think that they were here to stop anything Ancano was planning. She was able to keep him out her business by simply pretending her work was a beautification charm, and he bought it. More likely it had something to do with either the Magna-Ge a few miles away or the item just underneath their feet. As the two walked into the room where Savos was currently speaking with an Altmer in robes similar to the ones the projection wore. They turned towards her and Ancano, and suddenly the room seemed to saturate as Savos and Ancano both went still, even motes of dust stopping in mid-air near the garden.
"Please do not be alarmed," the Psijic began. "I mean you no harm."
"I would hope not. If you did, I'm not sure what I could've done," Weiss admitted, her body still and eyes wide.
The monk laughed and shook his head. "It's good to meet you in person, Weiss Schnee. I've given us a chance to speak privately, but I'm afraid I can't do this for long. We must be brief." His face shifted grimly and he nodded. "The situation at your college is of dire importance, and attempts to contact you as we have previously have failed. I believe it is due to the very source of our concern. This object… The Eye of Magnus as your people have taken to calling it."
"So it's not the Magna-Ge on a little island?"
"The Marker's appearance was surprising, but its power is controlled and streamlined, conscious of itself, as it were. Also, there is very little even my order can do about it. The work the Marker needs done must be completed by something…more."
"An intercendent being is what it told me."
"An apt term, I suppose. Another way of saying a demigod." At Weiss' widened eyes, he shook his head. "Back to our situation though, the energy pouring out from the Eye has prevented us from sending you and your fellows visions like what we already showed you. The longer it remains, the more dangerous the situation becomes. And so I come here personally to tell you it must be dealt with."
"I'm not sure what I can do about this. In case you didn't notice, I'm barely an adept, and I have a lot on my plate as it is. Can't your order do something about it?"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. You must understand, the Psijic Order does not typically…intervene directly in events. My presence here will be seen as an affront to some within the Order, and as soon as we're done here, I will be leaving your College. I'm all too aware that my arrival has aroused suspicion, especially in Ancano, your Thalmor associate."
"Please do not associate us," Weiss dryly demanded, causing the Psijic to lightly chuckle.
"Very well. Still, my Order will not act directly. You must take it upon yourself to do so."
"Well, what is the problem, honestly?"
"As you may have learned, The Eye is immensely powerful. Left here unguarded, it will be misused. Some fear that it already has, or that it will be soon, and that something unavoidable is coming." Weiss' eyes widened at this declaration, but before she could ask just what this event was, the mage continued. "Your efforts should be directed towards dealing with the aftermath, but we cannot predict what that will be. I fear I have already overstepped the bounds of my Order, but I will offer this: seek out the Augur of Dunlain here in your College. His perception may be more coherent than ours."
Weiss blinked. "Augur of Dunlain? Who…is that?"
"He was once a student here at this College. Now he is…something different," he explained with a curious expression.
"And where exactly in the College is he?"
"I…" The Psijic held a surprised look. "I am unsure. He is somewhere within. Surely one of your colleagues or teachers would know of his whereabouts." The Altmer seemed to stagger a bit. "I am sorry, but it seems that's all we really have the time for."
"Wait, just a moment longer," Weiss requested. "Is there any way at all that anyone in the Order knows how we got here or how to get us back home?"
"You mean…your sudden appearance." Weiss nodded, and the mage shrugged. "To be honest, it has baffled us, but there have been clues. We just aren't sure what to make of them. There's a connection," he started while gesturing with his hands, "between Nirn and the world you came from, as old as Mundus itself. Perhaps older. We don't know specifically how, but we do know when it started to show. The Simulacrum of Jagar Tharn. But, that is as much as we've been able to uncover behind it."
Weiss wracked her brain, trying to figure just what he meant. She knew about the Simulacrum of Jagar Tharn, her teachers wouldn't stop talking about it. In year 389 of the Third Era, the Imperial Battlemage at the time, a Bosmer named Jagar Tharn, had used the powerful Staff of Chaos to banish Uriel Septim VII to Oblivion, then masqueraded as him for the next ten years. The Empire nearly fell apart during that time, only for the Eternal Champion, who she then figured out was likely named Talin (who she was, at the very least, able to confirm a native due to his relatives in the Imperial Court) to overthrow him and restore Uriel to the throne. The Staff itself was destroyed afterwards or banished to Oblivion, people weren't quite sure. She shook her head. It wasn't enough information to go off of. Way too many possibilities, but at the very least it was a start.
"Thank you for that much, at least. It's more than what I had."
"You're welcome. I'm afraid I must leave now. We will continue to watch over you, guide you as best we can. It is within you to succeed. Never forget that."
The saturation of the environment then faded out, and the other two elves went back to following through the motions they had been going through.
"Adept Weiss, good to see you," Savos greeted. To her credit, Weiss immediately recovered and acted like she didn't just have a conversation with the Psijic.
"And you, Archmage." She earnestly smiled and bowed.
Ancano walked to the Psijic and crossed his arms. "Well, what is the meaning of this?"
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Don't play coy. You asked to see a specific member of the College. Here she is. Now what is it that you want?"
"There's been a misunderstanding. Clearly I should not be here. I shall simply take my leave."
"What? What trickery is this?! You're not going anywhere-"
The Psijic Monk waved his hand, and his body faded away in wisps of blue and purple, signifying his teleportation from the grounds. Ancano growled underneath his breath and gritted his teeth as he stomped out of the Archmage's Quarters.
"I'm… I'm not sure what happened," Savos murmured. "A monk from the Psijic Order, here, after all these years, and then he just leaves."
"Would you mind if we speak privately?" Weiss requested of him.
"Of course, dear," he agreed before raising his hands and casting a Muffle Room spell. "All right, no one will be able to hear us."
"Well, first off, do you know where the Augur of Dunlain is?"
Savos sighed. "Has Tolfdir been telling stories again? We've been over this. I thought I made it quite clear that it was a subject inappropriate for conversation."
"No, the monk… Well, he seemed to have frozen time around us and said I should seek out the Augur of Dunlain."
"Did he?" Savos asked, his red eyes looking at her with interest. "I'm quite surprised. But…why did he feel the need to hide such information?"
"There was a little more, but that's what it all came down to. Something about the Augur's perception. I'm not too sure. I don't even know what the Augur is."
"Well, in this case, you will have to see Tolfdir about it. I know he- the Augur of Dunlain is in the Midden, but Tolfdir knows the specifics better than I."
"I'll go and speak to him about it I can figure out whatever it is that's got the Psijics worried and we can put this behind us."
The storm clouds gathering over Solitude were beginning to worry Ruby. They seemed to be coming in too fast, and were much too charged. The air seemed to be hanging dry despite the nearby sea, and the thunder rolling had no lightning preceding it. The whole thing felt downright unnatural. As she came closer to the Blue Palace, something rumbled the city, and the clouds began to gain a greenish tint. People started pouring out into the streets to look up at the sky, almost crowding the place. Falk Firebeard and other members of the court came out as well, then the steward saw her and ran to meet her.
"Ruby, thank the Gods you are here!"
"Falk," she greeted with a little worry. "What's going on? I got your message about Wolfskull and…"
"Here me, citizens!" a voice echoed out across the city, surprising everyone. "Your true Empress is here, to take back the throne of the Empire from the pretenders. Soon, I will walk among you. Those who bow will live to serve. Those who resist will die, and then serve in death."
As the people began clamoring in fear, Falk adopted an expression of despair. Ruby, however, felt her eyebrows rise.
"Wait, that was Potema's voice!"
"But we stopped the necromancers!" Lydia pointed out. "We stopped them before they could resurrect her!"
"This is what we feared. You may have stopped the binding, but Potema was still brought back." Falk gravely revealed. "I've spoken with mages and priests, and it seems that Potema has been trying to bring herself back to flesh and blood. Please, follow me!"
As Falk led the way through the fearful crowds, only kept from panicking by watchful guards, Ruby and Lydia followed him. They left the more crowded main streets and through one of the alleys, emerging near the castle and aiming for the Temple of the Divines.
"Recently, a wall was broken down in the Temple's basement," Falk began explaining. "At first nothing came out, and then there were skeletons. The priests fought them back, and we sent a few squads of legionnaires and guardsmen. Those skeletons were only scouts, however, and the soldiers ran into draugr, vampires, and even had to face their fallen risen back as zombies. They had to fall back, and we've locked up the basement leading to it. Documents showed that the place they're coming from is Potema's sealed catacombs."
"So you're sure it's her?" Ruby asked, eyeing Dawnbreaker from the corner of her eye.
"As certain as can be." They stopped just in front of the temple, next to an old man who was caught up looking at the green clouds rolling above. "Styrr."
"Oh, good, you're here. Uh, who's this?"
"This is Ruby. The one I told you about."
"This young girl? Well, you must be quite talented. So, do you know what you're heading in for?"
"I need to go in and stop Potema, right? Destroy zombies and draugr and stuff."
"At the core, yes, but it's a little more than that." Styrr shook his head grimly. "Potema was one of the most powerful necromancers in history. She'll have her own legion of undead ready after a short time. More than that though, she's likely still in a spirit form, but is getting close to reforming herself."
"Can't be too bad, right?"
"Oh, but it is. Alive, she'll have better control over her magic. Better able to think and discern as well. It's probably the only reason she hasn't sent an army marching upon us. She wants all of her faculties intact when she begins." Ruby's eyes narrowed, her expression flat as she eyed the temple.
"Okay, then what do I do?"
"We need you to push through, and find whatever is left of her remains. Bring them back, and I'll be able to purify them."
Ruby nodded. "Okay. Kill the undead army, find Potema's grave, and bring back her bones. Anything else?"
"You say it like I've given you a shopping list." He sounded exasperated. "Do you at least have something to help defend yourself against the undead?"
"I got a holy sword." Ruby drew Dawnbreaker and let the priest see it.
"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, good luck." He handed over a key and Ruby nodded.
"Thank you. I'll be back before you know it." The young Dragonborn headed into the Temple and down into the cellar, her housecarl tailing her. She unlocked the gate and went in to see a wall that had a hole knocked into it. Looking back at Lydia, she nodded, and the two headed in, Ruby preparing to sheathe her sword, but pausing as she went through the old halls.
"Hold on a sec." She took out Crescent Rose and extended the scythe before turning it in her hands, only for the head to hit one wall. Ruby pouted and collapsed the scythe before putting it to her back again. "Too narrow to use my sweetheart."
"It's probably better to use the undead destroying sword against undead anyways," Lydia said as they went forward cautiously. They stopped at a set of iron bars in their way and looked at a wall carving, depicting what they believed to be Potema cloaked in wolf furs.
"You've arrived at last," they heard. Ruby looked forward into the room beyond the bars and narrowed her eyes. "The heroine who prevented me from being bound returns to my fold. I have much to thank you for, little one," Potema said in something near a motherly tone. "When you die, I will raise you, so you can take your place by my side."
As the bars dropped, Ruby shook her head and scoffed. "That was a worse villain recruiting pitch than the ones I hear on Saturday morning toons."
"She means to kill us and add our corpses to her army."
"Not on my watch."
The two went in through the doorway and immediately felled a draugr with a slice of Dawnbreaker. Rather than explode, the undead fell on fire and continued burning as they left it. Just past that room was a stairway that went up and down, but the upper levels were blocked off by huge stones. They headed downstairs, where a number of draugr stood waiting, along with zombies with the beginning stages of rot showing decked in the Imperial uniform. At the head of them was a woman wearing leather armor, with orange eyes and a sunken face. While the other undead looked at the two blankly, she smiled cruelly.
"Looks like we get to feed again today," she announced as she drew a bronze colored sword.
"Vampire!" Lydia warned just before slashing at one of the zombies. The undead managed to block with a shield, but was still sent back by the force of the blow. Ruby sliced through one zombie, and the incandescent explosion rang out across the others. Some undead simply caught fire, others seemed to fall back in fear, and still a few of them crumbled into ash as they were completely consumed. A few of them were outside its radius, including the vampire woman, but she still beheld a look of fear at the holy fire. Ruby then jumped in and sliced the head off of a zombie, causing it to disintegrate before she had to block the sword of one halfway on fire. She strafed to the right and let the blade slide down before shoving it away and cutting the zombie behind the knee. As it fell forward, she stabbed into its head, and it exploded messily. Lydia drove her blade through a draugr next to her and pulled free before making a spinning swipe to fell another.
The vampire snarled and let a lance of red magic leap from her hand at Ruby. The Dragonborn felt the spell hit her Aura, and the vampire beheld a surprised look before Lydia ran up and shield bashed her face. With the magic no longer hitting her, Ruby sped forward and held her blade's point at the vampire's throat.
"How did you get down here?" Ruby demanded.
"We've been here…since the beginning. The Wolf Queen awoke us, and now the army is coming back. I don't care what you mortals think, Potema will rise again."
"Not if I can help it."
Zombie moans came up and they looked to see that the undead that had fleed before were coming back. The vampire tried knocking Ruby's sword away with her own and tried casting her magic again, only for Lydia to slam her shield down on her throat, crushing it and almost decapitating the vampire. The two turned their attention back to the zombies and draugr, then proceeded to cut them down. A few more piles of ash and re-killed corpses later, and they were heading in deeper, stopping only a moment to rip a key away, tied to the dead vampire's belt.
Ruby saw what looked like a strange effigy with two spears jabbed up into its chest, and her attention was caught by it long enough for a draugr to get close.
"Ruby!" Lydia called out, but before she could act, Ruby leaned out of the way of a swipe and sprung back up, driving her sword into the undead's chest and the slicing up and out of it while it burned.
"Sorry. There's just a lot going on right now." Lydia glared and shook her head.
"You need to be more careful."
"I know, Lyd." Ruby smiled. "Don't worry about me."
They went through a lever opened gate and momentarily into a more spacious room. Ruby wondered for a moment if she might be able to bring out Crescent Rose now, only for them to enter a narrow area once again, and of course be attacked there instead. The draugr were no problem, but Ruby did sigh after finally felling them.
"Everything all right, my Thane?"
"That first big pack was kinda threatening, but now we're just running into squads. I'm not saying I'm disappointed. I just expected a lot more. City sieging more."
"It's liable that there are more the further in we go. There may even be places we won't go near with hundreds of corpses waiting for Potema to use as fodder. We also don't know what her effect will be on the common dead. Blessings of Arkay may guard the buried, but where there's a rule there's an exception."
Ruby shivered. "Sounds like how a movie we watched played out. Only more magic and less infectious virus."
"I'll have to ask more about that when we're a little safer," Lydia commented as they headed down a set of ancient stairs in a room that looked more like a cave.
"It was Neighboring Wickedness. It was actually based off an old zombie-killing game, but both series got really weird and kinda convoluted with all of the 'mutations' they kept adding with each sequel. I don't even think the last game had that many zombies in it. Just new kinds of mutants and evil corporation soldiers everywhere."
Suddenly a woman ran up from an alcove and swung an axe at Ruby. The girl dodged and then kicked the woman to the side, where they could see her orange eyes glaring at them in hatred. As the vampire snarled, revealing her fangs. Lydia swung down, only to be blocked by the undead. Ruby tried to hold her sword up to her throat, trying to get her to surrender, but the woman bit the blade. Her face caught fire a moment later and she went down screaming trying to put it out in vain. Lydia stabbed at her heart, ending her suffering.
"I think we may want to give up on getting them to surrender," the housecarl suggested.
"I just… I thought that…"
"I know you're probably comparing them to Weiss, but these people aren't like her. They chose to side with the Wolf Queen long ago. Whatever their reasons, they're the enemy now. It'd be no different than having to fight enemy soldiers in a war, or bandits who've decided to take the path in life to kill innocents."
Ruby sighed and nodded. "Right. Sorry, you're right. Still, I can't help but hope for the best."
"I know."
The two moved forward ready for anything to come out of any corner, but past a turn they found part of the room to be filled with water. It seemed almost on purpose for the area, likely as some sort of cistern or oubliette. Ruby hopped over a pressure stone that likely activated a nearby spiked gate trap and walked over to a ledge to look down it to another cave-like area. As Lydia went to follow her, several heads popped out of the water before zombies and draugr started shambling towards her.
"Ruby!"
"Hold on, Lyd!" she called back as she charged the oncoming horde. She swung for one zombie, only for it to bring up a shield and block her strike. Fire and light poured out across the shield's face before Ruby drew back and sliced towards its legs. As she cut across its exposed face when it fell forward, she heard Lydia cry out and looked up to see several axe wielding draugr taking turns at trying to chop through Lydia's shield. Another one came out of the water from behind her, and Ruby gasped.
"Lydia, look out!"
Lydia turned just in time to see the draugr bring down a battle axe that she narrowly side-stepped. At the same time, another swung at her back with a sword, striking her armor and sending her stumbling with a cry. Ruby blocked a blow from a draugr with her ebony reinforced gauntlet, and then stabbed into its decayed guts before swinging it around and tossing it into the crowd of undead, where it exploded in blue, holy fire. As the undead horde scrambled, Ruby took in a deep breath.
"Su!"
Her sword flashed out faster than she'd ever swung one before, rapidly slicing through zombies and draugr. Several began exploding or turning into ash. A few stumbled as they were lit ablaze, only to be brought down by the explosions of their fellows a moment later. As Ruby beheaded the last draugr, who tried to freeze her with a blast of frost magic, she felt the effects of her Shout fade and started gasping for breath. Lydia leaned against a nearby wall and tried to catch her breath as well. As the two recovered, the housecarl went to stand straight and nodded.
"All right, I'm ready when you are."
Ruby looked at her and shook her head. "No."
Lydia seemed stunned in place by her Thane's declaration. After a moment of silence, she blinked and spoke up.
"No?"
"No, you're not going any further. I'm sorry, but this is way above where you can fight, Lyd."
"My Thane, I am sworn to defend you with my life." Lydia looked despondent, and Ruby felt a pang of guilt, but she pressed forward.
"And you're great at that. You've gotten me out of several uncomfortable situations, protected me from assassins, and kept me from getting lost more times than I can count. But this is different. We're practically fighting an army here, and I feel like it's about to get worse. You've already been injured here."
"It's nothing."
Ruby responded by reaching around Lydia quickly and then pushing her finger through the new gouge in her armor. Her fingertips pressed on flesh, and Lydia hissed in pain as she flinched away.
"Another inch, and that bruise would have been a deep cut. Just a little more, and you could have had your spine severed. I'm sorry, Lydia, but right now it's less risky if I go alone."
"But what about you? What about the risk to you?" Lydia's eyes were wide in concern, gesturing with her sword arm at all of the undead corpses.
Ruby sighed. "I admit, it's a little scary going on my own, but I'm… You don't have the same sort of protection I do. You're strong, but it's not strength that's the problem."
The housecarl looked downcast and moved her gaze aside as she sighed. "I understand. Just, promise me that you won't press if you start to feel overwhelmed as well."
"I will." Ruby reached over and patted Lydia's arm, bringing her eyes back to meeting hers. "Let everyone know I'm still going. I can beat this thing. You get to safety and have someone treat that bruise."
Lydia nodded and looked back before heading up the way they came. Ruby watched her go for a minute before going back along the trail, going past a number of gibbets, including one with a number of bleached bones within and below it. She went down into what seemed like a far more ancient structure, and stopped at a lever. Cautiously pulling it to one side, the stone within the doorway began moving, spinning almost like a wheel. When a gate came and opened up, Ruby pulled the lever back and felt it click into the middle. She wondered for a moment how something like that was supposed to keep people out, then figured that it might have actually been to keep something inside. As she walked in, she paused to look at another wall carving. This one bore an almost identical carving of who she was certain was supposed to be Potema, but then on both sides of it were two funeral processions. On Ruby's left the deceased looked like an old man with a large crown and a sword resting on him, being carried by three robed men holding staffs, a dog walking alongside them. At the other side was a funeral procession for a younger looking man, with a smaller crown. He was being carried by three robed women with staffs.
While Ruby wondered who they could have been, she headed deeper into the tomb. Walking for several minutes, she began to really feel the effects of doing this on her own, namely the loneliness. A grinding noise started to become clearer as ruins gave way to tunnels, and she paused to behead a draugr that had been looking away while she came. As the body burned away, Ruby proceeded and saw three levers and another revolving stone door. Reaching over, she flipped the levers as the gates came around, having to push one lever the opposite way for a moment to line them up, but in the end opened the path before her. They weren't completely straight, which she was sure would have bugged Weiss, but it was good enough for her.
Before she could pass through though, she heard a gasp and turned to see an emaciated, yellow-eyed woman coming from an adjoined room wearing old, worn robes. The vampire immediately launched an ice spike at the Huntress, which Ruby narrowly dodged. A red magic beam came at her, but she jumped over it and aimed the point of the Dawnbreaker at her foe. The vampire cried out as she dodged, but then turned and unleashed twin cones of frost on Ruby.
"Feim!"
The frost passed through Ruby's spectral form, confounding the vampire for a moment. Ruby stabbed her equally spectral blade into the vampire, but there was no resistance and no damage. While the undead woman looked at the ghostly sword in confusion, Ruby felt herself fade back into material being along with Dawnbreaker. The vampire's breath hitched, and Ruby pulled back her sword, leaving a large wound in her foe's chest. The woman's heart crumbled into ash as her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell dead. Ruby sighed and returned to her path.
Past the spinning door stones she saw an urn and chest through a window, and turned to her left only to have to dodge out of the way of a fireball. As she landed from her jump, she had to dodge another and realized that both had come from a pair of Soul Gem traps. Taking a moment to plan behind a pillar, Ruby waved her hand to bait out a fireball then pulled back before leaping out and rushing it as the spell passed by. She plucked the Soul Gem from one trap then ducked under another fireball before nabbing the other one. Sighing in relief, she looked at the two Soul Gems and held one in her right hand.
'I wonder…' She tried concentrating her Aura into the gem like she would for a weapon, and then felt it reacting before shining brightly. Ruby looked away and the gem ruptured, luckily, not very hard. It was more akin to those old science experiments with filling a bottle up with vinegar and baking soda before closing them tightly. She looked at the pieces and hummed in thought. Unlike before, they had no energy to them, likely meaning whatever white soul they had was now gone. Figuring it could be something to bring up with Weiss, she pocketed both the whole and broken gems and continued forward.
After passing through a short but winding hallway, Ruby opened a door and walked into an open room with a grate in its center and two thrones on the far side, an inactive draugr sitting upon one of them. As she entered, she heard a sword slide out of a scabbard.
"You've come far, mortal," a male voice said as a Nord in old, red leather appeared from around a corner. "No doubt you seek to enter Potema's sanctum. I can see to that. We'll need plenty of fresh corpses to rebuild her army."
"There's not going to be an army," Ruby declared. "I'm going to stop Potema, here and now. If you stay out of the way, I won't hurt you, but if you make one wrong-"
Ruby side-stepped an urn thrown telekinetically at her and gritted her teeth as the draugr awoke. The vampire laughed as the two undead rushed her, him bringing his sword around and the draugr chopping with his axe.
"Wuld!" Ruby Shouted as she shot across the room, leaving him to be confused. The draugr immediately turned back at her and took a deep breath.
"Fus…Ro DAH!" the corpse Shouted. Ruby dodged out of the way of the Unrelenting Force, leaving behind only rose petals to blow away, before she closed the distance and kicked off the confused vampire's face before meeting against the draugr ebony war axe and shield. The deadlock ended as she twisted and pushed up, but then she had to parry a strike from the vampire. As the man seemed to stumble, Ruby jabbed at him with the pommel and hit his stomach. Flames burst out from the contact point and the vampire was sent reeling before Ruby turned and blocked the draugr again.
Ruby kicked up and knocked the undead back and against a wall. She quickly reached behind her and pulled out Crescent Rose with her left hand while sheathing Dawnbreaker, then spun her favored weapon before closing the gap with the draugr, coming at it rapidly from different angles, overwhelming its defenses momentarily then slicing it in half at the waist. As the torso dropped and the legs fell backwards, Ruby turned back to the vampire, who was staring at her with no small amount of fear in his eyes. Ruby readied herself as she saw him preparing a spell. He turned invisible, and she wondered whether or not he was planning to run for it before hearing a tell-tale footstep near her and then pushed her Aura as high as she could. She felt something hit her dragon scale protected belly then swung Crescent Rose around, stabbing into something and eliciting a scream of pain as the vampire reappeared. She had stabbed all the way through his leg where he was standing slightly to her let. Ruby stepped back and ripped her scythe free, nearing slicing the limb off and dropping the vampire. She turned, rose and brought down Crescent Rose, stabbing down into the vampire's gut as he looked at her in hate and fear. He clutched the weapon a moment before going still, and Ruby pulled it free.
"Idiot," she mumbled before collapsing the scythe and putting it to her back. She went back over and picked up the ebony axe and admired its craftsmanship before deciding to strap it to her side. Ebony was a strong and rare material, very expensive compared to steel, and it also seemed to be very long-lasting given the state of the steel and iron weapons from the same time period. They looked like they were forged centuries ago, but the ebony axe barely looked like it aged at all. If she didn't know any better, she'd almost think it was forged yesterday. She took the key from the vampire's belt and moved to unlock the door leading her further into the tomb.
A little further in she heard someone mumble from behind a set of iron doors and pushed in to see another vampire man who immediately cast a spell upon a female draugr lying on a stone altar nearby. The draugr rose and took up a bow while the vampire charged at Ruby, teeth bared. Remembering a move her sister showed her, Ruby ducked down and uppercut into his belly while grabbing his collar with her other hand. She sent the vampire over her and threw him out before turning back at the draugr-zombie and dodging an arrow fired by it. Ruby dashed in, leaving a trail of petals and drew out Crescent Rose before slicing into the draugr and dragging it off the altar as she did. When the vampire came back, she twirled around and stabbed up into his chest before drawing back. He fell dead, and Ruby heard a commotion beginning in the next hallway. She went in, ready to meet whatever, but paused at the sight of a room filled with corpses, covering the entire floor. She gingerly walked into the room, careful to step over the ancient mummified bodies. Her eyes were caught by the sight of another wall carving depicting Potema, and then her voice came again.
"Not much further. Come, little one. Serve me in death."
Ruby growled, but a wisp of blue magic came from the carving and began threading its way through the bodies. She jumped back away from the corpses and magic, but the tendril reached out past the room and her into the hall, where it touched corpses laying at rest within the mausoleum. Draugr and skeletons began rising as Ruby held herself at the ready. Many pulled out sword or axes, while some took out bows and aimed them at her. Ruby jumped out of the way of a volley and arced her scythe through the two undead nearest her.
"Su!" she Shouted before using her Semblance to dash from point to point, quickly slicing undead after undead apart. An armored skeleton swung a greatsword around only for her to bend back under it and then swing up, smashing into the animated bones. Two draugr chopped at her, but she caught both on Crescent Rose's pole and then twisted, disarming one before shoving the other's weapon into it. She put the blade behind her and caught them into it.
"Wuld Nah!"
She sped across the room and then turned and decapitated a draugr archer aiming at her. Another stabbed, but was caught by her parry before she jabbed Crescent Rose's spear tip into its face. She turned and tossed the re-dying corpse into a crowd coming at her, and then spun with her Semblance propelling her as she jumped over them, slicing down and through several. As she landed, she saw that there were still more coming and took in a deep breath.
"Fus! Ro! Dah!"
The wave of force went out and slammed against the mass of undead, smashing many of them into the nearby walls or into decorative spikes or furniture. Most were broken by the Shout, but a few were able to get back to their feet. Ruby rushed in and quickly finished off the last of them, having to take a moment to catch her breath at the end. She looked across what had basically been her battlefield, and realized that she fought close to twice as many that had attacked her and Lydia earlier. Leaving the room behind her, she pressed on, going down another hall and coming upon an oval, tiered room, where a spectral light floated above the center with a vaguely human shaped shadow inside of it.
"Potema," Ruby muttered as she recognized the magical formation.
"You've come far, mortal," Potema announced to her, "but can you stand against my inner council? Let's see."
Coffins began bursting open and draugr started walking out. Ruby charged to meet them head-on, dodging around an electric spell coming out from Potema's form. One draugr ran at her only to be swiftly bifurcated while another summoned up an ice atronach. As the elemental creature went to attack her, Ruby dashed away and sliced a draugr's head off before it could fully stand, then used her Semblance to zip past the icy being while pointing Crescent Rose forward in spear mode. The draugr tried to defend itself with a ward spell, but she broke straight through it and impaled the undead before backing off and facing other incoming draugr. The atronach faded away with the death of its summoner, and Ruby shouted as she went into the fray. Some of the draugr were tougher than others had been before, but they still fell as Ruby cut through them. Suddenly the head coffin burst open and a draugr with a far more decorative helm and armor rose up, but Ruby nearly stopped in her tracks when she saw the weapon he took out.
The lordly draugr took up a scythe made from ebony into its bony hands, the blade curved outwards rather than inwards like hers and her Uncle Qrow's, but it was a scythe still. The draugr looked to her and growled as it came towards her, holding the scythe like how she recalled Qrow doing when he ran with it. The last of the other draugr were felled and then Ruby had to block a strike from the lord, but still felt the scythe hit her shoulder and partially cut into her dragon scale armor. She twisted away and jumped back, but the draugr was upon her again, swinging its scythe around it and at her, forcing her to back step. The draugr kept up its momentum and stepped forward while swinging up. Ruby jumped to the side and sliced at the undead, only for it to jab its scythe forward and catch hers with its head. The draugr looked back at her and almost seemed to grin.
"Zun Haal Viik!" it Shouted. Ruby felt its Thu'um bash against her own and focus upon her wrists. She tried to resist, only for the Shout to overpower her and wrench her scythe from her grip, snatching her left wrist violently and causing it to dislocate. Ruby cried out as Crescent Rose was flung across the room and stabbed into the wall. She looked back at her weapon and then towards the draugr, who laughed as he began approaching her. Ruby turned and ran towards her weapon, only for the draugr to Shout again.
"Fus Ro!"
Ruby was taken by surprise and went skidding across the floor before slowly pulling herself up. She saw the lordly draugr running at her again, like something out of a nightmare. Her mind hazy, she recalled the scroll she had on her person as she made it to her feet and jumped away, leaving the draugr slicing at rose petals. She reached into her pack and pulled out the enchanted scroll before unfurling it, wincing at the pain in her wrist as she saw the words written on it.
Tharn's Prison
While she wasn't sure what it would do, she was certain it would slow her enemy enough to buy her some time. She focused on the magicka within the scroll and held onto the spell it became as the draugr charged her again, then released it right as the undead was rearing back to swing at her again. The draugr was suddenly tightly surrounded by a magical, emerald colored barrier in a crystalline shape. It banged its fists against its prison while Ruby grabbed her hand and forced it back into place with another wince before focusing her own magicka into a healing spell. As the blaring pain was slowly abated, the barrier spell trapping the draugr began to crack apart.
As the spell shattered, Ruby drew Dawnbreaker and readied herself. The draugr seemed to tip its head before laughing again.
"Zun-"
"Fus!"
The one worded Shout wasn't particularly powerful, but it was enough to unbalance the draugr and interrupt its own Shout. Ruby then dashed in and kneed the undead's gut before bringing her holy blade down. It blocked the strike and tried to twist, but Ruby drew back and stabbed forward. The draugr bent to avoid the blade, but was still scratched on the shoulder as it did. Ruby kept close, hitting with the pommel of Dawnbreaker many times and stabbing to close up even the smallest distance made by her opponent. At this range, the draugr couldn't really use its scythe to great effect, and Ruby knew it. She kept up her assault until she managed to kick one of its knees with enough force to knock it out of place. Her foe now wounded, she dashed out and around, utilizing her Semblance to the fullest degree she could manage, essentially becoming a cloud of rose petals moving and closing in on the speed of sound. She came in close to the draugr and forced it up in a twister of petals before reappearing below it and jumping up with her sword held before her.
"Wuld Nah!"
She stabbed clean through the draugr and both she and it were launched up next to the spectral Potema. The draugr exploded in holy fire and the specter shrieked as Ruby fell back and landed on three points, Dawnbreaker held outwards and glowing. The spectral orb above her seemed to shift, expand, and collapse as it spread out, before it finally coalesced into a stream and launched itself through a door at the head of the room. Ruby stood back up and walked over to where her scythe was embedded in the wall. She sighed, noticing a faint crack in a segment of the steel blade. She would have to replace it. After pulling it loose, she looked over to the ebony scythe and went over to it. It was well-crafted, and like the ebony axe she found it had lasted the centuries in almost perfect condition. She decided to take it with her and carried it along into the next room. Ruby spotted a skull resting upon a throne with a circlet and figured it to be Potema's. She stepped towards it, only for the skull to rise and a ghostly figure to form around it. It looked frail and wholly unnatural, nothing like the other ghosts she had seen. They at least had recognizable features but Potema… She didn't even look human.
"A Revenant..." she muttered. Weiss had told her about the various types of undead, and with the exception of Vampires, Revenants were widely considered to be the most dangerous.
"So you think you can stop me? Foolish child, you think you can replace me?! You'll never be half the queen I was!" Potema shrieked, the sound grating against Ruby's ears like nails on a chalkboard.
"Wasn't planning on it. I'm just here to stop you from hurting the innocent people of Tamriel."
"There are no innocents! They all chose their fate when they decided to defy me! I am the rightful Empress, and no bastard blood is going to keep me from taking what is mine!" The ghost rose up from the throne and off the ground, seeming to summon magic unto herself. "The Ruby Throne will be mine, even if I have to burn the world to reach it!"
Ruby jumped out of the way of a lightning bolt then closed in on the ghost as she let the ebony scythe go. Dawnbreaker sliced into part of the ghost and she shrieked as she hovered up and away. A sustained stream of sparks came at the Huntress and she rolled away before jumping up and stabbing at Potema. This time a ward came up and tried to hold her back, but began cracking before she fell back to the ground.
"That sword… Where did you get a blade like that?!"
"Meridia's Kilkreath Temple!" Ruby said as she launched herself forward and sliced at the specter several times, shattering through a ward she put up before slicing down and into her incorporeal body. "I've already stopped dozens of necromancers with it! You're next!"
Potema sent a shockwave spell that knocked Ruby back, only for her to flip and catch herself against the wall before jumping off. She ducked down beneath a pair of lightning bolts. Ruby charged at her and jumped, but the ghost raised herself higher.
"Insect… You will not defy me!"
"I will! I am!" Ruby hopped up and then jumped up from there, going above Potema and then coming down with Dawnbreaker pointed at the skull within her ghostly head. The ghost sent lightning at Ruby, but the Dragonborn brought up her own ward, gritting her teeth as she poured everything she had into keeping up that defense. Potema tried to bring up a ward, but the point of Dawnbreaker was already beginning to break through. Her other hand started pushing out a repulsion spell, but rose petals began to fly up from Ruby as her Semblance pushed her forward.
"Damn it! No! No!"
"Potema Septim, your evil will not return to Tamriel!" Ruby announced as her eyes began to glow. "I, Ysmir, Dragon of the North, sentence you to Oblivion!"
Dawnbreaker broke through the ward and Ruby drove it down, into Potema's skull. For a moment the two seemed to hang still in the air, and then the ghost shrieked before she erupted into light.
Lydia stumbled out of the Temple of the Divines, Falk and Styrr looking at her worryingly.
"Where's Ruby Rose?" Falk asked in anticipation.
"She… She continued forward without me. I…" She swallowed. "I wasn't strong enough." Lydia closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, her shame evident.
"What do you-"
The ground beneath them began to rumble, then the windows of the temple began to shake violently. Light seemed to come up from the temple before a high-pitched shriek rang out. Magicka and energy rushed from the building, shattering several windows as it poured out and up into the sky. When the lance of magic hit the unnaturally brewing storm, the clouds suddenly parted and began to disappear, the sun showing itself for the first time that day. Citizens who had been panicking or on the verge of it had their attention stolen by this spectacle. For a long stretch of time, the city went quiet, nearly everyone going still and silent.
"She did it," Lydia said as she looked up. "By the Gods, I knew she could do it."
"By the Eight, we're saved!" Falk said aloud in total relief, not realizing he could be overheard. "Ruby really pulled through!"
The few who heard him quickly turned and spread his words. Soon the whole city was erupting with cheers and praises, some even beginning a chant for the one many knew to be a dragonslayer, and now knew to be their hero.
"Ruby! Ruby! Ruby!"
Blake was slightly reminded of the time she was running for her life after getting that note from Astrid, only this time she was fearful for someone else's life rather than her own. She had run all the way from Dragon Bridge to Solitude, using the Longstride spell whenever she felt she had the magicka for it, and gulping down at least three stamina potions. She had noticed odd clouds forming over the city some ways in, which did nothing to alleviate her worries. But about halfway through her run, the odd clouds seemed to instantly disappear, making her wonder if there was some sort of magic involved in that before she shook her head and pressed on. She only slowed when the gate of Solitude came in sight, dropping back down to a brisk walk and breathing deeply to catch her breath. She noticed several Khajiits packing up things to head into the city, none of the guards so much as batting an eyelash. As she wondered what was going on, a familiar cat hopped up onto the fence next to her.
"This one is glad to see you again."
"Jo'nir," Blake asked. "I didn't think your caravan was still around."
"Jo'nir and his kin did leave Solitude, but came back after Markarth. This one has heard many rumors, many sayings. Some say a girl matching your description destroyed the Dark Brotherhood. Some say your white friend had solved a number of murders. Now Solitude says the red girl has saved the world from an ancient necromancer."
"What? Necromancer?" Blake paused in her words as she wondered what exactly Jo'nir could have been talking about. Ruby hadn't mentioned anything about another necromancer.
"There is a big celebration being held. Khajiit will head into the city to sell wares directly in the markets today. Red Ruby is to be awarded at the Blue Palace very soon." Jo'nir revealed. Blake looked towards the Blue Palace, a bewildered expression on her face.
"What did Ruby...?" She shook her head. "Thank you, Jo'nir. After I get everything straightened out with Ruby, I'll come by and see you and the others."
"He will tell the others to set up near the fish stalls, so you will find us easier. M'thri will be excited."
The Alfiq-raht beheld a smug look as he hopped down and ran through the crowds with ease, dodging through steps and around legs like it was second nature. Blake pushed on through the crowded streets, though she did gain a little attention as several people recognized her. Some tried to move and make it easier for her to get by, but it was still slow going. Nearer to the Blue Palace, guardsmen were more numerous and keeping the crowds somewhat at bay, making sure people didn't pack up around the entrance to the auspicious building. Blake started to pass through, but one guard stopped her.
"Official business only today," he stated while keeping his shield at the ready.
"I'm a friend of Ruby Rose, and Thane of Whiterun. I need to see her." The guard, rather than believe her, merely rolled his eyes.
"Right. And I'm Jarl Igmund's twin brother." Another guard went over and tapped his shoulder.
"Actually she matches the description almost perfectly. Do you have a special weapon called, er, Gambling Shroud?"
Rather than correct him on the name, Blake just produced her weapon, taking it fully from her back and then pulling out the sword from the cleaver-sheath.
"Eeyup, that's it. Go on ahead, miss." The guards let her by and Blake quickly walked into the palace, stunned for a moment by how the noise was blocked out so thoroughly once the door was shut, then stunned by the splendor and decoration within. While every Jarl's lodging or palace she had been inside of in Skyrim was certainly a cut above an everyday man's home, the Blue Palace was perhaps the first that felt like a medieval castle straight from fantasy. Even Dragonsreach and the Palace of the Kings felt simply mundane in comparison.
As she headed up one of the sets of twin stairs, her ears began to pick up a soft, sweet voice.
"-for what you've done for Solitude, and Tamriel at large, we can never thank you enough, Dragonborn. For saving our lives from the depredations of the Wolf Queen, there is no such thing as too high a reward." Blake topped the stairs and watched as Ruby was knelt before the throne, wearing a red-scaled armor and having a black scythe set to the side next to her swords. "First and foremost, I hereby grant you the title of Thane of Haafingar and all the privileges therein. I also award you Proudspire Manor, one of the finest manses ever made on Skyrim's soil, to be your property, with Jordis Sword-Maiden as your housecarl. Last, but not least, I award you this."
A guardsman stepped forward, holding a polearm that was about five feet long, red leather and tassels tied to it in different places, with a foot-long, curved edge spear tip blade. He handed it to the Jarl reverently, who then turned and held it above Ruby.
"The Spear of Might, a weapon wielded by some of Solitude and the Empire's greatest warriors. May the sight of it strike fear into your enemies' hearts, just as it has since the days of Reman Cyrodiil."
As the Jarl lowered the spear, Ruby reached up and took it into her hands. The Jarl then let go and took a few steps back.
"Rise, Dragonborn Ruby Rose, Thane of Solitude."
As Ruby stood up to her full height, the six foot long spear held to her side, the crowd of nobles, dignitaries, and high-ranked soldiers began applauding. One man seemed stunned by something, and then Blake realized what the Jarl had just said.
'Thane of Solitude, not just Haafingar at large.'
Blake was sure there was some hidden context she didn't understand, but what exactly it meant she'd likely have to ask Lydia about. It was enough to catch an apparent Thane off guard, so it must have been fairly important.
After the applause ended, the ceremony seemed to be over for the most part. Ruby had regathered her weapons quickly and set her new spear on her back alongside the ebony scythe, and was talking with a woman in steel Imperial armor. Blake came up, catching her attention. She beamed and hugged the faunus, who immediately hugged her back.
"Blake, thank goodness you're back." Ruby then remembered who she was speaking to and stepped back, gesturing to the armored woman. "Oh, this is Legate Rikke. She's the second in command of the Imperial forces in Skyrim. Rikke, this is Blake."
"Honored to meet you, Blake," the soldier greeted with a salute. "I've heard a good bit about your exploits, including how you've helped the Penitus Oculatus dig out unwanted elements in the barracks."
"Thanks. I just did what I felt would keep the world safe." Blake nodded, both proud at her discovery and at the same time slightly worried. She only got that information from the Thieves' Guild, and something told her that when she finally went back to Riften they would not be happy with her. Frankly, she didn't care if they were, she held no regrets. She just hoped that nothing too drastic would come from it.
Blake heard something clack against the floor and turned to see a being with a bull's head and legs, yet a human-shaped torso clad in fairly nice clothes, standing close to seven feet tall, not counting the horns.
"Oh, this is Neriro. Neriro, Blake."
"Good to meet you, miss. A friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine." He reached out a hand and Blake shook it, even if it was bigger than her forearm.
"He smashed a hole in that one dragon's skull. Totally messed up the hammer he was using, but that's just how strong he is. I think someone said something about him calling on an ancestral power, but I don't really know what they were on about."
"Old legends, most likely," Rikke put in. "Some people say the different races all have something special about them beyond our little adaptations and differences, that each race holds a power within them that can be called upon. It's likely nothing more than overblown stories about feats of strength and valor. I've seen brave men quell the fear and anger of their fellows before, but I never saw someone quiet a room just by willing it. I should know. I've wanted to many times."
Neriro nodded, confirming what the Legate said. They then heard a series of footsteps coming from the stairs, and turned their attention towards the sound. The sounds belonged to a Nord woman wearing steel armor, along with a steel shield and sword holstered at the hip. She had no helmet, revealing her shoulder length ginger hair and sharp blue eyes. She had an air of authority towards her, but Blake couldn't help but notice a few directed glares towards the few Bosmer in attendance. The other elves she paid no heed.
The woman came up and saluted towards Ruby. "My Thane, I am Jordis Sword-Maiden. I'll be honored to serve you from here forward." Ruby looked aback. She hadn't expected Jordis this quickly, and was slightly unprepared. She quickly recovered and smiled.
"Hello, Jordis. Uh, I guess it'd be cool if you could show Lydia the new house before I head over there. I feel like Blake and I are about to have a talk soon."
"Your will be done. Where can I find this Lydia?"
Said housecarl stepped forward. "That would be me. Hello there."
The newer housecarl was taken aback, and Blake was reminded of Lydia's uncanny ability to sort of fade into the background. Yang had referred to her as a 'voluntary wallflower' at some point, but Blake didn't think that did her justice.
"Hello. I'll show you to Proudspire then."
"Lead the way. Stay safe, my Thane."
"I will. You two get along now."
Jordis raised an eyebrow at the comment, but Lydia simply shook her head with a good natured smile. Neriro chuckled a moment while Rikke's attention was caught by another soldier in similar armor to her own. After he waved her over, she left them to their own devices. As they sat down on a nearby bench, Blake crossed her legs and looked toward Ruby while Neriro merely stood.
"What's all this about you stopping a necromancer?"
"Potema Septim, actually." The name was unfamiliar to Blake, something Ruby picked up on. "She used to be the Queen of Solitude, and I guess Skyrim, but she was evil and wanted to take over the Empire, so she did all kinds of evil things ranging from blackmail, to murder, to raising a huge undead army. Some necromancers tried to bring her back, but we stopped them before they could bind her, then she tried to bring herself back to life. I went in and stopped her." She said it so matter-of-factly, more akin to revealing what she bought at the store than stopping some world ending event. This caused Blake to stare wide-eyed and Neriro to chuckle.
"You know, I never figured getting posted to Skyrim would end up being so exciting," Neriro commented. "Thought I'd just be churning out arms and armor, but so far I've been kidnapped and rescued from cultists, helped fight a dragon, and traveled with a legendary hero up until she went to fight the undead specter of one of the most infamous villains in Tamriel's history."
"Aw, come on, I'm not really legendary," Ruby bashfully pushed away.
"Be humble all you want, but it's true."
"Hehehe." Ruby rubbed her neck a moment before gaining a thoughtful look. "A weird thing happened down there though. I think Meridia might have done something, because I felt some kind of power. It wasn't the Thu'um, or my Aura really, but it helped me make the last push against Potema and drive Dawnbreaker into her dead skull. When I took it back for Styrr to purify, he said that it had already been purified."
"Makes sense. Meridia's said to hate the undead. She's one of the few daedra whose worship hasn't been fully outlawed. You having an artifact from her probably helped."
"I'm still a little…wary of that," Blake mentioned.
"It'll be fine. Half the time I forget I have it because I prefer my sweetheart. Gotta get her repaired, by the way. Think you can help, Neriro?"
"I'd be honored."
"I think I'd like to reinforce it with ebony. Can you work with that?"
"I know the basics of ebony. One of the reasons they sent me up here. Lot more of it in Skyrim than Cyrodiil, so they figured it'd come in handy."
"Nice!"
After a little more time in the palace, Ruby and Blake headed out from a side door and towards the Thalmor Headquarters. After confirming only one person was there through Ruby using a Detect Life spell, they entered and found Orondil looking over some documents.
"Oh, the new Thane! I'm surprised you'd come and visit me today of all days. And the young Miss Belladonna. Good to see you unharmed."
"Thank you, Orondil. But this isn't a social visit. I need to know anything you can give me about what Isael is doing right now."
"I'm…not sure if that would be appropriate."
"Look, you said it yourself that she's nothing but a detriment to the Thalmor. Besides, I'm doing nothing but avoiding her, for the most part. She's after someone and I'm going to protect them, no matter what it takes."
"Also, there's another guy that wants to stop her," Ruby added. "Someone named Ulquiorra."
"Ulquarrion."
"Ulquarrion? He's one of the more…well, successful agents. That can only mean the Aldmeri Dominion is actively investigating her." He hummed, thinking it over, and nodded. "If he's against Isael, then it's probably in my best interests to help. All right, I don't know what her eventual destination is, but she took her personal carriage to the Embassy. She said I should have someone…'feed the pet upstairs'. I now realize the implications of what she was saying there."
"So she's going by carriage, and making a stop. Then I can still beat her."
"May I ask what exactly this is all about?" Orondil asked with strained curiosity.
Blake looked over to Ruby and let out a long sigh. "Maybe later. No more boats are leaving today so I'll need to catch one in the morning. I'll have time to explain somewhere in-between then. For now, we need to take some time to rest."
Yang's scroll rang and she took it from her pocket, catching the interest of her housecarl, Valdimar. The elder man's brows rose as she answered the call, just before Ruby and Blake's faces popped up.
"Hey Yang! Just calling to let you know Blake's safe and stuff."
"Hey," the Faunus greeted.
"Well that's good news. So what have-"
She was cut off as another screen popped up, showing Weiss in what seemed to be an icy cavern.
"Hey Weiss! How's everything?" Ruby asked.
"I met a Psijic monk who told me to seek out some sort of disembodied being for information. Also I've gotten another clue about… Yang, who's that?"
"Oh right. Guys, this is Valdimar. I became a Thane of Hjaalmarch after saving the town from a coven of evil vampires. He's my housecarl." After a moment of slight confusion, Valdimar nodded at the screen.
"Oh cool! I just saved all of Haafingar, and Jarl Elisif gave me a house, another housecarl, and this pretty cool spear!" She hefted the spear in question. Yang had to admit, it was an impressive looking spear. And yet, even though Ruby was beaming, the other two couldn't help but stare, Weiss in surprise, and Yang with a bit of jealousy.
"Wait, what did you save Haafingar from?" Weiss asked.
"Well, it's was probably the whole continent, but I saved everyone from Potema trying to come back to life."
"Potema Septim, the Wolf Queen?"
"Yeah, that one."
"She tried to come back to life?"
"Yeah, and she was raising the dead and stuff, had a couple vampires and dozens of zombies and draugr, planning on building an army. I stopped her and stabbed her with my holy sword."
"…Is anyone doing anything normal?" Yang asked.
"Blake's getting on a boat in the morning," Ruby pointed out.
"I should be able to get there before Isael. We've got it on good faith that she's going by carriage. Luxury carriage."
"Yes, you should get back by then." The sound of a magic lightning bolt resounded from Weiss' end. "Sorry, the Midden is full of discarded experiments. That was a six-legged ice golem. Did you find the passphrase?"
"I- I did. Don't…let M'rissi know yet."
"All…right?" Weiss seemed confused by the request, but decided not to pry any further. "Well then, while we're at it. Hello, Valdimar, I'm Weiss Schnee."
"Hi, I'm Ruby Rose!"
"Blake Belladonna."
"Good to meet you all," the man said. "So, you're…at the College of Winterhold right now?"
"I am actually," Weiss answered.
"Ah, I remember the good old days up there. Tell me, is Tolfdir still constantly losing his alembic?"
"It feels like it happens twice a week, at least. Did you used to attend here?"
"Back before the Great War. Had a decent talent for it. Still good, in my opinion."
"I have to admit, I didn't expect an everyday Nord to be a magic user. The only ones I've seen are a part of the College or Court Mages, but most of the ones I've met seem to despise the art." Weiss admitted, causing the veteran to scoff.
"Lotta folks wanted to act like Nords never had any business with magic, but they forget that it used to be all fighters were seen with honor, magic or blade. Gods above, magic saved a lot of my comrades years ago, and got me the recognition to be made a housecarl. Don't ever let 'em get you down, child. Whatever you're learning there is as good as any learning."
"Thank you sir. It's good to hear words of encouragement on occasion." Weiss smiled. Yang then decided to get in.
"So you got a second housecarl, Rubes? Didn't think to share with Blakey?" Yang teased. Rather than react, Ruby just looked confused.
"Uh, I don't think housecarls work that way. Besides, now we've got another big mansion in a major city in Skyrim, and we need someone to watch over it. Not to mention it's nicer in Solitude."
"You Valeans are just too thin-skinned to stand a little cold," Weiss teased the sisters. "But honestly, it's quite surprising that this happened. I feel like we're starting to make a pattern."
"I don't know. Haven't done anything major in Falkreath. Have I even been there?" Ruby asked, tapping her chin and looking up in thought. The others then heard a door open and close, and saw Ruby turned her head to the side.
"My Thane, we just got a letter," a female voice rang out. Weiss and Yang didn't know who it belonged to, but it was not Lydia. "Apparently it's from Jarl Sigmund of Falkreath."
"... Well, talk about timing." Yang muttered, surprised at this turn of events.
"Ruby, what did you do?" Weiss sighed. Blake just looked surprised and said nothing.
"Garsh golly gee," Ruby muttered, ignoring the question. "Just set it on the table Jordis," she called back. "I'll read it in a minute." The Dragonborn huffed while looking at her scroll. "Well, I needed to head down there for that Word Wall. First I'll need to drop off Jurgen's Horn, though. So, I'll link up with you in Morthal?"
"Sounds good, sis."
"And Blake'll be back in Winterhold soon. Hopefully we can buckle down and figure some things out before the next crazy, world-ending conspiracy rears its head. Speaking of, Weiss, what was that about a clue?"
"Oh boy. Well, what do you all know about the Simulacrum of Jagar Tharn?"