"Right away there was an undeniable loyalty. You could see it in their eyes. The Gods themselves could not have conjured such a thing."
A Flower in Dragonfire
-Anonymous
The journey to Kvatch was long and arduous. Kesh-Ra asked Niamh to stop in Skingrad for the night, but Niamh had to remind him they had no means to pay an innkeeper. Kesh-Ra relented to a small nap under a tree, while Niamh climbed into the branches to keep watch.
A whole day had passed since they had left Weynon Priory. If Niamh was exhausted, she did not show it. Her determination drove her to reach Kvatch. Kesh-Ra questioned why she was so suddenly loyal to this mission, to which she only replied that it was the least she could do for the Emperor who set her free.
Kesh-Ra didn't question further.
The rain had finally subsided, and Niamh stopped just as the last few drops hit the ground.
"What's wrong?" Kesh-Ra asked, huffing his way up beside her.
"There is an acrid scent in the air," She said, "And look-" She pointed to the sky.
Kesh-Ra noticed that the sky wasn't red with the oncoming sunset, for that had passed hours ago. They could see the outline of Kvatch, the bright red sky its antithesis.
"Strange indeed. Lights from a festival?" Kesh-Ra asked.
"Unlikely." Nimah pressed on, "There are no holidays for the humans on this day."
Nearing the road to go up to the city, Niamh and Kesh-Ra were stopped by a man nearly out of breath.
"Leave here!" He said wildly, taking Nimah by the collar.
"Calm yourself, man," Kesh-Ra pulled him off of Niamh, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Gate-" The man breathed out, "Demons. The city in ruins!" He pushed himself away from the two and ran away.
Kesh-Ra looked at Niamh, "Demons?"
"Let's go." Niamh motioned for him to follow.
Reluctantly, Kesh-Ra made the long trek with Niamh. They came upon an encampment of wounded. It seemed nearly half the city was there. Healers tents were set up, people bustling about with varying ranges of gashes and burns.
Niamh pulled one woman to the side, her eyes darting back and forth while Niamh spoke.
"What happened here?"
The woman shook, "No one is sure. The gate opened and those creatures came out. If not for Captain Matius and his men we would have not made it out."
Niamh let out a soft curse, then asked, "What of Brother Martin?"
The woman raised her brow, "The priest? Last I saw he was in the city. Speak to the Captain, he may know more. But they are currently fending off the attacks from the gate."
"Thank you." Niamh hurried away.
"Niamh, wait." Kesh-Ra stopped her.
"We need to be up there." Niamh was adamant.
"Look at these people-" Kesh-Ra pointed.
Among the small crowd of dead and dying, a few of the priests were going about mumbling about the end times.
"No repentance…" One passed by, shoving his head into his hands.
Niamh furrowed her brows, rage taking over. She grabbed the priest.
"You will listen to me! How can you go about your own people and tell them they are doomed to die?" She shook him away, "They need guidance and you only give them your own prophetic ramblings of death!"
The priest was befuddled, but couldn't get out an answer before Niamh raced away up the hill to the city.
Kesh-Ra let out a defeated sigh and apologized to the priest. He followed Niamh, calling out to her and begging her not to continue.
"Stubborn elf." He muttered to himself.
He found Niamh halted at the top of the hill. Her eyes were glossed over as she looked upon the mountain of bodies.
"We need to do something, Kesh…" She said quietly.
"Okay." He offered no further resistance.
The two of them walked past the bodies, seeing a barrier in the distance. Niamh's ears twitched and she heard sounds of battle. She took out her bow and ran to meet the unknown enemy.
The skies above them turned red with fire and blood. Ash poured down like rain as the guards fought off the demonic creatures coming from the gates. Slimy little yellow goblins spat their venom, flames bursting from their hands and burning the resistance.
The few of them that came from the portal were felled quickly. Niamh sent off arrows in different directions, most of them striking true.
A man dressed in better armor than the rest finished killing the yellow creature and came over to Niamh.
"What exactly do you think you're doing, civilian?" He asked her.
"Are you Captain Matius?" Niamh asked.
"I am."
"Captain," Niamh began, "I must ask you what has happened here."
The Captain became angry, "Lost the damn city that's what. Those damn scamps keep coming out of the gate. They were too much, too fast...I still have people trapped in the city. I think some made it to the Chapel, but everyone else were run down in the very streets. The Count and his men are holed up in the keep." He looked to the Oblivion Gate, swirling with fire, "This thing came out of nowhere, blocking us from going back. I have men in there, Divines know if they'll ever come back. We're holding our ground as much as we can." His tone changed, Niamh felt that this man was prepared to give his life.
"We will help as much as we can." Niamh was determined.
"I assume 'we' means you and your cowering friend?" The Captain looked back at Kesh-Ra, who was throwing up after looking at the fresh corpses.
Niamh shook her head, but looked back at the Captain, "You say you have men inside?"
"They've been in there for what seems like hours. I can't risk sending more." Captain Matius told her, "I have to protect what little civilians we have left."
"Then we will stand with you for as long as we can." Niamh said.
"Numbers won't matter if we can't get that thing closed." The Captain said defeatedly.
Kesh-Ra stared at the gate. It was a large fiery sphere that loomed just in front of the city gates. Obsidian lined the structure, lava seemingly seeping from cracks along the black frame. He felt his stomach drop. The soldiers behind the barricade had lost any morale they had left. The people were broken and defeated.
He barely had time to process the bleak surroundings when he saw Niamh take up her bow and make her way across the field, her red hair whipping in the hot wind. She didn't bother to look back before she stepped into the portal of fire.
Kesh-Ra jolted forward to follow, but the Captain held him back. From the look in his eye, Kesh-Ra feared he would never see Niamh again.
Niamh crawled up the steps in the main tower. A dead dremora at her feet as she stood at the top. The overwhelming scent of burnt flesh and hair filled Niamhs nose, nearly making her vomit.
She stumbled to the door that led to the very top of the center tower. The knight had told her this was where the sigil stone was kept, and she prayed that he was right. She was alone in this, having sent the remaining knights back through the gate to Kvatch. Niamh knew this was something better done through stealth.
There was a limp in her gait as she ascended the uneven bone steps. She quickly shot an arrow at a nearby scamp before it realized she was there. Niamh tripped over the top of the steps, miscalculating where she was setting her foot.
The arrow wound in her leg burned and she staved off the need to scream. She ripped a piece of her trousers off, tying a makeshift tourniquet around her foreleg. Shakily she came back to her feet, biting back the pain as she pushed herself to run up the next set of stairs.
A low growl came from the far side of the adjacent staircase. Niamh saw a dremora churl, and it spotted her easily. It pointed a bloody finger at her, yelling a guttural warcry.
Between them, Niamh could see a large glowing stone. A beam shot right through the roof, and she knew she had found her target.
She and the dremora stood at opposite ends. Niamh reached for her arrows, finding that she had none left. The only thing left for her to do was to run for the stone.
As if sensing her motive, the dremora charged.
Niamh leapt to the platform that had the sigil stone, her entire body aching in pain. Without another thought she grabbed the orb with both of her hands. Her fingertips were on fire, and a white glow led from her hands to all over her body. She let out a scream when the intense burning made its way to her brain. Her head swam and the tower disappeared from her vision.
One moment she was in the dark tower, and the next she was standing in a renewed downpour, holding the now cold sigil stone in her hands.
The sky was no longer red, now grey and bleak. Niamh let the sigil stone fall to the muddy ground. The next thing she felt was Kesh-Ra wrapping his scaly arms around her.
She didn't hear what he was saying, instead she patted his back and assured him she was alright.
The Captain and his soldiers came up to her. Matius was spellbound.
"I can't believe it's gone." He seemed to have a renewed energy to him, "We can enter the city."
Niamh nodded her head, "I need to get to the chapel, Captain."
"All in good time, my lady. The city was still rampant with demons last we saw."
"I'll need arrows then." Niamh said.
A few soldiers handed whatever spare arrows they had, as well as a dagger should she need it. Kesh-Ra held up a dull sword they had given him, determined to stand by Niamh as they entered the city.
When the gates to Kvatch finally opened once more, the group was met by an onslaught of scamps and dremora. With renewed vigor the soldiers fought through the mass. Even Kesh-Ra was alongside Niamh, keeping back the scamps that went for her as she focused her arrows on the dremora.
Once the city square was cleared, the Captain signaled for the fighters to rally in the temple.
In the chapel, Niamh and Kesh-Ra saw the remaining villagers pleading to their gods for help. When they saw the soldiers they cried and sobbed with relief.
"People of Kvatch, the square is clear and the way to the gates are open!" Captain Matius announced, "Please make your way down to the settlement where you can receive medical attention."
"Wait-" Niamh started.
She tried to look through the crowd of people that flooded the exit, thinking maybe she could spot the man who may look like the Emperor. She called his name, thinking one of them turned. But the villagers had left in such a hurry she hadn't been able to see if he responded to his own name.
She felt her temper flare, but it was snuffed when the Captain commended her for her bravery.
"Now that we're in the city we need to get to the castle and rescue the Count. I desperately need your help in this. My men are stretched thin now more than ever." He pleaded.
Niamh let out a long sigh, but she saw the look in the other soldiers and relented.
"I will help you find your count."
The Captain was visibly relieved. He turned to rally his men, and Niamh took the opportunity to speak to Kesh-Ra.
"Kesh-Ra," she started, "I need you to go down to the settlement and receive any villagers that manage to make it out."
"You'll have to do more than that to get me to leave your side. Especially with that wound in your leg. As if I didn't notice..." Kesh-Ra seemed adamant.
Niamh ignored his concern, "I don't know what we'll find out there. If I don't make it I need you to get Martin to Weynon Priory. I'll hear no objection."
"You are willing to give your life to people who have already asked too much of you." Kesh-Ra lowered his voice, "You need healing and rest. Who knows what being in a plane of Oblivion has done to your body?"
Niamh took Kesh-Ra by the shoulders, staring him down with her cat-like eyes.
"You have to trust me, Kesh…" She let go, fixing her armor, "I need you to do this for me. Remember to get Martin to the Priory, with or without me."
Kesh-Ra didn't want to stomach the thought of journeying alone with Martin, and the idea of Niamh possibly dying in the oncoming battle. But he saw the determination on her face and knew he couldn't change her mind.
"Alright." He said, his throat drying up.
"Thank you." Niamh said, walking over to meet the Captain and remaining soldiers.
Kesh-Ra watched them leave the chapel, and reluctantly he left in the opposite direction.
He found himself back at the settlement, the sounds of dying and distraught people was louder than before. Kesh-Ra set to work, using his knowledge of restoration to do what he could to ease the pains of the poor people of Kvatch. Hours had gone by and he nearly forgot why he was there when he heard a woman thanking one of the priests. His name was Martin.
Kesh-Ra left his patient once he felt he had done all he could do. Timidly he tapped on the shoulder of the priest.
"You're Brother Martin?" Kesh-Ra asked.
"I am." The priest said.
Kesh-Ra felt a wave of unease fall over him. For an odd reason, Martins eyes threw off his guard; swirls of grey, blue, and green. It was as if his eyes hadn't decided which was the dominant color, and instead were always changing.
"Can I help you?" Martin asked.
Kesh-Ra shook his head, regaining his nerve.
"I am Kesh-Ra. And. Well. My friend and I...we were sent to find you."
"Me?" Martin shifted his stance, clearly uncomfortable, "Why me? I'm just a priest."
"Oh dear…" Kesh-Ra rubbed his scaly cheeks, "I'm not very good at explaining things. Niamh would know how to say this better. She's the reason we're here anyway I told her not to go into that city. But no, she had to go into the gate and then on to the castle…"
"Your friend, she closed the gate?" Martin asked. Up until then Kesh-Ra had noticed the priest had kept a level tone of voice, but he had let on an unmistakable glimpse of excitement.
"Foolish if you ask me, a single Bosmer going into Oblivion and not knowing if she'll come back." Kesh-Ra shook his head, "But I'm rambling. As usual. Niamh says I do that when I'm nervous. Although I don't know why I am. But I must admit there's definitely something about you that's unnerving me. It is certainly something to do with your eyes...they're very much like-" Kesh-Ra stopped himself.
He took a moment to look Martin over, finding that there was an unmistakable resemblance to the late Emperor. Kesh-Ra distinctly recalled that the Emperor had the same eye color, no doubt a Septim trait.
"Kesh-Ra is it?" Martin asked, "Are you alright? I must admit I'm very confused as to why you sought me out in the first place-"
Martin was interrupted by a loud commotion. A group of soldiers were descending the hill, and at the forefront was a Bosmer woman. Kesh-Ra took a step toward her, and Martin assumed that this woman was indeed the one Kesh-Ra was rambling about.
He caught a glimpse of her before she fell into a crowd of grateful villagers, feeling something stir in the pit of his stomach.
"Niamh!" Kesh-Ra called.
The crowd broke, and Niamh limped out to meet the Argonian. Her self made tourniquet was now bled all the way through, but she kept her head high as to not give way to the pain.
"Niamh…" Kesh-Ra helped bring her over to Martin, "I'd like to introduce you-"
"Martin." Niamh stopped him. She shrugged off his attempts to help and came face to face with the priest, "You're Martin..." She eyed him.
Martin looked as if he wasn't sure what to say despite the obvious. Niamh caught his gaze and suddenly it seemed as if their bones hadn't been chilled by the rain. A unmistakable warmth grew from a flutter in their chests.
Niamh shifted her stance, seemingly trying to decipher what color his eyes were. She sucked in a rush of cold air as if to bring herself back to her senses.
Kesh-Ra cleared his throat, breaking the trance. Martin felt his feet back on solid ground, then sputtered.
"I am...And I am at a disadvantage, you seem to know more of me than I seem to know of you." Martin said.
"Kesh and I have come from Weynon Priory. Jauffre sent us to find you." Niamh explained.
"Is Jauffre alright?" concern fell over Martins face, "Is he well?"
"Jauffre is fine. It's you we have to be worried about." Kesh-Ra said.
"What?"
"You didn't tell him, Kesh?" Niamh asked, her eyes narrowed.
"Not exactly." Kesh-Ra shrugged.
"Tell me what?" Martin furrowed his brow, "I've been nothing but confused as to why you are speaking to me in the first place and how you know me."
Niamh locked eyes with his, "Martin, I know what I have to tell you seems incredulous, but I need you to trust me. We are here to take you to Weynon Priory because I have it on good authority assassins are after you at this very moment. You are the last heir to the murdered Emperor and I am to ensure your protection." she said bluntly.
Martin took a step back, ignoring the renewed chill from the rain as he took in the newfound discovery.
"I…" He began, "I don't know if I can bring myself...if this is part of a divine plan I want nothing of it. I've had a hard time understanding the gods right now. I can't. You have the wrong man. No...My father was a farmer, and I am a priest."
"You must," Niamh was adamant, "Gods or no I need you to come with us. You are Emperor Uriels heir and like it or not you are in danger because of it. Those daedra were here for you..."
"An entire city destroyed to get at me? I don't understand...why?" Martin thought for a moment, "Because...I am the Emperors son?" His face paled.
"Why would I lie to you?" Niamh asked.
Martin looked down at Niamh, seeing nothing but concern in her leaf colored eyes.
"I believe you."
"Then I need you with me. Come to Weynon Priory." Niamh said to him.
"You destroyed the Oblivion Gate, gave the people hope. And you drove the daedra back. You have done more for the people than they are sure to do for you...yes. Yes I will come. And I will hear what Jauffre has to say about this." Martin relented.
"Then we have no time to lose." Niamh said, limping her way towards the rain soaked road back to the Priory.
"You're still wounded and you need rest." Kesh-Ra followed after her, Martin not far behind.
"We need to get Martin to Jauffre before we can think about anything else, Kesh." Niamh told him.
The three were on the road for an hour before Niamh finally collapsed to the ground. Martin was the first to help her into the treeline, setting her up against the trunk of a willow. Kesh-Ra fumbled through his satchel to find healing herbs while Martin carefully unraveled the rotted cloth from Niamhs leg.
"How long has this been unattended?" He asked her, taking advantage of the rain and letting the water wash away the grime on the wound.
"Since before the gate closed." Kesh-Ra answered.
Niamh gritted her teeth as Martin tried his best to dry the hole in her leg.
"I was in that damned tower I didn't have time to look at it." Niamh shot back.
"No sense in lamenting over what could have been done about it." Martin took a salve from Kesh-Ra and steadied Niamhs leg, "We'll do what we can on the road."
Kesh-Ra held Niamh back, knowing the pain would make her thrash.
"I still suggest we make our way to Skingrad first beforehand. We can resupply from there and actually have a good nights rest." Kesh-Ra said.
"We don't have time for such things we need to get to the Priory." Niamh dug her fingers into the dirt, writhing as Martin ran the salve over her arrow wound, she eyed his hands carefully.
"Kesh-Ra is right, you cannot continue on the road with an injury like this." Martin said.
Niamh grabbed Kesh-Ra by the collar, speaking through gritted teeth, "If you have to leave me then do so, but you get Martin to Weynon Priory."
"Niamh, stop being so stubborn." Kesh-Ra insisted.
Niamh was steadying herself to prepare to stand. Kesh-Ra became exacerbated, and before Niamh could stand he reeled his arm back and punched her, screaming loudly as he did. Niamhs eyes rolled back and she fell limp.
Martin looked at Kesh-Ra in horror.
"Why did you do that?"
"We're not getting anywhere with her protesting." Kesh-Ra said.
Martin nodded, moving to finish his doctoring before throwing Niamh over his shoulder. Kesh-Ra took her weapons. The two had just set on the road when Kesh-Ra stopped and had to but his head between his knees and breathe.
"What's the matter?" Martin asked.
Kesh-Ra let out a loud groan, as if he were going to be sick to his stomach.
"She's going to kill me."