Chapter 11 – The Tower

Green Emperor Way was crawling with Legion soldiers, who had been forced back into it from the earlier battles. As Lando's men broke down the gate from the Talos Plaza into Green Emperor Way, they were almost immediately forced back as the Legion tried to break out.

Lando soon found himself trapped against a wall, trying to fight off four soldiers at once. He was managing to block them with his shield whilst fighting them one at a time but he could not hold them…

Suddenly a jet-black sword sliced clean through the neck of one of the soldiers, before The Divine Avenger leapt forwards and plunged the sword into another member of the Legion.

"Lando! To White Gold Tower! We have to go and kill the Emperor whilst there is a distraction!"

Lando backed off, slaying a third soldier with Goldbrand. It was not going to be easy – they would to fight their way across Talos Plaza.

As himself and the Divine Avenger began to fight their way through the Legion, The Divine Avenger noticed something. Bursts of colour coming from Green Emperor Way. Magic.

"It's Swordsman!" he shouted. "His men must be attacking the Legion from behind!"

"We can sneak around, then!" Lando replied. "Through the Temple! Come on!"

As Lando and The Divine Avenger raced towards the gate leading to the Temple District, they passed Raminus and Arch-Mage Traven.

"Raminus!" Lando said. "Hold them off for as long as you can! I need to be able to get into the tower!"

Raminus nodded and turned back towards the fight.

The Temple District was completely empty. All the guards stationed there were fighting somewhere else and no citizen in their right mind would have stepped outside during the battle.

"That's what we need right now!" The Divine Avenger said, pointing at the statue of Akatosh towering over the Temple of the One.

Lando and The Divine Avenger ran into the Arboretum, which was being used by the healers to heal wounded soldiers from Swordsman and Mazoga's company. As they ran through towards the open gate into Green Emperor Way, one of the healers shouted to Lando.

"Lando! Where are you going?"

It was Alaina.

"Why aren't you fighting?"

"We are trying to get into White Gold Tower whilst there is a distraction!" Lando replied. "It's time to end this!"

"I'm coming with you!" Alaina said, picking her bow up from the ground.

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"Cunning, Lando" Emperor Avidius said to himself as he watched the battle from his chamber window. He had seen Lando and The Divine Avenger running around Green Emperor Way to the point of entry to the palace that was 180 degrees round the circle from where the main battle was. The Emperor turned to his second-in-command.

"Wait until they are in the tower and ascending the stairwell, then pull all our men back to the Palace" he said. "Let's see Captain Armitage escape from that"

Emperor Avidius began putting his armour on, and picked up his sword. When Lando arrived, he would be ready.

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"They're retreating!" Captain Lex shouted to Raminus. The Legion had begun to retreat out of Talos Plaza back towards the Palace. "We can besiege them in the Palace!"

"No! They cannot!" Raminus yelled. "Lando is in the Palace! They must not be allowed to retreat!"

Raminus then did something amazing – summoning a Daedroth, he leapt onto its back and began riding it through the retreating Legion soldiers!

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Three figures ran up the long, endlessly spiralling staircase that led up White Gold Tower. Lando was in front, Alaina behind him and The Divine Avenger at the back.

They could hear footsteps behind them.

"There's guards following us!" The Divine Avenger said. "Shall we stop and fight them off?"

"No, we don't know how many there are!" Lando replied. "We must continue!"

Eventually, they reached a large round hall where the stairwell stopped. Across the hall was another door. Lando raced over to it and attempted to open it – it was locked.

"You two, watch the stairwell! I'll get this door open!"

Alaina looked at him inquisitively as he produced a lockpick.

"I learnt a few things from Ah-Mazia back in Morrowind" he explained. He began to manipulate the lock on the door, giving it 100 concentration. He let Alaina and The Divine Avenger watch for distractions, devoting himself to the lock.

Suddenly he heard the creaking of a door opening.

"Lando!" he heard Alaina shout. He leapt up and turned round. He could not believe what he saw.

Guards were filing out of a secret door that had opened in the stone wall.

"Don't kill anyone until I give the order!" a voice came from beyond the door. Lando recognised it at once – it was Emperor Avidius.

Lando, The Divine Avenger and Alaina were soon overpowered by the guards, who tackled them to the ground and seized their weapons. Emperor Avidius stepped out into the hall.

"Lando Armitage!" he spat. "I might have known!" He signalled the guard holding Lando to let him go.

"You cannot win, Avidius!" Lando said. "You are defeated! The people of Cyrodiil have forced your Legion back to the palace and they will not stop! Kill us if you will, but you cannot save yourself! You are trapped in the tower!"

"That's where you're wrong" The Emperor said. "There is a way out of this tower, known only to me. I could leave my guards to kill you whilst I made my escape"

"And then what?" Lando said. "The Imperial City is reclaimed. Your Legion is on the verge of defeat. Where will you escape to?"

"Who knows. But at least I will be alive!" The Emperor replied.

"Did you hear that?" Lando shouted, turning to face the Emperor's guards. "Your Master does not care for your lives, only for his. Are you going to stand for this?"

Some of the guards began to look around and whisper to each other. The Divine Avenger addressed the guards.

"Even if you do survive, think of the consequences. This day will go down in history. Do you want to be remembered in the history books for siding with an evil man?"

"You!" The Emperor replied to The Divine Avenger. "Who do you think you are? You are no hero. You were Martin Septim's lackey. The man he sent time and time again into danger, where he would not go himself. And Alaina Winterstar, an alchemist? What business does an alchemist have in battle?"

"I could place an arrow right between your eyes if I had my bow" Alaina retorted. "Tipped with a poison more venomous than your tongue…"

"Let's end this" Lando interrupted. "Emperor Avidius, knowing the size of the army currently knocking at your front door, do you surrender?"

"Absolutely not" Emperor Avidius said. "Do you? Or are you going to try and go down fighting?"

The Divine Avenger saw something out of the corner of his eye. A golden glint, a few yards from where he was standing. It was Goldbrand, lying on the ground. He wrenched himself free of the grip of the guards restraining him, and in one swift movement he leapt towards Goldbrand, picked up its handle and skimmed it across the floor towards Lando.

He heard many swords being drawn from their hilts. What had he done?
"No, put your weapons down!" Emperor Avidius ordered. He drew his own sword, then picked up Goldbrand and handed it to Lando.

"This is an honourable duel, Lando" Avidius said. "We were both guard captains once. We should prove a fair fight to each other"

"What's the catch?" Lando asked. "You will not give in this easily"

Avidius turned to his guards. "If he kills me, kill him. And those two" he said, pointing to The Divine Avenger and Alaina.

Lando brandished Goldbrand in front of him. Avidius lunged forward and swung his sword hard. Lando blocked the blow but was knocked backwards. Avidius ploughed forwards, swinging his sword left and right, Lando blocking every blow and trying to get a blow in himself. Avidius was much stronger than Lando, and the fight was swinging in his favour.

Lando ducked to avoid a horizontal swing from Avidius and thrust his sword into Avidius' leg. The sword penetrated Avidius' armour like a hot knife cutting through butter. Avidius fell to the ground in pain. Lando reclaimed his sword and held it over Avidius, who was still lying on the ground. Then suddenly he felt pain. Unbearable pain, in his chest.

Not now. Of all the times, not now!

Lando dropped his sword and fell to the ground, doubled up in pain. He could see the figure of Avidius towering over him…

Mustering his last ounce of strength, Lando took Anglamo's potion from his belt and drank a small amount. At the same time, he took the amulet Raminus had given him and looped it around his neck.

Everyone in the room was amazed – Lando simply vanished into thin air.

"Where has he gone?" one of the guards said. His question was answered when Avidius was sent flying forwards and fell into the ground face-down, hit by a tremendous force from behind. Lando removed the amulet and re-appeared behind Avidius. He stood over the Emperor and held Goldbrand above his chest.

"Lando…" Avidius said weakly.

"No. You cannot dissuade me from doing this" Lando said. "This is for Cyrodiil. And for my friends who you murdered"

He plunged Goldbrand into Avidius' chest. Avidius' eyes went wide with horror before his head fell limply to one side.

Lando pulled Goldbrand out of the Emperor's dead body and let it drop to the ground. He turned to the guards and held his arms up.

"Come on, then" he said. "Kill me. Emperor's orders"

"Absolutely not!" one of the guards said. "We are free of Avidius' grip now. We do not have to follow his orders! Cantus, send the order to surrender down to the Legion"

One of the guards made his way towards the stairwell. Lando called after him.

"And tell my men to stop fighting!"

Alaina ran forward and embraced Lando. They stood for a long time, holding each other in their arms.

"We did it… You did it!" Alaina said. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I was a fool for ever doubting you!"

Lando looked into Alaina's eyes, then held her head in his hands and kissed her.

The Divine Avenger laughed and began to clap. The remaining guards joined in.

"Well, would you look at that for a happy ending!"

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Lando stood on the steps leading down from the entrance of the Palace, into Green Emperor Way. The midday sun glittered off his Mithril armour. In front of him, an enormous crowd of people. Everyone who had fought in the battle, and the citizens of the Imperial City.

"Soldiers and citizens of Cyrodiil" he began, "Cyrodiil is free once again. I have little to say, but I must thank you all for your help. The revolution may have started from a house in Chorrol but without the support of every single soldier and citizen of Cyrodiil we would still be living under Avidius' grasp. So, many thanks to you all. You may return to your homes, victorious!"

Everybody began to cheer and talk noisily amongst themselves. Lando began to walk down the steps, where Raminus and Arch-Mage Traven were standing, and The Divine Avenger emerged from the Palace and followed him down.

"In the famous words of Martin Septim, wasn't much of a speech, was it?" he said.

"I heard Avidius was an expert negotiator" Raminus said. "You're probably talked out from arguing with him. Anyway, come on, let's see if any of the inns have re-opened yet"

"I must wait for Alaina" Lando said. "She said she wanted to look for something in White Gold Tower. Make for Luther Broad's, I'll meet you there"

Lando felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned round to see Alaina, holding a sword in her hands. Lando recognised the sword straight away, the green glass blade shimmering in the sun.

"I found it in the Emperor's quarters, from when he confiscated it from you" she said. "I knew you'd want it back"

Lando smiled and put the sword into the hilt on his belt, and handed Goldbrand to The Divine Avenger. "Yours, I believe"

"It's funny how things come around, isn't it?" The Divine Avenger said. The other four turned to look at him. "Remember the Oblivion crisis? It culminated in a last stand in the Imperial City, and left Cyrodiil without an Emperor"

"We managed to last until Avidius came to power" Arch-Mage Traven said. "We just need to keep an eye on anybody rising to power in the future"

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Many hours later, Lando stood with Alaina and Arch-Mage Traven in the centre of Weye. Nearby, Jauffre, The Divine Avenger and Raminus mounted a caravan bound for Cloud Ruler Temple. Before they departed, Lando ran over to the caravan.

"None of what has happened would have been possible without any of you" he said. "Raminus, Jauffre, our attack on the Imperial City would surely have fared a lot worse were you not commanding our armies. And I had almost given up hope, when none other than the Champion of Cyrodiil himself gave me the strength to continue. I will never forget any of you"

"We'll never forget you either, Lando" Raminus said. "I, too, had lost hope before that time you arrived at the Arcane University. Having you on our side gave us hope, drove us to continue. Oh, by the way, tell Alaina to come and find me sometime. I believe she would make an excellent scholar of alchemy"
"I have this for you" The Divine Avenger said, handing Lando a wooden chest. "It contains my Imperial Dragon armour. You may have it. You are the hero of Cyrodiil now"

"I cannot take this" Lando said, handing the chest back to The Divine Avenger. "You earnt this. It's yours"

"Last caravan to Anvil!" a voice called. Lando made his goodbyes and walked briskly back into Weye.