Shadows rising chapter one
The sun began to rise over the horizon upon returning to the small village Mikael was met with a hero's welcome, many praising him for liberating the mine and returning their loved ones. Amber stood among them her smile greeting him.
But the moment of celebration was short-lived, the cleanup from the Grimm invasion was immediately underway, the dead were being laid to rest family and friends needing time to mourn the loss, Mikael and Amber spent the morning helping the injured, and those still trapped in the debris, Mikael using frostbite to extinguish some of the few remaining fires that still burned.
Hours of labor were spent to restore the town to working order. The two of them sat in the Town's inn, Conner the village Elder had offered them a place to stay on the second floor, the two were currently sat in the small bar below, and after all that had happened over the last few days Mikael needed a drink.
He and Amber sat at a small table near the back out of the way as he explained what happened up at the mine " You...killed them" Amber said her face reflected shock and some sorrow
"They had given me no choice, If I hadn't intervened, I doubt many of the faces you see around here would be among the living" Mikael explained as he took a sip from his glass the whisky burned the back of his throat slightly, it wasn't as strong as Blackbriar, but it would do.
"What about the girl?" Amber asked "Alana"
"I don't know, we passed by her comrades on the way back, but she was missing, I suppose she woke up and left" Mikael said shrugging
Amber was silent " You left the others for dead, but you let her go, why?" Amber asked she was concerned about this girl; would she seek vengeance for what had happened to the Fang.
"She was young, naive, afraid even. When I saw the look in her eye, I could tell she didn't want to be there. When I looked at her, I saw nothing but regret, hell I doubt she had spilt a single drop of blood while among them. And who knows we may see her again hopefully under better circumstances." Mikael said his gaze meeting a pair of emerald green eyes a few tables away, the owner quickly pulling their hood further down to hide their feature a familiar white tale hung behind the chair gently swaying.
The two finished off their drinks for the night heading up to the second floor entering the rooms they were provided Amber taking the room across the hall from Mikael. Upon entering Mikael looked over what would be his room for the night a desk sat by the window that gave a great view of the stars above.
A large bed sat in the center of the room, a nightstand on either side, Mikael began to undo the various straps that held his armor in place folding is cloak he placed it on the counter alongside his gauntlets, chest-piece, and boots.
On the left was a door that Mikael assumed was the restroom, turning the nob he was met with the site of glistening white tiles a mirror hung over the sink/counter, toilet and a shower in the corner sitting on the counter was a pair of black pants and a dark grey shirt.
It took him a few moments to get a hang of the contraption but eventually managed to get it running, as the hot water hit him soothing some of the aches the journey had caused his mind drifted back to his home Skyrim, what was the current situation back there, was their panic dragons burning the nine holds to the ground, or had no one notice like they usually did when he went off the grid for a little alone time.
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Amber stood motionless in the hallway staring at the door that led to Mikael room, even after all he had told her she had so many questions that needed answered a part of her was saying to respect his privacy, that he would tell her when he was ready.
'He's been nothing but honest to me our entire time together... even if he never had to in the first place' she thought to herself biting her lip before coming to a decision knocking gently she called out "Mikael... are you still awake" she asked no response came, she gently pushed the door open.
The sound of running water got her attention steam slid out from underneath the shower door the Dragonborn was currently showering perhaps his first. then something of to the side caught her attention 'his armor' there on the dresser sat his armor neatly folded ready for when he returned.
her curiosity getting the better of her she picked the chest piece up, as soon as she touched it, she could feel a strange aura around surround the armor. she stared at the emblem present on the center A bird, no, a raven it's wings stretched upwards surrounding an orb of pure darkness she had seen many things in her life, but this emblem was... strange
"Someone might get the wrong idea, seeing a young woman sneak into her companions room in the dead of night " Amber squeaked dropping the armor back onto the pile spinning around facing her travel companion her face instantly growing darker, as he stood before her a white towel over his shoulder a pair of dark grey cargo pants covering his lower body while his chest remained bare toned muscles showed across his upper body but that wasn't the thing that caught her eye... the scars
Over his left shoulder was a rather large bite mark around the size of a Beowulf, covering his chest were many scars some small and narrow like a dagger or an arrowhead the others were much wide and jagged, and others blossomed across his skin forming large burns. "umm..." Amber stated flatly before quickly averting her gaze in the name of modesty between them.
He was silent before chuckling, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you " He said sincerely
"No, no it's fine I uhh..." Amber trailed off her cheeks heating up slightly
Pulling on his shirt, Mikael stepped past the maiden, giving a quick once over to his equipment, making sure none of the potion phials had been damaged in the fall. "May I ask why your here?" The nightingale inquired glancing back over his shoulder towards the Fall Maiden
"I was..." Amber paused her resolve wavering ever so slightly. No, if they were going to be travelling together for the foreseeable future, with the extent her attackers had gone through the first time, she was certain they may try again, it was only right he knew of the risk. "There's something I need to talk to you about, something I neglected to tell you back in the cave... There was a reason I was attacked."
Mikael paused, his suspicions regarding their conversation earlier that day, confirmed. Still, he couldn't help but wonder "Why tell me this now?"
"You helped me when I needed it most, and you've been nothing but honest with me." There was no doubt in the Fall Maidens mind, despite his contradictive choice in profession, after everything they'd been through together, she felt she could trust him with the truth. "and... I feel like I can trust you"
Trust, now that was a hard thing to come by in his line of work, even among the members of the thieves guild, that number was restricted towards some of the higher-ranking members- his mentor and fellow Nightingale Brynjolf immediately came to mind -other than that there were certainly very few among their ranks that he trusted to a high degree, there were certainly more than a few that would benefit should he suffer some form of accident, Mercer's betrayal had taught him that much at least.
Mikael shook off those thoughts, he had to remind himself, Amber was not that man. Her actions had been born from caution and no doubt the terror of coming so close to losing her life, not a desire to deceive him, but her attempt at guarding him from the same dangers that had come for her.
If they were going to be travelling together for the foreseeable future it was only right he warn her of the dangers that followed him, it would only be a matter of time until Mora deigned to show himself, and when that happened if Amber witness such an event it would raise some rather difficult questions, it was better if he was the one to tell her, rather than let his secrets be told through that demons twisted words.
The Dragonborn sighed heavily "It seems we both have our secrets."
"What do you mean?" Amber asked
"You aren't the only one who's been playing things close to the chest." Mikael replied setting his armor aside as he turned back to face the maiden "Although under the circumstances regarding our first meeting, it's understandable." Leaning back on the desk Mikael continued "You say you trust me with your secrets, as well as the dangers of knowing them, it seems only fair I do the same."
The nightingale fixed her with a stern look "Before we begin I need you to understand something." Mikael began his eyes never leaving ambers own. "What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room" Mikael said Amber nodded soon after.
"Good" Mikael muttered before taking a deep breath "You were curious about my armor and its origins, to answer your question it is the traditional of a Nightingale."
Ambers face scrunched up in thought, there was that word again Nightingale, what or more importantly who were they?
"The Nightingales...are a secret order of thieves, ancient and long forgotten. To put it bluntly we are sentinels, watchmen who have dedicated their lives to keeping ancient and powerful artefacts out of the wrong hands. We serve a deity know as Nocturnal. we protect her shrine and all that is housed inside."
Amber was silent these nightingales sounded like Ozpin and the brotherhood, sworn to keep dangerous items of untold power out of the wrong hands but there was just one thing that bothered her "Thieves"
"Yes, although we are what some would call a myth 'thieves with honor', we do not harm the innocent, nor do we take from those who could not survive without it" he said " Go on then, call me what you will scum, brigand, thug I've heard it all before"
What Mikael did not expect was a gentle hand on his shoulder "You're not scum, you're not some common lowlife, I've seen what your capable of, you didn't have to stop them from attacking me on the road like you did, you didn't have to travel with me when I finally got back on my feet and you didn't have to go out of your way to save those minors, you may be a thief but, you have a good heart, I can feel it." she said resting her other hand on his chest
Mikael was… well, he was surprised, she was a huntress, someone whom from what she had told him was a protector of the people someone who upheld law and order. In all honesty, he'd expected her to scorn him for his profession, perhaps even slap his before storming out, but this, he hadn't been expecting this.
"Thank you" he answered genuinely.
The fall maiden nodded in response "I suppose it's my turn to share, huh?" Amber said, moving to take a seat on the bed across from him.
"On Remnant, there are many stories and fairy tales. A select few that have been around for many years, one of which is the story of the four maidens." Amber sat down on the bed before she continued
"Long ago, there lived a callous old man. who refused to leave his home, only viewing the world through a small window. One day, he was visited by four travelling sisters the first was Winter who understood his reclusive nature and urged him to use that time for meditation and self-reflection. Then came Spring who brought the man fruit flowers and tended to his crops reviving his garden."
"There seems to be a theme to this" Mikael said before amber continued
"The third Summer, warmed the man's heart, convincing him to come outside and see the world around him and all the beauty it holds. And the final sister Fall, compels the man to look upon all that he had and be thankful."
"In return for the kindness they had shown him, the old man granted the four sisters incredible powers mastery over the elements themselves. the four sisters vowed to share this great gift with the people of remnant until the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall the Four Maidens."
Listening to the story Mikael could tell there was more to it, he himself was supposed to be a legend "These Maidens, your one of them aren't you that's why you were attacked" Mikael said it made the most sense. He himself had been targeted for being Dragonborn many feared him and wanted him removed those people usually met their end by fire.
"Yes." Amber said holding out her hand her eyes glowed for a moment before a small flame sprouted in her palm. I'm the current Fall Maiden I have been since I was a girl."
"The question still remains. How did they find out who you were?" Mikael asked
"I'm not sure, only a select few have ever been aware of our existence. It's hard to believe someone outside knew of my status" Amber stated
Mikael grew silent looking back to when he saved her the leader of the group the woman in red, she was about to do something "When I saved you, the leader of your attackers was trying to do something it looked like a ritual, were they trying to take your power?"
"Your guess is as good as mine" Amber responded biting her lip "When a Maiden die's it's said that the person in our last thoughts was first in line for the power, they must have known this and we're going to use it to their advantage." Amber herself looked terrified by the concept
Mikael was silent, he had saved one of the most powerful beings on this world by mere chance... no, he recalled the departing words he was given by Mora" Seek out the maiden she will guide you 'So this is what he wanted, Mora needed Amber to live for whatever purpose he had in store.' Placing his hand on her shoulders he drew the newly revealed maiden's eyes to his own.
"The we'll just have to be careful moving forward." Mikael said
Wait, was he still willing to travel with her. "No…No" Amber said pulling away" You've done more than enough for me already, I couldn't ask any more of you, let alone force you to put your life on the line for a complete stranger."
"No" The Nightingale took a step closer to the maiden "I know what it feels like to have been hunted for who you are, I'm not going to sit idly by while your life may be in danger" Mikael stated "My home Tamriel, shares some similarities with Remnant... along with legends of its own"
And so, Mikael told her his encounter with Alduin the World-Eater the return of the dragons, the prophecy he was destined to fulfil and finally all the events that led to him becoming Mikael Salmon Nightingale Hero of Skyrim and The Last Dragonborn along with his encounter with Hermaeus Mora.
"When I came too, I found myself in that forest, after walking around for a few hours the sound of battle, lead me to you."
Silence was all that followed, as his words were processed by The Fall Maiden Amber's mind was moving a thousand miles a minute, in a way, they were rather similar to one another, so much was expected from the both of them.
Many had tried to hide his power some tried to use it for themselves use him, but he refused to accept that fate, and fought to forge his own path in life and instead of hiding who he truly was, he embraced it and was better because of it.
"No matter what happens, I won't let anyone hurt you I promise." He said
"Mikael." she said standing up "Thank you" she wrapped her arms around him, he seemed to stiffen up slightly upon contact. And after a few moments of awkward hugging, his arms started to move, settling around her back holding her in a gentle embrace.
She looked up at him staring into those sky-blue eyes as he stared into her dark brown, this was probably the closest shed ever actually been with someone in months, friends or any relationships of any kind were rather out of the question.
Ozpin warned that her position as a Maiden would make her a target and as such those close to her may also fall under their enemies crosshairs. In the beginning, after she'd been discovered by the ageing Wizard, he'd wanted her to be moved from her village and into the city where both he and those under him could ensure her safety.
She hadn't been fond of that option, she wanted to see the world and experience what life had to offer her, Ozpin had agreed to let her travel if a little begrudgingly the man wanted to keep her safe and while she appreciated that, a gilded cage was still a cage in the end.
Though that freedom came with a price. She was constantly on the move never staying in one place for more than a few days at most, it was the one request Ozpin had made and she'd agreed and endured the isolation caused by her decision. Without thinking she leaned forward guided only by her instincts pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss, Mikaels eyes widened in response, Amber own snapped open a moment later before she pulled away ducking her head down slightly.
"I-I'm sorry" Amber stammered her cheeks darkening as she buried her head into his shoulder "I wasn't thinking, I-I didn't mean to force yo- "
"…It's fine" Mikael replied evenly, though when she tried to meet his gaze his eyes darted away from her own. "We're all exhausted, and after what everyone here including you have been through, emotions are bound to run high, and if that helped you... settle, in any regards, then I didn't mind."
The two stayed there in each other's embrace neither saying a word, Amber kept her head pressed to his shoulder her eyes clenched shut, trying to distract her from what just happened, although her current position offered many distractions, his warm skin, his strong well-refined muscles pressed against her body, didn't help in the slightest, eventually she settled on the only sound beyond her own breathing, his heart-beat.
After what just happened she'd expect it to match the fast-paced beats of her own, instead, its rhythm was soft and even. 'How is he so calm?' Amber focused on the gentle rhythm that was her partner's heartbeat, listening for what felt like a solid ten minutes as her breathing began to even out and her eyes slowly began to droop closed.
As Ambers body settled against him, Mikael shifted his arms beneath Ambers legs and shoulder, lifting her into his arms her head fell against his shoulder drawing a small grown from the slumbering maiden, making his way over to the bed gently laying her peaceful form down on the covers.
Mikael walked over to the dresser re-acquiring his armor he reached into his satchel recovering a rather ancient looking book its cover, ink black, a creature formed entirely of writhing tendrils spread out across the cover, he needed to have a word with a certain Daedra.
Opening it he soon found himself in the familiar scenery of Apocrypha.
"MORA! where are you!" he demanded
A deep chuckle emanated from behind him Mikael turned to face the Daedric Prince of fate "Ah Dragonborn, what brings you to my realm."
"Don't play games with me demon I want answers now!" Mikael demanded " what do you want with Amber! Out with it!"
The golden eye narrowed before he spoke "The Fall Maiden, Amber as you know her is a divergence point in the tides of fate, her actions and those that occur around her will shape the very future of remnant. There are two paths for that world, one that leads to the light and another that leads to nothing but death."
"Why send me there, was it to save her what was the point of all this!?" Mikael demanded
"As I told you, she is the divergence point. You may change things as you see fit, I merely wish to observe what transpires"
Mikael was silent rage building inside of him a fire burning in his eyes ' Is this some kind of sick joke to him. 'Mikael scowled up at the mas of writhing tendrils and golden eyes. 'Is this meant to be nothing but a game!?'
"Whatever your game is here, should you set your sights on her or anyone else here you will deal with me." Mikael said opening his black book once again returning to the tavern room. Stepping back, he allowed himself to collapse into the chair behind him, pinching his brow he turned his gaze to Amber's sleeping form she was a kindred spirit one who he truly cared for, something he hadn't done in a long time taking a seat against the wall he prepared for sleep, sending one last glance to Amber's peaceful form.
He would protect her, no matter what.
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And there it is chapter six is out. I hope you are all enjoying what I put out I'm trying to make sure this story stay's unique and doesn't become another cliché crossover story so until next time adventurers.