Beta-Edited by KVeronicaP
...
Choosing not to follow Rialyn on his new voyage has not been a simple choice for Nerius, but he believed it felt it was for the best.
When he saw Heleria wandering near the temple in a somewhat doubtful mood, he could not help but be interested. After a few questions, she told him about Rialyn's plans. His immediate reaction was to go with him into this Ashland and witness the blade of Nerevar for himself. Even as Nerius rushed with excitement towards the Imperial canton, the thought of leaving this hateful city behind felt like a blessing.
But there was something he found here that he never could in Riften, ironically enough. It was a purpose that he relished in, where he could be accepted and appreciated for who he is. In Skyrim, Nerius had believed that the last place for him to go to was the Thieves Guild, he turned out to be wrong.
Nermero's squad was trained on principles of pragmatism and seeing one's talents and worth rather than their race, and Nerius quickly found a place there. Fighting alongside Imperial soldiers to track down the raiders fulfilled him, even if it was to battle against his own people. Imperials understood this and did not blame him for the actions of his kin. It was unfortunate that many Dunmer had a more challenging time with it, and with each day, it became more apparent.
As Nerius headed for the Imperial Canton he constantly felt a surrounding unease. His steps were closely followed by the prying eyes of the ordinators. Many citizens, Dunmer or not, avoided him when walking. Some would even whisper to each other and look with disdain. Nerius remembered Rialyn's words. The Dragonborn was not here to stand up for him anymore, but perhaps this was for the best. After all, if he would have to fight for himself one day or another, it was better to start now. Nerius preferred to ignore these perceptions and focus on what was currently at stake, as long as no one got physical.
Nermero summoned him for a private talk, and Nerius was quick to answer. When he entered the canton, he witnessed the legate talking with a soldier, the former was angry.
"I've heard enough excuses. I need an explanation!" - Nermero said in a commanding tone. "If others hear of it, Celion will make a goddamn show out of our 'incompetence'!"
"We're trying our best, sir, but so far there is no explanation. We just… We don't know" - the soldier said, perplexed.
"I expect some findings, and soon, before this whole situation goes to Oblivion." - he said and released the soldier. The legate noticed Nerius and walked toward him.
"Ah, here you are." - He tried to be calmer as he approached the Argonian.
"Should I return later?" - Nerius asked.
"No, it's alright, the circumstances are… unforeseen," - Nermero said as he clenched his teeth. "Remember the two prisoners we captured?" - Nermero asked, to have Nerius nod in response.
The argonian thought back to the two raiders from the sewers who managed to escape after the initial invasion. They were interrogated by imperials; Nerius hoped that they eventually would provide some insight into what Argonians genuinely wanted
"Well, they're gone."
"Gone?" - Nerius asked in shock, trying to go over the possibilities of this happening. "Did they escape? Does it mean they're still in the city?" - he wondered, feeling the sense of danger returning.
"We don't know much, and what we do know only leaves more questions…" - Nermero sighed. "They simply disappeared without a trace. There was no breakout, no keys stolen, no locks picked… All remained as it was, except the raiders just vanished. My soldiers are scouring the city for them with no success."
"I can help you in the search" - Nerius volunteered. He had asked Nermero how he thought this happened a few days ago, but there was clearly no point considering his previous conversation.
"I have enough men on it already… To be honest, I doubt these raiders stayed here, but we will make sure." - Nermero said. It seemed he wanted to propose something else. "I had another task in mind for you, someone better in stealth and tracking than most of us here" - the Legate said, sparking Nerius's interest.
"I'll try my best" - the argonian said with confidence, causing Nermero to smile faintly.
"That's what I like to hear, although I'd listen to the task first if I were you. You know Celion, correct?"
"Thalmor Emissary? Unfortunately, yes…"
"I've been talking with Rialyn and Heleria about him, and we concluded that something was amiss. He was unusually curious about all those Nerevarine legends and Rialyn's persona." - Nermero recounted.
"Yes, I've been there with you. He tried to recruit him for some part of his plan…" - Nerius said.
"Yes, he seems to have a plan, and that worries me. I need to keep an eye on him, but that elf is careful not to let any Imperials get too close. As far as I know, he doesn't yet realize you're with us." - Nermero got to the point.
"Do you want me to… Spy on him?" - Nerius quickly guessed the motives.
"Yes." - Nermero nodded. "Amidst this chaos letting Celion do his work unchecked would be a foolish decision from us, which I'm sure he wants. Some of my soldiers said that he was seen traveling to the temple. Maybe that's where you can find him."
"Any… specific orders?"
"For now, just follow him closely and come back to me when you have something to report." - Nermero said with a serious tone; this was clearly important.
Nerius remembered seeing Celion for the first time and the "warm" welcome he gave him back then. Since then, the argonian had grown in confidence, and he was ready to re-encounter him if it were necessary.
"Are you up to the task?" - As Nermero asked it, Nerius was unsure for a split second before smiling confidently.
"Of course… I earned my place here for a reason, after all."
Having something to do would certainly help take his mind away from other worries. It was time to get started.
…
It was unnatural to feel so liberated from trudging through ashen lands, which got more desolate the further Rialyn went.
Yet there was some magic in them. The Dragonborn had caught a glimpse of those lands when he'd traveled towards Vivec with Nerius, but walking across the shore, he did not have the sense of slow transformation. Vivec was full of life, among both its citizens and the plants that grew near the coasts. With every hour of their journey, the latter deteriorated. The ground turned grey and rocky, most of the remaining plans were old and withered, and the birds' songs silenced.
Even Solstheim was a more lively place than the heart of Morrowind. There was no soul left here, just buried memories of a once glorious age. And they were still far from the mountain… The volcano looked ahead, with smoke coming out of it. Vvardenfell's essence, and at the same time its bane, the ashen cover the same as Rialyn's dunmer skin.
"I assume there aren't any settlers from this point on." - Rialyn said dryly as he looked over the lifeless rocky landscape; Heleria shook her head.
"There were some Dunmer who tried to restore older towns, and most of them returned with severe lung damage." - the woman noted. "The remaining Ashlanders seem to tolerate the air, probably something they developed over generations."
"Wouldn't mind having it right now."
"Well, if you want to live here for the rest of your life…"
They occasionally exchanged words with Heleria. Rialyn liked having her along. They could carry more between the two of them, but more importantly, it was a way to keep company. Of course, the thought of Heleria abandoning her library still resonated within Rialyn's mind, but he didn't want to rush her into telling him why. All will be learned in due time. Perhaps his words got to Heleria and made her remember her calling as a scholar and if so, Rialyn was glad that he could make a difference. He carried his mace and bow with him while Heleria provided magical support and knowledge of some regions. Perhaps they'll make a good team.
As the two followed the largest road to the north, they were met with rubble. The path grew narrower near the two rocky mountains the pinnacles of which seemed to collapse as their foundation became weaker. The rocks that have fallen from above years ago still blocked the pathways.
"I don't think this was here the last time… Or maybe I just went another way?" - Heleria said thoughtfully, looking for alternatives. The altmer mage carefully searched the nearby area, eyeing for the shortcut. "I think there's one around here. Have…"
"FUS RO DAH!"
The shout made Heleria shiver as she gazed at Rialyn. The Dragonborn decided to try the most direct approach. The shockwave spread towards the rubble, causing some lighter stones to fall apart, but the largest ones remained unmoved. It still blocked the way.
"By Azura, what are you doing?!" - Heleria exclaimed as she rushed towards Rialyn, who merely shrugged.
"It doesn't hurt to try" - the Dragonborn responded.
"Except making everything closer than an hour of journey alert to our presence, that is." - Heleria said with slight annoyance.
"Didn't we just talk about how these lands are desolate?"
"Well, there are still beasts who would do anything to find prey…"
"Oh, those will not be a problem."
"Whatever you say…"
"Now, what was that about an alternative route you mentioned?"
"I… Forget it, follow me."
Heleria gave up. Rialyn understood her unease about potential attackers, but he was powerful enough to challenge numerous wild animals simultaneously. Whatever Heleria was worried about, he would protect her.
"You know, with that reckless manner, I can bet you haven't read many horror stories about cliff racers…" - Heleria said.
"Aren't they extinct? If not, I'll have made use of my bow."
"Yes, probably, but you never know. So many old travelers wrote about them in their records, seeing as the pests were the plague of Vvardenfell back in the day."
"Wasn't that hard when one man decided to do the job."
"Ah, Saint Jiub… Such an interesting figure. Who would have thought he could wipe an entire species and become a hero for that." - Heleria recounted another of the stories she read, but Rialyn was more familiar with this dark elf than she might have thought.
"I met him once." - Rialyn said casually, to Heleria's surprise.
"Eh… What, really?" - She seemed at a loss, understandably so. Rialyn's ties with the Volkihar clan and a journey to soul cairn remained a secret, unlike many of his other feats… For obvious reasons. Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned that.
"Encountered him in one withered realm between life and death. A long story."
"And here I thought I knew much about your journey… How did it go?" - Heleria asked a little awkwardly but with interest.
"Nothing of note. He talked about his conquest of the cliff racers… It took him a while to realize that he was actually dead."
"Holy… There were so many theories on how he died and now…"
They were interrupted by a rasping sound in front of them. It was as if sharp claws pierced someone's skin, ripping it in half. Rialyn stepped slowly, gesturing for Heleria to keep behind him. There was something hostile in front of them…
As the two silently approached the crossroads, a large two-legged creature with scales and claws on its limbs came into view. The animal was fighting someone. Rialyn assumed it to be another creature. He took out the mace, but this was not… It was an argonian warrior, severely wounded and barely able to resist, fighting back with his bloodied daggers. His clothes resembled that of the raiders.
"Is that a guar?" - Heleria whispered with surprise. "Haven't seen any this big… Don't think I did."
"That's one of them…" - Rialyn said while looking at the argonian. The beast barely worried him, but this man could shed some light on how the raiding party got to Vivec City. He needed to act as quickly as possible. Rialyn looked at Heleria. "Stay here; I'll deal with it."
"Oh, so no spells this time?"
"You know what I mean."
Rialyn prepared the spell of fire and rushed into the fray. Before the monstrous guar could react, the Dragonborn hit it with his weapon. The beast roared, pulling its teeth away from the bloodied argonian and focusing on Rialyn. It was ferocious, but for the Dragonborn, this was far from a match. The dark elf prepared to defend himself, but soon a destructive spell of frost emerged, slowing the guar down. Heleria was on it.
Rialyn wasted no more time. He struck the monster's jaw, forcing some of its teeth to break and fall to the ground. Some others got into the guar's throat, disorienting the beast as it tried to grasp for air. There was no point in prolonging its suffering; Rialyn killed the creature with another strong attack, forcing it to fall to the ground in a puddle of blood.
"Funny, I thought I won't ever see one of those again…" - Heleria added as she approached Rialyn, but the Dragonborn was wholly focused on the argonian.
The raider crawled, leaving a stream of blood behind. He coughed in agony, trying to breathe despite the wounds on his neck and limbs. With each second, he grew weaker. There was no time to waste. Rialyn remembered how they took joy in taking citizens hostage and murdering the city guards. He was not blinded by hatred against Argonians, especially not after knowing Nerius. But this was a marauder that earned his fate, likely retreating to the north after their attack.
His dark shadow towered over the weak enemy. The Dragonborn stood before him. The Argonian looked up and seemed to recognize him as the shock emerged in his eyes.
"Y… you… The flame…"
Heleria came towards them. She looked at the argonian with pity. There were some potions in their bags, enough for the journey. Perhaps some of them could be used here.
"Should we help him?" - Heleria said with doubt. Rialyn knew took no pleasure in looking at another's suffering. "Then he can talk" - she said with confidence.
"No." - Rialyn said, feeling no sense of pity. He did not want to appease those who attacked and endangered the people he wished to protect. Perhaps all his experiences made him crueler, and he did not want to back down for now. "How did your squad get to Vivec? I can hardly believe you simply sailed." - as Rialyn spoke, he saw a borderline maniacal smile on the raider's face.
"That's how it is, then… You think… To plague my stream and murk… my waters…" - he spoke, desperately fighting the pain. "You don't know us…" – the Argonian said with hatred and fearlessness.
"I am not playing games with you." - Rialyn said as he stepped on his hand, causing him to scream.
"That's too much." - Heleria said quietly, looking at Rialyn with concern.
"You will all pay for your crimes…" - the raider whispered. "For years of torture… Our egg-kin… Shall turn the tide…"
"Answer me!" - Rialyn raised his mace before Heleria stopped him.
"Wait!" - she stood between him and the argonian. "I know what you're trying to do, but this won't help! We can discuss this with him in a better physical and mental state. Torturing a dying warrior isn't productive ."
"What do you propose, then? To waste our time coddling him while we have a duty to fulfill?" - Rialyn wondered.
"Just… Give me a moment. It won't take more than one potion." - She looked at the raider, slowly approaching him. "Listen… we didn't come here to hunt you down or anything."
"As if… I believe…" - he spoke spitefully.
"I know what you might think, but I don't want to hurt a defenseless opponent. There is no point… We would ask something, yes, but let me just give you a…"
"You will get… nothing… GLORY BE TO THE HIST!" - he screamed with all his power, coughing with blood. He lunged at Heleria, trying to cut her veins open, but Rialyn stepped in. One strike with the cursed mace quickly pacified the Argonian. Not even a word… Just a whimper before he went silent.
The Dragonborn looked at Heleria. He expected her to be shocked and recoil from such an attack, but she showed no fear, just disappointment and a glimpse of sadness…
"See?" - Rialyn said. "No point in playing nice if we don't want to end up with daggers in our back. It's dangerous being that trusting."
"It doesn't hurt to try…" - Heleria said, almost in a whisper. Rialyn noticed the sadness in her eyes and felt his anger deteriorate. "Thanks for protecting me." - She looked at him with a faint but genuine smile.
"Working in a team, aren't we?" - Rialyn said, feeling relieved. It was perplexing that he felt such anger especially when the raider tried to wound Heleria… Was it the mace? No, no, it shouldn't have been. Rialyn shouldn't find such estrangement in caring for friends; it was normal for him a few years ago. "Are you alright?"
"Yes… Let's go. There is a long path to walk."