Chapter Text
Introduction.
4era 206. Some hundred miles from the Ice parade field of Volkihar Castle.
Hear YE, Hear Ye! good morning y'all. This is Darius, your Town cryer, author of these newsheets for the Empire. You can see me every Turdas all over Whiterun. On Morndas in Solitude Akatosh square. Every Loredas in Windhelm
It is five years after the Dragon Crisis as a nimble flying ship all dark and full with purple tissues all over also in the place of sails, slowly goes down from the air in the frosty morning of North West Solitude. Our Majestic Capital city of Skyrim, pearl of the Empire.
This flying ship is a big one: It has three balistas and three scorpions on each sides and has a big tower in the stern, entrance to the crew's cabin and the engine.
It slowly fluctuates in the air over the Imperial Military camp besieging Castle Volkihar. Then, it simply docks on the ground, next to the parade. From the castle, a column of fire and smoke fills the Sea of Ghosts air. Then the sound of yells and screams of joy for the besiegers opposing the cold silence or semi one from the dark flying ship. Three hawsers fall from each side of the parapets.
Six Imperial porters just run to the dock, grabbing the hawsers from each side of the flying ship, and pinning them on the moorings until it is fluctuating but moored.
A rope ladder is thrown from it and a tired group of officers, climb down of the ship.
Their heads and bodies are covered with ashes like they were exposed to a fire for a long time.
Closing the line, there's a couple of Orsimers, clinging to one another. The male, Rick gro New Orsinium, is completely bald and muscular, his left arm's hanging on his side by a tissue and walks next to a female half orsimer. He's got long ears, small tusks from his mouth and some on his bald head, his skin is green. He's wearing a priest tunic and he's barefoot. No weapons on his hips. They are very tall but the man is bigger. The female, for the purpose of this story we'll call her Lynx Gra New Orsinium, has a bob dark haircut and human blue eyes, long ears as well, short tusks coming out from her lower teeth, her skin's lighter green but they're clearly twins. She wears a dark imperial armour that was build for her. No shoulder straps. She's barefoot and an Imperial Long marine sword with golden hilt hangs at her left hip, a long metal crossbow on her back.
In front of them, there's Bjorn, a huge blond man, in full plate armour, his helmet hanging on his right side is a golden thalmor helmet, he's holding a tower shield which ones had some drawings on it on his left arm and an axe hangs on his right hip. His face is full with fresh cuts and and tears are still cutting his face. Next to him, there are two khajiits, one has a fair mane, his name's Fergus, and is wearing a plated armour as well, the blond man same huge tower shield hold in his left arm with the same blurred image and a Imperial Long marine sword with golden hilt on his left hip. The other, Inigo, wears an Imperial scout leather armour with hood, he's got a long ebony sword on his left hip and he tears fall down from inside his hood, his long mane is blue and white.
"The song is fast falling beneath trees of stone" a voice comes whispering from the lips of a light dark-skinned Imperial guy. His name's Varrus. His hair are black, his eyes are shining blue. He's among the two khajiits, shorter then all of this weird crew. They support him to walk. He sings: "The lights in the Tower, no longer my home"He's wearing a plated armour, hemmed with golden and his left hip has a Imperial marine long sword with wooden hilt. A lute on his back "Past eyes of pale fire, black sand for my bed." He sighs, let the guys sit him on a "I traded all I've known for the unknown ahead." his voice breaks. He takes off his plumed dark green hat and throw it on the ground.
In front of them, a man as tall as the light dark-skinned man, his name's Belrand. He's wearing a chainmail with red surcout, a long Imperial sword with golden hilt at his left hip, with metal plated gloves and boots. An dark amber mage hood on his head. He stands tall, his face is burned but his armour is perfect. He cleans it and stand tall next to the Tent.
A transparent wolf at his side.
They're the Magpies or what's left of them.
They sit and wait in front of the bigger tent with a large area around in the middle of the Camp, flags with the stylised Golden dragon with open wings on the Imperial pennant: a dark purple red hemmed with golden waver at the wind of the Sea of Ghosts. The number I, written in old Tamrielic number, also in golden, in the higher corner of it.
A sergeant of the army, stands walking before the army and yells: "Make way for our Empress and shield sister"There's silence in the camp for some minutes as the porters and privates make way, then the screams of joy from the besiegers arrive in the camp. Hip hip hurrah are sang in the air as she approaches.
The vetearn sergeant yells again as she's approaching closer: "Make way for Our Empress, the Kyne-seer, tamer of the Volkihar clan."
Leading them and among them, is clearly a woman of medium height in the plated full golden Imperial Armour worthy of an Empress. The Golden Stylised Dragon on her chest and on the back of her purple cape. Vamp blood and body parts all over her armour. She doesn't bother to clean it.
She just march, towards her tent.
She arrives on the parade surrounded by her shieldwarriors, men and women, still holding their nordic large metal shields on their right or left and swords or axes in their opposite arms.
The miserable crew of officers is sitting, split in several groups around the bigger Tent.
Their faces and armours are still full with ashes and dark stains. Definitely not presentable.
The Empress stops in front of the miserable crew and bow her head on the side. She takes off her helmet and her head, half cut to zero and half with short golden hair comes out of it. She let her round metal shield fall and her ground as her dark amber eyes points the Imperial man in plated armour hemmed with gold and a sword with wooden hilt.
The Empress blinks for some seconds, then move her head on each of those tired faces.
The man in red surcoat stands saluting: "Sergeant Belrand, Empress. Allow me to introduce your Magpies."
"Varrus?" She blinks, shaking her head and showing the palm Belrand as the light dark-skinned man raises his head and meets her eyes. "Elsa?" He asks freezing. She stamps on his hat without even acknowledging it, then she stands again, her jaw tightens. "Marshall Firebeard" she calls.
A tall man in his fifties, wearing a full imperial armour, a Long Imperial axe at his left him, gives his tower shield to a woman with dark blue eyes and ponytail dark hair wearing the same armour at his left and nods: "My Empress?" She points her armoured glove to the imperial man with whom she shared a gaze and says: "Arrest Emilius Varrus for stealing my ship."
The whole besieging army immediately gasp as the crew of the Imperial man, stand and unsheathes their weapons.
The Empress burst in laughter.
I need to go back, though, five years before....and tell you Varrus' and Magpies' Story. The Dovakhin posse's story.
Chapter 1 Varrus and the Magpies Meet
Chapter 1 The Magpies Meet
5 years before. Crossroad outside of Bruma
"Look who he is. I ken that Forester, I ken who he is, aah" An blind old man, once commanding in his height, now shorter in his old age, is sitting on a stone under a headless statue on the border of a street as a white horse slowly walks on the way.
Riding that horse is a light dark-skinned man in his twenties, his hair are black, his eyes are shining blue. He's wearing a green hood and a green wool shirt, steel gloves, a chainmail under the shirt that ends up in stell boots too. He wears, cross his torso, a silver bow and hanging on his side of the horse, a quiver of silver arrows.
The old man's voice is a hoarse heavy nordic accent, his silver hair wander dirty on his face and his breath move them away every time. "Look who he is, aye?" he whispers, strongly hanging on his staff. He nudges to a slightly younger woman at his side. Her hair are still red but she's in he declining age. They both wear old Imperial leather armours from the legion, iron boots. Imperial swords at their hips. There's a strange aura around them, like a blurring. Is it some kind of sun light effect?
She says: "aye? What about the wee lad?" He laughs: "He's the guy who's the talk of the town, naw?" she asks, narrowing her eyes: "the guy with the restless silver bow, you mean..." She asks hesitant "Are you sure?" the man nods: "Aye. He's the bairn of Alessia Vanes, his gallus uncle was a bard, what's his name?" She moistens her lips: "Colm Vanes you mean? The author of Oo De lally? Beautiful song, that one, inn'it?" He nods. "Nay bother about him. Fear the lad." he nods: "Keeps the varmints on the run, the lad." he nods again: "He keeps the varmits on the run."
The Imperial Legion forester on the horse, touches the tip of his hood to greet the man and the woman and moves on, grinning.
As soon as he pass over them, the two elders disappear.
He grins, hitting delicatly the horse's hips. It goes slightly faster as he approaches a settlement.
As soon as he's closer but nobody's around, he hops down the horse and tie its reins to a pole, right before entering the settlement. He's our Varrus or that's the name he uses most of the time.
He blinks, leaning to a fountain. The big head of a Dragon at the top of it "Akatosh dear, look at my pants, magnifici, right?" he winks "Borrowed!" he makes the brackets saying the last word, as he cackles. His hands brings water to his lips as he takes off his long greasy hair from his face. His hands' nails are clean though. He blinks as he wanders, his hands on his hips. Then he moves towards a pond, grabs some peebles and start throwing them, and make them jump on the water.
He whispers softly: "and from our majestic Colm Vanes: Ooo De Lally, my friends" he cackles again: "Alessia and the Minotaur walks through the forrest. Looking back and forth at wha the other'n has to say. Reminiscing thsi and that and having such a good time. Ooo-de-lally, Ooo-de-lally. What a day!"
After a while, he hears her. A little girl is pulling his green wool shirt sleeve: "Officer!" she asks with a high pitched voice: "officer! Help!" he turns, kneeling to find the girl's height and look in her eyes: "what's the matter, little one, I'm Darius, no officer. What's your name and where's your fam?" the child, swallows:"I'm Penny. Da and ma are in the Capital to sell our mead. My bro..." she hesitates "my bro is disappeared from days. I saw it!" she burst in tears. Darius hesitates for a second, raising his eyes to the sky and puts his hands on her shoulder "tell me Penny, what did you see?"
He fills his hand with water and offers it to the child. She drinks after she stops crying and swallow enough to speak again.
She nods: "They took him, the big, ugly goblins took him!"
Varrus opens his eyes agape and says: "what the hack!"
the girl swallows, as he asks "when did this happened?"
she gulps:"this morning, we juyt had milk and porridge for breakfast at our farm" he answers: "Take me to your farm, kid." She grabs his hand and runs towards her farm.
As they go there, he sighs, biting his lower lip. Then he nods, pretending to be brave, his voice lowers: "go to the Temple of the One, kid. I'll look for him. Don't be scared!" she nods and run a way.
For a moment, he hesitates, taking long breaths. Then he repeats: "I don't need to fight anybody" he repeats, looking on the ground. "I need just to" he sighs: "what do you need to do, silly?" he blinks, studying the clear traces of Goblins' feet. "I can find the place and then call in some real Forester or an Imperial knight." he nods "I can do this"
As soon as he turns, the blind man from before is next to him: "look who's here, aye?" behind him the red head granny from before. "he's the forester you told me. Is he shitting himself?"
the old man shakes his head "naw. He's just pondering his chances, nae? He's not an eejit." his strong northern accent is in the air, as the woman nods.
"Well met, citizens. "He nods, his hands on his hips: "This is Da...Varrus the Forrester. " he claps his forehead "When I meet noble citizens of our Empire like you. I remember what I am fighting for. I greet you! " He nods, nocking his bow and move towards the bushes. The old man says: "it is the other way around, lass, naw?"
Varrus nods and moves stealthy towards the Goblins' cave.
Some hours before, trees next to a glenn outside of the settlement
"This weapon's not long enough for me, I told you."He grins, it's Richard. His skin is green, small tusks comes out ot the lower part of his mouth, some from his bald head. He's measuring the length of his own arm with his long steel sword. "it's not long enough."He's wearing an Imperial full heavy armour, he's barefoot and is in the front with Bjorn, a tower shield hanging on his left arm. The Stylised golden Dragon on red is painted on the shield itself. The blond man is wearing the same, his sword is still unsheathed, at his right, a tower shield's hanging on his left arm. Same image of Richard's on it. Bjorn rertors: "It'll go for some goblins, Richard of Stendarr."
The orsimer shakes his head, correcting him."The Horn of the Wrothgarians."
They both burst in laughter.
Right behind them, There's Inigo and Fergus, they're both wearing a leather scout armour of the legion. Inigo is stealthing, nocking his bow with silver arrows, Fergus is wielding his iron sword, a rounded big shield on his left arm. Right between them, the dunmer Erandur, grey skin and long ears, in his fifties, in a orange tunic, no gods sign on it, he's smoking a pipe and singing smutty songs. No weapons on him.
In the rear-guard, There's Belrand waring a red surcoat on a chainmail, Imperial Marine sword at his right hip and, hugging and nudging him, at his side, there's the taller Thogra. She's green skinned as Richard, her twin, small tusks protruding from her lower plump lips. She's wearing a full metal armour Cyrodjil style, she's barefoot. A metal crossbow on her arms, already nocked. Same sword as Belrand at her right hip. A transparent wolf is trotting next to the Imperial.
"Magpies" The dunmer stops whispering that word. They all freeze but Richard and Bjorn. A horde of thirty goblins in front of them. Richard and Bjorn have just the time to raise their shield that they're already fighting.
Belrand nods: "Cat men, bring the old man away." the khajiit nods, Thogra nods towards him: "we'll keep them distracted. Erandur needs to survive." As the Imperial man and the female orsimer approaches the big man and orsimer, they're nearly overwhelmed.
"For the love of Mara, no!" Erandur sees it as turns. Both him and the two khajiits are already disappearing.
back to Varrus, some hours later
Stealthy as a mouse, Varrus, still his silver bow nocked with his silver arrows as a shield in front of him, slowly moves in the bushes following the path of clearly big traces from the goblins.
He hears them before seeing them. A male imperial voice is saying: "oi" he raises a eyebrow "this is crazy, inn'it?" Varrus blinks for some minutes. "Does now Goblin speak Tamrielic?
Fascinating." he whisper to himself.
A female voice, with a western accent from, perhaps west Colovian/ Wrothgarian mountains "You are a silly, silly man" and burst in laughter. "give me five, babe." The man just grumbles back."don't get caught, my luv."
Then Varrus peeks. In the centre of a small glenn, there's three big cages. In one there's a bold imperial wearing a red surcoat and a chainmail underneath, some iron boots at his feet. Next to it a big half orsimer with a black hair bob cut and shining blue eyes. Varrus bites his lips. She's barefoot and she scratches under the armpit of her full metal armour Cyrodjil style. She takes a small pin from under it and start working on the lock.
"What the?" Varrus whispers but cackles. "it's them speaking, then..."
In the middle of the two prisoners' cages, there's an unconscious small kid is inside another cage. Probably Penny's brother.
Just some goblins are wandering the area, probably guarding. They're wearing just loinclothes and are wielding lances.
fifty meters, 0.05 clicks far, there's a cave entrance. The inside is hidden in darkness.
Varrus bends his hand on the side and cackles. He let the arrow stay in the bow's hand and raises the other one with some tissue already in it.
From the thick of the forest, right ahead the Goblin and a beating of drums can be heard. Then a repetitive voice saying "We hate goblins you know that" a clap of hands "we kill them and eat them, fat." The goblins share a gaze. They freeze for a moment. They probably don't speak Tamrielic often but they undestand it.
Belrand and Thogra share a gaze but don't spit a word. Also thogra stops lockpicking though.
The goblins dash off in the opposite side of the forest. Their lances are in their place. On the ground.
Varrus slowly leave the bushes, still cackling. Thogra and Belrand eyes points on him. The bald imperial says: "oh, a Forester, is there really soldiers coming this way?"
Varrus shakes his head. "naw. They're a minor illusion"
he cackles. "I'm here for the kid. What do you think? Come with?"
Berland nod as Thogra cackles and says: "sure thing, boy. You know how?"
He shakes his head: "got a better idea. " he cackles and move his hand "teleport away!" the kid is no more in the cage. "back home. Sorry guys. I can do one at a time"
He blinks and coughs. A sound from the cave, rumbling of steps.
Berland look at that and add: "just do it sport. Don't think. All of us. AWAY" Both Thogra and him are shaking the cage with their hands. Thogra takes again her pin and start, lockpicking, panting.
As soon as a big Ogre exits the cave, Varrus says it:"teleport away"
But nothing happens. "what the" he says. Belrand look at Thogra "the unluck of the newbie." and crosses his hands across his body. "kid" Thogra pss him. "my sword and Bel are inside that smelly cage. There's also my crossbow. Grab'em for me. NOW"
Varrus blinks. "o o o...guys I need to tell you something" as he opens the smelly cage with hesitation and start looking for what they ask. "I might not..."
"Blimey!"The Ogre, whose voice is very feminine, annihilate what Varrus was saying. The Ogre looks around, blinks than add, perfect standard Imperial accent: " My children have left. I am so sad. " her eyes moistens, the go agape when Thogra's cell door opens. This time she growls: "AMELIA BREAKS, AMELIA SMASHES" ...a moment of pause: "blimey." then start running, first slow, then faster.
Belrand slams the door as soon as Thogra lockpicks it.
They both grab their stuff. Belrand moves his hand and two small wolves appear next to him.
Amelia, the ogre, slows down, cackling. She raises her huge club.
She's wearing a pink tunic, very silly and an amulet made of bones.
Varrus closes his eyes and whispers something in high elven.
The ogre stops, her big hand goes to her head "papa? I'm a good girl, papa." And shakes her head.
Both Belrand and Thogra burst in laughter. The bold Imperial asks to Varrus: "dissonant whispers?" Varrus nod but he's already saying "teleport away" the usual blurry vision, then they're not there.
The three of them disappear from there and, shockingly luckly, they appear in front of Penny's farm.
She's blinking as she sees them. Her brother's nezt to her and the old man and lady are there with them. Penny cackles: "You're a great officer, Darius. You deserve a promotion"
Thogra's voice is a whisper: "do it!" Belrand retorts:"awright, blimey. No need to be rude. The Priest won't like this" she cackles, the man just grumbles.
Varrus smiles, then, all's black.