The rain hit the city of Kvatch hard. Harder than it had ever been for the past century. Yet nobody had noticed it. They came teetering out of the arena and the inn with such carefree joy that even the most severe of worries would have just melted in the rain that clogged up the streets. The drunken crowds lulled themselves back to their homes from the grand celebrations that had taken place earlier in the evening. The people of Kvatch had their hearts full of content and joy after their glorious jubilations and needed some desperate sleep to ease themselves into the following morning.

Yet all around the city, curves of twisted black flesh and reddened bone lurched from the ground and burrowed back in, creating gateways that hissed and gasped with foreboding power. Flaming portals glimmered and whispered tainted words to the ground and from within them marched a deadly force, the likes of which the citizens of Kvatch had never dreamt possible.

Jesan staggered from the inn and craned his neck out into the rain. He looked up and down the street before returning under the roofed porch of the inn to relight his torch.

"Jesan!"

Jesan lifted his head from his task and looked down the road to see a fellow guardsman beckoning to him. He dipped his torch in the light of the inn until it caught aflame and paced over towards the guard.

"How in Tamriel that torch doesn't get put out by the rain is a mystery to me...", mused the guard, "but still, follow me. You won't believe your eyes!"

Jesan shrugged his shoulders and followed the guard as he led him to a courtyard of a small house. Squatting on the cobbles arced a black limb that climbed back into the ground; a flaming tempest caught in the space inside.

"What in the name of Azura is that?", asked Jesan.

"I have no idea," replied the guard, "but whatever it is, we need to keep the people away from it. Those red spines look deadly"

Jesan agreed and the two began shepherding people away from the portal and back to their "homes and places of business" in case they ran a late night shop or something. Jesan never really knew why they had to say such a statement in the evening, but it was guardsman protocol.

Behind them, Jesan heard the gateway crackle and hiss with power. He turned around to see the gate shimmer and pulsate before vomiting forth a shapeless horde of creatures. Some of the crowd caught the sight and screamed as the being at the forefront stood up to its full height.

Jesan drew his sword, "Everybody get out of here. Guards to arms!" he cried.

Two more guardsmen ran to their location, weapons unsheathed, and gazed upon the advancing monsters.

They wore hideously formed armour, that surged with dark, raw, energies. It glowed and hummed in the air, whilst the rain that cascaded from the sky merely sizzled as it touched them. The dark crimson that tainted the armour simulated what Jesan could best think of as "Iron Fire".

One of the guards that just arrived called to Jesan and the others, "Okay, just hold your ground and don't raise your weapon until they do."

The figure at the front stepped out towards the guard and stared down at him. The guard felt dwarfed by the colossal size of the demonic being. Through the burnt and warped visage of it's helmet, it rasped, "Where. Is. Martin Septim?"

The guard summoned all his courage to face the creature and held his sword by his side. By now a few more citizens had returned to see how the guards dealt with the monsters.

"T-t-t-t-there isn't anyone in K-Kvatch by...th-that n-n-name," he stammered eventually.

The daedra leant closer to the guard and spat, "Then. Die. Mortals."

The dremora, in one swift movement, unsheathed it's sword and split the guard in two, his blood erupting across the courtyard. It roared to the other daedra by it's side to attack.

"Don't worry," said Jesan, "there's only three. We can take them."

From deep within the portal, a mighty bellow thundered across Kvatch. Hundreds of mangled voices crying and baying for the blood of the innocent. And then the flood came. From all across the portals in Kvatch, the demonic hordes of Oblivion poured into every seam and space. Every life was in peril.

Jesan watched as the rampaging army of demons burst out from the gateways, cutting down civilians with ease.

He ducked and dived as arrows clawed their way across the streets towards him. His feet met themselves in a tumble and he fell onto the cobbled roads. In the courtyard where he had just been, dozens of demons, in all the most ghastly forms, clambered out from the portal with blood in their eyes. The guards he had stood by were ripped to pieces by the daedra soldiers and flayed alive by creatures that seemed to resemble pure fire.

He scrambled back around the corner, just as a women who was following him dropped dead as an arrow tore its way through her neck. Blood oozed from her wound and she stopped moving, the life grappled from her very body.

Jesan hurried away from the body and back to where he had came from. He had to find a place to hide. He glanced down the other end of the street to see more people plucked from the streets by the creatures. Swords cleaving through bodies, fire shooting from the hands of daedra all over the bodies of the innocent. Jesan held his breath and felt a sickness rising.

From over his head, a window smashed sending glass into the cracks in the cobbles. A body descended from the window and collided with the ground with a thud. The rain spattered down onto the broken frame of the individual, who attempted to pick themselves up. As Jesan moved to assist, a scaly shape leapt from the broken window and onto the body. They screamed as the reptile creature ripped at their flesh until only bone remained.

Jesan raised his sword and charged at the creature. It turned as it saw him coming and screeched. Jesan gave it no opportunity to strike and plunged his sword hilt-deep into its maw. Blood gushed from the creature's mouth as it writhed on the floor in its final agonizing moments. Jesan clutched the hilt of his sword and ripped it out the side of the monster's mouth. Bone and sinew drooled down the street.

"Everybody in here quickly!"

Jesan turned to see the voice emanate from the inn. A guardsman held the door open as people ran inside for shelter. Jesan stepped around his kill and bolted for the door.

Inside castle Kvatch, the celebrations had ended and people hauled their drunken frames out into the rain and back to their homes, oblivious to the sight that would behold them. The first batch of party-goers to exit the great hall were stumped as they saw a howling portal blocking the gate to the castle.

One of the drunken rabble called to one of the guards, "Berich!"

Berich Inian turned around, clearly disgruntled by the heckling of the crowd behind him.

"I'm in no mood to talk with you lot, I should've been off duty about an hour ago. The gate is open so please just leave me alone" he yelled back to them.

"But what's that?" came the same inebriated voice.

Berich exhaled sharply and descended the steps from the gate to see what the man was indicating at. He stood beside the crowd and glared at the restless gateway that glimmered before them.

"Close the gate and get down here now!" he cried to the other guardsman, who promptly did as he was told. Berich removed the gate key from his fellow guard's hand and placed in his hip pouch.

From the main doorway of the hall, Milena scurried about, pouring slop and dirty water into the gutter. She paused briefly when she caught sight of the large black arch that blocked off the castle gate. She craned her neck to get a better view of the fiery abyss that was trapped within the black coil and like the others, was fascinated by it.

"What should we do?" the guard asked Berich.

Berich stared at the portal and was about to make a suggestion when one of the houses from the living quarters erupted into flames. Screams darted past the castle as the demonic force reached the castle gate, claws snatching out towards the dark portal.

Berich grabbed the other guard and said to him with stern force, "Help me escort these people back inside and protect them with the castle guard. I'll find Tierra and see what we can do."

"What is it sir?" asked the guard.

Berich said nothing but let go of the guard. He turned to the crowd and raised his arms.

"If you would be so kind as to return to the castle, we will be able to deal with this matter using the necessary means."

As the crowd slowly churned and rolled back through the castle doors, Milena stood by the door helping the people to avoid bumping into one another. She raised her head back to the gate to see hulking armoured figures loom from within and raise their weapons to Berich as he continued to forward people into the castle.

"LOOK OUT!" she screamed.

Berich turned around as the daedric beast swung its claymore, cutting the air in half as it did. He dived to his side and pulled out his sword in readiness. The creature swung again. Berich weaved around the assault and brought his blade down across the monster's bow, carving up it's face. It howled and fell dead to the floor. Berich tossed his sword to his other hand just in time to parry another creature's attack. He flicked the fiend away before flashing his weapon back against it, running it through a chink in it's armour.

He kicked the creature from his sword and watched the dumbstruck crowd at the doorway, "GET INSIDE NOW!"

The people panicked their way back into the castle's hall as Berich Inian staved off the daedra attack. The other guard stood by the door with his bow in hand, uncertain as to ready it in defense. Berich glanced him in the corner of his eye, the poor lad stood frozen.

"GO!" he ordered, "I'LL FIND TIERRA, JUST PROTECT THE PEOPLE!"

The guardsman's lip quivered in fear, he couldn't move. A hand delved out from the anarchic crowd and hauled him back behind the gates. Milena peeled his gaze from Berich's stand and gripped his shoulders.

"Come on, soldier," she told him, "there's a lot of scared people here, and we all need your help. Find the castle guard and set up some sort of defense. NOW!"

The guardsman nodded shakily and darted down the hall to the guards quarters. Milena tutted and shook her head. "Recruits," she muttered, "always the jumpier ones."

The gates to the main hall of castle Kvatch closed securely, with people promptly hauling furniture against it, sealing it firmly from the inside. Milena watched the crowds of people organize themselves and rolled up her sleeves. There was always work to be done.

Jesan sped his way into the inn and pushed his back against the wall inside. His breath was quick and laboured. He slid down until his face rested between his knees, never did he have to run with such fear in his life before. His heart felt as if it was thudding a path out his chest.

Captain Matius came over beside him, "Jesan are you okay? What's going on out there? All we heard was screaming and crashes."

Jesan breathed deeply and looked up to his captain, "Daedra...here. In Kvatch."

The captain knelt down to see Jesan eye to eye.

"What do you mean daedra here?"

Jesan felt the wind rush back into his lungs and explained himself to the captain, "They just poured out of these gates. I've never seen anything like it. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them. Dremoras, Clannfears, Scamps, Atronachs, things that live in stories you tell to your children. I don't know what to do, sir..."

Captain Matius picked up Jesan and looked at the group of people at his disposal. Besides the collection of obviously stirred citizens were five guards; Jesan Rilian, Merandil, an Imperial called Raythe Finius, Ilend Vonius, and a Dark Elf named Jorbus.

He rubbed his jaw and paced away from the door of the inn.

"Here's what we do. We need to get these people out of Kvatch and nearer to Gold Road on the chance they may be rescued by passing merchants or Legion soldiers. We'll have to get to the roof of this inn and leap across to the walls of the city. From there we'll hook up with soldiers at the guards tower. Then we'll get to the church and hold up there until we can gather our strength for the final dash to the front gate. Everybody ready?"

A shallow noise of agreement murmured across the inn and captain Matius unsheathed his sword.

"Good then, Jorbus, Jesan, barricade that door to buy us some time. The rest of us will move upstairs and get to the guard tower. Let's go!"

Jesan lifted a table and heaved it onto the door of the inn to bar it shut. To his right Jorbus was struggling with a bench. He grabbed the other end of it and helped Jorbus rest it against the door. Jesan sighed with relief after depositing the bench and backed away from the door. Jorbus tried to straighten out the bench to better close off the door.

Suddenly a twisted sword blade burst through the door and into Jorbus' shoulder. He cried in pain as the blade began to turn and manoeuvre itself deeper into his darkened flesh. Jesan tried to pull Jorbus away, but the blade burst out his other side and began to butcher it's way down through his torso. Jorbus' body slumped ungracefully as it split in two and Jesan fumbled his sword free of it's sheath.

His feet fell over each other until he had his hand on the stairs. The demons hacked their way through the door, and began to maraud a path through the barricade. Jesan eyed his surroundings frantically. In an act of desperation, he scurried to the bar and pulled a bottle of Cyrodillic Brandy from the shelf. He eyes it up quickly and hurled it at the doorway. The liquid bled everywhere, over the daedra, Jorbus' fallen form, over everything. Jesan then removed a torch from its perch and threw it onto the doused entrance. The brandy lit up, scorching the creatures alive. He paced backwards up the stairs, the sight of the fire consuming the creatures burning an image in his eyes.

Milena ungracefully dropped another keg of ale by the tower door. She eyed up the hasty barricade and sat down against the stone walls. Her mind began to drift to how her husband and child could be surviving the slaughter that devoured the city. Jesan was a guardsman for pete's sake, surely the guards have a plan for such an event. As for little Suzette, she was nimble and fast. She could easily have evaded the daedra and hid in the sewers.

A friendly voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Milena, you look tired. Go get some rest by the tables, I'll finish off carrying some things."

Milena smiled and thanked Julienne, "You've always got my back, eh?"

Julienne nodded and assisted a fellow servant to carry a crate over to the main gate to bar it off even further.

Milena fell from her feet and sat heavily by the table. She sighed and looked around her. To her right sat a figure clothed entirely in a crimson robe. She saddled up next to the figure and asked, "What's with the robe? Are you some sort of mage?"

The figure sighed and replied, "In a way yes. But it's not important now." After a long pause he said,"...They'll get in you know."

Milena cocked her head at an angle and looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"I've seen it."

Suddenly the door heaved and buckled as it was pounded from the other side, the barricade barely managing to hold.

Milena looked at the figure and asked, "Listen...er...whoever you are..."

"Eldamil"

Milena continued, "Okay Eldamil, there's a lot of frightened people here and your pessimistic tone is not helping"

Eldamil turned gently to Milena, "I've also seen what happens to you, Milena Rilian. You and every soul in this city."

Milena paused as her breath was hushed by the figure's words.

"You will all burn in my master's wake."

The door to Castle Kvatch cracked into pieces as the daedric hordes charged inside. Their weapons swung wildly and sliced both the air and the civilians. Milena fell back from her seat and joined in the mad dash to safety from the great hall. She glanced over her shoulder to see the red shimmer of Eldamil waft on out of the hall in an eerie breeze as people all around him were ground to bloody dust.

Julienne called out to Milena from the other side of the hall, "Milena get over here!".

Milena darted across the breadth of the hall, weaving through the hysterical crowds. She grabbed Julienne and the two slammed the door of the corridor closed.

Milena smiled at Julienne, "Always got my back, eh?" she said between deep demanding breaths.

Julienne smiled back as they both held the door shut together. Julienne propped her back to the door and looked to Milena, "I'm gonna barricade this door. That torch there leads to a secret hatch to the cellar. They won't find us there."

Milena nodded, "You want me to wait for you?"

Julienne used nearby brooms and chairs as buttresses, "Just go, if you hear any commotion then just close the hatch. At least one of us must survive."

Milena pulled on the torch and paced down the revealed passageway, the howls and wails of the people dying upstairs gradually faded as Milena descended deeper into her inky sanctuary.