Cearbhail:

I have a shorter chapter today. I'm sorry, but it's opening up for the end of the second arc. The third arc is just about to begin. Oh, and enjoy.

[Councilor Fiirnar]

The town of Lilmoth was under attack. It started with the courtyard. I had just gotten off the communication device with the Seer when I heard the alarms going off. The Warlord and the other leaders looked around for a second before I heard Nrillia's voice in my headset. "WARLORD, HIST HAVE ATTACKED LILMOTH. PERMISSION TO AID YOU?"

I nodded to myself. "Defend our borders, push the enemy away. If you spot the Princess, capture her and bring her to me unharmed."

There was a pause before one of the animated Argonian guards turned to look at me. I could see the eyes glow with the presence of Nrillia. "Why not just kill her?"

I was surprised by her comment. Nrillia just usually did as I ordered and never questioned it. Nor did she take over a corpse just to talk to me. This had to be a special thing for her. But then I realized that I didn't tell her that we were ending our war with Tamriel so that we could fight the Dwemer. Such an important detail that I shouldn't have kept to myself. I had to get the word out to the rest of the Dominion. Nrillia was the best way to do that. "Our purpose has changed, Nrillia. We're ending our war and producing a truce with the other nations."

The Argonian looked perplexed as his eyes darted around on the ground. The guard hunched his shoulders in defeat. "I do not understand. Why?"

"I know you weren't physically here for the virtual meeting I had with the Seer, but there are things happening in our world that take precedence over our war effort." I nodded to Nrillia, "To start with…"

"You know the Seer's location?" The Argonian urged. "Shall I go and harvest her organs for you? Reanimate her corpse to learn the secrets of her seeing abilities? Or perhaps, if you find her attractive, I could swap souls with her. We could love like we used to…and I would not only be the best necromage in the world, but have the Sight of one who's seen the past, present, and future. We could be unstoppable."

The Argonian stepped up to me through Nrillia's little speech. I could see the sparkle in his eyes. It made my heart hurt to think that Nrillia would think like that. I only ever wanted the security of our world. We only had war because we had too many ruling leaders butting heads against each other. With all of them under the same banner, we'd finally live in peace. No more wars. As the Argonian guard walked up to me, I grabbed onto his hands, looking into Nrillia's spiritual eyes. "Let me finish my story. I met with the Seer via the World Map. She has her Sight again. And she wants all of us to work together. The Aedra are ending their invasion, and they are going to reach out for us to join them."

"Join them? You mean assimilate?"

I shook my head. "The Dwemer are returning…and we can't stop them from coming back. Something the Seer did ruined our timelines. And now…the Dwemer are coming back from wherever they've been this whole time. They're bringing giant death machines with them. We can't hope to beat them if we're busy fighting each other. So, I'm going to end this war. And I'd like you to spread the word to everyone. It's time to unite this world, just like we always wanted to. It's time we finally have peace."

The Argonian smiled at me. "I see." I felt two hands clasped over my arms and I was suddenly pulled away from the Argonian. Before I could respond with some magicka to the threats dragging me back, I felt two slave cuffs slam over my wrists. "You lost your spine."

"Nrillia?" I looked around at the War Council for some support. Their eyes all glared at me with the same intensity. I had forgotten that she controlled everyone in the room, excluding two analysts: Huniir and Rascia. Both of them looked over at me for orders. "Huniir, Rascia. Use the emergency scrolls. Go to Blacklight and warn the Council there about the betrayal. Tell them the Dominion is on their side…but Nrillia is the true enemy."

The Argonian guard turned to attack the twins. Before she could turn around, I snapped my foot out, kicking her legs out underneath her. She stumbled to the floor, but the other leaders in the room rounded on the twins. Rascia and Huniir both pulled out their one emergency scroll. They closed their eyes and they both disappeared into a portal. It was the only workable scroll that could work with our Silence Bubble. A portal into Aetherius. The portal opened up into Aetherius, in a safe zone I created for the Dominion to work inside. I bonus to the Aetherius plane was that Nrillia's constructs could not enter it. Since necromancy was a dark art, anything created by it could not enter Aetherius, and that included Nrillia and all her bodies. Once inside, the twins could open up another portal to wherever they wanted in Tamriel. And I told them to go straight to Blacklight to the War Council meeting with the battlemages. They were in good hands, I was sure.

The portal snapped shut, leaving me alone with all the Nrillias. "What are you going to do now? Kill me and reanimate my body?"

The Argonian stood there for a second. He took a step back from me. His skin started catching on fire. The body screamed in pain until the fire exploded all around it. Bits and pieces of scales and blood flew across the room. When the fire and smoke cleared, I could see the young Nrillia, the way she was before the accident. She looked just as lovely as I always remembered her. The naked Nrillia walked up to me, placing a hand on my chest. She pressed herself up to me, smiling. "Why not just come back to my side and we'll take over Tamriel."

It hurt to shake my head to her idea. "Why do we need to take over Tamriel? We wanted peace, and we can have that now. The War Council was the first good thing to happen, and I ruined it. I didn't want the peace to end…and once the war was over, it would end. I had to contain it while it was still containable. And now it is containable, without control and banners. This is the one great act to end all the wars."

"You mean one giant war that will kill everything." She replied. "You want all of Tamriel to fight to the death against some giant threat. And then when the smoke clears, and the Dominion is still standing…we will be the victors, the true owners of Tamriel." She sounded so precise in her thinking. She smiled up at me, pressing her head on my shoulder. "You're so devious, Fiirnar. I should have guessed you're just pulling the strings of all the weaker-minded souls."

To be honest, the thought had never occurred to me. I had sincerely thought that it would take everyone in Tamriel just to survive the war with the Dwemer. And I still held that belief. This one act: the act of joining together against a seemingly invincible threat could be the one thing it would take to finally get our acts together, to end all the wars…all the hatred…everything. We would be like the immortal phoenix. We might burn to death, but out of our ashes would come something better, something stronger. We would either survive the war with the Dwemer and become like the phoenixes, or we would die.

I shook my head to Nrillia. "You don't get it. This is what we wanted: a united world."

"You always wanted that." Nrillia stated, pushing off me. "When was the last time you saw me like this? When was the last time you kissed me and not one of my constructs?" I held my tongue as she looked up at me. She stood there for a few seconds before nodding. "This world took my body from me…forcing me to live off the planet to survive. I have to watch you as you grow into a strong capable warrior while I rot away in the River of Magicka. I have to watch while you pursue your goals, your dreams…our mission, while I can only help by using my necromancy to assist your dream of world conquest with my constructs. And now…now that we're so close, you're calling it quits. I burned for your dream of a unified Tamriel. I sacrificed much of Tamriel's gift of magicka for your conquest, your war. I watched you flirt with girls that I could never be…all so that you could have a love that was real. I bled to death for you, only for you. And then this…Seer, this little girl, walks up and talks you out of your dreams for one little threat that I could handle with a blink of the eye. You don't need to join forces with anyone. I can do this…" She walked up to me, running her hand over my cheek. "I just need her body. Let me do the ritual…let me have her body…and this world will be ours. We could be together like we always wanted to be."

It was hard but I shook my head. "Nrillia, I love you. I know it hurts, but you can't give up on me. We're finally there. This is the endgame. The Aedra invasion is over, and a new enemy is moving in. We need everyone on the same page, on the same side. I need your help just as much as I need the other provinces. We must work together as one if we are to survive this."

I saw a tear roll down her eyes. "Fiirnar, I only have less than a month left to live. I'm barely clinging on as it is. I must make sure your dream comes true before I die. I have to make this world safe for your future children."

"Then help us…don't fight us. We need to work together." I looked around at the other war leaders. They looked just as stoic as they did a minute ago.

Nrillia stood there, silent for a second. She looked up at me and then down at the ground. "I love you, Fiirnar." She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "But I think you're letting this girl control you. I will do what I must. I will end this war for you. I will kill the Princess coming to claim the throne, I will go kill the Seer, I will end the Aedra, and I will make sure every enemy threat is silenced. We will have peace, Fiirnar. We will have a future. I will see to it myself, and when I come back in the body of the Seer, I hope that you will still love me, and see that everything I did…I did for you."

…

[Nexa]

Boy, it sure felt great to have the Magicka turned back on. My two shadowwraiths were a spinning force of magicka that roared through the hallways. They were in sync, which I guess was how they operated normally. I never got to watch them actually show their magicka moves before. I'll say this for our shadowwraith academies, they make great magicka users. Nakuma and Oleeme were a whirlwind of fire and frost. Nakuma was pretty good with fire, it seems; while Oleeme used almost entirely frost. The two of them complemented each other wonderfully as they danced through the hallways, attacking whatever shadowscales and Towers that got in our way.

We had run into problems as soon as we got into the watchtower. There were still guards inside, and we knew there were going to be some issues and challenges. What we did not expect was the sudden wave of energy as the magicka in the world was turned back on. Oleeme's eyes glowed blight and suddenly the entire room was incased with snow and lightning. The guards were taken down and we forced our way into the hallway, where Nakuma took down some incoming Towers with some of her Telekinesis magicka. As we forced our way through the maze of hallways leading us to the central plaza where the war room was…we had to fight even more people as our presence became obvious.

So, ten minutes straight of Nakuma and Oleeme led us to the central plaza. Argonians of every Sign were in the plaza, enjoying life, when we marched in. Some of them were cowering in fear of the alarms going off all around us, but most of them were just hanging out trying to make the most of a frightening situation.

"You guys want something to eat?" Onastvee asked as she pointed over to Burger Queen. "I'll buy."

I sighed as I looked around. "Once we're done, we'll come back for lunch. Right now, we have to go kill my father, Fiirnar, and get me crowned."

"You will have to get through me first." I heard my father's voice as he walked into the hallway. Behind him were the other War Council leaders and in front of him was a tall Altmer woman with long golden hair. I remembered her. She was that Councilor summons-dead-bodies woman.

I got a good look at my father. He looked just like how I left him. If I hadn't known the truth about how Nrillia works, I would have guessed that he was still alive and that everything I knew was a lie after all. But, since I could see the very woman standing in front of me, I had to be right in my conclusion. All I had to do was cut off her head and this would all end. All her constructs would die right beside her.

"Nrillia, you have killed my father and replaced him with your evil necromantic arts! For this crime against my nation, I, Princess Nexauvia Frazviani, will kill you and restore Argonia to the Argonians." I pointed my finger at her, hoping that the Argonians in the room believed me.

In a twist of surprise, my grandmother shouldered her way through the crowd of war leaders, taking the front. "I am the Queen of Argonia, young Nexa, not you. And I have concluded that you have committed treason against the Throne, for which the punishment is death." She looked at the table of shadowscales. "Do you job and kill the traitor." All twenty or so of them started to stand up. Shadowwraiths and Towers started crowding around too. Great…this is not looking good. We didn't have the manpower to fight all of these people at once, especially with the necromage controlling the strongest fighters that ever existed.

I looked over at Oleeme. "What are our odds of coming out of this alive?"

Oleeme's eyes started glowing. "Calculating." He scanned the room really quick and then looked at me. "The necromage's power outnumbers our own by over 100 souls. She, alone, is able to overwhelm us. Given the fact she has the Queen, a notable shadowwraith during her time in service, on her side adds to the value of our defeat. The Queen has more magicka potency than I could ever hope to achieve and would put me on my knees, spanking me like a newborn, upon my first move. Next, add in your father, one of the strongest swordsmen in the country. He would run you through before you could draw your dagger. We have the leader of the Blades here among us. He is in the same boat as your father; the leaders of Akavir, all capable warriors that earned their station through bloodshed and betrayal. And then you have everyone else in the room." He looked over at me. I saw a tear rolling down his bright eyes. "You tell me the odds."

They did not look good. Not good at all.

"You forgot one thing." I heard behind me. I snapped my head to see the Mages Guild Arch Mage standing there with a baby in her arms. "My daughter and I are here." She said proudly as she walked into the room with her weathered staff.

Right behind the Arch Mage was a battlemage with long black hair. "And I'm here too."

I looked back at the necromage. She scoffed, saying, "And who are you two?"

"Me?" The Arch Mage asked as she pointed at herself. "You don't know who I am? I'm…"

"Wait…that's my line." I heard a guy say as he walked into the hallway, joining the two women. He was a slender guy, and I knew him instantly. He was the overconfident savior of Cyrodiil, Adam. The lamest name I've ever heard, but attached to the luckiest one too. He stopped in front of the two women, crossing his arms and flicking his long brown hair back. "Why…hello again, beauty. Why don't you come back to my place and we'll play Hide the Wabbajack."

Nrillia scowled as she looked at Adam. "You think you can beat me with a battlemage and a mother?"

Adam chuckled. "Please, they can beat you without me. I'm just a lovely face." He reached for his belt, unsheathing a long katana. "Did I ever tell you the story about how I became the Champion of Cyrodiil?"

"Or how I became the Arch Mage?" The Arch Mage asked.

"Or how I became the Gray Fox?" A new voice rang as a Dunmer man walked into the room.

"How about the Listener?" One of the Argonian shadowblades said as he stood up from the Shadow's table and walked up to join the group. He nodded to Adam. "Been a while since I've seen you guys."

Adam nodded right back. "Yeah, we've had some crazy times back in the old days."

Nrillia scowled. "You lot are not as strong as you think."

Adam laughed. "We're stronger than any force on this planet. We're a team, have been since the Oblivion Crisis began. We have a story too, maybe we'll tell it to someone someday, but for now…we'll settle for kicking your ass back to Summerset Isles. Oh…and I'll do it with one arm." He laughed as he put his right arm behind his back. "Ready to prove us wrong, bitch?"

"Wait!" I heard a new voice call. Adam looked surprised as he turned around. A Redguard was running up to the gang of fighters. "I want in too."

"Roland?" The Arch Mage said. "But…I heard you died in Chorrol."

He nodded. "I kinda did…but seriously…who stays dead anymore?" He looked from the Arch Mage to the shadowblade. "Zergon? How's the Night Mother?"

He shrugged. "Oh, you know…chatty. How's the old crone?"

"Same." He replied.

I had no idea what was going on, but I couldn't wait to find out what it was. I looked from the group of what I'm guessing were heroes of some kind over to Nrillia. She looked tense now that I had a new team ready to fight her. I looked over at Oleeme. "What's our odds now?"

He scanned the new team. He tilted his head to the side. "Princess, I advise that we evacuate the room before everyone in here dies." He looked at me. "You don't understand who these men and women are, do you?" He looked at them. "They're chosen by the gods to do great things…every one of them has an aura equal to Nrillia's. This will not be a battle…it will be its own war. And we're standing right in the middle of it."

Cearbhail:

Ok, so I'm sure some of you are wondering something. Who are these new strangers? How did they magically show up to fight the final battle? I mean, the beginning of the final battle? Are they really going to have their own series? And I shall answer all those questions.

These new characters are the avatars for the quests done in Oblivion. One for each quest line that I thought was important. You have Adam, general badass and the original hero. Became Sheogorath and because he was too strong, made two of himself as a result. he's a little cocky and does whatever he wants when he wants to. Then you have Sosia, the girl who joined the Mages Guild. Brilliant, a little snarky at times, but kind hearted and tough as nails. Roland...the guy who just won't stay dead. Oh, and he's the avatar for the Fighters Guild questline. Zergon, the Listener. Do I need to say more on him? He's a Shadowblade, and getting ready to test for Shadowmaster. And finally, you have the Gray Fox... huh... that's strange. I totally forgot his name. I guess he's just a 'stranger' now. Oh well.

Oh yeah...there is one more girl on the team. The Crusader. She's an Imperial, and she's also the mother of Crassi. Her name is Jesselle. And the winner of the Arena? That would be Branwen, and Saliith. They were totally a team effort there. They have their own battle in the Imperial City though. And Jeselle should be showing up soon.

As I mentioned above, I've been thinking about it. And...after I'm done with Changing Fates, the entire storyline and all that, I thought that I'd start a new Series: The Legends of Cyrodiil. Staring the characters above. One story for each hero. And you know, they'd run into each other once in a while, cameos and all that. I'm excited by the idea, but I have nothing solid yet, and won't even bother trying until I'm done with all these other stories.