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Stranded Beyond Hope

Chapter 5: Silver Lining

The interior of the mine was deathly silent and plagued with the morbid stench of putrid decay sullying her nostrils. Krystal warily regarded Fenris as they progressed further into the mouth of the excavation, his gauntlet resting guardedly on the pommel of a longsword. Jagged spires clung to the ceiling, only making her feel as if they were crossing into the cavernous jaws of an enormous prehistoric beast.

It was not soon after they found their first miner.

The poor man looked to have been running in terror before he had been ruthlessly cut down by an arrow's lethal impact, sprawled out face first onto the unforgiving stone. Its ancient bleached shaft sprung from the center of his back, rimmed with crusted red blood, like a macabre ornament.

Krystal held back the overpowering urge to vomit and turned away from the gruesome scene. This was the first time she had laid eyes on a dead man and it shook the vixen to her core. She would freely admit that her life in the palace had left her sheltered from the harsh realities of the world outside. But that did not make this any easier to bear. How could this happen? Why was it allowed to happen?

This man probably had a family that he would never return to. A wife lost a husband and children, a father. What right did the world have of taking him from them? How could life be so cruel? It had taken her from her home and now seemed content in further destroying other lives.

Hopelessness wormed its way into her heart.

What chance had she of getting home anyways? On the whims of some person she had never even met.

Before the despair could continue to fester, a gentle pressure exerted itself on Krystal's shoulder and a soft, kind voice filled the desolate air around her, banishing her disheartened thoughts.

“Death is never easy to come to terms with, Krystal. I have some experience with this matter so heed my words with care. Do not dwell on this poor individual or any other we find here or abroad. Doing so will not do you or them any favors, All it will seek to do is eat away at your soul until you are not but a withered husk, much like the draugr themselves. Life often times is not fair or just, but it is life. This plane we live on and any other are balanced, good and evil manifesting in equal quantities. There will always be evil and so will there always be good to stand against it. You can choose to live a selfish life, catering to your own wants and needs, or you can dedicate it to others. The latter is not an easy choice. It is difficult to put others above yourself and the temptation to falter will always be present. I cannot tell you how to live your life. That alone is your decision…"

Fenris paused, chuckling wryly.

“I seem to have gone off on a tangent haven't I? This is no place to discuss the deeper aspects of existence. Such a conversation is not fit to be held here amongst the dead. It is disrespectful. Come, let us continue and brave what darkness may stand against us. This man may have died and a family may have lost a husband and father, but we have been given an opportunity to not only avenge this death and the others, but see to it that such an evil can be stopped, will, be stopped. We are…after all…members of the companions. This is just one of our many duties."

Fenris released his comforting grasp on her furred shoulder and continued by; passing the corpse that had proven to be a point of lecture.

Krystal gave one last sorrowful glance to the fallen man and whispered a prayer for his soul before she followed.

The vixen instead shifted her attention to Fenris in surprise. She had not thought him to be such a bountiful wellspring of wisdom. His kind and potent words had done much to ease her dismayed musings.

She was starting to see why his presence was so powerful, why fate itself seemed to linger in his every footstep.

It had become easier for her to pass the other bodies now. Not that she felt any less terrible, but rather she had accepted it for what it was.

Life.

“It would appear that the draugr have retreated back into their tomb, no doubt to return to their endless watch after having removed those who sought to trespass." Fenris noted as they had not stumbled upon any of the undead creatures.

“Could we not then just let them be?" Krystal wondered. “We could just close off the hole and the miners could return to their lives, no need for conflict." No need to endanger their lives as well is what she wanted to say.

Fenris broke off mid-step.

“That cannot happen. They have already taken lives. It would be too dangerous to leave them be now. They could find a way out again and this sad seen would play out once more." He gestured to the corpses strewn about them, the vixen doing her best to not look too closely.

“Besides, have you forgotten the original aim of this quest? There is something inside that we need. The fragment must be recovered."

She had not. But she wished that it did not matter. What was the use of an ancient weapon? All it would do was bring about more death, more grief.

Fenris could read the reluctance on his friend's muzzle. “I am no fool, Krystal. I can see the hesitancy in your eyes. This is about more than a weapon. It is about restoring a legacy. This weapon is as much a part of the companions as you and I. There are few lengths I would not go to retrieve it…as there are few lengths I would not go to help you."

Fenris momentarily went silent.

“Do you….understand?" He asked uncertainly.

Krystal thought she did.

The vixen nodded and smiled softly.

“That is well then." Fenris muttered to himself as he turned on his heels and resumed their journey.

Not too long afterwards, they came across a mound of rock sitting piled to one side. On the other was a craterous hole in the stone, most likely blasted by powerful magic of some sort. Through the breach, Krystal could make out a hallway of carved stone lit by ghostly braziers. A haunting coldness emanated from the makeshift entryway and filled her with sudden dread. She could feel ancient sorceries at work inside, and her extrasensory abilities were almost completely subdued here.

This must be it.

“Here we are." Fenris declared, confirming her theory. “Therein lays our goal. Are you ready?" Fenris turned to her.

The vixen nodded steadily. She would not leave, not without her friend. If he would continue on this dangerous path, she would follow with as much bravery as she could muster.

'If I can take a frost troll I can do this.' She reasoned with herself.

“Good. You will have need of your courage." Fenris entered, the vixen following in close pursuit.

*****

She soon decided that she did not like this tomb at all.

It was even more unsettling then the mine.

As soon as she had past the threshold she felt her spirit plummet. Faint unnerving whispers echoed in the ossuary and seemingly from within the shelter of her own mind. It was a strange and unwelcome experience she could have done without.

The language spoken was familiar to her, but she could not place why, nor could she understand the words said, but the vixen could feel the malevolence held in each syllable. Whatever or whoever they were, they did not wish her well.

At a glance, Fenris appeared unaffected by what plagued her, but she could faintly sense his unease. Her abilities were severely muted here, but she was still able to pick up on indistinct emotions from her companion.

“Do you…do you hear that?" Krystal whispered unconsciously, even though there had yet to be a need for lowered voices. It was this place. It made her feel as if she should keep her voice down lest they awaken some primeval terror.

Fenris nodded apprehensively. “Yes, although I have never encountered something like this before, not even in the other tombs I have ventured into. This one is unlike any other and I fear what that may entail. Keep close to me and remain vigilant. I sense many trials and adversities await us."

Krystal had no trouble with keeping close, walking just a couple paces behind him.

She followed her companion as they navigated deeper into the tomb, journeying down a sloped path of smooth stone until they arrived at a large entrance blocked by heavy wooden doors reinforced with ancient iron bars, the metal rusted with time. It was wide enough for both him and her to walk abreast through the doorway, although it did not look welcoming.

Fenris reached for the door and grabbed the handle, attempting to twist it but to no avail.

He hummed thoughtfully.

“It would seem that they locked the door behind them…strange. No draugr I have encountered were intelligent enough to think to lock a door. Thankfully, I can easily remedy this. Keep an eye out would you?"

Fenris reached into his bag and pulled out a set of strange curved picks before inserting them into the doors lock with a soft click.

Within moments the lock gave off a satisfying clunk and he pushed the large doors open.

“It would seem that my time with the guild remains useful. Now, let us delve deeper and see what secrets lay buried within."

Leaving the once locked door in the dust, the pair continued downwards, farther into the crypt and the vixen wondered how far this actually went. How big did nords build their burial chambers? Krystal decided to ask.

“From what I read from a few books back in the College of Winterhold, ancient nordic tombs expanded from anywhere between two and five levels of varying size and craftsmanship. The higher up you were in the chain, the lower they buried you. It was symbolic to them, so that they could be closer to the heart of the world. Although in the time of dragons it had a different meaning."

“Why is that?" She inquired. The vixen was surprised to find herself suddenly interested in ancient nordic lore, but perhaps that was due to the environment around her. It was easier to listen to her friend's pleasant voice over the ceaseless whispers permeating the air.

“In the time of dragons, the ruling nords were nothing more than mindless mouthpieces for the great serpents, dragon priests they were called. These priests betrayed their people for wealth, power and the promise of immortality. And as such the divines punished them for it. Their want for endless life was twisted, so that they were stuck in a painful balance of life and death, denied both."

As he spoke, Fenris led her through winding passageways. She was both relieved and worried that they had not come across anything yet. She did not like knowing that they were not alone in there and so she decided to focus more on his speech.

“These dragon priests, upon death or as close as they could come to it, were buried deep into the tombs, never to see the light of day again. The draugr were their servants in life and in death, taking up the mantle as their timeless guardians. But even with this curse inflicted upon them, they remain immensely powerful, Should one rise up from its stasis and escape confinement, great misfortune would befall the entirety of Skyrim."

That did not sound at all good.

“No it does not, but thankfully such creatures are tremendously uncommon. I myself have only ever encountered one of those dread lichs. It was a hard fight, and I did not walk away unharmed."

He gingerly rubbed his left shoulder in recollection.

After that, not much else was said as they delved deeper.

Down, down, down, that was all they seemed to be doing, going down. Krystal suspected that this was one of the larger catacombs of the dead, and she worried that they might get trapped inside, joining the deceased in their eternal rest.

Fenris moved to open the next door and Krystal's ear twitched.

The vixen grabbed his gauntlet before he could pull it open and he turned to her.

“Wait, I hear movement." She explained

On the other side she could hear the shuffling of several pairs of feet. And judging from the scuffling they were clad in heavy armored boots. Accompanying that was the soft clatter of weapons hanging from belts.

Fenris leaned towards the door and nodded slowly.

“Well done, that could have proved to be most unfortunate for me." She could see amusement in his golden eyes as he gave off a quiet chuckle. “At least we found the draugr."

Krystal was not sure whether to feel reassured or perturbed by his relaxed attitude.

“What do we do now?" She whispered as quietly as she could, hoping that the things on the other side of the door would be unable to hear them.

Fenris took a few moments to consider her question.

“This is the only door that goes further down and we can't turn back. So…we're just going to have to wing it I suppose." He replied optimistically.

Krystal's muzzle dropped in displeasure.

“That's not the answer I was looking for!" She muttered crossly.

“Then you have a better idea?" He asked expectantly.

The vixen opened her muzzle to respond, but her words failed her and so instead she remained silent.

Fenris sighed.

“Then there is not much we can do. I don't suppose you can whip us up another fireball?"

That she could do.

Krystal nodded.

Fenris leaned against the door and silently drew one of his swords in one hand and grabbed the doorknob with the other. “Excellent, here is the plan. I'll open the door and rush in. You get that fireball ready and launch it at the farthest one from me…got it?"

She nodded once more, this time nervously, and held her staff out at the ready, her gut taking a familiar dive as the promise of combat made itself known to her.

“Right then….here we GO!"

Fenris flung the door open and charged through the entryway, an intimidating guttural battle cry hurling from his lungs, the sound closely resembling a wolf's snarl.

Krystal hesitantly ran in after him and watched as the man buried his sword into the back of a strange creature.

The draugr as she guessed it must have been, looked much like a person. That is if you drained them of all fluid and stretched old insipid leathery skin across their bones. This particular undead beast was garbed in rusted black plates and had been grasping a blood encrusted axe and round shield before Fenris plunged his blade into its spine.

She watched as he kicked it off his blade and dropped the monster in its tracks, the pale ethereal blue glow imbuing its dead eyes winking out as it slumped to the ground.

They were inside a large rectangular room with flame filled urns hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the five undead creatures littering the underground hall.

'How are those still lit?'

“Krystal a little help here!" Fenris exclaimed in distress as he caught the approaching swing of a draugr's axe, the alloy haft clanging resoundingly off the steel. He twisted his sword and disarmed the draugr, hewing the weapon into its armored shoulder, splitting plate and cleaving flesh. Instead of blood, a trail of black ooze seeped out of the open wound.

“Krystal!"

His yell broke the vixen out of her unfocused daze and she quickly summoned her power, launching a ball of flame from her staff and sending it crashing into the two undead shuffling towards her companion.

The conflagration hungrily licked at their desiccated flesh, burning hoary tendons and ligaments. Without their support, the flaming draugr had nothing to hold them up and fell to the ground in a fiery heap, their weapons falling from scorched fingers and unsatisfied growls gurgling forth from their charred lungs at being denied their chance for battle.

As they burned, Fenris hastily engaged the remaining two.

He unsheathed his second sword and agilely leapt towards his foes, pirouetting between their blade strokes and skillfully gliding past them. Before they could whip about he slashed his weapons across the left one's back in a cross pattern and as it dropped to its knees he deflected the retaliatory strike from its companion, slipping the tip of a sword between its ribs while simultaneously using the other to decapitate the one still kneeling.

Its head rolled to the ground and Fenris plunged both his blades into the final draugr's chest, ripping them out destructively and showering the far wall in their tar-like essence.

As both unfortunate undead hit the stone, Fenris quickly rotated his wrists and flicked the black blood off the blades, sheathing them and regarding Krystal with his mask disapprovingly.

“You must learn to concentrate, Krystal, not only for yourself but for your friends. Otherwise you are nothing but a hazard to their safety and your own."

Krystal's ears wilted at his scathing words and she studied the ground in humiliation. The vixen knew that she had been distracted by the draugr and their surroundings. She was also aware of the possibly disastrous consequences of being so.

Seeing her bowed ears and chastened muzzle, Fenris decided to dial down his admonishment.

He exhaled heavily.

“Look at me Krystal…"

The vixen hesitantly complied, slowly gazing up into his warm amber eyes, the golden orbs regarding her with compassion as he spoke in a much softer tone.

“In combat a warrior needs to be able to trust their companion without hesitation. They need to know that they can rely on you to be there when they need you. They are willing to potentially put their life in your hands. This trust is not something easily given. That being said, I trust you Krystal. I have faith that you will be there and I hope you have that same faith in me or else this partnership cannot hope to function. So the question remains. Do you trust me, Krystal?"

The vixen took a moment to contemplate on her response.

Did she trust Fenris? Did she believe wholeheartedly that he would be there for her when she needed him? And if so, was it enough to bet her life on?

In all honesty, she didn't know. But she didn't want to tell him. And so for the first time since meeting him…she lied.

“Yes, I trust you, Fenris." The deceitful verse came out foul and tasted like acrid ash in her mouth.

He scrutinized her intently before nodding.

“Thank you. I am honored to have your trust." He replied in obvious relief and she could distantly detect a sudden spike of happiness in her companion, only seeking to deepen her self-loathing.

'How can he put so much trust me and I cannot do the same?' She questioned herself bitterly. Almost from the beginning he had continuously trusted her, not once had he doubted a word that sprung from her mouth. And now, for all his shows of faith, she could not do the same for him. He was willing to put his life on the line for her, but she could not muster the courage to do so in return.

Her own lack of confidence sickened her.

“Are you alright, Krystal? You look unwell. Do you perhaps need a moment of respite before we continue forwards?" Fenris asked in concern, further worsening the vixen's stance on herself.

She shook her muzzle.

“No, I'm fine, just a little jarred after the battle. I have yet to get used to it."

“That feeling will fade in time. Don't worry. I always have your back." He patted her on the shoulder encouragingly and led the way once more.

The vixen attempted to clear her conscience by observing her surroundings, seeing several funeral urns lining the rooms they passed through. Gold coins and jewels were heaped around the funerary relics and she asked Fenris why he was not taking any of it. There was a veritable fortune at their feet.

“I will not steal from the honored dead. Many do not carry this sentiment but I believe that it is an ill deed to take from them, no matter what they have become in respect to who they had been. However…I do not feel the same for their masters."

She could understand his point of view and in respect of it, left the treasure alone.

Behind his mask, Fenris smiled appreciatively. He could tell that the vixen had been tempted to partake of the unguarded wealth before them, and it took an exceptional amount of character to refrain from thieving such welcoming loot. He decided to do something for her upon their return. Despite several setbacks, she was doing well for her first quest and he believed that she deserved something for her efforts and he occupied his mind with thoughts on what to do.

Farther into the tomb, they encountered several packs of draugr, but with Krystal no longer distracted, they dealt with them without too much difficulty. Her abilities with her staff were remarkable, both magical and physical. It seemed that every time he saw her fight, she improved. Soon, she would have no need of his guidance.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they reached the final level of the crypt, guarded by a massive iron door warded with ancient glyphs and symbols depicting fearsome dragons lording over a perfectly rendered map of Skyrim.

Both Krystal and Fenris were tired, having slogged through the draugr infested ruin. This close to the end, the whispering voices that once murmured in their ears had gained volume, now clearly audible chants, their purpose unknown.

Krystal felt a fierce foreboding as she gazed at the towering iron gateway, knowing in her heart that something dangerous lay locked away on the other side. By now, she had been completely severed from her extrasensory abilities, only seeking to make her worry more and she wished that they could leave.

Fenris had long ago banished the thought that this was an ordinary burrow and was heavily concerned that this was a place unfit for his pupil. He was tempted to send her away but knew that it would be just as dangerous to have her head back alone.

Yet what they desired most likely lay beyond this entrance and they could not leave without ensuring the safety of the mining town's residents.

Swallowing their discomfort, Krystal and Fenris exchanged wordless glances and pushed the massive doors open….

…revealing a monolithic mausoleum, a causeway of deep obsidian steps carrying themselves up an extensive incline that tapered off with a large platform. The steps were flanked with rows of standing sarcophagi and the platform held a large ornate alter. A pair of thrones sat on either side of it and reclining upon them were two draugr, covered head to toe in thick black plate and intimidating horned helms. These were unlike the ones they had faced before, hulking beasts with bulky shields and elegant blades.

At the sound of the doors ponderously groaning open, pale blue light exploded from their sockets and the two cumbersomely rose from the thrones with the creak of dry bones.

Fenris knew what they faced, and under his mask, blood drained from his features.

“Deathlords…."

As they gradually marched down the steps, the draugr spoke in synchronous, their ethereal voices slithering through the crypt's dead air.

"Mu kriist ko bildrun do un drogro qoth, rodraan wah kos gronzul."

Fenris unsheathed his greatsword and pushed Krystal back.

“Go…NOW!"

The vixen was overwhelmed by the rapid escalation of events.

“W-Wha….but…"

“Leave now!" Fenris barked, pushing her back to the doors as he backpedaled.

Meanwhile the deathlords maintained their lumbering advance.

“This fight is beyond your current experience and there is little time to debate! Now do as I say!" Fenris sounded frantic as he tried to get the vixen to leave, slowly dragging her away from the approaching undead warriors.

“What about you?" Krystal asked fearfully, staff dragging against the ground. She did not like the waiver to his voice, never before had he sounded as troubled as he did at that moment.

“I'll be fine, now go!" He urged, turning to face the draugr as they arrived at the bottom of the steps.

"Gronzul los dinok..."

“Krystal, run!" Fenris shouted out as he stepped in front of her.

"Yol Tor Shul"

Without warning, pillars of flames erupted from the draugr's mouths, the heat so intense that the vixen's breathe was snatched from her lungs as the fire consumed it all.

Krystal felt a heavy weight force itself against her chest and she was thrown backwards out of the room, watching in horror as Fenris vanished inside the torrid inferno. There was no doubt in her mind at that moment that he was dead, incinerated by the unforgiving fire.

But, when the gout of flames died, he was still standing, albeit with a tattered cloak and singed armor.

'How…how is that possible?' By rights the fire should have killed him.

Fenris glanced over his shoulder, his mask cracked and his hood in blackened ruins. One of his eyes had been made visibl with the upper right portion of his helm shattered, the golden iris staring into her soul.

“RUN!"

The vixen bolted without hesitation, the sounds of combat tearing at her heels. The distinct clash of steel rang through the once silent tomb, accompanied by the deafening shouts of the draugr deathlords.

As soon as the sounds of battle lessened to a dull roar, she collapsed against a wall, chest heaving in exertion. Her ears were curved in the direction she had run from, still able to hear the fight as it developed.

'Oh, what do I do?' The vixen was struck with uncertainty. Fenris had explicitly ordered her to leave. And deep down, she was glad he did. Those…things frightened her. She had trembled just at the sight of them.

But….

She abandoned Fenris, leaving him to confront those monsters alone. Right now, he was fighting for his life, while she ran away with her tail tucked between her legs.

Krystal held back a self-deprecating scoff. 'What a guardian I would have turned out to be…running away at the first sigh of real danger'

As the vixen brooded over her cowardice, her companion's earlier advice dashed through her mind like a burst of condemning fire.

In combat a warrior needs to be able to trust their companion without hesitation. They need to know that they can rely on you to be there when they need you.

I trust you Krystal…

Do you trust me...?

Fenris had held up to his side of the bargain, putting her life above his own. It was time she did the same, orders be damned.

Krystal leaned heavily against the stone wall and looked up towards the ceiling, drawing in a deep breath and calming her shot nerves as she muttered quietly to herself.

“I will not leave him."

Her decision made, Krystal rushed back to the sounds of battle.

But she was frozen stiff as a thunderous roar traveled down the hall she had been heading towards.

'Spirits…what was that?!'

*****

Fenris flew backwards, cracking one of the many sarcophagi lining the walls, thrown back by a deathlord's shout. He felt something give in his chest and he coughed in pain. Refusing to give in, he picked himself up off the ground and retrieved his fallen greatsword, charging forwards with a growl.

His massive weapon cleaved the air as he brought it crashing down into one of the draugr's shields. The slab of ebony crumpled under the weighty blow and the undead creature let the now useless object clatter to the floor, instead choosing to wield its longsword in both gauntlets.

With a snarl, it lashed the deadly blade towards its opponent and Fenris ducked under the strike, unable to hit back with his greatsword at such a close range. In its place he yanked a dagger from his bandolier and plunged it into the draugr's side, the thin metaled blade scraping against its thick armor before finding a chink in plates under the armpit, lodging home.

A gout of black liquid spewed from the wound and the deathlord planted its boot on his chest and forced Fenris away.

As he recoiled from the kick, he felt something slam into his shoulder and lurched further back, having been struck by the sword of the deathlord's accomplice. Thankfully, his nightingale armor was strong enough to absorb the blow.

Peering through his broken mask, Fenris eyes both of his enemies and took several steps back, using the time to regroup and plan.

These were a caliber above deathlords he had fought in the past, faster and more coordinated. If things continued as they did, he would not survive for very long.

He could always use his trump card, but the thought of what might come afterwards filled him with indecision. He was in complete control of his…ability, more so than the others, but it was not something he used on a whim. It always affected his mood and not only that, he had great respect for his gift and would not use it unless it was a situation most dire, as this was turning out to be.

Fenris could feel the bestial blood surging hotly through his veins, fervently waiting to be released, offering a simple way to deal with this problem.

A deep voice growled forcefully in the back of his skull.

'RELEASE ME FROM THIS MENTAL PRISON. I CRAVE THE TASTE OF BLOOD, THE COPPERY TANG RUNNING ACROSS MY TONGUE, THE SAVOR OF FLESH ON MY FANGS. GIVE IT TO ME!'

As the familiar voice bellowed in his skull, Fenris felt his muscles fill with greater strength than any normal man could ever hope to gain. The accustomed promise of feral power became tantalizingly addicting, no longer to be denied.

'LET ME IN. LET. ME. FEAST.'

With a snarl, Fenris fell to his knees, weapon tumbling from his numb hand as he clawed at the floor, newly emerging razor-sharp claws digging deep into the stone.

Confused, the pair of draugr deathlords took a step back, losing a small amount of confidence.

This was not something they had seen before.

Fenris tore his gaze off the ground and glared up at the undead creatures, his one visible eye shining brigh with the color of molten gold, the pupil dilating erratically and black hairs beginning to rupture through the visible skin. Shaking his head jerkily, he slammed a gauntlet into the ground and it cratered around his swollen fist.

The sound of breaking bones filled the room and Fenris howled in pain, his body attempting to shift into unnatural configurations to suit its sudden metamorphosis. His physique began to expand rapidly as he gained an unbelievable amount of muscle mass in an incredibly short amount of time, his armor threatening to split open at the seams under the mounting pressure.

The pitch of his pained howls steadily plummeted several tenors until a deep roar reverberated through the mausoleum and the draugr were stricken from their shock.

The deathlord that had lost its shield stepped up, ready to put down its handicapped foe.

Yet, as it raised its blade into the air, a massive paw wrapped around its throat and ripped it off its feet.

The draugr gazed up at its foe and for the first time in its existence…felt fear.

*****

After recovering from the horrifying howl, she dashed back to the crypt where Fenris was and rushed through the doors…almost becoming sick at what she saw.

It was…difficult to see what was left of the draugr.

Scattered bits of bloodied armor lay strewn about the expanse amidst broken weapons. Pieces of flesh decorated most of the walls and somehow managed to get on the vaulted ceiling, black blood dripping from up above.

All that was left was a single withered arm draped over a broken sarcophagus, its hand clutched tightly together in a death grip, grasping the hilt of a broken sword.

The room itself was absolutely destroyed, everything all the way up to the alter lay in ruins.

She finally spotted Fenris, sprawled out underneath it, covered in black fluids.

The vixen quickly made her way to his side, the man rising as she neared.

“Are you alright? W-What happened here?" She asked in awe.

Fenris stood up, his appearance unkempt, armor ragged and mask broken. He turned to her, what was left of his fragmented helm clinging to his face.

“Do not question me about what has transpired. I will not answer."

Once more, he was using that tone of voice that worried her, not the soft and kind one she liked. This was harder, more serious. Krystal did not like this version of him. This time she would not let it go.

As her thin canine lips moved to speak, he cut her off.

“Please….do not make me talk."

The sheer stressed anxiety in his voice brought her to silence. Whatever it was, he really did not wish to talk about it. With a sigh she buried her questions, one day she would get him to answer all these things he kept locked away.

Seeing her compliant nod, Fenris tiredly took off his ruined mask. “Let's just get the piece and leave."

His voice had lost all of its passion now, reminding her off the night before when he had slipped into the room. He had been in much a similar state.

The vixen watched closely as he walked to the alter and retrieved a large piece of metal, comparable in appearance to an axe's blade.

'What are you hiding from me, Fenris?'

He stepped towards her and held out the broken blade.

“I believe this is yours to hold on to."

He smiled at her, but it was a weak thing and did a poor job of convincing her he was fine.

Still, she smiled back and accepted his meager gesture, pocketing the relic in her satchel.

“Now, let's get out of this accursed place."

*****

The journey out was not as upbeat as it had been coming in. Whatever it was that happened dampened Fenris' mood considerably. This saddened Krystal as she had been having a pleasant time with him earlier. It was definitely preferred to this uncomfortable silence.

Subdued, she mechanically followed after him, deep in her own thoughts.

If she had not been such a coward in the first place, she would have been there.

Maybe then she would know what was happening with her friend.

Krystal was concerned about him. She did not like this change he was exhibiting. It was unlike the man she had gotten to know over the past few days.

“You did well today, Krystal. I would be proud to patron your official acceptance into the companions."

Hearing his words and the beginning of the familiar and welcome tone in his voice made her smile.

“Thank you, I could not have done any of this without you, I will always be in your debt."

It was true, she could not have hoped to get nearly as far as she did without his assistance.

Fenris shook his head.

“Nonsense, I merely helped, you did this for yourself."

Shortly, they degenerated into bickering on whom was more thankful for what and upon realizing it, Krystal giggled, which in turn made Fenris laugh.

Still laughing, they exited the mine and stepped outside.

The fresh breeze and cheery sunlight revitalized the vixen and she sighed in contentment, glad that they were finally rid of that horrible business. The miners had been avenged and no more draugr from this burrow would claim lives. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

The sense of accomplishment she received upon realizing this filled her with a surprising amount of elation. She could feel had done real tangible good today, something she never felt back home. All the problems for the guardians were mostly solving disputes and petty crime since there had not been a major war in centuries.

Here, in this world, she was making a real difference.

And she probably would not have been able to do this without Fenris.

Smiling, she turned to tell him how much she appreciated his help when she took in his glowering expression.

Concerned, she turned to see what he was looking at and saw five figures standing a short distance from the mines entrance. All five were dressed in a mix of leather and plate armor and wielding swords that reflected the sun's light with a bright silver sheen.

The lead one, a short statured male elf of some kind, stepped forwards.

“Your time has come to an end…dog."

Krystal frowned.

'Did he just call me a dog?'