The Story of Iriisii Dovahkiin Book Three - Chapter One

                                                 The Story of Iriisii Dovahkiin                                               

                                                     Book Three Chapter One

                                                                        *

     It is a dark night, and the surrounding town is quiet except for a few dogs barking in the distance. Triss is setting up the changes in the crystal alignment of the enhanced megascope that Yennefer has been developing. Its purpose is to create a new kind of portal, more stable, with a longer range than anything they now have.

     Yennefer: "I think that should complete the calibration using those new crystals."

     Triss: "Are you sure? These crystals have never been tried in this configuration before. By the way, where ever did you get that drawing of how to set this up?"

     Yennefer: "I found it down in that library, the one hidden beneath the city sewers, when Geralt cleared the way for you to get those mages out of the city. I had never heard of that library being down there, so I went to look for myself to see what there might be before the scavengers made off with anything not nailed down."

     Triss: "Well I do hope you consulted the council about this. You did talk to the council, right?"

     Yennefer: "Of course, you know I would never attempt something of this magnitude without at least telling them what I had in mind, just in case, we find ourselves needing to beat a hasty exit with the "Eternal Flame" witch hunters at our backs. Besides if this works, we will be able to set up portal stations in most of the major cities to allow us to come and go pretty much as we please."

     Triss: "That is the primary reason I am here helping you with this, that and you asked me to help."

     Yennefer: "Don't worry! Everything is going to be fine. If anything happens, Geralt is in the room below to catch us if we blow a hole in the floor."

     Triss: "That is the one thing I was worrying about."

     Yennefer: "Ok, we are ready to give this a trial. Let's see, one-quarter power to start, then gradually increase the power as long as it stays stable."

     Triss starts the process of pushing magic into the modified megascope. As she does, the crystals begin to glow and emit a soft barely audible hum.

     Yennefer: "Ok, increase by another quarter power, then we will see if the reaction will sustain itself."

     Triss bumps up the power level, the glow brightens just a little and a glowing ring can be seen running from crystal to crystal around the five points.

     Yennefer: "Alright, release your power feed from the ring, and let us watch for a few minutes." 

     They wait for about ten minutes, not detecting any signs of a problem.

     Yennefer: "This is looking much better than that last design. Using five points instead of the usual four is having a strong stabilizing effect, and could be a better balance between the segments as well as using the new crystals. Ok, let's take the power up to three-quarters and hold there."

     Triss adds more magic until the ring capacity is three-quarters full. Aside from a little more glow and hum, nothing seems amiss. Suddenly there is the sound of lightning crackling in the distance. 

     Yennefer: "Damn, we had better power down, we cannot abide any interference at this stage from a storm, anything could happen."

     There is a loud crack of lightning overhead and the ring starts building power on its own.

     Yennefer: "Triss, hit that dampener, it is trying to absorb the lightning's power and go into a 'runaway' state!"

     Triss moves to the magical dampening device that would introduce dimeridium rods into the path to stall out the power generation. Before she can get to it, however, another crack is heard and this time the ring overloads with the added energy of the lightning. How it is staying stable is a testament to the work these two sorceresses put into the delicate construct. In the center area, a ripple in the air is forming.

     Triss: "Yen, look! a portal is forming!"

     Yennefer: "Shite! there is no way to know where, or even when, that portal is reaching to."

     Triss: "What do you mean 'when'?"

     As the power level keeps increasing.

     Yennefer: "I mean that with the power of the lightning added in, it changes the magical lattice of the crystals. That portal could open into another time stream as well as another place, or possibly into another sphere."

     Triss: "Somehow I think you forgot to mention that to the council when you spoke to them."

     Yennefer: "You would be correct, but I most certainly did not expect a storm to...appear...out of...nowhere."

     Triss: "You're right, there is no wind, no rain, just the lightning."

     At that moment, the modified megascope collapses into a shining ball of energy in the center of the room. The portal then is absorbed into the energy ball, which then seems to twist at an odd angle and a beam of light strikes the floor directly underneath the energy ball, burning through and traveling on downward before it folds in on itself and winks out, plunging the room into darkness.

     Yennefer: "Triss, are you alright?"

     Triss: "Yes, nothing is broken or bleeding. Whatever happened, it did not explode, so no chance of shrapnel flying everywhere. What did happen, anyway?"

     Yennefer: "Let us get some light going here, then we can determine just what happened."

     The two sorceresses cast some magical light globes that illuminate the room.

     Yennefer: "That is interesting! The megascope is just gone, but nothing else is disturbed. I surmise that the megascope imploded when it went into an unbalanced runaway state."

     Triss: "Do you think that the portal being active when it happened could have contributed to an implosion instead of an explosion?"

     Yennefer: "Brilliant deduction, I think you hit on it exactly. But what caused the lightning that overloaded the ring? As you noticed before it imploded, there was no wind, no rain, just lightning. Is there some correlation we are missing between the two events?"

     Triss: "Like the lightning may have had its cause in the activity of the ring, and the energy discharge of the lightning then overloaded the ring."

     Yennefer: "Possibly, but I can't help but feel we are still missing a few pieces of this puzzle. Look at the floor where the portal was forming! There is a small hole burned through!"

     Triss: "Energy discharge?"

     Yennefer: "Yes, but how far down does it go?"

     Triss: "I think we are about to find out."

     They hear booted feet approach the door and pounding when it will not open.

     Geralt: "Unlock the door, is anyone hurt?"

     Yennefer: "We are fine, no one here was injured at all. And the door is not locked. If you cannot open it, let us see what the problem is."

     Yennefer and Triss approach the door and examine it. They determine that something about the incident caused the door to swell inside the frame causing it to become jammed.

     Yennefer: "The door has swelled within the frame and is jammed. It is not going to open unless you break it down or let Triss and me deal with it. Did you by chance see a slender beam of light go down from the ceiling of the room below?"

     Geralt: "Yes, it burned a hole and continued down. I do not think anyone else either saw it or was injured by it."

     Yennefer: "Let Triss and me deal with the door, you go and see how far down the light managed to burn its way to. We will catch up to you when we get the door open."

     Geralt: "On my way."

     The two sorceresses prepare to act on the door as they hear Geralt's steps going down the stairs.

     Yennefer: "We are going to need to shave some of the wood from all four sides until it becomes free and we can open it. Ready?"

     Triss: "Ready."

     It takes only a few minutes for the door to swing free once more.

     Triss: "Well, we could have a career as magical carpenters if nothing else works out."

     Yennefer: "I will forget I heard that. Now let's go find Geralt."

     The two hurriedly make their way down, checking each floor until they find Geralt in the cellar.

     Yennefer: "Damn, it came through three floors, clean as a whistle, no secondary fires started, and then just stops here?"

     Triss: "Geralt! Who is that?"

     Geralt: "I don't know. I found her here lying on the floor directly under the hole in the floor above. All I can say for sure is that she is not from around here."

     Yennefer: "And how can you tell that!"

     Geralt: "Bring that light over here. See the armor she is wearing? I have seen just about every kind imaginable and I have seen nothing like this! It is obviously 'light' armor but look at the craftsmanship. No armorer I know has the skill to make anything close to this. It looks like it is molded to her, extremely flexible but tougher than anything I can compare it to."

     Triss: "Yennefer, look at her with magic! If I was not seeing this with my own eyes I would not believe it!"

     Yennefer casts a simple cantrip and looks over the woman's body at Geralts feet.

     Yennefer: "I see what you mean. This almost defies all the laws of magic that we know! Her armor is magically enchanted with multiple enchantments of such intensity! But she is mortal, not truly human but close enough. There is something more to her though. Let me see if I can scry her and tell a bit more."

     Triss: "Be careful, we know nothing about any possible defenses she might have."

     Yennefer: "I will, do not worry."

     Geralt mutters under his breath, "Famous last words."

     Yennefer: "Did you say something Geralt?"

     Geralt: "No, I did not."

     Yennefer: "I did not think so."

     Yennefer starts to cast a scrying spell on the woman to see what else she can find out.

     Yennefer: "Hmmm, interesting. Definitely not human, but close enough to be.."

     Triss: "A mutant?"

     Yennefer: "A good guess but no, she is too close to human to be a mutant. No, I think, maybe an offshoot. The same basic family but developed some different traits due to being isolated. What is this? I need to look a little deeper."

     As Yennefer strengthens the spell, she suddenly sees something that causes her to lurch backward, scuttling away in fear. Geralt and Triss move to reach Yennefer, who gets a hold of herself and waves them off.

     Yennefer: "I will be alright, that was just a bit of a shock. I totally had no idea of just what I would see."

     Triss: "What did you see to cause that kind of reaction?"

     Yennefer: "I got a glimpse of her soul! Just a fraction of a second's glimpse, but before a wall slammed shut and pushed me out, I thought I saw...."

     Triss: "Come on, what did you see?"

     Yennefer: "I saw a dragon....and it looked right at me...and it roared at me!!"

     Triss: "A dragon? Are you sure you did not bang your head on something when the lights went out?"

     Yennefer: "I know what I saw! I am telling you I saw a dragon when I got a glimpse of her soul!"

     Triss: "Geralt, have you ever heard of anything like this?"

     Geralt: "I know dragons are sentient, that they have emotions just like we do. I could surmise that they also have a soul based on how similar they and we act and react to events. But for a human or almost human to have a dragon soul. I simply do not know nor have I heard of it, that does not mean it cannot be possible, just that I do not know."

     Triss: "Big help you are! Ok, let us say for a moment that you are right."

     Yennefer: "I know I am right!"

     Triss: "Yennefer, bear with me, ok? I would ask whether she was somehow born with the dragon soul or at some point in her past the dragon soul replaced her true soul, what do you think?"

     Yennefer thought for a moment, scowling, then a thought crossed her mind.

     Yennefer: "Wait, there was something else. let me replay what I saw in my mind and slow it down to get a better look."

     Yennefer enters a meditative state and replays the sequence of events from when she started using the scrying magic on the strange young woman.

     Yennefer: "That's it! There was something else, but this just keeps getting more and more strange."

     Triss: "How so?"

     Yennefer: "This young woman has a dual soul!"

     Triss: "Like two souls in one body? That can't be good."

     Yennefer: "No, not like that, more like two different halves making up a whole."

     Triss: "Ok, then what about the second half?"

     Yennefer: "This is where it really gets strange, I saw a human half but it was like it was imbued with divine energy of some sort. I have heard of this in some more primitive groups of people but never saw any evidence that it could be real."

     Triss: "What are you talking about?"

     Yennefer: "I think she is not only half dragonsoul but the other half is 'god-touched'! I know it sounds crazy, but think for a minute, if it is true can you imagine the power she could wield?"

     Triss: "Yennefer!, can you hear what you are saying. She is not some kind of living weapon to be used. She is a living, breathing, person who needs our help! We need to find out who she is, how she got here, and what exactly is wrong with her, so we can go about trying to get some help for her!"

     A soft glow starts to radiate from a point in the cellar just above Iriisii's body. It starts to assume a human shape but a little larger than a small child. It looks down at Iriisii's body as if seeing inside her.

     Yennefer: "Look! Can you see that! What ..."

     Azura: "I am Azura! Mother of the Rose, Queen of the Dusk and Dawn. This is Iriisii Dovahkiin, my Champion, Dragonborn Empress of Cyrodiil and its Empire, Annoited of Akatosh, Dragonchild of Alessia, Thunderchild of Kyne, Champion of Meridia, Champion of Boethiah, Commander of the Vigilants of Stendarr, Knight of Mara, Harbinger of the Companions of Ysgramor, Archmage of the College of Magic in Winterhold, Founder and Commander of the Sirens of the Dragonborn, Celestial Daughter of Alessia and Talos, granddaughter to Sharra of the Ancient Order of the Blade Dancers, her list of accolades is long, longer still is the list of those who follow Evil that she, who the Dragons call Qahnaarin,  has vanquished in battle.

 .     She is the last hope for the world of Nirn in the Sphere of Mundus! She has earned the respect of both the Aedra and Daedra of Mundus. She has walked the paths of four different realms of Oblivion and returned whole, she is loved and respected by her people, hated and feared by her enemies. She is as you have noticed, not human. She is Aasimar Scourge and Dragonborn by the favor of Akatosh, Dragonblood by the favor of her Celestial Father, Talos, and her Celestial Mother, Alessia, founder of the First Empire.

     She was teleporting from the Fortress of Pandaemonium back to Tamriel, to the top of the mountain called the 'Throat of the World' where the ancient time wound lies. She had just defeated the Ancient Dark God called 'Ouroburous' after he was summoned and awakened by a Lich. Her temporal portal trail was breached and redirected to the 'Fortress of Sithis' deep within the Void between the Spheres. She saw the full unbridled visage of Sithis, once called Padomay, and her mind closed itself off to protect her. And so she was unaware when the portal that was opened from this place was drawn to the initial temporal disturbance when her trail was first breached and your portal breached it again, drawing Iriisii here and away from the fate Sithis had awaiting her. For this action, you are to be commended. As I have stabilized her mind from the terrors she was seeing, she will awaken now."

     As soon as this pronouncement was made, Iriisii started to moan and stir. Slowly she sat up, took in the sight before her, and noticed Azura above and behind her. Quickly she turned and knelt on one knee with her head bowed.

     Iriisii: "Azura, mother of my love, what has happened? Where am I?"

     Azura: "Those who are here with you can answer those questions. I do not have much more time, so I must be quick to tell you. You have been diverted here to perform a task only you can do. I have not the knowledge of who is responsible for this, but I suspect 'The Elder Scrolls' have taken a more direct hand in this. They gave me one of their number and asked me to deliver it to you. Later, when you have recovered, you are to read it and it will impart to you what you must do to return home. Know my daughter, Rigmor, and your children are aware of what has happened and pray for your safe return. The Divines also watch for your return as well, for you have become essential to their plans. I also am glad to see you taken from Sithis' claws and will be ever watching over the threads of your fate in the twilight. Goodbye my Champion, and Guardian Protector of my Daughter."

     Azura's form fades away as Iriisii once more drops to her knees, hangs her head, and softly sobs, not knowing if she will ever see Rigmor and her children again. Her dragonsoul also reminds her that she has an as-yet unhatched dragonling daughter to find, imprint, and raise. So do not give up hope, for together, we can and will overcome any obstacle that dares block our path.

     Triss slowly walks over to Iriisii, kneels down, and extends her hand to help her up. Once standing she makes introductions.

     Triss: "Hello, I am Triss Merigold of the Circle of Sorceresses. Over there is Yennefer of Vengerberg, also of the Circle of Sorceresses. And that last one staring at us is Geralt of Rivia, Witcher, called the 'White Wolf'. Azura told us your name is Iriisii and that you are an Empress?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I am Empress of Cyrodiil and its Empire, by right of combat."

     Triss: "Please forgive me for asking but was there a war?"

     Iriisii: "We battled up to the gates of the Bridge of Weye, going to the Imperial City. We stopped there to see if Emperor Ariel Sethius would sue for peace or if we would have to proceed. My 'love' asked to stop, she said that the citizens of the Imperial City deserved better than to have another army marching through the streets. So we waited until a messenger arrived with a message from the Emperor's Lord Chancellor asking for a meeting to arrange peace terms.

     When we entered the throne room, we stood at the top of the steps and waited. The Emperor tried to have his guards draw blades and kill us, but the Lord Chancellor ordered them to stand down, which they did. The Emperor, realizing his plan had failed, started to sue for quarter, moving toward us as he spoke. When he was just a few feet away, my companion took ill and started vomiting against the marble pillar she was standing next to. As I turned and knelt to help her, the Emperor drew a dagger and attacked. I felt the blade slide across my armor as I reacted by instinct, drew my blade, and separated his head from his shoulders. I then turned back to my companion and helped her stand. It was then I heard the contingent of guards chanting, 'Do..Vah..Kiin' over and over and over. My companion motioned for me to look at the Lord Chancellor, who was beckoning me to walk to him.

     As I approached him, he said to me that he knew I was the one he awaited after hearing of my accomplishments. He then bid me to take my place on the 'Seat of Sundered Kings', my rightful throne 'by right of combat' and to rule the Empire from it as the 'Anointed of Akatosh', rightful heir to the Dragonborn Throne of Emperors and Empresses. I walked to the throne as if in a daze and sat down. The Lord Chancellor then asked my companion to ascend and take the throne next to mine as the High Queen of Cyrodiil, fulfilling the Alessian Prophecy. She sat next to me and as the Lord Chancellor approached, he commented on my companions' color as peakish. It was then she floored both of us by announcing she was with child, MY CHILD!"

                                                                               *

     Yennefer: "But you are both female! How could you have children?"

     Iriisii: "In our world, two ways. High Sorcery, and where I might use that means to give myself a child, I would not do it to someone else! Then there is the means whereby my Rigmor became with my child, Divine Intervention!"

     Yennefer: "You mean..?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, our Gods, spoke to us at a shrine, told us what was at stake for our world. They told us what could be done to turn away the fate they saw coming and our part in it. My Rigmor and I talked it over before agreeing to allow them to give us a child. A child who, when she would ascend to the throne, would usher in the beginning of a Golden Age, where there would be peace, justice, and prosperity for all the races of man, mer, and beast. In the blink of an eye, they took an egg from Rigmor, and a small part of myself, changed what they took from me to make it like the seed from a man. They then put the two parts together and put the newly formed child back into Rigmor to carry until birth."

     Yennefer: "But how could they know..?"

     Iriisii: "Our Gods are not confined to be only male or female. They can take either shape at will and be fully functional. It just seems that the ones we associate with them are the forms they prefer above all others."

     Yennefer: "So maybe they could.."

     Iriisii: "Could what?"

     Yennefer: "Maybe later, we have more important things to talk about right now, like how can we help you in your task."

     Triss: "May I ask how you wish us to address you?"

     Iriisii: "Of course, how unthinking I was, thank you for asking, Triss Merigold. In my own world, I am an Empress, here I am just a stranger, so please just call me Iriisii. And please do not add the Dovahkiin, I think it would cause too many questions as to what it could mean to anyone else."

     Triss: "Of course, Iriisii, a very wise choice. And please call me Triss. I would also if I may, ask you about those swords you carry. My companion, Geralt, has been eyeing them closely, and as a 'Witcher', he is very knowing where it concerns blades."

     Iriisii: "Ah, yes, the 'Dark Moon Katanas'."

     Geralt: "Please forgive my intrusion, you call them, 'Dark Moon Katanas'?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, as far as I can determine, they were specifically forged during a 'new moon' period, a period where the moons were present but dark. A very rare event on my world. They were made by the 'Fallen One' called Desidarius, the purpose of which was to serve as the bane of the one who caused her to 'fall' several thousand years ago. I first learned of them when I was inducted into the Temple of the Ancient Order of the Blade Dancers, who trained me in their ways of fighting. They used the ancient ways, that imbue the training into the bones and muscles as well as the mind. That has saved my life numerous times. Since only the Gods know why, I have no memory of my life before I was swept up in an Imperial Legion sweep of a band of rebels, taken prisoner, and transported to the town of Helgen, where I faced the headsman's axe."

     Triss: "But you were innocent! Taken up in the sweep by accident!"

     Iriisii: "It did not matter to them, they were going to take no chances. I will speak of this later if you will. For now, let me address Geralt's question. These blades are about three, maybe four thousand years old."

     Geralt: "Please, may I examine one?"

     Iriisii: "That I cannot do! But I will at least tell you why, that you understand the danger that handling them would put you in! These blades are sentient, not like you or I am, but sentient nonetheless. Theirs is a totally alien sentience, barely understandable on anything but an emotional level. They are also soul-stealers! I cannot express the danger to you if you were to even touch one. Before you knew what was happening, they would have control of you, forcing you to unsheath them and go on a killing spree, feeding them souls, men, women, children, it would matter nothing to them."

     Geralt: "But you do not fear using them."

     Iriisii: "Yes, I do, but I can only do it when I have steel-like control of my mind and my emotions. When I first touched the blades, I had no knowledge of this, I simply wanted to find them and use them as any sword weapon against a known future invasion of my homeland. When I touched them, I was thrown into a 'hellscape' deep within my own mind, where I had to battle the swords, for not only control of my mind and body but for my very soul and the souls of the unborn twins I carried within me!" 

     Triss: "You were pregnant with twins!?!"

     Iriisii: "Yes, the luck of the Gods was with me that day. Both of the twins are Dragonborn, as am I. Their Dragonsouls reached out to mine and fought with me or I likely would have lost that battle and my soul as well as theirs. Thankfully they seem to have no conscious memory of that battle and I pray to my Divine Patrons each day that they never do regain those memories!"

     Triss: "Tell me the names of your children, if you would?"

     Iriisii: "Of course. The firstborn is our daughter, Kintyra, the second born is our son, Ragnar, named after his grandfather, Rigmor's father, and our second daughter is named Kathea."

     Yennefer: "I sense another child holding yet not born yet."

     Iriisii: "Yes, there is another, but her situation is quite a bit different from our others."

     Yennefer: "Would you please elaborate, I mean no offense, and I do not know where the feeling comes from, just that it is there inside me, prompting me."

     Iriisii: "No, it is quite all right, I have nothing to hide concerning her, it is just that many people would not be understanding of her heritage or what it could mean. They would simply see fear and act accordingly. You see, the daughter I speak of is mine and mine alone, and embodies my draconic heritage."

     Yennefer: "Then she is half-dragon?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, she is."

     Triss gasps, Geralt sharply looks up at Iriisii, questions in his eyes, yet he voices none. Suddenly from the doorway, another voice excitedly exclaims, "Did I hear that right, somebody in this room has a half-dragon daughter! Oh what kind of song I could make from this tale!"

     Geralt: "Dandelion! get the hell in here and shut that damn door, now!"

     Dandelion: "OK, Geralt, don't get your knickers bunched up, oh sorry, you don't wear..."

     Geralt: "Dandelion!"

     Dandelion: "Ok, ok!".

     Dandelion enters the room and shuts the door.

     Geralt: "Alright, how long have you been listening in and how much have you heard!"

     Dandelion: "Enough to make a whole series of ballads, that will make me the most sought-after for dinners and parties everywhere!"

     Geralt: "Crap, what do we do now, Does anyone have any ideas?"

     Iriisii slowly gets to her feet, still weak from her portal ordeal. Dandelion quickly moves to help and retrieve a chair for her.

     Iriisii: "This is the owner of the building, then? The one I have heard you talking about?"

     Dandelion: "And just what have you all been saying about me? Behind my back no less?"

     Geralt: "Dandelion, you know that if any of us had anything bad to say about you, we would have no problem saying it to your face."

     Dandelion: "You're right of course, please forgive me for listening in at my own door in my own establishment. And is somebody going to introduce me to this lovely vision gracing my humble abode!"

     Triss: "I think I had better do this."

     Looking at Iriisii, she says, "Please forgive the formality, but I do think it is necessary."

     Iriisii nods her head to Triss.

     Triss: "Dandelion,  this is Iriisii Dovahkiin, Empress of Cyrodiil and the Empire of Tamriel. Empress, this is Dandelion, owner of this establishment and a good friend to all of us."

     Dandelion: "I am very pleased to meet you, your Majesty, wait there is no such place as Cyrodiil around here! Are you trying to pull my leg!"

     Triss: "I didn't say she was from here, Dandelion. She is from the world of Nirn, in the Sphere of Mundus. She came here through a portal experiment, that luckily saved her life!"

     Iriisii: "Please let me continue this, Triss. Master Dandelion, I am indeed as Triss has explained, from another plane of existence, where on my homeworld called Nirn, I am the Empress of Cyrodiil and its Empire, residing on the continent of Tamriel. And I am most gratified in having found myself here, in your most fine establishment, upon awakening from my ordeal rather than where I was being transported to.

     I would like to thank you for the gracious hospitality that has been shown to me thus far and I would have no problem with recommending this fine establishment to my entire nobility once I am able to return home." 

     Dandelion just stands there speechless as Yennefer whispers to Geralt, "She is indeed a true Empress, only someone with high court experience could do that to Dandelion."

     Geralt nods his head in agreement.

     Iriisii tucks her arm around Dandelion's arm and says, "Please, Master Dandelion, would you be so kind as to escort me and our friends to a table in your establishment, where we could find some good food and something to drink. I trust your discerning judgment in this matter."

     Dandelion still speechless, gathers himself enough to lead Iriisii to the door, open it, and lead her, with the others following to a table near the kitchen,  where the musicians were not quite so loud, but loud enough to cover any further conversations.

                                                                            *

     The food was very good, better than Iriisii expected not knowing much about the area, and the drinks were even better. At least it was good to know that Master Dandelion took care to acquire quality to serve his patrons. As Iriisii sat, hunger and thirst sated, listening to the music being played, different but yet the same as what she was used to in Cyrodiil, she noted it had a kind of rawness to the notes that appealed to her.

     A smile crept up over her lips as she started to lose herself in the feel of the place. She thought to herself that Rigmor would most definitely approve of this establishment. Yennefer takes this time to ask a question.

     Yennefer: "Iriisii, what can you tell us about that scroll that was left for you by Azura?"

     Iriisii's face goes somber, her smile disappearing.

     Iriisii: "It is an Elder Scroll, what the dragons of my world call a 'Kel'. It is the most enigmatic object that exists in our sphere. Powerful beyond measure and as dangerous as it is powerful. I have said how dangerous the blades I came with are and how great care must be taken when even near them.

     Even our Gods take great care when using an Elder Scroll. Except for extreme cases, only the Moth Priests of our world read the Scrolls and they do so knowing that it will permanently blind them at some point in their lifetime. Moth Priests are trained for years before being allowed to read their first Scroll. And then can spend months recovering from the experience. If someone with no higher learning reads an Elder Scroll, at most they might see drawings or meaningless words on the page and suffer no damage.

     Someone like us, trained in magic for years, to read a Scroll without the proper preparation, the results could be devastating. Imagine if you will, if you were to read one unprepared, you might wake to find yourself completely blind with no hope of recovery and that would be if you were lucky. If not, you might find yourself to have become a gibbering idiot, but your mind is totally aware of your state, locked away, and unable to command your body! I would rather be dead than have to live the rest of my life like that!"

     Triss: "You spoke of extreme cases, what about them?"

     Iriisii: "In my world, there are places called 'Ancestor Glades', where a certain species of moth lives, called 'Ancestor Moths'. They make a kind of trilling sound, that when there are enough gathered around you, it creates a link to the old magic that resides in those places. That magic, when it enters a person through the moths, allows them to read an Elder Scroll without consequence. I know this because I have done it, once and once only, in order to gain the knowledge I needed to thwart a prophecy called, 'The Tyranny of the Sun'.

     If I had failed, our sun would have been dimmed and we would have fallen under the dominion of the vampire clans. Even so, I do not believe we are likely to find any 'Ancestor Glades' here. So I will have to believe that the Elder Scroll wants me to read it and so has made itself available."

     Triss: "You speak of it like it was alive!"

     Iriisii: "In some way it is, the Elder Scrolls have been in existence since the birth of Mundus. If they existed before, we do not know, but we do know they are the most powerful and dangerous objects in existence. I think they are indeed alive, perhaps not as we know and define life, but alive all the same. For not all life shares the same physical forms or even has a physical form."

     Yennefer: "How do you mean?"

     Iriisii: "I once had to travel through a portal to an Oblivion Realm called the Soul Cairn, ruled over by 'The Ideal Masters'. No one has seen them or if they have, they did not recognize them as such. At certain places, there are large crystals floating in the air above certain locations. Should you approach one too closely, you would find your very life force being sucked out of your body. I surmise that these crystals are in fact, the Ideal Masters".

     Yennefer: "Why is it called the Soul Cairn?"

     Iriisii: "When one of our mages uses a soul gem filled with the soul of an animal to place a permanent enchantment on a weapon or piece of armor, a small part of the soul remains and is transported to the Soul Cairn. The lesser souls are consumed by the Ideal Masters. Human souls can only be trapped in 'black soul gems' and when those are sent to the Soul Cairn, they remain in their former state, like looking at a ghost. 

     What the Ideal Masters do with them is not known, however, necromancers in our world make deals with the Ideal Masters for servants and power in exchange for filled black soul gems. Inevitably, the necromancers will travel to the Soul Cairn realm to request greater power and to make agreements for such. Once there, very, very few ever return."

     Yennefer: "Do you use these soul gems for enchanting work?"

     Iriisii: "Only the lower gems, I will never use black soul gems for any purpose. The only thing I will do with them is to release the soul trapped inside and allow it to go on to whatever fate the Gods have decreed. There are things such as this that I totally do not agree with. However I did not create my world, its rules and physical laws, I have to live in it and abide by those rules and laws, until such time as I am set free."

     Geralt: "Changing the subject, how much time do you need to prepare to read the scroll?"

     Iriisii: "I would like about five to six days to meditate and prepare myself for this. I know it sounds like a lot but I am cutting time down close as it is. There is much in my mind I need to bring order to before I attempt to read that Scroll."

     Geralt: "I understand, if there is anything I can do to assist, you have but to ask. I also have spent much time in meditation, sometimes having another to meditate with can help settle things down, especially in a strange land."

     Iriisii:"Thank you, Geralt. I appreciate the offer, and if no one else has any objections, I would gladly accept. I do understand how a second person in meditation can quiet the mind."

     Zoltan: "Geralt, you know that the Trobaritz Callonetta is performing again tomorrow night?

     Geralt: "No, I was not aware, Dandelion has said nothing about her being back in town."

     Zoltan: "I just thought that it might help if we went as a group and took Iriisii along to hear her perform. I am certain it would take her mind off of much that may be troubling her."

     Geralt: "You know Zoltan, that just might be a very good idea. However we should find an escort for her, she is likely to turn quite a few heads and an escort would keep many from 'hitting' on her.

     Triss: "You are so right about that. Zoltan, that is an excellent idea, and yes, Geralt, we would need an escort for her. Someone that can project a strong aura but not be objectionable as an escort. Do you have anyone in mind? He would have to be aware that she is wed with three children so that he understands this is more as a bodyguard than a date."

     Yennefer: "I will have to pass on it, I am afraid I have much work to do repairing the megascope. But please do take her, I think it will be just what she needs to help clear her mind."

     Zoltan: "Geralt, what about Eibear? He still owes you a favor or two, and with his reputation as a swordsmith, there aren't too many that would step on his toes if he were escorting her."

     Geralt: "Actually, I was thinking of someone else that would be supremely suited to the task, and would be perfectly safe as an escort."

     Zoltan: "Ahh, I think I know who you mean, and yes, I would have to agree with you there, an excellent choice if I do say so."

     Dandelion: "Anyone I know?"

     Geralt: "Yes and you will stay out of this. Besides if the Trobaritz saw you with her, well, you can think of the mountain of trouble that would put you in, better she have someone else as an escort."

     Dandelion: "Ouch, I did not think of that, You are so right, Geralt, thank you, what would I ever do without you. And don't you dare answer that!"

     As a fit of laughter erupts from most of the table that knows Geralt's and Dandelion's history.

     Iriisii: "If I am to go to a performance, I will need something to wear. A pity my pack did not seem to make it here with me. I had some nice things in there that I keep for "emergencies". A girl has to try and anticipate everything that she might need."

     Dandelion: "There was a fair size pack that was lying behind some of the crates in the cellar. I had no idea that it belonged to you, I will get it immediately!"

     Iriisii: "Please no, I will not need it until tomorrow, so there is no hurry."

     Geralt: "Pick out what you would like to wear. I will need to take you and your clothing choice to meet your escort. He will want to coordinate what he wears to accentuate your own. Damn, he is rubbing off on me. Dandelion, we are going to have to have a conversation about the names on that list!"

     Dandelion: "Anything you say, Geralt, just make sure it is at a later date. We have much to do and not much time to do it in.

     Iriisii: "Well if that is all planned out then, I need some sleep. And Dandelion, if you would be ever so kind as to show me where my pack is, I have something in there that is much more comfortable than this armor to sleep in."

     Dandelion: "Just follow me and I will show you where it is, then I will have a room made up for you right away!"

     Iriisii: "Thank you ever so much. I am so lucky that my Gods saw fit to drop me here in your establishment rather than in some mudhole somewhere else."

     As Dandelion leads Iriisii to get her pack and then to a room for her to sleep, Zoltan says to Geralt, "Damn, she must really be an Empress. I have never seen anyone tie Dandelion up like that so quickly. She knows just how to speak to everyone she meets, no matter how different they are."

     Geralt: "You don't know the half of it. She was injured when she was dropped into the cellar. Just after Triss and Yennefer came down there. Someone she called Azura, appeared in the room, floating in midair above her, healed the trauma in her mind, then proceeded to announce her.

     She gave us several titles that she had earned and said that the list of enemies she had defeated in battle was even longer. Azura seemed to be very proud of her and that her mate was Azura's daughter. I got a look at the blades she was carrying, even though I did not touch them and now I am certainly glad I did not. Anyway, those swords are of such an exquisite design and forging that they would make even Eibear turn green with envy."

     Zoltan: "Then they must be truly exceptional because I don't know anyone who can beat what Eibear can make."

     Geralt: "I know, but I am not exaggerating about them. Just remember that as beautiful as they are, they are twice as deadly. So if you have no choice but to touch them for any reason. Make sure you wrap them in silk and that you have leather gloves on your hands. I mean that it is for your safety that I am saying this. Those blades can take possession of you and turn you into a killer worse than Junior ever thought about being."

     Zoltan: "Damn Geralt, and I thought you were just pulling my leg until you mentioned Junior. I will take your words seriously then. Thank you for the warning! I will make certain no one disturbs them. Oh, by the way, three to one odds, the clothier's jaw drops to the floor when he gets a look at our Empress!"

     Geralt: "Oh no, there is no way I could win that bet. Two to one that when they enter the inn together the place goes so quiet, you could hear a pin drop to the floor."

     Zoltan: "I know I am going to regret this but I will take those odds. How much are you willing to bet, say twenty Florins?"

     Geralt: "Make it thirty and you have a bet."

     Zoltan: Thirty it is then! Somehow I think it will be well worth losing thirty Florins to see them walk into that inn, hand in hand, and see the jaws drop and the eyes stare at the two of them!"

     Geralt gives a very rare chuckle, "Indeed Zoltan, indeed. Tomorrow then."

                                                                     *

     Iriisii walks into the room Dandelion provided for her to stay in while she was in the city, puts her pack by the bed, and takes in the feeling of the room. She can immediately feel its past uses but also sees how Dandelion has changed its direction and wholeheartedly approves of his decision to change it from its former state into something of its past mixed with a more cultured future.

     Iriisii: "Master Dandelion, I must say that I do love what you have done with this room and the establishment in general."

     Dandelion: "You do? How could you know, if you don't mind my asking?"

     Iriisii: "You mean how is it I being an Empress would know a former bordello?"

     Iriisii waves her hand around the room and says, "I was not always one accustomed to the Imperial Court and such. I started as many others start, at the bottom of the social ladder. Please don't look so surprised, I am not in the least ashamed of my beginnings. It took a lot of work, blood, and sweat, to make something better of myself. Nothing I have was just given to me on a silver platter. I earned all that I have and if I may speak honestly, I would have it no other way.

     I look at what this place once was, and I feel the history in the very walls, but I also see that you have changed the destination. You are rewriting its soul, moving it from a dark past into a bright future. I see we are somewhat alike in this. What you are doing with this place, I endeavor to do with my Empire. The only difference is one of scale, the result we both want is the same, a better, brighter future!"

     Dandelion: "I never thought I would ever meet anyone else who truly understands what it is I want to do here. Why I did not just sell the place and move on, why I have focused myself on a dream to have this old place become something worth putting my name into, my effort into, and at the end of the day. I can stop, look around, and be proud to say, this is mine!"

     Iriisii: "I do think that you are well on your way to that goal. Please do not let anyone tell you otherwise. What you want is indeed worthy of doing. In fact, you make me want to try and do this in Cyrodiil, it has nothing at all close to this. If I may ask a favor of you?"

     Dandelion: "Of course, anything."

     Iriisii: "Thank you, but what I want is very simple. If I can start my own 'Cabaret' you call it? Yes, I would like your permission to name it, hmmm, yes, I would like to call it, "The Dandelion", what do you think?"

     Dandelion: "I cannot think of a more fitting name, your Majesty! And on that note, I ask your permission to depart. It has been a long day and I am sure you are tired as well."

     Iriisii: "Then I will see you on the morrow, Master Dandelion. May you have good dreams this night, sleep well."

     Dandelion departs and Iriisii unpacks, looking over what she had in the clothing pack that she had just grabbed from her bedside when she started her adventure. She found what she was looking for, A very nice dress for the concert, as well as her favorite sleeping attire, As she put it on and looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room, she thought to herself, 'Rigmor if only you were here to hold me in your arms. What I would not give to have you here right now. I would stand you here in front of the mirror, while I stand behind you with my arms around you and my head on your shoulder next to yours, gazing at the image of the both of us reflecting in the mirror. And I would tell you how much I love you, just to see you smile!"

     And for just a moment, she sees that image looking back at her in the mirror, as a tear trickles down her face. She hears a gentle knock at the door, so she wipes away the tear and goes to open the door, forgetting that she is not at the palace waiting for Rigmor to come to bed. She says, "Come in" to whoever is at the door. Yennefer walks in and as she looks at Iriisii, suddenly she freezes and cannot stop from staring.

     Iriisii notices what has happened and instinctively moves to 'break the ice'. Iriisii strikes a sensuous pose and says with a shy, demure smile, "Not to be teasing or anything, but do you like what you see?"

     Yennefer still cannot tear her eyes away but manages to say, "I..please forgive me, I did not intend to offend in any way by my actions just now."

     Iriisii: "No, it is I who should be apologizing. I was looking into the mirror and thinking of my Rigmor. Of what I would see in the mirror if I was holding her in my arms. I'm sorry if I put you in an awkward position, it was not my intention."

     Yennefer: "No need to apologize, your Majesty. You must love her very much, to think of her in these circumstances."

     Iriisii: "She is everything to me. As I have been there for her when she has broken, to comfort her and put her back together, so she has been there for me. To heal the scars I bear in my mind and soul, that mirror the ones she bears on her body for all her past trials to be seen."

     Yennefer: "She has physical scars?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, when she was a child, her father was executed by the Aldmeri Dominion on 'trumped up' war crimes charges. We found out later that a faction within the Dominion had plans that he would have been able to stop had he remained alive. So they made up the charges and pressured the Emperor at that time to give him over to them for 'justice'. He did this and her father, Ragnar, made a deal to go quietly if they allowed his wife and daughter to live.

     After Ragnar was publicly humiliated and executed in Alinor, his wife, Sigunn, and his daughter, Rigmor, were taken and enslaved. They were separated, with Sigunn being sent to the Diamond Ridge mine on the Skyrim border with High Rock, and Rigmor was sent to a plantation in Valenwood.

     While in Valenwood, she took hold of an opportunity to almost twist the head off of the slavemaster. In punishment, the Thalmor General Tilar Adriath, had her whipped and placed in a dungeon cell. That night, the Thalmor held a diplomatic party for some Khajiit diplomats, got drunk, and boasted of having the 'daughter of Ragnar the Red' in their dungeon. They insisted on taking the diplomats to see her.

     I spoke to the Khajiit Emissary who was the head diplomat, and he told me that he saw where the whips had torn from her the flesh on her back such, that there was bone showing, her blood was flowing on the floor, in rivulets. He knew if he did not get her out she would not survive the night. So he arranged with some others in his group to create a diversion. once the Thalmor attention was diverted, he took his cloak, gathered her up in it, and raced for his waiting ship. Once on board, he had the ship weigh anchor and set sail for Torval on the coast of Elswher, where he had his diplomatic residence.

     He kept her there while she healed, spending vast sums of gold to acquire the services of the most skilled physicians to attend her. Slowly she recovered, yet it took nearly six months until she regained her memories of what happened. I met her some years later, helped her rescue her mother from the diamond mine, and had some other adventures that I will talk about another time if you still want to know."

     Yennefer speaks quietly almost in a whisper, "I did not know, I am sorry if talking about it pains you."

     Iriisii: "It is alright, it is history now. And we have each other to lean on when needed as well as our children to love and care for. But you came by to ask me about something and here I have about talked your ear off, please ask me about whatever you wish to know."

     Yennefer: "This is so hard for me to talk about."

     Iriisii: "Please, I understand, some things are so very personal. Yet sometimes talking with someone not involved with the issue can help. I have no preconceptions and so I certainly will not judge you. I have not led a perfect life myself, I have done much that I am not proud of, yet I understand that there are times when such actions are called for and so must do what must be done despite what some may think or say."

     Yennefer: "Thank you for that, it helps that you do not set yourself above others as judge of their actions, without at least considering how you yourself would have done in their shoes. When I became a sorceress and underwent my initiation, I had to pay a price. A very hard price that at the time, I did not fully understand the consequences of."

     Iriisii: "And now you seek some way to reverse what was done to you?"

     Yennefer: "How?"

     Iriisii: "I may not have too many years of life behind me, yet I have many times that number of years in experience. It would take several days and nights to tell you everything I have seen and experienced that is similar to what you underwent. So just let me say that I do understand where you are coming from. I feel that this has some bearing involving children?"

     Yennefer: "Again how could you know this?"

     Iriisii: "I am a mother, I noticed your expressions, your stance, other telltales whenever mention was made of my children. You are quite good at hiding your emotions and interests which would speak volumes to others. I am very skilled at reading people's motivations, what parts of conversations interest them, and those kinds of things.

     I have a very outstanding teacher in the person of my Lord Chancellor. Most others would not notice anything amiss in the way you listen to others speak. Only someone who has had the teaching I have had to learn in order to protect myself and my family would be able to discern anything from watching you. Anyway, any secrets you wish me to keep will be safe with me. I know the value of trust and I do not violate the trust of my friends."

     Yennefer: "You consider me a friend, then?

     Iriisii: "Until such time as you prove me wrong, yes, I do.  And if you should ever do prove me wrong in this, I would advise you to run, as fast, as far, and as long as you possibly can, for I have a very long reach and I do not tolerate betrayal very well. However, I do not think that is ever going to be an issue. I am a good judge of character as well. So please tell me what is it you wish to know from me."

     Yennefer: "Since I became a sorceress, the ability to have children was taken from me!"

     Iriisii: "By all of the Gods! Why? What could possibly justify such an action!"

     Yennefer: "It is the price all of us pay to have all of our imperfections corrected!"

     Iriisii: "You must forgive me but I must say that it is barbaric to subject someone to that! I have only the experience of my own world, but I know many deformities that occur with us are easily correctable, some may be more difficult but almost everything I am aware of that can happen can be corrected, if someone really wants it to be. In my world, even vampirism and lycanthropy can be corrected!"

     Yennefer: "WHAT?! Even vampires and werewolves can be cured in your world?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I know of two vampires, both thousands of years old who have had their mortality returned to them at their own request. And I have personally cured four werewolves of lycanthropy, one even after he had died, and one was myself! That is a secret, I would ask you to keep, if you please. Only a few others know of it and I trust them with my life."

     Yennefer: "You were once a werewolf!?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I was with the 'Companions Of Ysgramor', a band of warriors, both men and women, who came together. Some seek fame, some fortune, some a sense of family, but all would stand by each other with sword and shield even in the face of certain death. The greatest of these called themselves the Circle and shared the beastblood. I was offered after I had proved myself to them and I accepted.

     I was told my transformation was most troublesome, I think now my dragonblood may have been at fault. But that was something I never mentioned as they had no need to know. Their Harbinger or advisor, since they had no traditional leader, each man his own, each woman her own, was the way they lived, with the Harbinger giving advice when asked or when it was thought to be needed, but never forced upon anyone.

     The Harbinger was named Kodlak Whitemane, he too shared the beastblood but he had come to the decision that he wanted to be free of it in order to be allowed into Shor's Hall in Sovengarde upon his passing. If he still had the beastblood after his death then the Daedric Lord Hircine could lay claim to his soul and draw him into his realm where he would take part in the hunt with Hircine for eternity.

     I remember his saying some would like nothing more than to do that, but that he was a true Nord, and wanted his soul to go to Sovengarde and enter Shor's Hall to feast, drink, sing songs, and tell tales of past adventures. He sent me on a task to retrieve something that he thought would do that for him, but he was killed in a raid by werewolf hunters before I could return. After his funeral, we that were left of the circle gathered to mourn him.

     The smith that worked the Skyforge came to me and asked if I would retrieve the last pieces of Ysgramor's legendary axe, Wuuthrad so that he could reforge it. I did as he asked and also discovered Kodlak's journal, where he had detailed some prophetic dreams he had dreamed. In it, he had foreseen my coming and thought it to mean I was to become the next Harbinger. I put it away and took the axe pieces to Eorland to reforge. He brought it to us in the underforge and convinced us that we should at least try to free Kodlak's soul from the beastblood since it was his last wish.

     We went to Ysgramor's tomb, entered, and used Wuuthrad to open the way to the rest of the tomb. As we progressed, one by one the others stopped and turned back until only myself and Aela were left to enter the burial chamber. We went to the fire pit in the center, where I saw Kodlak's spirit and spoke to him. He asked if I still had the heads he had sent me for. I took one and placed it in the fire. I then saw the beast spirit separate itself from Kodlak's spirit. Aela and I did battle with it and killed it. 

     When next I spoke to Kodlak, he told me that he was finally free of the beastblood and thanked me for the gift I had given him. He then asked me to take up his position as Harbinger and said he hoped that someday when I joined them in Sovngarde, we would band together and run a raid into Hircine's hunting grounds in order to free the other spirits of former Harbingers trapped there."

     Yennefer: "That is quite the story, I see that I still have much to learn."

     Iriisii: "But you were wanting to know if you could be healed in such a way as to return to you the ability to have children. I need to speak with certain mages as to whether our magic is strong enough to accomplish that, but even if it is not, our Gods certainly do have that power.

     We would only need to see what they would want in return. It is known that I have their ear, so I am sure I could find out. The only question is, if I can get them to answer me from here or if I need to be home. But rest assured I will find out as soon as it is possible for me to ask and get an answer for you."

     Yennefer: "I do not know how I can ever thank you!"

     Iriisii: "Don't worry, things will work out as they should. Here I have something for you, I believe black is your color?"

     Iriisii gives Yennefer her black lingerie set.

     Yennefer: "Oh my, this is beautiful, I couldn't."

     Iriisii: "Please consider this a gift between friends, I can get another once I return home."