The Story Of Iriisii Dovahkiin Book One Chapter Twenty-Four

 The Story Of Iriisii Dovahkiin Book One Chapter Twenty-Four

                                                             Chapter Twenty-Four

     Iriisii and Karliah reach Angi's with the pony in tow with no further problems. They see the last scurrying around to get things tied down before the trip to the Rift. Sigunn looks up and seeing the blood on Iriisii's armor assumes things did not go well.

     Sigunn: "What happened?"

     Iriisii: "I was about to leave the Inn to get the pony, when the Legion Commander of the troops there, walked in and identified me to everyone in the Inn."

     Sigunn: "I would ask how it went but since you are here, you survived and they did not."

     Iriisii: "That about sums it up. I had to kill all but one of the Legionnaires. The survivor was sleeping off his drinking in his tent, with a little help from Karliah knocking him out with the pommel of her dagger. The Thalmor Special Squad, I had to kill all that remained. They are the ones hunting Talos worshippers and killing them all wherever they find them, even at the shrines themselves."

     Sigunn: "Surely not!"

     Iriisii: "I have seen it with my own eyes. I still have the 'orders' given to Special Agent Lorcalin, detailing how he is to approach this task. You have seen them and their behavior every day since Ragnar surrendered himself to them to save your and Rigmor's lives. They believe all the other races are inferior to them and so should be culled as 'undesirables', meaning anyone who does not toe their line. This 'New World Order' takes their beliefs to the extreme edge. Believing no one not of the Altmer race is deserving of life. They believe they should be elevated to Godhood and rule over all of Nirn and Mundus. If someone rebels against them, they and their entire family, children included are to be killed as 'undesirables'. For children grow up to be 'problems' to later have to be dealt with. In their eyes better to stop it while they are young before they grow into 'trouble'."

     Sigunn: "You are right, as much as I do not want to think anyone could believe such. I have to admit you are right. But what are we to do to stop it?"

     Iriisii: "That is one of my tasks to perform. A way exists to do this, I just have to find it and make use of it."

     Sigunn: "Then we need to finish here and get to the farmhouse, so you can get back to what the Gods have for you to do."

     The trip to the farmhouse went without incident, Iriisii setting her people to guard while she went forward to scout and clear the road for them. She made certain to use the less traveled roads, some almost nothing more than game trails. Angi was very much 'at home' here, noticing the signs of abundant game. Sigunn took this time to begin teaching Gisela how to read, while they rode side by side. She used the things visible along the roads and trails to strengthen her teaching, emphasizing common everyday things to give her as strong a base to work from before tackling more difficult subjects. Iriisii also made certain to steer clear of the broken down hut with the guards standing around it as they entered the last leg of the journey. When she first scouted the place, the guards did not accost her, and only lightly warned her away if she did not have any business there. She could smell the scent of the makings of Skooma in the air, along with something more, something that changed the odor of the Skooma. All she could really tell of it was that it was particularly nasty, not on the order of Black Lotus, or Balmora Blue, but well on the road there. She marked the location in her mind as a place to investigate later and maybe clear it out.

     When they reached the farmhouse, she thought Sethri described it well, in need of a few repairs, but overall in good shape. There were good possibilities if utilized, a stable and workshop, a small garden area, open area for chickens and goats, close to the river for fishing and water. And away from any other areas of habitation, so less chance of visitors just dropping by. Yes, it will do nicely, for a while anyway.

     Sigunn thinks the same, and suggests a shopping trip to Riften for things she needs to improve the amenities. She asks Iriisii for gold to do this and she happily forks over a bag of a hundred septims. Angi grudgingly admits it can be made suitable for them with little work, along with chickens and goats. Sorella lays claim to the two beds in the side room for herself and Rigmor. Everyone else finds either a bed or bedroll downstairs in the cellar. Iriisii sets the Elemental to patrolling outside, with one of the others taking a shift with 'her'. The rest pitch in to help with whatever repairs they can do, while Iriisii takes off to find this Jonte Malesam, after she corners Angi outside to give her the necklace she took from the Legionnaire she killed in the 'Dead Man's Drink' in Falkreath.

     Iriisii: "Angi, a moment if you please."

     Angi: "What is it, Dragonborn?"

     Iriisii hands the necklace over to Angi. Angi's reaction is to start shaking, and with a deep, painful sigh, shuts down her emotions only for her anger to show.

     Angi: "What...?"

     Iriisii: "Three Imperial drunks who thought they were above the law, found out otherwise when justice found them. It is over and done now."

     Angi: "IT IS NOT OVER! AND IT NEVER WILL BE!"

     Iriisii: "ANGI! Listen to me in this, for I speak with the voice of the Gods! As I am the Right Hand of Justice for Akatosh! He says it is done, for his Right Hand has exacted the justice you were denied by those above the three. Those who allowed this to happen and to continue will face their justice later, but face it they shall! I feel your pain, I know your pain."

     Angi: "How? How can you know and feel my pain!?"

     Iriisii: "I can because I lived with it myself in my youth. I lost my mother giving birth to me, and my father but months later of a broken heart for my mother's death. My Grandfather, with the help of the entire village, raised me, until I lost them all in one night of fire and steel. The Sinister Seven came to my village on a contract to kill me, and so because they could not tell who I was among them all, they just slaughtered everyone.

     I fought back, and killed enough of those killing my family, my friends. In my effort to take as many of them as I could to precede me into whatever hell I was to be damned to for all the lives I had taken that night. The 'Mother', leader of the 'Seven', ordered me captured instead of killed. For she wanted to see if she could make me into the kind of assassin she had dreamed of making, but had so far failed with every attempt.

     I can not tell you how many I killed in training, of the horrific orders I was commanded to perform. All while under the influence of Black Lotus, and with the aim of training me to unhesitatingly obey any order given me by the 'Mother'. I too once had a child, a son, given back to his father as a bargaining chip, to one day be used to gain entrance into the Royal Palace.

     Of how I was ordered to kill all within a specific house by one of the higher members of the 'Seven' when the 'Mother' was in the capitol city on business. Of my first killing the 'Lady' of the 'House', then her husband, who woke as the blade sliced across his throat and recognized me, for he was the father of my son. Would that I have recognized him as he did me, so much might have turned out differently. For when I went in search of all others, the household staff, gardeners, even the guard dogs. Then I found his child, and when I had my blade against his throat, a stray moonbeam peeked around the edge of a cloud, slid across his face, so that he turned and awoke. I saw myself reflected in his eyes, eyes as violet as my own. Then I knew he was mine, and that I had killed his father.

     I could not continue and all I could do was lay on the floor curled in a ball lying in my own vomit. A part of me inside came forward, took control, and got me out of there. And ran, ran until I was totally and completely lost in the wilds of my homeland. I was numb as I made a fire and sat by it, staring into the dancing flames. Asking so many questions of the Gods, and hoping the heat of those flames would carry those questions to their ears."

     Angi listening to this 'confession' is heartbroken and amazed that anyone would or even could survive what Iriisii is describing to her.

     Angi: "Did the Gods answer your questions?"

     Iriisii: "I soon heard someone approaching, and a voice calling out to share my campfire. My Grandfather's training came forth as I gave him my permission. It turned out he was a wandering, itinerate priest. He sensed my pain, read much of its story in the tear tracks left on my face, in the wild fear in my eyes. He got me to tell him everything, and even today, I am amazed he did not berate me, did not heap even more abuse on me for what I had done. No, he listened, and then he asked me what answers from the Gods did I want? I told him I wanted so many I could not speak them all, so he told me what he thought I could understand. He spoke of how the gods saw everything so much differently from what we see. How they were tasked to see the world as a whole, for them to protect, nurture, and teach it as such. While the small things, the problems you and I see and experience each day are for us to take care of. And yet sometimes, small problems become large problems when we let them. And if they threaten to destroy, desecrate, or enslave the world, then they craft a champion, a Dragonborn, to come and set things right again. Then when it is done, their champion will fade back into the mists of time. Only this time, this time is different."

     Angi: "How so?"

     Iriisii: "This time, I am the last. The Last Dragonborn that will be sent from the Gods. It is my task to right all the wrongs that I possibly can, to turn the direction Nirn takes from now on. So that the people are empowered to take care of things themselves. Then should another event take place, it is then that the Kalpa will end and another begin in its place. But I will not be here to see this, for I will have moved on. Not back into the mists of time as those before me have done, but I and those with me, will go on and outward to that which lies beyond the stars you see in the night sky. Far beyond Mundus, Aetherius, and even Oblivion, to places unknown and unknowable, sublime beyond belief, and horrific beyond imagination. I have been called to go out there as I am now doing here, right the wrongs that I find, bring balance back into Existence.

     But what I have spoke to you about is this, no matter how horrific the pain brought unto you by others, there is someone else out there with worse in their life. And there are among those, ones who find ways to deal with it, who will not let it make their life choices for them, who will live life to its fullest despite what others may do or try to stop them. For by doing so they defeat those who attempt to control others by pain of any kind. And so now you have closure, you have evidence that justice has been done, you no longer need to hold to the anger, you have but to find something else to replace it with. And I am here to tell you that it is out there, waiting on you to find it, to take it into your heart, and so let healing begin. So start to let go of the anger, and know that you will find something else to replace it with, something better, something that will not seek to control you, but rather seek to uplift you. All you need to do is look for it and be ready to accept it when you find it."

     Angi: "Will I find it? Will it not be too late?"

     Iriisii: "No, for you have already taken the first step on that road. Sorella is the first step, taking her into your life has begun the change. Now you just need to recognize the next step when you see it, and it will come soon, this I promise as the Gods have told me."

     Angi looks at the necklace in her hands, then decides something momentous for her own life.

     Angi: "Here, take it, keep it or do something else with it. I no longer need what it represents."

     Iriisii takes it and places it in a pouch.

     Iriisii: "If you wish you can help watch out for anything out of the ordinary and alert those I have placed as sentries. For now I must go and speak to an Altmer named Jonte Malesam about where Rigmor is being held. If he knows where she is, I will not return without her."

     Iriisii turns toward the east and walks into the forest. She knows there is an rocky escarpment somewhat close by and that is her goal. A cave opening is near the ground surrounded by boulders. Soon enough she finds it, a necromancer is perched on top of a boulder nearby as a lookout. He sees her but says nothing, nor does he make a hostile move. She walks in among the boulders finding the path to the door.

     Opening the door she looks around. It is nondescript as most of these caves go, she sees the bone alarm rattles hanging from the cave roof. It is easy enough for her to thread her way through without setting them off. After passing another set she stops at a cavern mouth. She sees a small habitation setup inside, an alchemy station, and enchanting station, table and chairs, a couple of beds on the opposite side of the cavern. Shelving for storage of food and alchemy supplies. A necromancer working at the alchemy station, a teenaged girl standing near the table with an older Altmer sitting in one chair, another chair opposite him. She assumes it is for her, so he really did know she still lived after Diamond Ridge. She walks quietly and makes her way down a wooden ramp to the cavern floor, then makes her way left to the wooden platform where the chair waits for her to sit in it.

     Malesam: "Ahhh, Rigmor's Guardian, alive and well as I suspected."

     Iriisii: "You more than suspected it, you knew it, or more accurately you were told by someone you worship."

     Malesam: "And quite intelligent as well."

     Iriisii: "Thank you.

     As Iriisii sits, "Now let us get to business, you know Rigmor's current location and I want it. What do you wish of me in exchange?"

     Malesam: "I am not the one who holds what you want. It is my Mistress that has it, and it will be 'she' who you will need to ask that question of. Now, there is no need to become angry. Yes indeed you could easily kill me, but then you would never see Rigmor again."

     Iriisii: "Careful Malesam, there is much more at stake here and you well know it. If I do not see Rigmor again, and that causes the New World Order to be successful, there will be dire consequences for all who live in Tamriel, yourself included. Unless your Mistress thinks highly enough of you to take you from here to her Realm and keeps you in relative safety. Besides, I realize you are just the messenger and not the message itself. I do not fault the messenger for what the message creator does or does not do."

     Malesam: "Thank you, an enlightened viewpoint that many of Nirn's rulers would do well to emulate."

     Iriisii: "Now with that out of the way, what can you tell me? Your Mistress would not have sent you with nothing of value to me. Enough at least to entice me into something she wants of me."

     Malesam's view of Iriisii keeps climbing higher as her banter indicates she too knows far more than she is saying. Her personal sources of information must be formidable and well placed. As well he thinks she knows exactly who his Mistress is, and knows more about her perhaps on a par with his own knowledge of her.

     Malesam: "Would you like the whole story or just the high points?"

     Iriisii: "Tease me with the whole story, then I can compare it with what I already know and hopefully fill in some of the gaps. After all, she has become quite special to me, kind of grown on me as we have spent so much time with each other."

     Malesam goes into how her father and mother met, settled down, and produced Rigmor. Then he went directly to the Thalmor intervention with Titus Meade II to give Ragnar over to them. Giving more detail to the 'New World Order' and their plans for Rigmor, along with why they want her."

     Iriisii interrupts the story, "You know what they did to her?"

     Malesam: "Yes, indeed, I do. A very uncivilized response to the circumstances all around."

     Iriisii: "Then what happened to change their minds, they start out wanting her, then it was like they felt they either did not need her, or she was too much trouble because they seemed to want her dead. Now suddenly they want and/or need her once more."

     Malesam: "An astute observation, yes. They had located another they thought would be better controlled, a young boy of noble birth, alas, he met with a fatal mishap. And so the New World Order was forced to fall back to Rigmor."

     Iriisii: "Someone had better hope the boy met with an accident, for if I find out it was contrived, I will see justice done."

     Malesam: "Either way does not involve me."

     Iriisii: "Point taken, go on."

     Malesam: "You are a very special person in your own right, Guardian. No one else has been able to bring Tilar Aedriath to the point of an apoplectic rage, practically foaming at the mouth at what you have accomplished in thwarting him."

     Iriisii: "And he has not even seen the worst of what I have in store for him."

     Malesam: "Might I inquire into what you do have in store for him?"

     Iriisii: "Are you certain you wish to know?"

     Malesam: "I do admit to a bit of trepidation, but please go on, if you would."

     Iriisii does go on, to describe in detail what she has in mind for Tilar Aedriath when she gets her hands on him."

     The young girl has to quickly find a bucket to receive the contents of her stomach. While Malesam definitely feels the queasiness take hold of his own.

     Malesam: "If I might ask, but how did you learn of how to do that?"

     Iriisii: "Someone I know, made the acquaintance of a Sacred Anatomancer. I was able to share the dreams of what she learned from him, enough that the power behind them spoke to me directly. Even though I have not accepted the offer to join with them, I was still taught a great deal of their practices. It has proven very useful in acquiring information otherwise unobtainable, although I remain aware of the possible future consequences of going too far down that road."

     Malesam: "Your strength of mind and will, incredible that you have so adroitly avoided being drawn into their web."

     Iriisii: "I can take it that you know somewhat of them?"

     Malesam: "More than I wish to, that is certain. Although I do wish you success with Aedriath, he is one who deserves whatever comes his way."

     Iriisii: "I will keep that in mind when I see him next. It will be somewhat difficult to draw out our meetings. I must do all I can not to kill him until I am ready to perform the ritual. I am sure he knows a great deal about what is planned and I want to know everything in order to thwart their plans."

     Malesam: "In that case there is something you will need. There exists a most singular mace, 'Scourge' it is called. It has the innate power, once a Daedra is struck with it, to be transported deep into the 'void'. There they would have to spend much time making their way back to their personal Oblivion Realm."

     Iriisii: "I take it, your Mistress wants this mace?"

     Malesam: "Yes, she does."

     Iriisii: "Very well, where is it?"

     Malesam: "The New World Order believes it is in Markarth within the Dwemer ruin there."

     Iriisii: "I have been through it, twice now, there is and was no mace there, so it must be somewhere else."

     Malesam: "You are indeed correct, it rests in a barrow above Markarth. The entrance to which is next to a stream bed cut into the mountains above the city. You will have to climb the rock face, up and around in order to reach it."

     Iriisii: "Someone had to climb it and reach it the first time to put 'Scourge' inside. I can and will climb it, this time with the purpose of bringing it back out. I assume I am to take it to your Mistress?"

     Malesam: "Yes, Guardian..."

     Iriisii: "Then I must be on my way."

     Malesam looking somewhat confused, "You know where to bring it to?"

     Iriisii smiles with a devilish grin, "Yes, to the half ruined Shrine of Boethiah just a bit to the east of here."

     Malesam: "How did you know...?"

     Iriisii: "You mean how did the current Champion of Boethiah know about the shrine, or that 'she' would want 'Scourge'?"

     Malesam: "Champion...?

     Iriisii: "Yes, and of a few more as well. But no need to go into who they are just yet."

     Malesam: "My word, Guardian, you are certainly full of surprises."

     Iriisii: "More than you know Malesam, more than you know."

     She rises, then places his journal on the table in front of him.

     Iriisii: "Oh, and you really should take better care of things like this, if it should have fallen into the wrong hands. I despair what someone would have done to you had someone other than I found and read it."

     Malesam, his mouth open, can barely speak.

     Malesam in a whisper: "Thank you, Guardian, I see now why my Mistress has such an interest in you."

     Iriisii: "I am sorry to inform you that you see just a glimpse of what she sees. There is much going into the future that she sees and knows she will need me as a ally in order to survive what is to come. But no matter, we will see each other again, that I am sure of. We can then discuss this in greater detail then."

     As Iriisii walks away, she sees the teenage girl place her hand on his shoulder, as he places his hand over hers. Iriisii thinks, 'They react as father and daughter, yet there is no blood in common between them. Something to think about for another time then. To Markarth I must go, but I should take someone with me, but who? Guess I will figure that out by the time I get to the farmhouse.'

     When she walks through the door into Sethri's farmhouse, Sigunn raises her head up from the cookpot she was stirring.

     Sigunn: "Did you find out anything, Dragonborn? Do you know where Rigmor is being held?"

     Iriisii: "Not yet, but I am closer than ever to that information. I know who has it and what she wants for the information. And I know where the object is, I just have to go and retrieve it before the New World Order figures out they are looking in the wrong place."

     Sigunn: "Then we are close after all?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, we are."

     Sigunn: "Thank the Gods! What is next then?"

     Iriisii: "I need to decide who to take with me and then set out. We need to go into a barrow in the mountains overlooking Markarth. The entrance is next to a streambed cut into those mountains, accessible from the back side. We will need to climb the rock face and make our way around to the stream, then follow it down toward the city until we find it. Then go into the barrow and locate the object."

     Sigunn: "What is it?"

     Iriisii: "An ancient mace, called 'Scourge'. It is said to possess the power to banish Daedra back into the 'void' when they are struck with it."

     Sigunn: "Who is it that wants it?"

     Iriisii: "Boethiah."

     Sigunn: "But why? What use could she have for it if she cannot use it?"

     Iriisii: "She may not be able to use it, but I can, and being her Champion, among some others. I see her wanting this for a different purpose, one not yet apparent to anyone. That we will just have to wait and see. But to your unspoken question, can we trust her? As long as our goals align with hers, yes. And I suspect they will align for some time to come."

     Sigunn: "Then what goal would she have that would align with ours for that much time?"

     Iriisii: "Simply this, survival. Hers and ours. You will not hear her say it like that or in her own words, but that is what is at the heart of it, I am sure."

     Sigunn: "Then if you are sure, I trust you."

     Iriisii sees the pressure Sigunn is trying so hard to bear up under. She goes to her and draws her into a hug.

     Iriisii: "Please do not worry so much, I will bring her home, I promise. In the time we have been together, I have come to feel she is very special. After all, both Azura and Akatosh saw to it that I was there outside Riverwood to help Rose gather her up from her fall, take her to safety, and work to heal her of her injury. We have been together ever since. I learning who she is inside the fierce face she shows to everyone outside. And she has been learning of me, my past life, how I have gone beyond the tragedies I have suffered to find my way to the path I have chosen. She has an important path of her own, a destiny given to her alone to fulfil. I somehow feel that our destinies are intertwined together, each helping and strengthening the other. We will just have to see where they ultimately lead us, either together or apart."

     Sigunn: "Thank you, Dragonborn, for being here for her."

     Iriisii: "You and Rigmor are most welcome. Now I must leave, for I have a long way to go, to Markarth and back, with that mace."

     She steps outside where all of her companions were waiting for her to tell them what was next.

     Iriisii: "Thank you all for being patient, I must go to Markarth and search in the mountains just above the city for a barrow. Inside is an ancient enchanted mace that I need to retrieve and bring back. As to why, I am using it to trade for Rigmor's whereabouts, and what is intended for her. I anticipate it is in no way good and likely to cost her life if I fail.

     This is why I and one other will be traveling light and fast. I intend to summon Snowdevil and ask him to ferry us to Markarth and back. This way we will literally save days, perhaps as much as a week or more of traveling time. I know the uproar it is going to cause, but time is of the essence, and I will not let others reaction cost Rigmor's life. Now as to who is going with me, I have narrowed it down to Karliah or Gisela, mainly because we will be going into a barrow, undoubtedly filled with Draugr, possibly spiders, but I do not anticipate anything else except for maybe Falmer.

     I know they are in the area, but the barrow is in a secluded spot. Its door hidden along a streambed, whose stream drops down into the city. But we will not enter or leave that way, but rather from a mountain ledge around and behind. I would ask of Karliah and Gisela to decide amongst themselves who is better suited to go with me knowing what we will likely face."

     Karliah and Gisela begin talking between themselves in hushed whispers. It only takes a few minutes before they turn and announce that it will be Gisela going with Iriisii.

     Iriisii nods her head, "Good choice, Gisela still carries Stendarr's approval and so she will still have access to his spells and enchantments as a Vigilant. Against Draugr, they will be very effective, spiders I can handle quite well, even the giant ones. And since we will be riding Snowdevil, he can clear out any frost trolls in those mountains near where we will be dropped off. Now I need to 'call' him, yes, over there is a large enough area where he can port to me."

     She moves to the area she wants him to port to and sends him a 'silent' call. At Dragon's Nest, he hears her, lifts himself into the air from the house roof and ports to her location. As he appears overhead, she points to the large grassy area and he gently sets down.

     Snowdevil: "Greetings my 'Rider', how can I help you today."

     Iriisii gestures to Gisela, "My companion and I need to get to the mountains above Markarth as quickly as possible. The life of Rigmor, one of my other companions could be in grave danger. I must retrieve the mace known as 'Scourge' to trade for the information of who has her, where is she now, and what is her intended fate. Time is short and I can afford to waste none of it. My goal in Markarth is a barrow hidden along a stream cut into the mountains, and only accessible from that stream. Will you bear us there and return us?"

     Snowdevil: "As my 'Rider' you have but to speak your wishes for me. That you ask instead raises you up in the regard the other, older dragons already hold for you. I would do this for you in any case. Climb and seat yourselves at my shoulders and we will be off."

     Iriisii seats herself first then helps Gisela to place herself behind Iriisii.

     Iriisii: "Do not worry, neither Snowdevil or I will allow you to fall from him."

     And then they rise up as he wings his way to a thermal and uses it to rise high up toward the clouds.

     Iriisii: "I have been told that when one gets the rare opportunity to see the world as a dragon sees it from the sky, it is a sight that will cause one to forever envy them. I can already see where that statement came from."

     Once Snowdevil is high enough, he begins to glide toward Markarth, only using his wings to speed his way quicker and help ride the thermals higher as he comes to them. Once they are well on their way, Iriisii begins talking to him about the Vir. She describes what the 'gray' has done for her that she can feel. As well as once it becomes fully integrated with her, what it will enable her to do. She asks him to consider if he would join her in using it to enhance what and who she is.

     She states this will be his decision to make, that it cannot jump to him on its own. That it must be a willing decision for it to work. But she feels that working together with the 'gray' enhancing both of them, that there in fact be almost no limits to what they can accomplish, even to him coming with her when she finally leaves Nirn. He is most interested in knowing why does she feel she will leave Nirn. And she shares with him what she has been told by those Gods, Entities, Voices about her future, about those she learned as her first parents, and what they told her. And what she herself has seen in her dreams and visions, some of these so real she could reach out, touch them, and know they were real.

     He takes it all in, feeling what she is feeling through their bond, and knows something is indeed helping her. Supporting her as she grows into even more power. He wonders where or even if her elevation would stop, and if he stays with her, where would he be in all of this. For the bond of Dragon and Dragonrider, is one that is as strong or even stronger than that of a mate. For it is the one reason why so many dragons will not even consider it. They cannot see themselves sharing power with anyone, not with another dragon, and especially not with another not a dragon. As he listens to the winds as he passes through them, he realizes that Kyne is speaking to him.

     Kyne: "You hear the words of my 'Thunderchild', the only one on Nirn and Mundus, and possibly she will be the last and the greatest one to ever be. One that can go beyond me, beyond all of us called gods. You have been gifted by her, as you have become her Dragon, and she your Rider. The bond between you is more and stronger than any other in Nirn's history and now can be even more than it has been imagined. Even if you decide not to join with her and take the 'Gray', she will not abandon you. But will take you with her when the time comes for her to leave. For her destiny goes farther than anything yet known and she wants you to be with her through it all.

     This goes far beyond anything even Father Akatosh thought would be when he made the bargain with those outside Mundus. And you have the chance to fly high, above all dragons in all of Existence. And yes, they are out there, many watching and listening to what is happening on Nirn. Waiting to see if she is the one, the one to bring them all together, with you at her side. Yes, the choice is yours, just as she said. She will not force it in any way, and will not offer it to any others save for those most close to her. The ones that will stay with her to the very end of her road. For they will all share in the culmination of her destiny. A destiny greater than even when 'Existence' itself was born. Decide when you will, decide what you will, and when your mind is decided, share it with her. Aetherius wishes you well, Snowdevil, for as they all feel Iriisii is their 'daughter', so they also feel you are their 'son'."

     The voice fades until he can no longer hear it, a great deal has been given to him to think about, to weigh, to decide the direction of his own destiny. To think that any dragon other than Alduin can have a destiny that is truly their own. He will give it the time it needs to be properly decided upon. And part of that decision is that he must recognize who gave him the information he now has, and why.

     As they approach Markarth, Iriisii gives him permission to come from the south, and edge the city before following the mountains around. She feels it is time that Markarth feels what the rest of Tamriel has felt, and knows in its heart that the dragons have indeed returned. And furthermore that as the Dragons have returned so have the Dragonriders. When he cries out to tell Markarth of his presence, he also makes certain the Iriisii can be seen riding him. He watches as the people scramble to the safety of stone houses, even as some stand outside pointing to the human figure on Snowdevil's back. The guards try as they might, do not have bows or crossbows powerful enough to reach him, and have to stop so as not to harm the citizens when their arrows and bolts drop back down to Nirn when they do not pierce Snowdevil's hide.

     He moves on around and circles the mountains above the city. The guards waiting to see if a detail is formed to climb around and attack the dragon on the other side. Word comes to stand down, as he has not damaged anything or killed anyone. And the Jarl did not want to provoke him into doing just that. Although some of the guards were disappointed, most breathed a sigh of relief.

     On the other side, he spots the chasm in the range with a stream running down its center. The main part of the ledge, more than big enough for him to land on, still shakes as he drops onto it. He had already taken the time to deal with the frost trolls that he saw and nothing else could be seen. The bears likely driven off by the trolls. Iriisii and Gisela climb down and take a look at the way down to the streambed.

     Iriisii: "Snowdevil, wait for us here. We will try and come back out by the stream, if not I will call you and tell you where we are and where to pick us up at."

     Snowdevil: "I will do as you ask, my Rider. I ask for good fortune and hunting for you and your companion, maybe a few more trolls will come by to entertain me."

     Iriisii smiles, "Or maybe a few bears, trolls do not have much meat to satisfy your stomach."

     Snowdevil: "True, one can hope but I will accept whatever comes my way."

     Iriisii: "Come Gisela, we have a mace to find somewhere in there."

     As they walk in it looks no different than any other Nord barrow, but Iriisii still lays out the ground rules about taking on draugr.

     Iriisii: "This is what I told Rigmor the first time I took her into a barrow. We go slow and quiet, when we are where we can see them, I will show you how to recognize the ones that could wake up versus the ones that are truly dead. That way you know how many you may face in any encounter. There will always be a few that once awakened, never go back to sleep. You have to be aware of listening for them, for most of them can even use the Thu'um, although 'Unrelenting Force' is the only shout I have heard them use. The draugr mages always use frost magic, these are the shouts and magic that they used when alive. They have some kind of memories, like when they first notice you they issue a challenge by beating their sword against their shield, or if they have no shield, they will point it and shake it at you. If you are quick you can seize the advantage and get in the first strike."

     Gisela: "But is that not like some king of dirty fighting, I mean if they issue a challenge..."

     Iriisii: "It is the magic animating them using their memories of battles, there is no soul inside them anymore. They are being animated by black sorcery. When necromancy is used to animate anything beyond skeletons, they use souls to do so. How is through the use of black soul gems. If you look at some of the altars you will see signs of this, where a preserved body will be lying there with a black soul gem. In the past the necromancer would soultrap the person, and remember this, it was done voluntarily on the part of the 'victim'. Then they would use the soul gem to power the reanimation spell. Stripping the personality from the soul and using its power."

     Gisela: "How do you know all of this?"

     Iriisii: "I was taught necromancy, in order to know my enemies strengths and weaknesses. I am not an active practitioner, but there are spells that do not delve into these darker areas. These I will use if it is needed and there is no other way."

     Gisela: "I see."

     Iriisii: "Look at those two side by side in the lowest level, see how one looks 'fresher' than the other, noticibly so even from this distance. One is also armed and armored while the other has only scraps of linen wrap. All of that indicates that the 'fresher' one will wake if we were to approach too close. It can be hard to know what the magic uses to trigger them awake. Sound, physical presence, but if your stealth skills are good enough, you can literally sneak up on one of them and they would never know you are there. But for now anyway, you are a long way from that point. So we will figure out how we want to take them on, assuming they will all wake at the same time."

     They take them down and keep going taking each group from two to five at a time, dropping them quickly. Iriisii giving Gisela as many kills as she can handle, stepping in when it appears she is about to be overwhelmed. Then they make it to the main chamber, walk out a short bit and notice they are above the floor with stairs going down each side of the central peninsula. They see a big chest on the far end along with a lever. Gisela starts to walk out and Iriisii puts an arm out to stop her. As she looks questioningly Iriisii points to the walls that are covered in spiderwebs.

     Iriisii mouths silently, "Where are the spiders?"

     Gisela then looks hard everywhere she can think to look but can see no sign of any, so she looks back questioningly.

     Iriisii whispers softly, "Look up at the ceiling."

     As Gisela does so Iriisii whispers, "Up inside the hole in the ceiling. If you were to trip the lever it would drop a giant spider down, might even have trapped the chest to do it if opened without picking the trap line. We will look carefully around the chest and for the Gods' sake touch nothing until we make sure it is safe to do so."

     Gisela nods her head and waits for Iriisii to step out first. As Iriisii does, she keeps looking at the stone blocks as she steps on them. Then she points out safe ones for Gisela to step on.

     Iriisii: "Some of these stones are pressure trapped. I cannot tell what they will do if triggered so we need to avoid them completely. And no, the lever will not turn the traps off, too many inexperienced adventurers get caught by that. They flip the lever and instead of turning the traps off, they are joined by a hungry giant spider. The chest does have a trip wire, so I will show you how to deal with one."

     Once they make the chest safe to open, Iriisii lets Gisela open it. It contains some of the usual trinkets, a necklace, two rings, some gold coins, then Gisela pulls out 'Scourge'. She cannot take her eyes off of it, as she turn to give it to Iriisii and she feels a foot slip in the dust and slide onto a trapped stone. They hear the click and Iriisii immediately pulls her bow, nocking a arrow to the string and pulling it back before she even begins to take aim at the spider dropping down on a web line. She then leads the spider going down and releases, nocking another arrow as soon as the first is released. 

      Gisela notices Iriisii does not fire the second arrow until she sees what damage the first did. The Iriisii eases the pressure off and returns the arrow to the quiver. Gisela notices the arrow half embedded into one of the spiders eyes.

      Gisela: "How did you do that?"

      Iriisii: "Hours and hours of training on a course designed to mimic places like this. And one real hardass instructor that I will thank with my last breath for the hell he put me through to teach me how to do that without thinking. I still remember having to wear gloves because the bowstring had scraped the skin off of my fingers. And he kept me practicing, because when I could ignore those distractions, then they would not cost me or those with me their lives. I applied that teaching to everything I learned, even learning how to fight while in a battle trance."

     Gisela: "Why fight in a battle trance?"

     Iriisii: "While in a battle trance, I can fight and keep going when otherwise I would drop from exhaustion and/or serious wounds. I can even control blood loss while in a trance, I cannot stop it, but I can slow it. Now lets get out of here, I have to deliver that mace to someone, and I do not want to keep them waiting any longer than I have to."

     Gisela asks, "Who?"

     Iriisii hesitates a second, then says, "Boethiah."

     Gisela does not say anything about why give something as powerful as 'Scourge' to a Daedric Lord. For she now knows it is Boethiah that knows where Rigmor is, and the mace is the price for that information. Any of her old fellow Vigilants would have tried to stop Iriisii. Not caring that it would could cost Rigmor her life, and possibly many more would suffer depending on why Rigmor was taken and what did her captors intend to do to her. To go to this extreme to get her it had to be very bad and so she passed her first major questioning of what had been taught to her to become a Vigilant.

     They arrive back at the farmhouse and the other companions gather to see just what 'Scourge' looks like. Both Temussin and the Elemental can see the power aura that surrounds it, and only the weapons given to her by Akatosh have auras as strong or stronger.

     Temussin: "Does anyone know who first made 'Scourge'?"

     Iriisii: "Not to my knowledge, as far as I know that was lost when it was made back in the 'Dawn Times'. Time was very malleable then, there were even multiple timelines running alongside each other. We have books that still contradict themselves on how Nirn was born. And because of those multiple timelines, it is likely they are all true. For it was only later that Akatosh had the Jills merge them into a single timeline."

     Temussin: "Then the other Gods mentioned in those books that had responsibility over the same aspects of Nirn's creation and life, what happened to them? Were they all merged as well?"

     Iriisii: "That question is still being debated, sometimes heatedly. In my opinion, not in the way you are phrasing it. What I mean is that each aspect still has a primary God looking over it. The others have coalesced into an 'oversoul' if you will. The Gods were all formed within each timeline, separate from the others, once the timelines were merged, something had to be done and they could not be destroyed. So the simple solution was to form an 'oversoul' if you will, to step back and look over Mundus as a whole and not just Nirn. The 'oversoul' still touches Nirn upon occasion, just very rarely. That is just my opinion, read up on everything and form your own.

     Now I am going on alone, and this time I must, for I will face Boethiah. I know what I have said about how to deal with them, but this is a situation where I must 'bend like a reed in the wind'. She is not going to just hand over the information, it is not her way. I will have to prove that I have leverage, that I too can call upon power. And I have no idea how nasty this might become.

     Karliah: "All the more reason to take us along, together we are more than we are alone."

     Iriisii: "Trust me that you do not want to gather her notice of you. She may not be able to affect you directly, but she has many minions, and nearly all are formidable warriors. They are not up to the standards I was trained to meet, but anyone else, I am afraid they could overwhelm if they had enough numbers. Once I get Rigmor's whereabouts and make ready to go to her, then I promise to include you all, for I have no doubt you will all be needed. Now I must leave, we will know soon enough for it is not far that I must go."

     She turns and begins a long lope through the grass before disappearing into the forest. Soon she passes the rock cliffs where she met with Malesam. Continuing east it is not too much longer before she catches glimpses of an old shrine in the gaps as she passes trees. She make her way there, nothing out of the ordinary. As she approaches the shrine, she hears Boethiah in her mind.

     Boethiah: "Do you have the mace?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I have it."

     Boethiah: "You have done well, mortal. I have watched your progress through the eyes of my lesser minions, and listened as you spoke with my servant."

     Iriisii: "Then you well know what I am here for. I have brought you the mace as you requested. Now I would like to know where Rigmor Sigunnsdottir is being held."

     Boethiah: "First I must know your true intentions."

     Iriisii: "I brought that which you asked for, completing my part of the bargain given through your servant. If you should decide to renege on this, so be it. But I will have no choice but to tell all I pass that you do not keep your word. And do not bother to threaten to replace me in the traditional fashion. For too much rides on the actions that I and Rigmor are to accomplish in the near future. Actions that will reverberate down the streams of time and affect the events that are to come. Whether they will be favorable to you or not still remains to be seen."

     Boethiah: "Do you dare to cross paths against me?"

     Iriisii: "You are the one changing the terms of the agreement before it can be completed, not me. Or should I ask another if they know the same information that you know?"

     Boethiah: "Who else would know what I know. There is no one else."

     Iriisii: "Then you are aware that Mephala has watched over me as you do, but I think for a longer period of time."

     Boethiah: "THAT BITCH! How dare she interfere in my affairs!"

     Iriisii: "I came into her attention when I was sent against 'hers' who sought to establish a base in my homeland. She watched as I dispatched over a hundred of her best including the Mute's second, without a single one knowing I was there. Then laid a 'blood curse' to warn the Mute from ever coming back. She said I earned her respect for my feat that day, and forbade any of hers from taking retribution, even giving me permission to do as I willed to any of 'hers' that disobeyed 'her' and came after me. I am certain that if she knows where Rigmor is, if I asked, she would tell me. If for no other reason but to..."

     Boethiah shouting: "I DO NOT CARE WHAT HER REASON IS, YOU ARE NOT HER CHAMPION, YOU ARE MY CHAMPION!"

     Then a smooth voice glides over the area.

     Mephala: "And so do you always mistreat your champions? Wring them dry of what you want of them then throw them away. This one is worth more than all of your champions together, now and your future ones. Dear one, you have but to ask of me and I will give you what you seek. I will also gift you with my 'Ebony Blade' to sheath it in the blood of your enemies."

     Boethiah: "This is MY PLACE! And I FORBID YOU TO ENTER HERE!"

     Mephala: "And so I must go apart for a ways, call me if you need my assistance with saving Rigmor. I will answer most quickly for one such as you."

     The gliding voice fades as Iriisii looks back up at Boethiah's statue. Iriisii waits to hear what Boethiah has to say now.

     Boethiah: "You must love her greatly to risk my ire as you have done. But is your love for her true, or is it a false love, this I must know. Do you love her?"

     Iriisii: "My personal feelings for her are none of your business. I am her Guardian, appointed so by Azura. That is my current task and I can not let my judgment cause me to stray."

     Boethiah: "But it was your judgment that caused her to be taken in the first place. Your failure to protect her has caused the situation she is in."

     Iriisii: "You need to look more closely at the workings of the timestream. Father Akatosh nudged me to this specific timestream and the events within. Knowing how they will move forward to what he wants. He also knows that I will do whatever it takes to see his will made manifest. The events will occur as they will. It is my response to them that is important. I lay in that tower for three days with my skull bashed in, on the precipice of death. It was because of Azura and my High Elemental companion that I am standing here before you, asking of Rigmor's location, so that I may go and save her. If it was not there at that time, it would have been somewhere else at another time, but it would have happened nonetheless. But I cannot say if it would have been you I would be asking this of or someone else if a different timestream had been chosen.

     You want to survive what comes from the outer reaches in the future. That which can destroy even Gods. And they pray to whoever will listen that there is someone to come forth and stand in the gap. Someone to fight, someone willing to kill, desecrate, obliterate what stands in the way, to bring together both light and dark, mortal and immortal, and work to preserve the existence we live in. Saving Rigmor is but a small step on that path, but an important one it is. Who I get the information from is of no concern to me, only getting it."

     Boethiah: "Do you even know who you vie against, who pulls the strings of his Thalmor puppets?"

     Iriisii: "Azura only knows it as an entity."

     Boethiah: "|There is no entity, Guardian. It is Malacath. Malacath the spurned one who seeks to return as Trinimac. Trinimac who in his ultimate pride, fell to me as I consumed him, took what I wished and defecated what remained. He wishes to return as a Elven God-King to cleanse Tamriel in blood and flame of all that is not perfect."

     Iriisii: "And you care not for Tamriel, so do not lay that drivel on me. What you fear is that after he has cleansed Tamriel, he will come looking for you. That is one reason you wanted 'Scourge', but I doubt that is the only reason. You have honed your followers into an army of fierce fighters to stand between him and you. And you have made me your Champion, to lead your army against whatever he should bring to the field. Do not worry on that account, I will stand for you against him. To either stop him before he returns or after, I will stop him. They will call me the 'Bloodreaver'. The question is which path do you wish to go down, before he comes or after. Go down the 'Path of Before' and your survival will be assured for I will owe you a life debt, save the life of Rigmor and save your life as well. Go down the 'Path of After' and you will forever wonder when I will turn against you and seek to balance the scales, your life for the loss of hers. The choice is yours."

     Boethiah: "I ask you again, do you love this girl? Do you want this girl? You say you are her Guardian, then you must be ready to sacrifice yourself for her. Are you willing to do that, sacrifice yourself to save her life?"

     Iriisii: "I...am her Guardian, her Protector! I am sworn to give everything of myself, even my life to save hers."

     Boethiah: "But do you love this girl? Would you fight for her, protect her against every enemy?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, I would fight for her, kill for her, swim in a river of her enemies' blood if that is what I must to protect her!"

     Boethiah: "Then take up that challenge in my arena!"

     Iriisii: "Very well, bring it on!"

     Boethiah: "This I have got to see!"