Kuroinu Dawnbreaker - A light shining in darkness: chapter 4 – A matter of perspective
A story often passed down by both High and Dark Elves to their precious children was one that told them about the existence of their once glorious civilization on the continent of Serenus many millennia ago and then the gradual downfall of their race in the centuries after that.
Elven parents and elders pass on these kinds of stories to make sure the next generation won't ever forget their once proud history and culture, and lastly, to teach them to be wary of specific races and individuals who threaten their existence in this world.
In times before the rise of human civilization on the continent of Serenus, the ancient ancestors of its elves once established a grand city named 'Myth-Etada' or 'City of the Ancestors' within the region of Eostia, in honor of their 'Ancestors Gods', or Aedra in their elven language, those who guided them to the continent and helped them build a home on this land.
A place where both High and Dark Elves called home and lived in unison, where both races would complement each other's strengths and weaknesses during times of dire need.
Both races established many thriving communities and cities around Serenus during that period, but their crowning achievement was still the city of 'Myth-Etada' located within the southern regions of Eostia.
This union was, however, broken when a small group of High Elven elites decided that they should start worshiping a goddess named Azura, also known as the 'Queen of Dawn and Dusk'. They claimed she would bring a new age of prosperity and beauty for all Elven kind on Serenus, but only if they abandoned their current worship of the Aedra and exchanged it for those who were not their ancestors, the Deadra.
But a large part of Myth-Etada's population staunchly opposed the abandonment of their faith, and when these High Elven elites tried to forcibly impose their new faith on its elven population, a riot began, which then escalated into a full-blown war within their society.
A holy war between those who wished to continue the worship of their 'Ancestor Gods' and those who wanted to follow this new goddess named Azura. A war where the faithful would face many of their kind who became heretics but also battle against the demonic creatures that these heretics would summon in battle.
This period for the elves on Serenus would be known as 'The Divergence' or 'Ciltië' in the elven language, an event that broke Myth-Etada's foundation and caused a permanent split in their elven society. After that bloody war, those supporting Azura who were not killed in battle committed suicide before they were captured. No one at that time knew what kind of dealings they had had with this 'Daedric queen'.
The surviving Dark Elves, who felt betrayed by their High Elf cousins, decided that they should forgo the worship of any of the Aedra and Daedra to find their own spirits that were worth their worship. And it did not take long before many Dark Elves would turn their attention towards the worship of the 'Earthbone spirits', specifically 'The Great Father', a titan that once walked the earth and supposedly gave birth to their race at the dawn of creation.
At that point, the Serenian Dark Elves would turn their worship towards anything that would give their race a chance to continue existing on this world, for they had seen that the Aedra and Daedra cared little about their well-being during and after the 'Divergence'.
Thus, the Dark Elves went their own way, separating themselves from their High Elven brethren to find a new place to call home in the northern part of Serenus. While the High Elves tried to restore their once-great civilization within the region of Eostia. But all that remained of the fabled city of Myth-Etada after that war was a smoking ruin with practically nothing to salvage from within, so the High Elves too abandoned Myth-Etada together with their worship of the Aedra after receiving no signs of assistance from them.
Like the Dark Elves, the High Elves on Serenus would also begin worshiping the same spiritual deities as their cousins, specifically the 'Great Mother' who according to them was responsible for their existence.
In the end, both Elven races on Serenus forgot their true origins and their legacy from many centuries past, their once proud history becoming nothing more than a fairy tale for both races on the continent. Thus, both Elven races forgot their true origins and their legacy from many centuries past, their once proud history, and their previous worship of the Aedra becoming nothing more than a fairy tale for both races on the continent.
All visible traces of their once great city were lost to time as future human settlers took parts of the city infrastructure to be used as building materials for their new settlements in the south of Eostia. Some of these settlements would then grow into large fortress cities that would protect humankind against a demonic threat coming from the north, one caused by one of their own.
Centuries after the fall of Myth-Etada, humanity began to rapidly spread around Eostia as it established new villages and cities. During their rapid expansion, the humans would sometimes come into conflict with other existing communities of elves, both High and Dark, who were in 'their way'.
These peaceful enclaves would then be threatened by these human 'invaders'', and should the Serenian elves offer some resistance, they would be met by a human army that would lay siege to their homes, demanding their surrender and subjugation.
Thus, those who were not brave or strong enough then relocated to faraway regions on Serenus in the hopes that they would find some measure of peace, without the risk of being enslaved by these human invaders. However, these elven refugees would encounter other kinds of strife with the other human nations on the continent, furthering their struggles.
For the elves on Serenus, things became even worse for them after one of them, a High Elf, began leading a nation of humans in the south, who at that time began rapidly expanding their influence all over Eostia. Both High and Dark Elves were understandingly and unpleasantly surprised after hearing that one of their own was leading these humans, a High Elf named 'Celestine Lucross'.
This 'traitor queen' was once known as a powerful and influential figure in service to her elven people many centuries after the 'Ciltië' as the head priestess in the 'Temple of the Ancients' in the High Elven enclave of Myth-Anar, or 'City of the Sun', one of the few High Elven enclaves that still worshipped the Aedra.
But a millennia ago, Celestine left Myth-Anar for unknown reasons, and several witnesses later claimed that she was seen traveling southward, towards human-occupied lands.
It's unknown why she left her elven people behind. But what is known is that Celestine was once a very compassionate and caring devotee of their 'Ancestor Gods'.
Some who knew her claimed that she received visions of the future. Or perhaps she had ambitions to civilize the human race and guide them away from their cruel nature to save her kind from their barbarity.
But the elves' initial disappointment in Celestine's actions then became one of hatred, as decades later, the humans blasphemously proclaimed her to be a 'goddess' who they claimed would protect them against those who threaten them, even if they were her own kind...
It did not end there for the Elves' struggle, as several centuries later, one of the Dark Elves, a powerful mage named Olga Discordia, declared open war on the humans, who in return banded together with the help of the traitorous High Elf Celestine, whom they now officially proclaimed to be 'their goddess' of their kingdom.
While many of the elves' enclaves would not come into direct conflict with the humans as they were distracted by Olga's forces. The actions of the 'Dark Queen' and her army of demons caused a chain reaction on Serenus that would lead their race further into extinction in these lands.
The Dark Elves especially had to endure slavery and persecution wherever they went, as they were now considered to be the 'enemy' of humankind thanks to Olga's actions. Many among the elves also feared that they would become extinct in a couple of centuries as their population decreased exponentially from this conflict combined with lower-than-usual population growth.
Their lower-than-usual birthrate could be traced to the fall of Myth-Etada, as both High and Dark Elves noticed a strange change within their society.
First, the number of male elves being born started to decline, and for the elves, who in general already had an extremely low birthrate, with fewer male elves around, it became increasingly hard to keep their population stable during these times of crisis.
Especially if a large part of their male population was killed during the 'Ciltië' and later during the elves' numerous skirmishes with the humans over all of Serenus.
It became so dire for the elven communities that many of their society's matriarchs and elite began to kidnap young male elves to be raised as 'personal concubines'. All in an attempt to safeguard their own dynasty while selfishly caring little to none about the existence of their entire species on Serenus.
While it's known that humans and elves could produce a fertile hybrid child with little to no outside assistance, these mostly female hybrid children, either conceived mutually or by force, would then often be ostracized by both elves and humans, either out of paranoia, xenophobia, or fear for the 'purity' of their race. In the case of the elves, many among them were repulsed at the thought of being 'involved' with a barbaric species that brutally suppressed and enslaved them while clinging to their 'purity'.
So, an effort was made by all elves on Serenus to find a magical or alchemical means to keep their population stable and 'pure'. But even with the assistance of magic, the chance for successful insemination was still very low, and many born this way were still female, temporarily delaying their race's slow demise on the continent.
For many years, many among the elves on Serenus could not find an explanation for this strange phenomenon; some believed this all started when their society abandoned their former 'Ancestor Gods'; like Auriel, Stendarr, Jephre, and Mara.
Others believed that this 'Daedric Queen' named Azura was responsible for the downfall of their once proud civilization on the continent of Serenus…
As night started to fall on Eostia, the Dragonborn, former knights armed with salvaged weapons, and the recently freed slaves Alicia and Celestine encountered a group of armed civilians moving towards them as they descended the temple's stairs.
"Stay your weapons," the Dragonborn told the advancing group of civilians in front of him; "there is no need for further violence." the man ended while sheathing Dawnbreaker and holding up one hand as a sign of peace.
However, a large group of angry citizens continued their march. "Like hell we will, you both are responsible for what happened here!" the apparent leader of the group exclaimed, "We are just dust for people like you to just step upon, and we are tired of it all!"
Thorson could hear Celestine's voice behind him: "P-Please, Thorson, don't hurt them; no more fighting..." the elf begged him. This additional stress was the last thing Celestine needed after what she endured and lost.
"I'll see what I can do," Thorson reassured the former queen.
The Dragonborn then focused his eyes as he contemplated his next step: "I need to de-escalate things here; I don't want to spill any more blood here."
One shout was needed for this occasion: "ZUN HAAL VIIK!"
Suddenly, all weapons from the advancing civilians seemed to just be ripped from their hands, halting their advance and leaving them disoriented by the mysterious stranger's shout.
"I said, stay your weapons!" Thorson repeated his earlier statement towards the mob, "NID KRIF!" the Dragonborn then ended his demand in the dragon language, causing a minor tremor in the area that intimidated the crowd.
All fire seemed to die out from the advancing group as they realized that they had an individual in front of them, who effortlessly disarmed them by just using his voice.
Their temporary courage suddenly melted away as they remembered what this man had done just an hour ago to Vult's men. Many of them feared for their lives again as those in the rear instinctively sought cover behind the backs of those who were in front, while a couple of older women fled with a small group of children to safety inside Ken's many alleyways.
Thorson observed the people who made up the front of this mob; many of them were middle-aged men, mixed with a few senior citizens among them. The apparent leader who earlier rallied the group stepped forward, wearing apparel that identified him as a blacksmith.
"You!" the elderly man shouted towards the Dragonborn. "Let us pass! We don't want to fight you; our business is with those traitors behind you!" the man exclaimed while pointing his finger toward both women behind Thorson. It seemed the Dragonborn's disarming shout frightened Ken's citizens, as now they were looking to placate the man in front of them.
The Knight Sergeant Aurelian, who heard this, signaled his men to step forward and form a protective circle around their former queen, while he and Alicia took their place next to the Dragonborn.
"Cease your hostilities! Your queen has been freed from Vult's enslavement!" the Knight Sergeant declared, hoping that it would be enough to pacify Ken's citizens.
However, it was not the case; centuries of war, their former queen's humiliating surrender, weeks of Black Dog terror, and now this stranger's assault on their city—it was the last drop for many of Ken's civilian population.
"You think it would be that easy!?" the blacksmith exclaimed, "Many of our sons died in that last attack! This stranger struck them down while others were killed by these dragons!"
"They died because they were weak; we Dovah showed them their true place in this world." Odahviing unexpectedly joined in: "They should have submitted themselves to our Suleyk if they wanted to live."
The Dragonborn glared at the red dragon after hearing his words. "Odahviing, enough! Let me handle this. This is a matter for us mortals…" Thorson ordered the dragon.
Odahviing obeyed his master's command, "As you wish, Dovahkiin..."
Many of Ken's citizens were disgusted after they heard what the red dragon just said to them. Many among them began to murmur among themselves, and it did not take long until it evolved into vocal protests, voicing their displeasure at their former queen and this stranger for their current predicament.
"My son died too! He was crushed by a green dragon! It's all the stranger's fault; my son was innocent! That whore queen is responsible for all our suffering!"
For Thorson, however, he could not believe what he just heard: these citizens blamed him for the deaths of their sons, innocent men they all claimed. Fear and doubt started to grip his heart at the thought that he had made a mistake in his latest assault, a mistake where innocent people could have potentially died as a result of his actions.
"How could this happen? Did I make a mistake using my Thu'um on this day? Did I kill innocents while I attacked Vult's forces? Was I careless?"
As the angry group started to get more vocal, it was not long before it evolved into a full-blown riot. Above them, the clouds started to shift again as the weather began to change rapidly, while Alicia, Aurelian, and his knights all braced themselves for a potential attack.
"No! Stop this!" Thorson heard Celestine cry out, "Don't fight, please! There is no need for all of this!"
Thorson, who heard Celestine's pleading, turned towards her and saw a shivering Celestine, whose face was now again filled with tears. Thorson balled his fists at this sight.
"Enough of this; I need to stop this now! I need to know who these innocent lives were!" Thorson declared within him; the Nord needed to know the truth about what really happened here.
But before Ken's citizens could initiate their attack, they were all stopped by a loud command coming from a powerful individual. After that, they all heard the sound of thunder coming from the skies above them.
"ENOUGH! NAHLOT!"
All was now quiet at Ken's central marketplace, as everyone was now focused on the lone figure who shouted.
The Dragonborn removed his hood, as his long black hair was now freed from its confines. "Who were your sons? Where were they when I attacked?" Thorson confronted the mob in front of him, his voice now lower than usual, leaving no room for anyone to contest it.
"My dragon allies had specific orders not to engage any civilians and to only focus on the Black Dogs and their monstrous allies," he loudly stated towards Ken's rioting citizens, "and my storm should have done the same..."
However, he received no immediate response from the group in front of him; many faces among them wore ones of deep shame as they looked away from his gaze.
"What are these people hiding? I think I know what happened here..." Thorson then realized this after some initial thought.
Seeing that he would not get the answers from them, he needed to ask his two dragon allies for confirmation on their end. "Odahviing" Thorson now suddenly addressed the red dragon.
"Did you obey my commands?" The Dragonborn demanded; his eyes were now focused on his dragon ally.
"Yes, Thuri... I followed your orders as you instructed me." Odahviing answered his master's demand while he observed him.
"I hunted all those you specified. Nau Dii Zin Ol Aan Dovah." the red dragon informed his master.
The Dragonborn then faced his left, noticing an empty spot for another of his dragon allies.
"DUR NEH VIIR!" Thorson suddenly shouted, causing another dragon to appear from a purple portal.
Ken's citizens looked shocked as another dragon appeared on the other side of the marketplace. This green one looked sickly in comparison to the red dragon they had seen today.
Seeing both dragons near them, the large group of humans became aware that they were surrounded on both sides, seemingly trapping them.
"Ahh, Qahnaarin.. You need me again?" the green undead dragon asked his master as he turned around to face him, "Thank you again for freeing me from the Soul Cairn…"
Thorson wasted no time in questioning the dragon necromancer: "Durnehviir, did you follow my commands? Did you hunt down those I demanded of you?"
Durnehviir, who seemed confused at first at the tone of his master, gave the Nord his answer: "Yes, Qahnaarin. I raised those slain by your storm and instructed them to hunt down their former allies."
The green dragon then let out a grunt, "I focused on those strange Daedric humanoids and those who fought together with them."
After staring both dragons down, Thorson felt no deception from either of them.
"So... I think I know what is going on here…" the Dragonborn concluded out loud before looking towards Ken's citizens. Many of them looked like they were caught in a trap as his low voice addressed them.
"Your sons… They were with them. Those Dogs..." the Nord narrowed his eyes in realization. The Dragonborn then drew Dawnbreaker from its sheath before he began recalling memories.
For many years, the Dragonborn had been the victim of false accusations and conspiracies wherever he traveled on Tamriel, either by those who unsuccessfully tried to bribe him for some elite's dirty work or just by being present at a 'convenient' location and time.
The latest event that Skyrim won't forget is from the city of Markarth, where he tried to investigate the murder of a young woman, a murder that Markarth's city guards seem to brush aside but one that the Dragonborn could not accept.
After the murder of a Nord man who at that time tried to assist him, the Dragonborn was confronted by several bribed city guards at the shrine of Talos, near the body of the Nord who helped him.
These guards then tried to accuse and arrest the Dragonborn of a murder that he did not commit, while Thorson desperately tried to explain the truth. But they did not listen and insisted that the Dragonborn should be arrested and thrown into the mines below the city.
In the end, after the city guard stubbornly refused to admit the truth, the Dragonborn chose to confront them.
Thorson showed all of Markarth that he was Dragonborn and that his 'voice' was the real truth, not the amount of gold and silver that corrupted the city from within.
That day, Markarth was littered with the corpses of all who opposed him: the guard, the Forsworn prisoners who tried to escape during the commotion, and those of the Silverblood family. For him, justice was done, and a corrupting stain on Skyrim was cleansed on that day.
His latest deed spread around all of Skyrim, and with no one left to argue against the word of the Dragonborn, many of its citizens would have accepted Thorson's judgment as a necessary deed.
While others would argue that all of this bloodshed could have been avoided if the Dragonborn had just faced 'justice', not that they would say that directly to his face...
Today on Eostia, he would be accused again for a crime he did not commit, as he was again used as a 'convenient' scapegoat.
"How dare they accuse me! Don't they know what their sons have done to their victims?!"
A lightning bolt then struck a tree next to him. "THEY WERE WITH THOSE BLACK DOG DEGENERATES! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF KILLING INNOCENTS! ZU'U FOD KRII PAH DO HI!" Thorson roared towards the now terrified group of civilians while the ground beneath Ken began to shake again from the Dragonborn's rage.
"THEY WERE THE ONES THAT DESERVED TO BE PUT DOWN LIKE ANIMALS! DID YOU ALL ENCOURAGE YOUR SONS TO JOIN THEM?!"
Both dragons watched as their human master shouted these mortals down; the red dragon Odahviing seemed enthusiastic as his master demoralized these foolish humans with his voice as they tried to accuse him, a mark of a Dovah in a show of dominance: "Yes Thuri! Show these Joor's that your Thu'um is true!" he encouraged the Dragonborn.
While the green dragon Durnehviir silently watched as his human master and friend became more like a Dov.
Ever since that moment, he was first summoned on this day, he wondered what could happen if the Dovahkiin continued on this dangerous path…
"MAY LORD STENDARR GRANT YOU ALL MERCY, FOR I WON'T HAVE ANY TO SPARE!"
Meanwhile, a large group of former female elven slaves entered the city of Ken under the cover of darkness, their rags and the remains of their previous clothing providing little protection against the cold night.
Both High and Dark Elves followed the Dark Elf named Elora, who managed to convince them to at least ask their liberator for assistance.
However, many of them did not seem too eager to follow the young mother and her daughter Lyra into the same city that held them, prisoner, a few hours ago, but in the end, they all knew they had nowhere left to go.
Both High and Dark Elves within the group decided that they should band together against a new world where humans now actively hunt their kind down.
And since the closest elven enclave is far within the northwest or eastern territories, it would have taken several days of travel to reach it by foot. A journey that would have taken them through lands that were now under control by the Black Dogs and their demonic allies.
So, they had no choice but to place their trust in their mysterious savior. However, after centuries of forced relocation and persecution by their human 'neighbors', many of them harbored a deep distrust of anything human, especially if they were male.
As the elven group advanced further into the city, they saw many piles of ash littering the streets near the main gate. Several of the slaves looted the weapons they found near these strange ash piles.
As they then continued further towards Ken's center, they found many corpses of Black Dog men and their demonic allies. From what the elves could determine, it looked like they were ripped apart by some savage animal.
They could hear crying from several places around them as older citizens hugged some of the human corpses while crying their hearts out, seemingly ignoring the stares they received from the elves.
"My boy, I'm so sorry..." the elven women could hear sobbing from a grieving human mother, while around them, the elves heard more families crying out. It seemed the streets of Ken would be filled with cries of loss on this night.
That was until the elves heard a familiar shout coming from the city center. After that, they felt a small tremor beneath them that caused panic among Ken's citizens.
"ENOUGH! NAHLOT!"
"I-It's him!" a young Dark Elven mother exclaimed as she recognized that voice. "He's near, sisters!" Elora addressed her elven brethren behind her as they continued their trek further into the city, toward the source of those shouts.
When they approached the marketplace that once held them captive, they heard another powerful shout: "THEY WERE WITH THOSE BLACK DOG DEGENERATES! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF KILLING INNOCENTS! ZU'U FOD KRII PAH DO HI!"
Hiding in the shadows, the elves first saw a few familiar creatures.
"Those are the dragons that helped us escape." A Dark Elf with the group said, pointing towards the two large dragons in front of them who flanked a large group of humans.
And in front of them, the Dark Elf Elora found the individual she had been looking for ever since he rescued her.
A familiar-looking figure stood in front of the once-holy 'Holy Temple." He was not glowing like before, but he wore the same clothes: gray ordained robes covered with a fur coat. The man was now hoodless, and his long black hair was now visible for all to see.
"It's really him…" the elven mother muttered, "That glowing sword and his voice..." the elf beamed out loud, not able to take her eyes off her savior as she continued to observe him intensely from a distance.
"THEY WERE THE ONES THAT DESERVED TO BE PUT DOWN LIKE ANIMALS! DID YOU ALL ENCOURAGE YOUR SONS TO JOIN THEM?!"
From that evening on, when this mysterious figure rescued her and her daughter from a life of slavery, she could not keep her mind off her savior.
Behind that intimidating figure's face lies a genuine soul; unlike other humans, he freed and healed them without hesitation. Practically no human on Eostia cared about the fate of the elves for centuries, but this one single human appeared from out of nowhere and struck down their human captors in an instant. For many of the Elves, they gave up on the hope of a brighter future.
Until now…
"MAY LORD STENDARR GRANT YOU ALL MERCY, FOR I WON'T HAVE ANY TO SPARE!"
After experiencing another tremor, A few of the High Elves recognized the name 'Stendarr' from the man's shouts, "Stendarr? One of the Aedra'?" one of them asked out loud. This new revelation caused several discussions within the group as the elves whispered to each other, wondering what this all could mean for them.
This news came hard for the High Elves among them; many of them and their ancestors abandoned the worship of the Aedra their 'Ciltië', while only a tiny part of their society still believed in them. These remaining elves that still followed the Aedra lived in seclusion in the High Elven city of Myth-Anar, in the far northeast of Eostia.
A few argued that their liberator could be a prophet of these forgotten gods, some 'vanguard of change'. While others thought that he may be one of them in a mortal body, an avatar with the sole purpose of punishing the human heretics.
The Dark Elf Elora, who heard all of this, could not wait any longer as she slowly stood up from her hiding place with her daughter Lyra.
"I'll talk to him, sisters; we need to know if he can help us," Elora announced her intentions towards her elven sisters before both mother and child slowly advanced towards their savior, and perhaps their only hope in this dark world...
The man from Tamriel held his head low moments after he threatened Ken's citizens, "The parents are also responsible for all of this." Thorson quietly concluded; his voice was still loud enough for all around him to hear this.
His voice became violent again as he focused his eyes back on the terrified mob. "YOU ALL RAISED YOUR SONS TO BE DEPRAVED ANIMALS!?" Thorson demanded an answer from the now-terrified parents in front of him.
Whatever fire Ken's rioting citizens had before they confronted the Dragonborn, it now seemed to be nonexistent after they heard the man threatening their lives with his powerful voice. Many at the rear of the group begged in an attempt to appease this powerful figure they just angered just a minute ago, while the men on the front nearly broke down from fear as they experienced the unbound voice of the Dragonborn at such close range.
The Knight Sergeant Aurelian and Alicia, who stood next to the Dragonborn when they confronted Ken's angry citizens, slowly backed away when they heard Thorson shout in rage. Both felt insignificant when they looked at the tall man, as they felt how the world around them seemed to react to the man's voice.
The clouds above Ken rapidly circled the city as the winds began to violently shift, an ominous sign of things to come.
Celestine, who was protected by her loyal knights, watched in fear as her savior began threatening her subjects after they accused the Tamrielian of murdering their children.
After hearing Thorson state that those he killed were those of the Black Dogs, she desperately tried to recall what could have happened these past weeks, but she knew little about what transpired after Vult's army threatened to invade Ken; all she could remember was the acts of depravity after Vult claimed her as his slave in her bed-chambers.
Celestine could not recall those 'missing memories' before, but she knew that those gaps in her memory could explain all of this. But now she had another issue to deal with in front of her.
The former queen was now motivated to stop possible bloodshed from happening, but to do that, she had to confront the vengeful 'Son of Auriel' in an attempt to calm him down.
The former elven queen moved past her loyal knights towards the tall Dragonborn as he continued his questioning.
"DO YOU ALL HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY IN YOUR DEFENCE?!" Thorson shouted at the group of parents while his left hand began to burn in preparation for a specific 'destruction spell'.
Celestine ignored her knights and Alicia's protests as she continued towards the angry man in front of her, determined to prevent another slaughter from happening on this night, even if it would mean she had to sacrifice her own life...
Thorson was livid, to say the least. These so-called 'parents' had the gall to blame him for slaughtering a group of rapists and slavers who were their sons. But before he could deal his brand of judgment on the terrified mob, he felt a soft hand touching his left arm, followed by a female voice.
"Please don't harm them, 'Son of Auriel'" he heard Celestine's voice as she then moved in front of him, shielding her former subjects with her own body to protect them from the Dragonborn's wrath.
A mildly surprised Dragonborn saw a tense Celestine looking straight at him; her eyes filled again with tears. "It's not their fault, Thorson!" Celestine confronted him. "They raised their children the best they could; they are not to blame for what their sons became.
"W-What?" a now stunned Dragonborn exclaimed, his voice seemingly lessening in strength when Celestine confronted him. But her interruption gave room for the more rational part of him to give another possible explanation.
"She must have known these people as their ruler." Thorson's mind immediately countered, trying to formulate other possible scenarios.
"What if Vult threatened these young men to follow him so no harm would come to their own families?" the Nord questioned himself.
That would have been a possibility, but why blame him instead of Vult for their deaths? Another cause then crossed his mind: "Perhaps it's a natural reaction of a parent after losing a child, an emotional backlash against anything that could be responsible in their eyes after such a traumatic event..." he told himself.
The Dragonborn took one look at Ken's citizens and saw the fear in their eyes as most of them were on their knees, while several among them began to cry as they begged him for mercy.
"By Stendarr's mercy, what is happening to me? Why am I so unhinged all of a sudden? Did my rage get the better of me just now?" A shocked Thorson asked himself after he saw their terrified expressions.
Celestine calmed down as she noticed the Dragonborn lowering his glowing sword and dispelling the fire spell in his other hand.
"Krosis… I'm not sure what to believe anymore." Thorson sighed in front of the High Elf; his eyes now closed in deep thought. "Why would anyone want to join them?" Thorson asked the former elven queen in front of him as he sheathed Dawnbreaker.
Celestine seemed unsure as she looked down, trying to recall memories that would explain this. But before she could answer his question, another female voice joined in. "Because humans are barbaric animals, as they have always been for centuries, my Lord..."
"Wait, who?" Thorson asked out loud before he and Celestine looked behind them; a white-haired Dark Elf and a young girl were walking towards them.
"What did she just say? Humans are animals?" Thorson wondered, "Sounds like even here, both Mer and Men have some bad history between them... Thorson mentally noted.
As both Dark Elves walked next to the petrified group of humans, the Dragonborn recognized both as the elven slaves he rescued when he first assaulted Vult's forces in Ken. "Both of you… the slaves I freed, right?" he asked the elven newcomers.
The young Dark Elf mother and her child stepped closer to the Dragonborn. Thorson saw the mother's yellow eyes staring intensely at him as if she were observing his features.
"Yes, that's right," the Dark Elf newcomer replied with a smile before stopping in front of Thorson and Celestine. The white-haired Elf momentarily glared at the High Elf before looking back at the tall man while her daughter shyly hid behind her mother.
Thorson saw the brief glare the Dark Elf gave towards Celestine before she turned her attention to him, showing him another smile. He then addressed the young mother. "Did the rest of you also manage to evacuate? Are they in good health?" Thorson asked the elven mother.
Elora seemed pleased after hearing the man's concern about the safety of her fellow elven escapees: "Yes, my Lord. They are unharmed and now within the city." The elf informed the Dragonborn.
The elven mother and her daughter then bowed in front of the Dragonborn, "Thank you for saving me and my daughter."
The Nord scratched his head after seeing both elves bowing to him. "Oh no-no... You don't have to bow or anything; I'm relieved all of you managed to escape."
"B-But please don't call me 'Lord' or anything like that. I'm not anyone's 'Lord." Thorson awkwardly informed the elf, "I'm just a healer trying to help those in need."
The Dark Elven mother softly giggled after his awkward reply. "As you wish, my 'silta sil'" she suddenly teased the black-haired Dragonborn.
Thorson's eyes slightly narrowed in confusion at the unknown language she just used, while Celestine's went wide open in shock after she heard what the Dark Elf called him.
Thorson then looked at the young child behind the elven mother. "Your slavers... D-Did they do 'something' to you or...her?" the Nord reluctantly asked the young mother.
The elf sighed, "No. "Thank the spirits that they did nothing to us," she told the Dragonborn. "Those animals wanted to sell all of us as 'untouched' slaves for their human clients..."
"Thank Mara… I'm relieved to hear that." Thorson said in relief, holding his hand over his chest as he touched Mara's amulet through his robes, "No one deserves such a fate..."
The young elven mother showed him a brief smile, and she then looked down at her daughter, who was still hiding behind her. "My dear, did you also want to thank your savior?" the elven mother softly asked her daughter while gently nudging the young child forward.
A young elven girl stepped in front of the Dragonborn and looked up while making a praying gesture with her hands. "Umm, thank you for saving me, mister." the young elf shyly thanked her savior.
Thorson could only smile at this as he then lowered himself on one knee to face the young elven girl on her level, "It was nothing... I'm glad you and your mother are safe…" he softly replied, his words earning a chuckle from her mother, who watched the scene in front of her.
Suddenly, Thorson was hugged by the elven girl, who then began to cry on the Nord's shoulders. It seemed this whole experience was too much for her young psyche.
The Dragonborn then slowly placed a hand on her back. "You are safe now," the man said, beginning to comfort the young elf. "No need to worry about those evil men; they are all gone." Thorson softly comforted the child.
"To think that many young ones like her are at the mercy of those damn Black Dogs; they will pay for the pain they caused..." the Dragonborn mentally pledged as he continued comforting the young Dark Elf.
The young girl then detached herself from the human, her eyes still wet but at least not crying anymore. "You promise to protect Mommy and me?" she asked him innocently.
Elora could only shake her head at her innocent question, but she also smiled at the sight of her savior and daughter talking to each other, seeing how the man comforted her daughter.
The Dragonborn could only chuckle softly at the young girl's question, but he knew how children like her needed some comfort and that they would be safe in the future.
"First, what is your name, young one?" Thorson first asked the young girl.
"L-Lyra, mister…" the shy Dark Elf girl replied.
Thorson bowed slightly while holding his hand over his heart. "Of course, me and my dragon companions will protect all of you," he playfully declared.
"Those evil men won't get close to Lady Lyra and her mother!" Thorson proclaimed with a hint of drama before showing the child a comforting smile.
This earned him another hug from the young elf after hearing his, "Thank you, mister! You are not a bad human!" she exclaimed as she hugged her human savior.
A group of once-rioting humans watched as their 'would-be executioner' was now comforting a young elven girl in front of their eyes. Their former queen also managed to save them by calming the tall, vengeful man as she confronted him, after which he ceased all hostilities towards them.
And now they saw the same man hugging and comforting a scared child in front of them.
This all brought up memories for many of the grieving parents within the human group. Memories from a time when their sons lived a happier life before their queen hired the Black Dogs and then saw how their sons were influenced by those degenerates.
Their world then fell even more apart after Celestine's shameful surrender on that day, when their sons began participating in excessive debauchery and joined Vult's forces as they began raping childhood friends and their neighbor's daughters...
Both Celestine and Elora could only watch in awe as their human savior comforted the elven child. For the former queen, Celestine could feel a sense of warmth inside her troubled soul as she witnessed the 'Son of Auriel' furiously defending her when he confronted Vult while also showing compassion and tenderness as a human for an elven child.
"It's like Thorson has been blessed by her Lady Mara…" Celestine thought as she continued admiring Thorson like he was a messiah figure. At that moment, Celestine momentarily forgot about her past, as her thoughts were now fully focused on the exceptional man in front of her.
While Elora's young elven heart seemed to soar as she saw her savior comforting her daughter, she and her elven sisters were all raised to dislike or hate all humans for their cruel barbarity against their kind, and now here was an exceptional human that almost threw their earlier assumptions out of the window.
A small part of the Dark Elven woman looked at the Dragonborn like he was prey for her—an exceptional individual she would like to have in her life as a partner.
"Even though he's a human, I can't help but feel something. His presence... it's like he's a predator, one I would feel safe with." the Dark Elf concluded as her eyes followed the man's every move.
A group of former knights watched from the temple's staircase as their queen managed to calm the angry man who was about to deliver his brand of judgment on Ken's citizens. Many among them wanted to follow their queen in an attempt to stop the imposing man from killing them, but she commanded them to stay put.
The truth was, all of them seemed very reluctant to intervene after they heard the man's shouts echoing around them, many among them wondering what kind of individual he was, especially when he was now comforting a young elven child just minutes after he threatened Ken's rioting citizens...
Alicia Arcturus, the former princess of the kingdom of Feoh, watched with the rest of the knights as her queen stepped in front of an angry Thorson, shielding Ken's citizens from his potential wrath with her own body. While a part of her knew that Thorson would not attack Celestine after seeing their interactions in Ken's dungeon, she was still worried about what Celestine was risking at that moment.
As she saw the Dragonborn shouting their would-be attackers down, a dark part of her wished she would confront her and Prim's tormentors the same way he was doing towards the rioting group. To see Vult and Beasly in front of her, begging for their lives as she delivered the final blow for all the pain they caused her...
However, those dark thoughts seemed to disappear momentarily as she witnessed the once-vengeful man hugging and comforting a young elven girl. Alicia's now-dark worldview seemed to become a bit brighter as she saw a more appealing side of the man.
After a minute, the Dragonborn gently removed himself from the young girl's hug. "I'll need to do some things; stay with your mother…" the Nord gently said to Lyra before standing up.
Thorson needed to at least apologize to the now-petrified civilians for threatening them. His mind then questioned why he had lost control a moment ago.
"Is my dragon blood responsible for this? I don't know, but I think... I need to talk with Paarthurnax when possible." Thorson told himself as he looked at the scared civilians in front of him.
But before Thorson could enact his next move, the Nord suddenly felt two arms around his neck and then a pair of soft lips connecting with his own.
The Dragonborn's eyes widened in surprise as someone suddenly kissed him deeply…
As night settled on Eostia, a group consisting of freed female elven slaves watched on curiously as they saw no hostile actions towards the young mother and her child when they talked to their mysterious liberator.
Many Dark Elves slowly began to leave their hiding places, eager to also meet this strange man, while a few of the High Elves were still having doubts about who this man could be, where he could come from, and what it would mean for all of them.
Is he really an avatar of the 'forgotten' Aedra? Would he help the elves with their struggles against the barbaric humans? Or is he just a man with extraordinary powers, and would he even assist them against his own 'kind'?
What the High Elves were sure of was that many of their Dark Elven sisters seemed very eager to meet this human who saved them, as they were almost drawn to him like insects to a bright lantern.
Their sister race suffered the most these past centuries after Olga Discordia declared war on the humans. And as their race seemed destined to slowly die off, the Dark Elves would cling to everything that could bring them hope in their daily struggles—a light that would guide and protect them.
When the elven group reached the marketplace, a red dragon barely acknowledged them with a growl as they passed by the giant beast. The elves then saw the 'traitor queen' who stood next to their liberator as he talked to the Dark Elven girl.
It seemed this man managed to free her from whatever held her captive. Many among the elves knew what happened to Celestine a week ago, and most among them seemed not surprised by what they heard from their slavers.
For centuries, Celestine was considered a traitor who loved humans more than her elven brethren. In the end, it looked like she chose to lie down with the worst of them as she and the Black Dog leader Vult fornicated like animals in front of her own human subjects while she shamelessly announced her surrender, dooming Eostia.
For the elves, Celestine Lucross bore the mark of eternal shame for all elven kind on Eostia.
Some elves wondered if their mysterious savior knew what Celestine had done to her kind and her human subjects. A few High Elves among them even wished that their liberator would just redirect his shouts towards Celestine, to break her and make her kneel in fear in front of her kind in judgment...
As the elven group walked past a group of scared humans, they saw their liberator slowly standing up after talking to the elven child.
But before some of them could announce themselves to the man, all of the present elves were astonished when the young elven mother, Elora suddenly lunged forward and kissed her savior on the lips.
Of the elves who were present in Ken's central plaza, all of them were flabbergasted as they witnessed the Dark Elf mother kissing their mysterious human savior.
Celestine seemed to have the largest reaction out of all the elves as she froze in place after seeing what the Dark Elf was doing with her savior. Alicia stepped up to her and attempted to calm Celestine down, but the former queen seemed to ignore her.
"W-What are you doing?! Get away from him!" Celestine yelled hysterically at the elven mother, but her cries seemed to not affect the Dark Elf as she continued her kiss.
The only elf who seemed not to mind it at all was the young elf Lyra, who seemed quite happy after witnessing her mother kissing their savior.
For the Dragonborn, this day presented more surprises for him as the Dark Elf mother was now unexpectedly kissing him in front of all present at the plaza. The air around him seemed to heat up, while Thorson felt his body warming up as he felt her soft body touching his own during her intense one-sided kiss.
Several seconds later, the elf removed herself from his as her golden eyes met Thorson's brown ones.
"W-what…" The confused Nord sputtered out, "Why did you k-kiss me...?" Thorson asked the white-haired elf.
The Dark Elf just smiled at him, still holding her arms tightly around Thorson's neck. "My thanks for everything you did today," she replied softly, "especially for what you have done for my dear Lyra."
After giving him her thanks, the elf's eyes began to moisten as fear began to creep up within her. "Is it not enough? My 'silta sil'…?" the tanned elf asked him affectionately.
The man shallowly shook his head. "You did not have to do all of this…" Thorson carefully replied before giving the elven mother a faint smile: "Just seeing you both safe is good enough for me."
The young elven mother could only smile at his modesty, to think she would encounter a human like him on this day.
"I don't have anything else to thank you with... So, this felt appropriate after what you did for both of us," she gratefully said while one of her hands began running through her savior's long black hair. "You saved us all from a fate worse than death."
Thorson couldn't find the words to respond as he closed his eyes. "I-I don't know what to say, miss..." Thorson replied, attempting to come up with something to say to the blushing elf, who now held him closely in her arms.
"Elora... Elora Lunarin." the Dark Elf named Elora introduced herself to the Nord. "Just accept my thanks, please." Elora softly pleaded with her savior.
With little time to think further, Thorson opened his eyes and stared at Elora's golden ones.
"A-Alright… I, Thorson Brightsong, accept your sincere thanks." the Nord from Tamriel gave in. This only made Elora's smile even bigger when she heard his response.
"Thorson… Brightsong huh…?" Elora repeated his name before letting out a faint giggle. "You certainly made my day a lot brighter... My 'silta sil'." she replied gleefully before winking seductively towards her savior.
Elora then kissed the man on the cheek before letting him go. "We can talk after all of this if you wish." the Dark Elf offered.
As Elora turned around towards her daughter, Thorson let out a deep breath as he felt the cold air of the night around him again. "Curse my birth sign..." was his first thought after being held so close by Elora.
But when Thorson saw both Elora and her daughter together as a family, those past moments seemed not so bad in the end. "If this made them happy after all they experienced, then I can't dislike it…" the Dragonborn admitted.
And as Thorson touched his cheek, he couldn't help but form a faint smile on his face. However, there was one little detail he needed to know.
"Umm.. question, Elora..." Thorson suddenly called out to the Dark Elf," Can I ask something?"
Hearing her savior call out to her, Elora immediately turned around, smiling towards him as her savior spoke her name for the first time.
After seeing the elf smile towards him, the Nord asked Elora his question: "What does 'silta sil' even mean?"
Elora held her hand in front of her as she began chuckling. "It means 'shining light' in our elven language... Thorson, 'Brightsong'." the Dark Elf explained before jokingly emphasizing his name.
The Dragonborn's face became warm after hearing what Elora called him in her language. The man then tried to divert his attention from her, which only earned a giggle from the young elven mother.
"And you spoke your strange language when you freed us. What did you say to us during that time?" Elora then asked in return.
The Dragonborn laughed faintly after hearing her question. "That is a long story…" Thorson answered with a smile. "We can perhaps, discuss it later?" he then asked Elora.
Elora's smile became a small smirk after hearing his request, "Yes, later…" Elora enthusiastically replied before walking back towards her daughter, who seemed to be very happy to see her mother.
A fumed Celestine could only glare at the young Dark Elf mother as she reunited with her daughter; their vision crossed momentarily, and Elora mockingly grinned towards the High Elf 'traitor' before turning her attention back to her young daughter.
Celestine was livid when he saw the Dark Elf mocking her. "How dare she disrespect the 'Son of Ariel' with her shamelessness!" she mentally exclaimed.
But before Celestine could do something she would regret; the elf felt a firm hand on her shoulder. It was Alicia who attempted to calm her down. "Celestine, please..." she began, advising her queen, "This is not worth fighting for at this time."
After hearing what her trusted friend told her, the former queen took a deep breath and slowly relaxed. "She's right. What was I thinking?" Celestine questioned herself as she tried to find out why she had such an outburst like that.
"No. It can't be that." Celestine protested as she started to realize what had just happened. "Was I jealous of her?! I-I don't like him 'that' much…" she tried to argue, but her true answer came as Celestine quickly reviewed her past.
After enduring days of constant rape at the hands of Vult, she almost lost all hope and was on the brink of accepting her new 'life' as a sex slave for the Black Dogs. While her body craved more pleasure from her captors, there was always a small rational part of her mind that felt trapped, wishing to be free again.
But as the days went by, it became increasingly harder for her rational thoughts to break through as her mind further faded away in constant pleasure. The last thing her rational part wished for was a quick death before her soul fully degraded.
This all changed when Celestine saw 'him', kneeling in front of her while he healed her broken body.
And after she saw Thorson confronting Vult with his 'Voice', her thoughts were once again filled with hope and relief. Her betraying body may have tried to argue to stay with Vult, but the commanding voice of the 'Son of Auriel' restored her rational self, breaking her captor's mental chains they forced upon her with their excessive abuse of her body.
'Son of Auriel', a title that first came to her mind as she witnessed the Nord man using the 'Thu'um' against Vult and his men. Celestine could not believe she was in the presence of such a blessed individual who wielded the godlike power of the 'Voice'.
Even millennia ago, when she was just a priestess of the Aedra in Myth-Anar, she always wished she would meet a legendary figure like the 'Dragonborn', as they were called on Tamriel, a being so closely linked to her "Ancestors Gods'.
Then it hit her: she was almost worshiping him, and he unknowingly became Celestine's only 'lifeline' after her rescue, the only individual who would aid her in her recovery and redemption.
"I'm afraid of losing him," Celestine finally understood, unconsciously hugging her own body. "I need him... I can't face my past alone…"
Author's note: Another chapter done with some world and character building, drama, and fluff mixed in. Yes, our Dragonborn will attract a lot of attention with his presence and future deeds, which is not that unusual when you have a continent filled with hopelessness and misery...
I had a chapter planned that had over 14K words, but I decided to split them up to create more 'breathing' room between chapters for myself and readers. And I kind of promised some that this chapter would explain more about Celestine's memory loss on the day of her surrender.
But I have left that part for the next chapter, where things will get tense for her as she will have to 'face the music'. (But those who know their TES quests would have a few ideas of what could have happened to her or have already figured it out. *wink*)
The next chapter will be released when it's ready, so I won't give any release dates for now (less pressure for me).
Also, many thanks to those who have reviewed so far; like always, I welcome any ideas, inspirations, or criticisms for this story.
Note 1 (04/06/2023): Edited/updated chapter 4 (removing and correcting grammatical errors without changing story elements).
Note 2 (07/06/2023): Made some corrections to the elves' backstory, like adding references to the 'Great Giants' in their religion. (In general, no 'major' change in the story)
Note 3 (01/07/2023): Added the elven word 'Ciltië' to reference the 'The Divergence' in the appropriate language for the Serenian elves.
Note 4 (06/07/2024): Made some grammatical corrections in this chapter (no change in story)
Note 5 (15/02/2024): Added some additional lore to the Serenian Elves. Specifically, the worship of the 'Earthbone' spirits to reference the 'Ehlnofey' of ES lore.