Ch.65

[Loredas, 19th Hearthfire, 4E: 221]

“So...you’re from Riften?” Diane awkwardly questioned across the table from the cute argonian guy Rarity had set her up with on a blind date with no warning. She wasn’t all that interested in a relationship, but after seeing everyone else but AJ shacking up, Diane was starting to feel lonely and her aunt Cup Cake was being rather ruthless in asking when she’d find someone.

“Sort of. I spent most of my time traveling the width and breadth of Skyrim, but I was born in northern Morrowind actually, near the Velothi Mountains. After we’d survived early childhood, mother and father took me and my two sisters back to Riften where I grew up. I was always the adventurous sort. I couldn’t stay still and got into all sorts of trouble.” Dar-Ja said and already Diane felt like this was a bad idea.

“I’m afraid I’m rather boring. I was born on a rock farm southwest of here along the coast. I was raised there, grew rocks, moved here, baked pastries. I did have a wild year in my teens when I went adventuring with my friends, but otherwise I’ve always been here.” Diane resentfully muttered with a mild glare at the surroundings of Sugarcube Corner. Since Diane didn’t really like any of the other cafes in town, she figured just having the date here would suffice.

The fact that her sister and aunt were not at all bothering to hide their eagle-eyed focus on the encounter made her regret this decision so much. “Ah, let’s remedy that. Come on, let’s go.” Dar-Ja took her hand and Diane blinked as the surprising move didn’t let her resist his pull to her hooves as he led her out of the bakery. “You need to get out. Is there anything interesting outside of town?”

“Um...no...yes? I mean, I’ve seen it all before, so it isn’t to me, but…” Diane was flat-hooved. He was going to take her someplace? Just like that? Take her away from the oppressive atmosphere that she hated and kept her Laughter down?

“I heard there is a lovely view of a flower field just north between here and a small town on a ridge, I would like to see it. Will you join me?” Dar-Ja asked and Diane felt something in her chest she didn’t recognize, but her mane and tail started curling up and she smiled a bit.

“Yeah...that’d be nice.”

📜

“So Allison, now that you have your head out from between your thighs, are you willing to share your offspring with me as a parent?” Elisif questioned her husband’s latest conquest, who was absolutely radiant compared to the sullen and sour reptilian woman that Vartine brought home.

“For certain. I will need the help. My kind didn’t reproduce before. I know nothing about having children, just that it will be drastically different from my former life and that by all accounts it is worth it.” Allison patted her fit stomach and looked serene, as if already full of maternal pride.

“Ellie is a mom over a dozen times over even if only two or three are actually her brats. She’s maybe one of the best people to get help in that area.” Serana commented from where she was reading a book. She’d spent the past two decades since Alduin’s defeat and her father’s summary execution for being an asshole catching up on the world’s history. As an immortal, Serana had the leisure of spending her time however she wanted without it creeping up on her.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Serana. You’d know the joys of motherhood too if you’d let yourself be freed from Molag’s grasp.” Elisif snipped and Serana rolled her eyes at the old argument. “Besides, now you can trade in eternal damnation as a torture doll to Molag Bal for all the benefits of Lycanthropy with few of the drawbacks.” Elisif announced and Serana winced.

“Is this about that contagious ability the Sea Goddess gave Vartine when they copulated?” Allison asked with absolute excitement. “He is a god in the sack because of it! He’s twice my size!” Allison gushed and Elisif flushed hotly while Serana snorted with a smirk.

“I’ll think about it, so long as I don’t have to wander into the cold wilderness or something.” Serana said before Melwen entered the room and dizzily staggered over to a chair. “Are you alright, Mel?”

“I will be fine. I simply experienced a non-linear aftershock of my people’s goddess briefly visiting the realm.” Melwen waved off as she closed her eyes and the others warily stared.

📜

“So, this is where it begins.” Berserker, for she was in her full suit of armor and on duty, commented as she led her contingent of the troops defending the docks, perhaps one of the most important docks in Northern Tamriel. The Solitude Docks was one of the only three stops along the Sea of Ghosts, it was also the capital city’s docks, so that was two votes to its importance. “Why are we stuck on defense though?”

“From what I understand, the local troops Meen-Rei and Shade have given intense training the past couple of days? They have dibs on charging into the holes. While I envy the certainty of battle they have, I do not envy their battlefield. Those caves and catacombs are a labyrinth filling the whole of the mountain Solitude sits upon.” Birnil, as the native, was her second on this campaign. He, like any hot-blooded Nord, wanted to fight, but he was smart about it.

He wasn’t called Maul-Hand because he wielded a maul, he was called that because he went for his enemy’s hands or feet first. “Yeah, fair enough. We don’t know shit about those cave systems and we’d be lost in there for days.” Brennie sighed at the obvious disadvantage they would’ve faced if it was them instead.

“Which is why we’re giving the locals priority on the attack. If any of us have to go in, they’re leaving glowing chalk markers on the right paths in.” Golnis said and Birnil confirmed with a nod.

“Couldn’t the enemy just cover it up or something?” Brennie questioned and the others shook their heads.

“We use that chalk in dungeoneering training. It gets everywhere and the glow doesn’t weaken with being wiped up, it spreads. Covering it up is about as futile as trying to move the sky.” Miun-La then paused. “Well, if you’re not a deity who manages the sky. Anyway, that chalk is nearly permanent, it needs to be snuffed with the right spell. It’s popular as a rather gaudy form of body paint.”

“Beg pardon? That chalk makes wonderful body paint!” Birnil huffed angrily and Brennie held up her hands to stymie any cultural divides. She at least knew that the Nords ritualistically practiced body painting both as a social and war culture activity. Argonians did too, but more traditional reasons rather than the cultural pride involved.

“Don’t you two fucking start or I’ll end you both.” Brennie snarled and knocked harshly on the table they were using for the documents about this deployment. They’d set up this command post right at the point where they could oversee the whole docks and the road leading up towards the city and out past the warehouse.

“Listen to the woman who could challenge Boethiah lads, unless you wish to face her wrath.” Golnis reinforced and when they backed down Golnis pointed towards the warehouse. “Besides, we don’t have the leisure to bicker.” A pegasus was flying towards the docks from under the arch Solitude was on and swooped down towards them in a hurry.

“And it begins.”

📜

“Wake up. Please wake up.” The familiar voice of Neethsi implored with a shake of my shoulder and I groaned as I fought against the wool muffling my thoughts and senses. It was like everything took effort and even breathing was hard. Eventually the horrible fogginess faded enough for me to open my eyes and look up at the exhausted and drained Neethsi. “Thank Mara, Arkay and anyone else in Aetherius who cares. The attack has already begun.”

“Arglebargle?” I wasn’t joking, that was actually what came out of my mouth. “Nah? Ow oo ha?” I flopped my arms about and my legs spasmed before sudden control returned and I bolted upright. “Ugh, this really sucks. If this is less intense than what The Vestige faced, I can’t imagine the hell they went through on their quest.”

“The difficulty and other side-effects will fade. The accounts of The Vestige state that by the end, before they reclaimed their soul from Coldharbour, they felt almost as if it had never left.” Neethsi assured me, but I noticed the lack of a gender pronoun.

“Who were they?” I asked curiously as I got out of bed and Shade gurgled when she started going through the difficult task of waking up like I did.

“Considering all of the dimensional, temporal and magical bullshit going on during the Interregnum, there is no definitive evidence who The Vestige was or is. Conflicting accounts claim they were male, female or any race from Imperial to Argonian or Altmer. Considering the nature of things, they could have been all of them at some point somehow.” Neethsi shrugged as I put on my armor. “You’re still using those old duds?”

“Yeah? I improved them. There’s nothing wrong-.” I tightened my jerkin, only for it to close completely and almost make me look flat-chested. I felt warm, having forgotten that my smallest bust size had shrunk considerably since these were originally bought for a C-D with room to grow, but now I’m a B-cup unless I’m having fun. “That’s better, actually.”

“It was still unintentional.” Shade slurred as she sat up and Neethsi helped her to her feet. “This sucks, not having my soul in my body makes it feel like there’s a lag in response between me and my body.”

“It will pass.” Neethsi insisted as she began helping Shade suit-up. This also pointed out to me that Neethsi wasn’t gearing up.

“Are you not joining us?” I asked Neethsi in a mixture of worry and confusion.

“No. Due to the porous nature of the mountain’s caves, I’ve been requested to join Berserker’s forces at the docks due to my nature as the Goddess of the Sea and Sky. They’ve also requested that I patrol the coast along the north to ensure no daedra flee into the wilderness.” Neethsi informed us and we nodded. She didn’t need armor if she was going to be in her big fuck-off serpent form.

“Well, before we leave, what did you bind our souls to?” I questioned and Neethsi retrieved two Black Soul Dynamos from her satchel and Shade joined me in gawking at them. “B-but that means our souls are trapped in Soul Gems! The Ideal Masters-!”

“Are gone.” Neethsi vindictively purred as the two magic conduits for magicka hovered in the air. “Your souls are safe from the Ideal Masters because Hermais, with help from Arkay and Meridia, annihilated them and cast them into the Void. Sithis may not be what he portrays himself as, but his Void is real. They’re gone. Nothing can return permanently from there.”

“Oh, cool. So, this seems pretty permanent.” Shade uneasily said as she poked the spinning floating dynamo with her soul inside.

“It is, unless you pull your souls back inside of you. They’ll forever be housed here. Should your bodies perish, I believe you’ll respawn near these or from them considering your true natures. They’ll be with me forever, just like you.” Neethsi assured us and I felt pleasantly warm. “Now head for the entrance to the Hall of the Dead. You want to save your child, don’t you?”

📜

“They’re what now?”

“Pariahs or Blanks if you will. Their souls are bound within Soul Gems, much like the Aeldari to save themselves from being devoured by Slaanesh upon their death. You know, if I didn’t know any better, I think Bethesda found inspiration from Warhammer 40K. There are some similarities here and there.” Hunter explained the events he had witnessed from afar, even felt it. There were a couple of times he wanted to jump in and stop the process, but he held it in and let it be. This was the only way to be sure Meen-Rei could save her child.

“Well, I’m not sure if I like this, but I see the reason behind it. Do you think you could still help them?” Brennie asked him as he continued to follow the duo toward the Hall of the Dead.

“I’ll do my best.” Hunter replied until he had to hide himself behind some ruin debris as the girls stopped at the front of the entrance.

“What do you want?” An old nord huffed at the door.

“We need to get in to get down the catacombs and comb for daedra.” Meen-Rei explained as the Nord huffed before opening the door for them.

“Fine, suit yourself. No skin off my back.” The man responded as the two sisters went through. Once they were through, the guard was about to close the door until a rock hit him at the back of his helmet. “Gah! Who’s there?! This isn’t funny!” He shouted with his mace at the ready, but this distracted him long enough for Hunter to get through without being noticed.

From there he ghosted the artificial twins as they followed the glowing chalk markers, which were fairly genius in his mind. They had come up with something similar, but this chalk was much more versatile. Also, the whole body paint thing was an interesting side-use. A good portion of their people’s culture included tattoos thanks to Berserker’s Maori ancestry, along with Runner’s Irish Celtic ones.

Hunter’s musings had to be put on hold when the sisters encountered a skirmish. The nord men and women fighting the daedra had been pushed back and were roaring defiance, but then the sisters fell upon the daedra like whirling dervishes of death. Their bodies flowed with an awe inspiring level of perfection as they leaped over the soldiers to get behind the line of daedra.

Shade summoned a glowing ghostly dagger while Rei wielded a wicked long karambit made of the black metal known as Ebony. Together they slit throats, stabbed backs and even stabbed the ones who turned around in the eyes and ears. The encounter was over in under ten seconds. Hunter wouldn’t kid himself, that was hot. He wasn’t as bloodthirsty as Berserker, but he could appreciate a beautiful woman who knew how to fight.

“Where are the rest of you?” Rei demanded as if she were in command, but none of the soldiers questioned her.

“Further on ahead! We got pushed back, we need to rejoin them!” At the response, the sisters nodded and rushed to follow the chalk symbols. The large chamber they came upon was a madhouse. Hunter had seen many wild melees in his long life, but this was as hectic as some of the worst battles with Hell. The only reason the daedra hadn’t wiped out the humans was because they lacked the oomph Hell demons packed and these soldiers were actually good.

Again Hunter silently observed, only occasionally helping a soldier to their feet or blocking a blow from a blind spot as he kept an eye on the sisters. They were even deadlier here. Not constrained by a fairly low-ceiling hallway, Shade was able to unleash elemental Destruction magic in a fashion similar to Bending from Avatar along with traditional violent magic.

Meen-Rei stuck to purely martial might, but she was so brutally efficient she was comparable to her sister. The two ripped and tore through the daedra so violently that the locals soon found themselves free from combat and watching in stunned awe as the two argonian women slaughtered the last of the daedra. This was with them adjusting to being Pariahs?

“The fuck are you all doing standing around slack-jawed staring?! Find some daedra and get to work!” Rei roared and the troops all hurried to obey. Hunter felt his groin stirring and he grunted. Holy shit. Meen-Rei just channeled Visilia, their oldest and dearest wife.

“Are you okay, Hunter?” Juneau telepathically asked him and he felt her hands on his genitals. She was one of his wives, particularly the one who had taken to living inside of his magic storage. “You just sprang a stiffy faster than I’ve seen in a while, what’s up?”

“Just admiring the art of death being performed by two lovely looking twins.” Hunter answered as he continued to shadow the two death-incarnated Argonian ladies.

From there it was a pretty incredible turnaround. With Rei and Shay here, they were progressing through the tunnels of the catacombs with a laughable ease. Shade’s Mastery of Destruction allowed her to cast shredding vortexes of ice, fire and surprisingly earth to slaughter the weaklings and Rei would follow up by dancing through the survivors.

The twins led the troops through the catacombs by following the path of most resistance until they came to a clearly important chamber. It was bigger than all the others by far and housed within was a massive Dark Anchor planted in the stone floor with the horizontal ring portal brushing the opposite walls of the rectangular room.

Here was where he almost had to step in. The enemies here were those Juggernauts he’d read about in Berserker’s reports, but unlike Berserker he could tell what they were. “Berserker, the Juggernauts are Hollow Undead! They’re not Daedra!” While the sisters could deal with them, it was with difficulty. The Juggernauts stopped for nothing unless dismembered and only a decapitation would ensure they were stopped. However, the bodies and weapons vanished.

“Argh! I should’ve known and it was so fucking obvious!” Berserker growled in frustration.

“Don’t stress too much, it just means Molag has an endless supply of dumb but strong fodder to defend key points. What I’m worried about is what else from Dark Souls might be involved.” Hunter said as he fought through the pleasure that Juneau was giving him. It was their thing, he was used to it and was able to function just fine while she played with him. “Also, Rei and Shay are hot, sis. As in Visilia or Urta level in terms of being fierce sexy combat beauties. I’m surprised you haven’t somehow added them to the marriage.”

“Yeah...that’s great…” Why was she depressed all of a sudden? “We haven’t really talked much, either because we are too busy with work or some other sufficient reason. I also blame Hermais, I think she may have ruined it for me, along with Eris. Possibly on purpose.” Of course.

“Alright, we’ll talk about it later.” Hunter said as he watched the ensuing carnage and struggle. The struggle of the daedra. By Urta were those two an unstoppable force the moment they got momentum. Still, he worried for his sister’s wellbeing and relationship with these two.

“Alright! You lot, do not destroy the portal yet! They’ll just reopen it! We’re going in to find the Key Pinion on the other side that is keeping Coldharbour close enough to deploy these things! We’re pulling a Hero of Kvatch move! Keep them from pushing back!” Rei shouted at the assembled soldiers and they roared in agreement before the sisters flew up into the portal.

“Well, I better follow them.” Once he was sure the soldiers weren’t looking, Hunter leaped into the portal. The cold blues and whites were blinding and soon he stood in a barren, freezing landscape of sharp black rocks, black cloudy skies with no sun and the screams of the damned echoing on the nonexistent breeze. If he didn’t know better, he’d think this was Hell. Only it was frozen over.

Next Chapter: Ch.66 Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 57 Minutes