San-Kai was asleep and once again in the realm of Apocrypha, Hermaeus Mora slithered behind him and San turned around to face him.
“What do you want now Mora?”
“Such disrespect from my faithful servant, for shame!” Hermaeus laughed and continued. “Have you considered my proposition yet? I will tell you where to find your brother and in return, you will work for me”
“I will not betray Julianos again”
“Even if your brother dies without you?”
“You’re lying”
“No, I am not”
Then suddenly the world changed around him and San-Kai was no longer in Apocrypha, on inspection, he realised he was in Aetherius!
A long-bearded man in the most magnificent mage robes came up to him, “Hello San-Kai”
San-Kai bowed, “Lord Julianos – it’s an honour”
“Rise” Julianos paused and then continued. “You wish to be part of my order again – correct?”
“Yes, more than anything”
“Then protect the girl, Lucy”
“Why her?”
“She holds Akatosh’s soul within herself – she has been prophesied as the Su’um do Bormahu. You must not tell her or you will never be part of my order”
San-Kai was about to question this further when he woke up, the Church of Quincy was dark and everyone around him was asleep.
“Hey”
San whirled around to see who spoke, it was only Lucy and he calmed down, “Hello Lucy”
“Nightmares?” She questioned
“Of a sort, you?”
“Nightmares – I keep seeing the day my mother died” Her voice broke and a tear rolled down her cheek
“I might be able to help – keep calm” San held a healing aura in his hands and cast it, it was a specialised restoration spell aimed at curing the mind – it was not very advanced but usually cheered someone up.
Lucy’s face brightened up a little and she smiled at him, “Thanks, San”
“No problem”
There was a pause and then Lucy continued, “What were you dreaming of?”
“I had a message of sorts from two Gods – Hermaeus wants me to serve him while Julianos wants me to…never mind”
Lucy regained some humour, “So I get the worst night of my life and you get divine visits – unfair!”
San chuckled, “It is not all easy – I used to serve Hermaeus and he wants me to do so again”
“Why did you serve him?”
“I have a brother, Veezara, and a sister, Akara. I was visiting them in Black Marsh when Veezara told me that Akara was kidnapped. I tracked her for days and days and eventually found her, but she had died of her injuries before I could save her”
San breathed heavily and continued, “I never knew my parents - I was adopted. I found my siblings on a journey to my species’ homeland and we became family. Veezara was an assassin and I rarely saw him - I spent the most time with Akara”
A tear splashed onto the floor, “I loved her like a brother should but so much more – I never knew my real parents and my adoptive parents were killed by bandits. She was all I had, so I spoke with Hermaeus and asked for the power to resurrect her. He granted me the power but at a price, I had to give him all the knowledge of the School of Julianos – the magic school I was part of.
I gave him everything for her life and was exiled from the school, and then the day after she was killed by the same men who kidnapped her – I could not resurrect her again.”
Lucy was on the brink of tears herself, “I’m sorry San, I really am”
“Fate is cruel, isn’t it?”
“It sure is”
San composed himself, “Still it is in the past and it cannot be changed, what has happened must always be and death cannot be cheated”
“I know San, more than most”
“I am aware – you remind me of her, you know – Akara”
“I do?”
“Yes – same smile that always cheers a man’s soul”
Lucy blushed, “Thanks”
San smiled at her, how was it that this young girl possessed the soul of such a magnificent entity – the God of all Gods sat inside this very person before him and yet she simply sat there blushing at his compliments.
Suddenly Lucy’s eyes turned white and she glowed with a golden aura not that of healing spells – it was filled with grandeur. She turned to him and spoke in a deep, majestic voice that was not hers, “San-Kai, mage of Julianos. You have been ordered to protect me, no?”
San realised this was Akatosh and bowed, “Yes, my Lord”
Lucy nodded, “Rise, you must protect this girl – when the time comes I will take control, she is my breath and the Dragon will awaken”
“What do you mean, the Dragon will awaken?”
“It will happen as it has before”
It suddenly struck him, the Oblivion Crisis! Martin Septim sacrificed himself to become the avatar of Akatosh to defeat Mehrunes Dagon – was the same happening again? She would die…
‘Stop it!’ San thought to himself, ‘You do not know this – simply protect her’
By then Lucy had returned and looked as if nothing had happened, she noticed San staring at her “Everything alright?”
San snapped back to reality, “Huh? Yeah, fine”
They could hear Nigel next to them, he usually didn’t need sleep but all the travelling had messed up him melatonin blockers and he required more than usual – this was bad as more sleep resulted in more dreaming. Lucy knew his dreams were never good, but they did reveal much of his past that he refused to share, even with her.
Nigel groaned in his sleep and muttered quietly, ‘No, NO! You can’t!’
San gestured to Nigel, “What’s he on about?”
Lucy shrugged, “I don’t know, he never tells anyone what happened in the Institute – his old home underground”
“I presume they are responsible for his...implants?”
“Yeah, as far as I can tell he wants to kill them for making him a war machine and for killing someone – I don’t know who”
“I’m sure he will tell us eventually – it would be good for him to share it”
Suddenly, louder than anything they had heard in a while, an enormous explosion rocked the city and the sounds of gunshots could be heard. Bjorn and Nigel had woken and the group were all looking around in panic.
Sturges came running in to find them; he barely paused for breath and said
“It’s the Gunners…They’re attacking!”
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