Chapter 4 – Athenasia, Daedric Prince of Chaos

Time appeared to slow as Athenasia's burning amber eyes followed the spear head hurtling down onto Vulcan. Her voice screeched out, filling the air with the sound of anguish as the weapon buried itself into the Dremora's gut.

"Vulcan!" Athenasia's cry was drowned by Boethiah's menacing cackle.

The Daedra's violet eyes then snapped from the dying Dremora to her next foe. She ripped the spear from Vulcan ignoring his weak grunt of pain. The bravery drained from Athenasia like water in a basin. Her feet her rooted to the ground and she was frozen in fear. She wanted to shut her eyes, wishing Vulcan was there the hold her and tell her there was nothing to fear as she was the daughter of Molag Bal—nothing should be able to frighten her. Athenasia felt tears prick the back of her eyes which was a first for her and she felt pathetic and unworthy to be a Daedra.

"Oh how I've waited for this moment." Boethiah was revelling in the sight of her greatest rival's offspring cowering before her.

Quivering, Athenasia waited for the spear to penetrate her flesh. The wind was cold against her skin, however not a single leaf rustled. It suddenly came to her attention that the forest was deathly silent. And then, an unexpected burst of wind and blinding blue light appeared out of the air, sending Athenasia flying off her feet and landing heavily on her back. She snapped her eyes open, the water behind her lids falling down her pale cheeks.

The light resonated off the trees, illuminating them like ghostly guardians of the forest. The light disappeared as soon as it appeared, leaving behind…

"Father?" Athenasia was bewildered as the figure of Molag Bal loomed over her, his back, lined with jagged spikes, faced her.

His sharp, icy eyes were focuses furiously at Boethiah. In one hand he held his signature weapon, the Mace of Molag Bal. It glinted in the pale moonlight, the deep ebony contrasting the dark grey metal lining the edges of the points and edges. The mace faintly glowed with a hunter's green and ultramarine blue enchantment.

Athenasia flicked her eyes to Boethiah who was glaring dangerously at her father, enraged by the interference. She gripped her spear so tightly, her already pale knuckles turned whiter than snow; however, Athenasia thought she saw a hint of fear in the Daedra's eyes. For a few seconds too long the two great beings faced off, estimating the probability of a fight, adjusting their grasp on their weapons and correcting their footing, all the while never taking their vibrantly coloured eyes off each other.

And then, before Athenasia could blink, they were clashing weapons together. Their movements were so fast they blurred across the air and made Athenasia's eyes cross. They would pause only briefly to assess their next move before they went at each other again. Athenasia sat helplessly on the ground where she fell, watching in awe and fear the mighty battle before her. Her attention suddenly snapped to the figure lying silent on the ground a few feet away.

"Vulcan." She whispered and crawled over to her butler.

His eyes were lightly closed, red blood appeared black on his dark skin. His armour was cracked and smashed around his stomach, where a gaping hole stared back at her where the spear had pierced him. Athenasia's shaking hands lifted and felt gently on his morbid wound. Athenasia didn't know how to stop the bleeding. She knew nothing of healing spells, as her father didn't approve of 'weak' magic. All she could do for him was hold her hands firmly on his gut, the bloody spilling through her fingers, drenching them in dark red liquid. Even though she was about to be killed by Boethiah, that fear didn't compare to the terror and dread she felt at that moment. Her best friend lay dying beneath her and she was powerless to save him.

"Vulcan?" She murmured to him. "Please wake up."

Her hear skipped slightly as his eyes fluttered, cracking open. His pure black eyes vacantly stared at her. She was about to speak to him and reassure him that he was safe now that her father was here, but a loud cry rang out and she whipped her head around at the battle behind her. Boethiah had dropped her spear and was cradling the side of her face. Molag Bal raised his mace for a second hit but his enemy stumbled back before it could collide with her. She raised her head and glared menacingly at Molag before she snatched her spear and summoned a portal back to her realm.

Athenasia bit her lip before speaking.

"Father, we need to help—"

"You will not address me." He rumbled. "You've severely angered me with your weakness."

Athenasia lowered her gaze in shame. "F-forgive me, Father." She glanced at Vulcan, whose eyes were now closed again. "Please, Father. We need to help Vulcan."

Molag lifted his nose at her, not used to Dremoras having names. "The Dremora has shown even more weakness that you have. You will leave him here—"

"No Father please!" Athenasia pleaded. "Please! We can't leave him here!"

The air around the great Daedra seemed to shimmer as his rage rose. He lashed out towards his daughter and grasped her hair tightly and lifted her off the ground so she was level with his face. Athenasia cried out and gripped Molag's hand, her legs swinging beneath her.

His breath feather her face. "You will not interrupt me!" he hissed. "You will listen when I address you, do you hear me?"

"Y-yes, Father!" Athenasia squeaked, fighting back shameful tears. She dared not cry in front of her father. Especially not now.

He released her and let her drop to the ground heavily. She clasped a hand to her head where her hair had been pulled.

"You will leave the Dremora here to die." Molag Bal stared down at her. "He is no longer of any use to me. I will not have any weakness in my realm." He paused. "That includes you. Disappoint me again, and you will regret it." He turned and opened a portal back to Coldharbour. "Oh how you will regret it." And he was gone from the mortal world.

-oOo-

Six years passed since Vulcan was disowned by Molag Bal. Athenasia grew harsher and more merciless. She now travelled to Nirn to create chaos and great misfortunes for mortals and a new taste for blood established in her diet—thanks to her mother's genes. She especially was more ruthless when she caught two lovers together. She wasn't sure why but the feeling of love angered her. Her power grew as much as her beauty. Her features were now fully formed and symmetrically perfect. Not a single flaw was blemished on her body. Her skin was as pale as mortal clouds, her eyes as orange as burning fire, now with a developed red ring around the outside of her iris.

Her power was immensely strong as well and was now recognised by the other Daedric Princes. Amongst the mortals, she was known as the new Daedric Prince of Chaos. She was able to use an invisible force that was sharp enough to pierce the toughest steels with an easy flick of her fingers. Her destructive magic revolved around fire as amber as her emotionless eyes and as hot as her unpitying personality. She even had her own Daedric artefact. 'The Nightwalker's Pendent'. It allowed vampires to lose their fear of the sun and go out during the day, as well as keeping a portion of blood inside the pendant.

However, ever since that day, Molag Bal has banished all Dremora from his realm and refused to take any more from Sanguine or any other Prince. Athenasia grew increasingly more distant from her father too. And to spite him—although it was also because of her helplessness that day—she took it upon herself to learn healing magic in secret.

It was a usual Coldharbour night when Athenasia walked into her quarters, a large room which was inherently black and grey. Her bed—crafted from ebony, raven feathers, black bear furs and iron was atop of a short staircase made from obsidian. A dresser constructed from the same substance stood at one end of the room with a large oval shaped mirror joined on the surface with a short stool sitting in front of the furniture. Bookcases lined a corner of the room with books and other items she collected from the realm and Tamriel occupying the shelves.

Athenasia strode to the far left corner of her chambers, her long black swan feathered dress with a high collar and long sleeves trailing behind her. Her wings her retracted into her back as she learned to do over the years, as they were immensely large and got in the way easily. Her horns were adorned with crystals and opals that shone like a noble crown.

As she reached the end of the room, she pressed against a piece of wall and waited impatiently as part of the wall shifted and revealed a secret room where she could study healing magic without the fear of being caught by her father. Closing the secret door behind her she magically lit a brazier which illuminated the small room with a bright blue light. Athenasia fingered the spines of the books resting on a short bookcase situated next to a desk. She lifted a large tome and placed it carefully on the desk and began to flick through the pages. Her fingers stopped at a page that depicted a man on a table with healers around him. The healers had their hands up in the air in a worshiping stance. Above their heads were a strange symbol which looked like a triangle with several dots on the outside and inside of it. Connecting the dots was a faint green line.

The young Daedra looked down at the palm of her hand and used a sharp talon-like nail to cut a small wound into it. Red blood bulged out and ran down her hand, dripping off the edge. For a second too long, she stared at her own blood, the familiar thirst within her growing. She breathed out slowly and took a sip of blood from her pendent before focusing back on the text. She raised her other hand into the air and followed the direction of the green line on the symbol, summoning the magic within her to light the path. She looked down at her palm and the wound slowly healed, however left a soft pink scar.

"Must not have done it right." She muttered to herself, annoyed.

She licked her blood off her hand and raised her nail to try again when she heard a soft knock on the secret door. She froze and slowly turned her head to the door. It was still closed and almost impossible to see from the outside. She feared her father was on the other side. She sat as still as the gargoyle statues that guarded the castle. The knock came again and then a voice.

"Are you in there…my lady?"

Sorry for the long wait! You know how year 12 can be xD anyway please comment what Daedric Prince you would like to see in this story! Thanks! Peace!