Mythic Paths Intertwined

Chapter 1

A Meeting of Two Legends


To most, the forests of Falkreath Hold were a beautiful site to see. The lush green trees and fauna contrasted greatly with most of Skyrim, and traveling through here would usually be a relatively calm experience. Barring the occasional bandit and wildlife that decided to attack you.

Vatila, however, was very much not calm.

Her red eyes were constantly flitting back and forth towards the trees as her hand constantly remained on her sheathed daedric sword. Despite her wary attitude, she continued to travel down the road calmly, however, any sign of movement would cause her to unsheathe her sword and prepare her magic.

Vatila's vampiric companion was much the same, and beneath her hood were glowing orange eyes that scanned her surroundings as well. Even though both were wary, they weren't truly scared of what may come out of the shadows. After all, Vatila was the mythical Dragonborn, who slew Alduin and helped bring the civil war to a close. Not to say that Vatila's companion was no slouch either, after all, she was a true vampire, a Daughter of Coldharbour.

"Vatila," her vampiric companion said, "Are you sure that vision you had was true?"

"I'm sure, Serana," Vatila responded, still not taking her eyes off the trees, "After all, Azura never sends visions to Dunmer just as some joke."

"Hm," Serana hummed in response as they continued down the road, "It's a shame you had to get that vision now. I would've liked to admire the beauty of Falkreath Hold without having to look behind my back every five seconds."

"A curse of being the Dragonborn, I suppose," Vatila answered jokingly, "Can't walk five steps without encountering something out of the ordinary."

"Maybe joining you was a bad idea after all," Serana sarcastically quipped before perking up a little as she looked forwards, "I see Falkreath on the horizon, a couple of hours or so and we'll eventually reach it."

"Then let's pick up the pace. I want to get there before nightfall."

They traveled at a quicker pace, however, they still kept a wary attitude. After all, that vision was at the back of their mind. Vatila's thoughts were brought to the vision that she was shown for the past couple of days.

She remembers when she first had a dream about it. It started with her being alone in the middle of a fog-covered forest. She could barely see five feet ahead of her, and she felt like she was being watched. Then suddenly, the fog cleared a bit revealing that she was surrounded by these strange, and menacing-looking monsters. Each was different from the last, yet they were all terrible in their own way. They ranged from horned, humanoid goats to massive, draconic, centaur-like beasts.

They were led by this four-eyed winged monster that was as tall as a giant. It looked down at her like it was a bear glaring down a skeever. To it, she was nothing but prey. Then two beings interfered and placed themselves between herself, and the monsters. One was an elf, with a unique fauchard in hand and some musical instrument on his back. Next to him was what she thought was a dragon, however, she realized that this thing had four legs instead of two, and had blue membrane wings instead of the scaled ones she was used to.

The dream, or vision, or whatever it was ended when the elf looked back and gave her a reassuring smile before facing the horde with a determined grin. The creature and the elf charge straight toward the horde. Just as they clash with the army, the vision ended and Vatila woke from her slumber.

At first, Vatila had dismissed it as some horrible nightmare. Yet when it appeared again the next time she went to sleep, she realized that this wasn't just a dream. Especially when after the dream ended, Azura herself spoke to her and said that this dream was a warning. Ever since then, Vatila couldn't help but be on edge all the way to Falkreath, as she thought that an army of these strange monsters would come out at any moment.

When she arrived in Falkreath at sundown, she began to wonder if Azura's warning was more figurative than it was literal. She honestly didn't know however she still kept her guard up, walking past guards and citizens alike, and ended up at the door of Dead Man's Drink, the local tavern.

Vatila and Serana were surprised to see that a large group of people was gathered at the edges of the room, food and drink in hand, as they surrounded and listened to a hooded man who was telling some sort of story. For a moment, Vatila was enraptured by this man as the charismatic way he told this story made her hang off his every word.

"... and so the paladin Seelah, the Commander, Elan the Houndheart, and the once cowardly Jannah Aldori went on a full-frontal assault on the man who had stolen the souls of the innocent, and more importantly the souls of Elan's wife and their friend, the ex-criminal Curl…"

Vatila snapped out of it, and focused on the task at hand, as she still had things to do. Serana, however, found a comfy place to sit and chose to continue listening to the hooded man's story. Vatila headed towards the innkeeper, who stood behind the counter enraptured by the story as well. Taking off her dragonscale helmet, she cleared her throat once to try to get the attention of the innkeeper, however, she was so focused on the man that she didn't notice her.

Vatila cleared her throat loudly once again, this time gaining the attention of the innkeeper.

"Sorry about that," the innkeeper said sheepishly, "It's just… oh wait, you're the Dragonborn! What is someone like you doing here?"

Vatila's lips thinned as she experienced the disregard from this person, in exchange for some random man. Not that the man wasn't interesting to listen to, it's just that the last time she was ignored like this was before she became Dragonborn. It's not a feeling she likes, at all.

"Traveling," she stated simply, refusing to elaborate further, "I need two rooms just for a day."

Vatila took a pouch of coins out of the bag she had on her back and placed it on the counter. The innkeeper opened it up and counted all the coins.

"This is enough. I'll go prepare the rooms for you.

"Thanks," Vatila answered as she watched the innkeeper walk away. She decided that she might as well listen to the man who has everyone's attention. At the very least to pass the time. When she walked over, the man was just finishing up the story he was telling.

"... Seelah wondered if saving Curl was the right decision, as she believes that if she didn't she could've prevented this whole catastrophe." Just like before the man was capable of catching her attention with practiced ease.

He spoke smoothly and calmly, yet he added inflections of emotion here and there to keep things interesting. That wasn't the only thing that caught her attention, as the more she listened to her the more… springy she felt. The whole tavern was filled with a fresh feeling of joy and freedom. It was the same feeling she got when she was finally able to leave the merchant caravan when she was younger. Like the whole world was open to her, and she could go wherever she wants.

"The Commander told her that this entire situation wasn't her fault. Sometimes we make mistakes, but the intention is what matters. All Seelah tried to do was follow her morals and help those closest to her," Vatila could see a fond smile appear on the man's face from under the hood.

"And that is the story of Seelah and the League of the Inspiring Cart."

It was quiet for a second or two before the whole room erupted in applause. Many clapped and complimented the man for his amazing story. Even Serana gave the man a few claps. The man humbly thanked everyone and even accepted a mug of mead with a light smile. He took a large gulp before placing it down on the table, and he looked no worse for wear which brought the approving nods of some Nords.

"Unfortunately that's all I have for today," the man stated before a humorous look came across his face, "After all, I'm sure you won't hear the end of it if your spouses find out you were drinking late."

Some laugh at his joke, while others laughed but cast a quick look at their wives, hoping that isn't what may happen. The tavern began to clear out, and the charismatic storyteller sat by one of the chairs where a musical instrument was leaning against. The man put it into his lap and began fiddling with it, however, Vatila's eyes widened as she realized that the instrument was the same one she saw in her vision.

Vatila walked towards Serana who was still sitting down, and oddly enough she was giving the man a scrutinizing gaze.

"Serana?" the Dunmer asked, "You alright?"

"That man," Serana said quietly so Vatila could hear, and the man couldn't. There were still lots of people in the tavern as well, so the noise they were making would be lost in the voices, "He feels… strange."

"Strange?"

"Yeah, I've never felt anything like him before. He doesn't feel like anything I've ever sensed before. I don't think he's a man or mer."

Vatila gave the man an analyzing look as well, but she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, "Maybe that has something to do with what I have to tell you. Meet me in my room. I want to get away from prying ears."

Serana nodded as Vatila walked into her room, which was tidied up by the tavern keep. A minute later Serana entered and closed the door behind her. Vatila told Serana about her observations of the man, and the similarities he held to the man in her vision.

"You think this man is from your vision?" Serana questioned, "If true, then this only makes me worry more."

"Agreed, this just validates the vision Azura's been showing me." not that Vatila ever doubted. After all, if there is one thing that is certain about Azura it's that she cares immensely for the Dunmer.

"So what do we do?" Serana asked the most important question at the forefront of their minds.

Vatila closed her eyes as she pondered Serana's question for a bit, wondering how they should approach this.

"Firstly, we should wait for the people to clear out. I don't want to confront him when there are so many eyes watching us."

Vatila opened her eyes and looked toward Serana, "If you don't mind, can you keep an eye on him? If he leaves, come and inform me as soon as possible."

Serana nodded as she left the room, and once Vatila was alone she released a drained sigh.

"Why did this have to happen just as we were about to leave Skyrim…" she mumbled quietly, "We could've been on the path to Cyrodiil or Hammerfell by tomorrow, but something always happens when I'm trying to do something."

It was fifteen or so minutes before the sound out in the main hall decreased, and Vatila decided now would be the best time. She stood up and walked outside of her room. She looked around and noticed that the man was still sitting in the same place, this time he was playing this odd tune. It was one she never heard before, yet as she listened a familiar feeling of joy and freedom pervaded her heart.

What changed was just how physically invigorated she began to feel. Like she could travel across the world without breaking a sweat. This was the second time that this happened and was becoming apparent that this was something unnatural caused by the man.

Serana was sitting at a table nearby, with a drink in her hand though she wasn't exactly drinking. The only people left in the tavern were Vatila, Serana, the tavern keep, and the mysterious man himself. Vatila decided that approaching the man upfront would be the best option, so she walked up to him.

The man saw her approaching and gave her a curious tilt of the head. As she got closer, he was the one to speak up first.

"You're one of the two people who entered the tavern during my little pseudo-theatre performance, correct?" the man said in an inquisitive and polite tone, and Vatila nodded in confirmation, "Interesting. No one new has passed through here for the past few days I've been here."

Vatila was about to respond, but the man spoke up once again, "Oh! I almost forgot, how clumsy I was. My name's Tsvetan, and you're…?"

"Vatila."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman," Tsvetan said with a small smile. Vatila couldn't determine if it was a genuine compliment or a flirt but either way, the man continued speaking, "Is there something I can do for you?"

Vatila was finally given her chance to ask questions, and she started off simple, "Where did you learn to tell stories like before?"

"I certainly wasn't self-taught, I'll say that much," Tsvetan joked, "In the past, I used to be a part of a wandering troupe that would do things like theatre, crazy stunts, and other similar subjects. I grew up surrounded by a bunch of talented people who knew their stuff, and naturally, I absorbed some of their knowledge as well."

"It's also where I learned to use a weapon," Tsvetan glanced at his fauchard which leaned on the nearby wall, "A skill I valued greatly after I left the troupe."

"You learned how to use a weapon from some entertainers?" Vatila raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah, it sounds strange when you think about it. The thing about the troupe was that it wasn't just entertainers. By Desna, it could barely even be considered a troupe."

Desna? Who's that? Vatila thought in confusion as she heard Tsvetan use the name like someone would when referring to a god.

"Mercenaries, mages, adventurers. It wasn't just performers who were a part of the troupe. The troupe master didn't care who joined as long as they didn't hurt other members, and their skills could contribute to the group."

"We were pretty well known across Gol- Tamriel," Tsvetan corrected, something that didn't go unnoticed by Vatila, "The troupe branched out into other ventures because of its diverse skill set, which definitely brought them a bunch of money."

"I've never heard of any sort of troupe like this before," Vatila questioned.

"I'm not surprised, they never really liked coming to Skyrim. 'It's no fun performing in the cold' I remember the troupe master saying."

To any other person, it would seem like Tsvetan was telling the truth. However, before Vatila became Dragonborn she had been traveling across Tamriel, and not once did she hear of a continent famous wandering troupe. Vatila doubted this man was from Tamriel at all, considering the slip up he made before, and the mention of this "Desna", who she assumed was some sort of god. The question is, why was he lying about this?

She decided it was time to confront him on this, "Intriguing. I've been all across Tamriel and I've never heard of this 'troupe' before."

"Huh…" Tsvetan said as a tinge of worry entered his voice, "Well, I'm surprised you've never heard them! After all, they're-"

Vatila put a hand on her blade and glared down at the man, "Enough of your lies! You will tell me who you are, and your relation with those daedra-like beasts."

"Daedra? What are you-!?"

*CRASH!*

The sound of crumbling stone echoed from outside, which was followed by a cacophony of unnatural and bestial-like roars. Everyone perked up as they heard the sound of a bell; a warning that Falkreath was under attack. Another roar came after the bell rang, and this one sounded louder and more rage-filled than the ones before.

"That sound… it can't be…" Tsvetan said in disbelief, however, Vatila ignored him as she had already charged out of the tavern and into the streets. The first thing she noticed was the pillar of smoke that billowed into the sky. She then heard the sound of battle, as blades crossed and the scream of the living echoed into the air. She immediately ran towards the smoke, and as she got closer she found the source of the attack.

A guard was facing off against a strange creature. A creature that she recognized immediately as one of the monsters she saw in her vision. Its skin was a bright red, and its physique was slim yet muscular. Its overall body structure was not dissimilar to humans, yet the back of its head curled forward like a horn and it had long, pointed ears.

It poised a crude yet cruel-looking spear, at the guard and its face morphed into a disgusting-looking sneer. The guard slightly shivered as they faced off against this foe, yet the creature was gaining the upper hand. Just as the monster was about to give the killing blow, Vatila charged in with focused fervor.

"WULD!" Vatila shouted as she dashed across the battlefield at inhuman speeds. The beast wasn't even able to react as she separated its head from its body with her daedric sword.

The creature slumped down, and the guard almost attacked in surprise at her sudden appearance. However, he realized that she had saved him and also just who she was.

"Dragonborn!" the guard said in desperate hope as he breathed unevenly, "Thank the Divines you're here. If you were any slower I-I would've…"

"Breath," she said to the guard, who took her advice as he breathed in and out and calmed down considerably. Serana and surprisingly Tsvetan finally caught up, and Tsvetan walked over to the corpse of the monster she had slain.

"A Babau? They shouldn't be here…" Tsvetan said in an almost panicked voice.

Vatila filed that information for later, as she focused on the guard, "Now tell me what in Oblivion is going on?"

It took a bit for the guard to find his stride, yet he spoke, "T-They attacked out of nowhere, teleported right in front of the gates and they easily broke it down! They poured into the city, and the guards are doing their best to hold them back, yet they're losing ground quickly."

"Why are you back here instead of helping the front lines?" She questioned sternly.

"Some got through, and a few of us went out after them," the guard shook his head, "I didn't think they'd be so strong individually."

"Do you know if there are any more out in the city?"

"I don't know, but considering how many broke through the front lines there likely is."

Vatila looked toward Serana, "Serana, I need you to help the guards and kill any of these beasts that are out in the city."

"Understood," Serana was about to run off, but she was stopped by Tsvetan.

"Wait," Serana halted as she looked back at him curiously. In response, he held his fauchard in one hand, and in the other, a glowing blue rune appeared. He spoke in a strange language, before releasing that energy in a burst of light. Vatila suddenly felt way stronger than before, and her gear felt lighter as well.

"I made you stronger," Tsvetan answered in response to their questioning gazes, "Now don't we have some demons to kill?"

While the guard looked confused Serana gave Vatila an uneasy look. Vatila nodded to her, silently conveying to the vampire to put her trust in her. Without hesitation, Serana nodded back and she ran away from them and deeper into the city, with the guard not far behind her. Vatila cast an analyzing gaze towards the hooded man, who only stared back with a calm face.

"I don't know what you are, or where you came from. I have a million different questions I need to ask you, but for now, those don't matter."

Vatila walked away from Tsvetan and faced the direction of the main gate, "What matters is that there are people that need to be saved and monsters to kill."

"Don't worry," Tsvetan responded, "I'll help. Besides, there is likely no one more knowledgeable than me about how to deal with demons in this place."

After his statement, Tsvetan finally let down his hood revealing his features. At first, Vatila thought he was a high elf, yet she realized that his over facial structure resembled a human more than the slanted features of an elf. However, his ears were pointed like an elf's so she didn't know what he was. His skin was warm ivory, and his hair was a natural silver; a color that Vatila has never seen before.

His deep blue eyes shifted from focused to amused as he observed her, "Something you like?"

Vatila rolled her eyes and scoffed before speeding away from Tsvetan and towards the gates. She doesn't want to waste time talking, after all. She heard Tsvetan's footsteps behind her, and she felt relieved that she wouldn't have to track him down if he ran away.

When they arrived at their destination, what they saw was absolute chaos. The line of guards that were holding back the horde of monsters was all but crumbling as one after the other bodies began to pile up. The demons were relentless in their charge as they slaughtered their way through the guards. It seemed that all hope was lost, as Vatila noticed that some guards looked ready to run away.

"MUL QAH DIIV!"

Her shout echoed across the battlefield, and for a moment there was a lull as both sides tried to find the source of the noise. They soon found out when Vatila charged straight into the swarm of demons. Immediately she began slicing through demons with her daedric blade while throwing out bolts of lighting from her other hand.

"It's the Dragonborn!"

"The Dragonborn has come to save us!"

Vatila heard cries of hope from the Falkreath guards, yet she paid them no mind as she focused on her enemies. She had already slaughtered a sizeable amount of demons, yet she began to realize that for every one monster she felled another took their place. While she may come out of this relatively unscathed, the soldiers likely won't and their numbers will be required to win the battle.

As Vatila was working in her mind on how she would overcome this dilemma, something strange interrupted her thought process.

It was a song.

Just like before with her shout, both sides looked to the source of the music. She realized that it was Tsvetan, standing on a rock and strumming the strings on his musical instrument. The tune was short and sweet, yet as he played it a gentle breeze began to wash over everyone. Then suddenly grass, flowers, and other flora began to sprout from the ground below Tsvetan. The plants spread outward rapidly until they encompassed the whole battlefield.

More surprisingly were the wings that suddenly sprouted from Tsvetan's back. They were long yet not very wide besides the bottom pair, which came from his lower back and were shorter but much wider. They resembled a butterfly's wings and they were colored a dark yet vibrant blue that was like a picturesque version of the night sky.

Tsvetan's appearance drew the ire of the demons, and to Vatila's surprise, they spoke their dismay in the same language she spoke.

"An Azata!"

"One of Desna's insects!"

"I'll rip his wings from his back!"

It was obvious the battle was going to resume once again, yet Tsvetan had one last thing to say.

"Comrades! Don't lose hope! The winds of Elysium will guide our blades to victory!" As he said this the gentle breeze from before came, but this time something change amongst the guards.

They stood taller than before, Vatila could hear them grip their weapons and shields tighter, and those who were on the cusp of running away suddenly faced their foes with determination. Vatila could feel it too as she felt much lighter on her feet than before. Seeing the opportunity that presented itself, she immediately took advantage of this.

"Guards of Falkreath, charge!" Vatila screamed as a rallying cry, and in response, the guards screamed as well as they immediately clashed with the demons once again. The demons responded with excited and rage-filled fervor, yet this wasn't a one-sided slaughter anymore. The guards now worked as a cohesive unit, and despite being outnumbered they were gaining the advantage.

Vatila did what she did best and began her own one-sided slaughter as she cut through as many demons as possible. She eventually came across this nasty, fat, goblin-looking creature and when she attempted to cut it down her blade didn't sink in as much as she expected.

"That's a dretch! Use magic instead!" Vatila heard Tsvetan yell from nearby, yet couldn't pin down where it came from. Taking his advice, she charged up a lightning bolt just as the dretch jumped towards her. The bolt hit the dretch like a horse and knocked it to the ground where it died instantly.

Her next foe was this muscular, bipedal black-skinned demon that was covered head to toe in horns. It stretched its palm out towards her, and Vatila felt a headache suddenly appear. The monster smirked seeing her reaction and let out a mocking laugh.

"You will be mine!" the beast exclaimed, and Vatila figured that it had used some sort of mind control spell. Unfortunately for the monster, its effects were severely diminished due to her dragon blood.

Without skipping a beat Vatila charged toward the monster and separated its head from its body. It wasn't even able to get a word in before it died. The dark elf continued her path of destruction through the army of demons, and she began to notice that there were fewer and fewer demons surrounding her. When she observed her surroundings, she realized that a majority of the demons had begun to back away and the guard was pushing them back.

Vatila also noticed Tsvetan at the front lines carving his own path of destruction. She was surprised how easily the man cut through the skin of the demons, yet she realized that he definitely wasn't a normal human or elf or whatever. He swung his fauchard smoothly, like a painter's brush across a canvas, and easily dismembered a demon's torse from its legs. A ball of flame appeared in his left hand and he shot it straight towards a hoard of demons directly in front of him. A massive burst of flames devoured everything around the impact zone, yet to her surprise, Tsvetan and the guards around him came out unscathed while the demons were a pile of ash on the floor.

Despite the overwhelming amount of demons attacking them, fewer and fewer continued to charge them and she noticed that some had even cowardly run out of the gate and into the forest. After cutting down a few more demons she finally heard the call she was hoping for.

"Retreat! Run away!" a particularly high-pitched yet rough voice announced. Like a broken dam, the words washed over the demons and many began to run away from them. A few stayed and attempted to fight back yet they were cut down by the combined effort of their forces. Eventually, the only thing that remained were the corpses of their dead foes and a great silence overcame the battlefield. This silence was broken when a single guard shouted to the heavens in great relief.

"We won!"

A torrent of victorious yells followed the announcement, and Vatila could feel the joy and relief waving off the guards. Many took the time to either spout curses towards the rotting corpses of the demons, pat their fellow soldier on the back, or mourn for those who have been lost. Quite a few came to congratulate her for her assistance, as without her help they likely wouldn't have won.

Vatila wasn't the only one getting attention, as Tsvetan was also getting thanks and congratulations as well. Many looked at the man's wings with either awe or wariness, as they likely tried to figure out just what he was. As Vatila watched the man, a small, dark voice appeared in her mind. One she had tried to ignore earlier.

'I should be the only one getting this attention. Not him.'

This spiteful and envious thought appeared in her mind suddenly, and Vatila desperately tried to wipe it away. Yet it stayed there whether she liked it or not. She knew it was unfair to think this. Without his help, there likely would be many more casualties on their side. She couldn't drive this jealous thought from her head, but thankfully a Tsvetan began to walk toward her with a concerned look that distracted her from her perilous thoughts.

"A pretty amazing display you showed," Tsvetan complimented with a small smirk yet that look of concern still stayed.

"Same to you," Vatila responded back with a smile, yet the words felt hollow to her considering her previous thoughts.

"Guess you're someone special, considering the calls of 'Dragonborn!' from the locals. Gotta hear the story for that after this is all over."

Vatila raised her eyebrow at Tsvetans wording, "Is it not over? We drove back those monsters. The only ones left are likely the stragglers, and those shouldn't be too hard to kill."

"The thing is, these demons are too cohesive. Most demons are chaotic and violent creatures who will kill and destroy just for the fun of it, including other demons. Getting them to work together like this signals that someone was leading them, and that roar we heard before this all started gives me an idea of what."

"What is it then?"

"I was getting to that before you so rudely interrupted me," Tsvetan quipped, "It's a balor. A demon that is indisputably the strongest type there is, only outclassed by the demon lords themselves. I've come across many, and each is dangerous in their own right with only a few I'd say are overwhelmingly powerful."

"If what you say is true, then where was this balor?"

Tsvetan frowned, "No idea. Balor's either lead their armies into battle themselves, or they're content with letting their demons do it for them. This balor may be doing the latter, yet that roar from earlier makes me think otherwise."

Vatila began to look around, wondering if this balor was watching them at this very moment, "You think it's still here?"

"Or it's long gone. However my instincts are saying it isn't and that-"

*CRASH!*

Horrified screams echoed from deeper into the town, and they were followed by a rather familiar roar.

"...it's still here." Tsvetan finished with a grimace. Many guards stopped their revelry and turned their attention to the source of the chaos.

"It seems the battle isn't over just yet. Let's go, quickly!"

Tsvetan immediately dashed away from the group, and Vatila was hot on his trail. The rest of the guards soon followed, though at a slower pace as many of them were exhausted from the previous battle. They came across a couple of stray demons here and there, but they were quickly dispatched on their way to their destination.

The group eventually arrived at an intersection of stone roads, where buildings were completely destroyed leaving a large open clearing. It was obvious that the balor had been here, as massive footprints were stamped into the ground, and the mangled bodies of civilians and guards alike lay on the ground. Some guards took their time to expel their lunch from their mouths as they took in the sight, yet those with a stronger stomach took to creating a perimeter.

Not that they had the time to do so, as not a moment later someone crashed through one of the buildings and towards the group. The body flew for a few moments before gravity did its work and brought them straight down to the ground. They smashed into the ground before coming to a stop, and a groan of pain came from the presumed corpse. A groan that Vatila was very familiar with.

"Wait is that… Serana!" Vatila yelled in worry as she ran to her prone body. She quickly kneeled over Serana to check her wounds and saw that she had multiple large bruises all over her body, and she was bleeding from multiple places.

"I-I'll be fine…" Serana groaned out, "Ward stopped… most of the damage. Still feels like I've gone through… Oblivion and back."

"Who did this to you!?" Vatila said passionately as she imagined the things she'd due to the person who hurt her friend.

She soon got her answer as something charged straight into the building Serana came out of, destroying it in an explosion of wood and stone. The shrapnel went everywhere, and many guards hid behind cover or their shields. Those who weren't quick enough were hit by the shrapnel and knocked to the ground. The dust eventually settled, and the source of the destruction revealed itself.

The monster stood at what was at least fifteen feet tall. Its red skin was rough, and the back of its forearms was covered in black spikes. From its thighs to its shoulders, it was covered in black, menacing armor and the beast's shoulder pads had the visage of a skull. A pair of dark horns sprouted from its cheek and curved downwards, while another pair stood on its head and curved upwards.

Its four glowing red eyes stared down at them, and its mouth formed into an eager smile. A mouth that was filled with rows of sharp teeth. In the monster's left hand was a curved, jagged blade that was covered in blood, while in its left the beast was holding onto the leg of a frost atronach. An atronach that was trying its hardest to get out of the beast's grasp to no avail.

The monster let out a deep, terrifying laugh, "Ah… like a shepherd you brought more lambs to be slaughtered."

The beast threw the atronach into the ground before it, then raised a hooved foot and brought it down onto the poor Daedric creature. It burst into chunks of ice and mist, and the monstrosity ground its remains into the ground. It turned its sinister eyes back to everyone in the clearing.

"I am Alkormivakin," the monster announced as he grabbed a blade's handle with his empty hand. This handle sprouted a whip made of pure lightning, "And your bones will join the myriad others."


A/N: This is an idea that popped up in my mind after beating Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous for the third time. It's a great crpg, and if you're interested in games like that you definitely should check it out. I don't know if I'm going to continue this story beyond this first chapter, because as I said it's just an idea. Depends on how much attention this story ends up getting.