Mori Pro Imperio: The Story of Pliton Calleius
Chapter 26
Previous ChapterNext Chapter“Damn it!”
Ulfric cried out in pain as I laid him on the ground. We had just narrowly escaped from Oblivion before the portal closed, and now we had to worry about Ulfric’s wounds. His wound was bleeding heavily, and his face had gone pale and clammy.
I looked to Twilight, and she shook her head.
“I can’t,” she said, “I’m too weak to heal this kind of wound. You have to do it yourself.”
I exhaled deeply, and nodded in agreement. I took off Ulfric’s chestpiece, and looked at the wound Molag Bal had left across his chest. It was deep, and the wound wasn’t a clean cut. I cracked my knuckles, and placed my open palms on the wound. Ulfric hissed in pain, and told me to stop, and to let him die a true Nord.
“And leave Skyrim leaderless?” I responded. “Now be quiet. I’m trying to save your life here.”
Ulfric rolled his eyes, and allowed me to continue. I closed my eyes, and concentrated on closing the wound. I felt the warmness of the healing aura envelop around me, and slowly, I could feel the wound closing. My hands were shaking because they were so tense. Sweat poured from my face, and my brows were furrowed deep into my forehead.
I heard Ulfric sigh, and I opened my eyes. I hadn’t closed the wound completely, but I had stopped the bleeding. The wound wasn’t as deep, but it would still give Ulfric pain. He sat up, and looked down at his chest. He looked up at me, and smirked.
“You know, for saving a life, you need practice.” He said bluntly.
“Why do you think I tried to save you?” I asked cynically. Ulfric smiled, and shook his head.
He got up, and said to me, “Now, where to?”
“We have to close the other portals in Windhelm.” I said as I stood up. “But you can’t in your condition. You’re going to have to head back to Kynesgrove. I only healed you above the skin. I am not that advanced in magic. Is there a mage in Kynesgrove that can help you?”
“I cannot just leave my forces here!” Ulfric resisted.
“Fine, die then.” I replied.
Ulfric rolled his eyes, but surrendered. “Alright. I’ll find my way back.”
I nodded at him, and watched him limp away. I turned around and mounted Midrotheyvkaal, and helped Twilight up onto his neck. Twilight was right behind me, and wrapped her purple arms around my waist. Ulfric was behind her, and held onto the dragon’s neck.
I commanded Midrotheyvkaal to fly, and he lurched into the air. I spotted another portal close to Ulfric’s Palace. I told the dragon to fly there, and Midrotheyvkaal obeyed. I looked down onto the streets, and watched the carnage from above.
The Stormcloak soldiers were butchering what Daedra there were, but there were just too many of them coming out of the portals. I knew the line wouldn’t hold for long unless we shut the portals. Even with the dragons strafing, the Daedra were driving the Stormcloaks back.
When we neared the palace, Midrotheyvkaal flew low to the ground. He plowed through the lines of Daedra, and incinerated them with his Thu’um. He was flying at an extremely fast rate; there would be no way he could slow down before reaching the Palace. I then made a very stupid decision.
I drew my sword, gripped my shield, and stood up on the dragon’s neck.
“What are you doing?” Twilight asked.
“Just watch,” I said. I then jumped off of Midrotheyvkaal’s neck, and rolled onto the street. I got up, and slashed a Dremora across the chest. It fell to the ground while blood squirted from its wound.
I turned, and blocked an attack from a Dremora Lord. I counterattacked, and it blocked it with one of the two swords it was wielding. I kicked the Dremora, and it took a few steps back. I slashed at its stomach area, and it went to its knees. I stood over the Dremora, and raised my sword above my head.
Right then, it swept my feet out from under me, and I went to the ground. I dropped my sword, and it clattered against the street, a few feet away from me but outside of my reach. I looked back at the Dremora, and raised my shield up as it attacked me with repeated slashes from its swords.
It stayed like this for a few seconds, until I bashed the shield into its stomach. I then kicked its knee, and rolled to my right and got up. I grabbed my sword, whirled it around my wrist, and slashed at the Dremora’s face. It went to the ground, but it got back up.
I was getting tired of this Daedra, so I sheathed my sword, and grabbed for my crossbow. I loaded a steel bolt, and aimed at its neck. I pulled the trigger, and it flew through the Daedra’s neck. It then fell dead onto the street with a pool of dark red blood expanding below him.
I turned, and found three Daedra run at me. I put away my crossbow and drew my sword in record time, but it was useless. By the time they came close, they were already lit on fire. I turned, and saw Twilight walk up next to me. I could tell by her expression that she was annoyed with me.
“What the hell were you thinking?” She asked, “Jumping off of a dragon?”
“What?” I responded, “I couldn’t just wait for Midrotheyvkaal to stop.”
“So you almost got yourself killed!” She retorted. She came up to my side, and a purple aura surrounded her horn.
“Damn, you’re so difficult sometimes.”
“I’m difficult?” I replied as I drove my sword into a Scamp’s head. “Could we talk about this another time?”
“No.” She answered. “We need to talk about this now.”
I exhaled audibly, and shook my head. Twilight had to be pissed if she couldn’t wait for a battle to subside to yell at me. I backed up, and her back touched mine, as a group of Daedra had surrounded us.
“Now look at you’ve done!” She cried, “Because you were testosterone deficient, you have us surrounded!”
“Well you didn’t have to follow.” I said, “I had things under control.”
I then ran towards a Dremora, and sliced its neck out. I turned, and stabbed another Dremora in the chest. I turned around, and slew another Dremora. All the while, Twilight was nagging me about how I needed to think things out.
“Oh you should’ve seen what I did in the Imperial City then!” I shouted over the commotion. “I performed an elaborate escape from the prison there!”
“You were in prison?” Twilight stopped fighting and looked at me. “What else has happened in this past month?”
“I’ll tell you later.” I said as I ran at her. I slid under her legs, and cut off the lower leg of a Scamp. I got up, and plunged my sword into its head. I the grabbed my crossbow, and shot over Twilight’s shoulder, hitting another Scamp in the chest.
“Now,” I panted, “Are you going to help or not?”
“Fine.” She said. She turned around, and faced a few Daedra. “This can wait.”
“It better,” I replied as I ran at a Dremora warrior. I attacked, but it parried it. Almost in the same movement, I plunged the sword into the back of his neck, taking advantage of the counter. The Dremora hissed in defeat, and fell to the ground.
I turned, and caught a strike from a Warhammer with my shield. I shoved the shield forward, and cut the exposed arm off at the wrist. Blood spurted from the wrist, and I cut out the Daedra’s neck before it could cry out in pain.
Right after that Daedra sunk to the street, a final Dremora ran at me. I sheathed my sword, and I froze the Dremora in its tracks. As soon as the ice took effect, I blasted it with a kinetic blast, which shattered the ice, killing the Dremora.
I turned around, and saw that Twilight had made short work of the remaining Daedra. I sighed in relief, and shook my
head.
“You ready for another round?” I asked her.
She turned, and smirked, saying “You know it.”
She ran towards the Palace, and I followed after her. We sprinted towards the elaborate walls, but stopped when a few dragons strafed the Daedra crowded around the portal. I looked behind me, and ducked down when I saw Stronghand and his dragon, Odahviing; fly over us, freezing the Daedra. Odahviing turned in the air, and landed in front of us.
Stronghand got off of his mount, and said, “You seem like you’re having fun.” He turned and looked at Twilight, and said, “Don’t I know you?”
“Yes, you do.” Twilight panted, “I kidnapped you, remember?”
“Oh yeah, I remember you now.” Stronghand said. “Come, Odahviing and I were about to fly into the portal. Calleius, where is your mount?”
“He’s back at the camp,” I said, “Taking Ulfric back. He’s wounded.”
“Oh, the Daedra will pay for this.” Stronghand answered, “Try and kill my King, will you? Come, mount Odahviing, I’ll take into the portal.”
I agreed, and began to mount Odahviing. I turned, and helped Twilight up. When she was safely onto his back, Stronghand kicked at the dragon’s neck, and it lifted into the sky. Stronghand shouted for Odahviing to fly into the portal, and Odahviing sped towards the entrance.
Once again I was inside the Realm of Oblivion. Odahviing flew towards the Sigil Tower, though this one was much smaller than the elaborate one I had faced Molag Bal and Chrysalis in. Still, it towered over the volcanoes and foothills surrounding the plain this Tower resided in.
Odahviing reached the Tower in little time, and the three of us dismounted and entered the Sigil Keep. I drew my sword, and looked around for enemies. I snapped my head to the left when I heard whispers.
“Look at them,” I heard, “They’re easy prey.”
“It’s been so long since we’ve had visitors.” Another voice replied.
“Show yourselves!” I shouted, tightening my grip on my sword. “And fight as a man, and not a coward!”
“You think us men?” Said a voice that was eerily familiar, I turned and I gasped in horror. There stood none other than Rainbow Dash, wearing over-sexed Daedric Armor. It exposed her thighs, and her upper chest. She wore her mane in a ponytail, and smiled wickedly when she saw my horror.
“Did you forget me?” She asked, “Did you forget how Mehrunes Dagon smacked me aside, and you left me in Canterlot? Because I do remember, and that’s not a friend does.” Her figure evaporated into the floor, and she appeared behind me. I froze in fear as she dragged her finger across the back of my neck, saying, “And I thought we were friends.”
“And I as well, Pliton Calleius.” Another voice continued, “Yet as soon as you leave me, you defile my sister. Friends don’t do that, Pliton.”
Shining Armor walked out of the shadows, and smirked. “What? Did you think we would just fade into nothingness? Mind you there is still fighting to be done in Equestria, and you abandoned us. And look what happened. Exiled from your homeland, your family dead, all you have is my sister. And I would like her back now.”
I could not move. I was in too much shock to comprehend what was going on.
“You’re not you,” I said slowly, “You’re a…”
Shining Armor kicked me in the abdomen before I could finish the sentence. I landed flat on my back, and blood flew out of my mouth as I impacted the hard floor. Shining Armor walked over me, and laughed.
“How quickly you go down astonishes me.” He said, “For a Champion of Talos, you’re weak.”
Right after saying that, Twilight sent a lightning spell into Shining Armor’s back. He cried out in pain, and his eyes flashed green for a second. I gasped in recognition, and kicked him back with both of my feet. I got up on my feet, and picked up my sword again.
“You’re not Shining Armor.” I said, “You’re a Changeling.”
The Changeling began to snicker, and said, “It took you that long to figure it out? You really are pathetic, Calleius! Now, you will pay for the deaths of Warfury and Witchthought! We are Hellstrike and Slylust, and we are newest and deadliest members of the Order. You have exterminated half of us, but that is where it will end.”
The Changelings showed their true, grotesque forms, and drew their weapons nonchalantly. Hellstrike carried only a slender sword, and Slylust wielded two daggers.
“This is where you will die!” Hellstrike shouted. He ran at me, sword raised above his head. I raised my shield to deflect the strike, but it proved futile as it dented the shield beyond usefulness. I bashed Hellstrike with my shield, and took it off of my left hand in a few seconds. With that hand free, flames rose from it for a second, showing him that I was adept with magic.
“You think magic will kill us?” Slylust shrieked with laughter, “After you killed Witchthought, we developed a magical resistance to fire magic. You are worthless trash, and you won’t kill us.”
She walked up slowly to me, and brushed her hand against my cheek. It was when she smiled debauchedly at me when I head butted her with my Steel Helmet. She fell to the floor, with dark green blood flowing from her forehead.
“You want to try and do that again?” I asked. I looked at Hellstrike, and my face hardened. I walked towards him, but my pace quickened to a slow jog, and soon a full sprint. I ran with my right hand holding my sword flying behind me, and when I reached Hellstrike, I pivoted my arm down, bringing the sword down towards his head.
He blocked the attack with unknown speed, and counterattacked. I had no time to react, and cried out in pain as his sword cut into my left shoulder. Blood squirted from the wound, and spilled onto the floor. In response, I punched Hellstrike with the grip of my sword. He retreated in shock, which gave me a chance to attack again.
I slashed at his chest, but Hellstrike deflected the blow. Sparks flew, and he counterattacked with breakneck speed. I
somehow brought my sword up, and parried the strike with both hands on the grip of my sword. After deflecting that blow, Hellstrike attacked again, and I blocked it again.
We then exchanged an obscene amount of strikes in the span of a few seconds. This frenzy of swords ended when I attacked, but Hellstrike caught it with his sword. With my free hand, I blew him back with a kinetic blast. Hellstrike landed on his back, and I ran after him.
When I was close enough, I jumped into the air, and when I hit the ground, my sword made contact with Hellstrike’s chest. Green blood squirted onto my face, and Hellstrike gasped in shock. I pulled my sword out of his armor, and attacked again. Before the sword was about to make contact, Hellstrike rolled out of the way, and got onto his feet in less than a second.
I was caught off guard, and Hellstrike took advantage of this. His foot slammed into the side of my head, and I fell straight to the ground, with my vision blurred. Blood was leaking out of my nose, and I could feel blood flowing inside my right ear.
Hellstrike was about to finish the job, when he was sent back by Stronghand’s Thu’um. He was sent into the wall, and slumped to the floor. Stronghand grabbed my arm, and pulled my arm up.
“We take this bastard down, together.” He said, drawing his sword. “You alright?”
“As much as I ever will be,” I replied. “Let’s do this.”
I was so determined to take down this Changeling, when I heard Twilight shriek, I was caught off guard, and I instantly turned around. I saw Twilight on the floor, backing away from Slylust. Slylust’s eyes were wide with excitement, and if I didn’t help her, she would kill Twilight.
“Twilight!” I shouted as I ran at Slylust. The Changeling turned, and was greeted with a slash wound across the stomach. She cried out in pain, and flipped backwards to get some distance between us.
Hellstrike materialized from the floor beside of Slylust. His face conveyed hatred, and he said, “Enough of this foolery. This is where it ends.”
Twilight got up from off the floor, and her eyes turned white. She scowled, and she was lifted into the air by a whitish-purple aura. She was high above the Changelings, who were caught by surprise by this.
“I agree,” Twilight said. “Take the form of my friends and family, and you’ll pay.” She lifted Slylust up, and using both of her hands to conjure giant purple hands, grabbed Slylust’s hands and feet. With a savage grin on Twilight’s face, she slowly pulled the arms and legs apart. Slylust’s figure grew, and she shrieked in pain. Hellstrike looked on in horror as his partner was stretched to death.
Twilight did not stop until Slylust was just two separated halves of a body, and her insides were spilt on the floor. Twilight threw the halves across the floor, and landed safely onto the floor before collapsing. I caught her head before it hit the floor.
“Twilight, are you alright?” I asked.
“You’ll pay for that.” Hellstrike said, “You don’t just kill a member of the Order like that. Now you will face my full wrath. You see, I was planning on killing you before I had to release my true form.
“You know nothing of our Order, you know only of the members you have killed.” Hellstrike explained, “Witchthought, Warfury, Ungiart, Haband and now Slylust, they are just names that you put at the back of your mind. But they were the five weakest. We are ranked in our power, and we each have a number. I am number 3, while Witchthought was 5, and Warfury 4. Ungiart, Haband and Slylust were 8, 7 and 6. There are two others than me, and they will kill you after what you have done to Queen Chrysalis.
“The top three members of the Order, which are second in power to Chrysalis, are not what you think Changelings should look like. I will show you my form, and it will be the last thing you infidel mortals see.”
Hellstrike’s contorted, and fell to his knees. His face and teeth were clenched, and his tight fists were shaking on either sides of his head. He slowly grew in stature, and his black Changeling skin tore off of his body.
He looked at me, and his eyes were black with bright yellow pupils. He showed his fangs, and roared at me. He went from on his knees, to on his feet, with chest blown back in the span of a second. It was then that his true figure broke through.
The true form of Hellstrike was grotesque and hellish. He stood at a dozen feet tall, and muscles bulged from every possible location on is body. His skin was dark red, and he had a large spiked tail that dragged on the floor. His feet had only two toes, and were flat on the ground.
“This is the true form of Hellstrike.” He snarled, “Now, prepare to die.”
Hellstrike went on all fours, and charged at me. Hellstrike growled, and saliva leaked out of his mouth. I ran at him at full speed. It wasn’t too long before I could smell his putrid breath. I winced as the stench assaulted my nose. I shook my head, and looked straight at the hulking beast bearing down on me.
I jumped up into the air before I collided into Hellstrike. I landed on his nose, and jumped up on the top of his head. I placed my left hand onto his scalp, and closed my eyes to focus. The Magika in my mind then charged into electricity, and exited through my hand. Hellstrike cried out in pain as he shook his head side to side, throwing me off.
I landed on my feet, and skidded across the floor for a few feet. I got up, and exhaled quickly. I looked as Stronghand charged the beast, and cut across one of Hellstrike’s legs. Hellstrike reared up, and landed on all fours, sending Stronghand back from the shock.
I sprinted towards Stronghand, and stopped next to him. I heard a zap, and saw that Twilight had teleported next to me. We stood in front of Hellstrike. He looked at us, and his gruesome mouth smirked.
“If you could only see yourselves,” he snickered. He ran at us, and I rolled forward, and when I came up, I burned Hellstrike’s chest with a fireball. After Hellstrike backed up from the attack, Stronghand ran in front of me, and began to attack.
First, he slashed across Hellstrike’s abdomen. In the frame of about ten seconds, Stronghand had cut and stabbed Hellstrike’s abdomen and chest almost a dozen times. Hellstrike roared in pain, and knocked back Stronghand with his arm.
Twilight retaliated then with a levitation spell. She took a torch off of its stand, and used the sharp bottom to ruthlessly attack Hellstrike’s face. He snarled, and ran at Twilight. She smirked, and sent him back with a kinetic blast, using both hands to do so.
It was then that I looked at her, and nodded. I ran past her, and jumped into the air. Suddenly, a purple aura surrounded me, and I was high up in the air. She let go of me when I was above Hellstrike, and I fell to the ground. I pivoted my arm down, and left a large vertical slash down Hellstrike’s midsection.
Hellstrike fell to the ground, and I sighed in relief. I nodded at Stronghand, who ran up to the Sigil Stone, and removed it from its stand. He shattered it on the ground, and ran down to us.
“Let’s get out of here.” I said. I ran towards the balcony, and stopped when I reached the edge. Stronghand and Twilight were behind me, and stopped with me.
“Odahviing, I call you!” Stronghand shouted. He then ran to the edge of the balcony, and jumped off. I ran after him, and leaned over the railing. I saw Stronghand plummet towards the ground helplessly. I turned my head, and saw Odahviing fly towards Stronghand.
Odahviing swooped under Stronghand, and caught him on his back. Odahviing turned towards the Tower, and stopped right under it. I turned to Twilight, and smirked.
“May I take your hand?” I asked. She smiled, and grabbed my outstretched hand. I climbed on top of the railing, and jumped off with Twilight. We landed behind Stronghand almost perfectly, because Twilight slipped, and began to fall. I grabbed her forearm, and began to pull her back. She climbed up behind me, and held onto my back.
“We never do that again.” She said, “Do you hear me?”
“Yes, I do.” I said, “Now can we get out of here before we’re trapped?”
Stronghand responded by ordering Odahviing forward. The red dragon flew towards the closing portal with breakneck speed. Stronghand beckoned the dragon to go faster. The dragon only turned his head to look at us, and said, “You try and do this, Dovahkiin.”
“I’d rather not, my friend.” Stronghand chuckled. Odahviing rolled his eyes, and looked forward. He flew through the portal with plenty of time left, and we were back to the arctic cold of Windhelm.
Odahviing landed in the plaza outside of the Palace. He let us off, and left to fly into the sky.
“What do we do now?” Twilight asked.
“The last portal should be closed now.” I said, “That is, if this Order of Eight hasn’t stopped the Stormcloak advance. Do you know anything about them, Twilight?’
“They were the eight generals of the Changeling Army during the Changeling Wars.” Twilight explained, “All of them were formidable. I can’t believe you’ve killed four.”
“Five,” I corrected, “With Hellstrike dead.”
“Did they all die that easily?” Stronghand asked, “Are you sure that you killed him?”
“No one could have survived that beating we gave him.” I replied, “Come on, we’ve got to help to kill the rest of them.”
We started to jog down the streets of Windhelm, and joined up with a Stormcloak detachment. They were heading for the Gray Quarter, and they agreed to take us along. The Gray Quarter of Windhelm where all the Dark Elves, the natives of the province of Morrowind to the east, and they were heavily discriminated against in Skyrim. So much so that they were cornered in their own district of Windhelm, and almost certain to never gain the coin to move out of this ghetto.
I jogged alongside a Stormcloak spearman, with Twilight by my side. The clanking of armor and footfalls almost made a strange kind of rhythm as we headed towards the Gray Quarter. The Captain of this detachment had told us that there was a large force of Daedra in the Quarter. He said it was typical of the Daedra to hide with their sympathizers.
The Dark Elves were infamous for their worship of the Daedra, particularly the Daedric Prince Boethiah. They were usually persecuted and sometimes executed by those who believe in the Nine Divines, such as myself. Because of this, and their typical hatred of elves, the Nords segregated communities from the Dark Elves.
We soon entered the Gray Quarter within ten minutes. We stopped when we reached the Gray Quarter’s forum and saw a group of Dremora and various Daedra standing on the other end. I drew my sword, and looked towards the Captain.
“Men,” he said, hurling his arm forward, “Attack!”
The Stormcloaks shouted various battle cries as they ran towards the Daedra. I was in the middle of the group of Stormcloaks, and Twilight was next to me at all times. Stronghand was in the front, leading the Stormcloaks more than their Captain.
In a few seconds, we collided with the Daedra. Men were hurled upwards by Daedra, and blood flowed freely onto the street. The shouts of wounded men and the howls of the Daedra would dishearten any other force besides the Stormcloaks.
I have to hand it to them, they sure do know how not to back down to a fight.
Stronghand placed his hand on my shoulder, and said, “Come, Calleius. Surely the grunts cannot have all the fun?”
I turned to look him in the eye, and said, “No. Let’s be off, shall we?”
We then looked at the Daedra, and ran to assist them. Twilight followed right behind us, the purple aura already forming around her horn. When we were near, Stronghand threw the power of the Thu’um at the Daedra, throwing them backwards. I sprinted harder when we reached the Daedra, and I ran my sword through a Dremora’s chest. I then drove the sword downward, and left it inside the chest cavity.
I reached for my crossbow, and loaded one of my last bolts. I aimed at a Dremora Lord, and pulled the trigger. The bolt narrowly missed, and the Dremora turned its head, and hissed. It ran at me with its large Daedric Battleaxe. I prepared an ice spell with my left hand, and made the blade brittle.
I then ran at the Dremora, and attacked the Battleaxe. The blade shattered, and the Dremora could only look at me in shock. I grabbed my sword out of the chest of the Dremora soldier, and gripped it with both hands. I cut diagonally across its chest, and blood seeped through the armor. The Dremora Lord went to its knees, and looked up at me with eyes wide. I then plunged my sword through its blood red head to finish the job.
I snapped behind me, and saw two large Daedra look menacingly at me. They wielded Greatswords, and grunted when they saw my face. They walked forward, and stood on either side of me. I bent my knees slightly, and gripped my sword tightly with my right hand.
The Daedra on my right attacked almost immediately. I parried the strike, grabbed its shoulder, and threw it forward. The other Daedra raised its Greatsword over its head, and was about to attack me. I stabbed the Daedra in the abdomen, and pushed it forward. As it was falling, I used it as a stepping stone to jump into the air. I landed on top of the other Daedra, with my sword deep inside its neck.
I got up off of the Daedra, and wiped my sword clean with my hand. I ran at a group of three Daedra and a Dremora Lord, and took down a large Warhammer-wielding Daedra. The others looked at me, and snarled when they saw who I was.
I lit one’s face on fire with a fireball, and focused on one Daedra and the Dremora Lord. I attacked the Daedra, and cut it three times across the chest. It fell to the ground, obviously dead. I looked at the Dremora Lord, who was running at me with a sword. I grabbed its hand with my left hand, and cut the arm off at the elbow.
It howled in pain as blood spewed from the wound. While it was preoccupied with it, I cut out its throat. The Dremora Lord fell to the ground choking on its own blood.
I stopped fighting for a second, and breathed heavily in exhaustion. This group of Stormcloaks had all but decimated the Daedra, but not without casualties. Nordic men and women lay dead all around me, and their blood mixed with the Daedra’s.
I stood back and watched as the Stormcloaks ran after the Daedra, who had all begun to retreat. Stronghand walked up to me, and asked why I would not follow.
“The Daedra are leading them into a deathtrap.” I said, “We’d die too if we followed.”
Stronghand nodded in realization, and said, “They all fought well.”
“Quite,” Twilight said as she walked away from the bodies. “I, for one, am exhausted.”
“We still have a city to take though.” I said, “And we should help in any way possible.”
I looked up into the sky, and saw Midrotheyvkaal and Odahviing fly overhead. Stronghand and I called them, and they landed in front of us.
“Let us be off,” Stronghand said, “There is still fighting to be done.”
“The Daedra are massacred without reinforcements,” Midrotheyvkaal said.
“They fall like flies.” Odahviing responded. “It would be prudent to return to the camp.”
I looked behind me, and saw the smoking Gray Quarter. I knew I did not want to fight in those narrow streets. I looked back at Midrotheyvkaal, and nodded. “Let’s be off then.” I said.
I helped Twilight get onto Midrotheyvkaal’s back, and climbed on behind her. Midrotheyvkaal and Odahviing lifted into the sky, and flew away from the city of Windhelm. The city was devastated, but it would soon be back in the Nord’s hands. Closing the portals had helped, and any other portals would not be a problem for the Stormcloaks.
I looked forward, and saw Kynesgrove appear on the horizon. We were flying over it in a few minutes, and Midrotheyvkaal followed Odahviing down into a forest opening outside of the town. I dismounted, and helped Twilight down. I linked up with Stronghand, and we walked into the town.
A Nord woman was walking down the road. Stronghand walked up to her, and asked where Ulfric was.
“He’s up at the inn.” She said, “Though I wouldn’t go in there. He’s quite angry at the moment.”
“Thank you.” Stronghand said. He began to jog inside Kynesgrove, and Twilight and I followed. It was not long before we reached the town, and the front door of the inn. Stronghand opened the door, and Ulfric lifted his head up from his drink when he heard it open. He got up, and glared at me.
“I was meant to die in Windhelm.” He said.
“No, you weren’t.” I replied, “Now you can begin to retake any other cities besieged by the Daedra. I can tell you right now Whiterun is safe.”
“You better be right.” Ulfric replied. He turned to Stronghand, and said, “Svogre, tell me, have we achieved victory in Windhelm?”
“The rest of our forces are clearing out the remaining Daedra.” Stronghand answered. “My King, we have our capital again.”
“Good,” Ulfric said. He nodded at a Nord boy, who grabbed a rolled scroll. He rolled it out on top of a table. It was a map of Skyrim, with various cities circled. Ulfric grabbed a piece of charcoal, and x-ed out Windhelm. “With Windhelm liberated, we can begin attacking Riften and Winterhold in the East. I will notify the army at Solitude to begin their attack as well. Skyrim will return to us, my brethren.”
Twilight looked over the map, and said, “Why do you not wait for Winterhold or Riften to be liberated, and march the combined forces of this army and the army in Winterhold and Riften to reinforce the attacking force in Solitude? It seems logical to do this. Remember, there are no dragons in Solitude like in Windhelm.”
I just looked at Twilight with my mouth open. She had just voiced an error in a king’s strategy, and attempted to correct it! Such a thing would receive a beheading in the Empire. I had never seen anything like this before.
Ulfric looked at Twilight, and stood up straight. “You have a point.” He said, “But I want Skyrim to be free as soon as possible. I have complete faith in General Istar Cairn-Breaker to liberate his Hold capital.”
Twilight then hushed herself as she remembered Ulfric’s rank. She then walked up to the bar, and ordered a bottle of mead. I sat next to her, and paid for it and a bottle for me. She thanked me as she uncorked the bottle, and took a swig of it.
“What happened to not drinking?” I asked.
“Oh shut up.” She replied, “I was trapped in Oblivion for a month, I think that deserves a drink.”
“Fine, I was just saying.” I chuckled as I took a swig.
“What happens now?” Twilight asked. “Are we just going to stay in Skyrim?”
I looked at her, and said, “That seems to be the most logical answer. Since I’m wanted in the Empire, the only other places we would go would be inhabited by Elves, Argonians or Khajiit, and they aren’t friendly to men.”
“What about Equestria?” Twilight asked. “I heard that Molag Bal merged our dimensions.”
“I would go there, but I just don’t know where it is.” I said, “No one is sure where it is.”
Twilight sighed, and took a sip of her mead. “I guess you’re right. Are you sure you don’t want to try the Summerset Isles? You could learn some more magic from them. And I’m sure that they would love to ask me questions about Equestrian culture and magic.”
“You really think they would let me in?” I asked.
“They have no choice if we ride in on a dragon.” Twilight replied. “Come on. You know I would love it there!”
I exhaled, and looked at her. “Alright, fine. But if I die, it’s your conscience.”
Twilight smiled, and pecked me on the cheek in thanks. She raised her mead bottle, and said, “To good times in the Isles?”
I clinked my bottle against hers and took a swig of the alcohol. I knew she was optimistic, but I feared for my life. For some reason, I would rather show my face back in the Imperial City than head into the center of the Aldmeri Dominion.
Tell me what you think! So, Pliton gets Twilight alive out of Oblivion, and Windhelm is all but liberated by the Stormcloaks. All seems well. Again, I would like to credit