Mage (A Skyrim Fanfiction)

Chapter 36: Her Purpose Renewed

I hit the snowy ground with a dull crunch, the powdery, soft substance giving way easily in my wake. For what felt like a small eternity, I could do nothing but lay there, face down. Barely conscious, the frigid air burned against my near-feverish form, and even with my eyes closed, I saw white. The chill seeped into my bones while warmth crept out of me in return. I could imagine the crimson blooming across the snow without even seeing it.

Ugh... where am I now? I wondered sluggishly, my thoughts murky and difficult to piece together coherently. I pulled my head up, the effort seeming monumental to my broken form. The only thing I could really tell from my position was that it was night, and, considering I currently wasn't being torn to shreds by Vaermina or my sorry excuse of an ancestor, I was free. Despite everything, I had, to the best of my knowledge, escaped the Dreamstride with my life and my free will.

By the gods... I did it. My lips broke into a wide, wild grin as I overcame my initial shock. A giggle escaped me as I yelled at nothing in particular, "How's that 'total control over my kin' working out for you, Vaermina? Looks like you can't have everything you want. I'm proof of that!"

A wave of relieved hysteria wracked me and my laughter escalated into manic cackling, completely unrestrained by civilized customs as the fear within me dissipated. But my rather obvious mental breakdown was cut short, as red suddenly sprayed from my open mouth and splattered across the frozen earth beneath me.

Remembering I was close to death was enough to shut me up. I had not escaped that hellish plane of Oblivion just to go out this unremarkably. Especially not in a place I had not had the presence of mind to try and identify. I finally lifted my head to look at my surroundings, and noticed that I was on a hill, the ground on an obvious decline from where I lay. I seemed to be near its crest, and, hefting myself up to my feet unsteadily, I turned to look behind me, grateful that the cold and the shock were currently working well to dull the former agony of my wounds. Through greyed vision, I noticed a structure that stunned me, relief and vigor surging through me as I recognized it. Nightcaller Temple... I'm back! Who would've thought...

Now that I knew where I was, however, I was faced with a dilemma. Did I return to the Temple, or try and make it back to Dawnstar? Moreover, did I have enough time to try to get to Dawnstar before I blacked out? I had no way of telling how long I'd been away. It could've been seconds, it could have been days. Would Erandur still be where I'd last seen him, or would he have moved on? And back in town, it was quite possible my new companions were long gone too. Either way, neither choice was looking particularly 'safe'.

Swaying, I stumbled forward, in the direction of the tower, feet freezing as skin met frozen ground with each step I took. At the very least, if I did die, at least I would be leaving Vaermina yet another reminder of who destroyed one of the more influential sects of her cult, even if that victory would be somewhat pyrrhic.

It was hard to stay upright as I continued the relatively short walk to my destination, the hazy mist of blood loss making it more and more difficult to think clearly. My legs buckled, more than once, and I staggered as I pressed on, much like I imagine a drunk might after downing one too many flagons. I pressed an arm against my abdomen in an ineffective attempt to make the journey less taxing on my battered form, letting out a bloody, wracking cough that nearly brought me to my knees.

I'm not going out like this... Not when I'm this close, I told myself crossly, bullying myself into moving once more. One foot forward, then the other. And the other. And the other. I dragged myself before the great doors to the front of the fort, breathing heavily, vision bouncing dizzily as I internally begged it to settle. As I stood there, I noted with dismay that the door pulled outwards. Well, tough. I steeled myself for the pain I would soon be unintentionally inflicting on myself. Taking a deep breath and gritting my teeth, I lifted my uninjured arm and, with every ounce of strength I had, yanked open the door.