Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Infirmary

 

Adrynn silently followed Velanya and Lecuaro, staying to the back of the trio, his mind still mulling over what happened these past few days. As they stepped into the infirmary, the sights and smells of the dying and wounded imprinted itself onto his psyche. His face fell into a mixture of pity and remorse and anger for those who had been wounded in these senseless attacks on the Fort. Adrynn noticed an Ordinator with a purple scarf around his neck helping to carry bodies and struggling to do so. He stepped past Velanya and Lecuaro and helped the Temple warrior carry the wounded soul into a small side room to rest.

 

Adrynn nodded to the Ordinator and stuck out his hand. "I'm Adrynn Indarys, House Father of the Great House Redoran. It's good to see that Velanya's message got to you as soon as it did, friend. How are you faring?"

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Faeryn Sethandas, and Nibani Maesa; Fort Floodgate, Infirmary

 

The Ordinator nodded to Adrynn, clasping his forearm firmly, "Better than some this day, Redoran. Faeryn Sethandas, Ordinator of the Tribunal Temple and Hand of Vivec, at your service. I sent word ahead to the Archcanon and Mournhold. They are aware of the situation here, and are prepared to send reinforcements if need be. Some of my comrades are assisting the soldiers with the funeral pyres right now, and I've also bolstered the garrison at Ghostgate." He directed his statements not only to Adrynn but also to the Breton who stood beside Velanya, the man whom he assumed to be the commander.

 

Velanya gestured to Nibani, "Adrynn, this is Nibani Maesa of the Urshilaku. Her tribe, or what's left of it, has taken shelter in one of the fort's storerooms. We'll need to see to them as soon as we stabilize the wounded."

 

The wise woman looked to the Dunmer garbed in Gah-Julan, still pounding away at the blue powder, "Ashkhan Sul-Matuul is too proud to admit that he made a mistake, but I am not. We were foolish, Redoran, and we paid a heavy price for it. Our tribe owes you and your Imperial friend for our continued existence."

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate Infirmary

 

Adrynn clasped Faeryn's forearm and nodded as the Ordinator introduced himself. "That is good to hear, Faeryn. More warriors is always a good thing in times like these. Hopefully my own House will have seen reinforcements to our garrisons as well."

 

Adrynn turned to Velanya as she introduced him to Nibani. Adrynn bowed to the Wise Woman, his right hand folded over his heart. "It is an honor to meet you, Wise Woman of the Urshilaku. I will do what I can to help you with your tribe. And you do not owe me anything. It is I who owe you," Adrynn said, standing up and facing Nibani. A frown creased his face. "We were too lax in our patrols from Ald Velothi east toward where your camp lay. I hope you can forgive us."

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Faeryn Sethandas, and Nibani Maesa; Fort Floodgate, Infirmary

 

The Wise Woman said nothing in response to Adrynn - simply because there was nothing left to say. Anything they spoke of in hindsight did not matter now. She proffered the blue powder to the healer, "Is this satisfactory?"

 

Velanya put her hands on her hips, "Well, we should probably be seeing Caius and our prisoner. Oh, and Commander?" she turned to Lecuaro, "Captain Caretus arrived earlier with her band. She wants to talk with you and Adrynn about a mission to Mournhold."

 

Faeryn's brow furrowed, "You've got a prisoner? I'd like to see them, if I could."

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate

 

Adrynn nodded to Faeryn. "Yes, we have a prisoner. And you won't believe who it is," Adrynn said, crossing his arms over his chest. He remained silent after this. It wouldn't do well to say who exactly their prisoner was and disrupt and cause panic and chaos. He himself could barely believe that he had faced the Nerevarine and lived to tell about it. Admittedly, he had had Kriak at his back to keep him from being overrun when he had gone down from the Incarnate's lightning spell.

 

Adrynn glanced to Nibani as she worked on the mortar for Trilvan. She was so thin, yet worked with a determination that belied her weakened state. She had such strength; it was no wonder Azura had chosen her as Her priestess. Adrynn's eyes trailed to the Ordinator, Faeryn. A friend of Velanya, Hand of Vivec, and warrior of the Temple. A mighty warrior in his own right, Adrynn was sure. And a valuable ally.

 

"Commander, whenever you're ready, I guess we shall go see our prisoner."

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon and Trilvan Salothril - Fort Floodgate Hallways and Infirmary

 

 

Lecuaro's jaw tightened when Velanya mentioned Caretus's presence at the fort. He knew that their meeting was already far behind schedule, but he also realized the massive importance of their current missions of interrogating the brainwashed Nerevarine and visiting the Shrine of Azura. As much as he hated to delay Caretus any longer, he made an executive decision.

 

"Caretus can wait. We've more pressing matters here at home right now. I know about the mission to Mournhold -- it's why I requested that Adrynn come here to join the Blades investigation team bound for there. Anyway, I'm sticking with you folks all the way through this tangle. We'll need every available hand we can cobble together for the journey to Azura's Shrine. Maybe there, we can all get some answers regarding our Daedric brands. Especially mine, seeing as how Hermaeus Mora doesn't really have any major known power in these parts." Lecuaro said. "And you're right. Caius and the Nerevarine are waiting, so let's get down there before Nerevar wakes up and tries to make trouble."

 

====

 

Trilvan glanced at the ground blue powder in Nibani's hands. "Yes, that's great." He said as he quickly whisked it away and began applying it to the wounded soldiers' injuries. The groans and cries of pain bore holes through his heart, but he knew that he had to clean and dress the wounds.

 

After he finished administering the powder, Trilvan returned to the alchemy tools alongside Nibani. "Really, I should have done this first. These poor folks need something to dull the pain." The healer said as he began procuring corkbulb roots and scrib jelly for grinding and mixing.

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Faeryn Sethandas, and Nibani Maesa; Fort Floodgate, Infirmary

 

Velanya nodded, "Yes, Commander."

 

Faeryn's mouth dropped open in shock, "What did you just say?"

 

The Knight-Errant's own eyes widened. Right. She had forgotten that Faeryn had once traveled with the Nerevarine. He was not going to like this...

 

"Ah," she began, "Yes. That prisoner they brought back-"

 

"Take me down there. Now," Faeryn's ruby eyes flashed. By the Three, if that really was the Nerevarine down there...

 

Velanya wordlessly began weaving her way back through the corridors and towards the dungeons. It might be that Adrynn would have to hold Faeryn back once he saw the truth.

 

Nibani Maesa's mortar and pestle had fallen onto the table with a sharp clink. Her vision...it was true...they had not been tricked...it really had been Moon-and-Star...

 

She was snapped out of her reverie by Trilvan's shuffling around. She shook her head fiercely and began taking the corkbulb and scrib jelly, grinding them in the apparatus to serve as a painkiller. Her own thoughts on the matter could wait. She had work to do.

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate

 

Adrynn silently nodded to Lecuaro, as he followed Faeryn and Velanya to the holding cells under the fort. There, the Nerevarine was being kept in a cell, a guard standing watch nearby. And the Incarnate was awake.

 

"Well well well... Long time no see, Faeryn," the Nerevarine said, a cruel smile crossing his face as he began to cackle, then to laugh manically. Adrynn tightened his grip on his sword. This was not going to be pleasant...

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate Holding Cells

 

 

Lecuaro's stomach turned as the Nerevarine delivered his snide greeting and maniacal laughter. He moved slightly further between Faeryn and the cell with the Incarnate to help Adrynn and the rest restrain the Ordinator lest he injure himself or others in a fit of sudden rage.

[AurianaValoria1]

Faeryn Sethandas, Velanya Therys, and Caius Cosades; Fort Floodgate, Holding Cells

 

The Ordinator's eyes widened in disbelief, before a strange cast came over them. They narrowed, their fire increasing with each passing second. He pushed forward, black-gloved hands gripping the iron bars of the Nerevarine's cell...and with the shaking force of fury coursing through his body, it appeared that they would melt in his grasp. Faeryn stood there, staring at the Incarnate for what seemed like hours. Though is fatigue from the battle and from tending the wounded was obvious, it was also apparent that any wrong word or move could incite physical retaliation.

 

When he finally spoke, his voice was deathly quiet...a tone that Velanya had never heard come from his lips before. She actually shuddered in fear, more frightened of Faeryn at this point than she was the Nerevarine.

 

"What. Have. You. Done?"

 

The words came out one by one, each of them with enough force behind them to cause Caius to shift uneasily. The Spymaster locked his eyes upon Faeryn, watching his movements carefully. He knew of the Ordinator and his associations with both Velanya and the Nerevarine, and he had also heard rumors of his skills; if what he heard was true, this was the wrong man to cross. This encounter would put every ounce of Faeryn's self control to the test.

 

When the Nerevarine did not answer, the question was repeated, "What have you done?!"

 

The Incarnate laughed again, "What do you think, dear Faeryn? Am I the cause of all of the bloodshed at this precious fort? Yes. Am I the one who brought the haughty Urshilaku and every other arrogant Velothi tribe to their knees? Yes. And what have you done, soldier of the Fallen Temple? Hmm? What have you done other than taint yourself by joining with these Imperial dogs? Fight for your non-existent 'god'?"

 

"This is not about me!" Faeryn spat, "This is about you, you traitorous bastard! You betrayed us! We trusted you...believed in you...and you threw it all away for what?!"

 

"For Lord Dagon!" the Nerevarine shouted, an insane fury in his voice, "Forever reborn in blood and fire from the waters of Oblivion!"

 

Faeryn backed away from the cell, visibly trembling with anger. There was nothing more he could say. Nothing more left to say. So the Daedra were behind all of this. Mehrunes Dagon. He should have known. The Ordinator spun on his heels, striding away from the prison with astonishing speed, his boots thudding ominously on the stones of the fort.