Chapter 10: Chaos Within the order

The sickly sound of a blade slicing through living flesh was to be expected, but what was not expected was the blast that interrupted the fluid like attack. Out from the smoke and fire, tumbling end over end Taara finally seemed to find her feet on flat ground. Ice and telekinetic power forced her to remain upright.  Finally coming to a stop 10 meters from where the blade made contact she grasped and the badly burned bloody stub that was her right arm. The severed arm landed a few feet from Twilight who stared in horror. She had seen things this bad before but it was always to people who were far weaker and in general, enemies. This was her friend who just lost her arm and nearly her life.

Twilight quickly threw her hands out. In this form it was not her horn but her hands that were the focus of the magic. As odd as it was for her she still wielded magic in this form like a master. Ice and fire spewed from her finger tips, yet the elf's wide eyes and vacant stare unfortunately was accompanied by lightning like reflexes. Ducking and weaving effortlessly through Twilight's magical onslaught. Dodging Umbra by mere inches. Leaping back she released a mass of telekinetic energy to try and smash the now homicidal Hero of Kvatch. The dark elf leaped up above the blast of magical energies and landed inches from Twilight bringing Umbra down with a vicious overhand attack. The dark blade had only just barely cut the first few purple hairs on Twilight's head when a staff of glowing green lightning smashed the elf in the side of the head sending her back. Umbra had just barely cut a fine line over Twilight's left eye.

"Move back... take to the air and stay clear out of her reach... " Taara's bloody stump was half healed already, and in her other hand, the staff of Magnus twirled and gathered energy. The Hero of Kvatch's fighting style was powerful, quick and acrobatic, but with what Taara had seen so far, if she remained on guard the dark elf was unlikely to land another blow. However, this woman was arch mage of Cyrodiil's mages guild 240 years previous. And that was just one of the great many accomplishments the woman had undertaken. This individual was powerful enough to ascend into Godhood and replace Sheogorath. This was not likely to be all she had under her belt.

Twilight quickly changed back and took to the air with her wings flapping frantically. She wanted nothing to do with that brutal blade. Her horn let off a soft glow of her alicorn magic combined with restoration to quickly seal her fresh wound. By the end of the day it would be a scar, another few weeks and it would be gone. Though, lucky she was that the blade missed the optical organ her real concern was Taara. Focusing her magical energies through her horn she looked for any chance to turn the tide of the battle in Taara’s favor.

Green lightning leaped from the tip of the staff and lashed out at the dark elf who ducked low enough to touch her nose to the ground before she leaped high, magic crackling in her hand, her image blurred and faded as her masterful illusion skill hid her from view. Taara however would have none of that.

“YOL!!!” Taara’s Thu’um was as strong as ever and with one word fire kicked up in a thick blanket and swashed over the floor quickly outlining a figure that blasted its way through the flames. Waving her hand in the general direction of the void of flames she ensured a thick layer of ice would keep her from immediate danger. Which was quickly tested as Umbra was thrusted through the ice, nearly taking the arch mage’s eye out. The noticeable dark purple glow of conjuration magic flared after Taara focused more ice into a protective shell to further prevent the elf’s blade from reaching her in this state. The conjuration spell worked as a dazed Dremora hobbled on unsteady feet.

“What… wh…what in …why did you summon me this way wretch!” the heavy set Dremora  staggered more in the small space as Taara’s left hand quickly grasped the Daedra by the right arm

“Terribly sorry but I need this…I promise it’s the last thing I will ever need from you…”

She planted a foot firmly against the Dremora’s chest and again her magic flared. With a grunt and a flash she tore off the Dremora’s arm and quickly pressed it against her stump and fused the two body parts together at the same time as banishing the very very angry Daedra. The two vastly different bloodlines disagreed right away. Bubbling and swelling the flesh looked to already be rotting away but Daedra flesh was ungodly powerful. Taara flexed the new limb and grabbed the staff of Magnus with it. Viciously lashing out, even through the ice. Taara began her onslaught Magic and staff against the legendary blade Umbra and the Hero of Kvatch.

Clanging, clashing and blasting the two roughed eachother up. Magica slowly being exhausted as Taara lobbed spells at the dark elf who in turn, both getting sapped by the staff of Magnus and blocking the blasts with hefty wards or misguiding their aim with powerful illusion magic. The result was both combatants quickly running low on magical power. As such Taara resorted to her staff as a means of combat, though even that was running frightfully low on enchanted power. The Hero of Kvatch was already out of magica and running low on steam for her physical attacks. For Twilight it had happened so quickly, though in reality they had been duking it out for a good fifteen minutes, all of it so fast Twilight couldn’t even follow it.

Ducking and weaving the old woman seemed to be on her last legs. Breathing heavily, her new arm was now sluggish, her hair was a mess, and her staff sagged in her hands. The elf on the other hand, though she seemed a shade slower than previous still maintained her steady breathing.

The very second the elf came to a rest and raised her hand for a magical attack with what little magica she could scrounge up, a blast shot out from a dull purple alicorn horn. Very unlike the known magics of Nirn this particular piece of Equestrian magic she had learned from watching Discord.

The elf’s vacant expression betrayed a hint of panic as suddenly she was thrown back, not by the impact of the spell but simply put, gravity was pulling her in that direction. Not even a second later it pulled her to the left and upward at a soft angle. At random points between 0.5 and 3 seconds the gravity that surrounded and affected her person would change to an utterly random direction.

Taara slowed and panted, letting out an explosive sigh of relief. “You could not do that sooner?...”

“no…I couldn’t …she was moving too fast…that was literally the ONLY chance I had…that spell has to be very accurate or it wont work at all.”

Umbra turned about in the dark elf’s hands and plunged into the wall where the elf landed next, anchoring her there. Holding on tight she appeared to make no further attempts at combat.

“It matters not any longer if you are madness or not….you have proved worthy enough… speak your request then leave me….I have madness to fend off….”

Her vacant glare continued, Twilight could not help but feel that the elf had failed to fend off this madness she was so desperate to escape decades ago. Reguardless to her mental state the elf was sitting very still and an easy target for her or the now recuperating arch mage to take down in case of a renewed attempt at resistance.

Twilight quickly spouted out the demand. “We need the Sigil stone from the Oblivion gate you took from where you found me.”

She focused for a moment before reaching out towards Twilight. Her palm swelled and seemed to spew a thick meaty hunk of flesh off which formed a perfect sphere. Dark red and black the sphere rolled gently across the floor. Quickly Taara picked it up grunting at the painful junction of Daedra and Breton flesh. The junction was clearly at its limit. As such she tore it off once again and tossed it to the side. Her magic tended the once again bloody stump. Though this time she seemed more at peace with the missing limb.

“Come on…we have what we came for….lets g-“

The ground surged and Twilight’s magic was forcefully shut off before the two were ejected from the odd pocket dimension. The Hero of Kvatch watched with a cold unrelenting emotionless gaze before returning to her overturned pillow, righting it and grasping the empty book to once again begin flipping through its pages.

-    -    -

Both Twilight and Taara hit the ground at the same time. However unlike Twilight, Taara was firmly decided upon to not get up. She was in a bit too much pain and decided she would rather just lay where she was pondering the implications of the loss of her right arm.

“Taara!...please tell me you are ok… please..” Twilight’s human form was near instantly at the arch mage’s side along with the other mages in the area. Most dumbstruck to see the legendary warrior so gravely injured.

“I am fine Twilight….Im just old… I need a moment to rest… the rest of you… go find that moron lizard…do NOT let him leave…”

The mages quickly took off after Geel as Twilight worried over her friend. Spike too sat next to her. “Wow…I didn’t think anything could even touch the arch mage… Guess we are all a little more mortal than we like to think.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and looked over the healed over stub before looking into Taara’s eyes. “What do we need Geel for?...we have the Sigil stone…I can go home now…”

“It’s not for you Twilight… its for me… His last book vaguely mentioned the Dwemer being able to make artificial limbs, if he can…hes going to make one for me…or I will melt his face off.”

“um…Taara…isn’t that a little harsh?”

“no… this situation clearly calls for at LEAST this much…now do me a favor and PLEASE get me some wine….I need a moment alone with my drinks…”

Twilight nodded bringing a bottle to her friend who eagerly took to the drink trying to ease the pain of having her arm removed, getting a new one attached and then getting it ripped off again. Twilight simply sat back with spike who looked between the two eager but not yet willing to bug them for details. He had not seen anything since Sheogorath had swallowed them both and simply vanished. He wanted to ask and to hear it all but he could read the situation and wisely decided to wait for the story to come out on its own. Twilight however was torn between her injured friend and the shock that after so long she would finally be able to go home. As much as she tried, she could not quite stop the tears of fear, joy, and sorrow all at once streaking down her cheeks.