The Outsider Act 4: Apprenticeship and Grandeur - Chapter 3 - Miraak

• Posted by Soneca the Exiled January 4, 2014 - 897 views

  What is this? This air entering my lungs… I… I breathe again…

   

  I was lying on the ground. I could feel the snow across my body. Move… Move… Move…

   

  I started to feel my fingers. There was an object there. Of course, my sword… I remember now… my sword, the gift from the demon of knowledge. My fingers began to move, they grasped the sword tightly. I began to pull myself up, I could feel the strength return to my bones. I dragged my gaze upwards, it was nighttime, Masser shined down on me, and Secunda was just below it. I was in a mountain. This looked like Solthsteim…

   

  I touched my face… of course; it’s not there, only the cold metal of my mask… I was wearing my priest vestments, the ones I wore when I fought him…

   

  I remember now, Vahlok…

   

  He… he defeated me… but I did not die… no…

   

  Mora could not let his champion… no… his prize… die…

   

  He trapped me… put me in a box and hung me on his wall… the first Dragonborn… he needed to have this prize for himself…

   

  Sounds, footsteps behind me...

   

  -“Laas” (Life) –

   

  I turned my head and there was a group of people coming towards me.

   

  -My lord! Lord Miraak! You have returned! The ritual worked! – Said the man while he ran ahead of the group towards me

   

  -Who are you? – I asked

   

  -I am your humble servant. My name is not important, and it is not worthy of your ears – said the man, the rest of the group was coming closer now, I could see them clearly now.

   

  There were two people other than the man. The were all dressed similarly, brown clothes with one arm covered in what looked like dragon priest armor, along with a white mask covering their faces.

   

  -Why have you freed me? –

   

  -Why? Because this world has become corrupted! We, no, the world needs you! You will be our great emperor; you will bring divine order to the world! – Shouted the masked man

   

  I tried to understand what was going on, how did these people bring me back? To pry something from the hands of a daedric prince, what kind of power these people wielded?

   

  One of the people in the group stepped forward, she was a woman, and she took her mask of. A Nord, she was beautiful, she had a long mane of red hair, which cascaded down as she removed her mask. Pale, delicate, and young features graced her face. Her lips were as red as blood, and her eyes, hypnotizing…

   

  She was a vampire! Those eyes, like two suns pointing directly at me, I felt endangered, so as a reflex I pointed my sword in her direction.

   

  -She is a vampire! What are you people?! – I shouted

   

  -Vampire? You, oh gods! Lord Miraak please I did not know! – Said the man who was kneeling a moment ago while he backed away from the woman

   

  The woman quickly broke the neck of the man who was next to her, and then she threw a knife in the throat of the masked man cowering next to me.

   

  -Who are you? Why did you do this? – I asked while gripping my sword’s hilt, ready for battle

   

  -I’m sorry for such an abrupt awakening, well, how are you feeling? Do you feel your powers coming back yet? Because if you don’t – she said with a small hiss – you’re useless to me – said the mysterious woman

   

  -What? Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?! –

   

  -If the answer is anything other than Miraak, I’m going to be pissed; I had quite a lot of trouble getting you out you know? –

   

  -If you know who I am then you know it is pointless to challenge me! I will have my answers, and you will be forced to serve me! “Gol, Hah” (Earth, Mind) – I shouted, using my Thu’um to control her mind

   

  The energy that came out of my throat engulfed her, but her reaction surprised me.

   

  -“Liid” (Liberate) – she shouted

   

  A strong energy was freed from her, and in turn it dissipated my own shout. What was this? How can she resist my voice? Not even dragons could withstand my power!

   

  -Surprised dear? – She said with a puckish face – this is a little defensive trick I learned from an old friend, took some sweet ass time to do it right, but now I am immune to mind control and illusion because of this trick –

   

  I gritted my teeth, she was very powerful, and I know she is holding back her power to fool me, I have to be careful.

   

  She started to weave magika in her hands, so I quickly created a ward and jumped back to create some distance. When her spell was finished a purple energy swirled next to her. From that energy came forth a dremora, he was no lord; from his energy I felt he was fairly weak. He kneeled next to the woman and pulled an object wrapped in cloth. She took the object from his hands and unwrapped it. It was a staff, the shaft was made from dragon bone, with a coat of red tint to it, and the ends of the staff were made of pure ebony, carved and detailed with beautiful akaviri markings.

   

  She gave the dremora the wrap back, and then he disappeared. Then she pointed the staff to me and asked:

   

  -Are you coming peacefully or are you going to make it hard for me? – She spoke with a “matter of fact” tone

   

  I felt insulted, this vampire, this creature! She thinks she can beat me? I will end this bitch!

   

  -“Wuld” (Whirlwind) –

   

  I felt my body being flung with unnatural speed, in the blink of an eye I was behind her, and I swung my sword at her back. The strike was blocked though, I saw now that she had moved her hand, and her staff was lying on her back, stopping the blade of my sword.

   

  -If you think you’re faster than me dear, then think again – she said as she disappeared from my sight with a low, muffled thud

   

  I looked up to see her reappear above me, staff in hand, swinging with full force, so fast that I could not even see her arm move, it just blinked in my direction. I managed to move the sword to my left arm and block her strike though. Bad decision, I felt my bones crack under the enormous weight that was behind that strike, like if I was being hit by the tail of a dragon, although it was probably ten times stronger.

   

  My feet sunk in the snow, she disappeared again, and this time appeared again at my side, kicking me with that same amount of monstrous strength, sending me flying towards the mountainside. Dammit, this woman was extremely strong.

   

  I was dizzy from the impact, but I could make out her blurry figure in the distance, slowly walking towards me. I prepared a lighting spell on my hands, but as soon as I was about to release it she disappeared again, only to reappear in front of me and grab my wrist. I kept my spell charged, and gradually moved my hand towards her, trying to point it to her and release the magic on her face.

   

  She laughed at my effort, and squeezed my wrist even more, making me release the spell away from her. She then picked me up and launched me towards the nearby cliff.

   

  -Enough playing, I will destroy you! “MUL, QAH… DIV!” (Strength, Armor, Wyrm) – I shouted. I was already flying through the air, falling into the abyss she plunged me into. The aspect took form around me, an ethereal armor, along with great ghastly dragon wings, which propelled me upwards and towards the woman

   

  She smiled a dreadful, terrifying grin.

   

  -HA-HA-HA! Now were talking! –

   

  What followed was unexpected. The dragon aspect is one of the most powerful shouts ever invented. It’s ghastly armor was stronger than the scales of a dragon; it doubled the power of my shouts while reducing their strain on my voice, and it also magnified my strength, giving me enough power to even hold open the jaws of a dragon!

   

  She put her staff on her shoulder, and then she raised her left hand and weaved magika around the palm of her hand. Once the raw magika concentrated in her palm, the color of the light changed, becoming a small black orb, surrounded by another, bigger, grey, transparent orb. I could feel an ungodly amount of energy coming from that small orb, and once I started to get closer, I felt my whole body being pulled towards it.

   

  It was a fucking gravity vortex! The speed of my advance became too much for me to control, and my wings started to lose stability. Once I was close enough she released the vortex and stepped forward, forming a fist in her hand.

   

  I used my wings to make another layer of armor to shield me from her strike. Useless. I saw her fist break through my wings, through my ethereal armor and hit my gut, breaking several ribs in the process and launching me into the ground.

   

  She slowly walked towards me and put her boot on my mask, pining my head to the ground.

   

  I was broken; this woman was on a whole other level of power. She was stronger than me, Vahlok, or anyone I had ever seen!

   

  -Who… are… you… - I said between breaths

   

  -Well, first impressions aside, I need your help. Now, if you swallow that stubborn dragonborn pride of yours, I just want to talk – she said in a calm tone, while she removed her boot from my mask and extended her hand to help me up

   

  I sat up and looked up at the woman. Swallowing my pride I extended my hand and despite the pain that it cause me, got up and looked her in the eyes. She was shorter than me, now I could see this clearly. I saw she was clearly a Nord, even if she did have some distinct Imperial and Breton features.

   

  -Who are you? What do you want with me? – I asked, clutching my gut

   

  -I need powerful allies, and before you say it, yes, beating the ever-living shit out of someone is not a good way to make friends. I understand that. But I will admit your case is a special one. I figured you being dragonborn and such that you would be stubborn, and you would need a show of power before you agreed to listen to me, or obey my orders as a matter of fact – said the woman, carefully measuring her tone on that last sentence, not wanting to anger me

   

  -That still does not answer my question –

   

  -As I said before, I need powerful allies; I’m about to enter a war against a group of very dangerous people. My goals are noble; please don’t judge me based on my condition. I have a great vision, where men and elves can walk peacefully side by side, a great empire, with no emperor, but a council of powerful beings fit to rule. I see you by my side, and my plan has already started, the gears are set in motion. I have set a necessary plague in world while advancing with my plan, Dragons, their return was needed. I brought back Alduin from his prison using the Elder Scroll that was used to trap him. The return of the dragons will cause the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion to blame each other for it, going to war in the process, and once they weaken each other we will bring divine justice to both sinful nations – she said with a proud, even dream filled tone

   

  -I know not of the nations you speak of, I am ancient, but you speak of my initial desire. The dragons, they were not fit to rule mankind. I heard nothing from my prison in Herma Mora’s realm. But, I hear your voice, even for a vampire, I can sense nobility in it. It’s true, history paints me as a villain, but my intentions were once noble, I defied the dragons to create a kingdom where mankind would be free to walk without fear of their overlords. I wanted freedom, but the dragons set their champion to put me down. When I cross blades with someone I can glimpse into their heart, sense their intensions, and I know that what you just spoke is true. I will help you, what is my task in this? – I said, truth behind my words, surprising even myself, but this woman… she had something about her, something that made me believe her crazy plan, something that made me believe that she was the embodiment of justice this world needed, I could feel it deep in my heart.

   

  -I released Alduin into this world, and so he brought back dragons. I needed them, as I said before, the Empire will blame the elves, and vice versa. A war will break out, and between the civil war and this, the Empire will crumble, paving way for my forces to march to summerset islands and take down the central elf government. What I need you to do is simple, Alduin is a threat, and so is the last dragonborn – she said, I showed a sign of surprise when she mentioned the last dragonborn, she noticed, and signaled me to wait

   

  –The last dragonborn is about to reveal herself to the public. At the moment she is in the company of a powerful organization, holders of lots of influence across the holds of Skyrim and the Empire. To put it simply, she needs to die, and so does the organization, except their leader – as she said that her voice wavered on that last word – I still believe he can be saved, but the rest are just puppets, not worthy of our salvation –

   

  -I understand, as soon as I am healed I shall assist your plans, and deal with this… dragonborn… If I may, you did not tell me your name –

   

  -I am Katherine, pleasure to meat you…