"A little over a month huh? Things are getting out of hand fast."
Rictus rubbed his tired eyes after the debriefing with Ken and Moira who tried catching him up with what had been going on recently. They had both left so he could have a moment to gather his thoughts. It had taken some time, but he had a better grasp of what had happened in his absence. Not much good apparently.
The first and most obvious change was the Restored now controlling Castle Volkihar. After Serana and the others had reappeared, they had been confronted by Moira who was hiding in the room. It had been tense, but thankfully things did not turn violent. They had quickly rushed away from the castle and back towards the Restored. Ken had tried keeping Rictus's disappearance silent, but it was all for naught. The most widespread rumor was about how Rictus was trapped in a magic ritual in the vampire's castle.
This knowledge quickly spread among the Restored and worked them into a frenzy. They were prepared to rush at the castle for their leader regardless of the consequences. Thankfully, Ken was able to get them ordered and prepared for the battle instead of letting them simply charge it. With the help of the Main Minions, especially Dravynea, they actually created bridges across the water. The bridges kind of zigzagged across the Sea of Ghosts as they followed along the many small islands in the sea. This made the process faster and more efficient than if they just tried cutting straight across the water. Before the Restored attacked, Ken had rapidly transported some of the initial wave of Dawnstar members across Skyrim. They were the distraction while the Restored created the bridges. Once those were done, sheer numbers overwhelmed the vampires. It had helped that some vampires had already defected at the words of Alucard, Serana, and Valerica.
The biggest reason for the successful takeover was for a different reason. Harkon was not there. He had been Ken's biggest worry during the assault, but he had never revealed himself. Ken personally thought he had gone chasing after Serana and the others who had continued looking for Auriel's Bow. It wasn't until after the battle that he realized Harkon may have been doing more than just chasing his family.
Large bands of undead and daedra now roamed northern Skyrim, the areas closest to Solitude were hit the hardest. No one knew where they had originated, but everyone felt their impact. Small settlements had been completely wiped off the map. Even larger ones like Dragon Stone had nearly fallen from the relentless hordes.
From what Rictus gathered, it wasn't a real zombie apocalypse like in stories from earth. The bite of a zombie could pass on a rotting disease that if it isn't treated will turn the victim into a zombie, but that didn't happen very often. Instead, it seemed as if every vampire, necromancer and unsatisfied conjurer in Skyrim had been united under one banner. There were even sightings of liches leading other undead in attacks across the countryside. Also noteworthy were the number of bonemen, warthmen, and mistmen. It seems deals with the Ideal Masters had been made. How Harkon had created such a force was a bit of a mystery, but he hadn't lived so long just because of luck.
All these attacks had really set back the Legion's war effort. They spent a lot of time and effort preventing these attacks, but they were stretched extremely thin by this point. The fact necromancers could appear and disappear suddenly did not help matters. With the Empire so distracted, it gave the Stormcloaks a great opportunity to expand their influence. There was a slight problem though.
For some inexplicable reason, dragons seemed to appear more often in the East of Skyrim compared to the other parts. They had been wreaking havoc all over while raiding the different settlements for food and fun. Few normal people had the abilities of turning a dragon away, much less defeating one, which meant most places suffered until the dragon got tired of them.
Despite all these things going on, the civil war still hadn't stopped. Both sides tried taking advantage where they could. Legion soldiers would sweep in after dragon attacks, taking over and providing aid where they could. Stormcloaks would do the same thing after attacks from the undead. Large battles were an immensely bloody affair for both sides. Dragons were attracted to the sound of battle while necromancers could easily take their pick of new minions.
On top of all this, Morthal had gone silent. No information had come from the city in quite a while, and neither did people for that matter. The Restored had lost contact with what few informants they originally had as it seemed no one ever left the city at all. It was extremely worrying, but at least there was a report from Falion who had recently arrived at White River Watch with Jarl Ravencrone's youngest child. Their story spoke of a town complete subjugated by vampires. Had this happened in the game, it would not have been that big a deal since the town was not very large. This was not the same city from the game though. Morthal was one of the major holds of Skyrim. If it had fallen, then the vampires had gained a significant number of allies.
The Restored didn't have the numbers for a full investigation, or subjugation if true. Thankfully, they had great relations with an order dedicated to the eradication of vampires and other deadra. Telling the Dawnguard and Vigilants about an entire town subjugated had prompted them to rapidly mobilize. From what he was told, Dante was leading a force to investigate the town, and he was not alone. Morrigan had left the College alongside her lover. Seems she had been quite upset at the vampire attack against Dante.
Rictus couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. The vampires there didn't stand a chance. Of all the Skilled, Morrigan was the one he would least like to fight. Sure, the Sneak would be a nightmare, and the Destruction could probably unleash the more devastating individual spells, but Enchanting was an entirely different beast. All the Skilled could make super strong Minions which would give them a small elite force under their control. Given enough time and materials, Morrigan could outfit an army. Even someone without training was deadly with a powerfully enchanted sword. The weakest could become as strong as a veteran with the right enchanted armor. Morrigan had been given time against the Vampires. Having basic enchantments which were super effective against the undead only made things easier. Most of the Dawnguard and Vigilants probably had at least minor enchantments on all their gear by this point.
Thinking of vampires though, Rictus couldn't help but think about Serana. They had been able to find Darkfall cave with the help of Moira and the Forsworn, who were having some difficulties adjusting to ruling but that was something else entirely. The group had set off in a hurry to find the bow and stop Harkon. Ken had even sent Reysera, Miruma, and a couple of his lieutenants with them as some extra protection. Of course, the official reason was for their added protection, but it wasn't the only one reason. He had remembered some stories Rictus had mentioned about a hidden valley somewhere in the mountain peaks of Haafinger. If they found this forgotten vale, Reysera could set up a teleport portal for the Restored. Her portals were not nearly as efficient or pleasant as the ones Rictus made, but they worked. Then the valley could provide the Restored a new start away from all the existing powers. It would become their fortress, if it existed of course.
There was only one more large piece of interesting news. Mirajane had called on the Restored for a favor. She had seemed disappointed Rictus wasn't there, but her quest couldn't wait. She had gone on a delve into Blackreach and needed supplies. Thankfully, Ken and Rictus had already made plans for such a delve, so it didn't take Ken any time to put that into motion. No fixed return time was given, but it shouldn't be much longer at all.
Rictus knew she was going to find the Elder Scroll which was needed to defeat Alduin. It also meant it wouldn't be long before Mirajane confronted the World Eater. Such a fight would be one told for ages to come. It also signaled the 'End' of what was considered canon for the game. Sure, there could be some other little things, but his foreknowledge was basically nonexistent past that. It would be…interesting to see what would actually happen after Alduin's defeat.
At that moment, Ken walked back into the room with a severe expression on his face as Moira waited at the door.
"We are being attacked again. This one seems more serious compared to the others."
There had been periodic attacks on the Castle since it had fallen. Part of the reason it could even happen was because the bridges had greatly expanded since its captured. There were now two stone walkways connecting the castle to the land. They weren't really the most reliable of things because of the waves and ice, but they served their purpose. Apparently, the ones controlling the undead took advantage of the bridges by sending probing attacks against them. Some undead would fall from the bridges, but it didn't really matter as they would just walk across the sea floor. Rictus thought having all the undead walk under the water would be more strategic, but he wasn't complaining at them bottlenecking themselves.
Feeling a little frustrated at being out of the loop for so long, Rictus was actually kind of happy they were under attack. This would be a great way of relieving some stress for him. Not the healthiest stress reliever, but still effective. As he was walking, he shot a glance at Moira. '…Maybe after the battle there will be a different kind of stress relief. I'm sure she missed me at least a little.' Catching his look, she blushed just a little as she gave him a saucy wink. Her swaying her hips a little more than was necessary and the hungry look in her eyes was not lost on him either.
As he passed various members of the Restored, each would stop and salute him with a joyful look on their faces. Whispered words of how they never faltered followed in his wake. While word had quickly spread, it wasn't until they saw him that they truly believed he had returned. Cheers greeted him as he stood on the castle walls. The sight of their leader healthy and back among them did wonders for the Restored. Rictus couldn't help the smile on his face or the warmth in his heart at their cheers. These were his people.
His happy expression quickly turned dark as he looked out at the large group of undead charging them. He grunted as he noticed how some undead were marching under water as well as across the bridges. Seems someone over there had a brain after all.
It didn't change anything though. Those monsters wanted to hurt and kill his people. That was simply unacceptable. It was time to let the world know he was back, and he knew exactly how he would make that statement.
"DUR NEH VIIR!!"
All the Restored stood in awe at hearing their leader let out a Shout. No one knew he could do that. His legend only grew larger as they witnessed it. The awe turned into reverence at what they witnessed next though.
Durnehviir appeared in all its majestic undead glory while wrapped around the closest castle spire. Taking in the surroundings, a truly massive roar ripped from his maw. He then turned towards Rictus.
"Ah! The free air of Vus at long last!"
The dragon's head tilted to the side as it took in a massive breath. A scary, but pleased, look came over its face which only became more pronounced as Durnehviir took in the approaching undead.
"You honor me once again Qahnaarin. After this feast, I will teach you the first word of Soul Tearing: 'Rii', as promised."
With that, the dragon let out another roar before taking to the skies. Rictus looked imperiously down on the undead as Durnehviir completely devastated them. Who would have guessed that an immortal undead dragon necromancer of immense power would be so effective against undead and mortal necromancers? Getting an itch in his left arm, Rictus decided it was time for him to join in the slaughter.
As he casually dropped from the castle walls and charged the undead horde, he completely missed the looks his people were giving him. If any of them had ever had a doubt about his power, seeing an ancient and powerful dragon submit to their master only reinforced his image. Ken let out a sigh with a smile splitting his weathered face as he glanced over at Moira.
"Try to keep up you old hag."
She let out a condescending laugh while covering her mouth.
"Oh, I think an ancient coffin-dodger like you will be the one left behind."
She quickly jumped from the wall and levitated to the ground. Not to be outdone, Ken hooked a grappling hook against the battlements before repelling down. Rictus wasn't the only one who had improved his abilities. Seeing him land beside her, Moira let out a chuckle.
"Seems an old dog can learn some new tricks."
No more words were shared between them as they both rushed forward, determined not to be left behind after so recently being reunited with Rictus. Seeing their actions, the Restored streamed out of the Castle with a roar. Emboldened with hope and fiery devotion, not a soul faltered as they bulldozed their way after their leaders. Nothing could stop them now.
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[AN]: Well, that was a quick summary of some of things which happened while Rictus was gone. Like I mentioned last week, I hadn't originally planned on a time skip, at least not one this long. Things had started dragging a little for me though, so I wanted to speed some things up.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story. Please let me know what you think, and what I can do better. I do read the comments even if I haven't really responded to them in awhile.
To those wanting some more knowledge, I got something for you. Hopefully, I haven't already said this one.
Google imates was introduced on July 12, 2001 due to a demand for picture of the dress Jennifer Lopez wore at the 2000 Grammys.
Rubbing his temples, the headache slowly faded as Rictus internalized all he had just learned. Durnehviir had taught him the first part of the Soul Tear Shout. The first word being Rii. Roughly translated, it meant Essence. While learning it, Durnehviir had informed him that it would take all 3 words of power before the Shout became worthwhile. Rictus had tried getting into the reasoning behind that, but the dragon had simply shrugged and told him that is just how the world works sometimes. There hadn't been a lot of time though before Durnehviir had returned back to the Soul Cairn though, so further details had been lost. Rictus could kind of comprehend the Shout, but it felt slippery when he tried focusing on it. Almost like when a word is on the tip of your tongue, yet you cannot remember it for the life of you.
Unlike the game where the Dragonborn could summon Durnehviir fairly quickly, Rictus was not so lucky. Somehow, he just knew that trying to summon the dragon too soon would not be good for his health. From what he could tell, it would take a few days before he could summon Durnehviir again. A worthy price for such a powerful ally. With more practice, he was certain he could reduce the time though. Whether Durnehviir would actually answer the summons was an entirely different matter though. The dragon was a sentient being after all, so he didn't have to listen.
For now, Rictus had made his way back to his favorite overlook at White River Watch for a bit of a break. He had been rushing around the past couple days ever since his return, and he needed a moment to relax. There wasn't anything major, but a lot of little things needed his personal touch. Mostly, he visited their various bases so his people could see him. Morale is a powerful tool.
His eyes did keep drifting towards the top of The Throat of the World. It wouldn't be too much longer before the legendary clash between Alduin and the Last Dragonborn. The outcome of that fight would determine the course of history and be told for years afterwards.
Would he become part of that legend, a simple footnote, or completely forgotten? He was more than willing to assist in the fight, but he wasn't sure he really wanted that. Fear was the main reason. He had already fought and killed dragons before, but Alduin was an entirely different matter. What would a fight against the strongest dragon even look like? How many would perish? Would he even make a difference? Could he live with himself if he didn't at least try helping?
A determined look appeared on Rictus's face at that last thought. He would not let doubt and fear control his thoughts. If he could help, he would try and do his part. Not dying would still be a high priority though. There was still a lot he would like to accomplish here.
"Sorry to bother you, but we have a visitor."
Rictus raised his eyebrow at Ken as his thoughts were disrupted.
"Who is it?"
"Delphine."
It was a surprise, but not entirely unexpected. Seems she may have gotten word of him being able to summon a dragon. He thought he knew what she wanted though, so he motioned for Ken to bring her to him. He waved off his other guards though so they could speak alone. Soon, one of the most famous characters in from the game was standing in front of him.
The middle-aged Breton woman stood proudly before him and stared at him with piercing green eyes. She was in amazing shape despite her age, and he knew she was a fierce fighter. He was a bit surprised at her attire though. Instead of wearing the iconic leather armor, she was wearing full blades armor with the iconic dragon helmet under one arm. The armor looked kind of like a mix between some samurai and Roman legion armor. He personally thought it was pretty cool looking.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Delphine, Grandmaster of the Blades. To what do I owe the honor?"
She didn't even flinch at his mention of the Blades as she continued staring. It seemed she was trying to divine some information just by looking at him. Rictus wasn't really bothered though as he took a bite out of a delicious sweet roll while maintaining eye contact. Eventually, she spoke.
"Is it true?"
Hearing such a broad question, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Is what true? I need a little more to go off than that."
Her eyes narrowed at his flippant attitude.
"I believe you know what I am talking about. It's obviously about the rumors of you fighting alongside a dragon. The eradication of those monsters is the sole purpose of the Blades."
"At one point, the Blades were responsible for protecting the emperor. Not that they really did a good job of that based off all the assassinations. Hopefully you are better dragon hunters than protectors."
Her eyebrow barely twitched at the slight, but he still noticed. He couldn't help but try and get in one more jab. The way she was staring at him was not pleasant.
"I also thought the Blades were supposed to serve the dragonborn. Yet, you are here, and the Dragonborn is risking her life down in Blackreach with my people assisting her. Most curious indeed. Maybe an explanation of that in return for my explanation is in order."
That got a reaction as she tightly gripped her sword and stared daggers at him before speaking frostily.
"I'll explain what I want when I want, got it? You'd already be dead if not for you helping the dragonborn and hurting the Thalmor. Now, are you working with those monsters? Think about your answer carefully, especially before disrespecting me or my order again."
A heavy and tense silence followed her words. The slight playfulness in Rictus's eyes had completely disappeared as he stared back at her. Slowly, the corners of his mouth started twitching.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
Rictus kept laughing for a moment as his eyes started watering. It took a couple of minutes before he got ahold of himself and wiped away the tears. He stood up and grabbed some water sitting on a nearby table. After taking a long sip, he turned back to her.
"Heh. I needed a good laugh, so I thank you for that. I really must applaud your determination and confidence though. It is no wonder you could avoid the Thalmor so long despite them wanting you dead. But to answer your question, I am not working with the Dragons. I traveled to a plane of Oblivion where I defeated a dragon. He taught me how to summon him here where he would fight my enemies. So, no. I am not working with the dragons. I killed an immortal monster, and it submitted to me. Is that a good enough explanation?"
She looked a little skeptical but could tell he was telling the truth, or at least what he thought was the truth.
"You need to kill that dragon again then. We do not need another one running amok."
"Umm did you not hear me about already killing him once? He will just reanimate like how Alduin has done at the dragon mounds."
She didn't seem to care about his explanation though as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Then either seal him so he cannot come back or forget the spell for summoning him to this world. You should know the problems the dragons have caused us. Countless people killed. Untold destruction. They will end this world if we do not stop them."
She looked him over before speaking again, looking a bit less rigid.
"I know I can be a bit harsh at times, but it is required if we are to end this threat. The Blades need strong people willing to fight for our survival. You and the Restored haven't been doing bad so far. But if you were to join the Blades, things could be so much better. Our knowledge and prowess combined with your numbers would go a long way of making this world a better place for all."
Shocked, Rictus stared at her incredulously.
"Are you serious?"
Delphine nodded her head.
"Of course I am. Being a Blade is a lifelong commitment though. Your loyalty must be with us once you are in."
Slowly and carefully, Rictus started talking while pacing back and forth.
"So, let me get this straight. First, you come into my home and demand I give you answers. Then, you threaten me and say how you, a fit middle-aged woman past her prime with minimal magical abilities, would have already killed me, a perfectly healthy mage in the prime of his life who leads one of the strongest private factions and has killed a dragon in single combat, if not for me helping Mirajane and killing some Thalmor. Next, you demand I permanently kill, or at least never summon, a powerful being sworn to assist me in battle. Finally, you try and recruit me and my followers to become your underlings? Oh, and you never actually answered my question about why the Restored are with the Dragonborn right now instead of the Blades. Does that about cover it all?"
Her scowl had only grown the more he talked as she grit her teeth.
"That is one way to look at it."
"How about a counter proposal then? We forget any unpleasantness of our past little conversation and start over. I am willing to have an open and friendly information exchange with you about dragon hunting techniques. Then, we can see where that leads."
Rictus held his hand out to her to seal the deal. Personally, he thought it was a pretty good one. Start with some information and then they could explore future cooperation. Yeah, he didn't like her attitude, but he understood it on some level. Delphine had been in hiding and on the run for decades. She had always been the alpha and didn't really work well with others. Her time in hiding had only refined her zealousness. It would take a bit of time for any change, but if she did, Rictus thought she would be a great ally against the dragon and Thalmor.
Delphine looked at his hand with contemplation before a determined look appeared on her face. She took a step closer and clasped his hand.
"The others didn't recognize the armor. I can't let you go, knowing what you know. I am sorry it turned out this way."
Staring into his eyes, Delphine plunged a dagger straight into his chest where his heart was. She watched as his eyes widened in surprise at her sudden attack. Admittedly, she did regret having to do this. Rictus would have provided immense benefits to the Blades and could have made the world a better place. She had been sorely tempted by his offer. It had seemed genuine and had a lot of potential for becoming something more in the future. She just couldn't take that risk though. Thalmor spies were everywhere, and they would surely find her if she took the deal. The Restored were too prominent not to have spies in their ranks, and the Blades were not ready for that fight just yet. Everything would have been easier if Rictus would have just joined her.
"Do not worry. I will do everything in my power to make sure the dragon threat is no more. You can rest easy and go in peace to whatever afterlife you believe in."
She slowly lowered him to the ground before taking a step back as she pulled the dagger from his chest. The poison on the blade guaranteed to finish him off quickly and painlessly. Maybe there was still a way she could use this to her advantage though. If she could somehow put the blame on the Thalmor, it would mean an all-out war between the Restored and those bastards which would take the heat off her. Then she could move more openly, for a while at least.
Something was off though. Her instincts were screaming at her that something was very wrong. It took her a moment, before she realized what it was. There was basically no blood on her blade.
She stared at her blade before quickly looking at the gaping wound on Rictus's chest. There was only a small trace of blood on her sword, but nothing coming from the wound. How could that be? She tried taking a step forward but couldn't move at all. It felt like her body was paralyzed and the weight of a mountain was on her shoulders. Her eyes looked around in a slight panic at what could be going on. A bored voice soon addressed her.
"Delphine, Delphine, Delphine. What ever am I going to do with you?"
Her eyes darted around trying to find the source of the voice, but she couldn't find it. Maybe it was coming from behind her. She tried turning, but she was still completely stuck, only her eyes being able to move. Rustling soon followed, and her eyes widened as she finally discovered where the noise was coming from.
"Well, that was not very nice of you. That shirt was a gift you know?"
Patting himself off, Rictus turned and faced Delphine.
"I'm not usually one for monologuing, but I am just in that kind of mood today. See, I happen to be very Skilled in Alteration magic. One of the things I am most famous for is my Alter body spell. It is the reason we are called the Restored actually. It allows me to change a person's body in a number of different ways, including restoring lost limbs. So, making a small hollow area in my chest where a knife could easily penetrate while causing no damage wasn't too taxing. I hadn't had a real chance to test it out before now though, so thank you for the help. I don't think it is ready for actual combat, but it has some potential."
Before her eyes, the opening on his chest rapidly flowed back together like it had never happened.
"I really was hopeful we could have worked something out peacefully. I am sure it would have been mutually beneficial. Unfortunately, that will not happen. I'm not sure what will become of the Blades from here though. Not really your concern though. Just take it easy while I figure out what to do with you now."
Stone reinforced with metal rapidly covered Delphine's body. Her eyes filled with panic as she was completely covered, leaving only an opening for her nose. Staring at his newest statue, Rictus let out a tired sigh.
"This was definitely not how I saw this day going. I really just don't understand people sometimes."
Hearing footsteps, he looked up to see Ken and Moira approaching with a few of his guards behind them. Curiously, Ken had a black eye.
"Umm what's with the black eye Ken?"
He looked back impassively as Moira started fidgeting.
"I was responsible for holding back Moira after you were stabbed. I told her you were fine and to check with her magical sight, but it took some convincing. I suppose we are just lucky she took her frustration out on me instead of burning the place to the ground."
Rictus couldn't help chuckling at his friend's bad luck. As bad as it sounded, it felt good to laugh at his misfortune. Isn't that what real friendship looked like after all?
"I am very lucky to have a friend like you Ken. Your trust in me and my abilities is quite flattering as well."
He simply shrugged his shoulders as Rictus rapidly healed his eye.
"I knew you were okay. Besides, you would have deserved death if a little dagger to the chest from an old lady killed you."
Rictus rolled his eyes at the dry remark as Ken smirked at him.
"Uh huh. Well, after this little fiasco, I am going to sit in my chair and stare off into the distance while pondering the greater mysteries of magic. Please do not let anyone else disturb me for the rest of the night."
Without waiting for a reply, he plopped himself down in his chair. Staring off into the distance, he couldn't help but ponder his magic as he pulled some things from storage. 'Hmm…I wonder how my Storage spell keeps these Sweet Rolls so fresh and this milk so cold?'
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[AN]: Well we finally got to meet Delphine. I hadn't really thought about this happening before the idea popped into my mind while showering. It made a little sense though that Delphine would react in some way. I know that some people may like her, but I personally was never a big fan of how they did her character. Lots of potential, but just not the best done. So, I let Rictus deal with her in ways I never could in the game.
Also, with Christmas happening this weekend, I don't know if there will be a chapter next week due to my busy schedule. Just as a warning.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story, and this note. If you have any thoughts on how I can improve it, please let me know. I haven't done to hot in responding to comments recently, but I do love reading them still.
Also, here is a fun international Christmas fact for you. It is a tradition in Japan to eat KFC for Christmas. Orders for Christmas Chicken Buckets can be placed as soon as early November.
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