Chapter 24: Famous Heroes

She was walking in mist, red either by the sun set or by the blood at her feet. She couldn't tell. Her black hands glowed red, and fire were the walls of the hall, door-less and hot, but she didn't mind. She wanted to leave, but the air was so stifling. She didn't notice the fire forming at her feet with every step.

Something was next to her, something large. The mist was too thick to even see her knees, but something had definitely ran past her. A wind blew a bit of cool air, but it was slight, distant. And she heard a distant scream.

She ran with the force of fire propelling her feet. She stopped, dead in her tracks, and stumbled on something below the mist. She fell, and saw the face of Baurus, blank and cold, a scream engraved forever on it, dead. Fear pulsed through her; this was different than her other dream in Oblivion. She was brave and felt nothing; here, however, she felt like the little girl years ago looking for the first time at an arena fight. She stumbled backward, stopped herself from screaming, and stood up to see two figures. One was dark, his hands clasped around the other's throat. Martin tried to get the hands of the Dremora off him, choking. The Dremora was laughing, knowing her presence, squeezed harder, and she was frozen there. The future emperor was turning blue, dying, and there was nothing she could do as blood oozed out of his face except scream…

Nightshade's own scream woke her up as she bolted straight up. She was breathing hard and realized she was in Bravil, in the inn Silverhome-on-the-water. Ice, lying in a bed on the other side of the small room near a chest of drawers not exactly standing next to the wall, jolted literally out onto his feet, crying sleepily, "I got it!" Confused, he looked at her. "Did-did you just scream?"

Before she could respond, their door broke open, falling with a loud thump. Baurus, in sweats, Crow, in a gray robe, Elyon, in a nightgown, and Martin, in rather ragged clothes, all stood, ready for battle with weapons or, in Elyon and Martin's cases, ready to throw fists or spells. For a moment, they looked around, and then at her with confused faces. Baurus was the first to lower arms. "What the heck happened?"

"I-I had a nightmare."

"Ugg, again," Ice plopped back onto bed and pulled the covers over him.

"Well, I guess that's a good thing seeing as there's no one trying to kill us yet," Martin's optimism got no smiles from the tired and haggard people. They went to bed without another word.

As Nightshade slipped back into her dreams, Dalkai Laneth slowly emerged from behind the chest of drawers. Was that the future emperor, what was his name? It escaped her, and yet it suddenly caused her to be distressed. She couldn't kill this dunmer girl; she was fighting against Mehrunes Dagon. And she leapt out of the window into the muddy street below.

Bravil, amid the mud and rotten odor, seemed a rather humble city to Nightshade. Everyone was confident that the Heroes of Kvatch and the future emperor were going to save them from the Oblivion outside. However, when Martin had to explain to the proprietor he wasn't going anywhere near the gate, the proprietor looked a little downcast. "Still," he said, "it'll be something to attract tourists: 'Silverhome-on-the-Water: Where the Emperor Martin Septim stayed before the Heroes of Kvatch destroyed the Oblivion Gate.'"

When the five of them left Baurus and Martin and went to the gate, things were rather calm. There were no guards, no Daedra, just a load of fire on a ruined fort. This made Elyon frown. "I don't like the looks of this," she growled. Richu, whom had grown a little since the last time Nightshade saw her, next to her, withdrew from the leaping flames and barked.

"Well, we have no choice. Whatever we face in there, then we face it," With that, Crow went in, followed by the others.

There was no odd magic at play. In fact, the five of them were together, right in front of a gate leading to the Citadel, and were attacked on sight by five nasty-looking Dremora. These were powerful Dremora, Nightshade realized, and weren't the standard Churls and Caitiffs. They were all Kynreeves except one, a Kynmarcher Nightshade recognized as Eclixirz from Bruma. His battle armor was higher on his neck as he fought Crow. Instead of enjoying himself, like he was in Bruma, he was very keen on simply killing him. It wasn't long, though, until they were overpowered, with only one Kynreeve dead. Surrounded, Nightshade was the first to give up. She thought it odd, however, that it seemed like none of them were really trying to kill them (besides Eclixirz). And then one shot a paralyze spell on Elyon, causing her to freeze, and Ice was pinned to the floor. Richu was being held by her neck, thrashing wildly, until she bit the hand of her captor and fled. Crow was knocked out, and yet without gushing blood. "Find the wolf and kill it," Eclixirz snarled at a Kynreeve, who seemed to sneer back before following orders.

Eclixirz looked at the badly bleeding Nightshade, her leg seemed to have been hacked at several times. "Such a pity I can't kill any of you."

"What do you mean?"

"My orders are to find and imprison the intruders, not kill them," he was clearly angry at this. "but enough talk. Let's get you to the Spindle Shrine."

Inside the Spindle Shrine, they were taken to the very top, where they were bounded and defenseless next to large cogs and a switch only a meter away from Ice, who was on his knees and too frightened to notice. There was a ramp leading down, and in the center of the room was nothing to stop someone from falling to the spikes below. A cage hung just above it with the bottom open.

All they could do was watch as Eclixirz waited for "Markynaz Kylyx" to appear. The Kynreeves were irritated and serious, scowling at Eclixirz behind his back.

Finally, the Kynreeves suddenly stood to attention like statues. Eclixirz saluted as a Dremora much more muscular, with finer armor and larger simmering sword strutted up to the group. Behind him were two pale-bluish-gray figures Nightshade had never seen before. They were human-like, shirt-less, and very muscular. One had a warhammer strapped to his back while the other had an axe on his hip. They stood next to the Markynaz like prized body-guards. And the last of them was a grinning, happy Dark Elf in red robes.

"Well, here are your prisoners," Markynaz Kylyx swept a hand graciously at them, presenting them to Harrow as he nodded. "How would you like them taken care of?"

He didn't hear the Dremora's question; instead, he approached them, his smirk unwavering. "Well, well, well, look what we have here. The traitors from before. I had no idea you all were the Heroes of Kvatch until I took the initiative of following you. Pity you all couldn't work for the good of the Mythic Dawn."

"We'd rather die," Crow spat, which made a Dremora smack him on the back of his head.

"You must be the new leader now that the Camorans are gone," Elyon had a bit of blood dripping from the side of her mouth. He nodded proudly. She grinned. "I feel sorry for the Mythic Dawn."

"Why?"

"Because they have to listen to you."

The Dremora, who didn't understand what she was saying, slapped her, while Ice and Nightshade were snickering a little anxiously and Harrow sneered, "You'll be eating those words, Bosmer."

The Markynaz was growing impatient. "Stop stalling."

"How did you even get in the Mythic Dawn?" Nightshade joined in on the taunting despite the threat from the Dremora. "Did you win a raffle? Because you certainly didn't fight your way in."

"Yeah, he must've kissed a lot of asses to get in," Ice was getting light-hearted. Taunting was a specialty of his. "You can't even fight your own battles; you need Dremora to do your dirty work."

Harrow was starting to turn red with anger. "Shut up; I did not!"

They burst into nervous laughter. Kylyx frowned. "Don't listen to them—"

"I happened to kill a sacrifice to get in, just like you!" he hissed. "It was hard work, finding all those stupid books! And what appreciation did I ever get? No one ever bloody listens to me!"

"We can see why," Crow grinned.

"How dare—"

"Enough!" Markynaz Kylyx growled, breaking the cycle. "It is apparent to me that you are incompetent and unable to do your assignment." He snapped his fingers and a being next to him stepped up. "Xivilai, take the useless human up in the cage and bind him. I'm sick of hearing his annoying voice." He nodded and grabbed Harrow by his arms. He struggled and began shouting spells, but the Xivilai pinned him and a horrible cracking sound and scream reverberated through the tower. The Xivilai had successfully broken both of Harrow's arms in one swift kicking motion, and then he silenced him with a bright spell. They all watched as he threw him like a doll into the cage hanging above them, and the force of his throw closed the bottom with a click, so helpless Harrow had no means of escape.

Kylyx turned back to the prisoners with fierce calmness. "Now, I deal with you my way. Xivilai, take the girl to the Citadel."

Eclixirz's face suddenly dropped. "But, sir—"

"Don't worry," he hissed. "I won't make your mistakes. We'll teleport her to Mehrunes Dagon from there. You deal with them." He twirled on the balls of his heels. The Xivilai grabbed Nightshade and practically dragged her down the ramp with Kylyx swiftly strutting after them.

On the top of the Citadel, wounded Nightshade sat leaning against the wall on the highest floor, the fiery beam and a Sigil Stone floating only a few meters away. In the middle of the floor was an odd circular footstone with runes carved in glowing red paint. Kylyx stood, waiting for one of the Kynreeves to return using the rune. She figured it was some sort of teleporter going to the mainland of Oblivion. However, she had trouble focusing on anything because of the pain in her leg. The Markynaz refused to let her heal herself; every time she tried he ordered one of the Xivilai standing guard next to her to hit her on the back of her head.

Finally, the rune flashed red and a Kynreeve appeared. "The Lord wants the girl unharmed."

"Fine," he snapped his fingers at her. "Heal yourself, human."

"No," she snarled, defiance stretching through her despite the throbbing pain.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to die anyway."

"She's stalling, sir," the Kynreeve shook his head.

"I can see that." He flung his arm in her direction, a blue healing spell shooting out of his hands. "I should teach you some manners—"

He froze in place, his brow furrowing at something on her chest, a golden glimmer shining from the fiery beam behind him. In a blink of an eye he was in front of the bounded Dark Elf and grabbed at her necklace, pulling out the amulet; part of its chain had been showing on her neck. He analyzed the amulet, first by holding the chain above it and then by placing his hand on its back. His hand immediately began to sizzle and smoke; he quickly withdrew without even an utter of pain, with instead a slight smirk.

The Kynreeve looked a little confused as he stepped back from Kylyx. "What just happened?"

"No time to explain. Xivilai, watch the girl and make sure nothing goes wrong, if you can. Kynreeve, check on Eclixirz." He suddenly stepped on the rune and disappeared.

Nightshade watched him, hoping that the others would get themselves out. She had lots of faith in them, but after what had just happened, she wasn't sure anymore.

"Right, how should we do this?" Eclixirz thought aloud to the other Kynreeves.

"Why don't we slit their throats?"

"Aw, have you no imagination?"

As the Dremora bickered in their snake-like language Ice began to reach for one of his knives. With great difficulty he managed to grab his ice dagger and twirl it with his fingers so the blade rested on the rope. As he tried to cut himself free Elyon noticed the lever next to him but she saw that a few feet away from Crow was a switch next to a bunch of cogs. Crow closely watched the Dremora, almost like he was trying to make out what they were saying.

Eclixirz snorted something and took Ice by the collar of his robe. Seizing his opportunity, he thrust his dagger with all his might through the Kynmarcher's armor and straight into his stomach. He was immediately let go while blood spattered out, and the Dremora reeled backwards, mistaking how far the floor went, and fell to the spikes below.

"Ice, give me a knife!" Elyon shouted. The young dunmer threw his poison dagger, but it was too late. The Kynreeves were advancing, prepared to kill him, until something gray and black flew through the air and hit the back of a Kynreeve, causing him to lurch forward onto Ice's dagger, and his head hit its tip.

"Richu!" Elyon had freed herself and was now working on Crow. Ice, with still bounded feet, was trying to defend himself from two Kynreeves, while Richu ran over to her master.

After Crow's arms were free, Elyon let him cut the ropes on his legs with his claymore while she quickly went in to help Ice. Amazingly, they defeated the Kynreeves before Crow stood up.

"Right, we have no time to lose," Elyon ruffled the fur on Richu's head, "One of these switches must throw open that gate we saw when we first came in."

"What about me?"

They all turned to look at Harrow, the silence spell gone but the pain in his arms affected his voice. "Can't you save me?"

"Why should we?" Ice sneered. "You're the enemy."

"I swear, no more Mythic Dawn stuff if you save me. I'll tell you all their secrets, like how they open the gates, how they truly plan to kill the Emperor, and what they want with your friend."

"How can we trust you?"

"Look," he wheezed, "I've overheard a lot of private conversations with the Camorans. You're friend, she's an orphan, right? She has a power, this really strong power, that has something to do with Oblivion, and they were planning on letting that power free to help ruin the world, but something kept it from coming out. They didn't know what it was, or how she got it, or if it was part of her. They just knew she had it."

"And what about the Emperor?"

"Get me out and I'll tell you everything."

They looked at each other, until Crow sighed. "Fine, but how?"

"I know a levitation spell. If you can heal my arms and open the cage, I'll levitate myself out."

"Oh, no, we're not falling for that," Ice shook his head. "Right when we let you out you're going to start casting spells and try to kill us."

"No, I promise!"

"Sorry, it'll take more than that to convince us," Crow growled.

"Well, we can't just leave him here," Elyon tried defending him, but without avail as Ice still shook his head. "I say we should—"

A shriek echoed harshly into the tower. Ice had leaned on the lever, causing it to pull backwards and opening the bottom of the cage. Harrow fell several yards before he hit the spikes below and his body erupted into nothing but parts and blood.

Ice grinned nervously. "Oops."

They ran, nonstop, to the Citadel, only pausing to kill any Daedra in their way. By the time the four of them, counting Richu, reached Nightshade and killed the Xivilai, Markynaz Kylyx still hadn't returned.

"Here," Ice crouched down to untie her. "Harrow's dead."

"Yeah, something weird happened here. My amulet—"

"No time!" Elyon helped her up. "Just get the stone!"

She lunged for it right when the rune began to glow. As Oblivion fell apart around them, Kylyx was stuck between worlds, and before they were spun back to Tamriel, Nightshade saw his body deteriorate into nothingness.

"Well, that's odd."

Martin sat in a rather comfy-looking chair in the inn in Bravil as Nightshade told him and the others what had happened. He held the amulet to the light. "Hmph."

"Harrow said something about some sort of power from Oblivion," Elyon looked worried. "What if that's how she's getting it?"

"There's only one way to find out," Baurus folded his arms while standing behind Martin. "She won't wear it for a while and we'll see what happens."

"That sounds sensible," Ice was drinking something that was smoking from the bottle. "We'll go to Leywiin and, hopefully, you'll be better."

"But who's going to hold it?"

They were silent, until Crow spoke up. "I've had more experience in dark magic than any of you, so I will."

As he took the amulet from Martin, he stared at it oddly. Elyon frowned. "What is it?"

"I just thought I saw something for a moment. It must've been a trick of the light." He pocketed the amulet, and when they went to bed for the night, he found he couldn't sleep, for what he had saw troubled him more than any Daedra in Oblivion.

A Word from Haunt: Sorry this took so long. I thought this was one of the worse chapters and it was really boring for me to write. Plus, school's been a bother and it pisses me off. Oh well, I think the next one will be better to write.