บท 210: Chapter XIV: The Nick of Time
(Reyvin's POV, on route to Helgen Pass)
The wind whips around me as Scorch cuts through the air at full speed, leaving behind a trail of fire, the massive flaming bird purposefully showing off to the black blur following behind us with contemptuous ease.
Those wings that were usually tacked on to the form of a vampire lord making them look like some kind of skinned chicken were apparently far less decorative in the case of a Daughter of Coldharbour.
I shook my head at the memory of the amused look Serana gave me when I asked her if she was fine with flying on Scorch and she simply sprouted large bat-like wings while raising an eyebrow.
It would seem that me being a know it all had earned me a bit of sass from the resident immortal.
I could only hope that Harkon didn't get that little bit of powerup as killing his ass while he flew at such speeds would be annoying even with copious use of precognition.
As we flew by High Hrothgar I felt a new set of eyes focus its gaze on me, the feeling of a mountain staring down at me was anything but pleasant but I knew that I was in no real danger as the moment I looked at the source of the gaze I was met with the sight of an utterly massive grey-scaled dragon calmly sitting atop the mountain and looking at us with a mix of curiosity and concern.
My eyes widened at just how large he was, as he stood at at least twice the size of Vulthuryol.
Understanding the reason for his concern, namely me spreading word of his sighting, I offered him a formal bow (still flying at full speed of course) and spoke "Drem*."
It was no true shout but I made sure to focus all of my intentions into the word and that was seemingly enough as the ancient dragon let out a hum that somehow reached my ears and closed his eyes, seemingly returning to his rest.
We resumed our flight in silence until we came close to the fortified town of Helgen and set down a good distance from its stone walls.
The moment we did so I heard Serana take in a deep calming breath, breaking her cold facade for but a moment "Is that what I think it was?" She asked in perfect monotone but I could still feel her distress.
"If your thoughts were "Damn is that Paarthurnax the one who taught man to use the voice and face the World Eater?!" Then yeah it is exactly what you thought it was." I quip without a hint of concern in my voice, still calmly walking toward the town.
I feel her eyes bore into my back for a moment before she composes herself and catches up with me "Why do I feel this is not the most ridiculous thing I will hear you say?"
I look at her with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk "Because you have good sense?"
She shakes her head, the tiniest of tugs pulling at the edge of her lips.
Some posturing, shouting, and browbeating later we once more took to the skies, our reinforcements already mobilizing behind us.
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"That sure is a lot of n'wahs" A now shrunken Scorch mutters from my shoulder.
"Yup." I say with a pop "I am genuinely impressed that the garrison is still standing."
"Not for very long" Serana interjects and points to the rapidly splitting rocky blockade and the rather powerful feeling mage doing said splitting.
"Hmmm..." My eyes narrow and I focus on the enemy mage, a moment later I learn what I need and mutter "Shatter-shield." I furrow my brows "Ulfric is definitely going all out with this one if he sent one of his best mages forward."
"So just a more powerful n'wah?" Scorch tilts his head and then shrugs "Does he burn tho?"
I give him a blank look "He is a war veteran that could stand against genuine Altmer magi, underestimating him is plain stupid."
"I believe we have no more time to chat." Serana interjects once more "The path is already open."
"Not yet." I say, my clairvoyance already working on creating a perfect timing.
"He is already charging a spell, why hesitate?" She asks with genuine confusion.
A grin nearly splits my face as I summon my complete armor and step atop a rapidly expanding firebird "Presentation." I state as if the word explained everything and within the same moment Scorch plunges toward the wide wooden wall of the legionary fort, and right into the path of the giant blizzard.
Deciding to keep some of my aces hidden I summon my glaive and channel a blast of solar flame at the wave of ice, hitting it dead in the center and harmlessly shattering it in all directions.
Before anyone can blink I unsummon Scorch and stand atop the wooden wall, the somewhat familiar looking orc looking at me with a mix of fear and relief. One rapid identification later I greet the apparent new Quaestor "Sup?"
I see him slowly mutter 'sup? what?' before he wakes up from whatever confusion I caused and offers a crisp salute "Sir, Quaestor Zarok and current commander of this position reporting for duty."
"Greetings Quaestor" I ramp down the 'spooky' effects of my mask "Get your men ready, I will try and push the rebels back but be prepared just in case they still decide to press on."
He nods and I look to Serana who simply tilts her head "I will stay here and look for any overt traps."
"Very well" I accept her reasoning and finally look back to the Stormcloaks. The rebels had moved back a bit, making sure to keep distance between each other, while their mage was speaking to a tall blonde wearing light armor.
Have they forgotten me already? How rude.
Not being one to turn down an opportunity I snap my left hand toward the old mage, launching another spear of roiling flames followed by a wave of fireballs aimed at the housecarls.
As expected the old man reacts swiftly enough to protect himself but has no time to do anything about his guard as a bunch of fiery explosions completely engulf well over half of them, killing most on the spot while heavily wounding the rest.
But I was not done yet.
With a deep breath I placed my glaive in front of me and channeled an utterly massive amount of Magicka through it, no doubt if it were not made from ebony the poor thing would have cracked then and there. A warm aura surrounds me, and the warmth soon turns uncomfortable for the soldiers surrounding me and turns outright painful after that.
Thankfully for my men and not so much for the Stormcloaks the spell finally reaches its conclusion as an utterly massive runic circle appears above the enemy unit, a mix of arcane, dovahzul and what I've taken to calling magnusite runes all shining a bright red and gold.
The Shatter-shield mage wasted no time in grabbing his apparent protege and teleporting the both of them out of the way of my spell just in time for the grand firestorm to hit his previous position.
No other rebel survived the spell.
Absentmindedly casting a wide range heal, just in case my previous casting hurt anyone, I turn back to the orc "Now you may make your report." It took a bit of prodding but after a couple of minutes I finally managed to make the legionaries stop gawking and lead me to the command center.
As I walked toward the large wooden building I noticed a light glare coming from Serana, the smallest of burns on her hand slowly healing with a loud sizzle.
Whoops?
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As both the Quartermaster and Zarok finally finished with their reports I sighed in disappointment, my hand finding its way to my face without any input.
"So we have just under two hundred men against an entire army." I mutter "That is just fucking great."
"Army?" I hear one of the Decanii mutter.
"Oh yeah" I wave lazily "There is an entire force of Stormcloaks waiting for a breach just in the next valley over."
"Fuck." The same officer appropriately comments.
Zarok grunts, seemingly amused "Guess we die then."
"Well you lot might." I shrug drawing many confused glances "If things really get that bad then I will just disappear."
The confusion turns into a mix of anger and understanding but none of them are quite so foolish as to question me.
"That may however not be necessary." I raise a placating hand "Reinforcements are already on the way and we need to hold for only a day before the Stormcloaks are forced to retreat."
"And you are certain they will?" A Bosmer officer asks.
"It would be strategically foolish to continue the attack without a massive numbers advantage." I shrug "I mean I would love it if they decided to throw themselves on our swords but I doubt they are quite that foolish unfortunately."
The officers all share a dark chuckle before Zarok speaks again "You said that we have just under two hundred men but that would include the wounded..."
"That I will promptly be healing back into a combat ready state." I interrupt much to their great surprise "Some might be too traumatized to fight but they can at least run ammunition."
"You can do that?" A Nord officer asks, completely baffled by the very idea.
I offer no answer save for a mildly offended rising of my eyebrow.
I leave the headquarters followed by the excited Quartermaster, leaving behind a bunch of suddenly hopeful officers.
Their determined expressions bringing a satisfied smile to my face.
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"So is this what war is like?" Serana asks as the two of us sit atop the central tower. The sun had long since fallen and I had just finished healing the last of the wounded legionaries back to full strength.
"I had expected more... excitement." She settles on the word.
"Never seen one before princess?" I ask with only mild amounts of sarcasm, and ignoring her mild glare I shrug "Most of it is just positioning, logistics, and minor skirmishes. Anything bigger is usually what decides the conflict but for that to happen a lot of things need to click first."
"I've read about it in the castle." She explains after a bit of silence "I just never expected it to be so... tiresome."
"To think war was so monotonous it tired even those not living." I quip and pretend to shiver "How terrifying."
"You are awfully fearless for someone standing so close." Serana lazily points out.
I shrug "It is a gift."
Suddenly I see movement in the back of my mind and my whole demeanor shifts "Stay here." I tell her and use the darkness of the night to shadow walk in front of the fort.
Just in time for a whole company of dark cloak wearing Stormcloaks to emerge from within the breach, a far greater number of magi standing among them.
"Well, well ,well." I greet a specific robe-bound man among them with crossed arms "How nice of you to visit Shatter-shield."
He grits his teeth in frustration at being discovered so quickly but like a true veteran he immediately barks out "Move on without me, I will face him alone."
Much to his suspicion I do not try and stop them and merely stand there staring at him, and as the final rebel passes by me he grunts "I did not think you would be so arrogant." He unsheathes his hammer and bangs it against his shield "It will be your downfall."
I chuckle darkly at his words "Oh I do not worry, something far worse than I waits atop that wall." I do a lazy twirl with my glaive, further irritating the old Nord by refusing to elaborate, and point my weapon at him "You however, I will enjoy pulling apart."
"Bold words." He states and we stare each other down.
And then as if in agreement we unleash our full power and start blasting each other with every intention of utterly destroying our opponent.
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A/n: *Drem = peace
I hath a burning desire for stone!
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