No more OCs are being accepted... sorry guys and girls but you were too late. I got an OC from TehUnoman. Now because I'm super busy and such I'm using his message he sent me for this chapter... and I'm hella lazy but ya know whatever! Here we go... will Kell win? Will he die? Stop asking questions and read the damned chapter already! Jeeze. Also, Kell has a theme song now. Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi. Listen to it. And enjoy the OCs... or die a horrible painful death in a video game.
Kell flinched back as the dragon let out a roar that caused his ears to ring. He kept his shield raised and waited. An arrow flew and pierced the beast under the right wing and it growled while flying up, realizing the danger. Kell kept his shield raised in the general direction of the circling dragon and waited. It started to head towards them and came low while keeping up it's speed.
It let loose a stream of fire and Kell dove to the side to avoid the painful death he surely would have suffered should he have been hit. Two guards were unlucky and burst into flames and proceeded to writhe on the floor while letting out blood curdling screams. Kell blocked out most of the sounds but some still reached him so he just kept his eyes on the dragon as it started to circle them again.
Once more it came in and let loose its flaming fury only to miss when the guards grew smart and either took cover or jumped to the side. The dragon came around once more but started to plummet when an arrow pierced its left eye. The dragon fell down and slid across the ground, tearing up everything in its path. A guard was in that path and was crushed under the flying lizard and into a bloody pulp.
When the dragon stopped sliding Kell wasted no time and rushed forward while being backed by the guards who were either preparing their melee weapons for combat or were firing arrows into the dazed monster.
Kell approached from the right side and stabbed into the wing bone. The dragon returned to his senses and smashed his wing into Kell and launched him a few feet away and onto his back. Kell was instantly up and charging again. He saw the dragon turn to the left and closed its jaws around a guard. The dragon picked the guard up, shook him, and launched him into the air.
Kell came from behind and stabbed into the rear right leg. The dragon turned and used its head like a hammer and once more launched Kell away from him. Kell landed on his back and slid for a few feet before stopping. He was dizzy and seeing doubles but rose to his feet anyways and took a ready stance.
The dragon opened its huge jaws and Kell could see fire building in the back of the throat. Kell dropped to his right knee and held his shield in front of him. When the fire hit Kell was unharmed but he could feel the intense coursing around him and charring everything behind him. When the fire stopped Kell looked over his shield and ducked to the side when the dragon tried to bite him.
When Kell stood he was on the dragons left side and he slashed it in the face and drew blood. The dragon responded by ramming his head in Kell's direction, but the Argonian saw this coming and raised his shield in defense. He felt the impact and his arm went numb as he slid along the ground a few feet. When he stopped he charged again and slammed his shield downwards into the dragons head.
The head dropped and Kell stabbed his sword down into the thick head and heard a crack. He thought it was over but was surprised when the dragon lifted its head, with Kell holding onto his sword. Kell flipped over the sword and landed on the creatures neck and was riding it. He tugged on his sword and the head reared back while the dragon roared in pain.
Kell took his shield and rammed the bottom into the one good eye the dragon possessed and chuckled a little when he saw he blinded the creature. What he didn't count on was this causing the dragon to go into a rage and throw him off its back and onto the ground a few feet away. Kell slowly rose and saw his sword was still stuck in the head of the now thrashing beast.
The guards around him kept firing and the arrows were continually piercing the creatures hide and drew blood. The dragon was close to death and Kell knew it. He drew his crossbow and took aim at the neck. He fired and the bolt slammed into the dragons neck and gushed large amounts of blood from the injury.
It roared before falling down and attempting to stand and kill what he though would be the direction of the nearest man. Kell loaded another bolt and fired into the neck again, causing more blood to stain the ground. The dragons movements slowed and Kell put his crossbow away while walking towards the barely alive dragon. He quickly pulled his sword out and back up as the dragon snapped at the air, trying in vain to take a bite out of Kell.
When it stopped biting did Kell approach. He raised his sword in both hands and brought it down on the beasts head with the sickening noise of flesh being sliced and more bones cracking. Kell twisted and just like that the dragon was dead. Kell sheathed his sword and flopped on his back, exhausted from the battle with the beast.
His peace was cut short when the dragon started to burst into flames and turn to nothing more then a giant skeleton. Then a blue wave-like energy that was similar to the energy from the crypt flew into Kell and he felt empowered. Like he could take on an army of Imperials and Stormcloaks and live. He kept hearing something in the back of his head and he couldn't hold it in. He looked to the sky and shouted with the force similar to that of the dragon.
"Fus!" A blue energy flew forth from his mouth and blew away a few feet into the sky before dissipating into nothingness. Kell's throat felt sore and sour and he almost regretted saying that word but felt his throat getting better as the seconds passed.
"You... You're Dragonborn!" Kell looked to his right and saw the remaining guards staring at him with mouths dropped and eyes full of wonder. Kell looked around and saw no one near him before turning back to the guards.
"Me?" He said while pointing to himself in confusion.
"Yes, you. What you just did, that was shouting. Can't believe I would have the honor of meeting, let alone fighting next to a Dragonborn." Kell was about to ask more questions when a loud booming and almost threatening voice that rang with age tore through the sky.
"Dovahkiin!" Nobody moved, and nobody said anything. Eventually Kell spoke while looking around, half expecting something to blow up.
"What was that?"
"The Graybeards... They're summoning you Dragonborn."
As she watched the fight she couldn't help but feel impressed and entertained at the Argonians skill and will to fight. When the fight ended she watched as the newly named Dragonborn devoured the defeated dragons soul. Then came the loud shout that seemed to shake the world to its very core.
"So he really is Dragonborn. This just made my job a lot more interesting." She melted into the darkness of the surrounding trees and decided to keep following him, but to at least send a message to her mistress to let her know about this development.
She let out a call similar to that of a hawk, and a few seconds later a white hawk flew down and landed on the arm she outstretched for it. She took a slip of paper with the message she had written on it and tied it to the birds leg.
"Give this to Astrid. Quickly my friend." The hawk took to the sky while letting out a shriek and disappeared a few seconds later. She turned back to her target and saw him returning to Whiterun with the guards in tow. She could hear a couple words. Something about drinks for the Dragonborn on them.
"Stupid Nords." She always found them rude, loud, and lazy. She then began to follow while shaking her head.
"What else could happen? Some women who works for a God comes in and starts helping him? That'll be the day I do nothing but sit on my ass and eat moonsugar all day long."
In the beginning, darkness reigned supreme. A single dot of light was sealed off, held back by the torrent of shadow. The entity that controlled the dark presence, Tempest, was observing the source of light. This entity held full control over the darkness, being the sole creator of it's power.
And it was bored.
As it watched the pointless struggle between the incredibly heavy spark of light and the overwhelming shadow, he knew it had to spice things up. In a corner of emptiness, it began to create observers, mimicking its own persona of knowledge, power, and deceit. These observers would be known as the Daedra, listening to none except the creator.
Tempest also made the Aedra, the Eight Divines to combat the Daedric Lords should the time arise. Unlike other entities, it knew about the prospect of Balance, and always proceeded to enforce such beliefs.
It pulled off the shackles that hung on the infinite spark, and watched as it exploded, expanding to an immense size within seconds. Just like that, the Balance was made, and Tempest became it's Elite Guard.
The Guard soon picked out the possible world of choice... Tamriel, if it wasn't mistaken,and sent the influences of both Aedra and Daedra there. And like the Observer it always is, it watched the world be built by their hands.
*Upon reaching the 4th Era*
Tempest was disgusted by what he is witnessing. The influence of the Daedra was sent to little more than rare shrines all over a single land, whereas the Divines were spread out all over the world-even obtaining a Ninth Divine! The Observer was surprised by this turn of events, but was enraged by the misbalance and the chaos of the world's denizens.
The time to observe was over. It was going to act.
Concentrating, it held out its hands, channeling energy into a makeshift core. In the entity's eyes, it took mere seconds, on Tamriel, Helgan is now a ruin because of Alduin's wrath. The chaos couldn't have been a better target. Tempest fired the core towards the destroyed town, creating a statue. Though his fearsome appearance has been reduced to little more than a cloaked, heavily armored figure on a pedestal, it knew it had done one part of the job.
Now, he needed the right host...
With a jump the women sat up, lightning blue eyes piercing the night sky. The figure's heartbeat was close to being heard by all of the wildlife in the forest she slept in. She raised herself off the cot she kept on her person, carefully observing her surroundings. After determining that there was no possible threat nearby, she relaxed. This was achieved because of her beast blood.
But the dream she experienced caught her off-guard: Helgan shattered, bandits slaughtered, all beneath the shadow of a statue... something called the ShadowRose Blade...
Carefully, she gathered what she had with her: potions, scrolls of magical power, a dwarven sword, shield, a few daggers, and her steel-plate armor. She carefully placed the helm on, always unsure of the sudden cut of vision. The woman, though skittish as she may be about any helm, sucked it up for the amount of usefulness it provided. The Redguard, now fully equipped, rolled up the cot, threw it over her shoulder, and began sniffing out the trail. She decided it wouldn't hurt to check out Helgan seeing as she had nothing better to do.
A few days later, she found the gates leading into Helgan. Keeping an eye on patrols, she knew that local bandits had taken residence over the demolished town... by a dragon, no less. Hearing nothing within was quite unnerving. Even her enhanced senses could barely pick up anything, besides one heartbeat going haywire.
Deciding that one threat was not any concern, she drew her sword, forgoing the shield, and bashed the gate opened, terrifying the poor robber even more so.
She stopped suddenly; the sight of corpses torn into many pieces was disturbing. The redguard became desensitised during one rampage many years back in Morthal, and after seeing the bloodshed she committed, she could only shake her head. The difference between then and now, though, was the fact that these former bandits were sliced apart by what appears to be a sword or Greataxe, though what axe could cause that much devastation, she could only think of Clavicus Vile and his own weapon.
She caught something to the right, shifting in her peripheral vision. Moving her head slightly, she saw the other bandit, pressed up against the wall, shaking violently. How she forgot about him, she wouldn't know, but she didn't forget the exchange:
"What happened here?"
"M-m-monster! That statue! It-it-it killed everyone!" The poor bandit was close to wetting himself.
"...Your insanity reminds me of one that I dare not think of." the woman stated, swinging the dwarven sword at the man's throat. The soothing sound of flesh being cleaved by metal reached her ears. She sighed heartily.
"Good. You're already assisting the Balance of this world." A voice stated.
"What the?!" the woman spun around, shield now drawn. She warily darted her eyes around the broken ramparts of the village, finding no Dremora nearby.
"Who's there?!"
"You've already met some of my spawn, you should get an inkling of an idea by now."
"The statue..." The Redguard muttered. She focused her eyes upon the bloodbath again, and found the offending rock formation, having no place in the ruin. But, considering current events, it was a perfect hiding place for the beholder.
"Now, you found my shrine, come forth, and I'll explain the situation to you." The voice stated.
"I think I'll decline on that, the last time I spoke to a shrine, it wanted me tested by demons after doing a task for it." The woman deadpanned.
"I believe you misheard me: Do so, or you will face worse than these poor souls, beast blood." How did he? Her eyes widened, but shrank back down quickly. Doesn't matter, if those bandits were slaughtered so easily, she almost didn't want to know what would happen next. Though her body mentally protested about going near the statue, she forced it to walk in the red pool, facing the statue. It sat cross-legged, arms lowered to near it's knees, hands grasping a long, curved object. The body of the statue was armored in the Dremora's design, but the cloak was solid stone. Until two white lights appeared where eyes would, what appeared to be a permanent glare focused on the Redguard.
"The dream you faced was a premonition of mine, I've sent it to you as a summons to here, away from all prying eyes. Not even the dead dare disturb this meeting between us."
"How kind, but I think I'd like to know who you are, Daedra, and get to business." She stated bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hmm, how fortunate I chose you, no poking around the bush,." It muttered in an almost amused fashion. "I am not of the Daedra, but they are of my design. I am Tempest, the Guard of the Balance of the Universe. The balance between that of Light and Dark."
"So you've helped cause the world's suffering, then?" She said darkly, her anger building.
"What the Daedra decide to do is none of my concern. But it's the Aedra, shunning their Dark Brothers and Sisters into Solitude, that makes it concerning. I've chosen you to change that; demolish shrines of the Aedra, build more shrines of the Daedra, do whatever to restore the Balance."
"That sounds like fun, buuuuuuut...it's not my cup of tea, Tempest." The Redguard stated, showing a middle finger to the statue.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to NOT be a tool for anyone else."
"That's not for you decide. Even if you do leave, this will be on your shoulders."
"Then find someone else to do your dirty work, then. I intend to live peacefully now, away from the troubles of the world."
"Even if I offered the ability to have your inner wolf listen to you every single second of your life?" She froze while turning back to the accursed statue.
"Prove it." She challenged, while bearing a scowl.
"Very well. Do you see the object lying on the hands of the statue? Take it into your own, and Observe."
She leaned forward, her hands moved underneath the sheath, she deduced within seconds, shaking violently. Her excitement was palpable, but her nerves was getting to her. Shaking her head to clear any doubts, her hands moved up, taking up the sheath that housed the sword. Noticing a small attachment near the hilt of the blade, she went to hook it to her belt, but fell to her knees in excruciating pain. Her mind felt as though it was being split apart, feeling the beastly senses growing in magnitude, her blood became lava in her disillusioning thoughts.
As fast as it had began, it stopped, the coolness of her armor never felt better. She was having a hard time breathing through her lungs, the recent fire within her weakening her strength.
"Wha... what happened to me?!"
"You've been balanced." Tempest stated. "All potential wielders undergo this process. The people that lie before you were destroyed by the blade, as they couldn't handle the pain that they experienced. You, however, survived, and are now fitting to wield it."
Remembering the clip on the sheath, she attached it on the left side of her waist. Her right hand fell onto the handle, and slowly unsheathed the sword. A low hum was picked up as the naginata was drawn. Black, folded metal was what caught her eye first, the second was a white insignia at the base of the sword, just above the hilt.
Curved lines circled each other, a small flame nearest the hilt. It took only a few seconds for the woman to figure out that the insignia was similar to that of a rose. Which is when she remembered the name of the sword: The ShadowRose Blade.
Once the tip of the blade was removed, she placed a few fingers on the sword, and quickly removed them from the sudden shock.
"Unlike other enchantments, this one improves the strength of the blade while burning wounds it inflicts." Tempest stated. "This will be your instrument of power. Because of the connection it has to myself, you'll be given power if you succeed in doing tasks I assign you. My voice will be heard by you alone while you have the blade, but others can hear it should they have something...interesting about them."
"Ok, if that's the case, two things: One, can you read my mind, and two, how can I tell if they're a person of interest?" she asked.
"I could if I ever needed to, but unlike Hermaeus, I don't have a lust for knowledge of my subjects. As for the second question, I'll inform you for the time being, until you can gain that intuition in the future." It stated. "Now, for your first task, destroy this statue. It served it's purpose, and now has no place here."
"Good, it was giving me the creeps." The Redguard said. Taking the sword in both of her hands, she swung diagonally, slicing the head and right arm off completely, while watching the left one slowly crumble off of the thin piece of rock it sat on. She shuddered when the arm hit the ground, as she felt the blade's power flowing through her veins. Her eyes fluttered as it traveled euphorically, opening them up with disappointment as it stopped suddenly.
"Well done, Onyx. You are given a small amount of control over the shadows: During the night, you can disguise yourself in the dark permanently, and have your foes confused by bending the shadows around them. During the day, your control can only extend to as far as the possible radius of an object, including yourself, and cannot offensively use it against your enemies." Tempest said blandly.
"A simple tool is all I'm getting from that?" She asked slightly disappointed at her reward for working for this Tempest.
"Simple tasks give simple things, while more...interesting tasks deliver the skills and powers that you find interesting." Tempest stated, annoyed over Onyx's pout. "This is, however, just the beginning. You'll see soon enough."
"Alright, what's my next task?" Onyx asked, eager to get into the field.
"A world-changing event is about to take place. Travel to Ivarstead, and wait for a few travelers to appear, if I'm correct, they're going to be traveling the Steps to Hrothgar." Tempest began. "Offer your services to them, and assist them in any way you can. That is the main task, but when I give you another, you break off from them to complete it, then locate them at a location of your choosing."
"...Understood. I'll be operating under a different name during the secondary tasks." Onyx replied.
"Good. Now, head out to Ivarstead, Shadowmoore. Your destiny awaits." Tempest went silent after that. Onyx took a few steps before looking back at the remains of the statue and letting out a sigh.
"What the hell have I got myself into?"
Another shout out to TehUnoman for writing this for his character and allowing me to use said character. Make sure you check out his stuff and read them if you wish. Also, leave a review please... I like to hear from you guys to tell me how I did... or how Teh did. Make sure you flamers do your flaming thing ok? Good! Anyways, keep calm and may the Aura be with you all!