I stood alone in a field of black dahlias, staring up into a starless sky. My skin glowed a pale, muted white, casting a dim pall of light over my surroundings. I gazed out into the seemingly endless expanse of flower-covered leas stretching into oblivion. It could almost be called a beautiful sight, in its own bizarre way, if not for the sickening 'perfume' emanating from the flowers.
Their aroma was nauseating—the stink of rotting flesh and fetid, old blood poorly masked by a slightly stronger note of burned frankincense. This pungent odor hung heavily in the air, so thick in concentration it almost hurt to breathe. The area smelled akin to a poorly maintained burial ground. The stench of the place was a reminder that all was not what it seemed.
As nothing had actually happened to me while I stood mutely in place, I decided that I ought to get the inevitable over with and began to walk aimlessly forwards, no actual destination in mind as I waited apprehensively for the actual nightmare to begin. This was certainly a change of pace from having to watch my friend plummet to his death repeatedly, but it was a difference that I was not sure I liked. It was like my surroundings were a macabre calm before a storm of terror, and, if I knew anything about the Daedric Prince of Nightmares, she more than lived up to her title.
A lone figure appeared out of nowhere directly ahead of me, although they were too far away for me to be able to discern any telling features regarding their person at the moment. I broke into a light jog, curiosity momentarily overriding my sense of self-preservation, crushing the unpleasantly scented petals of the dahlias under my feet as I moved, nearly gagging as the smell grew stronger as if in response to my movement. Upon realizing who had entered this horrific dream world, I came to a full stop, hope flaring in my chest before it was promptly smothered by a closer look at their countenance. A cold chill ran down my spine as I looked upon them in dismay.
Helgír stood before me, his arms crossed and eyes blazing gold, an uncharacteristic scowl on his face as he stared at me, looking as if I had wronged him somehow. On his brow sat a band of dazzling, enchanted gold, decorated with the snarling visage of a dragon at its center, teeth bared and citrine eyes gleaming in an almost malicious manner as it reflected the light I cast. He was dressed in richly colored amber robes woven from shimmering silk, and he wore the garment's hood up, secured neatlyin place by the circlet he wore. Over this he wore an odd breastplate fashioned in the likeness of a dragon's scales from the same metal as his bizarre diadem,and he sported a pair of similarly designed spaulders and vambraces. The most striking part of this 'armor,' however, were the twin dragon heads that made up his pauldrons, one on each shoulder, facing outwards with mouths stretched wide as if frozen in the middle of a Shout and teeth that gleamed like razors in the dim light. From head to toe, he was golden, and less human than I'd ever had the misfortune to see him before.
This was not the man I had met on my way to Markarth. I became certain of it the longer I looked into his reptilian eyes.
Suddenly, Helgír began to speak, an expression akin to disapproval and weariness twisting his features as he stated in a voice far too guttural to belong to him, "Hi los mey, joor, wah sahvot hi aal filok nol rah. Nust fen drun hi wah kreh wah paar se niin.*"
I couldn't understand any of what he said to me, but the fact he was speaking in Dovahzul only further confirmed the fact that he wasn't-he couldn't be-himself. Nevertheless, I was greatly alarmed by this change and what it could mean in this twisted alternate reality, and, nearly choking on my words, I managed to stammer out, "I don't - I don't understand, I'm sorry. What was it that - that you're trying to say?"
At my words, Helgír's expression darkened visibly, a tinge of disgust creeping onto his features as he regarded me coldly, seeming almost offended that I'd tried to speak with him at all. I received no verbal response, however, and I stepped away from him nervously, unsure of what to do, or what I could do to try and reach him-if that was even a possibility at all. This might be my dream, but I'd long since lost control of them, and, as it stood now, I hadn't the slightest idea of how to get that autonomy back. With a sense of helplessness threatening to overwhelm me, I noticed that at my movement, my former companion's face took on a hostile expression I'd never seen before, his mouth twisting with loathing and disdain as he stared down upon me, and a feeling of smallness and insignificance I'd never felt before came over me at his expression, although it was just as painful as it was cowing.
From my right came a distressed and all-too-familiar cry, and, both shocked and afraid, I turned to face the sound quickly, just in time to see yet another old friend enter upon the twisted dreamscape. Toralf was making a beeline straight for me, running faster than I'd ever seen anyone move in my life, as if his life depended on it, his hazel eyes wide with pure, raw terror and the thick sheen of sweat coating his skin glinted in the dim light, indicating he had been running for a long time. His once nearly pristine glass armor was dented and cracked at places, and there were noticeable rips and tears in the fabric underneath, which exposed several bruises and small lacerations on his pale, freckled skin, their causes unknown to me. It was then that I discovered that Toralf wasn't running towards me-he was running away from something else, and that something else was here, not more than a few steps behind him.
It was as big and black as the void, blurring in and out of existence in wild bursts as it sped after its prey, with a pair of gigantic, slanted eyes burning like crimson coals in a furnace. Its shape kept changing, one moment similar to that of a wolf, then a bear, then a boar, then something else entirely, but the shifts in its appearance had no effect upon its unnatural speed. Suddenly, it leapt forward with great force, just as Toralf had gotten just yards away from reaching me and he fell to the ground, letting out a cry like that of a dying man, and fear seized hold of me as I attempted to move forwards, only to discover that I was rooted to the spot, unable to move no matter how much I willed myself to. His shouting was quickly drowned out by the triumphant howl of the shadowy beast, an otherworldly and wicked sound that shook me to the core. A dark haze fell over where he'd fallen, leaving me unable to do anything but guess at what had befallen my unfortunate friend.
I wasn't given much time for speculation, as the true plot of my nightmare unfolded even more. Something rustled in the gardenias behind me, and, when I turned to face it, it took every ounce of will within my being not to scream. A bloodied and broken figure was being pulled up from the ground by odd bluish-purple strings, the flower-carpeted ground giving way as it was tugged relentlessly upwards. The dusty and bloodstained leather armor it wore was unmistakable, and bile rose in my throat and tears sprung to my eyes at the sight of my deceased friend being so mistreated. As Nightbrook's cadaver rose to the point where his feet were dangling only slightly over the earth, his head hanging down limply at an odd angle, a wave of indignant fury washed through me, causing me to involuntarily shake with rage. His skin was deathly pale, nearly as white as snow, dirt smudged across it unevenly and in random splotches and caking strands of his now uneven hair together. Seeing him like this was both disturbing and degrading, and, if I'd thought that Vaermina had been more than overstepping her bounds before, I knew now that there was far, far worse that she was capable of than just forcing me to relive one of the worst events to ever happen in my life. The knowledge of that alone was perhaps the most frightening thing about this entire situation.
And then his head jerked upwards, his eyes no longer present but emitting a glow the same as the strings of magic that now kept him aloft, making him look like some sort of macabre puppet, and I really did scream this time, trying in vain to run far from this disturbing display. I was still unable to move my feet, however, and could only watch as his head tilted to the side ever so slightly, his face blank and slack as he spoke suddenly, although his words were uncommonly biting, "Are you truly so unhappy to see me, Helvia? I thought you'd be happy to see another familiar face around here, friend. And I've come to give you a bit of a warning, as it seems you may be facing a good deal of trouble very, very soon."
"I don't... You can't be here. I don't believe-"
"I can assure you that I very much am. I couldn't very well be talking to you otherwise, could I? Do try not to make such ridiculous statements, it's so very unlike you."
"I see," I replied, although I was not convinced by his response in the slightest, "So what is this advice, exactly?"
"Listen, I know you're not fond of the whole 'guided destiny' thing, but it's an unavoidable fact of life-if you don't want to turn out as a complete failure, you've got to serve somebody. Did you somehow think that I wasn't affiliated with a higher power myself? I owe everything I ever achieved and every piece of gold I earned to the Prince of Night, Nocturnal, and honestly, if I hadn't been lucky enough to catch her eye, I would've just been another worthless pickpocket starving on the streets of the Imperial City.
"You can't run away from or ignore your destiny, either-not forever. Helgír's begun to accept his at last, and it is unlikely he will end up any other way than this," the corpse gestured clumsily in the Nord's direction, "It is in his nature to dominate and destroy, and eventually, it will win out over his discipline. You have been stubbornly resisting your own place in the universe, but you cannot keep going on like this forever. And truly, is it really worth all that effort? Have you given any serious consideration to the benefits of simply accepting the role that has been all but handed to you? At this rate, you're only hurting yourself by refusing the patronage of a higher power. Life could be so much easier, so much more fulfilling if you would just put aside your foolish pride. Which, I might add, is something your other friend has yet to learn, and, with the way he's turning out, it will destroy him. It's not even a matter of if, it's a matter of when. And his fate could very well become yours, too. You really ought to think about what effect your actions are having on your own life, as well as that of those around you. Do you honestly think your brother wants to see you dead-"
"I'm going to stop you there, Vaermina. You're not fooling anyone, and, for the record, your attempt to impersonate Nightbrook was incredibly subpar. Next time you try and use the forms of my friends in your little power plays, do try not to make them sound so all-knowing, or have them spew inane bullshit that reeks of biased propaganda-particularly when it's concerned with a belief they clearly didn't have. I am no more inclined to serve you than I was at any time before this ridiculous set-up, and if I may be so bold to say it, I'd appreciate if you refrained from continuing with these sorts of things. It's not working, and it won't," I interrupted bitingly, cringing slightly when my voice cracked slightly at the end.
The animated corpse's expression twisted into a painful looking and unfriendly grin once I had finished my brief speech, the light in its skull's sockets flickering briefly before it made its response, the voice that once imitated that of my late companion now greatly distorted, "Although you declare that you are unaffected by this, the rest of you suggests otherwise. The decision is yours to make, foolish, uninformed, and pig-headed as you are; but I trust that, in time, I can help you see the error of your ways. And I can assure you that you do not want to know what sort of fate awaits you if you happen to get on the wrong side of a god."
After it had finished speaking, the light left its sockets entirely and the strings holding it aloft dissipated with a bright flare, seeming to fly off in different directions and pulling the corpse apart in the process. I forced myself to look away in an attempt to keep myself from getting mentally scarred any more than I already had been, turning back towards where the dream-versions of my other former companions had been standing. The darkness still lingered strongly over the area where Toralf had fallen, but Helgír's stance had changed into a more aggressive one, and he now held in his right hand a pine-wood staff carved in an ancient nordic design resembling the form of a serpentine dragon, tying in seamlessly with the rest of his unusual attire. As he raised the staff threatening and started to walk even closer to me, Vaermina spoke one last time, her voice rolling and echoing like thunder in the vast expanse of the dream-world purgatory, declaring, "See where denying my help will get you when the people you so foolishly trust turn on you, and know that such a day will soon arrive. For your own sake, you had better reconsider your position on this matter."
The pitch-black sky flashed a blinding white as the Prince finished issuing her 'warning', the light so unbearably bright that I was unable see my surroundings for a few moments after it occurred. When my sight did return to me, I barely managed to react in time to hurl myself out of the way of a massive blast of frost magic from Helgír's staff. Apparently, I was now free to move, which was convenient, considering that the ground upon which I had previously been standing was now encased in ice, the petals of the dahlias glistening like crystals in neat individual prisms. "What in Oblivion are you doing?" I exclaimed angrily as he raised his staff to take aim at me once again, frustration and a bizarre kind of bloodlust clear on his face as he did so.
Yet another gust of destruction magic was sent my way in reply, which, by some stroke of luck, I managed to evade once again. My irritation at this ridiculous and highly improbable scenario was simmering to a boil at this point, and, not wanting this to continue any longer, I lunged at him, wrestling the staff from his hands before he had so much as a chance to react. "This needs to stop. I'm not going to fight you," I asserted frustratedly as I squared my shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes and forcing myself to hold his unnerving gaze.
Aside from a brief flicker of surprise that briefly surfaced in his expression, my actions seemed to cause no major change on Helgír's part. His lips parted suddenly and, before I knew what was happening, the ground shook and everything around me turned golden. The rich orange-red hue of fire enveloped me and everything else around me in a searing hot inferno destruction. The flowers were burning away to nothing, their brittle, frail frames crumbling into dusty ash as every one of my senses was slowly consumed by fire.
~~~~~
I came to with a start, breathing heavily as I jerked up into a sitting position, disoriented and still half-convinced I was still being burned alive. As my hands instinctively rose to cover my face, it was then I realized that I was not, in fact, on fire, and I allowed myself to sprawl back against the earth for a few moments, breathing deeply as I tried to calm myself down. It was all another blasted dream. It's nothing to worry about.
Somewhat shakily, I pushed myself up off the grassy-and thankfully flowerless-ground, looking up at the now star-filled sky. I must have been out for a good deal of time, and it was a small miracle that I hadn't been attacked while I was out, considering how I seemed to have had the misfortune to pass out in the open, entirely vulnerable to whatever might chance to pass by. Not that Vaermina would allow that to happen to one of her 'assets', anyways, I thought to myself somewhat bitterly, passing a hand across my face in exhaustion.
Just as I was getting to my feet, my eyes landed on a patch of ground not too far from where I'd been lying. It was oddly burned and discolored, the brownish, brittle grass still steaming as I looked upon it in amazement. A feeling of panic surfaced within me, and I looked around worriedly, wondering just who or what had come so close to me. Suddenly, I saw a jet of orange-red flames spew seemingly from the heavens, and I let out a cry of surprise, almost unable to believe my eyes. A dark silhouette wheeled around in the sky, blocking out the stars as it flew. It let out a savage roar as it dove towards the ground, talons outstretched and jaws stretched wide, moving with the intent to kill.
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*You are a fool, mortal, to believe you might escape from the gods. They will make you to bend to the desire of them. ('desire of them' more or less equates to 'their desire'; dovahzul is tricky to use, especially because word choice is ridiculously limited.)
~~~~~
QUESTIONS:
Question (From megan968 for Nightbrook): Will you please find a way to resurrect yourself or something? I miss you, you have been gone far too long already. :(
Answer (By Nightbrook): I'm afraid that's not up to me. Direct your complaints and questions regarding the rest of my... unlife? afterlife? ...Not really sure what this is, but that aside, just talk to Nocturnal about it.
Question (From BaaBaaOddOne for Nightbrook): Do you regret saving Helvia's life? Do you regret being with Mel?
Answer (By Nightbrook): Huh, seems I'm still a popular correspondent despite being dead. Ah well. I have no regrets concerning the actions that led to my death, especially considering I owed—and still owe—Mél a great deal. And "being" with her? Not sure what you mean by that. We were never involved, unfortunately, and she's certainly not in the Evergloam.
~~~~~
If anyone has any more questions for anyone in Mage, feel free to ask them! If they've appeared in Mage at all, regardless of how long they were a part of the story, they're open to ask questions! (However, please only post new questions on the latest chapter. Can't believe I have to say it, but. I'm not going to go through 20+ chapters every time I want to publish a new one just to make sure I didn't miss a question. I hope you guys will understand.)
Well, as always, please do leave a vote and/or comment if you enjoyed the chapter, and see you next time! Good adventuring, dear readers!
-AA