The sky was clear, the fallen raised, the damage repaired – everything was fine.
But Nigel didn’t care.
Faster than the Guards could even comprehend Nigel ran over to her as she fell from the sky, catching her in his arms with such precision that she received not even a bruise from her fall. Nigel desperately checked for a pulse, a breath, anything – his scanning system already told him she was dead and he knew it, but you could not bring himself to bear it.
Lucy was dead.
San-Kai ran over, arriving far later than Nigel on account of not having bionic legs. San mustered all his energy, most of which was sapped from the fight, and attempted a resurrection spell – such spells are well beyond master-level restoration and considered deeply unethical – he tried anyway. The glowing radiance left San’s hands and passed over Lucy’s’ form, she did not stir – she remained cold, motionless and silent.
Nigel’s eyes were sparking from the tears; he looked up hopefully at San-Kai – not a word needed to be uttered for him to communicate the message. San shook his head, nothing could be done – her death was caused by Akatosh himself – not even the greatest magician on Nirn could pull a resurrection spell off.
Nigel lay her down on the ground, peaceful in her eternal sleep; he knelt beside her – cold, motionless and silent. San took this opportunity to shuffle off to the side, he knew what he was going to do – and he apologised profusely for it.
“Hermaeus-Mora” San whispered to the air. “I accept your offer – give me the power to save her and I will serve you”
The green mass of tentacles appeared, visible only to San. “You accept, San-Kai? After all this time you give in only to do the very thing you asked for the first time?”
“Yes”
“And what of your brother? Do you wish to know where he is?”
“I only want Lucy’s life returned, Mora”
“Very well – it shall be done” A slick, slimy tentacle extended from the mass that made up the Daedra and pointed towards the corpse of Lucy.
She gasped as the life was returned to her.
“Thank you, my Lord” San-Kai obediently replied
“You’re mine now, lizard” Mora chuckled as he faded back into Oblivion
Nigel’s eyes continued sparking with joy as he embraced Lucy, joyous that she hadn’t died. Lucy, however, looked only at San-Kai – staring at him with eyes filled with knowledge.
“I know what you did for me San,” Lucy said, calmly
San mimed ignorance, “What did I do? I couldn’t heal you – how are you even alive?”
His lying was not effective, “You offered your soul to the Daedra of Knowledge, fin deyra do mindok. You have given your life for mine, Siigonis”
Nigel looked confused, “What are you talking about?”
Lucy looked at him, her eyes now visibly glowing bright orange, “San-Kai has offered his life to Hermaeus Mora in exchange for my resurrection – I know this because I am not just Lucy, not anymore”
“What are you on about?” Nigel urged, his tone betraying his fear
“As I died, my soul returned to where it is meant to be – in Aetherius”
San understood now, “You’re…”
“I am Akatosh, I am Lucy – we are one in the same now, and only speak now because of you, Siigonis”
“What is going on?!” Nigel yelled, not understanding this mythical nonsense
Lucy finally turned to Nigel, “You care for Lucy – that is admirable. Know that you are destined for great things, Ni-Mun. But you cannot enjoy her company, my company, any longer – Akatosh belongs in Aetherius”
San interjected, somewhat sulkily “Then the resurrection was pointless?”
“Not pointless, you have allowed Lucy one last moment in Tamriel – my spirit overpowers hers, I shall retreat – you can say goodbye to her, instead of to the Divine who dominates her form”
Lucy gasped as she returned to her own body; she spoke quickly, “Nigel, San – you’ve helped me to have the greatest adventure of my life, thank you – for everything”
Nigel kissed her on the cheek, San gave her a hug – Lucy blushed and said between tears, “Goodbye – I love you”
She began to float up towards the sky, towards the Eye of Magnus – where Akatosh would return to Aetherius with her Lucy’s soul to live alongside Martin Septim’s. Lucy and Akatosh rose into the Sky and into Aetherius, the prophecy was complete – and Lucy was gone.
***
Bjorn woke up screaming.
He was alive, but only just. He had returned to human form in intense, agonising pain - a large rocky spike pierced his side; protruding straight in from his back and out the other side. It was only because of his innate lycanthropic strength that he had survived this long anyway. He looked around; Jarl Balgruuf the Greater lay to the side on the plains – unconscious and unharmed.
***
“Hey, you two!”
Nigel and San-Kai looked to see Vilkas, one of the Companions, running towards them with great urgency. “It’s Bjorn – we saw him jump off the Great Porch, we don’t know what happened but we’re on our way there now – come on!”
Vilkas, Nigel and San-Kai ran over to the rocky slopes at the bottom of the porch, hoping that they would not lose another today.
“Bjorn!” San ran over to him, healing magic prepped. “Nigel, Vilkas – come and help me lift Bjorn off this spike, then I can heal the wound.
The pair ran over to Bjorn, mustering all their strength to lift him up off of the spike like it was a meat hook. Bjorn screamed in pain and agony, he’d never felt anything this excruciating as he was lifted up and off the spike, then laid on the ground.
San spoke to him amidst his screams, “I know it hurts Bjorn – just try to keep still, I can heal the wound”
Bjorn could only scream in response as San cast an intense spell – most of his energy was depleted and he had little left to use on Bjorn – but that didn’t stop him from trying.
As San cast the spell, Vilkas noticed another man lying on the ground – they didn’t see him amongst all the commotion about Bjorn – it was Jarl Balgruuf, lying unconscious on the ground.
“It’s the Jarl!” Vilkas exclaimed
San yelled over Bjorn’s screaming, “Is he hurt?”
Nigel quickly scanned him, “No, he’s fine”
Vilkas looked at Nigel with confusion, wondering how he’d made that assumption –but decided now was not the time to question anything.
San-Kai continued to put all of his power into healing Bjorn, the wound was noticeably cleaning up and his screaming had stopped, reduced to the odd groan – he would live.
***
Kagrenac furiously paced around the workshop, “There’s nothing I can do, they’ll come for me – all my work, all my plans – Logic curse them!”
“It is a great shame, my Lord” Calcelmo was actually overjoyed, though he mimed disappointment
Kagrenac stood up and looked at the screen displaying events at Whiterun, “We can only wait for them to arrive”
***
San-Kai collapsed with exhaustion, he was completely shattered from the amount of magic he’d had to perform and to top it all off – he’d just sold his life to Hermaeus-Mora and Lucy was gone forever.
“Hold, my child – you struggle is not yet over”
San-Kai looked up, a man dressed in long, flowing, blue robes stood before him in an ethereal state. He had a long, white beard and small glasses at the end of his nose. In one hand he charged a spell and in the other he held an intricately carved pyramid – it was Julianos, visiting Mundus to speak with San.
“Julianos, I cannot speak with you – for I have been taken by Hermaeus Mora, I am no longer yours” he resisted his urge to incessantly apologise, he did not want this.
“Nonsense, my child” Julianos rebuked him. ”Mora may think him my equal, but while I interact with mortal affairs less – it only makes my power stronger”
“Julianos, what do you mean?”
“You are released from Hermaeus’ service and are welcomed back into mine, San-Kai”
“But I betrayed you…” San began
“To save a girl’s life – that is something I honour above all else” Julianos finished. “You are welcomed with open arms back into my order – Arch-Curate San-Kai”
San-Kai looked up stunned, barely able to speak, “Arch…Arch-Curate?!”
“Yes, my Child – you will lead the School”
“Thank you, my Lord – thank you!”
“Think nothing of it – you must attend to the matter at hand, go – fight this Dwemer” Julianos commanded. “I have replenished your strength, and that of your friend, Nigel and Bjorn – though they both inhuman; so distasteful”
“Thank you, Lord Julianos – we will go now”
Julianos nodded in appreciation as he faded back into Aetherius
***
Nigel ran over to the fallen Numidium – banished by Akatosh. With his unnatural strength, he ripped open the head of the golem and plucked the Dimensional Key from inside – all that was left to do now was to confront Kagrenac.
San-Kai and Bjorn soon caught up to him, meeting him as he brandished the glowing orb wrapped in a metal casing. As soon as they were altogether their wristwatches vibrated and a message appeared on it. “Dimensional Key detected – you are now permitted to travel to the following Dimension: CO2016”
Nigel looked up at the group, “Ready?”
San-Kai and Bjorn nodded in unison, “Ready”
***
Jarl Balgruuf the Greater awoke.
The last thing he remembered was being on the Great Porch of Whiterun, fearing for his life. Then a Werewolf appeared, a servant of Hircine, and it picked him up…and jumped off the edge.
Balgruuf suddenly sat up, searching his surroundings like mad – determined to find out who had saved his life, who was under all the fur and claws. All he saw was Vilkas, one of the Companions, who had clearly been watching over him.
“Vilkas!” Balgruuf called, Vilkas turned suddenly,
“My Jarl! You’re awake!” Vilkas was pleased to see him alive
“Let’s get to the point” Balgruuf dismissed him, “Who was the Werewolf? The one that saved me?”
“The Werewolf was Bjorn Wolf-Hand, Jarl Balgruuf” Vilkas replied, serious and careful
“But he told me he was cured, he lied to me?” Balgruuf directed the question to Vilkas
“It appears so, my Jarl” Vilkas did not want to betray the Companions by revealing his prior knowledge of Bjorn’s lycanthropy
Balgruuf feared the answer to this question, “Is he alive? He must have suffered greatly falling from such a height”
Vilkas replied gladly, “Jarl Balgruuf, Bjorn was impaled on a rock spike and seriously injured – it was only by his Lycanthropic strength and the healing provided by the mage San-Kai that allowed him to stay alive”
“Good, where is he now?” Balgruuf asked
“He has left with the mage and a mercenary to go and fight the one who brought all this destruction” Vilkas replied
“When he returns, I shall honour him – despite his condition” Balgruuf promised, then looked up. “Dragonsreach exploded; the city was burning – what happened?”
“We do not know” Vilkas replied truthfully. “The Guards saw a girl rise into the sky and speak in some strange language – it is confirmed that the girl died, however”
“Very well, help me up Vilkas – I would resume my rule in Dragonsreach”
“Of course, my Jarl” So, Balgruuf was led back into the city by Vilkas – where he would prepare all the necessary arrangements for the appointment of a new Thane.
Dovahzul Transalations
Siigonis - Argonian
Fin deyra do mindok - Hermaeus Mora (Literal Transalation: The Daedra of the Mind)
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