Kuroinu Dawnbreaker - A light shining in darkness: chapter 5 – A hand of mercy
The Divine Stendarr, the Aedric god of 'Mercy, Justice, Righteous Rule, and Compassion', is a god most frequently worshiped by Imperials, heads of states, and priests. while healers in service to him are tasked to heal both believers and non-believers, also known as 'heretics'. And for the ordinary citizen, they knew Stendarr as the Divine that gifted mortals with the ability to heal while, in return, asking them to care for their fellow people in their time of need.
For the elves of Tamriel, he's less popular to be worshipped in comparison to the races of Men. For many among the radical High Elves, Stendarr is better known as the 'Apologist of Men", and worship of him is frowned upon in their society.
While in High Rock and Hammerfell, he is a very popular deity for the Redguard's and especially the Bretons. These men with elven ancestry created many knightly orders in Stendarr's name in their province of High Rock, and the Crusaders of these orders were then tasked with seeking out threats to their society and protecting their temples against outside threats.
In 'most' Imperial courts, it is customary for all parties to swear upon Stendarr that they will tell nothing but the truth during a proceeding.
For Stendarr is well known to punish those who break such oaths with his brand of curses, and while he may be known as the 'God of Mercy', history has shown that he punishes his followers harshly when they mistreat the weak.
Once in the Third Era, a Redguard knight in service to Stendarr named Casimir was cursed with a debilitating disease after he killed a beggar in Stendarr's temple. This curse made his body weary as time passed until he died from exhaustion.
And it did not end there, as Stendarr's curse was also passed on to his direct descendants; they too would feel its effects as they continued to age until they faced the same fate as their forefathers.
It took the sacrifice of another individual to break this debilitating curse.
Just before the end of the Third Era, a man who was already known as the 'Hero of Kvatch' and the 'Champion of Cyrodiil' would give the cursed family their respite. This extraordinary individual at that time volunteered to help Casimir's distant descendant Kellen by carrying his family's curse instead.
It's unknown what happened to the 'Hero of Kvatch' after this act of sacrifice, but his last whereabouts placed him many years later on an island in the middle of the Niben Bay in Cyrodiil, wearing eccentric clothes and wielding a strange staff before he mysteriously disappeared from Nirn's history...
Thorson looked around him after his brief 'experience' with the Dark Elf woman Elora and noticed the almost desolate state of the city after his latest assault.
"I can't leave these people behind after what all happened here," he told himself while touching Mara's amulet through his robes.
"If more communities suffer the same fate as what happened here, then I can't turn my back on those who suffer at the hands of those barbarians at this very moment."
"I need to help them; Divines guide me." Thorson finally decided before calling the remaining knights and Aurelian to him; his experiences as an Imperial Legate were once again needed.
"We need to secure and defend this city from potential counterattacks!" he first addressed the men around him.
The Dragonborn then turned his attention to both his dragon allies.
"Odahviing, guard the main gate; we need to minimize any unexpected attacks on this night!" Thorson commanded the red dragon before turning towards the green Dovah on the other side of the marketplace.
"Durnehviir, patrol the skies above this city as long as you can manifest yourself on Nirn, check for any potential attempts to breach this city's walls, and deal with those that threaten the city by any means!"
Both dragons acknowledged Dovahkiin's command before they flew into the dark sky. Thorson then turned back to the former knights who had gathered around him.
"I know it may seem premature to ask this after what you all had to endure while imprisoned; some of you may be hungry or tired, but it seems time is not on our side," he said to the knights around him.
"With my recent arrival, it seemed I had inadvertently caused things to escalate, putting your city in immediate danger from the Black Dogs and their allies," Thorson explained.
A faint laugh then came from the tall Nord. "And while I may have crippled Vult... and given him some nice 'burns' as a souvenir..." Thorson began jokingly, earning several chuckles from the knights.
"Vult swore that he would make me pay for his humiliation before that coward teleported away." Thorson ended. The man from Tamriel then placed a hand over his chest as his voice suddenly increased in volume, surprising the knights and those around the plaza.
"By my honor as Dragonborn, I, Thorson 'Stormcrown', 'Dragon of the North' and follower of the Aedra, swear that I'll help defend this city from these barbarians!" Thorson proudly swore before all present.
This earned the full attention of the knights; their morale rose to new heights, and many among them still had a bone to pick with the Black Dogs for humiliating their 'goddess' and enslaving the female population of Eostia.
Thorson then drew Dawnbreaker from its sheath, pointing the golden blade towards the cloudy sky above them as its light illuminated the now dark plaza, "And you all, will you join me in defending your homes?! And in liberating your nation from these Black Dog barbarians?!" he asked the men around him.
Cheers immediately erupted as the knights felt energized by the Dragonborn's declaration; they all felt renewed and motivated hearing this from their liberator.
His declaration also echoed around the many streets of the fortress city, as many of Ken's citizens also heard the Dragonborn. His commanding, but hopeful speech brought some much-needed light into the now-dark city of Ken.
Outside Ken's city walls, another group of individuals dressed in dark apparel also heard the Dragonborn rallying cry as they hid in the shadows.
"You also heard what he just said?" a male voice within the mysterious group asked his comrades.
"Yes…" a female voice responded. "That voice mentioned the Aedra; it can't be..." she said, her voice not even attempting to hide her surprise.
"Who are these 'Aedra', one of your elven gods?" another man in the group asked his elven companion.
"It's a long story, but according to the stories that have been passed down, they used to be our ancestor gods," the elf replied.
"And now that one of their followers is here—this Thorson, a 'Dragonborn'?" the female elf repeated the name and title she just heard: "Could he be their champion?"
Suddenly, they heard the roar of beasts around them as a giant red dragon took position right in front of the main gate while another was flying around the city.
"We can talk about this later, but it looks like Ken has been liberated by this 'Dragonborn' individual." the apparent leader of the group announced. "Klaus needs to hear about this…" he informed his party before turning towards the female elf. "Can your Dark Elven magic conceal us?" he asked her.
"Yeah," the Dark Elf quickly responded as she started casting a spell that caused the party to disappear in a cloak of darkness that blended almost flawlessly with the dark environment around them.
Above them, the green dragon Durnehviir observed the group as they tried to sneak away from the city, unaware that the Dov had already seen them through the magic they used to conceal themselves.
"They don't look like the humans or creatures that we fought in the city." Durnehviir thought as he observed the group below him.
Durnehviir then flew right above the 'concealed group' and hovered in place as he spoke to them in a low, threatening voice.
"This place is under the control of the Qahnaarin, the 'Dragonborn'. Tell your masters that all Black Dogs within have been vanquished." Durnehviir informed the group that now stood still in shock after hearing the dragon speak to them.
"Be warned; should you attack the city, then the Dragonborn's wrath will come down on you all."
After the green dragon threatened the party and flew away, they began to hastily retreat from the city's perimeter.
"Klaus definitely wants to hear about this!" the leader exclaimed before he and his party rapidly retreated to the west, "Fall back to the rendezvous point, and we ride out immediately!"
Lowering Dawnbreaker, Thorson addressed the now-motivated knights. "Aurelian, we need to momentarily seal the city from outside threats and any possible infiltration attempts." The Nord instructed the Knight Sergeant.
"You know the city and your men better than me; have some of them armed up and lock down any gate, drawbridge, sewer grates, or any other entryway to prevent unwanted access for those mercenaries!" Thorson ordered before looking up in the sky as Durnehviir flew in circles above the city.
"My dragon allies, Durnehviir and Odahviing, will assist you in defending the city should we get some 'visitors' during the night."
Aurelian saluted the Dragonborn after hearing his request. "It will be done, sir!" the knight acknowledged before the Eostian man addressed his men.
"Sven, have your group secure the armory; we should be able to find some gear within that we can still use." he addressed a blonde man who saluted the Knight Sergeant.
"Victus, your group will salvage the weapons of the dead and secure all the dungeons in the city, in case more of our men are still imprisoned," he ordered another knight.
Aurelian then turned to two other men. "Olaf, have your squads secure any access points into the city like the Dragonborn suggested," he told one of the men in the group.
"Rolf, there are two sewer grates leading outside the city that I know of that need to be sealed; block access to them by any means necessary," he ordered another of his men.
Aurelian then looked around him, staring at each of his men's faces, "You have your orders. Move out!" the man ordered his men, who immediately went to work doing their assigned tasks.
Thorson then addressed the remaining knights. "The rest of you; many of Ken's citizens need to be informed on what the current situation in their city is; we can't afford an outbreak of panic among the population," the Nord instructed the remaining knights before his face turned serious.
"I also witnessed many of Ken's female population being violated by Vult's men when I infiltrated the city," Thorson informed the knights, who shook their heads when they heard this news.
"Find these victims and return them to their families. They need at least to be with those they trust," he advised the knights, ", but should some need urgent help, and you can't find a healer nearby, bring them here so I can quickly stabilize them."
The tall man's face then turned sour. "But sadly, I expect some of them to have no family to return to," he said to the knights.
"If that is the case, try finding some suitable accommodations for them; they can't be left alone in their vulnerable state." the Dragonborn instructed the knights. "I fear that all of them will have a difficult road to travel towards their recovery."
"I'll need all the help I can get; I can't do this all by myself…" Thorson confessed to himself, realizing the magnitude of the challenge he would face.
"I can help a dozen, but thousands of victims? And those outside this city? Mara, guide me…." He offered a quick prayer to the Divine, grasping her amulet beneath his gray arch-mage robes.
The Dragonborn then sheathed Dawnbreaker as he continued, "I'll do what I can, but we will need outside help for the kind of trauma these poor women suffered." Thorson admitted this before looking at the knights around him.
"But for now, let's do our best with what we have! You men will play an important part in their recovery now!" Thorson informed the remaining knights.
"It's important that these victims feel safe again and have someone trustworthy to talk to. At this time, we all need to be their light in the dark!" he finished advising Ken's remaining knights, who cheered in acknowledgment.
"Any further questions?" A steadfast Aurelian then addressed his men after listening to the Dragonborn, "No? Go to it! Assist our people!" he ordered them before hundreds of determined knights, who then formed small groups and scattered all around the city of Ken.
"Good speech, sir." Thorson heard Aurelian compliment him, "Not bad for a 'healer'..."
Thorson could only chuckle at that: "Thanks... It's not the first time I had to motivate soldiers," the Dragonborn admitted.
"A few years ago, I once commanded hundreds of soldiers as a Legate, a prominent rank within the Imperial Legion," he informed the Eostian man of his military past. "Even in the darkest times, having someone to look up to who will also protect them can work miracles for the most desperate of individuals..."
Aurelian nodded after hearing this, and the Eostian then looked around before sharing his current thoughts while all of his men were occupied with their new task.
"We need more manpower to hold this city…" Aurelian discretely informed the Dragonborn, "And we will be severely outnumbered if we have to face all of Vult's forces and their monstrous allies should they attack us in full force..."
Thorson let out a low chuckle after hearing the Eostian. "Let them 'all' come...", the Nord responded grimly. "If they won't surrender, then all of them will meet their end by my 'Voice'." The Nord stated confidently, "I swear it on my title as the 'Dragonborn'.
"But…" Thorson sighed loudly. "I'll see what help I can muster up from my homeland of Skyrim and the provinces of Tamriel." the Nord said to the Eostian knight. "You are all not alone in this. I'll make sure of that…"
The Eostian knight nodded after hearing this. "I don't know the names you mentioned, but that seems to be a story for another time…" he told the Dragonborn before turning his attention to the temple behind them.
"I should help my men find out more about the fate of our female colleagues... And it seems you have another issue to deal with," Aurelian said while pointing toward the group of scared civilians at the heart of the plaza. After this, Aurelian and a couple of knights walked back into the temple.
The Dragonborn then looked towards the large group of former elven slaves who were now watching him from a distance, including the Dark Elf Elora, who waved at him while showing a smile, "Maybe some of them can help us; we are all together in this after all…"
As the knights went to work, the Dragonborn walked towards Ken's pacified citizens in an attempt to make peace with them. But the man was interrupted by a group of tanned elves; similar to Elora, who immediately bowed in front of him.
"Wait, L-Lord Dragonborn... w-we were wondering about…" one of the elves addressed him hesitantly.
Thorson immediately interrupted the Dark Elf as he held up one hand, "Please, don't call me 'Lord'. I do not need such a title…" the Nord interrupted the Dark Elf girl.
"But, please forgive me... I need to first correct a grave mistake I made just a moment ago," he explained to them as he continued towards Ken's citizens, whom he had previously threatened.
Both Elora and Lyra watched how their savior rallied Ken's knights with his speech; the Dark Elven mother was especially enraptured by the man as he swore to help these people with absolute conviction.
And while her High Elven sisters looked skeptical at the man's intentions, she and her Dark Elven sisters were looking at him in awe…
After he gave his speech to the human knights, they began to spread out in the city. The elves then noticed the 'traitor' Celestine, standing in front of the temple stairs, accompanied by only a single human female.
Sensing an opportunity, the former elven slaves slowly advanced toward Eostia's former queen. Many among them felt the need to confront the traitor elf for her past actions, while Elora and her daughter stayed behind to continue watching their savior as he now talked to a group of scared humans.
As he approached Ken's citizens, Thorson noticed that a large part of them had managed to partially recover from his earlier death threats, and whatever happened in these past moments seemed to have calmed them down.
However, many of them still stared at him nervously as he approached them. To their surprise, the Dragonborn brought himself down on one knee as he addressed the petrified crowd.
"I'm sorry for threatening you all... and I was wrong to blame you all so quickly..." Thorson apologized sincerely, covering his heart with one hand.
"No..." he heard from one of the civilians, turning his attention towards its source, and he saw the same blacksmith who confronted him earlier. "W-we… no… I should not have blamed you," the blacksmith admitted to the Nord man.
"M-My son, Arno... A year ago, when he first began hanging around the Black Dogs, I felt he began to change when we had dinner together." the blacksmith began confessing.
"H-he became more… hostile towards me and his sick mother...And I tried so hard to dissuade him from seeing those mercenaries…"
After the blacksmith told his story, Thorson could hear more people acknowledging similar experiences.
"Me too… My Christoph was such a gentle boy, "he heard an older woman telling her story, "but these last months, he became more impatient and violent towards me and my daughter as he kept drinking with those men." the woman somberly told her part.
"It's those damn Black Dogs; they influenced our children for years!" they heard another man shouting out. "It all began when our so-called leaders hired those men during the 'Great War'! I knew they were bad news when I first saw them with my son at the tavern!"
Another family then shared their experiences: "We could not stop our sons when they joined the Black Dogs after our surrender." a father confessed as his wife also joined in.
"I could not believe my eyes when they… raped our neighbor's daughters!" the woman yelled.
"Peter and Olaf were such good friends with Alice and Samantha since they were children! Why did they do such a thing!?" the woman cried out before her husband wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder.
"T-They became so unhinged after they joined Vult's group, we even had to hide our young daughter from her own brothers…" the father finished before tightly hugging his crying wife.
"And we could not do anything against these mercenaries; they were vital to the war." another parent joined in. "I once tried to confront my son's 'drinking buddy', Sall. But I was quickly surrounded by his Black Dog's 'friends'. I-I couldn't stop them."
"Damnit, it sounds like they were indoctrinated," Thorson concluded. "That would explain why they joined them while their parents could only watch their own children being slowly tainted by those animals.
"But... Celestine, our so-called 'goddess', is also to blame for all of this," the blacksmith informed the Dragonborn. "Her decision to hire them and her shameless surrender a week ago!"
"Celestine? 'Goddess'? Did she pose as a deity to these people?" Thorson asked himself after hearing this new information.
"Yes, that and seeing their 'goddess' willingly being defiled by Vult as she declared the birth of his new empire." another family joined in the conversation: "Our boys just lost their faith in her and accepted their new role in Vult's new empire…"
This new information visibly shocked the Dragonborn, "Wait… willingly? By Dibella, Celestine was part of all of this?!"
Another mother then joined in: "And after that whore willingly offered herself to our sons in public, they could not resist the temptation to..." she told everyone before being interrupted by a deep, threatening voice.
Above the city of Ken, the sound of thunder could be heard. "Tell me everything you have seen on that day…" Thorson interrupted the parents, his voice lower than usual.
"What. Did that she. Do?"
While Thorson listened to Ken's parents, another event took place behind him as the former elven slaves confronted Celestine, the elven 'traitor'. Alicia took her place next to her former queen to protect her should things get out of hand.
However, the shouting from the elves would attract more attention from Ken's citizens as more of them entered the central plaza after hearing it was safe again.
"You deserve what you got!" A High Elf woman shouted at Celestine, "Your 'people' invaded our lands, and all you had to say for yourself is that it isn't your fault?!"
"That is not true!" the former queen fired back. "I never wanted them to lay claims on our lands!"
"You are not 'our' people!" another High Elf retorted, "Are you not their so-called 'goddess'? Could you just not demand them to stop?!"
Celestine furiously shook her head. "It's not that easy!" the former queen argued. "Not everyone listens to me; there are always those who follow their own path and with the war..."
"Oh, that's convenient," the High Elf woman responded. "Makes it easier for your conscience, huh?"
"Yes, and now you've become a 'whore queen' as the humans here call you now!" A Dark Elf joined in, "Fitting, you should submit yourself to a human in the end since you love them so much!"
"Especially the leader of the Black Dogs, whose men captured and enslaved our people for years during the 'Great War'!" a High Elf yelled out. "Did it feel good to submit yourself to him? To be defiled by his human seed?!"
"No! I rather die than involve myself with him!" Celestine cried back, her eyes starting to form tears again as she tried to defend herself: "I never wanted to become his slave!"
Alicia felt the need to step in, "That's enough! She suffered a lot during her enslavement! She already freed herself from him; there is no need for this!" she yelled towards Celestine's accusers while taking her place in front of her former queen.
"Silence human!" A High Elf shouted at the blonde human, "You don't have a say in elven matters! And besides, I heard you also betrayed your people to these Black Dog barbarians!"
"How dare you!" Alicia yelled towards her accusers in return, "You have no idea what those animals did to me and my family! I was betrayed by those I once called friends and all the indignities I had to endure while being with those disgusting dogs!"
Alicia's conscious constantly reminded her of what she had to endure and sacrifice in an attempt to save her only closest family member, even at the cost of her soldiers and people: "I-I only wanted to save my cousin from those disgusting beasts!"
While Alicia zealously tried to defend her past actions, the clouds above Ken began to darken, signaling the coming of rain…
"At the cost of your citizens and soldiers!" a new voice suddenly called her out.
While both disgraced women tried to defend themselves against the accusations that came from the elves, they both did not notice that they were slowly surrounded by a large crowd of Ken's citizens who had just arrived at the central plaza.
"My son died defending 'Lady Prim' at Ur!" A senior man called out after hearing both women trying to defend themselves, "I heard you were with those Black Dog filth when they assaulted the city! You collaborated with them!"
Alicia's memories of her past actions then began to wear the former princess down: "No-no! T-That is not true! Those dogs! They-they…" she defended herself before her tone turned meek: "I only wanted to..."
"Perhaps Alicia fell for one of those mercenaries, willing to please her new masters!" an older human woman's voice venomously interrupted her. "So much so that she's willing to betray her people, including my son, to those brutes! The only remaining member of the Arcturus family is just some royal whore!" she cried out as her older husband held her in his arms.
Alicia, who previously managed to steel herself after her rescue, also began to waver from these accusations and the memories linked to those events; she could not find the words to defend herself as she started to shake from the pressure.
The older man then turned his attention towards his former 'goddess', "And you! You sold us all out while you happily let Vult have his way with you in front of us!" he yelled towards the fallen queen. "So much for the so-called 'Shield Alliance' defending their people!"
After the man's statement, more and more citizens began to vocally show their displeasure and hatred towards both women: "Those whores sold us all out! No wonder they let those mercenaries have their way during the 'Great War'! Corrupting our children!"
"No-no-no!" the former elven queen cried out. "That is not true! Th-They did something to me… I-I…" Celestine stammered as she tried to defend herself again before being interrupted by a low-sounding and commanding voice.
"Then, what do you know? Celestine Lucross…"
Celestine's world began to shatter as she recognized that voice. Looking to her side, she saw the tall figure of Thorson, who just stared at her, and behind the Dragonborn now stood the same group of citizens that he just threatened a moment ago.
Seemingly sensing the conflict to come, the clouds above Ken began to release their contents as rain started to fall on the dark city below.
Celestine Lucross, the former queen of Eostia, fallen 'goddess' and now proclaimed Vult's whore by her subjects and members of her species, collapsed on her knees on the now wet floor as the rain continued to pour on her.
The former queen's face filled again with tears as Celestine hysterically cried out her innocence towards her human and elven accusers while a nervous Alicia tried to protect her former queen.
"S-Stand back! Don't even try to hurt her!" the young woman warned meekly against those who threatened her and Celestine.
"No... NO!" Celestine cried out as she kept hearing the same accusations around her: "I'm innocent! I-I can't remember doing those horrible things!"
Celestine desperately looked at the 'Son of Auriel', her eyes begging him for a way out of this, but she got no response from him as he just observed her.
"P-Please! Help me, T-Thorson!" Celestine desperately called out to her only hope in her now troubled life, "H-help me! I-I can't take this anymore!" the fallen elf begged him while holding out one hand towards him.
The Dragonborn watched with pain in his heart at the High Elf's current predicament, her eyes begging him for salvation.
"Celestine's sudden change of personality and motivation on that day..." the Dragonborn began to put all that he knew of Celestine together in his mind.
"And those missing memories of hers—she could either be lying by hiding them or she's telling the truth all this time." The Nord thought before closing his eyes, attempting to assemble a clear picture of what happened a week ago.
"Something is not right here…" Thorson concluded after he reviewed every piece of information he gathered on this day, "Why would someone like her degrade herself in front of her people as a form of surrender?" he asked himself after learning the past events from Ken's citizens.
From what he heard; they told him that their queen was first staunchly opposed against Vult's men as they conquered the surrounding regions a month ago.
While others claimed that Celestine just cared about her own selfish desires and willingly surrendered herself to be Vult's 'plaything'…
"Celestine, ruler of Eostia for many centuries, who this morning begged him in a vision to rescue her. A vision from the Divines themselves..." Thorson's mind began showing him a clearer picture of the elf after examining all the pieces of evidence: "Celestine then denounced Vult's hold on her after I rescued her."
"And then she was also willing to sacrifice herself to protect her people, who hated her when I threatened them on this very marketplace. All of this did not create a picture of someone who would just selfishly throw it all away for just some carnal pleasure…" he finally concluded.
This all seemed familiar to the Dragonborn, as his instincts warned him that this felt all wrong.
He then took an amulet from his satchel and offered a prayer to the one Divine that would help him: "Come to me, Stendarr, for I don't trust myself to know what is right and wrong... Please guide me in revealing the truth in all of this." the Dragonborn humbly prayed towards the Divine of Mercy and Righteous Might...
As rain continued to fall on the city of Ken, the Dark Elven mother Elora watched from a distance as a large crowd persecuted the former elven queen. At first, she and her elven sisters agreed that the elven traitor Celestine deserved to be tried and punished for her past actions against her own kind.
And while her other elven sisters seemed to enjoy seeing Celestine's former human subjects rebel against her, Elora could not help but feel pity for the former High Elf queen, who was now suffering greatly from this.
And while her fledgling feelings towards the human were genuine, Elora could not help but torment Celestine by making her jealous just a moment ago.
But after seeing Celestine's current predicament, Elora almost starts regretting doing it for the sake of making her jealous. However, she did not regret doing it for her own sake, as she remembered feeling happy and content after Thorson acknowledged her gratitude and also being close to him as she held him around his neck.
But now she could not bear watching this any longer as the former queen, Celestine, quickly broke down and desperately cried out her innocence. It was already hard for the young elven mother to distract her young child from seeing and hearing it, but she and Lyra could not ignore the cries that came from the High Elven traitor.
She instinctively looked towards her savior as he watched the fallen queen from behind the crowd of humans and elves. Elora wondered what he was doing or thinking at this moment, but the man did the unexpected and took a necklace from one of his pouches and began to pray.
The Dark Elf then saw the strange amulet in Thorson's hands suddenly shine brightly, and a few of the elves and humans near the Nord healer also noticed this, wondering what this all could mean...
Thorson opened his eyes and also noticed the glowing amulet in his hands. "I understand, Lord Stendarr, guide me…" the man said out loud.
"LOK VAH KOOR!" the Dragonborn suddenly shouted to the heavens, causing everyone to stop their persecution of the former queen as the weather began to clear up. The rain clouds made way for a beautiful orange aurora in the night sky, it's color similar to that of the large full moon of 'Masser', also known as 'Mara's Tear'.
"This 'witch hunt' has gone long enough, and it won't help any of you! There is something wrong here, especially if we are potentially dealing with powerful forces like the Daedra, so... STAND DOWN!" he ordered all present.
The man's voice caused a tremor beneath them, and at that moment, a now stunned crowd saw that their liberator now held a necklace in his left hand that had a glowing silver horn attached to it.
"Let the Divine Stendarr judge her." Thorson proposed to Ken's civilian population, "We will find the truth of Celestine's past actions..."
Many among the crowd began to ask their liberator who these 'Daedra' were, while some complained why he was defending the 'traitor queen'.
But Thorson ignored them and walked unopposed past the large crowd towards the blonde knight protecting the fallen elf. "Let me manage this," the Nord said towards Alicia, who was standing in front of the collapsed Celestine. "I'll find the truth."
"W-What will you do… to her, Thorson?" Alicia asked him nervously.
The Dragonborn looked at Alicia's blue eyes; his expression turned serious as he spoke to the female knight: "I will help her remember, Alicia. And Lord Stendarr will guide me." the Nord explained his intentions to the blonde girl, showing her the glowing amulet.
"You too will have to explain your past actions to me after I'm done with Celestine," he said to Alicia, almost sounding like he threatened the blonde knight before he softened his face. "They don't know what condition you were in when I found you in that prison; a supposed collaborator would have gotten better 'treatment' than what you had to endure in there."
Thorson then removed the scabbard that held Dawnbreaker and handed it to the blonde knight. "And while you did confess doing something regrettable in the past..." he informed her.
"I, however, would like to hear your side of the story when this is all over," Thorson said to the blonde knight. "But for now, take Dawnbreaker here and protect us." the man then ordered the former 'Shield Princess' before turning his attention to the collapsed blonde elf.
"Celestine... There's still some information that needs to be uncovered from her missing memories."
Alicia was stunned when he handed her the scabbard containing his glowing sword, and she carefully touched the grip with her one hand.
The young woman then swore she could feel another presence from the sword itself: "I-I will... B-But Thorson..." Alicia began stammering as she addressed the Nord.
"The Black Dogs must have done something to Celestine on that day! S-She would never have s-submitted herself to that man; I-I refuse to believe that!" Alicia exclaimed with renewed fire in her eyes, "I'll protect both of you, but please… don't hurt her…" Alicia pleaded with the tall Dragonborn.
The Dragonborn looked towards Alicia after hearing this: "Don't worry, I won't hurt her…" the Nord reassured the blonde 'Shield Princess' with a small smile before kneeling in front of the crying elf, "My instincts tell me your queen became an unwilling victim by a powerful force…"
Thorson's explanation left the former female knight with more questions, as the Dragonborn then turned his head towards the group that harassed Celestine. "Do not interfere." Thorson simply warned all present with those three words.
After hearing those words, no one in the crowd seemed to offer any resistance to his demand as he walked toward the fallen form of Celestine.
The tall man gently picked up the crying Celestine in his arms and carried her up the temple's stairs while casting a powerful calming spell on her.
As the Dragonborn carried Celestine up the stairs, Alicia drew Dawnbreaker from its scabbard, illuminating the surrounding area with its radiating light that made the crowd's eyes go wide.
After momentarily admiring the blade she held in her hands, Alicia then took a defensive position in front of the temple stairs, her stance once again showing renewed confidence as she stared down her harassers while holding Dawnbreaker tightly in her right hand.
"Thank you for trusting me, Thorson..." were Alicia's last thoughts before focusing on her new task.
Celestine, who had now calmed down after enduring another traumatic experience, looked at the Dragonborn, who still held her in his arms.
"T-Thorson? What…?" Celestine exclaimed in surprise as she felt her savior's strong arms while he carried her up the temple's stairs.
As the pair finished ascending the stairs, Thorson looked at the elf in his arms. "Celestine, are you familiar with the Aedra, Stendarr?' the Nord asked her before helping her to her feet.
"S-Stendarr? Y-yes…" Celestine nervously answered, "W-Why?" she asked in return, her face showing some visible hesitance at facing the ancient gods she had forsaken in the past.
"Stendarr wants to help me find the truth in this mess…" he informed her, showing her an amulet that had a glowing silver horn attached to it. "I prayed for his assistance, and he granted my request for aid."
Celestine's eyes went wide after hearing this: "And since I can't trust my judgment after what happened before," Thorson solemnly admitted as he remembered his death threats towards Ken's citizens, "I needed some help determining the truth from the lies..."
"Why? What can be done now?" Celestine asked him as her hands started to shake, "Everyone claimed they saw me doing those horrible acts on that day…"
"Maybe I'm just some elven whore after all, and I don't want to admit it…" Celestine then finished with a defeated tone.
But then Celestine felt two hands touching her shoulders. "No, I refuse to believe that." Thorson immediately protested, his eyes now staring at her own. "Do you truly believe that you are innocent and that you never wanted all of this?" he asked the High Elf.
Celestine's expression was one of surprise when she heard him, but she could not help but feel warm inside at Thorson's drive to help her.
"Yes… I truly believe that I'm innocent... I would rather die than degrade myself in such a way…" Celestine answered confidently, "I'll do whatever needs to be done to prove my innocence!"
"Do you swear it on Stendarr?" The Dragonborn then asked Celestine, presenting his glowing amulet to the High Elf, "Do you swear that you will say nothing but the truth? Would you accept Stendarr's punishment if you lied?"
"Yes!" Celestine immediately replied before touching the amulet in his hands with her fingers, "I-I swear I'll tell the truth! Everything to prove my innocence!"
"That is good to hear..." Thorson told himself, his thoughts now filled with some optimism for the elf in front of him, "Swearing on Stendarr's name is a first, big step…"
Seemingly satisfied by this, the Dragonborn slowly attached Stendarr's necklace around Celestine's neck while he informed her what he was about to do: "I'll be constantly casting a powerful calming spell that should help you clear your mind of any emotional distractions.
That way, you would be able to recall past events more clearly." Thorson continued his explanation: "Remember, every single detail could be an important clue that could help you... understand?" he asked the former queen for confirmation.
"I do, Thorson," Celestine replied, hoping dearly that his plan would work. "Thank you…" the former queen then sincerely thanked the man from the bottom of her troubled heart.
"Thank me after this is over…" Thorson said in return before he gently held Celestine's head with both his hands, "Alright, this spell won't hurt you." the Dragonborn informed her just as the man started casting his spell on the elf.
As Celestine felt the calming effects of his spell on her mind, she closed her eyes as she basked in this new sensation. "Ahhh, this feeling... I've almost forgotten how it felt, to be at peace..."
Thorson looked at Celestine's face and then at the glowing amulet around her neck. Sensing her readiness, the Nord began his questioning.
"That day, what was the first thing you remembered after that memory loss?"
Celestine seemed hesitant to answer that, but after one look at Thorson's face, who stared at her in anticipation, the elf told him the truth: "I was in my bed chambers... with Vult... violating me..." she stammered out.
"That...is not a great start…" Thorson's mind responded after hearing the elf. The Nord then momentarily closed his eyes, thinking about what to ask her next.
"What were your first thoughts at the start of that 'particular' memory?" Thorson questioned her again, as his eyes were now focused again on the elf.
Celestine closed her eyes. "I-I was shocked at first... and after that..." the former queen stammered before her tone became one of sadness and shame.
Celestine began crying, "I succumbed to my bodily desires... as he continued to rape me over and over again..." she then confessed.
The Dragonborn's eyes widened when he heard Celestine's response. "That is not good at all…"
Thorson then refocused on what her first thoughts were at that time: "She was surprised just after that gap in her memory? That's strange..." Thorson thought as he then looked at Stendarr's amulet, which still shined brightly around her neck.
"She's telling the truth, and it looks like she did not enjoy that memory at all…" Thorson concluded as he noticed her tears flowing from her eyes once again.
"I'm sorry for this, but I need you to remember another detail from that moment in time." Thorson hesitantly informed her, "Could you remember what time of day it was? Could you see if It were still day or night at that time?" he asked Celestine.
After a minute, Celestine opened her eyes, "It was already night... I could see the twin moons from my chamber's windows…" she told the Nord.
"So, it was already nighttime?" Thorson repeated Celestine's statement, after which she gave the Nord an affirmative nod in return.
A sigh from the Dragonborn could then be heard: "Alright... let's try helping you remember the events before that," the Nord announced before looking into Celestine's eyes.
"Are you ready to continue?" Thorson then asked the fallen queen.
Celestine slowly nodded in response. "Yes, please..." she quickly replied, relieved not to recall those awful memories again.
She closed her eyes again, trying to recall the memories she had before her memory loss. "It was early in the morning, and I was alone in my chambers." Celestine told Thorson, "I just woke up, and a few of my maids have already brought breakfast."
Thorson's mind flared up hearing this: "So, we have a potential gap in her memories between the morning and the night of that particular day…" he told himself.
"There was nothing unusual about your breakfast; nothing stood out?" Thorson continued to question the elf, "Did you feel strange at that time, perhaps?"
The former queen shallowly shook her head and replied, "No, it was my usual breakfast, but I do remember feeling tired and drained though…"
"From what I've heard from Ken's citizens, Vult's forces at that time began conquering the nation after their betrayal, and by what she just told me, her mind or body were already starting to get weary from all of this…"
"What were your thoughts at that time? You and your people were now in conflict with Vult's mercenary forces, right?" Thorson asked his next question, observing Stendarr's amulet in anticipation of Celestine's answer.
"I was worried... Some of my 'Shield Princesses' and their fortress cities were already captured by Vult's forces at that time…" Celestine solemnly recalled, "I was determined to fight for their freedom and join my knights and soldiers in their battle, but I was also nervous..." Celestine admitted. "I never expected to see myself on the front lines to defend my city..."
"No change in the amulet; that's good…" Thorson felt relieved after glancing at the glowing amulet around Celestine's neck. "So, she woke up, ready to face the Black Dogs on that day... No thoughts about surrendering…" he repeated her statement.
"Ready to fight on the front lines with her troops, even when she was not ready for it. Foolish, but admirable…"
"However, this does not explain those gaps in her memory…" Thorson's mind reminded him before he continued questioning Celestine, "Did someone visit you that time, or were you alone in your room?"
"I-I remember a man entering my chambers escorted by a few of my royal guards," Celestine recalled, her face now showing some strain as the elf's mindscape became hazier after recalling that particular memory.
The Nord continued channeling his calming spell on the elf in front of him. "And did you know his man?" Thorson asked Celestine, "Was he a regular visitor?" he continued, trying to nudge her memory to recall more details.
Celestine's wet face grimaced as she tried to remember more details. Her memories then showed her the image of a black-haired man wearing black robes that had a golden rose as an emblem. "I-I think I know him from somewhere…" Celestine managed to recall.
"Yes, he's a well-known... brewer? No wait... he's an artisan…? Ah, I remember it now!" Celestine then exclaimed. "It was Sall, 'The Rose Keeper! He and his family of artisans often visit the elite of Eostia to promote their luxury goods for many generations."
"An unusual visitor for sure, especially when your city is in immediate danger..." Thorson thought, but after seeing no change in Stendarr's amulet, he continued his questioning: "So this 'Sall', he came for a social visit?"
"I'm not sure..." Celestine said, "I was having my breakfast, and before I was about to drink several potions to refill my magic power, he came in unexpectedly."
"So, she was eating, and when this 'Sall' individual came in her room..." Thorson commented before resuming, "Try to remember why this Sall visited you; what did he want with you?"
"Hmm, I-I think... yes, he came to help me…" Celestine recalled. "Sall said that he saw me being under a lot of pressure... Thus, h-he offered me one of his many quality drinks to help me relax."
"Now that is unusual; I would not drink something offered by a visitor just before a siege…" The Dragonborn told himself as he now began to have a bad feeling about this.
"This drink, what was it?" Thorson then asked Celestine as he continued channeling his spell, "Was it something unusual?"
Celestine grunted slightly as she tried to remember, but her mindscape became even darker the farther she tried to remember: "Wine... some kind of wine I've never drank before... the label had a red rose on it..." she remembered, "the label showed... 'Rosethorn Wine'."
"Especially anything alcoholic..." Thorson added before looking at Celestine's neck, seeing Stendarr's shining amulet. "Did you drink something this man offered?" The Nord then asked Celestine, "Or did you keep it aside for later?"
"I remember him saying that I need to loosen up and that I need to relax more," the elf recalled. "Then something about the war taking too long... that such stress can kill me..."
Celestine then continued, "Sall then poured his wine in a crystal glass... and offered it to me."
"So, he offered you his drink," Thorson repeated Celestine's last words. "Did this wine look strange in any way?"
Celestine started to shiver as she tried to remember that detail: "N-no... It looked normal; it smelled pleasant before I took a sip from it…"
"So, she did drink it... I would have not done that before a battle…" Thorson's mind commented. "You remembered anything else after that?" The Dragonborn then asked her, "Did you feel anything unusual after drinking it?"
"I remember drinking the entire glass in one go, and after that..." Celestine managed to recall before her voice cut off. "No, nothing… I did not feel anything unusual after that..." the elf informed the Nord.
Celestine then tried to recall more details, but the elf felt that she was entering a fogged area within her mind, one that prevented her from remembering anything past her last memory. "It's all darkness in my mind... But I do remember hearing a few of Sall's words while I continued drinking."
Stendarr's amulet continued to shine, and Thorson was now getting nervous; this all seemed very familiar to him. "What can you remember? What did he say?" Thorson asked Celestine more slowly.
Celestine was now deep in thought as her eyes closed again, her face grimacing as the elf concentrated. "I heard him saying something about going to a place... w-where 'wine flows like water' and where I can find release for my stress and feel more fulfilled if I'm willing…"
"Wait, what?" Thorson's thoughts called out as he looked at Stendarr's amulet around Celestine's neck for confirmation.
"A place where 'wine flows like water'? Wait, where did I hear that line before?" the Nord asked himself, as that particular sentence seemed familiar to him.
"I-I'm sorry, Thorson, I can't recall anything past that …" Celestine then said in a defeated manner.
"Did I pass out or fall asleep or something?" the fallen queen then asked her savior, who meanwhile was starting to struggle as his own Magicka reserves were depleting at a rapid pace while maintaining his spell.
"That I can't say..." Thorson replied, "However, I think I heard that phrase he spoke off from somewhere: 'where wine flows like water.'"
Surprised, the elf looked at the Nord, "You do?" Celestine asked in return. "T-That can be a coincidence."
The Nord from Tamriel nodded. "Indeed, and it was on Tamriel of all places..." Thorson admitted this as he tried to recall his past memories.
"Where did I hear that before?" the Nord thought out loud, "It was in the city of Whiterun in Skyrim... at the Bannered..." Thorson recalled before he interrupted himself abruptly.
"No, that can't be!" the Dragonborn's mind screamed out at the sudden realization.
"T-Thorson? What is wrong?" Celestine looked worried as the Dragonborn just froze in place, his eyes now wide open.
"This man... 'Sall', what was his full name?" Thorson slowly asked her, his brown eyes now staring intensely at Celestine's green ones.
"It's important, Celestine; try to remember..."
The High Elf gave Thorson the most important piece of evidence he needed. "His full name was... 'Sall Guevenne'." Celestine replied.
Stendarr's amulet showed no change after Celestine said her visitor's full name.
"By the Divines, No... No, not 'him'!" his mind exclaimed in horror. "This all made sense if 'he' is involved in all of this—all the excess, the debauchery, the gap in her recent memories... Thorson mentally exclaimed just as his magic spell was suddenly dispelled.
The Nord was now exhausted from being drained of all his Magicka, while at the same time, he was also horrified at what he just heard from Celestine.
"What has 'he' done now?! Is all of this one of his so-called 'pranks'?!"
The calming effect rapidly disappeared from Celestine's mind as she started to grow more anxious. "T-Thorson? What is wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Celestine asked him.
The Dragonborn now realized the nature of Celestine's lost memories, for he too once experienced the same thing several years ago on Skyrim, another memory he wished he could just forget.
"Damn him, this is no 'prank' on the same level as what happened to me! His actions completely humiliated and broke this poor soul while forcing her to become a sex slave against her will! At the mercy of those animals!"
As Thorson did not seem to respond to Celestine's questions, fear then began to grip the elf's heart again.
"Please! You have to believe me!" Celestine suddenly cried out to him. "That's all I remember! PLEASE!" the fallen queen screeched while desperately holding on to the Dragonborn, who remained silent and unresponsive. "Y-You have to b-believe me!"
All hope seemed to have disappeared from the blonde elf, as she did not hear a thing from the Dragonborn. The fallen queen felt she had nowhere to go now as she began crying heavily on the Nord robes she held tightly.
"It's all over... I don't want to live anymore… Even the Aedra have abandoned me…" Celestine knew that this was a sign that she was not needed anymore in this world.
Before Celestine could even think further about ending her 'pitiful life' on Nirn, she suddenly felt a hand on the back of her head, followed by the words her broken soul had waited for so long.
"I believe you, Celestine... I won't abandon you." Thorson spoke the words that brought the fallen queen much-needed peace for her now broken soul: "I always believed in you..." The man continued to comfort Celestine.
Celestine immediately looked at Thorson, their eyes meeting once again. "W-what?" the High Elf hesitantly asked the Nord, not fully believing what she just heard.
"It's not your fault, Celestine... I believe you. Stendarr believes you too." Thorson softly repeated his previous statement. "You are not to blame for this... A Daedric prince influenced your actions on that day."
"D-Daedric… P-Prince?" Celestine repeated the man's words with much worry behind her voice. This revelation did not offer any comfort to the elf, as she realized that her mind and body were manipulated by another powerful entity on that "faithful day'.
"H-How do you k-know all of t-this?" Celestine then asked as she stared intensely at Thorson's almost stone-like face.
"Because…" Thorson began, his soul now feeling heavier than usual: "I experienced the same thing a few years ago... I, too, had no control over my actions for a day."
The Dragonborn then looked towards the sky before he resumed, "And I also had no memories of what happened after I woke up. But as I tried to piece everything together, I found out that I unconsciously did some terrible things during that time.
A heavy sigh then followed as he looked towards Celestine. "I-I almost ended up... violating an innocent girl in the city of Markarth." The Nord confessed with a heavy heart as his own eyes started to moisten after recalling that terrible memory. "All after drinking a 'special brew' from a man named 'Sam Guevenne' at the Banner Mare inn in my homeland of Skyrim..."
Stendarr's amulet around Celestine's neck suddenly started to shine more brightly, and she was suddenly engulfed in an aura of light. The Dragonborn remained calm at this since he too experienced the same thing in Skyrim after enduring the same kind of 'experience' several years ago.
The Divine Stendarr was now restoring Celestine's missing memories that had been clouded by a Daedric prince the Dragonborn was 'very' familiar with.
He quickly reviewed all the pieces of evidence he now had in front of him, "'He' must be working with some of the Black Dogs to corrupt this nation and change it into his personal 'fun house' on Nirn." Thorson concluded.
The Dragonborn then recalled the moment he entered Celestine's and Alicia's prison cell on this day. "And that perfume-like smell in that prison cell—I remember it now! It's the same thing I smelled in the ruins of Morvunskar years ago!" The Nord then remembered fighting those Daedric worshippers in Skyrim a couple of years ago.
"It's some kind of aphrodisiac, possibly made by 'him' or his followers... Something to entice these poor girls to give in to their bodily urges..."
Thorson continued putting all the pieces together in his mind: "Celestine also mentioned that Sall's so-called 'family' had been active on Eostia for centuries." Thorson recalled her earlier testimony.
"What other kinds of products did that cursed prince 'promote' to this nation's citizens all this time? Whatever they are, his actions corrupted this nation from within for many generations…"
Ken's citizens and the freed Elves witnessed their liberator questioning the now disgraced elven queen on top of the temple's stairs. While they were unable to hear what came from both individuals, it looked like this whole experience was too much for the former queen, as she was now tightly holding the man's clothes as she cried again.
After seeing the man comforting Celestine, many among the crowd could not believe what they just saw as several voices of discontent could be heard from within: "Don't tell me he believes that traitor's lies!" a High Elf woman exclaimed, while a human father also vocally shared his opinion.
"She's just faking it all; why is she even crying? She seemed quite content when she surrendered to those Black Dogs!"
Suddenly, all their complaints ceased as they witnessed a white light engulfing the former queen. All that came from both groups were the many gasps as they witnessed something extraordinary that night.
Alicia, who could vaguely overhear both Celestine and Thorson, still held her ground in front of the temple's stairs, and when she saw a bright light radiating from behind her, she hoped that this meant good news for Celestine.
"I hope Thorson can understand the mistakes I made in the past." Alicia told herself before briefly closing her eyes in thought, "If I could turn back time, I would have never done those things…"
Meanwhile, a few paces away from the rioting group, Elora watched from a distance as their savior comforted the High Elf on top of the temple's stairs while her daughter watched the golden aurora above the city before also turning her attention to the glowing form of Celestine.
This time Elora began to feel jealous at the sight of both individuals being so close to each other, but she instinctively could not help but feel relieved that Celestine found some measure of comfort in the hands of her savior…
After a minute, the light engulfing the former queen disappeared, and in its place stood a confused Celestine. Stendarr's amulet around her neck shone no longer. "W-What happened?" she asked the Dragonborn after looking at the amulet around her neck.
Celestine's body then suddenly began to shiver as the former queen was now able to recall those missing memories: "No... wha-... W-what did Sall do to me?!" the High Elf exclaimed as both her hands were now on her head as she started to remember what she had done a week ago.
Celestine remembered Sall talking to her after she drank his whole bottle of wine: "You should let those Black Dog boys in; they can give you the pleasure your body craves after all the stress you had to endure for centuries." Sall told her while he stood behind her.
The man then suddenly groped her chest through her thin, translucent clothes. "Forget your subjects and friends and give in to your own needs... This is your chance to lose your millennia-old virginity," the man whispered while rubbing one of her nipples, causing her body to shiver in response. "This is what your body wants; give in to that dark desire!"
"What did that 'man' do to me?!" Celestine could only watch in horror as her 'other self' let herself get molested by Sall. "Why did I not struggle or resist him?! Why?!"
After a minute of him touching her erogenous places, her 'other self' began to moan. The man laughed sinisterly at that and disappeared through a purple portal, leaving the elf behind in her chambers. Then, like Celestine, who was controlled like a puppet, her 'other self' began touching her crotch in that room.
Celestine's rational thoughts felt betrayed. "No, my body. What happened to me?" the elf's mind cried out, unable to accept what it was seeing.
Celestine then witnessed her 'other self' conversing with her military advisors, who in turn were shocked after hearing their queen announce Ken's surrender. Many of her knights left the room in protest after hearing her nonsense. "No, what have I done?!" a now dismayed Celestine screamed in response.
Later that day, on this very spot, she saw Vult and his men entering the city unopposed. Her rational self could then not believe what it saw from that point forward as Vult and his men gathered at the temple's entrance. First, her 'other self' began to undress in front of her own people without showing any shame.
"No! H-how could I do such a thing….?" Celestine cried out just as she remembered how Vult then took her virginity and raped her while her 'other self' moaned out loud. And it did not end there, as she also shamelessly 'offered herself' to Ken's young male population like a whore, further tainting her already troubled soul after seeing that memory...
"NO!, WHY?!" she screeched on that cold night as Celestine could not bear this anymore and quickly wrapped her arms around the Dragonborn's waist, "W-why?!" Celestine screamed as she buried herself further in Thorson's chest, as the elf now felt trapped in her own dirtied and tainted body. "W-why did I do s-such things?! I-I..."
"You were drugged by his 'Sall Guevenne', but in reality, it was the 'Daedric prince of Debauchery in disguise, 'Sanguine'" the Dragonborn informed her.
"Whatever you drank on that day caused your rational self to lose control over your own body, making it easier for others to influence you while also shrouding your memories..."
After the Dragonborn explained everything to the now-traumatized elf, Thorson could hear Celestine crying again.
"Let it all out, Celestine; I won't abandon you." Thorson comforted the crying elf as he tenderly stroked her hair while at the same time having a hard time holding back his own tears. "It's not your fault..." Thorson softly reassured the fallen queen.
Thorson could only watch as the blonde elf in his arms emotionally broke down: "Celestine... Poor girl... Forced to watch 'yourself' doing such terrible things against your own will, feeling trapped in your own body and unable to do anything against it," he pitied the former queen.
"I wish I could just make those dreadful memories disappear for her…"
The fallen queen could only mutter a single sentence before sobbing again: "H-Hold me, please..." Celestine softly begged the Nord.
"D-Don't l-leave me…" Celestine continued to plead before crying her heart out on the chest of the Dragonborn, her shining beacon in this now dark world: "I-I n-need you now... please..."
"I'm here for you, Celestine... And the Divines will also be with you." Thorson comforted the crying elf, embracing her, "You are not to blame for what happened on that day; don't forget it."
Stendarr, the Divine of Mercy and Judgement, granted mercy on Celestine's soul on that night as both Mer and Man tightly held on to each other, both victims of the same Daedric prince's 'prank'.
"Dur Hi, Sanguine" The Dragonborn cursed the Daedric prince of Debauchery in the dragon language for both their sufferings.
The winds on Eostia shifted again as if commanded by the Divine Kynareth, seemingly signaling a turbulent future for the people on this continent as they witnessed the righteous fury of one Tamrielian man.
The 'Last Dragonborn' has arrived on Eostia, and his actions here will be cemented in Nirn's history for many generations to come…
Author's note: Another chapter for you all, something to keep you perhaps busy or warm during these cold days around Christmas. It's a good thing I split up this part of the story into 2 chapters; otherwise, we would have had a 19K chapter...
This part of the story was a challenge to write at first, but it seemed I managed to pull through. I had to balance Celestine's part to make it more believable for the current setting or universe while not making it too dramatic or too easy for her to process.
After all, Celestine and Alicia (unintentionally) did some regrettable things in the past, and those actions will continue to haunt them for a while. But now that we know who was behind Celestine's 'unusual surrender," who else would also be involved? That is something for future chapters, but I won't plan to involve ALL Daedric princes since that would be too much...
But in any case, the next chapter will conclude the 'arrival arc' of the Dragonborn on Eostia, where the story will swap more between events on Tamriel and Eostia and the recovery of both Alicia and Celestine (I can't believe I wrote around 5-6 chapters for just 1 in-universe day). I'm planning to write a shorter chapter to end this 'arc' before the end of the year, but I won't make any guarantees it will happen.
As always, I welcome ideas and inspiration for this story (additional ideas: who should join the Dragonborn in his 'crusade' in the future?) and I also want to thank those who reviewed past chapters and those who follow/fav the story.
Extra note: I did send a request to add 'Alicia Arcturus' as a character tag since I was surprised that she did not have one yet. I guess that she is often overlooked in fanfiction while the elven characters get more 'love'. Or perhaps she is seen as a 'bland' character or 'not elven' enough...
Note 1 (09/01/2023): For those interested, I've included the current progress on future chapters in my profile. It's the least I can do for those who may be 'impatient' for the next chapter(s).
Note 2 (05/06/2023): Edited/updated chapter 5 (removing and correcting grammatical errors without changing story elements).
Note 3 (06/01/2024): Made some grammatical changes in this chapter (no change in story)