Chapter 23: Bound Together

"There is nothing here!"

They had collected their equipment and made their way to the spot marked on the map. It was a vast open space with nothing but rocks, a few trees and snow on it. The spot was only a few hours out, so they arrived mid day. A cold sun stood high above them, making the snow-covered scenery seem even more bright.

Nephiah covered her aching eyes and leaned against a rock. "Midnight.", she said.

"Really?" Brelyna kept looking around, trying to find the trap that Wuunferth had undoubtedly prepared for them. There was nothing, not even any distinctive features save for a few rock formations sticking out of the snow. She checked the bushes between a handful of lonely trees. Nothing. An icy wind blew downhill, carrying snow with it. "I don't get it, what's his trick?"

Nephiah was still leaning against the rock, a hand over her eyes. "We won't know until it's time."

"All right?" Brelyna stepped closer to her through the knee-high snow.

"That gives us time to lay a trap of our own!"

Nephiah opened her eyes and looked at her.

Then she began to look around and scan the environment.

Brelyna tried to find the things her warrior was examining. "Setting traps is your area of expertise. Any ideas?"

Nephiah silently stepped into the middle of the field and looked up hill. Trees and bushes to her left, high rock formations to her right. The mountain led further down behind her, that was where they had come from.

High up in the distance in front of her she spotted a structure. She pointed at it. "Look."

Brelyna joined her at her side and put a hand over her eyes to provide shadow as she spied into the distance. "Is that a Dwemer ruin?"

Nephiah looked to her right, scanning the rocks. "Could be close enough."

She stepped over to the largest of the rock formations, it towered over her a fair amount. The top of it blended into the hill like a ramp, the vertical side in front of which she stood was covered in plant life, moss, ranks of flora that were somehow resistant to the cold. Ice spikes were hanging over her head, the wind blew snow over the ramp on occasion.

She brushed away a few of the plants, revealing cracks in the rocks. She moved her head close.

After a moment she waved for Brelyna to come to her.

"Well?"

"Shh."

Brelyna listened. The wind was howling. Eventually she could make out something else from inside the rock. "Ohnonononono."

They moved their heads back.

"That's just going to make it worse!"

"For emergencies." Nephiah unsheathed one of her swords and moved around the rocky wall, up the hill and onto the ramp now standing above Brelyna. "Step back."

Brelyna took a few steps back. "I don't like where this is going."

Nephiah raised the sword high up above her head, holding it in both hands, then brought it down with all her might, implanting it into the wall at a point where in had naturally formed a small crack.

Brelyna couldn't help but smile at the sight of the maneuver. She knew nobody else who could implant swords into walls of solid rock, she loved it when Nephiah did that.

Nephiah covered up the hilt of the sword with some hanging moss and moved back down beside her.

"We'll just have to make some noise."

Brelyna crossed her arms recounting the various times they had been in combat. "Somehow I don't' think that will be a problem."

They looked around, the wind howling down from the mountain already began to displace snow, covering up their footsteps.

"Now what?"

"Now we wait for midnight."

Dusk was falling over the land, the sky transforming into shades of blue that got progressively darker. The last rays of sunshine loomed behind the mountains, covering them in colors of deep red and orange.

They had picked a direction at random and walked half an hour until they found a place that was protected from wind and made camp.

Their fire crackled calmly, Nephiah tossed away the last bone of a rabbit they had caught and roasted.

Brelyna gazed upon the horizon, drinking in every bit of red and orange as it slowly faded and turned to blue and then to black. "Wuunferth...", she said eventually, "...he is the last one, isn't he?"

Nephiah was poking the fire with a stick, sending bits of glowing ash dancing up into the night sky. She nodded.

Brelyna lay down on her back, looking at the stars above. "All right." She took a deep breath. "And then we find ourselves a lake. Somewhere without snow. And we build us a house with a porch to sit on."

Her mind drew lines between the stars, forming all the images she described.

Her warrior lay down beside her.

She turned to her side, took Nephiah's hand and lead it up, resting her head on her strong shoulder.

The flickering fire illuminated half of the branding, she gently moved her thumb over it. "And when we sit there, waiting for the fishing rod to twitch, none of this will matter anymore. There will be no pain, no conflict, just us. And how it is when it's just us."

She placed a kiss onto the scar. It didn't hurt when she did that.

A tear fell out of the corner of Nephiah's eye and made its way across her temple. The image filled her with warmth, she wanted it. She couldn't remember existing without pain. But hearing Brelyna describe it, she could almost believe.

And as she almost believed it, Frokwulf invaded her mind, brought a whip down on her back and yelled "You don't exist!" She gasped, then squeezed her eyes shut to try to expel him from her mind.

Brelyna instantly noticed, not that it was hard to miss given that she was now holding a tightly closed fist. She had begun to notice every single time her love was suffering, even the small ones when it would only be a slight movement of her brow or her shoulders being held just a little bit higher than usual, things the outsider wouldn't see. And she felt it too, every time.

But this was a big one. She began to play with the ring on her finger. "Look." She put her own hand on top, placing the rings side by side.

Nephiah opened her eyes and looked.

"Bonds of Matrimony...", Brelyna said, "We never had a ceremony. Maybe we could go to Riften some time. Visit the Temple of Mara. Very different from Dunmeri customs. Less rituals and less burning of tapestry."

Nephiah looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Don't ask.", Brelyna giggled. "But here, they are a lot more straight forward with it, you'd like it. You go in, say your vows in front of the priest, that's it. You're bound." She looked up to her love. "I'd do it, you know."

Nephiah looked back at her.

"Because wherever you go, I go. Whatever you do, I do. So what, if it hurts."

Nephiah looked into her eyes, the light from the fire was casting the delicate curves of her face into light and shadow in a way that was not tangible. It was poetry. How such a being of pure warmth, pure light could ever have found it in her to love the hideously deformed creature she had become, she did not know.

She didn't deserve to be here. In this place of death, of pain, of violence. But neither did she believe her mage would let her go alone, nor did she possess the strength to ask anymore. She couldn't bear the thought of going alone... anywhere.

For a second, she considered letting it go. Breaking camp right now to find that lake and build that house. For her.

"You don't exist!" A crack of a whip.

She flinched. She couldn't let it go. Because it would never let her go. She had to end it.

"M'aiq once knew a priest of Mara."

Startled, Nephiah jumped to her feet, assuming an aggressive stance, Brelyna sat upright.

The cat slowly stepped into the light, his hands already raised, he knew the drill.

"Damnit, M'aiq!", Brelyna yelled. "Are you following us?! How come we keep running into you?!"

Nephiah relaxed her stance.

"Skyrim is not as big a place as people may believe.", he answered in his typical cryptic way. "May this one sit?"

Brelyna looked up at her warrior, who sat back down beside her after a moment. "All right."

M'aiq sat and held his hands to the fire, sizing them both up in his usual manner. "How far you have come."

The couple looked at each other, then back at him.

"One of these days, M'aiq...", Brelyna said, "You will have to start making sense."

"This noble warrior might just be able to convince M'aiq someday." He smiled and pointed at Nephiah.

Brelyna gave off a short laugh as she pushed herself closer to her love to lean on her.

The look on Nephiah's face informed him that this noble warrior might convince him to cut out the wise cracks instead.

A moment passed by, he was rubbing his hands, getting them warm. "M'aiq has heard many stories. Seen how they begin, how they unfold. Yours seems to have found an end."

Nephiah began to feel uneasy.

"Have you considered a different path?"

She had. She couldn't. She became restless and began to untangle herself from her mage's embrace. "We should go."

"Nono!", M'aiq yelled as if to stop someone who was about to step into a bear trap.

Surprised at the outburst they both looked at him.

"You still have time. Don't waste it. M'aiq is intruding, he will leave."

He got to his feet as Nephiah settled back into Brelyna's arms.

He turned to leave but then stopped. "A long time ago...", he said over his shoulder, "...a Priest of Mara taught M'aiq the sermon held at their temple. The one you were talking about." He turned around. "It is an oath, a binding ritual. M'aiq is not a priest but he could say the words for you. If you wanted him to."

Brelyna turned her head and looked at her love with big eyes. "I know it's stupid, but..."

She was interrupted by Nephiah letting go of her and moving to her armor that was resting a couple of meters away from the fire. She reached into the pouch and produced a headband made of mountain flowers.

Brelyna gasped as she was presented the gift. "Are those the ones from the flower girl? When did you make this?! How did I not notice?"

Nephiah just silently held it in her out stretched hand.

Brelyna stepped close to her and bowed her head, a big smile on her face. "Would you?"

"It was Mara that first gave birth to all of creation and pledged to watch over us as her children." M'aiq stepped close to the fire, opposite of the couple. "It is from her love of us that we first learned to love one another. It is from this love that we learn that a life lived alone is no life at all."

Nephiah slowly placed the flowery crown on Brelyna's head.

"We gather here today, under Mara's loving gaze, to bear witness to the union of two souls in eternal companionship. May they journey forth together in this life and the next, in prosperity and poverty, and in joy and hardship."

They held hands, deeply looking into each other's eyes, taking in each other's presence, the warmth, the indescribable safety they felt.

"Brelyna Maryon, do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?" The smile returned to Brelyna's face as she gazed into the depths of her warrior's dark, warm eyes. She couldn't help but think back to the first time she saw her stepping out of the shadows in that cave. How awe struck she was, how awe struck she still is. The trials they overcame, the ones that were yet to come, how given the knowledge she'd do it all over again. For the first time in her life she was certain about who to be and what to do. For the first time she stood tall, undoubted by her opposite, undoubted by herself. "I do. Now and forever."

A tear rolled down Nephiah's expressionless face.

"Nephiah, do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?" Nephiah looked down to the hands she was holding, then back into Brelyna's eyes, smiling at her in expectation. She was broken, a monster, a vortex of death and suffering, waiting to devour anything it touched, she had no illusions about that anymore. Brelyna deserved so much better than this. But for some reason, this creature, so kind, so brave, had chosen her. Loved her. She moved in to kiss her.

Brelyna giggled, tapping her on the shoulder. She moved her head back, her eyes inquiring what the problem was. "It's an oath, you see. You must say the words." She giggled again.

Nephiah raised her eyebrows, feeling strangely embarrassed. She knew nothing of traditions or rituals.

She looked at M'aiq, he smiled and nodded slowly. "W-would... would you mind..."

He gave off a short laugh. "Nephiah. Do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?"

She looked back at her mage. "I do. Now and forever..."

Brelyna squealed and threw her arms around Nephiah's neck, pushing herself up to her toe tips and kissed her passionately. Nephiah's arms moved around her, lifted her up until her feet left the ground, their two shapes intertwined into one.

M'aiq smiled and stepped away from the fire. "M'aiq hopes to see you again...", he said as he faded into the shadow of the night, "...he really does."

Nephiah put her newlywed back onto her feet and looked to where he had disappeared.

"What?", Brelyna asked.

"Did we ever tell him our names?"

Brelyna now looked to her side as well. "Um... no? I don't think so at least?"

"Huh."

After a moment Brelyna looked up into the sky, a sea of stars, two large moons rising over the mountain tops. "He was right, you know."

Nephiah looked back to her.

"We still have time." She smiled as she ran her hand down Nephiah's neck, then along her collar bone. The most subtle change occurred on Nephiah's face, letting her know that she had just realized what she meant. Without hesitation she was lifted off the ground. She laughed loudly as she was placed on the furs they had laid out next to the fire.

A wolf howled in the distance, responding to the laughter that echoed through the night.

"Did you hear?", Brelyna giggled. "We disturbed the wolves!"

Nephiah moved over her and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "They have seen nothing yet."

Brelyna laughed again as Nephiah moved in to kiss her cheek and neck, her laughter driving deep into the sky, reaching even the farthest snow-covered trees.

The wolf peeked through the bushes into the direction the strange sound was coming from. It howled again.

They were lying close together, facing each other, their legs entangled beneath the furs. Steam rose from their sweaty skin, the fire cast its warm light upon them. Various articles of clothing were scattered all around.

Brelyna smiled, she carefully scanned each little detail of Nephiah's face. She wanted to stay like this forever. But she could already see the subtle changes in her eyes, the pain in her was ever present. How she wished it wasn't so hard to make her smile. "So I've been wondering...", she eventually began. "You had a lot of books back in your cave. There were books on spells, books that hone your skills, historical accounts..."

A moment passed. "Yes?", Nephiah said, a big question mark on her face. "You've been wondering what?"

"Well... you can't read. So why bother?"

"Oh." Nephiah stopped looking into her eyes. "I thought I might learn some day, I don't know."

Brelyna smiled a moment then gasped. "Oh! I could teach you!"

Nephiah looked back into her eyes, always amazed beyond measure when Brelyna wanted to do something for her. She was planning for a future that was uncertain at best. She had seen the power of her foe up close, dying quickly could be considered a winning scenario.

They didn't even have much of an element of surprise. If they could get close enough without being spotted.

Scenarios ran through her head, her face showed the burden she carried. She had wanted to die for as long as she can remember. And she had finally found someone to do it, someone more powerful than her rage.

But now there was Brelyna, smiling back at her, the embodiment of kindness, giving her a reason to stay. She couldn't let it go. But she couldn't let her die either, not for this, not by his hand, not ever. No matter the cost.

She gently touched her face. "I lov..."

Brelyna instantly put a finger on her lips. "Don't say it." She had read every thought of hers in her eyes. "I can say it all I want. I love you. Love you, love you. See?"

Nephiah raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"But if you say it... it just sounds like 'Goodbye'."

Nephiah closed her lips and turned to lie on her back, Brelyna rested herself on her shoulder. "Books that hone your skill?", Nephiah said after a while.

"Yes?"

"Any books on dual wielding?"

"Um... Yes." Brelyna wondered where this was going.

"Read any to me while I was asleep?"

"Yes, I figured that would be something you'd read."

"Huh."

"What?" Nephiah jumped up and grabbed the sword and dagger that were sticking in the ground next to her armor. "Look." She performed a complicated maneuver with both blades, swirling each over her head, crossing them in front of her face until finally sticking them both out to the left and right. "Some of it must have stuck."

A big smile formed on Brelyna's face as she watched the performance. "Azura... That would have been attractive had you worn armor! But like this!" She crawled out from under the furs in a feline manner and made her way up Nephiah's front, resting her hands on her shoulders.

She had a very seductive look on her face. "Why don't we explore some more Argonian culture." She gently licked the tip of her nose and giggled.

Nephiah looked to the sky to see where the moons were standing.

"We still have time, don't we?"

As Nephiah looked back into her eyes, her nose was licked again.

Both blades dropped simultaneously, she threw her arms around her mage and lifted her off the ground so she now looked slightly up into her eyes. "I lov..." A finger was put on her lips yet again.

"Na-ah.", Brelyna said. "Don't say it. Show me."

Nephiah moved her right hand up behind her back, spun her legs around and put her down onto the furs. "Your wish, noble mage..." She moved over her, Brelyna's arms moved around her neck. "...is my command."

Wuunferth stood in the middle of the icy field which glittered blue in the moon's eerie twilight. He was chanting quietly, his hands raised to hip height.

The Dunmer were staying low as they approached the bushes between a few lonely trees. They were traveling light, leaving their backpacks behind at their camp.

"What is he doing..." Brelyna whispered.

Nephiah's eyes formed slits as she watched him closely, scanning his surroundings and the space between them. He was about ten meters out, too far to jump him. "Wish I had a bow."

His chanting began to get louder, he raised his hands to shoulder height. The earth began to shake, giving off a deep rumbling noise. The thick layer of snow in front of him broke open, a pedestal rose out of the ground. It looked ancient, like it had been buried there for a very long time.

Nephiah's eyes widened, she began to breathe deeply as the scene felt uncomfortably familiar.

Brelyna instantly noticed. "What's wrong?"

"I've been here before..."

A flash emanated from the pedestal's top. As it faded one could see a black soul gem that had appeared, five times the size of the common variety, hovering in the air. Tiny lights were swirling around under its surface.

Nephiah closed her fists as hard as she could. She was petrified. She couldn't move, being bound to a wooden T-cross.

Frokwulf stepped between the dozens of skeletons and Draugr that were guarding the ritual.

He reached the middle. "Remember. No lasting damage."

"Do not worry, old friend.", Wuunferth said, aiming his right palm at the tied up girl in front of him. "But do bear in mind that, no matter her training, this will make her scream."

"Nephiah!"

She flinched and looked to her side.

Brelyna had placed her hand on her shoulder, great worry on her face.

"There will be a lot more soon.", she whispered.

"A lot of what?"

Nephiah unsheathed her sword. She looked at her target, darkness settled in on her face. She moved her arm back and took aim. Then she froze, the rage in her eyes giving way to surprise and fear. The sword fell from her hand.

"What is it?!" Brelyna looked out onto the field.

She gasped as she realized that Wuunferth was looking straight at them, an orange glowing hand stretched out. He quickly closed the hand, Nephiah was violently pulled out of her hiding spot towards him, she landed face first in the snow in front of his feet. He held his hand over her, his spell continued to push her to the ground. He looked down upon her as she struggled to push herself up. "I told you, I can see you through walls."

"Damnit!" Brelyna instantly charged a fireball in each hand, jumped to her feet and fired the projectiles in quick succession.

Wuunferth's ward was only visible for a split second when blocking the fire, it was a spell he had mastered a long time ago.

His left hand shot forth and grabbed Brelyna in the distance the same way he had gotten hold of Nephiah. She was hurled through the air and landed in the deep snow next to her warrior.

The earth rumbled yet again, the snow broke open behind them, a wooden T-cross rose from the ground. He turned his wrists so his palms pointed upwards, the Dunmer were lifted into the air, there he held them for a moment. "Telekinesis.", he said in a smug tone of voice. "Such a useful spell, yet no one bothers to learn."

He brought his hands forward, moving both through the air until they were positioned at the cross, Nephiah facing him, Brelyna at the back looking out.

"Amazing are the things you can do with just a few centuries of practice."

Nephiah's steel plated boots fell to the ground, her gauntlets flew to the left and right, disappearing in the darkness. Thick ropes were lifted from his pouch and shot through the air to bind their wrists and ankles to the cross tight enough to cut off blood circulation to their hands and feet.

Nephiah pressed her lips together. Brelyna gave off a short, pained scream.

His hands released the spell, they both fell until the ropes held them. A moment of silence passed as he looked at his handiwork.

"Since I have your attention, I suppose it would be rude if I didn't tell you what is going to happen to you." He walked around the pedestal so that the soul gem was hovering between them. He looked very pleased with himself. "Since you are no longer a slave, I mean."

Nephiah silently gazed back at him, hatred burning in her eyes.

It seemed to amuse him. "The world of the arcane holds many secrets, you see. Even the key to immortality for those who are willing to look."

Nephiah began to struggle against her restraints, pulling her arms forward.

Brelyna instantly cried out in pain.

Nephiah stopped and turned her head, trying to get a look at her. Their wrists were bound by only one rope each. If one of them struggled, the rope on the other side would tighten further.

"It hurts...", Brelyna said softly, pain in her voice.

"Shhhhh...", Nephiah tried to comfort her.

Wuunferth smiled again. "Yes, you seemed to have an affinity for each other. Also hard to miss."

Nephiah looked back at him, the fire in her eyes flaring back up. She wanted to reach into his chest and rip his heart out with her bare hands. She was certain she could break the ropes, her muscles fueled by the need for action. But in the best of cases she would break Brelyna's wrists in the process. In the worst of cases her rage could make the rope cut right through her.

So all she could do was remain motionless, at his mercy of which she knew he had none. She remembered this feeling all too well. A tear rolled down her face.

"Ah, there is that soul of yours, I can see it clearly now. It burns flaming red. Ask your conjurer over there, she may have seen it." He looked into the soul gem, dozens of little lights dancing inside of it like a swarm of fireflies. "The soul. The very essence of life. The Dwemer figured out ages ago that it can be used to power all kinds of things. Turns out that if a living being absorbs enough of them, they can even revitalize a dying body. Make it immortal."

The souls trapped in the gem were reflecting in his eyes as he stared into it almost as if in a trance. After a moment he snapped out of it and looked up at his captive. "The civil war was kind enough to provide these souls this time around. Channeled through a conduit strong enough to survive the process, they will add another twenty years to my life." He positioned himself between the cross and the pedestal. "And as you have already figured out, you are that conduit."

His hands began to emit a dark purple glow as he raised one up to Nephiah and pointed the other at the gem. It began to hum. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. The movement speed of the many sparks inside it increased until they melded together into one bright light that illuminated the entire area.

A ray of light shot out of it and hit Nephiah's chest, she pressed her lips together at the unpleasantness of the experience.

Brelyna turned her head to the side as far as she could to try and see what was going on behind her back. She could see the light but not her warrior. She could however hear muffled moaning, letting her know in how much pain she was. "Nephiah!"

A second ray of light shot forth. It connected her to Wuunferth's stretched out hand. She squeezed her eyes shut. Little glowing sparks began to leave the gem, passing through the light into her. She clenched her teeth together as the muscles in her entire body tightened and her fingernails dug into her palms. She tried very hard not to pull against the ropes with all her strength.

The sparks then left her through the second stream of light and moved towards the necromancer. He inhaled deeply as the first few reached his hand, illuminating his arm in bright blue light up to the shoulder. Eventually more and more souls shot out of the gem, passing through her into him.

Her short, muffled moans became louder and more consistent, until even her self control could not suppress it any more. She opened her mouth and began to scream loud, agonized screams, turning her head, left and right, tears shooting into her eyes. It was bone chilling, her voice traveling so far out into the night that even wild animals in the woods turned tail and ran.

"Nephiah!" Brelyna yelled in panic, trying to get through to her. This sound she had never heard before. Not fire, not lightning, not getting run through with a sword, Nephiah had never given off as much as a whimper. And here she was, screaming her lungs out in pain. Tears filled Brelyna's eyes just as surely as if she was on the other side of the cross. "My love!", she yelled as loudly as she could. "I am right here! I am with you, please! Just hold on!" She tried to light fire spells to burn through the rope but it was hopeless. The sound of Nephiah's voice made it impossible for her to form any thought coherent enough to make a spell manifest. She kept trying. "Come on!"

The color of Wuunferth's beard darkened as the process went on. Grey at first, solid black eventually. The wrinkles of his aged face disappeared, he was getting younger with every soul he absorbed.

It seemed to take forever, each soul slicing through Nephiah's very being like a thousand blades, through her chest, her stomach, her neck and hands, her thighs and the bottom of her feet and behind her eyes. She violently twisted her neck left and right, screaming to let it out somewhere, blood dripped from her tightly closed fists.

And through all of this, she did not pull on her restraints. Some of her agony should have naturally transmitted to Brelyna through the ropes that held them both at the cross. But it didn't, she made sure of it. Instead off pulling, she pressed her hands back against the wood as hard as she could. It was the only thought left in her.

The last of the souls vanished in Wuunferth's hand. The rays of light instantly fell dark, the gem dropped to the ground, not a single light left inside it. Wuunferth dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.

Nephiah's entire body fell limp. Fine puffs of steam rose from her skin.

"Nephiah! Say something!" Brelyna tried to yell but panic had taken her breath away. Her voice was high pitched and barely audible. She received no response.

Wuunferth got back to his feet and stretched his limbs. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, now wearing the body of a young man. "Thank you for that." He walked to the cross and began levitating until he was hovering at Nephiah's height. He grabbed her chin and moved her head up to get a look at her. He gave her a few gentle slaps until she opened her eyes.

She looked at him, exhausted, half alive, barely aware of where she was. Pearls of sweat ran down her forehead. "You are extraordinary!", Wuunferth said laughing. "I didn't think anyone could go through this twice!" He let himself drift back to the floor. "Not that I have ever tried. The process usually isn't lethal so I disposed of all the conduits I used over the years. Couldn't have someone wandering about, knowing my secret recipe, now could I. It was your old master who insisted on keeping you."

Usually the mere mention of Frokwulf would send Nephiah into a killing frenzy. But she was spent, she was just hanging there, breathing heavily, her body burning up, her every fiber aching.

"Which is why I find the method by which I shall dispose of you now rather fitting."

Tears ran down Brelyna's face, she was still trying to ignite a fire spell. But her hands failed her, her mind racing with horrible scenarios that were to happen in the immediate future. "Azura... please..." No matter how hard she tried, how she gestured with what little freedom of movement she had, no flame would ignite.

"You know I went back to our little lair after the High King had unceremoniously dismantled my operation. Been looking for you ever since. There are stories about you from Ivarstead to Riften. Cautionary tales about the 'Savage Elf in the Woods' that parents tell their children so they don't wander off." He laughed. "Well. Killing you will be a kindness, I feel. So how about we call it even." He raised his hands, they began to emit a dark purple glow.

"You call that magic?" His spell instantly faded as he looked around to see where the unknown voice came from.

Neloth walked out of the dark of night and entered the field, followed by an infantry division, thirty men in bonemold armor, marching under the Telvanni banner. "There are much more elegant ways that yield the same result. But what do you expect from a Nord."