Fractured
Felwinter's joke about normalcy had been just that; a joke. But the building Veleth's directions had led them to, a hollowed , ornamented tower carved out of a giant mushroom, was a step too far, even after what they had seen.
Lydia's eyes flicked towards Felwinter when she heard the familiar sound of his flask being opened. "Maybe we should avoid drinking until after- ''
Her thane drained half of it in one burning swallow. Then, he reached out past her to Argis with the flask. The other man accepted it without hesitation. Lydia just shook her head.
Before they left Raven Rock, Felwinter had many questions but Morvayn only had so many answers, a lot of them rumor and hearsay. What he had learned was that this Neloth of House Telvanni was a master sorcerer; one of the best, if not the best. He was equally talented at being difficult to interact with.
Even as they encouraged and warned him in equal measures, Felwinter had yet to decide if meeting Neloth was worth what little time they had. Every day, the Moot weighed more and more heavily on his head. And despite what he managed in his time back in Skyrim, little had really gotten done.
But then, he remembered their very first meeting. Before Frea, before Storn, it was Neloth who had been able to stand within inches of the Earth Stone and show no signs of being affected. Felwinter did not even remember the magic he was using to shield himself but he did recall how unburdened he was. As if his protection was as natural and permanent as Felwinter's himself. Only those who were associated with Miraak were granted immunity from his power. Regardless, Neloth knew something about the magic corrupting the All-Maker Stones. He knew something about the Black Books. If he had information and he was offering it, there was little else to be done.
So, Felwinter shook his head and tensed himself to squeeze the exhaustion seeping into his body. He looked the main tower of Tel Mithryn up and down once more before he began towards it. "Follow me," he told the others, as if they required the command. Loose sand crunched and shifted as he made his way to the stairs that would take him to the central structure, flanked on each side by smaller growths, all bearing wooden doors. Felwinter could feel the magic wafting off them from where he was standing. This Neloth wasn't fond of visitors. Less so of those uninvited.
The only sight able to draw his attention away from Tel Mithryn was the coast nearby. More specifically, the Dwemer ruin within sight of the island, half-submerged in the Sea of Ghosts. No doubt an entrance to a deeper structure. Most entrances that were visible above ground were small relative to their interior and this one, even from a distance, was nearly as tall as Tel Mithryn. Felwinter dreaded a jaunt through another Blackreach.
"You said he spoke to you when you first noticed the Earth Stone?" Argis asked, bringing up their rear, "So he was unaffected?"
"He was." Felwinter kicked a loose stone from his path. "I'm still not sure how."
"From what you've told us," Lydia said, "And what we've seen, the only people who resist Miraak's control are those already working for him."
"And the Skaal but you're not wrong," Argis added.
Felwinter could hear the real question. Was this wise? Was this safe? Unlikely but he didn't have much of a choice. When it came to risking his life, he rarely did.
The ground suddenly jolted beneath their feet, nearly bringing Felwinter down to one knee. It rocked again, before he could right himself. "What the-"
A spout of hot sand showered them from behind. From the ground stuck out an ash-white hand. Several more spouts erupted one after another and Ash Spawn dragged themselves to the surface, blades in hand, numbering nearly a dozen.
"Fuck." The ringing of drawn blades filled the air just as much as the collective groans of the burning undead. Their stumbling turned to shambling. Their shambling became a charge; an organized one. Behavior Felwinter had seen them exhibit only one other time.
The sudden buildup of energy around them caused the hairs on Felwinter's arms to stand straight. So much of it and so suddenly that when Felwinter looked down, he could see grains of sand beginning to rise off the ground and hang in the air. It wasn't hard to determine the locus; the peak of Tel Mithryn's main tower, coalescing at the tip into a spinning sphere of light.
Before Felwinter could shout a warning, it burst and a dome of magical energy swept across the ground. Felwinter quickly conjured a ward around himself and his housecarls. When the light made contact, Felwinter felt nothing and saw no signs of change. The same could not be said for the Ash Spawn. When they turned to face the monsters again, they found them frozen in place, mouths slack and the red glow in their chests pulsating rapidly.
Then, one by one, their chests began to burst, like dried corn kernels dropped into an open flame. They each fell, collapsing into piles of smoking ash.
A distant but projected voice pulled the stunned trio's attention back towards the tower and there stood the Dunmer sorcerer, exactly the same as he had been when Felwinter first stepped on Solstheim. Neloth stood at the head of the stairs that led into the main tower, hands behind his back, dark-red robes and golden sash flowing gently in the breeze. His eyes regarded Felwinter with a look of both disregard and judgement. He didn't even seem to notice the two with him. He turned his back before Felwinter had the chance to speak. "No need to concern yourselves with this mess," he said, referring to the Ash Spawn remains, "You and I have important things to discuss. Again, without waiting for a word from him, Neloth disappeared back into Tel Mithryn, the door seemingly closing itself behind him.
"I bet we fucking do," Felwinter muttered. He sent Zazikel away and resumed his trek up the path.
Felwinter paused to look around once he reached the second floor of Tel Mithryn using the stairs. Neloth had a levitation glyph placed right behind his front door, assumedly for "convenience". Felwinter found the thought of climbing stairs in heavy armor to be preferable.
The tower's exterior was an odd sight to behold and the insides of Tel Mithryn matched it in design. Rooms and their entrances had been carved out of the mushroom's tough, fibrous interior, candles dotted tables scattered around them and shifting magelights in the air gave the place a gentle but dim lighting to it.
Neloth sat at the very back of the room, behind a huge wooden desk. A magelight hung over his head, highlighting his features. He was old, even for a Dunmer. Lean with narrow shoulders and sour-faced, his gnarled but deft hands scribbled down the long sheet of parchment spread out before him.
"The invitation had been for Felwinter Drakon only." Neloth never looked up as he spoke nor did his writing slow. His tone was as sharp as an arrowhead, as if his patience had already been grounded thin.
"My apologies," Felwinter lied. If Neloth had bothered to look at him, he would have bowed as well. "You have my word I'll pay for anything they break."
He could hear the old man sniff in disdain from across the room. If it was this easy to get under his skin, Felwinter was going to get bored rather quickly. "I'm told you know something about our situation," he said before the mage could get in another word of complaint. He began to walk over to where Neloth sat, silently indicating for Lydia and Argis to stay where they were.
"I know a great deal about a great deal." He dipped the quill in a pot and kept writing. "You'll have to be more specific."
Felwinter decided he agreed so on his way to the desk, he grabbed a wooden chair by its back and loudly dragged it across the hardened chitinous floor. That, of all things, pulled Neloth's attention away from his parchment, an irritated look fixing on him. Felwinter stopped before Neloth's fancy desk and slumped right into it. He would have propped his sand-and-ash caked boots on top of it for good measure but he very quickly talked himself out of it.
"A few months ago, I arrived in Solstheim for the first time. From the minute I set down on the docks, I've been accosted by all manner of undead, strange magics with half the island already in its thrall and Daedric monsters I've never even heard of before, let alone seen, let alone fought." Felwinter looked down at his right hand. The memories of his fingers drenched in blood no longer terrorized him as they had before. "I've learned I can…do things. Things I never thought I was capable of. I've used it to free people from the Stones and find out more about the threat plaguing the island and I've learned that Solstheim is nothing but a starting point. What's happening here threatens the rest of the continent. What's happening here has a name. A name I'm sure I don't need to tell you about."
The old wizard sniffed again.
"I have a lot of questions. I've gotten a lot of answers and those have led only to even more questions but of all of them, one in particular remains a mystery." Felwinter leaned over and rested his elbows on Neloth's desk. "And that's you. You, a Mer resistant to the magic of the Stones. You, who knows about what is happening more so than anybody else on this island. Or the mainland or even me. You, who was exactly where he needed to be to encounter me at exactly the right time."
Felwinter leaned back, taking on a more relaxed posture and tone. "I'm not making accusations," he assured, "But you understand my confusion. And my apprehension."
Neloth continued to stare at him, regarding him even more coldly than before. But after a few seconds, his bearded mouth turned upwards into a wry smile. "So there is a brain working beneath that skull of yours. And here I thought we were all doomed." Neloth flicked his finger and the parchment in front of him swiftly rolled and tucked itself into a scroll.
Neloth stood. "Follow," he ordered, walking around his desk. Felwinter shared a look with his housecarls, whom Neloth refused to acknowledge as he walked past them, before standing as well. Neloth led him past tables that were covered with everything from parchment to smoking beakers to animal carcasses. They stopped before a wall, plain and unadorned in a shadowy, hidden corner.
The spell was so subtle, Felwinter hadn't even known it was there until Neloth dispelled it. With a wave of his hand, the illusion faded, revealing a dangling, circular cage, hanging over an empty darkness that Felwinter suspected fell deeper into the ground than Tel Mithryn's roots. Within, atop a pedestal, was one of Hermaeus Mora's Black Book, its dark cover drinking in what little light it was allowed.
Felwinter's nostrils flared. "Where did you get that?"
"Found it," Was all he was willing to offer. Neloth kept his head forward but his eyes swiveled to look at Felwinter. "Do you feel anything now that you're near it?"
Felwinter's hands tightened and released. He felt his jaw unclench. "No," he admitted, staring it down. This one wasn't like the others.
"And it is not reacting to you. Good. I can keep this one." Neloth flicked his hand again and the illusion of a solid wall reappeared. "Hermaeus Mora has been leading you to the others, the books he thinks you need. It seems he thinks you have no need of this one."
"But he believes you do?" Felwinter did not yet know if that made him an ally or an enemy. Maybe it wasn't so simple.
"Regardless of what he thinks, I have it now and I've used it to ascertain the location of another. I tried to retrieve that one but resistance proved to be…" He grunted slightly, "Difficult."
He walked off again, this time towards a circular window, one of the only sources of natural light in the tower. The view had them facing the Sea of Ghosts, east of Solstheim. Neloth pointed to the ruin Felwinter had seen on his way there, partially sunken. "There," he said.
Felwinter looked but not for long. Neloth knew what to say next. "The traps are difficult and well hidden but I have studied them from afar. I can get you through them."
"I can get myself through them," Felwinter retorted.
"Oh," Neloth chuckled, "Not these. Not even the masked strangers guarding the entrance will go inside. You may try; ram your head against the problem until it gives way, but are you willing to risk your life for it?"
Just to be rid of this mage, this tower and this island, Felwinter was willing to consider it. But perhaps that was only his temper getting the better of him. "You want something." He wasn't asking.
"Who doesn't?"
"Speak plain, old man," Felwinter snapped, "I don't have the time and I have even less patience."
Neloth sniffed. All he seemed to do. "Haste will get you killed," he sneered, "But if you insist, I wish to see what effect the Black Books have on you. I want to see what power they are capable of granting. You give me that, you have my help in your little war. Help, you need, otherwise you would not be here, would you?"
Felwinter reminded himself of his temper once more. Then, he said, "We have a deal. For now."
"Good. But first," he turned from Felwinter, acknowledging his housecarls for the first time, "I have business of my own to take care of. You and your bodyguards can help me, if you like. But only if you want to finish here and return to Skyrim sooner."
Chores. The Dunmer had his housecarls, great warriors, doing his chores; the only thing he considered them worthy of his notice; Argis sent to find Neloth a new steward and Lydia, a bundle of taproot. Still, Felwinter considered them the luckier ones. They got to leave.
Neloth was a lot of things. Socially inept, haughty and unbelievably arrogant but he was also one of the best magic users Felwinter had ever seen. Far beyond anything he was capable of. How he would be in a fight was another matter but as Felwinter sat on a crate against the wall, playing with a spark of flame in his hand and wishing he could throw it at something, he watched Neloth speed back and forth between different tables, running several different magical and alchemical experiments at once.
Or more accurately, they ran themselves. He left beakers he had measured floating in the air to turn themselves while he went to adjust the heat of a cauldron stirring itself or to select the bits of a finely dissected carcass he wanted preserved or disposed of. Felwinter knew he couldn't be running and maintaining so many intricate operations at once; the spells he weaved to make them all work must have been remarkably complex. In his various homes, Felwinter had crafted and inscribed runes meant to retain heat within the walls and to serve as security as well as barriers over open flames but this was far beyond anything he was capable of.
But it had the consequence of a certain overbearance, a sense of pressure that could be felt that comes as a result of too much magic wafting through the air. It felt like a laboratory, not a home. Felwinter wouldn't go that far with a place he slept, the place his family lived. Neither his mother nor even his grandfather went that far. But it seemed to suit Neloth just fine. This was a workroom he just happened to lay his head within sometimes.
Felwinter noticed the mage spending an irregular amount of time at one table, hunched over something, whispering to himself. He leaned forward. "Neloth," he called, receiving no response. "Hey, Neloth!" He let his voice ring out.
"I'm busy."
"What's that?"
"What is what?"
"That." Felwinter pointed, the tongue of flame acting as an extension of his finger, to a small, dark stone, pulsating with red. "I've seen one before. In the chest of an Ash Spawn."
"Unlikely. Spawn may hold tiny bits but it is who controls them that holds an entire piece." Neloth straightened to his full height, stretching his neck. "Like the Ashen undead who had taken over Fort Frostmoth. I'd also guess that you were never able to recover his Stone for study. You drain their energy with the damage you inflict on the host." Neloth sneered. He did that so often, Felwinter wondered if he just couldn't help himself. "You want to preserve them? Remove the stone before they die."
"But what is it?" Felwinter pushed.
"A Heart Stone. I believe them to be pieces of Red Mountain that spread across the land during its eruption. How they became imbued with the energy of Lorkhan's heart, I don't know." He bent to examine the stone further. "But I know they can be used."
"Like that spell you cast when the Ash Spawn showed."
"Among other things and before you ask, it will not help Raven Rock nor the Skaal. Besides, attacks on them have lessened. In turn, they've grown more frequent here.
"Could be because they're after the Book."
"Then, they'll have to try harder."
"You're not concerned at all about drawing Miraak's attention, huh? Do you have even the slightest idea what he is capable of? How do you intend-"
"My intentions are only your concern when I decide they are," Neloth snapped. He radiated anger and his voice echoed off the walls. He stood slightly, aiming a finger at Felwinter. "I did not summon you here for your opinions."
"'Summon me'?"
"Nor for unwarranted advice on topics you know little about." He sat back down, still staring at Felwinter with burning eyes. Nostrils flared, skin tinged purple, Neloth's sudden outburst was strange. It told Felwinter more than the Dunmer had probably intended him to find out; that there was more to his anger than basic annoyance. Much more.
Pushing that point now would serve no one and truthfully, the magic in Tel Mithryn was starting to stifle him. "I need air," Felwinter told him.
Neloth didn't bother looking up again. "Yes, go and take it." Felwinter was already leaving. "Talvas!" Neloth shouted. It was the last thing Felwinter heard before he started down the flight of stairs.
The wind was strong, whipping sand into the air. The smell of ash was worse for it but even that was preferable to being inside. Taking a stone perch further off the ground as a place to rest meant to help but it hadn't done much for him.
Felwinter had cast off his armor to relieve the strain on his body. Everything still ached from the battles of days past. He couldn't imagine Lydia or Argis were faring much better, even if he had left them to rest after they killed the Lurker.
Worse than his pain was his exhaustion. He was tired. Physically and mentally, more so than a simple night of sleep would fix. He needed…he didn't know what he needed. The Moot to settle itself, perhaps or for Miraak to return to the annals of myth he seemed to have just jumped from.
A shiver came over him, despite the dry warm air, and a wave of longing. He needed to go home.
The padding of footsteps shook Felwinter from the dark cloud of his thoughts. Beneath his perch, Felwinter sees Neloth's assistant exiting Tel Mithryn through the front door, a basket in the crook of his arm and humming slightly to himself. Felwinter was content to just let him pass but the boy just happened to look up.
He jumped at the sight of Felwinter, sitting cross-legged atop the short pillar like some sort of statue. The bundle of what Felwinter saw to be roots had to be steadied before he looked up again.
"Apologies, sir. Didn't see you…" he blinked, "Up there."
"I climbed," Felwinter said, as if that explained everything.
"Of…of course." The young Dunmer bowed his head. "Talvas Fathryon, at your service. I'm Neloth's assistant."
Felwinter remembered the name being screamed. "How's that working out for you?"
His smile faltered. "I'm…" he let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm definitely learning a lot."
"Of course."
Talvas sighed. "He's very knowledgeable. I can handle the rest of his flaws, if just for that."
A better man than me, Felwinter thought.
Talvas continued. "I'm just glad for the opportunity. I didn't expect him to take on another apprentice so quickly."
"What happened to the last one?" Felwinter was willing to bet septims that she ran away.
The light on his voice faded. "Ildari Sarothril. She died. About two weeks ago."
Felwinter sobered, at least slightly. He looked down at the young Mer. "I'm sorry. Did you know her?"
Talvas shook his head. "Never met her and Neloth refuses to answer any questions about her," he replied, "What I know, I learned from Neloth's servants. That she had been buried in that gravesite close to the coast. And that she had been helping him with an experiment, one involving Heart Stones."
"I've seen them in action. Dangerous things, those." Felwinter said.
He chuckled. "Neloth would rather me keep my distance from them and I happen to agree." He hefted the basket. "Excuse me, sir but I have to get these to the kitchen."
Felwinter nodded. "Of course. Take care of yourself."
Talvas' mood seemed to lift again at that. Felwinter watched as he continued his way down the rest of the stairs and off towards one of the smaller towers, pushing it in with his back and giving Felwinter one last nod before disappearing inside.
The easy smile Felwinter held fell into a deep, dark scowl. He slid off the pillar and dropped down. He trudged towards the side of Tel Mithryn that faced the sea, where there was a small plot of land surrounded by a stone wall. It was where Neloth had ordered his former steward buried, something Felwinter thought strange, as Dunmer usually cremated their dead. But in his boredom, Felwinter had used the Detect Dead spell to see who else it might have held.
There was no one else.
He could count out at least two mounds as he approached. He cast the spell again, just to be sure he wasn't confusing himself. He wasn't. Two mounds. One body. With one of those stones as its heart.
Guttural roars reached his ears. Felwinter turned and even from afar, he could see the white, mangled hands protruding from the sand. Neloth had mentioned an increase in attacks but a second one occurring within the span of a few hours was no coincidence.
Magic filled the air just like before, coalescing at the top of the tower. Neloth's defensive spell burst forward, sweeping across the ground towards the dozen Ash Spawn that had risen out of it. The closest one was knocked off its feet, as was the one behind it. But behind that one, the Spawn was only staggered. By the time that one had righted itself, the others were already getting to their feet.
"Damn it." Felwinter called Zazikel to his hand, his armor encasing him at the same time. He had barely made it past Tel Mithryn on his way towards the Ash Spawn when the door was thrown open.
Neloth stepped through, his eyes bulging with more anger than fear at the failure of his defenses. His eyes darted around until they came upon Felwinter. "You!" He thundered, "What did you do?!"
"I didn't do a damn thing," Felwinter shouted back, nearly forgetting the Ash Spawn in his disbelief, "Your stupid fucking spell failed."
"My spell-"
A ball of fire splashed against Tel Mithryn's wall above their heads. It took a small chunk of the mushroom's chitin and nearly showered them in burning splinters. Neloth growled but turned his attention back to the Ash Spawn. Felwinter could almost see his thoughts racing behind his eyes, trying to figure out what had happened and why.
Another blast of fire forced him out of his thoughts and turned them back on the Ash Spawn. His disgusted scowl grew even tighter. "Help or get out," he barked at Felwinter, "I'm dealing with these…things first."
Neloth's balled fists erupted in a burst of fire. Crimson-red instead of orange, the flames snaked up his arms to his elbows. He brought his hands together, cupping them and then bringing them apart, a ball of red fire growing between his palms.
"What are you doing?" Felwinter knelt and pressed his palm to the ground. Four portals opened behind them and four Storm Atronachs flowed out. "Fire won't burn-"
"My fire burns what I want it to burn." Neloth's flames condensed themselves into a small tight sphere until it was trembling with the energy packed within. Then, with what appeared to be the barest of effort, he sent it towards the enemy.
The first Ash Spawn it came into contact with evaporated, as was the one behind it. When it hit the ground at the enemy's center and detonated, the blast sent sand and stone nearly as high as Tel Mithryn's tallest tower. The sound was deafening and even as he tried to shield his eyes, Felwinter was blinded by the shockwave of sand.
The dust settled enough for them to see through. Less than a dozen of the Ash Spawn had survived the attack but they were missing arms, legs and entire halves of their bodies. Those that didn't survive were simply gone, not a cloud of smoke or patch of black on the ground to mark their passing.
Felwinter watched the scene before him with hooded eyes and a deliberately sealed mouth to shield himself from the sand. Neloth didn't, any sand that flowed his way seemed to pass around him.
Felwinter then raised his sword and said, "Go." The waiting Atronachs moved forward on his command. One of the Ash Spawn nearest them was missing both its legs, using both hands to drag itself across the sand towards them. It stopped only when it reached the first Atronach and had its head swiftly crushed. Neloth took the opportunity to turn on his heels and start heading back inside.
Or at least he would have, had not Felwinter's sword not blocked his path.
"Not…you." He held Neloth's gaze, waiting to see if he would respond to the offense. When it seemed he wouldn't, he asked, "Your last apprentice. What happened to her?"
His eyes became even more furious, even as the rest of his countenance remained neutral. "Who told you-"
"That doesn't matter," Felwinter snapped, resisting the urge to bring the tip up to his throat to speed things along. "You tried to replace her heart with one of those stones. It failed, she died, Ash Spawn started attacking your home and her grave is empty!" Felwinter was shouting now. He calmed himself, though only slightly.
Neloth's eyes widened, his nostrils flared. "You think she is alive…" His eyes flit across the ground, a mirror into how his mind must have been racing behind them.
In the span of a heartbeat, it was gone. His face returned to stone and he bore Felwinter's scrutiny with contempt; as if the gravity of the situation was of little consequence. He leaned in; Felwinter felt his sword slightly shift away as he did. "Then I suggest you go take care of her."
Neloth straightened himself out and with one last glare, stepped around Felwinter's blade. Felwinter let him, allowing him to reach his front door before speaking up. "Falx Carius." He heard the footsteps stop. "Was that you too?"
A moment of silence, punctuated by a gust of wind and the rattle of sand. Then Neloth answered, "No." before slamming the door behind him.
—
She was not difficult to find, this Ildaril Sarothril. The nearest building surrounded by Ash Spawn was where he started, a ruined, half-buried tower. Barely a mile away from Tel Mithryn. Felwinter dropped down through the hatch at the tower's center. Two Dremora followed him, the other two left on the surface to keep the Spawn busy. Ildari hadn't been undead for long so her forces were a fraction of what Carius commanded. Even then, it was clear she was no tactician.
Most of the old halls had either filled with sand or collapsed within themselves. Whatever tunnels were open had Ash Spawn running through them, inadvertently drawing Felwinter toward the center of the tower. As his Dremora cut them a path, Felwinter trailed behind, his sword hanging in his hand. His other hand was pressed to his opposing shoulder, healing an injury he had taken back in Raven Rock, agitated by current events. Every strain, every injury he had taken in the past few days were coming back to haunt him and his healing could only do so much.
He needed to go home.
When he finally reached the part of the central chamber, he paused to lean against the stone wall, catching his breath and readying himself for what was to come. Then, he sent the Dremora back to Oblivion, pushed off and trudged forward into the open, grip on his sword tight.
"Ildari?" He called out. No response. He hadn't really expected one. A wooden staircase and platform led to an upper walkway lined with weak, flickering torches. He called again. "Ildari? I know you're here. Can we talk? Please?"
His eyes were on the walkway when footsteps began to draw closer and when she reached the edge, he saw her. Just like Falx, her eyes were glowing red embers. Unlike Falx, she wore no armor, just the robes that reminded him of the temple-keepers in Raven Rock, likely what she had been buried in. Beneath the clothes, beneath her skin even, he could see a dull red glow emanating where her heart should have been. No cracks lined her face. She hadn't been dead for long but glowing vessels could still be seen running up her cheeks.
Ildari Sarothil's white hair had been tied out of her eyes, cold and piercing. When she spoke, her voice had a rasping quality to it. As if there was still dirt stuck within. "I shouldn't be surprised that Neloth would send another to do his dirty work."
Felwinter shrugged weakly. "Doing this less for him and more for others. Raven Rock in particular."
Those cold eyes narrowed. "I have no interest in that backwater. The only thing I care about is finding that old bastard and taking what I am owed!"
"For your death?" A pointless question but Felwinter would rather keep her talking.
"My body was barely cold before he threw me in the ground. Not even burned! Buried!"
She began to pace. "All I did for him, all I endured for him only to be forgotten and replaced. I would have been trapped in there forever if…" Ildari's jaw clenched to the point of trembling. Then, it softened, as did her voice. "I had goals. Plans. How, after all these years, how could that mean so little to him?" Her pacing had stopped. Her shoulders sagged. "How could I mean so little?"
"I can't say. Honest. And I'm sorry." Felwinter lowered the tip of his blade. "You won't hear it from him so hear it from me; I am sorry for what you lost."
Ildari's eyes lowered to the ground. Her jaw was trembling again but not from clenching. It stopped and her head rose. "What is your name?"
Felwinter hesitated but decided to tell the truth. "Felwinter. My name is Felwinter."
"Felwinter." She nodded. Then her face darkened again. "This is between me and him. For your kindness, I'm willing to spare you but you must stand down."
Moaning emanated from the hall he had used to reach his current position. Felwinter turned to see a trio of Ash Spawn stumbling their way. He turned back and caught her eyes, with all its anger and grief. He told her, "I can't do that."
Ildari opened her mouth as if to speak again but Felwinter didn't let her. Twisting on his feet, he conjured a swirling ball of ice and frost as quickly as he could manage and threw it at the entrance and the Spawn's feet. When he turned back, Ildari had already fled.
"Shit." He returned to the Ash Spawn, who were already pushing through his attempts to slow them. He closed the distance and shoved his blade through the open mouth of the first, deep enough to pierce through the back of its head.
A boot to the chest sent it flying away. The others used the opening to charge in. Felwinter ducked under the swipe of a weapon and sank Zazikel into the monster's thigh. His other arm flew up, the violet ward he had enchanted into the bracer manifesting just in time to stop another Spawn's mace from connecting with his head. He still had to bite back a shout. Days had barely passed between the times he had landed on that shoulder.
Pain turned to anger. He bashed away the Spawn that had hit him before ripping his sword out of the first one's leg. Before the second could stumble too far, Felwinter grabbed it by the throat, the claws in his armored fingers digging in. He threw it down onto its back, hard enough to lift its legs into the air and raked his sword across its face right after.
"Ildari!" Felwinter called, turning back towards where she had fled. He bounded up the staircase, shoving through a single back door once he reached it, opened to a dim corridor that branched out into several more.
"LAS." His Shout showed no more Ash Spawn further in. Only her.
He kept his sword up anyway. "Ildari!" He paused at each door on his way, peering inside just in case something was missed. But eventually, he reached the end, another wooden door awaiting him. Felwinter moved away from the door and pressed himself against the stone wall. He lowered his voice, though not so much that she wouldn't hear him. "Ildari-"
The door exploded in a shower of sparks and splinters. Shaking off the ringing in his ear, Felwinter brought the hand down he had used to protect his head, slowly peeking around the doorway. She was backed against a wall, no windows, no more doors. This wasn't an escape but a last stand.
"Ildari, listen. Just-" His hands came up at the same time as hers. "Just wait."
She shook her head. Her voice shook as well. "Why are you here?" she asked, "This has nothing to do with you!"
"You say Neloth is your only target but innocent people are still getting caught in the middle." Felwinter kept his hand up, palm forward, placating. "Neloth's steward. Did you know her?"
He could see it; the slight crack in the wall she had wrapped around her. "Varona? She-"
"By Ash Spawn, just a day ago," he said, "I'm sorry." Ildari turned away. Felwinter could see the bob of her throat as she seemed to swallow back a sob.
When she turned back, her eyes had dulled. "And has Neloth started searching for a new steward? Has he started trying to replace her like she did me, after decades of her life she gave him?" She stepped forward. "What did he do with the body?"
Felwinter remained silent. He didn't know why. He could have denied it. He could have lied but there was something so…wrong about defending a person like Neloth, especially to this woman. Instead, he just pleaded, "Please. Stop this now. Before more people are hurt."
A rueful smile began to grow on her dry, cracked lips. "You say that as if you would let me go."
"I would." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Neither was that a lie. Slowly, his eyes on her, he knelt to the ground and let his sword down. Symbolic, if nothing else. "I would. You wouldn't be the first." He remembered Sinding. "You're angry. You're hurt and you have every right to be. But it's not worth the lives of others. You know this."
Ildari's eyes squeezed shut. Her entire body shuddered. She shook her head.
"Leave Neloth. Leave him and I'll let you go," Felwinter said, "I swear it."
She opened her eyes and fire erupted in her palm. With an anguished scream, she sent a stream towards him. Felwinter just barely managed to jump away from the impact and scramble behind the cover of a stone pillar. He called his Zazikel back to him. Fire splashed around the stone as sent blast after blast his way.
Same as the Dragon Priest.
Just like he had before, as soon as there was a pause in the onslaught, Felwinter twisted out of cover and threw his sword towards her as hard as he could. Immediately, he focused on calling it back.
Just like before, when he pulled on the blade, it pulled on him just the same. He let it take him.
Just like before, his sword reappeared in his hand but it was not the weapon that had moved. However disorienting it was to have the world change around him in the span of a blink, Ildari was even more confused; and slower to respond. Felwinter's falling sword caught her shoulder, tearing a deep red gash, causing her to scream. Felwinter caught her other hand before it could go to her ruined shoulder and bodily, he shoved them both back until he had her pressed against the cold stone wall, arm pinned beside her head.
Despite the initial rejection, despite her attempts on his life, Felwinter couldn't help but try once more. "Let this go, Ildari," he pleaded. That was all he said. He didn't know what else to say.
The pain in her face broke through once again. She struggled against him but to no avail. Her body finally went slack. "I can't," she sobbed, shaking her hanging head, "I can't." Her other arm came up, the one Felwinter was sure he had broken. He felt the magic gathering at that point but by then, it was too late for him to jump away.
Two of her fingers pressed beneath her own throat. The magic discharged.
Felwinter's vision went black. Something searing hot, thick and wet drenched his face and sent him reeling so far that he stumbled and fell onto his back. He spat and gagged, the familiar taste of copper heavy on his tongue. Desperately, he wiped at his mouth so he could breathe, gasping for air. Only then did he wipe his eyes.
The sight of Ildari's body greeted him, slumped against a wall stained with crimson; an open empty hole where the Heart Stone once shined through and an oozing stump where her head had once been. Her blood had blinded him but not quickly enough.
Moaning and fighting the urge to heave, Felwinter rolled onto his front and climbed up to his knees. The effort alone made him sway but on trembling legs but he pushed until he was on his feet again. He began towards the exit, a limping, almost crawling pace.
A tear welled in one eye. It threatened to fall, to cut through the blood congealing on his face and keeping his features stiff. He roughly rubbed it away before it could.