New update. Hope you enjoy.

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Elizabeth opened her eyes as the white explosion surrounded her. Her fingertips were gripping the bloodied Daedric armor. Suddenly, Xilivicus began to dematerialize like ash and scatter in this white storm. The High Elf tried to catch the particles but it was no use. The light became too blinding and she closed her eyes. There was a swirl of sound around her and just in seconds everything went dark. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see the Kvatch gate. A small gasp came from her lips as she saw her hometown before her. The Hero held her tightly and when his eyes opened he stood up and let go of the maiden.

They were transported back to Kvatch! He didn't imagine it happening that way! He turned to see Savlian waiting behind their little spiked fence and he knew the war was not truly over. He grabbed Elizabeth and the two rushed over to the captain. As the Hero and Savlian spoke, Elizabeth stood back and out of the crowd with wide terrified eyes and a frail body. She had witnessed her friend die and she didn't even get to say goodbye. Her lips were cracking and dry as she breathed in the stale Kvatch air of burning houses and crumbling stone. Her heart stood on the edge of a canyon of misery as her mind toiled over Xilivicus's death and how she could have prevented it.

Yet, when she looked upon the fact of him being a Daedra she scolded herself and said, He's a bloody animal from another realm. He feels no heartache or love or emotions at all! He died as he lived… an animal. Push him from your mind he is not worth worrying about! Elizabeth bowed her head and turned towards the still monstrous charred backbone of the Oblivion gate that still loomed in the air. It did not seem as frightening now for it did not brandish the shimmering and hypnotizing portal. Her eyes diverted and the Hero walked over to her and embraced her, "You are free from that hellhole, Ms. Asquerana. I would love to escort you personally back to your father who waits for you in the Imperial City; however, it appears there are still people in Kvatch who need to be saved. I shall send you with my horse and talented guards to lead you there." He pulled away and gazed into her eyes with a childish smile, "Will you miss me?"

The Elf showed a weak smile as her mind was still toiling over many things. "You have been a wonderful guard and friend to me, sir. You risked your life for mine and for that I am forever grateful. Shall I see you after your escapade?"

He chuckled and stepped back soon bowing before her and taking her hand into his like a gentleman. He lowered her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand very gently. It was very gentle and smooth like silk. He glanced up to her and raised his eyebrows with a crooked smirk, "You couldn't get rid of me that easy, miss."

She laughed weakly and her hand retreated as he let go. "Then I shall see you in the city… goodbye, sir."

"Goodbye, milady." He replied while standing.

The Elf watched as the Hero ran back to Savlian and they soon gathered together and sprinted around their fortress of wooden spikes to breech the Kvatch door. Elizabeth quickly made her way down the trail where she would find the camp, a horse, and a few guards who awaited her.

-+-

There was a thunderous roar throughout Dagon's court as he was told that the Oblivion gate in Kvatch had been forever closed. The armrest to his throne began to crack and fall to pieces as he slammed his fists down harshly. His court members cowered and knew not why this angered him so easily. Certainly, it wasn't so hard to open the portal? Was it? Dagon's black veins pulsed with hatred as he thought of those humans closing his gates. Surely, many Daedra would be reborn this day for they gave up their pathetic lives to protect his gate. Dagon clashed his teeth together and then he looked down upon his court from his high throne and he bellowed, "Leave me be!"

The Daedra leapt from their stands and quickly ran from the room, begging pardon. The doors slammed and Dagon sat in his throne with deep thoughts burdening his head. All of his eyes closed together as he took a deep breathe, smelling brimstone and corpses rotting in a fiery pit. The grand courtroom reached high into the abyss and seemed to spread out so far that you could not see the edges of the room. In the middle of his meditation, there was a disturbance in the room. Dagon's eyes ripped open as he looked out into the dimness of the room. His lips needed not to move for the trespasser stepped forward before his throne and bowed. A mere follower, what was he to expect? The Hero who closed his gate? "What do you want?" snarled the Father of Destruction and Mayhem.

The Dremora's head lifted and a smirk spread across his black lips. Crimson eyes opened wide and the old commander of the Oblivion gate said, "I think, milord, that I might have a few answers to questions that might burden your mind."

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The Spider Daedra swarmed through a crimson colored room that looked like a giant bubble of blood. In the center of the room there was a giant pit of steaming lava. Gases exploded from bubbles and floated up into the air making this room rather warm. The Daedra walked around the pit with narrowed eyes as they looked for a new arrival.

A giant bubble began to form near the edge of the pit and a Daedric woman slowly inched near with interested eyes. As the bubbles burst a skeleton hand seized the side of the pit. The Spider leapt back in shock as she saw a Dremora claw his way from the birthing pit. As the hand was consumed with air, muscle and flesh slowly began to form upon it. Vessels appeared from the bone and slowly began to encircle it like vines growing up a castle wall. Dark flesh appeared as well as follicles of hair and fingernails. The arm lifted the body from the pit and the same happened to the skeletal body that quickly grew organs and a dark heart that was caged by bone.

Fiery orange hair grew from the bald skull and two horns pierced through the skin and curved back. The Spider Daedra raised a pleased eyebrow as the man grew everything upon his body. She chuckled and an older Spider Daedra rushed over and wrapped his bare body with a cloak. The man breathed his first deep breathe and nearly choked. He bent over and coughed up chunks of lava and rock. The elder Daedra sneered and looked him over, "My, my, my… look what we have here."

The Dremora looked up and glared at the Spider. His tangerine eyes pierced through the darkness and lightened fear deep within the darkness of her heart. He pulled the cloak over his drenched body as he stumbled to the door with a gruff, "Leave me be…"

The elder Daedra chuckled and quickly followed after him, "We're not the welcoming committee, dear Xilivicus. We came to deliver to you a message."

"And that would be?" said the Churl who gave her a side glance.

"Make your way to the court, brother," said the Daedra who opened the door to the grand hallway that led to the courthouse, "Dagon wants to speak to you privately."

Xilivicus's heart seized and he nearly fell in incredulity. The court? He hadn't been there in so many years. What was it that Lord Dagon wanted of him? He swallowed down a lump of anxiety as he pulled the robe tighter upon him. His shifty eyes were frozen onto the hall as he quickly paced down the corridors to the courthouse. With each and every step he took his heart grew louder and louder. His dark lavender tongue licked his lips as they became as dry as the planes of Oblivion. What could Dagon possibly want from him? He approached the grand doors with a shaking physique. The fiery designs made his heart cower within him and quickly he pushed the doors opened and entered. Around the round ebon table was seated only one Dremora and before the slab was the high throne of which Dagon was seated. His eyes quickly moved to the visitor and he leaned back with a sneer hiding on the corner of his lips.

Xilivicus looked far up to see the web-like designs on the ceiling that allowed the light of the crimson sky to flow down like moon silver. There was a crack of thunder and Xilivicus moved forward and quickly fell to his knees where he bowed before his lord. "You called upon me, my Lord?"

Dagon stroked his chin as he looked down upon his follower with detestable eyes. His jagged rotting teeth sticking out from his jaw like knives. "Yes… Xilivicus… it has been such a long time since you were inside my court. It appears that I am in need of your… loyalty."

"Anything for you, my lord," chimed the Churl with closed eyes.

"Yes… I hoped you would say that. Listen careful, subordinate, for the quest before you shall be a great one. You were the last to fall victim of Tamerial's knight and this was not tolerated from someone as powerful as you. I have spoken to a consultant of mine and new plans shall fall upon the land of Tamerial. You see, our great gate was enough to take down an entire city in a few moments. I had underestimated these mortals, and they have made a mockery of me. I wish for you to bring back the honor that was taken from me."

Xilivicus rose from his bow with a furrowed brow. His lips were pursed as he called up to his lord, "Take it back, my liege? How?"

"Ah, how naïve, my little Churl. You see, one gate was powerful enough to destroy an entire city. Imagine… what would happen… if gates opened upon every edge of Tamerial. Surely, great gates would take too much time and energy and they would be closed before we got another stabilized. These gates shall be much smaller and use much less magicka. Imagine! Martin Septim, heir to the throne, shall have no where to run when gates open all over his land. Cities shall burn to the ground and in mere weeks I shall be the new emperor of the land."

Xilivicus's stomach twirled in his stomach and he felt rather woozy. "All… over the land, sire? Where do I fall into this plan?"

The consultant stood and smiled, "You shall lead the attack… with me as your commander."

Xilivicus tossed his eyes over and his body tensed. "…Broga…"

The Prince chuckled and bowed soon raising, "Have you missed me, brother?"

Dagon smirked and looked over to the Churl, "I have come to realize that there was a mortal who was claimed the Cyrodiil Academic. The gate was closed before she was brought to me; nonetheless, she was taken by the knight back to her homeland. Surely, she will move to a greater city where she believes shall be safe. A portal will be stabilized near the city I believe that it is and I wish for you and Broga to both venture forth into their world and claim her… I do not care if any blood is spilt or not. Retrieve her and bring her back to me… she will be the key to our success."

Broga bowed and called to his lord, "As you wish, my liege! We shall leave now with a quadrant of highly skilled Daedra to look for her," the commander turned and walked over to the Churl with a smirk, he glared at him and said, "The gate is already opened. Let us hurry."

Xilivicus stared him down and as Broga left the room and the Churl was about to, he was stopped by the thunderous voice of his Master. He turned and looked up to Dagon who soon snarled, "Don't screw this one up, Churl."

The Churl bowed and called to him, "For you, my lord. I won't."

With that, Xilivicus rose and quickly followed after his hated commander.

-+-

The great white horse carried the girl with ease. Its heavy hooves clopped across the earth and the horse's head was held high as it had no worries in its mind. The guards were all armored and wielded great weapons. If a goblin or troll was to stroll onto the path they would chop it down in moments. Elizabeth felt entirely safe in this little haven that swarmed her like bees protecting a queen. Yet, she felt so unprotected and vulnerable. She felt the cold blowing upon her back, yet saw a Clannfear stalking her in her mind. The movement of the horse beneath her reminded her of how Broga attempted to take advantage of her. The voices of the guards… sounded like Xilivicus… protective and assuring.

"We are almost there, Miss Asquerana," called out a guard who sheathed his weapon.

The maiden, whose head was bowed, merely nodded in acknowledgement. Her mind was still stuck upon Oblivion. The scenery astounded her and the creatures had haunted her memories; however, there was one person that stuck with her the most. He was a Daedra and her attraction to him astounded her the most. They were claimed to be hating and cruel creatures, yet, he showed her the most care and love that anyone had ever showed her. Could it be… that Daedra were misunderstood?

The moon was clouded by dark purple clouds and the guards pulled out torches to light their way. The Elf leaned upon the horse with a moan. Her fatigued eyes began to burn and the looming sensation to fall asleep began to devour her. Her mind began to tire her so she wiped her mind clean and thought of nothing but blackness. The noise of the night echoed around her and acted as a metronome that would hypnotize her to fall into a slumber.

One of the guards glanced back with fortified eyes. He was certain that no creature would attack from behind; however, he wanted to be fully aware if one did. He turned forward and looked to his fellow comrades, "… could you imagine being held hostage in Oblivion?"

A Redguard turned his head and thought deeply. "I bet it would be horrible. Treated like an animal… I'm not sure how the girl handled it. Surely she was—no… I don't even want to think about that."

An imperial guard turned and scowled, "Why didn't they kill her? Daedra ain't the most hospitable of animals."

The first guard snorted and continued walking. The guards led on in silence for a while wishing that Elizabeth would get the rest that she truly deserved. Her day had been hard for she had witnessed much that she never dreamed she would; the death of foes, the attack of Oblivion, and the death of a beloved. She thought of Xilivicus as a close friend and she had truly wanted him to be a part of her life in Tamerial, yet it seems his death ended those dreams.

Try as she might, she could not catch a wink of sleep. There was a soft chime and she opened her eyes and looked down to the necklace dangling from her neck. Her heart began to feel profound and she knew that she needed to get over his passing. It was part of the divine plan… she thought. If he died then he was meant to die.

The guards carried on and in a few moments Elizabeth had called out to them, "Excuse me, gentlemen," they turned and looked at her. She licked her lips as she caught their attention and she questioned, "I need to… relieve myself."

The Imperial coughed and turned away not sure how to answer. The Redguard chuckled and nodded towards the forest, "The toilet is right there."

She smiled and the Redguard helped her down from her horse. The two Imperials checked the area and reported back with absolutely no sightings of any creatures. Elizabeth rushed off with a frown. She really didn't need to relieve herself. She had done that before they started their trip. With three guards by her side for many hours she forgot what it felt like to feel lonely. As she ran behind a tree she leaned upon it and took a deep breathe. The silence and darkness of the woods was alluring. She slowly slid down the trunk and sat upon the forest ground. Her lips were dry as were her eyes. However, she didn't feel the need to cry. Her tears were already shed.

Her pale hands rose and ran through her long silver hair. Her eyes clenched closed as she rested upon the moist supple ground. She swallowed to wet her parched throat and then she looked up to see a gloomy mist fall upon the wood. The looming trees looked like black giants. As she looked up to a redwood, the black figure reminded her of the Sigil Tower. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to force Oblivion from her mind. It lingered in her thoughts and haunted her dreams. What a world she was in! She loved it all, so much more then she could ever love Tamerial. But, how absurd it was to think that.

She relaxed for a while longer and slowly she rose to her feet. Her guards were waiting for her. It was not going to be good if she kept them waiting for long. As she became fully relaxed she tromped back through the forest to the trail. She saw her horse waiting and she smiled as she walked back onto the path.

However, right when she stepped onto the path she could hardly see the color of the horse. Had the guards dosed the torches? The moonlight shone upon the horse and Elizabeth could see a crimson residue rolling down the short hairs of the horse's body. Elizabeth's brow furrowed as she looked to the ground and saw the slaughtered corpses of the guards. Her hands grabbed her mouth as she saw their mutilated bodies lying upon the bronze dirt.

The path acted as a table and the bodies appeared to be dissected. Their armor was shredded through like it was merely a crumbling ash. Their bodies torn and exposed and their innards seemed blended together. There was a groan and Elizabeth tossed her head over to an Imperial guard who was on the edge of death. "E-Elizabeth?" he whispered out into the darkness.

The High Elf stumbled over and kneeled down beside him, "W-What happened?" She questioned with a faltering voice. She felt pitiful tears glistening in her eyes.

The guard's eyes rolled back and he groaned, "M-Monsters… t-terrible… beasts," he tried to force himself up but his wounds held him back. He sighed deeply and laid his head back, "T-Take the horse… ride fast… they're watching. They came… for…" He slipped off into blackness.

Elizabeth tapped his cheek many times to keep him awake, "They came for what?" She called out to him.

The guard's eyes fluttered and he groaned, "… you." He fell dead before her and the maiden merely sat there.

Her eyes were wide as she began to piece the puzzle together. Her eyes shifted back and forth and she quickly rose to her feet and looked into the shadows around her. How many were there? She did not know. She leaned over and took the guard's sword and quickly made her way to the horse. The guards were dead. There was no help for them. She leapt upon the horse and tied the sword to its saddle. Her heels clicked into the horse's sides and she cried out for it to go.

The horse nearly reared as it took off in a fast gallop down the path. Parts of the path were torn up with the hooves and flew into the air as the horse raced like an arrow down the path. Elizabeth was hunched over making sure she didn't leave herself vulnerable for an attack. Her eyes searched the path hoping nothing was to spring out. Golden White Tower was recognizable from here. It would not be long until she was in the Imperial City.

Her heart was pounding as she rode along, her eyes straight ahead. Suddenly, from the trees came a giant reptile. Its scales glimmered in the moonlight and its golden eyes narrowed as it leapt onto the horse and took it down with a colossal maul. Elizabeth screamed and soon flew from the saddle. She covered herself as she rolled across the ground a few times. Rocks scrapped her skin and clothes soon making her outfit tattered and torn. She pushed herself up with frightened eyes. The Daedroth pinned the horse down as it practically ripped off its limbs. The horse cried out in terror and agony as it was eaten alive.

Elizabeth got up and stumbled backwards down the path as her eyes could not move from the scene she was witnessing. The Daedra… they were the ones who attacked the guards! Wait, the Oblivion Gate was closed! How could they get into her realm? And what would they possibly want with her?! She turned and began running down the path. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she could see the torchlight from a small village near the bridge of the Imperial City. She heard a roar behind her and she feared that the Daedroth was upon her heels. She cried out and forced herself to run even faster. Her muscles began to burn and she could feel the sweat roll down her cheeks and stain her borrowed shirt.

The snarl became louder and she feared to look behind her. She could hear the trample upon the ground and feared that the warmth down her neck was not that of the winds. Frustrated tears appeared in her narrowed eyes as she ran even faster. Her body was burning itself for she had never ran this far, or even this long, before. An Imperial Legion Forester walked out of an Inn and furrowed his brow as he saw the maiden run to him. Was she going to attack him? He grabbed his bow but before he could remove it, she leapt onto him and cried out, "HELP! I-It's trying to kill me! I-It… i-it… killed the guards! I… I saw their bodies!" She nearly sobbed onto his shirt, "Please! Help me!"

The guard lingered in his spot; flabbergasted. He glanced over her shoulder and saw nothing but the dark path winding off into the woods. He held her tightly and tried to soothe her, "Now, now, miss. I think that the darkness is playing tricks on yer mind. Don't worry. I'll escort ya into the city," he chuckled, "Look… its fine. There's nothing following ya."

The trembling Elf let go of his shirt and glanced back. She saw nothing upon the path at all. Not even a figure lurking in the shadows or marks upon the ground. She sniffled and breathed heavily soon turning back to the guard. She looked up at him, for she was not tall at all for a High Elf. He smiled weakly and soon escorted her to the Imperial City, the girl never looking in one place for too long.

R&R! I write a new chapter when I get a few reviews-- just remember that, mmk? Hah. Hope you enjoyed. New Installment when I get a few more reviews (No I'm not bribing you)