Sorry for the delay. My workweeks have been...shall we say, compressed. Be sure to thank xTRESTWHOx and NaanContributor for sticking by me.
Out on the open sea, Blake was able to breathe a little more calmly, but her mind kept going back to the mission at hand. Karliah had seemed so certain, yet Blake couldn't be entirely sure. And she wouldn't know one way or the other until she got the information back to Enthir and he decoded it for them.
If it did turn out to be a dead end, though, Blake didn't need the Guild's backing to take out Mercer. Feeling darker thoughts arising, she took the Ebony Blade from her back and laid it down next to her cot with her other belongings. Sighing as the intrusive thoughts faded away, she sat down and looked through her things for something to take her mind off of everything. At first she tried reading, but her mind wouldn't concentrate on the words. She tried writing, but everything seemed blocked. She thought about just listening to some music, then remembered for what seemed like the thousandth time that her music streaming service was no longer available. Exasperated and running out of ideas, she huffed and laid down on her rented bed. After a few moments that seemed to drip by, she heard some footsteps coming and moved her forearm from her eyes to see a familiar Dunmer woman.
'Wait,' she thought to herself. 'Isn't that…?'
"Well, fancy seeing you here," the prostitute chuckled before leaning against the bulkhead with a sashay of her hip.
"What are you doing here?" Blake asked her.
"Picking up a few things. In my line of work, one has to look their best, sweetling, and I need the best to look my best." She smiled and then switched as her hands rested on her hips, bringing Blake's eyes to them momentarily. "Now, I could ask you the very same."
"Had to get something from Markarth. Now I'm heading back to Winterhold."
"Ooh, what a cold place this time of year." The Dunmer leaned over, her loose shirt dropping down just enough to give Blake a slight view. "And what's up in Winterhold for a cute little cat like you?"
"Information," Blake gulped as the Dunmer leaned closer. She shook her head and cleared her throat. "It's a private matter, so I can't really talk about it."
"Oh? But I love secrets." She put her hand to the cot and leaned towards Blake even more. "But if you don't want to share those, that's fine. There are…other things we can share, after all."
Her hand came up and brushed Blake's cheek, her pinky running just under her jawline, causing the Faunus' hair to stand on end as she lurched back, away from the elf's touch.
"L- Look! I don't want- I don't want this, so…stop it!"
"Oh? Too bad." The Dunmer said in disappointment as she stood back up. "And here I was about to offer my services for free just this once. Oh well. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. Just ask for Breel, oh Champion." The Dark Elf then turned away and sashayed out of the hold, going past a young man at the stairs. He seemed to be captivated by her for a moment before shaking his head and turning his attention back to Blake, who was trying to calm herself from the encounter.
"Uh, excuse me? I was told that Blake Belladonna was here?"
"That's me," she got out, and the man brought a pack around from his back and pulled out a letter.
"Got this from Falkreath Hold. Addressed from Lakeview Manor. Never ran into a recipient on the boat before. I half-expected having to track you down in the snow somewhere."
Blake took the letter and opened it, finding it to have a small drawing of two cat-eared and tailed people next to a large house at the very top.
Dear Blake,
We are doing very well at this cozy house Ruby made for us. The kindly S'ahara moved in with us and brought all of M'rissi's chickens, and now they are good friends with Ruby's chickens. Inigo is afraid of them conspiring, but she thinks he's just being feather-brained.
Fresh milk every day is yummy though, so things are very good. Lirry likes it, too, but M'rissi has had to teach her how to share, otherwise she will drink it all and leave none for the rest of us. Lirry has grown much, but she started slowing down a bit and does not eat as quickly as she used to. Now M'rissi can sit on her back with almost no problems. She is as strong as the horses!
However, she finds that she misses you and hopes you will come and visit soon. She knows you got into trouble with a thief, so she is telling you - No, she is commanding you to defeat him and come back to us with tales of heroness.
Write back to her and let her know how you are.
M'rissi
Blake was smiling by the end of the letter and folded it away to see the courier had wandered over to the other side of the room.
"Excuse me, can I write something and give it to you here?"
"Oh, uh, sure."
The sun was setting, and the vampires were beginning to leave the cave they had taken for the night. There hadn't been any occupants save a few bats, which Curle Crux had spent some time ensorcelling for a warning system. Weiss was both intrigued and disturbed by the type of magic he was using and was surprised when she managed to pull it off. It felt almost like a familiar being summoned, but rather than semi-programmed autonomous processes, there was a sort of mind beneath everything she was commanding.
"Never done this before?" the severely scarred vampire asked her, holding one arm out for a bat to hang off of. She looked at him and then the one bat under her control before nodding.
"I…didn't even know we could."
"It's not unique to vampires. Just easier." He reached over and picked up his bat, its belly resting in his palm. He started petting it, and the creature actually looked pleased. Weiss couldn't help but find it to be a little adorable. Her thoughts then turned over to her own bat.
"Can I…release it?"
"You know how to dispel, yes?" She nodded. "Do the same, but watch out for the animal's magic."
"Watch out…? No, I think I understand." Weiss felt for the threads of her spell and mentally broke them. The bat dropped, but caught itself and flew back up as though dizzied.
"Careful," Crux reiterated. "You can hurt them if you aren't." He lifted up his arm and the bat in his hand took off. Weiss watched it rejoin with a few others at the cave's ceiling, noting how the other bats began looking it over and seemed to be helping it groom.
"You didn't question me," he seemingly randomly pointed out, catching Weiss off-guard. She looked at him in surprise.
"Pardon?"
"Most would question why I care, which means you weren't surprised. Some might have even called me a fool." He nodded at that. "You sympathize, at least. Perhaps you also care."
Weiss was confused as to why this was being brought up at all, but at the same time knew she couldn't leave it hanging in the air. "So you care about the bats?"
"I care about a lot of things. Animals like them don't deserve harm."
"I have a feeling you're going to relate this back to people."
"People made me like this before I ever became a vampire," he said while indicating his mutilated face. "An animal will just kill you or try to run you off if they're afraid or something. Mortals, just mortals, like to inflict lasting pain. Perhaps that's why our souls are Black when theirs are White?"
Weiss took that statement in and thought to respond, but then Ocadur and Teres walked in from outside, the setting sun silhouetting them for a moment.
"Just 'bout ready to go," Teres told them. "We spotted the cabin. Doesn't look defended, but I could feel something around there. Some kinda magic."
"The target is a Direnni. They're a little famous for their magic, more than any single Altmer or Breton family," Weiss explained. "Now, once the… Wait, where are the other two?"
"Deeper in the cave," Ocadur told her. "Wanted privacy."
"Privacy for… Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Weiss looked at a few of the connecting caverns and picked up where their scent was coming from. Holding up a hand, she summoned up a low-level Firebolt and launched it straight down the tunnel. She didn't hear any yelps, but a few moments later Niege and Zoeyvyra were stumbling up to the front of the cave, the man pulling on his trousers and the woman fixing up her mage robes.
"We were coming!" Niege objected as his buckled his belt.
"I'm sure you were, at least," Teres said with a grin. Niege looked incensed, but Zoeyvyra actually giggled at that.
"Well, where're the thralls?" he asked before throwing on his leather armor.
"They left for their task hours ago," Crux explained. "Kri told us to make sure we do not attack until after sunset. It's important that we do so."
"What kind of idiot does he think we are? Why wouldn't we wait for night? What kind of stupid vampire attacks a place in the middle of the day?"
"I'm sure there have been a few," Weiss interjected, remembering how she sometimes had to fight during daylight. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Dusk is here and it's time to get into position. Don't fight stupid or charge ahead, and don't underestimate anything at any time. And remember, we have to capture the target. Don't unnecessarily rough her up. We get these cuffs on her and we won't have to worry about her magic." Weiss patted said cuffs strapped to her waist. "All right, let's move out."
The vampires went out into the remnants of daylight and made their way over to where the cabin was located. It was situated next to a hill with some trees planted around it for windbreakers, and past them a large open space. A frozen pond separated them from the building, but so much snow had fallen atop it that it was hard to differentiate from the ground. Once the last of the sun's light faded, they all felt their power coming back to them in full. Weiss began leading them forward, feeling out with Magic Sense to get feedback from several huge hotspots, as well as the cabin itself being lit up with enough to make her wince.
'Well, that's reassuring.' She made sure to go around the hotspots while also guiding the others to do the same. However, they eventually came upon what looked like a bubble, thin and almost imperceptible, yet Weiss knew what it was. She stopped and the rest stopped behind her.
"Okay, there's a warning spell here. We cross it, and she'll know we're here."
"Can we get around it?" Teres asked.
"Not likely. It's probably all-" Weiss was cut off by a roar echoing across the land. She looked to where it came from and almost missed the bubble's sudden expansion that seemed to scan them all.
"What was that?" Zoeyvyra asked in wonder and concern.
"That was a dragon," Weiss answered as she pulled out Strahlendjuwel. "But that's not our problem!"
Bony hands began popping out all around them and pulled up equally bony corpses. The skeletons began creaking and chattering as they hefted up rusted weapons and began charging at the vampires. Niege pulled out his mace while Teres and Ocadur hefted out a battleaxe and greatsword. Two skeletons nearly reached Crux, but his sword flashed out of its scabbard and took off both of their heads before returning. Weiss and Zoeyvyra began launching ice spikes and balls at the bony undead, but Weiss was also meeting a few in melee range. Soon, a circle of bones had piled up around the vampires, but something else was coming their way.
"Clanfears!" Crux warned them before seeming to sink into the ice. Weiss was bewildered by that, but then saw the saurian Daedra charging them. She used Raise Wall, leading to two of them charging into it and getting stuck before it fell back into the earth, decapitating them. Ocadur was forced to grapple one, but threw it into the air then brought his sword down and through it. Crux suddenly popped back up and ran his saber through one going for Zoeyvyra then drew a knife and stabbed it into its neck. Niege smashed three of them as they charged him, bashing through their thick skulls with baseball-like swings. Scamps tried to rush them, but fared little better than their brethren when Weiss summoned up a pair of Frost Atronachs and then a white copy of Stalph's monstrous form.
As the last scamp was pinned by Ocadur's sword, the vampires took a moment to gather their bearings and look around for any other enemies. Seeing none, Niege, Teres, and Zoeyvyra began to laugh with relief.
"Well, that was an exciting scrap," Teres admitted. "Maybe next we can-" His words were cut off by a scream of pain as something hit his shoulder. Everyone looked to the source and saw three people in laminated armor, one of them reloading a crossbow while the other two were running at them with an axe and shield and a warhammer.
"Where in Oblivion did they come from?" Niege yelled as he brandished his mace.
"Doesn't matter!" Weiss yelled, trying to bite down on the words she really wanted to scream. She thought the Dawnguard would have gotten here either long before them or too late, not at the exact same time. Crux ran forward, sinking into the ice as a bolt came for him, causing the crossbow-wielding woman to lower her weapon in confusion. The warhammer man went at Teres and Niege while the axeman veered for Weiss. The heiress jumped out of the way of his first swing and parried the second.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn…it! You weren't supposed to…be here now," she ground out.
"Too bad for you, vampire!" the man taunted her while taking a defensive position as Weiss reared her rapier back.
"You were supposed to have been done by now," she whispered, which made the man's eyebrows rise. "We needed you to get the woman out of the way, not fight vampires over her."
"You… What are you talking about?"
"You got the message from Ruby, who got it from Yang, right?" Now his eyes went wide. "I'm the-"
A scream caught both of their attentions, causing them to look over and see Teres, now brained and with his blood sprinkled over Zoeyvyra, who had been standing just behind him. She tried to slow the vampire hunter with a cone of Frostbite, but he pushed through and nearly had her before Niege tackled him aside and started punching him to gory effect. Another scream had them look back to see the crossbow-woman being dragged down through breaking ice. She was frantically trying to pull herself back up, but once her waist went under, she seemed to almost slide into the icy waters. The axeman looked at Weiss in rage and she stepped back with a grimace. A dragon roar rose up and went across the land as the man yelled out a battlecry and went at her swinging. Weiss started parrying his blows, but was caught off-guard by the shield bash that knocked her on her back. She was about to roll out from under him as he swung towards her prone form, but then a sword came down on his shoulder and split him through to his hip at a slight angle. The man lasted a few more seconds, in which his face displayed shock and pain, before he collapsed as the sword was yanked from him. Weiss got to her feet and saw Ocadur there with his bloodied sword.
"Talk too much," he said to her before going over to where Niege had ripped off the other Dawnguard's head. Teres was lying still, part of his head caved in and gray matter seeping through.
"Son of a bitch had a strong arm, but mine were stronger," Niege boasted before biting into the head and sucking from it. Zoeyvyra checked over the dead vampire with a whimper before sighing. Curle Crux then rose out of the ice. Weiss looked at where he popped up from and peered closer to see something distinctly human-shaped floating beneath the translucent sheet.
"Vampire hunters from that new guild, Dawnguard," the scarred vampire deduced quickly before looking at Teres' corpse. "Don't underestimate them."
"I didn't," Niege defended himself. "Not my fault he was playing around."
"It doesn't matter what happened," Weiss jumped in, her head swimming with thoughts of how almost everything went wrong. "We still have our mission to complete. Niege, Ocadur, you'll be up front. Crux, I want you to use that…phasing power of yours-"
"Only works with ice," he interrupted.
"Well, then just be ready to back them. Zoeyvyra, stay with me, get ready for a magic battle."
"Yes, of course. Um, but please, call me Zoey," she said pleasantly and with a smile. Weiss just nodded and gestured for them to go. As they neared the cabin, they could hear the nearby dragon roaring again.
In the first room, the men had to suddenly block a pair of wicked swords coming at them from a pair of Daedra Weiss recognized as a Dremora and a Xivilai. As the two blocked, Crux slipped beneath both and stabbed the Daedra in their chests, aiming for openings in their armor. The Dremora dropped as the anti-Daedric dagger took effect, but the Xivilai merely stumbled back before Ocadur brought his sword back around and sliced through the Daedra's guts. It cried out, then collapsed forward. They continued in, carefully checking a hallway before Weiss activated Sense Life. She saw a single, human-shaped glow and pointed it out to them. Ocadur was the first at the door, grabbing its knob before nodding to Niege, who nodded back. Everyone else readied themselves as well, and Weiss saw the person tense before she released the spell.
Ocadur threw open the door and Niege charged in only to be met by a rain of electricity. As he screamed, Crux and Ocadur tried to go around him, but the finely-dressed Altmer changed her attention over to them. She pointed an intricate staff at Ocadur and launched him into and through a wall while flames nearly caught Crux. He managed to slip under them, but then the woman turned her attention towards him completely and summoned up a green tether that fired at him and wrapped around his wrist. His arm was yanked and he was slammed into Niege and back down the hall. Weiss ducked under them and sped in, the Staff of Magnus in one hand. Stalph's copy came in and leaped in front of her as an explosive spell was launched from the woman towards her, absorbing the impact and allowing Weiss to fire a spray of sparks. The Altmer shouted in pain as they hit her, but then summoned up something that Weiss couldn't identify. The large, frog-like creature roared before it tried to smash her with a hammer. Weiss side-stepped and fired the Staff at it.
"Disassembling Daedroth presence."
The creature cried out as it was forcefully dissipated, surprising the elven woman.
"What in… Where did you get that?!" she cried out before beginning another spell. A fireball from Zoey caught her attention for half a second, allowing Weiss the time to ready her backup plan.
'Drain the target's magicka. Do not harm the target,' she commanded the godly artifact.
"Commencing magicka syphoning."
A beam lanced out from the Staff of Magnus, hitting the woman from the side and knocking her back. A sudden explosion sent Weiss reeling, and she looked up to see the woman looking at her in fear. Niege had gotten back up and made to grab her, but she shoved her staff up and made another fiery explosion that smashed him into the opposite wall. Crux came in, but had to dodge a spell that burned a hole through the floor where he was standing. Weiss raised up her staff and sent in the same command as before, then another stream hit the elven woman and began draining her of her power. She turned her staff back to Weiss, but Zoeyvyra rushed up and grabbed it, yanking it up and away from Weiss while holding the woman into the beam. A moment later, the magic-drain ended and Weiss was rushing forward, slipping one of the cuffs on her arm and tightening. The woman gasped in shock and looked back to her, then Zoey's fist came around and punched her just below the sternum. As the breath rushed out of her lungs, the former Dibellan ripped the staff out of her hands and backed up while aiming it at her. Weiss grabbed her arm and shoved on the other cuff and tightened it as well, snapping the lock shut on it.
"You… you will all pay for this," the woman groaned out. A moment later, Ocadur and Niege had gotten back up. Niege looked at the gasping Altmer woman with a snarl and kicked her onto her back before looming over her.
"Niege," Weiss started. "Stop! We've captured her."
"Yeah, we did," he said while leaning towards her. "Good job. This bitch really…put up a fight." The High Elf looked up at him defiantly, and the vampire just smiled back down at her before reaching up and grabbing her expensive looking dress by the collar and then ripping it open. Her face was filled with fear again as she tried to cover herself and screamed as Niege started forcing her arms apart. Weiss was stunned for a moment, then her senses came back to her like a crashing train, and she pointed Strahlendjuwel at the man.
"Stop! That! Now!" she commanded. He continued to hold the kicking and thrashing woman still, but looked up at Weiss with a smirk.
"What's the matter? I'm not gonna hurt her. She might even li-."
"You finish that sentence, I will run you through this very moment." Weiss felt her blood boiling and something seemed to rise up in her and make her growl in fury. Niege's face became more serious as she brought her rapier's tip closer to his throat. "I said, get off of her. Now!"
For a moment, they were all still, then Ocadur stepped forward and held up his sword.
"Lord Harkon put her in charge of this mission. Are you going to disobey him?"
Niege scoffed and let the Altmer's arms go. She covered herself up, now in tears, and rolled onto her side while Niege slowly stood up. His hand suddenly grabbed his mace from his belt, and he started moving, but before he went anywhere Ocadur's sword flicked around and slashed through flesh. The "Sword-Breaker" seemed confused as his body stopped obeying his commands and fell over, less than a third of his neck connecting his head to the rest of him. The High Elf woman saw his bleeding corpse and then looked up to the rest of them in fear and confusion. Weiss felt her heart ache for her, yet she knew that even with only the nicer half of the vampires left, she still had an act to put up.
"Zoey, get her something to cover up with. There should be spare clothes somewhere. Crux, get the…chains. Ocadur, watch over her. I'm going to…" Weiss thought for a moment, and sighed. "Never mind. Zoey."
"Ye- yes ma'am," the vampire healer stuttered out before going over and rifling through a wardrobe and a chest-of-drawers. Weiss looked over at the broken wall and the moon creeping up from the horizon.
In the distance, the dragon roared again.
The woman said nothing as the three vampires attached chains to the manacles on her wrists and began leading her away. Weiss would've assumed she would be bursting with questions, but could understand her silence given how things actually went down. The fact that she wasn't even attempting to struggle spoke volumes.
When the cabin was just about lost in the distance, they paused at the approach of the thralls. Weiss looked them over and noted how several seemed wounded or even singed. On top of that, nearly half of them were gone.
"What happened?" she asked Kri as he came up to her.
"We were successful. I see you were as well," he pointed out. Weiss looked back at the captured Altmer woman to see her having taken her eyes from the ground for a moment. "We will need to return to Lord Harkon as soon as possible."
"Yes, of course." Weiss nodded and then signaled to the diminished group. They started their eastward march, most of the thralls just mindlessly walking by the vampires' sides. Weiss checked around herself a moment, feeling as though something was off, then noted that she hadn't heard the dragon in a while. She looked back at the injured thralls and noted their wounds and singe marks. Their number was noticeably reduced, and it certainly looked like they might have gotten in a fight with a dragon.
'Why would Harkon need them to fight a dragon, though?' Her mind could offer no real answer, and the only one she knew that could wouldn't speak a word of it.
When they arrived at the scene, two sellswords were already lying on the ground and bleeding out. Bodan jumped away from hammer and axe swings, slashing his cutlass in quickly to try and carve back his attackers. A bound arrow came for one man, sending him into the snow with a yelp. The last two were rushed by a pair of humans that knocked them through the air, where they tried to roll to their feet and survey their new odds. Where once they had only a single Redguard to battle, now they had five various mortals to contend with, two of which had already bowled them over and were drawing axes. They immediately turned tail and ran, heading in the general direction of Solitude. Yang relaxed and stashed her axe away as the two shot off, but Yngvarr kept his at hand.
"Hey Roomie, watch out and make sure they don't come back," she asked, figuring why the large Nord was still tense, and Rumarin nodded.
"Might as well. I'll let you know if they sneak up and kill me."
As the High Elf went to guard against them, Bodan sighed and walked up towards the others. "There you are, Swamp Knight," he said to Anum-La. "Just in time to help me clean up."
"Bodan!" she drew out while walking forward to clasp his hand. "It looks like that Thalmor was right. Gabania sent these men." The Redguard nodded, and then sighed.
"If these are Gabania's men, then that means that the assassin is not."
"So now what? What's our next move?"
"That, my friend, is for Dalum-Ei to decide."
"He's here?" Anum-La asked in surprise and hope.
"Indeed. He should be arriving at the Moorside Inn any moment now. Although, it's occurred to me I don't know this marsh as well as any of you might…"
"Don't know where to go?" Yang asked him.
"I know to go 'south', but beyond that…"
"It's cool. It would confuse me, too. Anum, think you can show us out?"
"I'll take one of the drier paths so that none of you complain," the Argonian said with a laugh. The others just smiled while Yang looked for their final member.
"Hey Ru, ready to go?"
"Ready as ever," he answered while walking back and dispelling his bound bow. "They're still running away. Decent cowards this time. Not like those brave souls who keep trying to fight after losing all their friends, weapons, or limbs."
Anum-La quickly led all of the others out of the marsh and back to town. As they piled into the inn, Yang smelled another Argonian and smiled. Jonna seemed jostled out of a half-asleep state, but otherwise just ignored them. Following scent and intuition, they went to one of the rooms where an Argonian awaited them. He had green scales and long horns with rings set upon them, with two more spikes between them. His jawline was traced with horn-like spikes, and another pair was underneath his chin, almost like a goatee. He was also wearing a suit of plate armor, the gauntlets and greaves of which were sitting on the table next to him.
"Dalum-Ei!" Anum-La began. "It really is you!"
"Anum-La! Bodan!" he greeted his two friends, his voice bearing an accent Yang didn't recognize. "It is good to see you both alive and well."
"Hear any news on Indrel?" the bard quickly asked him.
"No, and I don't suspect we will. You were right, old friend. It was like trying to grasp the wind. However, it seems that we have an even more able warrior on our side." He gave a bow towards Yang. "I thank you Companion, for keeping Anum-La safe."
"Don't be so sure," Anum jumped in before Yang could speak. "It's not like the old days. Maybe this time it was me doing the saving!" The two women laughed at that.
"It wouldn't be the first time, dear Swamp Knight. You proved yourself that night in Thorn, and countless times thereafter. Now, I hate to delay our reunion, but I would like to speak to the Companion alone. The rest of you order a drink and we'll join you shortly. Companion?"
"Yang Xiao Long," she greeted him.
"Yang then, would you come speak with me outside?"
"Sure. You guys order us something for supper. Feel like chicken?"
"I honestly feel more like shit," Rumarin answered as he walked into the main hall. "But I would like to eat some chicken."
"Smartass," she muttered with a playful roll of her eyes while she and the Argonian man stepped back out into the night air. The door was closed, and the atmosphere of the warm indoors became muffled and then shut off. For a moment, Yang looked at Dalum-Ei expectantly, but the reptile took a moment to look up into the night sky and take a deep breath.
"First," he spoke up after a second, "I want to thank you again for protecting Anum-La. She is like a daughter to me, and had our company survived, I was to leave it to her."
"No need, man," Yang waved him off. "She's a good enough fighter on her own."
"True, but she has always fought better when she fights for someone other than herself."
Yang nodded at that. It was certainly reasonable. Sometimes she herself fought all the harder when there were others besides her at risk.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
"I wanted to ask for your thoughts on Bodan. Do you find him…trustworthy?"
Yang was caught a little off-guard by the question. Still, she ruminated over it and hummed to herself in thought.
"Well, Anum-La trusts him. That's good enough for me."
"Remember though, she is naïve. She grew up alone, and we are her family. She would be blind if Bodan sought to betray her."
"Why?" she asked him, wondering where he was going with this. "Do you not trust him?"
"No. I trust him now more than ever. For you see, the best way to solidify one's beliefs is to challenge them."
"Okay, but…" Yang resisted the urge to scratch at her head. "Something must have brought that on."
"You are perceptive, Yang. Yes, I misled you all earlier when I said I could not find Indrel. I neglected to mention she was more than eager to find me." Yang's eyebrow arched at that.
"And she brought this up?"
"She was…adamant that Bodan was a traitor. She believed he was only in the company for vengeance. She also said that Ula-Wei would never let his guard down unless the killer was someone he trusted. Lastly, the motive. She said that Bodan never forgave us for what happened in that cave. It made us no different than the ones who killed his wife." He took in a breath and sighed. "I admit, I was tempted to believe it. However, after talking with you and getting a fresh perspective, it's clear that Indrel was wrong."
"Yeah. If he was trying to kill Anum-La, he had a couple of opportunities," Yang pointed out. "When we first met him, he could have asked her aside somewhere and she would have went along. Or he could have waited and killed her in her sleep while we were here at the inn that night. Instead, he sent us to the opposite side of Skyrim."
"Ah, that is all true. Thank you, Companion. Now, do you have any questions for me? I am sure there is much you wish to know."
"Well, for one, who do you think is responsible for these killings?"
"In truth, as of right now, I've decided to stop thinking about it altogether. Indrel's words were poisonous, even though her intentions were noble. The last thing we need is to turn on each other. The assassin will come to us. There is no need to divine who he is."
"I guess so." Yang sighed and brushed her hair back. "Just hate to be the one waiting, you know."
"I understand. While I would prefer a more active approach, there is nothing to be done about it at the moment."
"So…" Yang clicked her tongue in thought. "Anum-La told us some stories. Why…did you accept her into your company?"
"Ah, a good question. I don't know if she mentioned this, but I had sent her invitation to another. She must have found it on a courier, as there was truly no other explanation. Bodan seems to think I chose her as a symbol, to be the one member of the company who was truly…'clean'." The word seemed to leave his mouth awkwardly, as though it were a foreign one. "That is the bard's way of thinking. A swordsman doesn't consider metaphors and the like. The truth is I never expected her to stay. I thought after the first night, she would go scurrying off back into the swamp. Throughout our years together, I kept waiting for her to buckle, waiting for that moment where I would be forced to send her home once and for all." A smile shone on his face, so clear it couldn't hope to be missed by anyone. "But she never did, and I never had to."
Yang smiled as well, remembering the night when she regaled Jorrvaskr with her tale of fighting off those poison spear-wielding attackers. Her heart swelled for a moment, picturing her friend standing against the odds and still coming out on top.
After a companionable moment of silence, Yang cleared her throat.
"So, why did you start up the Honorable Eight, if you don't mind?"
His eyes narrowed in sadness, a glossiness taking over them for a moment.
"To answer that, I must take you back to the Great War." He turned towards the town and leaned against the bannister of the inn's porch. "Before then, most of my experience came in tournaments and the arena. You risked your life, but there were always rules. A knight's code. But war… War is different." The way the life seemed to drain from his face reminded Yang of others, but none of the veterans of that conflict ever looked as…broken as Dalum-Ei looked at that very moment. She began to regret asking him, but soon he was looking back up and across the horizon, as though focusing on some far away point. "The horrors I've seen, I would wish them upon no mortal.
"You learn under all the pomp and pageantry, we truly are nothing more than beasts. Yet, what I couldn't live with was my own guilt. Countless times I chose my loyalty over doing what was right. Those horrors, you see, were mine.
"When the war was over, I vowed to never let loyalty cloud my judgement again. I would do what was honorable, and stay committed to what was right. The Honorable Eight was a company founded on that principle. In war, people chase victory at all costs. Come death or glory, the one thing we would never do is compromise our beliefs."
Yang looked out across the town and tried to imagine what it must have really been like. Skyrim's war was at a standstill, with winter forcing both armies to hold. Remnant had been at peace since before she was born, the closest major conflict having been a single battle on another continent, and the last real war almost beyond living memory. Yet she had seen the men and women who came back from Tamriel's Great War. She saw how their faces seemed to sink into darkness, how some of them were a hair's breadth away from losing it. What horrors could make people who see death on a weekly basis just…break?
Eventually, the two went back inside and helped themselves to a hot supper and warm drinks. Yang laughed and joked with her friends, yet the dead-eyed face stayed at the back of her mind, where it would come up unbidden just enough to keep reminding her.
The vampire troupe kept walking throughout the night and into the day. Weiss wanted to get back to the castle as quickly as possible, even if it meant not getting any real rest on the way. The vampires didn't actually need any, and the thralls couldn't complain, but their prisoner had to be carried on Ocaduroncarinmarco's back after a while. Natha's childer didn't seem to mind, but the woman herself was nervous about being held in any way by their captors.
"I…hate…the sun," Zoeyvyra groaned under her hood.
"We're almost there," Weiss told her, not feeling nearly as irritable as she expected. "We just have to-"
Something suddenly snatched her up by the ankle and dragged her across the ground. The heiress screamed as she sped along and then went straight upwards. Dizzied from being caught in the trap, Weiss almost missed the figure standing across from where she was strung up.
"What on-" She swung herself out of the way of a weighted chain end that flew towards her face, then grabbed her rapier and sliced the rope holding her aloft. As she fell back to the ground, she straightened herself to land on her feet, but had to dodge a dagger strike meant for her neck. "How are you still alive?"
"I know the healing arts, vampire," the monk ground out while taking a stance. His attention was taken by the incoming force ready to back Weiss, and he scoffed before going into a crouch. "You lived this time, but I will take you down." He jumped towards a tree then pushed off against it towards another, starting him off on a series of jumps that took him higher and further into the forest. Weiss watched him go in confusion as the others all gathered around her.
"What in Oblivion just happened?" Curle Crux asked.
"Nothing, just…crazy people." Weiss sheathed her blade and sighed. "Let's get back to the castle."
"Ah, and you've arrived victorious I see," Garan greeted the returning force as they entered the main chamber. He looked over their prisoner, who refused to shrink back and stood tall. "Certainly looks like her. Crux, if you would take her to the thrall pens for holding? Let Rargal know she's not to be touched until Lord Harkon sees to her himself."
"Yes sir." The scarred vampire took her chains and led her away from the rest of them. Garan nodded and looked back to Weiss as Kir and the thralls followed their charge.
"Well done. Although, I noticed you seem a little short."
"Vampire hunters appeared. Teres died to them."
"I see. And the other…Sword-Breaker, wasn't it?"
"He disobeyed me, then moved to attack." Weiss wasn't sure if he was actually going to or if he was just planning on posturing, but she had no tears to shed for him when Ocadur put him down.
"And so he's destroyed. At the very least, perhaps others in the future will think twice before going against you." He smirked. "Well then, I shall inform our lord of your success. He will be most pleased. We'll send someone for you should we need anything else."
Weiss nodded and went her own way as he left. Ocadur stopped and kneeled before Natha near the head of the room, but she caught some of their words as she went.
"Did you have fun, my little one?" the ancient vampire asked the Altmer.
"I did as you said. Everything was successful."
"That's good to hear. Well, let's go let your brothers know you're back. Schrubal and Djorni-"
Weiss came up to Serana's room and knocked. Soon, the door was opened, and Giledie sighed in relief at seeing her.
"Th-thank the gods, it's you, M-m-miss Weiss." She ushered her in where Serana was mixing together something in a few vials. The vampire princess smiled and nodded toward her.
"So, everything went…well?" Serana asked, and Weiss put up a muffling spell before allowing herself to relax.
"The Dawnguard sent three of its members, and they ended up fighting us. Teres and Niege are dead, and I'm now a little frightened by some of the things Curle Crux can do. Did you know he can phase through ice?"
"Technically, we can all do that."
Weiss blinked. "Beg your pardon?"
"It's one of our…bloodline powers." She set down the vials and went over to sit on the edge of her bed. "It's how we hunt… Or how we used to hunt. Just hide under the ice in a frozen lake and grab people and yank them down. It was…not difficult, but people have to actually be crossing wherever you're at. Some of us stopped using it too much. Others, like Crux it seems, found different uses for it."
"Like dodging crossbow bolts then pulling your enemy under where they're helpless." Weiss recalled the submerged woman and shivered as she imagined what her final moments would have been like. "Still…"
"Does that mean….I can d-do that?" Gilly asked.
"We all can, but…well, it's like any vampire power. You'd learn it better by seeing it or having a desperate moment. I…wouldn't suggest the latter. So, who was it?"
"Who was who?" Weiss asked, a little confused.
"The Direnni you captured. Did you get a name?"
"Actually…" Weiss paused and thought for a moment, "she never told us her name. We didn't ask either, but we didn't say much of anything to her. I…felt a little odd about it since…" Weiss winced for a moment, then sighed. "Niege tried to rape her."
Gilly gasped so hard she started coughing, while Serana's eyes went wide as saucers.
"I commanded him to stop, he wanted argue, but I wasn't having it. I threatened to kill him if he didn't quit, and I meant it. Well, he jumped up, and Ocadur cut off his head. After that, it was hard not feeling horribly guilty about…what we were doing. Zoeyvyra seemed just as off-put as me about it, if not more, and Crux and Ocadur weren't much for talking anyways, so we were mostly quiet coming back."
"I see," Serana muttered. "Well, good riddance, I say. If he was trying to do it then, he probably did it before and would've done it after. I'm not losing any sleep over him."
"Me neither. I was going to kill him myself. But now, I can't help but be afraid of what'll happen to that woman. Harkon wouldn't have commanded we bring her back alive and unharmed just to do it himself, I don't think. Yet…"
"Tell you what, I'll check on her for you if you need me to. Maybe I can even get her name? Maybe I already know her. Do you think she was around in the First Era, or too young?"
"Oh, far too young. I'm not even sure if she could have seen the Third. If she were from the first she would have some signs of aging."
"Oh, so I'm old now, am I?"
That managed to get a laugh out of Weiss and Gilly. For just a moment, they forgot where they actually were.
"Yang, wake up! Wake up, Yang!" The blonde blinked her way out of unconsciousness and sat up groggily, looking forward to see a worried Anum-La at the door of her room. "Bodan and Dalum-Ei, they're gone!"
"Wha- what?" Yang shook her head and rubbed her eyes before taking a quick, deep breath. "What do you mean gone?"
"I got up, and they aren't here! I have no idea where they went." The Arogonian started scrambling around as Yang got up to her feet. "They wouldn't have just left without telling anyone or leaving a note. There must be one-"
"Found it," Yang declared while moving one of her Springheel boots off of the dresser, which was certainly not where she left it, and found a piece of paper underneath.
"'Anum-La,' oh, it's for you." When the Argonian didn't reach for it and instead waited, Yang looked back down and kept reading. "'As I pen this, Dalum-Ei has asked that I join him for a walk. I suspect one of us will not return. In the end, the answer was obvious. He betrayed us because he could no longer betray his ideals.'" Yang blinked in confusion as any lingering sleep left her system, then looked at her traveling companion again. Anum-La, for her part, was stock still and staring straight ahead, as though held in place by shock. Undaunted for now, Yang continued reading.
"'Dalum-Ei once told me, there is no right way to lead. Whether it be by passion, anger, or example, what matters is that you choose a method and stick by it. A leader must stand by his principles just as he must stand by his decisions. Only then will your subordinates respect you. And Dalum-Ei had my respect…as a soldier, as a leader, and as a friend. He never wavered. He always chose the side of honor.
"'I will leave you with this. That day near Thorn, when Moon-Tail spoke and gave you the strength you needed, it was no secret that I wanted to speak, but nothing more needed to be said. Yet now, as you leave your old company, and perhaps forge a new one, I give you a speech of my own.
"'I have watched you grow up from a young hatchling," Yang felt her throat threatening to crack, but cleared it as she looked over to her friend to see her nod. Nodding back, she continued, "'You were the youngest among us, but you were as hearty as Arnwulf, as charming as Elia, as cunning as Moon-Tail, and as fearless as Ula-Wei. You have Indrel's luck and my words, and you are every bit the swordsman as Dalum-Ei. Someday, you will be just as fine a leader."
Yang let her arms fall as she silently read the rest of the letter. When she finished, she passed it over to Anum-La, who quickly read it over then folded it. Rumarin and Yngvarr had come in to see what was going on, and it seemed they had heard Yang's delivery.
"Bodan…thank you," Anum muttered before looking back up.
"What now?" Rumarin asked, his tone unusually somber.
"We have to move," Yang declared before turning and grabbing her boots. "He could still be alive."
"She's right. If there's a chance we can save Bodan, we have to take it!" the Argonian immediately rushed to get her own gear, soon followed by the others doing the same.
The four rushed out, following the noses of three of them into the marshes north of Morthal. They leaped over or charged straight through anything in their path, boots kicking up mud and dirt as they did.
"If Dalum-Ei is our foe, then be on your guard," Anum warned them over the stamping of their feet. "He's a master swordsman, a living legend, and a true knight."
"Won't be enough," Yang promised.
Soon, the scent of blood joined that of the two they were tracking, and distressingly, those who could tell realized it was human. They followed and came upon them at an island in a small pond, near where Yang first encountered Anum-La what seemed like ages ago. Bodan was on the ground and leaning against a tree on the islet, deep wounds marking his torso and blood pouring from them. Dalum-Ei was crouched next to him, a bloodied sword in hand.
"Rest easy, my friend," he comforted the dying man. "It'll be over soon. When you reach the other side, give Lillianna my regards."
The Redguard struggled to breathe, but he pressed on. "The day we met…I didn't want to come. But you insisted. You were always right."
The Argonian closed his eyes and turned his head away for a moment. "I wish it felt that way." He looked back to the man, and then stood back up to his full height. "Goodbye, my brother."
The four stopped at the edge of the pond, Anum-La's eyes locked on the dying form of Bodan. The Redguard managed a smile before his breathing quickened, and then went still.
"No!" Anum cried out, causing Dalum-Ei to turn towards them.
"I'm sorry, little hatchling," he said to her. "I know you loved Bodan, as did I."
"Dalum-Ei," she gritted out while drawing her sword and taking a few steps closer, "I stood by you, trusted you… Is this what you call a knight's honor?!"
"I understand your anger. Moon-Tail, Elia, Arnwulf, Ula-Wei, and Bodan… With every loss, a piece of me died with them. Yet I made a vow when I formed the Honorable Eight: to stand by what I believed was right, even if it meant slaying our own." Slowly the volume of his voice grew as he spoke, anger lacing its way further into every word. Yet in his eyes, Yang noticed something she saw in them last night. They were full of grief and pain, the likes of which she couldn't even begin to understand. Especially not if this was what it could lead to. "That is what it means to be a knight! That is the very definition of honor!"
"And I swore my own vow, to protect the lives of my friends, and to never let another innocent die."
"Then stand by your vow, Swamp Knight, as I will mine. Show me my lessons were not in vain."
As Dalum-Ei took a step, Yang and Yngvarr drew their axes while Rumarin began gathering magicka, but Anum-La threw out her hand towards them.
"Stop!" she demanded, freezing everyone in place. "You've all stood by me, all the way to this. I haven't known you all very long, but you have all been good friends and companions. But right now, this battle is mine alone. I have to do this."
"Are you sure you can do this?" Rumarin asked cautiously, keeping his eye on Dalum-Ei across the water.
"There may be honor in taking him on your own, but we don't want to lose you as well," Yngvarr added. Yang looked over to her and saw the steadfast look on her face. She wanted to advise against her facing him alone as well. In her own words, the Argonian was not to be underestimated. He wasn't just a warrior, but a trained knight and soldier.
Yet the feeling in her chest when she saw the grief in his eyes and the blazing fires in Anum's were telling her something. The Huntress lowered her axe and met her friend's gaze.
"Is it still big enough?"
A moment of silence passed, then Anum-La offered a small smile and a nod.
"It is today."
With that, Yang stashed her axe away. "Then go and show us."
The Argonian woman nodded and then went forward, stepping into the shallow water while her former teacher did the same. They stopped several feet away from one another and then began to square up. Anum-La started in an aggressive stance, but then switched over to a more defensive one. Dalum-Ei shifted from a scorpion pose to hold his hilt up and near his cheek, his blade ready to come down. For a frozen minute, they seemed to stay just that way, like painted statues rather than two combatants about to fight to the death.
Dalum-Ei's left leg shifted and his sword tilted ever so slightly, and Anum-La moved in turn.
"For honor!" he cried out before swinging his blade around. Yang felt her breath hitch, but Anum-La stepped under the lightning-quick strike and swung up her own, moving through the water as though it wasn't even there. Dalum's sword came back and knocked it off course, then their blades continued to collide as each sought to cut the other and deny each other's attempts. Their swords sang through the air as mere blurs, then they both jumped back and rushed to meet each other, ending up in a deadlock. Using the weight of his armor and greater strength, Dalum-Ei was easily able to shove Anum-La back, but the female's body went slack as he did, and then she dived backwards into the water.
Yang's mind almost didn't compute what had happened until after Anum-La burst back up in a spray of muddy water, her sword aiming for Dalum's neck. He parried her aside, and she dove back down, but this time he jumped forward and followed her. The two jumped out of the water, Dalum swinging up from below while Anum jumped clear above the water and blocked him as her feet kicked out behind her. As she landed, she readied herself and the two went still again. Neither moved for a long moment, and the swampy waters stilled until a few drops of rain began to drop onto them.
Yang blinked and Dalum's sword was going for Anum's left. She parried it up, then knocked it down before stabbing forward. Dalum twisted out of the way and swung his sword at her legs, but when she blocked, he leaned down and rammed her with his shoulder. Before he stopped himself, she rolled over him and went for a slice at his back, but his tail hooked around her ankle and pulled her off balance. The distraction was minimal, but just enough to allow him to spin around and try to get a hit in that was barely dodged. Anum-La dived backwards and sped through the water, Dalum-Ei right on her tail. Both splashed up, but were back under almost as quickly and the clang of steel meeting steel rang out. Their wakes split and met back where they popped out for a quick exchange, then they dived under again. This time, Dalum leaped out of the water and prepared to stab down, but Anum's wake disappeared. He stood still, waiting as the only disturbance of the water's surface was the slow but steady drops of light rain. His eyes searched the area around him for any signs of his hidden foe.
He flashed around as she burst up from the water and slashed towards her. Anum-La's sword was thrusted up with the force of her jump and her primary arm, only her free arm coming up to defend her body. His blade's edge bit into her arm while hers pierced through him. His eyes widened while her teeth grit, and she pushed her arm even as it was being sliced into, turning his blade away from her just before hers came out from his back.
With a yell, Anum-La landed him against the shore of the pond. The Argonian knight looked at the sword jutting from his chest, then to her. His mouth opened, but no words came. He just continued to look upon her as he drew his last, raspy breaths and slowly closed his eyes. Anum-La caught her breath as her friends came to her side to check on her. Rather than let them fuss over her, the Argonian turned around and walked towards the islet where Bodan's body lay.
"It was a tree like this," she began. "Sitting on a tiny little island. The seven of them were standing there, waiting for the eighth. I marched up to them, lashing my tail against the water. I said 'I heard this company is in need of a true knight. Well, look no further.' They all laughed. All except Dalum-Ei. He walked right up to me, shook my hand, and said 'Welcome.'" She shook her head, but looked back up at the tree. "I don't know if what he did was the honorable thing. But he believed it was, and that's a burden few are willing to bear. Now, having slain him," she began to sob, "I know his pain."
The rain stopped quickly, the skies clearing up soon after. The four took the time to bring the two dead to the Temple of Arkay, explaining their deaths as the work of bandits. No one questioned it. It made perfect sense to everyone else.
Back at the inn, Yang got herself a mug of mead, but only took a few sips of it before sitting still, holding onto its handle but not moving. Yngvarr managed to finish his own drink, but made no moves to get another. Rumarin didn't even attempt, sitting just off to the side before fiddling around with some coins, cards, and even a sewing needle. Anum-La stayed back at the Temple to oversee her friends' internments, making arrangements to send Bodan's remains back to his home in Hammerfell to be buried next to his wife and Dalum-Ei's to Thorn.
"Yngvarr?" Yang finally managed to get out.
"What is it, lass?" he softly asked her.
"I was thinking… I know I need to head back to the Rift and try to help the Dawnguard…but the Companions also need some help. Do you…want to visit them on the way?"
"Ah, it's been a while." He hummed in contemplation before releasing a deep breath through his nostrils. "Been a while since I've been to Jorrvaskr. Kept putting it off. But now…I think I should see old friends while they're still around to be seen." He set his empty mug down and leaned back. "Yes. We should go by there."
The door opened and allowed Anum-La to walk in. The Argonian came over to their table and sat down along with them, her eyes looking a little puffy, but otherwise she seemed perfectly fine. Even her wound was healed up after a good potion.
"Hey," Yang greeted her. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I'll be alright, traveler. I just needed a moment to say goodbye." She sniffed and scratched at the side of her snout. "For all he did, and all he put me through, I still forgive him. More than that, I understand him. All he ever wanted was to be clean."
"In any case," Yngvarr said as he raised a hand up, letting Jonna know to bring them more, "it is over. Your companions have their peace. We can only fondly remember the fallen."
"Thank you, Yngvarr. I'll do my best to remember them. Moon-Tail for his surprises. Arnwulf for his laugh. Bodan for his wisdom. Ula-Wei for his cunning. And Elia for being the sister I never had. And of course, Dalum-Ei, for taking pity on a little hatchling from the swamp and showing her the way."
Jonna set mugs before Yngvarr and Anum-La. The two then picked and raised them up.
"To companions," she said.
"To companions," Yngvarr agreed just as Yang lifted her own mug.
"To companions."
They smacked the cups together then all took a deep draught of their drinks, each releasing a sigh as they did.
"Speaking of companions," Rumarin spoke up from his spot, "I just realized something. When he was…listing off your friends, he didn't mention Indrel, the Bosmer ranger who apparently sleeps in trees and whatnot."
Anum-La looked at him for a moment and then gasped.
"Phew, can't believe two trolls took that last one's place," Ruby said as they continued their climb up the mountain.
"They may have eaten that one when they moved in," Lydia responded, more focused on practicing her Semblance. She had managed to reach the point where she was able to move the shield around with her thoughts, though she was far from accurate with it. In pulling back on how much power each new one was given, she also made them last longer, with each produced going for about twenty seconds before fading.
"Yuck!" Ruby stuck her tongue out before they turned towards the monastery. Inside, the place looked almost empty, but Ruby could practically feel where Arngeir and the others were. She followed their presence, soon hearing the crackle of embers in a brazier just before coming upon them all in a meditative pose. The Greybeards all shifted and looked towards the Dragonborn, who waved towards them. Arngeir stood up to his feet and walked over to her.
"Dragonborn. Everything is going well?" he asked politely.
"Mostly. I'm learning more and more of the Thu'um as time goes, but we've got a lot of problems to worry about. First of all, can you tell me about the Shout used to defeat Alduin?"
All of the Greybeards stiffened at that, and Arngeir's smile instantly faded away.
"Where did you learn of that? Who have you been talking to?"
"It was on Alduin's Wall."
"The Blades! Of course," he immediately deduced before Ruby even got to that part. "They specialize in meddling in matters they barely understand. Their reckless arrogance knows no bounds. They have always sought to turn the Dragonborn from the path of wisdom. Have you learned nothing from us? Would you simply be a tool in the hands of the Blades, to be used for their own purposes?"
"I'm not going to be a tool, and they aren't just using me," she defended. "They want to stop Alduin. Don't you?"
"What I want is irrelevant. This Shout was used once before was it not? And here we are again. Have you considered that Alduin was not meant to be defeated? Those who overthrew him in ancient times only postponed the day of reckoning, they did not stop it. If the world is meant to end, so be it. Let it end and be reborn."
Ruby could only stare forward, flabbergasted at what she had just heard. Her hands tightened for a moment, but then went slack.
"So that's it then?" she sighed with a small drop of her arms. "You're giving up? You're not going to help me?"
"No. Not now. Not until you return to the path of wisdom."
"Arngeir," Einarth butted in, his voice shaking the building around them, "Rok los Dovahkiin, Strundu'ul. Rok fen tinvaak Paarthurnax." For a moment, Arngeir looked downcast, then turned back to Ruby.
"Dragonborn...wait. Forgive me. I was...intemperate. I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgement. Master Einarth reminded me of my duty. The decision whether or not to help you is not mine to make."
"So you'll teach me the Shout?" Ruby asked, hopeful.
"No. I cannot teach it to you because I do not know it. It is called 'Dragonrend,' but its Words of Power are unknown to us. We do not regret this loss. Dragonrend holds no place within the Way of the Voice."
"Wait, you don't know it? What's so bad about it, anyways?"
"It was created by those who had lived under the unimaginable cruelty of Alduin's Dragon Cult. Their whole lives were consumed with hatred for dragons, and they poured all their anger and hatred into this Shout. When you learn a Shout, you take it into your very being. In a sense, you become the Shout. In order to learn and use this Shout, you will be taking this evil into yourself."
Ruby was taken aback by this, but thought back to her discovery of every Word of Power she had learned so far. It seemed so…trivial each time, but there were changes. Changes that might have seemed like natural growth to an outside observer, or even to herself. Suddenly, she understood why the Greybeards wanted her to learn of her own accord over a period of time rather than just list out every Shout and have her cram it all in a matter of days, if not hours.
"I…" Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve. "Still, I need to know it. I have to defeat Alduin. But if none of you know the Shout…where could I possibly learn it?"
"Only Paarthurnax, the master of our order, can answer that question, if he so chooses."
"Yeah, you told me about him before. Can we…go and get him?"
"He lives in seclusion on the very peak of the mountain. He speaks to us only rarely, and never to outsiders. Being allowed to see him is a great privilege. Only those whose Voice is strong can find the path." Arngeir looked to his brothers and they all seemed to share a silent conversation. "Your Voice is strong, Dragonborn. There's no denying that. But, this shall be a test of sorts, to ensure you are ready. The Shout to reach Paarthurnax is 'Clear Skies'. If you can learn the first Word of Power on your own, then we shall teach you the rest, and you shall be able to clear the path on your own.
"Clear Skies," Ruby muttered before nodding. "And then I'll be ready? All right, but… Well, there's more. Concerning dragons, at least. Someone else put me on the path to solving a…dilemma with some Magne-Ge."
"There have been loud whispers on the wind, though we also heard a Voice Shouting over some of these whispers, of the Children of Magnus. Perhaps you can enlighten us?"
"Basically, the Dark Archon wants to destroy the world. He tried to get me to join him, but I told him there was no way. Then he sent a dragon after me, Biidurvul, who seemed to have joined him and gotten some freaky dark Magne-Ge powers. We fought, but he got away."
"It's not unheard of for dragons to join or make deals with other powers aside from Alduin or an aspect of Aka, but this is the first I've ever heard of a dragon siding with an Orphan of the Stars. I would not discount there being more dragons, and mortals as well, following this Dark Archon."
"Not good," Ruby figured. "Very not good. So, what did he mean when he said they were going to 'uncoil' Akatosh?"
"Oh… By the Gods, are you certain that's what he said?"
"Well, he called him Bormahu, which is-"
"Dragonborn, what do you know of the creation of the world?"