{"sf1_id":1369976,"sf2_id":null,"title":"MapleStory: Innocence Undone Ch.4 - Past, Regret, Oblivion","author":"diosoth","words":18744,"posted_at":"2018-09-21T11:49:00.000Z","tags":["Catgirl","Crossover","Elder Scrolls","Elf","No-Yiff","Violence (Not In Yiff)","maplestory"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1369976-maplestory-innocence-undone-ch-4-past-regret-oblivion","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/1369976","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=1369976\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"MapleStory: Innocence Undone  \n  \nChapter 4  \n  \nPast, Regret, Oblivion  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n20 years before the \"Big Bang\"....  \n  \n  \nStan felt unsure of himself. Henesys was now under his leadership,  \na role passed from his father, yet despite all he had been taught he  \ndid not feel ready. In theory his role was a simple one- to keep   \norder. Maintain the town budget, send out adventurers to deal with  \nany unexpected threats from the recent surge of monster activity and  \ndeal with any issues the residents of the town may ask him to mediate.  \n  \nHis wife may offer some assistance to these duties but aside from her,  \nStan only knew of one other living in the small town that could  \noffer guidance, a seemingly immortal Elf that ran the bowman school.  \n  \n\"How goes your new appointment as Chief?\"  \n  \n\"Ah, it goes well,\" he stuttered. \"So far I have had no pressing  \nmatters to deal with. The only major news in town is that the old  \nabandoned farm has been bought.\"  \n  \nAthena Pierce smiled. With any luck the former farm would return to  \nits glory as a thriving source of food for the townspeople. \"That  \nis good news. Kernign City may be developing into a grand fortress of  \nconcrete and steel, but Henesys will grow in its own way.\" Athena had  \nbeen present in this land since the founding of the four towns  \nhundreds of years ago, and had once raised an army to protect what  \nshe has built, although such deeds carried their own unspoken dark  \nside that had been buried away years ago. \"If you will excuse me, I  \nmust obtain supplies and return to the school to train new students.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Leaving Chief Stan to settle into his position, the Elf made her way  \nto the general store, as food and healing potions were necessary stock  \nfor herself and any she trained. In line before her was a purple-  \nhaired woman she had recognized but did not know particularly well,  \na recent newcomer to Henesys. \"Oh, hi! I'm almost done,\" the woman  \nexclaimed, gathering her purchases.  \n  \n\"I am in no hurry,\" Athena responded in her usual proper tone. \"You  \nare new in town?\"  \n  \nThe woman answered back, \"yes. I had a son not long ago and chose to  \nraise him for the time being, I'm taking a break from hunting.\"  \n  \n\"Oh? Congratulations!\"  \n  \nWith a smile, the woman said, \"Thank you! I believe you are the  \nBowman instructor, correct? Athena Pierce? I am Sun-Hi, it is  \nnice to meet you.\"  \n  \n\"Ah, of course, the couple that moved to Henesys only last year. Your  \nhusband is named Johansen, correct?\"  \n  \nSun-Hi nodded. \"I'm so sorry, I need to get home, my husband is away  \nfor the day hunting to raise money and my son may wake up at any   \ntime!\"  \n  \n\"Yes, of course,\" the Elf stammered, \"I did not mean to delay you!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nLocking the wooden door, another day at an end as the small town of  \nHenesys quieted for the day as the sun went down. Athena Pierce   \ngathered the remnants of spent arrows out of round straw targets. Any   \nthat could be reused would be set aside, and those that were damaged   \nwould be taken apart, their remnants used to make new arrows.  \n  \nThe large main room was the Bowman School, a public area where the Elf  \ngreeted new students. In the back and up the stairs of the old house   \nbuilt on a tree, her home waited. It had been far too long since   \nAthena had seen her own people... were the still frozen away?  \nElluel no doubt remained hidden near Ellinia, untouched; Mercedes and   \nthe elders had sealed her village, out of time, to keep the Black   \nMage's curse from spreading across Maple World. Yet that fateful,   \nharsh curse had not worn off even after these years. Hundreds of   \nyears, soon to be four hundred since Athena Pierce had known her own   \nkind. If only her father had survived, but the Black Mage's loyal   \nminions saw to his demise before the final battle. Slumping down into  \nan old, worn chair, the Elf sighed. The fairies were no substitute,  \nfar too selfish and proud of themselves to consider humans as equals.  \nShe was barely their equal either, after all, elves had no wings and  \nregardless of any shared heritage, that was not good enough for  \nthe winged ones.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;A loud wind shook the walls like a forceful burst slamming her old  \nhome. Startled, stunned yet suddenly alert as her heart began to pound,   \nthe sandy-haired archer grabbed the nearest bow, only to faintly   \nnotice the blue glow within the forest on the edge of town.  \n  \n'The Black Mage...?' she wondered, rushing outside and into the  \ndarkness. The blue glow only intensified deep within the leaves,   \nemanating from a stone archway that had not been there prior, nor did  \nit seem to belong- not here, not even in this world. Gnarled gray   \nstone speckled in dark, sickly green that matched no known style or  \ncivilization that she had ever witnessed or read of, and the more  \nAthena Pierce looked upon the object, certain it was in the form of a   \nscreaming face, the blue vortex within the wide mouth giving  \nher a feeling of dread.  \n  \nA sudden voice, powerful and forceful, called out from within, \"Do   \ncome in! It would be a shame for me to go through the trouble to open  \nthis and for you to stand there like a stone slab! Not to mention,  \nmaking me very, VERY irritated... but do hurry, I am not patient!   \nWELL? Make up your mind! Either come in or I'm closing it! I don't  \nhave all day! Actually I do have all day! But THAT is beside the   \npoint!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Athena's first thoughts were of the Black Mage. Even behind the  \nseal placed by the five heroes, his influence and power were great.  \nBut why had nothing come out? The situation seemed too bizarre for its  \nown good and going into this glowing gate felt like a very bad idea,  \nbut the town may have been in danger. Channeling soul arrow, ready   \nfor a\u0026nbsp; fight, the warrior stepped inside...  \n  \n... and stepped out onto a stone walkway leading to a large building,  \nthe face of which tapered in a sharp point. An unusual blue sky   \nhovered above, a rather unnatural and unexpected sight.\u0026nbsp; Taken aback   \nby this strange place she failed to notice the man in black until he   \nsaid, \"ah, someone answered my Lord's call. If you will come with   \nme...\"  \n  \n\"Wait,\" she replied, \"where am I?\" Giving the man a glare that failed  \nto register an emotion in the man's face, also asked, \"and who are   \nyou?\"  \n  \nWithout flinching, the stranger answered in an almost bored tone of   \nvoice, \"I am Haskill, I serve the Daedric Prince Sheogorath and you   \nare in the Shivering Isles. Although I suppose expecting you to know   \nof any of this would be an unreasonable assumption.\" Giving the   \nwoman a glance,he asked of her, \"I trust my Lord was successful? I   \ncan not tell which of the races you are.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Races?\"  \n  \n\"You do not appear to be one of the elves of Mundus,\" he stated.   \n\"Please, follow me, my Lord shall explain further. And do mind your   \nmanners, my Lord can be a bit... temperamental,\" the stranger said  \nwith what sounded like a sigh of annoyance. Suddenly, without warning   \nbeyond a sudden silence, the stone arch behind her vanished. \"I see  \nmy Lord has closed the gateway. If you wish to return home, I would   \nsuggest you meet with my Lord.\"  \n  \nNow annoyed at the situation, Athena Pierce was left with no  \nalternative but to meet this person and hope he would allow her to   \nreturn home. Following behind the man who had greeted her, past two  \nfemale guards and into the massive palace, Haskill led her to the  \nthrone where a man in a green vest leaned on a cane.   \n  \n\"A newcomer!\" the man shouted. \"At least, I hope so... and you're an   \nelf. How boring...\" With a sigh, the man sat down. \"I was hoping you  \nmight be covered in vines, or red, or have several sets of eyes.  \nWe have plenty of elves already!\"  \n  \nThe man looked somewhat like Chief Stan, the Henesys village   \nchieftain, only with brown hair and a full beard. In fact, this man  \nlooked rather normal, except for the demonic, almost feline eyes.  \nThen the Bowmaster examined the man's old wooden cane and she felt a   \nsudden sense of fear, for the man's cane was topped with an enlarged,   \nbloody eye.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Who are you and why did you open that gateway in my town?\" she   \ndemanded.  \n  \nA death gaze fixed on the woman. \"Watch your tone, mortal. I'll give   \nyou some rope, seeing as you're not native to this plane. But watch   \nyou don't hang yourself with it...\" Smiling once again, he went on,  \n\"I am Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of madness. You're in my realm of   \nOblivion.\"  \n  \nShocked, the archer asked, \"Oblivion? You mean I'm in the cursed   \npath of time?\"  \n  \n\"Cursed? HA!\" Relaxing now, the Daedra muttered, \"this is why I   \nopened that portal. Took me forever... and a lot of failure. I was  \ncurious about other realms, ones outside of Oblivion. I wanted to know  \nif it was possible! And it is! All the old tales of the creation of  \nMundus and Oblivion said it was not possible, that nothing existed  \nbeyond, but what do any of us know? The myths have never been tested!  \nUntil now, anyway, no one has been insane enough to try it! At least  \nnot yet, after all, I am the god of madness! But you're no different   \nfrom the mortals here now. What a disappointment! Ah well, I suppose   \nsince you're here... I take it from the weapon you carry, you're an   \nadventurer? or is that some sort of good luck charm where you come   \nfrom?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Athena could tell that whatever game this madman had planned, she'd   \nhave to go along. \"If I do as you wish, you'll allow me to return   \nhome?\"  \n  \n\"I suppose,\" Sheogorath replied, \"you noticed I closed the portal.   \nDidn't want you running off before we could have a little chat. I   \nam curious about your world! HA! Be thankful you were not summoned  \nby Hermaeus! He would want to know everything! He might never let you  \nleave! I'm not as interested in every little, boring bit of trivial   \nknowledge like some Deadra can be! Even so, I do have a bit of a   \nproblem you may be able to take care of, that is assuming that weapon   \nif yours has any skill backing it up and it really isn't a good luck   \ncharm! OH! Maybe it's BOTH! That would certainly be quite useful!\"   \nHis face turning angry now, \"one of my loyal servants has betrayed me  \nand broken the rules. No one loyal to me ever breaks MY rules! It's  \npure insanity to disobey me! Wait! Insanity! It's almost commendable!   \nHowever this one went too far and must be dealt with. You will find   \nand kill her as punishment! Kill her, torture her, however you see   \nfit to take care of the matter!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I can't kill someone because you want me to,\" she protested,   \nupholding basic morals over a desire to be sent back.  \n  \nGrinning, the Madgod explained, \"oh, but you'll want to. One of my  \nDark Seducers was recently summoned to the mortal realm... and did  \nhorrible things to children. I want her dealt with. After all, there   \nare rules to madness and NO ONE breaks MY rules, even if doing so is   \npure insanity! You may get the details from Haskill, he's quite   \nuseful, I don't know what I'd do without him. Oh, and here, take   \nthis...\"  \n  \nFeeling something hard form in her right hand, the Elf looked down to   \nfind a long metal pole. \"What is this?\"  \n  \n\"The Wabbajack! It'll perhaps come in useful. Or not. I want it back   \nbefore you leave. That's assuming you succeed! If not I suppose I can  \nuse your corpse as a decorative ornament of some sort, string your   \nintestines from the ceiling.... you do have intestines, don't you?  \nNow go, and do this one simple task and I'll send you back to your   \nboring little world!\" Cracking a smile, the god ended with, \"Fail and  \nI'll find out for sure if you have intestines...  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Athena Pierce didn't trust the man and for all she even knew, she may  \nbe trapped here forever to do as this madman demanded until she died  \nof old age, tasked with whatever the stranger wished. But the idea   \nthat the one who must be hunted may have harmed children lit a fire   \nin her mind. \"Haskill...\"  \n  \n\"Ah, my Lord has tasked you with hunting the rogue. I suppose you'll   \nwant me to give you the details? Very well...\" He began to recall,   \n\"Some weeks ago, one of the Dark Seducer guards was summoned to  \nMundus and remained there. She chose to pass the time by playing with  \na small group of children. However, before returning here, it seems   \nshe chose to murder most of them and disfigured the remaining   \nsurvivor. It was quite strange, actually... typically the Dark   \nSeducers have quite a tolerance of mortals.  \n  \n\"Pardon me, I suppose you'd have no idea what I'm even talking about.  \nThe Golden Saints and Dark Seducers are Lord Sheogorath's personal  \nguards and soldiers of this land. The Golden Saints serve the side of   \nMania and the Dark Seducers serve the side of Dementia. Perhaps you  \nnoticed them when we entered the palace?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"You mean the two female guards? The golden and purple ones?\"  \n  \n\"Quite.\"   \n  \nSecuring her bow and slipping the old metal rod into her belt, the   \nRanger inquired, \"and how do I find this killer of children?\"  \n  \n\"That,\" Haskill answered as his eyes looked away, \"may be difficult.   \nIt seems both the Dark Seducers and the Golden Saints have had no   \nluck. Wherever the one who has angered my Lord has gone, she is well   \nhidden, though no doubt still in the Shivering isles. You may want to   \ncheck with the commander of the Dark Seducers, she would be able to   \ntell you more.\"  \n  \nAs if summoned, a powerful-looking woman in old black armor   \napproached. The armor was as worn and aged as the old palace she stood   \nin. \"I understand that my Lord has requested you assist us in our   \nsearch for the traitor?\"  \n  \n'Requested,' Athena thought to herself, 'hardly.' \"Tell me what  \nyou know.\"  \n  \n\"It is unlikely that she would have hidden in the land of Mania, our   \nrivals, the Golden Saints would have hunted her down. We have checked   \nmany of the root tunnels and ruins but have found no sign.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Then the woman you're after may not be here?\"  \n  \nThe Seducer commander replied, \"It is unlikely that she could have   \nopened a gateway herself, and even if a mortal had summoned one of us,  \nit would have been brief.\"  \n  \nAthena asked, \"how do you know she is even still alive?\"  \n  \n\"You are from another land, or you would know more about the Daedra,\"  \nthe woman answered with an odd smile. \"I never thought it was even   \npossible, to find a realm outside of Oblivion's borders. Only a  \nDaedric Prince may genuinely kill a Daedra. Our bodies are merely  \nvessels. Upon death we return to the waters of Oblivion where we  \nare reborn. I have sent three of our kind into the waters of  \nOblivion to wait for her, to force her back so that Lord Sheogorath  \nmay punish the traitor. They have not returned.\"  \n  \nAthena found the Seducer's manner of speaking to be almost robotic  \nand formal to a point that made even her own people feel casual. In   \nfact, she wondered if these Daedra were even capable of social  \nbehavior at all. \"You are aware that I will have no easier time  \nfinding this killer of children than-\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Grakedrig! Grakedrig!\" came the sudden shouts. Another Dark Seducer,  \nalmost a carbon copy of the one Athena Pierce had been talking with,  \nran into the man palace hall. \"Fellmoor has been attacked!\"   \n  \n\"I'm sorry for this interruption,\" the Seducer apologized, \"I must  \ntend to this.\" Turning to the subordinate, she said, \"organize  \na party and we shall-\"  \n  \n\"I'm afraid it was the traitor, she assaulted three of the residents.  \nAutkendo Jansa sent me to inform you while they attempt to find out  \nwhere the traitor has gone.\"  \n  \n\"I see...\" turning to Athena, the Seducer stated, \"you should follow   \nme.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nIt took several hours to walk to the small town, a hovel of old   \nrotting homes and unique plant life, filthy water everywhere amidst  \ntwisted trees.   \n  \nThe old Elf noted that this world has no technology. Even horses   \nseemed absent, leaving foot travel the only means of transportation  \nalong an old worn road that winded through this miserable land,  \noccasionally split up by rickety bridges that needed repair,  \npast old huts and shacks that had fallen apart years before. Nowhere  \nin the Maple World was as decrepit as this place, not since the days  \nof the Black Mage's reign of terror had ended.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;The small village could have been mistaken for an abandoned town,  \nif not for the meager assembly of guards and a few residents, many of  \nwhich were in bandages, mourning over a deceased old man.  \n  \nThese guards. They all looked the same. The old Bowmaster wondered if   \nperhaps these beings had been created artificially. They looked   \nalmost human, and she suspected their clothing was as much for modesty  \nas for decoration, but every one of them was identical- the same   \nheight, matching skin tones, matching voices and even the same manner  \nof speaking. Indeed, they were more like machines than living  \npeople.  \n  \n\"I have been informed that Lord Sheogorath has tasked you with hunting  \nthe traitor,\" one of the Seducers greeted Athena. \"It is not my place  \nto question my Lord's wishes, however, I was also told that you are  \nan outsider.\"  \n  \n\"I am not from your world, no,\" Athena responded. \"I know nothing of   \nyour land or your ways. I know that the one you're hunting is a  \nmurderer, and I may not return home until after I have done my job.\"  \n  \nThe Dark Seducer commander took notice of the large blue bow strapped  \nto Athena's back. \"You have no arrows. I shall provide you with  \nsome.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Grabbing the weapon and concentrating, the Ranger brought forth an  \ninner power, lighting her surroundings. Her weapon began to glow with  \na force the Daedric soldier had never seen before nor imagined.  \n\"That will not be necessary.\"  \n  \n\"You appear to have the ability to bound arrows to yourself... perhaps  \nmy Lord's faith in you is well placed. We have been unable to follow  \nthe betrayer as the wounded needed our attention, however,\" pointing  \naway from the run-down village, \"she was seen heading north.\"  \n  \n\"That was several hours ago.\"  \n  \nNodding, the Seducer went on, \"but she would not have traveled the  \nroads. Most likely she is hiding in a cave or one of the old ruins.  \nFurthermore, one of the villagers managed to wound her, so it is  \nunlikely she has gone far. Knotty Bramble is the nearest cave, I will  \norder one of my Mazken to accompany you. I shall send search parties   \nto Xavara and Blackroot Lair, the only other locations within   \nproximity. If you find the traitor, kill her on sight.\"  \n  \nEyes shut tight, the Elf shuddered. \"I was told this woman murdered  \nchildren. And now I see an old man lies dead by her hands.\" This type  \nof evil felt familiar. Senseless murder was the way of the Black Mage,  \ncenturies before, in a time when her own world was just as primitive  \nas this land.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"At first we believed she had simply gone insane. Lord Sheogorath does   \nnot allow children to live here,\" the Autkendo explained, \"and  \nmost of us are unfamiliar with them. But after this I believe  \nshe may have turned from Lord Sheogorath, perhaps to another Daedric  \nPrince. Not all Mazken follow Lord Sheogorath, only those of us  \nin the Shivering Isles. Many of our kind served Mehrunes Dagon  \nyears ago and only recently a Mazken betrayed Malacath.\"  \n  \n\"Enough,\" Athena snapped. \"You may tell me of your history later.   \nI want to find and punish this...\"  \n  \nAutkendo Jansa had been able to recognize when the madness of the  \nland began to affect someone who had recently arrived, and somehow,  \ndeep within, there was a darkness inside this woman. Some residual  \nhatred that had been fought and seemingly defeated, but lingered   \nstill. \"Very well. May you find and slay the traitor!\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe root caves of the Shivering Isles were an amazing sight. Roots  \nof the larger trees grew hollowed out, forming a natural cave system.  \nIt was only now, in the dim darkness within that Athena Pierce noticed  \nfluttering tiny orbs of light which seemed to offer enough to see by.  \nEven the amber deposits within the root walls glowed. Perhaps this  \nland had a unique beauty after all.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Stopped dead by her companion, Athena could hear the grunts.   \n\"Grummites,\" the Seducer exclaimed. \"Be prepared.\"  \n  \nPreparation was slim as a horde of stubby reptilian monsters rushed  \nthem, swinging jagged cleavers and grunting as if they were hungry.  \nBarely time to charge her soul arrow, Athena Pierce had to dodge the  \nfoul creatures, blades ready to tear flesh.   \n  \nArrows.   \n  \nThese creatures had archers among them.  \n  \nThe old Elf could see her traveling companion fighting back, stubby  \nblack mace bashing one of these lizards in the skull as it slumped  \nwith a snort. \"The Wabbajack! Lord Sheogorath gave you the Wabbajack,\"  \nthe Mazken screamed out. \"Use it!\"  \n  \nGripping the cold metal pole, she called out, \"I don't know how!  \nWhat do I-\"  \n  \nIn an instant, energy scattered from the wand's tip, enchanting these  \nprimitive creatures with a mist that changed every last one into  \na simple sheep, no longer attacking but merely confused. \"Come, they   \nwill not stay like this for long!\"  \n  \nFollowing behind, the elf asked nervously, \"what did I just do?\"  \n  \n\"The Wabbajack,\" her Seducer guide explained, \"is one of Lord  \nSheogorath's many gifts to the world. It brings random change to  \nwhatever it is used on.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Random change...\" Staring back at the sheep, she mumbled, \"so we're  \nlucky they turned into sheep...\"  \n  \n\"Indeed. They could have become something much worse, but it seemed we  \nhad little choice. We should move on and explore this-\"  \n  \nAthena witnessed the flash, the movement, and the clean cut. She  \nwitnessed in horror and disbelief as the Dark Seducer's own head   \nhit the dirty ground, body falling on top in a lifeless pile as  \nblood soaked the wooden root tunnels. Standing with an evil smile  \nwas another of the Mazken. \"This is what Sheogorath sent to find  \nme? A mere soldier and a mortal? At least it was not one of the   \nmen... that would have been insulting.\"  \n  \nThere was no time for shock or even mourning. Letting anger take   \nover, the elf summoned soul arrow and began firing darts of pure   \nlight. One by one they bounced off the killer's shield. \"I was sent  \nto kill you and I will enjoy watching you die, murderer!\"  \n  \nStrafe. That was the skill. It was so hard to think through the  \nhaze of anger and hate, but strafe came to mind and now four arrows  \nshot forth with each pull of the string. Slamming the old black shield  \nover and over, arrow after arrow finally broke the curved piece of  \narmor as bolts of light hit their target.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Holding back the screams, the Mazken ran for cover. \"You are not...  \nno one has such a skill!\"  \n  \n\"I do!\" Snorting like a wild animal, old feelings of evil flooded  \nher mind and became the only sensation. Those days of hunting the   \nBlack Mage's remaining forces, those days of hunting the men who   \nkilled her father. The same hatred she'd released in that old cave,   \na clone trapped deep under Victoria Island that contained her darker   \nnature.   \n  \nNow in close, she fired one more arrow, charged with a power that  \nleft the Seducer unable to walk. \"My legs... what have you done to   \nme?\"  \n  \nShe did not answer, instead holding the bow as a club and swinging,  \nbringing the weapon down hard, a crack audible just as it broke  \na rib.  \n  \nShoving Athena Pierce aside as the weakness wore off, the Mazken  \nfended off the clubbing with her blade. \"You fool! Sheogorath  \nis too sympathetic to mortals! He allows them to live here, he  \nprotects them. Mehrunes Dagon knows that mortals should be enslaved   \nand butchered. I shall serve a Daedric Prince that knows the   \nsuperiority of the Daedra!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;The Ranger was caught off guard, reeling as the Mazken's fist   \nbashed her head sideways. Barely holding onto that old blue bow,   \ntaking punch after punch, it was all the archer could do to summon  \none more arrow, blazing hot. Screaming as a sudden fire enveloped  \nher body, the Seducer stumbled as an ethereal heat burned. She  \nwasted no time, pulling that string and sending more arrows flying.  \nThe Mazken slumped to the ground, bleeding, but refusing to beg.  \n\"Kill me. It's what you came here for and it's what you want.\"  \n  \nThat hatred, that horrible hatred. No. It would not consume  \nAthena Pierce again. Letting her mind clear itself, focused now, she  \nlooked down. \"I wish I could simply let you live but I know if  \nI tried to take you in you would escape, or resist... no. I have  \nto kill you here. I was told of what you are. Your death will   \ndeliver you to your kind, waiting for you.\"  \n  \n\"But... no, please!\"  \n  \n\"I wish I could but your crimes are too great. You do not regret those  \nyou murdered, you only regret that you will be punished for it.\"  \nNo more words were spoken, Athena kept silent, only firing a final   \narrow to the woman's heart.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Dropping her bow, Athena Pierce slumped to the ground and began to   \nweep.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nPinnacle Rock sat on the southern tip of the island, a simple doorway  \nthat led to the underground sanctuary of the Dark Seducers. It was  \nsacred ground for them, no one else was ever permitted entry, not even  \nSheogorath himself.  \n  \nHe didn't mind waiting outside. Old ruins were boring to look at   \nanyway. Doors swung open, a gathering of Mazken leading out one bound   \nin chains. \"You disobeyed me and now you have to pay. Those are the   \nrules.\"  \n  \n\"You're not even going to ask why I betrayed you?\"  \n  \nLaughing, tapping that old cane on the stone pathway, the Madgod   \nshouted, \"it wouldn't save you anyway, and besides, I'm sure you   \nspilled it all to someone else who will tell me in due time. Now then,  \nenjoy the view!\"   \n  \nShe felt her god's touch, and felt the wind. She would not scream.  \nThe final sound she would make was the loud impact that echoed out   \nover execution point as the Mazken's life ended on impact.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \nShe sat in the dark cave, lit only by the amber, dirty and covered  \nin blood. \"Such a painful sight to see, a pretty one such as you all  \ndirty and worn out from battle! BUT... you did the job.\"  \n  \n\"I did the job...\"  \n  \nMadness had begun to set in. Tapping the woman with his cane, a   \nsudden wave of happiness and calm washed away every bit of hatred.   \n\"I suppose I should have done that earlier. Oh well!\"  \n  \n\"Huh? What...\" Athena realized that every trace of anguish that had   \nbeen swelling inside her mind was gone. \"What did you do?\"  \n  \nSitting on a stump, Sheogorath looked down at her with a smile. \"The  \nIsles, my dear, have an effect on people. Not that I will ever   \nunderstand the mortal obsession with sanity, it's just not fun to be  \ndull and boring and to follow all the rules. To live a life of work   \nand no play, no imagination, I would rather be dead! And since I'm  \nimmortal, well, normality would be a very cruel eternal fate to   \nendure!\"  \n  \nStanding up and brushing off some of the filth, the elf said, \"that  \nwoman told me her intentions. She was going to abandon you and join  \nsomeone named... Dagon?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Really now? Ungrateful little one, wasn't she? To betray me for that   \nboring fool? Nothing a thousand foot fall couldn't fix! Come on,   \nwe'll get you back to New Sheoth so you can clean yourself up. Or you   \ncan stay here and wallow in dirt, whichever you prefer!\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nMeeting the elves of this land brought a certain familiarity to mind,  \nof a people she had not seen in ages. If only these Altmer were not  \nso smug, and the residents of the Isles not so unbalanced. This one,  \nEaril, was quite odd. \"You really are THAT old? Oh my... not even my   \npeople live that long! Only a few short centuries... you are four   \nhundred and retain your youth... I must do something about this! I   \nMUST!\"  \n  \nWithout a word, Athena left the small shop and backed away. She may   \nhave been protected from the maddening influence of the land but  \nits people were another matter. Conversing with them for too long  \ncould have ill effects, she suspected. If only she'd been paying  \nattention, she could have avoided bumping into one of the furry  \nfeline creatures.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Skooma? you have skooma, please?\"  \n  \nA Khajiit, she'd been told. One of the races of Mundus. He simply  \nlooked at her with no interest in who she was. \"I- what?\"  \n  \n\"Skooma? You have no skooma? Oh... Sheogorath is the skooma cat but he  \ndoes not provide skooma. I must go now, and find skooma!\"  \n  \nThe Elf realized that the substance the feline spoke of must have   \nbeen a drug of some kind. The thought was disturbing, perhaps not  \nas bad as some of what she had witnessed but such addictions had   \nbecome rare on Maple World.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"I like you,\" the Bosmer woman exclaimed. \"You are new here and are  \nprobably not planning to stab me in the back. Probably. I shall keep  \nan eye on you regardless.\" Syl, the ruler of Dementia, left Athena   \nunsettled. \"Sheogorath says you are from another world. How quaint.  \nAnd you dress so plain.\" The duchess of Dementia looked at the elf's   \nbrown shirt and split green skirt, simple boots and bracelets.   \n\"You're a simple people. Not like the Altmer, clearly not. More like   \nmy own, in their simple lifestyles. Not that I care, I live a much   \nmore sophisticated life than they do.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Athena had been told of the elf races. The blue-skinned Dunmer, who  \nshe had seen few of. The Altmer, former rulers of Mundus and  \nstill arrogant. It was the Bosmer she felt any kinship with, the   \nclosest to her own people. Except for Syl, at any rate. Syl was  \nclearly insane, and highly paranoid. A new ruler to the land,  \nalready convinced that everyone was conspiring to kill her. Somehow,  \nshe felt that Syl may someday be right, for this open display of  \nparanoia may eventually be her downfall.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThadon was different. Also a Bosmer, but unlike Athena's own people,  \nquite short. It seemed all Bosmer males were. And it was obvious that  \nthis man was high on some sort of drug, a drug he seemed to be pushing   \nonto his guest. \"Felldew will show you things you could not have  \nimagined. The sights it has shown me, the inspiration...\" Perhaps  \nnot the skooma the cat had begged for but still a powerful substance.  \n  \n\"It is best I do not,\" the archer said kindly. \"I am from a different   \nworld and do not know how it may affect me.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Smiling, Thadon understood. \"That makes sense, I think. It leaves  \nmore for me, too.\" returning to his painting, Thadon seemed to ignore  \nher presence.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Interesting... if only you had some of this technology with you to  \nshow me!\" Sheogorath had been fascinated by stories of machines and  \nelectronics. \"To think, instant communication and devices that provide  \nfaster travel! I recall one of the races tried to develop such things,  \nbut they vanished. No one knows why... maybe the Divines didn't like   \nit. Or maybe they blew themselves up! I suppose it doesn't really  \nmatter... although, if mortals had machines and advanced tools they   \nmight not need to worship gods anymore. A scary thought,\" the Madgod  \nwhined. \"It would put me out of a job and leave me with no loyal   \nfollowers!\"  \n  \nTapping the pointed cane on the ground, a familiar archway opened   \nonce again. \"You did your part, and I got to learn some about your   \nworld. You may go now.\"  \n  \n\"That is it?\"  \n  \n\"Or you can stay,\" the Daedra replied. \"Makes no difference to me.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Looking at the portal, the Elf answered, \"I should return home.\"  \n  \n\"Ah, the Black Mage. He sounds like quite the troublemaker. I have  \nhalf a mind to travel to your world and have a word with him! But  \nthe other half of my mind would rather throw a party and I think I'll  \ndo that instead. Besides, if I leave the realm I become powerless.  \nA pity, I think I would enjoy finding the Black Mage and using his  \neyes as decorative objects.\"  \n  \nBefore the Bowmaster could leave, Haskill handed her a bound stack  \nof books. \"My Lord thought you might like to have these. Various   \nbooks about the Daedra, Mundus and other topics.\"  \n  \nTaking it, Athena simply said, \"thank you.\" stepping into the light,  \nonce more sent to a familiar forest, the town of Henesys greeted her  \nin the distance. Making her way home, Athena met a frantic Chief Stan  \nby the front door.  \n  \n\"Athena Pierce! Where have you been?\"  \n  \n\"I was-\" she paused. \"I was camping. I needed some time to myself,  \nthat is all.\"  \n  \nA heavy sigh told her of the chief's frustration. \"You've been gone   \nalmost a day and your door was unlocked!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Oh? I thought I locked up...\" It was a lie, of course. She had not  \nexpected to be taken to another realm, but she was home and there was  \nno reason to alarm anyone.  \n  \nShaking his head, Chief Stan muttered, \"at least you're back.\"  \n  \nHome now. An old, familiar home. That place she'd been to was strange,  \nbut Athena Pierce was happy to be back in familiar surroundings.  \nShe may have even written it off as an odd dream, except for these  \nbooks. Placing them on an empty shelf, they would remain there,  \nher little secret of another place beyond Maple World. \"Chief,\"  \nshe mused, seeing a somewhat familiar face to her recent host, spoke  \nin a cheerful tone, \"have you considered a beard? It might make  \nyou look as if you have more authority, and give you some extra  \nconfidence.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe present....  \n  \n  \nThe Imperial City was once again under assault. A familiar scene   \nplayed before the warrior, a scene she was certain she had lived   \nthrough prior. The Daedric Lord towered above the chapel, crushing  \nthe brave soldiers of the Imperial Legions under foot as his armies   \nchallenged any opposition.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;This could not, nor should it be. This had happened three years before  \nyet nothing was changed.  \n  \nRegardless, the warrior woman ignored any doubts and, as had been  \ndone before, she ran forth, drawing her powerful staff and blasting  \nMehrunes Dagon with what little force she could manage, with her   \nlimited daedric powers yet drawing upon Dagon's weakening of the   \nboundaries between the realms. As the Daedric Prince froze in place,  \nshe cried out, \"run!\"  \n  \nPassing the god, she could tell Martin Septin was close by, a   \nfortunate outcome considering the bastard son of Septim could have  \nbeen cut down in the chaos. Within the temple, the duo stood and  \ncaught their breaths.   \n  \nNow was the time. Martin would ask how she obtained the Staff Of   \nSheogorath. She would explain. Martin would understand. He would  \nbid his farewell, summon Akatosh and defeat Mehrunes Dagon, sealing  \nNirn from Oblivion yet ending the Septim bloodline.  \n  \nMartin said nothing. \"I... Martin! MARTIN!\"  \n  \nThe sole hope of Tamriel slowly vanished away. \"Martin! Where-\" It  \nwas then she realized this was some sort of dream. Of course! How  \nelse could the past be replaying itself before her? Only sleep did  \nnot end, for the Champion Of Cyrodiil remained in the empty temple,  \nalone, until a familiar face took shape.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Do not be afraid...\"  \n  \nThe woman turned towards the doorway. Standing clad in long blue   \nrobes, a face she had not seen in some time yet was burned into   \nher mind. The face that had started her adventure.  \n  \n\"You have accomplished much.\"  \n  \n\"No, I did not,\" she responded with a voice that resonated regret.  \n  \nUriel Septim approached the woman he had met during his failed  \nescape years before. \"Do not mistake your victories for defeat. My  \nson may not have become heir to my throne yet he and you saved  \nTamriel. It is perhaps not the ideal outcome and Tamriel will face  \nits own hardships, but it will endure. You have also achieved what   \nonly my own ancestor once achieved, becoming a god.\"  \n  \n\"Really...\" The Hero Of Kvatch crossed her arms. \"I defeated Jyggalag  \nand became Sheogorath. I thought I was saving a land but in the   \nprocess I left another without a hero. Ocato wishes me to become  \nEmpress yet I can not. The people do not trust him to take the throne  \nand there is no one else suitable. If I had ignored Sheogorath's  \nwishes and done my duties-\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"You would likely be dead. You will find ways to serve Tamriel yet,  \nyou will gain great power as time goes on. Tamriel will recover.  \nThat is not why I am here. Another land is in great danger, a land  \nbeyond Tamriel or Oblivion. They need you.\"  \n  \nThe chance to do good seemed almost wishful, for she did not know if   \nthis shape before her in this hazy dream was the spirit of the  \nEmperor himself or simply the mind's own concoction. \"If I can serve  \nyou once again and redeem my failure, please... tell me!\"  \n  \nUriel stepped forward and held out a hand as the image changed to that  \nof the Shivering Isles far beneath their feet. \"A land you have not  \nheard of is troubled, those that wish to conquer it have alreday  \ncome. They are in your realm as we speak. They seek an alliance with  \nMehrunes Dagon. Soon their heroes will come but they know nothing  \nof Oblivion or our ways. You must fight beside them.\"  \n  \nShe nodded. \"If Dagon were to invade that land they would be at his  \nmercy. I shall not allow that!\"  \n  \n\"I knew you would choose the right path. Now, awaken, for the path  \nyou chose must be walked carefully, I have guided you all I can,  \nthe rest is up to you...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nYEAR 2, AUGUST  \n  \n  \n\"Well, damn!\" Kitrina peered out to try and get an idea of what  \nshe was looking at. \"Big glowing portal, scientists, and those  \nrobots are going through.\"  \n  \n\"Why the hell are the Black Wings even here?\" Leafre was a long way  \nfrom Edelstein. \"And what IS that thing doing?\"  \n  \n\"I dunno,\" the cat replied. \"It can't be good. Figures, we go out   \ntraining for one day and bump into this! Just our luck!\"  \n  \nTapping at his PDA's screen, Diosoth said, \"I'm contacting Kyrin.  \nIf I can figure out how to send a picture...\"  \n  \nHis wife replied, \"I'll send a note to Athena. We should take them   \nout.\"  \n  \nExamining the few robots remaining, he answered back, \"that should   \nbe easy enough.\"  \n  \n\"And go through to get the rest!\"  \n  \nThinking the cat had lost her mind, he asked her, \"are you kidding  \nme? We don't know where that thing goes!\"  \n  \n\"So? It might go into Victoria Island! There might be people in   \ntrouble wherever that thing goes!\"  \n  \nStill not convinced, Dio commented, \"and we might get stuck on the  \nother side. We don't know if we can get back! Besides, if they were  \nattacking anywhere here, wouldn't they have built it in their base?  \nFor all we know, this is the invasion and it goes right into the  \nmines! We'd be in deep shit if we popped out in the middle of that  \nplace!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Thinking everything over, she shot back, \"I know! But I just...\"  \nHer pad beeped with the Elf's response. \"She said to wait here.\"  \n  \n\"Kyrin's leaving port in ten minutes,\" he read off his own, \"we'll  \ndeal with what's here and let her decide.\"  \n  \nWith a nod of understanding, the catgirl sprang from behind the  \nboulder, slashing through a small number of the Black Wings patrol  \ndrones. Diosoth merely pointed and let fly the Hurricane, arrows  \npummeling the rest of the machines until every one was a pile of  \nharmless scrap. The battle had been barely any hassle for either.  \n  \n\"Hey! Who are you?\"  \n  \nKit grabbed the lab tech huddling in fear. \"Where does that thing  \ngo?\"  \n  \n\"It-\" He could see the blade in the cat's hand. \"Another dimension!  \nGelimer had a base built on the other side but it's been compromised!  \nI sent another squadron through, they won't stand a chance! Those   \npeople are so weak!\" Shoving him down in anger, Kitrina gathered a   \nlong bundle of wires from the junked robotic remains. \"Hey, what are   \nyou-\"  \n  \n\"The Pirates are coming,\" she explained, \"you're gonna be here when   \nthey show up! And...\" Taking hold of the tech's communicator, she  \nthrew it at the ground, shattering it beyond use. \"...no talking to  \nanyone!\" Turning to her partner, she asked, now highly concerned,  \n\"you hear that? People on the other side are about to die!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Yeah... it might be twenty minutes before the Nautilus even gets   \nhere. Even if we found some other explorers nearby we'd spend that  \nmuch time trying to get them to come with us... but he said they   \nhave a base so it must come back here. I guess this one's on us.\"  \n  \nWith a shrug, Kit only remarked, \"hey, we knew better when we left the  \nhouse! Come on, the longer we talk the more people might get killed!\"  \n  \nWith that, the pair ran through the glowing blue light into the  \nunknown.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nHer newest visitor was a man never expected to set foot in the  \nShivering Isles, let alone be a part of her life once more.  \n\"Hail, Champion Of Cyrodiil! Or is it Lord Sheogorath now? Rather  \nimpressive, I must admit, to attain such a title.\"  \n  \n\"Rowley Eardwulf,\" she greeted. \"I have not seen you in years.\"  \n  \nThe former Dark Brother replied, \"yes. I have come here to stay,  \nit seems the Dark Brotherhood has been trying to kill me. I have   \ndealt with several of their assassins in the past month. They still  \nwish me dead. But that is not why I have requested this meeting.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;A feeling that good news was not to be delivered overwhelmed the  \nmadwoman. \"Do go on.\"  \n  \n\"I was tasked by Ocato himself to deliver a message. He learned of  \nyour family ties to my old friend, Greywin, and I had to make myself  \nknown to him when the Legion inquired of the Crimson Scars. Yet I was  \noffered reprieve from an Imperial prison to come here instead. Have  \nyou heard of a woman named Else God-Hater?\"  \n  \n\"Yes, I believe so,\" the Champion answered.   \n  \n\"She disappeared suddenly from Skingrad before she could be   \ninvestigated for murder,\" he explained. \"In her home were signs  \nthat link her to the Mythic Dawn. Count Hasildor notified the  \nImperial Legion immediately. Furthermore she was seen entering  \nthe Isles. It is likely she is here to kill you.\"  \n  \nThe Champion simply scoffed at the idea. \"Let her try. I have dealt  \nwith far worse, and she knows nothing of my ascension.\"  \n  \n\"It is not so simple,\" Rowley went on, \"other missing individuals  \nhave been determined to have ties with the Mythic Dawn. They may be   \ngathering here. Even if you have taken the title of Sheogorath from  \nits previous holder, are you not still mortal? You restored Deepscorn  \nHollow to its former glory yet refused to accept Sithis and became  \na hero. Greywin may not have approved but I have come to realize  \nthat Sithis used him and myself. He abandoned us. He does not  \ncare for us. I shall too abandon him and serve you. I shall fight  \nto protect you with my life if necessary, should you accept me into  \nthe Isles. I promise I have abandoned the ways of the Dark Brotherhood  \nand will not commit any crimes. I ask for a chance to prove myself.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She considered the request carefully. \"I shall grant this but I must  \nkeep an eye on you. You must prove yourself through actions, not   \nwords! I'm aware of how the Dark Brotherhood operates and what they  \nwould do if they could come here. We have already had several   \nresidents go missing in the past week that we are investigating.  \nHowever your claims of Mythic Dawn involvement must also be considered  \nand verified. I must be certain of your sincerity. I shall-\"  \n  \nA Golden saint rushing into the main throne room cut her speech short.  \n\"Lord Sheogorath! We are under attack! An unknown device has opened  \na portal in the root tunnels near Aichan! Unknown creatures are coming  \nthrough and have attacked our forces who discovered the artifact!  \nWe are falling in battle!\"  \n  \n\"So it begins...\" she muttered quietly. \"I shall go immediately!\"  \n  \nKatriana, her red-haired half-Ayleid lover, whined, \"I guess that   \nmeans I'm going, too! We'd better get our armor on, this doesn't sound  \nlike it will be easy!\"  \n  \n\"No, nor does it sound related to the Dark Brotherhood nor the   \nMythic Dawn.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I shall assist as well,\" Rowley declared. \"Though I have no weapon.\"  \n  \nWith a smile, the woman said, \"I have brought a few items through  \nfrom Tamriel, I have been working on relocating my collection. I   \nbelieve one of Greywin's old weapons, the Crimson Eviscerator, is in  \nmy possession. You shall be allowed that but nothing more.\"  \n  \n\"A fitting weapon,\" the former murdered replied.   \n  \n\"Haskill, alert the Dark Seducers to meet us there immediately!\"  \n  \nThe loyal servant responded, \"of course, Lord Sheogorath. But do be  \ncareful, you are not quite immortal yet, as powerful and has lucky as  \nyou are. Use your blessings wisely to return here if you are in   \nany danger, for the Isles would be in trouble without its master.  \nI feel I should accompany you, to be certain no harm befalls you.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nNo matter how highly the Golden Saints thought of themselves, their  \nnew foes were cutting them down one by one within the hollowed root  \ntunnels. These creatures lacked any emotion, did not respond, only  \nattacked, with bodies of metal that had no blood or bones within.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Fall back!\" their commander shouted as a burst of flames cut their  \nnumbers down further. \"Has the messenger been sent to Lord   \nSheogorath?\"  \n  \n\"Yes,\" one of her subordinated answered, \" but it may be some time   \nbefore she arrives! And we are too far from Dementia to request  \ntimely assistance from the Mazken!\"  \n  \nDealing with the Greymarch had been one thing- the Knights Of Order  \nwere powerful warriors indeed, yet still fell in combat. Whatever   \nthese monsters were felt no pain and brushed off their weapons. Only  \nlightning magic seemed to have any effect and it was minimal.   \n  \nPreparing to order a tactical withdrawal, the Saint's commander saw  \ntwo more forms appear through the mysterious vortex. The one with  \na long tail dashed through several of these intruders, ripping them  \ninto pieces while her blade hacked more into junk. The one in  \nred fired arrows at a speed that should have been impossible,  \nmowing down his foes with little effort. What had been a serious   \nthreat to the Aureals were a mere nuisance to these newcomers.  \n  \nAs the last of the unknown fiends was felled in battle, the newcomers  \ngave a quick look to their new surroundings.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Are we inside a big tree?\" the feline asked.  \n  \n\"That or some wooden building like I've never seen before,\" the other  \nreplied.  \n  \nWary of the new arrivals yet thankful they had slain the intruders,  \nthe Golden Saint Commander approached slowly. \"Thank you for your  \nassistance. The battle was surely lost without your timely arrival.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, we were told by the guy in the lab coat that they had sent the   \nrobots through to attack people here, we were going to wait for  \nsomeone else but we didn't have time.\"  \n  \nPuzzled at the strange word, she asked, \"robots?\"  \n  \nThe man answered, \"yes, the... these!\" pointing to one of the scrapped  \nmachines.  \n  \n\"I see... I am not familiar with such things, or this strange obelisk.  \nIs this a portal to another world?\"  \n  \nThe catgirl groaned, \"oh, boy... yeah, some bad people on our side   \nbuilt this to come here. I don't know why. I'm Kitrina.\"  \n  \n\"I am Staada, commander of the Aureal troops patrolling this region.  \nI do not believe I know your race. A form of Khajiit from a distant   \nland?\"  \n  \nUnsure how to answer, Kit only replied, \"I don't think so. I don't  \nknow what you are, either. That's Dio, he's my husband.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Diosoth, actually,\" he clarified.   \n  \n\"I see... I was not expecting a male to be so proficient in battle.\"  \n  \nClearly upset at the sentiment, the cat shouted, \"hey! That's kinda  \nsexist, isn't it? He probably saved your butt!\"  \n  \nTaken aback, yet realizing that arguing with warriors that could  \nslay foes that were too powerful for them to handle, the Saint only  \nreplied, \"please, I apologize. I am not yet adept at dealing with  \nmortals, nor with men. Aureal males are weak and few... you appear to   \nhave our eyes!\" She noticed the bow user's yellow eyes, an odd trait   \nfor humans. \"I also do not know what race you hail from.\"  \n  \n\"You mean... you're mostly women? And you don't recognize technology,   \neither...\" Kit knew she was in deep into something bad.  \n  \n\"Lord Sheogorath will be here soon. He is the ruler of the Shivering  \nIsles.\"  \n  \n\"Shivering?\" Kit shot back. \"I don't feel cold!\"  \n  \nDio responded, \"good. We have some reinforcements on the way too,   \nhow about we wait for them and we can try to fill in some of the   \ndetails.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah... and where's the nearest toilets?\" Kitrina inquired. \"You DO  \nhave toilets, right?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I... I am uncertain. What is a toilet?\"  \n  \n\"Kit...\"  \n  \nShe whispered back, \"yeah, I don't think these people have technology.  \nHey, gold girl, you seen one of these before?\" flashing her PDA.  \n  \nLooking at the device with curiosity, Issmi answered, \"no, I have  \nnever seen such an object before.\"  \n  \n\"Thought so- hey, I'm getting a network signal!\"  \n  \nStunned, the Bowmaster asked, \"how? We're not even in our own   \ndimension! Maybe the portal?\"  \n  \n\"I don't care how, I'm calling Kyrin and letting her know what's  \ngoing on here...\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nNo doubt the absence of the Nautilus from port would arouse worry  \nand suspicion but Captain Kyrin had no time to send out messages  \nto the entire island. It had been fortunate that Athena Pierce had  \narrived at the harbor only a minute before departure.   \n  \n\"I can't figure out why they would build a gateway in Leafre, of  \nall places...\"  \n  \nThe Elf crossed her arms in anger. \"Perhaps it is a test to see if  \nsuch gates can be used across our world. They would likely use them  \nto attack every city and town at once if that were the case.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Yeah, I just hope those two are-\" Kyrin's PDA flashed a new message.  \n\"DAMN! They went through that thing. Kitrina said the signal works  \nover there though and they can get home but she's waiting for us.   \nAnd... to bring portable toilets. And toilet paper. Lots of toilet  \npaper. Oh, damn, it's going to be one of those days... at least we  \nhave a few on board!\"  \n  \nKyrin had her full crew along with a few random explorers that had   \nbeen nearby when she called for the anchor to be raised. \"I sent word   \nto anyone I could to show up there but it could be hours before we   \nhave any reinforcements, so what we have will have to do. Says she's   \nin another dimension? That... a place called the Shivering Isles?   \nNever heard of that!\"  \n  \nThe name was all too familiar to the Elven archer. Trying to hide the  \nlook of shock that stretched over her face, Athena turned to look  \nthough the ship's windows. \"It appears we shall arrive near Leafre  \nsoon...\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, about five minutes...\" The Captain, who had been raised by   \nthe woman, could easily tell when her adoptive mother was not acting  \nright. \"What is it?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I-\" Athena Pierce realized that hiding her secret now was pointless.  \n\"I should have burned those books years ago. This may be my fault.\"  \n  \n\"Books?\" Kyrin pieced things together quickly. \"Those weren't just  \ndiaries, were they? They DID take them!\"  \n  \nWith a slow sigh, Athena Pierce replied, \"It was twenty years ago...\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nHer weapon raised as something came through the glowing rift, Issmi  \neased off upon the sight of a human woman and an Elf. \"Are those  \nthe ones you were expecting?\"  \n  \n\"Yeah. Hey, glad you got here!\" the cat shouted.   \n  \n\"I see you met the locals.\" Kyrin was surprised somewhat by the solid  \ngold skin of the troops gathered nearby, but being another realm,  \nshe had not found it too out of place. \"I didn't know caves were made  \nof wood here!\"  \n  \n\"This is a root tunnel,\" Athena Pierce explained. \"Hollowed roots of  \ntrees that run underground.\"  \n  \nGiving the Pirate a look, Kit asked, \"toilets?\"  \n  \n\"They're being unloaded now. We should establish a base here, but  \nassume the Black Wings have another portal someplace else. I don't  \nthink they hauled everything to Leafre without being noticed.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Indeed,\" the Elf agreed, \"they would have built their first portal  \nin their base. I do not know why a second would be established so far   \naway but it can not be good.\" Approaching the Saint, she stated,   \n\"please, I need to seek an immediate audience with Sheogorath.\"  \n  \n\"You know of our Lord?\" Issmi asked. \"How could that be?\"  \n  \nDiosoth also found it odd. \"We just heard of the guy fifteen minutes  \nago!\"  \n  \n\"About that...\" Kyrin mumbled. \"It's a bit of a long story but she was  \nhere before.\"  \n  \n\"This may be all my fault!\" the Elf said apologetically.  \n  \nKit laughed. \"You didn't make them come here! But how did... we'll  \nfigure it out later.\"  \n  \nStepping down from the device, allowing the Nautilus crew to bring  \nin supplies, Kyrin remarked, \"lots of scrap metal. No Watchmen or  \nanything? We got the guy you tied up but he probably doesn't know  \nmuch.\"  \n  \n\"Just the tin cans,\" the catgirl said with a whine. \"They have to be  \nhere somewhere, I guess.\"  \n  \n\"Please, I need to see Sheogorath immediately!\" Athena Pierce again  \ninsisted.  \n  \nIssmi replied, \"yes, of course. Lord Sheogorath will be here shortly.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;As if on cue, several individuals entered the chamber, two women, one  \nman and three more of the Golden Saints. The lead woman, blonde in  \ngold-trimmed white armor, approached first, looking over the fallen  \nmachines. \"I see the battle has been won. I assume you fought beside  \nthe Golden Saints?\"  \n  \nIssmi stuttered, \"they...\"  \n  \n\"Yes, we did, and it was a good thing we showed up when we did,\"   \nDiosoth answered, sparing the locals any embarrassment. \"Your own  \nput up a good fight but there were too many.\"  \n  \nStepping forth, the Elven Bowmaster said, \"please, is Sheogorath   \ncoming? I must discuss this with him! It concerns our meeting from  \nthe past.\"  \n  \nThe blonde and redhead, wide-eyed, looked at each other. \"This is  \ninteresting,\" the redhead remarked.   \n  \n\"Indeed... um, this might be a bit complicated, you see-\"  \n  \nBefore the woman could elaborate, a call of \"Athena Pierce? Is that  \nyou?\" came from behind as Haskill led a small platoon of Mazken into  \nthe chamber.   \n  \n\"I can not believe it, but it must be!\" one of the purple-skinned  \nwomen exclaimed upon seeing the Elf. \"Do you remember me? Autkendo   \nJansa, I accompanied you on the hunt for the traitor. You did the  \nMazken a great service that day! You do not appear to have aged!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Indeed, neither have you. Nor you, Haskill. But I did suspect you   \nwere not human. Now, I must speak to Sheogorath, dangerous forces  \nworking for the Black Mage found the books he gave me and used them   \nto come here.\"  \n  \nThe blonde gave Haskill a confused stare. \"What is going on?\"  \n  \n\"Ah... some decades prior, your predecessor opened a gateway to  \nanother realm... this woman was the hero who traveled through that  \ngateway.\" Haskill recalled every detail in full and carefully   \nexplained as much as he could.  \n  \nThe woman said, \"I see... I am Sheogorath now. The man you knew is  \nno longer here nor will he return. I have taken his place. It would  \ntake too long to go into the details, for now I need to know what  \nis happening and who has invaded my realm.\"  \n  \nKit answered her, \"some group working for the Black Mage is here.  \nI wish I knew why. Oh, I'm Kitrina, by the way!\"  \n  \nThe two women looked at each other. \"Really? Interesting name... I'm  \nsure we can introduce ourselves later, we need to establish a plan  \nof attack before my realm is invaded...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Leaning in, the red-haired woman remarked, \"she has your name! Should  \nwe tell her?\"  \n  \n\"It is unimportant and likely a coincidence. I will simply use the  \ntitle I have used.\"  \n  \nBefore further words could be exchanged, two Dark Seducers led in a   \nman in black. \"We found this one spying on you nearby!\"  \n  \n\"You pathetic people!\" the Watchman shouted. \"You don't know how  \nhelpless you are! Once the Black Wings make contact with the one we   \nweek, Maple World will be destroyed, and your world will be conquered  \nas well! If you think I will talk further, you will be wasting your   \ntime. You can not force me to talk!\"  \n  \nRushing forward with a careful swing of her dagger, the cat grabbed  \na piece of paper from within his coat. \"What's this?\" Unfolding it  \nshe read off, \"hmm... three portals, one in the mines, second one in  \nLeafre, third somewhere else in here to... uh... something about a   \nthing named Dagon... invasion portal, whatever this thing is they   \nwant it to attack Leafre to get to the Black Mage! That's not good!\"  \n  \n\"You pathetic... I will offer no further information!\" With that their  \ncaptive engaged some arcane magic, ending his own life.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Poor fool,\" Sheogorath remarked, laughing. \"He will wish he had not   \ndone that, will he, Katriana?\"  \n  \nBiting her lip, Kat muttered cheerfully, \"I don't know, maybe he'll  \nactually like the hill of suicides!\"  \n  \n\"If what you read is true,\" the Champion commented, \"then whatever  \nhas come here did not wish to see Sheogorath but is trying to make  \ncontact with another Daedric Prince, a very dangerous one named  \nMehrunes Dagon. He once attempted to destroy Tamriel, and he is none   \ntoo happy with me for stopping him!\" Turning to Haskill, she ordered,  \n\"send as many as can be sent to the Fringe. Inform the Gatekeeper.  \nNONE of these bastards are to set foot in Cyrodiil! Ocato has enough  \nto deal with, he does not need an invasion by superior forces! Send  \nothers to check on Kathutet, if they find out one of Dagon's former  \nsoldiers is here they may try to capture him for information!\"  \n  \n\"I fear,\" Rowley said, \"that these strangers may be responsible for  \nthe disappearances you mentioned.\"  \n  \nShe felt the same. \"Indeed. They have likely been seeking information.  \nI can only hope no one has been killed. As for the Mythic Dawn, if   \nthey are here...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"And they have been contacted by these strangers, then...\" Rowley  \nfelt ill. \"It is a possibility to consider. I may also be paranoid  \nyet I do feel eyes are upon is somehow.\"  \n  \nTurning to the strangers, Sheogorath asked, \"well then, care to  \ntell me more? I should also bless every one of you so you do not go  \ninsane here.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nA lone camera watched the second gateway. The dark-armored man did  \nnot consider this to be of any importance. \"They found the gate,  \nbig deal. They can't destroy it or they don't get home. Once Mehrunes  \nDagon has come here he will go through as planned. Those heroes  \nwill hardly be a threat.\"  \n  \n\"Hey,\" the cat commented, \"that one looks like me! And that guy has  \na ponytail like you!\"  \n  \n\"Yes,\" the Dark Bosshunter muttered. \"Just our doubles from Maple  \nWorld. I do not care. Else!\"  \n  \nOn command, the woman approached. \"We are ready to assist when the  \ngateway you're building is complete! Lord Dagon shall relish the  \nchance to conquer a land after his defeat! And I want that woman's  \nhead!\"  \n  \n\"The gateway will be finished within one hour,\" he answered. \"They are  \nrunning final tests now.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Why do they not open it now?\"  \n  \nHe scoffed. \"You are a simple people who know nothing of technology.  \nThey need to make sure the device works. I have read about the other  \ngod sof your land. Some would no doubt destroy us if we entered their   \nlands. Some may be friends with the woman who has taken Sheogorath's  \nplace and Molag Bal is possibly too dangerous to make a pact with.  \nIt is wise to make sure the machine works rather than risk meeting   \none of them, or worse, ending up inside of a mountain.\"  \n  \n\"Stop talking and go out and guard those gates!\" a voice shouted.  \nIt was one of the Watchmen. \"Gelimer has me reporting to him on our  \nprogress and I don't want to tell him you fucked things up!\"  \n  \n\"You may be important to Gelimer,\" the Dark hunter exclaimed, \"yet  \nnot to me. Do your duties and I do mine. I answer to the leader, not  \nto the scientist! Jason, you are nothing but a lackey. I was requested  \nby the Wing Master. If YOU fail I will kill you!\"  \n  \nIgnoring them and leaving, the Watchman's duties were none of his   \nconcern. \"I should report this to Orchid herself...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"But why should she know?\" Else remarked. \"She will soon be a   \nsacrifice to Dagon!\"  \n  \n\"Yes, as will many of them,\" the Bosshuter mused. Looking at his  \npartner, thinking of how soon she would be out of his life, he  \nsaid, \"we should go meet these people.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, sure... but they look dangerous!\"  \n  \nSmugly, he asked, \"are you afraid? Or do you not want blood on   \nyour hands? You have sometimes had a bit of a hesitation in you.\"  \n  \n\"HEY... don't be mean! I can fight them!\"  \n  \n\"Fine. Ah, General Orchid! There you are!\"  \n  \nFloating in, the girl asked, \"is the portal done?\"  \n  \n\"Almost, it needs final tests.\"  \n  \nShe said, \"good. Call me when it's ready. I wish to meet this Dagon  \nas soon as possible, and tell those lab geeks if they mess this  \nup I'll have them all burned alive! I'm going to go interrogate those  \nprimitive people we've captured, they may yet talk even if they have  \nresisted so far. Pity most of them are insane. But we have just   \nbrought in a new one that may have valuable information, and we've  \nalso located that one who defected from Dagon's services!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Good,\" Else screamed. \"When you are done, he will make a perfect  \npresent to Mehrunes Dagon. That traitor betrayed his master like a  \ncoward, he will regret it!\"  \n  \n\"Very well,\" Orchid said, leaving them alone.   \n  \n\"Don't say it!\"  \n  \nElse asked, \"what?\"  \n  \n\"I am not betraying her. I was never loyal to her or her master. To  \nbe created as a mere plaything, to be dragged from my home to be used  \nas a tool... they deserve whatever fate awaits Maple World.\"  \n  \n\"Pathetic name your planet has,\" the Mythic Dawn agent commented.  \n  \nHe shot back, \"yes, Nirn! So much better! It sounds like half a word  \nor a sound a sick person might make! It is time to go meet these  \ninterlopers head on, not that they will make it past the security   \ngates but I prefer their blood on my hands now!\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nWorking a small farm would beneath a Dremora if not for the fact that  \nbetraying his master would also have been seen as beneath his kind.  \nKathutet had made his choice to help the Champion kill Mankar Camoran  \nand was forced to beg for sanctuary rather than pay for what he had  \ndone. His reasons were unknown even to him, he had no love of mortals  \nnor any desire to save them from Mehrunes Dagon, yet he had betrayed  \nthose wishes regardless. Had it been because the invasion plan seemed  \ndishonorable? Because his master put faith into a moral wizard and  \nused his own as little more than slave labor?  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;The Dremora expected to receive no answers, only protection. Working  \non his planting, to grow food for the residents of the Isles, he  \npaused upon noticing several strangers approaching. One man, two   \nbeasts that resembled a cross between men and rabbits, and what seemed  \nto be two men in unusual metal armor.  \n  \n\"You know of Mehrunes Dagon, correct?\"  \n  \n\"That is none of your concern, mortal!\" he growled in response. \"You  \nare unknown to me. Begone.\"  \n  \nThe stranger replied, \"you are coming with me to see my boss, or I   \nshall drag you with me. We are interested in meeting Mehrunes Dagon  \nand require information... and you, to trade for a deal!\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nIn her travels and battles, the Champion Of Cyrodiil never imagined  \nanywhere that the situation could be so bad that children would become  \nwarriors on the battlefield. That was what she had seen with her own  \neyes, however, when the Pirates came. She was certain that some of   \nthem were barely old enough to understand what they had gotten   \ninvolved with and now she relied on many of them to explore the   \nmyriad number of tunnels. No one had any real idea of how far the  \nroot tunnels ran, if they were even separated or connected, but they  \nhad to go by the assumption that the Black Wings had maintained their  \noperations nearby.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"There are certain groups,\" the Madgod said, \"that could have taken   \nour missing people, some known to me, yet I have a bad feeling...\"  \n  \n\"Yeah,\" the cat replied, \"they take their own citizens too. They just  \ngrab them at random for experiments or whatever. I hope you can find  \nthem, I hope they weren't taken back home.\"  \n  \nDiosoth added hesitantly, \"we don't know anything about the people   \nhere, what kind of magic you use or what, and I don't like the Black  \nWings knowing that. They'd probably dissect people to find out. My  \nlittle brother is in a resistance group to fight them. He's seen   \npeople his age suffer, he even saved one who was in their labs being  \ntormented.\"  \n  \n\"Another child, I presume?\" the Champion inquired, suspecting she knew  \nthe answer.   \n  \n\"He's about thirteen,\" Kit said.  \n  \n\"You have got to be kidding me!\" Katriana shouted, almost too loud.  \n\"How can they torment children? I think even the Dark Brotherhood   \nwould draw the line at that!\"  \n  \nRowley replied, \"knowing how the Night Mother lost her children, and  \nhaving been a part of them myself once, I can say for certain that   \nthey very rarely cross that line. Only if the child is so evil that  \nthey must be dealt with.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Edging closer to the woman, Diosoth asked her, \"can we trust him?\"  \n  \n\"For now,\" she answered. \"I'm keeping my own eye on him. I doubt he's  \nmuch of a threat to you, however...\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, I could probably take him out with one shot. He's barely the  \nskill of a beginner where I come from.\"  \n  \nThe former Crimson Scar was tired of how these tunnels all looked  \nidentical. \"We've been walking for almost fifteen minutes, and still   \nno sign. We should turn and try a different path!\"  \n  \n\"They could be anywhere,\" Dio groaned, \"and we have no way to track   \nthem.\" Suddenly his PDA beeped a new message. \"Huh? That's still   \nworking? Hey, it's my brother... says he's going into the Black  \nWings base for recon.\"  \n  \nKit's eyes lit up at the news. \"Tell him what we're doing! Maybe he  \ncan find their portal on the other side! But if it's getting a message  \nthis far in,\" she mused, \"they've gotta have some sort of antenna or  \nsomething. The things should be dead. We are in another dimension!\"  \n  \n\"So, and forgive me for not understanding how these objects work,\"  \nthe Madgod said, \"does that mean we are on the right path?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I can't be sure,\" Diosoth answered her. \" I don't know how strong  \nthe signal is or how thick these walls are but they have relays in  \na lot of caves and such to keep connected. Those are probably being   \nused here, but I can't actually get a map of the signal. These   \nthings don't have that feature. They're a bit crap.\"  \n  \nRowley remarked, \"such tools would be useful for everyone, but we  \nhave never dreamed of such magic. Yet you claim they are not so great.  \nPerhaps one man's wonder is another man's mundane.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nWithin the Resistance Base buried just underneath the town of  \nEdelstein, a private battle was coming it its own hasty end.  \n  \n\"No, just... NO! You want to help, stay here and play with Vita or   \nsomething!\"  \n  \nLutia was tired of being treated like a child, even though she was   \none. She felt she had become strong enough to go into the Verne Mines  \nand assist in scouting missions. Greased Babe, however, was not  \nabout to let someone only twelve years old go with her. It was bad  \nenough she cold not keep someone only thirteen out of trouble,  \nyet Claudine had tasked Dyos with accompanying her and the kid was  \nstubborn. She realized that keeping him away was impossible, but  \nshe was not going to endanger two children. \"I even see you near  \nthe mines,\" she said with an angry grunt, \"and I'll chain you to   \none of the beds here!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Fine... but someday I'll be fighting and you won't be able to play  \nmommy to me then!\" the girl shouted.  \n  \nShe replied, \"and what's your real mommy gonna do when you end up  \ndead?\" This question seemed to quiet Lutia quickly.  \n  \n\"Hey! Dio messaged be, something big!\" The boy raced towards her,  \nwaving his pad. \"The Black Wings are really trying something this  \ntime! Here, read!\"  \n  \nG-Babe took the PDA and scanned the message. \"Son of a-\" She wisely  \nheld her tongue in front of the children. \"Okay, new plan, we find  \nthis portal and keep an eye on it. Maybe with any luck we can finally  \nget a picture of their leader! I've been trying for months now and  \nnot a shadow. All I got was that little puppet master brat who turned  \nall the monsters evil.\" Ready now to leave, she added, \"don't tell  \nClaudine, Not yet. I don't need her jumping the gun and sending half  \nthe Resistance in there!\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nIn the time they spent searching the winding tunnels, unsure if they   \nhad looped back on their path or not, the Maple World adventurers had   \nheard the tale of the Oblivion crisis, the Greymarch and other   \nstories of the woman's life. They realized their own lives had seen   \nlittle to compare, and Diosoth was certain his own brother had more  \nin common with the warrior.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"One positive is that the Black Wings seem unaware of the fact that  \na Daedric Prince's power is tied to their realm. It's unlikely that  \nMehrunes Dagon would present your world a real threat, which is   \nfortunate as your weapons may not even scratch him.\"  \n  \n\"Hey, why are you all called princes?\" Kit inquired. \"You're a woman!  \nAnd they call you a lord, isn't that for guys?\"  \n  \nThe Madgod answered her, \"it's complicated. Daedra technically have no  \ngender, the gods take whatever form they wish. I will gain such a   \npower someday. As for my title, it seems to have stuck from the   \nprevious Sheogorath out of familiarity and I suppose I prefer it.  \n'Lady' just lacks something to me and I'm hardly a lady.\"  \n  \n\"Hey! Wires!\" Diosoth pointed to a cable running through the wooden  \nwalls.   \n  \n\"Interesting,\" Rowley remarked. \"That does not belong here!\"  \n  \n\"I'm just glad this place is lit up,\" the Bowmaster commented. \"I  \nexpected it to be dark in here.\"  \n  \nThe killer replied, \"yes, most caves of Tamriel are quite dark and   \nrequire torches.\"  \n  \nFalling back slightly, the cat asked her, \"so, you and Katriana...  \nhow long have you been together?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"What?\" The question caught the Champion off guard. \"You can tell?\"  \n  \n\"You two stick together too much to be friends or sisters.\"  \n  \n\"Not quite three years. You, however, certainly give off the feeling  \nof being married!\" She remarked with a smile.  \n  \nThe cat responded, \"not even a year yet but we've been together  \na bit longer. We go out training together but usually stay home.   \nThings are bad enough we have to train or we'd be home all the time.\"  \n  \nJumping back, Dio screamed out, \"hey!\" as arrows pelted the ground.  \n\"We got company!\" The bowman was stunned by the sight of what looked  \nlike himself in a dark version of his old armor. \"Who the hell are  \nYOU?\"  \n  \nWithout answering, the stranger kept firing, volleys of three arrows  \nat a time from the large red bow.  \n  \nHer sword drawn, Sheogorath rushed the man and began to swing. \"You   \ndon't belong in my realm!\"  \n  \n\"I don't care!\" the stranger shouted back. \"I am going to kill all  \nof you!\"  \n  \nSensing the evil within this foe, she screamed, \"you are unnatural!  \nWhatever you are is not human!\" Her sword slashed down, blocked by   \nthe large feathered bow.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Very observant!\" His fists pummeled the Madgod but barely dented the  \nbright white armor she wore.  \n  \nReady to offer her assistance, Kit realized that another unexpected  \nguest was watching her. What looked like her, only with pale skin,  \nblack fur and a purple bikini, a twisted copy of herself, grinned  \nslightly. \"Hey... come on, just go. I don't want to fight you, just  \ngo. He'll kill you!\"  \n  \n\"Kiss my ass!\" Whatever the clone was had old gear, yet was still good  \nenough to deflect her Cursayer. Blades locked, the two felines   \nstruggled, neither gaining an advantage as their shields blocked  \nfurious slashes.  \n  \nAiming his weapon to assist his troubled wife against whatever the   \nhell she was in combat against, Diosoth heard a shout of \"dawn is   \nbreaking!\" as three armored foes ran at him with clubs.  \n  \n\"The Mythic Dawn!\" Rowley shouted, drawing his own blade.  \n  \nHer own sword prepared for battle, Katriana caught one of them off  \nguard, slashing at the magical armor that encased her foe yet only  \nmaking superficial marks in the mystical steel. Focused on her   \ntarget, the red-haired half-Ayleid was unaware of another prepared  \nto stab her in the throat. Rushing forth, the Crimson Scar took the  \nblade in his shoulder, stabbing his own into the neck of Dagon's  \nservant.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;His bow trained on the final Mythic Dawn servant, Diosoth screamed   \nout, \"don't make me do it!\"  \n  \n\"Die, unbeliever!\"  \n  \nLetting fly the Hurricane, the arrows left only mere scraps of what  \nhad been a man, their raw power beyond what any mortal of Tamriel   \ncould unleash.   \n  \nThe Dark Bosshunter struggled with the Champion, slowly becoming  \nexhausted and unable to even use his weapon as he was pummeled by   \nsword blows that left scratches in the tainted armor. \"LEAVE! We  \nhave more important things to do! Orchid is close to opening the gate,  \nI will not lose now!\" and turned tail.  \n  \nBreaking her struggle with Kitrina, the mysterious cat, shaking  \nand nervous, chose to abandon the fight. Before the heroes could   \ngive chase, three large metal shudder slammed down in the small  \ntunnel they had passed through.  \n  \nKit, gasping for air, wanted to scream. \"What WAS that?\"  \n  \nSheogorath noticed Rowley's blood seeping to the ground. \"He took  \na dagger meant for me!\" Kat explained.  \n  \n\"I'm alright...\"  \n  \n\"Like hell you are!\" the Champion commented, looking over the wound.  \nTouching her hands to the man, several times, the glowing light that  \nran through him gently sealed the cut. \"There, that should do it.  \nYou would have bled to death if I hadn't been so skilled with magic!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Checking the steel door, Dio whined, \"we'll never get this open!\"  \n  \n\"Wanna call Kyrin? Maybe she's got something to blow it up! I don't  \nthink meso explosion will work...\" his wife suggested.  \n  \n\"No, she needs to stay and guard that portal in case they show up  \nthere, and it would take her forever to get to us! I want to know  \nwho those two were!\"  \n  \n\"Not natural creations,\" the Champion said. \"But not daedric. I could  \nsense how evil he was but I suspect it is from your world.\"  \n  \nKit grumbled, \"but why us? And that guy had your old armor.\"  \n  \n\"We can worry about that later, we have to-\" Pausing as his eyes  \nnoticed the large cable leading to a small room nearby, he peeked  \nhis head in to see a Watchman huddling in the corner. \"YOU!\"  \n  \nScreaming in terror, the Black Wings servant realized he couldn't  \neven run. \"I just work here, don't kill me!\"  \n  \nSlowly stepping forward and picking up the cowering man by his collar,  \nthe Hero said bluntly, \"tell us how to get through those gates or  \nI will send you to Herdir for torture!\"  \n  \n\"Herdir?\" the man asked, confused. \"I mean... just press the big  \nbutton!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Slapping down on the unfamiliar device, she could hear a gateway  \nopening. \"That opened the first one!\" the Bowmaster explained, \"but  \nthe others look like they're still closed!\"  \n  \n\"Now tell me how to open the rest or you die!\"  \n  \nSo terrified he was ready to pass out, the Watchman said with a whine,  \n\"the other gates have separate rooms nearby. They call us to open   \nthem. I guess they can also close them by remote! I don't know where  \nthe other rooms are, this place is so confusing! All I know is the  \nbig portal machine is through there and so is my boss! Please don't  \nkill me!\"  \n  \nReleasing the coward, she ordered, \"Kat. Keep an eye on him. You and   \nRowley keep watch here. As for us...\" Looking at two branching   \ntunnels, heading off into unexplored areas of the roots, she said,  \n\"we need to find those places and fast. Dagon may be unlikely to  \nharm your world but if he can tear down the barriers between worlds,  \nhe may yet pose a threat, and he does know how to do such things.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nHeading to the small farm on foot had been too slow, for all the  \nMazken knew, Kathutet was long gone. Issmi refrained from the long-  \nembedded prejudice of the Dark Seducers, a habit the current  \nSheogorath discouraged and one that would only complicate matters,  \nand shouted, \"there!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;They had not expected to see what they did. The bodies of the Black  \nWings agents lay dead as did one of the machines. The Dremora had  \nbroken his tools in the fight yet still had enough magicka to send  \nbolts of energy into the robots that attacked him. However the final   \none was looming over and he was visibly exhausted.  \n  \n\"Let me,\" Shulynch shouted, aiming her pistol and firing at the  \nmechanical enforcer, ripping its body into pieces.  \n  \nContent that the fight was over, the Aureal commander asked, \"are you  \nalright Lord Sheogorath sent us to assist.\"  \n  \n\"These mortals were of no concern to me. The metal men were a   \nchallenge but lightning hurt them and I found they have weaknesses.\"  \nIssmi noticed the broken hoe lodged into the joint openings along  \nthe machine's neck. \"You are no longer required. Allow me to tend  \nmy garden.\"  \n  \nUnfazed by the red-skinned demonic man before her, or his attitude,  \nthe Pirate gunsmith said, \"we should stay for now. They might send  \nsomeone else if they realize he's not been captured.\"  \n  \n\"I do not need assistance from lesser daedra or a mortal! I am still  \na warrior!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Issmi replied, how dare you talk to-\"  \n  \nShulynch placed a hand over her mouth. \"YOU are getting our help if   \nyou want it or not. Or do you want to take on ten more of those   \nthings? You don't know what's even going on... now take care of your  \nfarm, warrior, before you piss me off...\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nKitrina hated these tunnels. The map on her PDA was useless,   \nnaturally, but the walls all looked the same and these old tree  \nroots twisted everywhere. Running blindly looking for the security   \nroom, on her own, was not only a gamble but had been more danger than  \nshe had expected. It was perhaps bad enough the local beasts attacked  \non sight, even if she had no issues dealing with the ravenous  \nlizards, but Black Wings robots had been more of a challenge to deal  \nwith. She wondered if all of the things would ever be hunted down, or  \nif she might get lost herself.  \n  \nA giant metal wall, out of place in the root tunnels, was the sign she  \nwas after. And just her luck, the doorway was also open. 'Huh, guards  \nmust be out for a pee break,' she thought to herself, seeing the  \nsecurity room completely empty. Pressing the button to open the  \ngateway shudder, the cat was started to see an unwelcome face outside  \nof the small room. \"YOU! Figures you'd join them, you were a selfish  \npiece of shit!\"   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Jason Ember cocked his head. \"Kitrina. I'm so glad I caught you!\"  \nDrawing a blade, he shouted, \"you heroes cheated me and I bet it was   \nyou who got my girls all in the same place. You really hurt me.\"  \n  \n\"You used me, asshole!\" the catgirl screamed, beginning to tremble.   \n\"I should have just stabbed you to death, you got lucky!\"  \n  \nSmugly, he replied, \"yes, yes, but you didn't and now that I'm part  \nof something greater I get my revenge. Gelimer said he'll reward me  \nand I know what I want.\" He could see his ex shaking in fear, holding  \nback her rage. \"Go ahead. I can take you in a fight, you stupid   \nbitch! That's okay, I won't kill you...\" With a nasty grin, he went   \non, \"I'm going to keep you as my slave. I'm going to rape you whenever   \nI feel like it.\"  \n  \n\"You still won't get me off,\" she screamed in anger. \"You didn't the  \nlast time you talked me into putting out!\"  \n  \n\"I don't give a shit! I hope you hate every minute of it and I'll  \ngive you as many minutes as I can! I know you came here with someone  \nelse, your husband? I don't know if I'll kill him, or just lock him  \nup and make him watch! I will kill Dances With Balrog, and maybe that  \nPirate bitch, and Gelimer said after we-\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Kit was stunned by the bright flash and the scream, Jason's body   \nglowing hot as his chest was punctured by an arrow. Dropping to the  \nground, smoldering, his charred flesh leaving nothing recognizable,  \nhe whimpered, barely able to feel pain as his nerves were destroyed  \nby whatever foul magic had disfigured the once smug Watchman.  \n  \nStanding behind him, bow still held up, was a woman in bright white  \narmor. \"GO! NOW!\"  \n  \nThe shock had left her momentarily unable to think clearly. \"I-\"  \n  \n\"I said now!\" Sheogorath ordered. \"Get to that device and destroy it  \nbefore your realm is attacked by Dagon!\"  \n  \nFleeing the scene, driven by duty and fear, Kitrina left the Champion  \nto tend to the charred, barely-living body. \"What a pathetic man.  \nThreatening a hero and with such a tone!\"  \n  \nExamining the arrow's point protruding from his chest, he mumbled, \"I  \ncan't move my legs...\"  \n  \n\"Of course not! I probably severed your spine! You were also burned,  \nelectrocuted and frozen by the arrow's enchantment. I'm surprised you  \nsurvived but you Maple people do seem to be unnaturally strong.  \nYet you came to my realm and threatened someone I respect, and  \nyou threatened your own world out of perry personal revenge. You  \nbrought this upon yourself.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Checking his PDA, Jason saw his health meter was dangerously low and  \ndropping, if the link to his life signs were even remotely accurate.  \nBlood oozed from the arrow's exit wound and even if he did live, the  \nphysical injuries would never heal.  \n  \nSheogorath looked down at him. \"How pathetic. You seem to hate women  \nand threaten them, but you were no more a challenge than some  \nrandom bandit, vampire or necromancer. You boasted as if you were some  \ngreat warrior but in the end you lie in our own blood. I've faced  \ngreat threats and you are not in their league. You will be forgotten,  \nnot even your own home realm will remember you, and in MY realm...\"  \nHis body glowed a purple haze as an unknown magic was cast upon him.  \n\"... you will be more useful in death than in life!\"  \n  \nHolding the star of Azura, the Champion plunged her blade into the  \ntraitor's skull, catching what remained of his soul for later use.   \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nShaking off the experience, setting it aside to deal with later,   \nKit's PDA flashed a message form her husband indicating he'd found  \nthe final security room. Turning back, hoping to hell she could  \nremember the way to the gates, the cat ran for her life and the lives  \nof Maple World. As much as she wished she had stayed home today,  \nKitrina also had to deal with knowing that if they had not found the  \ngateway, that her world may be about to end.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;For all she knew it still may.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nStanding atop the precipice within the root caves, the portal  \nmachine nearby, the dark hunter listened to the winds coming from  \nbelow. The anticipation was eating away at him. \"How much longer?\"  \n  \n\"Three minutes,\" the tab tech responded.   \n  \n\"Do it now!\"  \n  \nThe scientist shouted back, \"If I do it now it might open to the wrong  \nplace! The calibration must finish first!\"  \n  \nThe Dark Bosshunter thought of killing the man but held back. His  \nimpatience did not change things. Else God-Hater spoke, \"I'm the  \nonly one left and they still have not come back with the traitor.  \nYou'd better let me do the talking. Lord Dagon will enjoy tearing  \nthat hero apart. I've wanted to for years. I should have killed her  \nwhen I first met her but I had a cover to maintain. That bitch never  \nshould have won, she-\"  \n  \nThe arrow slammed into Else's skull, silencing her forever. Turning  \nto face whatever intruder had killed his ally, the Hunter was stunned  \nto see Kitrina leaping for the tech, knocking him back. Giving the  \nconsole a quick glance, the cat jabbed her blade down into the   \ncontrols, rendering them inoperable. \"There, that should keep it from  \nturning on!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"No...\" He could not believe it. \"Kitrina! Why...\" The feline   \ncontinued to stare at her counterpart.  \n  \n\"She's good...\"  \n  \n\"You saw her and did nothing?\"  \n  \nThe cat turned. \"I didn't know I was supposed to... she looks like   \nme!\"  \n  \nFurious, the bowman gave his lover a hard shove, sending her over the  \nledge. Stepping forward, he could see the cat holding onto a small  \nbranch sticking out of the wooden surface. \"Baby... please, I didn't  \nmean it...\"  \n  \n\"Drop! You worthless burden! I no longer need you!\" Spinning to face  \nhis attackers, the Hunter began firing wildly at anything that moved.  \n\"I will be damned if I lose! I will kill all of you!\"  \n  \nTaking cover behind a crate, Diosoth tried to look upon his double.   \n\"He's got third job skills but he's also probably got soul arrow!\"  \n  \n\"And what's that?\" The Madgod asked, keeping cover herself.  \n  \n\"Infinite arrows!\"  \n  \nGrumbling in disgust, the Champion replied, \"just great. I saw you  \nshoot that Mythic Dawn assassin, your arrows are much more powerful  \nthan I expected. If he shoots me it could be quite bad.\"  \n  \n\"Kit! Stay back! He's insane!\" Dio shouted, pleading with his wife to  \nremain below.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She could see her clone hanging on for dear life. \"Shit... I have got  \nto help her!\" Ignoring any sense of self preservation, the Thief  \nengaged Dark Sight, hoping to avoid detection as she jumped up  \nonto the platform above.  \n  \nFiring blindly, keeping them pinned down, the Bosshunter began to   \nramble, \"the Black Mage's men created us as tools! I am no one's   \ntool! He wanted an alliance but I will betray him! I will find another  \nway to meet Mehrunes Dagon and give the Black Mage to him! I will have  \nrevenge for how he used me!\"  \n  \nWeighing her options, the Champion Of Cyrodiil remembered she was   \ncarrying a very important artifact, so important it remained with  \nher at all times. \"Can you distract him?\"  \n  \n\"Yeah... I think so! Hurricane's faster but I don't know how strong  \nhe is, if he hits me it could be just as bad! Wait...\" Concentrating,  \nDiosoth summoned the phoenix, a bird of fire that hovered above and  \nattacked the villain. \"It won't last long!\"  \n  \n\"Pathetic!\" he screamed, firing at both the crates and the bird. \"I   \nwon't fail now! I can not fail now!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Unaware of the struggle nearby, he paid no heed to Kitrina turning  \nvisible. reaching over the edge, she shouted out, \"take my hand!\"  \n  \nStruggling to keep hold of the vine, the cat whined, \"I can't!  \nI'm about to fall!\"  \n  \nSheogorath drew the blade slowly, taking a deep breath. \"If I die,  \nKat's going to be quite upset with me... well, I've faced worse and  \nsurvived!\" ready to strike, she screamed, \"if you wish to encounter  \nMehrunes Dagon so bad, I shall send you to him!\" Lunging forth,   \nswinging quickly before he could take aim, the blade merely scratched   \nthe crazed man's chin as he screamed a final gasp, falling dead,  \nhis threat no more.  \n  \nConfused now by what he'd seen, Dio asked her, \"what just happened?  \nHow'd you even do that?\"  \n  \n\"Mehrunes Razor kills anyone it harms,\" she shot back. \"Their soul  \nis sent to him to be absorbed and tormented. Don't touch him, he's  \npure evil and may corrupt you.\"  \n  \nGrabbing the cat tight, Kit pulled up and screamed as she struggled  \nto rescue her double. Finally falling back, holding onto the  \nmysterious copy, the cat sighed. \"There! You're safe!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I... I thought he loved me but he tried to kill me!\" she muttered.  \n\"I've been so afraid of him... I never wanted to do this but he did  \nand he would do to me what he did to the rest! He's dead? Oh... the  \nBlack Wings are going to open a portal to meet someone named Dagon...\"  \n  \nApproaching the two, the Madgod stated, \"she's going insane from being  \nhere. She may have already been, and that man certainly was. Stay  \nhere and clean up this mess. I need to find the one responsible for  \nthis and end it.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nHer prisoner has refused to say a word, and since the man was   \nnot human, nor anything she had encountered before, General Orchid was  \nforced to try other means. Leading her rabbit soldiers in with three  \nprisoners, she said, \"if you wish me to execute these and any others  \nI have captured, then remain silent.\"  \n  \nWith an annoyed sigh of contempt, the man spoke, \"very well. It will  \nnot help you but I suppose I shall entertain you. I am Dyus. I served  \nJyggalag many years ago. I know many things. I predicted with careful  \naccuracy every event that would occur in Mundus AND Oblivion and  \nthose predictions always came true...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Orchid smiled. \"Yes, tell me what is to come!\"  \n  \n\"...until Sheogorath's champion came.\"  \n  \nShe was so stunned that her feet landed on the wooden floor. \"WHAT?\"  \n  \nWith a grunt, he continued, \"she was to fail in her endeavors to   \nremake the staff of Sheogorath. She succeeded. For the first time in  \nthousands of years, my predictions were shattered. None of them were  \nany good. Slowly but surely everything changes and soon any prediction  \nI have made will be so invalid there will be no need to repeat them.\"  \n  \n\"You lying...\" In anger she struck the being, an act which illicited no  \nreaction, for Dyus could not die nor feel any pain. \"Tell me what  \nwill become of me!\"  \n  \n\"Oh, I know what you wish to know. I foresaw your coming here. I  \nforesaw Sheogorath himself ripping you and your men apart, tearing  \nyour metal men into shreds of scrap, and tossing your remains back  \nthrough as a warning to your master. But that will no longer happen.  \nIn fact, you may even have a chance of killing the Champion...\"  \n  \nSounds of screaming and robots torn asunder filled the next chamber.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"...but I would doubt it!\"  \n  \nOrchid was horrified to see an arrow strike her guard down, a single  \nblow that killed her beloved pet rabbit guard. The next was felled  \njust as easily. Taking to the air, the Wing Commander deflected the  \nattack meant to kill her. \"So, you are the master of this place!\"  \n  \n\"And you're the one who invaded my realm to destroy yours! I'm sorry  \nto tell you this but your portal will never open. Your enforcer is   \ndead, although he turned on you. He was going to sacrifice you to Lord   \nDagon! Did you really believe that you had a chance of making a pact  \nwith the Daedric Prince of destruction? He would have destroyed you!\"  \n  \n\"I had much to offer him!\"  \n  \nShe shot back, \"you have nothing! Now I am going to kill you!\"  \nHolstering her bow, the Madgod rushed her adversary, dodging a   \npowerful burst of energy from the cane she carried, and drove her   \nfist into the General's stomach. Knocked back by the blow, searing  \npain filling her gut, General Orchid could not maintain flight as  \nSheogorath continued the painful blows, one by one, until she lay  \non the ground, bleeding and whimpering.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"STOP! I just wanted to save my brother! You took that from me! I   \nwanted a god to save him!\"  \n  \nHolding back the assault, the Champion kneeled down. \"Mehrunes Dagon  \nwould have killed everyone in your world. You are just a stupid little   \ngirl, serving a master that uses you. The Black Mage you serve, does   \nhe care about you? I think not! You are a tool of his whims, to be  \nused and thrown away. I will not kill you, but you will return to   \nyour realm and inform your master that if you, he or anyone on his   \nbehalf ever sets foot into Oblivion again, I will personally wage a  \nwar against the Black Mage that will make him wish he had never sent  \nanyone here in the first place! Now LEAVE before I change my mind!\"  \n  \nTurning, the Madgod told her citizens, \"leave now! I have freed the   \nothers. Dyus, you may return to wherever you wish, I no longer have  \nuse of you.\"  \n  \nWatching them depart, general Orchid pulled herself up, holding  \nback the tears. Body aching as she ran for her gateway home, she  \npointed ot the two rabbits guarding the controls. \"Once I am through  \nyou are to shut it down! This mission is a failure!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Handing her a purple exlixir, the rabbit asked, \"what about our men?\"  \n  \n\"They can stay here and fend for themselves for all I care! We are   \nto leave and never return!\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nGreased Babe was about to fall asleep. Standing around in a stolen  \nlab coat, pretending to pay attention to Gelimer's random orders  \nyet unable to just kill the man was driving her crazy. Waiting  \nfor anything to come through the gate was an exercise in patience  \nthat she was ready to give up on.  \n  \n\"Hey, look at that!\" Dyos said, pointing to the three figures  \nstepping through.  \n  \n\"That her?\" Grabbing her PDA, careful to be discreet, she snapped  \nseveral photos of the mystery woman. \"listen...\"   \n  \n\"Gelimer! Destroy this thing! The mission has been a failure!\"  \n  \nDisappointed by the news, the old scientist whined, \"but we still  \nhave several men over there and-\"  \n  \n\"Do you want that hero to come here and murder us all? Blow it up!\"  \n  \n\"Fine...\" Giving up on this plan, Gelimer pressed a button that  \ncaused the machine to tear itself apart, sending electrical sparks  \nflying. 'Just great, my little spy may be dead!'  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Tapping the kid on his shoulder, the Mechanic whispered, \"we're  \nleaving!\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Just keep an eye out for any robots! They might still be around!\"  \nKyrin ordered, leading her men to the main portal room. \"They said  \nit's through the open shudders!\"  \n  \n\"I only hope that they have disabled it,\" Athena stated, still   \nworried this was not over.  \n  \n\"Hey, they said they damaged it and-\"  \n  \nA loud explosion rocked the root tunnels, halting the party in its  \ntracks. \"What in all of Oblivion was that?\" Haskill shouted, as if  \nhe expected an actual answer. Up ahead they saw five familiar faces   \napproaching them, with one more in tow. \"Lord Sheogorath! You have   \nsurvived! I trust you have also succeeded?\"  \n  \n\"Yes,\" she answered. \"I believe that explosion was their escape portal  \nbeing destroyed. We must dismantle the remaining machine, and once  \nthey have returned home, the final one must be also destroyed.\"  \n  \nSpotting the stranger, Kyrin asked, \"hey, Kit, who's that? She look   \nlike you!\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, it's hard to explain...\" She looked upon her double with pity.  \n\"I think she's lost her mind though.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Perhaps not,\" the Madgod exclaimed, touching her with a misty light.  \n\"That should keep her from going further mad. The poor girl was used,  \nas was that man. But I may be able to save her.\" Facing the Pirates,  \nthe Champion said, \"please, do what you must to rid my realm of these  \nmachines. They can not remain. I must take the girl to Tamriel with  \nme if she is to be saved by the Nine Divines. I do not expect you to  \nunderstand our world but I will require one day.\" Turning to the  \ntwo adventurers, she said, \"you are welcome to travel with me and see  \nTamriel! It is a sight to behold, better than these caves!\"  \n  \n\"Um...\" Kit considered the offer. \"Any toilets?\"  \n  \n\"Ah, I am afraid not, and most travel will be on foot.\"  \n  \nSheepishly, Kit responded, \"um... maybe we'll look around here some   \nbut we'll kinda stay at base until this is taken care of.\"  \n  \n\"Don't take this the wrong way,\" Diosoth added, \"but we really want  \nto just get home.\"  \n  \n\"Very well.\" Taking Kitrina's double by the shoulder, she said, \"You  \nmust come with me and ask for the blessing of the Nine.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Still agitated and confused, Blood Kitty only mumbled out, \"okay...\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nStretching out on the grass, looking at the alien land, Kit moaned,  \n\"think there are any places like this on Maple World?\"  \n  \n\"I have no idea,\" her husband answered. \"Definitely unique. Hey,  \ncan you wait over there?\"  \n  \nThe Golden Saint escort looked downward. \"Of course. Call for me  \nif you require assistance.\" She had been ordered to accompany them,  \nstrangers in her land, but the two had stayed near the cave entrance.  \n  \n\"They've all got huge tits!\"  \n  \nDio replied, \"I hadn't paid attention...\"  \n  \n\"Yeah you did!\" his wife responded cheerfully. \"So do those two women  \nand some of those villagers that they rescued. Think all the women  \nhere are huge? I wonder if one of those daedra girls would be up for  \na threesome?\"  \n  \n\"I... would that even be safe?\" Considering they were a demonic  \nspecies, he remarked, \"maybe not...\"  \n  \n\"Huh... good point... anyway, we'll be home soon. I guess we can go   \nnow but I wanna wait and see if the other me can be helped.\" Kit  \nstared into the skies of the Isles. \"Weird, we stay home so much  \ngoing at it but I don't think even that really compares to something  \nlike this, does it?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Dio responded, \"maybe not but we put ourselves on the line again.  \nThis it will ever stop?\"  \n  \nShe let out a heavy sigh. \"That'd be nice...\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nWithin the small priory, the prophet waited. He knew that the  \nDivine Crusader herself was coming.   \n  \n\"Praying to yourself? I've been accused of that...\"  \n  \nLifting his head from prayer, the old man asked, \"you have come for  \nthe pilgrimage?\"  \n  \nMaking sure her companion stayed close, the Champion exclaimed, \"yes,  \nfor this one. I have been to eight of the wayshrines, she has been  \nblessed. She only needs the blessings of Talos to redeem her past,  \na past forced upon her by a great evil. She deserves a chance to  \nlive her life.\"  \n  \n\"I see...\"  \n  \n\"Now then... Talos. I came to you personally because, even though you  \nyou owe me, I do not ask for a favor to be repaid. I ask you do  \nthis for her, for the world she comes from. Their world is troubled   \nand needs heroes to fight back, it needs people to stand against  \nwhat threatens it.\" The girl remained silent. \"her head is filled  \nwith false memories and desires placed by those who wished to use  \nher to enforce their evil. They-\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Enough.\" The prophet stood. \"You have figured it out. I expected   \nno less from you, Sheogorath or not. I have known for some time.  \nI shall grant your request. I know nothing of her situation but I  \nwill not turn down an opportunity to combat evil. I never have. As for  \nyou, I trust you maybe the ally needed to unite the Aedra and Daeda  \none day. Regardless of what you will become you have a determined  \nspirit. May your friend here learn the same trait to help her world.\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nKyrin prepared the charges, making sure the bombs were active and   \nready. Handing the detonator to the Champion, she explained, \"when  \nwe're through, wait five minutes so we can clear out, lift the cover   \nand press the button. This whole room might collapse so get the  \nhell gone fast!\"  \n  \nExamining the small remote, the warrior replied, \"interesting. I would  \ncall this a unique magic had I not seen what your world is capable of.  \nThe Dwemer may have begun to develop similar devices and if not for  \ntheir disappearance, may have reached this level of advancement.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Somewhat annoyed, choosing to no longer keep it in, the Pirate  \nasked her bluntly, \"why didn't you kill the Wing Master when you   \nhad the chance? No one's been close to her before, you would have  \ndone us all a big favor!\"  \n  \nCrossing her arms, the Champion explained, \"think of me what you will.  \nI have killed hundreds of men in combat. Men and women of all the  \nraces, men and mer. From bandits and vampires, to threats such as  \nUmbacano and Mankar Camoran and many more. They all knew what they  \nwere doing. I could see it in her eyes, the girl was being   \nmanipulated. I know nothing of this Black Mage that threatens you but  \nI have seen enough to know he uses anyone he can. The girl was   \nfrightened, she said she wanted to save her brother. Maybe she thought  \nMehrunes Dagon could offer her that, but inside I saw a scared woman  \nthat does what she is told. I have never seen that in those I have  \nkilled. It is why I also chose to save Kitrina's double. I saw the  \nsame in her eyes. I saw no such hidden goodness within her partner,  \nonly selfish desire and hatred.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Kyrin understood. \"I didn't know...\"  \n  \n\"Give the girl a chance as I have given that one,\" she remarked, \"and  \nsomeday you may have a valuable ally in your fight. Do not worry  \nabout any of their forces left behind, I can deal with them in time.\"  \n  \nContent that the last of their equipment had been taken home, the  \nCaptain asked, \"what will you do with that body? You told us not to  \neven touch it!\"  \n  \n\"I will burn it and bury the ashes,\" the Madgod answered, \"as for that  \narmor it is far too evil to allow anyone to wear.\" She looked down  \nat her own bright armor. \"Mine once belonged to a man named Melus   \nPetilius, an honorable man. Molag Bal wanted me to corrupt him but   \ninstead I honored the man. Molag has been upset with me ever since.  \nI don't like him, either.\"  \n  \nNearby Kitrina was chatting with her double. \"So, what next?\"  \n  \nThe cat paused, finally answering, \"I guess I'll see. My head's weird  \nright now, I can't remember most of what I did, if any of it was  \neven real... I guess I'll just wander around and see what happens.  \nMaybe your Maple World is better than the one I lived in.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Hey, yeah, maybe you'll find a better life than you had!\"  \n  \nThe cat gave Kitrina a tight hug. \"Thank you for saving me!\"  \n  \nEmbracing her back, the Thief replied, \"no problem. And if you need  \nhep we live in Henesys in the big house by the huge tree, so just  \ncome by if you need money or anything! And be sure to get a PDA from  \nthe administrators!\"  \n  \nAthena Pierce kept silent. \"This isn't your fault,\" Diosoth assured  \nher.   \n  \n\"If I had not-\"  \n  \n\"You couldn't have known they would scan those books and figure out  \nhow to get here! Maybe you could have told someone but I don't think  \nit would have mattered. Besides, we threw a wrench into the Black  \nWings' plans. A big one.\" Ready to leave now, straightening his hat,  \nhe said, \"Dyos messaged me. They got pictures of this Orchid in charge  \nof things. They'd been trying for months. Plus we saved Kit's  \nclone and the only ones who died were the bad guys. Those Saints that  \ngot killed, I guess they came back. Anyway, we need to go so they can  \nblow this thing up.\"  \n  \nWatching her other self return to Maple World, Kitrina was halted by  \nthe Madgod and her redhead lover. \"Please, take this with you.\"  \nThe Champion gave her a small crystal. \"If your world is ever in need  \nsimply break it and it will open a gateway to my palace.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I, uh.... thanks, but I shouldn't take it. If it ever-\"  \n  \n\"Tell no one and hide it. You may need my help some say. I do not   \nlike what I hear of the Black Mage. And besides, we share the same  \nname.\"  \n  \nThe last comment threw Kit right off. \"Huh? But aren't you Sheogorath  \nor whatever?\"  \n  \nKatriana giggled. \"Hardly!\"  \n  \n\"Kat is the only one who ever calls me by that name. I do not even   \nknow if it is my birth name. I am just an Imperial raised as an orphan  \nand known by titles by my deeds. Hero Of Kvatch, Fighers Guildmaster,  \nChampion Of Cyrodiil, Madgod, those are what people know. I suppose  \nmy name does not matter. I'm just glad to know someone else out there  \nshared that name and wears it proudly.\"  \n  \nPocketing the small stone, Kit looked at the gateway. Dio was waving   \nher to follow. \"I have to go. Don't take this the wrong way but I   \nkinda hope we don't have to meet again someday, or if we do it's not  \nbecause I need help.\"  \n  \n\"Yes, I understand.\" Watching the last of them leave, the Madgod asked  \nher lover, \"what do you think would happen if our world adopted  \nsuch wonderful devices?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;The redhead simply smirked. \"It would probably be a mess! Even they   \nact like they don't know how to work it half the time, if it works  \nright at all. Do you really think the people of Tamriel would  \nbegin to understand any of that if they were just handed it? It would  \nprobably cause chaos!\"  \n  \nContent that enough time had passed, the Hero and her loved ran  \nfrom the root chamber, pressing the button, listening to the loud  \nrumbling as the machine was torn apart, sealed behind fallen  \ndebris.  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nPlopping on her sofa, the cat was finally happy to be home. \"That was  \na mess!\"  \n  \n\"I never thought I'd miss these mushrooms,\" Diosoth remarked, having  \nhis fill of other dimensions and danger. \"I don't care if the house  \ncatches fire, we're not going out for a month!\"  \n  \n\"I hear you... but you should go see Belinda and make sure your  \nbrother got home okay! He went into those mines again!\"  \n  \nWith a heavy sigh, the Bowmaster grumbled, \"yeah... be back in about  \nten minutes!\"  \n  \nAs he left, the feline withdrew the small crystal. Rather   \ninconspicuous in appearance, she could feel nothing special about it,  \nbut did notice that it looked fragile. Carefully wrapping it in  \na spare shirt laying on the floor, Kit gently placed it into one  \nof the drawers they used to store random instruction manuals they   \nnever used, hoping to hell she never needed to use the thing.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n------------------------------------  \n  \nElsewhere, in the plane of Oblivion ruled by the prince of insanity,  \nthe Hero Of Kvatch felt an incredible anger against one of the   \nintruders, prepared to take it out on this one in the worst way  \nher vicious mind could think of. She tossed the star down, shouting   \nout, \"now, what to do with you... I know you can hear me, you   \npathetic little man!\"  \n  \n\"I... I can feel nothing...\"  \n  \n\"That's correct! I killed you and trapped your soul.\"  \n  \nThe voice whined, \"yes... why? I can't feel my body!\"  \n  \n\"You know why,\" Sheogorath shouted in anger. \"You betrayed your own   \npeople to serve evil out of selfish pride, you hate and seek to use  \nwomen, and you are in my realm. I don't like you. I can do whatever  \nI wish in my realm!\"  \n  \n\"Are you going to torture me or something? Is that it?\"  \n  \nShe shot back, \"hardly! I could give your soul to Hermaeus Mora.  \nHe would surely live to extract every bit of information you have on  \nyour world. But you likely know very little and I am not yet certain  \nI want him knowing that your world exists. So I will simply use your  \nsoul to recharge the enchantment on my sword.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Now frightened, the spirit of Jason Ember asked, \"so I will no longer  \nexist? That's all?\"  \n  \n\"Oh, no!\" she said with a smug demeanor. \"I have learned of the Soul  \nCairn, where all souls used in enchantments go! It is a very nasty   \nplace. No, I will not torture you, but the Cairn will! They say it  \nfeels as if you are being violently torn apart for eons! I do not know  \nwhat afterlife your world has, nor do I care. You are here and you  \nwill suffer.\"  \n  \n\"No, please... don't do this to me,\" the spirit shouted from within  \nthe star of Azura. \"all women are the same! They can't-\"  \n  \nSilence fell as the artifact was placed to her sword, drawing in power  \nand expending the soul within. The Hero briefly wondered if any single  \nperson in his home realm would care that he was gone. \"Now, for one   \nfinal task I have been putting off for far too long...\"  \n  \n  \n------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nHer last visit to White Gold Tower had been some time ago, perhaps  \ntoo long. The warrior savored her last look at the ancient tower,  \nunsure of when she may do so again, if ever. \"I believe Ocato is  \nwaiting for me?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Yes, he is inside, Champion!\" the guard replied.   \n  \nEntering the main meeting chamber, she was greeted, \"hail, hero!  \nI have been waiting for you for some time!\" Ocato smiled. \"Your duties  \nin the Shivering isles, whatever they may be, are not as important  \nas the offer I am about to make to you!\"  \n  \nPlacing the eye-tipped staff in front of the High Elf, the Champion  \nmerely said, \"I know what you wish of me but circumstances require I  \ndecline. I am sorry, I know Tamriel needs me but I will be unable to  \ndo as you wish of me.\"  \n  \nStaring at the staff of Sheogorath with disbelief, the Chancellor  \nmuttered, \"I... do not understand... how can you have that in your  \npossession?\"  \n  \nTaking a seat, she replied, \"it is a long story...\"  \n  \n\n"}