Stillness follows The Champion's change in stance. Without words, his actions invites the three to take their attempts to put him down. An egotistically confident champion he was.

After a few breaths of silence the room awakens with the sound of rustling fabric and clanking metal. The trio charges towards the champion with synchronicity.

Aneza was first to get in reach of the dark guardian. He strikes in a blur of black taking the initiative. Aneza responds blocking the swing. The force of the blow shook through Aneza's grip sending her flying backwards. She hits the floor and is cut short of breath. Basaan was next as he forces a downward swing.

The dark figure responds to the swing blocking. Elra concentrates her magicka tightening her grip on the destructive magic.

"Now!" Elra signals the vigilants. Basaan retracts his attack and leaps back. Aneza scurries to build distance from the monster. She crawls away on her hands and knees having no time to recover on her feet.

Within a fraction of a second Elra releases a heavily concentrated stream of fire. The flames hit its target causing an intense but narrow combustion. The force staggers the Champion, his head recoiling back. Still silence.

The chaotic movement of the inferno begins to change as the champion begins to curl inward as if he was absorbing the fire like a sponge.

Elra picks up the subtle movements and begins to skim through her mental library.

With haste, Elra casts her magic. The spell creates a aura of grainy black smoke. With little time Elra was only able to cast the spell on herself.

The Champion releases his stored energy throwing Aneza and Basaan in the direction of the impact.

The explosion interacts with Elra's protective shroud solidifying the fire on contact. Midflight, the two vigilantes begin to experience the delayed combustion causing them to catch fire. The fire lasts a few seconds and disperses as they hit the ground blacking out.

The room goes silent again with Aneza and Basaan incapacitated.

"Interesting..." The figure says as the flame began to dim in its twilight.

Across from him stands Elra. Her body covered by what appeared to be smoldering rocks. Heat from the impact slowly dissipates a red powdery glow. "You must be quite skilled" The Champion added admiring his enemy's potential. "I haven't heard of anyone who is able to change the elements of the world on a whim. Your conjuration skills must be that of a master. What are you really?" He says as he slowly approached Elra with more caution.

Elra's response mimics the Champion as he was earlier; She was quite silent. The protective shroud of condensed fire began to wear off turning into dust and smoke. What was left assimilated into an white aura which was absorbed by Elra's body. "Arcane Eater..."

Reassessing her situation, Elra deduces that the Champion's armor repels magic forcing the opponent to fight in melee combat. Elra decided to not take any further risks. She will have to defeat the Champion in combat. In a flash of movement, she charges at the figure with her sword raised over her head.

Elra follows her charge with a upward swing forcing the Champion to block downward.

Both swings follow through allowing both of them to wind up for a second shot. The Champion was first to fully wind up his swing and went for a rightward horizontal cut.

Elra tilts herself downward going under the sharp weapon. The blade glides over her head. Time slows down for the two combatants. The Champion realizes his rash mistake, his eyes widening at the reality of his situation. Elra's subtle shift to her rear leg becomes apparent at this time as she prepares to propel herself forward into his failed strike. With her left leg, she pushes herself off her knees, her right arm bent.

She thrusts thirty-two inches of steel through his lower ribcage. The blade goes through stopping at the hilt. Shock stuns the champion as he stumbles back. Elra releases her sword.

His consciousness began to slip. He falls back losing the grip on his sword. Elra spins grabbing the sword as it slips through his fingers.

In one motion she ends the Champion's tale, his corpse crashing into the dirt.

Elra sheathes her new weapon and flips over the body. As the body rolled over the imperial sword pushes its way out of the champion's abdomen and falls to his side.

From his waist, she retrieves the dagger. "I'll be taking this." Elra whispers to the corpse.

Elra then calls forth a golden aura casting a warm light on the two injured vigilants . Slowly they come to waking up from their incapacitated state. With Elra's help they were able escape the vicinity and reach Darkwater crossing. There they spent the night recuperating and being filled in with the specifics.

As morning breaks the following day, the trio departs for home.

Ever since they obtained the Daedric artifact, Aneza's attention have been fixed to it. She stares at it hoping that the object would reveal to her the answers she seeks. "I believe the blade has possessed your wife's soul." Elra says in a sarcastic tone towards Basaan. He plays along. "If that was the case, it is not the first time it has happened. She's always like this around artifacts. Thus is why she is one of the Tamriel's most sought after masters in relics and artifacts." "It's not every item, just very rare ones." Aneza added. "I've never seen an artifact quite like this from any Daedra. The blade is very orderly and non chaotic like other Daedric weapon designs. It may even be an Aedric artifact for that matter. Either way, with no document of it we are not even able to determine its power, nor is it something we'd like to find out." Basaan concludes her statement. "Only time will tell."

The trio passes the bridge and departs for home as a new day embraces them with the warm morning light.

The smell rot fills the dark room. It is putrid and offensive to the senses. Maggots swarm the open wound eating away the bits consider ripe for the picking.

A shadow stands over the corpse of the "once was" Champion. He lifts the bloody sword off of the fallen guard.

"Even the mightiest of champions die like the weakest of beggars."

"Excuse me adventurer. Can you help our temple?" Danica says following the man. "What's the catch?" The man was straight to the point. Danica begins to speak. "It's about saving this tree-" "No thanks, I'm an adventurer not a farmer." The adventurer rejects her offer bluntly picking up the speed of his pacing.

"UGH!" Danica stomps her feet in disappointment. A bystander catches the scene. " Don't worry priestess, as long as the sun shines, there is always another day to save the Gildergreen." The bystander speaks catching Danica's attention. The bystander was spending her morning sitting under the Gildergreen receiving the shade and warmth of the sun. Danica eerily recognizes the bystander. "I've seen you around. You must be a temporary resident of the temple. What was your name again?" Danica inquires.

"My name is Kynari. My mother named me after Kynareth." The bystander said. "I'm here to find rest from my Leprosy Anumia." Danica's expression changes to that of empathy. "I'm sorry to hear." "It's alright, I've already made peace with fate." Kynari seem emotionally resilient. "All things have fates, and what separates a good fate and a bad fate is not based on the time you were given, rather how you make use of the time you were given." Danica has experienced a lot as a priestess of the temple but the words of the ones cursed with a short life are also the ones blessed with the most insight. "Do you think I should leave the tree to its fate then?" Danica asks. Kynari rests her chin on top of her fingers pondering. "I believe fate is not a thing that belongs to one person, rather a ball of thread that binds every aspect of Mundus. As I'm affecting you now, each action plays a purpose to the whole. Maybe a savior will come, maybe there won't be a savior. May the passing of time shed light."

"Keep your head up priestess, the sun dawns over Whiterun."