Telvanni Chronicles: Son of Madness

The Pursuit

Kathutet, kneeling next to the impression in the soil of two bed-rolls, places his hands on the dirt.  "They've been here, that much is certain," the dremora states, stands up, and looks to the north.  Skye places her hand on his shoulder and presses up against his side, "What would I do without you, Kat?"  Kathutet grunts, sighs, then replies, "Most likely die, as you mortals usually do... And don't call me Kat."  Skye giggles and runs her fingers down his cheek, "You reckon we would have met if you would not have wanted that promotion?"  Kathutet, knowing that Skye has developed feelings for him, after he saved her life, simply shrugs at the question, not wanting to break her heart.  She smiles and removes her hands from him, "Anyway, which way did they go?"

Kathutet walks up to the now cold fire pit, kneels down, and places his hands on the burnt wood... "Can I see what you see," Skye inquires from behind him as his eyes turn dark red.  He nods and offers Skye his hand, which she gladly accepts.  Skye is suddenly overcome with an energy she's not felt before, her eyes turn the same dark red, and she is forced to her knees next to him.  Next thing she knows, she is having some sort of vision, seems to be through the eyes of Endar.

Hundreds of whispers and voices surround her:  Skyrim, stone, love. She sees the Nord woman from Kvatch in front of her, holding Endar's hands. Dragonwall, journey, Kathutet. The earth shakes, and she sees herself in her scant battle armor, smiling at herself. Telvanni, banish, shout. Confusion sets in as her mind tries to resist, forgetting that it's Endar's eyes she's peering through. Dremora, passion, shy. She can feel sweat forming all over her body, especially under her leather armor. Nord, dunmer, naked. She sees the snow capped mountains of Skyrim next, north of Bruma. Kill, help, Skye.

  Kathutet promptly lets go of Skye's hand and she falls to the ground, panting like mad, steam rising from her body.  She attempts to catch her breath as Kathutet helps her up, "I'm apologize, you desired to see what I see."  She finally recovers and replies, "I know... Thank you.  I don't think I want to do that again," and she laughs. 

"They are going to an ancient Nordic dragonwall in Skyrim, just over Pale Pass along the border.  They intend on summoning a dragon, I believe, or something of the sort, at least to lend them some kind of aid.  I had to release early, I do not wish to end your life."  Skye realizes then she is tightly holding onto his arm, smiles, and lets go.  "So, we better get started for Skyrim, huh," the beautiful High Elf proclaims.  "Nay... I have a more efficient way.  Your dreams of seeing where I come from are about to become reality."

Looking toward the north, Kathutet clasps his hands together then quickly throws them away from him.  All is quiet for a moment, then the earth starts shaking and the dirt in front of them begins to float into the air.  The soil clumps together to form rock-sized chunks, which form an arch.  Inside this arch, a spiral of flames forms and opens up.  Kathutet takes Skye's hand and leads her into the fire.  Her vision goes black for a moment, and when she comes to, she's in an entirely different realm, one with islands of charred soil in an ocean of lava, the sky is blood red with a perpetual thunderstorm.  A loud flash of lightning startles her as she jumps back.  Skye is a very resilient woman, but not even the sturdiest of mortals can walk into Oblivion without a sense of nervousness or at least awe. 

Skye looks around the landscape, at the rolling hills of burnt ash, the jet black towers with red spikes protruding from the top, lightning strikes in the distance, and the roaring thunder all around her.  She is filled with an excitement not unlike a child tasting her first sweet roll, she feels more comfortable here then she's felt anywhere else in her lifetime.  Her sightseeing is cut short when she hears an ear-piercing howl come from in front of her.  She quickly looks down to see the source and sets her eyes on a bipedal creature with a long snout and a large plated neck.  The creature leaps at her, sinking its teeth into the cloth of her skirt in front of her thighs.  Kathutet quickly backhands the creature, making it fly several feet away, and, with a whine, it then retreats.  "Filthy clannfear.  Anyway, we must continue," says the Dremora Knight as Skye bends down, grabs the torn cloth, and places it into the satchel around her waist.

  As the unlikely couple traverse the plains of Oblivion, Skye encounters many other daedric creatures, the likes of which she's never seen before, only heard of in books and from Kathutet.  She sees several scamps, humanoid daedra that resemble a more ape-like, primitive form of elf.  Daedroth, enormous daedric creatures that resemble a bipedal lizard with very long jaws.  Surprisingly, she was shocked to see other Dremora as well, similar but different in appearance to Kathutet... What didn't surprise her, however, was the disgusted looks and scoffs shot in Skye's direction, at the mortal trespassing in their home.  Skye unwittingly holds onto Kathutet's arm even tighter and walks closer to her dremora protector.

  After a few hours of traveling, and a couples shades of tan on Skye's skin, they come to a hill with a familiar shaped arch, but no fire within it this time around.  Standing in front of it is a Dremora dressed in a black robe.  This demon's horns are smaller than Kathutet's horns, indicating that he is younger then her dremora companion.  "Kynval," says the robed Dremora as he nods toward Kathutet, "Where do you and your... companion... need a gate in Tamriel?"  "Skyrim, near the human city of Helgen."  The Dremora nods and turns around to being the opening ritual.  Kathutet turns around and pulls the red weeds behind them out of the ground, hands them to Skye and says, "Take these and eat them once we're close to the dragonwall.  They'll make you invisible for a short time."  As if the robed Dremora will attack at anytime, Skye's gaze never leaves him as he opens the gate, "Okay."  After the ritual is complete, the Dremora walks away as Kathutet once again takes Skye's hand and leads her through the gate, her vision going black. 

Moments later, bright snow-capped mountains come into focus in front of Skye, with the top of a giant tombstone - a dragonwall - poking up over a hill.  Kathutet, still holding her hand, crouches and moves behind a rock on the top of a hill.  They both see their targets, Endar and Imsin sleeping inside an abandoned shack near the dragonwall.  Suddenly, feelings of jealousy and anger fill Skye's mind, but are quickly pushed back.  Kathutet pokes his finger to Skye's satchel, signifying that this is the time to use the bloodgrass.  She slowly pulls out the blades of red grass and eats them, then her hands disappear.  Kathutet nods and disappears as well.

  "Now we wait," whispers a voice, Kathutet's voice, from where he was a moment ago.