Chapter 464 - A Night In A Tree
A/n: Many Big thanks to @Darkanlan on Pat-reon.
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Zain was back in Hammerfell, it may come as a shock but those who are involved will turn every stone to find him and understand what's going.
As dangerous as Zain is, Jon was preparing his weapons and the rest of his gear when he started remembering how it all began.
He wanted to keep Azura's Star away from her influence but instead, hr caused her Divinity to be wounded. The fragment of Azura that was in the star drifted through the seas of Oblivion to end up in the hands of Mannimarco who used it to fuel the Ghost World and create an army of the dead for his cult.
Things looked bleak for Jon when he was told that when a Daedra is offended, their retribution is a Labour that must be done else the offender will be damned forever in Oblivion.
The First Labour and one of the most dangerous ones if he had to argue was to help Isha go through The Shivering Isles, the Realm of the Mad God Sheogorath, and slay El Diablo. His friend Jon Battle-Born was possessed by El Diablo who happened to be a gigantic Daedric Chicken that caused some sort of Chicken Madness in Riverwood. The Labour was done without even Jon knowing it was a Labour. He was even named the Nephew of Sheogorath by a blind idiotic mistake.
The Second Labour marked the Demise of Jon Dare, the true retribution came when the envious Thane Erikur of Haafingar's Solitude baited Jon by his brother Wulfur who was led to a Forsworn Ambush. Jon managed to arrive in time as Wulfur was about to meet his end and saved the day but in a desperate attempt, the Forsworn Leader Alaric brought a mountain on the Head of Jon Dare.
The Third Labour was to escape the Forsworn and Avenge himself. Jon was desperate and in a bad shape after losing a foot, a few fingers and parts of his face as well as being trapped in a Briarheart tree sucking away his Life Force. He managed to resist and survive for two months as he learned to feed on the tree in reverse. The Tree mutated itself to the anomaly trapped in it and a certain vine grew attached to Jon after sharing his Astral Energy. Jon managed to break free as he devoured all the trees in the Briarheart Grove and as he escaped, he was forced to kill Forsworn Children in the Process as well as Alaric's brother. Jon escaped to Markarth but he had that Briarheart Vine leeching on him and locking away his Magicka. Desperate, Jon made a deal with Molag Bal, the nearest Daedric Prince around and met the Dremora Xikil. In order to attain revenge, Jon's only power was the Mace of Molag Bal and the Thu'um he can shout. With just that, Jon obliterated the Forsworn in two separate Battles most notably the Battle of Forsworn Jon Dare that revealed his identity in Skyrim as Jonhild Firemane, the Taboo Child of Clan Firemane. In the last moments of the Battle, Jon performed the Blood Eagle ritual execution on Alaric offering his Soul to Molag Bal, now that Molag received the Souls and helped Jon attain his vengeance, he tricked Jon and sent his lieutenant Vampire Lord Harkon Volkihar to collect Jon.
The Fourth Labour was to escape Volkihar and Save Winterhold from imminent danger. Jon broke free from the shackles of the Briarheart Vine after killing Alaric. He was taken by the Vampire Lord Harkon to find his long lost daughter Serana who carries an important secret. Jon finds Serana and gets dragged to Oblivion in the Realm of Molag Bal, Coldharbour, to find the location of Harkon's wife. Jon convinced Serana to help him escape with Elder Scroll she had and reunited with his favorite Dremora, Xikil. Later on, he met with Sir Caldwell and together they broke the Hollow City free from Coldharbour, turned Xikil from a mere Dremora into a Daedric Titan and created a very powerful staff through the power of an Elder Scroll, it was called the Elder Staff of Power and Fate, Pride. Later on, Jon escapes Coldharbour, returns to Winterhold, heals himself fully and meets the united power of the Nordic Clans and Ten Thalmor Arch Wizards slaying them all and letting the Nords go free. He did so by tapping into the Universal Power of the Aurbis and having a glimpse at the Tower of CHIM.
The Fifth Labour was to retrieve a Daedric Weapon. He had to flee Skyrim to ease up the atmosphere after slaughtering so many. He was officially exiled but it was a deal with the king to prevent Skyrim from any Imperial oppression to affect the Politics or the Economy. Jon traveled to Whiterun, met some Morag Tong cell and found out that the weapon he is after is the most infamous Ebony Blade. Using his knowledge of the game Jon stole it and rode to the eastern borders of Skyrim where he had to meet with his old friend Isha from the first Labour.
The Sixth Labour was a joint effort between the Labourers of Azura, Boethiah and Mephala; Jon, Isha and the twins Mirren and Miranda. They were to serve the Old Woman of Mournhold who put them under the leadership of Boethiah's Champion, Galam. Many events happened but in the end, Galam came out as a traitor and Jon replaced him as the Champion of Boethiah by slaying him and taking his armor, the Ebony Mail. Also, the Old Woman revealed himself to be the old Queen Barenziah, Former Queen of Morrowind and Wayrest. She rewarded Jon with the Boots of the Apostle and the Old Man's Coin, Artifacts of the founding Emperor Tiber Septim.
The seventh Labour was to follow Isha. Mysterious as it sounded, Jon followed her across Cyrodiil and entered the Imperial City with his real identity to meet on of his lovers, Vittoria Vici and become the Grand Champion of the Imperial Arena by slaying Darius. Afterward, he fled the Empire to Hammerfell to find that Isha's brother, Zain was long since dead. Isha fell to agony but Jon investigated finding out traces of Sithis, Mannimarco and the Worm Cult in the Alik'r Desert. Jon traveled outside the world through the Chaotic Realms of the Abyss to find a Ghost World drifted away from another universe and was used by Mannimarco to lock away Azura's Divine Fragment and an Army of Liches and Undead. Jon destroyed everything in his wake and returned to Isha who insisted on leaving Hammerfell. Eight months later, they were in Elsweyr practicing martial arts when a certain curse struck the borders of Elsweyr. Investigating, Jon and his group found out that Isha's brother who was long thought to be dead is the culprit. They chased him to Silvenar where he attacked Silvenar Thoron to gain access to his graht-oak tree and take out an Artifact of Necromancy. The group had to fight both the Green Lady of Valenwood and the Mane of Elsweyr as well as an Elven Ancestor from Alinor. After investigating, Zain seems to have returned to Hammerfell.
"And that's the recap."
"Hooman, I was there the whole time. Why do I have to hear you nagging about it."
"Because, my dear cat, I need someone to talk to. Also, remembering things like that before the finale is more dramatic even if you see it unnecessary."
"The finale? What makes you so sure."
"Because everyone is fed up with these Labours and I miss Skyrim so much. Don't you miss Alina, Jullanar and the rest."
"No."
"Don't you miss the babies?"
"..." *Looks away*
"I knew it." Jon smiled, "Wulf and Jorna should have a child by now. Also, Thor and Idun should have grown this much."
"Hmph!
Jon and Nefertiti were sitting together on a branch of the great graht-oak of Silvenar. A trip to Hammerfell from here will need a lot to stock on. Also, Mirren and Miranda seemed to have some business such as notifying their Master that they are on a trip and so on.
Jon and Nefertiti spent the night together on a branch, staring at the moons.
***
Back in the great graht-oak of Silvenar, the Altmer Ancestor sat alone in a room provided by the hosts.
Last night, she who has lived for centuries felt for the first time in her life that she was a forgotten page in history.
The Elves of the Aldmeri Dominion may have always been viewed as fanatics but she was one of the few who was there since the beginning of it all. Ancient she may be but as the Altmer society progressed, they always valued the advice of the old taking pride in it that they are the eldest of races, the most knowledgeable and wise across the ages.
But is any of that true?
The Elves always proved to be superior but the humans were there on every turn taking glory. Even though, those very humans always follow the path of the Missing God through wars and destruction.
Ruling Tamriel through Cyrodiil is the Ultimate Goal of all races, the humans kept the Ruby Throne for four millennials with no elf ever succeeding to reach it.
Even though they claimed greatness, the High Elves almost damned the world to Oblivion twice and caused damage that no man could do. The Planemeld by Mannimarco and the Oblivion Crisis by Mankar Camoran. Both were Altmer, both opened the Apocalypse Gates to drag this world to Oblivion.
Compared to them, the men were blessed with heroes and divine powers. Saint Alessia, Reman Cyrodiil, Tiber Septim, the Eternal Champion, the Hero of Kvatch, and finally there is talk about a man acquiring the Tools of Kagrenac and becoming a Demigod in Skyrim.
Just where is this world getting itself dragged to this time? She wondered.
She tried to close her eyes but as she did, she saw that scene once again and her heart ached.
Blood, Fire and Brass on an Elven Grove of Cherry Blossoms.
The day her world burned when that tyrant marched to Alinor flying alongside the Walking Brass Colossus.
Every step the walking brass took left behind him a version of reality distorted and broken. She had to end it, kill Tiber Septim and shatter his Totem but that was a mere dream. She descended upon him with every Altmer Ancestor there is.
A man floating midair alone with a red legion and a brass tower faced them all by himself. No Elven Ancestor lasted more than a couple of sword strikes against him. She was the last to fall and his sword had already cut deep in her. The last she saw was a walking tower laying waste to a mountain removing it from existence. Then she remembers dying… but she didn't.
She couldn't help but wonder how she survived since that day but part of her knew of a dire truth. Something that shouldn't even have happened has affected her.
She died but she didn't because both realities happened.
A Dragon Break.
A series of Temporal Bifurcations leading to her death in a timeline, her escape in another as well as many timelines where she is still fighting against Tiber Septim and the Numidium.
It is why she is a weak ancestor. She was never whole since that day.
Once that Nord teenager managed to pressure her in the fight last night, she felt a connection to those absent selves of hers once again. Her many versions, scattered across time, fighting the bitter fight we're all in the same mental resonation for the first time in years.
But once that needle sword almost claimed her life from the very same spot she was stabbed by Tiber Septim, she lost all connection with her other selves.
If she managed to fight more, the resonation would have increased and she would have grown stronger with just fighting but that is no longer possible.
She can't go backward or forward. She can't achieve the level every ancestor seeks and break from the rules of the world to travel back to Aetherius and join the other Ancestors.
She is just miserable.
In this misery, she couldn't help but turn around and look at the door to her room.
"You have been there for an hour now, just come in." She spoke.
Her words were met with silence for a minute until her door was opened.
"You two must have something to say." She spoke to the Altmer young man and woman whose faces were solid like stones.
They exchanged stares at her until the man tossed some medallion towards her. She took it getting her fingers and looked at it closely.
It was a medallion carrying the eagle sigil of the first Aldmeri Dominion, on its back was engraved the name of Ayrenn Arana Aldmeri, founder of the First Dominion.
"The Sigil of her most magnificent Highness." She spoke then looked at the two, "So you are the last two descendants."
"Mirren."
"Miranda."
They both spoke out their names.
"I see." She nodded. "I remember saving your father and mother from prosecution 160 years ago in Sentinel."
"We were told… the Night of Green Fire." Mirren said.
4E 42, the Thalmor Royal Family was hunted almost to extinction by the new Thalmor government for the crime of bending the knee to the Empire.
The Royal Family dissidents who had fled to Sentinel from the Thalmor were attacked by Thalmor operatives. Their efforts to fight back against the Thalmor were in vain and by the time Imperial Legion soldiers arrive, the entire refugee district of the city had been destroyed. The event became known as The Night of Green Fire due to the destructive magic attacks employed by both sides during the battle.
"Our parents told us that when they were children, they were saved by the White Ancestor of the Misty Hills. We came to pay respect." Miranda spoke.
"I understand. How are your parents?" The White Ancestor asked.
"Dead."
"... I am sorry." The White Ancestor looked away thinking of how she outlived the younger generations once again.
"Do you wish to avenge them?" She asked.
"No." Miranda shook her head.
"Our parents forbade vengeance on us." Mirren continued.
"... Shame… Alinor could have used saviors." The White Ancestor said and tossed back the medallion to Mirren.
"Just make sure that the blood of Queen Ayrenn remains. No blood on Tamriel is superior to yours… Unforeseen children."
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