Chapter 14:
Siris and Dila were quick to get their weapons and go to the front walls, where the Legate was. He was ordering other soldiers around when he saw the pair come up behind him.
- You must be the two Auxiliaries the Jarl told me about. – he said, as Dila and Siris straightened their posture. – From what I have heard, you two are going to be really welcome additions to our army. Now, to your posts. Siris, you are staying in the frontlines. You will repel the Stormcloaks along the rest of our soldiers. Dila, you will be staying in the back, with the archers on top of the city walls.
Dila looked at Siris. He knew that she felt they were being separated again. But this time, it was at least an understandable decision. Even with all her newly acquired skills with the sword, she was going to fare better with a bow and arrow, and they both knew that.
The Legate went to give orders to other soldiers. Siris turned to Dila.
- So, I guess I will see you after the battle…
She didn`t respond, but she did kiss him.
- You better.
With that, she went to the wall, to prepare herself, while Siris went outside the town, to go join the ranks of the Legion`s frontal assault. A few looked towards him when he entered.
- Who are you? – the highest ranking officer asked him.
- I am Siris, Auxiliary, sir!
He grufed. Siris took his place in the lines. The Stormcloaks were yelling and hitting their sword with their shields, eager to do battle. Siris wondered how they had get to Whiterun so quickly. Perhaps they had been in motion ever since he had been captured.
Siris drew his sword. A few soldiers looked at the black blade and shivered. Perhaps they had felt the eerie nature of the sword emanating from it`s razor sharp edge. Siris didn`t have time to ask. He couldn`t spot Razara among their ranks. If he was there, he would probably in the background and strike when the battle was almost decided.
"I`ll make sure he doesn`t harm anyone else" he promised silently.
A General made himself visible on the Stormcloak side. He raised a battleaxe and released a mighty roar, which was reciprocated by the rest of his soldiers. Then they charged.
Time seemed to slow down. Siris could feel his own muscles tensing. He was anxious to kill someone. It could have been the sword controlling him, but he didn`t care. He wanted to see blood run.
The soldiers of the Legion remained on their positions while the Stormcloaks ran blindly toward them. Suddenly, a hail of arrows fell on top of the Nord warriors. Siris smiled. Dila was probably enjoying the way things were turning out.
As the survivors approached, Siris made his own sword sing it`s deadly song. It slashed through many men in a single sweep. The balance of the sword was perfect, and he was able to attack with a grace he never could with his old sword. He felt… joy.
"Beginning to like my blade after all?" he heard Mephala say. Oh yes, he was enjoying it.
He didn`t answer her. He just kept on reaping the lives of more people.
The battle was messy. It was a giant melee, with friend and foe only distinguishable by the color of their uniform. Siris was a master in the art of combat, though: he knew exactly when to stop an attack that would have shred an ally and exactly where to strike to stop an enemy from landing a surprise attack on one of the soldiers of the Legion.
He was doing exceptionally well.
Until he turned to stab someone and her face seemed familiar…
- Siris… miss me? – she said, with the sword piercing her stomach. Again.
Right up until then, Siris hadn`t really believed Dila. He thought it might have been another assassin who simply looked like his old lover. But now, hearing her voice, seeing her eyes once again, he knew it could have been no one else.
Krona was standing right in front of him, seemingly not minding his Ebony Blade running through her body. She actually took a step towards Siris, impaling herself even further in the blade. Siris was too awestruck to say anything. Krona ran her finger through his face. Her fingers were cold.
- I had forgotten how cute you looked when you were surprised.
Siris touched her hand. Her amber eyes were locked on his.
- He didn`t even notice the dagger she had swiftly drawn impale itself in his side.
He quickly drew his sword out of her body, stepping out of the dagger`s dark blade. He felt his knees weaken and he looked to her. She smiled and pointed to her stomach. Siris followed her finger and, to his shock, he saw that she was already cured.
He then saw an arrow lodge itself on her head.
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"Stay away from him"
Dila lowered her bow. Krona turned her head and looked at her. Even from a distance, the two Argonians stood out like a sore thumb. Especially when one of them had a pitch-black curved sword. Krona took a step toward the wall, yanking the arrow out of her head. Siris stood up, coughing, and slashed at Krona. His sword grazed her forearm, and a bloody red mist encircled it, before rushing to Siris`s flank.
Krona turned to him, and Dila saw that her forearm was melding itself. It was even quicker then Siris`s Histskin. She fired another arrow. It hit her in the chest. Siris slashed at her, but she jumped away. Siris followed her with his sword slashing. Dila changed her focus to the soldiers surrounding them. She kept firing her steel arrows, but she was afraid her arrows would be running out soon. There were still too many soldiers to force them to retreat. Soon, they would enter the city, and the meek defenses inside the city wouldn`t hold them for long.
From afar, she could see that Krona had disappeared again, and that Siris kept swinging at foes, but now with a ferocity she hadn`t seen before. In battle, Siris was usually calm and concentrated. But now, his movements were filled with rage. Dila didn`t know what had happened. Siris calculated movements were almost gone. He missed friends merely by luck. He was striking blindly at anyone. Dila was worried. Any moment now, he might hit a general, and he might not be that happy afterwards
Dila jumped from the wall into the fray, picking up a sword when she reached the ground. She looked for Siris in the middle of the battle that was going one. From what her eyes could tell, the Legion was winning: there were many Legion soldiers against fewer Stormcloaks, and the number of soldiers on the "Liberators" side was diminishing. She still couldn`t hear Siris in the middle of the battle, but she could smell him. His scent was still strong on her nostrils, but it wasn`t the same as the one she had gotten accostumated to: it was way more feral, more primitive.
Eventually, she found him. He was spinning his sword at random, with no enemies around him. The Legion soldiers were watching from a safe distance, nearly avoiding the fatal slashes of his cursed sword. Siris`s eyes were spread wide, and his muscles were all but tensed.
- Siris! – she screamed, not sure if he could understand her. – Stop!
She took a step forward. She ducked under one of Siris`s crazed strikes, trying to get to him. As she brought herself up again, he slashed one more time. Dila was going to block the attack, but she stopped once her sword had almost got cut in half. Siris saw this, and stopped his movements. He shook his head in confusion, then looked back at Dila.
- What happened?
- I don`t know! – he said. – All I remember is someone sticking a dagger in my kidneys.
Dila thought for a second, but was promptly interrupted by a Stormcloak soldier wielding an axe charging toward her. She gracefully sidestepped out of the way, parrying the blow she had been about to receive, before sticking her sword in the Nord`s back. Siris looked impressed.
Kodlak trained you well…
She nodded in response, only to keep herself focused on the ongoing battle. Krona had dissapeared in the mass of soldiers and chaos that unfolded in front of them. She and Siris working on perfect harmony, stabbing and slicing almost like two perfectly synchronized acrobats, flowing like water and killing like fire.
The Stormcloaks were beginning to panic, as their numbers dimmed dangerously low. A trumpet sounded, and the few Stormcloaks that Dila could see began retreating. A few of them threw their weapons down on the ground, holding their arms towards the sky. Dila saw the soldiers running up the hills. She dropped the sword and picked her bow. She only had one arrow left. She readied it and took aim. She let it fly and, as it described a perfect ark, it fell on the general`s back, knocking him to the ground, dead.
- Good shot. – she heard Siris say, by her side. His clothes and his sword were stained with blood.
- Thank you.
The soldiers were celebrating the first victory of the Legion, raising their weapons to the heavens, shouting incoherencies. Siris and her just took to sitting in the ground, a little further into the prairie. She leaned on him, and they observed the evening sky. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer.
- We won. – he finally said, after a few minutes of silent contemplation.
- I think so. – she said. – But why do I have the feeling that this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better?
He didn`t answer that. He just kissed her forehead and messed her hair up. Then, they stood up and walked to the city.
- What happened in the battle? – she asked. – You don`t fight like that.
- And by "that" you mean? – he asked back, mocking.
- With all that much rage. Without any of your ususal control
- Oh, that? – he said, uncoiling his arm from her waist. – The dagger with which Krona stabbed me must have been coated with a frenzy poison. It caused me to lose perception of friend and enemy. I didn`t kill anyone on our side, did I?
- No, you didn`t. But you were lucky I was there to cover your back.
- I guess I am just lucky to have you here.
She felt her cheeks become hot like a widespread wildfire. She was beginning to think that Siris actually liked to make her feel like that.
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Even with all the fur in her face, Siris could see that she had turned redder. He snickered. She was cute when she did that.
- What happened? – he asked, teasing her further.
She didn`t respond, and looked the other way, giggling like a teenage girl. Siris threw his arm lazily around her shoulders, forcing her to lean on him. He felt her warmth on his body on his. Being an Argonian, he relished in the sensation. They walked to Dragonsreach, where the Jarl was garrisoned, probably pacing up and down the hall, nervous that he wasn`t allowed to go to battle.
And Siris`s intuition was right.
Balgruuf was currently stomping heavily through the halls of the glorious manor, dressed in what seemed to bee a Steel Plated armor. Irileth was equally nervous, but she did a far better job at hiding it. Balgruuf drew his sword and turned at the door when he heard it opening. He let it fall to the ground when he saw who it was.
- We won? – he asked, tensed up.
- Yes. – Dila said, as Siris was about to open his mouth. She gave him a smug look.
Balgruuf suddenly scream in relief and hugged the two of them. HE actually lifted them up. Dila was desperately gasping for air. Siris patted Balgruuf in the shoulder, as if to say:
"That`s enough, please, before we both die!"
He understood the message, and released them both. Siris fell with his feet firmly planted on the ground, but Dila wasn`t so lucky. She tried to maintain her balance, but ended up falling flat on her backside. Siris laughed at the image of her sitting on the floor, her eyes wide open and gasping for breath. He helped her up.
- I`m sorry, Dila. – Balgruuf said, almost embarrassed. – I just felt like doing that…
- It`s okay, Balgruuf. – she said, regaining her breath. – Next time, please, give me a warning that you are going to do that.
Balgruuf laughed. Then, he said:
- Shall we drink, then? This is an opportunity that is in need of celebration!
Siris turned to Dila. He knew what had happened the last time she had drunk anything that had alcohol in it. It hadn`t looked very pretty. To his surprise, she said.
- Of course. I am in the mood for something strong.
- We have just what you need, Dila. – Balgruuf said, already signaling for the guards to go fetch some drinks.
Siris approached Balgruuf and subtly said:
- Balgruuf, this is not a very good idea…
- Relax, Siris. What is the worst thing that could happen.
"Just wait and see."
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Dila felt happy. And light hearted. And maybe slightly drunk.
She was skipping around the table, being chased by Siris, who hadn`t drunk as much as the others, who were almost sleeping with their heads on the table.
- Dila! – she heard Siris say, still running after her. – Calm down! Please!
She didn`t, but she slapped Irileth`s head so hard she woke up, looked to the side, and went back to sleep. Was she the only one that didn`t want to sleep when she got drunk?
Siris finally managed to catch her, wrapping both arms around her and lifting her from the ground. She giggled at that, and began trying to kick her way out. Siris grip was firm, and she didn`t move an inch.
- Give up? – he said, chuckling.
"I still have one last card."
She quickly turned around and crushed her mouth on his. He was surprised, but slowly closed his eyes and let her tongue ease her way into his mouth. His arms began to unwind themselves from her thin waist, letting her slide to the ground. His hands took hold of her hips.
She was free, and could run away at any moment she wanted. But the idea of unlocking herself from Siris seemed less and less interesting with every movement of his tongue…
- Yes you do… - he said, smiling.
They parted the kiss. She looked deeply into his eyes.
- You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen in my life. - he suddenly said.
She wasn`t expecting that. Nobody had ever told her that. Her eyes went wide with the praise. He felt something grazing on her chhek. She turned her head and saw it was Siris`s hand slowly caressing her face. She turned to him again and kissed him again.
- Take me, Siris. – she said, enveloping his waist with her slender arms. – Now.
- If the damsel wishes…
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Krona looked through the window. Her newly acquired abilities were still a discovery for her. Sitting on the top of the Jarl`s castle, she could now see both Siris and Dila in their room at the inn. They seemed so happy, letting their bodies mix together, like she had oce done with him.
She gripped the small star-shaped pendant on her neck. Her orders were now to wait and keep collecting information.
She gritted her teeth together. Siris was supposed to be hers, but he seemed to have already forgotten her. The Khajiit had stolen him from her. She would have her revenge.
She would kill her slowly in front of him…
And when he begged for her mercy, her love…
She would end his suffering with a gentle swipe from her dagger….
# kronastalker
Guys, I took a really long time in this chapter because it was the first time I did a large scale battle. Please, please, PLEASE give me comments on what I can improve.
Sorry. I will try to return to my usual update rate.
Peace!